James Wood leads Friday MLB home run prop picks

James Wood enters Friday with 28 home runs, a dozen of them coming in his past 12 games, and SportsLine’s Matt Severance has the Nationals slugger on his home run prop card as MLB resumes with a full slate after the All-Star break.

Severance’s Friday picks include Wood at +285 on DraftKings, Rockies utility man Willi Castro at +447 on FanDuel and Braves third baseman Austin Riley at +285 on DraftKings. His column frames the selections around matchups, ballparks, weather and recent power numbers.

Wood gets the Sacramento setup

Wood and Washington are scheduled to face the Athletics in Sacramento at 9:40 p.m. ET, with Severance pointing to Sutter Health Park as a hitter-friendly setting. He wrote that the park has played close to Coors Field for power, with heat and wind often helping balls carry.

For Friday, Severance noted that the first-pitch temperature is expected to be around 85 degrees, with winds working in hitters’ favor.

Wood is tied for fourth in the majors with 28 homers, according to Severance. He also homered in each of Washington’s final three games before the All-Star break, all solo shots in home losses to the Yankees. In July, Severance listed Wood at a .441 average, a 1.789 OPS and seven home runs.

Severance also highlighted Wood’s unusual lineup spot for a power bat: leadoff. He wrote that the role can give Wood an extra plate appearance, and noted that Wood leads the majors with 89 runs. His nine leadoff homers lead MLB and match Alfonso Soriano’s 2006 mark for the most in a Nationals season, according to Severance.

The matchup is not perfect on paper. Wood bats left-handed and, as Severance noted, has stronger splits against right-handers. Friday’s listed Oakland starter is lefty prospect Gage Jump. Still, Severance pointed to Jump’s Sacramento numbers: 1-3 with a 6.20 ERA at home and all four of his homers allowed this season, compared with a 0.75 ERA in four road starts.

Castro gets Coors and a struggling starter

Severance’s second detailed play is Castro, whose Rockies open a weekend series against the Reds at Coors Field at 8:40 p.m. ET. Severance cited Denver’s thin air, low-90s temperatures and winds blowing toward left at about 9 mph.

The opposing starter is Cincinnati right-hander Brady Singer, whom Severance listed at 3-9 with a 4.72 ERA. Singer has allowed 20 home runs, tied for fifth-most, according to the column.

Severance also pointed to Singer’s sharp home-road split. He has a 2.98 ERA and a .228 opponents’ average at Great American Ball Park, compared with an 0-5 record, a 6.75 ERA and a .331 opponents’ average away from home.

Castro has seven homers this season and is batting .317 at home, compared with .208 on the road, according to Severance. He is also the only Rockies hitter with more than five career at-bats against Singer, and Severance noted that Castro has two homers in 21 at-bats in that matchup.

Schwarber sets the power-market pace

Before listing the Friday props, Severance also checked in on the MLB home run race. Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber leads the majors with 32 homers and is now the -130 favorite to finish first in MLB, after opening in spring behind Yankees star Aaron Judge, who was +350.

Severance wrote that Schwarber’s updated season total is 52.5. Schwarber has led the National League in homers twice, but has not led all of MLB. The last Phillies player to do so was Ryan Howard, who hit 48 in 2008.

This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.