MLB Daily Grind Down: Sunday, September 15th

by John Britt (jmbwngfn) Last Updated 2013-09-15 17:17:52

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

Kansas City vs. Detroit

1:05 PM	Kansas City – ROAD					Detroit – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.258	0.688	16.60%	0.54		0.282	0.785	16.90%	0.65
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.257	0.687	16.70%	0.40		0.286	0.787	16.30%	0.52
SP STATS	Guthrie – RHP					Scherzer – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.40	4.19	4.89	8.63		0.94	2.88	9.89	14.79
LAST 14 DAYS	1.44	3.50	5.00	8.33		1.42	5.25	9.75	9.00
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	KCR vs R		KCR BvP			DET vs R		DET BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Jeremy Guthrie – Guthrie has pitched admirably over the last month, but was roughed up a bit in his last visit to Detroit. His strikeout rate and high WHIP leave a bit to be desired, but the Royals have been playing very well. Starter Rating: 5 out of 10

• Max Scherzer – Scherzer will step onto the mound hoping to grab his 20th win of the season this afternoon. He’s been dominant all season and has cruised to a 3-0 record in his three stars versus KC this year. Starter Rating: 9 out of 10

Batter Grind Down

It’s probably best to avoid picking on Max Scherzer, but Salvador Perez, Emilio Bonifacio and Alex Gordon all have strong BvP in their favor.

Left handed batters are hitting .332 off of Guthrie, and Prince Fielder has owned Guthrie in his career, going 8 for 19 with a homerun.

Baltimore vs. Toronto

1:07 PM	Baltimore – ROAD					Toronto – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.264	0.755	18.10%	0.63		0.252	0.733	18.00%	0.62
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.251	0.708	19.10%	0.44		0.255	0.748	17.90%	0.50
SP STATS	Gonzalez – RHP					Buehrle – LHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.28	3.98	6.43	8.58		1.29	3.88	6.18	9.52
LAST 14 DAYS	1.35	6.35	4.86	4.37		0.92	1.35	6.18	12.05
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	BAL vs L		BAL BvP			TOR vs R		TOR BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Miguel Gonzalez – Gonzalez has struggled in since the all-star break and also hasn’t pitched very well on the road this year. He’s pitched well in his last two starts and has been successful versus the Blue Jays this year. Starter Rating: 5 out 10

• Mark Buehrle – Buehrle was blasted for 12 hits and 8 earned runs in his last start, but had strung six consecutive quality starts together before that. He’s pitched much better at home this year, but was roughed up by these Orioles in their only other meeting. Starter Rating: 6 out of 10

Batter Grind Down

Chris Davis defies the lefty vs lefty usual splits in this one, as he’s 6 for 12 with a pair of long balls against Buehrle.

Miguel Gonzalez has shown a tendency to serve up homerun balls to right handed batters, so there is a strong chance guys like Encarnacion and Arencibia can send one over the fences.

Miami vs. NY Mets

1:10 PM	Miami – ROAD					NY Mets – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.231	0.623	19.80%	0.43		0.239	0.683	22.20%	0.54
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.232	0.619	19.20%	0.31		0.237	0.679	22.00%	0.41
SP STATS	Koehler – RHP					Gee – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.42	4.70	6.24	6.01		1.28	3.53	6.45	9.75
LAST 14 DAYS	1.98	7.71	4.95	3.05		0.85	1.84	5.07	13.60
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	MIA vs R		MIA BvP			NYM vs R		NYM BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Tom Koehler – No offense to Tom Koehler, but he simply isn’t a viable fantasy option at this point even against a somewhat weak NY Mets lineup. Starter Rating – 2 out of 10

• Dillon Gee – Gee has been sensational since the All-Star break, posting a 2.47 ERA and 1.04 ERA. He has pitched very well at Citi Field and has a fantastic matchup against Miami. Starter Rating: 8 out of 10

Batter Grind Down

Dillon Gee has struggled to retire lefties this year, so any of the Marlins lefties could make for decent flier in GPP’s.

Right handed batters are hitting .293 off of Koehler this year. Both Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda bat in the middle of the Met’s lineup and should have plenty of opportunities to cause damage.

Philadelphia vs. Washington

1:35 PM	Philadelphia – ROAD					Washington – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.248	0.694	19.90%	0.52		0.247	0.700	20.20%	0.54
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.254	0.702	19.60%	0.41		0.253	0.711	20.10%	0.44
SP STATS	Cloyd – RHP					Zimmermann – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.51	3.57	5.59	7.89		1.11	3.30	6.76	11.43
LAST 14 DAYS						1.06	3.07	6.97	12.10
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	PHI vs R		PHI BvP			WSN vs R		WSN BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Tyler Cloyd – Cloyd has been rather dreadful in his last three starts and probably isn’t a viable fantasy option today.

• Jordan Zimmermann – Zimmerman appears to be running out of steam this year as he’s posted a 5.12 ERA since the All-Star break. He has however pitched much better in the Nation’s Capital.

Batter Grind Down

Ryan Zimmerman is red-hot at the plate, with multi-hit games in four straight contests and three homeruns during that stretch.

Bryce Harper is always a strong option when he squares off against a right-handed pitcher.

San Diego vs. Atlanta

1:35 PM	San Diego – ROAD					Atlanta – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.247	0.693	20.90%	0.54		0.252	0.731	22.40%	0.59
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.244	0.677	20.80%	0.39		0.253	0.737	22.60%	0.48
SP STATS	Smith – RHP					Teheran – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	2.09	9.17	11.51	3.03		1.20	3.01	8.27	11.50
LAST 14 DAYS	1.60	3.60	12.60	10.00		1.15	1.42	11.80	17.10
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	SDP vs R		SDP BvP			ATL vs R		ATL BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Burch Smith – Burch Smith sports a 9.17 ERA. Avoid. Pitcher Rating: 1 out of 10

• Julio Teheran – Teheran has been sensational at Turner Field in his young career and a 2.45 ERA since the All-Star break. The Padres did, however, beat him up in their only other meeting this year. Starter Rating: 6 out of 10

Batter Grind Down

Left-handed batters have hit .290 off of Teheran this year, so Will Venable and Chase Headley could both be strong value plays.

Everyone on Atlanta is in play today, but lefties own an OPS over 1.000 against Burch. Both Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann are great plays.

Grind Down: Page 1 – Page 2