Our free MLB picks are out for Monday, May 23rd, 2022! Make sure you check our MLB picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free MLB picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
Colorado Rockies @ Pittsburgh Pirates – 6:35PM ET
The Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates will be playing game one of a three game series in this one. This will be the first of two times these two National League teams will meet this season with a return trip to Colorado coming over the summer.
Tony Battalio
The Colorado Rockies had a fast start to the 2022 Major League Baseball season. However, that quickly went away as the season has progressed. As they now come into this game with a record of hovering around the .500 mark through their first 40 games of the season. It’s been a rough nine game home stand for them as well as they will finish that under the .500 mark. They are currently in last place of the National League East division.
The Pittsburgh Pirates once again find themselves at the bottom of the National League standings. It’s a tale as old as time at this point as they have been the worst franchise in Major League Baseball for the last twenty plus years. In their series finale with the St.Louis Cardinals on Sunday they were battered 18-4. The loss dropped their record to 16-24 through their first 40 games of the season. As for the result of this game I am going with the Colorado Rockies to get the win in this battle of two terrible teams.
Tony’s MLB Pick: Colorado Rockies (+114)
Jeffery Thomas
After 10 straight home games the Colorado Rockies will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates for the series opener on Monday. This is the start of seven straight away from Coors Field for the Rockies who are just 5-10 on the road this season. They are coming off a shutout 2-0 loss to the New York Mets who took two of three from them in the series. This matchup with the Pirates should serve as a good bounce back spot as the Pirates are just playing some horrible baseball right now.
They just gave up 18 runs on Sunday to the Cardinals en route to getting swept and have now lost five of their last six games. To make matters worse, on Monday Pittsburgh is sending out J.T. Brubaker on the mound with his 0-4 record and 5.50 ERA. I know the Rockies are not too good on the road but the value we’re getting with against this bad team and pitcher is too good to pass up.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: Colorado Rockies (+114)
Marko Nadin
The Pittsburgh Pirates are third in the NL Central with a 16-24 record.They have lost 5 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 3-0 series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals with the last game finishing 18-4 for the Cards. The Pirates are 28th in the league scoring 3.42 runs per game and 29th allowing 5.62 rune per game. JT Burbakers will be their starting pitcher tonight who is 0-4 for the season with a 5.50 ERA. The Pirates have won 8 of the last 11 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
The Colorado Rockies are at the bottom of the NL West with a 19-21 record. They have lost 5 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 2-1 series loss against the New York Mets. Colorado is fifth in the league scoring 4.87 runs per game but is 28th allowing 5.59 runs per game. The Rockies will start Chad Kuhl tonight who is 3-2 for the season with a 3.86 ERA. They have won 5 of the last 6 games against teams from the NL Central and have lost 7 of the last 9 games played on Monday.
Marko’s MLB Pick: Colorado Rockies (+114)
Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds – 6:40PM ET
These two National League Central division rivals will be playing game one of a four game series on Monday. This will be the first time they have met this season. As they will meet regularly throughout the second half of the year.
Tony Battalio
These two National League Central divisional rivals are both having rough starts to the 2022 Major League Baseball season. However, for Chicago it hasn’t been quite as bad as Cincinnati. As the Cubs come into this game well under the .500 mark through their first 40 games of the season. Chicago is currently in the middle of the pack of the Central division as they are a long way removed from that same team that won the World Series in 2016. It is likely going to be a long road to a rebuild for the Cubs.
The Cincinnati Reds have been much worse however, as they are having one of the worst starts to the season in Major League Baseball history. They are nearly 20 games below the .500 mark and they’ve only played 40 games up until this point in the year. They are in last place in the National League Central division as well and likely going to be there for the entire season. As for the result of this series opening game I am going with the Chicago Cubs to get the win.
Tony’s MLB Pick: Chicago Cubs (-118)
Jeffery Thomas
The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs are both coming off close one-run victories on Sunday and now will meet up to begin a NL Central series. The Reds beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 thanks to Joey Vitro’s go-ahead home run in the top of the 8th inning. That win helped the Reds avoid a three-game sweep on the road and now they return to Ohio to host the Cubs who beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 on Sunday. This win for the Cubs also helped them avoid getting swept, which would have been their third time this month alone.
Despite how bad they’ve been, there is optimism that the Cubbies can come into the Great American Ballpark and steal this series opener. Cincinnati is starting one of the worst pitchers in the league in Vladimir Gutierrez and I just don’t see a way he has any success Monday. In six starts he has just 19 Ks and on the year he is 0-5 with a 8.65 ERA. In his last 13 innings pitched, Gutierrez has given up 17 runs and that is why there is no way I can trust him or the Reds in this game.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: Chicago Cubs (-118)
Marko Nadin
The Cincinnati Reds have picked up their form lately but are still the team with the worst record in the league as they sit at the bottom of the NL Central with a 12-28 record. The Reds have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-1 series loss against the Toronto Blue Jays. They are 21st in the league scoring 4.08 runs per game and are the worst defensive team in the league allowing 5.76 runs per game. Cincinnati will start Vladimir Gutierrez tonight who is 0-5 for the season with a 8.65 ERA. The Reds have won 6 of the last 7 home games against teams with a losing record.
The Chicago Cubs are fourth in the NL Central with a 16-24 record. They are coming off a 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks that put an end to their four-game losing streak. The Cubs are 17th in the league scoring 4.27 runs per game and are ranked 18th with 4.32 allowed runs per game. Drew Smyly will start for the Cubs tonight who is 1-5 for the season with a 3.97 ERA. The Cubs have won 16 of the last 21 games against teams with a losing record under 40% and have won the last 5 games played on Monday.
Marko’s MLB Pick: Chicago Cubs (-118)
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Washington Nationals – 7:05PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals will be playing game one of the three game weekday series in this one. This will be the first of two times that these cross county National League teams will face off during the 2022 Major League Baseball season.
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Dodgers come into this game as one of the best teams in Major League Baseball so far this season. They currently have a record of 27-13 through their first 40 games of the year. They are in first place of the National League West as they currently hold a slim one game lead over the San Francisco Giants. They are 7-3 in their last ten games of the season and have one of the best run differentials in the league at +88. They will be looking to bounce back in this one after their series finale loss to Philadelphia on Sunday.
The Washington Nationals are nothing like the team they were when they won the World Series back in 2019. They are now likely stuck in a cycle of rebuilding and it has shown throughout their play so far this season. As they come into this game with a record of 14-28 through their first 42 games of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. They are in last place of the National League East division as they are 3-7 in their last ten games of the season. As for the result of this game I am going with the Los Angeles Dodgers to get the win.
Tony’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (-210)
Jeffery Thomas
The Los Angeles Dodgers had their seven game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 4-3 extra innings loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Max Muncy had a two-run fielding error that lost them the game and just adds on to what has been a rough year for him. He went 0-4 in the game, leaving five men in base and now has a batting average of just .156 for the year. The Dodgers have a great chance at starting up another winning streak on Monday though against the Washington Nationals who have not won a series all month.
The Nats did get an 8-2 win over the Brewers Sunday to avoid the sweep but the two games prior Washingtom had scored just one run combined. In fact, in seven of their last ten games the Nationals have scored two or fewer runs and each of those seven have been losses. The Dodgers will be starting Tim Anderson who is unbeaten on the year (4-0) and has given up two or fewer earned runs in 6/7 starts this year so that doesn’t bode well for Washington and their anemic offense. I see this as a beat down and an alternate spread up to -3.5 isn’t out of the question for me. Dodgers all day.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-120)
Marko Nadin
The Washington Nationals are at the bottom of the NL East with a 14-28 record. They have lost 5 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 2-1 series loss against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Nationals are 20th in the league scoring 4.10 runs per game and are 27th allowing 5.33 runs per game. Washington will start Joan Adon tonight who is 1.7 for the season with a 6.38 ERA. The Nats have 36 of the last 52 games against a left-handed starting pitcher and 8 of the last 11 games against teams from the NL West.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on top of the NL West with a 27-13 record. They are coming off a 4-3 10th inning loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that put an end to their seven-game winning streak. The Dodgers are the best offensive team in the league scoring 5.48 runs per game and are ranked 5th in the league allowing 3.26 runs per game. Tyler Anderson will start for the Dodgers tonight who is 4-0 for the season with a 4.04 ERA. The Dodgers have won 45 of the last 55 games against teams with a losing record under 40%.
Marko’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (-210)
Toronto Blue Jays @ St.Louis Cardinals – 7:45PM ET
The Toronto Blue Jays and St.Louis Cardinals will be playing game one of a two game series on Monday. As the Blue Jays and the Redbirds will be scheduled to meet again for another two game series in Toronto in July.
Tony Battalio
This is going to be one of the better series of the week in my opinion. The Toronto Blue Jays come into this game with a record of 22-19 through their first 41 games of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. They are currently in third place of the American League East division as they are seven and half games back of the New York Yankees. They were expected to be one of the best teams in the league this season but they have gotten off to a bit of a slow start. They come into this one after dropping their series finale against the Cincinnati Reds, however they still won the series.
The St.Louis Cardinals are having a decent start to the 2022 Major League Baseball season. They won the finale of their series with the Pittsburgh Pirates by a huge score of 18-4. They come into this game with a record of 23-18 through their first 41 games of the season. They are currently in second place of the National League Central division as they are only a few games back of the division leading Milwaukee Brewers. As for the result of this game I am going with the Toronto Blue Jays to pick up the victory.
Tony’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays (+100)
Jeffery Thomas
The Toronto Blue Jays are set to take on another team from the NL Central after winning two of three over the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend. It was a welcoming sight for Toronto who has now won two straight series on the back of some really great pitching performances. They are only giving up an average of 2 runs a game in their last eight but that staff will be severely tested in this series against a dangerous St.Louis Cardinals offense. The Cards are coming into this one fresh off an 18-run outburst on Sunday and boast a top-10 offense in the league. I think this is an I tweeting matchup of strength on strength and in this particular matchup I favor the offense slightly.
Toronto is starting Jose Berrios and he has not been in his best form this year, giving up at least five earned runs in two of his last three starts. He also gives up a lot of hits and that is a recipe for disaster against the St. Louis team. I also couple that with the fact that the Blue Jays wouldn’t be able to keep up if it does turn into a shootout because they haven’t scored over 3 runs in their last five contests. I love the home Cardinals here to take care of business.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: St.Louis Cardinals (-118)
Marko Nadin
The St.Louis Cardinals are second in the NL Central with a 23-18 record. The Cardinals are coming off a 3-0 series sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates scoring 18 runs in the last game. St.Louis is third in the league scoring 5 runs per game and are 9th allowing 3.88 runs per game. The Cardinals will start Miles Mikolas tonight who is 3-2 for the season with a 1.68 ERA. The Cardinals have won 20 of the last 34 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game and 19 of the last 28 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
The Toronto Blue Jays are third in the AL East with a 22-19 record. They have won 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 2-1 series win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Blue Jays are 25th in the league scoring 3.67 runs per game and are ranked 10th in the league allowing 3.92 runs per game. Jose Berrios will start for Toronto tonight who is 3-2 for the season with a 4.83 ERA. The Blue Jays have won 7 of the last 8 interleague games as underdog.
Marko’s MLB Pick: St.Louis Cardinals (-118)
New York Mets @ San Francisco Giants – 9:45PM ET
These two National League leading teams will be playing game one of a three game series in this one. This will be the second and final time they will meet this year. As the New York Mets took three out of four games at home earlier this season from San Francisco.
Tony Battalio
The New York Mets are playing like one of the best teams in Major League Baseball so far this season. They come into this game with a record of 28-15 through their first 43 games of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. They are currently in first place of the National League East division at the moment as they hold an eight game lead over the Atlanta Braves. They are 6-4 in their last ten games of the season and are currently on a one game winning streak.
The San Francisco Giants are coming into this game with a record of 22-18 through their first 40 games of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. They finished last year as the best team in the league after the regular season. However, it is unlikely that will happen again this season but I’m sure they would trade that for a deep playoff run. As for the result of this game I am going with the New York Mets to get the win.
Tony’s MLB Pick: New York Mets (+126)
Jeffery Thomas
The New York Mets will continue their tour of the West Coast when they travel to the Bay for a series with the San Francisco Giants. This is fresh off a series win against the Colorado Rockies despite them being outscored 12-10 in the three games. Sunday’s win was a dominant pitching performance as Taijuan Walker and three relievers combined for a six-hitter in the 2-0 win. The Giants did not fare as well in their game on Sunday losing in a blowout to the San Diego Padres.
It wasn’t a good weekend for them, as they were swept out by their division rivals who are right above them in the standings. That only puts them in a deeper hole they’ll need to climb out of and a series with the Mets isn’t a good place to start for that process. The Mets and Giants have already faced off this year, with New York taking three of four and I don’t see a reason why we won’t see a similar result here.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: New York Mets (+126)
Marko Nadin
The San Francisco Giants are third in the NL West with a 22-18 record. They have lost the last 4 games and are coming off a 3-0 series loss to the San Diego Padres. The Giants are second in the league scoring 5.02 runs per game and are 20th allowing 4.41 runs per game. They will start Alex Cobb tonight who is 3-1 for the season with a 5.61 ERA. The Giants have won 4 of the last 5 home games against a left-handed starter, 29 of the last 43 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game and have lost 8 of the last 10 games following a loss.
The New York Mets are on top of the NL East with a 28-15 record. They have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-1 series win over the Colorado Rockies. The Mets are 9th in the league scoring 4.56 runs per game and are 4th allowing 3.57 runs per game. The Mets will start David Peterson tonight who is 1-0 for the season with a 1.59 ERA. New York has won 11 of the last 12 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game and 4 of the last 5 road games against a team with a winning record.
Marko’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants (-148)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
