3 Best MLB Player Prop Bets for Saturday 4/12/25

The beauty of baseball is the wide variety of prop markets at your fingertips, from home runs to strikeouts and much more.

Utilizing our MLB projections as a guide, here are some MLB player props bets that look appealing via the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note that betting lines and MLB player projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Best MLB Player Props Today

Xavier Edwards to Record a Stolen Base (+360)

Stolen base props rarely show value considering their own rarity these days. I'm always excited when I find one that does.

Xavier Edwards tries to make things happen at the top of the Miami Marlins order. He converted 35 steal attempts into 31 steals a year ago. He's already stolen three bases in three tries to begin the 2025 campaign despite being on first base just 22 total times.

I like his chances to get on base against Washington Nationals righty Trevor Williams, whose 1.70 WHIP is pretty large at present. Once there, Williams has allowed 10 steals in his last 43 appearances, and Nats catcher Keibert Ruiz has lost at least 6 stolen bases above average in each of the last two seasons with poor pop time and velocity marks.

FanDuel Research's MLB player prop projections expect 0.26 steals from Edwards on Saturday, implying closer to +337 odds to swipe a bag.

A.J. Smith-Shawver Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-130)

22-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver could be a guy I'd back for a strikeout prop, but he's got a nightmare matchup today.

The right-hander's 14.5% swinging-strike rate shows quality stuff, but he'll be at one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball. George M. Steinbrenner Field is certainly grading out better than the Tampa Bay Rays' old home -- even if all four of the visiting offenses thus far are scuffling everywhere.

Tampa Bay hurts strikeout upside themselves, too. They've punched out at the second-lowest rate in MLB (18.1%) against righties.

Of course, Smith-Shawver's also not in peak form to go deep into this game. His 7.29 xERA is concerning, and he's allowed a barrel on 14.3% of balls in play so far. Zoinks.

Overall, we have the righty projected for just 3.81 strikeouts. We'd put this line closer to -199.

Christian Walker to Record 2+ Total Bases (+135)

I had to check my FanGraphs search for a typo. The Houston Astros have just 17 plate appearances (PAs) against left-handed pitching all season as a collective.

That's not ideal for the right-hand-dominant lineup, but they have a great opportunity to make up for lost time against struggling lefty Tyler Anderson. Once a master of limiting hard contact, Anderson's hard-hit rate allowed (37.9%) is up -- and so is his xERA (5.29) and opponent wOBA (.345).

Christian Walker has to be delighted to finally have the platoon advantage. He put up a solid OPS (.756) and ISO (.130) in 157 PAs a year ago.

Our projections expect a median of 1.91 total bases from the first baseman tonight, which should mean -132 odds on multiple bases. I, too, am expecting some sort of extra-base hit from Houston's prized offseason acquisition.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.