Category: MLB

Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, the Dodgers reclaim the top spot, Riley Greene makes history, PCA drives a Brewers fan into madness, the Royals find their power stroke against the Orioles, Lance McCullers Jr. returns to the majors, speedster Chandler Simpson is as advertised, and the White Sox win the hearts of 90's kids everywhere.

Let’s get started!

(Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook)

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Lucas Giolito and Tyler Stephenson return to action

Eric Samulski breaks down some of the top waiver wire adds for the upcoming week of fantasy baseball.

• Eric Samulski,

• Eric Samulski,

1) Los Angeles Dodgers ⬆️

Last week: 2

The Dodgers are back on top, even after seeing their seven-game winning streak snapped on Sunday night against the Braves. Los Angeles scored seven runs or more in six out of the seven games on their win streak. Early-season sensation Tommy Edman is out with a right ankle injury, but now we'll get a chance to see what offseason acquisition Hyeseong Kim can do against major league pitching.

2) San Diego Padres ⬆️

Last week: 4

The Padres are also rolling, as they’ll bring a five-game winning streak into Yankee Stadium on Monday. Fernando Tatís Jr. had quite the scare when he was hit in the forearm by a pitch on Friday, but he was right back in the lineup on Saturday and pulled off an aggressive and heads-up baserunning play to help the Padres to a win.

3) New York Mets ⬇️

Last week: 1

The Mets have lost four of five, including a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Cardinals on Sunday. Bullpen issues are beginning to manifest, including injuries to left-handers A.J. Minter and Danny Young over the past week.

4) Detroit Tigers ⬆️

Last week: 5

The Tigers rebounded from losing two out of three to the Astros by winning three out of four from the lowly Angels. We love history around here, especially of the quirky variety, which is why we have to call out Riley Greene becoming the first player to hit two home runs in the ninth inning of a game.

5) Chicago Cubs ⬆️

Last week: 7

The Cubs’ buzzsaw of an offense is driving some to the point of madness. To illustrate, watch this dejected Brewers fan react to the latest home run from Pete Crow-Armstrong.

P.S. - Imagine how Mets are feeling about PCA these days? Actually, I don’t have to imagine. I’ll tell you. It stinks.

6) San Francisco Giants ⬇️

Last week: 3

The Giants are a bit topsy-turvy of late, but veteran left-hander Robbie Ray has been steady presence in the rotation so far. After making his return from Tommy John surgery last year, the 33-year-old has posted a 3.05 ERA through his first seven starts this season.

7) Seattle Mariners ⬆️

Last week: 8

The Mariners’ offense has been one of the league’s best in recent weeks and George Kirby is hitting 98 mph in rehab games. While Logan Gilbert’s status is TBD, things are mostly looking up here.

8) New York Yankees ⬇️

Last week: 6

I’m sorry to report that Aaron Judge is in a slump. After managing just one hit on Sunday against the Rays, his batting average has cratered to .423 for the season.

9) Philadelphia Phillies ⬆️

Last week: 11

Bryce Harper finally snapped his 13-game homerless drought on Sunday, but Alec Bohm is still searching for his first home run of the season.

10) Cleveland Guardians ⬇️

Last week: 9

Speaking of home runs, Jhonkensy Noel hit one of the longest blasts of the season last week.

11) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬆️

Last week: 12

After inking a six-year, $210 million contract with the Diamondbacks over the winter, Corbin Burnes has had his next start pushed back to some inflammation in his right shoulder. Time will tell if it’s something of long-term concern, but there have been some indications that he’s not quite right. While Burnes holds a decent-enough 3.58 ERA through six starts, he’s posted an underwhelming 28/17 K/BB ratio in 32 2/3 innings.

12) Kansas City Royals ⬆️

Last week: 17

The Royals had an MLB-low 15 home runs through their first 33 games this season, but they mashed 10 homers between Saturday and Sunday against the Orioles, including a new franchise record with seven in the latter. The question is how much this power surge was about a breakthrough for KC’s bats versus the woeful state of Baltimore’s pitching staff.

13) Boston Red Sox

Last week: 13

A tough week for the Red Sox where they blew three saves and saw first baseman Triston Casas go down with a ruptured patella tendon. At least Garrett Crochet managed to avoid disaster with this comebacker on Sunday?

14) Texas Rangers ⬇️

Last week: 10

No AL team has scored fewer runs than the Rangers, who demoted Jake Burger last week and fired offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker on Sunday. Raise your hand if you just learned that offensive coordinator is a thing in baseball too.

15) Atlanta Braves

Last week: 15

Just when you think the Braves are ready to make their move, they stumble a bit. Still, it's been encouraging to see Austin Riley get off to a nice start this season. After seeing his production fall in 2024 before a fractured hand ended his season, he's hitting .292 with eight homers and an .847 OPS through 33 games this year. While the Braves' third baseman is striking out more often this year, he's also barreling balls up at a rate he's never done before.

16) Athletics ⬆️

Last week: 20

A’s fans have had a long wait for Gunnar Hoglund, who was acquired from the Blue Jays as part of the Matt Chapman trade in March of 2022. The southpaw has seen his star fade in recent years, but he’s shown a velocity uptick this season which led to his MLB debut on Friday against the Marlins. The 2021 first-rounder shined with seven strikeouts and no walks over six innings of one-run ball.

17) Houston Astros ⬇️

Last week: 14

A lot of things are possible with AI technology these days, but I promise you this is the real deal. For the first time since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series, Lance McCullers Jr. was back on a major league mound on Sunday against the White Sox. The 31-year-old dealt with some control issues, but turned in 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Kudos to McCullers’ perseverance.

18) Cincinnati Reds ⬇️

Last week: 16

From All-Star closer to Triple-A in the span of two years. That’s the story for Alexis Díaz, who served up three home runs to the Cardinals last Wednesday before being optioned to Louisville. Diaz’s control has always been shaky, but he showed signs of decline last season, particularly in regard to a loss in fastball velocity which has carried over to 2025. Fortunately for the Reds, Emilio Pagán has stepped up in the closer role.

19) Milwaukee Brewers

Last week: 19

The Brewers have struggled to get on a roll this season, but there’s reason for hope. Brandon Woodruff, who is returning from shoulder surgery, pitched into the sixth inning in his most recent rehab start and is currently on track to make his return to the majors around the middle of the month.

20) Tampa Bay Rays

Last week: 19

The Rays took two out of three from the Yankees over the weekend and Chander Simpson’s ridiculous speed was a key factor. For most people, a ground ball to second base is a routine out. For Simpson, it’s just the beginning of an experience.

21) Toronto Blue Jays

Last week: 21

After the Royals’ weekend power display against the Orioles, the Blue Jays now sit last in the majors with 23 home runs. Anthony Santander, who received a five-year, $92.5 million contract this offseason, has struggled with four homers and a .577 OPS.

22) Washington Nationals

Last week: 22

The Nationals’ bullpen holds a 6.55 ERA this season. Only the Angels (7.02 ERA) have been worse.

23) St. Louis Cardinals ⬆️

Last week: 24

A nice family saw Nolan Arenado literally fall into their laps on Sunday. It resulted in one of the best baseball photos in recent memory. There's a real choose-your-own-adventure quality to it.

24) Minnesota Twins ⬆️

Last week: 26

Help has arrived for the Twins, as Royce Lewis and Willi Castro were activated from the injured list on Monday. Lewis has been out all season with a hamstring injury. You can’t question the talent with Lewis, but can he finally stay on the field for a sustained period?

25) Baltimore Orioles

Last week: 25

Let’s be real: Some (maybe most?) of the Orioles’ struggles are about poor roster construction and planning, but how much leash does Brandon Hyde have as manager? We're about to find out.

26) Los Angeles Angels ⬇️

Last week: 23

Eight losses in their last nine and missing Mike Trout due to a bone bruise in his surgically-repaired knee. It's just sad, man.

27) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬆️

Last week: 28

Seeing Paul Skenes struggle against the Cubs last week was sort of like when Superman gave up his powers and got beat up in a diner in “Superman II.” How does he respond this week?

28) Miami Marlins ⬇️

Last week: 27

We mentioned Agustín Ramírez as a potential building block for the Marlins in last week’s Power Rankings, but Kyle Stowers is also showing signs of promise. Including a walk-off grand slam against Mason Miller and the A’s on Saturday, Stowers is slashing .321/.387/.541 with six homers and 25 RBI this season.

29) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 29

We can probably stop making City Connect uniforms because the Bulls-inspired White Sox fits will not be topped.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 30

The Rockies won back-to-back games last week! They’ve lost three in a row since then and will host the Tigers and the Padres this week, so that might be the high point for a while.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins have returned third baseman Royce Lewis from his rehab assignment, clearing the way for his season debut after he strained his left hamstring in spring training.

The Twins reinstated both Lewis and multi-position player Willi Castro from the injured list, putting both regulars in play for the start of their three-game series against Baltimore. Castro missed 16 games with a strained right oblique muscle.

Infielders Mickey Gasper and Edouard Julien were sent to Triple-A St. Paul to make room on the roster with the Twins, who are still missing right fielder Matt Wallner (strained left hamstring) and second baseman Luke Keaschall (broken right forearm) with long-term injuries.

Lewis went 4 for 23 with one double in six games with St. Paul, finishing yet another rehabilitation that has defined his young career. The first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Lewis suffered his latest injury on March 16 while running out a ground ball in an exhibition game.

Lewis missed the 2021 season after he tore his right ACL when he slipped on ice at his Texas home during a freak winter storm. He needed reconstructive ACL surgery on the same knee in 2022, after a collision with the wall while making a catch during a brief audition in center field barely two weeks after his major league debut.

He opened the 2023 season on the injured list while still in recovery and debuted that year in late May. Lewis also had IL stints that season with a strained left oblique and a left hamstring strain. In 2024, he played in a career-high 82 games, enduring IL stints for a strained right quadriceps and a right adductor strain.

Ted Williams is the last American Leaguer to hit .400, and there actually are plenty of similarities between him and Aaron Judge.

The one major difference is in the strikeout column, and that’s why Judge highly is unlikely to repeat Williams’ famous feat.

With a .423 batting average through 34 games, Judge leads the major leagues in hitting by a whopping 74 points over New York Yankees teammate Paul Goldschmidt. Judge’s OPS of 1.287 is actually the same number Williams finished with when he hit .406 in 1941. Williams averaged a homer every 12.32 at-bats that year. Judge is hitting one every 11.82 so far this season.

But Williams struck out only 27 times in all of 1941. Judge has already done so 31 times.

Judge has struck out in 20.3% of his plate appearances. In the live ball era, only one player in the AL or NL has even hit .350 with a strikeout rate of at least 20%. That was Manny Ramirez at .351 in 2000.

Still, Judge’s strengths — and his one big weakness — can help us come up with a road map of sorts for aspiring .400 hitters.

Step One: Shrink the sample size.

It’s no accident that all of baseball’s .400 hitters played before the season expanded to 162 games. Smaller samples lead to more extreme stats, and when Williams hit .406 in 1941, he only played in 143 games. George Brett played in 117 games when he hit .390 in 1980. Tony Gwynn topped out at .394 in 1994 — the season that ended in mid-August because of a strike.

No, that doesn’t mean players should try to get injured or miss games for other reasons. But a high walk total is imperative if you want to qualify for the batting title while still keeping your at-bat total reasonably low. Williams had only 456 at-bats in 1941 because he drew 147 walks.

Ichiro Suzuki was a prolific contact hitter who didn’t walk much. He would routinely end up with around 700 at-bats in a season, and it’s extremely hard to sustain a .400 average for that long.

Step Two: Make contact.

This is the problem for Judge and other power hitters of this era. A player who strikes out in 20% of his plate appearances has to hit .500 on the PAs he doesn’t strike out in if he’s going to bat .400 overall. Right now Judge is 55 for 99 when he doesn’t strike out — an extraordinary mark but not one that is likely to last.

Step Three: Ride a BABIP heater.

There’s a lot of luck involved in a player’s batting average on balls in play (BABIP), but there are some ways a hitter can improve it. Hitting line drives is obviously preferable to hitting popups, and speedy players can turn grounders into infield hits, boosting their BABIP — and batting average — that way. George Sisler had a BABIP of .422 in 1922 when he hit .420.

Step Four: Hit homers.

Unfortunately, BABIP numbers like Sisler’s don’t happen much, especially now. The overall BABIP across the major leagues this year is .288. It was over .300 back in 1930 — which happened to be the year Bill Terry became the last National Leaguer to hit .400. Fielders have more success turning balls in play into outs than they did then, but one way to avoid that is to hit a lot of homers. When Rod Carew hit .388 in 1977, he was boosted by a BABIP of .408, but it was also the year he tied his career high with 14 home runs.

Needless to say, there aren’t many players who can combine high walk and home run rates with low strikeouts in a way that adds up to a .400 average. For example, Barry Bonds homered every 6.52 at-bats in 2001 and posted career-best walk (37.6%) and strikeout (6.6%) rates in 2004. His best BABIP was .330 in 2002.

Now let’s imagine he pulled off all those career-best rates in the same season, and let’s give him 600 plate appearances. The rest of the numbers would shake out like this: 226 walks, 40 strikeouts, 374 at-bats, 57 home runs and 148 hits. But that would still only be an average of .396.

One player who could have made a run at .400 but never really did was Wade Boggs, whose highest average was .368. Boggs had a BABIP of .396 in 1985, then posted his one big home run year in 1987 when he hit 24 — one every 22.96 at-bats. In 1988, he struck out in a minuscule 4.7% of his plate appearances while walking in 17.4%.

If we combine those rates into one hypothetical season like we did with Bonds, we end up with: 600 PAs, 104 walks, 28 strikeouts, 496 at-bats, 22 homers and 199 hits. That’s a .401 average.

Line of the week

Jake Meyers went 4 for 4 with two homers and seven RBIs in Houston’s 8-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He tied a franchise record with 13 total bases.

Comeback of the week

The Toronto Blue Jays rallied from a 6-0 deficit in the sixth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 in 10. Toronto had a 1.6% chance to win in the sixth, according to Baseball Savant.

The Blue Jays actually wiped out the deficit quickly. Daulton Varsho hit a two-run homer in the sixth and Alejandro Kirk followed with a solo shot. Then Anthony Santander tied it with a three-run homer the following inning. Kirk eventually won it with a bases-loaded single in extra innings.

ATLANTA — Austin Riley knows one win by Atlanta in six games against the Los Angeles Dodgers doesn’t give the Braves a claim to challenge the team with baseball’s best record.

Even so, avoiding a season sweep with a 4-3 win over the Dodgers was important for the Braves and their morale.

“It’s huge,” said Riley, who powered the Braves by hitting a pair of two-run homers for an early 4-0 lead.

“I think this is a really good ballclub here,” he added. “We’ve shown it at times and we’ve struggled at times. I think it’s something you can build off of to get that confidence, knowing that we can compete with the best, and go from there.”

The Braves opened the season with seven consecutive losses, a stretch that was capped by three losses in Los Angeles. They have remained under .500, though they climbed close at 14-15 before another three-game skid that included losses to the Dodgers in the first two games of the weekend series, including a 10-3 defeat that gave Los Angeles a seven-game winning streak and the best record in the majors at 23-10.

Including losses in their last two games against the Dodgers in 2024, the Braves had lost seven straight in the series. That’s why avoiding the sweep of the season series was important.

“I think it’s big when you win a game like this,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “It’s like you know what, we’re pretty good, too. I think the club can take something away from that. We didn’t win the series, but it’s a big win for us. It shows us we can play, that we’re a good team, too.”

Riley is hitting .292 and leads the Braves with eight homers and 24 RBIs.

Riley, Marcell Ozuna, Matt Olson and other Atlanta hitters are awaiting the return of outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. as he continues to recover from last year’s ACL surgery on his left knee.

Acuña was hurt after 49 games last season. He won the National League MVP in 2023 with 41 home runs, 73 steals and a .337 batting average.

When asked how the top of Atlanta’s lineup would compare with the Dodgers’ top four of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández when Acuña returns to the leadoff spot, Snitker said: “We’re right there.”

Its Monday, May 5 and the White Sox (10-24) are in Kansas City to take on the Royals (19-16). Shane Smith is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Cole Ragans for Kansas City.

The White Sox are 10-24, but picked up the series win over the Houston Astros with a 5-4 win yesterday.

The Royals are one of the hottest teams in the MLB. They have won eight of their last 10 games and are now third in the AL Central.

With an 11-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles, the Royals have now won four straight series.

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 White Sox at Royals

• Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
• Time: 7:40PM EST
• Site: Kauffman Stadium
• City: Kansas City, MO
• Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City, CHSN

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 White Sox at the Royals

The latest odds as of Monday:

• Moneyline: White Sox (+200), Royals (-244)
• Spread:  Royals -1.5
• Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for White Sox at Royals

• Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Shane Smith vs. Cole Ragans
  
  • White Sox: Shane Smith, (1-1, 2.23 ERA)
    Last outing (Milwaukee Brewers, 4/30): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
  • Royals: Cole Ragans, (1-1, 4.40 ERA)
    Last outing (Colorado Rockies, 4/24): 3.0 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 2 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!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of White Sox at Royals

• The Royals have won 16 of their last 19 home matchups against the White Sox
• The White Sox's last 6 road trips to the Royals have stayed under the Total
• The Royals have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 1.32 units

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 White Sox and the Royals

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 Monday's game between the White Sox and the Royals:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Kansas City Royals on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago White Sox at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play 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)

Its Monday, May 5 and the Astros (17-16) are in Milwaukee to take on the Brewers (17-18). Ronel Blanco is slated to take the mound for Houston against Tobias Myers for Milwaukee.

The Astros lost the series to the Chicago White Sox last night after a 5-4 loss. The Astros are 17-16 this season and third in the AL West.

The Brewers lost their series against the Chicago Cubs and gave up 16 runs in three games, while having a shutout victory in game three.

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 Astros at Brewers

• Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
• Time: 7:40PM EST
• Site: American Family Field
• City: Milwaukee, WI
• Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, Space City Home Network

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 Astros at the Brewers

The latest odds as of Monday:

• Moneyline: Astros (-105), Brewers (-114)
• Spread:  Brewers 1.5
• Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Astros at Brewers

• Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Ronel Blanco vs. Tobias Myers
  
  • Astros: Ronel Blanco, (2-2, 5.08 ERA)
    Last outing (Detroit Tiger, 4/28): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
  • Brewers: Tobias Myers, (0-0, 5.14 ERA)
    Last outing (Chicago Cubs, 5/2): 1.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 0 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 1 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!

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

• The Brewers have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against AL West teams
• The Over is 12-7-1 for the Astros' and the Brewers' last 10 games combined
• The Brewers have covered the Run Line in 4 of their last 5 home matchups against the Astros

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 Astros and the Brewers

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 Monday's game between the Astros and the Brewers:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Milwaukee Brewers on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Houston Astros at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards 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)

Its Monday, May 5 and the Giants (22-13) are in Chicago to take on the Cubs (21-14). Landen Roupp is slated to take the mound for San Francisco against Matthew Boyd for Chicago.

The Giants are coming off a 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies. They won the series 3-1.

Logan Webb picked up the win. He only gave up one run on six hits in 7.0 innings. Willy Adames was great. He had two runs, three RBIs, on three hits.

The Cubs lost last night against the Milwaukee Brewers, but won the season series. The Cubs are 21-14 and are 1st in the National League Central.

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 Cubs

• Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
• Time: 7:40PM EST
• Site: Wrigley Field
• City: Chicago, IL
• Network/Streaming: Marquee Sports Network, NBCS BA

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 Cubs

The latest odds as of Monday:

• Moneyline: Giants (+126), Cubs (-151)
• Spread:  Cubs -1.5
• Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Giants at Cubs

• Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Landen Roupp vs. Matthew Boyd
  
  • Giants: Landen Roupp, (2-2, 5.10 ERA)
    Last outing (San Diego Padres, 4/30): 4.1 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
  • Cubs: Matthew Boyd, (2-2, 2.70 ERA)
    Last outing (Pittsburgh Pirates, 4/30): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 3 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!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Giants at Cubs

• The Giants have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against NL Central teams
• The Over is 20-14-1 in Giants' games this season
• The Giants have covered the Run Line in 3 straight games

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 Cubs

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 Monday's game between the Giants and the Cubs:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play 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 7.0.

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)

It's Monday, May 5 and the Mariners (20-13) take on the Athletics (19-16). Bryce Miller is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Luis Severino for Oakland.

The Athletics won two of three against the Marlins and three of four versus the Rangers before flying back across the country for this matchup. Seattle had a six-game winning streak broken yesterday with an 8-1 loss at Texas.

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 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 Mariners at Athletics

• Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
• Time: 10:05 PM EST
• Site: Sutter Health Park
• City: Sacramento, CA
• Network/Streaming: RSNW, NBCSCA

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 Mariners at the Athletics

The latest odds as of Monday:

• Moneyline: Mariners (-114), Athletics (-105)
• Spread:  Mariners -1.5
• Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Athletics

• Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Bryce Miller vs. Luis Severino
  
  • Mariners: Bryce Miller, (2-3, 3.52 ERA)
    Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
  • Athletics: Luis Severino, (1-3, 3.30 ERA)
    Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Run Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, 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 Mariners and the Athletics

Rotoworld Best Bet Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the NRFI between the A’s and Mariners:

"These teams met four times, all at the beginning of the season and the NRFI went 4-0 to the Under in that series. I lean that to continue with both teams traveling back across the country after road trips in Florida and Texas. If the NRFI does cash, one bet I like is taking the live Over at 7.0 or 7.5. All four games totaled 7 or fewer runs scored, but those were literally the first four games of the season for both teams. We should see more runs scored in this series, but it may not come today. I lean the NRFI and a live bet on the Over when the value is there."

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 Monday’s game between the Mariners and the Athletics:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Seattle Mariners on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Oakland Athletics at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

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 Mariners at Athletics

• The Mariners have won 8 of their last 10 games
• The Over is 10-5 in the Mariners' road games this season
• The Mariners have failed to cover in their last 3 games against the Athletics

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)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

It's Monday, May 5, and the Mets (22-13) are in Phoenix to take on the Diamondbacks (18-16). Griffin Canning is slated to take the mound for New York against Ryne Nelson for Arizona.

New York is coming off two losses yesterday in a double-header with St. Louis and travels to Arizona to take on the DBacks, which sets up Arizona well off an 11-9 thrilling home win over Philadelphia last night.

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 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 Mets at Diamondbacks

• Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
• Time: 9:40 PM EST
• Site: Chase Field
• City: Phoenix, AZ
• Network/Streaming: SNY, 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 Mets at the Diamondbacks

The latest odds as of Monday:

• Moneyline: Mets (-115), Diamondbacks (-105)
• Spread:  Mets -1.5
• Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Mets at Diamondbacks

• Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Griffin Canning vs. Ryne Nelson
  
  • Mets: Griffin Canning, (4-1, 2.61 ERA)
    Last outing: Innings Pitched, Earned Runs Allowed, Hits Allowed, Walks, and Strikeouts
  • Diamondbacks: Ryne Nelson, (1-0, 5.82 ERA)
    Last outing: 4.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 0 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 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 Mets and the Diamondbacks

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans Arizona to beat New York:

"Arizona is 1-6 when Nelson pitches this season compared to 17-10 when he does not, while New York is 5-1 when Canning pitches, including five consecutive wins. The obvious would point to the value on the visiting Mets, but having played a double-header yesterday, losing both, and going on the road again isn't a recipe I'd be willing to bet into. I lean toward the short-home underdog in Arizona."

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 Monday’s game between the Mets and the Diamondbacks:

• 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 Arizona Diamondbacks at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

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 Mets at Diamondbacks

• The Mets have won seven of their last 10 games against teams with winning records
• The Mets' last three games have gone over the total
• The Diamondbacks

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)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

It is Monday, May 5, and the Pirates (12-23) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (16-19). Carmen Mlodzinski is slated to take the mound for Pittsburgh against Miles Mikolas for St. Louis.

Pittsburgh has lost four straight games and seven of the past eight, including an 0-3 weekend at home against San Diego. St. Louis took two of three against the New York Mets over the weekend, including a sweep of a doubleheader yesterday, which leaves the Cardinals a little vulnerable against their NL Central opponent.

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 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 Pirates at Cardinals

• Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
• Time: 7:45 PM EST
• Site: Busch Stadium
• City: St. Louis, MO
• Network/Streaming: SNP, FDSNMW

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 Pirates at the Cardinals

The latest odds as of Monday:

• Moneyline: Pirates (+125), Cardinals (-149)
• Spread:  Cardinals -1.5
• Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Pirates at Cardinals

• Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Carmen Mlodzinski vs. Miles Mikolas
  
  • Pirates: Carmen Mlodzinski, (1-3, 6.58 ERA)
    Last outing: 4.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 4 Strikeouts
  • Cardinals: Miles Mikolas, (1-2, 4.66 ERA)
    Last outing: 5.1 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 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 Pirates and the Cardinals

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans Oneil Cruz to steal a base:

"Oneil Cruz was the MLB's stolen bags leader until this weekend, but there is still plenty of time to regain that status. Cruz had two stolen bases on Friday, but those are the only two in the last eight games. In that span, Cruz has drawn 10 walks, 9 nine strikeouts, and 5 hits, so there have been opportunities. That, and he hasn't been caught stealing in 34 straight attempts. This is a divisional opponent that isn't doing well either, so I like the value game-by-game in this series for Cruz to steal a base."

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 Monday’s game between the Pirates and the Cardinals:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the St. Louis Cardinals on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Pittsburgh Pirates 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 Pirates at Cardinals

• Last season with Miles Mikolas starting NL Central home games betting the Cardinals on the Money Line was up 1.97 units
• In his last 5 starts on the mound the Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas has an ERA of 5.20
• It has been 4 games since the Pirates last covered the Run Line

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)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have fired offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker after the team’s extended struggles scoring runs.

The decision was announced after the Rangers won 8-1 on Sunday in their series finale against AL West-leading Seattle. Even with that outburst, the Rangers (17-18) were last in the American League with 113 runs.

Before the win over the Mariners, the Rangers had scored just 30 runs during a 2-9 stretch, and half of those came when they finished with a season-high 15 runs against Oakland on Tuesday. They opened the series against Seattle with losses of 13-1 and 2-1.

Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said after lengthy discussions, it was “the appropriate time to provide our hitters with a new voice as we pursue goals of winning the division and reaching the postseason.”

The team said the structure of the club’s hitting staff would be addressed in the coming days.

The 39-year-old Ecker was in his fourth season as the club’s offensive coordinator after being hired on Nov. 1, 2021. He helped the Rangers win their only World Series title in 2023.

Its Monday, May 5 and the Reds (18-17) are in Atlanta to open a series against the Braves (15-18).

Brady Singer is slated to take the mound for Cincinnati against AJ Smith-Shawver for Atlanta.

The Braves won yesterday against the Dodgers, 4-3. Austin Riley went deep twice and drove in all four runs in the win. The Reds lost both Saturday and Sunday in Washington to the Nationals. Yesterday, Cincinnati lost 4-1. Tyler Stephenson went yard to account for the Reds lone run.

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 Braves

• Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
• Time: 7:15PM EST
• Site: Truist Park
• City: Atlanta, GA
• Network/Streaming: FDSNOH, 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 Reds at the Braves

The latest odds as of Monday:

• Moneyline: Reds (+123), Braves (-149)
• Spread:  Braves -1.5
• Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Braves

• Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Brady Singer vs. AJ Smith-Shawver
  
  • Reds: Brady Singer (4-1, 3.24 ERA)
    Last outing: 4/30 vs. St. Louis - 6IP, 1ER, 2H, 3BB, 4Ks
  • Braves: AJ Smith-Shawver (1-2, 4.26 ERA)
    Last outing: 4/29 at Colorado - 5.1IP, 2ER, 4H, 1BB, 5Ks

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 Braves

• The Reds have won 5 of their last 7 road games
• The Under is 4-1 in the Braves' last 5 games against NL teams
• The Reds have covered the Run Line in 11 straight road games against the Braves
• Matt Olson was 1-10 in the series against the Dodgers
• Elly De La Cruz is 2-13 (.154) through 4 games in May

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 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 Monday's game between the Reds and the Braves:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play 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)