MLB Props for May 22, 2026: Alvarez, deGrom, and Ohtani Are the Plays Tonight

It is a stacked Friday night in baseball — 15 games on the slate, full stadiums, and a prop board that is practically gift-wrapping a few plays if you know where to look. Whether you are settling in for a few hours of channel-hopping or just want a reason to care about what happens at Oracle Park tonight, there is something here for everyone.

Here are three MLB props for May 22 that cross different bet types — a total bases hammer, a strikeout machine, and one of the scariest hitters in the NL Central right now. Let’s run through them.

Yordan Alvarez at 1.5 Total Bases Is Free Money Against Jameson Taillon

Yordan Alvarez is the most dangerous hitter in Houston’s lineup, and today he faces Jameson Taillon at Wrigley Field in a 2:20 PM day game. That sentence alone should have your attention. Alvarez is batting .303 with 15 home runs, 31 RBI, and 112 total bases through 51 games this season — those are numbers that put him among the very best hitters in baseball.

Taillon has a 2-3 record and a 4.97 ERA for the Cubs, and while he is not a pushover, Alvarez has made a habit of punishing pitchers who operate in the strike zone with fastballs and cutters. Wrigley Field can be a great hitting park when the wind is blowing out toward Lake Shore Drive, and a day game in May typically brings favorable conditions for offense. Alvarez averaging 2.2 total bases per game makes the over at 1.5 a comfortable lean here.

If your book gives you a total bases prop or an alternate line at 2.5+, that is worth considering as well. Alvarez hit 15 home runs in 51 games — he is going deep roughly every 3.4 games. The day game, the pitcher, the park — all of it lines up for a big afternoon from number 44.

Jacob deGrom Is Back and Striking Everybody Out in Texas

Jacob deGrom is healthy, sharp, and absolutely cooking in 2026. The Texas Rangers ace carries a 3.02 ERA with 61 strikeouts through 50.2 innings, good for a 10.84 K/9 rate. Tonight he faces the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium — and the Angels rank among the worst offenses in the American League. They are 17-34 on the year, which tells you everything you need to know about this lineup.

The Angels’ opposing starter has a 17.18 ERA, which is not a typo. This team cannot hit. deGrom coming off a healthy stretch of starts with a double-digit strikeout rate per nine has the profile to post a big number tonight. Angel Stadium is a fairly neutral park, and with deGrom’s slider and fastball combination looking as sharp as it has in years, the strikeout total is the play here regardless of which team wins.

Check your book for current lines on deGrom’s strikeouts, but any total at 7.5 or under looks beatable based on his rate data. He has 61 K in about 50 innings — that is a pitcher who is punching guys out in bulk. At some point he will have a quiet night, but against a lineup this bad, tonight is not it.

Shohei Ohtani’s Total Bases Should Be Everyone’s Weekend Starter

Shohei Ohtani is Shohei Ohtani. The man is batting .272 with 8 home runs, 26 RBI, and 84 total bases through 49 games this year as a full-time designated hitter for the Dodgers. Tonight the Dodgers head to Milwaukee to face Logan Henderson, a righty starter with a 3.50 ERA and just 18 innings on the year — meaning he is either dealing with a workload limit or just getting established in the rotation, and either way, he is an unknown quantity in a big spot.

The Dodgers are 31-19 and have one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball from top to bottom. American Family Field plays as a neutral park with some offensive variance, and Ohtani against a young, relatively unproven starter is a recipe for contact and power. He is averaging 1.71 total bases per game this season, and against a pitcher with limited big-league track record, the over at 1.5 total bases is a reasonable play.

Ohtani is also the kind of player who draws walks, gets pitch counts up, and gets multiple looks at a starter in games the Dodgers lead early. On a big Friday night, bet the star and enjoy the show. His 8 home runs in 49 games also keeps his HR prop interesting at +280 to +320 range on most books — check your number and consider a small play there too.

Roll All Three Into Your Friday Night

You have got a power hitter in Alvarez going up against a middling starter in a day game at Wrigley, the best pitcher in the AL facing one of the worst offenses in baseball, and Ohtani doing what Ohtani does against an inexperienced starter. That is three clean angles across three different games. Here are the plays.

• Yordan Alvarez OVER 1.5 total bases vs Chicago Cubs (check your book for current lines)
• Jacob deGrom OVER 6.5 strikeouts vs Los Angeles Angels (check your book for current lines)
• Shohei Ohtani OVER 1.5 total bases vs Milwaukee Brewers (check your book for current lines)

May 22 is one of those Friday slates that rewards bettors who did their homework. Cash your props, enjoy the weekend, and check back for more picks tomorrow.