Top 3 MLB Player Prop Bets & Picks: Saturday (4/19)
Per OptaSTATS, southpaws had a historic day on Thursday when we published our last MLB player prop article. Left-handed starting pitchers went 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA, which was the first time southpaws collectively went 5-0 with a sub-1.50 ERA or better on a single calendar day since 1981.
Do any left-handed starting pitchers make today’s column?
Read on for our top MLB player prop bets for Saturday, April 19th.
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Saturday's Best MLB Player Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Corbin Carroll Over 0.5 Runs (+110)
We cashed this same Corbin Carroll runs scored prop bet on Thursday, and we are going back to the well with one of the hottest hitters in the sport.
Entering Friday, Carroll was slashing .321/.398/.667 with six home runs, 17 RBIs, and 18 runs scored. The 18 runs scored are eye-popping considering he had just one stolen base on the season before swiping three bags in Thursday’s series finale against the Marlins. That should get him going on a path of 50-plus stolen bases that many experts predicted before the season.
Carroll has also produced a 202 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR, and should set the table well against Cubs starter Ben Brown, who ranks in the 35th percentile or worse in walk rate and xBA.
Garrett Crochet Over 7.5 strikeouts (-145)
Red Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet struck out a season-high 11 batters in last weekend’s win over his former White Sox team.
Crochet is coming off a season where he led the league in strikeout rate (35.1%) and had the third-best preseason odds to lead the league in that category again. When he recorded eight strikeouts against the Orioles earlier this season, 68 of his 102 pitches went for strikes. And in his last start against Chicago, White Sox hitters couldn’t touch his fastball, as he generated a 50% whiff rate with that pitch. That should force the visitors to sit on the fastball more in this start, which should open up success more for Crochet’s secondary pitches.
Crochet lost a no-hit bid in his last start in the eighth inning, and should turn in another long start in this matchup, as the White Sox entered Friday having scored three or fewer runs in 11 of 12 games.
Jonathan Aranda Over 1.5 total bases (+110)
Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda is on his way to becoming a household name, as he entered Friday ranked third in the majors with a 1.193 OPS. Aranda has thoroughly enjoyed the hitter-friendly environment at Steinbrenner Field, and is in his best split in this matchup with right-hander Carlos Carrasco on the mound.
Aranda batted .396 through his first 16 games, and his 10 extra-base hits (three home runs and seven doubles) were largely because of an average exit velocity that ranked in the 98th percentile of all hitters (95.6 mph).
Aranda entered the weekend with a career .797 OPS against right-handed pitchers (compared to a .462 career OPS against southpaws), and we are getting great value on this prop considering he entered Friday tied for the team lead in total bases.
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.