Daily Batter Breakdown: Wed, April 30th

by Jon Schiller (Varncass) Last Updated 2014-04-30 19:41:27

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.
Another day full of weather issues is upon us. There looks like about 4 games that will be postponed today and I did my best to keep those players away from this article. I kind of want weather issues to go away so that researching is much easier, however I have been able to predict which games won’t get played fairly easily so far so I might be ok with the poor weather continuing for a while.

		Buster Posey
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.217	0.725	4.35%	0.314
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.333	0.984	5.56%	0.42
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Erlin – LEFT			0.248	0.656	6.58%	0.289
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.869	0.961	$3,800	$7,446	$9,650	$4,200	$73,800	$6,400	$10,300

Buster Posey

Similar to last night, Posey is at home facing a left handed pitcher which made him a really solid play and he homered. Again, his price hasn’t risen that much and he’s still super cheap across the industry. He’s been hot lately with a 1.200+ OPS in the last 7 days and is finally digging in and crushing lefties like usual Vegas likes the Giants a little bit more tonight than they did last night and Posey should have himself another solid game with the bat. If you rolled with him last night I really don’t see a reason to not roll with him again tonight.

		Joey Votto
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.327	0.904	0.00%	0.416
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.263	0.797	0.00%	0.375
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Jackson – RIGHT			0.301	0.808	9.76%	0.366
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.989	1.023	$4,000	$7,173	$10,400	$4,200	$85,100	$8,000	$9,600

Joey Votto

One of the least risky batters to roll out on a daily basis is Joey Votto. He walks a ton, hits 2nd in a lineup which can do a lot of damage, and is a solid hitter with homer power. The problem usually is price, but his price has fluctuated across the industry in the early part of this season. Edwin Jackson has also been bad this year; he’s allowing over a .800 OPS to left handed hitters and is carrying an ERA over 5. Votto is affordable on a couple of sites but also very expensive on others so this is definitely a site dependant cash game play. I am not a big fan of Edwin Jackson and he can be wild at times so I do think Votto has a chance for a nice day today especially if the guy I am writing about below can come through with some good at bats.

		Anthony Rendon
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.500	1.422	10.00%	0.589
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.280	0.681	0.00%	0.301
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Oberholtzer – LEFT			0.241	0.685	6.31%	0.301
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.074	1.017	$3,200	$7,453	$7,500	$4,300	$74,500	$6,400	$10,800

Anthony Rendon

With a lot of the high scoring games rained out tonight you will need to look for some other higher scoring games to target. One of those is the Nationals who Vegas has pegged as 4.5 RT total. Rendon has been massacring left handed pitching with a 1.422 OPS against them and has done a ton of damage hitting at the top of the lineup. He’s expensive today but should be well worth it against Oberholtzer who was awful against Oakland the last time out and really struggles against right handed hitting. Fire up the Rendon train today.

		Josh Donaldson
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.318	1.102	9.09%	0.469
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.296	1.128	11.11%	0.478
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Ross – LEFT			0.231	0.568	7.38%	0.271
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.985	1.016	$4,600	$10,221	$11,350	$5,400	$105,500	$8,600	$12,100

Josh Donaldson

Just like Posey, if you paid up for Donaldson yesterday, you should probably think about doing the same today especially with a few cheaper pitchers to choose from. Donaldson is basically a plug-in against left handed pitching and if his 1.049 OPS this year is too small of a sample, he has at .936 OPS in over 250 at bats. Ross hasn’t been horrible so far this year but he has been worse against right handed pitching and has given up all 3 of his homers this year at home. Donaldson should be able to get to him one way or another as the Athletics are hot right now.

		Erick Aybar
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.290	0.764	1.61%	0.334
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.417	1.125	4.17%	0.489
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		McAllister – RIGHT			0.254	0.738	11.76%	0.330
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.968	0.987	$3,300	$6,132	$9,450	$4,500	$79,700	$7,200	$8,400

Erick Aybar

Another guy who is smoking hot is Erick Aybar who just continues to pour it on in the last 7 days. He’s not a great power hitter but he’s racking up the singles and doubles right now and is making solid contact. His price has risen on a couple of sites but those where it hasn’t he makes a solid play against McAllister tonight. McAllister gave up 4 ER in a short outing against the Rays last time out and he has struggled against left handers so far this year. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for another multiple hit game at the shortstop position from Erick.

		Billy Hamilton
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.242	0.588	0.00%	0.261
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.273	0.591	0.00%	0.262
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Jackson – RIGHT			0.301	0.808	9.76%	0.366
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.989	1.023	$3,000	$6,452	$8,600	$3,500	$47,200	$6,900	$7,100

Billy Hamilton

I cannot believe that I am actually recommending this guy tonight. Essentially he’s not a major league hitter, he’s only up for intangibles but that doesn’t mean he cannot be a useful fantasy player. His price was out of control int he early parts of the season but it’s back to manageable now. I like the stealing matchup he has against Edwin Jackson who can be a little wild at times and doesn’t catch many batters stealing so I think Hamilton will be able to swipe a couple if he gets on base. Yes, Hamilton randomly homered last night, but I think the real thing that’s getting me is that he hasn’t struck out in 4 games. He has to find a way to get on base somehow, and avoiding strikeouts is the main way to do it.

		Carlos Gonzalez
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.246	0.729	3.28%	0.316
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.125	0.292	0.00%	0.128
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Collmenter – RIGHT			0.265	0.660	7.73%	0.312
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.974	0.970	$4,100	$9,922	$10,450	$4,000	$78,000	$7,700	$11,400

Carlos Gonzalez

Carlos Gonzalez again was under the shadow of Troy Tulowitzki last night after Tulo’s homer but I like CarGo again tonight. His price is so cheap especially on DraftKings for the type of hitter he is especially batting against a right hander in a hitter’s park. Gonzalez has doubled in a couple of games in a row and I really think he’s close to hitting a homer.

		Jayson Werth
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.333	0.844	0.00%	0.377
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.370	0.874	0.00%	0.386
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Oberholtzer – LEFT			0.241	0.685	6.31%	0.301
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.074	1.017	$3,400	$7,116	$10,000	$4,300	$77,200	$7,300	$10,900

Jayson Werth

Just like Rendon above, Werth gets to hit against Oberholtzer today. The Nationals are solid favorites, are away from home and are in a hitters park tonight which has fired up their over/under to the highest of the night. Werth has always been a monster against left handed pitching and should get his chance to homer again tonight against Oberholtzer who is just sitting there waiting to get yanked from the game against this lineup.

		Ed Lucas
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits
		Last 7 Days Splits
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Harang – RIGHT			0.248	0.697	6.87%	0.311
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
1.030	0.930	$2,700		$5,800	$2,700	$48,700	$3,600	$7,000

Ed Lucas

If you’re looking for a cheap punt play that not many will have, look no further than Ed Lucas. The righty plays a punt position and he also is almost min salary on all sites. He has started out his return off the DL with a 3 hit game against a solid pitcher in Wood and now faces Aaron Harang. I am not sure what to think of Harang at this point; not sure I would target a lot of players against him but I certainly don’t mind a punt play. Lucas is hitting 2nd in front of Stanton so he is sure to see something decent to hit at some point and you could do a lot worse with a punt play.

		Mike Olt
		Daily Breakdown			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Left/Right Splits			0.263	1.070	15.79%	0.454
		Last 7 Days Splits			0.176	0.563	5.88%	0.242
		Opp SP vs. LR			Avg	OPS	HR%	wOBA
		Cingrani – LEFT			0.202	0.664	11.88%	0.300
PARK-1	PARK-LR	FD	DS	DD	DK	FF	SS	FTD
0.989	0.938	$2,900	$4,420	$6,100	$3,100	$43,100		$5,700

Mike Olt

I like Mike Olt as a nice contrarian play against Cingrani. Olt has the power to be a very solid punt GPP filler if you’re stacking or just a great punt play in general. He has hit 3 HRs off of left handed pitching this year and has a 1.070 OPS against them. His overall numbers don’t look too great, but his ones against lefties really make this shine just like his ability to avoid strikeouts against lefties. Cingrani tries to overpower you with a fastball, and Olt has really improved hitting fastballs this year. On a night when a lot of the industry might take Cingrani, I will roll with Olt in a hitter’s park.