Monthly Archives: April 2016
Who Owned Baseball April 22, 2016 (Daily MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES
Curtis Granderson hit two homers, including a grand slam, and added another hit to lead the Mets past Atlanta, 6-3.
Mookie Betts singled, doubled and tripled twice to spark the Red Sox to a 6-2 victory in Houston.
Jeff Samardzija pitched into the 8th, finishing with 1 earned run over 7 2/3 innings. He also singled and doubled, driving in 3 to help the Giants snap a skid and top the Marlins, 8-1.
Jose Quintana threw 7 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits and earned the 5-0 win for the White Sox against Texas.
They all owned baseball on April 22, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
MLB DFS Picks For FanDuel – 4/23/16
Bryce Harper has finally come of age as a budding superstar in the league with 42 HRs in the 2015 season – which tied him for the NL Lead. He may be capable of launching up a 50 HR season in his career really soon, and has 8 HRs and 22 RBI though the Nats first 16 Games Played so far. He is averaging 14.6 PPG on FanDuel, and will be a part of any roster I fill out as the main player, unless an awesome Lefty is opposed to him like Kershaw or Bumgarner. Using a guy like Michael Taylor to offset the $ is always a good move, or another lateral player that hits 1 – 4 in any lineup and is in the $2500 – $2900 range.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 Follow @mlbreports
I will open up by saying that most good fantasy players will play several lineup entries into the contests. To save face, all of us also will put at least one roster up that takes Coors Field into consideration.
This website knows all to well what the home ballpark in Colorado does for the hitter. How about hitting .315 as a BA for positional hitters for the Rockies 0 even in the ‘humidor era’?
All the exposing the balls to that room has done is take away the sick amount of homers that were hit. The spacious outfield is still prone to lots of base knocks.
The reason why I won’t post that lineup is because it won’t help you win any money. The more players that are wagered on (and not unique) makes it unlikely to win any serious money. You must factor it in to just break even though.
On Saturday, I am loving using Michael Wacha versus San Diego. Maybe he will have better success against the Padres than his fellow chucker Adam Wainwright had.
With savings to the lineup placed forth by putting in a Danny Espinosa, and creative other value priced Nats in Michael Taylor, we are able to secure Bryce Harper. I love adding Taylor to offset Harper’s $5900 price tag. With him leading off a lot, it provides decent chances to at least provide value.
As for the Catcher, I can always switch out before the lineup locks should Matt Wieters not be confident in starting (he never played Friday). Stephen Vogt, Francisco Cervelli or Miguel Montero would be all right to take the spot. Read the rest of this entry
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 4/23/16
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com)
Follow @dynasty_digest Follow @mlbreports4
P – Michael Wacha (vs. San Diego Padres): $8,900. This is by far the best pitching match-up on the daily fantasy slate for Saturday. Wacha is averaging 15.5 points per game this year on Draft Kings, so he is a pretty solid option.
He is facing the San Diego Padres, whom is the 29th worst offense in baseball. In the one game that Wacha threw against the Padres in his career, he absolutely dominated them. In 28 at bats, he held them to a .107 opposing batting average, 3 hits, and 7 strikeouts.
Wacha will be traveling to San Diego for this game, but their stadium is very pitcher-friendly, so this is good news for Wacha. In 2016, he has a 1-0 record, in 16.1 innings pitched, 2.76 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and only 3 walks.
P – Jhoulys Chacin (vs. New York Mets): $6,400. Chacin has been a strikeout machine in his first two starts this year. In 11.1 innings pitched, he has a 2.38 ERA, 14 strikeouts, and 0 walks.
His first two games came against two tough offenses, the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins, and he took care of business. He faces a Mets offense on Saturday that has really struggled in 2016.
The Mets are ranked as the 26th worst offense in Major League Baseball. New York also have the 9th most offensive strikeouts, 134, which could be a great source of points for Chacin on Saturday.
Chacin could give up 3-4 runs on Saturday, but his first two starts suggest he should continue to rack up strikeouts and limit his walks. All signs point towards the RHP having a pretty good game and he is only $6,400.
To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:
SEE THE REST OF THE PICKS
Josh Robbins’ MLB DFS Picks For FanDuel – 4/22/16
Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) Follow @Qualcomm98
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Hi, my name is Josh Robbins. I would like to share my Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) strategy with you throughout the MLB season during weekdays. Fanduel is my preferred game of skill.
Welcome to the 3rd week of the 2016 MLB season.
3-Strikes: Here’s what you expect from my daily articles:
My Top 3 Starting Pitchers (aces, mid-level, bargain)
My Top 3 Stacking Options (multiple players from the same team)
My Top 3 BVP (Batter vs. Pitcher) Options
Read the rest of this entry
The Week That Was In Audio/Video Casting In The BBBA
The 3nd week is well underway, and we had some great shows to listen to over the last week – courtesy of the following BBBA shows.
Sully Baseball talked about the passing of Prince, the horrible uniforms of the D’backs, and the lunacy of specialty MLB Hats On certain Days. Sully also interviews Stacey Gotsulias about the Yankees and around the league. He pulled no punches in addressing the Curt Schilling fiasco. And how sure hall of famers to be 5 years ago are not now.
Hall Of Very Good Interviewed Bobblehead Hall Of Fame founder Phil Sklar
“BBA Live” Broke down the weeks worth of action.
Jays From the Couch The guys wondered about the 1st base tandem, and also the lineup configuration with Michael Saunders.
Pirates Breakdown PBC talked about the recent acquisition of Justin Masterson, and what they need to do keep up in the NL Central with the Cubs
Gateway to Baseball Heaven weighed in on the recent Jaime Garcia pitching gem, what the squad will do when Ruben Tejada comes back, and are still worried about Adam Wainwright
MLB This Week discussed the Jacob deGrom family matters and more technology with the games being streamed. Also how a family was thrown out of a ballpark.
You can either click all of these links for the individual shows, are just scroll down past to listen to them on this post.
To see all of the updates live as they happen every week click here.
Former Padres Prospect Pete Kelich’s TJ Story: The Ups, Downs, And Turnarounds Of Tommy John Rehab
Pete Kelich (Special Guest Writer, Former MiLB Prospect, visit his site tommyjohninsider.com)
Follow @whytommyjohn Follow @mlbreports
My name is Pete Kelich and I am a former minor league pitcher with the San Diego Padres. I had Tommy John surgery in May of 2014 – and navigated my way to a successful recovery. My goal is to help others that are going through the same obstacle with insight into my personal experience.
Check out www.tommyjohninsider.com for more information. My objective of this blog is to highlight setbacks during Tommy John rehab and the importance of dealing with them in the right way.
The Mental Roller Coaster
The most difficult part of Tommy John rehab is understanding that there WILL BE some bumps along the way. Unfortunately, TJ surgery has one of the longer and more intricate recovery processes already. So combined with the inevitable distractions and setbacks, it can really be a difficult rehabilitation to get through mentally and emotionally.
Part of the reason why it can be such a mental and emotional roller coaster is the fact that as a player, you want to be out on the field doing what you love. You continue to see your friends or co-workers lacing up their spikes each day and after a while, that gets to be frustrating.
For me personally, it wasn’t a jealousy issue at all. It was purely the fact that I wanted to be playing the game I loved.
To put a positive spin on this topic, what sitting out for over a year will do for you is really make you appreciate each and every time you are able to lace them up.
While going through rehab and the early stages of the rehab throwing program, I realized how much I took for granted.
Even more so, I realized the importance of making each throw count and being smart during throwing sessions. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 22, 2016
JAMIE SABAU/GETTY IMAGES
Thoughts on a wild night of baseball including a no hitter, a few sweeps and a dumb loss in Fenway
It is a second time as good as the first on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Kris Bryant, Edinson Volquez, Robinson Cano, Erick Aybar, Matt Wisler, Colby Rasmus and obviously Jake Arrieta all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.
See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports
Chicago Cubs Win Runs Scoring Survivor 2016 – Then Shutout Reds To Knock Them Out Of MLB Shutout Survivor
John Minchillo – AP
Chuck Booth (MLB Reports Majority Owner/Lead Analyst)
Follow @chuckbooth3024 Follow @mlbreports
Jake Arrieta through his 2nd no hitter in just 12 regular season starts, and effectively eliminated Cincinnati from the quest to be the last team blanked in the MLB.
The Reds will finish no worse than 13th.
Chicago also wrapped up the MLB Runs Scoring Survivor when the Marlins failed to tally either 8 or 9 runs in their 5 – 1 win vs the Nats Thursday. There are still plenty of things to look forward to in the contest, including who is the last to complete the journey.
What Runs Survivor is: A MLB team scoring 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or (10+) in different games throughout the course of the season.
Once a club has one of these run totals once, you cross it off and keep going until they complete the 11 different variations.
A Bold Italic illustrates it has been done for runs by the club. We are also doing the MLB Shutout Survivor as well.
Read the rest of this entry
MLB DFS Picks For FanDuel – 4/22/16
Longoria has bashed 6 HRs in 64 career AB vs CC Sabathia, and is the bargain of the night at just $2900 on FanDuel.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 Follow @mlbreports
Coming off a No hitter in Cincinnati on Thursday, I love the Cubs to continue their dominance over the Reds this weekend. While I would say that Chicago will win the game handedly, the prices are just too high for some of the hitters.
I love picking Bryce Harper in any lineup right now. You always know he will walk even if he doesn’t club the ball out of the yard. I am calling for a stack against the Twins Kyle Gibson.
I also went with 3 Baltimore Orioles vs Chris Young in KC – who is yet to his stride this year.
Chris Davis has got to be the best play in the Majors besides Bryce Harper tomorrow. He should get some lemons to hit over the wall.
I love playing Matt Moore against the struggling Yankees lineup. Their Left Handed hitters like Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner should have a tough time.
The Rays chucker has not allowed a HR to New York’s hitters through 54 AB. Meanwhile, the Rays should be able to score versus an aging CC Sabathia.
Evan Longoria has feasted on the man, and Logan Forsythe has a great short history versus him as well. Read the rest of this entry
Who Owned Baseball April 21, 2016 (Daily MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
John Minchillo – AP
Jake Arrieta threw his second career no hitter, striking out 6 Reds batters while sealing the 16-0 masterpiece for the Cubs.
Kris Bryant helped seal the no hit victory with four hits including two homers and six RBI to lead the Cubs blistering attack 16-0 over the Reds.
Edinson Volquez threw 7 shutout innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 walk and earned the 4-0 decision for the Royals over Detroit.
Robinson Cano went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI including a dramatic 3 run 2 out 10th inning homer that was the difference in Seattle’s 10-7 win in Cleveland.
They all owned baseball on April 21, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 4/22/16
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest Follow @mlbreports
P – Aaron Nola (vs. Milwaukee Brewers) $8,300. Rather than picking an elite pitcher and a low/mid tier guy (which I typically do), I’m sticking with two very solid mid-tier options.
Aaron Nola has been very impressive this year despite his high ERA. In 19 innings pitched, he has 23 strikeouts, a 5.68 ERA, but he owns a 3.14 FIP. His low FIP shows that his ERA is very inflated and shouldn’t reflect his performance early in the season.
He has a great strikeout rate and he is facing a very weak Milwaukee Brewers offense.
The Brewers have the 5th most strikeouts in Major League Baseball, so there is a great chance Nola will capitalize on the swing and misses of the Brewers on Friday.
P – Aaron Sanchez (vs. Oakland A’s): $7,200. Sanchez has started 2016 on a very impressive hot streak. In 20 innings pitched, he has a 1.35 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and 7 walks.
His walk rate could hurt you a little bit, but at this price, I think he is worth it. He is facing the 25th worst offense in baseball on Friday.
While the Oakland A’s don’t strikeout much (113 strikeouts, which is 11th best in the MLB), they do struggle to take a walk (only 37 walks, which ranks as the 5th worst rate in the MLB).
Since Sanchez’s kryptonite has been his walk rate in his career, this statistic could work to his favor on Friday. If he can limit the walks, he could be a very solid daily fantasy option.
To view the rest of the picks, click the link below:
SEE THE REST OF THE PICKS
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Jake Arrieta, April 21 2016 )
John Minchillo – AP
FIRST NO HITTER OF THE YEAR!!
Evidently Jake Arrieta and Max Scherzer are the only pitchers allowed to throw no hitters! Well, Arrieta was given plenty of run support and earned it with his second masterpiece in less than a year.
Who knows? Maybe it will be a magic year for the Cubs.
It is time to update my list!
Odds To Win The MLB 2016 World Series + Best And Worst Bets
The Mets made it to the World Series in 2015 after a subpar start heading into the Trade Deadline. With a ton of pitching and some decent positional players still on the roster, they could set themselves up for a lengthy run in the NL East. Especially if they can coordinate a couple of trades near the Trade Deadline. While they may have started slow, the bats are alive and well, and the rotation should come around soon. They are this week’s best odd.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_Hunter21
Follow The MLBreports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Nationals asserted themselves on this leaderboard thanks to a quick start. They were my 2nd best bet last week at +1100. Now the odd at +650 is not worth any money at all.
Since Washington was able to play so well, this has created the perfect storm to put some more cash on the Mets. At +1300, New York is just begging for a wager.
The strength of schedule to which the Nats have played has definitely factored in. 2 series versus the Braves and Marlins and one against the Phillies already, Dusty Baker‘s club has had about a ‘cupcake itinerary’ as you possibly could find.
It gets better for the District’s squad, as they go home for another series with Philadelphia – that comes on the heels of a weekend Interleague series versus the Twins.
If Washington wins those 2 series, they should be about 15 or 16 wins after 22 games. They should cement themselves in the playoffs with an easy NL East opponents schedule all year. I just want to see them play some tougher clubs.
The Mets offense has sprung to life behind the backs of Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, David Wright and Michael Conforto. When the Pitching Rotation settles in a little bit, they should take off.
While Washington is leading the Division, they have yet to face the NL reigning pennant winners. The division win could come down to the 19 contests between the two clubs.
Terry Collins‘ team has 16 straight games versus squads with losing records. While the Giants are capable of contending all year, New York should be able to match them well for pitching. Read the rest of this entry
The Numbers Behind John Jaso’s Early Success
Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Baseball Writer/Owner – piratesbreakdown.com) Follow @pbcbreakdown Follow @mlbreports
To say nothing of his more-than-capable defense at first base, John Jaso has been a revelation at the top spot in the batting order for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
John Jaso has put up some solid slash lines over his career, so it should not come as much of a surprise that he currently carries a .414 on-base percentage as part of an .897 OPS.
How has Jaso been able to acclimate himself so quickly and effectively to the top of the Pirates’ lineup?
A Solid Foundation
For Jaso, his propensity for quality plate appearances starts with the first pitch.
His F-Strike percentage (percentage of plate appearances that start with a strike) clocks in at 53.3 percent. That figure represents the third-best on the club, behind Starling Marte (52.5) and Gregory Polanco (51.6). While the importance of first-pitch strikes has been debated in recent years, good things happen for Jaso on a 1-0 count. More on that later.
In looking a bit deeper at what Jaso is actually seeing on the first pitch, the four-seam fastball is seen the most at 46 percent. It likely may not even matter what type of pitch Jaso sees first, as chances are it won’t be anywhere near the strike zone.
His Zone % (percentage of pitches seen in the strike zone) is 47.8 percent, which is not significant on its own until coupled with his O-Swing % (percentage of pitches outside of the zone that a batter swings at).
Jaso’s O-Swing percentage clocks at 16.5 percent, nearly two-thirds better than the league average of 30 percent. Incredibly, he isn’t even the best on this Pirates team in this regard. That honor belongs to David Freese and his 15.7 percent clip. Regardless, Jaso’s rate is fourth-best in the National League for anyone with 50 or more plate appearances.
The foundation that Jaso lays in his plate appearances almost feels as if he dictates to pitchers how the PA will go. He absolutely refuses to chase anything out of the zone, and such an approach can force an opposing pitcher to offer something he may not necessarily want to offer on the next pitch, which usually comes at a 1-0 count.
READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY.
Strong Player Starts (And Not) From Around The League: American League Central
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Shane Kay (Featured BBBA Baseball Writer/Owner – sonsof84tigers.mlblogs.com) Follow @sonsof84tigers Follow @mlbreports
We move on to the AL Central for our next installment of looking around the league.
Chicago White Sox
Hot
Adam Eaton, OF – The offense is struggling quite a bit, with Eaton leading the team in hitting with a respectable .327 avg, however, also leading the team with a .787 OPS is a different story
Mat Latos, SP – Latos once very promising career, looks like it may be back on track in Chiacago, as he is 3-0, with a 0.49 ERA in 3 starts with 6 hits allowed, 5 walks, and 11 K’s, to go with a .097 avg against and 0.60 WHIP
Chris Sale, SP – Finally, a star player off to a good start! Sale is 4 – 0, with a 1.79 ERA, has 26 K’s, a .162 avg against and 0.667 WHIP
READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY.
Milwaukee Brewers Notes For Week 3 Of MLB Action
Chris Zantow (Featured BBBA Baseball Writer/Owner – chriszantowauthor.wordpress.com) Follow @zantow_chris Follow @mlbreports
In last week’s Milwaukee Brewers post I touched on the new plate patience philosophy from manager Craig Counsell. So far, so good. Going into Wednesday’s game with Minnesota, the Brew Crew had a team total of 54 walks, good for third in the National League behind Pittsburgh and Chicago.
As individuals, every regular position player has drawn at least one walk with second baseman Scooter Gennett leading the way with nine. Also mentioned in the previous post is the new plate approach from “all or nothing” basher Chris Carter. He’s drawn six walks so far and had an on base percentage of .340 prior to yesterday’s contest.
Right now the increased .OBP is an important stat for the team as these guys really aren’t hitting – the team batting average is just .215 while the collective .OBP is .304 – a whopping 94 points higher.
READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY
All-Undervalued Team: Who are the MLB’s Most Under-Appreciated Players?
The Diamondbacks set themselves up for the bargain of the MLB when they signed Goldschmidt to a 5 YRs/$32 MIL deal a long time ago. The slugging 1B will only make $40 MIL over the next 4 years – which is a huge reason why the club is in such great financial position to contend right now. He would easily be worth $30 MIL+ a year on the open market right now.
Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) Follow @mmusico8 Follow @mlbreports
The concept of being undervalued on the baseball field can mean different things to different people. The following players are, without a doubt, viewed as important – and most of them, crucial – pieces to the puzzle if their respective teams plan on contending in 2016.
But when it comes to public perception and the amount of media coverage popular players like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw get over others, there are some legitimately good ballplayers who don’t get nearly enough attention. So, I put together a starting lineup with a player from each position that I think deserves more love than they’re currently getting.
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Strong Player Starts (And Not) From Around The League: National League West
CARGO’s battering mate Nolan Arenado emerged as the premiere 3B in the National League in 2015 3 Slashing .287/.323/.575 – with a league leading 42 HRs and 130 RBI. At 24 next year, he is coming off both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger year. Can he hold on until the club becomes competitive before losing his patience with the organization? He is off to another torrid start this season – after being conamed MLB Player of the week 2 for the NL – clubbing 6 HRs in a full weeks worth of games.
Shane Kay (Featured BBBA Baseball Writer/Owner – sonsof84tigers.mlblogs.com) Follow @sonsof84tigers Follow @mlbreports
Moving on from both the National League and American League Central divisions yesterday, we focus on the west today, starting with the NL West, where some unlikely trends are starting to form and surprise players are carrying teams.
Colorado Rockies
Hot
Trevor Story, SS – Story is coming back down to earth after homering in 4 straight to start the season and in 5 of his first 6 games. Teams are starting to figure him out, although he’s still hitting .274 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 8 homers to go with 1.071 OPS. The downside; however is that pitchers have found holes and have struck Trevor out 25 times
Carlos Gonzalez, OF – Nolan Arenado could go here with his 6 dingers and 16 RBI, however CarGo’s average of .367 is what gets him in to this spot, which includes 5 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 11 RBI to go with the 1.099 OPS
READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY
MLB DFS Picks For FanDuel – 4/21/16
James Shields continued to be one of the most durable starters in the Major Leagues during the 2015 season – putting forth his 9th straight 200+ Innings year. He went 13 – 7, with a 3.91 ERA. The is 34, and could opt out after the season next year with a clause in his contract. The Padres should look to trade him if a deal comes along with value. Shields could still fit the bill for several contending teams. It also might be a cheaper alternative if he pitches well, if he decides to reenter the open market in a down 2016 winter for chuckers. Shields has $65 MIL guaranteed over the next 3 years. Not bad for a guy who has a 127 – 97 record with a 3.74 ERA heading into 2016 – including 9 straight years of double digit wins to his credit.
Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) Follow @Qualcomm98
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Hi, my name is Josh Robbins. I would like to share my Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) strategy with you throughout the MLB season during weekdays. Fanduel is my preferred game of skill.
Welcome to the 3rd week of the 2016 MLB season.
3-Strikes: Here’s what you expect from my daily articles:
My Top 3 Starting Pitchers (aces, mid-level, bargain)
My Top 3 Stacking Options (multiple players from the same team)
My Top 3 BVP (Batter vs. Pitcher) Options Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 21, 2016
Getty Images
Curt Schilling has become that friend you can no longer defend on Facebook. Meanwhile some positive surprises for the Red Sox and negative ones for the Giants have popped up early.
I watch my tongue on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Chris Sale, Mookie Betts, Chris Carter, Carlos Martinez, Danny Salazar, Madison Bumgarner, Michael Saunders and Lucas Duda all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.
See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports
Who Owned Baseball April 20, 2016 (Daily MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune
Chris Sale allowed 2 hits and 1 unearned run over 7 innings and led the White Sox to a 2-1 defeat of the Angels.
Mookie Betts reached base 4 times, including a homer and a stolen base, scoring three and driving in two and helped the Red Sox top the Rays. 7-3.
Carlos Martinez threw 7 strong innings against the Cubs, letting up just one earned run and earned the 5-3 decision for St. Louis.
Chris Carter homered and doubled, driving in thee as Brewers clobbered the Twins, 10-5.
They all owned baseball on April 20, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Chicago Cubs Will Win MLB Runs Scoring Survivor 2016 – Unless Miami Pulls Off A Miracle
With MLB Runs Scoring Survivor 2016 just getting off the ground, the Cubs have set a record by completing all of their different runs variations from (0 – 10) in only 15 games.
That is 11 combinations of scores. This is impressive for the young squad.
The Marlins have taken out 9 of their totals in 13 contests, and will need to score run marks of 8 and 9 runs respectively over the course of the next 2 days.
If Miami were able to accomplish this incredible task, they would claim victory in this category. As a tiebreaker for clubs locked at the same amount of games, is the runs tallied in your final scenario completed.
Max Scherzer will take the hill against “The Fish” on Thursday, so I wouldn’t put money on the Marlins going much over 3 runs plated.
Even when we crown the winner we wont stop posting the totals until all teams are finished tacking off their combinations. After all there will be an ultimate loser too.
What Runs Survivor is: A MLB team scoring 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or (10+) (in different games throughout the course of the season).
We are also running MLB Shutout Survivor, where we monitor who is the last club to be zeroed on the year. There are 12 teams still alive as of Apr 19, 2016.
To keep track of the Survivor Pools on a daily basis click here
2016 Chicago Cubs Game Results. (15 games for 11 variations)
| Mon, Apr 4 |
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1-0 | Arrieta (1-0) | Richards (0-1) | 1/11 | ||
| Tues, Apr 5 |
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2-0 | Lester (1-0) | Heaney (0-1) | 2/11 | ||
| THm Apr 7 |
|
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3-0 | Lackey (1-0) | De La Rosa (0-1) | 3/11 | |
| FRI, Apr 8 |
|
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3-1 | Ziegler (1-0) | Cahill (0-1) | 4/11 | |
| Sat, Apr 9 |
|
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4-1 | Hendricks (1-0) | Greinke (0-2) | Rondon (1) | 5/11 |
| Sun, Apr 10 |
|
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5-1 | Arrieta (2-0) | Miller (0-1) | 6/11 | |
| Mon, Apr 11 |
|
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6-1 | Warren (1-0) | Cingrani (0-1) | Rondon (2) | 7/11 |
| Wed, Apr 13 |
|
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7-1 | Lackey (2-0) | Simon (0-1) | Repeat total | 7/11 |
| Thu, Apr 14 |
|
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8-1 | Hammel (1-0) | Iglesias (1-1) | 8/11 | |
| Fri, Apr 15 |
|
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8-2 | Bettis (2-0) | Hendricks (1-1) | 9/11 | |
| Sat, Apr 16 |
|
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9-2 | Arrieta (3-0) | Bergman (0-2) | repeat total | 9/11 |
| Sun, Apr 17 |
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9-3 | Chatwood (2-1) | Lester (1-1) | McGee (3) | 10/11 |
| Mon, Apr 18 |
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10-3 | Lackey (3-0) | Leake (0-2) | Repeat total | 10/11 | |
| Tue, Apr 19,
Repeat total |
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11-3 | Hammel (2-0) | Garcia (1-1) | Rondon (3) | 10/11 | |
| Wed, Apr 20 |
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11-4 | Martinez (3-0) | Hendricks (1-2) | Rosenthal (4) | 11/11 |
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 4/21/16
Alex Brandon – AP
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest Follow @mlbreports
P – Clayton Kershaw (vs. Atlanta Braves): $13,600. Kershaw comes at a steep price, but he is well worth it. There are tons of great pitching match-ups on Thursday, but Kershaw is the most sure bet.
When looking at other big match-ups, they didn’t quite match-up to Kershaw’s potential performance.
Dallas Keuchel has really struggled against the Rangers when playing in Arlington, Jake Arrieta has been crushed in his career when pitching at Cincinnati, and Max Scherzer has struggled at times against the Miami Marlins.
While there seems to be at least one red flag in all of the match-ups I mentioned, Kershaw pitching against the Braves is a match-up made in heaven.
In 88 at bats against Kershaw, the Braves lineup is hitting .148 with 34 strikeouts. In 3 starts this year, Kershaw has thrown 22 innings (averaging more than 7 innings per game) with a 1.64 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and only 2 walks.
These numbers are absolutely elite for daily fantasy.
P – Ricky Nolasco (vs. Milwaukee Brewers): $6,600. Nolasco is a boom or bust option. He is either going to give up 6 runs in the first… or he is going to strikeout 10 over 7 innings.
He is a hard guy to understand, but it is hard not to love him versus the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.
The Brewers have the 26th best offense in Major League Baseball and it doesn’t look like that will be improving anytime soon.
Milwaukee have aready struck out 128 times this year, which ranks as the fifth worst in Major League Baseball.
After spending so much on Kershaw, it was necessary to take a price cut on the second pitcher, and Nolasco provides the most hope out of cheap options.
To see the rest of the picks for 4/21, click the link below:
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What Is Making The 2016 Dodgers Tick?
Emily Siskin-Toy (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – behindenemylines32.blogspot.com) Follow @3BugBooks Follow @mlbreports
They’ve only been at it for about two weeks, but I really like the way the Dodgers are playing ball this season. Led by rookie manager Dave Roberts, the Dodgers look and feel and act like a TEAM.
Pardon me if I am excited by something that should be a given in this sport, but the Dodgers haven’t played as a 25-man unit since the last time they won the World Series in 1988. What’s changed and why? Here are the main reasons so far.
The New Puig
As I mentioned in a Spring Training post, Yasiel Puig came to camp with a whole new outlook, thanks in part to Roberts wiping the slate clean, and also because he needs to prove himself this season.
I also believe his command of English is much better and therefore he feels more a part of the crew. He shed 15 pounds and has that Bo Jackson-like speed back, running the bases like a bull and getting to every outfield ball.
The difference is that he is playing with that fire again, but under control.
He is hitting the cut-off guy, taking extra bases with a bit more care, and waiting for good pitches to hit. The result is just the kind of start the Dodgers needed him to have (.356 avg., .442 OBP, 9 runs scored, 5 RBIs) to spark the team like only he can.
Ki-ké, Ki-ké, Ki-ke (Enrique Hernandez)
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‘BBA Live’ Podcast – Year 2 Ep #9 – MLB Wk 3 ’16: Harper Is Still The MVP – Mets Bats Wake Up + News ALL Over
BBA Live is the flagship Podcast of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance since 2015.
Hosts Ricky Keeler Follow @rickinator555
& AC Wayne Follow @publicrecord
BBA Live! is in its second season. Listen in as AC Wayne is again joined by Ricky Keeler of Yanks Go Yard and District On Deck (Nats). Tonight, we talk about hot stats, the craziness of how good Bryce Harper is. The Mets are clubbing around the Phillies. News all over the league.
Follow and subscribe to the podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mets-public-record
A casual look at Major League Baseball and The New York Mets. Call-in! #347-326-9300
Balk This Ump! Andy Green Gets His $300 Worth After Ejection
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest Follow @mlbreports
Last night, during the San Diego Padres versus the Pittsburgh Pirates game, things got a little heated after a controversial call. With runners on second and third base, Padres’ pitcher, Colin Rea, began his windup.
During his windup, Andrew McCutchen sprinted down the third base line to distract Rea, who sped up his windup towards home plate in fear that McCutchen was trying to steal home.
The Pirates’ bench erupted as they demanded the umpires call a balk against Rea, which they did. McCutchen touched home plate to go up 2-0 in the third inning.
After the decision to call a balk, the umpires then decided to overturn the call and made the runners return to their previously occupied base.
This decision was made after the umpires discussed that Rea was going from the full windup and there is no rule against speeding up your windup in order to release the ball faster, meaning there is no balk call.
Pittsburgh’s manager, Clint Hurdle, then came out of the dugout and demanded they talk this situation over again. After a third time of talking, the umpires the reversed the reversal of the call and signaled for McCuthen to advance and score off of the balk.
This decision was made after the umpires discussed the fact that Rea’s back foot jumped off the back of the rubber during his pitching motion, which constitutes a balk.
It’s fair to say that the Padres’ manager, Andy Green, was not very happy with this decision. To see his reaction and the balk, click the link below:
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Strong Player Starts (And Not) From Around The League: American League East
Shane Kay (Featured BBBA Baseball Writer/Owner – sonsof84tigers.mlblogs.com) Follow @sonsof84tigers Follow @mlbreports
Monday we explored hot (and not) starts from players around the National League East, with Bryce Harper leading the way. Today we focus on the American League East and who is off to blazing starts and exploring to find those that are not.
Baltimore Orioles
Hot
Mark Trumbo, OF – Trumbo has already hit 5 homers in 11 games for Baltimore and is hitting .386 with 11 RBI, and 1.163 OPS to this point
Manny Machado, 3B – Machado is just a little less hot than Trumbo, as he has started off with a .383 average, 4 homers, 4 doubles, 5 RBI, and a 1.155 OPS
Not
Chris Davis, 1B – Yes, Davis has hit 5 home runs and I guess it can be said he is making the most of his 9 hits, but he is hitting just .225 and has struck out 16 times so far.
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Strong Player Starts (And Not) From Around The League: National League Central
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Shane Kay (Featured BBBA Baseball Writer/Owner – sonsof84tigers.mlblogs.com) Follow @sonsof84tigers Follow @mlbreports
Continuing on look at hot starts from around the league, we move on from the AL East to the National League Central where we see a bunch of exciting starts from teams and players as well as some very slow starts from key stars.
Chicago Cubs
Hot
Dexter Fowler, OF – Fowler has done a great job helping the a struggling offense with his team leading .378 average, 10 runs scored, 3 homers (tied with Rizzo), 9 walks (tied with Rizzo), and a 1.211 OPS
Cubs Starting Pitchers – The offense is sputtering, but the pitching is thriving right now.
All 5 starters have allowed a total of 21 runs 13 starts (combined 2.18 ERA), Jason Hammel and Jake Arrieta have batting averages against of .195 and Jon Lester has hitters baffled with a .183 avg against.
Oh, and WHIP…a combined 0.969, which is led by Arrieta at 0.77 and Lester at 0.84
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Five Minor League Prospects Who Will Be Fantasy Baseball Stars In 2016 And Beyond
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest Follow @mlbreports
1. Lucas Giolito (RHP; 21 Years Old; Washington Nationals): Giolito is commonly known as the top pitching prospect in the minor leagues. After recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2012, he has done nothing but impress every baseball scout, fan, and especially the Washington Nationals organization.
Since his surgery, he has thrown 261 innings, with a 2.58 ERA, 83 walks (2.9 per nine innings), and 288 strikeouts (9.9 per nine innings). While his numbers are great, his physical projection is what makes him an elite prospect.
Giolotu stands 6’6 and weighs 255 pounds. His body-type projects for a hard fastball, a nasty slider, and an exciting future. He throws his fastball in the mid to high 90’s and compliments that with one of the most elite breaking balls in the minor leagues.
Assuming he can stay healthy, he has the ability to be a top 10 pitcher at his prime. He should get a promotion to the big leagues in 2016, but the Nationals will limit his innings this year as his career high (in 2015) is only 117 innings.
Before you know it, Giolito will be the household name in Washington, not Max Scherzer.
To see the other 4 potential stars, click the link below:
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Bryce Harper Will Sign The Biggest Contract In Major League Baseball History In 2019
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest Follow @mlbreports
Bryce Harper is on a mission in 2016 to prove he is the best player in Major League Baseball.
Heading into the season, many people thought Mike Trout was the best in the game (not me, as you can see my argument in my previous article posted prior to the season:“Fantasy Baseball Dynasty King, Mike Trout or Bryce Harper?”), despite Harper’s incredible 2015 campaign at the age of 22.
During the 2015 season, Harper hit .330 with 42 home runs, 99 RBI’s, 118 runs, 6 stolen bases, and a .460 OBP. Those impressive numbers led to his third all-star appearance, first Silver Slugger Award, and his first National League Most Valuable Player Award. While this season is in the record books,
\Bryce Harper plans to rewrite those exact record books in 2016, as he prepares to sign the most expensive contract in Major League Baseball history in 2019.
To read the rest of the article and see the projection for Harper’s contract in 2019, click the link below:
MLB Reports 
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