MLB: Kansas City Royals at Tampa Bay Rays
Jonathan Dyer

The New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians play the second game of their three-game series on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. In Tuesday's series opener, the Yankees got back-to-back home runs from Jazz Chisholm and Anthony Volpe for a 3-2 win. New York (37-22) leads the American League East by 6.5 games over the Blue Jays and Rays. Meanwhile, Cleveland sits in third place in the AL Central, 6.5 games behind the division-leading Tigers.

For Wednesday, the Yankees' Clarke Schmidt (2-2, 3.95 ERA) will take the mound against the Guardians' Luis L. Ortiz (2-6, 4.40). Sportsbooks have set Schmidt's total strikeout player prop at 4.5 (Over -154, Under +125), while Ortiz's is 4.5 (Over -145, Under +122). The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, rates Schmidt Over 4.5 as a 3-star play on its five-star scale and Ortiz Over 4.5 as a 4-star play.

However, the model has found value elsewhere on Wednesday's 15-game schedule. There is one pitcher strikeout player prop that the model has rated at 5 stars and two rated at 4.5 stars. Here they are:

Mike Burrows Over 3.5 strikeouts (-110) vs. Astros (6:40 p.m. ET)

Rating: 4.5 stars
Model projection: 4.6 strikeouts

The Pirates' Burrows (0-1, 8.64) has struggled a bit in his first two starts of his season (and Major League career) and has just five strikeouts over 8.1 innings. But he displayed strikeout stuff at the minor league level, with 332 strikeouts in 291.1 minor league innings. On Wednesday he will face an Astros club that has been swinging and missing recently, striking out 19 times over its last two games.

Kumar Rocker Over 3.5 strikeouts (-120) vs. Rays (7:35 p.m. ET)

Rating: 4.5 stars
Model projection: 4.6 strikeouts

The Rangers' Rocker (1-3, 8.10) comes off of the IL, where he has been since April 23 with a shoulder impingement. But two starts ago he struck out eight while walking none in a 5-3 win over the Angels. He also is coming off an excellent rehab start. Despite being on a pitch count, he struck out five and allowed no hits, no runs and one walk. Of 53 pitches, 35 were strikes.

Noah Cameron Over 3.5 strikeouts (-109) vs. Cardinals (7:45 p.m. ET)

Rating: 5 stars
Model projection: 5.0 strikeouts

This is the model's best pitcher strikeout prop for Wednesday. The Royals' Cameron (2-1, 1.05) has been excellent to start his rookie season, with quality starts in each of his four starts this season. He has shown excellent command, with 13 strikeouts versus just three walks over his last three starts. And two starts ago he struck out eight in 6.2 innings against the Twins. Cameron backers need only half of that on Wednesday.