3 Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets for Monday 7/28/25

Within a given MLB slate, there are tons of strikeout props to sort through as there are lines posted for most of the day's starting pitchers.

Across today's action, which MLB player props seem to present the best value in FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB betting odds?

We're going to dig into that today, laying out my favorite strikeout props across all the action. You can also do some research of your own by digging into our MLB player prop projections.

Please note lines and MLB projections are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Today's Best MLB K Prop Picks

Cristopher Sanchez Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+118)

Every piece of underlying data says Cristopher Sanchez's elite run is sticky, so who am I to ignore him when he's in a plus spot tonight?

Through 20 starts, Sanchez's strikeout rate is 26.7%, up 6 percentage points from last year. But this year's mark comes with a 13.4% swinging-strike rate, right in line with what you'd expect from a strikeout rate like his. These numbers stabilize quickly, and they all say Sanchez is legit.

Tonight, he'll go up against the Chicago White Sox, whose active roster has a 24.7% strikeout rate and 7.0% walk rate against lefties. Once you mesh that all together, I have Sanchez projected for more than seven strikeouts, so I'll take the plus money on the over.

Framber Valdez Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-122)

The case for Framber Valdez is nearly identical to that of Sanchez, and it's strong enough for me to lay -122 on the over for this one.

For Valdez, the full-season strikeout rate is at 24.9%, and it comes with an 11.1% swinging-strike rate. Those are solid.

More impressively, though, he has upped that strikeout rate to 26.4% in 13 starts where he has thrown his sinker a bit less often. That sinker has just an 11.3% whiff rate, according to Baseball Savant, so any reductions there are welcome for our purposes.

Valdez is going up against the Washington Nationals, who have a 24.2% strikeout rate against lefties and just an 89 wRC+. It's a good enough spot where I have Valdez projected at 7.99 strikeouts, which is why I'm willing to bet this one even at -122.

Luis Castillo Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-118)

Somebody has interest in the over on Luis Castillo as the under here has gone from -125 to -122 to now -118 as the morning has progressed. Thus, it might be in your best interest to hold off and bet this one later in hopes it shortens even more. Let's lay out why I disagree with that movement.

Castillo is on the road against a low-strikeout team. The Athletics' active roster is at 20.1% against righties, nearly 2 percentage points below the league average. Castillo also tends to have pretty drastic home-road splits; his strikeout rate is six percentage points higher at home this year, and that gap for his career is five percentage points.

The most relevant sample on Castillo is the 13 starts since his velocity increased. In those, his strikeout rate is up to 23.6% versus his full-season mark of 21.3%. He has definitely picked things up, and he has gone over 5.5 strikeouts in four straight.

But even using that number as Castillo's baseline, I still have him projected at 5.04 strikeouts tonight. That's why I think the under should be the play despite the market's movement in the other direction.

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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.