MLB Grind Down: Friday, July 31st - Page Three
Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee – 8:10 PM EST
| Chicago Cubs | Milwaukee | ||||||||
 | Jason Hammel |  | Taylor Jungmann | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| MIL (-106) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.235 | 0.686 | 0.301 | 0.205 | SP vs. Left | 0.243 | 0.668 | 0.3 | 0.207 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.221 | 0.651 | 0.285 | 0.253 | SP vs. Right | 0.173 | 0.543 | 0.246 | 0.19 |
| Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs R | Batter Splits | MIL BvP | MIL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jason Hammel : FD: $8,200 — DK: $8,100
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 288.2 — SIERA: 3.37 — ERA: 3.37 — K%: 23.1% — BB%: 5.7% — HR/9: 1.1
Last 30 Days: IP: 16.2 — SIERA: 4.31 — ERA: 4.86 — K%: 18.3% — BB%: 7.0% — HR/9: 1.6
Milwaukee Brewers Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 18) — Strikeout Rate: 20.4% (Rank: 20)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.306 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 20.0% (Rank: 16)
Pitchers per PA: 3.71 (Rank: 27)
Analysis: Jake Arrieta gave up a couple of early runs, but turned it around after the third inning and almost picked up a win last night against the Brewers. I expect a similar outing from Hammel tonight, although I expect him to get off to a better start. His form hasn’t been terrific, but over the last two seasons, he has a 3.37 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 23.1%. Tonight he faces a Brewers’ offense that is ranked 18th in team wOBA and 20th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. It also helps that he won’t have to deal with Carlos Gomez in the lineup. Hammel is one of the many strong SP2 options tonight.
Pitcher Rating:73.1
Taylor Jungmann : FD: $7,800 — DK: $7,500
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 59.0 — SIERA: 3.85 — ERA: 2.14 — K%: 19.8% — BB%: 8.2% — HR/9: 0.3
Last 30 Days: IP: 36.0 — SIERA: 4.10 — ERA: 1.75 — K%: 19.7% — BB%: 9.5% — HR/9: 0.3
Chicago Cubs Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.299 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 24.3% (Rank: 29)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.292 (Rank: 26) — Strikeout Rate: 23.1% (Rank: 24)
Pitchers per PA: 3.98 (Rank: 1)
Analysis: Jungmann may have a 2.14 ERA on the season, but don’t buy into him just yet. His SIERA is at 3.85 and he has walked 8.2% of the batters that he has faced. Regression will find him eventually. He does draw a favorable matchup against the Cubs, but I’m not thrilled with the idea of my pitcher having to face Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Dexter Fowler, and Kyle Schwarber. There are better options tonight at this price point.
Pitcher Rating:68.9
Batter Grind Down
Chicago Cubs
Taylor Jungmann has pitched well in his rookie season, but the sample size is still small and the numbers tell us that he is due for some regression. The Cubs see a favorable ballpark shift tonight playing in Miller Park. The left-handed hitters in this lineup are in play here.
Elite Plays:
Anthony Rizzo : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 768 — wOBA: 0.386 — ISO: 0.253 — wRC+: 146
Last 14 Days: PA: 62 — wOBA: 0.280 — ISO: 0.148 — wRC+: 73
Secondary Plays:
Dexter Fowler : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,400
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 711 — wOBA: 0.322 — ISO: 0.137 — wRC+: 105
Last 14 Days: PA: 61 — wOBA: 0.463 — ISO: 0.178 — wRC+: 200
Kyle Schwarber : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,700
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.509 — ISO: 0.302 — wRC+: 232
Last 14 Days: PA: 47 — wOBA: 0.428 — ISO: 0.205 — wRC+: 176
Milwaukee
The Brewers draw a difficult matchup tonight against Jason Hammel, who has held left and right-handed hitters under a .305 wOBA over the last two season. As mentioned above, I like Hammel as an SP2 tonight, so I will be avoided the Brewers’ offense.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
NONE
NY Yankees at Chicago White Sox – 8:10 PM EST
| NY Yankees | Chicago White Sox | ||||||||
 | Nathan Eovaldi |  | Carlos Rodon | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| NYY (-110) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.309 | 0.794 | 0.348 | 0.16 | SP vs. Left | 0.209 | 0.578 | 0.267 | 0.296 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.26 | 0.672 | 0.297 | 0.172 | SP vs. Right | 0.284 | 0.825 | 0.363 | 0.219 |
| Batter Splits | NYY vs L | Batter Splits | CHW BvP | CWS vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Nathan Eovaldi : FD: $7,300 — DK: $6,200
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 311.1 — SIERA: 3.91 — ERA: 4.34 — K%: 16.6% — BB%: 5.5% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 29.1 — SIERA: 3.45 — ERA: 2.76 — K%: 16.8% — BB%: 6.7% — HR/9: 0.0
Chicago White Sox Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.303 (Rank: 22) — Strikeout Rate: 20.3% (Rank: 19)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.358 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 23.1% (Rank: 24)
Pitchers per PA: 3.77 (Rank: 21)
Analysis: Eovaldi has pitched well recently, posting a 3.45 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 16.8% over the last month of play. The problem is that he has to face the White Sox at the worst possible time. Over the last 14 days of play, Chicago is ranked second in team wOBA. Eovaldi should be avoided in what is expected to be a high scoring game.
Pitcher Rating:57.9
Carlos Rodon : FD: $6,500 — DK: $6,500
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 77.0 — SIERA: 4.03 — ERA: 4.09 — K%: 24.1% — BB%: 12.8% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 21.2 — SIERA: 3.68 — ERA: 4.15 — K%: 29.5% — BB%: 13.7% — HR/9: 0.8
New York Yankees Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.333 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 18.3% (Rank: 4)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.357 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 17.8% (Rank: 8)
Pitchers per PA: 3.88 (Rank: 4)
Analysis: Rodon has had a decent rookie season, but he needs to cut down on his walks if he is going to take that jump to the next level of pitcher. He does have an impressive strikeout rate, but unfortunately, the Yankees are one of the toughest teams to strikeout in all of baseball. New York is also ranked third in team wOBA against left-handed pitching this season. Rodon is a pitcher to keep your eye on, but he should be avoided tonight.
Pitcher Rating:63.7
Batter Grind Down
NY Yankees
The Yankees are one of the best offenses in baseball. They hit left and right-handed pitching well and they strikeout at a very low rate. They draw a decent matchup against Carlos Rodon, who has given up a .363 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season. Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Chris Young are all strong plays tonight.
Elite Plays:
Alex Rodriguez : FD: $4,400 — DK: $5,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 118 — wOBA: 0.440 — ISO: 0.362 — wRC+: 185
Last 14 Days: PA: 54 — wOBA: 0.430 — ISO: 0.404 — wRC+: 178
Mark Teixeira : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 270 — wOBA: 0.326 — ISO: 0.161 — wRC+: 106
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.538 — ISO: 0.386 — wRC+: 254
Chris Young : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,200
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 5 — wOBA: 0.353 — ISO: 0.000 — wRC+: 130
Last 14 Days: PA: 25 — wOBA: 0.530 — ISO: 0.455 — wRC+: 248
Secondary Plays:
Jacoby Ellsbury : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 287 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.138 — wRC+: 114
Last 14 Days: PA: 58 — wOBA: 0.238 — ISO: 0.154 — wRC+: 44
Chase Headley : FD: $2,900 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 259 — wOBA: 0.317 — ISO: 0.144 — wRC+: 101
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.392 — ISO: 0.146 — wRC+: 151
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox draw a mediocre matchup against Nathan Eovaldi tonight. While I do think their offense will put up some runs, they seem a bit overpriced after their huge offensive series against the Red Sox. I like the left-handed hitters in this lineup, I’m just not willing to pay that much for them, which is why they are listed as secondary options.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Melky Cabrera : FD: $4,100 — DK: $3,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 774 — wOBA: 0.343 — ISO: 0.134 — wRC+: 117
Last 14 Days: PA: 65 — wOBA: 0.465 — ISO: 0.295 — wRC+: 201
Adam Eaton : FD: $4,000 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 694 — wOBA: 0.350 — ISO: 0.148 — wRC+: 122
Last 14 Days: PA: 63 — wOBA: 0.490 — ISO: 0.260 — wRC+: 219
Jose Abreu : FD: $3,900 — DK: $4,600
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 780 — wOBA: 0.382 — ISO: 0.228 — wRC+: 144
Last 14 Days: PA: 63 — wOBA: 0.372 — ISO: 0.200 — wRC+: 137
Colorado at St. Louis – 8:15 PM EST
| Colorado | St. Louis | ||||||||
 | Kyle Kendrick |  | Michael Wacha | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| STL (-216) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.292 | 0.886 | 0.382 | 0.151 | SP vs. Left | 0.211 | 0.586 | 0.265 | 0.198 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.269 | 0.771 | 0.338 | 0.117 | SP vs. Right | 0.246 | 0.676 | 0.297 | 0.215 |
| Batter Splits | COL BvP | COL vs R | Batter Splits | STL BvP | STL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Kyle Kendrick : FD: $4,900 — DK: $4,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 311.1 — SIERA: 4.64 — ERA: 5.23 — K%: 13.2% — BB%: 6.7% — HR/9: 1.5
Last 30 Days: IP: 16.0 — SIERA: 4.48 — ERA: 7.88 — K%: 14.1% — BB%: 6.4% — HR/9: 1.1
St. Louis Cardinals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.315 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 8)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.295 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 17.2% (Rank: 6)
Pitchers per PA: 3.77 (Rank: 19)
Analysis: Kendrick has given up more home runs than any pitcher in baseball this season. While the Cardinals may not hit a lot of home runs, we should not be targeting a pitcher that leads the majors in that category. Kendrick also has a low strikeout rate and an above-average SIERA. Nothing against Kendrick, but there is no fantasy appeal here.
Pitcher Rating:31.7
Michael Wacha : FD: $8,500 — DK: $9,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 225.1 — SIERA: 3.68 — ERA: 3.24 — K%: 20.7% — BB%: 6.6% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 24.0 — SIERA: 3.17 — ERA: 5.25 — K%: 25.3% — BB%: 7.1% — HR/9: 1.5
Colorado Rockies Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.343 (Rank: 1) — Strikeout Rate: 19.5% (Rank: 13)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.354 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 21.0% (Rank: 19)
Pitchers per PA: 3.77 (Rank: 22)
Analysis: Wacha is yet another good pitching option on the bump tonight. A lot of people are going to fade Wacha after the Rockies put up five runs against Carlos Martinez last night, but that was a bad matchup for him. He has struggled with left-handed hitters all season. Wacha on the other hand, dominates left-handed hitters, holding them to a .265 wOBA over the last two seasons. He is a large favorite, the strikeout potential is there, and he should get plenty of run support. There’s not much more that you can ask for at this price point.
Pitcher Rating:88.8
Batter Grind Down
Colorado
The Rockies’ offense got to Carlos Martinez last night, but I’m expecting a different result tonight against Michael Wacha, who has held left and right-handed hitters under a .300 wOBA over the last two seasons. The Rockies are a different team away from Coors Field and I will be pulling a full fade on them tonight in St. Louis.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
NONE
St. Louis
The Cardinals have one of the best matchups on the board tonight. Kyle Kendrick is a low strikeout pitcher that has given up a .338+ wOBA to left and right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. He has also allowed more home runs than any other pitcher this year. The Cardinals are in play tonight in both cash games and tournaments.
Elite Plays:
Kolten Wong : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 654 — wOBA: 0.320 — ISO: 0.160 — wRC+: 104
Last 14 Days: PA: 61 — wOBA: 0.301 — ISO: 0.140 — wRC+: 91
Matt Carpenter : FD: $2,700 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 778 — wOBA: 0.353 — ISO: 0.133 — wRC+: 127
Last 14 Days: PA: 52 — wOBA: 0.352 — ISO: 0.277 — wRC+: 126
Jhonny Peralta : FD: $2,600 — DK: $3,700
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 796 — wOBA: 0.337 — ISO: 0.161 — wRC+: 116
Last 14 Days: PA: 53 — wOBA: 0.255 — ISO: 0.122 — wRC+: 60
Secondary Plays:
Jason Heyward : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 765 — wOBA: 0.350 — ISO: 0.144 — wRC+: 125
Last 14 Days: PA: 48 — wOBA: 0.406 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 164
Cleveland at Oakland – 9:35 PM EST
| Cleveland | Oakland | ||||||||
 | Danny Salazar |  | Kendall Graveman | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CLE (-118) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.236 | 0.706 | 0.308 | 0.292 | SP vs. Left | 0.269 | 0.713 | 0.321 | 0.131 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.256 | 0.73 | 0.319 | 0.254 | SP vs. Right | 0.283 | 0.808 | 0.35 | 0.168 |
| Batter Splits | CLE BvP | CLE vs R | Batter Splits | OAK BvP | OAK vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Danny Salazar : FD: $8,800 — DK: $10,900
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 221.1 — SIERA: 3.12 — ERA: 3.98 — K%: 27.0% — BB%: 7.2% — HR/9: 1.1
Last 30 Days: IP: 33.2 — SIERA: 3.40 — ERA: 2.94 — K%: 24.8% — BB%: 7.5% — HR/9: 0.8
Oakland Athletics Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 17.5% (Rank: 4)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.285 (Rank: 28) — Strikeout Rate: 15.0% (Rank: 1)
Pitchers per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 8)
Analysis: Salazar comes into tonight’s start in good form, posting a 3.40 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.8%. He draws a difficult matchup against the A’s though, as they have the fourth-lowest strikeout rate of any team against right-handed pitching this season. Salazar would usually be in play in this spot, but with so many great pitching options available, he is not on my radar tonight.
Pitcher Rating:87.7
Kendall Graveman : FD: $5,000 — DK: $5,200
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 94.0 — SIERA: 4.32 — ERA: 4.12 — K%: 14.9% — BB%: 7.8% — HR/9: 1.2
Last 30 Days: IP: 19.1 — SIERA: 4.49 — ERA: 6.52 — K%: 14.6% — BB%: 10.1% — HR/9: 1.9
Cleveland Indians Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 18) — Strikeout Rate: 18.4% (Rank: 6)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.327 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 19.1% (Rank: 13)
Pitchers per PA: 3.92 (Rank: 3)
Analysis: Graveman has been in less than stellar form over the last month of play, posting a 4.49 SIERA with a low strikeout rate of 14.6%. He’s an easy pitcher to avoid tonight. While he does get to pitch at home, he faces an Indians offense that has the sixth-lowest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. The Indians also average the third-most pitches per plate appearance.
Pitcher Rating:40.9
Batter Grind Down
Cleveland
The Indians draw a favorable matchup tonight against Kendall Graveman, but the ballpark takes some of the appeal away from this offense. The Indians team total is fairly low, as the total for the game is set at only 7.0 runs. The Indians’ hitters are in play, but they are secondary options at their respective positions.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Jason Kipnis : FD: $3,900 — DK: $5,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 658 — wOBA: 0.367 — ISO: 0.141 — wRC+: 140
Last 14 Days: PA: 56 — wOBA: 0.404 — ISO: 0.080 — wRC+: 165
Michael Brantley : FD: $3,900 — DK: $4,800
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 680 — wOBA: 0.392 — ISO: 0.189 — wRC+: 157
Last 14 Days: PA: 58 — wOBA: 0.479 — ISO: 0.313 — wRC+: 218
Francisco Lindor : FD: $3,000 — DK: $3,700
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 106 — wOBA: 0.293 — ISO: 0.150 — wRC+: 88
Last 14 Days: PA: 60 — wOBA: 0.387 — ISO: 0.196 — wRC+: 153
Oakland
The A’s offense has been reeling lately. There is only one hitter that is on my radar tonight in this lineup. Josh Reddick has been swinging a hot bat over the last two weeks with a .402 wOBA and a .275 ISO. He is in play against Danny Salazar, who is a fly-ball pitcher.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Josh Reddick : FD: $3,000 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 567 — wOBA: 0.378 — ISO: 0.222 — wRC+: 147
Last 14 Days: PA: 41 — wOBA: 0.402 — ISO: 0.275 — wRC+: 164
LA Angels at LA Dodgers – 10:10 PM EST
Editor’s Note: Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his start tonight. Zack Greinke will start in his place.
| LA Angels | LA Dodgers | ||||||||
 | Hector Santiago |  | Clayton Kershaw | ||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAD (-205) | 6 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.222 | 0.589 | 0.266 | 0.194 | SP vs. Left | 0.207 | 0.534 | 0.238 | 0.342 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.237 | 0.712 | 0.314 | 0.219 | SP vs. Right | 0.196 | 0.538 | 0.24 | 0.324 |
| Batter Splits | LAA BvP | ANA vs L | Batter Splits | LAD BvP | LA vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Hector Santiago : FD: $7,800 — DK: $9,300
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 245.2 — SIERA: 4.14 — ERA: 3.11 — K%: 21.2% — BB%: 8.8% — HR/9: 1.1
Last 30 Days: IP: 24.0 — SIERA: 3.36 — ERA: 1.88 — K%: 23.3% — BB%: 4.9% — HR/9: 0.4
Los Angeles Dodgers Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.326 (Rank: 5) — Strikeout Rate: 20.4% (Rank: 11)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 21.6% (Rank: 20)
Pitchers per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 6)
Analysis: Even though he has been lights out in his recent starts, Santiago is the second-largest underdog on the board tonight. It has less to do with him, as it does about Clayton Kershaw. Even if Santiago comes and pitches a shutout, he may still not be in line for the win. Add in his matchup against a talented Dodgers’ offense and Santiago is an easy avoid tonight.
Pitcher Rating:57.7
Editor’s Note: Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his start tonight. Zack Greinke will start in his place.
Clayton Kershaw : FD: $13,300 — DK: $14,500
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 338.1 — SIERA: 2.07 — ERA: 2.07 — K%: 32.7% — BB%: 4.5% — HR/9: 0.5
Last 30 Days: IP: 33.0 — SIERA: 1.33 — ERA: 0.27 — K%: 37.5% — BB%: 1.7% — HR/9: 0.0
LA Angels of Anaheim Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 18.6% (Rank: 5)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.332 (Rank: 6) — Strikeout Rate: 18.9% (Rank: 10)
Pitchers per PA: 3.77 (Rank: 20)
Analysis: Kershaw was scratched from his start on Wednesday due to a hip issue, but the Dodgers say that the injury is minor and that he should be fine after the two additional days of rest. I typically wouldn’t recommend a pitcher that is dealing with an injury, but I’ll make an exception in Kershaw’s case. He has been absolutely dominant in the last month of play, posting a ridiculous 0.27 ERA (1.33 SIERA) with a strikeout rate of 37.5% and a walk rate of only 1.7%. When he is on, there isn’t a team in baseball that can hit him. Even with all of the other great options, Kershaw is the premier play at pitcher tonight.
Pitcher Rating:98.5
Batter Grind Down
Editor’s Note: Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his start tonight. Zack Greinke will start in his place.
LA Angels
Could Mike Trout hit a solo home run off of Clayton Kershaw tonight? Sure, but there is no rhyme or reason to pay that much for a hitter that is facing the best pitcher in baseball (YEAH, I SAID IT!). Avoid the Angels tonight.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
NONE
LA Dodgers
The Dodgers draw a mediocre matchup tonight against Hector Santiago, who has pitched very well recently. Santiago is an extreme fly-ball pitcher though, so you may want to target some of the right-handed hitters in this lineup in your tournaments.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Yasiel Puig : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 200 — wOBA: 0.349 — ISO: 0.144 — wRC+: 127
Last 14 Days: PA: 43 — wOBA: 0.301 — ISO: 0.225 — wRC+: 93
Howie Kendrick : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 251 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.117 — wRC+: 130
Last 14 Days: PA: 50 — wOBA: 0.252 — ISO: 0.021 — wRC+: 59
Enrique Hernandez : FD: $2,300 — DK: $2,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: OF/SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 84 — wOBA: 0.389 — ISO: 0.216 — wRC+: 153
Last 14 Days: PA: 13 — wOBA: 0.354 — ISO: 0.083 — wRC+: 130