DiamondCentric

In this week's episode, Nick is back and talking about his weekend trip to Hartford, along with the three games he's been to in Worcester so far this week. He discusses how John Holobetz, Hayden Mullins, and Blake Wehunt should all be in line for an eventual promotion to Worcester, as are Nate Baez and Brooks Brannon, before breaking down why the Red Sox may not promote Franklin Arias any time soon. With Worcester, he talks about the three tough losses that have happened so far this week, along with Jake Bennett's outstanding start and Nick's own disappointment at Zack Kelly being optioned to Worcester. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox View the full article

David Hamilton just broke out in the Milwaukee Brewers’ three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. This is somebody with a unique but beneficial skillset, so today, we’ll dive into what kind of role he could play for Pat Murphy’s squad when he’s at his best. Background Real quickly, I want to recognize that Hamilton was one of three players the Brewers got from the Red Sox in a trade heading into the 2026 season, all of whom seem to have worked out. Kyle Harrison looks like one of the best southpaws in all of baseball, Shane Drohan has turned into a dynamite relief option, and Hamilton got a Little League home run and had his way on the North Side of Chicago this past week. Hamilton was originally an 8th-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, but the Brewers shipped him to the Red Sox back in late 2021. As we've talked about all spring, they got him back on the eve of spring training to provide depth on the infield, but also because they really believe in his number-one trait and its utility. Game-Wrecking Speed Let’s talk about what he’s best at, which is utilizing his pure speed. The guy is in the top five percent among all major-league baserunners when it comes to sprint speed. On his hits spray chart, a lot of the baseballs he’s hit have been either in or around the infield, meaning he’s using that blistering speed to leg out some on-base appearances that others simply cannot manage. His nine bunt hits easily leads the league. This is somebody who makes opportunities for himself. Look no further than his stolen base numbers. Hamilton has 10 stolen bases already this season, and he’s only played in 39 contests, many of them either as a sub or before being replaced himself. As expected, he's pacing toward what would be 50-plus steals in full playing time. Even in a day and age where the pitch clock, disengagement limits and larger bases exist, that is very impressive. Launch Angle May Not Matter Hamilton’s launch angle is actually as low as it’s been in his four-year major-league career, currently sitting at 12°. Typically, I’d say that’s a bad thing. Plenty of players who hit for power want that perfect combination of high exit velocity and a steep launch angle. In Hamilton’s case, it’s actually alright to root for the opposite. If he’s not barrelling the ball a ton, you don’t want to see the ball up in the air, because if someone catches it, then speed is irrelevant. Seeing this former Red Sox speedster essentially slap the ball around on the ground could work, considering he has such blistering speed. It's good to be wary of this as a general approach, but for Hamilton, there's value in hitting ground balls—especially if it means reducing swing-and-miss. Walk, Walk, Walk Some More So far, it sounds like a Milwaukee Brewer right? Hamilton has played multiple positions, he’s a blur of a baserunner, and it doesn’t stop there. Let’s talk about that approach. The 28-year-old University of Texas alumnus has an 11.5% walk rate. That's well above the league average, nestled in the top 27 percent among all major leaguers. Right there with that stat is another favorable sign of a great contact hitter: Hamilton doesn’t whiff a whole lot. He has an 18.9% whiff rate, which puts him in the top 21% of hitters. Slightly High Strikeout Rate Now, considering that he isn’t a power hitter, is there anything else in Hamilton’s game that could use some adjustments? Well, the strikeout rate is just a tad above average. Hamilton is coming up empty about 20 percent of the time. Obviously, this one is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s tough to put that speed to work if those K rates are spiking. Right now, it isn't too concerning, but the dearth of power applies lots of pressure to be an in-play maven who finds ways on base frequently. Hamilton should continue working on that, as well as shoring up his defense on the left side of the infield. If he does, he's likely to keep finding ample playing time for Murphy, who loves his speed at the bottom of the lineup card. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins are set to give Gabriel Gonzalez his first taste of the big leagues. Minnesota recalled the 22-year-old outfielder from Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, before opening a series against the Red Sox. Infielder Tristan Gray is heading to the paternity list in the corresponding move, creating a short-term roster opening for one of the organization’s more intriguing bats. Gonzalez was already on the 40-man roster, after the Twins protected him from the Rule 5 Draft last November. At least for now, this feels more like an opportunity to get Gonzalez's feet wet than a permanent arrival. Players on the paternity list can miss up to three days, and teams will occasionally stretch that timeline slightly with a follow-up restricted list move. Still, Gray is expected back relatively quickly, likely sometime during next week’s series against the White Sox. That means Gonzalez may have only a weekend's worth of games to make an impression before heading back down to St. Paul. But even a temporary promotion matters for a player like Gonzalez. The Twins didn’t have many realistic position-player options available after sending both Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner to Triple-A earlier this week. Minnesota’s upper-level depth has thinned out considerably, especially among players already on the 40-man roster. Gonzalez and fellow outfielder Hendry Mendez were the two obvious names, but Mendez was only promoted to Triple-A a couple of weeks ago. Gonzalez was the cleaner fit. And honestly, the timing makes sense. Gonzalez arrived in the organization with plenty of hype after the Twins acquired him from the Mariners in the Jorge Polanco trade before the 2024 season. He was viewed as the headline prospect in the deal, with a reputation as a polished young hitter with advanced bat-to-ball skills and emerging power. The shine dimmed a little after an uneven first season in the organization. Gonzalez battled through a back injury while putting together a fairly underwhelming year at High-A with a .707 OPS. Suddenly, the prospect who looked like a fast-moving offensive prospect started looking more human. To his credit, he responded well last season and hit enough to move from High- to Triple-A. His .909 OPS earned him Twins Daily’s Minor League Hitter of the Year. The numbers haven’t exploded in 2026, but there are still reasons for optimism. Across 197 plate appearances with the Saints, Gonzalez owns a .216/.294/.392 slash line with eight home runs while striking out at a manageable 20% rate. A lot of the depressed production can be traced to an ugly .231 batting average on balls in play, suggesting there may have been some poor luck mixed in with the inconsistency. The tools are still there. Twins Daily currently ranks Gonzalez as the No. 10 prospect in the Twins organization. Evaluators continue to believe in the hit tool and raw power potential, though they’ve also pointed to his aggressive approach and tendency to pound balls into the ground as reasons the game power hasn’t fully shown up yet. He's hitting too many ground balls (and too many pop-ups) this year, but he's still showing the ability to hit the ball hard at times, and he's a pull hitter. He’s not a burner on the bases, and plays corner outfield spots defensively, meaning the bat has to carry a significant portion of the profile. Fortunately for the Twins, one area where Gonzalez has consistently looked comfortable is against left-handed pitching. Last season, he torched lefties to the tune of a .368/.430/.592 line. Even during this year’s offensive downturn, he’s still producing a strong .263/.328/.544 slash line against southpaws. That could become important immediately. Boston is expected to start left-hander Payton Tolle on Friday night, which makes Gonzalez a logical candidate to jump directly into the lineup for his MLB debut. It may only last a few days, but in the next few months, maybe it becomes something more. By calling up the outfielder to replace Gray (who has become the primary third baseman), the team sets themselves up to get another few looks at intriguing breakout-in-progress Ryan Kreidler. At the very least, Twins fans finally get their first look at the player who has quietly become one of the organization’s more important long-term bets. What can Gonzalez bring to the Twins? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Syracuse and Binghamton handed out wins while Brooklyn and St. Lucie fell. Ryan Clifford's bases-clearing double anchored a five-run sixth as Syracuse beat Buffalo 12-8, with Xzavion Curry starting and going five innings. Binghamton's seven-run ninth at Richmond followed three and one-third scoreless from R.J. Gordon, while Eli Serrano III drove in three. Brooklyn was swept by Hudson Valley despite scoreless work from Hoss Brewer and Cristofer Gomez. St. Lucie fell 18-6 to Palm Beach. Syracuse Pulls Away In 12-8 Win Over Buffalo The Syracuse Mets pulled away from the Buffalo Bisons for a 12-8 victory at NBT Bank Stadium. Eric Wagaman opened the scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the first, his second of the season. After Buffalo grabbed a 3-2 lead in the third, Syracuse battled back into a 4-4 tie through five. Starter Xzavion Curry worked five innings, allowing four runs, all earned, on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Danis Correa followed with two scoreless innings, striking out one and allowing one hit. The sixth broke the game open. Yonny Hernández singled, and Cristian Pache reached on a force play before Ben Rortvedt and Jackson Cluff drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Matt Rudick was hit by a pitch to bring home Pache. After a strikeout, Ryan Clifford laced a double to right field that cleared the bases, scoring Rortvedt, Cluff, and Rudick. Wagaman walked, and Jihwan Bae singled in Clifford to cap the five-run frame. Syracuse added three more in the eighth, with Pache delivering a two-RBI double that brought home Bae and Hernández. Clifford finished with three RBI, a double, and a walk. Cluff drew three walks, added a single, and scored three runs. Wagaman went 2-for-3 with the home run, two walks, and a run. Bae added two hits and two RBI from the cleanup spot. The Mets stranded seven runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Christian Arroyo 4 0 1 2 0 1 Ryan Clifford 4 2 1 3 1 1 Eric Wagaman 3 1 2 1 2 0 Ji Hwan Bae 5 1 2 2 0 0 Yonny Hernández 5 1 2 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 5 1 1 2 0 1 Ben Rortvedt 4 2 1 0 1 1 Jackson Cluff 1 3 1 0 3 0 Matt Rudick 3 1 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Xzavion Curry 5 6 4 4 3 2 1 Danis Correa 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Jonathan Pintaro 2/3 0 1 1 1 0 0 Anderson Severino 1/3 1 1 1 3 0 0 Dylan Ross 2/3 1 2 2 3 1 0 Nate Lavender 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Binghamton's Ninth-Inning Surge Caps 9-2 Win At Richmond The Binghamton Rumble Ponies broke a tie game with seven runs in the top of the ninth to defeat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 9-2 at The Diamond. R.J. Gordon set the tone, working three and one-third innings of two-hit, shutout ball with two walks and four strikeouts. Max Green followed with two and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Felipe De La Cruz turned in a perfect inning with two strikeouts, and Brian Metoyer closed with a scoreless ninth. Tied at zero through five, Binghamton broke through in the sixth. With one out, Wyatt Young and Marco Vargas singled to put runners at the corners, and Eli Serrano III ripped a two-RBI double to right field, scoring both for a 2-0 lead. After Richmond evened things with two in the eighth off Douglas Orellana, Binghamton answered in the ninth. Jacob Reimer doubled to lead off, advanced on a groundout, and scored along with Jose Ramos on D'Andre Smith's misplayed sacrifice fly. Vincent Perozo was hit by a pitch to plate Smith. Bases-loaded walks to Young, Vargas, and Reimer brought in three more, and Serrano added a sacrifice fly to bring home Young. Vargas led off the order with two hits and a walk. Young scored twice from the bottom of the lineup. Serrano finished with three RBI. Player AB R H RBI BB K Marco Vargas 4 1 2 1 1 1 Jacob Reimer 4 1 1 1 1 2 Eli Serrano III 4 0 1 3 0 1 Jose Ramos 3 1 0 0 1 2 D'Andre Smith 4 1 0 1 0 1 Nick Lorusso 3 1 0 0 1 1 JT Schwartz 3 1 0 0 1 0 Vincent Perozo 3 1 0 1 0 2 Wyatt Young 3 2 1 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR R.J. Gordon 3 1/3 2 0 0 2 4 0 Max Green 2 2/3 1 0 0 1 3 0 Felipe De La Cruz 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Douglas Orellana 1 2 2 2 0 1 0 Brian Metoyer 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brooklyn Drops Opener 7-3 To Hudson Valley The Brooklyn Cyclones fell behind early and could not recover in a 7-3 loss to the Hudson Valley Renegades in the opener of a doubleheader at Maimonides Park. Hudson Valley plated three in the first and four in the fourth to take command. Starter Noah Hall struggled with command, charged with seven runs, all earned, on nine hits over five innings, walking three and surrendering a home run. Bryce Jenkins followed with two scoreless innings and a strikeout. Brooklyn began chipping away in the fourth. John Bay led off with a double, advanced to third on a strikeout, and scored when JT Benson grounded out. Daiverson Gutierrez then drove a solo home run to left field, his second of the season, to cut the deficit to 7-2. The Cyclones added one more in the fifth. Trace Willhoite doubled to start the frame, Nick Roselli and Diego Mosquera worked back-to-back walks to load the bases, and after two strikeouts, Corey Collins was hit by a pitch to bring Willhoite home. Daiverson Gutierrez led the offense with the home run and an RBI. John Bay added a double and a run scored. Trace Willhoite picked up a double and a run. Leadoff hitter Yonatan Henriquez and Colin Houck each struck out three times, part of a 16-strikeout day for the lineup. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yonatan Henriquez 4 0 0 0 0 3 John Bay 3 1 1 0 0 2 Corey Collins 2 0 0 1 0 2 JT Benson 3 0 0 1 0 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 1 1 1 0 1 Colin Houck 3 0 0 0 0 3 Trace Willhoite 3 1 1 0 0 1 Nick Roselli 2 0 0 0 1 2 Diego Mosquera 2 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 5 9 7 7 3 0 1 Bryce Jenkins 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Cyclones Shut Out By Hudson Valley 7-0 In Nightcap The Brooklyn Cyclones managed just two hits in a 7-0 loss to the Hudson Valley Renegades in the second half of a doubleheader at Maimonides Park. The Renegades pulled away with a two-run home run in the second and a five-run fifth. Starter Hoss Brewer worked two innings, allowing two runs, both earned, on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Cristofer Gomez followed with two scoreless innings, walking none and striking out two. Dakota Hawkins gave up five runs, only one earned, in two-thirds of an inning, surrendering four hits, including a two-run home run. The Cyclones' offense never threatened. In the bottom of the first, Ronald Hernandez walked, and John Bay singled, but Brooklyn stranded both. Yonatan Henriquez led off the sixth with a single before Mitch Voit grounded into a double play to end the inning. The fifth was the back-breaker. A leadoff triple scored on a Brooklyn throwing error, a second runner reached on another fielding error, a sacrifice fly brought a run home, a two-run home run extended the gap, and a bases-loaded walk made it five runs in the inning, all on four hits and two Cyclones errors. John Bay finished with a hit and a stolen base. Henriquez added a single from the leadoff spot. Brooklyn struck out eight times and committed two errors. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yonatan Henriquez 3 0 1 0 0 2 Mitch Voit 3 0 0 0 0 0 Ronald Hernandez 2 0 0 0 1 1 John Bay 3 0 1 0 0 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 0 0 0 0 0 JT Benson 2 0 0 0 0 1 Colin Houck 2 0 0 0 0 1 Trace Willhoite 2 0 0 0 0 1 Sam Biller 2 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hoss Brewer 2 2 2 2 1 3 1 Cristofer Gomez 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Dakota Hawkins 2/3 4 5 1 0 1 1 Ryan Dollar 2/3 0 0 0 4 1 0 Juan Arnaud 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Diego Mosquera 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 St. Lucie Outslugged 18-6 By Palm Beach At Clover Park The St. Lucie Mets jumped ahead early but were overwhelmed in an 18-6 loss to the Palm Beach Cardinals at Clover Park. The Cardinals scored eight runs in the fifth inning and five more in the seventh, the latter on a grand slam, to bury the home side. Starter Cam Tilly worked three innings, allowing two runs, both earned, on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts, the strongest stretch from the St. Lucie staff. Luis Alvarez followed with one and two-thirds scoreless innings and three strikeouts. The Mets struck first in the bottom of the first. Kevin Villavicencio drew a one-out walk, Randy Guzman doubled to left to plate him, and cleanup hitter Yohairo Cuevas doubled to right to score Guzman for a 2-0 lead. In the third, Guzman walked, and Cuevas tripled to center to bring him in, making it a 3-2 game. From there, it was all Cardinals. Cuevas led the way, going 3-for-3 with a triple, a double, two RBI, and a walk from the cleanup spot. Baylor went 2-for-4 with a home run in the ninth, a double, an RBI, and two runs. Guzman finished 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two runs. The Mets struck out 13 times and stranded six runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Branny De Oleo 5 0 1 0 0 2 Kevin Villavicencio 4 2 0 1 1 0 Randy Guzman 4 2 2 1 1 1 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 3 2 1 0 AJ Salgado 0 0 0 0 0 0 Julio Zayas 3 0 0 1 1 2 Sam Robertson 4 0 0 0 0 3 Francisco Toledo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Simon Juan 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jamari Baylor 4 2 2 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cam Tilly 3 5 2 2 3 3 0 Joe Charles 1 1/3 3 6 5 3 1 0 Tyler McLoughlin 1/3 2 2 1 3 1 0 Zack Mack 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 3 0 Jorge De Leon 1/3 2 5 5 6 0 1 Luis Alvarez 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Kevin Villavicencio 1 3 3 3 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, K Jacob Reimer: 1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, 2 K Nick Morabito: DNP Mitch Voit: 0-for-3 Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: DNP Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, K Randy Guzman: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB, K Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: 2/3 IP, H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, K Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K View the full article

What a difference a week makes! Last Friday, Milwaukee was 2.5 games behind Chicago for the division lead. Today, the Brewers enjoy a 1.5-game lead over the Cubs. Come join the discussion with three of the best thread topics on Brewer Fanatic. Brewers: Harrison Extension Kyle Harrison is garnering national attention for his incredible start to the season. With four full years of team control remaining, is it already too late to offer Harrison a contract extension? Or, after only nine starts in Milwaukee, would the Brewers be foolish to further invest in a player at peak value? The K+, BB+, HR+, ERA-, and FIP- numbers for Kyle Harrison and Jacob Misiorowski are remarkably similar. Most community members agree it would be terrific to keep either or both players, but at what cost? This thread topic includes fascinating discussion about the importance of Milwaukee's front office and coaching staff. Milwaukee has made a habit of trading star pitchers before their final year of team control. But can the Brewers continue to reload with talented young arms? Brewers: Long Term is Patrick a Starter or reliever? Chad Patrick has proven to be a capable starter and an exceptional reliever. The Brewer Fanatic community especially appreciates how Patrick consistently elevates his performance in high-leverage situations. Some posters note how Patrick's fastball touches 96-97 mph out of the bullpen, velocity he rarely reaches as a starter. Milwaukee has benefited from multi-inning ace relievers like Aaron Ashby and Josh Hader, before Hader transitioned to a traditional one-inning closer role. It seems like the Brewers can never have enough talented "out-getters." Chad Patrick might be most helpful in a flexible, undefined role: an occasional spot start, regular multi-inning relief appearances, or right-handed fireman during high-leverage moments. Rumors: Let's Go All In? It would not be summer in Wisconsin without discussion on whether Milwaukee needs to add more needle-movers to compete for a championship. With the Brewers back in first place, is now the time to add a bat like CJ Abrams or Byron Buxton? This thread topic explores the constant tension between the Brewers' long-running "bites of the apple" approach and doing everything possible to win a World Series. A compelling point was made that Milwaukee's best opportunity to beat the Dodgers could be in two or three seasons. The Brewers' top prospects will have big league experience by then, and Los Angeles' aging core of players will mercifully be past their prime. Lost in the shuffle with all the excitement at the big league level are equally exciting developments in the minor leagues. Nashville reeled off nine consecutive wins, and many top prospects continue to thrive in May. It's a great day to be a Brewers fan at Brewer Fanatic! View the full article

Welcome to Shape of the Blue Jays, my column where I dig into Statcast numbers to analyze recent pitch shape and swing shape trends for Toronto Blue Jays players and discuss how they have impacted their performance. Click here to read the last edition. Quick Hits: Prospects Prospect heads will know that Nolan Perry is already authoring a season to remember. The former 12th-round pick hit the ground running in his return from injury, and his strong start earned him a promotion to High-A Vancouver at the start of May. On Wednesday night, he outdid himself with 10 strikeouts across five shutout innings. In three starts since getting called up, his ERA is a minuscule 0.60, and his strikeout rate is a monstrous 50.9%. Perry, who won Jays Centre's Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month award for April, boasts a mid-90s fastball that has deceptive carry and a flat approach from a low arm slot. FanGraphs prospect guru Eric Longenhagen said last Friday that he believes Perry could be a top-100 prospect by season's end if he stays healthy. Toronto's pitching pipeline has made some big strides over the past couple of years with the ascension of Trey Yesavage and the consistent growth of Johnny King, who should be headed to Double-A New Hampshire soon. If Perry keeps moving like this, he'll join that group as one of the most valuable young pitchers in the organization. Daulton Varsho Daulton Varsho has gotten hot again, with a walk-off grand slam last week against Tampa, a game-winning hit in the 10th inning in Detroit, and a three-hit night in the Yankees series. The sudden departure from his slug-based pull-air approach that paid massive dividends in a limited sample in 2025 has been a surprise, but it's working. Entering Thursday, his 120 wRC+ nearly matches his 123 wRC+ from last year despite decreases of nearly 3.0 mph in bat speed, 3" in swing length, and 3° in swing tilt. Varsho has never been a successful contact hitter before at the big league level, but he's getting more bat to ball, hitting more line drives, and striking out less than he ever has before. Daulton Varsho, 2026 vs Previous Career Bests Zone Contact% xBA LD% K% 2026 85.1% 0.269 32.8% 19.1% Previous Career High 82.9% 0.245 25.0% 21.3% As our very own Jesse Burrill noted in a recent article, the Jays' lack of slug is frustrating, and they don't exactly need another contact hitter right now, but these changes seem to be a product of Varsho changing his approach based on how he's being pitched. Burrill pointed out that Varsho is seeing fewer pitches down in the zone, especially down and away. The natural plan of attack against a guy with a high attack angle who likes to lift and pull is to pound fastballs at the top of the zone, and Varsho has done well to quickly adjust. Only 11.2% of the pitches he has seen this year have been of the off-speed variety (changeups and splitters, which he has historically crushed). That would be a single-season career low. Tyler Rogers Every time I write about Tyler Rogers, it serves as an important reminder that submarine pitchers with his command simply do not live by the same rules as all other pitchers. So far, he has already appeared in 23 games and has a 1.61 ERA, a first-percentile whiff rate, a 100th-percentile groundball rate, and a 99th-percentile hard-hit rate. Exactly as advertised! A weird quirk has emerged in his statistical profile, though: Hitters have stopped chasing against him. He's walking more than 7% of the batters he's facing for the first time since 2022. Tyler Rogers Chase Rate Breakdown, 2025 vs 2026 Pitch Type 2025 2026 Sinker 27.6% 23.6% Slider 33.3% 25.5% Overall 29.6% 24.3% Overall Percentile 67 9 There are a couple of reasons for this. Most importantly, opposing hitters' zone swing rate against him is down to 67.8% after sitting just above 70% for the past three years, which is likely a testament to his delivery and movement being so confusing that it's easier to decide not to swing at all. Also, the zone rate on his slider is down to 34.7% when it's never been below 45% in a season. Maybe the one-of-a-kind ride-cut shape makes it easier for hitters to lay off compared to his sinker, which falls off the table? He has gone through similar weeks-long stretches of not zoning the slider before, so hopefully it's just small-sample weirdness or a temporary lack of feel. He throws the sinker 77% of the time anyway, so this hasn't affected his overall results much. George Springer George Springer had an entire fanbase scratching their heads when, after jumping out to a 3-0 count in Monday's series opener against the Yankees with the tying run at third base, one out in the ninth, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on deck, he swung at three straight splitters out of the zone and struck out. He homered earlier in the game, and the big toe he fractured in early April probably hasn't fully healed yet, so I'm sympathetic to his plight, but the MVP-caliber player we saw last year is nowhere to be found. George Springer Baseball Savant Hitting Summary, 2025 vs 2026 His batting average is down over 100 points, and his OPS is down nearly 400 points from 2025. His sprint speed has also dropped from the 66th to the 31st percentile, so he's clearly still going through it with the toe injury. Like most of the team, he's chasing more and walking less, but in terms of his swing specifically, his average attack angle is down from 13° to 10°, which has led to an 8.5% hike in groundball rate, the same thing that plagued him in 2024. His pull rate is also up around 8%, so he's not timing his swing optimally such that the sweet spot of the bat is travelling upward at contact. As a result, he's rolling over everything to the left side of the infield. It's not wise to jump to early conclusions about a guy who isn't 100%, but if the Jays were otherwise healthy, they'd probably be able to afford the 36-year-old more time to get right. All stats entering May 21, 2026. View the full article

Last week, we highlighted an article discussing Matt Wallner's green line ticket across the river... and asked if Royce Lewis should take the next train. That answer came early this week. Take a look at this Matthew Trueblood article and add your voice here: First base has been a festering open wound for years for our Twins. Ray Stuedemann takes a look at solutions here. Outstanding comments follow. Anxious to see Kaelen Culpepper? Aren't we all? Did you know there's a whole TD section devoted to the Twins' minor-league system? Take a look here: View the full article

The May 18 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers is indicative of the 2026 Padres. Designated hitter Miguel Andujar hit a first-inning solo home run. Michael King, a potential first-time All-Star, pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out nine. All-world reliever Jason Adam set up all-world closer Mason Miller and: ballgame. Friars win 1-0. It’s another instance of elite pitching and unsung veterans carrying the team, with the Padres “Big 3” of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill contributing little. They went a combined 1-9 with one walk. It’s another instance of wondering what’s going on with the Padres trio of stars. As of that win, their combined OPS this season was .592—an OPS lower than .700, let alone .600, is considered below average—and between them they’ve hit all of ten home runs. Tatis accounts for none of them. The explanation of “It’s early” becomes less convincing and satisfactory the closer we get to June, so it’s worth diving into what, exactly, is the problem. Looming over their performances, with nearly $700 million owed to them over the course of their contracts, is a disheartening question. Are they having down seasons, or is this who they are? More importantly, it’s hard to see how the Padres keep pace in a stacked National League without their best players producing a combined -0.1 bWAR. But there's hope. Fernando Tatis JR., RF Of the Padres' underperforming stars, Tatis' case is the most perplexing. How can someone in the top 1% in all of baseball in hard-hit percentage not have a home run? How does someone with elite exit velocity, good barrel rate, and consistent bat speed have only six extra-base hits? How does someone who batted .400 with two home runs and 11 RBI in March’s World Baseball Classic forget how to hit in April and May? The internet abounds with swing and stats analyses, hot takes, and conspiracy theories, with the more incisive commentators pointing to his batted ball profile and his chase rate. The latter is straightforward. He’s chasing more balls out of the zone and he’s hitting those pitches less, meaning his power goes untapped. I’m sure many a San Diegan have yelled at Tatis through their TVs this season to stop swinging at everything. It’s far easier said than done, but for a hitter as talented as Tatis this should be a relatively simple in-season adjustment. His batted ball profile is the true head-scratcher. His pull-air percentage is almost half of what it was last year and nearly a fourth of what it was in 2021, when he hit 42 home runs and was arguably the best young player in baseball. Concomitantly, his groundball rates are way up and his average launch angle is way down. It’s a bizarre profile. This year, Tatis may be the most powerful slap hitter in baseball history. The YouTube channel Made the Cut attributes this to a drastic change in Tatis’ batting stance. Beginning the season, his feet were are wider apart, and he also closed his stance, which made pulling the ball much more difficult. It appears that Tatis used this new, closed stance in the WBC, when he launched a dramatic grand slam to left field against Venezuela, but perhaps the lower quality of pitching in that tournament didn’t expose this weakness. Interestingly and encouragingly, Tatis used his old, open stance against the Dodgers on Monday night. In his first at-bat against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tatis smoked a 111.3-mph line drive to the pull side, albeit right at shortstop Mookie Betts. He was also the only one of the Big 3 with a hit. Tatis remains one of, if not the best defensive right fielder in baseball. With his reverting to a familiar stance, the dynamic and elite Tatis might be right around the corner. Manny Machado, 3B Tatis is in his age-27 season, typically a player’s peak, which makes his fall off so frustrating. Machado, on the other hand, turns 34 this summer and has played in the bigs since he was 19 years old. There are a lot of miles on his odometer, although it’d be unfair to say at this point that Machado is suffering age-related regression. Last year, he played 159 games and produced 4.1 bWAR. It was his best season since 2022. The intervening years weren’t bad, either. The last time Machado produced less than 2.7 bWAR was in 2018. In a piece for Padres Mission last month, N.B. Lindberg pinpointed Machado’s shortcomings this season. "Machado is walking at an incredible clip to start the season. His 15.5% BB% is almost double his career figure of 8.2% and ranks 19th in the league. The spike in walks isn’t a fluke either. He is currently sporting a 22.9% out-of-zone swing rate and a 66.8% in-zone swing rate. For a player whose career figures in those categories are 29.1% and 66.9%, respectively, Machado’s newfound patience suggests an overhaul in approach. In a vacuum, swinging at fewer balls is almost always a good thing. Walks are good. As are favorable counts. And it’s much easier to drive a strike past an outfielder than a pitch a few inches off the plate. However, baseball is not played in a vacuum, and what is usually a good development may be robbing Machado of what made him a special hitter in the first place." Unlike with Tatis, though, Machado’s defensive prowess has degraded, and there aren't many recent glimmers of hope offensively. In the last five games up that 1-0 victory over the Dodgers, Machado recorded just two hits, one of them a double. As Lindberg summarized, “it appears that Machado’s decision to rein in chase has inadvertently reined in his power stroke.” Like Tatis, Machado may want and the Padres may need him to return to a familiar approach. Jackson Merrill, CF Last year, a family filed into the row in front of me at a San Diego Wave game. Even though we were at a women’s soccer game, the little boy in the family wore a Jackson Merrill jersey. I got chatting with his parents, and at some point I asked the boy what he wants to be when he grows up. “Jackson Merrill!” he said, jumping up and down. Such was the effect of Merrill's revelatory 2024 rookie season, when he improbably won down-ballot MVP votes at a demanding position he had never played before. Injuries diminished his sophomore campaign, though his struggles persist this season. On the surface, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why. “The issue with Merrill's early performance this year isn't even in the performance itself,” writes Randy Holt in a recent piece for Padres Mission. “It's the absence of an obvious explanation for why he's underperforming. Generally, one can look at a player's underlying trends and find a catalyst that speaks to the origins of the struggle. Matters of the approach are a particularly notable factor in performance variance. Merrill's case isn't so apparent, however.” Holt goes on to explain that Merrill is both swinging harder and attacking pitches at a steeper angle, which may explain why his quantity and quality contact have diminished. It reminds me of Michael Scott's description of himself as a manager: "I work too hard, I care too much, and sometimes I can be too invested in my job." Merrill is still a good player. After all, he is the most valuable of the Big 3 right now. But there's an even better player waiting to be unlocked with the right adjustments. Following the conclusion of their series with the Dodgers, the Padres now sit 1.5 games back in the NL West. Considering the Big 3's combined performance, that is an astonishing accomplishment, and it shows that the Pads aren't going anywhere in the playoff race. But the Atlanta Braves are on pace for 108 wins, the Philadelphia Phillies have woken up, the NL Central doesn't have a team under .500, and the Dodgers are the Dodgers. In Monday night's win, the Padres batted Miguel Andujar in the two-hole. He's on his fifth team in his career and has accumulated a career 2.8 bWAR. A big chuck of it has come this season. Behind him batted Gavin Sheets and his -1.7 career bWAR. The Padres have excellent pitching, particularly in the bullpen, but that's not the lineup that will get the Padres through the National League and back to the World Series. To do so, they'll need their most recognizable stars to live up their billing. View the full article

Jack returns to the show as he and Spencer break down a 5-1 road trip against the Twins and Cubs, Shane Drohan and Chad Patrick emerging in the bullpen, Jake Bauers' breakout, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

Owen has a boots on the ground report from his trip to Yankee Stadium, and Jesse brings the analysis on all things Jays vs Yankees, including Dylan Cease's stinker, Yesavage and Miles' gems, and the continued offensive frustrations. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

Simeon Woods Richardson's struggles have been well documented here and elsewhere. His ineffectiveness has only been magnified by the tidal wave of injuries impacting the rest of the starting rotation. While his move to the bullpen last week was the first step in rebuilding him into the effective pitcher he was in 2024 and 2025, there are other plans in motion as well. "Simeon used to pitch good," said a member of the coaching staff who asked to remain anonymous. "In April and May, he pitched bad. That's why we're implementing the 'Stop Pitching Bad' program for him." While specifics on the program are nebulous, sources were able to give Twins Daily the general framework. "What this program does is say, 'Simeon, stop pitching bad. Pitch good instead,'" said the staff member. "'The pitches you've been throwing have been bad. The next time you're on the mound, make good ones. Not bad ones. They hit the bad ones really hard and far.'" Other sources confirmed these points of emphasis. "What this program aims to accomplish is making bad things good," said a front office source. "Stop doing bad things. Start doing good things. The good things make you happy. The bad things make you sad and are also very loud and startling." "The Stop Pitching Bad protocol is designed to make the bad pitches stop," said a source in the team's analytics department. "We dig into what's causing (Woods Richardson)'s problems. Through rigorous statistical analysis and hours of film study, we've determined that bad pitches are the primary driver for his rough start. If we replace those bad pitches with good pitches, it flips the whole thing for him and the rotation." Woods Richardson's most recent appearance was one inning of relief during Monday's 6-3 victory over Houston. Sources say they were happy with the early returns. "He allowed a hit and a walk, but there were less bad pitches than there had been," said the front office source. "One of the best ways to Stop Bad Pitches is to throw fewer of them. One inning instead of five is a remarkably effective way of getting immediate results, and you saw the impact on Monday." View the full article

Andrew Fischer's spring training and WBC performance resulted in plenty of excitement heading into his first full pro season. The power has been on display, but so has the whiff. View the full article

Ryan Kreidler may not be the biggest name on the Twins’ roster, but his defensive versatility, athleticism, and timely production are making him an increasingly important piece of the team. He’s quickly becoming the type of role player every contender needs. View the full article

Sweet Lou and Ol Gregg discuss the last nine games of Twins baseball, the Twins' flurry of roster moves, and answer listener questions with topics including the trade deadline, Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner, Jose Miranda, Taj Bradley, and the post office. Listen using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twins-off-daily-podcast/id1741266056 Listen using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tb78XlurcPTYYSsARdbD7 Listen using iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-twins-off-daily-podcas-167548600/ Listen using Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/nvclbt0w Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twinsdaily View the full article

Transactions: RHP Josh Knoth promoted to High-A Wisconsin from Low-A Wilson (and activated from Maryvale rehab) OF Luis Matos activated from AAA Nashville’s 7-day injured list RHP Griffin Tobias sent on rehab assignment to ACL Brewers RHP Quinn Priester sent on rehab assignment to AAA Nashville RHP Gerson Garabito sent on rehab assignment to ACL Brewers LHP Tate Kuehner placed on AAA Nashville’s 7-day injured list Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Durham (Rays) 6, Nashville 0 (in 5 innings) Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Rain-Shortened Shutout Loss Snaps Nashville's Nine Game Win Streak We thank the Sounds’ media team for the detailed game report, which is remarkable considering the team didn’t score and the game was ended after just 4 ½ innings. Rehabbing Major League RHP Quinn Priester (3 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 WP, 2 Ks) started well by retiring the first 4 batters, including 2 via strikeout. However, he didn’t fool any of the remaining 11 hitters, topping out at 93.9 mph and throwing 34 balls amongst his 68 pitches. Nashville hitters had their opportunities, putting 2 runners aboard in each of the 3rd, 4th and 5th innings, but unfortunately stranded 6 baserunners in the 5 innings. Sounds’ Extras: Credit to Sounds’ OF Greg Jones for his 2 outfield assists and to the Bulls for not issuing any walks. All 5 Sounds’ hits were singles, as they’re evidently saving up their extra-base hits for the remaining games of the series. Friday’s outlook: Nashville will look to start the next winning streak and push their series lead to 3-1. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Suspended: Birmingham (White Sox) 6, Biloxi 4 (1 out in top of 11th inning) Box Score and Game Log Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Shuckers and Barons Suspended in 11th Inning C Darrien Miller (2-for-5, 2 homers), who re-signed with the Brewers in the offseason for his 8th minor league campaign, continued his terrific 2026 season with solo shots in the 2nd inning for a 2-0 lead and 7th inning to knot the game 3-3. Starting RHP Brett Wichrowski made strong strides in his 9th appearance, striking out 7 and only allowing 6 baserunners in 5 1/3 innings, though he conceded 3 solo homers. After RHP Edwin Jimenez navigated traffic (1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks), RHPs Cameron Wagoner (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K) and Nick Merkel made quick work of the 8th and 9th innings. Merkel then allowed the first 3 batters to reach in the 10th inning (intentional walk, 2 singles) before escaping via a home force out, K and ground out to keep the game close at 4-3. SS Jesus Made then re-tied the game with a 1-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th, followed by an international walk of 1B Blake Burke (1-for-4, double, walk, HBP) and singles by OF Mike Boeve (1-for-4, walk) and 3B Eduardo Garcia. Unfortunately, Made was thrown out at home on the Boeve single and the game remained 4-4, forcing an 11th frame. RHP Stiven Cruz has been lights out thus far in 2026, but he allowed a bunt single (run scored on a Burke error) and homer in the 11th inning before play was suspended. We’ll blame the rain and hope the Shuckers can turn around this deficit when play resumes on Friday evening. Shuckers’ Extras: Eight Shuckers collected hits, with 2B Dylan O’Rae (2-for-4, walk, SB) and DH Matt Wood grabbing two each, though the teams combined to strand 20 baserunners. OF Mark Coley exited in the 4th inning after fielding a double in right field, so we’ll have to monitor his availability. Friday’s outlook: Biloxi and Birmingham are set to resume play in the 11th inning at 6:00pm CST, before playing a 9-inning game subsequently. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 14, Great Lakes (Dodgers) 5 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Wisconsin Slams Great Lakes The detailed game report covers the rout which saw Wisconsin score 9 runs in the middle innings, including videos of the grand slams by DH Marco Dinges (2-for-5, HR, walk, 4 RBIs, SB) and C Andrick Nava. The slams more than adequately compensated for the Timber Rattlers going 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position, while the team impressively drew 14 walks, 2 hit-by-pitches and stole 8 bases. OF Josiah Ragsdale (1-for-3, 3 walks, SB) and 2B Daniel Dickinson (1-for-2, 3 walks, 3 SBs) each reached base 4 times, with their 2026 theft totals now at 17 and 10, respectively. RHP Chandler Welch was the standout performer on the mound (0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 Ks), tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings after stranding 2 inherited runners from starting LHP JD Thompson (3 2/3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 Ks). Timber Rattlers’ Extras: OF Josh Adamczewski’s bat (1-for-5) may not be as hot as it was in April, but he still produced an RBI double, an HBP, stolen base and added 2 outfield assists, the first of which kept the deficit at only 2-0 to end the first inning. Typically the team’s #1 catcher, Dinges instead manned the designated hitter spot for the 9th consecutive time since exiting a game early on May 5. Friday’s outlook: 2024 #33 overall draft pick RHP Josh Knoth makes his High-A debut after missing the 2025 season due to injury and recently rehabbing with the ACL Brewers. Wisconsin aims for a 3-1 series lead. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 13, Delmarva (Orioles) 11 Box Score and Game Log Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Wilson Mounts Monster Comeback in Win Over Delmarva Wilson put their early-season hitting struggles further behind them with their 13-run, 13-hit effort in Thursday’s victory, led by 2B Juan Ortuno’s 1st inning solo homer to cut the deficit to 2-1 and his game-winning 3-run homer with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th inning. All nine position players collected at least one hit in the Warbirds’ relentless comeback from deficits of 8-2, 9-4 and 11-10. After OF Pedro Ibarguen threw out a baserunner at home to end the top of the 5th inning and keep the deficit at 9-4, C Kevin Garcia started the critical 6-run, 6-hit fifth inning with a leadoff single that included OF Nick Monile’s 2nd hit of 2026 and 3B Luis Lameda’s 2-out, 2-run double for a 10-9 advantage. The lines for starting LHP Andrew Healy (3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 6 H, 1 BB, 0 Ks) and bulk lefty reliever Enderson Mercado (5 1/3 IP, 7 R, 8 H, 4 BB, 1 K) were less favorable. However, Mercado got better the longer he threw (88 pitches, 47 strikes), allowing only 2 hits and no walks to the final 11 batters he faced, before giving way to RHP Jose Meneses for the Save. Warbirds’ Extras: Veterans of the Low-A level, DH Tyler Rodriguez (3-for-5, 2 SBs) and Lameda (2-for-5, 3 RBIs, SB) had solid offensive days, while Monile (1-for-2, 2 walks, HBP, RBI, SB) also reached base 4 times. Wilson hitters went 7-for-20 with runners in scoring position vs. 3-for-11 for Delmarva. Despite 3 errors, the defense did come through for the Warbirds, including 3 double plays, a caught stealing, pick-off and the outfield assist. Friday’s outlook: RHP Jarrette Bonet is the scheduled starter aiming to push Wilson’s series advantage to 3 games to 1. Final: ACL Brewers 13, ACL Cubs 12 Box Score and Game Log The Zona Crew turned around an early 5-2 deficit with a 5-run fourth inning, highlighted by OF Kenny Fenelon’s RBI triple and OF Brailyn Antunez’s 2-out RBI double. Antunez (3-for-4) reached base 4 times (2 doubles, 1 single, HBP) to pace the offense, with C Malachai Halterman also going 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Seven batters contributed the 13 hits. The Brewers also ran the opposition ragged by stealing 8 bases without being caught, led by 2B Juan Martinez (2-for-4, walk, 2 SBs), 3B Moises Polanco (2-for-4, double, walk, RBI, 2 SBs) and OF Engel Paulino (walk, 2 SBs). Our young players also won the defensive battle, with Halterman throwing out 2 baserunners in the 4th inning and the Brewers benefitting from 6 Cubs’ errors. Four 2-out runs scored in the top of the 6th inning pushed the lead to 13-7 as valuable insurance, as the Cubs rallied against RHP Chase Bentley (2 IP, 5 R, 4 Ks) with 5 consecutive hits with 1 out in the final inning to narrow the advantage to 13-12 with the potential tying runner on base. Thankfully, Bentley rallied to end the game with a strikeout and fly out to center field. Rehabbing RHPs Gerson Garabito (1 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 1 K) and Griffin Tobias (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K) made their first appearances of 2026, while RHP Bryan Regalado (3 IP, 4 R, 1 K) covered the middle innings and earned his first career Win. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Friday, six minor league games are scheduled for completion, starting with Wisconsin at 5:05pm and ending with the ACL Brewers (start time: 8:00pm CST). The Milwaukee Brewers also commence their home series against the Dodgers at 6:40pm. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

With a team playing as poorly as the Chicago Cubs are right now, shining a light on one individual player's poor performance is akin to blaming a single cloud for a particularly heavy rain. As the club's losses have piled up, so have its frustrations, resulting in a team eager to deliver winning baseball, but laboring mightily to manifest the reality they and countless others desire. On better days, Moisés Ballesteros is a powerful and menacing bat. His impressive stature and skill set at the plate have the potential not only to catalyze his team's offense, but also the overall success of the club. The North Siders currently own a .245 batting average. That's not astonishingly low, but given where the squad was at the end of April and during their pair of 10-game winning streaks, it's more than enough to give one pause. Ballesteros, with his Prince Fielder-like frame, was a major factor in those halcyon days. The 22-year-old set the league ablaze in April with a .338/.392/.620 line. He even ranked in the top three in baseball in total hits through the first full month of the season. The surprising, wild ride made him an early candidate for NL Rookie of the Year. From that point, as it has with so many of his colleagues sporting Cubbie blue, regression set in. Given Ballesteros's rookie status, there is a smaller sample size from which to draw compared to other top-of-the-order batters, such as Ian Happ. Occupying the designated hitter role, Ballesteros comes to the plate with a swing-first mindset. Thus, his approach is reliant on first-pitch swings, which he offers 50.4% of the time. Additionally, he's chasing balls out of the zone at a 37.6% clip. Ballesteros does his damage by putting the ball in play and getting it to either touch grass or fly out of the park. He has close to zero value as a baserunner in late-game situations, due to his lack of speed. He's currently holding a .253 BABIP, leading opposing pitchers to come after him, but not necessarily with the nastiest stuff. Ballesteros feasts on changeups and has seen far fewer of them as his struggles persist. Recently dethroned by the Milwaukee Brewers as the top team in the loaded NL Central, the North Siders' collective bats are quieter than an audience watching a performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Several trackable aspects are certainly leading to their shortcomings, though even to the casual observer, the team is pressing—pushing too hard to deliver "the hit" that snaps them out of this funk. Neither Ballesteros nor anyone else can deliver that breakthrough moment, at least not yet. The night is darkest before the dawn, so perhaps the best is yet to come. Facing incessant criticism regarding the lineup card, Craig Counsell must be the one to insert Ballesteros back into the everyday fold. Ballesteros is increasingly omitted from his club's batting order, a move that is not likely to increase his confidence or performance at the dish. When the team was thriving, he spurred on plenty of its success. A "back to basics" reset of this lineup warrants some thought—although, where would this team be without what it's gotten from Michael Conforto so far? The best version of the Chicago Cubs can't be realized without a bopping Ballesteros. Knocked off their perch, the North Siders are now tasked with getting back in the fight. If they want to reclaim the top spot in the division, and maybe even stay there, they have to be the ones to throw the next punches. For the best outcomes, it's time for Ballesteros to step back into the ring and land a few decisive haymakers. View the full article

He has pitched better than his 4.42 ERA suggests, but even from a process standpoint, Abner Uribe hasn’t been the dominant late-inning force he was last season. His 3.60 FIP, 3.37 SIERA, and 92 DRA- look more like the ERA estimators of a solid middle reliever, not a high-leverage arm. His 25.3% strikeout rate is still above average, but his 22% whiff rate only ranks in the 27th percentile of qualified pitchers. All of those marks are far cries from last year, when Uribe posted a 1.67 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 2.89 SIERA, and 77 DRA- with a 30.2% strikeout rate. He induced whiffs on an excellent 32% of swings and ground balls on 54.3% of batted balls. Uribe owed much of that breakout to a more balanced pitch mix. He used his sweeping slider a career-high 46% of the time, even making it his most-used pitch to right-handed batters. According to Baseball Savant, it held opponents to .203 wOBA, yielded a 46.8% whiff rate, and was worth 7 runs. This year, Uribe has slashed his slider usage and reverted to the sinker-heavy mix that was less successful earlier in his career. With its elite velocity and late movement, Uribe’s sinker is a good fastball, but it’s not a great one. Pitch modeling metrics regard his slider as his nastiest pitch. It induces more swings and misses and weak contact than his sinker, making it an important equalizer in Uribe’s arsenal that prevents opponents from sitting on velocity. The slider hasn’t been as useful this year, however, entering the weekend with a -1 run value. That has prompted Uribe to lean more than ever on his sinker this month. Uribe’s slider hasn’t actually become a worse pitch. Last season, it had a 130 Stuff+ and -1.4 StuffPro; this year, it’s at a 127 Stuff+ and -1.3 StuffPro. The difference has been that he’s stopped throwing it competitively. After throwing it for a strike 67.5% of the time last year, Uribe has managed just a 59.4% strike rate with his slider in 2026. He’s falling behind in counts with it and failing to put hitters away, which is why it suddenly has a negative run value despite minimal damage against it. Sweeping breaking balls are useful in-zone pitches against same-handed hitters, who will struggle to stay on the pitch as it breaks away from them. Opposite-handed hitters can square them up more easily as the ball breaks back toward their barrel. Right now, too many of Uribe’s sliders are missing outside the zone to right-handers and inside the zone to lefties. Compared to last season, right-handers have looked just as feeble when swinging at Uribe’s slider, recording zero hits with a 47.6% whiff rate, but its in-zone rate has fallen from 47.1% to 28.6%. The nasty sliders that once started over the plate before sweeping out of reach are now starting on the corner and breaking into the other batter’s box, making them easier for most of those hitters to take. On the flip side, Uribe’s slider neutralized lefties last year because he threw it at or below the knees or near their back foot, where it had more perceived depth and generated more swings over the top of it. This year, he’s thrown a whopping 66.7% of his sliders to lefties in the zone, many of them around the belt. As a result, they’re slugging .615 against it with just an 11.1% whiff rate. The current version of Uribe is still a useful pitcher, but a limited one. His ground ball rate has bounced back this month, largely thanks to that sinker, but his heater does not miss enough bats or force chases outside the zone. For things to truly start clicking again, Uribe’s breaking ball must become a weapon again. His feel for that pitch could have a pronounced ripple effect on the back end of Milwaukee’s bullpen this summer. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins spent a long time trying to avoid this moment. They gave Royce Lewis every opportunity to work through his struggles at the major-league level because, for years, he looked like the type of talent worth waiting on. But eventually, potential stops mattering if the production never returns. Now the former No. 1 overall pick is headed to Triple-A. The move feels shocking on the surface because Lewis has long been viewed as one of the organization’s foundational players. Yet, when you look at the bigger picture, this decision has been in the works for quite some time. Lewis’s offensive struggles have spiraled to the point where the Twins could no longer justify keeping him in the lineup every day. His batting average has cratered to .163 with a .540 OPS, and the overall at-bat quality has become increasingly concerning. Sunday may have been the clearest example yet. Lewis struck out three times in a 0-for-3 performance before eventually being lifted for a pinch-hitter. The Twins have already shown they're willing to send struggling veterans to Triple-A this season, with Matt Wallner’s demotion just a few days before Lewis. Lewis simply reached the point where his name and pedigree could no longer outweigh the results. What makes the situation more troubling is that this is no longer just a rough few weeks. For much of 2024, Lewis still looked like an emerging superstar whenever he was healthy enough to stay on the field. Around mid-August, his OPS remained north of 1.000, and injuries appeared to be the only obstacle standing in his way. Instead of building on that success, however, his performance completely collapsed over the final stretch of last year and never recovered. Since mid-August 2024, Lewis has slashed .214/.268/.339 with a 68 wRC+, while striking out 157 times compared to only 47 walks across 179 games. Those numbers are no longer small-sample noise. They represent nearly a full season of offensive dysfunction. Even the underlying metrics offer little optimism. While some poor luck has contributed to the ugly batting average, Lewis still owns an expected batting average of only .205. The quality of contact simply has not been there. More concerning than the results themselves is how Lewis has looked while producing them. At the plate, he appears caught between mechanics and reaction. His strikeout rate has climbed to a career-high 31.1%, and he is whiffing on 37.3% of his swings. Pitch recognition has become a major issue, particularly against velocity. Far too often, Lewis looks like he is guessing instead of reacting. Fastballs used to be the pitch he punished. During his first two major league seasons, Lewis demolished fastballs to the tune of a .355 average and .711 slugging percentage. That ability helped fuel the belief that he could become one of baseball’s next young stars. Since then, the numbers have completely flipped. During his electric rookie season, Lewis demolished four-seam fastballs to the tune of an .842 slugging percentage. Last season, that number cratered to .332, while his whiff rate against four-seamers climbed to 25.5%. The decline produced an -8 Run Value against fastballs and forced pitchers to attack him differently. The problem has continued into 2026. Lewis currently owns just a .291 slugging percentage against four seamers, with a 34.1% whiff rate. Perhaps even more concerning, his pull percentage has dropped from 31.4% during his rookie campaign to 24.1% this season. The explosive damage on pitches he once turned around with authority has largely vanished. That is a devastating development for any hitter, especially one whose game was built around elite bat speed and the ability to attack velocity. Part of the frustration for Minnesota is that Lewis spent the offseason attempting to fix these exact issues. One of the biggest storylines during spring training involved his work with new hitting coach Jeremy Isenhower, who came highly recommended by stars like Bobby Witt Jr. and former Twins infielder Jorge Polanco. The goal of the mechanical changes centered around Lewis’s setup before the swing even began. The hope was that a more repeatable pre-swing position would improve his timing, pitch recognition, and overall swing decisions. Instead, the changes seem to have had the opposite effect. Lewis frequently looks uncomfortable in the box, late on velocity, and indecisive against secondary pitches. That is why Triple-A matters right now. This demotion is not about punishment. It is about rebuilding a hitter who currently looks broken mechanically and mentally at the plate. The Twins need Lewis to simplify everything again. At Triple-A, the focus has to start with attacking fastballs consistently. Lewis does not need to rediscover superstar production overnight, but he must prove he can get on time against velocity again. The swing decisions also need major improvement. Too often, Lewis expands the zone early in counts and then looks frozen once pitchers get ahead. Minnesota will also likely want to see him establish a more consistent approach from game to game. Right now, every at-bat feels different. Sometimes he sells out for power. Other times, he appears purely defensive. The organization needs him to rediscover a stable offensive identity before bringing him back to the majors. That's why, as fun as his homer in his first game with the St. Paul Saints was, it's far from enough to get anyone actually dreaming of the player's return to Target Field. There is also value in allowing Lewis to play every day without the pressure of carrying a struggling big-league offense. Triple-A gives him room to fail, adjust, and rebuild confidence in a lower-stakes environment. The Twins are not giving up on Lewis. Players with his talent are not easily discarded. But they are finally acknowledging a reality that has become impossible to deny. Lewis has not looked like a productive major league hitter for a long time now. This reset was necessary. The next step is up to Lewis. What does Lewis need to focus on at Triple-A? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The major league schedule gave the Royals and their fans a much-needed respite from misery Thursday. Sandwiched between a Wednesday loss to Boston that gave the struggling Red Sox a Kauffman Stadium series sweep and Friday night’s Memorial Day weekend series opener with Seattle, Thursday’s built-in off day meant the Royals had no chance to extend their eight-game losing streak and dig themselves deeper into the American League Central cellar they shared with Detroit. Whether the short break leads to anything positive remains to be seen. Clear, however, is that something, or some things, must change before this season becomes an even bigger mess. But while this is a team whose serious flaws include a weak offense, shaky base running, and an unpredictable bullpen, change can’t come recklessly. Here are three moves Kansas City shouldn’t make. The Royals Must Not Send Vinnie Pasquantino Down He has three minor league options left, but demoting Pasquantino, whose two straight 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons prompted the club to present him with a new two-year contract in January, was unthinkable not that long ago. But his miserable start — he was slashing .194/.279/.326 with a 68 wRC+ and -0.4 fWAR when manager Matt Quatraro sat him against Boston Wednesday — has spawned chatter that some time at Triple-A Omaha might help. Perhaps. But proponents of such a big move must remember that Pasquantino is no stranger to slow starts. Through Wednesday, his 22 RBI ranked second on a team starved for runs, and he was tied with Jac Caglianone for the third-most homers (five) on the club. So, despite some disturbing peripherals (his hard-hit and barrel rates, and average exit velocity, are all down), the Royals, who’d scored more runs than only four other teams through Wednesday, shouldn’t risk losing Pasquantino’s production potential. Even platooning him for a while would be better. The Royals Shouldn’t Fire Matt Quatraro (yet) The notion that the Royals’ current distress warrants canning the manager is increasing among fretting fans. And an eight-game losing skid and 20-30 record fuel the fire. But it’s not time. Let’s not forget that in his second campaign at the helm, Quatraro led KC to its remarkable turnaround and playoff berth just a season after the awful club he inherited from Mike Matheny lost a franchise record-tying 106 games. Or that the Royals missed the postseason by only five games last year. Or that the front office failed once again to make the kind of significant offseason roster improvement Quatraro badly needs. No, firing the manager now probably won’t work the kind of dramatic change for which Royals fans yearn. Yes, he makes some questionable moves, his nearly unwavering commitment to platooning can be maddening, and he doesn’t display the kind of fire fans relish. But there’s still time. Wednesday’s loss to the Red Sox came with more than two-thirds of the season left to play. Key injured starter Cole Ragans should return soon. Closer Carlos Estévez will presumably be back this season, hopefully sooner rather than later. Expect Pasquantino to catch fire and Caglianone to show at least some improvement against left-handed pitchers. Simply put, the race isn’t over, and playing in a marginal division won’t hurt the Royals’ chances. And on top of all that, KC isn’t likely to eat the new three-year deal Quatraro received in January. Changes to the hitting staff are more likely … and probably more warranted. The Royals Shouldn’t Rush Anyone to the Majors Potential is scattered throughout Kansas City’s farm system. The franchise boasts such highly-touted prospects as Blake Mitchell, David Shields, Kendry Chourio, and Sean Gamble, but even the best of the bunch are far from being major league-ready. Calling any of them up risks damaging their development. The Royals must also resist the temptation to recall Triple-A players whose major league histories suggest they can’t or won’t help. Outfielder Drew Waters comes immediately to mind — he was slashing .273/.333/.545 with seven homers and 23 RBI in 33 games through Wednesday, but in 208 big league contests over parts of four seasons has an 85 wRC+, is hitting only .234, and has homered just 14 times. Fellow outfielder John Rave’s numbers (.273/.374/.481 with seven homers and 19 RBI at Omaha, but .196/.283/.307 with four homers and 14 RBI in 72 games with KC last year) are similar. With a nice .260/.359/.487 line, seven home runs, and 35 RBI, outfielder Kameron Misner is faring better than Waters and Rave, but his 79-game big league .203 average and .260 OBP suggest he requires more seasoning. He has no big league experience, but Brett Squires looks good — he was slashing .333/.355/.867 with four homers in eight games through Wednesday after his .294 average, .926 OPS, six homers, and 29 RBI in 32 games recently earned him a promotion from Double-A Northwest Arkansas. But it’s simply too early to bump him up to the majors. What Should the Royals Do? For now, try to stay the course, but with a change or two. General manager J.J. Picollo should be probing the market for another bat and a starting pitcher for depth, both of which his club could use well before the trade deadline. Shaking up the hitting staff deserves strong consideration. And Quatraro needs to be more flexible with his lineup. View the full article

One of the more intriguing stories in the Royals' farm system is corner infielder Brett Squires. Squires initially began the season in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. However, he recently received a call-up to Triple-A Omaha, and he's continued to be on fire at the plate. With the Naturals, the former University of Oklahoma product slashed .294/.388/.538 with a .926 OPS in 139 plate appearances. He also hit six home runs, scored 22 runs, collected 29 RBI, and stole nine bases on 10 attempts. He also had a .244 ISO and sported a TJ Bat+ of 141, according to TJ Stats. Below is also a look at his Statcast percentiles from Double-A, which are a bit more limited due to a lack of publicly available pitch-tracking data. As Royals fans can see above, it wasn't a "perfect" profile by any means. Squires whiffed 35.3%, which ranked in the 19th percentile, and he had an O-Swing% of 32.3%, which ranked in the 26th percentile. Thus, he chased and whiffed more than fans would like to see. Still, despite those two traits, he had a walk rate of 12.9%, which ranked in the 61st percentile. So his aggressive approach didn't seem to affect his production in Northwest Arkansas. His performance has been even better in Triple-A Omaha. In eight games and 31 plate appearances, Squires is slashing .333/.355/.867 with 1.222 OPS. He already has four home runs, five runs scored, 11 RBI, and a TJ Bat+ of 189. Additionally, his Statcast percentiles, which are more complete in Triple-A, are pretty eye-popping, especially with more categories available due to pitching tracking in Triple-A. Squires ranks in the 99th percentile in barrel rate (22.7%), hard-hit rate (63.6%), xwOBA (.486), wOBA (.505), and TJ Bat+ (189). He also ranks in the 100th percentile in average EV (96.9) and 97th percentile in 90th% EV (108.7). Safe to say, the batted-ball quality from Squires has been impressive, and he certainly is making his case in Triple-A that he deserves a call-up to the Major Leagues at some point in 2026. And for those who needed to "see" what Squires can do, live or on video, here's an example of Squires' smooth swing doing major damage against Triple-A pitching. Then again, there are some of the same issues in Triple-A that we saw in Double-A. He has a 27.7% whiff rate, a 76.2% Z-Contact%, and he hasn't drawn a walk yet. On Thursday, he went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts against the St. Paul Saints. Thus, things can get problematic for him when he's not putting the ball in play. Thus, let's determine whether Squires is a sleeper who could have an impact at the Major League level or if he's just a Four-A player who is feasting on mediocre pitching and favorable hitting environments. Squires Has Always Demonstrated This Batted-Ball Ability The one reason fans should be optimistic about Squires' Major League outlook is that he has consistently shown the ability to hit the ball hard. That's a Minor League skill that often translates well to the Big Leagues. Not only has Squires demonstrated excellent exit velocity, hard-hit, and barrel ability with the Storm Chasers, but he also showcased similar skills in his stint in the Cactus League in Spring Training. In 21 plate appearances in Arizona, Squries slashed .263/.286/.842 with a 1.128 OPS. The 26-year-old also had three home runs, four runs scored, and eight RBI. While he was a non-roster invitee and didn't seem to have much of a shot to make the MLB Opening Day roster, he demonstrated skills that could blossom in the Major Leagues. That is further illustrated in his Statcast percentiles from Spring Training, courtesy of TJ Stats. Here's an example of Squires absolutely mashing a ball against the Rockies in a Spring Training game on February 28th. Thus, even though we are just seeing the Statcast data publicly for the first time in Triple-A, this isn't the first time that Squires has demonstrated an ability to hit the ball effectively. His strong Spring Training stats show that there is some legitimate power potential in his profile, though it carries some strikeout and swing-and-miss risk. Is He Too Similar to CJ Alexander? One former prospect Squires profiles similarly to is Alexander, who was also a corner infielder in the Royals system back in 2024. Alexander was acquired from Atlanta in 2022 in a trade that also netted Drew Waters and Andrew Hoffman in exchange for the 35th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft (which eventually became pitcher JR Ritchie). In 2024 with the Storm Chasers, Alexander slashed .303/.352/.554 with a .906 OPS in 350 plate appearances. He hit 16 home runs, scored 56 runs, and collected 54 RBI. That included some big-time bombs like this one that went 437 feet in Rochester that season. Additionally, Alexander also sported a TJ Bat+ of 131 in 82 games, and had a Statcast profile with the Storm Chasers that was similar in composition to what Squires is doing this year with Omaha. Alexander did everything that one wanted to see from a slugger in Triple-A: he hit the ball hard, launched and pulled the ball well, and even though he didn't walk, he didn't strike out a whole lot either (60th percentile K%). Unfortunately, the former Braves draft pick hit a wall when he got called up to the Majors in 2024. In eight plate appearances, he only had one hit and struck out three times. He posted a .250 OPS, and that Statcast percentiles were meager, to put it kindly. While it wasn't a big sample, it was obvious that Alexander looked overwhelmed at the MLB level. Thus, he was not only optioned back to Omaha after only eight plate appearances, but he was also eventually designated for assignment and picked up on waivers by the Athletics. As was the case with the Royals, Alexander put up big numbers with the A's, posting a 131 wRC+ in 2024 and a 96 wRC+ in 2025. He also received a promotion in 2025 with the Athletics, but much like his time in Kansas City, the sample was small (17 PA), and the results were meager, as illustrated by his .352 OPS and lackluster Statcast percentiles. Right now, Alexander is in the Astros organization playing for Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Much like 2024 and 2025, he's mashing in Triple-A, slashing .263/.357/.506 with 10 home runs, an .863 OPS, and 115 TJ Bat+. That said, he remains in Triple-A, even though the Astros are 20-31. Perhaps Houston is the place where Alexander puts it together at the MLB level. However, he is the epitome of a Four-A player. Will Squires Follow A Similar Path to Alexander? Right now, it's easy to see the comparisons between Alexander and Squires. Alexander was a 20th-round pick while Squire went undrafted. Neither is really known for their defense or their speed on the basepaths. They also have never been highly-rated prospects in their career, as Squires has never made the Royals' Top-30 on MLB Pipeline since debuting in 2023. Lastly, they have swing-and-miss issues that could prevent them from finding MLB opportunities and success. Still, I am not sure if Squires is Alexander 2.0 just yet. Squires is still 26, and Alexander didn't debut until he was 27. Thus, age is more on Squires' side, though that gap is closing quickly for the former Sooner. If he doesn't debut this year, he'll be the same age as Alexander when he made his MLB debut in 2024. The big question with Squires is where he will fit if promoted. He primarily plays third and first base, and those positions are set with Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino as the regular players, respectively. Thus, for Squires to debut, an injury would have to beset one of those guys, and even then, a call-up is not guaranteed for Squires. Regardless of positional fit, the Royals need hitters who can mash, especially with the club ranking 27th in baseball in runs scored. If Squires continues to mash in Omaha, he'll make some noise for a call-up sooner rather than later. If the Royals continue to sit near the basement at the end of June, Kansas City may have no choice but to call up Squires and give him a chance to prove himself in the big leagues. View the full article

An All-Star for the club in 2022, Garrett Cooper hit 52 home runs over his five-plus seasons as a member of the Miami Marlins. His lone walk-off blast came on this day five years ago. In the middle game of a three-game series against the New York Mets, Cooper played the role of hero. Cooper worked a seven-pitch at-bat before his two-run shot lifted the Marlins to a 3-1 victory. With the score tied 1-1 on May 22, 2021 at loanDepot park, the Mets turned to right-hander Drew Smith in the bottom of the ninth to try to get the game to extra innings. For Smith, the outing couldn’t have started much better. Smith wound up throwing more pitches to Cooper than the three other hitters he faced combined. Smith opened the inning by getting Jesús Aguilar to line out before retiring Adam Duvall on a weak pop-up one pitch later. On the very next pitch, Brian Anderson singled to right field to set the stage for Cooper. After working the count full, Cooper got a fastball up and connected big-time. On a pitch right down the middle, Cooper belted a no-doubter into “AutoNation Alley” in left-center field for the walk-off blast. For six and a half innings, neither team scored. Miami’s Corey Dickerson broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to score Anderson. The Mets drew even a half-inning later on Dominic Smith’s RBI single. Cooper and Anderson each had three of the Marlins’ seven hits. On the mound, Pablo López allowed just four hits and a walk in seven shutout innings while striking out eight. Yimi García worked a scoreless ninth for Miami to pick up the win. During his time with the Marlins, Cooper had more than his fair share of big hits, including a few timely home runs. His only career walk-off blast, however, came on this day five years ago. View the full article

Justin Gonzales has been something special since signing with the Boston Red Sox. In his first year with the organization, he was named the 2024 Red Sox Minor League Latin Program Position Player of the year after hitting .320/.391/.517 in the Dominican Summer League. Impressed, the front office decided to bring him stateside, having him start in the Florida Complex League. That wasn’t for long, as after just one game, Gonzales was on his way to Salem. Standing at 6-foot-7, the then-18-year-old would go on to hit .298/.381/.423 with 23 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 27 RBIs before earning a late season promotion to Greenville. It's important to remember that Salem plays in the pitcher-friendly Carolina League. In fact, out of all batters with 300 or more plate appearances, Gonzales’ 131 wRC+ ranked sixth and only one player his age had a better one. Gonzales’ stock continued to rise in 2026 as he entered the season as TalkSox’s seventh ranked prospect (and is now the fifth ranked) while also making it into Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list (he’s currently 96th) after a May update to the list. The level of play has helped cement Gonzales’ placement on many top prospect lists as he’s slashed .315/.405/.521 with eight doubles, two triples, six home runs and 25 RBIs in just 34 games with High-A Greenville. His rise was not a surprise, as he had already garnered discussion about being the next Red Sox star prospect at the start of spring training. Defensively he has been just as impressive, mostly playing the outfield, though he has seen limited time at first base. This season, Gonzales has appeared in 29 games in right field, and many teams are starting to learn not to run on one of the strongest arms in High-A. Through 260 innings in the field, Gonzales has thrown out five runners while committing just one error. His range has been average and hasn’t hurt the cause, but his arm is a legitimate run prevention tool from the outfield. His time in Salem showed he had quite impressive raw power to go along with plate discipline skills and consistent production, and his start to the 2026 season has only enforced it. As he’s shown he can handle the pitching in Greenville, fans have clamored for a promotion to Portland to see how he handles a tougher level of competition. However, there are still aspects of his game he needs to work on to fully ensure his promotion to Portland and his overall growth as a player. The first would be on the defensive side of his game. While his arm is above average and has opposing teams fearing it, he needs to improve his overall glove work. As mentioned above, his range is average, but his routes need work, especially seeing as he isn’t the most fluid outfielder. Should the outfield not work out, the team could look to move him to first base where he has limited experience. Since 2025, he’s played just one game there (coming in 2026) after playing first base 32 times in 2024. With the lack of depth at first base in the Red Sox organization, that could be a possible direction they take especially as they have a lot of outfielders, especially in the upper minors. Yet, his biggest issue stems actually from how he hits the ball. Despite having amazing exit velocities that show he crushes pitching when he makes contact, how he attacks the baseball needs to change. Coming into 2026, there was discussion surrounding how Gonzales may hit the ball too often into the ground. For the 2025 season, he had a 57.4% ground ball rate, an increase from his 2024 number of 46.9%. Though 2026 has seen his ground ball rate get closer to his 2024 number as it’s currently at 49.1%, that number is still too high for someone with his power. Realistically, you would like to see Gonzales lifting the ball in the air in well over 50% of his batted ball events. Should he learn to lift the ball consistently, it would only elevate his game by allowing him to be a true power threat in the middle of a lineup. The final thing the 19-year-old needs to work on is his discipline, especially where it pertains to pitches out of the strike zone. While he has a good understanding of the strike zone, he can be very aggressive at times leading to him chasing a pitch that would have been a ball. Thanks to an advanced approach, he’s been able to hit well despite his tendencies to be overly aggressive. So far on the season he’s struck out just 26 times in 168 plate appearances, good for a 15.5% strikeout rate. Gonzales isn’t far from a promotion to Portland, that much is certain. The organization may just be waiting until these minor issues are worked on a bit more against lower-level competition. The last thing the organization would want is to rush Gonzales and have his issues taken advantage of by more advanced pitching. It makes sense to allow Gonzales enough time to prove he’s ready, instead of rushing him and dealing with the fallout of any potential struggles. View the full article

The Blue Jays needed innings, and no one had thrown more of them over the past decade than Patrick Corbin. It was a perfect fit. Indeed, with Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce, José Berríos, and Max Scherzer on the injured list, Corbin has been a key addition for the Blue Jays in 2026. His 38.1 innings pitched rank third on the team, behind only Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease. He has given the Jays a chance to win in all eight games he's started, and he's helped to preserve a bullpen that's been called upon heavily early in the year. The southpaw owns a perfectly respectable 4.23 ERA, and the Blue Jays are 4-4 in his eight appearances. Yet, I can't help but worry that the other shoe is bound to drop. And I don't know what the Blue Jays are going to do when it does. Corbin doesn't look like a pitcher who should have a league-average ERA. His last great season was in 2019. Over the next six years, he pitched to a 5.41 ERA. He struck out his opponents at an 18.2% rate and induced grounders on 44.2% of his batted balls. That's an 18.2% K-rate and a 44.2% groundball rate. Those are the numbers that resulted in a 5.41 ERA. Keep that in mind. So far in 2026, his strikeout rate is down to a career-worst 15.0%. Similarly, his groundball rate is down to a career-low 37.1%. Those aren't the numbers of a pitcher who should be able to maintain an ERA under 5.00. Heck, I'm not sure I'd trust someone with those numbers to post an ERA under 6.00. Baseball Savant and Baseball Prospectus agree with me. Despite his 4.23 ERA, Corbin owns a 6.41 xERA and a 5.97 DRA. Indeed, he is showing all the classic warning signs of a pitcher whose numbers are too good to be true. His home run-to-fly ball ratio from 2020-25 was 15.9%. This year, it's a career-low 9.5%. Meanwhile, his left-on-base rate is currently 77.6%, compared to a 69.0% average over the previous six seasons. And though you may look at his .331 BABIP and think "that's awfully high," it isn't actually anything out of the ordinary. His BABIP from 2020-25 was .327, and considering all the groundballs he's given up this year, I'm honestly surprised his BABIP isn't higher. Soon, Corbin is going to start giving up more home runs. He's going to start allowing more baserunners, and more of those baserunners are going to come around to score. Like I said, the other shoe is bound to drop. If I were going to believe that Corbin could keep giving the Blue Jays league-average innings, I’d need evidence that his stuff was meaningfully better than it has been for the last several years. Instead, it might be worse. Corbin is a stopgap. And to his credit, he’s filled that role with aplomb. Even so, he just isn’t a pitcher that a team with serious playoff aspirations can keep running out there every five days. Maybe he can keep giving the Blue Jays innings, but they won’t be the kind of innings that can help the team win games. Unfortunately, there might not be an end in sight for the Corbin era in Toronto. Ponce is out for at least the rest of the regular season. Berríos just had Tommy John. Eric Lauer is a Dodger. Scherzer and Bieber are supposedly nearing their returns, but they both feel like huge wild cards right now. I wouldn’t count on anything from either of them until we see it. Even if Scherzer and Bieber both come back healthy, I wonder if Toronto would use a six-man rotation – Gausman, Cease, Yesavage, Bieber, Scherzer, and Corbin – at least temporarily. Yesavage could certainly benefit from a lighter workload, as could Scherzer and Bieber. A six-man setup would also allow the Blue Jays to keep Corbin in the mix, in case another injury comes up. I don't love the idea of Corbin starting more games for the Jays, but I'm even more concerned about the alternative. We don't want to end up in a situation where the team is left with no choice but to cross its fingers and hope that Spencer Miles — who has already thrown more innings this season than he has in his minor league career — can handle a proper role in the rotation. So, where does this leave us? Well, it’s still early in the season, but it’s not too early to start thinking about the trade deadline. The Jays don’t need to make a move right away, but this rotation is going to need reinforcements eventually. Patrick Corbin is doing great, but he can’t keep doing this all year. View the full article

Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Thursday's show was hosted by Jeremiah Geiger and featured panelists Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout. The following topics were covered: - Losing three of four games to the Atlanta Braves - Rece Hinds acquired from Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Zach McCambley - Robby Snelling set to undergo Tommy John - Previewing and predicting the next series against the New York Mets You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be Sunday at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Mets series finale. View the full article

Strong pitching was back on display for the San Diego Padres' affiliates Thursday as Ian Koenig struck out six in seven shutout innings as Double-A San Antonio won. Carson Montgomery continues to stand out as he fanned seven over five innings in High-A Fort Wayne's triumph, while Bryan Balzer and three relievers combined on a three-hitter in Low-A Lake Elsinore's victory, which featured a pair of homers. Samad Taylor had a big day at the plate with four hits for Triple-A El Paso, which lost in extra innings. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Antonio Missions activated C Jake Bold from the Development List. Samad Taylor Notches 4 Hits, But Chihuahuas Fall In 10th A day after giving up 23 runs in a blowout loss, the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas found an excruciating way to lose as the Round Rock Express scored the zombie runner during a rundown to notch a 5-4 win in 10 innings. With the zombie runner at second base to begin the top of the 10th, a single put runners on the corners. The runner at first then took off for second, but got himself into a rundown and the runner from third scored. In the bottom of the 10th, Clay Dungan was the Chihuahuas' zombie runner and went to third on a wild pitch. But he was stranded there as Marcos Castanon grounded back to the pitcher, Anthony Vilar struck out and Samad Taylor grounded out. Taylor finished the day 4-for-6 with a run scored, while Mason McCoy went 2-for-5 with two steals and scored a run. Round Rock scored two in the first and two in the fourth inning off Chihuahuas left-handed starter Jackson Wolf, who was pulled after 3⅔. He gave up six hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Right-handers Logan Gillaspie and Ethan Routzahn combined for 5⅓ scoreless innings before right-hander David Morgan took over in the 10th. The Chihuahuas scored once in the bottom of the first on a Jase Bowen groundout to make it 2-1, then another in the fifth on a Vilar double, a Taylor single, a Pablo Reyes walk to load the bases and a two-out wild pitch to pull within 4-2. They tied it in the sixth as McCoy singled, stole second, Dungan walked and Castanon had an RBI single. Taylor then had a one-out single to reload the bases and Reyes hit a tying sacrifice fly. EP_0521.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Samad Taylor 6 1 4 0 0 1 Pablo Reyes 1 0 0 1 3 0 Will Wagner 4 0 0 0 1 0 Jase Bowen 5 0 1 1 0 1 Nick Solak 3 0 0 0 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez 1 0 1 0 0 0 Mason McCoy 5 1 2 0 0 1 Clay Dungan 2 1 0 0 3 1 Marcos Castañon 5 0 1 1 0 0 Anthony Vilar 5 1 1 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jackson Wolf 3 2/3 6 4 4 2 4 0 Logan Gillaspie 3 1/3 2 0 0 0 4 0 Ethan Routzahn 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 David Morgan (L) 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 Ian Koenig In Control With 7 Shutout Innings For Missions Right-handed starter Ian Koenig's roller-coaster season hit a new high as he threw seven shutout innings in the Double-A San Antonio Missions' 5-1 victory over the host Frisco RoughRiders. Romeo Sanabria had two hits and an RBI, while Ethan Salas and Luis Verdugo also drove in runs for the Missions. Koenig scattered five hits and didn't walk anyone while striking out a season-high six. The seven innings matches his career high, accomplished in back-to-back outings in August for High-A Fort Wayne. Koenig retired the first eight RoughRiders before plunking a batter and giving up a single to the next hitter in the third inning before getting out of the mini-jam. The Missions scored three runs in the top of the fourth and two more in the seventh. In the fourth, Kai Roberts had a leadoff single, went to second on a groundout and third on Braedon Karpathios' single to right. Sanabria drove Roberts in with a ground single to right. After a strikeout, a passed ball scored Karpathios from third, then Verdugo singled to right to make it 3-0. There were two outs in the seventh when Francisco Acuna and Kai Murphy walked, then Salas singled in a run, Roberts walked to load the bases and Ornelas made it 5-0 when the pitcher couldn't catch a toss from the first baseman as he covered the bag. The RoughRiders scored their lone run in the eighth off right-hander Josh Mallitz (two strikeouts) and right-hander Johan Moreno pitched a perfect ninth with a strikeout. SA_0521.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas 5 0 1 1 0 0 Kai Roberts 4 1 1 0 1 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 4 1 1 0 0 1 Romeo Sanabria 4 1 2 1 0 1 Ryan Jackson 3 0 0 0 1 2 Luis Verdugo 4 0 1 1 0 2 Francisco Acuna 2 1 0 0 2 2 Kai Murphy 2 1 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ian Koenig (W) 7 5 0 0 0 6 0 Josh Mallitz 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Johan Moreno 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Carson Montgomery Fans 7, TinCaps Win On Passed Ball Right-hander Carson Montgomery struck out a career-high seven over five innings, Jake Cunningham homered and the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps scored the tiebreaking run on a passed ball in the seventh inning to pull out a 5-4 victory over the Dayton Dragons. Fort Wayne won despite having just four hits as it drew 11 walks. Montgomery entered the game with a 16-inning scoreless streak, but yielded his only run in the top of the first inning. He has pitched exactly five innings in each of his last four starts in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. He allowed three hits and two walks, surpassing his previous career best of six strikeouts set in his final start before surgery in 2024 with Low-A Lake Elsinore. Even with the run allowed, his ERA now stands at 1.41. While the Dragons got three runs (two earned) in the sixth inning against left-hander Igor Gil, the rest of the TinCaps' bullpen—left-hander Braian Salazar,right-hander Tucker Musgrove and right-handed closer Clay Edmondson—didn't allow a hit and struck out four over the final three innings. Edmondson earned his ninth save, which leads the minors, and is unscored upon in 13 of his 15 appearances for a 0.50 ERA. Down 1-0, Fort Wayne tied it in the second after three walks loaded the bases and Zach Evans hit into a double play that brought in the tying run. In the fifth, two walks preceded Justin DeCriscio laying down a very nice bunt that the third baseman threw into the bullpen down the right-field line, scoring one for a 2-1 TinCaps lead. Dayton plated three runs in the top of the sixth, which included a throwing error and a passed ball by TinCaps catcher Lamar King Jr., to take a 4-2 lead. Cunningham launched his seventh homer of the season to lead off the sixth inning that trimmed the TinCaps' deficit to 4-3. In the seventh, Rosman Verdugo drew a leadoff walk and was erased on a King forceout. King then stole second and Alex McCoy hit a tying double on an opposite-field flare down the right-field line. Cunningham had an infield single, moving McCoy to third, then stole second. After an out, McCoy scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball. Cunningham had two hits and drew two walks. FW_0521.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 4 0 1 0 1 2 Rosman Verdugo 2 0 0 0 2 2 Lamar King Jr. 4 1 0 0 0 1 Alex McCoy 3 2 1 1 1 0 Jake Cunningham 2 1 2 1 2 0 Jack Costello 2 0 0 0 2 1 Zach Evans 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jonathan Vastine 2 1 0 0 2 1 Kasen Wells 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carson Montgomery 5 3 1 1 2 7 0 Igor Gil (BS) 1 3 3 2 2 2 0 Braian Salazar (W) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Tucker Musgrove (H) 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Clay Edmondson (S) 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Pair Of Homers Fuel Early Outburst, Pitchers Locked In As Storm Roll Yoiber Ocopio and Kerrington Cross hit homers to lead an early blitz by the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm in a 9-3 win over the host Visalia Rawhide. Storm right-handed starter Bryan Balzer allowed all three Rawhide hits in five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) with two walks and six strikeouts. Right-handers Brandon Langley (two innings), Sean Barnett and Will Koger allowed just a walk over the final four innings. But by that time, the Storm offense had already done its damage, scoring twice in the first on a double steal with Bradley Frye swiping home and Truitt Madonna added an RBI single, then two more in the third on Ocopio's second homer of the season, a no-doubt two-run shot for a 4-1 lead. It was the fifth where the Storm blew this one open. Ryan Wideman had a leadoff double and scored on Jose Verdugo's one-out single. Verdugo then stole second and Ty Harvey walked with a wild pitch putting Verdugo on third. Madonna then drove in Verdugo with a single to left and Cross followed with his three-run homer, an opposite-field drive to right for his third blast of the year and a 9-1 lead. Madonna finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, Verdugo went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, Qrey Lott had three hits and Harvey had a pair of hits and scored once. LE_0521.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 6 1 1 0 0 2 Bradley Frye 4 1 1 0 1 2 Jose Verdugo 5 2 3 1 0 0 Ty Harvey 4 1 2 0 1 2 Truitt Madonna 5 1 3 2 0 0 Kerrington Cross 3 2 1 3 2 0 Yoiber Ocopio 4 1 1 2 1 2 Qrey Lott 4 0 3 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg 5 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryan Balzer (W) 5 3 3 2 2 6 0 Brandon Langley 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sean Barnett 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Will Koger 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-5 Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 1-for-6, 2B, 2 K Jorge Quintana: DNP Ty Harvey: 2-for-4, 2 K Kale Fountain: DNP Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-4, K Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-4, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 1-for-3, 2B Truitt Madonna: 3-for-5 Tucker Musgrove: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-2, 2 K Bryan Balzer: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Deivid Coronil: DNP View the full article