MLB Prop Bets: St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals (May 15, 2026)
The Kansas City Royals (19-25) face the St. Louis Cardinals (25-18) at Busch Stadium on Friday at 8:15pm (ET). Let's take a look at the MLB Prop Bets for the matchup. Michael Wacha is the probable pitcher for the Royals, while Dustin May is the probable pitcher for the Cardinals. The Cardinals are favored to win at -110, while the Royals are at -109. The total runs line is set at 8.5, with OVER at -112 and UNDER at -107.
- The Royals (+142) have a 20-24 Run Line record this season, while the Cardinals (-172) hold a record of 28-15.
- The Royals have a 20-22-2 O/U record this season (meaning 20 games have gone over the total runs line, 22 have gone under and two have resulted in a push). The Cardinals have a 19-22-2 O/U record.
Scoring Insights
- The Royals are averaging 4.1 runs per game this season (25th in the league). Comparatively, the Cardinals are averaging +0.5 more at 4.6 runs (9th).
- In the field, the Royals are allowing 4.6 runs per game this season (19th in the league), while the Cardinals are allowing an average of 4.6 runs (T20th).
Let's take a look at how these teams perform in some other key statistical areas.
Batting Insights:
Batting Average
- Looking at their batting averages this season, the Royals are at .240 (ranking 15th in the Major leagues), while the Cardinals are batting .240 (14th).
Home Runs
- In terms of total home runs this season, the Cardinals have hit 49 (T12th in the Major Leagues). Meanwhile, the Royals have managed 44 (T16th).
Runs Batted In
- Finally, looking at their runs batted in, the Royals have recorded 174 RBIs to rank T21st in the MLB this season. Comparatively, the Cardinals have recorded 193 RBIs to rank 10th.
Pitching Insights:
Earned Run Average
- The Cardinals have an earned run average of 4.29 this season (19th in the Majors), while The Royals have an ERA of 4.43 (22nd).
Strikeouts
- Turning our attention to total strikeouts, the Royals have recorded 373 this season, ranking T13th in the MLB. Meanwhile, the Cardinals rank 30th for total strikeouts, recording 312.
Opponent Batting Average
- Opponents are batting an average of .254 against the Cardinals this season (24th in the Major Leagues). Comparatively, the Royals' opponents are at .238 (12th).
First Innings Moneyline
- Here are their first innings moneyline records in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | 6-10-28 | 3-5-15 | 3-5-13 | 3-6-16 | 3-4-12 | 0-0-0 | 3-2-5 |
| Cardinals | 7-8-28 | 2-3-15 | 5-5-13 | 0-2-1 | 7-6-27 | 0-0-0 | 1-3-6 |
Lead After Three Innings
The Royals are -120 to lead after three innings, while the Cardinals are -110.
- Here are their records after the first three innings in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | 14-21-9 | 9-9-5 | 5-12-4 | 7-14-4 | 7-7-5 | 0-0-0 | 4-5-1 |
| Cardinals | 17-13-13 | 9-5-6 | 8-8-7 | 1-1-1 | 16-12-12 | 0-0-0 | 2-4-4 |
NRFI/YRFI
The NRFI market is paying -120 and the YRFI is paying -110.
- The NRFI is 27-17 in Royals games this season. The Cardinals have a 23-20 NRFI record.
Last Time They Met
The Royals recorded a 7-5 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium when these teams last met on June 5, 2025. Maikel Garcia was unstoppable in that matchup, hitting a home run, a double and recording 2 RBIs.
