MLB and Partner Sportsbooks Agree on Limits for Pitch-Specific Prop Bets

With a betting scandal hanging over the offseason, Major League Baseball has taken steps to address an increasing problem with microbets attached to specific pitches.

MLB has struck a deal with partner sportsbooks to set limits on bets regarding the outcome of pitches. The arrangement also prohibits such bets from a parlay. According to an announcement from MLB, bets on the outcomes of a specific pitch will be limited to $200.

“Since the Supreme Court decision opened the door to legalized sports betting, Major League Baseball has continuously worked with industry and regulatory stakeholders across the country to uphold our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in the official statement from the league.

Over the last weekend, according to ESPN, Luis Ortiz of the Cleveland Guardians was arrested by federal authorities on charges that he manipulated betting outcomes in MLB games. His teammate, Emmanuel Clase, faces similar charges. Both pitchers were placed on leave in the middle of the 2025 season by the Guardians and MLB pending an investigation. If the allegations against both are proven to be true, neither will throw another pitch in the league.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Clase and Ortiz “agreed in advance with their co-conspirators on specific pitches that they would throw in MLB games. The co-conspirators then used that information to place hundreds of fraudulent bets on those pitches.”

The DOJ says bettors won as much as $400,000 due to the alleged scheme by Clase and Ortiz.

Charges against the pitchers include wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, money laundering conspiracy, and other indictable offenses.

Emmanuel Clase of Cleveland Guardians [GETTY IMAGES]

Ohio governor reacts favorably to decision by MLB to limit bets

One politician quickly applauded the decision. Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio has been a champion of strict regulatory oversight of gambling in sports.

“By limiting the ability to place large wagers on micro-prop bets, Major League Baseball is taking affirmative steps to protect the integrity of the game and reduce the incentives to participate in improper betting schemes,” Gov. DeWine said in his own statement.

Ohio is one of the few states that has restricted parlay bets and prop bets regarding college athletes. With the Ortiz and Clase situation impacting a team in his own state, DeWine has hinted that a prohibition on such "micro-level" prop bets could be coming.

The limits placed on microbets attached to pitches (ball/strike or velocity) is apparently designed to keep the potential payout low. Sportsbooks have systems in place to monitor the wager totals on any type of bet. Reportedly, the unusual betting activity around the Ortiz and Clase pitches in question were reported to MLB by sports betting operators.

Clase and Ortiz allegedly manipulated pitches to win microbets

According to federal authorities, Clase and Ortiz are alleged to have purposefully thrown pitches that were called balls in games during recent seasons. By doing so, they would have allegedly manipulated the microbet outcomes of wager such as "first pitch of X inning to be a Ball or Strike." Federal authorities also revealed that Ortiz allegedly delivered pitches that were purposefully below or above a certain speed. Such bets on the speed of a pitch are available from some sportsbooks as in-game live betting markets.

FanDuel joins in limiting pitch-level microbet amount

MLB's deal to limit bets on microbets related to pitches impacts only sportsbooks that have official relationships with the league. That includes FanDuel, which released a statement on Monday.

“The legalized sports betting industry is built on a foundation of dialogue and collaboration with our league partners and the states in which we operate,” said Christian Genetski, president of FanDuel. “This initiative illustrates our unwavering commitment to building a legal and regulated market that roots out abuses by those who seek to undermine fair competition and damage the integrity of the games we love.”

Other sports betting operators that do not have a partnership with MLB are not required to limit these types of bets to $200.

Any player who bets on a game in which they have a duty to perform "shall placed on the permanently ineligible list," according to MLB rules.