The MLB strikeouts race has been a wild one all season long. Heading into games on Friday, August 5, Yankees starter Gerrit Cole leads the majors with 170 strikeouts. Last year’s NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes is second (166) and Dylan Cease (161) of the White Sox is third.
Cease will be in action today when he starts against the Rangers. Atlanta’s Spencer Strider (13.8) and the Angels Shohei Ohtani (13.0) have the highest K/9 numbers and rank among the top-15 in strikeouts.
Houston’s Framber Valdez has some impressive strikeout numbers. He will pitch against Cleveland tonight. Is he a worthy prop bet tonight? Here are the top MLB strikeouts props picks for Friday, August 5th 2022.
Ian Anderson – OVER 3.5 Ks (-110)
Anderson is 9-6 this season with a 4.99 ERA and a strikeout rate of 20.2 percent. He averages 0.9 strikeouts per inning, which means if he goes at least 4.2 innings he would hit this prop.
Anderson has hit this prop in three of his last four starts. In his last outing, he struck out nine against Arizona. Tonight, he will face a pretty strong Mets lineup that only strikes out an average of 7.57 times per game.
The Mets have a 19.8 percent strikeout rate and Anderson has pitched at least 4.2 innings in four of his last five starts. That will put him over this prop again.
Nestor Cortes – OVER 4.5 Ks (-160)
Yankees vs. Cardinals Predictions
Cortes has been outstanding for the Yankees this season. New York has won 14 of his 19 starts and Cortes is 9-3 with a 2.53 ERA. He also owns a 26.1 percent strikeout rate. He averages a strikeout per inning and in his last six starts Cortes has pitched at least five innings five times.
Cortes has gone Over this prop in each of his last two starts. The Cardinals are a tough lineup as they strike out 7.79 times per game, the seventh-fewest in the majors.
The Yankees left-hander is coming off a strong performance against Kansas City in which he pitched five innings and struck out five. He can repeat that against a St. Louis lineup that has yet to face Cortes.
Tyler Mahle – UNDER 5.5 Ks (-145)
Blue Jays vs. Twins Predictions
Mahle has actually been pitching better as the year has progressed. Since the end of May, Mahle’s ERA has dropped from 6.32 to its current 4.40. Mahle actually has two double-digit strikeout performances in his last seven starts. Both came back in June and both were against Arizona.
He will face what could be the hottest lineup in baseball right now. Toronto has won 12 of its last 15 games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and company are hitting the ball well. Plus, the Blue Jays rank sixth in fewest strikeouts per game (7.75).
Mahle will have his hands full tonight. Getting to five Ks might be possible, but six isn’t going to happen.
Josiah Gray – OVER 5.5 Ks (-170)
Nationals vs. Phillies Predictions
Gray has been throwing some serious heat lately and his strikeout numbers show it. He has gone Over this prop in each of his last six starts. Gray has struck out 6, 6, 7, 11, 6, and 9 in those six starts.
He’s only 7-7 with a 4.59 ERA, but he has a strikeout rate of 27 percent and he averages 1.2 Ks per inning. Gray faces a Phillies lineup that is eighth in runs per game (4.62), but Philly is a boom or bust lineup.
The Phillies average 8.39 strikeouts per game and over their last three that number is 9.67. Gray has pitched at least five innings in every start since May 29. In his last start against the Phillies, Gray pitched six innings, allowed two earned runs and won the game 3-2. He struck out 11.
Learn how to bet on MLB strikeouts props if you’re new to this market.
