Roto Riteup: June 16, 2017

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June 16, 2017

This is bananas:

Perhaps this young buck was inspired by Chris Coghlan’s amazing move earlier this year:

On the Agenda:

  • Miggy Mashes Walkoff
  • Berrios Raises the Bar
  • Thames Heating Back Up
  • Mets M*A*S*H Unit Adds More
  • Battle in the Bay
  • In Other News
  • What I’m Watching

Miguel Cabrera Goes Oppo Taco for Walkoff

Cabrera hadn’t hit a home run since May 20th (.316/.427/.430 during the 22-game homer drought), but smashed a game-winner for the Tigers on Thursday night. Earlier in the game, Cabrera’s persistent back injury seemed to flare up, but it wasn’t enough to take him out and so he ended up taking the Rays out.

Berrios Raises the Bar

Jose Berrios has been the stud arm the Twins have been lacking since the days of Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano. The blue-chip prospect was brutal in 58.3 innings last year, but he’s been fantastic in 46 so far this season, including yesterday with eight strong innings – a new career-high – against the Mariners. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that he didn’t have his absolute best stuff and still kept the M’s off balance all game.

His 6% swinging strike rate was a season-low and he worked from behind regularly with a 48% first-pitch strike rate, but he made the pitches when he had en route to six strikeouts and plenty of weak, playable contact both on the ground and in the air. You want to see this kind of start out of a young arm. Can he win with essentially just his fastball (71% usage on Thursday)? And Berrios did just that.

Thames Heating Back Up

Eric Thames came crashing back to earth in May (.791) after his ridiculous April (1.276), but his game-winning homer in St. Louis on Thursday was his 18th of the year. While we’d all want his .203 AVG since May 1st to be better, he does still have a .236 ISO and 17% BB rate in that span. A bout of strep throat cost him three games in mid-May and seemed to linger for a week or so after, too. He had a .074/.265/.074 line in 34 PA during the nine games immediately after returning from the illness. He’s still only hitting .226 in his last 16 games, but the .388 OBP and .604 SLG are elite.

Mets M*A*S*H Unit Adds More

Even if you’re a fan of a different team in the NL East, you have to feel sorry for the Mets at this point. Matt Harvey (shoulder) and Neil Walker (hamstring) join the seemingly unending list of injured Mets. Both are expected to miss several weeks. Meanwhile, Noah Syndergaard won’t even throw for at least another four weeks. Even the backups are getting hurt now, too, with Juan Lagares fracturing his thumb on Thursday night. Every team gets injuries, but one or two teams per year seem to get stuck with the injury hot potato where they just cannot keep their key pieces healthy at all.

Battle in the Bay

Neither Sonny Gray nor Jordan Montgomery finished six innings in their battle on Thursday and yet I still came away impressed with how both battled. Montgomery did allow five extra-base hits, including a pair of homers (Jed Lowrie, Yonder Alonso), but the stuff was nasty. He stayed ahead all night with a 76% first-pitch strike rate and regularly had the A’s off balance with a 15% swinging strike rate (3rd-highest of the season) and 47% chase rate (O-Swing%), but they punished his misses with fastball and even hit some of the good ones (5-for-11, 1.591 OPS, 1 K).

On the other end, Gray was brilliant through five, scattering four hits with five strikeouts before the Yanks got to him in the sixth. The slider abandoned him a bit, allowing three of the four hits in the sixth, but they were all singles. All told, it wasn’t a bad start against the league’s toughest offense on righties. It was the fourth start out of his last five where he averaged 94 mph on the fastball and more good than bad from the breaking balls. I’m buying both of these arms in all formats.

In Other News

  • Buster Posey leaves with a left ankle issue
  • Gary Sanchez suffered a groin injury stealing a base
  • Aaron Hicks pulled early with Achilles injury
  • Brian Johnson hits the DL with a shoulder impingement
  • Chris Sale had an eight-inning complete game w/10 Ks & a double at the dish, but…
  • …Nick Pivetta matched him nearly pitch-for-pitch with seven scoreless and 9 Ks

What I’m Watching

Here are the pitchers and pitching matchups I’m keeping an eye on today:

  • Back out to the bay again for another great matchup between Luis Severino and Sean Manaea
  • Max Scherzer and Steven Matz square off at Citi Field, it’ll be Matz’s second start of the year
  • Carlos Martinez is a must-watch every fifth day for me; eager to see how he handles the Orioles in hitter-friendly Oriole Park at Camden Yards
  • Both Alex Wood and James Paxton have garnered must-watch status for me, too; they are in Cincinnati and Texas, respectively
  • Jeff Samardzija was popped for the first time ever in Coors Field this year (5.3 IP/7 ER) after taking a 2.17 ERA in 29.3 Coors IP into that start, let’s see how it goes tonight
  • Which Aaron Nola shows up against the Diamondbacks tonight?
  • Sean Newcomb makes the second start of his career, can he keep the walks down again?





 

Paul is the Editor of Rotographs and Content Director for OOTP Perfect Team. Follow Paul on Twitter @sporer and on Twitch at sporer.

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TroutMask
6 years ago

Paul, you dropping Thor in 10-team redrafts? So much risk even if he does make it back I’m having a hard time continuing to hold.

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Paul Sporermember
6 years ago
Reply to  TroutMask

I’d still at least dangle him for something via trade, but just be upfront that he’s coming cheaply and see what the offers are. If you prefer a waiver pick, go ahead and go that route instead

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