Zack Godley (SP, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Zack Godley will try to continue his surprising run this season when he takes on the Cardinals on Wednesday. Godley turned in an ugly 2016, posting a 6.39 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 1.57 HR/9. This year he is pitching more like he did in 2015 over a similar sample size. Godley has a 2.53 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in nine starts this season, but many are waiting for the other shoe to drop, due to some suspect peripherals. A 3.66 SIERA and .247 BABIP could indicate his ratios are due to increase. There are some promising trends elsewhere that could keep him in the fold as a fantasy starter, however.

Over his three Major League seasons, Godley has become a bona fide ground ball pitcher, raising his GB% to 60%. He's also lowered his walk rate to 2.68 BB/9 and induced a 21.3% Soft% that keeps increasing. Godley isn't a strikeout pitcher, whiffing 8.21 batters per nine, but he's learned to pitch to contact effectively. More importantly, he is keeping the ball down in the zone, which is a huge benefit when pitching in the desert. The big difference from last year is that Godley is relying more on his fastball and throwing his cutter far less. For now, continue to bet on Godley's new approach and make him a back-end rotation arm in any format.