MLB DFS is all about finding value. We have to balance the production we expect to get from the players we want to roster with their cost on the DFS site we are playing on. Though DFS sites set salaries in slightly different ways, there’s no doubt that a whole lot goes into the process. While DraftKings and Fanduel take many factors into account, I still believe there are ways we can find to get the most out of our rosters. One of those advantages comes through exploiting the extreme platoon splits we see from many players across baseball.
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Exploiting Platoon Splits in MLB DFS
While some players are renowned for their extreme platoon splits, you’d be surprised at how many established stars we thought were almost perfect perform much better against either left-handed or right-handed pitchers. While some of these stars are still fair game in DFS, for others you may not want to use them except when they are facing pitchers from their favored side.
Hitters to Use Against Left-Handed Pitchers
The players below are much more attractive in MLB DFS when they are facing left-handed pitchers. Conversely you need to think twice before using them against right-handed pitchers. I included all players from 2022 who had a .200 or more OPS differential with the advantage coming against left-handed pitchers.
A small warning. This is the pure data. I included ALL players from 2022. Use Albert Pujols and Rhys Hoskins (for different reasons) at your own peril.
I was surprised at how extreme Paul Goldschmidt’s platoon splits and I might avoid using him in my DFS lineups when he faces a right-handed pitcher. I think it’s in the lesser players on this list where you might be able to find useful bats early in the 2023 season though. Players like David Villar and Alec Bohm will have very affordable salaries early this year and would make allow you to spend more money at other slots.
| Name | OPS vs. LHP | OPS vs. RHP | Advantage vs. LHP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitch Garver | 1.025 | .574 | .451 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1.327 | .893 | .434 |
| Albert Pujols | 1.150 | .744 | .406 |
| Garrett Hampson | .836 | .455 | .381 |
| Kevin Smith | .756 | .384 | .372 |
| Robbie Grossman | .879 | .509 | .370 |
| A.J. Pollock | .935 | .593 | .342 |
| Diego Castillo | .788 | .449 | .339 |
| Kyle Farmer | .948 | .611 | .337 |
| Chas McCormick | .972 | .645 | .327 |
| David Villar | .978 | .651 | .327 |
| Curt Casali | .844 | .533 | .311 |
| Mauricio Dubon | .765 | .455 | .310 |
| Alec Bohm | .935 | .629 | .306 |
| Randal Grichuk | .926 | .620 | .306 |
| Nick Allen | .763 | .459 | .304 |
| Luis Rengifo | .909 | .629 | .280 |
| Austin Riley | 1.084 | .811 | .273 |
| J.D. Martinez | .998 | .729 | .269 |
| Francisco Mejia | .833 | .566 | .267 |
| Jose Trevino | .882 | .616 | .266 |
| Rodolfo Castro | .906 | .642 | .264 |
| Brendan Rodgers | .899 | .647 | .252 |
| Anthony Rendon | .873 | .639 | .234 |
| Manuel Margot | .875 | .646 | .229 |
| Martin Maldonado | .763 | .534 | .229 |
| Joey Meneses | 1.084 | .857 | .227 |
| Edward Olivares | .905 | .678 | .227 |
| Patrick Wisdom | .892 | .665 | .227 |
| Jose Altuve | 1.086 | .860 | .226 |
| Kevin Newman | .837 | .611 | .226 |
| Adam Duvall | .844 | .620 | .224 |
| Kris Bryant | .980 | .761 | .219 |
| Javier Baez | .834 | .618 | .216 |
| Rob Refsnyder | 1.005 | .792 | .213 |
| Cristian Pache | .598 | .386 | .212 |
| Dylan Carlson | .845 | .633 | .212 |
| Luis Robert | .909 | .701 | .208 |
| Darin Ruf | .753 | .548 | .205 |
| Rhys Hoskins | .945 | .743 | .202 |
Hitters to Use Against Right-Handed Pitchers
This is the other side of the MLB DFS coin. Take a long hard look at these hitters when they are facing right-handed pitchers. As you might expect, this list included many of the lefty power hitters you might expect like Daniel Vogelbach, David Peralta, and Kyle Schwarber. There are actually quite a few right-handed hitters on this list. Sometimes it’s with these reverse-platoon splits that you can find the best values.
| Name | OPS vs. LHP | OPS vs. RHP | Advantage vs. RHP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Vogelbach | .415 | .879 | .464 |
| Jesus Sanchez | .309 | .759 | .450 |
| Kolten Wong | .441 | .845 | .404 |
| Josh Naylor | .512 | .856 | .344 |
| James McCann | .324 | .665 | .341 |
| Adley Rutschman | .552 | .889 | .337 |
| David Peralta | .462 | .778 | .316 |
| CJ Abrams | .387 | .702 | .315 |
| Oneil Cruz | .532 | .837 | .305 |
| Bryan De La Cruz | .506 | .805 | .299 |
| Michael Harris II | .649 | .943 | .294 |
| Riley Adams | .400 | .685 | .285 |
| Jack Suwinski | .511 | .794 | .283 |
| Marcell Ozuna | .497 | .763 | .266 |
| Alex Call | .609 | .867 | .258 |
| Joey Gallo | .436 | .690 | .254 |
| Nick Gordon | .542 | .793 | .251 |
| Brandon Marsh | .486 | .735 | .249 |
| Daulton Varsho | .553 | .801 | .248 |
| Keston Hiura | .619 | .866 | .247 |
| Juan Soto | .701 | .942 | .241 |
| Jorge Polanco | .602 | .832 | .230 |
| Ben Gamel | .530 | .751 | .221 |
| Kyle Schwarber | .687 | .900 | .213 |
| Luis Gonzalez | .536 | .749 | .213 |
| Oscar Mercado | .501 | .708 | .207 |
| Cedric Mullins II | .578 | .782 | .204 |