3 Best MLB Strikeout Player Prop Bets for Friday 3/28/25

Within a given MLB slate, there are tons of strikeout props to sort through as there are lines posted for most of the day's starting pitchers.

Across today's action, which seem to present the best value in FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB betting odds?

We're going to dig into that today, laying out my favorite strikeout props across all the action. You can also do some research of your own by digging into our MLB player prop projections.

Please note lines and MLB projections are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Today's Best MLB Strikeout Props

Hunter Brown Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-122)

Over the latter half of last year, Hunter Brown showed glimpses of becoming a dominant arm. I think he can carry that into 2025.

The big shift for Brown came when he added a sinker. The sinker itself is not a strikeout pitch -- it had just a 14.8% whiff rate, according to Baseball Savant -- but it allowed him to induce soft contact, get better results, and stay in games longer. Over his final 18 starts with that sinker fully in the mix, Brown had a 2.32 ERA.

Even though he wasn't getting strikeouts with that pitch, his strikeout rate in that span was still 25.5%, up from where it was before that stretch

He'll face the New York Mets today, whose active roster has a 23.9% strikeout rate against righties since the start of last year. I've got Brown projected for 6.49 strikeouts, high enough for us to pay the -122 price.

Mitch Keller Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-138)

Although -138 is a hefty price to pay, I'm still seeing value on the under for Mitch Keller for a couple reasons.

The primary thing is that Keller just isn't a massive strikeout guy. He finished last year with a mark of 21.5%, just a hair below his career mark.

Second, although the Miami Marlins' offense isn't great, it's not a massive strikeout unit. Their active roster is at 22.6% against righties since the start of last year, right in line with the league average.

Once you add in a muted pitch count for his first start, I've got Keller projected at 4.93 strikeouts. Pitchers projected in that range for me have gone under 5.5 strikeouts 60.1% of the time, above the implied odds here of 58.0%.

Merrill Kelly Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+100)

After missing a good chunk of last year to injury, Merrill Kelly is looking for a bounce-back. Maybe this is optimistic with it being Kelly's age-36 season, but I still think he has something in the tank.

Kelly's 13 starts last year were still solid. He had a 4.09 SIERA, according to FanGraphs, actually a hair better than in 2023.

He did, though, see a downtick in strikeouts. His 21.0% mark was down nearly five percentage points, and that's what we care about here.

Even if I project Kelly to continue at last year's pace, though, I still think the market is underselling him here. He was able to go five innings in his final spring start, and he's at home. Kelly's career strikeout rate is four percentage points better at home than on the road.

Thus, I have Kelly projected at 5.04 strikeouts. Pitchers around there have gone over 4.5 strikeouts 54.8% of the time, and we're currently getting the over at even money.

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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.