For my Wednesday MLB player props, I'll be looking into outs recorded and strikeouts plays for three starting pitchers.
Let's dive into my MLB player prop picks for Wednesday, April 23
MLB Prop Picks — Wednesday, April 23
- Bryce Elder Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-150, DraftKings)
- Zack Wheeler Over 6.5 Strikeouts (- 125, BetRivers)
- Jack Kochanowicz Over 16.5 Outs Recorded (-130, bet365)
Cardinals vs Braves Player Props: Bryce Elder’s Slide Continues
We saw major regression from Bryce Elder in 2024 after an All-Star campaign in 2023, and fortunately for us, that regression appears to have continued into 2025.
Through three starts, Elder holds a 7.20 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.
While Elder is a ground-ball pitcher, he hasn't missed many bats at all, and the high average exit velocity off him has led to damage on the scoreboard.
He's very unlikely to produce many whiffs on Wednesday against a St. Louis Cardinals lineup that holds the fifth-lowest strikeout rate against righties.
The Cardinals have also done well on those balls in play, as they rank third in batting average and ninth in wOBA.
Look for all those balls in play to find grass and keep Elder under this strikeout total.
Phillies vs Mets Player Props: Zack Wheeler’s Revenge Tour
Next, we get to give the ball to Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. Wheeler has been very solid to start the season, as he enters with a 3.27 ERA and a strikeout rate in the 94th percentile.
This afternoon, the Phillies need him to come up big against the Mets to salvage a game against their division rival. Since leaving the Mets in free agency, Wheeler has gone 5-5 with a 3.56 ERA and has gone over this total in eight of his 15 starts against the New York.
This is a big clash between a red-hot lineup and a motivated starter, but given the Phillies' bullpen situation, we should expect Wheeler's leash to be very long, which should help him go over this total, even if he has to navigate through trouble.
Pirates vs Angels Player Props: Jack Kochanowicz Chases Length vs Bucs
Jack Kochanowicz was a sneaky source of outs last season for the Angels, as he went over this total in 82% of his 11 starts.
While he hasn't quite picked up where he left off, he has a great matchup to get over this mark on Wednesday.
Kochanowicz gets to take on a Pittsburgh Pirates lineup that's been struggling against righties. They rank 27th in wRC+, 26th in OPS and 18th in BABIP.
If Kochanowicz is sharp with his command, we should see plenty of quick outs and clean innings as he sails over this total on Wednesday.
