Philadelphia Phillies - Fantasy News

Nick Pivetta - Getting no help from defense

9/14/18

MLB

Philadelphia Phillies

Nick Pivetta

Pivetta's defense has cost him 24 runs this year, seven more than the second-unluckiest pitcher (Noah Syndergaard). That's no surprise, as the Phillies' defense has been quite poor throughout the season, but Pivetta has been saddled with 10 runs more than any other pitcher in the Philadelphia rotation due to that subpar glovework. The poor defense shows up when looking at his FIP, which, at a solid 3.78, is far better than his 4.64 ERA. The difference between those two figures is the third highest in baseball, behind only Jon Gray and Zack Godley. While there's no reason to believe that the defense behind Pivetta will change over his final few starts, there's perhaps reason to believe he has more dynasty value than his surface stats reveal. He could be a sleeper in drafts next season, especially if the Phillies improve their defense over the offseason.