The All-Star break is next week, as we're already past the halfway point of the 2022 MLB season. The underwhelming Blue Jays have made a managerial change, the Detroit Tigers have been abysmal at the plate, and the Orioles are shockingly in the playoff picture.
Find out about all that and more in this week's MLB Notebook!
MLB Notebook: July 15-17
Click on each item to read the full update.
- Orioles have won 10 in a row
- Blue Jays fire Charlie Montoyo
- Tigers keep hitting the Under
- Pitchers to bet on/fade for HR props
- 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 first bet offer bet at FanDuel! Sign Up Now
B) New users can get two first bet offer bets up to $2,000 at PointsBet! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only
MLB betting news for this weekend
Orioles have won 10 in a row
Don't look now, but the Baltimore Orioles are now a real threat to make the postseason in 2022.
After finishing last season tied with the worst record in baseball at 52-110, the Orioles are currently 45-44 this year and are winners of 10 straight.
The Baltimore Orioles have the longest win streak in baseball
— The Exit 52 Podcast (@Exit52Podcast) July 14, 2022
The Baltimore Orioles are two games out of a playoff spot
The Baltimore Orioles are 21-9 since June 10
The Baltimore Orioles are 38-30 since May 1
The Baltimore Orioles are over .500
THE. BALTIMORE. ORIOLES.
The craziest thing about this Baltimore team is there really isn't a single player who's done any heavy lifting. It's been a complete team effort, and the O's are doing all of this with the lowest team payroll in all of baseball.
The last time the Orioles won 10+ consecutive games was in 1999, when Baltimore had superstars Cal Ripken Jr. and Albert Belle on its roster.
Baltimore is now +1,700 to make the postseason this season and is just two games back of a playoff spot. The Orioles last made the postseason in 2016, when they fell short in extras to the Blue Jays in the Wild Card game.
Blue Jays fire Charlie Montoyo
Before the 2022 regular season began, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was quoted saying, "What we did last year was the trailer, now you guys are going to see the movie".
That quote has come back to bite the Blue Jays star in the butt. Although the Jays are currently just out of a Wild Card spot, expectations before the season were that Toronto would win the division, and not be 15.5 games back of first place in mid-July.
Following a dismal West Coast road trip in Oakland and Seattle, where the team went 1-6, Toronto management decided to pull the plug on Montoyo, who had previously been signed to a contract extension this past April.
In reality, the Blue Jays front office was done with Montoyo weeks ago. No reinforcements brought in post-Ryu injury, mess of Kikuchi or to augment the bullpen.
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) July 13, 2022
Management was waiting to pull the trigger. The mini-spurt vs Boston and Tampa in late June prolonged the inevitable.
Bench coach John Schneider has been promoted as the interim manager for the remainder of the season. Schneider takes over a Blue Jays team that still has expectations to contend for the World Series, so the pressure continues to be at an all-time high.
Blue Jays Charlie Montoyo is the first MLB manager fired this late into a season as his team was still in a playoff spot since the Ned Yost of the Brewers in 2008.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) July 13, 2022
Whether a managerial change will do much mid-season is up for debate, but the last time the Blue Jays fired a skipper midseason, the team played much better.
This came in 2008 when the Blue Jays relieved John Gibbons of his duties when the team had a record of 35-39. They brought back Cito Gaston and the Jays finished with a 51-38 record under his watch. If you think the Jays will rebound, now is a good time to pounce on their +1,000 World Series odds.
Tigers keep hitting the Under
The Detroit Tigers were expected to make big strides this season, and it just hasn't gone that way.
Offseason free agent Javier Baez has been a complete bust, hitting just .218/.256/.384 on the season. 2020 first overall pick Spencer Torkelson has also had a turbulent start to his MLB career, looking overwhelmed at the plate.
The 22-year-old third baseman barely has a batting average over the Mendoza Line (.200) and looks completely overwhelmed at the plate in his rookie season with Detroit.
Watching the Tigers game and the broadcaster said that Torkelson biggest problem has been hitting the fastball.
— Rich Wilson (@RichWilsonP361) July 13, 2022
Batting average against:
FB: .215
Breaking: .220
Offspeed: .071
Correction. He's been bad with all pitches!
With Baez and Torkelson struggling, the Tigers have become the offense that bettors have profited off of fading the most. When it comes to betting totals, the Tigers have hit the Under 62.4% of the time this season, the most in the MLB.
If there is a positive, top prospect Riley Greene has looked the part early on in the Motor City, but the 21-year-old has been the lone bright spot in a Tigers' lineup that is averaging the least amount of runs per game at 3.1 and are hitting just .230 collectively as a roster. Continue to fade them in the Over/Under market until they start showing consistent production at the plate.
Pitchers to bet on/fade for HR props
There's no doubt that young Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray has electric stuff, and it's proven by his high strikeouts performances this season. At the same time, however, Gray's raw inexperience has made him prone to having the worst HR/9 innings at 2.05.
In his latest start against the Mariners on Wednesday, the 24-year-old was touched up by the Mariners, allowing three home runs in five innings of work.
Now 14 HR allowed in 9 starts at home for Josiah Gray. Thank you for your service
— Dave “Softy” Mahler (@Softykjr) July 13, 2022
Among the other pitchers to fade when it comes to home runs are Toronto starter Jose Berrios (1.79) and Colorado righty German Marquez (1.67).
Meanwhile, Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman has the best rate at preventing dingers, allowing just 0.29 per nine frames, while Carlos Rodon and Sandy Alcantara are close behind at 0.34 and 0.41, respectively.
Featured MLB games for this weekend
Friday, July 15
• Red Sox at Yankees: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Jordan Montgomery, 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN, YES
• Dodgers at Angels: Clayton Kershaw vs. Patrick Sandoval, 9:38 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Bally Sports
Saturday, July 16
• Orioles at Rays: Dean Kremer vs. TBD, 4:10 p.m. ET, MASN, Bally Sports
• Brewers at Giants: Eric Lauer vs. Alex Cobb, 7:15 p.m., FOX
Sunday, July 17
• Mariners at Rangers: Chris Flexen vs. Glenn Otto, 2:35 p.m. ET, NESN, Root Sports, Bally Sports
• Diamondbacks at Padres: Merrill Kelly vs. Mike Clevinger, 4:10 p.m. ET, Bally Sports
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.
