The Round Up — May 25th
Recap of MLB News, Fantasy News, and Gambling Picks.
Important Announcement
We have a huge announcement for this weekend. On Sunday, the first episode of “The Caught Looking Show” will be released. This is a huge deal, and we are looking for all the support we can get. You can access the show on Itunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, or anywhere that you listen to your podcasts. Thanks so much! Listen to the introduction episode here:
Enter: Austin Meadows
MLB.com Prospect Rankings listed outfielder Austin Meadows at #42, that may be slighting the young outfielder as he has done nothing but tear covers off of balls since his call up. Yesterday he delivered a 3 hit game with a long home run in Cincinnati. The solid outing raised his early career numbers to an astronomical .440 AVG and three home runs to go along with five RBIs. Just six games into his career, he is forcing the Pirates into a tough sport. When Starling Marte returns from the disabled list, which should be very soon, Meadows will likely be sent back down to the minors. If he continues his stellar play though, they might just have to rethink that move and create room for him. He has passed the eye test so far, looking like a bonafide stud patrolling the outfield and swinging the stick, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Arizona Does A 360
When it was early in the season, all anybody could talk about was how the Arizona Diamondbacks were the only team to not lose a series. Now, it seems like they can’t do anything right. The Arizona Diamondbacks have lost 13 of their last 14 games, and that includes a sweep by the New York Mets. To add on to that, their star player is batting .200. The fallen prophet was basically a sure bet to be in the running for the batting title every year, but now its seems Paul Goldschmidt can’t hit a brick wall. These Arizona hot and cold streaks will not be good if they continue for the remainder of the season, so they better figure it out fast.
ShoTime
Yesterday, Shohei Ohtani delivered another memorable performance for the Angels, he went 2–3 with two runs scored, two doubles, and two walks. The Japanese sensation has now raised his batting average to .319, while his OPS is an outstanding .991. This may come as a surprise to some, who viewed his hitting as subpar and not major league ready, but Ohtani has proven the doubters wrong time after time, and yesterday was no different. His performance serves as good news for the Halos, but it is not all good for the top prospect, as he will be skipped in the rotation this week. The reason behind the miss start is nothing more than “workload management” says Angels manager Mike Scioscia. This is a major disappointment because Ohtani will be missing a start where he was lined up to oppose Masahiro Tanaka, another Japanese export. He will continue to be in the lineup, but the potential for the two Japanese pitchers to face off was very intriguing, it is a major let down that his start will be skipped.
Devers Takes Bribes
Rafael Devers is off to a mediocre start this year. He’s been pulling a lot of balls and swinging out of the zone a decent amount. The solution? Chipotle! Yes, manager Alex Cora has promised Rafael Devers 50$ to chipotle for every hit to the opposite side, and 100$ for every home run to the opposite side. Clearly this method has worked, as Devers has already earned 75$ in just 2 nights to his favorite place to eat. It’s pretty apparent that Alex Cora is willing to let Devers eat him out of house and home in the case of production, and Devers seems to love the extra motivation.
Fantasy News
Bundy 14 K’s
Dylan Bundy was out for the kill on Thursday delivering a career high 14Ks to the lowly Chicago White Sox. He has been a wild ride this season having starts where he literally could not record an out, but he has flashed ace potential for the Orioles. He looked confident and in control on Thursday, allowing just three runs on two hits and only walking one batter. After the outing, Bundy’s ERA dropped to 4.45 with 77 Ks in just 62.2 innings. Bundy is available in over 30% of ESPN leagues. If you’re in need of a spot start, or willing to take a flyer on him, the rewards could be massive.
Pedroia Is Back
Dustin Pedroia is finally back. Owned in just over 20% of leagues, he’s should immediately be considered for a roster spot. Pedroia is clearly aging rapidly, as injuries have sidelined him and he hasn’t looked quite himself the last couple years. Still, his OBP makes him a viable fantasy option in deeper leagues. If you don’t pick him up, at least put him on your watch list.
Gambling Picks
Scaf’s Picks
Another bad day, but it doesn’t matter because we started the week hot. Consider these picks to close out your week:
- Toronto Blue Jays (+120)
- Cleveland Indians (-150)
- Washington Nationals (-250)
Balzy’s Beat The Streak Pick
We head into the weekend with a winning streak. Today’s picks are Freddie Freeman & Josh Donaldson. #RoadTo56
Streak Counter — 2
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