Monday’s MLB slate will be smaller than usual. Seven games are set to begin between 11:10 a.m. ET and wrap at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Boston Red Sox annual Patriots Day game takes place in the AM, this year against the Chicago White Sox, before the rest of the slate gets going tonight. We’ve gone over the schedule to pick out some of the best games, fantasy options, and rookies worth keeping an eye on.
Best Game To Watch
The first game in the slate could be a good one. The White Sox were crowned as legitimate World Series contenders before the 2021 season began. They’re sitting at .500 and rank third in the American League Central, behind the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians. Chicago’s offense has been underwhelming, but Tim Anderson is back in the fold now and put together his best batting performance of the year on Saturday by tallying three hits in four at-bats with a solo home run against the Red Sox on Saturday.
Boston has pulled itself up by its bootstraps after getting off to a horrendous start and sits atop the American League East with a 10-6 record. The Red Sox have the highest batting average (.281), second-most hits (13nn6), and third-most runs (82) in baseball. Nathan Eovaldi is not Lucas Giolito, so this could turn into a shootout.
Fantasy Spotlight
Monday’s fantasy spotlight is on Los Angeles Dodgers starter Dustin May. The 23-year-old redhead has gotten lost in his team’s ridiculously talented rotation but can light it up himself. He’s showcased the ability to get himself out of jams with runners on base and boasted an 89.1 LOB% last season through 10 starts. His LOB% is 83.1 this year, and he could improve upon that impressive figure against the Seattle Mariners’ middling lineup.
Rookies to Watch
Yermin Mercedes is still going strong for the White Sox. The 24-year-old second baseman has held it down as Chicago’s designated hitter and leads his team in batting average (.415), home runs (4), RBIs (12), OBP (.456), and hits (22). He’s gone yard against four of the five teams he’s faced this year.
MLB regular season schedule for Monday, April 19
All times ET. If no streaming option is listed, the game is available on MLB.tv pending blackout restrictions.
White Sox vs. Red Sox, 11:10 a.m.
Giants vs. Phillies, 7:05 p.m.
Cardinals vs. Nationals, 7:05 p.m.
Rays vs. Royals, 8:10 p.m.
Rangers vs. Angels, 9:38 p.m.
Dodgers vs. Mariners, 10:10 p.m., ESPN+
Brewers vs. Padres, 10:10 p.m.
Twins vs. Athletics, postponed due to COVID-19
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