The 19th week of the 2024 fantasy baseball starts for many on August 12. The past week saw some breakout performers on the pitching side of things, as an electric arm in Arizona got his first chance to close and a Houston rookie dominated against the Red Sox. Both of those names, for what it’s worth, are covered here in our recap of pitchers to target on the waiver wire for Week 19 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season.
Spencer Arrighetti
We’ll start our Week 19 fantasy baseball pitcher target list with Spencer Arrighetti, who’s been among the better starters in Major League Baseball over the past month. From July 7 through August 9, Arrighetti owned a strong 3.41 ERA with 36 strikeouts over 29 frames. Those 36 strikeouts were good for 22nd in the Majors in that stretch and that was before a career-best outing on August 10. Arrighetti struck out a career-high 13 en route to his fifth win of 2024.
Arrighetti’s ERA of 5.14 ERA is unsightly but not indicative of how he’s pitched recently. He’s also got the power stuff, including a mid-90s fastball with high extension and good breaking stuff, to be an impact pitcher for the next few weeks.
Paul Blackburn
The Mets replaced Kodai Senga after a likely season-ending injury with Paul Blackburn after the Amazins picked him up at the Trade Deadline. Blackburn’s first start with New York (NL) went just fine, as he struck out six over six frames and gave up one run on August 2. That performance gave Blackburn his first win as a Met. He followed it up with a similar outing on August 7, as he struck out six over six innings and gave up one earned run.
Blackburn will get his former team, the A’s, on August 13. Blackburn’s worth a spot start and possibly more. The 30-year-old’s been very good at jamming hitters throughout his career, thanks to a good cutter and the ability to change speeds effectively. Now that Blackburn’s on a team with a shot at the playoffs, he’s more desirable.
Lucas Erceg
This list has a heavy bent towards reliever. Royals reliever Lucas Erceg was acquired last month and Kansas City paid a price to get the hard-thrower. But thus far, he’s been great for Kansas City. Erceg struck out eight over his first 6.1 IP with the Royals and notched his second save with the team on August 10. His arm, powered by an upper-90s fastball, could get more time in the ninth inning. James McArthur has struggled at times, while Hunter Harvey is on the IL.
Erceg cost the Royals starting pitcher prospect Mason Barnett but it might have been worth it given he’ll be controllable through the 2029 campaign. That could make the 29-year-old a name to watch for years to come.
Justin Martinez
The Diamondbacks demoted closer Paul Sewald from his role last week after a loss of command, which Torey Lovullo attributed to mechanical issues. But rather than go with A.J. Puk or Kevin Ginkel — who moonlighted as Arizona’s closer when Sewald was on the IL — the Diamondbacks have opted to use Justin Martinez in the ninth inning as of late. The 23-year-old’s been just fine in that role, as he notched two saves and a win over the last week.
For those who haven’t seen Martinez pitch, he’s must-watch TV. The 23-year-old owns a booming triple-digit sinker, to go along with a hard slider and splitter. His command (12.3% BB%) isn’t great but less of a concern out of the pen. With Sewald a free agent after 2024, Martinez could be the team’s closer not just for the rest of this year but 2025 and beyond.
Ryan Walker
We’ll finish our Week 19 fantasy baseball pitcher target list with another reliever: Ryan Walker. Walker was an opener last season for analytically-friendly manager Gabe Kapler. This season, Bob Melvin primarily used him in the seventh and eighth innings this year. Walker did get a save chance on August 10 and shut the door for his second career save. It could be a sign of things to come, as the Giants demoted former All-Star closer Camilo Doval on August 9. The demotion came amidst a tough season for Doval, as he owned a 5.9 BB/9 rate before the move.
If we had to choose one of the three relievers on this list to target, we’d choose Martinez — provided he’s available. Martinez has the highest ceiling. But, Walker is a close second. The 28-year-old’s been valuable as a setup man alongside Tyler Rogers and consistent. If he can be just as consistent in the ninth, Walker could solve a major problem for the Giants.