Welcome to The Leadoff, a daily column featuring our top expert’s MLB picks, predictions, and best bets for today’s slate.
With Sean Zerillo making significant changes to the structure of Opening Pitch, we thought we could use another similar daily piece breaking down a few of our favorite bets on the day’s top games.
Each day, Monday through Sunday, one of our top staff members will provide news, notes, and betting analysis on that day’s group of games.
Ryan Minion has that job for Wednesday, May 20.
MLB Predictions, Picks for Wednesday, May 20
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- Orioles vs Rays — Junior Caminero o1.5 HRR (-160)
- Braves vs Marlins — Braves F5 -0.5 (-130)
- Mets vs Nationals — Bo Bichette o1.5 HRR (-220), CJ Abrams o1.5 TB (+110), CJ Abrams Home Run (+610)
- Blue Jays vs Yankees — NRFI (-145), F5 Under 4.5 (-144)
- Red Sox vs Royals — Bobby Witt Jr. o1.5 TB (-125), Witt Jr. Triple (+1400)
- Dodgers vs Padres — NRFI (-120), Fernando Tatis Jr. Single (-105)
- Athletics vs Angels — Nick Kurtz o1.5 TB (+105), Kurtz o1.5 Hits (+260)
Orioles vs Rays Picks
The Rays are set to host their divisional rival, the Baltimore Orioles, on Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field in Tampa.
Shane Baz will take the mound for the visiting Orioles, while Rays’ right-handed opener Jesse Scholtens will be on the bump for Tampa.
My analysis ahead of Wednesday’s divisional clash will be far more concise, as I plan to target Rays’ superstar third baseman in 22-year-old Junior Caminero.
Junior is on an absolute tear heading into Wednesday afternoon’s matchup and will have a very favorable matchup versus former Rays’ teammate in right-hander Shane Baz.
Given Caminero’s vast familiarity with Baz’ pitching-arsenal with the two having played on the same team for the past two seasons, I expect him to have an edge over Baz when the two square off on Wednesday.
Despite being a highly-touted prospect, Baz has failed to live up to the hype and currently posts a 5.26 ERA over his first nine outings in 2026.
Baz has shown prior vulnerability when matched up with left-handed hitters who boast heavy contact and hard-hit rate at the plate.
The first-year Oriole has been struggling with the command of his off-speed arsenal, which has resulted in Baz having to rely far more on his high-velocity pitches in the zone.
I expect Junior to continue his scorching form at the plate thus far and will be looking to back the Rays’ youngster to exceed his 1.5 HRR mark ahead of Wednesday’s clash.
Pick: Junior Caminero o1.5 HRR (-160)
Braves vs Marlins Picks
Braves’ ace Chris Sale will take the mound on Wednesday night in an NL East divisional battle in Miami, with right-hander Janson Junk expected to start for the Marlins.
Wednesday’s contest will be the third of a four-game set at LoanDepot Park after the two faced off on Monday and Tuesday night.
While Junk has shown flashes of elite stuff over the past few seasons, boasting an impressively versatile pitching arsenal, his lack of consistency on the mound this season could be problematic, matched up with a loaded Braves’ lineup that leads all of baseball in batting average, hits and RBIs.
Though Braves’ superstar Ronald Acuña is on the shelf after suffering a Grade 1 left hamstring sprain this past week, Atlanta’s lineup is tearing it up even without its premier slugger.
In addition to its offensive success thus far, the Braves pitching staff also leads baseball in ERA and wins on the mound behind a scorching start to his 2026 campaign for former Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale.
Sale has dominated across all pitching metrics this season as the Braves’ lefty ranks second in baseball with six wins on the mound thus far. Atlanta’s 38-year-old also ranks inside the top seven in ERA, strikeouts and WHIP.
While the Marlins have taken a huge leap offensively in 2026 with some elite contact-hitters like Xavier Edwards, Liam Hicks, and Otto Lopez — who leads the MLB in hits — Sale will surely be the toughest arm this Miami lineup has faced all year long.
The Braves have the edge in both their hitting and pitching departments heading into Wednesday's divisional clash, so I feel great backing Atlanta to lead after the first five innings of the game.
Pick: Braves F5 -0.5 (-130)
Mets vs Nationals Picks
Here, I will be looking to target an NL East clash featuring the Mets and Marlins.
Nationals’ right-hander Zack Littell is set to take the mound for Washington, while the Mets currently don't list a starter for Wednesday following Clay Holmes' recent trip to the IL.
Littell enters Wednesday’s contest with an atrocious 6.10 ERA on the mound over his first nine outings in 2026.
The Nats’ righty is coming off several impressive campaigns in recent years, with Washington’s 30-year-old having finished four of his last six seasons with an ERA below 4.00.
It seems that regression has finally arrived for the Nationals’ right-hander as he prepares to face a Mets lineup that has finally started to find its groove at the plate.
Littell has actually fared pretty well versus this Mets lineup as a whole, but has struggled mightily pitching against Mets’ utility infielder Bo Bichette, who has thrived in his 14 previous plate appearances versus the Nats’ righty.
The former Bluejay has smashed a double, a home run, and has recorded 3 RBIs across his prior encounters with Littell.
In a game I expect runners to consistently be on the base paths, I favor targeting Bichette to exceed his 1.5 HRR mark ahead of Wednesday night’s divisional showdown.
While it is not definitive who the Mets will send out to the bump on Wednesday, I will still be looking to target Nationals’ youngster CJ Abrams in player prop markets in a game that should deliver many runs.
Nationals’ SS CJ Abrams is scorching to start his 2026 campaign, with the 25-year-old ranking inside the top-15 in baseball in regard to batting average, RBIs, and OPS.
Abrams is mashing at the plate with a .300 AVG, .532 slugging percentage, and also ranking third in the Major Leagues with 39 RBIs thus far.
Though we currently have minimal information about the Mets’ approach to their pitching staff ahead of Wednesday’s matchup, New York’s bullpen is really struggling and I believe it is likely the Mets will elect to go with an opener to start the game.
Regardless, I expect Abrams to extend his hot streak at the plate and to further exceed his 1.5 TB mark in this NL East showdown. Also, I will be looking to back CJ to blast one out of the park in what is projected to be ideal ballpark & weather conditions in DC on Wednesday.
Picks: Bo Bichette o1.5 HRR (-220), CJ Abrams o1.5 TB (+115), CJ Abrams Home Run (+610)
Blue Jays vs Yankees Picks
The Blue Jays continue onto their second consecutive road series on Wednesday night as they square off with their AL East divisional rival Yankees in the third of a four-game set in the Bronx.
We are definitely in for a pitching duel on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium featuring two highly-touted pitching prospects, both of whom are off to a phenomenal start to their respective 2026 campaigns.
New York 25-year old right-hander Cam Schiltter is set to take the mound for the Yanks, while 22-year old righty Trey Yesavage is expected to be on the bump for the Blue Jays, with both of Wednesday’s starters just in their second season in the Big Leagues.
Across his first 10 starts in 2026, Schittler has been unbelievably dominant, with the Yankees’ youngster having recorded an impressive 6-1 record on the mound thus far.
The Yanks’ righty leads all of baseball with a 1.35 ERA across 60 frames and ranks second amongst all pitchers with a 0.78 WHIP this season.
New York’s second-year stud is surely on the AL Cy Young radar across the first two months of the season, with the Yankees’ right-hander having made a serious case as the best starting pitcher in all of baseball right now.
Though Blue Jays’ Yesavage has just four starts on the mound this season compared to Schittler’s 10, he has been equally as impressive in his smaller sample size.
Toronto’s youngster ranks right behind Schittler at second in the MLB with a 1.40 ERA on the season thus far, with Yesavage having allowed just three ER across 19 frames in 2026.
Given how exceptional both starting pitchers have been before Wednesday night’s clash, I will be looking to wager on zero runs to be scored in the first inning of the game (NRFI).
I will also be taking another prop that fits alongside our pitching-duel narrative, which will be the under on runs scored over the first five innings of Wednesday night’s contest.
Pick: NRFI (-145), F5 Under 4.5 (-144)
Red Sox vs Royals Picks
The Red Sox and Royals will square off in Kansas City on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. Michael Wacha will take the mound for the Royals, while Boston left-hander Connelly Early will be on the bump for the visiting Sox.
Despite a rather impressive start for both starting pitchers in this matchup, I see this game as a great spot for Kansas City’s superstar SS to find some success versus Early.
The Red Sox lefty has had quite the start to his second season in the Big Leagues, having recorded a 3.21 ERA alongside a solid 1.20 WHIP thus far.
Though Early's luck may run out on Wednesday matched up with a hitter of Bobby Witt Jr’s caliber who has absolutely dominated left-handed pitching for the majority of his career.
While the Royals’ 25-year-old superstar got off to a sluggish start to begin the season, he has risen from the dead and enters Wednesday’s American League clash batting over .300 at the plate this season.
Witt boasts a stellar exit velocity and hard-contact hitters’ profile inside the box, especially versus left-handed hitters who frequently throw fastballs in the zone.
There is no doubt that Early has extreme upside for the remainder of his professional career, but I expect the Royals’ two-time All-Star to have a massive performance on Wednesday night.
For our first betting angle ahead of this AL clash, I will be looking to target Witt Jr to exceed his 1.5 Total Base mark and will also play the Royals’ youngster in a far more unique value approach.
From a pure value perspective, I will be wagering on Witt Jr to record a triple in Wednesday’s contest at a phenomenal price.
Though he has just one on the season, Witt is an unbelievably dynamic contact-hitter who both boasts tremendous power at the plate and unprecedented speed on the base paths.
Witt has ranked inside the top-5 in baseball in triples in each of his first four seasons in the Big Leagues with the Royals’ IF having ripped 34 triples in that span.
When it comes to hitting triples, Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium is amongst the top ballparks in baseball, given it was built with spacious dimensions that prioritize outfield range over home run power, which has made it quite a reliable generator of triples.
For our mega-value play ahead of Wednesday’s contest, I will be taking a shot on Witt to record his second triple in 2026.
Pick: Bobby Witt Jr. o1.5 TB (-125), Witt Jr. Triple (+1400)
Dodgers vs Padres Picks
Rivalry week continues as NL West foes Dodgers and Padres are set to duke it out on Wednesday night in another matchup I expect starting-pitching to reign supreme as both starters are off to a scorching start in 2026.
The Dodgers’ Wednesday night starter needs no introduction, as superstar two-way player Shohei Ohtani will look to build upon his phenomenal form over his first seven outings this season.
Though not as dominant as Ohtani, Padres’ 27-year-old righty Randy Vasquez has been rather impressive as well across nine starts thus far.
While the Dodgers are coming off consecutive World Series victories over the past two seasons, their Japanese superstar had been previously unable to pitch until this season after having recovered from surgery on his right throwing elbow.
Many were unsure what to expect from Ohtani upon his return to the mound this season, given his extended leave away from pitching, yet baseball’s first two-way star since the great Babe Ruth has more than delivered on his tremendous hype as a dual threat.
Shohei has recorded an exceptional 0.82 ERA on the season across his first 44 frames on the mound, with baseball’s biggest star having allowed just four ER in 2026.
Any form of preseason concern about Ohtani’s pitching form has since been wiped clean, and I expect the Dodgers’ superstar to continue his reign of dominance on the mound thus far.
While Vasquez is far from Ohtani’s pitching metrics to start the season, he ranks inside the top-20 in baseball with a 2.68 ERA across his first nine starts of the season.
Though the Friars’ right-hander has shown some susceptibility to damage at times this season, he has been very reliable as of late, having allowed just 1 ER over his last 11 innings pitched (IP).
That said, I favor no runs to be scored in the first inning (NRFI) of Wednesday night’s NL West showdown.
For a second betting angle ahead of Wednesday’s ball game, I will be looking to target Friars’ superstar Fernando Tatis Jr in the player prop markets as I expect San Diego’s franchise player to bounce back from a troublesome start to his 2026 campaign.
Tatis Jr has recorded career-lows across the board thus far and finally smashed his first homer of the 2026 season this past Monday.
I will be looking to target Fernando in more of a unique player prop market, which is for the Friars’ righty slugger to record at least one single on Wednesday night. Of Tatis’ 41 hits this season, only seven have been extra-base hits.
Pick: NRFI (-120), Fernando Tatis Jr. Single (-105)
Athletics vs Angels Picks
The Angels and Athletics will square off on Wednesday night in Anaheim as both clubs look to improve upon what has been a very up-and-down start to the first two months of the season.
Unlike my previous two handicaps, I expect runs galore at Angel Stadium on Wednesday in a matchup featuring two lineups that boast heavy-contact rates at the plate.
Angels’ right-hander Jack Kochanowicz will take the mound for Los Angeles, while Aaron Civale will make the start for the Athletics in an AL West divisional clash.
While Kochanowicz got off to a pretty hot start to the season, having looked excellent across his first three outings in 2026, the Angels’ righty has since trended extremely downward and heads into Wednesday’s contest in horrific form.
Though the Angels’ 25-year-old allowed fewer than 2 earned runs (ER) in each of his first three starts this season, he is now in very poor form, having allowed 12 ER over his last 10 frames ahead of his divisional matchup versus the Athletics.
Given the Angels’ righty has played in the AL West for several years, he has quite the previous head-to-head history versus this Athletics’ lineup. Kochanowicz has recorded a horrific 12.38 career ERA against its divisional foe.
Though there are several Athletics’ hitters who match up very well with the Angels’ right-hander, I will be looking to target Nick Kurtz, who is in scorching form at the plate ahead of Wednesday night’s showdown.
The Athletics' lefty is coming off a phenomenal rookie campaign in 2025, with the 23-year-old having smashed 36 homers and 86 RBIs. Despite a sluggish start in 2026, Kurtz is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now.
Kurtz has recorded a hit in 15 of his last 18 games and has smashed three homers and 14 RBIs during that span.
I expect the Athletics’ youngster to build upon his scorching form at the plate, so I will be looking to target the lefty slugger to exceed his 1.5 Total Base mark on Wednesday night.
In addition to our first betting angle, I will be backing Kurtz to record two hits in Wednesday’s contest as well.
Pick: Nick Kurtz o1.5 TB (+105), Kurtz o1.5 Hits (+260)
Ryan Minion's MLB Picks and Predictions for Wednesday, May 20
Follow me in the Action Network App for additional bet notifications.
- Orioles vs Rays — Junior Caminero o1.5 HRR (-160)
- Braves vs Marlins — Braves F5 -0.5 (-130)
- Mets vs Nationals — Bo Bichette o1.5 HRR (-220), CJ Abrams o1.5 TB (+110), CJ Abrams Home Run (+610)
- Blue Jays vs Yankees — NRFI (-145), F5 Under 4.5 (-144)
- Red Sox vs Royals — Bobby Witt Jr. o1.5 TB (-125), Witt Jr. Triple (+1400)
- Dodgers vs Padres — NRFI (-120), Fernando Tatis Jr. Single (-105)
- Athletics vs Angels — Nick Kurtz o1.5 TB (+105), Kurtz o1.5 Hits (+260)
