MLB Picks

Astros righty Mike Burrows had a 4.33 xERA last year and the Angels were third in the majors in run first inning percentage (33.3%). Sure the Halos don't have hitting depth but they are strong at the top — at least when Mike Trout is healthy. L.A. is sending lefty Yusei Kikuchi to the hill and he had a 4.48 xERA last year while pitching to an ugly 6.00 ERA in the first inning. The Astros hit well against lefties and they should be more productive on offense this year with a healthy Yordan Alvarez back in the lineup.

Schanuel went deep in the season opener yesterday, and the 2023 first-round pick projects to return to the middle of the lineup again in a neutral matchup against Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows (career 3.90 ERA and 3.95 xFIP across 99 1/3 MLB innings). In addition to being positioned to rack up counting stats, Schanuel worked on adding bat speed during the offseason, too.

FanDuel is offering generous odds on Spencer Torkelson to get off the mark with his first home run on Friday. The Tigers first baseman matched his career high with 31 homers in 2025, and all signs are that his power was still there in spring training. After King's struggles with the longball this spring, I like targeting him for HR props right now.

Michael King struggled down the stretch last year and looked even worse in spring training. With Framber Valdez taking the mound for Detroit, I think there's a clear edge on this pitching matchup for the Tigers. I'm taking them to win tonight.

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If you’re in the market for consistent production, look no further than Ramirez. His hit totals for the past four seasons read: 168, 172, 173, 168 – and there’s no sign of decline for the wily veteran. Ramirez thumped a two-RBI double last night to turn the contest in Cleveland’s favor, and he’s had success against Seattle starter George Kirby to the tune of a 6-for-12 record, with three doubles and a homer.

When the Mariners go to the bullpen, it’s worth noting that Ramirez also has a pair of hits against key relievers Gabe Speier and Andres Muñoz.

These were two of the most productive offenses in the majors last year, with the Dodgers leading the NL in OPS (.768) and the Diamondbacks third (.758). L.A.'s murderer's row has gotten even better after adding Kyle Tucker. Meanwhile, the D-Backs dealt Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez midway through last season but the top of their lineup remains formidable with Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, and Ketel Marte. Arizona is starting Ryne Nelson who had an xERA of 3.93 last year and was in the bottom fifth percentile in average exit velocity.

Will Smith has some under-the-radar value tonight against Nelson. 

His fastball makes up the bulk of his pitching arsenal, which is something you'd think he'd reduce (at least some) against this Dodgers lineup. Enter the slider.

Nelson relied on this pitch throughout 2025 as a go-to secondary option. If he uses that against Smith, he'll be showing him a pitch on which Smith produced the second-highest average exit velocity and hardest hit rate of any Dodger player.

When it comes to his strikeout ability, the leading projection system (THE BAT) puts Miles Mikolas in the 3rd percentile among all SPs in the majors.. Miles Mikolas has been given less leash than the average pitcher since the start of last season, throwing 8.6 fewer adjusted pitches-per-game than the average starting pitcher.. Wrigley Field sits at the 10th-highest elevation in the league. High elevation usually leads (as a rule of thumb) to more offense.. The wind projects to be blowing out to LF at 10.5-mph in this game, the 2nd-best of the day for bats.. Out of all SPs, Miles Mikolas's fastball spin rate of 2217 rpm grades out in the 18th percentile since the start of last season.