There are a handful of aces taking the mound Wednesday, including former Cy Young Award winners in Gerrit Cole and Jacob deGrom and a former MVP in Shohei Ohtani. DraftKings Sportsbook has strikeout prop bets for all three of them, so we made our picks for the best bets, too. Can Ohtani and the Dodgers take advantage of an aggressive Rockies lineup and complete the sweep? Can Cole stay on track in his return from an extended injury absence? Will deGrom cap off a spotty month with a solid showing? 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 (May 27, 2026)
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies: Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani 8+ strikeouts: Ohtani has tossed 8+ K in four of his last six starts, only dipping below 7 K once in that span, while the Rockies’ lineup ranks 4th in MLB in strikeouts.
- Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros: Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom under 6.5 strikeouts: deGrom has a 6.45 ERA in May with eight HR allowed in his last four starts, failing to toss more than 4 K in his last two outings, and is going against an Astros offense that strikes out the ninth-fewest times per game across MLB and has scored 7+ runs in three straight contests.
- New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals: Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole 5+ strikeouts: Cole only recorded 2 K in his return from Tommy John surgery last week, but he did go 6.0 IP deep against a conservative Tampa Bay team, plus he notched 6 and 8 K in his final two rehab starts.
MLB Strikeout Prop Bets Breakdown
Shohei Ohtani 8+ K (+101), Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies
Ohtani has been as dominant as ever this season, boasting a 0.73 ERA and 0.837 WHIP through eight starts. While his 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings are a career low, Ohtani has still reached 8+ K four times in his last six outings. The Padres snapped Ohtani’s streak of three straight 8+ K performances his last time out, but that was on the road. Wednesday’s game is back at Dodger Stadium, where Ohtani has gone for 8, 9 and 10 K in his last three appearances. Dating back to the 2025 playoffs and regular season, Ohtani has notched 8+ K in 6 of his last 9 home games, reaching at least 6 K in all of those contests – a solidly high floor. The Rockies rank No. 4 in MLB in strikeouts, too, so Ohtani also has a friendly matchup on his hands.
Jacob deGrom under 6.5 K (-109), Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros
DeGrom is coming off his two worst starts of the season, bringing his ERA in May up to 6.45. He has also given up eight home runs in his last four starts, only striking out seven batters in his last two outings combined. One of those games was against the Astros, who he is facing again on Wednesday. Even though he lasted 6.0 innings in that outing, deGrom only struck out four Houston batters. The Astros average the sixth-fewest strikeouts per game on the season, plus they have scored 8, 9 and 7 runs in their last three games. Each of the last five starters to face Houston – and 11 of the last 13 – have come up short of 6.5 strikeouts.
Gerrit Cole 5+ K (+108), New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals
The Yankees’ ace missed all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery, then finally returned last Friday against the Rays. Cole dealt a gem, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings, even if he only reached 2 strikeouts. That can be attributed, at least in part, to Tampa Bay’s defensive tendencies at the plate. The Rays have struck out the fewest times of any MLB team this season, after all. The Royals are tied for the ninth-fewest strikeouts, but they are averaging just 2.7 runs per game over their last 12. Over their last six games, Kansas City has allowed opposing starting pitchers to face an average of 24 batters – and never fewer than 21. If Cole can face at least 20 batters and carry a 25% strikeout rate, that’s five strikeouts right there. That’s on the conservative end, since the righty had a 32.7% K rate in the seven seasons leading up to his injury. Cole struck out 6 and 8 in his final two rehab starts, too, so he has the ability to generate whiffs and locate pitches post-surgery.
More MLB Betting Content & Picks
Check out more MLB betting content and player props throughout the season on DraftKings Network.
- MLB NRFI Tracker
- MLB Grand Slam Payout: How the DraftKings Grand Slam Promo Works
- MLB DFS Picks: Starting Pitcher Rankings for Wednesday 5/27/26
Good luck with your MLB prop bets today!
