Yesterday, we enjoyed a 2-1 day and were one Jeremy Peña total base from a sweep. Today, we look to end the week in profit, starting in Pittsburgh as the Cardinals visit the Pirates. In that one, I'm looking at Jack Suwinski, who is in a favorable spot against Jack Flaherty.
The Phillies have lost seven of their last 10 games and were just swept by the Mets in New York. Today, they head to Washington to face the last-place Nationals. Kyle Schwarber may be in a good spot to do some damage against his former team with Josiah Gray.
Last season, the Mariners earned their first playoff berth in over 20 years. They enter play today 6.5 games out of first place in the AL West behind the Rangers and now head to Texas with ace Luis Castillo on the mound. However, he may have a hard time dealing with Josh Jung.
MLB Player Props For Friday, June 2
Jack Suwinski Over 0.5 Hits (-140)
| Cardinals vs. Pirates | |
| First Pitch | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | DraftKings |
Jack Suwinski is a hitter who can go under the radar a bit — admittedly, even by me, though I'm changing that today.
Last season, the young power threat hit 19 home runs in just 326 at-bats. This season, he already has 11 homers, but he has also increased his batting average by 38 points (to .240) and his OPS. by 150 points (to .859).
Over his last six games, Suwinski has four home runs and six runs batted in while slashing .364/.417/.909.
Tonight, Suwinski faces Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty, who Suwinsky has crushed with a 3-for-4 lifetime mark that includes a home run. This is a matchup where the splits line up. Suwinski has hit all 11 home runs off right-handed pitchers in just 112 at-bats, and his OPS of .971, is 445 points higher than when he faces left-handers.
Meanwhile, Flaherty is allowing left-handers to hit .312 with a .898 OPS, and four of the six home runs he has allowed have been hit by lefties.
Suwinski may leave the yard against Flaherty once again, but I'm taking him to get a hit. His total bases line at DraftKings is 0.5 at -140, which is the same as him getting a hit. For more juice, you can take him for two bases at +145 odds at FanDuel. However, he has gone over 1.5 total bases in just two of his past 10 games. Conversely, he has a hit in six of his last 10.
In the two games he recorded two bases in that stretch, he hit two home runs each. You can take him to hit a home run at +475 at DraftKings.
Pick: Jack Suwinski Over 0.5 Hits
Kyle Schwarber Over 1.5 Total Bases (+115)
| Phillies vs. Nationals | |
| First Pitch | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | DraftKings |
Speaking of players who may hit a home run tonight, Kyle Schwarber is a candidate whenever he steps into the batter's box.
After leading the National League with 46 home runs last season, he's currently tied for sixth in the NL with 13 home runs. Tonight, he returns to Washington D.C., where he spent the first part of the 2021 season.
Schwarber likes to remind his former team of what they're missing.
Last season, Schwarber hit .348 with three doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and a 1.326 OPS in just 69 at-bats against his former team. At Nationals Park, he hit .333 with four home runs and a 1.264 OPS. Keep in mind Schwarber is a three true outcomes hitter who doesn't hit for much average. He hit .218 last season, and he comes in at .160 this season.
Due to his low batting average, Schwarber's hit rate for this prop is not very high. He has covered it in just three of his last 10 games; however he homered in two of them.
Schwarber has gone 4-for-10 with two home runs off of Nationals starter Josiah Gray. The 25-year-old starter has shown a ton of improvement this year, but he has allowed six home runs this season, including one in his last start in Kansas City.
You can take Schwarber to hit a home run at +265 at FanDuel. However, he also has five doubles this season as well, meaning 58% of his hits this season have been for extra bases. An extra-base hit tonight will give him two bases.
Pick: Kyle Schwarber Over 1.5 Total Bases
Josh Jung To Record 2+ Total Bases (+155)
| Mariners vs. Rangers | |
| First Pitch | 8:05 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | FanDuel |
Few hitters are heading into the weekend as hot as Josh Jung.
In the month of May, Jung hit .318, and he has improved his average to .295 with 12 home runs, 37 RBIs and a .872 OPS. However, over the last 15 days, he's hitting .447 with four home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.351 OPS.
Jung ranks in the top 15 in the American League in batting average, home runs, RBIs and OPS. He's also tied for fourth in the AL in total bases, which is what we're going for today.
His climb up the AL leaderboard is helped by the fact that he has cleared this line in eight of his past 10 games. He's averaging 3.6 bases in that span and also had one base in the other two games in which he missed this over.
Jung will put his 14-game hitting streak on the line, and he has a tough assignment against Luis Castillo, who owns a 2.76 ERA. Castillo has held hitters to a .203 opposing batting average, but it jumps to .275 on the road.
Castillo struck out nine Rangers on May 10, and he got Jung twice. However, Jung also singled in his first at-bat. Two singles or one extra-base hit from him today cashes this line for us.
Pick: Josh Jung to Record 2+ Total Bases |
