Logan Forsythe- 2B- TB- Idea- Forsythe has broken out this season. Although his AVG and OBP have been slightly better against RH pitching his power numbers are significantly better against southpaws, as evidenced by a slash line of .273/.360/.586. Wade Miley has allowed 10 of his 11 homers to RH hitting, so Forsythe has a chance to take advantage of this matchup. Value play- DraftKings salary $3500
Ben Zobrist- 2B- KC- Hot- Zobrist busted out in a big way with his new team, slugging 2 homers and adding a double. He is due for some regression to the mean, as his .274 BABIP is below his .271 mark. His 1.22 Batting EYE is outstanding. Zobrist has tended to not have much deviation between first and second half performance but this year could be an exception if his luck changes.
Cole Hamels- P- TEX- Cold- As noted Friday, Globe Life Park is more hitter friendly than Citizens Bank Park. That may have factored into Hamel performance last night. In his first game in his new Texas home and first outing since his no-hitter, Hamels gave up 5 runs on 8 hits and a walk while striking out 6 in 7.2 IP. Of his 97 pitches, 61 were strikes. This marks the 3rd time in 4 starts that Hamels has not put up one of the quality variety. The odds are that this is not a new normal, but Hamels may not put up quite the stellar numbers we are accustomed to seeing from him.
Trayce Thompson- DH- CHA- Rookie- If you believe his brother Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson, Trayce will be called up by the White Sox soon. Klay tweeted about ti and then deleted the tweet. Trayce has exhibited a mix of power and speed, hitting at least 15 homers and stealing at least 20 bases in 2013 and 2014 at AA. At AAA Charlotte so far this season he has hit 13 homers and stolen 11 bases. Trayce has above average defensive skills so can slot in as a fourth outfielder on that basis. He has also improved on his biggest weakness by reducing his K%. It was 25.4% last year and is 18.9% at AAA this season. That has helped him raise his average to .260. Thompson is not a top tier prospect but could add some value, particularly if he gets a chance to swipe bases.
Albert Pujols- 1B- LAA- Great Player- With 30 homers already Pujols has reestablished himself as a major power threat. However, his .257 average has been kept down by horrible luck as evidenced by a .225 BABIP. Pujols went 2-for-4 yesterday with 2 singles so maybe an overdue dose of regression to the mean is on the horizon.
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