MLB Best Bets Today July 26:
The MLB Trade Deadline essentially began on Thursday, as the Rays announced that they are sellers by trading with a team just ahead of them in the Wild Card standings. Randy Arozarena is now a Seattle Mariner and AJ Puk was sent from the hapless Marlins to the Wild-Card hopeful Diamondbacks to bolster the bullpen. I expect to see more trades today in the lead-up to the Tuesday 6 p.m. deadline.
Oh, yeah, there are also games still going on while all of this is happening. It’s a full 15-game card with nothing but night games for Friday.
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Here are the MLB best bets today for July 26:
Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays (-130, 8)
7:07 p.m. ET
The Blue Jays were pummeled on getaway day by the Rays yesterday and look like a team that just wants the next few days to go by as quickly as possible. Perhaps the Rangers can take advantage this week, as they’ll open up a three-game weekend series with Andrew Heaney on the bump. The Jays will counter with Yusei Kikuchi, at least as of now, as this will likely be his last start for the team.
Honestly, I think interested parties will be watching very closely before thinking about an acquisition. Kikuchi is still missing a lot of bats, but he has a 6.62 ERA with a 4.64 FIP over his last 11 starts, including 11 runs allowed on 11 hits in his last two outings. Kikuchi has allowed a 46.8% Hard Hit% and a 12.8% Barrel% in that span. He actually did well to limit hard contact last time out against the Tigers, but that’s not a very good offense.
The Rangers are second in wOBA against lefties over the last 30 days at .376 and have also posted a 145 wRC+. The Blue Jays are 17th in that department at .308 and Heaney has thrown the ball well this season with a 3.60 ERA and a 3.96 FIP over exactly 100 innings of work.
The All-Star Break seems to have woken up the Rangers, who have won five in a row. They’re on a mission to get back to the playoffs, while the Blue Jays are not on any mission and will be sellers over the next few days.
Pick: Rangers +110
