MLB Grind Down: Thursday, September 17th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2015-09-18 13:36:01

The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the MLB schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit. While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy baseball, there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, weather, and salaries.

The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. No sport has more variance than baseball. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.

Remember, these writeups are done prior to lineups being released, so make sure to check our Starting Lineups page to ensure the recommended options are playing.

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Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh – 12:35 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Chicago Cubs					Pittsburgh
			Kyle Hendricks					Charlie Morton
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			PIT (-119)					8.0
SP vs. Left	0.257	0.722	0.315	17.5%	SP vs. Left	0.254	0.737	0.327	18.40%
SP vs. Right	0.236	0.621	0.276	19.8%	SP vs. Right	0.237	0.654	0.291	17.70%
Batter Splits	CHC BvP		CHC vs R		Batter Splits	PIT BvP		PIT vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Kyle Hendricks : FD: $7,700 — DK: $9,400

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 239.1 — SIERA: 3.75 — ERA: 3.53 — K%: 18.7% — BB%: 5.7% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 27.2 — SIERA: 3.65 — ERA: 4.55 — K%: 22.0% — BB%: 9.3% — HR/9: 0.3

Pittsburgh Pirates Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.314 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 20.5% (Rank: 19)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.331 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 20.1% (Rank: 10)
Pitches per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 22)

Analysis: Hendricks has been in relatively good form over the last month, posting a 3.65 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 22.0%. He draws a mediocre matchup today against the Pirates, who are ranked 17th in team wOBA and 19th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Hendricks is a viable option in the two-game early slate, but there are better pitching options in the all-day slate.

Pitcher Rating: 65.3

Charlie Morton : FD: $6,900 — DK: $8,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 276.0 — SIERA: 3.80 — ERA: 3.85 — K%: 18.0% — BB%: 8.0% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 30.0 — SIERA: 3.84 — ERA: 3.00 — K%: 17.7% — BB%: 7.3% — HR/9: 0.3

Chicago Cubs Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.317 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 24.0% (Rank: 29)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.353 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 24.9% (Rank: 29)
Pitches per PA: 3.99 (Rank: 1)

Analysis: Morton has been in good form over the last month, posting a 3.84 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 17.7%. While the Cubs do have the second-highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season, they also have the fourth highest team wOBA over the last two weeks. The good news is that he is pitching at home where he has a lower SIERA and a higher strikeout rate than he does on the road this season.

Pitcher Rating: 68.9

Batter Grind Down

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs may not have a high team total, but it’s slim pickens here in the early slate. The left-handed hitters have the edge in this matchup, as Charlie Morton has allowed a .327 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Elite Plays:

Dexter Fowler : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,200

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 854 — wOBA: 0.332 — ISO: 0.153 — wRC+: 111
Last 30 Days: PA: 112 — wOBA: 0.403 — ISO: 0.247 — wRC+: 157

Secondary Plays:

Anthony Rizzo : FD: $4,400 — DK: $4,800

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 887 — wOBA: 0.388 — ISO: 0.260 — wRC+: 148
Last 30 Days: PA: 116 — wOBA: 0.316 — ISO: 0.228 — wRC+: 97

Kyle Schwarber : FD: $4,400 — DK: $4,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: C/OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 154 — wOBA: 0.447 — ISO: 0.369 — wRC+: 187
Last 30 Days: PA: 80 — wOBA: 0.350 — ISO: 0.362 — wRC+: 121

Chris Coghlan : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 2B/OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 738 — wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.205 — wRC+: 131
Last 30 Days: PA: 88 — wOBA: 0.410 — ISO: 0.286 — wRC+: 162

Pittsburgh

The Pirates find themselves in a decent matchup today at home. They are facing Kyle Hendricks, who has allowed a .315 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons. All of the left-handed hitters — plus Jung-Ho Kang — are in play today.

Elite Plays:

Gregory Polanco : FD: $3,200 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 686 — wOBA: 0.323 — ISO: 0.130 — wRC+: 107
Last 30 Days: PA: 117 — wOBA: 0.274 — ISO: 0.116 — wRC+: 73

Secondary Plays:

Jung-Ho Kang : FD: $3,800 — DK: $3,700

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: 3B/SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 361 — wOBA: 0.369 — ISO: 0.186 — wRC+: 138
Last 30 Days: PA: 96 — wOBA: 0.390 — ISO: 0.261 — wRC+: 152

Neil Walker : FD: $2,300 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 897 — wOBA: 0.347 — ISO: 0.197 — wRC+: 124
Last 30 Days: PA: 94 — wOBA: 0.283 — ISO: 0.080 — wRC+: 79

Pedro Alvarez : FD: $2,200 — DK: $3,400

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 745 — wOBA: 0.331 — ISO: 0.210 — wRC+: 113
Last 30 Days: PA: 75 — wOBA: 0.358 — ISO: 0.292 — wRC+: 130

Oakland at Chicago White Sox – 2:10 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Oakland					Chicago White Sox
			Sean Nolin					Jose Quintana
			LEFT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			CHW (-155)					8.5
SP vs. Left	0.222	0.594	0.264	15.0%	SP vs. Left	0.253	0.671	0.294	21.30%
SP vs. Right	0.241	0.830	0.357	9.4%	SP vs. Right	0.269	0.712	0.311	20.80%
Batter Splits	OAK BvP		OAK vs L		Batter Splits	CHW BvP		CWS vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Sean Nolin : FD: $5,800 — DK: $6,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 12.2 — SIERA: 5.48 — ERA: 3.55 — K%: 11.5% — BB%: 9.6% — HR/9: 1.4
Last 30 Days: IP: 11.2 — SIERA: 5.52 — ERA: 3.09 — K%: 12.5% — BB%: 10.4% — HR/9: 0.8

Chicago White Sox Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.284 (Rank: 30) — Strikeout Rate: 20.5% (Rank: 11)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.325 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 20.8% (Rank: 16)
Pitches per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 20)

Analysis: Nolin may have a 3.55 ERA in his short stint in the majors, but his indicators tell another story. He owns a 5.48 SIERA with a low strikeout rate of 11.5% and a high walk rate of 9.6%. He is the lowest-rated pitcher in the early slate of games and he can safely be avoided against the White Sox.

Pitcher Rating: 33.7

Jose Quintana : FD: $8,200 — DK: $10,600

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 383.2 — SIERA: 3.57 — ERA: 3.42 — K%: 21.0% — BB%: 5.7% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 29.1 — SIERA: 3.63 — ERA: 3.07 — K%: 20.6% — BB%: 6.1% — HR/9: 0.6

Oakland Athletics Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.306 (Rank: 20) — Strikeout Rate: 17.1% (Rank: 2)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.304 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 20.6% (Rank: 14)
Pitches per PA: 3.85 (Rank: 9)

Analysis: Quintana wouldn’t be an elite option on a typical full slate of games, but he is the top-rated pitcher in the early two-game slate. He has pitched well recently, posting a 3.63 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 20.6% over the last month of play. While the A’s may have one of the lowest strikeout rates against left-handed pitching, but they are ranked 20th in team wOBA. If you are playing in the early slate, Quintana is the recommended play at pitcher.

Pitcher Rating: 80.8

Batter Grind Down

Oakland

The A’s draw a fairly difficult matchup against Jose Quintana, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .315 wOBA over the last two seasons. The right-handed hitters do have the edge in this matchup, but they are secondary options at their respective positions.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Mark Canha : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,100

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 1B/OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 136 — wOBA: 0.247 — ISO: 0.065 — wRC+: 55
Last 30 Days: PA: 119 — wOBA: 0.372 — ISO: 0.261 — wRC+: 141

Brett Lawrie : FD: $3,500 — DK: $3,400

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 214 — wOBA: 0.334 — ISO: 0.201 — wRC+: 114
Last 30 Days: PA: 94 — wOBA: 0.408 — ISO: 0.307 — wRC+: 166

Marcus Semien : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,500

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: 3B/SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 236 — wOBA: 0.336 — ISO: 0.137 — wRC+: 116
Last 30 Days: PA: 90 — wOBA: 0.263 — ISO: 0.096 — wRC+: 66

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have the highest team total in the early slate of games, as they take on Sean Nolin at home. The sample size is still very small, but right-handed hitters have had a lot of success against Nolin — .357 wOBA.

Elite Plays:

Jose Abreu : FD: $4,400 — DK: $5,300

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 299 — wOBA: 0.385 — ISO: 0.221 — wRC+: 149
Last 30 Days: PA: 128 — wOBA: 0.371 — ISO: 0.261 — wRC+: 137

Secondary Plays:

Melky Cabrera : FD: $3,200 — DK: $3,800

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 325 — wOBA: 0.303 — ISO: 0.132 — wRC+: 90
Last 30 Days: PA: 122 — wOBA: 0.275 — ISO: 0.097 — wRC+: 70

Avisail Garcia : FD: $2,600 — DK: $4,100

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 168 — wOBA: 0.350 — ISO: 0.153 — wRC+: 123
Last 30 Days: PA: 111 — wOBA: 0.313 — ISO: 0.090 — wRC+: 97

Miami at Washington – 7:05 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Miami					Washington
			Jarred Cosart					Tanner Roark
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			WAS (-190)					8.0
SP vs. Left	0.241	0.697	0.314	15.9%	SP vs. Left	0.252	0.731	0.321	12.30%
SP vs. Right	0.257	0.693	0.307	14.5%	SP vs. Right	0.248	0.630	0.276	20.60%
Batter Splits	MIA BvP		MIA vs R		Batter Splits	WAS BvP		WAS vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Jarred Cosart : FD: $6,200 — DK: $4,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 235.1 — SIERA: 4.41 — ERA: 3.90 — K%: 15.2% — BB%: 9.7% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 9.2 — SIERA: 3.99 — ERA: 0.93 — K%: 20.5% — BB%: 10.3% — HR/9: 0.9

Washington Nationals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.315 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 21.8% (Rank: 26)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.353 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 23.1% (Rank: 26)
Pitches per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 21)

Analysis: Cosart has been a serviceable starter over the last two seasons, posting a 4.41 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 15.2%. While his form isn’t an issue, his matchup certainly is. The Nationals have been one of the hottest offenses in baseball this month and Cosart has to face them on the road. He is an easy pitcher to avoid in all league formats.

Pitcher Rating: 42.6

Tanner Roark : FD: $6,000 — DK: $4,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 287.0 — SIERA: 4.02 — ERA: 3.32 — K%: 16.4% — BB%: 5.2% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 11.2 — SIERA: 5.08 — ERA: 2.31 — K%: 9.4% — BB%: 7.6% — HR/9: 0.0

Miami Marlins Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.291 (Rank: 30) — Strikeout Rate: 19.0% (Rank: 8)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.304 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 16.1% (Rank: 2)
Pitches per PA: 3.72 (Rank: 29)

Analysis: Roark may draw a favorable matchup against the Marlins, but he hasn’t thrown more than 69 pitches since the end of June. We can’t expect him to pitch deep into tonight’s game, which really hurts his fantasy appeal. A low strikeout rate of 9.4% over the last month of play doesn’t help his cause either. He may pick up a win if he makes it through five innings, but there are better pitching options on the board tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 60.6

Batter Grind Down

Miami

The Marlins have a low team total tonight, as they square off against Tanner Roark in the pitcher-friendly Nationals Park. Dee Gordon and Justin Bour are both in play here, but they are secondary fantasy options at their respective positions.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Dee Gordon : FD: $3,900 — DK: $4,800

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 928 — wOBA: 0.317 — ISO: 0.084 — wRC+: 102
Last 30 Days: PA: 118 — wOBA: 0.337 — ISO: 0.064 — wRC+: 112

Justin Bour : FD: $2,600 — DK: $3,100

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 393 — wOBA: 0.334 — ISO: 0.182 — wRC+: 110
Last 30 Days: PA: 109 — wOBA: 0.314 — ISO: 0.183 — wRC+: 97

Washington

The Nationals have been firing on all cylinders recently, largely thanks to the play of Bryce Harper, who has a .485 wOBA over the last two weeks. Harper remains an elite play tonight against Jarred Cosart, who has given up a .314 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Elite Plays:

Bryce Harper : FD: $5,700 — DK: $5,900

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 691 — wOBA: 0.424 — ISO: 0.263 — wRC+: 172
Last 30 Days: PA: 117 — wOBA: 0.485 — ISO: 0.341 — wRC+: 213

Clint Robinson : FD: $2,400 — DK: $2,500

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 1B/OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 260 — wOBA: 0.343 — ISO: 0.151 — wRC+: 116
Last 30 Days: PA: 44 — wOBA: 0.427 — ISO: 0.188 — wRC+: 174

Secondary Plays:

Jayson Werth : FD: $3,600 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 716 — wOBA: 0.343 — ISO: 0.144 — wRC+: 118
Last 30 Days: PA: 126 — wOBA: 0.400 — ISO: 0.264 — wRC+: 155

Anthony Rendon : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 728 — wOBA: 0.353 — ISO: 0.176 — wRC+: 124
Last 30 Days: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.400 — ISO: 0.157 — wRC+: 155

Baltimore at Tampa Bay – 7:10 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Baltimore					Tampa Bay
			Chris Tillman					Matt Moore
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			BAL (-113)					8.0
SP vs. Left	0.251	0.672	0.299	17.0%	SP vs. Left	0.281	0.917	0.385	12.70%
SP vs. Right	0.245	0.755	0.328	16.5%	SP vs. Right	0.348	0.969	0.417	13.30%
Batter Splits	BAL BvP		BAL vs L		Batter Splits	TBR BvP		TB vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Chris Tillman : FD: $6,800 — DK: $5,400

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 356.0 — SIERA: 4.42 — ERA: 4.12 — K%: 16.8% — BB%: 7.9% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 32.2 — SIERA: 4.66 — ERA: 7.16 — K%: 14.5% — BB%: 7.6% — HR/9: 1.7

Tampa Bay Rays Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.303 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 21.3% (Rank: 23)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.333 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 21.5% (Rank: 21)
Pitches per PA: 3.83 (Rank: 14)

Analysis: Tillman has not been in good form recently, posting a 4.66 SIERA (7.16 ERA) with a low strikeout rate of 14.5%. While he does draw a favorable matchup against the Rays, it’s hard to trust Tillman in cash games. The price point is appealing, but I will be limiting my exposure to him tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 51.9

Matt Moore : FD: $6,100 — DK: $4,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 46.1 — SIERA: 5.26 — ERA: 7.19 — K%: 13.1% — BB%: 9.5% — HR/9: 1.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 9.2 — SIERA: 5.17 — ERA: 7.45 — K%: 13.3% — BB%: 6.7% — HR/9: 3.7

Baltimore Orioles Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.300 (Rank: 23) — Strikeout Rate: 23.1% (Rank: 26)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.363 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 23.0% (Rank: 25)
Pitches per PA: 3.82 (Rank: 16)

Analysis: Moore has not had the season that he was hoping for. After coming back from Tommy John surgery, he has really struggled against both left and right-handed hitters. While he is only a small underdog tonight, I’d like to see a quality start or two from him before considering him in cash games or tournaments.

Pitcher Rating: 41.0

Batter Grind Down

Baltimore

Even though the Orioles have a low team total tonight, it’s hard not to like their matchup against Matt Moore, who has allowed a .385+ wOBA to both left and right-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Manny Machado : FD: $3,800 — DK: $4,500

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 252 — wOBA: 0.314 — ISO: 0.157 — wRC+: 97
Last 30 Days: PA: 128 — wOBA: 0.339 — ISO: 0.145 — wRC+: 114

Adam Jones : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 299 — wOBA: 0.394 — ISO: 0.240 — wRC+: 153
Last 30 Days: PA: 108 — wOBA: 0.340 — ISO: 0.248 — wRC+: 114

Nolan Reimold : FD: $2,800 — DK: $2,400

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 104 — wOBA: 0.354 — ISO: 0.169 — wRC+: 124
Last 30 Days: PA: 43 — wOBA: 0.421 — ISO: 0.250 — wRC+: 170

Matt Wieters : FD: $2,400 — DK: $2,500

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 88 — wOBA: 0.336 — ISO: 0.214 — wRC+: 112
Last 30 Days: PA: 69 — wOBA: 0.264 — ISO: 0.081 — wRC+: 61

Tampa Bay

The Rays also have a low team total, but they draw a mediocre matchup against the struggling Chris Tillman. The right-handed hitters have the edge in this matchup, as Tillman has allowed a .328 wOBA to hitters from that side of the plate. Evan Longoria has BvP on his side tonight, as he is 14-for-46 with ten extra-base hits against Tillman in his career.

Elite Plays:

Evan Longoria : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 960 — wOBA: 0.305 — ISO: 0.146 — wRC+: 97
Last 30 Days: PA: 120 — wOBA: 0.310 — ISO: 0.200 — wRC+: 99

Secondary Plays:

John Jaso : FD: $2,200 — DK: $2,500

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 471 — wOBA: 0.349 — ISO: 0.175 — wRC+: 127
Last 30 Days: PA: 72 — wOBA: 0.310 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 99

Kansas City at Cleveland – 7:10 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Kansas City					Cleveland
			Yordano Ventura					Corey Kluber
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			CLE (-127)					7.0
SP vs. Left	0.240	0.691	0.305	21.4%	SP vs. Left	0.249	0.714	0.313	26.60%
SP vs. Right	0.248	0.698	0.312	20.8%	SP vs. Right	0.206	0.533	0.234	29.60%
Batter Splits	KCR BvP		KC vs R		Batter Splits	CLE BvP		CLE vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Yordano Ventura : FD: $8,500 — DK: $9,500

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 321.1 — SIERA: 3.83 — ERA: 3.73 — K%: 21.1% — BB%: 8.8% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 37.0 — SIERA: 3.03 — ERA: 2.92 — K%: 29.6% — BB%: 9.3% — HR/9: 0.7

Cleveland Indians Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.315 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 18.5% (Rank: 6)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.333 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 17.0% (Rank: 4)
Pitches per PA: 3.90 (Rank: 4)

Analysis: Ventura has been in excellent form over the last month of play, posting a 3.03 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 29.6%. He draws a difficult matchup tonight against the Indians though, as they are ranked 15th in team wOBA and sixth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. He may have a tough time getting run support with Corey Kluber on the mound for the Indians. Ventura is a tournament play at best tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 72.8

Corey Kluber : FD: $11,000 — DK: $12,300

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 436.0 — SIERA: 2.77 — ERA: 2.89 — K%: 28.0% — BB%: 5.1% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 19.2 — SIERA: 2.61 — ERA: 4.12 — K%: 32.9% — BB%: 5.1% — HR/9: 2.8

Kansas City Royals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.322 (Rank: 5) — Strikeout Rate: 15.5% (Rank: 1)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.345 (Rank: 9) — Strikeout Rate: 15.3% (Rank: 1)
Pitches per PA: 3.70 (Rank: 30)

Analysis: Kluber hasn’t made a start in close to three weeks thanks to a hamstring injury. He has been cleared by the medical staff for tonight’s start against the Royals though, and with such limited options at pitcher, he is the premier play at the position. With that said, you should keep in mind that the Royals are ranked fifth in team wOBA and first in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. It may be the night to take the cheaper route at pitcher and load up on hitters.

Pitcher Rating: 89.0

Batter Grind Down

Kansas City

The Royals draw the most difficult matchup on the board tonight, as Corey Kluber has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .315 wOBA over the last two seasons. Even on a short slate, the Royals can be avoided in all league formats.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

NONE

Cleveland

The Indians draw a mediocre matchup tonight against Yordano Ventura, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .315 wOBA over the last two seasons. Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis are both secondary options at their respective positions.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Michael Brantley : FD: $4,200 — DK: $4,700

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 788 — wOBA: 0.399 — ISO: 0.195 — wRC+: 159
Last 30 Days: PA: 107 — wOBA: 0.440 — ISO: 0.300 — wRC+: 186

Jason Kipnis : FD: $2,900 — DK: $4,100

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 740 — wOBA: 0.355 — ISO: 0.137 — wRC+: 129
Last 30 Days: PA: 103 — wOBA: 0.253 — ISO: 0.135 — wRC+: 57