This article will give you an early look at the top pitchers and hitters on the slate geared for cash and single entry contests.
Listed will be my favorite pitchers, bats and team/s to target on the slate in additional to a value arm or dark horse and a few value bats.
15 Game Slate starting at 7:05-
*Utilize this article along with The Donger’s Club & Cycle articles by Steve Renner and Chris Rose
PITCHERS
Trevor Bauer
Bauer is the most expensive pitcher on both slates and for good reason. He has pitched very well so far this year striking out 45 batters over 40 innings and posting a 1.99 ERA. He goes into Maimi tonight to face the Marlins in a pitcher friendly ballpark. The Marlins have struggled this year against RHP posting a .207 batting average with a .116 ISO and striking out at a 31% clip. This is an excellent spot for Bauer where he has only allowed 2 HRs to RHHs and held them to a .179 average so far this year. He also is striking them out a 32% clip. Looking at 7 innings 9ks and 1 ER.
Walker Buehler
Buehler has been up and down so far this year allowing 5 runs in 2 of his 5 starts this year. He showed good stuff last year posting 2.62 ERA and striking out batters at a 28% clip. Tonight, he gets a solid matchup vs a Giants team that has hit only .206 with 8 HRs and struck out at a 25% clip at home this year. I see this as a nice bounce back spot for Buehler in a pitcher friendly park against a sub par team.
Vince Velasquez
Velasquez is off to a very good start to the year posting a 1.99 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and striking out a batter per inning. He faces the Tigers tonight who are one of the worst teams against RHP hitting .225 with a 27% K rate and in last with HRs hit. We could see another solid performance by Velasquez tonight and looking at 6 innings 8Ks and 1ER.
DARK HORSE
Griffin Canning
The Angels top pitching prospect will make his MLB debut tonight vs the Jays. This kid has pitched well this year in AAA allowing only 1 ER over 16 innings and striking out batters at a 28% clip. In his 1 1/2 year minor league career Canning posted a 3.65 ERA and struck out 125 batters over 113 innings. The Jays have not shown much at the plate this year batting .225 and striking out at a 28% clip vs RHP. It is possible they limit Canning’s pitches tonight making him a bit of a risk, so if he is allows 90 pitches I have interest. Looking at 5-6 innings 7ks and 3ERs.
TEAM/S
Red Sox
The Red Sox have already faced Aaron Brooks earlier this year and he shut them out for 6 innings and only allowed 2 hits. Tonight will be a different story as the Red Sox are back at home and hitting the ball well as of late. Over the last week the Red Sox are hitting .282 with a .353 wOBA and only striking out 18% of the time while walking at a 12% clip. Michael Chavis is leading the way as of late posting a .562 wOBA and .500 over the last 7 days with Betts right behind .547 wOBA and .318 ISO. Rafeal Devers with a .418 wOBA in the mix. Over the last 2 seasons Brooks has allowed a .354 wOBA, .273 ISO and 35% HC to RHHs with a low K rate.
Core: Chavis, Betts, Martinez, Bogaerts
Value: Bradley Jr., Devers, Benintendi
Cardinals
The Cardinals are on of the best teams against RHP with a .282 average, .356 wOBA. Add in than Sanchez has allowed 21 hits and 10 ERs over the last 3 games. Carpenter, Goldschmidt and DeJong all have over .200 ISO vs RHP and Ozuna has been on fire. Nice park upgrade for the Cardinals.
Core: Carpenter, Goldschmidt, DeJong & Ozuna
Value: Bader
SNEAKY
Diamondbacks
D-Backs have been crushing LHP this year to a tune of .305 average, .366 wOBA and .212 ISO. Roof is scheduled to be open tonight as well.
Core: Jones, Marte, Walker & Ahmed
Extra: Escobar & Peralta
BATS
Eugene Suarez
Suarez smokes LHP with a .436 wOBA and . 289 ISO over 2018/2019. Excellent matchup tonight vs Vargas who has trouble with RHHs .370 wOBA , .232 ISO and 39% HC. He faced off against Vargas 7 times with 4 (.571 avg.) hits and 2 doubles.
Xander Bogaerts
Bogaerts has been hitting the ball well with an increase in his battered ball stats as of late. Hits in 7 of his last 8 games with 3 doubles and 2 HRs in that time frame. Excellent matchup tonight vs Brooks who has been blasted by RHHs over the past 2 years. Matches up well with Brookes pitching arsenal.
Christian Walker
Roof is scheduled to be open and nice weather tonight at Chase Field. Walker has shown power upside vs LHP and in a good spot to go yard tonight.
VALUE BATS
Jung-ho Kang- Sampson allows over 50% HC to RHHs.
Colin Moran
Jackie Bradley Jr.– first HR comes tonight.
Patrick Wisdom
Tucker Barnhart
Kyle Schwarber
Hunter Renfroe
