Crawford: Beware the volatility of Nick Pivetta
Christopher Crawford explains the inconsistent season of Boston Red Sox SP Nick Pivetta and what manager can expect from him going forward.
Video Transcript
CHRISTOPHER CRAWFORD: If there is a pitcher that has been more maddeningly inconsistent than Nick Pivetta, I probably don't want to know about it. Pivetta was outstanding on Sunday with seven scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts, while allowing just 2 hits against the Athletics.
The start before that, saw him give up 6 runs on 9 hits, while seeing him be pulled in to fifth. The start before that was another scoreless outing against the Rays over 6 and 2/3 frames. In 17 starts, the 28-year-old has allowed no runs in four and allowed four runs or more in five.
So what should you expect from Pivetta going forward? Probably more of the same. He's among the best in baseball in expected batting average and strikeout percentage, which is good. He's well below average in avoiding barrels, issuing walks, and hard hit percentage. And that's bad.
Long story short, Pivetta does a lot of things well and a lot of things at the level that will keep those strengths from maxing out. Fantasy managers should be willing to start Pivetta against most lineups, but you have to be aware of the volatility. He's in for a clunker sometimes when he faces quality lineups.