MLB Player Props: Best Picks & Home Run Bets for Tuesday, April 2

Welcome back to another great day of action on the diamond. Today, we have a tremendous 14-game slate to watch and place a few bets on. With so many games, it can be hard to find a winning bet. Luckily, we are here to help with our three favorite MLB player props.

The MLB season is still in its early stages, but we are starting to understand how to handicap player prop markets in 2024. We have three great MLB prop bets, including our favorite anytime home run pick of the night. 

Let’s take a look at our three best MLB player props for Tuesday, April 2.

Read More: 2024 World Series Odds | MLB Odds | MLB Win Totals

MLB Player Props: April 2, 2024

Adley Rutschman Over Hits, Runs, and RBIs

The Orioles offense is on fire to start the 2024 season. This is especially true at the top of the lineup, including Adley Rutschman.

Rutschman slashes .357/.471/.429 through four games with a 175 wRC+ and five hits in 17 PAs. He has also walked three times and has yet to strike out. If he continues to hit like he has all season tonight, Rutschman will easily go over this number, as he has in three of four games, including last night’s win over the Royals.

Kansas City will send out Alec Marsh, who had a brutal 2023 season, allowing 47 earned runs in 74.1 innings pitched and a ton of hard contact. Although Rutschman is our primary target for this matchup, the hitters around him in the lineup also play favorably toward this prop bet.

Rutschman bats second in Baltimore’s lineup, sandwiched between Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander, both of whom are also having strong starts at the plate. There will be plenty of opportunities for Rutschman to not only get a few hits of his own but knock in a run or score on the back of Santander or even Ryan Mountcastle, the cleanup hitter in the Orioles’ lineup, who already has seven RBI on the season.

The Royals bullpen has also struggled, giving up 10 runs in 11.1 IP and ranks 25th in fWAR. This is an excellent matchup for Rutschman to stay hot and deliver another big night with his bat. 

Shane Bieber Over Outs Recorded

On Opening Day, Shane Bieber delivered an impressive performance, striking out 11 batters and allowing four hits (all soft contact) against the Oakland A’s. Sure, it is easy to confuse Oakland with a little league team, but tonight is another favorable matchup for the Guardians’ ace. 

In last night’s win, the Mariners scored five runs, the most they have scored in a game this season. However, they still did not hit the ball all that well and did most of their damage on six walks. 

Seattle has struggled to get anything going at the plate as a team. They have a team slash of .189/.254/.283 with a 62 wRC+. The Mariners also rank 22nd in Barrel% and last in K%. Although this lineup is much more dangerous than the one Bieber saw in Oakland, his dominating first start was not that shocking. 

This offseason was huge for Bieber. He trained at Driveline, and his velocity has rocketed back up around the 93 mph range, topping out at 95 mph in his first start. This is significant, given that he has not thrown that hard since his 2020 Cy Young season. 

Combine his resurrected fastball with his always plus-breaking stuff, and Bieber could reintroduce himself as one of the game’s top arms. If he continues to miss barrels, Bieber should put up another solid outing against Seattle tonight. 

MLB Player Props: Best Anytime Home Run Pick

Ketel Marte ()

The Diamondbacks’ offense is off to a great start, especially Ketel Marte. Through his first five games, Marte has a 50% HardHit% and is slashing .368/.417/.368 with a 111 wRC+. While he has not registered a barrel yet in 2024, this is the perfect matchup for Marte to hit his first home run. 

His xwOBA of .372 indicates some positive regression is on the horizon, and with the Yankees sending out Nestor Cortes Jr., this is the perfect time to go deep.

Cortes was roughed up in his first start, allowing four runs in 5.0 IP. He also allowed eight hard hits and his fastball was pretty much ineffective. Although the cutter registered only a .096 xBA in his first start, Marte does a good enough job against that pitch to make this a favorable matchup. 

Marte’s hot start is not shocking, considering he was on fire during the spring. He slashed .370/.424/.574 with a .998 OPS and eight extra-base hits in 19 games. The Yankees’ bullpen has been outstanding to start the year, which could make this home run prop shaky if he does not get one off Cortes. 

However, it’s hard to ignore how well he is currently swinging the bat. Marte’s odds of hitting a home run are well worth a shot at this current price. 

Best MLB Betting Bonuses

Before placing your MLB player prop bets tonight, check out the top bonus offers from available sports betting apps. If you live in a legal sports betting state, the top online sportsbooks will offer hundreds of dollars in bonuses, which can help you build your bankroll for the 2024 MLB season. 

Here are the best MLB betting bonuses from the top US sports betting apps at Gaming Today.