This week’s edition of Dynasty Baseball Buys and Sells consists of all pitchers. The dynasty buys feature an unknown prospect coming into this season, who could turn into one of the top pitching prospects in the game and a young pitcher ready to take things to the next level. Two top prospects, who are getting shelled this season are recommended sells in dynasty leagues. In case you missed it, you should check out last week’s edition of Dynasty Baseball Buys and Sells.
Dynasty Baseball Buys
George Klassen, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Klassen didn’t have much buzz entering this season. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 draft and did not make an appearance in the minor leagues last year. In his two seasons at the University of Minnesota, he compiled a 6.72 ERA, a 1.80 WHIP, and an 8 K/9 in 64.1 innings. He was pretty much off the fantasy radar at the beginning of this season, even in the deepest of dynasty leagues.
However, Klassen has emerged as one of the best pitching prospects in the game in very short order. He started out in Single-A this year, where he dominated to the tune of a 0.71 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 38 innings. Earlier this month, he was promoted to Double-A, where he has a 2.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts in nine innings. He has only allowed one home run across 47 innings between the two levels. I think now is the time to add Klassen in dynasty leagues before it’s too late.
Ryan Pepiot, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Before yesterday’s stellar start, there was a decent buy-low window on Pepiot. That window closed a little, but it’s still open. In his previous seven starts, he had a 6.25 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, which raised his season ERA from 3.12 to 4.61. However, his SIERA is 3.57, over a full run lower than his actual ERA. His xERA and xFIP both sit below 3.85, so Pepiot has been a bit unlucky this season.
Pepiot is averaging a career-high 95.2 MPH this season on his four-seam fastball. It has helped him to a 27.8 K%, which is higher than Zack Wheeler and Pablo Lopez and just behind Tarik Skubal. I believe Pepiot has the potential to become a fantasy ace in the near future. After all, he was the main piece involved in the return for Tyler Glasnow. Pepiot is a strong dynasty baseball buy before his price tag shoots up.
Dynasty Baseball Sells
Rhett Lowder, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Lowder was the seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft. The only pitcher taken ahead of him was Paul Skenes. In his final season at Wake Forest University, he put up a microscopic 1.87 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 143 strikeouts in 120.1 innings. Lowder was ranked as the 34th-best prospect by MLB.com this preseason. He was also ranked as a top-60 overall prospect by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus.
Lowder had a promising start to the 2024 season. He began this year at High-A and looked the part of being the seventh overall pick. He put together a 2.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. Lowder was promoted to Double-A in early May but has not found the same success he had in High-A. In eight starts at Double-A, he has amassed a 7.15 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. He has allowed 47 hits in 34 innings, which has led to a .326 batting average against him. He simply looks overmatched in the upper minors and I would consider him a dynasty baseball sell or drop at this point.
Robby Snelling, SP, San Diego Padres
Snelling was a first-round draft pick in 2022. He came into this season ranked as one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Baseball America ranked him as their 27th-best prospect entering this year. He was also ranked as a top-55 prospect by both, Baseball Prospectus and MLB.com. Those rankings were well deserved after he had a 1.82 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 118 strikeouts in 103.2 innings across three different levels in his first professional season.
Snelling performed well in his short stint in Double-A last season, but that has not been the case this year. Snelling currently owns a 5.92 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and a 7.3 K/9 in 59.1 innings at Double-A. He has allowed 69 hits and a whopping 11 home runs. Also, his K/9 has dropped by nearly 3 K/9 this season, which is extremely concerning. I think it would be wise to deal him or potentially drop him in shallower dynasty formats.
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