Yesterday, we ended in the green thanks to Yordan Alvarez and Luis Severino. Tonight, we’ll look to finish the work week on a high note and the four pitchers that I will be targeting to do so are Andrew Abbott, Michael Wacha, Luis Castillo and Hayden Birdsong.
Let's dive into my MLB player props for Friday, August 23.
Alex Hinton's MLB Player Props for Friday, Aug. 23
- Andrew Abbott Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+100, FanDuel)
- Michael Wacha Over 17.5 Outs Recorded (-115, DraftKings)
- Luis Castillo 6+ Strikeouts / Hayden Birdsong 6+ Strikeouts (+100, DraftKings)
MLB player prop bets and MLB prop bets are becoming increasingly popular among bettors. These wagers focus on individual player performances, such as runs, home runs, and strikeouts, adding excitement by allowing bettors to target specific player statistics rather than just game outcomes.
Reds vs Pirates Player Props: Expect Andrew Abbott to Pile Up Strikeouts
Last night, the Reds and Pirates appeared to be heading for a pitcher's duel with the game being scoreless entering the fifth inning before the Pirates broke through for six runs. Still, starters Nick Lodolo and Paul Skenes both ended with nine strikeouts. Tonight, Andrew Abbott will look to pile up the strikeouts himself.
Abbott had just four strikeouts in his last start against a Royals team that does not strikeout often. However, in his previous three starts, he had 21 strikeouts and covered this line in all of them. He also had nine and seven strikeouts in two starts against the Pirates last season. He should have similar success against the Pirates this time around as they rank fourth in strikeout rate against left-handed pitchers and first over the last 15 days.
The active Pirates for tonight's game are a combined 3-for-19 with nine strikeouts. Three Pirates (Oneil Cruz, Michael A. Taylor, and Joey Bart) have strikeout lines at 1.5 tonight. While that does project four ABs and likely one against the bullpen, Abbott could hit this line with two strikeouts each against the three of them.
Additionally, should Abbott pile up the strikeouts against the Pirates again, you can also back him for seven strikeouts at +190, eight at +375, and nine at +700 on FanDuel.
Phillies vs Royals Player Props: Good Spot for Michael Wacha
Michael Wacha enters tonight's start at 10-6 with a 3.33 ERA. He ranks 18th in the MLB in ERA and that has helped him work deep into games. Wacha has pitched six innings or more in each of his last four and five of his last six starts. Tonight, Wacha gets the Phillies, which is usually not a great team to target with opposing pitcher props, but he may be catching them at the right time.
Since the All-Star break, the Phillies are just 12-19 and are averaging almost a run less per game compared to the first half. That span coincides with the Phillies' seeing the fewest fastballs of any MLB team. Wacha has a mid 90s four-seam fastball and sinker, but his best pitch is his changeup.
He has thrown his changeup 31% of the time, surrendering a .177 opposing batting average and generating 59 of his 108 strikeouts this season. Additionally, he has a slider and curveball in his arsenal as well. If Wacha is able to keep the Phillies' hitters off balance with his off-speed pitches, he will be able to work deep into this game. A quality start of six innings and two earned runs gets us 18 outs and over this line.
Giants vs Mariners Player Props: Plus-Money Strikeout Parlay
At T-Mobile Park, Luis Castillo has pitched six innings in nine of his last 10 home starts. He has struck out six in eight of them, including nine in his last two against the Tigers and Mets. Tonight, he gets the Giants, who are eighth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers over the last 15 days.
Meanwhile, Hayden Birdsong has had some struggles in his rookie season with a 5.01 ERA and 4.61 xERA, but he has 49 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings. He ranks in 84th percentile in whiff rate and 81st percentile in strikeout rate. He had 20 of those strikeouts in consecutive outings against the Rockies last month. The Rockies strike out a lot, but not as much as the Mariners, who lead the MLB in strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers. The Mariners may have a new manager now, but I don't expect that to change how often their hitters strike out.
Castillo and Birdsong's strikeout prop lines are both slated at 6.5 tonight. However, we can get plus-odds by taking each to tally 6+ strikeouts on DraftKings.
