If you are a Baseball fan or just a Sports fan in general then today is without a doubt one of the best days of the year. I don’t care what other things you have going on in your life and I don’t care what work or family things you will be doing today. Or maybe you are just sitting around in your boxers wondering how the October bugs manage to find their way through the window cracks every year. Doesn’t matter.
Today is about Baseball. This is the day that used to be when we had four Divisional Round series kicking off and now with the new format it serves as more of an opening day for the playoffs.
Guess what… I love it.
Yep. For all the bitching and moaning we did way back in March, to be here with this format I am actually very pleased at what we are going to get. Four rounds which are the best of three played in the home teams stadium and playoff atmospheres in New York, Toronto, St. Louis and Cleveland? Sign. Me. Up.
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WEATHER
Wind is coming into play today with wind blowing in at Cleveland and New York and a cross wind in St. Louis
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In a way the FanDuel pricing is kinda nice in that it’s all basically the same. But in another way its kind of stupid because where is the decision making when the range is 9200 to 10.8? DraftKings is uh, baiting us to take a couple guys today.
MAX SCHERZER
DraftKings: $9,800, FanDuel: $10,600
Playoff Max is going to go to another level with the Citi Field crowd behind him. The Padres are a dangerous team if they can get hot but they also run into a very difficult 1-2 spot going into New York needing to win two. Look for a lower scoring series as the Mets bats aren’t quite ready to shine without Starling Marte and so Max will need to go long and strong or deep and hard or whatever perverted analogy you want because he’s gonna fuck the Padres.
ALEK MANOAH
DraftKings: $6,800, FanDuel: $10,800
This is gonna be a series we wish was 7 games so that we could play in both cities and I always feel that a young team is kinda sneaky in the playoffs given their care free attitude. The Mariners are not getting swept here, but they won’t win game one. Look for Manoah to continue to be lights out against RHH and he is a guy who has that big game pedigree trait.
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Also expect to pitch well enough to use: Yu Darvish
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If this was 2016-2017-2018 ERA baseball then we would definitely say load up on some stacks in the playoffs with juiced Baseballs, but I don’t see that happening and I wouldn’t be shocked if no team scored more than 4 runs today. Which means a 2-2-2-2 or 2-2-2-1-1 type build is more than likely your best bet.
And if you think I could care less about implied run totals in the regular season, wait until you hear my rant on the post-season implied run totals…. They’re worthless folks.
Guardians
Amed Rosario, Oscar Gonzalez, Jose Ramirez
Blue Jays
Raimel Tapia, Teoscar Hernandez, Bo Bichette
Cardinals
Nolan Arenado, Corey Dickerson
Phillies
Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm, JT Realmuto
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CATCHER
- JT Realmuto
- Danny Jansen
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FIRST BASE
- Rhys Hoskins … Hoskins and Bohm both profile very well vs Quintana. Not sure how long we see Quintana today but Hoskins is a near core play
- Carlos Santana … Has finished the season very strong and of the LHB in the Mariners lineup he would likely get you the most safe points.
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SECOND BASE
- Jean Segura
- Jeff McNeil
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THIRD BASE
- Nolan Arenado
- Alec Bohm
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SHORTSTOP
- Bo Bichette … Nobody is more likely to come out swinging hot and heavy than Bo Bichette. Gotta Ambush Castillo if the Jays want to win.
- Amed Rosario
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OUTFIELD – Mt. Rushmore
Outfield is not one that I would force to pay up for as it usually has the best value in the playoffs with random 2 hole or bottom of the order guys who are value finding a way to get on base and get you points.
- Oscar Gonzalez
- George Springer
- Raimel Tapia
- Lars Nootbar
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TIER 2
- David Peralta
- Corey Dickerson
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- Nolan Arenado – 3B – Cardinals – Chairman of The Dongers Club
- Rhys Hoskins – 1B – Phillies
- Oscar Gonzalez – OF – Guardians
- Bo Bichette – SS – Blue Jays
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CORE PLAYS
Playoff lineup construction should be a balance of players who can simply get on base and then a couple pop bats. I’m not a believer you will see many crooked numbers in these early games.
Hoskins
Arenado
O.Gonzalez
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BETTING PLAYS
Padres/Mets UNDER 6
Rays/Guardians OVER 5.5
Blue Jays ML
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