Three sluggers have my attention in the late-night MLB slate on Saturday.
Today’s MLB props narrative: Taylor Ward has been hot at the dish during the longest winning streak of the Los Angeles Angels’ season. Tonight, he has the edge once again, facing a struggling starter on the mound.
Check out the best MLB prop bets for May 24, featuring predictions on Teoscar Hernandez and Riley Greene.
MLB prop bets
Best bet: Ward over 0.5 runs (+100)
Ward doesn’t hit for average, but he’s been one of the best power bats this season.
- He ranks 13th in total bases (101), 29th in runs (30), and he’s tied for 5th with 15 home runs.
- He’s scored 11 runs in his last seven games and is 7-0 against this wager.
That success is owed to the Angels’ current eight-game winning streak. They’ve scored 7.63 runs per game over that time, which is the second most in the majors.
On Saturday, Cal Quantrill starts for the Miami Marlins, and the righty has been horrible to start 2025.
He has a 6.37 ERA and 1.54 WHIP across nine starts. His advanced analytics don’t do him any favours, either.
According to Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 10th percentile or worse for xERA (5.66), xBA (.304) and pitching run value (-7).
The Angels should have a field day, and Ward hits third in the order. He’s red hot at the dish with a soft matchup to take advantage of.
Key stat: Ward is 5-for-9 (.556) in his career off Quantrill.
Best MLB picks
Hernandez over 0.5 RBI (+143): Hernandez ranks sixth in MLB with 41 RBI thanks to hitting fifth in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.
He has been very productive despite missing 14 games with injury.
David Peterson is having a good season for the New York Mets (2.86 ERA), but his xERA (3.99) ranks in the 44th percentile.
On top of that, the Dodgers, especially those hitting in front of Hernandez, have a good history against Peterson.
Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith have a combined career batting average of .447 off Peterson in 47 at-bats.
Hernandez has notched an RBI in 12 of his last 16 games, totalling 24 runs driven in during that time.
Greene over 0.5 RBI (+148): Let’s end with another plus-money pick on a big hitter.
Greene is having a career year, batting .280 with 12 homers and 34 RBI in the first third of the season.
When facing right-handed pitching, that average jumps to .328 in a 134-at-bat sample.
That brings me to Cleveland Guardians starter, Luis Ortiz. The righty is a big strikeout arm, but his 4.66 ERA and 1.39 WHIP are less than impressive.
He has also struggled mightily against this current Tigers lineup. As a whole, they are 12-for-27 (.444 BA), and Greene is 3-for-4.
There’s an argument to be made that taking the over on his total bases (+120) is the better call, but I expect a lot of action on the base paths, and Greene has the matchup to cash runners out of the heart of the Tigers’ order.
MLB prop picks made at 9:35 a.m. ET on 05/24/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.