Waiver Spotlight: Nick Blackburn

13.6 percent and 21 percent.

What do these numbers mean to you? The percentage of starlets in Hollywood Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter have dated? No. The amount of your personal wealth Bernie Madoff so gently lifted from you? Hopefully not.

They are the number of leagues Twins starter Nick Blackburn is owned in ESPN and Yahoo leagues, respectively. Numbers that are incredibly low.

We already know what Nick Blackburn is not. He is not a strikeout threat (career 4.4 K/9) nor is he particularly young (28). What we are learning, however, is that Blackburn is quietly developing into a solid, dependable major league workhorse. He is the latest reliable pitcher the Twins have churned out of an exceptionally fruitful minor-league system.

Blackburn’s ERA is a sterling 3.31, and his five wins put him on pace to exceed last year’s total of 11, his first full season in the majors. Dusting off Baseball America’s minor-league handbook, we see that Blackburn was Minnesota’s No. 1 ranked prospect in 2008. He has command of five pitches (an impressive amount in today’s game), and coaches praise his mound demeanor and durability. Blackburn currently ranks in the top 25 in both innings pitched and ERA. He has impeccable control as evidenced by a scant career walks/9 rate of only 2.0. In addition, the Twins are outstanding defensively (second only to Philly in fielding percentage) and have actually scored the eighth-most runs in the majors. He has pitched fewer than six innings only twice this season and has one of the game’s best closers behind him to nail down wins.

His stuff is not overly impressive, and he doesn't miss many bats which has led him to a blah career WHIP of 1.36, but you could do worse. Blackburn is on four out of five waiver wires, because owners will stick with names like A.J. Burnett or Francisco Liriano rather than giving less-heralded players a shot. Burnett, for example, has 29 more strikeouts than Blackburn but an ERA of 4.89 and a WHIP of 1.48. Liriano is even worse. Are the handful of extra Ks that Gavin Floyd or Joe Blanton provide really worth it?

I’m not saying drop an A.J. Burnett or that Blackburn is going to be a superstar. I am saying try to find a way to make room for Nick Blackburn. Extrapolated over the course of a season, his steady, consistent numbers make him the perfect stealth pick-up for a second-half surge.

Anthony Federico is a regular contributor to RotoRebel.com. Reach him at anthonyjfederico@gmail.com.