This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Bets Today: MLB Props for Wednesday, June 5
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2024 Regular-Season Betting Record: 3-5 (-2.24 RW Bucks)
2024 Regular-Season Props Betting Record: 12-12 (-0.96 RW Bucks)
We had a mixed bag of a night yesterday, officially going 1-1 on props since Shota Imanaga's start got cut short by a rain delay and he appeared to be close to a slam dunk for at least one more strikeout to cash his over 6.5 Ks bet. I'll look to bounce back Wednesday by going back to the well with the one player who cashed for us last night, as well as two other intriguing pitcher bets.
Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays Best Bets
Adley Rutschman's stellar season got even a little better Tuesday to our benefit, as he easily cashed the Over 0.5 singles prop by going 2-for-4 with a pair of run-scoring knocks, a walk and two runs. The talented backstop is now up to a .305/.344/.468 slash line, and he's right back in play for me Wednesday while locked into one of the most one-sided batter vs. pitcher matchups you'll ever come across.
Rutschman has been the stuff of Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios' nightmares, tormenting the veteran righty for a .632 average and 1.878 OPS across a not-tiny sample of 21 plate appearances. Those numbers are partly constituted of two doubles and three home runs, and perhaps just as impressive, they also feature a complete absence of strikeouts.
Berrios is off to a fine start this season that includes a 2.78 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, but he does also carry a 1.2 HR/9 and certainly seems to find Rutschman close to unsolvable. Given the history at work here and Rutschman's excellent body of work overall, I'm in the camp of another strong offensive performance.
MLB Picks for Orioles vs Blue Jays
- Adley Rutschman Over 1.5 Total Hits + Runs + RBI (-120 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers Best Bets
The defending-champion Rangers have underachieved overall this season while forging a 29-32 mark over their first 61 games, including a lackluster 14-15 home record. However, Texas remains a team that's far from a safe matchup for opposing pitchers, and they've proven particularly tough to strike out for right-handers.
Tigers starter Kenta Maeda is in their sights Wednesday, and the veteran righty has already suffered multiple serious stumbles this season. Maeda's current 6.25 ERA and 1.41 WHIP are largely the byproducts of four outings where he's allowed at least six runs, with one of those coming against these same Rangers at home back on April 18.
Maeda lasted just 2.2 innings in that start, giving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks. Current Texas bats now own a collective .323 average and 1.021 OPS against Maeda across 74 career plate appearances following that outing. Moreover, despite that forgettable performance having come at Comerica Park, the majority of Maeda's troubles have actually unfolded on the road, where he carries a 10.80 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 3.0 HR/9 across 15 innings.
The Rangers certainly have plenty of room for improvement offensively, but they're projected for a solid 4.5 runs as of midday Wednesday. Maeda has surrendered at least three earned runs in five of nine starts, and I'm in the camp of a sixth instance unfolding tonight.
MLB Picks for Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers
- Kenta Maeda Over 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-140 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics Best Bets
The Mariners' bevy of young talent hasn't fully mastered consistency yet, but when they're on, they're undeniably impressive. The most recent example just unfolded Tuesday, when George Kirby tallied a season-high nine strikeouts in the series opener against the Athletics.
It's Logan Gilbert's turn Wednesday, and the 2018 first-round pick comes in with a four-start streak of having worked at least six innings. Gilbert has yet to face Oakland this season, but his past encounters with current A's bats have been downright one-sided – he's held them to a collective .091 average and anemic .358 OPS across 46 career encounters.
The A's are undoubtedly sporting an improved offense this season, making them less of a target for pitcher props than the last couple of years. However, as Kirby demonstrated Tuesday, the A's can still be quieted by a talented pitcher, and Oakland is now sporting a 28.3 percent strikeout rate, .223 average, .278 wOBA and -11.2 wRAA on the road against righties since May 1.
Gilbert has impressively logged over 18.5 outs in seven of his first 12 starts and has come just an out short on another two occasions, while the A's carry the second-lowest projected run total of the slate, 3.7, as of midday Wednesday.
Consequently, I'm backing the idea of Gilbert putting together one of his longer outings as my prop.
MLB Picks for Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics
- Logan Gilbert Over 18.5 Outs Recorded (+146 on Caesars Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
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MLB Best Bets Today Recap
- Adley Rutschman Over 1.5 Total Hits + Runs + RBI (-120 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
- Kenta Maeda Over 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-140 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
- Logan Gilbert Over 18.5 Outs Recorded (+146 on Caesars Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
