With 10 games taking place at night, I’m obviously going to key in on the evening slate. The fascinating part of this particular slate is that teams are starting to play more meaningful games. Many teams are battling for playoff positioning, and it’s getting to the point where every game seems to matter. That’s truly evident by half of the night slate comprising of division matchups.
Check out today’s MLB Pickoff contest at DraftKings
Pitcher
Aaron Sanchez (HOU): $6,900 at BAL
It’s hard to get excited about a pitcher with a 5.76 ERA and 1.62 WHIP, but Sanchez showed why he’s such a special talent in his first outing with the Astros. He led the way to a combined no-hitter, striking out six Mariners in six innings of work. That extends his best stretch of the season, with Sanchez going at least five innings in six straight starts while pitching to a 4.26 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 26 percent K rate.
That’s much more like the guy we saw between 2014-16, a span in which Sanchez generated a 2.86 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. The matchup may be the best part of this play, though, with the Orioles ranked 21st in K rate, 26th in runs scored, 26th in OBP, 25th in OPS, and 26th in xwOBA. That’s why Sanchez enters this game as a -270 favorite. This makes his $6,900 price tag truly shocking, and he’s easily one of the best pitching options on the board.