2 BTS leaders chasing DiMaggio, $5.6M

Two Beat the Streak participants are nearing the 40-game mark as they chase Joe DiMaggio’s famed 56-game hitting streak from 1941.

Current BTS leader “Colterreid” extended his or her streak to 38 on Thursday, and “manincharge623,” aka Mick Ciallela, extended his to 37. That means the two are starting to get close to 57 consecutive correct picks, or one more than DiMaggio’s streak, and therefore the grand prize. In the 15 previous seasons of BTS, no player has reached that reward, which is now worth $5.6 million.

Play Beat the Streak, win $5.6 million

For Ciallela, who is one game behind the leader, this current streak represents a personal best for a player who said he has been involved with BTS for “several years.” The 38-year-old resident of New London, Conn., has surpassed his previous high, a 35-game streak in 2013.

Ciallela said he doesn’t stick with one specific strategy. Sometimes he thinks about his picks more in terms of the opposing pitcher than the hitter, and he also considers batter-pitcher matchup history, splits and more. If he looks for one additional edge, it’s for someone playing at altitude.

“I think about a third of my picks have been taking players at Coors Field, which is a good place to target as a tiebreaker,” he said.

Ciallela, originally from Mount Vernon, N.Y., is a Yankees fan who counts Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter as his favorite …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com