MLB Weekly Preview: May 3 – 9

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!

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Pleasant Surprises

First, a quick aside about your author. I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. Always have been, always will be. I get it from my mom, God bless her soul. The most pleasant and joyous woman you’d ever meet, personal biases aside. No matter how life has beaten me down or tried to make me bitter, I respond with even more positivity, and I find that silver lining. It’s my way of keeping her alive. However, while analyzing fantasy players or hosting my shows, I can come off vanilla and overeager to jump on this week’s flavor of the month. I’m working on being more disagreeable and selective – the struggle is real – but I’ll never let go of my positivity. I can’t. So, if I come off overly optimistic of a player, you now know why. I also tend to overthink things, but that’s a topic for another article.

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

We are entering month two of the fantasy baseball season. Already 15% through the gauntlet, it’s easy to focus on our stars who are underperforming and ask why. A harder task is identifying which surprising names, who currently rank among the best 50 players in baseball, will continue their early-season success. I have found trusting in fool’s gold can be more detrimental than being overpatient with our high draft picks. As stated, I’m a hopeful dude. So this week, let’s take a gander at seven names who are exceeding their expectations and see if the good times will roll. I pledge to be as pessimistic as possible.

Danny Duffy, LHP, Royals

Mr. Duffy is a wonderful place to begin. If you don’t remember from past seasons of the MLB Weekly Preview, I LOATHE DANNY DUFFY. Chock-full of talent, chock-full of disappointment and pain, both fantasy-wise and in real life. With a career ERA of 3.95, there have been those moments of splendor. Yet, consistency has never walked arm-in-arm with Duffy. A few nice starts against stiff competition that kept him on your bench were soon followed by blow-up moments in good matchups while active. Furthermore, over the past three seasons, Duffy’s ERA has stood at 4.68 with xERA totals of 5.30 (2018), 5.27 (2019) and 4.61 (2020). I spell it out like that because there has been a downward trend in xERA.

In five starts this season, Duffy has given up just two earned runs, and he has the highest strikeout rate of his career (29.7%). This number will normalize towards his career mark of 21%, but I can see it leveling out around the 23.6% mark he posted last season. The whiff rate and chase rate have been 79^th and 81^st percentile respectively. Furthermore, his 14.9% swing-strike rate and 29.5% CSW have been ahead of the curve. Again, normalization will happen. However, with upcoming starts against Minnesota (25.1% K-rate vs. LHP), Cleveland (20.2%), Detroit (37.4%), Chisox (22.8%), Detroit again and Pittsburgh (24.8%), Duffy, who famously said he wanted to be “buried a Royal,” will get his chance, one way or another. Ride the wave and be quick to ditch!

Ty France, 2B/DH, Mariners

I’ve been on the Ty France bandwagon since Day 1… ish. He just never really had the opportunity to get consistent playing time in San Diego. Growing up in Southern Cal and attending San Diego State, no one could be more heartbroken it didn’t work out than France. However, sometimes heartbreak can lead to new settings, situations and triumphs. France is blossoming in Seattle, getting on base at a .394 clip and repping a 1.1 WAR. The slugging is up 80 points from 2019 yet consistent with his 2020 mark of .468 with both teams. The xwOBA is a nice and tidy .396, and the man has scored 17 runs in 109 plate appearances (PA), launching three rawhides at a 14.3% HR/FB rate (career 13.5%). Not many sleepless nights in Seattle so far (I’m the worst). 

Much of the Mariners’ surprising start can be attributed to France’s play. But, just like their recent week’s slump in the standings, we can expect France to come back to earth. He won’t be able to maintain his .368 BABIP (it’s already come down recently). The .183 ISO will lower to more consistent levels in the .160’s where we’ve seen the past two years. He had four homers in 155 PA for the 2020 season and seven in 2019’s 201 PA. Is he taking the next step? Yes. Is he a lock for an everyday role on your team? Not exactly. There will be some dips. Now, I’m not saying to drop the 26-year-old. Far from it. Just have a backup plan and don’t have all your eggs in one Ty. The next Ty though…

Tyler Mahle, RHP, Reds

Ty-ler is no surprise if your name is Raymond Flowers. He’s been touting him since Mahle came into the league in 2017. All the credit in the world belongs to him because even this positive chap had no inclination he could be this good. 

Mahle has been hanging around the Reds’ rotation for a few years now, to little effect. In 2018 and 2019, he was the weak link for a team that had all sorts of pitching problems already. He took a small step forward in 2020, thanks to a revamped slider. However, Mahle’s game is at a new level so far this year, giving up just five earned runs in his first five starts, even shutting down the mighty Dodgers.

His strikeout rate is way up (from 29.9% last year to 35.3%), while the hard-hit percentage (HH%) is down 2% from 2020, roughly equivalent to 2019 and down 2.5% from 2018. Despite a groundball rate (GB%) that needs to elevate (40.4%) and a fly-ball rate (FB%) that needs de-escalation (48.1%) to his 2019 levels, the HR/9 lies at 0.70. So far, he has been this team’s ace. He’s even been better than former ace Trevor Bauer to this point. 

Cedric Mullins, OF, Orioles

Mullins never really clicked with Baltimore since his callup in 2019, but he has figured it out this year. He is tied for the Major League lead in hits (33) with another surprise of the 2021 season – Yermín Mercedes. You heard of him? He even has added a little power, at least for a 5-foot-8 speedster. He still doesn’t walk much (8.4%), but nobody’s putting the bat on the ball better right now. Posting a slash line of .340/.393/.526, which is starkly different than past year’s norms, stinks like fish left out overnight. The BABIP is .405 and ISO is at .186. No way in hell that maintains for the long run. Furthermore, Mullins is on pace for 19-20 HR, six more than his professional high in A-ball. Here’s your fool’s gold.

Can Mullins be a 10-15 guy in the Majors? I can see it. He has the wheels for swiping bags, and there is value in that. Personally, I need more production out of my outfield. 

Trevor Rogers, LHP, Marlins

Gonna keep this one short. Trevor Rogers is the real deal. Of all the young Marlins pitchers heading into 2021, Rogers was the one people talked about the least. If anything, he was just “the left-handed one.” But that left-handed one currently leads all southpaw starters in strikeout rate (34.9%). Blessed with 95 mph rising heat from his four-seam fastball and wicked dropoff from his change (35.6 inches of drop – 5.9 vs. average), he has amassed 38 strikeouts in 28 IP (12.21 K/9 is actually lower than his 12.54 total in 2020 debut season). The second coming of D-Train? God, I hope not! Rogers, Pablo López and Sandy Alcantara will make for a formidable top-3 for years to come!

Nick Solak, 2B/3B/OF, Rangers

The former Yankees prospect has bounced around a bit, but he has found a home in Texas, where he has been the best player on the team. He has been a linchpin for a team that needs all the stability it can get, posting a .305/.389/.558 slash line with seven homers in 108 PA, three times as many as Joey Gallo. Solak has also contributed two stolen bags and scored 18 runs, driving in 14.

Now, a lot of this is indeed a mirage with otherworldly .253 ISO (career .150) and .379 BABIP. Solak is not meant to carry the Rangers nor your team for the long haul with ugly K & BB rates of 27.8% and 5.6% respectively. However, when it comes to BABIP, it’s a stat where every player has his own baseline. Solak’s BABIP baseline: .340. So, while regression is in store, it won’t be as swift and merciless, and I predict the strikeouts will lower with a few more walks. If your team is skidding and in need of some immediate help, Solak is your man.

Alex Verdugo, OF, Red Sox

I conclude with one of Vlad’s more favorite players in Verdugo, who’s off to a better start than Mookie Betts. All right, so obviously you’d rather have Betts, but Verdugo sure is looking like the star the Red Sox were betting on with a .894 OPS. He has improved on his excellent 2020 and has even added a little bit more power (.523 SLG / .209 ISO). He’s also holding up defensively, important considering J.D. Martinez has that DH slot booked for the next few years. It was always going to be tough for Verdugo to be The Mookie Replacement. But he’s more than holding his own right now.

To throw more feathers in the cap, Verdugo’s BABIP is at .338, only .014 above his career mark. The strikeouts are down, the walks have maintained (still low), and his xwOBA is a remarkable .406. He’s batting .314 with room to grow. He has .356 xBA with a 43.2 HH%. The culprits: 43.8 GB% & 28.8 FB%. If he were to improve on those numbers, then we will have a fantasy superstar on our hands. How’s that for a silver lining?

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: A mix of seven and six-game weeks here with only two teams at five games. Important to pay attention to games scheduled due to the disparity… Blue Jays are away from Dunedin all week, and their rotation is a mess… tear! Blue Jays & Rays L/R based on five-man with Mike Fiers (RHP)* as a longman in the pen. Could change if they go six-man rotation. The splits for the Athletics and Astros can and will change. I did my best. Don’t hate the player; hate the game.

*See IL Report on Luzardo

A Few Areas to Target

You Better Eat Your Righties!
The Dodgers have a leg up this week with three games at Angel Stadium of Anaheim (see Interleague Outlook for more), a slightly above-average hitters’ park. So, take your Dodger hitters on out and cruise the 101 for this Freeway Series. Corey Seager, Max Muncy and Gavin Lux stand out especially since all six of their games are scheduled against right-handed pitchers. In the other dugout, this is a good week to use Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher despite his hot hitting, especially in weekly lock leagues. The Angels will face three LHP, and the righties scheduled are tough (i.e. Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler). Ohtani’s considerably better against righties than lefties, and he has two starts scheduled (more on that below). Keep that in mind when setting your lineup.

Twinkies Taste Good, Too.
Minnesota plays all seven of their games in AL parks next week, so there’s no imminent threat of Nelson Cruz sitting. Furthermore, they will see up to seven right-handed pitchers, giving a boost to Luis Arraez. Additionally, early MVP candidate Byron Buxton crushes righties. He has six homers with a slash line of .378/.440/.867 in 50 plate appearances against the handedness.

Ray of Migraine
Tampa takes on three righties and four lefties this week, creating a headache for fantasy managers in deeper leagues with weekly changes because of the Rays’ platoon situations and overall philosophy. You may be better off with your other option(s).

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. Fortunately for us, only one AL team loses their DH (CHW), and it’s only for two games. However, two games at Great American Ball Park is like four games most anywhere else. The legendary Yermín Mercedes will sit for two, much to the chagrin of his owners. Maybe he can go chow down on this while he sits!

To my surprise, we saw Bell man the DH role when Washington traveled to Dunedin to take on Toronto. I had expected Ryan Zimmerman to be named the designated survivor hitter, but Washington opted for his glove at first base. Expect to see the same this week, with the possibility of power-hitting Hernandez manning DH. Short-porch special! Speaking of special, young hot-shot Stephenson (Reds No. 2 prospect; No. 77 in MLB) will see opportunities for more at-bats in Cleveland in the Battle of Ohio, Part II. Finally, “Bring the” Neuse is making fine contributions to the Dodgers lineup in limited ABs, slashing .250/.250/.550 with an xwOBA of .342, .300 ISO and a .800 OPS. LA also may opt to get Barnes some more ABs alongside Will Smith. Where has your bat gone, Edwin Ríos?

*Rivalry Series: Ohio Cup, Freeway Series

TOP TWO-START PITCHERS

IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE

1. Jacob deGrom (@STL, ARI) ← *deGrom scratched from 5/4 start due to inflammation in his right lat.
2. Tyler Glasnow (@LAA, @OAK) ← See Pitcher Spotlight Update!!!
3. Aaron Nola (MIL, @ATL)
4. Walker Buehler (@CHC, @LAA) ← WTF! After the PPD on 5/3, Dodgers will push him to 5/5.
5. Zack Greinke (@NYY, TOR)
6. Sandy Alcantara (ARI, MIL)
7. Shohei Ohtani (TB, LAD) ← A two-step for ShoTime? Too good to be true, but lots of firsts this season! *Knew it was too good to be true; Ohtani scratch for 5/3 due to hit elbow. We’ll see about LAD.
8. Kenta Maeda (TEX, @DET)
9. Aaron Civale (KC, CIN)
10. Germán Márquez (SF, @STL)
11. Kyle Hendricks (LAD, PIT)
12. Kyle Gibson (@MIN, SEA)
13. J.A. Happ (TEX, @DET) ← See Pov Special!
14. Kwang Hyun Kim (NYM, COL)
15. Huascar Ynoa (@WSH, PHI) ← Braves have announced Max Fried will start on 5/5.

Other Options: Frankie Montas (TOR, TB), Steven Matz (@OAK, @HOU), Mike Minor (CLE, CHW), Tyler Anderson (@SD, @CHC), Domingo Germán (HOU, WSH), Aaron Sanchez (@COL, SD), Joe Ross (ATL, @NYY), Luke Weaver (@MIA, @NYM), Adrian Houser (@PHI, @MIA)

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 MAY 3 – 9

Pitcher Spotlight: Tyler Glasnow

Glasnow has always been known as a guy with amazing stuff and terrific metrics. However, the results never quite matched the talent. This is no longer the case. He has been lights out in every start this season. Blake Snell who? Charlie Morton what? Glasnow is leaving zero doubt to his status as crown jewel of the Tampa Bay rotation. Our only concern as fantasy owners is the timeless query for all Rays’ pitchers – will he throw enough innings to reach his full-season potential? Rays need to rely on him to get into the playoffs, and here’s to riding him all year long!

Current WAR total: 1.6

• Seventh in MLB as of 4/30 behind Jacob deGrom (2.1), Mike Trout & Gerrit Cole (1.9), Ronald Acuña Jr. (1.8) and Corbin Burnes & Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1.7)! Byron Buxton’s 73 plate appearances leave him short of qualifying among hitters, but his 2.3 WAR would rank first ahead of deGrom… two early MVP candidates.

The big difference this season has been the addition of a new pitch. No longer a two-pitch pitcher, Glasnow features a swing-and-miss slider to accompany his four-seam fastball and curveball. Now six starts deep into the season, the Rays right-hander has been darn near unhittable (minus the five-spot the Blue Jays posted on him). He has a 1.67 ERA, 13.38 K/9, 39.2% K-rate and 5.09 K/BB. Furthermore, he has allowed merely 19 hits in 37.2 innings pitched. A lot of his success is attributed to the addition of the slider, which he throws 29.1% of the time. Fastball levels are fairly similar (57.5% – 63.8% 2019-20), while his curveball rate has gone way down (12.3% – 32.1% 2019-20).

As a result, Glasnow has held hitters to a .310 OPS, and his 1.90 xERA is among the lowest marks in the Majors (94^th percentile according to Baseball Savant). Particularly against the slider, hitters have gone 3-for-17 (.176) with four strikeouts in 18 PA ending on the pitch. I’m new to putaway percentage, but is that good? He’s generated a 38.0% whiff rate (Whiff%) with his new slide piece, placing it above the 35.5% MLB average whiff rate on sliders. What’s more, it has intensified the success of his primary pitches (4-Seam: 32.9 Whiff%, up from 23.9 in 2020; Curve: 55.0, up from 52.8 in 2020 despite lower frequency). Furthermore, his four-seamer is tied with Burnes’ cutter for the best run value of any pitch in MLB (-8). 

This week, Glasnow faces the Angels, and depending on rookie fireballer Shane McClanahan’s status during the week, Glasnow could face Oakland on 5/9. Challenging matchups, no doubt. But after pure domination of Oakland hitters on 4/28 (7 IP – 5 H – 0 R – 2 BB – 10 K) and neutral Angel Stadium park factors (1.018 R – 1.081 HR), it’s time to put the women and children to bed and go hunting for dinner. EAT UP! *UPDATE!!! – McClanahan will remain in rotation, but Michael Wacha was used in tandem with Rich Hill on 5/2, bumping Glasnow up to 5/3. If this remains the plan for Hill’s next start, or even if Wacha does re-enter the rotation, Glasnow is now likely to face Oakland for the two-start week. I updated the two-start rankings above.

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.

Corbin Burnes (???) was placed on the injured list for an unspecified reason. What the Hell? More than likely a COVID issue, which is seconded by Tim Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Guys have been coming and going from the COVID-19 injured list like hotcakes this week, so hopefully, he can return as soon as he clears protocols. I have him included above in rankings, but we will have to monitor and cross our fingers.

Ditto, Chris Paddack. Miguel Diaz could be called into service… QUIET! *UPDATE: Diaz is scheduled to start 5/3. Cobra Kai 4 Life!

Adam Wainwright had a family member test positive, so he is quarantining away from the team. He needs to test negative before his scheduled start on 4/3; otherwise, Johan Oviedo should be recalled. *GOOD TO GO FOR WAINO!

Dustin May was removed from his 5/1 start due to a right arm injury after only getting five outs. After shaking his arm before a few pitches, May was in obvious pain after throwing his final pitch in the second inning. Dodgers announced they have already decided to place the 23-year-old on the 10-day IL. No Bueno! Manager Dave Roberts said, “We remain hopeful, but we won’t know until we get an MRI. [May reported feeling] a shooting sensation.” An MRI is scheduled for 5/3 in Chicago, their next stop on a 10-game road trip. Will we get a peek at Josiah Gray, LA’s No. 1 prospect (No. 28 overall)? Either way, my very best wishes for May! *Sad Update: May has a damaged UCL and will undergo TJS.

Willson Contreras (right thigh tightness) – Contreras has been absent from the Cubs’ lineup since exiting a game on 4/30. The 28-year-old backstop said he could play if necessary, but manager David Ross opts to play it safe. How Contreras looks in pregame workouts will dictate his return to the lineup. He’s listed as day-to-day… you know my line by now.

Both Brandon Nimmo & J.D. Davis left prematurely in their contest versus Philadelphia on 5/1. Watching the live-action, Nimmo pulled up lame on the follow through of his swing and appeared to aggravate his nagging hip injury or even worse pull his groin. Surprisingly, the issue was with his left index finger, and x-rays were negative. He’s currently day-to-day. Davis offered even more mystery when he was befuddlingly lifted from the contest on a double switch. It was later announced to be a left-hand sprain. Despite New York scoring so few runs, Nimmo & Davis have been aces at the plate and take some vicious cuts. The latter missed time at the beginning of the year after getting plunked on the same hand. There was zero evidence of a new injury during the game, yet a sprain and a contusion are too different animals.

Brady Singer (left heel) – Singer had a sharp comebacker nail his heel and veer off into no man’s land over the weekend. He was in much visible pain and had to be helped off the field after just two innings (FUCK!). However, Singer is 24-years-old, and we all remember how we bounce back at that age, right? (If under 24, GFY… kidding!) X-rays came back negative, which is a sigh of relief, and Brady felt much better following the game. The team is fairly confident he will make his next start against Cleveland.

Matthew Boyd (knee) – Father Time is a bitch, but I can’t even say undefeated here for Boyd since he is only 30-years-old (yeah, I had to check it too; seems older). In any event, he is battling patellar tendinitis. Both Boyd and the team are hopeful he’ll avoid the IL, although it will likely cost him his start this week. Chances are in his favor since the Tigers have scheduled off days the next two Mondays. And as a result, this would be the perfect time to give him rest if he’s experiencing a flare-up. *Boyd’s start will indeed be skipped.

Jordan Hicks (right elbow inflammation) will undergo an MRI of his pitching elbow when the Cards return to St. Louis, manager Mike Shildt said. Hicks was pulled from the game on 5/1 due to tightness, and with his injury history, Shildt wasted zero time pulling the young pitcher. Being labeled precautionary at the moment, this situation does bear monitoring if you have Hicks stashed on your bench as I do. *UPDATE: MRI results didn’t reveal a strain or any structural damage to his elbow or forearm. Still, the team opted to place him on the 10-day IL, and Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com reports he could be out for “at least four weeks.” If you have the room to keep stashing, do it. But I wouldn’t have a problem if you dropped for another need during the interim.

Marco Gonzales (mild forearm strain) hit the 10-day IL on 4/29 after pitching yet another quality-start loss for Seattle. No timetable for a return, though the team feels he will miss a couple of starts at a minimum.

This just in… Jesús Luzardo was placed on the IL with a fractured left pinkie finger on 5/2. Did he hurt the finger during the bloodbath that was the third inning of his start this weekend? Nope. He hurt his finger when he bumped his pitching hand while playing a video game BEFORE the game. You fucking kidding me? It’s a hairline fracture. Regardless of whether or not surgery is required on the injured finger, Luzardo appears destined to be on the shelf for longer than the 10-day minimum, depriving the Athletics of one of their top starters. Mike Fiers is expected to stick in the rotation as the No. 5 starter for the duration of Luzardo’s absence.

POV SPECIAL – SP STREAM OF THE WEEK

→ J.A. Happ, LH MIN (TEX, @DET; 25-30% owned) – Happ was a deep sleeper within the industry this year, and he is returning value for those who took a flier on him. He has two fantastic matchups this week. These two teams STINK when it comes to hitting southpaws. Against LHP, Detroit strikes out at a league-worst rate of 37.4%. Rangers’ K-rate is better at 25.8%, which is still 10^th worst. In terms of ISO, the Tigers are last with a .071 against lefties, while Rangers have a .113 mark (second-lowest). More left-handed futility comes with wOBA, as Detroit sits at .210 (last), and Texas is at .274 (third-worst). Lastly, the teams’ wRC+ against lefties are 32 for the Tigers (last) and 79 for the Rangers (fourth-lowest). Overall, against both handedness, Detroit has a 30.6% K-rate (worst), and Texas is second-worst at 28.6%. 

If Happ comes out on the positive side from both starts this week, I’ll take the stats/points and look to flip him for value. TYVM! *Due to spot start by Lewis Thorpe on 5/5, Happ loses his 2nd start. DAMN! We learn here, even if a team doesn’t have a six-man rotation, they may add a spot sixth starter to mitigate innings.

Honorable Mention: Dane Dunning, RH TEX (@MIN, SEA; 50-75% owned) – Dunning is struggling right now after a hot start, which we would expect a young pitcher to do in his second taste of the bigs. Then again, the Twins offense is struggling, too. I do have trepidation, however, as Minnesota sports a top-10 wRC+. I’m willing to roll the dice in weekly lock leagues for the two starts. If you can update roster for second half of the week, focus on the start against Seattle. Young stud Kyle Lewis is back, and Mitch Haniger is swinging a sweet stroke, but as a whole, this is still a bottom-5 offense with a team OPS of .666 (ooph!) and K-rate of 26.5% (seventh-worst).

For more streaming options on the mound AND at the plate, visit Vlad’s FAAB Values!

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Sunday, May 9, 2021

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! Promo code Red10 gets you 10% off ANY Elite Sports Package, including VIP.