DFS PLAYBOOK PRO – An exciting offering from the Alarm is the DFS Playbook Pro. I will be doing a daily breakdown of the hitters –Hitting Coach – while Howard Bender looks into the Pitchers (Pitching Coach). You can find the link to the Hitting and Pitching articles under the DFS Playbook pro tab at the top right of the screen.
OTHER LINKS TO BOOKMARK
Mike Bolsinger has made nine start for the Dodgers with a 2.87 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Solid numbers. He’s also struck out 8.27 batters per nine. Toss in a 56 percent ground ball rate and, as the kids say, we’re cooking with gas. So why so down on Bolsinger you might ask? In three of his last four starts he’s gone 5.1 or fewer innings and in both his last two outings, and four of five, he’s walked three batters. That pushes his BB/9 rate up to 3.38 for the campaign, and that’s starting to get scary. Keep thinking the Dodgers make a move to add some pitching depth, but Bolsinger certainly has some enticing skills if he continues to start.
Rubby Del La Rosa has a solid strikeout rate of 8.39 per nine, and that 2.43 walk rate per nine is also a pretty solid mark. Heck, his 1.27 WHIP plays as does his .298 BABIP and .259 batting average against. Hell, even the 6-3 record plays. So what the hell is going on with the 4.96 ERA? According got SIERA the mark should be 3.43 and according to xFIP the number should be 3.34. Yes, he’s pitching much better than it would appear if you were merely looking at his ERA. Might not be a bad idea to add RDLR if he’s available on waivers or try to pick him up on the cheap in a trade.
Kyle Hendricks was pummeled for seven runs (six earned) in his last outing. That comes on the heels of two games in which he allowed four runs (three earned). But this is what happens when you aren’t an elite hurler of the pelota. When you don’t make your pitch you can get hit. In the 13 starts Hendricks has made he’s allowed at least five earned runs three times and two other times he’s permitted at least four runs. The end result is a 4.28 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. That sounds about right. OK, maybe the ERA could be half a run lower, I could accept that, but the inconsistency from start to start is a bit troubling. I am heartened to see a continuation of the lack of free passes (1.71 walks per nine) as well as the increase in his strikeout rate which sits at 7.33 per nine this season after being just 5.27 per nine last year. Gotta like the 50 percent ground ball rate. Maybe I was too quick to judge the Cubs hurler. If he can maintain that strikeout rate we might be on to something.
Chris Heston has made 14 starts. How many more will he make for the Giants? Sounds foolish to say that after Heston has gone out there and produced a 7-5 record with a 3.83 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, but the Giants are closing on an a return from both Matt Cain and Jake Peavy from the DL. Gotta think Ryan Vogelsong is the first two go, but will Heston be the second or will the Giants demote Tim Hudson or Tim Lincecum? Seems likely to come down to Heston and Lincecum. Heston has certainly pitched better than Lincecum with his 3.83 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 3.32 K/BB ratio, and that 55 percent ground ball rate, you know I like that. Over his last seven starts Heston has failed to complete six innings five times so he’s now always going deep into games. Might consider dealing him if you can get a good return given the concern about his starting role.
Phil Hughes has allowed a total of seven runs over his last three outings. Alas, the homer continues to betray him. In those three starts he’s been taken deep 
four times and that still leaves him with a 1.59 HR/9 mark this season. Now that seems crazy high, I’ll be the first to admit that, but in 2012 the mark was 1.65 and in 2013 it was 1.48 so perhaps it’s not asinine to think the current pace could be, unfortunately, sustained moving forward. At least he continues to eschew the free pass as he’s now walked a total of 25 batters over his last 46 starts which is remarkable. At the same time the K-rate is so far down at 5.46 per nine, that I just don’t know how you could possibly trust him.
Lance McCullers is dealing through seven big league starts for the Astros. Over those 40.1 innings McCullers has struck out 46 batters while walking 13 leading to a 3.54 K/BB ratio. He’s also forcing a ton of ground balls, his groundball rate of 49 percent is solid, and thanks to all those grounders he’s permitted a mere home run to this point. Can he, or anyone for that matter, keep up that pace? Of course not. Should also be noted that like many young hurlers Lance has had a hard time going deep into games at times. Over seven outings he’s failed to last five innings three times and in a fourth trip to the bump he last exactly 5.0 innings. That’s four out of seven trips in which he’s gone five or fewer innings. That’s not good. It’s also troubling that in those four games his pitch counts are as follows: 93, 89, 90 and 88. He throws a ton of pitches and the lack of stability from start to start should cause more concern than the overall numbers suggest.
Eduardo Rodriguez has made five starts for the Red Sox. In three of the outings he’s allowed one or zero runs. The other time out he was bombed for nine runs thanks at least in small part, to some shoddy defense. Overall the numbers include a 7.67 K/9 rate and 3.13 BB/9 mark. Those are decent numbers but far from standing out type of things. His 47 percent ground ball rate is intriguing, will admit that, but I’m still not as sold on the lefty as so many others seem to be.
Chris Sale has struck out at least one batter in 35-straight innings. Wowzahs. That’s obviously the longest streak in the majors right now. Moreover, he’s struck out at least 12 batters in each of his last five starts. The only three men since 1914 to do that are Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Sale. He picked up a no decision in his last start despite striking out 14 over eight scoreless innings. That’s just the third time that has happened since 1995 (Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling). Those early season worries about Sale are a distant memory.
James Shields allowed four runs in his last outing with the Diamondbacks. Oddly, he didn’t allow a homer in the outing but also walked a season worst four batters. Shields has allowed, get this, one homer in five outings. Who would have thought? There’s still regression coming there as his 1.54 HR/9 mark is still massive for a guy who owns a career 1.09 mark. The walks are a bit odd, but they continue a trend that has seen him walk 2.79 batters per nine, a mark that would be his highest total since 2006. In fact, only once in the last eight years has that rate been even 2.35. Despite the walks Shields has managed to fire the strikeout ball past nearly everyone this season with a 10.47 K/9 mark. Not reasonable to expect that to continue, not when he’s never struck out a batter an inning before, but it does speak to the fact that Shields can clearly improve upon his 3.75 ERA, a rate last season in 2010, and his 1.27 WHIP (a mark that he’s been under each of the past four seasons). His SIERA (3.08) and xFIP (3.16) are both the best of his career. Shields will be a rock the rest of the way, just like he always is.
Ray Flowers can be heard Monday through Friday at 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 7 PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).