DraftKings is excited to welcome back MLB Grand Slam Payout!
The concept is simple. Opt in and get an MLB Grand Slam Payout token. Use that token on a player to hit a home run, and if that home run ends up being a grand slam, receive a share of $250,000 in bonus bets — or more!
Check out all the rules, regulations, and FAQ for how the Grand Slam Payout contest works here!
That’s how it works. Let’s dive in and break down a couple of picks that make sense this Monday!
MLB Grand Slam Payout Picks
Esmerlyn Valdez, Pirates
Last week, neither of my two picks hit a grand slam, but Andres Chaparro did hit a three-run blast that returned nice payouts as a home run prop. For this week’s Grand Slam payout picks, I’ll again try to balance the likelihood of hitting a homer with staying off the beaten path and finding more “off the radar” options that could have massive bonus bets payouts if they do connect on a Grand Slam. We’ll start with a young slugger off to a fast start in a good matchup at home. Esmerlyn Valdez has smashed 14 homers in his first 37 games in the majors and will take on Merrill Kelly and the Diamondbacks in Pittsburgh on Monday.
Valdez has eight homers in his last 13 games with a 65.2% hard-hit rate and 30.4% barrel rate. He hit nine of his 14 homers at home, and he’s usually hitting in the cleanup spot, which could give him more chances with more runners on base. Merrill Kelly has allowed 22 homers in his 18 starts with a 5.12 ERA and 5.86 FIP. His 1.48 WHIP indicates plenty of runners on base as well. In his last five starts, Kelly has served up seven homers with a 51.8% hard-hit rate against him.
Josh Lowe, Angels
The Angels are home on Monday night, hosting the Astros, who give the ball to Tatsuya Imai, who has been very good in some starts and a total disaster in other outings. Imai has allowed nine homers in 14 starts, with lefties hitting seven of those nine long balls with a .453 SLG, .358 wOBA and a 12.4% barrel rate against him. In his last three starts, Imai has 11 walks and 12 hits allowed in 11 innings, allowing plenty of runners to reach to set up a slam situation.
While the Angels don’t have a ton of lefty pop in their lineup, Lowe is a solid option from further down the order who does bring power potential. He has eight homers in his 28 games this season, including three in his last 17 games. He has a 44.7% hard-hit rate and 13.2% barrel rate in those 17 contests, and he makes sense as a longshot home run prop who could get an opportunity with the bases loaded if Imai has one of his down games and is handing out free passes.
