The second full week of August is upon us, and for fantasy owners, it’s crunch time before the playoffs. With Week 19 of the 2025 fantasy baseball season on the horizon, here’s a look at five pitchers to keep an eye on.
Best Week 19 pitchers to target
- SP Cristian Javier (Astros)
- SP Michael McGreevy (Cardinals)
- SP Jose Quintana (Brewers)
- RP Cade Smith (Guardians)
- SP Michael Wacha (Nationals)
This is a week heavy on the “spot start”. However, I’ll start with a name you hopefully should not have forgotten.
Cristian Javier was at one point one of the hottest pitchers in fantasy. Three seasons ago, Javier struck out 194 over 148.2 IP thanks to a plus fastball that didn’t have much velocity but had a lot of IVB, along with a very good slider. However, he struggled after May two years ago and in 2024, underwent Tommy John surgery after only seven starts.
Javier struggled with walks, though, in his Minor League rehab assignment. He walked 15 over 14 frames, continuing what was a problem for him (12.7% BB%) last year. The 28-year-old will get the Red Sox on August 11, and realistically, isn’t a good option to throw in the fire just yet.
But, he’s nonetheless worth the speculative buy for those who are looking for an extra depth option.
Aside from that, let’s go into the other three starters on this list:
- McGreevy: Gets the Rockies and Austin Gomber on August 13 at home. He doesn’t strike out a lot but given the opposition, he is a worthy pickup.
- Quintana: Will face the Pirates at home on August 11. It’s a two-start week for Quintana, who should lineup to face the Reds this coming weekend.
- Wacha: A friendly matchup against the Nationals at home on August 12.
Lastly, if Cade Smith is available: get him. The dynamic reliever picked up a win and two saves over the last week and should have a stranglehold on the Guardians’ closer job for the rest of the season.
Overview of Week 18
Justin Verlander notched his 3,500th career strikeout on August 10, joining rarefied air. But before then, he picked up a much-needed win earlier this week against the Pirates.
However, not everyone on our Week 18 list did well, a tough one to a certain extent.
Logan Henderson was scheduled to face a struggling Mets team on August 9 before landing on the injured list. Meanwhile, Spencer Arrighetti and Jose Soriano had tough weeks. Soriano surrendered seven earned runs against the Rays, while Arrighetti gave up 11 hits over 3.2 IP against the Marlins.
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