Derek Holland (SP, SF) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 14% of leagues

ANALYSIS: After a mediocre start to the season through the months of April and May, Derek Holland has been a reliable pitcher out of both the San Francisco rotation and bullpen. Since the start of June, coming into his start yesterday against the Diamondbacks, Holland has compiled a 2.80 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 54 2/3 IP across nine starts and four relief appearances. Several peripheral pitching factors have facilitated Holland's improved performance. For one thing, his walk rate has decreased as each month of the season has progressed, going from 10.4% in April steadily down to 6.8% all through July. Holland was able able to produce two straight months of double-digit K/9 figures (10.5 and 11.3) through his work in June and July, both of which were his respectively his season-best marks.

Derek Holland has allowed slightly less hard contact (37.1% and 38.9%) over the last two months than he did in the first two months of 2018, and although he allowed his lowest soft contact rate of the season of 13.9% in July, most of that drop was transformed into medium contact as opposed to hard contact, and he helped to stagnate this difference with his highest GB/FB ratio of the season at 1.13. Especially when pitching in the confines of AT&T Park, that formula will typically translate into quality outings. With improvements in strikeout, walk, and ground ball volume that have translated into two consecutive months of success from the mound, Derek Holland appears to be a solid deep-league option for Fantasy Baseball Managers in need of starting pitching;  with Johnny Cueto receiving Tommy John surgery, Holland appears likely to remain in the rotation until season's end.