There are a handful of aces taking the mound Friday, from Phillies All-Star Jesus Luzardo to Yankees Cy Young hopeful Cam Schlittler and Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers. Can Luzardo cap off a dominant August? Will Schlittler continue to dominate the Blue Jays? How will Rogers look with just four days between meetings with the Rays? 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 21, 2026)
- Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals: Phillies LHP Jesus Luzardo 7+ strikeouts: Luzardo has gone for 7+ K in 10 of his last 12 starts and 5 consecutive home outings, recently posting 12 K against a TOR lineup that strikes out less frequently than STL.
- New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays: Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler 7+ strikeouts: Schlittler has recorded 7+ K in 5 of his last 6 and 9 of his last 12, but more importantly has reached that mark in all three of his starts against TOR so far this season.
- Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Orioles LHP Trevor Rogers 6+ strikeouts: Rogers just tossed 6 K at TBR on Sunday, reaching that mark for the 7th time in his last 10 starts and the 7th time in his last 8 starts that have lasted at least 6.0 IP.
MLB Strikeout Prop Bets Breakdown
Jesus Luzardo 7+ K (-195), Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Luzardo has been dominant so far in August, posting a 1.25 ERA, 1.20 FIP and 0.923 WHIP through three starts. Just in his last two outings, Luzardo has racked up 21 strikeouts in 13.2 innings. He went for 12 strikeouts against the Blue Jays when they came to Philadelphia on August 9, successfully outdueling MLB’s second-least strikeout-prone lineup. As a result, the Cardinals – who strike out the fourth-fewest times per game – shouldn’t be a massive roadblock for Luzardo stacking more punchouts. He has successfully reached seven-plus strikeouts in 10 of his last 12 starts, as well as each of his last five appearances at Citizen’s Bank Park.
Cam Schlittler 7+ K (-117), New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Schlittler has recorded at least seven strikeouts in five of his last six starts. Stretching the sample size a little further back, he has achieved the feat in nine of his last 12. When the AL Cy Young favorite has completed at least 5.0 innings this season, he has reached seven strikeouts in 16 of 22 opportunities. And while the Blue Jays average the second-fewest strikeouts per game across the big leagues this season, Schlittler has had no problem mowing them down. He has a 1.96 ERA in three starts against Toronto, posting exactly seven strikeouts in all three appearances. Schlittler has gone into the sixth inning all three times he has faced the Blue Jays, too, all while Toronto has chased just one starter off the mound before the fifth in their last 20 contests.
Trevor Rogers 6+ K (+198), Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Rogers has completely transformed over the past few months, salvaging what initially looked to be a lost season. He went 0-6 with a 10.01 ERA and 1.989 WHIP between April 14 and May 29, but he is 6-2 with a 2.45 ERA and 1.052 WHIP since the start of June. Rogers is also averaging 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings across his last 10 starts, despite averaging just 6.5 on the season prior to that point. He has reached six-plus strikeouts in seven of those 10 appearances, as well as seven of his last eight that have lasted at least 6.0 innings. Rogers has faced Tampa Bay twice this season, both times on the road. He finished with three strikeouts when he faced the Rays on May 18, also allowing seven earned runs in 3.2 innings. This past Sunday, the new version of Rogers struck out six while allowing two earned runs in 6.0 innings in his rematch with the division foes.
More MLB Betting Content & Picks
Check out more MLB betting content and player props throughout the season on DraftKings Network.
- MLB DFS Picks: Starting Pitcher Rankings for Friday 8/21/26
- MLB Batter vs. Pitcher Stats Today: Best BvP Matchups for August 21
- MLB NRFI Tracker
Good luck with your MLB prop bets today!
