MLB Wednesday Picks - August 28

It’s Wednesday, and we’ve got our MLB Wednesday picks as the dog days of summer roll through August into September in just a few short days. Each of the 30 MLB teams is on the slate today, with a four-pack of afternoon games among today’s action on the diamond. Let’s get right into Wednesday’s MLB picks for August 28.

MLB Wednesday predictions

Aaron Judge Over 1.5 Total Bases (-145)

Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates - Pittsburgh Pirates ML (-110)

Tanner Bibee Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-140)

MLB Wednesday Picks: Aaron Judge Over 1.5 Total Bases (-145)

We’ll begin our MLB picks for Wednesday with the presumptive AL MVP (sorry, Bobby Witt Jr. fans) and a player on a maniacal tear right now, Aaron Judge. To illustrate just how ridiculous Judge has been over the past month, he’s raised his batting average from .306 to .333. It’s incredibly difficult to raise your average this late in the season, but to jump it up almost three full percent? Judge also has 16 home runs, 33 RBI and a .426/.557/.960 triple slash for a 1.518 OPS.

Judge has EIGHT of those home runs in the past 10 days, with two doubles and 12 RBI. Saying Judge is on a tear doesn’t even do him justice. Is there another term we can use for him? However you want to quantify it, Judge is on an awesome run and faces the Washington Nationals’ lefty MacKenzie Gore. Judge is still just as potent facing an opposite-handed pitcher, with 15 home runs, a .313 average, and 1.271 OPS against lefties. We’re taking Aaron Judge Over 1.5 Total Bases (-145) this evening.

MLB Wednesday Picks: Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates - Pittsburgh Pirates ML (-110)

The next contest we’ll target for Wednesday’s MLB picks is a matchup at PNC Park as the Pittsburgh Pirates host the resurgent Chicago Cubs in an early-afternoon showdown. Taking the bump for home Pirates is the rookie sensation Paul Skenes, who has been Pittsburgh’s best pitcher this season and is on a trajectory toward superstardom after just 18 starts. Skenes will be opposed by the only player remaining from the Cubs’ World Series in 2016, right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

Hendricks has been awful this season but has burrowed his way out of a double-digit ERA to get it “down” to a 6.36 ERA. He’s pitched much better this month with a 3.45 ERA, but in his two starts against Pittsburgh, he’s given up eight earned and 13 hits in 9 ⅔ innings for an ERA over 7. Skenes, on the other hand, has been awesome even in what technically has been his worst month of the season, as he’s gone 2-1, averaging just four hits and two earned runs with eight strikeouts on average in his four starts in August.

Even with the Pirates at the bottom of the NL Central, each time Skenes takes the mound is their best opportunity to grab a win, and being at home is icing on the cake. We like taking the Pittsburgh Pirates ML (-110) this afternoon.

MLB Wednesday Picks: Tanner Bibee Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-140)

Our final MLB best bet for Wednesday gets us back into familiar territory if you’ve read this article all season. We can’t help but love a nice Tanner Bibee prop, and he’s been awesome for us this season. Let’s return to the well as Bibee faces the Kansas City Royals at home in a must-win game. The Royals have been creeping up behind the Guardians in the AL Central standings and, as of this writing, are just a game behind the Guardians in the division race.

Bibee has been excellent against the Royals in his two starts against them this season, giving up just two earned runs in each start. He’s been working through a sore shoulder lately, which has dipped his strikeout totals for the last month, but he’s made some solid progress with six and seven strikeouts in his previous two starts, eclipsing the 5.5 strikeout prop both times. 

If the Guardians need a big-time start, it’s coming from Bibee, who has been their best pitcher this season. The last time we took this strikeout prop, it was at 6.5 and 7.5, so this is a massive discount for somebody holding a 9.8 K/9 rate for the season.

Giving us the gift of Tanner Bibee Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-140) in a must-win game is a great move to make for Bibee and the Guardians.