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Welcome back to Blue Jays Clutch Plays, a recurring post that highlights the six most pivotal plays (three pitching, three hitting) from the past week of Blue Jays baseball, according to MLB's win probability model. Click here to read last week's edition. It's been a trying opening month for the Blue Jays as they dropped two out of three in both Milwaukee and Arizona this week. Saturday's late defeat to the Diamondbacks marked their sixth consecutive series loss, which hadn't happened since 2012. They once again failed to make it through the week without someone getting hurt, as Daulton Varsho departed Friday with discomfort in the quad/knee area, although it was decided medical imaging wasn't necessary. The bats continued to be ice-cold before cathartically waking up on Sunday, as an eight-run first inning helped them avoid getting swept in the desert. Anaheim will be the last stop on the Jays' three-city road trip this week before they return home to face the Guardians on the weekend. Pitching 3. Louis Varland: Joey Ortiz Strikeout, Bot 9, 4/14 (+9.9% wPA) Louis Varland's tightrope act on Tuesday night reignited talks about who should be closing games for the Blue Jays. After Jeff Hoffman walked Garrett Mitchell to load the bases and place the winning run just 90 feet away, Varland came in and struck out Joey Ortiz on three pitches, blowing him away with a 99-mph fastball up and in to send the game to extras. The series opener against the Brewers contained many twists and turns, with nine total runs being scored in the ninth and 10th innings, but it was Varland slamming the door that paved the way for the offense to come through in the next frame. 2. Jeff Hoffman: Gary Sanchez Strikeout, Bot 9, 4/14 (+9.9% wPA) Even after he gave up a run and put the tying run in scoring position on Tuesday, Hoffman put himself in a good position to hang onto the lead after striking out Gary Sanchez with a fastball perfectly positioned above the belt. According to Statcast, the Blue Jays had a 75% chance of winning after this play, but the next three batters reached before Varland was called upon to get the final out. In addition to blowing this save opportunity, Hoffman gave up a tiebreaking grand slam to Corbin Carroll in the eighth inning on Saturday. 1. Max Scherzer: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Strikeout, Bot 4, 4/18 (+9.9% wPA) It's not usual that a strikeout in the fourth inning of a tie game stands as the most pivotal play in an entire week for a pitching staff, but this Max Scherzer strikeout became a big win probability swing for Toronto, as Tyler Heineman was credited with a caught stealing on the play after former Blue Jay Lourdes Gurriel Jr. interfered with his throw to second base. Geraldo Perdomo beat the throw, but the Jays successfully challenged for interference on the part of Gurriel to turn it into a double play. Props to the video department. Hitting 3. Myles Straw: 2-RBI Double, Top 10, 4/14 (+24.5% wPA) It was quite the week at the plate for Myles Straw, who cashed in the eventual winning run on Tuesday with this laser down the left field line before homering on Friday in Arizona. The Blue Jays had already plated one in the inning, but a one-run lead isn't often safe with the extra innings ghost runner. Straw turned on an inner-half fastball from sidearm reliever Grant Anderson and lined it into the corner for some key insurance runs on the way to a series-opening win over the Brewers. 2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: RBI Double, Top 10, 4/14 (+28.7% wPA) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the one who initially broke that scoreless tie in the 10th, scoring Ernie Clement from second on a screeching 111-mph liner off the base of the wall in left-center field. Guerrero has been seeing a lot of good breaking balls early in the season after his postseason tirade, but he can make anyone pay for hanging a sweeper like this. He would experience some frustration later in this series, failing to come through in multiple key spots during the Blue Jays' consecutive 2-1 losses to the Brewers on Wednesday and Thursday, but this was his most crucial hit in what was a productive week overall. 1. Davis Schneider: Ground-Rule Double, Top 9, 4/14 (+33.8% wPA) The latest Clutch Play of the Week was brought to you by Davis Schneider, who drilled a fastball over the center-field wall on a bounce for a double. Plays like these give a proper glimpse into how win probability works: Kazuma Okamoto's game-tying single, Andrés Giménez's go-ahead RBI groundout, and Ernie Clement's RBI single drove in the runs that actually flipped the scoreboard in the ninth, but it was Schneider's hit that went down as the most pivotal one in that sequence because it put the go-ahead run in scoring position with nobody out. View the full article

It's still too early in the MLB season to judge a player based on their overall offensive production. We need a much larger sample size before commissioning Otto Lopez's Marlins Legends Hall of Fame plaque or dismissing Jakob Marsee as a flash in the pan. In that vein, rookie outfielder Owen Caissie has flown under the radar ever since his opening weekend walk-off home run. That is because entering Monday, his 2026 numbers are right in line with where leading projection systems said he'd be. The 23-year-old left-handed-hitter owns a .246/.294/.426 slash line and a 96 wRC+, frequently producing hard contact...when he actually makes contact. Some stats stabilize quicker than others, and therein lies the concern with Caissie. His strikeout rate (42.6 K%) is the highest in MLB among all hitters with comparable playing time. It won't be possible for him to have a significant long-term role with the Fish unless he improves in that area. Prior to 2026, Caissie's only big league experience was a 12-game cup of coffee with the Chicago Cubs last summer. He remains very young for this level with all but one of the pitchers he has faced as a Marlin being older than him. On the other hand, he had nearly two full seasons at Triple-A to prepare. Whatever caveats you want to apply to Caissie, he finds himself in an exclusive, mostly undesirable club to begin his Marlins tenure. Through his first 20 games with the franchise, he has the third-highest strikeout total (29) of any position player, according to Stathead, trailing only Alex Jackson (35) and Giancarlo Stanton (33). Player Span Started Span Ended SO PA Alex Jackson 2021-08-02 2021-08-26 35 66 Giancarlo Stanton 2010-06-08 2010-07-02 33 85 Owen Caissie 2026-03-27 2026-04-19 29 68 Jerar Encarnacion 2022-06-19 2022-09-12 28 70 Lewis Brinson 2018-03-29 2018-04-22 28 79 Garrett Jones 2014-03-31 2014-04-22 28 86 Avisaíl García 2022-04-08 2022-05-03 27 82 Curtis Granderson 2019-03-29 2019-04-23 27 74 Chad Wallach 2018-03-29 2019-04-11 27 67 Stanton is a historical outlier who skipped Triple-A entirely on his way to Miami and was nearly three years younger than Caissie is now. Also, an inflated K rate is more forgivable for a right-handed hitter considering that they are at a platoon disadvantage most of the time. The other names above fall into two distinct groups: those on the verge of ending their MLB careers and those who would never become competent hitters in the first place. On the bright side, there is another comparable Marlin who was only one strikeout shy of appearing in that table himself. Kyle Stowers compiled 26 Ks in his first 20 contests upon arriving via trade; from his 21st game onward, Stowers has been elite. If Caissie also swung-and-missed at a league-worst rate, it would be difficult to see him turning the corner, but his strikeout issue is more nuanced than that. Ten of his strikeouts have come on called third strikes. As Marlins bench coach Carson Vitale elaborated on prior to Sunday's game, Caissie's improvement will hinge more on swing decisions than swing mechanics. Even if Stowers newly reinstated from the injured list... View the full article

Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions 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 Jeremiah Geiger currently sit 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 Max Meyer (MIA) vs. RHP Michael McGreevy (STL) on Monday RHP Chris Paddack (MIA) vs. RHP Dustin May (STL) on Tuesday RHP Janson Junk (MIA) vs. RHP Kyle Leahy (STL) on Wednesday The Marlins rank 15th in MLB with a 101 wRC+ and 17th in MLB with a 4.15 FIP. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have a 8-5 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Maximo Acosta (10-day IL), Griffin Conine (10-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Christopher Morel (10-day IL) and Esteury Ruiz (10-day IL). The Cardinals rank 13th in MLB with a 103 wRC+ and 27th in MLB with a 4.84 FIP. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have a 6-3 record on the road this season. The following Cardinals players are on the injured list: Hunter Dobbins (15-day IL), Lars Nootbaar (60-day IL) and Matt Pushard (15-day IL). View the full article

TRANSACTIONS Right-handed pitcher Jose Olivares started his rehab assignments with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Right-handed pitcher Ricky Castro was assigned to St. Paul from Wichita. RHP Cory Lewis was returned to the Saints roster. Skor North's Declan Goff tweeted on Sunday night that he's hearing that LHP Kendry Rojas was being called up to the Twins. Presumably, he will be taking the roster spot of Kody Funderburk who Audra Martin reported earlier in the week was going on the paternity list. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 12, Lehigh Valley 8 Box Score The Saints offense showed up in a big way on Sunday. St. Paul racked up 13 hits and drew six walks, and it felt like the lineup was putting pressure on Lehigh Valley all afternoon. The biggest swing of the game came during a six-run third inning. Walker Jenkins got it started with a single and came around to score on a Gabriel Gonzalez double in the very next at-bat. After Emmanuel Rodriguez worked one of his three walks, Orlando Arcia and Kyler Fedko followed with back-to-back doubles to make it 5-1. Eric Wagaman capped off the inning with his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that pushed the lead to 7-1. Wagaman wasn’t done either. He finished with three hits, including a triple later in the game that helped spark another rally. Lehigh Valley didn’t go away quietly, though. The IronPigs chipped away and eventually tied the game at eight in the top of the eighth inning, setting up a tense finish. The Saints answered immediately. Wagaman led off the bottom half with that triple to right-center, and Kaelen Culpepper followed with an RBI single to give St. Paul the lead back. After Tanner Schobel and Jenkins reached, Rodriguez delivered the knockout blow: a bases-clearing double that came off the bat at 110 MPH. Royce Lewis continued his rehab assignment and stayed hot, launching his second home run in as many days. He also got the start at third base after serving as the DH the day before. On the mound, it was far from clean. The Saints allowed 16 hits, but didn’t issue a single walk, which helped limit the damage just enough. John Klein started and gave up two runs over 3 1/3 innings while striking out three. Zak Kent picked up the win after working the ninth. Every starter recorded at least one hit (aside from Noah Cardenas), with Wagaman, Fedko, and Gonzalez all putting together multi-hit performances. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Springfield 1 Box Score This one was quiet for a while, and then it wasn’t. The Wind Surge managed just six hits on the day, and for most of the game, it looked like that might not be enough. Wichita held a 1-1 tie heading into the eighth inning before finally breaking through. Kala’i Rosario provided the big swing, launching his third home run of the season to give Wichita a 2-1 lead. They weren’t done there either. Garrett Spain followed with a two-out double, and Jorel Ortega brought him home with an RBI single to add some insurance. That was more than enough for the pitching staff. Sam Armstrong set the tone with 4 2/3 strong innings, and the bullpen took it from there. Jarret Whorff, Darren Bowen, and Luis Quinones combined to finish things off, with the group allowing just seven total baserunners and one run across the entire game. Not flashy offensively, but clean, efficient, and more than enough. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 0, Quad Cities 8 Box Score There was a splattering in Cedar Rapids this afternoon. The Kernels ran into issues pretty much everywhere you don’t want them—defense, strikeouts, and situational hitting. They struck out 13 times as a team and committed three errors, which made for a long afternoon. Jay Thomason was one of the few bright spots, collecting two of the team’s four hits and adding his second stolen base of the season. Eduardo Tait didn’t record a hit but did draw a pair of walks. Cedar Rapids had chances but couldn’t capitalize, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. What makes the final score even tougher to swallow is how well parts of the pitching staff actually threw the ball. Of the eight runs allowed, just one was earned. Starter Nolan Santos was solid, tossing five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. The lone run he allowed was unearned. The staff as a whole struck out 12 and walked four, which is typically a winning formula. But when the defense doesn’t hold up and the offense can’t push anything across, it doesn’t really matter. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Lakeland 0 Box Score it was about as clean as it gets for Fort Myers today. The Mighty Mussels wrapped up their week with a dominant, well-rounded win, led by an outstanding performance on the mound. Jose Olivares set the tone with three perfect innings to start the game, striking out four. From there, Kolten Smith, Matthew DesMarets, and Eric Hammond combined to finish things off, allowing just four hits and two walks over the final six innings while striking out nine. Lakeland never really had a chance to get anything going. Offensively, Fort Myers did most of its damage early. Four of their five runs came in the first three innings. Dameury Pena got things rolling immediately, doubling to lead off the first and eventually scoring on a balk. In the second inning, three walks loaded the bases, and Pena came through again with a two-run knock to make it 3-0. In the third, Irvin Nunez reached on an error, and Eduardo Beltre followed with an RBI hit to extend the lead. The final run came in the sixth inning, when Byron Chourio delivered a two-out RBI double. Pena finished 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and two RBI, and he’s now slashing an impressive .429/.529/.476 to start his season. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Eric Wagaman (St. Paul): 3-4, HR(1), 3B(1), 2B(1), 2 R, 2 RBI Pitcher of the Day Jose Olivares (Fort Myers): 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 40 pitches, 25 strikes (62.5% strikes) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after today's results. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 1 BB, 2 R, K (batted third, played CF) #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, RBI (batted first, played SS) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, 3 BB, 2B(3), R, 3 RBI (batted fifth, DHd) #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, 2 BB (batted second, DHd) #5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, 2B(4), R (batted fourth, played LF) #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #9 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4 (batted first, played SS) #10 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #11 - RHP Riley Quick (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 47 pitches, 27 strikes (57.4%) #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 4 K (batted fourth, played 3B) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play #15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #16 - OF Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 3 K (batted third, played LF) #17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K (batted first, played SS) #18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, K (batted third, played C) #20 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch UPCOMING SCHEDULE Tuesday: St. Paul @ Indianapolis (5:35 pm CT) Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 pm CT) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:05 pm CT) Dunedin @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CT) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 11-11 St. Paul Saints: 9-11 Wichita Wind Surge: 9-6 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 7-8 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 9-6 FCL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, May 4) DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) 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, Jeremiah Geiger and Alex Krutchik. The following topics were covered: Eury Pérez's impressive outing Kyle Stowers' return and potential usage at first base Sandy Alcantara matching a career-high in walks When will the Marlins move Agustín Ramírez off the catcher position? Clayton McCullough's first ejection of 2026 Owen Caissie' s league-leading strikeout rate Previewing and predicting the next series against the St. Louis Cardinals 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 Wednesday at approximately 4:00 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Cardinals series finale. View the full article

The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas split their two games with Round Rock, as Sean Boyle tossed five scoreless innings in a 5-2 win before a 4-1 loss. Abraham Parra delivered five strong frames as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps powered past Lake County 9-6 behind home runs from Kavares Tears, Jake Cunningham, and Jonathan Vastine. Carlos Medina spun 2 2/3 scoreless for Low-A Lake Elsinore in a 3-2 walk-off loss, while the Double-A San Antonio Missions were shut out 7-0. Padres Minor-League Transactions No roster moves Boyle, Miranda Power Chihuahuas To Split With Express The El Paso Chihuahuas pulled away from the Round Rock Express for a 5-2 victory on the road in the completion of Saturday's suspended game. The Chihuahuas dropped the regularly scheduled game 4-1. After being interrupted by rain after two innings and the score 1-1, Sean Boyle delivered the headlining performance, working five shutout innings of two-hit, shutout ball with five strikeouts and one walk to earn the win. Triston McKenzie opened the game and gave the Chihuahuas two innings, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Yuki Matsui, continuing his rehab assignment, surrendered a run in the eighth on two hits with two strikeouts, and Ethan Routzahn closed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out one to record the save. At the plate, Jose Miranda led the way, finishing 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. Jase Bowen added a pair of hits, including his team-leading fifth homer, while scoring twice. Pablo Reyes went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. The Chihuahuas broke the game open with a three-run fourth to go up 5-1. In the regularly scheduled game, the Chihuahuas couldn't get the offense going. Starter Evan Fitterer worked 2⅔ innings and allowed one run on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts, surrendering a run in the bottom of the first. Logan Gillaspie followed with 1⅓ scoreless innings of relief, walking one and striking out two. Justin Yeager took the loss after surrendering two runs on a home run in 1⅓ innings, and Alek Jacob walked three and gave up a run in two-thirds of an inning during a three-run Round Rock sixth that put the game out of reach. At the plate, Sung-Mun Song led the offense with two hits in three at-bats. Bowen contributed the team's only extra-base hit, a double, and Carlos Rodríguez and Nate Mondou each added a single. Nick Schnell drove in the lone Chihuahuas run with a single in the fourth inning. FIRST GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Jase Bowen 5 2 2 1 0 1 Samad Taylor 3 0 0 0 1 2 Sung-Mun Song 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nick Solak 2 0 0 0 2 0 Pablo Reyes 4 1 2 1 0 1 Mason McCoy 3 1 0 0 1 2 Jose Miranda 3 1 3 3 0 0 Clay Dungan 0 0 0 0 0 0 Carlos Rodríguez 3 0 0 0 1 1 Colton Vincent 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Triston McKenzie 2 2 1 1 3 2 0 Sean Boyle 5 2 0 0 1 5 0 Yuki Matsui 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 SECOND GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Jase Bowen 3 0 1 0 0 0 Carlos Rodríguez 3 0 1 0 0 0 Sung-Mun Song 3 0 2 0 0 1 Marcos Castañon 3 1 0 0 0 0 Nate Mondou 3 0 1 0 0 0 Mason McCoy 3 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Schnell 3 0 1 1 0 1 Clay Dungan 3 0 0 0 0 1 Anthony Vilar 2 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Evan Fitterer 2 2/3 5 1 1 1 2 0 Logan Gillaspie 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Justin Yeager 1 1/3 2 2 2 2 0 1 Alek Jacob 2/3 1 1 1 3 0 0 Missions' Bats Silenced By RockHounds The San Antonio Missions were shut out 7-0 by the Midland RockHounds in a road loss. Starter Jagger Haynes worked 4⅓ innings and took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and one strikeout while serving up a home run. Andrew Thurman struggled out of the bullpen, giving up two runs in one-third of an inning with three walks. Fernando Sanchez followed and surrendered one run on two hits in his inning of work, walking one. Francis Peña tossed 1⅓ scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out two and walking one. Manuel Castro provided a clean inning of relief, allowing one hit with no walks or strikeouts. Offensively, the Missions managed six hits but could not push a run across. Leandro Cedeño led the way by going 2-for-4. Braedon Karpathios and Kai Murphy each chipped in a double. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 3 0 0 0 1 0 Braedon Karpathios 4 0 1 0 0 3 Leandro Cedeño 4 0 2 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ryan Jackson 4 0 1 0 0 1 Kai Murphy 3 0 1 0 0 1 Francisco Acuna 3 0 1 0 1 2 Kai Roberts 4 0 0 0 0 2 Chris Sargent 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jagger Haynes 4 1/3 6 4 4 2 1 1 Andrew Thurman 1/3 2 2 2 3 0 0 Fernando Sanchez 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 Francis Peña 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Manuel Castro 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Tears' 3-Run Blast Powers TinCaps Past Captains The Fort Wayne TinCaps used a three-homer attack to top the Lake County Captains 9-6 on the road. Kavares Tears powered the offense with a three-run home run, also drawing two walks. Jake Cunningham went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two runs. Jonathan Vastine also homered. Lamar King Jr. added three hits, including a double, a run, and an RBI. Rosman Verdugo collected two hits and drove in two, while Alex McCoy finished 2-for-5 with a double, extending his Midwest League-leading hitting streak to 11 games. Starter Abraham Parra delivered a strong outing, working five innings of two-hit ball with three strikeouts and one walk while allowing one unearned run. Tucker Musgrove picked up the win despite giving up two runs on a home run in his inning of work, walking one. Braian Salazar surrendered three runs on one hit in 1⅓ innings with three walks and two strikeouts. C.J. Widger nailed down the save with two strikeouts, a walk, and a hit allowed in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jake Cunningham 5 2 3 1 0 1 Rosman Verdugo 5 2 2 2 0 0 Lamar King Jr. 5 1 3 1 0 1 Alex McCoy 5 1 2 0 0 2 Kavares Tears 3 1 1 3 2 0 Jack Costello 5 0 0 0 0 0 Oswaldo Linares 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jonathan Vastine 4 1 1 1 0 2 Dylan Grego 4 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Abraham Parra 5 2 1 0 1 3 0 Tucker Musgrove 1 2 2 2 1 0 1 Braian Salazar 1 1/3 1 3 3 3 2 0 Kleiber Olmedo 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 C.J. Widger 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Storm Drop Walk-Off Heartbreaker To Ports The Lake Elsinore Storm fell 3-2 to the Stockton Ports on a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth. The walk-off, with two outs, was the third by the Ports in this series, including two in extra innings to begin the set. The Storm grabbed a run in the third and another in the fourth before being blanked the rest of the way. Jorge Quintana finished 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a walk. Ryan Wideman went 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and a strikeout. Kale Fountain reached three times, going 1-for-2 with two walks and a run. Starter Carlos Medina worked 2⅔ scoreless innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Vicarte Domingo followed with 2⅓ hitless innings of relief, striking out three and issuing no walks. Javier Chacon allowed one run on a solo home run over 2⅓ innings, with one walk and one strikeout. Sean Barnett delivered a scoreless two-thirds of an inning with two strikeouts and one hit allowed. Ethan Long took the loss after surrendering two unearned runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning in the ninth, walking two and striking out one. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 4 1 1 0 0 1 Justin DeCriscio 4 0 0 0 0 1 Bradley Frye 4 0 1 0 0 1 Truitt Madonna 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kale Fountain 2 1 1 0 2 0 Jorge Quintana 3 0 1 1 1 0 Luke Cantwell 4 0 0 0 0 1 George Bilecki 3 0 1 0 0 0 Jose Verdugo 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carlos Medina 2 2/3 2 0 0 1 2 0 Vicarte Domingo 2 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Javier Chacon 2 1/3 1 1 1 1 1 1 Sean Barnett 2/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Ethan Long 2/3 2 2 0 2 1 0 Padres Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB Kale Fountain: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB Ryan Wideman: 1-for-4, 2B, R, K Jagger Haynes: 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR (L) Lamar King Jr: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, R, K Romeo Sanabria: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-4 Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Kavares Tears: 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Bryan Balzer: DNP View the full article

MIAMI, FL — Between his last three starts, Marlins starter Eury Pérez had a 6.23 ERA, 6.05 FIP and walked 10 opposing hitters. On Sunday afternoon, Pérez came out with the high socks look in the Florida Marlins teal jersey and delivered a much-needed quality start in what wound up being a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Pérez, who just turned 23 years old earlier this week, tossed six innings, allowing one run (unearned) on three hits, one walk and struck out seven. Pérez relied on his four-seam fastball even more than usual, throwing it 67% of the time. He generated nine whiffs, landed it nine times for a first-pitch strike and six of his seven strikeouts came on that pitch. "He had a really good fastball today," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said following the game. " It was his ability to get ahead of people and throw his secondaries appropriately. We saw the the firmness and velocity on some of the secondary pitches, which I think leads a lot to the conviction behind those. It was nice to see upper 80s, 90 on some of the sliders. I just really felt like he was in a really good rhythm." This may not be a recipe for long-term success, but it certainly worked in this situation. Pérez improved his career ERA at loanDepot park to 2.45 (compared to 5.09 on the road). The Marlins manager wasn't able to watch the majority of Pérez's start in person because in the top of the second inning, he was ejected for the first time in 2026. Marlins first baseman Connor Norby received a pickoff attempt while standing several feet away from the bag, something that the team has done for the majority of the season, but never been penalized for. First base umpire Cory Blaser called a balk and McCullough came out of the dugout for a lengthy discussion before Blaser kicked him out. "It's a gray area where nowhere it says how far an individual has to be off the base," McCullough said. "We have encouraged our first baseman to get further off the base to get those throws to the inside there. It's a closer and shorter throw and with replay now, a lot of the outs occur tagging guys on the body before the hand gets there. He's been in that spot the entire season. It hasn't been called. I think it's such a gray area where it's subjective to who the individual [umpire] is." The Marlins have been generous with providing run support when Pérez is on the mound. Even with the equally talented Jacob Misiorowski pitching for the Brewers, that was not an issue on Sunday. A wild pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning allowed Jakob Marsee to score. Agustin Ramirez grounded into a double play, but Xavier Edwards was able to score on that. Liam Hicks collected another RBI, driving in Otto Lopez, taking an early 3-0 lead. With Misiorowski out of the game, Javier Sanoja drove in two more in the bottom of the sixth, singling through a drawn-in infield. That put the Marlins up 5-1. The Brewers made a late push in the top of the eighth inning with lefty Andrew Nardi on the mound. With the bases loaded, catcher Gary Sanchez singled to drive in two runs, making it a 5-3 game. The Marlins turned to Calvin Faucher, who on one pitch, got William Contreras to fly out to end the inning. Kyle Stowers started in left field and hit cleanup in his season debut. The Marlins 2025 All-Star was welcomed back with a 101.5 mph fastball that struck the fingers of his right hand, but he remained in the game. "Took it off the hand, so certainly worried in the moment, but all the bones in the hand seemed okay and then I think after the inning, he was fine," McCullough said. "For him to go out there and collect a couple hits was huge. I'm sure, great for him to come right in and contribute and get off to a nice start. The swings look very aggressive, looked balanced, so great to have Kyle back." In the bottom of the fifth, Stowers hit a double (101.4 mph exit velocity) and in the seventh, he hit a single to the pull side. It should be noted, he was not running the bases at full speed, which is understandable coming off a hamstring injury. Pete Fairbanks notched his third save of the season (his first since March 28), striking out the first two batters and then Blake Perkins grounded out to second base to end the game. The Marlins improve to 10-12, remaining second in the National League East. They will welcome the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game home series beginning on Monday. View the full article

The Weekly Nutshell: Coming off a 6-1 week, the Minnesota Twins kicked this one off with their most impressive showing of the season, clobbering Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet for 11 runs in a blowout win to keep the good times rolling. They followed on Tuesday by knocking around old friend Sonny Gray, notching their eighth win in nine games. That's where the charmed run finally came to a halt. The Twins dropped the finale against Boston and then got swept by Cincinnati with poor defense, unreliable relief pitching, and a lack of timely hitting all playing a role in the rapid cooldown. With four straight losses, Minnesota has dropped back to the .500 mark as they prepare to embark on a challenging East Coast road trip. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 4/13 through Sun, 4/19 *** Record Last Week: 2-4 (Overall: 11-11) Run Differential Last Week: +4 (Overall: +12) Standing: 3rd Place in AL Central (1.5 GB) Latest Game Results Game 17 | MIN 13, BOS 6: Red-Hot Twins Obliterate Crochet, Launch 4 Homers Jeffers: 3-4, HR, 3 RBI Game 18 | MIN 6, BOS 0: Abel Spins a Gem and Buxton Goes Deep Twice Buxton: 4-5, 2 HR Game 19 | BOS 9, MIN 5: Woods Richardson Hit Hard as Sox Cool Off Twins Woods Richardson: 5 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Game 20 | CIN 2, MIN 1: Slumping Keaschall Strands Seven in One-Run Loss Keaschall: 0-4, GIDP, 7 LOB Game 21 | CIN 5, MIN 4: Late Leads Slips Away as Bullpen and Defense Lapse Bradley: 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Game 22 | CIN 7, MIN 4: Bullpen, Defense Melt Down Again as Red Complete Sweep Morris, Acton: 3 IP, 6 R, 3 ER IF YOU'D RATHER LISTEN TO THE WEEK IN REVIEW THAN READ IT, YOU CAN GET IT IN AUDIO FORM! FIND THE LATEST EPISODE ON OUR PODCAST PAGE, AS WELL AS ON APPLE AND SPOTIFY. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNELS SO YOU DON'T MISS OUT! NEWS & NOTES When Royce Lewis went on the injured list with a low-grade knee sprain last weekend, the hope was that his absence would be a short one. Sure enough, he initiated a rehab stint with the Saints on Saturday, just seven days after landing on the IL. Lewis homered in his first at-bat with St. Paul and then homered again on Sunday, looking plenty healthy while starting at DH and then third base. He is eligible to return as soon as as Tuesday. The big question in my mind: when Lewis is activated, who exits the 26-man roster to make room? The straightforward answer is Ryan Kreidler, who was called up as Lewis' replacement, but I'd prefer to see Kreidler stay with James Outman shipped out. HIGHLIGHTS After shaking off a slow start, which was undoubtedly impacted by his WBC-related lack of regular spring playing time, Byron Buxton is finally locked in at the plate. It's a joy to behold. Buxton homered on Monday and then launched two more on Tuesday as part of an 8-for-21 week that raised his OPS by 171 points. Buxton also flew around the outfield and made some nice defensive plays. By the weekend, though, something did appear somewhat amiss for him. He started at DH on Saturday and twice in the game he was seemingly unable to run out grounders on close plays at full speed. Is he okay? Worth keeping an eye on. For what it's worth he was back in center field on Sunday and did appear to be moving fine. Aiding Buxton at the top of the order was Austin Martin, who continues to provide exactly what the Twins need from him as a table-setter. Martin notched five hits, including two doubles — one of which tied the game in the ninth on Sunday — and his first home run of the season. He also drew four more walks, keeping his on-base percentage up near the .500 mark, and crossed the plate five times. Martin leads the team in fWAR through 22 games. Kreidler's arrival as a (short-term?) roster addition has provided a defensive boost, as expected, but also a surprising boost to the offense. The 28-year-old utilityman homered just twice in 89 games for the Tigers over the past four years before homering twice in his first week with the Twins. His 438-foot nuke to the upper-deck against Crochet on Monday proved to be the final straw for the left-hander. Kreidler also doubled and drew four walks on the week. If you didn't know anything about Kreidler and his history, you might start to think, hey, maybe we've got something here. Sadly, we're witnessing a bit of an anomaly. Kreidler has been one of the worst hitters in the majors during his limited opportunities and it's unlikely he's suddenly figured it all out at the plate as opposed to running into a few mistake pitches with good swings. But Kreidler's defensive value is such that he really doesn't need to hit much at all to be a valuable roster piece. A week like this here and there would be more than enough. The rotation excelled once again, and has been a strength that few others can match. Entering play on Sunday, the Twins ranked third in the majors in fWAR from starting pitchers (behind Detroit and Seattle). Taj Bradley and Joe Ryan ranked fifth and seventh among individual starters, respectively, and both shined again in their latest outings. Ryan held the Reds to two runs (one earned) in six innings on Friday, striking out six and walking none with three hits allowed. He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his five starts this year. On Saturday, Bradley also went six innings in a quality start, allowing two earned runs and handing a lead to the bullpen that disappeared in the late innings. Bradley's ERA sits at 1.63 and his FIP at 1.97. He has yet to allow a home run through five starts. Commendably, Bailey Ober is finding a way to get it done with sub-90 fastball velocity. He was nothing short of dominant on Sunday against the Reds, leaning heavily on the changeup and breaking ball to strike out 10 over 6 ⅓ innings with just one unearned run allowed. He's keeping hitters off balance and keeping the ball in the yard. Can he keep it going? Who knows, but we'll certainly take it for now. While Ryan, Bradley and Ober were good, Mick Abel stole the show with his brilliant performance on Tuesday night, striking out 10 with no walks over seven shutout innings in a win over the Red Sox. It was Abel's second start in a row holding the opposing lineup scoreless, and he's lowered his ERA from 11.05 to 3.98 in the process. Beyond encouraging. LOWLIGHTS For a second consecutive week, the ugliest pitching moments came with Simeon Woods Richardson and Anthony Banda on the mound. It was an otherwise mostly successful home stand for the staff, but these two in particular are struggling here in April. In Wednesday's series finale against Boston they combined to allow nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits in six innings, negating any chance for a sweep over the Red Sox. Five days earlier, that same duo coughed up eight earned runs over 5 ⅓ in Toronto. The Twins are 0-4 in Woods Richardon's starts this year and Banda has quickly found himself on the lower end of the bullpen hierarchy with an ERA now sitting at 10.38. It's especially unfortunate because the Twins are lacking for relievers they can trust in key spots. The bullpen in general is getting a reality check. On Saturday three relievers combined to progressively blow a two-run lead in the late innings. On Sunday it happened much more rapidly, with Andrew Morris surrendering three runs in the ninth before three more scored (unearned) against Garrett Acton in the 10th. A sure win turned into a crushing loss with a rookie (pitching a second inning in his second career appearance) and recent waiver claim on the mound. Neither of these guys should be pitching in such a situation. Obviously. Then again, it's hard to have a whole lot more faith in the mediocre likes of Justin Topa, Eric Orze and Cole Sands, who each gave up a run on Saturday as the 4-2 lead built up behind Bradley turned into a 5-4 defeat. We wondered last week how long the patchwork bullpen could hold up and it turns out, not long at all. In fairness, the pitchers were not helped at all by the defense, which has been atrocious. The past week we saw two different plays where multiple errors were committed, and in both cases the spiraling misplays were highly damaging. Luke Keaschall — who is also struggling mightily at the plate — bobbled and threw away a double-play ball with the bases loaded on Wednesday, letting in two and setting up a three-run blast. On Sunday, things unraveled in the 10th on a grounder that Tristan Gray failed to stab and then Martin failed to cleanly pick up in the outfield. Sloppy, sloppy baseball. No different from what most of us expected, but painful to watch nonetheless, especially when these botched plays are proving more costly than anticipated with the offense and rotation both contributing strongly. Winnable games keep slipping away and early-season momentum is being dashed. I wish I could say I was confident that help was on the way. TRENDING STORYLINE Is there anything the Twins can do about their bullpen and defense? Right now the team is so bad in both areas that it's pretty much impossible to envision them as a consistent winner. Watching quality starts get wasted in every game against the Reds was brutal, and the type of thing that's going to quickly sour fans who were attempting buy into this team's surprising April energy. Derek Shelton needs better options in the bullpen. Asking Morris to throw the eighth and ninth with a two-run lead in his second MLB appearance, when he's barely been tested as a reliever, was ridiculous. Claiming Acton off waivers and throwing him into extreme high-leverage situations right off the bat, ridiculous. Unfortunately, they are no easy fixes. The collection of relief arms at Triple-A is uninspiring. Minor-league signing John Brebbia was pitching pretty well before giving up three home runs on Sunday. John Klein has a 7.36 ERA for the Saints and Marco Raya 9.64 as two of the only readily available 40-man roster options. Dan Altavilla, who almost made the Opening Day roster, has a 9.31 ERA and 12-to-11 K/BB ratio. I guess you could think about giving a shot to 35-year-old Matt Bowman, owner of a 1.54 ERA through seven appearances, but that's not a needle-mover. There's just little hope on the horizon for this relief corps, unless they try something drastic like converting Connor Prielipp or Zebby Matthews at the expense of their starting depth. The dreadful Twins defense feels just as hopeless. They have sub-par fielders in most of the starting positions, including a couple who rank among the league's worst. Matt Wallner has been the least valuable defender in baseball, per Defensive Runs Saved, and Brooks Lee has no business playing shortstop regularly in the big leagues with 6th percentile range and 19th percentile arm strength. Speaking of dismal arm strength, Keaschall is skipping routine throws to first from 70 feet away at second. Keeping Kreidler on the roster would be helpful, but only so much. No one else the Twins can call upon or swap in soon is going to be any kind of savior with the glove. This a fundamentally bad defensive team and we're probably going to have to live with it. We'll see how they intend to address this crippling weakness over time. There is going to be a lot of pressure on prospects like Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kaelen Culpepper to come up and be impact defenders in a hurry. LOOKING AHEAD The suddenly slumping Twins are off to New York to face a Mets team with the second-highest payroll and worst record in baseball. Can Minnesota get the vibes back on track by capitalizing on the rotten ones in Queens, or will this prove to be the matchup that gets the Mets right? From there it's off to Tampa for three games against the Rays, starting with a showdown between Bradley and the team that is probably second-guessing their decision to trade him at the moment. TUESDAY, APRIL 21: TWINS @ METS — RHP Mick Abel v. RHP Nolan McLean WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22: TWINS @ METS — RHP Simeon Woods Richardson v. RHP Clay Holmes THURSDAY, APRIL 23: TWINS @ METS — RHP Joe Ryan v. RHP Kodai Senga FRIDAY, APRIL 24: TWINS @ RAYS — RHP Taj Bradley v. RHP Drew Rasmussen SATURDAY, APRIL 25: TWINS @ RAYS — RHP Bailey Ober v. LHP Shane McClanahan SUNDAY, APRIL 26: TWINS @ RAYS — RHP Mick Abel v. TBD View the full article

Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober: 6 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER 4 BB, 10 K (102 Pitches, 61 Strikes, 59.8%) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Andrew Morris (-0.70), Garret Acton (-0.40), Byron Buxton (-0.14) Win Probability Chart (Via BaseballSavant): Things have leveled off for the Twins following their brief stay at the top of the league table, and they entered Sunday's series finale with the Reds in danger of losing their fourth straight game. Their defense and bullpen, thought to be major weaknesses entering the year, were just that on getaway day. On the positive side, the Twins were facing Brady Singer, who has endured a 9.00-plus ERA in his Target Field career. On the downside, Bailey Ober took the mound for the Twins, and he had paired an 88-MPH fastball with a 5.49 ERA over his four starts in 2026. Things started nicely, as Ober induced extremely weak contact while featuring mainly his changeup and sweeper. He allowed a bloop single in the first and a walk in the second. He finished the second inning with a Javier Báez-esque sword of Rece Hinds, courtesy of a sweeper a foot off the plate. Meanwhile, the Twins squeezed across a Byron Buxton run against Singer in the first. We've seen it many times before: Buxton beats out a squibber, the fielder rushes the throw, allowing Buxton to advance to second, and then two productive outs bring Byron home. The Twins were unable to make anything else happen against Singer and his 91-MPH sinker, though, which he was locating in the middle of the zone. The Twins took advantage in the third. After James Outman's customary easy out, Buxton drew a walk, Trevor Larnach ripped a single to right and Josh Bell followed suit, as did Victor Caratini, making the score 3-0. The Reds would answer in the fourth. The electric Elly De La Cruz led off with a broken-bat double down the right-field line. Outman bobbled the ball, which allowed De La Cruz to reach third. He would score on a grounder up the middle from Sal Stewart. Following a walk to Eugenio Suárez, Ober was then bailed out by former Twins farmhand Spencer Steer, who took strike three on a 3-2 count. The ball was six inches outside, but Steer inexplicably decided not to challenge. Ober retired Tyler Stephenson to minimize the damage. Ober was pretty good, shielding his fastball as much as possible and throwing his typical array of changeups that dart away from lefties and come back into the zone against righties. The sweeper was particularly good, and Ober mixed in some fastballs late in his outing that got key strikeouts against Stewart and Suárez. The velocity was up to 90 MPH at points, but I think Ober is making adjustments to try to be that Mark Buehrle/Jered Weaver type of pitcher who can have success throwing in the 80s. It worked today, as Ober struck out 10, the last of which came on an 87-MPH four-seamer that somehow got past the bat of Stephenson. He also induced 14 whiffs. Andrew Morris pitched the eighth with a 3-1 lead, and his velocity was a little down, sitting 93-96 MPH. It was a little rocky, requiring 28 pitches, but he got a key strikeout against Suárez on a sweeper to end the frame. He came back out for the ninth, and quickly gave up two opposite-field singles to the bottom of the Reds' order. He recorded an out, then walked nine-hole hitter Hinds. The struggling TJ Friedl then roped a middle-middle fastball to the gap in right-center, to clear the bases and turn the game on its head. The Twins were not done, as the alleged corpse of Outman followed up his first hit of the year with a ringing leadoff double in the ninth. Buxton was unable to advance Outman, but Austin Martin smashed a double down the left-field line to tie the game against old friend Emilio Pagán. Bell lined a ball at 102 MPH to deep center, but it held up for Myers. Caratini would fly out to end the threat and send the game to extras. After finishing the ninth, Garret Acton was brought back out for the 10th. He allowed a missile off the bat of Stewart (109 MPH) that Martin made a leaping catch on. Suárez then grounded to third, Tristan Gray booted it, and then Martin bobbled it in left, allowing the speedy "Manfred Man" De La Cruz to score. Hinds would then double in two to put a bow on the game. Things I'm Tracking: The baserunning was pretty good to start, with Buxton and Larnach taking extra bases and then Brooks Lee taking third on a hit (gasp) from James Outman in the fourth. Lee was perhaps feeling himself a bit after that, as he tried to steal home on a throw down to second with Outman running. Lee was out by, uh, a lot. Red Sox fans sometimes describe OF/DH Masataka Yoshida's running style as running as if he were made of LEGOs and I think Lee has the same affliction. I wondered if the Reds had some sort of mandate not to challenge pitches as hitters, as they let two important strike threes go by in the fourth and fifth innings, when both were clear balls. I get the philosophy, as catchers have the better view of pitches, and their challenge percentage is higher than hitters, but it really impacted the Reds from a WPA perspective today. De La Cruz then unsuccessfully challenged a strike call in the sixth, and Dane Myers followed suit in the seventh. It is surprising a Tito Francona-led team would do so much self-inflicted damage. Kody Clemens' walkup song is "Confidence," and for a guy hitting under .150 that seems a little on the nose. The "redundant trade candidate" Trevor Larnach reached base four times today, raising his OBP to .468. He's definitely not useful at all. "Really cool underrated slugger" Matt Wallner sat due to the after-effects of getting hit in the ribs last Monday. His 71 OPS+ and emotion-based ABS challenges were surely missed. The defense is a struggle, man. Outman's bobble allowed the first run to score, and then the play in the tenth involved two separate errors. What’s Next: The Twins travel to Queens to face the Mets, featuring a neat matchup between promising young starters Mick Abel (1-2, 3.98 ERA) and Nolan McClean (1-1, 2.28 ERA). The Mets are currently in the midst of an 11-game losing streak, which is pretty funny considering how big their payroll is. (probably not to them, but.) Postgame Interviews: coming soon Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOT Morris 0 0 0 0 47 47 Topa 13 0 11 10 0 34 Sands 0 0 20 12 0 32 Funderburk 14 0 8 10 0 32 Acton 0 0 0 0 29 29 Orze 12 0 0 15 0 27 Banda 24 0 0 0 0 24 Rogers 0 0 0 0 8 8 View the full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs sent LHP Jordan Wicks on a rehab assignment to Iowa Cubs. Chicago Cubs signed free agent LF Dylan Carlson to a minor league contract. Chicago Cubs transferred RHP Cade Horton from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right forearm strain. Chicago Cubs selected the contract of RHP Corbin Martin from Iowa Cubs. Bethancourt's Three-Hit Night Powers Iowa Past Columbus Iowa rallied past the Columbus Clippers for a 7-6 road win, with Christian Bethancourt driving in three runs on a 3-for-4 night that included a solo home run in the seventh and a two-run double in the eighth. The Cubs struck first in the top of the second, when Ben Cowles launched a two-run homer that also scored Chas McCormick. The Clippers cut into the deficit with two in the sixth before Iowa pushed back in the seventh, when Bethancourt's homer and a James Triantos RBI double that scored BJ Murray gave the Cubs a 4-2 edge. Columbus retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh with a three-run inning, but Iowa responded with three in the eighth. McCormick drew a bases-loaded walk that brought in Pedro Ramírez, and Bethancourt followed with his two-run double that scored Kevin Alcántara and Dylan Carlson. Triantos finished 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a stolen base, and Cowles went 1-for-4 with the homer and two RBIs. Iowa drew six walks and managed eight hits, stranding six runners. On the mound, Jordan Wicks opened with three scoreless innings on his rehab assignment, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two. Ty Blach followed with three and two-thirds innings of two-run ball, and Gabe Klobosits worked around a solo home run in the ninth to close it out. Player AB R H RBI BB K James Triantos (2B) 5 0 2 1 0 2 Jonathon Long (1B) 4 0 0 0 1 2 Pedro Ramírez (3B) 5 1 1 0 0 1 Kevin Alcántara (CF) 3 1 0 0 1 2 Dylan Carlson (LF) 3 1 0 0 1 1 Chas McCormick (RF) 2 1 0 1 2 0 Ben Cowles (SS) 4 1 1 2 0 0 Christian Bethancourt (C) 4 1 3 3 0 0 BJ Murray (DH) 3 1 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jordan Wicks 3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Ty Blach 3 2/3 4 2 2 4 2 0 Charlie Barnes 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Collin Snider 1 1 3 3 0 0 1 Gabe Klobosits 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 Santy's Strikeout Barrage Wasted in Knoxville's Loss The Knoxville Smokies fell 13-4 at Pensacola, unable to recover from an early deficit and a seven-run Blue Wahoos sixth inning. Starter Jake Knapp allowed six runs on four hits, three walks, and two home runs across three and one-third innings while striking out three. Luis Rujano was tagged for seven runs, six earned, on three hits and four walks in two innings. Marino Santy was the lone bright spot on the mound, striking out eight in two and two-thirds scoreless innings with no hits allowed and two walks. Andy Garriola led the offense with a 2-for-4 night that included a three-run home run in the fourth and a run-scoring single in the fifth that plated Jordan Nwogu. Ethan Hearn drove in the final Smokies run with an RBI single later in the fifth, scoring Edgar Alvarez. Jordan Nwogu reached three times with two hits, a double, and a stolen base, and scored once. Edgar Alvarez walked three times and added a double, coming around to score twice. Ariel Armas finished 2-for-4 with two stolen bases. Knoxville collected nine hits and drew four walks but left eight runners on base and struck out 11 times as a team. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alex Ramírez (CF) 4 0 1 0 1 1 Jordan Nwogu (LF) 4 1 2 0 0 1 Miguel Useche (PH) 1 0 0 0 0 1 Karson Simas (SS) 5 0 0 0 0 2 Edgar Alvarez (1B) 1 2 1 0 3 0 Andy Garriola (RF) 4 1 2 3 0 1 Ethan Hearn (DH) 4 0 1 1 0 1 Ariel Armas (C) 4 0 2 0 0 0 Devin Ortiz (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Alex Madera (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jake Knapp 3 1/3 4 6 6 3 3 2 Luis Rujano 2 3 7 6 4 1 1 Marino Santy 2 2/3 0 0 0 2 8 0 Kepley Swipes Three as South Bend Routs Beloit South Bend cruised to a 12-5 home win over the Beloit Sky Carp behind a balanced attack and seven team stolen bases. Leadoff man Kane Kepley went 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, a run scored, and three stolen bases. Cameron Sisneros finished 3-for-5 with a double, three RBIs, and a stolen base, and Owen Ayers added a 2-for-4 night with a home run, three RBIs, a walk, and a stolen base. Kade Snell drove in three runs on a 2-for-5 effort. The Cubs broke through for four runs in the second, when Sisneros ripped a two-run double that scored Leonel Espinoza and Matt Halbach, then Kepley followed with a two-run single that scored Sisneros and Drew Bowser. South Bend pushed across five more in the seventh, with RBI singles from Owen Ayers, Kade Snell, Cameron Sisneros, and Drew Bowser doing the damage. Ayers capped the scoring with a solo home run in the eighth. Starter Koen Moreno turned in four innings of one-run ball, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out five. Grayson Moore worked two and two-thirds scoreless innings in relief, allowing two hits and one walk. The Cubs drew 13 walks on the night and left 15 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley (CF) 3 1 2 2 2 0 Angel Cepeda (DH) 2 0 0 0 0 0 Reginald Preciado (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 2 Owen Ayers (C) 4 2 2 3 1 2 Kade Snell (RF) 5 1 2 3 1 2 Leonel Espinoza (LF) 0 1 0 0 4 0 Brian Kalmer (LF) 2 0 0 0 0 1 Matt Halbach (3B) 6 2 2 0 0 3 Cameron Sisneros (1B) 5 2 3 3 0 1 Drew Bowser (2B) 4 1 1 1 1 1 Christian Olivo (SS) 1 1 0 0 4 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Koen Moreno 4 1 1 1 3 5 0 Ethan Bell 1/3 2 2 1 2 0 0 Grayson Moore 2 2/3 2 0 0 1 0 0 Nate Williams 2 4 2 2 0 2 0 Three Homers, Combined Shutout Lift Myrtle Beach Over Kannapolis Myrtle Beach rolled to a 6-0 home win over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers behind three home runs and a three-pitcher shutout. Josiah Hartshorn led the offense with a 3-for-4 effort that included a two-run home run in the first, a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Cole Mathis went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the fifth, and Derniche Valdez added a solo shot in the fourth while finishing 2-for-4. The Pelicans struck right away in the bottom of the first when Ty Southisene doubled, advanced, and scored on Hartshorn's home run. In the third, Cole Mathis came around to score on a Logan Poteet RBI single. Valdez's solo homer in the fourth pushed the lead to 4-0, and Mathis's two-run blast in the fifth, which also scored Hartshorn, capped the scoring. Southisene finished 1-for-5 with a double and a run, and Poteet reached three times with a single, two walks, and an RBI. Myrtle Beach collected 10 hits, drew four walks, and left seven runners on base. On the mound, Victor Zarraga opened with four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk with one strikeout. Ben Johnson followed with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball, walking two and striking out three. Jackson Brockett closed it with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ty Southisene (SS) 5 1 1 0 0 2 Josiah Hartshorn (RF) 4 2 3 2 0 0 Cole Mathis (1B) 4 2 2 2 0 2 Michael Carico (DH) 3 0 0 0 1 1 Logan Poteet (C) 2 0 1 1 2 1 Eli Lovich (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ludwing Espinoza (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Derniche Valdez (3B) 4 1 2 1 0 1 Derik Alcantara (CF) 3 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Victor Zarraga 4 3 0 0 1 1 0 Ben Johnson 3 1 0 0 2 3 0 Jackson Brockett 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Cubs Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: DNP Kevin Alcántara: 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K Jonathon Long: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramírez: 1-for-5, R, 2B, K Kane Kepley: 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SB Josiah Hartshorn: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI James Triantos: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, SB, 2 K Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K Angel Cepeda: 0-for-2 Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 1-for-5, R, 2B, 2 K Erian Rodriguez: DNP View the full article

It's been a nightmare start for a Kansas City Royals team that was looking to improve upon its 82-80 record in 2025. After a 13-4 loss on Saturday, the Royals fell to 7-14 for the season, tied for last in the AL Central with the Chicago White Sox. Their -25 run differential is the second-worst mark in the AL Central and the third-worst in the American League overall (the Blue Jays are the only other team with a worse run differential). Furthermore, the offense and bullpen have been an abject disaster through 21 games. In terms of offense, the Royals rank 26th in batting average and OBP and 28th in OPS and runs scored. The bullpen has arguably been even worse. They rank 30th in ERA and WHIP, 29th in BB/9 and H/9 allowed, and 27th in HR/9. Safe to say, Kansas City Royals baseball has not been a lot of fun this year. Unfortunately, after Saturday's sixth-straight loss, the bad vibes seemed to spill into the clubhouse with comments from manager Matt Quatraro and Royals captain Salvador Perez. So What Happened With Quatraro and Salvy? On Saturday, the Royals gave Perez his first day off of the 2026 season. Before the game, the Royals manager talked to the media, and this is what he shared with MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers. Later that evening, after the Royals' nine-run loss to the Bronx Bombers, Salvy took to Twitter to share this "indirect" response to his manager's comment. As expected, Royals fans on social media automatically went into panic mode, pointing fingers at Quatraro and the Royals organization in general. Things didn't look good at the surface either, with Salvy's comment coming shortly after news broke from Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base that Kansas City would be calling up catcher Elias Diaz from Omaha. Thus, all kinds of theories and drama were shared on social media last night (I am not going to share them, but just type in "Salvy," and you'll see the damage). Some theorized that the clubhouse was fractured, especially when compounded by the Carter Jensen incident a couple of weeks ago. Some said that Salvy had lost trust in the organization and the manager. Some said it was being over-exaggerated, and it was more of a venting from the captain about his lackluster start to this season. Regardless, the Salvy "drama" was a distraction that a team already floundering didn't need at this point in the season. Things Looking Slightly Better on Sunday Before Sunday's series finale, Quatraro talked to the media, and Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star shared this comment from Quatraro about the comments from Salvy (as well as the manager's own comments and discussions with the captain). Quatraro also confirmed, via Joel Goldberg of Royals.TV, that he and Salvy had talked about the day off and the incident "multiple times" and that they were in a good place, both ready to move on. He also pointed out that whenever Salvy doesn't play, it becomes a big story. It doesn't seem like there are any lingering issues from the incident, at least on a lineup perspective. Today, Perez will be batting cleanup in the final game of the road trip. Furthermore, Salvy addressed the media regarding his comments. While he didn't necessarily agree with the characterization of needing a "mental breather", he did say that he understood Quatraro's decision and was ready to move on from it. He also mentioned that he had a sore hip and would need more time at DH, which explains the Diaz promotion. It's not the situation the Royals would like to deal with as they prepare to avoid a winless road trip. However, at least it seems like the Royals are moving on from this misunderstanding between Quatraro and Salvy. Is This Something to Worry About? With the Royals seven games under.500, it's easy for Royals fans to search for anything to explain their struggles, especially on the offensive end. While Salvy is a franchise icon, he hasn't been good this year, especially offensively. In 81 plate appearances, he has a .169 average, 36 wRC+, and -0.3 fWAR. Furthermore, his -29 wRC+ in RISP situations is the sixth-worst mark of qualified hitters this season, according to Fangraphs. Granted, Salvy isn't the lone problem of this Royals offense. However, Royals fans who constantly point the finger at Quatraro, hitting coach Alec Zumwalt, Vinnie Pasquantino, Bobby Witt Jr., or secondary players like Lane Thomas or Isaac Collins also need to understand that Salvy has been part of the problem in the Royals' first 21 games. He can't avoid criticism just because he's the captain and a fan favorite. That helps, but it isn't an excuse, especially if "winning" is what matters most to Royals fans. I don't think Salvy is trying to avoid criticism here, either. Salvy is aware of his struggles, and that probably fuels his desire to stay in the lineup, so he can overcome this bad start and get back on track. My guess is that's where the miscommunication stemmed from. He wants to stay in to overcome his struggles. However, as a manager, Quatraro has to figure out when to let a player work through it and when to override that desire and give a player a needed reset. Quatraro and Salvy talked about it before, according to Quatraro. However, why did Salvy react the way he did on social media? My guess is that he didn't appreciate Quatraro's "mental breather" comment. At the end of the day, English is not Salvy's first language, and in different cultures, anything "mental" can be seen as a "weakness." It's not true, but that's just the impression some people and cultures can have with anything tied to the word "mental." I believe that if Quatraro had just said, "He needs a day off after playing in so many games back-to-back," this would not have been an issue. For Royals fans thinking this is the ammunition that JJ Picollo or owner John Sherman needs to fire Quatraro, you can forget it. He signed a two-year extension this offseason. There are still 141 games remaining this season. Zumwalt may be a different story, especially after they hired two new assistant coaches this offseason. He may be "reassigned" if the Royals head into Memorial Day with a bottom-five offense. He's been with the Royals since 2019, and he's had plenty of time to show whether or not he's the right lead voice for this group. However, Quatraro has only one fewer winning season than the previous manager, Ned Yost, in six fewer seasons. The Royals have a good thing with Q, and that shouldn't be overlooked because of a tough start and a weird misunderstanding between him and the captain. Does this mean Royals fans need to overlook this situation? Absolutely not. It's something to monitor over the course of the year, especially if things do not improve on the record. However, this incident is likely being amplified more than it actually is due to Royals fans' frustration with the start the club is going through. If the Royals had a better record, it would be dismissed as not a big deal. Hopefully, the Royals can begin that turnaround soon to help put this incident behind them. View the full article

It's about to get a little nutty at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have managed to win four games in a row this week, flipping the narrative that had begun to surround a rocky start to the season. However, even as they've done so, they've been further depleted by injury. Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton have already been sidelined for a fortnight. One by one, though, they've also lost a number of key relievers: Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Ethan Roberts, and Daniel Palencia. That was after starting the season down Jordan Wicks and Porter Hodge, the latter of whom will miss the entire season after undergoing elbow surgery. At Triple-A Iowa, starter Jaxon Wiggins and reliever Gavin Hollowell have also been sidelined. As a result, the team already has several pitchers in the mix to whom they were hoping not to turn until summer. The latest addition, righty Corbin Martin, was with the team on a minor-league deal and joins the 40-man roster at the expense of Horton, who was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room. Now, however, Martin can't be optioned back to the minors without being exposed to waivers. The team didn't want to recall him this soon, since that makes it much more likely that they'll lose him amid a roster crunch sometime soon. They had little choice, though. Thus, starter Javier Assad takes the ball Sunday, with a simple task: eat some innings. The Cubs' bullpen has just four (Jacob Webb, Caleb Thielbar, Hoby Milner and Ben Brown) of the eight members with whom they began the season. They're missing their top three right-handed options, and Brown (who became the de facto righty relief ace when Palencia went down) threw 38 pitches Saturday to secure their win over New York. Webb's combination of recent usage and wavering effectiveness will make Craig Counsell unlikely to turn to him with much enthusiasm in the late innings. Other than Thielbar and Milner, the team has no one fresh whom you want trying to hold a lead Sunday. Pitcher TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Brown, B 0 17 0 0 38 55 Webb, J 15 0 0 25 0 40 Thielbar 18 0 0 0 14 32 Milner 0 10 0 10 0 20 Little 0 19 0 0 0 19 Martin, R. 6 0 0 12 0 18 Rolison 11 0 0 0 0 11 Martin, C. 0 0 0 0 0 0 Assad himself is the team's seventh starting pitching option. He'll be asked, however, to pitch more like a No. 3: soak up innings and keep the team in the game. As long as he can do so, Counsell can piece together the final three-plus innings without overusing Ryan Rolison or Corbin Martin. Martin (the righty, not to be confused with the younger, optionable, left-handed Riley Martin) showed impressive stuff in his brief time with Iowa. His cut-ride fastball and knuckle-curve make a fascinating pair, and though he's thrown them just a few times, his sinker and changeup show startling amounts of arm-side run coming from his arm slot and branching from his main arsenal. That only makes it more important that the team not ask him to throw 45 pitches to get them six or seven outs. With Palencia and Harvey, especially, likely to be out for a while, the team badly needs right-handed relief depth, and Martin looks capable of being a solid middle reliever. Losing him before the end of April would put them at real risk of bullpen collapse. Counsell needs Assad to get him into the sixth inning Sunday, so he can mix and match and keep the pitch counts on each of the relievers he uses low. A lefty-heavy bullpen is a small problem. One running out of options altogether is a larger one, and it's a problem the team is on the cusp of running into at full speed, early in a long season. For a little while, every pitching appearance will be higher-leverage than it seems, because the team will have a need that reaches beyond that day: for the pitcher to come through the outing healthy, and for them to get the number of outs Counsell is asking for, so they don't stretch a thin staff past its breaking point. View the full article

Needing a fresh arm in the bullpen, the Kansas City Royals made moves Sunday affecting their relievers and the bench. Right-handed reliever Mason Black and catcher Elias Diaz were called up from Triple-A Omaha, while right-handed reliever Mitch Spence and middle infielder Tyler Tolbert were sent down to Omaha. Diaz was not on the 40-man roster, so right-handed reliever James McArthur (right elbow inflammation) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Black will be making his Royals debut after being acquired in the offseason from the San Francisco Giants after the right-hander was designated for assignment. He appeared in 10 games, including eight starts in 2024, over the last two seasons with the Giants, with a 6.47 ERA over 40⅓ innings, with an 8% walk rate and 19.1% strikeout rate. At Omaha this year, he appeared in seven games with a 3.86 ERA with two saves in 11⅔ innings. He walked five and struck out six. Diaz signed a minor-league contract at the beginning of spring training to provide catching depth. Calling him up gives the Royals three catchers, joining starter Salvador Perez and backup Carter Jensen. Spence is coming off a four-inning, bullpen-saving outing Saturday in a 13-4 loss to the New York Yankees. He allowed six runs on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts. That was his only appearance since being called up April 9. Tolbert made the Opening Day roster, but had appeared in eight games and only had five at bats, including going 1-for-1 Saturday for his only hit this year. He played in 64 games last year, posting a .280/.321/.380 slash line with one homer, six RBIs and 21 steals. View the full article

While the 2026 season is barely three weeks old, it's never too early to look ahead to the San Diego Padres' next offseason. There are four Friars who are facing decisions on whether they should opt-out of their contracts or remain in San Diego for at least 2027. This on top of the six players whose contracts expire after this season: right-handed reliever Jason Adam, left fielder Ramon Laureano, left-handed reliever Adrian Morejon, right-handed starter Walker Buehler, infielder Ty France and infielder-outfielder Nick Castellanos. Additionally, outfielder-infielder Miguel Andujar, right-handed starter Griffin Canning, left-handed reliever Kyle Hart and right-handed starter German Marquez have mutual options for 2027. Mutual options are almost always declined. That means already 10 players could potentially depart the Padres. Four others control their future. Curiously, they are all pitchers. Right-handed starters Michael King and Nick Pivetta as well as left-handed relievers Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta all have contract provisions that allow them to opt-out of their deals following 2026. Of course, complicating all of this is the impending lockout, which will happen about month after these players have to make their option decisions and before major free agents typically sign. Let's review each player's situation with the rest of 2026 ahead of them. Michael King Contract: Signed three-year, $75 million contract prior to 2026 season. Decision: King has an opt-outs after this season and the 2027 season. After finding the free-agent waters a little frigid, King was a surprising returnee to the Friars' fold this offseason. The type of deal he got certainly reflects that, too. After making $7.75 million in 2025 after signing a deal to avoid his final trip through arbitration, King is making a very affordable $9 million this year, then jumping up to $32 million in 2027 and $34 million in 2028. In other words, the 30-year-old King is basically on a prove-it deal this year after experiencing a couple of injuries in 2025, but has the safety net in place should he underperform or have more injury issues. He is off to a good start in 2026, with a 3.69 FIP (2.78 ERA) in four starts. As one of the key pieces acquired in the Juan Soto trade with the New York Yankees following the 2023 season, King has pretty much been what the Padres were seeking: a front-of-the-rotation starter. A healthy season with his typical production would make King one of the top free agents next offseason. King was No. 12 on The Athletic's big board last offseason and that was coming off only 15 starts due to the long thoracic nerve injury that weakened his right shoulder and knee inflammation upon his return. Depending on how his season goes, he could simply return to the Padres and make $32 million next season or he could get contracts in the range from Framber Valdez (three years, $115 million, $38.3 million average annual value) to Ranger Suarez (five years, $130 million, $26 million AAV) to former Friar Dylan Cease (seven years, $210 million, $30 million AAV). Nick Pivetta Contract: Signed a four-year, $55 million contract just before the start of the 2025 season. Decision: Like King, Pivetta has opt-outs each of the next two offseasons. Unlike King, Pivetta's deal was essentially a two-year pact with the third and four years, at $14 million each, as insurance for Pivetta should something go wrong. And now something has gone wrong. Pivetta, who made a very team-friendly $2.5 million in 2025 and is earning $20.5 million this year, went on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right elbow. How long Pivetta is sidelined is still being determined, but the mood in the Padres' clubhouse was reportedly somber after the diagnosis. The 33-year-old entered the season as the No. 1 in the rotation and started Opening Day for the first time in his 10-year career. He finished sixth in voting for the NL Cy Young Award last year with a 3.49 FIP (2.87 ERA). His spring was interrupted briefly by arm fatigue, a typical affliction for pitchers during camp, but now potentially a warning sign for his elbow issues. A healthy and productive 2026 would have set Pivetta up for a big contract, albeit probably in the four-year range due to his age, as he hadn't had any noteworthy injuries previously. If this is a relatively short-term injury, Pivetta can still recoup any lost value by pitching anywhere close to what he did in 2025. But if it is more serious, including possibly needing Tommy John surgery, the decision to stick with the Padres through the end of the contract will be a no-brainer. Yuki Matsui Contract: Signed a five-year, $28 million deal prior to the 2024 season. Decision: Matsui has opt-outs after this season and the 2027 season, with a clause that allows the final year to be converted to a club option if he sustains a serious elbow injury. The 30-year-old left-hander out of Japan is making $5.75 million this season, with his player option for 2027 at $6.5 million and for 2028 at $7 million. He has been a valuable member of the Padres' bullpen, but not at the closer level that was anticipated when he initially signed. In fact, he has only had five chances to close out a game, going 0-for-4 in 2024 and converting his only opportunity in 2025. That doesn't mean has hasn't been good. He has had a FIP of 3.92 and 4.87 in each of his first two seasons (ERAs of 3.73 and 3.98), but his 11.3% career walk rate is three percentage points higher than the MLB average, which doesn't bode well for a prospective high-leverage reliever, while his 24.6% strikeout rate is above average by 2.2 percentage points. Matsui's 2026 season has been delayed by a strained left groin, but he should be returning shortly. MLB teams aren't afraid to pay for quality relievers, with closers earning about $15-20 million a year on the open market and key set-up relievers getting about $10 million. With his salary climbing in each of the next two years, it is unlikely that he will get more via free agency unless he reduces his walk rate and becomes a more reliable late-inning option. Wandy Peralta Contract: Signed a four-year, $16.5 million contract before the 2024 season. Decision: Peralta has a player option this offseason for the final year of his contract. In his 11th season, Peralta is scheduled to make $4.45 million in 2027, the same figure he is making this year. He has also had player options for each of the last two offseasons. The 34-year-old left-hander has been very reliable as a middle reliever throughout the bulk of his career and made a career-high 71 appearances in 2025. He had a 3.62 FIP (3.14 ERA), better than the 4.44 (3.74) marks for his career. Considering Peralta has exercised his options to stay in San Diego each of the last two offseasons, coming back for his modest salary would seem to be the move here. His career walk and strikeout rates are just a bit below average, but nothing he isn't used to working around. To compensate, Peralta has allowed an opponent OPS of .692, which is better than the MLB average of .731. View the full article

In advance of his season debut on Sunday, Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers speaks with the media about his recovery from a hamstring strain and comfort level at first base.View the full article

The sale of the San Diego Padres just reset the ceiling for Major League Baseball franchise valuations, and it should send a very clear message back to the Pohlad family. According to Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal, the Padres were sold to private-equity billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones for a record $3.9 billion. That number doesn’t just stand out on its own. It becomes even more eye-opening when placed next to what the Pohlad family was seeking when they explored selling the Minnesota Twins. Back in October of 2024, the Pohlads made it known they were open to selling the franchise. Reports from The Athletic at the time indicated they were looking for at least $1.7 billion, a number that already exceeded Forbes’ valuation of the team at $1.46 billion. Offers reportedly reached around $1.5 billion, but those weren’t entertained. Part of the justification for holding firm was tied to roughly $425 million in debt attached to the franchise. Fast forward to now, and the gap between what the Twins were hoping to get and what the Padres actually received is massive. San Diego sold for more than double Minnesota’s reported asking price. Even more notably, the Padres entered the sale with a Forbes valuation of $3.1 billion, meaning they sold for roughly $800 million above that estimate. The Twins, on the other hand, struggled to draw offers that even matched their valuation. At first glance, market size might seem like an easy explanation, but it doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Minneapolis-St. Paul ranks as the 16th-largest media market in the United States, while San Diego comes in at 18th. The Padres generating significantly more value than the Twins, despite being in a slightly smaller market, challenges the idea that market size alone dictates franchise worth. This gap becomes even more interesting when looking back less than a decade. In 2017, Forbes valued the Padres at $1.13 billion, ranking 21st in MLB. Right behind them were the Twins at $1.03 billion. At that point, the two franchises were essentially peers in terms of valuation and on-field results, both coming off seasons with more than 90 losses. From there, the paths diverged in a major way. The Padres chose aggression. Their payroll rankings since 2017 tell the story: 28th, then climbing to 25th, 24th, 10th, 6th, 5th, 3rd, dipping briefly, and now back up near the top of the league in 2026. This is a team that consistently spent beyond what traditional market logic would suggest. In multiple seasons, their payroll pushed well past 60 or 70 percent of team revenue. There were likely years where profitability took a back seat entirely. The Twins, on the other hand, have followed a much flatter trajectory. In 2017, their payroll ranked 21st in baseball, actually ahead of the Padres at the time. But since then, the Twins have never exceeded 16th in payroll ranking, and in 2026 they sit 22nd in the league, below even that 2017 starting point. While one organization accelerated its investment, the other largely maintained or even pulled back relative to the rest of the sport. That divergence in spending philosophy shows up everywhere. Former Padres owner John Seidler approached the franchise with a long-term vision. Rather than managing the team purely as a year-to-year business, he treated it as an investment in relevance, fan engagement, and contention. The Padres committed massive contracts to players like Manny Machado, traded for stars like Juan Soto, and made a point to stay in the national conversation. That strategy paid off. Not necessarily in annual profit margins, but in franchise value. The Padres transformed from a $1.13 billion team in 2017 into a $3.9 billion sale in 2026, completing the largest transaction in MLB history. The Twins took a different route. While their valuation did rise over time, it didn’t come close to keeping pace. From $1.03 billion in 2017 to struggling to surpass $1.5 billion in actual offers during their sale process, the growth has been comparatively modest. Over the last few seasons in particular, the Twins have operated with a more conservative approach, limiting payroll expansion and largely avoiding major splash moves that generate widespread attention. There are other contributing factors, of course. San Diego offers an attractive lifestyle and has a concentrated base of wealth. The Padres also benefit from being the only “Big 4” professional sports team in the city, allowing them to capture a larger share of local attention. But those elements alone don’t explain a multi-billion dollar gap. Fan engagement is another key piece. The Padres drew nearly 3.5 million fans in 2025, setting a franchise attendance record. The Twins, meanwhile, dropped to around 1.77 million, their lowest full-season mark since the Metrodome era. One franchise created urgency and excitement. The other failed to maintain it. The Padres provide a clear example of what can happen when an organization prioritizes investment in the on-field product, even at the expense of short-term returns. Their rise in valuation wasn’t accidental. It was built through sustained spending, star power, and a commitment to relevance. For the Twins, this moment serves as a comparison point that’s difficult to ignore. The idea that small or mid-sized markets can’t support aggressive spending looks less convincing when a team like San Diego not only spends, but turns that spending into long-term franchise growth. There’s a lesson here about how value is created in modern baseball. It’s not just about controlling costs or maximizing yearly profit. It’s about building a product that people care about, one that draws fans, commands attention, and ultimately becomes more valuable when it hits the open market. The Padres leaned into that approach and were rewarded in a historic way. The Twins now face a choice in how they want to be viewed moving forward. What do you think? Should the Twins take a more aggressive approach to spending and team-building, or is there another path to closing that valuation gap? View the full article

Former Cubs top prospect Moises Ballesteros is red-hot out of the gates to start the 2026 season. What is contributing to this prolific stretch, and can Ballesteros take home NL Rookie of the Year honors in a crowded field that includes JJ Wetherholt, Konnor Griffin, and more? We break it all down in this video. Enjoy! View the full article

The Red Sox no. 2 prospect, Franklin Arias, is hitting over .500 with the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. In this video, we take a walk through his journey as a professional baseball player, break down how he's managed such a strong start, and estimate when he could make his debut in front of Fenway faithful. View the full article

Transactions: RHP Carlos Rodriguez recalled by MLB Brewers from AAA Nashville RHP Coleman Crow optioned to AAA Nashville from MLB Brewers RHP Reiss Knehr assigned to Nashville Sounds from ACL Brewers The Knehr move was a paper transaction activating him after he had recently signed as a minor league free agent. Notes on Knehr were posted within our transaction thread Saturday. We received news of an early Sunday AM move: OF Damon Keith activated from AA Biloxi’s 7-day injured list I, for one, am super-pleasantly surprised, detailed here. Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 2, Worcester (Red Sox) 1 Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Strong Pitching Keeps Sounds' Win Streak Rolling Considering it was such a low scoring affair, the linked write-up justly takes you through the contest on a half-inning by half-inning basis. The game featured 25 strikeouts, so the theme was established via the bobblehead giveaway. Nice touch on the photo with the matching skylines. We had been waiting for this shot, and as per Williams' history, it was pulled: Voice of the Sounds Jeff Hem is so good at his craft, as this call exemplifies. Pay attention, MLB clubs! In case you were wondering how to pronounce the name of the new guy mentioned in the Transaction section above: More video: Zamora-to-Pratt-to-Wilken to aid McGee's cause Murray sacrifice fly It will be fascinating to see how Boston's Kristian Campbell contract extension (take a peek) ages in comparison to Cooper Pratt's. Cautionary tale so far. It's only been five games split between second and third base, but old friend Anthony Seigler is off to a slow start at the plate after his brief season-opening injury list stint. Jett Williams got a partial rest day as the designated hitter here. Ramon Rodriguez got the nod behind the plate after sitting out Friday's two games, and fellow backstops Jeferson Quero and Andrick Nava comprised two-thirds of Manager Rick Sweet's bench, along with true backup everything Jheremy Vargas. Of course, look for both Quero and Rodriguez to shuttle into the DH spot often. Rest assured RH relievers Blake Holub and Will Childers have the attention of Matt Arnold and team. It's a long season, and regardless of 40-man roster constraints, future needs may dictate opportunities for either or both of that duo. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Biloxi 10, Columbus (Braves) 1 Box Score and Game Log Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - Added Saturday were Manager Mike Guerrero (from Friday) and 1B/OF Tayden Hall Via the Shuckers, game details: Shuckers All-Around Effort Ends Three-Game Slide in Columbus - Shuckers Score 10, Pitching Staff Surrenders Two Hits in 10-1 Victory One would imagine there are a lot of positives out of this one, and that game summary review you just read must have raised your eyebrows a few times, as in, my things are going well for certain players, aren't they (despite a middling - by definition - 7-7 record for the team). In order to hear the Shuckers' call on the O'Rae home run, as well as to view Eduardo Garcia's blast, enjoy this trifecta post from the team. More video? Sure! Burke's RBI line drive single Garcia yanks an RBI double Superman dive for Nicasia Darrien Miller RBI single down the line Wild pitch scores the final Biloxi run Ending the game in 6-4-3 fashion Through three starts and 15 innings, RHP Jaron DeBerry has a WHIP of just 1.13 despite issuing 14 free passes (11 walks, three HBP's - mix in two wild pitches and two balks). It's been an adventure for the 2024 3rd rounder, yet he's only allowed six hits, two of those doubles. The bullpen trio of Edwin Jimenez - Patricio Aquino - Sam Garcia performed just as any manager would hope with a big lead. Eduardo Garcia is a super-interesting dude. Somehow still just 23 years old (24 on July 10th), he was eligible for minor league free agency before he and his agent were convinced to return for 2026. In 34 games vs. Dominican Winter League competition an average of nearly seven years older than himself, he posted a .324/.395/.581(!) line. Upon completing rehab from a hand injury suffered in the D.R., Garcia has posted even stronger number in the still small seven-game sample. With defensive chops at SS/3B/CF/LF, even with a seemingly painful roster crunch looming this offseason, if Garcia maintains anything near this pace, he'd be a prime candidate for a 40-man roster spot to retain his rights again. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link) Final: Wisconsin 8, Peoria (Cardinals) 7 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers, game details: Wisconsin Rallies for Win in Ninth Inning - Adamczewski homers twice, drives in five runs, & scores winning run to cap a two-run ninth inning OK, so first of all, T-Rat coverage overall is supremely impressive, in particular for home contests. Even more so than in past years, the club is incorporating the social media posts into the game summaries (hey, that's a "Link Report" tradition!), and it goes without saying that you should take in both of the full media sites below, especially given the very entertaining nature of this game. The full YouTube package allows me to avoid linking to individual plays, and the Postgame Podcast is always a fine listen, this one concise at 17 minutes. All those "Frosty K" mentions in the highlight package were never so literal, check out the outfits of those hardy fans! Andrew Fischer lifted his OBP to .385 by reaching in all five trips (double, two singles, two walks). One of Josh Adamczewski's 65 defensive innings in 2026 came at second base, otherwise all have been in left field. It was a wise move by the organization to recognize that the combination of infield depth in the system and Adamczewski's offensive potential would support a move to left field, which at this time certainly seems permanent. The young man turns 21 on May 10th. You could take the Jaron DeBerry narrative from above and apply it to Bryce Meccage. The 20-year-old right-hander has only allowed five hits (one double) in 10.1 innings over three starts. There's been 12 walks and two wild pitches thus far, though his curve ball certainly looked lethal in the highlight package. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Hill City (Guardians) 3, Wilson 1 Box Score and Game Log Howlers Shutdown Warbirds Offense in Victory - Warbirds Strand 11 In Loss Well, here's your lone Wilson "highlight", and it's in quotes because it was unearned. It's not the first time this season the Warbirds' lone tally was of that variety. Here's an exercise for you this morning, it'll only take a few moments, promise. Here's the link for team batting statistics for the Carolina League, for the moment the category highlighted you'll see is bases on balls, where Wilson leads the league and it's not that close, with 95 through 14 games, nearly seven per game. OK, now, click on every single other category in the sortable database. The Warbirds are either last or next-to-last and hide the children's eyes before you click on that SLG column. Hide the children in your family's eyes from that, yikes. Nearly 2,800 on hand for this game, and the locals may start to notice a pattern before too long. RF Handelfry Encarnacion walked thrice and was plunked, raising his OBP to .293. The team's power bat, CF Jose Anderson, finished 0-for-5 with four K's, collecting Golden Sombrero #2. Six of Anderson's ten base hits have gone for extra bases, and he's driven in 15 in just 52 at-bats. However, Anderson is striking out in exactly half of his plate appearances in the early going. That number was 28.5% in 2025, so there's hope for recovery in that regard. Warbirds pitchers are middle-of-the-pack in issuing walks thus far, but walked seven here, and RHP Carlos Carra's three free passes led directly to his two runs allowed. One year ago on this date, the Carolina Mudcats were 11-2, having outscored opponents 101-58. Ah, those were heady times, with the fruits being realized in Wisconsin now. Early afternoon action across the board Sunday, with a collection of four strong arms on tap as the scoreboard link below will show. Have a great Sunday, all! 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

There are some under-the-radar arms at Double-A Wichta, and Jamie shares why Jose Olivares is one of those to follow along in 2026. View the full article

The Mets' farm went 4-1 on Saturday. Syracuse swept a doubleheader against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 9-4 and 7-4, with home runs from Ronny Mauricio, Ryan Clifford, Vidal Bruján, and Onix Vega powering game one, while Brandon Waddell earned the win in game two. Brooklyn topped Greensboro 8-3 behind Irving Cota's four scoreless innings of relief. St. Lucie beat Daytona 12-8. Binghamton's Brendan Girton allowed one run in four innings, but Akron walked off for a 5-4 win. Mets Transactions New York Mets placed 2B Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 15, 2026. Right wrist contusion. New York Mets recalled C Hayden Senger from Syracuse Mets. Four Homers Carry Syracuse To 9-4 Win In Doubleheader Opener The Syracuse Mets took game one of a doubleheader 9-4 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders with a four-home run effort in the seven-inning contest. Carl Edwards Jr. earned the win after five innings, allowing three runs on three hits, walking three, and striking out two. Mike Baumann followed with one inning of work, giving up one run on one hit with a walk and two strikeouts. Alex Carrillo closed the door with a scoreless inning featuring two strikeouts. Ryan Clifford drove in three runs on two hits, including a home run from the cleanup spot, scoring twice. Ronny Mauricio homered and drove in one run while scoring once. Vidal Bruján homered and added two RBIs, scoring once. Onix Vega contributed a two-RBI home run while Jackson Cluff, Yonny Hernández, Ji Hwan Bae, and Cristian Pache each added one hit. Nick Morabito drew two walks and scored a run from the leadoff spot. The Mets finished with nine hits, four walks, four strikeouts, and left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 2 1 0 0 2 0 Ji Hwan Bae 3 1 1 0 1 1 Ronny Mauricio 4 1 1 1 0 1 Ryan Clifford 3 2 2 3 1 0 Vidal Bruján 3 1 1 2 0 1 Cristian Pache 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jackson Cluff 4 1 1 0 0 0 Yonny Hernández 2 1 1 0 0 0 Onix Vega 3 1 1 2 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carl Edwards Jr. 5 3 3 3 3 2 1 Mike Baumann 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 Alex Carrillo 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Syracuse Completes Sweep With 7-4 Win In Nightcap The Syracuse Mets finished off a doubleheader sweep with a 7-4 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the seven-inning nightcap. Bryce Conley started and gave Syracuse four innings, allowing one run on two hits with one walk, one strikeout, and one home run. Brandon Waddell earned the win with three innings of work, giving up three runs on four hits, walking none, striking out two, and allowing two home runs. Ryan Clifford led the offense with a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored on two hits from the cleanup spot. Ronny Mauricio drove in three runs on a hit while scoring once, while Jihwan Bae went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Cristian Pache collected two hits and a run scored. Nick Morabito added a hit and scored twice from the leadoff spot. Yonny Hernández, Vincent Perozo, and Trace Willhoite contributed as well, with Willhoite driving in a run. Syracuse scored one run in the second, two runs in the third, one in the fourth, and three in the fifth. The Mets finished with 10 hits, no walks, and three runners left on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 4 2 1 0 0 0 Ji Hwan Bae 3 2 2 0 0 1 Ronny Mauricio 3 1 1 3 0 1 Ryan Clifford 3 1 2 2 0 0 Vidal Bruján 2 0 0 1 0 0 Cristian Pache 3 1 2 0 0 1 Yonny Hernández 3 0 1 0 0 0 Trace Willhoite 2 0 0 1 0 0 Vincent Perozo 3 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryce Conley 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 Brandon Waddell 3 4 3 3 0 2 2 Brendan Girton Solid In Binghamton's 5-4 Walk-Off Loss The Binghamton Rumble Ponies fell 5-4 to the Akron RubberDucks in a walk-off loss with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Brendan Girton started and delivered four innings, allowing one run on three hits, walking three, striking out five, and giving up one home run. Jefry Yan worked 1 1/3 innings and allowed one run with four walks and three strikeouts. Douglas Orellana followed with 1 1/3 innings, allowing one run on no hits with three walks and a strikeout. Jordan Geber added 1 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and a walk without giving up a run. Ben Simon took the loss and blew the save after just one-third of an inning, allowing two runs on two hits. Eli Serrano III led the offense with a single, a walk, and two RBIs from the cleanup spot. Matt Rudick went 1-for-4 with two RBIs, while A.J. Ewing collected two hits and a run scored from the leadoff spot. Nick Lorusso added a hit and a run scored. Marco Vargas drew two walks and scored once. Binghamton struck out 10 times and left 10 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 5 1 2 0 0 2 Marco Vargas 3 1 0 0 2 1 Chris Suero 4 0 1 0 1 0 Eli Serrano III 3 0 1 2 1 2 Jose Ramos 4 0 0 0 1 1 D'Andre Smith 3 1 0 0 1 1 Nick Lorusso 4 1 1 0 0 1 Matt Rudick 4 0 1 2 0 1 Wyatt Young 3 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brendan Girton 4 3 1 1 3 5 1 Jefry Yan 1 1/3 0 1 1 4 3 0 Douglas Orellana 1 1/3 0 1 1 3 1 0 Jordan Geber 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 0 0 Ben Simon 1/3 2 2 1 0 0 0 Irving Cota's Four Scoreless Lift Cyclones Past Greensboro The Brooklyn Cyclones topped the Greensboro Grasshoppers 8-3 at home behind a 13-hit offensive output. Joel Díaz started and gave three innings, allowing three runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Irving Cota followed with four scoreless innings of relief to earn the win, giving up two hits, one walk, and three strikeouts. Gregori Louis pitched a scoreless inning with three strikeouts, and Cristofer Gomez finished with a scoreless inning featuring two walks and a strikeout. Ronald Hernandez led the offense from the two-hole with two hits, two walks, three RBIs, and a run scored. Colin Houck collected three hits and drove in two runs, while Daiverson Gutierrez added two hits and a run scored. John Bay drove in a run while scoring twice with a single. Yohairo Cuevas added a single, a walk, one RBI, and a run scored. Heriberto Rincon collected two hits and scored once from the nine-hole. Mitch Voit added a hit and scored once from the leadoff spot. Corey Collins singled, drew two walks, and scored a run. Diego Mosquera added an RBI. Brooklyn finished with 13 hits, six walks, struck out nine times, and left 13 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 5 1 1 0 0 0 Ronald Hernandez 3 1 2 3 2 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 5 1 2 0 0 2 Corey Collins 3 1 1 0 2 0 John Bay 4 2 1 1 0 1 Colin Houck 4 0 3 2 1 1 Yohairo Cuevas 4 1 1 1 1 3 Diego Mosquera 4 0 0 1 0 0 Heriberto Rincon 5 1 2 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joel Díaz 3 5 3 3 4 3 0 Irving Cota 4 2 0 0 1 3 0 Gregori Louis 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Cristofer Gomez 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 St. Lucie Pounds Out 13 Hits In 12-8 Win At Daytona The St. Lucie Mets defeated the Daytona Tortugas 12-8 on the road behind 13 hits and a four-run ninth inning. Cam Tilly started and went three innings, allowing seven runs, four earned, on four hits with two walks, four strikeouts, and two home runs. Luke Jackson pitched a scoreless inning with three strikeouts and a walk. Ryan Dollar gave up one run on no hits with two walks and two strikeouts in one inning. Joe Scarborough added two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and a walk. Miguel Mejias earned the win with a scoreless inning. Tyler McLoughlin closed with a scoreless inning. Chase Meggers led the offense with three hits, a walk, one RBI, and two runs scored from the six-hole. Elian Peña went 2-for-5 with a walk, two RBIs, and a run scored from the leadoff spot. Francisco Toledo added two hits, two runs scored, and one RBI. Simon Juan drove in two runs on two hits. Vladi Gomez singled, walked, drove in one run, and scored twice. AJ Salgado singled, walked, and scored twice. Sam Biller and Sam Robertson each added one hit. Randy Guzman drew two walks and scored twice. St. Lucie struck out 11 times and left eight runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 5 1 2 2 1 1 Sam Robertson 6 0 1 0 0 2 Randy Guzman 3 2 0 0 2 1 AJ Salgado 4 2 1 0 1 2 Simon Juan 5 0 2 2 0 3 Chase Meggers 4 2 3 1 1 1 Sam Biller 5 1 1 0 0 0 Francisco Toledo 4 2 2 1 1 0 Vladi Gomez 3 2 1 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cam Tilly 3 4 7 4 2 4 2 Luke Jackson 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 Ryan Dollar 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 Joe Scarborough 2 2 0 0 1 3 0 Miguel Mejias 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Tyler McLoughlin 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 View the full article

Twins System Recap: In a rough day across the system, C.J. Culpepper and Hendry Mendez of Wichita salvaged the day. Culpepper struck out seven batters over 4 2/3 innings, and Mendez swatted his third homer of the week. Also today, Royce Lewis homered in his first rehab game with the Saints, and Emmanuel Rodriguez set a new St. Paul record for exit velocity. View the full article

The New York Mets are seeing results from owner Steve Cohen's commitment to improving the farm system. Homegrown players such as Nolan McLean and Carson Benge have already made it to Flushing, and the next wave of prospects is not far behind. Grand Central Mets is profiling that up-and-coming group in this series. You can find Part 1 (Nos. 16-20) here. Here's a look at the second set of prospects in our 2026 Top 20 ranking --- the players ranked 11th through 15th. Four of these prospects are teammates to begin 2026. The fifth player hasn't yet begun his pro career, but he may have the highest ceiling of this group. 15. Will Watson, RHP (Binghamton Rumble Ponies) Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA RA9 G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W 2026 23 -2.0 BNG EAS AA NYM 0 1 .000 5.14 6.43 2 2 0 0 0 0 7.0 7 5 4 1 4 0 7 1 0 1 1.571 9.0 1.3 5.1 9.0 1.75 Watson, 23, was a two-way player in junior college but switched to full-time pitching after transferring to USC in 2024. The move paid off, as the Mets took him in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB Draft and then promoted him to Double-A late last year. He got a look in major-league spring training before going back to Binghamton for the start of the 2026 season. Watson throws a four-seamer, two-seamer, cutter, changeup and slider. Per MLB.com, his pitch speeds last year ranged from the mid-90s with his fastballs to the mid-80s with the slider. The horizontal movement on his changeup gives Watson reverse-splits potential. Left-handers compiled a .561 OPS and hit three home runs against him last season, while righties put up a .623 OPS with five homers. His ground-ball rate jumped after the promotion to Double-A -- 57.1 percent at Binghamton compared to 44.8 percent at High-A Brooklyn. Control was an issue, however, with an 11.6 percent overall walk rate. Watson issued four free passes in his first seven innings of 2026. 14. Wandy Asigen, SS (DSL Mets) The 16-year-old Asigen caused a stir during this year's January international signing period when he backed out of an agreement with the Yankees at the last minute to sign with the Mets for $3.9 million. Subway Series rivalry aside, Asigen's decision was significant because of his prospect status; he's ranked No. 2 overall in the January class by MLB Pipeline. Asigen's ranking is based on high-end tools. He has both 60-grade power and 60-grade speed according to MLB.com's scouting report. He has drawn raves for his bat speed (exit velocities in the 110s), his ability to lift the ball, and his ability to barrel up pitches. One concern is how he'll handle fastballs up and away, but that's a skill he can develop over time. He already has decent size, listed at 6-0 and 180 pounds. Asigen is not coming into the pro game as a raw prospect, either. He is already a seasoned international player, including representing the Dominican Republic in the 2024 WBSC U-15 World Cup. He'll debut in the Dominican Summer League, but he has the tools to move through the organization quickly. 13. Zach Thornton, LHP (Binghamton Rumble Ponies) Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA RA9 G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W 2026 24 -1.0 BNG EAS AA NYM 0 0 .000 1.69 1.69 1 1 0 0 0 0 5.1 2 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 19 0.563 3.4 0.0 1.7 6.8 4.00 Thornton, 24, took a big step forward last year before suffering a season-ending oblique injury in June. He posted a 1.98 ERA, 28.5 percent strikeout rate, 4.0 percent walk rate and 1.8 percent home run rate in 14 starts and 72 2/3 innings between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton. He made a good impression in spring training this year, allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings. The 2023 fifth-round draft pick out of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix relies on his ability to pitch. He complements a deceptive low-to-mid-90s fastball with a plus two-plane slider in the mid-80s and a cutter in the upper 80s. He also throws a changeup and a slow curveball. He attacks hitters in the strike zone, as evidenced by the walk rate. Thornton is back in Binghamton's rotation to begin 2026. Being left-handed with funk will give him an advantage as he works toward a promotion. 12. Chris Suero, C/OF/1B (Binghamton Rumble Ponies) Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB 2026 22 -1.9 BNG EAS AA NYM 6 29 21 8 6 0 1 3 10 3 1 6 11 .286 .448 .810 1.258 17 0 1 0 1 0 The New York-born Suero, 22, signed with the Mets as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2022. Four seasons later, he's a power-speed prospect who can play multiple positions. He had a breakthrough at High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton last year with 16 home runs and 35 stolen bases in 115 games. He caught in 73 games, played first base in 16 and played left field in 21. The Mets assigned him to the Arizona Fall League after the end of the minor-league season, and his numbers in 15 games there were excellent as well: a .283/.353/.567 slash line, five home runs and eight steals in as many attempts. He reached a maximum exit velocity of 112.5 mph. Suero is squat at 5-11 and 205 pounds, but he moves well enough behind the plate. According to MLB.com, his pop time to second base last season was 1.8 to 1.9 seconds. The raw throwing numbers were not exciting; Suero threw out 23.2 percent of base stealers (23-for-99). He'll get to work on that part of the game as he catches a prospect-laden staff at Binghamton. 11. Jonathan Santucci, LHP (Binghamton Rumble Ponies) Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA RA9 G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W 2026 23 -2.0 BNG EAS AA NYM 0 0 .000 6.75 6.75 1 1 0 0 0 0 4.0 3 3 3 1 4 0 8 0 0 0 17 1.750 6.8 2.3 9.0 18.0 2.00 Santucci, 23, was a two-way player for most of his college career, but he was strictly a pitcher when the Mets selected him in the second round of the 2024 draft out of Duke. He made his pro debut last year, and by mid-July he was at Double-A. He was terrific for the Rumble Ponies, too, with a 2.52 ERA and 32.0 percent strikeout rate in 50 innings. He allowed just two home runs. Santucci relies on a low-to-mid-90s fastball that has good ride up in the zone and a high-80s slider that has excellent late bite. He comes at hitters from a high arm angle, which enhances the differences in eye level. His changeup and curveball are still in development, and he still needs to throw more strikes (8.5 percent walk rate). Left-handed batters fared better against him than did right-handers last year, but the overall numbers were still low: a .647 OPS for lefties, a .618 OPS for righties. Durability was an issue at Duke -- Santucci was sidelined by elbow surgery and a rib injury. He got through 2025 healthy, and he's taking a regular turn at Double-A to begin 2026. Continued health and another string of good starts should earn him a move up one or two levels. View the full article

There are certain prospects who force their way into the conversation before the industry is quite ready to include them. Marek Houston might already be one of those players. When the Twins selected Houston in the first round, the selling point was obvious. He was the best defensive shortstop in his class and arguably one of the safest bets in the entire draft. What has changed since then is not the glove. That has only become more convincing in pro ball. What has changed is the discussion around how real the bat might be, and that is where top-100 status starts to come into play. If the defensive grades are even close to accurate, it becomes difficult to ignore the broader profile. Houston looks like a legitimate plus defender at shortstop with the instincts, range, and internal clock that separate good fielders from elite ones. Watching him handle the position in his first taste of pro ball only reinforced that belief. There are not many minor-league shortstops who move the way he does, and it would not be surprising to see him competing for Gold Gloves at the highest level someday. That type of defensive foundation gives him a remarkably high floor. It also means he does not need to be a star offensively to provide significant value. But the reason he is creeping toward top-100 conversations is that there are signs he might be more than just a good glove. The offensive profile is where opinions start to split. Skeptics see a contact-oriented hitter without much impact, someone who might top out as a bottom-of-the-lineup bat. That concern is not unfounded. His professional debut showed flashes of that reality. He dominated Low-A pitching with a .370 average over a dozen games, then hit a wall after a promotion, batting just .152 in High-A. Even within those struggles, there were encouraging signs. His approach remained steady. He controlled the zone, made consistent swing decisions, and did not look overwhelmed. Those traits tend to translate. What lagged behind was the impact. The exit velocity data did not jump off the page, and the lack of power production will remain the biggest question hanging over his profile. Still, there is a case to be made that the offensive arrow is pointing up. Houston’s track record at Wake Forest suggests real growth. He went from a light-hitting freshman to a middle-of-the-order force as a junior, posting a 1.055 OPS with 15 home runs while matching his walk and strikeout totals. That kind of year-over-year improvement is not accidental. It speaks to adjustments, work ethic, and the ability to translate coaching into results. The Twins are now trying to build on that foundation. Houston has already begun refining his swing path to create better contact quality without sacrificing the approach that makes him unique. There is also an expectation that added strength could unlock more consistent damage. His max exit velocities and physical projection leave just enough room for optimism. In his first nine games of 2026, he went 11-for-38 (.289 BA) with four total extra-base hits, including two home runs. His walk rate increased by 2% with an .883 OPS and a 137 wRC+. Houston is also doing most of his damage against older pitchers, where he had a .937 OPS. That is where the top-100 case starts to form. An elite defensive shortstop who controls the strike zone and has shown the ability to make offensive adjustments is a valuable player. If Houston proves he can be even an average hitter with modest power, the overall profile becomes incredibly appealing. That combination often lands comfortably inside top-100 lists, especially given how quickly a player like that can move. Right now, he feels like a player on the edge of that group rather than firmly inside it. To take the next step, the checklist is fairly clear. He needs to show that the High-A struggles to end last season were more about adjustment than limitation. That means producing more consistent contact quality, driving the ball with authority, and proving that the power gains from his final college season can carry over into pro ball. He does not need to hit 25 home runs, but he does need to make enough noise to keep pitchers honest. If that happens, the conversation changes quickly. Houston already looks like a big league shortstop defensively. That part is not in question. What will determine whether he is simply a useful player or a cornerstone-type prospect is what he becomes in the batter’s box. Given his track record of improvement and the ease with which he plays the game, betting against him making those adjustments feels risky. By the end of this season, it would not be surprising if the rest of the industry starts to catch up to what is already becoming clear. Marek Houston is closer to the top 100 than many might think, and he has a real chance to make that jump sooner rather than later. Is Houston on his way to being a top-100 prospect? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Jays Centre is counting down the top 20 prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. View the full article