3 Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets for Monday 7/7/25

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 MLB player props 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 Prop Picks

Cristopher Sanchez Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-114)

This number has moved quite a bit since this morning when it was available at +102. I still think there's lingering value in the over on Cristopher Sanchez, though.

Sanchez is in the midst of another brilliant season. He has a 2.68 ERA through 17 starts, and he's doing it in a very different fashion from previous seasons. Whereas he used to get by on suppressing hard contact, his strikeouts have spiked this year. He has a 26.2% strikeout rate, up from 20.3% last year. Based on his 13.0% swinging-strike rate, most of that seems sustainable.

He also gets a good matchup tonight against the San Francisco Giants. Their active roster has a 24.5% strikeout rate against lefties with just a 91 wRC+.

Even after lowering Sanchez's baseline strikeout rate from what he has done this year, I have him projected as a value here. I also don't hate the idea of considering his alt market of 7-plus strikeouts at +178. Whichever route you want to take, he's a pitcher I want to buy into.

Yusei Kikuchi to Record 7-Plus Strikeouts (+110)

If I use a somewhat conservative projection on Yusei Kikuchi, I have this bet as a slim-but-fair value. I think there's potential beyond that, though, so I do want to give this a swipe.

For the full season, Kikuchi's strikeout rate is 24.4%, down from 28.0% last year. That doesn't tell the full story, though.

Things have been much rosier for him of late. He has seven-plus strikeouts in four straight games, none of which have come against complete duds of opponents. He has still gotten hit hard, but the strikeouts have allowed him to post decent results and go deep in games.

Even if I ignore that surge, I have Kikuchi projected at 7.15 strikeouts. Pitchers in that range have gotten to 7-plus strikeouts 49.6% of the time for me (as more things can deter a good outing when you have to reach that high of a number). Thus, I wouldn't want to go much shorter than +110, but given I may be a smidge lower on Kikuchi than I should, I'm happy with it at this number.

Shane Baz Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+110)

Over his past few starts, Shane Baz has introduced a brand new cutter. It may be giving his strikeout upside a lift.

Baz didn't throw the cutter at all until June 4th, and he didn't throw it multiple times until June 15th. In that one, he threw 6 2/3 shutout innings, so he decided to let that sucker cook. Its usage is 28.6% across his past 4 starts.

Baz has been bathing in strikeouts in that time. He has a 30.2% strikeout rate with a 2.67 ERA. The cutter has a 30.8% whiff rate and 42.1% putaway rate, according to Baseball Savant, both highest of any of his pitches.

Baz's one bad start in this span did come against the same Detroit Tigers lineup he'll face tonight, which also means they're one of the few teams that has already seen the new pitch in action. That does ding Baz a bit for sure.

Still, the underlying numbers for Baz are hot, and I'm more willing to buy into a small sample when it's tied to a tangible shift in the pitcher's approach. With this over sitting at plus money, I think this is still a prime time to buy.

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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.