MLB Player Props Thursday: Bets for Christian Yelich & Jack Flaherty (May 30)
Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images. Pictured: Jack Flaherty (Tigers)
Today, the Cubs and Brewers will conclude their four-game series while the Tigers will head to Boston for the first of four.
Two players I will be backing in those games are Christian Yelich and Jack Flaherty.
So, without further ado, let's dive into our MLB player props for Thursday.
MLB Player Props: Thursday, May 30
- Christian Yelich Over 1.5 Total Bases (+125, DraftKings)
- Jack Flaherty Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-140, FanDuel)
The Brewers have taken two of the first three games from the rival Cubs and can secure a series victory with a win today.
They've done so despite Yelich going hitless in the first two games of the series.
However, yesterday, Yelich broke out of his mini-slump by going 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in. A mini-slump (0-for-7) is all it was, as Yelich still maintains a .306 batting average and a .937 OPS.
Yelich has a hit in four of his last six games and he's recorded two total bases in three of them.
He may get his recent hit rate over 50% with his matchup today. Yelich is 10-for-23 (.435) with a double, a home run and three runs batted in (along with a 1.197 OPS) against Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon in his career.
Taillon has gotten off to a strong start this season with a 2.58 ERA through his first seven starts. However, he has a 3.66 xERA, which suggests he's benefitted from a bit good fortune.
He also has a 1.28 WHIP, mostly because of the success that left-handed hitters have had against him. Lefties are hitting .278 (compared to .228 for right-handed hitters) with three doubles, four home runs and a .836 OPS.
That set ups well for Yelich, who's already enjoyed a lot of success against Taillon.
He's also hitting .326 at home this season. With another multi-hit game, Yelich would record two total bases.
Pick: Christian Yelich Over 1.5 Total Bases (+125)
The Tigers inked Flaherty to a one-year, $14 million deal in December and it's quietly been one of the best signings of the offseason.
Flaherty has a 3.84 ERA this season, but he's been a bit unlucky, as he has a 2.77 xERA. He's been elite at missing bats, ranking in the 97th percentile in whiff rate and 95th percentile in strikeout percentage.
That's led to 81 strikeouts in just 61 innings of work. Flaherty has fanned seven batters in seven of his first 10 starts this season.
He's also had six in two of the starts that he went under this line.
Tonight, Flaherty will face a Red Sox lineup that's seventh in strikeout percentage against right-handed pitchers. The past two Tuesdays, Rays starter Taj Bradley and Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez each had 10 strikeouts against Boston.
Flaherty has punched out nine in each of his last two starts and has reached 10 twice this season, including a season-high of 14 against the Cardinals.
Half of that total will clear this line today, but you can also back him for nine at +255 and 10 strikeouts at +450 on FanDuel.
Flaherty will improve his chances of getting there by pitching six innings. He's averaging 6.1 innings per start, aided by the fact that he's walked just nine batters and has an impressive 9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
If he keeps his walks in check again, he'll limit his pitch count, enabling him to work deep into this game and reach seven strikeouts or more.
Pick: Jack Flaherty Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-140)
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