Jesse Hahn (SP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Draft Target in Later Rounds / Waiver Wire Pickup in All Leagues

OWNED IN: 36% of Yahoo Leagues

ANALYSIS: Projections for Jesse Hahn are all over the place, and some fantasy leagues are leaving him undrafted altogether. Hahn was traded from the Padres to the Athletics this off-season; normally leaving the friendly confines of San Diego is a big downgrade, but landing in Oakland's pitcher friendly ballpark isn’t the worst spot to be, particularly when you’re getting away from the powerhouse Dodger lineup in the NL West.

Last season, Hahn sported a 10.4 K/9 and 2.91 xFIP over the first 40.2 innings of his season. Unfortunately things unraveled in the second half, where he ended up with a 4.44 xFIP and decreased K rate over his final 32.2 innings. Hahn is the exact type of pitcher that you should take a late flier on. If he pitched all season like he did in the first half, he’d be a top 100 pick. But because he didn’t, you have an opportunity to take a chance on him late at a discounted price.

Hahn is just 25 years old and skipped AAA last year. Was his second half a product of over-throwing early, or were hitters picking up his stuff easier once there was some more videotape to study? There’s no way to tell until he takes this mound in 2015 (or if I knew the answer, I’d be making a lot more money). Take a low risk/high reward gamble on Hahn this year, and either snag him later in your drafts or add him off the waiver wire. He's still only 36% owned, so Hahn is widely available for the plucking.