<
        >

          Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Tuesday's MLB games

          Is it time for fantasy managers to take a closer look at Yu Darvish? Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
          • Eric Karabell, ESPN Senior WriterApr 2, 2024, 03:16 PM
            Close
            • ESPN contributor on TV, radio, podcasts, blogs, Magazine
            • Charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame
            • Author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments"
            Follow on X

          Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

          Note: This file has been updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

          Start No. 3 for Darvish

          Thanks to the opening series in Korea, Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow and San Diego Padres RHP Yu Darvish were scheduled to make their third starts of the young season on Tuesday, the same day the No. 5 starters for several teams make their 2024 debuts.

          Glasnow, who has never made more than last year's 21 starts in any MLB season, has thrown 77 and 81 pitches in his first two outings, as the Dodgers act cautiously with their expensive, yet brittle ace. Just to play things a bit safe, Glasnow's third start has been pushed back a day, to Wednesday, with the Dodgers now choosing to go with a bullpen game on Tuesday.

          Darvish, who failed to make 30 starts last season for the first time in a full season since 2018, hosts the Cardinals -- a franchise against which he boasts a 3.12 ERA and a 1.019 WHIP, though he has won only two of those eight starts. Cardinals 3B Nolan Arenado has three home runs in 20 career AB versus Darvish, who also has been handled more carefully than usual, falling short of 80 pitches in both of his first two outings.

          Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers, the lone teams not on Monday's original schedule, open Tuesday's slate at 4:10 p.m. ET, with the mildly intriguing RHP Louie Varland facing the unappealing veteran RHP Jakob Junis, more of a swingman type. Varland has a strikeout arsenal and solid command of four pitches (fastball, cutter, slider, changeup), but he must avoid his home run issues from 2023 (16 home runs in 68 innings).

          Finally, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals are the lone teams not scheduled to play on Tuesday, so be aware, daily leaguers.

          What you may have missed on Monday

          By Todd Zola

          • After last night's no-hitter, many are likely asking, "Who is Ronel Blanco, and why wasn't he mentioned in Monday's column?" To be fair, Blanco was the fourth-highest ranked pitcher in our starting pitcher rankings for Monday. However, I opted not to include him among the day's top streaming options. Blanco and the Houston Astros were opening a series at home against the Toronto Blue Jays and, even though the visitors would be missing Bo Bichette for a second straight game, it's still a potent lineup. Last season, Blanco worked in a swingman capacity, posting a 4.50 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP over 52 IP, starting only seven of his 17 appearances. He fanned 52, but his 4.85 BB/9 and 2.08 HR/9 were both high.

          • In the spring, Blanco punched out 18 with only four walks and no homers allowed in 15 2/3 innings. While this proved prescient, spring stats overall have been shown to be non-predictive. Last night, Blanco recorded seven strikeouts with only two walks. The key to the no-hitter was yielding just four hard-hit balls (contact with an exit velocity of at least 95 mph). According to Statcast, Blanco's expected hit total was 2.8 so, while he was a bit fortunate, the no-hitter was earned. That said, Blanco's next outing lines up to be Sunday night on ESPN in Arlington against the defending World Series Champion Texas Rangers. Personally, I would not be comfortable starting Blanco in a head-to-head league where I needed to make up points to win.

          • While it wasn't a no-hitter, Shota Imanaga was impressive in his Chicago Cubs debut, tossing 5 2/3 innings before allowing his first MLB career knock. The lefty finished the sixth inning, allowing just two hits to the Colorado Rockies while punching out nine with no free passes. Like Blanco, Imanaga will be tested in his next outing when the Los Angeles Dodgers visit Wrigley Field.

          • It was Ryne Stanek, and not Andres Munoz recording the save for the Seattle Mariners, preserving Emerson Hancock's first career victory. Munoz was summoned in the eighth inning to face the heart of the Cleveland Guardians lineup, indicating manager Scott Servais will deploy Munoz when he feels the game is on the line, and not confine him to ninth-inning duties. Munoz should still pace the club in saves, but he may cede a handful to his bullpen-mates. Fortunately, the Mariners held a 5-3 lead when Munoz was brought in. After retiring Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor hit a ball 438 feet to bring the Guardians to within one run. Munoz retired the next two batters for the hold, then Stanek registered a clean ninth for the save.

          • Earlier, we mentioned that Bo Bichette sat yesterday, missing his second game in a row. The Blue Jays are labeling the issue as day-to-day, so at least for now there is limited concern. The same cannot be said for Josh Jung as the Rangers third baseman has a fractured right wrist after being hit by a pitch. The timeline for Jung's return has yet to be determined, but he'll likely be out for at least the rest of the month. Ezequiel Duran will be asked to pick up the slack at the hot corner.

          Everything else you need to know for Tuesday

          • Cleveland Guardians RHP Shane Bieber fanned 11 members of the Oakland Athletics over six excellent innings last week, but like the proverbial tree falling in the lonely forest, it was the Athletics, so who knows what it really means, if anything? Bieber gets a tougher test versus the Seattle Mariners. Bieber's fastball velocity, down in recent, injury-filled seasons, was back up to 92.3 mph at Oakland, and he relied quite a bit on his adjusted changeup. The Mariners, aiming to strike out less after finishing second to the Twins in whiffs last season, struck out 45 times in the opening series against the Boston Red Sox, the most per PA in the league.

          • Atlanta Braves RHP Reynaldo Lopez (6.3% rostered in ESPN leagues) pitched out of various bullpens over the past two seasons, but Atlanta gave him a shot to start this spring, and he beat out RHP Bryce Elder and others for the No. 5 rotation spot. Lopez last started regularly in 2020 for the Chicago White Sox and he was never a notable strikeout pitcher in the role. He also permitted 35 home runs during the 2019 season for the White Sox. Fantasy managers may want to see what happens versus the White Sox (revenge!) before investing, but any starter on a potential 100-win team warrants interest. The White Sox counter with young LHP Garrett Crochet (17.6%), who fanned eight hitters from the Detroit Tigers in his starting debut and is one of the most-added pitchers in ESPN leagues. Atlanta's offense will be a significant, concerning test.

          • Circling back to Giants-Dodgers, fantasy managers who invested in Giants RHP Logan Webb probably will never consider sitting him, but his career numbers against much of the Dodgers lineup are troubling. Current Dodgers carry a .327/.380/.515 line against him, with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman typical instigators (.403, 23-for-57 combined), and Max Muncy (8-for-22, 3 HR, five walks) and James Outman (4-for-6) thriving as well. Shohei Ohtani is 2-for-3 versus Webb with a double. The Dodgers are going to hammer so many pitchers this season. It's OK to bench your ace Webb for this outing, yet still expect a fantastic season.

          • Betting tip of the day: The Kansas City Royals scored 11 runs on Sunday and the Baltimore Orioles hit that mark twice in their opening series. These young offenses score runs. With Alec Marsh (5.69 ERA last season) and Cole Irvin (career 4.42 ERA) on the mound, expect both managers to summon their bullpens early, making the over/under of 8.5 runs seem rather low. Irvin has permitted 30 home runs to right-handed pitching over the last two seasons, making Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe even more appealing. I'll take the over at -130.

          It's not too late to start a free fantasy baseball league. Leagues drafted this week will start scoring fresh the following Monday. Come and join the fun!

          Starting pitcher rankings for Tuesday

          Reliever report

          To get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing a bit of fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning.

          Best sub-50% rostered hitters for Tuesday

          Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.

          Worst over-50% rostered hitters for Tuesday

          THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Tuesday