It wouldn’t be Opening Day without some surprises, like I don’t know, a game being called due to snow…
Sorry Astros and Yankees fans, maybe you will get your game in this afternoon.
Also. Cleveland and Boston was PPD due to rain, and the Orioles/Twins looked iffy for awhile, but were able to get that one in.
We got off to a decent start to the season with our BvP recommendations yesterday, so I hope we can build some more momentum.
Let me preface my picks by saying BvP options are a bit limited tonight, so I’ve thrown all pitching options out the window. There’s not enough data I am comfortable with to make a recommendation on the mound.
But for tonight, we have six hitters and our first BvP stack of the year (and many more to come, I am sure).
All BvP data comes from our friends at dailybaseballdata.com
Kyle Seager – 2B – Mariners – vs. Martin Perez
BvP: 10-for-20, 3 HR, 5 RBI
Analysis: Anytime someone is batting .500 with 3 HRs off another pitcher, I am going to take notice. Unfortunately, it has to be a fella who is up against my first place Texas Rangers. Kyle Seager is the epitome of a Ranger killer, and he continued to pound us into submission by tattooing a Cole Hamels pitch deep into right center. The Rangers got the last laugh, but don’t be surprised if Seager is at it against versus my favorite Martin. Seager is one of the rare lefties that hits left-handed pitching better than right handers last season (.357 wOBA vs. L, .322 vs. R). Perez has been able to keep the ball from leaving the yard so far in his career, but Seager has had something to say about that so far.
Rougned Odor – 2B – Rangers – vs. Hisashi Iwakuma
BvP: 5-for-11, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Analysis: Sticking with this game, which is projected to score 8.5-9 runs tonight. Odor hits in the meat of the Rangers’ lineup. He flashed some surprising power as a second baseman. With a .175 ISO and a .320+ wOBA vs. RH, Rougie meets all the BvP requirements outside of the numbers against Iwakuma: Power potential, batting order, run projection and ability to swipe a bag or two.
Jedd Gyorko – 2B/SS – Cardinals – vs. Jon Niese
BvP: 5-for-9, 2 2B
Analysis: Gyorko is one of my favorite platoon players to target. Stuck in San Diego for all of his career, Gyorko saw admirable playing time, but was on an impotent offense in a stadium that’s been known to suck the life out of hitter’s swings. Now in St. Louis and with Jhonny Peralta out for a substantial amount of time, Judge Jedd is being asked to carry a full workload for the time being. A lefty specialist, Gyorko has the pop to make Niese pay for his mistakes. PNC is a tough ballpark for hitters, but I am not worried considering Jedd’s previous employment. In his last three seasons, Gyorko has the following wOBA line versus southpaws: .357 – .305 – .349 along with a decent HR/FB rate of 13.9% over those same three seasons. Niese has had his struggles against right handers (averaging around a .330 wOBA against them). He’s also seen his HR/9 rise to a 1.09 the past three seasons.
David Peralta – OF – Diamondbacks – vs. Chad Bettis
BvP: 4-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Analysis: I might be fishing for an excuse to use David Peralta today since I didn’t feel comfortable using him against lefty Jorge de la Rosa, but so far, although a very small sample size, Peralta has made Bettis pay. Speaking of Bettis, he’s one of many Rockies pitchers you should love pitting bats against, and here’s why:
| wOBA vs.L 13-15 | wOBA vs. R 13-15 | GB/FB 13-15 | K/9 13-15 | HR/9 13-15 |
| .351 – .394 – .231 | .395 – .488 – .345 | 1.45 – 1.55 – 1.73 | 6.04 – 4.74 – 7.67 | 1.21 – 1.46 – 0.86 |
That little .231 against lefties last season is a fluke of all flukes. Peralta improved his game against RH pitching from 14 to 15 (.369 wOBA to .397) and has a near .200 ISO. Peralta hits behind Goldy and Pollock (when healthy) and is usually underpriced across the industry. He’s one of my favorite OFs to target in cash games for that reason. Also, this game is projected at O/U 8.5 runs, so don’t be afraid to roster Peralta in either DFS format.
Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco – OFs – Pirates – vs. Michael Wacha
McCutchen BvP: 8-for-16, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Polanco BvP: 6-for-12, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Analysis: And to the heart of the order: McCutchen and Polanco, our first stack of the season. Albeit a two-man stack, it’s ripe for the picking. Michael Wacha can be an erratic pitcher, especially on the road. He was prone to the long ball at times last season and saw his K/9 dip for the second straight year. McCutchen needs no introduction as he is one of the most solid and consistent hitters in the majors. Polanco on the other hand, is solidified as the Bucs leadoff guy. He has some pop, but can be a terror on the base paths and pop balls into the gap. After he’s done, Cutch is there to clean it all up. Both should have depressed prices to start the season, so capitalize while you can.
