MLB Grind Down: Sunday, April 1st - Page Three
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Stackability Rating System:
GREEN – A viable full stack in cash games and GPPs.
YELLOW – A viable mini-stack in cash games and full stack in GPPs.
ORANGE – A viable stack in large field GPPs.
RED – Not a recommended stack for cash games or GPPs.
Implied Run Totals
Washington at Cincinnati – 4:10 PM ET
| Washington | Cincinnati | ||||||||||||||
 | Gio Gonzalez |  | Sal Romano | ||||||||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| WAS-135 | 9.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.229 | 0.262 | 23.2% | 7.7% | 22.7% | 51.7% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.337 | 0.317 | 37.4% | 10.5% | 20.4% | 43.8% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.296 | 0.302 | 31.1% | 10.1% | 22.8% | 44.2% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.343 | 0.285 | 28.6% | 8.9% | 17.7% | 56.1% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Gio Gonzalez | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $8,300 | Salary: | $11,100 | Salary: | $21,100 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 5 of 24 | Salary Rank: | 2 of 24 | Salary Rank: | 3 of 24 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 32 | 4.41 | 2.96 | 22.7% | 9.6% | 45.8% | 29.3% | 21.9% | |
Gio Gonzalez emerged as a top notch starter last season putting up a 15-9 W-L record to go along with a 2.96 ERA. In 201 innings of work, he struck out 188 and now enters a contract year along with teammate Bryce Harper. He’s looking to improve even further from his solid season last year.
.229 wOBA vs L .38 HR/9 22.7% K 7.7% BB
.296 wOBA vs R 1.11 HR/9 22.8% K 10.1% BB
The southpaw is very good against LH bats as expected and is more than adequate against RH bats. While his K rate isn’t elite, it’s good enough to have upside in the right matchup.
Quick Breakdown:
With only two left-handed bats in the lineup, I’m not sure there’s enough upside for Gonzalez. He’s viable in cash games as he’s a relatively safe option, but for GPP’s I think there are better options.
| Sal Romano | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $6,000 | Salary: | $5,300 | Salary: | $10,200 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 17 of 24 | Salary Rank: | 20 of 24 | Salary Rank: | 20 of 24 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 16 | 4.72 | 4.45 | 19.0% | 9.6% | 50.4% | 32.6% | 21.5% | |
Cousin Sal takes the mound for the Reds today. He’s been mostly mediocre through his big league career.
.337 wOBA vs L .89 HR/9 20.4% K 10.5% BB
.343 wOBA vs R .97 HR/9 17.7% K 8.9% BB
Doesn’t get out of hand in terms of giving up too much power, but has little upside in terms of striking batters out.
Quick Breakdown:
Facing a potent Nationals lineup that has the 3rd highest total on the slate, this is an easy fade.
Batter Grind Down
Washington
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | wOBA | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Eaton | LEFT | 0.387 | 0.348 | 0.163 | 29.2% | 13.8% | 16.0% | 54.7% | OF | $3,200 | OF | $4,400 | CF | $7,700 |
| 2 | Anthony Rendon | RIGHT | 0.377 | 0.374 | 0.203 | 33.1% | 13.1% | 14.4% | 34.9% | 3B | $3,400 | 3B | $4,300 | 3B | $8,100 |
| 3 | Bryce Harper | LEFT | 0.442 | 0.427 | 0.332 | 35.4% | 16.3% | 17.4% | 37.1% | OF | $5,000 | OF | $5,200 | RF | $10,000 |
| 4 | Ryan Zimmerman | RIGHT | 0.375 | 0.367 | 0.252 | 39.5% | 7.2% | 23.8% | 47.0% | 1B | $3,200 | 1B | $4,100 | 1B | $8,000 |
| 5 | Howie Kendrick | RIGHT | 0.351 | 0.329 | 0.149 | 28.7% | 5.1% | 21.4% | 61.8% | OF | $2,300 | 2B/OF | $3,800 | IF/OF | $7,700 |
| 6 | Trea Turner | RIGHT | 0.355 | 0.351 | 0.195 | 27.3% | 6.4% | 18.3% | 51.8% | SS | $4,500 | SS | $4,900 | IF/OF | $9,000 |
| 7 | Michael Taylor | RIGHT | 0.333 | 0.298 | 0.221 | 34.3% | 7.1% | 32.7% | 41.5% | OF | $3,000 | OF | $3,700 | CF | $7,700 |
| 8 | Matt Wieters | SWITCH | 0.267 | 0.288 | 0.113 | 29.1% | 8.2% | 18.2% | 41.7% | C | $2,200 | C | $3,300 | C | $6,800 |
| 9 | Gio Gonzalez | LEFT | 0.130 | 0.153 | 0.000 | 9.4% | 6.7% | 40.0% | 52.0% | P | $8,300 | P | $11,100 | P | $21,100 |
Adam Eaton and Bryce Harper are the two left-handed bats at the top of the order and both are elite options in this matchup. The rest of the top six are all secondary options and viable as part of a team stack with Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman the best of that group.
Elite Plays – Adam Eaton, Bryce Harper
Secondary Plays – Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman
Stackability – GREEN
Cincinnati
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | wOBA | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Hamilton | SWITCH | 0.232 | 0.228 | 0.077 | 15.6% | 2.9% | 23.6% | 45.6% | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,300 | CF | $6,700 |
| 2 | Eugenio Suarez | RIGHT | 0.383 | 0.374 | 0.228 | 42.9% | 15.0% | 24.2% | 40.7% | 3B | $2,500 | 3B | $3,500 | 3B | $6,600 |
| 3 | Joey Votto | LEFT | 0.415 | 0.429 | 0.260 | 31.8% | 18.3% | 15.2% | 44.4% | 1B | $3,600 | 1B | $4,500 | 1B | $9,200 |
| 4 | Adam Duvall | RIGHT | 0.382 | 0.420 | 0.293 | 32.7% | 8.8% | 22.0% | 41.1% | OF | $2,200 | OF | $3,400 | IF/OF | $6,900 |
| 5 | Scooter Gennett | LEFT | 0.296 | 0.249 | 0.156 | 25.3% | 4.3% | 29.6% | 50.0% | 2B | $2,800 | 2B | $3,400 | 2B | $6,600 |
| 6 | Tucker Barnhart | SWITCH | 0.277 | 0.284 | 0.111 | 25.9% | 9.8% | 18.3% | 60.7% | C | $2,000 | C | $2,700 | C | $5,400 |
| 7 | Jose Peraza | RIGHT | 0.285 | 0.304 | 0.053 | 23.9% | 5.1% | 13.0% | 56.3% | SS | $2,100 | SS | $3,100 | 2B | $5,600 |
| 8 | Phillip Ervin | RIGHT | 0.415 | 0.059 | 21.4% | 10.5% | 15.8% | 21.4% | OF | $2,000 | OF | $2,800 | CF | $5,700 | |
| 9 | Sal Romano | RIGHT | 0.000 | 0.085 | 0.000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 100.0% | P | $6,000 | P | $5,300 | P | $10,200 |
Gonzalez is a tough pitcher to face. Adam Duvall and Eugenio Suarez are intriguing RH bats that I don’t mind as one offs as they both exhibit upside against LHP (especially Duvall).
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – Adam Duvall
Stackability – RED
San Francisco at LA Dodgers – 8:37 PM ET
| San Francisco | LA Dodgers | ||||||||||||||
 | Chris Stratton |  | Rich Hill | ||||||||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| LAD-180 | 7.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.355 | 0.331 | 27.3% | 13.4% | 16.5% | 36.5% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.374 | 0.352 | 23.9% | 15.3% | 22.6% | 35.8% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.291 | 0.327 | 29.6% | 8.5% | 23.3% | 48.9% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.253 | 0.250 | 31.9% | 7.0% | 32.2% | 37.2% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Chris Stratton | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $5,500 | Salary: | Salary: | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 23 of 24 | Salary Rank: | of 24 | Salary Rank: | |||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 10 | 4.83 | 3.68 | 19.9% | 10.9% | 42.8% | 28.4% | 21.0% | |
Chris Stratton only pitched 58 2/3 innings last season with the following numbers:
.355 wOBA vs L .68 HR/9 16.5% K 13.4% BB
.291 wOBA vs R .84 HR/9 23.3% K 8.5% BB
He limits the long ball but walks a lot of batters from the left side of the plate (probably trying to limit damage).
Quick Breakdown:
The Dodgers have struggled hitting the ball out of the gates but Stratton doesn’t have the kind of upside we want to take a flyer on – especially with a Dodgers lineup that will likely have as many LH bats as it will RH bats.
| Rich Hill | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $8,600 | Salary: | Salary: | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 2 of 24 | Salary Rank: | of 24 | Salary Rank: | |||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 25 | 3.61 | 3.32 | 30.1% | 8.9% | 36.9% | 30.2% | 20.7% | |
Rich Hill numbers against LH bats last season seemed a bit odd to me. Let’s take a look and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
.374 wOBA vs L (.296 at home)
1.73 HR/9 22.6% K 15.3% BB
.304 Career wOBA vs L .69 HR/.9 24.7%K 13.2% BB
.253 wOBA vs R
1.07 HR/9 32.2% K 7.0% BB
.297 Career wOBA vs R
1.09 HR/9 24.9% K 8.9% BB
He got absolutely mashed last season by LH bats but it’s not really in line with his career numbers. He’s always struggled with control against that side of the plate, but it’ll be interesting to see if those struggles continue.
Quick Breakdown:
The Giants used to be a LH heavy lineup, but now will only have three hitters from that side of the plate in their lineup. If you’re playing a slate that includes this last game of the day, then Hill is a viable option with his strikeout rate – especially if he can keep up a 30% plus rate against RH bats like he did last season.
Batter Grind Down
San Francisco
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | wOBA | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Jackson | RIGHT | 0.429 | 0.377 | 0.221 | 27.8% | 13.5% | 17.7% | 49.5% | OF | $2,000 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 2 | Joe Panik | LEFT | 0.309 | 0.303 | 0.058 | 26.6% | 7.4% | 12.0% | 51.1% | 2B | $2,400 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 3 | Andrew McCutchen | RIGHT | 0.462 | 0.439 | 0.360 | 42.6% | 15.0% | 16.3% | 31.7% | OF | $2,900 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 4 | Buster Posey | RIGHT | 0.415 | 0.390 | 0.209 | 39.2% | 14.2% | 11.7% | 38.3% | C | $2,600 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 5 | Evan Longoria | RIGHT | 0.288 | 0.324 | 0.157 | 36.4% | 11.3% | 20.1% | 46.2% | 3B | $2,400 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 6 | Hunter Pence | RIGHT | 0.333 | 0.355 | 0.136 | 33.3% | 10.1% | 12.0% | 45.5% | OF | $2,400 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 7 | Brandon Belt | LEFT | 0.310 | 0.329 | 0.177 | 31.9% | 10.2% | 24.5% | 35.5% | 1B | $2,200 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 8 | Brandon Crawford | LEFT | 0.286 | 0.310 | 0.127 | 29.7% | 7.7% | 16.7% | 41.9% | SS | $2,100 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 9 | Chris Stratton | RIGHT | 0.000 | 0.026 | 0.000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 50.0% | 100.0% | P | $5,500 | N/A | N/A |
Today seems like a good day for the Dodgers to break out and what better time to do it than in a Sunday Night primetime affair. I like all four bats at the top of the projected order with Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger my top two options. Yasmani Grandal is always worth a shot in a team stack or as a one off because of the position he plays.
Elite Plays – Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger
Secondary Plays – Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig, Yasmani Grandal
Stackability – GREEN
LA Dodgers
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | wOBA | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Taylor | RIGHT | 0.364 | 0.346 | 0.215 | 33.5% | 9.1% | 24.2% | 41.4% | OF | $3,100 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 2 | Corey Seager | LEFT | 0.353 | 0.372 | 0.176 | 42.8% | 12.1% | 20.8% | 43.8% | SS | $3,400 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 3 | Yasiel Puig | RIGHT | 0.377 | 0.363 | 0.266 | 35.2% | 9.4% | 19.3% | 45.5% | OF | $3,000 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 4 | Cody Bellinger | LEFT | 0.383 | 0.382 | 0.323 | 43.7% | 13.1% | 27.7% | 36.3% | 1B | $3,900 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 5 | Yasmani Grandal | SWITCH | 0.332 | 0.323 | 0.236 | 38.8% | 7.6% | 27.3% | 39.8% | C | $2,600 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 6 | Matt Kemp | RIGHT | 0.341 | 0.350 | 0.211 | 35.1% | 4.2% | 23.2% | 47.9% | OF | $2,300 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 7 | Chase Utley | LEFT | 0.318 | 0.314 | 0.165 | 37.4% | 9.2% | 15.4% | 44.7% | 2B | $2,400 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 8 | Logan Forsythe | RIGHT | 0.267 | 0.310 | 0.072 | 33.7% | 15.0% | 25.2% | 46.7% | 3B | $2,300 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 9 | Rich Hill | LEFT | 0.124 | 0.147 | 0.036 | 21.1% | 0.0% | 35.5% | 64.3% | P | $8,600 | N/A | N/A |
Andrew McCutchen really likes hitting LHP. Last season he had a .462 wOBA and .360 ISO against them. That makes him a viable option against even the best of LHP. Buster Posey is always interesting at a thin position, but I’m going to limit any exposure I have to McCutchen.