Free MLB Picks Today for Sunday, August 20th, 2023

Our free MLB picks are out for Sunday, August 20th, 2023! 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!

Seattle Mariners @ Houston Astros – 1:05PM ET

Tony Battalio

The Seattle Mariners come into the finale of this series looking to complete the three game sweep of the defending World Series champions. Seattle has been one of the hottest teams in the American League as of late as they are catching fire at the right time, with only a couple months remaining in the regular season. Seattle will be looking to make their second consecutive playoff appearance at the end of this season, and grabbing a victory. Here in the finale of this series, will give them plenty of momentum throughout the remainder of the year to feed off of. Seattle comes into this game with a record of 68-55 and they are currently on a five game winning streak. 

Houston will be looking to bounce back and grab their first victory of this series here on Sunday afternoon at home. They have looked completely outmatched through the first couple games of this series as their lineup has been very stale and unproductive throughout the first 18 innings of this weekend. They will have to be a lot more productive at the plate if they want to grab a victory here in the finale of this series against the Seattle Mariners and continue to stay within striking distance of the Texas Rangers in the American League West division. Unfortunately, for Houston, I look for the Seattle Mariners to grab a third consecutive victory in this series and their sixth victory in a row on the year.

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees – 1:35PM ET

Tony Battalio

It has been all Boston throughout the first two games of this series as they have picked up a pair of consecutive victories to start out the weekend. They had a solid performance against likely American League Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole on Saturday. Now they will be looking to replicate that performance and their performance from Friday night to pick up a third consecutive victory of the New York Yankees here on Sunday afternoon. In each of the first two victories they put up eight runs on the board, as they have taken advantage of a lack of solid hitting from the New York Yankees, and simply just outscored them and put both games out of reach early on. 

The New York Yankees will be looking to bounce back after being blown out by their arch rivals in the first two games of this three game weekend series. The Yankees are in great danger of missing out on the postseason at the moment and unless they get things together really soon, they will find themselves sitting at home in October. The New York Yankees will have to be a lot more productive at the played in the finale of this series and they will have to contain Boston’s lineup as well. After getting up a combined 16 runs in the first two games of the series. Unfortunately for the Yankees, I don’t see them grabbing the victory in this game as I have Boston picking up the win.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Cincinnati Reds – 1:40PM ET

Tony Battalio

The Toronto Blue Jays bounced back in a big way on Saturday afternoon against the Cincinnati Reds. Now they will be looking to pick up a victory in the finale of this series on Sunday afternoon on the road in Cincinnati as they look to take two out of three games from the Reds over the weekend. Toronto comes into the finale of this series with a record of 68-56 through the first 124 games of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. They have been flying under the radar, but they are well within striking distance to win the American League East division and another victory in this game will put them one step closer to doing so.

The Cincinnati Reds are having a bit of an up-and-down season, but they are still well within striking distance of making a postseason appearance this year. Cincinnati comes into this game only a handful of games out of first place in the National League Central division and they are currently tied for the third and final wildcard spot in the National League with the Chicago Cubs. Now they will be looking to pick up a victory over the Toronto Blue Jays and the finale of this series on Sunday afternoon. Hunter Greene returns to the mound for the Cincinnati Reds and he will be looking to pitch them to a much-needed victory here on Sunday. Unfortunately for Cincinnati I don’t see that happening as I have the Toronto Blue Jays grabbing the win here on Sunday.

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Minnesota Twins – 2:10PM ET

Tony Battalio

The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to even up this series with a victory on Saturday afternoon, and now they will be looking to take two out of three games from Minnesota with another victory here on Sunday afternoon on the road at Target Field. It has certainly been an up and down season for Pittsburgh as they started off the year with one of the best records in the National League before several lengthy losing streaks have led them to having one of the worst records in the National League as well. If they continue to grab victories like they did on Saturday afternoon, they will have the opportunity to at least have a winning season this year, although making the playoffs seems very unlikely at this point.  

Minnesota will be looking to bounce back after their loss on Saturday afternoon and continue to put distance between them and Cleveland in the American League Central division. Luckily, for the Minnesota Twins, the Cleveland Guardians have managed to be one of the most incompetent teams in all of baseball this season, as they continue to choke away games and shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to catching up on Minnesota in the division. I expect to Minnesota bounce back here on Sunday afternoon and pick up a victory over Pittsburgh in the finale of this series, as they look to chase down a division title and a playoff appearance at the end of the regular season.

New York Mets @ St.Louis Cardinals – 2:15PM ET

Tony Battalio

It has been a frustrating season for the New York Mets as they came into the year with so many expectations, but they have been very disappointing. Their mini firesale at the trade deadline where they traded away both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander signalled the end of their current window to compete for a World Series championship. It will likely be a couple more seasons, or even longer before this team competes to win a World Series despite all the talent they have in their lineup with the likes of Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. New York comes into the finale of this series with a record of 58-66 through their first 124 games of the 2023 Major League Baseball season.

The St. Louis Cardinals have experienced a similar outcome this season as they came into the year with plenty of expectations, and they have arguably been a bigger disappointment than the New York Mets. They were expected to be the favorites to win the National League Central division, but they have been nowhere close, and they currently sit in last place of the division as well. They will be looking to gain some momentum and wrap up this series with the New York Mets on a high note with a victory here on Sunday afternoon at home. Unfortunately for the St. Louis Cardinals, I don’t see that happening as I have the New York Mets picking up the victory to wrap up the series.

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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.