Week 4’s Hot Arms: Pitchers Stealing the Show (and Your MLB Bets!)

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Few things set the table for MLB success like having a strong starting pitcher on the mound. Keeping a bullpen fresh is important for any big-league club looking to make a serious run at the World Series.

Here’s a look at some pitchers to back up when betting MLB lines on Week 4 of the season.

MLB Pitchers to Back after Week 4 of the Season | MyBookie MLB Betting Preview

Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | Right-hander

Bats / Throws: Right / Right
Draft: 2011, Pittsburgh Pirates, Round: 1, Overall Pick: 1
MLB Debut: June 11, 2013, for the Pittsburgh Pirates

Cole has been one of the most durable starting pitchers in baseball during his career. In five of the past six seasons, Cole has made 30 or more starts in five of the past six seasons. The Yankees pitcher doesn’t just show up to work.

New York has won all six of Cole’s starts thus far this season, compiling a 5-0 record with a 1.11 ERA in the process. What is especially impressive about Cole is how he gets opponents to swing and miss. Cole has recorded 44 strikeouts in 34.2 innings of work. He has only allowed five earned runs in 34.2 innings pitched this season.

Amazingly, Cole has yet to win a Cy Young Award in his career but is on track to do so this year.

MLB Pitcher Pick to Back: Gerrit Cole | Bet New York Yankees Today
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Shane McClanahan | Tampa Bay Rays | Left-hander

Bats / Throws: Left / Left
Draft: 2018, Tampa Bay Rays, Round: 1C, Overall
MLB Debut: April 12, 2021, for the Chicago Cubs

The Tampa Bay Rays have again established themselves as one of the top teams in the American League. McClanahan is 5-0 this season with a 2.12 ERA.

While McClanahan is prone to occasional wildness, he has two starts with four walks apiece, his strikeout rate helps bail him out of tough spots. McClanahan has 42 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched this season.

McClanahan has only allowed eight runs this season. The Rays have won all six games he’s pitched this season.

MLB Pitcher Pick to Back: Shane McClanahan | Bet Tampa Bay Rays Today
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Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels | Right-hander

Bats / Throws: Left / Right
Draft: –
MLB Debut: March 29, 2018, for the Los Angeles Angels

Ohtani continues to amaze as the only position player in MLB that also makes starts as part of the pitching rotation. Ohtani has a 1.85 ERAA and has seen the Angels go 5-1 in games that he starts this season. His success is a bright spot for the Los Angeles Angels, who have yet to build a team around him that is capable of contending.

Ohtani is among the league leaders in strikeouts with 46 in 34 innings pitched this season. Ohtani has recorded two games of 10 or more strikeouts this season.

MLB Pitcher Pick to Back: Shohei Ohtani | Bet Los Angeles Angels Today
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Justin Steele | Chicago Cubs | Left-hander

Bats / Throws: Left / Left
Draft: 2014, Chicago Cubs, Round: 5, Overall Pick: 139
MLB Debut: April 12, 2021, for the Chicago Cubs

Steele has helped lead the Chicago Cubs out of the gate and into a respectable position in the National League Central Division. Chicago is 4-2 in games that Steele has started this season. Steele has a 4-0 record and compiled a 1.49 ERA thus far this season.

Steele has 32 strikeouts in 36.1 innings of work. Over that stretch, Steele has only allowed six earned runs and has pitched six innings or more in five of his six starts. Steele is starting to show major progress since he debuted in 2021. His ERA was 3.18 last season after seeing it settle at 4.26 his rookie season, where he made 11 of his 20 appearances out of the bullpen.

MLB Pitcher Pick to Back: Justin Steele | Bet Chicago Cubs Today
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With the 2021 MLB regular season set to get underway on April 1 with all 30 teams in action, it’s time to take a look at the latest MLB news and rumor across the league’s landscape. While this offseason has been arguably the most uneventful in league history, there are a few notable news-making happenings in recent days that baseball bettors everywhere need to know about. Let’s get started with some great news concerning one of baseball’s most beloved figures so you can keep planning your bets and place them against their MLB odds.

MLB 2021 Rumors Across the League’s Landscape

Lasorda Back at Home!

Legendary Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda returned home for the first time in nearly two months after being discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced. The 93-year-old Lasorda was admitted to a hospital in California’s Orange County and placed in intensive care in mid-November and was moved to a rehab center a couple of weeks later. While the Dodgers have not revealed the reason for Lasorda’s hospitalization, it’s great news to know that the beloved former manager is back at home with his loved ones. Lasorda managed the Dodgers from 1976 to 1996 while leading the franchise to four National League pennants and two World Series titles.

Dodgers Sign Treinen

In more news concerning the Dodgers, LA announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed power-throwing reliever Blake Treinen to a two-year contract that will help the defending champs depth in the bullpen. Treinen’s deal is worth $17.5 million and includes a 2023 club option worth $8 million. The 32-year-old right-hander bounced posted a 3.86 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP and a 2.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio with the Dodgers last season.

Hank Aaron Still Hammerin’

Baseball Hall of Famer ‘Hammerin’ Hank Aaron is still getting big hits, decades after his retirement from the game in 1976. Aaron, along with former U.N. Ambassador and civil rights leader Andrew Young and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan got vaccinated against COVID-19 in Georgia on Tuesday. The living legend was hoping to send a message to the black community that the shots are safe.

Getting vaccinated “makes me feel wonderful,” Aaron told The Associated Press. “I don’t have any qualms about it at all, you know. I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this. … It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country.”

Tigers Sign Grossman to Two-Year Deal!

The Detroit Tigers have signed switch-hitting outfielder Robbie Grossman to a two-year deal worth $10 million. The 31-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Oakland Athletics while hitting .241 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 51 games in the shortened 2020 season.

Hold Up, Wait a Minute!

Spring training could be delayed for Class A and Double-A minor league players that are not vaccinated for the coronavirus by the time big league training camps are scheduled to get underway in mid-February. Major League Baseball, which has taken over operation of the minors, gave notice to every minor league and big league team on Monday.

Rangers Making Moves!

The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays completed a Dec. 10 trade that resulted in first baseman Nate Lowe coming to the Rangers. The Rangers also acquired minor league outfielder Carl Chester as the player to be named later. He will be assigned to Double-A Frisco to start the 2021 season. In another move, the Rangers signed free-agent right-hander Drew Anderson to a minor league contract in a deal that includes an invitation to major league spring training.

Comply – Or Face The Wrath!

MLB teams violating facility-access protocols will face discipline, the league announced this week. Major League Baseball is restricting early team access to spring facilities and limiting voluntary workouts because of surging COVID-19 cases throughout the country. Teams that violate these restrictions “will be subject to significant discipline by the commissioner,” the memo reads. MLB also stated that only three categories of players can access camps before spring training begins. This group includes players who maintain a permanent residence close to the facilities, those who require entry for medical treatment, and those approved to attend minicamp under the terms of the basic agreement.

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Here is brief look at the top MLB series of the week, including free MLB betting tips and fantasy lineup guides.

A Closer Look At The Top MLB Series Of The Week

Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have fallen behind in the race for the AL East and are looking to have a big week that would allow them to stay in the thick of things in the division. Fortunately for them, the Orioles will be meeting one of the two teams that are ahead of them in the AL East when they take on the Blue Jays in a three-game series that starts this Monday. The Blue Jays own a 7-6 edge over the Orioles this season, making them a dangerous opponent. Even so, Baltimore has been the better team in this series when playing at home—winning 4 of the 6 meetings vs. Toronto at Camden Yards, so don’t be surprised if Baltimore wins this series over the surging Blue Jays.

New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals

The Yankees and Royals are both back in the playoff hunt, thanks to strong performances in the month of August. The Royals have particularly been on a tear lately, winning 12 of their last 14 games, including a 2-1 series win at Boston over the weekend. The Yankees have been no slouches, either, coming off a solid week that saw them take two of three from both the Mariners and Orioles, with the rotation playing well enough and rookie sensation Gary Sanchez pacing up the offense. The three-game series between these two in-form teams is therefore must-watch-TV, and you can expect a lot of fireworks at the Kauffman Stadium starting on Monday night. Notably, the Yankees took 3 of 4 when these two teams met at the Yankee Stadium back in early May. In addition, the Yankees are 19-11 against AL Central opponents this season, so you can expect them to be fully motivated to stick it to the Royals. Still, with Kansas City enjoying a stellar form right now and owning the second-best win record at home in the MLB this season (40-21 at the Kauffman Stadium), I’d be cautious about taking the Yankees over the Royals in this series.

Washington Nationals at New York Mets

The NL East division will be seeing two of its best teams in Washington and New York Mets clash in a crucial series this weekend, starting on Friday. Besides the injury concerns of their star pitcher Stephen Strasburg, the Nationals are coming off a disappointing 2-4 week that saw their oft-reliable pitchers struggle mightily, giving up a whopping 41 total runs in their seven games. With a total of 87 total runs allowed in their last 14 games over the past two weeks, it is clear that the Nationals need to clean their pitching department if they are to have a chance against the Mets, who have the third-best team ERA in the MLB (at 3.65). Not to mention, the Mets are coming off a strong offensive week that saw them score 7-or-more runs in 4 of their 6 games last week, with all those four games ending in wins for the Mets.