Major League Baseball has found itself at the heart of a storm, and this time, it’s not just about home runs or pennant races. The recent federal indictments of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have sent shockwaves through the sport, igniting a firestorm that’s reached all the way to the halls of Congress. The scandal, which centers on allegations of pitch-rigging and illegal sports betting, has baseball fans and lawmakers alike questioning the very integrity of America’s pastime.
On November 5, 2025, a grand jury in Brooklyn handed down indictments against Clase and Ortiz, charging them with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. Prosecutors allege the two pitchers conspired with gambling associates to rig individual pitches across multiple MLB games, enabling those associates to profit on wagers totaling at least $460,000. The indictment details nearly two dozen fraudulent incidents, including specific examples where pitches were deliberately thrown outside the strike zone or at certain speeds to satisfy parlay bets.
According to court filings, the alleged scheme began in May 2023, with Ortiz reportedly joining the operation in June 2025. In one particularly brazen instance, Clase threw a slider that bounced several feet in front of home plate, winning both legs of a parlay that required his first pitch of the inning to be under a set speed and outside the strike zone. Prosecutors say communications for these illicit arrangements took place via text messages and phone calls—both of which are strictly prohibited for players during games under MLB rules.
The gravity of the accusations is underscored by the backgrounds of the players involved. Clase, a three-time All-Star closer and one of the league’s top relievers, had signed a $20 million contract and was due to earn $6.4 million next season. Yet, prosecutors claim he accepted relatively small kickbacks—sometimes just thousands at a time—while risking his career, reputation, and freedom. Ortiz, the younger pitcher, is alleged to have agreed to throw specific pitches for thousands of dollars, with his lawyer describing the government’s case as “weak and circumstantial.”
The fallout was swift. Both players were placed on paid leave by the Guardians in July 2025, and neither took the mound again for the remainder of the season. Ortiz surrendered to law enforcement in Boston on November 9, while Clase was arrested at JFK Airport in New York on November 13. At their federal court arraignments, both pleaded not guilty to all charges. Clase was released on $600,000 bail with GPS monitoring, and Ortiz was released on $500,000 bail. Their next court appearance is scheduled for December 2, 2025.
The scandal has put Major League Baseball’s integrity monitoring systems under a harsh spotlight. Lawmakers, led by Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent a formal letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on November 15, demanding answers. The committee’s letter expressed “deep concern over a new integrity crisis facing American sports,” and requested comprehensive documentation about MLB’s betting policies and all gambling-related investigations since January 1, 2020. The league has until December 5 to respond.
The committee’s concerns are not without foundation. Lawmakers specifically questioned how MLB was able to detect and ban former player Tucupita Marcano for betting on baseball in 2024, yet failed to uncover Clase’s alleged pitch-rigging activities for nearly two years. The contrast has cast doubt on the effectiveness of MLB’s integrity monitoring, especially as legal sports betting becomes increasingly ubiquitous. As one senator put it, “How did MLB catch Marcano and ban him for life but failed to notice Clase allegedly rigging pitches for two years?”
Sports betting has exploded in popularity since the U.S. Supreme Court repealed a federal ban in 2019, with 39 states now allowing some form of legal wagering on professional sports. The slow pace and unpredictable nature of baseball make it especially accommodating for proposition bets—wagers on specific outcomes within a game, such as whether a batter will strike out or if a pitcher will throw a ball outside the strike zone. The rise of mobile betting apps has only fueled the trend, making it easier than ever for gamblers to place bets on the fly.
But with opportunity comes risk. The ability of pitchers to control the outcome of individual pitches makes them prime targets for betting conspiracies. According to the indictment, Clase sometimes had his associates place bets on pitches he controlled, then directed the winnings to contacts in the Dominican Republic through fictitious transactions, such as the purchase of a horse. The brazenness of these actions has left many in the baseball community stunned, especially given the relatively modest sums involved compared to the players’ legitimate earnings.
MLB has not remained idle in the wake of the scandal. On November 10, the league announced that nearly every major online sportsbook agreed to cap individual pitch wagers at $200 and to prohibit such bets from being included in parlays. The move, while applauded as a necessary step, has not silenced critics who argue that the league’s monitoring systems are still playing catch-up with the rapidly evolving world of sports betting. The Senate committee’s letter pointed out that “similar scandals have emerged across multiple professional sports leagues,” suggesting a “deeper, systemic vulnerability” in American athletics.
The consequences for Clase and Ortiz could be severe. If convicted on all charges, each faces up to 65 years in prison. The scandal has already cost Clase, who had earned over $12 million in his career, everything for what prosecutors describe as “relatively small kickbacks.” For both players, the possibility of ever returning to a Major League mound appears remote at best. As one observer noted, “Despite claims of their innocence, Clase and Ortiz are unlikely to ever be reinstated or permitted to pitch in an MLB game again.”
Baseball’s history is not without its share of betting controversies. The saga of Pete Rose, banned for life for betting on games as a manager, still looms large over the sport. More recently, the NBA has faced its own allegations of insider betting involving coaches and players. Yet the sheer brazenness and specificity of the current MLB scandal—rigging individual pitches for profit—has raised the stakes to a new level.
As Congress demands transparency and federal prosecutors build their case, the integrity of baseball hangs in the balance. The committee’s letter makes it clear: this is about more than just two pitchers and a handful of rigged throws. It’s about preserving public trust in an institution that has meant so much to generations of Americans. The coming weeks will be crucial, as MLB’s leadership faces tough questions and the legal process unfolds. For now, fans and lawmakers alike are left to wonder—can America’s pastime weather this storm and emerge with its integrity intact?
