MLB Grind Down: Tuesday, August 13th - CIN @ WAS
Cincinnati at Washington – 7:05 PM ET
Wood has struggled as a member of the Reds this season, posting a 4.86 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 18%. He still has good control and a decent ground ball rate, but he is giving up far too much power to warrant consideration in DFS. He’s pitching on the road tonight in Washington with warm and humid weather and a helping wind blowing out to center field. The Nationals’ projected lineup has an average xwOBA of .329 and an average ISO of .180 against left-handed pitching.
Quick Breakdown: Wood should be avoided in cash games and tournaments.
Ross is favored tonight, which says all we need to know about the fantasy appeal of Alex Wood. Ross has been shelled this season, posting a 5.19 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 20% and a walk rate of 19%. He’s giving up more contact and hasn’t been particularly effective against batters from either side of the plate. I mentioned the warm and humid weather expected tonight, which is a boost to both of these offenses. This game features a total of 10.5 runs, which is one of the highest that we’ve seen in this ballpark all season.
Quick Breakdown: Avoid Ross in all formats.
Batter Grind Down
The Reds didn’t exactly live up to expectations last night against Erick Fedde, but they have a chance to redeem themselves tonight against Joe Ross. He has a low strikeout rate, a high walk rate, and he has allowed a .355+ xwOBA and a .140+ ISO to batters from both sides of the plate. Throughout his career, he has struggled mightily against lefties, so I’ll lean toward the likes of Jesse Winker (.355 xwOBA), Joey Votto (.343 xwOBA), and Josh VanMeter (.345 xwOBA). The Reds are cheap and easy to stack, so I don’t mind using Eugenio Suarez and Aristides Aquino in tournaments. Aquino has now hit eight home runs in his first 11 major league games.
Elite Plays – Josh VanMeter, Jesse Winker (GPP), Joey Votto (GPP), Aristides Aquino (GPP)
Secondary Plays – Jesse Winker (Cash), Joey Votto (Cash), Aristides Aquino (Cash), Eugenio Suarez (GPP)
Stackability – YELLOW
Alex Wood was a very good pitcher during his time with the Dodgers, but he has struggled during his time with the Reds. We are still dealing with a small sample size, but he currently has a strikeout rate of only 18% and he has allowed a .350+ xwOBA and a .265+ ISO to batters from both sides of the plate. The Nationals hit southpaws well as a whole and they are easy to stack given the fact that their best hitters play the infield. I don’t mind a full or mini-stack here, as Trea Turner (.330 xwOBA), Anthony Rendon (.427 xwOBA), Juan Soto (.348 xwOBA), Howie Kendrick (.412 xwOBA), and Brian Dozier (.352 xwOBA) all mash left-handed pitching.
Elite Plays – Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, Howie Kendrick (GPP), Brian Dozier (GPP)
Secondary Plays – Howie Kendrick (Cash), Brian Dozier (Cash), Adam Eaton (GPP), Juan Soto (GPP), Yan Gomes (DK)
Stackability – GREEN
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