RADIO
The dog days of August bring some great opportunities when playing Major League Baseball props, in part because at this stage of the season, some of the biggest impact bats are those that started the season in the minors.
Reds outfielder Aristides Aquino is the hottest hitter in baseball right now, not missing a beat since getting called up a couple of weeks ago, and he joins the likes of the Yankees’ Mike Tauchman, Toronto’s Bo Bichette and Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, star sluggers that are making an immediate impact in the big leagues.
Tauchman is different than the others, in that he’s 28-years-old and had a couple of unimpressive stints with Colorado previously, but Aquino, Bichette and Alvarez destroyed minor league pitching before getting moved to the major leagues and they’ve more than lived up to the hype.
In any case, keep these kids in mind when making your MLB prop picks Monday on Monkey Knife Fight.
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BALTIMORE-N.Y. YANKEES
OVER/UNDERS
Mike Tauchman OVER 1.5 TOTAL BASES – The emerging Yankees power hitter has been crushing it at Yankee Stadium, slugging .622, and in the first game of the day-night double-header goes up against Orioles pitcher Gabriel Ynoa, who has allowed eight home runs in 32 1/3 innings on the road this season.
CINCINNATI-WASHINGTON
RAPID FIRE
Aristides Aquino +0.5 runs + RBI vs. Anthony Rendon – Rendon is the proven star, the best hitter in this Reds-Nationals game but Aquino has landed in the majors like a meteor, hitting seven home runs in 10 games. Ride that hot streak on an underdog who has combined for 24 runs plus RBI in those 10 games.
TEXAS-TORONTO
OVER/UNDERS
Bo Bichette OVER 1.5 TOTAL BASES – The newest young star in the Blue Jays lineup has been unstoppable since getting promoted to the big leagues and that includes accumulating at least two bases in 11 of his 14 games with a .717 slugging percentage.
BOSTON-CLEVELAND
OVER/UNDERS
Rafael Devers OVER 1.5 TOTAL BASES – He’s not a first-year player as he’s a grizzled 22-year-old in his second full season but Devers has taken a major leap forward this season and is slugging .557 on the road so, even as the Red Sox fade, their star third baseman can’t be overlooked.
HOUSTON-CHICAGO WHITE SOX
RAPID FIRE
Yordan Alvarez -0.5 total bases vs. Josh Reddick – Alvarez is practically the patron saint for players making a difference after getting promoted to the big leagues and he’s rocking a .412 on-base percentage on the road along with a .438 on-base percentage against right-handed starters. Reddick is not a consistent on-base threat, with a .319 OBP on the road and .303 OBP against right-handed starters.
ARIZONA-COLORADO
RAPID FIRE
Charlie Blackmon -0.5 total bases vs. Nolan Arenado – No impact rookies here, just a head-to-head battle between the Rockies’ two best hitters and as great as Arenado is, it’s hard to compete with Blackmon, who is slugging .835 at Coors Field this season.
PITTSBURGH-L.A. ANGELS
OVER/UNDERS
Mitch Keller OVER 4.5 STRIKEOUTS – There’s little doubt that the 23-year-old Pirates rookie can miss bats. He had 10.7 K/9 at Triple-A before getting called up and he’s whiffed 15 in his first three major league starts. Trouble is, he’s been getting hit hard in the majors, posting a 10.50 ERA and 2.25 WHIP so, going up against an Angels team that makes contact, there is the risk that Keller will get shelled and won’t get to hang around long enough to accumulate his strikeouts but maybe bank on some regression after those first three starts.
TAMPA BAY-SAN DIEGO
OVER/UNDERS
Avisail Garcia UNDER 1.5 TOTAL BASES – Although Garcia is a decent bat, slugging .452 against left-handed starters and a more modest .411 on the road, the decision to go under is based on Padres starter, Joey Lucchesi, who has been excellent in San Diego, with a 2.71 ERA, allowing opponents to slug just .312 in a dozen starts.
