We got an early NRFI hit on Thursday with the matinee between the Tigers and the Guardians. Now, we have some NRFI bets for May 22.
Everybody is back in action for Friday, so we have plenty of spots to pick through to find some winners. Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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MLB NRFI and YRFI Picks – May 22
Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox
First Pitch – 7:10 pm EST
Fenway Park – Boston, MA
Broadcast – ESPN
The Red Sox continue to be my favorite look for NRFI plays this year. The obvious first reason is just how good their pitching has been. Don’t let the bad record fool you, the arms have been good and Payton Tolle has been a big part of that. He carries a 2.05 ERA into action on Friday and has not allowed more than three runs in a start yet. He also has 30 strikeouts in just 30.2 innings, which should help him out of any jams he might get into. It’s unlikely he’ll get into an early one though as Minnesota ranks in the bottom third of the league in first inning scoring.
The second reason we like the Red Sox on the NRFI plays is just how bad their offense has been. They’re 29th in the league in run scoring with just 3.69 runs per game. The crazy part is that they are actually much worse in the first inning – their 0.20 first inning runs per game ranks dead last in MLB. None of this will be helped by fellow rookie Connor Prielipp. He’s rocking a 2.88 ERA with 29 batters fanned in just 25.0 innings. He should fly through the top of this order and cash this without issue.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for May 22: No (-135)
Seattle Mariners vs. Kansas City Royals
First Pitch – 7:40 pm EST
Kauffman Stadium – Kansas City, MO
Broadcast – MLB TV
Speaking of slow bats, the Mariners are another team that have not quite lived up to their expectations. They rank in the bottom third of the league in runs scored with just 4.16. They have been even worse over their last five where they’ve only managed 3.80 runs per game. That should help Noah Cameron, who has not been quite as sharp this year as he was during 2025. He’s a far cry from his 2.99 ERA that he had last year, but his weak contact model should help him keep the top of this Mariners lineup in the park.
In the bottom of the first we’ll get an even weaker lineup. The Royals rank 27th in runs per games this year and are one of just six teams that have not cracked 4.00 runs per game. Their recent run of offense is even more pathetic. In their last five games they’ve scored just eight runs (or 1.60 per game). Logan Gilbert is coming off a rough outing where he allowed seven runs to the Padres. However, in the three starts prior he had been sharp. He held a 2.65 ERA over those starts with 17 strikeouts in 17 innings. The Royals offense should help get him right here.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for May 22: No (-125)
If you’d like even more info to help make your NRFI and YRFI picks for May 22, check out the MLB Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar with their MLB picks today.
