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MLB Picks: Best Strikeout Prop Bets for Wednesday 8/12/26

MLB Picks: Best Strikeout Prop Bets for Wednesday 8/12/26

Chicago White Sox Sports Betting Picks MLB Picks

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By: Sam Connon

There are a handful of aces taking the mound Wednesday, from Yankees righty Will Warren to White Sox trade deadline addition Luis Castillo and Tigers southpaw Framber Valdez. Can Warren keep stay hot at home? How will Castillo look in his second White Sox start? Will Valdez’s recent surge continue back in Detroit? Here is our full breakdown of where we think each starting pitcher will wind up in the strikeout column.

Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets Today (August 12, 2026)

  • New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners: Yankees RHP Will Warren 5+ strikeouts: Warren has hit 5+ K in 15 of his 23 starts this season, including 3 straight, while SEA has conceded 5+ K to 3 of the last 4 traditional starters they have faced.
  • Chicago White Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds: White Sox RHP Luis Castillo under 5.5 strikeouts: Castillo has finished with under 5.5 K in 10 consecutive appearances, only striking out 3 when he lasted 7.0 IP against these same Reds on July 21.
  • Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians: Tigers LHP Framber Valdez 5+ strikeouts: Valdez has gone for 5+ K in back-to-back starts, all while CLE has surrendered 5+ K through 5.0 innings in 6 of their last 9 games.

MLB Strikeout Prop Bets Breakdown

Will Warren 5+ K (-145), New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners

Through 23 starts this season, Warren has notched at least five strikeouts 15 times. While a large chunk of those hits came during an eight-start streak in April and May, he has reached the mark in each of his last three appearances. Warren has also accomplished the feat in nine of his 10 home starts in 2026. Meanwhile, the Mariners have struck out five-plus times against three of the last four traditional starting pitchers they have faced. Their one under in that stretch was still a four-strikeout showing against Ryan Weathers on Tuesday. Seattle ranks No. 18 in strikeouts per game, right around the Cubs and Phillies lineups that Warren struck out five and seven times, respectively, to close out July. His most recent outing came against a far more disciplined Cardinals lineup that averages the fourth-fewest strikeouts per game in MLB, and he still struck them out five times before getting the hook.

Luis Castillo under 5.5 K (-107), Chicago White Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds

Castillo went over 5.5 strikeouts in five of his first 11 starts this season – not the majority of outings, but still a decent rate. He has come in under that line in 10 consecutive appearances, encompassing both his four-start June in which he posted a 3.38 ERA as well as his five starts since, during which time he owns a 6.33 ERA. The White Sox traded for Castillo ahead of last week’s deadline, only for the veteran to deliver five strikeouts and five earned runs in 4.0 innings of action. The Reds do average the most strikeouts per game in MLB, but only two of the last three starters to face them have gone over 5.5. When Castillo faced Cincinnati as recently as July 21, he only struck out three batters over 7.0 innings.

Framber Valdez 5+ K (-104), Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians

Valdez has gone for five-plus strikeouts slightly more often that not in 2026. He has reached that mark in 12 of his first 23 starts in a Tigers uniform. The lefty has done so in back-to-back starts, as well as five of his last nine and six of his last 11. Part of that has to do with Valdez’s consistent workload. The three-time All-Star has lasted at least 5.0 innings in 14 of his last 15 starts. The Guardians’ lineup has recorded five-plus strikeouts six times in their last nine games, averaging 5.9 and never dipping below four in that span. Valdez’s last two starts came on the road against the Mariners and Athletics. Those teams average 8.58 and 8.19 strikeouts per home game, respectively, which is right around Cleveland’s 8.48 strikeouts per road game. Since he proved he could notch at least five strikeouts against those clubs in those settings, there’s reason to believe Valdez can do the same to the Guardians in Detroit on Wednesday.

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Sam Connon
Sam joined DraftKings in 2025 following five years with Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network. He has covered the UCLA Bruins, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Rays, MLB, MiLB and NBA, on top of earning awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and College Media Association during his time as a student at UCLA.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.