MLB Strikeout Props Today: 5 Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets for Friday 4/24/26

Today's Top Strikeout Picks at a Glance

• Paul Skenes Over 6.5 Strikeouts
• Gavin Williams Over 5.5 Strikeouts
• Freddy Peralta Over 6.5 Strikeouts
• Framber Valdez Under 5.5 Strikeouts
• Andrew Painter Over 3.5 Strikeouts

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.

We're here to help. In addition to our MLB projections, we'll have this strikeouts prop article each day.

Which MLB strikeout props seem to present the best value today in FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds?

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

What are the best home run predictions for today?

Today's Best MLB K Prop Picks

Paul Skenes Over 6.5 Strikeouts

Pirates at Brewers, 7:40 PM ET

Paul Skenes is the most dominant strikeout pitcher in the National League, and Friday's matchup at American Family Field in Milwaukee presents a golden opportunity to back him over a 6.5-strikeout threshold that sits well below his production ceiling.

The raw numbers first.

Skenes enters Friday's start as the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner after an historic 2025 campaign: 1.97 ERA — the first sub-2.00 mark by a starting pitcher since Justin Verlander's 1.75 in 2022 — along with 216 strikeouts in 187.2 innings, leading all of baseball in ERA, FIP (2.36), WHIP (0.95), and home runs allowed per nine innings (0.5). He was unanimously voted the NL Cy Young in just his second season.

In 2026, through five starts, he carries a 3-1 record and a 3.27 ERA — numbers that are good but are weighed down because five of his eight earned runs this season came in a single disastrous first inning against the Mets on Opening Day. Strip that outlier and Skenes has a 1.27 ERA across his four April starts covering 21.1 innings. He has not allowed a run in his last four starts combined, and his most recent outing was shortened to four innings by a rain delay after he threw only 64 pitches.

The pitch-count context is critical for this strikeout prop. Because Skenes was held to 64 pitches in his last start against Tampa Bay, there is no reason to expect an abbreviated outing when he is fresh off a shortened start.

His arsenal is terrifying for Milwaukee's lineup. The four-seam fastball averages 100.2 mph with a vertical approach angle that creates a reaction-time deficit for hitters. His Splinker — a hybrid splitter-sinker that tunnels the fastball for 40 feet before dropping — is one of the most deceptive put-away offerings in baseball. In four career starts against Milwaukee specifically, Skenes has struck out 27 batters across 21 innings, a rate of 11.6 per nine.

Gavin Williams Over 5.5 Strikeouts

Guardians at Blue Jays, 7:07 PM ET

Gavin Williams has been one of the most statistically impressive pitchers in the American League through the first month of the 2026 season, he is averaging 8.0 strikeouts per game — the fourth-highest in all of baseball — across five starts.

The headline numbers validate this bet immediately. Williams is 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA (15th in MLB), a 1.01 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts through 29.2 innings. That 40-strikeout mark ranks fourth in all of major league baseball through five starts. His 12.1 K/9 rate is one of the best in the sport. He recently dominated the Baltimore Orioles lineup by generating 18 swinging strikes in a single start, demonstrating the kind of in-game swing-and-miss production that consistently generates double-digit strikeout totals.

The one documented concern with Williams is his walk rate. He is posting a 5.1 BB/9 through his five starts, meaning he averages roughly three walks per start. That walk rate has not prevented him from piling up strikeouts, but it means his pitch counts can elevate, occasionally limiting his innings.

Against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, the matchup is favorable. Toronto enters with a 10-14 record, ranking near the bottom of the AL in both runs scored and on-base percentage. Their lineup features Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as the standout bat, but beyond Vladdy, the Blue Jays aren't a lineup to fear.

Williams has cleared 5.5 strikeouts in four of his five starts this season, including a 10-strikeout performance against the Dodgers that was arguably the best individual start by any pitcher in the AL in April. With full confidence in his approach and a Toronto lineup that does not feature a surplus of elite bat-to-ball contact artists, Williams can rack up Ks tonight.

Freddy Peralta Over 6.5 Strikeouts

Rockies at Mets, 7:10 PM ET

Freddy Peralta signed a large contract to join the New York Mets this offseason after his dominant 2025 season in Milwaukee (17-6, 2.70 ERA, 204 strikeouts, 10.39 K/9, fifth in NL Cy Young voting). Through five starts in 2026 for the Mets, the numbers are consistent with his elite career strikeout profile: a 4.05 ERA with a 28:10 K:BB ratio across 26.2 innings, including five or more strikeouts in every start of the season.

That last point deserves emphasis. Peralta has not had a single start this season where he failed to strike out five batters. His floor, based on 2026 performance, is five strikeouts — which means the 6.5 line essentially requires two additional strikeout above his floor to hit. His per-game average of 6.2 strikeouts through the first month reflects a pitcher who is consistently performing well above this threshold.

The matchup against the Colorado Rockies might be the most favorable Peralta will face all season. Colorado enters as the worst offensive team in the National League, ranking last in OPS, last in wRC+, and last in runs per game in 2026. Their lineup does not feature a single hitter who has posted an OPS above .780 against right-handed pitching this season. The Rockies strike out at a rate that is one of the five highest in baseball, which means Peralta's already reliable strikeout production against normal competition becomes even more potent when facing a lineup that swings and misses at above-average rates.

Peralta's career numbers against the Rockies are also relevant. In previous starts against Colorado dating back to his Brewers tenure, Peralta has consistently produced double-digit strikeout totals against their lineup, including two starts with 10-plus punchouts in 2025 alone.

Framber Valdez Under 5.5 Strikeouts

Tigers at Reds, 6:40 PM ET

The most compelling under strikeout play on slate is Framber Valdez against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. This is not a bet against Valdez's talent — it is a bet against a profile that has consistently limited his strikeout production and a park environment that actively suppresses strikeout totals.

Valdez is a ground-ball pitcher first and a strikeout pitcher second. Throughout his entire career, his sinker-heavy approach generates more double plays and weak contact than swing-and-miss strikeouts. In 2026 with Detroit, Valdez is averaging just 4.0 strikeouts per game across five starts, with his season total sitting at 20 strikeouts through 27.1 innings. He has not exceeded 5 strikeouts in any of those five starts, and his curve-heavy approach has been generating grounders rather than whiffs as his primary out mechanism.

The Reds are 10th in expected wOBA and can ambush pitchers when they're at home, with Great American Ball Park being such a homer-friendly venue.

Combine the venue, matchup and Valdez's low-K ways, and it pushes me toward the under.

Andrew Painter Over 3.5 Strikeouts

Phillies vs. Braves, 7:15 PM ET

Andrew Painter — the 22-year-old Phillies right-hander who was selected 13th overall in the 2021 draft and once considered one of the top pitching prospects in the sport before Tommy John surgery derailed his development — made his MLB debut on March 31, 2026, and has been steadily building toward his ceiling in his first full major-league season.

The advanced metrics are the story. Painter carries a 4.42 ERA, but his xERA — the expected ERA — sits at a much more encouraging 2.92. His FIP is 2.49. His 9.8 K/9 rate through 18.1 innings reflects the elite velocity and secondary pitch quality that made him one of the most highly regarded pitching prospects before his injury. His four-seam fastball averages 97 mph and touches 100, generating the kind of ride-up-in-the-zone action that produces swinging strikes in the upper third. His curveball and slider both grade out as plus offerings, and his changeup has improved significantly from his minor-league profile.

In his five starts, Painter has averaged 4.4 strikeouts per game — slightly above this line.

The opposing Braves lineup, which includes Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson at the top of the order, is a very tough test. However, Atlanta's lineup can be overly aggressive at times, and they just gave up double-digit Ks to Cade Cavalli on Thursday.

Strikeout Prop Betting — Frequently Asked Questions

What is a strikeout prop bet? A strikeout prop bet is a wager on how many strikeouts a starting pitcher will record in a given game. FanDuel Sportsbook will set an over/under line — for example, 6.5 strikeouts — and you bet whether the pitcher will go over or under that number.

How do strikeout prop bets work? Sportsbooks post a strikeout total for a starting pitcher before each game. You pick either the over (more strikeouts than the line) or the under (fewer strikeouts than the line). The bet is typically settled on the pitcher's official strikeouts recorded, regardless of how long he stays in the game.

What stats should I look at for strikeout prop bets? The most important stats to research are the pitcher's strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), strikeout rate (K%), swinging strike rate (SwStr%), pitch counts and recent strikeout totals over his last several starts. You should also look at the opposing lineup's strikeout rate, as some teams swing and miss more than others.

What is swinging strike rate and why does it matter? Swinging strike rate (SwStr%) measures how often a pitcher generates swings and misses on all pitches thrown. It is one of the strongest predictors of strikeout performance.

Can I parlay strikeout props? Yes, FanDuel allows you to combine strikeout props with other player props or game markets into a parlay.

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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.