On Opening Day against the Giants, Reds pitcher Hunter Greene looked untouchable at the beginning of the game. Then it unraveled.
His stuff and command were excellent as he punched out 5 of the first 6 San Francisco batters. He worked through a RISP in the 3rd without trouble. Then, in the fourth, a walk followed by a prolonged Heliot Ramos at-bat ending in a homer threw cold water on the fire. His solid 5th was the last he saw in the contest.
In his third tilt of the season, Greene gets a second shot at these Giants. Can he tighten things up and look like the pitcher from the first 3 innings on Opening Day? Or will he struggle with command again?
On DraftKings Sportsbook, San Francisco is the home favorite at -155, and the run total is set at 6.5. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet for this contest.
Best Hunter Greene Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Under 17.5 Outs Recorded (+135) and Over 6.5 Strikeouts Recorded (-150)
Do we have a new Blake Snell, folks?
Alright, it’s not as drastic as Snell. Before being quasi-shut down by the Reds in September of last year, Greene pitched 6 innings in 17 of 24 starts. And we all know how he racks up his strikeouts.
This Giants team brings a different problem: long at-bats. Over the past three years, San Francisco, as a team, has ranked 13th, 8th, and 13th in pitches faced per plate appearance. They’re not the most explosive lineup in baseball, but they will make you work for it. This year’s team has the second-highest foul ball percentage in the league. It tracks that Greene has gone 5 1/3, 6, and 5 innings in his three starts vs. these Giants.
On the flipside, he’s recorded 6, 11, and 8 punchouts in those three outings. This Giants team has some swing and miss in their game, even with the pitches they work out of opposing arms. Greene will get his in the strikeout column, even if it’s not the longest outing of the year for the imposing righty.
