After the Yankees and Giants officially cut the ribbon on the new MLB season Wednesday night, we have a full-fledged Opening Day on Thursday with potentially profitable PrizePicks opportunities. We highlight four of our favorites below:
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Carlos Correa, HOU vs. LAA: More Than 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI
Correa is back for his first full Astros season since 2021 after returning via trade with the Twins at the deadline last summer. The veteran shortstop looked rejuvenated in his return, generating a .290 average and .785 OPS across 51 games. Correa posted a .346 wOBA after the All-Star break last season as well, and he was excellent against righties over that span with a .305 average, .819 OPS and .359 wOBA, along with 93 hits + runs + RBI in 61 games.
Thursday, Correa gets a crack at a same-handed matchup he's enjoyed success in previously, as Angels starter Jose Soriano has conceded a .500 average to him over six career plate appearances. Soriano also had most of his trouble against right-handed hitters last season, allowing a .268 average and .715 OPS in that split, along with 19 extra-base hits.
The Astros have a solid implied team total of 4.7 runs for Thursday's opener as well, furthering the case for Correa.
J.T. Realmuto, PHI vs. TEX: More Than 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBI
Realmuto returns for his seventh season in Philadelphia after a solid 2025 campaign, one where he put together a solid body of work in same-handed matchups, especially at home. Realmuto recorded a .292 average, .804 OPS and .349 wOBA versus right-handed pitching at Citizens Bank Park last season, along with 81 hits + runs + RBI in a 64-game sample.
Nathan Eovaldi takes the hill for Texas on Thursday, and while he's certainly not a pitcher to typically target, Realmuto has been able to solve the veteran righty more often than not in his career. Realmuto owns a .444 average and 1.278 OPS across 10 career encounters with Eovaldi, a sample where he's impressively struck out only once.
Eovaldi is coming off a career-best 2025 and was excellent on the road last season, but we're not asking Realmuto to do much to cash in this prop.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD vs. ARI: More Than 16 Pitching Outs
The Dodgers have done nothing but win World Series since Yamamoto came into town ahead of the 2024 season, and the Japanese right-hander has been a big reason why. Yamamoto is 19-10 with a 2.66 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 48 regular-season starts in that span, recording 306 strikeouts along the way.
Yamamoto has compiled some of those numbers at the expense of the Diamondbacks, who oppose him Thursday. Current Arizona hitters have mustered a collective .147 average and .450 OPS against Yamamoto in a 81 career encounters with him, striking out on 26 occasions in that span. Yamamoto has worked less than six innings just once in six career starts versus Arizona, and he allowed just a .205 average and .270 wOBA across 68 home innings last season.
Yamamoto recorded over 16 outs in six of 13 home starts last season, and he recorded at least 16 in one other outing. For the season, he eclipsed this prop in 23 of 30 starts overall, and given he pitched five crisp frames in his final spring start as well, he has a very solid outlook Thursday.
Jose Ramirez, CLE at SEA: More Than 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBI
Ramirez and the Guardians close out the night with a visit to the Mariners, who'll hand the ball to Logan Gilbert to start the season. Ramirez has a career .333 average and .908 OPS in 16 career plate appearances against Gilbert, going down on strikes just once in that sample.
Gilbert does have excellent stuff and has been very good at home the last two seasons, but he can pitch to some hard contact at times and has allowed a 1.4 HR/9 in two of the last three campaigns.
Ramirez put together a solid body of work on the road last season, posting a .278 average, .841 OPS and .359 wOBA in that split while striking out at a very modest 11.1 percent clip. Ramirez averaged 2.2 hits + runs + RBI in that split as well, and despite the tough starting pitcher matchup Thursday, this is a very reachable prop for Ramirez given he can accomplish it in just one plate appearance.
