# MLB Strikeout Props Today (May 1, 2026) — Best Pitcher K Picks > Who racks up strikeouts tonight? 15 games analyzed through K/9, whiff rate, and matchup data - Jacob Misiorowski leads the K board. Updated daily. **Date:** 2026-05-01 **Author:** HeatCheck HQ **Tags:** MLB, Strikeouts, Pitcher Props, K Props, Daily Picks, Player Props **Full article:** https://heatcheckhq.io/blog/mlb-strikeout-picks-may-1-2026 **Live picks & dashboards:** https://heatcheckhq.io --- **Today's best MLB strikeout prop picks for Friday, May 1, 2026** are Jacob Misiorowski (Score: 86 — 14.25 K/9, 39.5% whiff rate), MacKenzie Gore (Score: 70 — 12.19 K/9, 27.6% whiff rate), Robbie Ray (Score: 67 — 9.52 K/9, 28.5% whiff rate). Rankings are generated by HeatCheck HQ's 6-factor pitcher K scoring model, updated daily. # MLB Strikeout Props Today — May 1, 2026 28 pitchers, 15 games. Here's where the strikeout stuff and matchup align. > [Pitching Stats Dashboard](/mlb/pitching-stats) — full pitcher arsenals and K metrics for every starter. > **Yesterday's K picks:** [MLB Strikeout Picks - April 30](/blog/mlb-strikeout-picks-apr-30-2026) ## Today's Slate - AZ @ CHC (Zac Gallen vs Colin Rea) - 2:20 PM ET - TEX @ DET (MacKenzie Gore vs Jack Flaherty) - 6:40 PM ET - CIN @ PIT (Brady Singer vs Mitch Keller) - 6:45 PM ET - MIL @ WSH (Jacob Misiorowski vs Jake Irvin) - 6:45 PM ET - BAL @ NYY (TBD vs Will Warren) - 7:05 PM ET - HOU @ BOS (Mike Burrows vs TBD) - 7:10 PM ET - SF @ TB (Robbie Ray vs Shane McClanahan) - 7:10 PM ET - PHI @ MIA (Zack Wheeler vs Eury Pérez) - 7:10 PM ET - TOR @ MIN (Patrick Corbin vs Simeon Woods Richardson) - 8:10 PM ET - LAD @ STL (Emmet Sheehan vs Matthew Liberatore) - 8:15 PM ET - ATL @ COL (Grant Holmes vs Jose Quintana) - 8:40 PM ET - NYM @ LAA (Christian Scott vs Walbert Urena) - 9:38 PM ET - CLE @ ATH (Joey Cantillo vs J.T. Ginn) - 9:40 PM ET - CWS @ SD (Noah Schultz vs Germán Márquez) - 9:40 PM ET - KC @ SEA (Cole Ragans vs Bryan Woo) - 9:45 PM ET ## Pick 1: Jacob Misiorowski — MIL vs WSH RHP | 51 K on season | Nationals Park *51 K · 14.25 K/9 · 39.5% whiff · 3.31 ERA · 1.10 WHIP · 22.0% opp K rate* **Top K play tonight.** Jacob Misiorowski's 14.25 K/9 puts him in elite strikeout territory — the kind of arm that punches out a batter every nine pitches he's in the game. Tonight against WSH he keeps adding to the season total. The 39.5% whiff rate underneath confirms the stuff is real, not BABIP-fueled. The 4-seam fastball (46.3% whiff) is the put-away offering when he needs it. > **Dig deeper into pitcher arsenals** on the [Pitching Stats dashboard](/mlb/pitching-stats) — see pitch mix, whiff rates, and velocity for every starter. ## Pick 2: MacKenzie Gore — TEX vs DET LHP | 42 K on season | Comerica Park *42 K · 12.19 K/9 · 27.6% whiff · 4.35 ERA · 1.29 WHIP · 22.0% opp K rate* MacKenzie Gore's 12.19 K/9 puts him in elite strikeout territory — the kind of arm that punches out a batter every nine pitches he's in the game. Tonight against DET he keeps adding to the season total. The 27.6% whiff rate underneath confirms the stuff is real, not BABIP-fueled. The curveball (33.3% whiff) is the put-away offering when he needs it. ## Pick 3: Robbie Ray — SF vs TB LHP | 35 K on season | Tropicana Field *35 K · 9.52 K/9 · 28.5% whiff · 2.70 ERA · 1.14 WHIP · 22.0% opp K rate* Robbie Ray's slider is a put-away pitch — a 39.8% whiff rate on the season. He throws it 35% of the time, which means TB's hitters see it constantly. The 28.5% whiff rate underneath confirms the stuff is real, not BABIP-fueled. The 9.52 K/9 is the season-long anchor. ## Honorable Mentions - **Joey Cantillo** (CLE) vs ATH — 10.17 K/9, 27.4% whiff, 2.97 ERA, 34 K - **Cole Ragans** (KC) vs SEA — 11.00 K/9, 32.0% whiff, 5.00 ERA, 33 K - **Will Warren** (NYY) vs BAL — 10.71 K/9, 22.0% whiff, 2.59 ERA, 37 K ## Related Guides - [MLB Stats Explained](/blog/mlb-stats-explained) - [Hitter vs Pitcher Matchup Guide](/blog/hitter-vs-pitcher-matchup-guide) - [MLB Weather Betting Guide](/blog/mlb-weather-betting-guide) ## Before You Lock Check the [Pitching Stats dashboard](/mlb/pitching-stats) for full arsenal breakdowns and the [Hitting Stats page](/mlb/hitting-stats) for pitch mix analysis showing which lineups are most vulnerable to certain pitch types. Confirm lineups and starting pitchers before betting — a bullpen game changes everything. K/9 and whiff rate together are the strongest predictors of strikeout volume. Our strikeout model scores probable starters across 6 factors — K/9, whiff rate, opposing team K tendency, pitcher quality, workload pace, and venue. Full pitcher profiles on the [Pitching Stats dashboard](/mlb/pitching-stats). **More from HeatCheck HQ:** - [Pitching Stats Dashboard](/mlb/pitching-stats) — pitcher arsenals, K rates, and advanced metrics - [Hitting Stats Dashboard](/mlb/hitting-stats) — batter K vulnerability and pitch mix analysis - [Dinger Picks Today](/blog/mlb-dinger-of-the-day-may-1-2026) — Statcast-driven home run picks - [NRFI Picks Today](/blog/mlb-nrfi-picks-may-1-2026) — no run first inning best bets *Updated as lineups confirm. Full slate at [heatcheckhq.io](https://heatcheckhq.io).* ## Related Resources - Parent hub: [MLB Props Hub](/blog/topic/mlb-props) - Daily stream: [MLB Strikeout Picks](/blog/stream/mlb-strikeout-picks) - Author: [HeatCheck HQ](/blog/author/heatcheck-hq) - Browse all posts: [Sports Betting Insights & Guides](/blog) --- *Data powered by HeatCheck HQ — sports analytics platform. Free tools at https://heatcheckhq.io*