Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. MLB betting tips for each day's slate of games will also be added in the morning. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET
, and all fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.
Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, including what you might have missed from last night, as well as any breaking news that might impact today's MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball news.
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Pitchers to stream on Saturday
Matthew Boyd's rostership may be a little over the usual 50% cutoff, but it's the weekend and time is running out in head-to-head leagues. He's not just a great streamer, he's also one of the top overall options on the slate when the Chicago Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates. The lefty has posted a quality start in six of his last seven outings, including each of his last three.
Tylor Megill and the New York Mets face the Tampa Bay Rays at home. Megill has 84 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings and could be pitching for his spot in the rotation with Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas nearing their 2025 debuts. On the surface, Megill's 3.76 ERA should be enough to remain in the rotation, but he sports a high 1.30 WHIP and his ERA over his last eight starts is 5.40. Even so, the combination of strikeouts and pitching in Citi Field puts Megill in the streaming bucket.
Tomoyuki Sugano isn't a strikeout pitcher, but on Saturday he has a chance to challenge his career high of eight punchouts when the Baltimore Orioles host the Los Angeles Angels. No team fans at a higher clip than the Angels. Sugano is coming off a rough outing in Sacramento, but overall he has been solid since coming over from Japan. Granted, Sugano's 3.23 ERA is tabbed to be about a run too low by the associated estimators, but impending regression is likely to be softened as the veteran continues to acclimate to MLB.
Pitchers to avoid on Saturday
Last time out, Carlos Rodon yielded five runs in five frames to the Boston Red Sox. That was in Yankee Stadium. The teams meet again in Fenway Park on Saturday. Suggesting avoiding Rodon isn't just because the Red Sox got to him, as research indicates that neither the pitcher nor the offense has the advantage when squaring off in rematch scenarios. It's best to look elsewhere for pitching based on Boston's general prowess facing left-handers. The club sports the second-best wOBA with a southpaw on the hill.
Hitters to stream on Saturday
The Miami Marlins make a rare appearance in the space with their road date facing Trevor Williams and the Washington Nationals. Williams sports a 5.91 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. Every Marlins batter is available in significantly more than half of ESPN leagues. Jesus Sanchez, Agustin Ramirez and Kyle Stowers head the wish list.
Betting tips
Best/worst pitcher/hitter matchups and betting projections are generated by THE BAT X, a 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. Betting projections for every player, team, and game can be found at EV Analytics.
Note: Expected Value is a measure of how good a bet is, factoring the probability that it will win versus the odds the book is providing. If you were to wager $1.00 100 times on a bet with an Expected Value of $25, you would win some and you would lose some, but in the end you would expect to come away with $25 in profit on your $100 investment.
Because odds typically do not get set until the previous day's games are completed, betting tips will be added in the morning.