How to Approach Surging Fantasy Baseball Pitchers: Jose Quintana, Taj Bradley, Hunter Greene, Kyle Freeland, Jeff Hoffman and More

Taking a look at some of the hottest pitchers over the past couple weeks and determining how to approach them in fantasy baseball leagues.

The other day, I wrote a story on fantasy hitters who were surging. Today, I’m going to cover pitchers who are surging.

I’ll be looking at stats from the previous 15 days.

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Surging Pitchers

New York Mets’ Jose Quintana has made two starts over the past 15 days, and hasn’t allowed an earned run across 14 innings.

He has given up five hits and four walks, along with hitting two batters, but has six strikeouts to work out of trouble. 

Quintana faced the Washington Nationals in both starts. The Nats aren’t a great offense, but to be able to shut down the same offense two starts in a row is a pretty impressive feat.

His season numbers aren’t too bad either, with a 4-5 record and 3.91 ERA across 96 2/3 innings. He has 71 strikeouts and a 1.26 WHIP.

Quintana is owned in just 35% of leagues and has been a streaming option all season. That remains the case even after the two strong starts, but he might get some extra attention before his next few starts, so be ready to pounce on Quintana. His next scheduled start is Sunday against the Colorado Rockies (at New York), so it’s another favorable matchup.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Taj Bradley has a 0.48 ERA, but over three starts in the past 15 days. He’s 2-0 and has 24 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings. Bradley allowed two runs (one earned) on 13 hits and six walks.

Bradley’s starts came against the Cleveland Guardians, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals. He went at least 5 2/3 innings in each start and struck out at least five. 

Bradley probably deserves better than a 4-4 overall mark this season, as he’s sporting a 2.90 ERA across 12 starts. He has 85 punchouts in 68 1/3 innings.

Had Bradley made a full season of starts and had these kinds of results, his own percentage would likely be higher than his current 81% mark. He’s a bit undervalued and appreciated in my eyes, and should be sticking on fantasy rosters in any format.

Bradley won’t start until after the All-Star break. He’s a player I’d add and hold in any format. You can confidently start him against lesser-hitting teams, and his strikeout work is enough to also feel positive about him even when he’s facing the league’s best lineups.

Cincinnati Reds’ Hunter Greene has a 1.02 ERA over the past 15 days, which covers three starts and 17 2/3 innings. He has a 1-1 record and 23 punchouts along the way. Greene allowed two runs on nine hits, six walks and two hit batsmen.

Greene’s starts came against the St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies. These aren’t elite or even good offenses, but Greene isn’t just beating up on bad teams.

In 19 starts overall this season, Greene is 6-4 with a 3.34 ERA. He has 126 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings. Greene has a 1.11 WHIP figure.

He’s owned in just about every fantasy league out there, and should be trusted to deliver at least average fantasy results against any opposing team. 

Greene’s trade value has also shot up over the past several weeks, making him a sell high option right now. Depending on how the rest of your starting rotation looks, trading Greene could land you a really good fantasy hitter, or maybe a couple depth pieces. He was drafted around pick 110, so you should be getting good value back in return based on his preseason hype.

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt has a 1.10 ERA across his last three starts. He’s 1-0 with 18 strikeouts over 16 1/3 innings pitched. Pfaadt allowed two runs on 15 hits and two walks.

Pfaad’s starts came against the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves, so the results should at least get your attention. 

In 19 starts this season, Pfaadt has a 4-6 record, but respectable 3.97 ERA. He has 104 punchouts in 113 1/3 innings. His WHIP figure is 1.16.

Because he’s not a big strikeout guy, Pfaadt is only owned in 65% of fantasy leagues right now. He’s worth streaming in any format against most offenses based on his last few starts. Pfaadt can make up for a lack of strikeouts by limiting runs and pitching a decent way into games.

Chicago Cubs’ Justin Steele has covered 22 innings in his past three starts. He’s 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 16 strikeouts over his time on the hill. Steele allowed four runs on 12 hits and two walks.

Steele’s starts came against the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles. Steele is a big-name fantasy pitcher, so it shouldn’t be all that surprising to see him shut down good or great offenses.

What is surprising is seeing Steele’s 2.71 ERA this season, yet a 2-3 record overall. His bullpen has let him down, along with his own offense on a few occasions, and it’s hurt Steele’s fantasy stock. He’s got 81 strikeouts in 86 1/3 innings in his 14 starts so far, but by limiting runs, he’s still a good fantasy option.

Steele’s fantasy value is on the rise again, although it’d be a lot higher with a few more wins on his side. Some fantasy owners might look at his win-loss record and not properly judge his trade value, so Steele is worth checking in on at the very least.

Colorado’s Kyle Freeland is second in innings pitched over the past 15 days, covering 20 1/3 frames. He’s 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA. Freeland has allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks, while striking out 17 batters.

The three unearned runs really give Freeland’s ERA a boost over the past few weeks, but another thing to note is the opponents he faced - Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati. Freeland has done what he’s supposed to in those starts, but fantasy owners need to lower their expectations for him moving forward.

Freeland is at least a streaming option now, as long as he isn’t pitching at home or against a top-tier offense.

I wanted to hit on a few closers before we wrapped up the story.

Houston Astros’ Josh Hader has seven seven saves in the past 15 days. The saves are great, but an 0-1 record and 4.26 ERA don’t look as good. He’s allowed three runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out 10 batters. Hader has allowed three homers among his four hits allowed.

Hader hasn’t been the dominant reliever most fantasy owners know and have loved for years. He’s 3-5 overall with a 3.86 ERA, but does have 67 strikeouts over 42 innings.

He’s owned in pretty much every league out there, but is probably pretty frustrating to own right now. You might be able to buy low on Hader right now, even though his save numbers are on the rise and the Astros are trending in the right direction as a team (which helps Hader’s stock).

The last reliever I want to highlight is Philadelphia Phillies’ Jeff Hoffman. He’s got four saves in the past 15 days. Hoffman has allowed a hit, two walks and two hit batsmen, but hasn’t allowed a run - he’s struck out six.

Hoffman and Jose Alvarado have split the closing duties this season, but Hoffman has been the better option of late. He might become the preferred closer in the second half of the season, so at the very least, keep a close eye on Hoffman. You might need to add him soon, as his own percentage has shot up nearly 20% since July hit.

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