MLB DFS pitching gems August 13: Kershaw is going fishing

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MLB: ANAHEIM, CA – JUNE 27: Griffin Canning #47 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches in the first inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 27, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

MLB DFS Pitching Plays

Griffin Canning – Griffin is back baby! I do really enjoy writing up Canning, and this price tag is a complete joke. He has a 4.89 xFIP, 25% K rate, 40% GB rate, 41.8% HC. Pittsburgh has been struggling, and while they do slightly better against RHP, they are still limited in the power department.

They are hitting 48% GB to RHP, with 37% HC, and with Bell struggling after the ASB, this makes for a very interesting play.

Pitch Mix – He uses the fastball 43% of the time, slider 27%, curve and change around 14% as well. The whiffs have been slightly down on his pitches, but the breaking balls are still around 35%. The GB rate in the fastball was actually up to 33% which was the highest all season.

Everything else was above 40% as well last time out. Another thing to mention is that the ISO against his fastball was below .100 for the first time all season.

This is something I will monitor doing forward, because while he does have a very good fastball, moving almost ten inches at 94 MPH, his placement sometimes gets him into trouble. We will also have to make sure he isn’t on a pitch limit, since nothing has been announced as of right now.