MLB Grind Down: Saturday, August 9th
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
Cleveland at NY Yankees
| Cleveland | NY Yankees | ||||||||
| Corey Kluber | Vegas Moneyline | Brandon McCarthy | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||
| RIGHT | NYY (-105) | RIGHT | 7.5 | ||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.244 | 0.701 | 0.309 | 25.50% | SP vs. Left | 0.307 | 0.789 | 0.347 | 20.70% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.216 | 0.532 | 0.237 | 27.90% | SP vs. Right | 0.270 | 0.754 | 0.325 | 19.90% |
| Batter Splits | CLE BvP  | CLE vs R | Batter Splits | NYY BvP | NYY vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
- Corey Kluber – Kluber is quickly emerging as the Ace of this Indians staff and had now pushed his record to 12-6 on the season and owns a very impressive 2.55 ERA and 1.08 WHIP through 24 starts and his 26.7% strikeout percentage ranks him eighth in MLB among qualified pitchers. He has been nearly unhittable since the all-star break, posting a rather ridiculous 3-0 record, 0.79 ERA and .62 WHIP in four starts. The Yankees managed to bolster their lineup a bit at the trade deadline, and pitching inside Yankee Stadium is not ideal, but Kluber is still a great option today especially on the sites that heavily weight strikeouts. Rating = 8
Salaries: $10400 FD, $20550 DD, $10000 DK, $158200 FF, $33000 SS, $20550 FTD
- Brandon McCarthy – A change of scenery has done wonders for McCarthy, as he’s now won each of his last four starts and sports a 2.08 ERA in five starts with the Yankees. His 54.8% groundball percentage ranks ninth among qualified pitchers this season which helps explain his large gap between ERA and xFIP (4.37 ERA but a steller 2.89 xFIP). The matchup against Kluber and the Indians is less than ideal however, as McCarthy has had difficulty retiring left-handed batters (.347 wOBA) and this Indians team is left-handed heavy and ranked #3 in MLB in wOBA against right-handed pitching. With that said, McCarthy has won all three Yankee Stadium starts while allowing just two earned runs in the process, so he’s definitely still on my radar. Rating = 6
Salaries: $7100 FD, $14050 DD, $7400 DK, $80300 FF, $22700 SS, $14050 FTD
Batter Grind Down
Cleveland
Jason Kipnis – As mentioned above, lefties own a .347 wOBA against McCarthy and Kipnis is now hitting .321 in August. He has had plenty of success against McCarthy in the past (4 for 8) and should once again find himself hitting leadoff for the tribe.
Additional Plays: Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley
NY Yankees
Brett Garner – Kulber has been filthy lately, so I won’t get carried away with Yankees bats today but Gardner leads this team in wOBA against right-handed pitching (.376) and has posted a 1.007 OPS since the All-Star break. It’s an awfully small sample size, but Garder hasn’t been fooled by Kluber in the past, going 2 for 3 with a homerun.
Additional Plays: Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury
Detroit at Toronto
| Detroit | Toronto | ||||||||
| Max Scherzer | Vegas Moneyline | Marcus Stroman | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||
| RIGHT | DET (-113) | RIGHT | 8.0 | ||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.251 | 0.713 | 0.316 | 22.8% | SP vs. Left | 0.207 | 0.619 | 0.276 | 22.20% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.223 | 0.631 | 0.279 | 33.6% | SP vs. Right | 0.287 | 0.678 | 0.299 | 20.30% |
| Batter Splits | DET BvP | DET vs R | Batter Splits | TOR BvP | TOR vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
- Max Scherzer – Since being completely embarrassed by the Kansas City Royals back in mid-June (10 earned runs in four innings), Scherzer has performed as well as we’ve grown accustomed to this past few years. In eight starts since, he’s 5-1 with a 2.14 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 9.88 K’s/9. Things won’t be easy for him today as he’ll head to Toronto to take on a Blue Jays team that ranks #1 in the league in wOBA versus right-handed pitching (.343 woBA) and have to pitch in the hitter friendly Rogers Center. His talents push him towards “matchup proof” status, but it’s not easy to pay his high asking price today. Rating = 7.5
Salaries: $10700 FD, $19800 DD, $11500 DK, $113000 FF, $30800 SS, $19800 FTD
- Marcus Stroman – Stroman blew an opportunity in his last start when he allowed five earned runs to the Astros in just three innings of work, but it’s hard to expect much more from a 23 year old rookie pitcher than the Blue Jays have gotten this season. Through 77.1 innings, he sports a 7-3 record and a 3.49 ERA. A quick look through his game logs does a pretty good job of telling the story here; when he’s on his game he can dominate, but he has certainly been prone to the occassional blowups. He’s been sensational all season at the Rogers Center where he’s posted a 5-1 record and a 2.82 ERA in 51 innings. This matchup against a very dangerous Detroit lineup makes him a bit of a risk in cash games (specially on single pitcher sites) but his upside still makes him a nice GPP target. Rating = 5.5
Salaries: $7000 FD, $14250 DD, $7500 DK, $109100 FF, $23100 SS, $14250 FTD
Batter Grind Down
Detroit
Miguel Cabrera – Righties are hitting .291 against Stroman and Mr. Triple Crown owns a .388 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. He’s slumped a bit at the plate lately, but we all know that won’t last long.
Additional Plays: J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler, Victor Martinez
Toronto
Jose Bautista Bautista had two more hits last night and is now hitting .320 since the All-Star break. Taking hitters against Max Scherzer isn’t always a good idea, but Bautista has absolutely owned him in the past, going 8 for 14 with four doubles and a homerun.
Additional Plays: Jose Reyes
Tampa Bay at Chicago Cubs
| Tampa Bay | Chicago Cubs | ||||||||
| Jake Odorizzi | Vegas Moneyline | Edwin Jackson | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||
| RIGHT | TBR (-130) | RIGHT | 8.0 | ||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.259 | 0.732 | 0.322 | 28.4% | SP vs. Left | 0.329 | 0.905 | 0.396 | 17.50% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.227 | 0.659 | 0.298 | 22.5% | SP vs. Right | 0.255 | 0.781 | 0.343 | 23.20% |
| Batter Splits | TBR BvP | TBR vs R | Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
- Jake Odorizzi – Odorizzi was blasted in his last start, surrendering five earned runs on eight hits in just three innings of work against the Angels. However, he had been in cruise control prior to that; posting a 5-2 record, 2.45 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 9.32 K’s/9 in the nine previous starts. This Cubs team ranks #28th in MLB in wOBA against right-handed pitching (.294 wOBA) and Odorizzi will also have the added benefit of seeing an opposing pitcher at the plate rather than a DH in this one. However, his 45.8% fly ball percentage is fourth highest among qualified pitchers which could make him a risky play depending on the wind/weather at Wrigley Field today. Rating = 6
Salaries: $7500 FD, $14950 DD, $7800 DK, $91400 FF, $23300 SS, $14950 FTD
- Edwin Jackson – Jackson is having a forgetable 2014 campaign, bringing a 6-11 record, 5.66 ERA and 1.57 WHIP into his 24th start of the season. However, he owns the largest gap between his xFIP (4.21) and his ERA (5.66) of any qualified pitcher in the league this season, which suggests he’s performed much better than his very pederstrian numbers indicate. With that said, this Rays offense is showing signs of life at the plate (.331 wOBA over the last month) and Jackson owns a gross 7.80 ERA and 1.70 WHIP over his last six starts. Rating = 3.5
Salaries: $6000 FD, $11100 DD, $6000 DK, $55000 FF, $14200 SS, $11100 FTD
Batter Grind Down
Tampa Bay
Kevin Kiermaier – lefties own a .396 wOBA against Jackson this season and Kiermaier leads this Rays team with a .405 wOBA against right-handed pitching. He’s cooled off since the all-star break, but homered the other day and drove in the winning run in last nights game.
Additional Plays: Evan Longoria, Matt Joyce, James Loney
Chicago Cubs
Chris Coghlan- Coghlan has caught fire lately, posting a 1.220 OPS during the month of August. He’s thrived during day games this year, owning a .333 average and 1.006 OPS. He’s still reasonably priced everywhere and should see a nice fantasy boost now that he has some talented hitters batting behind him.
Additional Plays: Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Starlin Castro
St. Louis at Baltimore
| St. Louis | Baltimore | ||||||||
| John Lackey | Vegas Moneyline | Ubaldo Jimenez | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||
| RIGHT | BAL (-105) | RIGHT | 8.5 | ||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.246 | 0.698 | 0.306 | 20.9% | SP vs. Left | 0.255 | 0.799 | 0.364 | 17.00% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.263 | 0.704 | 0.311 | 18.9% | SP vs. Right | 0.242 | 0.685 | 0.308 | 23.90% |
| Batter Splits | STL BvP | STL vs R | Batter Splits | BAL BvP | BAL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
- John Lackey – Lackey will lock horns with an old division rival (Baltimore) who really knocked him around this season while he was with Boston. In three starts against the Orioles this season, he owns a 1-2 record and an unsightly 7.02 ERA. However, he did manage to strikeout 23 batters in just 16.2 innings of work and, somewhat surprisingly, even with their offensive explosion last night, this Baltimore team ranks near the bottom of MLB in wOBA over the last month (.285 team wOBA). Lackey was solid in his debut for St. Louis and I expect another solid outing from him tonight. Rating = 5.5
Salaries: $8100 FD, $14150 DD, $8800 DK, $106600 FF, $24000 SS, $14150 FTD
- Ubaldo Jiminez – Ubaldo will take the mound this afternoon for the first time in over a month after hitting the DL with an ankle injury. This has been a very forgetable season for the right-hander as he’ll enter today’s game sporting a 3-8 record, 4.52 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. He has been rather dreadful all season at Camden Yards where he owns just a 1-6 record and 5.29 ERA through in nine starts. These St. louis bats have been sputtering for weeks now, but trusting a fresh off the DL version of Ubaldo is a dubious proposition. Rating = 4
Salaries: $6000 FD, $10800 DD, $6300 DK, $59800 FF, $17500 SS, $10800 FTD
Batter Grind Down
St. Louis
Matt Adams – “Big City” brings a .384 wOBA against right-handed pitching into this matchup against Ubaldo Jiminez who has allowed lefties to post a .364 wOBA against him. He’s adapting at the plate and learning to hit the ball the other way which has stopped/slowed teams from using the shift on him lately.
Additional Plays: Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong
Baltimore
Manny Machado – Machado went deep last night and is now hitting .333 since the beginning of July. He has faired much better at Camden Yards this season and has crushed John Lackey in their previous meetings to the tune of 7 for 18 with a double and two homeruns
Additional Plays: Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis
San Diego at Pittsburgh
| San Diego | Pittsburgh | ||||||||
| Eric Stults | Vegas Moneyline | Francisco Liriano | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||
| LEFT | PIT (-161) | LEFT | 7.0 | ||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.272 | 0.761 | 0.332 | 10.7% | SP vs. Left | 0.277 | 0.794 | 0.349 | 29.40% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.282 | 0.824 | 0.359 | 15.7% | SP vs. Right | 0.212 | 0.660 | 0.297 | 24.10% |
| Batter Splits | SDP BvP | SDP vs L | Batter Splits | PIT BvP | PIT vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
- Eric Stults – After being blasted by the Braves last week, Stultz rebounded very nicely by allowing just two hits and an unearned run against them over 6.1 innings in his last start. As you’d probably expect, he has been much less effective away from Petco Park, posting an 0-9 record and 5.78 ERA on the road. He’s been punished by the longball this season, where his 1.54 HR/9 ranks his third among qualifies pitchers in MLB. His xFIP of 4.34 (versus his 4.94 ERA) suggests that he’s run into some tough luck this season but his limited strikeout potential and road struggles really holds down his fantasy value. Rating = 4
Salaries: $5900 FD, $10250 DD, $6600 DK, $47800 FF, $15600 SS, $10250 FTD
- Francisco Liriano – Don’t look now, but the dominant version of Liriano looks to have made a reappearance. Over his last four starts he sports a 2-0 record, 1.44 ERA and .88 WHIP and his 28.5% strikeout percentage during the last month ranks him sixth in MLB. He has struggled a bit at PNC Park this season (4.78 ERA) but is greeted tonight with a very favortable matchup against MLB’s weakest offensive team, the San Diego Padres. His control can sometimes be an issue that gets him into trouble, but he’s in a groove right now and the matchup just doesn’t get much better. Rating = 7.5
Salaries: $7400 FD, $14350 DD, $9400 DK, $99800 FF, $26000 SS, $14350 FTD
Batter Grind Down
San Diego
Everth Cabrera Cabrera has had multiple hits in four of his last six games and is now hitting .423 during the month of August. He’s had a forgettable season, but he did post a .934 OPS against left-handed pitching last season and still can wreak havoc on the basepaths.
Additional Plays: None
Pittsburgh
Jordy Mercer – Mercer has earned his reputation for destroying left-handed pitching as he has hit .377 off of them since the beginning of the 2013 season. He’s been red-hot at the plate for over a month now (.322 average since the beginning of July) and righties own a .359 wOBA against Eric Stults this season.
Additional Plays: Josh Harrison, Starling Marte