MLB Stacking To Win It: 8-28-17

Stacking has become a prime way to take down big tournaments, as well as giving your cash game team a solid floor. We focus on opposing pitcher stats, Vegas, weather, park factors, team stats, salaries, and player stats when deciding the top three stacks of the night. I know. Shocker we look at those things. If there is a Coors game on the slate, we will mostly divert our attention elsewhere, as Coors games are the obvious stacks of the night. It doesn't need much breaking down. Be sure to check out or revamped Stack Generator and Stack features inside our Lineup Optimizer and Tools.

The Rockies going up against Jordan Zimmermann will come in as the top stack, but as stated above the obvious doesn't need much explaining. Especially that one. It costs an arm and a leg, and you will have to pay down on the hill as well, which is tough tonight. There are a few other ballparks I want to visit stacks in, and the first one is Camden Yards. Baltimore going up against lefties haven't hit much this year, but they look like a different team now.

Marco Gonzales is a former first rounder, and might have a future in this league, but at the moment he is someone we can pick on. He has yet to make it past five innings, and has allowed a home run in every start this season, and seven total in five starts. A 1.79 WHIP and 7.00 FIP is not a promising start for the young lefties career. Gonzales has had a below average strikeout rate in the minors and that has carried into the majors so far, with a 13.5% strikeout rate. Right-handers have a .440 wOBA off Gonzales so far this season, with a 33% hard-contact rate. The addition of Tim Beckham is a bonus against lefties, with a .353 wOBA and .160 ISO. Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado both have over a .200 ISO this season against southpaws. Baltimore are coming off a strong offensive series against Boston, and move back to Camden Yards, which is a favorable spot for right-handed power as well.

Seattle on the other side is a good contrarian stack tonight, who also come in slightly cheaper than Baltimore and Coors. Chris Tillman has been on and off this season, but mostly off. He has allowed a .440 wOBA to lefties, and a .403 wOBA to right-handers. Tillman has allowed 18 home runs in 74 innings this season, and in this ballpark there is a bonus for lefty power. The bats of Yonder Alonso, Robinson Cano, and Kyle Seager can take advantage of the short porch. Nelson Cruz and Jean Segura have plenty of upside as well here. Tillman has a 5.54 xFIP and 40.5% groundball rate. This game has one of the higher totals on the slate, and is an excellent spot for offense outside of Coors.

Philadelphia has one of the hottest hitters in baseball this season, Rhys Hoskins. He has 11 home runs in 18 games, and is a big power bat in the middle of this lineup that gives the Phillies stack plenty of upside. The Phillies are a stack to deploy with high priced pitchers or high priced one-offs. Sims is coming off his best start of the season, but has a FIP and xFIP about a run over his 4.13 ERA. He is another first round pick I am targeting tonight, who hasn't shown much at the major league level. He has allowed a .346 wOBA to lefties and a .358 wOBA to right-handers this season. Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez are two cheap middle infielders to deploy tonight, while Nick Williams and Hoskins bring the power to the table. Citizens Bank Park is also friendly for power, and the Phillies average 4.4 runs per game at home, compared to 3.8 on the road.