Play Beat the Streak now -- and lock in these picks
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: 33 (pizzaman1910)
Longest season streak: 39 (clendz82)
Longest streak all-time: 51
Most popular picks (yesterday)
1. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (22.2%)
2. Michael Brantley, Astros (11.4%)*
3. Tim Anderson, White Sox (6.1%)*
4. Aaron Judge, Yankees (4.8%)
5. Mike Trout, Angels (4.6%)*
* - Recorded a hit
Most popular picks (this season)
1. Trea Turner, Dodgers (7%)
2. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (7%)
3. Michael Brantley, Astros (4.5%)
4. José Iglesias, Rockies (4.3%)
5. Manny Machado, Padres (3.7%)
HITTERS TO TARGET TODAY
Jared Walsh, Angels (vs. Rangers)
Walsh has a great matchup against Texas starter Glen Otto, who has a 5.55 ERA and only 18 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings this season -- with even worse expected statistics based on his quality of contact allowed (a 6.87 xERA, .301 xBA and .596 xSLG). Walsh hits the ball hard, with a 91.6 mph average exit velocity and 45.6% hard-hit rate, and he'll have the platoon advantage, and he's 3-for-4 with a double off Otto, if that matters.
Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (at Nationals)
Erick Fedde has been pretty good lately, but Freddie Freeman is Freddie Freeman, and Erick Fedde is Erick Fedde. His stuff doesn't overwhelm you (his 19.9% swing-and-miss rate is in the bottom 12% of MLB), and Freeman's contact quality is as elite as always. Freeman has a 44.7% hard-hit rate, 48.2% launch angle sweet-spot rate, .321 expected batting average and .625 expected slugging percentage this season. All of those are top of the line.
Michael Brantley, Astros (vs. Guardians)
It's a low-strikeout pitcher in Cal Quantrill (25 K's in 41 1/3 innings) vs. a high-contact hitter in Brantley (11.2% swing-and-miss rate, in the top 1% of MLB). Quantrill has gotten hit around recently (15 hits allowed in his last two starts), and Brantley doesn't just make a lot of contact, he makes good contact (47.7% hard-hit rate and a .326 xBA that ranks in the top 3% of the league).
OFFENSE(S) TO AVOID
Athletics (at Mariners -- Robbie Ray)
Ray has a high ERA this season (4.77), but the reigning Cy Young winner has gotten back to his high-strikeout self recently (27 K's in 17 2/3 innings over his past three starts, which makes for a tough matchup for an A's lineup without a lot of firepower.
Marlins (at Rays -- Drew Rasmussen)
Rasmussen hasn't been giving up a lot of hits -- just 6.3 per nine innings this season, and he has a 1.31 ERA and a .176 batting average allowed in May. And the Rays' pitching staff can always be tough on any team.
NOTABLE BATTER VS. PITCHER MATCHUPS
Favorable
Francisco Lindor (Mets): 18-for-36 (.500), 5 HR, 3B, 3 2B vs. Jakob Junis
Joey Votto (Reds): 13-for-36 (.361), 4 HR, 3 2B vs. Kyle Hendricks
Willson Contreras (Cubs): 7-for-15 (.467), HR, 3 2B vs. Luis Castillo
Bryce Harper (Phillies): 7-for-20 (.350), HR, 3B vs. Charlie Morton
J.D. Martinez (Red Sox): 5-for-10 (.500), HR vs. Lucas Giolito
Unfavorable
Elvis Andrus (A's): 2-for-17 (.118), 3 K vs. Robbie Ray
Robbie Grossman (Tigers): 4-for-20 (.200), 2 2B, 4 K vs. Dylan Bundy