
First things first: Happy Memorial Day as we honor the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives for this country. It's a day to remember ballplayers Elmer Gedeon and Harry O'Neill, who died in uniform in World War II, and Eddie Grant of the Giants, who was killed in World War I.
Today, 24 MLB teams are in action in 12 games across the country, from the northeast in Queens, to the southwest corner of the United States in San Diego. Seven games will be played in the sunshine on this holiday Monday.
We have five MLB player prop picks for Memorial Day, May 26 games. In the most recent week, our MLB picks have generated +240 units. We'll take that sort of success, and like any good sports bettor we know when to back off the gas pedal: which means we'll reduce our per-unit play this week. Take note of our betting picks for each of the MLB games we highlight for Monday.
Our odds today are from DraftKings Sportsbook, where you'll find markets for MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA, PGA gold, and much more. Don't forget to check all of the sports betting apps you have accounts with, to chop for the best odds.
In his last six games over five days, Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson has eight hits. He's raised his average to .308, and is on pace for 40+ stolen bases and 20+ home runs. Those numbers should only get better, as Henderson continues to mature at the MLB level.
Henderson already has carved a place for himself among the greatest Orioles. Only one other middle infielder in franchise history has as many as two 6+ WAR seasons: Cal Ripken Jr. We all know how that guy turned out. But even Ripken never increased his OPS and total bases in three straight seasons before the age of 26. Henderson seems destined to wedge himself into the Most Valuable Player discussion in the American League for many years.
On Monday, bet $50 on Henderson to have 2+ hits. If you win that player prop wager from DraftKings, you will earn $102.50 plus your stake.
The noteworthy news surrounding the Dodgers is the pitching of Shohei Ohtani. Not his slugging, though that has been extraordinary. Just days ago, Ohtani pitched against live batters for the Dodgers as he progresses to returning as a hurler. His next pitch in a game wearing the Dodger uniform will be his first. When the team signed him for more than $700 million before the 2024 season, they had an injured pitcher. But PFFFTT, who cares? The team went on to win the World Series as Ohtani won the NL MVP Award.
But before Ohtani wears cleats with a toe plate, manager Dave Roberst will only have to write his name into the lineup as a designated hitter. On Monday evening, the Dodgers are in Cleveland facing the Guardians in the first game of an interleague series. It's not Ohtani I am concerned with for tonight's game: it's a pair of capable Cleveland batters,
Guardians' third baseman José Ramírez has 17-game hitting streak. He's batting .379 in that streak, the longest of his stellar career. His teammate Steven Kwan is 7-for-15 with three doubles. He' hitting .322 and remains one of the most difficult batters to strike out in baseball.
If either José Ramírez or Steven Kwan have a multi-hit game on Monday against the Dodgers (with starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto), your $50 bet will win $55, plus your original stake. That player prop bet is from DraftyKings.
With this player prop bet, you only need Carroll and Marte to combine for 3+ hits. This is opposed to the EITHER player prop bet in our previous game pick above.
Carroll has three hits in his previous seven games. His history shows that he is a consistent offensive performer, with an established plus-level of performance for extra-base hits.
Marte is a two-time All-Star, and last season he finished third in NL Most Valuable Player Award voting. He has a seven-game hitting streak (9-for-29) with three home runs.
Win $60 on a $50 wager if Marte and Carroll combine for 3 or more hits in Monday's game.
If you think Gunnar Henderson has a bright future, check out Bobby Witt Jr.: the Royals' infielder is a fantastic five-tool player, and already an All-Star. Last season he was second in the AL in MVP voting. That's because he led the league in batting and hits, and won a Gold Glove Award at shortstop.
Speaking of shortstop: Witt Jr. is arguably already the greatest shortstop in the history of the Kansas City Royals. Even though he's only played 523 MLB games. The son of a former big league pitcher is arguably the fastest player in the AL, has the best throwing arm of any infielder in the league, and has skill at the plate that remind many observers of Hall of Famer Robin Yount.
Witt has a six-game hitting streak, where he also has three steals and three extra-base hits. He hits second in the lineup, which give shim plenty of chances to get on base, score and drive in runs.
If Witt Jr. gets at least 2+ combined hits, runs, and RBI vs the Reds today, your $80 bet will garner $50 in winnings.
Chicago starter Houser has made only one start this season. He's a veteran with more than 100 starts over a nine-year MLB career. He is a noted flyball pitcher, and he limits balls being pulled in the air. He allowed only two hits in his first start of 2025, a victory over Seattle last Tuesday.
I like his chances to keep hits limited against the Mets. It's also likely that the Sox will only allow Houser to pitch 3-4 innings, another reason his hit count will likely be below 5.5. If it is, you can win $100 for every $155 you bet.
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