What is an MLB Player Prop?

A Major League Baseball player prop refers to a specific sort of sports wager that focuses on the individual performance of a player, instead of the result of a game or a bet on a team outcome. Most of these MLB player props are OVER/UNDER style bets that focus on a specific statistic (O/U hits, for example). We’ll break down the common MLB player prop varieties below. Many bettors find player props are a fun way to add some excitement and more individualized betting to their MLB watching and wagering experience. Even if your baseball team stinks, you can focus on specific players and performances within the game to add some fun and make some cash.

How to bet MLB Player Props?

Betting on an MLB player prop is pretty simple. Some sites offer their prop markets on the front page, but most MLB betting sites force you to navigate to the specific baseball game betting pages and select your props from subsections under the general game odds. Here’s a quick breakdown of how you can place an MLB player prop today:

Player Props for MLB

With baseball being such an analytical and statistics-based sports, it has some of the most diverse player prop selections. Here are some of the most popular MLB player props you can wager on:

Hits

A hits player prop focuses on the number of hits a particular player will record in a game. All you have to do, as a bettor, is decide if the player will record more or fewer hits than a predetermined benchmark set by the sportsbook. For example, if the hits prop is set at O/U 2.5 hits, you can choose to wager on whether that player will have three or more (the OVER) or two or fewer (the UNDER) base hits.

Total

Bases Total base props function almost identical to hit props, where you’ll be betting on if a player will get more or fewer than a pre-set number of bases. A total base is calculated by adding up the number of bases recorded by a hit. A single is worth one base, a double: two, a triple: three, and a home run: four. If you’re betting the OVER on 2.5 total bases, the player can smash that over by hitting a triple or homer, or by getting a single and a double.

RBI

RBI MLB player props require you to bet if a player will drive in a set number of runs. Like hits and total base bets, the line could be OVER/UNDER 0.5, 1.5, or even higher. Players can drive in anyone from the bases to record an RBI or you can hit a home run to earn yourself a single RBI.

Home Runs

Home run props are pretty self-explanatory, as you’re betting on if a player will hit a homer that day. Some betting sites allow you to bet OVER/UNDER 0.5 homers while others only allow you to bet the YES markets on if there will be a homer. As home runs are rarer than hits, total bases, and RBI, you can often find players with much longer odds to hit a homer. If a player’s OVER 1.5 total bases is set at +150, their HR prop might be +700, instead.

Stolen Bases

MLB stolen base player props allow you to bet the OVER/UNDER markets on if a player will record a stolen base. Most SB props are set at O/U 0.5, but for some of the better base stealers the lines can slide up to 1.0 or 1.5. The key for stolen base props is that the player much first reach base in order to even be eligible to swipe a bag. It makes sense to bet on fast players to steal a base, but you also have to consider the likelihood the player will get a hit or walk as well.

Strikeouts

On to the pitcher props, where the OVER/UNDER strikeouts is the most common MLB player prop for hurlers. The O/U lines commonly vary anywhere from 4.5 strikeouts up to 8.5 or even 9.5 strikeouts in a game for some of the league’s top pitchers. To accurately handicap strikeout player props, you have to consider the strengths of the pitcher (looking at recent performance and strikeout rates) as well as the weaknesses of the opposing lineups. When you find a pitcher/lineup matchup you think skews in favor of the pitcher, that’s the perfect time to take a strikeout OVER.

Batters

Faced Another way to bet on starting pitching is to predict how deep into the game they’ll pitch. These lines ask you to bet if a starter will face OVER or UNDER a certain amount of opposing batters. For example, will Justin Verlander face O/U 15.5 batter today? If you’re unsure if a pitcher will record a bunch of strikeouts, but you still think he’ll have a successful game, taking the batters faced OVER is a good way to back your SP.

Win/Loss

While a win/loss bet may seem similar to your standard MLB moneyline wager, it’s a bit different. This MLB player prop market is on if the starting pitcher will record the win or loss, which requires the pitcher to be the pitcher of record. To record a win, you usually need to work at least five innings, but you can record a loss if you leave the game at any time. If you think a team is going to jump out to an early lead, betting on the SP to win can often bring a bit more juice than your standard moneyline wager.