Underdog Fantasy MLB Picks March 30: Mike Trout & Max Scherzer are Top Plays on Opening Day
Happy MLB Opening Day, ladies and gentlemen! It’s the best time of the year and regular-season baseball is finally back! The MLB schedule today gives us a full board of MLB player props over at Underdog Fantasy. After combing through the numbers and crunching the data, I’ve uncovered some of my best MLB player props picks for Opening Day, highlighted by Mike Trout and Max Scherzer. Many of the guys below are likely to be popular in your MLB DFS lineups as well, so let's double-dip with their player props. Here are my favorite Opening Day MLB player props and top picks today over at Underdog Fantasy.
MLB Underdog Top Picks & Plays March 30 Opening Day
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels – OVER 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI
We’ll get to Trout’s prowess against lefties here in a second. First, though, Oakland Athletics starter Kyle Muller was battered this spring to the tune of a 7.31 ERA, .384 BAA, and 28 hits in just 16 innings of work! Now, to Trout…He hit lefties at a .310 clip last year with a massive 1.058 OPS and .441 wOBA. There’s more thump in this Angels lineup, so not only should he have RBI chances, but I’m more confident in the guys behind him this year than last – especially against a southpaw. I love this line and will include it in every bet slip of mine.
Max Scherzer, New York Mets – OVER 6.0 Strikeouts
Am I missing something here? Scherzer is fully ramped up, as he worked up to a full workload at the end of spring, and this line is only at six!? I know the Miami Marlins added Luis Arraez and Jean Segura, which should help with their overall contact rate, but there’s still a ton of swing-and-miss in that lineup. Plus, Scherzer had 25 strikeouts across four starts (17.2 IP) this spring! For what it’s worth, here are Scherzer’s strikeout numbers in his most recent Opening Day starts: 9, 11, 12, and 10.
Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves – OVER 1.5 Total Bases
Patrick Corbin, a lefty, is pitching? Riley is a no-brainer, then. Not only is he 8-for-28 with a .387 wOBA in his career against Corbin, but he went 3-for-7 with two home runs against the veteran southpaw in last season alone. Riley hit southpaws at a .329 clip last year with a 1.084 OPS, and Corbin served up a .262 average to opposing hitters this spring. As if we needed more reasons to play Riley, Corbin allowed righties to post a .526 SLG and 1.79 HR/9 last year. Take the over on Riley, as he leads a big offensive day for Atlanta.
Honorable Mention: Sandy Alcantara OVER 4.5 Strikeouts
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Player News
Brock Stewart (hamstring) will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday with Low-A Fort Myers.
Stewart is still a couple weeks away from returning to Minnesota’s high-leverage mix, but it’s a great sign that he’s ready to kick off a rehab assignment. The 33-year-old righty has been out since spring training recovering from a left hamstring strain.
Ronald Acuña Jr. (knee) has been cleared to ramp up baseball activities and progress towards a minor league rehab assignment.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Justin Toscano adds that Acuña remains without an official return timetable, but seems on scheduled to return at some point in the next month, as originally expected. It’s a significant development for fantasy managers that the superstar outfielder appears on track to make his season debut at some point in mid-May.
Jake Burger is out of the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Angels with an illness.
Josh Smith is also out of the lineup nursing a thumb contusion. Burger takes a seat with Ezequiel Duran taking over at the cold corner in his absence. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. The 29-year-old slugger has gotten off to an ice-cold start at the dish this season, batting .151 (8-for-53) with two homers and seven RBI through 15 games.
Logan O’Hoppe is absent from the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Rockies due to illness.
O’Hoppe told reporters he’s feeling better ahead of Tuesday’s showdown against the Rangers, but he’s going to get an extra day off to rest and recover. Fantasy managers should anticipate him being ready for Wednesday’s contest. It’ll be veteran Travis d’Arnaud handling the catching duties in his place.
Griffin Canning has been scratched from Wednesday’s start against the Twins due to illness.
No word yet on Griffin’s potential replacement, but top pitching prospects Brandon Sproat, Blade Tidwell, Nolan McLean all pitched recently in the upper minors and won’t be options. It could wind up being a bullpen game for the Mets unless they want to have David Peterson take the ball on short rest, which doesn’t seem ideal.
Keider Montero will make a spot start on Wednesday against the Brewers.
Everyone else is healthy in Detroit’s rotation. Montero will come up to take the ball for Wednesday’s series finale in Milwaukee to build in an extra rest for the other starters. It’ll be Jack Flaherty taking the ball on Thursday against the Royals on an extra day of rest.