Fansided

MLB DFS advice: pitching gems September 13 – Cole against the world

By Brandon Lauderback

HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 08: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros heads to the locker room after the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park on September 8, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 08: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros heads to the locker room after the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park on September 8, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
MLB DFS Advice
MLB DFS Advice: SAN DIEGO, CA – APRIL 20: Luis Castillo #58 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park April 20, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Top MLB DFS Advice Pitchers

Luis Castillo – I have been a huge fan of Luis since he showcased his nasty slider last year. The kid is an amazing young talent, and Cincinnati really found something special in him. A match-up with Arizona is usually something I would shy away from, but they have been struggling behind the plate since the All-Star break, so I will have some interest here.

Castillo on the year, has a 3.38 xFIP, 29.3% K rate, 56.8% GB rate, and 36.9% HC rate. LHH will do slightly better on him, in regards to power, but he still strikes out 30% of them. Arizona has some good lefties, Escobar, Marte, and Rojas would be the biggest threats. Outside of those names that is basically all they have.

Pitch Mix – I really like how versatile his mix is, using that nasty change 34% of the time, more against LHH, he also recently decreased the fastball usage, and increased the sinker usage by 20%. This would be something to monitor since it was a recent change, and we do not know if he will keep using the sinker more on a permanent basis.

Slider, and change are his strikeout bread and butter, getting just over 40% whiffs on both of them. The fastball gets around 35% whiffs as well. Recently, each pitch got over 50% GB, which is impressive, and that sinker has gotten around 65% in the games he used it, which could be why he is incorporating it more often.

The fastball averages 96 MPH of velocity, with only 5.5 inches of vertical movement. That change has some dirty reverse movement, of around ten inches, and is one of the best changes in the league. I can see these lefties struggling with that pitch, and the RHH will struggle with the slider, making Luis an excellent GPP pivot from Cole.

Home/Fantasy