Eric Lauer

Eric Lauer

28-Year-Old PitcherSP
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Lauer tied his high with 29 starts, over which he logged 158.2 innings, the most of his career. His 3.69 ERA may look good, but estimators pegged it about half a run to a full run higher. Homers were again Lauer's crutch as his HR% was the fifth highest among all hurlers throwing at least 150 stanzas. Lauer's 14.8 % K-BB% is below average, so he needed a fortunate .260 BABIP and 79.0% LOB mark to keep his ratios in check. Lauer reduced usage of an ineffective change up, but he continued to deploy an equally unproductive 78-mph curveball at a 16% rate. The catch is all his other pitches are within a 7-mph delta, so the slower curveball helps set up his four-seamer, cutter and slider. Still just 27-years-old, Lauer can make some adjustments, but unless he solves his home run issue, Lauer is best considered in the back-end/streamer range of a fantasy staff. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#296
ADP
$Signed a one-year, $5.08 million contract with the Brewers in January of 2023. Elected free agency in October of 2023.
Opts for free agency
PFree Agent  
October 23, 2023
Lauer elected free agency Monday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
ANALYSIS
The Brewers understandably didn't want to give Lauer a raise via arbitration after he posted a 6.56 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over 46.2 innings this season. He's just 28 years old and posted a 3.84 ERA and 286:109 K:BB over 288.1 innings for Milwaukee from 2020-22, so the left-hander shouldn't have trouble finding another opportunity elsewhere.
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Pitching Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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2019 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
84
Last 10 Games
84
Last 5 Games
78
How many pitches does Eric Lauer generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Eric Lauer generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2021
 
 
-13%
BAA vs LHP
2023
 
 
-63%
BAA vs LHP
2022
 
 
-6%
BAA vs LHP
2021
 
 
-7%
BAA vs RHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2021vs Left .208 263 52 31 48 8 1 5
Since 2021vs Right .239 1098 265 93 235 37 3 54
2023vs Left .121 38 8 5 4 3 0 1
2023vs Right .329 173 35 19 50 9 0 15
2022vs Left .216 108 23 11 21 2 0 3
2022vs Right .230 553 134 48 114 19 3 24
2021vs Left .228 117 21 15 23 3 1 1
2021vs Right .211 372 96 26 71 9 0 15
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2021
 
 
-9%
ERA at Home
2023
 
 
-64%
ERA on Road
2022
 
 
-46%
ERA at Home
2021
 
 
-5%
ERA at Home
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2021Home 3.74 1.23 163.2 12 9 0 8.9 3.4 1.4
Since 2021Away 4.10 1.28 160.1 10 9 0 8.7 3.5 1.9
2023Home 10.35 2.15 20.0 1 4 0 9.0 5.9 4.5
2023Away 3.71 1.31 26.2 3 2 0 7.8 3.7 2.0
2022Home 2.56 1.07 77.1 6 2 0 9.3 2.9 1.2
2022Away 4.76 1.36 81.1 5 5 0 8.5 3.8 1.9
2021Home 3.12 1.13 66.1 5 3 0 8.4 3.3 0.8
2021Away 3.27 1.15 52.1 2 2 0 9.5 2.9 1.7
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Stat Review
How does Eric Lauer compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
1.79
 
K/9
8.3
 
BB/9
4.6
 
HR/9
3.1
 
Fastball
90.9 mph
 
ERA
6.56
 
WHIP
1.67
 
BABIP
.300
 
GB/FB
0.58
 
Left On Base
70.1%
 
Exit Velocity
83.4 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
7.6%
 
Spin Rate
2220 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
25.5%
 
Swinging Strike
9.4%
 
Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Eric Lauer See More
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4 days ago
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73 days ago
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Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Welcome Back Edition
197 days ago
Todd Zola welcomes back several key hurlers into his weekly pitcher rankings.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2017
It would have been easy to miss if he wasn't on any of your fantasy teams, but Lauer was quite valuable over his final 15 appearances. He logged a 2.23 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 76 strikeouts in 80.2 innings -- a far cry from the 5.21 ERA and 1.42 WHIP he posted over his first nine appearances. Part of his success over the final three months can be attributed to easy matchups, including facing the Pirates a whopping four times over that stretch. Lauer threw five pitches (four-seamer, cutter, curveball, slider, changeup) over 10% of the time last season, but his improved results correlate with him significantly increasing his slider and curveball usage (his two best pitches by xwOBA) while dialing back his four-seamer and cutter. This is the pitcher the Brewers hoped they were getting along with Luis Urias in the deal that sent Trent Grisham and Zach Davies to San Diego. While Lauer doesn't have a sky-high ceiling, he is a good late-round target in mixed leagues.
After spending four years in the Padres' organization, Lauer was traded to the Brewers in November of 2019. Lauer started 52 games for the Padres over the two prior years, and Milwaukee was expecting him to bolster the back end of their rotation. That plan did not immediately come to fruition, as Lauer wound up appearing in only four games and was hit hard in both his starts. Lauer's fastball, while sitting in the low-90s, carried him in 2019, but was ineffective a year ago. He does bring four other pitches to the table, and the Brewers will be hoping to find the right mix moving forward. Despite last year's struggles, Lauer will have a chance to secure a spot in the Brewers' rotation. His 8.3 K/9 for his career isn't too shabby, but his ratios aren't too appealing to fantasy players.
Lauer saw an increased workload in 2019, logging 149.2 innings over 30 appearances (29 starts). He had a 4.45 ERA on the season and was much better at home (3.08) than on the road (5.99). The lefty will not have the luxury of pitching half his games at Petco Park in 2020 and will instead pitch in a much more hitter-friendly environment in Milwaukee following a trade to the Brewers. Regardless of home venue, Lauer's ceiling was always that of a back-end starter. He has a middling 91.9 mph average fastball, and while his slider has received good grades in the past, it has not translated to high swing-and-miss rates. The 24-year-old improved his walk rate last season, but it still sat at a mediocre 7.8% after a rough 9.1 BB% the year before. Lauer currently projects for a spot in the Opening Day rotation, but this skill set is fringe at best for a mixed league.
Lauer opened the eyes of the Padres brass in the spring but was still sent to Triple-A El Paso to open the 2018 campaign. A 3.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 18 innings prompted a callup after just three starts. Lauer was immediately inserted into the Padres' rotation where he toiled until late July when he was shelved with a forearm strain. Lauer returned a month later and finished the season strong, posting a 1.07 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 25 punchouts in 25.1 stanzas down the stretch. Lauer hopes to carry that momentum over to the spring where he'll be in a battle for a spot as a back-end starter for San Diego. To secure it, he'll need to improve his 8.6% swinging-strike rate, especially if he continues to walk batters at an above-average pace. The Padres' system is loaded with starting pitching prospects, ticketing Lauer for a long-term role as a swingman.
The Padres signed the Kent State lefty to a slightly under slot $2 million contract after selecting him with the No. 25 overall pick. He was dominant after entering pro ball, albeit in just 31 innings, primarily in the Northwest League. However, Lauer does not have a plus pitch, and his excellent numbers may oversell his long-term upside. He features a low-90s fastball, an above-average slider, and a changeup and curveball that could top out as average offerings. Additionally, he does not have the type of elite command needed to allow that arsenal to play up. Any organization would be happy to have a high-probability 6-foot-3 southpaw who should be able to pitch near the back of a big league rotation, but for fantasy dynasty leagues, that profile is a lot less exciting, especially when it comes with a lead time of two or three years.
More Fantasy News
Outrighted to Nashville
PMilwaukee Brewers  
October 20, 2023
Lauer cleared waivers Friday and was sent outright to Triple-A Nashville, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
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Returns to minors
PMilwaukee Brewers  
October 1, 2023
Lauer was optioned to the Arizona Complez League on Sunday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
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Hit hard in return
PMilwaukee Brewers  
October 1, 2023
Lauer (4-6) took the loss Saturday, allowing eight runs on nine hits and four walks over four innings against the Cubs. He struck out two.
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Promotion official
PMilwaukee Brewers  
September 30, 2023
The Brewers recalled Lauer from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday against the Cubs.
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Back in bigs, starting Saturday
PMilwaukee Brewers  
September 30, 2023
The Brewers will recall Lauer from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday to start their penultimate game of the regular season versus the Cubs at American Family Field, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
ANALYSIS
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