Slate Details
DK/FD – Main slate (11 games) – starts 1:35 p.m. EDT
Weather Impact
Showers will persist throughout TB@DET and it will be a matter of whether they are comfortable with playing through the rain. Conditions are similar in ARI@MIN, however, the showers should be a bit lighter so I am more confident in them playing through that one. Either way, make sure you stay updated on the weather.
Pitching
The New York Mets made it painfully clear to their fans the direction they wanted to take the team at the deadline and it has shown in their performance of late, currently sliding on a five-game losing streak. The Orioles meanwhile are riding high and send Kyle Bradish to the mound. In his last three home starts, Bradish has given up just three ERs in 20.1 innings with 22 strikeouts. He hasn’t gone fewer than six innings in any of his last seven starts and I expect a solid outing out of him today.
Tyler Glasnow has always been a strikeout machine, but lately, he’s been going deep into games as well. He’s accumulated 27 innings over his last four starts with just five ERs and 32 strikeouts. The Tigers’ best chance against Glasnow today will be a rain delay that knocks him out of the game.
Brandon Woodruff returns from the IL today to a treat of a matchup against the Pirates. Who knows what version of Woodruff we will get, but Pittsburgh will give him every opportunity for a Max Fried-esque return and I am in for that. I don’t hate pivoting off Woodruff to his opponent Johan Oviedo either, as he’s allowed just one ER in three of his last four starts. The Brewers’ offense does present a tougher challenge, however.
In another quality pitching matchup, we have Sandy Alcantara and Andrew Heaney both coming off excellent outings. Sandy seems to have found it again, as he’s pitched 17 innings in his last two starts with just one ER. Heaney dominated the White Sox over six shutout innings with 11 Ks in his last outing. I’m leaning Heaney for pricing reasons and the fact he gets to face the Marlins’ lineup as opposed to the Rangers, but I think they are both excellent options.
Pitcher Pricing 8-6-2023
Hitting
The two hottest-hitting teams in baseball are squaring off when the Atlanta Braves (148 wRC+) and Chicago Cubs (142 wRC+) take the field on Sunday. Superstars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson lead a brigade of Braves hitters that litter the Top 50 wRC+ list for the past two weeks, which includes Marcell Ozuna, Orlando Arcia, Michael Harris II, and Austin Riley. Can’t forget Ozzie Albies and whichever catcher is behind the plate, either Sean Murphy or Travis d’Arnaud. Justin Steele is an excellent pitcher having an outstanding season, but he has been a little hittable of late and that is not going to fly against Atlanta.
Charlie Morton is also having a pretty solid season but has been getting smacked around a bit over his last three starts. Now he faces a Cubs team that beat up Bryce Elder pretty well yesterday and scored 36 runs over two games against Cincinnati earlier this week. Jeimer Candelario has been a welcome addition to a sneaky deep Cubs lineup that has the corner infielder hitting seventh. A big stack of Mike Tauchman, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, Christopher Morel, and Candelario could yield big dividends against Morton today.
Other hitters of note:
- Bobby Witt Jr. has fueled the Royals’ recent hot stretch with his power/speed combo and gets a solid matchup against Taijuan Walker.
- No hitter has been hotter than Ryan Mountcastle and his 259 wRC+ over the last two weeks and he is a prime HR candidate against LHP José Quintana.
Hitter Pricing 8-6-23