MLB Best Bets Today, 4/12: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Saturday

Welcome back to another round of MLB Best Bets Today as the 2025 baseball season rolls on.
Saturday’s slate is filled with 15 games on the baseball schedule, spanning all afternoon and evening. Before the games get going, let’s find some winning MLB predictions and picks. We’ll focus on two games for our MLB best bets today before dishing out a few baseball player props to consider.
Keep in mind, some of these odds or lines could move before first pitch. Without further ado, let’s dive into our MLB Best Bets Today.
MLB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 4/12
Our MLB Best Bets Today start with a divisional showdown between the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. Let’s target the total in that AL West matchup with some talented pitchers on the bump.
We’ll also dive into a National League battle between the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals for our second round of MLB predictions. Check out the MLB picks, props, and bets to make as you enjoy Saturday’s baseball action.
Rangers vs. Mariners Predictions: Saturday, April 12th
Today’s AL West matchup between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers features a pair of exciting young arms. Bryan Woo and Kumar Rocker both offer plenty of upside and they should combine to anchor a lower-scoring game on Saturday night.
Woo had a breakout 2024 campaign for Seattle with a 2.89 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. He began this season on a high note with six innings of one-run ball against the Athletics. Despite allowing four runs against the Giants in his second outing, there are some positives to take away. Woo had a 6:1 K:BB ratio in the game and three of the four runs allowed came on one swing (a three-run homer).
Woo should bounce back at home, where he had a 2.47 ERA with a 25.3% K rate and .186 batting average allowed last season. The right-hander has taken full advantage of Seattle’s pitcher-friendly park. He’ll face a Rangers offense that’s hitting just .193 (30th in MLB) with a .266 wOBA (29th) against righties so far.
Meanwhile, Texas starter Kumar Rocker can do his part for the under to cash. The rookie pitcher had a shaky season debut with six runs allowed in Cincinnati. Yet, he rebounded with five innings of one-run ball against the Rays last outing. In that start, Rocker threw his sinker a lot more and stayed away from the four-seam fastball.
Rocker’s raw talent has been well-documented at this point. We’ve yet to see it consistently in the majors, though. He was up-and-down in three MLB starts last year after posting a 1.96 ERA in the minors in 2024.
Rocker’s last start and the pitch adjustments are encouraging that he can be effective in easier matchups moving forward. That’s the case today in a favorable ballpark in Seattle against a below-average offense. The Mariners are batting .199 on the year (28th) with a .286 wOBA (23rd) as a team.
- Expert Rangers vs. Mariners Picks:
- Under 7 Total Runs (-110 on BetMGM)
- 1st Innings Under 4 Runs (-118 on BetMGM)
Phillies vs. Cardinals Predictions: Saturday, April 12th
Cristopher Sanchez had a breakout season last year for Philly. However, he proved to be a much different pitcher on the road. Sanchez had a 5.02 ERA and 1.66 WHIP on the road compared to a 2.21 ERA and 0.97 WHIP at home. Those are some eye-opening home/road splits for the Phillies’ southpaw.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are hitting lefties very well this season. They have a .367 wOBA (fourth in MLB) and .826 OPS (fifth) in the split with a high 15.9% walk rate vs. left-handers (second). It’s a tough spot for Sanchez, who struggled a bit against the Dodgers last time out with four runs allowed on six hits.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia offense can get to Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas as well today. Mikolas got rocked last start, allowing nine runs on 11 hits across just 2.2 innings to the Red Sox. The veteran right-hander had a 5.35 ERA last season and is already off to a shaky start to the 2025 campaign.
Mikolas also struggled to a 6.16 ERA at home last year. Now he faces a dangerous Phillies lineup that’s crushing right-handed pitchers so far. They boast a .357 wOBA (fifth), .807 OPS (sixth), 14.8% walk rate (first), and 16.2% K rate (first) vs. righties this season so far.
Plus, we have a pair of underperforming bullpens once Sanchez and Mikolas leave the game. St. Louis has a 5.64 ERA as a relief corps while Philadelphia’s relievers have a 4.15 ERA as a unit. All signs point to a higher-scoring contest that gets going early.
- Expert Phillies vs. Cardinals Picks:
- Over 7.5 Total Runs (-128 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
- 1st 5 Innings Over 4.5 Runs (+104 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Best MLB Player Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 4/12
- Drew Rasmussen (Rays) – Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+105 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
- AJ Smith-Shawver (Braves) – Over 4.5 Hits Allowed (-120 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Jordan Hicks (Giants) – Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-135 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Player News
Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) was scratched from his scheduled bullpen session on Thursday and will undergo an MRI exam after experiencing soreness in his shoulder.
That’s not what you want to hear. The 25-year-old right-hander had thrown a couple of bullpen sessions as he was working his way back from inflammation in his pitching elbow. This is obviously a major setback, the scale of which won’t fully be understood until the O’s get the results of the MRI exam. At this point, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll pitch in the big leagues at all during the 2025 season.
Jake Fraley connected on a grand slam while going 3-for-5, but the Reds fell to the Mariners on Thursday in extra innings.
Cal Raleigh hit a solo homer in the ninth in the Mariners’ extra-inning win over the Reds on Thursday.
Randy Arozarena hit the game-tying homer in the ninth inning and had a two-run single in the 10th to give the Mariners an 11-7 win over the Reds on Thursday.
Emilio Pagan gave up two runs while blowing a save against the Mariners on Thursday.
Brady Singer allowed four runs — two earned — while working 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Thursday.