3 Strikeout Props to Target for Wednesday 6/26/24

The lengthy MLB season offers a wide array of bets via the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Strikeout props are among the popular lines offered. These bets can focus on the over/under of a starting pitcher's strikeout total or alternate lines can be utilized for more intriguing odds.

In this piece, we will dive into the stats to back our favorite strikeout props of the day across the MLB's slate. Which pitchers taking the mound could rack up Ks or which may stumble? We have plenty of tools available that can help us zero in on the top picks, and we'll use stats from numberFire's daily fantasy baseball projections, Baseball Savant, and FanGraphs.

Here are some of the most enticing strikeout props at FanDuel Sportsbook for today's games.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Strikeout Props

Sean Manaea Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-134)

Initially, this looks like an approachable strikeout total for Sean Manaea. He's reached six strikeouts in four of his last five games, and the New York Yankees are totaling 9.75 Ks over their previous four games, compared to their season average of 7.98.

Manaea's ability to go over 5.5 strikeouts will likely depend on how long his start lasts. In his previous six starts in which he's logged at least five innings pitched, he totaled six Ks in five of the appearances. Manaea logged only three strikeouts in his last game with under five innings pitched.

Taking the over could be too risky as Manaea might be poised for a brief outing. First and foremost, the Yanks rakes against his most-used pitch as they boast the most runs above average against sinkers. The New York Mets' starter leans on his sweeper for strikeouts with its 46.8% strikeout percentage (K%). The Yankees have the answer once again with the 11th-most runs above average when facing this pitch.

The problems continue to stack up for Manaea as he is in the bottom 27% of hard-hit percentage, and he's surrendered six home runs over his last six. Meanwhile, the Yankees have the third-highest slugging percentage (SLG), third-highest isolated power (ISO), and second-highest home run rate.

This matchup is favoring the Yankees' batting order. Under 5.5 strikeouts for Manaea is the side to take.

Gavin Stone to Reach 6+ Strikeouts (+162)

If any Los Angeles Dodgers rookie was expected to take home the National League Rookie of the Year award during the offseason, it was Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

While Yamamoto has impressed with a 3.05 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA), Gavin Stone has been a pleasant surprise and carries shorter odds to win the award (+3800) compared to Yamamoto at +10000 when looking at FanDuel's MLB award odds, although that wasn't the case prior to Yamamoto's injury.

After carrying a 9.00 ERA, 1.903 WHIP, and 5.08 SIERA over eight appearances and four starts last season, Stone now holds a 3.04 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, and 4.32 SIERA through 14 starts in 2024. His SIERA suggests Stone has not been quite as good as the ERA lets on. Still, he continues to cement his place in the Dodgers' starting rotation amid LA's injury woes.

His recent success includes solid strikeout numbers. Stone is averaging 5.8 strikeouts over his last five starts and has reached six Ks in four of the five outings. His quality of pitching during this stretch provides even more comfort for Wednesday's duel against the Chicago White Sox as Stone has a 2.10 ERA in that time while opponents are batting .207.

The White Sox are the ideal opponent for Stone to keep rolling. Chicago has the fewest runs scored in baseball as well as the lowest batting average. They are also tied for the 10th-highest K%. This even applies to Stone's must-used pitches as the Sox have the fewest runs above average against both fastballs and sliders paired with the third-fewest versus changeups.

Stone is hot, and he gets to face the MLB's worst offense. There's little reason to think the rookie's productivity will come to a halt tonight.

Hayden Birdsong Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-132)

The San Francisco Giants' sixth-best prospect, Hayden Birdsong will make his MLB debut tonight against the Chicago Cubs. Gauging any rookie's strikeouts in their first start can be a tough pick. However, we have enough evidence to back over 4.5 strikeouts.

Before his call-up, Birdsong got only two Triple-A starts under his belt. They weren't that successful, either, with a 5.00 ERA and 1.556 WHIP in those two outings. While this certainly causes some hesitation for the over, he's posted very consistent K numbers.

There's no denying that one of Birdsong's consistent qualities has been striking out batters. He averaged 7.0 Ks over his two Triple-A appearances and 5.5 strikeouts per start during his 11 outings at the Double-A level.

The Cubs are a promising matchup for Birdsong to keep it up as Chicago is tied for eighth-highest K%. The recent strikeouts have been about as bad as it gets with the Cubs averaging 12.3 strikeouts each game over the last three.

The 22-year-old pitcher has quickly climbed the ranks due to his intriguing talent. The strikeout production has been there at every level. Five strikeouts is not too tall of a task against Chicago.

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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.