Spencer Turnbull (SP, DET) - Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues

OWNED IN: 37% of All Leagues

ANALYSIS: Spencer Turnbull is off to a solid start to his rookie campaign - albeit on a bad Detroit team. Still available in over 60% of leagues, Turnbull is sure to see his ownership jump after his most recent start and another promising outing on the horizon.

Turnbull went six scoreless against the Royals, striking out five and walking two. He lowered his season ERA to 2.78 with that quality start. Next is a weekend start at home against a Cleveland Indians team that is much more pedestrian than in years past, as former masher Jose Ramirez has been reduced to a face on a milk carton. The 2019 Indians have an 84 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, along with a subpar .702 OPS  and 23.3% K-rate.

Now is a good time to snag Turnbull off the wire while he's still available. It's hard to count on him for more than five or six innings but Turnbull has flashed high K-potential - such as when he struck out 10 Royals in his second start of the season.  This is due in part to his cutter, which some call a slider, and he calls a mix of both, which has been one of the nastiest pitches in the majors this year, with an outrageous 50% K-rate against and a -0.02 xFIP. That is an elite pitch, and elite pitches can portend future breakouts. So, grab Turnbull now for the two-start stream, but hold on to him later in case the breakout comes.