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Who Owns October and Who Owns the 2018 World Series (#WOO and #WOWS) Tallies Updated For October 27, 2018
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
What do you do if you have a negative narrative about you in the post season? You come up big in the World Series and rewrite the narrative.
David Price’s postseason woes are over. Done. Kaput. You can’t bring them up again. He ELWAYED them. Now his legacy is beating Verlander for the pennant, Kershaw for the World Series and going deep in both games… you know, like an ace does.
I personally would have given him World Series MVP, but with Steve Pearce launching all of those homers, it was a tough call.
But not tough in terms of figuring out who owned the World Series and October.
Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO(Who Owns October.)
And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.
But the World Series deserves its own stats. WOWS (Who Owns the World Series.)
At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter. The WOWS total will be kept separately. Each game now counts towards both tallies.
A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.
From October 28
2018 World Series Game 8:
Receiving 1 WOO and 1 WOWS
Steve Pearce homered in the first inning to put the Red Sox up 2-0 and added another shot in the 8th to put the Dodgers away, earning World Series MVP honors after the 5-1 final.
David Price pitched into the 8th, allowing 3 hits, 1 run and striking out 5 Dodgers in 7 plus innings, earning the 5-1 World Series clinching decision for Boston.
Receiving 1/2 WOO and 1/2 WOWS
David Freese homered on the first pitch of the bottom of the first and added a triple but the Dodgers could not hold off the Red Sox in the 5-1 clincher.
Clayton Kershaw kept the Dodgers in the game over 7 innings. But he let up 3 Boston homers along the way and the offense never woke up in the 5-1 loss.
Current WOWS Totals MLB 2018
Hitters ‘WOWS’ MLB 2018
Steve Pearce – Red Sox 2, Andrew Benintendi – Red Sox 1, Mookie Betts – 1 Red Sox, Max Muncy – Dodgers 1, Yasiel Puig – Dodgers 1, Jackie Bradley Jr. – Red Sox 1/2, David Freese – Dodgers 1/2, Manny Machado – Dodgers 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOWS’ MLB 2018
David Price – Red Sox 2, Walker Buehler – Dodgers 1, Joe Kelly – Red Sox 1, Eduardo Rodriguez – Red Sox 1, Nathan Eovaldi – Red Sox 1/2, Rich Hill – Dodgers 1/2, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 1/2,
Current WOO Totals MLB 2018
Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2018,
Manny Machado – Dodgers 3 1/2, Jackie Bradley Jr. – Red Sox 2 1/2, Andrew Benintendi – Red Sox 2, Alex Bregman – Astros 2, Steve Pearce – Red Sox 2 1/2, Yasiel Puig – Dodgers 2, George Springer – Astros 2, Justin Turner – Dodgers 2, Ronald Acuña, Jr – Braves 1 1/2, Orlando Arcia – Brewers 1 1/2, Lorenzo Cain – Brewers 1 1/2, Marwin Gonzalez – Astros 1 1/2, Aaron Judge – Yankees 1 1/2, Francisco Lindor – Indians 1 1/2, Christian Yelich – Brewers 1 1/2, Jesús Aguilar – Brewers 1, Cody Bellinger – Dodgers 1, Mookie Betts – Red Sox 1, Rafael Devers – Red Sox 1, David Freese – Dodgers 1, Brock Holt – Red Sox 1, Erik Kratz – Brewers 1, J. D. Martinez – Red Sox 1, Mike Moustakas Brewers – 1, Max Muncy – Dodgers 1, Eduardo Nunez – Red Sox 1, Gary Sanchez – Yankees 1, Tony Wolters – Rockies 1, Jose Altuve – Astros 1/2, Nolan Arenado – Rockies 1 /2, Javier Baez – Cubs 1/2, Charlie Blackmon – Rockies 1/2, Xander Bogaerts – Red Sox 1/2, Ryan Braun – Brewers 1/2, Khris Davis – Athletics 1/2, Freddie Freeman – Braves 1/2, Didi Gregorius – Yankees 1/2, Freddy Peralta – Brewers 1/2, Trevor Story – Rockies 1/2, Kurt Suzuki – Braves 1/2, Chris Taylor – Dodgers 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2018,
David Price – Red Sox 3, Nathan Eovaldi – Red Sox 2 1/2, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 2 1/2, Justin Verlander – Astros 2 1/2, Brandon Woodruff – Brewers 2 1/2, Corbin Burnes – Brewers 2, Matt Barnes – Red Sox 1 1/2, Walker Buehler – Dodgers 1 1/2, Joe Kelly – Red Sox 1 1/2, Pedro Baez – Dodgers 1, Dellin Betances – Yankees 1, Ryan Brasier – Red Sox 1, Jhoulys Chacín – Brewers 1, Gerrit Cole – Astros 1, Kyle Freeland – Rockies 1, Kenley Jansen – Dodgers 1, Jeremy Jeffress Brewers – 1, Ryan Madson – Dodgers 1, Collin McHugh – Astros 1, Rick Porcello – Red Sox 1, Eduardo Rodriguez – Red Sox 1, Hyun-Jin Ryu – Dodgers 1, Chris Sale – Red Sox 1, Masahiro Tanaka – Yankeees 1, Arodys Vizcaino – Braves 1, Tyler Anderson – Rockies 1/2, Carlos Carrasco – Indians 1/2, Mike Clevinger – Indians 1/2, Chad Green – Yankees 1/2, Josh Hader – Brewers 1/2, Rich Hill – Dodgers 1/2, Dallas Keuchel – Astros 1/2, Jon Lester – Cubs 1/2, Wade Miley – Brewers 1/2, Sean Newcomb – Braves 1/2, David Robertson – Yankees 1/2, Touki Toussaint – 1 /2 Braves, Lou Trivino – Athletics 1/2
Who Owns October (#WOO) Tallies Updated For October 19, 2018
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
As the Red Sox kick their feet up, relaxing from their pennant clinching yesterday, the NLCS is down to a Game 7. I guess it is appropriate after the regular season ended with a pair of Game 163 match ups that the National League title is undecided until the last possible moment.
The Dodgers homered in the opening batter, making Milwaukee wonder if they were done. 4 runs in the first changed all of that.
So thanks to Jesús Aguilar and company, the National League will be decided on Saturday. And Corbin Burnes made sure Josh Hader is rested and ready for Game 7.
So who owned October?
Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)
And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.
At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter.
A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.
From October 19, 2018
NLCS Game 6:
Receiving 1 WOO
Jesús Aguilar reached base 4 times, including a pair of doubles, scoring twice and driving in 3 to lead the Brewers past the Dodgers, 7-2.
Corbin Burnes finished the 7-2 game with 2 perfect innings, striking out a pair of Dodgers and preserving the Milwaukee bullpen for Game 7.
Receiving 1/2 WOO
David Freese led off the game with a homer and added a double in the Dodgers 7-2 loss in Milwaukee.
Current WOO Totals MLB 2018
Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2017,
Manny Machado – Dodgers 3, Jackie Bradley Jr. – Red Sox 2, Alex Bregman – Astros 2, George Springer – Astros 2, Justin Turner – Dodgers 2, Ronald Acuña, Jr – Braves 1 1/2, Orlando Arcia – Brewers 1 1/2, Lorenzo Cain – Brewers 1 1/2, Marwin Gonzalez – Astros 1 1/2, Aaron Judge – Yankees 1 1/2, Francisco Lindor – Indians 1 1/2, Jesús Aguilar – Brewers 1, Andrew Benintendi – Red Sox 1, Cody Bellinger – Dodgers 1, Rafael Devers – Red Sox 1, Brock Holt – Red Sox 1, Erik Kratz – Brewers 1, J. D. Martinez – Red Sox 1, Mike Moustakas Brewers – 1, Eduardo Nunez – Red Sox 1, Gary Sanchez – Yankees 1, Tony Wolters – Rockies 1, Christian Yelich – Brewers 1, Jose Altuve – Astros 1/2, Nolan Arenado – Rockies 1 /2, Javier Baez – Cubs 1/2, Charlie Blackmon – Rockies 1/2, Xander Bogaerts – Red Sox 1/2, Ryan Braun – Brewers 1/2, Khris Davis – Athletics 1/2, Freddie Freeman – Braves 1/2, David Freese – Dodgers 1/2, Didi Gregorius – Yankees 1/2, Steve Pearce – Red Sox 1/2, Freddy Peralta – Brewers 1/2, Trevor Story – Rockies 1/2, Kurt Suzuki – Braves 1/2, Chris Taylor – Dodgers 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2017,
Brandon Woodruff – Brewers 2 1/2, Justin Verlander – Astros 2 1/2, Corbin Burnes – Brewers 2, Nathan Eovaldi – Red Sox 2, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 2, Matt Barnes – Red Sox 1 1/2, Pedro Baez – Dodgers 1, Dellin Betances – Yankees 1, Ryan Brasier – Red Sox 1, Jhoulys Chacín – Brewers 1, Gerrit Cole – Astros 1, Kyle Freeland – Rockies 1, Kenley Jansen – Dodgers 1, Jeremy Jeffress Brewers – 1, Collin McHugh – Astros 1, Rick Porcello – Red Sox 1, David Price – Red Sox 1, Hyun-Jin Ryu – Dodgers 1, Chris Sale – Red Sox 1, Masahiro Tanaka – Yankeees 1, Arodys Vizcaino – Braves 1, Tyler Anderson – Rockies 1/2, Walker Buehler – Yankees 1/2, Carlos Carrasco – Indians 1/2, Mike Clevinger – Indians 1/2, Chad Green – Yankees 1/2, Joe Kelly – Red Sox 1/2, Dallas Keuchel – Astros 1/2, Jon Lester – Cubs 1/2, Wade Miley – Brewers 1/2, Sean Newcomb – Braves 1/2, David Robertson – Yankees 1/2, Touki Toussaint – 1 /2 Braves, Lou Trivino – Athletics 1/2
Who Owned Baseball September 24, 2018 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVPs) + 2018 #WOB
AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski
For an explanation of how WOB works, click here.
Corey Kluber put together another dominating performance, striking out 11 White Sox in 7 scoreless innings for the 4-0 Cleveland shutout.
Mookie Betts collected a pair of hits, including a homer, driving in 2, scoring 2 and stealing a base to help lock down the Red Sox club record 106th victory with a 6-2 final over Baltimore.
Bryan Mitchell took a shutout into the 9th, finishing with 8 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out 7 as the Padres blanked the Giants, 5-0.
David Freese got 3 hits, including a game tying homer, to inch the Dodgers closer to an NL West title by beating the Diamondbacks, 7-4.
They all owned baseball on September 24, 2018
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.
Who Owned Baseball July 27, 2018 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2018 #WOB
For an explanation of how WOB works, click here.
David Freese reached base 5 times, homered, and drove in all 5 Pirate runs including the walk off run to top the Mets, 5-4.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered twice and added another hit to help the Blue Jays double up the White Sox, 10-5.
Max Scherzer threw 8 shutout innings, striking out 11 Marlins as the Nationals cruised to a 9-1 final.
Chris Sale struck out 10 Twins in his 6 shutout innings. The Red Sox bullpen lost his lead but walked off 4-3 winners in 10.
They all owned baseball on July 27, 2018
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.
Who Owned Baseball July 3, 2018 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2018 #WOB
David Zalubowski, The Associated Press
For an explanation of how WOB works, click here.
Antonio Senzatela threw 7 shutout innings, striking out 4 Giants and earning the 8-1 decision for the Rockies.
Max Muncy got 3 hits, including 2 homers, as the surging Dodgers beat the Pirates, 8-3.
Wade LeBlanc allowed 1 run over 7 innings and earned the 4-1 win for the Mariners over the Angels.
Avisail Garcia reached base 4 times, including a pair of homers with the second one tying the game in the 9th, as the White Sox took the 12-8 extra inning slugfest against the Reds.
They all owned baseball on July 3, 2018
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.
Who Owned Baseball April 14, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2017 #WOB Standings
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
Clayton Kershaw took a shutout into the 9th, finishing with 8 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 1 run and struck out 8 Arizona batters to earn the 7-1 decision for the Dodgers.
Dallas Keuchel struck out 7 A’s in 7 innings, allowing 1 run and 4 hits as the Astros rolled, 7-2.
David Freese collected 3 hits including an RBI single and an RBI double to help the Pirates win against the Cubs, 4-2.
Brad Miller reached base 4 times, homered and scored 3 times to lead the Rays past the Red Sox, 10-5..
They all owned baseball on April 14, 2017
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 DraftKings 9/7/16
P- Noah Syndergaard (vs. Cincinnati Reds): $11,000. Syndergaard appears to be back folks. Over his last three starts, he owns a 1.23 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched. In his last start against the Reds, Thor went 6.2 innings and struck out nine, while giving up three earned runs. If he pitches to his full potential, Syndergaard is easily capable of a 25+ point performance.
P- Marcus Stroman (vs. New York Yankees): $7,400. Stroman has struggled over his last few starts, but he has shown great career success against the Yankees. In his sole start against New York this season, he allowed only two runs over eight innings pitched. In 72 career at bats against Stroman, the Yankees are batting .139, with a .194 OBP, and a .281 slugging percentage. Over the last seven games, the Yankees are ranked 27th in OPS, 24th in OBP, and 27th in slugging percentage.
SEE THE REST OF THE ARTICLE
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings – 6/1/16
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com)
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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.
P – Jaime Garcia (vs. Milwaukee Brewers): $8,400. Garcia is facing the 23rd ranked Brewers’ offense on Wednesday. In 131 career at bats against Garcia, the Brewers’ offense is only batting .191, with two home runs, 12 RBIs, 29 strikeouts, and a .230 OBP. In the past seven days, the Brewers’ offense has struck out 73 times, which is the third worst in Major League Baseball.
P- Masahiro Tanaka (vs. Toronto Blue Jays): Tanaka will be facing the 24th ranked Blue Jays’ offense on Wednesday. In 81 career at bats against Tanaka, the Blue Jays are batting .198, with three home runs, seven RBIs, 27 strikeouts, and a .252 OBP. The Yankees are 6.5 games out of first place, so these divisional games are a must-win, which should have Tanaka fired up.
To view the rest of the picks, click the link below:
SEE THE REST OF THE PICKS
Josh Robbins’ MLB Daily Fantasy Picks DFS For FanDuel 4/27/16
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Starting Pitchers (Expensive, Midlevel, Bargain)
1. Jake Arrieta ($12900) vs. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Gio Gonzalez ($9600) vs. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Steven Wright ($6900) vs. Atlanta Braves
Team Stacks
Colorado vs Jon Niese
Pittsburgh vs Jon Gray
Boston vs Bud Norris
Baltimore vs Matt Moore
BVP (Minimum 10 AB)
1. Mark Reynolds vs. Jon Niese (8-15/ 2 HR/ 1.496 OPS)
2. Matt Wieters vs. Matt Moore (8-17/ 2 HR/ 1.432 OPS)
3. Evan Longoria vs. Chris Tillman (17-51/ 7 HR/ 1.216 OPS)
Sample Lineup (Coors Field Lineup 1)
P – Steven Wright, ATL @ BOS, $6900
C – Stephen Vogt, OAK @ DET, $2600
1B – Mark Reynolds, PIT @ COL, $3300
2B – D.J. Lemahieu, PIT @ COL, $3400
3B – Nolan Arenado, PIT @ COL, $5100
SS – Jordy Mercer, PIT @ COL, $3400
OF – Carlos Gonzalez, PIT @ COL, $4000
OF – Gregory Polanco, PIT @ COL, $3800
OF – Jackie Bradley JR, ATL @ BOS, $2500
$35, 000, 000 ($0 Left)
Sample Lineup (Coors Field Lineup 2)
If you’re not familiar with the points breakdown, here’s the format utilizing a $35 million salary cap.
Scoring System: https://www.fanduel.com/spring-training?t=lobby
1 Starting Pitcher (SP)
1 Catcher (C)
1 First Baseman (1B)
1 Second Baseman (2B)
1 Third Baseman (3B)
1 Short Stop (SS)
3 Outfielders (OF)
Game Types: https://www.fanduel.com/how-it-works
50-50s
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*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their other partners.***
A big thanks goes out to our ‘Chief Writer/Part Owner’ Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s featured post.
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2016 MLB Team Salaries Links Page here.
The Pittsburgh Pirates Payroll In 2016 + Roster That Could Have Been
Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – piratesbreakdown.com)
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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.
READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 4 – April
One is the #1 club in the whole MLB right now, and the other was the biggest mover and shaker of the week for week 3 of MLB action. Both are leading the Central Divisions in their respective leagues behind awesome starting pitching and timely power.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_Hunter21
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Disclaimer: We based these rankings on best strength to win the World Series. Therefore some teams that have an easier division to play in, with the least path of resistance to the postseason overall may be ranked a lot higher than a club who is equally talented, yet may play in a juggernaut of a division.
Game Records were before the results of the ESPN Sunday Night Game was played.
After a crazy week in which we saw our 1st no hitter, and massive long 16 inning game in Washington, we have for you the MLB Power Rankings.
There was no movement from the top 3 clubs. The NL West saw the Dodgers take a decent lead on the Giants – and that is major critical, as that is the team most likely to give them trouble in their quest for a 4th straight Division crown.
Bryce Harper has pulverized the Phillies, Marlins, Braves and Twins thus far. His late inning heroics are taking him to the next level.
The biggest mover and shaker this week was the White Sox, who climbed up 7 slots. The Giants dropping 8 positions was the biggest decline.
Bad weeks were had by the Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees and Astros. All clubs in the AL who are supposed to contend for a playoff slot.
The Mariners won their 3rd straight road series against the Angels (after beating the Yankees and Tribe 1s), and sit just a half game back in the AL West.
Oakland had started 7 – 0 on the road, before yielding 15 runs over the last 2 losses to the Blue Jays. They are tied with the Rangers for the lead in the Division, but it is just a matter of time before they are bounced out in my opinion.
Cleveland had a nice week of 4 – 2 to jump up 5 spots in the rankings. and are that much closer to bringing back Michael Brantley.
Gaining only one spot but having an awesome week were the New York Mets. All the boys are hitting now, and they are 8 – 2 in their last 10 contests. 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.
FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Baseball Selections For MLB Action – Apr 6, 2016
Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) Follow @Qualcomm98
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Hi, my name is Josh Robbins. I would like to share my Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) strategy with you throughout the MLB season. Fanduel is my preferred game of skill.
APRIL 6, 2016…Late Slate (7:05 PM ET Fanduel Games)
Starting Pitchers
It’s not a deep slate for starting pitchers today.
1. Sonny Gray (10400) vs. Chicago White Sox
2. Collin McHugh (8900) vs. New York Yankees
3. Kenta Maeda (7200) vs. San Diego Padres Read the rest of this entry
As the Pirates Lurch Forward Towards Opening Day, The Debate Over The Everyday Lineup Continues
Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – pbcbreakdown.com) Follow @pbcbreakdown
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With John Jaso now seemingly entrenched at the top of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup, coupled with Andrew McCutchen pointed towards remaining in the number two slot, many observers now wonder what the rest of the batting order may look like against the Cardinals on April 3rd.
Despite the focus on the top of the order, it may be the bottom of the order that can take a step forward for the club.
In 2015, the seventh and eighth hitters for the Pirates performed reasonably well.
There are a couple of interesting notes when considering the Pirates’ performance form the bottom two spots in the order.
First, the 114 rating for wRC+ (weighted runs created +) led the NL from the seventh spot (100 is considered an “average” score). This will likely continue for 2016, as we will see shortly.
From the eighth spot, the wRC+ rating of 93 might seem underwhelming, yet only two teams in the NL had a rating of 100 or more. The St. Louis Cardinals were far and away the most productive in this regard, with a 110 rating.
2016 will likely be another story completely, as the changes at the top have ramifications that will be felt all the way through the order. While Pedro Alvarez‘s free swinging ways often led to his insertion in the lower third, his departure and a re-focusing on quality at bats results in a case of addition by subtraction.
If spring batting orders over the past week are any indication, Jordy Mercer, Gregory Polanco or Josh Harrison could be reliable bats at the 7th spot.
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Should The Pirates Shop At The Bargain Bin
Jason Rollison (Featured Baseball Website Writer – piratesbreakdown.com) Follow @pbcbreakdown
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You can never have too much depth. It is the mantra of every athletic team from community youth programs to the major sports conglomerates, from badminton to baseball.
Last year, the Pirates had eleven cases of Tommy John surgery throughout the organization.
They were hit hard at the Triple-A level, especially with injuries. Casey Sadler, Brandon Cumpton, and Jameson Taillon were lost for the season.
Alen Hanson suffered a hand injury that caused him to miss out on a September promotion.
The Pittsburgh Pirates need to take advantage of the wealth of affordable veteran talent still available on the free agent market. But who?
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – February 18, 2016
Lionsgate – Millenium Films
Lots of players are still available as free agents.
Maybe they should team up and create a renegade team like The Expendables.
It is a “Loner Gun For Hire” episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Okay Angels: Why Not Sign Both Gurriel Brothers?
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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We had an old saying when I worked as a baggage handler backs eons ago at an undisclosed airport. It said “The Beatings will continue until morale improves.” Almost perfect to bashing the ownership of the Halo’s until they start spending again
Since the Angels are not eating at the ‘big boy table’ anymore the recent defection of Yulieski Gurriel and his brother Lourdes Jr. may have just provided a decent alternative.
Why not sign both of them to your roster? Perhaps big bro ‘Yulieski’ will give you a hometown discount on his deal if you also ink his little brother. Clearly you could use a 3rd Baseman, and flip Yunel Escobar over to 2nd base in this instance. Read the rest of this entry
The Angels Are Going Cheap In 2016 When They Need To Buck Up One More Time: Sign Fowler!
Billy Eppler and Arte Moreno really need to evaluate how much the 2016 Angels are going to need offense. Easily the worst bench in 2015, coupled with the loss of David Freese so far, the club has not addressed the weaknesses they have at LF and 2B. With Pujols hurt to start the year, this club may be out of it before he returns. At $164 MIL projected they are $25 MIL underneath the limit for payrolls before paying a penalty. Many players are coming off the books after 2016 as well. Spend the dough needed to compete, or risk missing the playoffs – and burning another year of Mike Trout.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part – Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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I won’t be the first one to be on this wave of people who think that the Angels are rotting away the career of Mike Trout in a Halo’s uniform.
The best overall player in the American League (and at least for right now) plus the Major Leagues, must be furious with the lack of offensive help arriving in Anaheim this off season.
New Angels GM Billy Eppler is following the directive of Arte Moreno not to spend over the Luxury Tax Threshold. Now it is catching up with them on the field.
Throw in a disastrous move of bringing in Josh Hamilton a few years back – a debacle that will see the club fork out $53.4 MIL over the next 2 year to see him play in Texas. Read the rest of this entry
The Padres Should Definitely Not Pursue Yoenis Cespedes: But The Angels Should
Yoenis Cespedes led all LF for HRs with 35 on the campaign in 2015. He picked a contract year for his best season to date out of the 4 years he has been in the Major Leagues. Cespedes hit 17 HRs with the Mets in 2 months, after smacking out just 18 in the first four months with Detroit. Cespedes finished in the top 40 for both leagues in respective big fly’s, and was tie for 13th overall with Manny Machado and David Ortiz. The 30 Year Old would not be a good fit in San Diego – where they have a similar player in Matt Kemp already. His presence with Trout and Calhoun in Los Angeles would be the best all around Outfield in the Majors should he sign there.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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With Yoenis Cespedes still on the open market a lot of speculation is running rampant on which squads should be in the running for his services.
While I am not sure I buy the theory at all, the Padres have been said to be checking in on the big Cuban star.
This type of signing would be a monumental mistake in my view.
I would hope that A.J. Preller would have learned his lesson by acquiring high strikeout, low OBP players that have power that may not translate to their home park in Petco Park. Read the rest of this entry
Arizona Diamondbacks State Of The Union For 2016
The first big surprise of the winter came when the Diamondbacks signed Zack Greinke. The organization followed that up with trading a heavy price tag to acquire Shelby Miller to back him up. Dave Stewart has taken a lot of crap for a lopsided deal. I think that is very speculative to talk like that. Besides Free Agent Pitchers are expensive, and a way for small market clubs to negate that is to trade for a controllable player. La Russa also knows that his club is set up for a winning window of approximately 3 – 4 years. Keep the aggression when it comes to upgrading this team.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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You simply couldn’t have asked for a better start to a winter in 2015 for Arizona. They are legitimate contenders in the NL West, and still should have the wherewithal to spend another $20 – $25 MIL on salaries for 2016.
I love the aggression set forth by the management. I hope they keep the pedal to the metal on this one. A nucleus of a team lasts 3 – 4 years for a mid market club, and by the acquisitions the team has done here completely reflects that.
We have discussed how the Houston Astros developed their young club for a few years now. It is clearly the best way to rebuild a team.
Another reason why the team has had the financial flexibility to create these maneuvers is that they have Paul Goldschmidt on perhaps the best valued contract in the game of baseball right now.
The other Infielders in the mix for the Diamondbacks need to step up the production for he Arizona squad in 2016. Whether it is Chris Owings at 2B or Nick Ahmed at SS, these positions were not league average for the slots, as was third base either.
Arizona was carried offensively by Goldschmidt and a great productive OF in A.J. Pollock, David Peralta and Ender Inciarte.
The club dealt Inciarte in the Shelby Miller deal, but could pick up the slack with giving his OF position to Yasmany Tomas full time in 2016.
Welington Castillo was one of the most prolific Catchers in the Majors least year, featuring a 3 slash of .255/.317/.496 with the Diamondbacks, clubbing 17 HRs and knocking in 50 RBI during his 254 AB for the club.
In a roundabout way, he bettered what the club had previously in Miguel Montero, who incidentally was the reason why Castillo was flipped to Seattle initially.
That trade made up for the previous fiasco that was the trade for Mark Trumbo the previous season. Read the rest of this entry
Los Angeles Angels State Of The Union For 2016
The Angels could easily upgrade their 2B and LF positions, and will need to compensate for Albert Pujols to at least miss the start of the 2016 season as well. They have great depth in the Pitching Rotation, however are bogged down by the Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson costing them a combined $40 MIL. Add in $30 MIL in buyout/dead money and the team will have a tough time competing in 2016 without nearing $200 MIL in total team payroll. This means that Arte Moreno will have to give new GM Billy Eppler some more money to dole out to Free Agents. Will he do it? I am afraid for the Halo’s in 2016 if he doesn’t bring in 2 – 3 more upgrades..
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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It has been a slow but somewhat productive winter for the Angels brass, and in particular for new GM Billy Eppler. They have done the kind of deals that will work only if they still pull the trigger on signing a premiere player.
Los Angeles acquired a 3B already in Yunel Escobar, who was only traded for by flipping Trevor Gott and a mid level prospect. Not bad for a guy who batted .315/.374/.415 over the past year, makes $7 MIL in 2016, and has a Team Option for 2017 at another $7 MIL – or the club can Buy him out for a cool million.
This came on the heels of trading for Andrelton Simmons, who has 5 years of Team Control left for a guy that only had one more year of salary on the books in Erick Aybar. Read the rest of this entry
Los Angeles Dodgers State Of The Union For 2016
The Dodgers need to start spending money like right now, otherwise they stand to jeopardize themselves winning a 4th straight NL West title in 2016. Both the Giants and D’Backs have signed ace pitchers this year, and added another good Starting Pitcher besides the point. The club does have several young pieces and Depth at Roster to pull off a blockbuster trade forth coming – or they still have enough resources to acquire players for their 2016 run. The clock is officially ticking gentlemen.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The Dodgers are having the same kind of offseason the Baltimore Orioles had in 2014 – going into 2015.
If everyone remembers that year, they rejected a couple year contract with Grant Balfour, when he failed a physical, and they did the same thing with Grady Sizemore.
That club also traded back to back 50 Saves guy Jim Johnson. By the way, the 2014 O’s won the AL East with a 97 – 65 record.
Key cogs in the wheel were new Closer Zach Britton, and Super Utility man Steve Pearce. A lot of parallels can be made between that squad and the Dodgers.
Late last week, the Dodgers pulled out of a three year deal wish Hisashi Iwakuma because they had concerns with a physical.
For the whole winter they have watched the Giants sign Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, while the Diamondbacks stole Zack Greinke way from them, while trading a kings ransom for Shelby Miller. Read the rest of this entry
Teams That Should Take Advantage Of A Weak Penalty For The Luxury Tax In 2016
In the last year of the current CBA, there is potentially only one more year to take advantage of a feeble penalty as a first time abuser in 2016. With Boston set to join the Dodgers and Yankees as abusers, I took a look at other teams who should consider the 2016 campaign as a rare gamble to dole out some cash in seeking a World Series trophy before the new CBA is authored in prior to the 2017 season.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The Boston Red Sox might just be on to something. They will be penalized for the 1st year of going over the new $189 MIL limit in 2016, but it is also the last year the CBA may have the percentages.
Currently right now, there is a 17.5% penalty for spending dollars over $189 MIL. The Dodgers and Yankees are the only other teams that are budgeted over the mark in addition to Boston.
On the cusp are the Detroit Tigers, sitting at around $177 MIL – while the Giants and Angels are nearly at $170 MIL. The Cubs are also near the $165 MIL area.
Why not spend like crazy in 2016 – and take advantage of the system as it is presented towards you? Read the rest of this entry
The Middle Infield Positions Have Regressed To What They Used To Be In The MLB Power Wise
Carlos Correa led all Shortstops with 22 HRs in 2015 – despite not being called up until early June. With how rare his power is at the position currently, this will be an automatic advantage for the Houston Astros for the next half – dozen years. Brandon Crawford was the only other Shortstop to hit the 20 HR plateau in 2015. The position has receded to what it used to be over 20 – 25 years ago when Cal Ripken was a rare player to hit for power at Short.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Onwer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Part of going over the winter transactions wire for all players available in the league has taught me even more of what I had thought about the state of the MLB currently.
Since steroids have been removed practically from the game, Third Base, Short Stop and Second Baseman have seen their numbers plummet offensively.
You could also lump the First Baseman, Outfielders and Catchers to this list as well, however they still own the predominant amount of power hitters in the game.
So you have a need a Third Base this offseason…That is bad news for you because David Freese is the best available Free Agent on the market. Read the rest of this entry
Los Angeles Angels Payroll in 2016 + Contracts Going Forward
The Angels have needs at Catcher, 3B, 2B and a OF spot. They have great depth in the Pitching Rotation, however are bogged down by the Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson costing them a combined $40 MIL. Add in $30 MIL in buyout/dead money and the team will have a tough time competing in 2016 without nearing $200 MIL in total team payroll.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The Halo’s will reel from the Josh Hamilton contract for a few more years, however they will see C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver come off the books for 2017. But that also leaves a massive void in a Starter staff.
Mike Scioscia needs all sorts of help on offense and defense to compete in the AL West, but they should really try to solidify the Starting Staff for future years.
I would try for one legitimate ace, and then I would go after 1B/OF and AL HR king Chris Davis.
It is time for Albert Pujols to retire to a permanent DH like David Ortiz. Having a legitimate 1B like Davis to sneak in between Trout and Pujols would be dynamite. All 3 guys could club 35+ HRs and Davis and Trout may near 45 again each. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Top Free Agent Predictions (Picks 26 – 50)
Matt Wieters accepted the 1 Year Qualifying Offer with the Baltimore Orioles. He joined both Colby Rasmus and Brett Anderson as the 1st 3 men to ever accept the ‘QO’ under the new format. Marco Estrada was also taken off off the market Friday, accepting a 2 YR/$26 MIL deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Jordan Gluck (Part Owner/Featured Writer): Follow @jgluck777
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MLB Free Agent Predictions
I will be using mlbtraderumors.com top 50 free agents to make things easy. To be clear there are other free agents outside this list (some who I think should be on it) who will be available and many could have breakout or comeback seasons.
Additionally there will be players that get non tendered during arbitration. Well so here are my predictions.
WHO OWNED BASEBALL – THE FINAL RESULTS FOR 2015
The regular season is over. My daily tally for Who Owns Baseball is at an end. Every day I determine which player had the best individual day on a winning team to earn a full WOB and on a losing team for a 1/2 WOB.
These are final leaders in each categor for Who Owns Baseball
NATIONAL LEAGUE HITTER WHO OWNED BASEBALL
(AP Photo/Al Behrman)
JOEY VOTTO – Cincinnati Reds
(Final Total – 7 1/2 WOB.)
Second Place (TIE):
Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks.
Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates.
(Final Total – 7 WOB.)
NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHER WHO OWNED BASEBALL
Alex Brandon / Associated Press
CLAYTON KERSHAW – Los Angeles Dodgers
(Final Total – 13 1/2 WOB.)
Second Place:
Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs
(Final Total – 11 WOB)
Third Place
Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers
(Final Total – 9 1/2 WOB.)
AMERICAN LEAGUE HITTER WHO OWNED BASEBALL
Rob Carr – Getty Image Sports
MIKE TROUT – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
(Final Total – 10 1/2 WOB.)
Second Place:
Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
(Final Total – 6 1/2 WOB)
Third Place
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
(Final Total – 6 WOB.)
AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHER WHO OWNED BASEBALL
Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle
DALLAS KEUCHEL – Houston Astros
(Final Total – 10 WOB.)
Second Place (TIE):
Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics.
Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox.
(Final Total – 7 WOB.)
THE WINNERS FROM PREVIOUS SEASONS:
2013
NL Batter: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Batter: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
AL Pitcher: (3 Way Tie) R. A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays
Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays
Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers
2013
NL Pitcher: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
NL Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Batter: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
AL Pitcher: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
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.
Who Owned Baseball October 4, 2015 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2015 #WOB standings
Brandon Wade – Getty Images
Cole Hamels settled down after a shaky first inning to throw a complete game, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs, striking out 8 and topped the Angels, 9-2 to clinch the AL West title for the Texas Rangers.
Chris Davis homered twice and reached base 4 times altogether, driving in 4 and helping the Orioles beat the Yankees, 9-4.
Shelby Miller finally recorded another win, throwing 8 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and 7 strikeouts, as Atlanta was victorious over St. Louis, 6-0.
A. J. Pollock went 3 for 5, homering and driving in a pair to have the Diamondbacks crush Houston’s hopes to host the Wild Card Game with a 5-3 final.
They all owned baseball on October 4, 2015
Earning 1/2 WOBs on losing efforts.
Rick Porcello allowed 2 earned runs and 1 unearned run over 7 innings but was saddled with the 3-1 Red Sox loss in Cleveland.
Jose Altuve went 3 for 5 with a triple and two runs scored. His Astros would fall just short to Arizona, 5-3.
Tanner Roark threw 6 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 walk. He would not factor into the decision as the Nationals lost to the Mets, 1-0.
Dee Gordon captured the NL Batting Title with a single, double and homer, scoring both Marlins runs along the way but Philadelphia won, 7-2.
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.
Who Owned Baseball October 3, 2015 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2015 #WOB standings
AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES
Max Scherzer threw his second no hitter of the season, walking none and striking out 17 Mets along the way for the 2-0 Washington final.
Corey Kluber struck out 9 over 8 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and 2 walks and earning the 2-0 decision for the Indians over Boston.
Christian Yelich had a terrific double header. In all he went reached base nine times, going 5-5 in one game and 3 for 4 with a walk in the other, combining for 3 runs scored and 2 RBI as the Marlins beat the Phillies twice, 7-6 and 5-2.
Colby Rasmus homered twice and added a single to lead the Astros closer to a playoff spot, 6-2 over the Diamondbacks.
They all owned baseball on October 3, 2015
Earning 1/2 WOBs on losing efforts.
Noah Syndergaard allowed 2 hits and 1 run and 1 walk while striking out 10 Washington batters. But the Mets were no hit, 2-0.
Marco Estrada pitched into the 7th, finishing with 6 2/3 innings, striking out 9 while giving up 3 hits and walking none. He would get a no decision as the Blue Jays lost to Tampa Bay 4-3.
Paul Goldschmidt reached base 3 times and homered in the Diamondbacks 6-2 loss to the Astros.
Josh Hamilton‘s two homers off the Angels (on their dime) was almost the greatest middle finger in recent years. Unfortunately for him, the Angels made a dramatic rally in the 9th inning to put the Division Clinching on hold and beat the Rangers 11-10.
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.
Who Owned Baseball October 2, 2015 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2015 #WOB standings
PAUL BEATY/AP
Chris Sale set the single season strikeout mark for a White Sox pitcher with 274, finishing the game with 7 whiffs in 7 innings, allowing 1 run and 5 hits in the 2-1 final over Detroit.
Carlos Correa kept Houston’s playoff hopes alive by leading a mind boggling offensive attack. He reached base 4 times, including a homer and a stolen base, scoring 4 and driving in 4 as the Astros obliterated the Diamondbacks 21-5.
Jake Arrieta finished his regular season with another shutout performance, striking out 7, allowing just 2 hits over 6 innings and sealing the 6-1 Cubs victory in Milwaukee.
Daniel Castro collected 3 hits including a homer, driving in a pair in the Braves 4-0 blanking of St. Louis.
They all owned baseball on October 2, 2015
Earning 1/2 WOBs on losing efforts.
Martin Perez allowed 1 run over 7 innings but got a no decision as the Rangers fell to the Angels, 2-1.
Brad Miller went 3 for 3 with a homer in the Mariners 4-2 defeat to the A’s.
Eugenio Suarez homered and singled, driving in 3 in Cincinnati’s 6-4 loss in Pittsburgh.
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.
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