Tuesday presents an interesting and somewhat unique main slate for multiple reasons. It begins at 6:40 pm EDT and is stacked full of elite pitching with many teams flipping over their rotation. That will present some decent values on elite pitchers, and thus open up additional salary space for hitters that typically may not be available. Expect a lot of high scores.
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Pitchers
There are arguably 10 ace-level pitchers on the main slate, with prices ranging from $10,500 to $8,200. It's hard to turn down Tarik Skubal or Garrett Crochet in any context – the two highest-salaried pitchers on the slate – but given the depth available on the mound, it likely makes sense to pay down a bit. Cam Schlittler ($8,500) has been excellent to begin the season and is facing an A's offense that has yet to get on track and is extremely strikeout prone. Jacob Misiorowski ($8,700) also has looked the part of an ace early this season and will face the slumping Red Sox offense in Boston.
There are some interesting options even outside the top-10 pitchers, which will push competing preferences of some short-term flashes of success to begin the season against veterans that have experienced slower starts to 2026. Nathan Eovaldi ($7,800) and Nick Pivetta ($7,700) fit the latter description, with Pivetta having shown the better form to this point. The duo's respective matchups against the Mariners and Pirates are comparable. Based on the sample dating back to last season, I'd have a slight preference for Pivetta. Taj Bradley ($7,300) has the looks of a potential breakout pitcher for this season, though his longer track record introduces risk that is less present for Eovaldi or Pivetta. The advantage for Bradley is a matchup against the Tigers, another offense that hasn't met expectations to begin the campaign.
The area of pitching that is lacking is value options. Drew Rasmussen ($6,800) is the most consistent option, though his ability to get strikeouts is erratic at best. A matchup against the Cubs isn't overly difficult.
Top Hitter
Reynaldo Lopez has gotten decent surface-level results, but his velocity is down and he has generated only six strikeouts across 11 innings. The Angels are a risky lineup to stack because they are strikeout prone, but Zach Neto ($4,600) has had a strong start to the year and is a good way to get exposure to the lineup.
Value Bats
Mickey Moniak ($3,400) has become a key part of Colorado's lineup since being activated from the injured list. Specifically, he's hit second and third in the lineup against right-handed pitching, and he's already slugged two home runs. Moniak also gets the benefit of playing at Coors Field at a surprisingly low cost.
The Nationals aren't typically a lineup we'll look to this season, but the case for rostering a cheap player or two Tuesday is similar to that of Atlanta. Matthew Liberatore has effectively limited runs through two starts, but he has only a 4:3 K:BB across 11 innings of work. In other words, he's giving up a lot of contact, which will almost certainly come back to hurt him in upcoming starts. Brady House ($3,500) is likely to hit third in the lineup against Liberatore and could be in position to put up counting stats even if he doesn't homer.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta vs. Los Angeles Angels (Yusei Kikuchi): Ronald Acuna ($5,700), Drake Baldwin (4,500), Matt Olson ($4,700)
As is implied by the discussion about the strength of the pitching on the slate, this isn't the best day to find stacking options based on matchup. Atlanta is a decent option based on the combination of matchup and ballpark, with this game taking place in hitter-friendly Angels Stadium. Kikuchi isn't the best pitcher to stack against because he has a 22.2 percent strikeout rate dating back to the start of 2025, though his 9.6 percent walk rate is the second-highest mark among the starters on the slate and his 1.20 HR/9 is the fourth-highest.
New York Yankees vs. Athletics (Aaron Civale): Trent Grisham ($3,800), Aaron Judge ($6,300), Cody Bellinger ($4,300)
The case to stack the Yankees is very similar to that of Atlanta. Civale is a higher quality pitcher than would ideally typically be targeted in stacks, but he has a home run problem (1.43 HR/9 since the start of 2025) and now faces a Yankees' lineup that has power up and down the lineup at homer-friendly Yankee Stadium. This lineup is cheaper than expected, particularly Grisham, who has consistently served as the team's leadoff hitter, and Bellinger.
