DiamondCentric

The Miami Marlins arrived at Yankee Stadium early Sunday morning, but didn't leave the field until long after sunset. Despite a rain delay of three and a half hours and a complication to their original pitching plan, they defeated the New York Yankees by a final score of 7-6, taking one out of three in the weekend series. Chris Paddack was supposed to make his second start of the season, but because of the rain delay, manager Clayton McCullough made the decision to have Pete Fairbanks start the game as an opener. With Fairbanks' wife set to give birth to their third child, the Marlins had Fairbanks start the game so he can get back to his family sooner. Had the game started on time, Paddack would've started the game and Fairbanks would've been available out of the bullpen. Ben Rice became the first hitter to drive in runs off of Fairbanks in 2026. He took advantage of a fastball ball down for his third home run of the season, driving it 410 feet deep to right field, giving the Bronx Bombers an early 3-1 lead. In his lone inning of work, Fairbanks allowed three runs on three hits, one walk and one strikeout before turning things over to Andrew Nardi. Paddack didn't take the mound until 6:04 p.m, still trailing 3-1. His Marlins debut, which took place earlier in the week against the Chicago White Sox, was disappointing, allowing eight runs on eight hits. On Sunday night against a veteran Yankees lineup, Paddack gave the Marlins 4 ⅔ innings where the lone run allowed was unearned. He struck out four in the process. z6ylvq.mp4 On the other hand, he did allow four walks and surrendered a total of eight hard-hit balls, with five of them coming on the changeup. His overall xFIP of 5.54 indicates that luck was on his side after the opposite was true in his previous appearance. "Chris was terrific," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "It was a little bit unique today with how things started and him coming out of the bullpen. The third inning was a big inning, where he made an error, trying to limit it to one run. From there to hold it down, and navigate himself really well through a really good offensive team. Elevated the fastball really well, used the changeup appropriately." The Marlins came back from their deficit gradually. Down 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning, Xavier Edwards—the hottest hitter in baseball—knocked in an RBI double, scoring Connor Norby from first to cut the Yankees lead in half. Edwards now has a hit in all nine games this season, and is currently tied with Andy Pages of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a .471 batting average. In the top of the sixth, a throwing error from shortstop Jose Caballero allowed Heriberto Hernández to reach first base safely, allowing Jakob Marsee to score, making it a 4-3 game. In the top of eighth inning, with one out, Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz walked Marsee and that is when manager Aaron Boone went with righty Jake Bird out of the bullpen to face Otto Lopez. Bird walked Lopez, hit Griffin Conine, who pinch hit for Hernández. McCullough made a second swap, opting to pinch-hit Graham Pauley in Norby's spot in the lineup. With a 1-2 count, on the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Bird's sweeper hung right in the middle of the zone and Pauley smacked a 104.3 mph RBI double, giving the Marlins a 5-4 lead. For Pauley, that marked his pinch-hit of his MLB career. Xavier Edwards plated two more runs with a single, padding the lead to 7-4. "Not an easy thing to come off the bench and do," McCullough said regarding Pauley. "He got some really good swings off...Massive hit for us, and for him." John King, Calvin Faucher and Anthony Bender followed Paddack, who shut down the Yankees lineup, allowing only one hit within that span. With Fairbanks already on a plane out of town, McCullough turned to Bender in a save situation for the first time this season. He began the bottom of the ninth inning by getting Aaron Judge to ground out, but then surrendered back-to-back walks. With runners on first and second with one out, Bender struck out former Fish Giancarlo Stanton swinging. Another former Marlin in Jazz Chisholm Jr. drove two runs in on a double, making it a one-run game. The Marlins opted to intentionally walk Austin Wells, in favor of potentially facing Caballero, but Boone used Miami native J.C. Escarra as a pinch-hitter. Escarra struck out on three pitches, ending the game. Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E MIA 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 4 0 7 7 1 NYY 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 7 1 Standing atop the National League East with a 6-3 record, the Marlins return home to begin a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Janson Junk will take the mound on Monday at 6:40 p.m. View the full article

After a rough start at the plate to start the season, Bo Bichette is starting to turn the corner and put his struggles behind him. The $126 million man was part of a big offseason for the New York Mets, with the stakes high as they look to return to the postseason after a disaster of a second-half last year. Bichette has started all ten games so far, batting third and manning the hot corner. He started his first six games only recording three hits across 27 at-bats against the Pirates and Cardinals, good for a .111 batting average. That stretch came with eight strikeouts and only one walk. In the Mets last series in San Francisco, Bichette’s bat finally came to life. He collected six hits, two being doubles, while driving in three runs. He almost took Robbie Ray deep Thursday night, but Harrison Bader robbed him of a 104 mph home run. The hits aren’t always showing up in the scorebook, but he’s still making pretty good contact and has been unlucky. He’s been squaring up the baseball and hitting a lot of line drives, portending a much brighter future after a slow start to his tenure in the Big Apple. Slow Starts Aren’t Unusual for Bo Bichette Bichette has made a habit off getting off to slow offensive starts. His career batting average and OPS are the lowest between March and April. During these two months, Bichette has posted a career slash line of .257/.297/.390 across 607 plate appearances. This performance doesn't last long for him; his offensive numbers tend to jump in production once the calendar flips to May, as he owns a career .291/.338/.488 slash line in that month. He has a reputation of starting slow, but has shown to finish seasons strongly. Looking at his career trends, in the second half of the season from July to the end of the year is when Bichette’s bat comes to life. His monthly OPS is above .800 only in May in the first four months of the season, but has sat above .800 his whole career between July and October. The same trend continues for his batting average. It sits below .300 from March through June, but sits above .300 the whole second half. It's not unusual for star players to heat up as the weather warms, but it is rare that the splits are so drastic. The Mets would surely like him to get going a little quicker in 2026, but some players need (lots of) time to get back their timing. The only difference now is that he's a $42 million star on a new team, rather than a young player making pre-arb or arbitration money. Are Other Factors Contributing to Bichette's Start? When you sign a big contract with a new team, there is some stress and pressure that forces you to press and try to play hero ball. Also keep in mind that Bichette had to change positions, shifting from shortstop to third base due to Francisco Lindor having shortstop locked-up. For someone who has historically been chastised for his poor glove-work, it's not shocking to see that his bat is lagging. That being said, if you want reason to be concerned, Bichette's bat control offers an area to highlight. He's always been a free swinger with a bad habit of chasing outside the zone, but his timing is way off right now. His barrel rate is less than half of his career mark, and he's whiffing on nearly one-fourth of his swings (24.7%). As a result, all of his contact quality metrics have dropped off from last year; there's no reason to think a veteran player with a career .293 batting average can't right the ship, but there is a source of the misery beyond just cold weather. Even though Bichette isn’t off to a great start, this is not abnormal within the scope of his career (and he’s already starting to come out of his slump). He’s only ten games into the season and the whole league offensively is behind pitchers production wise. Around 75 qualified hitters currently have an OPS of .600 or lower. The Mets bet a lot (both literally and figuratively) on Bichette being a middle-of-the-order run producer this season. It might take longer for him to get there than fans want, but history suggests it's only a matter of time before he turns things around. View the full article

Over his 15-year career in Major League Baseball, third baseman Terry Pendleton accomplished many things. An All-Star, batting champion, MVP and three-time Gold Glove winner, Pendleton collected nearly 1,900 hits and helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 1987 World Series. Not known for his power, Pendleton hit 140 career home runs, which included three walk-offs. The last of those came on this day 30 years as a member of the Florida Marlins. Through nine innings at Joe Robbie Stadium on April 6, 1996, the Marlins and San Francisco Giants had played to a scoreless tie. After Kevin Brown gave Florida eight scoreless innings on the mound, Robb Nen added two more out of the bullpen, striking out four. For San Francisco, starter Mark Leiter threw nine scoreless frames. As the Giants went to the bullpen, Mark Dewey failed to record an out. After working the count to 2-2, the switch-hitting Pendleton went the other way for a solo walk-off blast to give the Marlins a 1-0 victory. Pendleton and catcher Charles Johnson each had two of the five hits for Florida. Shawon Dunston had two hits for San Francisco. Brown was able to scatter seven hits on the mound before Nen tossed consecutive 1-2-3 innings to pick up the win. In parts of two seasons with the Marlins, Pendleton hit .273 with 21 home runs and 136 RBIs. His lone walk-off blast in teal and the last of his career came on this day three decades ago. View the full article

Recent history tells us that the Miami Marlins are difficult to predict, but that won't stop us from trying. Welcome to a new season of Prediction Time. Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring the prognostications from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) Here is a reminder of what the 2025 season leaderboard looked like. FOF staffer Kevin Barral currently sits atop the 2026 leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Janson Junk (MIA) and LHP Brandon Williamson (CIN) on Monday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) and LHP Andrew Abbott (CIN) on Tuesday RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) and RHP Brady Singer (CIN) on Wednesday RHP Max Meyer (MIA) and RHP Rhett Lowder (CIN) on Thursday The Marlins rank third in MLB with a 132 wRC+ and 10th in MLB with a 3.67 FIP. They have a 5-1 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Maximo Acosta (10-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Christopher Morel (10-day IL), Esteury Ruiz (10-day IL) and Kyle Stowers (10-day IL). The Reds rank 25th in MLB with a 78 wRC+ and 21st in MLB with a 4.30 FIP. They have a 3-0 record on the road this season. Their roster includes former Marlins outfielder Dane Myers. The following Reds players are on the injured list: Caleb Ferguson (15-day IL), Hunter Greene (60-day IL) and Nick Lodolo (15-day IL). View the full article

Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Sunday's show was hosted by Alex Carver and featured panelists Ely Sussman, Kevin Barral, Isaac Azout, Nate Karzmer, Daniel Rodriguez and Alex Krutchik. The following topics were covered: The brilliance of Xavier Edwards and his viability as a contract extension candidate Mixed results for Agustín Ramírez, both offensively and defensively An unprecedented number of walks by the Marlins pitching staff Pete Fairbanks' pending trip to the paternity list and the likeliest call-up candidates The team's unconventional defensive position Previewing and predicting the upcoming matchup against the Cincinnati Reds 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 Thursday at approximately 4:00 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Reds series finale. View the full article

The Weekly Nutshell: In their first full week of the 2026 season, the Twins dropped four of six, and they've now lost all three series they've played. Both in Kansas City and at home, games were played under cold, wet conditions that contributed to sloppy play, but the Twins struggled far more than their opponents to overcome the inclement weather. Sparse crowds at Target Field over the opening weekend were a clear indicator of what we already knew: fan morale is direly low and this team is having a hard time drawing interest. Unless their offense can start to show some signs of life, it's only likely to get worse. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 3/30 through Sun, 4/5 *** Record Last Week: 2-4 (Overall: 3-6) Run Differential Last Week: -2 (Overall: -2) Standing: 5th Place in AL Central (2.5 GB) Latest Game Results Game 4 | KC 3, MIN 1: Offense Once Again Goes Silent Against Lefty Starter Buxton, Keaschall: 0-7 Game 5 | KC 13, MIN 9: Twins Lose Control in Rain-Soaked Loss at Kauffman Twins pitchers: 15 H, 5 BB, 2 HBP, 2 HR allowed Game 6 | MIN 5, KC 1: Sweep Avoided Behind Strong Outing From Bradley Bradley: 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 K Game 7 | MIN 10, TB 4: Late Home Runs Seal Victory in Home Opener Gray: 1-2, BB, HR, 5 RBI Game 8 | TB 7, MIN 1: Abel Struggles Again as Lineup Gets Shut Down by Another LHP Abel: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 ER Game 9 | TB 4, MIN 1 (10): Pitching Staff Eventually Buckles in Extras as Offense Flops Woods Richardson: 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 K NEWS & NOTES The relief pitching carousel has begun to spin. Expect it to continue all summer long. As they often do, the Twins traded for a recently DFA'ed reliever, jumping the waiver line to acquire right-hander Garrett Acton from Miami in exchange for minor-leaguer Logan Whitaker. David Festa was moved to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man, confirming that he's essentially out until at least June, which is a bummer. The Twins wasted little time getting Acton onto the active roster, swapping him for Zak Kent on Sunday. Kent heads to Triple-A after tossing two shutout innings in Saturday's loss. Acton, 27, has allowed eight earned runs and three homers in 6 ⅔ MLB innings, but has big strikeout numbers in the minors. Probably the type of arm worth taking a look at in a season like this. Presumably he'll step into Kent's vacated role as a low-leverage mop-up type who can provide some length if needed. (And will likely find himself on the carousel soon enough.) HIGHLIGHTS Not many hitters in the Twins lineup are getting the job done, but Josh Bell has been an early exception. He's looking very much like the guy who excelled in the second half with the Nats last year, and was a rare ignitor for the offense this past week, clubbing two homers and a double while driving in six. Bell entered play on Sunday tied for the league lead with nine runs scored. Tristan Gray also supplied some power and run production, taking advantage of his opportunity to start at short in the home opener (due to Brooks Lee's illness) by sealing the game in the eighth with a grand slam. Gray has made only 18 plate appearances but he's already got eight RBIs to lead the team. Taj Bradley look another promising step in his second start of the season, cruising through six innings of shutout ball on Thursday to help salvage a win in KC. He wasn't quite flinging the same level of swing-and-miss filth as he did in Baltimore, but Bradley looked plenty good and reasonably efficient, walking only one while getting through six on 100 pitches. He's allowed one through through 10 ⅓ innings in two starts. On Sunday, Simeon Woods Richardson delivered the deepest start of the season for Minnesota thus far, holding Tampa to one run over 6 ⅔ frames in a game where he unfortunately received no run support. In his last seven starts dating back to September, Woods Richardson has a 2.33 ERA and 42-to-12 K/BB ratio in 38 ⅔ innings. LOWLIGHTS New manager, new hitting coach, same old maddeningly ineffective offense. The Twins were held to a single run in three of their six games last week, and naturally lost all three. In Sunday's finale against the Rays, with a chance to take their first series behind a stellar outing from Woods Richardson, the Twins couldn't get much of anything going, producing just three hits and two walks in 10 innings. A day earlier, Steven Matz became the latest left-handed starter to stymy the Minnesota lineup, breezing through six innings with two hits allowed. As a team the Twins are batting .186 with a .619 OPS against lefty starting pitchers. Derek Shelton is doing his best to stack up righties for favorable matchups, but no one's been capable of doing anything with them. The biggest problem at the moment is that the Twins just aren't getting anything from their No. 2 and 3 hitters. Luke Keaschall has been getting some singles, but not showing any power nor much patience. He's got just two walks and one extra-base hit through 39 plate appearances. Byron Buxton celebrated surpassing 10 years of major-league service, but did so amidst a deep slump at the plate. He went 0-for-18 on the week with six strikeouts and no walks, though he thankfully evaded an injury scare on an HBP that sent him walking straight into the clubhouse. Ultimately I'm not overly concerned about either of those two, although Keaschall's slow start does raise an eyebrow following the quiet finish last year. The rest of the lineup is doing nothing to pick them up or inspire confidence generally. Austin Martin is drawing some walks, but he went 3-for-13 last week and is still looking for his first extra-base hit. Matt Wallner popped three solo homers but was otherwise 2-for-23 with 12 strikeouts and zero walks. Royce Lewis has been similarly all-or-nothing — he's got four extra-base hits but zero singles and a .167 average through 29 PA. Ryan Jeffers was 3-for-16 and still hasn't driven in a run this year. Kody Clemens keeps getting looks in the leadoff spot despite a .150 average and .261 OBP. Lee continues to be a complete non-factor with the bat, slashing .167/.250/.167 through seven games. He's looked bad enough that the Twins have to be starting to weigh their options; there's no reason he should have an especially long leash. We're 10 days into the season and I'm already tired of watching most of these guys flail away at the plate. I'm ready for some fresh blood in the lineup and I wonder how quickly the Twins might be inclined to oblige. TRENDING STORYLINE This space in the weekly recap is frequently going to be focused on prospects playing at Triple-A, at least early in the season, because really that is the only compelling source of intrigue right now: How soon can some of these highly regarded near-ready talents prove that they ARE ready, and infuse some life into a persistently stale Twins team? Kaelen Culpepper is doing his part to put the heat on Lee. He homered in both legs of a double-header in St. Paul on Sunday, his second and third of the season. Emmanuel Rodriguez also homered twice over the weekend, building on his strong spring showing. Alan Roden has his OPS up over 1.000 for the Saints. Walker Jenkins has been a bit slower to get going but it only feels like a matter of time. LOOKING AHEAD Three more left-handed starters on the docket in the coming week, which is not great news, especially when the first one happens to go by the name of Tarik Skubal. Facing two high-quality opponents in the Tigers and Blue Jays, the Twins will need to play significantly better ball than they have thus far, or else this is gonna be ugly. MONDAY, APRIL 6: TIGERS @ TWINS — RHP Casey Mize v. RHP Joe Ryan TUESDAY, APRIL 7: TIGERS @ TWINS — LHP Tarik Skubal v. RHP Taj Bradley WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8: TIGERS @ TWINS — LHP Framber Valdez v. RHP Bailey Ober THURSDAY, APRIL 9: TIGERS @ TWINS — RHP Jack Flaherty v. RHP Mick Abel FRIDAY, APRIL 10: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS — RHP Simeon Woods Richardson v. TBD SATURDAY, APRIL 11: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS — RHP Joe Ryan v. LHP Eric Lauer SUNDAY, APRIL 12: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS — RHP Taj Bradley v. RHP Max Scherzer View the full article

Week in a Nutshell After losing two of three in their Opening Series against Atlanta, the Royals came back to Kansas City for their first homestand of 2026. That included a three-game series against division foe Minnesota, followed by a three-game series against NL Central opponent Milwaukee. The Royals won Opening Day against the Twins, their first home opening win since 2022. They also followed that up with 13 runs in game two in monsoon conditions at Kauffman Stadium. However, they lost a chance at a sweep on Thursday afternoon in a game marred by off-field distractions. The main distraction centered on rookie catcher Carter Jensen oversleeping his alarm, showing up late, and getting scratched shortly before first pitch. The Brewers were expected to be a tougher challenge than the Twins, especially with Milwaukee's record 5-1 heading into the weekend series at Kauffman Stadium. After being rained out on Friday, they had a doubleheader on Saturday, which both teams split. The Royals had their chances in the rubber game on Easter Sunday, but the Brewers held off Kansas City in the late innings and took the series, improving their record to 7-2 and remaining atop the NL Central. A 3-3 homestand isn't bad at this time of the year, especially with a series against a team that will likely be playing in the postseason. However, it was a homestand that felt like a missed opportunity, and the Royals weren't helped by the lackluster play of their stars over the six-game span at Kauffman Stadium this past week. Record this Series: 3-3 Run Differential for the Series: +2 Record for the Year: 4-5 Run Differential for the Year: -5 Standing: Tied for 3rd in the AL Central Game 4: KC 3, MIN 1 The Royals win their first Opening Day home game since 2022. Kris Bubic produced a quality start with only one run and two hits allowed in six innings of work (he also struck out four and walked three). Kyle Isbel and Isaac Collins both hit home runs in the two-run victory. Game 5: KC 13, MIN 9 In a rainy and sloppy contest, Kansas City tagged starter Joe Ryan and the Twins' pitching staff for 13 runs, though only nine were earned. The Royals got off to a 12-1 lead, but the bullpen struggled with control and command due to the weather and allowed eight runs after Noah Cameron was pulled. Jac Caglianone led the Royals with three hits. Game 6: MIN 5, KC 1 Taj Bradley and the Twins bullpen held the Royals lineup to only one run in the series finale. Cole Ragans matched Bradley with eight strikeouts, four hits, one walk, and zero earned runs allowed. However, a questionable throwing decision by Salvador Perez (thrust into catching at the last minute) ended up costing Ragans the loss. Steven Cruz was tagged in mop-up duty by allowing back-to-back-to-back home runs. Game 7: MIL 5, KC 2 (1st Game of Saturday DH) After getting "rained out" on Friday (it didn't storm as hard as expected), the Royals dropped the first leg of their afternoon doubleheader. Luinder Avila made his first MLB start, and he was lackluster, allowing five runs on three hits and three walks in three innings of work. While he struck out four batters, he struggled with command, and the Brewers (specifically, Garrett Mitchell, who had all 5 RBI) made him pay. Game 8: KC 8, MIL 2 (2nd Game of Saturday DH) Kansas City bounced back in the nightcap, with Seth Lugo grinding out five innings and allowing two runs while striking out seven. Jensen had a big day, collecting two RBI and two hits, including a double down the foul line. A six-run sixth inning ended up being the difference for Kansas City in game two of the doubleheader. 27th-man Eli Morgan got the rare three-inning save. Game 9: MIL 8, KC 5 The Brewers won the rubber match, holding off the Royals despite a modest comeback in the 7th that made it a one-run game. Bubic went five innings and struck out eight, but he allowed four runs due to big hits by the Brewers. Matt Strahm and Lucas Erceg struggled in their lone outings of the series, each allowing two runs in their innings of work. News and Notes After struggling in his lone outing in Atlanta, closer Carlos Estevez was put on the 15-Day IL due to a foot contusion from a ball that hit him in the foot during the Braves game. The Royals called up Steven Cruz in his place, and he received a lot of work during the homestand. Michael Wacha was beset by illness this week, which forced him to miss his start against Milwaukee. Avila pitched in his place. Wacha was not added to the IL, and he is expected to make his next start on the road in game one of the upcoming series against the Guardians, as reported by Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Avila replaced Bailey Falter on the active roster as Falter was put on the IL due to an elbow injury. Falter struggled on Wednesday, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks in 0.1 innings of work (though the weather conditions certainly didn't help). Even though he started, manager Matt Quatraro said that the Royals plan to keep Avila up for now as a reliever. It hasn't been determined if Avila will return to Triple-A when Falter is eligible to come off the IL. Morgan came up as the 27th man for the Saturday doubleheader against Milwaukee. Morgan pitched three innings and allowed no runs on one hit and one walk while striking out five. The save was Morgan's first since 2023. He was returned to Triple-A Omaha after Saturday's game, per MLB policy. Highlights After averaging only two runs per game in their first series in Atlanta, the Royals averaged 5.3 runs over the homestand. Their 32 runs scored were tied for the 7th-highest total in baseball over the past week, according to MLB.com. Kansas City also ranked second in OBP over the past week with a .373 mark and tied sixth for walks with 26. Last year, the Royals ranked 22nd in OBP, 29th in BB%, and 26th in runs scored. Thus, this week was a nice step in the right direction for this offense. Isbel, Collins, and Garcia paced the Royals' offense over the past week. They were the only players with OPS marks over 1.000 this week, with Isbel having a 1.563 OPS, Collins having a 1.011 OPS, and Garcia having a 1.053 OPS. Garcia had two hits on Sunday and launched his first home run of the season against Brewers starter Kyle Harrison. It was Garcia's first home run since September 5th of 2025. Another solid performer was Jonathan India, who hit .294 with an .871 OPS in 17 plate appearances. India had five hits and five RBI this week, with four of them coming on a grand slam on Wednesday in the Sonic Slam inning. The Royals would like to see India bounce back after he hit .233 with a .669 OPS. While his numbers overall are still a bit meager (.208 average; .654 OPS), his performance this past week should be a good sign that India is starting to lock in again as a hitter at the bottom of the lineup. In terms of pitching, the Royals staff did pretty well when it came to generating strikeouts. Over the past seven days, Kansas City struck out 64 batters, second-most in baseball, according to MLB.com. Individually, Bubic led all Royals pitchers with 12 strikeouts in 11 IP. Ragans and Lugo were second and third with eight and seven strikeouts, respectively. Noah Cameron had a nice 2026 debut, allowing only one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five in five innings of work in Wednesday's 13-9 win. The St. Joseph, Missouri product didn't generate a whole lot of chase (21.1%) or whiff (20.5%), but he flooded the strike zone (54.2% zone rate) and limited hard contact (.335 xwOBACON), as seen below from his TJ Stats summary. A couple of relievers who stuck out this week were Nick Mears and Daniel Lynch IV, who appeared four and three times, respectively, this week. In four innings of work, Mears didn't allow a run, posted a 0.75 WHIP, and struck out three while walking one. Like Cameron, the former Brewers reliever has limited hard contact while flooding the strike zone, but could do a better job generating chases and whiffs. On a positive note, his TJ Stuff+ has looked good thus far this season, so he may be a slight adjustment away from improving those chase and whiff rates. As for Lynch, he posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.25 WHIP this week in four innings of work. Lynch neutralized things a bit after Avila was pulled and made an incredible play at first base to end the inning (though he was taken out after the game as a precaution). Lynch isn't generating a ton of chase as a reliever, as evidenced by his 22.2% chase rate. However, his whiff rate is solid at 31.3%, and he's limiting hard contact with a .227 xwOBACON. His stuff isn't overwhelming, according to TJ Stuff+, but it's good enough, especially when the command is on. The former Virginia product is the kind of lefty reliever who can excel in both short and long-relief appearances. The Royals will need that, especially with Falter and Estevez both on the IL. Lowlights It was a brutal series for Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino, the No. 2 and 3 hitters in the Royals lineup. The Royals' shortstop was the worst of the regular players during the six-game homestand. In 22 plate appearances, Witt only hit .182 with no extra-base hits. While he had four walks, he also struck out six times, the third-most of any Royals hitter over the past week. His .478 OPS and .182 slugging percentage were the lowest marks of any Royals hitter with more than one plate appearance over the past seven days, according to MLB.com. Witt is still hitting the ball hard, as evidenced by his exit velocity and hard-hit Statcast percentiles below. That said, he is chasing a lot, ranking in the 10th percentile in O-Swing%. That approach hasn't helped him barrel the ball either, as evidenced by his 4.3% barrel rate, which ranks in the 30th percentile. Witt is allowed to have a bad stretch every now and then. However, he's the most important hitter on this team, and the Royals are lucky they went 3-3 on a homestand where he performed so poorly. Pasquantino was a little better than Witt during this homestand, but not by much. In 23 at-bats, Vinnie hit .217 with a .582 OPS. He only had one extra-base hit (a double), and he struck out seven times. He walked four times and drove in four RBI, with two coming on Sunday, helping the Royals get within one run of the Brewers in the bottom of the seventh. While Sunday was a step in the right direction (he had two hits), it has been a brutal start for the Royals' first baseman. In 40 plate appearances, he is hitting .206 with a .535 OPS. He's known for being a slow starter, as he has a career .216 average and an 89 wRC+ in March/April, according to Fangraphs splits. Thus, this stretch won't last forever, and he should heat up offensively as the weather gets hotter. Nonetheless, it would be nice for Vinnie to snap out of his typical early-season funk sooner rather than later. In terms of pitching, Erceg and Strahm were nails in the Atlanta series, but had lackluster performances this week. In two games and two innings of work, Strahm posted a 9.00 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He allowed his first home run of the year, which inflated his metrics. He did have three strikeouts to only one walk, but Strahm's first homestand of 2026 left a bit to be desired, though he wasn't helped by inconsistent work in the Brewers series. Erceg didn't have a great week either, though both of his outings were in non-traditional situations. The 30-year-old reliever probably shouldn't have appeared on Wednesday (it was 12-1 at one point), but the Royals bullpen couldn't mop things up. On Sunday, he struggled to generate chase or whiff against a tough Brewers lineup. As a result, he posted a 10.80 ERA and 2.40 WHIP in 1.2 IP. The stuff has been great for Erceg so far this year, but he is struggling to generate CSW and whiffs, an issue for him a season ago. While the whiffs and chase haven't been there for Erceg, the TJ Stuff+ is good (103), and he's limiting barrels and hard hits at the very least. If he wants to claim the closer's spot for Estevez full-time, he will need to generate more strikes, especially of the swing-and-miss variety. The last pitcher to focus on is Avila, who was absolutely rocked in his first MLB start and MLB appearance in 2026. The stuff was good from Avila in his outing on Saturday afternoon. However, he failed to generate much chase or whiff, and he was hit hard. That is not exactly a good trio to see together, as illustrated in his TJ Stats summary below. Avila will get a chance to face easier opponents, with the Guardians (21st in wRC+) and White Sox (24th in wRC+) looming this week. However, Avila will need to iron things out with his command to avoid another outing like his 2026 debut. Looking Ahead The Royals hit the road for a three-game series against the Guardians in Cleveland and then come back home for a four-game homestand against the White Sox. Kansas City went 15-11 against both opponents last year, so continuing those winning ways in 2026 will be important for the Royals if they want to return to the postseason. Two key position players in this series will be Witt and Pasquantino. Bobby and Vinnie do have some good history in Cleveland, historically. Witt has a career .830 OPS in Progressive Field, while Vinnie has an .860 career OPS. For the Royals to take the series in Cleveland, they will need solid performances from their No. 2 and 3 hitters in the lineup. In terms of pitching, the Royals struggled with walks as a pitching staff this past week. This is an atypical trend, as they ranked 9th in BB/9 a year ago. Kansas City issued 32 walks, fourth-most in the MLB over the past seven days. Their 1.44 WHIP was fifth-highest in baseball over the past week, and their 4.50 team ERA ranked 21st. Getting control again of the strike zone will be crucial for Kansas City's pitching staff, especially against two divisional opponents this week. A good sign for the Royals is that Cleveland and Chicago chase a lot. According to Fangraphs, the White Sox have the sixth-highest O-Swing% (34.6%), and the Guardians have the eighth-highest (34.5%). Conversely, the Twins (30.9%) and Brewers (30.8%) ranked 10th and 9th, respectively, in O-Swing%. On paper, Cleveland and Chicago should be easier opponents for this pitching staff. Thus, this upcoming week could be an opportunity for the Royals not just to cut down on walks but to get their overall command as a pitching staff back on track. As this past week (and series against the Brewers) demonstrated, the Royals will have a tough time winning games when their pitching staff is allowing too many free passes on base. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS RHP Zak Kent was optioned to St. Paul and the Twins recalled RHP Garrett Acton, who was recently acquired from the Marlins. SAINTS SENTINEL Game 1: Worcester 4, St. Paul 2 (7 innings) Box Score Starting pitcher: Andrew Morris (3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 70 pitches) Home runs: Kaelen Culpepper (2) Multi-hit games: N/A Sunday’s doubleheader got off to a great start for the Saints. Kealen Culpepper hit a leadoff home run off Red Sox No. 1 prospect Payton Tolle and Orlando Arcia put St. Paul up 2-0 in the second inning with a little league homer — a triple plus a throwing error that allowed him to come all the way around to score. The Saints recorded just two more hits from there, but the pitching staff managed to keep the Sox off the board through six innings (of this seven-inning game). Andrew Morris delivered 3 2/3 innings of two-hit ball and was followed by John Brebbia, who pitched a pair of scoreless frames. Veteran Dan Altavilla came in for the save and everything went sideways. He could not find the zone, issuing three walks while throwing less than half of his pitches for strikes. Altavilla blew the save and Worcester ended up scoring four runs in the inning. The Saints went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to end the first game of this doubleheader. Highlight: Culpepper's homer off Tolle. Game 2: Worcester 11, St. Paul 9 (11 innings) Box Score Starting pitcher: John Klein (1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 55 pitches) Home runs: Orlando Arcia (2), Emmanuel Rodriguez (2), Kaelen Culpepper (3), Alan Roden (1) Multi-hit games: Roden (2-for-4, HR), Gabriel Gonzalez (2-for-4, 2B), Arcia (2-for-4, HR) Things continued to go south to start the second game. The Saints found themselves down 8-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning, mostly due to former Saints great Mickey Gasper. Super Mickey his a solo homer in the first inning, then a grand slam in the second. The Saints kept at it. They chipped away a pair of runs in the fourth inning and three more in the fifth to bring the score to 8-6. Then Orlando Arcia hit an RBI single in the sixth to bring the Saints within a run. The St. Paul bullpen continued to hold and buy the lineup time to get back in it. In the bottom of the seventh (and scheduled to be final) inning, Worcester retired the first two Saints batters. Alan Roden was St. Paul’s last chance. He made sure there was more baseball to be played. A lot more. Roden blasted a 2-1 changeup for a home run he sent 427 feet with an exit velocity of 106.6 mph to tie the game. Neither team was able to score their “bonus” runner who started the eighth inning at second base. The Saints bullpen could only hold on for so long. They finally gave way in the ninth inning, with the Sox scoring the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the ninth, the Saints were down to their final out once again. And once again it was Roden to the rescue. He hit the first pitch he saw back through the middle to tie the game once again. The Saints showed impressive resolve in this game, battling back from an early seven-run deficit, but Worcester still prevailed. The Sox scored two more runs in the top of the 10th inning to finally finish off St. Paul. One last item to add on Roden's heroic effort: He also made an excellent diving catch in left field to end the top of the seventh inning. Highlight: Roden's game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 14, Peoria 8 Box Score Starting pitcher: Nolan Santos (3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 61 pitches) Home runs: Marek Houston (1), Brandon Winokur (1), Caden Kendle (1), Andy Lugo (1) Multi-hit games: Houston (3-for-5, HR), Khadim Diaw (2-for-5), Winokur (2-for-5, 2B, HR), Jacob McCombs (2-for-3, 2 2Bs), Kendle (2-for-4, 2B, HR) The Kernels carried a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning and absolutely blew this game open from there. Cedar Rapids tallied seven runs that inning, six of which were scored with two outs. Andy Lugo provided the knockout blow, a grand slam. Also in that inning, Eduardo Tait was hit by a pitch either on his hand or wrist. Tait waved off the trainer, stayed in the game and eventually came around to score. Tait’s spot in the order came back up in the sixth but he was pinch hit for. Cedar Rapids broadcaster Calvin Christoforo noted that Tait was not receiving any medical attention in the dugout. With the Kernels already up 13-4, it appears that Tait’s exit was precautionary. Lugo’s grand slam was the headliner, but Marek Houston, Brandon Winokur and Caden Kendle also homered. Cedar Rapids scored 22 runs over their first weekend of 2026. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Andrew Morris, St. Paul Hitter of the Day: Alan Roden, St. Paul PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for more. 1. Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 0-for-3, K 2. Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 1-for-3, HR (2), R, RBI | 1-for-4, HR (3), R, 3 RBI, BB, K 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, HR (2), R, 2 RBI, BB 4. Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-2, BB, R, K, HBP 7. Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 1-for-3, K | 2-for-4, R, K 9. Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, HR (1), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K 12. Andrew Morris (St. Paul): 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 70 pitches 13. Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, HR (1), R, RBI, K, 2 errors 15. Marco Raya (St. Paul): 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K 19: Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 3-6 St. Paul Saints: 3-5 Wichita Wind Surge: 1-2 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 2-1 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 1-2 TOMORROW’S PROBABLE STARTERS N/A (Monday is a travel day across the minor leagues) View the full article

Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 3-3 Runs scored last week: 25 Runs allowed last week: 26 Scores Game 4 (Monday): Giants 3, Padres 2 Game 5 (Tuesday): Giants 9, Padres 3 Game 6 (Wednesday): Padres 7, Giants 1 Game 7 (Friday): Red Sox 5, Padres 2 Game 8 (Saturday): Padres 3, Red Sox 2 Game 9 (Sunday): Padres 8, Red Sox 6 Padres Standings Random Stats For the first time in club history, the Padres sold out their first six home games, ranging from the Opening Day crowd of 45,673 to the homestand finale of 41,891. Nick Castellanos' first double of the season, a double in the seventh inning on Tuesday, was the 400th of his career. Castellanos is one of three active players with 400 doubles, 40 triples, and 250 homers, joining Jose Ramirez and Andrew McCutchen. Right-handed reliever David Morgan extended his streak of not allowing an earned run to 16 consecutive appearances at Petco Park. That streak, which covers 17⅔ innings, was a shutout streak until he allowed an unearned run Tuesday. The run dates back to July 12. German Marquez made his first start for the Padres at Petco Park, the same venue he made his MLB debut as a Colorado Rockies reliever on Sept. 21, 2016. Luis Campusano's double off the Green Monster on Friday was his first hit in the majors since 2024, snapping a 0-for-35 streak, the longest active streak in MLB. Mason Miller has not allowed a run in his last 25⅔ innings, the longest active streak in MLB. Miller has struck out 11 of the 15 batters he has faced this year. Transactions None. The Padres have not made an in-season move affecting the MLB roster since setting their Opening Day roster. Website Highlights Laureano's scorching-hot start puts pressure on other Padres stars — Andy Johnson The Padres and ABS: How has San Diego done in the early stages of the new system? — Steve Drumwright Vasquez's 2026 debut laid the foundation for a much-needed breakout — Randy Holt One takeaway from each game during the Padres' slow start on offense — Tom Gatto Buehler's 2026 Padres debut looked concerningly like 2025 — Brandon Glick The science of Mr. Padre: The impossible standard of Tony Gwynn — Ben Walker Looking Ahead Monday: Padres (German Marquez) at Pirates (Bubba Chandler), 3:40 p.m. Tuesday: Padres (Nick Pivetta) at Pirates (Paul Skenes), 3:40 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Michael King) at Pirates (Mitch Keller), 9:35 a.m. Thursday: Rockies at Padres (Randy Vasquez), 6:40 p.m. Friday: Rockies at Padres (Walker Buehler), 6:40 p.m. Saturday: Rockies at Padres (German Marquez), 5:40 p.m. Sunday: Rockies at Padres (Nick Pivetta), 1:10 p.m. View the full article

Weekly Snapshot: Record Last Week: 4-2 (Overall: 7-2) Run Scored Last Week: 31 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 23 Standing: 1st in NL Central (1.0 GA of PIT) *** Game 4 (3/30) | TB 3, MIL 2 Game 5 (3/31) | MIL 6, TB 2 Game 6 (4/1) | MIL 8, TB 2 Game 7 (4/4) | MIL 5, KCR 2 (Doubleheader Game 1) Game 8 (4/4) | KCR 8, MIL 2 (Doubleheader Game 2) Game 9 (4/5) | MIL 8, KCR 5 *** Game 4 | Rays 3, Brewers 2 MIL Starter: Kyle Harrison (5.0 IP, 4 H, BB, 1 ER, 8 K) Top Performers: William Contreras (2 H, HR, 2 RBI) Angel Zerpa (1 IP, 2K) Kyle Harrison’s first start as a Brewer was an excellent one, as the lefty rode his four-seam fastball to great success, striking out eight Rays over 5 innings of one-run ball. His offense couldn’t muster much against old NL Central foe Nick Martinez, however, as a 2-run home run off the bat of William Contreras was the only runs Milwaukee could scrape across against a stringent Rays staff, while the Brewers bullpen found their first hiccup of the young season, as Trevor Megill was charged with the loss by surrendering the go-ahead run in the 9th. William Contreras’ two-run home run (+23.6 WP%) Game 5 | Brewers 6, Rays 2 MIL Starter: Brandon Woodruff (5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K) Top Performers: Gary Sánchez (H, BB, HR, RBI) Jake Bauers (2 H, HR, RBI) Brandon Lockridge (2 H, 2B, RBI) Game two of the series against Tampa Bay saw a marquee pitching matchup between Brandon Woodruff and Shane McClanahan. Luckily for the Brewers, it was Woody who got the better of his counterpart, tossing five innings of two-run ball. On the other side, McClanahan was effective through four innings, but a three-run fifth from the Milwaukee offense chased him from the game. They’d add two more runs in the next innings, as well as one in the eighth, and the bullpen put up a zero behind Brandon Woodruff to secure a 6-2 Milwaukee win. Gary Sánchez's solo home run (+11.9 WP%) Game 6 | Brewers 8, Rays 2 MIL Starter: Jacob Misiorowski (6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) Top Performers: Brice Turang (H, BB, HR 2 RBI) Christian Yelich (2 H, 2 RBI) Garrett Mitchell (2 H, 2B, 2 RBI) Jacob Misiorowski took the mound for his second start of the season and did little more than pick up where he left off on Opening Day. The Miz provided six innings of two-run ball for the Crew, and while it wasn’t until the eighth inning that the Brewers' bats finally broke through for their first big inning of the series, the six-run explosion off Griffin Jax was more than enough to propel Milwaukee to its second straight series win. Brice Turang’s two-run home run (+18.1 WP%) Game 7 | Brewers 5, Royals 2 MIL Starter: Chad Patrick (4.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K) Top Performers: Garrett Mitchell (2 H, 2B, HR, 5 RBI) Abner Uribe (1.1 IP, 0 ER, K) Trevor Megill (1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, SV) While it was Chad Patrick who ended his day with a scoreless outing, Garrett Mitchell stole the show in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader by knocking in a career-high five runs. Both came early into the game, with a two-run double in the 1st, and a three-run home run in the 3rd. It would be all the offense the Brewers needed, as then, the backend of the ‘pen closed the daycap out. Garett Mitchell’s Five RBI Game 8 | Royals 8, Brewers 2 MIL Starter: Logan Henderson (2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K) Top Performers: Brice Turang (H, 3B, RBI) Garett Mitchell (H, 2B, RBI) DL Hall (2.0 IP, 0 ER, H, BB, 2 K) The Saturday nightcap saw the Royals even the series by getting to a pair of young Brewers pitchers, with both Logan Henderson and his piggyback Brandon Sporat surrendering multiple runs. On the offensive side, the Kansas City trio of Seth Lugo, Nick Mears, and Eli Morgan kept the Brewers bats to just two runs on five hits, and used a six-run sixth inning to send the series to a Sunday rubber match. Gary Sánchez throws out Maikel Garcia Game 9 | Brewers 8, Royals 5 MIL Starter: Kyle Harrison (5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) Top Performers: William Contreras (2 H, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI) Gary Sánchez (H, HR, RBI) Christian Yelich (2 H, 2B, 3B, RBI) Sunday's rubber match in Kansas City featured Kyle Harrison's second consecutive quality start in a Brewer uniform, as the Brewer hurler tossed 5.1 innings of two-run ball. Meanwhile, Gary Sánchez popped his team-leading third home run of the year, and William Contreras reached base safely four times in a six-run effort, while the bullpen navigated some late-inning trouble to close out the series against the Royals 8-5. Gary Sánchez's two-run homer (+15.4 WP%) Transactions: 04/05/26 - Optioned RHP Logan Henderson to AAA Nashville Sounds. 04/04/26 - Recalled RHP Logan Henderson from Nashville Sounds. 04/04/26 - LHP Sammy Peralta was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies. 04/03/26 - Designated RF Steward Berroa for assignment. 04/03/26 - Selected the contract of SS Cooper Pratt from AAA Nashville. 04/03/26 - Optioned SS Cooper Pratt to Nashville Sounds. 03/31/26 - Activated RF Luis Matos. 03/31/26 - Sent LHP Rob Zastryzny on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville 03/31/26 - Optioned C Jeferson Quero to AAA Nashville. 03/30/26 - Designated LHP Sammy Peralta for assignment. 03/30/26 - Acquired RF Luis Matos from the San Francisco Giants for cash. Notes: RHP Logan Henderson served as the 27th man for Saturday's doubleheader. It was reported early last week that SS Cooper Pratt is set to sign a $50.75 million extension. You can read more about the potential deal here. RF Sal Frelick left game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader with left side tightness. No corresponding move followed Sunday, although Frelick did not play in the series finale. Looking Ahead: Monday, 4/6 - Brewers @ Red Sox - 5:45 PM CDT Tuesday, 4/7 - Brewers @ Red Sox - 5:45 PM CDT Wednesday, 4/8 - Brewers @ Red Sox- 12:35 PM CDT Friday, 4/10 - Nationals @ Brewers - 6:40 PM CDT Saturday, 4/11 - Nationals @ Brewers - 6:10 PM CDT Sunday, 4/12 - Nationals @ Brewers - 1:10 PM CDT View the full article

Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Simeon Woods Richardson: 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (88 Pitches, 51 Strikes, 58%) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (3) Bottom 3 WPA: Justin Topa (-0.44), Kody Clemens (-0.15), Byron Buxton (-0.12) Win Probability Chart (Via FanGraphs): The Twins drifted through their first eight games, their offense (largely dormant) paired with inconsistent pitching performances, a lot of ABS challenges and some crummy weather. You could easily see this season spiral out of control pretty quickly, given the lack of overall talent. Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall and Royce Lewis have struggled, but so far, newcomers Tristan Gray and Josh Bell have kept them afloat. Today, Simeon Woods Richardson made his second start of the year after posting a quality showing in Kansas City. He was a little rocky to start, falling behind several hitters but getting weak contact in the air when he needed it. His fastball sat between 90 and 93 MPH, which isn't great, but Rays hitters had a hard time squaring him up the first time through the lineup. Opposing Woods Richardson was Nick Martinez, who has had a unique career, starting as a supposedly high-floor prospect with Texas who couldn't strike anybody out. He lasted for a couple years as a fifth starter type before heading to Japan for four years. When he came back, he immediately flourished in the Padres bullpen, his strikeout rate nearly doubling from his time in Texas. Teams loved his under-the-hood numbers, and he has signed eight-figure contracts with San Diego, Cincinnati, and now Tampa Bay, even while his performance has declined a bit in his mid-30s. His cutter and changeup remain above-average pitches, and he showcased them well Sunday. He made quick work of the Twins in the first, but Matt Wallner got a hanging cutter to start the second, and crushed it out onto the pavilion in right field for the game's first run. The two starters settled in from there, inducing lots of weak contact and quick outs. Woods Richardson had a lot of success pairing his splitter with his curveball. The next hit from either side was with two outs in the fourth inning, when Junior Caminero golfed a splitter well below the zone for a 397-foot home run. Certain hitters are just freaks. That did seem to loosen up the Rays hitters, as they started taking some bigger hacks against Woods Richardson, making some loud outs and putting runners on the corners in the fifth for the dangerous Yandy Díaz, who was facing the starter for the third time. He watched three strikes go by, however, and Woods Richardson escaped any damage. He had a much easier time in the sixth, including getting Caminero to tap out to complete a quick frame. I thought that may have been it for him, but he was brought out to start the seventh and allowed two hits to put runners on the corners with one out. Richie Palacios stole second, but Woods Richardson struck out Johnny DeLuca on a nasty slider to end his day. Kody Funderburk came on to retire pinch-hitter Nick Fortes on a weak chopper to quell the threat. Old friend Griffin Jax pitched the seventh, gave up an infield single to Wallner (at that point responsible for both Twins hits)—and then promptly picked Wallner off leaving early from first. Cole Sands got the eighth inning, and allowed a leadoff single to Díaz before falling behind Jonathan Aranda. He fought back to get a double-play grounder from Aranda and retired Chandler Simpson to leave Caminero in the on-deck circle. He would go on to complete a 1-2-3 ninth in dominant fashion. After the Buxton, Luke Keaschall and Wallner contingent went down in order, Palacios greeted Justin Topa in the 10th by crushing a two-run home run. Topa allowed another hit and a walk before Taylor Rogers was brought in, and the lefty walked two to force in another run, making the score 4-1. The Twins couldn't answer; Tampa took the rubber game of the weekend series. Notes: -Austin Martin started in center field despite the Twins facing a right-handed pitcher. This speaks to A) Buxton being eased back into action following what looked to be a brutal hit-by-pitch on Friday; and B) perhaps some dissatisfaction with James Outman, who has no idea what he's doing in the batter's box these days. Martin has looked terrible in center field thus far in his career, but he's looked decent at the plate in 2026, so maybe that's a worthwhile tradeoff. He wasn't tested much today and made every play he should have made. -Buxton celebrated 10 years of service time prior to the game, but his hitless streak continued. He's now in an 0-for-19 skid. That isn't uncommon for Buxton, but he had better at-bats today, including a lineout and a fly ball to right that was just off the end of the bat. When he gets going, maybe this congregation of average-ish hitters plus a hot Josh Bell can find a spark. -Rogers might be cooked. After allowing three hits and two runs Saturday, Rogers struggled to hit 90 MPH on his fastball while walking two, the second one forcing in the Rays' fourth run. What’s Next: Joe Ryan (0-1, 4.89 ERA) opposes Casey Mize (0-0, 1.50 ERA) as the Twins welcome the Detroit Tigers to Target Field to begin a four-game set. The Tigers are certainly not bereft of talent and so far have the eighth-best OPS in MLB and the 11th-best ERA as a pitching staff, despite a middling 4-4 record. The Tigers have crushed the Twins in recent years and have made the postseason two years running, so this will represent perhaps the biggest test of the young season for the Twins. Postgame Interviews: (Coming soon) Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Laweryson 36 0 10 9 0 55 Topa 0 13 17 0 15 45 Rogers 0 4 0 23 18 45 Banda 12 0 17 15 0 44 Orze 0 0 37 0 0 37 Sands 0 11 0 0 21 32 Funderburk 0 15 2 0 3 20 Acton 0 0 0 0 0 0 View the full article

The Blue Jays made a handful of transactions before their game this afternoon. Seeking a shot in the arm for the bullpen, they selected the contracts of Joe Mantiply and Austin Voth from the Buffalo Bisons. To make room for Mantiply and Voth on the 40-man roster, the Jays moved Anthony Santander and Cody Ponce to their 60-day IL. Neither of those moves was unexpected; both Santander and Ponce are expected to miss significantly more than 60 days recovering from their respective injuries. Meanwhile, to free up space in the big league bullpen, Toronto sent Brendon Little and Lazaro Estrada down to Triple-A Buffalo. Estrada got the call to the majors when Ponce hit the IL. He threw four scoreless, hitless innings yesterday, striking out three and walking two. His option has nothing to do with his performance; the Jays simply want as many fresh arms in their bullpen as possible, and Estrada won't be available for several days after throwing 66 pitches on Saturday. As for Little, his situation is a little more complicated. He's given up 11 runs (10 earned) on three home runs in five appearances this season. Of course, this demotion doesn't mean the Blue Jays are giving up on him after a few rough appearances. Rather, he was one of only a few relievers in Toronto's bullpen with a minor league option remaining. Given his struggles, it made perfect sense to give him a brief break in the minors to reset while simultaneously opening up a bullpen spot for a more rested arm. Mantiply and Voth both signed minor league contracts with Toronto this offseason. Mantiply is coming off a rough year in 2025, but the southpaw was a key player in the Diamondbacks' bullpen from 2021-24. Voth has experience as both a starter and a reliever, and he's coming off a successful year in NPB. The Jays will presumably look to him for length. View the full article

As you already know (and might have been there with us), we kicked off the 2026 season at home in unforgettable fashion with our Home Opener pregame party at Smorgie's on Friday – and what a day it turned out to be! Despite cold, blustery winds, a steady rain, and an unexpected power outage, you showed up in a big way. The turnout was incredible, and the energy inside Smorgie’s made it easy to forget about the weather outside. From the moment the doors opened, the space filled with familiar faces, new friends, and that unmistakable Home Opener buzz. A massive THANK YOU to everyone who showed up, battled the elements, and brought the energy all day long. Days like this only happen because of this incredible community, and once again, you all showed up in the best way possible and helped make the day incredibly fun. There is something special about reconnecting after a long offseason, and this event was a perfect reminder of what makes this community so great. Conversations bounced from offseason storylines to game predictions to gametime updates, all while we enjoyed great food, cold drinks, and a steady stream of giveaways. The excitement carried right through a power outage and into the walk over to Target Field, where the season officially came to life. Once inside the ballpark, it felt like baseball had truly returned. Seeing Twins Daily friends scattered throughout the stands, bundled up but smiling, brought everything full circle. Home Opener always has its own kind of magic, and sharing it with this group made it even better. And the game itself couldn’t have been a better payoff. Watching the Minnesota Twins pick up a Home Opener win at Target Field brought the energy full circle. It was the perfect ending to an already incredible day. If this is any indication of what is ahead, it’s going to be a fun season! Stay tuned for more Twins Daily Social Club watch parties and events throughout the year. And as always, we’ll see you at the park! View the full article

El Paso swept a doubleheader behind Sung-Mun Song, Marcos Castañon, Griffin Canning, Evan Fitterer, Eli Villalobos, and Logan Gillaspie, while Misael Tamarez, Yuki Matsui, Justin Yeager, and Alek Jacob also delivered key innings. Ian Koenig, Francis Peña, Andrew Thurman, Tyler Schmitt, and Jamie Hitt turned in work despite losses. Ryan Wideman homered for Lake Elsinore, Luke Cantwell drove in a run, and Kai Murphy led San Antonio’s offense with two hits and a steal. Song Drives In Two, Chihuahuas Break Tie In Eighth Box Score The El Paso Chihuahuas broke a tie in the eighth inning and held on for a 5-2 win over Tacoma on Saturday at Cheney Stadium in the first game of a doubleheader. El Paso fell behind in the first, but answered in the third. Pablo Reyes singled, Samad Taylor followed with a hit, and Sung Mun Song lined a double to right that scored Reyes and tied the game at 1-1. The Chihuahuas threatened again in the sixth when Nick Schnell tripled with two outs, but the game remained even until the extra frame. With the zombie runner at second to open the eighth, Jase Bowen reached on a throwing error that brought home Taylor and moved Bowen to second. Song followed with an RBI single to left, then Nick Solak walked and Schnell was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Rodolfo Durán added the decisive swing of the inning, lining a two-run single to center to stretch the lead to 5-1. Song finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Durán went 1-for-4 with two RBIs, while Schnell had a triple, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base. Reyes singled, walked, stole a base, and scored, and Taylor added a hit, a run scored, and another stolen base. Griffin Canning started for El Paso and worked 2 1/3 innings, allowing one run, two walks, and striking out four. Misael Tamarez followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings and one strikeout. Yuki Matsui struck out two in one inning, Justin Yeager earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings and one strikeout, and Alek Jacob allowed one run in the eighth while striking out three. Castañon Homers, Fitterer, And Villalobos Lead Chihuahuas Past Tacoma Box Score The El Paso Chihuahuas scored all their runs in the first inning and rode strong pitching to a 2-1 win over Tacoma on Saturday at Cheney Stadium. El Paso struck with two outs in the opening frame. Nick Schnell drew a walk, Jase Bowen reached on a force play, and Marcos Castañon drove both home with a two-run homer to right. Carlos Rodríguez followed with a double, but the Chihuahuas would not score again. That early swing proved enough for El Paso’s pitching staff. Evan Fitterer started and worked three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out four. Eli Villalobos followed with two scoreless innings, giving up one hit, one walk, and striking out two. Logan Gillaspie handled the final two innings, allowing one run, two walks, and striking out four for the save. Tacoma threatened in the fourth after an error, a single, and a walk loaded the bases with two outs, but El Paso escaped without allowing a run. The Rainiers broke through in the sixth on a solo home run, trimming the lead to 2-1, but the Chihuahuas kept them off the board in late innings. Jakson Reetz doubled in the seventh and Rhylan Thomas stole second after reaching on a force play, putting the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Gillaspie struck out Connor Joe to end that threat and close out the win. Castañon finished 2-for-3 with the homer and two RBIs. Rodríguez doubled, Samad Taylor had a double, and Schnell drew two walks. Koenig Strikes Out Five, Missions Shut Out In Tulsa Box Score The San Antonio Missions were held without a run in a 4-0 loss to Tulsa on Saturday at ONEOK Field. San Antonio managed five hits and put runners on throughout the night, but could not break through against the Drillers staff. Kai Murphy finished 2-for-4 and stole a base, while Luis Verdugo went 1-for-2 with two walks. Romeo Sanabria and Albert Fabian each added a hit, and Francisco Acuna drew two walks. The Missions threatened in the third when Murphy singled, stole second, and Acuna walked, but Tulsa escaped the inning with a strikeout. San Antonio also put two on in the fifth after Verdugo walked and Murphy singled, only to leave both aboard. In the seventh, Verdugo singled and Murphy reached on an error before Acuna reached on a force play, but the Missions again came away empty. Fabian singled in the ninth, and Verdugo walked to bring the tying run to the plate, but Tulsa closed out the game with another strikeout. Ian Koenig started for San Antonio and worked five innings, allowing four runs, three earned, with no walks and five strikeouts. Tulsa scored its first run on a solo home run in the first, then added three more in the fourth after a throwing error opened the door before a two-out, three-run homer stretched the lead to 4-0. Francis Peña followed Koenig with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits, two walks, and striking out two. Andrew Thurman covered the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing no hits, no walks, and one strikeout. Wideman Homers, Cantwell Drives In Run In Storm Loss Box Score The Lake Elsinore Storm carried a lead into the late innings, but Inland Empire scored twice in the eighth to hand the Storm a 6-4 loss on Saturday at ONT Field. Lake Elsinore opened the scoring in the third. Jose Verdugo singled and stole second before Ryan Wideman walked. Ty Harvey then lined a single to right that brought home Verdugo, and a passed ball later in the inning scored Wideman to make it 2-0. The 66ers answered with a two-run homer in the fourth, but Wideman put the Storm back in front in the fifth with a solo home run to left center. After Inland Empire moved ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Lake Elsinore pulled even in the sixth. Kale Fountain walked and moved up on a wild pitch and passed ball, George Bilecki walked, and Luke Cantwell followed with an RBI double to left that scored Bilecki. Wideman finished 1-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. Harvey went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base, while Cantwell was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Verdugo added a hit and a stolen base, and Justin DeCriscio collected two hits. Tyler Schmitt started for Lake Elsinore and worked 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, four walks, and striking out seven. Jamie Hitt followed with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Landry Jurecka took the loss after allowing two runs in one inning with one walk and three strikeouts. View the full article

Seven games into the season, the San Diego Padres ranked dead last in the MLB in runs scored. That's not the stat fans expected to see, especially with an offense featuring all-stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Jackson Merrill. Despite the firepower in San Diego, the bats have come out of the gate extremely cold... just like they were last year when the team was eliminated in the NL Wild Card Round. Not only are the Padres last in runs, they are also last in hits, home runs, OBP, SLG, and OPS. They rank 22nd in walks and 29th in batting average. The Friars are not scoring because they are not getting on base, hitting for average, or hitting for power. Their offense is failing in every element of the game. Not everyone on the offense is struggling, however. Ramon Laureano is playing some of the best baseball of his career. Laureano has been good for a while now. He had an .832 OPS and 1.3 bWAR in 67 games with the Braves in 2024, and followed that up with an impressive 2025 season, which saw him slash .281/.342/.512 with 3.8 bWAR split between Baltimore and San Diego. It was the best season of his career, but 2026 has been an even better start for the veteran outfielder. So, what is behind Laureano's hot start, and what is he doing right that the rest of the team is doing wrong? Padres Breakdown: Ramon Laureano's Scorching Hot Start Finding the Sweet Spot One number that jumps out from Laureano's Baseball Savant page is his launch-angle sweet-spot percentage of 52.9%. That ranks in the 94th percentile in the MLB. That means that the veteran outfielder's bat path and swing plane are on point, and he's producing contact at the ideal time in his swing. That explains the .318 batting average. The xBA backs it up, as his expected average of .308 almost perfectly matches the actual production. Laureano's also boasting a barrel rate of 17.6%, placing him in the 85th percentile of the league. That has helped raise his xSLG to .677, even better than his current .636 slugging percentage. Laureano has hit two of the Padres' three home runs in 2026, and his barrel rate is a big reason why. Laureano is hitting the ball hard, barreling it up at an above-average rate, and hitting the ball in the air consistently. It's almost surprising that his .984 OPS isn't higher. Taking A Page Out of Ramon Laureano's Book The Padres, as a team, rank dead last in barrels. In fact, San Diego only has seven barrels this season. Laureano is responsible for three of those. It's never a good sign when one player accounts for half of his team's production, but that has almost been the case for San Diego. The Braves already have 25 barrels, more than three times as many as the Friars. What is interesting is that San Diego's 41.3% hard-hit rate is fine, 11th best in the league so far. While they might not be barreling up the ball, they are at least hitting it hard. The team's expected stats are also significantly better than their actual stats, so that's another silver lining. San Diego's xBA as a team is .239 (17th) compared to their actual team average of .192 (29th). Their xSLG of .348 is still not great, ranking 27th in the league, but it's still nearly 60 points higher than their actual team SLG of .290, the worst in baseball. Ultimately, this team is going to need to take a page out of Laureano's book and start barreling the ball up more. Right now, the Padres 5.2% weak contact rate is the seventh-highest in the league. They are topping the ball 34.1% of the time, the fourth-most often, while they make solid contact just 6% of the time (13th). Improving contact quality is easier said than done, but there's more than enough firepower in Craig Stammen's lineup to make it happen. Ramon Laureano is leading by example, but he can't keep the offense afloat on his own. View the full article

Twins System Recap: Marek Houston and Brandon Winokur fueled the Cedar Rapids Kernels to victory Saturday. Unfortunately, they were the only team to win across the system. Houston reached safely four times and had a double and a triple. Winokur had three hits, stole two bases, and opened the game with a diving catch in center field to record the first out. Here's more info on those two performances and an overview of all of the night's action. View the full article

Transactions: RHP Logan Henderson recalled to Milwaukee LHP Sammy Peralta claimed by Colorado LHP Rob Zastryzny returned to Milwaukee from rehab Rob Z's initial placement was for a left shoulder strain. Not specifically a transaction, bot oh-so-encouraging: Nashville Press Release: The Nashville Sounds have postponed their Saturday night game against the Charlotte Knights due to inclement weather. They are still expected to play on Sunday, April 5 at First Horizon Park. The game will be made up when the team plays in Charlotte for their series from April 21 to April 26. The exact date of the makeup game will be determined by the Charlotte Knights and announced at a later time. As for Sunday, no expected change with LHP Tate Kuehner scheduled to be on the bump. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Rocket City (Angels) 9, Biloxi 4 Box Score and Game Log Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - Manager Mike Guerrero's chat from Friday night is available as of Sunday AM Via the Shuckers, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Shuckers Fall Behind Early in 9-4 Loss to Trash Pandas - Shuckers handed first loss of 2026 after Rocket City runs out to early lead The bat of organizational newcomer Damon Keith sacrificed itself for the lone posted Biloxi highlight of the evening - Tough outing for RHP Bishop Letson, who retired only four of the ten batters he faced. Rocket City was up 1-0 in the initial frame with runners on 1st and 3rd with two outs when Letson left this pitch up. Center fielder Dasan Brown took a slightly off-kilter route, but it was still a pitch that was hard hit for a two-run triple and a 3-1 deficit. 25-year-old Tanner Gillis made his AA debut, and this was the first of two home runs he would surrender, although he provided 3.2 innings of needed length relief behind Letson and RHP Stiven Cruz (who allowed a Letson inherited runner to score along with one of his own). Only LHP Anthony Flores, who will be pitching all of 2026 at age 21, had a truly positive mound night, stranding a runner for Gillis and retiring all four men he faced. Flores issued 56 free passes (48 BB, 8 HBP) in 91 innings - 32 appearances (11 starts) - with Wisconsin last season. Given his youthfulness, if the control is better moving forward, he'd elevate his prospect status immensely. At the plate, it seems it won't be often we see a team strikeout total that isn't double digits, and that's the story across all of MiLB, not just the Crew's system. Shuckers batters fanned ten times here. Those batters also walked eight times and were plunked thrice. It's going to take some time to recognize that HBP (Adams) in Biloxi box scores refers to newcomer OF Jordyn and not career pincushion Luke. Mike Boeve committed a throwing error in his first fielding chance at third base since the 2024 season. Blake Burke mishandled a Gillis pickoff attempt for the other Biloxi miscue, though that did not lead directly to any unearned runs. Jesus Made was the only Shucker not to reach base, 0-for-5 with two K's. When the ball was in play, Made was eliminated on a dribbler in front of the plate, flied out to left field (as a LH batter), and grounded back to the pitcher. Utility man Jheremy Vargas and 22-year-old catcher Edgardo Ordonez are the two position players yet to see action after two games. You may have felt as though only the negative aspects of the game were spotlighted above. With that, we say: Jacob Hurtubise RBI double in the 6th Jordyn Adams bases-loaded walk in the 7th Hurtubise sacrifice fly in the 8th *In addition to reading the Wisconsin game summaries and taking in the full video highlights, the best gift you can give yourself from a knowledge standpoint is to listen to the Postgame Podcast featuring comments from Nick Stanley, Tayden Hall, Eric Bitonti, and Quinton Low The Spotify audio, including the four interviews, runs only 19 minutes so you can squeeze it in now, and best of all, new Assistant Broadcaster Jonathan Timm (welcome, Jonathan!) learned that the exits for both Josh Adamczewski and Braylon Payne were related to cramping, and both will be fine. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final, Game One: Beloit (Marlins) 5, Wisconsin 4, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log Beloit’s Late Home Run Beats Wisconsin If it seemed as though the bases were loaded around the clock for both teams within those three-and-a-half minutes you just watched, it's because this contest featured (featured? Yeah, we guess) 23 walks, a HBP, five wild pitches (all by the Beloit starter, along with his balk) - remember, all within just seven innings! The teams combined to go 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position which added to the U-G-L-Y nature of the contest, and yet, there was drama throughout. A whole bunch of fans in the stands were lulled into the determination that they were good with heading home after this one (opening pitch was 39 degrees, though a balmy 43 by the time Game Two got underway). As you review the four box score pitching lines, let's just wait for some semblance of a next chance in better conditions analysis. *** Final, Game Two: Wisconsin 8, Beloit 7, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log (Just scroll down at the link below to get to the write-up) Rattlers Power Up to Take Nightcap - Wisconsin hits three homers in comeback win over Sky Carp My oh my, check out how close the final out came to ruining the fun. Only 3rd catcher David Garcia failed to see the field in the twinbill among the 15 position players on the squad. Wisconsin was the recipient of another seven free passes (6 BB, 1 HBP), so there are plenty of healthy OBP's throughout the roster after Day One. RHP Ethan Dorchies powered through four innings in the Game Two start and did so on just 59 pitches (37 strikes). As originally scheduled, the T-Rats are idle on Easter Sunday. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Fayetteville (Astros) 6, Wilson 5 Box Score and Game Log Fayetteville Rallies Past Warbirds to Level Series - Woodpeckers Score twice in the eighth to win Frederi Montero will be just 19 years old for the 2026 season. The corner infielder has started 60 games at first base, including Saturday, and 45 at third base in his first two pro seasons. You'll find additional highlights here: Juan Ortuno checks his swing and walks to drive in the tying run in the 7th Brady Ebel immediately walks as well to give the Warbirds a fleeting lead Yannic Walther's sacrifice fly brings in a diving Frederi Montero in this back-and-forth contest Down to their final out, Handelfry Encarnacion doubles in Ortuno to make it a 6-5 deficit Unfortunately, CF Jose Anderson would strike out to end the evening, capping his platinum sombrero 0-for-5 night. Warbirds batters fanned 13 times. Here's a non-player specific interview with the Voice of the Warbirds Chris Edwards from a general baseball and military significance perspective. Cortez was worth watching to be sure - three scoreless innings, 2 hits, one BB, 2 K. Welcome back, young man. This guy killed the Warbirds all evening - watch as Grasshoppers leadoff RF nets four base knocks against all three Wilson hurlers - Cortez, Enderson Mercado (twice), and Joshua Quezada. Congrats to 22-year-old OF Nick Monile, a non-drafted free agent signing last August out of the University of North Florida. He walked once in four trips to the plate in his professional debut. I'll be back Monday AM with the three Easter Sunday games on tap. Biloxi RHP Tyson Hardin joins the previously noted Tate Kuehner among scheduled starters, while 20-year-old RHP Jarrette Bonet, picked up from the independent but MLB-sponsored "Draft League", makes his formal pro debut for Wilson. To those who celebrate, a blessed Easter, and everyone have a wonderful Sunday. 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

TRANSACTIONS RHP Garrett Acton was officially added to the Saints roster. To make room, LHP Christian MacLeod was released by the organization. In addition, LHP Kendry Rojas began a rehab assignment with the Mighty Mussels on Saturday. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Worcester 5 Box Score The Saints and Woo Sox were finally able to get another game in at CHS Field. It was cold, and especially early, the Saints arms and bats were very cold. The Saints attempted a comeback late in the game, but it fell short. Zebby Matthews was on the mound to start for the Saints. He was touched up for five runs on seven hits and two walks over the first 3 1/3 innings. Four of those hits left the ballpark. Former teammate Mickey Gasper lined a two-run homer over the right-field wall in the first inning. In the third inning, Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton hit back-to-back solo homers. Tsung-Che Cheng added another solo shot in the fourth. Drew Smith got the final two outs of the fourth inning. Eduardo Salazar walked three but struck out two in a scoreless fifth inning. That’s when the Saints turned to Connor Prielipp who was scheduled to start on Thursday and Friday when weather caused rainouts. He tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings and gave up two hits, walked two and had four strikeouts. Trent Baker got the final two outs of the ninth, one on a strikeout. With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Gabriel Gonzalez hit his first homer of the season to cut the deficit to 5-2. Eric Wagaman followed with a single and scored on an Orlando Arcia double. Arcia led the offense. He went 2-for-4 with a double. Ryan Kreidler and Alan Roden each walked twice. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, NW Arkansas 9 Box Score C.J. Culpepper got the starting nod for the Wind Surge and was fantastic. He tossed four no-hit innings. He walked one and had one struck out. Unfortunately, the pitching after Culpepper was not helped by their defense, and the pitchers were unable to minimize the damage. Sam Armstrong came out of the bullpen and tossed three innings. He was charged with seven runs, but just two were earned. He gave up four hits, walked two and had two strikeouts. Luis Quinones came on and gave up an unearned run. He walked three and struck out two batters in his inning. Jarret Whorff gave up one run on two hits in the ninth inning. He struck out one batter. Wichita took the early lead in the second inning when Billy Amick lined a ball that the left fielder let bounce past him and to the wall. Amick raced around the bases. The play at the plate was close, but the corner infielder beat the throw to give the Surge a 1-0 lead. Down 4-1 going to the bottom of the sixth inning, Kyle DeBarge and Kala’i Rosario walked to start the inning. They were successful on a double steal. Amick drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. With two outs, Ben Ross doubled in Rosario to make it 4-3. Ross led the Surge offense, going 2-for-4. The double was his second of the season. Rosario and DeBarge each had a single, a walk and a stolen base. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 8, Peoria 4 Box Score Peoria jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but the Kernels put a Six on the board in the fifth inning to claim the lead and held on for the Win. Let’s jump to the bottom of the fifth. Caden Kendle led off with a double. He went to third on a Jaime Ferrer single. Marek Houston walked to load the bases. With one out, Khadim Diaw walked to put the Kernels on the board. Brandon Winokur lined a single to center that drove in two runs and tied the game at 3. Following a pitching change, Diaw and Winokur were successful on a double steal. Danny De Andrade responded with a single to drive in both runners. Jacob McCombs singled. Then with two outs, Kendle hit his second double of the inning to drive in the sixth run. The bottom of the sixth inning began with a Houston triple. Eduardo Tait followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-3. The Kernels added one more run in the eighth inning. Tait led off with a double, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a Winokur single. It was a good day for the Kernels offense. Eight of their nine hitters had at least one hit. Winokur led the way to a 3-for-5 day and had three RBI. Houston was 2-for-3 with two walks, his first double and his first triple of the season. De Andrade had two hits and two RBI. Kendle hit his first two doubles in the fifth inning. They were also his first two doubles of the season. Jaime Ferrer also had two hits. Adrian Bohorquez started and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk over 3 2/3 innings He had five strikeouts, and Twins fans will enjoy hearing that he touched 98 a couple of times. Nick Trabacci allowed both runners he inherited before recording the final out of the fourth frame. Michael Ross tossed a scoreless fourth inning. Brent Francisco came in and gave up one run on three hits and a walk over four innings to earn the save. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Clearwater 7 Box Score On Saturday, Kendry Rojas made his first rehab start as he prepares to rejoin the Saints. In 1 1/3 innings, he gave up two unearned runs on two hits. He walked two and had two strikeouts. Mike McKenna came in and finished the second inning, but not before allowing both of Rojas’s runners to score. He gave up his own unearned run as well. Jonathan Stevens came in and was charged with three runs on two hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts. Mitch Mueller got the next four outs, two an strikeouts. Jake Murray gave up one run on one hit and a walk in one inning. Adam Falinski struck out three batters over the final two scoreless, one-hit innings. After a combined two hits over their first two games on Friday, the Miracle doubled that total with four hits in this single game on Saturday. They also managed to walk 12 times. Harry Genth and Jayson Bass each had a double. JP Smith had a single and two walks. Ryan Sprock walked in three plate appearances. Bryan Acuna and Dameury Pena each walked twice as well. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, R, 3 RBI, K. Pitcher of the Day CJ Culpepper (Wichita): 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K, 43 pitches, 24 strikes (58.8%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, HBP, K (batted first, played CF, 7 innings) #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, HBP, R, K (batted second, played SS) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, HBP, 2 K, SB (batted sixth, played LF) #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2B(1), R, RBI, K, SF (batted second, DHd #5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (St.Paul) - 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 63 pitched, 37 strikes (58.7%) #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - DNP #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, HR(1), R, 2 RBI (batted fourth, DHd) #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - Rehab in FM ( #9 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2B(1), 3B(1), 2 R, K, E (batted first, played SS) #10 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #11 - RHP Riley Quick (Ft. Myers) - DNP #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (St. Paul) - Sunday probable. #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-5, R, 3 RBI, K (batted fourth, played CF) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4, BB, R, 2 K #15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - DNP #16 - OF Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 1-for-4, K (batted third, played LF) #17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, R, SB(1), E (led off, played SS), #18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 43 pitches, 24 strikes (55.8%) #19 - C Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, BB, R, RBI, K (batted third, catcher) #20 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - DNP UPCOMING PROBABLES Sunday: Worcester @ St. Paul (DH attempts @ 12:37 pm CT) - RHP Andrew Morris, RHP John Klein Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 pm CT) - RHP Nolan Santos CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 3-5 St. Paul Saints: 3-3 Wichita Wind Surge: 1-2 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 1-1 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 1-2 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

There’s a certain magic unique to baseball. Something that only exists in rumors and tall tales. That kind of magic is what gave birth to baseball in South Bend, Indiana. A Ghost and a Glove (1860-1920) On the eve of the Civil War, a man named Henry Benjamin arrived in South Bend, carrying only a worn glove and rules to an unknown game. Before long Henry captivated South Bend with the game of baseball and soon established the first South Bend team, “The Hoosiers”. By 1870, South Bend was steeped in baseball and Henry Benjamin had vanished without a trace — no photos, no newspaper clippings; he was never registered on the census. All that remained of him was the game he brought. In the rusted iron dust and earth of factory back lots, amidst the deafening hum of machinery at the turn of the 19th century, baseball took root and found its rhythm and for over 100 years, grew with the city. In that time, another legend helped take South Bend’s pastime and solidify it as a cornerstone of the city. If Henry Benjamin was the soul of baseball in South Bend, Stanley Coveleski was its flesh and blood. Born to Polish immigrants in the coal-mining town of Shamokin, Pennsylvania. at the age of 12, Stanley Coveleski began working in those coal mines. On his breaks, when he had them, he often honed his aim by throwing rocks at cans. Later in life, he used that arm to secure the win in three games of the 1920 World Series. He finished his career with over 200 wins. When the time came to hang the glove it wasn’t New York or Cleveland where he chose to settle. It was South Bend. Coveleski made this factory town his home, where he offered free pitching lessons to local youth for decades. His impact in the community may have been greatest in backlots, sandlots, and neighborhood ball diamonds where the kids put Coveleski’s lessons to use for years to come, and when the time came, teaching it to kids of their own. The Studebaker Era (1920-1980) In the early days following Coveleski’s retirement in 1929, South Bend had already seen the rise of several early baseball clubs — yeams like the Whitecaps and the legendary Green Stockings. These teams were supported by local business. Factories like the famous Studebaker Company contributed to the construction of many stadiums and fields for their workers. Coveleski’s presence, along with the booming investment from South Bend’s auto industry, helped build a thriving baseball culture. That era, and Coveleski's influence, brought legends like Babe Ruth and later Satchel Paige to town for exhibition games. But no good thing lasts forever. Late into the 1950s, the economy had come to a standstill. As Studebaker struggled to survive, they desperately reclaimed the fields it had built (invoking contract clauses to reclaim ownership). This collapsed the adult, semi-pro, and casual leagues throughout the city. Ball diamonds became land assets and were sold off; Studebaker closed regardless. A City Asleep (1980–2010) Through to the 1980s, baseball had disappeared as South Bend spent decades trying to recover economically from the collapse of local businesses. In 1984, the city turned to a nontraditional approach for change, bringing baseball back. In 1986, yhe city’s first High-A baseball team came to town and in 1988, Stanley Coveleski Stadium was opened next to the ruins of the old Studebaker buildings as a testament of endurance. The pride of a baseball town was reignited with South Bend winning the Midwest League Championships in 1989 and 1993. By 1994, the South Bend Silver Hawks, affiliate for the Diamondbacks replaced the original team. “The Cove” became a community staple and went on to win the City its third Midwest title in 2005. Around that time, word spread that the Diamondbacks were leaving risking a blow to the city that it could not afford. Former Indiana Governor, Joe Kernan, a South Bend native, ballplayer, and POW, led a group of investors to purchase the team in 2006 and “The Cove” celebrated its 4 millionth fan. While the stadium was saved, maintenance slipped and attendance went with it. This was in no small part due to the recession of 2008 which destroyed any economic progress South Bend made since Studebaker. Unemployment skyrocketed and sections of the city rapidly decayed, particularly south of the city where “The Cove” was located. The odds weren’t with the ball club, but the city persisted — they'd unfortunately been in this situation before. Berlin’s At-Bat The former governor found a potential buyer and here is where Andrew Berlin enters the frame. Berlin's initial impression of Coveleski Stadium was that “There were just a couple hundred people there and the place didn’t look that great... Gov. Kernan joked with me that it was Friends and Family Day. As charming and as thoughtful as he was… it was kind of hard to see what we could do with this stadium. It was in a tough place in 2011. [Source: South Bend Tribune] Berlin was hesitant to purchase the team at first but, “Joe convinced me it was a diamond in the rough. Once in, I was all in. I leaned in hard because I wasn’t going to go into a business and not try to be successful." In 2011, Berlin purchased the team and focused on keeping the team in South Bend. With Berlin’s backing and a newfound enthusiasm, attendance skyrocketed by 68% the first year and a new team store was established in left field after the conversation of an old synagogue. The transformation was completed in 2013 with the renaming of the field to “Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium” to honor Caveleski and the local band of Potatwomi tribe. “Four Winds” comes from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and represents beginnings, strength, reflection, wisdom, and endurance. Those winds now carry the sound of the game, the roar of the crowd, and the sense that something that was lost has found its way home. The city had its ball team. Now it had to prove it could work. The Cubs Arrive The proof came quickly. On Sept 25, 2014, the South Bend Silver Hawks were re-branded again and “The Cove” had a new team. The South Bend Cubs found their home, with a clear goal — to make Four Winds Field their very own ‘Little Wrigley’. Andrew Berlin contributed several million dollars in investment into the team and its infrastructure by fully renovating the field with new natural turf for first pitch on April 9th, 2015. The next month, the South Bend Cubs opened their state-of-the-art Performance Center; a 17,000-square-foot facility built for top-of-the-line development. Plasters get Major League level analysis and training to make the adjustments and tuning to make it to the professional level. It’s also one of the few places where professional-level instruction is open to the public alongside future Cubs as they refine their game. Its proximity to Wrigley Field and its high-end performance center makes South Bend a natural stop for rehab assignments, where established players return to form alongside those still working to make it to The Show. Where The Road to The Show Begins Since becoming the High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs in 2015, South Bend has become a true proving ground in the Cubs’ system. Some of the most notable players who have played in South Bend include players like: Nico Hoerner, Christopher Morel, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Miguel Amaya, Brennen Davis, and Owen Caissie who all came through as top prospects that's given South Bend a particular point of pride. This isn’t just a stop along the way though. It’s where the wheat is separated from the chaff, where performance starts to matter, where adjustments take shape, and where potential turns to talent. What happens in South Bend isn’t accidental – it’s built into the level. It’s close enough to Chicago that players get their first glimpses of light from the Marquee while progressing on the long road ahead. There’s no hiding here, only repetition, failure, and the slow process of becoming something that can last. What started with player development didn’t just happen on the field. For the next two years, the South Bend Cubs set attendance record after attendance record, earning recognition for their facilities and securing their place in the Cubs’ system over the long term. But the growth didn’t stop there. The South Bend Cubs were voted best Class A ballpark in the country in 2017 and was given the privilege of hosting the 55th Annual Midwest League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby for the efforts. Something that hadn’t happened in more than 30 years. That momentum rolled right into more investment. The Ivy at Berlin Place rose beyond the outfield wall, the addition of rooftop seating brought a familiar Wrigley feel to South Bend, and the stadium itself expanded to meet the demand. The latest expansion, a $48 million project, will push capacity over 10,000 and position South Bend to make the case for AA or even reach for AAA designation after 2030. This expansion adds a new upper deck level, expanded concourses, and a year-round event space. The new upper deck’s exposed steel support beams were designed to intentionally replicate those at Wrigley Field, furthering the “Little Wrigley” moniker. The city recently purchased the historic Union Train Station across from the ballpark with the hopes of someday connecting a train line to Chicago emulating taking the redline to Wrigley Field. In total, more than $60 million has been invested into Four Winds Field. This investment didn’t just change the stadium — it’s changed the city around it. New apartments with rooftop stands, bars, restaurants are all planned to rap the stadium South Bend has been many things over the decades; a booming factory town, a city shaken by collapse, and now its a baseball town again. This team doesn’t just play in the city. It plays for it. Loyal fans cheer at every crack of the bat, you can feel time reaching back — from Henry Benjamin’s quiet arrival, to Stanley Coveleski’s lasting presence, to the Cubs’ next generation taking shape just a short ride from Chicago. The Cubs didn’t just bring baseball back to South Bend. They helped bring the city back to itself. This is more than a field to the city. It’s more than a game to us. View the full article

NEW YORK — It has been more than 8.5 years since Giancarlo Stanton last competed in a Miami Marlins uniform. That is an eternity in the baseball world. So when approximately 20% of "Yankees Trivia" participants selected anybody other than Stanton as the Marlins' all-time home run leader, I gave them a pass. It's understandably difficult to process that a player who was traded away shortly after his 28th birthday had enough time to set that record (among numerous others for offensive excellence). Stanton didn't homer against his former club on Saturday night, but he is well-positioned to earn Series MVP honors after stealing a base to help manufacture a run in the seventh inning and putting the Yanks ahead for good with a two-out, two-run single in the eighth. Although the latter moment proved more consequential, Stanton's success on the bases was particularly noteworthy considering that a series of injuries have sapped his agility. Since 2024, he ranks dead last among MLB players with a 24.3 ft/sec Sprint Speed (min. 100 "competitive runs" tracked by Statcast). He had not even attempted to steal in a regular season game since 2020. With Stanton on first base and the Yankees leading 5-4, he noticed inexperienced first baseman Connor Norby playing far behind him and extended his lead accordingly. He was more than 30 feet off the bag by the time that right-hander Calvin Faucher released the ball. Catcher Agustín Ramírez was slow to notice Stanton in motion, delaying his transition from receiving to throwing and resulting in a glacial 2.44-second pop time. "If they're gonna give it to me, I gotta go get it," Stanton told reporters postgame. "I put that one on me," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "Just felt like there was less likelihood that he would go," so Norby was directed to back up, maximizing his range to cover a potential ground ball to the right side of the infield. On the next pitch, J.C. Escarra fittingly grounded out to the right side, advancing Stanton to third. Then, a passed ball by Ramírez allowed Stanton to score a crucial insurance run. The three players traded to Miami in exchange for Stanton—Starlin Castro, José Devers and Jorge Guzman—are long gone from the Marlins organization. None of them even work in affiliated baseball anymore. Meanwhile, the Yankees continue to receive good, albeit part-time production from the 36-year-old designated hitter. He has a 125 wRC+ since the trade, not to mention a 147 wRC+ in the MLB postseason, which his new club qualifies for on a near-annual basis. There was a cash component of the deal as well. The Yankees took responsibility for 90% of the $300 million that Stanton was still owed at the time, with the Marlins agreeing to assist with the back end of his contract. Those payments began this year—$10M in 2026, $10 in 2027 and $10M in 2028. In stark contrast, no current Marlins position player makes a salary above $2M (Christopher Morel). In 20 career games against his original employer, Stanton has generally been held in check with a .222/.333/.389 slash line and two long balls. The Yankees narrowly hold the edge in those head-to-head matchups with an 11-9 record. View the full article

As part of the Twins’ 2026 Home Opener, Twins owner Tom Pohlad sat down with the media and discussed the outlook for the upcoming season. Naturally, the conversation turned toward the organization’s young talent and how to keep that group invested long term. “I think, again, what we’ve done from a culture standpoint, the relationships we’re building in the clubhouse, the leadership changes that you’ve seen, particularly with Derek Shelton at the helm, I think those things matter and as we go throughout the year here, there’s going to be more and more opportunities for us to put words into action and ultimately I think that’s what will make the Luke Keaschalls of the world and everybody else want to be a Twin for a lot longer.” When pressed about whether the organization had already approached players about extensions, Pohlad kept things close to the vest. “I’m not going to get into what we have or haven’t done.” Still, he tipped his hand just enough by naming Taj Bradley, Luke Keaschall, and Mick Abel as players the Twins would like to keep around for the long haul. That trio represents three very different extension cases, and each comes with its own set of risks and rewards. Taj Bradley: Electric Arm, Uneven Track Record Bradley has looked like the best pitcher on the roster through the first couple turns of the rotation. The raw stuff has always been there, but now it is jumping off the page. He even became the first Twins pitcher in the pitch tracking era to reach triple digits on a fastball, a milestone that speaks to just how loud his arsenal can be. The Twins believe they unlocked something after acquiring him at last year’s trade deadline. Mechanical tweaks and pitch usage changes appear to be paying early dividends. If that version of Bradley is real, then locking him up before arbitration gets expensive could be a savvy move. But this is where things get tricky. Bradley already has nearly 400 big league innings under his belt, and the results have been inconsistent. A 4.75 ERA paired with a 4.32 FIP, along with a 25.0 K% and an 8.7 BB%, paints the picture of a pitcher who has flashed but not sustained success. Committing long-term to that profile requires a strong belief that the recent changes are permanent, not just a short-term spike. An extension here would be a bet on development. The upside is a frontline starter at a discounted rate. The downside is paying for a version of Bradley that has not consistently existed yet. Luke Keaschall: Dynamic Bat, Lingering Questions Keaschall might be the most exciting player of the bunch right now. He has been electric at the big-league level, showing the ability to hit for average, tap into power, and impact the game on the bases. Early returns in 2026 suggest his bat speed has taken another step forward, which could unlock even more pop. That kind of offensive profile is exactly what teams look to build around. From a team control standpoint, there is less urgency. Keaschall is under control through 2031, which gives the Twins plenty of runway. However, that also creates an opportunity. If the organization truly believes he is a foundational bat, extending him early could buy out arbitration years at a lower cost and potentially secure a few free agent seasons. The hesitation comes from durability and defensive uncertainty. Keaschall has already dealt with multiple injuries, including Tommy John surgery and a broken arm. That is not something to ignore, especially for a player whose value is tied to athleticism and bat speed. There is also the question of where he ultimately plays. He has been a below-average second baseman, and while versatility can be valuable, not having a clear defensive home complicates long-term projections. Extending Keaschall would be a bet on the bat carrying the profile regardless of position. If he hits like a middle-of-the-order threat, it works. If injuries linger or the defensive fit never settles, it becomes more complicated. Mick Abel: High Ceiling, Wide Range of Outcomes Abel might be the most fascinating case of the three. He earned the fifth starter role out of spring training, beating out Zebby Matthews after an impressive camp. The biggest development was improved control, something that had eluded him at times in the upper-minors (10. BB% in 2025). Pair that with his ability to miss bats, and you start to see why the Twins dream on him as a potential front-of-the-rotation arm. That is the version of Abel that makes an extension enticing. If everything clicks, the Twins could be looking at a cost-controlled starter with top-of-the-rotation upside. Those are the types of players organizations try to lock up early, before the price tag reflects the ceiling. But there is a reason he was available in the first place. The Phillies were willing to move Abel in the deal that brought Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia, and part of that calculus was risk. Abel’s control has been inconsistent, and there is still a real possibility that he settles in as more of a back-end starter rather than an ace. The gap between those outcomes is significant, both in value and in how an extension would age. For the Twins, it comes down to confidence in their player development. If they believe the control gains are real, extending Abel early could look brilliant. If not, it is another example of paying for projection rather than production. The Bigger Picture What Pohlad said without saying it is that the Twins are at a crossroads with their young core. Extending players early can be a powerful tool. It builds goodwill, creates cost certainty, and can lock in cornerstone talent before prices escalate. It also comes with risk, especially when the players involved have not fully established themselves. Bradley, Keaschall, and Abel each represent a different version of that gamble. One has electric stuff but an uneven résumé. One looks like a budding star but carries injury and positional questions. One offers frontline upside with a wide range of outcomes. The Twins do not need to rush. But if they are serious about turning words into action, these are exactly the types of decisions that will define what this next competitive window looks like. Which player makes the most sense for an extension? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

After reports last week that the Brewers were nearing an eight-year, $50.75 million extension with shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt, the club announced the deal on Friday afternoon. Pratt’s deal also includes club options for the 2034 and 2035 seasons, which could keep the 21-year-old in Milwaukee for up to the next 10 seasons. “There have been so many people that from our perspective have had nothing but positive things to say about Cooper throughout his tenure as a Brewer, and even before he was a Brewer,” president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “So all of the arrows pointed in the right direction for us to commit to something like this.” “We're super excited to be able to do this with the Brewers and to be able to hopefully be a longtime Brewer, for sure,” said Pratt, who rejoined the Nashville Sounds over the weekend after traveling to Milwaukee to complete his physical and sign the deal. It’s the second investment the Brewers have made in Pratt, who is ranked by Brewer Fanatic as the club’s No. 4 prospect. Milwaukee crafted its draft strategy around him in 2023, saving its bonus pool money in the first few rounds and convincing him to forgo his college commitment with a $1.35 million bonus as its sixth-round pick. This extension reaffirms what was true three seasons ago: the Brewers are high on Pratt’s makeup. Despite his youth, Pratt has a high baseball IQ and feel for the game, which he pairs with well-rounded athleticism, even if none of his tools have developed into standout skills just yet. He’s already a solid defender, baserunner, and contact hitter. With that profile, it’s unsurprising the club sought to extend Pratt through his prime seasons. The timing, however, was unusual. Pratt was in just three games into his first stint at Triple-A, and the Brewers have a full big-league infield in front of him. He didn’t appear especially close to a promotion and did not need to be added to the 40-man roster until after the 2027 season. The extension forced the Brewers to select Pratt’s contract and option him to Triple-A. Arnold said the contract will not expedite his timeline to Milwaukee, which means Pratt will burn his first option season and spend most of the deal’s first year in the minor leagues. It’s an unusual upfront concession, but Arnold indicated that the length of the contract and Pratt’s potential make it worthwhile. “I think when you talk about a deal that has a potential to last for 10 years, it’s not just something that we want to think about in the moment,” he said. “Certainly, there’s an opportunity there to bring a guy up if we want to, but we don’t have to force it. He hasn’t been in Triple-A that long. We want to continue to let him develop there at his own pace, but we want to take the long view here with Cooper.” While Pratt’s glove at shortstop gives him a high floor and could make him a capable big-leaguer right now, more time in Triple-A may be best for his offensive development. His strong bat-to-ball skills helped him post a 123 DRC+ with Double-A Biloxi last year, according to Baseball Prospectus, but reducing his chases outside the strike zone and leveraging his 6-foot-4 frame for more power will make the difference between a glove-first infielder and one of the sport’s most well-rounded shortstops. “I think that we believe in the bat,” Arnold said. “We believe in the glove, certainly. And again, this guy is really toolsy, too. He’s very athletic. He’s a big, physical kid, so we think there’s a chance to grow into some power, and he can really run. So when you have that kind of athletic foundation, it’s a really good thing.” “There’s always something that you can get better at," Pratt said. "There’s always room to improve at some position of the game. And if I can improve every year at something, then I’ll be perfectly fine.” It was also an unusual deal for Pratt’s agent Scott Boras. His clients are typically known for avoiding extensions, preferring to enter free agency as scheduled to pursue a market-value contract. Pratt’s extension delays his free agency, but in this early stage of his career, he felt that squaring away the business side of the game for up to the next decade would help his on-field focus and development. “That was one of the biggest reasons why I kind of decided to do this,” he said. “I can just play and not have to worry about other stuff, all of the transactional stuff, and just play. When I do get called up to the show, I can just be ready to play in the show and not worry about any other outside things.” “For Cooper, how and why he played had a lot to do with this decision,” Boras said. “What it meant for him to move ahead and to advance to the big leagues, in his mind, quicker. What it meant for him to approach the game in a way that allowed him to develop appropriately.” Boras believes the stability secured by this contract could better position Pratt for that payday down the line. “We want to optimize Cooper,” Boras said. “And I felt after listening to him and his family that this was a deal that will allow him to be his best. And if we make Cooper his best, contractually, the risk on the back side of this will allow us optimization in the next contract. The risk of seven or eight years of play before [free agency] happens is immense. But I also know that the height of his performance, after listening to Cooper, will be enhanced because he made this decision.” The Brewers want Pratt to be a linchpin in their infield for years to come, and Pratt wants to develop into the best player he can be. Both sides feel his contract accomplishes those goals. “I feel like in my heart I made a good decision,” Pratt said. View the full article

NEW YORK — In the two previous Miami Marlins losses of 2026, observers could recognize early what the outcome would be. Saturday night followed a much different script, as a 4-0 lead suggested that they were firmly in control midway through the game evaporated. Alas, largely capitalizing on their visitor's inability to find the strike zone, the Yankees scored nine runs over their final four trips to the plate in a series-clinching victory. Close friends Meyer, Weathers equally underwhelming This was supposed to be the main storyline of the game, right? Marlins teammates from 2023-25, Max Meyer and Ryan Weathers are both under the microscope, as the former tries to preserve his spot in the starting rotation and latter tries to ingratiate himself to a new organization that holds itself to the highest standard. Another interesting twist: Meyer describes Weathers as "one of my best friends last year," so he was excited to see their pitching schedules align this way. Weathers started the night on an impressive note, striking out unorthodox leadoff man Austin Slater on three pitches. However, from that point forward, a Marlins lineup that generally stunk against left-handed starters in 2025 founds its spark. With two outs in the first inning, Heriberto Hernández caught up to a 99 mph fastball and drove it to the right-center gap for a two-run triple. The Marlins stretched their lead to 3-0 in the next inning with an assist from the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. Slater was initially called out on strikes to end the top of the second, but the 3-2 pitch was overturned to ball four after review. That set up an Agustín Ramírez RBI single. It was an inefficient outing for the talented left-hander, throwing 88 pitches in just 3 ⅔ innings. Meyer held the Yanks scoreless entering the fifth, but that was misleading. He allowed baserunners in all but one of his innings and never really found his rhythm. The bottom of the third was particularly adventurous. The first two batters reached base in front of Aaron Judge, who punished a middle-middle changeup with a 112 mph exit velocity. Fortunately for Meyer, it was directed to center field, so 387 feet later, Jakob Marsee had room to run it down for a long, loud out. Later from the frame, with the bases loaded, Meyer fell behind 3-0 in the count to Giancarlo Stanton, but rallied back to induce an inning-ending popout. More notes and takeaways - The Marlins had nine more hit than the Yankees (15 to six), but their baserunners totals were very similar due to all of the free passes. Going back to Friday's game, the Fish have tied a franchise record by issuing 21 walks in a two-game span. - Agustín Ramírez wasn't gun shy after carelessly getting picked off late in Friday's game. He showed good awareness in the fourth inning, taking third base on Jakob Marsee's single when he noticed that the base was unoccupied. An errant throw allowed him to score on the play. At the plate, he went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, raising his season wRC+ to 131. - In the second inning, Leo Jiménez recorded his first hit as a Marlin, a soft, well-placed grounder off of Weathers. He added another infield single in the sixth. - Speaking of Weathers, let's do a brief check-in on the prospects who the Marlins acquired in exchange for him. Outfielders Brendan Jones (.750 OPS) and Dillon Lewis (.250 OPS) and infielder Dylan Jasso (.833 OPS) have each begun 2026 with Double-A Pensacola. High-A infielder Juan Matheus went 0-for-4 with four walks in the Beloit Sky Carp's season-opening doubleheader on Saturday. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET, but inclement weather in the forecast puts that start time and the game itself in jeopardy. If they're able to play through the raindrops, the starting pitchers will be Chris Paddack (Marlins) and Max Fried (Yankees). While Paddack was shelled for eight runs (all earned) in his season debut, Fried owns a shiny 0.00 ERA on the heels of back-to-back scoreless starts. View the full article

Jays Centre is counting down the top 20 prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Check out prior entries in the series here: No. 20 to 16 No. 15 to 11 No. 10 No. 9 No. 8 No. 7 No. 6 The minor league season is finally here, and we have reached the final five of our top 20 prospects. It has been a windy and interesting road from #20-16, #15-11, and then into our top 10 with Jake Bloss, Yohendrick Pinango, Victor Arias, Juan Sanchez, and Gage Stanifer. Now we come to one of the fastest-rising Toronto Blue Jays prospects: Johnny King. No. 5: SP Johnny King – FCL, Dunedin (2025), Vancouver (2026) table.stats { border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center; } table.stats th, table.stats td { border: 1px solid #333; padding: 8px 12px; } table.stats th { font-weight: bold; background-color: #f2f2f2; } IP G GS ERA FIP xFIP K% BB% 61.2 18 15 2.48 3.18 2.88 39.5% 13.9% At just 19 years old, Johnny King is the epitome of a starting pitcher in stature, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 210 pounds. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2024 MLB draft in the third round, 95th overall. He kicked off his minor league career with a stellar performance in the Florida Complex League last season. He completely dominated hitters across seven games and 24 innings. His ERA was 1.13, with his FIP and xFIP equally standing out at 1.53 and 1.83, respectively. What should be highlighted above all was his propensity to strike batters out. He was one of the best strikeout pitchers in Rookie ball, ending his time there with a 41.8% strikeout rate. He was able to pair that with solid command as well, only walking 7.1% of the batters he faced. King was quickly promoted to Single-A Dunedin and continued to show a top-notch ability to generate whiffs. Over 11 games and 37.2 innings to finish the season, he struck out 38.1% of hitters as an 18-year-old facing mostly more advanced batters. He didn't give up many hits either, only seeing his batting average against rise from .195 at Rookie ball up to .201 at Single A. His ERA and FIP took a jump up, to 3.35 and 4.24, respectively. The main issue with the promotion was that his command routinely slipped at Single A. He had a somewhat concerning 17.1% walk rate, though he was able to finish the season strong, with a 4.2-inning performance, giving up just one hit and zero earned runs, while striking out seven and walking three. What To Like As an 18-year-old last season, King showed a rare ability to have exceptional stuff at such a young age and to be able to command it enough to strike out hitters at Single A. He has a great frame and still projects to get stronger and add velocity on his fastball. He already possesses two plus pitches in his four-seam fastball and curveball. Both were virtually unhittable in 2025, with the fastball having a batting average against of .213 and a whiff rate of 36.3%. The pitch has very good ride up in the zone, and he generates close to 18 inches of induced vertical break on it. The curveball had one of the best whiff rates in the minor leagues at 49.4%, and hitters could only hit .193 off of the pitch. King also gets above-average extension on the pitches, in the range of 6.5 feet. That will give him an exceptional base to pitch from to continue improving his repertoire as he gets older. His third pitch was his changeup, and while decent, it needs some work. It was a good pitch, which he used to limit the success of batters, but he didn't get as many swings and misses on it, with only a 22.2% whiff rate at Single A. It is a great pitching foundation to have two plus pitches to go with a third serviceable one, something not often seen from an 18-year-old. What To Work On As the season wore on, King's command took a hit, and his walk rate was simply worrisome at times. Jumping from 7.1% at Rookie ball up to 17.1% at Single A shows he needs to work on getting batters out in the zone to go with his elite ability to generate swings and misses. His 60% strike rate at Single A was in the 39th percentile in the minor leagues and will need to take a step up if he is to continue to get older hitters out while moving up levels. Another area King will need to focus on in 2026 will be getting hitters back on the ground. When he jumped from Rookie ball to Single A, his groundball rate dropped from 59.1% to 33.8%. He will want to get batters to hit the ball on the ground more like he did at the start of his 2025 season, to help limit damage overall. What Is Next King will begin the 2026 season at High-A Vancouver. It could be a rocky/challenging start given the wild Northwest weather this time of year, but he has the potential to vault up prospect rankings due to his young age and plus stuff on the mound. If everything goes right for him, expect him to spend a couple of months at High A before getting a late-season crack at Double-A New Hampshire. Everything is pointing towards a huge season for him, and he could be the next great pitching prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. View the full article

Box Score SP: Mick Abel 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (69 pitches, 43 strikes (62%) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Abel (-.23), Taylor Rogers (-.09), James Outman & Victor Caratini (-.08) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) Abel Gets of to a Slow Start in the Snow Mick Abel took the mound in his first start of the season and his first Target Field start with snowflakes flying and temperatures plummeting. After pitching around a walk and a single in the top of the first, Abel froze up against the Rays hitters in the top of the second. The first baserunner really wasn't his fault, as Royce Lewis couldn't make the charging throw successfully on a Chandler Simpson leadoff swinging bunt, and Josh Bell couldn't dig out the throw in his first chance at first base. With the speedy Simpson now on second, Abel went rogue walking Ben Williamson on four pitches and hitting number nine batter RIchie Palacios on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. With Yandy Diaz at the plate, another off-speed delivery went astray and plunked in the first run of the ballgame. With the bases still loaded, Jonathan Aranda delivered a missile off the right field wall to plate two more Rays for a 3-0 lead. One day after the Twins bullpen needed to toss 83 pitches, it looked like they were going to have to dig deep again if the Twins were going to make a comeback after Abel spun 57 pitches just to escape the first two innings. Twins Try to Craft a Comeback The Twins hoped to stage another comeback victory, but they faced Steven Matz in the finale of the "week of crafty lefties." With the newly minted Silver Slugger, Byron Buxton, out of the lineup due to last night's pitch off of his forearm, the Twins faced an uphill battle. After a lifeless first inning, the Minnesota bats got some momentum moving in the bottom of the second. Matt Wallner snuck a single up the middle, and Ryan Jeffers worked a walk. Victor Carantini struck out, and Lewis got robbed on a diving catch by centerfielder Cedric Mullins. Brooks Lee returned to the lineup and delivered a clutch RBI single, which Mullins booted to put runners at second and third with two out. The Buxton replacement, James Outman, in all his left-handedness, struck out quickly to make Twins fans wonder what might have been. Small Ball Stings Abel...and Rogers... The Rays immediately regained their three-run lead in the top of the third, as Mullins dropped a successful bunt and quickly stole second base. Simpson threatened to bunt, and opted to lace a single to right instead to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Surprisingly, Simpson didn't attempt to steal, and Williamson shot a grounder to a drawn-in Lee. Lee opted for the double-play, and Mullins scored to make it 4-1 Tampa. Taylor Rogers made his first Target Field appearance in a Twins jersey since 2021 in the top of the fifth inning. The Rays greeted him rudely with a single, a stolen base, a single, a stolen base, and a single to expand the lead to 6-1. ABS...and Matz...Sting Twins After Josh Bell lost a challenge in the first inning in an attempt to avoid a strikeout, Luke Keaschall lost a challenge in the third inning in an attempt to avoid a 1-2 count. This loss really stung when a 3-2 sinker looked to cruise outside of the zone, but strike three was the call, and there was no recourse left for the protesting young Twin. The Twins were going to have to fight the rest of the way with an expanded strike zone and no more challenges. WIth the border of the strike zone fully at his disposal, Matz proceeded to take down ten Twins batters in a row, cruising through six innings on 97 pitches. Rays Keep On Running While the Twins failed to take advantage of the Rays bullpen entering the scene in the bottom of the seventh, the Rays continued to take advantage of Caratini's arm behind the plate. After stealing only two bases in their first seven games, Tampa swiped the fourth base of the evening in the top of the eighth inning. With Palacios now in scoring position, Diaz blasted a ball deep to right-center that went into and out of Outman's glove for a "Buxton on the bench" triple, plating Palacios and adding insurance to insult at 7-1. It's hard to place the blame for this loss upon any one Twin when only Lee, Jeffers, and Banda had positive WPA"s. Luckily only a few hundred fans had to witness it in person, and tomorrow's always another day. What’s Next? The Twins look to take their first series of the season in an Easter Sunday matchup against the Rays. Twins righty Simeon Woods-Richardson (0-1, 3.60 ERA) will get his second start of the season, after taking a hard-luck loss against the Royals earlier in the week. The Rays will counter with righty Nick Martinez (0-0, 3.00 ERA) in the rubber game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Kent 0 47 0 0 34 47 Laweryson 0 36 0 10 9 46 Banda 0 12 0 17 15 44 Funderburk 0 0 15 2 0 43 Topa 0 0 13 17 0 40 Orze 0 0 0 37 0 37 Rogers 0 0 4 0 23 18 Sands 0 0 11 0 0 11 View the full article