Yes, it is the Fourth of July, otherwise known as Independence Day - the 250th birthday of the United States of America. To celebrate this occasion, watching America's favorite pastime, baseball, will be a popular choice for many, along with betting on MLB player props.
On a day with a full slate of games, there is certainly no shortage of betting markets. To help you sift through the masses, here are my best MLB player props for the day.
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Saturday’s Best MLB Player Props
(Odds courtesy of BetMGM)
Victor Mesa Jr. Under 0.5 Hits (+100)
Tampa Bay has been one of the better hitting teams over the last week (.300), which should bode well against a Houston team that has struggled to gain control on the mound this season.
But while the Rays are hitting well, Victor Mesa Jr. is not one of them; he's hit .211 over the last week. Mesa has played in six of Yampa’s last seven games and has hit safely in three of them. He was in the lineup in the series opener last night but went 0-for-3. For a player hitting .181 on the season, it is surprising that the under is +100.
Houston starter Hunter Brown has been sidelined for much of the season but has held opponents to a .145 batting average (eight total hits) in his three home starts (16.1 innings).
Javier Sanoja 2+ Hits (+195)
Javier Sanoja did not record a hit in Friday's 12-5 win over the A's, but he recorded two or more hits in six of his previous nine games.
Over the last week, Sanoja is 12-for-22 for an incredible .545 batting average. He's been solid against righties like Aaron Civale (.275), whom teams are hitting .367 against at home.
Teoscar Hernandez Over 0.5 Runs (+110)
Teoscar Hernandez missed most of June, but since his return, he has scored in three out of four games and reached base in all four.
With Griffin Canning starting for San Diego, Hernandez has a strong chance to get on base and score, especially since opponents are hitting .325 against Canning on the road, where he owns an 8.41 ERA.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Over 18.5 Outs Recorded (+120)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto went six innings (18 outs) in his last two starts, including his last one on June 27th vs. San Diego. He is averaging 19.5 outs per outing this season and has gone over this total in five of his last eight starts.
One of those outings was a seven-inning performance against the Padres on May 18th. Pitching at home, where teams are hitting only .198 against him, makes this a solid value play at +120.
