The MLB season is a grind. With 162 games and very few days off, those moments of rest can be huge for players and teams — and maybe for MLB bettors too.
Below, I'll break down which starting pitchers and hitters perform noticeably better with an extra day of rest:
Top Starting Pitchers On Extra Rest
| Pitcher | Extra Rest GS | Extra Rest ERA | Extra Rest Betting Profit of Team | Total Games | Overall ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Manning | 8 | 1.55 | +655.92 | 14 | 3.62 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | 11 | 2.17 | +306.99 | 19 | 2.69 |
| Jordan Montgomery | 15 | 2.23 | -327.4 | 26 | 3.19 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 15 | 2.48 | +216.18 | 20 | 2.48 |
| Kutter Crawford | 9 | 2.5 | +432.97 | 27 | 4.08 |
For starters, four days of rest is considered normal between starts. So, extra rest in this case considers any start with at least five days off between outings. The attached betting profits are the moneyline profits (for $100 bets) on the pitchers' teams on starts where they have an additional day rest.
Rangers starters Dominate With Extra Rest
The Rangers may have lost regular Cy Young favorite Jacob deGrom to a season-ending injury. But, the rest of Texas' rotation has stepped up — particularly on extra rest.
Both Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery are elite with an extra day or two of rest. They're rocking ERAs in the lower twos, ranking out as two of the best pitchers in baseball on five or more days of rest. If you see the Rangers with an off day any time soon, consider betting on these rested starters.
Top Hitters On Extra Rest
| Batter | Extra Rest GS | Extra Rest BA | Extra Rest Home Runs | Extra Rest Stolen Bases | Overall BA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cade Marlowe | 7 | .490 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .250 |
| Blake Perkins | 16 | .430 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .220 |
| Conner Capel | 11 | .430 | 0.0 | 1.0 | .270 |
| Royce Lewis | 10 | .410 | 2.0 | 0.0 | .300 |
| Jared Triolo | 10 | .400 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .300 |
For batters, extra rest is defined as a single off day. That could be an overall team off day or simply being out of the lineup the day before. If you come into a game as a pinch hitter, pinch runner, or defensive sub, that doesn't count as a day of rest.
Perkins Rakes On Extra Rest
Blake Perkins has been a remarkably mediocre bat for the Brewers this season. But, when he's coming off a rest day, he turns into prime Barry Bonds. Half his homers come on an extra day of rest. As do three of his six multi-hit games.
He's starting to get more and more playing time, but if you see Perkins' name pop up on the Brewers lineup card with extra rest, it might be time to take the OVER on his prop bet markets.
