Major League Baseball is once again in the spotlight, but not for the reasons fans would hope. This week, the Cleveland Guardians found themselves at the center of a storm after two of their pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, were indicted on federal charges related to an alleged betting scheme. The accusations have sent shockwaves through America’s pastime, raising questions about the integrity of the game and the growing influence of online sports betting.
It all began on Friday, November 14, 2025, when members of Congress addressed a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Their message was clear: the league faces a “new integrity crisis” in American sports. The focus of their concern? The alleged involvement of Clase and Ortiz in a scheme that federal prosecutors say compromised the very fabric of fair play. According to the indictment, the two pitchers conspired to rig individual pitches over multiple games, enabling gambling associates to profit handsomely from prop bets—wagers placed on specific, in-game actions rather than the final outcome.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which oversees professional sports, didn’t mince words. They described the allegations against Clase and Ortiz as “markedly more serious” than other recent betting incidents in baseball. The letter to Manfred demanded answers and action, underscoring the gravity of the situation. On Sunday, November 10, 2025, federal prosecutors formally charged both players, accusing them of accepting bribes and kickbacks in exchange for throwing balls instead of strikes in two games back in June. The payoff for those in the know? A staggering $60,000 in winnings, all from betting on the outcome of individual pitches.
For Guardians fans, the news was as stunning as it was disheartening. As columnist Terry Pluto noted in his November 16 piece, the representatives for both Clase and Ortiz have denied the charges, maintaining their clients’ innocence in the face of mounting public scrutiny. Pluto reflected on the surprising nature of the allegations and their impact on the team, writing, “Why would these guys do it?” The question hangs heavy in the air, a reminder of just how unexpected—and damaging—these accusations are for the Guardians and for baseball at large.
The mechanics of the alleged scheme highlight the vulnerabilities in modern sports betting. Prop bets, which allow fans to wager on hyper-specific moments—like whether a single pitch will be a ball or a strike—have exploded in popularity. As one sports betting company advertises, this kind of wagering promises “instant gratification … enabling you to bet on every moment of every live sporting event.” The action is fast, furious, and, as experts warn, far more addictive than traditional outcome-based bets.
But it’s not just addiction that has lawmakers and league officials worried. The very nature of prop betting makes sporting events more susceptible to corruption. It’s a lot easier—and less conspicuous—for a player to intentionally throw a single pitch out of the strike zone than to throw an entire game. That’s precisely what federal prosecutors allege happened in the Guardians’ case. The indictment claims Ortiz and Clase “agreed in advance to throw balls (instead of strikes) on pitches in two games in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.” For those with insider information, the rewards were immediate and substantial.
In response to the scandal, Major League Baseball has taken its first steps toward self-regulation. On Monday, the league, together with betting partners FanDuel and DraftKings, announced a $200 limit on wagers placed on individual pitches. It’s a move designed to curb the potential for abuse, although critics argue it addresses only a narrow slice of the problem. After all, the broader world of online sports betting has grown rapidly since the 2018 Supreme Court decision that paved the way for legalized wagering nationwide. In Massachusetts alone, mobile sports betting, launched in March 2023, is projected to top $8 billion in 2025—eclipsing even the state lottery’s annual revenues.
The consequences of this betting boom have been swift and, in some cases, severe. Isaac Rose-Berman, a fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men, recently wrote, “America is still pretending gambling is all freedom and entertainment while a generation gets hooked.” He pointed out that 90 percent of bets are now placed via mobile phones, making it easier than ever for people to gamble—sometimes to their own detriment. While most bettors won’t become addicted, the risks are real, especially for young men who may find themselves losing not just money, but time, relationships, and opportunities for personal growth.
Lawmakers aren’t standing idly by. US Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut has emerged as a leading voice for reform, cosponsoring legislation that would impose new guardrails on sports betting and ban prop bets on college and amateur sports. Massachusetts state Senator John Keenan is pushing the Bettor Health Act, which would ban all prop betting during games and require sports betting companies to double their contributions to the state’s Public Health Trust Fund—money that supports gambling addiction services.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who supported a ban on prop bets in his state when Ortiz and Clase were first placed on leave during the investigation, praised MLB’s recent actions. “By limiting the ability to place large wagers on micro prop bets, MLB is taking affirmative steps to protect the integrity of the game and reduce the incentives to participate in improper betting schemes,” DeWine said. He urged other sports leagues to follow MLB’s example and take similar steps to safeguard their games.
It’s clear that the risks posed by prop betting aren’t confined to baseball. The recent indictment of NBA player Terry Rozier for allegedly faking an injury and conspiring with a friend to place a large prop bet on his underperformance underscores the potential for corruption across all professional sports. As the Boston Globe Editorial Board noted, “It shouldn’t take another scandal in another sport for leagues and their publicly traded betting partners to rein in those practices—those prop bets—that provide the most temptation to players and bettors alike.”
As the dust continues to settle in Cleveland, the fate of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz remains uncertain. Their representatives continue to deny the charges, and the legal process is far from over. But one thing is clear: the intersection of sports and gambling is fraught with challenges, and the game’s integrity hangs in the balance. Whether MLB’s self-imposed limits and forthcoming legislation will be enough to restore public trust is a question only time can answer. For now, fans, lawmakers, and league officials alike are left to grapple with the implications of a scandal that has rocked America’s pastime to its core.
