3 MLB Prop Bets to Target on Wednesday 5/22/24

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy baseball on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- 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 projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.

MLB Player Props

Luis Matos to Record an RBI (+210)

The San Francisco Giants' Luis Matos has burst onto the scene in 2024. He had a solid rookie season in 2023, slashing a .250 batting average, .319 on-base percentage (OBP), and .342 slugging percentage (SLG). Following injuries -- including Jung Hoo Lee's season-ending dislocated shoulder -- Matos was called back up to the big leagues on May 12th.

Since, the center fielder has been a revelation. Over his first six games, Matos has posted 16 RBIs -- the most in a player's first six games of a season in franchise history. Considering his blazing start to the 2024 season, Matos recording an RBI at +210 is a line I'm very interested in.

I also believe the matchup is there against the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jared Jones. Matos is carrying an eye-popping slash line of .324/.343/.588. The advanced stats are checking out, as well, with the second-year outfielder touting a .401 weighted OBA (wOBA) and .380 expected weighted OBA (xwOBA).

Will this tear hold up for the long haul? Probably not. But I'm going to take advantage of the hot streak while it lasts, especially with Matos hitting in the middle of the lineup.

His power could drive in a run tonight. While Jones has been electric with a gaudy 2.62 ERA and 30.6% strikeout percentage (K%), the rookie hurler is in the bottom 23% of hard-hit percentage.

Meanwhile, Matos is recording a hard-hit on 45.5% of his batted balls -- which would be good for the top quarter of the league if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He also has a minuscule K% of 2.9% while whiffing on only 12.9% of pitches. This goes directly against Jones' strength as Jones is in the 88th percentile of K% and 95th percentile of whiff percentage.

Matos recording at least two bases (+105) is another intriguing bet thanks to his power. I'm going for the big fish, though. Matos has the RBI production thus far, and his slugging bodes a real threat against Jones.

Josh Lowe to Record 2+ Bases (+105)

The Boston Red Sox against the Tampa Bay Rays is on my radar with FanDuel offering a 30% Profit Boost on any live wager for MLB.TV's Free Game of the Week. Let's circle a prop for this American League East collision.

Brayan Bello and Ryan Pepiot are on the rubber tonight; Bello is a vulnerable target after giving up seven hits and three dingers in his last outing. The Sox's starter posted a 3.04 ERA through his first five starts of the season, but his ERA has skyrocketed to a 6.52 mark over his last two starts since returning from back tightness.

The Rays have a dangerous bat in Josh Lowe, who did not make his season debut until May 6th due an oblique strain. Lowe's numbers are not stacking up to his excellent 2023 campaign so far; he has a .245/.302/.449 slash line, compared to .292/.335/.500 last season.

Impressive slugging is still there for Lowe, though. Bello is currently in the bottom 34% of hard-hit percentage, and Lowe has 6 extra-base hits over 12 games while holding a 45.7% hard-hit percentage.

The third-year Ray has raked against sinkers (.313 wOBA) and changeups (.417 wOBA). Take a guess which pitches are Bello's forte. That's right -- his sinker (39.3%) and changeup (34.1%) have the highest usage rates. Bello's changeup had a usage rate of over 40.0% in two of his previous three appearances, and Lowe is slugging .667 against this pitch.

I'm loving this matchup for Lowe, especially from a pitch-type perspective.

Ozzie Albies to Record 2+ Bases (-115)

After backing two lines with plus odds, I'm going to be a bit conservative with my final prop of the day. The Atlanta Braves are facing a lefty in Justin Steele on Wednesday. Atlanta is in the top 10 of batting average (.257) a OBP (.331) against southpaws.

Ozzie Albies -- a switch hitter -- has flourished against left-handed pitchers for years. It's business as usual this campaign for the vet second baseman as he's batting .353 with a wOBA of .396 against southpaws. If these numbers hold, this would be the third time over four years with Ozzie hitting at least .320 against lefties.

The Chicago Cubs' Steele comes off his first All-Star season in 2023, but his stats have dipped through four starts in 2024. Steele has a concerning 5.21 ERA thus far, but more telling stats suggest this should come down sooner rather than later. He has a 1.21 WHIP and 3.87 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA); neither number is far off from 2023's 1.17 WHIP and 3.61 SIERA.

Still, I'm riding with Albies' consistent success against lefties. We can also look at two head-to-head matchups from last season. Steele took the mound twice against the Braves last season, and Ozzie mashed with five total hits over the meetings. He also recorded extra-base hits in each clash, notching four total bases in each game.

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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.