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Seems to me you can't read a two-sentence article about our Twins without at least one of those sentences being about "too many left-hand hitting outfielders." But do we?? Cody Schoenmann takes a look, and there are lots of good insights here. Perhaps you have an opinion you'd like to add... Do the Minnesota Twins Actually Have More Left-Handed Hitting Corner Outfielders Than Other Organizations? Austin Martin isn't one of those LH hitting outfielders, but he IS the subject of this piece. Is this what we've been hoping for ever since we said goodbye to Jose Berrios? Or is there more? Join the discussion! This is What a Successful Austin Martin Was Always Going to Look Like Did you know there's a better place to get a game story than the newspaper? Better than MLB.com? Better than 'em all?? Well, there is, and what's even better is you get to tell us what went wrong, or right! TD's game recaps are the shiznit, as the best of the TD staff take turns providing the absolute best takes on the day's game every day! Join us... Twins 8, Blue Jays 2: G4 Ignites a Twins Onslaught Get your comment on. Get in the forums! View the full article

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This week felt like a tale of two seasons as we examine three of the best discussion topics on Brewer Fanatic: Brewers: Yelich to IL with Adductor strain There are some things we cannot escape: death, taxes, and injuries to Christian Yelich. A difficult homestand got worse on Sunday when Yelich exited with a groin strain. Early reports suggested he would be out for a while. Brewers fans know better than to trust early timelines. Yelich’s history, especially with chronic back issues, has made recovery windows unpredictable. Later updates offered some optimism, with a possible return as early as next month. The forum reaction followed a familiar pattern. Some questioned whether the front office should have been better prepared for what feels inevitable. Others pushed back, noting Yelich played 150 games in 2025 and that durability concerns may be just as relevant for 22-year-old Jackson Chourio. Regardless, the Brewers lost their DH, a hitter carrying a 136 OPS+. Naturally, Milwaukee responded by taking the next series from Toronto, doing just enough to win without much offensive production. It is early, but this team continues to find ways to grind out wins, even when the lineup takes a hit. Brewers: 1/10 of the Way Baseball is a funny game. It took only four games in 2025 before fans began drafting obituaries for the season. This year, it took 15 games and a sweep at the hands of the lowly Nationals to shift the mood. With 10% of the season in the books, Brewer Fanatic begins to form its initial assessments of the team. One perspective could be summarized as distrust for half the infield, most of the outfield, and nearly all of the bullpen. Our forum universally agrees the offense has been "Jekyll and Hyde," especially comparing splits against left-handed and right-handed pitching. Will the return of Andrew Vaughn and Jackson Chourio be too late to keep the Brewers competitive? It is important to remember how much can change over the course of a season. Last year's team sat 6.5 games out of first place in late May before running away with the division title. Minors: Thurs. 4/16: Back to Evening Action If you are like me, you enjoy checking box scores from the Nashville Sounds or Biloxi Shuckers to see how the Brewers’ top prospects are performing. The best way to follow Milwaukee’s farm system, though, is through Brewer Fanatic’s minor league game thread and daily Link Report. Yesterday’s minor league thread offered a deeper look at underlying player performance through advanced metrics. For example, Luis Lara’s .414 batting average is supported by a .500 BABIP on ground balls. There is a lot to like about Lara's start, but reaching base half the time on ground balls is not sustainable and points toward eventual regression. You never know what you might find in the minor league forum. You might even see Prince Fielder showing up at a Wilson Warbirds game! Rain or shine (literal and figurative), there is no better place for Brewers fans than Brewer Fanatic! View the full article

It's been a humbling week for the Miami Marlins, losing five of six games to the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves to drop below .500 for the first time this season. AJ Ramos, Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral analyze the team's bizarre usage of Pete Fairbanks and Sandy Alcantara, what impact Kyle Stowers and Esteury Ruiz will have upon returning from the injured list, how the rest of the starting rotation is holding up and more. 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. Next up for the Fish, they host the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals for three games apiece. Stowers could potentially return from his hamstring strain during the Cardinals series. View the full article

On Fish Unfiltered, AJ Ramos describes the process he used to recover from blown saves during his MLB career.View the full article

With Nick Pivetta facing an extended absence with a flexor strain in his elbow, the San Diego Padres will need to deploy their starting pitching volume earlier than they might have anticipated. Each of Griffin Canning and Matt Waldron were already on rehab assignment, but it’s the latter that’ll get the first call in Pivetta’s stead. He’ll start on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. It remains to be seen what the Padres will get out of Waldron. The runway may be short, though. Two years ago, Waldron looked like a viable candidate to fill out the back of the rotation. Armed with an effective knuckleball, he posted a 1.8 fWAR across nearly 150 innings in 2024. While the stuff didn’t play on the strikeout side (21.3 K%), he was effectively able to navigate hitters by minimizing baserunners (6.4 BB%) and avoiding hard contact (35.0 Hard-Hit%). He was unable to replicate those results in 2025, however. After an oblique strain set him back to start the year, Waldron made only one start at the top level for the Padres. He was unable to make it through five innings due to some heavy command struggles; he allowed six hits and six walks in that outing. The results weren’t much better in Triple-A. He pitched to a 6.67 ERA (4.99 FIP) and had a hard-hit rate that lingered around 40 percent. His 52.0 percent usage on the knuckleball represented easily his highest usage of that pitch, and while he was able to get decent results with it (24.1 Whiff%), none of his four-seam, sinker, or sweeper proved capable of providing sufficient results. His trio of rehab starts here in 2026 have yielded very different results, however. In 12 innings of work, Waldron has yet to allow a run. He has a slightly improved strikeout rate (30.8 percent) but has demonstrated top-tier command (2.6 percent walk rate). His groundball rate sits at an obscene 64.0 percent. What’s most interesting about this turnaround in performance, though, is that it appears to be wrought by a dramatic change in usage. Waldron has cut the knuckleball usage by more than half. Through those dozen innings, he’s only throwing it 25.6 percent of the time. That’s led to more of a three-pitch blend of the knuckle, the four-seamer (26.9 percent), and the sinker (23.7). The sweeper has come in roughly 17 percent of the time as a fourth offering, registering as his best pitch in the eyes of Stuff+ (100). He’s gotten chase regularly with the former three pitches and has been able to generate more frequent whiffs on the knuckle (27.3 percent), at least partially a byproduct of the more frequent incorporation of the other two. If that’s the version of Waldron the Padres get on Friday, then he can certainly help to stabilize the rotation in Pivetta’s absence. This is not a starting group in search of strikeouts; it’s about mitigating quality contact in the very way that Waldron has done thus far in El Paso. If the command is even close to as pinpoint as it’s been in Triple-A, his enhanced pitch mix should suit him (and the group) quite well. In truth, Waldron needs that to be the case. Even with Pivetta down for an extended period of time, the Padres are otherwise squared in their rotation at present. Each of Michael King and Randy Vásquez has been very good (the latter’s most recent start notwithstanding). Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez have produced varying results start-to-start but have more established big-league track records. With Griffin Canning also likely nearing the end of his own rehab and Joe Musgrove (presumably) returning eventually, there’s a certain onus on Matt Waldron to look good quickly. It’s not so much that he’s pitching for his job on Friday, but it’s not as if he has an extended runway either. There’s a needle in need of threading here, and Waldron will need that four-seam/sinker combination to work in conjunction with the knuckleball to drive his success or his out-of-options status could lead to some rather shaky ground in short order. View the full article

Twins System Recap: Connor Prielipp put together perhaps the best start of his pro career Thursday night for the Saints, throwing five innings of one-run ball while striking out a career-high eight batters. Eli Jones also turned in another solid five frames, and Riley Quick struck out five over three no-hit innings. View the full article

Rain and losses defined Thursday for the Mets' minor-league affiliates. Syracuse's game was postponed. Binghamton was shut out 5-0 at Akron, with Will Watson allowing one run on six hits and striking out three over four innings. Brooklyn fell 7-6 to Greensboro despite Antonio Jimenez homering, and Noah Hall struck out three in five innings. St. Lucie dropped an 8-6 contest at Daytona, with home runs from Randy Guzman, JT Benson, and Branny De Oleo. Mets Transactions New York Mets traded LHP Richard Lovelady to Washington Nationals for cash. Syracuse Mets' Game Postponed The Syracuse Mets' scheduled game was postponed. Will Watson Takes Loss As Rumble Ponies Shut Out In Akron The Binghamton Rumble Ponies were shut out 5-0 by the Akron RubberDucks in a game called due to rain after the bottom of the seventh inning. Will Watson took the loss on the mound, going four innings, allowing six hits and one run, walking one, and striking out three. Akron pushed across a run in the second before Watson worked into the fifth. Binghamton's offense managed just three hits, with singles from Chris Suero and Kevin Parada, along with a third-inning double from A.J. Ewing. Ewing also drew a walk and reached base twice from the leadoff spot. The Rumble Ponies drew four walks total, but could not string together hits, and they struck out nine times in the shortened contest. Akron broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh with three runs, capped by a three-run home run off reliever Saul Garcia, who was charged with three runs on three hits and one walk across one inning of work. Jefry Yan delivered a scoreless frame with two strikeouts in relief, and Zach Peek allowed one run on two hits over his inning. The loss drops Will Watson to 0-2 on the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 3 0 1 0 1 1 Jacob Reimer 2 0 0 0 1 2 Chris Suero 3 0 1 0 0 1 Jose Ramos 2 0 0 0 1 1 D'Andre Smith 3 0 0 0 0 1 Kevin Parada 3 0 1 0 0 1 Nick Lorusso 3 0 0 0 0 0 Matt Rudick 2 0 0 0 1 1 Wyatt Young 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Will Watson 4 6 1 1 1 3 0 Jefry Yan 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Zach Peek 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Saul Garcia 1 3 3 3 1 3 1 Cyclones Fall 7-6 To Greensboro Despite Antonio Jimenez Homer The Brooklyn Cyclones lost a 7-6 decision to the Greensboro Grasshoppers at home, as a three-run ninth inning by the visitors proved to be the difference. Starter Noah Hall worked five innings, allowing six hits and three runs, walking one, and striking out three. Hall kept Brooklyn in the game before the bullpen struggled late. Hunter Hodges was charged with the loss, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks across 1 2/3 innings. A.J. Minter was charged with a blown save after pitching one inning of relief, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout. Garrett Stratton tossed a scoreless frame with one strikeout, and Felix Cepeda retired his lone batter via strikeout. Antonio Jimenez led the offense, going 2-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and one RBI from the leadoff spot. Colin Houck collected three hits and drove in two runs, batting fifth. Yohairo Cuevas added a single, a walk, and two RBIs from the six-hole. Ronald Hernandez drew two walks, singled, and scored twice, batting second. Corey Collins had a hit, a walk, and one RBI. The Cyclones racked up nine hits and seven walks, yet struck out nine times at the plate. Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez 5 2 2 1 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 3 2 1 0 2 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 2 0 0 0 3 1 Corey Collins 4 1 1 1 1 0 Colin Houck 5 1 3 2 0 1 Yohairo Cuevas 4 0 1 2 1 1 Kevin Villavicencio 5 0 0 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Diego Mosquera 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 5 6 3 3 1 3 1 A.J. Minter 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 Garrett Stratton 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Hunter Hodges 1 2/3 3 3 3 2 2 0 Felix Cepeda 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Three Home Runs Not Enough As St. Lucie Falls In Daytona The St. Lucie Mets fell 8-6 to the Daytona Tortugas despite three home runs in the road loss. Starter Frank Camarillo threw three innings, allowing two runs, one of them earned, on two hits, walking three, and striking out two. Dylan Ross followed with a scoreless inning in relief. Nate Lavender was charged with a blown save and the loss, giving up five runs on three hits and two walks across 1 1/3 innings, dropping him to 0-1 on the season. Ernesto Mercedes followed with 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts. Luis Alvarez closed with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts. At the plate, Randy Guzman homered and scored twice, driving in one run from the three-hole. JT Benson went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and one RBI batting seventh. Branny De Oleo homered for a two-RBI night from the nine-hole, also drawing a walk. AJ Salgado collected two singles and drove in two runs batting fifth. Julio Zayas contributed two hits and scored once from the cleanup spot. The Mets totaled nine hits and four walks, struck out eight times, and saw Daytona pull away with a four-run sixth inning that erased an early St. Lucie lead. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Pena 4 0 0 0 1 0 Sam Robertson 4 0 1 0 1 1 Randy Guzman 4 2 1 1 0 0 Julio Zayas 4 1 2 0 0 0 AJ Salgado 4 0 2 2 0 0 Simon Juan 4 0 0 0 0 1 JT Benson 4 2 2 1 0 2 Vladi Gomez 3 0 0 0 1 2 Branny De Oleo 3 1 1 2 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Frank Camarillo 3 2 2 1 3 2 0 Dylan Ross 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Nate Lavender 1 1/3 3 5 5 2 2 0 Ernesto Mercedes 1 2/3 2 1 1 0 3 0 Luis Alvarez 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 View the full article

In 2022, the Minnesota Twins roared to an unexpected 22-16 start. The fans we spoke with at the time were surprisingly fed up with the team. Despite the promising first six weeks of the season, perhaps they sensed the team would collapse down the stretch and finish with a 78-84 mark. Now, with the team surpassing low preseason expectations and off to a genuinely decent start in 2026, we asked these same fans for their reaction to the current stretch of winning baseball amid slashed payroll and front office shuffling. "These dummies don't know they're outmanned and outgunned," said Beck Bradford, 45, who now runs the Elko New Market Co-Ed Seniors Pickleball League. "They're winning games with Bert Kreischer [EDITOR’S NOTE: We think Mr. Bradford meant Ryan Kreidler], which just isn’t sustainable. They should be promoting the kids at Triple A, trading all the bums for prospects, and firing everyone in the front office. "They put Garrett Crochet in a blender on Monday night. I've never been more angry." Tamara Kapsner, now 53, still lives in Robbinsdale and still has her doubts about the Twins. “The starting pitching depth is gone. The bullpen can’t possibly keep getting away with throwing that slop. Royce Lewis is hurt once again. No one can play defense.” When asked if she can set all that aside to simply enjoy a fun week of baseball, Kapsner was nonplussed. “My therapist says I shouldn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” she said. “My therapist has never watched Bailey Ober try to hit 90 on the gun in a game that counts.” Hank Winters, who expressed vigorous disappointment in Byron Buxton’s injury history for our 2022 piece, passed away in 2025 after hearing Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” at the White Bear Lake Sam’s Club. He was 70 years old. His fourth wife and widow, Brenda, had this to say: “Hank would want everyone to know that the Pohlads are cheap, Byron Buxton is soft, Rocco [Baldelli, former Twins manager] should be in Leavenworth, and that he doesn’t regret leaving his entire estate to the freedom-loving patriots of January 6th. I live with my sister’s family now. I hate him.” View the full article

The injured list keeps getting longer for the Chicago Cubs. The focus over the past few weeks has been the starting rotation—mainly the news that righthander Cade Horton will be out for the remainder of the season. The impact of an injury to a pitcher like Horton, who was on his way to being one of the top young starters in the game, is massive for the Cubs, who lack a true ace. Now, the bullpen is being ripped apart, too, by a series of injuries over the last week or so. Free-agent additions Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey are both on the 15-day IL, and so is Ethan Roberts. On Wednesday, we found out that Porter Hodge will be joining Cade Horton on the injured list for the rest of the season, due to UCL surgery. Though the jury was out on how much Hodge could actually be counted on this season, losing him for the season in mid-April will present the Cubs with another depth-related challenge. After a breakout rookie season in 2024 wherein the 23-year-old posted a 1.88 ERA (2.75 FIP) with a WHIP under 0.90 in 43 innings pitched, he was set to be one of the team’s high-leverage relievers last year. In fact, before the 2025 season started, the armchair general managers in the Cubs subreddit were debating on whether the Ryan Pressly trade made sense, suggesting Hodge should be the answer in the ninth inning. Even though walks were probably always going to be a point of concern, the 6-foot-4 righty boasted a fastball that could touch the upper 90s, and a wipeout slider that made the 2019 13th-round pick a potential weapon for a bullpen lacking a shutdown option. Relief pitching was a strength for the Cubs in 2025, with the bullpen finishing 11th in baseball with an ERA of 3.78. However, Hodge was a surprising non-factor, as he dealt with various injuries, pitching 33 innings in the majors with a ghastly 6.27 ERA. He still missed bats, as evident by his near 11 K/9, but he was hit around otherwise, giving up nine home runs in that small sample. Injuries aside, his fastball and slider velocity were a tick up from 2024, giving Cubs fans hope that Hodge could still overpower hitters, and would eventually work his way back into the pen. He had not yet thrown a pitch in 2026 before we got the news of this latest injury, which will certainly cost him not only 2026, but some of the 2027 season, too. The good news is that he's still pre-arbitration, so he remains a long-term option, but the club hanging onto him is no guarantee. The Cubs have one of the hardest bullpens to project, based on their affinity for making plenty of low-risk signings, so there is a non-zero chance that we have seen Hodge for the last time as a Cub. Moving forward, the Cubs are going to have to find more serviceable right-handed relief options. With all the injuries that have unfolded already, the Cubs are carrying a whopping five lefties in their bullpen: Caleb Thielbar and Hoby Milner have been around since Opening Day, but now, Luke Little is back, along with Ryan Rolison and rookie Riley Martin. Ben Brown has been a nice revelation as a full-time reliever so far, closer Daniel Palencia has not allowed an earned run, and Colin Rea has carried over the effectiveness from last season. Now with Rea needing to join the rotation, another right-handed relief option is gone. Jacob Webb is active, but his ERA is north of 5.00, and the only other righty on the 40-man roster is Gavin Hollowell and his negative career WAR. He's hurt, too, though less severely; he just hit the 7-day IL for Iowa. The 9-9 Cubs can sit tight and hope this lefty-heavy group can hold their own until Maton, Harvey and Roberts are back, but the chase for the NL Central crown is looking a lot tougher with the way Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have opened their seasons. The Cubs will be shopping for relievers come July, but they might need new faces in this group before then. The problem is, they don't have a ton of promising options. As for prospects, Jaxon Wiggins might be up at some point this summer, but his services could be needed in the thinned-out rotation. Their next-best pitching prospect is 19-year-old Kaleb Wing, the club’s No. 12 prospect, according to mlb.com. There is one interesting option who sits on their top 30 prospect list: 26-year-old Grant Kipp, who has thrown 8 1/3 scoreless innings to open the season with Knoxville. He is not an overpowering arm, but what he’s done so far has worked. What’s wrong with riding the hot hand? Out west in Des Moines, there’s not a whole lot to be excited about from righties. There is a 30-year-old, 6-foot-8 reliever named Gabe Klobotsits, who has a 2.08 ERA. Former top prospect turned journeyman Vince Velazquez is trying to make the majors for the first time since 2023 and has the fourth-lowest WHIP on the team (1.05), trailing Paul Campbell, Zac Leigh, and, you guessed it, Gabe Klobosits. The cupboard is bare. Free agency is just as grim, but maybe they can pry Jorge Lopez away from the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican league. Flamethrower Michael Kopech is still out there, but he’s coming off a season wherein he only pitched 11 innings due to injuries and still isn’t healthy. Guys are hitting the waiver wire all the time, and the Cubs shouldn’t be doomed once some of these arms start coming back, but the Hodge injury is a huge blow to their right-handed bullpen depth, something that could be foreseen as an issue this whole season. If there is one silver lining to playing the Mets, Phillies, and Dodgers over their next three series, it is that those lineups are built around their stud lefty hitters, giving the lefty-heavy bullpen a bit of an advantage. They will need to figure out what to do when they head to San Diego at the end of the month and face off against Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts. View the full article

There have been plenty of encouraging developments for the Minnesota Twins early in the 2026 season, but few shine brighter than what Mick Abel is doing on the mound. Acquired in last summer’s blockbuster deal that sent Jhoan Duran out of town, Abel arrived with intrigue, but less fanfare than Eduardo Tait. That's changing quickly. What once looked like a secondary piece is beginning to look more like a foundational one. With long-term questions looming around the rotation beyond 2027 as Joe Ryan and Pablo López approach free agency, Abel is making a compelling case to be part of the next wave, and he's not doing it by accident. Abel’s recent outing offered a snapshot of just how far he's come. He recorded strikeouts using five different pitches, a reflection of both confidence and command across his arsenal that didn’t exist in his rookie campaign. That type of diversity is rare, and it speaks to a pitcher evolving beyond raw stuff into a complete weapon on the mound. “It was outstanding,” said manager Derek Shelton after Abel’s start on Tuesday. “I mean, in control the entire game, mixing and matching, fastball usage was tremendous. He used the changeup against right-handed hitters. Just overall in command of his pitches.” That command starts with subtle but meaningful mechanical adjustments. Abel has added 0.2 feet (a couple of inches) of extension this season. On paper, that seems negligible, but every inch of ground the pitcher seizes from the batter before even releasing a pitch is precious. That added extension allows the ball to reach hitters more quickly, effectively shortening their reaction time and creating the illusion of increased velocity. He's also dropped his arm slot by two degrees. Again, that's a small tweak, but one that can have ripple effects. A slightly lower arm slot can flatten the approach angle on a heater that (like Abel's) retains its carry. At the same time, it can enhance horizontal movement on breaking pitches, giving his sweeper and changeup more deception and separation from his heater. The result is a more unpredictable mix, even if it comes with some tradeoffs. Those tradeoffs are most evident in his four-seam fastball. Abel is throwing it nearly 43% of the time, and it still generates a strong 33.8% whiff rate. However, when hitters do connect, they're doing damage. Opponents are hitting .391 with a .522 slugging percentage against it. A slight dip in velocity, from 96.4 mph last season to 94.8 mph this year, could be part of the explanation. It may also tie back to the mechanical adjustments, as changes in arm slot and extension can subtly alter how the pitch plays. Where Abel has truly taken a leap is in how he set up that fastball with the rest of his arsenal. His changeup has gone from a rarely used offering (8.8% of his pitches in 2025) to a legitimate weapon (17.6%) this season. The results speak loudly. It carries a 31.3% whiff rate and an impressive 35.0% put away rate, making it his most effective pitch. With a positive run value and strong results against right-handed hitters, it has become a cornerstone of his approach. The sweeper tells a similar story of growth. Once an afterthought at just 3.1% usage, it is now up to 10.6%. More importantly, it's not the same pitch. Last season, it featured 4.3 inches of vertical movement. This year, that number has dropped to -0.1 inches, creating a drastically different shape. Instead of blending into his other breaking offerings, it now carves a distinct path through the zone. Hitters are struggling to adjust, reflected in a 29.4% whiff rate. This is the blueprint of a pitcher learning how to sequence rather than simply throw. “You know he’s locked in, he’s in a groove, and it’s exciting,” said Byron Buxton, who homered twice to support Abel’s last start. “We saw little glimpses of it last year. He went in the offseason and did some work. Coming back, he’s been phenomenal. To be able to do the things he’s done, obviously, he’s had some tough starts in 30 or 20 degree weather, whatever you want to call it. No excuses. But he’s gone out there and battled through those. To finally get a warm day and see what he actually is, is very exciting for sure.” That last point matters. Early-season results in cold weather can often mask progress, especially for pitchers still fine-tuning feel and command. As temperatures rise, so might Abel’s velocity and overall consistency. If that happens, the gap between his process and results could close quickly. For now, the Twins are seeing a pitcher who is no longer just a projection. Abel is making tangible, measurable changes that are translating to big-league success. The arsenal is deeper. The command is sharper. The confidence is evident. The narrative has shifted. Abel is not just a piece of a past trade anymore. He is becoming a key part of Minnesota’s future, and if these changes hold, the Twins may have found more than they initially bargained for. What has stood out about Abel in 2026? Can he continue this performance? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Leading up to the 2026 MLB Draft, Fish On First brings you a series of scouting reports on top prospects in this draft class who could realistically wind up in Miami. Overview Position: RHP Height: 6’5″ Weight: 205 pounds School: UC Santa Barbara Jackson Flora is a 6’5”, 205-pound right-handed pitcher who plays for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. Flora is having an unbelievably great junior season for UC Santa Barbara to emerge as the top pitching prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft class. Flora was a blue-chip prospect coming out of Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California. On Perfect Game, Flora was the 428th-ranked prospect and the 140th-ranked right-handed pitcher in the Class of 2023. He was also the 20th-ranked pitching prospect out of the Golden State. Flora went undrafted and signed with UC Santa Barbara. In his freshman season, Flora made an immediate impact for the Gauchos and was one of their best pitchers. During the 2024 season, he made 23 appearances and four starts. He posted a 3-2 record with a 3.83 ERA, five saves, 1.45 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched. Flora was named to the All-Big West Honorable Mention team. During his sophomore season, Flora had a major breakout and became one of the top right-handed pitchers in the country. In thirteen appearances and eleven starts, he posted a 3.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, a .209 opponent batting average, one complete game shutout, and 86 strikeouts in 75 innings pitched. Flora was named to the All-Big West First Team. So far this season, Flora has elevated his game again, emerging as the NCAA's best performing pitcher. In his junior season, Flora has made nine appearances and starts. He owns a 6-0 record with a 0.63 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, a .138 opponent batting average, 2.8 BB/9, 11.1 K/9, and 71 strikeouts in 57 ⅓ innings pitched. On the mound, Flora possesses a three-pitch arsenal including his fastball, sweeper, and kick changeup. Flora’s fastball is one of the best in this draft class, with velocity that sits in the upper-90s and tops out in the triple digits. His fastball has a plus spin rate and excellent arm-side movement. His plus extension also makes his fastball get on batters quicker than the velocity suggests. Flora’s sweeper is his most-used secondary pitch. His sweeper has good late movement, but he needs to be more consistent with shaping that pitch. This is the first season Flora has been using his kick-change. While it’s brand new, he already has a solid feel for the pitch and uses it very well against left-handed hitters. Strengths 70-grade fastball with plus velo and spin Strike-thrower Great extension Plus slider Promising kick-change Excellent athlete Weaknesses Inconsistent with secondary pitches Pro Comparison: Tyler Glasnow Projection: Top 10 pick Bottom Line The 2026 MLB Draft class seems to be loaded with starting pitchers at the top, and Flora is currently the best prospect of them all. He has frontline starter potential. On Baseball America, Flora is the third-ranked prospect and top-ranked pitching prospect in this draft class. On MLB Pipeline, Flora is the 14th-ranked draft prospect and second-ranked right-handed pitcher. The Marlins have the 14th overall pick in the draft. It doesn’t seem likely that Flora will be on the board when Miami’s on the clock. However, he'd be an incredible addition to their farm system. More 2026 MLB draft profiles OF AJ Gracia INF Jacob Lombard View the full article

Transactions: RHP Junior Fernandez acquired from Arizona and placed on Development List LHP Thomas Pannone activated from AAA Nashville’s 7-day injured list OF Jordyn Adams activated from AA Biloxi’s 7-day injured list This one isn’t a transaction, but it’s a helpful update from Maryvale on two recent draft picks and a Major Leaguer: https://x.com/Jesus_Cano88/status/2044867625357083020 @Jesus_Cano88 actually published a number of videos and notes from that Extended Spring Training game, in his final day at Baseball America. We are grateful. Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Suspended: Worcester 0, Nashville 0 in the 4th inning Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds’ website, rainout details: Rain Suspends Thursday Tilt With Worcester Starting LHP Thomas Pannone’s first official game since 2024 was a success, as he tossed three innings of shutout ball (3 H, 0 BB, 1 Ks) on 39 pitches (27 strikes). Congrats to him after missing the 2025 season with a torn flexor tendon in his forearm. Back-to-back singles by DH Jeferson Quero and 1B Brock Wilken (infield variety) to start the bottom of the 2nd inning unfortunately went for naught, so the teams were scoreless before the rains suspended play. Friday’s outlook: Nashville leads the home series 2-0 and the teams are due to resume play on Friday in the top of the 4th inning. LHP Robert Gasser (9 IP, 4 R, 15 Ks through 2 starts in 2026) is then scheduled to start a fresh 7-inning game as nightcap. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Columbus 5, Biloxi 1 Box Score and Game Log Via the Shuckers’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Tayden Hall Hits First Double-A Home Run in 5-1 Loss to Clingstones Talented 21-year old starting RHP Bishop Letson came into the game in a rut (8 runs allowed (6 earned) in first 2 starts, totaling 2 2/3 IP), then unfortunately commenced this road game by conceding 2 walks and a 3-run homer amongst the first 4 batters he faced. However, he and the staff really bounced back from there, only allowing 5 more baserunners (3 hits, 2 walks) over the remaining 8 2/3 innings. RHPs Stiven Cruz (1 IP, 0 R, 2 Ks) and Tanner Gillis (3 IP, 2 R, 5 Ks) and LHP Mark Manfredi Sr. (1 IP, 0 R, 3 Ks) combined with Letson to record 13 strikeouts. Manfredi has now struck out 13 of 21 batters faced in 2026, allowing 1 hit and 3 walks (no runs) through 6 innings. Unfortunately, Biloxi’s batters only produced 4 hits, led by DH Tayden Hall’s solo shot. At least 2B Dylan O’Rae continued his red-hot start to the 2026 season with a 1-for-3 effort with a double and a walk. O’Rae has reached base safely in 11 straight games and hit safely in 10 of them. Shuckers’ Extras: Let’s hope that OF/INF Mike Boeve’s 0-for-4, 4K performance is the nadir on his 2026 campaign, with a turnaround on the way. OF Jordyn Adams’ return from injury didn’t go exactly as he hoped: 0-for-4, ejected while making the final out of the game. Friday’s outlook: 24-year old RHP Tyson Hardin (6 IP, 8 R, 12 Ks through 2 starts) will toe the slab as Biloxi needs a win to even the series 2-2. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Peoria 24, Wisconsin 7 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Wisconsin Drops Decision to Peoria Video highlights of the touchdowns and field goals accumulated in this high-scoring affair were thankfully put together by Wisconsin’s terrific media team: 19-year old RHP Ethan Dorchies was hoping for a better outing than last week (2 1/3 IP, 5 R), but he allowed 8 hits (including a 2-run homer and 3 doubles) over his 4 innings of work (6 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 3 Ks), exiting down 6-3 after 77 pitches (42 strikes). The box score details the 21 hits for Chiefs’ batters, 20 of which came against Wisconsin pitchers (and 1 off of position player Juan Baez). They also earned 12 walks. Three errors, a passed ball and balk didn’t help the Timber Rattlers’ cause, but the offense did put up 11 hits, led by SS Daniel Dickinson (3-for-5). In fact, every Wisconsin batter reached base via hit or walk in the contest, which would produce a victory most days. Timber Rattlers’ Extras: Kudos again to OF Braylon Payne for reaching base 4 times (2-for-3, 2 walks) and delivering his second homer of 2026, as well as 3B Andrew Fischer (3 RBIs) and C Blayberg Diaz (2 RBIs) for productive days at the plate. Readers will have to check the box score to review the combined 17 earned runs allowed by LHP Bjorn Johnson, RHP Yerlin Rodriguez and RHP Jose Nova over 4 innings of work. 13 Peoria batters came to the plate in their 10-run 7th inning, followed by a grand slam in the following frame. I think they’ll remember this game for a few decades to come. Friday’s outlook: RHP Bryce Meccage is scheduled to make his 3rd start of 2026 (6 2/3 IP, 3 R, 4 Ks in first 2 outings), with Wisconsin aiming to set aside Thursday’s debacle to claim a 3-1 series lead. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Hill City 14, Wilson 1 Box Score and Game Log Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Big Innings Lead Hill City Past Wilson 19-year old starting RHP Enniel Cortez, who was making his 3rd appearance since missing the entire 2025 season with an injury, unfortunately exited after 1 1/3 innings with an accompanying “injury delay” in the game log. We hope that there’s been no physical setback for the young hurler. In contrast to the Wisconsin game, Wilson’s pitchers only allowed 2 touchdowns on 17 hits and 7 walks in this one. Cortez (6 R (5 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks) and RHP Joshua Quezada (1 1/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 K) had the most difficult time getting outs this time around. 19-year old LHP Enderson Mercado did the heavy lifting, throwing 90 pitches over 4 2/3 innings, with all of the damage (5 runs, 2 earned) coming with 2 outs in the 5th and 7th innings. RHP Ayendy Bravo also managed to toss 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run (0 H, 2 BB, 1 K). Our main highlight to share comes via a bit of generosity from Brewers’ legend Prince Fielder: Warbirds’ Extras: We’re not sure why C Luis Corobo, 2B Luis Lameda and OF Nick Monile had been absent from action for the prior 5-6 days, but we’re glad to see that they’re healthy. The experienced Lameda went 1-for-3 with a walk and also pitched a scoreless 9th inning. Monile had an outfield assist, drew a walk and scored. Wilson’s 5 hits were all singles, but that included a base hit by SS Brady Ebel to center field in the 5th inning to end his 1-for-34 drought at the plate. 1B Frederi Montero produced a 1-for-3 day, plus a hit-by-pitch. Two errors, two wild pitches, a passed ball and a pick-off obviously didn’t help Wilson’s cause. Friday’s outlook: 20-year old RHP Jarrette Bonet has impressed in 2 starts (7 IP, 1 R, 10 Ks) and gets the chance to lead Wilson back to a 2-2 series tie in his third outing of 2026. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Friday, five minor league games are on the slate, including Nashville’s quasi-doubleheader starting at 6:05pm CST. The Milwaukee Brewers also kick off their new series at the Marlins from 6:10pm CST. 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

During the 2021 season, the Miami Marlins were involved in 20 games that ended in walk-off fashion. The Fish were 8-12 in those contests. The first win came on this day five years ago. In a contest in which the Marlins trailed in both the ninth and 10th innings, catcher Jorge Alfaro played the role of hero. His two-run double capped the comeback as Miami rallied for a 7-6 win over the San Francisco Giants. Through six innings at loanDepot Park on April 17, 2021, the Marlins led 3-0. In the seventh, San Francisco was able to get to the Miami pitching staff for five runs. After Brandon Belt led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run off Miami starter Sandy Alcántara, Brandon Crawford singled home Evan Longoria to cut the deficit to 3-2 later in the inning. The Giants took their first lead two batters later when Austin Slater took lefty Richard Bleier deep for a three-run home run. Down 5-3, Miami right-hander Zach Pop was able to keep the deficit at two by striking out the side in the top of the ninth. As the contest shifted to the bottom of the ninth, the Giants turned to closer Jake McGee. Miami opened the inning with three straight singles from Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miguel Rojas and Alfaro to cut the deficit to 5-4. McGee was able to settle in and induce consecutive popouts off the bats of Jon Berti and Corey Dickerson. With the Marlins down to their last out, Starling Marte ripped the first pitch he saw from McGee into left field for the game-tying single. A walk loaded the bases, but McGee was able to get the game to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, San Francisco regained the lead on an RBI double by Belt off Yimi García. With a placed runner at second base to begin the bottom of the 10th inning, former Marlins lefty Jarlín García was able to strike out Brian Anderson to start the frame. Chisholm followed by drawing a walk, but after Chad Wallach flied out, the game was left in the hands of Alfaro with two on. After taking the first pitch for a ball, Alfaro ripped García’s breaking pitch to left field. It rolled all the way to the wall as both runners scored standing up for a walk-off two-run double to complete the comeback. On a night where the Marlins had 15 hits, Alfaro was one of five Miami players to finish with multi-hit games, going 2-for-6 with three RBIs. Dickerson finished 4-for-6 with a run scored. Chisholm and Marte each scored twice. Belt, Crawford and former Marlins infielder Donovan Solano each had two of the 10 hits for the Giants. During his Major League Baseball career, Alfaro would record walk-off hits both for and against the Marlins. Two of those came during his final season with the club in 2021. The first of the two and the first walk-off win of Miami’s 2021 campaign came on this day five years ago. View the full article

If you were to ask a Boston Red Sox fan to give you a list of some of their top contributing factors to the team's massively underwhelming start to the season, it would be a safe bet that the play of Trevor Story would fall near the top of every single one. Now, if you asked those same people to pick which aspect of Story’s game has frustrated them the most, 99% of them would probably say his hitting, choosing to focus on things like his abysmal slash line (.208/.222/.338) or astonishingly below-league-average chase (47.2%), strikeout (2.5%), and walk (29.6%) rates. While Story’s continued offensive woes definitely deserve being called out, something that hasn’t been discussed nearly enough and is arguably just as, if not more, concerning is the rapid decline of his defensive capabilities at shortstop. With Story, anyone who has followed him throughout his career knows his streakiness at the plate comes with the name. But even with those inconsistencies, one thing he’s always been able to hang his hat on is his fantastic and at-times elite ability to pick it at short, where he owns a .977 career fielding percentage. For a team that prioritized defense and run prevention in the offseason, something that has become a bit of a running joke among the fanbase on social media now as they’ve continued to falter, the writing of Story’s decline was plastered all over the wall towards the end of last season. He ended the 2025 campaign tied for the American League lead in errors (19, alongside the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe), and third for the most errors in baseball, only behind Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz (26) and Washington’s C.J. Abrams (22). Of those 19, 11 were of the throwing variety, clearly indicating what should’ve been a concern for the Sox. The advanced analytics don’t paint much of a better picture either. His -7 Defensive Runs Saved put him at fifth-worst in the big leagues a season ago. His Rthrow, or Infield Throwing Runs Above Average — which takes into consideration the number of runs above or below average the player was worth based on how he completes the play given where the ball was fielded, how hard it was hit, and the speed of the runner (courtesy of Baseball Info Solutions) — was -5, which put him tied for third-worst among all qualified shortstops in 2025 (and second among AL shortstops). Likewise, his 36th-percentile arm strength and -9 Outs Above Average were among the worst figures among all shortstops. Transition back to this season . and Story’s numbers don’t appear to be improving, but actually getting worse. His four errors so far, three of which came in the first nine games of the season, places him behind only Rays third baseman Junior Caminero for the most in all of baseball. Not to mention his .935 Fielding Percentage is on pace to be a career low, his -2 OAA is only getting worse by the day, and his arm strength has slipped further to the 21st percentile. Story’s latest miscue, a ball in which he ranged up the middle, dove for, and tried to flip to second baseman Marcelo Mayer that resulted in his glove sailing further than the ball did in a 13-6 loss to the Twins, might not be a better example that it may be time to make a change in the Red Sox middle infield and flip both Story and Mayer. A move to second base shouldn’t come as an unfamiliar feeling to Story, who already went through the transition once in a Red Sox uniform when he played 94 games there in 2022 in his first year with the club. Of course, those circumstances were a little different with Xander Bogaerts still on the roster at the time. That being said, Story still thrived in the role, putting together one of the best defensive campaigns he’s ever had. His .984 Fielding Percentage was the second-best of his career in any healthy season, only behind the 2019 season where he finished with a .987.. His +6 Defensive Runs Saved was good for eighth-best among all second basemen league wide. Add in his 10 OAA, good for the 96th percentile in the league, and again second best of his career only behind 2019 where he had 18 with Colorado, and to say Story’s short-lived stint at second was downright elite might be an understatement. As for Marcelo Mayer, who has looked smooth at both third (.985%, 2 OAA in 39 games) and second (.974%, 2 OAA in 23 games) so far in his young career, a move back to his natural position of shortstop could give Boston an obviously younger option with the potential of more range and better arm strength. Such a flip would serve as a much-needed attempt to not only improve their defense, but take a step in the direction of righting what has quickly become a sinking ship and could only get worse if the defense continues to falter. View the full article

If you were to ask a Boston Red Sox fan to give you a list of some of their top contributing factors to the team's massively underwhelming start to the season, it would be a safe bet that the play of Trevor Story would fall near the top of every single one. Now, if you asked those same people to pick which aspect of Story’s game has frustrated them the most, 99% of them would probably say his hitting, choosing to focus on things like his abysmal slash line (.208/.222/.338) or astonishingly below-league-average chase (47.2%), strikeout (2.5%), and walk (29.6%) rates. While Story’s continued offensive woes definitely deserve being called out, something that hasn’t been discussed nearly enough and is arguably just as, if not more, concerning is the rapid decline of his defensive capabilities at shortstop. With Story, anyone who has followed him throughout his career knows his streakiness at the plate comes with the name. But even with those inconsistencies, one thing he’s always been able to hang his hat on is his fantastic and at-times elite ability to pick it at short, where he owns a .977 career fielding percentage. For a team that prioritized defense and run prevention in the offseason, something that has become a bit of a running joke among the fanbase on social media now as they’ve continued to falter, the writing of Story’s decline was plastered all over the wall towards the end of last season. He ended the 2025 campaign tied for the American League lead in errors (19, alongside the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe), and third for the most errors in baseball, only behind Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz (26) and Washington’s C.J. Abrams (22). Of those 19, 11 were of the throwing variety, clearly indicating what should’ve been a concern for the Sox. The advanced analytics don’t paint much of a better picture either. His -7 Defensive Runs Saved put him at fifth-worst in the big leagues a season ago. His Rthrow, or Infield Throwing Runs Above Average — which takes into consideration the number of runs above or below average the player was worth based on how he completes the play given where the ball was fielded, how hard it was hit, and the speed of the runner (courtesy of Baseball Info Solutions) — was -5, which put him tied for third-worst among all qualified shortstops in 2025 (and second among AL shortstops). Likewise, his 36th-percentile arm strength and -9 Outs Above Average were among the worst figures among all shortstops. Transition back to this season . and Story’s numbers don’t appear to be improving, but actually getting worse. His four errors so far, three of which came in the first nine games of the season, places him behind only Rays third baseman Junior Caminero for the most in all of baseball. Not to mention his .935 Fielding Percentage is on pace to be a career low, his -2 OAA is only getting worse by the day, and his arm strength has slipped further to the 21st percentile. Story’s latest miscue, a ball in which he ranged up the middle, dove for, and tried to flip to second baseman Marcelo Mayer that resulted in his glove sailing further than the ball did in a 13-6 loss to the Twins, might not be a better example that it may be time to make a change in the Red Sox middle infield and flip both Story and Mayer. A move to second base shouldn’t come as an unfamiliar feeling to Story, who already went through the transition once in a Red Sox uniform when he played 94 games there in 2022 in his first year with the club. Of course, those circumstances were a little different with Xander Bogaerts still on the roster at the time. That being said, Story still thrived in the role, putting together one of the best defensive campaigns he’s ever had. His .984 Fielding Percentage was the second-best of his career in any healthy season, only behind the 2019 season where he finished with a .987.. His +6 Defensive Runs Saved was good for eighth-best among all second basemen league wide. Add in his 10 OAA, good for the 96th percentile in the league, and again second best of his career only behind 2019 where he had 18 with Colorado, and to say Story’s short-lived stint at second was downright elite might be an understatement. As for Marcelo Mayer, who has looked smooth at both third (.985%, 2 OAA in 39 games) and second (.974%, 2 OAA in 23 games) so far in his young career, a move back to his natural position of shortstop could give Boston an obviously younger option with the potential of more range and better arm strength. Such a flip would serve as a much-needed attempt to not only improve their defense, but take a step in the direction of righting what has quickly become a sinking ship and could only get worse if the defense continues to falter. View the full article

If you're a New York Mets fan, you probably don’t need us to tell you how long it took infielder/outfielder Brett Baty to become a reliable, above-average hitter in the major leagues. From 2022 to 2024, he racked up 602 plate appearances, in which he posted a rough 71 wRC+. Just when the Mets were about to give up, though, Baty put up incredible numbers in the 2025 spring training, earning an everyday role. After he yielded a 66 wRC+ in his first 58 trips to the plate that season, he found himself in Triple-A again. But Baty returned a couple of weeks later and was so good over the rest of the season that he finished with a 111 wRC+ and 18 home runs last year. With first-round pedigree and having seemingly turned a corner in 2025, the 26-year-old was set to star in a multi-position role for the Mets this year. Things, however, haven’t gone the way he probably imagined. Brett Baty's Plate Discipline Has Evaporated Heading into the weekend series against the Cubs, Baty is slashing a brutal .203/.197/.288. Yes, that’s right, his batting average is higher than his OBP, which can happen when sac flies or sac bunts enter the equation. In short, his plate discipline has completely disappeared. He is the only qualified hitter in baseball without a walk and has struck out 32.8 percent of the time, roughly one-third of his plate appearances. That’s not ideal. He had made strides with his chase rate last year, as it sat in the 70th percentile at 24.9 percent. This year, he is swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone 38.5 percent of the time, which ranks him in the 11th percentile. Yikes. So, as you probably suspect, a lot of Baty’s issues have to do with horrible plate discipline. The quality of contact, however, has also been subpar, as his 2nd-percentile xwOBA (.216) suggests. Baty is well below the league average in metrics such as hard-hit rate (23rd percentile), expected batting average (19th percentile), and expected slugging (18th percentile). Additionally, Baty feasted on fastballs last year, hitting .278 off them and slugging .495. The 2026 sample is still ridiculously small, but he is at .257 and .343, respectively. The difference in xwOBA against heaters is night and day: it was .383 in 2025, and has collapsed all the way to .205 in 2026. So, to sum up, Baty is not just swinging at everything, but also can’t catch up to fastballs this year. It might be a timing issue because his average bat speed is still solid at 74.8 mph — good enough to rank him in the 84th percentile and exactly the same as last year’s. Brett Baty Can't Turn To Luck To Fix His Velocity and Swinging Issues We can’t even say that Baty has been unlucky: his .210 wOBA is right on par with his .216 xwOBA. He has just been terrible. Can he improve? Well, of course he can. Will he? That’s the million-dollar question. Any bounce-back bids will have to start by not chasing so much. Believe us when we tell you that it’s much easier said than done, but he has done it before. He has rapidly improved his feel for the strike zone in the not-so-distant past. It happened last year! He’s not hopeless. He will have to regain his stroke and his rhythm, especially against fastballs. And he will have to put the barrel on the ball more consistently. That sounds simple, but it's a lot of work to do in the middle of the season. He just seems late on high-velocity stuff, which in turn is making him susceptible to the more-difficult-to-hit breakers outside the zone: With his timing still way off, the Mets’ utility man is pulling fewer balls in the air than ever before in his career, at 7.3 percent. His career mark is 14.1 percent, and the league-wide average is 16.7 percent. Getting Baty going should be a priority for the Mets at the moment. They are the second-worst offense by wRC+ in the entire league, so anything that the talented but inconsistent hitter can provide will be greatly appreciated. View the full article

Dear sports photographers, I'm incredibly grateful for the work you do. You play such an important role in recording and relating the story of the game. Our website would look lifeless without you. With all that said... I have to make a request. I need more photos to use when the Blue Jays are struggling at the plate. I get it. Hits are more exciting than strikeouts. Moments of celebration sell better than moments of failure. I'm sure hitters aren't too thrilled to have their picture taken as they walk back to the dugout in defeat. But I can't use a photo of a Blue Jays batter getting a hit in an article about how badly their bats have stunk. As I write this, the Blue Jays are 7-10. Their offense has struggled. As much as it pains me to cover those struggles, that's what I signed up for. My fellow scribes and I have to write about all the ways this team has disappointed us. The problem? We're burning through images that depict those struggles faster than you're putting them out. On Thursday, I published a piece about the team's poor performance with runners in scoring position. That's been a recurring theme throughout the first three weeks of the season. Yet, you wouldn't know it by scrolling through our image service. All I needed was one photo of a Blue Jays batter not succeeding at the plate to use as the featured image. That was a lot harder to find than you'd think. This one of George Springer would have been perfect, but I had already used it. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images I had also already used the images I found of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (here) and Kazuma Okamoto (here) staring into the distance after striking out. Like I said, the Blue Jays have struggled, and we've had to cover those struggles. Images courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski & Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Eventually, after scrolling through pages and pages of pictures of the Blue Jays getting hits, scoring runs, and donning celebratory jackets, I settled on a slightly different shot of Okamoto reacting to the same strikeout. That's how limited my options were. It doesn't have to be this way. I know the Blue Jays don't strike out a whole lot. It's kind of their thing. But that's relative. They may have struck out less than any other team, but they've still done it 117 times this year. That's only 25 fewer strikeouts than hits! And it's not as if these photos need to be strikeouts. Give me a picture of a batter hitting into a groundout or a pop-up. Give me a one of a swing and a miss. I don't even care if I can see the disappointment on the batter's face. Sure, an evocative facial expression is a plus, but I'm not greedy. All I need is literally any photo of a Blue Jays batter that isn't of him getting a hit or celebrating a hit. They're shockingly hard to find. To be fair, I found a good number of photos of Blue Jays getting hits in which it isn't explicitly clear that they're getting hits. Could I have gotten away with using this shot of Ernie Clement? Probably. But it wouldn't have felt right. I would have known he hit a single with that swing, and I'm no peddler of misinformation. I left the watermark on, and I left the image out of my article. Image courtesy of Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images. If you still aren't convinced how dire this situation is, let me use Wednesday's game against the Brewers as an example. The Blue Jays' bats failed to capitalize on a great outing from Dylan Cease, losing 2-1. They went 5-for-30 with no extra-base hits. Their 35% whiff rate (21 whiffs on 60 swings) was their highest in any game so far this season. Despite that highly disappointing offensive showing, there wasn't a single picture from that game I could use as the header for this article. Our image service gave me 48 pictures from game day, including shots I certainly never needed to see of Easton McGee, Aaron Ashby, and Trevor Megill stretching in the bullpen. Images courtesy of Mark Hoffman-Imagn Images. There were two images of Blue Jays batters I could choose from for the entire game. One was Guerrero hitting a single. The other was Okamoto drawing a walk. But I needed more than just images of success when the clear story of the game, at least for Toronto's offense, was failure. On top of that, I also found an image of Brewers pitcher Chad Patrick reacting in distress to what turned out to be a fly out. That raises a whole other issue. It's never hard to find images of pitchers looking disappointed. There are so many of them that you can even find pictures of pitchers looking like they failed when they didn't! What is it about pitching failures that compels photographers so much, when it seems like many of you wouldn't capture a hitter's failure with a ten-foot lens? Look at this portrait of Eloy Jiménez. I used it recently for an article about his call-up. Jiménez was about to play his first MLB game since September 2024. The photographer, John E. Sokolowski, captured the moment perfectly. Image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images Look at the sheer joy on his face. All I'm asking for is the occasional photo that captures a similar degree of disappointment. I don't want to have to use those photos, but until the Blue Jays start playing better baseball, I don't have much of a choice. We're getting dangerously close to me having to photoshop this George Springer frown onto his teammates' faces. I don't want to do that, and I know you don't want to see it. So please, baseball photographers, I'm begging you. Your writer and editor friends need more pictures of hitters looking discouraged, defeated, and downright despondent. The only alternative is asking the Blue Jays to play better baseball, and, well, I'm trying to be realistic here. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS Utilityman Harry Genth was promoted from Fort Myers to Cedar Rapids. In addition, Fort Myers placed RHP Joel Garcia on the 7-Day IL with right biceps tendonitis. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Lehigh Valley 1 Box Score Connor Prielipp made the start for the Saints against the Phillies Triple-A squad. The southpaw went the first five innings and gave up just one run on four hits and a walk. He also struck out eight batters. The lone run he allowed came on a Steward Berroa solo home run. Berroa played his fifth game with the IronPigs after being traded from the Brewers to the Phillies organization. Kendry Rojas came in and worked 3 1/3 innings. He gave up no runs on three hits. He walked one and had two strikeouts. He threw 50 pitches, likely his limit in just his second appearance with the Saints. Jon Brebbia got the final two outs, one on a strikeout. The Saints left three on base in the second without scoring. In the bottom of the third, Aaron Sabato led off with a double. He moved up to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Alan Roden singled to right to drive him in. Back-to-back walks left the bases loaded again. This time, Orlando Arcia stepped up with an RBI single to make it 2-0. The Saints took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning. With one out, Tanner Schobel and Aaron Sabato hit back-to-back singles. With two outs, Kaelen Culpepper doubled to drive in Schobel. Roden followed with an infield single that drove in Sabato with the fourth run. Sabato drove in the fifth and final run in the bottom of the seventh when he lined a single to left to drive in Alex Jackson. Sabato finished the game going 3-for-4 with his first double of the season. Alan Roden was 3-for-5 with his fourth double. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Springfield 10 Box Score The Wind Surge offense scored seven runs on 14 hits and three walks. Of course, Ben Ross had another two-hit game including his fourth double and fifth home run. Hendry Mendez went 3-for-5 and made his first start at first base. (He had one error on a missed catch.) Kala’i Rosario went 2-for-5. Ricardo Olivar went 2-for-5 with his fourth double. Jose Salas was 2-for-4 with a walk and his second home run. Kyle DeBarge hit his second home of the season. Billy Amick and Maddux Houghton each hit their second double of the season. Things didn’t go as well for the Surge’s pitchers. Mike Paredes made the start. In 2 1/3 innings, he gave up eight runs (7 earned) on eight hits and a walk and a hit batter. In 2025 in Wichita, Paredes was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He went 11-0 with a 2.43 ERA over 103 2/3 innings. He also had seven saves. In other words, this was his first really rough outing since 2024. In other words, as Garrett Crochet said of his start against the Twins on Monday, he’s just got to flush this one and forget it. Jarret Whorff came on and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. However, down 10-0, Darren Bowen, Luis Quinones, and Jaylen Nowlin combined to strike out five batters over five scoreless, no-hit innings. KERNELS CHRONICLE Game 1: Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 1 Box Score Strong Start + Strong Bullpen + Early Lead + Add On = Good win for the Kernels. The Kernels got a really nice start in Game 1 from Eli Jones. He gave up just one run on three hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out three batters. In four appearances and 20 innings in 2026, Jones is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA. He’s issued just two walks and opponents have hit just .119 against him. After such a tough pro debut in Fort Myers in 2025, it was certainly important for Jones and his confidence to get off to a fast start in 2026. Recently, Jones told Twins Daily, “I worked hard throughout the offseason and spring training to build a little more velo. I’m throwing a tick harder now, making my arsenal a bit sharper. I’ve got my feet under me in pro ball now, so I’m feeling much more comfortable and confident on the mound.” The 22-year-old former sixth-round pick from South Carolina continued, “I’m competing my tail off and being very intentional on executing each and every pitch. My mindset on the mound, mixed with a slightly sharper arsenal has helped me out a ton so far this year.” The Kernels took advantage of the opposing pitcher Josh Hansell’s wildness and took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Khadim Diaw, Brandon Winokur and Danny De Andrade walked to load the bases. Rayne Doncon grounded to shortstop but beat the throw to first allowing Diaw to score the game’s first run. The River Bandits tied the game in the top of the third inning, but the Kernels were able to jump back ahead in the bottom of the inning. With one out, De Andrade crushed a long home run out of the ballpark and onto the street beyond the fence in left field. Nick Trabacchi pitched a perfect sixth inning, and Paulshawn Pasqualotto worked a scoreless seventh inning to record his third save of the young season. Eli Jones earned his first official Win of the season. De Andrade was 2-for-2 with a walk and the big home run. Jay Thomason went 0-for-0 with three of the team’s seven walks in the game. Luis Hernandez recorded his first hit of the season. The catcher doubled down the left field line. Doncon added a double to his RBI fielder’s choice. Game 2: Cedar Rapids 0, Quad Cities 6 Box Score It’s been a rough start to the season for lefty Dasan Hill. With all the excitement of the 20-year-old’s potential and reaching 100 mph, it’s a good reminder that these kids are people, that development isn’t linear, that there will be ups and downs throughout the process. Big picture, what does three rough starts mean? Nothing. Very little. What it does, one would hope, is provide learning opportunities. What it reminds us/fans, patience is not only a virtue, it’s absolutely necessary. Hill started Game 2 for the Kernels. He gave up five runs on three hits over just 1 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts but also walked five batters. In his three starts, he has given up 11 runs on nine hits in eight innings. He had 10 walks and 10 strikeouts. That amounts to a 12.38 ERA and a 2.38 WHIP. In his three starts at the end of the 2025 season for the Kernels, he was 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA. In 10 innings, he gave up nine hits, walked seven and had 15 strikeouts. Even rolling back to his 16 starts at Fort Myers last year, he had 33 walks and 68 strikeouts in 52 innings. Of note, he didn’t have good control last year, but obviously right now it’s even worse. As long as he is healthy and willing to listen, there is little to worry about. It’s a blip on the radar. But the control issue will need to be worked on. It will have to be. As players move up levels, the strike zones get smaller, somewhat literally and mostly just in the fact that most of the hitters have much better eyes and knowledge of the strike zone. Christian Becerra came on and gave up one run on four hits in 1 1/3 innings. Michael Ross struck out two over two scoreless innings. Yehizon Sanchez and Brent Francisco each threw a scoreless inning as well. The Kernels hitters combined for three hits and six hits in this game. They were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base. Brandon Winokur had a double and a walk. Eduardo Tait hit his second double. Danny De Andrade and Jaime Ferrer each walked twice. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Lakeland 4 Box Score Riley Quick made his second pro appearance on Thursday night. While he wasn’t as efficient as his first start, it certainly was effective. The 2025 draft pick struck out five batters over three scoreless, hitless innings. The only blemish was three walks, and just 58.3% of his 48 pitches were strikes. Solid start, and the Mussels offense started out quite well too. With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Dameury Pena singled. With two outs, JP Smith walked. Yasser Mercedes followed with his first homer of the season. It gave the Mussels a 3-0 lead. After a pitching change, Eduardo Beltre walked, Ryan Sprock singles, and Byron Chourio walked to load the bases. Beltre scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. Jonathan Stevens came into the game to replace Quick. He gave up a home run to the first batter he faced. He gave up three runs in the fourth. The righty drafted out of Alabama who never pitched for Alabama went three innings and gave up four runs (2 earned) on five hits and two walks. He struck out three batters. The sixth-inning run tied the game at 4-4. The Mussels answered that run right away in the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Spock reached on an error which allowed Mercedes to score the fifth run. Jake Murray came in to start the seventh inning. He gave up a leadoff double but immediately left the game with injury. We’ll update as we have more information. Michael Hilker came on and got the final nine outs of the game for the Mussels. Like Quick he gave up no runs and no hits over three innings. He had a walk and four strikeouts. Catcher Ian Daugherty hit a long home run in the bottom of the seventh, his first as a professional, to give the team the 6-4 lead. Dameury Pena extended his hitting streak to eight games. He went hitless in the season’s first two games. Through 10 games, the 20-year-old Dominican is hitting .412/.524/.441 (.965) with a double. He also has seven walks to just four strikeouts. And he’s got four stolen bases. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Ben Ross (Wichita): 2-for-5, 2B(5), HR(4), 2 R, RBI, K. Pitcher of the Day Connor Prielipp (St. Paul): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 76 pitches, 50 strikes (65.8%) Eli Jones (Cedar Rapids): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 67 pitches, 44 strikes (65.7%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, K, CS(1) (batted first, DHd) #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, 2B(4), RBI, 2 K (batted second, played SS) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(2), K (batted fifth, played CF) #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2: 1-for-4, 2B(2), 2 K (batted second, catcher) #5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 76 pitches, 50 strikes (65.8%) #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 70 pitches, 38 strikes (54.3%) #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, K (Batted fourth, played LF) #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 50 pitches, 29 strikes (58.0%) #9 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1: 0-for-3, BB, K, Game 2: 1-for-4, 2 K (both games, batted leadoff, played SS) #10 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #11 - RHP Riley Quick (Ft. Myers) - 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 48 pitches, 28 strikes (58.3%) #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - No Game Scheduled. #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - Game1: 0-for-2, BB, K, Game 2: 1-for-2, BB, 2B(2), (batted 3rd/4th, played 3B). #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, E(7) (batted third, played SS) #15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #16 - OF Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 3-for-5, 2B(2), R, 2 RBI, E(1) (batted third, played 1B, then LF) #17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-for-5, HR(2), R, RBI, K (batted first, played 2B) #18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1: 1-for-2, BB, R (batted second, played CF), Game 2: 0-for-2, BB (batted third, played CF). #20 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch UPCOMING PROBABLES Friday: Lehigh Valley @ St. Paul (6:37 pm CT) - Zebby Matthews (0-2, 8.76 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (6:35 pm CT) - Ty Langenberg (0-1, 1.54 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Adrian Bohorquez (0-0, 9.53 ERA) Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CT) - RHP Merit Jones (0-0, 3.52 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 11-8 St. Paul Saints: 7-10 Wichita Wind Surge: 6-6 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 6-6 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 8-4 FCL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, May 4) DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

TRANSACTIONS Utilityman Harry Genth was promoted from Fort Myers to Cedar Rapids. In addition, Fort Myers placed RHP Joel Garcia on the 7-Day IL with right biceps tendonitis. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Lehigh Valley 1 Box Score Connor Prielipp made the start for the Saints against the Phillies Triple-A squad. The southpaw went the first five innings and gave up just one run on four hits and a walk. He also struck out eight batters. The lone run he allowed came on a Steward Berroa solo home run. Berroa played his fifth game with the IronPigs after being traded from the Brewers to the Phillies organization. Kendry Rojas came in and worked 3 1/3 innings. He gave up no runs on three hits. He walked one and had two strikeouts. He threw 50 pitches, likely his limit in just his second appearance with the Saints. Jon Brebbia got the final two outs, one on a strikeout. The Saints left three on base in the second without scoring. In the bottom of the third, Aaron Sabato led off with a double. He moved up to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Alan Roden singled to right to drive him in. Back-to-back walks left the bases loaded again. This time, Orlando Arcia stepped up with an RBI single to make it 2-0. The Saints took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning. With one out, Tanner Schobel and Aaron Sabato hit back-to-back singles. With two outs, Kaelen Culpepper doubled to drive in Schobel. Roden followed with an infield single that drove in Sabato with the fourth run. Sabato drove in the fifth and final run in the bottom of the seventh when he lined a single to left to drive in Alex Jackson. Sabato finished the game going 3-for-4 with his first double of the season. Alan Roden was 3-for-5 with his fourth double. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Springfield 10 Box Score The Wind Surge offense scored seven runs on 14 hits and three walks. Of course, Ben Ross had another two-hit game including his fourth double and fifth home run. Hendry Mendez went 3-for-5 and made his first start at first base. (He had one error on a missed catch.) Kala’i Rosario went 2-for-5. Ricardo Olivar went 2-for-5 with his fourth double. Jose Salas was 2-for-4 with a walk and his second home run. Kyle DeBarge hit his second home of the season. Billy Amick and Maddux Houghton each hit their second double of the season. Things didn’t go as well for the Surge’s pitchers. Mike Paredes made the start. In 2 1/3 innings, he gave up eight runs (7 earned) on eight hits and a walk and a hit batter. In 2025 in Wichita, Paredes was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He went 11-0 with a 2.43 ERA over 103 2/3 innings. He also had seven saves. In other words, this was his first really rough outing since 2024. In other words, as Garrett Crochet said of his start against the Twins on Monday, he’s just got to flush this one and forget it. Jarret Whorff came on and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. However, down 10-0, Darren Bowen, Luis Quinones, and Jaylen Nowlin combined to strike out five batters over five scoreless, no-hit innings. KERNELS CHRONICLE Game 1: Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 1 Box Score Strong Start + Strong Bullpen + Early Lead + Add On = Good win for the Kernels. The Kernels got a really nice start in Game 1 from Eli Jones. He gave up just one run on three hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out three batters. In four appearances and 20 innings in 2026, Jones is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA. He’s issued just two walks and opponents have hit just .119 against him. After such a tough pro debut in Fort Myers in 2025, it was certainly important for Jones and his confidence to get off to a fast start in 2026. Recently, Jones told Twins Daily, “I worked hard throughout the offseason and spring training to build a little more velo. I’m throwing a tick harder now, making my arsenal a bit sharper. I’ve got my feet under me in pro ball now, so I’m feeling much more comfortable and confident on the mound.” The 22-year-old former sixth-round pick from South Carolina continued, “I’m competing my tail off and being very intentional on executing each and every pitch. My mindset on the mound, mixed with a slightly sharper arsenal has helped me out a ton so far this year.” The Kernels took advantage of the opposing pitcher Josh Hansell’s wildness and took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Khadim Diaw, Brandon Winokur and Danny De Andrade walked to load the bases. Rayne Doncon grounded to shortstop but beat the throw to first allowing Diaw to score the game’s first run. The River Bandits tied the game in the top of the third inning, but the Kernels were able to jump back ahead in the bottom of the inning. With one out, De Andrade crushed a long home run out of the ballpark and onto the street beyond the fence in left field. Nick Trabacchi pitched a perfect sixth inning, and Paulshawn Pasqualotto worked a scoreless seventh inning to record his third save of the young season. Eli Jones earned his first official Win of the season. De Andrade was 2-for-2 with a walk and the big home run. Jay Thomason went 0-for-0 with three of the team’s seven walks in the game. Luis Hernandez recorded his first hit of the season. The catcher doubled down the left field line. Doncon added a double to his RBI fielder’s choice. Game 2: Cedar Rapids 0, Quad Cities 6 Box Score It’s been a rough start to the season for lefty Dasan Hill. With all the excitement of the 20-year-old’s potential and reaching 100 mph, it’s a good reminder that these kids are people, that development isn’t linear, that there will be ups and downs throughout the process. Big picture, what does three rough starts mean? Nothing. Very little. What it does, one would hope, is provide learning opportunities. What it reminds us/fans, patience is not only a virtue, it’s absolutely necessary. Hill started Game 2 for the Kernels. He gave up five runs on three hits over just 1 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts but also walked five batters. In his three starts, he has given up 11 runs on nine hits in eight innings. He had 10 walks and 10 strikeouts. That amounts to a 12.38 ERA and a 2.38 WHIP. In his three starts at the end of the 2025 season for the Kernels, he was 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA. In 10 innings, he gave up nine hits, walked seven and had 15 strikeouts. Even rolling back to his 16 starts at Fort Myers last year, he had 33 walks and 68 strikeouts in 52 innings. Of note, he didn’t have good control last year, but obviously right now it’s even worse. As long as he is healthy and willing to listen, there is little to worry about. It’s a blip on the radar. But the control issue will need to be worked on. It will have to be. As players move up levels, the strike zones get smaller, somewhat literally and mostly just in the fact that most of the hitters have much better eyes and knowledge of the strike zone. Christian Becerra came on and gave up one run on four hits in 1 1/3 innings. Michael Ross struck out two over two scoreless innings. Yehizon Sanchez and Brent Francisco each threw a scoreless inning as well. The Kernels hitters combined for three hits and six hits in this game. They were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base. Brandon Winokur had a double and a walk. Eduardo Tait hit his second double. Danny De Andrade and Jaime Ferrer each walked twice. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Lakeland 4 Box Score Riley Quick made his second pro appearance on Thursday night. While he wasn’t as efficient as his first start, it certainly was effective. The 2025 draft pick struck out five batters over three scoreless, hitless innings. The only blemish was three walks, and just 58.3% of his 48 pitches were strikes. Solid start, and the Mussels offense started out quite well too. With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Dameury Pena singled. With two outs, JP Smith walked. Yasser Mercedes followed with his first homer of the season. It gave the Mussels a 3-0 lead. After a pitching change, Eduardo Beltre walked, Ryan Sprock singles, and Byron Chourio walked to load the bases. Beltre scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. Jonathan Stevens came into the game to replace Quick. He gave up a home run to the first batter he faced. He gave up three runs in the fourth. The righty drafted out of Alabama who never pitched for Alabama went three innings and gave up four runs (2 earned) on five hits and two walks. He struck out three batters. The sixth inning run tied the game at 4-4. The Mussels answered that run right away in the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Spock reached on an error which allowed Mercedes to score the fifth run. Jake Murray came in to start the seventh inning. He gave up a leadoff double but immediately left the game with injury. We’ll update as we have more information. Michael Hilker came on and got the final nine outs of the game for the Mussels. Like Quick he gave up no runs and no hits over three innings. He had a walk and four strikeouts. Catcher Ian Daugherty hit a long home run in the bottom of the seventh, his first as a professional, to give the team the 6-4 lead. Dameury Pena extended his hitting streak to eight games. He went hitless in the season’s first two games. Through 10 games, the 20-year-old Dominican is hitting .412/.524/.441 (.965) with a double. He also has seven walks to just four strikeouts. And he’s got four stolen bases. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Ben Ross (Wichita): 2-for-5, 2B(5), HR(4), 2 R, RBI, K. Pitcher of the Day Connor Prielipp (St. Paul): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 76 pitches, 50 strikes (65.8%) Eli Jones (Cedar Rapids): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 67 pitches, 44 strikes (65.7%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, K, CS(1) (batted first, DHd) #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, 2B(4), RBI, 2 K (batted second, played SS) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(2), K (batted fifth, played CF) #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2: 1-for-4, 2B(2), 2 K (batted second, catcher) #5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 76 pitches, 50 strikes (65.8%) #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 70 pitches, 38 strikes (54.3%) #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, K (Batted fourth, played LF) #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 50 pitches, 29 strikes (58.0%) #9 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1: 0-for-3, BB, K, Game 2: 1-for-4, 2 K (both games, batted leadoff, played SS) #10 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #11 - RHP Riley Quick (Ft. Myers) - 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 48 pitches, 28 strikes (58.3%) #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - No Game Scheduled. #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - Game1: 0-for-2, BB, K, Game 2: 1-for-2, BB, 2B(2), (batted 3rd/4th, played 3B). #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, E(7) (batted third, played SS) #15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #16 - OF Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 3-for-5, 2B(2), R, 2 RBI, E(1) (batted third, played 1B, then LF) #17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-for-5, HR(2), R, RBI, K (batted first, played 2B) #18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1: 1-for-2, BB, R (batted second, played CF), Game 2: 0-for-2, BB (batted third, played CF). #20 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch UPCOMING PROBABLES Friday: Lehigh Valley @ St. Paul (6:37 pm CT) - Zebby Matthews (0-2, 8.76 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (6:35 pm CT) - Ty Langenberg (0-1, 1.54 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Adrian Bohorquez (0-0, 9.53 ERA) Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CT) - RHP Merit Jones (0-0, 3.52 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 11-8 St. Paul Saints: 7-10 Wichita Wind Surge: 6-6 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 6-6 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 8-4 FCL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, May 4) DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

Mason Miller has started this season as the most dominant closer in Major League Baseball. The San Diego Padres reliever has tossed 8 1/3 shutout innings with 20 strikeouts over that span. What is the key behind his historic start to 2026? We dive into his three-pitch arsenal, induced vertical break, and more here. Enjoy! View the full article

It is now halfway through April in the MLB season. Teams have started to fully take shape, and trends are beginning to emerge. The Royals are still looking to find their stride, particularly on offense, with a 7-11 record before game action on Thursday. Let’s take a look at who has been hot and who is still looking to find their stride in the early stages of the 2026 season. Who's Hot? 🔥 Michael Wacha Wacha has had an excellent start to his 2026 campaign, and his last start on Saturday was no exception. Wacha pitched for eight innings, striking out seven batters while only allowing five baserunners. After that start, his season ERA is down to 0.43 with a WHIP of 0.714 in 21 innings pitched. In his three starts this season, Wacha has excelled in getting hitters to whiff at and chase the ball out of the strike zone. So far, his chase rate is up from 28.2% to 34.3% this season, and his whiff rate is up from 21.3% to 29.5%. Wacha’s changeup has been his best pitch so far, with a Stuff+ of 131 according to Fangraphs. His changeup has been especially helpful against left-handed batters, where he throws it just as often as his fastball. This has helped him hold lefties to a slash line of only .128/.212/.21,3 which are currently better than his marks against right-handed batters. Wacha will look to continue his strong form against the Yankees on Friday. Kris Bubic Bubic has also seen success on the mound to start the season. On Friday, Bubic threw seven innings with 11 strikeouts while only allowing three baserunners. After that performance, Bubic’s season ERA is now 2.50 across 18 innings with a WHIP of 0.833. Bubic’s Stuff+, according to TJStats, has been excellent with a 102 overall Stuff+ and only his sinker grading below average. Like Wacha, Bubic has also seen an increase in chase and whiff rates to start the season. His chase rate is sitting at 32.4%, and his whiff rate is at 37.6%, in the 98th percentile of all pitchers this season. His slider has stood out so far, forcing batters to whiff 63.6% of the time. Bubic is also set to appear against the Yankees this Thursday, where he will look to set the tone in quieting the often loud bats of the Bronx Bombers. Jac Caglianone Caglianone had a strong week, going 5-for-15 with a slash line of .333/.389/.600. He also showed some skill in the field with an outfield assist, throwing out Zach McKinstry at the plate on Wednesday. Caglianone is showing strong improvements at the plate compared to his rookie season. Last season, he was relatively unlucky for his batted-ball profile, and the numbers are starting to reflect his expected marks from 2025. He is excelling at hitting the ball hard with an average exit velocity of 93.1 mph, a barrel rate of 12.9%, and a hard-hit rate over 50%. If Caglianone can make consistent contact, he will continue to grow into being a threat in the Royals' lineup. He has also made great strides in his defensive ability. Last season, Caglianone was worth a -7 fielding run value, and so far, he is posting a positive number in 2026. Both his range and arm value are now grading well above average. Adding this improvement to his strides in batting, Caglianone is becoming a well-rounded player. Who's Not? 🧊 Vinnie Pasquantino Speaking of not being able to drive in Witt, Pasquantino has not had the ideal start to his 2026 season. Pasquantino finally recorded a hit, a triple, on Wednesday to end a 0-for-20 spell. His season slash line is down to .152/.234/.197. After finishing second in total bases for the Royals in 2025 (behind only Witt), Pasquantino has only two extra-base hits this season. Pasquantino has also seen a noticeable dip in his bat speed of above three mph, and his exit velocity has suffered in the process. These are definitely concerning signs for his power potential to do damage in the heart of the Royals’ batting order. Going into the season, Pasquantino was presumed to be the default hitter to be the source of power to drive in Witt and Maikel Garcia when they reach base, and so far, Pasquantino has failed to do so. Until Pasquantino is able to find his groove at the plate, the Royals' offense will likely continue to flounder. Nick Mears Mears has had a week to forget. In his two appearances this week, he has two blown saves, resulting in two losses this week (only one of which was changed to him). The “blown save” designation is a bit misleading. While he did not come in his games in a traditional save opportunity, Mears was on the mound when the team lost its lead. On Sunday, Mears was brought in during the 6th inning after Noah Cameron had loaded the bases with one out and a one-run lead. Mears was able to get out of the inning without allowing too much damage, but he did allow one walk, which brought home the tying run. On Tuesday, Mears was tasked with pitching the eighth inning with a 1-0 lead. He allowed two critical doubles. One was to Gelyber Torres, who eventually scored on a wild pitch, and the other was to Dillon Dingler, who drove in the eventual winning run. Mears had otherwise had a decent start to the season before this week, where he had not yet allowed any runs to score, including inherited runners. The Royals will look for Mears to bounce back from these performances if they want to continue to turn to him in high-leverage situations, especially with Carlos Estevez still on the injured list. Salvador Perez Perez has struggled at the plate this past week, going 3 for 22 with seven strikeouts. His season slash line is now down to .149/.208/.269. His batting run value ranks in the 4th percentile among qualified hitters this season. Perez is still the captain of this team, but in his current form, the Royals may start to consider if it is time to move him down in the lineup. View the full article

I hate cliches, except for when they're true. Especially in the sports world, one hears the phrase "all hands on deck" so often that it starts to lose its meaning. Phrases like this are deployed by their users almost like a blanket defense mechanism to explain the unexplainable. Even for a franchise like the Chicago Cubs, with a checkered history of curses, their current injury conundrum is truly astonishing. With Porter Hodge now out for the season with a UCL injury, the total numbers of pitchers injured on the North Siders' roster is nine, and that doesn't even include the injury recently sustained by top prospect Jaxon Wiggins in Iowa. With that, the onus is on this club's offense, now more than ever, to give the team's battered pitching staff some leeway. The lineup has finally found a bit of consistency — they've scored 35 runs in their past four games — but the output for the whole season has been lacking. Few people have been reliable, but former Dodger Michael Conforto had looked particularly lost at the plate, until now. Conforto only got two pinch-hit plate appearances in the Phillies series (he struck out in both), but he's otherwise been excellent of late. Even when accounting for his slow start, Conforto wields a wRC+ of 137, and just last week, went 5-12 at the plate with two walks. Is his surge sustainable? Possibly, though his .500 BABIP mark is terrifying. Prior to a weekend series against his old team (the New York Mets), Conforto carries with him a .273 batting average with six hits in 28 plate appearances. For his career, the Cubs' backup outfielder has a .245 batting average with an OBP of .343 and just a shade under 600 RBIs. The moral of the story is that Conforto has arrived in Chicago and produced something akin to what he's put out for his eleven years in the league and counting. Perhaps his consistency, however unremarkable the overall output may be, is the reason why Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs braintrust brought him on in the first place. In the North Siders' previous three wins, they've scored seven or more runs in every game. To the untrained or even the trained eye, this club's hitting comes in waves. When Conforto was down, the rest of the club, outside of Nico Hoerner, was as well. This is not an excuse, nor a justification for the Cubs' sluggish and maddening start, but it describes a significant sign one can point to in analyzing their offensive woes. That Conforto has looked less the part of "PCA" and more like "DFA" doesn't really matter because he's not called upon to do nearly as much as this club's featured players. If you've followed my work here in recent years, you know I'm hesitant to write anyone off. It's my goal to find the positives with this ball club, unless there aren't any. Like everything else, however, this approach has its limits. If a guy just isn't any good, I'm the first to point it out. Michael Conforto is a player who exists outside of these confines. He isn't all that bad, nor is his presence in the lineup on any given night the glaring liability once feared. As the success of this baseball club hopefully grows into something worth remembering, so too will the prosperity and production of Conforto. View the full article

Just as everyone drew it up at the beginning of the season, the Minnesota Twins are battling the Cleveland Guardians not only for the top spot in the American League, but also for second place for innings pitched by starters in the American League. The rotation’s usage is a far cry from what had been one of the biggest grievances hurled at former skipper Rocco Baldelli: a quick hook on starters. What has changed to bring the Twins' starting rotation into such a different place from a usage standpoint? Last season, the Twins finished 13th in the AL for innings from starting pitchers; they only topped the Athletics and the White Sox. Two seasons ago, the Twins were seventh—much better than 13th, but still quite a way from that second-place spot they currently sit in after taking the series from the Boston Red Sox. It's not hard to identify the main reason why this year's team has hewed closer to the blueprint of a club built around a strong starting rotation: solid performance. The unproven starters the team turned to after López went down, Taj Bradley, and Mick Abel, have been nothing short of remarkable to start the season. Other factors have also contributed to the choice to let starters work deeper. The offense has actually been providing run support. If we take, for instance, Bailey Ober’s outing against the Red Sox on Monday evening, he gave up four runs over six innings. Three of those runs came somewhat early in the game during the third inning. Since the Twins already had 11 runs on the board, though, there wasn’t even a thought of getting Ober out of the game that early. Instead, Derek Shelton could simply let Ober battle through and cover a few more innings. Over the last two seasons, Baldelli frequently admitted that the flow of the game forced him to remove starters before he'd have ideally done so. Ober’s recent outing is really the only example that fits that mold exactly, but it isn’t the only way run support helps out the rotation. What has been a more regular occurrence is good run support paired with good pitching performances. In that scenario, pitchers likely have a psychological edge, allowing them to pitch more freely. They get some extra time to recover and refresh themselves while the offense goes to work, and when they're on the mound, there's more margin for error and less anxiety. Every pitch isn't a do-or-die situation like it has been for the Twins for long stretches in recent seasons, when the offense struggled to produce. We especially saw this last season, when what was supposed to be a dominant bullpen always had to pitch with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel in order to carry the Twins to a win, because there was little to no offense behind them. If this group were underperforming, of course, a strong offense wouldn't be enough to have them eating this many innings. Joe Ryan continues to be Joe Ryan, somewhat vulnerable to external influences but immensely talented and competitive. Bradley is doing his best to impersonate Ryan’s first full season with the Twins, quickly cementing himself as the number two starter in the rotation. He has a longer track record and a sturdier build than Ryan had back then, though, and can be trusted to work a bit deeper than Ryan could be. Abel is dealing right now, and Ober, despite his decreased velocity, is giving the team competitive outings and keeping them in it. Simeon Woods Richardson is the closest of the bunch to drawing concern, but his track record gives him some leeway. The success of the rest of the group gives him even more. Obviously, the team also lacks the deep, high-powered bullpen Baldelli had over the last few years. That could be a motivating factor in Shelton's decision to allow longer starts. Regardless of the motivation, until there is a more solidified path through the pen, getting that extra inning or two from a starter will pay dividends for the club. The volume they've provided has shielded Shelton and his team from the roster's weaknesses. For as long as he can afford to do so, we're likely to see Shelton keep trusting his starters, and letting them get deeper into games than we've seen in the past. View the full article

Execution and fundamentals get a bad rap, in modern baseball. When present, they're too simple to earn much praise. The league is too chock-full of talent for fundamentals and execution to win games for you, on their own. When absent, they;re too easy to grieve and bemoan. The truth is that you can't win a big-league game with fundamentals and execution, but failures of execution inevitably beget an unfair burden of expectations for instances of successful execution. Fans see when a lack of fundamentals hurt you, and they get the mistaken idea that good fundamentals could win you games on their own. It's been a joy to watch the Brewers for the past two-plus years, because under Pat Murphy, they often execute and do the fundamental things better than anyone. That's not why they win games. They win because they pair those elements with better talent than most fans and many opponents recognize; excellent preparation and situational decision-making; and team chemistry that keeps them engaged when things are bad and can snowball in a good way when things are good. That said, we saw some faltering fundamentals from the team during their six-game losing streak, so it was a relief when those elements nudged them over the top and earned them a win Thursday afternoon. It was a taut 1-1 game going into the bottom of the seventh, but Garrett Mitchell drew a leadoff walk. That sparked the sequence that decided the game, and it happened in remarkable fashion. First, Greg Jones put down a relatively routine sacrifice bunt. That play is uninteresting, in most respects. Jones does everything well, though. He doesn't give away that the bunt is happening too soon, but he does give himself ample time to get into the proper position, so he's not moving his head or poking at the ball with the bat when it arrives. Laying down a bunt in the big leagues is much harder than it looks, and arguably, that first bunt was a bad call by Pat Murphy and the Brewers. A real risk of failing to get it down existed, because pitchers in the majors are so good; that includes Toronto's Tommy Nance. Jones is clearly an experienced and highly competent bunter, though, which was probably one factor in the Brewers' decision-making. Knowing that Jones was more likely than the typical batter to get the bunt down made calling for it more viable, even though statistically, laying down that bunt ahead of David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz didn't increase the team's chances of scoring a run. This play did. The Jays bringing in lefty Joe Mantiply was a clever response to the Brewers' gambit. Hamilton has a future with the team as a glove-first infielder who can handle right-handed pitchers, but left-on-left, he's not the guy you want at the plate with the game on the line. Rather than take him down for a pinch-hitter, though, the team asked Hamilton, too, to get down a bunt. As a sacrifice, this would have been an atrocious idea, but that's not what it ever was. Here's where fundamentals meet extraordinary talent, to make a victory. Hamilton doesn't wait any longer to show bunt than Jones did, but he doesn't give it away so soon that the third baseman can be well in front of the bag by the time he bunts the ball. He adroitly puts himself into nearly an identical bunting position as the one Jones adopted, but unlike Jones, he's putting on the jailbreak, too. There might be five faster runners in the majors than Hamilton; there aren't 10. His raw speed is great, but with the jailbreak coming out of the left-handed batter's box, his time from touching the ball to touching first base is downright elite. It helps, here, that Mantiply isn't a guy who falls off the mound much with the effort of his delivery. Had his momentum carried him toward the foul line more in the first place, he would have had a play on Hamilton. As it was, Ernie Clement had to make the play, and he never really had one. That left it up to Ortiz to get the run in, with runners on the corners and one out. Technically, of course, the Brewers had two chances, at that point. Hamilton's speed had created a marvelous opportunity. In practice, though, it felt very important to get the run home there, before it came down to needing a hit from Brandon Lockridge. Ortiz, unlike Jones and Hamilton, didn't get the bunt down on either of the first two pitches, working the count to 1-1. It's a bit surprising that the Jays weren't more committed to the bunt than they were, in terms of positioning, but the risk of Ortiz pulling the bat back and poking the ball into the corner was real. Ultimately, the Crew had the safety squeeze on, rather than the suicide squeeze, so Toronto didn't need their corner guys crashing toward the plate. It was all going to come down to how good a bunt Ortiz put down. He put down a perfect one. Some of this, of course, is luck. Bunt placement is a skill, but it's a skill bounded by the quality of the opposing pitcher and the nature of a bouncing ball. Ortiz read a changeup from Mantiply well, lowering the bat to catch it but staying on top of it as it dipped toward the ground. It's a pretty easy pitch to bunt, but it's easy to push it foul or to hit it too hard. Ortiz did neither. The ball he dribbled into the dirt in front of home plate died pretty quickly, in a patch of the playing surface that has been very slow all week. It was enough to force Jays catcher Tyler Heineman into a dilemma: Should he set up to receive a flip from Mantiply on a play at the plate, attempting to thwart the go-ahead run, or should he chase the ball all the way to its spot and retire Ortiz? There's even a third choice there, in some cases, where he could snatch the ball soon enough to twist and dive backward himself, trying to tag Mitchell out unassisted. Mantiply was charging hard, and only veered away to let Heineman take the ball at the last instant. Watching the replay, it looks like he might have had a play, and Heineman should have held his ground just in front of the dish. Certainly, if Ortiz had touched the ball any harder, the Jays would have made the attempt on Mitchell, and probably been successful. If he'd pushed it with any less pace, Heineman would have been able to tag Mitchell himself. This ball was perfect, though. In the heat of the moment, trying to forestall a big inning and not feeling confident enough of a try on the lead runner, Heineman simply picked the ball up and fired to first, taking the out the Brewers were giving. The game wasn't over in that instant, and the way the Crew played that frame denied them much chance for a bigger lead and an easier top of the ninth. Happily, though Ángel Zerpa retired the Jays relatively easily, to lock down the win. It wasn't simply a product of fundamental play. Brandon Sproat showed what a stud he has the potential to be in the starting rotation. Mitchell's and Hamilton's speed made the winning rally possible, as much as the excellent execution of the three bunts themselves. That's what good fundamentals really do, though: put you in full contact with the value of your talent. The Brewers are back on track after a brutal week, and they used their combination of subtle skills and good fundamentals to get there. 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 SuperSubs Parker Heyser and Robert Hanson 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 Janson Junk (MIA) vs. TBD (MIL) on Friday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. RHP Brandon Woodruff (MIL) on Saturday RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) vs. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) on Sunday The Marlins rank 11th in MLB with a 104 wRC+ and 14th in MLB with a 4.05 FIP. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have a 7-3 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), Esteury Ruiz (10-day IL) and Kyle Stowers (10-day IL). The Brewers rank 10th in MLB with a 105 wRC+ and 15th in MLB with a 4.06 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 3-3 record on the road this season. The following Brewers players are on the injured list: Akil Baddoo (60-day IL), Jackson Chourio (10-day IL), Jared Koenig (15-day IL), Quinn Priester (15-day IL), Andrew Vaughn (10-day IL), Christian Yelich (10-day IL), Craig Yoho (15-day IL) and Rob Zastryzny (60-day IL). View the full article