Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani lead after second update

Major League Baseball offered another voting update with respect to the 2024 All-Star Game starters on Monday. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper continue to lead their respective leagues in votes, each with more than 2 million apiece. Fellow Yankees outfielder Juan Soto is the only other player beyond the 2-million vote threshold. (Here’s where you can vote on the All-Star Game starters.)

On a team level, two clubs in particular have inspired rabid support: both the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies have six players primed to advance to Phase 2 of voting. That doesn’t mean either club will have six starters, mind you, just that they could have six players in contention for a starting role beginning next week.

That’s because there are two phases to voting these days. Phase 1 concludes at noon ET on June 27. The top two vote-getters at each position (and the top six outfielders) will advance to Phase 2. The voting then resets, with the winner of Phase 2 being named as this year’s All-Star Game starters. Do note that the top overall vote-getters in both leagues — Judge and Harper as it stands — get to skip over Phase 2 into starting roles.
arlo Stanton, Yankees (717,023)

The top two vote-getters at each position advance to Phase 2. As such, the race between second and third place is more important than first and second place. That makes the race at DH worth watching, since Stanton is just under 11,000 votes ahead of Cleveland Guardians utility player David Fry for second place. Fry has been one of the biggest individual-level surprises of the season.

Elsewhere, it’s a three-player battle at third base. Ramírez and Westburg have the edge now, but Red Sox star Rafael Devers is just over 200,000 back with a few days of Phase 1 voting to go.

The three most notable races to watch here are at catcher, second base, and DH. Each involves a Phillies star.

Behind the plate, Realmuto has a slight lead (less than 130,000 votes) over Dodgers catcher Will Smith. Over at second base, Bryson Stott is trying to run down Arraez, who himself is only 50,000 votes away from the leading Marte. And then, at DH, Kyle Schwarber is around 60,000 votes short of Ozuna. We’ll see if the Philadelphia faithful will end up making the difference in those races between now and June 27.

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 16, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Phase 2 of fan voting will run from June 30 to July 3, with the starters being announced on July 3. The full rosters will then be released on Sunday, July 7.

Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy baseball picks, lineups, advice, stacks for June 24, 2024

Alec Burleson may not jump out to many daily Fantasy baseball players when first scouring over the MLB DFS player pool, but if you’ve been locked into the sport over the past few days, he should be strongly considered in your MLB DFS strategy. The 25-year-old Cardinals outfielder/first baseman already has more home runs (12) over 69 games this season than he did over 107 games last season (eight). Burleson has four multi-hit games over his last five contests, including hitting two home runs on Saturday and having seven RBI over his last two games.

Should you include Burleson in MLB DFS picks on daily Fantasy sites like FanDuel and DraftKings on Monday as the Cardinals begin a series against the Braves? He comes at a cheaper price in the MLB DFS player pool, so can he return a strong value for MLB DFS lineups? Before locking in any MLB DFS picks for Monday, be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.

McClure is a daily Fantasy pro who has won more than $2 million in his career. And when it comes to daily Fantasy baseball, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book “Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune” as a top MLB DFS player, McClure’s proprietary projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.

On Saturday, McClure identified Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow as his top-ranked starting pitcher in the MLB DFS player pool. The result: Glasnow allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts over seven innings, returning 58 points on FanDuel and 36.55 points on DraftKings. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

Now, with the 2024 MLB season rolling, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Monday, June 24. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.

McClure’s top MLB DFS picks for Monday
One of McClure’s top MLB DFS picks for Monday is Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. at $6,500 on DraftKings and $4,200 on FanDuel. Witt is fifth in baseball in batting average (.311), 11th in OPS (.891), fourth in runs scored (60) and tied for 10th in RBI (53) as the 24-year-old continues to prove himself as one of the top young players in the sport. He leads the MLB in hits (99) while having seven triples and 39 extra-base hits to rank fourth in total bases (169) as he’s played in all 79 games of the season for Kansas City.

Witt had 30 home runs, 97 runs scored and 96 RBI in his second MLB season last year. He’s improved every slash line category in each of his three professional seasons to reach his .891 OPS this year. Witt was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft and the Royals locked him in long-term to an 11-year, $288.7 million contract this offseason. Witt hits for power, average and is tied for fourth (21) in stolen bases, giving him a variety of ways to score points for MLB DFS lineups.

McClure is also targeting Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen ($3,900 on DraftKings and $3,000 on FanDuel). McCutchen has reached base safely in 14 of his last 15 games, including recording at least one hit in 11 of his last 13 starts. The 16-year veteran has proven to still be a capable major-league hitter with a 112 OPS+, which is the second-highest over his last five seasons.

The Pirates and McCutchen have recent familiarity against Reds probable starting RHP Carson Spiers. Pittsburgh faced Spiers last Monday and scored four runs over six innings in a 4-1 victory including McCutchen going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and two runs scored from the leadoff position against the 26-year-old. McCutchen has a career .912 OPS at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, which is known as a hitter-friendly stadium. See McClure’s full MLB DFS player pool right here.

How to set your MLB DFS lineups for June 24, 2024
McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Monday. The stars are aligning for him to return tournament-winning value and he comes at a price that won’t break the bank. You can only see who it is, and get the rest of McClure’s MLB DFS picks, here.

2024 College World Series Finals predictions by proven model

No. 1 Tennessee and No. 3 Texas A&M will both be seeking their first national title when they square off in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the 2024 College World Series Finals on Monday night. The Aggies opened the series with a 9-5 win on Saturday night, but the Vols bounced back with a 4-1 win on Sunday afternoon. Tennessee will hand the ball to senior pitcher Zander Sechrist (5-1, 3.22 ERA), while Justin Lamkin (3-2, 5.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for Texas A&M. These teams did not meet in the regular season, but Tennessee picked up a 7-4 win in the SEC Tournament last month.

First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. The Volunteers are -260 favorites (risk $260 to win $100) on the money line in the latest Tennessee vs. Texas A&M odds, while the over/under is 10.5. Before locking in any Texas A&M vs. Tennessee picks, you need to see the CWS predictions from Jacob Fetner’s college baseball model.

Fetner’s resampling college baseball model uses data from the past 2.5 years of college baseball and it has absolutely crushed its over/under picks, returning a whopping 95 units of profit on those selections this season. Anybody following saw massive returns,

Now, the model has set its sights on Tennessee vs. Texas A&M and just locked in its CWS predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the latest CWS odds and trends for Texas A&M vs. Tennessee:

Tennessee vs. Texas A&M money line: Tennessee -260, Texas A&M +196
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M over/under: 10.5
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M run line: Tennessee -1.5 (-140)
UT: Tennessee’s 182 home runs is the second most in NCAA history
A&M: Giving up 2.4 runs per game during the CWS
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Tennessee
Sechrist has been outstanding for Tennessee all season, and he has four quality starts in his last five outings. He allowed two runs on five hits and two walks across 6.1 innings in a 7-2 win over Florida State earlier in the College World Series. Sechrist also threw a career-best 6.1 shutout innings against Evansville to clinch Tennessee’s spot in the CWS, striking out six batters while walking just one batter.

The senior left-hander is backed up by the most dominant lineup in college baseball, with those bats coming alive late in Game 2 to spoil Texas A&M’s chances of winning the title on Sunday. Tennessee has forced a third game despite stars Christian Moore, Blake Burke and Billy Amick going a combined 7-for-25 at the top of the order. Texas A&M’s offense has not been as dynamic this season and its starting pitcher is not as reliable, so the Vols have several ways to win the championship on Monday. See which side to back here.

Why you should back Texas A&M
The Vols might be the top seed, but Texas A&M has perhaps been the most impressive team overall in Omaha thus far. The Aggies dominated Game 1 of this series and then led the Vols heading into the seventh on Sunday before a couple two-run homers turned the tide in that matchup. The Aggies have been elite in run prevention in Omaha, giving up just 12 total runs in five contests.

Lamkin’s season-long numbers aren’t as impressive as his counterpart’s, but he enters this matchup red-hot, holding Florida scoreless over eight innings in two appearances against the Gators in Omaha. The Aggies also have multiple high-leverage relievers available for this one, including Evan Aschenbeck, who has an exceptional 0.84 WHIP this season and struck out seven Vols in 2.2 innings of scoreless work in the Game 1 win. See which side to back here.

How to make Tennessee vs. Texas A&M CWS picks
The model has crunched the numbers for Game 3 and revealed strong picks for both the total and money line. See what they are over at SportsLine.

What are the best bets for Texas A&M vs. Tennessee in Game 3 of the 2024 College World Series championship series? Visit SportsLine to find out, all from the baseball model that has returned nearly 95 units of profit on its college baseball total picks this season.

Cardinals catcher returns to lineup after suffering broken arm on swing

The St. Louis Cardinals activated catcher Willson Contreras from the injured list ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves. Contreras, catching and batting third, will be making his first appearance at the big-league level since fracturing his forearm on May 7.

In corresponding moves, the Cardinals optioned backup catcher Nick Raposo to Triple-A Memphis. They also activated right-handed reliever Nick Robertson off the IL and optioned him to Memphis as well. Raposo had only recently been recalled after Iván Herrera required his own stint on the injured list because of lower back tightness. Herrera had been splitting time with Pedro Pagés behind the plate. Pagés, it stands to reason, will now serve as Contreras’ backup until Herrera is ready to return to active duty.

Contreras, 32, was off to an impressive start prior to the injury. He had hit .280/.398/.551 (167 OPS+) with six home runs and 12 runs batted in over the course of his first 31 games. His contributions had been worth an estimated 1.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference. Contreras, who suffered his fractured forearm when he was hit on a swing by New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez, is in the second of a five-year deal with the Cardinals worth more than $87 million.

The Cardinals are in a considerably better spot now than they were when Contreras went down. At that point, they were 15-21 on the season and 6 1/2 games back in the National League Central. The Cardinals enter Monday’s game with a 39-37 record and a five-game deficit behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

If the season were to end today, the Cardinals would be the second of three National League wild card teams.

Giants to all wear No. 24 jerseys to honor Willie Mays in first home game since Hall of Famer’s death

The baseball world suffered a great loss last week, when Willie Mays passed away at age 93. He was one of the greatest baseball players the world has ever seen (arguably the best). Mays spent parts of 21 seasons with the Giants organization, 15 of which were in San Francisco. The Giants were on the road last week and Monday night marks their first game at home since Mays died.

To honor him, the team is going to have all uniformed personnel wearing Mays’ No. 24 in the game.

Tonight, all uniformed #SFGiants personnel will wear 24 in honor of Willie Mays 🧡 pic.twitter.com/A8jn2QUhYq

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 24, 2024
The Giants are hosting the Cubs and the first pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. local time in Oracle Park.

Mays’ No. 24 has obviously been retired for a long time. It was Aug. 20, 1983 when the Giants retired the number, so no member of the Giants has worn it since. In the decade between Mays’ last game as a Giant (May 9, 1972) and the retirement ceremony, the number was not handed out either. The Mets, with whom Mays ended his career, also retired his number in 2022.

Mets closer Edwin Díaz suspended for 10 games after being ejected over excessive ‘sticky stuff’

New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz was ejected for “sticky stuff” prior to pitching the bottom of the ninth against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night at Wrigley Field. Díaz’s ejection for the use of a banned grip-enhancing substance carries with it an automatic 10-game suspension, pending any appeal.

MLB announced Monday that Díaz, indeed, has been suspended for 10 games. If he does not appeal, he will be eligible to return on July 6 vs. the Pirates.

As Díaz took the field to warm up before facing the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth, second-base umpire Brian Walsh performed the routine inspection of the pitcher’s hand and glove. Apparently concerned with what he found, Walsh summoned the remaining members of the umpiring crew to perform their own inspections and discuss. After that broader inspection and hearing from Díaz, third-base umpire and crew chief Vic Carapazza signaled that he was ejected from the game.

Here’s a look at the entire sequence:

And the relevant screen-grab:

Bold move for Edwin Díaz to think he’s getting away with this. pic.twitter.com/sUfSvM7un6

— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) June 24, 2024
Díaz was replaced by right-hander Drew Smith. He and Jake Diekman combined for a scoreless ninth to secure the 5-2 Mets win.

“I think it’s the same. They always check me, they let me pitch,” Díaz told reporters after the game. “I will keep using the same thing because they didn’t find anything on my glove, my hat, my belt.”

Carapazza told a pool reporter that Díaz’s hand was “extremely sticky” and “discolored.” “It definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat,” the umpire said, according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. “We’ve checked thousands of these. I know what that feeling is.”

Pitchers tend to use grip-enhancing substances to improve their control as well as improve their spin rates. The league first instituted the current guidelines against grip-enhancers during June of the 2021 season as a means of curbing the rampant usage of Spider Tack, pine tar, and similar adhesives. In spring training of 2023, MLB signaled that it would step up enforcement of the rules limiting grip-enhancing substances and the frequency of checks such as the one that ensnared Díaz on Sunday night. The aforementioned Smith and then-Met Max Scherzer were both suspended last year for overuse of sticky stuff.

Díaz this season has pitched to a 4.70 ERA in 23 appearances with 33 strikeouts and seven walks in 23 innings. This season marks Díaz’s comeback from a knee injury suffered during the World Baseball Classic that cost him all of 2023.