Kevin Davies
Show Bio
Thursdays are a lot busier now that there’s baseball and football on. But before Thursday Night Football, there is a great slate of MLB games happening which features plenty of day baseball. The Rockies and Tigers kick things off in Detroit and then the final game of the day sees the Brewers battle the Giants in San Francisco. I’m targeting a pitcher making his long-awaited MLB debut, so let’s get into today’s best MLB player prop bet! You can also see our MLB picks on all the big games on Thursday, September 12.
Kumar Rocker (TEX) over 4.5 strikeouts (-140)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
Welcome to the show, Kumar Rocker! The Rangers’ #2 prospect is making his MLB debut tonight after whizzing through the Minor Leagues. However, it hasn’t always been easy for Rocker. The former Vanderbilt standout was drafted 10th overall by the Mets in 2021 after a phenomenal collegiate career, but he failed to reach an agreement with New York due to his medical history. Rocker had shoulder problems in the past and appeared a likely candidate for another injury in the future, so the Mets passed on him. One year later, the Rangers shocked everyone by drafting Rocker with the 3rd overall pick in 2022. Shortly later, Rocker underwent Tommy John surgery and the Mets felt as if they dodged a bullet. However, Rocker is back to full health and he’s been dominating in the Minors.
In 10 outings, including 9 starts, he has a 1.96 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. His 2 most recent starts in the Minors were in Triple-A, and he allowed just 2 runs and 4 hits while striking out 18 hitters in just 10 innings. Rocker has passed this number in all 5 of his recent starts in the Minors and now will face a Mariners offense that has struck out a lot recently. Since August 1, the Mariners have the 7th-highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers. I believe Rocker can finish with 5 or 6 strikeouts in 5 innings on Thursday night.
Read our full Texas Rangers vs Seattle Mariners prediction
