Kutter Crawford has an ideal matchup against the Miami Marlins, who currently boast the most aggressive batting approach in the league over the past month. They hold the lowest walk rate at 4.0% (with the next closest at 6.2%) and the highest swing rate at 55.0% (compared to the next closest at 51.5%). Despite their aggressiveness, they’ve struggled with a 64 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers during this period, indicating a lack of offensive success.
For a right-handed pitcher like Crawford, there couldn’t be a more favorable opponent in terms of pitching deep into games. He has consistently pitched 6 or more innings in 10 of his last 12 starts, achieving this mark in each of his last 4 starts without exceeding 90 pitches. Crawford has been particularly efficient lately and should be well-rested following a rain-shortened outing on June 26th.
Crawford’s performance metrics are solid across the board, ranking from average to above average. With a zone rate of 53.1%, he’s likely to control the strike zone effectively against Miami’s aggressive lineup, minimizing walks and prolonging at-bats.
Lock of the Day
Alex Bregman Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI’s (-130, DraftKings)
Alex Bregman has been performing exceptionally well against right-handed pitchers, achieving this line in 17 out of his last 20 games. Since May 10th, he has averaged 2.19 hits + runs + RBIs per 4 plate appearances against righties. His OPS against right-handers stands at 0.757, which is significantly higher than his 0.589 OPS against left-handers.
Facing Jose Berrios adds to the attractiveness of this bet. Berrios has shown vulnerability against right-handed hitters, allowing a .280 batting average to them (.219 to left-handers). While not egregiously poor, this performance gap is enough to bolster confidence in Bregman’s ability to capitalize.
Berrios relies heavily on his sinker and curveball, pitches where Bregman has excelled. His season-average wOBA of .312 jumps to .352 against these pitches from May 10th onwards against right-handed pitchers.
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