Jared Contestabile 
Friday night was a solid one minus a few things. Kyle Freeland tossed a gem, effectively killing Padres stacks. Hunter Gaddis actually held his own, but we got a bit of action out of the Mariners still.
Moving on to Saturday, we have a HUGE main slate starting at 2:10 ET. Lots of options to choose from, and I’m here to narrow some down for you.
Let’s crush today’s slate!
MLB DFS Aces – Main
Spencer Strider vs Nationals
Strider was one of the most exciting young pitchers in 2022, and I’m expecting more of the same in the 2023 season. This is a Nationals lineup that is…poor. They will be a lineup I pick on quite a bit this season, and this is a prime spot for the young righty.
The Braves are listed as a -250 favorite in a game with a total of 8.5. Why is the total so high with Strider on the mound? More on that later. What DOES matter right now is that Strider was an absolute machine last season. He had a 13.81 K/9, allowed just 0.48 HR/9, allowed a .179 BAA, I could go on forever. Strider is an easy play on Saturday. He will be popular, but it’s a massive slate. I’m not worried about it.
Nick Lodolo vs Pirates
If you haven’t seen Lodolo pitch, you are missing out. He has electric stuff, and has the strikeout upside to win you a boatload of cash. His 11.41 K/9 is second only to Strider among today’s pitchers, and the Pirates are going to have a tough time against him.
There are quite a few lefties in this Pittsburgh lineup, and Lodolo has had his way with same-handed batters. Lodolo has had some command issues at times (3 BB/9), but the upside here is massive and the matchup is solid. If he can keep the ball over the plate and dodge O’Neill Cruz’s bat, he could be among the highest scorers on the day.
Patrick Sandoval vs Athletics
There are a ton more options here, but I’m looking to differentiate a bit as well. Clayton Kershaw is a monster -250 favorite, Clarke Schmidt is one of my favorite GPP options. Zack Wheeler and Brandon Woodruff deserve some love too. However, there are only so many seats at the table.
Sandoval is a breakout candidate for 2023. He showed flashes of brilliance in 2022, but overall his numbers were just decent. He had a 9.14 K/9, 3.63 BB/9, and a 1.25 WHIP. Not great. But he does a great job of keeping the ball in the park (0.48 HR.9), and gives up very little hard contact (26.4% HardHit).
Even better? The Athletics lineup is equivalent to your local community college as far as power goes. Sandoval should have his way with these guys en route to smashing a cheap salary. The Angels are -165 favorites with a total of 7.5 runs.
MLB DFS Stacks – Main
Atlanta Braves vs Josiah Gray
Say what you will and overreact to Spring Training numbers, but count me out as a believer in Gray. The guy is on a MLB-record pace in home runs allowed (2.3/9 in 2022!!!). I know he didn’t serve any up in the Spring, but I take very little from those numbers in general.
The Braves have one of the most powerful lineups in baseball, and it will be on full display Saturday. In 2022, Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna, and Matt Olson all had an ISO of at LEAST .227 against RHP. Ronald Acuna Jr. didn’t make that cut in a down year, but I think we all know what he can do. Fire up this stack and let’s hope that others overreact to Gray having a solid spring. He just isn’t good.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Madison Bumgarner
If we set the clocks back to 2016, Kershaw vs Bumgarner was must-watch television. Well, in the year 2023, that ship has sailed. Bumgarner has gone from ace to back-end starter in one of the worst teams in baseball.
His 2022 was not very good, and that’s me being polite. He had just a 6.43 K/9, allowed 1.42 HR/9, had a WHIP of 1.44…the list goes on all day. The Dodgers are absolutely stacked at the top of the lineup, and I’m expecting big things here.
The late-night hammer stack of Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Mookie Betts, and JD Martinez won’t be very cheap, but should have their way early and often against the corpse of MadBum. Also, did you know he once dated a girl also named Madison Bumgarner? Weird world.
Baltimore Orioles vs Chris Sale
Here we go. The bold call of the night. Listen, Chris Sale coming back is great for Chris Sale. The guy has 11 starts since 2019. He got lit up in his last Spring Training outing, and I just am not a believer that he will get it done consistently.
This is an incredibly underrated Orioles lineup full of young players with pop. Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Gunnar Henderson, Anthony Santander, and Cedric Mullins are all solid options here. Henderson and Mullins won’t have the platoon advantage here, but I’m not concerned with that.
This team can score, and will continue to batter Red Sox pitching on Saturday. Ride this stack to the top and I’ll meet you there.
MLB DFS Summary
Saturday’s slate looks like an absolute blast. I’ll be taking my shots on the O’s, Braves, and Dodgers. I mentioned a few more arms I like above as well. Let’s have a HUGE day!
Find the team in the Discord and let’s chat about some plays!
Good luck and hope to see you in the green.
Check me out on Twitter @BigItaly42 and let me know who you are playing tonight! Always around to talk some MLB!
