Baseball fans woke up to shocking news on Sunday, November 9, 2025, as federal indictments were unsealed against two Cleveland Guardians pitchers—Emmanuel Clase and Luis Leandro Ortiz. The charges? Allegedly conspiring with sports bettors to rig pitches during Major League Baseball games, a scheme that prosecutors say netted hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal wagers and now threatens the integrity of America’s pastime.
The story broke when authorities arrested Ortiz at Boston Logan International Airport, while Clase, his teammate and fellow accused, was not yet in U.S. custody. According to federal prosecutors and the FBI, the scheme began as early as May 2023, when Clase allegedly started working with sports bettors to provide advance notice of the types of pitches he would throw. Ortiz, prosecutors say, joined the operation in June 2025. By giving inside information and intentionally throwing balls instead of strikes, the two pitchers allegedly allowed their co-conspirators—and sometimes themselves—to place hundreds of fraudulent bets at online sportsbooks.
“The defendants’ alleged greed not only established an unfair advantage for select bettors, but also sullied the reputation of America’s pastime,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia said in a statement released Sunday. The indictment details a series of games in which both pitchers allegedly participated in the scheme, including a suspicious pitch thrown in the dirt by Ortiz in the third inning of a June 27, 2025, game that triggered a spike in betting activity.
For Clase, investigators allege that he often threw rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat, frequently tossing balls well outside the strike zone to ensure they would not be called strikes. In exchange, Clase allegedly received bribes and kickbacks from the bettors. Prosecutors say that by rigging pitches, Clase caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $400,000 in fraudulent wagers. Ortiz’s alleged involvement, though more recent, was no less lucrative: he is accused of helping his co-conspirators win at least $60,000 from illegal wagers, including one instance where bettors paid him $7,000—along with another $7,000 to Clase for arranging the rigged pitch—before a game on June 27, 2025.
“The defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services. They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. said in a press release. “When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”
Both players have denied any wrongdoing. Luis Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, spoke out forcefully in defense of his client: “Luis Ortiz is innocent of the charges related to two pitches he threw. He has never, and would never, improperly influence a game—not for anyone and not for anything.” Georgalis further asserted, “As Luis’ defense team extensively explained and documented to the government before these charges were brought, Luis’ payments and other transfers of money between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities. Notably, the indictment completely lacks any alleged evidence connecting Luis to these alleged bettors or demonstrating any purposeful involvement in a scheme.”
Clase’s representative, Kelvin Nova, previously told Cleveland.com that his client “told me he doesn’t bet. He’s just waiting right now for MLB to make a decision. He’s practicing in the Dominican Republic right now.” As of Sunday afternoon, Clase had not been taken into custody, and his legal team had not issued a formal statement in response to the indictment.
The charges against Clase and Ortiz are severe. Both face wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, these charges could carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison. The case has sent shockwaves through the baseball community and beyond, highlighting the risks and vulnerabilities that prop bets—wagers on specific aspects of a game or player performance—pose to the integrity of professional sports.
Prop bets have exploded in popularity since the legalization of sports betting in 2018. These bets allow fans to wager on everything from the number of balls and strikes pitched to more granular player statistics. But as Jason Van’t Hof, a sports intelligence analyst, explained, “There is vulnerabilities with any kind of betting that is involved in sports, but the prop betting definitely does lower that threshold of how easy this is to potentially carry out.”
The MLB, for its part, says it acted swiftly when suspicions first arose. “MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process,” the league said in a statement. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing.” The Cleveland Guardians echoed this stance, stating, “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”
Both pitchers had been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave since July 2025, after sportsbooks and integrity monitors flagged suspicious betting activity around several pitches thrown by the two. The league’s investigation, which focused on unusual in-game betting spikes, also prompted broader conversations about the future of prop bets in professional sports. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has called for a ban on prop bets in his state, arguing, “It’s clearly taken off, and it’s clearly a problem. I’ve talked to Commissioner Manfred about this. I think he agrees that they are a problem.”
These indictments come amid a broader crackdown on sports gambling corruption. Just last month, the FBI announced dozens of arrests in connection to similar schemes involving other professional athletes, including an NBA player and coach. The growing number of scandals has prompted leagues to reconsider how to protect the integrity of their games and the trust of their fans.
For now, the baseball world waits anxiously as investigations continue and the legal process unfolds. Ortiz is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday, while Clase’s status remains uncertain. The outcome of this high-profile case could have far-reaching implications—not just for the players involved, but for the entire landscape of sports betting and the future of Major League Baseball itself.
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the intersection of sports and gambling remains fraught with risk, and the eyes of the sporting world are fixed on Cleveland as this dramatic case develops.
