Two pitchers I am targeting today are Jose Soriano and Braxton Ashcraft. Meanwhile, Ildemaro Vargas will look to extend his hitting streak to 20 games in the late slate.
Let's dive into my MLB player prop picks for the MLB games on Wednesday, April 22.
MLB Player Props Today
- Jose Soriano Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-112, DraftKings)
- Braxton Ashcraft Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+102, Caesars)
- Ildemaro Vargas Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In (-116, DraftKings)
Blue Jays vs Angels Player Props
Tarik Skubal has won the last two AL Cy Young Awards, but if he wants a third, he may have to go through Soriano. The Angels right-hander is off to a historic start as he is 5-0 with a 0.28 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 32 and 2/3 innings. He has recorded six strikeouts in four of his first five starts.
The Blue Jays' offense is currently not as productive as it was last season, though they did start slow last year as well. Soriano may dominate again today, but I am skeptical that it comes via strikeouts.
Toronto is 28th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers. Six of the last eight pitchers (five of which were right-handed) it has faced have gone under their strikeout lines.
Some notable strikeout artists among include that group include Soriano's teammate, Reid Detmers, and Brewers' sensation Jacob Misiorowski. Considering the matchup, today may be the right time to sell high on Soriano in terms of strikeouts.
Pick: Jose Soriano Under 5.5 Strikeouts
Pirates vs Rangers Player Props
One pitcher I do like for six strikeouts today is Ashcraft. After fanning 71 in 69 and 2/3 innings in his rookie season, he has 27 strikeouts in 22 and 2/3 innings this season. He has recorded seven or more strikeouts in each of his last three starts.
In addition to his strong performance thus far, the advanced metrics back him up. He has a 1.98 xERA, 30.1% whiff rate, 29.7% strikeout rate, and 34.1% chase rate. He ranks in the 74th percentile or better in categories per StatCast.
Tonight, he faces a Rangers lineup that is 12th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers. Five straight starting pitchers have recorded five strikeouts against the Rangers and three of them have gotten six or more. They present a great matchup for Ashcraft to remain hot and clear this line for the fourth straight game.
Pick: Braxton Ashcraft Over 5.5 Strikeouts
White Sox vs Diamondbacks Player Props
Baseball is a game of variance, but Vargas has been one of the constants of this season thus far. He has recorded a hit in every game this season and dating back to last season, he is now on a 19-game hitting streak. The 34-year-old is hitting .361, which would rank second in the MLB if he had enough at-bats to qualify.
Last night, he hit his third home run of the season. With nine of his 22 hits going for extra bases, he has a 1.004 OPS entering play today. Despite his production, manager Torey Lovullo has not moved him up in the lineup too often. However, that also puts him in position to be driven in by Ketel Marte or Corbin Carroll.
He will face Anthony Kay today, either as a starter or in bulk relief duty. Kay has a 2.60 ERA thus far, but he has a 6.82 xERA and .308 xBA. While he is a regression candidate, I won't focus on him too much, but the pitching has mattered very little to Vargas right now.
If he continues his hitting streak, he will need either a run or RBI to clear this line. He has scored in eight of his last 10 games. As a result, he has also cleared this line in eight of his last 10 games and 12 of 16 for the season. Against the White Sox, I like that trend to continue again.
Pick: Ildemaro Vargas Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, and Runs Batted In
MLB Player Props for Wednesday, April 22
- Jose Soriano Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-112, DraftKings)
- Braxton Ashcraft Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+102, Caesars)
- Ildemaro Vargas Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In (-116, DraftKings)
