MLB DFS Optimizer Picks Today: Spotlight Pitchers & Stacks
MLB DFS Optimizer Picks Today: Spotlight Pitchers
Austin Martin is going to get an audition at the leadoff slot, but his prospect analysis is that between a lack of power and subpar defense at second base and center field, he will be hard pressed to be more than a reserve under typical circumstances. Outfielder Alan Roden came over from Toronto as part of the return package for Ty France and Luis Varland, though he looks like more of a platoon option. Expect to see him moved around the batting order, but he is a source of potential strikeouts. In-house prospect Edouard Julien should also start to get regular playing time, and MiLB lifer Mickey Gasper is getting one last hurrah to stick in The Show.
Cantillo has shown strikeout stuff with a solid 28.1% across 392 big league batters since the start of last year, though his 12.0% walk rate will be problematic against playoff contenders boasting deeper lineups. Aside from lefty Matt Wallner and catcher Ryan Jeffers, who at least makes contact, the rest of the Minnesota regulars are much better suited to face right-handed hurlers.
The bottom of the St. Louis lineup presents plenty of strikeout potential with Nolan Gorman (31.2% strikeout rate, 176 plate appearances), Pedro Pages (23.8%, 189 PAs) and Victor Scott II (22.8%, 267 PAs).
It is hard to know if “losing” Nolan Arenado is a plus or a minus for opposing pitchers, but it is one fewer experienced bat in the lineup. The top half of the lineup card is going to have Cease earning his bones today, though with his ability to make his own magic on the mound, he is vying for top honors this afternoon.
In Seattle, RHP Jacob deGrom is getting his turn in the rotation after recent acquisition RHP Merrill Kelly slotted in Saturday. T-Mobile Park is the Coors Field of pitching, but the Mariners improved their lineup by adding Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez in separate deals with Arizona, which increases the degree of difficulty for deGrom.
MLB DFS Optimizer Picks Today: Top Stacks
Main Slate Primary Target: New York Mets
Whisenhunt has a tremendous changeup, that enables him to set up all of his other pitchers. However, the secondary offerings are not going to fool MLB hitters like they did the minor league batsmen, so he is going to need to make some adjustments. This also means that he is not going to have a lot of strikeout upside, with the likely long-term plan having him focus on inducing weak contact, avoiding barrels and ideally getting ground balls. That is a lot to think about for an inexperienced pitcher.
He survived in his first start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who did put up four runs on five hits and two walks in San Francisco on Monday. Whisenhunt had two strikeouts, ceding one home run and having a mostly even mix between fly balls and ground balls.
The Mets ended a four-game slide on Saturday with a 12-6 victory over San Francisco. New York added Cedric Mullins at the deadline as the team was in need of a centerfield upgrade. While Mullins is not a massive offensive improvement, his defense is elite, and he is better overall (.229/.304/.432) and against righties than journeyman Tyrone Taylor (.199/.255/.292). This takes an easier out away from the lineup, further lengthening an already top-notch front half of the lineup.
Aside from whoever is behind the dish on Sunday, the other eight projected hitters in the lineup are all carrying a .200 ISO or higher against right-handed hurlers. Pete Alonso is a tremendous source of power, while switch-hitter Francisco Lindor is nails from both sides of the plate. Then there is otherworldly outfielder Juan Soto, plus highly capable leadoff man Brandon Nimmo. If that isn’t enough, infielders Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty and switch-hitting phenom Ronny Mauricio all have merit filling out full stacks, or even being a secondary stack from the back of the lineup, which means they will provide differentiation.
The Chicago Cubs are wrapping up a series with Baltimore, and today it will be rookie Brandon Young on the mound in Wrigley Field. The 26-year-old was an undrafted free agent, signing with the O’s in mid-June during the pandemic-canceled 2020 MiLB season. Walks are an issue, though Young has enough control on his above-average pitches to keep hitters honest; of course, at this level his home runs have also increased, which could be problematic. Look to the usual suspects in the top 6 for the Northsiders this afternoon.
In Cleveland, RHP Jose Urena is expected to see action for his fourth team this season, having already pitched for the Mets, Blue Jays and Dodgers. After the Twins moved pretty much everything that wasn’t nailed down at the trade deadline, well, it is going to be a slog through the rest of the season for Minnesota fans. Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, Daniel Schneemann and Kyle Manzardo are the stacking components for Cleveland, with Bo Naylor in the mix on DraftKings and Yahoo to close out the pesky backstop requirement.
Late Slate Primary Target: Athletics
It will be in the mid-80s for the 1 p.m. local start in West Sacramento with a light breeze to center field. Lefties Lawrence Butler and rookie Nick Kurtz both have great power against fellow southpaws when they make contact, which should not too daunting of a task against Rodriguez. Brent Rooker and catcher Shea Langeliers have wreaked havoc all season when holding the platoon advantage, creating a strong core four at the top of the order to create A’s stacks.
For those looking a little deeper, Texas does get the downgrade for playing in T-Mobile Park, which is the most pitching-friendly venue in the league, as well as being in the mid-60s during the game, which further enhances pitchers. Of course, RHP Logan Evans can help any team overcome those obstacles. The rookie was a 12th-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft after four seasons in college split between Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh. He has a variety of pitches but is not dominant, so if he is not fooling opposing hitters, there can be issues.
In his last four starts, spanning 18.1 innings, he allowed 15 earned runs, four round-trippers and 10 walks. This resulted in a 7.36 ERA, a 6.05 FIP and a 5.08 xFIP, courtesy of four home runs and half a dozen doubles. Josh Smith, Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford are the trio to target. Former Mariner Rowdy Tellez profiles well against Evans if he is in the lineup, with Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien wild cards who have performed better over the last month.
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