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Today's best MLB strikeout prop bets and pitcher K props for Friday, April 17. Thunder Dan Palyo's expert MLB player prop picks, betting odds, and advanced stat analysis to help you win.
There are not too many aces on the mound today, with the one high-profile matchup coming when Logan Gilbert and Jacob deGrom square off out in Seattle. That certainly doesn't mean that we won't still attack the strikeout prop market aggressively today, though, as we have a full slate of MLB action tonight with all 30 teams playing.
I'll offer up a few of my top picks here today, but you'll need to grab a premium pass to see all five of my favorite K prop wagers. Our top MLB writers are posting their favorite props in Discord daily, so gain additional access to those picks as well with a premium RotoBaller membership.
In this article, I'll provide my favorite prop bets for MLB games on Friday, April 17, 2026. Odds will change during the day, so lock in those bets as early as possible and always shop for the best number across multiple sportsbooks or prediction markets! If you love betting on baseball, check out our premium betting tools here at RotoBaller and sign up to access all our daily premium content!
Elite K Upside: High-Confidence Strikeout Picks
Cam Schlittler OVER 5.5 strikeouts (-135 DraftKings)
Schlittler looks like a legitimate Cy Young candidate, that's not hyperbole. He's the top strikeout pitcher on the board today, with a higher K% and SwStr% than Jacob deGrom, who's also off to a great start.
The underlying numbers for Schlittler all look incredible, as his SIERA is just 1.64, he's getting 49% ground balls, walking just 1.2% of hitters, and allowing only a 4% barrel rate. He's both missing bats and limiting loud contact at an elite rate so far.
Cam Schlittler's 6th and 7th Ks thru 4. pic.twitter.com/IuXWSWuced
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 12, 2026
Schlittler's 40% O-Swing% and 77.2% Z-Contact% both lead the slate, showing that he's getting hitters to chase and blowing it by them in the zone, too. The Royals are the next victim today. They're striking out around 22% of the time against RHP, and sporting a wRC+ of just 70 this year. KC isn't a bad offense, but they're also not a team we have to avoid this year so far, and Schlittler has looked so good, he just might be matchup-proof.
He's whiffed at least seven in every start, so don't hesitate to sprinkle a bit on him over 6.5 at plus money, too, in an effort to capture his ceiling.
Casey Mize OVER 4.5 strikeouts (-128 Novig)
Mize gets a top matchup today, taking on the Boston Red Sox and their 25% K% to RHP this season, which is the seventh-highest of any team so far this season. Mize is off to a strong start with a 25.4% strikeout rate, backed by an 11.7% SwStr. As a guy who features the splitter, he actually has reverse strikeout splits, as he's been very tough on lefties to start the year (28% K%).
Casey Mize, Wicked Splitters. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/Rj4ehyXISy
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 1, 2026
Mize has 5+ strikeouts in two out of his first three starts, including an impressive 9k outing against Arizona in his first start of the season. When the splitter is working, he's really tough to hit. Boston has seven of their nine projected hitters with strikeout rates of 25% or higher against RHP this season; there are a lot of potential strikeouts in that lineup.
I love the low number here; we simply aren't going to get 4.5 for above-average pitchers here much longer. If Mize dominates today, we certainly won't see him open at this number in his next outing.
