Category Archives: BBBA Featured Writers

Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/9/16

zz draft kings

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

If you have any questions or comments about this article or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me. I post daily DFS lineups for Draft Kings everyday, so please make sure to follow my blog and my Twitter for updates.

P – Jose Fernandez (vs. Milwaukee Brewers): $11, 300

P – Jose Berrios (vs. Baltimore Orioles): $7, 000

Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/8/16

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

If you have any questions or comments about this article or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me I post daily DFS lineups for Draft Kings everyday, so please make sure to follow my blog and my Twitter for updates.

For those of you who follow my lineups daily, you are used to my explanations on each player. I apologize, but I can’t do that today or tomorrow. My girlfriend is graduating college this weekend and I’m right in the middle of finals week, so it’s a pretty hectic time period. My Draft Kings lineups will be back to normal on Sunday!

P – Jose Quintana (vs. Minnesota Twins): $10,600

P – Justin Nicolino (vs. Philadelphia Phillies): $5,300

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/7/16

chris sale

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

If you have any questions or comments about this article or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me I post daily DFS lineups for Draft Kings everyday, so please make sure to follow my blog and my Twitter for updates.

For those of you who follow my lineups daily, you are used to my explanations on each player. I apologize, but I can’t do that today or tomorrow. My girlfriend is graduating college this weekend and I’m right in the middle of finals week, so it’s a pretty hectic time period. My Draft Kings lineups will be back to normal on Sunday!

P – Chris Sale (vs. Minnesota Twins): $12,900

P – Jered Weaver (vs. Tampa Bay Rays): $6,900

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

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Mission Impossible: Solving Jake Arrieta

His historic 2015 season, which culminated in receiving the NL Cy Young Award, was mind boggling from a statistical standpoint, especially the last two months of the season. During that stretch, which included 12 starts, he allowed just four earned runs in 84 IP (.41 ERA). Batters had a .182 OBP against Arrieta during the last two months of the season.

His historic 2015 season, which culminated in receiving the NL Cy Young Award, was mind boggling from a statistical standpoint, especially the last two months of the season. During that stretch, which included 12 starts, he allowed just four earned runs in 84 IP (.41 ERA). Batters had a .182 OBP against Arrieta during the last two months of the season.

(Featured BBBA Website – bucsraiseit.com) 

So far in 2016,  Jake Arrieta has picked up right where he left off last season.  He already has a no-hitter under his belt this season (just nine starts clear of his no-hitter from last season).

Is there a way to solve Arrieta?  I mean, no one certainly has shown that is even a remote possibility, but let’s take a look a bit further at what makes him so good, and see if we can draw any logical conclusions.

Diving into the numbers a bit further, it’s easy to see why Arrieta is so tough.  

In looking at his batted ball statistics, you will see a stark difference between 2015/16 (when seemingly out of no where became the best pitcher in baseball) and his previous seasons in the big leagues, where he found marginal success.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates Are Not A Shifty Bunch

pirates+logo

Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – piratesbreakdown.com) 

Pittsburgh are shifting less in 2016 and their pitching is worse. Are these two related?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have earned a reputation around the league of being a very analytical front office and with good reason. The use of FIP and xFIP to find value starting pitching is well known, but the shift is where the Pirates really earned their stripes as a numbers-centric team.

From 2013-2015, the Pirates shifted a total of 2,446 times, which was good for third in all of baseball behind only the Houston Astros and the Tampa Bay Rays, two teams with sabermetric driven front offices of their own.

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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/6/16

danny salazar

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

If you have any questions or comments about this article or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me I post daily DFS lineups for Draft Kings everyday, so please make sure to follow my blog and my Twitter for updates.

P – Noah Syndergaard (vs. San Diego Padres): $12,900. This is a no brainer, even at this steep price. Syndergaard is one of the best pitchers in baseball and he is facing the worst offense in baseball.

To top it all off, he is facing this offense in a pitcher’s park. In his first 5 starts, he has thrown 32.1 innings, with a 2.51 ERA, 44 strikeouts, and only 6 walks. Keep an eye on this game though because there is a good chance of rain.

Syndergaard is averaging 26.1 points per game on Draft Kings this season.

P – Danny Salazar (vs. Kansas City Royals): $8,800. Salazar’s price has dropped, but his value continues to rise. He will be facing the Royals offense on Friday, but they haven’t been great this season.

They currently rank as the 16th best offense in the Major Leagues. Also, the weather is in Salazar’s favor. There is a 10 MPH wind towards home plate, which means baseballs should stay in the park.

In 175 at bats against Salazar, the Royals’ lineup is only batting .234, with 42 strikeouts. Salazar is currently averaging 21.6 points per game on Draft Kings this season.

Click the link below to see the rest of the picks:

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Josh Robbins MLB Daily Fantasy Picks (DFS) For FanDuel – 5/5/16

fanduel

Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter

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 5th 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

‘BBA Live’ Podcast – Year 2 Ep #11 – MLB Wk 5 ’16:

Ricky Keeler and AC Wayne host the flagship podcast of the BBBA!

BBBA Live is the flagship Podcast of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance since 2015.

Hosts Ricky Keeler

& AC Wayne

BBBA 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).

Yankees are struggling and may have to reel off a bunch of wins soon or risk being a seller near the Trade Deadline.

Meanwhile the Mets are hardly losing at all. 

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

6 Big Disappointments So Far During The 2016 MLB Season

Photo - David J. Phillip. USA Today Sports

Photo – David J. Phillip. USA Today Sports

Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) 

One month does not a baseball season make, but it still doesn’t mean we’re not pulling our hair out due to incredibly sluggish starts from normally dependable players.

As the calendar flips to May, those small sample sizes we’ve been talking about are getting big enough to become a legitimate concern.

With five months left on the regular-season schedule, there’s still plenty of time to turn things around, but it’ll take longer for stats to return to career norms.

Based on 2015 and what happened throughout the winter months, there were a bunch of players expected to make a significant impact on the field.

Now that April is in the books, we can see the opposite has happened. Here are six big disappointments so far during this young MLB season.

(Joey Votto is a pretty obvious one, so I excluded him on purpose.)

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Tim Lincecum Could Be A Difference Maker For A Rotation In 2016

Tim-Lincecum.0218

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

Tim Lincecum will pitch in front of upwards of 15 to 20 teams on Friday. He has been sidelined since last season due to arthroscopic hip surgery. He has been rehabbing for the last few months, and it looks as if he is finally ready to showcase his talents in front of scouts.

There are reports that he is already throwing in the low 90’s, which is great news for the right-handed pitcher.

As of right now, some of the reported teams who will be in attendance on Friday include the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, and the Baltimore Orioles.

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5 Things About the 2016 Boston Red Sox That Aren’t Being Talked About Enough

boston1

Andrew Martin (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – baseballhistorian.blogspot.com)

 

After finishing the 2015 season in last place, the Boston Red Sox look much better this year, currently on a pace for 93 wins. While some things have gone very well, there are others that have not.

Despite the chatter that seems to perpetually swirl around the team, some things haven’t received the attention they deserve. Here are five of them (keeping in mind the season is only about a sixth of the way over):

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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/5/16

Andrew Savulich - NY Daily News

Andrew Savulich – NY Daily News

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

If you have any questions or comments about this article or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me I post daily DFS lineups for Draft Kings everyday, so please make sure to follow my blog and my Twitter for updates.

P – Kevin Gausman (vs. New York Yankees): $6,900. Gausman was impressive in his first 2 starts in 2016. He will be facing a mediocre, New York Yankees, offense on Thursday.

Due to lack of games on the slate, Gausman’s price is what made him so attractive.

His strikeout potential makes him a decent play on Thursday. This is a bit of a risky pick, but he has showed a lot of promise over his first few starts. He is averaging 16.1 points per game on Draft Kings this season.

P – Jacob deGrom (vs. San Diego Padres): $11,400. deGrom will be facing the worst offensive team in Major League Baseball on Thursday, the San Diego Padres.

He will also be pitching in San Diego’s park, which is known as a pitcher’s park. For those two reasons, he is a must play on Thursday. He is averaging 21.5 points per game on Draft Kings this season.

To see the rest of the picks,  click the link below:

SEE THE REST OF THE PICKS

Josh Robbins’ MLB Daily Fantasy Picks (DFS) For FanDuel – 5/4/16 (Night Slate Of Games)

fanduel

Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter

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 5th 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

Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/4/16

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Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

If you have any questions or comments about this article or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me I post daily DFS lineups for Draft Kings everyday, so please make sure to follow my blog and my Twitter forupdates.

P – Steven Matz (vs. Atlanta Braves): $9,200. He is facing the 25th overall offense in baseball on Wednesday. His strikeout rate against a mediocre offense should be a great play. The wind will also be blowing towards home plate around 10 MPH, so this should limit and potential long balls against Matz.

P – Felix Hernandez (vs. Oakland A’s): $10,700. he is facing the 24th overall offense in baseball on Wednesday. In 275 career at bats against King Felix, the A’s are hitting .229 with a .264 OBP and only 5 home runs.

Based on his B v. P, I think King Felix is a great play on Monday.

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

SEE THE REST OF THE PICKS

Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/3/16

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

If you have any questions or comments about this article or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me I post daily DFS lineups for Draft Kings everyday, so please make sure to follow my blog (dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) and my Twitter for updates.

P – Michael Wacha (vs. Philadelphia Phillies): $9,000. Wacha will be facing the 22nd ranked offense of the Philadelphia Phillies at home on Tuesday.

In Wacha’s first 5 starts, he is 2-1, with a 3.07 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and 9 walks in 29.1 innings. He should thrive in this game since he is pitching against a mediocre offense and he is at home.

P – Matt Harvey (vs. Atlanta Braves): $10,300. Harvey will be facing the 21st ranked offense of the Atlanta Braves at home on Tuesday.

In Harvey’s first 5 starts, he is 2-3, with a 4.76 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and 9 walks in 28.1 innings. His ERA is very inflated considering his FIP is a 3.56.

This matchup is perfect for Harvey to get back to his old self.

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

SEE THE REST OF THE PICKS

Josh Robbins MLB Daily Fantasy Picks (DFS) For FanDuel – 5/2/16

fanduel

Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter

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 5th 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

2016 MLB June Amateur Draft Rankings

a mlb draft

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

The 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft is quickly approaching and it’s time to make the first mock draft a few months out. The draft will be held on June 9th, 2016.

There is still two months until the draft, so these predictions are subject to change. If you have any questions or comments about this article, the draft, or baseball in general, please feel free to Tweet m. 

If you enjoyed this article, please follow my blog for more updates! You can find my top 100 rankings for the upcoming draft below:

  1. Jason Groome (LHP)
  2. Riley Pint (RHP)
  3. A.J. Puk (LHP)
  4. Blake Rutherford (OF)
  5. Forrest Whitley (RHP)

To see the rest of the rankings, click the link below:

SEE THE REST OF THE RANKINGS

Trey Rose: Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/2/16

Johnny Cueto

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

P- Jon Gray (vs. San Diego Padres): $7,900. This is a pretty risky play on Monday, but many factors point towards Gray having a big game.

Gray struggled in his first two starts this season, but they have been against two very tough teams, the Pirates and Dodgers, and they were played at Coors Field.

Coors Field has not been kind to Gray in his 7 career starts at home. In those starts, he has thrown 29.1 innings, with a 9.20 ERA, 52 hits against, 9 walks, and 29 strikeouts.

In 4 career starts on the road, he has thrown 20 innings, with a 2.70 ERA, 16 hits, 8 walks, and 25 strikeouts. Luckily, Gray will be on the road on Monday.

Not only will he be on the road, but he is pitching at a pitcher’s park in San Diego against a mediocre offense. In his only career start versus the Padres, he threw 5 innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts.

Gray’s impressive career strikeout rate (9.5 strikeouts per 9 innings), success on the road, and favorable matchup all point to a great performance on Monday.

P – Johnny Cueto (vs. Cincinnati Reds): $10,800. This start is going to be an emotional one for Cueto. He will be returning to Cincinnati for the first time since he was traded.

He played 8 years in Cincinnati, so the fans will be behind him and I’m sure he wants to put on a show.

Not only will his emotions play a factor, but he is facing one of the worst offenses in Major League Baseball.

The Reds are ranked as the 28th overall offense, which is clearly a huge advantage for Cueto. In Cueto’s first 5 starts in 2016, he is 4-1, with a 2.65 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and only 5 walks.

In his 98 career starts at Cincinnati’s home stadium, he has a 48-22 record, and a 2.91 ERA.

All signs point to a huge day for Cueto on Monday. He is averaging 25 points per game on Draft Kings this season.

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Two – Start Pitchers Week Five Rankings: 5/2 – 5/8

Michelle V. Agins - New York Times

Michelle V. Agins – New York Times

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

Below you can find the two start pitchers for week five (5/2-5/8) and their match-ups. If you have any questions or comments about this article or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me.  If you enjoyed this post, please follow my blog for more updates!

  1. Matt Harvey (vs. ATL/ @ SD)
  2. Dallas Keuchel (vs. MIN/ vs. SEA)
  3. Jake Arrieta (@ PIT/ vs. WAS)
  4. Johnny Cueto (@ CIN/ vs. COL)
  5. Gerrit Cole (vs. CHC/ @ STL)

To see the rest of the rankings, click the link below:

SEE THE REST OF THE RANKINGS

Trey Rose: Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/1/16

zz draft kings

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

P  – Rich Hill (vs. Houston Astros): $8,900. Rich Hill has been on fire in 2016. In his first 5 starts, he has thrown 26 innings, with a 2.42 ERA, and 37 strikeouts. His strikeout rate in 2016 is what makes him such an attractive choice for daily fantasy.

Well, tomorrow is quite possibly the best match-up for Hill when it comes to potential strikeouts. The Houston Astros rank as the worst team in Major League Baseball in the strikeout category. They have struck out a whopping 233 times in 2016. Needless to say, Hill could put up a lot of points in Draft Kings tomorrow.

P – Danny Salazar (vs. Philadelphia Phillies): $10,800. Salazar has been quite the workhorse for the Cleveland Indians this year. In his first 4 starts, he has thrown 23 innings, with a 2.35 ERA, giving up only 11 hits, and 26 strikeouts.

He has always been known for his impressive strikeout rate, which should be great on Sunday, considering he is facing the Philadelphia Phillies, whom is ranked 21st in that category.

Salazar comes at a steep price, but there are many other elite pitchers throwing on Sunday who are more costly and have tougher match-ups. Keep a close eye on this match-up, as there is some potential issues with the weather forecast.

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

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Trey Rose: Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 4/30/16

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Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

P – Jordan Zimmermann (vs. Minnesota Twins): $10,300. Zimmermann has been absolutely dominant since joining the Tigers in the offseason. In 26 innings this season, he is 4-0, with a 0.35 ERA, 16 strikeouts, and 7 walks.

He isn’t going to get a ton of strikeouts, which could hurt in daily fantasy, but he is going to limit the runs and pitch deep into games.

In the 4 starts he has dominated this year, he has faced some very good offenses, which includes the Yankees, Pirates, Royals, and A’s. He will be facing a very lackluster offense on Saturday, the Minnesota Twins, so this should be a great match-up for Zimmermann.

P – Kevin Gausman (vs. Chicago White Sox): $7,500. Gausman put on quite a show in his season debut earlier this week. In 5 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, he gave up 1 earned run, on 3 hits, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts.

He was pulled in 5 innings after throwing 91 pitches. Considering that was his first game since coming off the DL, it wasn’t surprising to see him pulled out of the game early. Now that he has a game under his belt, hopefully the Orioles will let him go a little longer on Saturday.

He will be facing the Chicago White Sox, but they shouldn’t be a very tough offense to take care of for Gausman.

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

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Josh Robbins’ MLB Fantasy Daily (DFS) Picks For FanDuel – 4/29/16 + Chase Field 2nd Lineup

fanduel

Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter

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

Josh Robbins’ MLB Fantasy Daily (DFS) Picks For FanDuel – 4/28/16 + Chase Field Scenario 2nd Lineup

fanduel

Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter

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 Oakland A’s Call Up Top Pitching Prospect Sean Manaea

Sean Manaea

Jen Rainwater (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – bbstmlb.com) 

The Oakland Athletics had a choice to make. They had options for who would be their fifth starter this week and it’s not the more obvious of choices. It’s 24-year-old Sean Manaea, the A’s number two overall prospect and top pitching prospect.

According to multiple sources, including Sports Illustrated, MLB.com and the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s will call up Manaea to start Friday against the Houston Astros.

Manaea has barely spent time in the minors but vice president of baseball operations for the A’s Billy Beane has said that he wouldn’t bring him up unless he thought he was ready.

The A’s are likely just testing the waters, seeing if Manaea transition his unbelievable number of strike outs effectively in the majors.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE POST

Daily Fantasy MLB Picks For Draft Kings 4/28/16

JON LAVENGETTO/MLB.COM

JON LAVENGETTO/MLB.COM

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

Note: There are only 8 games on Thursday, which means the match-ups are very limited. There is also a very good chance of rain for the following games, so pay attention to the forecast: Phillies vs. Nationals, Pirates vs. Rockies, Athletics vs. Tigers.

P – Jon Lester (vs. Milwaukee Brewers): Through 4 starts in 2016, Lester has been absolutely domin

ant. In 27.1 innings pitched, he has a 1.98 ERA, 23 strikeouts, 5 walks, and a 2-1 record. The Brewers’ offense has struggled this season. They are currently ranked as the 25th ranked offense in Major League Baseball.

Lester will be throwing off of his home mound on Thursday as well. All of these factors should work in Lester’s favor.

NOTE: The Chicago Cubs game was postponed on Wednesday night, so Jake Arrieta may take Lester’s spot on Thursday, and if that is the case, Arrieta is a must add.

P – Tanner Roark (vs. Philadelphia Phillies): Roark has been a pleasant surprise for the Washington Nationals this season. In his first 4 starts, he has thrown 24 innings, with a 2.63 ERA, 24 strikeouts, 11 walks, and a 2-2 record.

In his most recent start, he threw 7 innings against the Minnesota Twins, giving up 0 runs, striking out 15, and walking 3. He has a favorable matchup against the Phillies on Thursday, so he is a great start in daily fantasy baseball.

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

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The Pittsburgh Pirates Payroll In 2016 + Roster That Could Have Been

payroll-breakdown-1024x576

Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – piratesbreakdown.com) 

After a second consecutive exit from the playoffs by way of the wild card game, the Pittsburgh Pirates promised a bigger payroll this season, but could they have done better?

In December, Neal Huntington and Frank Connelly both hinted the Pirates target payroll would be approximately $105 million for opening day.  As it stands, the Pirates opening day payroll was about $100 million.

That wouldn’t be so bad if the team’s pitching staff wasn’t off to a rough start, the first base platoon partner wasn’t gone after two weeks, and the Cubs weren’t the center of the baseball universe at the moment.  The saying goes, “hindsight is 20/20,” but we consider what could have been if the Pirates had spent their money a little differently.

Let’s start with the breakdown of the opening day payroll broken down by position: (Note: Only players included on opening day 25-man roster/DL are included below.)

The rules for this little experiment are simple.  We cannot exceed $105 million, and our payroll has to include 28 players due to Jared Hughes, Elias Diaz, and Jung-Ho Kang starting the season on the major league disabled list. 

If we choose any players the Pirates did not sign, we will assume the Pirates could have signed said player(s) to the same terms.  Knowing what we know now, here’s a look at what the Pirates roster could have been.

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Stephen Strasburg Watching The Perfect Storm Happen Right Before His Eyes

As good as Stephen Strasburg was in the 2nd half of the 2015 year, ( 6 - 2 with a 1.90 ERA post ALL - Star), he will be a Free Agent after 2016.

As good as Stephen Strasburg was in the 2nd half of the 2015 year, ( 6 – 2 with a 1.90 ERA post ALL – Star), and so far this season ( 3 – 0, with a 0.931 WHIP and a ERA of 2.17) he will be a Free Agent after 2016.

Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) 

All young MLB players give some thought to their first trip into the free agent market. However, not all get the opportunity to both experience it and maximize their earning potential with the contract they eventually sign.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg will get to experience what free agency is like, and it appears a perfect storm is brewing for him in a number of ways to get paid even more handsomely than some originally thought.

Despite some inconsistencies, the cumulative numbers have always been there for Strasburg – a decent ERA, elite strikeout-to-walk totals and for the most part, victories.

Along with having Scott Boras as his agent, there was little doubt a pitcher with this much raw talent and “results” at the big-league level would get a gaudy, nine-figure contract, but would he truly be able to maximize his earning power?

READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY

‘BBA Live’ Podcast – Year 2 Ep #10 – MLB Wk 4 ’16: Chuck Booth Guests On The Show To Talk BBBA, MLB Reports + MLB Chat

Ricky Keeler and AC Wayne host the flagship podcast of the BBBA!

BBBA Live is the flagship Podcast of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance since 2015.

Hosts Ricky Keeler

& AC Wayne

BBBA 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 are joined by mlbreports.com owner and BBBA President Chuck Booth.

The NL is top heavy.  The Astros have had a tough schedule and might be alright.  Jake Arrieta is sickly good, and no one should ever pitch to Bryce Harper, who may sign with the Yankees in a few years.

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

Chuck on B.O.B.

Chuck on B.O.B.

Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 4/27/16

John Minchillo - AP

John Minchillo – AP

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

P- Jake Arrieta (vs. Milwaukee Brewers): $13,800. Arrieta has not slowed down since his Cy Young Award-winning season in 2015. Through 4 starts in 2016, he has thrown 31 innings (7.75 innings per game), with a 0.87 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 6 walks, 15 hits given up, and a 4-0 record.

He comes at a very steep price, but he is worth it based on his success this season and the great match-up on Wednesday.  Arrieta is facing a Brewers’ offense who is ranked as the 18th best in run production, 29th in hits, and 25th in strikeouts in Major League Baseball.

Arrieta will exploit this team and should put up at least 20 points on Wednesday. He is averaging 32.3 points per game on Draft Kings this season. He comes at a very steep price, but his point production is worth it.

P- Jose Berrios (vs. Cleveland Indians): $6,900. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a huge Jose Berrios fan. He will be making his MLB debut against the Cleveland Indians.

Throughout his minor league career, he is averaging 9.5 strikeouts per 9 innings with a 2.91 ERA. Many pitchers are rushed to the bigs, which can hurt their development, but the Twins have taken their time with Berrios.

He is very ready for this step in his career and I think he is a steal at only $6,900. Be aware that they will limit his innings, so don’t expect him to go past 6 innings on Wednesday. Luckily for daily fantasy owners, his strikeout ability should counteract the innings limit.

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What To Expect From Minnesota Twins’ Right-Handed Pitcher, Jose Berrios

jose berrios

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

Jose Berrios was one of my favorite prospects heading into 2016. He is finally getting his shot at the big leagues after getting called up today to make a start over the next week with the Minnesota Twins. He hasn’t thrown since last Thursday, so he is fresh and ready to go whenever the Twins need him.

He was called up because Ervin Santana and Tyler Duffey are both injured and Berrios could be needed to fill in for them. Also, starting pitchers, Kyle Gibson and Tommy Milone, have been pretty brutal since the start of 2016, so their rotation could use a jumpstart from Berrios.

This is the perfect opportunity for Berrios to prove he belongs in the Twins’ rotation permanently. Now that he is in the big leagues, what can we expect from Jose Berrios?

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