Federal prosecutors have narrowed their gambling case against Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase to 18 pitches thrown over three seasons, including one during the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs, according to recent court filings.
The pitches were thrown over 17 games between May 19, 2023, and May 28, 2025. Prosecutors allege Clase provided bettors with advance information about specific pitches.
These bettors then placed wagers on outcomes like pitch type, velocity, and whether they would result in balls or strikes, as per ESPN.
Ortiz Also Charged
Former Guardians player Luis Ortiz is also implicated in the scheme, having joined in June 2025. Prosecutors have pointed out two of his pitches, but not in the same detail as with Clase.
Prosecutors claim that Clase intentionally threw pitches into the dirt to guarantee they were called balls. Bettors allegedly used this privileged information to make hundreds of wagers on online sportsbooks, resulting in at least $400,000 in illicit winnings.
Case Narrows Ahead of Trial
Prosecutors state that Ortiz assisted co-conspirators in earning at least $60,000 from manipulated pitches.
Clase and Ortiz were indicted in November 2025 on charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sports contests through bribery, and money laundering.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty and are set to go to trial in November. If found guilty, each faces a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Playoff Pitch Among 18
One of the identified pitches is Clase’s first pitch to Detroit Tigers batter Matt Vierling in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 2024 American League Division Series on October 5. According to ESPN, Clase threw a 93-mph slider outside the strike zone in a game Cleveland won 7-0.
Other batters involved in the 18 pitches include Manny Machado, Max Kepler, Bobby Witt Jr., Starling Marte, Royce Lewis, and Jarren Duran.
In February, court documents revealed that prosecutors had identified potentially illicit Clase pitches from 48 games spanning a two-year period.