Play Beat the Streak now -- and consider these 3
Beat the Streak is back for the 2022 season -- and the $5.6 million prize is still up for grabs.
The idea is simple -- pick one player (or two) every day who you think will get a hit. The objective -- surpass Joe DiMaggio's record-long 56-game hitting streak -- is a bit more challenging.
But we are here to help with that. We'll provide BTS leaderboard updates and daily insights on favorable matchups in this space, as well as every weekday on the new “Beat the Streak Daily: Inside the Hits” podcast.
Let's take a closer at the action from yesterday and today:
LEADERBOARD DATA
Longest active streak: 38 (Chappy)
Longest season streak: 45 (kiyoshilotus26)
Longest streak all-time: 51
Most popular picks (yesterday)
1. Trea Turner, Dodgers (15.5%)*
2. Yordan Alvarez, Astros (11.7%)*
3. Tim Anderson, White Sox (7.4%)*
4. Luis Arraez, Twins (5.7%)*
5. Aaron Judge, Yankees (5.1%)
* - Recorded a hit
Most popular picks (this season)
1. Trea Turner, Dodgers (9.7%)
2. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (6.6%)
3. J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (5%)
4. Manny Machado, Padres (4.6%)
5. Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals (3.2%)
HITTERS TO TARGET TODAY
Corey Seager, Rangers (vs. Orioles)
Seager continues to have favorable matchups against the Orioles. Kyle Bradish has a 7.01 ERA and is allowing 12.1 hits per nine innings this season with a .332 batting average and .947 OPS against him. Seager is coming off a month in which he hit .318 with a 1.041 OPS.
Pete Alonso, Mets (at Nationals)
Nationals starter Aníbal Sánchez has gotten knocked around in his three starts so far this season (7.47 ERA, 16 hits and five home runs allowed in 15 2/3 innings), and Alonso has teed off on him, too. Alonso is 5-for-9 (.556) against Sánchez with two homers, a double and no strikeouts in 10 plate appearances.
Austin Slater, Giants (vs. Dodgers)
Slater just hit .360 with a .909 OPS in July and now has a 126 OPS+ on the season. He's actually facing a good starter in Julio Urías, but Slater crushes lefties (.296 batting average, .858 OPS vs. left-handed pitchers this season) and he's always had Urías' number, batting .440 (11-for-25) with a pair of home runs, three doubles and a 1.282 OPS in 27 career plate appearances against the Dodgers southpaw.
OFFENSE(S) TO AVOID
A's (at Angels -- Shohei Ohtani)
Ohtani is on a streak of six straight starts with double-digit strikeouts, with 68 K's in 39 innings over that span with a .190 batting average allowed. He also has a 2.15 ERA and 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings at Angel Stadium this season.
Reds (at Marlins -- Sandy Alcantara)
Alcantara has a National League-leading 1.99 ERA over a Major League-leading 149 1/3 innings pitched. He did just allow a season-high eight hits to the Mets in his last start ... but do you want to bet on that happening again?
NOTABLE BATTER VS. PITCHER MATCHUPS
Favorable
Pete Alonso (Mets): 5-for-9 (.556), 2 HR, 2B, 0 K vs. Aníbal Sánchez
Austin Slater (Giants): 11-for-25 (.440), 2 HR, 3 2B vs. Julio Urías
Mookie Betts (Dodgers): 10-for-30 (.333), 2 HR, 3 2B, 3 BB, 2 K vs. Alex Cobb
Alec Bohm (Phillies): 8-for-17 (.471) vs. Charlie Morton
Travis d'Arnaud (Braves): 7-for-15 (.467), HR, 2B vs. Zack Wheeler
Unfavorable
Dansby Swanson (Braves): 5-for-34 (.147), 12 K vs. Zack Wheeler
Nick Castellanos (Phillies): 1-for-10 (.100), 3 K vs. Charlie Morton
Anthony Rizzo (Yankees): 6-for-29 (.207), 7 K vs. Luis Castillo
José Abreu (White Sox): 1-for-12 (.083), 4 K vs. Brady Singer