Max Scherzer made his first start in Detroit since leaving the team and signing with the Nationals. He seemed pretty amped up for this start and it shows in his final line: 8.0 innings, four hits, one run, 14 strikeouts, and the win. That performance was good enough to lead all players in DFS scoring on both DraftKings and FanDuel. This outing concluded an absolutely insane month of June for Scherzrer as he compiled 68 strikeouts across 45.0 innings pitched, had a 0.67 WHIP, a 1.00 ERA, and went a perfect 6-0 across six starts. For the season, he is now 8-5 with a 2.43 ERA and an absurd strikeout total of 170 across 122.1 innings pitched. He isn’t fair to the rest of the league or the hitters that have to face him.

Strong Outings

  • Shane Bieber could have just easily taken home spotlight honors with his eight shutout inning performance in a win over the Orioles. He gave up just three hits while striking out 11. He was the second highest DFS scorer yesterday on both DraftKings and Fanduel. He had zero double-digit strikeout outings in his first nine starts, but he now has four in his last nine. He will carry a 7-3 record and 3.54 ERA into his next start.
  • Blake Snell got out of his recent funk and dominated the Rangers. He tossed six innings of two-run ball and gave up three hits while striking out 12. He was only at 80 pitches and it was very surprising to see the Rays yank him for no particular reason. It was his fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the year and he now has 117 punch-outs across 85.0 innings. He will carry a 4.87 ERA into his next start.
  • Gerrit Cole hurled seven innings of one-run ball in a win over Seattle. He gave up five hits while striking out 10. Not too often do you see four guys in one day rack up double-digit strikeout totals. That outing wrapped up a fantastic month of June for Cole, who pitched to a 1.89 ERA in the month and went 3-0 across six starts. He will carry an 8-5 record and 3.28 ERA into his first July start.
  • Madison Bumgarner was dominant in a win over the Dbacks, tossing seven innings of one-run ball. He gave up four hits while striking out nine. The veteran lefty has racked up quality starts in seven of his last eight starts, but will still carry a disappointing 4.02 ERA into his next outing. He also has a lousy 5-7 record, but that’s more because the Giants are terrible. His fantasy owners will be hoping he gets traded to a contender.
  • Anthony DeSclafani fired six shutout innings in a win over the Cubs. He gave up five hits while striking out seven. He had a great month of June outside of one poor start on June 23 against the Brewers. In his four starts, he totaled 22 innings and gave up just three runs. He will carry a 5-4 record and 4.35 ERA into his next outing.
  • Lucas Giolito pitched well in a win over the Twins. His outing was rain-shortened and he only went five innings, but he didn’t allow a run and he only gave up one hit while striking out four. He improved to 11-2 with the win and his ERA is currently sitting at 2.72. A true breakout campaign.

Hitter Highlights

Matt Chapman led all hitters in scoring on both DraftKings and FanDuel; he finished 3-5 with a home run, a triple, a double, SIX RBI, and two runs scored. It can’t feel that great too finish just a single shy of the cycle, but I doubt he has any complaints with this performance. He now has 21 home runs, 52 RBI, and 57 runs scored to go along with a .270 batting average.

Bryce Harper had a big day in a win over Miami, going 3-4 with a home run, a walk, four RBI, and two runs scored. The home run was his 15th and the four RBI bring him up to 59 for the year. Harper hasn’t set the world on fire in his first season with Philly, but he hasn’t been nearly as bad as people think/say.

Justin Smoak had a double-dong game in a loss to the Royals and he finished with three RBI. He now has 14 home runs on the year with 37 RBI and a .227 batting average. It has been a bit of a down year for him, but he could still provide a contender with a power switch-hitting bat if the Blue Jays decide to move him before the deadline.

Tommy La Stella was named an all-star yesterday and he did so in style, going 3-4 with a walk and a run scored in the Angels loss. He is now hitting .304 with 16 home runs, 44 RBI, and 49 runs scored on the year, all of which are new career highs for the 30-year old. It’s been a remarkable breakout season that not too many people saw coming.

Shohei Ohtani smacked a pair of solo home runs and accounted for nearly all of the Angels runs. What a month of June it was for Ohtani as he hit .340 with nine home runs and 22 RBI cross 27 games. He is currently hitting .299 with 12 home runs, 35 RBI, and four stolen bases in just 47 games played this year.  

Joc Pederson had a nice game, going 3-5 with a walk, three RBI, and a run scored. He is having the best season of his career and he should easily set new career highs in home runs, RBI, and runs scored as long as he stays healthy. He currently has 20 home runs, 40 RBI, and 48 runs scored to go along with his .243 batting average.

Kevin Pillar had a big game for the Giants in their win, going 4-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI, and scoring twice. Pillar has played well for the Giants this year, hitting .250 with 11 home runs, 42 RBI, 41 runs scored, and stealing eight bases across 78 games.

Jeff McNeil showed why the players voted him into the all-star game yesterday as he finished 3-5 with a pair of RBI and runs scored. He also stole a base in the Mets 8-5 win over Atlanta. He is currently hitting a robust .348 while playing anywhere the Mets need him to.

Ronald Acuña Jr. stuffed the stat sheet in the Braves loss, finishing 3-5 with a home run, a RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base. He was the only player with a bash-and-dash yesterday. He reached 100 hits for the season and he has 20 home runs, 52 RBI, 64 runs scored, and 13 steals to go along with a .295 batting average. He’s 21-years old.

What to Watch for Today

Mike Minor, the all-star, will take on the Angels in Texas today and look to improve to 9-4 on the season. He is the American League leader in ERA at 2.40 and every bit deserving of his first all-star nod at age 31. It will be interesting to see if the Rangers try to trade Minor this season and if they do, who he ends up with.

Logan Allen will make the third start of his career in a match-up with the Giants. Through two starts, the lefty is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Facing the Giants gives him another great opportunity or continued success.