I’m backing a pair of rookies on the Texas Rangers to do damage against the Toronto Blue Jays today.
The pregame narrative: Kumar Rocker was lights out in his MLB debut last week and I expect him to pile up strikeouts yet again. Also, Wyatt Langford has been swinging a hot bat and is a good candidate to clear his bases prop.
Check out the best Blue Jays props vs. the Rangers on Sept. 19.
Blue Jays props vs. Rangers
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Best Bet: Rocker over 4.5 strikeouts (-120)
Rocker’s road to the big leagues was bumpy, but he’s finally arrived, and I want in on the action.
The standout ace at Vanderbilt was originally selected 10th overall by the New York Mets in the 2021 MLB draft but wasn’t offered a contract after medical concerns.
He got surgery on his injured shoulder, re-entered the draft and was selected third by the Rangers.
Rocker underwent Tommy John surgery last season and finally found his footing in the minors this year. He was promoted to Double-A in July and recorded 29 strikeouts in five starts (19.2 IP), clearing this line three times.
In Triple-A he fanned 10 batters in 5.0 innings and eight batters in 5.0 innings before earning a promotion to the majors.
And in his first start with the Rangers last Thursday, he struck out seven Seattle Mariners in 4.0 innings.
Rocker’s swing-and-miss stuff is downright nasty. He has an upper-90s fastball to pair with a wipeout slider that generated 13 whiffs on 21 swings against the Mariners.
Toronto is far from a strikeout-prone team but I’m confident enough in the rookie’s stuff to clear this modest line.
Key stat: Rocker has cleared this line in seven straight starts dating back to the minors, averaging 7.6 Ks in those games.
Quick picks
Langford over 1.5 bases (+114): Unlike Rocker, Langford has been much more of a “no doubt” prospect. He was selected fourth by the Rangers in 2023 and broke camp this year with the big-league club.
The 22-year-old has been on fire lately, especially against right-handed pitchers. He’s slashing .362/.450/.609 against RHP in the last 30 days with a 201 wRC+.
Kevin Gausman is on the bump for the Blue Jays today and he looks nothing like the 2023 version of himself.
The righty has a 4.02 ERA and Baseball Savant’s advanced metrics suggest he’s been lucky. Gausman has an 11th percentile xERA (4.98), a 17th percentile xBA (.266) and a 17th percentile hard-hit rate (42.8%).
Langford has cleared this mark in six of his last eight games.
Picks made at 9:50 a.m. on 09/19/24.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.