Best MLB Player Props for May 12: Corbin Burnes Should Dominate Light-Hitting Royals 

Royals vs. Brewers: Corbin Burnes at Least Six Strikeouts and Brewers to Beat Royals (-129) at Bet365

Picks Summary 

• Royals vs. Brewers: Corbin Burnes at Least Six Strikeouts and Brewers to Beat Royals (-129) at Bet365
• Royals vs. Brewers: William Contreras at Least One Run + RBI (-164) at Bet365
• Rangers vs. Athletics: Ken Waldichuk First Earned Run Allowed in Game (-190) at Bet365
• Rangers vs. Athletics: Ken Waldichuk Not to Earn Win (-425) at Bet365
• Rangers vs. Athletics: Adolis Garcia Over 0.5 Hits (-210) at Bet365
• Rangers vs. Athletics: Marcus Semien Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-140) at Bet365

Every team is in action around Major League Baseball on Friday, but unfortunately, there are no matinees. Rain might be a factor in a few games but all should be played.

We love former NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes against the Royals among our player prop picks for Friday. 

Kansas City Royals vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Friday, May 12, 2023 – 08:10 PM EDT at American Family Field 

It’s the first road game for Kansas City since April 30. The team is 6-10 away and hitting.243 in those games with 153 strikeouts and a terrible on-base percentage of .296.

Thus, we don’t expect that weak lineup to have any success Friday in Milwaukee against Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes, the 2021 National League Cy Young Award leader and 2022 NL strikeout leader.  

Salary Dispute a Thing From the Past

Top athletes are human beings too so they can be affected just like a regular Joe when it comes to financial disputes with an employer. This past offseason, Burnes went to salary arbitration with the Brewers, with the arbiter choosing the $10.01 million salary requested by the team rather than the $10.75 million requested by Burnes.

We mention that because Burnes has been a little inconsistent in the early going and that might have something to do with it. He is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts in seven starts. Very solid numbers, but not quite what Burnes is used to – in each of the previous two seasons, he had an ERA below 3.00 and a minimum of 234 strikeouts.

Perhaps Burnes is settling down as he has back-to-back quality starts and this will be the worst lineup he has seen so far. 

Burnes is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two career starts vs. Kansas City. Only three current Royals have faced him and they are a combined 3-for-14 with five strikeouts.  

MLB Prop Pick: Corbin Burnes at Least Six Strikeouts and Brewers to Beat Royals (-129) at Bet365

William Contreras a Key Player Against Josh Taylor

Meanwhile, a struggling Brewers offense should get right against Royals’ 30-year-old lefty journeyman Josh Taylor, who has a 6.55 ERA in nine outings out of the bullpen. He has been good against lefties, but right-handers are hitting .290 off him with two homers and three doubles in 31 at-bats.  

We’ll back Brewers catcher William Contreras against Taylor as Contreras is hitting .323 with three doubles and two homers this year against lefties. Overall, he has homered in two of his past three. Contreras has reached base safely in 27 of his 29 games this season.  

MLB Prop Pick: William Contreras at Least One Run + RBI (-164) at Bet365

Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics

Friday, May 12, 2023 – 09:40 PM EDT at Oakland Coliseum 

Sometimes, it can be boring doing the same thing over and over… unless it’s winning money. If Oakland’s Ken Waldichuk is pitching, we will likely be fading him. 

A Struggling Lefty

The 25-year-old lefty is 1-2 with a 7.25 ERA and 1.75 WHIP. He has allowed a whopping 45 hits in 36 innings and walked 18 batters. Waldichuk should not be in a big-league rotation, but the A’s don’t care at all about winning right now but instead tanking for draft picks and saving money on salaries ahead of a move to Las Vegas in a few years. 

Even if Waldichuk has a solid game, which is doubtful considering he has surrendered at least three runs in each start this year but one, the A’s probably won’t score enough to get him a win. Waldichuk actually has left with the lead in three of his six starts, only to have the bullpen blow the save (April 12, April 24, and April 30).

He took a no-decision in his only career start against Texas, an 8-7 A’s loss at Globe Life Field on Sept. 13, 2022, in allowing five runs and eight hits over five – so he was lucky to not get a loss. 

MLB Prop Pick: Ken Waldichuk First Earned Run Allowed in Game (-190) at Bet365

MLB Prop Pick: Ken Waldichuk Not to Earn Win (-425) at Bet365

Rangers Have an Edge Against Waldichuk

Two Rangers batters have good splits off him, albeit in short sample sizes: Adolis Garcia is 2-for-2 with a double and homer, and Marcus Semien is 2-for-3 with two doubles.

Semien is having a huge bounce-back season and hit a solo homer in Thursday’s 4-0 win over the A’s. This month, he’s batting .351 with three doubles, two homers, and eight RBIs.  

MLB Prop Pick: Adolis Garcia Over 0.5 Hits (-210) at Bet365

MLB Prop Pick: Marcus Semien Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-140) at Bet365