Oh baby! We’ve got some seriously trashy pitchers on the mound today for this 10-game early slate. There are going to be quite a number of ways you can go, whether you like full-blown stacks or even just using a few different mini-stacks. Just be sure you check the weather first. Both the Arizona/Pittsburgh and Philadelphia/Washington games look like they could have some rain issues and we all know how much they love to cancel games in Washington, especially if it’s a division rival and easily made up in the future. Our Weather Center has everything you need.
Full Stacks
Miami Marlins/Colorado Rockies – Obviously this is in-play for anyone looking to get a slice of Coors. The teams have two of the highest implied runs totals on the slate and both pitchers have their warts. I’m sure Ben Scherr will point out the best places to get a piece, but this is a lay-up here.
Minnesota Twins – The Twins haven’t exactly been raking as of late and the elbow injury that has kept Eduardo Escobar sidelined disrupts the middle of the order (though he has pinch-hit in each of the last two games so there’s hope), but we’re looking at a match-up with Yovani Gallardo and that’s going to be tough not to stack against. They’ve mixed some things up with Escobar sidelined, but if he returns, that Eddie Rosario , Escobar, Logan Morrison , Brian Dozier lineup they fed to right-handers recently could make for a nice full stack, especially with the way Dozier has hit Gallardo in the past. If Escobar is out, the other three should still be there in consecutive order. You may be able to go the cheap route if paying up for pitching and utilize part of the bottom of the order, but I’d prefer the power in the top half.
Texas Rangers – Did someone say game-stack? Definitely a possibility here with the way Jake Odorizzi has pitched lately. He hasn’t given up the long ball recently, but nine runs on 16 hits and nine walks over his last three starts (15 innings) is enough to make me think this Rangers team can do some damage, even with an implied runs total of just 4.32. I prefer the top part of the order starting with Shin-Soo Choo who is riding a six-game hit streak and batting .375 with two homers in that span, and then using Elvis Andrus , Nomar Mazara and Adrián Béltre . I will not begrudge the mini-stack of Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor if taking a shot in a large-field GPP. They’re definitely sink or swim.
New York Yankees – I know the implied runs total isn't that great, but for me, take your pick of any part of this batting order. Seriously, it doesn’t really matter as I think the Yankees blast Wilmer Font this time around and take advantage of a very overworked Rays bullpen. The bats will be expensive, but you should be able to take a few different routes here, including a wrap-around stack if Gleyber Torres is batting out of the nine-hole again.
Mini-Stacks
Chicago Cubs – While Anthony DeSclafani has seemingly pitched better in his last two outings, he’s still given up four runs on 13 hits (two home runs) and three walks in them. The Cubs bats have been a little quiet this series, but they are the favorites and have a decent implied runs total for the day. I wouldn’t over-invest but you can probably pair up a couple of guys and use them in conjunction with a potentially more-prolific stack. That Jason Heyward , Ben Zobrist , Anthony Rizzo group of lefties might be really tempting, but the pricing may be tough to fit.
San Francisco Giants – They could be low-owned given the fact that they haven’t exactly been raking in recent games, however, Jordan Lyles was finally exposed and he is certainly vulnerable. His numbers against righties have been atrocious, so that heart of the order with Buster Posey and Andrew McCutchen could be a nice way to sneak in some more manageable pricing.
Orioles/Braves Lefties – SunTrust Park plays to left-handed power and both pitchers have a history of giving up the long ball. Bundy gave up a pair of jacks in his last outing and while Teheran managed to keep the Padres at bay his last time out, he gave up three to them the start before and that was in Petco. Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis are the pairing I like for the Braves. For the Orioles, it’s a little tougher as they don’t have many lefties and they certainly don’t pair them up usually. I think the O’s could be sneaky here if you use Colby Rasmus and maybe Pedro Alvarez if he’s in the lineup. Both could actually go pretty low-owned so if you’re doing multiple lineups, this might be nice for one of them.