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Who Owned Baseball July 25, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
Chuck Crow – The Plain Dealer
Bradley Zimmer reached base 4 times, hit a grand slam, stole 2 bases and made a game saving catch as the Indians walked off in a wild 11-7 10 inning slug fest against the Angels.
Charlie Morton pitched 7 shutout innings, striking out 9 Phillies to earn the 5-0 decision for Houston.
Yoenis Cespedes went 3 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBI to lead the Mets past San Diego, 6-5.
Zach Davies gave the Brewers a much needed win by pitching shutout ball into the 8th, striking out 7 Nationals in 7 2/3 innings for the 8-0 final.
They all owned baseball on July 25, 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.
Who Owned Baseball June 17, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
AP Photo/Jim Mone
Jose Ramirez went 3 for 5 with 2 homers in the opening game then doubled and singled in the night cap as the Indians swept the double header from Minnesota, 9-3 and 6-2, to leap frog into first place.
Yangervis Solarte reached base 3 times, homered twice including a 2 run shot in the 10th as the Padres won a wild 7-5 game in 11 over the Brewers.
Alex Meyer threw 6 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 9 Kansas City batters as the Angels took the 9-0 laugher.
Dinelson Lamet struck out 12 Brewers in 6 innings, walking none. He did not get the decision but the Padres triumphed in extra innings, 7-5.
They all owned baseball on June 17, 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.
Who Owned Baseball April 11, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2017 #WOB Standings
(Photo: Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports)
Yoenis Cespedes homered three times and added a double, driving in 5 in the Mets 14-4 blow out over Philadelphia.
Robbie Ray shutout the Giants into the 7th, finishing with 6 2/3 scoreless frames, 4 hits and 8 strikeouts to earn the 4-3 decision for the Diamondbacks.
Christian Vazquez collected 4 hits, including a double and a triple, scored 2, drove in 2 and stole a base to help the Red Sox thrash Baltimore, 8-1.
Matthew Boyd held the Twins to 1 hit and no runs over 6 innings, striking out 6 along the way. He earned the 2-1 final for Detroit.
They all owned baseball on April 11, 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.
Yoenis Cespedes’ Slow Start Hasn’t Been All That Bad
As evidenced by their young starting rotation, the New York Mets are a team — and organization, for that matter — built around starting pitching. However, while having a dominant starting staff is awesome, we’ve seen that offense is just as important toward their eventual success.
After all, you still have to score more runs than the other team to win.
For the Mets, it doesn’t really matter how deep the offense appears on paper because it all flows through Yoenis Cespedes. Considering the fact that he’s slashed .154/.267/.308 in 30 plate appearances thus far — good for a 63 wRC+ — it shouldn’t be totally shocking to see New York scuffling a bit out of the gate because their offense hasn’t gotten into a groove yet.
And yes, there’s no possible way we can draw any conclusions from a seven-game sample size, but there are a couple of encouraging trends from Cespedes now that we’re one week into the regular season.
With No Top 50 ALL – Time Contracts Signed This Winter – Who Is Next To Make The List?
Signing Cespedes has signed the biggest contract of the offseason thus far at 4 YRs/$110 MIL. it is ranked tied for 60th ALL – Time even though the Annual Average Value is tied for 2nd ALL – Time among position players. With power having been devalued and a firm new set of penalties for Luxury Tax Threshold Abusers, it may take until the winter of 2018 – heading into 2019 – for another player to ink a contract that places them in the top 50 ALL – Time Salaries.
The winter has seen a lot of great Free Agents sign like Yoenis Cespedes, Aroldis Chapman, Dexter Fowler, Kenley Jansen, Ian Desmond, Mark Melancon and Edwin Encarnacion, however none of them were historic by any means.
While Cespedes’s $110 MIL pact over 4 years is $27.5 MIL per year, which ties him for the 2nd best AAV ALL – Time for a position player with Alex Rodriguez, (trailing Miguel Cabrera‘s 8 YR/$248 MIL extension that started in 2016) – only brings him in for a tie for about 60th on the ALL – Time Biggest Contracts list.
To crack the top 50 list ALL – Time right now, you need to bring in a deal that makes at least $120 MIL for the life of the contract.
During last years offeseason, David Price ($217 MIL), Zack Greinke, ($206.5 MIL) Jason Heyward, ($184 MIL), Chris Davis, ($161 MIL), Justin Upton ($132.8 MIL) and Johnny Cueto ($130 MIL) all inked pacts in excess of that.
Early in the season, Stephen Strasburg shocked the world with his new 7 YRs/$175 MIL deal soon afterwards. Read the rest of this entry
MLB’s Best Hitters in Each Inning During the 2016 Season
According to Earl Wilson, the game of baseball is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. Regardless of the team you root for, just about every fan can relate to that in some way.
While it takes a full nine innings – or, nine nervous breakdowns – for a game to be complete without suboptimal weather sabotaging it, there are countless moments within each inning that can alter the eventual outcome, whether it’s in the top of the first or bottom of the ninth.
With that in mind, I was interested in finding out which hitters mashed the most in each inning throughout the course of 2016. Thanks to FanGraphs’ Splits Leaderboard, it was pretty easy to do.
Using the very arbitrary benchmark of 80-plus plate appearances for the first through sixth innings, 50-plus plate appearances for the seventh through ninth innings and 20-plus plate appearances for extras, below are the top three hitters from every inning in 2016, based off wRC+.
New York Mets, Cleveland Indians Traveling Similar Paths in Search of a World Series Title
Like most professional sports, Major League Baseball is a copycat league.
When the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals displayed how crucial a dominant bullpen can be en route to winning championships, other teams tried to duplicate their strategy in hopes of finding similar success.
Now, after seeing what it took for the Chicago Cubs to end their excruciating 108-year title drought, even their most bitter rivals are taking notes for the future.
Although they haven’t yet won a World Series, the Cleveland Indians and New York Mets have rebuilt their respective rosters in such a way that many opponents are likely jealous of. There aren’t many organizations around baseball with the type of top-flight and mostly homegrown starting pitching these two have.
That’s not where the similarities end, either.
In fact, Cleveland recently signing Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year deal on the eve of Christmas further strengthens the similarities between these two teams, and it’s much more than just reaching the Fall Classic one year apart.
Projected Top 5 Home Run Hitters In Major League Baseball For 2017
Having nothing to do with the ALL – Star Game, and a ton to prove after inviting himself to the HR derby in San Diego, we placed a $125 bet on Stanton to win the event at +325 odds – and he won the whole thing. Now only if he could refrain from beingthe DL for 1 campaign. It was another injury plagued season for the veteran in 2016, but I still claim he will lead the league in HRs one of these years and possibly challenge 50 HRs in the process. He is our #1 pick to win the overall MLB HR crown in 2017.
With apologies to the pending Free Agents who cracked 40+ HRs in Mark Trumbo (47) and Chris Carter (41), I just don’t see them duplicating their 2016 campaigns.
I also foresee a bunch of changes to the top 6 Home Run hitters in the American League in 2017.
Newly signed Indians player Edwin Encarnacion is quite possibly the only returning top 5 guy that will be in there back to back seasons for the Junior Circuit.
Chris Carter. actually tied was the co-leader for the HR title with Nolan Arenado in 2016. and then was promptly non-tendered by the Brewers for his efforts.
Mark Trumbo hasn’t been able to parlay his HR title into a Free Agent deal either. I think this may play a huge factor in a 2017 regression of sorts.
Don’t get me wrong. i fully expect these gentlemen to eclipse 30+ HRs each still in 2017.
Since the top 5 overall Major League HR totals all resided in the AL in 2016 – I suspect this won’t be the case next year.
Ultimately, career years from Khris Davis and Brian Dozier will be hard to do again.
(RELATED – Top 5 Saves Leaders Projected For The MLB in 2017) Read the rest of this entry
Dear Santa: An Open Letter To Saint Nick From All 30 MLB Teams Fanbases
NY Yankees: They need to speed the clock up like Back To The Future 2. The Pinstripers are resetting for the 2019 season and beyond Bryce Harper era.
Based on how good the Red Sox Winter meetings have gone this far, you have to know there will also be a lot of Yankees 27 World Series Rings to Boston’s 8 on a T-Shirt scoreboard.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 @mlbreports
It is time for our yearly letter to head to the north pole. Perhaps the ‘fat old jolly’ guy will respond promptly at the 2016 Winter Meetings.
The Bronx Bombers will also ask for their former Captain to please make more appearances in the public eye so they can milk the retiring of Derek Jeter‘s #2 on May 14, 2017 for about the next 6 months in a viable smokescreen to their 2017 performance.
Boston: Can we ask that Richard Simmonds become Pablo Sandoval‘s personal trainer all offseason?. For a guy who had more broken belts than hits in 2017, Sandoval can re-write his Boston legacy by proving what he can do when they are in the 2017 playoffs.
There also needs to be a discounted rack at Fenway Park for all of the S-Medium shirts that may have been there for the recently departed Yoan Moncada.
The Red Sox are always the clubhouse leaders in big tall lanky pitchers who herk and jerk when throwing, so can we ask the home broadcasting network for extra wide lenses.
Odds To Win The 2017 World Series: Nats/Giants/Astros Great Value – Bounce On KC/NYY
For a second straight week we love the Nationals with the best odd value of the week. They have some financial flexibility to bring in a few more ALL – Star Caliber players and also possess the prospects in order to get it done. If you believe (like I do) that the Nats are serious about trading for guys like Andrew McCutchen and Chris Sale, than it is imperative you get this club at their odd this week.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 @mlbreports
The Nationals are really making noise about trying to land Andrew McCutchen and Chris Sale. Even if they don’t fulfill the need, I still think they will add more depth via trade for another good Starting Pitcher and also add an impressive CF, and reliever.
We shall wait and see whether or not that could be the likes of Dexter Fowler or a reunion with Ian Desmond to play CF, Aroldis Chapman or Kenley Jansen to be added to for late inning work. At +1200 the Nats are full value for the best odd of the week.
The NL East may be easier to win than the NL West and NL Central if you think the way that most good handicappers are right now. The Mets are dreaming if they think they can contend with 3 Infield Starters with bad backs, and a declining metrics Shortstop, added to not a true CF, and a horrible Catcher offensive situation.
I am trying not to bag on the Mets too much here, as I think they could still rally to win 85 – 90 wins again next year based on the strength of the rest of the Division, it is just the health concerns that would frighten me to pieces. Read the rest of this entry
Is it Time for the Joey Gallo Era for the Texas Rangers?
Over at Off the Bench we’ve written a lot about where this offseason’s free agents might end up. Some of the bigger names that generate all sorts of buzz are the likes of Aroldis Chapman (who threw an incredible pitch), Kenley Jansen, and Yoenis Cespedes, whom we think might end up back with the New York Mets, we were right. We even pondered about the final destination of lower profile players like Michael Saunders, but we never got so deep in the weeds as to discuss the fate of free agent first basemen Mitch Moreland.
Moreland has spent the last few seasons manning first base for the Texas Rangers, taking his place as the lowest profile position player on a team full of offensive studs. With Prince Fielder’s tragic forced retirement this summer, Moreland became the answer to the oft-posed question ‘So who’s the Texas Rangers’ first basemen these days anyway?’
Odds To Win The 2017 World Series:
The Nationals feature 3 potential MVPs and 2 Cy Young Pitchers as their top talent – while the rest of the Division struggles with overcoming roster hauls, rebuilding and tragedy. The Cubs are the expected overwhelming favorite, however they don’t pay nearly enough, and nothing is ever certain in the playoffs. Give me the Nats as the best on the board currently.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 @mlbreports
If you bet with your mind and not your heart in the last 12 months, than you would have lost on the World Series predictions. I prognosticated in my yearly preseason bets that I thought the Cubs would win the Fall Classic, but profusely hated the odds of +500 to begin the campaign.
I still fully capitalized on my preseason wager of picking the Dodgers at +1500 for $50, along with the Mets and Nationals at +1100 for $50 a piece as well.
That, coupled with my Baltimore Orioles AL pick to win the AL Pennant at 28/1 Odds served to put me into a position to hedge several bets in the playoffs to turn a nice profit. Later in the week we will delve into the websites entire wagers for the whole calendar season.
The reigning champions are also extreme favorites again heading into 2017 – at a +280 clip. I may pick them to win another World Series again in my actual predictions, however those are still horrible odds to throw some cabbage down on.
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.
These 6 MLB Free Agents Will be Intriguing to Follow This Winter
Compared to previous years, the 2016-17 MLB free-agent market leaves a lot to be desired, but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t intriguing players to follow as they search for new homes.
Like everyone else, I knew this winter’s class of available players wasn’t great, but the reminder was an unpleasant one while looking at the list again this week. Seriously, just take a look at who is expected to hit the market at shortstop and third base this year and tell me that doesn’t make you shake your head.
With that in mind, it means the few MLB free agents who would’ve been rather intriguing during a normal winter get super intriguing this winter. The following six players have unique situations that will shape their trip into the market over the coming months, and here’s why it’s worth following them on their journey.
2016 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Trades Analysis
Following a 2nd place finish in 2015, this is the active roster I ended the year with:
C– Travis d’Arnaud
1B– Brandon Belt
2B– Robinson Cano
3B– Anthony Rendon
SS– Brandon Crawford
LF– Yoenis Cespedes
CF– David Peralta
RF– Bryce Harper
UTL– Daniel Murphy
Starting Pitchers– Madison Bumgarner, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Sonny Gray, Justin Verlander
Relief Pitchers– Ken Giles, Daniel Hudson, Jonathan Papelbon, David Robertson, Shawn Tolleson
Off. Bench– Robinson Chirinos, Justin Bour, Jonathan Schoop, Alex Rodriguez
P. Bench– Nick Martinez, Carlos Rodon, Arquimedes Caminero, Jenrry Mejia, Drew Pomeranz, Tom Koehler
Offensive Prospects– Chance Sisco, A.J. Reed, Kean Wong, Tim Anderson, Jorge Mateo, Eloy Jimenez, Manuel Margot, Bradley Zimmer, Brett Phillips
Pitching Prospects– Edwin Diaz, Anderson Espinoza, Michael Fulmer, Taylor Guerrieri, Pierce Johnson, Yoan Lopez, Francis Martes, Alex Reyes, Jack Flaherty, Casey Meisner, Luis Ortiz
While I did finish the season in 2nd, my roster needed some serious improvements. I had a lot of faith in my ability to scout prospects, so I figured it was time to unload some prospects for win-now talent and trust my ability to refill my minor league system with less publicized talent. You can see all of the trades I made in the offseason and during the 2016 season in order from oldest to most recent below (all trades made prior to the season are in bold and in season is in italics):
SEE THE REST OF THE ARTICLE
These 6 MLB Hitters are Enjoying Huge Years at the Best Possible Time
Between the regular season and the playoffs, there’s still about two months of baseball left to enjoy, but winter is approaching faster than we realize. It stinks to think about life without baseball (even for a relatively short period of time), but that also means the Hot Stove is coming to keep us occupied.
As we’ve been talking about for quite a while, this winter’s free agent class is less inspiring than others in recent memory. That doesn’t mean there still won’t be a bunch of players signing life-changing contracts along the way, though. Some impending free agents have hurt their stock this year, but the following six hitters have elevated theirs as much as possible over the past five months, especially with less competition than normal from others who will soon need a new home for 2017.
Who Owned Baseball August 29, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
(Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register)
Mike Trout reached base 4 times, including a double and a homer, scoring twice and driving in 2, to lead the Angels in a 9-2 drubbing of the Reds.
Yoenis Cespedes got 3 hits including a walk off homer in the bottom of the 10th to give the Mets a much needed 2-1 victory.
Marco Estrada pitched into the 8th, finishing with 7 plus innings, 1 run and 4 hits to get the 5-1 Toronto win over Baltimore.
Tanner Roark threw 7 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits and striking out 5 Phillies to earn the 4-0 decision for Washington.
They All Owned Baseball on August 29, 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.
Yoenis Cespedes Couldn’t be More Perfect for the Bright Lights of New York
Since baseball is a game of failure, it’s imperative for players to remain confident when they’re not successful. It’s even more imperative for those playing in large media markets to not be fazed by the fans and reporters who monitor their every move.
Understandably so, playing in a big city isn’t for everybody, but New York Mets outfielderYoenis Cespedes appears to thrive on it more than anything else.
When he was acquired from the Detroit Tigers minutes before the non-waiver trade deadline last summer, he was expected to immediately become “the man” in New York’s lineup. Mets fans know how often players live up to those kinds of expectations upon landing in Flushing.
So, the fact that he’s lived up to them by hitting .290/.353/.584 with 42 home runs and 108 RBI in 154 games since joining the Mets is shocking. It’s also why fans hope Cespedes either decides against using his opt-out clause after this season, or New York finds a way to keep him with the organization via another contract.
Who Owned Baseball August 20, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
JONATHAN DANIEL/GETTY IMAGES
Chris Sale threw 8 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and earning the 6-2 White Sox decision over Oakland.
Alex Gordon homered twice and added another hit as the red hot defending champion Royals crushed the Twins 10-0.
Robbie Ray gave up 1 hit and 1 run while striking out 13 Padres giving the Diamondbacks a 2-1 victory.
Yoenis Cespedes went 3 for 5 with a pair of homers and 3 RBI to give the Mets a much needed 9-5 win over the Giants.
They All Owned Baseball on August 20, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings – 7/27/16
P – Jon Gray (vs. Baltimore Orioles): $10,500. The Orioles have been horrendous over the last seven games. They are ranked last in OPS with a .599. Meanwhile, Jon Gray has been absolutely filthy over his last few starts. In his last three starts, Gray has struck out at least eight batters and he has only given up three runs in 20.1 innings pitched. Over his last 11 starts, he owns a 2.93 ERA.
P – Matt Moore (vs. Los Angeles Dodgers): $7,500. Over his last nine starts, Moore has thrown at least six innings. He is facing a Dodgers’ lineup who has struggled mightily against left-handed pitching. In 831 at bats against lefties, the Dodgers are batting .218, with a .295 OBP, and a .350 slugging percentage.
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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 7/25/16
P- Carlos Martinez (vs. New York Mets): $11,400. Martinez has been very reliable in daily fantasy all year long. In fact, he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start since late May. He continues to pitch deep into games, which is great in DraftKings. The Mets offense has been brutal all season long and they have struggled to produce runs over the last seven games, so this should be very favorable for Martinez.
P- Jeremy Hellickson (vs. Miami Marlins): $8,300. In 139 career at bats against Hellickson, the Marlins’ lineup is only batting .216, with a .243 OBP, and a .365 slugging percentage. Hellickson should be on his A-game with the trade deadline right around the corner if he wants to be dealt to a competing team. In his last start against the Marlins, he held them to one earned run, on five hits in eight innings pitched.
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Selecting the 2016 First Half MVP for Each MLB Team
Now that MLB’s All-Star Week festivities in San Diego are finished, we’re forced with the task of getting through the next few days without any baseball. To pass the time, we’ll do what any self-respecting fan or analyst would do – look back at the first 80-90 games played and see who had the biggest impact.
Below are my first-half MVPs for each of the 30 MLB squads, with some facts to back up why they should be admiring some brand-new, imaginary hardware on their mantle before embarking on the second half of play.
New York Mets Must Improve in These 6 Areas in the 2nd Half
Manager Terry Collins and his New York Mets had to deal with what many viewed as a potentially season-defining 11-game homestand prior to the All Star break. On the surface, they succeeded by going 7-4 against the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals.
However, it was likely one of the most frustrating 7-4 homestands fans will ever experience because New York missed a golden opportunity.
The importance of this stretch prior to baseball’s midseason break was only magnified because the Mets arrived at Citi Field fresh off losing five of seven to the Nats and Atlanta Braves. The pitching staff continued to do their job for the most part, but it was the offense that resembled the 2015 squad before acquiring Yoenis Cespedes, not after.
This group then came alive by sweeping a four-game set against the Cubs, followed by taking two of three from the Marlins. Things continued looking up on Thursday, as New York battled back with the help of Wilmer Flores to win the series opener against Washington.
Those good feelings faded quickly as Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Daniel Murphy displayed why they’re All-Stars this year en route to the Nats winning three straight, building their NL East lead to six games.
Finishing the first half with a 47-41 record isn’t bad considering what New York has dealt with since April, but they must improve in these areas if they want to return to the playoffs this October:
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 6/30/16
P – Zach Davies (vs. Los Angeles Dodgers): $8,000. Davies has been spectacular this month. In five starts in June, he owns a 1.64 ERA, 0.788 WHIP, 36 strikeouts, and six walks in 33 innings pitched. One of those five starts came against the Dodgers, in which he threw seven innings, giving up five hits, one run, and he struck out six. The Dodgers offense has really struggled over the past seven days, which is a good sign for the young right-hander.
P – Carlos Rodon (vs. Minnesota Twins): $8,500. Rodon is coming off a very good start against the Toronto Blue Jays in his last start. Over his last 12 innings pitched, he has struck out 16 batters, which is a great sign for daily fantasy. The Minnesota Twins rank in the bottom of the major leagues against left-handed pitching in 2016, so this should be a great matchup for Rodon. Rodon faced the Twins on April 13th, going six innings, giving up three hits, zero runs, and he struck out six. Rodon can be a very high risk, high reward pitcher, so this could be a risky play.
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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 6/22/16
P- Cole Hamels (vs. Cincinnati Reds): $10,400. So far in June, Hamels has posted a 2-0 record with a 1.88 ERA in four starts. He is taking on a Reds’ offense in which he has dominated throughout his entire career. In 14 career starts against the Reds, Hamels is 9-1 with a 1.96 ERA.
P- Lance McCullers (vs. Los Angeles Angels): $8,200. The Astros need to win this series, so you know McCullers is going to be fired up for this one. In his four starts this season, he is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA. In 2015, he faced the Angels four times and went 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA.
To view the rest of the picks, click the link below:
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MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 7 – May
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 Follow The MLBreports On Twitter
MAY 15, 2016
Well not much has changed from this week as compared to last week. Detroit carried its free fall to 4th in the AL Central, the Yankees took 5 of 7 contests – and 7/10 in their homestand to save their season for now.
Miami and Philadelphia continue to stick around in the NL East, and the Giants and Dodgers finally had winning weeks to make the NL West Division Leader respectable.
Nobody looks scarier right now than the Boston Red Sox offense, who led by David Ortiz, Jackie Bradley JR. and Xander Bogaerts, plated 10 runs or more in 5 of the last 6 games, after going their 1st 32 games without doing so.
I am still awaiting for a Jays big winning streak. Houston has not played winning baseball since the 1st 6 weeks of the 2015 – and are tending to resemble the 2007 Tampa Bay Rays more than anything.
All offense and little pitching and defense.
There is nobody struggling worse than Logan Morrison, Russell Martin, Carlos Gomez and the consortium of LF’s in Anaheim! Recently bouncing out of this list are Jason Heyward and Chase Headley.
We are nearing the quarter pole and rapidly approaching Memorial Day Weekend, so it is not early anymore.
Read the rest of this entry
MLB Daily Fantasy Picks (DFS) For FanDuel – 5/15/16
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
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Stephen Strasburg Ties Felix Hernandez For 17th On The MLB’s ALL – Time Top 50 Contract List With Extension
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Chuck Booth (MLB Reports Majority Owner/Lead Analyst)
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Stephen Strasburg shocked he baseball world the other day – by inking a 7 year extension worth from $175 – $180 MIL. It ties him for 17th All – Time with Felix Hernandez to start with, but he can earn an additional $7 MIL with $1 MIL per year bonuses for reaching 180 IP.
The deal pays him $15 MIL annually from 2016 – 2023, and then the deferrals kick in from 2023 – 2030, in 7 installments of $10 MIL each.
Some will say his deal is worth more like $162 MIL in present day dollars, however we do not operate our top 50 contracts list like that. The deal is guaranteed at $175 MIL for now, and we will change it if bonuses are hit.
With this contract, the Nats have 4 current players that are on this ALL – Time List with Scherzer (10th), Strasburg (T 17th), Zimmerman (37th) and Werth (Tied 44th).
This signing is a great move to open a 3 year window for Washington, as they also have Bryce Harper under team control until after the 2018 season, however it also may seal the fate the of the young reigning NL MVP to move elsewhere for 2019.
Werth’s contract does end at the end of the 2017 year. but Zimmerman is still on the books until at least 2020.
It will be tough to come up with the dough necessary to drop a 11 – 13 years contract worth $35 – 40 MIL per annum when it comes to Harper.
Even with Scherzer’s and Strasburg’s deals both containing a ton of deferred money- all of them will still run simultaneously to Harper’s deal – even if they are not on the roster each after the 2023 season.
I think you couldn’t risk trying to outbid everyone for Harper’s services, yet to pay Strasburg market value makes sense.
This club could even save some payroll by trading Gio Gonzalez, as they have Joe Ross and Tanner Roark starting in the rotation for depth, and Lucas Giolito has not started his time service clock. Read the rest of this entry
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings – 5/10/16
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 and my Twitter for updates.
P – Kevin Gausman (vs. Minnesota Twins): $8,200. Gausman has proven he is a great play in daily fantasy over his first few starts in 2016. He is currently averaging 18.8 points per game on DraftKings this season.
He will be facing the 26th ranked offense on Tuesday, whom ranks as the 4th worst in the MLB when it comes to striking out. To top it all off, there is an 11 MPH wind blowing towards home plate, so the baseball should stay in the ballpark on Tuesday.
P – Derek Holland (vs. Chicago White Sox): $6,200. Holland hasn’t been spectacular in 2016, but Tuesday could be the day to turn it around. He is facing the Chicago White Sox, whom are ranked as the 18th overall offense in the MLB. When it comes to facing left-handed pitching, the White Sox are hitting a mediocre .237.
There will also be some very favorable weather for Mr. Holland on Tuesday. In Texas, it is expected to see winds upwards of 20 MPH towards home plate, which means there is a very slim chance of any power production.
To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:
SEE THE REST OF THE PICKS
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 6 May
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
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MAY 8, 2016
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.
Rank – Team Record (Last week rank) (Up down) (W – L Record Last week)
(1) (1) Chicago Cubs (E) (24 – 6) : A real bad day for the Cubs is battling with a team like Washington on Sunday, to see whether or not they are going to sweep them or go 3 – 1 in a series.
Yep, they swept the 4 game set in a 13 inning walk off HR by Javier Baez – to cap a 7 – 0 week. They are on pace for about 129 wins right now.
Depth of the Starting Rotation is looking solid with Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jason Hammel (Killer J’s) and Kyle Hendricks.
Hector Rondon is not even needed in most leads, with the team almost at a +100 differential through 30 games,
(2) (3) Chicago White Sox (+1) (22 – 10) ( 4 – 2): Chris Sale is 7 – 0, and may go Ron Guidry (circa 1979 on us). If anyone will win 25 games in a year, it would be him or Jake Arrieta.
Bob Welch won 27 games in 1990 for the A’s was the last guy to do that.
Has anyone noticed that Brett Lawrie has an OBP closer to .400 – than his usual .310 – .320?
Jose Quintana is finally receiving some run support. If Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu start hitting for BA, than look he the hell out. We could see a “Windy City” World Series for the 1st time since 1906. Read the rest of this entry
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