Chris Sale Underdog MLB Picks Today, 8/21: Baseball Projections + More

Friday's top two Underdog plays feature a future Hall of Famer with a proven track record against tonight's opponent and a young left-hander riding one of his best starts of the season, for Underdog Fantasy. Before you lock in your Higher or Lower calls, cross-check the numbers with our MLB Player Prop Tool and track how our staff is doing on the board with the MLB Expert Picks Tracker.

Chris Sale MLB Underdog Fantasy Pick: Higher than 7.5 Strikeouts

Sale has backed up his ace-caliber reputation all season, posting 160 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA across 129.2 innings with a 30.9 percent strikeout rate among the best in baseball. His last meeting with Milwaukee produced a season-high 11 strikeouts over seven scoreless-adjacent innings, a dominant showing against this exact opponent. Milwaukee carries a 22.6 percent strikeout rate against left-handed pitching, a workable number for a pitcher of Sale's caliber even against a strong lineup. That combination of proven success against Milwaukee specifically and sustained excellence all season gives him a real path to clearing this number.

Reid Detmers MLB Underdog Fantasy Pick: Higher than 6.5 Strikeouts

Detmers has shown real swing-and-miss stuff throughout the season, backing a 10.2 K/9 that has not always been reflected in his win-loss record. His last outing against Kansas City was one of his best of the year, working seven innings with 11 strikeouts in a tight Angels win, six of those coming on a dominant slider. Texas carries a 23.9 percent strikeout rate against left-handed pitching, a favorable matchup for a pitcher who has shown he can dominate when locked in. That blend of a strong recent outing and a strikeout-friendly opponent makes this number very reachable.

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