Logan Gilbert-Mariners-SP
Logan Gilbert went 5 IP and gave up 3 ER on 4 H, 4 BB, and 6 K's against the Rays. Gilbert has now made 14 starts at the major league level and has a 4.14 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. His skills are excellent with 28% K and 5% BB. The ability to miss bats and control the strike zone is a major part of why his SIERA (3.47) is lower than his ERA. He is likely going to have issues with home runs throughout his career due to a flyball profile (45% FB). Gilbert has also given up quite a bit of hard contact (46% Hard and 9% Barrels) but that is to be expected in his first go-around of the league. The main thing to keep in mind with Gilbert is that he has the pedigree, stuff, and K:BB to be an above-average starter. He is lined up for a two-start week making him a must-start next week.
Jorge Polanco-Twins-SS
Jorge Polanco was 2-4 with an HR (18), 2 R, 1 RBI, and 1 BB against the Reds. Polanco has been fantastic this year. He is hitting .271 with 17 HR, 62 R, 55 RBI, and 9 SB. Polanco is providing five-category production. This is due to above-average plate skills (15% K and 8% BB) in combination with a career-high maxEV (110 mph) and Barrel% (8.4%). With the departure of Nelson Cruz to the Rays and Alex Kirilloff to the IL, Polanco has been batting third in the Twins lineup which is a good spot for fantasy production.
Randy Arozarena-Rays-OF
Randy Arozarena was 2-4 with 1 R and 2 RBI against the Mariners. Arozarena is hitting .268 with 16 HR, 66 R, 52 RBI, and 11 SB. The power is a little light compared to what you expected coming into the year but overall he is providing five-category production just not to the ridiculous standards of his postseason performance. He has improved his plate skills this year (27% K and 9% BB) while maintaining nearly identical maxEV (112.6 mph) and Hardhit% (43%). The biggest difference in his game has been a major drop in his Barrel% (8%) which is the biggest explanation for a drop in his power because he isn't hitting the ball as often at the correct angles for home runs. Despite being viewed as a disappointment, Arozarena is putting up a very fine season.
George Springer-Blue Jays-OF
George Springer was 4-5 with an HR (13), 2 R, and 3 RBI against the Indians. Springer has missed a lot of time due to injury but has been very productive when on the field. He is hitting .296 with 13 HR, 31 R, 27 RBI, and 2 SB in 164 PA. His strikeout rate is higher than usual (24% K) but still within a range to be very productive and pairs well with his eye at the plate (12% BB). He also has a career-high maxEV (116.4 mph) and Barrel% (17%) which are both excellent signs of his health and ability. The Jays lineup is loaded and Springer is in a great spot being their leadoff hitter in front of guys like Vlad Guerrero Jr., Marcus Semien, and Bo Bichette.
Shohei Ohtani-Angels-SP
Shohei Ohtani went 6 IP and gave up 1 ER on 4 H, 0 BB, and 6 K's against the Rangers. Ohtani has now made 16 starts and has a 2.93 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. The strikeouts have been elite (30% K) with shaky control at times (11% BB). His SIERA (3.82) is much higher than his traditional ERA largely due to his BABIP (.258) and home run rate (0.79 HR/9). The thing about this is that Ohtani has elite stuff that makes it hard for batters to make solid contact on a consistent basis. He has also been able to improve his control as the season has gone along (April 21% BB, May 14% BB, June 9% BB, and July 1% BB). This is very encouraging and not overly surprising given the amount of time off from pitching he had experienced coming off of injury. His next start is tentatively scheduled for next Wednesday against the Blue Jays which is a very tough matchup. Regardless, Ohtani needs to be started given his upside.
DraftKings Value Plays: OF Kyle Tucker ($3,800) and 3B Abraham Toro ($3,500)
This is just a small sample of our daily analysis, join our member area for over 80 daily player updates sent to your inbox every morning and track your team online. Click here for details: http://www.insiderbaseball.com/baseballsample.htm Click here to register: http://www.fantistics.com/salesbaseball.php3
