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MLB DFS Pitching Primer: Monday, 7/29 – It’s Always Sonny In Cincinnati

By Dan Palyo

FanDuel MLB: MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 06: Caleb Smith #31 of the Miami Marlins pitches in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on June 06, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
FanDuel MLB: MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 06: Caleb Smith #31 of the Miami Marlins pitches in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on June 06, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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GOODYEAR, AZ – FEBRUARY 19: Sonny Gray #54 of the Cincinnati Reds poses for a portrait at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex on February 19, 2019 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)r caption here>> on February 19, 2019 in Goodyear, Arizona.
GOODYEAR, AZ – FEBRUARY 19: Sonny Gray #54 of the Cincinnati Reds poses for a portrait at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex on February 19, 2019 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)r caption here>> on February 19, 2019 in Goodyear, Arizona. /

MLB DFS Pitching Primer: Top GPP Pivot

Sonny Gray (9.2k FD, 9.4k DK) vs. Pittsburgh

Sonny is having a major bounceback year in the Queen City and proving everyone wrong who said he was washed up last year when he struggled with the Yankees. His advanced metrics look better than they have at any stage of his career, even better than his best years in Oakland.

He’s transformed himself into a strikeout pitcher with a 28.7% K rate while still maintaining a 55% groundball rate. The only other pitchers in baseball to maintain a 28% K rate and a groundball rate over 50% this season are Luis Castillo, Charlie Morton, and Stephen Strasburg. That’s some pretty good company right there!

Gray faces a Pirates team that I am going to continue to attack with good pitchers. He’s pitching at home in a dangerous park but he’s fared well there this season with no noticeable home/road splits. He comes into this game in great form, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last 5 starts while striking out 38 hitters over his last 34 innings.