#Hard Hit

Geoff Pontes hosted a chat to discuss the Astros system. You can read the transcript here. JC (NYC): Hey Geoff! I'm sure I'm not the only one asking about this player, but how close was Colin Barber to making the top 10? When healthy (and it's not often) he seems to show solid tools. Are consistent injury concerns keeping him from the top? Thank…

As of June 8, the Detroit Tigers have the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball. Wait, what? The same Detroit Tigers whose abysmal late-game pitching potentially cost them multiple World Series appearances and - potentially - wins? The ones who threw money at proven veterans with excellent track records only to turn into pumpkins in Detroit? Yes, the…

Austin Riley has be a key member of the Atlanta Braves offense for the past two years. In 2022 he took his offensive output to a new level. Let's explore what he did differently that helped him see his offense reach the elite level territory. In 2021, Riley had a slash line of.303/.367/.531 with 33 HRs and a 136 wRC+ in 662 plate appearances. In…

The Oakland Athletics have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Fujinami was submitted to Major League Baseball's "posting system" back in December by the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. Fujinami, 28, was once considered a rival to Los Angeles…

Sunday means plenty of early baseball, but also means a new edition of The Run Line tonight from 8-10 p.m. ET with pinch-hit host Holden Kushner and myself talking all things MLB. It should be a lot of fun and I hope you get the chance to tune in. You can listen live HERE or subscribers can watch the live videostream HERE. There isn't a lot of time…

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If they ever decide to start measuring baseball championships in guts and heart rather than wins and losses, Josh Naylor could be a Hall of Famer. Naylor, who beat the odds and returned from a gruesome leg injury that ended his 2021 season, gutted out a playoff win against the Yankee s on Friday with two hits and a run scored. It…

We're just about a week into the new MLB season and there is certainly no shortage of bets to choose from. We've looked through the market, so continue reading to find baseball's best betting MLB player props for today's slate. We got a jam-packed MLB schedule today with things kicking off at noon and going to 7:10 p.m ET. With all this action,…

With the 2022 MLB All-Star festivities in the books, it's time for a quick round of bold predictions before the second half of the season gets underway on Thursday. What follows are 10 bold predictions for the remainder of the 2022 season, focusing mostly on individual players rather than teams since there will be plenty of postseason predictions…

I can't be the only person whose pulse spiked seeing the words "Rafael Devers" and "agreement" on their phone Tuesday until realizing it was just for a $17.5-million deal covering his last year before free agency. No matter. Good news is good news, and avoiding even the suggestion of arbitration with The Last Red Sox Superstar qualifies as…

The Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies will conclude their brief two-game series Wednesday afternoon. With that said, it's a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our White Sox-Rockies prediction and pick we have laid out below. Chicago is playing some of their best baseball recently, winning three straight and seven of…

What a difference a winless month makes. That's the bottom line when it comes to analyzing the recently completed BYU football season, as the Cougars marched out of independence and into the Big 12 with an 8-5 record marred considerably by the 0-for-4 October in which star quarterback Jaren Hall played hurt, the Cougars' defense utterly collapsed…

The Milwaukee Brewers take on the San Francisco Giants. Check out our MLB odds series for our Brewers Giants prediction and pick. Brandon Woodruff gets the call for the Brewers, while Alex Wood goes to the rubber for the Giants. Brandon Woodruff had a 4.74 ERA for the season on May 27. He got injured and was on the shelf for a month. He returned on…

With Soto rumors swirling around Washington, it looks like it will have a very hollow lineup heading into tonight's matchup. With deGrom making his season debut, what can we expect? Find out in our MLB betting picks and predictions for Mets vs. Nationals. The New York Mets and Washington Nationals begin Game 2 of their three-game series tonight…

The Astros are looking for revenge after somehow squandering an excellent chance at a series win over the Yankees in the Bronx last week. New York starter Luis Severino struggles against hard-hitting offenses and we like Houston to cause problems. The New York Yankees and Houston Astros meet tonight for a rare one-game matchup at Minute Maid…

Paul Blackburn's hot start and All-Star nod have helped mask the fact that he's been just brutal of late. And as he continues regressing, our MLB betting picks think the A's feeble bats won't keep up with the runs he bleeds. Don't look now, but the Oakland Athletics have won seven of their last eight games as they face off against Chicago White Sox…

As much as savvy bettors will say to bet numbers and not teams, there are always extenuating factors that handicappers have to consider on a game-by-game basis. One such factor is motivation or what's at stake for either side in a given matchup. For instance, the Miami Marlins have nothing to play for on Wednesday night, while the Philadelphia…

The Toronto Blue Jays have taken two of the first three games against the New York Yankees and will look to put an exclamation point on this four-game set in the series finale. Toronto hasn't exactly mashed its way to victory but has managed to win twice (as an MLB betting underdog) by keeping the Yankee bats silent, including getting by New York…

The Toronto Blue Jays have been destroying opposing pitchers of late, and they'll get some help from their mound as well in pushing tonight's total. We're (naturally) fading Yusei Kikuchi against the Tigers - get your best MLB bets for tonight's matchup. The Toronto Blue Jays' seven-game winning streak came to end last night, but they'll look to…

Philadelphia crushed Seattle last night, and with Robbie Ray's regression this season, we're not expecting the reigning Cy Young winner to save the M's this evening. Find out why Aaron Nola should continue to send the home side adrift in our Phillies vs. M The Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners clash in an interleague matchup on Tuesday…

The Boston Red Sox remain in freefall and have to contend with Austin Riley & Co. with an aging southpaw in Rich Hill who no longer misses a lot of bats. This is a recipe for success for the Braves and their slugging third baseman in our betting picks. The Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox begin a two-game series at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.…

As a Cleveland native growing up with the 1990s Indians, I got to watch a lineup that had Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, Roberto Alomar, Carlos Baerga, David Justice, Albert Belle, Sandy Alomar and many other great hitters. It's no wonder I became such a huge baseball fan. I saw something special every day. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the…

Alex Ovechkin remains at 800 goals - one behind the great Gordie Howe - as the Washington Capitals enter Monday's home date with the Detroit Red Wings. After scoring five goals in three games, including a hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks, Ovechkin has been held off the scoreboard in the last two games. Ovechkin needed two goals to pass Howe…

St. Louis looks to win their third game in a row and gain ground on first place in the division with another dub in D.C. tonight. We're all over the road team with Erick Fedde pitching for the Nats. Read more in our Cardinals vs. Nationals betting picks. The line is moving in favor of the Washington Nationals today. Dakota Hudson will be making his…

Sign up to DraftKings today and get $150 in free bets when you win your $5 pre-game moneyline wager on a college football bowl game. DraftKings Sportsbook is ready to "bowl over" bettors with a generous offer just in time for the holidays! Make a $5 pre-game moneyline on any college football bowl game today and if your wager hits you'll instantly…

After splitting a four-game set with the Boston Red Sox over the weekend, the New York Yankees now head home for a three-game series with the last-place Cincinnati Reds before they close out their historic first-half with another series with the Red Sox. Tuesday night's tilt certainly sets up well for the Yankees with Gerrit Cole (8-2, 3.26 ERA)…

As a Clevelander, it was so much fun in 2016 to see the teams each take their turn in the quest for championships. For six months, Cleveland was the spot, with Stipe Miocic, the Lake Erie Monsters, Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians all winning a championship or coming very close. Building off of that kind of buzz is a lot of fun for a city…

The Dodgers reached an agreement Wednesday with free-agent pitcher Noah Syndergaard on a one-year contract, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who weren't authorized to speak publicly. The deal will pay Syndergaard $13 million guaranteed and includes another $1.5 million in performance bonuses. The deal should fill out the…

SAN FRANCISCO -- During the 2021 season, as he watched Cody Bellinger take early batting practice at Oracle Park, a member of the Giants staff talked of the adjustments he would try and make if he could work with Bellinger, who at the time was struggling to push past offseason shoulder surgery. Bellinger never found his old form that year and in…

After Baltimore knocked off Chicago and its ace, Dylan Cease, in the opener yesterday, the pair will meet again today. Though the Orioles are the MLB betting underdog, our picks outline their upset case vs. the White Sox. Tonight will mark game two of a three-game set between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox. Last night, the Orioles…

Ned Yost famously said " there is no third baseman tree ", which seems apt today as the Royals have a barren orchard at the hot corner. Bobby Witt Jr. began last year at third base, but the Royals sound pretty committed to him at shortstop next year despite some poor defensive metrics last year. That leaves a pretty big opening next to him at…

Who: Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees When: Wednesday, August 3 Time: 1:05 p.m. ET Where: Yankee Stadium Betting Odds Summary Moneyline: Yankees -198, Mariners+166 Runline: Yankees -1.5 (+108), Mariners+1.5 (-130) Total: Over/Under 7.5 Runs (-102/-120) The Yankees have the best record in the American League at 70-35 but are coming off a ho-hum…

The first batch of MLB all-star voting results was revealed this week, which gives us a perfect opportunity to talk about the Toronto Blue Jays' brightest star. Of course, we mean Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who owns a 1.048 OPS this month. If your mind first drifted to Alejandro Kirk, don't worry - we'll mention him, too. As Toronto enjoys Thursday's…

The hardest part of breaking up is usually moving on. For the Cubs, the hardest part was how long the relationship dragged on. Chicago's clubhouse had to be a really uncomfortable place last season. The writing was on the wall like a big graffiti art piece that the team was going to undergo a lot of changes. The core of the 2016 World Series team…

The Texas Rangers have come out swinging these past two off-seasons. Last year, they added infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, as well as Jon Gray, a decent pitcher that had been stuck in Coors. In the last few months, Texas added Jake Odorizzi via trade, brought back Martín Pérez Andrew Heaney, and made a huge splash by signing Jacob…

In our MLB betting picks and predictions for Red Sox vs. Blue Jays, we break down why Toronto should have the edge in the pitching matchup between Nathan Eovaldi and Jose Berrios - and why it should ultimately lead to a series-opening victory. The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays will meet for the second time this evening on Monday night. These…

The Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals will continue their three-game series on Wednesday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Brewers-Cardinals prediction and pick. The Brewers managed to take the first game of this series on Tuesday night, pulling away early in the contest and never giving the lead back. This is…

We swept the board yesterday! Feels good to continue to win, as we are now 4-0-1 in our last two days. I have two main picks for you as well as two underdog picks in our Chalkboard Groupchat. Let's get into it. Kyle Wright (RHP, Braves) [13-4, 2.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 122.2 IP, 120 K, 36 BB] Carlos Carrasco (RHP, Mets) [11-4, 3.79 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 111.2…

The Toronto Blue Jays head west for the first time this season to start a three-game series with the Houston Astros. The pregame narrative: Justin Verlander makes his first start against Toronto since his no-hitter at Rogers Centre in 2019. A lot has changed since then, with substantial roster turnover for the Blue Jays and Tommy John surgery for…

Houston ace Justin Verlander is defying all the odds coming off Tommy John surgery, and in a great matchup against Cleveland tonight, expect another gem. Our MLB betting picks for the Astros vs. Guardians breaks it all down. The Houston Astros avoided a sweep earlier in the week in the final game of their series with the Red Sox, moving their…

Heading into this series, there were heavy division implications as Atlanta was just 3.5 games back. So far, New York has dominated and built upon its lead. Who will win today? Find out in our MLB betting picks and predictions for Braves vs. Mets. The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets will wrap up a lengthy five-game series on Sunday afternoon. New…

In 1932, Albert Einstein infamously predicted there is no way "that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable". The World Nuclear Association now reports 10% of the power on the face of the Earth is nuclear. Einstein was wrong. Western explorer Joseph C. Ives in 1858 wrote about the Grand Canyon that their exploration group "has been the first, and…

The Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox face off at Rogers Centre on Wednesday night. This is the third contest in a four-game set between these AL East foes and after the Jays won the first two games, they are -150 home favourites tonight. Here are our best free MLB betting picks and predictions for Red Sox vs. Blue Jays on April 27, with the…

Since a season-worst start on June 27, Mariners rookie right-hander George Kirby has strung together a handful of encouraging starts. Our MLB betting preview is expecting that trend to continue - even against Houston's tough lineup. We have the series finale of this AL West intradivisional series with the Houston Astros hosting the Seattle…

Prior to the start of the 2022 season there were plenty of bets being made that a player from the Pittsburgh Pirates would win National League Rookie of the Year. At one point shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz was the odds on favorite to win the award, and pitcher Roansy Contreras garnered plenty of NL Rookie of the Year buzz as well. A little over two…

The Toronto Blue Jays largely have the results you'd expect through the team's first 10 games of the season. Going 6-4 with two home series wins and a road split against a tough divisional opponent sounds about right for the Blue Jays. But it doesn't necessarily reflect where the team is at. The Blue Jays have a minus-three run differential, and…

The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to poach certain minor leaguers from opposing organizations each year. The caveat is that the player they select must remain on the MLB roster for the entirety of the following season. If they are ever optioned or designated for assignment, they must be offered back to their original team. With the draft scheduled for…

If you play Fantasy Baseball, this is the page you'll want to bookmark for hot stove season. It's where you'll find our breakdown of the biggest moves -- i.e., the ones with serious implications for Fantasy Baseball. You'll of course want to check back throughout winter, into next year and in the lead up to spring training. Offseason movement tends…

The Philadelphia Phillies (2-3) head to Minute Maid Park Saturday with their season on the brink to play the Houston Astros (3-2) in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series. The 1st pitch is 8:03 p.m. ET and the game airs on FOX. Philadelphia gives the ball to ace Zack Wheeler (12-7, 2.82 ERA during the regular season) and hopes to get a bounce-back…

The Astros are a proud squad with plenty of playoff experience, and won't crumble with their backs against the wall. See why we're backing their culture with our player prop picks for Game 4, starring Yordan Alvarez. Wow, what a night the Philadelphia Phillies just had in the World Series - they couldn't stop hitting home runs en route to a 7-0…

Once again, these two divisional rivals will meet again, but this time in Georgia. With New York holding a 5.5-game lead on the division, will Atlanta be able to cover ground? Find out in our MLB betting picks and predictions for the Mets vs. Braves. It's the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets meeting again. This time for a four-game set in…