Underdog Fantasy MLB Picks - Best Picks & Plays for June 21: Paul Goldschmidt Has a Great Matchup Against Chi Chi Gonzalez
On Tuesday, June 21st, we have every team in major league baseball in action as we have 15 games on the slab. Some of our favorite players across baseball such as Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, and Juan Soto are in fantastic spots offensively. On the flip side of things, Nestor Cortes headlines the MLB DFS slate for pitching. We don’t have any weather issues as of now but check back with our MLB Weather Center for more details surrounding the weather report as we approach roster lock to make sure that stays the course. To get all the confirmed lineups across baseball, check out the MLB Lineups page. To get projections and to generate one or multiple lineups, take a look at our MLB daily projections and MLB DFS Lineup Generator. Now let's look at some MLB player props over on Underdog Fantasy for tonight's baseball action.
MLB Player Props Underdog Fantasy June 21
Paul Goldschmidt OVER 1.5 total bases
It’s the year 2015. The last time Chi Chi González had an ERA under 5.29. It is 2022 in case anyone forgot. Gonzalez is already pitching for his second team this year and he did not look great for the Twins in his two starts pitching to a 7.71 ERA. He doesn’t miss bats, he gives up a lot of hard contact and struggles with both sides of the plate.
Enter Paul Goldschmidt who, since May 1st, has been batting .364 with an OPS of 1.165, .358 ISO, and .489 wOBA. He also hit 15 HR and drove in 48 runs over that 46-game span. He’s hitting .312 with a .959 OPS, .259 ISO, and .412 wOBA against right-handed pitching. Goldschmidt is fifth in doubles and tied for 13th in home runs this year as well. He could hit the over in this category after his first at-bat and it would not shock me in the slightest.
Oneil Cruz OVER 8.5 fantasy points
Look, this is the second game that Oneil Cruz is playing in the major leagues this season and I couldn’t be more excited to use him everywhere once again. DFS, props, everywhere. His power and speed combination gives him a massive ceiling and that was on full display in game number one on Monday. He was 2-for-4 with a three-run double while scoring two runs. We love the fact that it’s going to nearly 100 degrees in Pittsburgh too, so the ball should carry better than normal.
His match-up is against Matt Swarmer who has been pieced up since being called up. He’s made four starts this year and over 20.2 innings, Swarmer has allowed 10 HR, which is 4.35 HR/9. Four of the 10 homers he’s allowed this season have come to LHH, who have a .550 SLG% and a 44.8% hard-hit rate.
Nestor Cortes OVER 18 pitching outs
I love this spot for Nestor Cortes considering how poor Tampa Bay’s offense has been lately. Over the last two weeks, Tampa Bay is 27th in OPS and wOBA, 28th in ISO as well as playing host to a 25.7% K-rate, which is the fourth-highest mark in the league. He just faced the Rays in Yankee Stadium and only threw 5.1 innings, but Cortes threw eight innings in their first meeting this season.
Cortes has gone over 18 outs in five of his last eight starts, which hasn’t been extremely consistent, but the Rays are also struggling mightily. Let’s also not fail to mention they lost both Kevin Keirmaier and Manuel Margot to injury on Monday, so two everyday players down from an already crippled lineup. Tampa Bay is 27th in BB rate over his last two weeks is great for Cortes as well, because they’re not working many pitch counts at this point.
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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.