Best Future Bets for MLB Strikeout Leader: Crochet, Gilbert, and Cease

Happy St Patrick’s Day for all who celebrate! One more week (and a day) to go until we get actual MLB baseball games that count! 

That gives us more time to check out some of the many props on the boards. 

Today, I’m going to look at another full season prop, namely Most Regular Season Strikeouts for pitchers.

Garrett Crochet (+500 Caesars)

No surprise, but the three clear Aces of MLB have the shortest odds. Of that trio, we get the best price on Garrett Crochet here, and he just happens to have led the league in 2025 with 255 K’s, a shade ahead of Tarik Skubal at 241. 

It was quite the achievement as Crochet had only one year of starting under his belt, and there were questions coming in whether he would have any limitations. Clearly he did not as he made 32 starts and logged 205.1 innings, second most in the league. He had a 31.3% K%, second to Skubal among qualified SP’s.

 I get why Skubal has shorter odds. He’s the two-time defending Cy Young Award winner and the Tigers have every reason in the world to just let him pitch as much as he can given he’s in his walk here and likely not coming back to Detroit. But there’s no reason for the Sox to hold back Crochet in any way, so why not take the slightly better price?

Logan Gilbert (¼ unit +3000 BetRivers)

Gilbert was one of the sturdiest pitchers in MLB from 2022-2024, making every start and leading MLB with 208.1 IP in 2024 while striking out 220. He made his first IL stint in 2025 and made it just 131 IP, but it came with a career high 32.3% K% and 17.3% SwStr%, both of which would have led the league if he qualified. Can he combine his usual durability with his improved Whiff stuff? 

No way to know until he does it but he’s healthy now and has 12 K’s in 11.1 spring innings and I love taking a shot at it at these prices.

Dylan Cease (¼ unit +1500 Caesars)

Cease has all sorts of warts as a pitcher, mostly having to do with his ability to throw strikes (or his willingness to do so). 

He had a 9.8% BB% (20th percentile) and a poor 36.8% Ball%. But we’re concerned with strikeouts here and he’s a horse who never misses a start. I mean that almost literally, he’s started at least 32 games every season back to 2020, and he made 12 starts then which was also a full load. He’s also no slouch with the K’s as his 33.4% Whiff% was 95th percentile last year, and his 29.8% K% was 89th percentile. 

He’s struck out between 214 and 227 every season back to 2021. It’s just nutty dependability and consistency as far as innings and K’s go (ERA, not so much of course). He’s a great bet to be near the top of the K charts, but I long shot to win the crown. But hey, we’re also getting nice odds, so maybe it breaks right for him this year.