Counting on Quality: Best MLB Quality Start Picks for April 26 (Back Burnes, Butto, Eflin)
Just under a month into the season, I find myself battling to get to the .500 mark as bad choices on my part, a little bad luck, injuries and early-season noise has helped keep me in the red on quality start picks.
This was always intended as a season-long endeavor, with the natural swings of a 162-game season fully expected.
I knew there would be ups and downs, good weeks and bad, along with some middling and I'm still confident that at the end I'll come out ahead.
Season Record: 14-15 Net Units: -3.81
The choices presented for Friday led me to a couple of Run Line picks, so buckle up, this isn't for the faint-hearted.
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Oakland A's vs. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have been hit or miss for me this season, with the last one being a big swing and miss on Grayson Rodriguez.
Corbin Burnes is on the mound for the Baltimore in Camden Yards and while Burnes has thrown just two quality starts in five outings this season, he's missed two others by a single out and the Orioles are 5-0 in his 2024 starts.
The vig on the Money Line necessitates a move to the Run Line at Orioles -1.5, but that's not a huge concern with Ross Stripling starting for Oakland.
PICK: Orioles Run Line -1.5 -122
St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets
I can't say that I started the season thinking I would be betting Jose Butto in the Quality Start picks, but here I am.
The Mets have won all three of Butto's starts this season, the first two being of the quality variety, both at home just like this game.
Butto struggled a bit with control against the Dodgers last time out, but the Cardinals aren't the Dodgers and this game is at Citi Field.
St. Louis is countering with Miles Mikolas, who despite a 6.49 ERA has a couple of quality starts under his belt in 2024, yet the Cardinals are 1-4 in Mikolas' starts.
PICK: Mets Money Line -130
Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox
Zach Eflin struggled in two of his first three starts, but has 12.1 shutout innings in his last two, both quality starts, first against the Angels and then against the Yankees in New York.
Eflin gets the benefit of the doubt, after all he did have 17 quality starts (in 31 starts) last season.
On the other side, Chris Flexen has lasted more than 4.1 innings one time in 3 starts and predictably the Sox are 0-3 in his starts.
Normally, a team being 2-3 as the Rays are in Eflin's starts would be cause for pause, but the White Sox are 3-22.
Rays Run Line -1.5 -130
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