Underdog Fantasy MLB Picks September 9: Davis Schneider Stays Hot For The Toronto Blue Jays
Major League Baseball and college football today, and then NFL Week 1 tomorrow… What a time for sports fans! Here, we’ll be focusing on baseball bets, and my best bets of the day on Underdog Fantasy feature Tarik Skubal against the Chicago White Sox, Davis Schneider taking on the Kansas City Royals, and Mark Canha facing the New York Yankees. As always, don't forget to check out the latest MLB weather report and the confirmed MLB lineups when placing those MLB betting picks. Furthermore, our MLB daily projections and MLB Batter vs Pitcher page will help uncover the best matchups for MLB player props and your MLB DFS lineups this evening. Without further ado, let's dive into the top MLB player picks on Underdog Fantasy for Saturday, September 9th.
Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers - HIGHER than 16.5 Pitching Outs
Skubal has completed six innings of work in four straight starts, including just completing seven strong innings against the White Sox in his last outing. They’ve steadily increased his workload, and he’s now thrown 95 pitches or more in two straight outings, and at least 85 pitches in six straight. This game is being played in his home park, where he has a 1.78 ERA and 42:6 K/BB ratio across 30.1 innings of work this season, and at best, the White Sox are a league average offense against left-handed pitching of late. Some White Sox batters do have decent BvP numbers against Skubal, but the Tigers will let Skubal work deeper into this game, and he should be firmly in range for a quality start, AKA completing six innings of work.
Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays - HIGHER than 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI
The Royals are going to let James McArthur start, and then Zack Greinke will be the bulk guy behind him. Regardless, Schneider is a man possessed at the moment. Over his last 13 games played, he’s slashing .415/.556/1.024 with five home runs, 14 runs scored, and 14 RBI.He’s sporting a .432 average, .838 SLG, and .567 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season, and he’s surpassed this line of 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI in eight straight starts! Albeit serving as the opener, McArthur has allowed a .348/.360/.522 slash line to right-handed hitters this year, and while Greinke has been tougher on righties than lefties, he’s 1-14 with a 5.34 ERA on the year, so I’m not scared of Greinke whatsoever. Once the Blue Jays run Greinke off the bump, Schneider and Co. will get a Kansas City bullpen that has allowed a 6.43 ERA and .289 BAA over the last two weeks.
Mark Canha, Milwaukee Brewers - HIGHER than 0.5 Singles
Canha is riding a seven-game hit streak at the moment where he’s slashing .435/.536/.652, and seven of his 10 hits have been singles. He’ll be facing New York right-hander Michael King, who has some reverse splits this season, allowing right-handed hitters to post a .267 average and .315 wOBA against him. Over his last 40 plate appearances, Canha has a .412 average against right-handed pitching, with 11 of his 14 hits being singles. There is some weather in the New York area, but it seems more of a delay risk than a postponement.
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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.