DiamondCentric

We are almost at the mid-point in the season, and the New York Mets are still trying to dig themselves out of the hole they created during their 12-game losing streak. Thus far in 2026, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the Mets, with star players being injured or not playing up to standards being the norm so far. Surprisingly, the Mets finished with a winning record of 16-12 in the month of May, but it was not pretty. From the high of beating the Yankees in a three-game series to the lows of being swept by the Marlins and Rockies, it was a turbulent stretch of baseball, to say the least. However, while others continued their trajectory from the beginning of the season, some have bounced back and are beginning to put together a nice 2026 campaign for themselves. Biggest Surprise: The Baby Mets At the beginning of the season, Carson Benge struggled to find his footing at the plate. Benge hit under the Mendoza line during the months of March and April and appeared well on his way to a trip back to Syracuse. Once May 1 hit, everything began to click. Since that day, Benge is slashing .306/.375/.426 for an .801 OPS. With a majority of his at-bats coming in the leadoff spot, Benge has put himself in scoring position for a scorching hot Juan Soto many times and it has worked out well so far. Likewise, A.J. Ewing has begun his rookie season in a very positive way so far. Ewing’s glove in center field is often on the receiving end of compliments from Keith Hernandez and deservingly so. On the batting side, Ewing is still finding his footing, but much faster than Benge did in the beginning of the season. Ewing hit .238 with an OPS of .650 in May, pairing that with 94th percentile sprint speed and above-average defense, Manager Carlos Mendoza will take that and continue putting him in the lineup every day. Also worth noting, Christian Scott had himself a strong month of May. In six starts, Scott produced a 2.79 ERA with a K:BB ratio of 37:11. Scott has only allowed one home run so far this season which is a positive as keeping the ball in the yard was a major issue for him in 2024. Scott ranks in the 85th percentile in strikeout rate at 28.1%, providing reason to hope that this isn't just a flukey breakout. Biggest Disappointment: Bo Bichette Simply put, the Mets are not getting their money’s worth so far with Bichette, and they could potentially get locked into one of the worst contracts in baseball if his play continues the way it is. In the month of May, Bichette slashed .207/.279/.297 with a .576 OPS. Since the beginning of the season, the Mets have only seen a few games of the Bo Bichette they went and signed to a three-year, $126 million dollar deal. While the defense has been better than fans thought, the bat has been much worse. Bichette currently sports a -11 batting run value, which is only in the second percentile among all of qualified hitters. One thing I have found fascinating about Bichette’s swing is his late load. His body motion and lead leg appear to be set later than most hitters. To the naked eye, it appears like Bichette only gets set in time to be late to the ball on most occasions. So, while his chase rate is high and whiff rate is low, most of that is due to being late to the ball and fouling pitches off. However, what Carlos Mendoza and hitting coach Jeff Albert can do to help Bichette is to let him know that the results will come. The advance stats show that right now Bichette is only one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball. Bichette’s expected batting average is .279, .060 higher than his current average. In due time, the results should come. Or, at least, the Mets have to hope they will, lest they find themselves unable to get back into the playoff picture. View the full article

Despite a bout of wildness in his last MLB start, the Milwaukee Brewers are giving Robert Gasser another shot. The Brewers on Wednesday called up the left-hander from Triple-A Nashville to start Wednesday's game against the San Francisco Giants. To make room on the 26-man roster, the Brewers placed left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny on the 15-day injured list with a strained left trapezius. Gasser has made two starts for the Brewers this season, the last one coming May 23 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gasser walked four and gave up four runs in 4⅓ innings in an 11-3 loss. He was sent down the next day. Gasser walked two in four innings of his May 17 start vs. the Minnesota Twins, a 5-4 loss. Zastryzny had just returned Sunday from the injured list, where he had been since spring training due to a strained left shoulder. While Zastryzny didn't appear in any of the three games he was on the roster for, he is now dealing with another shoulder-related injury. The Brewers also have announced that right-hander Coleman Crow will start Thursday's finale against the Giants. View the full article

The Nick Castellanos experience has come to an end for the San Diego Padres. Castellanos, an outfielder, was designated for assignment Wednesday by the Padres. Infielder-outfielder Samad Taylor had his contract selected from Triple-A El Paso. Being DFA'd is the first step toward releasing a player. He must clear waivers before that can happen. Castellanos could also be claimed off waivers by another team or the Padres could trade him. Castellanos didn't play in Tuesday's series opener on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies, the team that released him as spring training was set to begin and was due to make $20 million this season as the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract. The 34-year-old quickly latched on with the Padres, who only had to pay him the MLB minimum salary after the Phillies dumped him. In 39 games this season, Castellanos had a slash line of .191/.221/.339 with four homers and 20 RBIs. His biggest moment with the Padres came May 20, when he hit a game-tying homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against St. Louis Cardinals star closer Riley O'Brien in what would be a 3-2 victory in 10 innings. But the entire Padres offense is struggling and Castellanos' lack of production and positional versatility along with a recent injury to left fielder Ramon Laureano prompted this move. The Padres are last in MLB in batting average at .218 and 29th in OPS at .656. Originally expected to get time at first base, a position he had never played at the MLB level, Castellanos only made two starts at the position due to the production from Gavin Sheets and Ty France. The right-handed slugger, with 254 career homers and a .781 career OPS, struggled early in the season in his new role as a part-time player. He seemed to come around a bit with more consistent playing time in May due to Jake Cronenworth's concussion, which led to right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. shifting to second base. Castellanos made 18 starts in right field and four in left, with only seven at designated hitter, a role he seemed more suited for with the other personnel the Padres had on the roster. Taylor has appeared in 38 games in the majors with the Kansas City Royals (31 games in 2023) and Seattle Mariners (seven games the last two years). He produced a .205/.272/.260 slash line with no homers and four RBIs along with eight steals in as many chances. At Triple-A El Paso this year, Taylor had slashed .319/.406/.500 with seven homers, 25 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 10 attempts. He also had seven doubles and three triples in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired more right-handed depth in the form of veteran reliever Justin Topa. Topa, 35, has seven seasons of MLB experience with the Brewers, Mariners, and Twins. He owns a 4.27 ERA in 172 career appearances, with nine saves and 32 holds. The righty struggled badly for Minnesota earlier this year (8.05 ERA, 5.97 xERA in 19 IP), prompting his release. However, he was solid for the Twins in 2025, pitching to a 3.90 ERA (4.42 xERA) in 60 frames. The Blue Jays have 10 pitchers on their major league injured list, and they're currently counting on bullpen games to fill two of the five slots in their rotation. So, it makes sense that they're stockpiling pitching depth, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Topa get a shot with Toronto in the coming weeks. View the full article

Kyle Harrison lifted his eyes and saw the crowd on its feet, applauding at American Family Field as he made his way back toward the Brewers' dugout. His 11th start of the season had ended with yet another dominant line: 5 2/3 innings, one run allowed, 12 strikeouts, and only two walks against the San Francisco Giants. Harrison reached double-digit strikeouts by the fourth inning and matched a career high with 12 punchouts, including three against Rafael Devers. In the sixth, a solo home run by Willy Adames finally snapped his scoreless streak after 23 consecutive innings, and after issuing a walk to Matt Chapman, his night was over. Even then, Harrison's ERA remained at 1.57, accompanied by a 2.83 xFIP and 1.9 fWAR. Any metric you choose to look at still feels almost unbelievable. This is a new and completely reinvented Harrison, one whose four-seam fastball has climbed into the Top 10 pitches in baseball in Run Value (9) and whose slurve may be the best pitch of its kind in the game right now. Some numbers tell a story, and others simply leave you speechless. Harrison has now made 11 starts in Milwaukee, and the baseball world can no longer look the other way. He's already put up the best ERA through one's first 10 starts of a season as a left-handed starter for the Brewers—not in the modern pitching era, not in a period defined by hitter-friendly environments and ever-increasing velocity, but across the entire history of the franchise, stretching back to 1970. The names surrounding him are not ordinary ones. Teddy Higuera appears three different times. CC Sabathia sits in second place. And yet, at the very top of the list, above all of them, stands Harrison. Rk Player Team Span Started Span Ended ERA W L GS CG SHO IP ERA SO% SO-BB HR% H R ER HR BB SO BF 1 Kyle Harrison MIL 3/30/2026 5/26/2026 1.57 6 1 10 0 0 51.2 1.57 29.6% 4.4 1.5% 39 9 9 3 14 61 206 2 CC Sabathia MIL 7/8/2008 8/24/2008 1.59 8 0 10 5 2 79 1.59 23.5% 4.9 1.3% 68 17 14 4 15 74 315 3 Teddy Higuera MIL 4/10/1990 6/13/1990 1.78 5 1 10 1 1 55.2 1.78 18.1% 2.4 0.9% 44 15 11 2 17 41 226 4 Bill Travers MIL 4/10/1976 6/3/1976 1.95 6 2 10 3 1 69.1 1.95 16.0% 1.6 0.0% 61 22 15 0 29 47 293 5 Wade Miley MIL 5/2/2018 8/24/2018 2.32 2 2 10 0 0 50.1 2.32 15.4% 1.6 1.4% 45 17 13 3 21 33 214 6 Eric Lauer MIL 4/12/2022 6/5/2022 2.38 5 1 10 0 0 56.2 2.38 27.7% 3.8 3.4% 46 20 15 8 17 65 235 7 Teddy Higuera MIL 4/4/1988 5/30/1988 2.54 4 3 10 2 0 71 2.54 20.7% 3.9 1.8% 56 22 20 5 15 58 280 8 Teddy Higuera MIL 4/7/1986 5/22/1986 2.59 5 4 10 4 0 76.1 2.59 22.3% 2.8 3.2% 62 27 22 10 25 70 314 9 Al Downing MIL 6/28/1970 8/21/1970 2.78 1 7 10 1 0 58.1 2.78 14.9% 1.1 1.6% 45 30 18 4 36 38 255 10 Chris Capuano MIL 4/4/2006 5/21/2006 2.78 5 3 10 1 1 68 2.78 21.7% 3.8 1.8% 57 24 21 5 16 60 277 The top of that leaderboard becomes a roadmap of Milwaukee's left-handed pitching history. Higuera dominated it in three separate seasons, as he made it a habit to get off to tremendous starts in the second half of the 1980s. Chris Capuano is there. Wade Miley is there. Eric Lauer is there. Less than a year ago, he was being shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen in San Francisco and Boston. Harrison posted a 4.39 ERA over parts of three seasons with those two organizations. Now, that looks like it will be the prologue in a much more exultant career story. Nine of his first 10 starts ended with one earned run allowed or fewer. Six of those outings ended with a zero in the earned-run column. The consistency of the numbers speaks to something more meaningful than a hot streak. It speaks to a pitcher who may have found something real. Sabathia, in his own 11th start as a Brewer back in 2008, went even further, throwing a complete-game one-hitter with 11 strikeouts in a performance that came agonizingly close to being a no-hitter. That outing allowed Sabathia to move ahead in cumulative ERA, but the fact that anyone is comparing Harrison to Sabathia's legendary (however brief) stint in a Brewers uniform at this point in the conversation says everything that needs to be said. Harrison's numbers reveal a clear story about where he is at his most dangerous. The best version of him is a combination of power and conviction: complete command of the strike zone, relentless attack, and a pitch mix that has limited damage to a degree he had never previously achieved. In some of his most dominant outings of the season—April 26 against Pittsburgh, when he allowed just one hit and struck out 12 across six innings, or May 20 against the Cubs, when he surrendered only two hits while striking out 11 over seven scoreless frames—the formula has remained the same: A fastball that dominates the edges of the strike zone. Very few walks. Plenty of strikeouts. The depth of his outings has grown as the season has progressed. His first three appearances were shorter, ranging from 4 1/3 to 5 2/3 innings, but beginning with his fourth start, Harrison consistently found ways to work deeper into games, regularly reaching the sixth and seventh innings. Command has been the key. He's gone away from the kick-change he added to his arsenal recently when it hasn't landed in the zone often enough for his tastes; he's been equally willing to lean away from the slurve. His fastball is good enough to force whiffs, called strikes and weak contact, so at times, he's simply pounding hitters with it, over and over. When hitters cannot square up the baseball and a pitcher refuses to hand out free bases, the result becomes almost inevitable: a shutout, or something very close to one. But this is not simply the story of a pitcher having a good season. This is a story about perseverance, redemption, and what can happen when a player finally finds the right place. Harrison was traded twice in less than a year. Every trade represents an organization saying, through its actions, that it is not entirely convinced you are "the guy." Harrison arrived in Milwaukee as another name included in a transaction package, and now he is stealing the spotlight from the rest of the league. The Brewers, winners of 19 of their previous 24 games entering that start, continue to demonstrate something that is hardly news by now: they possess a special ability to unlock pitchers, to provide them with context, confidence, and the structure necessary to flourish. Pat Murphy saw Harrison pitch against Milwaukee while he was still with San Francisco in 2024 and liked what he saw, despite the unfavorable result for the young left-hander. That says a great deal about the evaluation skills of this coaching staff. "It's nice to finally have found a home here," Harrison said after the game. It's nice for Brewers fans to have found him, too. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 3 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Mud Hens lead, 1-0 Season Record: 24–33 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Barons lead, 1-0 Season Record: 26–25 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 31–17 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 21–29 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 24–33 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (27–31) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 2: The Iowa Cubs were thumped in their series opener vs. the Toledo Mud Hens, dropping June’s curtain raiser 16-1. Two runs by the Mud Hens in the first put the visitors ahead for good and they would make it a 13-0 game with three in the third and eight in the fifth. The Cubs scored their only run of the ballgame in the seventh when BJ Murray (0-for-3) drew a walk with the bases loaded. Toledo would then plate one in the eighth and two more in the ninth to cruise to the victory. Ty Blach got the start for the I-Cubs and fell to 2-4 on the season. Blach allowed 10 runs, nine earned, on 10 hits over four innings of work, giving up three home runs. Ryan Jensen turned in 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and whiffing two. The Iowa offense was limited to six hits in the contest, with James Triantos going 3-for-4 with a double and Scott Kingery going 2-for-2. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 26–25 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (20–31) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 2: The Knoxville Smokies’ late rally fell just short as they dropped their series opener to the Birmingham Barons, 7-6. The Barons jumped out to a 6-0 with two runs in the second and four in the third before the Smokies got on the board in the home half of the inning on Jefferson Rojas’ (1-for-4) RBI-single. Birmingham added a run in the fourth to make it 7-1 but three runs from Knoxville in the bottom of the fifth got them back into the game. Andy Garriola (1-for-5) drove in a pair with a single and Carter Trice (1-for-5) added another run with a single of his own. Alex Ramírez’ (2-for-4) collected a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 7-5. The Smokies were able to get back into the ballgame thanks to a pair of scoreless relief outings from Tyler Santana (3 IP) and Marino Santy (2 IP). The duo combined to allow six hits while striking out seven, with one walk issued. Rojas would score on a wild pitch in the ninth and Knoxville would get the tying run to second with two outs but were unable to come up with a big hit, ultimately falling 7-6. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 31–17 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (22–27) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 2: The South Bend Cubs won for the 11th time in their last 13 games with an 8-4 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Tuesday. The teams traded runs in the first, with Josiah Hartshorn’s (3-for-5) third homer of the season giving the Cubs a brief lead. The River Bandits went ahead with three runs in the third but South Bend responded with four in the fourth to take the lead for good. Miguel Useche (1-for-4) tallied an RBI-double and Justin Stranksy (0-for-3) picked up an RBI on a groundout. Drew Bowser’s (2-for-4) two-run double would turn out to be the decisive hit in the ballgame, putting the Cubs ahead 5-4. Jackson Brockett, who would go on to pick up the win in relief and improve to 3-1 on the season, fired four scoreless frames, allowing just two hits and striking out two, allowing South Bend to keep and maintain their lead. The Cubs added some insurance in the ninth, with Christian Olivo (2-for-4) bringing in a run with a single and Hartshorn driving in two more with his third hit of the night. Kenyi Perez earned his second save of the season with a two-inning scoreless effort, allowing no hits and striking out six while issuing just one walk. Hartshorn recorded his second three-hit game of his brief High-A career and has now hit safely in six of his first seven games with South Bend. The Cubs’ No. 8 prospect (MLB.com) is slashing .400/.469/.800 in those seven games with three home runs and 13 RBI. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 21–29 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (27–25) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 2: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were walked off in extra innings by the Charleston RiverDogs, 4-3, in the series opener between the two teams on Tuesday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Ballpark. The RiverDogs opened the scoring in the ballgame with a run in their first trip to the plate and doubled their advantage with a run in the third, but two runs from the Pelicans in the fourth, thanks to RBI-singles from Yahil Melendez (1-for-3) and Jairo Diaz (1-for-4), tied the game at 2-2. Strong pitching efforts from Edwardo Melendez (3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) and Daniel Avitia (3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 4 BB, 2 SO) would help send the contest to extras. The Pelicans went ahead in the 10th on Edward Vargas’ (1-for-4) RBI-single but Charleston would score twice in the home-half of the inning to earn the 4-3 walk-off win. View the full article

Our loyal Talk Sox readers took part in a brand-new idea courtesy of @Brock Beauchamp of doing an AMA on the TalkSox forums. For those who may not know, an AMA ("ask me anything") is a collaborative effort in which users ask a question and a writer or someone of expertise will answer. In the first take at doing this, we covered the Worcester Red Sox, due to my media credentials with the team. Now is where we answer the questions our readers have left. @mvp 78 asked: What does Mikey Romero need to do differently at the plate to get back to the success he had last year? Mikey Romero has had an interesting season. He opened the year extremely hot with many predicting he would be in Boston before July with how he was playing. Since then, he’s cooled off considerably. In his last 17 games, he’s hitting just .181/.231/.333 but has two doubles, a triple, two home runs and nine RBIs. Honestly with Romero, what’s been tough for him has just been having balls land in for hits. He’s striking out in only 21.5% of his at-bats (though his walk rate is a low 7.3%) and is putting the ball in play. And with Romero, when he makes contact, he’s making loud contact as his exit velocity this year is 93.1 mph and his hard-hit rate is sitting at 46.9%. Both Chad Tracy and Iggy Suarez aren’t concerned about the lack of hits as they both feel that he’s making good contact and not pressing too much. For a 22-year-old, he’s showing maturity with how he’s handling this slump. Really he just needs to keep putting the ball in play and the hits will start to drop eventually. Though personally I’d also like to see him not chase as much (28.6% rate) and pull the ball more to take advantage of the Worcester Wall. Maybe also be a little more patient, but that seems to be a thing for the entire organization this year. @moonslav59 asked: Does Anthony Seigler have a legit chance to be a difference maker at the big league level? Anthony Seigler is someone who has convinced me he will have an impact if another injury happens. So far in Worcester, he’s mainly played third base and designated hitter, but he has experience at second base. He’s also played catcher, but from the sound of it, the organization has no plans of putting him behind the plate unless it’s an absolute emergency. Offensively, he has impressed me since the start of May; in 18 games last month, he turned himself from a fringe 40-man roster player to someone the team could utilize as a genuine depth option. Over that span, he hit .344/.468/.531 with three doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs. However, he has struggled against left-handed pitching this season, going just 2-for-17 against them, so I’d imagine he would be a platoon bat if Boston needed him. As for how much of a difference maker you’re looking for, he won’t strike out, he’ll get on base, and he could be a valuable bench piece against right-handed pitchers. A role that many teams need players to fill, but I wouldn’t expect him to be a starter that could ignite the offense every night. Editor's Note: Seigler is being called up on the date of publishing. @notin asked: Is Braiden Ward taking infield practice? During my time at Worcester, I have not seen Braiden Ward take infield practice. Fun guy who’s very approachable, but the only time I’ve seen him on the infield is during batting practice or baserunning drills. @urban cowboy asked: Is Kristian Campbell showing any signs of "recovery?" Kristian Campbell’s season has been a roller coaster. He opened the year on a cold streak, went on a tear for the rest of April, and then cooled off in May. The power that he displayed in 2024 hasn’t been there for him, as he’s slugging just .329 this season and only has 10 extra-base hits, but the exit velocities have been encouraging. It’s currently sitting at 90 mph (which is higher than his time in Worcester in 2024, at 88.2 mph). While the numbers are down, his metrics look much better as he’s walking nearly 16% of the time and has a hard-hit rate of 45.7%. The team is constantly stating that with Campbell right now, it’s about the process and not the results (though he got those in April, when he hit .294/.394/.365 in 23 games). It’ll be a continuous road for Campbell and right now, I think barring a major trade or injury we won’t see him in Boston until 2027. @Yaz Fan Since 67 asked: After seeing so many of our top prospects fail to deliver in the Bigs I am struggling to get excited at our players in the minors. It’s fair to not get excited with the recent track record of our top prospects. However, you need to put it into perspective that many of them were rushed to the majors. Campbell only had 19 games at Triple-A, Roman Anthony had 93 games, and Marcelo Mayer had 43 games. Even Payton Tolle and Connelly Early had little time in Worcester. However, right now, most of the top prospects aren’t in Worcester and besides Anthony Eyanson, they seem to be taking their time with moving them through the system. When it comes to prospects you can try to predict their future, but you never know what can alter the plans of a franchise. @Old Red asked: How’s Noah Song looking? I know he had 1 real bad game in April that bloated his stats. Noah Song has been a pleasant surprise. While his overall stat line may not be exciting (5.14 ERA, 18 walks and 27 strikeouts in 28 innings), he looked much better in the month of May. In his last seven appearances, Song has given the team 12 innings allowed just three earned runs while striking out 13 batters. He isn’t the pitcher that the team drafted and the projections from then are long gone. But he’s still striking out batters at a 21.6% rate and limiting them to a .214 batting average. Much like in spring training, his slider has been his go-to pitch over his fastball now, using it 45.8% of the time and batters are hitting just .233 against it. He's also clearly courted favor with Iggy Suarez, who speaks highly of Song whenever asked. Thank you to everyone who asked questions. If you want to take part next time, watch out for another announcement in the forums. View the full article

A short outing by a starter is forcing the New York Mets to make a change in the pitching staff. Right-handed starter Jonah Tong has been sent down to Triple-A Syracuse by the Mets, with right-hander Joey Gerber coming up to replace him. Tong went just 3⅓ innings in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners following an opener, prompting the need for another arm in the bullpen. Tong, Grand Central Mets' No. 2 prospect, allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks while fanning four. He was good in his other two appearances since being called up, but hasn't provided length. He has chewed up a combined 10 innings in those three outings and didn't allow an earned run in the first two. Gerber is up with the Mets for the third time this year, but he only pitched in one game. That came April 13 in a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers when he went two scoreless innings, striking out five and walking one while allowing two hits. At Triple-A this year, Gerber has an 8.79 ERA in 13 games and 14⅓ innings, walking five and striking out 10. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox's depth is taking another hit. Infielder Nick Sogard will be placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday by the Boston Red Sox, who are calling up infielder Anthony Seigler from Triple-A Worcester, according to a report by MassLive.com's Sean McAdam. Sogard has soreness on his right side. Sogard, a switch-hitter, has not played since Saturday. Since being called up May 16, Sogard had produced a .257/.350/.371 with no homers and two RBIs in 12 games. The Red Sox are already missing star shortstop Trevor Story, who is on the 10-day IL with a sports hernia, and Romy Gonzalez, who is on the 60-day IL following surgery on his left shoulder, from their infield mix. Seigler was the third player the Red Sox acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the six-player Caleb Durbin trade that cost Boston left-handers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton. The Red Sox also picked up infielder Andruw Monasterio in that deal. Seigler will be making his Red Sox debut after putting up a .298/.425/.471 slash line with three homers and 21 RBIs at Worcester. Seigler has the ability to play almost anywhere on the diamond, including catcher, and made his MLB debut last year with the Brewers, playing in 34 games and slashing .194/.292/.210 with no homers and five RBIs. View the full article

Two months into 2026, the Blue Jays have had to dip into their farm system several times to address injuries to position players like Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, and Lenyn Sosa. That isn't ideal, but things have gone about as well as anyone could have possibly hoped for the rookie hitters. Brandon Valenzuela has the poise of a veteran behind the plate, Yohendrick Piñango has the highest OPS and wRC+ on the team (min. 50 PA), and Charles McAdoo hit a huge home run in his very first big league game. Even better, the success stories of the Blue Jays' farm system go beyond just what we've seen at the big league level. Many of Toronto's position player prospects are enjoying strong seasons. Let's talk about the best of those hitters from May. Honourable Mention: Franklin Rojas (FCL) May Stats: 16 G, 68 PA, 1 HR, .316/.426/.439, 130 wRC+ Franklin Rojas was Toronto's top international signing in 2024, and he made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League later that year. After two seasons in the DSL, the catcher made his stateside debut in 2026 and started off strong, batting .316 with a .426 OBP in May. Honourable Mention: Sam White (FCL) May Stats: 20 G, 72 PA, 4 HR, .328/.444/.603, 161 wRC+ Ontario native Sam White signed with the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent last summer. He moved all around the field in college, from catcher to third base to left field, but he has primarily played first base in his first professional season. The odds might be stacked against him as a 22-year-old first baseman in the Complex League, but White couldn't have asked for a better start to his career. He slugged four home runs and four doubles in his first 20 games. Honourable Mention: Je'Von Ward May Stats: 17 G, 53 PA, 5 HR, .319/.396/.681, 176 wRC+ Je'Von Ward earned a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo in mid-April, and after taking a couple of weeks to adjust to the new level, he started mashing for the Bisons. Ward hit five home runs in the month, despite only taking 53 trips to the plate. At 26, he's on the older side for a player making his Triple-A debut, and as a lefty-batting outfielder, he doesn't exactly have a clear path to the majors. That said, if he can maintain his power and cut down on the strikeouts, the Jays will have to take notice eventually. No. 3: Alexis Hernandez May Stats: 24 G, 105 PA, 7 HR, .318/.398/.648, 174 wRC+ Alexis Hernandez is a name to watch. Never a top-ranked prospect, he joined the Blue Jays a few years back in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The young outfielder didn't make a name for himself immediately, but in 68 games for High-A Vancouver over the last two seasons, he is hitting .290 with 10 home runs, 27 extra-base hits, eight stolen bases, and a 132 wRC+. He looked better than ever this past May, clubbing seven of those 10 home runs and finishing the month with a 174 wRC+. No. 2: Jay Harry May Stats: 25 G, 96 PA, 7 HR, .323/.333/.667, 152 wRC+ If you're wondering where this version of Jay Harry came from, you aren't alone. Over his first 127 games in the Blue Jays system, the utility man hit .202 with a .598 OPS and a 71 wRC+. He looked particularly lost after his promotion to Double-A New Hampshire last year (46 wRC+ in 44 games), and the Jays sent him back down to High-A Vancouver to finish the season. To say his second stint with the Fisher Cats has gone better would be the understatement of the century. Harry hit .357 with a 130 wRC+ in April, although only three of his 15 hits went for extra bases and none went over the fence. He remedied that issue in May with seven home runs and 16 extra-base hits. He also cut his strikeout rate down from 32.6% to 21.9%. The sample is still small, but all of a sudden, Harry is looking like a prospect you need to know. No. 1: RJ Schreck May Stats: 27 G, 115 PA, 4 HR, .297/.435/.516, 156 wRC+ Plenty of Blue Jays prospects looked good in May, but RJ Schreck gets the top spot because he's the most likely to make his way to the majors at some point this year. Early this spring, there were even rumblings that Schreck could compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster. That was before the Jays traded for Jesús Sánchez, and before Schreck went 3-for-21 in spring training. Yet, after what we saw from Schreck in May, it's clear why those rumblings were there in the first place. The outfielder hit .297 on the month with four home runs, eight doubles, and 18 walks. The Blue Jays already have a surplus of lefty-batting outfielders on their active roster, but Schreck's ability to play center field could earn him a shot if he keeps hitting like this. View the full article

Over the weekend, the unimaginable happened, as San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first home run of the season in Washington. The amount of relief he had after that moonshot brought emotion not just to himself, but the team was ready to embrace him with open arms. Taking a 1-0 pitch from Nationals lefty Foster Griffin into the left-field seats at Nationals Park, Tatis launched the ball 451 feet. The blast was not just a sigh of relief, but his longest home run since September 30, 2021 against the Los Angels Dodgers. Tatis knew exactly what he did the moment it left his bat, offering a rare, prolonged hesitation at the plate before executing his trademark stutter step around third base. Throughout this season, Tatis has been struggling offensively compared to the past couple of years. He had a stellar start to the 2025 season, belting eight home runs in April with a .325 batting average, making his 2026 power outage all the more confounding. Even though he was still hitting the ball hard and ranking near the top of the league in bat speed, a heavy groundball rate and a lack of pulled fly balls suppressed his power. Despite the challenges faced, Tatis remains a positive force on the team. Currently, he has a .658 OPS in 245 plate appearances, raising questions about his mental state during this power outage, as well as his struggling launch angle this season. Navigating such a steep statistical drop-off from his usual standard inevitably invites scrutiny regarding the psychological toll of the slump. Yet, his cultural influence stretches far beyond the numbers on a scoreboard. With his custom cleats and high-energy style, Tatis remains a primary blueprint for the modern, expressive athlete. Young ballplayers around the globe still mimic his iconic dugout presence and aggressive base running, proving that his status as an icon transcends temporary slump cycles. On the field, baseball is a game of microscopic physical adjustments and managing high failure rates. Off the field, he carries the responsibility of being a generational face of the sport. When he finally connected with that 1-0 pitch in Washington, launching it at 114 mph, it was a reminder to his young fans that even the most elite athletes have to work through technical slumps. The raw emotion he showed after the hit taught a valuable lesson to the next generation about structural perseverance, physical resilience, and the mechanical execution required to break through a difficult hitting drought. Now that the zero is officially gone from his home-run column, the rest of the league is on high alert. While the Padres ultimately dropped the game 9-4 to the Nationals, the long-term victory was getting their franchise cornerstone back on track. With recent multi-hit performances showing that his swing mechanics are syncing up, this historic moonshot in Washington could very well serve as the launching pad for a dominant summer surge. The fact that Tatis can finally breathe is a huge deal for not just himself, but the rest of the team. He won't approach any career highs, but if he gets back on his usual career pace of long balls, the Friars will have their middle-of-the-lineup problems solved. View the full article

The 2026 MLB All-Star ballot went live on Wednesday, featuring the following Miami Marlins position players: Liam Hicks (C) Connor Norby (1B) Xavier Edwards (2B) Javier Sanoja (3B) Otto Lopez (SS) Kyle Stowers (OF) Jakob Marsee (OF) Owen Caissie (OF) Heriberto Hernández (DH) The only one of them who's been an All-Star before is Stowers, who served as Miami's 2025 representative. However, the combination of an injured list stint and season-opening stretch of limited power production makes him an extreme longshot to earn back-to-back selections. Hicks, Edwards and Lopez are the club's strongest candidates this year. Entering Wednesday, Hicks leads all National League catchers with 46 RBI and ranks third with 1.4 fWAR. He has more walks than strikeouts, as does Edwards. He is the NL fWAR leaderboard at second base (2.6 fWAR) and paces all Marlins with a 145 wRC+. Lopez is MLB's hits leader with 80. Each of them have been durable as well—Edwards in particular has appeared in all 62 Fish games this season. Not that it will actually impact the balloting results, but this is my annual reminder that MLB allows fans to submit write-in candidates at each position. Nobody's forcing you to take this exercise completely seriously. You can vote for players who are having horrible first halves (like Christopher Morel) or have been demoted to the minor leagues (Agustín Ramírez) by typing their names. No Marlin has been a fan-elected All-Star starter since Jazz Chisholm Jr. in 2022 (ironically, Chisholm didn't even wind up making that start due to injury). Fans can submit up to five ballots per day per email address during the first phase of the voting, which concludes at 12:00 p.m. ET on June 25. View the full article

For the first month and a half of the season, Austin Martin looked like one of the biggest success stories on the Twins roster. From Opening Day through the middle of May, Martin batted .333 and reached base seemingly every night. He drew more walks than strikeouts, posted a contact rate around 90%, and quickly established himself as one of the toughest hitters in baseball to get out. It wasn't just a nice story. It earned him a bigger role. With Matt Wallner struggling early in the season, Martin forced his way into everyday playing time in the Twins outfield. The former first-round pick was finally looking like the offensive catalyst the organization had hoped for when they acquired him. Lately, though, the production has disappeared. Over the last two and a half weeks, Martin is just 8-for-59, good for a .136 batting average. The plate discipline that fueled his breakout has also taken a step backward. After drawing walks at an elite rate for much of April and early May, Martin has drawn just two walks during that stretch despite remaining in the lineup almost every day. Quite frankly, he has looked like a completely different player. So what exactly is going on? There are probably a couple of different explanations. The first is fairly straightforward: the Twins aren't seeing nearly as many left-handed pitchers anymore. During the first 22 games of the season, Minnesota faced 13 left-handed starting pitchers. That's an absurd number, and one that happened to play directly into Martin's strengths. Even with his recent slump, Martin is still hitting .295 against left-handed pitching this season. More impressively, he’s drawn 16 walks while striking out only eight times against southpaws. Before he became an everyday player, Martin was largely deployed in favorable matchups against lefties. As his hot streak continued, the Twins expanded his role and began playing him against virtually everyone. The problem is that right-handed pitching has been a much different story. Martin is hitting just .243 against righties this year, and his ability to get on base has taken a significant hit. As Minnesota's schedule has shifted toward more right-handed starters, the weaknesses in his offensive profile have become more noticeable. That doesn't explain everything, but it's certainly part of the equation. The second reason is a little more concerning. While Martin's season-long plate discipline numbers still look excellent, the underlying trends suggest he's started drifting away from the approach that made him successful in the first place. His overall chase rate remains extremely low at roughly 18%, but that number has been climbing steadily over the past few weeks. More importantly, pitchers appear to have identified a specific weakness and have begun attacking it aggressively. Martin has struggled badly against pitches below the strike zone. His whiff rates on pitches that miss down-and-away and down-and-in are staggering, sitting at 71% and 63%, respectively. Pitchers have increasingly challenged him with breaking balls and off-speed offerings in those locations, and Martin hasn't consistently shown he can lay off them. Troublingly, too, he seems to have a pretty grooved swing: his contact rate is above-average within the zone but below-average outside it. Normally, you see that from power hitters—guys with big bat speed and a knack for pulling the ball in the air. Martin isn't that kind of player, so not being able to make contact outside the zone applies extra pressure to keep his swing decisions immaculate. To Martin's credit, he's aware adjustments are being made. "I've been getting attacked differently," Martin said Monday night, after a game in which he snapped an 0-for-18. "And it's on me to adjust to that." That's often how the game works. Martin spent the first six weeks of the season making pitchers pay for mistakes, but opposing teams eventually adjusted. Now, the challenge is making a counter-adjustment of his own. Martin believes the answer is staying committed to the process, rather than overhauling everything. "I definitely can feel the fact I haven't been on first base in a while," he said. "But at the end of the day, it's just a matter of not getting away from my approach." That mindset is probably the right one. Slumps happen. A rough two-and-a-half-week stretch doesn't automatically erase everything he accomplished during the first six weeks of the season. Still, it's fair to wonder whether expectations got a little ahead of reality. What if Martin isn't an everyday player? What if he's simply an extremely valuable platoon bat who thrives against left-handed pitching but struggles to provide the same production against righties? To some extent, that was the narrative around him entering the season, but his hot start put that to bed (at least temporarily). However, it now feels like a question that’s worth asking again. That doesn't mean the Twins have reached any conclusions. Martin still has plenty of time to turn things around, and this may be simply a cold stretch that will be forgotten by the end of the summer. But something has to change. The version of Martin the Twins saw in April was an impact player who consistently pressured opposing pitchers and found ways to reach base. The version they've seen recently hasn't provided nearly enough offensive production to justify everyday at-bats. With several left-handed-hitting outfield options continuing to perform in the minors, playing time against right-handed pitching could become harder to come by if the struggles continue. The good news for Martin is that the ball is still in his court. The league has adjusted, and now it’s his turn. View the full article

Kash Mayfield, the Padres 2024 first-round pick, has made a smooth transition to High-A, where he looks as sharp as he has as a pro. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (June 2) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 28-27 The WooSox came back from being down 2-1 in the ninth, walking it off on the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) 3-2. Other than one rough inning, Worcester's pitching was dominant all night. Jake Bennett continued his brilliant stretch with another five shutout innings, giving up just one hit while striking out four. Although he walked three batters, nothing came of it. Through five, Worcester was cruising with a 1–0 lead thanks to a Vinny Capra sacrifice fly in the third that scored Allan Castro. The sixth inning was the one blemish. Noah Song came on in relief and immediately ran into trouble. The Bisons laced an RBI double to tie it, then followed with an RBI single to give Buffalo a 2–1 lead. Thankfully, that was the only damage Worcester's pitching allowed all night. From there, the bullpen locked it back in. Zack Kelly was outstanding, tossing two scoreless innings on one hit and three strikeouts. Afterward, Kyle Keller came in and threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. They both kept Worcester within striking distance and gave the lineup one more chance. The bottom of the ninth was pure magic. Anthony Seigler doubled to lead things off, keeping his hitting streak alive, extending it to six games. With one out and a runner aboard, Mikey Romero stepped up and ripped a triple on a sharp line drive to center, scoring Seigler to tie the game 2–2. Tsung-Che Cheng came in to pinch-run for Romero, standing just 90 feet away. Buffalo’s pitcher uncorked a wild pitch, Cheng raced home, and Worcester had the walk-off win 3–2, no hit needed for the winning run. Standout Performances: Jake Bennett: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K Zack Kelly: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Kyle Keller: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 K Mikey Romero: 2-for-4, 3B, RBI Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 27-24 The Sea Dogs dominated from top to bottom, shutting out the Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) 9-0. The pitching staff threw a combined shutout, giving up six hits but zero extra-base hits. Hartford managed six singles and two walks across nine innings and never were seriously a threat to score. Anthony Eyanson earned the win with five shutout innings (his sixth shutout outing this season), allowing five hits but zero runs with three strikeouts. Patrick Halligan was electric in relief, tossing three no-hit innings with one walk and four strikeouts. Erik Rivera bridged the gap with a clean one-inning stint while filling up the zone, throwing 12 of his 15 pitches for strikes, giving up a single but nothing more. The third inning broke the game open. Tyler McDonough drew a walk, then stole his 14th base of the season, putting him on second with no outs. Marvin Alcantara reached base with a hit-by-pitch. Nate Baez followed up and smoked a two-run double to center to make it 2–0. Brooks Brannon crushed a two-run homer (his 8th of the year), blowing the door wide open with a 4–0 lead. Portland kept pouring it on in the later innings. In the seventh, Ahbram Liendo hit a lead-off single and immediately stole his ninth base of the year to give the Sea Dogs a good chance to score again. That did not matter since Franklin Arias started his new month hot by launching a two-run homer to center field, his 13th of the year, pushing the lead to 6–0. The eighth inning brought three more runs: Johanfran Garcia and Will Turner started the inning with back-to-back singles, Miguel Bleis doubled to left to drive in Garcia, then Tyler McDonough ripped a double of his own, this time scoring two runs, capping off the lead to 9–0. The entire Sea Dogs lineup, other than Alcantara, registered a hit in this contest, Garcia and Turner collecting themselves a multi-hit game while Arias, Baez, Brannon, and McDonough each had two RBIs. Standout Performances: Anthony Eyanson: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Patrick Halligan: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Brooks Brannon: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI Franklin Arias: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI Tyler McDonough: 1-for-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB Nate Baez: 1-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 20-30 The Drive had the lead under control for five innings but gave it away, losing to the Emperors (Atlanta Braves) 8-2. The Drive came out swinging in the first inning. Enddy Azocar singled to start the game, then raced for second base, stealing his first base of High-A and his eighth of the year. Then, Yoeilin Cespedes drove him in with a single to make it 1–0. Greenville had a lot of traffic on the bases but only came away with one run in the aftermath. Jack Winnay led off the second inning with a walk, and Mason White smoked a double to put runners on second and third. Freili Encarnacion was drilled on the first pitch of his at-bat, loading up the bases with no outs. Yophery Rodriguez brought in Winnay and advanced White to third base with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead 2-0. Unfortunately, Encarnacion got too aggressive on the base paths, getting thrown out while trying to steal second base. With two outs, a flyout ended the rally. For five innings, it looked like that would be enough since Greenville's pitching held Rome scoreless. In a month of May that Marcus Phillips would like to forget, he was outstanding in his first start of June, throwing five strikeouts in 4 ⅓ scoreless one-hit innings. The sixth inning cracked the dam, and a couple of singles from the Emperors brought in two runs to knot it 2-2. Rome exploded in the seventh, putting this game to rest. Joe Vogatsky loaded the bases after giving up two singles and a walk. That was when the game blew open, when the Emperors crushed a grand slam to make it 6–2, then an RBI single and a sacrifice fly made it 8–2. From a 2–0 lead to an 8–2 deficit in the blink of an eye. Offensively, it was very quiet after they scored in the second inning, not registering a single hit through the fourth to the ninth innings. Azocar had two of Greenville’s four hits as a team, while White had the only extra-base hit. Standout Performances: Marcus Phillips: 4 ⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Enddy Azocar: 2-for-4, R, SB Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 23-29 The RidgeYaks collapsed brutally in a 14-7 defeat to the Wilson Warbirds (Milwaukee Brewers). Salem came out hot in the third, putting up a huge five-run inning. Avinson Pinto walked, and D'Angelo Ortiz singled to get things moving. Stanley Tucker lined an RBI single to make it 1–0, then two more runs scored on a Starlyn Nunez groundout when a throwing error by the pitcher let both Ortiz and Tucker come around, 3–0. Skylar King did not want it to end there. With a runner aboard, he crushed a two-run shot, scoring Kleyver Salazar to make it a fast 5-0 lead. Wilson chipped away in the fourth, an RBI double, an RBI groundout, and an RBI single cut it to 5–3. It was concerning at first, but all Salem’s bullpen had to do was hang on. Sadly, the bullpen fell apart, and the seventh inning was a catastrophe. A pitcher combination of Nicolas De La Cruz, Harry Blum, and Adam Bates caused Wilson to score 11 runs, turning a 5–3 deficit into a 14–5 laugher. It started with an RBI groundout and a bases-loaded walk to tie it 5-5. Another bases-loaded walk gave Wilson the lead; afterward, they smacked a two-run single to make it 8–5, then a passed ball by Salem’s catcher brought a run across. A sacrifice fly pushed it to 10–5, and another single brought in another to extend the lead to 11–5. It kept going, the Warbirds crushed a three-run homer to end the carnage at 14–5. Back-to-back homers from Salazar and King came in the eighth inning, shortening the deficit to 14-7, but it did not matter. King did everything he could, putting on a show as he collected three hits, including two homers (3rd home run in three games), while also driving in three of Salem's seven runs. After getting demoted from Greenville to Salem, Luis Cohen threw back-to-back scoreless outings for the RidgeYaks. Although he gave up four walks, he still tossed three scoreless one-hit innings while fanning five batters, giving Salem a chance to win before the bullpen blew it, unfortunately. Standout Performances: Skylar King: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI Kleyver Salazar: 1-for-4, HR, 2 R Luis Cohen: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K View the full article

Victims of a distressing three-game weekend road sweep at the hands of the Rangers that left them 10-18 for May — and losers of 16 of their last 20 — the Kansas City Royals limped out of Texas Sunday, headed for Cincinnati and a trio of contests against the Reds. The Royals’ awful month was truly a team effort, with some questionable starting pitching and a poor bullpen compounding the problems posed by a chronically weak offense. But the club managed to reap a few decent individual performances, including some from their otherwise troubled pitching staff. Take a look at Kansas City’s best pitchers of the month. No. 4: Daniel Lynch IV 12 G, 12 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 14 K, 5 BB That Lynch wasn’t at his best Saturday — he was charged with a run on two hits and a walk in just two-thirds of an inning against Texas — doesn’t change the fact that he deserves consideration for a shot at closing. Considering Carlos Estévez’s season-long absence and Lucas Erceg’s recent troubles, it might be time for manager Matt Quatraro to give Lynch a try. The notion is hard to dispute. Lynch, who went 6-2 with a 3.06 ERA while pitching 57 times out of the pen last season, has been even better in 2026. After posting a minuscule 0.79 ERA across March and April, he was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and was charged with runs in just three of his 12 May appearances. He’s 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA and is holding opponents to a .174 average for the season. No. 3: John Schreiber 11 G, 10.1 IP, 0.87 ERA, 7 K, 3 BB, 1.06 WHIP Yes, that’s right. Schreiber, he of an unsightly 0-2, 4.63 ERA first month that had many fans calling for his head, bounced back to become one of the Royals’ best hurlers — and one of their top relievers — for May. Schreiber pitched 11 times, was charged with only one run in 10 1/3 innings, and gave the club an infusion of reliability. No. 2: Stephen Kolek 5 G, 31 IP, 3.48 ERA, 19 K, 6 BB, 0.94 WHIP Despite the Friday beating he took from the Rangers — he gave up six runs in five innings and suffered his first loss of the season — Kolek had a good May. He made his season debut with a May 5 quality start win against Cleveland and, after a brief two-day return to Triple-A Omaha, replaced injured Cole Ragans in the big league rotation and won two of three starts, beating St. Louis on the road and shutting out Seattle at home before the Rangers gnawed away at him Friday. He finished May 3-1 with a 3.48 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. Add that performance to the five-game, 33-inning, 1.91 ERA effort he turned in after coming to Kansas City as part of last season’s trade deadline deal that made popular Royal Freddy Fermin a Padre, and it looks like Kolek is in the rotation to stay. No. 1: Michael Wacha 6 G, 38 IP, 3.32 ERA, 32 K, 13 BB, 1.13 WHIP Wacha’s May didn’t end well. The steadiest starter the Royals have had since he joined the team in 2024, Wacha suffered his only loss of the month by giving up six runs and eight hits to the Rangers on Sunday. But the bad outing didn’t prevent him from being the Royals’ pitcher of the month for May. Wacha turned five of his six May appearances into quality starts and now has nine for the year. Although Sunday’s start put a slight blemish on his otherwise superb 38-inning month, he struck out 19 more batters (32) than he walked (13), and solidified his claim to the best of the rotation. View the full article

Andrew Fischer and Brady Ebel, two of the Brewers' top picks in 2025, are starting to settle into pro ball. What is clicking? View the full article

Arjun Nimmala, the Blue Jays' 2023 first-rounder, has improved his quality of contact while continuing to refine the other aspects of his game, putting him in position to fly up Just Baseball's Top 100 Prospect Update. View the full article

Corey Collins blasted a two-run homer to lift Brooklyn past Jersey Shore, while Noah Hall, Garrett Stratton, and the Cyclones bullpen combined to hold the BlueClaws to one run. Binghamton was blanked despite two hits from Chris Suero, and Max Green spun four scoreless innings in defeat. Syracuse rallied for three in the ninth on a Jackson Cluff single and a two-run Yonny Hernández hit, but fell one run shy. Mets Transactions New York Mets sent 1B Jorge Polanco on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. New York Mets signed free agent 2B Christian Arroyo to a minor league contract. Syracuse Rally Comes Up Short in 6-5 Loss to RailRiders Syracuse pushed across three runs in the ninth inning but could not complete the comeback, falling 6-5 to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Francisco Alvarez led the offense with two doubles and an RBI, and Andy Ibáñez homered and drove in a run. Yonny Hernández delivered a two-run single in the ninth, and Jackson Cluff added a run-scoring single. Jihwan Bae reached base three times and stole two bases. Starter Zach Thornton worked four innings, allowing two runs on four hits, walking four, and striking out four. Ofreidy Gómez closed out the game, throwing two scoreless innings with two walks and four strikeouts. The decisive innings came late. Trailing 4-2 in the eighth, Syracuse watched Scranton/Wilkes-Barre extend the lead to 6-2 on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the ninth, Cluff singled home Bae, and then Hernández singled to bring in both Cluff and Matt Rudick, cutting the deficit to 6-5. The rally stalled there, and Syracuse stranded the tying run. Syracuse left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jorge Polanco 3 0 0 0 1 0 Yonny Hernández 1 0 1 2 0 0 Francisco Alvarez 3 0 2 1 0 0 Kevin Parada 2 0 0 0 0 1 Ryan Clifford 4 0 0 0 0 2 Andy Ibáñez 4 1 1 1 0 1 Ji Hwan Bae 2 1 0 0 2 0 Cristian Pache 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jackson Cluff 4 1 1 1 0 2 Matt Rudick 2 2 0 0 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Zach Thornton 4 4 2 2 4 4 0 Ben Simon 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 0 1 Alex Carrillo 1 2/3 1 1 1 2 1 0 Ryan Lambert 0 3 2 2 1 0 0 Ofreidy Gómez 2 1 0 0 2 4 0 Binghamton Shut Out 3-0 By Fightin Phils Despite Green's Strong Start Binghamton managed only two hits and was shut out 3-0 by the Reading Fightin Phils. Chris Suero accounted for both hits, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base from the leadoff spot. The Rumble Ponies drew just one walk, from Nick Lorusso, and left six runners on base. Max Green was excellent in his start, throwing four scoreless innings while allowing one hit and one walk with one strikeout. Felipe De La Cruz followed with a scoreless inning. Jordan Geber struggled over four innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with three walks, two strikeouts, and a home run. The game turned in the sixth inning. With the score still tied at zero, Reading broke through with a solo home run and then added another run on a single, taking a 2-0 lead. The Fightin Phils tacked on an insurance run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly. Binghamton could not answer, as its offense went quietly into the night. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 4 0 2 0 0 2 Eli Serrano III 4 0 0 0 0 1 D'Andre Smith 3 0 0 0 0 0 Jose Ramos 3 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Lorusso 2 0 0 0 1 0 JT Schwartz 3 0 0 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jaylen Palmer 3 0 0 0 0 1 Wyatt Young 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Max Green 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 Felipe De La Cruz 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jordan Geber 4 5 3 2 3 2 1 Collins Homer Powers Brooklyn To 2-1 Win Over BlueClaws Brooklyn earned a 2-1 victory over the Jersey Shore BlueClaws behind a clutch home run and a stingy pitching staff. Corey Collins provided all the offense the Cyclones needed, going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, a walk, and a run scored from the cleanup spot. Mitch Voit added a leadoff double, and both John Bay and JT Benson chipped in singles. Noah Hall turned in productive innings despite struggling with control, working 4 2/3 innings while allowing one run on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts. The bullpen was outstanding behind him, as Garrett Stratton, Dakota Hawkins, Ryan Dollar, and Hoss Brewer combined for four and one-third scoreless innings, allowing no hits while striking out six. Brewer earned the save. The sixth inning decided it. Trailing 1-0, Brooklyn rallied when Grae Kessinger reached and scored on Collins' two-run home run to right center field, putting the Cyclones ahead 2-1. The bullpen made the lead stand, retiring the BlueClaws the rest of the way. Brooklyn left four runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 1 0 0 0 Grae Kessinger 3 1 0 0 1 2 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Corey Collins 3 1 1 2 1 0 Yonatan Henriquez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 0 0 0 1 1 John Bay 3 0 1 0 0 1 Colin Houck 3 0 0 0 0 2 JT Benson 3 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 4 2/3 4 1 1 4 4 0 Garrett Stratton 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Dakota Hawkins 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Dollar 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Hoss Brewer 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 St. Lucie Mets The St. Lucie Mets game was postponed. Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-4, 2 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Pena: DNP Mitch Voit: 1-for-4, 2B Nick Morabito: 1-for-4, K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 2-for-4, SB, 2 K Zach Thornton: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 0-for-4, K Ryan Lambert: 0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

The San Diego Padres played to an 18-7 record in April, but it was probably inevitable that the Friars would fall to earth in May. Their starting rotation was ravaged by injuries and the offensive production was downright anemic, as they went 13-15 during the month and limped into June 5.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. There was one aspect of the team that remained great, though, and that was the bullpen. Last year, the Padres became the first team ever to send three relievers to an All-Star Game. They could easily match that feat or even exceed it this year. Mason Miller, Jason Adam, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon, and Yuki Matsui all have stat lines that could send them to Philadelphia this summer for the Midsummer Classic. Among the five-headed monster, who were the Padres three best pitchers in May? Spoiler alert: Number one isn't Mason Miller. Ranking Padres' Best Pitchers in May #3. Yuki Matsui, RP “Dad, what’s a LOOGY?” my future child will ask. “Lefty one-out guy,” I’ll say, lifting my chain contemplatively, then nodding with tears in my eyes. “They got paid a lot of money to do one specific thing. And they were the weirdest people on the planet.” I have no idea if Yuki Matsui is weird behind the scenes, but I do know that he is a dyed-in-the-wool LOOGY, even if he does have to occasionally face a righty thanks to rule changes instituted in 2020 that require pitchers to have a minimum number of batters. Matsui's average pitch velocity is 86.8 miles per hour, and yet lefties are batting .111 against him this year. Their OPS is .398. Matsui came back from injury on May 8, so his 0.60 ERA in last month tells the story of the season so far. The LOOGY is not extinct, for Yuki Matsui exists. #2. Mason Miller, RP Much has been said about Mason Miller’s historically dominant season, although in May he came down from his lofty heights. This is to say he allowed one unearned run and his FIP on the season is no longer negative. It’s true Miller is probably reverting to the mean. His strikeouts dropped and his walks went up, as did his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage against. But the mean he’s reverting to is so obscenely great it almost doesn’t matter. He pitched worse in May and had a 0.00 ERA in 9.2 innings, and he went 7-for-7 in save opportunities. He’s not our top option here, but only because there’s another Padres reliever with a 0.00 ERA in the last month. #1. Jason Adam, RP In July 2024, the Padres traded highly-rated prospects in pitcher Dylan Lesko, outfielder Homer Bush Jr., and catcher J.D. Gonzalez to the Tampa Rays for reliever Jason Adam. Lesko pitched to a 6.96 ERA in the minors in 2024 and a 10.50 ERA in 2025. He is in Single-A this season. Bush Jr. is approaching his 25th birthday and he’s still in the minors. Gonzalez has a .482 OPS in three minor league seasons. Adam, on the other hand, has accrued 4.8 bWAR as a Padre and was an All-Star last year. This year, he’s been even better, and May was the best month of his career. In 12 innings pitched across 13 games, Adam allowed zero runs. Miller has all those saves because Adam held leads. The only blemish was Adam’s WHIP, which reached 1.08. He gets the edge over Miller in this list because he faced more batters and had the same ultimate outcome as Miller: no one scored on either pitcher. Acquiring Adam should go down as one of A.J. Preller’s best trades ever. It’s just a shame Adam can’t hit. View the full article

Welcome to the May edition of our minor league pitcher of the month series. Things are a little different this year: as an acknowledgement of patterns in minor league pitcher usage, we’ve collapsed the “reliever” into the “starter” one. Because teams are in a constant struggle to get players work, they often become “out-getters,” entering whenever the manager deems the situation acceptable, regardless of the typical roles accepted in our shared baseball understanding. This puts short-inning hurlers at a disadvantage for a list like this, but if one was especially efficient in a month, they’ll receive consideration. This author has been writing these pieces for years, and this month was one of the weakest he can remember. The list of candidates was slim. Most of the best pitching talent in the system is on the major-league squad, incapacitated, or underperforming. Of the top seven hurlers on MLB.com’s prospect list for the Twins, four are on the IL, and one—Charlee Soto—hasn’t pitched since Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, and everyone else was moved during the Great Firesale of 2025. So, times are strange. Anyway, here’s the list, starting with the honorable mentions: Dasan Hill - A+ Cedar Rapids - 3.18 ERA, 11 ⅓ IP, 3.18 FIP, 34 K% Hill was well on his way to making the list proper, before he blew up in spectacular fashion on May 28, walking six while recording just two outs. Command has proved to be a bugaboo for the prep lefty in 2026: he’s walked 24 across 27 ⅓ frames. If he can tighten that up even a little bit, he’ll be back to doing great things. Yehizon Sanchez, A+ Cedar Rapids - 1.50 ERA, 12 IP, 2.77 FIP, 27.7 K% The efficiency comment from before was aimed squarely at Sanchez, who dominated hitters in May with impressive acumen. Only twice did he allow a run. Both times were limited to just one score. That’s a nearly impossible rate of consistency from a position so often given to the swells of blow-ups and meltdowns—but he also only pitched 12 innings. Darren Bowen, AA Wichita - 3.00 ERA, 15 IP, 4.18 FIP, 19.7 K% The days of Darren Bowen as a starter are over, but as a bullpen arm, he could carve out a longer future in the organization. He has struck out batters at a higher rate while walking fewer of them in his second go-around at AA. That’ll play. John Klein, AAA St. Paul - 3.65 ERA, 12 ⅓ IP, 3.20 FIP, 34 K% A standard solid pitching month. John Klein allowed just six hits for the Saints in May, but his run-suppressing ability was a touch too weak. Hendry Chivilli, FCL Twins - 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 3.09 FIP, 23.5 K% Hendry Chivilli? The position player? Yes, the former big international player saw some success after moving to the mound last year; he’s off to a great start in 2026. 5. Garrett Horn, FCL Twins/A+ Cedar Rapids - 0.75 ERA, 12 IP, 3.27 FIP, 28.6 K% The lefty from Liberty starts us off. Acquired from the Rangers last year for Danny Coulombe, Horn was cromulent (if a bit walk-happy) in his initial foray with the Kernels. In a new year, Horn put forth one of the finest pitching months in the Twins system, allowing one run and three hits across 12 innings equally split between Cedar Rapids and the FCL. “He’s a vertically-oriented lefty who was 92-95 in his most recent ACL outing prior to list publication,” wrote Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan in their 2025 writeup of the Rangers system. Indeed, Horn’s exaggerated slot helps generate unique ride on his fastball, turning the offering into a vertical-breaking monster coveted by major-league teams these days. Self-evidently, hitters have a difficult time hitting his heat. Early results are promising for Horn. Now let’s see him sustain it at A+ ball. 4. Michael Hilker, A Fort Myers - 2.51 ERA, 14 ⅓ IP, 1.97 FIP, 27.9 K% An honorable mention last month, Hilker improved his play enough to make the list proper in May. A 2025 20th-round draftee, Hilker left his college in Tucson, Ariz. for some Florida waves; he moonlighted for two innings last year with the Mighty Mussels before returning for a full go-around in 2026. Once again, we’re dealing with a fastball known to grow wings and take off when it reaches the plate; Hilker’s heater averaged 22.6 inches of induced vertical break, which would be the highest in MLB this year by almost a full inch (Alex Vesia is at 21.7). (We should note, in the interest of fairness, that IVB is higher in Florida than just about anywhere else, due to a combination of humidity and low elevation. Still, he's at the top end of the scale.) Armed with that special heater, Hilker made fools of A-ball hitters in May, whiffing them at an elite rate while keeping the walks at bay, offering just three free passes. He could be an under-the-radar relief arm to keep tabs on. 3. Paulshawn Pasqualotto, A+ Cedar Rapids - 2.19 ERA, 12 ⅓ IP, 2.56 FIP, 42.9 K% Paulshawn Pasqualotto just casually had one of the most efficient relief months you’ll ever see. The Cal, Berkeley product decided to become Goose Gossage, gobbling batters—often in multi-inning outings—with outstanding strikeout ability. In four appearances, he struck out at least four hitters. That’s simply electric no matter the level of play. A twin himself, Pasqualotto has already almost matched his strikeout total over 51 ⅓ innings with the Kernels last season, an impossible task given he’s totaled just 18 frames so far this year. His fastball/changeup combination drives his profile; the cambio remains his favored off-speed offering, though he continues to refine his breaking stuff. The 25-year-old saw a cup of coffee with Wichita at the end of April; he’ll probably return to Kansas soon if he continues to pitch like this. 2. Mike Paredes, AAA St. Paul - 2.70 ERA, 23 ⅓ IP, 3.39 FIP, 26.9 K% The newest Twin, Mike Paredes flourished at AAA in the month of May before earning his call to the majors. The righty never allowed more than two earned runs in an outing all month. He swept, and swept, and swept some more, as his arching breaking ball came into sharp focus in May, helping usher Paredes to the big leagues—and hitters back to the dugout. Cody Christie penned a full piece on Paredes and his story. It’s worth emphasizing: Paredes is a former 18th-round pick with a 5.28 ERA coming out of San Diego State in 2021. And now he’s a big leaguer. What an outcome for Paredes (and the Twins organization). With the rash of pitching injuries cursing the team, there’s a real chance Paredes gets an extended look on the Target Field mound. That probably doesn’t happen without his excellent month of May with the Saints. 1. Justin Mitrovich, A Fort Myers - 1.15 ERA, 15 ⅔ IP, 2.05 FIP, 35.5 K% Fun fact: before taking Ryan Sprock in the 8th round in the 2025 draft, the last Elon product the Twins drafted was catcher Alex Swim in 2013. They then drafted Justin Mitrovich one round later. Go figure. What a pick it may be. Mitrovich debuted in the Twins system on May 3rd and has been awesome, striking out 22 batters across 15 ⅔ frames, while allowing two earned runs. Two. Clearly, there’s some deception in his “oops, all ligaments” delivery, which flings arms and legs in various directions before sending the ball hurling at the hitter upwards of 95 MPH. Mitrovich could soon become the latest in the line of Twins college hurlers who shot through the minors and became top prospects and/or big leaguers. So far, though, he’ll have to settle for being the Twins Daily minor league pitcher of the month for May. View the full article

Happy Edinson Volquez day, Miami Marlins fans! That officially brings you halfway through Marlins no-hitter season. And hey, this time next week, you'll be two-thirds of the way home. That's when the twenty-eighth anniversary of Kevin Brown's no-hit, near perfecto rolls around. Twenty years apart, yet within the same week, came arguably the two greatest pitching performances in Marlins franchise history. In fact, if you go by game score, those are the top two, with Volquez somehow edging Brown out despite the fact he walked two batters, whereas Brown's only baserunner was a HBP on a guy who was really, really crowding the plate. Generally, this is the kind of thing I would leave in the capable hands of our resident Marlinsversarian, Mike Ferguson. He's certainly welcome to break down how only one other Marlins no-hitter cracks the Game Score Top 10...and it comes in at tenth. Tenth! Pushing A.J. Burnett and the Most Effectively Wild Start Ever down the charts I can get behind, but Henderson Alvarez, Al Leiter, and Anibal Sanchez? How can... Anyway, I digress. Fib too, as Marlins no-hitters might be the baseball topic I've written the most about over the years. Most recently, I spent some time last May pondering whether a no-no like Burnett's would ever even happen again with analytics at the forefront, and whether fans would even want it to. I mean, let's be honest here. If a starting pitcher under Clayton McCullough walked five through three innings and nine over the course of a competitive 3-0 game? I'm pretty sure Marlins Twitter would eat themselves over the bullpen mismanagement. However, just one year later, there's now another wrinkle to consider when it comes to how Marlins fans would react to a prospective no-hitter. Not just a wild and wacky one like Burnett's either. Even something as close to perfection as those Brown or Volquez starts could now go under the microscope in a whole new way. Why? Because as you might have read here, there, or everywhere since the Marlins adopted the practice last summer, the team is now calling pitches from the dugout. Meaning that a pretty sizable chunk of the strategy that goes into the feat of a no-hitter now lies in the hands of people that might never set foot on the field. Which begs the question- will that make a difference when it comes to celebrating the achievement? Obviously, Marlins fans will still be happy for the almost certain victory. But in that wider, "baseball is the best" sense, will a Marlins no-hitter today mean the same as the six previous ones? Would it even mean the same as MLB's two most recent no-nos, a pair of combined efforts from the Astros and Cubs? The last true one was all the way back in 2024 when Blake Snell did it, and the last Marlins no-hit effort was Volquez's 2017 gem. Now the answer is probably yes. Pitchers still need to execute, keeping those sliders on the corners and not hanging over the middle of the plate. Catchers still need to work some framing magic, even if the game calling is out of their hands. Plenty of athleticism is still required. If you extend this line of thinking to another sport, it's not as if fans ever question a record setting performance from a quarterback even though an offensive coordinator is calling the plays. So most folks would probably let Miami's pitching staff off the hook here. That definitely seems to be the prevailing sentiment amongst those of you that took the time to vote in a recent Twitter poll on the subject: All the same, I can't shake the sense that it seems worth asking. That there might be some potential for an asterisk to start being affixed, especially if it came to pass that the Marlins or any other team calling pitches from the dugout pulled off the feat more than once. If nothing else, it does feel like it makes the catcher much more of a passenger than ever before. I can still recall watching Charles Johnson and Miguel Olivo fielding questions left and right during the postgame pressers of the no-hitters they helped bring about. Particularly Olivio's, as I perhaps uncharitably thought it would end up easily going down as the highlight of his career. Does it change the accomplishment if there are now three or four seats at that podium, with coaches doing a lot of the strategy talk? It would appear that at least a few of you think so. Here's hoping the Marlins give us the chance to put this question to the test sometime soon. View the full article

The month of May was not kind to the Twins, but there were some strong performances from certain hitters. Here's a look at the Twins' current hitter power rankings.View the full article

Alex and Maddie sit down and crack a cold one. They recap the surprising dub over the Guardians and preview the upcoming Orioles’ series. They review Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet’s setbacks in their respective injury recoveries. Finally, they dissect Tim Healy’s revealing article on Craig Breslow's tenure with the Red Sox. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox View the full article

This site is, I hope, the epicenter of Pete Crow-Armstrong swing talk. If it isn't, it ought to be, and we're gonna work even harder to make it so. Crow-Armstrong is the most interesting thing happening in Chicago baseball, in ways both good and bad, and that doesn't just include his sensational but sometimes erratic fielding or his massive star power and the difficulty he's had in managing the attention and expectations. It also includes his swing. We're going to take more about that swing today, but rather than get all wordy, I mostly want to talk this through visually. So, first, check out his rolling expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) over 100-plate appearance samples, throughout his career. I would guess it doesn't feel quite this way—not yet—but Crow-Armstrong has gone to a new level since the middle of May. I don't mean 'new' relative to his very slow start or his tough finish to last season, either. I mean he's never produced more expected value at the plate than he's currently yielding, even at the peak of his blazing hot streak in the first half of last year. The first thing you need to know about his ascent toward what will (if this continues; more later on that) be full-shine superstardom is that he started swinging considerably less as May went on. We all knew that swinging less would be key to him getting more good pitches to hit, and thus to him becoming his best self. He finally found some ways to start doing it. That's not the only important thing that has changed recently, though. Crow-Armstrong started making changes to his approach, and the results began to improve—but he was still exploitable. He was still off-balance a bit too often, mostly because his swing is a complicated thing. So, he (slightly) simplified it. I'm going to show you four pictures, three times. These are four moments in the progress of a pitch to Crow-Armstrong, first from May 18; then from May 23; and then from Saturday. The four moments are labeled, but to clarify those labels, they are: Setup: Crow-Armstrong's stance in the box, as the pitcher prepares to begin their delivery; High Point: The moment at which, after executing his toe tap and lifting his foot a second time, Crow-Armstrong's front leg reaches the highest point of his leg kick, before the foot starts to head downward; Pitch Release: Just what it sounds like; and Foot Down: The moment when Crow-Armstrong's front foot lands, and his swing can begin in earnest. Ok, here goes. May 18, against the Brewers' Shane Drohan: May 23, against the Astros, after a day off between the two home series of that week: And Saturday in St. Louis, the pitch that became the hardest-hit ball of Crow-Armstrong's career and a 444-foot homer: In the setup, note how he gets more upright and less spread-out in the box. Note, too, the more relaxed placement of his bat on his shoulder, and the angle of it going from flat over his back shoulder to more like 40°. At the high point of his leg kick, notice how he's crunching more into a stable but explosive position with his core. At the release of the pitch, notice how he's more balanced and how his front foot is closer to landing. And when that foot does land, look at how much more work he's already doing with his upper half, and how much more open his front hip is, without the front shoulder following it too closely. These changes all emanate from that change in setup, which is visible in the data, too. Here are Crow-Armstrong's average stance and stride positions for this year, broken down into pre- and post-May 21. He's moved closer to the plate. His feet start closer together, as a result of standing taller. He's striding a bit farther, but that stride is more of a controlled, violent forward flash of energy, and less of a lurch, because he started more upright and isn't leaking forward until he gets past that high point, now. The changes in stance and mechanics have produced a different set of swing data for Crow-Armstrong over the last two weeks or so: Through May 20: 74.3 MPH bat speed, 35° tilt, 14° attack angle, 5° pull attack direction, intercept point 37.1 inches in front of his center of mass Since May 22: 75.4 MPH, 34° tilt, 18° attack angle, 9° pull attack direction, intercept point 39.4 inches in front of his center of mass Already, the bat speed Crow-Armstrong had added since last year had given him a boost in power upside, if he could consistently access that pop. Now, he's positively thrumming with danger in the box. In fact, did that setup from the St. Louis pitch remind you of someone? Perhaps someone else who famously hits lasers to right field, in much the same way—albeit with a much more patient baseline approach? Here's the Crow-Armstrong homer: OTdQOXdfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1VsSlhYUWRTQndJQVcxY0NCUUFIQmdWVEFBQUJBRklBVkFGUUFnY0dVMUJTVVZNSA==.mp4 And here's a guy who could be a fascinating new comp for him: N3l6eDZfWGw0TUFRPT1fVUFnREFGRUhWRmNBWGxJRVh3QUhCd05VQUFCV0FRY0FVRlpYVVFZTkFnWlNBbFJV.mp4 Make no mistake about it: If Crow-Armstrong keeps swinging like this, he's going to strike out more than he has in the past. He might continue to improve his plate discipline, but he'll almost certainly never walk as much as Kyle Schwarber. He doesn't swing quite as hard (or get off that 'A' swing quite as consistently) as Schwarber does, either. At least, that's been true so far. But the version of Crow-Armstrong who hit the homer above, and who also hit a similar one the previous weekend against the Astros, is an honest-to-God threat to hit 40 homers a year. Coming into this season, we talked a lot about the way Crow-Armstrong had engineered his swing to get high-level power outcomes out of merely average-plus bat speed. Suddenly, the latter no longer applies. This version of Crow-Armstrong—the specific version we've seen the last two weeks, who will still have to prove he can avoid being perpetually early and who has to manage to stay healthy while creating this much torque, so you never know how long we'll have him—swings as fast as Austin Riley and Matt Wallner, but with both a better plan to get the head out and catch the barrel with an elevated pitch to the pull field, and more sheer bat control. Of Crow-Armstrong's last 50 batted balls, 23 have been in the launch angle sweet spot, according to Statcast. The lack of that concentration of batted balls in the sweet spot was precisely the problem we talked about him needing to solve in the middle of last month, and he seems to have solved it just days later. This will be terrifically hard to sustain. Crow-Armstrong is working with a contact point way out in front of his frame, and though the numbers exaggerate that circumstance slightly because of the changed pattern of his stride and balance of his body, it still spells some whiffs. Pitchers will start forcing him to prove he can stay back on non-fastballs, and his plate discipline—even more vulnerable to the entropy of the game than most players'—will have to hold. At this moment, though, Crow-Armstrong is the best he's ever been at bat, and one of the dozen best hitters in baseball. That's the new upside he's established, and when you pair that run production in the box with his speed and defense, you get the MVP candidate the Cubs so delighted in having for the first half of last year—only more so. View the full article