Apparently, Johnny Cueto is back in the majors for his first start of the season. He’s been hanging out in Salt Lake since mid-July, where he somehow had a 3.09 ERA but a 1.39 WHIP in 23 innings. While the Royals are enigma, this offense is for real, and they are going to get to Cueto early and often. I know stacks aren’t my forte, but this one is simply too good to pass up. Let’s see how many Royals we can fit into this lineup against Cueto for tonight’s 8-game slate starting at 7:05pm EST.
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Ryan Pepiot, SP $8,300 – Pepiot faces off against the Oakland A’s tonight. This is an opponent he had a 20-point performance against earlier this season. As for his recent starts, he’s had over 20 points in 3 of his last 5, with one being 18. The A’s do have some power in the lineup and can surprise opposing pitchers, but given his recent success overall and his previous good start against them, I like Pepiot in this spot.
Yariel Rodriguez, SP: $7,300 – Let’s live a little. Yariel Rodriguez has been good, not great this year and hasn’t gotten a win since July 6th. He sports a 3.93 ERA with 57Ks in 55 innings, again I say, good not great. He has a chance to get us a 20-point game, but more likely to see about 15 or so. The Reds do have some hitters than can make Yariel’s life miserable, but with the game being in Toronto, I’m taking a chance on Rodriguez with this price.
Salvador Perez, C: $5,100 –Royal number 1. This is certainly more than we want to pay, but Perez is as solid as they come for this Royals team. He’s mashed 22 homers and has 85 RBI (probably thanks to Witt). He’ll have plenty of chances to drive in runs and make some noise for us tonight.
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B: $4,800 –Not only is he a must start because of Cueto on the bump, Pasquatch has had double digit outputs in 4 of his last 5 games. We get to ride the hot hand while fading an over-the-hill pitcher, sign me up everytime.
Michael Massey 2B: $4,200 – Another addition to our Royals stack. His price of $4,200 makes sense given his output and expected poor outing from Cueto. Massey has some pop in his bat, as he has 10 homers this year to go along with a .265 average. 0 is possible, but highly unlikely given the circumstances.
Zach Neto, SS: $4,000 – Unfortunately, this can’t be Bobby Witt Jr due to price-point. So, here’s hoping that most of the Royals lineup produces, and he doesn’t. Our pick is Zach Neto. He is quietly having one of the best seasons for a shortstop in the Majors this year. He’s 1 homer shy of a 20-20 season while hitting .262 with 63 RBI. He’s got power, speed, and has had two straight strong performances in a row.
Jackson Chourio, OF: $4,200 – Chourio is a budding young superstar that will certainly cost more than $4,200 in years to come. For now, we’ll take advantage at this price. He faces Kyle Gibson and the Cardinals this evening, and I have a personal vendetta against Kyle Gibson. There is no good reason for it, I just don’t like the guy. With that said, we take Chourio with hopes he gets to Gibson with the bat, and on the bases. A 20-point game is not out of the question here.
Kerry Carpenter, OF: $4,200 – Kerry Carpenter returned after an extended absence to absolutely destroy the Mariners. He’s cooled off in the last few games since this weekend, but facing the Cubs and Taillon, he can make an impact again. Taillon gives up runs often and Carpenter will benefit greatly from this. He has roughly 170 at-bats but spots a .903 OPS. He’s a good hitter, and this recent dry spell just means he’s due.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
You can take Maikel Garcia at 2B if Massey is out for some reason. There are clearly other options tonight, so if you’re high on Johnny Cueto, then feel free to fade.
Miraculously, there is no inclement weather, but some 10+ mph winds blowing out in Yankees/Guardians and Rays/A’s.
Doing Lines In Vegas
The Royals/Angels have the higher over/under of the slate at 9. The largest favorite is the Yankees at -192 against the Guardians followed closely by the Dodgers at -185 against the Mainers.
