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MLB DFS pitching primer: Monday, 8/19 – Do pitchers matter?

By Dan Palyo

DFS MLB: MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 14: Kyle Gibson #44 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim during the first inning of the game on May 14, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
DFS MLB: MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 14: Kyle Gibson #44 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim during the first inning of the game on May 14, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – AUGUST 08: Starting pitcher Jorge Lopez #28 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers during an MLB game at Comerica Park on August 8, 2019, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – AUGUST 08: Starting pitcher Jorge Lopez #28 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers during an MLB game at Comerica Park on August 8, 2019, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

MLB DFS Pitching Primer: Gas Can of the Night

Jorge Lopez (and Kansas City bullpen) @ Baltimore

Lopez is going to get another chance to start for the Royals tonight in Baltimore. That has to be exciting for the Orioles hitters because Lopez has been horrible this year. Lopez was working out of the pen for much of the season after being demoted from the rotation and is getting a chance to make some spot starts here down the stretch.

He does have good strikeout numbers, but he is allowing a ton of hard contact to batters on both sides of the plate. Lefties, in particular, have been hammering him this season with a .427 wOBA and a .247 ISO. The Orioles are not usually the first offense you look to stack but don’t sleep on them tonight as I think they could definitely put up a crooked number on Lopez and this poor Royals bullpen in the hot and humid hitting conditions at Camden Yards.

Chi-Chi Gonzalez @ Arizona

Gonzalez has to be one of the worst pitchers in baseball right now. His FIP of 6.90 suggests that his ERA of 6.57 is no fluke and his walk rate of 12% is almost as high as his strikeout rate of 13%. This season he has a hard contact rate of 45% against left-handed hitters and an average exit velocity of 91.8 MPH. In other words, lefties are smoking the ball off him consistently and he’s not missing many bats. Stack up the Snakes in tourneys tonight as they should be all off Gonalez and his low 90’s fastball and weak slider.