
In the following MLB weekly preview, we have a game breakdown for all 30 teams, pitching rankings and latest IL info to dominate Fantasy Baseball…
In memory of John Cannella Sr.
They say the third go-around is usually when one hits their stride. You know, they. Them. The people who know. Now entering my third season of providing the MLB Weekly Preview, I have never felt more confident in my data collection systems and resulting analysis. All of which are extremely time-consuming, but I could give a rat’s ass when I see our subscribers posting league-winning celebrations. Never was I more proud than what we accomplished together in the pandemic shortened season of 2020. With a tear in my eye…
While I had a disappointing fourth-place finish in my Roto OC, every other league was first or second. The league which ground my gears the most was my championship loss in Fantrax Dynasty, a league I’ve now belonged to for well over 11 years (aka my old ass can’t remember when I joined) and haven’t won. However, I learned something crucial that will benefit me this season: using bulk relievers with elite ratios whose value is non-contingent upon role.
That’s what this game is, a constant learning curve, and I don’t mean Jesús Luzardo’s turkey sub! Am I the greatest fantasy baseball player who has ever walked God’s green earth? No, I am not. But I outwork my opponents, and this work ethic is what got me to where I am today. Some of you reading this may be more successful, and I applaud you for that, although I’ve been crushing fantasy baseball since 1997. So, I got veteran experience going for me, which is nice. But this doesn’t mean we don’t learn from each other to be the very best at what we do. I subscribe to symbiotic relationships. With this in mind, let’s go crush it!!!
In the following weekly preview, you will find a game breakdown for all 30 MLB teams (including Interleague play), two-start and overall pitching rankings and the latest IL information to help you dominate this week’s matchup and through the entirety of your seasonal league. Plus, new this season: Stolen Base Targets!
Scroll right to the part of the MLB Weekly Preview you need in just one click!
Below, you will find an interactive table of contents. Simply click on the section of the article you wanna read and boom.. presto… alakazam.
Who Am I?
Who’s down for a little game before we get into the meat and potatoes of Week 13? Far too often in fantasy baseball, we get swept up in the big names and corresponding hype which comes with them. I pride myself on starting the right player for a given matchup, yet I can be as guilty as anyone (i.e., Brendan Rodgers multiple times). At times, it would be great to remove the name column entirely. So, that’s what we’ll attempt to do here.
When I’m compiling batted-ball data in making hitter selections for my lineup or entering statistics for the next day’s pitching matchups (which you’ll find below every day), I’m taken aback by how the same level of production can come at such a value. Conversely, taking a look at the daily numbers shows us which big names are not living up to the hype along with the trends from game to game or start to start.
Here are pairs of player stats along with some light analysis of their season to date (as of 6/16). The names will be redacted, and I’ll do my best to not let the cat out of the bag. Make your guess on each name, and then click the corresponding link for the answer. We’re operating on the honor system here cause we all know there’s no cheating in baseball.
Player A: .343/.447/.682, 35 XBH, 22 HR, 56 RBI, 0.91 BB/K, .339 ISO, .469 wOBA, 15.6% BAR, 35.9% SS, 54.2% HH, 1.42 GB/FB, 201 wRC+
Player B: .343/.419/.626, 30 XBH, 17 HR, 41 RBI, 0.59 BB/K, .283 ISO, .443 wOBA, 12.4% BAR, 39.8% SS, 54.3% HH, 1.30 GB/FB, 182 wRC+
Let’s begin our game with two players who have both performed extremely well and are regulars in our lineups. The value here was their draft-day cost. Player A had an NFBC ADP of 48.12, whereas Player B’s ADP was 205.91! Yet, the production is eerily similar. A is a front-runner for his respective league’s MVP award, while B may not be voted in the top-5, furthering the disrespect. According to Baseball Savant, both players are 95th percentile in hard-hit percentage, but it’s B who holds a commanding lead in sweet-spot percentage. Furthermore, the latter hits fewer ground balls to fly balls. You should also consider B has had 22 fewer plate appearances, which could put the counting stats a little closer. In either event, I would gladly take (and have taken) a 182 wRC+ from a hitter in the 200’s for ADP.
Player A: 4.42 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 3.19 xFIP, 3.56 SIERA, 3.99 xERA, 27.9% K, 7.9% BB, 45.3% HH, 24.0% LD, 46.2% GB, 29.8% FB
Player B: 3.54 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 3.69 xFIP, 3.90 SIERA, 3.32 xERA, 24.4% K, 7.5% BB, 33.5% HH, 19.0% LD, 47.8% GB, 33.2% FB
Player A was drafted 31st overall in his respective year’s Amateur Draft. While Player B was drafted 135th overall. When A hit the scene, he was a FAAB darling for whom many dropped a pretty penny. B was abandoned when the pitcher began to scuffle during some rough matchups. Despite that stretch, if you compare the numbers, they are quite similar with the edge pointing in B’s favor from a nice run as of late. The workload of A is being managed, often resulting in shorter outings/lower pitch counts. With two eight-inning outings in his last five starts, B is showing his value for his new club. For the blazing speed A brings with his fastball (96th percentile according to Baseball Savant) and resulting proclivity to miss bats, the K rate is closer than you think with B, who is 27th percentile in fastball velocity.
Player A: .317/.384/.524, 27 XBH, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 1.12 BB/K, .207 ISO, .385 wOBA, 4.3% BAR, 33.5% SS, 44.0% HH, 0.91 GB/FB, 151 wRC+
Player B: .320/.391/.522, 30 XBH, 9 HR, 19 RBI, 0.54 BB/K, .202 ISO, .392 wOBA, 5.0% BAR, 36.6% SS, 32.0% HH, 1.00 GB/FB, 152 wRC+
Both players have been tremendous values per their NFBC ADP: Player A – 314.22; Player B – 516.16. However, there may have been no finer value (draft day or waiver) than B. Once a heralded prospect, he dropped off the map before coming back with a vengeance in the truncated 2020 season. And what B is doing this season has been extraordinary. Many would pick A over B eight days a week based on name recognition alone, but there are other things in his favor. A hits the ball much harder (67th percentile according to Baseball Savant) and is more selective at the plate. As a matter of fact, he is in the top 1% of the league in strikeout percentage and walks much more frequently for every strikeout than B. Yet B has a higher OBP and wOBA along with a comparable batting average and slugging percentage.
B also has a higher sweet-spot percentage, and his wRC+ tops A’s by one.
Player A: 4.46 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 4.27 xFIP, 4.38 SIERA, 5.40 xERA, 17.9% K, 4.6% BB, 38.7% HH, 24.4% LD, 41.9% GB, 33.7% FB
Player B: 2.92 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 3.47 xFIP, 3.87 SIERA, 3.67 xERA, 20.1% K, 6.7% BB, 31.1% HH, 21.3% LD, 56.8% GB, 21.9% FB
Here we have two grizzled vets whose intended fantasy purpose is to round out your staff. However, Player B has not pitched like a lower-tier arm and has accomplished special feats this season. Player A had an NFBC ADP of 82.29, and B could be found hanging out with Pluto at 720.64! A is not exactly a sexy name either, but he has not been his usual self and burnt those who drafted him. Never a huge strikeout arm, he is still nearly three percentage points below his career K rate. Inversely, B is 1.5% higher than his career K rate. Despite his troubles, A has still maintained impeccable control with an excellent BB rate. While still above league average, B’s 6.7% is one of the few areas he has not measured up to A. Otherwise, he has blown away A in every viable metric.
I have more on B below in the Pitcher Spotlight… no cheating!
Player A: .169/.248/.376, 22 XBH, 14 HR, 36 RBI, 0.26 BB/K, .207 ISO, .272 wOBA, 13.9% BAR, 28.9% SS, 33.7% HH, 0.88 GB/FB, 69 wRC+
Player B: .290/.359/.524, 30 XBH, 16 HR, 39 RBI, 0.41 BB/K, .234 ISO, .378 wOBA, 8.0% BAR, 34.8% SS, 42.3% HH, 0.76 GB/FB, 140 wRC+
This last one is straight out of Freaky Friday, The Change-Up, The Hot Chick or whatever your favorite movie about people swapping bodies.
Player A was drafted overall in the 65-70 range yet has performed like we imagined Player B might at 122.39 NFBC ADP. Actually, even worse! A is still swatting homers and may get to 30-35 when all is said and done. He also has a respectable .207 ISO, but the dude is just not taking walks and striking out at a career-high (29.9%). The culprit is a 28% O-swing rate (percentage of pitches swung at outside the zone; career 26%) and a 70.3% Contact rate. A is barrelling up more baseballs, yet B has a much better sweet-spot percentage and hard-hit rate. The real switch-a-roo is the GB/FB. Coupled with the SS% & HH%, B’s power numbers are just as good. The 71-point difference in xRC+ speaks volumes!
This is gonna be a big clue for those highly adept. As per Ray Flowers’ MLB Rankings, B ranks 16 spots higher than A in June’s rankings, along with besting some of the bigger names at the position.
As always, if there are any requests for information I can provide or a player/team you would like me to cover in this section of the MLB Weekly Preview, drop a line in our VIP Chat Room or hit me up on Twitter, @Rob_Povia.
MLB GAME BREAKDOWN GRID
NOTES: We have five teams who play five games this week, which leaves us with some tough decisions. Furthermore, only five teams play seven, so this week is back to a lighter schedule with many two-game interleague series (see Outlook below). Be creative with your starts. Use the above left/right preliminary split to play matchups, but make sure your hitters do indeed succeed against the opposite handedness. If a particular left-handed hitter (LHH) does well against the same handedness (new split report scheduled for next week), is scheduled to see some lefties, and plays more games this week than a fringe starter, then you know what to do.
However, it’s not all scarcity. Mets continue their gauntlet of games with another eight-game week. But this time, they all come at home, and the team plays two doubleheaders (refer to last week’s notes). They also are slated to face six right-handed pitchers, making their lefty bats very much in play. Just bear in mind, one of those “righty starts” will be lead with an opener, who more than likely will be a lefty, and despite refining Citi Field’s dimensions over the years, it’s still a pitcher’s park (Ballpark Factors – R: 0.891, HR: 1.000). Braves join New York at eight games with a mutual doubleheader plus they may see ALL right-handed pitching. But unlike the Mets, their eight are all on the road away from hitter-friendly Truist Park. Great American Small Park will have to do.
Finally, keep in mind, Philadelphia Phillies are scheduled for six games this week, but with their mutual doubleheader with the Mets, it’s really 5.56 games.
A Few Areas to Target
“I Don’t Know Shit About Fuck!” ~ Ruth Langmore
St. Louis faces Tigers and Pirates pitching if only for six games. They are catching young pups Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning early in their careers. And as for Pittsburgh, they are scheduled to face Chad Kuhl, Wil Crowe, JT Brubaker and Tyler Anderson. So, the triad of Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Dylan Carlson is prime for an excellent week. I own all three on a team and believed they would carry me all season. But much like Ruth from the Netflix series Ozark, I don’t know shit about… it has to happen eventually, right? Maybe this is the week!
The “Good” News Bears Break Training in the Astrodome
There’s a lot to like about the Astros’ schedule this week, starting with the fact that they’ll play seven games. Additionally, their pitching matchups are favorable. The park factors are pretty sweet, too, especially at Camden Yards.
No Whammy, No Whammy, No Whammy, Stop!
I usually use this space to focus on where to attack with your hitters in a given week. However, with 18 teams scheduled to play six games next week, I’m gonna go off the beaten path and describe a team to avoid, so that you can attack with your other hitters. Addition by subtraction? Never really knew what that means. Anyhow, it’s a double-whammy of bad news for Colorado’s hitters this week. First, they’re one of the teams with a week-low five games. Second, they’re on the road for both series, a huge downgrade for their hitters. Play your other alternatives.
WEEKLY INTERLEAGUE OUTLOOK
With the lack of a universal DH in 2021, American League teams will once again lose their designated hitter when traveling to National League parks. As referenced above, we have seven two-game interleague series this week. Of the 15 teams with interleague games, five only play five contests as a result. And of those five teams, only one plays five while also losing their DH for two games… CHW. This makes Yermín Mercedes unplayable this week. Tellez, Ramirez, Double-M and Pinder will also lose at-bats because of their schedules. Plan accordingly.
You may have noticed I wrote 15 teams above and thought that doesn’t add up. That’s because San Francisco plays two series and has all interleague games this week (5). Considering three go down in Oracle Park (0.798 R, 0.691 HR BPF) and the “roster management” of one Gabe Kapler, it won’t be a fun week for Mike Yastrzemski owners. Giants do get a nice park shift at Angel Stadium (1.018 R, 1.081 HR) where they’ll have the benefit of the DH. I see Austin Slater or Wilmer Flores DH’ing against Andrew Heaney, while Mike Tauchman may be the better option against Shohei (never faced each other).
*Rivalry Series: Bay Bridge, the lone three-game set… love these matchups!
TOP TWO-START PITCHERS
IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE
- Jacob deGrom1 (ATL, PHI) ← Exactly how long Mr. deGrom goes in each start is TBD. Thought about putting Cole ahead, but he has his warts with controversy, and I’m biased AF. DeGrom is the best pitcher on the planet and has shown he can deliver that level of deGromination even if workload is managed. *UPDATE: Start 1 had mixed results: 5 IP, 70 PIT, 1 H 2 BB, 6 K, W. Overall, a success mostly cause he looked healthy and strong, continuing to pump triple-digit heat at an unworldly rate (148 pitches 100+ mph, 10x more than any other pitcher). However, he lost the feel for his slider at one point and couldn’t hit the strike zone while even walking the opposing pitcher. Body issue(s) could still be in play but may be more of a result of routine disruption over the past few weeks. We’ll see what the Mets do with his second start, but with the Joey Lucchesi news, they may need to continue to ease this machine back onto the road.
- Gerrit Cole2 (KC, @BOS)
- Yu Darvish3 (LAD, ARI)
- Zack Wheeler6 (WSH, @NYM)
- Clayton Kershaw7 (@SD, CHC)
- Max Scherzer11 (@PHI, @MIA)
- Julio Urías15 (@SD, CHC)
- Ian Anderson21 (@NYM, @CIN)
- Tyler Mahle22 (@MIN, ATL)
- Marcus Stroman27 (ATL, PHI)
Trevor Rogers30Sandy Alcantara23 (TOR, WSH) ← Alcantara & Rogers have been flip-flopped in rotation to give Rogers seven days of rest to manage innings.- Aaron Civale28 (@CHC,
@MIN) - Kyle Gibson33 (OAK, KC)
- Anthony DeSclafani34 (@LAA, OAK)
- Charlie Morton35 (@NYM,
@CIN) - Adbert Alzolay58 (CLE, @LAD)
- Frankie Montas61 (@TEX, @SF)
Other Options: Ryan Yarbrough62 (BOS, LAA), Eduardo Rodriguez66 (@TB, NYY), Tarik Skubal69 (STL, HOU), Brady Singer104 (@NYY, @TEX), Cole Irvin106 (@TEX, @SF), Johan OviedoNR* (@DET, PIT)
Danger Zone: J.A. Happ127 (CIN, CLE), Merrill Kelly136 (MIL, @SD), Tyler Anderson141* (CHW, @STL), Keegan AkinNR & Jorge LópezNR (HOU, @TOR), Jordan LylesNR (OAK, KC), Kyle FreelandNR (@SEA, @MIL)
*Anderson has been scuffling of late, which dropped him in my rankings. Would not have fallen as low if not for these awful matchups. CHW kills LHP as does STL. On the other hand, Oviedo doesn’t rank in the Top 150, but I would consider starting him with these yummy matchups and coming off the best start of his MLB career.
For a detailed breakdown of two-start pitchers who may be available on your waiver wire, check out Vlad’s FAAB Values!
STARTING PITCHER RANKINGS FOR JUNE 21 – 27
*Dylan Bundy may not pitch Week 13 since LAA plays five games with a six-man rotation (pitched 6/20). Frankly, he could use the breather. He has been scuffling, so time off could be good timing!
Pitcher Spotlight: Wade Miley
By now, Miley’s no-hitter is old news. That doesn’t make it any less special, especially for Miley, one of the least likely pitchers to toss a no-no. He tells you directly in an article he penned for The Players’ Tribune. “There’s just so much that needs to go right for you to throw a no-no – everything from the positioning of guys in the field to getting some good bounces to having a few calls go in your favor. And with me? It’s even more improbable. I don’t blow anyone away. I give up more contact than a lot of pitchers. I’m not really the no-hitter type. If you’d asked me before that game if I was ever going to pitch a no-hitter, I’d have told you flat out: ‘Not in a million years.’”
He’s right. Miley doesn’t blow people away with his 89.8 mph “heat” nor his 85.3 mph cutter, a pitch he throws the most this season at 49.1%. We already highlighted his below-average strikeout rate of 19.9%, and of those whiffs, 33.8% have come when the 34-year-old has fooled batters with his changeup (24.4% PutAway). However, I am inspired by Miley’s humbleness about giving up more contact and not really being the no-hitter type. He’s not wrong, but I do disagree with the contact remark, at least for this year. His 78.9% Contact rate ranks 54th in all of baseball, ranking among Pablo López (78.7%) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (79.2%). Miley has bested his 80.4% career mark, which shows potential regression but also how well he’s eluded contact despite being a soft tosser.
When Miley is giving up contact, he avoids hard hits and induces medium-to-soft contact. His 31.1 HH% ranks seventh in MLB, and the 7.8 Poor/Weak% is tied for 13th with Shohei Ohtani and JT Brubaker. Miley has served up only five home runs in 68.2 innings pitched thanks to a high ground-ball rate (56.8%) and low line-drive rate (21.3%). Furthermore, the 21.9% fly-ball rate is 6.9% lower than his career average, and his HR/FB sits at 10.4% (career 12.5%).
As a result, and coupled with an above-average walk rate of 6.8%, Miley’s ERA now sits at 2.88 after his most recent outing (3.31 FIP, 3.98 SIERA), and his ABA stands at 1.52, indicating elite-level performance. Against a strong San Diego lineup, he held the Pads to just two runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts across seven innings. Now, the two runs came on solo bombs by Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado, but considering those were Nos. 4 & 5 on the season and the men who swatted them, I’m willing to give him a pass. In 10 of his 12 starts this year, Miley has limited the opposition to two or fewer earned runs.
Beyond the ERA, Miley’s expected statistics stand strong: 3.59 xFIP, 3.84 xERA. Drafted to round out your staff or even not at all, those who have found themselves clicking on his name also found themselves a strong No. 2 starting pitcher. You could try to sell high on Miley before regression comes around, but if your leaguemates are not tickled by his name, no worries! Miley will be that “boring” pitcher who will fire innings through the season. In a year where we’ll desperately need them.
MLB WEEKLY PREVIEW | INJURED LIST REPORT
Besides names that may already be listed, here is the latest injury news on a few of your fantasy studs. I will update you early in the week.
First, some good news. Max Scherzer (groin) threw a successful BP session on 6/19 and plans to start on 6/22 when first eligible for activation from the 10-day injured list. The start would be in line with his throwing session as long as there are no setbacks. Also set to return is Adbert Alzolay, who has been battling a blister on his right middle finger. As long as the 26-year-old pitcher doesn’t experience any setbacks, he’ll take the ball in the series opener against Cleveland.
Austin Gomber (left forearm tightness) is why we can’t have nice things. We highlighted him already in our little game above, and unfortunately, he exited his start on 6/19 as a precaution after two innings. Manager Bud Black said the forearm tightness showed up more in the thick of the muscle as opposed to closer to the joint, which the club considers a good sign as of now, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports. He is being listed as questionable for a rematch with the Brewers on 6/26. Jon Gray (elbow) could rejoin Colorado’s rotation in Milwaukee after making a rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque, and if so, this could give Gomber an extra day of rest. This will depend on further updates as the 27-year-old continues to be evaluated.
*UPDATE: Gomber will get an MRI to see if he is dealing with a forearm strain. He was placed on the IL shortly after publication.
Think you’re having a bad day? Try being the Arizona Diamondbacks. Not only have they lost 17 straight games, but one of their few standouts this season – Carson Kelly (wrist) – was hit by a Walker Buehler fastball, breaking his right carpus. No word as to the severity of the fracture, but Kelly should see another lengthy absence. Prospect Daulton Varsho was recalled while Kelly is out.
We haven’t addressed Fernando Tatis Jr. in quite some time here in the IL Report, but I guess we were due. Tatis tweaked his left shoulder while diving for a ground ball on 5/19, but the Padres were optimistic a day later after he’d been evaluated by team trainers. Still, he was held out of the lineup on 6/20 to give the shoulder more rest. Since it’s the left shoulder, Tatis owners will need to follow this closely. Important to note the injury was done on defense and not swinging, which ties into the “balls-to-the-wall” playing style we discussed he needed to curtail. *UPDATE: Tatis returned to the lineup on 6/21, going 2-for-3 with two walks and a couple runs scored.
POV SPECIAL – SP STREAM OF THE WEEK
→ Jake Odorizzi123, RH HOU (@BAL, @DET; 54% owned) – Houston is the next team shifting towards the six-man rotation to manage their pitchers’ workloads. The ‘Stros are in a stretch of 20 games in 20 days, so just when we thought the Odoriffic One would be out with the activation of Lance McCullers Jr., they pulled him back in. Odorizzi is scheduled for 6/21’s tilt with Baltimore and gets the lone two-start for Houston. We know Camden Yards is favorable to hitting, and this season has been no exception with ballpark factors of 1.262 for home runs (4th) and 1.088 for runs (5th). However, Jake has fared well at Camden Yards in his career and has posted a 1.59 ERA the last four years in his three starts in the ballpark. What’s past is merely prologue.
After battling injuries and ineffectiveness upon signing late with Houston, Odorizzi has gotten his act together over his last two outings (@BOS, TEX), giving up three earned on five hits and one walk with nine strikeouts in nine innings pitched. Orioles have been piling up runs in June, this is for sure. But I’m not scared of a team that has a .304 wOBA (19th), .155 ISO (16th) and .697 OPS (19th). Specifically against right-handed pitching, the wOBA is .288 (second-worst), .147 ISO (19th) and .655 OPS (second-worst). And then there’s Detroit. The Pov Special hasn’t been very special lately, but I have a good feeling about this one.
Honorable Mention: Ross Stripling140, RH TOR (@MIA, BAL; 45-50% owned)
For more streaming options on the mound AND at the plate, visit Vlad’s FAAB Values!
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Sunday, June 27, 2021
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Jorge López (RHP, BAL) | 2-9 | 5.68 | 4.16 | 4.28 | 5.02 | 22.5% | 9.2% | 42.4% | 29.8% | ||||||||
Ross Stripling (RHP, TOR) | 2-4 | 4.33 | 4.10 | 3.78 | 4.33 | 25.7% | 6.7% | 40.8% | 44.6% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Patrick Sandoval (LHP, LAA) | 2-2 | 3.69 | 3.71 | 3.88 | 4.07 | 24.7% | 9.3% | 39.0% | 27.6% | ||||||||
Ryan Yarbrough (LHP, TB) | 4-3 | 4.59 | 4.25 | 4.15 | 4.10 | 19.5% | 4.1% | 27.3% | 36.8% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Zack Wheeler (RHP, PHI) | 5-4 | 2.36 | 2.82 | 3.01 | 2.48 | 31.3% | 5.9% | 30.3% | 31.4% | ||||||||
Marcus Stroman (RHP, NYM) | 6-5 | 2.32 | 3.38 | 3.74 | 4.45 | 21.9% | 6.1% | 46.5% | 23.8% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Kyle Muller (LHP, ATL) | 0-1 | 5.40 | 4.86 | 4.75 | 2.21 | 18.2% | 9.1% | 25.0% | 40.0% | ||||||||
Tyler Mahle (RHP, CIN) | 7-2 | 3.56 | 3.50 | 3.44 | 3.19 | 30.2% | 8.0% | 33.7% | 38.3% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Max Scherzer (RHP, WSH) | 6-4 | 2.19 | 3.16 | 2.73 | 2.83 | 36.1% | 5.8% | 35.8% | 52.0% | ||||||||
Sandy Alcantara (RHP, MIA) | 4-6 | 2.93 | 3.68 | 3.83 | 2.85 | 22.2% | 6.4% | 35.6% | 28.4% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Gerrit Cole (RHP, NYY) | 8-3 | 2.33 | 2.70 | 2.66 | 2.56 | 33.8% | 4.1% | 40.4% | 39.3% | ||||||||
Eduardo Rodriguez* (LHP, BOS) | 5-4 | 6.07 | 3.49 | 3.56 | 3.31 | 26.8% | 6.0% | 35.1% | 35.9% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Jake Odorizzi (RHP, HOU) | 2-3 | 4.75 | 3.53 | 3.48 | 3.19 | 28.9% | 7.4% | 44.2% | 40.3% | ||||||||
Tarik Skubal (LHP, DET) | 4-7 | 4.33 | 4.54 | 4.15 | 5.32 | 27.2% | 10.6% | 44.5% | 47.9% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Sam Hentges (LHP, CLE) | 1-1 | 6.40 | 4.25 | 4.17 | 6.29 | 24.3% | 10.5% | 44.4% | 35.7% | ||||||||
J.A. Happ (LHP, MIN) | 3-3 | 6.09 | 5.69 | 5.20 | 5.65 | 16.6% | 8.0% | 42.3% | 48.8% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Marco Gonzales (LHP, SEA) | 1-4 | 5.10 | 4.76 | 4.69 | 8.43 | 20.8% | 8.9% | 45.4% | 41.8% | ||||||||
Dallas Keuchel (LHP, CHW) | 6-2 | 3.98 | 4.25 | 4.59 | 5.83 | 14.2% | 7.5% | 38.1% | 22.1% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Chi Chi González (RHP, COL) | 2-4 | 6.12 | 4.73 | 5.05 | 6.54 | 13.2% | 6.4% | 44.8% | 30.3% | ||||||||
Eric Lauer (LHP, MIL) | 1-3 | 5.21 | 3.72 | 3.94 | 4.76 | 24.6% | 8.4% | 38.4% | 32.1% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Max Kranick* (RHP, PIT) | 1-2 | 4.66 | 4.72 | — | — | 23.8% | 8.3% | — | 40.9% | ||||||||
Johan Oviedo (RHP, STL) | 0-3 | 4.62 | 5.04 | 5.23 | 5.61 | 17.0% | 11.9% | 32.8% | 29.2% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Brady Singer (RHP, KC) | 3-5 | 4.77 | 4.08 | 4.16 | 3.85 | 23.3% | 9.2% | 34.3% | 28.9% | ||||||||
Jordan Lyles (RHP, TEX) | 2-5 | 5.47 | 4.90 | 4.77 | 5.36 | 18.5% | 7.9% | 41.5% | 40.7% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Cole Irvin (LHP, OAK) | 5-7 | 3.98 | 4.67 | 4.64 | 4.70 | 16.4% | 4.1% | 37.8% | 39.1% | ||||||||
Sammy Long (LHP, SF) | 1-0 | 4.20 | 3.85 | 3.22 | 2.17 | 28.1% | 5.3% | 44.7% | 50.0% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Zac Gallen (RHP, ARI) | 1-3 | 3.67 | 3.86 | 3.79 | 3.17 | 29.3% | 10.2% | 44.2% | 37.6% | ||||||||
Yu Darvish (RHP, SD) | 7-2 | 2.50 | 3.71 | 3.27 | 2.85 | 30.6% | 6.2% | 32.4% | 47.4% |
W/L | ERA | xFIP | SIERA | xERA | K% | BB% | HH% | FB% | |||||||||
Adbert Alzolay (RHP, CHC) | 4-6 | 4.19 | 3.54 | 3.60 | 4.39 | 26.8% | 6.8% | 41.1% | 34.8% | ||||||||
Clayton Kershaw (LHP, LAD) | 8-7 | 3.43 | 2.96 | 3.08 | 3.12 | 29.3% | 4.5% | 38.7% | 34.3% |
And finally, the more things change, the more they stay the same…
STOLEN BASE TARGETS
If you have been paying attention to the new rule changes for minor league baseball, you can see the commissioner’s office desires a return of a long-lost element to the game… the stolen base. Let’s get ahead of the curve while also maximizing on the few pilferers of the dirt in 2021. Jack Kitchen (@JAXvicious), a long-time sub, reached out this offseason, asking if I could add a section on stolen base targets. As I have said from Day One of this column, your wish is my command!
So, I have imported one of the many fine tools we offer on our sister site, Elite Fantasy. Along with stolen base targets, our DFS MLB package offers daily articles and livestreams, a 24/7 chat, ownership projections and Fantasy Cruncher optimizer, BvP data, batter splits, park factors, umpire factors, weather reports and cheat sheets. The data alone is worth well over $1200! These weapons of mass destruction aid fantasy success in all formats, DFS and seasonal. JOIN TODAY!