# MLB NRFI Picks Today (April 23, 2026) - Best No Run First Inning Bets

> No Run First Inning picks for April 23, 2026: 9 games analyzed through 8 pitching and venue factors - here are tonight's best NRFI spots. Updated daily.

**Date:** 2026-04-23  
**Author:** Jason Bowman  
**Tags:** NRFI, MLB, First Inning, Daily Picks, Betting Strategy, No Run First Inning  
**Full article:** https://heatcheckhq.io/blog/mlb-nrfi-picks-apr-23-2026  
**Live picks & dashboards:** https://heatcheckhq.io

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**Today's best MLB NRFI (No Run First Inning) picks for Thursday, April 23, 2026** are NYY @ BOS (Score: 65 — 55% combined NRFI rate), CWS @ AZ (Score: 61 — 50% combined NRFI rate, Davis Martin vs Michael Soroka), PIT @ TEX (Score: 61 — 50% combined NRFI rate, Bubba Chandler vs Jacob deGrom). Rankings are generated by HeatCheck HQ's 8-factor NRFI scoring model, updated daily.

# MLB NRFI Picks Today - April 23, 2026

9-game slate scored for NRFI value. The best first-inning scoreless spots on the board.

> [NRFI Dashboard](/mlb/nrfi) - live pitcher data, updated as starters confirm.

> **Yesterday's NRFI picks:** [MLB NRFI Bets - April 22](/blog/mlb-nrfi-picks-apr-22-2026)

## Tonight's Slate

- NYY @ BOS (Cam Schlittler vs TBD) - 6:10 PM
- CWS @ AZ (Davis Martin vs Michael Soroka) - 3:40 PM
- PIT @ TEX (Bubba Chandler vs Jacob deGrom) - 8:05 PM
- LAD @ SF (Tyler Glasnow vs Logan Webb) - 3:45 PM
- MIN @ NYM (Joe Ryan vs Christian Scott) - 7:10 PM
- PHI @ CHC (Cristopher Sánchez vs Edward Cabrera) - 2:20 PM
- ATL @ WSH (JR Ritchie vs Cade Cavalli) - 1:05 PM
- SD @ COL (Matt Waldron vs Ryan Feltner) - 3:10 PM
- MIL @ DET (Brandon Sproat vs Tarik Skubal) - 1:10 PM

## Pick 1: NYY @ BOS — Fenway Park (20ft)

*55% combined NRFI · 6:10 PM ET*

- **Cam Schlittler** (RHP) — 60% NRFI, 1.95 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, streak +1

Starter data is still pending for this game. Check back closer to first pitch.

## Pick 2: CWS @ AZ — Chase Field (0ft)

*50% combined NRFI · 3:40 PM ET*

- **Davis Martin** (RHP) — 50% NRFI, 2.16 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, streak -1
- **Michael Soroka** (RHP) — 50% NRFI, 2.78 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, streak +1

Neither starter lets traffic on base. Davis Martin carries a 1.00 WHIP, Michael Soroka a 1.06 — that means few first-inning baserunners, which means few first-inning runs.

> **Want the full board?** See all of today's plays on [Top Plays](/top-plays), or dive deeper on the [NRFI dashboard](/mlb/nrfi).

## Pick 3: PIT @ TEX — Globe Life Field (Indoor)

*50% combined NRFI · 8:05 PM ET*

- **Bubba Chandler** (RHP) — 75% NRFI, 3.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, streak +1
- **Jacob deGrom** (RHP) — 25% NRFI, 2.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, streak -3

Bubba Chandler is the anchor here — a 75% NRFI rate that does most of the work for this play. Jacob deGrom on the other side is fine at 25%, but it's the elite arm carrying the lean.

Jacob deGrom's 1.07 WHIP keeps the bases empty early. The roof at Globe Life Field takes weather out of the equation entirely. Worth flagging: Jacob deGrom has allowed a first-inning run in 3 straight starts.

## Honorable Mentions

- **LAD @ SF** — Logan Webb riding a 3-game NRFI streak.
- **MIN @ NYM** — Joe Ryan sitting at 80% NRFI.
- **PHI @ CHC** — combined 35% rate.

## Games to Avoid

These matchups have the highest first-inning scoring risk on tonight's slate:

**ATL @ WSH** — Combined NRFI rate sits at 12.5% — bottom of the slate. JR Ritchie (0%) is the bigger risk, but neither arm gives confidence in a clean first.

**SD @ COL** — Coors at 5,200 feet does what Coors does — even the better arm here (Matt Waldron at 100%) loses NRFI margin in this air. Pass.

**MIL @ DET** — Skip this one: 35% combined NRFI rate, with Tarik Skubal the obvious weak link at 20%.

## Related Guides

- [How to Use the NRFI Dashboard](/blog/how-to-use-nrfi-dashboard)
- [MLB Weather Betting Guide](/blog/mlb-weather-betting-guide)
- [MLB Stats Explained](/blog/mlb-stats-explained)

## Before You Lock

Confirm starting pitchers on the [NRFI dashboard](/mlb/nrfi) - a bullpen game kills NRFI value immediately. Check weather at first pitch and be careful at altitude (Coors in particular). NRFI bets land at 55-65% historically; you need ~52.4% to break even at -110.

For the complete NRFI methodology - including pitcher evaluation, venue factors, and bankroll sizing - see the [NRFI Strategy Guide](/blog/nrfi-betting-strategy-guide).

**More from HeatCheck HQ:**
- [Live NRFI Dashboard](/mlb/nrfi) - real-time pitcher data and matchup grades
- [Dinger of the Day](/blog/mlb-dinger-of-the-day-apr-23-2026) - today's best HR picks
- [MLB Streaks](/mlb/streaks) - pitchers and hitters on hot streaks
- [NRFI Strategy Guide](/blog/nrfi-betting-strategy-guide) - full methodology breakdown

*Picks update as starters confirm. Full slate at [heatcheckhq.io](https://heatcheckhq.io).*

## Related Resources

- Parent hub: [MLB Props Hub](/blog/topic/mlb-props)
- Daily stream: [MLB NRFI Picks](/blog/stream/mlb-nrfi-picks)
- Author: [Jason Bowman](/blog/author/jason-bowman)
- Browse all posts: [Sports Betting Insights & Guides](/blog)


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*Data powered by HeatCheck HQ — sports analytics platform. Free tools at https://heatcheckhq.io*