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: 29 (two players)

Longest season streak: 39 (clendz82)

Longest streak all-time: 51

Most popular picks (yesterday)
1. Andrew Benintendi, Royals (13.7%)*
2. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (12.3%)*
3. Michael Brantley, Astros (7.9%)
4. Trea Turner, Dodgers (7%)*
5. C.J. Cron, Rockies (5%)
* - Recorded a hit

Most popular picks (this season)
1. Trea Turner, Dodgers (7.1%)
2. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (6.5%)
3. José Iglesias, Rockies (4.4%)
4. Michael Brantley, Astros (4.3%)
5. Manny Machado, Padres (3.8%)

HITTERS TO TARGET TODAY

Yordan Alvarez, Astros (vs. Guardians)
With Guardians starter Zach Plesac only striking out 23 batters in 38 2/3 innings this season, he's falling right into the lap of Houston's biggest lefty bat. Alvarez ranks right at the top of the league in every quality of contact stat -- he's in the 97th percentile of MLB in expected batting average (.328), the 99th percentile in average exit velocity (95.6 mph) and the 100th percentile in hard-hit rate (63.5%).

Aaron Judge, Yankees (vs. Orioles)
Judge is crushing everything these days (16 home runs in his past 27 games, including two on Monday, and he always crushes Bruce Zimmermann (.455 batting average and two home runs in 14 plate appearances as Zimmermann's most frequently faced hitter). Zimmermann has 42 hits allowed and only 34 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings this season, including 14 hits to just four K's over his last two starts.

Ketel Marte, D-backs (vs. Royals)
Marte has strong hard-hit numbers (46.4% hard-hit rate for the season), and he's been very good this month after a slow start (.369 batting average, .841 OPS in May). Royals starter Jonathan Heasley has only two strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings over his first two outings of the year, and he's allowed hard contact on over half the batted balls against him as a big leaguer.

OFFENSE(S) TO AVOID

Marlins / Rays (MIA at TB, Pablo López vs. Shane McClanahan)
In this Florida Interleague battle, neither offense has a good matchup. López has a National League-leading 1.57 ERA and has allowed a league-low 6.1 hits per nine innings. McClanahan has racked up 65 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings (12.6 K/9, 36.7% strikeout rate).

Royals (at D-backs -- Zac Gallen)
Gallen has been rolling ever since he returned to Arizona's rotation in mid-April. He has a 1.14 ERA, 39 strikeouts and only 20 hits allowed in 39 1/3 innings this season (4.6 H/9), and he's allowed more than two hits in only two of his seven starts.

NOTABLE BATTER VS. PITCHER MATCHUPS

Favorable

Matt Olson (Braves): 8-for-16 (.500), 3 HR, 2B vs. Kyle Gibson

J.T. Realmuto (Phillies): 10-for-26 (.385), 3 HR, 3B, 2 2B vs. Max Fried

Corey Seager (Rangers): 8-for-14 (.571), HR, 2 2B vs. Noah Syndergaard

DJ LeMahieu (Yankees): 5-for-12 (.417), 2B, 0 K vs. Bruce Zimmermann

Unfavorable

Javier Báez (Tigers): 1-for-17 (.059), 11 K vs. Sonny Gray

Corey Dickerson (Cardinals): 4-for-24 (.167), 6 K vs. Kevin Gausman

Ian Happ (Cubs): 2-for-20 (.100), HR, 2B, 10 K vs. Tyler Mahle

Shohei Ohtani (Angels): 1-for-12 (.083), 2B, 4 K vs. Dane Dunning