As the halfway point of the MLB season approaches, identifying pitching bust candidates becomes crucial in the fantasy baseball landscape. Players like Kodai Senga, Grant Holmes, and Seth Lugo show significant discrepancies between their surface stats and underlying metrics, indicating a potential decline. Senga's high WHIP and reliance on his splitter raise concerns about his sustainability, while Holmes' increased innings pitched could lead to fatigue. Gavin Williams displays promising strikeout numbers, yet struggles with walks, making him a sell-high candidate. Lugo's recent performance suggests regression is imminent, especially with 17 home runs allowed. Trading these pitchers before their values decline could provide a critical edge in fantasy leagues.

The Atlanta Braves face the St. Louis Cardinals in a crucial matchup this Friday, July 11. Atlanta, with a record of 40-52, is struggling in the National League East, trailing the Philadelphia Phillies by 13.5 games. Meanwhile, the Cardinals, sitting at 50-44, are in the hunt for the NL Central title, just 5.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs.

Grant Holmes will take the mound for the Braves, aiming to improve his 4-8 record and 3.44 ERA, while the Cardinals send out Matthew Liberatore, who has a 3.70 ERA and is 6-6 overall. The Braves have stumbled recently, losing four of their last five games, while the Cardinals are coming off a series win against the Nationals.

Wednesday brings a focus on starting pitchers making waves in the MLB, examining the impacts of recent changes in their pitching arsenal. Kumar Rocker has introduced a cutter into his repertoire with promising results, evidenced by a significant uptick in strike rates against right-handers, while Michael Soroka has modified his arm slot and pitch mix, favoring his curveball and sinker to achieve better outcomes. Both pitchers present intriguing options for fantasy managers looking to capitalize on these adjustments.

Meanwhile, Chase Burns made a strong debut for the Cincinnati Reds, displaying a powerful fastball and an effective slider, despite some hiccups in his first outing. Lastly, Grant Holmes of the Atlanta Braves has been stepping up with increased slider usage and a decrease in less effective pitches, forming a solid foundation in a depleted rotation. Each of these pitchers shows potential for fantasy relevance as they refine their skills on the mound.

Sunday's fantasy baseball landscape was shaken up by Rafael Devers' unexpected trade to the San Francisco Giants. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves faced a disappointing 10-1 loss against the Colorado Rockies, yet Grant Holmes stood out with a season-high strikeout total of 15. Holmes has become a fantasy asset, boasting a 43% strikeout rate over his last four starts, making him a strong addition for managers looking for pitching help.

Alongside Holmes, other emerging talents include Evan Carter from the Texas Rangers, who has rapidly increased his fantasy value with a series of impressive games. Two-way players like Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren from the New York Yankees are also on the radar for managers seeking impact pitchers. In deeper leagues, players like Chase Burns and Reid Detmers are promising additions as they move closer to significant playing time.

In a standout performance, Grant Holmes of the Atlanta Braves reached a career milestone with 15 strikeouts in just over six innings, yet his team's effort fell flat in a 10-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Despite not yielding a hit until the sixth inning, Holmes faced adversity when fielding errors led to unearned runs. His impressive strikeout total highlighted his potential, but the Braves' bullpen struggled, allowing seven runs after his departure. First baseman Matt Olson lamented the wasted effort as the Braves looked to gain momentum ahead of a crucial series against the New York Mets.