MLB player props: Friday's hitter vs. pitcher matchups to exploit include Adley Rutschman and Brandon Nimmo

Eight hitters have dominated the starting pitchers they'll face on Friday, which could be key in placing MLB player props

By Brandon Gustafson

Jun 6, 2025 at 1:03 pm ET • 4 min read

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Friday features another full 15-game MLB slate, which means there are plenty of player props to wager on. Sometimes the best bets are on superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. But there are also many hitters who have track records of dominance against the opposing starting pitcher. Those are the matchups we're going to highlight here, which could bode well for betting on MLB player props like total bases and home runs.

Here are eight hitter vs. pitcher matchups that feature batters who have dominated Friday's probable pitcher. As always, keep an eye out for potential scratches, off days and lineup changes before locking in any MLB player prop picks.

Adley Rutschman vs. JP Sears

It's been a down year for Baltimore's backstop, as former No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman has an OPS under .700 as the Orioles have floundered in the early parts of 2025. Rutschman is a player to watch Friday, though, as he's coming off a 7-for-13 performance with two home runs in a three-game sweep of the Mariners. He now faces A's lefty JP Sears, who Rutschman has lit up to the tune of four hits in 10 at-bats, two of which were home runs.

Rutschman props:

Anytime home run: +480 (FanDuel)
3+ total bases: +220 (FanDuel)

Rowdy Tellez vs. Kyle Hendricks

This is hardly a marquee matchup in terms of the names on both sides, but the truth of it is Mariners first baseman Rowdy Tellez has performed well against Angels starter Kyle Hendricks, and it hasn't come in a small sample size, either. Tellez has 24 at-bats against the soft-tossing right-hander as both spent most of their careers in the NL Central. Tellez has nine career hits, including a home run and double, along with a .917 OPS, against Hendricks.

Tellez props:

Anytime home run: +440 (FanDuel)
2+ total bases: +165 (FanDuel)

Tommy Edman vs. Sonny Gray

Tommy Edman returned from injury recently for the Dodgers, with whom he was a postseason hero. He now faces his former team, the Cardinals, who send veteran right-hander Sonny Gray to the hill. This is Year 2 for Gray in St. Louis, but he's no stranger to the NL Central as he spent three years in Cincinnati, where he saw a good bit of Edman when he was with the Cardinals. Edman has had the upper hand in this matchup, picking up eight hits, including a homer and two doubles, in 18 career at-bats against Gray, good for a 1.222 OPS.

Edman props:

Anytime home run: +950 (DraftKings)
2+ total bases: +170 (DraftKings)

Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte vs. Antonio Senzatela

The lowly Rockies picked up a series sweep of the Marlins this week, but they're still on pace to be one of the worst teams in MLB history. They also send a veteran right-hander to the hill in Antonio Senzatela, who has been hit hard by many players in New York's lineup. We'll focus on two here, though, with Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte. Neither are having great 2025 campaigns thus far, but they have each dominated their respective matchups with Senzatela. Nimmo has four hits in 11 at-bats against Senzatela, and three of those knocks were homers. Nimmo's three homers off Senzatela are tied for the most of any player against any starting pitcher across all of Friday's games. Marte hasn't slugged quite as well off Senzatela as Nimmo, but he has a .539/.571/.846 line with seven hits – including a double and homer – in 13 career at-bats.

Nimmo props:

Anytime home run: +440 (FanDuel)
3+ total bases: +135 (DraftKings)

Marte props:

Anytime home run: +650 (DraftKings)
2+ total bases: -125 (DraftKings)

Jeremy Pena vs. Logan Allen

It's a small sample size, but the results stand out – Houston's Jeremy Pena has dominated Cleveland lefty Logan Allen. In six career at-bats, Pena has five hits, including a double and triple. The Astros are without star slugger Yordan Alvarez, moved on from Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman this offseason and are seeing Jose Altuve post a negative WAR thus far, but Pena has been among the game's best position players in 2025, and Friday has a juicy matchup against a pitcher he's had a lot of success against in a short period of time.

Pena props:

Anytime home run: +900 (DraftKings)
2+ total bases: -105 (DraftKings)

Andrew McCutchen vs. Joe Ross

The Phillies are running a bullpen day, and their "starter" is veteran right-hander Joe Ross. That's important to note as legendary Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen has seen quite a bit of Ross during his career, and he has certainly had the upper hand in this matchup. In 18 at-bats, McCutchen is slashing .278/.350/.611 with two home runs. It's obviously unlikely McCutchen sees Ross more than once, but one at-bat is all it takes at times, and it could lead to a potentially big day from the former MVP.

McCutchen props:

Anytime home run: +750 (FanDuel)
2+ total bases: +120 (FanDuel)

Josh Bell vs. Patrick Corbin

Josh Bell is one of few veterans in Washington's lineup, and the switch-hitting first baseman is an intriguing prop play against Texas lefty Patrick Corbin for one reason today: Homers. Bell has 21 career plate appearances against Corbin, and it's been basically a matchup of the "three true outcomes" -- Bell either homers, walks or strikes out. Against Corbin, Bell has five walks and five strikeouts, and three of his four hits have been homers.

Bell props: