Yesterday was quite the day in baseball – both on and off the field. The trade deadline is at 6 PM tonight which means it’s the last day for contenders to stock up with another bat on the bench or reliever in the bullpen. I’m expecting plenty of movement throughout the day, but let’s focus on tonight. I’ve found 2 player props to lock in tonight (assuming no trades), so let’s jump into it!
Hunter Brown (HOU) to record a win (+115)
Hunter Brown's turnaround has been incredible to watch. Houston's young ace was one of the worst pitchers in baseball with a 9.78 ERA after his first 6 starts, but he's been a completely different pitcher in the last 2 months. Brown was 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA in 5 starts in June and he's 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 5 starts in July. He has the opportunity to win his 10th game tonight, which would be his 4th win in his last 4 starts and 9th win in his last 10 starts. In that 10-game span, Brown has limited hitters to a .230 batting average, a .204 xBA, a 26% strikeout rate, and an incredible 26% hard-hit rate. Tonight, he takes on a Pittsburgh lineup that ranks 24th in OPS and wRC+ since the All-Star break. Plus, Brown has allowed just 2 runs and 12 hits in his last 19 innings at home. I'm confident that Brown will keep the Pittsburgh lineup limited while the Houston offense gets a few against Bailey Falter. At plus odds, it's worth t he risk to get Brown to record his 10th win of the year.