I wrote an article last week discussing how the Tampa Bay pitching staff was thriving, despite two-time AL Cy Young-winner David Price not being his usual dominant self. Well, dominant David Price has returned and the Rays’ rotation has become even more unhittable than before.
Price has now made six starts since he was activated from the DL on July 2 and it’s safe to say that his six weeks away from the field made him well rested. He has gone the distance in three of those six starts, giving him the lead in the AL in complete games, despite making just 15 starts so far in 2013.
Price’s stamina in the heat of July has been impressive, but his stuff has been just as notable. The lefty has gone 4-1 with a 1.76 ERA since his return to action. His WHIP over that span is a lights out 0.78, compounded by the fact that he’s only walked one hitter in 41 innings of work.
That type of command explains how he has kept hitters to just a .228 average on balls in play since his return. Normally that stat would be a warning sign of a coming regression to the mean, but in this case it seems Price is just inducing a lot of weak contact rather than getting a lot of outs on hard-hit pitches.
The Rays will be able lean on Price extensively down the stretch, given the low mileage on his arm this season. Joe Maddon will likely allow him not only to pitch deep into games, but also to make starts on short rest during the team’s playoff push. Therefore, he will likely be even more valuable as a fantasy pitcher for the rest of the season than he would be under normal circumstances.
Price is as valuable as any pitcher in baseball at this juncture, despite being currently ranked as the No. 71 starting pitcher on the ESPN Player Rater. He will only get more valuable as he continues to prove he has fully recovered from his injury, so I recommend trying to trade for him while he still may be undervalued.
I’d also like to point out that those of you who read my last article about the Rays and decided to heed my advice are probably enjoying that decision right now. Chris Archer and Jeremy Hellickson have allowed one earned run in a combined 22 IP since my article and Wil Myers is hitting .429 in that time.
I’ve saved spots for all my readers on the Rays bandwagon; they’ve helped put more than a few fantasy teams into first place.
Dylan Sinn is a freelance contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSinn or subscribe at Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports.
Photo Credit: Getty
