This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a seven-game main slate to work with Wednesday, a modest number due to it being getaway day. The pitching pool is particularly interesting, as nearly the top two-thirds of arms are all viable options, but the lowest tier of pricing is nearly untouchable. That will likely concentrate hitter roster rates to a few specific games, though there are also some positive hitting environments to work with, including games in Atlanta and Colorado.
Pitchers
Shota Imanaga ($10,600) and Luis Gil ($10,300) are the top-priced pitchers on the day. They also have the two highest strikeout rates. Imanaga's run to begin his MLB career speaks for itself, and the Brewers strike out at a 24.3 percent clip against lefties while only maintaining a .297 wOBA. Gil is also viable, but surprisingly, the Angels have an above-average lineup against right-handed pitching this season.
A tier down from that duo is Justin Verlander ($8,800). His strikeout rate has fallen considerably this season, but Wednesday might offer him a reprieve, as the Mariners punch out at a 28.7 percent clip against righties – the highest in the league. Also in the same price range is Alek Manoah ($8,300). He's been all or nothing in four starts in the majors this season. A matchup against the White Sox should keep a strong outcome in reach.
On a full slate, I wouldn't be enthused about Bailey Ober ($8,000) in a matchup against the Royals, who have the second-lowest strikeout rate in the league against right-handed pitching. However, he's the lowest-priced pitcher in the comfortable range of starters, so he is worth considering.
There are two potential punt plays but both come with considerable risk. Tyler Anderson ($7,300) has overperformed his skills to begin the season and draws a matchup against the Yankees. That combination is enough to avoid him and could push me to take a chance on Spencer Schwellenbach ($7,500). He'll be set for his big-league debut and was dominant in the minors, though the majority of that came at High-A. He may be able to work through the Nationals based on a lack of scouting report against him, but this start could easily end in disaster.
Top Hitters
As was discussed, how to play Schwellenbach will be an interesting part of Wednesday's contests. Getting some exposure against him is a good idea, and CJ Abrams ($5,400) is a very strong lefty bat who can take advantage of Schwellenbach's inexperience.
With it being a near requirement to invest heavily in pitching, it will be important to get production from relatively cheap bats. Ian Happ ($3,800) fits that mold, as he's started to hit for more power of late (seven extra-base hits in his last 10 games) and he has an unimposing matchup against Bryse Wilson.
Value Bats
Logan Allen has given up 1.7 HR/9 so I want to get some Rockies' hitters in my lineup. Thankfully, they have several cheap options that have been productive of late, with both Sean Bouchard ($3,700) and Elehuris Montero ($3,400) viable options.
There's very little reason to pay attention to the White Sox's lineup on most days. However, when things go poorly for Alek Manoah, they go very badly. On a day when we need some creativity to build lineups, Gavin Sheets ($3,400) is an interesting value option as the locked-in number three hitter in the White Sox's order.
Stacks to Consider
Cleveland Guardians vs. Colorado Rockies (Ty Blach): Tyler Freeman ($4,100), Andres Gimenez ($5,400), Jose Ramirez ($6,400)
Sometimes the obvious play is the right one, and in this case, that's the Guardians playing in Coors Field on Wednesday night. Blach has just a 10 percent strikeout rate, which means the Guardians will make a ton of contact. That's a recipe for a lot of runs in the hitting environment that is Coors Field. The primary drawback is price, as it will be tough to fit this stack with the state of pitching on the slate.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago White Sox (Chris Flexen): Davis Schneider ($4,400), Danny Jansen ($4,900), Bo Bichette ($4,300)
The Jays are an appealing stacking option because they are relatively cheap and have a tremendous matchup. Flexen has allowed 14 earned runs combined across his last 13.1 innings, while the Jays' bats have recently been trending up (eighth-highest wOBA in the last 14 days). This will likely be a very popular stack, but otherwise, it's a very strong option.
