DiamondCentric

The New York Mets have some top-end prospect names who could be making their Big Apple debut soon. Jonah Tong has one of the better K/9 marks in all of minor league baseball, A.J. Ewing continues to showcase his flashing speed upon his Triple-A promotion, and Dylan Ross looks like he could be a lockdown reliever. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays' pitching staff has been a tale of two extremes. There have been some outstanding performances by the guys in this article, but then there have been absolute snoozefests like Brendon Little and his 24.55 ERA. All the injuries the staff has endured haven't helped matters. Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, Shane Bieber, Yimi García, and Bowden Francis all started the season on the injury list. However, Yesavage made his first start of the season on April 28, and Berríos is making rehab starts with a return to the Blue Jays in sight. Unfortunately, more pitchers have joined the injury list. Cody Ponce suffered an ACL injury in his first start this season, and, more recently, Max Scherzer was added to the injury list with forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation. Eric Lauer has been filling in as a member of the starting rotation, but he's struggled with a 6.00 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP, and a 20:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 27 innings. The Blue Jays were so desperate for arms that they signed Patrick Corbin in free agency, a name no Blue Jays fan thought they'd see on the team. His first start was rough, allowing four earned runs to the Minnesota Twins, but he has settled down since then, allowing only four earned runs over three starts. However, that's enough doom and gloom. These were the bright spots on the Blue Jays' pitching staff in March and April. Honourable Mentions Braydon Fisher - 17 IP, 1.59 ERA, 16 K, 6 BB, 4 holds, 3.25 FIP In his second MLB season, Braydon Fisher has been thrust into high-leverage situations at times, converting four holds in 13 relief appearances. His latest high-leverage situation was on April 29 against the Boston Red Sox. He replaced Lauer in the fifth inning of a 5-1 game with the bases loaded and one out. The first batter up was Willson Contreras, who already had homered in the game, but Fisher got Contreras to line into a double play. His four holds are one short of last year's total, when he made 51 relief appearances. The one issue Fisher has had is allowing free passes. He has a 2.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is fewer than his 3.26 ratio last season. However, Fisher has proven to be able to get out of innings with runners on base. Kevin Gausman - 40.2 IP, 3.10 ERA, 40 K, 8 BB, 3.35 FIP Kevin Gausman has been a prototypical ace, delivering dominant performances to start the season. He has thrown six innings or more in four of his seven starts and was able to keep his pitch count under 92 in each of those four games. In three of those, he didn't walk a batter, which supported his low pitch count. The ace accumulated 21 strikeouts through his first two starts, but that was against the Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Over his next five starts, he totaled 19 strikeouts, though he faced some tougher competition: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Arizona Diamondbacks. March/April Pitchers of the Month #3 - Tyler Rogers - 15.1 IP, 0.59 ERA, 8 K, 4 BB, 7 holds, 2.87 FIP The submariner, Tyler Rogers, has been electric since signing with Toronto in free agency, allowing only one earned run this season. His deceptive arm motion usually leads to a high strikeout-to-walk rate, but this season, his 6.8 percent K-BB% is a career low over his eight MLB seasons. Though the sample is small, this is just the second time that rate has been below 12.5 percent. Rogers was a candidate to close games once Jeff Hoffman was removed from the role, but Louis Varland has seemingly been cemented into the closer role. This setup allows Rogers to continue thriving, entering the game in the eighth inning and helping to hold the lead. #2 - Dylan Cease - 31.1 IP, 2.87 ERA, 49 K, 17 BB, 1.82 FIP Dylan Cease has been worth every penny the Blue Jays gave him in the offseason. He ranks fourth in strikeouts among all MLB starting pitchers, but he's the only one to have thrown 12 strikeouts in a game twice. In fact, there's only been one other pitcher to strike out 12 batters in a game, the Brewers' Kyle Harrison. Allowing walks has always been a struggle for Cease, and this season is no different. He's given up two or more free passes in all six of his starts. With the high walk and strikeout totals, the righty builds up a high pitch count, which means he has only pitched six innings once. However, he's thrown more than 165 innings in five straight seasons, so he should continue to provide a Blue Jays team that's bleeding from injuries with a stable top-of-the-rotation arm. #1 - Louis Varland - 16 IP, 0.56 ERA, 26 K, 4 BB, 3 holds, 4 saves, 0.62 FIP The MVP of the bullpen has been Louis Varland. He has been thrust into games in high-leverage, mid-inning situations and has been outstanding. It's not his first time being used in high-leverage situations, as he had 17 holds for the Minnesota Twins over 49 innings before being traded to the Blue Jays at last season's trade deadline. Though it's come in a small sample, his 43.3 strikeout percentage is a career high over his five MLB seasons. His success has made him the man to take over the ninth inning after Hoffman's struggles got him removed from the closer role. Varland has converted all four of his save chances while allowing only one run and striking out seven in those outings. He has a firm grasp on the role and doesn't look like he'll relinquish his duties anytime soon. View the full article

It is Jake Bennett's day. The Boston Red Sox called up Bennett, a left-hander, from Triple-A Worcester to make his MLB debut as the starter in Friday's game against the Houston Astros. Infielder Nate Eaton was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday. Bennett, Talk Sox's No. 12 prospect, was acquired from the Washington Nationals in the offseason in a trade for another top prospect, right-hander Luis Perales. In five starts at Worcester, Bennett had a sparkling 0.86 ERA in 21 innings, allowed just three runs (two earned) on 12 hits with three walks and 16 strikeouts. He has a chance to stick in the rotation with the recent injury to ace Garrett Crochet. Bennett was a second-round pick of the Nationals in 2022 out of Oklahoma. Bennett missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2023. He returned in 2025 to appear in 19 games (one in relief) and compiled a 2.27 ERA in 75⅓ innings with 19 walks and 64 strikeouts. View the full article

Jeremiah Estrada's stay on the injured list wasn't very long. The right-handed reliever was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday by the San Diego Padres, who formally announced right-handed reliever David Morgan being optioned to Triple-A El Paso, which happened Thursday. Estrada, a vital piece of the Friars' bullpen, had been on the IL since April 10 with tendinitis in his right elbow. He made just two rehab appearances, one last Friday for Low-A Lake Elsinore and another Tuesday for El Paso. Estrada pitched one inning in each appearance and didn't allow a hit or a run, walking one and striking out two combined. Estrada's velocity, which in part led to his IL placement, was back to its regular upper 90s after being about 5 mph slower before going on the IL. Activating Estrada still leaves left-hander Yuki Matsui on the verge of returning from his strained left groin. Matsui's rehab assignment started April 4, meaning it runs through this weekend before expiring. View the full article

The Mets' odorous play of late (and beyond late, at this point) hasn't really been the result of health mishaps, but injuries are starting to mount. Interestingly, they have been bringing in a series of veteran reinforcements in the infield department, both at the MLB and minor-league levels. The redundancy has led to speculation in the Mets Roster Central Ranks. Is this all simply to fill in gaps for injured players or is some dealing in the works? Transactions, 4/27/2026 COMING Signed away from Veracruz (Mexican League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Binghamton Infielders TT Bowens R/R DoB: 1998-05-27 High Level: AAA (2026) Joining Binghamton will be new shortstop TT Bowens. While his name speaks of some legendary Nashville picker of the Ryman Auditorium stage, TT (Terry) hails from Connecticut by way of an extended tenure with the Orioles organization. His Baby Bird career was marked by alternating seasons of excellence and disaster. Really — he'd have seasons of OPSes in the .800s followed by campaigns in the .300s. Let's hope his glove was enough to keep his career going in those lean times — although he mostly plays corner spots. Scouts agree that he's big and strong (6'4", 240) and has excellent teeth. Transactions, 4/29/2026 COMING COMING Signed away from Southern Maryland (Atlantic League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to St. Lucie Cleared Waivers, Assigned to Syracuse Infielders Outfielders Jamari Baylor Tommy Pham R/R DoB: 2000-08-25 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 32210 High Level: MLB (2026) Oft-observed here is that Tommy Pham never really got a pre-season, and while his failures as 2026 Met are certainly noted, he kind of was set up to fail. So it's good to see him clear waivers and get a chance to get some work in. If he joins the big-league club again, hopefully it is with his game honed. MLB injuries creating a sucking effect throughout the minors. When a guy is promoted from AAA to fill in for Flushing, somebody has to be promoted from every level to fill in at the level above, often pushing someone beyond their depth. But never fear, St. Lucie has added 25-year-old shortstop Jamari Baylor, exile from three MLB organizations and two Atlantic League clubs. Jamari hadn't had an employer yet this season, so his stay at St. Lucie is probably a temporary assignment to get in shape for a stint in the upper minors that may or may not come. Jamari profiled through most of his career as a plus runner who worked counts well and avoided strikeouts, but last year in The Atlantic League, he started aiming for the fences, and while his strikeouts ballooned to 100 in 98 games, he became one of the league's top hitters with an eye-opening .303 / .421 / .552 // .973 line, slugging 21 homers and driving in 77. Fun Fact: One of Jamari's teammates with The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs was 2016 Met Alejandro De Aza, still grinding it out at 41 years old! Transactions, 4/30/2026 GOING GOING NEUTRAL COMING COMING Designated for Assignment Added to 10-Day Injured List Retroactive to April 26 with Lumbar Spine Disc Herniation Transferred from Infield Promoted from Syracuse Claimed off Waivers from SAC, Not Yet Activated Relief Pitchers Outfielders Outfielders Relief Pitchers Infielders Carl Edwards, Jr. Luis Robert, Jr. Brett Baty Austin Warren Andy Ibáñez R/R DoB: 33484 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 High Level: MLB (2026) L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 High Level: MLB (2026) COMING Promoted from Syracuse Infielders Eric Wagaman R/R DoB: 35656 High Level: MLB (2026) As the Mets closed out a disastrous (disastrous!) April, the organization made a pile changes to the player roster as all eyes looked to manager's office. Luis Robert, for whom an extended outage is expected, has been replaced by backup corner infielder Eric Wagaman, who tends to hit like a backup shortstop, and we had falsely expected was to reside in Syracuse until a BREAK GLASS alarm went off, but these times are perhaps more alarming than expected. This seemingly pushes underperforming (as if that is a distinguishing characteristic) infielder Brett Baty back to the outfield. Robert, it must be noted hits the Injured list having done and impressive job of finding his level in a small sample size: 2024: .657 OPS and 86 OPS+ in 425 PA 2025: .661 OPS and 85 OPS+ in 431 PA 2026: .655 OPS and 87 OPS+ in 98 PA One is tempted to make a cheap crack about water finding its level. But cheap is cheap and Luis ain't water. Please heal up and come back and stick it to the haters, Lu. Astounding no one, Carl Edwards, Jr. surrendering one paltry run in six innings while striking out 11 (!!) has ironically but predictably earned him a ticket on DFA train. Odds are high that he will have a new employer this time next week. We are happy to see the equally impressive Austin Warren back in uniform but will always deplore this depraved game of Reliever Roulette. After yesterday's debackle deboccle debacle, the Mets made a waiver claim on yet another infielder — Andy Ibáñez, who had struggled in sporadic use with the Athletics this year, but had a serviceable career going with the Tigers before that. A corresponding move is on the horizon, as Andy is out of options, so expect the Mets to (a) throw him right back on the waiver wire, (b) demote Ronny Maurcio, or perhaps (c) announce a deal (with Mauricio's contract being one of their more tradeable commodities). The remains of the day will tell us much, but it is clear that Ibáñez brings a strong diacritical markings game — with an accent acute followed by a tilde recalling fond memories of the back of Rey Ordóñez' jersey. But here at Mets Roster Central, we are seeing a strategy even more subtle than the Mets nakedly ambitious attempt to put lovers of punctuation in the seats. We are seeing a throwback to 2024 when the team added a late-career Cuban reserve secondbaseman at a similar point in the schedule and turned their season around. You heard it here first. Start saving for playoff tickets NOW!!!! Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Clay Holmes Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson Christian Scott R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán Craig Kimbrel Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 R/R DoB: 32291 R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Ronny Mauricio MJ Melendez Marcus Semien R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 Infielders Outfielders Mark Vientos Eric Wagaman Brett Baty Carson Benge Austin Slater Juan Soto Tyrone Taylor R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 R/R DoB: 35656 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 R/R DoB: 33951 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 R/R DoB: 34356 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Tylor Megill Kodai Senga Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 On 60-Day Injured List with torn right UCL. On 15-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Inflammation With Syracuse With Syracuse On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery and nerve relocation surgery. With St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment On 60 Day Injured List with fractured rib. Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders A.J. Minter Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger Andy Ibáñez Francisco Lindor L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 With Syracuse on Rehab Assignment On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery. With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse Not Yet Activated On 10-Day Injured List with Strained Left Calf Infielders Jorge Polanco Nick Morabito Luis Robert, Jr. Jared Young S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 On 10-Day Injured List with right wrist contusion. With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Disc Hernitaion On 10-Day Injured List with torn left meniscus. Deslgnated for Assignment Carl Edwards, Jr. R/R DoB: 33484 DFA'd, 2026-04-30. Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coordinator Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitching Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Practice Pitcher Equipment Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Reconditioning Coordinator Reconditioning Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? DoB: 22846 View the full article

After a brutal start to the year, Kody Clemens is starting to find his footing. While he's not a household name, his skill set is one that this Twins team could use in the lineup every day. View the full article

David Shields and Drew Beam led a strong day on the mound for the Royals' affiliates. Shields struck out six over five scoreless innings as the Quad Cities River Bandits completed a doubleheader sweep of Wisconsin, and Beam tossed a quality start in Northwest Arkansas's 4-2 win over Springfield. Ramon Ramirez homered in game one and added two RBI in game two. The Omaha Storm Chasers walked off Louisville, and the Columbia Fireflies lost. Royals Transactions: No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Walk Off Bats With Two-Out Ninth-Inning Rally The Omaha Storm Chasers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Louisville Bats, 8-7. Trailing 7-5 entering the final frame after Louisville plated three unearned runs in the top half, Omaha mounted a two-out rally. With two outs, Tyler Tolbert singled, and Kameron Misner followed with a game-tying RBI single. Cleanup hitter Drew Waters then delivered the walk-off RBI single to bring home the winning run. Leadoff hitter John Rave got Omaha on the board first with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Waters reached base three times, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a walk. Luca Tresh provided the biggest blow before the ninth, launching a three-run homer in the eighth to put Omaha in front 6-4. Misner finished 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a stolen base, while Tolbert went 2-for-5 with a stolen base of his own. Abraham Toro added a triple, and Luke Maile drove in a run. Ryan Ramsey started and worked five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Shane Panzini gave up a two-run homer in his only inning of work. Anthony Gose and Chazz Martinez each tossed a scoreless frame. Steven Cruz earned the win despite blowing the save when his throwing error opened the door for three unearned runs in the ninth. Omaha left six runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave, RF 5 1 1 2 0 1 Tyler Tolbert, SS 5 1 2 0 0 1 Kameron Misner, CF 4 2 1 1 1 0 Drew Waters, LF 4 1 2 1 1 1 Luca Tresh, DH 4 1 1 3 0 1 Abraham Toro, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 0 Luke Maile, C 3 1 0 1 1 1 Josh Rojas, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Kevin Newman, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ryan Ramsey 5 4 2 2 4 2 0 Shane Panzini 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 Anthony Gose 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chazz Martinez 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Steven Cruz 1 3 3 0 0 2 0 Naturals Hold Off Cardinals Behind Beam's Quality Start The Northwest Arkansas Naturals defeated the Springfield Cardinals 4-2 behind a quality start from Drew Beam and timely two-out hitting. Beam tossed six innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits with two walks and a strikeout to earn his first win of the season. The Naturals broke through in the fourth inning. Brett Squires singled, Spencer Nivens followed with a double, and Canyon Brown's RBI groundout drove in the first run. Justin Johnson then delivered an RBI double to make it 2-0. Springfield got one back with an RBI single in the fifth, but Northwest Arkansas answered in the seventh with a two-out rally. Justin Johnson drew a leadoff walk, and after two strikeouts, Sam Kulasingam and Squires drew walks to load the bases. Nivens then ripped a two-run single to break the game open at 4-1. Nivens led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Justin Johnson finished 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Colton Becker reached base twice with a double and a walk, and Squires reached three times with a hit and two walks. Leadoff hitter Carson Roccaforte added a walk and a stolen base. Beam earned the win with his quality start. Dennis Colleran Jr. struck out two in a hitless seventh for the hold. Zachary Cawyer surrendered a run on two hits in the eighth, and Brandon Johnson struck out three to earn the save in a two-walk ninth. The Naturals stranded eight runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte, CF 2 0 0 0 1 2 Rudy Martin Jr., RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Sam Kulasingam, 2B 2 1 0 0 2 0 Brett Squires, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 2 Spencer Nivens, LF 4 1 2 2 0 2 Canyon Brown, C 4 0 0 1 0 2 Connor Scott, DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 Colton Becker, SS 2 0 1 0 2 1 Justin Johnson, 3B 3 1 1 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Drew Beam 6 2 1 1 2 1 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Zachary Cawyer 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Brandon Johnson 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 River Bandits Pound Out 11 Runs With Four-Homer Second Inning In Game One The Quad Cities River Bandits exploded for 10 runs across the first two innings on their way to an 11-5 victory in game one of the doubleheader, hammering four home runs in a six-run second inning alone. After a four-run first capped by Derlin Figueroa's three-RBI double, Quad Cities turned the second into a homer derby. Tyriq Kemp led off with a solo shot. Cleanup hitter Ramon Ramirez followed with a three-run blast, scoring Nolan Sailors and Blake Mitchell. Austin Charles added a solo home run, and Figueroa capped it with a solo homer of his own. Figueroa finished 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and a walk. Charles went 2-for-3 with a triple, a home run, two RBI, three runs scored, and a walk. Cleanup hitter Ramirez added a 1-for-3 line with the three-run shot, two runs scored, and a walk. Kemp went 1-for-3 with the homer and a walk. Leadoff hitter Sailors added a double in a 1-for-5 line. Mitchell drew three walks and scored twice. Asbel Gonzalez walked twice, scored a run, and stole a base. Mason Miller started but exited after 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run on a hit with five walks and three strikeouts. Cory Ronan recorded one out and earned the win. Aiden Jimenez closed it with three innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, with two strikeouts to record his first save. The Quad Cities left five runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors, RF 5 1 1 0 0 1 Asbel Gonzalez, CF 2 1 0 0 2 0 Blake Mitchell, C 1 2 0 0 3 1 Ramon Ramirez, DH 3 2 1 3 1 0 Luke Pelzer, LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Austin Charles, SS 3 3 2 2 1 1 Derlin Figueroa, 3B 3 1 2 4 1 0 Jose Cerice, 1B 4 0 1 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp, 2B 3 1 1 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mason Miller 3 2/3 1 1 1 5 3 0 Cory Ronan 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Aiden Jimenez 3 7 4 4 0 2 2 Shields, Bullpen Combine For Two-Hit Shutout In Game Two David Shields was dominant on the mound as the Quad Cities River Bandits cruised to an 8-0 victory in game two of the doubleheader, completing a sweep of the Timber Rattlers. Shields fired five scoreless innings, scattering two hits with six strikeouts and two walks to earn his second win. Quad Cities scored in three different innings. Trevor Werner singled to start the third, Asbel Gonzalez and Blake Mitchell drew back-to-back walks, and Ramon Ramirez singled home Werner. Cleanup hitter Jose Cerice followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Gonzalez, and Luke Pelzer added an RBI single to score Mitchell. In the fifth, Cerice ripped a two-run single to plate Mitchell and Ramirez. The Bandits added three more in the sixth, when bases-loaded walks plated three runs after Charles, Werner, and Diego Guzman set the table. Cleanup hitter Cerice led the offense, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and a walk. Ramirez finished 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. Pelzer added two hits and an RBI. Austin Charles went 2-for-4. Mitchell reached base three times with a hit, two walks, two runs, and an RBI. Werner went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Gonzalez walked twice and scored. Behind Shields, Kamden Edge worked a hitless inning with a strikeout, and Yimi Presinal closed it with a walk-aided scoreless ninth. The trio combined for a two-hit shutout. The Bandits left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez, CF 2 1 0 0 2 2 Blake Mitchell, DH 2 2 1 1 2 0 Ramon Ramirez, C 3 1 2 2 1 0 Jose Cerice, 3B 2 0 1 3 1 0 Luke Pelzer, LF 4 0 2 1 0 1 Austin Charles, SS 4 1 2 0 0 0 Erick Torres, RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Trevor Werner, 1B 3 2 1 0 0 0 Diego Guzman, 2B 3 1 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Shields 5 2 0 0 2 6 0 Kamden Edge 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Yimi Presinal 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Fireflies Fall To Pelicans After Four-Run Second Inning The Columbia Fireflies dropped a 4-2 decision to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, unable to recover from a four-run second inning that put them in an early hole. Columbia struck first at the top of the second. Yandel Ricardo doubled, Roni Cabrera walked, and Jhosmmel Zue's groundout drove in Ricardo for the early lead. The Pelicans answered with four runs in the bottom half. Hiro Wyatt was pulled mid-inning with the bases loaded after issuing a hit-by-pitch that forced in a run. All four runs were charged to him as earned. The Fireflies didn't get back on the board until the eighth, when leadoff hitter Henry Ramos reached and cleanup hitter Hyungchan Um lifted a sacrifice fly to plate him. Columbia couldn't muster anything in the ninth. Ricardo led the offense, finishing 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and a walk. Josh Hammond added a hit in a 1-for-3 line with a walk. Zue went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Ramos walked, scored, and reached once. Cabrera drew a walk and stole a base. Wyatt took the loss after 1 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on two hits with two walks. Henson Leal stabilized things with 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with a strikeout. Brandon Herbold and Max Martin combined for three additional hitless and scoreless innings, striking out four batters between them. Columbia left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos, LF 3 1 0 0 1 0 Sean Gamble, CF 3 0 0 0 1 2 Josh Hammond, 3B 3 1 0 1 2 Hyungchan Um, C 3 0 0 1 0 1 Yandel Ricardo, SS 3 1 1 0 1 0 Stone Russell, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Roni Cabrera, RF 3 0 0 0 1 3 Jhosmmel Zue, 1B 4 0 1 1 0 1 Ivan Sosa, DH 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hiro Wyatt 1 2/3 2 4 4 2 0 0 Henson Leal 3 1/3 2 0 0 0 1 0 Brandon Herbold 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 Max Martin 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 Top-20 Royals Prospect Performances Carter Jensen — DNP Blake Mitchell — Game 1: 0-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K | Game 2: 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB David Shields — 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 2 BB, W Kendry Chourio — DNP Ben Kudrna — DNP Sean Gamble — 0-for-3, 1 BB, 2 K Josh Hammond — 1-for-3, 1 BB, 2 K Ramon Ramirez — Game 1: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB | Game 2: 2-for-3, 1 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB Drew Beam — 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, W (Quality Start) Asbel Gonzalez — Game 1: 0-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB, SB | Game 2: 0-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K Yandel Ricardo — 1-for-3, 1 R, 2B, 1 BB Felix Arronde — DNP Luinder Avila — DNP Daniel Vazquez — DNP Steven Zobac — DNP Carson Roccaforte — 0-for-2, 1 BB, 2 K, SB Blake Wolters — DNP Michael Lombardi — DNP Warren Calcaño — DNP Frank Mozzicato — DNP View the full article

Coming off a gutsy road series win against the reigning World Series champions, AJ Ramos, Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout bring you the 100th episode in Fish Unfiltered history. They cover a ton of ground on this one, including Xavier Edwards' game-clinching double play on Wednesday, how the Miami Marlins will navigate high-leverage situations while Pete Fairbanks is on the shelf, putting Liam Hicks' breakout in historical context and what to expect from Don Mattingly as Philadelphia Phillies interim manager. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Next up for the Fish, they host Mattingly and the Phillies for a rare four-game wrap-around series, beginning on Friday and continuing through Monday. Last season, the Phillies went 9-4 against Miami in head-to-head competition. View the full article

Welcome to the season's first installment of Minor League Starting Pitchers of the Month here on Jays Centre! While Toronto's farm system hasn't exactly been at the top of the league for a few years now, things definitely appear to be trending upward, especially on the pitching side. Lately, the Blue Jays have acquired and developed arms like Trey Yesavage, Mason Fluharty, and Braydon Fisher in short order. Now, thanks in part to the work of key figures in the front office such as veteran amateur scouting director Marc Tramuta and pitching director Justin Lehr, their prospect pool is full of intriguing starters, especially in the lower levels of the minors. Here's who stood out from the first month of games in 2026. Honourable Mentions Richard Gallardo, RHP (AA): 4 GS, 17.0 IP, 1.06 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 4.77 xFIP, 24.4% CSW The underlying numbers suggest the 24-year-old Gallardo's microscopic ERA is a bit of a red herring, but he has still been the centerpiece for a New Hampshire rotation that doesn't currently have anyone else with an ERA under 4.20. The Blue Jays took him from the Cubs in the minor league portion of the 2024 Rule 5 draft, and he missed all of 2025 with an elbow injury, but he has come back strong. Thanks to his ability to pound the zone with a mid-90s sinker, he's running a 60% groundball rate for the Fisher Cats, and opponents are hitting just .176 against him. Landen Maroudis, RHP (A+): 5 GS, 16.0 IP, 1.69 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 5.07 xFIP, 24.2% CSW After losing more than a calendar year due to elbow surgery, the 2023 fourth-round pick has fared well in his first stretch outside the player development complex in Florida. FanGraphs gave him 55 future value grades on his sinker, changeup, and slider, and the fact that his walk rate is down to ~7% after control issues plagued him following his return from injury is a good sign. He's not overpowering and gets hitters out in a variety of different ways, although a next step for him would be to keep the ball down, as opposing hitters are elevating, hence the bloated xFIP. Still, this is a promising development for a pitcher coming off a major injury who wasn't quite himself upon his immediate return. Hitters are 5 for their last 32 against him. Top 3 #3. Daniel Guerra, RHP (A+): 5 GS, 24.1 IP, 2.22 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 3.50 xFIP, 32.6% CSW Signed as an 18-year-old minor league free agent from Venezuela back in 2022, Guerra has quickly become a riser on the edges of Toronto's system and a workhorse for the Vancouver Canadians. He first broke out last season with a solid year in Dunedin, and his promotion to the Northwest League, where he's still younger than the average pitcher, has been quite the success so far. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 230 lbs, he's striking out 34.7% of opposing hitters so far, armed with a powerful high-90s fastball. He failed to crack FanGraphs' preseason top 40 Jays prospects list due to his underdeveloped secondaries and high walk rates, but he's turning heads after an excellent start that included an 11-strikeout performance on April 16 and an 18-whiff outing on the 27th. #2. Johnny King, LHP (A+): 5 GS, 14.1 IP, 0.63 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 3.29 xFIP, 33.1% CSW It's been a while since the Blue Jays have drafted and developed a lefty starter. The jury's still out on whether hot draft commodities Ricky Tiedemann and Brandon Barriera can make the leap, but it's looking more and more like Johnny King could be that guy. The 2024 third-round pick out of high school jumped all the way to No. 4 in Baseball America's latest preseason ranking of the Jays' top 30 prospects, with BA diagnosing him as a viable mid-rotation option once he gets to the big leagues. He's walking too many batters at the moment but has been effective thanks to a 38.6% K rate in Vancouver. In Dunedin last year, his mid-90s fastball averaged 17.6" of iVB from a low slot, making it a swing-and-miss pitch thanks to its deceptive flight path. He doesn't even turn 20 until late July, but he already looks like the class of the pitching prospect pool now that Yesavage is back in the big leagues. #1. Nolan Perry, RHP (A): 4 GS (5 G), 21.0 IP, 1.71 ERA, 2.43 FIP, 2.58 xFIP, 33.0% CSW The unanimously unranked Perry is bursting onto the scene with Dunedin in 2026. If this keeps up, it'll be a remarkable player development victory for the Blue Jays, who drafted him out of high school in the 12th round in 2022 and signed him to a bonus worth only $200,000. He had Tommy John surgery late in 2024 and has taken off since his return, with a ludicrous 38.7% K-BB% so far. The movement on his 94-mph fastball might be even more deceptive than King's at the moment, with 18.1" of iVB from a similarly low slot on the other side of the mound. His mid-80s slider and massive high-70s curveball are both running swing-and-miss rates over 50% on the young season as well. We're still quite early into his ascension, but making the most out of late-round picks is a hallmark of a successful front office. Let's hope Perry continues to dominate. View the full article

Modern defensive metrics aren't particularly kind to Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. He's decidedly...average, if you believe what they say. Do you? Does it matter? I'm not sure if you heard...or remember...the Twins made a couple deals last summer at the deadline. The whole thing seemed to fly under the radar, almost unnoticed. So it might be time to look back at one of those deals, Louis Varland to Toronto. Thoughts on this largely unnoticed transaction? Narratives. They can change, but they sure drive perceptions. Time for your take. Get your comment on! View the full article

Kansas City Royals masher Jac Caglionone seems to be turning the corner with a much improved slash line compared to the one he put up in 2025, but his advanced analytics show that he's on the cusp of breaking out in 2026. In this video, we dive into his bat speed, and how he's used it to translate spikes in exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard-hit rate and more. We also touch on what he needs to improve on in order to make that next leap as a power hitter in today's game. View the full article

The opening month of the season ended on a high note, with the Brewers trouncing the Diamondbacks. There have been plenty of injuries to start the year, but there is still so much to look forward to in May. Here is a recap of three of the best community thread topics from the end of April: Brewers: 2026 Brewers Optimism! There are plenty of places on the internet for snark and cynicism, but not here. The optimism thread is where Brewer Fanatic shares unbridled enthusiasm for the current season. It is easy to find reasons to be excited when your glass is more than half full. For example, one poster noted Milwaukee went 76-40 after last season’s cribbage board giveaway night. This week, a group of intrepid fans tested American Family Field’s spaghetti policy. The result? A series win. Andrew Vaughn and Jackson Chourio are both expected back from injuries this week. Tyler Black and Gary Sánchez will certainly maintain their 157 OPS+ until Yelich returns. Milwaukee already leads the division in run differential. It is only a matter of time before the Brewers retake the division lead. Optimism! Rumors: 2026 Trade/Waiver Targets Every fan dreams of becoming a general manager. This thread is the place to identify players the Brewers should consider claiming or trading for. Would acquiring Jeremy Peña from Houston to fill a near-term need at shortstop be brilliant or unwise? Peña already costs $9.4 million and becomes a free agent after next season. Is it too late for Trevor Megill to regain enough value for other teams to be interested? What about all of our first basemen? Could another team be interested in Bauers, Black, or Vaughn? Lastly, it seems like Milwaukee’s prospects are burning a hole in our collective pockets. As always, it would be fun to exchange surplus minor leaguers for big league help. Come share your ideas. Who would make the Brewers better? Minors: ACL Starts Saturday! The Arizona Complex League season starts tomorrow. This is where recent draft picks and international prospects make their stateside debut. There is plenty of buzz surrounding a number of players, but the clear consensus centers on the hype around Brailyn Antunez. Antunez is an 18-year-old outfielder from Maracaibo, Venezuela. The Brewers have seen impressive results with similar outfielders. Other names to watch include Alexander Frias, Kenny Fenelon, and Diustin Mayorquin. If you do not feel old enough today, most of Milwaukee’s ACL roster was born after Ryan Braun made his major league debut. It is a great day to be a Brewers fan at Brewer Fanatic! View the full article

Jack returns to the show as he and Spencer discuss the concern level for Angel Zerpa and Brandon Woodruff, who could step up on the pitching staff, the significance of how the Pirates pitched Garrett Mitchell, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

The Mets' affiliates posted a 4-1 night with a Syracuse doubleheader sweep of Lehigh Valley. Jack Wenninger fired five and two-thirds shutout innings in the 7-0 opener, and Ben Rortvedt's walkoff single scored Jihwan Bae in a 4-3, nine-inning nightcap. Binghamton beat New Hampshire 6-3 behind Kevin Parada's three hits and a Ben Simon save, and Brooklyn edged Frederick 2-1 on Antonio Jimenez's steal of home. St. Lucie fell 8-5 in Tampa. Mets Transactions New York Mets designated RHP Carl Edwards Jr. for assignment. New York Mets placed CF Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 27, 2026. Lumbar spine disc herniation. New York Mets claimed 2B Andy Ibáñez off waivers from Athletics. New York Mets recalled RHP Austin Warren from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets recalled 1B Eric Wagaman from Syracuse Mets. Wenninger Spins Five-Plus Shutout Innings In Syracuse Romp Syracuse jumped on Lehigh Valley early and rode dominant pitching to a 7-0 win in the doubleheader opener. Christian Arroyo, hitting cleanup, went 3-for-4, and Jihwan Bae went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Vidal Bruján added a double, two RBI, and a stolen base. The Mets opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, when A.J. Ewing led off with a hit, took third on Nick Morabito reaching base, and scored on Arroyo's single for an early 1-0 advantage. The decisive blow came in the bottom of the third, when an Arroyo single, a Bruján double aided by an IronPigs fielding error, and a Hayden Senger two-run single produced a four-run rally. Two more runs in the fifth came on a Bruján double and a Senger groundout. Jack Wenninger took the mound and dominated, holding Lehigh Valley to four hits across five and two-thirds innings while striking out seven, walking none, and allowing no runs. Jonathan Pintaro followed with one and one-third clean innings, fanning two without surrendering a baserunner to lock down the combined shutout. Ewing finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Bae went a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run. Senger drove in two of his own. Ryan Clifford and Morabito were both held hitless but reached base. Syracuse drew just one walk, struck out six times, and stranded six runners, but capitalized on every Lehigh Valley mistake to roll to the win. Syracuse Hitting (Game 1) Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 4 2 2 0 0 0 Nick Morabito 3 1 0 0 0 1 Ryan Clifford 3 0 0 0 1 2 Christian Arroyo 4 1 3 1 0 1 Vidal Bruján 3 2 1 2 0 0 Ji Hwan Bae 3 1 3 1 0 0 Cristian Pache 1 0 0 0 0 0 Hayden Senger 3 0 1 2 0 1 Jackson Cluff 3 0 0 0 0 1 Syracuse Pitching (Game 1) Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jack Wenninger (W) 5 2/3 4 0 0 0 7 0 Jonathan Pintaro 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Rortvedt's Walkoff Single Caps Syracuse Sweep In Extras Syracuse completed the doubleheader sweep with a 4-3 walkoff in nine innings, Ben Rortvedt punching a single up the middle to score Jihwan Bae from third base for the winning run. Bae had been installed at second base as the zombie runner to start the bottom of the ninth, and a Cristian Pache sacrifice bunt advanced him to third before Rortvedt's heroics closed it out with two outs. The Mets opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth, when Bruján singled, and Bae doubled him in. They added another run in the fifth on Ewing's single and a Nick Morabito double. Lehigh Valley pulled even with two runs in the top of the sixth before each side traded a zombie-aided run in the eighth, with a Bruján double driving home Morabito to lock things at 3-3. Daniel Duarte and Dan Hammer combined for four scoreless innings of one-hit pitching to open the game. Ryan Lambert spun a clean fifth, while Dylan Ross was charged with two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning during the sixth-inning Lehigh Valley rally. Alex Carrillo struck out four across one and one-third strong innings, and Mike Baumann earned the win with two innings of one-run, no-earned-run work that included two strikeouts and a walk while holding the zombie runner damage to a single tally in the eighth. Bruján, hitting cleanup, went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Bae also went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a stolen base. Ewing matched that 2-for-4 line at the top of the order, and Morabito went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. Syracuse struck out 12 times as a team but stranded only seven, capitalizing on the timely hits when they came. Syracuse Hitting (Game 2) Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 4 1 2 0 0 0 Nick Morabito 3 1 1 1 0 1 Ryan Clifford 4 0 0 0 0 3 Vidal Bruján 4 1 2 1 0 1 Ji Hwan Bae 4 1 2 1 0 1 Cristian Pache 3 0 0 0 0 3 Yonny Hernández 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ben Rortvedt 4 0 1 1 0 1 Jackson Cluff 3 0 0 0 0 1 Syracuse Pitching (Game 2) Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daniel Duarte 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Dan Hammer 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Lambert 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Dylan Ross 2/3 1 2 2 2 1 0 Alex Carrillo 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 4 0 Mike Baumann (W) 2 1 1 0 1 2 0 Binghamton Powers Past New Hampshire In 6-3 Win Binghamton broke through with a three-run fifth inning to seize the lead and tacked on insurance late, beating New Hampshire 6-3. Kevin Parada, hitting cleanup, anchored the offense at 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. TT Bowens added a 2-for-5 line with two doubles and a stolen base of his own. The Mets fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first on a leadoff home run, and the deficit grew to 2-0 when an extra-base hit and an RBI single in the third put the Fisher Cats up by two. Binghamton pulled one back in the top of the fourth on Parada's double, a Nick Lorusso single, a Matt Rudick walk, and a Wyatt Young sacrifice fly. The decisive frame came in the top of the fifth: Eli Serrano III and Chris Suero drew walks, Jose Ramos lashed an RBI single to plate Serrano, Parada singled in Suero, Bowens reached on a fielding error, and Rudick added a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 4-2. Brendan Girton allowed two runs across his four innings of work, surrendering a leadoff homer in the first and a run in the third while striking out three and walking none. Zach Peek and Douglas Orellana each tossed a clean inning, Matt Turner spun two scoreless frames in the middle while striking out four and walking two, and Ben Simon worked the ninth for the save, allowing one run on two hits. Binghamton padded the lead with two more runs in the eighth, when Young was hit by a pitch, Diego Mosquera singled, Serrano III drove Young home with a single, and Suero forced Mosquera home on a fielder's choice. Serrano III finished 1-for-3 with two walks, an RBI, and a run scored, and the Rumble Ponies drew eight walks while striking out 14 times in the win. Binghamton Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 3 1 1 1 2 1 Chris Suero 4 1 0 1 1 2 Jose Ramos 5 1 1 1 0 2 Kevin Parada 5 1 3 1 0 1 Nick Lorusso 4 0 1 0 1 2 TT Bowens 5 0 2 0 0 2 Matt Rudick 2 0 0 1 2 1 Wyatt Young 1 1 0 1 2 1 Diego Mosquera 4 1 1 0 0 2 Binghamton Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brendan Girton (W) 4 7 2 2 0 3 1 Zach Peek 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Matt Turner 2 0 0 0 2 4 0 Douglas Orellana 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Ben Simon (S) 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Jimenez Steals Home For Brooklyn In Tight 2-1 Win Brooklyn won a 2-1 pitcher's duel at MCU Park on a daring eighth-inning steal of home by Antonio Jimenez and a group pitching effort that limited Frederick to one earned run. Irving Cota fired five scoreless innings to start, allowing two hits, walking two, and striking out three. Cristofer Gomez delivered two innings of one-run relief while fanning three, and Dakota Hawkins closed out the win with two clean frames that included two strikeouts and no walks. Frederick broke through first in the top of the sixth, when a leadoff walk and a single set up a sacrifice fly that put the Cyclones behind 1-0. Brooklyn answered in the bottom of the seventh: Daiverson Gutierrez doubled to lead off the inning, Trace Willhoite drew a one-out walk, and Kevin Villavicencio lined a one-out double down the line that brought Gutierrez home to tie it. The eighth produced one of the more memorable plays of the night. Jimenez led off with a single, advanced to third on a John Bay groundout, and stole home during a Ronald Hernandez at-bat that ended in a strikeout, putting the Cyclones up 2-1. Hawkins handled the final two innings without trouble, locking down the one-run lead. Villavicencio finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI, the only multi-hit game on either side. Jimenez went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and the run scored, and Bay added a double of his own. Brooklyn drew just one walk, struck out 10 times, and stranded five runners, but the pitching staff held Frederick to one run despite issuing three free passes to keep the Cyclones in front through the late frames. Brooklyn Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez 4 1 1 0 0 1 John Bay 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 1 1 0 0 0 Colin Houck 3 0 0 0 0 1 Trace Willhoite 1 0 0 0 1 1 Vincent Perozo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 2 1 0 0 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 0 0 0 2 Brooklyn Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Irving Cota 5 2 0 0 2 3 0 Cristofer Gomez 2 1 1 1 1 3 0 Dakota Hawkins (W) 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 St. Lucie Falls 8-5 At Tampa St. Lucie ran into trouble early at Tampa and could not climb back, falling 8-5. The Mets jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the first when Randy Guzman launched a two-out solo home run to left, but Tampa answered with a three-run bottom half on a leadoff hit-by-pitch, an RBI double, and a two-run home run. The Tarpons added three more in the second on three hits and a wild pitch, including a two-RBI single that pushed the lead to 6-1. R.J. Gordon was tagged with the loss after surrendering five earned runs on four hits in one and one-third innings, including the two-run home run during the second-inning rally. Joe Scarborough started and worked two scoreless innings, walking two but allowing only two singles. Tyler McLoughlin followed with one and two-thirds innings of one-run, three-strikeout work, and Joel Lara wrapped up with three innings of two-run, two-strikeout relief. St. Lucie chipped away with single tallies in the third, fourth, and fifth, and added a final run in the top of the eighth on AJ Salgado's two-out solo home run. Sam Robertson, Elian Peña, and AJ Salgado all turned in multi-hit games. Robertson went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, Peña went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored, and Salgado finished 2-for-4 with the home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. Guzman, hitting third, went 2-for-3 with the early home run, an RBI, and two walks. Newly recalled Jamari Baylor went hitless but drew a walk in his three trips. The Mets out-hit Tampa 10-9 but committed early defensive mistakes that proved costly. St. Lucie Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 2 2 0 0 1 JT Benson 4 0 0 1 0 1 Randy Guzman 3 1 2 1 2 0 Julio Zayas 5 0 1 0 0 1 AJ Salgado 4 2 2 1 0 0 Simon Juan 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jamari Baylor 3 0 0 0 1 2 Sam Robertson 4 0 3 1 0 0 Branny De Oleo 4 0 0 0 0 0 St. Lucie Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joe Scarborough 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 R.J. Gordon (L) 1 1/3 4 5 5 0 2 1 Tyler McLoughlin 1 2/3 1 1 1 2 3 0 Joel Lara 3 2 2 2 2 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 4-for-8, 3 R, SB Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-7, BB, 5 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Jack Wenninger: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (W) Elian Pena: 2-for-4, 2 R, SB, K Mitch Voit: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-6, 2B, RBI, SB, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, K Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Dylan Ross: 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Antonio Jimenez: 1-for-4, R, SB, K R.J. Gordon: 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR (L) View the full article

As expected, the San Diego Padres have one of the best corps of relief pitchers in Major League Baseball. Their 4.15 ERA ranks surprisingly in the middle of the road, but a strikeout rate (23.1 percent) that sits in 11th place and an 9.1 percent walk rate that serves as the 12th-best mark in the league is more indicative of their talent. Their 53.4 percent groundball rate tops the league, and their 27.1 percent hard-hit rate is also in the top three. But it hasn’t all been perfect. Particularly in the matters of one Adrian Morejon. One of the issues that this bullpen faces is some misfortune in the batted ball game. Their .308 BABIP allowed to opposing hitters is one of the seven highest averages in the league, leaving a strand rate (70.5 percent) that’s floating more around the middle of the pack rather than what many of the other underlying figures might peg them to be. Morejon has been a sort of microcosm of these trends. Morejon’s surface numbers look rough. Through 16 innings of work, he’s pitched to a 5.63 ERA and a 55.6 percent strand rate. His 16.7 percent homer rate is abnormally high, too. Only Ron Marinaccio’s ERA sits higher, and Jeremiah Estrada (and his minuscule sample) is the only pitcher with a lower LOB% than Morejon (40.0). For a member of the contingent that was supposed to be the late-inning bridge to Mason Miller – alongside Estrada, Jason Adam, and, to a lesser extent, David Morgan – the output thus far has not been what you want. An observer who lives off the box score rather than a realistic portrayal might begin to have doubts about Morejon’s standing in the bullpen. Even at this early stage, the ERA alone is cause for concern. At this point, however, we know that ERA doesn’t tell the whole story, especially for a reliever. Interestingly, nor do any of the other factors through which Morejon is apparently struggling at present. This is Morejon’s percentile distribution through his 16 innings of work thus far: The xERA alone is indicative of a pitcher who doesn’t particularly deserved the results he’s received to this point (for what it’s worth, he also has a 2.74 FIP). He’s always lived in something of a paradox where the stuff is excellent and the whiffs are high, but the strikeouts are not. Morejon has furthered those trends throughout his small 2026 sample. Each of the chase and whiff rates look strong, with barrel, hard hit, and walk rates that are indicative of a pitcher who is in command of his stuff. It’s been more a matter of misfortune than anything. That misfortune works against Morejon both in strict outcomes (.354 BABIP) but also in the sample. Fourteen appearances comprise those 16 innings. On April 7 in Pittsburgh, Morejon allowed four runs in just one-third of an inning, with another two allowed against Colorado on April 10. Since that point, Morejon hasn’t allowed a run in six of eight appearances. He’s also struck out 12 hitters, walked only three, and hasn’t allowed a hit in five of those appearances. Suffice it to say, the version of Morejon that exists in reality is the one that was expected to lock down the late innings ahead of Miller. A pitcher with a combination of upper-tier stuff that induces plenty of whiff and the gaudy 65.3 percent groundball rate he’s posted thus far is one that is a nightmare for opposing hitters. If all hope is abandoned as an opposing hitter when Miller steps to the mound in the ninth, it’s not as if much room for optimism exists an inning or two earlier. That was the expectation coming into the year, and it remains reality. Regardless of what the ERA or other surface-level data may indicate, Morejon has been every bit as good as expected. Once the sample size grows, the numbers should easily illustrate such without the need for all of this extra analysis. View the full article

Before we turn the page to May, let's honor the Stars of the Month for March/April. The star hitter goes to Kaelen Culpepper of the Saints, and the star pitcher is Eli Jones of the Kernels. I wouldn't go with these two in a more traditional player/pitcher of the month voting, but that's the fun of having this star scoring system. Here's tonight's system recap, along with some info on the star scoreboard. View the full article

Sorry this is posted so late. I spent nearly 90 minutes online with MLB dot TV customer service as I have not been able to watch a Twins game on Twins dot TV for four days in a row. And after 90 minutes, we still have no resolution. Frustrating. TRANSACTIONS RHP Travis Adams saw his rehab stint come to an end as he was optioned to the Saints where he’ll continue to work to return to 100% and return to the Twins. The Saints also activated RHP Raul Brito from the development list. Fort Myers activated RHP Justin Mitrovich, their ninth-round pick from the 2025 MLB Draft. Get to know more about the Elon alum in his Twins Spotlight. Finally, RHP Angel Castillo was released from the DSL roster. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Iowa 1 Box Score The Saints had just two hits in this game but four a way to earn a win at home against Iowa. One big reason, of course, is pitching. Let’s start there. Matt Bowman played the role of the opener in this game. He tossed two scoreless innings despite giving up three hits. Mike Paredes played the role of the bulk pitcher. He tossed five scoreless innings and struck out four batters. He gave up two hits and a walk. He earned his first Triple-A win. Raul Brito was charged with an unearned run in the eighth inning, and Drew Smith earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning. With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Noah Cardenas knocked his first home run of the season to give the Saints a 1-0 lead. The Saints used a bit more creativity to score their next runs. With one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Orlando Arcia reached on an infield single. Aaron Sabato followed with a walk, and Tanner Schobel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cardenas walked to make it 2-0 Saints. Kaelen Culpepper was next. He flew out to right, deep enough for Sabato to score the third run. On the relay, Schobel was thrown out at third base to end the inning. Infielder James Triantos went 2-for-4 and is now hitting .317. He’s a Top 10 Cubs prospect. Former Gophers star Brett Bateman led off and played center field for the Cubs. He was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double. Jonathan Long is also a Top 10 Cubs prospect, and he was 2-for-4. The Saints had six walks, and Emmanuel Rodriguez accounted for half of them. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Arkansas 11 Box Score The Wind Surge had a rough game on Thursday night, right from the start. Sam Armstrong gave up two runs in the first inning. The Surge evened it up in the bottom of the inning, but Arkansas scored five in the top of the second inning. Armstrong was charged with seven runs on five hits, two walks, and two hit batters. He gave up four home runs. Jarrett Whorff came in for the third inning. He gave up three runs on three hits and a walk over two innings. Darren Bowen wired two innings. He gave up one run on a solo home run. Kyle Bischoff tossed two scoreless innings, and Luis Quinones added a zero in the ninth inning. In the bottom of the first inning, Kyle DeBarge reached on a throwing error by the pitcher and got all the way to third base. Kala’i Rosario walked. Hendry Mendez reached on an infield single to shortstop which loaded the bases. With one out, Ricardo Olivar lined a single that drove in two runs. The other Wichita run came in the third inning. Billy Amick and Olivar walked to start the inning. Jose Salas got in by an infield single to load the bases. Andrew Cossetti came up and flew out to center field. Amick scored. All three base runners tried to advance, but Salas was thrown out at second. Wichita managed their three runs on just three hits, but they also had seven walks. Rosario had three of those walks. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 7, West Michigan 5 Box Score West Michigan jumped out to a fast start. They scored five runs over the first two innings. From that point, it was all Kernels. They scored at least once in the next five innings and the final seven runs of the game. Eli Jones started and gave up five runs on eight hits over the first three innings. It’s nice to see that he ended his day with a scoreless innings (little things). He had six strikeouts and no walks. He struck out the last two batters he faced. After that, however, Cole Peschl threw two scoreless innings. Ivran Romero had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning. Eston Stull struck out six batters over the final three innings to record his first save of the season. Rayne Doncon and Andy Lugo led off the bottom of the third inning with a walk and a single, respectively. Jaime Ferrer drove in Doncon with a double. With one out, Eduardo Tait drove in Lugo with a single. Rayne Doncon knocked his third homer of the season with one out in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 5-3 game. Brandon Winokur led off the fifth inning with his fifth double. Khadim Diaw walked. After Danny De Andrade reached on a force out, Jay Thomason singled in Winokur with the Kernels fourth run. De Andrade scored on a Doncon sacrifice fly to tie the game a 5-5. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Marek Houston hit his third home run of the season to give the Kernels’ their first lead of the game. Doncon continued his productive game with an RBI single to drive in Khadim Diaw with the seventh run. Doncon went 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs, and three RBI. He had a sacrifice fly and a homer. Diaw went 2-for- with two walks. Houston was 2-for-4 with a walk and a homer. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 24, Daytona 8 Box Score This is one of those games that you can never expect. Seemingly every season, every team will have one of those games where the offense scores a huge number of runs. Good teams and bad teams. But 20 is something different. The franchise’s previous high in runs scored was 22 runs in August of 2012. Since 2020, the Mussels have reached 19 runs once. It is the third time that the Mussels have scored 15 or more runs. In addition, they had 21 hits which is also a Mussels record. Of the nine starters, only Yasser Mercedes went hitless, but he walked three times. All nine batters reached base at least two times. Bruin Agbayani reached base five times. He was 4-for-6 with a walk. He scored five runs and drove in three. Byron Chourio went 4-for-6 in this game. Irvin Nunez went 3-for-6 with his first triple and first home run of the season. He had six RBI and three runs scored. Jayson Bass went 3-for-6 with a walk, his third homer, three runs and five RBI. Ramiro Dominguez had two doubles and two walks in the game. Quentin Young had two hits. JP Smith had one hit and two walks. He scored four times. Harry Genth went 2-for-4 with two walks and a double. He scored three runs. Oh, and he needed just three pitches to get the final two outs. Matt Dalquist started for the Mussels. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on five hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. He had eight strikeouts. Brent Francisco gave up three runs on eight hits over 2 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts. Jake Murray gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts. Harry Genth came on and got the final two outs of the game. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Bruin Agbayani (Fort Myers): 4-for-6, BB, 5 R, 3 RBI Irvin Nunez (Fort Myers): 3-for-5, BB, 3B(1), HR(1), 2 R, 6 RBI, K Jayson Bass (Fort Myers): 3-for-6, BB, HR(3), 3 R, 5 RBI, K Rayne Doncon (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-2, BB, HR(3), 2 R, 3 RBI Pitcher of the Day Mike Paredes (St. Paul): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 68 pitches, 43 strikes (63.2%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - Did Not Play. #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, SF RBI, K (batted first, played SS) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 0-for-1, 3 BB, CS(2) (Batted second, played RF). #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, RBI, K, E(3) (batted second, played C) #5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, 2 K (batted third, played 1B) #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #9 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, BB, HR(3), R, RBI, K, E(3), CS(1) (batted leadoff, played DH) #10 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #11 - RHP Riley Quick (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 19 pitches, 13 strikes (68.4%) #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, 2B(5), R, 3 K (batted third, played CF) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-7, R, 3 K (batted fifth, played 3B) #15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch. #16 - OF Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 1-for-4, K (batted third, played DH) #17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-for-5, R, 2 K (batted first, played 2B) #18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch. #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-2, 2 BB, R (batted fourth, played DH) #20 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - 60 IL (right elbow sprain) UPCOMING PROBABLES Friday: Iowa @ St. Paul (6:37 pm CT) - RHP John Brebbia (0-0, 3.95 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (6:35 pm CT) - Ty Langenberg (0-1, 3.80 ERA) West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Michael Ross (1-1, 5.73 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Daytona (5:35 pm CT) - RHP Merit Jones (0-1, 1.93 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 14-18 St. Paul Saints: 13-16 Wichita Wind Surge: 13-11 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 11-13 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 16-8 FCL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, May 4) DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

I've written at length—and with startling frequency—about the trauma Ron Davis inflicted upon me as a child. It was a rare treat for someone living 90 minutes outside the metro area to see a baseball game, and of the few I managed to see, Ron Davis managed to blow a hell-ton of them. OK, it was only two, but the sample size was, like, four. And the record shows this experience was not limited to me, nor directed at me. He blew 14 saves in 1984! That really happened! It seems made up! That said, I'm not here to relitigate the past, or angrily wish for him to step on a bunch of LEGOs in the dark (again). Instead, I'm here to say: I'm sorry, Ron. I'm sorry. I thought I knew what bullpen incompetence was. I thought I knew what it was like to have certain victory snatched from my greedy, grasping hands by a [redacted] meatball you grooved to Don Mattingly or Harold Baines. I thought I knew what rock bottom was. I was wrong. I was so very wrong. The folly of youth, perhaps caused by raging hormones or shelter from the diamond-sharp cruelties of an indifferent universe, is that, when things go wrong, it's the worst thing to ever happen. Not just to you, but to anyone. I understand there's famine and war, but have you considered that Ron Davis is coming in to pitch the ninth inning for my favorite team again? How can this happen? The last nine months have shown me just how ignorant and incurious about the world I was. The post-2025 trade deadline Twins bullpen is a disaster, wrapped in a travesty, inside an apocalypse. This was noted at the time it happened. It was noted all offseason. It was noted in spring training. It was noted when they surged to an early AL-leading record. And now, with the Twins blowing every game when they're not up by seven runs, it is being noted again. Everyone saw it coming. No one did anything about it. No one is coming to save us. It's over. You might wish for it not to be over, but wish in one hand and [redacted] in the other. See which one fills up first. So, Ron, I once again extend my sincerest apologies. I thought you were the worst. You weren't. You weren't even close. Image license here. View the full article

Last year, the Kansas City Royals had the sixth-best ERA in MLB at 3.73. The pitching staff was among the best in the league, and that was the expectation again for the 2026 campaign. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case in the first month. Before Thursday’s games, the Royals had the seventh-worst ERA in the circuit at 4.51, a rather disappointing development and one of the reasons behind their 12-19 start. Despite the mediocre collective output to this point, it’s not hard to identify the best hurler on the team in the first month. Lugo Has Quietly Performed At A Very High Level Seth Lugo doesn’t just lead the Royals in ERA at 2.63, but he is tied for seventh in the entire league with 1.2 fWAR. That’s higher than some high-profile names, such as Joe Ryan, Tyler Glasnow, Jesus Luzardo, Jacob deGrom, Logan Gilbert, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and many others. Lugo hasn’t gotten lucky at all. His 2.69 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) not only certifies his dominance but also proves that he doesn’t just rely on his defense. He may not miss many bats as his 19th percentile whiff rate indicates, but he has become quite the contact manager, ranking in the 76th percentile in hard-hit rate with a solid 33.6 percent. It’s fair to say the Lugo signing in the winter of 2023 has been a resounding success for Kansas City. He posted a 3.00 ERA in 2024, helping the team return to the postseason, a 4.15 mark last year, and is shining again in 2026 at 36 years old. Lugo boasts one of the most varied repertoires you will see, using up to nine different pitches to keep his opponents off balance. And more often than not, he manages to achieve his goal. Other Contenders You could argue that Lugo has been getting a bit lucky this year so far, since his .290 wOBA is considerably lower than his .328 xwOBA, but it’s not a crazy gap, either. He is still a very serviceable starter and has unquestionably been the Royals’ pitcher of the month. Other contenders for this unofficial recognition are reliever Daniel Lynch, who boasts a brilliant 0.79 ERA in 11.1 frames, with a 31 percent strikeout rate, or fellow starter Michael Wacha, the owner of a 3.13 ERA. They both would be worthy selections, but Lugo has contributed more innings with similar run-prevention results. In what has been a highly frustrating season for Kansas City, Lugo’s competitiveness and effectiveness have been ever-present. At an age in which many major leaguers, particularly pitchers, start to decline, he has been a steady force and seems to be aging like wine. View the full article

Offensively, it's been an uneven start to the season for Pete Crow-Armstrong. He's batting .241/.307/.362, even after a torrid road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego. As we've discussed multiple times, he's gotten ever-so-slightly more patient this season, which has led to more walks, but he's also striking out more, and he didn't get his swing calibrated well enough to produce his usual power until this weekend, when he hit his second and third homers of the year against the Padres. Something else happened in San Diego, too, though. For the first time all year, an opposing player challenged a called ball against Crow-Armstrong. The Padres lost that challenge, and Crow-Armstrong eventually drew a walk, but finally, someone actually challenged a call on him. OTdQM1FfWGw0TUFRPT1fQmxSVlhGd0dWUXNBQ3dSVUFBQUhBbFZRQUZrQVZGSUFVMUJYVlFJTUFBSlRBd0VI.mp4 It might seem unsurprising that the free-swinging Crow-Armstrong is relatively unimpacted by the advent of ABS, but the stats say he should have been more affected. According to Baseball Savant's ABS Leaderboard, opponents should have challenged roughly five times against him by now, winning three of them. The only qualifying hitter with a bigger difference between the rate at which opponents should have challenged them and the rate at which they've actually done so is the Rockies' Troy Johnston. Lots of times, this year, the Cubs' star outfielder has taken pitches on the very edge of the zone; watched them be called a ball; and gotten a reprieve from an opposing catcher who was either otherwise occupied, insufficiently confident in the pitch they'd just caught, or unwilling to risk losing a challenge on the rare take by an exceptionally aggressive hitter. OTdQM1FfVjBZQUhRPT1fQkFoWlVsMVdBRmNBRHdRRFh3QUhDRkpYQUFNRkJnTUFWbEFNQWdzTkJGWUdBRmRR.mp4 This is a good example of the first of those means of escape from a challenge and an overturned call. With the runner going, the catcher's focus moved to making a throw, and he wasn't sure enough that the pitch he'd caught was a strike to issue a challenge on the non-call. Other times, the situation in which Crow-Armstrong took a borderline pitch isn't high-leverage enough to warrant a challenge. He gets away with one, because he's taking a pitch in the right situation to do so. WnhxdjlfWGw0TUFRPT1fVUFKU1hBSlhCMUFBQ0ZVRlVnQUhCQThBQUFCVFdnSUFBVjBGQWdjREFBRlRBQWRm.mp4 Sometimes, multiple things are happening at once. The league is likely to arrive, eventually, at a mutual understanding whereby players don't challenge often in games that aren't close late, like this one. Early in at-bats, that goes double. But the fact that Crow-Armstrong squares to bunt and that the catcher is again distracted by baserunners has something to do with the non-challenge, too. WERaNVhfWGw0TUFRPT1fVlFJREJnVUZVd0VBV2dGVUF3QUhBZ0VDQUFNQVVWUUFDbGNFVXdzTlV3QlZBUU5T.mp4 Those little qualifiers and mitigating factors can't explain away everything, though. Statcast's 4.9 expected challenges for Crow-Armstrong is the product of a probabilistic model. In truth, opponents have had a whopping 18 reasonable opportunities to challenge, and by my count, 11 of those were actually strikes. Some of those, inevitably, came in important situations and/or leverage counts, where it's quite clear that the catcher should have tapped their head. NHlLcTZfWGw0TUFRPT1fQVFKWlZ3SUFBQUlBQ1ZWVEJBQUhCdzRGQUZoUlVGY0FCVjBGQkFNQkNWVlNCQU5T.mp4 Is that non-challenge a product of undue timidity, or did the Pirates just not realize that pitch found the corner? One way to answer that is by looking at another, very similar instance. WU9WZ2dfWGw0TUFRPT1fQWxkV0JnQUVWUU1BQ2xZRlZBQUhBRkJWQUZnTUIxWUFWQVFEQ0ZFQlZ3SmRCQXRV.mp4 With the bases loaded and two outs in a close game, even a 0-0 pitch is a high-leverage one. Oyster Analytics's model for assessing challenge decisions says the Phillies should have challenged even if they thought they were just on the wrong side of a coin flip here; the actual pitch location should have given them roughly a 65% confidence level. Ok, here's the twist: this isn't actually a Pete Crow-Armstrong issue. I mean it is, but in another way, it isn't. This year, a recent trend toward fewer strikes being called on the outer edge of the zone to lefties has accelerated. Roughly 15 years ago, one of the pernicious little problems the game faced was a strike zone that bulged weirdly off the plate for lefty batters. Now, strangely, things have almost tipped the other way. Umpires are calling fewer strikes than they should on the outside corner—and on the inside corner, to righties. The called strike rate on takes on the third-base edge of home plate has plummeted. WU9WQVdfVjBZQUhRPT1fVndjRkFsZFNCQVlBQ1ZNQUFnQUhWVkFBQUZrRFZBUUFBd0ZYQXdBSEFsY0RBd1pl.mp4 To his credit, though, Crow-Armstrong has responded in the rational way to this change in the state of play. He swung at over 63% of the pitches he saw in the three Shadow zones along the outside edge of the plate last season, according to Statcast. This year, that number is under 50%. This is where his extra walks are coming from. He's getting help, to draw them, because umpires should have called a fistful of extra strikes, and (failing that) catchers should have challenged and won a few of those strikes, anyway. It's not quite luck, though, because the zone's shrinkage is a structural reality of the game this year. Crow-Armstrong has made the right adjustment to suit that. It shouldn't be working quite as well as it has, and he needs to keep adjusting, but swinging less at pitches on the fringes of the zone is a good thing, especially for the often hyper-aggressive Crow-Armstrong. His opponents are likely to stop going so easy on him soon, but now that his swing is back online, he won't need that help as much, anyway. View the full article

Player development has never been a simple, linear process, but the modern version of it might be more unpredictable than ever. Organizations map out a vision for prospects when they are drafted or signed, but that vision often changes as players face better competition, adjust to new information, and learn what actually works against major-league pitching. Some players arrive exactly as advertised. Others have to reshape their identities entirely, even after they reach the highest level. That evolution is not a failure of scouting or development. It reflects how difficult it is to project human performance years into the future. The version of a player at age 21 is rarely the same as the finished product at 27. Adjustments happen. Bodies change. Approaches shift. The result can look very different from the initial blueprint. Take Byron Buxton as the clearest example. Early in his career, the Twins tried to mold him into a traditional leadoff hitter. The focus was on putting the ball on the ground, using his elite speed, and letting him create offense with his legs. In theory, it made sense. In reality, it limited what Buxton could become. With time, it became obvious that the best version of Buxton is not a slap hitter. He's a middle-of-the-order force who punishes mistakes and changes games with power, while still bringing elite speed as a secondary weapon. The shift in expectations unlocked a different level of production. That same theme is playing out across the 2026 roster. Austin Martin Original Expectations: Coming out of Vanderbilt University, Martin built a reputation as one of the most polished bats in his draft class. His .368/.474/.532 collegiate slash line made him the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. His offensive identity centered around elite bat-to-ball skills, strike-zone control, and the ability to spray contact to all fields. Early returns in pro ball backed that up, including a .414 OBP in his debut season, though questions lingered about how much impact he would generate. Updated Expectations: That question has followed him into the big leagues, and the answer has taken an unexpected shape. Over-the-fence power hasn't materialized, but Martin has leaned fully into what he does best. Over the first month of this year, he has more walks (18) than strikeouts (13), and that level of discipline has allowed him to function as a table-setter in a very different way than originally envisioned. He may never reach the 20-home run mark, but his ability to control at-bats, use the entire field, and turn routine hits into extra bases with his legs gives him value. At 27 years old, he looks like a player who's finally settling into a sustainable version of himself after a development path that was anything but typical. Brooks Lee Original Expectations: Lee’s amateur track record suggested one of the safest bats in the 2022 MLB Draft. After starring at California Polytechnic State University, he entered pro ball with a reputation for elite contact skills and advanced feel from both sides of the plate. He consistently walked more than he struck out in college, ran a strikeout rate of just 11.7%, and showed the ability to drive the ball with wood bats during summer leagues. The expectation was a high-average hitter with steady production and enough strength to grow into moderate power. Updated Expectations: His transition to the majors has not followed that script. Lee has found it difficult to maintain consistent contact, carrying a career batting average under .240. Pitchers have found ways to attack Lee and get him to chase poor pitches on the edges of the zone. At the same time, another part of his game has taken a step forward. Through the first 28 games, he has launched five home runs, trailing only Buxton on the team. His 106 OPS+ and 109 wRC+ point to above-average offensive production, especially for a player handling a premium position. Long term, he may slide off shortstop, but the emergence of legitimate power has added a layer that was not part of his original profile. Lee and Martin’s development arcs remind us that improvement is not always predictable. The carrying tool can regress, while another tool rises to take its place. What matters is the overall package, not whether it matches the initial report—and that package can change over time, too. The idea of a fixed player archetype is fading. Development is more fluid now, shaped by data, experience, and a willingness to adapt. Players are trying a wider variety of things, to find the version of themselves that works once they get to the highest level. For the Twins, that has meant rethinking what success looks like for players like Buxton, Martin, and Lee. The original expectations still matter, but they no longer define the outcome. In many cases, the best version of a player is the one that no one fully saw coming. Can Lee and Martin continue to meet their updated expectations? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Transactions: {Not official, but from trusted source}: INF Moises Polanco promoted to ACL Brewers from DSL Brewers Blue Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Game One Final: Norfolk 5, Nashville 2 (in 7 innings) Box Score and Game Log Game Two Final: Nashville 3, Norfolk 1 (in 7 innings) 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: Crow Spins Gem to Help Sounds Split Twin Bill The linked game report covers the solid starts by LHP Robert Gasser (2 2/3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 Ks; 58 pitches) and RHP Coleman Crow (5 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 7 Ks) and 1B Brock Wilken’s 2-run homer which keyed the Game 2 victory, including video. Crow’s return to form was a particularly welcome sight, looking a lot more like the pitcher who wowed us in his Major League debut on April 17 (5 1/3 IP, 2 R, 4 Ks) than the one who struggled in his return to AAA ball last Friday (3 2/3 IP, 8 R, 5 Ks). With Wilken’s first homer since April 10, observers can begin to appreciate his recent work: .283 average with 10 walks and 7 extra-base hits over his last 14 games (57 plate appearances). Though they only had 6 innings to achieve it in the second game, all 9 Sounds’ position players reached base via hit or walk, led by SS Cooper Pratt’s 1-for-2 (triple), 2-walk effort. Pratt also singled and had a sacrifice fly in the opening game. Rehabbing OF Jackson Chourio and 1B Andrew Vaughn featured in the first game, each reaching base twice, but the squad was outhit 10-5, with their last 2 hits of the infield variety. LHP Tate Kuehner (4 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 4 BB, 4 Ks) uncharacteristically struggled, walking the opening batter in his first two innings of relief and also allowing 4 singles in his final frame. Sounds’ Extras: The team had taken a careful approach with Gasser to this point, with 14-15 days between outings, so it’s encouraging that he was able to return to the mound and throw 58 pitches (36 strikes) with a peak velocity of 94.5mph five days after his last outing on Saturday (32 pitches). 2B Freddy Zamora’s day was shorter than most, ejected in the 4th inning after a strikeout in the 4th inning of the first contest. Several more video highlights are available via Nashville’s video page, including RBI hits by OF Eddys Leonard (2-for-3) and C Ramon Rodriguez (1-for-3). Friday’s outlook: RHP Quinn Priester is scheduled to make his 3rd rehab start of 2026 after pitching 2 1/3 innings on Sunday (45 pitches). Nashville can extend their series lead to 3-1 with a victory. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Pensacola 9, Biloxi 6 Box Score and Game Log Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Shuckers Beat by Blue Wahoos 9-6 A 5-0 lead with RHP Jaron DeBerry on the mound is usually a recipe for success, but DeBerry didn’t make it out of the 1st inning and the Shuckers’ bat fell silent by the middle of the second inning (no hits amongst final 25 batters) while leading 6-3 at that point. That opening sequence was quite fun though, with RBI doubles off the bats of OF Damon Keith (1-for-3, walk), C Matt Wood (1-for-3, walk) and 1B Blake Burke, along with DH Mike Boeve’s RBI single. The early DeBerry exit (2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 0 Ks; 37 pitches) essentially forced Manager Mike Guerrero into a bullpen game, with no pitcher covering more than 2 2/3 frames. RHP Tanner Gillis (2 2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 K) worked around traffic to limit damage, while 24-year-old RHP Stiven Cruz was the most impressive (1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks) reliever. That continues Cruz’s 6-game run of stellar form, as he exited after the 5th inning with Biloxi still holding a 6-4 advantage. Unfortunately, RHP Edwin Jimenez’s first rough outing of 2026 came at a truly inopportune time, as he allowed 2 homers and a double to the first 5 batters faced to concede the lead, but he did bounce back to retire the final 5 batters he faced, the last 3 by strikeout. Shuckers’ Extras: Still 18 years old, SS Jesus Made had a 2-for-4 day, with 2 runs scored and a stolen base. However, he also had an error which led to an unearned run while Jimenez was on the mound. Now in his 6th minor league season after being acquired from the Dodgers in spring training, Keith (.346 AVG, 1.106 OPS in 62 plate appearances) must be chomping at the bit to reach AAA ball for the first time. Friday’s outlook: 20-year-old RHP Manuel Rodriguez (5.12 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 7.4 K/9 in 19 1/3 IP) is ready for his 5th start of 2026, with Biloxi presently trailing 2-1 in their series at Pensacola. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Game One Final: Quad Cities 11, Wisconsin 5 (in 7 innings) Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Bandits Beat Wisconsin in Game One Game Two Final: Quad Cities 8, Wisconsin 0 (in 7 innings) Box Score and Game Log More game details from the Timber Rattlers: Bandits Shut Out Wisconsin in Nightcap We thank the terrific Wisconsin media team for 2 detailed game write-ups and extensive video highlights, even as the results weren’t in our favor. Perhaps the return to 47-degree weather was the challenge for Game One starting pitcher RHP Bryce Meccage (1 1/3 IP, 7 R, 3 H, 5 BB, 1 K), who walked 4 of the first 6 batters he faced before allowing the back-breaking 3-run double for a 4-0 deficit before Wisconsin batters came to the plate. In that opening contest, Wisconsin did not record its second hit until they trailed 11-1 with 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th inning but did well to ultimately reach 8 hits and 5 runs scored. Unfortunately, that momentum did not carry over to the 2nd game, as Royals’ #3 prospect LHP David Shields limited the team to only 2 singles. Though the team already trailed 7-0 when he entered the second game, RHP Yerlin Rodriguez (1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3 Ks) was a relative bright spot in that contest, allowing only one walk and no hits amongst the six batters he faced. We’ll accord the same frozen fingers excuse to RHP Bryan Rivera (2 2/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks) who conceded homers to 3 of the first 4 River Bandits he faced in the opening game. On a brighter note, RHP Chandler Welch had his second 3-inning scoreless relief outing of April (3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 BB, 4 Ks). Each of starting LHP Wande Torres (3 IP, 3 R, 2 Ks), LHP Bjorn Johnson (2 IP, 2 R, 0 Ks) and RHP Michael Fowler (2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 Ks) struggled to record zeros on Thursday. Friday’s outlook: It’s Luis Pena bobblehead day, which could be made a million times better if it coincides with Pena’s return to the lineup (last played April 22, when he passed out in the dugout, spent the night in a Fort Wayne hospital and was released the next morning). RHP Yorman Galindez (7.27 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 10.4 K/9 in 8 2/3 IP) gets the start, with Wisconsin needing to come back from an 0-3 series deficit. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Salem 10, Wilson 5 Box Score and Game Log Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Salem Surges Past Wilson Despite missing a number of run-scoring opportunities (1-for-12 with runners in scoring position), Wilson appeared to be sailing to a comfortable victory with its 5-2 advantage through 7 innings before the wheels fell off. After wasting a bases loaded, nobody out 2nd inning opportunity and stranding 2 more in the 3rd inning, outfielders Handelfry Encarnacion (2-for-5, 2 RBIs), Jose Anderson (1-for-3, walk, RBI) and Jadyn Fielder came through with a 2-out, 2-run double and 2 solo homers for a 5-1 advantage by the 6th inning. Starting 6’6” LHP Andrew Healy allowed back-to-back singles to open the game (erased by a caught stealing and pick-off) before turning in his best outing to date: 3 innings of shutout ball, striking out 5 while allowing 3 singles and no walks. Bulk reliever of the day RHP Carlos Carra (4 2/3 IP, 5 Ks) started very strong, retiring 11 of the first 13 batters he faced, allowing a 5th inning walk and 6th inning solo homer. After a lineout for the first out of the 8th inning, Carra had reached 68 pitches and Wilson led 5-2 with nobody on base and 4 outs remaining for victory, but the gameplan demanded 20 more pitches: HBP, 2-run homer, single, single, force out, walk, single. 19-year-old Carra was ultimately charged with 7 earned runs, but that’s why it’s important to look beyond the box score. Warbirds’ Extras: Salem had 12 hits but only had 3 opportunities with runners in scoring position (2-for-3). 7 of their 10 runs came via the long ball, including a 3-run shot off of RHP Joshua Quezada (1 1/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 K; allowed 2 inherited runners to score) in the 9th inning to effectively put the game away. 2B Juan Ortuno (3-for-4, 2 doubles, SB) and 3B Filippo Di Turi (infield single, walk, SB) had positive days offensively. The Warbirds committed no errors vs. 2 for the RidgeYaks. 3 of Wilson’s 5 runs were unearned. Friday’s outlook: RHP Tyler Renz (2.45 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 9.8 K/9 in 18 1/3 IP) is scheduled for his 6th appearance (5th start), as Wilson look for a win to even their home series at 2 games apiece. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Friday, the Milwaukee Brewers have the earliest start time (5:45pm CST at the Nationals), followed by Biloxi and Wilson (6:05pm), Nashville (6:35pm) and Wisconsin (6:40pm). 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

On Fish Unfiltered, AJ Ramos reflects on his experience playing under Don Mattingly for two seasons in Miami. Here's what the Phillies can expect from him as their interim skipper.View the full article

Welcome to Shape of the Blue Jays, my column where I dig into Statcast numbers to analyze recent pitch shape and swing shape trends for Toronto Blue Jays players and discuss how they have impacted their performance. Click here to read the last edition. Quick Hits: ABS Brandon Valenzuela went a perfect 3-for-3 challenging ball calls behind the plate in Wednesday's series finale against the Red Sox. He also homered in the contest as an added bonus. One month into the ABS era, the Blue Jays have been one of the better teams in baseball at using the challenge system to their benefit when they're fielding (this is entirely thanks to their catchers; no Toronto pitcher has challenged a call yet). Statcast uses a model to predict the challenge probability of a given pitch based on location, number of challenges remaining, runners on, the count, and the number of outs in the inning. Based on that model, the Jays are 13th out of 30 in overturns above expected. They are eighth out of 30 in run value gained from their overturns above expected. Valenzuela has proven to be a very adept defensive catcher to start his MLB career; he and Tyler Heineman are doing a good job getting extra strikes for their pitching staff. Trey Yesavage Last year's postseason hero returned to action on Tuesday against Boston, and it was a resounding success (5.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 K, 0 BB). Trey Yesavage didn't record his first strikeout until the fourth inning, a stark contrast to the copious amounts of swing-and-miss he generated last October, but he didn't walk anyone and induced tons of weak contact. Of the 17 batted balls he allowed, only one had an expected batting average over .500. Only three were hard hit (>95 MPH exit velocity). The average xBA of those 17 batted balls was a meager .160. The best one was a first-inning double by Willson Contreras, which, even though it technically qualified as a barrel, was not hit high enough to be a home run in any MLB stadium. There's no problem with a lack of swing and miss if the balls in play are that non-threatening. Nothing about Yesavage's velocity was out of the ordinary, and the movement on both the fastball and splitter was also standard. If I have one question about his outing, it's about the lack of his signature "wrong-way" slider. He threw it just six times, five of them to righties. Now, it was responsible for one of his three strikeouts, but was it a lack of feel for it coming off the injury or a deliberate part of his gameplan? He threw it frequently during his last rehab start, so I'm inclined to say the latter. His next start is scheduled for Sunday in Minnesota. They've been a very good slider-hitting team this year, but then again, not many sliders in this league move like Yesavage's. Kazuma Okamoto Kazuma Okamoto struggled mightily to put bat on ball and drive in runs in the first couple weeks of his career. He finally had a huge day on April 19 in Arizona with a home run and a double (this was the day the Jays put up an eight-spot in the first inning). Since the start of that game, he's hitting .265, slugging .559, and only striking out 28% of the time, way down from the dangerous low-40s territory he was occupying earlier. What changed? Most of Okamoto's initial problems had to do with secondary pitches. Eno Sarris of The Athletic noted that he recently changed his stance in such a way that it gives him more time to detect pitch types while also putting him in a better position to cover the outside half of the plate. His hot streak is no accident. This doesn't automatically mean Okamoto is still going to get to every down-and-away slider he sees, but it will force pitchers to think differently about him. Last weekend, he launched home runs above the Rogers Centre batter's eye and into the WestJet Flight Deck on back-to-back days. Both of them were on middle-away fastballs. He hooked a down-and-away fastball for a 2-RBI double off Payton Tolle on Tuesday as well. Pitchers exploited a weakness of his in early April, and he adjusted. Now they'll have to adjust back. Spencer Miles Spencer Miles was a name shrouded in mystery when the Blue Jays selected him in the Rule 5 draft. He had never pitched above A-ball before, a level he reached in 2022. Talks of a high-90s sinker and MLB-quality stuff were encouraging, but he had a lot to prove coming into the year. So far so good! Miles has a 2.87 ERA, 3.82 FIP, and a 3.44 xFIP through his first nine outings. He has pitched 15.2 innings in those outings, and I'd love to see the Jays take advantage of his multi-inning capabilities more often so as to preserve the high-leverage arms on the staff. With how good pitchers are these days, a 96-mph sinker with 16 inches of arm-side tail isn't as special as it used to be. Both stuff models on FanGraphs (Stuff+, PitchingBot) see Miles's sinker, and his arsenal in general, as run-of-the-mill. The models do think higher of his command. From a results standpoint, he has a 55th-percentile K rate, a 64th-percentile BB rate, and a 90th-percentile hard-hit rate. Nothing special, but it gets the job done. In addition to his location, I believe his arsenal is quite advanced for a reliever and is also helping his stuff play up. He uses all four of his pitch types enough that hitters on both sides can't discount them, and he mixes both velocity and movement well in doing so. Check out his repertoire through this screenshot from the Paired Pitches tool on FanGraphs Lab: His sinker gets enough separation from his four-seamer that, hypothetically, if a lefty hitter thinks he's getting a middle-middle four-seamer but it's actually a sinker, it would wind up perfectly on the lower outside corner of the zone. All stats from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant, through games on April 29, 2026. View the full article

When the report came out Wednesday morning that OF/3B Nate Eaton was being recalled to the big-league club, Boston Red Sox fans were curious as to what the corresponding move would be. There were no signs of injury from Boston’s outfielders or the likes of Willson Contreras or Marcelo Mayer, who had both been banged up in the Toronto series — Contreras fouling a ball off his toe in game one, and Mayer tweaking his wrist on a tag at second in game two. As first pitch inched closer though, everyone’s worst fears were confirmed as it was Garrett Crochet who would be heading for a 15-day IL stint thanks to left shoulder inflammation, leaving an already inconsistent rotation without its ace who had seemingly turned things around in Boston’s 17-1 win over Baltimore after back-to-back rough outings. While Crochet told reporters he “began to feel some fatigue in his shoulder during his Saturday outing in Baltimore and is pretty confident he’ll be back in Boston’s rotation when he’s eligible in about two weeks,” per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Christopher Smith, this is an injury the already spiraling Red Sox team can’t afford to take lightly. The concern is already there for the Red Sox ace, but ramps up significantly when you learn this isn’t the first time he’s dealt with this type of injury. As Section 10 and 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tyler Milliken wrote on X, “Crochet had a cortisone shot in that left shoulder due to inflammation in 2023. He had a setback during the rehab [and] ended up being out from June 15th to September 22nd.” Hopefully, the timeline for Crochet’s return is closer to his believed two weeks, rather than the three months he dealt with previously. With Crochet now on the shelf, the question isn’t just who the Red Sox turn to, it’s who can they realistically rely on his absence? Below is a look at the five arms Boston will need to lean on until Crochet returns and a ranking of how confident they and fans should be in their abilities to rise to the occasion. Honorable Mention: Sonny Gray. It is worth noting that Gray will eventually be returning from his hamstring injury suffered on Patriots Day and when he does, that will surely help to enhance Boston’s rotation with a veteran leader that will be missed in Crochet’s absence. Until then though, we’ll be sticking with the five sure options the Red Sox currently have at their disposal. Ranking Confidence in Red Sox's Best Starters Without Garrett Crochet 5. Brayan Bello 2026 Stats: 6 starts, 1-4, 9.12 ERA, 25.2 IP, 17 SO, 15 BB, 2.26 WHIP, .374 AVG Any hopes of a Brayan Bello turnaround under new manager Chad Tracy may have been dashed away Wednesday afternoon as he struggled again, allowing four earned runs on six hits while walking and striking out two over 3.2 innings pitched, and was visibly upset after getting the hook from Tracy after just 63 pitches and not being allowed to face Toronto’s lineup a third time through. Where Bello excels is getting hitters to swing-and-miss and put the ball on the ground, with whiff and ground ball rates both in the 86th percentile, both elite showings for a sinker-baller such as himself. It's there where his biggest problem lies, though, as it feels like start to start Bello is struggling to determine what other pitches in his repertoire he wants to attack hitters with. He’s essentially turned himself into a two- or three-pitch pitcher, with a mix of: sinker (42%), cutter (26%), changeup (12%), sweeper (10%), curveball (7%), four-seamer (3%). Bello has the capabilities to step up right now; heck, he was arguably their second-best starter behind Crochet just last season. But where Bello’s struggles may stem from, the mental aspect of his game, something that was thought to be figured out a year ago but is trending backward this year, raises concerns about his reliability moving forward. 4. Jake Bennett 2026 Stats (AAA): 5 starts, 2-1, 0.86 ERA, 21.0 IP, 16 SO, 3 BB, 0.71 WHIP, .162 AVG Red Sox fans won’t have to wait long to see if Jake Bennett can fill the void left by Crochet as he’s slated to start Friday’s series opener against the Astros, a spot that originally was Crochet’s before the injury announcement. In five starts for Worcester this season, Bennett has been dominant, holding opposing hitters to a .162/.215/.176/.391 slash line while also constantly attacking hitters, owning a 5.33 K/BB and 0.71 WHIP. The key question is how Bennett will attack hitters at the big league level as he has been operating with a five pitch mix that includes a sinker (26.5% usage, four-seamer (25.4%), changeup (20.9%), curveball (13.4%) and cutter (13.1%) with varied velocity across that mix. As the Red Sox look for reinforcements to hold things down while Crochet is out, the hope is Bennett can follow the example of fellow young southpaws Payton Tolle and Connelly Early who have quickly found their footing in Boston. I think he can give them some more consistency than Bello has shown to be capable of so far, which is why he’s slotted ahead of the right-hander on this list. 3. Payton Tolle 2026 Stats: 2 starts, 0-1, 3.38 ERA, 10.2 IP, 15 SO, 5 BB, 1.03 WHIP, .162 AVG Speaking of Payton Tolle, he’s had a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde start to his 2026 campaign. After dominating the Yankees in his season debut to a tune of 11 strikeouts, one walk, three hits, and one earned run over six strong innings and 93 pitches, he followed that up with a less-than-stellar outing allowing three earned runs on three hits, four walks, and four strikeouts over 4.2 innings and 68 pitches against the Blue Jays. When it comes to looking the part in Crochet’s absence, the 6’6”, 250lb lefty has that more than covered. In terms of matching the nastiness that Crochet usually brings on a nightly basis however, Tolle will need to tap back into what made him so successful in that first Yankees start: not being afraid to pound the strike zone. That's what gets swings and misses, and that is what has led to his elite 35.7 K% (97th percentile) and 34.2 Whiff% (92nd percentile). Continuing to utilize his more balanced pitch arsenal that no longer relies solely on the four-seamer as it did a season ago (usage down from 64% in 25’ to 52% in 26’) will keep hitters guessing on how he might attack them. 2. Connelly Early 2026 Stats: 6 starts, 2-1, 2.84 ERA, 31.2 IP, 28 SO, 14 BB, 1.20 WHIP, .212 AVG If Tolle will be tasked with bringing the fire and raw emotion that Crochet pitches with on a nightly basis, then Connelly Early will complement that with his finesse and solid command style of pitching. While Early’s Baseball Savant page won’t blow you away, as he currently sits at either league average, or slightly below league average, in practically evert category, what stands out is that he has already shown in his short MLB career that he knows how to lock in and make the big pitches when he needs to and never appears to be overwhelmed by the situation. Crochet’s ability to slow the game down and keep his composure in a big spot may be an underlying aspect of his game that will be missed by Boston in order to keep innings from snowballing on them. However, if Early can continue to tap into that skillset of his own, something that Sox fans will remember was on display during last year’s AL Wild Card Round in Yankee Stadium, it may go a long way to helping keep this rotation afloat. 1. Ranger Suárez 2026 Stats: 6 starts, 2-2, 3.09 ERA, 35.0 IP, 29 SO, 9 BB, 0.94 WHIP, .197 AVG The obvious choice to step in and take the reins of the rotation while Crochet is out is undoubtedly Ranger Suárez, who has started to look the part of a co-ace after his rocky start in Boston. Since his two clunkers against Houston and San Diego to start the year (8.64 ERA, .371 BA, 13.0 K%, 8.0 BB%, 47.0 HardHit%), Suárez has looked like every bit of the pitcher the Red Sox expected him to be when brought him in to be the number two option behind Crochet. Suárez has managed a quality start in three out of his last four outings, only allowing four earned runs over 26.2 innings pitched while managing to hold hitters to a feeble .126 average. Factor in a 26 K%, 6 BB% and HardHit% of 34%, and you have a verified stud on the mound. What has made him more effective during this stretch is his willingness to stray away from being so sinker (29% usage) and changeup (19%) heavy as he was his first couple of starts which seemingly made him slightly too predictable. He's starting to trust his excellent secondary offerings including his cutter (20%), four-seamer (17%) and curveball (14%), all of which have continued to see upticks in usage over his last four starts. While a Crochet injury obviously isn’t an ideal situation to be dealing with, especially given how the Red Sox season has already gone so far, Suárez is more than capable of leading the starting five in his absence. View the full article