MLB Best Bets Today, 5/30: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Friday
Welcome to tonight’s MLB best bets for this slate of MLB action here at Fantasy Alarm on this Friday, May 30th, 2025! As we hit the end of the week, I now sit at 8-5-1 overall with a little over a unit of bankroll in the green. I realize it’s not been a flashy period, but I will say this, we're still up and over the course of a season, these kinds of weeks make a difference. Full slate on this Friday of all 30 teams in action, so check out my wagers below as there are many!
In this MLB Best Bets Today article, you will find a wide array of choices from some Money Lines to game totals and, on occasion, some player props! Check out the rationale and if you agree with me, make sure to tail and good luck!
Now, let's dive into my expert MLB Best Bets today!
- Season Record: 107-78-5
- Bankroll: +14.3 units
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MLB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 5/30
Cardinals vs. Rangers Predictions
It’s a Friday night matchup between these interleague opponents as the Cardinals travel down to Texas to take on the Rangers for a weekend series! One team has been a surprise while the other has disappointed so far this season, and you know which team is which. Lots to dig into in this game so let’s go ahead and dive into it.
Matthew Liberatore will start tonight for the Cardinals, and that’s a great thing for them as he’s been nails in the month of May. Over 28.1 innings, he’s allowed just 7 earned runs, 24 hits, and 6 walks, which makes the ERA and WHIP look mighty nice. I think he will keep rolling today too, as the Rangers' offense has a BABIP of .261 against lefties and is striking out 27.5% of the time! The K-rate is the 3rd highest in MLB right now, and to pile on more, their ISO (isolated power) number sits at .118, the 7th lowest number in MLB against the southpaws. This should set up Liberatore well tonight as he aims to go over 4.5 strikeouts, something he has done in 5 starts this season.
In addition to the Cardinals' pitching, we have Jack Leiter going on the opposite side, and he’s having a May to forget right now. His ERA has ballooned to 5.2 over 27.2 innings of work, and he’s been walking way too many batters at 16 to his 17 strikeouts. The Cardinals are a disciplined team that strikes out only 19.2% of the time against righties, so it will be a long night for the Rangers' rookie pitcher. The Rangers have also lost 8 of their last 10 games and are in a mega slump overall, so give me the Cardinals to win this game tonight on the Money Line.
Pick: Matthew Liberatore (STL) Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-105 on DraftKings)
Pick: Cardinals Money Line (-130 on DraftKings)
Giants vs. Marlins Predictions
Whatever Cal Quantrill has been trying to sell all of us over his last 2 starts, I am not buying! He pitched well against the Angels and Rays recently, but that does not deter me one bit; I know this is a bad pitcher. His overall season ERA is 6.09, and WHIP is 1.49, and he’s allowed 51 hits over 44.1 innings pitched, and tonight he regresses back to the mean against the Giants.
Quantrill has been destroyed by right-handed hitting this season, allowing an average of .384 and an OPS of 1.035 over the course of 86 at-bats. The Giants have plenty of right-handed hitters to take him on tonight, from Heliot Ramos to Matt Chapman and Willy Adames! Of that group, Chapman is the one swinging the pole best over the past 7 days, hitting .286 with a pair of doubles and 3 runs scored. He is projected to hit 5th tonight, which is a great spot for a hits/runs/RBIs prop as he should go up to the plate with base runners for the majority of his at-bats. Give me the over 1.5 on that prop, and let’s move on to the next wager.
This one, of course, targets Quantrill overall as the Giants' team total sits at 4.5 runs on the night. San Francisco is middle of the pack in terms of runs per game on the road at 4.33, but they’ve slumped in the last 2 series, bringing their numbers down. I believe they bounce back to their expected numbers tonight in a great matchup, and for that, the over is my bet here on the Giants.
Pick: Matt Chapman (SF) Over 1.5 Hits/Runs/RBIs (-130 on DraftKings)
Pick: Giants Team Total Over 4.5 Runs (-120 on DraftKings)
Best MLB Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 5/30
Pick: Pete Alonso (NYM) Over 1.5 Hits/Runs/RBIs (-145 on DraftKings)
Pick: Ronald Acuna (ATL) Over 2.5 Hits/Runs/RBIs (+100 on DraftKings)
Pick: Tigers & Royals Under 8.5 Runs (-105 on DraftKings)
Pick: Rays & Astros Under 8.5 Runs (-125 on DraftKings)
Pick: Cal Raleigh (SEA) Over 1.5 Hits/Runs/RBIs (-110 on DraftKings)
Player News
Kirby Yates (hamstring) will face hitters on Wednesday in a live batting practice session.
With Tanner Scott continuing to struggle, Yates could wind up factoring into the closing mix for Los Angeles when he’s ready to return from the injured list in a couple weeks.
Royce Lewis has been dropped to eighth in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Athletics.
Lewis is going through it at the dish of late. He’s hitless over his last eight games (0-for-28) and is batting just .127 (9-for-71) with one homer over 21 games this season. The Twins are going to let him work through things at the bottom of the order for now.
Cardinals signed LHP Tyler Matzek to a minor league contract.
Matzek was a key cog in Atlanta’s run to a World Series title back in 2021 before injuries derailed his career. The 34-year-old southpaw made seven relief appearances earlier this year for the Yankees before being jettisoned from New York’s 40-man roster and electing free agency.
Giants recalled RHP Sean Hjelle from Triple-A Sacramento.
Hjelle returns to San Francisco’s bullpen mix ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Padres with Jordan Hicks hitting the injured list with toe inflammation. The 28-year-old righty will be making his season debut when he gets into a game. He made a career-high 58 relief appearances last year for the Giants.
Giants placed RHP Jordan Hicks on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 2, with right toe inflammation.
Hicks was moved to San Francisco’s bullpen back in mid-May and has looked sharp in four relief outings since the transition. The hard-throwing 28-year-old righty should return before the end of June.
Gavin Sheets (head) is back in the lineup for Tuesday’s showdown against the Giants.
Sheets passed all concussion-related tests after a terrifying-looking collision with the center-field wall over the weekend. The 29-year-old slugger is back at DH and batting fifth on Tuesday night following a one-game absence.