The Daily Grind: The Tyranny Of Youth

Before you start the Puig video in Section 5, reflect upon his impression of a turtle.

AGENDA

1. TDG Invitational
2. Weather Reports
3. Pitchers to Use and Abuse
4. SaberSim Says…
5. Juice is Loose

1.The Daily Grind Invitational

Yesterday’s Invitation was won by bbk_byers15 who combined Jose Quintana, Jone Gray, Ronald Acuna, and Pete Alonso in just the right way. Congrats and Leaderboard.

It should come as no surprise – we’re on FantasyDraft for today’s Invitational.

If you have not signed up for FantasyDraft, please use this referral link for tracking purposes. If I understand properly, by using the referral, you will receive a 10 percent return on any rakes you pay.

2. Weather Reports

Light rain could make conditions unpleasant in Washington. It’s roughly a 50 percent chance for rain all evening. New York (AL) could also see some late rain. If it’s a long game, the last few innings could get chopped off.

3. Pitchers to Use and Abuse

Carlos Carrasco ($21,200) headlines a 12-game slate. The Indians are visiting the lowly Royals, making this an excellent time to spin up a semi-expensive share of Carrasco. While he isn’t preventing runs, he’s still inducing plenty of swinging strikes and strikeouts. His opponent, Brad Keller ($14,100) is a lovely bargain play at this price. He consistently throws at least six solid innings.

Second-most expensive tonight is Patrick Corbin. He’ll run you $19,700 for a wet game in the nation’s capitol. The Pirates offense lacks power. Corbin has picked up right where he left off in 2018. If the weather report is reasonable, I’d happily use him. Like with Keller, Trevor Williams ($15,400) carries a lovely bargain price. It’s just too bad he’s facing a strong opponent.

While only a philistine would root against rookie Chris Paddack ($18,400), I’m not the guy who pays ace-prices for untested arms. So far, he’s made starts of five and 3.2 innings. On the plus side, he’s posted competitive point totals with those short outings.

The White Sox are rolling into New York to face J.A. Happ ($17,700). He’s one of those rare pitchers who can drop a seven or eight inning start without batting an eye. That said, he’s yet to make it out of the fifth inning.

Zack Wheeler ($16,200) appears to be on the cusp of another breakout – one which is hidden behind two rough starts against the Nationals. He completely lost control last time out (seven walks). His velocity is up one mph on all his offerings.

It’s really a shame Julio Urias ($17,200) is hosting Corbin Burnes ($16,200). I anticipate frequently using these young pitchers. Alas, I will not be doing so tonight. Both sides are dealing with scary matchups.

Ditto Sandy Alcantara. He’s just not good enough to spin up against the Phillies. Not for $14,800. If he cost $10,800, we might be having a different conversation. Jake Arrieta ($16,900) is a boring sort of playable opposite the Marlins best impression of a 2009 lineup.

Ryan Yarbrough ($15,400) is all set to do his follower thing. That price though! Weeping face emoji. Even though the Blue Jays seemingly only hit Red Sox pitchers, I’m staying away from Yarbrough. I’m quite impressed by Trent Thornton ($14,900), but he’s also at least $1,000 overpriced. I might use him anyway.

Favorite Plays: Wheeler, Carrasco, Corbin, Williams, Keller, Thornton

Stack Targets: Luke Weaver, Lucas Giolito, David Hess, Wade LeBlanc, Drew Smyly

4. SaberSim Says…

Carrasco, Happ, Corbin, Ryne Stanek, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Arrieta are the top six pitchers per The Sim. I list six because Stanek is obviously a misfire. He’s also on here as the top value. As for ERod, I think I’ll sit out a couple starts. Chad Bettis, Happ, Weaver, Thornton, and Wade Miley are the values. Who wants to bet on the Mariners not homering off Miley?

Khris Davis, Matt Chapman, Mookie Betts, Pete Alonso, and J.D. Martinez are the best power hitters on the board. Be careful with Alonso’s hefty strikeout rate. Robinson Cano, Brandon Nimmo, Stephen Piscotty, Rougned Odor, and Chapman carry the most bang for your buck. That’s a VERY strong bargain list.

5. Juice is Loose

The tyranny of youth.

This is so very Puig.

Do ya think the ball is juiced again? Through two weeks (not including yesterday), there have been 467 home runs – a pace of about 6,000 over a full season. Like this one…

And they say the National League needs a DH.