Michael Simione | July 23rd, 2019
Introduction
Asher Wojciechowski has bumped around the league for years. Finally, at age 30 he might get the starts he needs to make an impact on fantasy baseball teams. Playing for a horrible Orioles team this year, Asher has finally gotten his shot and so far as made the most of it. In five games and four starts, he has posted a 1-3 record with a 12.13 K/9, 1.04 WHIP, and 3.91 ERA. He can become a potential player who wins you your fantasy leagues, but of course, there are some risks.
Basic Underlying Stats
First, let’s look at some basic underlying stats. His 3.91 ERA comes with a 3.96 FIP, 4.19 xFIP, and 3.51 SIERA. This looks good to me and looks like his ERA can possibly stay under four. His K-BB% is at 25.5 which is extremely high. That is equivalent to Shane Bieber and above Jacob deGrom; we do have to consider this is a very small sample but still a good sign. Although another small sample here, his O-Swing% of 39.8 and SwStr% of 16.8 are both above average and this is just another good sign. Based off the top layer everything looks legit and possibly sustainable off a small sample size.
Why Now? At Age 30 What Is He Doing Different?
Asher has brought in a curveball that he has never had before. Although it is a new pitch for him it is producing a Whiff% of 40.0. The best part of his curve is that he never really leaves it hanging in the zone. When he misses, he misses low and out of the zone a lot like Blake Snell. This has been his go-to pitch when he is ahead in the count (see below). If he can keep fooling hitters with it he can certainly sustain a lot of success.
The Negative
While Asher has a lot of things going for him, he does have one issue. His fastball sometimes can be mediocre (.290 wOBA and .364 xwOBA), and it will result in home runs. So far this season he has allowed 15% of his balls in play to be barrels, while the league average is 7% (see the dark red dots below). Power lineups can be dangerous for him, but we will see how he handles them in the future.
Overall
Asher clearly has the stuff to be dominating at times. The question is can he keep the homers down and will his fastball hold him back. This doesn’t look like luck to me or just a hot streak and I do suggest picking him up as his upside can really help you win leagues.
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