Josh Tomlin continued his early season success pitching 6.2 innings of four hit beisbol, allowing just one run and striking out four for his second win of the year. Josh is now 2-0 through his first two starts with a 1.54 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 10 strikeouts. He’s available in over 90% of ESPN leagues. Am I missing something? Tomlin was part of my championship pitching staff last year. No. I didn’t win, but I still made the finals, so that counts as a championship team, right? Tomlin finished 2015 especially strong giving up just 14 runs in 49.3 IP with a 44/3 K/BB rate, and two complete games. Can he keep it up? Let’s look at the stats. First, Josh’s ESPN player page photo looks a whole lot like Bradley Cooper. Second, Tomlin’s .219 BABIP for 2015 was laughably low, and he’s not exactly a strikeout machine. That said, he doesn’t walk anyone either. Doode throws strikes, and his 3.2 BB% from 2015 is no fluke. If we look further into the advanced stats (NERD!), we see Josh doesn’t induce a lot of ground ball outs either, and his fly ball percentage was 46.2 last year. Basically, he could give up a lot of long balls. Or not, what do these numbers know anyway. I’ll tell you what I know. Josh Tomlin has been pitching very well dating back to last September and he has a juicy match up with the Twins next week. He’s certainly a worthy streaming option in the right match up and I’d give him a chance next week in Minnesota.
Here’s what else I saw Friday night in fantasy baseball:
Javiez Baez – 2-for-4, 3 runs, HR (1), SB (1). The slam & legs! In Chicago, they serve their slam and legs in a poppy seed bun with neon relish, jalapenos, italian beef, and a polish sausage on top. Then they wrap all of that in an authentic meat lovers deep dish pizza. Mmmm, heart burn. Anyway, If there’s one thing the Cubs need right now, it’s another young, hot-shot power-hitting prospect. How long before Baez is playing everyday? I don’t know, but you should grab him before someone else does.
Anthony Rizzo – 1-for-3, HR (6). HR to the Rizzo! Anthony is batting under .200, but with 6 homers and 17 RBI I don’t even care. Batting average is for losers. He’s so hot right now.
Justin Verlander – 7.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. Does he still date Kate Upton? Because if so I still don’t like him.
Carlos Santana – 2-for-4, HR (3). Carlos led off in this one because Tito Francona is a mad man. Crazy or just crazy enough to work? It paid of with a first inning homer, so you tell me.
Ryan Madsen – 1.0 IP, SV (7). Grey told you to BUY. You can drop your Doolittles and add your Madsens. Mmm, now that sounded kind of sexual. Nothing sexier than SAGNOF!
Chris Coghlan – 1-for-4, 2 runs, HR (3). With Danny Valencia injured, Coghlan should see increased playing time at third. He’s got a 5 game hitting streak and has homered in back to back games, so maybe this is the start of something great. Well, maybe not great, but good.
Miguel Sano – 2-for-4, HR (3). Sano was going crazy early in drafts and I was all like, “Whaaa?” But now I’m like, “Ohhh.”
Logan Forsythe – 2-for-5, run, 2 RBI. You can call him Weapon X. Logan has hit safely in his past five games (9-for-20), and is leading off for the Devil Rays. You don’t need an adamantium exoskeleton to see that could be worth a flier.
Jacoby Ellsbury – 2-for-3, run, 2 RBI, SB (5). Aaron Hicks left this game with an injury giving Ells a chance to show what he’s about. He’s a 31 year old who sits against most lefties and is a threat to steal and an even bigger threat to get injured again. Looking to trade. You interested in Ellsbury or nah?
Jose Quintana – 7.0 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W. I have big plans for Jose Quintana and I. We are going backpacking through Patagonia, one of the harshest environments imaginable, and its there, in the mountains of Chile, on the tip of a glacier, at the bottom of any icy crevasse, where our bond will truly grow into something special. Here’s hoping he gets roughed up by the Jays next week so I can trade for him everywhere.
Steven Wright – 6.2 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, W. The Knucklah! That’s how we say it in Boston. We also call water fountains “bubblahs” and hipsters “queeahs.” Wright has pitched great so far with a 1.40 ERA and 8.10 K/9, and he was this close to being my lede. However, I figured “The Wright Stuff” was an obvious headline and that knuckle ball makes him a very unpredictable option and tough to recommend. Still, he has been three times flame emoji I could see streaming him against the lowly Braves on Wednesday.
Collin McHugh – 4.0 IP, 10 hits, 5 ER, BB, 3 K. More like McUGH. I will take this blurb to speak on how poorly I’m doing in the RCL league I commish. Very poorly. Now let us never speak on it again.
Mookie Betts – 4-for-5, 3 runs, RBI. I love Mookie more than I could ever love a human baby. Uh oh! Speaking of babies, I think I left mine in the back yard! Whoops! Don’t worry, I let him outside before I went to work yesterday, and refilled his water dish so he’s probably fine.
Travis Shaw – 2-for-4. Shaw leads all Red Sox players in batting average. He also gets free Dunkin Donuts iced regulahs for life, so he’s someone you want to be friends with. Grey told you BUY. Pick him up, guy, it’ll be wicked.
Xander Bogaerts – 2-for-4. Awesome-X left game this game in 9th after being hit on the hand by a pitch. Nooooo! My flame. My muse. I hope you’re okay. So this is what it feels like, when doves cry. Come back soon, Xander. You will be missed, Prince.
Matt Harvey – 5.0 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, BB, 5 K, W. And his first win. I’m not saying I thought he’d never win another game again. In fact, I never said that. That would be cray. Let’s move on.
Curtis Granderson – 3-for-5, 2 HR (4), 5 RBI. Oh hey, I remember you!
Adonis Garcia – 3-for-5, run, RBI. Adonis is batting clean up for the Braves and if Freddie Freeman can ever get his shizz together Adonis might benefit. With a name like Adonis, I feel like he should have more than one home run. I’m not wrong.
Nolan Arenado – 2-for-3, 3 runs, HR (7). Sadly, after owning Nolan everywhere last year, he is nowhere to be found this year on any of my many fantasy rosters. Sigh. Missin’ u so bad rn, bae.
Corey Seager – 2-for-3, HR (2). YES! This is why you drafted him four rounds too early. Don’t feel bad, I did it too.
Jordy Mercer – 3-for-4, HR (1). Mercer has been leading off versus lefties and that leads me to the question: why isn’t Gregory Polanco leading off? Grego is batting almost .300 with two homers, 12 runs and 2 SB. If he were leading off we can extrapolate that…calculating…calculating…calculating…uhh, I no math good. Or English either, I guess. That’s like, double the stats! Make it happen, Hurdle!
Wellington Castillo – 2-for-5, 2 HR (5). He’s one of the best catchers in fantasy baseball right now. Which makes sense because he’s available in about 75% of leagues. Lolz. Catchers be catchin’.
Nelson Cruz – 1-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI. The ninth inning jack! Shimmy shimmy cocoa what? Listen to him pound!
Hisashi Iwakuma – 8.0 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, BB, 3 K. I went to ramen with Hisashi last week (ramen is so hawt right now), and Iwakuma got very upset with me for asking for my ramen to go. Luckily, it was community seating so he didn’t make a scene. I told him I felt rude slurping in public, but Hishahi my dashi–SLURP SLURP, assured me slurping is never rude when your fantasying with him on the mound.
C.J. Cron – 1-for-4, HR (1). CRON AIR!
Jeff Samardzija – 7.2 IP, 6 hits, ER, 5 K, W. Z-Marge also added 2 hits and 3 RBI to help his own cause! Shark looks to be loving life in SF. Probably because after home games he can go chill with his fam in the San Francisco Bay surrounding Alcatraz island. See what I did there? Because sharks? U like dat joke or nah? I shood make more puns or nah? Arrieta available for trade or nah? U interested in Freddie Freeman or nah?
Adam Wainwright – 6.0 IP, 7 hits, 3 ER, BB, 2 K. Waino looked better in this one, but still not great, especially considering this was the P-Dres. Adam’s command has been not good. He’s not locating his fastball and his breaking ball hasn’t been effective either. He’s getting hit hard as a result. He could be the perfect buy low candidate for the right price.
Andrew Cashner – 6.0 IP, 3 hits, ER, BB, 4 K, W. Str8 Cashner, homey! Andrew hasn’t been as bad as his stats suggest, but he hasn’t been very good either. He’s been averagely mediocre. In fact, he’s so boring I shouldn’t even be writing this blurb about him. Forget you read any of this.
Wil Myers – 3-for-3, HR (4), SB (2). Wil the Thril! I do love me some Wil “I passed the other L to the Homey on My Left” Myers. He’s got a 7 game hitting streak with 2 homers and a steal in that span. The fact that he’s only walked twice versus striking out 24 times might deter some. But not me. I got nothing but blind love for Wil. I can feel a breakout coming in my gut. But that could just be stomach pains from all the Carl’s Jr. I ate this week. There’s something about Carl’s raw, greasy, grossness that makes me love it so much. I think the same can be said for Wil Myers.
Mike Moustakas – 3-for-4, HR (6), 3 RBI. Oh hey, Moose. Remember when you were the bane of my existence? Me neither! You the man now, dog!
Manny Machado – 1-for-4, HR (6). HIT ALL THE BASEBALLS!
Chris Young – 6.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, BB, 10 K, W. Matched his season total strikeouts to date in one start last night. I’d be wary of his start in Anaheim next week, but you don’t have to listen to me. I’m not your therapist.
Aaron Nola – 7.0 IP, 4 hits, ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W. Speaking of therapists, mine says I have to stop obsessing over Aaron Nola because despite his 30/5 K/BB rate he plays for Philadelphia and if you play for Philadelphia, you’re gonna have a bad time. However, my therapist is also in my fantasy league so I’m trying to figure out what angle he’s playing. I have to tread carefully or he’ll stop selling me adderoll.
Maikel Franco – 3-for-4, 2 HR (4), 3 RBI. I was hanging out with the Franco brothers on Thursday night. Dave is cool enough, but he’s engaged Alison Brie so we could never truly be friends. James is–well, he’s a pretty weird guy, but he’s charming for god sake, and his arm has grown back nicely. Still, Maikel is slugging .500 and has four home runs and is the clear cut favorite if you’re going to own one of the brothers on your fantasy team.
Chris Carter – 2-for-4, run, RBI. Grey told you to BUY and you should really pick up Chris Carter before aliens kidnap your sister and you have to dedicate your life to finding her. For real. How often is a 35 home run power hitter just sitting on waivers for you. He’s already got four jacks with 14 RBI, and the .259 AVG and .921 OPS are added bonuses, although I would expect those to drop sooner than later. You don’t have to be Mulder or Scully to see that Carter aka “the truth” is out there on the waiver wire, begging you to add. I will wait here, Samantha isn’t coming back any time soon.
Thanks for reading! Questions? Problems? Complaints to management? Advice, small gifts or large bribes? Please leave it in the comments below. Join us next Saturday for another Friday recap as fantasy baseball continues next week, all week long!
