Masataka Yoshida (NA) Under 1.5 Walks (-588)
Odds available at draftkings at time of publishing
As the Athletics prepare to take on the Red Sox, all eyes will be on Masataka Yoshida. While he’s shown flashes of brilliance at the plate, recent trends suggest that he might struggle to draw walks against Oakland's pitching. The A’s have been surprisingly effective in limiting free passes, ranking among the top teams in the league for fewest walks allowed.
Yoshida has a compact swing and tends to put the ball in play rather than waiting for his pitch, which could play into Oakland's hands. Additionally, he’s faced a barrage of high-quality arms lately, and with Chris Bassitt on the mound for the A’s, who excels at minimizing baserunners, it’s likely he’ll find himself swinging rather than waiting. Given these dynamics, taking the under on Yoshida’s walks at 1.5 feels like a smart play in this matchup.