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Best MLB Game 2 wild-card prop bets: Playoff predictions on Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cody Bellinger

October baseball is officially here and I’m dialling up four MLB prop pick recommendations for the marathon playoff slate.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The Los Angeles Dodgers manhandled the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 and I’m expecting more of the same tonight. I’m targeting L.A. stars Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and expect Cody Bellinger to come up big in a must-win game for the New York Yankees.

Check out my favourite MLB prop bets for Game 2 of the 2025 wild-card series on Wednesday.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Bellinger over 1.5 total bases (+140) & 1+ RBI (+185)

Bellinger is likely to occupy a middle-of-the-order spot behind Aaron Judge in a much more manageable Game 2 assignment.

The Yankees will see Brayan Bello after Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet delivered a sensational performance last night.

Bello is wild and is coming off his worst month of the season. Bellinger will have a very real chance of stepping up with runners on base at his home park, where he rakes, and I like him to capitalize.

The Yankees saw Bello three times this season and Bellinger hit cleanup in all of those contests, including a mid-September game the right-hander laboured through.

Bellinger’s ability to handle left-handed pitching should help him out later in the contest, too, when Boston manager Alex Cora looks to play the matchup game following Bello’s departure.

The 30-year-old Bellinger hit a robust .353/.415/.601 off southpaws this season. Bellinger is batting .329 with a .917 OPS vs. lefties over the last three seasons.

Key stat: Bellinger hit .302/.365/.544 at Yankee Stadium with a 152 wRC+ and 18 of his 29 homers.

MLB postseason player props

Betts to score a run (-108): In a major starting pitching mismatch, the Cincinnati Reds are deploying Zack Littell for their do-or-die game.

Littell is a soft-tosser who doesn’t miss bats and throws lots of strikes. It leads to plenty of contact (fifth-most among starters), a dangerous way to pitch against the powerful Dodgers.

We’re unlikely to see a deep outing from Littell, who will turn it over to a bullpen that threw five innings last night after Hunter Greene got walloped. Not good.

Leadoff man Shohei Ohtani seems like a shoo-in to score but you’ll have to pay -200 for that. But Betts, hitting right behind Ohtani and in front of power bats Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy, is a highly playable -103.

Betts reached base three times in Game 1, though he didn’t score. That was following his most productive month of the season (.299/.343/.557).

Best playoff pitching prop

Yamamoto over 17.5 outs (-120): The Reds have an unimposing lineup that was below average, per wRC+, against both lefties and righties during the regular season.

Teammate Blake Snell carved up the Reds over six innings before allowing a pair of seventh-inning runs ahead of a Dodgers bullpen meltdown in the eighth. I’m expecting Yamamoto to enjoy similar results.

The Dodgers can end the series tonight, setting up their rotation quite well for the NLDS, which begins Saturday but has a day off baked in before Game 2 on Monday.

Because of those factors listed above, I anticipate the Dodgers will be just fine letting Yamamoto ride things out.

There’s plenty to like about this matchup and the way he has performed of late:

Yamamoto posted a 0.67 ERA over four September starts.

He cleared this line in six of his final seven outings and 18 of 30 starts this season.

Yamamoto keeps the ball in the yard, is dynamite against both lefties and righties and punched out batters at the fifth-best rate among qualified starters.

The only starter in MLB with a lower xERA was NL Cy Young favourite Paul Skenes.

MLB prop picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET on 10/01/2025.

Best MLB Game 2 wild-card prop bets: Playoff predictions on Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cody Bellinger

October baseball is officially here and I’m dialling up four MLB prop pick recommendations for the marathon playoff slate.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The Los Angeles Dodgers manhandled the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 and I’m expecting more of the same tonight. I’m targeting L.A. stars Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and expect Cody Bellinger to come up big in a must-win game for the New York Yankees.

Check out my favourite MLB prop bets for Game 2 of the 2025 wild-card series on Wednesday.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Bellinger over 1.5 total bases (+170) & 1+ RBI (+180)

Bellinger is likely to occupy a middle-of-the-order spot behind Aaron Judge in a much more manageable Game 2 assignment.

The Yankees will see Brayan Bello after Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet delivered a sensational performance last night.

Bello is wild and is coming off his worst month of the season. Bellinger will have a very real chance of stepping up with runners on base at his home park, where he rakes, and I like him to capitalize.

The Yankees saw Bello three times this season and Bellinger hit cleanup in all of those contests, including a mid-September game the right-hander laboured through.

Bellinger’s ability to handle left-handed pitching should help him out later in the contest, too, when Boston manager Alex Cora looks to play the matchup game following Bello’s departure.

The 30-year-old Bellinger hit a robust .353/.415/.601 off southpaws this season. Bellinger is batting .329 with a .917 OPS vs. lefties over the last three seasons.

Key stat: Bellinger hit .302/.365/.544 at Yankee Stadium with a 152 wRC+ and 18 of his 29 homers.

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MLB postseason player props

Betts to score a run (-103): In a major starting pitching mismatch, the Cincinnati Reds are deploying Zack Littell for their do-or-die game.

Littell is a soft-tosser who doesn’t miss bats and throws lots of strikes. It leads to plenty of contact (fifth-most among starters), a dangerous way to pitch against the powerful Dodgers.

We’re unlikely to see a deep outing from Littell, who will turn it over to a bullpen that threw five innings last night after Hunter Greene got walloped. Not good.

Leadoff man Shohei Ohtani seems like a shoo-in to score but you’ll have to pay -200 for that. But Betts, hitting right behind Ohtani and in front of power bats Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy, is a highly playable -103.

Betts reached base three times in Game 1, though he didn’t score. That was following his most productive month of the season (.299/.343/.557).

Best playoff pitching prop

Yamamoto over 17.5 outs (-110): The Reds have an unimposing lineup that was below average, per wRC+, against both lefties and righties during the regular season.

Teammate Blake Snell carved up the Reds over six innings before allowing a pair of seventh-inning runs ahead of a Dodgers bullpen meltdown in the eighth. I’m expecting Yamamoto to enjoy similar results.

The Dodgers can end the series tonight, setting up their rotation quite well for the NLDS, which begins Saturday but has a day off baked in before Game 2 on Monday.

Because of those factors listed above, I anticipate the Dodgers will be just fine letting Yamamoto ride things out.

There’s plenty to like about this matchup and the way he has performed of late:

Yamamoto posted a 0.67 ERA over four September starts.

He cleared this line in six of his final seven outings and 18 of 30 starts this season.

Yamamoto keeps the ball in the yard, is dynamite against both lefties and righties and punched out batters at the fifth-best rate among qualified starters.

The only starter in MLB with a lower xERA was NL Cy Young favourite Paul Skenes.

MLB prop picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET on 10/01/2025.

MLB Game 1 wild-card prop bets: Back lefties Snell and Skubal, Red Sox’s Bregman

Starting pitchers Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal headline my best playoff props for the start of MLB’s postseason action on Tuesday.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The big lefties are rolling into the postseason and I expect them to deliver as Game 1 favourites. I’m also backing veteran Alex Bregman at Yankee Stadium.

Check out my best MLB prop bets for Game 1 of the 2025 wild-card series.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Snell over 15.5 outs (+110)

It should surprise no one if Snell is the best starting pitcher this postseason. I’m not predicting that, but he’s that good.

The Los Angeles Dodgers lefty has a tasty Game 1 matchup against the 83-win Cincinnati Reds, who have more like a 73-win offence.

This team snuck into the playoffs on the last day of the season and got little out of its best player, Elly De La Cruz, for much of the second half.

This is not an imposing lineup. Have a look yourself:

Cincinnati’s offence was well below league average vs. lefties, ranking 26th in wRC+. The Reds were 23rd in wRC+ in September and 24th for the entire season.

They had a .124 ISO against LHPs, better than only two teams and the worst mark among the playoff clubs.

The worry is that Snell runs up a high pitch count with strikeouts and walks — two things he does a lot of — but I feel good about his ability to limit damage against this group.

Snell posted a 2.35 ERA, the second-best FIP of his career (2.70), and he rarely gets taken deep.

He has elite swing-and-miss stuff to get himself out of jams, ranking in the 96th percentile in whiff rate and 95th in chase rate (per Baseball Savant). Snell’s ability to punch out batters over the last several seasons is as good as any starter.

The southpaw ended his season with a 28:5 K/BB mark over his final three starts, completing six-plus innings each time out.

He missed four months before coming back in August, clearing this line in six of his final seven starts.

Snell eclipsed the 100-pitch mark in two of his September outings and has been excellent throughout his postseason career.

Key stat: The left-hander has a 1.17 ERA in seven starts at Dodger Stadium.

MLB postseason player props

Bregman to score a run (+150): It’s unclear where Bregman will slot in the lineup, but he will almost certainly occupy a top-three spot after primarily batting No. 2 for Boston this season.

New York Yankees starter Max Fried is excellent but he’s not Garrett Crochet, and that’s especially true with his swing-and-miss ability.

Bregman slumped toward the end of the season, but he doesn’t strike out much. He was fantastic vs. left-handers, he has pop and he’s got a ton of postseason experience.

That combination gives me confidence in Bregman, who has a .346 career on-base percentage in the playoffs. And this year, he recorded his best batting average and slugging percentage since the 2019 season.

The veteran can hit his way on and draw free passes, evidenced by the .319/.421/.434 line he compiled against southpaws.

Best MLB picks

Skubal over 18.5 outs (+125): The actual best starter in the postseason is probably Skubal, who gets an opponent he faced four times in the regular season and handled each time.

Skubal was 2-2 vs. this line against the Cleveland Guardians but went at least 6.0 innings every outing.

He held the Guardians to a 0.64 ERA and .165 opponent batting average.

Skubal ended his year with back-to-back six-inning starts vs. Cleveland but was 7-2 against this beefy line coming out of the all-star break.

Progressive Field is a good pitching environment and today’s weather isn’t expected to aid offence in any way.

The Detroit Tigers’ bullpen has been miserable and overworked this month, making this a situation where the club should look to ride its horse in a pivotal Game 1.

Detroit only gets Skubal once this series, so there’s no worry about preserving his arm for a potential do-or-die Game 3 on Thursday.

MLB prop picks made at 8:20 a.m. ET on 09/30/2025.

MLB Game 1 wild-card prop bets: Back lefties Snell and Skubal, Red Sox’s Bregman

Starting pitchers Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal headline my best playoff props for the start of MLB’s postseason action on Tuesday.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The big lefties are rolling into the postseason and I expect them to deliver as Game 1 favourites. I’m also backing veteran Alex Bregman at Yankee Stadium.

Check out my best MLB prop bets for Game 1 of the 2025 wild-card series.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Snell over 15.5 outs (+110)

It should surprise no one if Snell is the best starting pitcher this postseason. I’m not predicting that, but he’s that good.

The Los Angeles Dodgers lefty has a tasty Game 1 matchup against the 83-win Cincinnati Reds, who have more like a 73-win offence.

This team snuck into the playoffs on the last day of the season and got little out of its best player, Elly De La Cruz, for much of the second half.

This is not an imposing lineup. Have a look yourself:

Cincinnati’s offence was well below league average vs. lefties, ranking 26th in wRC+. The Reds were 23rd in wRC+ in September and 24th for the entire season.

They had a .124 ISO against LHPs, better than only two teams and the worst mark among the playoff clubs.

The worry is that Snell runs up a high pitch count with strikeouts and walks — two things he does a lot of — but I feel good about his ability to limit damage against this group.

Snell posted a 2.35 ERA, the second-best FIP of his career (2.70), and he rarely gets taken deep.

He has elite swing-and-miss stuff to get himself out of jams, ranking in the 96th percentile in whiff rate and 95th in chase rate (per Baseball Savant). Snell’s ability to punch out batters over the last several seasons is as good as any starter.

The southpaw ended his season with a 28:5 K/BB mark over his final three starts, completing six-plus innings each time out.

He missed four months before coming back in August, clearing this line in six of his final seven starts.

Snell eclipsed the 100-pitch mark in two of his September outings and has been excellent throughout his postseason career.

Key stat: The left-hander has a 1.17 ERA in seven starts at Dodger Stadium.

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MLB postseason player props

Bregman to score a run (+128): It’s unclear where Bregman will slot in the lineup, but he will almost certainly occupy a top-three spot after primarily batting No. 2 for Boston this season.

New York Yankees starter Max Fried is excellent but he’s not Garrett Crochet, and that’s especially true with his swing-and-miss ability.

Bregman slumped toward the end of the season, but he doesn’t strike out much. He was fantastic vs. left-handers, he has pop and he’s got a ton of postseason experience.

That combination gives me confidence in Bregman, who has a .346 career on-base percentage in the playoffs. And this year, he recorded his best batting average and slugging percentage since the 2019 season.

The veteran can hit his way on and draw free passes, evidenced by the .319/.421/.434 line he compiled against southpaws.

Best MLB picks

Skubal over 18.5 outs (+117): The actual best starter in the postseason is probably Skubal, who gets an opponent he faced four times in the regular season and handled each time.

Skubal was 2-2 vs. this line against the Cleveland Guardians but went at least 6.0 innings every outing.

He held the Guardians to a 0.64 ERA and .165 opponent batting average.

Skubal ended his year with back-to-back six-inning starts vs. Cleveland but was 7-2 against this beefy line coming out of the all-star break.

Progressive Field is a good pitching environment and today’s weather isn’t expected to aid offence in any way.

The Detroit Tigers’ bullpen has been miserable and overworked this month, making this a situation where the club should look to ride its horse in a pivotal Game 1.

Detroit only gets Skubal once this series, so there’s no worry about preserving his arm for a potential do-or-die Game 3 on Thursday.

MLB prop picks made at 8:20 a.m. ET on 09/30/2025.

Best MLB prop bets Sept. 22: Back starting pitchers Freddy Peralta and Michael McGreevy

Prop bets on pitchers Freddy Peralta and Michael McGreevy make up my top plays for Monday’s light MLB slate.

Today’s MLB props narrative: I’m betting on recent trends to continue for the two starters. The Milwaukee Brewers ace has cleared the prop I’m playing at a 100% rate since August, while the St. Louis Cardinals rookie has topped his number at an 89% clip over the same time period.

Check out how I’m betting on them in the best MLB prop bets for Sept. 22.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: McGreevy over 16.5 outs (-130)

The Cardinals righty won’t wow with swing-and-miss stuff, but getting to 17 outs doesn’t require that.

McGreevy isn’t the flashiest arm, though his start at a top-tier pitching park against an ordinary offence makes him an attractive play.

Low strikeout rates and excellent control have allowed him to keep his pitch counts in check and clear this line often despite reaching 100 pitches once in 14 starts.

McGreevy was roughed up for six runs and a season-high nine hits by the Giants earlier this month, but I’m looking right past that tonight.

The Giants are 20th in wRC+ this month and have been a below-average offence at their home stadium, Oracle Park, a dreadful venue for home runs and offence in general.

Key stat: McGreevy has thrown six-plus innings in eight of his last nine starts.

Best MLB picks

Peralta over 5.5 Ks (-125): The San Diego Padres are among the hardest teams in the majors to retire on strikes.

And Peralta only fanned three batters when he faced them in June. But he’s on a sensational run right now:

Peralta has allowed one run or fewer in seven of eight starts since the beginning of August.

Over that stretch, he leads all starters in strikeout rate, punching out 35.5% of the batters he’s faced.

Peralta has cleared this number in all eight of those outings and is 15-2 vs. this line since facing the Padres earlier this year.

San Diego has the third-lowest K rate in the second half but Peralta has had challenging matchups over his dominant two-month stretch.

He has faced several teams with bottom-10 second-half K rates and cleared this line against them. That includes the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs.

MLB prop picks made at 11:40 a.m. ET on 09/22/2025.

Best MLB prop bets Sept. 22: Back starting pitchers Freddy Peralta and Michael McGreevy

Prop bets on pitchers Freddy Peralta and Michael McGreevy make up my top plays for Monday’s light MLB slate.

Today’s MLB props narrative: I’m betting on recent trends to continue for the two starters. The Milwaukee Brewers ace has cleared the prop I’m playing at a 100% rate since August, while the St. Louis Cardinals rookie has topped his number at an 89% clip over the same time period.

Check out how I’m betting on them in the best MLB prop bets for Sept. 22.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: McGreevy over 16.5 outs (-109)

The Cardinals righty won’t wow with swing-and-miss stuff, but getting to 17 outs doesn’t require that.

McGreevy isn’t the flashiest arm, though his start at a top-tier pitching park against an ordinary offence makes him an attractive play.

Low strikeout rates and excellent control have allowed him to keep his pitch counts in check and clear this line often despite reaching 100 pitches once in 14 starts.

McGreevy was roughed up for six runs and a season-high nine hits by the Giants earlier this month, but I’m looking right past that tonight.

The Giants are 20th in wRC+ this month and have been a below-average offence at their home stadium, Oracle Park, a dreadful venue for home runs and offence in general.

Key stat: McGreevy has thrown six-plus innings in eight of his last nine starts.

Embed: #118283

Best MLB picks

Peralta over 5.5 Ks (+106): The San Diego Padres are among the hardest teams in the majors to retire on strikes.

And Peralta only fanned three batters when he faced them in June. But he’s on a sensational run and offers excellent value at plus money.

Peralta has allowed one run or fewer in seven of eight starts since the beginning of August.

Over that stretch, he leads all starters in strikeout rate, punching out 35.5% of the batters he’s faced.

Peralta has cleared this number in all eight of those outings and is 15-2 vs. this line since facing the Padres earlier this year.

San Diego has the third-lowest K rate in the second half but Peralta has had challenging matchups over his dominant two-month stretch.

He has faced several teams with bottom-10 second-half K rates and cleared this line against them. That includes the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs.

MLB prop picks made at 11:40 a.m. ET on 09/22/2025.

Best MLB prop bets Sept. 19: Back Garrett Crochet, Geraldo Perdomo and Willy Adames

Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet headlines Friday night’s top MLB prop picks.

Today’s MLB props narrative: Crochet has been one of the best starters in baseball and I expect him to deliver in a crucial matchup against the rival Tampa Bay Rays.

Check out my top MLB prop bets for Sept. 19, featuring predictions on Geraldo Perdomo and Willy Adames.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Crochet over 18.5 outs (+112)

The Red Sox ran through their bullpen this week during a three-game set vs. the Athletics.

On top of that, they’re fighting for a wild-card spot now that the Cleveland Guardians are surging behind them.

If Crochet is dealing — which is, of course, no guarantee — I have to imagine they’re going to ride him out. And Crochet deals more often than not. Even better, he consistently eats innings.

Crochet’s first season in Boston has been dynamite.

First in MLB in Ks (240)
Fifth in ERA (2.63)
10th in WHIP (1.05)

Crochet has thrown a career-high 191.1 innings, which leads the American League.

The hard-throwing southpaw has tossed six-plus innings in 23 of 30 starts.

Six innings won’t cash this — and coming back out for the seventh after sitting shouldn’t be taken lightly — but Crochet is consistently hovering around this number.

Crochet faced the Rays once this year and was spectacular, pitching a three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts.

Key stat: Crochet has cashed this bet 14 times.

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Best MLB picks

Perdomo over 1.5 total bases (+125): The Arizona Diamondbacks should get to Philadelphia Phillies righty Taijuan Walker.

Perdomo, the club’s leadoff hitter, is as good a bet as any player to do damage. At -120 to score, I’m electing to play him on this prop instead.

Perdomo is averaging 2.3 total bases over 15 games in September. During the month, he’s hitting a robust .327/.441/.618 with four homers.

He’s batting .330 in the second half and ranks sixth in MLB in wRC+ over that stretch.

Walker has very little swing and miss ability and has been tattooed in four straight outings.

The veteran has surrendered four-plus runs each time out (7.65 ERA), allowing 32 hits and five homers over those 20 innings.

Adames 1+ RBI (+200): Adames has been a disappointment, but you can find things to like about his season. How about this:

Since July 1, he’s fourth in the National League in RBI.

He’s fourth in ISO over that same period and has a 140 wRC+.

Adames has pop and has been showing it following a miserable start to his San Francisco Giants tenure.

Locked in as the No. 3 hitter, Adames will hit behind two good bats when he sees Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight.

Kershaw has been a mixed bag this season and got drilled by the Giants at their pitcher-friendly park his last time out.

Tonight’s game is at hitter-friendly Dodger Stadium.

MLB prop picks made at 3:15 p.m. ET on 09/19/2025.

Blue Jays vs. Royals picks and predictions Sept. 19: Bet on Toronto to win behind Scherzer and Varsho

The Toronto Blue Jays open up a three-game set on the road against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

The pregame narrative: Toronto can clinch a playoff spot with a win and some help tonight, and I like the club to at least do its part to help make the postseason a reality.

Check out my Blue Jays picks vs. the Royals for the Sept. 19 game at Kauffman Stadium, featuring prop predictions on Daulton Varsho and starting pitcher Max Scherzer.

Blue Jays picks vs. Royals

Best bet: Blue Jays moneyline (-138)

Scherzer’s last few turns through the rotation have been bumpy but there’s still been some good takeaways.

In his last outing (two runs over five frames vs. the Baltimore Orioles), he broke a string of three straight starts allowing four-plus runs.

Scherzer ran into early issues against the New York Yankees in his start before that, but managed eight Ks in 4.1 innings.

He gives Toronto a starting pitching edge over Michael Lorenzen, who pitched in relief in his last outing and has made seven appearances since coming off the injured list in August.

Lorenzen has a 5.97 ERA since then, allowing four-plus runs in four of his six starts.

He’s a below-average strikeout arm facing a team that rarely strikes out. Toronto should put plenty of balls in play, which leads to good things.

The Blue Jays’ offence, even absent Bo Bichette, is a cut above Kansas City’s.

Toronto is No. 1 in wRC+ in the second half. Even in a down September, the club’s offence has still been 24% better than the Royals.

The bullpen has been shaky and remains a question mark moving forward, but the group has settled this month, posting a 2.91 ERA (sixth in MLB) and top-10 K rate.

Key stat: The Royals are 6-10 this month and are scoring the fewest runs per game in the AL.

Jays prop predictions

Scherzer over 16.5 outs (-125): Scherzer hasn’t gotten to this number since Aug. 25, when he reeled off his sixth straight start of six-plus innings.

But Kansas City provides a good opportunity for any pitcher and Scherzer has already handled the club once this season.

The veteran spun six innings of one-run ball with five Ks vs. K.C. in August.

Scherzer has struggled keeping the ball in the yard, but Kauffman Stadium is a home run-suppressing park and no team in the AL has hit fewer bombs at home than the Royals.

Some key bullpen arms are possibly down based on recent workloads (Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher among them) and Toronto is deploying six starters at the moment (rookie Trey Yesavage is getting another start Sunday).

I think those factors should open up the door for Scherzer to work a little deeper.

And with their final off day of the season on Monday, Scherzer will have plenty of time to recover before making one final start before the postseason.

Varsho 1+ RBI (+135): The slugging outfielder should find himself in a run-producing spot, as he’s been slotted No. 4-6 in the lineup in every game he’s started this month.

Varsho has responded with a .280 average while slugging .560 in September.

He’s been a monster with a platoon advantage, slugging .653 with all 18 of his homers, and has 30 RBI in 38 games since coming off the IL in August.

The left-handed hitting Varsho’s .320 ISO over that stretch is the sixth-best mark in MLB.

Blue Jays picks made at 2:03 p.m. ET on 09/19/2025.

Blue Jays vs. Royals picks and predictions Sept. 19: Bet on Toronto to win behind Scherzer and Varsho

The Toronto Blue Jays open up a three-game set on the road against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

The pregame narrative: Toronto can clinch a playoff spot with a win and some help tonight, and I like the club to at least do its part to help make the postseason a reality.

Check out my Blue Jays picks vs. the Royals for the Sept. 19 game at Kauffman Stadium, featuring prop predictions on Daulton Varsho and starting pitcher Max Scherzer.

Blue Jays picks vs. Royals

Best bet: Blue Jays moneyline (-130)

Scherzer’s last few turns through the rotation have been bumpy but there’s still been some good takeaways.

In his last outing (two runs over five frames vs. the Baltimore Orioles), he broke a string of three straight starts allowing four-plus runs.

Scherzer ran into early issues against the New York Yankees in his start before that, but managed eight Ks in 4.1 innings.

He gives Toronto a starting pitching edge over Michael Lorenzen, who pitched in relief in his last outing and has made seven appearances since coming off the injured list in August.

Lorenzen has a 5.97 ERA since then, allowing four-plus runs in four of his six starts.

He’s a below-average strikeout arm facing a team that rarely strikes out. Toronto should put plenty of balls in play, which leads to good things.

The Blue Jays’ offence, even absent Bo Bichette, is a cut above Kansas City’s.

Toronto is No. 1 in wRC+ in the second half. Even in a down September, the club’s offence has still been 24% better than the Royals.

The bullpen has been shaky and remains a question mark moving forward, but the group has settled this month, posting a 2.91 ERA (sixth in MLB) and top-10 K rate.

Key stat: The Royals are 6-10 this month and are scoring the fewest runs per game in the AL.

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Jays prop predictions

Scherzer over 16.5 outs (-120): Scherzer hasn’t gotten to this number since Aug. 25, when he reeled off his sixth straight start of six-plus innings.

But Kansas City provides a good opportunity for any pitcher and Scherzer has already handled the club once this season.

The veteran spun six innings of one-run ball with five Ks vs. K.C. in August.

Scherzer has struggled keeping the ball in the yard, but Kauffman Stadium is a home run-suppressing park and no team in the AL has hit fewer bombs at home than the Royals.

Some key bullpen arms are possibly down based on recent workloads (Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher among them) and Toronto is deploying six starters at the moment (rookie Trey Yesavage is getting another start Sunday).

I think those factors should open up the door for Scherzer to work a little deeper.

And with their final off day of the season on Monday, Scherzer will have plenty of time to recover before making one final start before the postseason.

Varsho 1+ RBI (+155): The slugging outfielder should find himself in a run-producing spot, as he’s been slotted No. 4-6 in the lineup in every game he’s started this month.

Varsho has responded with a .280 average while slugging .560 in September.

He’s been a monster with a platoon advantage, slugging .653 with all 18 of his homers, and has 30 RBI in 38 games since coming off the IL in August.

The left-handed hitting Varsho’s .320 ISO over that stretch is the sixth-best mark in MLB.

Blue Jays picks made at 12:30 p.m. ET on 09/19/2025.

Best MLB prop bets Sept. 18: Back Ohtani and Betts, fade Reds’ Greene

Two of my three MLB prop picks for Thursday come from the last game of the night between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The rivals collide in L.A. and I like two of the game’s biggest stars to do damage. Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani are sizzling ahead of tonight’s fourth meeting this season vs. Giants ace Logan Webb.

Check out my top MLB prop bets for Sept. 18, featuring a prediction on Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Greene under 6.5 Ks (+100)

The flamethrowing righty could very well come out and punch out double-digit batters, something he’s done twice in six starts since coming off the injured list in mid-August.

But Greene’s upside is severely limited tonight against the Chicago Cubs, a difficult team to retire on strikes.

Chicago sports the fifth-lowest K rate vs. righties and seventh-lowest in MLB in the second half.

Greene faced the Cubs way back in May, striking out a season-low two batters over four innings of work.

The 26-year-old has thrown the ball well at home but facing a good lineup at Great American Ball Park is always a concern. It’s been the third-most hitter-friendly spot in MLB over the last three years, per Baseball Savant, and No. 2 in home runs.

Greene has struggled to keep the ball in the yard, too, allowing homers at an above-average rate.

Key stat: Greene started the year 6-1 vs. this number. Since then, he’s gone 4-6.

Best MLB picks

Betts over 1.5 total bases (+110): I keep playing Betts on this market and have no intentions of slowing down, not when it’s plus money.

Betts is hitting .349/.377/.683 with five homers and 19 RBI in 15 games this month.

He has a 1.007 OPS over his last 25 contests, averaging 2.4 total bases per game. Betts has topped this line in 15 of those games.

Webb’s a great pitcher but he’s been rocked twice by the Dodgers this season — including his last start — and Betts has had a lot of success vs. him in a fairly large sample.

Betts is slashing .381/.435/.571 with only four strikeouts in 46 career plate appearances against Webb.

Ohtani over 1.5 total bases (-120): Ohtani hasn’t seen Webb as much as Betts but the numbers are still fantastic:

.368/.478/.790 with a pair of bombs in 24 PAs.

That’s simply the icing on the cake. Ohtani especially demolishes righties, is having an even better September than Betts and is very rarely available at this price.

The reigning MVP blasted home run No. 51 last night, No. 50 the night before, and is hitting .333/.465/.737 this month.

Ohtani ranks No. 1 in MLB vs. RHPs in homers (38) and ISO (.376).

MLB prop picks made at 3:05 p.m. ET on 09/18/2025.