Monday’s slate features so many strong stacking possibilities that the Pirates against Matt Garza and the Mariners hosting Anibal Sanchez don’t even make my “Others Receiving Votes” section. With so many options to choose from, I think you need to look for a combination of good lineup, good matchup and good value. Taking a bad lineup like the Royals just seems silly, given the circumstances. I am all for wanting to save a some money, but I don’t know that it is worth it when there are so many other viable options. There is too much risk of the Royals making Hector Velazquez look like Fernando Valenzuela. With that in mind, here are the stacks I am targeting, listed in order of preference:

 

Houston Astros @ Oakland Athletics (Daniel Gossett, R)

Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer, Jose Altuve, Brian McCann, Yuli Gurriel, Carlos Correa, Carlos Beltran

Only the Yankees have a better wOBA against right-handed pitchers than the Astros this season, and no team can match Houston’s .358 wOBA on the road. McCann, Springer, Altuve and Correa are all obvious choices, though they are pretty expensive. The other players are more affordable, and they are showing signs of breaking out. Carlos Beltran is 4-for-11 with a homer and six RBI over his last three starts. Yuli Gurriel is working on a five-game hitting streak. Marwin Gonzalez has four hits including a run and three RBI over his last nine at-bats. Daniel Gossett allowed six earned runs in 3.1 innings in his big league debut Wednesday, and he wasn’t exactly lighting up Triple-A with a 3.41 ERA and 3.78 FIP in 60.2 innings.

 

Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers (Austin Bibens-Dirkx, R)

Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak, Jose Bautista, Kendrys Morales, Kevin Pillar, Steve Pearce, Russell Martin

Small sample caveats apply, but Austin Bibens-Dirkx has been much better on the road this season, not surprising given Arlington’s history of being hitter friendly. Bibens-Dirkx has been surprisingly effective for a 32-year-old with his sixth organization making his big league debut, but it is a mirage. Bibens-Dirkx has a 3.28 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, but his FIP is 5.16. Bibens-Dirkx has been aided by a .189 BABIP and 83.3 left on base percentage. Even a struggling offense like the Blue Jays should be able to take advantage. The problem for the Blue Jays is the two guys who are hitting right now, Steve Pearce and Dwight Smith, are both playing left field and batting eighth. If either one moves up he would be a great value play. Speaking of great values, Russell Martin is pretty close to a must-play on FanDuel. As for the top of the order, I’m trusting in their track record and matchup to provide value, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that Kendrys Morales is 6-for-17 with three home runs during his four-game hitting streak. 

 

Boston Red Sox @ Kansas City Royals (Jason Hammel, R)

Andrew Benintendi, Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Mitch Moreland

With Dustin Pedroia out, Andrew Benintendi will likely move back to second in the order, where he is batting .289/.329/.474 and has 20 runs scored and 20 RBI in 135 at-bats. Mookie Betts, Mitch Moreland and Xander Bogaerts all have an .820 OPS or better against right-handed pitchers this season. Jason Hammel has a 5.05 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, and he has actually gotten a bit lucky with a career-low 8.8 percent HR/FB rate. 

 

Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres (Clayton Richard, L)

Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Ian Happ, Willson Contreras, Albert Almora, Javier Baez, Addison Russell

For all of the Cubs’ struggles this season, they still have an .808 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Only the White Sox have been better. When you add in their .901 OPS over the last seven days, you have the makings of a strong stack. Much will depend on how Joe Maddon makes his lineup, especially with Jason Heyward dealing with a hand abrasion and Addison Russell nursing an injured ankle. Whoever bats fourth through sixth will be worth considering, assuming Rizzo, Happ and Bryant are at the top of the order.

Clayton Richard has allowed four walks total over his last seven starts after he walked six batters against the Dodgers May 6. It will be interesting to see how he does against the Cubs, who have the highest walk rate in baseball against left-handed pitchers at 13.2 percent. Richard has struggled with walks in the past, with a career 2.99 BB/9.

 

Others Receiving Votes:

Washington Nationals @ Miami Marlins (Justin Nicolino, L)

San Francisco Giants @ Atlanta Braves (R.A. Dickey, R)