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 May 8. 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!
Friday Player Prop Best Bets
Below you’ll find my official plays on the player prop market for Friday. 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. That’s also where you’ll find any late adds to my card. I go way lighter on these than I do NBA/NFL/CBB/CFB/Tennis. I also take a volume approach, as I’m working with a system I have found to be successful when it comes to shopping prices. My MLB units are 40% of what my normal units are.
Foster Griffin Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+109) vs. Marlins
Nationals at Marlins – 7:10 pm ET
Griffin has had four starts this season in which he has reached the five-K mark, so going Over tonight’s total isn’t foreign to him. The southpaw should also feel pretty good about tonight’s matchup, as the Marlins have a 22.0% strikeout rate and 29.9% chase percentage against lefties this year. The top of Miami’s lineup is especially eager to jump at pitches, so there’s a good chance Griffin does well against the best hitters the Marlins have to offer. That’s always a good thing, as any talented pitcher should find some success against the bottom of the order.
Cody Bellinger Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+113) vs. Brewers
Yankees at Brewers – 7:40 pm ET
The Brewers are sending Jacob Misiorowski to the mound tonight, so the Yankees will be working against Milwaukee’s ace this evening. However, it is a right-handed ace, making Bellinger an appealing option again. Over the last 20 games, Bellinger has gone Over 1.5 HRR on 13 occasions. He’s also averaging 2.6 HRR per game in that span. Well, Bellinger strongly prefers seeing right-handed pitching, so it’s hard not to like the idea of grabbing a red-hot hitter in his preferred split. Of course, American Family Field isn’t the easiest place to hit, but not everything will be perfect when you’re taking something at plus-money odds. This just feels like it’s worth a shot.
Corbin Carroll Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+110) vs. Mets
Mets at Diamondbacks – 9:40 pm ET
This season, Carroll is averaging 2.2 HRR per game. He’s also averaging 2.5 HRR per game when playing at home, and he really hasn’t even gotten going against right-handed pitching yet. That should change at some point in the near future, with the lefty slugger preferring that split. Of course, Nolan McLean will be on the bump for the Mets. The righty looks the part of a future ace, if he’s not there already. This season, he’s just 1-2 on the year but his ERA is 2.97 and he has 51 strikeouts in 39.1 innings of work. His stuff is absolutely filthy. But this is one of the most hitter-friendly ball parks on the planet, and McLean’s pitcher props look a little odd tonight. Something tells me we could see a poor outing from the righty — at least by his standards. Well, if he does play poorly, it’s likely Carroll will do some damage.
Additional Best Bets
Mike Burrows Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-131) vs. Reds
Kyle Schwarber Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+100) vs. Rockies
Jacob Lopez Over 14.5 Outs Recorded (-160) vs. Orioles
Ben Williamson Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+119) vs. Red Sox
Keider Montero Over 3.5 Strikeouts (+100 – 1.5 units) & Alt Strikeouts 5+ (+233 – 0.5 units) & Alt Strikeouts 6+ (+614 – 0.25 units) vs. Royals
Emerson Hancock Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-157) vs. White Sox
Kumar Rocker Over 3.5 Strikeouts (-116 – 1.5 units) & Alt Strikeouts 5+ (+213 – 0.5 units) & Alt Strikeouts 6+ (+525 – 0.25 units) vs. Cubs
Matt Olson Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+100) vs. Dodgers
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.
Austin Wells Over 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-125) vs. Brewers
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him going for 1.50 hits, runs, and RBIs, suggesting these odds should be -349 — a +22.2% edge to the Over.
Munetaka Murakami Over 1.5 Total Bases (+143) vs. Mariners
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him finishing with 2.11 total bases, suggesting these odds should be -165 — a +21.2% edge to the Over.
Jarred Kelenic Over 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-149) vs. Mariners
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him finishing with 1.63 hits, runs, and RBIs, suggesting these odds should be -410 — a +20.6% edge to the Over.
