MLB Grind Down: Wednesday, May 27 - Page Three
Houston at Baltimore – 4:35 PM EST
| Houston | Baltimore | ||||||||
 | Collin McHugh |  | Ubaldo Jimenez | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| BAL (-106) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.22 | 0.605 | 0.27 | 0.217 | SP vs. Left | 0.232 | 0.744 | 0.337 | 0.19 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.211 | 0.636 | 0.283 | 0.279 | SP vs. Right | 0.227 | 0.637 | 0.289 | 0.248 |
| Batter Splits | HOU BvP | HOU vs R | Batter Splits | BAL BvP | BAL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Collin McHugh (FD: $8700, DK: $7500)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 57 — SIERA: 3.59 — K Rate: 19.8% — K/9: 7.34 — BB Rate: 4.6% — FB Rate: 32.7% — HR/FB: 10.7%
2014: IP: 154 — SIERA: 3.14 — K Rate: 25.4% — K/9: 9.14 — BB Rate: 6.6% — FB Rate: 33.7% — HR/FB: 9.5%
Baltimore Orioles vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.323 (Rank: 8) — Strikeout Rate: 0.228 (Rank: 27) — wRC+: 104 (Rank: 7)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.76 (Rank: 18)
Analysis: McHugh is off to a good start in his sophomore season, posting a 3.59 SIERA with a K/9 of 7.3. He has good strikeout potential in his matchup against the Orioles, who are ranked 27th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. The Orioles also hit for a lot of power though, ranking 8th in wOBA and 7th in wRC+ against righties. McHugh may be a small underdog tonight, but he’s a serviceable SP2 on multi-pitcher sites.
Pitcher Rating:67.9
Ubaldo Jimenez (FD: $7000, DK: $6500)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 44 — SIERA: 3.26 — K Rate: 23.2% — K/9: 8.46 — BB Rate: 7.2% — FB Rate: 24.2% — HR/FB: 10.0%
2014: IP: 125 — SIERA: 4.61 — K Rate: 21.0% — K/9: 8.33 — BB Rate: 13.9% — FB Rate: 36.7% — HR/FB: 10.9%
Houston Astros vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.313 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 0.257 (Rank: 29) — wRC+: 99 (Rank: 12)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.83 (Rank: 11)
Analysis: Jimenez continues to pitch well this season, posting an impressive 3.26 SIERA and a K/9 of 8.5. He does struggle with his command at times, but he’s walking batters at nearly half the rate that he did last season. Jimenez is more of a tournament play tonight, as the Astros are a team that hits a lot of home runs. They do strike out often though, with the 2nd-highest strikeout rate of any team against right-handed pitching this season.
Pitcher Rating:61.2
Batter Grind Down
Houston
Luis Valbuena (FD: $2700, DK: $4000)
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 2B/3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 171 — wOBA: 0.333 — ISO: 0.246 — wRC+: 113
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 547 — wOBA: 0.355 — ISO: 0.208 — wRC+: 124
Analysis: Ubaldo Jimenez is a pitcher with typical splits. He has given up a .337 wOBA to left-handed hitters, while holding right-handed hitters under a .300 wOBA. Valbuena offers great value at his price point, especially on FanDuel ($2700). He has a .333 wOBA and a .246 ISO against right-handed pitching and he sees a positive park shift playing in Camden Yards.
Secondary Plays:
George Springer (FD: $4000, DK: $4800)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 169 — wOBA: 0.312 — ISO: 0.175 — wRC+: 98
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 345 — wOBA: 0.355 — ISO: 0.251 — wRC+: 130
Jose Altuve (FD: $3800, DK: $4400)
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 198 — wOBA: 0.297 — ISO: 0.138 — wRC+: 88
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 707 — wOBA: 0.340 — ISO: 0.100 — wRC+: 119
Baltimore
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Adam Jones (FD: $2900, DK: $4300)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 175 — wOBA: 0.343 — ISO: 0.144 — wRC+: 118
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 682 — wOBA: 0.310 — ISO: 0.165 — wRC+: 95
Chris Davis (FD: $3000, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 166 — wOBA: 0.308 — ISO: 0.219 — wRC+: 93
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 525 — wOBA: 0.312 — ISO: 0.199 — wRC+: 97
Washington at Chicago Cubs – 8:05 PM EST
| Washington | Chicago Cubs | ||||||||
 | Max Scherzer |  | Jon Lester | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| WSN (-108) | 6.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.242 | 0.672 | 0.300 | 0.249 | SP vs. Left | 0.271 | 0.736 | 0.324 | 0.25 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.212 | 0.59 | 0.262 | 0.326 | SP vs. Right | 0.231 | 0.631 | 0.28 | 0.242 |
| Batter Splits | WAS BvP | WAS vs L | Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Max Scherzer (FD: $11800, DK: $11100)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 64 — SIERA: 2.73 — K Rate: 28.5% — K/9: 10.02 — BB Rate: 3.6% — FB Rate: 46.4% — HR/FB: 3.9%
2014: IP: 220 — SIERA: 2.98 — K Rate: 27.9% — K/9: 10.29 — BB Rate: 7.0% — FB Rate: 41.6% — HR/FB: 7.5%
Chicago Cubs vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.304 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 0.257 (Rank: 29) — wRC+: 89 (Rank: 20)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 4.01 (Rank: 1)
Analysis: Scherzer is the premier pitching option in the evening slate of games. He has been dominant this season, posting a 2.73 SIERA with a K/9 of 10.0. He may not be a ground-ball pitcher, but hitters rarely do any damage against Scherzer. He draws a favorable matchup tonight against the Cubs, who are ranked 17th in wOBA and 29th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. It also helps that for the first time in a couple of days, the wind is blowing in at Wrigley.
Pitcher Rating:89.3
Jon Lester (FD: $9100, DK: $8600)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 55 — SIERA: 3.56 — K Rate: 21.4% — K/9: 8.25 — BB Rate: 6.3% — FB Rate: 29.2% — HR/FB: 12.2%
2014: IP: 219 — SIERA: 3.09 — K Rate: 24.9% — K/9: 9.01 — BB Rate: 5.4% — FB Rate: 37.0% — HR/FB: 7.2%
Washington Nationals vs. LH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.320 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 0.216 (Rank: 19) — wRC+: 98 (Rank: 20)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.78 (Rank: 17)
Analysis: Lester is having a decent season, but it hasn’t exactly been the type of year that Cubs’ fans were hoping for. His SIERA and walk rate are both up, while his strikeout rate is down. He’s pitched much better in the month of May though and he’s still one of the best pitchers in baseball. Tonight he gets to face a Nationals offense that ranks just below the major league average in wOBA, strikeout rate, and wRC+ against southpaws this season. He’s an appealing tournament play, as his ownership level will be low.
Pitcher Rating:72.8
Batter Grind Down
Washington
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Ian Desmond (FD: $3400, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 189 — wOBA: 0.230 — ISO: 0.118 — wRC+: 41
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 648 — wOBA: 0.341 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 117
Chicago Cubs
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
NONE
Arizona at St. Louis – 8:15 PM EST
| Arizona | St. Louis | ||||||||
 | Josh Collmenter |  | Lance Lynn | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| STL (-162) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.289 | 0.762 | 0.333 | 0.12 | SP vs. Left | 0.241 | 0.706 | 0.316 | 0.18 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.217 | 0.664 | 0.289 | 0.181 | SP vs. Right | 0.232 | 0.634 | 0.283 | 0.258 |
| Batter Splits | ARI BvP | ARI vs R | Batter Splits | STL BvP | STL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Josh Collmenter (FD: $6100, DK: $5100)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 52 — SIERA: 4.66 — K Rate: 11.8% — K/9: 4.50 — BB Rate: 3.2% — FB Rate: 37.7% — HR/FB: 11.6%
2014: IP: 179 — SIERA: 4.18 — K Rate: 16.0% — K/9: 5.77 — BB Rate: 5.4% — FB Rate: 39.9% — HR/FB: 8.3%
St. Louis Cardinals vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.322 (Rank: 9) — Strikeout Rate: 0.191 (Rank: 7) — wRC+: 103 (Rank: 8)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.71 (Rank: 25)
Analysis: Collmenter has not pitched well this season. He is a low-strikeout pitcher with a an above-average SIERA. He typically doesn’t pitch well away from Chase Field (4.27 xFIP in 2014) and he draws one of the worst pitching matchups on the board tonight. The Cardinals are currently ranked 9th or better in wOBA, strikeout rate, and wRC+ against right-handed pitching this season.
Pitcher Rating:37.7
Lance Lynn (FD: $8900, DK: $8300)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 54 — SIERA: 3.23 — K Rate: 26.7% — K/9: 10.21 — BB Rate: 7.3% — FB Rate: 36.2% — HR/FB: 7.4%
2014: IP: 203 — SIERA: 3.84 — K Rate: 20.9% — K/9: 8.00 — BB Rate: 8.3% — FB Rate: 36.0% — HR/FB: 6.1%
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.308 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 0.200 (Rank: 14) — wRC+: 89 (Rank: 20)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.66 (Rank: 29)
Analysis: Lynn possesses an elite strikeout rate. He has a 3.23 SIERA on the season with a K/9 of 10.2. He has a great track record at home and he draws a decent matchup against the Diamondbacks, who are ranked right around the major league average in wOBA, strikeout rate, and wRC+ against right-handed pitching this season. Lynn is priced under $9,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings and is one of the top pitching options in the evening slate of games.
Pitcher Rating:74.8
Batter Grind Down
Arizona
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Ender Inciarte (FD: $3100, DK: $3300)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 179 — wOBA: 0.327 — ISO: 0.118 — wRC+: 102
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 447 — wOBA: 0.307 — ISO: 0.097 — wRC+: 90
St. Louis
Kolten Wong (FD: $3300, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 179 — wOBA: 0.376 — ISO: 0.169 — wRC+: 140
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 433 — wOBA: 0.289 — ISO: 0.137 — wRC+: 83
Analysis: Wong continues to produce in the leadoff spot, posting a .376 wOBA and a .169 ISO against right-handed pitching. He was typically buried at the bottom of the order, but now that he bats first, he sees more at-bats and is a much better fantasy option. Load up on the left-handed hitters in the Cardinals’ lineup tonight, as Josh Collmenter has given up a .333 wOBA to batters that hit from the left side of the plate.
Secondary Plays:
Matt Carpenter (FD: $4000, DK: $4600)
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 179 — wOBA: 0.436 — ISO: 0.283 — wRC+: 180
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 709 — wOBA: 0.343 — ISO: 0.104 — wRC+: 120
San Diego at LA Angels – 10:05 PM EST
| San Diego | LA Angels | ||||||||
 | Andrew Cashner |  | Garrett Richards | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAA (-161) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.247 | 0.731 | 0.317 | 0.199 | SP vs. Left | 0.188 | 0.51 | 0.233 | 0.243 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.234 | 0.599 | 0.266 | 0.202 | SP vs. Right | 0.202 | 0.534 | 0.25 | 0.236 |
| Batter Splits | SD BvP | SD vs R | Batter Splits | ANA BvP | ANA vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Andrew Cashner (FD: $8100, DK: $7700)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 56 — SIERA: 3.40 — K Rate: 22.9% — K/9: 8.68 — BB Rate: 5.9% — FB Rate: 34.6% — HR/FB: 14.3%
2014: IP: 123 — SIERA: 3.70 — K Rate: 18.4% — K/9: 6.79 — BB Rate: 5.7% — FB Rate: 31.4% — HR/FB: 6.0%
LA Angels of Anaheim vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.279 (Rank: 28) — Strikeout Rate: 0.202 (Rank: 16) — wRC+: 81 (Rank: 27)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.73 (Rank: 24)
Analysis: Cashner is having a solid season for the Padres, posting a 3.40 SIERA with a K/9 of 8.7. While his stats are influenced a little by his pitcher-friendly home ballpark, he’s still worth a look tonight in tournaments. He draws a favorable matchup against the Angels, who are ranked 28th in wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. He’s a large underdog in this matchup, but again, that should only help lower his ownership level in GPPs.
Pitcher Rating:61.7
Garrett Richards (FD: $9000, DK: $9000)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 45 — SIERA: 4.18 — K Rate: 20.0% — K/9: 7.35 — BB Rate: 10.3% — FB Rate: 35.2% — HR/FB: 4.5%
2014: IP: 168 — SIERA: 3.20 — K Rate: 24.2% — K/9: 8.75 — BB Rate: 7.5% — FB Rate: 28.0% — HR/FB: 3.9%
San Diego Padres vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.296 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 0.217 (Rank: 25) — wRC+: 90 (Rank: 18)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.84 (Rank: 10)
Analysis: Richards is slowly rounding into form, after missing a large portion of last season with an injury. He has a 4.18 SIERA with a K/9 of 7.4. His command should improve as the season progresses and so should his strikeout rate. He is a great fantasy option tonight against the Padres, who are ranked 24th in wOBA and 25th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season.
Pitcher Rating:80.8
Batter Grind Down
San Diego
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Matt Kemp (FD: $2300, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 187 — wOBA: 0.276 — ISO: 0.085 — wRC+: 77
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 599 — wOBA: 0.382 — ISO: 0.229 — wRC+: 149
LA Angels
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Mike Trout (FD: $5100, DK: $5200)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 189 — wOBA: 0.397 — ISO: 0.262 — wRC+: 162
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 705 — wOBA: 0.404 — ISO: 0.283 — wRC+: 168
Kole Calhoun (FD: $2900, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 172 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.147 — wRC+: 115
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 537 — wOBA: 0.348 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 129
Atlanta at LA Dodgers – 10:10 PM EST
| Atlanta | LA Dodgers | ||||||||
 | Alex Wood |  | Zack Greinke | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAD (-215) | 6.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.249 | 0.649 | 0.291 | 0.236 | SP vs. Left | 0.237 | 0.626 | 0.278 | 0.232 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.25 | 0.686 | 0.306 | 0.221 | SP vs. Right | 0.229 | 0.637 | 0.281 | 0.255 |
| Batter Splits | ATL BvP | ATL vs R | Batter Splits | LA BvP | LA vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Alex Wood (FD: $7400, DK: $8100)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 47 — SIERA: 4.26 — K Rate: 15.8% — K/9: 6.13 — BB Rate: 7.9% — FB Rate: 27.5% — HR/FB: 4.9%
2014: IP: 171 — SIERA: 3.16 — K Rate: 24.5% — K/9: 8.91 — BB Rate: 6.5% — FB Rate: 34.6% — HR/FB: 10.0%
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. LH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.305 (Rank: 22) — Strikeout Rate: 0.196 (Rank: 13) — wRC+: 95 (Rank: 22)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.91 (Rank: 5)
Analysis: Wood has not been the same pitcher that we’ve seen in the past couple of seasons. His SIERA and walk rate are both up this season, while his strikeout rate has taken a huge dip. He is only generating a 5.7% swinging strike rate, which is 4% lower than it was last season. Even though the Dodgers have struggled against southpaws this season, Wood is not on my radar tonight.
Pitcher Rating:62.6
Zack Greinke (FD: $9900, DK: $9500)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 61 — SIERA: 3.60 — K Rate: 20.9% — K/9: 7.23 — BB Rate: 5.1% — FB Rate: 36.7% — HR/FB: 6.5%
2014: IP: 202 — SIERA: 2.87 — K Rate: 25.2% — K/9: 9.21 — BB Rate: 5.2% — FB Rate: 28.5% — HR/FB: 11.9%
Atlanta Braves vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 0.161 (Rank: 2) — wRC+: 95 (Rank: 13)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.75 (Rank: 20)
Analysis: Greinke has pitched well this season with a 3.60 SIERA and a K/9 of 7.2, although those numbers are down from where they have been in the last couple of seasons. He has always pitched well at Dodger Stadium and he is the largest favorite on the board tonight. The only concern here is his strikeout potential. The Braves have the 2nd-lowest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Greinke is a safe play tonight, but he lacks the upside that we like to see from pitchers at his price point.
Pitcher Rating:85.6
Batter Grind Down
Atlanta
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
NONE
LA Dodgers
Howie Kendrick (FD: $2900, DK: $3500)
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 178 — wOBA: 0.356 — ISO: 0.100 — wRC+: 129
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 674 — wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.128 — wRC+: 140
Analysis: It’s been a while since Kendrick has been the featured play from the Dodgers. It’s not a knock on the way he has been playing, it’s just that the Dodgers haven’t faced many left-handed pitchers this season. Kendrick has a .356 wOBA and a .100 ISO against southpaws this season. He draws a favorable matchup tonight against Alex Wood, who has given up a .367 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season.
Secondary Plays:
Scott Van Slyke (FD: $2200, DK: $3300)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 89 — wOBA: 0.330 — ISO: 0.186 — wRC+: 112
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 246 — wOBA: 0.343 — ISO: 0.135 — wRC+: 122
Alex Guerrero (FD: $2900, DK: $2800)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 3B/OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 85 — wOBA: 0.389 — ISO: 0.304 — wRC+: 151
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 13 — wOBA: 0.000 — ISO: 0.000 — wRC+: -100