MLB Cash Game Picks : 8-14-15

Pitcher

Don't let this matchup scare you off Dallas Keuchel tonight, the Tigers offense has fallen to much more average levels over the last few weeks. Detroit also ranks top 10 in strikeout against left-handed pitching, sitting at 22.2%. Keuchel has been dominant at home, with a 1.26 ERA, and has allowed just a .201 wOBA. He has a steady 9.5% swinging strike rate, which is slightly above his career average. Keuchel is also second in the majors in ground-ball rate, behind Brett Anderson. Vegas agrees with the Astros being an easy winner tonight, and Keuchel will likely be in that category. His price allows you to still build some top bats into your lineup, even on DraftKings with adding a second high priced starting pitcher. I consider this paying down slightly compared to David Price and Max Scherzer.

Corey Kluber is coming off a complete game masterpiece against the Minnesota Twins, and look who he faces again, the Minnesota Twins. It is odd to see his DrafKings price stay put, and his FanDuel price jump quite a bit, but he still remains a top option. I do like him more on DraftKings. The Twins have a 20.7% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching, and strikeouts are Kluber's forte. Minnesota also ranks 25th in wRC+. Kluber ranks ninth in swinging strike rate in the majors, and second among tonight's probables. Very hard to turn away from Kluber again tonight, he has everything working in his favor.

Catcher

Derek Norris against a lefty in Coors was a dream, but not at his price. The industry has jumped the gun on pricing there this season, and I am not biting tonight. The Brewers are taking on a lefty, Adam Morgan, in a friendly Miller Park, at cheaper price tags. Morgan has allowed a .371 wOBA to right-handed bats this season, and the Brewers have two right-handed bats I am eyeing. The first is Jonathan Lucroy, sitting at a very cheap price tag behind the plate. Lucroy has definitely earned the price tag he is at this season, but does have his normal batted ball stats against lefties. He sports a 25.5% line drive rate and a 38.3% hard hit ball rate.

First Base

Eric Hosmer is really underrated when talking about cash game plays. He has a .400 wOBA off right-handed pitching this season, with a near 28% line drive rate. He ranks second in average among first basemen, and top five in RBI and runs. Hosmer may not have the ISO number that ranks among other first basemen, but he has a very safe floor, and is not a boom-or-bust style player. He is also hitting everything in sight of late, with the seventh highest wOBA in the second half. He has a nice matchup against slow-pitch softball pitcher, Jered Weaver. He is allowing a .331 wOBA to lefties this season with a 4.70 FIP.

Second Base

Second base is a position to pay down for tonight, and Chase Utley has a really nice matchup in a hitter's ballpark. In the last three seasons, Miller Park has held a 135 park factor for left-handed homers and a 111 park factor for runs. Utley has spent time in the leadoff role since returning from the disabled list and has looked like his old self. He is hitting .412, and he has a few doubles as well. Wily Peralta has notably struggled against left-handed bats in his career, allowing a .346 wOBA, which has not changed this season.

Third Base

Evan Longoria can be a frustrating player to roster, but I like the odds tonight in Texas against the lefty. We get him out of the Trop, and into a park that has had a 104 park factor for right-handed runs in the last three seasons. He will also face Martin Perez, who has allowed a career .336 wOBA to right-handed bats. Longoria has a .395 wOBA off lefties this season, much on par with his career numbers. The Rays have a nice 4.5 run total, and they rank in the top of the league against left-handed pitching. Once a lineup comes out, there could be a few more value plays from this team.

Shortstop

It is hard to overlook the steps Xander Bogaerts has made this season. He ranks first in average among shortstops, fourth in RBI, and fifth in runs. This is in the mix of an actually dreadful lineup. I am curious to see his numbers if he had players hitting around him. Bogaerts has been great against lefties in his young career, and this season has a .408 wOBA. The only knock against Bogaerts is his power, but he provides a nice stable floor. He is hitting .343 in the second half, and just keeps driving that average up.

Outfield

Ryan Braun is quietly heading for a 25-25 season, which would be the lone bright spot for the Brewers this season. He is having an excellent second half with a .376 wOBA, and has hit lefties well this season, to back up his career normal. He has a .410 wOBA, with a 42.2% hard hit ball rate. He will get to face a struggling lefty at home, and he has all the upside in the world tonight. With all the aces on the mound, Braun should be your highest salary outfielder.

After waiting for the A's to pick a pitcher for tonight's slate, they did well opting for lefty Brad Mills. Adam Jones came right to my mind, being the lefty-masher he is. Mills has faced 233 right-handed batters in his career and has allowed a .360 wOBA. Jones has a .402 wOBA off lefties this season, and Camden Yards treats Jones very well. Excellent price tag for Jones tonight on both sites.

If you are looking for a cheaper outfielder, Preston Tucker is going to face a regressing Alfredo Simon. Regressing maybe even understating what he is going through. He has an ERA over eight over the last two months. Think of this as a collective team pick, you can choose to spend on Astros, but many are very expensive. Simon's biggest weakness is against lefties, allowing a .387 wOBA in 2015. Tucker has a .380 wOBA off right-handed pitching this year, with a big time .264 ISO.