MLB Cash Game Picks : 8-11-15

Pitcher

There are plenty of aces to choose from tonight, and Madison Bumgarner is flying in as one of the top options. While he doesn't have the moneyline backing him up like some of the other pitchers, he is back at home against a strikeout happy Houston Astros. They rank eighth in the league with a 22.4% strikeout rate versus left-handed pitching. Houston does have a top-five ISO, but playing in AT&T Park is going to cancel that out. AT&T Park takes away plenty of runs and home runs from both sides of the plate. MadBum has been better at home, with a 2.43 ERA, compared to the ERA over four on the road. He is coming off an excellent start against Atlanta, and the Giants will turn to him to end their losing skid.

Matt Harvey is a monster favorite tonight, and for good reason. The Mets offense has gone from a poor offense to an okay offense, but I have faith in them picking up run support for Harvey. Colorado's offense is nonexistent on the road, with an 85 wRC+. They also strikeout quite a bit, with a 24.4% strikeout rate. The Rockies have been abysmal over the last two weeks, and have given up some monster lines to pitchers. Harvey has carried the success he had in June/July into August, throwing seven scoreless innings his last time out. There are some thunderstorms in the area, so keep an eye on the radar before lock time. If weather looks iffy, Zack Greinke is an easy pivot. Taylor Jungmann is going to get a quick mention here for an SP2 on DraftKings. He faces the Cubs on the road, and looks like the wind is blowing in there, so good news for both pitchers.

Catcher

Once again, not a night to pay up behind the dish. John Jaso has lit up right-handed pitching over the last few years, and is at a really nice price for us tonight. Jaso has missed most of the 2015 season, but when healthy has looked no different than years past, with a .384 wOBA. He will face Williams Perez, who has allowed a .378 wOBA to left-handed bats when he has been in the majors this year. Jaso enters tonight as my top value play.

First Base

Albert Pujols can't really be established as a lefty-masher, but The Machine is still one of top hitters who can take advantage of a great matchup. His price and park factors also make him even more of an attractive play. U.S. Cellular has held a 117 park factor for right-handed homers in the last three seasons. Carlos Rodon has allowed a .394 wOBA to right-handed bats, putting a handful of the Angels in play today, and most come at a discount price tag.

Second Base

Mr. Consistent did it again last night, he had another double-digit DraftKings night, and stays relatively cheap there. Cesar Hernandez has hit .355 in the last 10 games, with five extra base hits. He will draw another friendly matchup tonight against Jeremy Hellickson, who has allowed a .363 wOBA to left-handed bats this season. Hernandez is a solid on-base guy, who has a little upside with a potential stolen base. On FanDuel, I will likely go with Chase Utley, as the site has caught onto what Hernandez has been doing of late.

Third Base

The Diamondbacks put on a show last night, and most of them have seen their prices increased. Jake Lamb sits at a nice price tag, however, and Arizona has another gas can to face. David Buchanan has a career 4.75 ERA, and struggles against both sides of the plate. Lamb has hit right-handed pitching well this season, with a .340 wOBA, and has come out hitting for power in the second half, with a .188 ISO. If you are ponying up at the hot corner, Maikel Franco and Manny Machado are worthy of their price tags.

Shortstop

This might be a little more than you want to pay at shortstop, but I am not in love with anyone enough to recommend them at a lower price. Xander Bogaerts has been excellent against left-handed pitching in his career, and that has continued into 2015. Bogaerts ranks first in average among shortstops and fourth in RBI. He has a .407 wOBA off left-handed pitching this season, and is hitting .333 in the second half. Justin Nicolino is a pitch to contact left-hander, who has not been impressive in the minors.

Outfield

There are a lot of great expensive options in the outfield tonight, but it's really tough to fit them in a balanced lineup. David Peralta will likely be the highest priced outfielder I pay up for tonight, but he has a very high floor and ceiling. Not only will he have the luxury of facing Buchanan, he has been on a heater. He is hitting .478 in the last seven days, and has been a top play this season against right-handed pitching, with a .383 wOBA.

A major park factor swing for the A's tonight, who have some value options against Drew Hutchison. Josh Reddick has a .372 wOBA off right-handed pitching, with just an 8.2% strikeout rate. Hutchison has allowed a career .339 wOBA to left-handed bats, with a 4.43 FIP. He has trouble keeping the ball in the park at times, and Reddick is one of the few power bats who can do some damage off of him.

Adam Jones is another top tier outfielder who is at a value price, and I am jumping all over that tonight. He will face fly-ball pitcher, Taijuan Walker, who has allowed a .342 wOBA to right-handed bats this season. Walker has been up and down this season, but a 5.22 FIP, with a 2.01 HR/9 against right-handed bats are numbers to target against. Jones has modest numbers against right-handed pitching this season, with just a .329 wOBA, but he is hard to ignore at this price.