MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Predictions: Friday (5/15)
Welcome to another beautiful day. The sun is shining. Baseball is in literal full swing. Life is good. Let's make some MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) picks. This is a popular betting market where gamblers wager on whether the first inning of an MLB game will end with zero runs scored by either team. Pretty simple.
NRFI bets are the best because they're quick - sometimes you'll know the outcome within minutes. NRFI bets can provide an edge over other markets if you’ve done your research. I'm here to help provide that edge. As always, shop around for the best odds and be on the lookout for lineup announcements, which can significantly impact the outcome.
We’re 9-0 over the last three weeks, so I’m hoping to continue the hot streak today. I don’t expect to be that great all season. Hopefully you can jump in while the water's hot. Let's dive into today’s slate.
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Friday’s Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
Last Time: 3-0 | This Season: 15-5 | 2025 Season: 30-25
New York Yankees vs. New York Mets
Starting Pitchers: Cam Schlittler vs. Clay Holmes
This is the easiest spot of the day for me. The Yankees and Mets are sending out pitchers with arguably the two best ERAs of any starting matchup on the slate. Cam Schlittler is 5-1 with a 1.35 ERA and has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the American League. Clay Holmes has flipped the script as a full-time starter and owns a 1.86 ERA across his nine outings for the Mets.
Both pitchers are pounding the zone early and missing barrels, and the top of the Mets order has been streaky, with Carson Benge and Bo Bichette both hitting sub-.250. On the other side, Trent Grisham, Ben Rice and Aaron Judge are a scary group, but Holmes has held opponents to a sub-.200 mark in the first inning across his starts with a 2.25 ERA.
Two pitchers with sub-2.00 ERAs in a primetime rivalry game is exactly the NRFI profile I want to attack, and the price still has value at this number.
Play: NRFI (-130 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies
Starting Pitchers: Merrill Kelly vs. Kyle Freeland
I had to give out a Yes Runs First Inning (YRFI) pick somewhere on this slate, and it might as well be the obvious one. Coors Field is hosting one of the worst pitching matchups of the season.
Merrill Kelly sports a 7.62 ERA and has been getting tagged early in basically every outing, allowing a .385 average to opponents the first time through the order. Kyle Freeland counters, who checks in with a 6.00 ERA on a Rockies team that has lost 27 games already.
The total for this game is sitting at 12 runs, the highest on the board by a comfortable margin. The top of both lineups has been more than capable of jumping on a struggling starter. Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo lead off for Arizona. All three have an on-base percentage (OBP) above .330.
Ezequiel Tovar and Hunter Goodman have been the Rockies’ best hitters, and both can run into one early. With both starters carrying ERAs north of 6.00 and the altitude doing the rest, I’ll happily take the bet on these teams to combine for at least one run in the opening frame.
Play: YRFI (-138 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers
Starting Pitchers: Trey Yesavage vs. Ty Madden
Trey Yesavage continues to be a must-watch every start. The rookie is running a 0.68 ERA in his three starts and has yet to have a single shaky first inning this season. Detroit’s top of the order is decent, and Riley Greene has been mashing, but Yesavage has been so good at the top of his outings that I’ll trust him until he gives me a reason not to.
Ty Madden has been every bit as solid for the Tigers with a 2.45 ERA in his limited work. Toronto’s expected leadoff trio of George Springer, Yohendrick Pinango and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been productive overall. Still, Madden has a clean opening-inning track record and has worked around traffic when it has occurred.
Add an early weather projection of the wind blowing in, and this is another high-confidence NRFI bet for me.
Play: NRFI (-120 at BetRivers)