Counting on Quality: Best MLB Quality Start Picks for May 14 (Back Bradish, Blanco and Gilbert)
One thing I can't control is who pitches on what day, which means more than a few times my options in the Quality Start picks have been limited.
Not so today, as I have a plethora of games to choose from and even left a couple off that I'll be considering outside of this article. If things go awry today, it's all on me (and the pitchers, of course).
Let's get to it and lets get some wins.
All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Toronto Blue Jays vs Baltimore Orioles
Part of betting is believing in the process, even when the results have been less than optimal, and that leads me to bet on Kyle Bradish and the Orioles over the Blue Jays and Chris Bassitt.
Bradish got a late start to the season and only has two starts under his belt, no quality starts and not even a win.
He's now stretched out having gone 90 pitches last time out, giving up just one run in five innings against the Nationals.
Last season Bradish threw quality in 60% of his starts, the Orioles won 14 of those 18 games, and they've won both of his starts this season.
Bassitt was one of the top quality start pitchers in 2023, and he's had his moments this season, but it hasn't been the same for him or the Blue Jays in 2024.
The Blue Jays offense is below average with a 94 OPS+ and with the Orioles held to three hits last night in a 3-2 loss, I expect them to come out swinging.
PICK: Orioles Money Line -152
Oakland A's vs Houston Astros
I went against the Astros last night because of their starting pitching, but in a season when almost everything has gone wrong, Ronel Blanco has gone right.
The baseball world keeps waiting for him to regress, but all he's done is toss five quality starts in seven outings, six of which the Astros have won.
I believe regression of some amount will come for Blanco this season, but with an xERA of 2.85, I'll wait for some signs of that happening before I bet on it.
PICK: Astros Run Line -1.5 +105
St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Angels
Much like with Blanco, Sonny Gray has been a bright spot in an otherwise crappy season.
Gray sports four quality starts in six outings, a 2.29 ERA and 2.48 xFIP.
On the other side Reid Detmers has a 4.96 ERA, 3.72 xFIP and the Angels aren't very good, as we saw last night.
PICK: Cardinals Money Line -141
Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres
The butt of many jokes, Cal Quantrill is having a decent season for the Rockies, with five quality starts in eight times out, but he's also had some stinkers.
Colorado has won five straight, including a win in San Diego last night, but they have two problems tonight.
First, the Rockies are on the road where they are 4-16 on the season and secondly, Quantrill is opposing Dylan Cease.
Cease has tossed six quality starts on the season (eight total starts), owns a 2.19 ERA, 3.31 xFIP and the Padres are 5-3 in his starts and 5-1 when it's a quality start by Cease.
PICK: Padres Run Line -1.5 -130
Kansas City Royals vs Seattle Mariners
The Royals are much improved, just like I thought they would be, but Logan Gilbert has been exceptional, despite getting roughed up last time out against the Twins.
That loss broke a streak of five straight quality starts in which Gilbert allowed four earned runs in 35.1 innings, in which he never gave up more than two runs and never lasted less than 6.1 innings.
I'm betting last time out was an outlier and we'll see the real Logan Gilbert against the Royals.
PICK: Mariners Money Line -148
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.