by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

With many teams putting up their B or C lineups, the biggest stories came from the mound yesterday (as we’d expect on the final day of the season).  There were a few hitters who had some noteworthy days, but for the most part the spotlight belongs on the Blake Snell’s and James Paxton’s, who stole the show.  Let’s take a look at their performances and all the rest from yesterday’s action:

1) A dominant Blake Snell steals the night…
He faced off against a lifeless Orioles team, tossing 7.0 shutout innings allowing 2 H and 0 BB.  That wasn’t the most impressive number, though, as he racked up 13 K thanks to 24 swinging strikes.  No one has ever questioned his strikeout stuff, the problem has always been his control.  Obviously this type of performance has been the exception, not the rule, as he posted a 5.16 BB/9 in 89.0 IP in the Majors last season and a 4.34 BB/9 over 122.1 IP entering the day.  The upside is there, and while replicating this performance is going to be nearly impossible it does go to show the type of upside that he has. Read more

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

Aaron Judge put what could be his final touch on a likely Rookie of the Year campaign, going 1-3 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R (giving him 52 HR and 114 RBI).  Matt Cain finished his career on a strong note, despite taking a no decision, as he tossed 5.0 shutout innings allowing 2 H and 1 BB, striking out 4, over 5.0 IP against the Padres.  Clayton Kershaw’s final tune up was unimpressive, allowing 3 ER on 7 H over 4.0 IP in Colorado.  What else happened on the field that we need to know about?  Let’s take a look:

1) Lance McCullers struggles in his final start…
Taking on the Red Sox, in Boston, he allowed 5 ER on 6 H and 2 BB, striking out 6, over 4.1 IP.  While it’s easy to see the upside potential, 2017 has to be considered a disappointment for McCulllers as he’s battled injury and ended the season with a 4.25 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.  Of course he also entered the day with a 61.6% groundball rate, 9.92 K/9 and 2.99 BB/9 over 114.1 IP, showing that he has the potential to be a fantasy ace if it all comes together.  A .325 BABIP and 69.3% strand rate dragged down the numbers, and given the injuries it’s possible that he gets viewed as a bullpen arm.  Time will tell, but at this point view him as a potential James Paxton type breakout candidate come 2018. Read more

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

One start means nothing in the scheme of things, but it was nice to see Masahiro Tanaka finish with a bang tossing 7.0 shutout innings allowing 3 H and 0 BB while striking out 15.  It was another ace performance from Stephen Strasburg, who tossed 7.2 shutout innings allowing 2 H and 2 BB, striking out 8, to finish the year at 15-4 with a 2.52 ERA.  Mike Trout posted a big day, going 2-3 with 2 HR, 2 RBI and 2 R.  What else happened on the field that we need to know about?  Let’s take a look…

1) Greg Bird continues to find his footing…
He went 2-2 with 2 RBI. Extending his hitting streak to 7 games.  Over the streak he’s gone 10-24 with 4 HR, 11 RBI and 6 R.  Even more impressive is his 4 K vs. 2 BB over the stretch, and while the end game numbers stink he’s finally showing what he can do when he’s healthy and finding his footing.  Strikeouts are going to be key (he entered the day with a career 28.0% strikeout rate) and he’ll likely be more of a platoon player, but he has the potential to hit .280+ with 30 HR when things are right.  He’s certainly not a player to ignore, and this late season surge is showing us why. Read more

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

It was a dominant performance from Carlos Carrasco, who tossed 8.1 shutout innings allowing 6 H and 1 BB while striking out 14 (and only needing 112 pitches to get there).  Carlos Correa filled the box score, going 4-4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 3 R (finishing a triple short of the cycle).  Giancarlo Stanton is making his push for 60 HR, going 3-4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 3 R.  What else happened on the field that we need to know about?  Let’s take a look:

1) Is Jason Kipnis rediscovering himself…
It’s basically been a lost season for Kipnis, who is hitting .232 with 12 HR and has missed significant time due to injury.  He did get the Indians going yesterday though, going 1-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R, and now has hits in five of his past six games (7-20 with 1 HR, 5 RBI and 2 R).  It’s promising, and there’s obviously reason to believe that he would improve upon his .258 BABIP if he had the time (.315 for his career).  He also has continued to show an ability to make more than enough contact, with a 19.6% strikeout rate.  Maybe he doesn’t bring the stolen base potential that he once did, but he appears primed to be a solid bounce back candidate heading into 2018. Read more

by Ray Kuhn

The playoff picture is getting clearer as we saw two more teams, the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins, celebrate last night. Hopefully that will be your fate as well come Sunday evening. Let’s take a look at some of the performances that stood out from a busy day in baseball:

1) Correa Leaves the Park, Twice…

When watching Carlos Correa close out the year, it is only natural to wonder what his numbers would have been if he didn’t miss almost two months of the season with a thumb injury. The good news though, is the shortstop is going out with a bang, and going into next season, he will only continue to improve. Against the Rangers on Wednesday, Correa picked up hits in four of his five at bats, while hitting home runs in consecutive at bats (which also came in consecutive innings). Correa finished a triple shy of the cycle, and in 412 at bats so far this season, he has 23 home runs and 81 RBI while batting .308. Since his return, Correa is hitting .264 in 22 games, but it was a good sign to see him go deep yesterday, as there is always a concern about the temporary loss of power following a hand injury. Read more

by Ray Kuhn

We had a busy Tuesday across baseball as the 2017 winds down. Whether you are making that final push towards a championship, getting ready for next season, or getting those last few days of DFS in, we have you covered. Let’s take a look at some of the performances that stood out from last night:

1) Hernandez Shows off the Power…

September is all about young players taking advantage of their chance. The trade from Houston gave Teoscar Hernandez that chance, and he is working towards a 2018 role with the Blue Jays. Batting lead-off, Hernandez went deep twice. His first home run was a solo shot off Chris Sale, and then followed it up with a three run blast. The problem though, is that in his other three at bats, Hernandez struck out. In 73 at bats with Toronto this season, Hernandez has seven home runs and 18 RBI while batting .274. His BABIP is .317, and it is very possible he holds onto his role for next season. Read more