There are a handful of aces taking the mound Friday, from Reds rookie Rhett Lowder to Braves veteran Chris Sale and Rays righty Nick Martinez. Will Lowder continue to string together a promising second half? Can Sale keep up his domination of the Phillies? Is Martinez going to keep a few solid streaks alive? 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 (September 4, 2026)
- Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Reds RHP Rhett Lowder 4+ strikeouts: Lowder has tossed 4+ K in 3 of his last 4 and 5 of his last 7 starts, all while MIL has allowed 5 of the last 6 starters they’ve faced the reach that threshold.
- Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves: Braves LHP Chris Sale 7+ strikeouts: Sale has gone for 7+ K in 5 of his last 6 and 15 of his last 22 appearances, including a 2-for-2 mark against the Phillies.
- Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Rays RHP Nick Martinez 4+ strikeouts: Martinez reached 4+ K in all five of his starts in August and has pitched into the sixth inning in 17 of his last 19, which is notable since the Rangers have struck out 4+ times through 6.0 innings in 10 of their last 11.
MLB Strikeout Prop Bets Breakdown
Rhett Lowder 4+ K (-154), Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Lowder has had a rough go in his first full MLB campaign, owning a 5.14 ERA, 1.455 WHIP and 7.1 strikeouts per nine innings. On the other hand, he has been slightly more stable since his stint coming out of the bullpen in July. After getting shelled for eight runs against the Rockies on July 18, Lowder has lasted at least 5.0 innings in seven straight starts. He owns a 4.05 ERA and 1.125 WHIP in that time, striking out four-plus in three of his last four and five of his last seven. Matchup-wise, the Brewers rank in the bottom half of MLB when it comes to strikeouts per game, plus they average more on the road than they do at home. Milwaukee has also allowed five of the last six starters they have faced to record at least four strikeouts.
Chris Sale 7+ K (-120), Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves
Sale is arguably the most reliable strikeout machine of his generation, and that hasn’t changed as he has aged. The 37-year-old southpaw is fresh off a complete game shutout against the two-time defending champion Dodgers, plus he racked up 11 punchouts in that outing. That brought him to seven-plus strikeouts in five of his last six starts, as well as 15 of his last 22. He has faced the Phillies – who strike out more versus lefties that they do against righties – twice already this season. Sale finished with seven strikeouts in Philadelphia and nine in Atlanta, so another hit here is certainly in play.
Nick Martinez 4+ K (+112), Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Martinez went for four-plus strikeouts in all five of his starts last month. He reached the mark in a variety of ways, doing so in his 6.0 scoreless innings on August 23 as well as his 3.2 innings of six-run ball on August 18. The fact that Martinez has pitched into the sixth inning in 17 of his last 19 and 22 of his 26 starts this season also makes him a solid play in the strikeout market, since the number of batters he’s facing gives him a decently high floor. Texas has struck out at least four times through 6.0 innings 10 times in their last 11 games, which makes Martinez an even more attractive pick on Friday.
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 9/4/26
- MLB Best Bets Today: Top NRFI props for Friday 9/4/26
- MLB NRFI Tracker
Good luck with your MLB prop bets today!
