After another day of spectacular postseason baseball — unless you’re a Mets fan — we find ourselves staring down what is likely the final day with multiple meaningful MLB games until Opening Day in 2025. That’s not till March 27, people. That’s basically forever.
As such, let us savor this final slate. Take it all in as I break it all down one final time.
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PITCHER
Stud
Jack Flaherty, Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, $8,800 – I think you have to start your lineups with Flaherty. He’s like the free square on the bingo card. Obviously, a lot of Flaherty’s perceived value hinges on his fantastic Game 1 performance, when he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. However, this is about more than that. The Dodgers have a 3-1 series lead. They have cushion. Meanwhile, every other pitcher taking the mound on Friday will be making their first start of the postseason. That’s a polite way of saying they’re not their team’s first (or second or third) option. Leashes will be short — especially with the Mets and Guardians. Flaherty, who also happened to have a 29.9% strikeout rate during the regular season, is where you’re going to get volume.
INFIELD
Stud
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees, $6,000 – Ramirez is not having a strong postseason, but a pair of home runs and a pair of steals have done enough to not make his slump too much of a talking point. Still, small sample sizes be damned. Ramirez has the track record of one of the game’s best hitters and his switch-hitting ability should come in handy in a contest where I do not see Luis Gil ($8,500) working past even the fifth inning. Ramirez also hit .301 with a 155 wRC+ at Progressive Field during 2024. That’ll play.
Value
Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, $3,900 – It was an odd season for Smith, who started out red-hot in April, but then faded as the year went on. That slump has carried into the postseason, but with the backstop’s price tag dropping below $4K, I don’t mind giving him a look in an opposite-hand matchup against David Peterson ($6,500). Smith was at his best versus southpaws during the regular season, posting a .258 ISO and a 134 wRC+ in his 154 plate appearances within the split. He also owned a notable .367 expected wOBA. Plus, if you’re into this sort of thing, Smith is 2-for-3 off Peterson in their careers with a home run and a double.
Value
Tommy Edman, Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, $3,700 – Game 4 was the Tommy Edman game for Los Angeles. Not only did Edman have a pair of RBI doubles and 18.0 FPTS, but he moved into the clean-up spot with Freddie Freeman ($4,600; ankle) on the bench. With another lefty on the mound on Friday, I could certainly see that happening again. Edman is a switch-hitter, yet he’s long preferred to hit as an RHB. Not only did Edman hit .412 against LHPs in a limited sample in 2024, he’s got a career .831 OPS within the split.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees at Cleveland Guardians, $4,500 – Like always, Stanton’s been incredible so far in the postseason, slashing .308/.419/.731 with a 213 wRC+. Maybe more impressively, Stanton’s only struck out twice in his 31 plate appearances. He’s no longer the MVP version of himself, yet his .495 expected wOBA on batted ball events during the regular season ranked in the 98th percentile. He’s dangerous when he’s making consistent contact. On top of that, Gavin Williams ($6,900) struggled in right-on-right matchups at Progressive Field in 2024, surrendering a .422 wOBA within the split. It’s all lining up for another big night for Stanton.
Value
Kiké Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, $3,300 – Speaking of veteran players that are past their prime, yet can’t stop producing in the playoffs; let’s talk about Hernandez. By wRC+, Hernandez has been a league-average hitter only once since the beginning of 2019. However, in 27 plate appearances this postseason, he’s slashing .346/.370/.577 with a pair of home runs. Heck, for his career, Hernandez has 15 long balls in just 229 postseason PAs. That’s a jaw-dropping .263 ISO. Add in Hernandez’s long-standing reputation as a right-handed platoon specialist, and you can see why he’d be viable this evening.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
