MLB All-Star Game Props for 7-16: Best Bets for Skenes, Marte, & Skubal

Prop bet #1: Skenes shines on big stage

In a somewhat surprising development, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes was named the starting pitcher for the National League at the Midsummer Classic despite not debuting until May 11. Obviously, he's been good enough and he's been hyped enough, but that is quite the meteoric rise!

No pitcher goes deep into All-Star Game starts, however, if anyone has ever typically gone longer than an inning, it's the starter. This has been less a truism in recent years and you can't bank on it, but it also wouldn't be surprising to see baseball milk Skenes' star power for all it's worth. If he comes out for a second inning, he's a virtual lock to punch at least two batters out.

But even if he's limited to a single frame — possibly at the Pirates' behest — I still like him to pick up a pair of strikeouts. The right-hander has averaged more than a strikeout per inning in 10 of his 11 starts this season, and he's faced some daunting lineups, including the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's faced only one American League team — the Tampa Bay Rays — and so he'll be pitching against these hitters for the first time. This can often favor the pitcher as hitters haven't had a chance to calibrate. 

Three strikeouts is available at +500, but with the possibility or even likelihood that he gets limited to one inning — both to preserve his arm and to get as many players into the game as possible — banking on him to strike out the side is a tall order.

Paul Skenes prop: 2+ strikeouts (+135 at DraftKings)

Prop bet #2: Marte matters

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte will lead off for the National League. While pitchers are often held to one inning at the All-Star Game, hitters tend to get a bit more leash. Most starters in 2023's Midsummer Classic got two plate appearances.

Marte is batting .292 this season, which ranks ninth in the National League. And while several teammates in the starting nine have better batting averages, I like Marte for a few reasons.

As a leadoff batter, he stands the best chance at getting a third AB. Even if that isn't in the cards, Marte is a switch-hitter, so he'll maintain the handedness advantage against whoever replaces AL starter Corbin Burnes.

And for as good as Burnes has been — he's starting the All-Star Game for a reason — he's missing bats at the lowest frequency of his career, which is translating to his hits per nine innings rising to its highest rate outside a 49-inning sample in 2019. For this wager to cash, Marte only needs a single.

You can also grab Marte to record the first hit of the game at +300, which is in play as he'll be the first to step into the box.

Ketel Marte prop: 1+ hits (+130 at DraftKings)

Prop bet #3: Skubal snacks

Let's make a props sandwich with strikeout props serving as the bread. Tarik Skubal should be the AL starter. No shade to Burnes, but Skubal has been the best pitcher on the Junior Circuit this season. His 30.8% strikeout rate is second among starters behind only Garrett Crochet (35.2%) — as an aside, I like Crochet here at +140 as well.

Neither righties nor lefties have hit Skubal with great consistency, both boasting batting averages below .200 against him this season, and his strikeout rate doesn't differ much in handedness scenarios. Simply put, Skubal strikes guys out with ease. 

And like with Skenes, perhaps even moreso, Skubal will be at the mercy of a one-inning limit as he enters the game in relief. But he's more than capable of mowing a couple of batters down in a short time, even when they're among the elites.

Tarik Skubal prop: 2+ strikeouts (+180 at DraftKings)