MLB DFS: Simmering Sluggers- Week of 7/22-7/28
MLB DFS: Simmering Sluggers- Week of 7/22-7/28- 2B, 3B
SECOND BASE
Adam Frazier, PIT
Batting Line from 7/11-7/21: .179 average (5-for-28), two doubles
- Line-Drive Rate from 7/11-7/21: 18.2 percent
- Hard-Contact Rate from 7/11-7/21: 26.1 percent
- BABIP from 7/11-7/21: .217
- Plate Appearances from 7/11-7/21: 28
Quick analysis: Frazier has hit both handedness of pitcher well all season and just hasn’t really had luck go his way since the All-Star break concluded. The 27-year-old’s LD and HC rates since that point haven’t necessarily been elevated, but they’ve certainly been high enough to warrant better than a .179 average and .217 BABIP over that span.
With plenty of inconsistent and/or inexperienced arms on the docket this week — including Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas (who Frazier owns a .360 average against), Walker Lockett and Steven Matz — Frazier could be poised to thrive.
THIRD BASE
Nolan Arenado, COL
Batting Line from 7/11-7/21: .257 average (9-for-35), one double, two home runs, nine RBI, two walks, one hit by pitch, two runs
- Line-Drive Rate from 7/11-7/21: 31.3 percent
- Hard-Contact Rate from 7/11-7/21: 46.9 percent
- BABIP from 7/11-7/21: .233
- Plate Appearances from 7/11-7/21: 38
Quick analysis: Arenado’s second-half batting line cited above isn’t awful, but dig a bit deeper. A .233 BABIP is a pretty significant mismatch for a 31.3 percent LD rate, and that’s bound to correct itself this coming week.
Arenado has paired it with a similarly impressive HC rate also, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few extra-base knocks start to fall this week if he keeps his batted-ball profile in the same neighborhood.
Granted, Arenado’s upcoming pitching match-ups read a bit like a Who’s Who of the NL — Strasburg, Castillo, Scherzer are all on his ledger — but he actually has a solid .267 lifetime average versus Strasburg, a 1-for-2 tally thus far against Castillo and also draws more beatable matchups in Erick Fedde, Anthony DeSclafani and Sonny Gray.