Cubs: Tyler Chatwood is a fantasy baseball sleeper in 2020

Although it was a rocky start with the team, Tyler Chatwood has a great opportunity with the Cubs in 2020 and is a fantasy baseball sleeper as a result

It’s no question the Chicago Cubs‘ Tyler Chatwood gave one of the worst first impressions possible when he joined the Cubs in 2018. Inking a three-year, $38 million deal seemed to be a good move, watching Chatwood post a 4.18 ERA in five seasons in the hitter-friendly rocky mountains.

However, it’s been anything but that since his arrival in Chicago. After an abysmal year one, Chatwood did put his head down and had a nice bounce-back year in 2019. As we (hopefully) enter the 2020 season, he has cemented himself as the Cubs number five starter and has a great opportunity to be a sleeper for fantasy baseball purposes.

After the 2018 season where we saw Chatwood lead the league with 95 walked batters while posting a 5.30 ERA, Cubs fans were ready to write him off and chalk up the contract to lost money. 2019 showed resilience as the righty lowered his ERA to 3.76 while walking only 37 batters. He didn’t let any of the noise get to him and turned a lot of heads inside the Cubs organization.

2020 brings an awesome opportunity for Chatwood and one that he truly has earned. If you had told me after 2018 that the final spot in the rotation would be his to lose entering 2020, I would’ve thrown up. Now, I see it as an exciting chance for him to earn his contract.

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With the final spot in the rotation, Chatwood is an enticing choice for fantasy baseball players. He most certainly will be looked past, but Cubs fans along with maybe a few others should find some value in the right-hander. His fastball can touch 98 mph and he posted an impressive 8.7 K/9 statistic in 2019.

Those numbers provide a lot of value for fantasy purposes as he has the ability to strike out batters at an effective rate. It’s worth noting his K/9 of 8.7 is well above the league average of 6.17 for starters.

Having the chance to be a starting pitcher for a team that should contend will also give Chatwood the opportunity to rack up wins, even if he doesn’t throw his best game. Wins are another valuable piece that may not be in abundance for a typical number five starter.

The last piece that gives Chatwood a sleeper status is his versatility. Even if his role as the number five starter isn’t consistent, his ability to work out of the bullpen is important. In 2019, he only started five games but posted a 5-3 record with two saves. Having him stashed on your team could be the difference-maker in important matchups if he’s plugged in properly.

2020 is a contract year for Chatwood, so not only showing fans the $38 million he’s making is worth it, but also to set him up for further opportunities in this league when his contract expires. Everything is in place for him to have a great season with the Cubs and he is worth adding to your fantasy team as a result.