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  1. 🎯 New to Underdog Fantasy? Claim Your Bonus
  2. Nolan McLean Underdog MLB Pick'em — Higher 6.5 Strikeouts
  3. Connelly Early Underdog MLB Pick'em — Higher 5.5 Strikeouts
  4. Build Your Underdog Pick'em Entry Today

Looking for the best Underdog Fantasy MLB picks today? Fantasy Alarm digs into Tuesday's top Higher/Lower selections so you can build a winning pick'em entry on today's MLB slate. Check out Fantasy Alarm's Underdog MLB picks page for expert projections and matchup breakdowns all season long. Here are the top Underdog Fantasy MLB picks for Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

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Nolan McLean Underdog MLB Pick'em — Higher 6.5 Strikeouts

McLean has been as advertised in his first full season in the Mets' rotation. His 10.7 K/9 and 31.5 percent strikeout rate rank among the better marks in the National League, and the underlying contact quality against him has been excellent, with opponents posting just an 86.1 mph average exit velocity and a .205 wOBA through his 2026 starts. He is generating whiffs at a high rate and has the stuff to rack up strikeouts in bunches when the matchup is right.

Today it is. The Minnesota Twins carry a 24.7 percent strikeout rate against right-handed pitching, one of the more punchout-friendly profiles on Tuesday's slate. McLean has posted 85 strikeouts across his first 12 career starts, making him one of the most efficient strikeout-per-inning pitchers to debut in recent Mets history. A 31.5 percent strikeout rate against a lineup posting a 24.7 percent strikeout rate against righties is a strong overlap. Higher 6.5 Strikeouts is a play on a pitcher whose floor already clears this number on a regular basis.

Connelly Early Underdog MLB Pick'em — Higher 5.5 Strikeouts

Early has been one of the most consistent young starters in baseball to open 2026. Through four starts, he is 1-1 with a 2.29 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts across 19.2 innings. He has allowed two or fewer runs in every outing this season and has not been touched for a start-wrecking performance all year. His 9.2 K/9 and 23.8 percent strikeout rate tell you the swing-and-miss is real, not just a product of soft contact management.

He faces the Yankees tonight at Fenway in a cool-weather game that is expected to play more pitcher-friendly than a typical Boston night. The Yankees post a 25.4 percent strikeout rate against left-handed pitching, which lines up well against a lefty with Early's strikeout profile. He struck out 11 batters in his MLB debut last September and has carried that bat-missing ability into the 2026 season. Higher 5.5 is a number he has the stuff to clear against a lineup this susceptible to southpaws.

 

 

 

Build Your Underdog Pick'em Entry Today

McLean's 31.5 percent strikeout rate against a Twins lineup posting a 24.7 percent strikeout rate vs righties, and Early's 23.8 percent strikeout rate against a Yankees lineup punching out at 25.4 percent vs lefties. Two strikeout-driven props with strong matchup support on Tuesday. Sign up with promo code ALARM and grab your $50 bonus before first pitch.