Category: MLB

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country.

Earlier this season, right after the promotion of Cole Carrigg, we asked you who you thought the Rockies would call up next. At that time, we asked you to choose between Zac Veen (No. 9 Pre-Season PuRP), Charlie Condon (No. 1 Pre-Season PuRP), Sean Sullivan (No. 8 Pre-Season PuRP) and “other.”

This time around, we’re giving you a few of the same options and a few new ones. The only one who hasn’t made his MLB debut yet is Condon, but Adael Amador hasn’t seen any MLB action in 2026.

That said, who do you think the Rockies will call up next as we finish up the 2026 season?

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Atlanta Braves lost to the New York Mets on Monday night. That’s now seven losses to the Mets this season, which means that Atlanta has officially dropped the season series to New York for the first time since 2017. It’s kind of wild that this was the year for that streak to end but baseball’s a strange sport and the Mets have still played the Braves pretty tough over the course of that time so this was bound to happen at some point.

Anyways, Atlanta’s fate was nearly sealed in the first inning alone when the Mets tagged Bryce Elder for five runs in that one inning. With that being said, it was certainly strange how they ended up getting to those five runs. The game got off to a weird start in the first place when Elder gave up what was initially ruled a ground rule double out to right field after Ronald Acuña Jr. declared a ball that ended up under the wall as unplayable.

Following a replay challenge review, the umpires eventually determined that the ball had not been lodged below the wall — it had stopped but it wasn’t stuck. “The ruling was the ball was not lodged but the fact that the umpire more-or-less finished the play with a ruling of two bases meant that they kept the runner at second instead of third,” explained Walt Weiss when he was asked about it after the game.

“You can make a case that the ground rule needs to be changed, there,” continued Weiss when he was asked about the ground rule. “Ronald from his vantage point, it’s almost like the ball disappears. He’s up above it and the ball is kind of underneath the wall, so it’s a tough play.”

To Bryce Elder’s credit, he took full responsibility in the post-game press conference and didn’t make any excuses for what happened out there during his rough outing. It started to get very rough once a play that sure looked like it could’ve been a strike-em-out, throw-em out moment that instead ended up turning into a walk. Bryce Elder appeared to have signaled for a challenge but the home plate umpire Cory Blaser didn’t grant it and so the inning continued on.

If you look closely at the clip above, you can see Elder tap his head and point at Sean Murphy as if to say that he should tap his head as well. Instead, no tapping was acknowledged, the Mets kept their rally going and then Brett Baty blew the game open with a grand slam that put the Mets firmly in control.

Again, Elder held himself accountable for the whole ordeal. “If I don’t put one on a tee there for Brett then it’s a whole different conversation,” admitted Elder. “We can look at the challenge and look at this and look at that but at the end of the day, I’ve got to make a better pitch to Baty there and then we don’t have to have that conversation.”

It was also unfortunate to see all that damage being done with two outs. In fact, all seven of the runs that Elder gave up on Monday night happened while two outs were on the board. Elder current has a 6.10 ERA with two outs on the board so far this season as opposing batters are hitting .280/.356/.470 with a wOBA of .361 in that situation. For comparison’s sake, the league average is a 4.86 ERA with a slash line of .234/.317/.384 with a .310 wOBA. All of those numbers are below average for Elder and he’s aware of that and also how it’s been a bit of a pattern in his career.

“For my whole career, it’s one of those things where when I’m good, I’m good with two outs. When I’m bad, I’m bad with two outs. It’s pretty black-and-white as far as whether I need to make better or do a different pitch but whatever it may be, I’m not sure,” explained Elder when I asked him about his issues with two outs. “Yeah, definitely this year when I’ve struggled and things go south it’s with two outs. Being able to make that pitch to get out of an inning is important so hopefully I will be better at it moving forward.”

It was certainly a rough night for Elder and it’s certainly been one of those seasons that we’re becoming used to now where he has peaks that see him peering over all of baseball and valleys that make you wonder just what on Earth is going on with him. Monday was probably the weirdest night of the season yet for Elder and it was certainly frustrating to watch — much less to actually experience it like he and the rest of the Braves did.

Hopefully this’ll be a blip and that Elder will continue to bounce back moving forward since it’s apparent that the Braves are going to need him in some big moments both down the stretch and possibly in October as well. We’ll see what happens.

Owner John Sherman gave an interview with Josh Vernier about what it will take to make the Kansas City Royals competitive by 2027, and Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco spend the bulk of this episode working through what he actually said. An entirely new bullpen is one of the clearest needs, and Sherman’s acknowledgment of the work ahead sets the tone for a broader roster evaluation that follows, including where potential investment in starting pitching should be prioritized.

Sherman’s framing of the organization as a results-based business runs through the conversation, and Jacob and Jeremy weigh his comments against real skepticism about the team’s current spending and management strategy. Sherman deserves credit for candor, but candor alone does not close the gaps that have defined this roster all season.

On the field, Jac Caglianone’s home run distance is leading all of MLB right now, and it powered the Royals on win in the Chicago Cubs series that also saw Bobby Witt Jr. make his return from injury. Daniel Lynch IV’s return to the rotation gets a more critical look, with the lack of swing and miss in his outing raising familiar questions about whether he fits into the team’s long-term pitching plans.

The prospect pipeline closes the episode on an encouraging note. Zion Rose is showing promise in his early games, Angeibel Gomez is lighting up the DSL, and Jacob Berry has performed well since coming over in a trade. Jacob and Jeremy connect these developments to the team’s improving prospect rankings and what it could mean for future call-ups.

Listen to the full John Sherman interview here: https://www.audacy.com/stations/965thefan/shows/fescoe-and-dusty-1ada6/episodes/9299a4b630c4/chapters/c51c4a22bfc0

Check out I Like Numbers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ILikeNumbers1

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

BlueSky
– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

Twitter / X
– Podcast: @RoyalRundownPod

The Detroit Tigers' season was supposed to have ended on Aug. 2.

That's the day they finalized a trade sending two-time defending AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With Skubal in the final year of his contract and the Tigers stumbling into the final third of their schedule, GM Scott Harris decided it was time to cut his losses and look to the future. Not only did he trade his ace, Skubal, he also sent No. 2 starter Casey Mize to the San Diego Padres just before the deadline.

But then a funny thing happened.

The Tigers didn't sink like a stone in the standings. Instead, they kept moving up.

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

A pair of the best offenses in baseball start a three-game set at Nationals Park on Tuesday, Aug. 11, with the Chicago Cubs booked as a sizable road favorite over the Washington Nationals in the series opener.

My top Cubs vs. Nationals predictions and MLB picks are calling for Chicago to win a high-scoring game tonight. 

Who will win Cubs vs Nationals today: Cubs moneyline (-160)

There is a huge pitching disparity in this matchup, with Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga allowing two runs or fewer in each of his past seven starts for a tidy 1.77 ERA.

The Washington Nationals are countering with Jake Irvin, and he’s spun a confidence-shattering 5.37 ERA and 5.39 xERA across 13 starts.

The Chicago offense is also rolling to the tune of a second-ranked wOBA while averaging 5.8 runs per game over the past 30 days, so I’m anticipating the North Siders putting enough crooked numbers on the scoreboard to pull away from the Nats.

COVERS INTEL: Irvin has surrendered the third-highest barrel percentage among pitchers with at least 50 innings this season, which positions the Cubs to both pull away for the win and lead the way to this total going Over.

Cubs vs Nationals Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-125)

This is a low total considering the Nationals pace the majors in wOBA while averaging 5.4 runs per game over the past 30 days, and while Imanaga has surrendered two runs or fewer in each of his past seven starts, his 1.77 ERA during the stretch is miles below his 3.75 xERA and 3.50 xFIP. 

So, with the Nationals ranking second in wOBA against lefties for the campaign and second in xwOBA across their past 24 games, I’m also expecting Washington to put runs on the board.

Cubs vs Nationals home run prediction: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+340)

Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong is scorching along a 15-game heater with a .288 ISO, .390 wOBA, and .371 xwOBA and lands in the highlighted favorable matchup against Irvin on Tuesday.

In addition to the noted shortcomings, Irvin has served up a .511 slugging percentage and .394 wOBA to opposing hitters at home, and the Chicago star has only left the yard three times during the run despite the eye-popping underlying numbers.

As a result, I like Crow-Armstrong to go deep in ideal hitting conditions tonight.

Cubs vs Nationals weather

Despite a slight chance of rain impacting play, the forecast calls for excellent hitting conditions with 85°F heat and 58.8% humidity under partially cloudy skies.

Cubs vs Nationals odds

• Moneyline: Cubs -160 | Nationals +140
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (-105) | Nationals +1.5 (-115)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-130) | Under 8.5 (+110)

Cubs vs Nationals trend

The Cubs have won 34 of their last 50 games (+14.85 Units / 23% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Nationals.

How to watch Cubs vs Nationals and game info

Cubs vs Nationals latest injuries

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.

In his first trade deadline, Paul Toboni had a pretty simple plan of attack. His goal was to add as much pitching as possible. More specifically, he went after relievers who were close to big league ready and starters in the upper minors. In total, he acquired nine pitchers at the deadline, and so far they have looked very good.

Toboni wanted to sell while not totally giving up on the season. The Luis Garcia Jr. trade looks like a perfect example of that. Trading away a bat of Garcia’s caliber obviously hurts, but given the return and the replacement, it does not seem to have hurt the team much. Abimelec Ortiz has picked up right where Garcia has left off, while Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird have made positive starts to their Nationals careers.

Cruz in particular is a guy who has already been very impactful. In the Reds series, Cruz was put into high leverage spots on multiple occasions, and came through both times. The righty throws 100 MPH, but also has two nasty secondary pitches, with his slider being particularly nasty.

That slider has the potential to be one of the best pitches in baseball. It averages over 91 MPH while having real slider movement. This pitch is not a glorified cutter, it is a slider that is thrown at exceptional velocity. Cruz will need to finetune his fastball command, but he is already one of the better arms in the bullpen, with upside to be a legit closer.

Cruz is not the only guy Toboni received to make his mark in the big league bullpen though. On Sunday, lefty Will Dion threw three scoreless innings in long relief. The Nats received Dion as part of the Foster Griffin deal and he is a very unique arm.

Honestly, he is the polar opposite of Cruz, and this is by design. Dion only throws 91-92 MPH, but his fastball is more effective than Cruz’s 100 MPH heater. The lefty throws from an extremely high slot and gets 20 inches of ride on his fastball. That makes the fastball very tough to pick up. Dion has reverse splits because his best secondary pitch is a changeup which he mostly throws to righties.

Dion may not have the upside of Cruz, but he looks like a useful bullpen piece. If he finds a better weapon for lefties, he could be a good matchup guy. Right now, he is at his best in a multi-inning role. It is not a star, but Dion should be a useful big leaguer.

The success is not just limited to the major league level though. Josh Hartle, Ben Grable and Jack Cebert were the top three pitching prospects the Nats received at the deadline. All of them have gotten off to good starts in the organization.

Grable has tossed two scoreless innings in Harrisburg so far. However, his most noteworthy achievement is that he had a 4 strikeout inning last time out. Grable struck out the first batter of the inning, but the ball got away from the catcher, allowing the runner to go to first. The righty did not let that phase him, striking out the next three batters he faced to accomplish the rare feat.

Interestingly, Grable got all four of the strikeouts on his slider. Entering the system, Grable’s claim to fame was his elite fastball. It is a 96 MPH heater with over 20 inches of carry. Grable also commands the heater brilliantly. Hitters just can’t hit the pitch, which is why he throws it about 75% of the time. 

However, Grable’s slider was seen by scouts as a solid but not spectacular pitch. One question I had about Grable is whether he could succeed while being so fastball heavy. If his slider can take a leap forward, that would change a lot. With his heater and a legit slider to go with it, Grable could be an elite closer.

Cruz and Grable are elite relief prospects, something the Nats clearly were looking for in the Luis Garcia Jr. trade. However, they did also get an exciting starting pitching prospect in Jack Cebert. He made his first start in the Nats system this weekend and looked very sharp.

The former 15th rounder has had a rapid rise this season. He really impressed in the Yankees system before having some blister issues and getting traded. Now the blisters are gone, and Cebert is back on the mound. On Sunday, Cebert tossed 4 scoreless innings, only allowing one hit and striking out six.

As you can see in the video, Cebert has a great feel for spin. He can throw multiple breaking ball shapes, featuring a sweeper, a cutter and a curveball. That ability, combined with his solid command gives him the ability to be in an MLB rotation one day.

He also throws a 4-seamer and a sinker as well. They are not very hard, but the movement on the pitches is good. Hopefully the Nats can find a tick or two here. Overall, he is an arm that I like and is someone who can make an impact as soon as next season.

Speaking of exciting arms that may need more velocity, Josh Hartle also looked great in his organizational debut. Hartle was the biggest name the Nats received in the quantity based Foster Griffin return. The lefty only sits around 91, but is deceptive and has great command. He also gets a ton of ground balls.

Hartle went 5.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 run and struck out 7 without allowing a walk. The lanky lefty used his deep pitch mix and low arm slot to fool hitters. He kept them off balance all outing long. That is what he will need to do in order to have success in the MLB.

If Hartle can get more in the 92-93 range, I think he can be a back of the rotation arm. Right now, he projects more as a funky lefty relief arm in my opinion. However, that is still a useful big league piece.

Paul Toboni was clearly more driven by finding useful big league contributors than hunting for upside. While I would have loved a bit more upside in the Griffin deal, the idea makes a lot of sense. The Nats already have plenty of high ceiling, low floor guys. Finding those useful big leaguers to round out the roster is very important. 

So far, most of the 9 pitchers Paul Toboni received at the deadline have looked very good. As time goes by, this will be something that is interesting to monitor. There is a chance that most of these guys have big league roles, though many of them are not the flashiest players. So far the early returns on these deals are good and it seems like Paul Toboni has built quality depth on the mound.

Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This was the 18th week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Tuesday, August 11th).

According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), prospect Theo Gillen tops the system and might just find himself in the running for Minor League Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, the Rays pitching hasn’t been spectacular this season and Aidan Cremarosa remains the top hurler in the system despite spending the past several weeks on the Injured List. He was activated off of the IL last week.

RUMBLINGS

• Austin Overn lands on the Injured List after being drilled in the foot by a pitch last week. Overn attempted to play through and eventually made his way to second base. But at that point, he struggled to put any weight on the injured foot and had to be assisted off of the field after being removed from the game.
• Brendan Summerhill Jose Urbina, and J.D. Gonzalez have also been placed on the Injured List
• Nate Knowles was released, he was the Rays 4th round pick in 2024.
• The Rays have signed several players to minor league deals:
  • Justin Yeager
  • J.T. Arruda
  • Jake Woodford
• Dominican Summer League numbers are hardly worth paying attention to, but some fun notes:
  • Since July 13th, Maykel Coret is hitting .295/.352/.538 with 6 HR over 88 PA
  • Eliomar Garces has one of the most fun statlines in the game, hitting .283/.505/.379 with 2 HR and 33 SB. He is currently running a 27.3 BB% and 7.3 K%, giving him one of the best BB/K rations in basebabll.

TEAM LEADERS

• Must currently be assigned to that team
• Baseball America’s top ten prospects are featured below each team they’re currently assigned to.
• (minimum of 190 TBF & PA)

Tampa Bay Rays

Top 10 Prospects

• None currently on active roster

Durham Bulls

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .267, Blake Sabol
OBP: .340, Tatem Levins
SLG: .432, Blake Sabol
HR: 11, Carson Williams, Blake Sabol, & Logan Davidson
wRC+: 97, Blake Sabol
SB: 30, Homer Bush Jr

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 2.56, Evan Reifert
FIP: 3.73, Ty Johnson
K%: 33.0% Ty Johnson
BB%: 4.2%, Mason Englert
WHIP: 1.04, Ty Johnson
AVG: .181, Ty Johnson
WHIFF%: 15.3%, Ty Johnson

Top 10 Prospects

• #3 Brody Hopkins
  • AAA: 5.40 ERA | 5.16 FIP | 26.6 K% | 21.8 BB% | .204 AVG | 11.9 WHIFF% | 85 IP

Montgomery Biscuits

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .309, Austin Overn
OBP: .403, Xavier Isaac
SLG: .565, Austin Overn
HR: 21, Will Simpson & Xavier Isaac
wRC+: 151, Austin Overn
SB: 48, Austin Overn

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 4.29, Chris Clark
FIP: 4.60, Chris Clark
K%: 27.3%, Jackson Baumeister
BB%:  3.2%, Santiago Suarez
WHIP 1.15, Santiago Suarez
AVG: .214, Jackson Baumeister
WHIFF%: 14.9%, Jackson Baumeister

Top 10 Prospects

• #1 Theo Gillen
  • AA: .292/.399/.554 | 20.9 K% | 14.4 BB% | 8 HR | 11 SB | 149 wRC+ | 153 PA
  • A+: .342/.449/.589 | 23.8 K% | 14.3 BB% | 12 HR | 28 SB | 165 wRC+ | 265 PA
    • 6/23: Promoted to Double-A
• #5 Caden Bodine
  • AA: .292/.371/.389 | 6.8 K% | 9.8 BB% | 2 HR | 3 SB | 107 wRC+ | 132 PA
  • A+: .341/.411/.477 | 6.6 K% | 7.3 BB% | 4 HR | 3 SB | 132 wRC+ | 151 PA
  • A: .379/.433/.614 | 3.9 K% | 9.2 BB% | 5 HR | 1 SB | 175 wRC+ | 152 PA
    • 6/30: Promoted to Double-A
    • 5/19: Promoted to High-A
• #10 Santiago Suarez
  • AA: 4.73 ERA | 5.06 FIP | 20.3 K% | 3.2 BB% | .256 AVG | 11.4 WHIFF% | 97 IP

Bowling Green Hot Rods

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .289, Tony Santa Maria
OBP: .432, Ryan McCoy
SLG: .585, Ryan McCoy
HR: 19, Nathan Flewelling
wRC+: 157, Ryan McCoy
SB: 45, Tony Santa Maria

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 3.77, Noah Beal
FIP: 3.93, Noah Beal
K%: 26.8%, Trevor Harrison
BB%: 5.4%, Jack Kartsonas & Dominic Niman
WHIP: 1.27, Dominic Niman
AVG: .231, Noah Beal
WHIFF%: 18.2%, Noah Beal

Top 10 Prospects

• #4 Nathan Flewelling
  • A+: .242/.372/.456 | 26.5 K% | 15.6 BB% | 19 HR | 7 SB | 114 wRC+ | 430 PA
• #9 Anderson Brito
  • A+: 3.34 ERA | 4.50 FIP | 28.8 K% | 14.4 BB% | .240 AVG | 13.4 WHIFF% | 32.1 IP
    • 5/23: Placed on 7-day Injured List

Charleston River Dogs

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .335, Brady Marget
OBP: .436, Brady Marget
SLG: .480, Brady Marget
HR: 9, Cooper Flemming
wRC+: 151, Brady Marget
SB: 33, Alberth Palma

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 2.55, Jacob Kuhn
FIP: 2.72, Aidan Cremarosa
K%: 32.1%, Aidan Cremarosa
BB%: 4.6%, Aidan Cremarosa
WHIP: 0.79, Aidan Cremarosa
AVG: .170, Aidan Cremarosa
WHIFF%: 16.7%, Aidan Cremarosa

Top 10 Prospects

• #6 Cooper Flemming
  • A: .303/.389/.451 | 16.4 K% | 10.7 BB% | 9 HR | 13 SB | 129 wRC+ | 428 PA
• #7 Taitn Gray
  • A: .280/.385/.446 | 23.8 K% | 14.1 BB% | 6 HR | 5 SB | 126 wRC+ | 227 PA
  • CPX: .333/.400/.611 | 20.0 K% | 5.0 BB% | 1 HR | 0 SB | 140 wRC+ | 20 PA
    • 6/1: Placed on the 7-day IL
    • 7/14: Began rehab assignment
    • 7/28: Activated from the IL
• #9 Daniel Pierce
  • A: .252/.336/.390 | 28.6 K% | 7.9 BB% | 4 HR | 6 SB | 101 wRC+ | 140 PA
    • 4/22: Placed on the 7-day IL
    • 5/2: Activated from the IL
    • Hasn’t played since May 30th. Underwent shoulder surgery. Likely out for the year

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

After last night's series-opening win, the Houston Astros (-183 moneyline favorites) look to keep the ball rolling against San Francisco Giants left-hander Carson Whisenhunt.

My Astros vs. Giants predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, Aug. 11, see Houston pulling off the win on the road.

Who will win Astros vs Giants today: Astros monyeline (-183)

It's a juicy price tag on the Houston Astros this evening, but with right-hander Hunter Brown on the bump holding a 2.45 road ERA, and San Francisco Giants left-hander Carson Whisenhunt sporting a 10.80 ERA over his last three starts, it makes sense.

Whisenhunt has struggled in all five of his starts this season, allowing four runs in four of those five games. Opposing hitters are making a near-50% hard-hit rate and 10% barrel rate against him this season.

The Astros have not been the most exciting team against southpaws, but they are still the more dangerous lineup compared to the Giants.

San Francisco's offense has been dreadful for weeks now, owning an 87 wRC+, .289 wOBA, and .644 OPS over its last 21 games.

I see no reason to force the dog here. Take the run line if you want longer odds.

COVERS INTEL: Over his last 30 at-bats against left handed pitching, Christian Walker owns a .304 BA, .609 SLG, 1.079 OPS, and .305 ISO.

Astros vs Giants Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (+109)

With how well Brown has been pitching over his last three outings, posting a 2.41 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and allowing an under 9% barrel rate to opposing hitters, I fully expect him to shut down this ice-cold Giants lineup.

As for Whisenhunt and his struggles with hard contact, I don't think the Astros are good enough against left-handed pitching to carry this total Over.

Across the Astros' last 60 plate appearances against lefties, this team has been pretty lifeless from a numbers standpoint.

I like the Under, especially at plus money.

Astros vs Giants home run prediction: Rafael Devers (+596)

There is not a lot to love for the long ball in this matchup, given the pitching matchup and the weather. However, snagging Giants slugger Rafael Devers at nearly +600 to go yard is a great price.

He enters with the highest rating in this matchup over at Batters-Box, covering over 75% of Brown's pitches. Over his last 10 games, Devers is generating a 61.5% hard-hit rate and 25% HR/FB rate.

The last 30 lefties Brown has faced are barreling the ball at a 17.6% clip while owning a .539 xSLG.

I would take this down to +550.

Astros vs Giants weather

It will be a chilly one out in the Bay, with temperatures in the low 60s and 10.3 mph winds blowing out to left-center. Temperatures are expected to drop as the game progresses, making for less-than-ideal hitting conditions late.

Astros vs Giants odds

• Moneyline: Astros -183 | Giants +165
• Run line: Astros -1.5 (-112) | Giants +1.5 (-103)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-121) | Under 7.5 (+109)

Astros vs Giants trend

The Astros have hit the run line in 14 of their last 19 games (+12.10 Units / 51% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. Giants.

How to watch Astros vs Giants and game info

Astros vs Giants latest injuries

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.

Not only is there a full slate of baseball on tap today, but we've got five (count 'em!) MLB expert picks to go along with it.

It's a mix of moneyline predictions with a pair of Overs, including a Miami Marlins upset over Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Consider these angles (and more below) as you finalize your MLB picks on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: SEA/NYY o7.5	-122
Jon Metler: MIA ML	+104
Neil Parker: CHC/WAS o8.5	-117
Joe Osborne: MIN ML	-108
Dustin Saracini: TOR ML	-133

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Mariners at Yankees Over 7.5

Price: 55¢ (-122) at Polymarket

This game projects for 9.89 runs with a fair price of -181 on this total, making the Over a buy even at 8.5 runs at -110.

Bryan Woo is coming off a hefty 100-pitch outing, a number he has reached just once this season, while averaging fewer than 90 pitches per start. That workload could be an issue against a New York Yankees lineup in a favorable hitting environment.

It’s also a good spot to fade Ryan Weathers, who has not allowed a run in his last two starts but still owns the 11th-worst hard-hit rate among MLB starters this season. Woo is even worse, ranking ninth-worst. Both starters also rank in the Bottom 50 in Blast Contact%.

Looking at the later innings, both bullpens rank in the Bottom 5 in WAR over the last 30 days. With pitching concerns from start to finish, there are enough paths to runs to back the Over on this short total.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• How to watch: TBS

Jon Metler's expert pick: Marlins moneyline

Price: 49¢ (+104) at Polymarket

Paul Skenes hasn't looked like the same pitcher we've seen over the last two seasons. His fastball is down roughly 2 mph from his rookie season, and the Miami Marlins lineup construction takes away one of his biggest weapons: a devastating slider on the outer half against right-handed hitters. 

The Marlins are expected to start six left-handed bats, while Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards give them low-strikeout hitters at the top who can work deep counts and put the ball in play.

Skenes has also struggled to pitch deep into games lately, rarely reaching the sixth inning. Miami's disciplined lineup should force him to work, drive up his pitch count, and potentially chase him early. 

Polymarket has the Marlins at 49 cents, but I make them closer to 54 cents, so I'm backing the slight underdogs at home.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Marlins.TV

Neil Parker's expert pick: Cubs at Nationals Over 8.5

Price: 54¢ (-117) at Polymarket

This is a low total considering the Washington Nationals pace the majors in wOBA while averaging 5.4 runs per game over the past 30 days, and the Chicago Cubs check in second in the metric while scoring 5.8 per game.

The Chicago bats are set up to do damage at the dish tonight, too. Washington righty Jake Irvin has surrendered the third-highest barrel percentage among pitchers with at least 50 innings. And while Cubbies lefty Shota Imanaga has surrendered two runs or fewer in each of his past seven starts, his 1.77 ERA during the stretch is miles below his 3.75 xERA and 3.50 xFIP.

So, with the Nationals ranking second in wOBA against lefties for the campaign and second in xwOBA across their past 24 games, I’m also expecting Washington to put runs on the board.

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Marquee, Nationals.TV

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Twins moneyline

Price: 52¢ (-108) at Polymarket

Bailey Ober has been a completely different pitcher at Target Field, posting a 2.72 ERA compared to a 6.75 mark on the road.

The Minnesota Twins are 7-2 in his nine home starts, and he's handled this Baltimore Orioles lineup before, limiting their hitters to a .606 OPS across 60 combined at-bats.

The Orioles have also been brutal against right-handed pitching lately, ranking 27th in OPS over the last two weeks. Baltimore could also unravel late as its bullpen has been one of the worst in the league, posting an awful 6.26 ERA over those 14 days.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: MASN, Twins.TV

Dustin Saracini's expert pick: Blue Jays moneyline

Price: 57¢ (-133) at Polymarket

Dylan Cease comes into his start with an extended history of dominance against these Boston Red Sox, striking them out at a 29% clip across 104 plate appearances. 

This includes limiting the Boston middle-of-the-lineup hitters, Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras, to a combined 6-for-28 mark with an expected batting average of .176 or lower.

With an outstanding 31% whiff rate against this lineup, and Cease allowing just one earned run across his last 22 innings, expect much of the same from the Cy Young candidate tonight. The Toronto Blue Jays win this one in a low-scoring affair.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• How to watch: NESN, Sportsnet

More MLB best bets for today

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.

I'm back after a long vacation and am ready to crush the Dinger Tuesday slate loaded with home run props to dig through.

The Rangers have a home-run gift in Anaheim with Brandon Nimmo's price standing out above the rest. Meanwhile, Shota Imanaga might be pitching well, but he is serving it up as always, and there's a great price on CJ Abrams on offer.

Finally, Pete Crow-Armstrong is once again in great position to go yard.

These are my favorite MLB player props for Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Brandon Nimmo	+350
CJ Abrams	+510
Pete Crow-Armstrong	+325
💲Today's HR parlay	+10064

Home run pick: Brandon Nimmo (+350)

Nobody has a better home run matchup tonight than the Texas Rangers, and Brandon Nimmo is a HR bet for me at anything +300 or better.

Los Angeles Angels SP Ryan Johnson is the worst starter on one of baseball's worst rotations, which has shipped off starters while also dealing with injuries. He's allowed a homer in seven straight games and continues to struggle with command, with 25 walks against 38 strikeouts in 50 innings.

He's also allowed 13 long balls, resulting in a 2.17 HR/9, while posting just a 34% ground-ball rate.

Nimmo has three dingers over the last two weeks and leads the team in that category, as well as wRC+ and xwOBA. He also gets the platoon advantage as a left-handed hitter against the righty Johnson.

There aren't a ton of great prices on the Rangers, but I'm taking Nimmo's hot bat at these odds over the handful of batters priced shorter than three dollars.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABTV, Rangers Sports Network

Home run pick: CJ Abrams (+510)

Washington's CJ Abrams has averaged around +375 for a dinger over his last 10 games, but oddsmakers are giving us better than +500 today at home against Shota Imanaga, who I think they're overvaluing.

The Chicago starter has allowed just 12 runs over his last eight games, but the majority of those runs have come via the long ball, with eight homers served up. He's surrendered 56 dingers over his last two seasons across just 277 innings. That's not a pretty HR/9 over a good sample, and his 37% ground-ball rate isn't helping either.

Abrams is seven homers off the league lead and is handling lefties at a better rate than he has over his career this season. It's lefty vs. lefty, but I like Abrams at home, and there are 60 points on this price that I'd buy down to.

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Nationals.TV, Marquee Sports Network

Home run pick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+325)

This is a +EV price on the betting favorite in the NL MVP odds (-115), with a fair price of +250/+260.

The Nationals are trotting out Jake Irvin, who has allowed the fifth-most homers since 2023 and has seen his ground-ball rate fall for a second straight season. Irvin faced the Cubs once this season and allowed two dingers, while Pete Crow-Armstrong has taken him deep once across nine plate appearances.

There is nothing fancy here, just a price on the good side of three dollars with one of the best hitters in baseball in an elite HR matchup.

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Nationals.TV, Marquee Sports Network

Today’s HR combo

Brandon Nimmo	Trade Now +10064
CJ Abrams
Pete Crow-Armstrong

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.

Welcome to Tuesday!

The squad got whacked in the first game of their series with the Rays last night, with the bullpen blowing yet another game that the Green & Gold should have won. When you’re up 6-2 in the eighth you don’t expect the final score to be a 10-6 loss. That’s just how this season has gone though. Fitting.

Anyways, the club is in need of a starting pitcher tonight and they’ve has settled on right-hander Mason Barnett:

In a lost season it’s at least encouraging to see the organization continuing to give their younger players a chance to pitch through their struggles in the big leagues. The former prize that the A’s received from Kansas City in exchange for reliever Lucas Erceg, Barnett has spent the past two years mostly in Triple-A with a few brief stints with the big league club. His first taste of Triple-A last year didn’t yield great results but the then-24 year old righty still managed to make his big league debut with five starts last September. The results, again, weren’t great but plenty of pitchers struggle a bit their first time in The Show and he was still young for a big league pitcher.

This season Barnett technically began in the hunt for a rotation spot but he predictably began the year as depth down in Las Vegas with the Aviators. After ten starts he was brought up to the big league level, where he’s been stashed in the bullpen for the past couple of months. In 14 relief appearances Barnett has been so-so with a 4.74 ERA, dominating in June before taking a step back in July.

A few weeks ago back at the end of July the club sent Barnett back to Triple-A, where he got back into starting with three innings for the Aviators. Evidently the squad just wanted to ease him back into that role as the club soon brought him back up for a “bulk” appearance after that one tune-up in Triple-A.

Barnett’s made two starts for the A’s since: His first was very encouraging as he tossed five full innings against a hot Red Sox club, allowing just three runs in his final inning of work. His most recent appearance? Not so hot as Cincinnati collected six runs off the young righty, though again he seemed to lose steam as he got deeper into the game. Similar to how the Boston game went.

If he’s not fully stretched out by this point that’s understandable considering he was used as a reliever for the past two-ish months. Still, it’s a good thing that the organization is finally giving the 25-year-old a chance. Barnett was considered one of the top pitching prospects in the A’s system as recently as last year, ranking fourth (ahead of Luis Morales) on MLB.com’s top prospects list. He showed improvement in Triple-A this year and finally had some success out of the bullpen in the big leagues. Now the club will be hoping to see him continue to grow into the type of pitcher they’ll need for next year. That all continues tonight against a tough Rays team that looks postseason bound.

We don’t know who will be getting the ball in tomorrow’s game either so like with Barnett we’ll just have to wait and see. Anyone in particular you’d like to see get the nod? Luis Morales perhaps?

First pitch is at 6:40. Have a great one A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Bullpen Chokes in 10-6 loss Against Rays
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• Gelof returns from IL as A’s look for a spark down the stretch
• 111 games, zero errors: Wilson sets MLB record at shortstop
• Late Comeback Helps A’s Beat Red Sox 4-3
• Athletics Claim Taylor Rashi
• Miracles Happen: A’s Win 7-3
• A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass
• MLB Trade Grades: A’s Have Quiet Trade Deadline
• A’s Top Prospect Jamie Arnold Sets Career High in One of His Best Double-A Starts
• Fustercluck 2026: The Real Reasons For A Disappointing Season
• Signs Of Hope And Signs Of Hopeless
• Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice

MLB News and Interest:

• Diamondbacks Designate Paul Sewald For Assignment
• Red Sox set to activate Deadline prize Rutschman on Tuesday
• Reds’ Hunter Greene to have season-ending surgery for torn UCL
• Mets lose closer Williams to IL, then Senga records first MLB save
• Taillon exits first Toronto home start with right forearm discomfort
• Giants’ Daniel Susac Diagnosed With Patellar Fracture
• Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi hits IL with inflammation in elbow
• Congress asks MLB to take action after Bryce Harper betting video
• Tim Anderson, 2-time All-Star and former batting champ, retires
• D-Backs To Use Zack Littell In Relief
• Braves Release Jorge Mateo
• Rule check: Red Sox-Blue Jays delayed for unusual run-scoring play
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Lopez with the best start for the club in a while:

Seems like we got a good one. Liking the early results from our recent first rounder:

Good to see Bolte atop this list!

Well worth the read, check it out!

Dodgers minor league infielder Joendry Vargas had a productive series for Class-A Ontario on the road last week in Lake Elsinore, and for his efforts on Monday was named California League player of the week.

Vargas had 11 hits in 25 at-bats in his six games for the Tower Buzzers with four doubles, a home run, and a triple, with five runs batted in and four scored, plus two walks and two stolen bases.

Three of his games were of the multi-hit variety, headlined by four hits on Friday night, including a home run and double, with three RBI.

Vargas has a 13-game on-base streak dating back to July 26, during which he’s hitting .397/.417/.586. The 20-year-old played third base and shortstop last week. Most of Vargas’s time this season has come at short, with 65 starts, plus 15 starts at second base and six at third base, plus 13 games as designated hitter.

In 100 games for Ontario this season, Vargas is hitting .287/.328/.438 with a 91 wRC+, 27 doubles, nine home runs, six triples, and 22 stolen bases.

Vargas is the fourth Tower Buzzer to win Cal League player of the week this season, joining Easton Shelton (May 18-24), Jaron Elkins (May 25-31 and June 29-July 5), and Mairo Martinus (June 22-28).