Chris Stratton (SF) - Starting pitcher Chris Stratton dominated a hot Diamondbacks offense on Monday night, shutting them out for 8 innings while allowing just 5 hits while walking none and striking out 6. The outing lowered Stratton's season ERAS by 38 points, down to 4.99. It was also the third time this season he allowed no earned runs, but was easily the deepest he pitched into any game all season. Without much of a swing-and-miss pitch (8% SwStr%), Stratton's low strikeout rate keeps him off the fantasy radar except in exceptional streaming opportunities, like say, his matchup against the Mets on Sunday. You'll need to drop him next week against the Brewers, however.
Jon Gray (COL) - Since being recalled from the minor leagues on July 14th, Jon Gray had posted a 2.59 ERA with a 43:10 strikeout-to-walk rate. That all came crashing down on Monday as Gray took on the Angels in Anaheim. Most of the damage came in the 4th inning when he allowed a 3-run homerun to Shohei Ohtani, but Mike Trout also took him deep in the 6th inning. On the season, Gray's gap between his ERA and xFIP remains nearly 1.5 runs, but given his home ballpark, it's unfair to say he should be pitching at the league average HR/FB rate (like xFIP assumes). He isn't striking out nearly as many batters since returning, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if he can get improved results, but it is a noticeable change. The thing Gray does have working in his favor, at least for fantasy owners, is his even home/away splits.
Anthony Rizzo (CHC) - Anthony Rizzo stayed hot on Monday as he hit his 22nd home run, but also his 5th over the last two weeks. It was also his 5th multi-hit game over his last 7 contests and he improved his batting average to .276. While his recent power streak has been great, it's probably not going to be nearly enough to keep his streak of 5 straight seasons with 30+ homeruns alive. The timing of Rizzo's hot streak has coincided with the beginning of NFL training camp, so it's possible the fair weather fantasy players will lose track of his resurgence in drafts next spring. Rizzo was a second round pick in most drafts this year, but given his slow start, it's possible he will be a 3rd or 4th rounder in 2019. That's great value.
Justin Miller (WAS) - With Kelvin Herrera hitting the disabled list on Monday, it was Justin Miller who got the save against the Phillies. Miller has quietly put together a strong season, managing a strikeout rate of 30% and a walk rate of 8%. He's primarily a flyball pitcher, but his home park suits him well. Compared with his career strand rate around 69%, his 84% strand rate looks exceptionally fortunate this season. A small number of batted ball events can swing those numbers widely, so take them with a grain of salt, but it's certainly something to consider when valuing his 3.77 ERA compared with his career 4.60 mark.
Rhys Hoskins (PHI) - Rhys Hoskins continued his torrid hitting on Monday going 2-for-4 with a single and a home run. The home run was hit 27th of the season and his second over the last two days. Hoskins has done well repeating his unexpected power outburst in his rookie campaign. His 16% HR/FB rate is markedly lower than his 32% mark in 2017, but his rate this season is far more sustainable and his 27 home runs still rank 8th in the National League.
