The weekend is fast approaching, which means we have a bunch of new series on tap this Friday. With almost the entire league in action, the MLB prop menu is plentiful, but I've done the heavy lifting for you.
Without further ado, let's dive into my top MLB player props for Friday, April 26.
MLB Player Props Friday
In the table below, you'll find each of Doug Ziefel's top MLB player prop picks for Friday. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 7:40 p.m. | |
| 8:05 p.m. | |
| 9:40 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Rays vs. White Sox
Ben Rortvedt
Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+120)
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Ben Rortvedt is in an advantageous spot tonight. The Rays are taking on the Chicago White Sox, who are giving the ball to Chris Flexen.
Flexen enters this outing with a 6.41 ERA and a baseball savant page that's bluer than the ocean. So, it's safe to say that the Rays are expected to score tonight.
Rortvedt, who's projected to be hitting seventh, should come up to bat in an RBI opportunity.
Given the excellent matchup and his solid performance at the dish thus far, he's much more likely to cash in with an RBI hit than these odds portray.
Pick: Ben Rortvedt Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+120)
Reds vs. Rangers
Graham Ashcraft
Over 1.5 Walks Allowed (-125)
Cincinnati Reds starter Graham Ashcraft has been sneaky good this season. His 5.30 ERA is not indicative of his performance. He's due for much better luck in the future, but it may not come tonight against the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers aren't tearing the cover off the ball like last season, but they're still very dangerous with a deep lineup. Ashcraft will be facing plenty of quality lefties, and I expect him to approach them cautiously.
To his credit, Ashcraft has tightened up his command issues a bit thus far, but a 1.3% drop seems steep for a pitcher with his repertoire.
Add in the fact that we've seen him exceed this total in 61% of his 49 career starts, and you begin to see how he may take a step back tonight.
Pick: Graham Ashcraft Over 1.5 Walks Allowed (-125)
Phillies vs. Padres
Aaron Nola
5+ Strikeouts (-150)
Lastly, we head out west, where the Philadelphia Phillies take on the San Diego Padres. We've seen these two clubs battle it out in the playoffs in the past couple of seasons, so they're very familiar with one another.
In particular, the Padres have seen a lot of Aaron Nola, and he's largely gotten the better of them. In eight career starts against the Padres, Nola holds a 3.11 ERA and has recorded at least five strikeouts in every outing.
Now, focusing on this year's lineup and this matchup, the Padres have done a great job of cutting down on strikeouts, as they hold the fourth-lowest team strikeout rate in the majors this season.
However, that's driven Nola's strikeout total far too low. Nola has gone over this total a whopping 81% of the time in his last 78 starts.
That's a long track record of success, and it gives line value to this play.
