This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We just had the summer solstice, so it's all downhill from here, sunshine-wise. Don't fret, though! It's still summer, and it's still the meat of the MLB season. The 7:05 p.m. EDT and later docket for Wednesday consists of nine games. Not too shabby. Here are my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Paul Blackburn, OAK vs. SEA ($8,500): It's exceedingly surprising that Blackburn has a 2.26 ERA paired with a 3.08 FIP. What's most surprising, though, is that Blackburn has managed a 6-2 record given how poor Oakland's offense is. Seattle's offense is only a bit better, though. After a good start to the season, the Mariners have dropped down into the bottom five in runs scored.
Michael Wacha, BOS vs. DET ($8,400): Wacha is a surprise like Blackburn, as he has a 2.28 ERA this season. His 3.97 FIP is indicative of why that is a surprise, but that's not a bad number either on its own, and this is a great matchup. The Tigers are still comfortably last in runs scored, and Red Sox are in the top 10 in runs scored, so I like Wacha's chances of picking up the win.
Keegan Thompson, CHC at PIT ($6,600): Thompson has been bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen, but he's managed a 3.27 ERA through it all. Mostly pitching out of the 'pen in 2021, he put up a 3.38 ERA as a rookie. The Pirates are sitting 28th in runs scored with a sub-.300 OBP, and Oneil Cruz can only do so much.
Top Targets
Paul Goldschmidt ($4,100) has always been a top-level hitter, but this year his bat has been truly golden. That's been especially true against lefties, as he has an 1.356 OPS against southpaws. I'm not too surprised by that, as he has an 1.131 OPS against lefties since 2020. Lefty Eric Lauer has struggled in his last couple starts, as he's allowed three home runs in each of his last two outings.
The home runs have returned for Anthony Rizzo ($4,000). Thanks to four homers in his last six games he's up to 19, and he has six stolen bases to boot. He's also a lefty, and he gets to face the righty Shane Baz. I'm not looking at Baz's numbers since he's only made two starts, but Rizzo has an .898 OPS against right-handed pitchers.
Bargain Bats
In his time with the White Sox, Luis Gonzalez ($3,300) basically never saw the field. He's getting a chance with the Giants though, and so far he's been really impressive. The lefty has slashed .302/.361/.447 with three homers and seven stolen bases. It's been a tough year for Charlie Morton, who has a 5.08 ERA and has allowed lefties to hit .270 against him.
It's a Maikel Franco ($2,400) revenge game… or not. He spent all of 104 games with the Orioles, after all, and it was a forgettable run. Franco has been decidedly better on the road this year for the Nationals, with an .815 OPS in those games. In his first season as a starter, Tyler Wells has only struck out 5.43 batters per nine innings and posted a 4.31 FIP. He's also been hit harder by righties and has kind of kept lefties in check, which is why I didn't concern myself with finding a southpaw.
Stacks to Consider
Angels vs. Royals (Daniel Lynch): Mike Trout ($4,400), Taylor Ward ($2,900), Luis Rengifo ($2,400)
Lynch will be taking the mound with a 5.19 ERA after he had a 5.69 ERA as a rookie last year. The lefty has been hit by righties to the tune of a .298 average over his career, so I am stacking three hitters who step up to the right side of the plate, even though a couple of the Angels' best bats are lefties.
Trout has been Trout, the best hitter in baseball. Of course, that was true last year, as he posted an 1.090 OPS. The issue was that he got hurt, not how he was playing. Ward has struggled a bit since returning to action, but he's slashed .313/.406/.568 with 11 home runs in 47 games. Also, at home he has an 1.287 OPS. Rengifo is a switch hitter, and he prefers to face a lefty and be at home. He has a .794 OPS against lefties and a .704 OPS at home.
Cubs at Pirates (Bryse Wilson): Christopher Morel ($3,300), Ian Happ ($3,200), Patrick Wisdom ($2,300)
We have Wilson projected to return from Triple-A to get a start for the Pirates, mostly out of necessity. Pittsburgh has games both Thursday and Monday, so no day off is imminent. Before being optioned, Wilson had an 8.29 ERA, so the Cubs will be happy to see him on the mound, assuming they get the chance.
The rookie Morel has already shot to the top of the batting order for the Cubs. He's slashed .261/.327/.463 with five home runs and seven stolen bases. Happ's bat has been at its best in 2022, as he has a .289 average and .387 OBP. He also has an 1.080 OPS over the last three weeks. Wisdom is a swing-for-the-fences type, slugging .475 in his career with a .224 average. He has 13 homers this year after hitting 28 last season, his first as a Cub.
Orioles vs. Nationals (Patrick Corbin): Ryan Mountcastle ($3,400), Austin Hays ($3,100), Trey Mancini ($2,900)
Corbin is hitting the mound, so all hands on deck. He has a 6.59 ERA this season, and a 7.47 ERA on the road. The lefty has also allowed 1.42 home runs per nine innings. Additionally, since 2020 he has allowed righties to hit .306 against him, so I have three righties in this stack.
Mountcastle has hit 12 home runs after hitting 33 last season. In his career he's slugged .486. Hays has a .276 average, and since 2020 he's slugged .502 against left-handed pitchers. Mancini's power is a bit down, but he's hit .283 with a .363 OBP. Plus, he's shown power in the past, as he hit 35 home runs in 2019.
