This is quite possibly the best week on the whole baseball calendar. We’re late enough into the season where every game matters for the contenders, while the looming trade deadline makes every rumor seem like it’s seconds away from going down. It’s all baseball all the time and I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Well, maybe $100,000. On that note, here are some studs and values for tonight’s 13-game featured slate.
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PITCHER
Stud
Luis Garcia, Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics, $9,100 - Despite a pristine matchup, I don’t think Garcia will be as popular as he should be on tonight’s slate, likely losing out ownership to Shane McClanahan ($10,300), Carlos Rodon ($9,800) and Spencer Strider ($8,700). That’s an opportunity I want to take advantage of, particularly with how well the right-hander has been pitching of late. Across his past six outings, Garcia’s maintained a 2.79 xFIP and a 1.04 WHIP, with a massive 29.9% strikeout rate serving as his biggest weapon. That strikeout potential gives Garcia elite upside, which when paired with a meeting against the lowly Athletics, is a very tantalizing combination. Oakland has registered just a 75 wRC+ versus RHPs in 2022. Yuck.
Value
Jose Berrios, Toronto Blue Jays vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $7,900 - July has been a very promising month for those who still have their Berrios stock. In four starts, the veteran has pitched to a 2.95 FIP, while he’s finally beginning to generate opponent whiffs again, as evidenced by a 29.3% strikeout rate and a 7.3 K/BB ratio. It’s also important to note that most of Berrios’ issues in 2022 have come on the road. In fact, if you remove a nightmarish appearance on Opening Day, Berrios owns a fantastic 2.65 ERA at the Rogers Centre this season. However, the location of tonight’s tilt isn’t just about splits, as the Cardinals will place both Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado on the restricted list for this two-game series. Obviously, that’s a huge boost to Berrios’ value.
INFIELD
Stud
Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals, $6,200 - Is there a hotter hitter in the league than Freeman? The first baseman comes into Tuesday slashing .390/.443/.727 with a 219 wRC+ so far in the month of July. That’s some pretty impressive stuff. Less impressive is Josiah Gray ($9,200) and his struggles with left-handed opponents. The sophomore is allowing LHBs to compile a .404 wOBA this season, with the biggest problem being keeping the ball in the park. Lefties are hitting an insane 3.13 home runs per nine against Gray.
Stud
Willy Adames, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Minnesota Twins, $5,000 - I guess there really is something in the waters of Lake Minnetonka, because Dylan Bundy ($6,500) has been unable to function on the road in 2022. In fact, the veteran has allowed opponents to slash .303/.336/.512 within the split, leading to a ghastly 6.02 ERA in 49.1 innings of work. Several members of the Brewers should be able to exploit these numbers, but let’s focus on Adames, who owns an impressive .256 ISO against RHPs this season. There’s some obvious upside here.
Value
Darin Ruf, San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks, $3,200 - On Tuesday, Ruf will get yet another crack at an underwhelming left-handed opponent. You love to see it. The veteran has been crushing southpaws all season long, entering tonight’s proceedings with a .294 ISO and a 162 wRC+ within the split. Considering Tyler Gilbert ($5,600) has surrendered 2.45 home runs per nine to opposing RHBs in 2022, you’d have to assume Ruf wastes little time adding to those amazing numbers.
Value
Emmanuel Rivera, Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels, $2,000 - You’ll be hard pressed to find a better dollar-for-dollar value than Rivera. The infielder has thrived when getting the opportunity to hit against LHPs in 2022, posting a .270 ISO and a 148 wRC+ in his 68 plate appearances within the split. The left-hander in question on Tuesday? Jose Suarez ($6,000). Suarez has conceded 12 earned runs in his past 12.0 innings of work, and, for the season as a whole, has allowed 2.10 home runs per nine to opposing RHBs. Rivera should be licking his chops.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago White Sox, $5,100 - Are we turning back the clock with Blackmon? The long-time Rockies’ outfielder has looked downright youthful the past couple months, slashing .376/.402/.634 with a .440 wOBA in Colorado since the beginning of June. He’ll get another juicy matchup in the altitude this evening, as the struggling Michael Kopech ($6,800) comes to town. In his last nine starts, Kopech has surrendered an ugly .557 slugging percentage to opposing LHBs.
Stud
Teoscar Hernandez, Toronto Blue Jays vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $4,500 - It’s odd to continue seeing Hernandez this low on the pricing list. While an oblique injury derailed the first couple of months of his season, Hernandez has been himself since the beginning of June, slashing .321/.365/.592 with a 166 wRC+.
Value
Eloy Jimenez, Chicago White Sox at Colorado Rockies, $3,900 - I’m going to assume Jimenez will be a popular asset on Tuesday, but how could you not want a piece? Not only does it look like the slugger is starting to break out — he’s hit a pair of home runs in Chicago’s past two games — but German Marquez ($7,100) hasn’t been able to limit opposing RHBs at all in Colorado. To wit, right-handed bats are slashing .325/.355/.658 off Marquez at Coors Field in 2022. Woof.
Value
Kyle Garlick, Minnesota Twins at Milwaukee Brewers, $3,000 - Garlick tends to hit in the top-third of Minnesota’s lineup when the team is facing a lefty, and the reason for that is quite clear: The 30-year-old mashes southpaws. In 56 plate appearances within the split in 2022, Garlick is hitting .306 with a .306 ISO and a 176 wRC+. Going up against the extremely raw Ethan Small ($5,300), Garlick has a chance to do something special this evening.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $333K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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