Blue Jays vs. Royals Prediction & Prop Pick: A Yusei Kikuchi Strikeout Prop for April 4 Showdown

John Hyslop is here with his play of the day! Check out the MLB player prop bet he’s locking in for Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kansas City Royals on April 4, 2023.

Blue Jays vs. Royals Pick: Yusei Kikuchi Over 4.5 Strikeouts | -110 at DraftKings

We’re going to Draftkings for this banger because these guys are sleeping at the wheel. Kind of. They would only let me bet $40.99 on this thing so it’s not like they’re completely asleep but the price they’ve got is a little off.

While everyone else on the planet has moved this number to -120 or higher, they’re just hanging out with their noses open waiting for someone to punch them. You almost have to respect that level of stubbornness. Almost.

Here’s the thing — this guy looked awful last season but we need to have a short memory in this game we play. We just do. What I want to focus on is the meaningless Spring Training stats this guy hung up.

I get that Spring Training legit means nothing — maybe less — but when your guy blows up, those stats mean everything. We’re talking about a man who sat down 31 MLB hitters this spring. That has to count for something. He damn sure shouldn’t be a 4.5 guy after doing that.

What makes this bet even more perfect is the fact that he’s getting the Kansas City Royals tonight. They got their first win of the season yesterday so you know they are fat and happy. It’s the perfect time for a guy like Kikuchi to strike.

Keep in mind, even though the Royals hit the ball well yesterday, Jose Berrios still fanned seven of them. We all watched him do it. If we’re being honest here (we are), I wouldn’t be surprised if Kikuchi goes double digits on these Royals tonight.

There are like seven of them that strike out more than 23% of the time (every time). Feels right.