Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians was indicted on several charges that tied him to allegedly rigging pitches thrown during MLB games. Jason Miller / Getty images
Major League Baseball will cap pitch-level bets at $200 and bar them from parlays under new rules made with major sportsbooks, the league announced Monday. The change comes just a day after Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis L. Ortiz were indicted on several charges that tied them to allegedly rigging pitches thrown during MLB games.
The Department of Justice alleged that Clase coordinated with co-conspirators on occasion during MLB games, alleging that the closer often threw the rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat, and typically well outside the strike zone, even in the dirt, to ensure the pitch would not be called a strike. He sometimes received “bribes and kickbacks from the bettors,” and “sometimes provided money to the bettors in advance to fund the scheme,” according to court documents. Clase and Ortiz may face up to 65 years in prison if convicted.
Monday’s announcement is a direct effort to prevent such an occurrence from happening again. Micro-bets on pitch-level markets (e.g., ball/strike; pitch velocity) present “heightened integrity risks because they focus on one-off events that can be determined by a single player and can be inconsequential to the outcome of the game,” the league said.
“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 release.
Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine has been adamant in encouraging MLB to ban micro-bets after the league launched its investigation into Clase and Ortiz in July.
“I commend Commissioner Manfred, Major League Baseball, and its partners for taking this action to address the problem of micro-prop bets. 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,” DeWine said in the release. “I urge other sports leagues to follow Major League Baseball’s example with similar action.”
DraftKings and FanDuel, two of the nation’s biggest sportsbooks, will adjust their betting markets to abide by the league’s request.
Nov 10, 2025
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