Main DraftKings MLB Picks May 9: Soroka your world

TORONTO, ON – MAY 08: Kyle Gibson #44 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch in the first inning during a MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 8, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Main DraftKings MLB Picks May 9: Soroka your world

Thursday is a good split for our DraftKings MLB tournaments. We have five early and five late games. Perfect, right? It is until weather and other factors get involved

DraftKings MLB Early Pitcher Plays:

Top Tier:

Mike Minor ($9,400): The wheels are going to come off eventually, right? It’s definitely possible. And if it is going to happen, this would be one of the places to bet on it happening. The strikeouts are up, the walks are down, the homers are down, so this seems sustainable for Minor. The issue here could be some regression. That makes me nervous about paying this price. Minor’s 5.40 ERA at Minute Maid Park is cause for concern too. Buyer beware here.

Patrick Corbin ($9,200): I’ve been off of Corbin a lot this year, and it’s easy to move off of him here as well with a lot of other solid options. However, I’m not sure it’s a good idea. The Dodgers are hitting .248 with four homers and 14 runs in 137 at bats against Corbin, and the 37 strikeouts is kind of low, especially when you consider Corbin’s numbers this year. Corbin has a solid 3.35 ERA in ten career starts at Dodger Stadium. He may actually be a bargain here.

Middle Tier:

Mike Soroka ($9,000): Soroka has faced Arizona once. He pitched well against them. Big surprise, right? Soroka has been nothing short of brilliant this year, going 3-1 with a 1.14 ERA in four starts. He put up 16.5 DraftKings points on Arizona the first time around. I would expect at least that here since Atlanta is letting him go deeper into games now.

Luke Weaver ($8,000): Weaver was a key piece of the Goldschmidt deal, so we had to think he was better than his career numbers coming into this year. Weaver is 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA in seven starts this year and hasn’t given up more than three runs since his first outing against the Dodgers. Yes, the Braves have hammered him in the past. However, I say we ride the hot streak. I’ll say Weaver wont give up more than three runs here.

Bargain Pitchers:

Joe Musgrove ($7,300): This is tough because Musgrove was punished by the A’s his last time out. We can overlook one bad start, right? It’s easier when you see Musgrove’s road dominance this year. He has allowed just three earned runs in 22 road innings. The problem here is twofold. One, Musgrove is not a high strikeout pitcher. If he gets hit, you’re probably losing points. Second, he has a 6.75 ERA In two career Busch Stadium starts.

Wade Miley ($6,800): It seems crazy to chase Miley here, right? Well, the Rangers are only hitting .235 with two homers and 11 runs in 136 at bats. The strikeouts are low (33), but we know that coming in. Miley is not a strikeout guy. However, if you want to stack the big offenses tonight, you need salary relief somewhere. Miley’s past numbers are much better than Musgrove’s. Oh, and Miley has a 2.08 ERA in four home starts this year.

My picks: Soroka, Miley; Soroka, Weaver

SEATTLE, WA – JULY 8: Ryon Healy #27 of the Seattle Mariners holds up teammate Mitch Haniger’s bat after Healy hit a three-run home run off of starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Colorado Rockies that also scored Kyle Seager #15 of the Seattle Mariners, Nelson Cruz #23 during the sixth inning of a game at Safeco Field on July 8, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB Early Notes

Mike Leake was average in his one career start at Yankee Stadium. Average probably wont cut it. That said, Leake is cheap. Still, I’m not sure he can get the dozen points to make using him worth while. I am fairly certain that a Yankee or three may hit him hard. Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres are the best bets, but I still like Gardner batting leadoff and Clint Frazier.

J.A. Happ has a 7.65 ERA at home and the current Mariners are hitting .323 off of him with seven homers and 15 runs in only 62 at bats. Fade Happ and go all in on Ryon Healy. Healy is 3-5 with three homers and six RBI against Happ. Tim Beckham has also homered off of Happ twice.

Harrison Bader is cheap and has the only Cardinals homer against Joe Musgrove. Marcell Ozuna is 4-9 with a pair of RBI, but you have to pay up for him.

Michael Wacha has been a train wreck this year, especially at home. His 7.71 home ERA leaves a lot to be desired. Josh Bell is going to destroy at least one pitch tonight. Starling Marte and Adam Frazier look really good to be as well. Gregory Polanco is also starting to warm up if you want to full stack this.

Most of the Astros’ damage to Minor in concentrated. That makes this relatively easy. Yuli Gurriel is super cheap, and he is 6-15 with two homers, a steal, and five RBI against Minor. Tyler White is really the only other Astro I would consider. However, the fact that Michael Brantley hasn’t swung and missed at a pitch in 21 straight at bats is phenomenal. Don’t count him out either.

Logan Forsythe and Hunter Pence, he of the pinch slam, are the only current Rangers to homer against Wade Miley. Elvis Andrus is on fire and has hit Miley pretty well. The Rangers big power bats are mostly from the left side, so Miley could have another solid outing.

The only team that I would completely avoid bats from tonight is Arizona. The past stats would tell you to attack Luke Weaver since the Braves are hitting .359 with two homers and eight runs in just 39 at bats against Weaver. Markakis and Acuna have the homers, and I really think that should be the scope of the exposure. His numbers this year don’t seem like a fluke.

Your Dodgers scope can be limited to two spots: Austin Barnes and Justin Turner. They have all four Dodger homers against Corbin and eight of the 14 RBI. There’s no need to go anywhere else.

Another year means another year of me not willing to trust Rich Hill. I know that most of you will be tempted since the Nationals have better players on the IL than in their current lineup. It’s a trap! Anthony Rendon has homered off of Hill in the past. Brian Dozier is heating up and Victor Robles is already there. There’s plenty to like from the Washington side to leverage Hill ownership.

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