MLB Wild Card Round Player Props: Chris Sale, Cam Schlittler & Alex Bregman Best Bets

After an exciting regular season, the MLB Playoffs are set to tip off with Tuesday’s four-game slate of AL and NL Wild Card Series openers. 

Urgency is high in this opening salvo of the playoffs, as the series are based on a best-of-3 format. Another wrinkle is the fact the highest-seeded team for each matchup has the benefit of hosting the series throughout.

Without further ado, let’s dive into a trio of player prop opportunities for Tuesday’s Game 1 action. Don’t forget to check out our MLB daily trends page for game odds, data and insights.

Best MLB Wild Card Round Player Props

• Chris Sale Over 7.5 Strikeouts
• Cam Schlittler Over 7.5 Strikeouts
• Alex Bregman Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI

Chris Sale (Braves vs. Phillies) Over Strikeouts

The ageless Sale was at it again this past regular season, finishing the campaign with a 14-9 record, 2.16 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 0.6 HR/9 and 11.1 K/9 across 162.2 innings over 27 starts. What’s more, the legendary left-hander’s average fastball velocity clocked in at a career-high 96.1 mph, which helped lead to an impressively robust 14.4% swinging strike rate. Sale was at his best at home as well, where he complemented his 1.66 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with a 10.4 K/9 over 87 innings.

To kick off the postseason, Sale draws a matchup he’s enjoyed plenty of success in, as current Phillies batters own a collective .209 average and .243 OBP against him in a robust sample of 185 career encounters, one where he’s rang up an impressive 56 strikeouts. Additionally, the one player that’s given him the most trouble in that sample, Luis Arraez (.318 average, zero strikeouts in 22 career PAs), is unavailable for the series due to his ankle injury.

Sale recorded at least eight strikeouts in 12 starts this season, including a nine-strikeout performance against these same Phillies on April 26. Sale did fall just short with six and seven Ks in two September encounters with Philadelphia, but the southpaw’s 12.4 K/9 in 36 career postseason frames and the fact he’ll be pitching on five days’ rest Tuesday puts the Over on the 7.5 in play.

Original Line Publish: 7.5

Cam Schlittler (Yankees vs. Red Sox) Over Strikeouts

Schlittler is another fireballing hurler that’s opening his team’s first playoff series, and the right-hander’s strikeout prop is certainly also worth a look Tuesday. The ascendant right-hander’s breakout regular season included a 14-6 mark, 1.95 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 11.1 K/9 and average fastball velocity of a blistering 98.0 mph. Schlittler generated whiffs at a 14.3% rate as well, and although he actually had a higher ERA at home (2.98) than on the road (1.16), Schlittler also averaged a full strikeout more per nine innings at Yankee Stadium (11.7 K/9). 

Schlittler saw plenty of the Red Sox this regular season, making two starts apiece against Boston at Yankee Stadium and at Fenway. The right-hander recorded 27 Ks in 24.1 innings over the entirety of that sample, including 13 in 11.1 frames at home. Additionally, for the purposes of this prop, it’s worth noting three out of those four outings took place June 25 or earlier, while the most recent was Aug. 28. The relevance there is that the Red Sox got progressively worse making contact against righties on the road as the season wore on despite their second-half success, posting a 27.5% strikeout rate in that split over the last month of play.

Given the factors cited and the fact Schlittler reached at least eight Ks on 15 occasions this season – while hitting seven in five other instances – backing him getting to at least that threshold against a team whose current bats own a collective .167 average and .438 OPS against him lifetime is a prudent bet to consider at plus money.

Original Line Publish: 7.5

Alex Bregman (Cubs at Padres) Over Hits + Runs + RBI

Bregman’s first season in the Windy City was a success overall, as the veteran slugger delivered a .265 average, .819 OPS and most extra-base hits (63) since the 2019 season across 155 games. Bregman even managed to put a big exclamation point on the campaign Sunday despite having suffered multiple facial fractures on Sept. 21, as he slugged a pair of homers and knocked in four runs as part of a 4-for-4 day against his 2025 squad, the Red Sox. 

Bregman also averaged 2.2 hits + runs + RBI per game this season, a figure heavily impacted by the fact he recorded his best figures in those categories since the 2023 season. His typical placement in the heart of a talented batting order and his on-brand modest 14.5% strikeout rate certainly helped as well, and Bregman has a solid chance of carrying over his regular-season-finale fireworks into the first game of the postseason Tuesday.

Opposing starter Michael King has been terrorized by Bregman over the course of their respective careers, as the latter has posted an .875 average, 2.025 OPS and a pair of doubles in 10 career plate appearances versus the veteran right-hander while striking out just once in the sample. Bregman was actually also at his best on the road this season with an .857 OPS and average of 2.5 hits + runs + RBI in that split, and he’s averaged 2.0 in the latter category over his 102 career postseason games. 

Lastly, Bregman has a solid .279 career average at Petco Park, furthering the case for him to get to at least 2 hits + runs + RBI in the opener.

Original Line Publish: 1.5

PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS