Mike Leake (SP, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues

ANALYSIS: Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake is quietly enjoying a very solid season in the shadow of Johnny Cueto. The win/loss record is not quite as impressive, currently at six wins and six losses, but there a plenty of reasons to be excited about the progress Leake has made over the previous seasons which is why he is the most recent addition to our list of waiver wire sleepers. The stat the excites me most is that Leake's strikeouts are up significantly from last season, while the walks and ERA are still as low as last season. Leake is sporting a 3.41 ERA, 88 Ks in 114 IP (7 Ks per 9 innings) which is up a lot from last season, and a WHIP of 1.14 which is another area of improvement. The increased swings and misses are a great sign for longer term success. Going forward I love Mike Leake, especially since two of his past three starts have been 8 inning gems (including 12 Ks against SF on June 26th). If you are not holding a staff full of aces, then Leake may warrant a spot on your fantasy teams, at least while he is pitching so well.