Welcome to my Daily Plays article for Tuesday June 9, 2015. Monday provided some high scoring games, and a big pitching performance from Chris Sale, which shows that both pitching and hitting are equally important in daily baseball. Tuesday has a full slate of games on the schedule, so let’s get on to the picks.
6-9-15 Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks
Pitcher
Carlos Rodon, SP, Chicago White Sox, $7,200 – There are a few pricey options at pitcher that are worth considering on Tuesday, including the high priced Max Scherzer, $11,600, and Corey Kluber, $11,100, but Rodon provides similar upside at a fraction of the cost. Rodon struck out ten batters in his last start at Texas, and faces the strikeout-prone Astros at home. Rodon has allowed just one earned run in each of his past three starts, and has pitched at least six innings in each one as well. Chris Sale struck out 14 Astros on Monday, so the matchup is prime for Rodon to continue his quality pitching, with the upside of double-digit strikeouts and a win.
Mike Foltynewicz, SP, Atlanta Braves, $7,300 – Foltynewicz is another nice value option at pitcher, with big strikeout potential. Although he is slightly more expensive than Rodon, I am listing him after Rodon since i like Rodon’s matchup more. Foltynewicz does have big strikeout potential as well, as he averages just over one strikeout per inning. He has struck out at least seven batters in five of his past six starts, and faces the right-handed heavy Padres lineup at home. The Padres like to strike out nearly as much as the Astros (Padres are 3rd in MLB in striking out), so look for Foltynewicz to have a solid outing at a nice price.
Catcher
Stephen Vogt, C, Oakland Athletics, $3,200 – Vogt crushes right-handed pitching as we all know, and his price has decreased enough to make him a value play at catcher. Vogt has ten home runs versus right-handed pitching, and is batting .342 at home. The matchup is prime, as Nick Martinez has struggled lately and pitches to contact. Batting in the heart of the Oakland lineup, Vogt is the top catcher and his price is very affordable on FanDuel.
First Base
Mark Reynolds, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals, $2,800 – Reynolds has taken over first base for the Cardinals following the Matt Adams injury, and gets to hit in Coors Field on Tuesday versus a left-hander. Reynolds has big time power and is batting in the heart of the Cardinals lineup. Two of his three home runs have come versus left-handed pitching, and he faces Jorge De La Rosa who is prone to the long ball. With multi-home run upside, Reynolds makes a tremendous value play at a bargain price.
Second Base
Neil Walker, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates, $2,800 – Walker has been batting cleanup for the Pirates lately, and has a juicy matchup facing minor league starter Taylor Jungmann. Walker switch-hits, but prefers facing right-handed pitching, batting .277 with all four of his home runs from that side of the plate. His salary is very attractive for a second baseman that bats cleanup facing a rookie pitcher, making him an excellent value play on Tuesday night.
Third Base
Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals, $2,400 – Moustakas has been very good so far in 2015, hitting .318 and batting in the number two spot for the Royals. He has a favorable matchup against Trevor May, as Moustakas is a much better hitter on the road. Moustakas is batting .349 away from Kaufman Stadium, and sports a .339 batting average versus right-handed pitching. Combine that with a bargain price of $2,400, making Moustakas a great value and one of the top overall plays at any position.
Shortstop
Jean Segura, SS, Milwaukee Brewers, $2,800 – There are very few inexpensive shortstops to consider, as Jose Reyes and Jhonny Peralta are both priced at $4K or above. Segura however, makes a nice value play at an attractive price due to his excellent numbers versus left-handed pitching. Segura is batting .394 and slugging .606 versus southpaws, and provides both power and speed at the top of the Brewers lineup. Carlos Correa, $2,200, is also worth considering at his price. Correa is one of the top prospects in baseball, and made his major league debut on Monday night.
Outfield
Josh Reddick, OF, Oakland Athletics, $3,200 – Similar to Vogt above, Reddick’s salary has decreased recently and he is a nice value at his current price. Reddick also loves facing right-handed pitching, batting an impressive .371 against them with eight home runs. He also enjoys hitting at home, where he is batting .373, and is facing the struggling Nick Martinez. Look for Reddick and Vogt to have solid games at affordable salaries on Tuesday night, making them excellent value plays to build your lineup around.
Alex Guerrero, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers, $2,800 – Guerrero has seen his playing time increase due to his production at the plate, and his salary and matchup make him a strong value play. Guerrero faces the young Robbie Ray at home, and although Ray has had success in his two starts in 2015, he faces a tough challenge pitching in Dodger stadium. Guerrero has two doubles and two home runs in 30 at-bats versus left-handed pitching, and has shown tremendous power in 2015 with ten home runs in just over 100 at-bats.
Alex Gordon, OF, Kansas City Royals, $2,600 – Gordon is in a nice spot on Tuesday, and his salary has decreased to a very inexpensive $2,600. Similar to Moustakas, Gordon enjoys facing right-handed pitching on the road. He is batting .299 on the road (compared to .213 at home), with four of his six home runs. He has a solid matchup facing the right-handed Trevor May, who has a 4.45 ERA in 2015 and struggles versus left-handed batters. Look for the Royals to have a big day in Minnesota, with Gordon and Moustakas providing production at attractive salaries.
(Picks courtesy of Ronny Mor/Rotowire)
