Kansas City Royals vs Minnesota Twins Prediction, 5/1/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Minnesota Twins

Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021

Location: Target Field in Minneapolis, MN

TV: Bally Sports North

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (+128) Minnesota (-138)

Target Field is the venue where Matt Shoemaker and the Minnesota Twins (8-15, 4th in AL Central) will play the Kansas City Royals (15-8, 1st in AL Central) on Saturday. The Royals open this game at +128 while the Twins are priced at -138. The over/under has been set at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound are Danny Duffy and Matt Shoemaker.

The Royals have compiled 35 doubles as a team and have knocked 21 baseballs out of the park. Kansas City has a slugging % of .386 and have been called out on strikes 183 times, while being walked on 71 occasions. As a squad, the Kansas City Royals are notching 4.5 runs per outing, which has them sitting at 10th in the league. They have recorded 98 RBI's as well as 177 base knocks so far this season, while their batting average is at .237. They have racked up 104 runs scored and have an on-base percentage of .305.

The Royals have compiled a team ERA of 3.99 this year (14th in MLB), and the staff has struck out 208 hitters. Their K/BB ratio is 2.54 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.33. Royals pitchers have yielded 21 home runs and also 98 runs in total (13th in MLB). They have walked 82 players from the other team and their FIP is 3.69 as a team so far this season.

The Royals have dispatched 83 relief pitchers to the hill so far this season. The relievers have inherited 46 runners for the season with 19.6% of them crossed home plate. They have accumulated 9 saves for the season and have blown 3 out of their 12 chances to get a save. The Royals relief pitchers have recorded a save rate of 75.0% and has stepped onto the mound in 29 save situations. The relief pitchers have recorded 17 holds on the year (6th in baseball). Royals pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 28 times and also have had 31 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Royals have converted 67.8% of balls in play into outs out of their 1,809 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 29th in the majors. The Kansas City Royals have amassed 603 putouts thus far, in addition to 182 assists and 16 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .980 which puts them in 27th in professional baseball, and they have turned 156 double plays.

Duffy (67-66 record in his career) has earned a FIP of 4.17 while he has gone up against 4,813 opposing batters during his time in the majors. He has surrendered 1,077 base hits (8.5 hits per 9 innings) and has had 416 walks. His earned run average is 3.95 (498 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.316. Duffy has taken the ball for 1,134 innings and has accumulated 1,010 K's during his MLB career.

The Twins hold a team SLG% of .409 and they are recording 4.43 runs per contest (11th in MLB). They have put up 38 doubles, while taking a walk 64 times as well as scoring 102 runs. Minnesota has accounted for 29 HRs on the year as well as 97 RBIs. They have struck out on 204 occasions (22nd in MLB) and have tallied 186 hits. The Minnesota Twins have compiled an on-base percentage of .304 and a batting average of .241 on the year.

The Twins have a WHIP of 1.213 and have a FIP of 4.27 as a unit on the season. They come in at 11th in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 178. The Minnesota pitching staff have allowed 108 runs on the year while holding a team ERA of 4.25 (93 earned runs conceded). Their K/BB ratio comes in at 3.21 (196 strikeouts vs 61 free passes). They have surrendered 31 home runs and they surrender 4.93 runs per 9 innings (24th in baseball).

With 22 save situations, the Twins have 13 holds in addition to 5 blown saves. Minnesota has had bullpen pitchers enter the game in 9 save chances and they have tallied 4 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 29 times in high leverage situations and on 22 occasions with runners on. Minnesota relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 60.6% out of their 33 inherited base runners. They are currently ranked 26th in MLB with a save percentage of 44.4%, and they have sent 69 relievers to the mound so far this season.

In their 1,776 innings played, the Twins hold a defensive efficiency of 70.6% (13th in professional baseball). The Minnesota Twins have turned 19 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .985 (12th in professional baseball). The Twins have accrued 194 assists, 12 errors and have accumulated 592 putouts during this campaign.

Thus far in his career, Shoemaker has allowed 585 base knocks while he has totaled 554 punch outs in 622 frames. Shoemaker (44-35 record in his career) has earned a 3.91 ERA and has surrendered 8.5 hits per nine innings. He has allowed a total of 270 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.186 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.1. His K/BB ratio is 3.62 and he has gone up against 2,565 opposing batters in his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Minnesota (-138)

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