June Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence
VegasInsider.com
You know the saying, “May flowers bring June showers.” For Major League Baseball pitchers hurling during the month of June, showers are hopefully not in their immediate plans. Instead, MLB starting pitchers hope to stay in the game long enough to avoid having to clean up early.
Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of June. On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in June, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts.
To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each June over the last three years. And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.
Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s June list.
GOOD MONTH PITCHERS
Chen, Wei-Yin. - 11-5 (8-2 H)
Chen was 2-3 this season before being shut down after his May 1st start. His right elbow received a platelet-rich plasma injection and there is still no timetable for his return from the DL.
Lester, Jon - 12-5 (6-1 H)
After a series of fine starts, Lester was roughed up by Los Angeles at the end of May, which raised his ERA to 3.86. But like the weather, the left-hander warms up and has experienced several strong June's. And when pitching at Wrigley Field this season, opposing hitters own only a .179 batting average.
Kershaw, Clayton - 13-4 (7-1 H)
Baseball's best pitcher continues to shine and with how the L.A. Dodgers enter this month, Kershaw should pile up the victories. While Kershaw is still sensational, he's been plagued for the first time in allowing home runs, with 10 already surrendered.
Martinez, Carlos - 9-4 (5-2 A)
After a really slow start, the Cards' Martinez has lowered his ERA more than 1.50 runs and is back to typical career numbers. Quietly, his batting averaged allowed is at .217, compared to .244 for his St. Louis career.
*Sanchez, Anibal - 8-4 (2-0 A)
With low velocity and sharpness to his breaking pitches gone, Sanchez has been sent to the bullpen with his substantial contract and only being used in mop up roles and even then his ERA is still at 9.00.
*Tillman, Chris - 12-4 (8-2 H)
Tillman started the season with shoulder woes and did not make first start until May 7th. After five starts he still seems to searching for location and command and he will be worth watching given his prior June numbers.
BAD MONTH PITCHERS
Eovaldi, Nate - 5-11 (2-5 H)
Still recovering from Tommy John surgery ant not likely to hurl this season.
Liriano, Francisco - 3-9 (2-6 H)
The 33-year old lefty has been on the DL since mid-May with a bum shoulder and is scheduled to start for Toronto on June 2nd. Once possessing one of the best curveballs in baseball, age and injuries seem to be taking their toll.
*Miller, Shelby - 4-10 (2-5 H)
After a much better start to this season compared to last, Miller blew out his elbow and is another Tommy John victim.
Samardzija, Jeff - 5-11 (2-5 H)
San Francisco has made few front office mistakes in the last nine years. After not learning their lesson about long contracts for starting pitchers like Matt Cain, they signed Samardzija to five-deal deal and are not reaping the benefits. There was a reason he was 47-61 BEFORE going the Giants and he is 13-18 with them.
Santana, Ervin - 2-8 (1-5 A)
The right-hander is easily off to the best start of his career in 2017, pitching for Minnesota. He will enter this month with a 1.75 ERA (career 4.01), however, in past seasons after quick starts, Santana has eventually regressed towards the norm.
*Weaver, Jered - 5-11 (3-8 H)
With a 0-5 record and 7.94 ERA after nine starts with San Diego, the Padres placed this former ace on the DL. Weaver is a shell of his former prominence and the separation between fastballs, curves and change-ups, no longer fools batters. It’s sad to watch from a hurler who really understood how to pitch side-and-side and up-and-down without an overpowering heater.
June Buy/Sell MLB Starters
By Joe Nelson
Playbook.com
Current form doesn't always hold but here are four MLB starters that appear to be heading in the right direction into the month of June and four starters that appear to be falling off a stronger early season pace. Consider buying or selling these pitchers in some fantasy formats or look for upcoming play-on and play-against situations involving these starters in the upcoming weeks.
Buy/Play
Jimmy Nelson - Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers remain a first place team at the end of May even with a less impressive recent run of play. Whether or not Milwaukee can remain a viable playoff threat all summer is certainly a fair debate but the Brewers are one of the better scoring teams in baseball and Jimmy Nelson has proven himself as a rare pitcher that fares well pitching at high scoring Miller Park with a career ERA of 3.83, including 3.60 this season at home. Nelson has delivered a fine month of May to shake off a marginal April with a 2.28 ERA in the month and a 10.1 K/9 over five starts. Given that Milwaukee will be dogged in many matchups home or away including in many NL West draws ahead in June, Nelson may be worth a look in several upcoming starts or as a potential fantasy option in deeper leagues with his ownership rate currently at around 15 percent and a high strikeout ceiling. Nelson's success in May came with a higher than average .324 BABIP as his ceiling could be even higher and his modest walk and home run rates are very attractive through 10 starts this season.
Martin Perez - Texas Rangers
Martin Perez won 10 games for the Rangers last season in nearly 200 innings and while he has felt like a pitcher the team is always looking to replace in the rotation, he will present some value opportunities ahead for a Texas squad that is showing signs of making a run. Perez is 2-5 with a 4.19 ERA but he has been saddled with a very high .347 BABIP that is 41 points above his career average. Perez is not a high strikeout pitcher but he has allowed four or fewer runs in 10 of 11 starts this season. Perez has some of his best career splits in the month of June and his career ERA in Arlington is just 3.79 despite the high scoring track record of the now named Globe Life Park. Texas owns an excellent home record at 17-9 and while the Astros are running away with the AL West the Rangers look capable of making a run into wild card contention, recently boosted with the return of Adrian Beltre. Texas will have underdog opportunities behind Perez in June with games against the Astros, Nationals, Yankees, and Indians in the month. Perez normally receives a much higher groundball rate than his current 45 percent clip as he could see his numbers improve over the summer.
Jordan Montgomery - New York Yankees
Rookie Jordan Montgomery is just 2-4 through nine starts this season at just 24-years of age. He has looked the part as quality option on the mound for a Yankees team that continues to provide plenty of run support. Montgomery hasn't yet pitched seven innings in a start at the MLB level but New York's bullpen is very good and the unit should get Aroldis Chapman in the near future to add to that strength. Montgomery figures to draw lesser pricing than the more established starters in the New York rotation and he will certainly be worth a look vs. lineups that are less successful vs. southpaw pitching. While his ERA is 4.11 his FIP is just 3.60 through just over 50 innings of work and a third of his base runners have come around to score this season, a figure that is likely to improve. Walks were a problem for Montgomery early in the season but he has allowed just five walks in his last four starts and only allowing five home runs so far this season is a promising sign especially considering that Montgomery has already faced several powerful lineups including the Rays, Cubs, Astros, and Orioles (twice). Montgomery will have his innings under close watch and could show some fatigue later this summer as the next several weeks may be the best time to cash in on the promising rookie.
Clayton Richard - San Diego Padres
Clayton Richard technically got a World Series ring last season as the veteran pitched into late July with the Cubs before being released. He was picked up by the Padres to finish the season and signed for 2017 as well, re-joining the team where he had the best success in his career with solid seasons in 2010 and 2012. The Padres have one of the worst records in baseball with a tepid offensive attack but Richard is pitching well for San Diego and will give his team a chance at some upcoming upsets. Over his last six starts his FIP is just 3.26 with an increased strikeout rate and while he is 1-3 with a 4.23 ERA in that span he has had some tough luck with a .342 BABIP while also facing some of the league's better offenses in his recent starts. Richard doesn't allow many home runs and has a low walk rate while getting groundballs at a very strong rate so far this season. Pitching at Petco Park can help his cause with San Diego set to play 16 June home dates and the Padres featuring much more respectable showings at home this season.
Sell/Fade
Kyle Freeland - Colorado Rockies
24-year old Kyle Freeland has been a big piece of the surprising success of the Rockies so far this season, living up to his billing as the #8 pick in the 2014 draft. With five wins and a 3.43 ERA in 10 starts Freeland has been successful but there are some serious red flags with a 4.41 FIP a very low .271 BABIP, and just a 5.6 K/9 strikeout rate. Freeland is also walking batters at a very high rate and after allowing just 10 runs in his first six starts he has allowed 15 runs over his past four starts. Freeland has only made four Coor's Field starts where his ERA is much higher at 3.94 and it isn't clear if the Rockies will be able to maintain the greatly improved numbers from the bullpen and the defense the rest of the season. Ultimately Freeland might be the Rockies pitcher to consider fading in a mostly undistinguishable rotation with Colorado looking like a team that is unlikely to maintain its early season pace.
Lance Lynn - St. Louis Cardinals
Perhaps a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, Lance Lynn is pitching well after missing the entire 2016 season. Lynn won 60 games for the Cardinals from 2012-2015 and he is 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA so far this season. While St. Louis appears to be a team that will stay in NL Central and NL Wild Card contention all season, underachieving starters Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright look poised for better results the rest of the way. Lynn has incredibly stranded 83 percent of his base runners this season and his .212 BABIP is the third lowest of all qualified MLB starters and 90 points below Lynn's career average. Lynn owns a 4.72 FIP and he has now allowed at least four runs in three of his last four starts while failing to pick up a win in that stretch as his numbers are heading in the wrong direction. While Lynn is likely to remain a solid starter the rest of the season given his career track record he could be a high risk starter on the road where his numbers are significantly worse or vs. lineups with quality left-handed hitters as so far in 2017 there is huge disparity in his results vs. lefties and righties, with lefties batting .260 and righties batting only .136.
Gio Gonzalez - Washington Nationals
Gio Gonzalez has taken just one loss this season pitching for a Nationals team on pace to run away with the NL East. Gonzalez owns an ERA of 3.03 that could rival his career season in 2012 but his strikeout rate is on pace to be the lowest since the 2010 season and he owns an alarming walk rate of 4.6 BB/9. A .277 BABIP has helped his cause along with 87 percent of his base runners failing to score as if not for a rather steady career track record the numbers for Gonzalez would stand out as very suspicious including a 4.76 FIP that is nearly two runs higher than his ERA. Gonzalez has been hit hard in his last three road starts as his success has been built on the majority of his starts coming at home this season and five of his starts have also come against the four NL East rivals that are collectively 82-118. Washington has received incredible offensive results in the first two months with unsustainable paces for some of the stars in the lineup and a slump could be ahead with a June schedule that features the Dodgers and Cubs as well as some less familiar foes with interleague matchups early in the month. Gonzalez doesn't look like a pitcher one would want to lay a big number with in the coming weeks with Washington likely to open as solid chalk on most nights.
Gerrit Cole - Pittsburgh Pirates
At still just 26-years old former #1 pick Gerrit Cole is on the short list of rising star pitchers in the National League. Cole had a brilliant 2015 season for a very good Pirates team before regressing to an average injury-plagued season in 2016, netting just 116 innings of work. Cole has pitched better than his 2-5 record with a 3.65 ERA but a 4.40 FIP looms over that figure and Cole is getting far fewer strikeouts than in his best stretches, posting just 7.4 K/9 so far this season. Cole has a lower groundball rate than in his successful 2014 and 2015 seasons and he has already allowed 12 home runs this season. Cole has allowed 66 hits in just over 66 innings despite a fairly low .278 BABIP and ultimately he is pitching for a Pirates team that has limited prospects the rest of the way. Pittsburgh has declined offensively and defensively so far this season and while only 3.5 games out of first place late in May, the Pirates are in 5th place in the NL Central with the fewest runs scored and the worst scoring differential in the division. Gregory Polanco has battled injuries this season and Andrew McCutchen hasn't looked like his past MVP form. If Pittsburgh continues to struggle some key players could be dealt and the respectable bullpen could also lose pieces that could lessen the opportunities for Pittsburgh starters to pick up wins. Cole will still be valued like an upper-tier starter in many matchups even though he hasn't resembled the pitcher that finished 4th in the NL Cy Young voting two years ago.
It's not even June!
It's not even June!
Now it is. 😛
Lefty vs. Righty Splits
By Joe Nelson
VegasInsider.com
Comparing team batting splits against right-handed pitching and left-handed pitching can offer some handicapping opportunities.
For example the Blue Jays being just 3-10 vs. left-handed starters this season while White Sox being 11-7 vs. left-handed starters can explain the somewhat unexpected results of those squads to some degree.
Here is a deeper look at some of the team batting splits in the American League through early June in the 2017 season.
Best hitting team vs. right-handers: Houston Astros
With an amazing 42-16 record the Astros are pacing baseball, holding a 14-game lead in the AL West barely two months into the season. Improvement has basically been across the board for Houston and the Astros have the AL’s top OPS vs. right-handed pitching at .824, while sitting second in the AL vs. left-handed pitching at .793. Both numbers are a huge improvement on the 2016 numbers with a .087 boost vs. righties and a .062 boost vs. lefties, two of the biggest jumps in the league.
Best hitting team vs. left-handed pitching: Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have been a surprise this season as Chicago was almost universally projected to be the very worst team in the AL. Chicago has slipped a bit in the last few weeks to sit at 24-31 to make any playoff hopes faint but this remains a team that is likely to outperform a projected win total in the upper 60s with only San Diego facing a more dire spring training outlook. Chicago has been the league’s worst hitting team vs. right-handed pitching with a .681 OPS but vs. left-handers Chicago owns a .815 OPS for by far the best mark in the AL. Looking at the lineup it isn’t a major surprise the splits are so lopsided as Chicago routinely uses only right-handers and switch-hitters in its lineup, even against right-handed pitching.
Most improved vs. right-handed pitching: New York Yankees
New York’s offense has flourished this season and while the numbers vs. left-handed pitching are only slightly improved compared with the 2016 season the numbers vs. right-handers have made a dramatic jump. Against right-handers New York has gone from posting a .724 OPS in 2016 to a .814 OPS so far in 2017, the biggest positive leap of any team vs. either side compared with last season. Aaron Judge alone is providing much of the boost with 14 of his 18 home runs vs. right-handers posting an outrageous 1.111 OPS in 170 plate appearances vs. right-handers. Switch hitter Aaron Hicks has also been very productive batting left-handed, while catcher Gary Sanchez is a far better hitter vs. right-handers despite batting right-handed.
Biggest decline vs. right-handed pitching: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are certainly still in striking distance in the AL East and at worst a clear AL Wild Card contender but the team has been a mild disappointment as one of the consensus favorites in the AL before the season started. Boston just got David Price back which will likely boost the pitching staff but the offense simply hasn’t been as successful as last season with David Ortiz out of the lineup. Boston had the league’s best OPS vs. left-handers last season at .795 and in 2017 Boston still remains a quality hitting team vs. left-handers with a .771 OPS for only a modest decline. That is .025 points higher than the .746 OPS the Red Sox have against right-handers for the biggest gap in the league for a team that is stronger vs. southpaws and nowhere near the league-leading .814 OPS the Red Sox posted last season vs. right-handed pitching.
Most balanced hitting team: Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore owns a .734 OPS vs. right-handers and a .728 OPS vs. left-handers this season for the smallest difference between sides among the 15 AL teams. Last season Baltimore had a massive contrast in those figures with a .090 gap being a far better hitting team vs. right-handers but the numbers have declined this season vs. righties while they have climbed vs. lefties. The Orioles have not had the production they expected from Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo so far this season with Machado incredibly batting only .208 vs. right-handed pitching this season (.283 last season) while Trumbo is batting .253 but with only five home runs in 150 at-bats vs. right-handers after hitting 37 in those matchups last season.
Worst hitting team: Kansas City Royals
Kansas City has featured the biggest OPS decline in the AL vs. left-handed pitching and the second biggest decline in the AL in OPS vs. right-handed pitching. Kansa City has the second worst OPS in the league vs. right-handers at .682, just barely ahead of Chicago while sitting as by far the worst hitting team in the AL vs. left-handers with a .634 OPS. The big off-season concern for the Royals was their starting rotation but Jason Vargas is having a career year and Nate Karns and Danny Duffy are offering some promise. Jason Hammel and Ian Kennedy have disappointed and the bullpen isn’t as strong as in the past few years but most of the blame of the great struggles for the Royals fall on the offense.
Disappointment Due to Decline vs. left-handed pitching: Cleveland, Texas, Toronto, Seattle
The Indians and Rangers and Blue Jays were playoff teams last season while the Mariners were a wild card contender late into the season. There is still time for these talented teams to make a run but they all have a common thread of a big production decline vs. left-handed pitching this season. Cleveland’s drop has been the most modest of the group falling .043 but last season’s surge vs. left-handers to a .748 clip may have been the difference in the pennant winning season. This year’s lineup is more left-handed heavy with Michael Brantley’s return and Cleveland’s rotation has not yet matched last season’s success as well.
Toronto has been known as a fierce hitting team vs. left-handers in recent years but this season the Blue Jays have a .678 OPS vs. left-handers for a huge drop compared with last season. Losing Edwin Encarnacion certainly has to be considered a major factor. It is worth noting that Josh Donaldson missed much of the first two months of the season as the numbers vs. left-handers should climb with his return as he owns a career .959 OPS vs. southpaws.
Seattle’s OPS vs. left-handers has fallen from a very respectable .749 in 2016 to just .652, or the second worst in the AL. Seattle has managed to go 7-8 vs. left-handed starters but a team many expected to be a serious AL contender has had very unbalanced results at the plate with an OPS .119 points higher vs. right-handers. The Mariners often have at least four left-handed batters in the lineup vs. right-handers and lefties Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager will stay in the middle of the lineup vs. southpaws even though particularly in Cano’s case there is a huge drop in his production in those matchups.
Texas won 95 games last season despite a marginal scoring differential as many expected a decline for the Rangers in 2017. Last season Texas had successful balanced hitting vs. lefties and righties and in 2017 the numbers vs. right-handers have only fallen slightly. Against left-handers Texas has fallen from a .759 OPS clip to a .657 OPS clip, so far posting just six wins vs. southpaw starters. The recent return of Adrian Beltre in the middle of the lineup could help that cause in the coming weeks however.
Success via Improvement vs. right-handed pitching: New York, Houston, Minnesota, Tampa Bay
The improvement for New York and Houston vs. right-handed pitching has been dramatic and a big reason those teams are on top of the AL. The Yankees are 24-16 vs. right-handed starters while Houston is absurdly 33-10 vs. right-handed starters at this point in the season.
Minnesota’s ascension to the AL Central lead isn’t expected to last but going from one of the league’s lesser hitting teams vs. right-handers to a .773 OPS that is in the AL’s upper tier is a big reason for the team’s success this season. Minnesota is actually hitting far worse in 2017 vs. left-handed pitching than the team did in 2016 but they have only faced 12 left-handed starters this season. Minnesota’s improved pitching and defense are big factors as well but the lineup is having more success in the most common matchups, often using a lineup that includes six left-handed hitters with the addition of Jason Castro and the everyday play of switch-hitter Jorge Polanco.
Tampa Bay has been one of the league’s better hitting teams vs. left-handers in recent years including going 30-23 vs. left-handed starters in 2015 but something has changed this season as the Rays are .120 OPS points better vs. right-handers this season, the third best hitting team vs. righties behind Houston and New York. As a result the Rays have gone from being 18 games below .500 vs. right-handers in 2016 to being 22-18 vs. right-handed starters so far this season. The most obvious changes are left-handed hitter Corey Dickerson being the team’s leadoff hitter plus the addition of another lefty power bat in Colby Rasmus as the Rays generally have at least four left-handers in the lineup. Oddly Dickerson is batting .353 vs. left-handers this season as he hasn’t hurt the numbers while Rasmus is usually in a platoon role. Logan Morrison is a clean-up hitter with much worse numbers vs. southpaws and Kevin Keirmaier is batting just .178 vs. lefties this season to help explain the decline.
National League Lefty/Righty Splits
By Joe Nelson
Playbook.com
Comparing team batting splits against right-handed pitching and left-handed pitching can offer some handicapping opportunities. A team's win loss record vs. each hand can carry some meaning but a squad's OPS offers a little more meaningful insight into performance potential. Here is a look at some of the lefty/righty splits in the National League just over two months into the 2017 MLB season.
Biggest preference for right-handed pitching: Arizona Diamondbacks
In a disappointing 93-loss 2016 season Arizona still featured a robust .820 OPS vs. left-handers that was the best mark in the NL while featuring a more modest clip with a .730 OPS vs. right-handers. That script has completely turned around for the Diamondbacks in 2017 as they are the National League's second best hitting team vs. right-handers with an excellent .818 OPS, just behind Washington for the league lead. Arizona has just a .692 OPS vs. left-handers this season however with the team's two most productive hitters Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb showing a severe preference for facing right-handed hurlers. Arizona is still 10-8 vs. left-handed starters this season but they are a serious NL contender because they are 30-18 vs. right-handed starters. The Cardinals and Mets are also teams with a clear dramatic improvement vs. right-handed pitching.
Biggest preference for left-handed pitching: Chicago Cubs
A lot of people are trying to figure out what has happened to the Cubs in 2017 as after a dominant World Series championship season in 2016 Chicago has spent most of this season near the .500 mark. The splits for Chicago vs. left-handers are nearly identical from 2016 to 2017 with a .807 OPS for the season which is where the 2017 mark currently is sitting in mid-June for the best mark in the NL. Chicago has won 60 percent of its games vs. left-handed starters this season but they have only faced 15 of those games so far after going 28-17 vs. left-handed starters last season. Against right-handed pitching Chicago has fallen dramatically from a .759 season OPS in 2016 to a .715 mark this season for one of the worst marks in the NL. Losing switch hitter Dexter Fowler plus the struggles of left-hander Kyle Schwarber are factors but ultimately the lineup as a whole hasn't matched last season's success. Two other NL teams with big gains in production vs. left-handers are Atlanta and Miami.
Biggest improvement vs. left-handed pitching: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers won 91 games last season and ultimately made it to the NLCS but in the regular season Los Angeles went just 22-24 vs. left-handed starters in 2016 while featuring by far the worst OPS vs. left-handers in the NL at just .623. The Dodgers are winning at an even better percentage this season despite more competition in the NL West and while Los Angeles is only 11-9 vs. left-handed starters this season the team OPS has improved to .747 vs. southpaw pitchers. The Dodgers have actually shown a slight decline vs. right-handed pitching so far this season but more balance may make Los Angeles an even more serious contender this season. Atlanta also deserves mention with a .103-point improvement vs. left-handers compared with 2016, featuring a .783 OPS that is the fourth best mark in the NL vs. left-handers. Colorado has also shown improvement vs. left-handers while actually suffering a decline in production vs. right-handers compared with the 2016 numbers despite the Rockies being one of the surprise success stories of the season so far.
Biggest improvement vs. right-handed pitching: Washington Nationals
Technically Arizona has improved by a greater OPS margin but Washington's domination of the NL East so far can be credited to a NL best .821 OPS vs. right-handed pitching so far in 2017. Washington remains an excellent hitting team vs. left-handers as well with a .783 OPS that matches the 2016 season figure. Against right-handers the Nationals have gone from an average .742 OPS in 2016 to the league-leading .821 mark so far in 2017 while sitting 12 games above .500 vs. right-handed starters. The Brewers can also attribute some of the surprisingly successful first half results to a big jump in production vs. right-handed pitching as well.
Improvement vs. both right-handers and left-handers: Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have fallen off an early season pace that included Cincinnati as a NL sleeper but the Reds have shown solid improvement at the plate this season. A .781 OPS vs. right-handed pitching is the third best mark in the NL and a 50 point improvement over the 2016 numbers. Cincinnati has made an even bigger leap vs. left-handers going from a .699 OPS in 2016 to a .773 OPS so far in 2017. It is puzzling however that Cincinnati has gone just 3-12 vs. left-handed starters this season despite the above average offensive production in those matchups. Despite a recent slide the Reds are only a handful of games out of the NL Central race and Cincinnati has 10 losses against the NL West this season as the Reds could have an opportunity to climb back into the playoff picture if they can continue to hit at the very solid current season pace.
Decline vs. both right-handers and left-handers: San Francisco Giants
In making the playoffs last season the Giants were still a team with just modest offensive production. There have been struggles across the board in 2017 but even for the modest offensive standards of the Giants the lack of production at the plate is the biggest reason San Francisco has one of the worst records in the NL. San Francisco holds a .663 OPS vs. right-handed pitching which is the very worst among 30 MLB teams. The Giants are actually even less productive vs. left-handers with a .643 OPS though San Diego has an even lower mark vs. southpaws. With declines of .074 points vs. right-handers and .065 points vs. left-handers the Giants are struggling in every matchup as one of baseball's worst hitting teams. Pittsburgh and San Diego are both teams that have displayed a huge decline vs. left-handed pitching this season to account for struggling in the standings so far in 2017.