This article is part of our PrizePicks MLB series.
There are 10 games scheduled to be played across baseball Thursday, five of which have early start times. Let's focus on the five evening games and highlight some of the best options to consider on PrizePicks.
Gunnar Henderson, BAL vs. HOU: More Than 8.0 Hitter Fantasy Score
Henderson has been locked in at the plate, hitting 14-for-43 (.326) with four home runs over his last 11 games. During that span, he has a 12.2 percent walk rate and a 22.4 percent strikeout rate. He has already reached a new career high with 33 home runs, and his wOBA is all the way up to .395.
Trying to slow down Henderson will be Spencer Arrighetti, who has been underwhelming with his 5.20 ERA and 4.31 FIP. He has given up two home runs in three of his last four games, which is alarming when it comes to facing Henderson. Of his 33 home runs this season, Henderson has hit 25 of them against righties. Look for Henderson to have a big night at the plate.
Vladimir Guerrero, TOR vs. LAA: More Than 8.0 Hitter Fantasy Score
Not a lot has gone right for the Blue Jays this season, but Guerrero has been one of their few bright spots. Since the All-Star break, he is 48-for-117 (.410) with 12 home runs and 13 doubles over 31 games. During that span, he has just an 8.8 percent strikeout rate to go along with his 11.0 percent walk rate.
Injuries have left the Angels in a tough spot regarding their starting rotation. While they had yet to name their starter for this game as of early Thursday morning, it won't be their most reliable starter Tyler Anderson, who just pitched Tuesday. Whichever lackluster option they decide to roll out should have his hands full with Guerrero.
Dylan Cease, SD vs. NYM: Less Than 7.5 Pitcher Strikeouts
Since throwing his no-hitter, Cease has not logged more than 5.2 innings in any of his last four starts. It is worth noting that in one of those outings, he was limited to just one inning because of a rain delay. With him not lasting that deep into games, he didn't record more than six strikeouts in any of those outings.
Cease did face the Mets earlier this season, giving up seven runs over 3.2 innings. He finished with five strikeouts in that outing. Asking him to record eight strikeouts in their rematch is a tall order. In his 26 starts this season, Cease has finished with seven or fewer strikeouts 14 times. The Mets, who have the ninth-highest OPS in baseball, have also struck out the 14th-fewest times.
Gio Urshela, ATL vs. PHI: Less Than 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI
Urshela is known more for his defense than his ability to be productive at the plate. He only has a .088 ISO and a .272 wOBA this season. Part of his problem has been his 4.2 percent barrel rate and 28.2 percent hard-hit rate. While he began the season with the Tigers, he was eventually released so that they could make room for some of their younger players.
It didn't take Urshela long to find a job. He quickly signed with the Braves, who had a hole at third base with Austin Riley (hand) landing on the injured list. In his first two games with the team, Urshela went 2-for-7 with an RBI. Despite playing in 94 games this year, he has a total of just 38 RBI and 25 runs scored. Less than is the way to go here.
