MLB Cash Game Picks : 7-2-15

Pitcher

It is pretty cut and dry on today's late slate, Max Scherzer is far better than anyone else. His price tag remains the only daunting aspect about him in the fantasy world, but he is consistent, and keeps getting these cupcake matchups. While the Braves had a slightly better than average offense for most of the season, they are beginning to slip. They are also missing their best hitter, Freddie Freeman, which is the glue that keeps this lineup together. Scherzer has been pitching at a historic pace, and if there were a few more options on the bump I may lean away from the price tag, but that is not the case.

If you are looking for an SP2 to pair with Scherzer, it will be a guessing game after Scott Kazmir. He has been lights out at home, with just a 1.63 ERA. He calmed down after a rocky month of May, with a 2.53 ERA in June. The Mariners have one of the lowest run totals on the night, of course next to the Braves, and the A's are a nice favorite among the slate. Seattle has a 20.8% strikeout rate, and rank around the league average in offensive categories against lefties. They are not an intimidating opponent by any means, and the A's should provide some decent run support with Roenis Elias facing them.

Catcher

Welington Castillo gets the nod over Derek Norris tonight due to park factor. Chase Field is far better than Busch in creating runs, as well as home runs. While Castillo is not a lock to be in the lineup, as many of us expected to be in last night and wasn't, Norris is an easy swerve around the same price. Both will get the lefty matchup, and both have a healthy track record of crushing those opposing lefties. Castillo is a platoon player, with all of his success coming off lefties in his career. He has a 45.8% hardball rate against left-handed pitching this season, but in a small sample size.

First Base

I find Edwin Encarnacion's price to be a gift tonight. The Blue Jays will be a popular play tonight, as they rank tops in the league in offense against left-handed pitching. He has a .348 wOBA off lefties this season, which is down to his early season slump. He kicked that slump, with a .398 wOBA in June, and has already homered in July. He has a 39% hardball rate off left-handed pitching, and faces Wade Miley tonight. He struggles on the road, and Rogers Centre is one of the tougher places to pitch. Right-handed bats have a .346 wOBA off Miley this year, but the difficult part about Toronto bats tonight, is fitting them in your lineup.

Second Base

Tyson Ross has allowed 24 stolen bases this season, which is the most in the majors. He even tops Jon Lester who can't throw to first base. He is bad at holding runners, and has a fairly slow delivery to the plate. While Kolten Wong is not a true base stealer, he does have six on the year, and has decent speed. He has a .367 wOBA off right-handed pitching, while Ross has a tough time keeping lefties off base. He has slowed down his walk rate a bit here, but is allowing a .384 OBP to lefties, with a .346 wOBA. I am looking to pay minimal in the middle infield tonight, but still have some upside. Wong is at a nice price, and has plenty of upside in the leadoff spot.

Third Base

While Josh Donaldson or even red-hot Nolan Arenado are the top plays at the hot corner, good luck fitting their huge price tags into your cash games. You can stay in the Rogers Centre with Danny Valencia, who is a nice alternative, or go with Yunel Escobar. While him hitting third is not ideal for the Nationals, or so I think, it is ideal for us in DFS. He is coming off a solid month of June, hitting .352, and will face a lefty making his first start in the majors.

Shortstop

If Nick Ahmed hits leadoff again, I will be ecstatic. I am in search of a cheap shortstop, although FanDuel has him priced based on his recent numbers, still he is solid value. The Diamondbacks are my favorite offense, they crush lefties too, and are cheaper than the boys in Toronto. Chris Rusin has allowed a .355 wOBA to right-handed bats this year, and .376 in his career. Ahmed is hitting .346 off lefties, and drops his strikeout rate to 11%. He has a .404 wOBA, and will be the top SS play if hitting in the leadoff spot again, just due to needing a cheap SS.

Outfield

This maybe as high as I go in cash games, with just Jose Bautista really sitting above him as a top option. A.J. Pollock has a .387 wOBA off left-handed pitching this year, and is putting together an impressive 2015 campaign, with nine homers, and 16 stolen bases. His speed is another factor into his high floor and ceiling, and the price tag is not too bad if you can head up into this range.

I am never too high on the Rockies outside of Coors, due to their massive splits. However Chase Field is a solid place to hit, and Jeremy Hellickson has been awful against left-handed bats. He ha allowed a .396 wOBA to left-handed bats, with a 24% line drive rate. Carlos Gonzalez has been pretty equal as to splitting his homers and extra base hits at Coors and on the road. He has a .356 wOBA this season against right-handed pitching, and is at a really nice price to get exposure against Hellickson.

Chris Colabello is the top value play for Toronto tonight, hitting fifth in that huge lineup, against the lefty. He has a whopping .488 wOBA off lefties, with a 32% line drive rate. The move to the Rogers Centre has given Colabello a nice jump in offensive stats. Hitting .335 was not expected from the outfielder, and his wRC+ of 143 is a nice contribution. He is an absolute steal on DraftKings tonight, and moderately priced on FanDuel.