Are you #TeamHaveFun?

How it took just one play to break MLB Twitter.

Author

Kate Magdziuk
May 04, 2023

Happy Thursday, friend. More specifically, happy Star Wars Day (May the 4th).

I’ve admittedly never seen Star Wars, but I do love a good pun so I celebrate in support. Anyway.

Last night, while we were enjoying a good ol’ fashioned NBA playoff blowout (sorry Sixers fans), MLB Twitter broke.

Why? Well…

Wander Franco threw an out to first… with style 😎 

Rather than simply throwing an out to first, Rays shortstop Wander Franco flipped the ball in the air like a cool guy, then threw an out to first. The outrage was something to behold.

BaseballHistoryNut did not like the play, as it turns out. Neither did some other baseball traditionalists.

But still, some were on #TeamHaveFun!!

Personally, I’m #TeamHaveFun. 🤷 

Regardless, Wander Franco and the Rays are killing it this season.

31 games into their season, the Rays sit atop the entire MLB with a 25-6 record and +113 run differential. 🤯 In layman’s terms, they are doing a lot of scoring. Their opponents are not.

They lead the league in…

  • Batting Average (.280)

  • Hits (298)

  • RBIs (198)

  • Home runs (64)

  • Earned run average (2.96)

They are getting it done on both sides of ball, and now, their odds to win the AL East and the 2023 World Series are improving! 📈 📈 

To start the season, the Rays had the third-best odds (out of four teams, mind you) to win their division at +270 (Bet $10 to win $27 profit).

Now, they’ve officially taken over as the odds favorite. Their odds to take the AL East are now at -140, meaning it would take a $14 bet to yield just $10 in profit — a big turn from the start of the year!

Even more impressive is the improvement in their odds to win the World Series. After starting the season out at +2200 to win it all, they’re now at +750! 🤯

Today’s Betting Academy Lesson… 🎓️ 

The bigger the number after a (-) sign, the more heavily that outcome is favored. Since the outcome is considered more likely to happen, the sportsbooks don’t reward us with as much profit!

The bigger the number after a (+) sign, the less likely the outcome — meaning more risk! These bets pay out more profits, since they’re considered riskier.

— XOXO, The Betting Academy

For more betting lessons, head over to The Betting Academy!

That’s it for today, friends. Until next time! Go Rays!