MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks | April 22
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers
Bubic made his MLB debut during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, making 10 starts and logging 50 innings. During 2021 and 2022, he mostly saw action in the rotation, with 259 innings. The southpaw has a terrific changeup, and his fastball sits in the mid-90s. Walks have been an issue, but the flashes of strikeout brilliance are tantalizing for DFS purposes.
While the Rockies will be rolling out a mostly right-handed lineup, the platoon advantage is not going to save Colorado. The projected collection of batsmen has a 30.7% strikeout rate against lefties over the last season-plus, with below-average walks. Because Bubic is not afraid to go after hitters, he does have some home run tendencies, though only Hunter Goodman, switch-hitter Michael Toglia and catcher Jacob Stallings have an above-average barrel trajectory against southpaws.
That means a third rookie will be in the lineup today, with Simpson (5 plate appearances against right-handed pitching), Jake Mangum (49) and Kameron Misner (63) having hardly any experience against frontline starters. Pfaadt has underlying home run issues, but as the former No. 2 prospect for the Diamondbacks, he also has improved upon his strikeout consistency.
Veteran LHP Jose Quintana doesn’t have a lot of strikeout ability anymore, but the crafty lefty does a good job of limiting power and inducing ground balls. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the disciplined hitters at the top of the San Francisco lineup in Matt Chapman, Wilmer Flores and Helios Ramos.
Back to Ober, if we take out his first start, when he was knocked around in St. Louis for eight runs, eight hits, two home runs and a trio of free passes, he has a 2.76 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 16.1 combined innings against Houston, the Mets, and at Kansas City. Chicago is a mess on offense, with the White Sox posting a .196/.270/.305 triple-slash line. Yes, the Pale Hose have been unlucky with a .239 batting average on balls in play, which is .014 worse than the next group of offenses, but the lack of power and speed in the lineup is not helpful either.
Andrew Benintendi and Andrew Vaughn are the only Chicago batsmen with more than one career hit against Ober. To be fair, Luis Robert Jr. does have a home run as his lone hit in 11 at-bats against Ober, which is one of three extra-base hits produced in 68 at-bats by the current Southsiders.
MLB DFS Picks: Top Stacks
Main Slate Primary Target: Athletics
Only two pitchers have allowed more round-trippers than the 35-year-old southpaw since the start of the 2022 season. RHP Aaron Nola has ceded one more longball in 109.1 additional innings, and RHP Jose Berrios has handed out five more in 66 more innings.
Corbin still has had decent results against fellow lefties, though the only two in the lineup for the Athletics will be Lawrence Butler and current home run leader Tyler Soderstrom, both of whom are more than capable in same-handed matchups.
Brent Rooker and catcher Shea Langeliers also profile well against Corbin’s pitch portfolio. While A’s top prospect Jacob Wilson may not have major home run power, he has excellent contact, and the sixth overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft still proffers gap power.
Turning our attention to the Texas offense, the Rangers have the second-best team stack score, trailing only the Athletics.
RHP Osvaldo Bido has done a great job of limiting home runs with 0.53 per nine in his 134.2 MLB innings, but the late-blooming 29-year-old has inconsistent strikeouts and elevated walks. If opposing teams are “hitting them where they ain’t,” his defense will not be able to bail him out.
Main Slate Secondary Target: Minnesota Twins
While that assessment seems contradictory, his nearly 50% hard-hit rate ceded to the last 320 batters he has faced tends to push anything with elevation into line drives and ideally home runs. Last year, lefties had a ridiculously low 8.9% swinging-strike rate, and this year it is down to 7.4% with righties not far behind at 7.7%. This is a matchup where even Edouard Julien could find success, which is key since he and Trevor Larnach are likely the only two lefties who will be in the lineup tonight. Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa are healthy for the moment, so they, along with catcher Ryan Jeffers, can be used to round out full stacks.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
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Pallante has a tough matchup in Atlanta, and in his four starts this season, he notched two, four, six and three strikeouts in just 22.1 innings. He projects for around 90 to 95 pitches tonight, so the hope is that the Braves bats can chase him early.
