MLB Grind Down: Thursday, April 23 - Page Two
San Diego at Colorado
| San Diego | Colorado | ||||||||
 | Tyson Ross |  | Jordan Lyles | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| COL (-110) | 10.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.227 | 0.636 | 0.289 | 0.237 | SP vs. Left | 0.286 | 0.844 | 0.372 | 0.138 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.226 | 0.632 | 0.286 | 0.244 | SP vs. Right | 0.231 | 0.654 | 0.29 | 0.193 |
| Batter Splits | SD BvP | SD vs R | Batter Splits | COL BvP | COL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Tyson Ross (FD: $8400, DK: $7600)
Pitching Stats:
2015: xFIP: 3.51 — Strikeout Rate: 26.3% — Walk Rate: 15.0% — Ground Ball Rate: 57.4%
2014: xFIP: 3.11 — Strikeout Rate: 24.0% — Walk Rate: 8.9% — Ground Ball Rate: 57.0%
Colorado Rockies vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.332 (Rank: 6)
Strikoute Rate: 18.1% (Rank: 8)
Analysis: I could give you the whole, “This is Coors Field and we don’t target pitchers in Coors Field” speech, but at this point you should already know that. Even though Ross has an elite strikeout rate and an elite groundball rate, he will be in zero of my lineups today, as facing the Rockies in Coors is a scary proposition.
Pitcher Rating: 48.6
Jordan Lyles (FD: $6100, DK: $5300)
Pitching Stats:
2015: xFIP: 4.85 — Strikeout Rate: 13.3% — Walk Rate: 12.0% — Ground Ball Rate: 49.1%
2014: xFIP: 3.98 — Strikeout Rate: 16.5% — Walk Rate: 8.4% — Ground Ball Rate: 51.7%
San Diego Padres vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 12)
Strikoute Rate: 20.8% (Rank: 12)
Analysis: The Coors Field effect also applies to the Rockies’ pitching staff. Vegas has this game’s total set at 10.5 runs, which is easily the highest total on the board today. Avoid Lyles and employ another Padres’ stack.
Pitcher Rating: 41.2
Batter Grind Down
San Diego
Yonder Alonso (FD: $3200, DK: $4300)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
BA: 0.24 / wOBA: 0.299 / ISO: 0.157
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.305 / ISO: 0.171
As you will see below, the Padres are littered with fantasy options today. They are slight favorites in a game that features a total of 10.5 runs. Don’t be afraid to load up on the Padres’ offense once again. Alonso gets the nod as the featured play because he is a left-handed bat that should be hitting in the heart of the order. He is affordable on both FanDuel and DraftKings and it’s hard to find a better play (dollar for dollar) at first base.
Secondary Plays:
Matt Kemp (FD: $4700, DK: $5900)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.382 / ISO: 0.229
Justin Upton (FD: $4400, DK: $5200)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.347 / ISO: 0.197
Wil Myers (FD: $4000, DK: $4700)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.29 / ISO: 0.106
Derek Norris (FD: $3700, DK: $4200)
Position Eligibility (FD: C, DK: C)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.318 / ISO: 0.115
Yangervis Solarte (FD: $2700, DK: $3700)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 2B/3B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.307 / ISO: 0.095
Colorado
Corey Dickerson (FD: $4600, DK: $5100)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
BA: 0.312 / wOBA: 0.399 / ISO: 0.255
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.419 / ISO: 0.278
Dickerson hit not one, but two home runs last night after being out of the lineup with a foot injury. The foot held up just fine last night and he again checks in as one of the top outfield plays on the board. He finished 2014 with a .419 wOBA and a .278 ISO against right-handed pitching and his numbers in Coors weren’t bad either: .467 wOBA with a .320 ISO.
Secondary Plays:
Troy Tulowitzki (FD: $5200, DK: $5100)
Position Eligibility (FD: SS, DK: SS)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.404 / ISO: 0.207
Charlie Blackmon (FD: $4500, DK: $4300)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.35 / ISO: 0.158
Nick Hundley (FD: $3300, DK: $3200)
Position Eligibility (FD: C, DK: C)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.282 / ISO: 0.13
LA Dodgers at San Francisco
| LA Dodgers | San Francisco | ||||||||
 | Mike Bolsinger |  | Ryan Vogelsong | ||||||
| RIGHT | |||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAD (-110) | 7.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.327 | 0.905 | 0.389 | 0.182 | SP vs. Left | 0.282 | 0.787 | 0.346 | 0.204 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.275 | 0.842 | 0.363 | 0.219 | SP vs. Right | 0.219 | 0.675 | 0.301 | 0.184 |
| Batter Splits | LA BvP | LA vs R | Batter Splits | SF BvP | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Mike Bolsinger (FD: $, DK: $)
Pitching Stats:
2014: xFIP: 3.31 — Strikeout Rate: 20.2% — Walk Rate: 7.1% — Ground Ball Rate: 52.4%
San Francisco Giants vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.281 (Rank: 22)
Strikoute Rate: 17.5% (Rank: 5)
Analysis: Bolsinger isn’t available on FanDuel or DraftKings today. He has pitched well in the minors this season, but it doesn’t matter much, as he is not in the player pool on either of the two big DFS sites.
Pitcher Rating: 53.5
Ryan Vogelsong (FD: $6800, DK: $5900)
Pitching Stats:
2015: xFIP: 5.87 — Strikeout Rate: 16.7% — Walk Rate: 15.0% — Ground Ball Rate: 35.0%
2014: xFIP: 3.96 — Strikeout Rate: 19.4% — Walk Rate: 7.4% — Ground Ball Rate: 38.4%
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.387 (Rank: 1)
Strikoute Rate: 19.8% (Rank: 15)
Analysis: Vogelsong is off to a shaky start this season. He has given up 12 earned runs in only 10 innings of work, while giving up a walk rate of 15%. He typically has much better splits at home in AT&T Park, but it’s hard to recommend him in any type of league until he turns things around. He also has the unfortunate task of facing the Dodgers’ offense that is ranked first in wOBA against right-handed pitching this season.
Pitcher Rating: 44.7
Batter Grind Down
LA Dodgers
Jimmy Rollins (FD: $3500, DK: $4000)
Position Eligibility (FD: SS, DK: SS)
BA: 0.243 / wOBA: 0.319 / ISO: 0.151
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.326 / ISO: 0.161
Adrian Gonzalez is the top fantasy option on the Dodgers today, but there are so many good plays at 1B that Rollins will get the nod as the featured play. Rollins is only batting 11-for-55, but he has drawn 9 walks and he already has 6 extra-base hits. He draws a terrific matchup against Ryan Vogelsong, who gave up a .346 wOBA to batters from the left side of the plate last season.
Secondary Plays:
Adrian Gonzalez (FD: $4900, DK: $4900)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.384 / ISO: 0.236
Yasmani Grandal (FD: $2800, DK: $4000)
Position Eligibility (FD: C, DK: C)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.344 / ISO: 0.211
San Francisco
Nori Aoki (FD: $3300, DK: $3300)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
BA: 0.285 / wOBA: 0.320 / ISO: 0.075
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.297 / ISO: 0.076
This pick is all about value. Aoki is listed at the bargain-bin price of only $3,300 on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Technically, $3,300 isn’t that great of a price point on FanDuel, but it certainly is on DraftKings. Aoki draws a favorable matchup against Mike Bolsinger and he gives you the added bonus of being able to steal bases.
Secondary Plays:
Buster Posey (FD: $4000, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility (FD: C, DK: 1B/C)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.366 / ISO: 0.164
Brandon Belt (FD: $3000, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.335 / ISO: 0.240
St. Louis at Washington
| St. Louis | Washington | ||||||||
 | Michael Wacha |  | Max Scherzer | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| WAS (-135) | 6.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.223 | 0.581 | 0.266 | 0.184 | SP vs. Left | 0.24 | 0.685 | 0.305 | 0.254 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.241 | 0.687 | 0.306 | 0.235 | SP vs. Right | 0.227 | 0.629 | 0.279 | 0.317 |
| Batter Splits | STL BvP | STL vs R | Batter Splits | WAS BvP | WAS vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Michael Wacha (FD: $8500, DK: $8200)
Pitching Stats:
2015: xFIP: 4.16 — Strikeout Rate: 11.3% — Walk Rate: 3.8% — Ground Ball Rate: 53.7%
2014: xFIP: 3.71 — Strikeout Rate: 21.0% — Walk Rate: 7.4% — Ground Ball Rate: 41.6%
Washington Nationals vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.281 (Rank: 28)
Strikoute Rate: 23.5% (Rank: 28)
Analysis: Wacha only threw 76 pitches in the first start of the season, but he threw 103 in his last outing. He is one of the better strikeout pitchers in baseball and he draws a favorable matchup against the Nationals. Washington is ranked 22nd in wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. The Nats have also struck out at the third-highest rate against righties. Wacha provides great upside at his price point, but his run support will likely be limited. He makes a much better play on DraftKings, as the win isn’t weighted as heavily as it is on FanDuel.
Pitcher Rating: 80.9
Max Scherzer (FD: $11000, DK: $12100)
Pitching Stats:
2015: xFIP: 2.96 — Strikeout Rate: 29.1% — Walk Rate: 4.7% — Ground Ball Rate: 35.7%
2014: xFIP: 3.12 — Strikeout Rate: 27.9% — Walk Rate: 7.0% — Ground Ball Rate: 36.7%
St. Louis Cardinals vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.295 (Rank: 18)
Strikoute Rate: 16.3% (Rank: 3)
Analysis: Scherzer is the best ace on the mound in the early slate of games. He has enjoyed his move to the National League thus far, striking out 29.1% of the batters that he has faced this season. He has one of the best strikeout rates in all of baseball. That said, the Cardinals have struck out at the third-lowest rate of any team against right-handed pitching this season. Even if Scherzer’s strikeouts dip from eight to six here, he is still an elite fantasy option, even at his elevated price point.
Pitcher Rating: 88.9
Batter Grind Down
St. Louis
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Matt Carpenter (FD: $4300, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 3B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.343 / ISO: 0.104
Washington
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Ryan Zimmerman (FD: $3600, DK: $4400)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B/3B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.347 / ISO: 0.179
Oakland at LA Angels
| Oakland | LA Angels | ||||||||
 | Jesse Chavez |  | Nick Tropeano | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAA (-115) | 8 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.245 | 0.663 | 0.299 | 0.194 | SP vs. Left | ||||
| SP vs. Right | 0.257 | 0.73 | 0.321 | 0.251 | SP vs. Right | ||||
| Batter Splits | OAK BvP | Batter Splits | ANA BvP | ANA vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jesse Chavez (FD: $6600, DK: $4300)
Pitching Stats:
2015: xFIP: 2.92 — Strikeout Rate: 33.3% — Walk Rate: 3.7% — Ground Ball Rate: 31.3%
2014: xFIP: 3.67 — Strikeout Rate: 21.9% — Walk Rate: 7.9% — Ground Ball Rate: 42.0%
LA Angels of Anaheim vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.269 (Rank: 26)
Strikoute Rate: 21.8% (Rank: 21)
Analysis: Chavez will be making his first start of the season after having four appearances out of the bullpen. He threw 57 pitches in his last outing, but it’s hard to imagine him pitching too deep into tonight’s game. He draws a decent matchup against the Angels, who are ranked 26th in wOBA against right-handed pitching this season, but the possible pitch count limits his fantasy appeal.
Pitcher Rating: 50.2
Nick Tropeano – Tropeano is not in the player pool on either FanDuel or DraftKings, therefore he is obviously not in play tonight against the A’s.
Batter Grind Down
Oakland
Ike Davis (FD: $2700, DK: $3600)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
BA: 0.233 / wOBA: 0.324 / ISO: 0.144
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.341 / ISO: 0.159
Nick Tropeano has only pitched in 21 major league innings, so he is still unproven at the major league level. He has looked good in the minors, but I have no qualms with targeting the A’s offense tonight. Davis is extremely cheap on both FanDuel and DraftKings and he finished the 2014 with a .341 wOBA and a .159 ISO against right-handed pitching.
Secondary Plays:
Billy Butler (FD: $3300, DK: $3600)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.291 / ISO: 0.097
Stephen Vogt (FD: $3500, DK: $3500)
Position Eligibility (FD: C, DK: 1B/C)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.337 / ISO: 0.148
Sam Fuld (FD: $2900, DK: $3300)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.295 / ISO: 0.111
LA Angels
Kole Calhoun (FD: $3700, DK: $4600)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
BA: 0.272 / wOBA: 0.341 / ISO: 0.178
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.348 / ISO: 0.190
Dollar for dollar, Calhoun is one of my favorite plays at any position in the evening slate of games. I love taking leadoff hitters that have speed and Calhoun also gives you a little bit of power in his bat as well. He finished the 2014 season with a .348 wOBA and a .190 ISO against right-handed pitching.
Secondary Plays:
Mike Trout (FD: $5700, DK: $5500)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.404 / ISO: 0.283
Albert Pujols (FD: $3600, DK: $4600)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.347 / ISO: 0.201
David Freese (FD: $3200, DK: $4500)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 3B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.294 / ISO: 0.110
Baltimore at Toronto
| Baltimore | Toronto | ||||||||
 | Chris Tillman |  | Drew Hutchison | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| TOR (-130) | 9 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.247 | 0.67 | 0.299 | 0.171 | SP vs. Left | 0.256 | 0.811 | 0.353 | 0.216 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.223 | 0.672 | 0.299 | 0.174 | SP vs. Right | 0.222 | 0.615 | 0.273 | 0.257 |
| Batter Splits | BAL BvP | BAL vs R | Batter Splits | TOR BvP | TOR vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Chris Tillman (FD: $7600, DK: $6500)
Pitching Stats:
2015: xFIP: 5.21 — Strikeout Rate: 15.4% — Walk Rate: 12.3% — Ground Ball Rate: 34.0%
2014: xFIP: 4.20 — Strikeout Rate: 17.2% — Walk Rate: 7.6% — Ground Ball Rate: 40.6%
Toronto Blue Jays vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.338 (Rank: 6)
Strikoute Rate: 19.4% (Rank: 11)
Analysis: Tillman has not been sharp in his first three starts of the year. He has posted a 5.21 xFIP with a walk rate of 12.3%. He’s going to have a hard time righting the ship tonight, as he has to face a talented Blue Jays’ offense in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays are currently ranked 6th in wOBA against right-handed pitching and have one of the highest team totals on the board. He’s an easy pitcher to avoid tonight.
Pitcher Rating: 41.8
Drew Hutchison (FD: $7200, DK: $6700)
Pitching Stats:
2015: xFIP: 4.36 — Strikeout Rate: 19.7% — Walk Rate: 8.5% — Ground Ball Rate: 43.8%
2014: xFIP: 3.82 — Strikeout Rate: 23.4% — Walk Rate: 7.6% — Ground Ball Rate: 36.1%
Baltimore Orioles vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.351 (Rank: 5)
Strikoute Rate: 24.5% (Rank: 29)
Analysis: Hutchison is a high-strikeout pitcher that is generally best suited as a tournament play. He finished the 2014 season with an xFIP of 3.82 and a strikeout rate of 23.4%. He draws a tough matchup against the Orioles tonight though. The Orioles are ranked 5th in wOBA against right-handed pitching this season and as mentioned above, the Rogers Centre is one of the best hitter’s parks in baseball. He has the same blowup potential as Chris Tillman, but he has much better strikeout potential.
Pitcher Rating: 57.4
Batter Grind Down
Baltimore
Chris Davis (FD: $3500, DK: $4700)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B/3B)
BA: 0.196 / wOBA: 0.308 / ISO: 0.209
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.312 / ISO: 0.199
Davis may strike out more often than we’d like to see, but he is always a threat to hit for extra bases when he gets the barrel on the bat. He draws a favorable matchup against Drew Hutchison, who gave up a .354 wOBA to left-handed hitters last season. Davis also sees a small boost tonight, as he will move up in the order and bat clean-up.
Secondary Plays:
Adam Jones (FD: $4900, DK: $4800)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.31 / ISO: 0.165
Travis Snider (FD: $2900, DK: $3900)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.326 / ISO: 0.164
David Lough (FD: $2600, DK: $3700)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.332 / ISO: 0.149
Toronto
Edwin Encarnacion (FD: $4300, DK: $5300)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
BA: 0.268 / wOBA: 0.389 / ISO: 0.279
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.392 / ISO: 0.291
Encarnacion may not reach value as often as some of the other options at 1B, but when he does, he typically crushes value. He has multi-home run type of potential and he gets to face a fly-ball pitcher in a home-run friendly ballpark. Encarnacion hasn’t had great success against Chris Tillman in his career, but I don’t mind paying the price in what should be a big night offensively for the Blue Jays.
Secondary Plays:
Josh Donaldson (FD: $4500, DK: $4600)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 3B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.324 / ISO: 0.149
Jose Reyes (FD: $3700, DK: $4700)
Position Eligibility (FD: SS, DK: SS)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.324 / ISO: 0.115
Russell Martin (FD: $3300, DK: $4300)
Position Eligibility (FD: C, DK: C)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.382 / ISO: 0.170
Devon Travis (FD: $2800, DK: $3200)
Position Eligibility (FD: 2B, DK: 2B)