Monday baseball heads to Cincinnati for an interesting clash between two sides on opposite ends of the ladder.
We are now 50% of the way through the season and the Mets are showing that they are real contenders this year.
Led by their core staff of pitchers, they are suffocating teams at the plate and giving them no easy runs.
Their defensive ratings have gone through the roof in comparison to their 2021 season and will be looking to continue this form over their series with the Reds.
On the flip side, the Reds are struggling on both sides of the plate.
Their batting has regressed from the life they showed in 2021 and their pitching is losing them games before they can get into the arm wrestle.
It's hard to see any shining lights that can guide them forward over the coming months.
New York Mets (T Walker) @ Cincinnati Reds (H Greene)
MLB Betting Odds: Mets $1.58 / Reds $2.40
Taijun Walker is on track for one of his best seasons in the Majors, over his 9-year career to date.
A 2.72 earned run average (ERA) has led him to a 6-2 record in a tough division.
As he matures, he has started to lose some velocity on his fast ball but has developed some tools to combat this.
In his last game against the red-hot Astro's he induced 12 groundballs to keep the Houston bats in check.
A similar performance will not only put his team in a strong position to win but also let him chaulk up another win for the season.
Hunter Green is a rookie pitcher getting his first taste of Major League Baseball this year.
Whilst his record is 3-9, he has pitched better than the stats suggest.
There have been positive signs seen through his 11.3 K/9, which ranks fifth-best among qualified major-league starters.
He has all the tools at his disposal but needs plenty of time to acclimatise to MLB standards, particularly with his poor control at time.
The good news for him is due to the reds woes he will get plenty of time to mature.
Key MLB Betting Statistics
Hunter Greene has averaged at least one strikeout per inning for the 11th time in his past 12 starts
Taijuan Waler has been on a particularly strong run of late, turning in four consecutive quality starts, during which he's allowed only five earned runs across 26 innings.
Free MLB Expert Pick: Mets -1.5 $2.00
Reasoning: The Mets are powering through this season with no signs of slowing down. They come up against a Reds team struggling on both sides of the plate and with a rookie pitcher, this looks set to continue.
The experience veteran Walker can get them home comfotably.
Jul 04, 2022 01:27 PM
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Key MLB Betting Statistics
