Four major questions the Dodgers face in the second half of the season

Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, May 18, 2025 - Dodgers manager Dave Roberts watches the action from the dugout against the Angels at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Dave Roberts, above during a game against the Angels in May, has guided the Dodgers to the best record in the National League. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

They have the most wins in the National League. They have an almost 95% chance of winning their division, according to Fangraphs’ computer models. And, in the eyes of Vegas bookmakers, are still the overwhelming favorites to repeat as World Series champions.

Yet, after an up-and-down opening half that saw the Dodgers fall short of their all-time (and, admittedly, somewhat unrealistic) expectations, the team kicks off the second half of its season on Friday night facing plenty of problems, and grappling with important unknowns, as it embarks on the second half of the schedule.

“Good first half,” manager Dave Roberts said before the All-Star break. “But yeah, we should want to get better.”

As the second half gets underway, here are four big questions in the Dodgers’ quest to improve down the stretch and try to defend their 2024 title.

Read more:Hernández: Secret to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2025 success? His hero-like effort in NLDS Game 5

Will the pitching get/stay healthy?

It’s an age-old question when it comes to the Dodgers, cast upon a new-look roster battling familiar injury-related headaches.

In a best-case scenario, the Dodgers could end the season with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani (in some capacity) headlining their rotation.

In the bullpen, they could have Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol bolstering more heavily-used arms like Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia and Kirby Yates — plus wild-card options in Ben Casparius, Emmet Sheehan and Jack Dreyer to serve in more versatile roles on the mound.

But best-case pitching scenarios, of course, have often been unrealized fantasies with the franchise in recent years.

Read more:Hernández: 'Time heals everything.' Freddie Freeman, Braves fans find peace at All-Star Game

Thus, down the stretch this season, the Dodgers’ top priority (after winning the division and securing a first-round bye) will be keeping their arms as healthy as possible.

That will be most important with Glasnow (who just returned from a shoulder injury) and Snell (who should be back from his own shoulder problem in the next couple of weeks). To this point, the Dodgers have signaled a reluctance to urgently pursue a starter at the trade deadline. And even if they did, the lack of available front-line options means it’d be difficult to insure against either (or, in a nightmare world) both going down again.

The Dodgers have been interested in adding to the bullpen, and might set their sights on a legitimate closer given Scott’s season-long struggles. But still, much of their depth will depend on Treinen (who is also nearing a return from a forearm injury), Kopech (who went on the 60-day IL after a knee surgery, but is still expected back this season) and Graterol (who is also still expected to return after missing the first half recovering from offseason shoulder surgery).

The Dodgers also have their fingers crossed on Roki Sasaki (hoping he can return in late August from his own shoulder issue) and haven’t yet ruled out Tony Gonsolin (though he has remained shut down since suffering an elbow injury). But for now, their primary hope is to keep Glasnow and Snell upright, and replenish an overworked bullpen with late-season reinforcements.

What’s next in Shohei Ohtani’s two-way plans?

After pitching three innings for the first time this season in his final outing before the All-Star break, Ohtani appears to be getting closer to full-length starts in his return to pitching.

But the question remains, how long (if ever) it will take him and the Dodgers to get there.

After five abbreviated appearances over the last month-plus, it’s clear Ohtani’s stuff on the mound hasn’t been diminished by a second career Tommy John surgery. He is routinely hitting 100 mph. He has 10 strikeouts in nine total innings. He has given up just one run overall.

However, Ohtani’s bat has cooled since resuming his two-way role. And the full extent of the physical toll being imposed on the 31-year-old superstar is still not yet entirely clear, prompting the Dodgers to be very deliberate in slowly, methodically increasing his workload.

It’s difficult to imagine, barring any unforeseen setbacks, Ohtani not being part of the pitching plan in October given how electric he has looked thus far. But will it be as a glorified three- or four-inning opener? Or in a traditional starting role in which he is asked to work into the sixth or the seventh?

That could depend on the state of the rest of the Dodgers' staff, how Ohtani performs at the plate over the season’s second half, and how his body holds up to a challenge he has never before attempted with a team competing for a playoff spot.

Will Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts snap slumps?

Dodgers' Freddie Freeman watches his RBI single during the 11th inning of last Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants
The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman watches his RBI single during the 11th inning of last Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

The Dodgers might have Ohtani and a better supporting cast now. But, as they learned in 2022 and 2023, life can be difficult when Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts aren’t hitting; especially in the heat of a playoff environment.

And for all their other firepower this season, the Dodgers still need the two ex-MVPs to provide a spark.

For as good as Betts has been defensively this year — still ranking top-10 among MLB shortstops in fielding percentage, outs above average and defensive runs saved — he was 122nd out of 155 qualified hitters in OPS during the first half, with a .696 mark that is more than 100 points worse than his previous career low.

Freeman, meanwhile, went from a National League-leading .374 batting average at the end of May to a .203 mark over June and July, 163rd best out of 184 qualified hitters in that time.

That kind of production will put a drag even on a Dodgers offense with so many other star-level players. If the team is going to be anywhere near its potential offensively, it will need both sluggers to quickly pick things up. Otherwise, their margin for error at the plate come October could be worryingly slim.

What’s real (and not) from rest of the lineup?

There are myriad questions for the rest of the Dodgers’ lineup, too, where first-half performances ranged from unexpectedly spectacular to unimaginably difficult.

The Dodgers leaned heavily on Will Smith and his NL-best .323 batting average to provide consistent production. Can he replicate that in the second half of the season? Or will he fall victim to the late-summer slides that have plagued him throughout his career?

For large stretches of the opening half, Andy Pages looked like an All-Star and one of the most trustworthy run-producers in the middle of the order (an important role for a Dodgers team that always generates ample opportunities, but can struggle to capitalize upon them). But he also entered the All-Star break in a two-week slump. If he can revert back to being a near .300 hitter, it could significantly help lengthen a sometimes top-heavy lineup.

Read more:Shaikin: How to revitalize baseball's All-Star Game? Bat flips

Conversely, Teoscar Hernández has looked out of sync ever since returning from a groin injury in May, batting just .209 since then. As one of the most clutch performers during last year’s World Series run, there are real questions about whether he can regain enough health and consistency to replicate such heroics this fall.

Tommy Edman, meanwhile, has been valuable defensively, and was a surprise early-season slugger with eight home runs in March and April. Since then, though, he has posted below-league-average numbers, and entered the break in a two-for-32 rut.

One X-factor could be Hyeseong Kim, who turned heads in limited early-season playing time (.339 average, .842 OPS and 11-for-11 on steals in 48 games) and figures to get more everyday opportunities in Max Muncy’s absence in the coming weeks.

Muncy himself poses another big unknown. Roberts said the early reports on his recovery from a bone bruise in his knee have been encouraging. But, the Dodgers have not looked the same since losing him from the lineup. And though he is expected to return, just how limiting the lingering effects of his injury will be could have important implications on the state of the Dodgers’ offense.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Luke Keaschall, Dylan Lee and Jordan Lawlar

FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS

Luke Keaschall (2B Twins): Rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues

After nearly three months off due to a fractured forearm suffered on a HBP, Keaschall is back playing baseball again and will resume partaking in official games as he kicks off a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Friday. Most likely, he’ll stay there at least a week. If it doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat, he could rejoin the Twins afterwards. If he’s slow out of the gate, then maybe he’ll be optioned to the minors for a spell. Still, we’re going to hope here for the former scenario.

It wasn’t perfectly clear that Keachall was ready for the majors when he got the call just three weeks into the season, but he certainly looked the part, opening up on a six-game hitting streak before getting hurt in his seventh game. Most impressive was that he walked five times and struck out just twice in 26 plate appearances. He was 5-for-5 stealing bases. He went without a homer, but he had two barrels and five other hard-hit balls among his 17 balls in play. Just those seven games still place him seventh in WAR among the Twins’ 18 position players with at least 20 plate appearances this season.

And that’s why he really ought to get another chance quickly. Give him the spot of Brooks Lee or Ty France or Trevor Larnach and let him go. He’s not going to be a big power hitter just yet, but he can certainly help a team currently ranked 21st in the majors in OBP and 26th in steals. It’ll be some time before it pays off, but he should be stashed now.

Dylan Lee (RP Braves): Rostered in 8% of Yahoo leagues

Which reliever not currently closing has the best chance of sliding into the closer’s role because of a trade deadline move? Let’s throw out some names:

Angels: Reid Detmers
Athletics: Elvis Alvarado?
Guardians: Cade Smith
Orioles: Yennier Cano (assuming Seranthony Domínguez is gone)
Rays: Edwin Uceta, Kevin Kelly, eventually Drew Ramsussen?
Red Sox: Jordan Hicks
Royals: Lucas Erceg
Twins: Griffin Jax

Braves: Dylan Lee
Cardinals: JoJo Romero, Riley O’Brien (Phil Maton goes, too, if Ryan Helsley goes)
D-backs: Shelby Miller or Ryan Thompson if they eventually come back healthy
Marlins: Calvin Faucher (if Ronny Henríquez and Anthony Bender are both traded)
Nationals: Brad Lord
Pirates: Carmen Mlodzinksi, Braxton Ashcraft (Dennis Santana is a goner)
Reds: Tony Santillan, Scott Barlow (also both trade candidates)

Of everyone here, I’d say Lee is the best bet. Raisel Iglesias seems much more likely to be traded than Aroldis Chapman, Emmanuel Clase or Ryan Helsley, and unlike some other guys here, Lee is a clear No. 2 on the depth chart. Lord is also rather interesting, since Kyle Finnegan is very likely to be dealt, but I think he’s a breakdown candidate after a heavy first-half workload in his first stint as a reliever. Jax, along with Smith, probably has the most upside of the group, but I don’t think the Twins will wind up selling. Erceg is also intriguing, but the Royals will probably keep Carlos Estévez and try to hang in the race unless these next 10 days go badly.

Jordan Lawlar (SS Diamondbacks): Rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues

That Lawlar hasn’t already been picked up in more leagues is an obvious reaction to his latest injury, a Grade 1 hamstring strain that has had him on the shelf for Triple-A Reno since June 26. There haven’t really been any updates on his status since, but players typically return from Grade 1 strains within a month, meaning Lawlar should be about ready to join the Diamondbacks infield right around the trade deadline, when the team is nearly certain to ship out free agent-to-be Eugenio Suárez.

Lawlar’s first major league stint this season saw him go hitless in 19 at-bats, but that was in a bit role. He’ll play regularly next time around, and he’ll show off the power-speed combination that has allowed him to amass 17 homers and 22 steals to go along with a .334/.420/.590 line in 81 career Triple-A games. The durability concerns are real and might need to be factored into his long-term dynasty value, but if he’s up on Aug. 1 as hoped, he could be good for around eight homers and a dozen steals over the final third of the season.

Waiver Wire Quick Hits

- The Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar is only 46% rostered in Yahoo leagues as he returns from his second IL stint of the year. That’s above my threshold for being featured in this column, but he needs to be picked up in leagues in which he’s available. He’s been somewhat disappointing in his 32 games while healthy, but he was plenty useful last year and he really should be better now; his strikeout rate is just 22%, compared to 29% last year, and his hard-hit rate has jumped from 40% to 44%. Statcast gives him an xBA of .303 and an xSLG of .500.

- I featured Shane Bieberseven weeks ago before his setback in his return from Tommy John, so I won’t do it again now. However, he’s back on a rehab assignment, having thrown two scoreless innings Tuesday, and he’s currently available in 64% of Yahoo leagues. He could turn out to be pretty helpful during the final two months.

Two-start pitchers: Brandon Woodruff headlines the dazzling options for the first week of the second half

Hello and welcome to the 16th installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2025 MLB season.

I'll be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week, as well as some streaming options to keep in mind.

Thinking ahead with your weekly strategy can give you an advantage on the waiver wire and hopefully be a difference-maker in the standings at the end of the season.

This is a living document, so we'll update the options below as the weekend moves along.

Before we get into it, we'll start with a couple of notes on situations that may be unresolved or teams that may not have a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week:

We’re still in a holding pattern right now with many teams waiting until the last minute to set their rotations for the second half of the season. That includes (as of Friday afternoon), the Royals, Angels and Yankees. We have no info yet on how any of those rotations will line up. We know that the Giants plan to start Justin Verlander on Friday, but after that we don’t have any clarity on how it’ll line up and who may start twice next week. Similarly, we know that the Mariners plan to use Luis Castillo and Logan Evans in their first two games, but how the rest of the rotation falls in line remains a mystery.              

We know that Jacob Lopez is going to double for the Athletics, but we don’t know for sure who their fifth starter is going to be coming out of the break. That person would also line up for two starts. My early lean is they bring back Mitch Spence from Triple-A, but there are a lot of different directions that they could go here.

We also don’t have clarity on the Braves’ full rotation yet. The expectation is that Davis Daniel or Hurston Waldrep will start in Monday against the Giants, in which case they would line up for two starts. It’s also possible that the recently acquired Dane Dunning could slot in there. We’ll update as more information becomes available.

We are still waiting on confirmation on the Red Sox’ rotation as well. It seems likely that Richard Fitts and Walker Buehler will start on Monday and Tuesday in some order, with whoever goes first drawing a two-start week (@ Phillies, vs. Dodgers). Based on those matchups, we aren’t really interested in regardless of which one it eventually is. It’s also possible that Fitts could get bumped in favor of Tanner Houck who is ready to return to the Red Sox in some form. Stay tuned.

The Cubs haven’t given us anything to go off of yet other than Colin Rea and Shota Imanaga starting the first two games out of the break. Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Chris Flexen are likely to follow in some order, but nothing has been finalized. It’s whoever pitches the fourth game on Monday that will draw two starts – vs. Royals and @ White Sox. Whoever it is will be an attractive target based on those matchups. We just need clarity on who it will be.

It’s a similar story on the south side of Chicago. The White Sox have announced their first three starters coming out of the break, leaving Shane Smith and Sean Burke to fill in the next two days. Whichever one goes first on Monday will draw a two-start week (@ Rays, vs. Cubs). It’s also possible that Davis Martin is ready to return and takes the place of Burke, or slots in someplace with someone else eventually getting bumped. Or the White Sox could go with a six-man rotation this turn through in which case no one would double. We’ll update when we have more information.

While we aren’t looking to use them for fantasy purposes anyways, we don’t have any lean yet on who will get two starts for the Rockies next week. Austin Gomber doesn’t pitch during their first series out of the break, so he’ll go on either Monday or Tuesday. They could bring back Chase Dollander from Triple-A to pitch one of those games as well, or Bradley Blalock could draw the assignment. Either way, the matchups are vs. Cardinals and at Orioles and we don’t want any part of this one regardless of who it is.

The Tigers are another team that hasn’t unveiled their full rotation plan for the second half just yet. All we know is that Reese Olson will start on Friday and Tarik Skubal will start on Sunday. That leaves Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and Keider Montero to fill in the other three days. Whichever doesn’t pitch on Saturday will line up for two starts next week – assuming that they don’t use a bullpen day or slide Dietrich Enns back in there for another spot start. Those two matchups -- @ Pirates, vs. Blue Jays – are very intriguing and that would make Montero a strong streaming option if he is indeed the one taking the ball on one of those days. My best guess has Mize going on Saturday with Flaherty and Montero getting the two-start weeks.

We don’t know what the Dodgers are going to do yet either, aside from the fact that Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Clayton Kershaw will start the first three games out of the break. That leaves Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May and Shohei Ohtani to fill in afterwards in some order. If the Dodgers go with a six-man rotation to accommodate, then no one will draw two starts next week. If Yamamoto goes on Monday, he could potentially start twice – vs. Twins, @ Red Sox.
Beyond Chris Paddack starting for the Twins on Friday and some hints that Zebby Matthews could start on Saturday, we still aren’t sure how the Twins plan to structure their rotation coming out of the break. Someone will get two starts -- @ Dodgers, vs. Nationals – and it could be Joe Ryan, Simeon Woods Richardson or David Festa, but for now all we can do is speculate.

For the Pirates, we know that Mitch Keller and Paul Skenes will start on Monday and Tuesday in some order and whichever one goes first will draw a two-start week (vs. Tigers, vs. Diamondbacks). Skenes should be started in all leagues regardless of whether or not he pitches twice, Keller should be used in all leagues if he does get the two-step, though I’d hesitate to use him for a single start against the Tigers.

Someone on the Rangers is going to start twice next week (vs. Athletics, vs. Braves), we just aren’t sure yet whether it’ll be Jacob deGrom or Jack Leiter. We do know that deGrom should be in fantasy lineups regardless while Leiter would only be an appealing option if he does indeed start Monday and wind up taking the ball twice.

This is going to be an ongoing battle throughout the weekend, so expect many updates each day as we try to keep up and make sure that you get the best possible advice and up-to-date information on each projected double starter as we kick off the second half of the season.

Without further ado, let's dig into the options for the week of July 21.

Going Twice…

Note: Probable pitchers as of Friday, July 18, and are subject to change.

American League

Strong Plays

Hunter Brown, Astros, RHP (@ Diamondbacks, vs. Athletics)

After an absolutely brilliant first half of the season, Brown finished things up on a sour note as he was unexpectedly clobbered in his final two starts heading into the break. Let’s hope that the time off and extended rest are all that he needs to get back on track. The matchup against the Diamondbacks in Arizona is a tough one, but Brown has been a fantasy ace this season and he should be started in 100 percent of all leagues every week without hesitation.

Tanner Bibee, Guardians, RHP (vs. Orioles, @ Royals)

We don’t know yet whether it will be Monday or Tuesday that Bibee will pitch, but either way the right-hander will line up for two starts. He disappointed relative to expectations in the first half, posting a 4.29 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 95/33 K/BB ratio across 109 innings, though his 3.63 xERA hints that he may have been a bit unfortunate in the luck department. He gets to kick off his second half with a two-start week against a pair of middling offenses, which should be a recipe for success. He should be started in all leagues with full confidence this week.

Shane Baz, Rays, RHP (vs. White Sox, @ Reds)

I know it may be a stretch trusting Baz as a strong option for the upcoming week, but with a matchup against the White Sox to kick things off, that pushes him over the top for me. Baz has looked especially sharp since revamping his arsenal a few weeks back, striking out six or more batters in four of his last five starts. He should be easily able to eclipse double-digit punchouts on the week while giving fantasy managers a decent shot at a victory. In the end, that’s more than enough to make him a worthwhile play in all leagues.         

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Yankees, @ Tigers)

It took nearly half of a season, but we’re finally seeing what Max Scherzer can do when healthy in a Blue Jays’ uniform. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his first five starts, has punched out seven or more batters twice in his last three outings and is coming off of his first victory of the year his last time out. The matchups are definitely on the challenging side this week, but for fantasy managers that have been waiting on Scherzer all season, are you really going to sit him for a two-start week? I didn’t think so.

Decent Plays

Jacob Lopez, Athletics, LHP (@ Rangers, @ Astros)

After a disastrous start to the season, Lopez locked in for a two-month stretch where he showed the world what he’s capable of, only to fall back a bit in his final three starts heading into the All-Star break. The matchups aren’t great – especially having to battle the Astros in Houston – but even if Lopez struggles the strikeouts should still be there. That’s more than enough for me to use him in 15-teamers and I’d probably be fine rolling the dice in most 12-team formats as well unless I had a plethora of better options.

Colton Gordon, Astros, LHP (@ Diamondbacks, vs. Athletics)

The Astros’ rookie southpaw has been highly inconsistent through his first 11 appearances (10 starts) in the big leagues, registering a 4.67 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and a 44/9 K/BB ratio across 52 innings of work. Taking on the Diamondbacks in Arizona coming out of the break is a very difficult assignment and will carry some ratio risk before he finishes his week off with a softer matchup at home against the A’s. The strikeouts should be there and his chances of earning a victory will be elevated in that second start, but there is certainly risk involved with this two-step. I’d be fine using it in 15-team leagues, it would depend on my other options whether or not I’d roll with it in shallower formats.

Zach Eflin, Orioles, RHP (@ Guardians, vs. Rockies)

We’re working under the impression that Eflin is going to get the ball for the Orioles on Tuesday rather than going back to Brandon Young for another start after he has been knocked around his last few starts. Eflin isn’t completely built back up yet, so he may have a limited pitch count in that first start, but with a juicy matchup against the Rockies in that second start he still seems like a viable option in most mixed leagues – presuming he actually does get tabbed for a return this week. It’s also possible that he makes one final rehab start, in which case he could still slot into the rotation over the weekend against the Rockies, which still makes him an attractive streaming target.

Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Yankees, @ Tigers)

I continue to be impressed by this lower WHIP, lower strikeout rate version of Gausman that we have seen this season. The only reason that he’s not a strong play for me this week is because the matchups are so difficult, having to battle two of the top offenses in all of baseball with his win equity lowered in the process. I’d still be rolling him out there in leagues of all sizes, just with lowered expectations than I would normally have from a two-start week from Gausman.

At Your Own Risk

Tomoyuki Sugano, Orioles, RHP (@ Guardians, vs. Rockies)
After a strong start to his big league career, Sugano has fallen on tough times in recent weeks due to his inability to keep the baseball in the yard. Overall he now sports a 4.44 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and an uninspiring 59/22 K/BB ratio across 99 1/3 innings through his first 18 starts. Most weeks I would tend to shy away from him here, but it’s hard to ignore that matchup against the Rockies to finish out the week. Understand that there’s ratio risk involved here and even over two starts he isn’t likely to contribute more than a handful of strikeouts. The chances for a victory will be elevated though based on the matchups and that could make him worth a look if you're desperate for volume.

National League

Strong Plays

Eury Pérez, Marlins, RHP (vs. Padres, @ Brewers)

Pérez has been extremely impressive in his first seven starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, registering a 3.18 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 35/11 K/BB ratio over 34 innings. The 22-year-old right-hander has been nothing but elite whenever he has taken the big league mound and as long as he’s healthy there’s no reason to expect anything otherwise at the moment. He should be started in every single league with complete confidence this week – and every week going forward.

Brandon Woodruff, Brewers, RHP (@ Mariners, vs. Marlins)

Speaking of pitchers who have looked incredibly sharp in their returns from major surgery, Brandon Woodruff has defied all expectations and absolutely dominated through his first two starts for the Brewers this season – posting a 2.61 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and a jaw-dropping 18/0 K/BB ratio over 10 1/3 innings. He’s unlikely to continue at that ridiculous pace, but we have seen Woodruff function as an upper-echelon fantasy asset in the past so there’s reason for excitement here. The matchups fall in his favor this week as well, getting to battle the Mariners in Seattle before finishing up with a stellar draw against the Marlins at home. There’s no reason not to trust him this week, fire away and enjoy the rewards.

Zack Wheeler, Phillies, RHP (vs. Red Sox, @ Yankees)

Wheeler is a true fantasy ace and should be started each and every week without question. He has been dominant again this season, compiling a 9-3 record, 2.36 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 154/26 K/BB ratio over 122 innings in what has been another spectacular campaign. The matchups are tough on the surface, but that’s no reason to avoid using one of the best pitchers in all of baseball for a two-start week.

Kodai Senga, Mets, RHP (vs. Angels, @ Giants)

Senga didn’t show any signs of rust in his return from the injured list, firing four scoreless innings with four strikeouts against the Royals in his first start back. He shouldn’t be facing any sort of pitch count limitations this time around and makes for a terrific option with matchups against the Angels and Giants. He should be started in all leagues.

Decent Plays

Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks, RHP (vs. Astros, @ Pirates)

One of the players that I’m most intrigued about heading into the second half of the season is Zac Gallen. While he has been a complete trainwreck for fantasy purposes for the majority of the season, Gallen seemed to have figured things out heading into the All-Star break, with a pair of gems against the Giants and Padres where he struck out a combined 19 batters and allowed just one earned run in 15 innings. Of course he then finished it up with an absolute clunker against the Angels in Los Angeles. I’m still inclined to bet on the track record here and trust the veteran right-hander for his two-start week, especially when it includes a matchup against the Pirates. I’d be using him in all 15 and 12-team formats.

Brady Singer, Reds, RHP (@ Nationals, vs. Rays)

Singer performed about to expectation in the first half of the season, going 7-7 with a middling 4.32 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 92 punchouts over 100 innings. He’s a player who usually represents a viable streaming option for his two-start weeks and this week shouldn’t be any different. Matchups against the Nationals and Rays are nothing to shy away from and his equity in wins and strikeouts will be elevated with the extra start. He makes for a fine option in both 12 and 15-team formats.

Matthew Liberatore, Cardinals, LHP (@ Rockies, vs. Padres)

Overall, Liberatore did a decent job for the Cardinals in the first half of the season, registering a 4.13 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and an 80/22 K/BB ratio across 100 1/3 innings of work. The matchups are particularly difficult this week though, having to battle the suddenly competent Rockies’ offense at Coors Field before a clash against the Padres to finish the week. I understand that in most 15-team formats you probably have to use him and hope for the best, but I’d be looking to get away from this one in 12-team leagues if I could find alternative options.

At Your Own Risk

Randy Vasquez, Padres, RHP (@ Marlins, @ Cardinals)

Every time that Vasquez pops up for a two-start week, I try to highlight how all of his underlying metrics point to impending doom and that he should be avoided in all formats, then most weeks he continues to defy logic and dance through the raindrops to post useable lines for fantasy purposes. If you want to keep rolling him out there, be my guest, I just know that it’s all going to come crashing down soon and I don’t want to be there when it happens.

Erick Fedde, Cardinals, RHP (@ Rockies, vs. Padres)

The Cardinals want to continue to give Fedde chances to bolster his trade value before the deadline, but this doesn’t seem like a wise time to do so. He’s only going to damage his ratios further by pitching at Coors Field and then battling a dangerous Padres’ offense at home, and what little trade value he may still have will be wiped away. He most certainly shouldn’t be trusted for fantasy purposes right now.

Jake Irvin, Nationals, RHP (vs. Reds, @ Twins)

I’m having a tough time trying to find reasons to justify streaming Irvin this week. The matchups are on the tougher side, he doesn’t generate many strikeouts and his chances of earning a victory are hurt by the strong opponents and the fact that he pitches for the Nationals. At best you’re hoping for six or seven strikeouts and an outside shot at a victory while on the rough end of expectations you could wind up with a ratio disaster. It depends on your risk tolerance, but I’d probably stay away.

Yankees at Braves Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 18

It's Friday, July 18 and the Yankees (53-43) are in Atlanta to take on the Braves (42-53). Spencer Strider is slated to start for Atlanta, while New York has yet to announce a starting pitcher.

New York lost the past two games to the Cubs, but won five prior to that for a 5-2 record over the past seven entering the All-Star break. The Yankees are 2.0 games back of the Blue Jays for the AL East lead and 1.0 game ahead of the Red Sox.

Atlanta had a disappointing start to the season and finished the first half with a 3-7 record over the last 10 games. The Braves are 9.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Yankees at Braves

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 7:15PM EST
  • Site: Truist Park
  • City: Atlanta, GA
  • Network/Streaming: YES, FDSNSO, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Yankees at the Braves

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Yankees (-110), Braves (-109)
  • Spread:  Yankees -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Yankees at Braves

  • Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Spencer Strider vs. TBA
    • Yankees: TBA
    • Braves: Spencer Strider, 3-7 3.94 ERA
      Last outing: 6.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 11 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Yankees and the Braves

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Yankees and the Braves:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Braves on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Atlanta Braves at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Yankees at Braves

  • Atlanta is 3-7 over the last 10 games
  • New York is 5-2 over the last 7 games
  • Aaron Judge leads the MVP race as a -700 favorite and ranks second in the MLB with 35 homers
  • Aaron Judge leads the MLB with a .355 batting average
  • Matt Olson is tied 16th in the MLB with 61 RBI

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Phillies, MLB unveil logo for 2026 All-Star Game in Philly

Phillies, MLB unveil logo for 2026 All-Star Game in Philly originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Baseball’s midsummer classic is coming to Philadelphia next year during the nation’s 250th birthday and the MLB unveiled the official logo for the momentous event.

The 2026 All-Star Declaration ceremony was held on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Philadelphia’s Dilworth Park. During the ceremony – which featured appearances by Bryce Harper, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and Larry Bowa — the MLB revealed the official 2026 All-Star Game logo. The 96th Midsummer Classic will take place at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in celebration of America’s 250th year of independence. A league spokesperson described the logo as a tribute to Philadelphia as well as America’s semiquincentennial.

“At the center of the design is the Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of the city and the nation, reimagined with energy and movement to reflect the spirit of the Midsummer Classic,” a league spokesperson wrote. “The typography takes cues from the bell’s historic inscriptions, blended with design touches inspired by the Phillies’ signature style. Anchored by patriotic themes and layered with modern flair, the mark is a dynamic expression of baseball’s place in American culture — past, present, and future.”

Next year’s festivities will also include the All-Star Futures Game and the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park.

Next year will be the fifth time that Philadelphia hosted the MLB All-Star Game and it will be the first time at Citizens Bank Park. Past all-star games took place at Philadelphia’s former Veterans Stadium in 1996 as well as 1976, the year of the nation’s bicentennial. Other all-star games in Philly took place at the former Shibe Park Stadium in 1952 and 1943.

Learn more about the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia in the document embedded below:

Pros and Cons: Should Mets trade for David Bednar?

At one point early this season, David Bednar looked like anything but a potential bullpen savior for a contender. The Pirates closer was so awful in his first three appearances – coming off an uncharacteristically rough 2024 season – that the two-time All-Star was demoted to Triple-A to get right. 

He stayed in the minors almost three weeks before returning, and his ERA was a bloated 5.52 as recently as May 23. But Bednar has turned around his season since – 18 appearances, no earned runs – and the righty could be the biggest impact reliever moved at the trade deadline. 

Maybe the Mets should pursue him to bolster the bridge to Edwin Díaz.

Despite his wobbles across 2024-25, Bednar has been a dominant reliever for long stretches in his career. From 2021-23, he had a 2.25 ERA and struck out 226 in 179.2 innings while allowing just 135 hits. 

So should David Stearns and his front office pepper the Pirates with calls about Bednar? Let us consider the pros and cons of such a deal.

Pros

Fortifying the bullpen might be the biggest need for a Mets team with a real chance this October. Mets relievers have accumulated 3.3 WAR so far this season, seventh-best in MLB via FanGraphs, and their pen ERA is 3.83 (14th in MLB). 

But there are looming workload concerns. 

They have used 31 different pitchers in relief, thrown the fourth-most relief pitches in MLB and have recorded 371 innings from the bullpen, tied for seventh-most with the Rockies. Perhaps most alarming, they are getting five innings per start from the rotation. Only four teams get fewer innings pitched per start. The average team is getting two more outs per night from the rotation than the Mets. 

Acquiring Bednar would allow the Mets to change their bullpen pecking order and get bigger arms into games earlier. Bednar, who has pitched comfortably in a setup role before, would be an eighth-inning beast capable of facing the best hitters in an opposing lineup. He also could close on nights Díaz must rest.

Bednar, who will be 31 in October, was the National League Reliever of the Month for June when he struck out 16 of the 36 batters he faced. This season, he has a 2.53 ERA, and his 12.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 would both be the best marks of his career. Overall, he is striking out 34.6 percent of batters, in the 96th percentile of MLB, according to Statcast. 

Bednar features a 97-mile-per-hour four-seam fastball, a plunging, high-70s curveball that changes pace and eye level and a splitter that goes low 90s. The expected slugging percentage on at-bats that end on his curve is a microscopic .147. 

David Bednar
David Bednar / Charles LeClaire - USA TODAY Sports

Cons

Relievers are combustible. It’s a fact of pitching life. 

Bednar went through woes over the past two seasons, finishing 2024 with a 5.77 ERA. He allowed nine home runs in 57.2 innings, a 1.4 HR/9 that was easily his worst since he became a valuable part of the Pittsburgh pen. His K/9 and BB/9 were career worsts for a full season, too.

The 2023 season might be peak Bednar – he led the NL with 39 saves – and he got batters to chase at a rate in the 96th percentile that year. But that number has gone down over the past two seasons. Now, hitters are chasing at a rate in the 46th percentile. Will that matter? He’s still getting plenty of outs. 

Prospect cost is always a concern, especially for a club committed to its farm system like the Mets. Bednar is under club control for one more season and won’t hit free agency until after the 2026 season, which might up the asking price since whatever team might acquire him gets more than a year of potentially-great relief pitching. 

Here’s another con, though it’s certainly no strike against Bednar – he’s a Pittsburgh local. He was a 35th-round pick by the Padres out of Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. and got to his hometown team via the three-team trade between the Padres, Mets and Pirates in 2021 that sent Joey Lucchesi to New York. He’s used the Styx song “Renegade” as a warm-up tune – that’s also a famed anthem of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Pirates (39-58) don’t seem to be going anywhere, but would they really trade a hometown kid made good?

Verdict

Easy – the Mets should go get Bednar if he’s available. You could probably say the same about most available relievers, even those without his huge upside.

He is making $5.9 million this season and will surely get a raise in arbitration. Would the Pirates really pay big money for a reliever after this season? Maybe that mitigates the ultimate asking price.

This Mets season is too promising not to add significant bullpen help. It’s great to have so much promise on the farm, but part of the system’s purpose is to fuel the big league operation, too.

Envision this – an October night this fall, Kodai Senga delivering seven superlative innings against a rugged playoff opponent. Bednar comes in for a shutdown eighth, Díaz for a blazing ninth.

As Gary Cohen would say, “And the ballgame is over!”

Pros and Cons: Should Yankees trade for Zac Gallen?

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that he will be looking for pitching during this trade deadline season.

While Cashman will be trying to fortify the bullpen, the rotation needs some work after numerous injuries this year. Ace Gerrit Cole is out for the season after Tommy John surgery, and Clarke Schmidt will miss the rest of the year with his second Tommy John surgery. That's not to mention 2024 Rookie of the Year Luis Gil missing more than half the season.

Although the arms the Yanks do have are performing very well -- especially Max Fried and Carlos Rodon -- reinforcements are needed. That's where Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen comes in.

The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract and if Arizona falls out of contention, he could be the perfect trade piece this deadline season.

Should the Yankees take a flyer on Gallen?

Here are the pros and cons of acquiring the right-hander....

Pros

Gallen has been a big-game pitcher for the D-backs, pitching to a sub-4.00 ERA from 2022-24. He received Cy Young votes in three seasons and was third in voting in 2023 when he had a 3.47 ERA during Arizona's improbable run to the World Series.

Although he hasn't been at his best this year, the Yankees saw how devastating Gallen can be firsthand. Back on April 2, Gallen struck out 13 batters across 6.2 scoreless innings.

The potential for dominance is there -- Gallen just hasn't been consistent enough. But that could fall in the Yankees' favor as Arizona may not receive many great offers for Gallen, so New York could potentially acquire him for cheap or in a package deal for, say, Eugenio Suarez.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park / Brett Davis - Imagn Images

Gallen also has postseason experience. In six starts during that 2023 run, he pitched to a 4.54 ERA. While not overly impressive, Gallen saved his best playoff start for last. In Game 5 of the World Series, the right-hander allowed just one run on three hits across 6.1 innings while striking out six.

Again, the potential for dominance is there.

Cons

To put it lightly, Gallen is a reclamation project.

Gallen is far enough removed from his career season of 2023 that teams should be concerned about whether he'll be able to sustain those heights ever again.

If the season were to end today, Gallen would have career-worsts in ERA (5.40), WHIP (1.374) and K/9 (8.6). The biggest problem for Gallen this season has been his control and walks. He's walked 45 batters in 20 starts. He walked 54 batters in 28 starts a year ago and just 47 the previous two seasons in 34 and 31 starts, respectively.

Looking at advanced metrics, Gallen ranks in the bottom 10 percent in hard hit percentage, bottom 13 percent in average exit velocity, and bottom 18 percent in xERA (4.86). All that translates to Gallen getting hit hard and allowing a lot of runs.

There's also the rental aspect of a Gallen acquisition. If the Yankees were to part with prospects for Gallen, it's only for a couple of months -- and it will need to work down the stretch and in the postseason to justify the trade. It's a big risk.

Verdict

Gallen is an interesting case. This all comes down to what the price would be.

The high strikeout potential is tempting, but if Gallen costs too much, it's a pass. I would do it if he's paired with Suarez but on his own, the Yankees can likely do better elsewhere.

Padres at Nationals Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 18

Its Friday, July 18 and the Padres (52-44) are in Washington to take on the Nationals (38-58).

Dylan Cease is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Michael Soroka for Washington.

The Padres sit in second place and 5.5 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West. They won six of their last ten prior to the All-Star Break. Mired again this season in last place in the National League East, Washington overhauled their front office and coaching staff prior to the Break. Pitching has been the primary issue as the Nats have allowed 519 runs. Only the Rockies (589) and the Athletics (551) have allowed more.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Padres at Nationals

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 6:45PM EST
  • Site: Nationals Park
  • City: Washington, DC
  • Network/Streaming: SDPA, MASN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Padres at the Nationals

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Padres (-157), Nationals (+132)
  • Spread:  Padres -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Nationals

  • Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Dylan Cease vs. Michael Soroka
    • Padres: Dylan Cease (3-9, 4.88 ERA)
      Last outing: July 9 vs. Arizona - 6IP, 6ER, 5H, 3BB, 8Ks
    • Nationals: Michael Soroka (3-7, 5.35 ERA)
      Last outing: July 10 at St. Louis - 4IP, 2ER, 4H, 2BB, 4Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Nationals

  • The Padres have won 7 of their last 9 games at Washington
  • The Over is 5-0 in the Nationals' last 5 home games
  • The Padres have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 1.93 units
  • Fernando Tatis Jr. is enjoying a 6-game hitting streak (9-21)
  • Manny Machado was 3-10 (.300) in the Padres' 3-game series against the Phillies just prior to the Break
  • James Wood is 10-41 (.244) with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs in July

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Nationals

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Padres and the Nationals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Diego Padres on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Mets vs. Reds: How to watch on SNY on July 18, 2025

The Mets open a three-game series against the Reds at Citi Field on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...


Mets Notes

  • Juan Soto is hitting .317/.457/.676 with 15 home runs, five doubles, 31 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 35 walks over his last 41 games
  • Edwin Diaz has allowed one earned run since April 21. For the season, he has a 1.66 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 55 strikeouts in 38.0 innings
  • Sean Manaea, who made his season debut last Sunday against the Royals, gets the start

REDS
METS
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What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

  • Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 
  • Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 
  • Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

  • Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 
  • Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  
  • To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here

Fantasy Baseball second-half breakouts and bouncebacks: Oneil Cruz, Zebby Matthews, more

The second half is underway, and I promise you there is still time to make up ground in your fantasy leagues. If you’ve dealt with injuries or poor performance or just can’t quite seem to string together consistent success, there is still time to make tweaks to get your team to a title.

Similarly, there is still time for players to make tweaks to find another level of success. For some, we’ve been seeing the groundwork laid for that success already.

In this article, I’m going to highlight players who have failed to meet our expectations in the first half. Some of them are guys who have battled injuries, others haven’t quite found their groove, and others have given us some elements of fantasy goodness but are due for more. All of them are players who I think will have far more fantasy value after the All-Star break than they did before.

In order to narrow the scope, this article does not feature injured players or rookies who will be making their debut after the All-Star break (like Shane McClanahan or Bubba Chandler) it also doesn’t include players who have played well but might gain value in a new role (like Jack Perkins). I'm simply focusing on players who either struggled in the first half or had major MLB opportunities in the first half, but are players I think are due for much better months in August and September.

Second-Half Hitters to Target

We'll start with two veteran shortstops, who are still providing some value but not as much as I think they'll give you in the second half: Oneil Cruz and Corey Seager.

Oneil Cruz - SS: Pittsburgh Pirates
Cruz came out of the gates hot this season and has 16 home runs and 29 steals on the season, so there has been plenty of fantasy goodness. However, since May 1st, he's slashing .192/.296/.356 in 57 games with a nearly 35% strikeout rate. That's actively hurting you in batting average leagues. However, even in that stretch, Cruz has a 21.4% barrel rate and 96 mph average exit velocity. The approach is also not that much different than what we've seen from him as his 40% pull rate is right in line with his season-long averages, and his 33.3% flyball rate is just about 5% below what we were seeing from him earlier. What's more, from May 12th on, his Process+ score is 104, where 100 is the league average. Process+ is a Pitcher List stat that shows “The combined value of a hitter’s Decision Value, Contact Ability, and Power,” so it's a stat I like for showing hitters who are making good decisions and making enough contact and quality contact. If Cruz can keep his power and speed but hit something closer to .240 in the second half, that could make him a major fantasy asset.

Corey Seager - SS, Texas Rangers
Seager is another player who is not quite living up to our elevated expectations for him. From June 1st on, Seager is slashing .248/.404/.465 with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 36 games. However, that comes with a 16.5% barrel rate and a 125 Process+ score. He's already started to turn it around in July, but I think there still might be a bit of a window to buy low on Seager in a trade before he puts up big numbers in the second half. I think he could double his home run total in the remaining games while also putting up a .280 average and good counting stats.

Otto Lopez - 2B/SS, Miami Marlins
Lopez is another middle infielder who I think is in for a good second half. He's been pretty good already this season, slashing .250/.320/.392 with 10 steals and a surprising 10 home runs. The power is not something I expected from a guy with just an 88 mph average exit velocity; however, his xSLG of .481 is much higher than his .392 slugging percentage, and his Pull Air% is not great, but better than anything he's posted before. His 7.9% barrel rate is the best of his career, and his 113 Process+ from May 12th on suggests that Lopez's .291 xBA might be closer to what we see from him in the second half.

Dominic Canzone - OF, Seattle Mariners
Since Canzone has been called up, all he's done is mash with a .319/.340/.564 slash line to go along with six home runs, 10 RBI, and a 15.8% barrel rate in 30 games. His appearance on this list isn't me saying that there is more in the tank here, but it's simply me saying that what we're seeing isn't that much of a fluke. He's pulling the ball almost 10% more than last year, and so even though he isn't lifting the ball as much, he's making much more damaging contact. Canzone's bat speed is faster this season, and he's closed his stance a bit and started attacking the ball out in front of the plate a bit more. If Canzone is still available on your waiver wires, he could be in for a strong second half.

Colt Keith - 1B/2B, Detroit Tigers
I've written about Colt Keith a few times in my waiver wire articles, mentioning that Keith is hitting .358/.417/.585 with two home runs, 11 runs scored, and six RBI over his last 15 games. His Process+ score is 120 from May 12th on, and I recorded a video talking about Keith's recent surge, so check that out here.

Jac Caglianone - 1B/OF, Kansas City Royals
I also recorded a video on Caglianone, suggesting that he could be in for a strong summer. He hasn't had great results so far as a pro, but he has just a 21.7% strikeout rate with an 11.1% barrel rate and 89.1 mph average exit velocity. His 102 Process+ score from May 12th on confirms that he's not really being overmatched at the big league level, and his xBA of .259 and xSLG of .462 is far better than his .140 average and .264 slugging percentage. If Cags was dropped in your league, it might be time to add him.

Max Muncy - SS/3B, Athletics
Muncy may be one of the riskiest picks on here because he has the least evidence to support his potential breakout. His expected stats and Process+ score don't jump off the charts, and his contact metrics are only trending up in a small sample size. However, those results have been good for him lately, and I think it could be tied to a slight approach change. Over his last 14 games, Muncy is slashing .288/.339/.577 with four home runs, eight runs scored, seven RBI, and a 16.2% barrel rate. If you use Statcast's Swing Path data, you can see that Muncy's Ideal Attack Angle has skyrocketed to nearly 60% in July. Some of that could be tied to adjusting how far out in front of the plate he's making contact and also how wide his stance is, opening it up slightly after closing it off a lot in June. This could all be nothing, but we've seen young players adjust as the season goes on, so maybe that's what Muncy is doing.

Will Benson - OF, Cincinnati Reds
Another player I'm just going to trust the numbers on here is Will Benson. We've seen Benson flash great raw tools before, but he has never been able to maintain consistent stretches of MLB production outside of his 2023 season. However, he jumped out to me for a few reasons here. For starters, his .282 xBA is much better than his .223 average, and his .538 xSLG is far superior to his .427 slugging percentage. We know that expected stats aren't always a good barometer of future success; however, Benson also has a 117 Process+ score from May 12th on, which suggests that his overall decisions and contact have been good as well. He still has a 16% swinging strike rate, which worries me, but he's swinging more often this year, which has allowed him to slightly reduce his strikeout rate by giving himself more opportunities to make contact. I'm not sure if this will work, but in deeper leagues it might be worth a shot.

Jesus Sanchez - OF, Miami Marlins
Much like Benson, Sanchez is a platoon bat who will often sit against left-handed pitching. Unlike Benson, Sanchez has never really had major strikeout issues and has produced more consistent results. He's hitting just .259 on the season with seven home runs, but his 112 Process+ from May 12th on is well above the 100 league average mark. He has a 92 mph average exit velocity and 11.7% barrel rate, so he's making tons of strong contact. He is also chasing far less outside of the zone and making a career-high 76% contact rate. It would not surprise me if we see a power surge from Sanchez in the second half.

Nick Gonzales - 2B/SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
Gonzales doesn't have much speed and hits in a mediocre offense, so his fantasy upside will be limited; however, I wanted to highlight him here because his .289 xBA and 110 Process+ from May 12th on tell us that Gonzales could be a batting average asset in the second half of the season. In July, Gonzales has taken a pretty drastic opposite field approach, making contact -4.4 inches behind the front of the plate after being out over 10 inches in front of the plate earlier in the season. That has led to a massive spike in his Ideal Attack Angle%, and while it will limit his power ceiling, it could mean more line drives and hits fall in.

Daylen Lile - OF, Washington Nationals
Lile is not the young Nationals hitter that many people are talking about, but some interesting things are happening under the hood here. His .306 xBA is far better than his .234 average, and I've been impressed by his 14% strikeout rate and 5.7% swinging strike rate in his brief MLB debut. He makes really good swing decisions, which is partly why he's posted a 103 Process+ score from May 12th on. He stole 25 bases in the minor leagues last season and had 12 steals in 47 games in the minors this year, so if Lile can start to get on base more often, he should be able to run and help you in stolen bases as well. It's worth a gamble in deeper leagues.

Josh Bell - 1B, Washington Nationals
We'll end with a veteran, Josh Bell, who has been stepping it up lately. Bell has posted a 117 Process+ from May 12th on, but it wasn't until the middle of June that that process started to lead to tremendous results. From June 10th on, Bell is hitting .296/.369/.429 with two home runs, 10 runs scored, 13 RBI, and a 9.3% barrel rate over that span. Bell is no longer a 25-30 home run guy, but we could easily see 8-10 home runs from him the rest of the way with a good batting average. He could also be traded to a contender as a switch hitting first base option, and that could boost his fantasy value as well.

Second-Half Starting Pitchers to Target

Dylan Cease - San Diego Padres
Cease is the most obvious "buy low" target you can get. We know he's a streaky pitcher, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him go on a hot stretch, but his underlying stats tell us it could happen as well. He's posted a 16.6% SwStr% and 20.7% K-BB% in 56.1 innings since May 15th, which has helped him post a 3.36 SIERA that's far better than his 5.11 ERA. Most people in your league are expecting Cease to bounce back, so you likely can't get him cheap, but I would try to get shares of Cease if I can.

Tanner Bibee - Cleveland Guardians

Bibee is a less likely bounceback, and he may not be the SP2 in fantasy baseball that we expected. However, his pitch mix is starting to click with his three fastball variations, and his last start before the break gave us a bit of a sign that he could be turning things around. Even if he doesn't become an ace, he deserves to pitch better than he has. He has an 11.4% SwStr% and 17.3% K-BB% in 64 innings since May 15th, which has led to a 3.65 SIERA that's better than his 4.64 ERA. I'm going to bank on the sinker, cutter, four-seamer combination helping him to lower his ERA closer to that SIERA mark, but I'm not sure we're going to get tons of strikeouts.

Zebby Matthews - Minnesota Twins
I wrote about Zebby Matthews as a pitcher I think could end the season in the top 25 starting pitchers, so clearly I've been in the bag for him all season. However, he has also deserved better in his big league innings with a 12.1% SwStr% and 20.5% K-BB% in 19 innings since May 15th. That has helped him post a 3.39 SIERA despite his 5.21 ERA. He looked electric in his Triple-A rehab start last week, and I'd be stashing him now.

Richard Fitts - Boston Red Sox
I'm also fully in the bag for Fitts and have been since he showed increased velocity and an expanded pitch mix this spring. Since coming off the IL, he has been sitting 97 mph on his four-seam fastball with his secondaries starting to get more consistent. He's posted a 13.2% SwStr% in 16.2 innings since May 15th, with a 3.84 SIERA that is much better than his 5.40 ERA. I think he was done a disservice by the Red Sox rushing him back from the IL, and it wouldn't shock me if he keeps his rotation spot for the remainder of the season.

Frankie Montas - New York Mets
We also know that Montas will keep his rotation spot for the remainder of the season, but I think he's probably more of a deep league option. He's posted a 5.03 ERA in his first 19.2 innings, but that has come with a 12.3% SwStr%, 16% K-BB%, and 3.92 SIERA. He pitches on a good team in a good pitcher's park, and so it wouldn't surprise me if Montas were a good enough deep league asset.

Michael Soroka - Washington Nationals

I also think Michael Soroka is in for a better second half. His 10.1% SwStr% since May 15th isn't overly impressive, but that comes with a 19.5% K-BB% and 3.45 SIERA. I wrote about Soroka’s changes with a new arm slot and curveball usage earlier his month, and I think he's somebody who could really turn it around in the second half.

Brandon Walter - Houston Astros
Brandon Walter is another pitcher I wrote about earlier this season, and I've been impressed with what he's done so far. He's registered just an 11.9% SwStr% but a 23% K-BB% and 2.98 SIERA in 40.2 innings this season. He relies more on command and deception than overpowering stuff, which makes him a bit riskier than some of the other names on this list, but I think his spot in the rotation is rather secure, and I could see him being a streamer in 12-team leagues and a locked-in option in deeper formats.

Joey Cantillo - Cleveland Guardians
If you're looking for the inverse of Walter, you could turn to Cantillo, who seems to have a rotation spot locked up with Luis L. Ortiz undergoing an MLB investigation for a gambling infraction. Since coming back as a starter, Cantillo has a 14.9% SwStr% and 20.7% K-BB% in 12.2 innings with a 3.33 SIERA. His changeup can be a truly dominant pitch, and he gets elite extension on his fastball, so there is enough here to tie up right-handed hitters and make Cantillo a good high-upside play for the second half.

Giants at Blue Jays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 18

Its Friday, July 18 and the Giants (52-45) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (55-41).

Justin Verlander is slated to take the mound for San Francisco against Chris Bassitt for Toronto.

The Jays won 11 of 13 games heading into the All-Star Break to assume first place in the American League East by two games over the New York Yankees. The offense has been exceptional for Toronto averaging 6.2 runs per game over their last 13 games.

The Giants entered the Break looking like they are ready to make a push in the National League West and Wild Card races. They return to the diamond having won six of their last eight. To really make some noise San Francisco needs Rafael Devers to start cooking. Devers is hitting just .205 in July (8-39).

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Giants at Blue Jays

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 7:07PM EST
  • Site: Rogers Centre
  • City: Toronto, ON
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSBA, Sportsnet, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Giants at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Giants (+114), Blue Jays (-135)
  • Spread:  Blue Jays -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Giants at Blue Jays

  • Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Justin Verlander vs. Chris Bassitt
    • Giants: Justin Verlander (0-7, 4.70 ERA)
      Last outing: July 9 vs. Philadelphia - 6IP, 2ER, 7H, 0BB, 7Ks
    • Blue Jays: Chris Bassitt (9-4, 4.12 ERA)
      Last outing: 7/13 at Athletics - 1IP, 0ER, 0H, 0BB, 1K

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Giants at Blue Jays

  • Betting the Blue Jays on the Money Line is up 6.40 units with Chris Bassitt as the starting pitcher at home
  • The Under is 11-8 (58%) in the Blue Jays' games this season with Chris Bassitt on the bump
  • With Chris Bassitt starting, the Blue Jays are up 5.71 units on the Run Line at Rogers Centre in 2025
  • George Springer is 0-12 in his last 4 games and just 2-23 in his last 7.
  • Heliot Ramos was 1-13 in the 3-game series against the Dodgers heading into the Break

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Giants and the Blue Jays

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Giants and the Blue Jays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Blue Jays on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Francisco Giants at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Reds at Mets Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 18

Its Friday, July 18 and the Reds (50-47) are in Queens to open a series against the Mets (55-42) at Citi Field.

Nick Lodolo is slated to take the mound for Cincinnati against Sean Manaea for New York.

The Mets are a dominant team at home amassing a record of 33-14 this season. No team in baseball has more wins or a better winning percentage at home. As good as they have been at Citi Field, New York still trails Philadelphia by 0.5 games in the National League East.

Cincinnati has work to do in the second half of the season. They sit 7.5 games behind the Cubs in the National League Central. They have won four of their last five games to pull within 2.5 games of a wild card berth.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Reds at Mets

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 7:10PM EST
  • Site: Citi Field
  • City: Queens, NY
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNOH, SNY

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Reds at the Mets

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Reds (+137), Mets (-164)
  • Spread:  Mets -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Mets

  • Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Nick Lodolo vs. Sean Manaea
    • Reds: Nick Lodolo (6-6, 3.38 ERA)
      Last outing: July 10 vs. Miami - 6IP, 0ER, 3H, 0BB, 4Ks
    • Mets: Sean Manaea (0-1, 2.70 ERA)
      Last outing: 7/13 at Kansas City - 3.1IP, 1ER, 5H, 0BB, 7Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Reds at Mets

  • The Mets have won 4 of their last 5 home games against National League teams
  • 7 of the Reds' last 9 games against National League teams have gone under the Total
  • This is Sean Manaea's 2nd start of the season
  • Pete Alonso homered in the All-Star Game but is just 2-18 (.111) in his last 6 regular season games
  • Juan Soto is 12-42 (.286) in July with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs
  • Elly De La Cruz is 14-44 (.318) in July with 0 HRs and 6 RBIs

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Reds and the Mets

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Reds and the Mets:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Mets on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cincinnati Reds at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Brewers at Dodgers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 18

It's Friday, July 18 and the Brewers (56-40) are in Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers (58-39). Quinn Priester is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee against Tyler Glasnow for Los Angeles.

Los Angeles finished with the most wins in the NL with 58 and was one short of tying Detroit's MLB-best 59 first-half wins. The All-Star break couldn't have come quick enough for the Dodgers. Los Angeles lost a season-high seven straight games before winning the past two for a 2-7 record over the last nine.

Milwaukee is arguably the hottest team in the NL right now, but will that continue after the break? The Brewers are one game back of the Cubs for the NL Central lead and in the top spot for the No. 4 seed after ripping off seven consecutive wins to end the first half of the year, including a three-game sweep over the Dodgers.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Brewers at Dodgers

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 10:10PM EST
  • Site: Dodger Stadium
  • City: Los Angeles, CA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNWI, SNLA

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Brewers at the Dodgers

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Brewers (+158), Dodgers (-190)
  • Spread:  Dodgers -1.5
  • Total: 10.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Dodgers

Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Quinn Priester vs. Tyler Glasnow

  • Brewers: Quinn Priester, (7-2, 3.55 ERA)
    Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
  • Dodgers: Tyler Glasnow, (1-0, 3.52 ERA)
    Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Brewers and the Dodgers

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Brewers and the Dodgers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Milwaukee Brewers Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Milwaukee Brewers at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 10.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Dodgers

  • Milwaukee has won seven straight games and went 6-1 ATS in that span
  • Milwaukee is 3-0 on the ML and ATS versus Los Angeles this year
  • Los Angeles is 2-7 on the ML in the past nine games
  • The Dodgers went 5-0 out of the All-Star break last year
  • The Brewers went 4-1 out of the All-Star break last year
  • The Brewers have won the last eight with Priester pitching
  • The Dodgers are 3-3 with Glasnow pitching this season

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Twins at Rockies prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 18

It's Friday, July 18 and the Twins (47-49) are in Denver to take on the Rockies (22-74). Chris Paddack is slated to take the mound for Minnesota against Kyle Freeland for Colorado.

Minnesota won its past three series against Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and the Chicago Cubs to earn a 6-3 record in the past nine. The Twins are in a heathy spot to be completive and steal an AL Wild Card spot. Minnesota is four games back of the final postseason spot and can make ground against Colorado here.

The Rockies ended the first half of the season with 22 wins, which is by far the worst in the MLB. However, Colorado did start 9-50 in the first 59 games, so 13-24 over the last 37 games is a significant improvement. Colorado is 1-5 over the last six games, so maybe the magic is wearing off.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Twins at Rockies

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 8:40PM EST
  • Site: Coors Field
  • City: Denver, CO
  • Network/Streaming: MNNT, COLR

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Twins at the Rockies

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Twins (-167), Rockies (+139)
  • Spread:  Twins -1.5
  • Total: 10.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Twins at Rockies

  • Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Chris Paddack vs. Kyle Freeland
    • Twins: Chris Paddack, (3-8, 4.95 ERA)
      Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 6 Earned Runs Allowed, 11 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 2 Strikeouts
    • Rockies: Kyle Freeland, (1-10, 5.44 ERA)
      Last outing: 5.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Twins and the Rockies

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Twins and the Rockies:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Minnesota Twins on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 10.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Twins at Rockies

  • Minnesota is 6-3 in the last nine games
  • Minnesota is 5-14 when Paddack pitches this season
  • Colorado is 13-24 over the past 37 games
  • Colorado is 3-14 when Freeland pitches this season

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Cardinals at Diamondbacks Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends, stats for July 18

It's Friday, July 18 and the Cardinals (51-46) are in Phoenix to take on the Diamondbacks (47-50). Andre Pallante is slated to take the mound for St. Louis against Brandon Pfaadt for Arizona.

The Cardinals went 4-8 over the last 12 contests and only won one out of four series coming against the Nationals. Good news for Cardinals fans, they did sweep the Diamodbacks earlier this season at home, so there's hope for a series win here.

St. Louis has the 12th-easiest strength of schedule remaining and will head to Colorado for three games after this three-game set at Arizona.

The Diamondbacks are 1-3 over the last four games and 4-8 in the past 12, much like the Cardinals. Arizona is 5.5 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot, while St. Louis is 1.5 games back — so this series is equally important for both.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Cardinals at Diamondbacks

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 9:40PM EST
  • Site: Chase Field
  • City: Phoenix, AZ
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNMW, ARID

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Cardinals at the Diamondbacks

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Cardinals (+109), Diamondbacks (-130)
  • Spread:  Diamondbacks -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Cardinals at Diamondbacks

  • Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Andre Pallante vs.
    • Cardinals: Andre Pallante, 5-5 4.49 ERA
    • Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, Walks, and Strikeouts
    • Diamondbacks: Brandon Pfaadt, (9-6, 5.16 ERA)
      Last outing: 8.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cardinals and the Diamondbacks

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Cardinals and the Diamondbacks:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Arizona Diamondbacks on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the St. Louis Cardinals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cardinals at Diamondbacks

  • St. Louis is 3-0 versus Arizona this season
  • Both Arizona and St. Louis are 4-8 in the last 12 games
  • Arizona is 1-4 in the last five when Walter pitches
  • St. Louis is 0-3 in the past three when Pallante pitches

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)