CORY’S PICKS

CORY’S PICKS

Hanson @ Hughes

Arroyo @ Masterson – Masterson en fuego now that he’s throwing strikes again

Westbrook @ Porcello

Nolasco @ Doubront – Nolasco back to PoD, matchup-based usage

Wells @ Floyd

Eovaldi @ Milone – Milone a stud at home

Vogelsong @ Weaver

Mazzaro @ Lyles

TBD (TOR) @ Gallardo

Vargas @ Cahill

Darvish @ Bass

Liriano @ Bedard – both are very high risk, very high reward

Hellickson @ Strasburg

Matusz @ Gee

White @ Blanton – Rockies are awful on the road

Hey everyone,

Back in April, who would’ve thought that R.A. Dickey and Lance Lynn would be crowned aces by mid-June? Dickey and Lynn’s promotions headline our newest version of the Pitch or Ditch category chart.

Pitch or Ditch Chart 6-19

Here are the changes we’ve made since the last chart:

                                                                                                                                  PROMOTIONS

Dickey grad to ace

Lynn grad to ace

Masterson PoD to grad

Buchholz PoD to grad

Miley PoD to grad

Burnett PoD to grad

Kuroda PoD to grad

Nova PoD to grad

Quintana indifferent to PoD

Richards indifferent to PoD

                                                                                                                                      DEMOTIONS

Romero ace to grad

Gallardo ace to grad

Latos grad to PoD

Floyd grad to PoD

Nolasco grad to PoD

Gomez PoD to indifferent

Kendrick PoD to indifferent

White PoD to indifferent

And once again, a reminder as to how the chart works:

We’ve divided all of the current starting rotation pitchers in the Majors into five groups: Aces, Grads (pitchers who should not be dropped and can be started almost all the time), Pitch or Ditch (guys who you should be picking up to start in favorable matchups but do not deserve a regular roster spot), DTMs (guys who we are fed up with and would not start under any circumstances for the time being) and Indifferents (guys who we don’t feel any ill-will towards but who just aren’t that good). Keep in mind that these classifications are very much subject to change throughout the season based on performance. We’ll be updating the chart every other week.

All feedback is welcome!

-Zach

CORY’S PICKS

T. Hudson @ Kuroda

Leake @ Tomlin – Leake was sick last time out but still had 6 K’s in 4.1 IP

Lynn @ Verlander

Buehrle @ Buchholz – yep, he’s back

Wood @ Peavy

Harang @ McCarthy – good K potential for Harang

Zito @ Wilson

Diamond @ Correia – it’s the Pirates: pitch

Price @ Wang

Hunter @ J. Santana

Hochevar @ Wandy

Chavez @ Thornburg

Ramirez @ D. Hudson

Feldman @ Volquez – nope, he’s still DTM

Outman @ Hamels

ZACH’S PICKS

                                                                                                                                         SATURDAY

Lee @ Romero

Fiers @ Hendriks

Friedrich @ Fister

Burnett @ Jimenez – Coming off two straight strong outings, I’ll pitch Ubaldo vs. woeful Pirates’ lineup.

Ohlendorf @ TBD (OAK)

Harrell @ Grimm

An. Sanchez @ Shields

Saunders @ Big Erv – This could be 2-1 or 10-9. Playing it safe and passing.

Lincecum @ Millwood – If Timmy doesn’t pitch well here, my panic meter will kick into high gear.

Pettitte @ Zimmermann

B. Chen @ Kelly

Hammel @ Beachy – Hammel has been shaky of late but I’ll give him a shot.

Lester @ Samardzija

Humber @ Billingsley

Bailey @ Niese – Homer has five quality starts in his last six outings.

                                                                                                                                              SUNDAY

Guthrie @ Scherzer – I think Max will do well here. COL struggles to score on the road.

Lincoln @ Gomez

Kendrick @ Alvarez – Alvarez a decent option in deeper leagues though. I just don’t see a lot of upside.

Johnson @ Cobb

Greinke @ Blackburn – Blackburn’s been very inconsistent lately.

Norris @ Lewis – How can we trust Norris @TEX after he gets roughed up by Giants?

Kennedy @ Richards – Richards not yet mixed league material.

Richard @ Colon – Great matchup for both.

Bumgarner @ King Felix

W. Chen @ Delgado – Chen’s been hit or miss lately but I’ll roll the dice on him here.

Nova @ Jackson

Mendoza @ Wainwright

Quintana @ Capuano – Quintana not a terrible choice in deeper leagues, but in 12-teamers I’m ditching.

Beckett @ Maholm

Cueto @ Young

                                                                                                                                            MONDAY

Minor @ Sabathia – I’m not expecting Minor to have same kind of success he enjoyed last time out vs. Yanks.

Latos @ Lowe – Latos earning back my trust.

Garza @ Peavy

Cain @ Williams – Williams has been lights out at home.

Arrieta @ Dickey

J. Sanchez @ Happ – This could get ugly.

TBD (TOR) @ Wolf

Noesi @ Miley – Gotta love Miley here.

Harrison @ Marquis

Hey everyone,

To help all you weekly leaguers, here are my thoughts on seven of the tougher calls for next week. Be sure to listen to today’s podcast when it comes out this afternoon as Cory will discuss some of these guys.

-Zach

                                                                                                                                                           Mat Latos  (@CLE, vs. MIN)

Yeah, Latos has been wildly inconsistent this season but he’s coming off a dominant performance vs. these same Indians and the Twins rank near the bottom of the AL in runs scored on the road. They’re also batting a lowly .230 in road games. I’ve been very down on Latos of late but I’m slowly starting to trust him again. Pitch.

Wade Miley  (vs. SEA, vs. CHC)

Miley shocked us all by throwing a gem @TEX and now gets to face an awful Mariners lineup along with a Cubs offense that ranks 14^th in the NL in runs scored. In case you haven’t noticed, he now sports a 2.39 ERA and 1.04 WHIP for the season! In mixed leagues of 12 teams or more, he’s a pitch.

Mark Buehrle  (@BOS, vs. TOR)

Buehrle always seems to fly under the radar but he’s very quietly enjoying life in the NL. That said, next week is a time to consider sitting him as he’ll be facing two of the better offenses in baseball. He doesn’t strike out a lot of guys so you’re basically counting on strong ratios. I don’t see it happening. Ditch.

Jerome Williams  (vs SF, vs LAD)

Williams has struggled of late but check out those home/road splits! 5-1 with a 2.93 ERA in six home starts this year and I’m still picking on the Giants’ lineup despite their 10-run outburst on Wednesday night. He’s a worthy play in deeper formats.

Aaron Harang  (@OAK, @LAA)

He’s had a few poor outings here and there but on the whole Harang has been very solid this season. He’s on a nice roll right now (2-0, 1.89 ERA over his last three starts), but don’t overlook his mediocre road numbers (4.37 ERA, 1.48 WHIP). I love the @OAK matchup and the @LAA matchup is a decent one, but in 12-team mixed leagues I’d take the conservative route and ditch. He should only be considered in NL-only and very deep mixed leagues.

Tommy Milone  (vs. LAD, vs. SF)

It’s very simple with Milone. You ditch him on the road (7.42 ERA, 1.67 WHIP) and pitch him at home (0.98 ERA, 0.85 WHIP). Two home starts (one of which is against the Giants) = Pitch.

Derek Lowe  (vs. CIN, @HOU)

Lowe has been a big tease this year, dominating in some starts but getting shelled in others. His 3.78 ERA is fine but he doesn’t strike anyone out and his 1.53 WHIP is ugly. These aren’t the toughest matchups in the world but the risk easily outweighs the reward. Ditch.

CORY’S PICKS

Francis @ Crosby

McDonald @ Masterson – Masterson much better of late

Worley @ Hutchison

Zambrano @ Moore

Lyles @ Darvish

Gallardo @ Liriano – roll the dice on Liriano if you feel lucky

Cahill @ Haren – Cahill not always great, but rarely terrible

Bass @ Blackley – Bass has thudded back to earth

Vogelsong @ Vargas – good home matchup for Vargas

Matsuzaka @ Dempster

Hughes @ Gonzalez

Matusz @ Hanson

Mazzaro @ Lohse

Sale @ Kershaw – “wow” matchup

Arroyo @ Gee

CORY’S PICKS

CORY’S PICKS

Strasburg @ Drabek

Correia @ Matusz

Dickey @ Price

Miley @ Harrison – Miley’s been great but this is too dangerous

Wolf @ Hochevar

Hamels @ Walters

Marquis @ Noesi – good matchup for improving Noesi

Doubront @ Nolasco

Lowe @ Leake

Kuroda @ T. Hudson – I’ll gamble on Timmy at home

Porcello @ Garza

Peavy @ Lynn

McCarthy @ White

Wilson @ Eovaldi – Eovaldi worth a look in deeper/unmixed leagues

Happ @ Cain

***ZACH SAYS “Noesi has been terrible over his last two starts, so I’m passing on him. In deeper leagues, I’d sooner take a chance on Happ @SF. Agree on rest.”

CORY’S PICKS

Lincoln @ W. Chen – worth a shot on Chen at home vs. a weak offense

Wang @ Alvarez – the low K rate is a concern but Alvarez gets it done…

Young @ Cobb

Kennedy @ Lewis – Kennedy’s recent resurgence earns the nod here

Greinke @ Mendoza

Kendrick @ Blackburn

Richard @ King Felix – Richard is usually a strict home play but in Seattle is the next-best thing

Buchholz @ Buehrle

Gomez @ Cueto

Sabathia @ Minor

Scherzer @ Maholm

Quintana @ Wainwright

Colon @ Guthrie – Colon in Coors? Yyyyaaaahhh… no.

Williams @ Harang

Norris @ Bumgarner