MLB Today’s Best Bets for May 26: Home Run Picks & Top Player Props

We're back to break down the best MLB picks today for May 26! Tuesday's MLB slate features a pair of strikeout overs from two arms we love targeting in favorable matchups, plus home run picks today in Los Angeles, where we're taking aim at a pitcher in terrible form. Here are the best MLB bets for Tuesday!

Best MLB Bets Today: Player Props for May 26

Jack Leiter over 5.5 strikeouts at -105 on FanDuel Sportsbook is one of my favorite MLB player props today. This might feel a little uncomfortable at first glance, but the numbers make a strong case.

The Astros are striking out at a 21.9% clip against right-handed pitching on the season. Meanwhile, since May 1, that number has jumped all the way to 25%, which is the third-worst mark in baseball over that stretch. Houston has been trending in the wrong direction in a big way when it comes to swinging and missing.

As for Leiter, the stuff is quietly solid under the hood. He ranks in the 64th percentile in whiff percentage and the 69th percentile in strikeout percentage per Baseball Savant. He's also punching out 30% of right-handed batters this season compared to just 20% against lefties, and he's projected to face six right-handed hitters in Tuesday's lineup. The matchup sets up well, so give me Leiter to hit six strikeouts.

Best Bet: Jack Leiter Over 5.5 Strikeouts FanDuel, -105

MLB Player Props Today: Chase Burns Over 6.5 Strikeouts

Chase Burns over 6.5 strikeouts at -107 on DraftKings Sportsbook is my next MLB best bet, as the Cincinnati Reds visit the New York Mets. I simply can't help myself whenever Burns is at this number with virtually no juice on the over.

Burns is one of the five best pitchers in baseball right now. He ranks in the 94th percentile in whiff percentage and the 75th percentile in chase percentage per Baseball Savant, and he's striking out 28% of hitters in 2026. The Mets don't strike out a ton, but they rank 16th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching in the month of May, which is slightly below league average.

This is closer to an average matchup for Burns, but average matchups don't slow him down. He has gone over this number in six of his last seven starts this season.

Best Bet: Chase Burns Over 6.5 Strikeouts DraftKings, -107

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Home Run Picks Today: Hunter Goodman

For my MLB home run picks today, we're heading to Dodger Stadium, where the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies. We're targeting a Rockies bat, which is a rarity away from Coors Field, but the matchup against Eric Lauer is simply too good to ignore.

Lauer has been absolutely terrible in 2026. He ranks in just the eighth percentile in barrel rate, third percentile in ground-ball rate, and 32nd percentile in hard-hit rate per Baseball Savant. That profile is significantly worse than the average pitcher he resembled last season — things have gone completely off the rails.

Hunter Goodman at +300 is my home run pick today. Goodman has a .212 ISO against left-handed pitchers this season, following a massive .273 ISO against them in 2025. He launched 31 home runs last season in a breakout campaign and already has 11 in 2026, cementing himself as the premier power bat in Colorado's lineup.

Temperatures at Dodger Stadium will be around 60 degrees with a slight breeze blowing out — not a perfect day for the long ball, but a bad pitcher makes up for a lot.

Best Bet: Hunter Goodman to Hit a Home Run FanDuel, +300

Good luck Tuesday — let's keep the MLB best bets rolling!

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