MLB All-Star Game Bets That Cashed In
The American League beat the National League for the eighth consecutive time in the All-Star game on Tuesday night to continue their dominance in the exhibition game over the last 20 years.
Profitable MLB All-Star Game Bets
The American League’s 5-2 win came on the back of Vladimir Guerrero’s Jr.’s two-run home run to the left-field bleachers. The home run helped him win the All-Star Game MVP, at just 22 years old, which is the youngest of any player to ever win the award.
“There’s more talent — one through 850 or 900 ballplayers — than there’s ever been,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And it’s kind of sided toward the young players. There’s just so many superstars, so much talent. Me as a guy who has been around for a bit you have to embrace.”
Despite not deserving to start the All-Star Game based on his pitching numbers this season, Shohei Ohtani earned the win after retiring all three batters he faced in the bottom of the first inning.
White Sox closer Liam Hendricks — while wearing a microphone — got the save for the American League. Hendricks — known for his competitiveness — let a few expletives fly during his time on the mound, but getting a live look into what pitchers say and do during a game was a cool experience for fans.
Here is a recap of bets that hit and bets that missed from 2021 All-Star Game at Coors Field.
American League Money Line
The National League came into the game as the favorite at -116, but the American League’s -102 line is what cashed in. I predicted the National League to win, which wasn’t very smart because I trusted their bullpen more than the American League’s, but it didn’t matter because the junior circuit was able to put up five early runs.
The All-Star Game is such a hard thing to predict because it’s a glorified exhibition game that provides fans great entertainment in the middle of July, but it’s always a hard thing to predict the winner because of the moving parts that go on in the game.
Still, with the American League winning 15 of the last 18 All-Star Games, maybe it’s getting to the point where it’s smart to just pick the American League to win every year until the National League is able to string together several wins in a certain time frame.
There really is no method to the league that wins, the rosters tend to be close to evenly matched, but with just one game it’s probably smart to pick the league that has dominated the event over the last two decades.
Vlad Jr. is the MVP
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP Award despite having +800 odds coming into the game. Guerrero’s odds actually gave him the third-best odds to win the award behind Shohei Ohtani (+300) and Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (+700).
Guerrero became the youngest player to ever win the Award and his two-run blast made him and his father Vladimir Guerrero Sr. the third father-son duo to hit a home run in All-Star Game, joining the Bonds and Griffey families.
“Dreams come true,” Guerrero Jr. said through a translator after the game. “Since I was a kid, I was thinking about this moment. I’ve worked all my life very hard and a lot of it is happening right now.”
Guerro’s blast went an estimated 468 feet and had an exit velocity of 110.2 mph off the bat.
“I honestly just want to thank my dad,” Guerrero Jr. said on FOX during the award ceremony. “This is for you.”
The Blue Jays youngster opted to not participate in the Home Run Derby despite being one of the best power hitters in the game, but his bomb of a home shattered the record for the longest home run in All-Star Game history during the statcast era, breaking a record previously held by Kris Bryant.
