Friday’s main slate features a dozen games. It leans toward being an offense-friendly slate with a lack of established high-end pitchers. So, a few offenses should erupt tonight. Still, the pitching pool isn’t bereft of talent and upside.
Friday's Starting Pitcher Strategy
The middle and upper-middle tiers are the sweet spots for selecting pitchers tonight. Thus, those are the arms featured on the table above.
Friday’s main slate features a dozen games. It leans toward being an offense-friendly slate with a lack of established high-end pitchers. So, a few offenses should erupt tonight. Still, the pitching pool isn’t bereft of talent and upside.
Friday's Starting Pitcher Strategy
The middle and upper-middle tiers are the sweet spots for selecting pitchers tonight. Thus, those are the arms featured on the table above.
Cash Game Recommendations:
Chase Silseth (LAA) vs. OAK
Silseth cooked in his first start against the rebuilding A's. He has another opportunity to do the same tonight. According to FanGraphs, the A's are last in wRC+ (73) against right-handed pitchers with a 23.8 K%.
Silseth held the A's scoreless across six innings on only one hit, two walks, and four strikeouts. Before the Angels summoned him, he had a 1.73 ERA in five starts in Double-A. Finally, Betting Pros lists the Angels as -182 favorites and the game's total at 8.0 runs. Sure, there's some risk to using a pitcher making just his second big-league start, but the potential reward makes him a steal at his salary.
Tarik Skubal (DET) at CLE
Skubal took a step forward in 2021 after a rocky showing in his debut for the Tigers in 2020. This year, he's leaping forward. Through seven starts totaling 39.2 innings, he's had a 2.50 ERA, 2.36 xERA, 1.08 WHIP, 5.0 BB%, 28.3 K%, and 27.6 CSW%.
Tonight, Skubal has a good matchup for continuing his breakout. The Guardians are 25th in wRC+ (82) against southpaws. Further, most of their active hitters have been below average against lefties in recent seasons. As a result, Skubal is a matchup and talent-driven suggestion who fits all game types.
GPP Recommendations:
Robbie Ray (SEA) at BOS
There's always a risk to using a pitcher at hitter-friendly Fenway Park. Nevertheless, GPPs are all about embracing upside, and Ray carries it in spades.
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner has been in a strikeout groove lately. He's struck out eight batters or more in three of his last four turns, striking out 32 in 23.1 innings. In addition, the Red Sox have been in a funk against lefties this year, ranking 29th in wRC+ (70). So, chasing Ray's ceiling outcome is a stellar maneuver in GPPs.
Jakob Junis (SF) vs. SD
Junis has appeared to be the latest reclamation project for the Giants. He's twirled a 1.74 ERA in 20.2 innings across four appearances (two starts and two relief appearances). Sadly, he's been lucky. Regardless, his 3.27 SIERA has been nothing to sneeze at.
This year, the 29-year-old pitcher has ramped up his money pitch usage, throwing his slider a career-high 56.3% of the time. Junis has also thrown his changeup at a career-high 12.9% clip. So, a tangible change to his approach supports his newfound success. His junkball approach may eventually burn him, but he's a worthwhile dice roll in GPPs in the meantime.
Finally, the betting info is delightful. The Giants are -110 favorites, and the game's total is a tiny 7.5 runs.
Top Lineup Stacks
Dallas Keuchel has made a living with precision instead of power. However, he hasn't been sharp since the beginning of last year. The veteran lefty pitches to contact, and he's also walked an eye-catching 11.7% of the hitters he's faced this year. Keuchel's approach is begging for a beatdown from the Yankees, and their talented lineup is likely to oblige.
- Road (Fenway Park)
- Value: High
- Risk: Medium
- Game Type: GPP
- Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/SEA -105
The offense is frequently plentiful at Fenway Park. According to the MLB park factors, it has the second-highest park factor for runs (1.174). It's a challenging venue for the best pitchers to navigate, and no one will confuse Michael Wacha for an elite pitcher, despite his 1.38 ERA in five starts this season. Therefore, the Mariners can light up the scoreboard tonight.
- Road (Coors Field)
- Value: Low
- Risk: Low
- Game Type: Both
- Game Total/Moneyline: 10.5 Runs/NYM -135
One of the perks of the affordability of tonight's starting pitchers is the ability to stack at Coors Field. The inflated salaries for the visiting Mets aren't a problem tonight. This year, they're sixth in wRC+ (118) against righties, and the park factors enhance their ceiling tonight.
- This year, Aaron Judge has been a borderline unstoppable force, amassing a .381 OBP, .358 ISO, and 204 wRC+.
- Giancarlo Stanton hasn't matched Judge's excellence, but that's not a cause for disappointment since he has recorded a .347 OBP, .267 ISO, and 164 wRC+.
- Jesse Winker's slow start is a distant memory. He's recorded hits in 12 of his last 15 games and reached base in 11 straight contests.
- Eduardo Escobar is cheap exposure to Coors Field, who can put a charge into the ball. He's had a .202 ISO against righties since 2019.
- J.P. Crawford has been outstanding against righties this year. In 91 plate appearances, he's had a .434 OBP and 171 wRC+.
- AJ Pollock might be on the same trajectory as Winker. He was dreadful early and had an Injured List (IL) stint to boot. However, he's reached base in four straight games, doing so multiple times in two contests. Finally, Pollock has a track record of excellence with the platoon advantage.
Friday's Hitter Strategy
Judge's and Stanton's top-shelf power is the backbone of Friday's lineups. Adding other Yankees to daily baseball teams is a good move in all game types. However, stacking the Mariners or Mets around the sluggers is also enticing.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
