So, our dreams of World Cup champions ended in the US. I have invested a lot of money in three games. Alas, it was not meant to be. Belgium has made such a plan that you will not know that its day started losing its unit and has to wear the Marlins city connect jersey. Back to the world of another sweet science, Cam Schlittler he did a number on the Rays. Call him HUD, because he is the one who settled them! He went 8 IP, 1 ER, 4 hits, zero walks, 8 Ks, ERA at 2.01. As I said about the top 100 writing in part 2 (available on Patreon this week; on the site next week), Schlittler was the guy I was watching today, and I noticed something. There are ten big pitchers and maybe 20 tight ends, and another 50 to 75 guys. The Other Guys, an underground film; Another one Other Guys in fantasy, not underrated, although The Other Some guys can go in and out “hard.” Schlittler is one of the ten greatest strikers. This is a different level than I think anyone expected from him. Not so much in hitting, but his command is 1.7 BB/9, and it was 3.8 BB/9 last year. That’s such a wonderful development that it makes me feel like a 90-year-old when someone says, “I’ve got a surprise for you,” and the old person gets really worried, and you have to add, “It’s a nice surprise.” This is a nice surprise from Cam, but I’m still a little more alert than I would be if he always had a good command, and I find myself looking around to make sure no one got my jello. Anyway, here’s what I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Giancarlo Stanton – It has not yet started working. If I were him, I wouldn’t include my resume either.
Jose Caballero – 2-for-3, 4 RBIs and his 9th and 10th homers, hitting .249. Maybe Caballero can come to the park tomorrow morning and put on a hitting show to remind Bellinger how to hit.
Ben Rice – 1-for-4 with his 25th homer. Rice-a-HRoni!
Griffin Jax – 5 IP, 3 ER, 1 hit, 2 walks, 10 Ks, ERA at 3.60. Talk about a better fit. One hit, ten strikeout game and a walkoff hit. Jax hates unity! His round peripherals became shapely. Not just deep leagues, or Streamonator. He is a league starter.
Owen Murphy – 1 IP, 1 ER, as mentioned above. Itch said last season, “I’m excited to get Braves RHP Owen Murphy (21, A+) in a 20-team league this week. A former first-round pick out of high school in 2022, he had a 0.73 WHIP in 41 innings in seven innings as a 20-year-old and a 20-year-old John playing Highbout. It’s been about 15 months since that’s now, and Murphy just pitched five innings in High-A against the Greenville hitter. if you see him. I’m sorry, what? Murphy will work in middle relief, but nothing is set in the Braves rotation. You can see him unexpectedly in NL-Only.
Matt Olson – 2-for-5, 3 RBIs and his 23rd and 24th homers. 11 more to go! Bro will take the cake to 35 homers. Wish Cake Batter can stop a cake from going in the middle of the night and going.
Reynaldo Lopez – 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 3.18. vs. Freddy Peralta – 4 2/3 IP, 1 ER, ERA at 4.68. This is actually an instructive combination because FreddyKBB was drafted in about 60 total and Reynaldo wasn’t drafted at all, and that’s the guy I’m looking for. Not FreddyKBB.
Juan Soto – 1-for-2, 3 RBIs and a slam (19) and walks (7). Just to put it out in the open: I would love to see Sexy Dr. Pepper with 20/20 2nd half. Do not scoff, you scoffer!
Carson Benge – 2-for-4, 2 runs and his 11th homer, 2nd homer of the week. If your dog has udders, and brown hair, it is Benge. Just a little trivia buff.
Dustin May – 4 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 4 hits, zero walks, 7 Ks, ERA at 4.55. The cards said in the pregame that May would be limited to 65 pitches, then he threw 81 pitches because May looked intimidating and Marmol had to work up a nerve to remove him.
Shane Drohan – 6 IP, 1 ER, 8 baserunners, 2 Ks, ERA at 2.97. Break up the Brewers game coaches!
Mike Burrows – 4 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 5.99 ERA. Can we encourage Burrows to stay in his hole?
Jose Altuve – 1-for-5, 3 RBIs and his 9th homer, hitting .235. Welp, he finally got there. It was more than anyone had ever expected from a garden gnome. (Yes, I’m trying to jinx him back because I have him in leagues where I can’t throw him away.)
Yainer Diaz – 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs and his 5th homer, and 2nd homer in two games. Hot schmotato alert!
Curtis Mead – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his 15th homer, hitting .240, as he hits third in the majors. You know what I see the most, “Grey, nice face, but can I dump Mead? Kinda over him.” No one wants him.
CJ Abrams – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and a slam (19) and walks (15), hitting .274. BDon asked this week if I thought Elly or Orange Juice as the No. 2 shortstop on the board, and the answer may not be a surprise because I told you in Abrams’ blurb.
James Wood – 1-for-2, 3 runs, 4 RBIs and a slam (24) and walks (14), hitting .268. a97w289mpins–Sorry, I was going to say I’m crossing my fingers that Wood will continue this in part 2, and not crash and burn like he did last year.
Max Kepler – 2-for-4, 4 RBIs and his first homer. I just thought of something. If someone tested your urine and it turned out that you are eating grass, does the person who is urinating on you need to eat reeds? Is that extra money?
Geraldo Perdomo – 2-for-4, 2 runs and a slam (6) and walks (14). Don’t think too much of him, but his price wouldn’t be less than a potential bargain. However, that’s often difficult after a guy plays well, because people think they suddenly have a guy they’ve drawn.
Nolan Arenado – 1-for-4 with his 10th homer, hitting .240. Hi, I just bought at auction the napkin that Minnie Driver wrote her number on in Good Will Hunting for the “How’s dem apples” scene. Do you want to see it? I casually finished it in this open window–NOOOOO!!! The Torenado!
Brandon Pfaadt – 5 IP, 0 ER, 4 hits, zero walks, 6 Ks, ERA at 4.84. Seven. Not an innings, but starts. That’s a good sequence number that I’ll need to see before I go anywhere near him.
Landen Roupp – 8 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 4.27. As I keep saying, Streamonator at home is perfect. By the way, no thanks.
Kevin Gausman – 5 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 10 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 4.32. It’s sad that he was an old man this year. You know, I’m not sad about him, I’m sad about writing him.
Heliot Ramos – 3-for-5, 3 runs, 5 RBIs and his 7th and 8th homer, hitting .274, and out of the leadoff spot. He could be a top 15 player in the 2nd half.
Kazuma Okamoto – 1-for-4 with his 20th homer. Speaking of Japanese immigrants with 20 homers, Munetaka begins his renaissance. Please come back soon, I need you!
Shohei Ohtani – 3-for-4, 4 RBIs and his 19th homer. Wow, Okamoto and Murakami both have more homers than Ohtani. Bust?
Eric Lauer – 6 IP, 3 ER, 8 baserunners, 3 Ks, ERA at 4.81. I just had a thought, maybe the Dodgers could trade Gausman. He would be the “CC Sabathia traded to the Brewers” level of excellence.
Tanner Scott – 1 IP, 3 ER, ERA at 2.70. What’s the latest on Edwin Diaz anyway? Are you remodeling? Fighting chickens? Does anyone know?
Noah Cameron – 5 IP, 1 ER, 11 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 4.77. The Royals came out on top and Cameron sailed to the Victory Coast for a free night at the W.
Salvador Perez – 3-for-4 with his 11th homer. I believe I said this on the podcast a week or two back, but I’m not sure if I said it on the site. Sorry to repeat myself, it happens when you say 14,000 words a week about baseball. Sal Perez was considered a future Hall of Famer a few years ago when he had that big year, but now I don’t hear anything. If the chaser is going bad, that’s when you need to beat his drum, otherwise you’re going to be cut down. Now, in the cold cold light, he’s clearly not a HOFer.
Luke Maile – 1-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his first homer. Not bad for Maile as he is famous for the song “My Dinner With Andre”, married to Candice Bergen who died 31 years ago.
Lane Thomas – 2-for-3 with his 6th homer. The Elias Sports Bureau said that the Royals are the first team to score 15 runs and their players enter zero in the major leagues.
Tyler Tolbert – 5-for-5, 3 runs, 2 RBIs and his first homer. Fun fact! His rap name is Tyler the Tolbert. Another fun fact is he is 5-for-5 with a home run and was listed in the league at .00000000000000001%. If you put your ear down, you can hear one legendary owner in Jejune, South Korea.
Christopher Sanchez – 3 1/3 IP, 9 ER, ERA at 2.62. Who in his right mind makes the wish, “Give me the best May?” The genie, “Okay, you know a season is six months, right?” Sanchez, “Yes, but I don’t want to overextend your wish-granting abilities. I feel bad for making you work.” Genie, “Eh, wishes are my job, it’s not a big deal.” Sanchez, “No, it’s fine, I wish you the best May, then that can follow in June so that no one thinks anything strange about it, then I’ll be a dog in July. All good!” Genie, “Um…okay, your wish ‘go big and bad’ is my order.”
