- You're probably not going to bench Shane Bieber after drafting him in one of the first few rounds, but the right-hander's struggles are still worth discussing. In a tough matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays last Saturday, Bieber was tattooed for seven runs over 3 1/3 innings, as his velocity continued its decline. Back in 2020, when Bieber won the AL Cy Young, he averaged 94.2 mph with his fastball. Last season it was down to 92.8 mph. In his last start, his heater sat at just 89.9 mph. Against a Minnesota Twinsoffense that ranks seventh in baseball with a 110 wRC+, it's fair to lower expectations for Bieber on Saturday.
- George Kirby (33% rostered in ESPN leagues) was flat-out dominant in his MLB debut, spinning six shutout frames against the Tampa Bay Rays while fanning seven and walking none. This came after he posted a 1.82 ERA with an 11.7 K/9 and a 1.8 BB/9 in five starts at Double-A. It's unwise to get overly excited about just one start, but the former first-round pick still deserves to be rostered in more than 33% of leagues based solely on his upside. Saturday's outing versus the New York Mets, who sport a 121 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers this season, will be another good test for Kirby.
- Since his promotion, Juan Yepez (15%) is batting .400 with a pair of homers through his first eight games. That's obviously a tiny sample size, but it's simply the continuation of what the 24-year-old has been doing over the past year in the minors. Yepez produced a combined .969 OPS with 27 home runs in 111 games between Double- and Triple-A in 2021, and he had a .974 OPS with nine dingers in 22 games at Triple-A prior to getting the call this season. He's worth grabbing as a potential long-term asset if your offense needs a boost.
- Bruce Zimmermann (19%) has been a pleasant surprise this season, putting up a 2.67 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over his first six starts. The 27-year-old lefty is more of a soft-tosser, averaging just 90.3 mph on his fastball, but he's still getting nearly a strikeout per inning, thanks to a slider that boasts a 53.8% whiff rate. There's certainly some regression risk here, but we're unlikely to see that regression hit against a Detroit Tigers lineup that's been below-average versus lefties.
What you need to know for Saturday
- Thread starter biggins
- Start date
iaz is starting Saturday's matinee against Oakland, and he'll officially be designated as the 27th man for the twin bill. Although he's serving as an extra man Saturday, a strong performance should put him in the mix to serve as the Angels' sixth starter going forward. However, he faces strong competition for the rotation spot after Chase Silseth allowed a hit and two walks while striking out four in six scoreless frames against the Athletics on Friday.
