Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Ellis Canady reviews last night's MLB box scores (8/20) and provides fun opinions on a variety of topics to help fantasy baseball owners with their lineups.

Welcome to the August 21st edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox.

Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss topics but also look to improve our teams as well as the teams of our fellow fantasy baseball enthusiasts. Everyone has their own perspectives which are not to be cast off as frivolous. They should be used as a method of expanding our own knowledge.

In this article, I review the previous day's boxscores and provide my opinion on a variety of topics. Some will be random, some will be fun, and some will be stat-driven. It's a soapbox so I may rant from time to time as well. So without any further delay, below are my thoughts on August 20th games. Enjoy them. You can even respond with your own thoughts on Twitter @EllisCan2.

• Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
• BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
• PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
• Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
• Daily MLB starting lineups
• Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
• Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard
• Fantasy baseball injury reports

Daily Musings

• Eric Hosmer has a decadent Grand Slam of a sundae with a SB as the cherry on top.
• Luke Voit gives up Volleyball & focuses on baseball full time. (10 HR, .311 AVG)
• Where is the outrage for Mike Tauchman’s randomly intermittent playing time? (5th SB).
• James Paxton getting MRI. Is that why his velocity has been down 3 mph (92.4) this year?
• Psst, Andrew McCutchen is only 47% rostered. He has a .357/.379/.536 slash line in the last week. Leadoff man for Philly, C’mon. Too easy.
• **Measuring stick says…360 feet. Does it matter? A Bryce Harper tater is appreciated. Haters gonna find a way, though.
• Randal Grichuk, you know we’ve grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle. Where’s our daily homer?
• Scott Kingery, I’ll take two donuts. One Maple Bacon & one Chocolate Frosted, please. 0 HR, 0 SB, .111 AVG.
• Lucas Giolito conquers all & is the greatest. 7 IP, 13 K. “Yes, but it was the Tigers.”  I don’t care!!!
• If Tim Anderson is always hitting HR (six), maybe he is the batting champion (.379 AVG). Tries to sway the voters with SB (three) too.
• Eloy Jimenez IS the muscle. Eighth long ball.
• Two days of multi-hit games. Jose Altuve has only had five this year. It’s a start.
• German Marquez put your ERA/WHIP into a two-liter bottle with some MRE heater fragments & a little water. Put the lid on tight & step back. This might hurt a little. (5 IP, 10 ER)
• It’s like a piece of sweet & sour candy. Ryan McMahon hit two homers (five) but has a .225 AVG (.302 BABIP) & a 15.6% SwingStrike rate.
• Shane Bieber (5-0) continued the floggings of the Pirates. 6 IP, 11 K.
• Hey Dad, look what I found...a new swing. Cody Bellinger finds what works. 4 HR, 14 R+RBI, .280 AVG last seven days.
• Mookie Betts can be devilishly sneaky on the base paths (three).
• I’d say you’re injured Max Muncy, but your Brls/BBE (14.5%) and exit velo on FB/LD (95.6 mph). Maybe it’s the all-or-nothing attitude with 49% FB that keeps your AVG low (.168).
• Clayton Kershaw, just like his curveball, still hammers through a lineup. 7 IP, 11 K.
• Admit it. You actually doubted Jose Berrios. Brewers help remove all the shadows. 6 IP, 9 K.
• Boisterous Freddy Peralta exclaims, “Give me a spot in the rotation.” Nelson Cruz’s swing echoed “Sit down….sit down…sit down.” Ninth HR.
• I refuse to believe J.D. Martinez is done. 33 years old is so young. “Baby Come Back!” Given his age and current performance, a small acquisition might be made in dynasty leagues. Dooooo ittttt!
• How does Nathan Eovaldi stymy the O’s hot bats?
• When regular mail won’t do, Nick Solak Express is the way to go. 103.2 mph exit velo gets his second HR quickly to the (not-so) awaiting recipient.
• He’s been back for nine games. How long do the believers wait for Danny Santana to get right? Maybe you’re just using him for his speed (one).
• Trent Grisham novel cont: It’s been two weeks that Beau & Josephine has been w/o power. They’re nearly out of gas to transport necessities. To say it has been hard times is an understatement.
• Mike Moustakas waits until you put him in your lineup before homering. Chivalry is not dead.
• Yadier Molina can’t deny your long-distance deposit, Galvis (five). But a SB is something he cannot allow.
• Matt Chapman doesn’t mess around with his short game. He just drives the ball as far as he can. 428 & 434 feet is quite impressive.
• If you were impatiently waiting on Eduardo Escobar, you may now see his 2 HR, 12 R+RBI, 5BB, and .300 AVG in the last week.
• Hey! Don’t be dismissive. Yes, it was only his third multi-hit game of the year, but Khris Davis is trying real hard.
• Kevin Gausman hands you a tainted W. 5.1 IP, 4 ER.
• If players were drafted based on name alone, Anthony Bemboom has tremendous upside.
• Did you hear Wilmer Flores (six) homered? Well, yeah. A lefty was on the mound.

• Endgame
  • Today’s theme song. “You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have…The Facts of Life.”
  • Now you get Bad Joe. Jimenez w/ four ER in 0.1 IP.
  • Diego Castillo w/ tainted W. I’ll take it. one ER in 0.1 IP isn’t anything. Thanks.
  • I’d love a save but Jordan Romano can sing that sweet melody of Wins any time.
  • A.J. Cole (one).
  • Sharing is caring. Seven Rays have a save.
  • Hector Neris isn’t well. There is no other option.
  • Ryan Pressly (three). Gave up a run. Who else is there? Oh, outside the organization.
  • Brad Hand (seven). You want him to go away, but he’s getting the job done.
  • This isn’t the Emilio Pagan you used to know. This is what happens when you don’t call The Wolf. It gets messy. (1 IP, 1 ER, BS).
  • Pressure will bust an iron pipe. Raisel Iglesias succumbs 0.1 IP, three ER.
• It's Friday. That's right. You're almost through another week. Take a moment to pause & be thankful for what you have. Yes, someone has it better, but someone else has it worse. Smile. You woke up. You draw breath. Take advantage of it to the fullest.
• (No Fear, Just Fantasy)

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