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 (8/28)
Season Record: 41-23
Bobby Witt Over 0.5 Hits (-225 at ProphetX)
Bobby Witt has been excellent this season, starting at shortstop for the AL during the All-Star Game thanks to a campaign that has seen him post a .289 batting average, 16 home runs, 49 RBI, 72 runs, and 35 stolen bases. Witt has hit .327 over 52 at-bats over the course of the last 14 days. The Royals All-Star will step to the plate with a .375 lifetime average (9-24) with three home runs against Tanner Bibee.
Tanner Bibee has had an up-and-down season, but his surface numbers look solid with a 3.97 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. However, his 4.61 FIP tells us a different story. He has had issues with both Witt and Vinnie Pasquantino, but Witt profiles as the better value. Witt can still be found at 0.5 without an alt line as of the time of writing, so lock this one in sooner rather than later to avoid having to pay the extra vig to get back to 0.5. Witt has at least one hit in nine of his last 11 games. Work with the Over for Friday night's MLB action at ProphetX.
Tyler Stephenson Over 0.5 Hits (-180 at Hard Rock)
Tyler Stephenson has been solid for the Reds this season and comes into this contest with a .245 batting average to go with 12 home runs and 44 RBI. While they are not the kind of standout numbers we have seen from some other catchers this season, both his home runs and RBI rank among the top-10 at his position. Stephenson has been hot over the past seven days, batting .300 over 20 at-bats, and will step to the plate with a .500 lifetime batting average over 12 at-bats against starting pitcher David Peterson.
Peterson has had his struggles this season and will toe the rubber with an unsightly 5.17 ERA and 1.50 WHIP to go with a batting average against. His FIP of 4.06 suggests he has seen quite a bit of bad luck. With that said, he still remains a pitcher to target. There is value here even with the juice, as Stephenson has been dominant enough against Peterson for a -200 line (it’s already trending there at some books). Slap the Over on Stephenson for Friday's matinee against the Chicago Cubs.
Cam Schlitter Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-113 at Kalshi)
Yankees ace Cam Schlitter has been lights out this season and is the current frontrunner for the AL Cy Young award on the strength of, but not limited to, a 2.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 10.99 K/9. He enters this contest with a 25.4% strikeout rate vs current Red Sox hitters.
Schlitter managed just five strikeouts against Boston over 8.0 innings back in April but followed it up with a dominant nine strikeout showing in just 5.0 innings of work in June. He has a .199 BAA against current Red Sox hitters this season. He has struck out seven or more batters in five of his last seven games.
The Boston Red Sox average 8.60 strikeouts per game on the road. However, given that Schlitter is much more average at home, we will forgo the alt line, as the extra juice doesn't seem to be worth the squeeze. For reference for those who prefer the alt line, it currently sits at -223. Stick with the Over on 6.5 strikeouts at Kalshi for Friday night's MLB action.
Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.