MLB Grind Down: Sunday, July 12 - Page Two
NY Yankees at Boston – 1:35 PM EST
| NY Yankees | Boston | ||||||||
 | Nathan Eovaldi |  | Wade Miley | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| BOS (-120) | 9 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.309 | 0.803 | 0.352 | 0.159 | SP vs. Left | 0.245 | 0.671 | 0.301 | 0.184 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.261 | 0.681 | 0.3 | 0.172 | SP vs. Right | 0.27 | 0.77 | 0.338 | 0.202 |
| Batter Splits | NYY BvP | NYY vs L | Batter Splits | BOS BvP | BOS vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi may own an 8-2 record, but the 2015 season has not been quite as nice as that record would make it appear. He sports a mediocre 4.45 ERA and 1.53 WHIP through his first 17 starts and his 6.48 K/9 numbers aren’t what you’d expect from the guy who throws harder than any other starting pitcher in MLB. He’ll head to Fenway Park to battle a Red Sox team who has had pitched well against in both prior meetings this season, but who also happen to lead the league in pitches per plate appearance. Eovaldi has struggled away from Yankee Stadium this season (5.17 road ERA) and is definitely not known for his efficient pitching, so it’s highly unlikely that he can pitch deep enough into this game to make a significant fantasy impact. Rating = 4.5
Salaries: $6,800 FD, $5,900 DK
Wade Miley – After an abysmal start to the season, Miley has finally settled in and has now posted a 7-3 record to go along with a 3.48 ERA over his last 11 starts. He racked up a season high nine strikeouts in his last start and has pitched quite well against the Yankees in both prior meetings this season. Things set up nicely for Miley again today, as this Yankees lineup is very left-handed heavy and left-handed batters own just a .254 wOBA off of Miley this season. I won’t be rolling him out in any cash games, but he’s at the very least an intriguing GPP play. Rating = 5
Salaries: $7,800 FD, $6,400 DK
Batter Grind Down
NY Yankees
Alex Rodriguez – (RHB) – A-Rod homered for the second straight game yesterday and enters today’s game sporting a .279 average with 18 home runs. He owns a .383 wOBA against left-handed pitching and has worn out this Boston pitching staff this season; posting a .345 average and 1.130 OPS in 29 ABs.
2015 vs LH Pitching: 0.383 wOBA: 0.233 ISO: 145 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Chris Young – (RHB) – 2015 vs LH Pitching: 0.45 wOBA: 0.291 ISO: 192 wRC+
Mark Teixeira – (Switch) – 2015 vs LH Pitching: 0.349 wOBA: 0.21 ISO: 122 wRC+
Boston
Pablo Sandoval – (Switch) – It’s been a disappointing season for the Kung Fu Panda, but he’s still managed to post a .297 average and .351 wOBA against right-handed pitching. Sandoval has flat out owned Nathan Eovaldi in their previous meetings; going 12-for-17 with a pair of doubles and a home run.
2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.351 wOBA: 0.163 ISO: 122 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
David Ortiz – (LHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.39 wOBA: 0.26 ISO: 149 wRC+
Brock Holt – (LHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.352 wOBA: 0.12 ISO: 122 wRC+
Detroit at Minnesota – 2:10 PM EST
| Detroit | Minnesota | ||||||||
 | Shane Greene |  | Kyle Gibson | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| MIN (-144) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.308 | 0.855 | 0.373 | 0.15 | SP vs. Left | 0.255 | 0.692 | 0.309 | 0.113 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.232 | 0.669 | 0.298 | 0.249 | SP vs. Right | 0.245 | 0.674 | 0.299 | 0.189 |
| Batter Splits | DET BvP | DET vs R | Batter Splits | MIN BvP | MIN vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Shane Greene – With the Tigers falling in the standings and Shane Greene struggling mightily before his demotion to AAA, today’s start is a crucial one for both Greene’s future in the rotation as well as Detroit’s strategy as the trade deadline approaches. Green sports an ugly 5.82 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 13 starts at the big league level this season, but has posted an acceptable 3.42 ERA in five starts for the Mud Hens. Greene did post a 3.40 xFIP and 9.27 K/9 in 15 starts for the Yankees last season and his 4.23 xFIP suggests that he hasn’t been quite as awful as his baseball card statistics imply. However, even with the Twins owning MLB’s 22nd ranked team wOBA against right-handed pitching, he just too risky for cash game use. Rating = 4
Salaries: $6,600 FD, $4,300 DK
Kyle Gibson – Gibson’s has been a bright spot for the Twins this season, as the 27-year-old owns a 7-6 record with a very strong 3.04 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through his first 17 starts. With that said, he’s struggled against this dangerous Tigers lineup in two prior meetings this season and his 16.3 K% leaves a lot to be desired. He may own a 4-3 record and a 2.93 ERA at the pitcher friendly Target Field, but he’s just not an overly appealing fantasy option today. Rating = 4
Salaries: $6,800 FD, $6,700 DK
Batter Grind Down
Detroit
J.D. Martinez – (RHB) – No player in baseball has a higher wOBA over the last 30 days than J.D. Martinez (.521 wOBA). The Tigers slugger has eased the pain of losing Miguel Cabrera and now owns a .381 average and 1.233 OPS during the month of July. He owns a .395 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season and is 7-for-17 with a double and a pair of homeruns off of Shane Greene.
2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.395 wOBA: 0.295 ISO: 155 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Yoenis Cespedes – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.382 wOBA: 0.212 ISO: 145 wRC+
Anthony Gose – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.329 wOBA: 0.116 ISO: 109 wRC+
Ian Kinsler – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.32 wOBA: 0.104 ISO: 102 wRC+
Victor Martinez – (Switch) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.264 wOBA: 0.116 ISO: 63 wRC+
Minnesota
Joe Mauer – (LHB) – Don’t look now, but Joe Mauer bat looks to be heating back up. The former first overall pick brings an eight-game hitting streak into today’s game and now owns a .349 average and .913 OPS in July. With left-handed batters owning a .409 wOBA against Shane Greene, he should keep things rolling.
2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.304 wOBA: 0.1 ISO: 92 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Brian Dozier – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.363 wOBA: 0.266 ISO: 133 wRC+
Trevor Plouffe – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.332 wOBA: 0.19 ISO: 112 wRC+
Toronto at Kansas City – 2:10 PM EST
| Toronto | Kansas City | ||||||||
 | Felix Doubront |  | Edinson Volquez | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| KCR (-108) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.313 | 0.808 | 0.358 | 0.18 | SP vs. Left | 0.222 | 0.681 | 0.302 | 0.185 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.258 | 0.794 | 0.349 | 0.129 | SP vs. Right | 0.234 | 0.653 | 0.294 | 0.17 |
| Batter Splits | TOR BvP | TOR vs R | Batter Splits | KCR BvP | KC vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Felix Doubront – Doubront took advantage of a favorable matchup in his first start of the season on Tuesday and cruised to a rather easy victory over the Chicago White Sox. Things will be a bit tougher for him today when he heads to Kansas City to take on a Royals team owns the best record in the American League and who own MLB’s lowest strikeout rate against left-handed pitching (15.3 K%). He’s shown flashes of electric stuff in years past, but this is still a guy who limped to a 5.54 ERA last season. He’s far too risky for cash game use in my opinion, but is in play as a GPP flier. Rating = 5
Salaries: $5,700 FD, $4,800 DK
Edinson Volquez – Volquez hasn’t been quite as sharp lately as he was to open the season, but the Royals front office has to be pleased with their $20 million investment in the right-hander. Volquez will take the mound at today sporting an 8-4 record to go along with a quality 3.40 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through 100.2 innings of work. He’s posted a 5-2 record with a 3.08 ERA in nine starts at Kauffman Stadium this season, but his advanced stats suggest a regression is imminent, and today’s matchup against the vaunted Toronto Blue Jays offense is an intimidating one. He could very well have a nice outing, but the strikeout potential is just not high enough to offset the matchup risk. Rating = 4.5
Salaries: $8,300 FD, $6,800 DK
Batter Grind Down
Toronto
Jose Reyes – (Switch) – With three hits in yesterday’s game, Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to seven games. The Blue Jays leadoff man owns a .282 average off of right-handed pitching this season and his early season struggles have kept his asking price very reasonable.
2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.316 wOBA: 0.112 ISO: 98 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Jose Bautista – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.374 wOBA: 0.27 ISO: 139 wRC+
Josh Donaldson – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.362 wOBA: 0.215 ISO: 130 wRC+
Edwin Encarnacion – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.34 wOBA: 0.247 ISO: 115 wRC+
Kansas City
Lorenzo Cain – (RHB) – Cain is on quite the heater right now, as the All-Star outfielder owns a .448 average and 1.343 OPS during the month of July. Cain has crushed left-handed pitching this season to the tune of a .352 average and 171 wRC+, but still comes at a very reasonable asking price across the industry.
2015 vs LH Pitching: 0.417 wOBA: 0.187 ISO: 171 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Salvador Perez – (RHB) – 2015 vs LH Pitching: 0.264 wOBA: 0.165 ISO: 64 wRC+
Alcides Escobar – (RHB) – 2015 vs LH Pitching: 0.291 wOBA: 0.068 ISO: 83 wRC+
Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs – 2:20 PM EST
| Chicago White Sox | Chicago Cubs | ||||||||
 | Jose Quintana |  | Jake Arrieta | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CHC (-155) | 6.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.24 | 0.652 | 0.287 | 0.225 | SP vs. Left | 0.202 | 0.573 | 0.26 | 0.288 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.266 | 0.699 | 0.308 | 0.206 | SP vs. Right | 0.217 | 0.567 | 0.251 | 0.249 |
| Batter Splits | CHW BvP | CWS vs R | Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jose Quintana – Quintana rattled off his eighth straight quality start on Tuesday night, and enters today’s game sporting an rock solid 3.69 ERA after 17 starts. The White Sox lefty will head to the north side to battle a dangerous Cubs lineup that owns an impressive .324 wOBA against left-handed pitching this season. Only Corey Kluber has averaged less run support (among qualified pitchers) this season than Mr. Quintana and that’s unlikely to change today with Jake Arrieta opposing him. Quintana has racked up eight strikeouts in each of his last two outings and mowed down the Cubs in their only meeting last season, but the matchup is scary enough that he’s a GPP only option for me today. Rating = 5.5
Salaries: $8,200 FD, $8,100 DK
Jake Arrieta – After posting a 2.53 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 25 starts with the Cubbies last season, Arrieta continues to thrive in the National League and brings a 9-5 record with a 2.80 ERA and 1.05 WHIP to the Wrigley Field mound this afternoon. His 2.90 SIERA is the 10th best among starters in MLB this season and he’s proven to be a strikeout-per-inning pitcher over the last 1.5 years. Arrieta owns a 12-6 record with a 2.43 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 26 career starts at Wrigley Field and should face little resistance against a White Sox team that has scored the least runs in MLB this season. Rating = 8
Salaries: $10,100 FD, $10,000 DK
Batter Grind Down
Chicago White Sox
No Elite Plays
Secondary Plays:
Jose Abreu – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.365 wOBA: 0.209 ISO: 132 wRC+
Adam LaRoche – (LHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.349 wOBA: 0.191 ISO: 121 wRC+
Chicago Cubs
Kris Bryant – (RHB) – After facing Chris Sale yesterday, the ball won’t look quite as small for the Cubs today against Jose Quintana. Bryant has thrived during his rookie campaign at Wrigley Field this season, where he owns a .301 average and 1.009 OPS at home. He destroyed left-handed pitching during his time in the minor leagues and sports an impressive .386 wOBA against them at the MLB level.
2015 vs LH Pitching: 0.386 wOBA: 0.283 ISO: 147 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Anthony Rizzo – (LHB) – 2015 vs LH Pitching: 0.429 wOBA: 0.155 ISO: 176 wRC+
San Diego at Texas – 3:05 PM EST
| San Diego | Texas | ||||||||
 | Tyson Ross |  | Yovani Gallardo | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| TEX (-130) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.244 | 0.692 | 0.312 | 0.238 | SP vs. Left | 0.228 | 0.637 | 0.285 | 0.173 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.223 | 0.607 | 0.275 | 0.249 | SP vs. Right | 0.262 | 0.692 | 0.307 | 0.179 |
| Batter Splits | SDP BvP | SD vs R | Batter Splits | TEX BvP | TEX vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Tyson Ross – A rain delay derailed his last start, but Ross has been pitching quite well lately; posting a 3.20 ERA and 8.88 K/9 over 76 innings of work since the beginning of May. After struggling away from the spacious Petco Park last season, Ross has actually pitched better on the road in 2015 and enters today’s action owning a 2.97 ERA in 11 road starts. His 9.72 K/9 is a fantasy asset and he’s able to limit the damage against him by forcing a ton of ground balls (62.3 GB%). With all that said, Ross loses some value here dealing with a designated hitter and his struggles against left-handed batters could be on full display against this left-handed heavy Rangers lineup. Rating = 6
Salaries: $8,400 FD, $7,900 DK
Yovani Gallardo – Gallardo may have had his 33.1 scoreless innings streak snapped in his last start, but he’ll still toe the rubber today owning a very impressive 2.67 ERA on the young season. While Gallardo’s 3.94 xFIP suggests a regression is likely, the right-hander hasn’t posted a xFIP higher than that in any season since 2008. He’s not going to strike out a ton of batters, but he will face a Padres team that owns just a .290 team wOBA and who strikes out at a 22.1% clip against right-handed pitching. I’ll have no reservations using him as a secondary pitcher on multi-pitcher sites. Rating = 5.5
Salaries: $7,900 FD, $7,100 DK
Batter Grind Down
San Diego
No Elite Plays
Secondary Plays:
Justin Upton – (RHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.354 wOBA: 0.195 ISO: 132 wRC+
Yonder Alonso – (LHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.332 wOBA: 0.081 ISO: 116 wRC+
Texas
Prince Fielder – (LHB) – The year off certainly hasn’t slowed down Prince Fielder much, as the hefty lefty sports a .343 average and .935 OPS through 332 AB’s this season. Tyson Ross has struggled against left-handed batters (.356 wOBA against) and Fielder owns a .433 wOBA and 177 wRC+ against right-handed pitching.
2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.433 wOBA: 0.182 ISO: 177 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Mitch Moreland – (LHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.409 wOBA: 0.31 ISO: 160 wRC+
Shin-Soo Choo – (LHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.362 wOBA: 0.208 ISO: 128 wRC+
Josh Hamilton – (LHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.329 wOBA: 0.222 ISO: 105 wRC+
Rougned Odor – (LHB) – 2015 vs RH Pitching: 0.322 wOBA: 0.147 ISO: 100 wRC+