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Let's check in on the San Diego Padres prospects who made a mark in the last week: Jagger Haynes, LHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: 1-2, 4.65 ERA, 10 games (all starts), 50⅓ IP, 47 H, 27 R, 26 ER, 5 HR, 21 BB, 49 K, .253 opponent average Don't read too much into the 23-year-old left-hander returning to Double-A after spending all of 2025 in San Antonio. He had a slow start to his career after being the Padres' final pick of the abbreviated 2020 draft, selected in the fifth round out of a tiny North Carolina High School. His first season back on the mound came in 2023 following Tommy John surgery. But this is a big season for Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect who was left unprotected and went unselected in the Rule 5 draft last offseason. Back with the Missions, which provides a better atmosphere than the conditions at Triple-A El Paso and the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Haynes had the best start of his season Tuesday against Corpus Christi. In going six innings, he didn't allow a run on just four hits with seven strikeouts, although he did have three walks in the 3-2 victory. It was his sixth straight start of at least five innings. Surprisingly, Haynes also started Sunday. In the minors, most teams have starters go once a week. In his start Sunday, Haynes went 4⅔ innings and allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in a 6-5 loss to Corpus Christi. Walks have been a problem in previous seasons for Haynes, with 11%, 13.9% and 14% walk rates the previous three seasons, respectively. But he has trimmed that down to 9.3% this year in 45⅔ innings (although he has hit 10 batters), certainly a good sign as he seeks to be put on the 40-man roster this offseason. If not, he could walk as a six-year minor-league free agent. That also makes him a candidate to be included in a trade this year. None of his stats jump off the page, and his opponent batting average of .253 is 20-to-30 points higher than it has been in the previous seasons, although his WHIP is just under the best it has been at 1.35 (compared to 1.34 in his first year). Using his slider and changeup, he had whiff rates of 48% and 43% last year, really good marks. Another possibility for Haynes would be to convert into a multi-inning reliever, where his stuff might play up a bit. Miguel Mendez, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: 1-1, 4.76 ERA, 8 games (all starts), 22⅔ IP, 23 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 11 BB, 28 K, .256 opponent average The 23-year-old right-handed starter—he turns 24 in early July—has flown under the radar this season, perhaps by design. Mendez, Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, has made eight starts, but only one has gone beyond four innings. After a couple bumpy outings, Mendez bounced back Saturday in a tremendous staff performance during a 1-0 victory over Corpus Christi. He went three innings, punching out four and allowing two hits in four shutout innings. He walked one and hit another. It was the second time in four starts and third of the season in which Mendez didn't allow a run. His last four starts came after missing just over two weeks on the seven-day injured list with an undisclosed injury. In those four games, he pitched a combined eight innings, including getting just two outs and surrendering three runs April 19 vs. Frisco. Mendez made a quick ascent last season through the Padres' system. He started with three games at Low-A Lake Elsinore, then settled in for 12 starts at High-A Fort Wayne, then finished with six more starts with the Missions. Those half-dozen outings were a bit bumpy with an 8.06 ERA and 17 walks in 22⅓ innings, but the Padres saw enough promise in him for that aggressive movement. He dominated at Fort Wayne with a 1.32 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 61⅓ innings. He has worked on the walks this year, putting up a 10.6% walk rate, while still getting the punchouts (26.9% strikeout rate). As we get into June, unless there is a health reason, getting the innings and the pitch count up would be nice to see from one of the system's top arms. Carlos Rodriguez, OF, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas Season stats: .292/.364/.385, 42 games, 22 R, 8 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 20 BB, 24 K, 2 SB, 0 CS Surprisingly, the Padres are the third franchise the 25-year-old outfielder has been with so far in his career. Originally signed by the Milwaukee Brewers, Rodriguez became a free agent after six years in that organization, then joining Atlanta before the 2025 season. Once again a free agent last offseason, Rodriguez signed with the Padres. This is his first full season at Triple-A, although he spent most of last year at this level. The opportunity with the Friars appears to be paying off. Rodriguez is coming off a week in which he went 8-for-21 with his first homer of the season and eight of his 29 RBIs. Rodriguez is more of a contact-oriented hitter as he entered this season with 22 homers over seven seasons. Speed is also part of his game, although not a huge aspect. He peaked at 20 steals (in 30 chances) last year and has only two thus far this year. His .292 batting average is the highest mark he has put up in full-season ball, just a tick above the .291 he had in 2021 at Double-A with the Brewers. Rodriguez's homer came Saturday and was a two-run shot in a 13-7 win over Albuquerque. It was his first since going deep in back-to-back games last year Aug. 19-20. He has now hit in nine straight games (13-for-34, .382), a streak kept going with Sunday's triple, his second of the year. Rodriguez doesn't profile as much more than a backup outfielder at the moment, though this current hot streak certainly doesn't hurt his case. Jamie Hitt, LHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: 1-1, 4.93, 9 games (8 starts), 38⅓ IP, 41 H, 27 R, 21 ER, 17 BB, 37 K, .265 opponent average An eighth-round draft choice last year out of Oklahoma, the left-handed starter has already seen himself promoted once this season. After making his pro debut in Low-A Lake Elsinore's season-opening series out of the bullpen, Hitt was bumped up to the TinCaps the next week and been part of the starting rotation since. His season, as you might expect during the early stages after turning pro, has been a little up-and-down, but Hitt has been pretty reliable. He showed that side of himself Sunday by going a season-high 6⅔ innings, giving up three runs on seven hits with four walks and fanning three in a 7-5 loss to South Bend. Hitt turned in his second quality start and the only two by the TinCaps' rotation (the other was May 10 vs. Beloit). He also threw 96 pitches, the most by a TinCap this year. He has two blowup outings that have pushed his ERA up to 4.93 (that was a combined 13 runs in 7⅓ innings). But he has rebounded each time, first with five shutout innings, then with two earned runs in five innings. The five shutout innings (two hits, eight strikeouts) vs. Wisconsin earned him Midwest League Pitcher of the Week honors. Hitt has also proven to be an innings-eater, going at least five innings in four straight starts and five of six. However, walks have been slightly troublesome; he has a 9.7% walk rate against a middling 21% strikeout rate. Yoiber Ocopio, C, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm Season stats: .258/.342/.470, 22 games, 12 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 7 BB, 19 K, 1 SB, 0 CS After beginning the season as the Storm's No. 3 catcher when he joined the team two weeks into the season, Ocopio is earning more playing time with his production and thanks to an injury. The 21-year-old from Venezuela had a really nice week against the Inland Empire 66ers, going 8-for-15 with four RBIs in four games. That included three doubles and three runs scored for the Storm (30-21), who lead the California League's South Division by two games in the first-half race. In addition to having hits in all four of the games he played last week, he has hit in seven of his last eight, which includes a pair of homers the previous week. Ocopio has also played a little first base as well as rotating at designated hitter. But he has been very good behind the plate, having cut down seven of 21 would-be basestealers. His time behind the plate has increased with the injury to Ty Harvey, Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect who broke his left hand two weekends ago when a bat hit his catching hand. Harvey had just recently returned after spending three weeks sidelined with a quad injury. Ocopio simply adds to some really nice catching depth in the system. He spent some time with the Storm in 2025, appearing in 14 games with a .214/.320/.286 slash line. He figures to continue getting time behind the plate along with Truitt Madonna, Padres Mission's No. 13 prospect, and Alcides Hernandez. View the full article

With the Minnesota Twins bringing in bullpen help from outside the organization, left-hander Kody Funderburk lost his roster spot. The Twins on Tuesday optioned Funderburk to Triple-A St. Paul. The move came the day after the Twins acquired rigjt-hander Justin Lawrence from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. Lawrence had been designated for assignment by the Pirates. Funderburk has been doing well in the bullpen, posting a 3.44 ERA in 21 appearances covering 18⅓ innings. However, walks have hurt Funderburk as he has issued 16 free passes, while striking out 10. Lawrence had a 5.32 ERA in 23 outings and 22 innings with 12 walks and 25 strikeouts with the Pirates. View the full article

Luis Peña is the Milwaukee Brewers' second-ranked prospect and is currently getting reps with the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The Brewers are loaded with prospect talent, but in this video, we'll discuss the attributes Peña has that could separate him from the pack and even help him reach the big leagues ahead of his projected arrival time in 2028. View the full article

Jordan Wicks was once a 2021 first-round pick. After rising up to the majors for the first time in 2023, the Cubs' southpaw has hopped back and forth between the Triple-A and big league levels. In this video, we'll dive into his struggles and why the lefty is so susceptible to hard contact. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins received plenty of positive injury news on Monday as general manager Jeremy Zoll provided updates on several of the organization's top prospects before the opening game of the series against the Chicago White Sox. While the Twins continue to navigate injuries at the major league level, the organization appears closer to welcoming back several important minor league contributors. Some of the club's highest-upside prospects are progressing through their recoveries and could return to game action in the coming weeks. Walker Jenkins Nearing Return The most encouraging update involved Walker Jenkins, Twins Daily's top-ranked prospect, who continues to make strong progress after suffering a left shoulder AC joint sprain in early May. According to Zoll, Jenkins has been “progressing well” and is expected to face live pitching later this week. If everything goes according to plan, the talented outfielder could begin a rehabilitation assignment as soon as next week. Jenkins has already been hitting off pitching machines and participating in defensive work in the outfield, suggesting he is checking off important recovery milestones. A rehab assignment would represent a significant step toward returning to Triple-A St. Paul. Emmanuel Rodriguez Begins Recovery Process While Jenkins is moving toward a return, Rodriguez is just beginning his recovery journey. Rodriguez underwent surgery on May 20 to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, an injury expected to sideline him for approximately six to eight weeks. The injury occurred when he slid head-first into first base, continuing an unfortunate history of thumb-related ailments. The timetable still gives Rodriguez a realistic chance to return during the second half of the season, but the Twins will undoubtedly take a cautious approach given his injury history. He likely would have already been called up to the Twins if he were healthy. Now, his big-league debut must wait until the season’s second half. Kendry Rojas Trending in the Right Direction One of the more encouraging updates involved rookie pitcher Kendry Rojas. After being scratched from a scheduled appearance last week and landing on the injured list with elbow inflammation, there was understandable concern about the severity of the issue. However, Zoll indicated that Rojas is already feeling "markedly better." The young left-hander could be cleared to resume throwing as soon as the middle of this week. If that happens, he may not require a lengthy buildup before returning to game action. That timeline could prove especially important given Bailey Ober's injury situation at the major league level. Rojas becomes eligible to return on June 10 and could emerge as an option to help fill innings in Minnesota's rotation. There would still be limitations. Rojas has not thrown more than 60 pitches in an outing with the Twins, meaning any starts would likely continue to resemble bullpen games rather than traditional outings. Even so, a quick recovery would be welcome news for both the player and the organization. Charlee Soto Set for Long-Awaited Return Few prospects have endured a longer road back than Soto. The right-hander has not appeared in a game for more than 13 months, but that drought is finally expected to end Wednesday when he makes a rehab appearance with Low-A Fort Myers. Soto's recovery has been marked by multiple setbacks. After making progress with his elbow issues, he developed wrist problems that further delayed his return. Recently, however, the momentum has shifted in a positive direction. He threw a one-inning live batting practice session last week, and everything reportedly went well. Now he is ready to take the next step and return to competitive action for the first time since last season. For a young pitcher whose development has been interrupted by injuries, simply getting back on the mound in a game environment represents an important milestone. Alan Roden Also Closing in on Rehab Assignment Roden appears to be on a similar timeline to Jenkins. Recovering from a right shoulder injury, Roden has resumed throwing to bases and could participate in live batting practice later this week. If those sessions go well, he, too, could begin a rehabilitation assignment sometime next week. Like Jenkins, Roden is progressing through the final stages of recovery and appears to be nearing a return to game action. The Twins are not completely healthy yet, but Monday's collection of updates offered plenty of reasons for optimism. Jenkins and Roden appear close to rehab assignments, Rojas may avoid an extended absence, Soto is finally preparing for his first game in over a year, and Rodriguez has already started the recovery process following surgery. For an organization that relies heavily on its prospect pipeline, getting these players back on the field will be critical as the season moves into the summer months and Minnesota evaluates both its future core and potential major league reinforcements. View the full article

The calendar flipped to June, and the Minnesota Twins remain one of the more difficult teams in baseball to evaluate. At times, they have looked like a club capable of making a run at an American League Wild Card spot. At other times, inconsistency has left them hovering around the fringes of contention. After a sluggish start at the plate in April, several Twins hitters found their rhythm in May and helped keep the lineup afloat. The improvement has been especially important because two players expected to be major contributors this season, Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner, were unable to secure everyday roles and have since been demoted to Triple-A. With those two no longer in the lineup, Minnesota has relied heavily on a different group of contributors. These four hitters stepped up in a big way during May and earned recognition as the Twins' top offensive performers. 4. Luke Keaschall May Stats (21 G): .291/.398/.392 (.790), 1 3B, 6 2B, 11 BB, 14 K, 127 wRC+ Patience can be difficult when it comes to young players, and many fans were beginning to lose confidence in Keaschall after a rough opening month. He finished April with a .542 OPS and a concerning 21-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The underlying approach, however, suggested there was still room for growth, and May provided evidence that adjustments were beginning to take hold. Keaschall dramatically improved his plate discipline, walking 11 times and striking out only 14 times during the month. His on-base percentage jumped from .267 in April to .395 in May, allowing him to become a much more productive run generator for the lineup. The power numbers are still developing, and there is another level he can reach offensively. However, for a player trying to establish himself in the big leagues, May represented an encouraging step forward and a reminder of why the organization remains excited about his future. 3. Kody Clemens May Stats (23 G): .261/.320/.489 (.809), 3 HR, 1 3B, 8 2B, 5 BB, 19 K, 124 wRC+ Just when Clemens seems to be falling out of Minnesota's plans, he finds another way to make himself valuable. The versatile infielder entered the season fighting for playing time, but May showcased exactly why the Twins continue to keep him in the mix. One of the biggest changes was his improved contact ability. After striking out 24 times during the season's opening month, Clemens trimmed that total to only 19 strikeouts in May despite continuing to see regular opportunities. The improved approach helped push his OPS from .662 in April to .809 in May. The quality of contact also took a noticeable step forward. Clemens collected eight doubles during the month after producing only three in April, showing a greater ability to drive the ball into the gaps. Add in his continued defensive growth at first base, where he ranks near the top of the American League in defensive runs saved, and he has become a quietly important piece of Minnesota's roster. 2. Ryan Jeffers May Stats (13 G): .279/.385/.605 (.989), 3 HR, 5 2B, 8 BB, 6 K, 171 wRC+ There is a strong argument that Jeffers was Minnesota's most valuable player before a fractured left hamate bone in his wrist interrupted his season. The timing of the injury was particularly unfortunate. Jeffers is headed toward free agency after the season and appeared to be putting together the best all-around campaign of his career. Before landing on the injured list, he continued the offensive surge that had already made him one of the club's most productive hitters. After finishing second to Austin Martin in the Twins Daily Hitter of the Month voting for April, Jeffers somehow got even better in May. His 171 wRC+ represented a 16-point improvement over the previous month, and he paired power with outstanding plate discipline. The Twins have managed to survive without him for now, but his absence is still significant. If Minnesota hopes to remain in the playoff race throughout the summer, getting Jeffers healthy and productive again will be a major priority. 1. Byron Buxton May Stats (19 G): .271/.347/.647 (.994), 9 HR, 5 2B, 9 BB, 25 K, 170 wRC+ Even while battling a hip injury, Buxton delivered the most impactful offensive month of any Twin. His season started slowly after spending spring training with Team USA during the World Baseball Classic, but any concerns about rust have completely disappeared. Buxton spent May reminding everyone why he remains one of the most dynamic players in baseball when healthy. The power production was elite. His nine home runs helped fuel a .647 slugging percentage, and his overall offensive profile placed him among the American League's best hitters. Entering June, Buxton ranks third among AL hitters in slugging percentage, fifth in OPS, third in total bases, and third in home runs. Statistics only tell part of the story. There were multiple games throughout the month where Buxton felt like a one-man offense. His ability to change a game with a single swing, create pressure on the bases, and impact opponents in every phase has made him the driving force behind Minnesota's lineup. When the Twins needed someone to carry the offense, Buxton answered the call. The Twins entered May searching for offensive consistency after a frustrating opening month. While questions remain about the roster and the club's long-term outlook, the lineup took a meaningful step forward thanks to contributions from veterans and emerging young players alike. Clemens provided stability, Keaschall showed encouraging development, and Jeffers continued his breakout season before injury struck. Still, no player had a bigger impact than Buxton, whose power surge helped keep Minnesota relevant in the postseason race. As June begins, the Twins will need these hitters to keep their production up. With Lewis and Wallner trying to work their way back from Triple-A and Jeffers sidelined, the burden on the current lineup remains substantial. Fortunately for Minnesota, several key bats appear to be heating up at exactly the right time. Who is missing from the rankings? How would your ballot look? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

In April’s edition of MiLB hitters of the month, Pedro Ramirez took home the top honor and found himself in the big leagues by the end of May. There is almost no chance that latter feat will be repeated this month, but there were some standout performances in the Chicago Cubs' farm system by an almost entirely new list of hitters. Ranking Cubs' Best Minor-League Hitters in May Honorable Mention: Alex Ramirez - OF - Knoxville Once a $2 million signing out of the Dominican Republic by the Mets, Ramirez was released in June of 2025 after his third consecutive subpar season. Ramirez still boasts much of the raw talent that made him a top-five prospect for the Mets; plus athleticism including bat speed, running speed, and arm strength. The question has long been: Can he make enough contact to show off those tools? In April, Ramirez turned in a .243/.304/.344 slash line with a 26% strikeout rate and looked a lot like the hitter the Mets gave up on after adding him to their 40-man roster. Then, the calendar turned to May. Ramirez slashed his strikeout rate in half and hit .368/.398/.563. The 6’4” outfielder is still only 23 years old; if he can sustain that production and prove that he can curb his whiffing habits, he could end up being a valuable signing for the Cubs. Third Place: Cole Mathis - 3B - South Bend Mathis ascended to the top 10 in our top prospect rankings after homering seven times in 14 April games in Myrtle Beach, earning a promotion to South Bend. He narrowly missed this list last month, after nine-game run in South Bend that included hitting safely in six of those contests but also a 35% strikeout rate. Although he missed a week in May, he turned in a quality month worthy of this list. Mathis slashed .280/.377/.560, driving in 14 runs in 13 games. More importantly, he cut his strikeout rate to 26% while maintaining his high 18% walk rate. While he still has more work to do, that is still a big step in the right direction. If he can continue to decrease the punchout totals, the 2024 second-round pick could find himself with another promotion before too long. Runner-up: Kane Kepley - OF - South Bend Kepley did not have a great April, hitting just .220 in 18 games with a 25% strikeout rate in South Bend. Entering the year as the Cubs' eighth-ranked prospect, the 5’8” outfielder has a hit-first profile with limited power, so his April was a relatively alarming follow-up to an outstanding pro debut in 2025. In May, Kepley thankfully looked more like that 2025 version that the Cubs used their second-round pick on. Kepley hit .304/.438/.451 with 24 walks to just 15 strikeouts and added 15 stolen bases to his ledger. This is Kepley at his best—high average and on-base while providing plus defense and baserunning. Another month like this and he could very well find himself patrolling center field in Knoxville. Winner: Josiah Hartshorn - OF - South Bend The only player to show up on both 2026 editions of this list, Hartshorn got a well-earned promotion to South Bend during the last week of May. The 2025 prep outfielder did not slow down once the calendar turned, continuing to walk more than he struck out in Myrtle Beach before a very impressive six-game run in South Bend to end the month. After his promotion, Hartshorn homered twice and drove in 10 runs and walked as many times as he struck out, all while being more than three years younger than the average age in the Midwest League. Still just 19, Hartshorn is proving he was worth the over-slot bonus the Cubs doled out to keep him away from Texas A&M. View the full article

The Blue Jays' major league pitching staff has been excellent, but it has also been decimated by injuries. These were the minor league system’s pitching standouts for the month of May. Some of them could eventually come up to Toronto as potential replacements for the Jays, while others are arms that fans can look forward to watching in years to come. Honourable Mention: RHP Jack Nedrow May Stats: 2 GS (4 G), 21 IP, 1.71 IP, 3.81 FIP, 20.0 K%, 7.5 BB% (Dunedin Blue Jays) Signed out of Indy Ball after the Jays' pitching depth was decimated by injuries, Jack Nedrow immediately pitched well for Dunedin, and despite the lack of strikeout stuff, he was able to limit runs. He allowed only four runs in the four appearances he made and averaged over five innings per appearance. The 23-year-old may not reach the major leagues, but he is providing useful innings down on the farm. Honourable Mention: RHP Aaron Munson May Stats: 15.0 IP, 3.94 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 26.3 K%, 7.9 BB% (New Hampshire Fisher Cats) Aaron Munson made six straight scoreless appearances, but a rough few outings to end the month ballooned his ERA. Munson still deserved to be honoured for strong pitching during this stretch, and he’s shown the capability to throw multiple innings while still pitching effectively. He’s been an interesting arm despite being drafted in the 19th round back in 2023. Honourable Mention: RHP Jake Bloss May Stats: 4 GS, 11.2 IP, 3.86 ERA, 4.72 FIP, 32.7 K%, 2 BB% (Florida Complex League, Dunedin Blue Jays) Jake Bloss returned on a rehab assignment after missing nearly the entirety of the 2025 season due to elbow surgery. The righty looked sharp upon returning, sitting in the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball and striking out over 32 percent of the batters that he faced, only walking one. He had a rough last start on the 30th, as he’s still shaking off some of the rust, but Bloss could provide useful reinforcement to a hurting Jays pitching staff. Honourable Mention: RHP Dylan Watts May Stats: 3 GS, 20 IP, 3.15 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 21 K%, 6,2 BB% (Dunedin Blue Jays) The 2025 seventh-rounder has had himself a mini breakout in his first professional season for the Blue Jays. Dylan Watts didn't generate as many strikeouts as he did in April, but the righty is still sitting 95 mph with his fastball and was effective in each May appearance, capped off by 5.1 no-hit innings that earned him Florida State League Pitcher of the Week honours. No. 5: LHP Josh Fleming May Stats: 4 GS, 23 ⅔ IP, 1.90 ERA, 3.69 FIP, 17.2 K%, 4.0 BB% (Buffalo Bisons) Josh Fleming struggled in his one appearance for the Blue Jays, but after getting outrighted and re-signed to a minor league deal, he’s been stretched out and has pitched well as a starter for the Bisons. His stuff might not be major league quality, but he provides value for the Jays as depth, as well as having the ability to eat innings for a young staff down in Buffalo. No. 4: LHP Johnny King May Stats: 5 GS, 18 ⅓ IP, 3.44 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 29.4 K%, 15.3 BB% (Vancouver Canadians) Johnny King looked like he would be the number one pitcher in the Jays' minor league system for the month of May before a blowup start against Spokane in his penultimate game of the month. The rest of the month was so excellent that he made the list anyway, but King’s command issues have popped up here and there to ruin otherwise excellent pitching. No. 3: RHP Carson Messina May Stats: 3 GS, 12 IP, 2.25 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 28.9 K%, 13.3 BB% (Florida Complex League) Carson Messina, younger brother of Rockies prospect Cole Messina, pitched just two innings in 2025 before getting shut down for the season. The righty already displayed upper echelon velocity and has touched 99 mph multiple times with his fastball so far this season. He’s still on a rehab assignment, but he’ll return to Dunedin soon. No. 2: RHP Gage Stanifer May Stats: 4 GS, 19 ⅔ IP, 1.37 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 23.2 K%, 11.0 BB% (New Hampshire Fisher Cats) Gage Stanifer had a rough start to the season, in large part due to poor command, as he walked over 18% of the batters that he faced. He lowered that to 11% percent in May, and although his strikeout rate also dipped in turn, he was much more effective. If Stanifer can figure out a way to generate strikeouts while keeping the walks down, he’ll be up in the majors sooner than later. No. 1: RHP Nolan Perry May Stats: 5 GS, 25 IP, 1.08 ERA, 2.67 FIP, 41.7 K%, 9.4 BB% (Vancouver Canadians) Nolan Perry’s breakout campaign carried over even after getting promoted to High-A Vancouver. The 2022 12th-rounder didn’t miss a beat, as he continued to strike out over 40% of the batters that he faced while walking less than 10%. He gave up just three earned runs on the month, going five innings or more in four of his five starts. The righty relies heavily on his high-riding fastball that sits in the mid-90s, as well as two distinct breaking balls. He also has developed a solid feel for a newfound splitter that he’s using to great effectiveness against lefty hitters. He’s going to be the Jays’ next big pitching prospect and should be a fixture on top 100 lists. This is his second month straight as Jays Centre's Minor League Pitcher of the Month! View the full article

The Twins entered Monday hoping for positive news regarding Bailey Ober's injured right elbow. While losing one of their most dependable starters is never ideal, the update from general manager Jeremy Zoll suggested the organization may have avoided a much more serious situation. Ober was diagnosed with a mild right flexor strain after undergoing an MRI. The most encouraging aspect of the evaluation was that the ulnar collateral ligament graft from his previous Tommy John surgery remains fully intact. According to Zoll, Ober will be shut down from throwing for 10 to 14 days while receiving anti-inflammatory treatment before being reevaluated. The Twins are also seeking a second opinion from renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister, but early indications have been positive. For a pitcher with a Tommy John history, any elbow discomfort immediately raises concerns about ligament damage. Instead, Minnesota appears to be dealing with a relatively minor flexor issue. While no timetable has been established for a return, Zoll's comments suggested the absence could be measured in weeks rather than months. The news does not eliminate the challenge facing Minnesota's rotation. Ober had been a stabilizing presence, consistently providing innings while helping bridge the gap between the club's younger arms and veteran starters. However, considering the range of possible outcomes, the Twins have reason to feel relieved. Mick Abel Continues His Climb Back Another important pitching update involved Abel, who has been sidelined with right elbow inflammation. Abel is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Thursday, which represents a significant step forward in his recovery. If that session goes well, he could begin a rehabilitation assignment shortly afterward. Even under an optimistic timeline, Abel still appears several weeks away from returning to the major league roster. He will likely need multiple rehab appearances before being considered game-ready. Still, after weeks of uncertainty, the fact that he is nearing competitive action is an encouraging development. Cole Sands Nearing Return to Bullpen The Twins could soon receive reinforcements in the bullpen. Sands is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday after missing more than a month with a right forearm strain. His return would provide a welcome boost to a relief corps that has spent much of the season searching for consistency. Although Sands posted a 4.63 ERA through his first 12 appearances this season, his value extends beyond the raw numbers. He has proven capable of handling leverage situations and was expected to play a prominent role in Minnesota's late-inning plans before the injury occurred. The Twins have shuffled bullpen roles throughout the season, making Sands' eventual return one of the more significant developments on the injury front. Ryan Jeffers Making Steady Progress Jeffers continues to move forward after surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist. More than a week removed from the procedure, Jeffers had his stitches removed over the weekend and has been pleased with how his recovery is progressing. He has already resumed throwing activities, an important early milestone. The next hurdle will be swinging a bat. Hamate injuries often pose challenges for hitters because regaining wrist strength and comfort can take time. Until Jeffers begins taking swings, it will remain difficult to project a realistic return date. For now, the early signs appear positive. David Festa Begins Throwing Program Festa remains the furthest away from returning, but he has officially started the next phase of his recovery. After receiving a stem-cell injection to address his shoulder issue, Festa spent three weeks completely shut down from throwing. On Monday, he began a structured throwing program that will include three weeks of flat-ground work before progressing back to mound sessions. The timeline underscores how much work remains before Festa can return to game action. Nevertheless, beginning a throwing program is an important step after an extended shutdown period. Injuries have tested the Twins' pitching depth throughout the season, but Monday's collection of updates offered more optimism than concern. Ober avoided a potentially devastating diagnosis, Sands is nearing a return, Abel is progressing toward rehab games, and both Jeffers and Festa continue moving through their recoveries. The encouraging news is that several important pieces appear to be moving in the right direction, giving the Twins hope that help could be arriving over the next few weeks. View the full article

Brice Turang had a career night (or something like it) in just six innings Monday night. As the Brewers blew out the Giants, Turang departed early, but before doing so, he had a line-drive double, a long triple, and a pair of walks. If you watched the first six weeks of this season like a hawk and then were extremely busy for about three weeks, it probably felt like business as usual. Quietly, though, Turang went through a prolonged slump to end May. A good approach kept him viable—most hitters go through some slump during the season, and his .623 OPS during his is a lot better than most hitters' nadirs—but he stopped being the engine of the team's elite offense. Here, in a snapshot, is why—and why you could see his return to form coming, even before he snapped out of his funk Monday night. Remember last season, when Turang entered August with a .271/.339/.363 batting line, and then hit .321/.399/.580 the rest of the way? It happened because, at long last, he opened himself up to pulling the ball. The above is his rolling average for attack direction over 100-plate appearance samples. When he stopped being baseball's most extreme opposite-field hitter (not in terms of batted-ball distribution, but in terms of the angle of his barrel at his contact point on each swing), he suddenly became one of its most dangerous hitters. He maintained that terrifying blend of strike zone control, feel for contact and the ability to blast the ball well into this season, too. Then, as you can see via the highlighting above, he had a relapse. Turang got back to being, to put it one way, late. Unlike most players, he whiffs almost as frequently on fastballs as on other pitch types. The league's average contact point on balls in play is about 4 inches deeper in the hitting zone than the intercept point on whiffs, but Turang's intercept point is 2 inches farther in front of him on balls in play. In other words, when he whiffs, it's more often because he was late on the ball, compared to other players. Indeed, when he sagged back into being an extreme opposite-field guy with regard to attack direction, his contact rate fell. It coincides just about perfectly with the decline in his overall production. Ah, but go back to that first chart, and note the direction of the tail at the far right. Over the last week or so, Turang had trended back toward being square to the ball. He went 0-for the week against the Cardinals and Astros, but quietly, he was creeping back into his lost groove. On Monday, he found it again, even though both of his hits were to the opposite field. It's too early to say he's fixed, but the signs of a revival are here. Turang is a guy whose biggest upside comes when he gets forward more than is strictly comfortable; that capacity comes and goes a bit. Right now, though, he looks like he's on time, and another binge like what we saw for the first month-plus of the season could be at hand. View the full article

When the Twins pivoted into seller mode at the 2025 trade deadline, the reaction from fans was mixed. Minnesota traded several established big leaguers for younger talent, hoping to build a stronger foundation for the future. While much of the attention centered on the headline deals, one of the quieter transactions is beginning to look like one of the organization's biggest wins. The Twins sent veteran outfielder Harrison Bader to Philadelphia in exchange for outfield prospect Hendry Mendez. At the time, it felt like a modest move involving a pending free agent and a promising but unproven minor leaguer. Less than a year later, Mendez is emerging as one of the most intriguing hitters in the organization and perhaps the best return Minnesota received during its deadline selloff. For Philadelphia, the deal accomplished its short-term objective. Bader provided quality defense, speed, and production during the stretch run as the Phillies pushed toward another division title. He hit .305 with five home runs and an .824 OPS across 50 regular-season games with Philadelphia. Unfortunately, injuries limited his postseason impact before he departed in free agency following the season. The Twins, meanwhile, acquired a player who continues to increase his value every month. Mendez was already producing at Double-A before the trade. After arriving in Wichita, however, he took another step forward. He posted a .911 OPS over his final 33 games of the season while walking more often than he struck out. That performance helped elevate his prospect status and put him firmly on the radar heading into 2026. Instead of slowing down this season, Mendez has accelerated. He opened the year with Wichita and quickly demonstrated that he had little left to prove at that level. Through 24 games, he carried an .857 OPS and earned his first promotion to Triple-A St. Paul in early May. The jump to Triple A has looked almost effortless. Mendez recently put together a perfect 4-for-4 performance that included two doubles, two singles, and a walk. Through his first 20 games with the Saints, he hit .372 with three home runs, 15 RBI, and a 1.017 OPS. Just as encouraging, he continued to show excellent plate discipline, walking 16 times and striking out only 12. Those numbers are impressive on their own, but the underlying approach may be even more encouraging. Mendez consistently controls the strike zone with a 16.3 K%. He rarely expands his zone (12.8 BB%), makes frequent hard contact (54.5 Hard Hit%), and shows an advanced understanding of how pitchers are attacking him. His smooth left-handed swing generates power to all fields, allowing him to impact games without selling out for home runs. The 22-year-old has already experienced plenty of change during his professional career. Originally signed by Milwaukee as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, he later moved to Philadelphia before eventually landing with Minnesota. Some prospects struggle after changing organizations multiple times. Mendez has done the opposite, seemingly improving at every stop. There are reasons to expect some statistical regression. His expected batting average is nearly 50 points lower than his actual batting average at Triple-A, and his ground ball rate remains elevated. Long term, the Twins would likely prefer to see him elevate the baseball more consistently in order to maximize his power production. Even with those caveats, the overall profile remains highly attractive. Mendez is already on Minnesota's 40-man roster, which could put him in line for a major league opportunity sooner rather than later. The Twins have seen several young hitters force their way into the conversation through strong minor league performances, and Mendez appears to be doing exactly that. Prospect evaluations can change quickly, and there is still development ahead. However, the return on this trade already looks extremely favorable for Minnesota. Turning a few months of a rental player into a 22-year-old hitter who is thriving at Triple-A is exactly the type of transaction successful organizations need to make. The Twins acquired several intriguing pieces during last summer's selloff. Right now, though, no player is doing more to validate those moves than Mendez. If his current trajectory continues, Minnesota may eventually look back on this trade as one of the defining steals of the 2025 deadline. Is Mendez the best player the Twins received at last year’s trade deadline? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The month of May was not kind to the Twins’ pitching staff. They allowed six or more runs in 12 of 28 games (including multiple 15-run nights) and were hit very hard by the injury bug. Taj Bradley missed a couple weeks, Cole Sands missed the entire month, and both Kendry Rojas and Bailey Ober were placed on the injured list over the weekend. Not to mention, Mick Abel is still hurt, and oh, Simeon Woods Richardson and Justin Topa were DFA’d. It’s been an eventful month, and not in a good way. Still, there were some positives, too. There have been some younger names who have thrived with increased opportunity, and the reps they’ve been able to get could be big for the future of Minnesota’s pitching staff. Here’s a look at the top-performing pitchers from May for the Twins. 4. Andrew Morris May Stats: 11 G, 12 1/3 IP, 2.19 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 10 K, 6 BB, 2.91 FIP The Twins’ bullpen as a whole gets a lot of grief due to inconsistent play, but Morris was about as consistent as you could ask for in May. His month started with 3 2/3 scoreless innings after Joe Ryan’s early exit due to elbow soreness, and he finished as a reliable late-inning option. The underlying data shows he’s been elite when it comes to getting soft contact, which has been his calling card since entering the league. Morris has shown he can be used in multiple roles, and he should continue to be a staple of the Twins’ bullpen for the remainder of the year. 3. Kendry Rojas May Stats: 4 G, 12 1/3 IP, 1.46 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 14 K, 7 BB, 2.75 FIP While his May ended on a sour note (an IL stint due to triceps inflammation), Rojas looked good in his four outings. While only one of those four came as the starting pitcher, he thrived in a long reliever/spot starter role. His arsenal, led by his fastball-slider combo, has generated a ton of whiffs, and he did a much better job of pounding the strike zone. For now, it remains unclear just how long he’ll be sidelined. He was set to be cleared to begin throwing again by Twins doctors Monday night, and Jeremy Zoll indicated that the ramp-up should be quick, given the short time that he was shut down. The month of May left a lot to be excited about for Kendry Rojas. 2. Yoendrys Gómez May Stats: 12 G, 10.1 IP, 0.87 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 13 K, 4 BB, 2.30 FIP After being acquired from the Rays on May 6, Gómez has quickly emerged as a reliable late-inning option out of the Twins’ bullpen. He’s limited baserunners, and his May stats benefited as a result. While the underlying numbers would suggest he’s been better than he should be, games are won and lost on the field, not in tables or spreadsheets. Derek Shelton clearly trusts him, as he’s logged a pair of saves since his arrival. Gómez should continue to be a late-inning reliever for the Twins. Twins Pitcher of the Month: Joe Ryan May Stats: 5 G, 26 IP, 1.73 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 31 K, 5 BB, 2.11 FIP Ryan’s May started with an immediate injury scare. But after being removed after just nine pitches on May 3, he looked every bit like an ace. All of Ryan’s starts after the early removal were quality, and he didn’t allow more than two earned runs in any of them. That length has been especially crucial over the last couple of weeks, since the Twins haven’t had an off day since May 21 and won’t for another week. Ryan’s dominance is especially interesting when you consider that he’s throwing his best pitch (his four-seam) about 10% less than he did at the start of the season. But that decline in usage has increased his whiff rate and has made that four-seam (along with the rest of his arsenal) more effective. As long as he’s healthy, Ryan will be the Twins’ #1 pitcher. But given his performance this year, how long he’ll be a Twin might be the bigger question. While the non-Ryan rotation options struggled in May, there are still some encouraging takeaways from the last month. Morris, Rojas, and Gómez are all young, promising arms that flashed and can serve multiple roles if needed. Injuries have done serious damage to the starting rotation over the last month, but we’ve already seen what that unit is capable of earlier in the season. It’s easier said than done, but a little more consistency (and health), mixed with further development from the bullpen, could lead to a promising pitching staff for the next few months and beyond. View the full article

Sunday, May 31. The Cubs faithful sit in front of the screen, tuning in to NBC or Peacock, looking forward to a rivalry tilt against the Cardinals. High off of Pete Crow-Armstrong's epic Saturday night, momentum is there to be seized. All optimism was destroyed after looking at the starting pitcher. Jordan Wicks was tasked with taking the mound. Momentum is the next day's starting pitcher, and this one was a brick wall—a stopper, but for a winning streak, rather than a losing one. A competitive team like the Cubs cannot keep giving starts to guys that they clearly have no faith in. They (rightfully) distrust Jordan Wicks, and he proved that distrust correct, failing to reach the third inning and allowing three runs. After his even more disastrous first start, his ERA sits at an incredible 15.63. These were two throwaway starts, and a game or two can make a huge difference when the calendar flips to September. Don't get me wrong: Jordan Wicks isn't to blame. Jed Hoyer and the Cubs' failure to develop pitching depth are. But it's the injuries, right? No team can weather such a storm? Well, look north up I-94, and there's a perfect example. The Milwaukee Brewers, faced with a similar crunch on April 7 of last year, made an under-the-radar deal for Quinn Priester from the Boston Red Sox. He was more than solid; he finished 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA in his 24 starts. The Brewers saw a need, identified a target, and used excess prospects to get the player in, and it helped them to a first-place finish. This year, they are facing similar struggles—and are winning the division. Brandon Woodruff and young prospect Logan Henderson are on the shelf, and prize trade return Brandon Sproat (obtained for Freddy Peralta) was just called out from his manager with his current 6.24 ERA. But Coleman Crow has filled in with two solid starts and Chad Patrick with six (2.60 ERA overall). They can thrive in adversity, because they have built tremendous depth from the bottom of the minors to the major-league squad. The Brewers also went back to the well in Boston and traded for Kyle Harrison. Perhaps Boston needs to evaluate their trade process, and avoid Milwaukee? Harrison has been electric, pitching to a 1.57 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 51 innings so far. They dealt extra third baseman Chad Durbin for Harrison, a clear win already. By the by, they also got Shane Drohan, who made a strong (though short) start in their win Monday night, in that same deal. What the Brewers do is identify pitching depth and extract maximum value of the pitchers others overlook. It's the secret sauce to their recent stretch of division dominance. The Cubs, conversely, have not been able to build any pitching depth or develop healthy arms in their system. Jaxon Wiggins, currently injured, is their only top-10 organizational prospect who's a pitcher. Twenty of their top 30 prospects are hitters, and five of the pitchers who show up are in the 20-30 range for the system. Cade Horton had graduated, but the team couldn't figure out a way to outrun his injuries. Unlike other teams, they have zero arms they can call on from the minors to come up and compete. Compounding this issue is the inability to keep arms healthy. Cade Horton is already done this season and much of next, and Justin Steele is trending in that direction. Edward Cabrera has had diminished stuff as a Cub, as well as a blister issue keeping him on the IL. We've already discussed the lack of options in the minors. The Cubs need to be able to generate Chad Patrick-level players, at minimum, to win division titles. This has been their issue for years. Trading for an arm is also problematic. The Cubs don't have an excess of prospects from which to deal from MLB.com 23rd ranked system. They cannot afford to deal Moisés Ballesteros or Matt Shaw. They're too important to the team, regardless of slumps or injuries. And nobody else in the system is exciting enough to entice a team to jump. Cam Smith and Owen Caissie were dealt (for what now feel like underwhelming returns) already. The Cubs do have a few prospects, but none of the major ones are at all expendable; they're the only hope for the Cubs to develop a homegrown core. That's what made Sunday's game so frustrating. Wicks is a symptom of the disease plaguing the Cubs front office. When in desperate need of a major league-quality arm for a start or two, the team with playoff aspirations had nowhere else to turn. For a decade, the Cubs have struggled to produce the pitching depth the Brewers seem to effortlessly churn out. Until that changes, Wicks won't be the last emergency starter trotted out into an impossible situation. View the full article

The month of May was a rollercoaster for the San Diego Padres. After missing an opportunity to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West standings, they instead found themselves juggling second place with the Arizona Diamondbacks. While the pitching staff remained solid, the offense has still yet to find its footing. The Padres sit in the bottom five of the league for the least amount of runs produced as a team, and much of the blame has fallen on the team's “Big Three” of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill, all of whom have gotten off to slow starts. More than months into the season, Tatis leads the trio with a modest .266 batting average, while the other two hover slightly above or below the .200 mark. Their contributions have been highly missed as the Padres own a league-worst team batting average of .218. Yet despite their offensive struggles, San Diego remains 32-26 and holds the top National League Wild Card spot. While the lineup has been lackluster, a few unsung heroes have stepped up to make sure the team continues to capitalize on the advantageous positions created by their pitching staff and keep their heads afloat. Ranking Padres' Best Hitters in May #3: Fernando Tatis Jr. While much of the concern surrounding the team has been focused on the struggles of their “Big Three”, Tatis did his best to take his name out of those conversations. In May, Tatis led the team with a .296 batting average and 29 hits, providing a much-needed boost to an offense searching for consistency. His month was highlighted by him hitting his first home run of the season on May 30, ending his career-long 55-game homer-less streak. While his performance garnered a lot of praise, there was still a glaring hole in his game that must be addressed: His bat went cold with runners in scoring position. Despite his strong batting average, Tatis only batted .200 with runners in scoring position and posted a -0.1 weighted runs above average (wRAA). While his performance definitely hints that he is moving in the right direction, the team will need him to start producing in scoring scenarios to take a true step forward. #2: Miguel Andújar In his first season in San Diego, Miguel Andújar continues to be a solid contributor to the middle of the lineup. While he hit just .225 in May, he still recorded 23 hits, four homers, 11 runs scored and 10 RBIs as he solidified himself as the team's number one option at DH. But the month was mostly used as an opportunity to endear himself into the fanbase. Andújar's breakout moment as a Padre came during the team's series against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. In the three-game series, Andújar homered twice, including a clutch solo shot in the team's 1-0 win in the opener. In a National League West that remains highly contested, Andújar’s production has helped bring life to an offense that is still trying to stay in the playoff picture while working out its kinks. #1: Gavin Sheets In a month that was overall bleak for the Padres' offense, Gavin Sheets emerged as one of the clubs most reliable contributors. In 24 games, Sheets batted .274/.411/.493 with a .904 OPS as he raised his overall batting average to .245. During a stretch where producing runs was scarce, his power proved invaluable. He hit five home runs while bringing in 11 RBIs and scoring 11 runs. Most importantly, he consistently delivered in key situations. With runners in scoring position, Sheets had a batting average of .357 with two home runs and eight RBIs. His biggest moment came on May 13 against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning that propelled them to overcome a shutout and steal a win. In a month that started with Sheets being absent from the lineup and losing at-bats to Ty France, the left-handed slugger quickly changed his perception within the organization. He finished the month batting as high as second in the lineup and is proving himself as one of the team's most dependable power options in 2026. View the full article

The Jays need pitching. Their top three of Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage have all been excellent, with xERAs ranking in the top 20 in the American League (min. 35 IP). And Patrick Corbin has – so far – outperformed his 5.26 xERA with a strong 3.65 ERA. Yet, with Cease’s injury and Corbin’s bubble at risk of bursting, the Jays could badly use another MLB-ready starter. Someone like Simeon Woods Richardson, recently DFA'd by the Minnesota Twins. SWR has struggled in 2026, with a 7.74 ERA and declines in every conventional pitching statistic. So, why might the Jays be interested? Age and Control SWR comes with considerable risk. That is not necessarily a determining factor. Risk can be acceptable if it comes with a commensurate return. If the Jays were to gamble on “fixing” SWR, they would want to know that he will not retire next season – or leave as a free agent. In that respect, SWR is an attractive gamble. He is only 25 years old, and with less than two years of service time entering 2026, he will not be a free agent until 2031. So if the Jays did succeed in turning him around, the benefits could be long-term Price Woods Richardson is still in his pre-arbitration years, earning only $796,000 in 2026. He would only enter arbitration for the first time this coming offseason. That makes him cheap enough that the financial side of the gamble would be minimal. Pedigree SWR is having a poor 2026, but his performance from 2024-25 gives considerable cause for optimism. Consider this table: Pitcher IP ERA xERA SIERA Kevin Gausman 374 3.71 4.24 4.01 José Berríos 382 3.81 4.74 4.4 Chris Bassitt 341.1 4.07 4.35 4.13 Simeon Woods Richardson 245 4.08 3.83 4.48 On an xERA basis, SWR outperformed all three of the Jays’ top three starters over those two years. If he could return to that level, he would be – at a minimum – a solid No. 3 starter. And if Cease, Gausman, Yesavage, and Shane Bieber were ahead of him in the rotation, he could be one of the very best No. 5s in all of baseball. Fit One likely reason for SWR’s xERA being lower than his ERA is the Twins’ defence. SWR is not a power, strikeout pitcher. His fastball only averages 93 mph, and he strikes out less than a batter per inning. He needs a strong defensive team behind him. In 2025, Minnesota’s -12.4 team Def (as calculated by FanGraphs) was 22nd in the majors. Toronto’s +38.8 was first. The xERA stat is calculated on the basis that every ball is hit into an “average environment,” so it is entirely possible that, with an elite defence behind him, SWR could even outperform his 2024-25 xERA. Fly Balls SWR is a flyball pitcher. His career air rate of 64.1% is substantially higher than the MLB average of 55.8%. So, he needs an elite outfield defence. What about one led by someone like, say, Daulton Varsho – whose +34 OAA in the outfield since 2023 is fifth best in baseball. And that is despite multiple injuries and his having to play in left and right field as well as centre. The Projections The major baseball projection systems all predict a recovery for SWR over the remainder of 2026. Steamer projects a 4.12 ERA, while ZIPS projects 4.66. These are only projections, and many of them envision limited innings and a move to the bullpen, but there is still a consensus that his current 7.74 ERA does not tell the whole story. The Red Flags With all that said, there are still red flags. SWR’s split-finger fastball, a major weapon in 2025 with a 32.7% whiff rate and a .168 xwOBA, is at 20.4% and .427 so far in 2026. But this is despite improved velocity and better vertical and horizontal movement. Could the issue be that the increased usage of his splitter – from 10% in 2025 to almost 27% in 2026 – has reduced the “surprise factor”? Or could the drop in velocity differential between his splitter and four-seamer (7.1 mph in 2025, 6.0 in 2026) have had an impact? The Bottom Line Without question, SWR is struggling. And there is no guarantee that the Jays’ defence (which is itself struggling to repeat its 2025 performance) and a healthy dose of Pete Walker magic will be enough to turn the 2026 frog back into the 2025 handsome prince. But the financial risk is small, the potential upside larger, and the need even larger still. It may be true that SWR’s future “ain’t what it used to be,” but it is equally true that “it is tough to make predictions – especially about the future.” View the full article

Billy Amick has shown a strong blend of contact and power since he was drafted in 2024. The former second-round pick could be forcing his way into the Twins' long-term plans. View the full article

When it comes to identifying the Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May, no pitcher stood out more than left-hander Justin Lamkin. The 71st overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M, the Royals moved slowly with Lamkin after drafting him in the competitive round a season ago. He didn't pitch professionally in 2025, but he built up in the Complex and prepared for the 2026 season, starting in High-A Quad Cities. In six outings and 28.1 IP, Lamkin absolutely dominated Midwest League pitching. He posted a 1.27 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, a 34.9% K%, and 24.8% K-BB% with the River Bandits. In May, with the Quad Cities, he allowed two runs on six hits with no walks while striking out 14 in 10.2 IP. That strong start in May led to his promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Lamkin had a rough Double-A debut on June 14th, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven in 5.2 IP. However, he had a much stronger second start on May 20th. He went 6 IP, allowed one hit, one run, no walks, and struck out eight. Overall, the percentiles have been good for Lamkin in his two starts in Double-A, as he is generating a 34.9% K% (92nd percentile), a 35.1% whiff rate (82nd percentile), and a 37.4% CSW% (98th percentile). Here's a complete look at Lamkin's Double-A Season Pitching Percentiles chart via TJ Stats. Thus, it's not just the results where Lamkin is thriving, but he's also producing solid whiff, contact, and called-strike metrics in his time in the Minors this season. Lamkin doesn't have eye-popping stuff, as his four-seamer profiles in the 92-93 MPH range. That said, he has impeccable control and command and attacks batters, which is illustrated not just by his high strikeout numbers but also by his low walk numbers. With the Royals in rebuilding mode this year, and likely going to trade one of their starting pitchers (Michael Wacha or Seth Lugo) at the Trade Deadline, Lamkin could get a shot in the Majors this year if he continues to produce in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Triple-A Omaha: Eric Cerantola, RHP 7 G, 8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 13 K, 2 SV, 2.25 ERA, 1.38 WHIP Cerantola got another promotion to Kansas City, though he was optioned after one rough outing this past week. That included giving up a home run to Texas' Joc Pederson, who had a stellar series against Kansas City this past weekend. In Omaha, however, the 26-year-old righty has been solid. Over the past 30 days, Cerantola posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with two saves, 13 strikeouts, and just four walks in eight innings of work. Cerantola's slider has been his strongest offering this month. That is illustrated by his 105 TJ Stuff+, 41.1% chase, and 53.8% whiff rate on the pitch this month. Overall, he posted a 37.5% whiff rate and 30.6% chase rate, which offset his low zone rate (41.7%) and mediocre xwOBACON (.390). Cerantola will likely get more chances to prove himself in the Majors, especially with the bullpen being such a mess. To stay longer in Kansas City, he will need to improve his secondaries, as his four-seamer (91 TJ Stuff+) and cutter (81 TJ Stuff+) didn't profile well this month in terms of TJ Stuff+. High-A Quad Cities: L.P. Langevin, RHP 7 G, 10.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 10 BB, 17 K, 1.69 ERA, 1.31 WHIP Seen as a sleeper pitching prospect in the Royals system after pitching in the Arizona Fall League this past fall, Langevin has seemingly gotten comfortable on the mound in Quad Cities. He had a strong May, emerging as one of the River Bandits' best relievers. In seven games and 10.2 IP, Langevin posted a 1.69 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. He also struck out 17 batters and generated a 36.2% whiff rate and 30.7% CSW. Control was a bit of an issue, as he had 10 walks and a zone rate of only 43% this past month, which ranked in the 22nd percentile. That said, Langevin has done an amazing job of not just getting whiffs but limiting contact on pitches in the strike zone, as illustrated by his 59% Z-Contact%. That's a sign that his stuff could continue to play as he moves up the Royals system. There's something "old school" about Langevin and his approach, which makes him fun to watch. His approach is similar to that of Greg Holland or Wade Davis in that he knows his fastball is his premium pitch and isn't afraid to throw it, regardless of the hitter's caliber. That mindset and approach are what a reliever needs to be successful, especially in late-inning situations. He doesn't have a diverse pitch mix (he's pretty much a two-pitch guy), but he rears back and lets loose and isn't afraid to attack hitters. While walks are an issue, it seems like he's progressing with each outing at the Minor League level, which should make Royals fans hopeful that he'll sport enough control to still be an effective reliever at the MLB level. Low-A Columbia: Michael Lombardi, RHP 5 G (4 GS), 21 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 11 BB, 33 K, 0.86 ERA, 1.05 WHIP Lombardi was named our Pitcher of the Month in April at Royals Keep, and while he wasn't the overall best pitcher this month in the Minors, it was hard to omit him this month based on his performance. The former Tulane product was a strikeout machine this past month, striking out 33 batters in 21 IP. He also posted a 0.86 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP and had a 23.8% K-BB%. Kendry Chourio may have more upside and a more illustrious prospect profile. However, there may not be a better "swing-and-miss" pitcher in the Fireflies rotation than Lombardi, who was a two-way player at Tulane. The 22-year-old former second-round pick did struggle with the walks a bit this month. He had 11, and the CSW of 28.8% ranked in the 47th percentile, which is lower than one would want to see from an "ace". That said, there were more positives than negatives for Lombardi in May, and he seems primed for a call-up to Quad Cities soon to join former Fireflies teammate Jordan Woods, who was recently promoted to High-A not too long ago. View the full article

Pat Murphy has spoken highly of David Hamilton all season, even though he’s been far from the Brewers’ most productive position player. His OPS has hovered beneath .600 for most of the year, and he’s been inconsistent in the field. Still, Murphy and the Brewers have repeatedly pointed to his upside and how he’s impacted the game in smaller ways, such as bunting for hits and taking extra bases with his speed. Murphy could offer new compliments on Monday night, as Hamilton went 3-for-5 in a blowout win over the San Francisco Giants. Since May 20, he’s hitting .276/.290/.483 for a strong .773 OPS while flashing more of that upside the club has insisted is in the tank. Hamilton’s hard-hit rate during this stretch on non-bunts is 50%, and his average exit velocity is 90.2 mph. Before, those marks were 28.2% and 84.3 mph, respectively. That’s a small sample of just 24 batted balls, but it might be more than a blip on the radar. Hamilton is swinging the bat harder than he was before. His average bat speed has increased from 69.1 mph before his hot streak to 70.8 during it. He added three more hard-hit balls on Monday, including a double he pulled to the right-field wall in his last at-bat. His bat speed was at least 72.5 mph on each of those three hard hits. Only eight players with at least 100 batted balls this year have a greater separation between their maximum exit velocity and their average than Hamilton, and most of the players with whom he shares that leaderboard are sluggers. He can hit the ball much harder than the waterbug types to whom people tend to compare him; that has always been in there. “He’s made some adjustments,” Murphy said. “No one has been tinkered with more than Hamilton, and to see him handle it all and do what he’s doing, he knows he’s found a home back where he started.” Hamilton still isn’t fully calibrated. Five of his hard-hit balls during this stretch have had an expected batting average below .200, because he got under the pitch and hit it too high for an easy flyout. Improving what Murphy refers to as his “flight plan”—effectively, the launch angle of his batted balls—remains a work in progress. Hamilton will fare better on hard line drives than hard fly balls, but hitting more balls hard in general by cutting his ‘A’ swing loose is a step forward. Furthermore, that swing has looked more well-rounded than it did earlier in the year. A point of emphasis has been keeping Hamilton’s front side from flying open on most swings, which had confined his productive contact to pitches low and inside. Here’s a hard 97.9-mph lineout against the Los Angeles Dodgers last week that saw Hamilton stay on a splitter away. lineout.mp4 Hamilton’s first home run of the season in Houston was an undeniable Crawford Box Special; it was hit 94.1 mph, traveled just 343 feet, and had a .140 xBA. But it was another example of staying closed on a pitch slightly away. HR.mp4 “He had a whole front side get out of there type thing going on, and he only handled one pitch,” Murphy said. “Now he’s starting to handle more pitches and more areas.” Hamilton has also flashed more of his upside in the field. He made a rangy play in the hole against the St. Louis Cardinals last week, along with a diving stop toward second base and an acrobatic leaping catch in shallow left-center. On Monday night, Hamilton converted a fielder's choice that was more impressive than it looks on video. With the pull-heavy Willy Adames hitting, he was shaded toward third base. By the time the camera cut, he had already taken several steps toward second. Hamilton quickly covered a good deal of distance to reach Adames's hard grounder, gobbling it up with a slide before flipping to Brice Turang for an inning-ending forceout. He again showcased his range a few innings later at second base, sprinting into center field for a challenging over-the-shoulder catch. Hamilton must maintain and build on the swing improvements he's flashed lately. His defense still isn't consistent enough, as he made a routine throwing error against the Cardinals before those Web Gems. But within the last two weeks, the seeds the Brewers planted have noticeably sprouted. “He knows we believe in him, and it’s showing up,” Murphy said. View the full article

Believe it or not, there were some bright spots in what was a really ugly month of May for the Chicago Cubs. A 13-16 record yielded a lot of questions about the offense, and it was that offensive underperformance that perhaps allowed the pitching to slip under the radar a little bit. To be clear, the offense wasn’t great, but a 4.42 ERA for the team sure didn’t help matters either. With that out of the way, though, let’s revel in those aforementioned bright spots for a bit and take a look at the pitchers of the month for May of 2026. 3. Ethan Roberts: 9 G, 2.03 ERA, 13.1 IP, 7 BB, 10 K I love any baseball player that is a little bit different. At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Roberts doesn't look like a typical professional pitcher. The 19.6% strikeout rate in the month of May would support that he simply is not the typical professional pitcher. Roberts has always walked a tightrope from atop the rubber. Not striking a lot of guys out means that you have to manage contact really well. After having been a fly ball pitcher for most of his first few brief seasons in the majors, Roberts has suddenly turned into a ground-ball machine, with a ground-ball rate of 64.7% in May, according to FanGraphs. This is after never posting a ground-ball rate above 36.4% in any full season in his career. He won’t maintain a .235 batting average on balls in play. Nobody does. We already saw some of that come back to earth in his outing Sunday against the Cardinals, when a bloop double found grass and denied him what could have been a big escape from a jam. But if the ground-ball rate remains that high, he just might be able to remain a viable option in the bullpen. The Cubs really need it. 2. Jacob Webb: 12 G, 0.64 ERA, 14 IP, 3 BB, 19 K Matthew Trueblood wrote about Webb here at Northside Baseball just last week. He concluded that Webb has dialed in the location on his changeup, which has unlocked him as a relief ace for the Cubs. Webb’s numbers in May certainly support this. According to Baseball Savant, hitters slugged .611 against his changeup in March and April. They had a 30% hard hit rate (a ball hit with an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher), and they whiffed on 42.9% of their swings. In May, hitters slugged just .167 to go along with a hard hit rate of 15.4%, and a whiff rate of 52.7%. That’ll certainly contribute to a month where a pitcher strikes out 19 guys and walks only three. 1. Ben Brown: 7 G, 1.86 ERA, 29 IP, 8 BB, 31 K A lot has been written about Brown at Northside Baseball as well, and for good reason: he is one of the only good things going for the Cubs at the moment. He was inserted into the rotation out of necessity on May 8, and has responded by being the team’s best starting pitcher for the month ,by a mile. Jeremy Tecktiel recently wrote about how Brown’s new sinker has turned him into a ground ball pitcher. Similar to Roberts, that is a huge development for Brown, especially given he has managed to continue to strike hitters out at an above average rate. Since we’ve written about the sinker, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge Brown’s changeup, which was thrown 4% of the time in March and April, and increased to 8.8% in May, per Baseball Savant. Hitters hit just .111 and slugged .222 against the pitch in May, while whiffing on 46.7% of swings. It’s been more than just a “third time through the order pitch,” too. Here he is fooling Brandon Nimmo with a perfect changeup on just the second pitch of a start in Texas: NXk5Z1BfWGw0TUFRPT1fQUFaVlVsTlNWd2NBWGxNQUJ3QUhCZzlYQUZrQ1ZBQUFBbFVHVWxWUkIxVUVWQWRU.mp4 It’s been a long time coming for Brown, and it finally seems to be coming together. With all of the injuries the pitching staff has dealt with so far this year, the timing couldn’t have been better for the Cubs. Congrats to Ben Brown on being the Cubs’ pitcher of the month for May. They might need him to win this quasi-award again in June. View the full article

Last Friday, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones returned to the PNC Park mound, making his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2025. The home crowd celebrated Jones’s return, as the 24-year-old pitched 4 1/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins, surrendering five earned runs over 21 batters faced. However, the hard-throwing righty’s return to Pittsburgh’s five-pitcher rotation was partially overshadowed by how Carmen Mlodzinski (who held Pittsburgh’s fifth rotation spot for most of 2026) responded to Pirates decision-makers informing him that he would be transitioned back into the bullpen upon Jones’s return. “(I’m) still communicating with the organization and the people in my corner, whether that’s my family or my agency, about what is next,” Mlodzinski said, when asked about transitioning back to the bullpen during a media scrum last Thursday. Unsurprisingly, Mlodzinski’s quote took off among national baseball media, with many criticizing the 27-year-old’s dejected response to returning to the bullpen. Many of those critiquing Mlodzinski are doing so solely to profit from the salaciousness of a conflict between player and team, but for those viewing the situation more clearly, it's easy to see why Mlodzinski would be upset about the change in roles. Through 55 innings pitched, Mlodzinski has generated a 3.76 ERA, 3.31 FIP, and a 19.3% strikeout rate, while making nine proper starts. According to Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR), the righty has been Pittsburgh's fourth-most valuable starting pitcher, coming in behind Braxton Ashcraft, Paul Skenes, and Mitch Keller. Mlodzinski is firmly above the Pirates’ fifth-most valuable starting pitcher, Bubba Chandler, earning 1.0 fWAR over 44 innings pitched as a starter compared to Chandler’s 0.2 fWAR over 52 innings. Still, Pittsburgh opted to keep Chandler in the rotation over Mlodzinski, seemingly due to Chandler’s far superior raw stuff and higher ceiling as a starter. Pittsburgh placed Mlodzinski on the restricted list on Sunday, citing the pitcher expressing that he wasn’t ready to pitch in the series finale against Minnesota. Big-leaguers are unpaid while on the restricted list. However, the 24-year-old’s stint on the list was short-lived, as he was reinstated Monday night. In effect, they suspended him for two days and docked his pay for the missed time. According to Jason Mackey of MLB.com, Mlodzinski didn’t request a trade, and is expected to pitch out of the bullpen in a bulk role during the club’s Tuesday night contest against the Houston Astros. Still, animosity between Mlodzinski and Pittsburgh lingers, making a trade of the 27-year-old likely before the trade dealine on August 3. If that is the case, Twins top baseball executive Jeremy Zoll should aggressively pursue an early-June trade for Mlodzinski, handing the talented righty a solidified role in Minnesota’s five-pitcher starting rotation. Like Pittsburgh, Minnesota entered the 2026 campaign with a surplus of high-end starting pitching talent, headlined by Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and budding stars Taj Bradley and Mick Abel. However, injuries have quickly decimated the club’s rotation depth, with Ober, Abel, and talented, young lefty Kendry Rojas on the 15-day IL for the foreseeable future. Losing these three arms, Minnesota is down to a four-pitcher rotation, headlined by Ryan, Bradley, a struggling Connor Prielipp, and an inconsistent Zebby Matthews. Mike Paredes is on the 26-man roster as a long reliever, at least for the moment, but even after the team picked up another Pirate (Justin Lawrence, a short reliever) in a cash deal Monday night, it's not clear who will start Thursday evening against the Royals. Minnesota is still in dire need of starting pitching depth, particularly if the club wants to remain in postseason contention as the dog days of summer near. ""Yeah, I think everything needs to be on the table," Zoll told reporters Monday about the apparent hole in the rotation. "We've worked through all the considerations ... but I think when you go true bullpen games, that can be challenging, but we probably need to see how we get through the next day or two and the state of the bullpen before we finalize any plans." Primarily throwing a four-seamer, splitter, sinker, and curve, Mlodzinski would instantly slot in as a valuable member of Minnesota’s starting rotation, likely filling the third spot behind Ryan and Bradley. Even if Ober, Abel, and/or Rojas return soon, Mlodzinski would be in position to retain a rotation spot, given Prileipp’s, Matthews’s, and Rojas’s inconsistency this season and the team's desire to keep Prielipp and Rojas from taking on too large a workload too quickly. Though it's hardly ideal, the team might well switch to a six-man rotation for some stretches, giving their young starters an extra day between appearances to both optimize recovery and slow their accumulation of innings. Any team that acquires Mlodzinski would want to avoid recreating the awkward series of events that has led to the promising righty’s falling out with Pittsburgh’s decision-makers. Given the injuries Twins starting pitchers have sustained this season, Mlodzinski would be all but guaranteed a rotation spot with Minnesota for the rest of the 2026 season, potentially playing an integral role in the club’s ability to return to the postseason for the first time since 2023. Besides, there's one person we know likes Mlodzinski as a starter, and who gave him that job for the first time at the end of spring training last year: then-Pirates manager Derek Shelton. "I think through the spring, we saw him not only increase in velocity, but saw him maintain the velocity, which was something that really made us feel confident that he can be a starting pitcher,” Shelton said after Mlodzinski returned to the rotation last March, having spent the previous two seasons working in relief. “It wasn't one time through the order; we saw it maintain in the fourth inning, fifth inning in Spring Training." There's familiarity between the manager and this prospective addition—and a history of the kind of trust and faith the pitcher clearly needs to feel from his superiors. There's also a glaring need. Presumably, the Pirates won't give up Mlodzinski for nothing—he remains under team control through 2029 and isn''t even arbitration-eligible until this winter. If the cost of acquiring him has been dramatically reduced by the tension between employers and employee, though, the Twins should swoop in. View the full article

Going into the 2026 season, many viewed Luinder Avila as more of a bullpen piece than a rotation option for the Royals. To be honest, it made sense at the beginning of Spring Training to see him in that fashion based on what the Kansas City pitching staff looked like at the time. The rotation seemed full, not just with projected starters like Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, and Noah Cameron, but also with other arms who saw starts in 2025 like Stephen Kolek, Ryan Bergert, and Bailey Falter. On that end, Avila seemed like an eighth or ninth option in the Royals' rotation at best, especially since he didn't make any starts at the Major League level in 2025. Furthermore, in limited Major League action in September, Avila was solid out of the bullpen. In 14 IP, he posted a 1.29 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 2.15 FIP, a 28.6% K%, and 17.8% K%. He also produced strong TJ Stuff+ metrics, chase, whiff, and xwOBACON numbers. That is illustrated in his TJ Stuff+ summary from 2025. That said, in Spring Training, JJ Picollo and Matt Quatraro remained steadfast in their belief that Avila had the potential to be an impact arm in the rotation. Furthermore, injuries to starting pitchers Ragans, Bubic, and Bergert thrust Avila into the rotation, even though he had been built up earlier in the year as a reliever. It's been an up-and-down sophomore campaign for Avila at the Major League level, both as a starter and reliever. However, on Monday in the Royals' 9-2 victory over the Reds, the Venezuelan righty demonstrated why Picollo and the Royals organization have so much belief in Avila and his outlook as a starter. Avila Prevails in Impressive, Though Flawed, Victory To be frank, it wasn't a perfect or efficient outing for Avila on Monday. In five innings of work, Avila allowed a run on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts. He threw 86 pitches, an MLB career-high for him. Furthermore, when looking at his pitch type chart from today's game via Savant, many of his pitches were sprayed all over the strike zone. Avila missed down and armside a lot, especially with his changeup, sinker, and four-seamer. He also left a lot of balls in the middle that the Reds didn't do enough with. That is illustrated in his ball/strike pitch chart below, which shows not too many of those balls in the heart of the zone put in play. While the Reds didn't take advantage of those pitches in the heart of the strike zone, credit has to be given to Avila for his stuff and ability to make batters miss or buckle on pitches in that area of the strike zone. Avila wasn't like Falter out there a week ago against the Yankees, throwing hittable pitches with low stuff quality in the middle of the zone. Rather, Avila was demonstrating excellent quality on all his pitches on Monday in Cincinnati, as illustrated in his TJ Stuff+ summary from today's outing. When looking at Avila solely on TJ Stuff+, he was beyond impressive. Overall, the 24-year-old generated a 105 TJ Stuff+ with four pitches with grades of 60 or better. All five of his pitches had grades over 50, and four of his pitches had TJ Stuff+ marks over 100. The only pitch with below-average TJ Stuff+ was his sinker, which had a 96 mark. That said, it was still effective, as illustrated by his .027 xwOBACON and 25% whiff rate. Below is an example of Avila effectively using his sinker to strike out Edwin Arroyo, who was making his MLB debut. It may not rate as well compared to his other offerings, but the sinker has nasty movement and potential. For over-eager hitters, it can lead to poorly connected balls or awkward-looking whiffs, as was the case with Arroyo on Monday. His sinker and four-seamer (107 TJ Stuff+) weren't the only impressive pitches on Monday. His slider, his primary breaking pitch (26.7% usage), was effective, as illustrated by a 40% chase rate and .189 xwOBACON. It didn't generate as many whiffs as he probably wanted, as illustrated by his 30% whiff rate. However, he was able to get swings and misses when needed, as evidenced in this sword strikeout of JJ Bleday, who hit a home run off Avila earlier in the game. Once Avila gets more comfortable with his control and command, he could become even more effective with more nasty strikeouts, similar to the ones that we saw this evening at the Great American Ballpark. Granted, the Venezuelan struggled with efficiency on Monday in the longest outing of his career. Not only did he walk four batters, but he also had a zone rate of 34.9%. That is nearly 10% lower than his 44% zone rate for the season, which rates as below average. It's going to be hard for him to be effective and eat innings unless he improves his control in subsequent starts and appearances. That said, when Avila started trusting his stuff more and finding the zone, he was able to keep reasonable pitch counts in each inning. The most he had in an inning was 20, which was in the fourth. He did this while maintaining his pitch velocity in the later innings, which is not typical for most starting pitchers. Below is a look at his pitch velocity chart from Monday's game, via Savant. If anything, Avila ramped up in the later innings, a sign of the competitiveness and ability that he has in those key spots. Finishing on that kind of positive note should give him some much-needed confidence and momentum that he can carry into his next scheduled outing on the mound. The Stuff is Better This Year From Avila (Which Is Promising) When looking at his TJ Stuff+ Summary this season compared to 2025, the improvement in TJ Stuff+ marks across all his pitches is what sticks out the most with Avila in 2026. Not only is Avila's overall TJ Stuff+ two points better, but he has two 60-grade pitches this year compared to zero in 2025. He has also seen a five-point improvement in four-seamer TJ Stuff+, a three-point improvement on the slider, and two-point improvements on the sinker and changeup. The curveball is the only pitch that has remained the same. Granted, the overall metrics haven't exactly improved along with the stuff. His chase rate is down 1.6%, and his whiff rate is down 5.3%. He has also experienced a 97-point increase in xwOBACON. That said, Avila has thrown more pitches this year, as he has nearly 300 more pitches in 2026 than his total in 2025. Thus, these numbers may simply be a result of initial regression with more pitches, and we're starting to see some positive regression from Avila lately, especially with this most recent start. As he makes more starts and pitches in more games, his control and ability to minimize hard contact will be key developments to watch. When looking at his Statcast percentile summary via TJ Stats this year, Avila's velocity, extension, hard-hit% allowed, and groundball rate are all well above-average marks. Conversely, he's struggled to give up barrels and to consistently find the strike zone, which are not great traits for a starting pitcher. Though there's more blue in this Statcast profile summary than what Royals fans would like, he's trending in the right direction, especially in some key categories like CSW (36th percentile) and whiff rate (34th percentile). If he can build on Monday's win against the Reds, it wouldn't be surprising to see those categories continue to improve over the course of the season. With the Royals unsure about the futures of Ragans and Bubic, they need pitchers to step up not just to eat innings but to provide effective, quality innings as well. Avila did just that on Monday, even though it wasn't pretty or dominant by any stretch of the imagination. That said, Kansas City may not need that from Avila. All they need right now from him are quality outings, even if they aren't officially "quality starts" just yet. Outings where he can go 4-5 innings for now will lead to "official" quality starts down the road, where he can go 6-7 innings and limit the bullpen usage even further. While the Royals won on Monday, they are still 23-37 and 10.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central division race. They might as well continue to give Avila starts with the hope that he can develop his command and control with each start and become a long-term piece in the rotation that could make Wacha, Bubic, or Lugo expendable at the Trade Deadline. View the full article

Transactions: N/A Although there were no official transactions on Monday, we have outstanding news on LHP Frank Cairone and an expected return date for Timber Rattlers OF Braylon Payne (last played May 21st). Did you carve out time for these listens yet, prospect faithful? Final: ACL Brewers 7, ACL Dodgers 6, ten innings Box Score and Game Log Gutty road win for the A-Crew, now 11-12 on the season. Brewers scored two in the 8th to increase their lead to a seemingly safe 5-1, but the LA kids tried to be cool and rallied for five runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead against 19-year-old RHP Ma'Kale Holden, one of the better-performing pitchers season to date. That rally came a bit out of nowhere as Holden had retired all six men he faced in the prior two innings, five of them by strikeout. The game log will reveal that the Dodgers cracked two two-run homers in the frame. It was sweet that the good guys tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the 9th, but in reality, they could have done more, as the first three batters walked. The tying run scored as speedy CJ Hughes grounded into a double play, and a flyout ended the rally. 20-year-old RHP Cesar Espinal allowed a lone single in the bottom of the 9th, and it was on to ghost-runner town, and not much effort was needed to plate the go-ahead (and what would prove to be the winning run). First baseman Jonathan Rangel began the inning at second base, immediately took third on a wild pitch, and right after that scored on a passed ball. Easy-peasy. Good thing, too, because the rest of the inning intertwined three strikeouts among two walks. Espinal, the 20-year-old Dominican native acquired as the PTBNL in the Mark Canha-to-KC trade (ah, you had forgotten about that, hadn't you?) then was aided by a lineout unassisted double play to second baseman Roderick Flores, eliminating the LA Manfred Man. A strikeout swinging ended the game in fine fashion. This box score has all kinds of goodies to peruse, including nine combined wild pitches, including two by Maryvale starting southpaw Joey Broughton, but as Broughton's game log reveals, he's had a wonderful spring including Monday's pretty line, as his pre-draft Tommy John surgery in 2024 is well in his rear-view mirror. RHP Gerson Garabito continues his broken foot rehab prior to an eventual Nashville placement, and utilityman Daniel Guilarte's Timber Rattlers rehab entered his Game Two. Brewers stole seven of eight bases, with another out coming on a pickoff, so we'll call it 7-for-9. The teams combined for a 5-for-28 RISP total. Brewer pitchers walked only one. LA arms issued 15 free passes. How was this a squeaker again? Brewer batters also K'd 17 times. The Dodger catcher played all ten innings; you think he caught a few pitches in this one? LF Kenny Fenelon, on base five times. CF Brailyn Antunez, four times, including his 4th home run. Four of the six Maryvale hits went for extra bases. Please review the box to see who hit the three doubles and the game log to see how the A-Crew plated their earlier runs. Final: DSL Brewers Blue 11, DSL Orioles Black 5 Box Score and Game Log In this colorful matchup, it was a "bruising" black-and-blue affair. (I crack myself up.) First of all, I thought as a BrewerFanatic Minor League Forum team, thought we did a tremendous job in posting many of the nuggets you should know about the now-upon-us 2026 Dominican Summer season. Important roster and stat links you can bookmark, a full-blown archive video of the "other" Brewers game (looks overcast to me, box score says the default "sunny"), the acquisition means of each player in the starting lineups (both games), a reminder about Spencer Michaelis' scouting reports from last winter, the available bonus information, immediate reactions, and more. Please visit the thread and take it all in, in full. The Men in Blue started their season with a bang despite allowing two runs in the top of the 1st, immediately scoring four of their own, and then three more in the 2nd. 16-year-old Dominican native and third baseman (he'll turn 17 in a month but get him to Am-Fam tonight ) Leanders Matos pulled a grand slam to left field in his very first professional at-bat. Only slightly outdone by Matos, $1.6 million bonus baby Diego Frontado clubbed a three-run shot in his 2nd pro plate appearance. The young men committed five errors, including two by Frontado, as the three Brewer arms only allowed two earned runs. Third-year DSL RHP Ruben Saldana (a Mexico native) earned a three-inning save in which he did not walk a batter. As for daily Link Reporting on the DSL games, we will not be quite as thorough as with the full-season affiliates, or even Maryvale. Time and effort constraints are real when the daily grind presents at least seven games on many days, and sometimes even eight or nine! We invite our wonderful readers and posters to reply to our reports with any insights you wish to share. Thanks! Final: DSL Orioles Orange 5, DSL Brewers Gold 2 Box Score and Game Log The Golden Boys committed as many errors as they had hits (four apiece). Second-year player Jefer Lista reached all four trips (double, three walks). 17-year-old switch-hitting LF Manny De Los Santos' first pro hit was a double, plus he walked twice. Shortstop Ricki Moneys was 0-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base out of the leadoff spot. Overall, the team was 4-for-6 on the basepaths. Here's Spencer's early analysis of 16-year-old catcher Moises Salazar in his debut game. Moneys committed his first error, but it was a tougher day in the field for debuting third baseman Josue Rodriguez, who was charged with three of his own (two throwing, one fielding). Second-year RHP Derlin Garcia was the most impressive of the three Brewer arms, working his way through five innings allowing two runs. There are seven games on tap for Tuesday, and MiLB has finally figured a way to place the complex leagues on the same scoreboard page as the full-season clubs, yay! Link below. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

It wasn't an optimal end to what started as a promising weekend for the Blue Jays. While the offense showed some late-game life, the puzzle of the bullpen led to the team splitting a series they should have at least won. There were signs throughout the weekend that the offense was beginning to find its footing (again), even if the production didn’t always show up right away. Slow starts are still an issue, and they continue to put this team behind more often than not. When you spend the first few innings not working counts and leaving opposing starters full of confidence, you’re playing with fire. Failure to cash in runs early and often is not only adding pressure to the lineup, but the bullpen too. Every game feels like it is September baseball. The Jays' leverage arms must be dangling a bit. Mason Fluharty’s inning of relief on Sunday was his 31st appearance of the season. Braydon Fisher is at 30 while Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers and Jeff Hoffman are at 28. Outside the offense, the puzzle at the back end of games is still a work in progress. Two bullpen days every five starts is not ideal, but it is where the Jays are right now. The balancing act that manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker are trying to navigate in real time would be fun if this were a video game, not so much when the team feels like it is this close to finding a groove. Every decision feels layered. The Blue Jays are not only trying to secure outs in the moment, but they are trying to preserve availability for the next game or next series, protect pitchers from overuse, and maintain some level of stability in defined roles. Saturday demonstrated that pendulum in real-time. Trey Yesavage didn’t have his command, and there were stretches where it looked like the afternoon could unravel quickly. Yet, Yesavage battled through it, and the relievers who followed him did exactly what needed to be done. That is, until the ninth. It’s easy after the fact to question whether a move should have come sooner, whether a hook was delayed by one batter too many, or whether another arm would have been better suited for that moment. It just doesn’t capture the complexity of what is happening outside that one game. Hoffman, in that situation, wasn’t stepping into chaos. He was facing the lower part of the lineup, with a win feeling almost assured. Schneider has his favourites. Varland and Rogers have leapfrogged Hoffman on that list, but Hoffman is still a trusted arm. And be honest, in the past week or two (before Saturday), he had been pretty good. After the game, Schneider said Connor Seabold would have gotten the ball if the Jays had scored one more run. Four runs seems like plenty of breathing room. Relief pitching can turn in an instant, especially against a lineup like Baltimore’s, even when you’re not facing the top of the order. The Orioles have built a lineup that does not give away a lot of at-bats. That’s what unfolded. It wasn’t one singular mistake, but rather a sequence where pitches weren’t executed with the precision required. Some were left in hittable zones, others missed entirely and forced deeper counts. Hindsight is always so clear, isn’t it? The winning RBI single up the middle sure looked like a tailor-made double play if the middle infielders were playing back. Sunday told a slightly different story, but the underlying themes remained. The bullpen, in a broader sense, wasn’t brutal. There were competitive pitches, but one less-than-ideal inning. It is easy to say the bullpen cost the Jays the series, but that oversimplifies what is a layered situation. Yes, there were moments where execution faltered and games slipped away. Austin Voth and Hayden Juenger weren’t great. But there is also the context of usage patterns, the fatigue that accumulates when starters don’t consistently pitch deep into games, and the challenge of matching up against disciplined and decent lineups. What Schneider and Walker are attempting is not just in-game management. It is season management. They are trying to stretch a group of arms through a demanding schedule while still keeping the team competitive. The timing of yesterday's off day couldn’t have been better. This team needed a reset, not just physically but mentally. They're back under .500, but they are looking better. There is hope. Facing the Braves will present a different kind of challenge, one that will test both the pitching depth and offensive consistency. It is not a series in which the Jays can afford to ease into games or hope things sort themselves out late. There is, however, an opportunity within that challenge. The Blue Jays have a chance to turn the page quickly, to take what were positive stretches from this past series (and the past week and a half) and build on them without carrying the frustration forward. That is often how successful teams navigate long seasons. Looking a little further ahead, there are reinforcements on the horizon that could change the complexion of this pitching staff. The potential return of Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer in the near term offers more than just added talent. It provides flexibility. Fewer innings to cover translates to more defined roles and fresher arms in leverage situations. And it doesn’t stop there. The progression of Shane Bieber, now working his way back through live game action, suggests that the rotation depth could soon become a different kind of conversation entirely. It is not often that a team transitions from searching for stability to potentially managing a surplus of starting options. That shift, if it materializes, will introduce a new set of decisions for the coaching staff. For the Blue Jays, that potential scenario could be the turning point in how the bullpen is utilized. If you can shorten games reliably, if you can hand off a lead to a more clearly defined late-inning structure, many of the current issues begin to settle. None of this erases the disappointment of how this weekend ended. The Blue Jays had positioned themselves to take more from this series, and those are the games that can stand out when you look back over a season. But within that frustration, there are still hints that this team is not far from finding a more consistent rhythm. For now, the record reflects a weekend that could have been more. The Jays will take the day, reset, and prepare for what comes next. The questions around the bullpen will still be there on Tuesday, but so will the chance to answer them, one outing at a time. View the full article

In the last two weeks, the Miami Marlins have lost Robby Snelling and Eury Pérez for extended periods, and Janson Junk until at least the middle of June. Their starting rotation now consists of Sandy Alcantara, who has struggled mightily since mid-April, Max Meyer, who has already surpassed his previous MLB career-high in innings pitched, and Tyler Phillips, who isn't even fully stretched out as a starter yet. While the organization is severely lacking pitching depth at the moment, the opposite is true in the outfield. Miami has accumulated so many promising players at the position that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find everyday playing time for prospects who deserve it, much like Ely Sussman anticipated back in January. Alex Carver of Fish On First reported Monday morning that Cam Cannarella (FOF #11 prospect) is being promoted to Double-A Pensacola. The Blue Wahoos' outfield currently features Brendan Jones (FOF #14), Dillon Lewis (FOF #5), and Fenwick Trimble (FOF #16), each of whom is comfortably meeting expectations, if not exceeding them. How will Cannarella find the necessary at-bats to continue his development? Trimble, in particular, looks more than ready for a promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville. The problem is that Jacksonville has its own outfield logjam. The Jumbo Shrimp currently have Kemp Alderman (FOF #8), who was knocking on the door of the major leagues before his recent elbow injury. Matthew Etzel is having a breakout season, and Rece Hinds, who was acquired less than two weeks ago, is hitting over .300 on the year. Andrew Pintar is the best defender of the bunch and posted a 1.017 OPS in May. Even the major league roster offers little flexibility. Miami's everyday outfield consists of Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, and Owen Caissie. Off the bench, the club has Esteury Ruiz, Heriberto Hernández, and Javier Sanoja to primarily receive opportunities against left-handed pitching. So what could the Marlins do to capitalize on this uneven distribution of talent? DFA Christopher Morel and recall Rece Hinds This would merely be a baby step, but a helpful one, nonetheless. The Marlins would be parting ways with their least productive right-handed hitter—Morel has a 23 wRC+ this season—while also freeing up spot in Jacksonville. In adding even more outfield options to the active roster, Sanoja could focus fully on the infield moving forward. Trade minor league outfield depth for pitching The Marlins are desperate for innings at this point and will take them any way they can get them. Trading from a position of organizational strength could help address multiple issues at once. Moving one or two outfielders would create opportunities throughout the system while potentially bringing back a starter capable of eating innings until the rotation gets healthy. A 40-man roster crunch is coming after the 2026 season no matter what, with the likes of Alderman and Etzel due to become Rule 5 draft-eligible for the first time. Might as well get out in front of that predicament. Promote aggressively and let performance dictate decisions The Marlins entered 2026 with the goal of both developing young talent and remaining competitive at the major league level. If that mindset remains unchanged, the organization may eventually have to become more aggressive with its roster decisions. If major league players continue to struggle while prospects continue to perform, Miami could begin optioning underperforming players and rewarding those who have earned opportunities. For an organization suddenly lacking pitching depth while possessing a surplus of outfield talent, standing pat may not be an option for much longer. Whether that solution comes through a trade, a series of promotions, or roster changes at the major league level, the Marlins have reached a point where performance throughout the organization may force their hand. With several prospects knocking on the door and a rotation searching for answers, Miami could soon face one of its most important roster decisions of the season. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox lineup provided improved output in the month of May compared to the slower start of March and April. In April, the Red Sox as a team had a slash line of .236/.312/.354, good for 22nd, 24th, and 28th respectively in MLB during that stretch. For a more robust view at their offensive production in April, they had a 86 wRC+, which was 28th in MLB. That was not the start the Red Sox were looking for. While there is still plenty of room for improvement for Boston, we saw the lineup take a step in the right direction in May. The club had a slash line of .265/.330/.406 ranking 2nd, 6th, and 9th in each respective statistic. Their output culminated in a 103 wRC+, top-11 in MLB. The charge has been led by several Red Sox who found their groove at the plate in May. Ranking Red Sox's Best Hitters in May #3: Ceddanne Rafaela May Stats: .286 AVG, .346 OBP, 19.6 K%, 6.5 BB%, .194 ISO, 127 wRC+ In May, Ceddanne Rafaela led the team with seven doubles while tying for second in hits, home runs, and RBIs. Overall, it was a really productive month at the plate for the already-elite defensive center fielder, culminating in a 127 wRC+. It is great to see Rafaela put everything together like this. With elite defense and flashes of offensive contributions like we saw in May, paired with his remaining contract through 2031, he feels like a building block for a Red Sox team that has struggled this year. He can improve even more by focusing on his plate discipline and taking a few more walks. The 6.5 BB% from last month is an improvement but still low; getting a free base more often and putting his speed on the basepaths only bodes well for the Red Sox. #2: Jarren Duran May Stats: .261 AVG, .331 OBP, 29.2 K%, 8.5 BB%, .287 ISO, 137 wRC+ Jarren Duran had a bit of a power surge this month, homering nine times leading to a .287 ISO which was top-12 in MLB over that span. Duran also totaled a team-leading 30 hits and 22 RBIs. Overall, his recent production has been a welcomed sight to see for the fans. His performance has even led to trade rumors resurfacing. One thing Duran should look to improve is the high strikeout percentage, 29.2%, that he carried throughout the month. His season strikeout rate sits at 27.7%. Even lowering this a few ticks to the roughly 24% we have seen from him over the last several seasons would grant him the more well-rounded profile we saw during his breakout 2024 campaign. #1: Willson Contreras May Stats: .315 AVG, .394 OBP, 21.2 K%, 8.7 BB%, .213 ISO, 151 wRC+ Willson Contreras has been Boston’s best hitter all season, and it hasn’t been close. Wilyer Abreu was making it interesting earlier in the season but took a step back in May, and while we have seen Duran rise as previously mentioned, Contreras has been the most consistent. While the power faded a bit in May, totaling only four home runs last month, he managed to be productive in almost every other way. He produced a .315 average with a solid 8.7% walk rate leading to an elite on base percentage of .394. When you are on base that often, you are giving the guys behind you in the lineup a chance to do damage consistently. The more this happens, the better the team tends to do. That is exactly what has happened for the Boston Red Sox offense over the last four series, averaging 5.3 runs a game and scoring five or more runs in seven of their last 12 games. The offense, led by Rafaela, Duran, and Contreras, saw an improvement in May. They will look to build on that in the month of June with a gauntlet of divisional matchups ahead as well as a trip to Seattle to take on a surging Mariners team. The outcome of these next few weeks, largely driven by this group of hitters, will have sway to the outlook of the rest of the season and the Red Sox's trade deadline plans. View the full article