MLB Grind Down: Sunday, May 24 - Page Three
St. Louis at Kansas City – 2:10 PM EST
| St. Louis | Kansas City | ||||||||
 | Michael Wacha |  | Yordano Ventura | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| KCR (-110) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.22 | 0.607 | 0.276 | 0.183 | SP vs. Left | 0.236 | 0.672 | 0.3 | 0.188 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.236 | 0.652 | 0.29 | 0.199 | SP vs. Right | 0.253 | 0.721 | 0.322 | 0.212 |
| Batter Splits | STL BvP | STL vs R | Batter Splits | KC BvP | KC vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Michael Wacha – Michael Wacha will take his perfect 6-0 record west on I-70 to take on the cross-state Kansas City Royals tonight. The Cardinals young hurler owns an impressive 2.13 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through his first eight starts and has only allowed more than two earned runs in a start once this season. With that said, this Kansas City lineup has proven to be a stiff test for opposing pitchers and their league’s lowest 14.5 K% won’t help him won’t help him improve upon his lackluster 5.51 K/9 on the season. Wacha owned an 0-6 record on the road last season and didn’t have much fantasy success against Kansas City in their only meeting in 2014, so he’s likely better served as a GPP option rather than in cash games here. Rating = 5.5
Salaries: $8500 FD, $8400 DK
Yordano Ventura – He’s made more headlines being a hot-head so far this season than he has for his pitching accomplishments, but Ventura was sharp in his last outing; shutting out the Cincinnati Reds for seven innings while striking out six batters. Ventura is one of the hardest throwing starters in the league right now and his 3.78 SIERA implies that he’s deserved a bit better fate than his 4.56 ERA suggests. He defeated the Cardinals in their only meeting last season, but his 6.85 K/9 is not nearly as high as you’d expect from this type of a power pitcher. He’s prone to occasional blow-ups, but the Cardinals own just a .308 team wOBA on the road this season making him a very nice GPP target. Rating = 5.5
Salaries: $8300 FD, $7500 DK
Batter Grind Down
St. Louis
No Elite Plays
Secondary Plays:
Kolten Wong – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.289 wOBA: 0.137 ISO: 83 wRC+
Matt Carpenter – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.343 wOBA: 0.104 ISO: 120 wRC+
Matt Holliday – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.336 wOBA: 0.141 ISO: 115 wRC+
Kansas City
Eric Hosmer – (LHB) – Hosmer doubled and scored in last night’s 3-2 victory and now owns a .434 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. He finally looks to be showing the power that Kansas City was hoping would develop when they drafted him #3 overall in 2008.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.321 wOBA: 0.132 ISO: 105 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Mike Moustakas – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.289 wOBA: 0.151 ISO: 82 wRC+
Alex Gordon – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.345 wOBA: 0.154 ISO: 121 wRC+
San Diego at LA Dodgers – 4:10 PM EST
| San Diego | LA Dodgers | ||||||||
 | James Shields |  | Carlos Frias | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAD (-134) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.259 | 0.727 | 0.321 | 0.197 | SP vs. Left | 0.338 | 0 | 0.377 | 0.167 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.245 | 0.723 | 0.315 | 0.23 | SP vs. Right | 0.195 | 0.52 | 0.233 | 0.237 |
| Batter Splits | SD BvP | SD vs R | Batter Splits | LA BvP | LA vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
James Shields – Shields enters today’s game having already defeated this Dodgers team once this season and now sporting a perfect 5-0 record to go along with a solid 3.74 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. After two subpar outings to open the month of May, Shields has fallen back into his groove and only allowed one earned run in each of his last two starts while racking up 20 strikeouts. His 31.9 K% this season is the cream-of-the-crop among MLB starters and his 2.82 xFIP is 10th best among qualified pitchers this season. He’ll face a dangerous Dodgers lineup that may happen to own the best team wOBA in MLB this season (.346), but they’ve been ice-cold lately and Shields can easily keep it that way. Rating = 7.5
Salaries: $9200 FD, $10100 DK
Carlos Frias – Frias, a converted reliever, has been forced into the Dodgers rotation and the results have been better than most probably expected. Through 26 innings of work, Frias brings a 2.55 ERA and 1.26 WHIP into today’s game against a Padres team that owns MLB’s 24th ranked team wOBA this season (.299 wOBA). The lanky right-hander can throw gas and flashed a very solid 8.10 K/9 ratio in 32.1 innings at the big league level, but has yet to prove he can pitch deep into games as a starter and is a much better GPP option than a cash game one. Rating = 5
Salaries: $6600 FD, $5400 DK
Batter Grind Down
San Diego
No Elite Plays
Secondary Plays:
Cory Spangenberg – (LHB)
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+
LA Dodgers
Adrian Gonzalez – (LHB) – Gonzalez enters today’s game with a .347 average and 1.064 OPS on the young season and is hitting .350 with a .463 wOBA against right-handed pitching. James Shields is not an easy foe, but Gonzo is 10 for 28 with a pair of home runs off of him in their previous meetings.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.384 wOBA: 0.236 ISO: 150 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Joc Pederson – (LHB) – No 2014 Stats
Jimmy Rollins – (Switch) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.326 wOBA: 0.161 ISO: 107 wRC+
Howie Kendrick – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.315 wOBA: 0.095 ISO: 107 wRC+
Chicago Cubs at Arizona – 4:10 PM EST
| Chicago Cubs | Arizona | ||||||||
 | Jason Hammel |  | Jeremy Hellickson | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CHC (-125) | 8 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.239 | 0.686 | 0.303 | 0.197 | SP vs. Left | 0.271 | 0.755 | 0.329 | 0.183 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.226 | 0.656 | 0.289 | 0.24 | SP vs. Right | 0.301 | 0.873 | 0.381 | 0.175 |
| Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs R | Batter Splits | ARI BvP | ARI vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jason Hammel – Hammel really struggled early in his career (thanks mainly to the American League or Coors Field), but he’s really developed into a solid starter for the Cubs since arriving in Chicago last season. He’ll bring a 3-1 record with a 2.70 ERA and 0.92 WHIP to the mound in Arizona today to battle a Diamondbacks team who he dominated in his only meeting last season. He owns a career-high 8.27 K/9 so far this season and his improved control (1.01 BB/9) is likely the largest factor behind his new-found success. Chase Field is not an overly friendly environment for pitchers, but Hammel I’m still expecting a nice outing from Hammel this afternoon. Rating = 6
Salaries: $8800 FD, $8900 DK
Jeremy Hellickson – After a rookie campaign that saw Hellickson post a 13-10 record with a 2.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with the Rays, needless to say, expectations for the young right-hander shot through the roof. Unfortunately for Hellickson, things have slowly gone downhill for him since then. The move to the National League was once again reason for some hope entering the 2015 season, but after posting a 5.52 ERA and 1.57 WHIP through his first eight starts with the Diamondbacks, much of that optimism has once again disappeared. He’ll square off against a Cubs team today that owns MLB’s highest strikeout rate (25.6%) but Hellickson sports just a 16 K% on the season and he’s been atrocious in four starts at Chase Field (7.45 ERA). I’m avoiding him in all formats. Rating = 3.5
Salaries: $5700 FD, $5800 DK
Batter Grind Down
Chicago Cubs
Anthony Rizzo – (LHB) – With lefties owning a .445 wOBA off of Hellickson this season, Rizzo is one of my favorite plays on the board. The Cubs first baseman owns a .409 wOBA against right-handed pitching and has posted a 1.093 OPS thus far during the month of May.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.391 wOBA: 0.253 ISO: 149 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Kris Bryant – (RHB) – No 2014 stats
Dexter Fowler – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.333 wOBA: 0.116 ISO: 114 wRC+
Miguel Montero – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.322 wOBA: 0.131 ISO: 100 wRC+
Arizona
Paul Goldschmidt – (RHB) – Goldschmidt owns a .372 average and 1.154 OPS at the hitter-friendly Chase Field this season and swings the bat very well versus both left and right-handed pitching.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.386 wOBA: 0.249 ISO: 144 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Yasmany Tomas – No 2014 stats
David Peralta – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.369 wOBA: 0.194 ISO: 132 wRC+
San Francisco at Colorado – 4:10 PM EST
| San Francisco | Colorado | ||||||||
 | Tim Hudson |  | Chad Bettis | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| SFG (-115) | 10.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.280 | 0.768 | 0.336 | 0.112 | SP vs. Left | 0.348 | 0 | 0.42 | 0.139 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.261 | 0.691 | 0.302 | 0.18 | SP vs. Right | 0.362 | 0 | 0.45 | 0.068 |
| Batter Splits | SF BvP | SF vs R | Batter Splits | COL BvP | COL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Tim Hudson – After a couple of rough starts in a row, Hudson got back on track in his last start as he shutout the dangerous Los Angeles Dodgers offense over 6.1 innings of work. The veteran right-hander now owns a 4.01 ERA and 1.32 WHIP after eight starts but will be faced with a stiff test today in Coors Field against the Rockies. He’s pitched admirably against the Rockies in both previous meetings this season, however, he owns a 6.80 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in nine career starts at Coors Field and his 4.35 K/9 is a fantasy liability. I’ll be avoiding him in all formats. Rating = 4
Salaries: $6500 FD, $5000 DK
Chad Bettis – Bettis owns a 6.72 ERA during his career and this game is being played at Coors Field. He offers modest strikeout ability (6.77 K/9 between AAA and MLB this season) and this Giants team owns MLB’s 7th best wOBA against right-handed pitching this season (.324 team wOBA). Bettis can and should be safely be avoided in all formats. Rating = 2
Salaries: $5000 FD, $4300 DK
Batter Grind Down
San Francisco
Brandon Belt – (LHB) – Not only has Belt been swinging a hot bat lately, but he’s also 5 for 5 in his career off of Chad Bettis. The park shift to Coors Field is huge and Belts’ .431 wOBA against right-handed pitching makes him a top tier option at 1B.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.335 wOBA: 0.24 ISO: 120 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Buster Posey – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.366 wOBA: 0.164 ISO: 141 wRC+
Hunter Pence – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.341 wOBA: 0.182 ISO: 123 wRC+
Angel Pagan – (Switch) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.35 wOBA: 0.082 ISO: 129 wRC+
Brandon Crawford – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.275 wOBA: 0.133 ISO: 79 wRC+
Colorado
Charlie Blackmon – (LHB) – Left-handers own a .349 wOBA off of Tim Hudson this season and Blackmon posted a .350 wOBA against righties last season. He owned an impressive .397 wOBA and 121 wRC+ at Coors Field last season and should have a big night as the Rockies leadoff man.
2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.35 wOBA: 0.158 ISO: 107 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Troy Tulowitzki – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.404 wOBA: 0.207 ISO: 144 wRC+
Carlos Gonzalez – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.334 wOBA: 0.22 ISO: 96 wRC+
DJ LeMahieu – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.289 wOBA: 0.091 ISO: 66 wRC+
Nolan Arenado – (RHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.339 wOBA: 0.188 ISO: 99 wRC+
Texas at NY Yankees – 8:05 PM EST
| Texas | NY Yankees | ||||||||
 | Yovani Gallardo |  | Chris Capuano | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| NYY (-131) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.238 | 0.671 | 0.299 | 0.172 | SP vs. Left | 0.301 | 0 | 0.398 | 0.158 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.269 | 0.714 | 0.317 | 0.179 | SP vs. Right | 0.244 | 0.685 | 0.303 | 0.213 |
| Batter Splits | TEX BvP | TEX vs L | Batter Splits | NYY BvP | NYY vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Yovani Gallardo – At times this season, Gallardo has resembled the 2011 version of himself that won 17 games in Milwaukee. However, he’ll bring an uninspiring 3-6 record with a 4.26 ERA and 1.38 WHIP into Yankee Stadium tonight to battle the Yankees. Gallardo has always been a high WHIP pitcher, but his once impressive strikeout rate has now dipped to a career low level of 6.04 K/9 . With lefties owning a .345 wOBA off of him this season, tonight’s matchup against this left-handed loaded Yankees lineup is a big concern. Rating = 4.5
Salaries: $7000 FD, $6900 DK
Chris Capuano – The Rangers blasted C.C. Sabathia in yesterday’s game, and will be greeted by another aging Yankees left-hander again tonight as Chris Capuano takes the bump for pinstripes. Capuano lasted just three innings in his only other start of the season (last Sunday) and it’s been three years since he’s been a reliable starting option at the MLB level. He’s a professional pitcher, but doesn’t offer much strikeout upside and there’s really just not much to be excited about here. Rating = 4
Salaries: $5700 FD, $4500 DK
Batter Grind Down
Texas
Adrian Beltre – (RHB) – Beltre broke out of his mini-funk with a pair of hits and two runs scored in yesterday’s Rangers onslaught, and has another very tasty matchup on tap this evening against Chris Capuano. Beltre posted a very impressive .421 wOBA against left-handed pitching last season and owns a .891 OPS against them to start the 2015 season.
2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.421 wOBA: 0.191 ISO: 170 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Elvis Andrus – (RHB) – 2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.34 wOBA: 0.076 ISO: 113 wRC+
Prince Fielder – (LHB) – 2014 vs LH Pitching: 0.302 wOBA: 0.169 ISO: 86 wRC+
NY Yankees
Brett Gardner – (LHB) – Gardner admitted to being embarrassed in the post game press conference yesterday, but at least the lopsided loss brought him some well-needed rest (as he was pulled from the game in the 3rd inning). With lefties owning a .345 wOBA against Gallardo today, Gardner’s offensive success at the top of the order is likely the key to a Yankees victory here. Gardner owns a .302 average against right-handed pitching this season with all 11 of his stolen bases coming off of righties. 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.34 wOBA: 0.197 ISO: 116 wRC+
Secondary Plays:
Mark Teixeira – (Switch) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.32 wOBA: 0.199 ISO: 102 wRC+
Brian McCann – (LHB) – 2014 vs RH Pitching: 0.282 wOBA: 0.151 ISO: 76 wRC+