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Most attention to prospects' progress is focused on the familiar names at the top of prospect rankings, but every year, there are less-discussed players who start forcing their way into conversations. Whether it is a former top pick trying to revive his trajectory, an overlooked organizational player breaking through, or a new arm flashing intriguing traits early in pro ball, these are the types of performances that can quickly change internal evaluations. This week’s hot sheet focuses on three under-the-radar names who have been putting together impressive stretches across the organization. 1B/DH Aaron Sabato, St. Paul Saints How He Got Here: The shortened 2020 draft created one of the strangest scouting environments in recent memory. Clubs were forced to rely heavily on prior evaluations after college seasons abruptly ended, and the Twins used the 27th overall selection on Sabato because of the offensive upside he showed at North Carolina. Minnesota signed him for a slot value bonus north of $2.5 million and hoped his bat would carry him quickly through the system. That has not happened consistently enough. Sabato’s profile has always depended almost entirely on power production, and the overall offensive numbers never fully matched expectations. From 2022 through 2024, he failed to post an OPS above .775 while splitting time between Double- and Triple-A. Last season, he showed minor improvements with an .809 OPS. Entering his age-26 season, the Twins sent him back to St. Paul looking for more consistency at the plate. Hitting the Hot Button: Sabato may no longer carry the prospect shine he once had, but he is producing as well as anyone in the organization right now. He recorded three multi-hit games during the week, highlighted by a four-hit, three-homer performance on Tuesday against Las Vegas. Over the last seven days, Sabato has slashed .455/.500/1.227 with five home runs and two doubles for a staggering 1.727 OPS. His last 28 days have been just as impressive, with a 1.264 OPS during that stretch. The defensive limitations still cap the ceiling, but left-handed power always earns opportunities. If Sabato continues driving the baseball like this, he could finally work himself into consideration for a major league debut sometime during the 2026 season. OF Garrett Spain, Wichita Wind Surge How He Got Here: Spain has quietly become one of the more traveled players in the upper minors. Toronto originally selected him in the 15th round of the 2021 draft, and he spent several seasons climbing through the Blue Jays system without much offensive impact. By 2024, he had reached both Double A and Triple A, though the production lagged behind with a .550 OPS across 105 games. Milwaukee selected him during the minor league phase of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, hoping a change of scenery could unlock something offensively. While the results improved slightly with an 88 wRC+ and a .644 OPS, Spain found himself changing organizations again when the Twins grabbed him in the minor league phase of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft. Hitting the Hot Button: Spain put together one of the loudest offensive weeks in the organization. He doubled and tripled on Tuesday before exploding on Thursday with a 3-for-6 performance that included three home runs and six RBI. Across the last seven days, the 25-year-old has gone 7-for-22 with five extra base hits and a 1.264 OPS. There are still legitimate questions about age relative to level since he is older than the average Texas League player, but production matters, and Spain is finally giving the Twins something to notice. Organizational depth pieces rarely receive much attention until they force the issue. Spain is starting to do exactly that. RHP Justin Mitrovich, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels How He Got Here: The Twins selected Mitrovich in the ninth round of the 2025 MLB Draft after an accomplished collegiate career at Elon University. The New Jersey native served as a dependable weekend starter for three seasons and held down the Friday night role during both 2024 and 2025. Mitrovich logged a career high 89 1/3 innings during his final season while striking out 81 hitters across 15 starts. He wrapped up his Elon career with 243 strikeouts, which ranks fifth in school history, and earned multiple CAA Pitcher of the Week honors along the way. Minnesota viewed him as a polished college arm capable of moving quickly if the stuff translated into professional baseball. Hitting the Hot Button: Mitrovich made his professional debut on May 3 against Daytona and fired four shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out five. He followed that outing Saturday with three more innings and only one unearned run allowed while punching out four of the 11 hitters he faced. The most impressive number may be the swing-and-miss profile. Through his first two appearances, Mitrovich has generated 17 swinging strikes for a 16.3 percent swinging strike rate. That is an eye-opening figure for a pitcher making the jump into professional baseball. It is still an extremely small sample, but the Twins have shown a strong track record of identifying college arms who outperform their draft position. Mitrovich is off to a strong start in trying to become the next name on that list. Not every prospect story begins with national rankings and top 100 hype. Sometimes development takes longer than expected. Sometimes players need multiple organizations before things click. Sometimes, a recent draft pick immediately shows traits that stand out. Sabato, Spain, and Mitrovich all arrive at this point through very different paths, but each has given the Twins something worth monitoring closely. In a system searching for the next wave of contributors, under-the-radar names have a way of becoming important faster than anyone expects. What stands out about this trio? Will Sabato make his big-league debut in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 10 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Tie, 3–3 Season Record: 18–20 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies win, 5-1 Season Record: 18–15 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 16–14 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Pelicans win, 3-1 Season Record: 16–15 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 18–20 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (20–19) Series Standing: Tie, 3-3 May 10: The Iowa Cubs split their series with the Columbus Clippers following a 9-4 defeat on Sunday at Principal Park. The Clippers took a 3-0 lead by putting up a three-spot in the third and pushed their advantage to 5-0 with two more runs in the fifth. Casey Opitz’s (1-for-4) got the Cubs on the board with an RBI-single in the home half of the inning to break the scoring run. Columbus got that run back in the sixth and scored once in the eighth to go ahead 7-1. Pedro Ramírez (2-for-4) launched a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame, his ninth, but the Clippers answered again with two runs in the ninth to make it 9-3. Jonathan Long (1-for-4) brought home a run with a double but Iowa could not rally further, falling 9-4. Ty Blach was saddled with the loss in the start, allowing three runs, all unearned, on four hits over three innings of work, striking out two. Tyler Ferguson, making his organizational debut, worked a perfect seventh inning, firing two strikeouts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 18–15 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (14–19) Series Standing: Win, 5-1 May 10: The Knoxville Smokies capped off their dominant series win over the Birmingham Barons with a 7-2 victory on Sunday at Covenant Health Park. The two teams traded zeroes through the first five innings of the contest, with Smokies starter Jace Beck working three of those innings. Beck allowed just three hits to go along with two strikeouts and no walks issued. The Barons found the breakthrough in the sixth with a run and kept Knoxville off the board in the home half of the frame for the shutdown inning. The Smokie offense erupted for seven runs after the stretch, with Carter Trice (1-for-4) crushing a grand slam to start the scoring. Alex Ramírez (1-for-4) and Jefferson Rojas (1-for-4) each turned in RBI-singles and Andy Garriola (1-for-3) capped the outburst with an RBI-double. Evan Taylor worked the final two innings of the ballgame, allowing no runs to go along with four strikeouts, keeping Birmingham off the board and helping Knoxville to the 7-2 win. Nick Dean picked up the win in relief to improve to 4-1 on the season, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits over four innings of work, totalling six strikeouts. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 16–14 Series Opponent: Lansing Lugnuts (13–20) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 May 10: The South Bend Cubs fell to the Lansing Lugnuts, 8-3, on Sunday at Four Winds Field. Despite the setback, the Cubs still took the series, 4-2, for their first series win since April 14-19. The Lugnuts struck first in the contest, scoring four times in the fourth. The visitors added a run in the seventh before Ty Southisene’s (0-for-4) RBI-groundout in the eighth halted the scoring run. Lansing hit back with three runs in the ninth to make it 8-1. Drew Bowser (1-for-3) and Christian Olivo (1-for-3) drew walks with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the frame but South Bend would leave them loaded to end the game, falling 8-3. Jostin Florentino suffered the loss in the start, allowing four runs on three hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, walking two and striking out four. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 16–15 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (17–14) Series Standing: Win, 3-1 May 10: Due to a fire in the visiting clubhouse at L.P. Frans Stadium, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans had both of their games on Saturday and Sunday canceled. View the full article

The return of Addison Barger was unfortunately short. The Toronto Blue Jays' right fielder went back on the 10-day injured list, this time with inflammation in his right elbow. Outfielder Yohendrick Pinango was called up from Triple-A Buffalo. Also, the Jays officially brought up right-handed reliever Yariel Rodriguez, a move reported Sunday, and designated left-hander Eric Lauer for assignment. The Blue Jays still have one opening on their 40-man roster. Barger, who was activated off the IL Saturday following a sprained left ankle, was scratched from Sunday's lineup vs. the Los Angeles Angels. This followed a terrific throw in Saturday's game, a 101.2 mph outfield assist that was the fastest in MLB this season. Barger went 0-for-3 with a run scored Saturday against the Angels. Pinanago had been sent down when Barger was activated. This came despite a slash line of .423/.444/.462 with four RBIs in 10 games. Lauer was the casualty for the Jays calling up Rodriguez. In eight games, including six starts, Lauer had a 6.69 ERA in 36⅓ innings. He had walked 16 and struck out 26. His struggles this season were a stark contrast to the 3.18 ERA he posted in 28 appearances, including 15 starts, in 2025, his first season with the Jays. Lauer is being paid $4.4 million this season. If no one claims him off waivers, the Jays will be responsible for his salary, minus a prorated portion of the MLB minimum should he eventually sign elsewhere. In his last appearance Sunday vs. the Angels, Lauer came on after an opener and pitched five innings, allowing six runs and three homers in five innings of a 6-1 loss. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Minor League Recap (May 10) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 3-2 Season Record: 21-16 Worcester fell short in the series finale losing 3-2 despite a solid outing from Alec Gamboa. Gamboa started the afternoon for Worcester and turned in five frames of work. He allowed four hits, one being a solo homer, the only run he let up. It was Gamboa’s first appearance since making his big league debut earlier in the week, and he put in some steady work. Jack Anderson, another pitcher who made his majors debut earlier in the season, took the next inning and ⅓ in relief. The Rule 5 draft pick couldn’t find his rhythm on Sunday however, giving up two runs on two hits and allowing three walks. To relieve Anderson, Tayron Guerrero pitched the final two and ⅔ innings, allowing a single hit and lowering his season ERA to 1.15. Despite amassing 10 hits, the WooSox went just 3-for-14 with RISP as they struggled to come up clutch. Down one run in the third inning, Mikey Romero doubled, driving in Braiden Ward to even the score. In the ninth, Ward drove in the WooSox another run with a double of his own, driving in Jason Delay. Anthony Seigler went 2/3 with a walk as he raised his batting average to a team-leading .309. He also leads the team with a .914 OPS. Despite eight of Worcester’s nine hitters getting a knock, they failed to capitalize in key moments. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays): 1-4 Season Record: 14-18 Portland avoided the series sweep, winning 11-4 as Brooks Brannon led a red-hot offense. In Anthony Eyanson’s Double-A debut he looked just as good as he did in High-A. That is to say that he was downright excellent. Over four innings, Eyanson allowed one run, a solo homer following a seven-pitch battle of an at-bat. He gave up three hits and struck out four as he proved that he could handle the heat in Portland. Jedixson Paez pitched the next three frames and earned the win. He let up four hits and three runs, striking out two. Finally, Michael Sansone returned to Portland after three appearances in Worcester. He threw two one-hit innings and struck out four of the seven batters he faced, landing on his feet after being sent down. After a 13-run performance on Friday, the Sea Dogs kept up their momentum into Sunday as they put up 11 runs in a win. They got started early in the bottom of the first with the bases loaded, Brooks Brannon drew a walk, scoring Arias. One batter later, Miguel Bleis reached on a fielder's choice, driving in Will Turner. With men on the corners and one out, Tyler McDonough grounded out to second, allowing Nate Baez to score. In the third, Brannon drove a ball to center field for a two-run homer, extending the lead. In the sixth, Franklin Arias singled with Nelly Taylor on third, tacking on another run. Baez then stepped up with bases loaded, doubling on a sharp line drive to add two more. Who else but Brooks Brannon would step up next. The 22-year-old doubled, scoring Arias and Turner for his fourth and fifth RBIs of the game. He has 11 in his past two games. One inning later, Franklin Arias singled, driving in Nelly Taylor, bringing the Sea Dogs’ total to 10. Then, Arias crossed home on a double from Turner, tacking on Portland’s 11th and final run. Brannon and Arias combined for seven of Portland’s 11 RBIs as they continued to try and turn around their season. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pittsburgh Pirates): 1-5 Season Record: 14-19 Greenville lost for the third consecutive day, this time 14-11. Luis Cohen’s season has been less than ideal, through six games he has an 11.02 ERA and a 0-4 record. This downward spiral continued on Sunday through ⅔ innings of work. Cohen was shelled, giving up five runs on two homers and six hits. Steven Brooks attempted to right the ship, but struggled to do so. He gave up another three runs on only one hit, giving up four walks. On the other hand, he struck out five but it wasn’t enough to minimize the damage. Joey Gartrell took the next three and ⅔ innings and strung together the best outing of the day for Greenville. Still, he wasn’t in his best form. He gave up two runs on four hits, including two homers. Jay Allmer took the last two, attempting to keep it within reach for the Drive. Unfortunately he could not, giving up four runs on four hits and allowing another pair of home runs. At the plate, the Drive almost made up for the shaky pitching. Facing a five run deficit in the second, Jack Winnay put the Drive on the board with a solo homer, his second of the season. They wouldn't strike again until the fifth inning, in a nine-run hole. Yophery Rodriguez launched his eighth homer of the season on a deep fly ball to right field. Later in the inning, Isaiah Jackson drove in Justin Gonzales on a sac fly. In the sixth, Rodriguez would hit another sac fly, this time to bring Mason White home with the bases loaded. With two runners in scoring position, Justin Gonzales hit a soft single to right field, scoring Ronny Hernandez. Yoeilin Cespedes would then drive in Freili Encarnacion on a bases-loaded sac fly. Down by eight in the ninth, the Drive mounted a comeback effort. Jackson hit a two-run homer with Cespedes aboard, and Jack Winnay scored on a wild pitch. Finally, Encarnacion hit a two run homer to shorten the lead to three. However, it wasn’t enough to take down the Grasshoppers as the Drive lost in spite of an excellent offensive showing. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles): 3-3 Season Record: 15-18 Salem scored ten runs as they prevailed in the series finale, splitting the series. Leighton Finley earned his second win of the year for his five-frame outing. He allowed two runs (one unearned) on four hits and two walks while striking out four. Finley’s been remarkable throughout the season, and hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in any appearance. Nicolas De La Cruz came in after Finley, pitching the next one and ⅓ innings. He allowed one hit and one walk but effectively stalled the Shorebirds offense. Griffin Kilander took the final two and ⅔ innings, allowing one more run on three hits. Kilander struck out five batters in his appearance. Andrews Opata kickstarted the RidgeYaks offense in the first inning, driving in Enddy Azocar and advancing to second on a throwing error. One batter later, Luke Heyman drove in Opata on a line drive single. One night after hitting a walk-off blast, Starlyn Nunez hit another homer. This time it was a two-run shot that gave Salem a three run lead. Opata then drove in his second RBI of the afternoon on a single, scoring Azocar once again. And just like in the first inning, Luke Heyman drove in Opata, this time on a two-run homer. In the fourth inning, with four men aboard and two outs, Kleyver Salazar worked a 2-1 count. Then, he absolutely demolished a high pitch deep to left field and over the wall. With a ten run lead in the eighth, Skylar King doubled to drive in Opata and tack on the RidgeYaks 13th and final run of the contest, capping off an incredible offensive showing. View the full article

The Twins are approaching an uncomfortable point with two veteran relievers stashed at Triple-A St. Paul. According to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, Saints relievers John Brebbia and Matt Bowman both have opt-out clauses in their contracts on Sunday, May 17. If the Twins do not add them to the major league roster, either pitcher could elect free agency. That creates an interesting decision for a bullpen that has largely stabilized after a rocky start but still lacks proven depth behind its core group. Brebbia entered the season as a relatively intriguing non-roster addition because of his extensive major league track record. The 35-year-old has appeared in parts of eight MLB seasons and, not long ago, was one of the most heavily used relievers in baseball. Back in 2022, he led the National League with 76 appearances while posting a 124 ERA+. The recent results, however, have been more uneven. Last season with the Tigers and Braves, Brebbia allowed 20 earned runs across 23 1/3 innings in 22 appearances. The Twins were betting that some underlying traits still pointed toward a useful bullpen arm. There are at least a few signs supporting that idea in St. Paul. Brebbia has made 13 appearances for the Saints and struck out 24 of the 81 batters he has faced. His 29.6% strikeout rate is his highest mark in multiple seasons, and he has issued only seven walks in 18 1/3 innings. The run prevention numbers have not been particularly attractive. Brebbia owns a 5.40 ERA after allowing 11 earned runs, but his 4.91 FIP suggests the performance may not be quite as poor as the surface stats indicate. The swing-and-miss ability is still there, even though the overall results have remained inconsistent. Bowman’s case is different because Twins fans already saw him contribute during the 2024 season. The veteran right-hander appeared in five games for Minnesota in 2024 and posted a 2.35 ERA across 7 2/3 innings. That came during a season in which he bounced between four organizations as a classic waiver-wire journeyman. Last season with Baltimore, Bowman struggled to a 6.20 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 24 2/3 innings, but he has looked significantly sharper with St. Paul this year. In 20 1/3 innings, Bowman owns a 1.77 ERA with a 3.20 FIP while striking out 25.9% of opposing hitters. He has also limited walks with a 7.1% walk rate. Perhaps most importantly for a Twins bullpen that has leaned heavily on certain arms, Bowman has provided real flexibility. He has thrown more than one inning in nine of his 13 appearances. His recent stretch has been especially impressive. Over the last 28 days, Bowman owns a 1.46 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 14 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. At some point, performance has to matter, especially for a major league bullpen that can never have enough dependable depth options. The Twins may ultimately decide roster flexibility is more valuable than protecting either veteran from free agency. That is often the reality with opt-out clauses attached to veteran minor league contracts. Still, Bowman has made a compelling case to get another opportunity. He has already shown he can survive in the majors, he is throwing multiple innings consistently, and his production at Triple-A has been difficult to ignore. If the Twins are going to lose one of these relievers anyway, Bowman feels like the pitcher worth betting on before another organization does. View the full article

Last Wednesday, the Minnesota Twins traded for Yoendrys Gómez from the Tampa Bay Rays, for cash considerations. Bouncing between the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay, and now Minnesota since the beginning of the 2025 season, Gómez has embodied the nomadic reliever trope, being vaguely desired by many clubs but rostered long-term by none. Despite hopping between clubs, the 26-year-old finished his 2025 campaign relatively strongly, netting a 4.84 ERA, 4.85 FIP, and 22.6% strikeout rate over 48 1/3 innings pitched for the White Sox. Chicago flipped Gómez to the Rays this offseason alongside fellow right-handed reliever Steven Wilson, for outfielder Everson Pereira and utility prospect Tanner Murray. Unfortunately, he struggled to begin his 2026 campaign with Tampa Bay, posting a 6.23 ERA, 7.28 FIP, and a less impressive 15.9% strikeout rate over 17 1/3 innings. Tampa Bay had Gómez using a five-pitch mix, which isn’t unique for a right-handed reliever. The righty primarily utilized his four-seam fastball and sweeper, both of which graded out as true plus pitches. Yet, he also often used his sinker, cutter, and changeup, all of which graded out below average. Opposing hitters generated a 142 wRC+ against his sinker this season and a 303 wRC+ against his cutter while Gómez was with Tampa Bay. To preface, hitters also excelled against Gómez’s four-seamer when he pitched for Tampa Bay, with a 186 wRC+. As noted earlier, the pitch graded out well above average (121 Stuff+ at FanGraphs), suggesting his struggles were the product of bad luck rather than a low-quality pitch, but there are things to clean up. Command will be crucial. Gómez did, however, excel at throwing his sweeper with Tampa Bay, netting an elite -100 wRC+ and 125 Stuff+ at FanGraphs with the pitch. So far, albeit in a sample so small as to be almost meaningless, Minnesota has effectively cut his sinker, cutter, and changeup from his repertoire entirely, with him using his four-seamer and sweeper in 14 of his 17 pitches thrown with the Twins. Again, I am analyzing a 17-pitch sample. Still, Gómez has excelled with a two-pitch mix for the Twins, posting a 0.00 ERA, 3.13 FIP, and plus grades on both pitches through 1 2/3 innings. Gómez also earned his first save with the club on Sunday, mowing through Daniel Schneeman, Angel Martínez, and Travis Bazzana on 10 pitches. The newly acquired relief arm has been stellar in his first three appearances for Minnesota, functioning as a breath of fresh air for what has been the fourth-worst bullpen in baseball, according to Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR). dnZ3REtfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1VnWllBUUlBVUZFQURGSUtWZ0FIQmdGUUFBTlJWbFVBVTFJTkJBb0JVMVVEVlZBQw==.mp4 Given that Cody Laweryson, Garrett Acton, and Cole Sands are on the 15-day IL; Kody Funderburk was surprisingly demoted to Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday; and Justin Topa, Taylor Rogers, and Anthony Banda have struggled mightily to begin their respective 2026 campaigns. Minnesota’s bullpen is arguably the most volatile in the sport. Yet, with volatility comes opportunity. Andrew Morris has capitalized on his opportunities in various roles. Eric Orze has impressed despite blowing a save against the Seattle Mariners in late April. And 39-year-old Luis García has been thrust into high-leverage situations despite joining the club on Apr. 28. Given that Minnesota targeted Gómez from Tampa Bay and that he has immediately succeeded in high-leverage situations, the 26-year-old could quickly become Minnesota’s preferred high-leverage arm. View the full article

The New York Mets offense has been struggling all of the 2026 season, as they rank near the bottom of the league in most major categories. Despite high preseason expectations following the acquisitions of Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, and Luis Robert Jr., the team has been plagued by inconsistent run production & injuries. View the full article

This might sound a bit joyless, at first, but lately, I find myself trying to catch Pete Crow-Armstrong lacking. It's become a pet project for me. I watch any single to center field against the Cubs several times. Each morning, I refresh Crow-Armstrong's page on Baseball Savant to see what new points have been added to the peculiar pointillist masterpiece that is Statcast's chart of balls hit toward him, with catch probability estimated based on the hang time of the ball and the distance Crow-Armstrong would have had to cover to get to the ball. I want to know: is it possible to hit a ball that any other center fielder could catch, but which Crow-Armstrong can't? It sounds a little silly, because (as we've already documented) Crow-Armstrong has made a couple of misplays this season. He misplayed a sinking liner during the first week of the season. He misplayed a ball at the wall during the Cubs' trip to Dodger Stadium. But we know those were just hiccups. As if to neatly confirm that, he's made the play on near-identical balls hit his way on other occasions this year. It's possible to be (very slightly) more reliable than Crow-Armstrong in catching routine fly balls, but it's his incredible range extension and the jumps he's using to beat every ball to its spot that make him special. I'm trying to figure out whether there is, in effect, any weak point in the phalanx he forms in the Cubs outfield. You've probably heard it said, by some broadcaster or other, that if a certain outfielder didn't make a play, it was impossible to make. Andruw Jones had that reputation. So did Willie Mays. Like the apocryphal story of an umpire telling a whiny pitcher that if he'd thrown a strike, Ted Williams would have swung at it, there are a handful of center fielders in the game's history of whom it's been said that if they didn't get there, it was an ironclad, unquestionable hit. In addition to Jones and Mays, Tris Speaker and Devon Whyte enjoyed that reputation. Broadly speaking, it was earned, in all cases. That doesn't mean it wasn't exaggerated, though. It almost certainly was. The halo effect often leads us to imagine that someone doing 97% of what's humanly possible is really touching or busting that 100% threshold. Jones, for sure, would sometimes be caught flat-footed on sinking line drives in front of him, and at other times, he'd be victimized by balls hit over his head. (He played way too shallow, even for his era.) Great defenders end up being remembered for their highlights, rather than their foibles, and anyway, the balls that separate a superb player from a nigh-supernatural one don't look like mistakes. They look like innocuous hits—balls they couldn't have done anything about. We can quantify defense much better than we used to, though. We can find those hang times and distances to cover on every ball hit toward a fielder, and Statcast can feed that into their model and tell us where the boundaries of possibility lie. Last summer, Crow-Armstrong made one catch the system thought had a 0% Catch Probability, so we already know he pushes that limit. But how consistent is he? Aren't there some balls falling in at the edges of his range that he could, theoretically, have gotten to? Don't get mad, but the answer is: yes, and no. Already, though, I think that means Crow-Armstrong is doing something extraordinary and historic. Here's a ball that caught my eye and raised my suspicions. TzA0bm9fWGw0TUFRPT1fRHdrSFZsTURWMU1BWFFSUVV3QUhCd0pYQUFNTVZWZ0FVRlJRQ0FCVUJBRlNBbFFB.mp4 Yes, that's a line drive, and yes, Crow-Armstrong was shaded toward left-center, but we've seen him run down balls at least a bit like this one. Was his jump even a half a second slow? Did he fail to accelerate all the way through the catchpoint? Was there a chance missed? Well, Statcast says no. This hit didn't register as having any catch probability assigned to Crow-Armstrong, and on a closer watch, I'm forced to admit that if there was a failure here, it was one of location: either Shota Imanaga throwing a ball there to Nolan Arenado, or Crow-Armstrong being set up where he was before the pitch. Besides, the elements were against him. Here's the first frame after the switch from the center-field camera to the one high and behind home plate on the play. I've put a square around the ball's position at that moment and a dot where it will land. This is a hard-hit ball, but it's both knocked down and pushed toward right field by the wind, in addition to slicing that direction because of its spin. Crow-Armstrong got a great jump, really, but he's 10 feet from the ball when it lands, which was the responsible way to play it, given the only read he could have gotten off the bat. He probably could have gotten much closer to catching it, but I don't think he could have caught it, and the truth of the art of outfield defense is that you occasionally have to play the angles, rather than trying to catch every single ball hit your way. For great outfielders, those plays are rare, but they do happen—especially outdoors, on windy days. Here's the other play from the first 10 days of this month that had me checking things. a0R2Tm5fWGw0TUFRPT1fVjFVRUFGd0JYMUFBWGdFQ1VRQUhVZ0FDQUZrTlVGUUFCVklBVlFzRkFGVURCd1lD.mp4 This one feels more like a limitation, right? You can see Crow-Armstrong balk just a bit off the bat. First, then, I checked whether he was caught unprepared when the pitch was thrown. Not so, though. Here's the Gameday 3D animation of Crow-Armstrong and Bleday at (essentially) the instant of contact. The center fielder timed his hop correctly; he was slightly in the air (and on his way down) as the ball passed through the hitting zone. (By the way, how cool is it that we can do this now?!) Crow-Armstrong does take a false turn, though. When Bleday makes contact, he initially turns his left shoulder back and takes a half-dropstep with his left leg. All weekend, it seemed, Bleday hit the ball hard to that very part of the park, and Crow-Armstrong might have been caught anticipating solid contact that didn't come. It takes him a split-second to get his momentum moving forward, instead. By the time the ball falls, you can certainly convince yourself that he should have been able to get there, with a better jump. He's much closer to this one than to the Arenado ball, and his jump was clearly worse. So the question becomes: was a better jump possible? Could any other outfielder have made this play better? Here's one piece of what looks, at first, like damning evidence. It's from a Marlins-White Sox game on the other side of Chicago, last season. b0daOERfWGw0TUFRPT1fVUFCU0JsWlZWd0lBWGxFTFZnQUhDUVVDQUZrQVUxY0FCRkJYQlZCVUFsVUJBd3RW.mp4 That's a heck of a catch, by Dane Myers—now of the Reds, as it happens. But Statcast didn't even rate it as overwhelmingly impressive. It gave a 95% catch probability on the ball. Yet, it didn't ding Crow-Armstrong at all for not catching the Bleday bloop. His catch probability on it was 0%, as far as the model is concerned. First, let me explain that briefly. I picked the above catch by Myers because it was the only ball since the start of 2025 that fit the same contact constraints as Bleday's (a 77-79 MPH exit velocity, a 33-35° launch angle) and was hit to center field, but which was hit as shallow or shallower than Bleday's. It's not hard to see that the wind played with both balls. Without wind (and with truer batted-ball spin), most balls hit like this travel an extra 10-20 feet, which makes them relatively easy to catch. These two are good foils for each other. They were hit relatively high, but they weren't really pop-ups, and they weren't hit hard enough to go a long way, but they were clearly over the infield. Conditions kept each from flying very far, though. Already, these are extreme plays, in terms of where the ball ended up relative to what the outfielder could reasonably have hoped to read off the bat. Two things separate the two plays in important ways. First, Tim Elko's flyout to Myers hung in the air a hair longer. Its hang time was 5.0 seconds, which is a lot of time to run under a ball. Bleday's wasn't much less, but slightly so. That left Crow-Armstrong with less time to make up for that misstep off the bat. Secondly, though, Crow-Armstrong was playing deeper than he usually does on his play. With two outs in the ninth inning of a game that wasn't especially close, and with a batter in the box who'd showed good power in the series, he was 326 feet from home plate when the pitch was thrown. Myers was only 318 feet from home when Edward Cabrera threw his pitch to Elko last year. One could pick nits with the Cubs' positioning, perhaps, but it seems like Crow-Armstrong was in a smart spot, in general. On this particular ball, it just left him with zero margin for error. The combination of these two factors means Myers had a good 15 feet on Crow-Armstrong, before accounting for Crow-Armstrong not getting a clean first step on the ball. It's not such a wonder, then, that two similar balls produced Statcast estimates at extreme ends of the catch probability spectrum. Here's the crazy takeaway: Crow-Armstrong could have caught this ball. That's true, even though Statcast absolutely would have regarded it as uncatchable, anyway. He could have drawn an earlier bead on the ball, but misreading the contact is almost a necessary part of this unusual piece of contact. Were the stakes higher, however, he probably would have dived for it—and he might have had a play. It's getting very, very hard to find balls Crow-Armstrong can't catch that are (in any realistic sense) catchable. That doesn't mean he's perfect. But as we've discussed before, he's pushing the boundaries of defensive possibilities. Hitting the ball to center field just isn't a viable option for Cubs opponents. Crow-Armstrong is, in some sense, a fulfillment of the hype attached to so many generational center fielders before him. He might force us to reconsider what the position can be. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 4-2 Runs Scored Last Week: 26 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 19 Standings: 5th in AL East 9.5 GB First Place Transactions: 05/06/26: Red Sox optioned LHP Alec Gamboa to Worcester Red Sox. 05/06/26: Red Sox activated RHP Sonny Gray from the 15-day injured listed. 05/06/26: Red Sox sent RHP Justin Slaten on a rehab assignment to Worcester Red Sox. 05/07/26: Red Sox recalled C Mickey Gasper from Worcester Red Sox. 05/07/26: Red Sox signed free agent RHP Raymond Burgos to a minor league contract. 05/07/26: Red Sox placed LF Roman Anthony on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 5, 2026. Right wrist sprain. 05/08/26: Red Sox recalled RHP Jack Anderson from Worcester Red Sox. 05/08/26: Red Sox optioned LHP Jake Bennett to Worcester Red Sox. 05/09.26: Red Sox optioned RHP Jack Anderson to Worcester Red Sox. 05/09/26: Red Sox activated RHP Justin Slaten from the 15-day injured list. 05/09/26: Red Sox signed free agent RHP Leonel Figuera to a minor league contract. 05/09/26: Red Sox signed free agent RHP Juan Verdus to a minor league contract. Scores: Game 34 (05/04): BOS 5, DET 4 Game 35 (05/05): BOS 10, DET 3 Game 36 (05/06): BOS 4, DET 0 Game 37 (05/07): BOS 4, TB 8 Game 38 (05/08): BOS 2, TB 0 Game 39 (05/10): BOS 1, TB 4 Series Breakdown/Highlights Tigers Series: The beginning of the week saw three straight games of the best baseball the Red Sox have played all season. Granted, they lucked out by two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal going on the injured list before game one, but they took advantage of a gifted situation and won a game that shouldn’t have been a one-run victory. Garrett Whitlock allowed two runs in the eighth inning to give everyone a bit of an uneasy feeling, but Payton Tolle was able to lock up his first major-league win after pitching through a torrential downpour for two innings by turning in the best start of his career. He threw seven innings of two-run baseball, neither earned, while striking out eight. Game two is where we saw the fireworks, in more ways than one. The Red Sox have always had a propensity for picking up pitcher tells and pitch grips when they are on second and Tuesday was no exception. The Red Sox tagged starter Framber Valdez for seven earned runs, four of those being home runs. Valdez gave up back-to-back moonshots to Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, then promptly threw at Trevor Story. Benches cleared, Valdez was ejected, and the Red Sox kept rolling. Overshadowed by the offense was just how good Brayan Bello was coming in after an opener for game two. He tossed seven innings with seven strikeouts, one walk, and one earned run. The finale of the series saw Sonny Gray return from the injured list and pitched decently against the Tigers. The team secured their first series sweep of the season against a team that is penciled in to win their division, even if their ace wasn’t able to pitch during it. Rays Series: We had our first reschedule due to rain during the series against the Rays. The Saturday game will be made up on July 17. Game one saw rookie Jake Bennett get tagged for four runs, but the Red Sox fought to stay in the game. Unfortunately for them, Greg Weissert and Ryan Watson had other plans. They allowed four more Rays to score and the late game push to even things up came up short. In game two, the Sox kept the Fenway Green magic rolling by shutting out the Rays behind seven innings and eight strikeouts from Connelly Early. The rookie southpaw showed he was the correct option to take Johan Oviedo’s rotation spot at the end of spring training and is mostly trending up with each start. The reschedule gave Payton Tolle another day of rest but he couldn’t score runs on his own. He gave up three earned, but the eye test looked far better than what the line showed. Unfortunately, Willson Contreras was hit on the hand early in the game and was replaced by Andruw Monasterio. Scans on Willson’s hand came back negative, but manager Chad Tracy said he was very sore. They’ll reevaluate him on the Monday off day and move forward with that information. If there’s one player the Red Sox can’t afford to lose right now, it’s Contreras. Website Highlights Red Sox Minor League Recap: Anthony Eyanson’s Dominance Continues Despite Shaky Red Sox Affiliates by Ben Lofy Boston Red Sox Minor League Pitchers of the Month: April 2026 by Nick John Red Sox Report Cards: Grading Every Boston Pitcher for March/April by Ryan Salvaggio Justin Slaten is More Than Ready For His Return to Boston by Nick John Looking Ahead May 12: Phillies (Zack Wheeler) @ Red Sox (TBD): 6:45 PM EDT May 13: Phillies (Andrew Painter) @ Red Sox (Sonny Gray): 6:45 PM EDT May 14: Phillies (Jesus Luzardo) @ Red Sox (Ranger Suarez): 6:45 PM EDT May 15: Red Sox @ Braves: 7:15 PM EDT May 16: Red Sox @ Braves: 7:15 PM EDT May 17: Red Sox @ Braves: 1:35 PM EDT View the full article

New York Mets Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 3-3 Runs Scored Last Week: 21 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 21 Standings: 5th in NL East (15-25) 8.0 GB of 1st Place Transactions: 5/1 New York Mets activated 2B Andy Ibáñez. 5/1 New York Mets optioned 1B Eric Wagaman to Syracuse Mets. 5/3 New York Mets designated 1B Eric Wagaman for assignment. 5/3 New York Mets placed SS Ronny Mauricio on the 10-day injured list. Left thumb fracture. 5/3 New York Mets sent RHP Carl Edwards Jr. outright to Syracuse Mets. 5/3 New York Mets selected the contract of 3B Vidal Bruján from Syracuse Mets. 5/10 New York Mets sent 1B Eric Wagaman outright to Syracuse Mets. 5/10 New York Mets activated RHP Joey Gerber from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Syracuse Mets. Scores: Game 34 (5/4): NYM 4, COL 2 Game 35 (5/6): NYM 10, COL 5 Game 36 (5/7): NYM 2, COL 6 Game 37 (5/8): NYM 3, ARI 1 (10) Game 38 (5/9): NYM 1, ARI 2 Game 39 (5/10): NYM 1, ARI 5 Series Breakdown/Highlights Rockies Series: Coming off of a series win against the Angels, the Mets rolled into Coors Field with the vibes as high as the altitude for the first time in a long time. In game one, the Mets used the opener method to get to David Peterson, and it worked. They scored four runs in the outing, the big blow being a two-run single by Mark Vientos in the sixth inning, proving to be the difference in the game. In his four innings out of the bullpen, Peterson surrendered just two earned runs, on back-to-back-to-back two-out hits in the seventh inning. Devin Williams slammed the door in the ninth inning. In game two, the Mets bats woke up for the first and only time on this road trip. They scored 10 runs, with the biggest blow arguably not coming till the ninth inning two-run blast off the bat of Marcus Semien. Freddy Peralta went five scoreless innings as the Mets held a 8-0 lead with him on the mound. The Mets bullpen proceeded to give up five runs, and load the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, getting closer Devin Williams in the game for the second time this series. He was able to slam the door for a series win. In game three, the Mets jumped out to an early 2-0 lead looking for the sweep. It was not meant to be, though, as the Rockies came back and tied the game, and against Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning, Jake McCarthy hit a grand slam, though it might have been a foul ball and the MLB replay room did not overturn the call. The Mets did not score in the ninth and dropped the series finale. Diamondbacks Series: The Mets next went to Arizona looking to cap their roadtrip off on a high note. Nolan McLean shut down the D-Backs offense over six innings giving up only one run. The Mets offense was likewise shut down by Ryne Nelson, scoring just one run against him in 6.2 innings of work. The sides took the 1-1 tie to extras where back-to-back doubles by the Mets gave them two runs and a lead. A dominant bottom of the tenth by Tobias Myers gave the Mets a series-opening win. In the second game of the series, the Mets offense mustered up just one run, coming in the second inning on a Brett Baty RBI double. The Mets did not have a baserunner after the fifth inning as Merrill Kelly shut them down completely. Clay Holmes gave up two runs over 5.2 innings, but that was too much for the Mets offense to overcome, as they lost 2-1. In the rubber match, Huascar Brazoban was the opener for Peterson. Remember in the Rockies series where that strategy worked? Not so much against the D-Backs, as rookie Ryan Waldschmidt recorded his first career double off Tobias Myers, scoring the inherited runners. The Mets got a run back in the sixth on an RBI double by Luis Torrens, their only run of the game. An RBI single and two-run triple off Peterson for the D-Backs made it 5-1 and that would be your final scpre as the Mets dropped the series, plunging back to MLB’s worst record. Website Highlights Devin Williams’ Changeup Is Not As Effective As It Once Was, Resulting in Unfamiliar Numbers Vote For Your Top Mets Prospects! Sean Manaea Might Be Salvageable, If Mets Can Live With Being Boring Looking Ahead May 11th: OFF May 12th: vs. DET (7:10pm) May 13th: vs. DET (7:10pm) May 14th: vs. DET (1:10pm) May 15th: vs. NYY (7:15pm) May 16th: vs. NYY (7:15pm) May 17th: vs. NYY (1:40pm) View the full article

Red Sox prospect Juan Valera had Tommy John surgery. This is a huge blow not only to the Red Sox organization but for Valera himself, as he isn't expected to return until late 2027 or 2028. Valera has been dominant in High-A ball this year; however, at only 19 years old, he should recover and have a solid career afterward. View the full article

Xzavion Curry struck out four in five innings, but Syracuse fell 8-5 to Rochester. Ryan Clifford homered, tripled, and singled in a 2-for-3 night. Eli Serrano III drove in two with a double as Binghamton dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Hartford 5-2 and 5-0. Brooklyn lost 5-4 on a walk-off despite Brady Miller's seven strikeouts. Elian Peña reached three times and Nicolas Carreno struck out seven in St. Lucie's 8-3 loss at Lakeland. Mets Transactions New York Mets activated RHP Joey Gerber from the 15-day injured list. New York Mets optioned RHP Joey Gerber to Syracuse Mets. New York Mets sent 1B Eric Wagaman outright to Syracuse Mets. Syracuse Drops 8-5 Decision To Rochester Despite Three Home Runs The Syracuse Mets fell 8-5 to the Rochester Red Wings, dropping the contest despite home runs from Jackson Cluff, Ryan Clifford, and Cristian Pache. Clifford led the offense with a 2-for-3 night that included a triple and a home run while drawing a walk and scoring twice. Cluff added two hits, two runs, and his own solo blast. Leadoff man A.J. Ewing collected two singles and an RBI, and Christian Arroyo drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Xzavion Curry worked five innings as the starter, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Both runs against him came on solo home runs that briefly gave Rochester one-run leads in the first and the fourth. The Red Wings broke open a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth against Joey Gerber. A pair of singles and an RBI double brought home three runs to push Rochester ahead 5-2. Syracuse responded in the bottom of the sixth on Arroyo's sacrifice fly that scored Clifford. Cionel Pérez surrendered another run in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk, before Pache and Ewing combined for two runs in the bottom half. Pache's solo home run and an Ewing RBI single that scored Cluff trimmed the deficit to 6-5. Rochester pushed the lead back out in the top of the ninth against Anderson Severino, who issued a walk and surrendered two RBI singles. Dylan Ross worked a scoreless inning in his lone frame with two strikeouts. Syracuse stranded five runners and committed no errors. Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 5 0 2 1 0 0 Nick Morabito 3 0 0 0 1 2 Ryan Clifford 3 2 2 1 1 1 Christian Arroyo 3 0 0 1 0 2 Yonny Hernández 4 0 0 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 4 1 1 1 0 3 Hayden Senger 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jackson Cluff 4 2 2 1 0 1 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 1 0 0 2 Ji Hwan Bae 1 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Xzavion Curry 5 5 2 2 0 4 2 Joey Gerber 1 3 3 3 1 0 0 Cionel Pérez 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 Dylan Ross 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 Anderson Severino 2/3 2 2 2 2 1 0 Alex Carrillo 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Serrano's Two-RBI Double Not Enough In Binghamton's 5-2 Loss The Binghamton Rumble Ponies fell 5-2 to the Hartford Yard Goats in the opener of a doubleheader. Leadoff man Eli Serrano III led the offense with a 1-for-4 night that included a two-RBI double. Wyatt Young added a hit, and Jose Ramos and Kevin Parada each picked up a single. Matt Rudick and Diego Mosquera reached on walks, came around to score, and combined to give Binghamton its only runs of the night. Irving Cota took the loss after working 4 2/3 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Hartford struck first with a two-run home run in the top of the second, and Binghamton answered in the bottom of the inning when Rudick and Mosquera walked, and Serrano doubled to center to bring both runners home. Hartford regained the lead in the top of the third. With the bases loaded, a hit by pitch forced in one run, and an RBI single brought home another to push the Yard Goats ahead 4-2. The visitors added an insurance run in the fifth on a solo home run that finished Cota's outing. Gabriel Rodriguez worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing no hits while striking out two and finishing the fifth and the sixth. Jefry Yan followed with a scoreless seventh, retiring all three batters and striking out two. Binghamton stranded six runners and did not commit an error, while Hartford was charged with two throwing errors that did not lead to additional damage. Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 4 0 1 2 0 2 Jacob Reimer 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jose Ramos 2 0 1 0 1 0 Kevin Parada 3 0 1 0 0 1 JT Schwartz 3 0 0 0 0 0 TT Bowens 2 0 0 0 1 0 Matt Rudick 2 1 0 0 1 0 Wyatt Young 3 0 1 0 0 2 Diego Mosquera 2 1 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Irving Cota 4 2/3 9 5 5 0 4 2 Gabriel Rodriguez 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Jefry Yan 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Five-Run Second Sinks Binghamton 5-0 In Game Two Shutout The Binghamton Rumble Ponies were shut out 5-0 by the Hartford Yard Goats in game two of the doubleheader, surrendering all five runs in the top of the second inning. R.J. Gordon started and absorbed the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings with one strikeout and a home run. A throwing error by Gordon on a sacrifice bunt extended the inning before Hartford strung together a three-run home run and two RBI singles to chase him. The Binghamton bullpen was excellent the rest of the way. Matt Turner finished the second inning and worked the third, allowing no hits across 1 1/3 innings while striking out one. Brian Metoyer struck out one in a clean fourth, Douglas Orellana followed with two hitless innings of two-strikeout work in the fifth and the sixth, and Felipe De La Cruz capped the night with a one-hit, one-strikeout seventh. The offense managed only four hits. Wyatt Young led the way with two singles, and Jose Ramos and Nick Lorusso each added a hit. Eli Serrano III drew two walks from the leadoff spot, and Chris Suero reached three times on walks without taking an at-bat. Diego Mosquera also walked. Binghamton went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, stranded seven runners, and committed one error. Hartford completed the doubleheader sweep. Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 2 0 0 0 2 1 Jacob Reimer 3 0 0 0 0 2 Chris Suero 0 0 0 0 3 0 Jose Ramos 3 0 1 0 0 1 Nick Lorusso 3 0 1 0 0 1 JT Schwartz 3 0 0 0 0 2 Wyatt Young 3 0 2 0 0 0 Onix Vega 3 0 0 0 0 0 Diego Mosquera 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR R.J. Gordon 1 2/3 7 5 3 0 1 1 Matt Turner 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Brian Metoyer 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Douglas Orellana 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Felipe De La Cruz 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Walk-Off Single Sinks Brooklyn 5-4 At Bowling Green The Brooklyn Cyclones lost 5-4 to the Bowling Green Hot Rods on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. Ronald Hernandez led the offense with a 2-for-4 night that featured two home runs and two RBI. Vincent Perozo added two singles, Sam Biller picked up an RBI single, and Colin Houck collected a hit. Trace Willhoite drew a walk and scored a run, and Yonatan Henriquez reached on a walk. Brady Miller turned in a strong outing as the starter, working five innings while allowing two runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Hernandez's solo home run in the second staked Brooklyn to a 1-0 lead. The Cyclones added two more in the top of the fifth on a Biller RBI single that scored Willhoite and a Mitch Voit groundout that brought home Perozo from third. Hernandez homered again in the sixth to push the lead to 4-2. Garrett Stratton followed Miller and was charged with a blown save in the bottom of the seventh, when a two-run home run on the second batter he faced tied the contest at four. Bryce Jenkins worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, and Brooklyn could not push across a go-ahead. Joe Charles took the loss in the bottom of the ninth, walking the first batter, allowing a double, then yielding a leadoff RBI single that brought home the winning run without recording an out. Brooklyn stranded only two runners and committed one error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 0 0 0 0 Yonatan Henriquez 3 0 0 0 1 2 John Bay 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 4 2 2 2 0 2 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Colin Houck 4 0 1 0 0 1 Trace Willhoite 2 1 0 0 1 0 Vincent Perozo 3 1 2 0 0 0 Sam Biller 3 0 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brady Miller 5 6 2 2 0 7 0 Garrett Stratton 1 2/3 3 2 2 1 2 1 Bryce Jenkins 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Joe Charles 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 Six-Run Seventh Lifts Lakeland Past St. Lucie 8-3 The St. Lucie Mets fell 8-3 to the Lakeland Flying Tigers after surrendering a six-run seventh inning. Leadoff man Elian Peña went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI single, and a run scored. Simon Juan added a 3-for-4 night with a run, and JT Benson contributed a triple as part of a 1-for-4 evening. Chase Meggers and Randy Guzman each picked up a hit and an RBI. Nicolas Carreno worked four innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Daviel Hurtado opened and went two innings, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts and a solo home run that gave Lakeland a 1-0 lead in the second. Lakeland added another run in the fourth on an RBI single. St. Lucie battled back in the sixth on Guzman's RBI single that scored Peña, and again in the seventh when Meggers singled home Julio Zayas to tie the game at two. The bottom of the seventh proved decisive. Elwis Mijares retired the first batter, but a solo home run, two walks, and a single loaded the bases, after which a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, a two-RBI single, and another two-RBI single put six on the board. Mijares took the loss after recording just one out, charged with five earned runs. Joe Scarborough finished the frame and tossed a clean eighth. Peña drove in St. Lucie's final run in the ninth on a single that scored Simon Juan. St. Lucie left nine runners on base and committed one error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 1 2 1 1 0 JT Benson 4 0 1 0 1 1 Randy Guzman 4 0 1 0 1 3 AJ Salgado 4 0 0 0 0 3 Julio Zayas 3 1 1 0 1 2 Sam Robertson 4 0 1 0 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 0 1 1 0 0 Simon Juan 4 1 3 0 0 0 Branny De Oleo 3 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daviel Hurtado 2 2 1 1 0 4 1 Nicolas Carreno 4 2 1 1 3 7 0 Elwis Mijares 1/3 2 5 5 3 1 1 Joe Scarborough 1 2/3 2 1 1 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 2-for-3, 3B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, K Jacob Reimer: 0-for-7 in DH (0-for-4, 3 K and 0-for-3, 2 K) Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Peña: 2-for-4, R, RBI, BB Mitch Voit: 0-for-4 Nick Morabito: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-0, 3 BB Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-6 in DH (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K and 0-for-2, 2 BB, K) Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: 1 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, K, HR View the full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 4-3 Runs scored last week: 25 Runs allowed last week: 21 Standings Scores Game 34 (Monday): Giants 3, Padres 2 Game 35 (Tuesday): Padres 10, Giants 5 Game 36 (Wednesday): Padres 5, Giants 1 Game 37 (Thursday): Cardinals 2, Padres 1 Game 38 (Friday): Cardinals 6, Padres 0 Game 39 (Saturday): Padres 4, Cardinals 2 Game 40 (Sunday): Padres 3, Cardinals 2 (10 innings) Week in Review and Highlights Giants series Game 1: If you have heard this before, it is because you have. For the third time in four games, the Padres' offense was stifled by a young pitcher. This time it was 25-year-old San Francisco Giants right-hander Trevor McDonald who kept the Friars' bats quiet in a 3-2 loss. Making his third career start and fifth appearance, McDonald threw the fourth quality start in the Padres' last five games, allowing one run on two hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings in his first MLB game this season. The one run he did allow? That was Jackson Merrill drilling the first pitch he saw with two outs in the first inning for a solo homer to straightaway center field, his fourth homer this year. Merrill's blast went 436 feet, tying Manny Machado (in Mexico City) for the longest by a Friar this year. Padres right-handed starter Randy Vasquez, however, gave that run and another back in the bottom of the second. It remained 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth, when the Giants got to Vasquez for another run. Old friend Luis Arraez had a leadoff double against his former teammate, went to third on a groundout and scored on a Rafael Devers sacrifice fly. Overall, it was a solid performance by Vasquez, who went 5⅔ innings, allowing those three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. The Padres' offense, which had a stretch of 15 straight hitters retired by McDonald, again had an opportunity to steal a win late. Ramon Laureano launched his fifth homer of the season leading off the ninth to pull the Friars within 3-2. But the core of the lineup, Fernando Tatis Jr., Merrill and Machado went down in order for a fifth loss in six games. Game 2: The last thing the Padres needed was to face one of the best pitchers in MLB. But that is exactly what happened. And that old adage "You can't predict ball" came to fruition. Going up against Giants right-hander Logan Webb, who finished in the top six of NL Cy Young Award voting the last three seasons, the Padres exploded for double-digit runs for just the second time this season in a 10-5 victory. The Friars matched their season highs for runs and hits (14). Whether it was because of a lineup shuffle—Tatis was moved down from second to fifth in the order, putting Miguel Andujar third and Gavin Sheets at cleanup, and Sung-Mun Song starting his first MLB game after being called up earlier in the day—or just the baseball gods doing their thing, it worked. Song had his first two MLB hits, Xander Bogaerts homered and Andujar and Merrill, hitting leadoff, each had three hits. Andujar's day included a double and a triple. The Padres were also more aggressive against Webb. While scoring five runs in the fourth inning and sending nine players to the plate, they only saw 21 pitches from Webb. Perhaps that mentality will help unlock the offense. Padres right-handed starter Walker Buehler gave up a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, putting the Giants up 4-1. That was the score when things turned around in the fourth. With one out, Sheets hit an opposite-field single to left and Tatis an opposite-field double to right. Bogaerts had an RBI groundout and Nick Castellanos a run-scoring single to make it 4-3. Luis Campusano was hit by a pitch and Song delivered his first MLB hit in his second plate appearance, a ringing double to left-center to put the Padres up 5-4. With Song on third, Merrill singled to extend the lead to 6-4. A Castellanos sac fly in the fifth and an Andujar RBI single put the Friars up 8-4. The Padres tacked on two more in the eighth as Song reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on Merrill's double. Merrill went to third on a groundout and scored on a balk. Buehler steadied himself from there, making it through 5⅓ innings, surrendering seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts. He retired 11 straight before two runners reached in the sixth. The relief corps of Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Ron Marinaccio finished things off. Song was called up due to second baseman Jake Cronenworth going on the seven-day concussion list, something that appears to go back to him getting hit in the shoulder by a pitch that deflected into his face April 18 vs. the Los Angeles Angels. He described himself as being in various states of a "hazy fogginess" since. Cronenworth has a .144/.272/.196 slash line. Game 3: The Padres continue to find creative ways to pull out victories. Using an opener for the first time this year and a couple of big at-bats to score four runs late, the Friars bounced the Giants 5-1. The clutch performers were familiar faces, just doing it in unusual circumstances. Sheets, with a knack of late-game homers, drilled a solo shot into McCovey Cove in the top of the fourth inning for a 1-0 lead. The Giants tied it when Rafael Devers took right-hander Matt Waldron deep in the bottom of the fifth. But it was the seventh where things got strange. Tatis reached on a rare fielding error by Giants third baseman Matt Chapman and Laureano walked. Castellanos hit a slow grounder to short that advanced the runners and Freddy Fermin flew out for the second out. While the Giants made a pitching change, bringing in a left-hander, Padres manager Craig Stammen debated using a pinch-hitter for Song, a left-handed hitter. Stammen took too long to make his decision to put Ty France in for Song, who was approaching the batter's box when called back. It cost France a strike on a pitch-clock violation. Nonetheless, France got the count to 3-2 when he lofted an opposite-field fly ball down the right-field line. Giants right fielder Jesus Rodriguez, in his third MLB game and first in right field after catching in the other two, had the ball deflect off his glove, going for a France's second triple of the season and scoring both runners for a 3-1 lead. In the eighth, Machado had a leadoff walk and, one out later, Bogaerts—who came off the bench to play defense in the seventh—crushed his second homer in as many days for a 5-1 advantage. Meanwhile, the pitching staff kept the Giants quiet in a slightly unconventional way. Right-handed reliever Bradgley Rodriguez got the call as an opener, the first used by the Friars this year, and he tossed a perfect first. Right-hander Matt Waldron, who has struggled in his three starts since coming up, took over and pitched five stellar innings, striking out seven and allowing just two hits. That could be a formula for future Waldron starts, however many there are. Left-hander Adrian allowed a hit in two scoreless innings and closer Mason Miller pitched a perfect ninth in a non-save situation. Cardinals series Game 1: The Padres can throw a quality start, too. And this one by Michael King was very high quality. The right-hander allowed just one hit, a homer, over six innings, but the Friars' offense was also shut down by yet another quality start by an opponent as San Diego fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. The difference came in the seventh inning when Jordan Walker's torrid start to the season continued with a leadoff double and then a one-out triple by Masyn Winn that snapped a 1-1 tie. But King was the story for the Padres. The soon-to-be 31-year-old continued his impressive beginning to 2026. King walked two and struck out six, but he was one pitch away from six innings of no-hit ball. His lone mistake was to Alec Burleson, who jumped on a first-pitch changeup and lined it just over the right-field fence with one out in the fourth inning to tie the game 1-1. The Padres had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Machado walked, went to second on Tatis' single to left and scored on Bogaerts' opposite-field single to right. But that was the extent of the Friars' scoring as Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore was nearly as good as King. Liberatore allowed just three hits with three walks and six strikeouts in six innings. The Padres' bullpen, while very good, hasn't been as lockdown as it was last year. Rodriguez came on for King in the seventh and gave up the two decisive hits. Tatis had two of the Friars' four hits, but the Cardinals' relievers prevented another comeback by retiring the final eight hitters. Catcher Rodolfo Duran made his MLB debut after 11 seasons in the minors, the last two with the Padres. He went 0-for-3. Campusano went on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left big toe. Game 2: In the immortal words of the legendary Harry Doyle, "One hit. That's all we got? One (bleeping) hit?" That is the way Friday went for the Friars. If it wasn't for Merrill's leadoff single in the fourth, there might be a lot more to stress about for Padres fans other than a 6-0 setback to the Cardinals. Still, this is one of those games to forget. Right-hander Michael McGreevy, one of the reasons why the rebuilding Cardinals are off to a better-than-expected start, allowed just one hit over six innings, striking out nine. He retired the first nine batters before Merrill grounded a single to right. The Cardinals retired the final 19 Padres hitters after Tatis' two-out walk in the fourth. Speaking of Tatis, his no good very bad start to the season took a strange turn in the sixth inning of a scoreless game. Two singles and a one-out walk off Padres right-handed starter Griffin Canning set the stage for Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt. He pulled a 1-1 changeup through the infield and into right, where Tatis charged it then watched it scoot under his glove and roll to the wall. It unloaded the bases and Wetherholt scampered around the bases for a Little League grand slam and a sudden 4-0 Friars deficit. The next three batters singled, doubled and walked to load the bases and end Canning's evening. Left-hander Yuki Matsui made his season debut after coming off the injured list Tuesday and gave up an RBI single and a sac fly, putting the Padres down 6-0. It was a tough six earned runs for Canning, who made his second start of the season and allowed seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 4⅓ innings. Game 3: The Padres are certainly getting the wrong end of opposing pitching performances. But at least on this day, they did enough to pull out a victory. France and Machado homered and Tatis hit a go-ahead single as the Friars came away with a 4-2 victory. Miller recorded four outs and notched his MLB-leading 12th save with a unique twist: A four-strikeout ninth inning thanks to a wild pitch on a strikeout. It wasn't a breakout performance by the offense as the Padres managed just five hits, but they made the ones they got count. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, France hit a one-out solo homer to tie the game and plate the Padres' first run since the first inning of Thursday's series opener, a 21-inning scoreless drought. Song had a walk, Fermin a single and then a passed ball set up Tatis, who ranks in the 98th percentile in hard-hit percentage and flared a two-run single the opposite way down the right-field line. Machado tacked on an insurance run in the eighth with a solo homer, his 200th blast as a Padre and sixth of the season. Vasquez continued his sharp start to the season. The right-hander allowed just a fourth-inning run while giving up six hits and no walks while striking out six in five innings. He has struck out six or more in four of his eight starts. Vasquez has also gone at least five innings in all but one start. Estrada and Adam followed with hitless innings. But left-hander Adrian Morejon ran into trouble in the eighth. With one out, Morejon hit Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera doubled him home to make it 3-2. After a groundout, Miller came on to face the dangerous Walker, who grounded out to end the threat. Machado's homer gave some breathing space, not that Miller needs it. In the ninth, Miller gave up a leadoff walk before a strikeout, another walk and another strikeout. The next batter, Yohel Pozo, also struck out, but strike three was a wild pitch on a wicked slider, with Pozo reaching first to load the bases. But Miller struck out Wetherholt to end the game and join the club of four strikeouts in an inning. The last Padre to do that? None other than Miller's manager, Craig Stammen, who did it on Sept. 24, 2021. Game 4: One strike away from having their first losing week of the season, Castellanos kept the Padres alive with a dramatic two-out homer in the ninth to tie the game. An inning later, there were hugs and high-fives as Machado's sac fly to right-center as the Padres won 3-2 in 10 innings, their fourth walk-off this year. Before the ninth, the Padres were facing their second loss in this series in which they had just one hit. But not the Friars are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West at 24-16. Castellanos fouled off three pitches from Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien, including breaking a bat and borrowing one of Tatis' bats, before drilling a 3-2 sinker on the ninth pitch of the at-bat down into the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left to tie the game 2-2. Bogaerts scored ahead of him following a leadoff walk, going to second with two outs on defensive indifference and taking third on a wild pitch. In the 10th, Laureano was the automatic runner at second base, Merrill was intentionally walked and Tatis walked on a 3-2 pitch after squaring twice to bunt, loading the bases. The Cardinals brought in an extra infielder, but it didn't matter as Machado lofted the first pitch to right-center, deep enough to bring in Laureano and salvage a frustrating week by splitting this four-game series. The Friars were in position for yet another comeback thanks to Buehler. He allowed just three hits, but one was a two-run homer by Walker in the fourth inning. Otherwise, Buehler was very good, not allowing a walk and striking out a pair. Then the bullpen picked up where he left off. Marinaccio pitched two perfect innings and Rodriguez retired all three batters he faced before Estrada and Morejon escaped the 10th unscathed. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 18 games, 1-0, 12 saves in 12 chances, 0.96 ERA, 18⅔ innings, two runs, seven hits, five walks, 38 strikeouts, .111 opponent batting average. Was named NL Reliever of the Month for April, the third time he has won the award and second time in three months with the Padres (also September). He is one of three Friars to win the award multiple times, joining Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman (3), Brad Hand (2) and Robert Suarez (2). His 38 strikeouts leads MLB relievers. 11 of Miller's career saves have been of the four-out variety, including two this year. Has finished 17 of the Friars' 24 victories this year. Has not allowed a run in 40 of his 42 appearances, including the postseason, since becoming a Padre (0.81 ERA). New scoreless streak is at four innings. Random Stats Jake Cronenworth extended his club record for being hit by a pitch to 67 in Monday's game vs. the Giants. Sung-Mun Song's two-run double for his first MLB hit made him the first Padre since Graham Pauley (three-run homer) on March 30, 2024, to drive in more than one run with his first hit. Song was also the fourth Friar to have at least two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs in his first career start. He is the first South Korea-born player to do that in MLB history. Miguel Andujar's triple on Tuesday was his 500th career hit. Injuries have limited his playing time since having 170 hits as a rookie in 2018. His only other season with 100 or more hits was last year, with 102 between the A's and Cincinnati Reds. Manny Machado's sacrifice bunt Wednesday was his first since he had two in 2015 with the Baltimore Orioles. Machado's 200th homer as a Padre put him in unique company. He is one of 11 players in MLB history with 200 homers, 1,000 hits and 650 RBIs with one team after playing 750 games with another franchise. Ty France's triple this week was his second of the season, the first time he has recorded multiple three-baggers in a year. He entered this season, his eighth in MLB, with four career triples. Tatis at 162 entering Saturday. Tatis and Chandler Simpson of the Tampa Bay Rays are the only ones among the 100 MLB players with more than 150 plate appearances to not have a homer. Saturday's sellout with the 18th in 23 games at Petco Park this season. The Padres rank second in MLB in attendance, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Transactions Tuesday: Placed 2B Jake Cronenworth on the 7-day injured list. Concussion symptoms. Tuesday: Recalled IF Sung-Mun Song from El Paso Chihuahuas. Tuesday: Activated LHP Yuki Matsui from the 15-day injured list. Tuesday: Optioned LHP Kyle Hart to El Paso Chihuahuas. Thursday: Activated IF Will Wagner from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to El Paso Chihuahuas. Thursday: Placed C Luis Campusano on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left big toe. Thursday: Selected the contract of C Rodolfo Duran from El Paso Chihuahuas. Thursday: Transferred RHP Joe Musgrove from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Thursday: Sent RHP Jhony Brito on a rehab assignment to ACL Padres. Website Highlights Canning's perfectly adequate first start could be just what the Padres need — Randy Holt Can Tatis find a way out of his launch-angle spiral? — Randy Holt Hart's salvation lies in his reworked splitter — Randy Holt Padres are swinging harder in 2026. Does it even matter? — Randy Holt Looking Ahead Monday: Off Tuesday: Padres (Matt Waldron) at Brewers (Brandon Sproat), 4:40 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Michael King) at Brewers (Jacob Misiorowski), 4:40 p.m. Thursday: Padres (Griffin Canning) at Brewers (Kyle Harrison), 10:40 p.m. Friday: Padres (Randy Vasquez) at Mariners, 6:40 p.m. Saturday: Padres (Walker Buehler) at Mariners, 4:15 p.m. Sunday: Padres (TBA) at Mariners, 4:20 p.m. View the full article

Owen Hill and Jesse Burrill are back to break down the Jays' series win against the Angels. They'll talk Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage, and the 14-run explosion on Saturday, and take listener questions and comments. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

For a Twins farm system still searching for a true, no-doubt, top-of-the-rotation pitching prospect, 2026 loomed as a pivotal year for Dasan Hill . The 6-foot-5 left-hander, and Twins Daily’s #6 prospect, has flashed the kind of upside that could eventually vault him into that conversation. As a 19-year-old in Low-A Fort Myers, he posted a 2.77 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 52 IP (albeit with 33 walks) before a late-season promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids. But through his first five starts at Cedar Rapids this year, the early results have been anything but encouraging. Hill owns an 8.44 ERA across 16 innings, along with a 1.88 WHIP. He’s struck out 24 hitters, which on its own is an excellent sign, but that’s been overshadowed by 13 walks and 17 hits allowed. That combination has created constant traffic on the bases, and it’s made it difficult for him to string together clean, efficient outings. For a pitcher expected to take a step forward this season, it’s been quite the opposite so far. The Twins don't currently have a clear-cut, top-100 caliber pitching prospect in their system. Hill has shown flashes of dominance, and his frame and ability to overpower and confuse hitters give him the potential to change that. Instead, he’s spent the first few weeks trying to find his footing. The biggest issue thus far, and the one driving most of the struggles, is command. Hill’s walk rate sits at 17.1%, a number that’s simply too high to sustain success at any level. When nearly one out of every five hitters reaches via walk, everything else becomes exponentially more difficult. Pitch counts climb quickly, innings get extended, and even minor mistakes can turn into big innings. The margin for error becomes extremely small, and for Hill, it’s been almost nonexistent. Even with his ability to miss bats, that kind of inefficiency is hard to overcome. To his credit, there have been signs of life in that department recently. Over his last couple of starts, the command has looked sharper, and the results have followed. Hill has racked up 14 strikeouts to just three walks over his last eight innings, a stretch that much more closely resembles the dominance we’ve been waiting to see. It’s a small sample within a small sample, but it’s at least a step in the right direction. It hasn’t been all negative, either. Beneath the surface, there are indicators suggesting he’s been better than his ERA would imply. For one, his BABIP currently sits at a preposterously high .421. That number is hardly sustainable over multiple starts, let alone a full season, and will come down. That’s especially notable when paired with his batted-ball profile. Hill has done an excellent job generating ground balls, posting a 58% ground ball rate so far this season. That’s a significant jump from the 40.6% mark he posted last year, and typically, that kind of improvement leads to better run prevention. Ground balls are generally less damaging than fly balls, but so far, the results haven’t matched the process. That disconnect shows up when looking at his FIP, which sits at 4.11. While that’s still not dominant, it’s a far cry from an ERA north of eight. The gap suggests that while Hill hasn’t pitched well overall, his performance hasn’t been nearly as disastrous as the surface numbers indicate. Still, it would be a mistake to chalk this up primarily to bad luck. The inflated BABIP and improved ground ball rate offer some optimism, but the command issues are real, and they’re doing the bulk of the damage. Too many walks, combined with too many hitters reaching base in general, have consistently put Hill in difficult situations. Even with better luck on balls in play, that’s not a sustainable formula for success. Of course, it’s important to zoom out. We’re talking about five starts and 16 innings. That’s not nearly enough of a sample to draw firm conclusions about a pitcher’s trajectory, especially at the minor league level. Development is rarely linear, and early-season stat lines can look dramatically different a month or two down the road. But that doesn’t mean what we’re seeing should be ignored, either. For a pitcher with Hill’s upside, expectations are naturally higher. This is a season where progress matters, not just in flashes, but in consistency. The recent uptick in strikeouts and improved command is encouraging, but it needs to become the norm rather than the exception. If that happens, his outlook could change quickly. The swing-and-miss ability is clearly still there, and the jump in his ground ball rate is perhaps the strongest area of improvement from 2025. Clean up the walks, and suddenly you’re looking at a very different stat line, and a very different conversation. Until then, though, the results are what they are. And for those hoping to see Hill force an early promotion to Double-A, that timeline appears to be on hold. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins spent last summer’s trade deadline walking a fine line between cutting payroll, reshaping the roster, and trying to remain competitive in the future. Now that the 2026 season is underway, it is much easier to evaluate those deals based on their actual impact rather than on deadline-day reactions. To evaluate the overall impact, it's not enough to look at what the Twins gained; we also have to look at the roster impact had no trade been made. Some have barely registered on the current roster. Others have already altered the team's trajectory in meaningful ways. Here is a look back at the most impactful deadline moves from the perspective of the impact on the 2026 roster. Trades That Seem Unlikely to Impact the 2026 Roster A few deals simply have not mattered much in the grand scheme of the current season. Enrique Jimenez for Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak has not produced any noticeable effect on the major league club. Paddack and Dobnak were moved largely to clear innings and payroll flexibility, while Jimenez remains far from contributing in Minnesota. Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong for Willi Castro also fall into that category. Castro was a free agent at the end of the year. So far, the return has not impacted the current roster in any meaningful way either, though Gallagher was recently promoted to AAA-St. Paul. Garrett Horn for Danny Coulombe was another low-level move that has not significantly changed the outlook of the 2026 club. Coulombe provided bullpen depth, but neither side of the trade has created lasting ripple effects. 6. Hendry Mendez and Geremy Villoria for Harrison Bader This move always looked like a short-term rental for Philadelphia, and that is exactly what it became. Bader was heading toward free agency, so there was never a realistic scenario where he would still be patrolling the outfield for Minnesota this season. The interesting part of the trade now revolves around Hendry Mendez. Mendez earned a spot on the 40-man roster this winter and recently reached Triple-A. There are still several left-handed hitting corner outfielders ahead of him on the organizational depth chart, but injuries have a way of opening doors quickly. A major league debut sometime this season feels possible if Minnesota needs offensive reinforcements. 2026 Impact: Mendez has a chance to debut, so this trade still feels relatively low impact for 2026. 5. Matt Mikulski and $70 Million in Salary Relief for Carlos Correa This trade still feels surreal. The Twins moved Correa and attached it to a massive amount of salary relief, only to largely pocket the financial flexibility rather than reinvest it in the roster. Before his recent season-ending ankle injury, Correa was actually playing well and could have helped stabilize Minnesota’s lineup during the first month of the season. At the same time, the injury also reinforces why some in the organization were willing to move on from the long-term commitment. Correa’s absence likely would have become a major issue for Minnesota regardless of where he played. Mikulski has been released from the organization, leaving the biggest takeaway from this deal centered on ownership’s financial decisions rather than the actual baseball return. 2026 Impact: The Twins cleared Correa’s contract but failed to meaningfully reinvest the savings into improving the current roster. 4. Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel for Jhoan Duran This one has become complicated quickly. Tait remains years away from the major leagues, making him difficult to evaluate in the context of the current roster. Abel has spent much of the year dealing with injuries after suffering a setback in his recovery from right elbow inflammation. His recent tricep impingement and cortisone shot pushed his timeline back even further. Meanwhile, Duran looked dominant before suffering a strained left oblique. Prior to the injury, he posted a 1.35 ERA with five saves in 6 2/3 innings before recently returning to action. The frustrating part for Minnesota is obvious. A healthy Duran could be helping hold together one of the worst bullpens in baseball right now. Even if Abel eventually becomes a useful arm, the Twins desperately miss the stability Duran brought to the late innings. 2026 Impact: Minnesota badly misses Duran’s late-inning dominance, while Abel’s injury issues have delayed any return value. 3. James Outman for Brock Stewart Few moves have aged worse in the short term. Outman entered the season out of options, which essentially forced Minnesota to keep him on the active roster. Unfortunately, his production has been almost nonexistent. Through his first 28 games, Outman has produced a staggering -0.4 rWAR while occupying a roster spot that could be going to a younger or more productive player. The bigger issue is roster flexibility. Keeping Outman on the bench has prevented the Twins from cycling through alternative options that may provide more offensive upside. Stewart opened the season injured, but recently returned and made his first appearance over the last week. Even limited bullpen help would have been valuable for this roster, considering how disastrous the relief corps has looked for much of the year. 2026 Impact: Outman has negatively impacted the roster, while Stewart’s return to health could have helped stabilize Minnesota’s bullpen. 2. Kendry Rojas and Alan Roden for Louis Varland and Ty France This trade keeps looking worse by the week for Minnesota. The Twins bullpen has completely unraveled at times during the opening stretch of the season, and Varland has emerged as one of the best relievers in the American League. After stepping into Toronto’s closer role, Varland captured AL Reliever of the Month honors and has given the Blue Jays legitimacy at the back end of games. Minnesota’s roster could desperately use that exact presence right now. Roden has battled injuries at Triple-A and has not impacted the major league roster, while Rojas continues flashing electric stuff that may ultimately fit best in a bullpen role long term. The evaluation overwhelmingly centers on Varland. Right now, it is difficult to look at the Twins' bullpen struggles and not wonder how different games might feel with Varland handling the ninth inning. 2026 Impact: Varland’s breakout as Toronto’s closer has magnified how much the Twins need reliable bullpen arms right now. 1. Taj Bradley for Griffin Jax This is a clear win for Minnesota. While several other deadline moves have created frustration, the acquisition of Taj Bradley has been one of the few unquestioned bright spots on the roster. Bradley has emerged as the team’s most valuable pitcher, leading the club with a 1.7 rWAR while posting a 154 ERA+ through his first eight starts. Provided he gets past this recent pectoral injury, Bradley gives the Twins a legitimate chance to win every fifth day. Meanwhile, Jax has struggled since arriving in Tampa Bay as the Rays attempt to transition him into a starting role. The raw material remains intriguing, but the results have not been consistent. For a team searching for rotation stability after injuries and inconsistency, Bradley’s emergence has been enormous. Unlike some of the other deadline moves that created long-term questions, this trade already looks like one of the few decisions that is actively helping Minnesota compete in 2026. 2026 Impact: Bradley has emerged as Minnesota’s best starter and one of the few clear positives from the 2025 trade deadline. Trade deadlines are always judged too quickly. Some deals that looked smart in the moment now appear disastrous because of injuries, roster construction problems, or lack of reinvestment from ownership. Others that drew skepticism initially are beginning to show real value. What stands out most from the Twins’ 2025 deadline activity is how uneven the results have become. Minnesota clearly weakened parts of the bullpen and sacrificed valuable depth, and the consequences are showing up almost nightly this season. At the same time, Bradley’s emergence gives the organization at least one foundational piece to point toward as evidence that not every move was designed strictly to cut costs. Unfortunately for the Twins, one successful trade does not erase the growing list of questions surrounding the rest of the roster. Do you agree with the rankings above? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The specter of pitching injuries has haunted the Cubs all season, but for much of it, they've kept winning, anyway. They haven't lost at Wrigley Field since April 11, and with the Reds coming to town for four games last week, it was important that the team prove that was a product of their poise and talent, rather than just the good luck of facing some cold opponents. As it turned out, the Reds were as cold as they come, but the Cubs did an admirable job of taking advantage. Surrendering three runs and setting down eight Reds batters, Edward Cabrera's quality start Monday felt pedestrian—even insufficient on a day wherein offense came at a premium. After a Pete Crow-Armstrong triple and a game-tying sacrifice fly by Nico Hoerner, though, Michael Conforto delivered the first moment that felt like a signature of a good team getting great: an opposite-field walkoff homer. The moment was reminiscent of the best moments from last October, sending shockwaves that could be felt from Rogers Park all the way to Northwest Indiana. The Cubs took the opener by a score of 5-4. The next night required the same mettle. Trailing the Reds 2-1 in the eighth inning, Michael Busch smashed a one-out bomb to deep right field to knot things up. The dramatic home run reset the contest after another business-like outing from starter Jameson Taillon, who was picked up by dazzling relief appearances from Javier Assad, Jacob Webb, and Daniel Palencia. The latter's outing came in extra innings, wherein Palencia was masterful in keeping Cincinnati locked at two. Their tenth-inning escape made way for another cinematic moment for Busch, who delivered the game-winning knock with a single up the middle, allowing zombie runner Dansby Swanson to race home in a 3-2 triumph. While walk-off wins are not the ideal way to win a ball game, they sure are exciting. And with a chance to secure an impressive series victory, the North Siders delivered their third-straight "last-chance" victory. For the second-straight evening, the game made it to extra innings. After a blowup by reliever Corbin Martin greatly diminished his squad's chances of earning a 14th consecutive victory at home, Crow-Armstrong—a player made for the big stage—crushed a game-tying two-run homer. Anyone who needed further proof of Crow-Armstrong's return to form got it with that swing. Another scoreless 10th frame from the Cubs' bullpen got the home team up to bat in the bottom half of the frame. An implosion from Reds reliever Brock Burke brought Michael Busch to the dish with the bases loaded after issuing an intentional walk to Seiya Suzuki. With two outs, the lefty took a 3-1 pitch up and in, drawing the walk-off walk and an improbable 7-6 victory. The reinvigorated Shota Imanaga toed the rubber for Chicago in the series' finale. Searching for their second consecutive sweep, the Cubs found and displayed their best qualities. Imanaga set the tone with six strong innings, setting down 10 batters. Holding onto a 1-0 lead, Craig Counsell's squad unloaded in the fourth inning with a seven-run onslaught. Michael Conforto continued his impressive stretch with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate, driving in two runs. The up-and-down Gavin Hollowell briefly made the home team adjust their seats in what was otherwise a laugher. Palencia replaced the 28-year-old righty, earning his second save of the 2026 campaign. Winning at a pace as torrid as the Cubs have created an expectation for success. Discovering such a variety of ways to win instills confidence in the clubhouse's ability to rise to any occasion. Injuries being what they are for this squad, Ben Brown was summoned for his first start of the season Friday night in Texas, hoping to run his club's win streak to 10. With Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, serving as the backdrop, Brown answered the call, as he didn't allow a hit over four innings. His colleagues picked up where he left off as a combination of Ryan Rolison, Javier Assad, and Ethan Roberts allowed just two hits and one run in a 7-1 victory for Chicago. Kicking off an eighteen-inning scoreless, the Cubs were blanked 6-0 by the Rangers in the middle contest of their three-game set. Lasting just five, seven-hit innings, Edward Cabrera had one of his worst outings as a North Sider. The squad's early-season offensive woes resurfaced in this tilt, squandering multiple run-scoring opportunities with eleven stranded runners, and a sobering 0-for-13 with RISP. Across the Chicagoland area, countless mothers celebrated joyful gatherings and warm greetings. Unfortunately, not much of that joy was generated by the Cubbies' showing in their series finale with the Rangers in the Lone Star State. Jameson Taillon took the ball for the Cubbies opposite perennial Cy Young contender Jacob deGrom of Texas. For the second time in as many days, the Cubs' offense could not solve the Rangers' pitching staff. Chicago offers its adversaries the third-least strikeouts in the league, but that statistic did not hold up in this one. deGrom set down ten Cubs batters, and reliever Jacob Latz added one more to bring the total to eleven North Siders set down on strikes in their 3-0 loss on this holiday Sunday. The results of their latter two contests versus Texas should serve as a stern reminder to the Cubs and the franchise's faithful that while now standing among the game's elite, the Cubs are far from perfect. They possess all that is necessary to make a run to the World Series, but it still takes relentless execution to attain baseball's highest heights. That theory will be put to a rigorous test as the squad continues its nine-game road trip with a visit to the Atlanta Braves, who stand with this Cubs squad at the top of Major League Baseball. After that, the squad heads back to Illinois to square off with their crosstown rival, the White Sox, for three games on the Southside. With the club playing some impressive ball, the fun is just getting started for this Cubs squad. View the full article

Brewer Fanatic is teaming up with the Twins Daily Social Club to bring baseball fans together for an afternoon packed with hardball energy and community – whether you’ll be in Wisconsin or Minnesota. If you’re in Wisconsin, join us to watch the game at Broken Bat Brewing, from 5:30-9 pm, for our Twins Daily/Brewer Fanatic Watch Party! The brewery has developed a reputation as one of Milwaukee’s most baseball-centered hangouts. Local fans on Reddit frequently recommend Broken Bat as one of the best places in the city to watch Brewers games, thanks to its baseball theme, game-day atmosphere, and unique setting. Or, if you’ll be going to the game in Minnesota, we will bring all the pregame fun and excitement to Smorgie’s in Minneapolis, giving Brewers fans, Twins fans, and anyone looking for a fun game-day atmosphere a place to rally before first pitch. Join us there from 4-5:30 pm for giveaways, conversation, and Smorgie’s is rolling out the red carpet with us with some big-time drink specials. First, just for this event, they’re extending Smorgie’s famous happy hour, which is 2-4-1 drinks! On top of that, there will be $5 Summit Twins Pilsener, Summit EPA, and Firestone Walker 805 Blonde. And it’s located just two blocks from Target Field! Both events will also include giveaways and raffles for Brewers and Twins fans, but we’ll share those details soon! Even better, no matter which location you go to, you’ll be able to share your passion for your team, enjoy some great refreshment, and build community. We’ll see you there! What: Milwaukee Watch Party Cost: Free Where: Broken Bat Brewery, 135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee When: 5/16/26 5:30-9 pm MPLS PREGAME PARTY DETAILS What: Minneapolis Pregame Party Cost: Free Where: Smorgie’s, 508 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis When: 5/16/26 4-5:30 pm View the full article

After an electric Home Opener turnout earlier this season, the Twins Daily Social Club is teaming up with Brewer Fanatic to bring fans together for an afternoon packed with baseball energy and community - whether you’re in Minnesota or Wisconsin. If you’re in Minnesota, we will bring all the pregame fun and excitement to Smorgie’s in Minneapolis, giving Twins fans, Brewers fans, and anyone looking for a fun game-day atmosphere a place to rally before first pitch. Join us there from 4-5:30 pm for giveaways, conversation, and Smorgie’s is rolling out the red carpet with us with some big-time drink specials. First, just for this event, they’re extending Smorgie’s famous happy hour, which is 2-4-1 drinks! On top of that, there will be $5 Summit Twins Pilsener, Summit EPA, and Firestone Walker 805 Blonde. And it’s located just two blocks from Target Field! Or, if you’re a Twins fan living in Wisconsin, join us to watch the game at Broken Bat Brewing for our Twins Daily/Brewer Fanatic Watch Party! The brewery has developed a reputation as one of Milwaukee’s most baseball-centered hangouts. Local fans on Reddit (and John “Twins Geek” Bonnes) frequently recommend Broken Bat as one of the best places in the city to watch Brewers games thanks to its baseball theme, game-day atmosphere, and unique setting. Both events will also include giveaways and raffles for both Twins and Brewers fans, but we’ll give you those details tomorrow! But even better, no matter which location you go to, you’ll be able to share your passion for your team, enjoy some great refreshment, and build community. We’ll see you there! MPLS PREGAME PARTY DETAILS What: Minneapolis Pregame Party Cost: Free Where: Smorgie’s, 508 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis When: 5/16/26 4-5:30 pm MILWAUKEE WATCH PARTY DETAILS What: Milwaukee Watch Party Cost: Free Where: Broken Bat Brewery, 135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee When: 5/16/26 5:30-9 pm View the full article

For many, many Brewers fans, Bill Hall's Mothers Day walkoff homer in 2006 was a watershed moment. It was very early in the days of players using pink bats for breast cancer awareness on that day; that made it visually interesting and memorable. For young fans who'd grown up in a household forever abuzz about the team's dramatic Easter win in 1987, it was a new springtime landmark to savor, one that belonged to the new generation. It also felt like a turning point—an announcement that the winds of positive change were pulling the organization out of the doldrums in which they'd been mired for the previous few years. Hall himself had been a nice find in 2005, and he blossoming into someone about whom to be downright excited. That team would ultimately win just 75 games, but it sowed the seeds that germinated the following year. In one sense, the franchise has not been the same since that game; they've become a perennially competitive team. There were no competitive doldrums to blow away for Brice Turang on Sunday, but beating the Yankees would mean sweeping the weekend series between the two teams. In an admittedly messy American League, the Bronx Bombers look as much like a juggernaut as anyone, and the Brewers had revenge to ponder after New York embarrassed them so badly in the great Torpedoing of the season-opening series in 2025. On so many levels, what Turang did in the bottom of the ninth inning was immensely satisfying. WERaMGFfWGw0TUFRPT1fQVZkU0JsZFFBMUVBRGxWUkJBQUhDQUlDQUZnR1VGUUFBZ01CQ1FJRVVnUlVWQXBS.mp4 One of the loveliest things about the homer, though, is the way its parallels with Hall's also highlight the important distinctions to be drawn. This team is vastly different from that one; so is its Mothers Day hero. Hall had a great 2006, with 35 homers and 78 total extra-base hits. Even then, though, it was pretty clear he was enjoying a career year. He'd never be anywhere near that good again; he lost his starting job by 2009. That's not going to happen with Turang. Whether he signs an extension with Milwaukee or is eventually traded, it's increasingly clear that the team's 2018 first-round pick is going to go down as one of the best players in franchise history. This homer won't be the Turang highlight; it'll just be one of several. We already have a handful of other candidates, in fact. Each year, Turang gets better at the plate. That can't go on forever, of course. In fact, it would be a major shock if he gets much better than this, at any point. Then again, try telling your mid-2023 self that Turang—the scrappy, slappy glove man demoted to Triple-A Nashville mid-year—would push his OPS+ to 86 in 2024; then 120 in 2025; then 163 in 2026. What he's doing is phenomenally improbable, and it's only possible because he's been assiduous and brilliant in his approach to improving at the plate. We've already talked at length about how Turang has altered his swing plane over the years. Just to update that a bit, though: his average swing tilt (as measured by Statcast) is now 37° this year, up from 31° last year. It was somewhat notable that he went from 29° in 2023 to that 31° figure in 2025. Remember about a decade ago, when the term "swing changer" came into vogue, as players leaned into the fly-ball revolution? When you see a 6° change in swing plane from one year to the next, that's a swing changer. Turang was a great hitter last year, but he overhauled what he's doing at the plate coming into this season. Here's an animated look at his swing from 2025. This is a digital visualization of a composite of swings, not an actual capture of a particular one, but it can make it easier to see several important things. Firstly, look at how far apart his feet are. (This is meant to show only the actual swing, so his stride is done at this point; the front foot is down already.) Note, too, the openness of his front foot and hip. From those elements of his lower-half operation comes a flatter-than-average swing, albeit one that covered the zone wonderfully well and produced plenty of hard contact to all fields. Turang 25.mp4 Now, compare that to this visualization of Turang for 2026. Check on the same things: distance between feet, the angle of the front foot and hip relative to the incoming pitch. But look, too, at the shoulders. Turang 26.mp4 Without dipping his back shoulder in a way that costs him bat speed or takes him off the plane of the pitch, Turang can now create more loft in his swing, because he's more upright as he swings. Being more upright—in other words, striding shorter—can mean generating less energy and (therefore) less power, but Turang's slightly more closed lower half lets him create torque by uncoiling with a bit more lift, the front shoulder rolling upward and outward more forcefully so that the top hand can steer the bat "underneath" his front side, as hitting people say. Torque and bat speed aren't the sources of Turang's improvements this year, though. Strength is certainly a component—getting into the right position to drive the ball out to the left of dead center on a pitch breaking down and in on you takes terrific strength—but Turang's bat speed is almost exactly where it was last year. The percentage of his swings topping 75 MPH in bat speed—what Statcast dubs Fast Swings—is actually down quite a bit, from 18.1% to 10.8%. Much of the added value comes, instead, from all that newfound tilt. Take two equally fast swings in terms of sheer Statcast speed measurements, and the one with more tilt is actually faster, in practical terms, so there's a kind of hidden bat speed bump in what Turang is doing this year. Another big chunk of his value comes from better swing decisions, and the league's smaller strike zone, especially for lefty batters. His walk rate is through the roof, which is why he's leading the National League in on-base percentage. However, there's also something to the way his swing speeds are distributed from which we can learn. Here are those distributions for each of Turang's big-league seasons (though bat-tracking data goes back only to the middle of his rookie year, 2023). He pushed the right edge of that distribution more in 2025, but look at how much more clustered his swing speeds are this year. Turang isn't trying to outguess pitchers and put his 'A+' swing on mistakes, but nor is he using a bimodal swing plan wherein he slows down or speeds up based on what he's looking for and what he sees as the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. This year, Turang is getting off his 'A-' swing at a much higher rate, because he knows it will work. With more tilt in the bat path and better swing decisions, he ends up with lots of ways to achieve a good outcome, if he can just take a representative swing every time he swings at all. Instead of comparing him only to himself, perhaps we can try comparing him to some relevant players who make natural foils. Here's Turang's distribution for this year, along with teammate Sal Frelick and fellow NL Central second basemen Nico Hoerner and Brandon Lowe. Few hitters in the game are more grip it-and-rip it than Lowe, which shows up here—not just in how many of his swings cluster into the small range at the right of his distribution, but in the visible rightward skew of that curve itself. He's pushing for maximum bat speed whenever he can lock onto a pitch. Frelick is the opposite end of the spectrum, very often decelerating his swing to make contact and using two different strokes based on what he's expecting or what the team needs. With his flatter, slower swing, that's necessary; it's the only way he can produce positive outcomes across a broad swath of situations. Hoerner is even more extreme than Turang in his effort to get off the same swing every time. As you can see, though, the swing he's repeating so diligently is slower. It's also flatter. Hoerner has a great feel for contact in his own right, but he hasn't figured out how to impact the ball the way Turang has—and if he ever did, it would probably have to come with the kinds of sacrifices Turang has found ways not to make this spring. Finding that sweet spot where he's maximizing per-swing output without losing consistency or adaptability is hugely valuable and impressive; Turang has threaded a needle. In the modern game, almost no one has a durable, true talent level of .298/.422/.511. Turang will probably come back to Earth a bit from this apex. He's been incredibly good, though, and he's been this way for 400 plate appearances, dating back to last August. To finish as well as he did last year and still make a major swing adjustment this year speaks to the plasticity and the ambition in Turang. He's a genuine superstar, and with William Contreras and Jackson Chourio hitting on either side of him, he could become the centerpiece of one of baseball's best offenses over the next year and a half. View the full article

For the week, Wisconsin (4-2) was the sole series winner, with Nashville and Wilson managing 3-3 draws and Biloxi (2-3) coming up a bit short. Transactions: OF Luis Matos placed on AAA Nashville’s 7-day injured list on May 9 Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 8, Louisville (Reds) 0 Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Sounds Pitching Staff Tosses Combined Shutout to Split Series Nishant Brahme’s detailed game write-up covered the game highlights in detail, including the shutout by RHP Garrett Stallings (6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks) and three relievers, RBI hits by four Sounds’ players and two videos. While 3B Jett Williams (2-for-3, double, 2 walks, 2 RBIs) reached base 4 times and also contributed a sacrifice fly, the 28-year Stallings was truly the story of the game, not allowing any baserunner to reach scoring position until 2 outs in the 6th inning. His velocity peaked at 94.1mph in the 5th inning, with pitches exceeding 93mph in four of six frames. Eight Sounds’ batters collected at least one hit on this fine Sunday afternoon, including multi-hit games for OF Luis Lara (2-for-5, walk), OF Jordyn Adams (2-for-4) and OF Jacob Hurtubise (2-for-4, walk, RBI). Entering with a 5-0 lead in the 7th inning, RHP Craig Yoho allowed a first pitch rocket (109.9mph single) and had a pick-off error before getting down to business: pop out, 2 Ks. Through 8 games, he’s been solid with a 2.08 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, .138 AVG against and .564 OPS against. Sounds’ Extras: Adams’ 6th inning exit, after a single and force out at second base, was likely unplanned, pushing INF Ethan Murray (1-for-4, walk, RBI) to first base (first time in 2026) and Eddys Leonard to the outfield. Hopefully it was just precautionary though. RHP Peter Strzelecki’s 3-up, 3-down 8th inning featured peak velocity of 94.5mph, while RHP Blake Holub’s final pitch of the game touched 97.1mph. Next week’s outlook: Nashville return home to battle the Iowa Cubs for six games, commencing Tuesday night. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Game One Final: Biloxi 9, Columbus (Braves) 6 (in 7 innings) Box Score and Game Log Game Two Final: Columbus 6, Biloxi 1 (in 7 innings) Box Score and Game Log Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Shuckers Split Mother’s Day Doubleheader with Clingstones It was the best of times - 9 runs, 11 hits in Game One win to even the series. It was the worst of times - 2 runs, 1 hit in Game Two defeat to drop the series 3 games to 2. Game One: While 1B Blake Burke (3-for-4, HR, RBI, SB) homered yet again and 3B Mike Boeve (2-for-4, double, 3 RBIs) and SS Jesus Made contributed 2-out RBI singles, starting RHP Bishop Letson took a step in the right direction over 4 innings (2 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 Ks). Unfortunately, RHP Brett Wichrowski (3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) coughed up the 3-2 advantage in the top of the 5th inning, but 2-out magic saved the Shuckers again: C Darrien Miller walk, OF Eduardo Garcia walk, DH Matt Wood grand slam on an 0-2 pitch for an 8-4 lead: Boeve’s RBI double pushed the lead to 9-4 in the penultimate inning, but the team could have used some of the hits and runs in the second contest. Game Two: Starting RHP Tyson Hardin (3 2/3 IP, 6 R, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) had entered the contest with 40 Ks in 25 2/3 IP, but he wasn’t fooling Clingstones’ batters at the start of this game: no strikeouts amongst first 12 batters faced, 6 earned runs allowed including the 2-out grand slam on an 0-2 pitch in the second inning. The sudden 6-0 hole magnified the importance of the Shuckers stranding 2 baserunners in the 1st inning (including OF Damon Keith’s double; 1.093 season OPS), but the team only produced one more hit the rest of the way. At least it was of the Burke 4-bag variety: Shuckers’ Extras: The relief corps of LHP Anthony Flores and RHPs Ryan Birchard and Cameron Wagoner got the job done in Game 2, in case a rally was on the cards: combined 3 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H - all singles, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 Ks. OF Mark Coley II (0-for-2, 2 Ks in Game 2) is mired in a 1-for-26 slump, which he’ll hopefully break out of next week. Next week’s outlook: Biloxi travel to Alabama to take on Ray’s affiliate Montgomery for six games, commencing Tuesday. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 15, Peoria (Cardinals) 8 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Fischer & Bitonti Lead the Way to a Wisconsin Win Chris Mehring’s linked game report is chock-full of highlights and videos, covering Wisconsin’s 19-hit barrage led by 3B Andrew Fischer (4-for-6, 2 HR, triple, 5 RBIs) and 1B Eric Bitonti (5-for-5, HR, 2 doubles, walk, 2 RBIs). The Timber Rattlers scored runs in 6 of the first 7 innings, including multiple runs in four of the frames to build an unassailable 15-5 advantage. At least as important as the breakout offensive performances (e.g. OF Luis Castillo: 2-for-3, double, 3 walks, 2 RBIs) was the immediate return-to-health of starting RHP Jason Woodward (2 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 Ks; 46 pitches), who had exited a game one week earlier due to a ball off of his forearm. C Blayberg Diaz (2-for-5, double, walk, 3 RBIs) and SS Luiyin Alastre (3-for-5, double, triple, 2 RBIs) were happy to join Castillo in the 7-8-9 batter hit brigade. After playing no innings at shortstop in 2025, Alastre has now started 4 games there in Luis Pena’s absence, with no errors committed. Timber Rattlers’ Extras: After just 132 PAs in an injury-affected 2025 campaign (.466 OPS that season), Castillo has found a groove over his last 9 games: 10-for-31, 2 HR, 2 doubles, 5 walks. RHP Jose Nova (1 2/3 IP, 3 R, 1 K) managed to strand a baserunner for Woodward, but the hit-by-pitch and 7(!) wild pitches were not child-friendly viewing. RHP Chandler Welch covered long relief (4 IP, 3 R, 6 Ks; 66 pitches), with 2 runs coming on a homer as he sought the final out of the 8th inning. Fischer may have really wanted to complete the cycle (he needed a double), as he was ejected followed a called strikeout to start the 9th inning. Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin host Cubs’ affiliate South Bend for six games, with 21-year old LHP Wande Torres (6.35 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 9.9 K/9 in 22 2/3 IP) listed as the schedule for the series opener on Tuesday. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Fayetteville (Astros) 7, Wilson 6 Box Score and Game Log Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Warbirds Rally Comes Up Short in Series Finale Our Low-A squad rallied from an early 5-1 deficit and then nearly rallied again with two outs and nobody on in the 9th inning, but ended up stranding 2 baserunners to fall just short. As he is so often, OF Handelfry Encarnacion (3-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 SBs) was the offensive catalyst, homering on the first pitch of the game, singling to spark the 4-run third inning rally and singling in the 9th inning to extend the contest. After a rough first seven batters faced (5 runs, 4 earned), starting RHP Jarrette Bonet dialed in to register 9 outs from the next 10 batters, exiting after 70 pitches (42 strikes). Two errors didn’t help him in that difficult first frame, but DH Luis Lameda’s game-tying, 2-out, 2-run single in the 3rd inning evened things up. RHPs Thomas Conrad and Tanner Perry were capable in relief, combining to cover 4 2/3 innings (2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks), but the offense was unable to cash in on SS Brady Ebel’s leadoff 5th inning double or two walks in the 6th frame. The Warbirds’ 4th error of the game helped the Woodpeckers to an insurance run in the 7th inning. After Encarnacion, Ebel (1-for-3, double, 2 walks, SB) and 2B Juan Ortuno (1-for-4, walk, SB) refused to make the final out, C Kevin Garcia struck out on five pitches to end the game. Warbirds’ Extras: Garcia is now 1-for-24 to commence the 2026 campaign, starting slowly after missing spring training time due to an injury. Lameda (1-for-3, walk, 2 RBIs) and 3B Filippo Di Turi (1-for-3, walk, RBI) each reached base twice. While OF Nick Monile contributed an outfield assist to end the 6th inning, he’s unfortunately struggling on the offensive end, now 1-for-36 to start his minor league career. Next week’s outlook: Wilson return home to take on Guardian’s affiliate Hill City for six games, commencing on Tuesday. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, the sole affiliate in action is the ACL Brewers, who play at the ACL Reds at 8:00pm CST. The Milwaukee Brewers also have a day off on Monday, resting up before hosting the Padres on Tuesday. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

It’s that time of the year again, when TalkSox updates our Top 20 prospect rankings for the Boston Red Sx. Both staff and readers voted and after tabulating the votes, the reveal of the list is now ready. The Top 20 saw some notable changes from the preseason, including the addition of two new prospects which we will break down. Let’s jump into it below. Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospect List Payton Tolle LHP MLB (40-man) (previously #1) Franklin Arias SS AA (previously #3) Kyson Witherspoon RHP A+ (previously #4) Anthony Eyanson RHP AA (previously #10) Justin Gonzales OF/1B A+ (previously #7) Juan Valera RHP A+ (previously #5) Jake Bennett LHP AAA (40-man) (previously #12) Mikey Romero INF AAA (previously #6) Marcus Phillips RHP A+ (previously #9) Dorian Soto INF FCL (previously #8) Henry Godbout 2B/SS A+ (previously #14) Tyler Uberstine RHP AAA (40-man) (previously #17) Yoeilin Cespedes 2B/SS A+ (previously #15) John Holobetz RHP AA (previously #20) Enddy Azocar OF A (previously unranked) Miguel Bleis OF AA (previously #11) Yophery Rodriguez OF A+ (previously #16) Johanfran Garcia C AA (previously #13) Hayden Mullins LHP AA (previously unranked) Conrad Cason TWP FCL (previously #19) The list retains many players from the previous Top 20, with Connelly Early and Nelly Taylor Jr. being the only players removed — Early due to his graduation from prospect status, while Taylor has struggled mightily in Double-A with Portland to the tune of a stat line of .098/.202/.195. The biggest rank improvements belong to Anthony Eyanson who went from 10th to 4th, Jake Bennett climbing from 12th to 7th, Tyler Uberstine rising from 17th to 12th, and John Holobetz who went from 20th to 14th. Their rise is a sign of the improvements that Craig Breslow made on the pitching development side of things. Though, it wasn’t just pitching that improved, as both Justin Gonzales and Henry Godbout saw their rankings improve, as well as the addition of Enddy Azocar to the Top 20. The biggest rank decreases belonged to catcher Johanfran Garcia falling from 13th to 18th and Miguel Bleis who went from being just outside of the top 10 at 11th down to 16th. Both players have shown flashes of their talent that has generated buzz and hope that they can reach their potential, but a combination of injuries and inconsistency has stifled the duo. The ranking is dominated in two specific areas. The first being that pitching very much makes up most of the Top 10 on the list. Of the 10 players, six are pitchers, including number one prospect Payton Tolle and the big three pitching prospects of Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, and Marcus Phillips all whom were drafted in 2025. Eyanson specifically has generated comparisons to a Tolle-esque season thanks to his hot start in Greenville (20 1/3 innings, seven hits, one earned run, three walks, 34 strikeouts) that led to a promotion to Portland after just five starts. The second area that dominates this list is that Greenville makes up the most players on the list with seven prospects. Portland finished second with six prospects, while Salem had the least with just a single prospect. Greenville at the start of the season was viewed as an exciting, young, team that could be showcasing the future of the franchise thanks to its pitching staff containing the likes of Eyanson, Witherspoon, Phillips, and Juan Valera along with their offense containing players like Rodriguez, Gonzales and Godbout. Yoeilin Cespedes’ great start to the season was a welcomed surprise too, as he’s beginning to showcase the offensive production that once made him a top prospect within the organization. Let's review the two new additions to our list to round things out. Enddy Azocar, OF (Single-A Salem): No. 15 Azocar is an interesting prospect, as he’s just 19 years old and breaking out in Salem. When signed as an amateur, Azocar was viewed as having good contact skills along with projections viewing him as eventually being a good hitter. However, he struggled in 2024 with just three extra-base hits while moving from the infield to the outfield full time. Entering 2025, the outfielder put on 25 pounds of muscle and increased his quality of contact which led to a quick promotion to Single-A where he was one of the youngest players in the league. If you looked at just his stats, you would think that there wasn’t much to like with Azocar, as he hit just .202/.273/.314 in 71 games. In that same span he had nine doubles, a triple, six home runs and 26 RBIs. Despite those numbers, there was a lot to like in the underlying data, including 90th percentile exit velocity. In the majors, a 90th exit velocity of 107 mph or higher is considered elite. Azocar’s 105.4 mph was the highest for all players of his age across the minors. To add to his power, he also showcased solid contact ability thanks to an in-zone whiff rate of just 18%. Azocar starts with a leg lift timing device while hitting and has showcased average bat speed so far in his young career. He can be aggressive at times but will make contact with pitches in the zone and does not chase often. He still needs to work on developing his pitch recognition for secondary pitches, but should that happen, he should take off as a prospect. He currently has average raw power, but as he fills out as he ages that should increase, as shown in 2026 (six home runs through 28 games vs. six home runs in 71 games in 2025). Azocar has been viewed as having slightly above average speed which helps in the outfield when paired with his plus range in center field. Often, he shows solid instincts on balls hit to the outfield while taking good routes to the ball. While he is likely capable of playing all three outfield positions at an above-average level, he is likely to stick in center field long term. His arm is also viewed as being above-average, which will only help his development. Overall, he should be viewed as an athletic, defensive outfielder with power potential. At the moment, his hit tool is what will determine if he truly breaks out into a great prospect or not, but the improvements have been seen so far in 2026. His outcome is anywhere from a starting outfielder to a minor-league bench role, a huge range laden with tantalizing upside. Hayden Mullins, LHP (Double-A Portland): No. 19 For some, it’s a surprise that Mullins remained in the organization after his 2025 season that saw him go 8-2 with a 2.21 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) between Greenville and Portland. He tossed 101 2/3 innings while striking out 123 batters. For his dominance, (7-2 record, 2.44 ERA, 84 2/3 innings, 96 strikeouts), he was named the 2025 Portland Sea Dogs Pitcher of the Year. Entering the Rule 5 Draft, there was a lot of concern that Mullins could be selected after his 2025 season, especially as many felt that his stuff could play well out of the bullpen a role. Instead, he was not selected and returned to the Boston organization for the 2026 season where he’s looked rather good so far including being part of a no-hitter on April 26. Mullins throws from a three-quarters slot and starts on the third base side of the rubber. His motion tends to involve a high leg kick and rotates his hips. He’s also viewed as having good extension, which we all know Craig Breslow loves. He has a five-pitch arsenal that is made up of a four-seam fastball, slider, sweeper, changeup and cutter. His fastball tends to average around 92 to 95 mph and can show life up in the zone. It’s been shown to have bat-missing ability so far through his minor-league career despite the command and control still being a work in progress. If he were in the bullpen, the velocity could potentially increase for shorter outings, which would place it in plus territory. The slider tends to be between 81 and 85 mph with a high spin rate. He has an advanced feel for it and when at a lower velocity, it sometimes takes on a shape similar to a sweeper. He can land it in the zone or throw it down and outside of the zone if he is hoping to get the batter to chase. The sweeper averages between 77 and 80 mph and has been a work in progress for Mullins. In 2025, he managed to make it more into its own pitch and has shown bat missing ability. The changeup and cutter are his weakest pitches, as the changeup sits between 81 and 83 mph. When the changeup is on, it flashes a late drop and thrown with an arm speed that makes it deceptive. When it isn’t on, the pitch doesn’t work as well and because of that it’s viewed as very inconsistent. The cutter is a pitch that he hasn’t used as much since 2024 but is viewed as having average traits. Mullins has battled injuries in his career, and even before his career started as he was drafted shortly after having Tommy John surgery. As such, being drafted in 2022, he would not make his organizational debut until August of 2023 and that would take place in the Florida Complex League. Last year, he also deal with a bout of shoulder fatigue that had him miss most of May. Due to the injury concerns and his command issues, there is belief he could work best out of the bullpen in a one- or two-inning role, especially if he focuses on a fastball/slider combination. However, due to a deep arsenal that can work against both left-handed and right-handed hitters, the organization will look to develop him as a starter until he struggles in that role. View the full article

Outside of the teams that won World Series championships in 1997 and 2003, the 2023 edition of the Miami Marlins was perhaps the most adored in franchise history. Following consecutive seasons of 90-plus losses in 2021 and 2022, '23 was a breath of fresh air. Those fiery, resilient Fish blended both veterans and young stars with formidable pitching and hitting to clinch just Miami's third-ever playoff berth in a full season. You cannot tell the story of that team without a certain 5-foot-10 second baseman with fewer than forty career homers. Luis Arraez was the 2023 Marlins. Acquired from the Minnesota Twins a little less than a month away from spring training, "La Regadera" etched himself in team lore while simultaneously becoming a fan favorite. He achieved the first cycle in franchise history...in just his twelfth game. He proceeded to flirt with a .400 average deep into the season and set a franchise single-season record with his final .354 mark. Arraez was an All-Star, Silver Slugger and top-10 finisher in National League MVP balloting, the leader and face of a scrappy lineup that had Miami in the spotlight like they haven't been in years, with what seemed to be a promising future. On the heels of that prosperous season, Marlins ownership opted for a bold shake-up. General manager Kim Ng was out, replaced by new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. There were wholesale changes to front office personnel, but Bendix largely kept the club's major league roster intact—the most notable departures were letting Jorge Soler and his 36 homers walk in free agency and flipping super utility man Jon Berti on the eve of Opening Day. Given the dire state of Miami's farm system, a rebuild seemingly loomed, but not imminently. To reference Murphy's Law, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. On May 3, just 33 games into their 2024 campaign, the Marlins entered their cross-country trip to Oakland sitting at 9-24, set up by a brutal season-opening 0-9 skid. But hey, maybe this core could do the impossible again. Jesús Sánchez said it himself not even 24 hours ago following his walk-off that "Miami was back" and there were signs of stabilization with a 6-4 record in their last ten. Then, just like that, it was all over. Minutes before first pitch from the Coliseum, news broke that Arraez was headed to San Diego in exchange for a quartet of minor league talent. The reported blockbuster was met with shock and outrage, not just from Marlins faithful, but from all corners of the baseball world. Bendix had gutted the soul from his organization barely one month into his first regular season in Miami. He confirmed in the subsequent media session that this was waving the white flag on 2024, saying "we are unlikely to make the playoffs this year." Many more moves followed and the Marlins endured 100 losses that year. At the time of this article, two players that Bendix inherited from the 26-man postseason roster remain on the major league squad. Although the Marlins are not yet perennial contenders like Bendix aspires to be, their outlook is considerably brighter than it was two years ago. We now have the necessary context to evaluate the Arraez deal more fairly. It's fair to start with the man himself, whom after collecting another batting title in 2024 with San Diego, saw his name and what he brings to the table get more criticized amongst the general baseball population. The "one-tool player" label gained serious wheels following Arraez's first season as a Padre and a 2025 campaign that featured a league-lead in hits with 181, but an OPS of .719. Despite hitting free agency in the theoretical prime of his career (entering his age-29 season), Arraez lingered on the market until February. He ultimately moved north in to the division rival San Francisco Giants on a modest one-year, $12 million deal that literally any MLB team could've afforded (yes, even the frugal Fish). His first quarter of a season in the Bay has been mostly a continuation of his Padres tenure offensively—tons of singles and fewer strikeouts than any other qualified hitter. Interestingly, his defense has graded out brilliantly. Arraez still plays his role and does it better than anybody...except for one guy. We'll get to him later. The package sent to Miami included OF Jakob Marsee, RHP Woo-Suk Go, 1B Nathan Martorella and OF Dillon Head, with the final being considered the headliner. Thus far, Miami gets a 1.5/4. Go was the least desirable at the time of the swap and his stock only lowered since joining the Marlins organization. The Korean right-hander struggled as a low-leverage reliever in the minors and was cut 13 months after being acquired without ever tasting the majors. Martorella's hit tool had been a question mark when he came over and it's looking as questionable as ever now. He is OPS'ing .520 with a .135 average in Triple-A Jacksonville, a step down from an already discouraging .630 OPS a year ago. I'm giving Miami a generous half point for Dillon Head, the 70-grade speedster who was just 19 at the time of the deal. Head has been absolutely hampered by injuries ever since, including a season-ending hip injury a little over a month after joining the organization and has appeared in a limited nine games in 2026 after nursing a hand injury. It is entirely too early to write Head off, but this season in High-A will play a huge role when evaluating his future with the club. Finally-and most notably-Jakob Marsee, who was the first of the four to receive a call-up and did not miss his opportunity. The Dearborn, MI native went scorched earth in his debut month in the bigs, being honored with NL Rookie of the Month for August after posting a sensational .352/.430/.629 with eighteen extra-base hits and above-average defense. It's been a mixed bag since, most notably the start to Marsee's sophomore season—he currently holds a 67 wRC+ (league average is 100). What we do understand is that Bendix and the Marlins front office has supreme confidence in their potential franchise center fielder to figure things out, and there's reason to believe. Marsee boasts incredible plate discipline, still possessing an OBP over .307 with an average of .182. If you choose to view the trade simply based off the four players Miami received in return, it appears Bendix still won his first blockbuster, but not by a landslide. However, the true value of the deal can be seen when analyzing the other guy I was referring to earlier. Xavier Edwards, who had no way of finding consistent playing time with Arraez and Tim Anderson up the middle in 2024, was called up shortly after the departure of his predecessor. Instantly, the former first-round pick proved Bendix was right to deal Arraez in favor of his former Rays farmhand. While Edwards and Arraez both have elite hit tools, the former's value extends far beyond. An elite runner despite not swiping as many bags as one would expect, Edwards can take extra bases and keep balls in the infield at second base. In addition, since transitioning to the position full-time just halfway into 2025, Edwards proved to be elite, even being named a Gold Glove finalist. Perhaps most important to Bendix and Co., the switch-hitting Edwards is three years younger than Arraez and doesn't hit free agency until 2030. Edwards' production and future value chalks this trade up as a win for Miami already. Couple that with a potential franchise center fielder and an uber-athletic 21-year-old that simply needs to stay healthy? While Bendix took plenty of heat for getting rid of the fan favorite, he was just setting the tone for what was to come. View the full article

The 2024 New York Mets feel like a distant memory. While it hasn’t even been 24 months since Grimace’s first pitch turned the Mets into a juggernaut, it might as well have been the pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War. A late-season collapse in 2025, followed by the fast-moving ecological disaster to start 2026, has all but erased what felt like, for a fleeting moment, the beginning of something special. And no player has embodied the rollercoaster quite like Sean Manaea. Manaea was a revelation for the 2024 Mets. He made 32 starts, totaling 181.2 innings, and posted a 3.47 ERA. A season after being moved to the bullpen in San Francisco, Manaea earned the right to start four playoff games for the Mets, and it was in large part thanks to him lowering his arm slot. The truth about hitting is that it is fundamentally subconscious. There just isn’t enough time to see, think, and react to a pitch moving 90-plus MPH. What this means for pitchers is that being generic is the worst thing possible. The more generic a pitch is, the more times a hitter has seen it, and the easier it is for them to square it up or spit on it. Manaea always had a weird profile. His sinker and four-seam fastball might be the same pitch. The former has more horizontal movement and vertical drop than average, but is usually thrown at the top of the strike zone. The general rule is that sinking fastballs play best at the bottom of the zone, while high-spin ones dominate at the top. Despite all this, Manaea limited fly balls, threw enough strikes, and got hitters to chase his sweeper or changeup on his way to being a mostly league-average pitcher. It was an effective plan, but it was mostly generic, until all of a sudden, he wasn’t. With the Mets in 2024, Manaea made the bold decision to lower his arm angle and completely transformed his fastball into an unstoppable weapon. While pitch characteristics are important, they aren’t the only factor in determining how a pitch will play. A lower arm angle provides pitches with a flatter approach angle, which generally makes them play better at the top of the zone. The combination of a sinking-tailing fastball from a shallow approach angle at the top of the zone made Manaea’s fastball far more unique, and helped him and the Mets to a second-half surge. So, what has gone so wrong for Manaea since 2024 and, in particular, 2026? Well, it’s complicated. First, his 2025 wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked. His xERA was 4.00, his FIP was 4.39, and his xFIP was 3.30. In fact, he posted the best K% (28.5%) and K%-BB% (24%) of his career, but was undone by a career-worst home-run-to-fly-ball ratio of 19.4%, which is how he posted a 5.64 ERA, despite some solid indicators. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of his 2026. There is no way around it: Manaea has legitimately been awful to start the season. His xERA is 5.52, his FIP is 4.48, and his xFIP is 4.58, despite throwing exclusively out of the bullpen. So, while he has been unlucky to have a 6.85 ERA, it’s not like he’s making a case to re-enter the Mets' rotation. The biggest concern facing Manaea has been his fastball. Usually, pitchers experience some form of velocity bump when throwing out of the bullpen, but Manaea’s average fastball velocity has dropped to 90.2 MPH, down from 91.7 in 2025 and 92.2 in 2024. No matter the secondary characteristics or the location, at a certain speed, any fastball is vulnerable. And to make matters worse, he’s locating it far worse. Manaea’s fastball has played relatively well at the top of the zone, and has characteristics where it could play near the bottom, but what you cannot do is throw a 90 MPH fastball down the middle, and that’s exactly what he has been doing this season. Sean Manaea 2026 Four Seam Heat Map Unsurprisingly, the pitch has surrendered an xSLG of .537 and has seen its whiff rate drop from 23.2% to 18.2%. The reality is that Manaea’s fastball velocity might never return. He’s 34, and his velocity has been trending down over the past few seasons, despite throwing more innings out of the bullpen. However, that doesn’t mean his fastball can’t play far better if he can manage to locate it more consistently at the top of the zone and out of the heart of the plate, and despite the awful results, there are still a few things under the hood that the southpaw is doing well. His infield fly ball percentage of 17.2%, which, when paired with a 41.4% fly-ball rate, means that 7% of all the batted balls he has allowed are infield fly balls. Infield fly balls are historically converted as outs at nearly the same rate as strikeouts. When added to his current 22% K%, he's still getting nearly automatic outs in 27.08% of plate appearances. That's not elite, but it's something to build upon. Manaea's first pitch strike percentage is also down to a career-low 59.3%, but in his excellent 2024, it was 59.8%. In all likelihood, his first pitch strike percentage should regress towards his career average of 63.1%, which will help cut into his career-high 9.3% BB%, and probably lead to slightly better strikeout figures and batted ball metrics. With the loss of velocity, Manaea’s days as anything but a spot starter might be over, but there’s a road map for him to be a viable member of a bullpen. All he needs to do is locate his fastball a bit better, and he should start to look like the league-average pitcher he has been for most of his career. That's not particularly exciting, but the Mets, and Manaea for that matter, need boring competence more than anything. View the full article

Welcome back to Blue Jays Clutch Plays, a recurring post that highlights the six most pivotal plays (three pitching, three hitting) from the past week of Blue Jays baseball, according to MLB's win probability model. Click here to read last week's edition. After recovering enough to undo their early-April struggles, the Blue Jays went down without much of a fight in St. Petersburg, getting swept in their first set at Tropicana Field since 2024. A series win against the Angels over the weekend may sound like a relief, but they let slip an opportunity to sweep them on Sunday afternoon. After jumping out to a 1-0 lead and forcing José Soriano to throw 25 pitches in the bottom of the first, the bats proceeded to shut down as Soriano only needed 78 pitches to get through the next 6.2 innings. The long ball continued to haunt Eric Lauer, who gave up six runs in five innings to take the loss. They're 18-22, the Rays are coming to town next, and the sense of urgency is climbing. Pitching 3. Patrick Corbin: Junior Caminero GIDP, Bot 1, 5/6 (+10.6% WPA) The offense once again squandered a respectable effort by Patrick Corbin, whose advanced metrics suggest his days with an ERA under 4.00 might be numbered. After getting into early trouble on Wednesday, he located this sinker beautifully off the outer half of the plate, getting Junior Caminero, the most dangerous power threat in the Rays' lineup, to ground into an easy unassisted 4-3 double play. 2. Trey Yesavage: Vaughn Grissom LIDP, Top 2, 5/9 (+11.0% WPA) Vaughn Grissom didn't put a bad swing on this Trey Yesavage fastball, turning it around on a line to right field, but Addison Barger ensured that no run would score on the play thanks to a dazzling 101-mph outfield assist. This clutch play might've come with a curse, though, as Barger was scratched with elbow soreness on Sunday, just a day after getting activated from the IL. He'll be getting an MRI on that elbow shortly. The injuries just keep piling onto each other. 1. Trey Yesavage: Sebastian Rivero GIDP, Top 4, 5/9 (+19.4% WPA) Yesavage exited Saturday's start without giving up a run, but he didn't have his best stuff, as the Angels knocked him out after he threw 87 pitches through four innings. Despite that, he continues to have a knack for well-timed double plays. On a full count with the bases loaded, Sebastian Rivero chased a fastball below the zone and grounded it harmlessly to Ernie Clement, who turned the inning-ender himself. According to win probability, this was the fifth-most clutch play by a Toronto pitcher this season so far. Hitting 3. Kazuma Okamoto: RBI Single, Bot 3, 5/8 (+12.0% WPA) Kazuma Okamoto's monstrous stretch (254 wRC+ in May) is showing no signs of slowing down, as this RBI single on Friday night proved to be the eventual winner in a 2-0 Blue Jays victory. It was one of only three hits they got on the night, which, along with his 26 RBIs being eight more than the next closest hitter on the team, indicates how much he has been carrying the lineup. 2. Yohendrick Piñango: RBI Single, Top 5, 5/5 (+12.3% WPA) This was an impressive piece of hitting from Yohendrick Piñango, who was unfortunately the odd man out when Barger returned on Saturday but is likely to be the first call-up if the MRI on Barger's elbow reveals any sort of bad news. Drew Rasmussen, who owns one of the best cut fastballs in the game, bunched him up with a first-pitch cutter in on the hands. Piñango fought it off and took it right back up the middle to score Clement and give the Blue Jays the lead, one they would not hold after the baseball gods conjured an evil force to hex Tyler Rogers in the bottom of the eighth. 1. Andrés Giménez: RBI Single, Top 2, 5/5 (+12.3% WPA) The Blue Jays went 2-4 this week. One of those wins was by a 2-0 score, in which they scored both runs early, and the other was a 14-1 rout. As such, it was a quiet stretch in terms of truly impactful swings, as this Andrés Giménez single doesn't even crack the top 40 biggest WPA changes on the season for the offense. Giménez's bouncing ball up the middle scored Daulton Varsho from second to put the Jays up 2-0, which was about as good as things got at any point during the Tampa series. They'll try to get their revenge at home this week. View the full article