Texas Rangers SP Jason Hammel threw a bullpen session on Monday, as he starts his trek to a potential spot on the 40-man roster. He is in camp with the Rangers on a minor-league deal, looking to resurrect his career after a dismal 12-27 run with a 5.59 ERA over the past two seasons with the Kansas City Royals. The veteran said a couple of problems kept him from being successful in K.C., including not being able to put away hitters consistently with two strikes and being too reliant on his slider and not trusting his slower curveball and changeup. He is a long shot for a rotation spot at this point, and warrants little in the way of fantasy consideration, but that could change as the season progresses.
The Kansas City Royals declined their $12 million 2019 option on starting pitcher Jason Hammel on Tuesday, making him a free agent. Hammel was pretty bad all around in 2018, going 4-14 with a 6.02 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 6.5 K/9 over 39 outings (18 starts) for the Royals. The veteran right-hander shouldn't be drafted in any format in 2019.
The Kansas City Royals have a history of success in converting starting pitchers to relievers, and it looks like Jason Hammel may be next. Hammel was sent to the bullpen on July 8 with a 6.16 ERA, and he's pitched eight innings in short relief since then. Over that period, he's posted a 3.38 ERA with an astounding 1.79 FIP. His K/9 went from 5.80 beforehand to 7.88 since. His walks are down, his ground ball rate is up, and he's throwing his fastballs, sinkers, and sliders 1.5 MPH harder on average. This doesn't mean Hammel is no longer 35 years old or definitely going to become a premiere reliever, but it does mean there's at least a glimmer of hope that his career isn't over. Fantasy owners in holds leagues should keep an eye out. Surprisingly enough, Jason Hammel may become a player to own.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Hammel's newest beatdown came at the hands of Boston as he allowed eight earned runs in just two innings pitched en route to his 11th loss of the season. It moved Hammel into first place among pitchers this season, as his 11 losses now stand alone as the most in the league. The 35-year-old veteran is on a streak of six straight losses and has allowed 28 hits and 21 earned runs in his last 12 innings pitched. If the Royals had any better pitchers, Hammel would likely be out of a job before the month is out.
Jason Hammel Surrenders Three Runs to Reds on Wednesday
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Hammel gave up three runs (two earned) while working for 7 1/3 innings on Wednesday night against the Reds. He made it through the first six frames without giving up a run but allowed two runs to score in the seventh and one in the eighth, and he eventually took the loss. Hammel earned a quality start for his efforts. He struck out three and walked no batters. He continues to remain ineffective in terms of fantasy baseball usage with his inability to strike batters out, as he has 55 strikeouts in 84 2/3 innings. Hammel will also not factor in for many wins while playing for a plummeting Royals team. His record is now 2-7 and he owns a 4.89 ERA so far.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Hammel posted his third straight solid outing on Saturday by putting up a quality start against Oakland. Hammel allowed three earned runs over six innings while striking out three. That now gives Hammel just four earned runs over his last 18 1/3 innings, and hes 2-0 during the three-game stretch. Hammels still not a good pitcher and all three teams he faced are below-average in team OPS, but if bold owners could hop on this little train while its hot and hope for the best.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Hammel could be in line for a rough start on Sunday. Hammel will take the mound against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. Hammel does not have a good history in Texas. In 22 innings, Hammels has given up 28 hits, 15 earned runs and 11 walks with just 17 strikeouts. While every pitcher has upside against the strikeout friendly Rangers, there is also a lot of risk. The Rangers rank ninth in the majors in home runs, and Hammels has surrendered seven in just 60 innings this season. Hammels is a pitcher I am avoiding in all mixed leagues or DFS formats today.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Hammel was victimized by some adjusted hitting by the Cardinals on Tuesday as they hit against the shift for a couple singles. In response, Hammel said after the game that he is now permanently against the shift. Manager Ned Yost responded later by pointing out to the media that the pitchers are given the option of vetoing all shifts prior to the game. Endless statistics have shown that shifts can lead to better performance by defenses, so if Hammel truly is going to veto all shifts moving forward, owners may want to prepare for the possibility that Hammel's current 5.70 ERA could actually get worse.
For the second night in a row, the Kansas City Royals starting pitcher surrendered nine earned runs. This time, Jason Hammel was the victim at the hands of the Indians, as he was rocked and sent packing after just 3 2/3 innings. Hammel struggled mightily, but his offense kept bailing him out for the first few innings, allowing him to enter the fourth with a 4-3 lead. He quickly did away with that situation by giving up six earned runs in the inning, capped off by a grand slam to Michael Brantley with two outs. With bad strikeout numbers and horrific outings regularly scattered amongst generally poor ones, Hammel shouldnt be owned in any leagues.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Hammel pushed the term quality start to its breaking point Saturday as he threw 6 1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on 10 hits and a walk. Hammel was eventually hung with a loss as well when the Royals offense sputtered and was unable to match the three runs put up by the Tigers. Hammels outing was a huge improvement over his disastrous appearance in Boston, but he remains a poor choice overall as he brings a mix of mediocre and bad stats to the table. He shouldnt be owned outside of very deep leagues.
