Yankees vs Nationals and Giants vs Dodgers Start Off the MLB Season
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Baseball is finally back! After the coronavirus shut baseball down in mid-March, the MLB came to a compromise on a short 60-game season. Now, two games are on the schedule for Opening Day.
The defending World Series Champion Washington Nationals will take on the New York Yankees tonight at 7:08 ET on ESPN. The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers will be the second game of the night. The Giants and Dodgers will start at 10:08 ET, and will also be on ESPN.
Yankees at Nationals
Yankees ML -140
Nationals ML +120
O/U 7.5
MLB fans will get a great pitching matchup to start the 2020 season off. Nationals Max Scherzer will take on Yankees Gerrit Cole tonight. Cole was brought in to the Yankees this offseason as he signed a massive 10-year $324 million contract. Last season, Cole pitched to a 20-win season with a 2.50 ERA, 326 strikeouts, and 7.4 WAR. Scherzer missed some time last season, but still managed 11-wins with a 2.92 ERA, 243 strikeouts, and a 6.5 WAR.
This is arguably the best pitching matchup of the opening weekend. However, the offenses have some firepower of their own. The Yankees could not keep players healthy in 2019 and had posted one of the best offenses in baseball. Guys like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton missed time, as New York Continued their next man up mentality. If anyone is going to be able to hit Scherzer, it is going to be the Yankees lineup.
As for the Nationals, they found their groove as the season went on in 2019. Juan Soto became a star last season, posting a .282/.401/.548 slash line and hit 34 home runs. However, they will be without Anthony Rendon, who was their best hitter in 2019. Rendon went to the Angels this offseason, and Washington will turn to Carter Kieboom to man third base. Kieboom is the Nationals number one prospect and the 21st ranked prospect in all of baseball. The Nationals will need Kieboom to step up this season to help replace Rondon.
Pick: Over 7.5
Despite two of the best pitchers in baseball on the mound, I like the over in this matchup. I have the total projected out to 8.42 runs, which gives it enough value to play the over. The Yankees and Nationals both have top-10 offenses, which should score enough runs. Weather should also benefit hitters with the season starting in the middle of the summer instead of frigid March. The Nationals bullpen ranked in the bottom half last season, which could cost them runs if Scherzer does not go six or seven innings.
Giants at Dodgers
Dodgers ML -310
Giants ML +245
O/U 8
The second game of the night will be between the Giants and Dodgers in Los Angeles. Both the Giants and Dodgers are heading in opposite directions to start 2020. The Dodgers are looking to make it back to the World Series for the third time in four years. The Giants are beginning their rebuild as they are projecting to be towards the bottom of the league in 2020. That does not mean we cannot find value in the second game.
Los Angeles will trot out longtime Dodger Clayton Kershaw as the opening day starter. In 2019, Kershaw won 16 games and had a 3.03 ERA, 189 strikeouts, and a 3.4 WAR. Kershaw is still a reliable pitcher but has fallen from his once-dominant reign. He will go up against veteran Johnny Cueto, who will hope to go a complete season in 2020. Cueto has only started 13 games in the last two seasons as he has unable to stay healthy. Now, with the long layoff, there is a chance Cueto can finish the shortened 2020 season.
Despite Cueto being healthy, the Dodgers should have no problems putting up runs to start the season. Their lineup is loaded, and not to mention, they brought in superstar Mookie Betts in a blockbuster trade this offseason. Los Angeles had the second-best offense in baseball last season and added another superstar to their lineup.
The Giants, on the other hand, did not have the same success as the Dodgers did on offense. San Francisco finished in the bottom five in offense last season. There is some talent with Mike Yazstremski and veteran Hunter Pence in the lineup. Right now, it looks like the Giants are filling in their roster with veterans as they rebuild the farm to get younger talent back up.
Pick: Over 8
Right now, my model has this game projected a total of 9.33 runs. If the total hits, then a lot of thanks will come from the Dodgers. Cueto is a quality starting pitcher, but there is no telling how he will perform after missing a chunk of the last two seasons, along with being 34 years old. The Dodgers should take care of the Giants, and hopefully, both teams can produce to get over the number eight.
