“No one who speaks German could be an evil man.” There may never be another show as perfect as The Simpsons in its heyday. Guten Tag! It’s time to talk about Rays prospect Nick Schnell (3-for-4, 2 HR). The 19-year-old outfielder has four homers and four steals through 33 games in rookie ball albeit with a not-so-gut strikeout rate. That’s about what to expect from the former first-round pick. He’s a power-speed combo with just enough smarts at the dish to make it all click. I see Schnell as a left-handed bat that should be pretty easy to acquire in dynasty formats right now. I’d bet on him becoming a major league regular. Maybe it’s his height/frame (6’3”/180) or his lefty swing, but he reminds me a little of Yelich. You’ll need to be patient though, as Schnell still has several levels to work through – ETA is probably late 2021/early 2022 at best. Here’s what else is happening around the minor leagues…
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What a year it has been for rookies. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing some absolute studs make their much anticipated MLB debuts thus season. This is truly one of the special rookie classes, and they have not disappointed. In a star-studded year, there have been several rookies that have flown under the radar. Below […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Today’s introduction isn’t going to be very long. Why, you ask? Well, the FanDuel slate isn’t very complex. That’s not to say it’s a bad slate, just not a very complex one. You’ve got only five games and no expensive pitchers. So with people’s attention turning to football, I suggest you don’t overthink this slate. There’s still a clear ace, a clear best GPP pivot off the ace, and then the obvious offenses to target. The key decision point may just be where you find the one or two value plays you’ll need.
On to the picks…
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Stan Bush? Give me that beat! You got the Tauchman! You got the power! Yeah! You’ve never walked, you’ve never run! You’re a winner! (Though some may say running and walking aren’t bad for baseball.) You got the moves, you got the streets (not as important in baseball)! Break the rules (well, Barry Bonds had some success with this)! You’re nobody’s fool! Yeah! You’re at your best when the going gets rough! (This is true since the Yanks had some injuries and needed Mike Tauchman to step up.) You’ve been put to the test, but it’s never enough! (That’s less true; we appreciate you here, Tauchman). You got the Tauchman! You got the power! It’s all true! So, Mike Tauchman (2-for-4, 2 RBIs, hitting .299) hit another home run last night, his 10th, that’s in 60 games. And he stole a bag, his 4th! He now has three homers in two games, and four homers in the last week. I grabbed him in multiple leagues, because who doesn’t love dongs! Not this redblooded American! Hoo-rah, I got the Tauch!
Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Psyche! Before we get into the post, fantasy football RCLs have launched. Get in now!
Please, blog, may I have some more?If you missed out on my RCL earlier don’t worry, there’s still plenty of other leagues open against other @Razzball writers. Join now for a chance to win a spot in #RazzBowl 2020, it’s FREE! https://t.co/SF1dgtZWCS
— DonkeyTeeth (@DonkeyTeeth87) August 6, 2019
We published our podcast last week at possibly the worst time to cover the trade deadline. Tuesday afternoon, means all the news was a week old when we recorded on Monday. So what did we do? Talked about Jason Kipnis for forty minutes of course. So perhaps that’s a bold faced lie. We actually only talked about Kipnis for about two minutes while spending the rest of the hour touching on a slew of recent callups, winners in the playing time battles post trade deadline, and touched on some NL Only drama in Grey’s home league. Yes, the title has nothing to do with anything. It’s just words that sounded good. Not joking!
Please, blog, may I have some more?Who else got victimized by Nelson Cruz last week? In his last 75 ABs here’s his line: 19/14/26/0/.333. That’s more than some guys had in the entire first-half. Oh wait — that’s almost more than the 16 Cruz put up the first half. The Twins are going to be battling for the AL Central with the Indians until the bitter end and clutch Cruz should keep them afloat the rest of the way.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Well kids, we made it. The Razzball Commenter Leagues trade deadline has come and gone and it went out with a bang! RCLers completed twenty-two trades this past week as everyone was looking to make one final push. It was interesting having the MLB trade deadline basically at the same time as our fantasy baseball trade deadline. Those that traded for Luke Jackson might not have enjoyed that very much (although the way Shane Greene has pitched to start his Braves career, maybe he’ll get another shot) but I think it was exciting for everyone else. There were plenty of closers exchanging hands this week with Felipe Vazquez seeming to get the most attention. Maybe because he had the fewest trade rumors swirling around him for a fairly reliable closer. Either way, we’ll break down a few of these trades and catch-up on two weeks worth of RCL data in the week that was, week 18.
Please, blog, may I have some more?While his overall results haven’t been ideal, Mets starter Zack Wheeler ($10,700) has been on fire this season. His 3.50 FIP and 3.24 Deserved Run Average suggest that he’s pitched much better than his ERA, and his 26.0% K-rate and 6.1% walk-rate are both career bests. Wheeler dominated the White Sox for seven scoreless innings his last time out, and should have another big performance tonight at home against the Marlins. Miami has been the worst offense in baseball against right-handed pitching according to their awful .281 wOBA, and their 25.3% strikeout-rate is extremely high. Wheeler is well worth the investment as your ace tonight.
New to FanDuel? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well, be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!
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It’s never too early to turn the page towards 2020. Which is what Hugh Downs used to say while wearing a smoking jacket and flipping through a script. By the way, Hugh Downs missed his porn actor calling. “Oh my God, that’s an Orca in your pants!” “Well, I ain’t Churchill Downs.” Fun Fact! Hugh Downs only wore slippers. Okay, okay, OKAY, enough about freakin’ Hugh Downs. This is like when Seinfeld was telling Bania to ease up on the Ovaltine jokes. Grey, you’ve got fifteen minutes of Hugh Downs! Let him go! I’d love to but he goes Downs so easy! So, Luis Castillo pitched another gem in a season of them (7 IP, 2 ER, 4 baserunners, 13 Ks, ERA at 2.63). His peripherals are equally gorge like Barbara Walters fluffing Hugh–I’ll stop! Castillo’s has a 10.8 K/9, 3.9 BB/9, 3.71 FIP and his fastball velocity is up and he’s throwing his change a lot more (26% to 32%). He kinda reminds me of another Reds pitcher, Trevor Bauer. Castillo’s ERA could easily be near-4 vs. near 2.50. Still like him, not saying make a chump dump like when Hugh Downs used to spend 30 minutes in the bathroom and blame Mike Wallace, but Castillo looks a lot better than Bauer in ERA, but for 2020 I don’t see a ton of difference. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?If you need speed you’re in luck of late. New options for steals chasers having been popping up. Don’t fret if you don’t have the budget left for Bo Bichette. There are some lesser names that can help boost the category for you.
- The last of the Wunderkind got the call as Bo Bichette joined the Blue Jays major league team. Speed is certainly part of his profile, though the power may translate to the majors easier if he isn’t given that many green lights. You’d better have some FAAB squirreled away. He won’t come cheap.
- Josh VanMeter swiped three bases last week. That’s a healthy amount for someone without an elite speed profile. It’s interesting to see the steals flow as JVM was moved more into the heart of the Reds order.
- Two Braves, Ender Inciarte and Johan Camargo, have found themselves with more playing time lately. Inciarte is the better bet for steals, though Camargo can sprinkle in a little bit of everything if he gets going with regular at-bats.
- The newest Cleveland Indian Yasiel Puig has already stolen two bases in four games. It could be somewhat coincidental. It could also signal the Tribe’s intentions for their newest toy.
- Roman Quinn has always offered tools, the greatest of which is his 80-grade speed. His challenges have always been finding at-bats and staying healthy. Let’s see if the Phillies can find ways to keep their sparkplug involved.
- Scott Oberg notched his first save since Wade Davis was demoted. You won’t get elite ratios or an exceptional K/9. They aren’t going to be detrimental, though. Let’s face it, you’ll take saves from any avenue at this point. Please, blog, may I have some more?
The Tampa Bay Rays’ Charlie Morton ($10,100) has an excellent numbers (2.78 ERA and 30.1% K%) on the season, and should improve on those numbers in this one. The right-hander finds himself in a nice spot today. The Toronto lineup potentially should include just two left-handed batters. Lefties tend to give Morton fits more so than righties because he can’t throw his best pitch (the slider) to them. He has thrown three times as many sliders to righties than lefties this season. Right-handed batters own a .197 batting average against his slider in 2019 so you can see why this a great matchup for the Rays’ starter.
New to FanDuel? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well, be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!
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A reporter, ducked behind chairs, yells at Aaron Sanchez at his no-hitter, post-game press conference. All we hear is the reporter’s disembodied voice, “Isn’t it true your four-seam spin rate went from 2,300 rpm to 2,565 rpm overnight?” Some reporters move out of the way for the reporter, who is crouched behind the chairs. One reporter recognizes him, asking, “Trevor Bauer, is that you?” What are the Astros feeding their pitchers? Pine tar and they’re being told to eat with their hands. Aaron Sanchez (6 IP, 0 ER, 0 hits, 2 walks, 6 Ks, ERA at 5.76) had a 6.07 ERA before this game! I get it, it was the Mariners, but this is crazy. Sanchez wasn’t usable at all in Toronto. The Astros’ coaching vs. cheating argument: Sanchez did kibosh his sinker, which was by far his worst pitch. Could it have been that easy? How could the Jays not figure this out? I could’ve figured this out! I guess Sanchez’s worth the flier. If he’s fixed, he’s too valuable to ignore. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?