3 MLB Strikeout Props to Back on April 21, 2026

The Tuesday slate is loaded with quality arms, and three pitchers in particular offer genuine strikeout upside that the books might be undervaluing. Whether you are new to pitcher props or just looking for a few smart plays to add to your ticket, these are the starts worth circling on April 21.

Getting strikeout props right comes down to three things: recent velocity, matchup, and trajectory. These three pitchers check all the boxes.

Shota Imanaga Has Found Another Gear This April

The Cubs lefty has been one of the most dominant starters in baseball this month, and the line of 6.5 strikeouts at around +116 on FanDuel is the kind of number you want to be attacking. Imanaga has posted 24 strikeouts in his three April starts alone, averaging 8 K’s per outing this month. His most recent start on April 10 against Pittsburgh produced 9 strikeouts over 6 innings on just 100 pitches — an elite performance with plenty of gas left in the tank. His season K/9 of 12.68 is the best mark in the National League right now, and it is not a fluke driven by one game. He has posted 7 or more strikeouts in two of three April outings.

Tonight he faces the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field. Here is the key context: the Phillies rotation has imploded this month, sitting at 8-14 on the season and allowing runs in bunches, which means this game could get away from Philadelphia early and Imanaga might pitch deep into the game with room to pile up Ks. The Cubs are home, and Wrigley under the lights in April is a place where a pitcher in command can go six-plus innings comfortably.

The +116 is the kind of plus-money you love on a near-lock prop. Most books have this at -105 or below, which means shopping to FanDuel gets you over 20 cents of extra value per dollar risked. At 6.5, Imanaga only needs a good-but-not-great night to cash. He has done it three of four starts this year.

Yamamoto Thrives in a Pitcher’s Haven at Oracle Park

Yoshinobu Yamamoto does not always post eye-catching strikeout lines, but tonight’s setup is as good as it gets for a pitch-to-contact style ace. He is making the trip to Oracle Park in San Francisco — one of the most pitcher-friendly venues in all of baseball — and he has been building momentum across his last two starts, posting 7 strikeouts against the Mets and 6 against Toronto. The over 5.5 strikeouts line at -106 on FanDuel represents genuine value for a pitcher of this caliber.

The Dodgers ace carries a 2.10 ERA through 25.2 innings and an 0.82 WHIP through four starts. He has been efficient with his pitch count, going 7.2 innings in his last start on only 95 pitches. That efficiency means he should stay on the mound long enough to keep accumulating strikeout opportunities even if his pure swing-and-miss rate is slightly off its best. Oracle Park’s cool ocean air and spacious outfield keep the ball in the yard, which in turn keeps Yamamoto’s pitch counts down and gives him multiple trips through the lineup.

The San Francisco lineup has had difficulty against high-command right-handed starters this season. Yamamoto’s splitter in particular generates swings and misses at an elite rate against both left and right-handed hitters. A start at Oracle going six-plus innings — which he has done in three of his four outings this year — typically produces six or more strikeouts. The 5.5 line is a gentle ask for a pitcher this sharp.

Chase Burns Has the Stuff to Bounce Back Big Against Tampa Bay

Burns opened his 2026 campaign with a stunning debut against Pittsburgh — 7 strikeouts on a lone hit in 5 innings — and followed it up with 9 strikeouts over 6 innings against the Rangers. Yes, he had a rough outing against the Angels, and his most recent start against the Giants produced only 4 Ks. But even in that Giants game he did not allow a run in 6 full innings. Burns is a 23-year-old who is still building his pitch-count stamina, and when his slider is working, opposing lineups have no answer.

Tonight he faces the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, and this is a favorable setup. The Rays rank among the more strikeout-prone lineups in the American League. Burns carries a 2.42 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 22.1 innings this year, and his sweeping slider generates a 43.7 percent whiff rate — elite for any starter, let alone a 23-year-old in his first full big league season. The 5.5 strikeout line at -110 to -120 depending on your book is reasonable given his raw ability and his history of posting 7-plus-K games when he is right. He had back-to-back dominant starts before the Angels blip, and pitchers of his caliber bounce back.

When Burns has his slider tunneling off his fastball, the strikeout production follows naturally. Tampa Bay’s contact-first approach can frustrate some pitchers, but against a pitcher who generates whiffs at Burns’ rate, discipline at the plate becomes less relevant once you are behind in the count.

Tonight’s Picks — Lock Them In

Three arms, three different reasons to bet them, all pointing toward a productive Tuesday night on the pitcher prop market. The best play is Imanaga at plus-money — that is free value. Yamamoto is the steady option. Burns is the boom-or-bust play with real upside. Here is a clean summary of tonight’s picks:

• Shota Imanaga OVER 6.5 strikeouts (check current lines — FanDuel had +116 at time of writing)
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto OVER 5.5 strikeouts (around -106 on FanDuel)
• Chase Burns OVER 5.5 strikeouts (around -110 to -120 depending on book)

Good luck tonight. The arms are lined up in our favor on this one.