Category: MLB

Last week, we turned the page to a new month. The White Sox hit the road for their sixth road trip of the year. Instead of building off of a 6-1 home stand, they dropped four of six.

June was always going to be a tough month for this South Side squad. The month started with a continuation of the division matchups that ended May, moved on to a trip to Philly, relentlessly pushes into three series against some of the best teams in the league, and ends with three divisional series. Which is why after recently taking three of four from the Twins at home, it seemed like a sure thing the domination of the Minnesota club would continue.

For the bats, much of this trend continued this week. The Pale Hose scored no fewer than four runs in all six games they played.

Miguel Vargas came to play in the opener in Minnesota. Two-run home runs were the name of the game for the third baseman. He hit not one but two in the 9-6 loss:

In Tuesday’s 6-4 loss to the Twins, Vargas showed up again with a two-run single. RBI’s five and six of the week put the White Sox up 3-0 at the time:

On Wednesday, the White Sox finally got into the win column, 8-0. Vargas went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs and his eighth RBI of the week. Had an MVP been named for the series, it would have gone to the 26-year-old.

Randal Grichuk kept his team in the opener on Friday in City of Brotherly Love. The outfielder was brought in specifically to hit against lefty pitching, and hit against lefty pitching he has. This season five of his six home runs and 12 of his 19 RBIs can be credited to facing a left-handed pitchers. Jesús Luzardo was Grichuk’s most recent victim: The DH for the night nabbed two solo shots off the starter and kept the game within striking distance, but the White Sox would ultimately end up losing, 8-6:

The six runs scored on Saturday, however, would be enough to earn the win. Both Colson Montgomery and Jacob Gonzalez homered, and we’ll show you the latter home run because it was the first long ball of J-Gone’s career. The ball traveled 428 feet into the second deck of right field, so it was no cheapie:

There were six lead changes in Sunday’s 9-5 loss. There were no home runs for the White Sox in this effort, but Tristan Peters smacked his 15th double of the year. The brief Banana is now batting .307 on the season. Peters was designated for assignment by the Rays before Chris Getz made a call to trade for him. A trade that cost the club cash and a player to be named later. While Tampa is sure to get a PTBNL upgrade from a system nobody to an actual prospect, for now one team’s loss is another team’s treasure.

The pitching this week was feeling the effects of playing 13 games in a row.

The highlight of this pitching struggle could be summarized best in David Sandlin’s performance. As you might remember, the rookie’s career debut was highlighted by retiring 18 in a row after giving up a solo home run to Byron Buxton to start the game. Last week, Sandlin started a second game against the Twins to open the series in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The result could not have been more different. He only made it through four innings, giving up eight runs on eight hits and four walks.

During the rubber match in Philly on Sunday, Sandlin entered the game after a Tyler Gilbert open. This time he made it through 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits and three walks. His home runs allowed has now climbed to four after just 13 1/3 innings of work over three game appearances.

This week was also the week Davis Martin finally stumbled. A bad start was bound to happen, but Buxton and company is not who I anticipated this struggle to happen against. The starter added a second loss to his record after pitching 4 2/3 innings. He surrendered six runs on 10 hits and struck out a season-low two batters.

Relief pitching did not have a great week, either. Tyler Davis and his 12 ERA over the stretch was a perfect example of this. His first of the week, on Monday, was an inconsequential ninth run given up to the Twins in a 9-6 loss. On Friday, Davis had a scoreless outing against the Phillies. What happened on Sunday to finish up the week, you ask? Davis entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a 5-4 lead and a job to hold the score there. Hold the score he did not. After three hits, a walk and one strikeout, the inning ended with the Good Guys in a 7-5 hole. The rubber match would be lost by a final of 9-5. An opportunity for a .500 week and a series win going into playing Atlanta was squandered by one inning of poor pitching.

As if that relief pitching wasn’t ugly enough, Bryan Hudson came out of the week with a 27 ERA in 1 1/3 innings of work. His two appearances in Philadelphia were both two outs apiece, giving up two runs in each. To no one’s surprise, there were no strikeouts involved during these outings.

Hopefully the Monday off-day will prove as a reset for Zach Bove’s pitching staff. The club will need a locked-in rotation and bullpen if they are to squeak out some wins against the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Freddy Peralta doesn't give the New York Mets enough of an edge over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals tonight to take the home team to win straight up on the moneyline.

New York is a -117 favorite, and my Cardinals vs. Mets predictions are fading the home team to find value elsewhere, particularly with the Over.

Let's dig in with my MLB picks on Tuesday, June 9.

Who will win Cardinals vs Mets today: Cardinals moneyline (+112)

The New York Mets have played better baseball of late, but I'm not champing at the bit to take them to win straight up at -117 in this spot. The St. Louis Cardinals are the better value proposition at plus money on the road.

This price reflects the pitching matchup more than anything, as Dustin May is pitching opposite Freddy Peralta. However, Peralta has been underwhelming in his first (perhaps last) season in Queens.

Compare his under-the-hood metrics year over year, and you'll see the Mets may have gotten hosed by the Milwaukee Brewers (whomst among us?) in their offseason trade (well, not really, as neither Brandon Sproat nor Jett Williams has looked that good). Last year, Peralta generated whiff and strikeout rates in the 83rd and 84th percentiles, respectively. This year, those have fallen to the 71st and 60th.

Additionally, Peralta saw a three-point Stuff+ dip and a slight drop in his Location+ from April to May, as his pitches simply aren't fooling hitters and he's not hitting his spots. 

His 3.63 ERA isn't terrible, but it's worse by nearly a full run from a season ago, and his expected ERA is 3.79 with an expected batting average of .237 (both in the 57th percentile). 

All told, he's getting hit more frequently and harder, and with bat-speed darling Jordan Walker waiting in the wings, I like the value in the visitors because Peralta isn't giving New York the edge implied by the price. I'd play the Cardinals to +105.

COVERS INTEL: Peralta's 14.3 BlastCon% is the highest it's been since it was first measured in 2024, meaning his offerings are getting squared up at top speed more frequently, particularly helping favor the Over 7.5.

Cardinals vs Mets Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-115)

With Peralta getting squared up frequently, and May similarly struggling to suppress scoring, we've taken our first step toward the Over 7.5.

And while Peralta's fly-ball rate is a reasonable 35.5%, that's so far below his career rate that it's reasonable to expect some normalization. 

Lars Nootbaar and JJ Wetherholt are healthy, which only bolsters St. Louis' offense alongside Walker and Alec Burleson.

May boasts an average fastball velocity of 96.8 mph, which ranks in the 84th percentile. Pretty good! Unfortunately, his average exit velocity is 90.4 mph, which is in the 19th percentile. Not great!

With wind blowing out toward right-center, per BallparkPal, it's shaping up to be a long day at the office for these hurlers.

Mets outfielder Juan Soto has the best matchup rating on today's slate, according to Batters-Box. If the Mets stack lefty bats like Soto and the red-hot Carson Benge, May will be in trouble, as they've hit .299/.371/.448 against him this season.

I'd take the Over 7.5 as short as -145 or pivot to Over 8.5 at plus money around +120 as an alternative.

Cardinals vs Mets odds

• Moneyline: Cardinals +113 | Mets -117
• Run line: Cardinals +1.5 (-178) | Mets -1.5 (+170)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-113) | Under 7.5 (+108)

Cardinals vs Mets trend

The New York Mets have hit the Game Total Over in 10 of their last 14 games at home (+7.80 Units / 51% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Mets.

How to watch Cardinals vs Mets and game info

Cardinals vs Mets latest injuries

Cardinals vs Mets weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Dodgers haven’t lost two games in a row in four weeks, but that run of success will be put to a tough test in Tuesday night’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

In a week in which they scored nine runs in one inning — their biggest frame since 2021 — the Dodgers also scored two or fewer runs in three of seven games last week and were held scoreless in 52 of their 62 innings at the plate.

Now they try to get the bats back on track against Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

Tuesday marks the fifth time in five series since Skenes debuted in 2024 that the right-hander will face the Dodgers. In his rookie season, the Dodgers and Pirates split those two games, and Skenes looked relatively human, with seven runs allowed in 11 innings, including three home runs.

Last year, Skenes simply fixed the glitch, and did not allow any runs to the Dodgers in 12 1/3 innings over two starts, both Pirates wins, en route to winning the National League Cy Young Award, after finishing third as a rookie. In total, Skenes has 33 strikeouts against only three walks against the Dodgers, with at least eight strikeouts in all four starts to date.

Skenes this year has allowed 15 runs (11 earned) in 20 innings over his last four starts, all Pirates losses. It’s just the second time Skenes has failed to pitch six innings in four consecutive starts, but last year’s four-game stint included a pair of scoreless starts.

The recent skid ballooned Skenes’ ERA to 3.09, which stands out because during his first two major league seasons saw him post a 1.96 and 1.97 ERA. That ERA this year still ranks 11th in the National League, while his 2.29 xERA is second. Skenes’ strikeout rate (29.5 percent) ranks fourth, while his strikeout-minus-walk rate (24.8 percent) is third.

Skenes is third in FanGraphs WAR (2.2) in the National League, tied with Shohei Ohtani, who will start on the mound on Wednesday and be the first batter Skenes faces on Tuesday. Ohtani homered off Skenes in their first meeting, on June 5, 2024, but overall has just two hits in 11 at-bats against him, with six strikeouts and a walk.

Andy Pages has four hits in six at-bats against Skenes, including a home run and two doubles, but only two other Dodgers have multiple hits off the Pirates ace — Kyle Tucker has a home run and double in five career at-bats, while Freddie Freeman has two hits in 12 at-bats, including a double.

Tuesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Pirates
• Ballpark: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
• Time: 3:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Inspiration.

I kept some oat milk in the refrigerator, thinking that when the time was right, it would be much better than regular milk.  Eventually the milk went sour.  I thought of Alek Thomas.

Doubts appeared before it happened.

“At this point, expecting Thomas to anchor center field for a competitive Diamondbacks club feels optimistic. His tools suggest upside, but four seasons of stasis on offense and regression on defense tell a different story.” — Jeff Irving, December 2025

“On the other end of the age spectrum, this season may be the last chance for Jorge Barrosa and Alek Thomas to have a breakthrough performance.” — Makakilo, February 2026

Ben Seigel asked, “When will the front office start to make some decisions on Alek Thomas?”  He made a strong argument:

“And there are multiple high-level prospects currently sitting down in Reno chomping at the bit for an opportunity including Tommy Troy, Ryan Waldschmidt, and eventually A.J. Vukovich when he returns from injury. That’s also not taking into account Jordan Lawlar’s eventual return…” — Ben Seigel, April 2026

My article, Which Outfielder Will Most Exceed Expectations? had a table of FanGraphs 2026 projections of four statistics (wRC+, OBP, HR/PA, and SLG) for each of six possible Diamondbacks outfielders.  This season with the Diamondbacks, Thomas fell significantly short of each of his four projections.  Also he fell short of the projections of the other possible outfielders except for Barrosa (SLG and HR/PA).

What happened?

This season with the Diamondbacks, Alek Thomas struggled at the plate.  He had several career low statistics, such as .222 OBP, .340 SLG, 3.0 BB%. His defense in center field, although above average, had not returned to the level of 2022/2023, when he was twice nominated for a gold glove.

Instead of optioning Thomas to AAA until he was ready to return, the Diamondbacks DFA’d him to remove him from the 40-man roster.  That opened a trade window prior to Thomas being available to other teams on waivers.  Only if he was not traded, and only if no team claimed him on waivers, would he be available to return to the Diamondbacks. 

The Dodgers made a trade offer that the Diamondbacks liked, so Thomas was traded to the Dodgers for Jose Requena, a 17-years-old outfielder. 

Mike Hazen’s comments are key to understanding the Diamondbacks’ viewpoint.  The bolded italics were added by me. 

• “I think he made changes this offseason, fundamentally, to target some of those things. I know he worked at all those things. It hasn’t translated.” — Mike Hazen, May 2026
• “I feel like if we just optioned him, feeling like he’s buried, sitting down there, biding his time until he gets another opportunity, I wasn’t sure that we were going to get the best version. This is the opportunity we’ll have to get the best version of him if he’s still here.” — Mike Hazen, May 2026

In the minors, had other outfielders developed to the point that keeping Thomas in the Majors would stunt their development?  My view is that the desired player mindset is working extraordinarily hard to prepare, not knowing whether an opportunity would happen.  I hold up Yilber Diaz as the prime example of the desired player mindset in the following two AZ Snake Pit articles:

• The secrets of his success.
• Is Yilber Diaz ready?

Is there an undiscovered Alek Thomas?

Alex Thomas, 1-6 June, AAA (Pacific Coast League) results follow (Data from Baseball Savant):

• Alek Thomas did not swing at five waste zone pitches (far from the strike zone).  That seems to reflect a very positive change compared to the 2026 season in the Majors, when he swung at 20.6% of waste zone pitches with zero hits.
• Recently, Alek Thomas’ OBP was worse in AAA (.176 vs .222), but xOBA was a little better (.327 vs .275).  Again, that seems positive.
• Recently, Alek Thomas hit a lot more ground balls compared to fly balls (roughly 4:1 vs 1.7:1).  This change likely reflects swing changes after being traded to the Dodgers. Recently, his launch angles are rarely in the optimal range. See table for more details.

The following table shows Exit Velocities (EV) , Launch Angles (LA), and Ball-In-Play (BIP) information for Alex Thomas 1-6 June, AAA.

My conclusion is that there are signs that Thomas made positive changes at the plate.  The undiscovered Alek Thomas may be emerging.

Summary.

This season was Alek Thomas’ last chance for a breakout season with the Diamondbacks. His defense was above average (albeit less than it was), but he struggled at the plate. His offseason work did not translate to season results. The Diamondbacks DFA’s him. Then they traded him to the Dodgers.

Perhaps Thomas now has a mindset similar to Yilber Diaz : working extraordinarily hard to prepare, not knowing whether another opportunity will happen.

In his first week in AAA, Alek Thomas reduced his swings at waste zone pitches (20.6% to zero), increased his expected on-base-percent, and hit a home run. On the other hand, he hit a lot of grounders, perhaps because his launch angles are rarely in the optimal range. The undiscovered Alek Thomas may be emerging.

After a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates where they were able get through without facing Paul Skenes, the Atlanta Braves are headed to Chicago where the Acuña brothers will be facing off.

Grant Holmes will be taking the mound, and as we have seen, he tends to run out of gas after going through the lineup twice. A big question mark is after an off day if Didier Fuentes will be available for long relief if needed. A combo of Holmes and Fuentes in the same game seems to be a solid strategy of it can be done.

So far this season Holmes has an ERA of 3.86 and FIP of 1.317, which are both right on par with the rest of his career. However, his 21.2 percent strikeout rate is the worst of his career, and his expected ERA (xERA) of 4.49 shows he is due for some regression. He has been particularly fortunate with a left on base percentage of 83.3 when his career average is 79.2, and his BABIP against him is .256, which is lower than his career .287.

Oddly, it is the second time a hitter faces him in a game when he struggles, not the third. Hitters are averaging an OPS of .569 the first time they see him, a 1.010 the second time, and a .519 the third. Nine of his twelve HRs that he has given up have been during the second time through the order. It will be interesting to see how Walt
Weiss handles him moving forward.

Only two players on the entire White Sox active roster have faced Holmes, and neither have more than two at-bats. Coincidentally it is Ronald Acuña’s brother, Luisangel, who has those two at-bats and he is hitless. Randal Grichuk is hitless in his one at-bat.

Like the Pirates that the Braves just swept, the White Sox are a team that have been surprisingly good on offense. They are fourth in MLB in HRs, and seventh in total runs per game. Good news for the Braves is they are bottom ten in ERA with a 4.38 right behind their crosstown rivals, the Cubs.

Former Braves pitcher Erick Fedde was originally slated to take the mound for the Braves. But then it was announced that Brandon Eisert will be opening. Eisert held Atlanta hitless last season in 1.1 innings and has had a solid year thus far in 14.0 innings. This season he has a 3.21 ERA, 2.97 FIP, and a 1.214 WHIP. He also has fifteen strikeouts to only five walks.

Based on Fedde originally slotted to start, it can be guessed that he will be following Eisert. Fedde’s time with the Braves is probably time that he would like to forget when he had an ERA of 8.10 in 23.1 innings in 2025. Fedde is not exactly doing well this season either. He currently sports an ERA of 4.94 and an xERA of 4.50. His xERA is in the bottom 33.0 percent of MLB. He is only striking out 14.2 hitters which is in the bottom 4.0 percent of MLB and is walking 9.4 percent, which is in the worst 40.0 percent.

On paper, the Braves’ offense should be licking their chops should they get to face Fedde, but we never truly know with the great game of baseball what will happen. Ronald Acuña and Austin Riley have had the best success against Fedde on the team. In nineteen at-bats Acuña has three HRs, a .316 average, and a 1.277 OPS. In twenty- two at-bats Riley has a .982 OPS with one HR. Another player to keep an eye on is Michael Harris. We already know he is on fire this year, but in his nine at-bats against Fedde he has a .667 average and 1.445 OPS. As far as Eisert goes, there is not enough data to really draw any conclusions, but based on his 14.0 innings this year, the Braves need to get him off the mound as fast as they can to move on to the other pitchers on the White Sox roster.

First pitch is at 7:40 EDT

Game Info

Game Time: Friday, June 9th, 7:40 pm EDT

Location: Rate Field, , Chicago, IL

Watch: BravesVision / Gray TV

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

The Mets have announced that Kodai Senga will not make his scheduled Tuesday rehab start with Double-A Binghamton due to ulnar nerve irritation.

Tuesday’s start would have been Senga’s fourth rehab outing. In his first three starts, Senga has allowed seven earned runs on 14 hits over 12.0 innings. 

Manager Carlos Mendoza previously noted that Senga's velocity was "a little down" in his last start.

Senga has been on the IL since April 28 while dealing with lumbar spine inflammation.

Prior to landing on the IL, Senga had been struggling mightily, pitching to a 9.00 ERA in five starts, making his spot in the rotation questionable at best whenever he is fully healthy. 

The latest news on the Houston Astros!

Another day, another injury: LaMonte Wade Jr. is heading to the IL, and Joey Loperfido is being recalled per Brian McTaggart:

The IL stint follows a hamstring injury:

The number is ZERO.

Dana Brown also doesn’t intend on selling:

Josh Hader has been on fire since returning:

Hader struck out the side yesterday in the 9th. He has 7K in 3 IP, has not allowed a hit.

Altuve on his sprint home to score the winning run Monday:

In Chandler Rome’s most recent piece, he discusses several topics: The Astros will maintain they are buyers; a LH hitting OF is the team’s biggest need; Doubts Yordan will be dealt; a potential Jeremy Pena trade window; Christian Vazquez impact on staff & what kind of playing time he may get upon the return of Yainer Diaz; the Astros patience with Mike Burrows:

Cole Hertzler is movin’ on up:

Seven years ago today, Yordan Alvarez made his major league debut:

Collin Price got hit first big league hit:

Milestone for Spencer Arrighetti:

Of note: In Bob Nightengale’s latest column, he mentions teams that are ‘delusional’ in their statements about not being willing to sell despite bad records. The Astros are not one of the teams he mentions.

Things he does mention:

• Aroldis Chapman likely to be dealt
• Freddy Peralta wants a Max Fried type deal in FA
• DBacks and Ketel Marte still at odds
• Twins SP Bailey Ober filed a formal complaint about the quality of baseballs, and believes they led to his latest injury. More pitchers are echoing his sentiments

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Let’s hope the elements don’t interfere with a tape-measuring showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers star-studded lineup and Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes at PNC Park on Tuesday, June 9.

My top Dodgers vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks are calling for Los Angeles to eke out a low-scoring win against Skenes tonight.

Who will win Dodgers vs Pirates today: Dodgers moneyline (+100)

The Pittsburgh Pirates have lineup regulars Brandon Lowe (knee) and Oneil Cruz (hand) day-to-day with minor injuries, and ace Paul Skenes is struggling on the bump with 15 runs allowed across his past four starts.

Obviously, Skenes’ underlying 3.07 xFIP and 3.25 xERA highlight there’s been some tough luck during the skid, but he’s also tasked with facing the best lineup in the majors by wOBA and OPS against right-handed pitchers tonight.

Add the potential for rain delays and/or stoppages due to forecast rain and thundershowers, to Pittsburgh ranking 20th in bullpen ERA over the past 30 days, and the Los Angeles Dodgers moneyline is playable to -110.

COVERS INTEL: While it’s a small sample, Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Eric Lauer’s dipped to a 21.7% squared-up contact rate across two starts with his new team after allowing a 34.4% mark through 36 1/3  innings with the Toronto Blue Jays to start the season.

Dodgers vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-115)

With the highlighted Pittsburgh injury question marks and overall lack of success against left-handed pitchers, I’m anticipating the Pirates doing limited damage at the dish to keep this total Under the number.

Additionally, even with Skenes’ noted bump in the road, he still paces the majors in xERA since debuting in 2024. So, I fully expect him to pitch well and hold the Los Angeles bats largely in check.

Of course, the Dodgers have also played to the Under in 27 of their past 45 games (+7.30 Units / 15% ROI), so I like this bet down to -125.

Dodgers vs Pirates odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers +100 | Pirates -120
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+155) | Pirates +1.5 (-185)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-115)

Dodgers vs Pirates trend

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won 32 of their last 45 road games (+10.00 Units / 13% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Pirates.

How to watch Dodgers vs Pirates and game info

Dodgers vs Pirates latest injuries

Dodgers vs Pirates weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

According to a report by Brian McTaggart, the Houston Astros will place OF LaMonte Wade Jr. on the 10-day IL today, and recall OF Joey Loperfido from Triple-A Sugar Land.

Wade Jr. made an immediate impact with the Astros after being signed by the team June 4, batting .333 with a .385 OBP and 1.135 OPS. He hit two doubles, a HR and drove in 4 in 4 games (12 AB). He was injured while running out a base hit.

Loperfido, who was re-acquired by the Astros in the offseason, hit .276 with a .348 OBP and .711 OPS with 5 doubles and 7 RBI across 58 AB earlier this season before he was injured running out a groundout.

Loperfido, who was optioned to Triple-A after being activated from the IL last Thursday, is batting .297 with a .381 OBP and .732 OPS with 2 doubles and 4 RBI at Sugar Land over 37 AB.

I’ll say this upfront: There’s going to be a fair amount of numbers in this article, and some of those numbers aren’t going to look all that great, because Troy played a tough schedule and dealt with injuries throughout the year. But make no mistake, this Troy team is a deserving one of being one of the last 8 college baseball teams standing this postseason. As an anonymous coach told D1Baseball, “You can be a bad team and have a great weekend in the regular season, but you can’t be a bad team and go on a three-week run like they are.”

Troy has been a pesky Sun Belt team for years now, but this year, they were right up there with the top of the conference and are on a pretty magical run, winning their first Division 1 Regional and Super Regional (and thanks to Little Rock coming out of the Hattiesburg regional, Troy got to host their first Super Regional, too) in program history on their way to getting here. They were one of the last teams in the field as an at-large team, but despite their 32-29 record as a mid-major looking maybe less than impressive, this team played one of the toughest schedules in the country — by RPI, their strength of schedule was 8th, with all 7 teams ahead of them being high-end SEC squads who boosted their numbers by playing each other in weekend series. They racked up a midweek win against Georgia early in the year, but really came on in a 14-5 finish to their season that included a midweek win against Alabama and a game win against Southern Miss. They finished tied for 3rd in a 5-bid Sun Belt before beating Florida twice to come out of the Gainesville Regional.

This Troy team is a pretty balanced squad, with pretty high-end talent and decent team results both at the plate and on the mound. Offensively, the headliner is catcher Jimmy Janicki, one of few homegrown players on this roster. Janicki has absolutely raked this season, putting together a slash line of .341/.413/.648. He leads the team in doubles (24), home runs (19), RBI (85), and OPS (1.061). He’s one of the best players remaining in the tournament, even though he hasn’t been up to his standard in the postseason — he’s gone just 6/21 through their 7 games, including 1/9 in their Super Regional sweep of Little Rock. His teammates have picked him up, though, and if he’s going to get back into his groove in Omaha, this offense could go from good to scary in a hurry. Other guys to look out for include right fielder Aaron Piasecki (.346/.454/.539, 24:39 K-BB), who’s got some Kane Kepley in his game as an on-base machine batting leadoff with a flat swing and more than one helping of grit; Indiana transfer third baseman Josh Pyne (.291/.372/.496, 23 2B), who is a doubles machine but strikes out a lot; and junior college transfer DH Jabe Boroff (.264/.393/.670), a hard swinger who missed time with injury and a really slow start to the season but has been on fire in the postseason. He’s got 15 extra base hits out of his 24 total knocks and they’re calling him “Jabe Ruth,” which I must say is an incredible bit.

As a team, the Trojans slash .290/.399/.484 and have hit 93 home runs — the on-base and average numbers rank in the 60-70 range nationally while the home runs rank near top-20, with slugging somewhere in the middle. So this is a team that relies on home runs to score, and to their credit they do that pretty successfully to the tune of 7.2 runs per game. They’re also really, at times detrimentally, aggressive at the plate — they record 1.6 strikeouts per walk, a similar mark to USC and not one that compares favorably to the rest of the field. This isn’t a team that runs a lot, with their stolen bases leader being CF Steven Meier with 11 on 20 attempts. And, oddly, they have 3 guys with at least 17 hit-by-pitches. It’s also a very good defensive lineup — as a team, they’re fielding at a .977 rate and converted four double plays in the game that sent them to Omaha.

Troy has a couple of decent starters in senior duo Tommy Egan (R, 5.38 ERA) and Benjamin Stubbs (L, 4.93 ERA). Egan usually pitches first for them and he’s a crafty guy, with a fastball/cutter combo that doesn’t overpower with velocity but does keep you guessing, and then a curveball/slider off-speed mix. He’s got 99 strikeouts and 32 walks in 87 innings pitched, and threw 7.1 strong frames against Little Rock last weekend. Stubbs has a more typical arsenal, headlined by a fastball that sits 94-96 with average life but good location. He doesn’t miss as many bats as Egan does, but an 83:37 K-BB is still plenty respectable. Hayden Smith has emerged as a third starter for them and has been putting up the best numbers of the bunch lately, albeit with a smaller sample size. He’s got a 2.94 ERA and a .226 batting average against compared to the other two being around .265, but he doesn’t have the strikeout stuff or the zone command of his compatriots, shown by a 28:21 K:BB in 49 innings.

All that said, the real strength of the Trojans’ pitching staff, in my opinion, is in the bullpen. Zach Crotchfelt (L, 3.50 ERA, 74:22 K-BB) is a relief ace who spent time at Auburn and Texas Tech before landing with the Trojans for his senior year, and he’s a flamethrower who’s playing his best baseball of late. Closer Dylan Alonso (R, 4.63 ERA, .204 BAA) is another hard-throwing reliever with a 95-97 heater to go with a slider/curve breaking ball mix; he’s a legit draft prospect this year. Cooper Ellingworth and Noah Thigpen have been hit around a little more, but they’ve eaten a ton of innings for the Trojans as well; they’re dangerous if they get run support. And freshman Matt Dill could be a wild card, with a respectable ERA of 5.50 and other stats that make him look like a real strike-thrower — the kind who might not wow you, but could also get through 3 innings in a blink.

It’s a tough world for mid-majors in college baseball, and Troy coach Skylar Meade has done a really admirable job building this roster basically anew through smart transfer portal adds from just about every level of the sport, with Janicki as the centerpiece. This has been a fun team to watch and they’re capable of doing damage, especially with the bats in the top half of their lineup. While neither their offense nor their pitching is necessarily the best in the field, Troy certainly has a team that’s plenty good enough to compete with anybody, and a star who’d be one of the 3 best players on any of the teams in Omaha.

In this week on the farm, we saw the first organizational no-hitter of the season in Scranton, several breakout hitting performances in Somerset, some real pitching struggles down in Hudson Valley, and a Tampa squad that’s putting it all together.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 31-31, 7 GB in the International League East after a 3-4 week against the Syracuse Mets (Mets)

Run differential: +8

Coming up: Home vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies)

The first week of June was pretty meh for the RailRiders, who suffered a losing week due to a Wednesday doubleheader that threw in an extra game. They won the first two games, lost the next two, won on Friday, and then got unceremoniously shut down over the weekend. Despite losing more ground on the week, they had the org’s biggest highlight, which was the first no-hitter of the season on Friday.

Brendan Beck tossed seven no-hit innings in one of his finest starts of the season before Carson Coleman finished it off with a pair of no-hit frames, capping it off with a 6-6-3 double play to end the game. It’s the first RailRiders no-hitter since Sean Boyle’s seven-inning one in 2021 and the first nine-inning no-hitter since Luis Gil, Reggie McClain, and Stephen Ridings combined for one earlier that season:

With Spencer Jones moving back up to the big leagues due to Aaron Judge’s injury, the focus was back solely on George Lombard Jr., who had a okay week at the plate. Jasson Domínguez began a rehab assignment on Friday and went 0-for-7 across two games in left field. Could they give him some work in right field? I’d bet against that… for now. Tyler Hardman had some big hits this week, and the team also welcomed back Marco Luciano from the injured list.

Dom Hamel got the Tuesday and Sunday starts and was passable. Elmer Rodríguez bounced back nicely from a few tough starts in a row with 5.2 two-run innings with six strikeouts on Thursday, while Adam Kloffenstein took the loss on Saturday.

For the rest of the pitching staff, there was a pretty seismic shift with Carlos Lagrange moving to the bullpen. He still threw four innings on Wednesday in some of his best work of the season with seven strikeouts, but you have to think it’s more of a “deload” period, and it could be a few weeks before he’s in the 1-2 inning role.

Yovanny Cruz and Bradley Hanner took losses late in the week in a pair of close losses. Eric Reyzelman, the most MLB-ready relief prospect, was placed on the injured list with a reported back injury mid-week. While better than an arm injury, he had back issues last year that derailed his 2025 season.

Players of Note:

Spencer Jones: .269/.378/.571, 13 HR, 48 RBI, 9 SB, 32.4 K%, 144 wRC+
George Lombard Jr.: .206/.371/.298, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 7 SB, 92 wRC+
Brendan Beck: 5-2, 3.55 ERA, 4.03 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 17.1 K-BB% (66 IP)
Carlos Lagrange: 1-3, 4.08 ERA, 4.64 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 18.5 K-BB% (53 IP)
Elmer Rodríguez: 1-3, 2.95 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 16.0 K-BB% (39.2 IP)

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 30-27, 1 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 4-2 week against the Harrisburg Senators (Nationals)

Run differential: +27

Coming up: Home vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)

How is it possible to have a winning week, but your run differential goes down by eight runs? Well, that happens when your loss on Friday night was one of the worst in team history, 21-4. Outside of that game, they won four close, medium-scoring games and lost another one by one run in a solid week that saw them inch closer to the division lead.

Somerset’s high-powered offense had one of its worst weeks of the season after Jace Avina was placed on the injured list early in the week. The May Eastern League Player of the Month was en fuego. Garrett Martin hit another three home runs and is up to 19, while DJ Gladney caught fire with four home runs and seven extra-base hits. I’d also like to mention Cole Gabrielson, who was promoted to fill Avina’s spot in the outfield and homered twice in Friday’s blowout loss.

Outside of Jack Cebert’s rough outing on Friday, it was a good week for the starting pitching. Trent Sellers tossed a quality start, Cade Smith finally came around with five solid innings on Wednesday, Xavier Rivas struck out nine in four innings on Thursday, Chase Chaney tossed six shutout innings, and Kyle Carr continued a strong stretch with nine strikeouts in five innings. Ben Hess only pitched one inning on Sunday, getting stuck in a 40-pitch inning.

The bullpen was up-and-down. Guys like Hayden Merda and Kelly Austin traded good and bad outings, while Chris Veach and Ben Grable pitched well in multi-inning efforts on Friday. 2024 UDFA Tony Rossi got a promotion on Friday and tossed a scoreless inning in his Double-A debut after a terrific year and change in Hudson Valley.

Players of Note:

Jace Avina: .276/.358/.583, 14 HR, 35 RBI, 30 XBH, 145 wRC+ (injured)
Garrett Martin: .258/.317/.556, 19 HR, 47 RBI, 13 SB, 126 wRC+
Coby Morales: .263/.349/.479, 10 HR, 44 RBI, 12 SB, 121 wRC+
Hayden Merda: 0-0, 2.31 ERA, 2.22 FIP, 0.99 WHIP, 35.5 K-BB% (23.1 IP)
Kyle Carr: 5-4, 4.32 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 1.38 WHIP, 19.2 K-BB% (50 IP)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 25-31, 11 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 2-4 week against the Frederick Keys (Orioles)

Run differential: -19

Coming up: Home vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)

Hudson Valley’s been in a big-time rut over the last few weeks for a variety of reasons. This week? It was a really rough one for the pitching. Outside of a 10-1 win on Thursday, they allowed at least seven runs in every other game, combining to allow 55 runs across six games. The one silver lining was the offense’s late explosion to come back from a 10-3 deficit on Friday, winning 14-13.

Offensively, Core Jackson continued to hit. Since returning from the injured list, he’s raised his OPS by 120 points. Josh Moylan (8-for-23, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 2B) caught fire mid-week to help him out, while Roderick Arias showed some life at the plate as well. Wilson Rodriguez and Eric Genther had worse weeks, while Kaeden Kent homered early in the week before getting seven hits in a two-game span.

It was harder to find a good start this week than you’d like. Bryce Cunningham scuffled, Luis Serna, Chase Hampton, Sean Paul Liñan, and Franyer Herrera all got lit up by the Frederick offense, and Rory Fox got brutalized by his defense, allowing seven unearned runs out of 10 in 4.2 innings. The bright spot was Allen Facundo (more on him later) on Thursday.

In a week where you allowed over nine runs a game, you probably could’ve expected a rough week from the bullpen. There was some good, but not many relievers got through the week without allowing a run in some way. Losing Rossi to a promotion continued to batter their depth there, as guys like Thomas Balboni Jr. and Wilmy Sanchez get higher-leverage innings.

Players of Note:

Kaeden Kent: .299/.364/.416, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 21 XBH, 15 SB, 111 wRC+
Core Jackson: .260/.369/.455, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 14 SB, 124 wRC+
Luis Serna: 2-3, 4.11 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 1.52 WHIP, 16.7 K-BB% (46 IP)
Bryce Cunningham: 0-2, 6.43 ERA, 6.44 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, 11.7 K-BB% (21 IP)
Sean Paul Liñan: 1-6, 5.89 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 1.31 WHIP, 26.4 K-BB% (36.2 IP)

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 30-27, 6 GB in the Florida State League West after a 5-1 week against the Palm Beach Cardinals (Cardinals)

Run differential: +22

Coming up: Away @ Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)

The Tampa Tarpons are arguably playing the best of any Yankee affiliate. When was the last time you could say that? They had a phenomenal week against Palm Beach, scoring 26 total runs in the first two games and eight on Friday before winning two close games during the weekend. A shutout loss on Thursday was all that stopped them from their first sweep of the season.

It was a quieter week for Jackson Lovich, but the train kept rolling for Hans Montero and Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek. JoJo Jackson had his best week since a strong April, while Willy Montero seems to be finding something over the last few weeks. It also helps that they got a talent infusion when Logan Maxwell (7-for-13, HR, 4 RBI, 2B, 2 BB, 4 SB) returned from the injured list.

Thatcher Hurd (4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 K) had a great bounce-back game on Tuesday after a miserable Single-A debut. Wyatt Parliament struggled on Wednesday, Henry Lalane (5.1 IP, 1 R, 6 K) tossed a third straight strong outing on Friday, and both Tyler Boudreau and Brennan Stuprich continued strong stretches with good starts over the weekend.

The bullpen had a terrific week, with the likes of Jose M. Rodriguez, Pedro Rodriguez, and Jose Martinez pitching well. Justin West seems to have unlocked something moving into a multi-inning relief role, tossing another three scoreless innings on Tuesday. The same can be said for JT Etheridge, who pitched well on Wednesday. Mac Heuer had six strikeouts in 2.2 scoreless innings, but was pulled mid-AB due to an undisclosed injury. He hasn’t been placed on the IL… yet.

Players of Note:

Jackson Lovich: .305/.384/.616, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 23 XBH, 13 SB, 143 wRC+
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: .274/.386/.427, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 17 SB, 135 wRC+
Hans Montero: .269/.389/.513, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 24 XBH, 15 SB, 145 wRC+
Tyler Boudreau: 2-2, 3.40 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 22.0 K-BB% (45 IP)
Henry Lalane: 1-1, 3.79 ERA, 3.07 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 16.3 K-BB% (35.2 IP)

FCL Yankees

Record: 14-13, 6 GB in the FCL North after a 3-2 week.

Run differential: +15

Some good and some bad here. Wilberson De Pena looked human this week, but his down week was made up for in spades by the likes of Richard Matic and a suddenly blisteringly hot Dexters Peralta, who’s now up to seven home runs on the year. The strikeout rate is concerning, but he’s still young. Jose Castro returned from injury late in the week, but the looming dread hanging over the bats is the fact that Dax Kilby hasn’t played in 10 days. Did he re-aggravate the hamstring injury?

Omar Gonzalez continued to be a force for the rotation. He’s been the best pitcher on the team. Blake Gillespie has been so-so, and Sabier Marte has been better of late, but Stanly Alcantara and Manuel Cruz have struggled. 2025 UDFA Austin Breedlove out of Tennessee has been a revelation in the bullpen, allowing just three runs in 13.2 innings with 18 strikeouts and just five walks. He should be in Tampa soon.

Players of Note:

Wilberson De Pena: .340/.403/.623, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 15 XBH, 11 SB, 142 wRC+ (119 PA)
Jose Castro: .364/.580/.606, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 13 SB, 199 wRC+ (50 PA)
Richard Matic: .307/.440/.465, 11 XBH, 14 RBI, 9 SB, 131 wRC+ (125 PA)
Sabier Marte: 17 IP, 6.35 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 1.65 WHIP, 17.5 K-BB%
Omar Gonzalez: 25 IP, 2.16 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 0.76 WHIP, 26.3 K-BB%

DSL Yankees & Bombers

DSL Yankees:
Record: 1-5
Run differential: -1

DSL Bombers:
Record: 1-5
Run differential: -28

Woof. What a rough week for these two. The DSL Yankees have had some abysmal closes to games. They blew a 14-7 lead to DSL Mets Blue, a 6-2 lead to DSL Rangers Red, and a 4-3 lead to DSL Tigers 2 in the ninth. Meanwhile, it’s either been high-scoring losses or blowouts for the Bombers, including being no-hit on Monday.

Isaias Castillo is the standout bat here. The 17-year-old hit for the cycle on Tuesday and carried it through the week to lead the DSL in home runs through six games. Juan Torres, Stiven Marinez, and Alessandro Rodriguez are all hitting well around him.

On the pitching side, it’s a lot of ugly, but there were some impressive performances. Yunior Jerez tossed five no-hit innings with seven strikeouts. Kevin Centeno and Sebastian Rivas also stood out in brief, 2-3 inning spells.

Prospect of the Week: Allen Facundo

Weekly Stats: 6 IP, 0 R, 4 BB, 12 K, 21 whiffs
Season Stats (Tampa/HV): 3-2, 3.69 ERA, 2.64 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 22.6 K-BB% (46.1 IP)

How do you take the Prospect of the Week mantle from a guy who tossed seven no-hit innings? How about tossing six of your own, but being even more dominant?

Facundo’s been a niche prospect for a good bit, often producing in the FCL and Tampa over the last few years while battling injuries that stagnate him. A strong start to 2026 earned him a promotion to High-A Hudson Valley, where he’s traded good starts and bad starts. Last time out, he walked four and hit a batter in a miserable first inning before gritting his way through six.

On Thursday, Facundo was brilliant. He did continue to struggle with command, but he had every pitch working in six brilliant innings. We don’t have Statcast data for High-A, but he kept Frederick hitters off balance all night, which is pretty impressive considering they scored over 10 runs a game in the other five.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

I'm back on the home run beat after a short IL stint, but ready to hit the ground running with a home run slate loaded with great hitting conditions and some pick-on pitchers to cash some MLB player props.

While everyone is rushing out the door to bet dingers in the Brewers-A's game, the real home run value can be found at Coors Field today, and I'm adding Seiya Suzuki to my slate alongside Josh Jung and Lars Nootbaar from my earlier picks.

These are my favorite MLB home run predictions for Tuesday, June 9. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Lars Nootbaar	+503
Josh Jung	+700
Seiya Suzuki	+390
💲Today's HR parlay	+22335

Home run pick: Lars Nootbaar (+503)

There is value in Lars Nootbaar, who returned to the lineup last week and looks fully healthy.

Over a small sample, he leads the team in HR/FB rate (20%), fly-ball rate (71.4%), and slugging percentage (.700), while ranking second in bat speed at 75.7 mph. He has already gone deep in just 13 plate appearances and added a double after a rehab stint in which he launched three home runs. With 15-mph winds screaming out to center field, he’s my favorite St. Louis Cardinals target at this price in a favorable home-run matchup.

Freddy Peralta ranks 33rd among starters in HR/FB rate over the last month, which plays well with Nootbaar’s ability to get the ball in the air. The bullpen behind him has also been giving up home runs lately and is generating a lot of fly-ball outs.

Nootbaar is an everyday player who could even find himself in the leadoff spot, which would give him a chance at an extra at-bat today. It’s a play to +435. Ivan Herrera (+710) and Alec Burleson (+502) are also on the radar in this game. 

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNY, Cardinals.TV

Home run pick: Josh Jung (+700)

Kauffman Stadium might not be the best home run park, but 15-mph winds blowing out to left-center and temperatures pushing 90 degrees create a great environment for dingers today.

The Texas Rangers have the better side of the matchup against Stephen Kolek, who generates plenty of ground balls, but when hitters do get the ball in the air against him, it tends to leave the yard. He's also making his first start after returning from the family medical emergency list.

Josh Jung at +500 or better is my favorite way to attack this spot. He ranks among the team's Top 3 hitters in power metrics and has recorded a hit in 16 of his last 18 games while posting a .930 OPS.

He also just faced the Kansas City Royals three series ago and responded with three extra-base hits while slugging .786 during the matchup. The Royals' bullpen adds to the appeal, ranking in the bottom third of baseball in HR/9.

Evan Carter (+830) and Brandon Nimmo (+538) also project as +EV home run plays, per the player projections at Covers.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Royals.TV, Rangers Sports Network

Home run pick: Seiya Suzuki (+390)

I want a Chicago Cubs bat in Denver in today's MLB picks, with 15-mph winds blowing out to right field and temperatures pushing near 90 degrees. 

It’s also a spot where Tomoyuki Sugano looks vulnerable, carrying a 7.58 xERA that sits well above his sub-4.00 surface ERA. This was a pitcher who had one of the worst HR/FB rates in baseball last season, and he wasn't even pitching at Coors half the time. 

Seiya Suzuki at +390 projects as one of the top +EV home run options in this game, with a fair price closer to +300. He is part of a small group of Chicago hitters who have been swinging it well over the last two weeks, and he stands out with a price 150 points better than the others.

Even if Sugano manages to limit damage, the Colorado Rockies bullpen has been horrendous, posting a 10.20 ERA and 2.08 HR/9 over the last 14 days. Everyone might be looking at Las Vegas for dingers today, but the better value is in Colorado.

• Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee, Rockies.TV

Today’s HR parlay

Lars Nootbaar	Bet Now +22335
Josh Jung
Seiya Suzuki

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It's the best day of the week for baseball. Tuesday.

We've got a full slate loaded with opportunities to cash in on some of the league’s best hitters to do damage at the plate.

My MLB player props for Tuesday, June 9, are eyeing Julio Rodriguez, Ian Happ, and Shohei Ohtani.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Julio Rodriguez	Over 1.5 total bases	-110
Ian Happ	Over 1.5 total bases	-124
Shohei Ohtani	Over 1.5 total bases	+111

Julio Rodriguez Over 1.5 total bases (-110)

First game of the day, the Seattle Mariners take on the Baltimore Orioles, and we're hyper-focused on Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez as we back the over on his total bases prop this evening.

The young star has been terrorizing southpaws this season, posting a 173 wRC+, .987 OPS, 50% hard-hit rate, and a 12.5% barrel rate. Over his last 30 plate appearances against lefties, he's making 60% hard contact while batting .286 with a .571 SLG and .904 OPS.

Today marks Rodriguez's 52nd elite rating on Batters-Box. In his previous 51 elite ratings, he's gone Over this prop 45% of the time and has left the yard in 21% of those contests. He's also gone Over 1.5 total bases in seven of his last 10 elite-rated games.

The young slugger draws Trevor Rogers this evening, a pitcher against whom he owns an 80.2% arsenal coverage rating.

The lefty has allowed right-handed hitters to do just about whatever they want this season, surrendering 42.4% hard contact at home. Over the last 60 right-handed batters he's faced, opponents have posted a .320 xBA, .514 xSLG, and .340 xwOBA. During that same stretch, Rogers has allowed 45.8% hard contact, an 8.3% barrel rate, and a massive 68.8% elevation rate.

Anything below -120 for this prop is a go in my book. Don't want to lay the juice? Take his home run prop or a double prop for a little more value.

• Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, SEAM

Ian Happ Over 1.5 total bases (-124)

My shirt is covered in drool because these numbers for Chicago Cubs switch-hitter Ian Happ to go over his total bases prop tonight at Coors Field are absolutely delectable.

The longtime Cub has been tearing the cover off the ball lately, batting .414 with a 1.034 SLG and 1.467 OPS over his last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitchers. During that stretch, he's generated 59.1% hard contact and a 13.6% barrel rate.

Happ draws seasoned Colorado Rockies sophomore Tomoyuki Sugano, who owns the worst pitcher rating on Batters-Box's current season rankings. The veteran Japanese right-hander is allowing 50.71% hard contact to opposing hitters while carrying just a 13.33% strikeout rate. 

Left-handed bats have absolutely torched him recently. Over the last 60 lefties he's faced, opponents have posted a 49% hard-contact rate, 25.5% barrel rate, and 72.6% elevation rate. Those hitters have also produced a ridiculous .429 xBA, .977 xSLG, and .548 xwOBA during that span.

With this game at Coors Field, Happ carrying 78.7% arsenal coverage, and Sugano getting shelled, I have to be all over Mr. Happ's total bases tonight. If this number climbs, I'd pivot to his double and home run props instead.

• Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee, COLR

Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 Total Bases (+111)

We are really here for the value. Getting Shohei Ohtani to go Over 1.5 bases at +111 is a gift. I do not care if Jesus Christ in his prime is on the mound; Ohtani always has a chance.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star draws an elite rating matchup against Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes Over on Batters-Box, and the underlying trends are mouthwatering. In 129 elite-rated games on the road, Ohtani has recorded:

• 1+ Hit: 75.19%
• 2+ Hits: 34.11%
• 2+ Bases: 58.91%
• 2+ Hits, runs, RBI: 62.02%
• Home run: 27.91%

He has cleared 2+ bases in eight of his last 10 elite-rated road spots.

If you want to pay the -125 price on his hits + runs + RBI prop, I fully endorse that as well. The trend is your friend there.

Over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, Ohtani is hitting .423 with a .645 slugging percentage and a 1.154 OPS, while generating 63.2% hard contact. He also has a 73.7% arsenal coverage rate against Skenes’ pitch mix.

Even if Skenes has success early, once Pittsburgh goes to the bullpen, Ohtani is still in a strong position to do damage. The Pirates bullpen allows the highest hard-contact rate to left-handed hitters at home, and is also allowing an 82.8% elevation rate.

At +111, this feels like a steal. Even if it does not always hit, the price itself is the win. I would take this down to +100.

Do not forget to sprinkle on the home run as well; it's hovering around 4/1.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNP, SNLA

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Maven wonders how Rangers fans feel about ex-Blueshirt bench boss Peter Laviolette getting the Kings head coaching gig.

Like many of Lavvy's NHL stints – remember, he broke in with the Islanders – Pete did some good things with the Rangers because he's got savvy, experience and a few other good qualities.

But he couldn't fix the Rangers clubhouse negativity and the fact that – whatever Pete's message – his troops reacted as if they had "heard that song before."

We wish him luck in L.A. but I don't expect any John Tortorella miracles!