MLB Grind Down: Thursday, August 27th - Page Two
NY Mets at Philadelphia – 7:05 PM EST
| NY Mets | Philadelphia | ||||||||
 | Jonathon Niese |  | Aaron Harang | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| NYM (-160) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.261 | 0.714 | 0.312 | 0.189 | SP vs. Left | 0.282 | 0.768 | 0.339 | 0.144 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.265 | 0.743 | 0.327 | 0.16 | SP vs. Right | 0.254 | 0.718 | 0.314 | 0.193 |
| Batter Splits | NYM BvP | NYM vs R | Batter Splits | PHI vs L | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jon Niese : FD: $7,900 — DK: $8,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 334.1 — SIERA: 3.92 — ERA: 3.58 — K%: 16.7% — BB%: 6.1% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 31.1 — SIERA: 3.53 — ERA: 4.02 — K%: 19.2% — BB%: 4.6% — HR/9: 1.2
Philadelphia Phillies Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.306 (Rank: 19) — Strikeout Rate: 20.8% (Rank: 12)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.339 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 22.4% (Rank: 22)
Pitches per PA: 3.71 (Rank: 29)
Analysis: Niese has been a serviceable pitcher for the Mets this season. He comes into tonight’s start in relatively good form, posting a 3.53 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 19.2% over the last month of play. He has historically pitched better at home than he has on the road though, and the Phillies’ offense has been surging in recent weeks. Niese may be able to pick up the win here, but he is a borderline SP2 at best tonight.
Pitcher Rating: 68.7
Aaron Harang : FD: $5,400 — DK: $6,900
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 337.1 — SIERA: 4.38 — ERA: 4.00 — K%: 17.1% — BB%: 7.6% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 27.0 — SIERA: 5.58 — ERA: 7.00 — K%: 10.2% — BB%: 9.4% — HR/9: 1.3
New York Mets Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.302 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 20.7% (Rank: 21)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.380 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 21.7% (Rank: 19)
Pitches per PA: 3.88 (Rank: 6)
Analysis: Harang has been awful over the last month of play, posting a 5.58 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 10.2%. To make matters worse, he has to face a Mets’ offense that is ranked second in team wOBA over the last two weeks of play. Avoid Harang and continue targeting the Mets’ offense in all league formats.
Pitcher Rating: 35.7
Batter Grind Down
NY Mets
As crazy as it sounds, we are to a point where I would be surprised if the Mets didn’t score five-plus runs each night. Their offense is firing on all cylinders right now and they draw a favorable matchup tonight against Aaron Harang. The left-handed hitters have the edge in this matchup, but the right-handed bats of Yoenis Cespedes, David Wright, and Travis d’Arnaud are all in play.
Elite Plays:
Daniel Murphy : FD: $4,200 — DK: $3,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 784 — wOBA: 0.333 — ISO: 0.138 — wRC+: 116
Last 30 Days: PA: 108 — wOBA: 0.372 — ISO: 0.238 — wRC+: 142
Curtis Granderson : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,600
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 895 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.196 — wRC+: 128
Last 30 Days: PA: 118 — wOBA: 0.396 — ISO: 0.310 — wRC+: 158
Kelly Johnson : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 3B/OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 485 — wOBA: 0.304 — ISO: 0.158 — wRC+: 92
Last 30 Days: PA: 61 — wOBA: 0.277 — ISO: 0.123 — wRC+: 77
Secondary Plays:
Yoenis Cespedes : FD: $4,300 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 890 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.207 — wRC+: 130
Last 30 Days: PA: 121 — wOBA: 0.424 — ISO: 0.313 — wRC+: 177
David Wright : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 481 — wOBA: 0.282 — ISO: 0.089 — wRC+: 81
Last 30 Days: PA: 11 — wOBA: 0.393 — ISO: 0.333 — wRC+: 156
Travis d’Arnaud : FD: $3,500 — DK: $4,700
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 435 — wOBA: 0.323 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 109
Last 30 Days: PA: 77 — wOBA: 0.382 — ISO: 0.279 — wRC+: 149
Philadelphia
The Phillies have been a great source of value recently and that continues tonight, as they square off against Jon Niese at home. Since the start of last season, Niese has given up a .327 wOBA to right-handed hitters. Andres Blanco, Cesar Hernandez, Jeff Francoeur, and Darin Ruf are all viable punt plays.
Elite Plays:
Andres Blanco : FD: $2,900 — DK: $2,500
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B/SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 87 — wOBA: 0.418 — ISO: 0.205 — wRC+: 168
Last 30 Days: PA: 58 — wOBA: 0.457 — ISO: 0.264 — wRC+: 195
Secondary Plays:
Cesar Hernandez : FD: $2,800 — DK: $2,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 142 — wOBA: 0.333 — ISO: 0.070 — wRC+: 111
Last 30 Days: PA: 111 — wOBA: 0.272 — ISO: 0.069 — wRC+: 69
Jeff Francoeur : FD: $2,600 — DK: $2,600
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 123 — wOBA: 0.277 — ISO: 0.123 — wRC+: 73
Last 30 Days: PA: 59 — wOBA: 0.324 — ISO: 0.193 — wRC+: 104
Darin Ruf : FD: $2,200 — DK: $2,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 157 — wOBA: 0.413 — ISO: 0.206 — wRC+: 166
Last 30 Days: PA: 46 — wOBA: 0.268 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 66
San Diego at Washington – 7:05 PM EST
| San Diego | Washington | ||||||||
 | Andrew Cashner |  | Joe Ross | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| WAS (-160) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.261 | 0.79 | 0.34 | 0.184 | SP vs. Left | 0.292 | 0.856 | 0.369 | 0.183 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.237 | 0.61 | 0.27 | 0.2 | SP vs. Right | 0.188 | 0.489 | 0.213 | 0.285 |
| Batter Splits | SD vs R | Batter Splits | WAS BvP | WAS vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Andrew Cashner : FD: $7,400 — DK: $8,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 268.2 — SIERA: 3.81 — ERA: 3.35 — K%: 19.2% — BB%: 6.6% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 28.2 — SIERA: 4.19 — ERA: 4.40 — K%: 17.3% — BB%: 7.9% — HR/9: 0.9
Washington Nationals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.313 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 21.4% (Rank: 24)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.324 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 23.9% (Rank: 27)
Pitches per PA: 3.77 (Rank: 22)
Analysis: Cashner has been in decent form recently, but he has struggled away from Petco Park and he draws a difficult matchup against the Nationals, who finally have their lineup completely healthy. The risk outweighs the potential reward here. Cashner is a large underdog on the road and he can safely be avoided in all league formats.
Pitcher Rating: 56.5
Joe Ross : FD: $8,100 — DK: $10,100
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 60.2 — SIERA: 3.13 — ERA: 3.56 — K%: 23.7% — BB%: 3.7% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 34.0 — SIERA: 3.54 — ERA: 4.24 — K%: 22.1% — BB%: 5.0% — HR/9: 1.9
San Diego Padres Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.300 (Rank: 26) — Strikeout Rate: 21.5% (Rank: 25)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.360 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 10)
Pitches per PA: 3.83 (Rank: 12)
Analysis: Ross has had a terrific rookie season, posting a 3.13 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 23.7%. His price has shot up on DraftKings, but he is still an affordable option on Fanduel. He draws a favorable matchup against the Padres, who are ranked 26th in team wOBA and 25th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. I wish he was cheaper, but Ross is still a strong play tonight.
Pitcher Rating: 84.6
Batter Grind Down
San Diego
The Padres draw a tough matchup against Joe Ross in the pitcher-friendly Nationals Park. Ross has struggled with left-handed hitters this season, but the Padres don’t have any left-handed bats that really stand out. They can be avoided tonight.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
NONE
Washington
The Nationals draw a decent matchup tonight against Andrew Cashner, who has not pitched well on the road throughout his career. He has given up a much higher wOBA to left-handed hitters, but don’t count out Anthony Rendon, who has been red-hot over the last few games.
Elite Plays:
Bryce Harper : FD: $4,900 — DK: $5,300
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 633 — wOBA: 0.412 — ISO: 0.248 — wRC+: 166
Last 30 Days: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.413 — ISO: 0.200 — wRC+: 165
Secondary Plays:
Anthony Rendon : FD: $3,500 — DK: $3,300
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 655 — wOBA: 0.350 — ISO: 0.184 — wRC+: 123
Last 30 Days: PA: 103 — wOBA: 0.316 — ISO: 0.144 — wRC+: 99
Denard Span : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 671 — wOBA: 0.362 — ISO: 0.132 — wRC+: 132
Last 30 Days: PA: 5 — wOBA: 0.137 — ISO: 0.000 — wRC+: -23
Minnesota at Tampa Bay – 7:10 PM EST
| Minnesota | Tampa Bay | ||||||||
 | Tommy Milone |  | Drew Smyly | ||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| TBR (-155) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.208 | 0.611 | 0.27 | 0.155 | SP vs. Left | 0.173 | 0.488 | 0.216 | 0.292 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.274 | 0.794 | 0.346 | 0.156 | SP vs. Right | 0.257 | 0.76 | 0.332 | 0.196 |
| Batter Splits | MIN BvP | MIN vs L | Batter Splits | TBR BvP | TB vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Tommy Milone : FD: $7,000 — DK: $8,700
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 210.2 — SIERA: 4.48 — ERA: 3.97 — K%: 15.6% — BB%: 7.1% — HR/9: 1.3
Last 30 Days: IP: 17.1 — SIERA: 3.78 — ERA: 4.15 — K%: 17.3% — BB%: 5.3% — HR/9: 1.0
Tampa Bay Rays Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.328 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 21.6% (Rank: 17)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.326 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 19.0% (Rank: 11)
Pitches per PA: 3.85 (Rank: 10)
Analysis: Milone has been a serviceable starter for the Twins, but his strikeout rate is low enough that he rarely finds his way onto many DFS rosters. He draws a difficult matchup tonight against the Rays, who are surprisingly good against left-handed pitching. On the season, they are ranked fourth in team wOBA against southpaws. Milone is a large underdog on the road and he can safely be avoided tonight.
Pitcher Rating: 43.6
Drew Smyly : FD: $7,400 — DK: $10,900
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 179.1 — SIERA: 3.63 — ERA: 3.26 — K%: 22.0% — BB%: 6.5% — HR/9: 1.2
Last 30 Days: IP: 9.2 — SIERA: 4.95 — ERA: 4.66 — K%: 13.3% — BB%: 4.4% — HR/9: 1.9
Minnesota Twins Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 20.0% (Rank: 10)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.324 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 23.4% (Rank: 26)
Pitches per PA: 3.81 (Rank: 16)
Analysis: Smyly is still shaking off the rust since coming back from a shoulder injury. He pitched well in his last start against the A’s and the Rays should stretch him out a bit further tonight. The Twins are ranked right around the major league average in team wOBA against left-handed pitching, but Smyly does get to face them at home. He is sizable favorite here and his price on FanDuel is appealing. Use Smyly as a contrarian tournament play tonight.
Pitcher Rating: 70.7
Batter Grind Down
Minnesota
The Twins draw a mediocre matchup tonight against Drew Smyly in the pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field. While I won’t be heavily targeting any hitters in this lineup, Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano are both worth a look in tournaments. Since the start of last season, Smyly has given up a .332 wOBA to right-handed hitters.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Miguel Sano : FD: $4,600 — DK: $4,700
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 53 — wOBA: 0.311 — ISO: 0.149 — wRC+: 97
Last 30 Days: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.432 — ISO: 0.351 — wRC+: 181
Brian Dozier : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 367 — wOBA: 0.352 — ISO: 0.213 — wRC+: 125
Last 30 Days: PA: 117 — wOBA: 0.269 — ISO: 0.174 — wRC+: 67
Tampa Bay
The Rays have excelled against left-handed pitching this season and they should continue that trend tonight against Tommy Milone, who has given up a .346 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. All of the right-handed bats in the top half of the lineup are in play tonight.
Elite Plays:
Evan Longoria : FD: $2,500 — DK: $3,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 300 — wOBA: 0.371 — ISO: 0.172 — wRC+: 143
Last 30 Days: PA: 113 — wOBA: 0.325 — ISO: 0.132 — wRC+: 110
Secondary Plays:
Logan Forsythe : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 1B/2B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 299 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.228 — wRC+: 130
Last 30 Days: PA: 106 — wOBA: 0.311 — ISO: 0.126 — wRC+: 100
Brandon Guyer : FD: $2,500 — DK: $2,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 286 — wOBA: 0.352 — ISO: 0.128 — wRC+: 130
Last 30 Days: PA: 57 — wOBA: 0.408 — ISO: 0.170 — wRC+: 168
Pittsburgh at Miami – 7:10 PM EST
| Pittsburgh | Miami | ||||||||
 | Gerrit Cole |  | Justin Nicolino | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| PIT (-200) | 7.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.236 | 0.659 | 0.296 | 0.24 | SP vs. Left | 0.214 | 0.553 | 0.246 | 0.167 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.245 | 0.662 | 0.292 | 0.249 | SP vs. Right | 0.273 | 0.768 | 0.333 | 0.064 |
| Batter Splits | PIT BvP | PIT vs L | Batter Splits | MIA BvP | MIA vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Gerrit Cole : FD: $10,000 — DK: $12,900
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 300.1 — SIERA: 3.18 — ERA: 3.03 — K%: 24.5% — BB%: 6.4% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 37.2 — SIERA: 3.28 — ERA: 3.11 — K%: 25.6% — BB%: 6.4% — HR/9: 0.5
Miami Marlins Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.291 (Rank: 30) — Strikeout Rate: 19.2% (Rank: 8)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.323 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 16.9% (Rank: 3)
Pitches per PA: 3.72 (Rank: 27)
Analysis: Cole comes into tonight’s start in great form, posting a 3.28 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 25.6% over the last month of play. While the Marlins may not strikeout at a high rate, they have the lowest team wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. Cole is the chalk play in cash games tonight. It’s tough to fade him with the limited pitching options in the six game slate.
Pitcher Rating: 93.6
Justin Nicolino : FD: $5,500 — DK: $6,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 31.0 — SIERA: 5.07 — ERA: 3.77 — K%: 8.9% — BB%: 5.7% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 20.0 — SIERA: 4.84 — ERA: 3.60 — K%: 8.6% — BB%: 4.9% — HR/9: 0.5
Pittsburgh Pirates Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 22.3% (Rank: 24)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.335 (Rank: 9) — Strikeout Rate: 20.1% (Rank: 13)
Pitches per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 19)
Analysis: The sample size is still small, but Nicolino has one of the lowest strikeout rates of any pitcher in baseball. In his first 31 major league innings, Nicolino has a 5.07 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 8.9%. He should be avoided tonight against the Pirates, who are ranked ninth in team wOBA over the last two weeks.
Pitcher Rating: 31.9
Batter Grind Down
Pittsburgh
The Pirates are huge favorites tonight against Justin Nicolino, who has not fared well against right-handed hitters this season. Andrew McCutchen has been swinging a hot bat with a .433 wOBA and a .283 ISO over the last month of play. Starling Marte, Aramis Ramirez, and Josh Harrison are also in play.
Elite Plays:
Andrew McCutchen : FD: $4,900 — DK: $5,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 215 — wOBA: 0.396 — ISO: 0.219 — wRC+: 158
Last 30 Days: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.433 — ISO: 0.283 — wRC+: 183
Secondary Plays:
Starling Marte : FD: $3,800 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 186 — wOBA: 0.359 — ISO: 0.170 — wRC+: 133
Last 30 Days: PA: 104 — wOBA: 0.346 — ISO: 0.152 — wRC+: 123
Aramis Ramirez : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 200 — wOBA: 0.363 — ISO: 0.247 — wRC+: 128
Last 30 Days: PA: 98 — wOBA: 0.295 — ISO: 0.099 — wRC+: 88
Josh Harrison : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,600
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B/OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 188 — wOBA: 0.361 — ISO: 0.126 — wRC+: 134
Last 30 Days: PA: 11 — wOBA: 0.145 — ISO: 0.000 — wRC+: -14
Miami
The Marlins draw the worst matchup on the board tonight, as they square off against Gerrit Cole, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .300 wOBA over the last two seasons. They should be avoided in both cash games and tournaments.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
NONE
Seattle at Chicago White Sox – 8:10 PM EST
| Seattle | Chicago White Sox | ||||||||
 | Roenis Elias |  | Carlos Rodon | ||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CHW (-140) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.222 | 0.66 | 0.297 | 0.26 | SP vs. Left | 0.188 | 0.504 | 0.233 | 0.266 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.249 | 0.733 | 0.324 | 0.186 | SP vs. Right | 0.285 | 0.856 | 0.374 | 0.232 |
| Batter Splits | SEA vs L | Batter Splits | CHW BvP | CWS vs L | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Roenis Elias : FD: $7,700 — DK: $6,500
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 242.2 — SIERA: 4.03 — ERA: 3.97 — K%: 20.2% — BB%: 8.8% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 1.0 — SIERA: 10.08 — ERA: 0.00 — K%: 0.0% — BB%: 25.0% — HR/9: 0.0
Chicago White Sox Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.279 (Rank: 30) — Strikeout Rate: 21.3% (Rank: 16)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.313 (Rank: 19) — Strikeout Rate: 18.7% (Rank: 9)
Pitches per PA: 3.80 (Rank: 18)
Analysis: Elias has been a quality starter for the Mariners, but he is a large underdog tonight on the road against the White Sox. Given the fact that Chicago is ranked dead last in team wOBA against southpaws this season, you would think the line would be a little closer, but Vegas knows best. Even though the pitching options are limited, Elias is not on my radar tonight.
Pitcher Rating: 47.5
Carlos Rodon : FD: $8,300 — DK: $9,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 106.2 — SIERA: 4.08 — ERA: 4.22 — K%: 24.1% — BB%: 12.3% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 36.1 — SIERA: 3.50 — ERA: 3.72 — K%: 26.1% — BB%: 9.2% — HR/9: 1.0
Seattle Mariners Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.307 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 22.2% (Rank: 23)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.339 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 26.1% (Rank: 30)
Pitches per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 8)
Analysis: Rodon is a talented young southpaw that is finally starting to improve his command. Over the last month of play, he has a 3.50 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 26.1%. He draws a favorable matchup tonight against the Mariners, who are ranked 17th in team wOBA and 23rd in strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season. Gerrit Cole is the obvious play on single-pitcher sites, but Rodon makes a strong case as an SP2 tonight at home.
Pitcher Rating: 73.5
Batter Grind Down
Seattle
The Mariners draw a mediocre matchup against Carlos Rodon, who has been in great form in his last few starts. Rodon has struggled with right-handed hitters this season though, allowing a .374 wOBA to hitters from the right side of the plate. Nelson Cruz and Franklin Gutierrez are both in play here.
Elite Plays:
Nelson Cruz : FD: $5,000 — DK: $5,700
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 309 — wOBA: 0.445 — ISO: 0.296 — wRC+: 192
Last 30 Days: PA: 119 — wOBA: 0.491 — ISO: 0.434 — wRC+: 226
Secondary Plays:
Franklin Gutierrez : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 77 — wOBA: 0.426 — ISO: 0.296 — wRC+: 182
Last 30 Days: PA: 66 — wOBA: 0.439 — ISO: 0.355 — wRC+: 190
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox draw a favorable matchup tonight against Roenis Elias, who has given up a .324 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Jose Abreu has been red-hot over the last month, posting a .446 wOBA and a .352 ISO. He remains an elite play tonight, while Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia are decent secondary options.
Elite Plays:
Jose Abreu : FD: $4,200 — DK: $5,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 268 — wOBA: 0.396 — ISO: 0.237 — wRC+: 157
Last 30 Days: PA: 122 — wOBA: 0.446 — ISO: 0.352 — wRC+: 190
Secondary Plays:
Melky Cabrera : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,600
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 295 — wOBA: 0.303 — ISO: 0.142 — wRC+: 91
Last 30 Days: PA: 119 — wOBA: 0.315 — ISO: 0.165 — wRC+: 99
Avisail Garcia : FD: $2,900 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 150 — wOBA: 0.356 — ISO: 0.164 — wRC+: 128
Last 30 Days: PA: 117 — wOBA: 0.325 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 106