The Daily Grind: The Ultimate DH Solution

I have a sim league set in 2007. My team has a 66-93 record with three games to go. My run differential is -16. Another 66-93 team has a differential of -170. Two teams that are 61 and 98 have run differentials of -218 and -236. It’s a 20 team league originally founded by Kevin Goldstein. All six playoff teams have between 104 and 120 wins. My team wasn’t meant to contend this season, so underperforming was the best result.

AGENDA

1. TDG Invitational
2. Weather Reports
3. Pitchers to Use and Abuse
4. SaberSim Says…
5. The Ultimate DH Solution

1. The Daily Grind Invitational

Yosoyfiesta33 not only captured the victory on Friday, they also posted the highest score I’ve seen on FantasyDraft. The 204.6 points came courtesy of well-rounded, premium production – no thanks to a two point Michael Brantley night. Congrats and Leaderboard.

We’re rolling 52 entries deep on FantasyDraft. You may enter twice in this no rake GPP.

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

Instability rules the day. Cleveland is very likely to see thunderstorms – enough that postponement is possible. Chicago (NL) also has some lesser risk. Colorado, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia aren’t quite in the clear either. Monitor accordingly.

3. Pitchers to Use and Abuse

Main Slate: We have a nine game slate this evening. Three pitchers stand above the fray. At this time, I’ll probably avoid Trevor Bauer ($23,800) due to the threat of rain. That also removes breakout bargain Dylan Covey ($13,500).

Gerrit Cole looks worth every bit of his $25,000 salary opposite Ryne Stanek and Matt Andriese. Although I like to play with the Rays “starters,” Andriese usually only throws about three innings. For $9,000 and opposite the Astros, it’s just not a good use of funds.

The third ace is Jacob deGrom ($21,300) at Coors Field. He’s not exactly discounted. While I like the idea of using a low ownership deGrom, the risk profile doesn’t quite add up for me. I’ll remain open minded until lineups are posted. He’s opposed by lefty Tyler Anderson ($12,300) who typically is unaffected by pitching at Coors. He also partially counteracts some of the Mets best bats.

Kenta Maeda ($17,600) seems a tad pricey for a pairing against the Cubs. The wind is blowing out at a healthy 15 mph. Maeda also makes short starts.

Zack Greinke ($17,200) makes a lot of sense as a high floor target with some upside. He just has to avoid Mike Trout. Jaime Barria ($16,000) is on the other side of the matchup. I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop on what I consider an unimpressive profile. He’s produced good results to date.

Caleb Smith ($15,100) at pitcher friendly AT&T Field looks like the money play to me. I still tell everybody who will listen that Smith is a future high quality reliever. He also serves as great example of what all these multi-inning relievers could accomplish in the rotation. You think a Hader or Devenski couldn’t be just as good or better? In any case, it’s a good matchup at a lovely park. Andrew Suarez ($13,800) also has upside value since he’s facing the Marlins.

I’m looking forward to betting either side of the Miles Mikolas ($16,000) and Nick Pivetta ($14,900) matchup. The Phillies are strikeout prone which should help Mikolas’ greatest weakness. While Pivetta is somewhat inconsistent, his best outings typically score in the 25 to 35 point range. That makes him a strong pick in deeper GPPs.

Stack Targets: Stanek/Andriese, Trevor Williams, Tyler Chatwood, Ian Kennedy, Bartolo, Tyler Anderson

None of these stack targets are doomed to failure. All six (excluding Stanek) could be a top value play. Still, if I’m looking for a stack, I’d start here.

4. SaberSim Says…

Cole, Bauer, deGrom, Greinke, and Pivetta are the top rated pitchers tonight. Pivetta could be quite GPP chalky. Values include Suarez, Williams, and Pivetta. The best bats are heavily Cleveland focused, although I think SaberSim is underselling Covey. Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley, Francisco Lindor, Todd Frazier, and Asdrubal Cabrera carry the top projections. You can tell which team is at Coors Field. Top bargains consist of Amed Rosario, Alex Gordon, and Elvis Andrus (yep, he’s expected to return).

5. The Ultimate DH Solution

This is where I point you to my personal blog on Patreon. I’ve long championed a very specific solution to the designated hitter debate. To me, it’s very clearly the best option. Here’s a snippet from the linked post containing the actual proposed rule:

Rule: The home manager shall decide XX* minutes before scheduled start time if they will use a designated hitter for the pitcher. If no, then there is no designated hitter for the game. If yes, the away manager will then have the option to also use a designated hitter.

*Where XX equals some value between 5 and 30 minutes.