Happy Monday everyone! We are in the thick of the MLB playoffs as we have a four-game slate today with all teams in action. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the biggest favorites on the slate, coming in at (-210).  The White Sox and Astros game comes in with our highest game total with an over/under set at 9.0 runs. 

Top Stacks

Boston Red Sox vs. Collin McHugh and Josh Fleming

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Alex Wood

Chicago White Sox vs. José Urquidy

Core Plays

Pitching

Max Scherzer, LAD – Scherzer had another fantastic season, going 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA (a 1.98 ERA with the Dodgers), a 0.86 WHIP (MLB Best), a 6.0 H/9 (MLB Best), and 236 strikeouts across 179.1 innings pitched. He pitched great at Dodger Stadium with a 2.17 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9. This is a Giants offense that didn’t really see Scherzer this season as he only faced them once and he left the game with an injury after recording just one out. 

Freddy Peralta, MIL – Peralta finally put it all together this season and broke out in a big way with a 2.81 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts across 144.1 innings pitched. He was actually a bit better on the road with a 2.70 ERA and 12.6 K/9, compared to a 2.88 ERA at home and 11.8 K/9. He faced the Braves one time this season and he was lights-out, firing six shutout innings with eight punch-outs and only giving up two hits. 

Ian Anderson, ATL – Anderson missed some time with injury, but he had a strong season overall with a 3.58 ERA and 124 strikeouts across 128.1 innings pitched. He had a 3.52 ERA and 1.13 WHIP at home this season, compared to 3.63 and 1.33 on the road. He faced the Brewers once this season too and was also very strong, hurling six innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts while picking up the win. 

For me today, I think the route is Scherzer paired with Peralta or Anderson. 

Hitting

Trea Turner, LAD – Turner had a monster year, hitting .328 (MLB Best) with 28 home runs, 32 steals (NL Best), and 107 runs scored. He ended the regular season on a 19-game hitting streak, slashing .403/.459/.740 in that span with seven home runs, six steals, 18 RBI, and 19 runs scored. He crushed lefties this year to the tune of a .392/.437/.712 slash line, compared to .305/.353/.475 against righties. On top of all that, Turner is 3-11 (.273) with a home run against Wood in his career. 

Xander Bogaerts, BOS – Bogaerts wasn’t quite to Turner’s level this year, but he was strong in his own right, hitting .295 with 23 home runs, five steals, 34 doubles, and 90 runs scored. He was fantastic at home this year, slashing .316/.383/.553 with 15 home runs, compared to .275/.358/.438 on the road with eight home runs. He had great slash lines against both lefties and righties, so the Rays tandem doesn’t impact his upside in any way today. He is 8-18 (.444) against McHugh in his career. 

AJ Pollock, LAD – Pollock had a very strong season, hitting .297 with 21 home runs, nine steals, and 69 RBI across 117 games played. He ended the regular season on a high note, slashing .310/.400/.897 over his final nine games with five home runs and 11 RBI. He was great at home this year, slashing .307/.382/.580, compared to .288/.332/.500 on the road. On top of that, he is 10-25 (.400) with a pair of dingers in his career against Wood. 

Hunter Renfroe, BOS – Renfroe had a strong season as well, hitting .259 with 31 home runs, 33 doubles, 89 runs, and 96 RBI. He ended the year strong, hitting .276 with 10 home runs and 26 RBI over his final 35 games. He was strong against both righties and lefties, so like Bogaerts, the tandem pitching combo should not impact him negatively. He was far better at home this year, slashing .287/.341/.529, compared to .231/.287/.473 on the road. 

Eloy Jiménez, CWS – Jimenez may have only hit .249 on the year, but he did have 10 home runs and 37 RBI across just 55 games played. Nearly all of his damage was against righties as he slashed .275/.320/.475 against them with eight home runs, eight doubles, and 31 RBI, compared to .170/.254/.321 against lefties with two home runs, two doubles, and six RBI. Righties did the majority of the damage against Urquidy too, slashing .238/.273/.455 against him, compared to the .190/.235/.339 line that lefties produced against him. 

YahooTop TierMid TierValue Tier
PitchingMax Scherzer - SPFreddy Peralta - SPIan Anderson - SP
IFTrea Turner - 2BXander Bogaerts - SSAlex Bregman - 3B
OFA.J. Pollock - OFHunter Renfroe - OFEloy Jimenez - OF
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Position Top Tier Mid-Tier Value-Tier
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