Happy TestiFriday. Reminder for all contestants still alive in the Dongers Club Championship to check your DK invites for the final Round 2 contest tonight. The three winners of the Groups and will advance along with the top 2nd place finisher in each Group to the Final Championship round starting next week.
Full 15 game MLB schedule today with one game already kicked off in Wrigley Field as the Royals take on the Cubs out there in Chicago land — and by the time this article is being posted it has already started, the drinking has commenced and I’m just gonna assume that Michael A. Taylor is 3-3 with 2 homers by now.
Today doesn’t look like it will have any major weather issues, and it is a nice random set of games as there’s only THREE series which feature divisional match-ups and those three games could not be more against the idea that divisional games are lower scoring because they include Pirates vs Cardinals (Yay!), Diamondbacks vs Rockies (Double Yay!!) and Mariners vs Astros (Meh).
But what it also brings us are teams going into stadiums for the first time since 2019 again as we have inter-divisional contests, so let’s dive into the Batters in Ballparks which we are monitoring this weekend and see if there’s some HR parlays to remember along the way, shall we?
- If my memory serves me correct, Andrew McCutchen blew out his knee in PETCO Park, which is where he will be all weekend but it’s also ironic because he has a pretty good HR history there.
- The Braves in Baltimore in August just seems like a complete train wreck but first glance it doesn’t appear to be extremely hot and there will be off and on rain all weekend long. That said, I am not sure how this entire lineup doesn’t walk away with a home run. Much like when Tampa comes to Camden we just sit and wait and on Sunday double down on whomever hasn’t gotten their Boogs BBQ homer, we’ll be doing that here.
- Detroit is in Toronto. Just screams high scoring all weekend long. Miggy most certainly is chasing and probably needs #500 on the road at this point
- White Sox visit Tampa … Great series to watch. If you are into watching games in dumpster stadiums.
- Texas at Boston … Another match-up which we haven’t seen in forever and somehow Charlie Culberson doesn’t have the same excitement for me as Adrian Beltre used to have in Fenway.
- Angels in Cleveland … Woooo Boy
- Kyle Seager is hitting well and always loves hitting in Houston
- The bleeping Nationals visit the Brewers. U-G-L-Y and boring.
- and the Pie-rats vs Cardinals … overs
Those are the quick hit thoughts.
WALKER BUEHLER
I had a roller coaster of emotions this week because Buehler was always slated to pitch tonight and then they had moved him up to pitch last night before moving him back to today. This is one of those Dongers Club Manifesto spots because Walker Buehler on a Friday night at home has historically not only pitched dominant (he’s really good at Dodger Stadium overall) but always seems to come in low owned. And I swear he is always pitching on a Friday at home when there is a chalky Reds pitcher at home and a chalky Red Sox pitcher going too. We have both of those scenario’s likely today and Buehler also has a favorable match-up vs the Mets, so yeah, he’s #1 tonight and is honestly pitching for the Cy Young Award in the N.L. so I expect Roberts to let him go.
CHRIS SALE
Sale is going to take some time to get back to the elite DFS tier he once was in and honestly he may never get there again. But since he is a sub 10k pitcher and facing a really bottom barrel lineup he most certainly is a DFS play for us today. For me it comes down to wanting Sale or Sonny Gray and don’t try to justify this as “oh Sale might not go long”, because Sonny Gray doesn’t exactly have a history of going long either, so you aren’t really conceding much there.
MAX FRIED
I am a Fried guy, no bones about it, and the Orioles lineup has been ok vs LHP but with Fried’s ability to keep the ball on the ground and a ton of run support behind him today I believe he will finish among the top pitchers on the slate.
Also like
Lucas Giolito – Sleeper vs the hot Rays
Sonny Gray – Will be just okay, but Sale is preferred
Austin Gomber – His wife recently had a baby and word is that it was indeed his, which is always a good thing. Cheap SP in Coors against a rough lineup, should do well among the value arms tonight.
What a night. This is the ultimate “TIERS” night when it comes to offenses and I am usually one to recommend spreading things out on a big Friday night but I can definitely see value in locking into two teams in different tiers tonight and doing a 3-3-1-1 type build.
ATLANTA BRAVES
Entire lineup rakes and they get a DH to ensure some wrap-around the lineup big innings as well. Despite the LvL matchup we still consider Freeman but d’Arnaud, Soler, Riley, Swanson’s value are what allow you to definitely get 4+ Braves in tonight. Heredia is the guy you’ll probably regret not having though, get him.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
LHP who gives up lots of HR to RH batters vs Toronto. Enough said. If you can afford Toronto they’re in a great spot. Toescar/Semien the favorites here.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Chicago is facing someone who I feel is one of the worst arms on the slate right now. Michael Wacha is reverse splits and completely dead arm, so bad that I am not going to be shocked when the Rays decide better of their life choices and remove him before he even starts tonight. This is a spot the White Sox can come in and just go off after being a chalky team that failed to deliver for everyone the past few days. Love the RH batters.
CARDS / PIRATES
Death. Taxes. Cards/Pirates series being good. Mitch Keller really reminds me of Michael Wacha and I don’t mean that as a compliment. He won’t miss enough bats and he has been hit very well by the RH bats. This is a good spot for Arenado/Goldy/O’Neill
Also will do well
Oakland
CATCHER
- Travis d’Arnaud
- Austin Nola
- Max Stassi
FIRST BASE
- Joey Votto
- Paul Goldschmidt
- Jose Abreu
SECOND BASE
- Ozzie Albies
- Jonathan India
- Marcus Semien
- Rougned Odor
THIRD BASE
- Kyle Seager
- Nolan Arenado
- Brian Anderson
SHORTSTOP
- Tim Anderson
- JP Crawford
- Paul DeJong
OUTFIELD – MT RUSHMORE
- Shohei Ohtani
- Guillermo Heredia
- Teoscar Hernandez
- Luis Robert
OUTFIELD – Tier 2
- Adam Duvall
- Wil Myers
- Eloy Jimenez
- Tommy Edman
OUTFIELD – Value
- Lars Nootbar
- Andrew McCutchen
- Justin Upton
- Mark Canha
The Dongers Club
- Shohei Ohtani – OF – Angels – Chairman of the Dongers Club
- Mark Canha – OF – Athletics
- Nolan Arenado – 3B – Cardinals
- Jose Abreu – 1B – White Sox
- Marcus Semien – 2B – Blue Jays
- Paul DeJong – SS – Cardinals
- Guillermo Heredia – OF – Braves
- Travis d’Arnaud – C – Braves
- BONUS ……………………….. Teoscar Hernandez – OF – Blue Jays
BETS
- Chicago White Sox ML
- Twins/Yankees UNDER 10
- Seattle Mariners ML
- Pirates/Cardinals OVER 8.5
MOST POPULAR TEAMS
- Braves
- Rockies
- Yankees
- Jays
GOOD TEAMS GETTING OVERLOOKED
- White Sox
FAVORITE DK PITCHERS
- Buehler and Sale
FAVORITE DK HITTERS
- Ohtani, Heredia, Robert