Nick Pivetta (SP, PHI) - Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 30% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: To say that Nick Pivetta's 2019 has been a disappointment so far would be an understatement. Touted by many experts to breakout after posting promising numbers in 2018, Pivetta has struggled to find any sort of success with the Phillies this season earning himself the label as a draft-day bust. After his first four starts, he held an ugly 8.35 ERA, 2.13 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts in 18.1 IP (17.2% K%) while failing to throw more than five innings in any start. This miserable play led to a minor league demotion where Pivetta showed some signs that he may have retooled himself.

In six starts at Lehigh Valley, the 26-year-old went 4-1, clipping his ERA and WHIP nearly in half from his major league total to 3.41 and 1.14 respectively. We all know minor league success doesn't directly translate back over to the big leagues, but a few other numbers suggest that he may have turned it around. The biggest issue Pivetta faced at the majors was his inability to keep the ball in the park by serving up a detrimental 2.45 HR/9. Keeping the ball on the ground over 6.5% more in Triple-A, Pivetta saw this number fall to an impressive 0.49 HR/9. Not only did he keep the baseball in the infield, but he struck out 33.1% of the batters he faced.

Pivetta returned to the Phillies earlier this week against the Cardinals, and at first, the results weren't appealing. Have gave up two home runs to his first four hitters of the game. He settled down after that punching out six over five innings without allowing another run the rest of the game and earning himself the win.

Pivetta is still a work in progress, but his strikeout potential remains high and on a run-scoring Phillies team, wins should continue to pile in. Pivetta's fate is in his own hands as he faces the Dodgers on Sunday in his next audition to prove he belongs back in the majors. There's a risk that the right-hander gets relegated to the bullpen if he continues to struggle, but the potential reward is considerable if he can right the ship.