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Who Owned Baseball September 26, 2018 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVPs) + 2018 #WOB

Braves Mets Baseball

AP

For an explanation of how WOB works, click here.

Jacob deGrom capped off a historically great season with 8 shutout innings, striking out 10 Braves and earning his 10th win for the Mets with a  3-0 final.

Shane Bieber tuned up for the Cleveland playoff run with 6 shutout innings, striking out 9 White Sox and earning the 10-2 decision.

Victor Robles went 4 for 5 with a homer and 5 RBI to help Washington beat Miami 9-3.

Rafael Devers homered twice, singled and doubled in Boston’s 19-3 trashing of the Orioles in game 1 of a double header. He added a double and a walk in the 10-3 nightcap loss.

They all owned baseball on September 26, 2018

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Who Owned Baseball May 26, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

neilwalker

Christopher Horner – Tribune Review

Neil Walker got 3 hits with 2 homers, driving in 4 and pushing the Mets past the Pirates, 8-1.

Max Scherzer pitched into the 9th, striking out 13 Padres in 8 2/3 innings and allowing 1 run as the Nationals won, 5-1.

Devon Travis singled, doubled and homered, driving in 4 helping the Blue Jays hold on against Texas, 7-6.

Sean Manaea threw 7 shutout innings, striking out 8 Yankees and earned the 4-1 Oakland decision.

They all owned baseball on May 26, 2017

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Who Owned Baseball May 12, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2017 #WOB Standings

Ervin Santana, Brandon Guyer

AP Photo/Tony Dejak

Ervin Santana out dueled Tomlin with 7 innings of 2 hit shutout ball, striking out 4 Indians and winning the 1-0 game for Minnesota.

Joey Gallo hit a walk off 3 run homer as the Rangers sunk Oakland, 5-2.

Brandon Drury went 3 for 5 with a homer and 3 RBI to help the Diamondbacks pound Pittsburgh, 11-4.

Johnny Cueto threw 8 strong innings, keeping the Reds to only 2 runs. He did not get the win but the Giants did in 17 innings, 3-2.

They all owned baseball on May 12, 2017

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Who Owned Baseball April 27, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2017 #WOB Standings

Carpenterimage

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Matt Carpenter hit a walk off grand slam and drove in 5 in the opening game and reached base twice and drove in another run in the night cap to help the Cardinals sweep a double header against Toronto, 8-4 and 6-4.

Francisco Lindor hit a come from behind 2 run homer that gave Cleveland a 4-3 lead over the Astros that they would hold.

Taijuan Walker struck out 11 Padres in 8 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs, earning the 6-2 decision for Arizona.

Masahiro Tanaka threw a complete game 3 hit shutout against the Red Sox as the Yankees swept, 3-0.

They all owned baseball on April 27, 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.

The Mets And White Sox Should Workout A Mega Blockbuster Trade For Chris Sale

The Mets have enough young Starting Pitching talent to acquire Chris Sale. I have gone one step further in propisng them to add Adam Eaton, Todd Frazier and David Robertson as well.

The Mets have enough young Starting Pitching talent to acquire Chris Sale. I have gone one step further in propoisng them to add Adam Eaton, Todd Frazier and David Robertson as well.  The Mets would not be signing Yoenis Cespedes under this potential deal.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

The New York Mets could use a healthy ace pitcher, natural CF, 3B to move David Wright over to 1B, while the White Sox could stand to replenish their squad with a nice lift of young Starting Pitchers.

The Proposed Idea for a Trade:

To the Mets:

SP – Chris Sale

OF – Adam Eaton

3B – Todd Frazier

RP – David Robertson

To the White Sox

SP – Steven Matz

SP – Robert Gsellman

SP – Seth Lugo

INF – Wilmer Flores

1B – Dominic Smith (Minors)

1B – Lucas Duda

CF – Juan Lagares

OF – Michael Conforto Read the rest of this entry

Neil Walker Accepting Qualifying Offer Should Have Matt Wieters-Like Impact on Mets’ Offseason

It’s only the middle of November, but the New York Mets just gained a whole lot of clarity to their offseason plan. And while the fan base is still upset about Bartolo Colon heading to the Atlanta Braves, they have reason to be excited about what’s to come.

Second baseman Neil Walker was one of just two players out of a possible 10 to accept a qualifying offer on Monday, meaning he’ll be returning to the Mets on a one-year deal for $17.2 million. That’s a lot of money for a middle infielder, but Sandy Alderson is clearly confident in Walker making a full recovery for Opening Day.

Some may feel this could hamper New York’s ability to re-sign outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, but it should actually have the opposite kind of impact. Call me overly optimistic here, but watching Walker accept the qualifying offer was exactly what the front office needed in order to operate under a “win now” mentality…even more than before.

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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 8/28/16

P- Madison Bumgarner (vs. Atlanta Braves): In his last seven starts against the Braves since 2013, Bumgarner has won six of them. He has held their offense to a .209 batting average throughout his career. He has struggled some over his last two starts, but I don’t foresee Bumgarner struggling in three starts in a row.

P- Ivan Nova (vs. Milwaukee Brewers): $8,000. Nova is coming off his best start of the season, which he threw a complete game against the Houston Astros. Since joining the Pirates rotation, Nova is 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA, 18 strikeouts, and one walk in four starts. The Brewers’ offense hasn’t faced Nova in a few years.

 

SEE THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 8/27/16

P- Jameson Taillon (vs. Milwaukee Brewers): $9,900. Taillon has been incredibly consistent all year long. He is coming off one of his best performances on the mound this year after throwing eight innings of two run ball against the Houston Astros. His last eight outings have been quality starts. In two starts against the Brewers this season, Taillon has thrown 12 innings while giving up only three runs.

P- Marcus Stroman (vs. Minnesota Twins): $9,100. Stroman struggled mightily throughout the first half of the season, but he has done quite well recently. Over his last six starts, he own a 2.45 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 40.1 innings pitched. He has been racking up the strikeouts over his last few starts, which is obviously great for daily fantasy. Minnesota’s offense has been absolutely terrible over the last few weeks, so this should be great for Stroman.

 

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Who Owned Baseball August 9, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

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AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski

 

 

John Lackey allowed just 3 hits and 1 run over 8 innings and earned the 5-1 decision for the Cubs over the Angels.

Howie Kendrick doubled and homered, driving in 3 and helped the Dodgers go into a first place tie by topping the Phillies, 9-3.

Rick Porcello gave the Red Sox 8 solid innings, allowing 2 runs to the Yankees and got the 5-3 victory.

Jose Altuve collected 4 hits, including an RBI single, scored 2 and stole a base as Houston came from behind to win over Minnesota, 7-5.

They All Owned Baseball on August 9, 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.

In Memoriam Video For all baseball family who have passed since 2015 ASG.

Who Owned Baseball August 3, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

Screen shot 2016-08-03 at 10.23.47 PM

Jason Miller – Getty

Joe Mauer reached base 5 times, drove in 4 and scored a pair to help Minnesota beat the Indians again, 13-5.

Yangervis Solarte got 3 hits including a homer, driving in 3 and scoring 4 times in San Diego’s 12-3 thrashing of the Brewers.

Hisashi Iwakuma pitched shutout ball into the 8th and finished with 7 1/3 scoreless frames, striking out 7 Red Sox and earning the 3-1 decision for Seattle.

Max Scherzer struck out 11 Diamondbacks on way to an 8-3 Nationals win.

They All Owned Baseball on August 3, 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.

In Memoriam Video For all baseball family who have passed since 2015 ASG.

Who Owned Baseball July 31, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

Screen shot 2016-07-31 at 10.33.27 PM

JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES

Neil Walker was a double shy of the cycle, driving in 4 runs and scoring 2 more to give the Mets a much needed 6-4 victory over Colorado.

Carl Edwards Jr. came out of the bullpen, struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced and stopped the bleeding as the Cubs fell into a deep early hole against Seattle. He did not fare in the decision, but his relief help set up Chicago’s comeback and their walk off 7-6 win in the 12th.

Miguel Cabrera went 3 for 4 with 2 homers, 3 runs scored and 4 RBI to help the Tigers finish the sweep of Houston, 11-0.

Corey Kluber threw 7 shutout innings, striking out 7 A’s and allowing just 5 hits as the Indians won again, 8-0.

They All Owned Baseball on July 31, 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.

In Memoriam Video For all baseball family who have passed since 2015 ASG.

These 4 Offseason MLB Trades Look Awfully Lopsided Now

There are less than two weeks before MLB’s non-waiver trade deadline passes in 2016, but we can’t help looking back at some of last winter’s most notable deals as we wait for more to happen.

It’s common for fans and analysts to crown a “winner” and “loser” for any kind of swap between two or more teams. However, those conversations happen right when a deal takes place more often than down the road when it’s easier justify either side of the argument with a player’s performance.

As usual, last winter contained a ton of player movement, both on the free agent market and through trades. The initial perspectives on the following four swaps are no longer relevant because there’s no question each of them now look incredibly lopsided.

Let’s revisit these trades for a stroll down memory lane as the current trade market continues heating up: 

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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 7/8/16

Due to the amount of time dedicated to the analysis of my midseason top 100 prospect rankings analysis, which you can find on my blog, I will not be providing reasonings behind my DFS picks for the next few days. I can assure you my picks below have been chosen using the same research methods I use on a daily basis. These methods include weather, B v. P stats, recent success, splits, stacks and much more. If you have any questions or comments, I will be glad to answer via social media (@dynasty_digest).

P- Chris Sale (vs. Atlanta Braves): $13,500

P- Hisashi Iwakuma (vs. Kansas City Royals): $6,500

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Who Owned Baseball June 27, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

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JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES

Kris Bryant went 5 for 5 with 3 homers, driving in 6 and scoring 4 to lead the Cubs in a wild 11-8 slugfest in Cincinnati.

Jon Gray struck out 8 Blue Jays over 7 innings, walking none and worked around a pair of homers to get the 9-5 victory for Colorado.

Nick Franklin singled, doubled and homered, driving in 5 runs as the Rays snapped their losing streak, 13-7 over Boston.

Danny Duffy pitched 8 innings, allowing 2 runs, walking none and struck out 8 Cardinals batters to earn the 6-2 decision for the Royals.

They all owned baseball on June 27, 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.

Who Owned Baseball June 26, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

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RICH SCHULTZ/GETTY IMAGES

Tyler Duffey did not allow a hit until the 6th and finished with 8 innings, 2 hits, 8 strikeouts and 1 run as the Twins clobbered the Yankees, 7-1.

Jose Fernandez struck out 13 Cubs and allowed just 4 hits and 1 run to earn the 6-1 decision for the red hot Marlins.

Lonnie Chisenhall collected 9 total bases with his 4 hits, including a homer and 3 RBI as the Indians continued to roll, 9-3, in Detroit.

Freddie Freeman reached base 4 times, including a homer and a pair of runs scored in the Braves 5-2 victory over the Mets.

They all owned baseball on June 26, 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 DraftKings 6/26/16

P- Justin Verlander (vs. Cleveland Indians): $10,700. In 264 career at bats against Verlander, the Indians’ offense is batting .223, with 63 strikeouts, and a .306 OBP. He struggled against the Indians in his last start, but in the nine starts since, he is 6-2, with a 2.34 ERA.

 

P- Hector Santiago (vs. Oakland Athletics): $5,800. Santiago has been very solid over his last two starts. Oakland’s offense has really struggled over the past seven games. They are ranked 26th in runs scored, 25th in OBP, and 26th in slugging. They have also struggled against left-handed pitching all season, which points in Santiago’s favor as well.

 

To view the rest of the picks, please click the link below:

 

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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 6/21/16

P- Jose Fernandez (vs. Atlanta Braves): $13,700. Fernandez has been lethal on the mound recently. In his last 10 games, he owns a 2.25 ERA, with 91 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched. Jose will be facing one of the worst offenses in baseball, so this should be a great matchup for daily fantasy.

P- Sonny Gray (vs. Milwaukee Brewers): $6,600. Gray pitched incredibly well in his last start until the sixth inning, which he surrendered five funs. In his two starts prior to his last starts (since returning from the DL), he gave up only three runs on 12.2 innings pitched. Over the last seven days, the Brewers’ offense ranks in the bottom third in runs, batting average, OBP, and slugging, so hopefully Gray can take advantage of this struggling offense in his home park.

 

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

 

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MLB Daily Fantasy Picks (DFS) For FanDuel – 5/15/16

fanduel

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)

Sunday is always a crapshoot with everything involved, so make sure you check your starting lineups, weather and backup Catcher roles.

The game I am keying on more than others today is the game at Camden Yards.   With contests in Coors Field, Chase Field and Miller Park also featuring on massive hitter friendly venues, I will be playing a roster on all of them.

The Tigers are still criminally underpriced on FanDuel right now, as their losing streak has a ton more to do with their horrific Late Inning Relief of late.

I am waiting for Justin Upton to start cracking the ball, and will play him on a roster for 2 – 3 weeks once he starts rolling.  He is a type of guy who will bash 10 HRs in a month at least once in a baseball year.

In the same game, I am running with Jonathan Schoop, who clubbed 2 jacks Saturday – and could easily go yard again on Sunday.

Adam Jones is also on fire – after early season struggles, and is a nice bargain at $2800. Manny Machado took a goose egg for FPP – and I simply can’t think he will do this two games in a row.

Tentatively, I also have put Nolan Reimold into the lineup, should he not be played, I am going to use Yasiel Puig on a wildcard throw out there at $2400.

I would have loved to have implored the Jays lineup – however they were all way out of whack for the price – so I am only going to use Troy Tulowitzki.

The Tigers are facing Kevin Gausman, yet have several hitters that just lace fastballs.

As for my pitcher – I am going with Masahiro Tanaka.  The White Sox have guys that whiff in their lineup something fierce, and I like Tanaka over Miguel Gonzalez in this matchup.

MAY 15, 2016…All Day Slate – Camden Heavy

P – Masahiro Tanaka, CWS @ NYY, $9800

C – Victor Martinez. DET @ BAL, $3500

1B – Miguel Cabrera. DET @ BAL, $3700

2B – Jonathan Schoop. DET @ BAL, $2800

3B – Manny Machado, DET @ BAL, $4200

SS – Troy Tulowitzki, TOR @ TEX, $2800

OF – Justin Upton, DET @ BAL, $2900

OF – Adam Jones, DET @ BAL, $2800

OF – Nolan Reimold, DET @ BAL, $2600 (Or Yasiel Puig, STL @ LAD, $2400, vs Mike Leake)


$35, 000, 000 ($0 Left)


2nd Sample Lineup – Coors Field Stack

P – Danny Duffy, ATL @ KC, $6800

C – Victor Martinez, DET @ BAL, $3500 or Buster Posey SF @ ARI, $3400

1B – Lucas Duda, NYM @ COL, $3800

2B – Neil Walker, NYM @ COL, $3500

3B – Danny Valencia, OAK @ TB, $2400

SS – Marcus Semien, OAK @ TB  $2200

OF – Yoenis Cespedes, NYM @ COL, $5000

OF – Curtis Granderson, NYM @ COL, $3700

OF – Carlos Gonzalez, NYM @ COL, $4000


$35, 000, 000 ($0 Left)

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


If you’re interested in playing DFS games, please use my Fanduel referral link to signup.

Please use the Referral Link for a signup bonus:

https://www.fanduel.com/?invitedby=bobadney&cnl=da

a gambling ring

*** 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 partners***

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A big thanks goes out to our ‘Chief Writer/Part Owner’ Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s featured post.

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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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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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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.

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) 

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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

Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 4/22/16

Mike Trout

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

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:

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Who Owned Baseball April 19, 2016 (Daily MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

Screen Shot 2016-04-19 at 9.16.22 PM

CHARLES KRUPA/AP

Drew Smyly allowed 1 hit over 8 innings, striking out 11 Red Sox in the process. He did not get the decision but he set up the Rays 3-0 extra inning win.

Jed Lowrie hit three singles and a double, tied the game with an RBI hit and scored the go ahead run in the 11th for the A’s come from behind 3-2 victory.

Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 Marlins over 8 innings of three hit shutout ball, earning the 7-0 decision for the Nationals.

Neil Walker homered twice to help the Mets crush the Phillies 11-1.

They all owned baseball on April 19, 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.

The Dodgers Make The Right Move To Re-Sign Kendrick

The Dodgers may have overpaid to hold on to Brett Anderson with the Qualifying Offer, however lucked out with Howie Kendrick rejected the QO in November, only to sign for just $4.2 MIL for a 2nd year. The club was able to ink the 31 year old to a 2 YR/$20 MIL - where the Qualifying Offer would have paid him $15.8 MIL for just 2016. That is luck for the Los Angeles franchise.

The Dodgers may have overpaid to hold on to Brett Anderson with the Qualifying Offer, however lucked out with Howie Kendrick rejected the QO in November, only to sign for just $4.2 MIL for a 2nd year. The club was able to ink the 31-year-old to a 2 YR/$20 MIL – where the Qualifying Offer would have paid him $15.8 MIL for just 2016. That is luck for the Los Angeles franchise.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

The Dodgers are running pretty good today with the status quo on the offensive side of the ball anyway.

Since it was agreed on that Howie Kendrick would sign a 2 year deal for $20 MIL – this is an economic win.

1st off, the Dodgers avoided the $15.8 MIL Qualifying Offer they extended their 2015 2B, then only had to pad $4.2 MIL to the total for a 2nd season.

This is a loss financially for Kendrick, who must have thought a multi-year offer of 3 – 4 campaigns must have been out there for the same kind of money that Daniel Murphy signed for (3 years at $12 MIL per AAV).

Howie Kendrick was unfortunately in the same market as Daniel Murphy and also lost another club that could have bid for his services, when the New York Mets traded for Neil Walker. Kendrick is a .293 Career Hitter, but doesn't really have great power for Extra Base Hits. This brought down his value a little. He is till a great professional hitter. I am surprised the Angels didn't come calling for his services - considering the lower AAV.

Howie Kendrick was unfortunately in the same market as Daniel Murphy and also lost another club that could have bid for his services, when the New York Mets traded for Neil Walker. Kendrick is a .293 Career Hitter, but doesn’t really have great power for Extra Base Hits. This brought down his value a little. He is till a great professional hitter. I am surprised the Angels didn’t come calling for his services – considering the lower AAV.

Not only did the Dodgers brass finally reel in their Starting Second Baseman, they were able to add Chase Utley as a backup/quality bench hitter for $7 MIL.  If you combined Kendrick and Utley salaries, it is just $1.2 MIL over what would have happened had Kendrick accepted the QO.

Love Kendrick as a professional hitter.  The man is a .293/.333/.423 career hitter – and his 2015 season closely resembled this at .295/.336/.409 in 2015 for the Dodger Blue.

It shows that the Dodgers management/ownership is also willing to fork out the necessary dollars to keep up their NL West Division prowess.

As the 3 time defending Division Champs,  they are in prime position to challenge the Giants for a 4th year in a row in 2016.

This contract vaults the Dodgers up to around $245 MIL in total team salary in 2016, yet it was a necessary move.

Los Angeles is also staring at a 50% penalty for going over the Luxury Tax Threshold for a 4th straight year.  They will pay around $28 MIL with cash situated as it is now.

For the fans that wanted the organization to dole up for the bigger Free Agents, it is hard to fathom paying that 50% penalty for years upon years at the present rate.

This approach has had the super management team of Andrew Friedman, Farhan Zaidi, Josh Byrnes and newly appointed Alex Anthopoulos under heavy scrutiny, but may work out better in the long run.

Had the club inked Zack Greinke to his $34.42 MIL AAV, that would have put them so far in committed $ over the Luxury Tax, that they would never be able to get under for a reset.

With the 2016 season concluding without a CBA after, it is also wise not to be so far over the Luxury Tax mark when they don’t know what the new deal between the MLBPA and the owners will look like.

2017 has them over $203 MIL in contracts guaranteed to 12 guys already, but 8 players will become Free Agents after the 2016 season, and after 2017’s end comes the best news for Dodger fans.  Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford will finally be off the books!

The Dodgers have a ton of young talent coming into the fold here.  Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda are under team control for a long period of time here.  You still have Julio Urias just coming up to the Major Leagues for service time as well.

The Infield is definitely going to be clogged up with Utley, Enrique Hernandez and Alex Guerrero on the depth chart.  Guerrero is out of options and will need to be kept on the Major League Roster (or be released, waived or DFA’d).

Of course Justin Turner is listed as the Starter at 3B for now.  Micah Johnson and Utley may join Hernandez as guys that could spell him at the hot corner.

Guerrero could also play the OF, but I am sure that Dave Roberts would love to use Scott Van Slyke as 1st on the taxi squad.

Los Angeles has also strengthened its bench with this move.  The one thing they could still use it Relief help.  That may be obtained by signing more Free Agents, or perhaps this may clear the deck for another trade to happen.

The Dodgers were 10th in the NL during 2015 – with a .250 Batting Average, and losing a .293 hitter last year would have been tough for this years lineup.

With Corey Seager for a full year, and a return to prominence for Yasiel Puig, this squad could really put up some runs and improve all facets of the offense.

While the club wasn’t so great at Batting Average, they were 3rd in the Senior Circuit in Slugging Percentage at .413.

One has to also think that Chase Utley will be a lot better in reserve role – compared to his .202/.291/.363 3 Slash Line with the team last year.  I would say he could be 80% like his worst year (prior to 2015), where he hit .259/.344/.425 in 2012.

For the record, baseballreference.com has Utley hitting .247/.315/.398 in 2016.  I am sure the club would take that.

Whether the implementation of a lot of players on the roster – as opposed to having a limited bench and depth if they would have signed Greinke projects well to the upcoming season is yet to be determined. 4

No doubt they are not as strong in the Rotation at the top. But perhaps the addition of Scott Kazmir, the return of Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood for a full year, and a surprise comeback from Brandon McCarthy could pick up the slack.

Signing Kendrick was the right move all day long.  This is one less position with the team having questions for.

The fans are seeing a different management philosophy with the new brass under the tutelage of Andrew Friedman They are taking a big long term picture look. Even though they wasted $90 MIL in dead money last year with questionable decisions, they are trying to clear the deck for many years by dropping the heavy amount of committed dollars. With a new CBA forthcoming, who knows what the new Luxury Tax Threshold will be. At least by keeping the new contracts to smaller years and figures, Los Angeles may be able to drop underneath the limit in 2018 - 2020.

The fans are seeing a different management philosophy with the new brass under the tutelage of Andrew Friedman. They are taking a big long term picture look. Even though they wasted $90 MIL in dead money last year with questionable decisions, they are trying to clear the deck for many years  in the future, by dropping the heavy amount of committed dollars. With a new CBA forthcoming, who knows what the new Luxury Tax Threshold will be. At least by keeping the new contracts to smaller years and figures, Los Angeles may be able to drop underneath the limit in 2018 – 2020.  Right near they are at a 50% penalty for every season they are over the Luxury Tax ($189 MIL) until they get under.

*** 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.***

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MLB Power Rankings: Early Win Total Predictions For Spring Of 2016

Just because there is parity in the American League it doesn't mean that the Junior Circuit will not club the National League in Interleague this upcoming season. In fact, I am calling for them to be 50 games over .500 versus the Senior Circuit in the AL vs NL schedule. Most of that will be versus the weaker NL clubs, however the better NL clubs will not entirely dominate the whole AL either.

Just because there is parity in the American League it doesn’t mean that the Junior Circuit will not club the National League in Interleague this upcoming season. In fact, I am calling for them to be 50 games over .500 versus the Senior Circuit in the AL vs NL schedule. Most of that will be versus the weaker NL clubs, however the better NL clubs will not entirely dominate the whole AL either.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) 

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Updated on Feb.18, 2015

There is parity in the American League and their is a growing distance between the good and the bad clubs in the National League.

One could argue that the top 7 teams (NYM/CHC/SF/WSH/STL/PIT, LAD) in all of the Majors reside in the NL right now, and you then you can counter that by saying they have the 6 worst squads as well (PHI/ATL/MIL/CIN/SD/COL).

The funny thing about this whole ordeal is that the AL is absolutely going to cream the NL in Interleague this forthcoming season.  On a 12 year win streak already,  I am predicting a 175 – 125 W – L for the games between both leagues. The AL speedbags the National League in my view.

Last year, the American League held a 167 – 133 mark over the National League so that prediction up there is not foreign by any means. 

Read the rest of this entry

Dear FanGraphs On Your MLB Season Projections: I Wish You Ran A Gambling Site!

Talk about no respect. Back to back pennants and a projection by Fangraphs to finish tied for 12th in the American League with 79 wins, and 16 less than 2015 - even though the talent level is pretty much status quo. KC, STL and PIT are all projected to tank 15 games each from 2016 - 2015. No way fellas!

Talk about no respect. Back to back pennants and a projection by Fangraphs to finish tied for 12th in the American League with 79 wins, and 16 less than 2015 – even though the talent level is pretty much status quo. KC, STL and PIT are all projected to tank 15 games each from 2016 – 2015. No way fellas!

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

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So I studied the recent FanGraphs projections for the upcoming 2016 MLB Year and was completely shocked at where these guys had the defending World Series Champions projected at for W – L Record….79 – 83 and tied for the 12th best record in the Junior Circuit??!!

Fangraphs, you are high if  you think that will actually take place.  For that, I wish you ran a gambling website to promote betting.  The sharps would have a field day on  a couple of these selections.  I would throw down some serious money on your totals.

Lets not entirely rule out Cleveland winning the AL Central as they have also prognosticated here, albeit at just 84 wins.  That victory total is about right for the Tribe – But how can you have all AL teams (except BOS) pegged between 78 – 86 wins? Read the rest of this entry

Pittsburgh Pirates Deep Dive: Jon Niese

EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES

EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES

An intriguing ground ball rate and three years of control were enough for the Pittsburgh Pirates to obtain Jon Niese. What comprises the left-hander’s makeup as a starting pitcher?

Several weeks have passed since Neil Walker was traded to the New York Mets for starting pitcher Jon Niese.

The move still resonates strongly with many Pittsburgh Pirates observers, often serving for many as the fulcrum of a questionable off-season.

We’ve analyzed the move previously, and from all angles. For the latest in our “Pittsburgh Pirates Deep Dive” series, we are going to look at the trends that are seen when analyzing Niese purely by past performance.

For this breakdown, I took a look at Niese’s game logs for the entire 2015 season. This includes all of his regular season appearances – 29 starts and three relief outings.

By looking at the entire snapshot of a full season, I expect to be able to easily identify any developing trends.

When he was acquired, the book on Niese was that he had good groundball-producing ability and a varied pitch mix. Two of those pitches – a sinking fastball and a cutting version – saw groundball rates above 60 percent in 2015.

READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY

Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series

The Nationals were 36 - 25 in the games that Denard Span appeared in for the 2015 year.  He is going to help some offense as a legitimate leadoff man in 2016 who can play a decent CF.  HIs pending departure will be felt significantly more if Jayson Werth has another injury riddled year - or if Michael Taylor can't take the next step in 2016.

The Nationals were 36 – 25 in the games that Denard Span appeared in for the 2015 year. He is going to help  the Giants offense as a legitimate leadoff man in 2016 and can play all 3 positions in the Outfield.  They have 3 decent starting players beyond the grass, and should be able to fill all 162 games with Belt and Blanco also being on the depth chart out there.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

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I absolutely love the Giants Free Agent Signing of Denard Span.  This is a club that has extreme depth in all 3 OF positions now, and Span has worked the role of a Leadoff man brilliantly in the last several years.

Yes between he, Hunter Pence and Angel Pagan they have spent time on the sick bay over the last few years, but when you add that Brandon Belt could play LF, or Gregor Blanco who filled in admirably well in 2015, than you see that the roster just became stronger.

It is for these reasons alone I have finally taken the +900 odd off as one of my worst picks on the betsheet.  This signing definitely tips the scales back in San Frans favor over the Dodgers.

The 1 – 8 lineup looks nice with Span, Joe Panik, Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, Brandon Belt, Matt Duffy, Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan all capable MLB Starter.  I could see this squad leading the Batting Average in the Majors in the coming year.

While I love the club, the odd at +900 is bang on now. Read the rest of this entry

MLB Power Rankings New Years 2016

Perhaps the Back to the Future Prediction was off by just one year. The Cubs , who are immensely loaded with young offensive superstars added another to the mix with the Jason Heyward signing. Add that to a revamped Bullpen, strong Starters signed last year in Jon Lester and Jason Hammel, coupled with John Lackey this year, and this team is the clear cut #1 ranked team. Oh yeah..They even have depth to make another trade should they need to.

Perhaps the Back to the Future Prediction was off by just one year. The Cubs , who are immensely loaded with young offensive superstars added another to the mix with the Jason Heyward signing. Add that to a revamped Bullpen, strong Starters signed last year in Jon Lester and Jason Hammel, coupled with John Lackey this year, and this team is the clear cut #1 ranked team. Oh yeah..They even have depth to make another trade should they need to.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) 

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(1) Chicago Cubs: Big additions of Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey.  Tonnes of young superstars only ging to get better.

(2) NY Mets:  Starting Pitching best in the Majors.  Offensive depth better in offseason.  Need David Wright to stay healthy.  NL East easiest bottom 3 teams in the bigs.

(3) Kansas City Royals:  Easiest Division in the Majors.  Back to Back AL Pennants and defending World Series Champs.  Look for some more mid year deals. Read the rest of this entry

New York Mets State Of The Union For 2016

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 (Pitching for hitters).

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. After tinkering with average players in acquisitions (other than Neil Walker – who is a comparable replacement for Daniel Murphy), it looks like GM Sandy Alderson is done constructing the offense for 2016.  I think this is a critical error.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead  Analyst) 

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It has been a decent offseason for the New York Mets so far.  They have resigned Bartolo Colon, filled in the spot at 2B with an almost equal amount of talent for Daniel Murphy, while adding Asdrubal Cabrera is also a wise move.

The organization even resigned Jerry Blevins to the Relief Core.  There is still potential to add another arm or 2 for late innings in the Bullpen.

On Tuesday, it was announced the OF Alejandro De Aza has joined the club for a one year deal at $5.75 MIL (and $1.25 MIL in incentives).  This guy can play all 3 OF positions, but he really should be a 4th OF on a championship team caliber style of team. Read the rest of this entry

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