This is such a great time of year. We have Major League Baseball every day, and the NFL and fantasy football seasons are kicking off in the coming days. Sports all day every day, baby! Hunter Brown and Ryne Nelson were exceptional in their Major League debuts yesterday, and while the New York Yankees may be falling apart, Aaron Judge continues to inch closer and closer to Roger Maris’ record and the American League MVP award. Bo Bichette homered three times yesterday, and fantasy baseball managers who stuck with Lance Lynn are being handsomely rewarded for their patience. After recapping Monday’s MLB action, we look ahead to Tuesday, and I’ll give you my best bet of the day, which involves an American League East squad. Looking ahead at Tuesday’s slate, one thing I will mention for those of you making MLB DFS lineups is to watch our weather center, because there is rain all over the northeast.

 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball MLB News & Notes from Monday

Bo Bichette Launches Three Homers

Saying Bichette is white hot at the moment may be an understatement. Yes, he hit three home runs last night, but since August 17th, he’s hitting .351/.405/.597 with four home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs scored, seven doubles, and two stolen bases. He has four multi-hit efforts within his last five games and he’s making a strong push down the stretch to boost his overall stat line for the 2022 season. It’s been a season of peaks and valleys for Bichette, but it just so happens that this current run he’s on could result in his highest peak of the season, the one with the best view may I add.

 

 

Lance Lynn is BACK!

Lance Lynn is all the way back, ladies and gentlemen! He logged his best start of the year last night, fanning 11 Mariners over seven strong innings. After posting a 5.88 ERA and 9.35 K/9 over his first 11 starts of the year, following a late start to the season may I add, he’s been dominant over his last five outings. He has a 1.42 ERA and 11.37 K/9 over his last five starts, posting a 3-0 record during that stretch. Furthermore, he now has five straight starts with at least five innings pitched, six or more strikeouts, and two or fewer earned runs. In yesterday’s outing, his fastball posted a 59 percent whiff rate, and if you think that’s good, his curveball posted a 67 percent whiff rate! Lynn has been using his curveball more of late, and that’s something that he should continue to do, as it has been lethal of late.

 


Aaron Judge Inches Closer to Roger Maris’ Record

54! Three home runs in his last three games. Five home runs in his last seven games. Eight home runs in his last 13 games. There’s not much to say about Judge really, as he is doing all that he can to help avoid a seismic collapse in the Bronx. He’s on pace to break Roger Maris’ team record, but we’ll see if he can get there, and if the Yankees can sneak into the playoffs.


Ryne Nelson Makes MLB Debut

Just as we all expected, Ryne Nelson shuts down a stacked San Diego lineup after allowing a 5.43 ERA (5.51 FIP) in 26 starts at Triple-A this season. Not only did he strike out seven batters across seven shutout innings, but he retired 17 straight batters at one point in this game. He displayed good velocity on his fastball, and his slider generated three whiffs on four swings. Nelson’s heater headlines his arsenal, but all four of his pitches posting a CSW% at or above 29 percent is impressive nonetheless.

 

Hunter Brown Also Makes MLB Debut

The Houston Astros welcomed Justin Verlander back to the rotation last night. Oh, wait. That wasn’t Verlander?

Let me start over. Hunter Brown, also known as Justin Verlander 2.0, made his first career MLB start last night, and looked good. His fastball lit up the radar gun, and his curveball and slider served as plus offspeed offerings. The similarities to Verlander’s delivery are uncanny, and Brown has a track record in the minors of missing bats and racking up strikeouts. While he may move to the bullpen upon Verlander’s return, or even in the postseason, he should be a quality source of strikeouts down the stretch.


Jake McCarthy Continues to Produce

McCarthy stole two bases last night, bringing his total for the year up to an impressive 14 swiped bags in just 75 games. He more or less became a “regular” in the Arizona lineup in mid-July, and since July 11, he’s tied for the league lead with 13 stolen bases. In fact, only McCarthy and Andrés Giménez have double-digit stolen bases with a batting average north of .300. He has a 1.7 WAR since July 11, and he’s been impressive for Arizona and fantasy baseball managers to say the least. He doesn’t project to be a big bopper by any means, but he makes enough hard contact to leave the yard on occasion. With a strong push down the stretch, he could join the 10/20 club in 100 games or so.

 

Jack Flaherty’s Return for Cardinals

The Cardinals are a better baseball team with a healthy Jack Flaherty, and everyone knows it. He looked solid in his return to the bump yesterday against Washington, and despite the overall stat line, there’s two big things that I took away from his fourth start of the season. The first is that he emerged healthy, which is arguably the most important. The second thing is that his velocity was up, which is incredibly encouraging for a guy who went on the IL last year for a shoulder issue, as well as on two separate occasions this season.

Look at the far right column. What a thing of beauty. If he’s available in your fantasy baseball league, he could be that impact arm that your team desperately needs.


Andrew Benintendi Could Miss Rest of Season

A broken hook of the hamate bone in Benintendi’s right wrist has clouded his availability for the rest of the 2022 MLB season. The Yankees acquired Benintendi at the MLB trade deadline, and with the Bronx Bombers, Benintendi slashed .254/.331/.404 with two home runs, 14 runs scored, 12 RBI, and four stolen bases across 33 games. They haven’t ruled him out for the rest of the season, but hand/wrist injuries can be problematic for hitters, and linger if they attempt to rush back too soon. Benintendi isn’t a big power bat, so I’m not concerned about this injury sapping any of his power, but these types of injuries can wreak havoc on a hitter.

 

Tuesday’s Best Bets

Tampa Bay Rays Money Line (-160 Bet MGM)

Drew Rasmussen has a 1.84 ERA over his last eight starts, and he hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of those starts. He has a 1.97 ERA at home this season, and with Rich Hill pitching for Boston, I love the Rays tonight. The Rays have numerous guys in its lineup that mash southpaws, and Hill has a 5.48 ERA over his last five starts. Take the Rays tonight.
 

 



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