The MLB season is in full swing. Every Friday in this column, we will seek to attack pitcher matchups. We won't bore you with exclusively under only plays, but we won't shy away from them if they offer more value than usual. Total strikeouts, outs recorded, and, as the season progresses, total hits and total bases; they're all in play. Let’s dig into our top MLB player props and picks for Friday’s slate of games.
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MLB Player Props & Bets: Friday (10/23)
Regular Season Record: 54-25
Playoff Record: 3-0
Jacob Misiorowski Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-245 at Kalshi)
Jacob Misiorowski was elite during the regular season, going 16-5 with a pristine 1.80 ERA and 0.80 WHIP. The Miz led the Majors with a 12.98 K/9. Misiorowski has been solid in the postseason, recording six and five strikeouts in his two starts. He lasted no longer than 4.1 innings in either of his two playoff contests. With that said, he did face the Rays earlier this season, striking out seven in 6.0 innings of work.
The initial hope was to push this number down to 4.5, but with the juice being prohibitive for a World Series play, we instead opted for the 5.5. The Miz cleared this number earlier this season against Tampa Bay and has topped it in just four innings of work this postseason. There is some risk here given he hasn’t lasted as long as one would like in either of his starts, but the Rays have whiffed six or more times in six of their nine postseason contests. Mash the Over on Misorowski for Game 1 of the World Series at Kalshi.
William Contreras Over 0.5 Hits (-186 at Kalshi)
William Contreras has been raking this postseason, hitting .367 with three long balls and five RBI in thirty at-bats. He was excellent during the regular season as well, hitting .270 with 18 home runs, 82 runs, and 94 RBI. The Brewers catcher is set to open the series against a familiar foe in Nick Martinez. Contreras is hitting .278 lifetime against Martinez, but perhaps more importantly, collected two hits against the Rays pitcher in their lone meeting during the regular season.
Nick Martinez flirted with excellence during the regular season, finishing with a 15-6 record on the strength of a strong 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He had only 109 strikeouts in 180.0 innings, but as a groundball pitcher, he allowed just 26 free passes. Martinez faced the Brewers earlier this season, giving up two runs in six innings of work. Contreras had two hits, including a long ball, in that game. Clap the Over on Contreras for Game 1 of the World Series at Kalshi.
Yandy Diaz Over 0.5 Hits (-176 at ProphetX)
Yandy Diaz was excellent during the regular season with a .293 batting average to go with 22 home runs, 85 RBI, and 93 runs. He carried over his strong play to the postseason and is hitting .308 over 39 at-bats. Diaz faced off against tonight's pitcher, Jacob Misirowski, earlier this season, going 1-2 with a home run.
As mentioned above, Jacob Misiorowski was exceptional for Milwaukee, cruising to an AL Cy Young favorite line of 16 wins, five losses, a 1.80 ERA, and 0.80 WHIP with a league leading 12.98 K/9. Attacking The Miz in props is not something we'd consider outside of the postseason, but with a hot batter facing a pitcher he bested already this season, there is some value even at the current odds. Dap the Over on Diaz for a partial unit return for Friday night's World Series action at ProphetX.
Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.