Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Welcome to the April 19th 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 the April 18th games. Enjoy them. You can even respond with your own thoughts on Twitter @EllisCan2.

Daily Musings

• Bryce Harper with his third high-velocity crowd-pleaser.
• No HR and he's been caught stealing twice. Who has the Trevor Story voodoo doll?
• Has Trea Turner (four) been swinging his bat in a pool? Full-force impact x 2.
• Aaron Nola whippin' 'em like it's cool. 41% Whiff rate. Stud... & a Louisiana man.
• YARBRUH!...Ryan Yarbrough w/ that juicy Follow-up Win (5 IP, 1 ER, 4 K)
• I'm tellin you. When Giancarlo Stanton (three) get ahold of one....Ooooh-weee. ** Psst, it was 358 ft.**
• Go ahead Mr. Wendle (three) w/ a 352-foot...wait a minute...are you a Stanton clone?
• Tyler Naquin (sixth HR) accessorizing his balls w/ jet packs. It doesn't matter who you are. 109 mph off Shane Bieber (8 IP, 3 ER, 13 K & 1 HR).
• Only hitting .232, Jose Ramirez (four) can still provide a little love tap & then whisper sweet nothings (in español)...and ol' Rawlings faints over the wall.
• Eugenio Suarez you're going the wrong direction (.173 AVG) Don't worry.
• In the book of icebreakers, you'll see a Tim Anderson' first inning tater as a top choice.
• Yermin Mercedes (four) cannot be tamed...not even w/ your Nascar restrictor plates. To the Autobahn!
• Just when you put Josh Rojas in the discard pile, Tim Locastro goes to IL & Rojas immediately sends a long-distance 'Get Well' bouquet.
• I'm supposed to slow down at what age? Merrifield (five) flashes his ID...hmm, 32 years old...doesn't say slow though. It does say Whitley Merrifield. Very nice.
• Yes, I know it was MIA, but Alex Wood looked good. 5 IP, 4 K. MIA again next. Run it back.
• A couple of multi-hit games. Is Carlos Santana heating up?
• Salvador Perez circles the wagons for the fifth time.
• Brady Singer w/ 6 IP, 3 BB, 6 K vs TOR. Very nice. DET next. Super sweet.
• Richard Rodriguez tries to be well-rounded and gets his first win. Ok, ok. There's little chance for anything really.
• Daniel Vogelbach puts on two light shows so everyone can see. Disney would be proud.
• This is the Bryan Reynolds we missed. (2nd HR, .317 AVG). Wish there were more weapons.
• Can someone go get Travis Shaw? I think he's still swinging at the piñata.
• Kyle Gibson is back!...?!..? 8 scoreless 6 K, 2.53 ERA. I wouldn't get cute vs CWS & BOS next.
• Marcus Stroman (3-0) not intimidated by Coors (8 IP, 1 ER, 5 K).
• Very Slick, Matthew Boyd. (7.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 K, 1.86 ERA). Only 5 BB in 19.1 innings (6.4%)! New game plan this year: Less Swinging Strikes (9%), more first-pitch strikes (71%). Be careful of 4.60 SIERA.
• Whew, I had almost forgotten why I drafted Sean Murphy. Pure power.
• Too much pressure on Kyle Tucker? .193 AVG. Yes, run & trade him now for his name value. Quickly, before the value plummets. **Scratch-N-Sniff edition -- Put nose 'HERE' to smell the potent aroma of sarcasm.**
• Bo Bichette getting in some overtime work to help his SB stats (three).
• Javier Baez trying to alternate HR & SB days. It's awful quiet from the peanut gallery.
• Someone check the Braves for a heart. Kyle Hendricks returns from his non-Covid related illness and is greeted with 4 IP, 7 ER. Cold-blooded!
• Anthony Rizzo (three) needs no flare or compass to find his way back home. He made two trips too.

Swing & Misses

• Shane Bieber 25
• Aaron Nola 21
• Gerrit Cole 18
• Chris Bassitt 17
• Pablo Lopez 16
• Jake Odorizzi 14
• Robbie Ray 13
• Ryan Yarbrough 12
• Blake Snell 11
• Trevor Bauer 11
• Freddy Peralta 11
• John Means 11
• Kyle Gibson 11
• Brady Singer 10
• Marcus Stroman 10

Endgame

• Emmanuel Clase (four).
• Stefan Crichton (one). Can you believe it?
• Jeffrey Springs (one).
• Liam Hendriks (two).
• Tyler Rogers (one). McGee on illness watch.
• Greg Holland (two).
• Edwin Diaz (two).
• Mark Melancon (six).

Closing Thoughts

• You had a good weekend. You might be refreshed, you might not be. The week is here. Get out of bed and lean forward into the day. Lean forward into the challenges you know you will face. Your mindset will help you conquer the moment and the day. Your mindset will dictate whether life is happening to you or you are making life happen. Lean forward into life & make things happen for you.
• Your fantasy baseball team is in shambles and you're frustrated. It's ok. Keep plugging away and making smart decisions to keep your lineup active. Consistency. There are quitters among us. Don't be one of them.
• Have a great Monday.
• (No Fear, Just Fantasy)

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