Tonight’s MLB slate will feature 10 games, with every team having already played at least 15 games so far this season. The first pitch will be thrown at 6:40 p.m. ET between the Pirates and the Nationals, and Paul Skenes will take the mound. The game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers will close out the night with a 10:10 p.m. ET start with the other eight games of action taking place in between.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the action this evening. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Baseball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for action on April 14th. You simply choose whether each set statistic will be more or less than the set number. With the stage set, here are my favorite picks on the remaining slate.
Kyle Schwarber More Than 0.5 Runs
The Philadelphia Phillies and Kyle Schwarber were unable to agree to a contract extension coming into the season and the franchise may end up regretting it. Schwarber is off to a hot start to the season, producing at every spot in the order he has been placed and setting himself up for a massive contract if he does hit the open market.
The 32-year-old is tied for the most home runs in the major leagues with six already on the season. Across his 55 at-bats, Schwarber has tallied 15 hits, eight of which have been extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and 13 runs. The Phillies have moved Schwarber out of the leadoff spot this season and have been experimental with their lineup construction to start the year. But Schwarber continues to walk at a high rate with 11 on the season after an NL-best 106 walks last year and 126 the season before.
Landen Roupp will take the mound for the San Francisco Giants. No member of the Phillies has faced Roupp before with this set to be just his seventh career start. So far he has pitched 28.2 innings, allowing 30 hits, 12 earned runs, 26 strikeouts and one home run while posting a 3.77 ERA in his MLB career. With the Phillies offense stalling in recent games, don’t be shocked if Schwarber gets thrown back to the leadoff spot. He has recorded a run during 10 of the 15 games played thus far even while many of the Phillies’ bats have yet to break out. Look for him to continue building off his strong start and elevate this Phillies’ offense by leading the charge tonight.
Tanner Houck Less Than 4.5 Strikeouts
The Tampa Bay Rays will host the Boston Red Sox with Tanner Houck on the mound tonight. This will be his fourth start of the season with Houck posting a 4.41 ERA and 1.469 WHIP to this point. The 29-year-old has pitched 16.1 innings and given up 17 hits and eight earned runs while striking out 10 total batters. He has tallied two strikeouts in two of the starts and six in the other.
Houck posted a career-high 154 strikeouts last season but his strikeout rate has declined in recent outings. The splitter has been one of his best put-out pitches but he is throwing it at a 21.5% rate this season after 24.9% last year. He still relies on the sweeper as the primary whiff pitch but has leaned on his ability to get ground balls at a greater rate to start the year.
While he did throw six strikeouts in one of his starts, he was held to less than 4.5 strikeouts comfortably in the other two starts with two each. Houck also tallied less than 4.5 strikeouts in 12 of his starts last year, even while producing career-best strikeout numbers. Tampa Bay is striking out at the sixth-lowest rate this season and expect it to have some success putting the bat on the ball tonight.
Bobby Witt Jr. More Than 0.5 Home Runs
The Kansas City Royals will face the New York Yankees tonight with Carlos Carrasco on the mound. Carrasco has struggled through his first three starts with the Yankees, currently posting a 7.71 ERA and giving up three home runs in just 4.1 innings in his previous start. He ranks in the 14th percentile in xERA, 14th percentile in average exit velocity, the fourth percentile in barrel rate and the 20th percentile in hard-hit rate. Carrasco’s best days are surely behind him and he also has reverse splits in which he struggles more against right-handed hitters.
This all benefits Bobby Witt Jr., who will be seeking just his second home run of the season. He had 32 homers last year and enters this game on a six-game hitting streak. Witt has faced Carrasco three times in his career and tallied two hits with one of them being a home run.
Witt will benefit from the short porch in Yankee Stadium, along with their struggling pitcher. While the home runs have not translated to the box score yet this season, the hard-hit metrics and power numbers still look solid and he has played 10 of his 16 games at Kauffman Stadium, which ranks 25th in home run park factor. Count on the rising star to capitalize on the moment tonight and put one out of the park for the second time this season.
Jonathan Aranda More Than 1.5 Hits, Runs & RBIs
On the other side of the matchup with Tanner Houck, Jonathan Aranda has a chance to do some real damage. The 27-year-old has been a real bright spot to start the season and has tallied 38 at-bats, producing 15 hits, eight RBIs and seven runs. He is currently posting hitting splits of .395/.467/.711.
Houck has given up plenty of loud contact, ranking in the 23rd percentile in xERA, the 26th percentile in average exit velocity, the 16th percentile in strikeout rate and the 12th percentile in hard-hit rate. Houck has given up three home runs this season with each of these coming to left-handed hitters, which Aranda fits the bill.
Aranda’s hitting metrics have shined even more than the raw stats suggest. He ranks in the 97th percentile in xSLG, the 98th percentile in average exit velocity, the 94th percentile in barrel rate and the 96th percentile in hard-hit rate. It could take just one swing for Aranda to tally more than 1.5 combined hits, runs and RBIs, which he has done in six of his past seven games. Look for him to capitalize tonight and maintain his strong start to the year.
Dylan Cease Less Than 6.5 Strikeouts
It has been a tough start to the season for Dylan Cease with him looking to bounce back from nine earned runs allowed in just four innings pitched in his most recent outing. Cease has pitched 14.2 innings so far this season, giving up 13 earned runs and tallying 18 total strikeouts. Across his three starts, he has struck out seven hitters twice and tallied four strikeouts in a recent blowout.
He will face the Chicago Cubs tonight who rank 10th in strikeouts as a team this season. Cease has struck out 27.3% of batters to start the season and just 20% of right-handed hitters. Chicago’s lineup has only struck out 15.5% of the time against right-handed pitchers, with Matt Shaw being the only player in the projected lineup to have a strikeout rate above 20.8%.
Cease will settle in on the season and return to form but he has not looked like the best version of himself so far. He is throwing more sinkers, which have not been effective for him as a whiff pitch. Expect Kyle Tucker and the Cubs to be ready to battle and chase him from the game with less than 6.5 strikeouts tonight as he attempts to shake off the past frustrating outing.
Mookie Betts More Than 0.5 RBIs
The bats went silent for the Dodgers this weekend with them producing just five total runs in the series against the Cubs. This includes being blown out 16-0 in the second game of the series. They will look to bounce back against the Colorado Rockies tonight.
Expect Mookie Betts to lead the charge in this effort in a matchup in which he has had success. So far this season, Betts has tallied 52 plate appearances, resulting in 15 hits, three home runs and eight RBIs. Betts launched three home runs in his first four games of the season but has failed to hit one since.
Antonio Senzatela is set to take the mound for the Rockies, who Betts has plenty of experience against. Across his 20 at-bats against Senzatela, Betts has tallied nine hits, including two home runs. Senzatela also allowed two home runs in just 4.1 innings pitched in his previous game. He ranks in the 16th percentile in xERA, the second percentile in strikeout rate and the fourth percentile in hard-hit rate. Even if he is chased from the game early, the Colorado bullpen is producing the second-lowest strikeout rate and third-worst WHIP thus far. Expect a bounceback performance from the Dodgers as they turn a page on the frustrating previous series. Look for Betts to lead the charge in this favorable matchup and record an RBI tonight.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether or not you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be at least 18 years or older. Higher age limits may apply in some states. Eligibility restrictions apply. Valid only in states where DraftKings Pick6 operates. Void where prohibited. For entertainment purposes only. Winning a contest on DraftKings depends on knowledge and exercise of skill. See terms at pick6.draftkings.com.
