Welcome back to another week of MLB Underdog picks and MLB player props as we dive into Monday's Major League Baseball schedule. It's a smaller slate of games tonight, but we still have some intriguing matchups to target for our MLB betting picks. Our top MLB picks to target on Underdog Fantasy tonight feature New York Mets pitcher Justin Verlander and Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo. Check out these free MLB player props and MLB daily picks on Underdog Fantasy for “Pick'Em” contests tonight. Don't forget to check out the latest MLB weather report and the confirmed MLB lineups when placing those MLB betting picks. Plus, the MLB daily projections and MLB Batter vs Pitcher page will help you find the best matchups for MLB player props and MLB DFS lineups. Let's dive into the top MLB player picks on Underdog Fantasy for Monday, June 26th.

 

MLB Underdog Fantasy Top Picks June 26

Justin Verlander, New York Mets – UNDER 6.5 Strikeouts

On the one hand, we have a Milwaukee Brewers offense that’s striking out a lot this season and a great matchup to target for K props. On the other, we have an aging pitcher in Justin Verlander who hasn’t been punching out many hitters himself. Something has to give here. Believe it or not, we’re siding with the Brewers because some of Verlander’s metrics are tough to swallow right now. The 40-year-old’s 20.5% strikeout rate so far would be his lowest since 2014. Plus, Verlander’s 4.50 ERA, .248 BAA, 3.38 K:BB ratio and 1.21 WHIP are all his worst since that 2014 season. To make matters worse, his hefty 44.9% hard-hit rate and 118.3 mph average exit velocity are both among the bottom tier of MLB pitchers this year. As for the strikeouts, more specifically, the New York Mets right-hander has been under 6.5 in seven of nine starts while averaging just 4.9 K’s per outing. As for the Brewers, yes, the lineup strikes out a ton. Milwaukee’s 24.9% K rate vs right-handed pitchers this season is the MLB’s fourth-highest and the 28.4% K rate vs righties over the past two weeks is even worse. Even so, Verlander doesn’t have the swing-and-miss stuff to completely exploit this matchup tonight. 

Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners – UNDER 6.0 Strikeouts

If there’s one thing we know about the Washington Nationals offense, the lineup doesn’t strike out very often. The Nats also don’t score a ton of runs or win many games, but this offense makes opposing pitchers work when it comes to strikeouts. Against right-handed pitchers this season, Washington boasts the MLB’s lowest K rate at 18.5%. Over the past two weeks, the Nationals’ league-low strikeout rate vs righties is down to 14%. Luis Castillo is obviously capable of posting some big K numbers, but this matchup points us to the under. The Seattle Mariners right-hander has been at six or fewer strikeouts in nine of 15 outings this season, including three of his last four. Although Castillo does boast strong home splits, getting to seven-plus K’s will be a tough task here. He’s averaging 6.7 K’s per start and should be on the lower end of his strikeout output tonight due to the matchup. 

 

MLB Best Bets

If you are looking for some MLB Best Bets today, check out our MLB betting picks for today's slate of games.

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