Boxscore Bits: June 7th, 2022

A few thoughts on the pitchers from Monday’s games:

FOR STARTERS

Business As Usual: Nothing actionable

• Carlos Carrasco, Noah Syndergaard (just doesn’t have the overpowering stuff of Thor years), Robbie Ray

Notable Gems: The standouts who merit some extra attention

• Hunter Greene – How many of y’all have been getting whipsawed by him? This 7-inning gem was a “complete game” as the game was cut due to rain. This is a great start to his 2-step that I imagine most with him on their team decided to use. If you can’t use someone with v. ARI and at STL, then he is a cut for sure. The tough part is the extreme volatility and the bad starts can cancel out 2-3 good ones. He gets v. MIL next week which isn’t an easy choice. His volatility has been expressed in his 2 starts against MIL thus far: 2.7 IP/8 ER, 5.3 IP/2 ER… feeling lucky?
• Michael Wacha – I’m just not sure I buy into this run. He has allowed more than 2 ER just once (5 ER at CWS), but what are we clinging to skills-wise? He has an 18% K, 8% BB, and 10% SwStr. He is almost certainly contributing to the hit suppression that has netted a .198 BABIP, but it just can’t last when he allows so much contact. I know there are some 2-start vultures out there who will take on just about anyone and took a shot with this at LAA/at SEA pair for Wacha. It’s definitely off to a great start with a shutout and it’ll be hard to see it getting ruined at this point!
• Ross Stripling – Atta baby, Chicken Strip! He was super-efficient (56 pitches) against a low-strikeout team. He has quietly rebounded from last year with a 3.65 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 15% K-BB in 37 IP. With Hyun Jin Ryu 류현진 out, he could take on a long-term role in the Jays rotation.

Decent Enough: Mostly biz as usual but with some commentary

• Daniel Lynch – I was hoping Lynch had turned a corner with his solid run earlier this year that included a 6% BB rate. But he is at 13% over his last 6 starts with only 2 of those qualifying as passable. He is back down to a standard streamer and this 3-HR outing against TOR will make it really difficult for him to salvage the 2-step when BAL comes to visit this weekend. He gets at OAK next week, a start I am interested in as the A’s are 20th in wRC+ v. lefties with a 24% K rate (7th).

Duds: The worst of the day

• Blake Snell – It is just so hard to recover from a 43-pitch inning. Snell allowed 3 ER on 3 BB and 2 H and could never get fully on track. Even with 17-16-13 pitch innings in the 2nd-3rd-4th, he was still at 95 pitches two batters into the 5th. It’s a tough outing against a great team, but there is still the salvation of his v. COL start this weekend, which is the main reason you were excited about the 2-step in the first place. He probably can’t salvage the ERA if he allows 2+ ER, but a win with 5-6 Ks would certainly work.
• Cristian Javier – He rebounded from his last dud (7 ER at WAS) and I’m not seeing anything in this one to suggest it’s anything more than a standard issue dud. A 3-run HR by Cal Raleigh really set this one off and that’s why homers suck so much, they dramatically impact starts, especially for a 5-and-dive like Javier. He gets MIA this weekend and then CWS comes visiting next week. I’d start him for both.
• Madison Bumgarner – This was a hard pass 2-step for me at CIN and at PHI.

MINOR LEAGUE TUESDAY

Highlighting some key minor leaguers who could be the next big fantasy producers.

• Joey Wiemer | OF, MIL (AA) – You may remember us talking up Wiemer from the Arizona Fall League. He was a major standout for both Jason and I with his loud, obvious tools. He posted a 27 HR/30 SB season across A/A+ last year and he’s already at 12/12 in 44 games at Double-A. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the obscene 30% K and 19% SwStr rates, neither of which will magically improve as the competition stiffens. That sort of swing-and-miss will make him volatile, but it’s hard to look down your nose at a near 40/40 pace (pace of 37 HR/SB in 600 PA). Even if he isn’t called up until late-summer or not at all this year, just keep the name in mind because the talent is rich!
• Jordan Diaz | 3B, OAK (AA) – Diaz has picked up where his 2021 left off, posting a 125 wRC+ in 196 PA at Double-A after handling High-A to the tune of a 121 mark in 365 PA. The 21-year-old got some love from Ben Clemens back in March and actually popped up on my radar via Out of the Park Baseball! I traded for him in my franchise and then started researching him as he was developing and quickly learned that Ben was a fan, too! He can flat out hit and no one on the big league club is blocking him if the A’s deem him ready. He might not even require a Triple-A stay before debuting and I’d certainly have immediate mixed league interest if he arrived with a clear path to playing time available.

DRAFTKINGS GAME

• I do a few DraftKings games throughout the week and I’ve got a $5 gm setup for Tuesday if you’re interested: https://www.draftkings.com/draft/contest/127612393

WTWT

Here is What To Watch Today for Tuesday, June 7th:

• It’s Tarik Skubal Day, baby!!!
• It’s also Justin Verlander Day… 2 of my favorites in the same slate!
• Kyle Wright has reeled off a 1.50 ERA & 0.96 WHIP in 24 IP since the 6 ER dud
• Graham Ashcraft has been excellent in 3 starts w/a high-90s sinker that has netted a 63% GB rate & countered his meager 6% K-BB… can he stay hot?
• Two fun waiver wire pickups square off in BAL: Keegan Thompson v. Kyle Bradish
• Jameson Taillon has gone 7-8-8 IP in his L3 starts: 0.78 ERA, 0.44 WHIP, & 21% K-BB
• Can Garrett Whitlock rebound from a 0 K start against the struggling Angels?