If you’ve followed this column over the years, you know the goal has always been the same — identifying how the home plate umpire can impact pitching matchups, strikeout props and MLB DFS plays.
The article will look a little different this season. In the past, I relied heavily on the boost metrics from Swish Analytics to identify strikeout environments. With that data no longer available, the report will shift to a more matchup-driven approach. We’ll focus on umpire tendencies, team strikeout rates vs. handedness, and the posted strikeout props to identify pitching and hitting edges.
We will highlight pitchers worth targeting in seasonal fantasy baseball formats, point out strong DFS plays, and identify strikeout props that may present value. If a game is not listed, there was no clear advantage created by the umpire behind the plate…
