MLB PrizePicks predictions, player picks: Marcus Semien, Mitch Keller

We are back at it tonight with all 30 teams on the schedule.

As is always the case, there are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to PrizePicks and their projections.

For baseball alone, there are 12 different categories ranging from pitcher strikeouts to hitter fantasy scores.

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All you have to do is pick between two and six projections and decide if you want more than or less than the projection for that player.

Here are my four favorite picks for tonight’s slate. 

MLB PrizePicks predictions, player picks

Marcus Semien more than 7.5 hitter fantasy score

The Rangers might have the best matchup on tonight’s slate.

The Cardinals pitching staff has struggled all season and that goes for both the starters and the bullpen.

Matthew Liberatore has a 6.12 xERA in three games this season with a .377 xwOBA allowed.

Both of those marks are the worst of any pitcher taking the mound tonight.

Over the last two seasons, he has allowed a .401 wOBA and a 38% hard contact rate to right-handed hitters.

Everything sets up well for Semien, who has good numbers against left-handed pitching, draws many walks, and has plenty of speed on the base paths. 

Mitch Keller more than 7.0 strikeouts

Keller has recorded at least eight strikeouts in six straight starts and he’s done it in some difficult matchups – on the road against the Mariners, on the road against the Orioles, and on the road against the Rays.

Tonight he draws a home matchup against the A’s, who are second to last in team wOBA against right-handed pitching.

Their projected lineup has six batters with at least a 26% strikeout rate against righties and they don’t draw many walks as a team.

Keller can be aggressive the entire game and hopefully keep his strikeout streak alive.

On the season, he owns a 30% strikeout rate and a 6% walk rate. 

Jack Suwinski more than 1.5 hits + runs + RBI

The Pirates are one of my favorite offenses to target tonight, as they are at home against the struggling A’s.

Oakland’s starters have not had success this season, and their bullpen has been even worse.

The team as a whole is 12-51 with a run differential of -213. It hasn’t been pretty for A’s fans.

James Kaprielian will be on the bump tonight and on the season; he has a 5.59 xERA with a .363 xwOBA allowed.

He has struggled with batters from both sides of the plate.

Meanwhile, Suwinski has been dominant against right-handed pitching with a .365 wOBA and a .261 ISO over the last two seasons. 

Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting

James Paxton less than 16.5 pitching outs

While the Guardians aren’t a particularly imposing offense, I’m not sold on what I’ve seen from Paxton this season.

A 34% strikeout rate certainly looks good on paper, but his walks are up, he’s not generating ground balls, and he’s gotten lucky with leaving runners in scoring position.

Even with some luck, he’s only had more than 15 pitching outs in one of his four starts this season.

If the Guardians can be patient at the plate, they should be able to drive up the pitch count for Paxton. 

Good luck tonight!