This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
This will be a challenging slate to dissect. There are typically a few terrible pitchers that we want to exploit, but that's really not the case on this card. On the contrary, almost every pitcher on this six-game slate is usable. Eight of them are serviceable options to pick from, while the other four could be guys we want to use bats against. With that said, let's get started with two guys below $8K.
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Pitching
George Kirby, SEA vs. KC ($7,700)
It's difficult to get excited about a pitcher with a 5.40 ERA, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Kirby struggled mightily in his first two games after returning from an injury, but has steadied the ship since then. The righty has a 3.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 9.0 K/9 rate in five starts since that poor return. That's the pitcher we've become accustomed to because Kirby has compiled a 3.56 career ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Those are eerily similar averages, but the positive regression should continue in a home matchup with KC. Kirby has a 3.12 ERA and 1.01 WHIP at home over the last three years while the Royals rank 25th in xwOBA and dead-last in runs scored. In their two matchups last season, Kirby allowed just one combined run and eight baserunners across 14 sparkling innings.
Drew Rasmussen, TB vs. ATH ($7,500)
Why is nobody talking about how special Rasmussen has been this season? That tends to happen with Tampa pitchers, but Rasmussen should be in the AL Cy Young running behind his 2.45 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He's been even better recently, registering a 1.62 ERA and 0.88 WHIP across his last eight starts. That might look like a fluke on the surface, but Rasmussen has a 2.85 career ERA and 1.06 WHIP. We didn't even mention that he has a 2.16 ERA and 0.94 WHIP at home this year while facing an A's team that has been much worse outside of Sacramento. The Athletics rank 17th in OBP and 19th in xwOBA for the season while sitting 24th in OBP and 22nd in runs scored on the road.
Top Targets
Aaron Judge, NYY (vs. Max Scherzer) $6,500
Since we're saving some salary with the pitchers, we can pay up to use Judge. We rarely recommend the most expensive position player on any slate, but he should be easy to squeeze in if we use two pitchers below $8K. We're talking about the greatest hitter in baseball right now, providing a .457 OBP and 1.160 OPS since the start of last season. Judge is also coming off a two-homer game Sunday, and you know he'll be motivated against a former Cy Young winner. Scherzer hasn't looked much like a Cy Young winner recently, sporting a 5.63 ERA and 1.50 WHIP through two starts this year. If you want to stack the Yanks, Jazz Chisholm ($5,000) and Cody Bellinger ($4,500) both have the platoon advantage against Scherzer.
Yandy Diaz, TB (vs. Jacob Lopez) $4,600
Diaz is truly one of the most underrated hitters in baseball. Since becoming an everyday player in 2022, Diaz has a .300 AVG, .377 OBP and .833 OPS. What's really amazing is his recent form, as he's accrued a .453 AVG and 1.245 OPS across his last 18 outings. That's backed by some sensational splits, including a .393 OBP and .894 OPS against southpaws since 2023. Junior Caminero ($4,900) is one of the hottest hitters in baseball as well and provides a beautiful pairing with Diaz against a pitcher with a 4.77 career xFIP.
Bargain Bats
Marcus Semien, TEX (vs. Trevor Rogers) $3,600
Semien was arguably the worst hitter in baseball through the opening two months, but things have changed since then. The former three-time All-Star has a hit in 21 of his last 26 fixtures, providing a .343 AVG and .972 OPS during that span. That's more in line with what we saw a few years ago when Semien averaged 31 homers and 16 steals over the last four years. We also can't overlook his superb splits, as he's tallied a .788 career OPS against left-handers. We're not worried about Rogers either, and we'll dive into that in the Stacks To Consider section.
Gary Sanchez, BAL (vs. Patrick Corbin) $3,000
We've been using bats against Corbin for years, and today's another opportunity to do just that. We'll discuss that more in the next section, but Sanchez is the cheap option we like in this O's stack. This slugging catcher has been playing more since Adley Rutschman got injured, hitting in the heart of the lineup against lefties. That's no surprise since he has a .783 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor over the last three years. That pairs perfectly with his recent form, which has seen him accrue a .342 AVG and 1.103 OPS across his last 11 outings. The catcher position is always difficult to fill, but Sanchez makes everything easier at just $3K.
Stacks to Consider
Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers (Corbin): Gunnar Henderson ($4,300), Jackson Holliday ($4,100), Ramon Laureano ($3,900), Sanchez ($3,000)
Corbin used to be one of the best pitchers in baseball when he played for Arizona, but that was a long time ago. This lefty really fell apart after he helped Washington win a World Series, providing a 5.49 ERA and 1.51 WHIP since 2021. That's 821 innings of pitiful pitching, and smaller samples don't make the picture any rosier, as Corbin has surrendered nine runs and 19 baserunners across 9.2 innings in his last two matchups with Baltimore.
If we stack the O's, Henderson has to be the first player in our build. The All-Star received some MVP consideration last season, collecting 45 homers and 30 steals en route to a .279 AVG and .860 OPS across his last 234 games. Holliday has been hitting leadoff as another top pick, posting a .269 AVG and .749 OPS over the last two months. Laureano has the platoon advantage in his favor, accumulating a .270 AVG and .790 OPS against lefties since 2023.
Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles (Rogers): Sam Haggerty ($4,200), Corey Seager ($4,000), Semien ($3,600), Josh Jung ($3,200)
We rarely recommend stacks from the same game, but we have to when the two worst pitchers face each other. Rogers will be on the mound for the O's, registering a 4.87 ERA and 1.47 WHIP since 2022. He's actually bounced back with a 1.62 ERA in limited action this year, but a 3.75 xFIP indicates that some negative regression is right around the corner.
It's bizarre to see Haggerty as the most expensive option for the Rangers, but having this many cheap bats makes them a sexy stack. Haggerty has a .364 AVG, .429 OBP and .929 OPS against lefties this year. Seager is never someone we're worried about when facing lefties, hitting a home run in all three games of their weekend series. Jung also has the platoon advantage against Rogers, producing a .287 AVG and .840 OPS against lefties for his career.
