The final normal Friday of this short MLB season is here. Next Friday will roll into the final weekend of the season when most teams will already have a playoff spot secured with the expanded playoffs and we have 12 games on the slates tonight as there are once again some double-headers going on around the majors.
SLATE NOTES
- I see no rain issues tonight, so no PPD worries because of that
- The Mariners/Padres game is being played in PETCO park tonight even though San Diego is the road team.
HAPPY FRIDAY
Zach Plesac
The Indians snapped their losing streak in a big way last night and should once again do so against the only team they seem to know how to beat consistently — Detroit. Plesac is consistently a 6 to 7 inning pitcher for the Tribe as he does a good job at not walking hitters and once again should project to a 7 inning start tonight.
Kyle Hendricks
Two years ago this was a high scoring series between the Twins and Cubs in Wrigleyville in the dead heat of the summer with the wind blowing out. We’ve basically got the exact opposite of that tonight with heavy winds blowing in and mid September weather. Hendricks is the preferred side.
Also Consider
- Max Fried: 6 innings, 7 strikeouts, 2 ER tonight for Fried. Not convinced he gets run support though.
- Rich Hill: Lacks the upside of the guys above, but good pitching conditions and he matches up well against most of the Cubs lineup
- Zac Gallen: Sleeper to bounce back tonight. Has struggled lately but I can see the D’Backs upsetting Houston tonight.
You should take a simplified approach down the stretch to building lineups. 3-3-1-1 is all I am going to be doing from here on out if possible. This means, two teams with 3 players and my favorite two one offs from the secondary teams.
Tampa Bay Rays
Brandon Lowe, Mike Brosseau, Joey Wendle, Randy Arozarena
Rays in Camden Yards against Alex homer Cobb. That loud noise you hear is Mike Brosseau singing and dancing in his hotel room outside of Pratt Street. Brosseau, Brandon Lowe, and Joey Wendle all look great here but in reality the Rays are your random homer team tonight. Lowe is on fire and whenever Tampa plays the Orioles the birds seem to screw up.
If you are locking in on DraftKings tonight the only advice I have is to be creative about where to use the Rays because they have so much dual eligibility tonight and the difference in positions is all over the place from FanDuel. Look at the names above though as the preferred guys.
Chicago White Sox
Yoan Moncada, Edwin Encarnacion, Yasmani Grandal
The White Sox are a team that I do not see slowing down as they run into the playoffs. If anything, the rest of the American League should be terrified that Moncada, Eloy and company start to heat back up as we go into the playoffs. This is a massive park shift in my mind — with Tyler Mahle who is bad vs LH power bats providing juice to go Moncada/Grandal
Cleveland Indians
Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez
Why stop? No reason to not like J-Ram and Lindor again today.
LA Angels
Fletcher, Walsh, Trout
Good hitting conditions despite some haze in the air out in L.A. Angels at home have been good offensively and should do well vs Texas pitching/bullpen tonioght.
CATCHER
- Yasmani Grandal … Knows Reds pitching well and is one of the lefty bats on the ChiSox to look at for power.
- Gary Sanchez … Kills Fenway park and is doing well lately. Him and Stanton the only Yankees I am really loving tonight.
FIRST BASE
- Mike Brosseaux
- Carlos Santana
- Renato Nunez … Very sneaky play tonight would be Baltimore stack against Glasnow who can give up HR in bunches. But Tampa bullpen is so good it’s not worth going heavy on IMO.
SECOND BASE
- Brandon Lowe
- Mike Moustakas
- David Fletcher
THIRD BASE
- Yoan Moncada
- Maikel Franco … Miller Park Maikel
- Jose Ramirez
SHORTSTOP
- Corey Seager
- Francisco Lindor
- Willy Adames
OUTFIELD – Mt. Rushmore
- Austin Meadows
- Giancarlo Stanton … Has all the makings of a 5 game HR streak right now. Weather isn’t perfect in Boston and Perez is always a hard SP to figure out, but Stanton’s got a big weekend coming.
- Hunter Renfroe
- Mike Trout … Good at the ole Baseball. Trout at home vs a lefty on a Friday. Fun times.
OUTFIELD – Tier 2
- Kevin Pillar
- Hunter Dozier
- Eloy Jimenez
OUTFIELD – Value
- Avisail Garcia
- David Peralta
- Jorge Ona
- Nomar Mazara
- Brandon Lowe – 2B – Tampa Bay Rays – Chairman of the Dongers Club
- Francisco Lindor – SS – Cleveland
- Carlos Santana – 1B – Cleveland
- Yasmani Grandal – C – Chicago White Sox
- Yoan Moncada – 3B – Chicago White Sox
- Giancarlo Stanton – OF – Yankees
- Kevin Pillar – OF – Rockies
- Avisail Garcia – OF – Brewers
- BONUS …………………… Renato Nunez – 1B – Orioles