MLB Grind Down: Tuesday, June 30th - Page Two
Minnesota at Cincinnati – 7:10 PM EST
| Minnesota | Cincinnati | ||||||||
 | Phil Hughes |  | Anthony Desclafani | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CIN (-125) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.255 | 0.675 | 0.294 | 0.195 | SP vs. Left | 0.248 | 0.75 | 0.329 | 0.165 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.284 | 0.739 | 0.321 | 0.195 | SP vs. Right | 0.258 | 0.679 | 0.295 | 0.168 |
| Batter Splits | MIN BvP | MIN vs R | Batter Splits | CIN BvP | CIN vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Phil Hughes : FD: $7,600 — DK: $7,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 308.1 — SIERA: 3.49 — K%: 19.5% — BB%: 2.0% — FB Rate: 40.2% — HR/FB: 8.4%
Last 30 Days: IP: 34.0 — SIERA: 4.25 — K%: 13.9% — BB%: 2.2% — FB Rate: 36.9% — HR/FB: 12.2%
Cincinnati Reds Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.313 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 18.6% (Rank: 7)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.340 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 17.5% (Rank: 7)
Pitchers per PA: 3.73 (Rank: 23)
Analysis: Don’t look now, but Hughes has pitched back-to-back quality starts. He held his opponents to a combined two earned runs in those two outings, while striking out nine batters over 16 innings of work. I’m still not completely sold that he is back to his 2014 form, but another solid outing tonight against the Reds would go a long way in persuading me. He’s a deep tournament play at best tonight, but we should keep our eye on him moving forward.
Pitcher Rating:57.3
Anthony Desclafani : FD: $7,200 — DK: $6,400
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 121.2 — SIERA: 4.38 — K%: 16.6% — BB%: 7.7% — FB Rate: 37.6% — HR/FB: 6.4%
Last 30 Days: IP: 36.2 — SIERA: 4.72 — K%: 13.3% — BB%: 7.6% — FB Rate: 33.3% — HR/FB: 2.5%
Minnesota Twins Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.297 (Rank: 23) — Strikeout Rate: 20.0% (Rank: 19)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.322 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 18.1% (Rank: 11)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 16)
Analysis: Descalfani has not pitched well recently with a 4.72 SIERA and a low strikeout rate of 13.3% over the last month. He draws a decent matchup against the Twins, but as we’ve seen time and time again this season, the Twins can have that big offensive outing every now and then. If you are looking for a cheap SP2 tonight, let me refer you back to Kyle Hendricks, who draws a much better matchup against the Mets in Citi Field.
Pitcher Rating:53.3
Batter Grind Down
Minnesota
The Twins’ offense can be a tough one to predict. They really only have one standout hitter (Brian Dozier) and he’s often too expensive to use at second base, unless he is facing a southpaw. The Twins’ bats are in play tonight against the struggling Anthony Desclafani, but I see them more as secondary options.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Brian Dozier : FD: $3,900 — DK: $4,700
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 721 — wOBA: 0.346 — ISO: 0.192 — wRC+: 122
Last 14 Days: PA: 56 — wOBA: 0.349 — ISO: 0.212 — wRC+: 124
Eddie Rosario : FD: $2,600 — DK: $3,100
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 107 — wOBA: 0.311 — ISO: 0.175 — wRC+: 97
Last 14 Days: PA: 46 — wOBA: 0.333 — ISO: 0.163 — wRC+: 113
Cincinnati
Phil Hughes has always been a reverse-splits pitcher. Since the start of last season, he has given up a .321 wOBA to right-handed hitters, compared to a .294 wOBA to left-handed hitters. Todd Frazier is the obvious pick in the Reds’ lineup tonight, but Joey Votto and Billy “I steal for a living” Hamilton are also worth a look.
Elite Plays:
Todd Frazier : FD: $4,900 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 1B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 748 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.231 — wRC+: 137
Last 14 Days: PA: 59 — wOBA: 0.427 — ISO: 0.411 — wRC+: 173
Secondary Plays:
Joey Votto : FD: $3,500 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 420 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.180 — wRC+: 135
Last 14 Days: PA: 53 — wOBA: 0.302 — ISO: 0.000 — wRC+: 88
Billy Hamilton : FD: $3,000 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 654 — wOBA: 0.270 — ISO: 0.086 — wRC+: 67
Last 14 Days: PA: 47 — wOBA: 0.262 — ISO: 0.000 — wRC+: 61
Cleveland at Tampa Bay – 7:10 PM EST
| Cleveland | Tampa Bay | ||||||||
 | Danny Salazar |  | Erasmo Ramirez | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CLE (-117) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.244 | 0.722 | 0.316 | 0.3 | SP vs. Left | 0.242 | 0.689 | 0.311 | 0.19 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.269 | 0.758 | 0.331 | 0.254 | SP vs. Right | 0.275 | 0 | 0.358 | 0.182 |
| Batter Splits | CLE BvP | CLE vs R | Batter Splits | TBR BvP | TB vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Danny Salazar : FD: $8,900 — DK: $9,200
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 187.2 — SIERA: 3.07 — K%: 27.4% — BB%: 7.1% — FB Rate: 39.5% — HR/FB: 12.5%
Last 30 Days: IP: 28.1 — SIERA: 3.24 — K%: 27.3% — BB%: 8.3% — FB Rate: 36.4% — HR/FB: 14.3%
Tampa Bay Rays Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.299 (Rank: 21) — Strikeout Rate: 21.3% (Rank: 25)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.314 (Rank: 18) — Strikeout Rate: 22.9% (Rank: 25)
Pitchers per PA: 3.84 (Rank: 9)
Analysis: Salazar is one of the elite strikeout pitchers in baseball. In the last two seasons, he has a 3.07 SIERA with a very impressive strikeout rate of 27.4%. You have to love the strikeout potential in tonight’s matchup against the Rays, who have the sixth-highest strikeout rate (21.3%) against right-handed pitching this season. He’s not as safe of an option as Sonny Gray (who is a larger favorite), but he provides just as much upside at a much cheaper price point. Salazar is a great tournament play tonight and he makes sense as an SP2 on multi-pitcher sites.
Pitcher Rating:85.6
Erasmo Ramirez : FD: $6,200 — DK: $5,200
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 137.0 — SIERA: 4.25 — K%: 18.7% — BB%: 9.2% — FB Rate: 37.8% — HR/FB: 11.0%
Last 30 Days: IP: 26.1 — SIERA: 3.43 — K%: 21.2% — BB%: 4.8% — FB Rate: 28.4% — HR/FB: 0.0%
Cleveland Indians Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.310 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 18.9% (Rank: 8)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.289 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 22.0% (Rank: 23)
Pitchers per PA: 3.93 (Rank: 3)
Analysis: Ramirez has pitched well over the last month, but with a matchup against the Indians, he’s an easy avoid tonight. The Indians are an above-average offense that rarely strikes out. They also average the third-most pitches per plate appearance of any team in baseball. Additionally, run support will likely be an issue with Danny Salazar pitching opposite him.
Pitcher Rating:46.0
Batter Grind Down
Cleveland
The Indians’ offense has cooled off over the last few weeks, but they did put up seven runs last night against the Rays. They are a team that can string together hits and put runs up on the board quickly. They draw a favorable matchup tonight against the right-hander Erasmo Ramirez. Hot-hitting Jason Kipnis is in play in all league formats, while Michael Brantley and David Murphy are also worth a look.
Elite Plays:
Jason Kipnis : FD: $4,300 — DK: $4,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 569 — wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.137 — wRC+: 138
Last 14 Days: PA: 56 — wOBA: 0.446 — ISO: 0.125 — wRC+: 195
Secondary Plays:
Michael Brantley : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,400
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 598 — wOBA: 0.387 — ISO: 0.184 — wRC+: 154
Last 14 Days: PA: 55 — wOBA: 0.311 — ISO: 0.060 — wRC+: 100
David Murphy : FD: $2,200 — DK: $2,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 525 — wOBA: 0.333 — ISO: 0.137 — wRC+: 116
Last 14 Days: PA: 32 — wOBA: 0.363 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 137
Tampa Bay
Danny Salazar has given up a .331 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the past two seasons, but that’s not enough for me to consider targeting any Rays’ hitters tonight. Tampa Bay does not hit right-handed pitching well as a team and they come into tonight’s contest with one of the lowest team totals on the board.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
NONE
Washington at Atlanta – 7:10 PM EST
| Washington | Atlanta | ||||||||
 | Jordan Zimmermann |  | Shelby Miller | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| WAS (-119) | 6.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.273 | 0.691 | 0.306 | 0.189 | SP vs. Left | 0.236 | 0.685 | 0.301 | 0.159 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.236 | 0.604 | 0.268 | 0.224 | SP vs. Right | 0.207 | 0.618 | 0.277 | 0.182 |
| Batter Splits | WAS BvP | WAS vs R | Batter Splits | ATL BvP | ATL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jordan Zimmermann : FD: $8,300 — DK: $8,400
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 291.2 — SIERA: 3.46 — K%: 20.7% — BB%: 4.1% — FB Rate: 35.8% — HR/FB: 5.8%
Last 30 Days: IP: 31.1 — SIERA: 3.97 — K%: 16.5% — BB%: 3.8% — FB Rate: 35.0% — HR/FB: 5.6%
Atlanta Braves Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.307 (Rank: 18) — Strikeout Rate: 16.8% (Rank: 3)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.275 (Rank: 27) — Strikeout Rate: 18.5% (Rank: 14)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 17)
Analysis: Zimmermann has been dealing with plantar fasciitis this season. While I have never had it personally, I’ve seen what it can do to NBA players. That injury could help explain why we haven’t seen the same dominant Zimmermann that we have come to expect over the years. Zimmermann draws a favorable matchup tonight against the Freddie Freeman-less Braves, but this is still a tough matchup for strikeouts. The Braves have the third-lowest strikeout rate (16.8%) against right-handed pitching this season. At his price point, there are better pitching options tonight.
Pitcher Rating:79.0
Shelby Miller : FD: $8,800 — DK: $7,900
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 280.1 — SIERA: 4.42 — K%: 17.1% — BB%: 8.9% — FB Rate: 37.7% — HR/FB: 8.4%
Last 30 Days: IP: 30.1 — SIERA: 4.20 — K%: 16.3% — BB%: 8.5% — FB Rate: 27.4% — HR/FB: 0.0%
Washington Nationals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.319 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 20.3% (Rank: 21)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.346 (Rank: 5) — Strikeout Rate: 16.9% (Rank: 5)
Pitchers per PA: 3.72 (Rank: 25)
Analysis: On page 1 of the Grind Down, I compared Colby Lewis to Shelby Miller, but guess what, Lewis actually has a lower SIERA than Miller over the past two seasons! You wouldn’t think about paying $8,800 (FD) for Lewis, so why pay that much for Miller? He has an above-average SIERA with a below-average strikeout rate. Sure, he owns a 1.94 ERA this season, but ERA is not very predictive of future success. When trying to predict what will happen in the future, SIERA is a much better statistic to use for fantasy purposes.
Pitcher Rating:51.2
Batter Grind Down
Washington
Even though I won’t be using Shelby Miller tonight, I’m not going to heavily target hitters against him either. He has held left and right-handed hitters under a .305 wOBA over the last two seasons. Bryce Harper and Denard Span are both in play, but both are secondary options at their respective positions and price points.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Bryce Harper : FD: $5,200 — DK: $5,500
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 490 — wOBA: 0.405 — ISO: 0.249 — wRC+: 160
Last 14 Days: PA: 33 — wOBA: 0.481 — ISO: 0.387 — wRC+: 211
Denard Span : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 650 — wOBA: 0.362 — ISO: 0.134 — wRC+: 131
Last 14 Days: PA: 42 — wOBA: 0.369 — ISO: 0.056 — wRC+: 135
Atlanta
The Braves’ offense has predictably struggled without Freddie Freeman in the lineup. They are ranked 27th in team wOBA over the last 14 days. They draw a difficult matchup against Jordan Zimmermann, who is efficient against hitters from both sides of the plate. The Braves have the lowest team total on the board tonight and can be avoided in all league formats.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
NONE
San Francisco at Miami – 7:10 PM EST
| San Francisco | Miami | ||||||||
 | Ryan Vogelsong |  | Mat Latos | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| MIA (-104) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.277 | 0.807 | 0.353 | 0.192 | SP vs. Left | 0.262 | 0.702 | 0.308 | 0.178 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.22 | 0.665 | 0.296 | 0.182 | SP vs. Right | 0.237 | 0.694 | 0.307 | 0.196 |
| Batter Splits | SFG BvP | SF vs R | Batter Splits | MIA BvP | MIA vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Ryan Vogelsong : FD: $6,900 — DK: $6,100
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 264.2 — SIERA: 4.16 — K%: 18.6% — BB%: 8.1% — FB Rate: 37.5% — HR/FB: 9.4%
Last 30 Days: IP: 29.0 — SIERA: 4.72 — K%: 16.7% — BB%: 10.3% — FB Rate: 35.6% — HR/FB: 3.2%
Miami Marlins Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.288 (Rank: 27) — Strikeout Rate: 21.0% (Rank: 23)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.267 (Rank: 28) — Strikeout Rate: 26.6% (Rank: 29)
Pitchers per PA: 3.72 (Rank: 26)
Analysis: Regression has caught up with Vogelsong, as the numbers suggested that he wasn’t pitching nearly as good as his ERA suggested. Over the last month, he has a 4.72 SIERA with a low strikeout rate of 16.7%. While the Marlins’ offense took a big hit when Giancarlo Stanton got hurt, I still don’t love the idea of targeting Vogelsong on the road.
Pitcher Rating:58.5
Mat Latos : FD: $6,100 — DK: $7,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 164.2 — SIERA: 4.05 — K%: 18.8% — BB%: 6.9% — FB Rate: 38.0% — HR/FB: 7.9%
Last 30 Days: IP: 19.2 — SIERA: 3.51 — K%: 24.7% — BB%: 7.4% — FB Rate: 41.8% — HR/FB: 13.0%
San Francisco Giants Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.327 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 17.5% (Rank: 5)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.343 (Rank: 6) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 15)
Pitchers per PA: 3.72 (Rank: 28)
Analysis: Latos gave up five earned runs in his last start, but has otherwise been in nice form. He has a 3.51 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.7% over the last month. The issue with Latos tonight is his matchup. The Giants are ranked fourth in wOBA (.327) and fifth in strikeout rate (17.5%) against right-handed pitching this season. The low total makes both of these pitchers tempting options, but there are better options at their respective price points.
Pitcher Rating:57.0
Batter Grind Down
San Francisco
As mentioned above, the Giants are one of the best hitting teams in baseball against right-handed pitching. They rarely strike out and they make great contact as a team. They draw a mediocre matchup against Mat Latos tonight in the pitcher-friendly Marlins Park. Hot-hitting Matt Duffy makes an intriguing play at third base, while Buster Posey and Brandon Belt are also worth a look.
Elite Plays:
Matt Duffy : FD: $3,700 — DK: $3,700
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 202 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.146 — wRC+: 121
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.493 — ISO: 0.367 — wRC+: 226
Secondary Plays:
Buster Posey : FD: $4,400 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B/C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 659 — wOBA: 0.371 — ISO: 0.171 — wRC+: 144
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.415 — ISO: 0.214 — wRC+: 173
Brandon Belt : FD: $3,000 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 384 — wOBA: 0.367 — ISO: 0.245 — wRC+: 141
Last 14 Days: PA: 46 — wOBA: 0.260 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 68
Miami
The Marlins draw a favorable matchup tonight against Ryan Vogelsong. While they may not have Giancarlo Stanton, they do have some talented lefties to throw at Vogelsong, who has given up a .353 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the past two seasons.
Elite Plays:
Derek Dietrich : FD: $2,300 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 190 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.201 — wRC+: 123
Last 14 Days: PA: 37 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.242 — wRC+: 108
Secondary Plays:
Dee Gordon : FD: $3,000 — DK: $4,600
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 747 — wOBA: 0.318 — ISO: 0.083 — wRC+: 104
Last 14 Days: PA: 53 — wOBA: 0.352 — ISO: 0.094 — wRC+: 123
Christian Yelich : FD: $2,800 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 669 — wOBA: 0.323 — ISO: 0.109 — wRC+: 104
Last 14 Days: PA: 45 — wOBA: 0.375 — ISO: 0.125 — wRC+: 139
Kansas City at Houston – 8:10 PM EST
| Kansas City | Houston | ||||||||
 | Danny Duffy |  | Dallas Keuchel | ||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| HOU (-150) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.187 | 0.482 | 0.222 | 0.171 | SP vs. Left | 0.203 | 0.52 | 0.235 | 0.255 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.243 | 0.713 | 0.316 | 0.186 | SP vs. Right | 0.236 | 0.629 | 0.281 | 0.173 |
| Batter Splits | KCR BvP | KC vs L | Batter Splits | HOU BvP | HOU vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Danny Duffy : FD: $6,900 — DK: $5,700
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 192.1 — SIERA: 4.38 — K%: 18.3% — BB%: 8.9% — FB Rate: 43.3% — HR/FB: 6.5%
Last 30 Days: IP: 4.2 — SIERA: 3.48 — K%: 19.1% — BB%: 0.0% — FB Rate: 29.4% — HR/FB: 0.0%
Houston Astros Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.314 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 23.2% (Rank: 23)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.341 (Rank: 9) — Strikeout Rate: 26.3% (Rank: 28)
Pitchers per PA: 3.84 (Rank: 10)
Analysis: Duffy is one of those pitchers that doesn’t excel or struggle in any particular category. He has an average SIERA (4.38) with an average strikeout rate (18.3%) and a slightly above-average walk rate (8.9%). Given his matchup against the home run hitting Astros, he can safely be avoided in all league formats tonight. The strikeout potential is there, but so is the potential to get shelled.
Pitcher Rating:39.8
Dallas Keuchel : FD: $10,300 — DK: $9,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 316.1 — SIERA: 3.03 — K%: 19.2% — BB%: 6.3% — FB Rate: 18.0% — HR/FB: 11.0%
Last 30 Days: IP: 43.2 — SIERA: 2.20 — K%: 27.1% — BB%: 5.9% — FB Rate: 14.0% — HR/FB: 25.0%
Kansas City Royals Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 15.1% (Rank: 1)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.334 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 14.5% (Rank: 1)
Pitchers per PA: 3.66 (Rank: 30)
Analysis: Keuchel produces the highest ground ball rate of any starter in baseball. That gives him a huge advantage over his opponents, as he gives up very few extra-base hits. Keuchel has been dominant over the last month with a 2.20 SIERA and a strikeout rate of 27.1%. The matchup against the Royals may not be appealing, but he would see a small boost if Alcides Escobar and Eric Hosmer are held out of the lineup again.
Pitcher Rating:85.0
Batter Grind Down
Kansas City
The Royals have the lowest strikeout rate of any team in baseball this season. They draw a difficult matchup tonight against Dallas Keuchel though, who has held left and right-handed hitters under a .285 wOBA over the past two seasons. I could see the scrappy Royals scoring a few runs tonight, but it’s tough to predict where that production will come from.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
NONE
Houston
Danny Duffy may not give up the highest wOBA to right-handed hitters (.316), but he hasn’t faced many lineups with this many power bats. The Astros have the tenth highest team total on the board tonight, which puts them in play in both cash games and tournaments.
Elite Plays:
Carlos Correa : FD: $4,100 — DK: $4,600
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 42 — wOBA: 0.413 — ISO: 0.317 — wRC+: 169
Last 14 Days: PA: 63 — wOBA: 0.380 — ISO: 0.279 — wRC+: 147
George Springer : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 207 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.218 — wRC+: 141
Last 14 Days: PA: 61 — wOBA: 0.296 — ISO: 0.109 — wRC+: 88
Secondary Plays:
Evan Gattis : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 182 — wOBA: 0.328 — ISO: 0.205 — wRC+: 108
Last 14 Days: PA: 48 — wOBA: 0.294 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 86