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Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (April 14-April 15) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Series vs. Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals): 1-1 Season Record: 8-9 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats Series vs. Chesapeake Baysox (Baltimore Orioles): 2-0 Season Record: 6-4 High-A Vancouver Canadians Series vs. Spokane Indians (Colorado Rockies): 1-1 Season Record: 3-8 Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays Series vs. Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies): 1-1 Season Record: 6-5 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Season Record: 8-9 Series Opponent: Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals) April 14: The Buffalo Bisons finally got to play a game in warmer weather on Tuesday, and it showed on the field. Yohendrick Pinango, Riley Tirotta, and RJ Schreck each connected for home runs. Tirotta's was the loudest and farthest of the three, coming off the bat with an exit velocity of 108.7 mph and going 413 feet over the center field wall for a solo home run. Pinango's home run extended his hit streak to six games and gave him hits in 11 of his last 12 games. He has been locked in to start the season and could be pushing for a call-up midseason if the need arises for the big league team. All of Buffalo's runs in the game came on those three blasts, which was good because as a team, they struck out 14 times. Rafael Lantigua had three of the strikeouts himself, on his way to a 1-for-5 game, which raised his batting average to .143 for the year. On the mound for the Bisons was Austin Voth, who set the tone early, going four solid innings, giving up only one run, walking zero, and striking out three. Jorge Alcala replaced Devereaux Harrison in the top of the sixth with a runner on first base. He ran into trouble and ultimately gave up a two-run double to Trey Lipscomb. Hayden Juenger came into the game in the eighth and did enough to get the two-inning save. The Bisons' 5-3 win brought their record back to .500, where they have hovered for most of the season. April 15: Wednesday was a big day for Bisons fans, as it was a Trey Yesavage day. He was on the mound for Buffalo, making his first rehab start, working his way back to the major league team. It was a rough start for him, to say the least. In the first two innings, he gave up a combined three runs: two on home runs from Dylan Crews and Andres Chaparro and the third scoring on a double play ball. He worked the third and fourth innings relatively clean, only giving up a walk and a single. His day wrapped up after getting a groundout and giving up a single in the fifth inning. For the game, he pitched 4.1 innings, surrendering seven hits and allowing three runs to score, but he did strike out five. At the plate, RJ Schreck hit his second home run in as many games, this one with an exit velocity of 97.9 mph, going 380 feet to right center. The big shot came in the top of the third inning and scored Yohendrick Pinango, tying the game up at three. Unfortunately for the Bisons, Jesse Hahn coughed up three runs in the sixth inning, and the bats couldn't answer. Buffalo fell 6-3 and yet again couldn't crack the .500 mark, as they fell a game below it with an 8-9 record for the year. Double-A New Hampshire Season Record: 6-4 Series vs. Chesapeake Baysox (Baltimore Orioles) April 14: Postponed April 15, Game 1: New Hampshire had their bats going in the first game of the doubleheader on Wednesday. Jorge Burgos got things going in the second inning with an RBI single to right field and then again in the bottom of the third inning with a bases-loaded walk. Nick Goodwin and Aaron Parker would add RBI singles to put New Hampshire up comfortably by six runs. In the fourth, Jace Bohrofen crushed a two-run home run to right field, his first of the game. Up 8-1, the Fisher Cats put together another massive inning on the season in the bottom of the sixth. Twelve runs would score, with the two big hits being a second Bohrofen homer and Sean Keys capping off the scoring barrage with a three-run blast. Seven New Hampshire hitters had multi-hit games, and Keys led the way with two doubles and the home run. Bohrofen had the two homers, and Eddie Micheletti Jr. pushed across three hits as well. The Fisher Cats won an easy one, 20-1. Game 2: The second game of the doubleheader started out much more slowly than the first one, but ended with a bang on offense as well for the Fisher Cats. New Hampshire took the lead in the first inning on a Sean Keys RBI single, bringing home Eddie Micheletti Jr. An RBI fielder's choice would put them up by two runs in the second inning, before Aron Estrada tied the game with an RBI groundout in the third and a sacrifice fly in the fifth. An RBI groundout, a bases-loaded walk, and a bases-loaded HBP put the Baysox up by three runs. In the bottom of the fifth, Keys would change that, as his big day and season continued, this time with another three-run home run to right field to tie the game. In the sixth, New Hampshire put together another big inning on offense, with a run on an error, an RBI single, and 2 RBI doubles to put them back up five runs. The Fisher Cats would hold on after a late comeback in the seventh by the Baysox, and win 10-8. High-A Vancouver Season Record: 3-8 Series vs. Spokane Indians (Colorado Rockies) April 14: There was pitching dominance from starters, with Austin Cates and Brody Brecht going head-to-head. Cates gave up an early solo homer to Kelvin Hidalgo in the bottom of the second. After that, Cates was almost unstoppable, striking out seven straight batters before he allowed a runner to score on a wild pitch, ending his day there but still tying his career high of 10 strikeouts. Brecht also looked good for Spokane, and other than a Carter Cunningham run-scoring triple, didn’t allow a run to score in three innings, while he struck out six. After Cates was taken out, Juanmi Vasquez gave up a three-run homer to Alan Espinal, to put the Canadians down four, and despite a homer from Kendry Chirinos and an RBI single from Tucker Toman, they couldn’t come back from that deficit. April 15: The Canadians' offense woke up, as they tagged five runs on Spokane’s starter Yujanyer Herrera. Carter Cunningham hit a double and was moved to third, and then scored on a pickoff play at first. Then, in the third inning with the bases loaded, Kendry Chirinos had his second homer in as many days with a grand slam to break the game open. Landen Maroudis pitched well heading into the fourth inning, but was taken out after a single and a walk for Gilberto Batista, who then allowed both inherited runners to score. Batista struggled the inning after as well, allowing four earned runs to give up the lead. The Canadians' offense could not be denied, as Alexis Hernandez took the lead right back with a two-RBI triple before scoring himself on a wild pitch. Carson Pierce stopped the bleeding for the Canadians with two more scoreless innings after replacing Batista, and the Canadians broke double digits as the Northwest League Player of the Week, Carter Cunningham, went deep for the fourth time this season for the second grand slam of the day. Maddox Latta hit a homer to cap off a 14-point explosion for the Canadians, who are hopefully turning it around. Single-A Dunedin Season Record: 6-5 Series vs. Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies): 1-1 April 14: In the first game of the series against Clearwater, the Jays trotted out Brayden Heidel, who struggled, giving up three runs while walking two batters and giving up two hits. The relief corps also did poorly after replacing him, with Reece Wissinger allowing two more runs after. Aldo Gaxiola got a run back with his second homer of the year, but the Jays continued to give up runs as Carson Myers let in another two runs. Blaine Bullard’s power has been better than advertised, as he hit his third homer of the year 104.9 mph and 423 feet, but once again the Jays kept on letting up runs as Franly Urena gave up two homers. The Jays' offense could not stop homering, as this time their No. 2 prospect JoJo Parker got his first homer of the season, and the rehabbing Adrian Pinto hit the Jays’ fourth homer of the day to bring it within two in the bottom of the night, but they could not pull out the win. April 15: The Jays pulled out a gutsy win in extras, as Troy Guthrie had his first shaky start. The Jays went down three runs by the third inning, and the Threshers' pitching held the Jays scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, with the red-hot Jaxson West knocking in the first run for the Jays on an RBI single. The Threshers immediately got that run back in the seventh on a double against Dylan Watts, as the Jays still were down three runs heading into the bottom of the eighth. After a Peyton Williams walk and a Yorman Licourt single, Eric Snow had a clutch double with one out to cut the lead to one. Mason Davenport allowed three runners in a shaky inning but ended up striking the side in the top of the ninth, allowing the Jays to tie it up on a sac fly after they loaded the bases for Williams. No other runs would score, so they would go to extras, and after a scoreless inning from Diego Dominguez, the bases were juiced for JoJo with two outs. He went up to the plate and had a nine-pitch at-bat in which he fouled off three pitches with two strikes before walking it off on an RBI walk to win the game and even up the series. Transactions 04/15/26 Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Trey Yesavage on a rehab assignment to Buffalo Bisons. 04/15/26 C Charlie Saum assigned to New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Dunedin Blue Jays. 04/15/26 New Hampshire Fisher Cats placed C Geovanny Planchart on the 7-day injured list retroactive to April 14, 2026. 04/14/26 Buffalo Bisons transferred RHP Pat Gallagher to the Development List. 04/14/26 Toronto Blue Jays optioned 2B Tyler Fitzgerald to Buffalo Bisons. 04/14/26 C Giaconino Lasaracina assigned to DSL Blue Jays Red. 04/14/26 Vancouver Canadians sent 2B Adrian Pinto on a rehab assignment to Dunedin Blue Jays. 04/14/26 RHP Trace Baker assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. 04/14/26 Vancouver Canadians activated RHP Trace Baker. View the full article

Major League Baseball’s ABS system has brought changes to the game, and teams are still ironing out its wrinkles. With only a limited number of challenges available, every decision carries weight. It did not take long for players to realize that this system is not just about accuracy, it is also about strategy. On Tuesday night, Victor Caratini may have given the clearest example yet of how gamesmanship can play a role in this new era. Catchers have traditionally built their value around pitch framing, subtly moving their glove to influence an umpire’s call. The ABS system changes that dynamic. With the ability to challenge pitches, framing becomes less essential in the traditional sense. But that does not mean it is irrelevant. In fact, Caratini showed it can still be a weapon, just in a different way. With Andruw Monasterio at the plate, Caratini received a pitch that clearly went through the bottom half of the strike zone. Instead of presenting it cleanly, he exaggerated his glove movement well outside the zone. The visual suggested a clear ball, even though the pitch itself was a strike. That was the trap. Monasterio took the bait and called for a challenge, convinced the pitch had missed. Moments later, the review confirmed what Caratini already knew. The pitch was a strike. The Red Sox lost a challenge, and Monasterio was left with a long, quiet walk back to the dugout. It was a small moment in the game, but one that could have larger implications. Challenges are a finite resource, and burning one on a pitch that was never close is a costly mistake. By manipulating perception, Caratini essentially gave his pitcher an advantage without throwing another pitch. This kind of thinking is exactly what many expected when ABS was first implemented. Players and coaches are constantly looking for edges, and this is simply the latest example. Aaron and John talked about this scenario playing out on Wednesday’s mailbag episode of Gleeman and the Geek. Aaron agreed that it could be something that is seen more regularly this season. However, John had a tough time imagining the situation playing out the way it did for Monasterio. There is also a psychological layer to it. Hitters trust their eyes and instincts, but when a catcher presents a pitch in a misleading way, it introduces doubt. In a system where players can challenge calls, that doubt can turn into a costly decision. For Minnesota, it was another example of doing the little things right in a win over Boston. Now, fans will have to wait and see if any other batters fall for a similar tactic. View the full article

The Twins are going to have a decision looming behind the plate that might be more important than it looks on the surface. So far this season, Ryan Jeffers is putting together a strong case for why he should be part of the team’s future. View the full article

The San Diego Padres could have a new owner as soon as next week. According to a report Thursday by Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Seidler family is nearing a decision among a group of four suitors. The sale is expected to be for at least $3.5 million, which would eclipse the previous record for an MLB team of $2.42 million by Steve Cohen for the New York Mets in 2020. The four bidders are two owners of English Premier League men's soccer teams, Chelsea's Jose A. Feliciano and Everton's Dan Friedkin, and two NBA owners, Tom Gores of the Detroit Pistons and Joe Lacob of the Golden State Warriors and WNBA's Golden State Valkyries. The Athletic reported that each submitted final bids this week. The Padres were recently valued at $3.1 billion by Forbes, up from $1.9 billion a year ago. Peter Seidler, whose death in November 2024 set off this process, and Ron Fowler bought the Padres in 2012 for $800 million. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs and 35-year-old reliever Ty Blach have signed a minor-league deal, and he will report to Triple-A Iowa. The news was first reported by Tommy Birch: Blach last pitched in the major leagues for Colorado in 2022-2024. In his last season for the Rockies, his ERA was an elevated 6.94 with a 1.70 WHIP. Blach's most successful stretch came from 2016-2018 for the San Francisco Giants, where he threw 299 innings with a 4.36 ERA. In 2025, Blach toiled in the minors in the Rangers' system. Last season, Blach pitched 56 innings with a respectable 3.58 ERA. Command is his hallmark; the fastball doesn't top 89 on average. With such a slow fastball, his seven percent walk rate and 46% ground ball rate are important to his success. If he can limit hard contact, Blach could play a role at some point this season. In a season where the Cubs have eight pitchers on the IL, and two already lost to season-ending UCL injuries, Blach will serve as depth if needed in Chicago. The Cubs likely won't need him, but if injuries continue at this pace the signing could pay dividends. View the full article

There's something comforting about baseball records. In a sport that evolves constantly, where velocity climbs, and analytics reshape approach, certain achievements remain stubbornly out of reach. For the Minnesota Twins, a handful of offensive records feel less like milestones and more like permanent fixtures. These are not just impressive numbers. They're snapshots of eras, skill sets, and players that may never be replicated. Killer and Carew Still Set the Standard It starts with two names that define Twins history. Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew represent opposite ends of the offensive spectrum, yet both left behind records that feel nearly impossible to chase. Carew’s .334 career batting average stands as a monument to consistency. In today’s game, where strikeouts are accepted and even expected, a hitter flirting with .300 is a star. Sustaining .334 over an entire career feels like a relic from another universe. That same precision shows up in his 239-hit season in 1977, a number that would require a perfect storm of health, lineup position, and elite contact ability to even approach. Then there's his flair for the dramatic. Carew swiped home 14 times in his career, a blend of instinct and fearlessness that simply is not part of the modern game. Teams just do not take that kind of risk anymore. Killebrew’s records lean the other direction. His 475 home runs remain the gold standard for Twins power hitters, and while the long ball is more prevalent now, longevity and loyalty to one franchise make that number difficult to reach. Add in his 1,321 walks, and you see a hitter who combined patience with power in a way that is still rare today. (Killebrew hit more homers and drew more walks than that during his two-decade tenure with the franchise, of course, but we're focused only on what he did after the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Twins.) Knoblauch’s Complicated Legacy and Lasting Records Chuck Knoblauch may not be celebrated the same way within the organization today, but his impact on the basepaths remains undeniable. His 62 stolen bases in 1997 and 276 career steals with the Twins stand out even more in an era where running has taken a back seat. Yes, recent rule changes have sought to revive the stolen base, but the combination of opportunity, durability, and green light that Knoblauch enjoyed remains difficult to replicate. Players rotate more, get more rest, and often prioritize efficiency over volume. That makes these totals feel safer than ever. It's easier to root for this record to fall, though, because Knoblauch's domestic violence offenses make him an unhappy blemish on the happy memory of the 1991 Twins. The M and M Boys Leave Their Mark The next group of records comes from a more modern era, but they may be just as secure. Justin Morneau put together a stretch of durability that feels increasingly rare, playing in 319 consecutive games between 2007 and 2009. In a time when load management and injury prevention dominate decision-making, that kind of streak is unlikely to be encouraged, let alone achieved. Behind the plate, Joe Mauer redefined what offense could look like from a catcher. His 921 games caught are a testament to both skill and resilience at one of the game’s most demanding positions. Even more untouchable might be his three batting titles as a catcher. The physical toll of the position makes it hard enough to hit for average, let alone lead the league multiple times, and the way the Twins deploy catchers now, a player would have to be their backstop for over a decade to catch Mauer. The Truly Random but Truly Safe Some records are not built on superstardom, but instead on incredibly specific and unlikely circumstances. Brian Harper holds the team record for fewest strikeouts in a season (min. 385 at-bats), as he struck out just 16 times in 1989. In today’s game, where even elite hitters rack up strikeouts, that number feels almost absurd. Then there's Jose Miranda and his 12 consecutive hits in 2024, an MLB record. Hitting is already the hardest thing to do in sports. Stringing together 12 straight hits borders on impossible, even in an era with favorable hitting conditions. What makes these records feel unbreakable is not just the numbers themselves. It's the context around them. The game has changed. Approaches have shifted. Roles have evolved. What was once normal is now extraordinary. Carew’s contact, Killebrew’s patience and power, Mauer’s excellence behind the plate, and even Harper’s ability to simply avoid swinging and missing all reflect styles that are either fading or gone entirely. That is what keeps these records safe. It is not just that players are not good enough to break them. It's that the game no longer asks them to try. What other hitting records are unbreakable for the Twins? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Cubs fans are waiting out an exceptionally cold stretch from Michael Busch, but it's one he will likely shake soon. The beginning of the season has made his incredible 2025 fade into memory. Busch, though, didn't just have a good 2025. For the season, he hit at the level of a top-10 offensive player, but he's not treated that way. Here are a couple of impressive lists about his offense, so we remember whom we're talking about. Only Qualifying Players With Higher 2025 wRC+ than Michael Busch Aaron Judge Shohei Ohtani George Springer Cal Raleigh Juan Soto Kyle Schwarber Ketel Marte Pete Alonso Only Players With Higher 2025 wRC+ than Michael Busch vs. RHP Judge Ohtani Springer Soto Alonso These lists are the best of the best in baseball. According to wRC+, Michael Busch was a top-10 hitter overall in 2025. With 34 home runs, an .866 OPS and four postseason home runs, Busch shouldn't be a source of consternation among Cubs fans, or nationally—even when he's at his worst. But offseason rankings paint a different picture. National writers didn't buy into Busch as a true top-10 hitter, and barely a top-10 first baseman. Buster Olney of ESPN, for example, rated Busch ninth at the position. MLB.com placed him ninth as well. And in fantasy baseball, Razzball placed him seventh in one list and 10th in another. He's not respected as an elite hitter or player. Maybe this slump is a reasonable reminder for us that he's actually a step below that tier. Busch, though, is a very good player. His above-average defensive metrics this year are good evidence of that. Obviously, the bat was more than solid last season. Cubs fans should look forward to the three seasons of team control the organization still has on Busch, after this year. What can Busch do this season to attain that respect nationally? Aside from avoiding an 0-for-30 stretch again, there are a couple of areas on which to focus. The Dreaded Platoon Busch has not started games against tough left-handed pitching. In the past week, Matt Shaw and Carson Kelly manned first base in those situations. Going back to 2025, Busch's OPS dropped to just .642 against southpaws, vs. .910 against righties. While he did play in 155 games, the perception of a platoon knocks his value down, and the difference in production is stark when placed side by side. He'll need to improve his platoon splits to get that level of respect. Defense Busch's defensive reputation lags behind his offense. At this point, though, his production is better than that reputation, anyway. According to FanGraphs, Busch has a positive defensive value rating, which includes a big negative adjustment for position. By comparison, Gold Glove winner Matt Olson last year was barely positive in that regard. If Busch can maintain even a neutral defensive rating at first base, that would be a boon to his overall value. Caveats abound, however. If you add an 0-for-30 stretch to Busch last year, the batting average dips to .247. He likely won't repeat his .261 from last year, but that's okay. Busch has the potential to be an All-Star, a fixture at first base that Cubs fans can be proud to watch. We'll see if he can narrow the gap between that reality and the perception of him, especially nationally, as this year unfolds. View the full article

Jacob Misiorowski is the ace of the Brewers staff. Even after covering 5 1/3 innings of work while feeling visibly sick on Tuesday evening, he's striking out 37.5% of batters on the season, while inducing an expected batting average of just .178. He's faced some misfortune in his 3.32 ERA so far from the quality of contact he's given up, and even then, five of his eight runs allowed have come in his final inning of work in games. It's not uncommon for pitchers to continue building up and adjusting to the workload of 100-plus pitches, and in half of his outings to date, Misiorowski has been pitching sick. That's not to give an excuse for the young hurler; these are issues many pitchers have to deal with. It does, however, show just what Misiorowski is capable of, and he's made clear strides early on this season. He's allowing fewer barrelled balls and lower exit velocities, and seems to have an altogether different way of using his arsenal. As you might expect, it all comes down to his fastball. Misiorowski lets this set the tone early, generating above-average ride and extreme velocity from a low release height and big extension down the mound. If you could build a four-seam fastball in a lab, this is what it would look like. The interesting part here is that he's finding the zone less often with it. Usually, pitchers use their fastballs to get ahead in counts, hitting the zone 55% of the time or more with them. Misiorowski, who battled command throughout the minors, tried to find more control with his fastball and follow this template, to mixed results. While he found the zone more often (as you can see below) on his four-seamer, his cutter/slider, and his curveball, he was getting less chase and less effective results. He's getting more swing and miss thus far in 2026 across each of his three primary offerings—by getting out of the zone with the heater more, denying hitters early contact. You might say "Jake, of course they'll miss more if they're swinging on pitches outside the strike zone." You'd be correct, but the way Misiorowski has adapted to make that work—to miss more bats and rack up strikeouts, rather than watching hitters spit on his not-so-tempting out-of-zone pitches and draw lots of walks—shows impressive command, going beyond simple control. Despite some early problems with fatigue (including three consecutive walks to finish his outing against the Red Sox), his walk rate is lower across his first three starts than he managed in 2026. This is a small sample, but by encouraging more chase on his fastball and his slider, he's managing to avoid free passes when fit and firing. The key element here is how much his fastball rises, compared to what a hitter expects. With elite induced vertical break (or spin-related movement) and his low release point, Misiorowski has a fastball that comes in flatter than a hitter perceives. What looks like a strike at the top of the zone can finish several inches above that zone, and hitters have little time to adjust, due to the speed at which the pitch is thrown. In 2025, only the slider could really protect against the fastball. The curveball, to land in the strike zone, had to pop out of his hand, tunneling quite differently. If he can live with that fastball slightly above the zone, the results in how his pitches tunnel is stark, as shown by FanGraphs's pitch pairing model. If Misiorowski is getting chases above the strike zone with his fastball, every offering around his primary pitch can tunnel off that and be in and around the zone for a long time before breaking away. It means hitters have a tougher time identifying the pitch thrown by the time they make their swing decision, and it's resulted in some uglier swings and more whiffs than ever. If that fastball is lower in the zone, all of a sudden the curveball, if tunnelled, becomes a non-factor in the swing decision, and if not tunnelled, it becomes far easier to pick up out of the hand. It isn't just the swing-and-miss that's been different early on. The bat-tracking data against Misiorowski's arsenal so far has dramatically improved as well: While there is some small sample size here, Misiorowski has faced big bat speed merchants like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Colson Montgomery, James Wood and Roman Anthony thus far in 2026. His average bat speed faced is down over 1 MPH, while the fast swing rate, attack angles and attack directions all indicate later swings and more uncomfortable at-bats. Hitters are struggling to access good attack angles with their bat paths. They've shortened their swings to make contact with his fastball, and are late, anyway, with a 4° attack direction going to the opposite field. Placing in the top 5 across each of these six statistics highlights just how uncomfortable hitters are with Misiorowski on the mound. Other leaders in these categories include Nolan McLean, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Cam Schlittler and Sandy Alcantara. That's elite company, which should be no surprise. Finally, Misiorowski showed against the Red Sox that he doesn't have to live outside the zone. Knowing he had limited capacity for a large pitch count, Misiorowski pounded the strike zone, particularly with his slider and curveball. He can find the zone when he needs to, but his low in-zone rate so far this season (on top of the success he's had with it) would indicate this is a plan, and one that he's executing effectively to date. How well it holds up against top offenses like the Dodgers will be fascinating to see, but for now, Misiorwoski is showing serious strides towards becoming a bona fide ace. Have you enjoyed watching Misiorowski this year? Have you noticed any real changes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! View the full article

The Minnesota Twins entered spring training with a handful of rotation questions, and Zebby Matthews looked like one of the more straightforward answers. Even with some competition, injuries to Pablo López and David Festa seemed to clear a path for him to break camp in the big-league rotation. Instead, a rough spring changed the equation. Matthews was ultimately optioned to Triple-A, and the expectation at that point felt pretty simple: go to St. Paul, get right, and force the issue again. So far, that hasn’t happened, either. Through his first three starts with the St. Paul Saints, the overall line isn’t pretty. Matthews has thrown 12 1/3 innings, allowing 12 earned runs on 21 hits, including five home runs. He’s also walked four and struck out just 10. Those 21 hits jump off the page, and they’re not coming from a lack of control. Hitters are earning their way on base by putting the ball in play. A big reason for that becomes clear when you look at the swing-and-miss numbers; he’s just not missing bats right now. His swinging strike rate is sitting at just 11% thus far. That’s not a terrible number on its own, but after being in the 13-14% range over the last couple of years, it’s a noticeable decline. He’s also sporting just a 16.4% strikeout rate, which is a significant drop from his 25% rate last year in the majors. When that ability dips, everything else starts to get a little more fragile. More contact means more opportunities for hitters to square balls up, and that’s also showing up in the quality of contact. Opponents' average exit velocity against Matthews is up by about 2 MPH compared to last season, and when that’s paired with more pulled contact, it can lead to exactly what we’ve seen early on. Opponents have pulled 57% of the balls they’ve put in play against him, which is typically a sign that they’re seeing the ball well and getting the barrel out front. The five home runs he’s allowed are a devastating result of that consistent hard, pulled contact, but they're also a product of some bad luck. More than one out of every three fly balls he’s given up has left the yard. That’s not a rate that will hold over time, but it does highlight how little margin for error he’s had. A big part of that comes back to his stuff. Matthews’s velocity is down across the board. His fastball, sinker, and cutter are each sitting about 1 MPH lower than they were last season. His slider has dipped slightly, and his curveball is down even more significantly, by roughly 2.5 MPH. Even small drops like that can have a noticeable impact. If hitters don’t have to respect the same level of velocity, it becomes easier to time things up and make consistent contact. That can snowball quickly, especially when paired with a drop in swing-and-miss. It also helps explain why hitters have been so comfortable putting the ball in play. Without that extra life, Matthews hasn’t been able to generate the same level of deception or separation between his pitches. That said, there are still a couple of underlying indicators that engender optimism. His hard-hit rate currently sits at 38.3%, which is down slightly from last season. He’s also generating ground balls at a 45.7% clip, a strong shift for a pitcher who has historically been much more fly ball-heavy in the majors. In theory, that combination should limit damage, not amplify it. So there’s at least some element of poor luck mixed into these early results. With all that in mind, it’s worth noting that there’s also a mental side to this. Matthews came into camp with a strong shot at a rotation spot, particularly given the injuries around him, and to miss out on that opportunity can’t be an easy situation. Confidence and execution tend to go hand-in-hand, and early struggles can make both harder to regain. It’s important to keep the sample size in perspective. We’re talking about 12 1/3 innings here. That’s nothing over the course of a full season, and a couple of strong outings could shift his entire statistical profile in a hurry. Matthews has shown in the past that he’s capable of missing bats and limiting damage at a much higher level than this. But early trends still matter, especially when they’re tied to underlying changes in stuff. If his velocity and swing-and-miss numbers start to get back to 2025 levels, the results should follow. Right now, that’s the biggest thing to watch. The Twins are going to need starting pitching depth at some point this season, and Matthews is still very much part of that picture. But for now, this is a very slow start for a pitcher who hasn’t found any real consistency. View the full article

Major League Baseball had planned, but, as always, Mother Nature got the last laugh. Bad weather caused delays to start the ‘96 season, so MLB adjusted and scheduled teams from colder climates to open the ‘97 season on road trips in warmer cities. Alas, you cannot plan for the skies. It was a cloudy afternoon in San Diego for the New York Mets on Opening Day, while back home, an empty Shea Stadium basked in a beautiful spring day. On the eastern half of the continent, April started with ideal weather, but when those teams returned to open their stadiums up a week later, winter made its return. The schedule was getting messed up again. Rain washed out games on the East Coast while snow and the accompanying cold temperatures made it tough to play in the Midwest. Still, at Milwaukee’s aging and open-air County Stadium, the Brewers played their home opener against Texas on the second Monday of the season, but the teams wouldn’t play another until Thursday. Another two-day break was on deck, as snow cancelled the first two games of a weekend series with the Blue Jays. Sitting under a leaking roof in his office, Brewers manager Phil Garner cracked, “Yeah, we don’t need a new stadium.” Toronto squandered a seven-inning gem from Pat Hentgen in a 3-2 loss on Sunday, when temperatures warmed (4° C) enough to play. Toronto was returning to Milwaukee for a two-game series on July 28-29, and it was expected the teams would play a doubleheader one day and make up the other lost game on a scheduled off day following the series. Toronto and Milwaukee ended up keeping their off days. Why they ended up playing a pair of doubleheaders instead of playing a game on the 30th has eluded me. After the off day, Toronto played 14 in a row, so the teams possibly wanted to keep that day away from the diamond in the heart of summer. At least, it kept the upcoming misery in Milwaukee condensed. There were three doubleheaders on April 13 to make up for rained-out games, including two in New York as both the Mets and Yankees played twice for the first time in 15 years. (photo credit: SABR) Despite the impending twi-night doubleheaders, the Blue Jays had reason to look forward to their trip to Milwaukee. Their fortunes had changed at the right time against the Brewers a week ago. Nine games out of the playoffs when they returned home from a 5-6 road trip, Toronto swept Milwaukee before taking two of three from Kansas City. With some good pitching performances and some timely hits, the Blue Jays found themselves six games back, and the Brewers represented a beatable opponent. The opportunity to make up ground and potentially salvage their season had arrived. And the Blue Jays couldn’t have asked for a better pitching matchup in the first game of four. Roger Clemens shut out the Brewers in the middle game of the previous series, throwing eight innings in an 8-0 win. Clemens had a major league-leading 1.54 ERA heading into this start and had given up only four earned runs in his last seven times out. He was 16-3, and with his opposition today, Toronto could count on the Rocket to continue to deliver. He did. The rest of the team did not. July was a tough month for the Brewers staff. Ace Ben McDonald was placed on the injured list in July, never to return, and fellow starter Jeff D’Amico battled shoulder issues and skipped a few starts following the All-Star break. When D’Amico was taken off the active roster before the series, Steve Woodard was called up to make his major league debut against Toronto. Garner was going with a hot hand. Woodard had won 15 starts that season in the minors and did so while striking out less than a hitter an inning. The right-hander topped out at around 90 but had impressive enough movement on his off-speed pitches to warrant the call. Coming off a two-hit performance against Kansas City, Toronto’s bats came out swinging against Woodard, and they came up empty. Otis Nixon hit Woodard’s third pitch of the day for a double, but after that, Toronto was no-hit. Woodard escaped the first inning jam by striking out Joe Carter and Carlos Delgado, the beginning of a 12-strikeout debut in eight dazzling innings. Eleven of those strikeouts were swinging, with most coming courtesy of his changeup. It was a dreadful performance by the Blue Jays that aided Woodard’s spectacular debut in a 1-0 Milwaukee victory. “Swinging at **** in the dirt. No patience,” muttered catcher Charlie O’Brien after the game. Their efforts at the plate wasted a terrific performance by Clemens, who threw a complete game, going eight innings in the loss. The only scuff came in the fourth when Jeff Cirillo doubled and scored on a base hit by Jeromy Burnitz, who was picked off after the game’s lone RBI. Milwaukee wouldn’t get another baserunner until the eighth inning, but it was no matter. In getting his first major league win, Woodard had defeated a pitcher he considered a hero growing up. Clemens tipped his hat after. “(Woodard) had everyone off balance,” he said. While Woodard had entered the majors that afternoon, Huck Flener exited them that evening. It would be the end to a terrible year for Flener. He set out to crack the Toronto rotation in ‘97 after an effective month or so as a starter the previous year. He didn’t get a chance to leave his seat. While awaiting to deplane his flight to Florida, a fellow passenger dropped luggage from the overhead compartment onto Flener, chipping his collarbone. A week later, a minor knee procedure turned into arthroscopic surgery, one that would keep him off the mound most of the spring and optioned to Triple-A Syracuse at the end of it. “We had a golf tournament this spring, and he rode in the cart with two Hooters girls,” said manager Cito Gaston, trying to offer some consolation. When he rejoined the major league team in late April, Flener joked he was extra careful getting off the plane this time. He pitched in six games before being sent down to make room for Gord Ash’s 14-game experiment with Rubén Sierra. He was called back up in July after an injury to Juan Guzmán, and his first appearance back came out of the bullpen. He was now being pressed into the starter’s job he wanted in spring under less than ideal circumstances. Unlike it was for Clemens, run support was a non-issue in the nightcap. Flener only recorded six outs before Gaston lifted him in the third inning of the 9-3 loss. He would be charged for four runs on seven hits in his final appearance as a big leaguer. The entire day was highlighted by Alex Gonzalez lining into a triple play in the fourth inning with the Blue Jays down just two. The loss dropped Toronto to 3-19 all-time in doubleheaders against Milwaukee, and the Blue Jays ended the day 9.5 games out of a playoff spot. They would only get further away. Flener was designated for assignment a day later to make room on the 40-man roster for the recently acquired Mariano Duncan, who had found himself in The Boss’ doghouse in New York. “You know George Steinbrenner,” he said. “For some reason, the team wasn’t going good in May, so he picked on me.” (photo credit: David Barrett / National Baseball Hall of Fame Library) “Get the toe tags ready for this Blue Jay season,” opened Allan Ryan in the Toronto Star after Tuesday’s same-results doubleheader. Woodard and rookie Joel Adamson had kept the Blue Jays’ bats quiet the day before; today, that job would be completed by José Mercedes and Scott Karl. Toronto was blanked again, 2-0 by Mercedes, before losing 4-2 to Karl in the evening. The Blue Jays tallied 10 hits across the final two games of the series and went 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position on the day. Woody Williams was the hard-luck starter in the first game for Toronto, pitching into the eighth while striking out seven. “You know they’re frustrated,” Williams said of his offence. “They’re not hitting, and they know it, everybody knows it...but it’s not something I can go talk to them about. Just like they’re not going to come up to me and say, ‘Why’d you throw that pitch?’” Starting for Toronto in the final game was 21-year-old Chris Carpenter. Impressing in spring alongside fellow top prospect Roy Halladay, Carpenter started the year in Triple A before getting roughhoused in his first two major league starts in May. He was sent back to Syracuse, but not before being the only Blue Jays’ pitcher to hit a home run during batting practice at Shea Stadium. Carpenter was called back up to pitch in the Milwaukee doubleheaders and fared a little better in the series' final game, giving up two runs on 10 singles while pitching into the sixth. It was enough for Carpenter to earn another start and largely keep him in Toronto’s rotation for the next several years. After the season, the Brewers would move to the National League as a part of major league realignment with the incoming expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks. The doubleheaders became the last time the Blue Jays and Brewers met until June 17, 2005, when they were finally scheduled to face each other in interleague play. Eric Hinske hit a three-run home run in the first inning of that game, part of a six-run frame that Toronto rode to a 9-5 win in much uglier duds for both teams. No matter how the latest Blue Jays-Brewers series is won this afternoon, at least we both look better two decades later. View the full article

In discussing his current status following a spring training setback in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, San Diego Padres right-handed starter Joe Musgrove had this to say: "[I don't anticipate having to] build up all the way to six (innings) and 100 (pitches) before I’m back, but they want to see me be good and like physically feeling like I’m recovering." Musgrove said that to the San Diego Union-Tribune a couple weekends ago as the team was in Pittsburgh. This was more than a month following his lone appearance in a game during spring training; he has yet to throw off a mound since. At this point, it feels like a return in June is the most optimistic scenario. When spring training began, Musgrove felt it was possible, even likely that he could be ready to make the Opening Day roster. Whether that was realistic is another thing. As with all pitchers, particularly starting pitchers, that would include a gradual ramp-up of his pitch total in each outing. That is without any further delays in his recovery in returning to the Padres' rotation. The buildup quote becomes more curious when you consider how the Padres handled Musgrove's only game appearance thus far. That came March 4 when the Padres faced Great Britain, a World Baseball Classic team, in an exhibition. Remember, this was his first game since having Tommy John surgery Oct. 11, 2024. It typically takes about 12-15 months to recover, sometimes longer. So, Musgrove was pretty much on schedule to resume a regular buildup. Against Great Britain, Musgrove threw 60 pitches, pitching into the third inning (with a re-entry after a lengthy first inning). No one really questioned that number of pitches at the time, at least not in the recaps from MLB.com and the Union-Tribune. That well may have been the plan going in. However, that number of pitches in not just a spring debut, but a first game back from Tommy John surgery felt reckless. No other Padres starter had thrown that many pitches in a spring training game to that point. The day before Musgrove's outing, right-hander Nick Pivetta threw 43 in his second start. A day after, right-hander Walker Buehler tossed 47 pitches in his first outing. The first non-Musgrove Friars starter to throw 60 pitches in an exhibition game was right-hander Michael King, who had 73 in his start three days after Musgrove's game. That was King's third outing. When it came time for Musgrove's second start, he wasn't ready to take the mound. The Padres said they were letting the situation play out, not an unexpected response. Musgrove's response felt more cryptic, especially knowing what we know now. "Right now, I’m just kind of day to day until I feel like I’m ready to take the mound. And when I tell them I’m good, we’ll be ready to go," Musgrove said. That was a little more than two weeks before Opening Day, so there was no real shot at avoiding the injured list to begin the season. But it is worth looking at whether the Padres put too much on Musgrove's plate for that one game. There was surely a conversation involving Musgrove, the medical staff and the coaching staff (manager Craig Stammen and pitching coach Ruben Niebla), as well as A.J. Preller regarding how long Musgrove would be allowed to pitch that first game. However, 60 is more of a pitch total for a second or more likely third spring training start. Not the first coming back from Tommy John surgery in a game that doesn't matter other than to get back on the mound and see how you do and feel. And Musgrove did just fine. His velocity was right where it was before the surgery and he said he liked the shape of his pitches. For the other Padres starters, their pitch counts in their spring debuts were much less. Pivetta had 38 pitches, King 37, right-hander Randy Vasquez 31, right-hander German Marquez 37, right-hander Matt Waldron 24, left-hander JP Sears 30 and Buehler's 47 topping everyone else. Pitchers coming back from Tommy John surgery or a UCL internal brace repair also generally includes a slow ramp-up in the pitch count. Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 6, 2023, which was a similar date to Musgrove's procedure (Oct. 11, 2024). Now, not all recoveries are the same. Alcantara was ready to go at the beginning of spring training in 2025, when he was 29 years old. He had the following pitch counts in his five exhibition starts: 17, 30, 45, 57 and 50, coming close to 60 once but not going over. Alcantara then threw 91 pitches in his first regular-season start. Another example under different circumstances is Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who was coming back from his second elbow reconstruction. Due to his two-way status, Ohtani didn't have the luxury of an in-season rehab assignment. His buildup came in regular-season games and the Dodgers had more of an innings limit for each of his 14 starts before the postseason. In his first five starts, his pitch count ranged from 18 to 38, the last one his first outing of three innings. The 31-year-old's next three starts were 46, 56 and 53 pitches before moving to four innings and hitting 54. It wasn't until his ninth start that Ohtani surpassed 60 pitches, jumping up to 80 in 4⅓ innings, his longest outing yet. Musgrove is 33, no longer young in baseball years but also not truly old by that same standard. Players always want to rush back to be part of the team, to be part of the action and contribute. That is where the medical staff and coaches generally come in and tell a player they need to slow down. We don't know what those conversations were, so we can't point to any single source for why Musgrove was allowed to throw 60 pitches in his first outing in 17 months. Musgrove is competitive and his adrenaline certainly had to be pumping for that otherwise meaningless exhibition game. Maybe the Padres told him he had six outs to get vs. Great Britain. That is what he got. But there has been a price to pay for that decision. No one knows whether the same situation—a setback in his recovery of at least two months, maybe more—would have arisen had he thrown only half of those pitches. After all, 15 pitches is about average per inning for a pitcher, meaning 30 would have been a good ballpark for two innings. But when your franchise pitcher, the one who authored the first no-hitter in team history, is coming back from a major injury, you want to make sure to protect your investment. In this case, that wasn't done. View the full article

This piece was written prior to the Blue Jays' game on Wednesday, April 15. The American League East is supposed to be the toughest division in baseball. Usually, it is. Year after year, it earns that reputation through depth, payroll power, and an unforgiving schedule that leaves little room to hide. Over the past decade and a half, the AL East has consistently produced multiple playoff teams more frequently than any other division, reinforcing its standing as baseball’s most demanding environment. Even the teams that finish at the bottom of the division often post records competitive enough to avoid being true pushovers. That reality is likely why every April in this division feels heavier than it should. What has made the early weeks of the 2026 season so interesting is not that the American League East suddenly looks easy, but that it doesn’t. Through roughly three weeks of play, the division remains tightly packed, with no team creating meaningful separation. And despite a less‑than‑ideal start marked by injuries and offensive inconsistency, the Blue Jays have quietly looked like one of the steadier clubs in the group. Nearly every AL East team is already confronting some form of early‑season discomfort, whether it comes from roster instability, uneven performance, or health concerns. The standings themselves are not the full story. More revealing is how teams have arrived at their records and what it is costing them to do so. Across the division, several clubs are scraping out wins while exposing thin depth. Others are already rearranging roles, leaning heavily on bullpen arms, or pushing young players into high‑leverage situations sooner than anticipated. MLB‑wide trends, and common sense, suggest that bullpen effectiveness tends to decline as workloads accumulate over the season. Teams that rely heavily on relievers early only increase their vulnerability later. For all their flaws and uneven stretches so far, the Blue Jays are treading water and managing their circumstances about as well as could be reasonably expected. Sitting just below .500, Toronto has navigated inconsistent production with runners on base while fielding a starting rotation that has largely avoided blow‑up outings despite injuries. The bullpen has bent, at times significantly, but it has not broken. Given the circumstances, the Jays will take that outcome. That same sense of relative stability cannot be found across all of their American League East rivals. In New York, the Yankees are once again contending with the familiar weight of expectation. It is a constant, and every season carries its own version of the same pressure. Early results have been decent for the pinstripes – they're hovering near the top of the division – but the path there has been fragile. Through mid‑April, Yankees hitters rank in the bottom third of the league in on‑base percentage. Like the Blue Jays, New York’s early offensive issues have increased reliance on the pitching staff to protect narrow leads. The Yankees have survived thanks to several close wins, but that margin is thin. Depth pieces are being tested earlier than is ideal, and injuries to key contributors have already forced adjustments. While this does not suggest a collapse is imminent, history shows that early stress has a way of accumulating. In seasons where the Yankees have dealt with significant injury clusters early, their win totals have tended to settle closer to the mid‑80s or low‑90s than the elite benchmarks the franchise expects. Their 2023 season, when multiple cornerstone players, including Aaron Judge, spent extended time on the injured list, remains a reminder of how fragile even high‑cost rosters can be. Boston is fighting through a rough start to the season. The Red Sox are attempting to balance competitiveness with long‑term flexibility, an approach that often proves difficult to sustain over a full season. As the calendar reaches mid-April, Boston has hovered below league average in run prevention, with a team ERA residing in the lower tier of the league, and underlying pitching indicators suggesting a profile closer to a fringe contender than a true threat. Defensive play closer to league average has helped offset some of that pitching inconsistency, but not enough to prevent the club from settling near the bottom of the division. Tampa Bay, as usual, continues to defy expectations through discipline and resourcefulness. The Rays remain competitive by prioritizing run prevention, defensive efficiency, and matchup‑driven pitching decisions. It isn't sexy, but it works. The only glaring problem with that plan is that it requires heavy bullpen usage early in the season. Their approach takes some finesse, and sustained reliance on relief pitchers often becomes harder to maintain as the season grinds on. Baltimore may be the most intriguing team in the division. The Orioles are unquestionably stronger than they were just a season ago, powered by a deep young core. Still, injuries have complicated their early momentum. Adley Rutschman, Tyler O’Neill, Ryan Mountcastle, Zach Eflin, and Jackson Holliday have all spent time on the injured list within the season’s first three weeks, already testing the organization's depth. It has meant that Baltimore has been forced into frequent lineup changes and increased bullpen exposure. Their record remains competitive, but the cost has been noticeable in terms of stability and workload management. It is not blind optimism to say every AL East team remains very much in contention. Separation in the standings typically comes later in the season. Over the past decade, the gap between first and third place at the end of April has often been only a handful of games. That parity is not accidental. It is the natural result of parity within baseball’s toughest division. The first six to eight weeks of the season rarely determine who wins the American League East. What they do determine is which teams survive intact. Clubs that manage April without exhausting their pitching staffs or absorbing long‑term injuries are better positioned to peak later in the summer. The adjusted scheduling format has also contributed to the early congestion. Fewer divisional matchups in the opening month means limited opportunities for teams to create early separation. Early missteps are easier to absorb. As intra-division play increases, the standings will become less forgiving and more revealing. What stands out early in 2026 is not that any American League East team has seized control. It is that nearly all of them are in various stages of waiting. They are waiting to get healthy, waiting for lineups to stabilize, and waiting for others to falter. That includes the Blue Jays. So take a breath. For Toronto, there is little reason for alarm. History shows that early standings in this division are a weak predictor of eventual outcomes, and April leaders have often failed to maintain that position over six months. In fact, since 2010, the AL East April leader has gone on to win the division roughly 30–40% of the time, meaning early results aren’t that important as long as you don't lose touch with the leaders. As Yogi Berra famously put it, “It gets late early out there.” In the American League East, that truth applies every year. April standings can feel urgent, but they rarely tell the full story. What matters more is which teams are still standing cleanly when the season begins to accelerate. And really, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” View the full article

There was a brief moment over the weekend where it looked like San Diego Padres first baseman Gavin Sheets was shaking off the early season rust and morphing back into the excelling, change-of-scenery bat that he’d been for much of 2025. After a solo home run early in the game, Sheets sent a three-run homer into the seats in the bottom of the ninth for the second walk-off victory in as many days. Unfortunately, either side of that has been plagued with a rather downtrodden performance from Sheets. Worse yet is that it’s extended to both sides of the ball. We’re still operating within a small sample here in the middle of April, but Sheets has been below average by wRC+ standards (92). Through the roughly 50 plate appearances he’s logged as of the middle of the Mariners series, he’s at a .220/.250/.440 line. His strikeout rate, at 26.9 percent, is abnormally high even against the lower standards set forth when he was at the height of his struggles with the Chicago White Sox. He’s not compensating with deep counts either, as a 3.8 percent walk rate is less than half of what he turned in last season. One concerning trend is that Sheets has apparently lost all semblance of plate discipline. He’s chasing pitches at a 41.1 percent clip (a 10 percent leap from where he was last year) and swinging inside the zone at a slightly lower rate. His 49.7 percent swing rate would represent the highest of his career. There isn’t any discrimination in pitch type, either. He’s swinging at more fastballs than anything but is chasing just about anything regardless of pitch type. What’s even worse for Sheets is that there’s no compensating with the glove. He has been transitioning to full-time work at first base after spending the bulk of his time on the outfield grass last season. However, he’s also turned in -3 Outs Above Average thus far, which ranks 34 out of 35 qualifiers at the position. Only Bryce Harper’s -5 figure is worse. He has a 62 percent success rate against a 69 percent estimated success rate. He’s particularly struggling moving to his right, which is an area in which he’d been only slightly below average (-1) in his career prior to this year’s sample. Plays simply are not being made for a player who was awarded the heaviest run at the position on a roster loaded with first base archetypes. And that’s an important consideration within all of this. Sheets is struggling massively not only to put the ball in play but to help a delicate pitching staff record outs. This is the same roster that features a defending Gold Glove winner in Ty France in addition to Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos. Each of France and Andujar have looked strong at the plate while Castellanos’ results are not indicative of the more solid under-the-hood figures with which he’s working. Which means that despite what Sheets has working in his favor – namely the fact that the Padres are currently winning games after a slow start – the runway is going to begin to get shorter. Sometimes in the early season, you see a player (like Castellanos) who is executing solid process and running into bad luck. Others you see a player who gets outside of his general performance and needs to reign it back in before the outcomes begin to fall in line. Given the Padres’ roster construction, Sheets needs to be the latter. Otherwise, the depth chart has the ability to change rather quickly. Especially as Sung Mun Song gets closer to returning and thins out some of the available innings on the bench. View the full article

Sweet Lou and Ol Gregg take a victory lap after the Twins' competitive start and give a thorough rundown player-by-player performance. They also play Higher or Lower than Carlos Correa?, Gregg's broken thumb, and cheap pohlad versus the fans. Listen using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twins-off-daily-podcast/id1741266056 Listen using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tb78XlurcPTYYSsARdbD7 Listen using iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-twins-off-daily-podcas-167548600/ Listen using Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/nvclbt0w Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twinsdaily View the full article

The start of the 2026 season has not been a great one for the Boston Red Sox's middle relief corps, but especially not for Greg Weissert. In eight appearances this season, Weissert has given up homers in three of them -- including a three-run homer in the sixth inning against Eugenio Suarez and a solo shot from Elly De La Cruz in the opening series against the Cincinnati Reds. The last homer he allowed was a three-run shot by Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres, turning a one-run lead into a two-run deficit en route to the team's 8-6 loss. From his deep arsenal, the changeup and slider have been the weak links, with hitters going 3-for-5 off the former specifically. The De La Cruz homer, a shot with an exit velocity of almost 107 mph, came off the slider. He’s cut down the time he’s throwing the slider roughly in half compared to last year, often choosing to throw a sweeper in those spots. The sweeper is used 18 percent of the time, predominantly to right-handed hitters, who struggle to pick the ball up coming across the plate. The slider is down from 16 percent use rate in 2025 to only 9 percent in 2026. The sinker and the four-seamer are Weissert’s strongest pitches so far in the 2026 season, holding batters to a 2-for-16 (.125) effort, the only blemish the homer by Suarez, who had 49 round-trippers a year ago for the Mariners and Diamondbacks. Combined, he is throwing those two pitches more than 50 percent of the time he’s on the mound. After the game, Weissert blamed the Suarez blast on bad execution: "Maybe I threw one too many fastballs to him facing him [yesterday and today],” Weissert told Christopher Smith of Masslive.com. “But you can nitpick. If he pops it up, it’s a great outing. If you do what you do, he does what he does, it’s a bad one.” Everything is magnified in the first couple weeks of the season, records included, but even more so for relievers. But there's signs that the tide is turning for Weissert, who helped Italy reach the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic this spring. In his past three outings, Weissert has pitched 2.2 innings, allowing only one hit, striking out three and walking one. In that time period, he's inherited three base runners but none have scored and his ERA is down from 9.64 to 6.14. He also has three holds, for any old-school fans that still value handling pressure in non-save situations. Most importantly, though, he’s throwing first pitch strikes nearly 70 percent of the time, which would be the best mark of his career. So far this season, Weissert has entered in either the fifth, sixth or seventh innings, a role he appears likely to maintain throughout 2026. The Red Sox need guys like Weissert, Ryan Watson and Jovani Moran to be that bridge between the starters and the back-end of the bullpen with Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, and eventually Justin Slaten as they try to dig out of their early hole in the American League East. View the full article

Twins System Recap: Ben Ross continued his hot start for Wichita by hitting a pair of homers. He has a 1.337 OPS in this young season. James Ellwanger also kept his momentum rolling, delivering another scoreless outing. He's thrown 11 2/3 innings without surrendering a run. Also, Eduardo Beltre smacked a walk-off homer in the 10th inning for Fort Myers. View the full article

Christian Scott struck out five over 5 1/3 innings, and Nick Morabito hit a solo homer in Syracuse's 4-1 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Zach Thornton fanned six across five innings as Binghamton was shut out 3-0 at Akron. Nicolas Carreno fired 3 1/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in St. Lucie's 17-13 loss at Daytona, where Randy Guzman homered twice and drove in five. Antonio Jimenez homered in Brooklyn's 15-4 loss to Greensboro. Mets Transactions New York Mets placed LF Jared Young on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 13, 2026. Left meniscus tear. New York Mets recalled LF MJ Melendez from Syracuse Mets. Morabito Homers In Syracuse's 4-1 Loss To Scranton/Wilkes-Barre The Syracuse Mets fell 4-1 to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Wednesday. Nick Morabito provided the only run for Syracuse with a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the eighth inning, his third of the season. Syracuse managed just five hits in the game, stranding 15 runners on base. Ryan Clifford, Cristian Pache, Yonny Hernández, and Vidal Bruján each collected one hit. Syracuse drew three walks but struck out 10 times as a team and could not string together a rally. The RailRiders opened the scoring with a run in the first inning, added a solo home run in the second, and tacked on another run in the seventh before Morabito's eighth-inning homer cut the deficit to 3-1. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre added an unearned run in the ninth on a Ryan Clifford fielding error. Christian Scott took the loss after starting the game and going 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Scott surrendered one solo home run but was otherwise efficient, throwing 82 pitches. Alex Carrillo followed with 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two. Ryan Lambert tossed a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts, and Joe Jacques pitched the ninth. Syracuse Mets Batting AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito CF 4 1 1 1 0 1 Ryan Clifford 1B 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ronny Mauricio 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 Jose Rojas 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0 Cristian Pache RF 3 0 1 0 0 1 Christian Arroyo DH 1 0 0 0 1 1 Yonny Hernández DH 2 0 1 0 0 1 Vidal Bruján SS 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ji Hwan Bae LF 2 0 0 0 2 1 Hayden Senger C 3 0 0 0 0 2 Jackson Cluff 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 30 1 5 1 3 10 Syracuse Mets Pitching IP H R ER BB K HR Christian Scott 5 1/3 2 2 2 1 5 1 Alex Carrillo 1 2/3 2 1 1 0 2 0 Ryan Lambert 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Joe Jacques 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 Totals 9 5 4 3 2 10 1 Thornton Fans Six But Binghamton Shut Out 3-0 At Akron The Binghamton Rumble Ponies were shut out 3-0 by the Akron RubberDucks in a seven-inning contest. Binghamton managed just one hit on the day, a single from Kevin Parada, and drew six walks but could not push a run across. A.J. Ewing, Marco Vargas, Jacob Reimer, Chris Suero, JT Schwartz, and Wyatt Young each reached base but were stranded. The Rumble Ponies struck out 10 times and left six runners on base. Binghamton had opportunities with runners on throughout the game, but could not come up with a timely hit. Akron broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring two runs on a fielder's choice and a force-out ground ball, then added another run to take a 3-0 lead heading into the seventh. Zach Thornton took the loss after starting the game and going five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Thornton was efficient on 78 pitches and kept Akron off the scoreboard until the sixth inning, when he gave up the two runs that broke the tie. Ben Simon followed with one inning of relief, allowing one run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout on 31 pitches. As a team, the Binghamton pitching staff allowed three runs on six hits across six innings of work. Binghamton Rumble Ponies Batting AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing CF 2 0 0 0 1 1 Marco Vargas SS 2 0 0 0 1 1 Jacob Reimer 3B 2 0 0 0 1 0 Chris Suero 1B 1 0 0 0 2 1 Eli Serrano III RF 3 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Parada C 3 0 1 0 0 1 JT Schwartz DH 2 0 0 0 1 1 Matt Rudick LF 3 0 0 0 0 3 Wyatt Young 2B 3 0 0 0 0 2 Totals 21 0 1 0 6 10 Binghamton Rumble Ponies Pitching IP H R ER BB K HR Zach Thornton 5 5 2 2 2 6 0 Ben Simon 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 Totals 6 6 3 2 3 7 0 Jimenez Homers In Brooklyn's 15-4 Loss To Greensboro The Brooklyn Cyclones were thumped 15-4 by the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Antonio Jimenez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, his first of the season, to cut the deficit to 3-2. Vincent Perozo led Brooklyn with three hits in five at-bats and an RBI. Corey Collins added a double and two walks, while John Bay and Daiverson Gutierrez each went 1-for-3 with two times reaching base. Ronald Hernandez had an RBI single, and Colin Houck drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Brooklyn collected 10 hits and drew seven walks, but left 13 runners on base as a team. Greensboro broke the game open with eight runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a grand slam, and added four more runs in the eighth. Channing Austin took the loss after starting the game and going 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Austin gave up a two-run home run in the third inning. Cristofer Gomez followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and one walk. Tanner Witt allowed six runs in 1/3 of an inning during Greensboro's nine-run sixth, with a grand slam doing the bulk of the damage. Juan Arnaud, Gregori Louis, Danis Correa, and Trace Willhoite combined to finish out the game on the mound. Brooklyn Cyclones Batting AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 2B 5 0 0 0 0 3 Antonio Jimenez SS 5 1 1 1 0 1 Daiverson Gutierrez DH 3 1 1 0 2 0 Corey Collins 1B 3 1 1 0 2 0 Ronald Hernandez C 4 0 1 1 1 0 John Bay RF 3 1 1 0 1 1 Colin Houck 3B 4 0 1 1 0 3 Vincent Perozo LF 5 0 3 1 0 0 Kevin Villavicencio CF 3 0 1 0 1 0 Totals 35 4 10 4 7 8 Brooklyn Cyclones Pitching IP H R ER BB K HR Channing Austin 3 1/3 3 3 2 4 3 1 Cristofer Gomez 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Tanner Witt 1/3 3 6 5 2 1 0 Juan Arnaud 2/3 2 2 2 1 1 1 Gregori Louis 1 1/3 4 3 3 0 1 0 Danis Correa 2/3 3 1 1 0 1 0 Trace Willhoite 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 9 15 15 13 8 9 2 Guzman's Two-Homer Night Wasted In St. Lucie's 17-13 Loss At Daytona The St. Lucie Mets blew a 7-0 lead and lost 17-13 at the Daytona Tortugas in a slugfest. Randy Guzman led the offense with a huge night, going 3-for-5 with two home runs, a triple, three runs scored, and five RBI. Guzman hit a two-run homer in the first inning and another two-run homer in the ninth. Branny De Oleo added three RBI with a two-run double in the fourth, going 2-for-5 on the night. JT Benson knocked in two with a double in the ninth, walked twice, and scored a run. AJ Salgado, Sam Robertson, Simon Juan, and Elian Peña each collected a hit, with Peña adding a double and a stolen base. Sam Robertson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. St. Lucie built leads of 7-0 and 8-5 before the bullpen unraveled in the sixth and seventh innings, allowing 12 runs across those two frames. Nicolas Carreno got the start and was dominant in his brief outing, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings on 54 pitches, allowing one hit with one walk and seven strikeouts. Tyler McLoughlin followed five runs over 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. Omar Victorino took the loss after allowing nine runs on five hits with three walks in one inning of work. Elwis Mijares, Jorge De Leon, and Joe Scarborough combined for the final three innings of relief. St. Lucie Mets Batting AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña SS 4 2 1 0 1 2 Sam Robertson 2B 4 2 2 1 1 0 Randy Guzman 1B 5 3 3 5 0 0 Julio Zayas DH 5 0 0 0 0 1 AJ Salgado RF 4 1 1 1 0 2 Simon Juan CF 4 2 1 0 0 2 JT Benson LF 3 1 1 2 2 0 Chase Meggers C 1 1 0 0 0 0 Francisco Toledo C 2 1 0 0 1 0 Branny De Oleo 3B 5 0 2 3 0 0 Totals 37 13 11 12 5 7 St. Lucie Mets Pitching IP H R ER BB K HR Nicolas Carreno 3 1/3 1 0 0 1 7 0 Tyler McLoughlin 1 2/3 5 5 5 0 3 1 Omar Victorino 1 5 9 9 3 1 0 Elwis Mijares 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 Jorge De Leon 2/3 1 2 2 3 1 0 Joe Scarborough 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 8 14 17 16 7 13 1 View the full article

It looks pretty innocuous. Garrett Acton isn't notably big or small. He doesn't have a funky arm angle or a complicated delivery. He just kicks and delivers, and it's not like his fastball hums in at 100 miles per hour. On the contrary, in his two appearances with the Twins so far this season, he's averaging just 94 MPH with the fastball. He's only thrown fastballs and sliders, so far. It's not an elaborate or an overwhelming operation. That's probably why Acton has always been below the prospect radar. He was a 35th-round pick by the White Sox in 2016, coming out of a high school in Chicago's southwest suburbs. Instead of signing, though, he went to junior college at Parkland College in Champaign, Ill. From there, he moved on to Saint Louis University and the University of Illinois-Champaign, but he went undrafted in 2019, and again in the COVID-shortened 2020 event. He signed as an amateur free agent, with the Athletics. He stuck with the Oakland organization for almost three years, even making a brief debut in 2023, but he then became a 40-man roster casualty. He wasn't claimed on waivers at the time, and didn't find a new home until signing with the Rays that December. He underwent Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2024. Last year, he pitched just well enough at Triple-A Durham to earn one appearance with a forgettable Rays team. He didn't morph into a relief ace, or anything. Somewhere in there, though, he became an in-demand asset. The Rockies claimed him on waivers in November, and the Marlins plucked him from Colorado the same way in early February. If you're hearing the words 'Rockies', 'Marlins' and 'waivers' and thinking this guy doesn't sound all that in-demand, you're not entirely wrong, but remember: waiver priority is determined by team quality. He did end up on the waiver wire repeatedly, even though he was passing through the hands of some bad teams, but then again, he got claimed by bad teams who had good spots in the line for such players. The Twins became the third team to scoop him up, this time via a trade, at the beginning of this month. It was a minor move, for a minor arm, but it could end up making a more significant impact than you'd guess. There's a reason why Acton has become a buzzier name lately: his stuff is sneakily good. In the image above, the distributions on the left show that all four pitches Acton throws (though he hasn't yet shown his splitter or curveball in the bigs) are above-average. His fastball-slider combination, in particular, rates well on Baseball Prospectus's StuffPro model. Why? Look at how high that heater rides, on the right. It sets up the tight slider gorgeously, and vice-versa. Again, Acton's delivery is unremarkable—but that's to his advantage. The way the ball spins and carries out of his hand is unexpected, to the batter. Taj Bradley (to choose a familiar name, especially at the moment) gets lots of carry on his heater, but he does it with a very high arm slot, so hitters expect a bit more of that movement. When a pitcher's vertical movement doesn't quite match their slot, though, it creates more deception. ZFh2d2pfWGw0TUFRPT1fQVFSVVVWd0dYZ0VBWEZvTFVBQUhBMVVEQUZoVVVsa0FCbElFQXdvQkJsWUFBZ05V.mp4 Stereotypically, fastballs with that extra vertical hop achieve swings and misses at the top of the zone, as in the pitch above. It's less obvious, but this extra carry also helps at the bottom of the zone, when a pitcher locates and sequences well. It can earn you called strikes, because a hitter expects the pitch to dip low, only to see it hold on for a strike on what should have been a hittable pitch. ZFh2d2pfWGw0TUFRPT1fQkFFQ1YxeFJWbFFBRGdGVFZRQUhDUWRWQUFNQld3VUFCd1FNQUFBRVZBWlVBRkJm.mp4 For those reasons, this is a trait the Twins hunt. Bradley's rising heater appealed to them, but so do pitches with much less raw movement, like the heaters of Mick Abel, Bailey Ober and Eric Orze. Plot pitchers by arm angle and vertical movement, and you can see how unusual the movement some of those hurlers achieve really is, based on how they throw. Unlike Ober, Orze or Abel, though, Acton's fastball does something else: cut more than expected based on the arm angle, too. That cut-ride action is a shape the Twins like, and a very rare one. Most pitchers whose arm slots are low enough to allow for unexpected vertical ride have a hard time achieving that while still getting around or behind the ball enough to give it relative cut. Not Acton. In this chart, the lower a pitcher's point appears, the less arm-side movement their heater has. That characteristic is especially valuable for setting up the slider. Because the batter will struggle to distinguish the two pitches from one another out of the hand, he can miss bats with the slider even when he misses his spot with it—but it's especially devastating when well-located, moving out of the same tunnel as the fastball. ZU53T0FfWGw0TUFRPT1fQUFnRVhWZFJYMVFBWFZSV1ZnQUhWQTVYQUFNRFZBY0FCRklGQmxGVEFBSlJCQWNB.mp4 This is plus stuff. Acton didn't suddenly show up with it this spring, either. In his longish career in Triple-A, he struck out over 28% of opposing batters. The reason it's taken him until age 27 to find any lasting foothold in the big leagues is exactly the one you'd guess, given everything we've discussed so far: he struggles to throw strikes. Acton has walked roughly 10% of the batters he's seen in Triple-A. That humming fastball often rises above the zone, and his command of the slider isn't great. To be a useful big-league reliever, he has to find the zone more consistently. He might be en route to making that crucial adjustment, though. Last year, he had a bit more of a high front side, slightly increasing deception but taking some stability out of his delivery. eUxNeHdfVjBZQUhRPT1fQUFCVVZ3SUVVZ3NBRFZjRVZnQUhCVmRYQUZoVVVWQUFVMVlIVWdVR0JWY0VDQU1D.mp4 This season, he's quieted that down. A simpler delivery might beget just enough more control to allow Acton to turn the corner and establish himself as a good reliever—and if he does, for this Twins team, he'll simultaneously establish himself as a solid setup man, or more. He's one of the highest-upside arms in a bullpen with a lot of journeymen but few who still have his ability to generate whiffs. Acton has minor-league options remaining, so he doesn't have to depart the organization if the team needs his roster spot. He might have to ride the Green Line a time or two this year, but he's showing enough to make it relatively likely that he sticks with the Twins organization for a while. He might even emerge as an important cog in a pen the team will count on to keep them from collapsing into non-competitiveness as the season wears on. View the full article

Edward Cabrera has been superb as a bright spot in an otherwise injury-riddled rotation. What is the science behind his 1-0 start with a mid-1s ERA? Today, we dive into his electric changeup, high whiff, and chase rate, and how he can keep this momentum going as the 2026 season progresses. Enjoy! View the full article

Brandon Sproat has had a start to forget. The 25-year-old has an earned run average north of 10 and an 0-1 record in his short time as a member of the MIlwaukee Brewers so far. Today, we'll dive into why Sproat is struggling and what the key return piece in the Freddy Peralta trade needs to do to excel in 2026. View the full article

Jack Anderson is set to make his MLB debut after a solid showing in Worcester this season. Red Sox plucked him from the Tigers in the 2024 Rule 5 draft. Anderson has been working as a starter since joining the Red Sox; however, he has relief experience from the Tigers organization. Let's take a dive into his expected role for the big league club. View the full article

Fish On First LIVE discusses the curious case of Connor Norby, who has generally been great at the plate for the Marlins, but not against left-handed pitching.View the full article

It's been a brutal start for the Kansas City Royals offensively this season. Going into Wednesday's game, they ranked 25th in home runs, 26th in batting average, 27th in OPS, and 28th in runs scored. That's not encouraging for a team that has aspirations to return to the postseason after missing out in 2025. There have been many hitters who have struggled for the Royals through 18 games, but no Royals player has been as bad as Vinnie Pasquantino, who is hitting .138 with a .391 OPS in 76 plate appearances. Not only has Vinnie struggled with his results in his traditional metrics, but his Statcast percentiles, especially in the exit velocities and hard-hit categories, have been particularly poor to begin the season as well That is evident in his TJ Stats Statcast summary below. Now, to be optimistic with Pasquantino, he also had similar struggles out of the gate in 2025. In 2025, he hit .177 and posted a 49 wRC+ in April. In 2024, he hit .208 with a 96 wRC+. Thus, starting slow isn't exactly unfamiliar territory for the 28-year-old Royals first baseman. However, even by his slow-start standards, this season has been especially bad, and he has seen a discouraging trend in his starts to the season over the past few years, particularly in his first 73 to 76 plate appearances. I Tweeted about this after the Royals' loss on Tuesday. It's one thing to start slow. It's another thing to be 56 points worse in wRC+ than a year ago, and 135 points worse than two seasons ago. Something has to be particularly off for a player to experience that kind of drop-off on the offensive end, barring an injury. Looking at his metrics on Baseball Savant, it seems Pasquantino's bat speed may be the culprit behind his struggles (though the reason for that decline is a trickier question to answer). A Sharp Decline in Vinnie's Bat Speed in 2026 Bat speed can be an important data point when evaluating hitters and their successes and/or struggles at certain points of the season. Often, good bat speed can lead to better outcomes, especially in power. MLB Tonight talked about the importance of bat speed for hitters in a segment a couple of seasons ago, which can be seen below. When it comes to Royals hitters and bat speed, below is a table of current Kansas City players, organized by bat speed. It also includes other important metrics such as hard-swing%, squared-up%, swing length, and batter run value.. When it comes to bat speed, Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen rank at the top of the list for the Royals with average bat speeds of 76 MPH and 74.8 MPH, respectively. That said, the bat speed has produced mixed results for both. Jac and Carter have squared-up rates of 31.7% and 25%, and batter-run values of -3.4 and -1.3. At the bottom of the list is Pasquantino, who has an average bat speed of 69.3 MPH this season. His squared-up rate is decent at 30.2%. However, -8.7 batter-run value is the worst mark of Royals hitters so far this year. The bat speed in 2026 is atypical for Vinnie. In 2024, his average bat speed was 71.7 MPH. Last year, it was 72.5 MPH. Thus, he's seen a 3.2 MPH decrease this year, and the drop has been very uncharacteristic of his hitting profile, as illustrated by his rolling bat speed chart below, via Savant. Pasquantino did have an increase in bat speed from 2024 to 2025, with the biggest gains being at the start of the season. That said, the increase in bat speed seemed to have counterintuitive results, as illustrated in his sub-50 wRC+ in the first month of play. Vinnie's bat speed and pull-heavy approach, which were a detriment at the beginning of the year, were discussed in a 2025 Pitcher List piece by Nate Schwartz. Here's a quote that talked about those bat-speed and pull issues and how he turned things around when he became more "natural" in his hitting approach. After a massive spike in bat speed at the beginning of the year, Vinnie settled in, and his bat speed produced similar MPH trends to what he did in 2024. As a result of this stabilization in bat speed, Pasquantino hit 32 home runs and posted a .798 OPS in 682 plate appearances, his best season yet at the MLB level. So far this year, it's not a spike in bat speed that's plaguing his hitting at the plate. Rather, it's a massive decline in bat speed. According to his rolling bat speed chart, his average bat speed has hovered below league average for most of the season thus far, sans a small stretch in his first 20 competitive swings of the year. While the squared-up rate hasn't been too strongly affected, the hard-hit rate has been a different story. In 77 plate appearances, Pasquantino is producing a 33.3% hard-hit rate. That ranks him in the 14th percentile this year. Furthermore, when looking at his rolling hard-hit% chart on Savant, Vinnie has had some spikes in hard-hit rate. However, he's had considerable stretches where he's hovering between the 25-30% mark, as illustrated below. For context, let's look at Pasquantino's rolling hard-hit% over his career and see what kind of peaks and valleys he's sported since debuting with the Royals in 2022. Pasquantino has had some considerable drops in hard-hit rate before, so this isn't as dramatically new as the drop in bat speed. From the end of 2023 to the start of 2024, he had a hard-hit rate that hovered between the 20th and 30th percentiles for a 100 batted-ball stretch. That said, he was coming off an injury-shortened season in 2023, so the hard-hit rate struggles in 2024 were probably linked closely to that. Without a major injury in 2025 or this spring, what's the excuse for the drop in hard-hit rate as well as bat speed this time around? What Causes a Decrease In Bat Speed? To get a better sense of what causes declines in bat speed, I decided to do what any curious millennial baseball fan with a laptop computer would do: I Googled it. This is the answer that I got when I asked Google, "What contributes to a decline in bat speed in baseball?" When looking at Google's solutions, I felt two of the suggestions could be easily eliminated: Improper equipment and physical factors. Regarding improper equipment, I guess we don't know for sure, but I don't believe Vinnie has started using a different size or type of bat. When it comes to physical factors, we're only 18 games into the 2026 season. If he's tired and fatigued now, I would have serious concerns about his conditioning and, honestly, general health. Thus, there could be three issues contributing to Pasquantino's decline in bat speed: mechanical factors, external conditions, and/or mental approach. In terms of the mechanics, I did take two clips of Vinnie's for comparison: one on a ground out from this year and one on a field out from last year, both coming on pitches thrown low and away. Vinnie-2025 and 2026.mp4 Both pitches are balls with movement, but there definitely seems to be less balance, and the sequencing seems a lot more off in his 2026 swing than his 2025 one. It's a small sample of swings, but it shows that there could be something mechanical going on with Vinnie's hands and torso that's preventing him from maximizing his bat speed. In terms of the external factors, the Royals have played some cold-weather games in cold-weather cities to begin the year, with trips to Cleveland and Detroit being the primary ones. It was a bit of the same story last year with similar trips, so the struggles could be related to Vinnie's body not feeling fully loose in such frigid climates (though that wouldn't explain his stronger starts in 2023 and 2024). Regarding pitch location, Vinnie has been challenged, but his results chart shows he's getting pitches thrown in hittable areas of the zone. He's just not doing anything with them, as illustrated below in his pitch result chart via Savant. Thus, that leaves the last factor: mental. Honestly, I do think that so much of what is ailing Vinnie at the plate. He's a reflective player who is constantly thinking about the game and his approach. However, sometimes in sports, especially in baseball, it can be "paralysis by analysis". That feels like the case with Pasquantino through 18 games. He's thinking too much, maybe focusing on what he should be looking for and what he should be avoiding, and it's messing with his approach. When looking at his TJ Stats Statcast summary from a year ago, the plate discipline and approach numbers aren't all that different. Rather, the big difference for Pasquantino from 2025 and this season is his batted-ball profile and strikeout rate. We know about the declines in exit velocity, barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and LA Sweet-Spot%. However, his K% in 2025 was 15.8%, which ranked in the 87th percentile. His K% this year? It's 23.3%, which ranks in the 40th percentile. That's a 47-spot drop and a 7.5% increase in strikeouts. For a hitter who is known for his contact ability, the increase in strikeouts is concerning. It may not be due to his actual skills, but rather his mental approach, as he seems to be pressing in two-strike counts. His win probability numbers show that problem as well. Through 18 games, he has -0.82 WPA, -0.60 WPA/LI, and -0.12 clutch. Being negative in those categories shows that Vinnie is struggling in key spots. With the skills, especially plate discipline, not being as different from his 2025 metrics, it may be what's going on in between the ears (i.e., confidence) that's contributing to his bat speed, rather than a physical or mechanical ailment. What to Think About Vinnie Going Forward? To be honest, I am concerned about Vinnie. A slow start from him isn't surprising, and he bounced back fine from a slow start in 2025. That said, he's a year older. He doesn't exactly have a frame that ages well. And while he is a leader in the clubhouse, I could also see being a player who puts a lot of pressure on himself, especially if he's not performing. I think Pasquantino will get to a better form sometime soon. The batted-ball metrics will follow with an increase in bat speed, which I think will happen sooner rather than later, especially once Pasquantino gets on a hitting streak. It seemed like Vinnie took a step in the right direction in Wednesday's loss, with a triple that he launched 100 MPH with a bat speed of 82.5 MPH. His last swing of Wednesday's game showed what Vinnie is capable of when things are clicking at the plate for him: good exit velocity, good launch angle, good bat speed, and some extra bases to show for it. The main question is now this: Can he string these kinds of swings together on a regular basis, especially in regard to bat speed? That is a tough question, especially since we don't have any idea of what his mindset is right now, with him mired in this slump. According to Fangraphs, ZiPS is projecting Vinnie to hit 22 home runs and post a 108 wRC+ in 495 remaining plate appearances. While that would be down from his 32-HR mark in 2025, it would be welcomed by Royals fans, especially considering the offense's struggles as a team. Pasquantino has the ability to reach that ZiPS ROS projection. However, he needs to start showing results sooner rather than later. A home run in the series finale against Detroit would help Royals fans feel encouraged about Vinnie's outlook for the remainder of the season. View the full article

Last season, Isaac Collins was an average fielder with 0 fielding run value (FRV) and grading in the 56th percentile. This season, Collins already sits at -3 FRV and is at the bottom of the rankings. What has changed? Below is a chart showing Collins’s percentile ranks in key defensive metrics: range, sprint speed, arm strength (not yet qualified in 2026), and arm value. While Collins’s sprint speed has actually increased since last year, rising from 27.7 to 28.3 feet per second, his range has dropped significantly. Last season, Collins was worth +4 outs above average (OAA). This season, however, he is already at -3 OAA. This decline in range is the primary driver of his drop in FRV. When breaking down his range, Collins has had a particularly difficult time when he has to move laterally towards the third-base side, where all of his negative OAA has come from. In his nine attempts moving that direction laterally, he has seen a success rate of only 44% compared to an estimated rate of 77%. Collins did have back/left side tightness that delayed his start to spring training, which may be contributing to these lateral movement issues. What’s Driving the Decline? In terms of positioning, Collins has not been used out of the ordinary. According to Statcast, all 30 of Collins’s fielding attempts have been classified as “straight up” rather than being positioned toward the gap or foul line. However, his positioning has been shallower in left field with the Royals compared to his time in Milwaukee. The view below highlights his average position with the Royals in red, and his previous two years with the Royals in green. Collins had an average depth of 289 feet in 2026 with the Royals, compared to an average depth of 306 feet last season with the Brewers. Even after moving in the fences, Kauffman Stadium has a deeper left-center field (379 ft) than American Family Field in Milwaukee (371 ft). Despite him playing shallower, he is performing as expected in four attempts, going back with a success rate of 75% versus an estimated success rate of 74%. If his positioning is not noticeably contributing to his value, where else could the problem be? Jump and Route Efficiency In 2026, Isaac Collins ranks 33rd out of 46 qualified outfielders in overall jump. His initial reaction is good, ranking third with 3.5 feet covered above average in the first 1.5 seconds. His burst is closer to average, with 0.3 feet covered above MLB average in the 1.5-second burst after the initial reaction. The issue lies with his routes. Collins ranks last in route with 4.8 fewer feet covered against the direct, optimal path, over a foot worse than the second-worst outfielder. Even though his reaction and burst times are good, his inefficient routes to the ball make him below average for overall outfield jump, with 0.9 fewer feet covered than average. Considering that he is starting on average 17 feet closer to the infield for his positioning, he may need time to adjust his routes to fit his new starting position. Though his inefficient routes are not new for Collins. In 2025, he ranked 92nd out of 93 qualified outfielders in route efficiency. While his 2025 mark was not great, he was only 2.1 feet less than average last season, much less severe than his current mark. His reaction and burst distances were also slightly better in 2025 to help offset his poor route efficiency. His reaction was 4 feet above average, and his burst was 1.4 feet above average. Lack of Conversions on Difficult Plays Finally, Collins has yet to record a “2+ Star” out (balls with a catch probability of 90% or lower) in 2026 in nine attempts. In 2025, Collins was able to record outs on 51.9% of difficult catches to add meaningful value in Milwaukee’s outfield. While Collins is able to catch the more probable opportunities, he has yet to make an impact in Kansas City in stopping the more difficult fly balls. Potential Health Concerns It is also worth noting that Collins fought a variety of injuries this offseason. He received “platelet-rich plasma injections in both of his knees” in the offseason to address tendinitis in his knees. Add that to his tightness from spring training, Collins has a variety of potentially nagging issues that could impact his fielding, despite his increased sprint speed so far. While there has not been a recent report addressing any health concerns, it is worth considering if these injuries have carried into the regular season. Conclusion There is a lot of time left in the season for Collins to turn the corner for his fielding run value. Getting more reps will help him continue to gain familiarity with the spacious Kauffman Stadium outfield. If he can improve his range, particularly in his route efficiency and lateral movement, his defensive value will improve, and Royals pitchers will be grateful. View the full article

In the Brewers' first two games without an injured Christian Yelich, Pat Murphy has hit Sal Frelick in the leadoff spot. The change was partially due to a lineup shakeup in Yelich's absence—Brice Turang has moved from leadoff to the 3-hole—but it was also to spark a pressing Frelick's offense. The 25-year-old is hitting just .179/.303/.268 in 67 plate appearances to start the season. "I think what happens is a kid like him that wants it so badly, he gets going, and he's going to try and make it happen right now," Murphy said. "He doesn't look to have a perspective, in a way, of what's going on. That's why I put him leadoff [Tuesday night]." Frelick is much closer to last year's form than his results indicate. After overperforming his peripherals in his breakout season, it's been the opposite to begin his follow-up campaign. His expected production is essentially identical, mainly because he's chasing less and drawing more walks to begin 2026. {C}%3C!%2D%2Dtd%20%7Bborder%3A%201px%20solid%20%23cccccc%3B%7Dbr%20%7Bmso-data-placement%3Asame-cell%3B%7D%2D%2D%3E--> Season wRC+ DRC+ wOBA xwOBA Chase% xwOBAcon 2025 114 101 .332 .299 26.3% .305 2026 71 103 .276 .307 20.9% .290 His abnormally low batting average on balls in play (.209, down from .308 for his career before this) is destined to improve, especially for a hitter like Frelick, who hits plenty of grounders and line drives and can leg out infield hits with his speed. He did see some luck swing his way on Wednesday night as part of the Brewers' comeback win to snap their six-game losing streak. In the eighth inning, Frelick bounced a soft ground ball in front of the plate, where it landed on the dampened dirt from heavy rainfall leaking through American Family Field's roof. He reached when Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela could not pick up the ball cleanly, ultimately coming around to score the winning run. "He's had some unlucky things go wrong when he's hitting the ball well," starter Chad Patrick said after the game. "Sometimes the baseball gods give you rewards." It hasn't all been bad luck, though. Frelick isn't quite himself right now, in a small but meaningful way. His expected wOBA on contact is down 15 points, which means he's hitting fewer balls in ways that typically produce hits. Murphy believes "wanting it so badly" is the cause. "I think he's the first to try to do too much," Murphy said. "He cares so much. He's so passionate about competing and winning. One of the best I've been around. When it's not going your way, it's hard to be relaxed about it for a kid like him, and he's got to learn to just kind of do a little less, be a little more precise." The biggest difference has been that the baseball is getting on Frelick quicker than when he's been at his best. He's consistently late on the ball. On average, he's making contact about three inches deeper into his hitting zone (the purple dot in the graphic below) than last year (the white dot). Because he's late, Frelick is catching more balls as his bat head is still coming down through the zone, producing more ground balls. Compared to last year, his average attack angle (the vertical angle of the bat relative to the ground at point of contact) has decreased from 9° to 5°, and his ground ball rate has increased from 45.4% to 50.1%. It's not necessarily that Frelick is picking up the ball late, Murphy said, but that his load, which begins with a leg kick, has become exaggerated from trying to do too much. That makes it harder for his swing to be on time. "Think about it. The bigger the move, the bigger the get-ready, the less time you have," Murphy said. "So you have to usually time that up way earlier, if you're going to have a bigger move or a bigger get-ready. He's got some things he has to work through." The good news is that, metrically, Frelick's swing path is effectively the same as last year. As is typically the case for most hitters, the wide chasm between success and failure comes down to milliseconds of timing. "The swings don't change that much," Murphy said. "Even [Joey Ortiz], if he gets straightened out, the swing's going to look similar. It's the decision, and it's the timing of it all—because hitting is so much timing—that's going to change. You'll see that, like, 'Wow, he's on it. Wow, he's on time. Wow, he looks like a different hitter.' But when you break down the swing, it won't be that different. There might be a little angular shift, or there might be a little bit of grip difference. There might be a little bit of freedom in the swing that you don't see." He moved Frelick to the top of the order in part to bring him back to his roots. A leadoff man's job is not to produce power or drive in runners, but to get on base. "That little reminder, that's how he works," Murphy said. "When he's batting seventh sometimes, it's kind of, 'Do they want me to get on base?' It's kind of like, what does it call for? For him to know, you have to tell him." Because his quality of contact did not fully support his results last season, it's probably safer to expect Frelick to be closer to a league-average hitter than the well-above-average bat he was a year ago. Coupled with his speed and defense, that's still a very productive player. Murphy expects him to round into form. "One of the greatest attributes of this guy is he's a winning player," he said, "and winning players know what's needed." View the full article