Welcome to another edition of our weekly MLB Notebook. Today I'll be dishing on the Mets' consistency against divisional rivals, Mike Trout's injury concerns, and Joey Gallo's massive struggles in the Bronx.
MLB Notebook: July 29-31
Click on each item to read the full update.
- Mets fever in New York
- Trout can't catch a break
- Gallo needs a new home
- Padres are favorites to land Soto
- Featured weekend matchups
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for MLB betting, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users can get a $1,000 risk-free bet at FanDuel! Sign Up Now
B) New users can get two risk-free bets up to $2,000 at PointsBet! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only
MLB betting news for this weekend
Mets fever in New York
The Yankees may have the better record of New York's two teams, but the Mets are coming off a sweep of the Subway Series in Flushing and are 7-3 over their last 10 games.
On Wednesday, outfielder Starling Marte hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th to give the Mets the primetime win over their Big Apple counterparts.
New York is a Mets city. pic.twitter.com/QQfoMqmq0d
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) July 28, 2022
If you you're a longtime fan of the Mets, you've probably been waiting for the wheels to fall off the wagon at some point, but it hasn't happened. In fact, the Mets' longest losing streak so far in 2022 has been a mere three games. Following a game they didn't win, the Mets are 28-9 on the season — the best in baseball.
New York's NL East lead has been trimmed down to three games, but that's due in large part to the Atlanta Braves' surge in play. The Mets are currently 61-37, with the fourth-best 2022 World Series odds.
Not only do the Mets continue to win games for themselves, but they do it at the right times. The importance of winning divisional games is crucial, and Buck Showalter's club is 28-12 against NL East opponents this year — that's a 70% win percentage.
Trout can't catch a break
Wednesday gave quite the scare to MLB fans across the globe, and I can't say I wasn't one of them.
Angels' head athletic trainer Mike Frostad disclosed that Mike Trout had a "rare spinal condition." This immediately struck fear into fans that Trout's career would be short-lived at age 30, but the Angels' superstar has since defused the overreaction.
Just talked to Mike Trout. He said his phone is blowing up and it’s all an exaggeration. He said he will play again this year. Although he acknowledges he will have to stay on top of maintenance of his back, he’s not concerned about his career.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) July 27, 2022
The center fielder last played on July 12 and is hitting .270/.368/.599 in 79 games this season. Although Trout says he'll return this season, the Angels are well out of the playoff picture. It would make more sense for Los Angeles to be cautious regarding his health status and possibly even shut the superstar down for the rest of the year.
Trout only appeared in 34 games during the 2021 campaign after suffering what was eventually revealed to be a torn calf muscle. The New Jersey native is a three-time MVP and already ranks 64th in career WAR at age 30 — ahead of the likes of retirees such as Joe DiMaggio, Frank Thomas, and Derek Jeter.
He's only made it to the playoffs once in his career — a short-lived 3-0 divisional series sweep back in 2014. It would truly be a shame if Trout's career is wasted on an Angels team that constantly disappoints.
Gallo needs a new home
Some athletes simply can't handle the New York market, and Joey Gallo is the latest example. Ever since joining the Yankees, Gallo has looked completely lost at the plate, and has become a common punching bag for Yankees fans and the New York media.
In fact, check out this stat from this past week, which doesn't even account for Aaron Judge's 39th bomb last night...
Aaron Judge: 38 home runs
— YankeesMuse ? (@YankeesMuse) July 27, 2022
Joey Gallo: 37 total hits
Wow. pic.twitter.com/m3oQxPztoV
Gallo is hitting only .159/.282/.339 with 106 strikeouts in just 81 games. While the left-fielder plays tremendous defense, he's a complete liability offensively for a Yankees' team whose expectations are World Series or bust.
If you take a look at Gallo's Baseball Savant statcast, it's truly astonishing how bad he's been in 2022. His xBA, K%, and Whiff% are all in the bottom one percentile in baseball. The All-Star break hasn't helped the former Texas Rangers' first-round pick either, as the 28-year-old has just one hit in 16 plate appearances since.
Gallo has reportedly been hoping for a trade to the Padres, but it's hard to justify San Diego taking on the former Las Vegas high school star when he hasn't finished a season above the Mendoza Line since 2019.
Padres are favorites to land Soto
San Diego may be 12 games back of the first-place Dodgers in the NL West, but they remain 10 games over .500 and hold a Wild Card spot — fairly commendable given the fact that Fernando Tatis Jr. still hasn't seen the field in 2022.
Tatis has just started to participate in full batting practice, which is a great sign for his recovery. Once he gets back in the Friars' lineup, San Diego will automatically be that more dangerous.
It also helps when San Diego is currently the favorite to acquire arguably the best hitter in all of baseball:
As of Thursday morning, some rival executives perceive the Padres to be the frontrunner to land Juan Soto.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 28, 2022
Soto is only 23 years old and isn't eligible for free agency until 2025. The right-fielder is only hitting .243 this season but still maintains an absurd OBP of .400. Slot him in between Manny Machado and Tatis, and that's easily the best middle of the order in the game.
In the meantime, San Diego has been carried by Machado, who is currently third in NL MVP odds at +800, and starting pitcher Joe Musgrove, who is behind just Sandy Alcantara and Corbin Burnes in NL Cy Young odds.
Featured MLB games for this weekend
Friday, July 29
• Guardians at Rays: Shane Bieber vs. Jeffrey Springs, 7:10 p.m. ET, Bally Sports
• Twins at Padres: Joe Ryan vs. Blake Snell, 10:10 p.m. ET, Bally Sports
Saturday, July 30
• Mariners at Astros: Chris Flexen vs. TBD, 7:10 p.m. ET, Root Sports, AT&T Sportsnet
• Dodgers at Rockies: Clayton Kershaw vs. Kyle Freeland, 8:10 p.m., SNLA, AT&T Sportsnet
Sunday, July 31
• Phillies at Pirates: Aaron Nola vs. JT Brubaker, 1:35 p.m. ET, NBCS-PHI, AT&T Sportsnet
• Cubs at Giants: Adrian Sampson vs. Carlos Rodon, 7:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Check out the full MLB schedule, matchups, odds, and more!
Latest World Series odds
The odds below are up-to-date within a five-minute delay and reflect the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks. Be sure to compare MLB futures odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
