If you tuned into my first four ‘Total Base of the Day’ segments, White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami, Blue Jays slugger Vladdy Guerrero Jr, Braves 2B Ozzie Albies, and Brewers OF Jackson Chourio all cashed their total base marks with flying colors.
I will continue to provide my favorite Total Base pick for a daily baseball slate, followed by a second pick that I will use as a value selection.
Below, I will break down two hitters who I feel have favorable matchups to exceed their respective Total Base metrics ahead of Friday night’s slate of games.
MLB Props Friday: Minion's Favorite Total Base Props
Elly De La Cruz
vs Astros, 6:10 PM ET
For my first ‘Total Base of the Day’ selection for Friday night’s baseball slate, I will be targeting Reds SS Elly De La Cruz as Cincinnati hosts Houston in the first of a three-game set.
Astros right-hander Mike Burrows will take the mound and will be looking to turn around what has been an awful start to his 2026 campaign.
Over his first seven outings in 2026, Burrows has recorded a troublesome 5.97 ERA to go along with a dreadful 1.65 WHIP.
The Astros 30-year-old has allowed a whopping 25 earned runs (ER) and eight homers across nearly 38 frames thus far. Houston’s righty has also surrendered 49 hits to opposing hitters in 2026.
Unfortunately for Burrows, he will face a Reds lineup that has been very impressive throughout the first six weeks of the season.
Amongst the hitters the Astros RHP is set to face is De La Cruz, who is off to a scorching start to his fourth season in the Big Leagues.
The 24-year-old ranks inside the top 10 in MLB in both homers and RBIs, with 10 and 28, respectively.
In addition to the fact that Burrows and De La Cruz are trending in completely opposite directions to start the year, Elly has two prior plate appearances (PA) versus the Astros SP, recording a hit and an RBI as well.
The Reds superstar is a switch-hitter who will surely bat on the left side of the plate versus Burrows, who has struggled mightily to retire lefties in 2026.
De La Cruz boasts an elite heavy-contact batter profile and exceptional exit velocity, allowing him to generate impressive power throughout his swing.
For a SP amongst the worst in the majors to start the 2026 season, Burrows will be at an extreme disadvantage matched up with a player of Elly’s caliber.
Burrows has struggled with his command this season and has been very susceptible to high exit velocity when leaving his four-seam fastball in the zone.
Given Elly’s power and speed at the plate, I think he is a great fit to exceed his total base mark on Friday night, especially considering how vulnerable Burrows has been to extra-base hits thus far in 2026.
Pick: Elly De La Cruz Over 1.5 Total Bases (-105, FanDuel)
Drake Baldwin
at Dodgers, 10:10 PM ET
For my second ‘Total Base of the Day’ selection ahead of Friday night’s slate of games, I will be looking to target Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, who is off to a phenomenal start this year.
Over the first six weeks of the season, he has been unbelievably efficient at the plate, posting a stellar .303 AVG and ranking in the top 25 in baseball with an OPS of .889.
Baldwin has smashed nine homers and currently ranks fifth in the entire MLB with an exceptional 30 RBIs. On Friday, the left-handed hitter will get an ideal matchup versus Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan, who has been far from impressive in 2026.
The Dodgers right-hander has posted a dreadful 5.23 ERA across his first six starts of the season, and he has also allowed 18 ER across 31 frames in 2026.
For a SP who relies heavily on the effectiveness of his four-seam fastball, Sheehan matches up very poorly with lefties who boast impressive power at the plate, especially matched up with that pitch.
While Sheehan’s four-seam and off-speed arsenal have been somewhat effective versus right-handed batters, the Dodgers righty has gotten smoked by lefties with a strong, hard-hit rate and high barrel-percentage.
If Sheehan leaves a high-velocity four-seam fastball in the zone, Baldwin has the exact type of batting profile to make him pay for missing his spots.
I expect Sheehan to continue struggling on the mound, and I feel great about backing Baldwin to exceed his 1.5 total bases mark on Friday night.
Pick: Drake Baldwin Over 1.5 Total Bases (-100, FanDuel)
