MLB Grind Down: Sunday, May 17 - Page Three
Chicago White Sox at Oakland – 4:05 PM EST
| Chicago White Sox | Oakland | ||||||||
 | Jeff Samardzija |  | Scott Kazmir | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| OAK (-148) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.274 | 0.767 | 0.335 | 0.178 | SP vs. Left | 0.213 | 0.649 | 0.282 | 0.204 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.29 | 0.828 | 0.356 | 0.175 | SP vs. Right | 0.188 | 0.604 | 0.274 | 0.248 |
| Batter Splits | CWS BvP | CWS vs L | Batter Splits | OAK BvP | OAK vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jeff Samardzija – The Shark will head to Northern California looking to get back on track tonight as he takes on the team he spent three months with last season. Samardzija sports an ugly 4.80 ERA and 1.36 WHIP through seven starts this season, but his 3.89 xFIP is a strong indicator that he’ll have more success down the stretch. He posted a very solid 3.14 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 16 starts with Oakland last season and has routinely finished up with about a strikeout-per-inning during his young MLB career. The matchup against a pesky Oakland lineup that owns a .332 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season is a concern, but Samardzija still has considerable upside. Rating = 6
Salaries: $8700 FD, $8600 DK
Scott Kazmir – Injuries seemed to de-rail what once was a very promising career for Kazmir, but he’s back to 100% health now and the Athletics are reaping the benefits. After posting a solid 15-9 record with a 3.55 ERA in 32 starts last season, the left-handed hander owns a 2.78 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through his first seven starts of the 2015. Tonight he’ll take on a White Sox team that owns a league-worst .238 team wOBA against left-handed pitching this season and who Kazmir dominated in their only meeting last year. Kazmir has only allowed two runs in 20 innings of work at the Coliseum this season and is a very nice option in all formats. Rating = 7.5
Salaries: $8800 FD, $7300 DK
Batter Grind Down
Chicago White Sox
Jose Abreu – (RHB) – Abreu stands as one of the only true road-blocks in this White Sox lineup for Kazmir. The Cuban slugger brings an eleven-game hitting streak into today’s game and posted a ridiculous .462 wOBA and .309 ISO against left-handed pitching last season
2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.462 wOBA: 0.309 ISO: 201 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Avisail Garcia – (RHB) – 2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.421 wOBA: 0.267 ISO: 171 wRC+
Oakland
No Elite Plays
Secondary Plays:
Stephen Vogt – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.337 wOBA: 0.148 ISO: 119 wRC+
Josh Reddick – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.367 wOBA: 0.239 ISO: 140 wRC+
Washington at San Diego – 4:10 PM EST
| Washington | San Diego | ||||||||
 | Stephen Strasburg |  | Ian Kennedy | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| 7.5 | |||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.323 | 0.819 | 0.368 | 0.173 | SP vs. Left | 0.328 | 1.072 | 0.455 | 0.169 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.319 | 0.861 | 0.373 | 0.232 | SP vs. Right | 0.231 | 0.814 | 0.351 | 0.214 |
| Batter Splits | WAS BvP | WAS vs R | Batter Splits | SD BvP | SD vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Stephen Strasburg – I told myself I wouldn’t take Strasburg again for at least a few starts and then the fantasy gods turn and put him in Petco Park on a night with very few other “aces” on the mound. Ughhhhhh. Something just looks wrong with Strasburg right now and he brings a 6.06 ERA and 1.71 WHIP into today’s game through seven starts. The ballpark shift is a huge plus, but when there’s smoke, there is usually fire and spending up the big-ticket asking price for Strasburg is just too risky for cash game use right now. With that said, he’s a near lock for more than a strikeout per inning and his 3.85 xFIP is at least some reason for hope. Rating = 6.5
Salaries: $8500 FD, $9100 DK
Ian Kennedy – It’s been a rough start to the 2015 season for Ian Kennedy, both from an injury standpoint as well as at a performance level. He was once again knocked around in his last start (@ Seattle) and now holds an unattractive 5.92 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in his five starts this season. While this slow start to the season is a bit concerning, I’m definitely not ready to overreact just yet. Kennedy posted a 13-13 record with a 3.63 ERA and 9.27 K/9 last season and dominated this Washington team in their only meeting of 2014. He’ll have the luxury of pitching at Petco Park in this one and his early season struggles will likely constrict his ownership rate, making him a nice GPP target. Rating = 6
Salaries: $7700 FD, $7800 DK
Batter Grind Down
Washington
Bryce Harper – (LHB) – Harper is arguably the hottest hitting in the game right now as he’s racked up eight home runs over the last 10 games and owns a 1.412 OPS during the month of May. He’s sporting a video game like .496 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.338 wOBA: 0.144 ISO: 115 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Ryan Zimmerman – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.347 wOBA: 0.179 ISO: 121 wRC+
Ian Desmond – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.324 wOBA: 0.178 ISO: 105 wRC+
Denard Span – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.353 wOBA: 0.125 ISO: 125 wRC+
San Diego
No Elite Plays
Secondary Plays:
Justin Upton – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.347 wOBA: 0.197 ISO: 122 wRC+
Matt Kemp – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.382 wOBA: 0.229 ISO: 149 wRC+
Cory Spangenberg – (LHB)
Boston at Seattle – 4:10 PM EST
| Boston | Seattle | ||||||||
 | Steven Wright |  | James Paxton | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| SEA (-153) | 8 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.258 | 0.701 | 0.325 | 0.108 | SP vs. Left | 0.37 | 0.892 | 0.406 | 0.182 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.364 | 1.273 | 0.542 | 0.091 | SP vs. Right | 0.206 | 0.616 | 0.27 | 0.206 |
| Batter Splits | BOS BvP | BOS vs L | Batter Splits | SEA BvP | SEA vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Steven Wright – Predominately a career minor leaguer, the 30-year-old Wright will draw his third career start for the Red Sox today in Seattle. The knuckleballer has consistently posted solid numbers throughout his stops in the Minor Leagues and pitched admirably both times he’s been called upon this season. With that said, it’s never easy to trust a knuckleball in DFS baseball and it’s even hard to trust a guy with just 45.0 career innings under his belt at the big league level. Spacious Safeco Field takes a small dose of the risk away, but it’s hard to justify Wright as anything more than a GPP flier in this one. Rating = 3.5
Salaries: $4700 FD, $4200 DK
James Paxton – Paxton sported an 8.40 ERA after three starts this season, but four straight impressive starts has him sitting with a half-way respectable 4.31 EA and 1.34 WHIP heading into tonight’s game against Boston. Paxton was blessed with all the tools to be an elite starting pitcher; he’s left-handed, tall (6’4”) and can reach the upper 90’s with his fastball. He flashed periods of dominance last season when healthy and his 3.14 career ERA is reason for optimism. Tonight’s matchup against a Boston lineup loaded with lefty killers is not ideal, but Safeco Field was very kind to Paxton last season and he’s more than capable of keeping these BoSox hitters off balance. Rating = 5.5
Salaries: $7000 FD, $7400 DK
Batter Grind Down
Boston
Hanley Ramirez – (RHB) – Hanley has cooled off at the plate lately, but he still sports an insane .510 wOBA against left-handed pitching this season.
2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.383 wOBA: 0.194 ISO: 150 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Dustin Pedroia – (RHB) – 2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.322 wOBA: 0.151 ISO: 102 wRC+
Mike Napoli – (RHB) – 2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.407 wOBA: 0.173 ISO: 162 wRC+
Xander Bogaerts – (RHB) – 2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.332 wOBA: 0.167 ISO: 109 wRC+
Seattle
Nelson Cruz – (RHB) – You never know what you’re going to get from a young knuckleballer, but we do know that Nelson Cruz can make Wright pay for any mistakes in a hurry. He had his eight game hitting streak snapped last night but his 15 home runs leads all of MLB.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.356 wOBA: 0.254 ISO: 128 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Brad Miller – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.306 wOBA: 0.147 ISO: 98 wRC+
Kyle Seager – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.376 wOBA: 0.221 ISO: 147 wRC+
Robinson Cano – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.382 wOBA: 0.166 ISO: 151 wRC+
Seth Smith – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.357 wOBA: 0.186 ISO: 133 wRC+
Colorado at LA Dodgers – 4:10 PM EST
| Colorado | LA Dodgers | ||||||||
 | Kyle Kendrick |  | Mike Bolsinger | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAD (-199) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.343 | 1.107 | 0.467 | 0.163 | SP vs. Left | 0.188 | 0.504 | 0.249 | 0.105 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.293 | 0.896 | 0.382 | 0.118 | SP vs. Right | 0.280 | 0.737 | 0.324 | 0.231 |
| Batter Splits | COL vs R | Batter Splits | LA BvP | LA vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Kyle Kendrick – I’ll spare you some time here and get right to the point; Kyle Kendrick is a gas can and the Dodgers own MLB’s most lethal offense as they sport a .361 team wOBA. Kendrick limps into Dodger Stadium today sporting a 7.65 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and just 5.63 K/9 through his first seven starts of 2015. The Dodgers slammed him for six earned runs in just 4.2 innings when they met last month and he should be avoided even when he’s not pitching at Coors Field. Rating = 2
Salaries: $5600 FD, $4000 DK
Mike Bolsinger – Both of Bolsinger’s starts this season have been nearly identical as he’s allowed just one run in 5.2 innings of work in both outings. He sported a 1.42 ERA in four starts at AAA Oklahoma City prior to his promotion to the big leagues and his 3.31 xFIP last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks hints that he deserved a better fate than his 5.50 ERA over 52.1 innings would indicate. With that said, he’s one of the softest tossing starters in MLB this season and relies way too heavily on his curveball. The matchup in Dodger Stadium against a Rockies team that owned just a .282 team wOBA away from Coors Field last season is nice, but I’ll be treading very carefully with Bolsinger for now. Rating = 5
Salaries: $6000 FD, $6500 DK
Batter Grind Down
Colorado
No Elite Plays – The matchup is not terrible, but the Rockies are banged up and away from Coors Field.
Secondary Plays:
Charlie Blackmon – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.35 wOBA: 0.158 ISO: 107 wRC+
Carlos Gonzalez – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.334 wOBA: 0.22 ISO: 96 wRC+
Corey Dickerson – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.419 wOBA: 0.278 ISO: 154 wRC+
LA Dodgers
Adrian Gonzalez – (LHB) – Lefties have crushed Kendrick to the tune of a .466 wOBA this season and Gonzalez will bring a .356 average and 1.116 OPS into today’s game. Gonzo posted a .384 wOBA against right-handed pitching last season and owns a .375 batting average at Dodger Stadium.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.384 wOBA: 0.236 ISO: 150 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Joc Pederson – (LHB)
Howie Kendrick – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.315 wOBA: 0.095 ISO: 107 wRC+
Jimmy Rollins – (Switch) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.326 wOBA: 0.161 ISO: 107 wRC+
Yasmani Grandal – (Switch) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.344 wOBA: 0.211 ISO: 124 wRC+
Detroit at St. Louis – 8:05 PM EST
| Detroit | St. Louis | ||||||||
 | Alfredo Simon |  | Lance Lynn | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| STL (-142) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.304 | 0.834 | 0.363 | 0.161 | SP vs. Left | 0.247 | 0.786 | 0.344 | 0.214 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.13 | 0.345 | 0.159 | 0.158 | SP vs. Right | 0.244 | 0.62 | 0.272 | 0.377 |
| Batter Splits | DET BvP | DET vs R | Batter Splits | STL BvP | STL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Alfredo Simon – Alfredo Simon has certainly taken some of the sting out of losing Max Scherzer in Motown, as the former Red owns a 4-1 record with a 3.05 ERA after seven starts. Simon is a familiar foe to these St. Louis Cardinals and pitched admirably against them last season; going 2-0 with a 3.44 ERA in their three meetings. With that said, Simon has struggled against left-handed batters this season (.313 average and .834 OPS against) and this Cardinals team is loaded with dangerous left-handers. His 5.89 strikeout rate is not what you’re looking for either so he’s better served as a secondary arm on multi-pitcher sites. Rating = 5
Salaries: $8000 FD, $5700 DK
Lance Lynn – Lynn has had a couple of rough outings this season, but he still brings a very solid 3.27 ERA into tonight’s Sunday Night Baseball start against the Detroit Tigers. Lynn posted a 9-4 record with a 2.50 ERA at Busch Stadium last season and the hard-throwing right-hander has racked up 51 strikeouts in 41.1 innings this season. Tonight’s matchup against this very dangerous Tigers team is likely enough to scare me away from Lynn in cash games, but he’s still a very intriguing GPP play. Rating = 6.5
Salaries: $8600 FD, $9300 DK
Batter Grind Down
Detroit
Miguel Cabrera – (RHB) – Miggy has made his presence felt in St. Louis during this series as he hit his 399th and 400th career home runs in the first two games of this series. He’s now hit four home runs over the last three games and owns a .420 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.385 wOBA: 0.203 ISO: 148 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Ian Kinsler – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.317 wOBA: 0.144 ISO: 100 wRC+
Anthony Gose – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.295 wOBA: 0.074 ISO: 84 wRC+
J.D. Martinez – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.379 wOBA: 0.205 ISO: 144 wRC+
St. Louis
Matt Carpenter – (LHB) – A case can easily be made that Matt Carpenter would be the NL MVP if the season ended today. The Cardinals third basemen hit his seventh home run of the season yesterday afternoon and now sports a .323 average and 1.011 OPS through 32 games. He’s hitting .352 at Busch Stadium owns a .434 wOBA against right-handed pitching. Lefties have posted a .362 wOBA off of Simon thus far in 2015 and Carpenter will likely be the toughest out in this Cardinals lineup.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.343 wOBA: 0.104 ISO: 120 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Matt Adams – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.367 wOBA: 0.187 ISO: 137 wRC+
Jason Heyward – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.363 wOBA: 0.132 ISO: 133 wRC+
Kolten Wong – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.289 wOBA: 0.137 ISO: 83 wRC+