Thursday means travel day around the Majors, and we’ve got a somewhat lighter schedule than usual with just 11 games on tap. Of course, there’s still plenty of value to be found on the prop bet market despite the limited menu. So here are three of our favorite plays of the day.
MLB player prop bets: Thursday, August 3
Cristian Javier, over 5.5 strikeouts (-125)
After a disastrous summer swoon in which he gave up four or more earned runs four times in a five-start span, Javier has gotten back to looking like the budding ace we saw in 2022 and at the start of this season. The righty has allowed just eight runs on eight hits in 16.2 innings across his last three outings, racking up 21 strikeouts over that span — and clearing this K number twice. The difference? Javier has found his slider again, meaning he’s not just relying on his four-seam fastball to get by. He has a dream matchup against the struggling Yankees tonight, who are posting the ninth-highest strikeout rate vs. right-handers over the previous three weeks at 25% and boast a number of whiff-heavy righty bats in their lineup.
Bobby Witt Jr., over 0.5 steals (+165)
You’d be forgiven for forgetting about the Royals entirely, but if you haven’t checked out what Witt Jr. is doing recently, you should tune in: The former top prospect has put up a ridiculous .327/.345/.617 slash line with six homers and seven steals since the start of July. He should be in for another big day against New York Mets righty Carlos Carrasco on Thursday, who’s allowed 17 runs (15 earned) over his last 9.1 innings.
And once Witt Jr. does get on base, he’s an excellent bet to tally at least one steal. Carrasco has allowed a 94.4% success rate to would-be base-stealers over the last two years, while rookie backstop Francisco Alvarez is throwing out just 10% of runners this season. Witt Jr. has elite wheels (99th-percentile sprint speed) and a permanent green light on a Kansas City team with no reason not to let him run wild.
Bryan Woo, over 6.5 strikeouts (+135)
Woo has struggled a bit of late, but his strikeout numbers have remained strong — he’s fanned seven or more in five of his nine starts so far this season. That includes a seven-K effort in just 4.2 innings back in June against the Los Angeles Angels, who he’ll be going up against on Thursday night. L.A. is a dangerous lineup, but they’re also an extremely free-swinging one, especially against righties: They’ve posted the fourth-highest K rate vs. right-handers over the previous three weeks at a whopping 27.6%, and the trade for righties Randal Grichuk and C.J. Cron will only exacerbate that trend.
