MLB Player Props & Bets: Thursday (5/22)
Our first MLB player prop article of the week on Tuesday turned in slight profits for our backers thanks to Kyle Schwarber cashing a +235 play while hitting his second home run in as many days at Coors Field.
With today’s MLB slate being limited to just nine games, we look to continue that momentum with a similar theme of two batter props among players playing in very hitter-friendly ballparks today.
Read on for our top MLB player prop bets for Thursday, May 22nd.
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Thursday's Best MLB Player Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Nick Castellanos to Record an RBI (-120)
The Philadelphia Phillies play one final game at Coors Field this afternoon, which means we are jumping at the opportunity to back one of their batters’ props.
Rockies righty German Marquez has struggled mightily against current Phillies hitters, allowing a .330/.386/.540 slash line in 115 combined at-bats. Marquez’s home/road splits are quite interesting, considering his 5.71 ERA at Coors Field is much lower than his 11.12 road ERA this season. But he is still a big reason the team entered yesterday with an eye-popping 6.26 ERA in home starts (better than only the Orioles), and there is little to suggest success is around the corner.
Nick Castellanos hits behind Kyle Schwarber in the Phillies lineup, and the lefty has a .450 on-base percentage (OBP) and 1.215 OPS in his career against Marquez. As long as Schwarber is not clearing the bases himself with a long ball, Castellanos and his .417/.462/.833 slash line in 12 career at-bats against Marquez should be good enough for him to drive in at least one run for the fifth time in the last eight games.
Taylor Ward Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110)
The Los Angeles Angels’ offense was a big reason why they entered Wednesday riding a five-game winning streak, as they averaged 6.8 runs per game in that span. But Taylor Ward’s contributions date back farther than that, as before his two-double performance in a 7-5 win over the Athletics on Tuesday, he had a five-game extra-base hit streak and 10 extra-base hits and 17 RBI over the prior 14 games.
Ward is 0-for-3 in his career in a small sample size against Luis Severino, but the Athletics righty is trending in the wrong direction. Severino finished April with a 3.30 ERA, but has pitched to a 6.75 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in three May starts. Sutter Health Park has not been kind to Severino, as his 6.75 ERA at home (compared to a minuscule 0.72 road ERA) suggests. This is great value for Ward to record his 15th extra-base hit or seventh multi-hit game this month.
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.