Mound Musings: See You in September?

Hopefully, you're heading into the fantasy season's final month with your sights set on a league title. This is a tricky time, because some teams will back off on the innings pitched for key arms they want fresh for the playoffs, while other teams – especially those out of the playoff picture – will want to see what they have coming into next season. These might be prospects on the way up or even veterans who have missed time due to injuries. You don't want to overlook some of those pitchers, as a handful of starts in September can be a huge psychological boost over the offseason. Check your league standings. What scoring categories offer an opportunity to pick up a few points? That's where we are in September. Let's briefly see who might be worth a look during the season's final month:

Noah Syndergaard (Mets) – I wish I could have been gushing about Thor later than April of this year, but I'm still hoping I can enjoy at least a few innings in September. Syndergaard went down in late April with a partially torn lat muscle, and the lackluster Mets have, probably wisely, been very methodical in their approach to his rehab. That said, he's actively throwing now and could return early next month. It's certainly possible that there will be rust to shake off, and the team won't push him very hard, but he is a game-changer in fantasy terms. If he has anything close to his normal stuff, the impact to WHIP and ERA, plus the strikeout potential can make a huge difference.

Brent Honeywell (Rays) – This used to be a great time to talk about anticipated arrivals for a lot of blue chip young pitchers, but in today's game many of those notable names are already on major league rosters. Still, there are a few we can look forward to seeing. Honeywell is right at the top of the list. The Rays are notoriously conservative with their handling of young arms, but there's nothing left to prove for this guy. His overall numbers at Triple-A are good but not great, however over his last 10 starts, after adjusting to more advanced hitters, he has posted a 1.13 WHIP, a 2.29 ERA, and he's logged 73 strikeouts in just 55 innings. The Rays won't overextend him, but he's the real deal.

Jack Flaherty (Cardinals) – Flaherty is another young one – he's just 21 – and you may not have heard as much about him, but he's quickly establishing himself. The high school teammate of Lucas Giolito (he's coming up below), works in the low 90s so he's not overpowering, but he throws quality strikes all day long. He's got a very good changeup, and his breaking pitches continue to improve. It's pretty amazing how far he's come after converting to pitching full time just three years ago when he turned pro. He's the rare guy who is actually raising his ceiling. Keep an eye out for him, as it's rumored he could be up as early as this weekend to take Mike Leake's turn.

Chance Adams (Yankees) – He's one of the pitchers I'm really anxious to see at the major league level. He was drafted after working as a reliever in college, but the Yankees moved him into the rotation, and he has excelled at every level since. He has a live arm with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s, a hard slider and a decent change, but most importantly, he throws strikes, and he's a competitor. He has been rumored to be on the way to New York a few times this season, but the team has resisted adding him to the 40-man roster. There is a chance, possibly based on their playoff picture, that he will get a look in September. If he does show up in the Bronx, give him a shot.

Robbie Ray (Diamondbacks) – This is a strikeout special. If there are points to be had in that category, Ray is your guy to get. Over the past two years, he has rung up 369 punch outs in 302 innings. He can be a bit prone to the long ball (he's allowed 40 in those two seasons), and his walk rate is a bit high, but those strikeouts help him escape jams and preserve his ERA. He's been out with a concussion but he's very close to returning, and the Diamondbacks' offense provides enough runs to net you some wins. If he was cut loose in your league, you might want to jump on him.

Lucas Giolito (White Sox) – Giolito didn't have to wait for September, as the seriously rebuilding White Sox called him up to start against Minnesota last Tuesday. A couple of years ago he was considered to be the best pitching prospect in the game, but his results recently have been mixed. He has a very good fastball and a good change, but his bread and butter is a filthy curveball. If he gets that consistently over, something he had trouble doing against the Twins, that's a swing and miss pitch. I liked his poise on the mound, and he made adjustments as the game progressed. Hitters were laying off his secondary pitches later in the outing, but overall it was a pretty decent debut.

Wei-Yin Chen (Marlins) – It's unclear if Chen will be brought back before the end of the season, but if he does pop up, working in pitcher-friendly South Florida, he could be at least marginally helpful to a fantasy team looking for some innings at the back of their rotation. He's been out since May with an elbow injury but he is throwing, and they may be persuaded to let him get back on the mound before the offseason. Be aware, he has the luxury of player option years remaining on his contract, so the team might opt to play it conservatively. Monitor his progress in the coming days.

Garrett Richards (Angels) – In late 2013, 2014 and 2015, Richards was a Cinderella of the fantasy ball. That seems like a long time ago now. He was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear early in 2016, and he opened a lot of eyes for a different reason when he opted to forego Tommy John surgery and rehab the elbow instead. It went well, and he seemed set to open this year with guarded optimism. The optimism last just 14 outs into his first start. He looked like his old self before leaving with a biceps injury. This rehab has lasted all season, but he's close to returning. There's an obvious injury risk, but if he's healthy and can last for a month, he can help in a fantasy pennant run.

Some Notable Rotation Ramblings:

• I limited the featured guys to one per MLB team but I'm going to mention another of the Mets' mound gems here. The Dark Knight, Matt Harvey, can be right there with Syndergaard when he's healthy and locked in. He's ahead of Thor on the rehab timeline, and I'd be willing to take a chance on him coming back strong.

• Speaking of multiple pitchers on the same team, the Angels entire future could make some noise in the final month. Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs (both are already up), and the guy I think is actually the real stud-to-be, Alex Meyer, are all worth taking a look at. There is risk here, but there is some talent, too.

• In San Francisco, the Giants are auditioning starting pitchers with an eye toward the 2018 season. One guy who quietly has made a bit of an impression on me is the right-hander Chris Stratton. He has just modest stuff but he's been hitting his spots and keeping hitters off balance. He might enjoy a decent September.

• Carlos Rodon may not be an ace yet, but he's headed that direction if he keeps pitching like he has recently. The centerpiece of the White Sox' staff has looked almost untouchable at times and he hasn't reached his peak. When MLB's deepest minor league system matures, he should be ready to turn it up.

• The Cardinals' Adam Wainwright is dealing with a balky elbow. He received a PRP injection earlier this week, which means he won't throw for 10 to 14 days and he could be on the shelf for longer. That opens the door for Luke Weaver, who has the skillset to contribute to a fantasy team down the stretch.

• Some pitchers benefit greatly from exceptional defense. Case in point (albeit a bit in reverse) would be Toronto's Marcus Stroman. He leads the majors in groundball percentage and he gets a large share of double plays, but middle infielders with pedestrian range allow more hits than you might expect.
  

With Trevor Rosenthal out for the season, Seung Hwan Oh is likely to again be the primary closer in St. Louis. He'll need to be more consistent, but the guy who figures to be his main competition, Tyler Lyons, is not a great option. It looks like Juan Minaya may be edging ahead of the field for the closer's gig in Chicago, but that may not be the final word. There has been no indication as such, but would they consider giving the struggling Derek Holland a look in the end game? Sam Dyson is still closing for the Giants, but as soon as they are convinced he's healthy, and safely able to handle the workload, Mark Melancon will be back. The Royals' Kelvin Herrera left the game early Tuesday night with a forearm strain. If he's forced to miss any time, Brandon Maurer would likely fill in. Baltimore's Zach Britton was roughed up and blew a save on Wednesday. Following the game, the team announced he would be going for an MRI on his knee. They downplayed it, but Brad Brach owners might want to get him dusted off, just in case.