3 MLB Props for Wednesday, August 23
We’re on a 6-3 run with baseball props after a 1-2 record last Wednesday that was salvaged by another multi-hit performance from Pittsburgh’s Ke’Bryan Hayes.
Wednesday’s schedule this week includes 28 of 30 teams on the diamond and a double-header at Angel Stadium in Anaheim between the hometown Halos and the visiting Cincinnati Reds.
The AL West-leading Texas Rangers have the day off along with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are tied for the final Wild Card spot in the NL after winning four straight.
This week’s best bets begin with the early games and extend through the evening matchups for some wire-to-wire action. Those handicaps are outlined next.
Corbin Burnes O7.5 Strikeouts (-150 @ PointsBet)
We’ve played Burnes’ totals successfully in both directions this season, and today’s matchup is a friendly one for the Brewers’ ace. Burnes was stellar in his most recent outing against the Dodgers, striking out nine across seven innings while scattering two hits, two walks, and not allowing a run to cross the plate.
He and the Brewers face the Twins at home on Wednesday. Minnesota has struck out more than any team in the big leagues in 2023, and Burnes has had success against most of their lineup in previous meetings.
Burnes has previously faced 12 players on this Twins roster. He’s racked up 23 strikeouts in 68 plate appearances and those hitters have a .573 OPS with just five XBH. Take him to post a considerable number of Ks in their afternoon meeting today.
Luis Rengifo O1.5 Total Bases (-159 @ UniBet)
The Angels’ second baseman has cooled off following a torrid month of July, where his OPS was 1.069 in 83 plate appearances. Rengifo is posting just a .630 OPS with four XBH in 73 PA during August, while the team has dropped 14 of 19 games overall.
That said, there are a pair of trends specifically for Rengifo that we’ve honed in on as our reasoning for playing his over today. Rengifo is slugging .528 against left-handed pitching in 2023 and has connected on 12 of his 26 XBH against southpaws in just over a quarter of his plate appearances this season.
The fourth-year player is also seeing the ball much better during day games this year, and he’s played nearly half his games in the sunlight thanks to being on the West Coast. His .761 OPS in that environment is 90 points higher than his number in night games. We’ll take both of those to continue today in the first half of their double-header against the Reds.
Matt Olson U1.5 Total Bases (-140 @ Bet365)
Olson is 3-for-15 with 5 Ks lifetime against Mets’ starter Quintana with .267 SLG. He’s also cooled off in the power department over the last eight games during series against the Yankees, Giants, and Mets, with 0 XBH from 35 plate appearances in that recent stretch.
His gaudy 2023 numbers are slightly less eye-opening against left-handed throwers this season, too. Only nine of his Major League-leading 43 big flies have come against lefties, and his OPS is 160 points lower than the ridiculous 1.049 number against right-handers.
Olson could be a public favorite thanks to his homer-filled summer, and we’ll attempt to go the other way by playing him to be kept within the yard on Wednesday.
Nicholas Berault
Sports Betting Contributor
Nicholas brings over 10 years of sports betting and DFS experience to our team. He’s a player prop specialist who holds a degree from Penn State University. He enjoys a nice round of golf in his downtime and covers the NFL, NBA, baseball, CFB, and CBB. Mr. Berault is currently on a great run with his NFL best bets, so be sure to check those out!
