Welcome back into another edition of Diamond Picks. Tonight’s slate of games is leaning towards building lineups with higher-priced bats. One stud pitcher may or may not be on my radar, more on that in a bit. No time like the present to get right to it and dissect the offering of games. Let’s get to it!
Pitcher
Max Scherzer Washington Nationals
My hand was tipped earlier about the most obvious proven starter on the docket. Scherzer’s strikeout upside is always high. The Philadelphia Phillies are swinging the bat really well but we know how good Scherzer’s arsenal plays against any lineup. To date, Scherzer owns a K/9 of 13.3 which puts him amongst the league’s best starters. The Phillies are slashing .168/.215/.347 in 173 combined at-bats versus the veteran hurler. In his last five starts versus Philly, Scherzer has gone 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA with an impressive 44 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched.
Infield
Francisco Lindor SS Clevland Indians
Although the Cleveland Indians offense hasn’t been ultra-productive this season as they have been carried by their superior pitching depth, we can’t ignore pieces of the lineup tonight. The Indians will be matched up against Jake Junis of the Royals, and the results thus far have been great. Cleveland is hitting a combined .360 with a .592 SLG versus the right-hander. Cesar Hernandez, especially if he hits at the top of the lineup, is fully in play(he hit to a .300 average with two HRs, and four RBI last week). My favorite bat of the lineup is perennial all-star shortstop Francisco Lindor. Lindor has gone yard four times while hitting an eye-popping .500 with a 1.031 SLG in 32 at-bats when matched up versus Junis.
Manny Machado 3B San Diego Padres
Machado, like most of the Padres hitters this season, is hitting the cover off the ball, especially of late. Heading into Tuesday Manny is hitting .483 with a .897 SLG throughout 29 at-bats. Machado has only 11 at-bats to his name off of scheduled Angels starter Julio Teheran with a round-tripper. Once things turn over the bullpen the Friars will look to keep it rolling against LA’s group of relievers that rank 18th in terms of ERA with a mark of 4.41.
Outfield
Jake Cave Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins outfielder Jake Cave profiles as a nice value play. Before last night, Cave had gone 9-for-34 in his last ten games. More to like is the head-to-head numbers versus White Sox scheduled starter Reynaldo Lopez. Despite it being a small sample size of 10 at-bats, Cave has four hits(1 HR), four runs scored, and four RBI. Cave is currently getting more playing time while Byron Buxton continues to heal an inflamed left shoulder.
Ronald Acuna Jr. Atlanta Braves
The Red Sox are prepared to go with left-handed pitcher, Mike Kickham. Be sure to take a close look at Atlanta’s more than capable lineup before making your selections. On top of my list is Ronald Acuna. Acuna has been rolling of late going 9-for-23 with four taters heading into last night’s action. Once things get handed over to the bullpen, Braves hitters will look to tee-off against a group of arms that rank in the bottom portion of the league with a 5.28 ERA.
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