Daily Batter Breakdown: Mon, July 28th

by Jon Schiller (Varncass) Last Updated 2014-07-28 15:54:52

Welcome to the Daily Batter Breakdown. Each day, with at least 8 games on the night slate, I’ll breakdown some of the best top tier hitters to target based on matchup. The biggest split taken into account will be left/right, but each player card will also show park factors, player salaries and then a description of why I’ll be targeting him. Be sure to check out the FAQ for more information on specific stats.

No Coors Field effect tonight but we do have a Houston pitcher pitching at home against the best offense in MLB which should make for some easily targeted batters. Tonight should be very interesting as there are a couple of positions where not many slam-dunk matchups can be found.

		Derek Norris
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.361	1.051	6.02%	0.452
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.333	0.718	0.00%	0.327
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Oberholtzer – LEFT		0.265	0.711	6.28%	0.312
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.011	1.018	$3,100	$7,400	$3,600	$64,900	$6,200	$7,650

Derek Norris

With all of the right handers the Athletics have faced recently, I’m sure Norris is just itching to get some time out there even behind the plate. Norris is facing Oberholtzer tonight who has a terrible WHIP and isn’t having a great season. He’s allowed a .781 OPS to right handers and Norris has crushed lefties to a tune of 1.039 OPS and 5 HR in 86 AB. Oakland is the highest projected scoring team on the slate tonight and Norris is a great play at catcher.

		David Ortiz
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.237	0.804	5.70%	0.340
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.233	0.933	13.33%	0.398
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Dickey – RIGHT		0.250	0.740	9.33%	0.330
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.969	1.043	$4,800	$11,550	$5,400	$93,200	$9,000	$11,250

David Ortiz

Still not the top priced 1st baseman on DK and FD, Ortiz is proving to be a great boom or bust play this year. He’s always been great against right handed pitching, and the matchup against R.A. Dickey doesn’t scare me at all. Dickey has been a bit homer-prone this year and even though he has allowed righties to hit better against him than lefties, that’s a deviation from his career stats. I expect Ortiz to put a few good swings on him in Fenway and definitely has a chance to knock 2 out.

		Ben Zobrist
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.233	0.696	2.08%	0.312
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.263	0.769	5.26%	0.337
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Lohse – RIGHT		0.247	0.684	5.41%	0.304
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.030	0.976	$3,300	$8,650	$4,100	$65,500	$7,200	$8,750

Ben Zobrist

I really don’t like the 2nd base pool today, so if you are paying for it, I would go Ben Zobrist. Even thought Lohse has been great this year with a solid WHIP, Zobrist has so many ways to score you points that it would be rare for him to get a oh-fer tonight. He’s a switch hitter that hits usually the same from both sides so after Lohse leaves the game he should be able to attack the bullpen as well. Zobrist has been solid in the last 3 games, hits at the top of the Rays order and has a high OBP.

		Pablo Sandoval
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.313	0.835	3.33%	0.361
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.250	0.586	0.00%	0.253
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Worley – RIGHT		0.339	0.922	7.33%	0.408
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.926	0.999	$3,500	$9,350	$4,700	$75,500	$7,500	$9,350

Pablo Sandoval

You cannot convince me at this point that Vance Worley has somehow found a magical arm that has allowed him to pitch efficiently for the part of this season. He has a 1.42 career WHIP which is much higher than what he’s allowed this season. Sandoval has done great damage to righties this year with a .840 OPS and 8 HR and is probably glad to see someone other than the Dodgers pitchers who he struggled against. Sandoval is fairly cheap, brings some upside and should be low owned tonight.

		Billy Hamilton
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.283	0.745	1.55%	0.325
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.227	0.581	4.55%	0.247
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Anderson – RIGHT		0.213	0.681	10.19%	0.306
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.053	1.023	$4,100	$8,950	$5,000	$61,600	$8,300	$8,800

Billy Hamilton

Hamilton has been swinging the bat a bit better than he showed in the first few weeks of the season and has been proving he’s a bit more than the stolen base threat. He’s still not a threat to walk which is really annoying, but he’s hit right handers well, steals off them a great amount of times and has undeniable upside. Chase Anderson has been effective this year but owns a 1.39 WHIP and most likely won’t go late into the same so if Hamilton can’t figure out Anderson, he will get someone else in the later innings.

		Shin-Soo Choo
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.231	0.708	2.18%	0.322
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.333	0.735	0.00%	0.328
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Phelps – RIGHT		0.239	0.709	9.19%	0.322
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
		$2,700	$8,350	$4,300	$45,600	$6,700	$8,400

Shin-Soo Choo

Choo is finally heating up it appears an with another solid matchup tonight, he could continue this hit streak. Choo is still pretty cheap, and with the Rangers lineup being so depleted, he hasn’t made a solid play very much. Vegas likes the Rangers today against Phelps who hasn’t been great this season and has a career 1.31 WHIP. Choo destroys right handers and is too cheap for his career numbers.

		Yoenis Cespedes
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.233	0.790	6.67%	0.342
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.333	1.221	14.29%	0.518
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Oberholtzer – LEFT		0.265	0.711	6.28%	0.312
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.011	1.018	$3,800	$9,500	$4,800	$83,600	$7,200	$8,500

Yoenis Cespedes

Cespedes has been great lately carrying an 8 game hitting streak and 3 homers in his last 4 games. He’s bumped up that average and Oakland has been a great offense for a while now. They are the highest projected scoring team and Cespedes has always raked against left handed pitching. Oberholtzer is overmatched tonight and I’m expecting a lot of A’s runs.

		Bryce Harper
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.223	0.658	2.13%	0.285
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.250	0.705	0.00%	0.35
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Eovaldi – RIGHT		0.282	0.755	7.69%	0.341
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.029	0.943	$3,300	$9,100	$4,700	$56,000	$7,500	$9,250

Bryce Harper

Harper still looks a little lost at the plate since returning to the Nats lineup, but I still like him tonight against Eovaldi. Nate has been terrible in the last 2 starts giving up 5 and 8 ER, and allowing a .835 OPS to lefties this season. Harper was garbage against lefties last year and crushed right handers so I would not be surprised to see him go deep here. His numbers are poor but he’s never gotten into a groove this year and I love him at a discount today.

		Todd Frazier
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.293	0.856	5.52%	0.375
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.095	0.412	4.76%	0.193
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Anderson – RIGHT		0.316	0.918	6.30%	0.401
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.053	0.938	$3,500	$9,850	$4,600	$72,200	$7,800	$9,950

Todd Frazier

Frazier has been oh-so-cold recently, but that’s ok because it just has driven his price down a little bit. I think he has a great matchup tonight against Anderson who has allowed a .879 OPS to right handers this year. Frazier has been great against righties as well especially at home hitting 16 of his 20 HR off righties and hitting at a .916 OPS and 15 of his 20 HR at home. This is setting up for a really nice outing and I wouldn’t worry about the R/R matchup.

		Jose Bautista
		Daily Breakdown		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits		0.270	0.850	3.97%	0.374
		Last 7 Days Splits		0.417	1.492	12.50%	0.61
		Opp SP vs. LR		Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Buchholz – RIGHT		0.256	0.675	5.65%	0.301
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.969	1.057	$4,300	$11,050	$5,000	$85,900	$8,600	$10,500

Jose Bautista

Bautista has been great lately, posting a ton of fantasy points in the last 6 games. He’s hot like the Jays offense and with Buchholz being total trash this year with his 1.53 WHIP and 5.5 ERA, Bautista should bomb one off of him today. Bautista definitely has the uppercut swing to get the ball high enough past the monster as well.