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Fantasy Baseball: Five Sleeper Pitchers for 2019

By Jason Evans

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 01: Sonny Gray #55 of the New York Yankees speaks to the media prior to a game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on August 1, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 01: Sonny Gray #55 of the New York Yankees speaks to the media prior to a game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on August 1, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 02: Sonny Grray #55 of the New York Yankees in action against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on September 2, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Tigers defeated the Yankees 11-7. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray will have a new home in 2019. New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has said as much during the off-season. That deal, hasn’t happened yet, though wherever he ends up, he should be a target for you in 2019 fantasy baseball?

Why?

Well, Yankee Stadium was a house of horrors for Gray in 2018. Let’s take a look at his 2018 splits:

Home: 6.98 ERA. 45 strikeouts in 59 innings. Opponent slash line: .315/.406/.527

Away: 3.17 ERA 78 strikeouts in 71 innings. Opponent slash line: .223/.295/.320

For some context on those offensive numbers at home: Jose Altuve hit .316, Miguel Andujar slugged .527 and Christian Yelich had an OBP of .402 last year. Combine all three and that was everyone hitting of Gray at home. He had the largest home/road disparity in OPS of any pitcher in baseball in 2018.

Some guys just don’t make it in New York for one reason or another and Gray appears to be the latest across all four major sports who fall on this list.

If those road numbers can hold as his combined numbers wherever he ends up in 2019, that’s going to be a very valuable pitcher for you in fantasy baseball. Keep an on eye where he ends up.

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