The A's are once again at the bottom of the AL West standings but outfielder Brent Rooker has been a lone bright spot in another dark year. My MLB picks for today are jumping on the fact that books still seem to be sleeping on his elite hitting numbers.
See why I'm also betting on Luis Castillo in an afternoon showdown and backing Cardinals outfielder Brendan Donovan with my MLB player props for Saturday, August 17.
MLB props for August 17
- Castillo Over 5.5 strikeouts (-142 at FanDuel)
- Donovan Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-115 at DraftKings)
- Rooker Over 1.5 total bases (+145 at bet365)
Today’s best MLB props
Prop bet #1: Luis Castillo Over 5.5 strikeouts
Sometimes lines simply look off and that's what it seemed like when Luis Castillo's strikeout total opened at 5.5. Granted that number was immediately hammered by betters and is now juiced to -142 but even at that vig, it's tough to turn down.
Castillo has been a reliable strikeout artist over the last several years, averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings between 2019 to 2023. While he looked shaky at the start of this season and had a bit of a dip in velocity on his four-seamer and slider, he's been throwing harder lately. Since July 1, he's pitched to a 2.27 ERA across seven starts and has fanned nine batters in each of his last two outings.
Today, he faces a weak-hitting Pittsburgh Pirates lineup that's 26th in the majors in strikeout rate while ranking 25th in whiff rate. Bet on another strong outing from Castillo this afternoon.
Prop bet #2: Brendan Donovan Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI
Brendon Donovan is putting together a solid season for the St. Louis Cardinals. He's batting .270 with 54 RBI and 48 runs through 115 games. He's been even better lately, batting .342 over the last two weeks. Today, he takes on the Los Angeles Dodgers who recalled Bobby Miller from the minors to start today.
Miller looked sensational in his season debut against the Cards, allowing just two hits in six innings of shutout ball. However, St. Louis was one of the worst-hitting teams in the majors at the start of the year and has made major strides while Miller is trending in the opposite direction.
Since that clash in March, Miller has pitched to a 10.17 ERA with a .347 OBA across six Big League outings and he's also struggled in the minors where he's posted a 6.75 ERA in 28 innings. The left-handed Donovan will have the platoon advantage against Miller and he'll also benefit from batting at home where his numbers see an uptick.
Prop bet #3: Brent Rooker Over 1.5 total bases
Brent Rooker is slashing .293/.367/.583 and is ninth in the majors in home runs (29) while ranking 11th in RBI (83). He's been on fire since the start of July, slashing .360/.431/.744 with 14 dingers, 36 RBI, and 32 runs in 34 games. The hard-hitting outfielder is coming back from paternity leave today and he'll be looking to pick up where he left off.
Tonight, the Oakland A's are hosting the San Francisco Giants. San Fran is starting 22-year-old Hayden Birdsong, who has a 5.40 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP through eight starts. The rookie does a good job of generating whiffs but he gets hit hard, ranking in the Bottom 12th percentile in barrel rate, exit velocity, and hard-hit rate.
Rooker is in the Top 10th percentile in all of those categories and being able to grab the Over 1.5 total bases at +145 is a gift.
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