MLB Player Props 10/7
The MLB playoffs are heating up with three divisional matchups in the second round. There have already been altercations between players and between players with fans. The playoffs are buzzing right now. We are also heating up after going 3-0 in our plays last week during the Wild Card round. Let’s see if we can ride that wave of momentum into today and tomorrow. Here are the three best props for today’s and tomorrow’s slate of playoff matchups.
Cole Ragans Over 15.5 Outs Recorded (+105)
The Kansas City Royals are down 1-0 to the New York Yankees heading into game 2, but they were so close to pulling off the upset. The game experienced 5 different lead changes, which is a postseason record. The Royals fought hard and showed that this young squad was ready for the bright lights of New York.
Tonight they have their ace on the bump, Cole Ragans. In their Wild Card series against the Baltimore Orioles, Ragans was electric, as he shoved for 6 innings before leaving the game due to cramps in his leg. In those 6 innings, Ragans had 8 strikeouts with no earned runs allowed and only let up 4 hits. He did this on the road in a hostile environment, but that is where Ragans is at his best.
Ragans had a good season, but on the road is where he shined. In his road starts, he had a 2.87 ERA and .198 OBA. Ragans is lights-out in enemy territory. The Royals will need him to be that version of himself tonight in Yankees Stadium. The one benefit Ragans has in this ballpark is that he is a lefty.
Yankees Stadium has an insanely short porch out in right field that lefty batters can abuse. However, Ragans does not offer them that advantage. This season, they were in the bottom half of the league in OPS and AVG against left-handed pitchers at home. Furthermore, Ragans has faced this same Yankees team in New York and was able to get through 6 innings with only allowing 3 hits and 2 earned runs.
The bullpen is fresh after a day off, but Ragans is their ace and will go as far as he wants. If he can pitch how he did in the Wild Card round, then there is no way he can’t get through 5.1 innings.
Sean Manaea 4+ Hits Allowed (-160)
We bet on Sean Manaea to allow 4+ hits last week and that hit, so we are going back to it again. Manaea pitched a solid game in the last round but still managed to allow 6 hits to the Milwaukee Brewers. However, his history in the postseason still matters and he gets to face a team he saw two years ago in the playoffs, which ultimately turned into a disaster.
Manaea was on the San Diego Padres a few seasons ago when they faced the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. He lasted 1.1 and allowed 4 hits and 5 earned runs. Now he gets to face that same team tomorrow night. Luckily this time it will be on a different team and at home. However, his postseason stats are still hard to stomach.
In four postseason appearances, Manaea has a 10.66 ERA and 19 hits allowed. He is facing the Phillies, who he saw three times this season to awful results. In those three starts, Manaea had a 5.40 ERA and 14 hits allowed. This is a nightmare of a matchup for him. Let’s play it safe with the 4+ instead of the over 4.5 just because of him potentially being on a short leash. The Phillies might have found their spark and we will see if they get to Manaea early.
Walker Buehler Over 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (+105)
The Padres-Dodgers matchup is becoming the most heated matchup we have seen in a while. Last night alone, we saw Jack Flaherty and Manny Machado go at it for multiple innings, Jurickson Profar rob a home run and wait until Mookie Betts rounded the bases to show he caught it, and fans throwing things at Padres players. In the midst of all of the chaos, the series is tied 1-1 heading back to San Diego while the Padres’ bats are scorching.
They have put 15 runs in two games, including a 10-run beatdown last night. Those bats can continue the pummeling tomorrow night when they face Walker Buehler. Coming into the season, Buehler was trying to regain his form a few seasons ago before going through two Tommy John surgeries. However, his former self did show up for the Dodgers, as he finished the season 1-6 with an ERA of 5.38 and WHIP of 1.55.
Those stats are putrid, but the road ones are even worse. In seven road starts, Buehler finished with a 6.53 ERA and OBA of .293. The Dodgers have lost a lot of their key starting pitchers for the rest of the season, which means they cannot hide Buehler and need to start him for this pivotal game 3. The Padres are rolling and might take Buehler out from the opening pitch.
Noel is from Philadelphia, PA. He went to West Chester University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications in Media & Culture.
