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# MLB Free Play 4/23/26
- URL: https://www.bettorday.com/mlb-free-play-4-23-26/
- Published: 2026-04-23T17:08:57.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-23T17:08:57.000Z
- Author: Bettor Day Staff
- Tags: Free Play

## Twins SP Joe Ryan UNDER 2.5 Earned Runs 

(-171, DraftKings)

The BettorDay MLB Game Center is flagging **Joe Ryan Under 2.5 Earned Runs as the single biggest pitcher edge on tonight's slate** when the Twins visit the Mets at 7:10 PM ET from Citi Field.

#### 📊 The Numbers

Ryan has been carving up lineups to start the season and the peripherals back it up:

- **3.30 ERA | 0.92 WHIP** across 5 starts (27.3 IP)
- **26.2% K-rate | 5.6% BB-rate** — elite command
- **.262 xwOBA allowed** — top-tier contact suppression
- **12.3% SwStr | 27.5% CSW** — the swing-and-miss is real
- **19.2% hard-hit allowed | 1.3% barrel rate against** — he's not giving up loud contact

#### ⚾ Why the Mets Are the Perfect Opponent

The Mets just snapped a 12-game losing streak and the vibes in Queens are still rough. Despite Juan Soto's return from a calf injury, **Francisco Lindor is now headed to the IL after suffering his own calf injury last night.**

That matters. Lindor has been one of the only bats in that lineup doing real damage, and without him, the Mets are now trotting out a heart of the order leaning heavily on Juan Soto coming off injury and a wobbly supporting cast of Bo Bichette and Luis Robert that has underwhelmed all year. This is a lineup that needed every weapon it could get — and just lost one of them.

Ryan's fastball-heavy mix (48% four-seamer) plays up in Citi Field, which grades out as a pitcher's park (96 HR factor, 98 run factor). A sharp strike-thrower with elite contact suppression against a depleted lineup currently leading the league in "please save us" energy? That's the cleanest pitcher spot on the board tonight.

#### 💰 The Play

**Joe Ryan UNDER 2.5 Earned Runs — (-171 at DraftKings)**

Yes, the juice is steep. But when the BettorDay model is projecting this big of an edge — the number is doing the work. This isn't a "squint to find the edge" play. This is the top-rated pitcher edge on the Thursday night slate, and the Lindor news only strengthens it.

**📊 Always shop around** — Take the best number you can find. Find more prop projections on our [**MLB Game Center**](https://www.bettorday.com/mlb-temp/)

Good luck tonight, BettorDay fam. 🔥