Stacks for Sunday, July 16
This may look very similar to yesterday’s stacking options, but sticking with the hot teams. As Ken mentioned in the Playbook, there are not great pitching options, but plenty of pitchers to pick on tonight, even outside of the team listed below. Good luck!
Nationals
The Nationals face Homer Bailey today after putting up 10 runs last night off three home runs. Two of those came from Rendon, who is 5-6 with three walks in the series so far. Bailey brings a 8.01 ERA into this matchup, and started this season with an 1 ? inning outing, allowing eight runs against these Nationals. Bailey is just as bad vs righties as he is vs left handed bats this season, as right-handed batters are hitting .462 against Homer Bailey (18-for-39) over the last 30 days (Rank: 145th of 145 qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: .257). Nationals hitters have an OPS of .820 (2,884 PAs) versus RHP this season (Rank: 2nd of 30 in MLB; League Avg: .754).
The key would be picking the right combo from this game. Adam Lind hopefully will receive his first start of the second half, and is 3-3 with a homer off of Baily. Although Bailey pitched well over his last two starts, those first two starts of 14 earned runs over 4 ? innings is why he is a target today.
Nationals: Anthony Rendon, Adam Lind (if starting), Bryce Harper, Brian Goodwin, Chris Heisey or Ryan Raburn.
Cubs
The Cubs offense has produced 19 runs off of eight homers to start the second half, and it doesn’t get any harder for them in a matchup vs Ubaldo Jimenez to close out this series. Maddon went back to Zobrist leading off today, as well as Schwarber back in the five hole to complement the other lefty OF options from them today. Cubs hitters have 221 Extra-Base hits out of 537 total hits (41.2%) versus RHP this season (Rank: 3rd of 30 in MLB; League Avg: 36.6%)
As a starter, Ubaldo Jimenez has allowed a slugging percentage of .711 vs left-handed batters this season (Rank: 159th of 160 qualified SPs in MLB). He’s allowed nine earned runs in ten innings this month, and has allowed at least two homers in three of his last five starts. The Cubs and Houston check in with the highest projected run totals of the slate, and prefer the Cubs over the Astros and Brewers today for stacking purposes. I don’t mind pairing the Cus with the Nats, but like the NL central full stack of the Cubs and Brewers.
Cubs: Willson Contreras, Ben Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber or Jason Heyward, Ian Happ
Yankees @ Red Sox
This game is tied with the Cubs/O’s as the highest projected total of the slate, and features Sabathia vs Porcello in game one, with the Sunday night baseball game features the team's’ better pitcher options. Yesterday’s game went 16 innings, and used 15 pitchers, so we can expect both pitchers to possibly be left on the mound longer than they should be today.
Porcello is 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA in two starts vs the Yankees this year, while Sabathia has a career 5.25 ERA at Fenway. He does have an eight inning shutout win vs them at home in June. Jacoby Ellsbury is 12-34 with four homers, and Chase Headley is 10-25 with a homer off Porcello.
The pricing for both teams provides you the opportunity to grab some top priced big bats, while combining them with some value options. Red Sox hitters have put 43.3% of their swings in play (515/1,190) versus LHP this season (Rank: 1st of 30 in MLB; League Avg: 37.5%), and could being running all day, as the Red Sox have attempted 17 hit & runs this season (Rank: Tied for 2nd of 30 in MLB). Yankees hitters have an OBP of .351 versus RHP this season (Rank: 2nd of 30 in MLB; League Avg: .324), and their three run 16th inning added to their stat of scoring three or more runs in an inning 9.7% of their innings played (33/340) against division opponents this season (Rank: 1st of 30 in MLB; League Avg: 6.3%).
Yankees: Jacoby Ellsbury, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Chase Headley, Starlin Castro (if in lineup again).
Boston: Sam Travis, Xander Bogaerts, Sandy Leon (if off Sanchez), Chris Young, Mookie Betts