Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is geared towards ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.
For an in-depth look at what to expect in this daily article and for how to best utilize the information contained within, check out our handy primer here.
Note: This file has been updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.
What you need to know for Tuesday’s MLB Games
By Derek Carty
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Chris Sale (67% rostered in ESPN leagues) currently sports an 11.25 ERA through 3 starts, which has led to him being dropped in a number of leagues. It’s worth checking if he’s on your wire, because he’ll be worth picking up as the day’s top streamer if he’s available. His K/9 is 14.3 and his xFIP is 3.74 portend much better results to come.
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Assuming Sale isn’t available, there are three widely available pitchers that project nearly identically and are worth streaming. Ken Waldichuk (sub-1% rostered), Eduardo Rodriguez (7%), and Clarke Schmidt (3%) all face offenses that are taking a park hit and all have good pitching weather.
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On the hitting side, the Phillies and White Sox play a double-header. That means double the volume for anyone that plays both games. Bryson Stott (29%), Andrew Benintendi (25%), Brandon Marsh (20%), and Oscar Colas (11%) are your best bets in that regard among widely available options.
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Outside of the double-header, the Pirates are the clear best team to stream from. They go into Coors Field to face the day’s weakest pitcher in Jose Urena with the day’s second-best hitting weather, and almost the whole team is widely available. Carlos Santana (18%), Andrew McCutchen (17%), Ke’Bryan Hayes (16%), and Ji Hwan Bae (3%) are the best choices, but anyone in the lineup would be worth considering.
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If you’re looking for speed, the Atlanta Braves have the best stolen base matchup by a huge margin. The top three in projected SBs today are all Braves. Ronald Acuna (100%) and Ozzie Albies (97%) are long-gone in fantasy, but there’s a good chance you’ll find value on their SB props at sportsbooks. If Eli White (sub-1%) cracks the lineup, though, you’ll want to jump on him. Vaughn Grissom (37%) is also likely available to you.
Starting pitcher rankings for Tuesday
Bullpen usage watch for Tuesday
By Todd Zola
In part because a few tired bullpens had their Monday game postponed, there are no relievers making the cut on what would be today’s Relief Pitcher Usage Chart. Hence, we have no chart. However, both games that were rained out yesterday will be made up today as part of double-headers — which are always ideal targets for saves and holds.
The Phillies and White Sox will play a pair at Guaranteed Rate Park. When looking for a save, the slight preference goes to the visitors since the home team loses the opportunity for a save if the game is tied entering the ninth. Craig Kimbrel (17.3%) has collected the only Phillies save this season, and he also has logged a hold. Jose Alvarado (13.9%) leads Philadelphia with three holds, with Gregory Soto (2.4%) notching the only other hold for the club. The White Sox have only two saves so far, both courtesy of Reynaldo Lopez (5.9%). Lopez also has a hold. Kendall Graveman (12.9%) and Aaron Bummer (0.9%) have each garnered three holds for the White Sox.
The Tigers host the Guardians for a Tuesday twin-bill. Emmanuel Clase (98.3%) hasn’t pitched since Saturday, so Cleveland manager Terry Francona could ask him to seal the deal twice, with James Karinchak (6.2%) in the mix if he’s not used in the first game and Francona doesn’t actually want to go to Clase in both contests. Karinchak has five holds, so he’s in play regardless. Eli Morgan (4.9%) has a save and a hold while Trevor Stephan (3.0%) has chipped in with a save. Detroit doesn’t have a clear closer with Alex Lange (7.6%) and Garrett Hill (0.1%) each registering one of the club’s two saves to date. Jason Foley (0.1%) has three holds while Chasen Shreve (0.0%) has recorded a pair.
Best Sub-50% Rostered Hitters for Tuesday
Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.
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Javier Baez (DET, SS — 19%) vs. Hunter Gaddis and Peyton Battenfield
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Andrew Benintendi (CHW, LF — 25%) vs. Zack Wheeler and Bailey Falter
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Oscar Gonzalez (CLE, RF — 11%) at Matthew Boyd and Eduardo Rodriguez
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Bryson Stott (PHI, SS — 30%) at Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito
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Riley Greene (DET, CF — 20%) vs. Gaddis and Battenfield
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Akil Baddoo (DET, LF — 0%) vs. Gaddis and Battenfield
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Andrew McCutchen (PIT, LF — 19%) at Jose Urena
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Kerry Carpenter (DET, LF — 1%) vs. Gaddis and Battenfield
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Carlos Santana (PIT, 1B — 18%) at Urena
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Myles Straw (CLE, CF — 26%) at Boyd and Rodriguez
Worst Over-50% Rostered Hitters for Tuesday
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Brian Anderson (MIL, 3B — 56%) at Logan Gilbert
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Corbin Carroll (ARI, LF — 89%) at Jordan Montgomery
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James Outman (LAD, LF — 56%) vs. Tylor Megill
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Jeff McNeil (NYM, 2B — 85%) at Clayton Kershaw
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Jazz Chisholm Jr. (MIA, 2B — 85%) vs. Alex Wood
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Jordan Walker (STL, 3B — 61%) vs. Drey Jameson
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Christian Yelich (MIL, LF — 79%) at Gilbert
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Jorge Mateo (BAL, SS — 58%) at Josiah Gray
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Jake Cronenworth (SD, 2B — 91%) vs. Spencer Strider
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Xander Bogaerts (SD, SS — 98%) vs. Strider
