Thursday's slate gives us the gift of daytime baseball, and we're going to get in on the action early with two starters on the slate.
So, without further ado, let's dive into our MLB player props for Thursday, June 6.
MLB Player Props Thursday
- JP Sears Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-140, DraftKings)
- Walker Buehler Over 16.5 Outs (-122, BetRivers)
While his ERA of 4.01 might not show it, JP Sears has been the ace for the Athletics this season. Sears has pitched well against the likes of the Rangers, Yankees, Astros and Braves.
He's up there when it comes to strength of schedule.
Fortunately, Sears will get a break this afternoon as he takes the mound against the Mariners. The Mariners have been inconsistent offensively, and their main issue is striking out.
They enter this matchup with the third-highest team strikeout rate in baseball against lefties. Given all the tough lineups Sears has faced, his 42% hit rate weighs more, as this matchup is a big boost in the strikeout department.
Look for Sears to flourish in this outing and rack up the strikeouts.
Pick: JP Sears Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-140)
Walker Buehler may have a 1-3 record through his first five starts of the season, but that's not due to any poor performances. Buehler has been sharp since returning from injury, posting a quality start in each of his last three outings.
Seeing his pitch count rise and his efficiency remain is a great sign for him moving forward.
There's a good chance that he'll dominate today against a Pirates lineup that should've saved some runs from yesterday.
The Pirates are 28th in wRC+ against righties on the season and hold the fifth-highest team strikeout rate in baseball.
If Buehler can avoid the free passes, we should see him notch his fourth straight quality start this evening.
