The New York Yankees claimed Game 1 of the ALCS last night, and they’ll look to build on that lead Tuesday with their ace, Gerrit Cole, on the hill.
The pregame narrative: I’m eyeing a pair of hitter props tonight, with one on each side. Gleyber Torres has value to score a run, while Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor is a reasonable candidate to go hitless.
Check out my Guardians vs. Yankees prop picks for Game 2 of their ALCS matchup on Oct. 15.
Guardians vs. Yankees prop picks
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Best bet: Torres over 0.5 runs (+105)
When a leadoff hitter has a plus-money price to score, it’s going to at least pique my interest.
Guardians starter Tanner Bibee has a 2.52 ERA over his past seven starts, so he’s not an ideal pitcher to have on the opposite end of this prop. But I like what Torres has been up to lately.
Last night, the middle infielder had a hit, a walk and a run. He’s reached base in every game this postseason (.400 OBP) and has cashed his runs prop in four of five matchups.
In his only prior meeting against Bibee, which came in May 2023, Torres doubled and scored.
Key stat: Torres has already reached base 10 times in just five playoff games this month.
Quick pick
Naylor under 0.5 hits (-150): The younger of the two Naylor brothers isn’t in Cleveland’s lineup for his bat.
Bo, unlike Josh, is a defence-first player who hasn’t gotten a handle on big-league pitching yet. But the 24-year-old catcher ranks in the 89th percentile in framing value, per Baseball Savant.
Batting from the left side, Naylor should have a platoon advantage against the right-handed Cole. But Naylor is batting just .202 against RHPs this season.
Naylor is 0-for-13 in the postseason and poses a risk of being pinch-hit for later in the game if the Yankees turn to a lefty.
Picks made at 1:30 p.m. ET 10/15/2024.
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.