Two seemingly random pitches
A potential sports betting controversy is unfolding in Major League Baseball (MLB). ESPN’s David Purdum and Jeff Passan reported that the league is investigating Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz for two pitches that triggered alerts at a betting integrity company.
In a typical MLB season, more than 700,000 pitches are thrown. Two from Luis Ortiz had unusual betting interest, prompting an alert and investigation by MLB, as detailed in a tweet by Jeff Passan.
The sports betting watchdog, IC360, sent alerts to sportsbooks in June regarding a pitch Ortiz threw on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners and one on June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Some sportsbooks offer bets on various in-game events, known as “microbets,” like whether the first pitch in an inning will be a ball or a hit batter.
The league has placed Ortiz on “non-disciplinary paid leave” until July 17.
Did he miss the strike zone on purpose?
According to Purdum and Passan, there was suspicious betting activity, indicating unusual interest, on Ortiz missing the strike zone on the first pitch of the second inning against the Mariners and the third against the Cardinals.
Internet users found the two pitches under scrutiny. Jomboy Media, an MLB-affiliated content creator, posted both pitches side by side on social media.
The pitch against Randy Arozarena of the Mariners, where Ortiz is wearing a gray uniform, is a slider that bounces low and outside for an obvious ball. There’s nothing visibly unusual, but MLB might have more evidence not publicly known.
It was nowhere close to being a strike.
The pitch against the Cardinals’ Pedro Pagés, flagged as suspicious, is another low and away slider, much worse than the Seattle game, missing the strike zone entirely.
Without IC360’s alert on unusual betting, the pitches might have gone unnoticed. Judging individual pitches out of context is challenging.
One year after player banned for life
Thirteen months ago, MLB banned San Diego’s Tucupita Marcano for life for violating the league’s gambling policy. An investigation showed that the infielder placed 231 bets on MLB games in 2022 and 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, many as parlays.
His lifetime ban resulted from 25 bets involving Pirates games while on the roster, though he didn’t play due to injury.
Marcano bet $87,319 on MLB games with only a 4.3% success rate. The league concluded the games weren’t compromised by his betting.
Four other players received one-year suspensions when Marcano was banned: Michael Kelly, Andrew Saalfrank, Jay Groome, and José Rodríguez. All were reinstated last month, with only Kelly returning to the major leagues.
- SCCG Management. The Gambling Industry’s Global Connector. Access Here.
- Source: SCCGManagement.com