MLB Cash Game Picks : 8-21-15

Pitcher

There are plenty of aces on the hill tonight, but none hotter than Madison Bumgarner right now. Bumgarner's ERA does double on the road, but I'm not all that worried with him pitching in PNC park this evening. He is 3-0 in August, allowing two earned runs, and he has 35 strikeouts. Coming off two complete games, he is certainly feeling it, and why wouldn't he? The Giants are chasing the Dodgers and need to make some ground in the wild card race. Bumgarner is a big-game pitcher, and tonight he will be at his best. I am a little surprised with the money line, but with the Giants facing a lefty, he should get the run support he needs and pick up a win. He has the third highest strikeout rate among tonight's starters and is third in SIERRA. I will be relying heavily on MadBum in cash games tonight.

Taking a look for a moderately priced SP2 on DraftKings is pretty easy tonight. Gio Gonzalez has a really nice price tag, and good news is he is back at home, where he has a 2.60 ERA. On the road is where Gonzalez struggles. Milwaukee's offense has two lefty-mashers to really worry about, but neither have been all that consistent this season. They rank 28th in wRC+ against southpaws (72) and have a 20.2% strikeout rate. Vegas is favoring the Nationals tonight, and I like the odds of Gonzalez picking up a W in this matchup. He is not a monster strikeout guy, but he will flirt with six-seven punch outs per start. He is one of the safer SP2 options on tonight's slate.

Catcher

Generally when Buster Posey is facing a lefty his price goes up, but that is not the case tonight. Even though PNC Park downgrades power and runs from the right side, it is hard to ignore such a top hitting catcher. Posey has a .331 wOBA off lefties this season, which is good, but doesn't have the look of what he has done in the past. However, he has a 42% hard hit ball rate, and his BABIP is lower against lefties than in years past. He is still an elite lefty-masher. He will face Jeff Locke, who has allowed a career .317 wOBA to right-handed bats.

First Base

Victor Martinez will need some explaining before I get started. He is eligible at first base on DraftKings, but not on FanDuel. Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt both sit at a price tag on FanDuel that is cheap enough to fit into your lineups. On DraftKings, they are not, sitting at over $5,000. Those two are my go-to guys on FanDuel, but on DraftKings, V-Mart is at a really nice price tag for the matchup. Colby Lewis has notably been a train wreck against lefties, allowing a career .356 wOBA. Not much has changed in 2015, as lefties have a .325 wOBA off him. Martinez's wOBA off right-handed pitching is not solid, but a low strikeout rate is good and his BABIP is the issue. He is still a talent from the left side who can easily take advantage of this matchup.

Second Base

A lefty on the mound against the Astros makes Jose Altuve an easy play. This is also one of those situations where site pricing is going to dictate who I use. I really like Altuve's price on DraftKings, but Brian Dozier is only $3,400 on FanDuel, and he's also facing a lefty. Both have established track records of punishing left-handed pitching, and both ballparks are exceptional in creating offense. Altuve has a .401 wOBA off left-handed pitching this season, and always seems to come away with value. Both second basemen should not set you back in price for tonight's slate.

Third Base

The Twins are an excellent hitting team against left-handed pitching and are coming off of an offensive explosion. This game actually features three bats at the hot corner I really like, Miguel Sano, Manny Machado, and Trevor Plouffe. With how pitching is tonight, Plouffe fits easier into a lineup, but you are not sacrificing too much when you choose to go down a tier to him. Plouffe has hit lefties well, and nothing has changed about that in 2015, with a .353 wOBA. Wei-Yin Chen can be home run prone at times, allowing a 1.74 HR/9 against right-handed bats, to go along with a .334 wOBA.

Shortstop

Shortstop is an ugly position tonight, and this is one I am completely punting. Andres Blanco has never established himself in the majors, but has been around for a while. He is taking advantage of the injury to Maikel Franco, and is hitting .357 in August. For $2,000, really hard to not like that price for a hot-hitting shortstop. He allows an extra big bat or two in your lineups, and he's facing an inexperienced right-hander. On FanDuel, Freddy Galvis is your punt shortstop.

Outfield

Is Charlie Blackmon a value play tonight? Usually we see him over $5,000 when he is at home against a righty like Bartolo Colon. The upside and floor Blackmon brings to the table, whether it is in the base paths or with the bat, is always huge. Blackmon has actually been solid on the road this season, but still gets that Coors bump, with a .396 wOBA when facing a righty at home. Blackmon has stolen 31 bases on the season, and that just adds to the upside he brings. Colon has allowed a .327 wOBA to lefties this year and has struggled more so on the road. This is also no ordinary road game, it is Coors.

A.J. Pollock is your top outfielder from Arizona if you can fit him in your lineups, but continuing with a cheaper trend, Yasmany Tomas has a nice price tag. It is a crowded outfield in Arizona, but Tomas finds his way into the lineup against southpaws. David Holmberg has allowed a career .369 wOBA to right-handed bats, and you should view the Diamondbacks offense as one of the best tonight. Tomas has had success against lefties and has a nice 38% hard hit ball rate to back it up. Great American Ballpark is also a plus for righty power, with a 114 park factor for righty homers in the last three seasons.

Being such a boom-or-bust play over the years, Jay Bruce has not found his way into cash game plays very much, but tonight is an exception. Rubby De La Rosa has been horrid against lefties in his career, allowing a .370 wOBA. This season has been even worse, allowing a .397 wOBA with a 2.21 HR/9. With Bruce's power and Great American Ballpark's lefty factors, it is really hard to pass up on Bruce at this price. He has a .331 wOBA and a .232 ISO against right-handed pitching this season, and as you would've guessed, his numbers are better at home.