MLB Grind Down: Saturday, April 19th
The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the MLB schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit. While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy baseball, there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, weather, and salaries.
The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. No sport has more variance than baseball. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.
Note: Any Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s MLB Scoring System,check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review
St. Louis at Washington
| St. Louis | Washington |
| Lance Lynn | Vegas Moneyline | Jordan Zimmermann | Vegas Over/Under |
| RIGHT | WAS (-115) | RIGHT | 7.0 |
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
| SP vs. Left | 0.269 | 0.776 | 0.351 | 18.3% | SP vs. Left | 0.268 | 0.724 | 0.319 | 16.9% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.241 | 0.625 | 0.285 | 27.6% | SP vs. Right | 0.215 | 0.590 | 0.268 | 21.7% |
| Batter Splits | STL BvP  | STL vs R | Batter Splits | WSN BvP | WSN vs R |
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window |
Pitcher Grind Down
- Lance Lynn – Lynn was nearly unhittable against Milwaukee in his last start and has flashed “Ace” type abilities at times over the past few years. However, he’s proven to be very succeptable to blowup innings at a moments notice (a “Lynning” as they’re now referred to in St. Louis) and really struggled away from Busch Stadium last season (5.15 road ERA). That makes him more of a high-risk/high-reward type of play best suited for GPP use. Rating = 6
- Jordan Zimmerman – Zimmerman left a bad taste in a lot of DFS’ers mouths after getting shelled by the Marlins last week, however he bounced back nicely in their next meeting, allowing just a pair of runs over 7 innings while striking out seven batters. The matchup today is a tough one against a dangerous St. Louis lineup, however Zimmerman was tremendous at National’s Park last season (12-3 record with a 2.61 ERA) and is one of the more talented pitchers on the board today. Rating = 7.5
St. Louis
- Matt Holliday – Holliday went 0-4 yesterday but appeared to be heating up prior to that. He’s had success off of Zimmerman in the past and posted a .903 OPS vs right handed pitching last season
Washington
- Bryce Harper – Lynn was much less successful versus left-handed pitching last season and Harper is just waiting to explode. If Lynn leaves the ball up, then Harper will make him pay.
Toronto at Cleveland
| Toronto | Cleveland |
| Mark Buehrle | Vegas Moneyline | Corey Kluber | Vegas Over/Under |
| LEFT | CLE (-112) | RIGHT | 8.0 |
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
| SP vs. Left | 0.249 | 0.674 | 0.313 | 15.0% | SP vs. Left | 0.285 | 0.761 | 0.338 | 21.4% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.279 | 0.741 | 0.328 | 16.6% | SP vs. Right | 0.274 | 0.711 | 0.316 | 23.1% |
| Batter Splits | TOR BvP | TOR vs R | Batter Splits | CLE BvP | CLE vs L |
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window |
Pitcher Grind Down
- Mark Buehrle – Buehrle has been sensational so far in 2014, posting a 3-0 record and only allowing two runs over his first 21 innings pitched. He fanned 11 batters in his first start of the year, but has only struck out five batters in the two starts since and has only averaged 5.5 K’s/9 over the last 3+ years. He’ll have the luxury of squaring off against a fairly lefty-heavy Indians lineup today, but is only a marginal fantasy option. Rating = 5.5
- Corey Kluber – Kluber has pitched very well in each of his last two starts, bouncing back from a rough opener. He posted a 5-2 record with a 2.76 ERA at home last season while striking out 73 batters in just 75 innings. This will be the first time these Blue Jays batters will face him, and that usually bodes well for the pitcher. It’s forecasted to be a fairly cool afternoon in Cleveland (when isn’t it?) which should drain some of the power in that Blue Jays lineup. His strikeout potential and solid track record at Progressive Field make him worth a look today. Rating = 6.5
Batter Grind Down
Toronto
- Edwin Encarnacion – Edwin is still searching for his first homerun of the season, but appears to be getting on track at the plate after a slow start. He’s been on base 12 times over the last five games and it’s only a matter of time until he gets a hold of one.
Cleveland
- Carlos Santana – Santana has a history of success against left-handed pitching and has gone 6 for 15 with a homerun and a pair of doubles in the past against Buehrle.
LA Angels at Detroit
| LA Angels | Detroit |
| C.J. Wilson | Vegas Moneyline | Max Scherzer | Vegas Over/Under |
| LEFT | DET (-150) | RIGHT | 7.5 |
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
| SP vs. Left | 0.173 | 0.501 | 0.232 | 29.7% | SP vs. Left | 0.224 | 0.646 | 0.285 | 26.6% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.266 | 0.726 | 0.330 | 18.9% | SP vs. Right | 0.168 | 0.495 | 0.225 | 32.4% |
| Batter Splits | LAA BvP | LAA vs R | Batter Splits | DET BvP | DET vs L |
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window |
Pitcher Grind Down
- C.J. Wilson – Wilson has been very impressive in his last two starts, but they were against fairly weak competition (Houston and New York Mets) and things will certainly be tougher for him today against a Tigers team that roughed in 2013. Considering his inconsistencies and the tough matchup across from Mad Max make him only a marginal fantasy option today. Rating 6
- Max Scherzer – Like many nights when he’s on the mound, Scherzer is my favorite pitcher to target tonight. Very few pitchers in baseball can match his elite strikeout rate, which stands at 10.6 K’s/9 since the beginning of 2012. Today he’ll be back in the friendly pitching environement at Comerica Park in Detroit where he was 12-1 last season. Rating = 9
Batter Grind Down
Anaheim
- It’s not wise to pick on a pitcher who causes batters to swing and miss as often as Scherzer.
Detroit
- Ian Kinsler – He has a log track record of destruction against left-handed pitching and has owned C.J. Wilson in his career (1.379 OPS in 22 plate appearances)
Baltimore at Boston
| Baltimore | Boston |
| Bud Norris | Vegas Moneyline | Felix Doubront | Vegas Over/Under |
| RIGHT | BOS (-134) | LEFT | 9.0 |
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
| SP vs. Left | 0.310 | 0.859 | 0.378 | 15.7% | SP vs. Left | 0.265 | 0.686 | 0.308 | 20.8% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.251 | 0.647 | 0.295 | 22.5% | SP vs. Right | 0.267 | 0.759 | 0.339 | 18.3% |
| Batter Splits | BAL BvP | BAL vs L | Batter Splits | BOS BvP | BOS vs R |
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window |
Pitcher Grind Down
- Bud Norris – Norris kept the Blue Jays guessing in his last start, pitching seven shutout innings. However, after a strong start to the 2013 campaign, he really struggled after the All-Star break (posting a 5.17 ERA). He’s been living on his fast ball in his first three starts (throwing it 70.7% of the time) and that simply won’t work against the professional hitters on the Red Sox. Left handed batters hit .315 off of him last season and the Sox have plenty of guys in their lineup who can do damage from the left side of the plate. Rating = 4
- Felix Doubront – Doubront has the strikeout potential that I look for when selecting a pitcher, but he’s really struggled with his command so far this year and subsequently has had very limited success. The Orioles roughed him up pretty well last year and possess a very dangerous lineup. He could be an intriguing high-ceiling option in GPP’s, but I’d avoid him in cash games (for now). Rating = 4
Batter Grind Down
Baltimore
- Nelson Cruz – Cruz knocked in a pair of runs last night and appears to be settling in nicely with his new team. He owns a .954 OPS versus left-handed pitching since the beginning of the 2011 season
Boston
- David Ortiz – Big Papi has stumbled out of the gate a bit so far this season, but it’s only a matter of time until he get’s it going. He mashed right-handed pitching to the tune of a 1.092 OPS last season and always seems to produce in front of the Boston faithful. Lefties hit .315 off of Norris last season.
Minnesota at Kansas City
| Minnesota | Kansas City |
| Kevin Correia | Vegas Moneyline | Bruce Chen | Vegas Over/Under |
| RIGHT | KCR (-145) | LEFT | 8.5 |
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
| SP vs. Left | 0.286 | 0.772 | 0.341 | 12.9% | SP vs. Left | 0.263 | 0.747 | 0.328 | 14.4% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.304 | 0.798 | 0.350 | 12.6% | SP vs. Right | 0.234 | 0.648 | 0.293 | 17.1% |
| Batter Splits | MIN BvP | MIN vs L | Batter Splits | KCR BvP | KCR vs R |
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window |
Pitcher Grind Down
- Kevin Correia – If you’re targeting Kevin Correia in Daily Fantasy Baseball, than you’re doing something wrong. He was terrible on the road last season and even his “win” over the Royals last week was only an average fantasy game (at best). With a terrible strikeout rate and lackluster offense supporting him, you’d be wise to pass on Correia. Rating = 3
- Bruce Chen – The Twins just lit him up for 6 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in his last start and was had to have his scheduled Thursday start pushed back until today because of a sore glute muscle. He did dominate Minnesota last season and has pitched well at Kauffman Stadium over the last few years, but there are too many concerns here for my liking. He’s a GPP only option. Rating = 5
Batter Grind Down
Minnesota
- Brian Dozier – Dozier is a Daily Fantasy Baseball specialty, as he doesn’t have a ton of value in season long leagues but can be a fantastic option in daily leagues when he’s squaring off against a left-handed pitcher. He posted a .978 OPS versus southpaws last season and has feasted on Bruce Chen in the past
Kansas City
- Eric Hosmer – After a fairly slow start to the 2014 campaign, Hosmer is heating up and brings a five game hitting streak into today’s game. He should be able to keep things rolling against this soft-tossing righty.
MLB Grind Down Page 1 – Page 2
