This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome back to yet another edition of my FanDuel value picks for Wednesday, May 20. There's been a lot of surprises so far this spring including the early success of the Houston Astros who are leading the American League West with a record of 26-14, and the New York Mets who are leading the National League East with a record of 23-17. Bryce Harper is an early favorite for the NL MVP and has posted some ridiculous numbers up to this point (.336 avg., 37 runs, 15 home runs, 38 RBI). Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon is batting .403, with 64 hits in just 159 at-bats as we approach the end of the first quarter of the 2015 season. Those are just a few of the early season successes but enough with those, let's get to Wednesday's value picks. Please be sure to double check pre game lineups to avoid any last minute changes, and check on players who've been battling any nagging injuries.
Starting Pitcher:
Jake Odorizzi, $8,800 - 2015 marks just the second season in which Odorizzi has been a full time big league starter, and he's pitched very well up to this point. He's started 8 games this spring and compiled a record of 3-3 with a 2.36 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. Odorizzi has given up just one run or less in five of his eight starts, and his highest run total of the year is four which he's only allowed once. The 44/8 K/BB ratio is also very impressive and this kid has all of the tools to become one of the top pitchers in the American League. Odorizzi gets a matchup against a below average Braves offense in Atlanta on Wednesday. Another solid option would be Jeremy Guthrie ($6,500) as we like him to outduel Jason Marquis and the Reds in Kansas City on Wednesday.
Catcher:
Salvador Perez, $2,500 - It's tough to find solid offensive production out of the catcher position and there are only a handful of guys who can provide it on a regular basis. Perez is one of those guys. Perez currently holds a .289 average with five long balls and 21 RBI. It's also hard to find catchers who play almost every day, and Perez fits that category as well. He's started 36 of the Royals 38 games this year, and he started 150 of the 162 regular season games last year. Perez is batting .333 with a home run and three RBI over the course of the last week, and he'll get a juicy matchup against a 36 year old right-hander in Jason Marquis on Wednesday who enters with a 6.63 ERA over seven starts. Brian McCann at $2,800 would be a good value as well.
First Base:
Adam Lind, $2,900 - Since being traded from Toronto to Milwaukee in the offseason, Lind has been a pleasant surprise and one of the only bright spots for a struggling Brewers team this year. Lind is batting .295 with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 129 at-bats this spring. All seven of those home runs have come off of right handed pitchers, and he'll see one on Wednesday. The Tigers will toss Shane Greene, a 26 year old in just his second big league season. Green enters with a 4.21 ERA over eight starts and he pitches to contact, recording just 28 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched. Prince Fielder at $3,400 would also be a good option on Wednesday.
Second Base:
Ian Kinsler, $3,900 - Kinsler has been one of the most consistent second baseman in the league over the last five years and he's off to another good start this spring. Although his power numbers are down and he's yet to hit his first home run (which he will), Kinsler is still batting .314 with 26 runs scored and 20 RBI. Toss in six stolen bags and you have a guy providing great all-around production at a position where that can be very scarce. Kinsler will get a matchup with Kyle Lohse and the Brewers on Wednesday at home - Lohse enters with a record of 3-4 and an ERA of 5.85. Another solid option would be Kolten Wong at $3,100.
Third Base:
Adrian Beltre, $3,200 - Beltre is not the fantasy stud that he was a few years back, but he's still been consistent and productive over the last couple of seasons. He's batting just .258 but he's scored 20 runs to go along with five long balls and 15 RBI. Beltre will get right-hander Joe Kelly on Wednesday in a ball park that Beltre is familiar with. He was a member of the Red Sox in 2010 and became very comfortable with banging balls off of the short porch in left. Kelly enters with an ERA of 5.58 over 40.1 innings pitched. Beltre should have a nice day. We also like Nolan Arenado at $4,000.
Shortstop:
Zack Cozart, $2,600 - Cozart has been one of the bigger surpises of the Reds season so far, holding a .290 average through the first quarter of the season to go along with 6 longs balls and 17 RBl. The young shortstop is on pace to crush his previous highs in every offensive category, and it seems as if he's finally living up to his potential. Cozart gets the soft tossing Jeremy Guthrie in Kansas City on Wednesday as he'll look to stay hot and keep that average above .300. Alcides Escobar at $2,800 is another solid option on Wednesday.
Outfield:
Bryce Harper, $6,200 - This price tag is outrageous, but so is Harper's production as of late. Harper has been absolutely raking in the month of May and he hit yet another home run on Tuesday to bring his total to 15. Toss in 37 runs scored, 38 RBI and a .336 average, and you've got the superstar that everyone has been waiting for. There's no doubt that at $6,200 he's a big risk, but if you are ok with taking a cheap pitching option and spending the money on Harper instead, it'd be hard for anyone to blame you.
Andrew McCutchen, $3,900 - McCutchen got off to an extremely slow start during the beginning of the season, but has since bounced back very nicely. In the last two weeks, McCutchen has batted .304 with seven runs scored, two home runs, nine RBI and two stolen bases. There's no doubt that his current .225 average will continue to rise, and he'll continue to provide production through the remainder of the season.
Kole Calhoun, $2,900 - Calhoun was recently moved from the leadoff spot to the cleanup spot by manager Mike Sciosa. That's big news for a guy that's batting .299 because he's now going to have great opportunities to drive in runs with Trout and Pujols hitting ahead of him. Calhoun will get Drew Hutchison in Toronto on Wednesday who enters this game with a 6.17 ERA over 42.1 innings. This should be a favorable matchup for the Angels outfielder.
Other Notable Outfielders:
Carlos Gomez, $4,000
Brett Gardner, $3,500
