While the Mets and Phillies tipped off the second half of the MLB season Thursday night, the other 28 clubs are all set to play their first games Friday â weather permitting. This might be our last chance to look at all the individual season leader props at DraftKings, so I wanted to do so and point out something interesting: You cannot bet on the pitcher who currently leads the majors in wins to finish atop that board.
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Said pitcher is Milwaukee Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby, who has been one of the biggest "win vultures" in recent memory with an MLB-best 12 victories in his 45 total appearances â those wins were a big-league record for a reliever entering the All-Star break. He is one win up on three starting pitchers for the overall lead: Philadelphia's Cristopher Sanchez, Cincinnati's Chase Burns and Boston's Sonny Gray.
I'm not surprised no books are including Ashby on this prop, although maybe you can request that. If you add one reliever to the board, then you have to add several and they would all be such ridiculous longshots in the spring that there would be no point.
No pitcher in history who has made at least 80% of his appearances in relief has ever led MLB in wins. In 1960, the Cardinals' Ernie Broglio tied for the league lead with 21 wins and came out of the bullpen 28 times but also made 24 starts.
The big-league record for most wins by a reliever is 18 by Elroy Face in 1959 when he finished 18-1 with all 57 appearances in relief. The White Sox's Early Wynn led that year with 22 wins. The Brewers' reliever record is 14 wins by Jim Slaton as he went 14-6 in 46 appearances in 1983.
Sanchez is the +400 favorite to lead in wins but will have his start this weekend skipped for rest. Gray (+700), the Brewers' NL Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski (+750) and Phillies' Zack Wheeler (+900) round out the favorites on the wins prop odds board. Gray might be traded, while Misiorowski and Wheeler are both having their turns this weekend skipped as well. We clearly are not going to get a 20-win pitcher.
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Detroit's Tarik Skubal was the +750 favorite in the spring to lead the majors in wins, and Sanchez was second at +1000. Here's a quick look at the other categories (with the current favorites at DraftKings) other than home runs, which we have dealt with plenty and surely will a few more times. That prop is always active.
Strikeouts: Jacob Misiorowski (-550)
"The Miz" comes out of the break with 167 strikeouts, 19 up on second-place Dylan Cease (+700) of Toronto, who whiffed all three he faced in Tuesday's All-Star game. The big question with Misiorowski is clearly what innings limit the Brewers might have in mind for him. He has thrown 111 innings this season, 30 1/3 innings away from the career-high total of 141 1/3 he compiled between the majors and minors last year, including the playoffs. Cease has been a workhorse his entire career and doesn't have an innings limit. Tarik Skubal was the slight +325 favorite over Paul Skenes (+350) to lead MLB in strikeouts entering the season, but neither will factor in this race.
Saves: Cade Smith (+115)
Most casual fans perhaps couldn't even name Cade Smith as Cleveland's closer as the Guardians used to have arguably the best one in the majors in Emmanuel Clase from 2022-24 before off-field issues essentially ended his career. Smith took over the role and hasn't let go. His 28 saves have him three up on second-place Bryan Baker (+600) of Tampa Bay. I might favor San Diego's unhittable Mason Miller (+380) even though he's also three back. Miller was the +700 second favorite in the spring behind the Dodgers' Edwin Diaz (+400), who is hurt.
Hits: Otto Lopez (-195)
The Marlins are a big surprise and maybe the biggest surprise on the team has been 27-year-old shortstop Otto Lopez, who leads the majors with a .334 average and 127 hits â eight up on former hits king and ex-Marlin Luis Arraez (+170) of San Francisco. Arraez is fully expected to be traded by the Aug. 3 deadline, so he could miss a few games in transition. Thus, barring injury I see no reason to fade Lopez despite him hitting just .246 last year. Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. was the +350 spring favorite but sits 24 hits behind Lopez and is now +2500.
Doubles: Matt Olson (+650)
Lopez leads the majors in doubles with 26 but is +1300 on this prop, while Atlanta's Matt Olson is your favorite despite sitting third with 24 doubles. But the lefty slugger is a doubles machine and led the National League with 41 last year, six off the big-league lead. Bobby Witt Jr. won the 2025 title with 47 doubles. He's got 22 this season and is +800. The Giants' Rafael Devers is second with 25 doubles and a +750 second favorite. Devers might be traded by Aug. 3.
Triples: Corbin Carroll (-500)
I think the MLB record of 36 triples in a season is safe (forever) with Arizona's Corbin Carroll leading with 10, three up on second-place Luis Arraez (+1600). Carroll has the speed and plays in a big ballpark, so he might lead MLB in triples several times in his career. He did in 2025 with 17 and tied for first in 2024 with 14.
Stolen bases: Nasim Nunez (-145)
Some teams like Tampa Bay are succeeding by playing "small ball" this season, but it hasn't necessarily led to more stolen bases with Washington's Nasim Nunez leading the way with 34 steals on 38 attempts. Nunez better be fast because he has zero power and in fact doesn't start every single game. Bobby Witt Jr. is second with 30 steals and +155 on this prop and no on else below +1300. Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz was the +300 spring favorite but spent some time on the injured list with a hamstring injury. That issue clearly has bothered him as De La Cruz has only 14 steals. He stole 67 two years ago.
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