MLB Grind Down: Monday, August 3rd
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.
Remember, these writeups are done prior to lineups being released, so make sure to check our Starting Lineups page to ensure the recommended options are playing.
Note: For more info on DFS MLB scoring systems on the two largest sites, check out our DraftKings review and FanDuel review.
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Minnesota at Toronto – 1:07 PM EST
| Minnesota | Toronto | ||||||||
 | Ervin Santana |  | David Price | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| TOR (-202) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.265 | 0.730 | 0.319 | 18.2% | SP vs. Left | 0.258 | 0.661 | 0.291 | 23.00% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.235 | 0.702 | 0.309 | 24.6% | SP vs. Right | 0.231 | 0.646 | 0.283 | 26.40% |
| Batter Splits | MIN BvP | MIN vs L | Batter Splits | TOR BvP | TOR vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Ervin Santana : FD: $7,700 — DK: $7,600
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 229.1 — SIERA: 3.75 — ERA: 3.92 — K%: 21.2% — BB%: 7.7% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 33.1 — SIERA: 4.42 — ERA: 3.78 — K%: 17.0% — BB%: 7.8% — HR/9: 1.6
Toronto Blue Jays Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.329 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 10)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.348 (Rank: 6) — Strikeout Rate: 16.3% (Rank: 3)
Pitchers per PA: 3.80 (Rank: 14)
Analysis: There is only one early game on the schedule today, but it is included in the All-Day slates on both FanDuel and DraftKings, so we will include it here. Santana has had a mixed season thus far, posting a 4.42 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 17.0%. He has had a couple of really nice starts, but that will be a tough feat in today’s matchup against the Blue Jays. On the season, Toronto is ranked sixth in team wOBA against right-handed pitching. To make matters worse, Santana has to face them in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre.
Pitcher Rating:46.1
David Price : FD: $10,900 — DK: $11,500
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 394.1 — SIERA: 2.94 — ERA: 2.99 — K%: 25.6% — BB%: 4.2% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 36.0 — SIERA: 2.96 — ERA: 2.25 — K%: 26.4% — BB%: 5.6% — HR/9: 1.3
Minnesota Twins Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 19.3% (Rank: 7)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.303 (Rank: 21) — Strikeout Rate: 22.6% (Rank: 25)
Pitchers per PA: 3.80 (Rank: 15)
Analysis: Price will make his first start as a member of the Blue Jays, who have basically sold their soul to the devil for a shot at the World Series. Price has been dominant over the last month of play, posting a 2.96 SIERA with a strikeout rate for 26.4%. The biggest knock on Price moving forward is that half of his starts are going to come in the Rogers Centre. Price has faced the Twins three times this season, pitching shutouts in two of those outings. He may give up a couple of runs today, but the strikeout potential is there and he should put himself in line for the win.
Pitcher Rating:91.6
Batter Grind Down
Minnesota
The Twins have a knack of dominating top tier left-handed pitching this season, but they have been unable to get to David Price. In 22 innings against Price this season, they have only scored three runs. The one thing in their favor today is that they see a favorable ballpark shift playing in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Brian Dozier : FD: $3,500 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 347 — wOBA: 0.365 — ISO: 0.227 — wRC+: 135
Last 14 Days: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.289 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 81
Aaron Hicks : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,500
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 149 — wOBA: 0.404 — ISO: 0.156 — wRC+: 163
Last 14 Days: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.416 — ISO: 0.182 — wRC+: 170
Toronto
The Blue Jays lineup looks more like that of an All-Star team than it does for an actual MLB team. They are loaded with talent up and down their lineup and I’m not sure that I will be targeting another pitcher against them for the remainder of the season. Hitters from both sides of the plate are in play against Ervin Santana, who has given up a .309+ wOBA to left and right-handed hitters over the last two seasons.
Elite Plays:
Jose Bautista : FD: $5,000 — DK: $5,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 864 — wOBA: 0.385 — ISO: 0.252 — wRC+: 146
Last 14 Days: PA: 54 — wOBA: 0.340 — ISO: 0.314 — wRC+: 115
Troy Tulowitzki : FD: $4,400 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 562 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.188 — wRC+: 123
Last 14 Days: PA: 43 — wOBA: 0.289 — ISO: 0.211 — wRC+: 69
Secondary Plays:
Josh Donaldson : FD: $5,100 — DK: $5,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 877 — wOBA: 0.342 — ISO: 0.185 — wRC+: 120
Last 14 Days: PA: 56 — wOBA: 0.449 — ISO: 0.375 — wRC+: 190
Edwin Encarnacion : FD: $4,500 — DK: $3,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 755 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.268 — wRC+: 138
Last 14 Days: PA: 45 — wOBA: 0.374 — ISO: 0.135 — wRC+: 138
Chris Colabello : FD: $2,700 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 331 — wOBA: 0.337 — ISO: 0.162 — wRC+: 114
Last 14 Days: PA: 29 — wOBA: 0.291 — ISO: 0.148 — wRC+: 81
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh – 7:05 PM EST
| Chicago Cubs | Pittsburgh | ||||||||
 | Jon Lester |  | Francisco Liriano | ||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| PIT (-130) | 6.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.260 | 0.706 | 0.311 | 26.1% | SP vs. Left | 0.229 | 0.648 | 0.292 | 28.00% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.229 | 0.634 | 0.281 | 24.5% | SP vs. Right | 0.203 | 0.605 | 0.274 | 26.00% |
| Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs L | Batter Splits | PIT BvP | PIT vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jon Lester : FD: $10,000 — DK: $10,400
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 352.1 — SIERA: 3.09 — ERA: 2.76 — K%: 24.9% — BB%: 5.6% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 36.1 — SIERA: 2.02 — ERA: 1.98 — K%: 31.9% — BB%: 3.0% — HR/9: 0.3
Pittsburgh Pirates Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.304 (Rank: 18) — Strikeout Rate: 23.5% (Rank: 27)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.332 (Rank: 9) — Strikeout Rate: 23.7% (Rank: 27)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 17)
Analysis: Cubs fans are finally starting to be happy with the Lester deal that Chicago made in the offseason. He has been terrific over the last month of play, posting a 2.02 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 31.9%. During that stretch, he has only walked 3% of the batters that he has faced. He draws a favorable matchup tonight against the Pirates, who have the fourth-highest strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season. Run support is an issue with Francisco Liriano pitching opposite him, but Lester is a strong play in both tournaments and as an SP2 on multi-pitcher sites.
Pitcher Rating:84.3
Francisco Liriano : FD: $10,500 — DK: $10,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 288.2 — SIERA: 3.34 — ERA: 3.18 — K%: 26.4% — BB%: 10.3% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 24.0 — SIERA: 2.96 — ERA: 2.63 — K%: 27.6% — BB%: 8.2% — HR/9: 0.4
Chicago Cubs Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.312 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 23.0% (Rank: 23)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.297 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 23.5% (Rank: 26)
Pitchers per PA: 3.98 (Rank: 1)
Analysis: Liriano has also been dominant in his recent starts, posting a 2.96 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 27.6%. He draws an interesting matchup against the Cubs, who lead the National League in both walks and strikeouts. Liriano does tend to walk a lot of batters, which could be an issue against a team that averages the most pitches per plate appearance this season. The strikeout potential is there, but this could be a game where Liriano only pitches five or six innings thanks to a high pitch count. He is still the highest rated pitcher on the board tonight, but he doesn’t come without a red flag or two.
Pitcher Rating:87.3
Batter Grind Down
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs may be without Kris Bryant tonight, which only hurts their fantasy appeal as a whole. They draw a tough matchup against Francisco Liriano, who has held left and right-handed hitters under a .295 wOBA over the last two seasons. The Cubs can be avoided tonight in the pitcher-friendly PNC Park.
Elite Plays / Secondary Plays:
NONE
Pittsburgh
The Pirates have a lot of talented right-handed hitters in their lineup, but for whatever reason, they are still a below-average offense against left-handed pitching. Tonight’s game is expected to be a pitcher’s duel and with the way Jon Lester has been pitching recently, there is no reason to target any hitters against him tonight.
Elite Plays / Secondary Plays:
NONE
Arizona at Washington – 7:05 PM EST
| Arizona | Washington | ||||||||
 | Zack Godley |  | Doug Fister | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| WAS (-141) | 8.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.211 | 0.581 | 0.273 | 13.6% | SP vs. Left | 0.251 | 0.688 | 0.303 | 13.70% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.292 | 0.945 | 0.402 | 32.0% | SP vs. Right | 0.268 | 0.717 | 0.313 | 13.90% |
| Batter Splits | ARI BvP | ARI vs R | Batter Splits | WAS vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Zachary Godley : FD: $6,200 — DK: $5,100
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 12.0 — SIERA: 3.22 — ERA: 2.25 — K%: 23.4% — BB%: 6.4% — HR/9: 1.5
Washington Nationals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.310 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 21.3% (Rank: 24)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.276 (Rank: 26) — Strikeout Rate: 25.0% (Rank: 30)
Pitchers per PA: 3.75 (Rank: 23)
Analysis: Godley has pitched well in his first two major league starts, posting a 3.22 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 23.4%. His pitcher rating (which is based 100% on statistics) is inflated by the fact that the sample size is still extremely small. Given the fact that he is a rookie pitcher on the road, making only his third career start, I’d give him a true rating of around 50.0. He is a sizable underdog tonight against a Nationals’ offense that is finally starting to get healthy. I will be avoiding Godley in all league formats tonight.
Pitcher Rating:71.1
Doug Fister : FD: $6,700 — DK: $5,300
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 244.0 — SIERA: 4.20 — ERA: 3.06 — K%: 13.8% — BB%: 4.1% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 22.0 — SIERA: 4.54 — ERA: 4.50 — K%: 12.9% — BB%: 5.0% — HR/9: 0.4
Arizona Diamondbacks Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 20.9% (Rank: 23)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.306 (Rank: 19) — Strikeout Rate: 24.6% (Rank: 29)
Pitchers per PA: 3.70 (Rank: 29)
Analysis: Fister’s analysis is usually short and simple. He has an above-average SIERA with a below-average strikeout rate. That’s not going to get the job done in daily fantasy baseball. He can safely be avoided tonight against the Diamondbacks, who are ranked 11th in team wOBA against right-handed pitching this season.
Pitcher Rating:49.2
Batter Grind Down
Arizona
Even though Doug Fister may not be a high-strikeout pitcher, he is able to keep both left and right-handed hitters is check. Since the start of the 2014 season, Fister has held hitters from both sides of the plate under a .315 wOBA. Paul Goldschmidt, David Peralta, and Ender Inciarte are all in play, but they are all secondary fantasy options at their respective positions.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Paul Goldschmidt : FD: $4,400 — DK: $5,600
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 736 — wOBA: 0.407 — ISO: 0.243 — wRC+: 159
Last 14 Days: PA: 57 — wOBA: 0.464 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 198
David Peralta : FD: $3,700 — DK: $3,700
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 530 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.212 — wRC+: 133
Last 14 Days: PA: 36 — wOBA: 0.339 — ISO: 0.088 — wRC+: 112
Ender Inciarte : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,800
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 541 — wOBA: 0.325 — ISO: 0.113 — wRC+: 103
Last 14 Days: PA: 55 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.151 — wRC+: 111
Washington
The Nationals draw an intriguing matchup tonight against Zack Godley, who is only making his third career major league start. Godley didn’t have a ton of success at the minor league level and it may only be a matter of time before the big league teams catch up to him. Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, and red-hot Ian Desmond are all on my radar tonight.
Elite Plays:
Bryce Harper : FD: $4,600 — DK: $5,700
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 576 — wOBA: 0.411 — ISO: 0.252 — wRC+: 166
Last 14 Days: PA: 55 — wOBA: 0.397 — ISO: 0.196 — wRC+: 156
Ryan Zimmerman : FD: $2,200 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 379 — wOBA: 0.305 — ISO: 0.156 — wRC+: 92
Last 14 Days: PA: 21 — wOBA: 0.369 — ISO: 0.263 — wRC+: 137
Secondary Plays:
Ian Desmond : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,600
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 812 — wOBA: 0.304 — ISO: 0.165 — wRC+: 91
Last 14 Days: PA: 52 — wOBA: 0.401 — ISO: 0.304 — wRC+: 159
Anthony Rendon : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 601 — wOBA: 0.350 — ISO: 0.179 — wRC+: 123
Last 14 Days: PA: 29 — wOBA: 0.236 — ISO: 0.040 — wRC+: 45
NY Mets at Miami – 7:10 PM EST
| NY Mets | Miami | ||||||||
 | Bartolo Colon |  | Tom Koehler | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| NYM (-108) | 7.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.278 | 0.725 | 0.314 | 16.9% | SP vs. Left | 0.239 | 0.684 | 0.305 | 18.80% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.270 | 0.749 | 0.324 | 19.0% | SP vs. Right | 0.238 | 0.682 | 0.304 | 17.70% |
| Batter Splits | NYM BvP | NYM vs R | Batter Splits | MIA BvP | MIA vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Bartolo Colon : FD: $6,800 — DK: $6,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 322.0 — SIERA: 3.76 — ERA: 4.42 — K%: 17.9% — BB%: 3.2% — HR/9: 1.1
Last 30 Days: IP: 20.2 — SIERA: 4.31 — ERA: 6.97 — K%: 14.3% — BB%: 3.1% — HR/9: 1.3
Miami Marlins Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.285 (Rank: 30) — Strikeout Rate: 20.2% (Rank: 16)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.263 (Rank: 29) — Strikeout Rate: 18.3% (Rank: 11)
Pitchers per PA: 3.72 (Rank: 26)
Analysis: Right when Colon lures us back in with a solid month of starts, he goes out and gets shelled against the Padres of all teams. While he does draw a favorable matchup against the Marlins, it’s hard to justify targeting him tonight with all of the other pitching options available to us. His price is cheap enough that he may be worth a look as a contrarian play in tournaments, but he can safely be avoided in all cash games tonight.
Pitcher Rating:57.7
Tom Koehler : FD: $7,200 — DK: $7,100
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 308.1 — SIERA: 4.24 — ERA: 3.65 — K%: 18.3% — BB%: 8.6% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 31.0 — SIERA: 4.39 — ERA: 2.61 — K%: 15.8% — BB%: 7.9% — HR/9: 0.6
New York Mets Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.293 (Rank: 27) — Strikeout Rate: 20.3% (Rank: 17)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.293 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 21.3% (Rank: 18)
Pitchers per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 5)
Analysis: Koehler has been a serviceable starter for the Marlins over the last two seasons, posting a 4.24 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 18.3%. He is usually a pitcher that we can just gloss over, but he deserves consideration tonight. He has pitched well at home throughout his career and he gets to face a Mets’ offense that is ranked 27th in team wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. He is cheap, he draws a nice matchup, and he has a big ballpark at his back.
Pitcher Rating:57.3
Batter Grind Down
NY Mets
The Mets may have traded for Yoenis Cespedes, but they are still an offense that is going to struggle to score runs. They are one of the worst hitting teams against right-handed pitching this season and they draw a mediocre matchup against Tom Koehler, who has held left and right-handed hitters under a .305 wOBA over the last two seasons. The Mets are secondary options tonight in Marlins Park.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Lucas Duda : FD: $4,100 — DK: $4,600
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 789 — wOBA: 0.374 — ISO: 0.254 — wRC+: 145
Last 14 Days: PA: 53 — wOBA: 0.511 — ISO: 0.587 — wRC+: 240
Curtis Granderson : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 838 — wOBA: 0.344 — ISO: 0.182 — wRC+: 124
Last 14 Days: PA: 60 — wOBA: 0.377 — ISO: 0.208 — wRC+: 147
Miami
The Marlins draw an interesting matchup against Bartolo Colon. He had been pitching well up until his last start, but he has that ability to come out and get shelled every time he takes the mound. Derek Dietrich, Dee Gordon, and Christian Yelich are all in play. Dietrich is a borderline elite play (great value), while Gordon and Yelich are secondary options.
Elite Plays:
Derek Dietrich : FD: $2,400 — DK: $2,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 258 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.204 — wRC+: 128
Last 14 Days: PA: 33 — wOBA: 0.376 — ISO: 0.360 — wRC+: 141
Secondary Plays:
Dee Gordon : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 802 — wOBA: 0.314 — ISO: 0.086 — wRC+: 101
Last 14 Days: PA: 21 — wOBA: 0.213 — ISO: 0.111 — wRC+: 29
Christian Yelich : FD: $2,700 — DK: $3,500
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 760 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.113 — wRC+: 108
Last 14 Days: PA: 54 — wOBA: 0.309 — ISO: 0.080 — wRC+: 95
San Francisco at Atlanta – 7:10 PM EST
| San Francisco | Atlanta | ||||||||
 | Matt Cain |  | Mike Foltynewicz | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| SFG (-148) | 8.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.256 | 0.767 | 0.338 | 18.2% | SP vs. Left | 0.331 | 0.954 | 0.410 | 15.90% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.237 | 0.738 | 0.317 | 19.5% | SP vs. Right | 0.273 | 0.000 | 0.340 | 25.40% |
| Batter Splits | SF vs R | Batter Splits | ATL BvP | ATL vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Matt Cain : FD: $7,500 — DK: $7,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 118.1 — SIERA: 4.09 — ERA: 4.26 — K%: 18.9% — BB%: 7.9% — HR/9: 1.3
Last 30 Days: IP: 23.0 — SIERA: 3.46 — ERA: 3.52 — K%: 22.3% — BB%: 3.2% — HR/9: 0.8
Atlanta Braves Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.299 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 17.3% (Rank: 3)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.261 (Rank: 30) — Strikeout Rate: 17.8% (Rank: 8)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 18)
Analysis: Cain hasn’t had that dominant start yet this season, but his confidence seems to be growing with each and every outing. He has a 3.46 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 22.3% over the last month of play. Tonight’s matchup against the Braves is an interesting one. While they do not hit right-handed pitching well as a team, they have the third-fewest strikeouts against pitchers with that handedness. Cain may pitch well tonight, but we should expect him to get a lot of outs by the way of the strikeout.
Pitcher Rating:63.4
Mike Foltynewicz : FD: $6,300 — DK: $5,200
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 79.1 — SIERA: 4.01 — ERA: 5.11 — K%: 20.7% — BB%: 7.6% — HR/9: 1.5
Last 30 Days: IP: 8.2 — SIERA: 3.40 — ERA: 4.15 — K%: 30.8% — BB%: 7.7% — HR/9: 2.1
San Francisco Giants Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.327 (Rank: 5) — Strikeout Rate: 17.9% (Rank: 5)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.328 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 18.1% (Rank: 10)
Pitchers per PA: 3.75 (Rank: 24)
Analysis: In addition to a great last name, Foltynewicz also has a great fastball. He has the ability to rack up strikeouts at the major league level, even though his strikeout rate is only at 20.7% thus far. He’s a pitcher to monitor moving forward, but he can safely be avoided tonight against a Giants offense that is ranked fifth in both team wOBA and strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season.
Pitcher Rating:51.6
Batter Grind Down
San Francisco
The sample size is still relatively small, but Mike Foltynewicz has given up a .340+ wOBA to both left and right-handed hitters. The Giants hit right-handed pitching well as a team and they are sizable favorites tonight on the road. I always like targeting road favorites because they are guaranteed to see at-bats in the ninth inning, even if they are winning (unlike the home team).
Elite Plays:
Brandon Belt : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 465 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.223 — wRC+: 135
Last 14 Days: PA: 50 — wOBA: 0.413 — ISO: 0.262 — wRC+: 174
Secondary Plays:
Buster Posey : FD: $4,800 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B/C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 735 — wOBA: 0.376 — ISO: 0.168 — wRC+: 148
Last 14 Days: PA: 42 — wOBA: 0.408 — ISO: 0.150 — wRC+: 170
Hunter Pence : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,800
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 635 — wOBA: 0.350 — ISO: 0.188 — wRC+: 130
Last 14 Days: PA: 50 — wOBA: 0.388 — ISO: 0.239 — wRC+: 157
Angel Pagan : FD: $2,200 — DK: $3,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 557 — wOBA: 0.300 — ISO: 0.071 — wRC+: 95
Last 14 Days: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.208 — ISO: 0.000 — wRC+: 32
Atlanta
The Braves draw a decent matchup tonight against Matt Cain, who has given up a .338 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Freddie Freeman is a strong play at first base, as his price is still indicative of his recent level of play after coming back from his injury. A.J. Pierzynski is also in play as a value catcher tonight.
Elite Plays:
Freddie Freeman : FD: $3,500 — DK: $4,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 734 — wOBA: 0.389 — ISO: 0.209 — wRC+: 151
Last 14 Days: PA: 32 — wOBA: 0.302 — ISO: 0.226 — wRC+: 91
Secondary Plays:
A.J. Pierzynski : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,200
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 495 — wOBA: 0.317 — ISO: 0.125 — wRC+: 101
Last 14 Days: PA: 43 — wOBA: 0.337 — ISO: 0.049 — wRC+: 115