Professional Sports
Five buy
In 2023, Juan Soto spent March and April hitting .202 with a good on-base percentage (always!) but not great power — only five homers and three doubles in 126 plate appearances. This, coming off a September in 2022 that saw him hit .220 with three homers and five doubles, might have led some to think […]

In 2023, Juan Soto spent March and April hitting .202 with a good on-base percentage (always!) but not great power — only five homers and three doubles in 126 plate appearances. This, coming off a September in 2022 that saw him hit .220 with three homers and five doubles, might have led some to think there wasn’t anything that legendary about his bat going forward.
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From May 1 to the end of the 2023 season, Soto hit .290 with a .418 OBP and a .548 SLG, built on 30 homers and 29 doubles.
Of course he did. Even in April, he was barreling the ball (14.7 percent barrel rate), hitting the ball over 95 mph a lot (57.4 percent hard-hit rate), showing his patented plate discipline and making decent contact.
Good peripherals! A short sample of bad results! That’s what we’re all looking for when we look for hitters who should do better going forward. So here’s what I call “The Sauce”: plate discipline (judged by zone-minus-chase rate), hit tool (judged by contact rate) and power (judged by hard-hit rate and barrel rate), thrown into a blender using z-scores. Sauce tells us which batters should do better going forward. So here are all the batters who are doing at least 10 percent worse than they were last year (by wRC+), sorted by their Sauce (through Tuesday’s games).
Name | wRC+ | 2024 wRC+ | Diff wRC+ | Sauce |
---|---|---|---|---|
88 |
109 |
-21 |
3.1 |
|
134 |
180 |
-46 |
2.7 |
|
63 |
115 |
-52 |
2.6 |
|
69 |
111 |
-42 |
2.3 |
|
122 |
165 |
-43 |
1.6 |
|
77 |
118 |
-40 |
1.1 |
|
75 |
135 |
-60 |
0.7 |
|
44 |
97 |
-53 |
0.7 |
|
87 |
119 |
-33 |
0.5 |
|
133 |
164 |
-31 |
0.5 |
|
98 |
130 |
-32 |
0.5 |
|
86 |
115 |
-29 |
0.5 |
|
142 |
168 |
-25 |
0.4 |
|
81 |
109 |
-28 |
0.3 |
|
78 |
119 |
-42 |
0.2 |
Juan Soto’s got Sauce. Should’ve figured. He, along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Brent Rooker, and Bobby Witt Jr. pretty much fall into the bucket of, “Yeah, they’re actually pretty good right now, and they’ll be better going forward, too.” It would be pretty tough to pry them loose, anyway. But the rest of these players seem very gettable. Let’s highlight five in particular.
Brandon Nimmo, Mets OF
There’s a fair amount of agita around Nimmo, given the fact that he hasn’t had a good month by batting average since June of last year. That’s a long time spent in the low .200s. It doesn’t seem like he deserves it, though. If you look at fair comparisons for the Mets outfielder — using hard-hit rate, ground-ball rate and pull percentage to get a sense of where he’s hitting the ball and how hard — his .254 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) since the beginning of last year is a real outlier. It’s the 10th-worst among qualified hitters over that time, and his batted-ball comps had a number 37 points higher. He should hit for a better batting average going forward.
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That’s not to say he isn’t a little different now. He’s definitely swinging more and missing a little more because of it. He’s older too — because of injuries to both knees over the past year, or just age, he’s dropped from the 68th percentile in sprint speed down to the 49th, and he doesn’t have a steal this year. Sometimes he looks ginger on the basepaths. But being more aggressive has helped his power peripherals. If you’re just looking for a guy who can hit .250 with 15-20 more homers, and any steals are a bonus, that player looks like he’s still smiling away in Queens.
Alec Bohm, Phillies 1B/3B
If I told you that I could get you an in-his-prime infielder who was hitting the ball harder than he ever did in a full season, hitting the ball hard in the air more than ever, and making more contact than ever, would you need to know a lot more to be interested? All of these things are true for Bohm, who is also hitting in the low .200s with no power and one steal.
To be completely fair, the best version of Bohm is not an elite player, as he’s built on mostly making contact and popping 15-plus homers and not much else. So there is risk in acquiring him — his The BAT X projections have him barely inside the back end of the top 10, and if he only hits 10 more homers the rest of the way and isn’t a base-stealing threat, he might slip out of relevance in shallower leagues. He is letting the ball travel two inches further into the box and that’s hurting his power … but that’s two inches — on a guy who has pulled the ball more than this in the past, and is also not a guy you’re picking up to hit a bunch of homers for your team. The Sauce says he’ll get back to where he was as the weather warms in Philly: good batting average and just enough power.
Taylor Ward, Angels OF
On some level, this just ended up being a post about BABIP, didn’t it? Ward has seven homers, but he is sporting a .180 batting average on the back of a .195 BABIP that isn’t sustainable. There are a couple of other things going on, of course. He’s striking out more than ever. He’s seeing more sliders than ever and fewer four-seamers. But he saw a ton of sliders last year and not a lot of four-seamers either, and an 8.6 percent swinging-strike rate suggests that his strikeout rate is coming down, too. But the BABIP is the key part here.
Since he became an every-day starter in 2022, he’s never had a BABIP under .284. If you just swapped that number out for his .195 current number, he would be fine right now. But this situation is a little like the one with Nimmo … he’s only attempted one steal and didn’t make it. At 31, he’s maybe older than expected, and even though he’s running faster than last year, there’s not a high likelihood he steals even the five or six he’s projected for. But can he hit .240-plus with another 20 homers? The contact quality and the track record say he can.
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Christian Walker, Astros 1B
There are two ways to look at Walker’s profile on Statcast.
The negative one would say that his bat speed is down, his batted-ball metrics are down, he’s chasing more than 65 percent of the league, whiffing at about the same rate and has an expected slugging percentage under .400. Not what you want to see out of a 34-year-old first baseman in particular.
But there’s the other side of the same coin, which means he might be a decent buy-low. He’s still in the 64th percentile for barrels, and about the same for hard-hit rate. His bat speed is still in the 76th percentile. Something like expected slugging percentage is not as predictive as those other factors — not every colorful slider on the Statcast page is equally meaningful.
Walker has been steadily getting more breaking balls over his career, and he’s hitting them this year, but not the fastball. With good bat speed, he can still hit the fastball. He seems likely to figure it out and still hit close to .240 with something like 25 more homers.
Bryan Reynolds, Pirates OF
We had to get one player in here who might steal a few bases down the line, so Reynolds wraps it up for us. He’s been a little unlucky with balls in play, too. But the barrel rate would be the best of his career, the hard-hit rate one of his best and he’s swinging the bat faster this year — so the power should be better than it has been so far. You’d expect him to lift the ball like he has over his career as the season goes on.
The biggest worry point for Reynolds is his strikeout rate, which is up to 28 percent on the season. For a guy with a 22 percent career number, that’s not great, and it’ll cost him in batting average. On the other hand, his swinging-strike rate is about the same as ever, and you can see from this rolling graph from FanGraphs, he’s had moments like this in the recent past, too.
The strikeout rate looks like it’s returning to normal, and his other peripherals are fine. Maybe this is the area of his game that ages worse than expected in the long run, but he’s only 30. The end isn’t here yet, and he’s probably still good for a .260 average and another 16-plus homers and 10-plus steals.
(Photo of Alec Bohm: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
College Sports
Texas A&M men's basketball adds international guard
(KBTX) – Texas A&M men’s basketball inked some international flair to the program in head coach Bucky McMillan’s first season. Spanish national team guard Rubén Domínguez is the latest addition to the squad, bringing the team’s roster to 11 total players. The 6-foot-6 guard has 35 career appearances for the national team where he averaged […]


(KBTX) – Texas A&M men’s basketball inked some international flair to the program in head coach Bucky McMillan’s first season.
Spanish national team guard Rubén Domínguez is the latest addition to the squad, bringing the team’s roster to 11 total players.
The 6-foot-6 guard has 35 career appearances for the national team where he averaged 13 points on a 42.3% clip from the field. He helped his country earn a gold medal in the U16 Euro Championship A in 2019 and U20 gold in 2022.
Over the last two international tournaments, Domínguez, 22, hit 41% of his 3-point attempts and was named MVP of the 2019 U16 championship. Spain defeated Victor Wembanyama’s France 70-61 in the finals of the tournament.
Domínguez tallied 15 points, including three 3-pointers, in the win. Wembanyama had 7 points and 12 rebounds.
He has played club ball with Surne Bilbao Basket, where he has tallied 150 games. Last season he averaged 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.
2025-26 Texas A&M men’s basketball roster
Name | Height | Weight | Last School/Team |
---|---|---|---|
Rubén Domínguez | 6-6 | 187 | Surne Bilbao Basket (Spain) |
Pop Isaacs | 6-2 | 180 | Creighton |
Federiko Federiko | 6-11 | 215 | Texas Tech |
Jamie Vinson | 6-11 | 225 | Texas |
Marcus Hill | 6-4 | 185 | NC State |
Josh Holloway | 6-2 | 160 | Samford |
Rashaun Agee | 6-7 | 210 | USC |
Zach Clemence | 6-11 | 230 | Kansas |
Jacari Lane | 6-0 | 182 | North Alabama |
Mackenzie Mgbako | 6-9 | 222 | Indiana |
Chris McDermott | 6-7 | 225 | Texas A&M |
Jeremiah Green | 6-2 | 175 | Compas Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) |
Copyright 2025 KBTX. All rights reserved.
College Sports
Surviving Ohio State on Max trailer
Surviving Ohio State on Max trailer – The HBO Original documentary Surviving Ohio State, directed and produced by Oscar® and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Eva Orner (HBO’s Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion), premieres Wednesday 18 June, only on Max. Surviving Ohio State tells the story of the male victims of Dr. Richard Strauss, a sports medicine physician and serial sex abuser employed […]

Surviving Ohio State on Max trailer – The HBO Original documentary Surviving Ohio State, directed and produced by Oscar® and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Eva Orner (HBO’s Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion), premieres Wednesday 18 June, only on Max.
Surviving Ohio State tells the story of the male victims of Dr. Richard Strauss, a sports medicine physician and serial sex abuser employed by The Ohio State University (OSU) from 1978 to 1998. Bravely told by the student-athletes and others who concealed their trauma for years, the film builds on the efforts of whistleblowers and journalists who exposed the scandal in 2018.
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It also examines the culture that allowed the abuse to continue unchecked for nearly two decades at OSU, as well as the survivors’ present-day fight to hold the school accountable.
Based on Jon Wertheim’s Sports Illustrated cover story “Why Aren’t More People Talking About the Ohio State Sex Abuse Scandal,” Surviving Ohio State features numerous male athletes, including several former All-American wrestlers, who have come forward to share their experiences of abuse during their time at The Ohio State University.
The film includes revealing interviews with OSU student-athlete alumni Mark Coleman, Adam DiSabato, Michael DiSabato, Will Knight, Al Novakowski, Rockey Ratliff, Dan Ritchie, and Mike Schyck; OSU alumnus Stephen Snyder-Hill, wrestling referee Frederick Feeney, and others.
HBO Sports Documentaries presents Surviving Ohio State, a 101/Sports Illustrated Studios and Smokehouse Pictures production. Directed and produced by Eva Orner; produced by David C. Glasser, Grant Heslov, and George Clooney; executive produced by Jon Wertheim, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Ron Burkle, Corey Salter, Colin Smeeton, and Marc Rosen. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Bentley Weiner; coordinating producer, Abtin Motia.
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The HBO Original documentary Surviving Ohio State debuts Wednesday 18 June, only on Max.
Media Release – Max
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Link to Discovery content HERE

Professional Sports
'I asked Anderson privately'… UFC legend retells secret sparring session between Jon Jones …
Jon Jones has fought some incredibly tough opposition during his legendary career. While ‘Bones’ has beaten the likes of Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson, there is a world where he could’ve shared the Octagon with another fighter who is firmly in the conversation to be the greatest of all time. To this day, though Islam […]

Jon Jones has fought some incredibly tough opposition during his legendary career.
While ‘Bones’ has beaten the likes of Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson, there is a world where he could’ve shared the Octagon with another fighter who is firmly in the conversation to be the greatest of all time.
To this day, though Islam Makhachev could match him if he wins his next fight, Anderson Silva holds the UFC record for the longest win streak in the history of the promotion at 16.
The former middleweight champion is second on the list of most consecutive title defenses with ‘The Spider’ reigning for a staggering 2457 days.
Though Silva did venture up to light heavyweight from time to time, where he fought the likes of Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar and Cormier, his path didn’t cross with Jones aside from one secret training session.

Chael Sonnen reveals part of what Anderson Silva told him about secret training session with Jon Jones
In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Chael Sonnen spoke about the differences between Jon Jones and Anderson Silva.
‘The Bad Guy’ fought both men during his career having challenged Silva for the middleweight title on two occasions before moving up to light heavyweight to fight Jones at UFC 159.
“There was a day, and you might know this story, that those two went at it and it was just a workout,” Sonnen recalled. “They were both in town. They’re both in Vegas at the same time, and the UFC had a private gym down below. That’s where Dana [White] would exercise, or Lorenzo [Fertitta] would go get his exercise. So they opened up the private gym, they put Anderson in and Jon in the ring together.”

Sonnen went on to say that what exactly happened in that room has never been spoken about in detail by the only four men who were there to witness it.
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“If there’s a video, it’s never surfaced and the only people that were there, Dana and Lorenzo, Anderson and Jon. Nobody’s ever spoke about that. But I asked Anderson privately. I said, ‘Man, you gotta tell me what happened that day?’ He told me a little and he did swear me to secrecy, but, but he does say that someday he will reveal what actually happened.”
While Silva chooses to tell the story on his own terms, Sonnen was able to reveal what the former middleweight champion made of the experience, amid rumors that he came out better than Jones did.
“He did tell me that Jon Jones was next level. He gave him that compliment, and a lot of people that had seen it, the word kind of came out that Anderson got the better of him, and maybe that Jon allowed him to do that. Maybe Jon respected him because of the age. So we don’t quite have details on it, but Anderson did tell me when he felt Jon, he could tell that was another higher level of fighter and I think that’s pretty big praise from ‘The Spider’.”
Chael Sonnen reveals that another former opponent of both Jon Jones and Anderson Silva believed that ‘The Spider’ was better
Chael Sonnen is one of the few fighters who has been in the cage with more than one athlete who could be considered to be the greatest of all time.
After parting ways with the UFC, ‘The Bad Guy’ even added another legendary name to his resume when he faced Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 208 in 2018.
Sonnen told Bloody Elbow that while he finds it difficult to separate Jones and Silva, another man that fought both champions didn’t have that same issue.
“I found them to be very different. The late Stephan Bonnar fought Jones, and he fought Anderson and Bonner and I had dinner and Stephan was sharing for me how much better he thought Anderson was, that he just thought Anderson was a different feel and just an overall better fighter. But, they are very different.”
Professional Sports
UFC 316 star storms out of Media Day when asked about bitter feud with Rampage Jackson
UFC 316 star Kevin Holland stormed out of Media Day this afternoon after being asked about his bitter rivalry with Rampage Jackson. The pair are at loggerheads after a disastrous appearance from Holland on the former light-heavyweight champion’s Jaxxon podcast earlier this year. After an intense back-and-forth, the welterweight contender insisted that he would be […]

UFC 316 star Kevin Holland stormed out of Media Day this afternoon after being asked about his bitter rivalry with Rampage Jackson.
The pair are at loggerheads after a disastrous appearance from Holland on the former light-heavyweight champion’s Jaxxon podcast earlier this year. After an intense back-and-forth, the welterweight contender insisted that he would be keen to fight his elder despite their significant size disparity.
At the time, Holland was in camp for a fight with Reinier De Ridder at UFC 311, which he ended up losing by submission. However, he quickly returned at UFC London when he defeated Gunnar Nelson in a comeback fight back down at 170lb.
Kevin Holland walks out of UFC 316 Media Day amid Rampage Jackson feud
During his media rounds this afternoon, Kevin Holland was asked about his appearances on Rampage Jackson’s Jaxxon podcast. He first claimed that he is still waiting on payment for his appearance, before eventually lashing out at a reporter who asked about the status of their relationship.
Holland is a beloved trash talker in the UFC welterweight division, but has quit giving interviews after the controversial appearance. “Ever since the Jaxxon Podcast interview I really don’t do none of that s— any more, they killed it for everybody.

“Speaking of that, they still owe me a couple grand and they always do a bad job of paying me on the first of the month. They usually pay around the tenth, I don’t know if they’ve got a money problem but they’ve got to do better with that.”
He was then asked about his relationship with Jackson, which caused a major stir. “My current relationship with Rampage Jackson?” He replied, seemingly baffled by the question. “Bro, Rampage Jackson’s not currently in the UFC is he? Then get off his d—, thank you. I’m out of here guys, have a good day.”
Holland did ultimately stay to pose for photographs, but appeared discontent with the question from a member of the press pack.
Kevin Holland and Rampage Jackson had heated podcast showdown
Holland made an appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast back in January, just days before his fight in California against Reinier De Ridder. Things turned heated, with a fight almost breaking out between Rampage Jackson and the UFC star.
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The trash-talker discussed the idea of an unrealistic contest with the former UFC world champion, to which Rampage insisted: “That’s the last thing he wants to do is fight me.” Holland replied: “I still want to. I don’t give a f— about the fight on Saturday.”
The 46-year-old then said in a sterner tone: “I’m being real with you young buck, you don’t want to fight me.” Holland fired back: “That sounds good,” before Rampage concluded: “Sometimes, people don’t know what they want. You don’t want to fight me.”
Professional Sports
MLB DFS Picks, Spotlight Pitchers & Top Stacks
Wednesday brings a variety of slates and start times, with the biggest contests locking at 7:05 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. Yahoo is including the two games in the 6 o’clock hour for a 13-game docket in their featured tournaments. Today we’re breaking down MLB DFS picks using Stokastic’s industry-leading tools and MLB DFS […]

MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks | June 4
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers
Aside from a messy start with six runs in four innings at Coors Field, RHP Nick Pivetta allowed no more than three earned runs in any other outing, including one or fewer runs in six of his 11 appearances. It looks like 2022 was more of an aberration than anything, as that was the lone campaign in the last five that saw the now 32-year-old with fewer than 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The main knock against Pivetta is that he has a 35% to 40% ground ball rate, which means he sees more than his share of fly balls. Fortunately, he is able to get out of jams, making his own magic at the plate, plus this park and weather conditions should help suppress the probability of longballs tonight.
That limited the now 27-year-old to just one appearance in 2024 with five rehabilitation starts this season, climbing up the MiLB ladder.
Gipson-Long is really only playable on DraftKings or as a streamer in season-long leagues with daily transactions, as he recorded just 56 and 53 pitches in his two outings with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.
Expectations are that Gipson-Long will be good for around 60 pitches today and a likely soft-cap of 70 to 75. There is no reason for manager AJ Hinch to push him, especially with Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe on the injured list and veteran RHP Alex Cobb (hip) still a few weeks away from making his Detroit debut.
Even with the pitch limit, Gipson-Long could still push for 12 to 14 DraftKings points in 3 to 4 innings of work. Yesterday, Detroit went with a bullpen game, using six different relievers. There is a chance they could put an “opener” in front of Gipson-Long, which would help increase the chances he is the pitcher of record in the fifth inning and in line for a potential win bonus.
DFS models and projection systems are all over the place today for RHP Mick Abel, who is being recalled from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for a spot start in Toronto. In his debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates three weeks ago, he logged six clean innings and a hefty nine strikeouts. The salary is lofty across the DFS sites, which has his fantasy points-per-dollar ratio well down the list. He was drafted out of high school with the 15th overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Though he is only the 13th-ranked prospect in the Philadelphia system and not on any of the top-100 industry lists, the team has targeted this season for him to earn a spot in The Show. Expectations were that he would stay on track as a starter in Triple-A then be a callup after the Mid-Summer Classic to bolster the bullpen. Aaron Nola is on the injured list with an ankle issue, and Zack Wheeler did not travel to Toronto as he and his wife await the arrival of their third child. This is probably a one-game appearance for Abel, though he could get a second look with a strong performance tonight.
For those preferring a more traditional option, LHP Chris Sale, RHP Clarke Schmidt and LHP Kyle Harrison are all at home but in tougher matchups, while RHP Zebby Matthews presents as a discount dandy on the road in West Sacramento.
MLB DFS Picks: Top Stacks
Main Slate Value Target: Detroit Tigers
Last night the ChiSox used four relievers after starter Shane Smith, though nobody in the bullpen has had more than one appearance in the last 72 hours, though lefties Cam Booser (19 pitches) and Brandon Eisert (14) pitches did throw yesterday, so keep that in mind for pinch-hit potential for the Tigers.
Currently the Motor City Kitties rate out as one of the best value stacks on the main DFS sites, so it will be key to choose the hitters least likely to sub out of the game. Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and catcher Dillon Dingler would be the safest, along with switch-hitter Wenceel Perez, though his lineup slot could be anywhere in the order.
If it is a Shuster starting the game, Gleyber Torres is likely to be leading off, so he could have a chance at two at-bats with the platoon advantage. Andy Ibanez could easily be swapped out for Kerry Carpenter, though if Carpenter starts, he is safe as he is one of the better hitters on the team and could hold his own for one lefty-lefty at-bat.
The Dodgers are going against RHP Griffin “Tomato” Canning in Los Angeles, with the clock having stuck midnight on his Cinderella start to the season. Walks are again an issue, and this will be the second time the boys in blue have seen Canning in his last three starts. In turn the Mets are facing RHP Tony Gonsolin, who is average at best, making New York one of the five favorite full stacks on this slate.
Main Slate Primary Target: Minnesota Twins
Gunnar Hoglund was placed on the injured list Monday, joining J.T. Ginn, Ken Waldichuk and Luis Medina. The team has already used nine different starters this season, including Holman as the opener last night, with Newcomb on track to become the tenth. This is the second stint with the A’s for the 32-year-old southpaw, having pitched for the team in 2023 after being acquired from San Francisco, then being released just shy of one calendar year in the organization. This winter he signed with Boston, who had Newcomb make a handful of spot starts while also working as a reliever across 11 appearances before designating him for assignment and ultimately sending him back to the Athletics for cash considerations.
Tonight, the focus should be on Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and catcher Ryan Jeffers as the trio to target against Newcomb tonight. Royce Lewis is still finding his sea legs after returning from his most recent absence, while Harrison Bader is a solid differentiation play depending on where he lands in the lineup.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
If you’re serious about making sharp MLB DFS picks, you already know that long-term success starts with using the right tools. The same approach applies to sports betting — and that’s where Portfolio EV shines.
Take Mick Abel under 4.5 total strikeouts, for example. This is a +EV bet, meaning it has positive expected value based on the best odds available. But smart betting with Portfolio EV isn’t about chasing isolated plays; it’s about consistently firing off a high volume of +EV wagers. With the Mass Entry tool, you can scale your action and let the math compound your edge over time.
Just like one DFS lineup won’t guarantee a takedown, one bet won’t define your night — it’s the consistent process that leads to profit.
Portfolio EV is built for bettors who want to win over the long haul. By identifying market inefficiencies, the best available odds and stacking a portfolio of +EV bets, it sets you up for compounding returns over time. This isn’t about chasing hot streaks — it’s about trusting the numbers and executing a smart, consistent and scalable strategy to beat the books.
Part of the reason that models and projections are in conflict today for Abel, is that the projected Toronto lineup has a 16.1% strikeout rate against right-handed hurlers over the last two seasons. That is ridiculously low, however, Abel notched nine punchouts in his debut against Pittsburgh, which is also a relatively disciplined team, and he had nine, eight and eight strikeouts in the three games on either side of his MLB appearance.
The season long projection systems (ZiPS, Steamer, The Bat, etc.) have Abel ranging from 7.9 to 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings, mostly working as a reliever. Your Ol’ Pal is struggling to go against the numbers and the machines creating the math, even though Abel may be a budding strikeout artist.
Professional Sports
Patchy Mix trashes UFC 316 opponent with 'journeyman' jibe ahead of highly anticipated …
UFC 316 debutant Patchy Mix is supremely confident entering his first Octagon experience. Former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix became the latest top free agent to sign with the UFC earlier this year. Just days away from his Octagon debut, Mix is ramping up the pre-fight theatrics against his upcoming rival. Mix and Mario Bautista […]

UFC 316 debutant Patchy Mix is supremely confident entering his first Octagon experience.
Former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix became the latest top free agent to sign with the UFC earlier this year. Just days away from his Octagon debut, Mix is ramping up the pre-fight theatrics against his upcoming rival.
Mix and Mario Bautista will clash in a highly-anticipated UFC 316 main card bout this Saturday in Newark. Mix’s addition to the stacked UFC bantamweight division is another intriguing element to the 135 lb title picture.
While the odds between Mix and Bautista are relatively thin entering UFC 316, Mix is taking this upcoming challenge like a tune-up fight.

Patchy Mix threatens to submit Mario Bautista’s whole team in scathing pre-fight comments
Before signing with the UFC, Mix was praised by many as arguably the greatest bantamweight in MMA, despite UFC 316 headliner Merab Dvalishvili having a greater level of competition. After Mix amassed early success with his elite grappling base, he’s turned into a well-rounded mixed martial artist, which is a nightmare for his rivals in the cage.
While Bautista enters UFC 316 on an impressive winning streak, his at-times sluggish style has irked UFC fans during his current run. Mix plans to exploit it when they meet in the Octagon this weekend.
In a recent episode of the UFC 316: Embedded series, Mix gave a scathing assessment of Bautista’s skillset while watching tape ahead of their fight.
“I will f— him up,” Mix declared.
“I’m a three-time world champion. This guy’s a journeyman fighter. I’ll submit him.
“And whoever’s teaching him Jiu-Jitsu, I’ll submit the whole crew.”
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Bautista enters UFC 316 on a seven-fight win streak, including recent wins over UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo and Ricky Simon. His last submission win came against Guido Cannetti in March 2023.
Mix earned a slew of finishes during his Bellator/PFL tenure, including submissions of Magomed Magomedov and former Conor McGregor pupil James Gallagher. He hasn’t tasted defeat since a unanimous decision loss to Juan Archuleta at Bellator 246.
Patchy Mix’s debut is one of the biggest storylines of UFC 316
Mix is the latest in a slew of former Bellator/PFL standouts to make the move to the UFC Octagon. Earlier this year, former Bellator featherweight champ Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire made his UFC debut at UFC 314, albeit falling short on the judges’ scorecards against Yair Rodriguez.
But Mix’s debut is getting way more hype than Freire’s, and it’s comparable to when Kayla Harrison made her UFC debut at UFC 300 last year. Just two fights into her UFC tenure, Harrison will challenge for the women’s bantamweight title in the UFC 316 co-main event.
Dvalishvili has Mix on his radar with a win this Saturday at UFC 316. The two briefly trained together earlier this year, and are on the same page about a future showdown in the Octagon.
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