Roto Riteup: July 3, 2024

I have had nights like these:

7.2.1993

Longest night in MLB history.

Phillies lose game 1 of their doubleheader with the Padres 5-2, as rain delays push the finish past 1:00am. Takes 8 hours, 28 minutes.

Then they start game 2.pic.twitter.com/EFFzKPLEWh

— John Foley (@2008Philz) July 2, 2024

 

On the Agenda: 

1. Quick Hits
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitchers

 

Quick Hits

Jordan Montgomery was placed on the IL with an ankle injury. There is no timetable for his return. 

Royce Lewis left Tuesday’s game with groin tightness. Consider him day-to-day for now. 

 

Various News and Notes

DJ Herz threw 5.2 innings and allowed one run on five hits and no walks while striking out 10 in the loss to the Mets on Tuesday. 

DJ Herz, Nasty 86mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/H3TImzMvvs

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 2, 2024

Hertz was fantastic in the outing, getting a 42% CSW on the fastball and a 45% CSW on the cutter. The stuff is not in question, but he does struggle with his command at times which leads to home runs. If he can learn to harness his stuff consistently, then he could have a true breakout.

Michael Mercado threw five innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out four in the victory over the Cubs on Tuesday.

Michael Mercado's 4Ks. @PhilliesBell pic.twitter.com/3nvsDxZ4c5

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 3, 2024

Mercado was good in the outing, getting a 38% whiff rate on his cutter, but he wasn’t overwhelming for most part. This was his Major League debut for the rookie and the fact he held his own was impressive, but he has struggled in the minors with command and control which doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence. He is someone to put on your watch list, but I wouldn’t be running to pick him up outside of deeper formats.

Spencer Horwitz went 1-for-4 with a home run in the victory over the Astros on Tuesday.

Spencer Horwitz, with style. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/WACIihzCNM

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 2, 2024

Horwitz has been great since his callup, hitting .302/.436/.492 with three home runs in 78 plate appearances. More importantly, he has hit no lower than third in any of his starts since being called up because of his amazing plate skills. The combination of these things give him the opportunity to rack up a ton of runs scored at the top of the Blue Jays lineup.

 

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)

Pitcher for Today:  None

Some intriguing high risk options, but none that I trust.

High Risk Options: Dean Kremer at SEA, Miles Mikolas at PIT, David Festa vs DET, Davis Daniel at OAK, Trevor Rogers vs BOS, Joey Estes vs LAA. 

 

Pitcher for Tomorrow: Landon Knack vs ARI

Knack has pitched well for the Dodgers and gets a Diamondbacks team I am not afraid to stream against. 

High Risk Options: Frankie Montas at NYY, Alec Marsh at TB, Jose Quintana at WAS, JP Sears vs LAA.  

For those of you that would like to see how these picks play out, I have a doc I put together to track the stats from my recommended pitchers. It does not include the “High Risk Options.”