What’s up FANation?? We have a 7-game main slate today and it looks interesting. There isn't elite pitching on this slate by any means with no pitchers listed at 10K or above and Megill is the top-priced arm, which allows us to really pay up on bats today. Let’s dive into some of my favorite options on offense today, shall we?!
Top-Tier
Willy Adames, SS MIL – Adames smacked a home run in yesterday’s contest, bringing his stat line with the Brewers to a .294 batting average with 13 home runs, 18 doubles, and 42 RBI across 62 games (a 162-game pace of 34 home runs and 110 RBI). He has been a massive reverse splits guy his whole career and this season is no different as he is slashing .281/.359/.508 against righties, compared to .202/.278/.413 against lefties. Today he gets to face a low-tier righty in Wilson, who has a 4.83 ERA, 5.56 FIP, 1.55 WHIP, and 2.0 HR/9 this season and a 5.45 ERA, 5.48 FIP, 1.70 WHIP, and 1.7 HR/9 for his career. Right-handed bats are slashing a robust .338.371/.492 against Wilson this season.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B NYY – Rizzo has kicked off his Yankees career in a big way, going 5-9 with two home runs, three walks, three RBI, and five runs scored in his first three games with the club. Tonight will be his first game in Yankee Stadium as a member of the home team and in two career games there (as a Cub) he went 3-7 with a walk. He will be facing Lopez tonight, who to be blunt is a trash pitcher as he has a 6.19 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and 1.5 HR/9 this season, which is hardly worse than his career ERA of 6.08 with a 1.55 WHIP and 1.6 HR/9 (how this guys has managed to play in the bigs for six years and rack up 324.1 innings at the MLB level is beyond me). Rizzo and the Yankees should have no issue putting some runs on the board tonight against him.
Mid-Tier
Kolten Wong, 2B MIL – Another Brewer bat? I do like a Brewers stack today. In 23 games since the start of June, Wong is hitting .330 with six home runs, three steals, 12 RBI, and 19 runs scored. Wong has actually hit better against lefties, but seven of his eight steals are against righties this season. I mentioned in Adames’ section how bad Wilson is and how righties have performed very well against him, well lefties haven’t been too shabby either, slashing .302/.353/.556 against Wilson. Wong and Adames both bat within the top-three of the Brewers lineup making them a perfect start to a stack that can be rounded out with guys like Narvaez, Escobar, and/or Tellez.
Bargain Bin
Brandon Drury, 3B/OF NYM – Drury is swinging a very hot bat, going 11-17 (.647) with two home runs, four doubles, five RBI, and five runs scored over his last eight games (three starts). For that reason, I would not be surprised to see him in the Mets starting lineup once again tonight. The Marlins haven’t tabbed a starter for tonight yet, but if DK has Luzardo listed as their starter and if they do choose to go that route, then I believe Drury will definitely be in the lineup as he is slashing a very strong .346/.346/.731 against lefties this season through 26 PA. Luzardo has really struggled this season with a 6.87 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Righties have done a lot of damage against him, slashing .304/.347/.583 with nine of the 11 home runs that he has given up.
Jarred Kelenic, OF SEA – Kelenic appears to be coming around a little bit, going 5-19 (.263) with a home run, seven RBI, and three runs scored over his past five games. Is that amazing? No. However, it’s signs of life and he has upside with his power/speed combo so with any sign of life and a near minimum price tag, I am willing to take a shot on him, especially in a good matchup against Wacha. All three of his steals are against righties, as are two of his three home runs. Wacha has a 4.79 ERA, 4.74 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, and 1.8 HR/9. Lefties are hitting .276 against him with a .339 OBP, compared to .266 and .306 for righties, respectfully.
Anthony Santander, OF BAL – He is coming off a strong game yesterday in which he went 2-4 with a double and a RBI. The switch-hitting Santander has been far better against left-handed pitching than righties as he is slashing .269/.310/.385 against southpaws, compared to .208/.263/.377 against righties. He has also been far better on the road, slashing .248/.291/.405 away from Baltimore, compared to .190/.255/.333 at home. Today he heads to New York to play in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium to face Heaney, a low-tier lefty with a 5.27 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 1.5 HR/9. Right-handed bats have accounted for 14 of the 6 home runs that he has given up this season. In three career starts at Yankee stadium, Heaney has an 8.79 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and has given up five home runs in 14.1 innings pitched (yes, that was facing the Yankees who he is now pitching for, but that is still an ugly stat line in their ballpark).