There are people out there who long for the olden days of baseball, where hitters put the ball in play more often and everyone bunted every other at-bat. Not this guy. I like seeing a never-ending conveyor belt of the nastiest pitchers imaginable. I like strikeouts. I like strikeout props.
With that in mind, here are my top strikeout bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s small MLB slate, including props for Will Warren and Cal Quantrill.
Top Strikeout Props on DraftKings Sportsbook
Will Warren Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+110)
This is a bit of a risky move, as Warren’s averaged over 10 strikeouts per nine innings this season; however, the right-hander’s recent results aren’t nearly as notable. In fact, since the beginning of July, a span of 50.2 innings, Warren’s only managed a modest 18.9% strikeout rate. In six of those 10 outings, Warren also hit the under on this prop. Then there’s the matter of matchup. The White Sox have undoubtedly been swinging the bats better since the All-Star break and part of that success has been an overall increase in contact rate. To wit, Chicago sports the fifth-lowest strikeout rate in MLB since the Midsummer Classic (19.4%) and the second-lowest over the past two weeks (17.9%). That was with Luis Robert and his 26.0% strikeout rate in the lineup, too. The White Sox should strikeout even less often with Robert now on the IL.
Cal Quantrill Over 3.5 Strikeouts (+115)
Can honestly say that I didn’t think I’d be backing a Cal Quantrill strikeout prop at any point this season. What a time to be alive, right? Quantrill is not a strikeout artist by any means. To wit, the Canadian right-hander has failed to hit the over on this prop in six of his last seven starts. On the other hand, this is a pretty good matchup. The Phillies are the definition of a free-swinging team, as they enter tonight’s matchup leading the league in chase rate since the beginning of August (36.0%). Philadelphia also possesses the fifth-highest swinging strike rate in the month (12.0%). I can understand if that still isn’t enough of an allure to bet on Quantrill in a positive capacity, but the fact this prop is at plus-money certainly helps. Plug your nose and maybe skip watching this one live.