Top MLB Prop Bets for June 26: Expert Picks & Insights
Friday is loaded with exciting matchups. Among the most noteworthy are the Padres hosting the Dodgers, the Cubs taking on the Brewers and the Red Sox facing the Yankees. Let's get to the task at hand and highlight three of the top player props to consider.
Mike Barner's season record: 43-33-1 (+2.27 units)
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Best MLB Prop Bets June 26
Pittsburgh Pirates 
vs. Cincinnati Reds 
Betting Picks
- Paul Skenes to record 8+ strikeouts (-154) at DraftKings for 1 Unit
Remember when Skenes gave up five runs and couldn't even get out of the first inning in his season debut against the Mets? Even with that factored in, the star right-hander has a 2.86 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP for the season. He hasn't given up more than two earned runs in any of his last five starts and he is now on pace to post a WHIP below 1.00 for the third straight season.
Skenes' biggest strength is his ability to miss bats. His strikeout rate this year is 30.6%, which is right on par with his career mark of 30.9%. He has posted at least seven strikeouts in 10 of his last 11 starts. In three of those outings, he reached double-digits strikeouts. The Reds have the second-highest strikeout rate (24.8%) in the majors, so even though a lot of juice comes with this wager, it is still appealing.
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Tampa Bay Rays 
vs. Arizona Diamondbacks 
Betting Picks
- Jonathan Aranda over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-142) at DraftKings for 1 Unit
Aranda is on an eight-game hitting streak that has seen him go 13-for-32 (.406) with one home run, six RBI and five runs scored. After recording a .381 wOBA last season, he has a .368 wOBA this year. He also already has 12 home runs over 77 games, which comes on the heels of him launching 14 homers over 106 games last year. Helping his cause to continue to hit for power is his career 11.5% barrel rate.
Aranda has crushed right-handed pitching, posting a .392 wOBA and a .222 ISO against them this season. He will face a struggling one Friday in Zac Gallen, who has a 5.70 xERA and a 1.63 WHIP. His strikeout rate is just 14.3% and left-handed hitters have a .399 wOBA against him. It's difficult to envision Gallen being the pitcher to slow Aranda down.
Baltimore Orioles 
vs. Washington Nationals 
Betting Picks
- Taylor Ward over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-129) at DraftKings for 1 Unit
After hitting 36 home runs last season, Ward has just five homers this year. He has focused more on making contact, lowering his strikeout rate from 26.4% last season to 20.9% this year. That has also helped him bat .257, which is on pace to be his highest average since 2022. His walk rate has shot up to 17.2%. The combination of him hitting for a higher average and drawing more walks has already resulted in him scoring 52 runs. Last season, he set a new career high with 86 runs scored over 157 games.
Ward has performed particularly well against left-handed hitters, hitting .300 with a 155 wRC+ against them this year. The Nationals will start southpaw Andrew Alvarez, who has a 1.39 WHIP across over 32.1 innings. Behind him is a Nationals bullpen that has a bloated 5.05 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. The Orioles could score in bunches in this game, and if that scenario were to unfold, Ward has the potential to be right in the thick of the action.
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MLB Prop Picks Recap
- Paul Skenes to record 8+ strikeouts (-154) at DraftKings for 1 Unit
- Jonathan Aranda over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-142) at DraftKings for 1 Unit
- Taylor Ward over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-129) at DraftKings for 1 Unit
