- After a pair of lackluster outings to open the season, Dakota Hudson (5% rostered in ESPN leagues) spun 6⅔ scoreless frames against the Cincinnati Reds his last time out. The right-hander gets another favorable draw on Thursday, as he squares off against an Arizona Diamondbacks team that sports a 77 wRC+ and a bloated 25.8% strikeout rate. Although he doesn't possess overpowering stuff, Hudson is an extreme groundball pitcher with an elite infield defense behind him, giving him plenty of streaming appeal against one of baseball's weakest offenses.
- Since returning from the injured list, all Taylor Ward (10% rostered) has done is hit .353 with three dingers, nine runs, five RBIs, and a steal in 10 games.
- Perhaps most importantly, he's been a mainstay in the Los Angeles Angels lineup, frequently batting first or second, ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. As someone who has consistently posted double-digit walk rates across his professional career, he's a big contributor in OBP leagues as well. If you're in need of either short- or long-term outfield help, Ward is an enticing add right now. Fellow Angels outfielder, Brandon Marsh (24.6%), who is batting .308/.396/.538 through 14 games, also deserves consideration.
- Jameson Taillon (22%) has delivered three straight starts with two or fewer earned runs allowed, yet his roster percentage has remained stagnant. Sure, it would be nice to see the right-hander miss a few more bats (8.0 K/9) and find a way to limit the homers (1.8 HR/9). However, he's showing pinpoint control (0.6 BB/9) with what's essentially a six-pitch mix, and it's working right now. Given the longball issues, there might be some hesitation throwing Taillon out there against some of the league's more dangerous lineups, but that's not the case on Thursday with the Baltimore Orioles on the docket. The Orioles currently have a 26.7% strikeout rate and an 80 wRC+ that ranks bottom-three in the American League.
- Seattle Mariners right-hander Chris Flexensports a 3.63 ERA across three starts, but the underlying numbers suggest some rough times ahead. Not only is he pitching to contact (5.7 K/9), but he's allowing lots of very loud contact, as his 56.4% hard-hit rate is worst in the American League. The Tampa Bay Rays should be all over Flexen in this matchup, so it would be good to get some exposure to their left-handed bats. Ji-Man Choi (27%), with a 1.027 OPS versus righties this season, Josh Lowe (8%), and the switch-hitting Taylor Walls (1%) all make for interesting streaming and DFS plays on Thursday.
- There are some red flags with Nick Martinez(1%), most notably a 6.1 BB/9 and a 3.1 HR/9, but we've seen some promising signs, too, as his changeup generates an impressive 42.4% whiff rate and a .111 wOBA against. If he alters his pitch mix a bit to rely less on his fastball and more on his secondary offerings, there could be something here. For now, Martinez can't be considered a safe streamer or DFS option by any means, but the risk is minimal against a Reds offense that can't seem to get things going, ranking dead last in MLB with a 56 wRC+ and a 27% strikeout rate.
What you need to know for Thursday's MLB Games
- Thread starter biggins
- Start date
