Oh, would you look at that, another 2-1 day. We have a stacked 15-game MLB slate, so let’s dive right into it. Here are three of my favorite player predictions via Sleeper for Friday, May 3.
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Oh, would you look at that, another 2-1 day. We have a stacked 15-game MLB slate, so let’s dive right into it. Here are three of my favorite player predictions via Sleeper for Friday, May 3.
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
Friday’s Best MLB Sleeper Picks Player Predictions
Let’s dive into our top MLB Sleeper player picks for today’s slate of games.
Sleeper Record: 52-28
Coming off his best start of the season, Jordan Hicks showcased just how nasty his stuff is last outing. He finished with nine punchouts across six innings of one-run ball thanks largely in part to that splitter of his. He had 11 whiffs on 37 splitters that game and finished with a 40.5% CSW% on that pitch alone. If he manages 70% of strikes on that thing, he should be able to find at least five punchouts here, even in a difficult matchup, at least in terms of strikeouts. Hicks has struck out a few of these Philly bats, albeit it came when he was in relief. The Phillies roster has combined for eight punchouts in 24 plate appearances against him. Ultimately, this line feels too low for a guy with this stuff. Hicks has gone over this mark in four out of six starts
The Red Sox righty has possessed excellent CSW rates for the duration of his career, and it has only gotten better this season. Tanner Houck is in the 91st percentile among all starters in that stat. Additionally, he ranks in the top 94th percentile in xFIP, 77th in K%, 91st in BB% and 93rd in ground ball rate. He has recorded seven or more strikeouts in four of his six starts, averaging 6.8 per start. Now he takes on a Twins squad with the sixth-highest K% (24.9%) against righties. That rate was higher earlier this season, but then they faced Michael Soroka twice and Chris Flexen last start.
The Diamondbacks are slumping at the plate to start the year. They are 25th in wRC+ (87) when facing right-handed pitching. Eight of the last nine right-handed starters to face them have stayed under this mark. Dylan Cease is coming off a rough outing against Philadelphia, but before that, he went under this line in his first five starts. It’s a limited sample size, but Cease has held Arizona hitters in check in the past, too. They have combined for a .250 xwOBA across 35 plate appearances against him.
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:
Tyler Gentile is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Tyler, follow him @808Paperboi
