We're in the final week of the regular season, and seeding is still up for grabs. However, many teams have an off day to gear up for the final stretch, with just three games on the schedule today.
Three players I have my eye on are Brett Bateman, Riley Greene, and CJ Abrams.
Check out my favorite MLB player prop picks today for Monday, September 21.
MLB Player Props Today
- Brett Bateman Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In (50%, Kalshi)
- Riley Greene Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In (50%, Kalshi)
- CJ Abrams Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In (49%, Kalshi)
Blue Jays vs Orioles Player Prop
Last week, we backed Brett Bateman against the Tigers, and he cashed his HRR line (hits, runs, and runs batted in) with a hit and run scored in the first inning. It was the first of three consecutive games against the Tigers in which he had a hit. His hitting streak ended on Friday, but he has still recorded one in eight of his last 10 games.
Tonight, the Blue Jays take on the Orioles in a massive series between two teams on the outside looking in of the AL Wild Card race. Bateman will face Shane Baz and should have the advantage. He is hitting .355 against right-handed pitching while Baz is allowing a .285 batting average to left-handed hitters.
Baz left his last start after taking a comebacker off his elbow. Before departing, he allowed seven hits and three earned runs in four innings. He has given up five hits or more in five of his last seven starts, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 5-for-18 with a home run off him.
If Bateman gets on and Guerrero knocks him in, he will cash this line again.
Pick: Brett Bateman Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In (50%, Kalshi)
Nationals vs Tigers Player Prop
The Tigers were eliminated from postseason contention over the weekend, and while a 6-22 record in May did them no favors, Riley Greene's injury was the final nail in the coffin.
After being placed on the IL last month, the Tigers went 4-14 without him in the lineup and struggled to score runs. However, Greene has done his best to make up for lost time.
Since his return, the Tigers left fielder has a hit in 15 of his last 18 games and enters tonight's contest on a 10-game hitting streak. In September, he is slashing .361/.410/.681 with 12 runs scored, six doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 21 runs batted in. He has recorded two hits, runs, and RBIs in 13 of 18 games in that span.
He will face the Nationals tonight, with DJ Herz making his return to the MLB after essentially two full seasons on the IL.
Herz impressed in his rookie season with 106 strikeouts in 88 innings, and he will have a left-on-left advantage against Greene, but perhaps not for long. In 10 minor league appearances, he threw just 25 innings, which means he may only get one turn through the lineup tonight.
If Greene only has one at-bat against Herz tonight, he will have multiple opportunities to take advantage of the Nationals bullpen, which is 29th in the MLB with a 5.04 ERA, and the Tigers have a couple of notable late comebacks against the Rockies and White Sox recently.
Greene homered in the eighth inning against the White Sox on Thursday and also had a game with two homers last season against Washington.
Pick: Riley Greene Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In (50%, Kalshi)
Nationals vs Tigers Player Prop
Herz will not be the only notable pitcher returning tonight in Detroit, as River Ryan will make his debut for the Tigers. Ryan was one of the prospects the Tigers acquired when they sent ace Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers.
However, like Herz, he may not be in for long, and six to seven innings of the Tigers' bullpen is not a good recipe for success.
CJ Abrams is one of the Nationals hitters who may take advantage, as he heads to Detroit with a hit in six of his last seven games. He homered last night for his 31st home run of the season, a new career high, and now leads the team in that stat over James Wood. His next RBI will also give him 100 for the season after he has already enjoyed a 30-30 season.
Abrams has driven in a run in three of his last seven games and scored in five. That has helped him clear this line in five of his last seven games. He also cleared his H+R+RBI line in all three games of last year's series against the Tigers.
Pick: CJ Abrams Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In (49%, Kalshi)
