It was a solid, if not spectacular, return following my one-week absence, as we concluded our Saturday 2-1 on three MLB PrizePicks specials. Cole Irvin was the one mark missed, as he managed to go seven strong for the Nationals despite Washington falling 4-2 to Boston. We saw success in our other two areas, one in which Oneil Cruz smacked a sixth-inning bomb in a two-hit performance. Matt Olson also made me look good, as he finished 0-for-4 with four strikeouts as his big time struggles continue. We are now onto the 2024 Mother's Day slate where I'll try to manage another 3-0 MLB PrizePicks day.
Current Overall Record: 23-13-1
MLB PrizePicks Player Predictions
Here are a few of our top MLB PrizePicks player predictions for Sunday’s slate of baseball action.
Seth Lugo Over 5.0 Pitcher Strikeouts
I had some success with him in a previous article, and today I am happy to jump right back onto Seth Lugo's strikeout total in a prime matchup with the Angels. Lugo has proven to be one of, if not the best overall free agent acquisition for any team this offseason, and he has rewarded Kansas City with some gaudy early-season numbers.
Lugo is off to a 5-1 start across eight games, including a pristine 1.74 ERA and 36:12 K:BB ratio. His 1.01 WHIP is top-20 across the MLB and he has lasted at least six innings pitched in all but one of his eight outings. The Angels are nothing special in terms of not striking out at the plate, sitting 18th in the league in that category. Their lineup also leaves a lot to be desired sans Mike Trout. Seth Lugo has punched out nine, eight, and five across his last three starts respectively, and he should be primed to keep that streak going on Sunday afternoon.
Bobby Witt Jr. Over 1.5 Total Bases
It looks like I'm on the Royals bandwagon today, because on the flipside of the prior pick, we have Kansas City's superstar bat in play on a very achievable prop line today. Bobby Witt Jr. continues to rake like a superstar, emphasized by his 15th overall ranked batting average (.314) and 14th ranked OPS (.923). Through 35 May at-bats he is currently slashing .314/.442/.514 and has struck out just four times while walking on eight occasions.
Clearly locked in at the plate, Witt Jr. has notched multiple hits in five of ten May games played, and he has 17 total multi-hit games so far this season. He should be in great shape to add to those numbers on Saturday squaring off against the Angels and their incumbent starter, Patrick Sandoval. Sandoval currently holds a 4.85 ERA across eight starts, and he has already given up 41 hits in that duration. The six-year veteran has never been a truly dominant force in his career, and his career 8.5 H9 numbers leave a lot to be desired. He does not really pertain as a true threat for a hitter of Bobby Witt's nature, and the young shortstop will be looking to get the better of him on Sunday.
Corey Seager Over 0.5 RBIs
Surprisingly still yet to get it truly going offensively, Corey Seager has plus odds to record an RBI against the Rockies in Coors Field on Sunday afternoon. The park factor is a nice boost of its own, as playing in Coors is never a bad thing for hitters, and Seager is as professional of a hitter as they come.
Ty Blach is set to start for Colorado on Sunday, and Seager has a large sample size against the lefty starter, compiling 25 at-bats against him to this point of his career. The resulting numbers include two long balls and seven RBIs. This is a pitcher that Seager will feel comfortable stepping into the box against, and he's always a huge threat to do damage in the heart of the Rangers' lineup. The line for today's Texas/Colorado game currently sits at 10.5, implying numerous runs should be had for the taking- my bet is on Seager contributing to at least one of those today.