The MLB playoffs roll on Monday night, with the ALDS back in action after Sunday’s break. The Yankees head into Game 2 at Tampa Bay as underdogs despite the Rays’ Game 1 win at home, while Cleveland is favored on its own field against the White Sox.
Chicago already has three straight playoff wins, and the offense has done the heavy lifting. The White Sox have put up 16 runs over their last three games, and that kind of production is exactly why the home run prop market looks appealing on a night like this.
Munetaka Murakami is one of the left-handed bats worth a look. He left the yard in Game 1 and has been crushing the ball all season, finishing the regular season with 35 home runs.
He was noticeably better against right-handed pitching, batting .218 with 27 of those homers and an .867 OPS. That profile matters here, especially with Cleveland starter Gavin Williams on the mound.
Murakami went 1-for-5 against Williams across multiple meetings in 2026, and he already got to him once. Williams posted a solid ERA, but he also gave up 28 home runs in 32 appearances.
At +400, Murakami is the kind of power play that makes sense after he opened this series with two hits, a homer and two RBIs on Saturday.
Cody Bellinger is another name to circle. The Yankees outfielder delivered a massive homer to seal Game 2 against Boston in the wild card round, and he finished the regular season scorching hot.
Over his final 23 games, the former NL MVP hit .299 with five home runs and an .801 OPS. He was quiet in Game 1, but the matchup is encouraging against Freddy Peralta.
Bellinger has gone 6-for-14 with a double, a homer and a 1.270 OPS in his career against Peralta. He also hit 12 of his 17 regular-season home runs against right-handed pitching, while putting up a .775 OPS in those matchups.
Peralta has been sharp lately, but he still allowed 23 home runs in 32 outings during the regular season, and that keeps Bellinger in the mix at this price.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
Cam Schlittlers Brutal Reaction Says Everything About These Yankees
Cam Schlittler gave the Yankees exactly the kind of performance that usually buys a win in October, working eight innings and allowing just one run with eight strikeouts even as the defense behind him wobbled throughout the afternoon. Tampa Bay still walked away with a 5-2 victory to grab a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series, a game that quickly became less about the scoreboard and more about how New York failed to support one of its best outings of the season.
Afterward, Schlittler took the loss on himself and was blunt about the clubs overall performance, a reaction that reflected how frustrating this series has become for the Yankees. Aaron Boone pointed to the defensive issues while still praising Schlittler for keeping the game within reach, but the bigger concern now is obvious: New York has run out of room for mistakes, and the tone coming out of the clubhouse suggests the players know it. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Boone Just Made Yankees Fans Even More Furious
With the Yankees trying to steady themselves before their playoff series against the Rays, Aaron Boone found himself answering for a defensive group that has given fans plenty to grumble about. The manager addressed Trent Grishams defense and said there is room for improvement, but he pushed back on the idea that this is a bad defensive team even after the club piled up errors.
The concern is hard to wave away when the mistakes are happening on the October stage, and Game 2 of the Division Series only deepened the frustration. New York committed multiple errors in that game, including a franchise first with three errors in a single playoff inning, leaving Boone to defend a unit that has become an increasingly uncomfortable talking point at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Garca Jr.'s Next Yankees Decision Could Change How He's Viewed
The Yankees trade deadline swap for Luis Garca Jr. gave them another left-handed bat and a player with some versatility, even if most of his work since arriving has come at first base. Aaron Boone has already floated the possibility of moving Garca back to second base down the road, which would give the club another option as it tries to juggle a roster that could be shaped by Giancarlo Stantons contract status and Jazz Chisholm Jr.s defensive fit.
It is a notable idea because Garcas old position is also the one where he has had trouble before, and the Yankees know any move there would be about more than simply finding an open glove. If Garca can handle second again, it would change the way the organization views him and add a layer of flexibility Boone values, but for now it remains one of the quieter offseason questions hanging over a roster that is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]