Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been charged with fraud, conspiracy, and bribery stemming from MLB’s pitch rigging scandal.
According to documents made available as part of the federal prosecution’s case, Clase is alleged to have begun rigging bets as early as May of 2023. Ortiz has been accused of joining the scheme in June of 2025, with bettors winning at least $450,000 as a result of their intentional efforts to throw balls to cash out prop bets for gamblers. Both are believed to have received kickbacks as a result of their participation.
“The defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services,” Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, said in a statement. “They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime. Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. 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.”
Attorneys for both pitchers released statements denying their involvement in anything illegal and that they would look forward to clearing their names in court.
In a prepared statement, the league office said “MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process. We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing.”
The scheme is alleged to have revolved around the first pitch of at bats, with bettors wagering money on pitches being called balls rather than strikes, or to register under a certain speed. Clase and Ortiz would then either throw breaking balls (which would come in slower than a fastball), or intentionally throw balls well outside of the strike zone.
The prosecution alleges that Clase may have even provided money to bettors to gamble on his behalf, and even texted with bettors during games to relay information. Attorneys then believe that Clase recruited Ortiz to join him in the scheme shortly after he joined the team.
“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,” Ortiz’s lawyers said. “Notably, the indictment completely lacks any alleged evidence connecting Luis to these alleged bettors or demonstrating any purposeful involvement in a scheme.
“There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court. The government’s case is weak and circumstantial. He will defend himself, and he will be prevail.”
The 26 year old Ortiz was arrested Sunday morning in Boston, and will appear in court on Monday. Clase is not believed to be in custody as of this writing.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.