Back to school for me it is today (Yoda voice).
And thus a long 10-months helping students with disabilities is in order.
In those 10 months, a lot will happen in fantasy sports.
For one, I will continue writing content for the 2018 MLB season, but also fire up new content for the 2019 MLB season.
NFL and College football will come and go.
The LeBron era in Los Angeles will begin.
A new Super Bowl champion and NCAA football champion will be crowned.
Baseball will crown a champion in the World Series.
Hockey will start (but who cares about that, right?).
And an NFL Draft will take place.
While all of that will go down during the coming school year, we do still have the present to focus on.
And that comprises the 10-game MLB slate for tonight, including Coors. So let’s not talk any long and get down to business.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
- Jose Ramirez
- Francisco Lindor
- Brandon Guyer
- Melky Cabrera
Analysis: You shouldn’t be shocked to see the Indians as one of my favorite stacks on the board. They are super talented and basically help you print money. Lindor is the beast on this team against lefties, a starting pitcher they take on in the form of Brian Johnson (at Fenway). Lindor sports a .434 wOBA and .208 ISO against southpaws while Cabrera has been lights out the past couple of weeks, dominating lefty pitching to the tune of a .424 wOBA and .235 ISO. Guyer and Ramirez each have wOBAs of .350 or better and ISOs well over .200. Right-handed bats get a huge boost playing in Fenway. Johnson is mediore at best, allowing a .327 wOBA with a 1.40 HR/9 rate, and a 4.41 xFIP.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
- David Peralta
- Eduardo Escobar
Analysis: We have some smaller stacks to run through here and one of them are the Diamondbacks, who are taking on the Angels and Odrisamer Despaigne, who is a journeyman that has given up great numbers to lefties in his career. This year has been no different, allowing a .356 wOBA and 0.82 HR/9. Peralta has BvP against Despaigne, going 7-for-16 with a double, triple and home run. Escobar has only 4 ABs but 3 hits against him in a limited sample size. Both guys are sizable bats in the middle of this lineup against a weak starting pitcher.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
- Bryce Harper
- Juan Soto
- Matt Adams
Analysis: The Nats shipped off Daniel Murphy and now are down to only a few lefties I like to use from this squad, who are going up against Zach Eflin. All three guys are superb bats against RH pitching, as far as power is concerned. The Nationals are fourth in the majors in team wOBA, and these three cats are the top three bats in this offense against righties. Soto and Harper are neck and neck with a .390 wOBA and .383 respectively. Adams hasn’t been playing every day, but check his availability prior to lock. He’s got great numbers against RH pitching with a .373 wOBA. All three have ISOs over .200 as well. Against lefties, Eflin owns a .340 wOBA and 1.80 HR/9 rate.
CHICAGO CUBS
- Javier Baez
- David Bote
- Willson Contreras
- Albert Almora, Jr.
Analysis: Outside of Coors, I expect the Nats and Indians to gain a lot of traction in the ownership department. But one stack I think goes overlooked is the Chicago Cubs, who are 3rd in overall team wOBA against lefties this season. Baez and Bote each have wOBAs against southpaws well into the .380s. Contreras and Almora aren’t far behind at .368 and .356 wOBAs. Almora is the lone bat in this stack without a lot of power upside, but he should get a premier lineup spot against Francisco Liriano, who is a train wreck on the mound. This season, against righties, Liriano has allowed a .371 wOBA, 1.67 HR/9 rate and a 5.35 xFIP.
