MLB Predictions, Picks, and Betting Odds for March 8, 2019

The Cactus and Grapefruit League games continue as Major League Baseball’s 30 teams continue to prepare for the 2019 MLB season which begins on March 20th.

While waiting for the regular season, let’s take a look at some of the  notable Spring Training exhibition games slated for Friday, March 8, 2019:

Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees

The Tigers rank 4th in the league with 77 runs scored. Detroit is also 7th in batting average at .275, 16th in on base percentage at .343 and are 3rd in slugging at .491. Dustin Peterson is batting .381and has driven home a total of seven runs including one homer. Ronnie Rodriguez has homered four times already and has 4 RBIs.

The Yankees are 25th in the Majors in runs with a total of 51 scored. New York is ranked 12th in batting average at .263 and they are 14th in on base percentage at .345. The Yankees also have the 4th best slugging percentage in the league at .486. Aaron Judge leads the Yankees with 6 RBIs including three homers while batting at .462.

Prediction: New York Yankees. Detroit’s offense has scored more runs but the Yankees have a positive differential and the Tigers are at -4. Detroit has also lost two in a row heading to this contest.

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San Francisco Giants vs Cleveland Indians

San Francisco has scored a total of 53 runs in Spring Training, 24th best in the Majors. The Giants are batting 17th at .259 and they are ranked 21st in on base percentage at .324. San Francisco’s slugging percentage of .459 is 12th in the league. Evan Longoria and Zach Green have two home runs each and Longoria has 4 RBIs while Green has 5 runs batted in.

Cleveland is currently tied for 17th in total runs scored at 61. The Indians rank 16th in batting average at .260. They are also 19th in on base percentage at .329 and 5th overall in slugging percentage at .485. Carlos Santana is the top performer on offense with 8 RBIs and three home runs while batting at .438.

Prediction: Cleveland Indians. The Giants pitching staff has allowed a total of 36 runs in their last four games, all of which were losses.

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Chicago Cubs vs Seattle Mariners

Chicago is one of the most prolific teams so far in the preseason with a total of 79 runs which is 3rd most in the league. The Cubs are 18th in batting average at .259, 13th in on base percentage at .345 and 20th in slugging at .420. Matt Zagunis has 10 RBIs while Willson Contreras has 6 RBIs and 2 home runs.

The Mariners are 13th overall with a total of 66 runs so far in preseason play. Seattle is batting at an average of .280, 5th best in the league. They are also 4th in on base percentage at .374 and 8th in slugging percentage at .472. Domingo Santana is batting at .467 and has delivered 7 RBIs and 3 homeruns.

Prediction: Chicago Cubs. These teams are tied for 2nd place in the Cactus League standings and are two of the most prolific scoring teams in the league. But the Cubs have been more prolific with 10 more RBIs than the Mariners

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Kansas City Royals vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Kansas City has scored the second-most runs so far with 81 and they are also batting at a league #4 .292. The Royals have an on base percentage of .404 which is the best in Spring Training thus far. They are slugging at a .477 clip, 7th best overall. Jorge Soler has 7 RBIs and 2 home runs while Chris Owings has 6 RBIs and 2 home runs.

The Dodgers are 6-5 in preseason play and have scored a total of 72 runs, 7th best overall. Los Angeles is batting.at 269 and slugging at .467, good for 10th and 11th in the preseason. Austin Barnes is hitting at a .313 clip with 6 RBIs while Omar Estevez has 4 RBIs and 2 home runs.

Prediction: Kansas City Royals. The Royals and Dodgers are among the five teams in the Cactus League that have a positive and double-digit run differential. Kansas City is at +12 though while the Dodgers are at +8.

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