This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There will be no shortage of excitement for the afternoon slate of games in baseball Wednesday. The Blue Jays will continue their series at home against the Rays and will have their ace Robbie Ray on the mound. The Red Sox and Mariners will also face each other in a fight to gain ground in the AL Wild Card race. As far as the night slate goes, the NL West will once again take center stage with the Giants hosting the Padres. In terms of the NL Wild Card hunt, the Cardinals and Mets will face off in Queens with the Mets possibly having the advantage because Jon Lester will be starting for St. Louis. Let's dig into the main evening slate on DraftKings and highlight some players to consider.
Pitchers
The biggest surprise with Julio Urias ($10,500) this season isn't his 2.98 ERA or 3.27 FIP. Its's not even his 26.7 percent strikeout rate, which is nearly seven percentage points higher than his mark from last season. The surprise is that he's logged 163.1 innings after never having thrown more than 79.2 innings during a season in the majors. There's no indication that the Dodgers will limit his innings just yet, so he provides significant upside in a matchup against a Diamondbacks team that has the fifth-worst OPS in baseball.
Cleveland might have a disappointing lineup, but they continue to churn out impressive young starting pitchers. One of them is Cal Quantrill ($8,400), who has a 3.04 ERA to go along with a 1.20 WHIP across 130.1 innings. His FIP isn't as dominant at 4.11, but one of the keys to his success has been allowing only 14 home runs. He'll try to keep things rolling against the Twins, who he held to one run across 7.2 innings in his last start.
The Orioles can be a dangerous team offensively, especially when they play at home like they will Wednesday. However, Trey Mancini (abdomen) was removed from Tuesday's contest and might not play in this game, which would leave them without one of their best hitters. This could be an opportune time to take a chance on Nestor Cortes Jr. ($7,900), who allowed one run and recorded seven strikeouts across 5.2 innings when he faced the Orioles two weeks ago.
Top Targets
Aaron Judge ($5,200) has been one of few bright spots in an otherwise inconsistent Yankees lineup. He's hit four home runs over the last four games, leaving him with a .252 ISO for the season. Another big night could be on the horizon against John Means ($6,500), who has allowed 25 home runs across 126.1 innings.
If the Phillies make the playoffs, it will be on the back of Bryce Harper ($5,900). He's locked in at the plate, hitting 31-for-82 (.378) with 10 home runs and seven doubles over his last 23 games. He'll look to stay hot against Alec Mills ($6,300), who has allowed a .381 wOBA to left-handed hitters.
Bargain Bats
The Yankees have made a change at shortstop, moving Gio Urshela ($3,300) there from third base and shifting Gleyber Torres ($3,500) to second base. Injuries have played a role in a disappointing campaign from Urshela, who has just a .699 OPS. However, he went 2-for-3 in the first game of this series and might be able to provide value in the Orioles' hitter-friendly home park.
The Cubs trading away their top hitters at the deadline opened up a spot for Frank Schwindel ($3,400) in the regular lineup. He's mostly bounced around the minors since being drafted in 2013, but he's made a case to stay in the majors moving forward with a .293 ISO and a .420 wOBA. Add in his .404 ISO and .493 wOBA against left-handed pitchers and he's a viable option for a matchup against Ranger Suarez ($7,200).
Stacks to Consider
White Sox vs. Janson Junk ($6,500), Angels: Jose Abreu ($4,200), Luis Robert ($4,400), Yoan Moncada ($3,700)
Despite only logging a total of 2.1 career innings at Triple-A, Junk made his jump to the majors to face the Rangers earlier in September. It was an ugly start with him allowing five runs (one earned) and seven base runners across 3.2 innings. He also allowed two home runs, which is concerning considering that he allowed 11 home runs over 93 innings at Double-A this season. That could be a trouble area for him against Abreu, who is threatening to hit at least 30 home runs for the fifth time in his career.
Mets vs. Jon Lester ($6,100), Cardinals: Pete Alonso ($4,700), Francisco Lindor ($5,100), James McCann ($3,100)
Lester has been living on the edge lately. While he does have a 2.67 ERA across his last six starts, he walked 15 batters over 33.2 innings during that stretch. He has a 1.54 WHIP for the season, so trouble could be coming for him in this matchup against the Mets. While McCann isn't the biggest of names in their lineup, he's someone to at least consider given is career .354 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Astros vs. Kohei Arihara ($5,500), Rangers: Yordan Alvarez ($5,000), Alex Bregman ($4,400), Kyle Tucker ($4,900)
Injuries have limited Arihara to only nine starts this season, most of which came back in April. He's made two starts since coming off the IL, allowing three runs over eight innings. He had two favorable matchups, facing the Diamondbacks in Arizona and the Rockies in Texas. This will be a much tougher foe for him considering that the Astros have scored the third-most runs in baseball. One of their most dangerous hitters down the stretch has been Bregman, who is 23-for-61 (.377) with three home runs and three doubles over his last 17 games.
