We ended Saturday's card one strikeout away from a sweep. While that is bittersweet, we are going to take the momentum into Sunday. I've got three more starters to target as the weekend comes to a close.
So, without further ado, let's dive into our MLB player props for Sunday, August 4.
Doug Ziefel's MLB Player Prop Bets: Sunday, August 4
- River Ryan Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-125, DraftKings)
- Matt Waldron Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-130, DraftKings)
- Paul Skenes Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-150, FanDuel)
Dodgers vs Athletics MLB Player Props
My Prop Bet #1: Bet the Over on River Ryan (4.5 Strikeouts)
This season, a flurry of injuries to the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation has forced them to rely on their organizational depth. For the most part, they have been fine on the pitching end, and one man who answered the bell has been River Ryan.
Ryan is set to make just his third big league start this afternoon, but he's proven that he belongs as he was lights out against the Houston Astros, striking out eight in over five innings of work.
This outing, he gets a much easier matchup in the Oakland Athletics. Despite recent jolts from Lawrence Bulter and Brent Rooker, the A's still hold the second-highest strikeout rate against righties on the season and rank 14th in wRC+ as well.
We should see Ryan's best performance, which will include plenty of punchouts.
Rockies vs Padres MLB Player Props
My Prop Bet #2: Bet the Under on Waldron at 5.5 Strikeouts
The last starter we'll focus on is Matt Waldron. Waldron is a unique starter in today's game as he's a knuckleballer with a full arsenal of pitches on top of it.
Waldron's knuckleball is a tough case to crack for many hitters, as its unpredictable movement and velocity has led to a boatload of soft contact. However, we're focusing on that contact, as the knuckleball will give a team like the Colorado Rockies a chance to cut down on strikeouts.
The Rockies strike out a lot, coming into this matchup with the fourth-highest strikeout rate against righties on the season. They could look much better against Waldron, as he needs to throw strikes to be effective.
If the Rockies can be disciplined and swing at strikes, numbers show they'll put the ball in play against Waldron. Waldron's CSW is in just the 18th percentile, and his chase rate is even lower, sitting in the 12th percentile.
This is the second time the Rockies will see Waldron, so expect them to take a better approach and keep the strikeouts to a minimum.
Diamondbacks vs Pirates MLB Player Props
My Prop Bet #3: Bet the Over (6.5 Strikeouts) on Paul Skenes
It feels good to finally be able to highlight Paul Skenes, who has been the definition of a rookie phenom. Skenes enters this start with a 1.90 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP striking out over a third of the batters he's faced thus far.
This afternoon, he'll be up against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who look great on paper. Arizona boasts the second-lowest strikeout rate against righties over the last month, but it hasn't faced many arms like Skenes over that span.
While Arizona is great at putting the ball in play, it has allowed those like Shota Imanaga, Chris Sale, and Dylan Cease to hit strikeout overs against them. It's clear that Skenes' strikeout prowess is at least on the level, if not above the three men listed.
Skenes has struck out at least seven batters in 11 of his 13 big league starts. The matchup against Arizona is being weighted too heavily here, so take the value and back Skenes to dominate this afternoon.
