3 Best MLB Player Prop Bets for Thursday 8/21/25

The beauty of baseball is the wide variety of prop markets at your fingertips, from home runs to strikeouts and much more.

Utilizing our MLB projections as a guide, here are some MLB player props that look appealing via the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note that betting lines and MLB player projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Best MLB Player Props Today

Giancarlo Stanton To Record An RBI (+125)

Giancarlo Stanton was absent from the starting lineup on Wednesday but seems to be doing just fine after smashing a two-run bomb while pinch-hitting to lift the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays in extras.

Tonight, the Yankees (69-57) and Boston Red Sox (68-59) will kick off a four-game series. It's still only August, but it feels like this series will help determine which club is playing come October. I like Stanton's chances to make his mark.

Lucas Giolito will take the bump for Boston. A shover, Giolito is prone to hiccups every now and again and his 5.27 expected ERA in contrast to his 3.63 ERA tells us he could be in for a reckoning in the dog days of the season. It doesn't help that his K rate is down to 13.6% across his last five starts. Since the All-Star break, he's permitted a 41.5% fly-ball rate and 1.8 home runs per nine innings on just a 14.8% K% to right-handed hitters.

Stanton has posted a .310 BA, .362 ISO, .672 SLG, and 48.0% fly-ball rate in same-handed matchups this season. He's logged 40 RBIs through 46 games, notching at least one in 50.0% of games where he was in the starting lineup. I see value in backing these +125 odds.

Gunnar Henderson To Record 2+ Total Bases (-115)

Gunnar Henderson has recorded at least two bases in 12 of his last 24 games and touts a .316 ISO, .579 SLG, and only a 17.0% strikeout rate across the past two weeks.

A matchup against a weak right-hander could lead to another great night at the plate for Henderson.

Jason Alexander will toe the rubber for the opposing Houston Astros. He comes in with a 4.74 ERA, 4.43 xERA, 4.45 xFIP, and 18.4% strikeout rate through 43 2/3 IP in 2025. The northpaw coughs up a .235 ISO and 1.40 home runs per nine innings to left-handed hitters.

Henderson is a menace against righties, showing a .308 batting average, .538 slugging percentage, and just a 19.9% strikeout rate versus this handedness. At home in the split, he rocks a stellar .352 BA, .655 SLG, and 192 wRC+. Notably, he's logged two-plus bases in 9 of his last 12 home games.

Sonny Gray 7+ Strikeouts (+146)

Sonny Gray has posted seven-plus Ks in three straight games, upping his K rate to an elite 26.9% mark.

Can the veteran keep it up against a Rays team that struck out 16 times last night?

On the season, Tampa Bay's active roster shows only a 20.5% strikeout rate against RHPs. But across the last 30 days, they struggle with a massive 25.8% K% (third-highest in MLB), including a 26.0% K% versus right-handers. They also show a meh .288 wOBA (28th) and .353 SLG (28th) in the split.

The Rays are in poor form while Gray rocks a legit 2.97 xFIP -- good for the sixth-best mark among eligible MLB starters.

Gray has logged six-plus Ks in 52.0% of starts and five-plus Ks in 80.0% of starts (including 11 straight outings). But given this matchup, we can consider supporting Gray's alternate strikeout lines.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.