MLB Pitchers Trending Downward: Dylan Cease, Jose Berrios, Ranger Suarez, Luis Gil, Hector Neris and More

After looking at MLB pitchers trending in the right direction yesterday, it’s time to cover the MLB pitchers headed in the other direction.

Here are the stories on the hitters who are trending upward and downward from last week.

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Struggling Pitchers

Among qualified pitchers, it’s San Diego Padres’ Dylan Cease who has the worst earned run average (6.10) over the past 30 days.

Cease is 2-3 in his six starts and 31 innings in that span. He allowed seven homers in those 31 innings, while striking out 43 batters and walking 11.

It’s been a rough go of things for Cease, which has moved him to around 50th on the FantasySP Trade Value Chart. He’s putting up numbers similar to last season, but has as many wins already because he’s on a better team. 

With Cease’s trade value down right now, I think the best course of action is to hope he turns things around and not panic and sell. He should bounce back at some point, and when he’s going well, he’s one of the top fantasy pitchers in the game. Now would be the time to try to buy low on Cease.

Chicago Cubs’ Shota Imanaga has the second-worst ERA (5.67) over the past 30 days.

Imanaga is 2-1 over his five starts in that span. He’s allowed 21 runs (17 earned) in 27 innings, giving up five homers and just four walks, while striking out 25.

Imanaga was one of the top fantasy pitchers in the game earlier this season, but has fallen on hard times. Really, a 10-run start is making his last month look much worse than it really is. You might be able to buy low on Imanaga, but fantasy owners who roster him should have confidence he will be much better over the next month.

Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Berrios is 3-2 but with a 5.45 ERA over his past six starts. In 34 2/3 innings, Berrios has just 19 strikeouts, while walking 10 and allowing nine home runs and 21 runs overall.

In the past month, Berrios has allowed four or more runs in half of his starts. With his strikeout numbers down, he’s been an average or worse fantasy starting pitcher. 

His trade value is still fairly high because he keeps picking up wins, but you might be able to buy low on him. I expect him to be better going forward, and if he can start racking up some strikeouts, you could get some incredible value after trading for him.

Detroit Tigers’ Reese Olson is 1-2 with a 5.20 ERA over the past 30 days. He has 29 strikeouts, six walks and just one homer allowed in 27 2/3 innings. Olson has allowed 35 hits though, which brings his WHIP number to 1.48.

Olson still has a 3.41 ERA for the season, but just two wins. He was pitching really well at the beginning of the season, but his team wasn’t scoring enough behind him. Now Olson isn’t pitching quite as well (although 12 of the 17 runs he allowed were in two games) and it’s really hurt his fantasy value.

Olson is a streaming option right now, and actually a pretty good one after three straight quality starts. He’s faced a couple poor offenses over that span, so also keep that in mind. Just don’t let his numbers over the past month change your opinion on him as a streamer going forward.

Los Angeles Angels’ Tyler Anderson is 2-3 with a 4.82 ERA over the past 30 days. Anderson has covered 28 innings in that span, allowing 15 runs on 28 hits and 15 walks for a rough 1.54 WHIP number. He’s struck out 17 and allowed three home runs.

Anderson is another streaming option, and actually had been average or better for three straight starts before a six-run outing his last time out. He doesn’t record many strikeouts, but against some weaker offenses, Anderson can cover innings and be a pretty decent streaming option.

Philadelphia Phillies’ Ranger Suarez hasn’t pitched terribly over the past month, but he’s come back to earth after a hot start to the season. He’s 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA across his five starts. In 29 innings, he’s allowed 14 runs (12 earned) on 37 hits and five walks for a 1.45 WHIP number. Suarez has 20 strikeouts and allowed two homers.

I bring up the WHIP figure because Suarez’s ERA is actually pretty solid. If he continues to struggle keeping hitters off base, his ERA could get a lot worse.

I’m not all that worried about Suarez - who allowed 10 runs over his past two starts - but his trade value is still very high. If you wanted to try to trade him away, you should still get a pretty big haul. Suarez has been one of the best fantasy pitchers in the game this season, so even after his struggles over the past two starts, you need to make sure you are getting plenty in a trade for him.

New York Yankees’ Luis Gil had been one of the league’s best pitchers early in the season, but has struggled of late. 

In six starts, Gil went 2-3 with a 6.84 ERA. He struck out 23 batters in 26 1/3 innings, but allowed 20 runs on 24 hits and 17 walks for an ugly 1.56 WHIP.

Gil has dropped into the 70s on the trade value chart and he might not even be that valuable right now. He’s allowed at least four runs in three straight starts, but a desperate fantasy owner might still take a shot on Gil. If you can’t get anything substantial in return for Gil, you might as well hold him and hope he gets things turned around eventually.

For those of you in deeper fantasy leagues, where relievers (outside just closers) are utilized, Milwaukee Brewers’ Joel Payamps has struggled.

Payamps took four losses and had a 5.19 ERA over 12 games and 8 2/3 innings. He allowed seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits and seven walks, while striking out eight. Payamps had a 2.08 WHIP number and saw batters hit over .300 against him.

Payamps either needs to be dropped or benched for the foreseeable future. He’s simply struggling too much and probably will be losing his high-leverage role soon.

Another non-closer reliever who has struggled is Washington Nationals’ Hunter Harvey. He has three losses and two blown saves over the past 30 days.

Harvey has covered 11 innings in 11 games in that span. He’s got five holds, but has allowed 15 runs (13 earned) on 19 hits and six walks, while striking out 11.

Harvey had been one of the better fantasy non-closers, but has fallen off a good bit of late. He’s another guy you should be dropping or benching for the time being.

Cubs’ Hector Neris has arguably been the worst closer over the past month.

In nine games and 8 2/3 innings, Neris took two losses and blown saves, but did earn two wins and four saves. He has a 7.27 ERA, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and seven walks, while punching out 12.

Neris has turned things around with three straight scoreless outings. He’d still be hard to trust as a fantasy option in standard leagues because of his inconsistency.