There are just six games on the MLB slate today with the Tigers-Mets playing a doubleheader to begin the day. However, we will begin in the nation's capital, where the Pirates and Nationals will be playing the rubber match of their three-game series. Josiah Gray will get the ball in the series finale for Washington.
The Royals will return home to take on the White Sox. They may be feeling like they let a couple get away as the Orioles walked off in both of their wins in the series. But Maikel Garcia had a big series and will look to stay hot as the Royals return home.
Read below for my top two MLB player props for Thursday, April 4.
MLB Player Props For Thursday, April 4
This season got off to a rough start for Josiah Gray as he allowed seven runs on eight hits in four innings of work. However, there are a couple of positives to come out of that start.
The first is that Gray threw 80 pitches, which he should at least reach that mark or extend further with a better performance today. Second, and more importantly, Gray still managed to strike out six Reds.
Pitching in Great American Ballpark is never easy, particularly with the talented young core that the Reds have assembled.
The Pirates are putting together their own and are off to a 5-1 start this season. However, last season, they were 10th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers, which has extended into this season.
One young player who represents that dynamic is budding star shortstop Oneil Cruz. He missed most of last season with a broken ankle and he has already homered once in six games thus far this season. However, he has also struck out in 11 of 23 ABs this season.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging 11.7 strikeouts per game so far this season. Three of the six starters that the Pirates have faced this season have had six strikeouts and two others had five.
Gray also had six strikeouts in both starts against the Pirates last season, including 10 in the latter start. He is not available for 10 strikeouts today, but he did average eight in his two starts against the Pirates last season.
You can back him to record eight at +330 on FanDuel today.
Pick: Josiah Gray Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-118)
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On a team with Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr., you may be surprised to see that Maikel Garcia is the Royals current leader with three home runs. It is even more surprising considering the 24-year old had just four home runs in 486 career ABs entering this season.
Garcia is +800 on DraftKings to homer again tonight, so if his power surge continues, he will cash a very nice ticket with just one swing.
However, even when Garcia is not leaving the yard, he has still been swinging the bat with authority this season. Garcia has seven hits in six games this season.
Of those hits, six have gone for extra bases with the aforementioned home runs, two doubles, and a triple. As a result, Garcia has hit this line in five of his first six games this season. Yet, we are still getting +110 odds tonight.
Garcia has not yet faced tonight's starter in his career, Mike Soroka. However, Soroka allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings in his first start, which came off a year in which he had a 6.40 ERA.
Should Soroka keep Garcia in check, he may get a couple of chances against the White Sox bullpen if he is batting leadoff once again. Garcia has had five plate appearances in each of his past two games and batting in front of Witt Jr. may offer a bit of protection.
Garcia has had two hits (+190 on FanDuel) in each of those games. If he does not get an extra base tonight, he can also get two bases with a pair of singles.
Pick: Maikel Garcia Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110)
