The White Sox have been pretty good at avoiding K all season this year, but with a recent injury I’m willing to take the risk. On Sunday, the Sox were delivered a devastating blow as Tim Anderson strained his groin on a ground ball. It’s already been a rough year for them as Lance Lynn has yet to pitch thanks to an off-season knee surgery, Eloy Jiminez tore his hamstring, and Luis Robert’s has missed time with Covid. Luis does have a shot at returning tonight, but with Guasman on the mound for the Jays, I am betting on him to rack up K against this lineup riddled with injuries.
Guasman ranks 8th in the league in K with 65 so far this season. He has hit over 5.5 in 6/9 so far and is averaging 7.2 K per start. He proved to be matchup proof in his last outing as he struck out 8 Cardinals batters on the road. Guasman is in the 76th percentile with 1.16 K per innings, 83rd percentile in K%, 84th percentile in whiff %, and an unmatched 100th percentile in chase rate. He has a splitter that can make any batter in the world look silly, as it sports a 44.4 whiff %, a remarkable feat for a pitch that has been thrown 303 times. Despite the season long numbers for the Sox, I like Guasman to take advantage of a weaker lineup and pick up 6+ K. I love the plus odds at 6.5 and would take it if that was my only option, but will take a juiced 5.5 while it’s offered.
