Will Harris (RP, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Will Harris was essentially an unknown coming into the year, at least in terms of fantasy appeal. With incumbent closer Luke Gregerson still on the roster and the Astros spoiling the Phillies with young talent in exchange for Ken Giles this offseason, the thought of Harris seeing any save chances shouldn’t have crossed the minds of fantasy owners.

However, two consecutive blown saves by Gregerson (his fourth and fifth of the year) have blown the door wide open, and with Giles’ ERA still well above 5.00, Harris may have emerged as the frontrunner for ninth inning duties going forward. Manager A.J. Hinch has not officially announced a new closer, but turning to Harris in the ninth inning with a three-run lead on Sunday was clearly a vote of confidence. The Houston native needed just 11 pitches to lock down the save with a perfect inning.

Harris, 31, allowed a run in his first appearance of the season on April 7, but since then? Goose eggs across the board, giving him a 0.34 ERA to go along with a 0.71 WHIP and 29 K in 26.2 IP. His 25.1-inning scoreless streak is currently the best in all of baseball— Wade Davis never went that long without giving up a run last year (finished with a 0.94 ERA).

The Astros’ bullpen situation should become clearer over the next few weeks, but as long as he is in the mix, Harris is a must-add. Even if he were to lose out on saves, he has been arguably the most valuable middle reliever in the game, and would still be worth a pickup in deep leagues that reward holds.