MLB Player Props for Friday, 8/28: Best Bets & Predictions Today
What kind of performances can we expect from Cam Schlittler, Tarik Skubal, and Shane McClanahan? Follow along as our MLB betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite MLB prop bets for Friday, August 28, 2026. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more MLB plays, by subscribing to the RotoGrinders Props & Pick’em package.
Major League Baseball has 15 games on tap to begin the weekend, starting with the Reds against the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET in a standalone afternoon time slot.
The forecast once again appears to be on the cooler side in San Francisco, which should continue to benefit pitchers in that ballpark. As always, it’s important to keep an eye on the MLB weather report before committing to any wagers.
Below, you can find three of my favorite picks for Friday, August 28th!
Best MLB Player Props for Friday, August 28th
Here are my top player prop bets for today, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:20 PM ET on Friday, August 28th:
- Cam Schlittler Over/Under 7.5 Strikeouts
- Tarik Skubal Over/Under 7.5 Strikeouts
- Shane McClanahan Over/Under 15.5 Outs Recorded
Cam Schlittler UNDER 7.5 Strikeouts (-157, DraftKings)
DRAFTKINGSSchlittler has elite stuff and is an AL Cy Young frontrunner for valid reasons. That said, he’s been falling behind in counts a lot lately, posting only a 55.4% first-pitch strike rate in his last 5 starts.
Tonight, Schlittler will face a Boston lineup that has the 5th-lowest strikeout rate against RHP during the last 14 days. The math favors the under here.
Tarik Skubal UNDER 7.5 Strikeouts (-145, Fanatics)
FANATICSSkubal returns to Detroit for the first time since being traded. The market appears to be pricing in a little bit of a narrative boost for Skubal’s strikeouts, because the raw projections don’t get Skubal to 8 strikeouts in this spot.
During the last 30 days, Detroit has the 10th-lowest strikeout rate against LHP. They rank 9th in contact% on swings at pitches in the zone and 7th in contact% on swings at pitches out of the zone in that span.
Skubal is a talented pitcher, but 8 strikeouts in any matchup is far from automatic, and 8 strikeouts against a lineup that has been making quite a bit of contact in recent weeks is a real challenge.
Shane McClanahan UNDER 15.5 Outs Recorded (-190, BetMGM)
BETMGMMcClanahan has already surpassed his 2025 workload by more than 100 innings. Due to various arm injuries, this season is the first time since 2023 in which he has thrown more than 100 innings. As a result, it would make sense for the Rays to be very mindful of his innings during the final month of the regular season.
McClanahan threw 74 pitches and faced 20 batters on August 22nd – likely near his ceiling for his workload tonight. The Rays also have a fully-rested arm barn, which makes it particularly likely that McClanahan won’t be pushed too extensively.
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