Underdog Fantasy MLB Picks April 19: Paul Goldschmidt Takes On Madison Bumgarner Today
Welcome to another full day of Major League Baseball games with a jam-packed afternoon slate. Let's dive right into the top MLB Underdog picks as you enjoy some day baseball. Our top MLB Underdog Fantasy plays for tonight feature Paul Goldschmidt leading the St. Louis Cardinals and then Texas Rangers pitcher Martin Perez having success on the mound. Check out free MLB player props and MLB daily picks on Underdog Fantasy for “Pick'Em” contests tonight. Don't forget to check out the latest MLB weather report and the confirmed MLB lineups when placing those MLB betting picks. Plus, the MLB daily projections and MLB Batter vs Pitcher page will help you find the best matchups for MLB player props and MLB DFS lineups. Now, let's dive into the top MLB player picks on Underdog Fantasy for Wednesday, April 19th.
MLB Underdog Fantasy Top Picks April 19
Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals – OVER 0.5 Singles
You always want to take MLB BvP stats with a grain of salt. In the case of Paul Goldschmidt vs. Madison Bumgarner, though, it’s more like a whole pound of salt that we have to consider. Goldy has smashed MadBum over the years, hitting .342 (26-for-76) with a 1.040 OPS across the veterans’ careers. Of those 26 career hits off Bumgarner, 15 were singles. That’s a huge sample size with proven success for Goldschmidt, so it’s impossible to ignore this particular Batter vs. Pitcher trend. For what it’s worth, Bumgarner faced the Cardinals twice last season. Here were Goldy's stat lines: 3-for-6 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs in Game 1; 1-for-4 with a home run in Game 2. Bumgarner has gotten off to a very shaky start this season with a 7.90 ERA and 2.12 WHIP over his first three outings. Goldschmidt, meanwhile, is batting .328 with hits in nine of his last 10 games.
Martin Perez, Texas Rangers – OVER 92.5 Pitch Count
The Kansas City Royals have been a team to target for opposing starting pitcher props lately, and we’ll do it today with Martin Perez. The Royals' offense has a 26.5% strikeout rate this season, which is the second-highest mark in the MLB. Against left-handed pitching, though, Kansas City’s K rate increases to a league-high 32% with a weak .259 wOBA and .188 batting average. Perez should have success in this favorable matchup. The Rangers’ southpaw has a 2.87 ERA through three starts with 16 strikeouts across 15.2 innings. He faced the Phillies, Cubs, and Astros – so things get a lot easier today vs. the Royals. His pitch counts in the first three starts were 90, 90, and 98. Ideally, he goes six strong innings with close to 100 pitches today.
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Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.