This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday is always travel day in MLB, leaving us with a tiny slate to dissect. While we have 10 games in total, they're split in half between day and night games. We will focus on the day slate because that's the main card on FanDuel. We're about three weeks into the season at this point, and these clubs are finally coming into focus. With that in mind, let's look at the pitchers we love for this Thursday card.
Pitching
Eduardo Rodriguez, ARI at MIA ($8,700)
E-Rod was a stud just two years ago, and it looks like he might've recaptured some of that magic this season. The lefty has pitched better than the 4.86 ERA would indicate, with Rodriguez registering a 2.75 xFIP and 29 percent K rate. One thing that's bloating his ERA are some tough matchups, but the Marlins are far from that. Miami was either 28th or 29th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA last season. The Marlins also have a pitcher-friendly ballpark, with Rodriguez allowing just one run across 5.1 innings en route to 34 FanDuel points in Miami in their one meeting last season.
JP Sears, ATH at CWS ($8,400)
Sears has always been an underrated pitcher and seems to perform well against weak lineups. There's no worse lineup in baseball than the White Sox, with Chicago sitting last in runs scored, OBP, OPS and xwOBA since the start of last season. That should bode well for a pitcher who has a 4.37 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in that span. His only duds were against some of the best lineups in baseball, with Sears allowing three runs or fewer in 22 of those 35 starts in that stretch. Two of those were against Chicago, with Sears scoring over 30 FD points per game against them.
Top Targets
Tyler Soderstrom (vs. Davis Martin) $3,600
There aren't many hotter hitters in baseball than this guy. Soderstrom has earned the three-hole in the A's lineup, posting a .403 OBP and 1.137 OPS. He's also leading the league with eight homers, which has led to his 15 runs and 17 RBI. Those are all near the top of the league, and he has one of the best matchups on this slate. We'll dive into that later on, but it looks even better since Soderstrom has a .433 OBP and 1.260 OPS against righties this year.
Oneil Cruz, PIT (vs. Trevor Williams) $3,600
Cruz has always been a Statcast stud, and the shortstop has been moved to the leadoff spot in Pittsburgh's lineup, posting a .360 OBP before a finger injury last week. He's struggled in the three games since then, but we're encouraged by his two dingers and eight steals to go along with the improved plate discipline. We also love that Cruz has the platoon advantage against Williams because he has a .343 OBP and .795 OPS against righties over the last three years. Not to mention, Williams has a 7.36 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in a nightmarish start to the season, while Cruz homered on Wednesday.
Bargain Bats
Pavin Smith, ARI (vs. Edward Cabrera) $2,800
Many fans might not realize this, but Pavin has been the cleanup hitter for the D'Backs whenever they face a righty. That's quite the lineup spot since Arizona led the league in scoring last year, and Pavin should pile up RBI in that spot. The splits speak for themselves, with Pavin providing a .477 OBP and 1.109 OPS against righties this year. That OPS was above .900 against them last year, so this is no fluke. A matchup with Cabrera is far from scary, and we'll dive into that in the stacks section!
Jacob Young, WAS (vs. Andrew Heaney) $2,300
Every team has underrated bats, and Young is one for the Nats. While the outfielder has been stuck in the nine-hole, it's just a matter of time before Washington moves him up against lefties. He has a .550 OBP and .988 OPS across his last six outings while posting a 1.000 OPS against lefties this year. That's a tiny sample size, but his .340 OBP against southpaws last season is not. A matchup with Heaney could keep Young hot, with the lefty totaling a 4.43 career ERA and 1.26 WHIP.
Stacks to Consider
Athletics at White Sox (Martin): Soderstrom ($3,600), Brent Rooker ($3,300), Lawrence Butler ($2,900) and Shea Langeliers ($3,200)
The A's have been one of the worst lineups over the last decade, but this team is different. They were one of the league leaders in home runs last year, and it feels like these guys are finally near the end of their rebuild. That should be beneficial against a pitcher like Martin, maintaining a 4.56 career ERA and 1.37 WHIP.
We already recommended Soderstrom as one of the top options on this slate, but Rooker is right there with him. The slugger bats right behind Soderstrom, connecting on 73 homers over the last two seasons. Butler is the table setter atop this lineup, showcasing a 25-25 profile and a .300 average potential. He also has a .433 OBP and .862 OPS against righties this year. Langeliers doesn't hit from the left side, but he is one of the league leaders at the catcher position with 33 homers since the start of last year.
Diamondbacks at Marlins (Cabrera): Corbin Carroll ($4,500), Josh Naylor ($3,200), Geraldo Perdomo ($3,200) and Smith ($2,800)
It surprised me to see Arizona leading the league in runs last year but they made me a believer. This is simply one of the best offenses in baseball, scoring 20 runs over the last three games. That hot hitting is bad news for a walking machine like Cabrera, compiling a 4.55 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over the last three years.
We have to kickstart our Arizona stack with one of the best bats in baseball. That's Carroll, who ranks Top 10 in fantasy points over the last three years. He's also got a 1.438 OPS against righties in a ridiculous start to the year. Naylor also has the platoon advantage from the left side, tallying a .436 OBP and 1.139 OPS against righties this season. Perdomo is the sneaky option of the bunch out of the two-hole, generating a .431 OBP and .949 OPS in a fantastic opening three weeks.
