MLB Daily Grind Down: Friday, August 23rd

by Kyle Koch (Jackandsoda) Last Updated 2013-08-23 17:41:44

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

• FPAB – Fantasy Points Per At Bat
• K% – Strikeout Percentage
• K/9 – Strikeouts Per 9 IP

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Arizona vs. Philadelphia

7:05 PM	Arizona – ROAD					Philadelphia – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.257	0.713	18.50%	0.55		0.253	0.704	19.90%	0.53
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.265	0.724	17.00%	0.43		0.234	0.681	21.20%	0.40
SP STATS	Miley – LHP					Hamels – LHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.31	3.56	6.74	9.89		1.19	3.61	8.06	10.65
LAST 14 DAYS	1.09	2.86	6.55	11.67		0.87	1.96	7.83	14.00
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	ARI vs L		ARI BvP			PHI vs L		PHI BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7.5

• Favored Team – PHI -120

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Cole Hamels has been dominant since July but his win-loss record does not reflect it. Hamels is 3-2 in 9 starts. The main reason for that is the fact that he plays in front of a PHI offense that is 29th in runs scored since the All-Star Break. He is in play today but he is a risky proposition since ARI hits left-handers well so if the get to him at all it is unlikely that the PHI will get him back into the game. ARI is batting .262 on the road, .264 versus left-handers, and .273 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 7

• Away Wade Miley is better on the road then he is at home with a 3.23 ERA. He has been great since the All-Star Break with a 2.25 ERA and .208 BAA. His Ks are on the lower side of things and PHI is in the middle of the road when it comes to striking out. I am not seeing much life in this PHI offense, though, so I think he is worth a look in a multiple pitcher site. PHI is batting .245 at home, .229 versus left-handers, and .203 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 7

Batter Grind Down

• Home Carlos Ruiz has been the most productive PHI. He is batting .333 versus left-handers. RG Stack Rating 2

• Away Martin Prado is super hot with 31 fp over the last 7 days. He is 17-58 with 1 HR versus Hamels. Aaron Hill, Wil Nieves, Martin Prado, and Paul Goldschmidt hit left-handers for an over .300 average. RG Stack Rating 3

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Minnesota vs. Cleveland

7:05 PM	Minnesota – ROAD					Cleveland – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.241	0.695	22.00%	0.54		0.256	0.736	21.30%	0.64
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.239	0.698	21.70%	0.44		0.249	0.722	21.90%	0.48
SP STATS	Deduno – RHP					Jimenez – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.35	3.82	5.18	8.88		1.45	4.00	8.64	9.59
LAST 14 DAYS	1.73	7.02	5.56	4.40		1.17	2.25	9.75	13.00
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	MIN vs R		MIN BvP			CLE vs R		CLE BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 8.5

• Favored Team – CLE -160

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Ubaldo Jimenez has been awful at home with a 4.91 ERA. He is on a nice run since the All-Star Break with a 2.12 ERA and .206 BAA and catches a MIN team that has recorded the second most Ks since the break. Plus, he is holding left-handers to a .230 BAA which negates some of the righty/lefty splits that often favor MIN. MIN is batting .231 on the road, .239 versus right-handers, and .258 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 8

• Away Unless they are a stud then there is no reason to take a pitcher from MIN. Samuel Deduno is not a stud. Plus, he has injury concerns lingering over his head. This CLE team has pounded him in 2 starts with 8 ER in 12 IP and his numbers have dropped since the All-Star Break. CLE is batting .253 at home, .248 versus right-handers, and .244 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 3

Batter Grind Down

• Home Deduno is a reverse split pitcher who is allowing right-handers a .333 BAA. Consider everyone worth a look on CLE. A hot Nick Swisher, Carlos Santana, and Drew Stubbs are your best bets. RG Stack Rating 6

• Away Justin Morneau gets the righty/lefty splits in his favor and has been productive with 19.75 fp over the last 7 days. He is 3-9 with 1 HR versus Ubaldo Jimenez. RG Stack Rating 3

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Oakland vs. Baltimore

7:05 PM	Oakland – ROAD					Baltimore – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.244	0.717	19.40%	0.60		0.265	0.757	18.30%	0.63
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.245	0.712	18.80%	0.46		0.271	0.774	17.80%	0.52
SP STATS	Straily – RHP					Norris – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.25	4.22	7.33	8.80		1.44	3.93	6.70	8.88
LAST 14 DAYS	1.53	3.18	7.94	8.67		1.77	4.24	6.88	7.50
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	OAK vs R		OAK BvP			BAL vs R		BAL BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 9

• Favored Team – BAL -130

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Bud Norris plays in front of a very good BAL offense so he is likely to get the win today. The high OU tells us that it will probably be with some damage, though. Honestly, I do not trust Norris today in this hitter’s park against an OAK team that is much better on the road. OAK is batting .250 on the road, .244 versus right-handers, and .244 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 5

• Away All of Dan Straily ‘s numbers are below average, which does not bode well to him today versus a well above average team on the road. He has a 4.09 ERA and .300 BAA since the All-Star Break and those numbers are better than his Pre All-Star numbers. BAL is batting .260 at home, .272 versus right-handers, and .282 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 4

Batter Grind Down

• Home Everyone from BAL is worth a look. A hot Chris Davis, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters are your best bets. RG Stack Rating 7

• Away Bud Norris has allowed left-handed bats a .302 BAA on the season. Moss, Sogard and Seth Smith are your best bets. Both Jedd Lowrie and Seth Smith have HRs off of Norris in limited AB. RG Stack Rating 4

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NY Yankees vs. Tampa Bay

7:10 PM	NY Yankees – ROAD					Tampa Bay – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.240	0.669	19.60%	0.52		0.263	0.749	18.60%	0.63
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.243	0.685	19.70%	0.41		0.251	0.733	18.80%	0.48
SP STATS	Kuroda – RHP					Archer – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.06	2.41	6.52	11.08		1.11	2.95	6.33	9.67
LAST 14 DAYS	1.24	2.61	7.57	11.73		1.29	4.61	7.50	5.73
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	NYY vs R		NYY BvP			TBR vs R		TBR BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7

• Favored Team – TAM -108

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Chris Archer has some strong numbers on the year versus NYY. He is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA and .158 BAA. NYY has gotten better since the last time he saw them but Archer is rolling at home with a 2.88 ERA and .215 BAA. He is only the slight favorite in this one but he is in play. NYY is batting .241 on the road, .245 versus right-handers, and .305 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 7

• Away Hiroki Kuroda numbers take a dip on the road but a 3.09 ERA is not bad no matter where you are pitching. Kuroda is having a career year. TAM is a tough place to start on the road but the low OU means he is worth consideration. TAM is batting .262 at home, .253 versus right-handers, and .278 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 7

Batter Grind Down

• Home TAM has a .304 BAA as a team versus Kuroda but they have yet to see him this year. I trust Kuroda’s recent success over the BvP numbers but consider everyone worth a look if you think I am wrong. Matt Joyce and Evan Longoria have been hot for TAM. RG Stack Rating 4

• Away Robinson Cano, Alfonso Soriano, Eduardo Nunez, and Alex Rodriguez have been hot for NYY. I also like the left-handed bats of Brett Garner and Curtis Granderson. RG Stack Rating 3

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Detroit vs. NY Mets

7:10 PM	Detroit – ROAD					NY Mets – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.279	0.783	17.50%	0.65		0.237	0.681	22.20%	0.54
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.284	0.786	16.50%	0.52		0.236	0.680	21.80%	0.42
SP STATS	Fister – RHP					Matsuzaka – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.25	3.63	6.76	10.28
LAST 14 DAYS	1.77	4.42	7.46	8.03
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	DET vs R		DET BvP			NYM vs R		NYM BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7.5

• Favored Team – DET -165

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home A DET stack against Dice K will probably be a hot play. I am not sold on the fact that DET kills him. He looked good in AAA with a 3.92 ERA and 5-8 record. Daisuke Matsuzaka is not in most site’s GPPs. I would not play him if he was because it has already been said that he will be on a limited pitch count. RG Start-Ability 1

• Away Doug Fister is on the same kind of run he was in April. He is 3-1 since the All-Star Break with a 2.45 ERA. He draws an NYM team that has struggled all year to put up runs at home and is starting Dice K. NYM is batting .227 at home, .237 versus right-handers, and .256 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 8

Batter Grind Down

• Home Marlon Byrd and Eric Young Jr. have been hot for NYM. RG Stack Rating 2

• Away Dice K looked horrible last year. If you expect that Dice K then load up on DET because they are the best offense in the game. RG Stack Rating 10

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