3 Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets for Friday 4/18/25

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 K Props

Bowden Francis to Record 6-Plus Strikeouts (+138)

Bowden Francis ended 2024 on an absolute heater. I think he can regain some of that form tonight.

Francis rejoined the Toronto Blue Jays' rotation in early August. Over his final 9 starts, he logged a 1.53 ERA, getting there via an impressive 26.5% strikeout rate.

He hasn't quite been able to duplicate that in 2025 with his strikeout rate at 21.7% and a 4.17 SIERA. He has had to face some tough lineups on the road, though, while he'll be at home tonight.

There, he'll face the Seattle Mariners. Although they've done a much better job avoiding strikeouts this year, the active roster still has a 26.7% mark against righties since the beginning of 2024. I think we'll see them regress toward that mark as the sample expands, and Francis could bring some of that regression tonight.

JT Ginn Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+124)

J.T. Ginn was making the radar gun sing in his 2025 debut, giving me optimism as he enters his second start.

Last year, Ginn's sinker averaged 92.9 miles per hour, according to Baseball Savant, and his slider was at 85.4.

Against the New York Mets last week, those were humming at 94.8 and 87.2, respectively. Hot dang.

Ginn turned that into 6 strikeouts and a 12.2% swinging-strike rate. This comes after he had a 51.4% strikeout rate and 16.6% swinging-strike rate in two Triple-A starts before his promotion. It seems like he's putting his new zip to good use.

Even with just a slight bump to his strikeout rate projection, I have Ginn down for 5.01 strikeouts tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers. That's enough for me to show value in the over, and there's potential for him to do even more if he can maintain the gains.

Martin Perez Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-108)

Betting on Martin Perez tonight is primarily about his opponent in the Boston Red Sox.

Even against lefties, the Red Sox are a lefty-heavy lineup. It just works out that way where most of their best bats are left-handed, and they're good enough to remain in there without the platoon advantage. It just puts them in a hole when they face a southpaw.

Since the start of last year, their active roster has a 29.5% strikeout rate against lefties. It's a truly absurd number with only one other team above 25.5%.

To Perez's credit, he has been getting more strikeouts recently. In 13 starts with more cutters and fewer sinkers, his strikeout rate is 21.8%. He has gone over this number in 7 of those 13 starts.

The lone downside is that the Red Sox did just see him last week, so there's increased familiarity. I still like it enough to back the over due to the Red Sox's issues versus lefties.

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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.