Player props have become one of baseball’s most entertaining ways to bet, offering value well beyond the moneyline, run line, or game total. Each day, this column highlights the best opportunities on the board — from strikeouts and hits to total bases and pitcher outs recorded — using matchup data, recent form, and betting trends to identify edges. Keep reading for the top MLB player prop picks for August 3. Also, make sure you check out our live VSiN programming for more. Our hosts and analysts will be all over the MLB, which is why it pays to be a VSiN Pro subscriber.
MORE: Check out the VSiN Pro Picks page for more bets from our talented hosts and analysts!
Monday Player Prop Best Bets
Below you’ll find my official plays on the player prop market for Monday. These are the ones that make the VSiN Pro Picks page and count towards my season-long record. I’ll write three up per day, but I’ll add additional ones in an “Additional Best Bets” section. I go lighter on baseball than I do other sports. My MLB units are 50% of what my normal units are.
James Wood Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-126) vs. Phillies
Nationals at Phillies – 6:40 pm ET
This season, Wood is averaging 2.6 HRR per game when facing right-handed starters. Of course, Wood has gone Under 1.5 HRR in three consecutive games — and six of the last seven. However, this is a strong opportunity for him to get back on track. Citizens Bank Park is a hitter-friendly venue, and Aaron Nola has a 6.70 ERA in home starts this year. Wood is only 3 for 14 against Nola, so we haven’t seen him take advantage of this matchup just yet. However, Wood is a young player and should continue to get more comfortable against everyone.
Brandon Sproat Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+102) vs. Pirates
Pirates at Brewers – 7:40 pm ET
Sproat only had three strikeouts the last time he faced the Pirates, but Pittsburgh has a strikeout rate of 23.5% against righties this season. That has the Pirates at 26th in MLB. Well, Sproat should be good enough to turn things around and make an impact with his swing-and-miss stuff here. In two starts against a similarly K-heavy Reds team, Sproat has averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. With that in mind, we have seen him navigate some of these brutal lineups before. Also, Pittsburgh has been even more strikeout-prone lately. Over the last 20 games, the team’s strikeout rate is up at 26.5% against righties.
Cedric Mullins Over 1.5 Total Bases (-115) vs. Rockies
Rays at Rockies – 8:40 pm ET
Mullins has had at least two total bases in back-to-back meetings with righty starters, and he’s an important lefty bat in this Rays lineup. Well, Mullins will be going up against a hittable Michael Lorenzen, at hitter-friendly Coors Field tonight. There’s a real chance we see him do some damage at the plate. Mullins also happens to be 2 for 5 with a homer against Lorenzen, so he has gotten to him before. I like him to come through in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Additional Picks
Yordan Alvarez Over 1.5 Total Bases (-103) vs. Blue Jays
Corbin Carroll Over 1.5 Total Bases (+125) vs. Padres
Noteworthy OptaAI Player Prop Edges
Check out the BRAND NEW OptaAI Player Props MLB pages for more of these! VSiN Pro subscribers can find 50+ player prop ideas on a daily basis! We’ll list the top edges in some of the biggest markets below, but there will always be a lot more to uncover on the pages themselves.
Jhostynxon Garcia Over 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-115) vs. Brewers
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him going for 1.44 hits, runs, and RBIs, suggesting these odds should be -322 — a +22.8% edge to the Over.
Nathan Church Over 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-131) vs. Yankees
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him finishing with 1.54 hits, runs, and RBIs, suggesting these odds should be -367 — a +21.9% edge to the Over.
David Hamilton Over 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-144) vs. Pirates
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him finishing with 1.55 hits, runs, and RBIs, suggesting these odds should be -372 — a +19.8% edge to the Over.
