Kumar Rocker looks to shake off some early struggles on Thursday night when his Texas Rangers host the Los Angeles Angels.
The pregame narrative: Will that actually happen, though? I don’t buy it. I’m fading Rocker in my +260 SGP while targeting additional prop bets on Corey Seager and Jorge Soler.
Check out my Angels vs. Rangers SGP predictions for April 17.
Angels vs. Rangers predictions
Parlay: Rocker under 5.5 Ks | Seager over 1.5 bases | Soler 1+ hits (+260)
Rocker under 5.5 strikeouts (-235): Rocker has six total strikeouts through three outings, and I’m not expecting him to magically double his season total tonight.
The right-hander has a slider with ample bite, but neither of his fastballs generate any swing-and-miss.
And given that the Angels have the ninth-lowest whiff rate against sliders (30.0%), per Baseball Savant, I don’t see how Rocker racks up punchouts in this matchup.
Rocker ranks in the fifth percentile in K%, the 13th percentile in whiff rate and the 23rd percentile in chase rate.
MLB SGP legs
Seager over 1.5 bases (-139): Seager was someone I had my eye on as an AL MVP contender entering the season. He’s not quite in that mode right now, but I still like what I’m seeing overall.
- 16 games
- .288/.344/.458 slash line
- 88th-percentile xSLG (.588)
- 84th-percentile barrel rate (15.2%)
Seager has cashed this bet in both games so far this series, as well as six of his past nine.
Now he’ll face Angels righty Jack Kochanowicz, who has allowed a .281 BA to left-hitting players in 178 career at-bats.
Soler 1+ hits (-200): Let’s get back to Rocker, who has allowed 18 hits through 11.1 innings. I have to back someone in the Angels’ lineup tonight.
Soler seems like a good place to land, since he’s crushing the ball (93rd-percentile barrel rate) and has a hit in 13 of 17 games.
The biggest risk for Soler is striking out, but as established, I don’t think Rocker has the goods to make that too much of a concern.
Soler is slugging .632 against sliders in 19 at-bats this year. Good luck attacking him that way.
Angels vs. Rangers predictions made at 3:26 p.m. ET on 04/17/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.