By Ryan Gilbert
Check out our best MLB strikeout prop plays for Friday, September 2 below!
MLB Pitcher Strikeout Prop #1: Castillo K’s Cleveland
Luis Castillo (SEA) over 5.5 strikeouts (+117 @ Unibet) vs. CLE
The Seattle Mariners acquired Luis Castillo at the trade deadline from the Cincinnati Reds. He’s lived up to the hype, going 1-1 with 39 strikeouts in 31.2 innings with a 2.84 ERA.
Right off the top, Castillo faced off against the Cleveland Guardians last Saturday and nearly doubled this 5.5 line with 10 strikeouts — and that was in six innings.
Castillo’s 10-strikeout performance on Saturday was his third double-digit strikeout game of the season and eighth with at least eight strikeouts.
Overall, out of his 19 starts, he’s had 6+ strikeouts in 14 of them — including in 11 of his last 12 and 14 of his last 16 starts — and we’re getting over 5.5 at plus money? I’m all over that, even with Cleveland’s contact rate.
MLB Pitcher Strikeout Prop #2: Yu got what I need
Yu Darvish (SD) over 5.5 strikeouts (-142 @ FanDuel) vs. LAD
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish has had no trouble striking out batters recently and hasn’t had much trouble against the Dodgers in that department.
Darvish has 6+ Ks in 15 of 24 starts this season. That’s not overly impressive, but he’s been hot as of late with over 5.5 strikeouts in three straight and 10 of his last 11 starts.
He’s racked up seven, 10, and five strikeouts against the Dodgers this season. Last season, however, he had nine, nine, 11, six, and six strikeouts against LA. So since the start of last season, Darvish has 6+ strikeouts in seven of eight starts against the Dodgers.
I’m taking Darvish to get to six and then some tonight. He has 7+ strikeouts in 11 of 24 and 9+ in 6 of his last 11 starts.
MLB Pitcher Strikeout Prop Parlay: Springing into September
Alek Manoah (TOR) over 4.5 strikeouts (-390)
Jeffrey Springs (TB) over 3.5 strikeouts (-460)
Reid Detmers (LAA) over 3.5 strikeouts (-215)
3-Leg Parlay: +124
I like all of these three individually at their set lines, but I think lowering each total by a strikeout or two gives us a slam dunk.
Manoah is set at 6.5 strikeouts but only hit that mark in 10 of 25 games, granted three of them were in his last three tries and the Pirates are one of the worst strikeout teams in the league. But if we drop it down to 4.5, at a premium -390 price, he’s hit that mark in 20 of 25 starts, including five straight and 13 of his last 14.
Springs is set at 4.5 strikeouts, which he’s hit in 13 of his last 15 starts, but the Yankees can be tough. He does have 4+ strikeouts in both starts against New York this season and has hit 4+ Ks in 15 of his last 17 starts, including six straight.
Detmers has gone over 4.5 strikeouts in 10 of 20 starts and was stuck at four Ks in four other outings. He’s had 5+ Ks in nine of his last 10 starts, but the Astros are the best strikeout team in the league so we’re staying at four for the parlay.
