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New York Mets Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 3-3 Runs Scored Last Week: 21 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 21 Standings: 5th in NL East (15-25) 8.0 GB of 1st Place Transactions: 5/1 New York Mets activated 2B Andy Ibáñez. 5/1 New York Mets optioned 1B Eric Wagaman to Syracuse Mets. 5/3 New York Mets designated 1B Eric Wagaman for assignment. 5/3 New York Mets placed SS Ronny Mauricio on the 10-day injured list. Left thumb fracture. 5/3 New York Mets sent RHP Carl Edwards Jr. outright to Syracuse Mets. 5/3 New York Mets selected the contract of 3B Vidal Bruján from Syracuse Mets. 5/10 New York Mets sent 1B Eric Wagaman outright to Syracuse Mets. 5/10 New York Mets activated RHP Joey Gerber from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Syracuse Mets. Scores: Game 34 (5/4): NYM 4, COL 2 Game 35 (5/6): NYM 10, COL 5 Game 36 (5/7): NYM 2, COL 6 Game 37 (5/8): NYM 3, ARI 1 (10) Game 38 (5/9): NYM 1, ARI 2 Game 39 (5/10): NYM 1, ARI 5 Series Breakdown/Highlights Rockies Series: Coming off of a series win against the Angels, the Mets rolled into Coors Field with the vibes as high as the altitude for the first time in a long time. In game one, the Mets used the opener method to get to David Peterson, and it worked. They scored four runs in the outing, the big blow being a two-run single by Mark Vientos in the sixth inning, proving to be the difference in the game. In his four innings out of the bullpen, Peterson surrendered just two earned runs, on back-to-back-to-back two-out hits in the seventh inning. Devin Williams slammed the door in the ninth inning. In game two, the Mets bats woke up for the first and only time on this road trip. They scored 10 runs, with the biggest blow arguably not coming till the ninth inning two-run blast off the bat of Marcus Semien. Freddy Peralta went five scoreless innings as the Mets held a 8-0 lead with him on the mound. The Mets bullpen proceeded to give up five runs, and load the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, getting closer Devin Williams in the game for the second time this series. He was able to slam the door for a series win. In game three, the Mets jumped out to an early 2-0 lead looking for the sweep. It was not meant to be, though, as the Rockies came back and tied the game, and against Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning, Jake McCarthy hit a grand slam, though it might have been a foul ball and the MLB replay room did not overturn the call. The Mets did not score in the ninth and dropped the series finale. Diamondbacks Series: The Mets next went to Arizona looking to cap their roadtrip off on a high note. Nolan McLean shut down the D-Backs offense over six innings giving up only one run. The Mets offense was likewise shut down by Ryne Nelson, scoring just one run against him in 6.2 innings of work. The sides took the 1-1 tie to extras where back-to-back doubles by the Mets gave them two runs and a lead. A dominant bottom of the tenth by Tobias Myers gave the Mets a series-opening win. In the second game of the series, the Mets offense mustered up just one run, coming in the second inning on a Brett Baty RBI double. The Mets did not have a baserunner after the fifth inning as Merrill Kelly shut them down completely. Clay Holmes gave up two runs over 5.2 innings, but that was too much for the Mets offense to overcome, as they lost 2-1. In the rubber match, Huascar Brazoban was the opener for Peterson. Remember in the Rockies series where that strategy worked? Not so much against the D-Backs, as rookie Ryan Waldschmidt recorded his first career double off Tobias Myers, scoring the inherited runners. The Mets got a run back in the sixth on an RBI double by Luis Torrens, their only run of the game. An RBI single and two-run triple off Peterson for the D-Backs made it 5-1 and that would be your final scpre as the Mets dropped the series, plunging back to MLB’s worst record. Website Highlights Devin Williams’ Changeup Is Not As Effective As It Once Was, Resulting in Unfamiliar Numbers Vote For Your Top Mets Prospects! Sean Manaea Might Be Salvageable, If Mets Can Live With Being Boring Looking Ahead May 11th: OFF May 12th: vs. DET (7:10pm) May 13th: vs. DET (7:10pm) May 14th: vs. DET (1:10pm) May 15th: vs. NYY (7:15pm) May 16th: vs. NYY (7:15pm) May 17th: vs. NYY (1:40pm) View the full article

Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 4-2 Runs Scored Last Week: 26 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 19 Standings: 5th in AL East 9.5 GB First Place Transactions: 05/06/26: Red Sox optioned LHP Alec Gamboa to Worcester Red Sox. 05/06/26: Red Sox activated RHP Sonny Gray from the 15-day injured listed. 05/06/26: Red Sox sent RHP Justin Slaten on a rehab assignment to Worcester Red Sox. 05/07/26: Red Sox recalled C Mickey Gasper from Worcester Red Sox. 05/07/26: Red Sox signed free agent RHP Raymond Burgos to a minor league contract. 05/07/26: Red Sox placed LF Roman Anthony on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 5, 2026. Right wrist sprain. 05/08/26: Red Sox recalled RHP Jack Anderson from Worcester Red Sox. 05/08/26: Red Sox optioned LHP Jake Bennett to Worcester Red Sox. 05/09.26: Red Sox optioned RHP Jack Anderson to Worcester Red Sox. 05/09/26: Red Sox activated RHP Justin Slaten from the 15-day injured list. 05/09/26: Red Sox signed free agent RHP Leonel Figuera to a minor league contract. 05/09/26: Red Sox signed free agent RHP Juan Verdus to a minor league contract. Scores: Game 34 (05/04): BOS 5, DET 4 Game 35 (05/05): BOS 10, DET 3 Game 36 (05/06): BOS 4, DET 0 Game 37 (05/07): BOS 4, TB 8 Game 38 (05/08): BOS 2, TB 0 Game 39 (05/10): BOS 1, TB 4 Series Breakdown/Highlights Tigers Series: The beginning of the week saw three straight games of the best baseball the Red Sox have played all season. Granted, they lucked out by two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal going on the injured list before game one, but they took advantage of a gifted situation and won a game that shouldn’t have been a one-run victory. Garrett Whitlock allowed two runs in the eighth inning to give everyone a bit of an uneasy feeling, but Payton Tolle was able to lock up his first major-league win after pitching through a torrential downpour for two innings by turning in the best start of his career. He threw seven innings of two-run baseball, neither earned, while striking out eight. Game two is where we saw the fireworks, in more ways than one. The Red Sox have always had a propensity for picking up pitcher tells and pitch grips when they are on second and Tuesday was no exception. The Red Sox tagged starter Framber Valdez for seven earned runs, four of those being home runs. Valdez gave up back-to-back moonshots to Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, then promptly threw at Trevor Story. Benches cleared, Valdez was ejected, and the Red Sox kept rolling. Overshadowed by the offense was just how good Brayan Bello was coming in after an opener for game two. He tossed seven innings with seven strikeouts, one walk, and one earned run. The finale of the series saw Sonny Gray return from the injured list and pitched decently against the Tigers. The team secured their first series sweep of the season against a team that is penciled in to win their division, even if their ace wasn’t able to pitch during it. Rays Series: We had our first reschedule due to rain during the series against the Rays. The Saturday game will be made up on July 17. Game one saw rookie Jake Bennett get tagged for four runs, but the Red Sox fought to stay in the game. Unfortunately for them, Greg Weissert and Ryan Watson had other plans. They allowed four more Rays to score and the late game push to even things up came up short. In game two, the Sox kept the Fenway Green magic rolling by shutting out the Rays behind seven innings and eight strikeouts from Connelly Early. The rookie southpaw showed he was the correct option to take Johan Oviedo’s rotation spot at the end of spring training and is mostly trending up with each start. The reschedule gave Payton Tolle another day of rest but he couldn’t score runs on his own. He gave up three earned, but the eye test looked far better than what the line showed. Unfortunately, Willson Contreras was hit on the hand early in the game and was replaced by Andruw Monasterio. Scans on Willson’s hand came back negative, but manager Chad Tracy said he was very sore. They’ll reevaluate him on the Monday off day and move forward with that information. If there’s one player the Red Sox can’t afford to lose right now, it’s Contreras. Website Highlights Red Sox Minor League Recap: Anthony Eyanson’s Dominance Continues Despite Shaky Red Sox Affiliates by Ben Lofy Boston Red Sox Minor League Pitchers of the Month: April 2026 by Nick John Red Sox Report Cards: Grading Every Boston Pitcher for March/April by Ryan Salvaggio Justin Slaten is More Than Ready For His Return to Boston by Nick John Looking Ahead May 12: Phillies (Zack Wheeler) @ Red Sox (TBD): 6:45 PM EDT May 13: Phillies (Andrew Painter) @ Red Sox (Sonny Gray): 6:45 PM EDT May 14: Phillies (Jesus Luzardo) @ Red Sox (Ranger Suarez): 6:45 PM EDT May 15: Red Sox @ Braves: 7:15 PM EDT May 16: Red Sox @ Braves: 7:15 PM EDT May 17: Red Sox @ Braves: 1:35 PM EDT View the full article

Red Sox prospect Juan Valera had Tommy John surgery. This is a huge blow not only to the Red Sox organization but for Valera himself, as he isn't expected to return until late 2027 or 2028. Valera has been dominant in High-A ball this year; however, at only 19 years old, he should recover and have a solid career afterward. View the full article

Xzavion Curry struck out four in five innings, but Syracuse fell 8-5 to Rochester. Ryan Clifford homered, tripled, and singled in a 2-for-3 night. Eli Serrano III drove in two with a double as Binghamton dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Hartford 5-2 and 5-0. Brooklyn lost 5-4 on a walk-off despite Brady Miller's seven strikeouts. Elian Peña reached three times and Nicolas Carreno struck out seven in St. Lucie's 8-3 loss at Lakeland. Mets Transactions New York Mets activated RHP Joey Gerber from the 15-day injured list. New York Mets optioned RHP Joey Gerber to Syracuse Mets. New York Mets sent 1B Eric Wagaman outright to Syracuse Mets. Syracuse Drops 8-5 Decision To Rochester Despite Three Home Runs The Syracuse Mets fell 8-5 to the Rochester Red Wings, dropping the contest despite home runs from Jackson Cluff, Ryan Clifford, and Cristian Pache. Clifford led the offense with a 2-for-3 night that included a triple and a home run while drawing a walk and scoring twice. Cluff added two hits, two runs, and his own solo blast. Leadoff man A.J. Ewing collected two singles and an RBI, and Christian Arroyo drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Xzavion Curry worked five innings as the starter, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Both runs against him came on solo home runs that briefly gave Rochester one-run leads in the first and the fourth. The Red Wings broke open a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth against Joey Gerber. A pair of singles and an RBI double brought home three runs to push Rochester ahead 5-2. Syracuse responded in the bottom of the sixth on Arroyo's sacrifice fly that scored Clifford. Cionel Pérez surrendered another run in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk, before Pache and Ewing combined for two runs in the bottom half. Pache's solo home run and an Ewing RBI single that scored Cluff trimmed the deficit to 6-5. Rochester pushed the lead back out in the top of the ninth against Anderson Severino, who issued a walk and surrendered two RBI singles. Dylan Ross worked a scoreless inning in his lone frame with two strikeouts. Syracuse stranded five runners and committed no errors. Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 5 0 2 1 0 0 Nick Morabito 3 0 0 0 1 2 Ryan Clifford 3 2 2 1 1 1 Christian Arroyo 3 0 0 1 0 2 Yonny Hernández 4 0 0 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 4 1 1 1 0 3 Hayden Senger 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jackson Cluff 4 2 2 1 0 1 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 1 0 0 2 Ji Hwan Bae 1 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Xzavion Curry 5 5 2 2 0 4 2 Joey Gerber 1 3 3 3 1 0 0 Cionel Pérez 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 Dylan Ross 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 Anderson Severino 2/3 2 2 2 2 1 0 Alex Carrillo 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Serrano's Two-RBI Double Not Enough In Binghamton's 5-2 Loss The Binghamton Rumble Ponies fell 5-2 to the Hartford Yard Goats in the opener of a doubleheader. Leadoff man Eli Serrano III led the offense with a 1-for-4 night that included a two-RBI double. Wyatt Young added a hit, and Jose Ramos and Kevin Parada each picked up a single. Matt Rudick and Diego Mosquera reached on walks, came around to score, and combined to give Binghamton its only runs of the night. Irving Cota took the loss after working 4 2/3 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Hartford struck first with a two-run home run in the top of the second, and Binghamton answered in the bottom of the inning when Rudick and Mosquera walked, and Serrano doubled to center to bring both runners home. Hartford regained the lead in the top of the third. With the bases loaded, a hit by pitch forced in one run, and an RBI single brought home another to push the Yard Goats ahead 4-2. The visitors added an insurance run in the fifth on a solo home run that finished Cota's outing. Gabriel Rodriguez worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing no hits while striking out two and finishing the fifth and the sixth. Jefry Yan followed with a scoreless seventh, retiring all three batters and striking out two. Binghamton stranded six runners and did not commit an error, while Hartford was charged with two throwing errors that did not lead to additional damage. Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 4 0 1 2 0 2 Jacob Reimer 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jose Ramos 2 0 1 0 1 0 Kevin Parada 3 0 1 0 0 1 JT Schwartz 3 0 0 0 0 0 TT Bowens 2 0 0 0 1 0 Matt Rudick 2 1 0 0 1 0 Wyatt Young 3 0 1 0 0 2 Diego Mosquera 2 1 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Irving Cota 4 2/3 9 5 5 0 4 2 Gabriel Rodriguez 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Jefry Yan 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Five-Run Second Sinks Binghamton 5-0 In Game Two Shutout The Binghamton Rumble Ponies were shut out 5-0 by the Hartford Yard Goats in game two of the doubleheader, surrendering all five runs in the top of the second inning. R.J. Gordon started and absorbed the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings with one strikeout and a home run. A throwing error by Gordon on a sacrifice bunt extended the inning before Hartford strung together a three-run home run and two RBI singles to chase him. The Binghamton bullpen was excellent the rest of the way. Matt Turner finished the second inning and worked the third, allowing no hits across 1 1/3 innings while striking out one. Brian Metoyer struck out one in a clean fourth, Douglas Orellana followed with two hitless innings of two-strikeout work in the fifth and the sixth, and Felipe De La Cruz capped the night with a one-hit, one-strikeout seventh. The offense managed only four hits. Wyatt Young led the way with two singles, and Jose Ramos and Nick Lorusso each added a hit. Eli Serrano III drew two walks from the leadoff spot, and Chris Suero reached three times on walks without taking an at-bat. Diego Mosquera also walked. Binghamton went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, stranded seven runners, and committed one error. Hartford completed the doubleheader sweep. Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 2 0 0 0 2 1 Jacob Reimer 3 0 0 0 0 2 Chris Suero 0 0 0 0 3 0 Jose Ramos 3 0 1 0 0 1 Nick Lorusso 3 0 1 0 0 1 JT Schwartz 3 0 0 0 0 2 Wyatt Young 3 0 2 0 0 0 Onix Vega 3 0 0 0 0 0 Diego Mosquera 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR R.J. Gordon 1 2/3 7 5 3 0 1 1 Matt Turner 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Brian Metoyer 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Douglas Orellana 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Felipe De La Cruz 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Walk-Off Single Sinks Brooklyn 5-4 At Bowling Green The Brooklyn Cyclones lost 5-4 to the Bowling Green Hot Rods on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. Ronald Hernandez led the offense with a 2-for-4 night that featured two home runs and two RBI. Vincent Perozo added two singles, Sam Biller picked up an RBI single, and Colin Houck collected a hit. Trace Willhoite drew a walk and scored a run, and Yonatan Henriquez reached on a walk. Brady Miller turned in a strong outing as the starter, working five innings while allowing two runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Hernandez's solo home run in the second staked Brooklyn to a 1-0 lead. The Cyclones added two more in the top of the fifth on a Biller RBI single that scored Willhoite and a Mitch Voit groundout that brought home Perozo from third. Hernandez homered again in the sixth to push the lead to 4-2. Garrett Stratton followed Miller and was charged with a blown save in the bottom of the seventh, when a two-run home run on the second batter he faced tied the contest at four. Bryce Jenkins worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, and Brooklyn could not push across a go-ahead. Joe Charles took the loss in the bottom of the ninth, walking the first batter, allowing a double, then yielding a leadoff RBI single that brought home the winning run without recording an out. Brooklyn stranded only two runners and committed one error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 0 0 0 0 Yonatan Henriquez 3 0 0 0 1 2 John Bay 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 4 2 2 2 0 2 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Colin Houck 4 0 1 0 0 1 Trace Willhoite 2 1 0 0 1 0 Vincent Perozo 3 1 2 0 0 0 Sam Biller 3 0 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brady Miller 5 6 2 2 0 7 0 Garrett Stratton 1 2/3 3 2 2 1 2 1 Bryce Jenkins 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Joe Charles 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 Six-Run Seventh Lifts Lakeland Past St. Lucie 8-3 The St. Lucie Mets fell 8-3 to the Lakeland Flying Tigers after surrendering a six-run seventh inning. Leadoff man Elian Peña went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI single, and a run scored. Simon Juan added a 3-for-4 night with a run, and JT Benson contributed a triple as part of a 1-for-4 evening. Chase Meggers and Randy Guzman each picked up a hit and an RBI. Nicolas Carreno worked four innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Daviel Hurtado opened and went two innings, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts and a solo home run that gave Lakeland a 1-0 lead in the second. Lakeland added another run in the fourth on an RBI single. St. Lucie battled back in the sixth on Guzman's RBI single that scored Peña, and again in the seventh when Meggers singled home Julio Zayas to tie the game at two. The bottom of the seventh proved decisive. Elwis Mijares retired the first batter, but a solo home run, two walks, and a single loaded the bases, after which a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, a two-RBI single, and another two-RBI single put six on the board. Mijares took the loss after recording just one out, charged with five earned runs. Joe Scarborough finished the frame and tossed a clean eighth. Peña drove in St. Lucie's final run in the ninth on a single that scored Simon Juan. St. Lucie left nine runners on base and committed one error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 1 2 1 1 0 JT Benson 4 0 1 0 1 1 Randy Guzman 4 0 1 0 1 3 AJ Salgado 4 0 0 0 0 3 Julio Zayas 3 1 1 0 1 2 Sam Robertson 4 0 1 0 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 0 1 1 0 0 Simon Juan 4 1 3 0 0 0 Branny De Oleo 3 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daviel Hurtado 2 2 1 1 0 4 1 Nicolas Carreno 4 2 1 1 3 7 0 Elwis Mijares 1/3 2 5 5 3 1 1 Joe Scarborough 1 2/3 2 1 1 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 2-for-3, 3B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, K Jacob Reimer: 0-for-7 in DH (0-for-4, 3 K and 0-for-3, 2 K) Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Peña: 2-for-4, R, RBI, BB Mitch Voit: 0-for-4 Nick Morabito: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-0, 3 BB Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-6 in DH (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K and 0-for-2, 2 BB, K) Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: 1 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, K, HR View the full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 4-3 Runs scored last week: 25 Runs allowed last week: 21 Standings Scores Game 34 (Monday): Giants 3, Padres 2 Game 35 (Tuesday): Padres 10, Giants 5 Game 36 (Wednesday): Padres 5, Giants 1 Game 37 (Thursday): Cardinals 2, Padres 1 Game 38 (Friday): Cardinals 6, Padres 0 Game 39 (Saturday): Padres 4, Cardinals 2 Game 40 (Sunday): Padres 3, Cardinals 2 (10 innings) Week in Review and Highlights Giants series Game 1: If you have heard this before, it is because you have. For the third time in four games, the Padres' offense was stifled by a young pitcher. This time it was 25-year-old San Francisco Giants right-hander Trevor McDonald who kept the Friars' bats quiet in a 3-2 loss. Making his third career start and fifth appearance, McDonald threw the fourth quality start in the Padres' last five games, allowing one run on two hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings in his first MLB game this season. The one run he did allow? That was Jackson Merrill drilling the first pitch he saw with two outs in the first inning for a solo homer to straightaway center field, his fourth homer this year. Merrill's blast went 436 feet, tying Manny Machado (in Mexico City) for the longest by a Friar this year. Padres right-handed starter Randy Vasquez, however, gave that run and another back in the bottom of the second. It remained 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth, when the Giants got to Vasquez for another run. Old friend Luis Arraez had a leadoff double against his former teammate, went to third on a groundout and scored on a Rafael Devers sacrifice fly. Overall, it was a solid performance by Vasquez, who went 5⅔ innings, allowing those three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. The Padres' offense, which had a stretch of 15 straight hitters retired by McDonald, again had an opportunity to steal a win late. Ramon Laureano launched his fifth homer of the season leading off the ninth to pull the Friars within 3-2. But the core of the lineup, Fernando Tatis Jr., Merrill and Machado went down in order for a fifth loss in six games. Game 2: The last thing the Padres needed was to face one of the best pitchers in MLB. But that is exactly what happened. And that old adage "You can't predict ball" came to fruition. Going up against Giants right-hander Logan Webb, who finished in the top six of NL Cy Young Award voting the last three seasons, the Padres exploded for double-digit runs for just the second time this season in a 10-5 victory. The Friars matched their season highs for runs and hits (14). Whether it was because of a lineup shuffle—Tatis was moved down from second to fifth in the order, putting Miguel Andujar third and Gavin Sheets at cleanup, and Sung-Mun Song starting his first MLB game after being called up earlier in the day—or just the baseball gods doing their thing, it worked. Song had his first two MLB hits, Xander Bogaerts homered and Andujar and Merrill, hitting leadoff, each had three hits. Andujar's day included a double and a triple. The Padres were also more aggressive against Webb. While scoring five runs in the fourth inning and sending nine players to the plate, they only saw 21 pitches from Webb. Perhaps that mentality will help unlock the offense. Padres right-handed starter Walker Buehler gave up a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, putting the Giants up 4-1. That was the score when things turned around in the fourth. With one out, Sheets hit an opposite-field single to left and Tatis an opposite-field double to right. Bogaerts had an RBI groundout and Nick Castellanos a run-scoring single to make it 4-3. Luis Campusano was hit by a pitch and Song delivered his first MLB hit in his second plate appearance, a ringing double to left-center to put the Padres up 5-4. With Song on third, Merrill singled to extend the lead to 6-4. A Castellanos sac fly in the fifth and an Andujar RBI single put the Friars up 8-4. The Padres tacked on two more in the eighth as Song reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on Merrill's double. Merrill went to third on a groundout and scored on a balk. Buehler steadied himself from there, making it through 5⅓ innings, surrendering seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts. He retired 11 straight before two runners reached in the sixth. The relief corps of Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Ron Marinaccio finished things off. Song was called up due to second baseman Jake Cronenworth going on the seven-day concussion list, something that appears to go back to him getting hit in the shoulder by a pitch that deflected into his face April 18 vs. the Los Angeles Angels. He described himself as being in various states of a "hazy fogginess" since. Cronenworth has a .144/.272/.196 slash line. Game 3: The Padres continue to find creative ways to pull out victories. Using an opener for the first time this year and a couple of big at-bats to score four runs late, the Friars bounced the Giants 5-1. The clutch performers were familiar faces, just doing it in unusual circumstances. Sheets, with a knack of late-game homers, drilled a solo shot into McCovey Cove in the top of the fourth inning for a 1-0 lead. The Giants tied it when Rafael Devers took right-hander Matt Waldron deep in the bottom of the fifth. But it was the seventh where things got strange. Tatis reached on a rare fielding error by Giants third baseman Matt Chapman and Laureano walked. Castellanos hit a slow grounder to short that advanced the runners and Freddy Fermin flew out for the second out. While the Giants made a pitching change, bringing in a left-hander, Padres manager Craig Stammen debated using a pinch-hitter for Song, a left-handed hitter. Stammen took too long to make his decision to put Ty France in for Song, who was approaching the batter's box when called back. It cost France a strike on a pitch-clock violation. Nonetheless, France got the count to 3-2 when he lofted an opposite-field fly ball down the right-field line. Giants right fielder Jesus Rodriguez, in his third MLB game and first in right field after catching in the other two, had the ball deflect off his glove, going for a France's second triple of the season and scoring both runners for a 3-1 lead. In the eighth, Machado had a leadoff walk and, one out later, Bogaerts—who came off the bench to play defense in the seventh—crushed his second homer in as many days for a 5-1 advantage. Meanwhile, the pitching staff kept the Giants quiet in a slightly unconventional way. Right-handed reliever Bradgley Rodriguez got the call as an opener, the first used by the Friars this year, and he tossed a perfect first. Right-hander Matt Waldron, who has struggled in his three starts since coming up, took over and pitched five stellar innings, striking out seven and allowing just two hits. That could be a formula for future Waldron starts, however many there are. Left-hander Adrian allowed a hit in two scoreless innings and closer Mason Miller pitched a perfect ninth in a non-save situation. Cardinals series Game 1: The Padres can throw a quality start, too. And this one by Michael King was very high quality. The right-hander allowed just one hit, a homer, over six innings, but the Friars' offense was also shut down by yet another quality start by an opponent as San Diego fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. The difference came in the seventh inning when Jordan Walker's torrid start to the season continued with a leadoff double and then a one-out triple by Masyn Winn that snapped a 1-1 tie. But King was the story for the Padres. The soon-to-be 31-year-old continued his impressive beginning to 2026. King walked two and struck out six, but he was one pitch away from six innings of no-hit ball. His lone mistake was to Alec Burleson, who jumped on a first-pitch changeup and lined it just over the right-field fence with one out in the fourth inning to tie the game 1-1. The Padres had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Machado walked, went to second on Tatis' single to left and scored on Bogaerts' opposite-field single to right. But that was the extent of the Friars' scoring as Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore was nearly as good as King. Liberatore allowed just three hits with three walks and six strikeouts in six innings. The Padres' bullpen, while very good, hasn't been as lockdown as it was last year. Rodriguez came on for King in the seventh and gave up the two decisive hits. Tatis had two of the Friars' four hits, but the Cardinals' relievers prevented another comeback by retiring the final eight hitters. Catcher Rodolfo Duran made his MLB debut after 11 seasons in the minors, the last two with the Padres. He went 0-for-3. Campusano went on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left big toe. Game 2: In the immortal words of the legendary Harry Doyle, "One hit. That's all we got? One (bleeping) hit?" That is the way Friday went for the Friars. If it wasn't for Merrill's leadoff single in the fourth, there might be a lot more to stress about for Padres fans other than a 6-0 setback to the Cardinals. Still, this is one of those games to forget. Right-hander Michael McGreevy, one of the reasons why the rebuilding Cardinals are off to a better-than-expected start, allowed just one hit over six innings, striking out nine. He retired the first nine batters before Merrill grounded a single to right. The Cardinals retired the final 19 Padres hitters after Tatis' two-out walk in the fourth. Speaking of Tatis, his no good very bad start to the season took a strange turn in the sixth inning of a scoreless game. Two singles and a one-out walk off Padres right-handed starter Griffin Canning set the stage for Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt. He pulled a 1-1 changeup through the infield and into right, where Tatis charged it then watched it scoot under his glove and roll to the wall. It unloaded the bases and Wetherholt scampered around the bases for a Little League grand slam and a sudden 4-0 Friars deficit. The next three batters singled, doubled and walked to load the bases and end Canning's evening. Left-hander Yuki Matsui made his season debut after coming off the injured list Tuesday and gave up an RBI single and a sac fly, putting the Padres down 6-0. It was a tough six earned runs for Canning, who made his second start of the season and allowed seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 4⅓ innings. Game 3: The Padres are certainly getting the wrong end of opposing pitching performances. But at least on this day, they did enough to pull out a victory. France and Machado homered and Tatis hit a go-ahead single as the Friars came away with a 4-2 victory. Miller recorded four outs and notched his MLB-leading 12th save with a unique twist: A four-strikeout ninth inning thanks to a wild pitch on a strikeout. It wasn't a breakout performance by the offense as the Padres managed just five hits, but they made the ones they got count. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, France hit a one-out solo homer to tie the game and plate the Padres' first run since the first inning of Thursday's series opener, a 21-inning scoreless drought. Song had a walk, Fermin a single and then a passed ball set up Tatis, who ranks in the 98th percentile in hard-hit percentage and flared a two-run single the opposite way down the right-field line. Machado tacked on an insurance run in the eighth with a solo homer, his 200th blast as a Padre and sixth of the season. Vasquez continued his sharp start to the season. The right-hander allowed just a fourth-inning run while giving up six hits and no walks while striking out six in five innings. He has struck out six or more in four of his eight starts. Vasquez has also gone at least five innings in all but one start. Estrada and Adam followed with hitless innings. But left-hander Adrian Morejon ran into trouble in the eighth. With one out, Morejon hit Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera doubled him home to make it 3-2. After a groundout, Miller came on to face the dangerous Walker, who grounded out to end the threat. Machado's homer gave some breathing space, not that Miller needs it. In the ninth, Miller gave up a leadoff walk before a strikeout, another walk and another strikeout. The next batter, Yohel Pozo, also struck out, but strike three was a wild pitch on a wicked slider, with Pozo reaching first to load the bases. But Miller struck out Wetherholt to end the game and join the club of four strikeouts in an inning. The last Padre to do that? None other than Miller's manager, Craig Stammen, who did it on Sept. 24, 2021. Game 4: One strike away from having their first losing week of the season, Castellanos kept the Padres alive with a dramatic two-out homer in the ninth to tie the game. An inning later, there were hugs and high-fives as Machado's sac fly to right-center as the Padres won 3-2 in 10 innings, their fourth walk-off this year. Before the ninth, the Padres were facing their second loss in this series in which they had just one hit. But not the Friars are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West at 24-16. Castellanos fouled off three pitches from Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien, including breaking a bat and borrowing one of Tatis' bats, before drilling a 3-2 sinker on the ninth pitch of the at-bat down into the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left to tie the game 2-2. Bogaerts scored ahead of him following a leadoff walk, going to second with two outs on defensive indifference and taking third on a wild pitch. In the 10th, Laureano was the automatic runner at second base, Merrill was intentionally walked and Tatis walked on a 3-2 pitch after squaring twice to bunt, loading the bases. The Cardinals brought in an extra infielder, but it didn't matter as Machado lofted the first pitch to right-center, deep enough to bring in Laureano and salvage a frustrating week by splitting this four-game series. The Friars were in position for yet another comeback thanks to Buehler. He allowed just three hits, but one was a two-run homer by Walker in the fourth inning. Otherwise, Buehler was very good, not allowing a walk and striking out a pair. Then the bullpen picked up where he left off. Marinaccio pitched two perfect innings and Rodriguez retired all three batters he faced before Estrada and Morejon escaped the 10th unscathed. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 18 games, 1-0, 12 saves in 12 chances, 0.96 ERA, 18⅔ innings, two runs, seven hits, five walks, 38 strikeouts, .111 opponent batting average. Was named NL Reliever of the Month for April, the third time he has won the award and second time in three months with the Padres (also September). He is one of three Friars to win the award multiple times, joining Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman (3), Brad Hand (2) and Robert Suarez (2). His 38 strikeouts leads MLB relievers. 11 of Miller's career saves have been of the four-out variety, including two this year. Has finished 17 of the Friars' 24 victories this year. Has not allowed a run in 40 of his 42 appearances, including the postseason, since becoming a Padre (0.81 ERA). New scoreless streak is at four innings. Random Stats Jake Cronenworth extended his club record for being hit by a pitch to 67 in Monday's game vs. the Giants. Sung-Mun Song's two-run double for his first MLB hit made him the first Padre since Graham Pauley (three-run homer) on March 30, 2024, to drive in more than one run with his first hit. Song was also the fourth Friar to have at least two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs in his first career start. He is the first South Korea-born player to do that in MLB history. Miguel Andujar's triple on Tuesday was his 500th career hit. Injuries have limited his playing time since having 170 hits as a rookie in 2018. His only other season with 100 or more hits was last year, with 102 between the A's and Cincinnati Reds. Manny Machado's sacrifice bunt Wednesday was his first since he had two in 2015 with the Baltimore Orioles. Machado's 200th homer as a Padre put him in unique company. He is one of 11 players in MLB history with 200 homers, 1,000 hits and 650 RBIs with one team after playing 750 games with another franchise. Ty France's triple this week was his second of the season, the first time he has recorded multiple three-baggers in a year. He entered this season, his eighth in MLB, with four career triples. Tatis at 162 entering Saturday. Tatis and Chandler Simpson of the Tampa Bay Rays are the only ones among the 100 MLB players with more than 150 plate appearances to not have a homer. Saturday's sellout with the 18th in 23 games at Petco Park this season. The Padres rank second in MLB in attendance, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Transactions Tuesday: Placed 2B Jake Cronenworth on the 7-day injured list. Concussion symptoms. Tuesday: Recalled IF Sung-Mun Song from El Paso Chihuahuas. Tuesday: Activated LHP Yuki Matsui from the 15-day injured list. Tuesday: Optioned LHP Kyle Hart to El Paso Chihuahuas. Thursday: Activated IF Will Wagner from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to El Paso Chihuahuas. Thursday: Placed C Luis Campusano on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left big toe. Thursday: Selected the contract of C Rodolfo Duran from El Paso Chihuahuas. Thursday: Transferred RHP Joe Musgrove from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Thursday: Sent RHP Jhony Brito on a rehab assignment to ACL Padres. Website Highlights Canning's perfectly adequate first start could be just what the Padres need — Randy Holt Can Tatis find a way out of his launch-angle spiral? — Randy Holt Hart's salvation lies in his reworked splitter — Randy Holt Padres are swinging harder in 2026. Does it even matter? — Randy Holt Looking Ahead Monday: Off Tuesday: Padres (Matt Waldron) at Brewers (Brandon Sproat), 4:40 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Michael King) at Brewers (Jacob Misiorowski), 4:40 p.m. Thursday: Padres (Griffin Canning) at Brewers (Kyle Harrison), 10:40 p.m. Friday: Padres (Randy Vasquez) at Mariners, 6:40 p.m. Saturday: Padres (Walker Buehler) at Mariners, 4:15 p.m. Sunday: Padres (TBA) at Mariners, 4:20 p.m. View the full article

Owen Hill and Jesse Burrill are back to break down the Jays' series win against the Angels. They'll talk Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage, and the 14-run explosion on Saturday, and take listener questions and comments. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

For a Twins farm system still searching for a true, no-doubt, top-of-the-rotation pitching prospect, 2026 loomed as a pivotal year for Dasan Hill . The 6-foot-5 left-hander, and Twins Daily’s #6 prospect, has flashed the kind of upside that could eventually vault him into that conversation. As a 19-year-old in Low-A Fort Myers, he posted a 2.77 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 52 IP (albeit with 33 walks) before a late-season promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids. But through his first five starts at Cedar Rapids this year, the early results have been anything but encouraging. Hill owns an 8.44 ERA across 16 innings, along with a 1.88 WHIP. He’s struck out 24 hitters, which on its own is an excellent sign, but that’s been overshadowed by 13 walks and 17 hits allowed. That combination has created constant traffic on the bases, and it’s made it difficult for him to string together clean, efficient outings. For a pitcher expected to take a step forward this season, it’s been quite the opposite so far. The Twins don't currently have a clear-cut, top-100 caliber pitching prospect in their system. Hill has shown flashes of dominance, and his frame and ability to overpower and confuse hitters give him the potential to change that. Instead, he’s spent the first few weeks trying to find his footing. The biggest issue thus far, and the one driving most of the struggles, is command. Hill’s walk rate sits at 17.1%, a number that’s simply too high to sustain success at any level. When nearly one out of every five hitters reaches via walk, everything else becomes exponentially more difficult. Pitch counts climb quickly, innings get extended, and even minor mistakes can turn into big innings. The margin for error becomes extremely small, and for Hill, it’s been almost nonexistent. Even with his ability to miss bats, that kind of inefficiency is hard to overcome. To his credit, there have been signs of life in that department recently. Over his last couple of starts, the command has looked sharper, and the results have followed. Hill has racked up 14 strikeouts to just three walks over his last eight innings, a stretch that much more closely resembles the dominance we’ve been waiting to see. It’s a small sample within a small sample, but it’s at least a step in the right direction. It hasn’t been all negative, either. Beneath the surface, there are indicators suggesting he’s been better than his ERA would imply. For one, his BABIP currently sits at a preposterously high .421. That number is hardly sustainable over multiple starts, let alone a full season, and will come down. That’s especially notable when paired with his batted-ball profile. Hill has done an excellent job generating ground balls, posting a 58% ground ball rate so far this season. That’s a significant jump from the 40.6% mark he posted last year, and typically, that kind of improvement leads to better run prevention. Ground balls are generally less damaging than fly balls, but so far, the results haven’t matched the process. That disconnect shows up when looking at his FIP, which sits at 4.11. While that’s still not dominant, it’s a far cry from an ERA north of eight. The gap suggests that while Hill hasn’t pitched well overall, his performance hasn’t been nearly as disastrous as the surface numbers indicate. Still, it would be a mistake to chalk this up primarily to bad luck. The inflated BABIP and improved ground ball rate offer some optimism, but the command issues are real, and they’re doing the bulk of the damage. Too many walks, combined with too many hitters reaching base in general, have consistently put Hill in difficult situations. Even with better luck on balls in play, that’s not a sustainable formula for success. Of course, it’s important to zoom out. We’re talking about five starts and 16 innings. That’s not nearly enough of a sample to draw firm conclusions about a pitcher’s trajectory, especially at the minor league level. Development is rarely linear, and early-season stat lines can look dramatically different a month or two down the road. But that doesn’t mean what we’re seeing should be ignored, either. For a pitcher with Hill’s upside, expectations are naturally higher. This is a season where progress matters, not just in flashes, but in consistency. The recent uptick in strikeouts and improved command is encouraging, but it needs to become the norm rather than the exception. If that happens, his outlook could change quickly. The swing-and-miss ability is clearly still there, and the jump in his ground ball rate is perhaps the strongest area of improvement from 2025. Clean up the walks, and suddenly you’re looking at a very different stat line, and a very different conversation. Until then, though, the results are what they are. And for those hoping to see Hill force an early promotion to Double-A, that timeline appears to be on hold. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins spent last summer’s trade deadline walking a fine line between cutting payroll, reshaping the roster, and trying to remain competitive in the future. Now that the 2026 season is underway, it is much easier to evaluate those deals based on their actual impact rather than on deadline-day reactions. To evaluate the overall impact, it's not enough to look at what the Twins gained; we also have to look at the roster impact had no trade been made. Some have barely registered on the current roster. Others have already altered the team's trajectory in meaningful ways. Here is a look back at the most impactful deadline moves from the perspective of the impact on the 2026 roster. Trades That Seem Unlikely to Impact the 2026 Roster A few deals simply have not mattered much in the grand scheme of the current season. Enrique Jimenez for Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak has not produced any noticeable effect on the major league club. Paddack and Dobnak were moved largely to clear innings and payroll flexibility, while Jimenez remains far from contributing in Minnesota. Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong for Willi Castro also fall into that category. Castro was a free agent at the end of the year. So far, the return has not impacted the current roster in any meaningful way either, though Gallagher was recently promoted to AAA-St. Paul. Garrett Horn for Danny Coulombe was another low-level move that has not significantly changed the outlook of the 2026 club. Coulombe provided bullpen depth, but neither side of the trade has created lasting ripple effects. 6. Hendry Mendez and Geremy Villoria for Harrison Bader This move always looked like a short-term rental for Philadelphia, and that is exactly what it became. Bader was heading toward free agency, so there was never a realistic scenario where he would still be patrolling the outfield for Minnesota this season. The interesting part of the trade now revolves around Hendry Mendez. Mendez earned a spot on the 40-man roster this winter and recently reached Triple-A. There are still several left-handed hitting corner outfielders ahead of him on the organizational depth chart, but injuries have a way of opening doors quickly. A major league debut sometime this season feels possible if Minnesota needs offensive reinforcements. 2026 Impact: Mendez has a chance to debut, so this trade still feels relatively low impact for 2026. 5. Matt Mikulski and $70 Million in Salary Relief for Carlos Correa This trade still feels surreal. The Twins moved Correa and attached it to a massive amount of salary relief, only to largely pocket the financial flexibility rather than reinvest it in the roster. Before his recent season-ending ankle injury, Correa was actually playing well and could have helped stabilize Minnesota’s lineup during the first month of the season. At the same time, the injury also reinforces why some in the organization were willing to move on from the long-term commitment. Correa’s absence likely would have become a major issue for Minnesota regardless of where he played. Mikulski has been released from the organization, leaving the biggest takeaway from this deal centered on ownership’s financial decisions rather than the actual baseball return. 2026 Impact: The Twins cleared Correa’s contract but failed to meaningfully reinvest the savings into improving the current roster. 4. Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel for Jhoan Duran This one has become complicated quickly. Tait remains years away from the major leagues, making him difficult to evaluate in the context of the current roster. Abel has spent much of the year dealing with injuries after suffering a setback in his recovery from right elbow inflammation. His recent tricep impingement and cortisone shot pushed his timeline back even further. Meanwhile, Duran looked dominant before suffering a strained left oblique. Prior to the injury, he posted a 1.35 ERA with five saves in 6 2/3 innings before recently returning to action. The frustrating part for Minnesota is obvious. A healthy Duran could be helping hold together one of the worst bullpens in baseball right now. Even if Abel eventually becomes a useful arm, the Twins desperately miss the stability Duran brought to the late innings. 2026 Impact: Minnesota badly misses Duran’s late-inning dominance, while Abel’s injury issues have delayed any return value. 3. James Outman for Brock Stewart Few moves have aged worse in the short term. Outman entered the season out of options, which essentially forced Minnesota to keep him on the active roster. Unfortunately, his production has been almost nonexistent. Through his first 28 games, Outman has produced a staggering -0.4 rWAR while occupying a roster spot that could be going to a younger or more productive player. The bigger issue is roster flexibility. Keeping Outman on the bench has prevented the Twins from cycling through alternative options that may provide more offensive upside. Stewart opened the season injured, but recently returned and made his first appearance over the last week. Even limited bullpen help would have been valuable for this roster, considering how disastrous the relief corps has looked for much of the year. 2026 Impact: Outman has negatively impacted the roster, while Stewart’s return to health could have helped stabilize Minnesota’s bullpen. 2. Kendry Rojas and Alan Roden for Louis Varland and Ty France This trade keeps looking worse by the week for Minnesota. The Twins bullpen has completely unraveled at times during the opening stretch of the season, and Varland has emerged as one of the best relievers in the American League. After stepping into Toronto’s closer role, Varland captured AL Reliever of the Month honors and has given the Blue Jays legitimacy at the back end of games. Minnesota’s roster could desperately use that exact presence right now. Roden has battled injuries at Triple-A and has not impacted the major league roster, while Rojas continues flashing electric stuff that may ultimately fit best in a bullpen role long term. The evaluation overwhelmingly centers on Varland. Right now, it is difficult to look at the Twins' bullpen struggles and not wonder how different games might feel with Varland handling the ninth inning. 2026 Impact: Varland’s breakout as Toronto’s closer has magnified how much the Twins need reliable bullpen arms right now. 1. Taj Bradley for Griffin Jax This is a clear win for Minnesota. While several other deadline moves have created frustration, the acquisition of Taj Bradley has been one of the few unquestioned bright spots on the roster. Bradley has emerged as the team’s most valuable pitcher, leading the club with a 1.7 rWAR while posting a 154 ERA+ through his first eight starts. Provided he gets past this recent pectoral injury, Bradley gives the Twins a legitimate chance to win every fifth day. Meanwhile, Jax has struggled since arriving in Tampa Bay as the Rays attempt to transition him into a starting role. The raw material remains intriguing, but the results have not been consistent. For a team searching for rotation stability after injuries and inconsistency, Bradley’s emergence has been enormous. Unlike some of the other deadline moves that created long-term questions, this trade already looks like one of the few decisions that is actively helping Minnesota compete in 2026. 2026 Impact: Bradley has emerged as Minnesota’s best starter and one of the few clear positives from the 2025 trade deadline. Trade deadlines are always judged too quickly. Some deals that looked smart in the moment now appear disastrous because of injuries, roster construction problems, or lack of reinvestment from ownership. Others that drew skepticism initially are beginning to show real value. What stands out most from the Twins’ 2025 deadline activity is how uneven the results have become. Minnesota clearly weakened parts of the bullpen and sacrificed valuable depth, and the consequences are showing up almost nightly this season. At the same time, Bradley’s emergence gives the organization at least one foundational piece to point toward as evidence that not every move was designed strictly to cut costs. Unfortunately for the Twins, one successful trade does not erase the growing list of questions surrounding the rest of the roster. Do you agree with the rankings above? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The specter of pitching injuries has haunted the Cubs all season, but for much of it, they've kept winning, anyway. They haven't lost at Wrigley Field since April 11, and with the Reds coming to town for four games last week, it was important that the team prove that was a product of their poise and talent, rather than just the good luck of facing some cold opponents. As it turned out, the Reds were as cold as they come, but the Cubs did an admirable job of taking advantage. Surrendering three runs and setting down eight Reds batters, Edward Cabrera's quality start Monday felt pedestrian—even insufficient on a day wherein offense came at a premium. After a Pete Crow-Armstrong triple and a game-tying sacrifice fly by Nico Hoerner, though, Michael Conforto delivered the first moment that felt like a signature of a good team getting great: an opposite-field walkoff homer. The moment was reminiscent of the best moments from last October, sending shockwaves that could be felt from Rogers Park all the way to Northwest Indiana. The Cubs took the opener by a score of 5-4. The next night required the same mettle. Trailing the Reds 2-1 in the eighth inning, Michael Busch smashed a one-out bomb to deep right field to knot things up. The dramatic home run reset the contest after another business-like outing from starter Jameson Taillon, who was picked up by dazzling relief appearances from Javier Assad, Jacob Webb, and Daniel Palencia. The latter's outing came in extra innings, wherein Palencia was masterful in keeping Cincinnati locked at two. Their tenth-inning escape made way for another cinematic moment for Busch, who delivered the game-winning knock with a single up the middle, allowing zombie runner Dansby Swanson to race home in a 3-2 triumph. While walk-off wins are not the ideal way to win a ball game, they sure are exciting. And with a chance to secure an impressive series victory, the North Siders delivered their third-straight "last-chance" victory. For the second-straight evening, the game made it to extra innings. After a blowup by reliever Corbin Martin greatly diminished his squad's chances of earning a 14th consecutive victory at home, Crow-Armstrong—a player made for the big stage—crushed a game-tying two-run homer. Anyone who needed further proof of Crow-Armstrong's return to form got it with that swing. Another scoreless 10th frame from the Cubs' bullpen got the home team up to bat in the bottom half of the frame. An implosion from Reds reliever Brock Burke brought Michael Busch to the dish with the bases loaded after issuing an intentional walk to Seiya Suzuki. With two outs, the lefty took a 3-1 pitch up and in, drawing the walk-off walk and an improbable 7-6 victory. The reinvigorated Shota Imanaga toed the rubber for Chicago in the series' finale. Searching for their second consecutive sweep, the Cubs found and displayed their best qualities. Imanaga set the tone with six strong innings, setting down 10 batters. Holding onto a 1-0 lead, Craig Counsell's squad unloaded in the fourth inning with a seven-run onslaught. Michael Conforto continued his impressive stretch with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate, driving in two runs. The up-and-down Gavin Hollowell briefly made the home team adjust their seats in what was otherwise a laugher. Palencia replaced the 28-year-old righty, earning his second save of the 2026 campaign. Winning at a pace as torrid as the Cubs have created an expectation for success. Discovering such a variety of ways to win instills confidence in the clubhouse's ability to rise to any occasion. Injuries being what they are for this squad, Ben Brown was summoned for his first start of the season Friday night in Texas, hoping to run his club's win streak to 10. With Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, serving as the backdrop, Brown answered the call, as he didn't allow a hit over four innings. His colleagues picked up where he left off as a combination of Ryan Rolison, Javier Assad, and Ethan Roberts allowed just two hits and one run in a 7-1 victory for Chicago. Kicking off an eighteen-inning scoreless, the Cubs were blanked 6-0 by the Rangers in the middle contest of their three-game set. Lasting just five, seven-hit innings, Edward Cabrera had one of his worst outings as a North Sider. The squad's early-season offensive woes resurfaced in this tilt, squandering multiple run-scoring opportunities with eleven stranded runners, and a sobering 0-for-13 with RISP. Across the Chicagoland area, countless mothers celebrated joyful gatherings and warm greetings. Unfortunately, not much of that joy was generated by the Cubbies' showing in their series finale with the Rangers in the Lone Star State. Jameson Taillon took the ball for the Cubbies opposite perennial Cy Young contender Jacob deGrom of Texas. For the second time in as many days, the Cubs' offense could not solve the Rangers' pitching staff. Chicago offers its adversaries the third-least strikeouts in the league, but that statistic did not hold up in this one. deGrom set down ten Cubs batters, and reliever Jacob Latz added one more to bring the total to eleven North Siders set down on strikes in their 3-0 loss on this holiday Sunday. The results of their latter two contests versus Texas should serve as a stern reminder to the Cubs and the franchise's faithful that while now standing among the game's elite, the Cubs are far from perfect. They possess all that is necessary to make a run to the World Series, but it still takes relentless execution to attain baseball's highest heights. That theory will be put to a rigorous test as the squad continues its nine-game road trip with a visit to the Atlanta Braves, who stand with this Cubs squad at the top of Major League Baseball. After that, the squad heads back to Illinois to square off with their crosstown rival, the White Sox, for three games on the Southside. With the club playing some impressive ball, the fun is just getting started for this Cubs squad. View the full article

Brewer Fanatic is teaming up with the Twins Daily Social Club to bring baseball fans together for an afternoon packed with hardball energy and community – whether you’ll be in Wisconsin or Minnesota. If you’re in Wisconsin, join us to watch the game at Broken Bat Brewing, from 5:30-9 pm, for our Twins Daily/Brewer Fanatic Watch Party! The brewery has developed a reputation as one of Milwaukee’s most baseball-centered hangouts. Local fans on Reddit frequently recommend Broken Bat as one of the best places in the city to watch Brewers games, thanks to its baseball theme, game-day atmosphere, and unique setting. Or, if you’ll be going to the game in Minnesota, we will bring all the pregame fun and excitement to Smorgie’s in Minneapolis, giving Brewers fans, Twins fans, and anyone looking for a fun game-day atmosphere a place to rally before first pitch. Join us there from 4-5:30 pm for giveaways, conversation, and Smorgie’s is rolling out the red carpet with us with some big-time drink specials. First, just for this event, they’re extending Smorgie’s famous happy hour, which is 2-4-1 drinks! On top of that, there will be $5 Summit Twins Pilsener, Summit EPA, and Firestone Walker 805 Blonde. And it’s located just two blocks from Target Field! Both events will also include giveaways and raffles for Brewers and Twins fans, but we’ll share those details soon! Even better, no matter which location you go to, you’ll be able to share your passion for your team, enjoy some great refreshment, and build community. We’ll see you there! What: Milwaukee Watch Party Cost: Free Where: Broken Bat Brewery, 135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee When: 5/16/26 5:30-9 pm MPLS PREGAME PARTY DETAILS What: Minneapolis Pregame Party Cost: Free Where: Smorgie’s, 508 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis When: 5/16/26 4-5:30 pm View the full article

After an electric Home Opener turnout earlier this season, the Twins Daily Social Club is teaming up with Brewer Fanatic to bring fans together for an afternoon packed with baseball energy and community - whether you’re in Minnesota or Wisconsin. If you’re in Minnesota, we will bring all the pregame fun and excitement to Smorgie’s in Minneapolis, giving Twins fans, Brewers fans, and anyone looking for a fun game-day atmosphere a place to rally before first pitch. Join us there from 4-5:30 pm for giveaways, conversation, and Smorgie’s is rolling out the red carpet with us with some big-time drink specials. First, just for this event, they’re extending Smorgie’s famous happy hour, which is 2-4-1 drinks! On top of that, there will be $5 Summit Twins Pilsener, Summit EPA, and Firestone Walker 805 Blonde. And it’s located just two blocks from Target Field! Or, if you’re a Twins fan living in Wisconsin, join us to watch the game at Broken Bat Brewing for our Twins Daily/Brewer Fanatic Watch Party! The brewery has developed a reputation as one of Milwaukee’s most baseball-centered hangouts. Local fans on Reddit (and John “Twins Geek” Bonnes) frequently recommend Broken Bat as one of the best places in the city to watch Brewers games thanks to its baseball theme, game-day atmosphere, and unique setting. Both events will also include giveaways and raffles for both Twins and Brewers fans, but we’ll give you those details tomorrow! But even better, no matter which location you go to, you’ll be able to share your passion for your team, enjoy some great refreshment, and build community. We’ll see you there! MPLS PREGAME PARTY DETAILS What: Minneapolis Pregame Party Cost: Free Where: Smorgie’s, 508 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis When: 5/16/26 4-5:30 pm MILWAUKEE WATCH PARTY DETAILS What: Milwaukee Watch Party Cost: Free Where: Broken Bat Brewery, 135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee When: 5/16/26 5:30-9 pm View the full article

For many, many Brewers fans, Bill Hall's Mothers Day walkoff homer in 2006 was a watershed moment. It was very early in the days of players using pink bats for breast cancer awareness on that day; that made it visually interesting and memorable. For young fans who'd grown up in a household forever abuzz about the team's dramatic Easter win in 1987, it was a new springtime landmark to savor, one that belonged to the new generation. It also felt like a turning point—an announcement that the winds of positive change were pulling the organization out of the doldrums in which they'd been mired for the previous few years. Hall himself had been a nice find in 2005, and he blossoming into someone about whom to be downright excited. That team would ultimately win just 75 games, but it sowed the seeds that germinated the following year. In one sense, the franchise has not been the same since that game; they've become a perennially competitive team. There were no competitive doldrums to blow away for Brice Turang on Sunday, but beating the Yankees would mean sweeping the weekend series between the two teams. In an admittedly messy American League, the Bronx Bombers look as much like a juggernaut as anyone, and the Brewers had revenge to ponder after New York embarrassed them so badly in the great Torpedoing of the season-opening series in 2025. On so many levels, what Turang did in the bottom of the ninth inning was immensely satisfying. WERaMGFfWGw0TUFRPT1fQVZkU0JsZFFBMUVBRGxWUkJBQUhDQUlDQUZnR1VGUUFBZ01CQ1FJRVVnUlVWQXBS.mp4 One of the loveliest things about the homer, though, is the way its parallels with Hall's also highlight the important distinctions to be drawn. This team is vastly different from that one; so is its Mothers Day hero. Hall had a great 2006, with 35 homers and 78 total extra-base hits. Even then, though, it was pretty clear he was enjoying a career year. He'd never be anywhere near that good again; he lost his starting job by 2009. That's not going to happen with Turang. Whether he signs an extension with Milwaukee or is eventually traded, it's increasingly clear that the team's 2018 first-round pick is going to go down as one of the best players in franchise history. This homer won't be the Turang highlight; it'll just be one of several. We already have a handful of other candidates, in fact. Each year, Turang gets better at the plate. That can't go on forever, of course. In fact, it would be a major shock if he gets much better than this, at any point. Then again, try telling your mid-2023 self that Turang—the scrappy, slappy glove man demoted to Triple-A Nashville mid-year—would push his OPS+ to 86 in 2024; then 120 in 2025; then 163 in 2026. What he's doing is phenomenally improbable, and it's only possible because he's been assiduous and brilliant in his approach to improving at the plate. We've already talked at length about how Turang has altered his swing plane over the years. Just to update that a bit, though: his average swing tilt (as measured by Statcast) is now 37° this year, up from 31° last year. It was somewhat notable that he went from 29° in 2023 to that 31° figure in 2025. Remember about a decade ago, when the term "swing changer" came into vogue, as players leaned into the fly-ball revolution? When you see a 6° change in swing plane from one year to the next, that's a swing changer. Turang was a great hitter last year, but he overhauled what he's doing at the plate coming into this season. Here's an animated look at his swing from 2025. This is a digital visualization of a composite of swings, not an actual capture of a particular one, but it can make it easier to see several important things. Firstly, look at how far apart his feet are. (This is meant to show only the actual swing, so his stride is done at this point; the front foot is down already.) Note, too, the openness of his front foot and hip. From those elements of his lower-half operation comes a flatter-than-average swing, albeit one that covered the zone wonderfully well and produced plenty of hard contact to all fields. Turang 25.mp4 Now, compare that to this visualization of Turang for 2026. Check on the same things: distance between feet, the angle of the front foot and hip relative to the incoming pitch. But look, too, at the shoulders. Turang 26.mp4 Without dipping his back shoulder in a way that costs him bat speed or takes him off the plane of the pitch, Turang can now create more loft in his swing, because he's more upright as he swings. Being more upright—in other words, striding shorter—can mean generating less energy and (therefore) less power, but Turang's slightly more closed lower half lets him create torque by uncoiling with a bit more lift, the front shoulder rolling upward and outward more forcefully so that the top hand can steer the bat "underneath" his front side, as hitting people say. Torque and bat speed aren't the sources of Turang's improvements this year, though. Strength is certainly a component—getting into the right position to drive the ball out to the left of dead center on a pitch breaking down and in on you takes terrific strength—but Turang's bat speed is almost exactly where it was last year. The percentage of his swings topping 75 MPH in bat speed—what Statcast dubs Fast Swings—is actually down quite a bit, from 18.1% to 10.8%. Much of the added value comes, instead, from all that newfound tilt. Take two equally fast swings in terms of sheer Statcast speed measurements, and the one with more tilt is actually faster, in practical terms, so there's a kind of hidden bat speed bump in what Turang is doing this year. Another big chunk of his value comes from better swing decisions, and the league's smaller strike zone, especially for lefty batters. His walk rate is through the roof, which is why he's leading the National League in on-base percentage. However, there's also something to the way his swing speeds are distributed from which we can learn. Here are those distributions for each of Turang's big-league seasons (though bat-tracking data goes back only to the middle of his rookie year, 2023). He pushed the right edge of that distribution more in 2025, but look at how much more clustered his swing speeds are this year. Turang isn't trying to outguess pitchers and put his 'A+' swing on mistakes, but nor is he using a bimodal swing plan wherein he slows down or speeds up based on what he's looking for and what he sees as the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. This year, Turang is getting off his 'A-' swing at a much higher rate, because he knows it will work. With more tilt in the bat path and better swing decisions, he ends up with lots of ways to achieve a good outcome, if he can just take a representative swing every time he swings at all. Instead of comparing him only to himself, perhaps we can try comparing him to some relevant players who make natural foils. Here's Turang's distribution for this year, along with teammate Sal Frelick and fellow NL Central second basemen Nico Hoerner and Brandon Lowe. Few hitters in the game are more grip it-and-rip it than Lowe, which shows up here—not just in how many of his swings cluster into the small range at the right of his distribution, but in the visible rightward skew of that curve itself. He's pushing for maximum bat speed whenever he can lock onto a pitch. Frelick is the opposite end of the spectrum, very often decelerating his swing to make contact and using two different strokes based on what he's expecting or what the team needs. With his flatter, slower swing, that's necessary; it's the only way he can produce positive outcomes across a broad swath of situations. Hoerner is even more extreme than Turang in his effort to get off the same swing every time. As you can see, though, the swing he's repeating so diligently is slower. It's also flatter. Hoerner has a great feel for contact in his own right, but he hasn't figured out how to impact the ball the way Turang has—and if he ever did, it would probably have to come with the kinds of sacrifices Turang has found ways not to make this spring. Finding that sweet spot where he's maximizing per-swing output without losing consistency or adaptability is hugely valuable and impressive; Turang has threaded a needle. In the modern game, almost no one has a durable, true talent level of .298/.422/.511. Turang will probably come back to Earth a bit from this apex. He's been incredibly good, though, and he's been this way for 400 plate appearances, dating back to last August. To finish as well as he did last year and still make a major swing adjustment this year speaks to the plasticity and the ambition in Turang. He's a genuine superstar, and with William Contreras and Jackson Chourio hitting on either side of him, he could become the centerpiece of one of baseball's best offenses over the next year and a half. View the full article

For the week, Wisconsin (4-2) was the sole series winner, with Nashville and Wilson managing 3-3 draws and Biloxi (2-3) coming up a bit short. Transactions: OF Luis Matos placed on AAA Nashville’s 7-day injured list on May 9 Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 8, Louisville (Reds) 0 Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Sounds Pitching Staff Tosses Combined Shutout to Split Series Nishant Brahme’s detailed game write-up covered the game highlights in detail, including the shutout by RHP Garrett Stallings (6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks) and three relievers, RBI hits by four Sounds’ players and two videos. While 3B Jett Williams (2-for-3, double, 2 walks, 2 RBIs) reached base 4 times and also contributed a sacrifice fly, the 28-year Stallings was truly the story of the game, not allowing any baserunner to reach scoring position until 2 outs in the 6th inning. His velocity peaked at 94.1mph in the 5th inning, with pitches exceeding 93mph in four of six frames. Eight Sounds’ batters collected at least one hit on this fine Sunday afternoon, including multi-hit games for OF Luis Lara (2-for-5, walk), OF Jordyn Adams (2-for-4) and OF Jacob Hurtubise (2-for-4, walk, RBI). Entering with a 5-0 lead in the 7th inning, RHP Craig Yoho allowed a first pitch rocket (109.9mph single) and had a pick-off error before getting down to business: pop out, 2 Ks. Through 8 games, he’s been solid with a 2.08 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, .138 AVG against and .564 OPS against. Sounds’ Extras: Adams’ 6th inning exit, after a single and force out at second base, was likely unplanned, pushing INF Ethan Murray (1-for-4, walk, RBI) to first base (first time in 2026) and Eddys Leonard to the outfield. Hopefully it was just precautionary though. RHP Peter Strzelecki’s 3-up, 3-down 8th inning featured peak velocity of 94.5mph, while RHP Blake Holub’s final pitch of the game touched 97.1mph. Next week’s outlook: Nashville return home to battle the Iowa Cubs for six games, commencing Tuesday night. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Game One Final: Biloxi 9, Columbus (Braves) 6 (in 7 innings) Box Score and Game Log Game Two Final: Columbus 6, Biloxi 1 (in 7 innings) Box Score and Game Log Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Shuckers Split Mother’s Day Doubleheader with Clingstones It was the best of times - 9 runs, 11 hits in Game One win to even the series. It was the worst of times - 2 runs, 1 hit in Game Two defeat to drop the series 3 games to 2. Game One: While 1B Blake Burke (3-for-4, HR, RBI, SB) homered yet again and 3B Mike Boeve (2-for-4, double, 3 RBIs) and SS Jesus Made contributed 2-out RBI singles, starting RHP Bishop Letson took a step in the right direction over 4 innings (2 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 Ks). Unfortunately, RHP Brett Wichrowski (3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) coughed up the 3-2 advantage in the top of the 5th inning, but 2-out magic saved the Shuckers again: C Darrien Miller walk, OF Eduardo Garcia walk, DH Matt Wood grand slam on an 0-2 pitch for an 8-4 lead: Boeve’s RBI double pushed the lead to 9-4 in the penultimate inning, but the team could have used some of the hits and runs in the second contest. Game Two: Starting RHP Tyson Hardin (3 2/3 IP, 6 R, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) had entered the contest with 40 Ks in 25 2/3 IP, but he wasn’t fooling Clingstones’ batters at the start of this game: no strikeouts amongst first 12 batters faced, 6 earned runs allowed including the 2-out grand slam on an 0-2 pitch in the second inning. The sudden 6-0 hole magnified the importance of the Shuckers stranding 2 baserunners in the 1st inning (including OF Damon Keith’s double; 1.093 season OPS), but the team only produced one more hit the rest of the way. At least it was of the Burke 4-bag variety: Shuckers’ Extras: The relief corps of LHP Anthony Flores and RHPs Ryan Birchard and Cameron Wagoner got the job done in Game 2, in case a rally was on the cards: combined 3 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H - all singles, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 Ks. OF Mark Coley II (0-for-2, 2 Ks in Game 2) is mired in a 1-for-26 slump, which he’ll hopefully break out of next week. Next week’s outlook: Biloxi travel to Alabama to take on Ray’s affiliate Montgomery for six games, commencing Tuesday. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 15, Peoria (Cardinals) 8 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Fischer & Bitonti Lead the Way to a Wisconsin Win Chris Mehring’s linked game report is chock-full of highlights and videos, covering Wisconsin’s 19-hit barrage led by 3B Andrew Fischer (4-for-6, 2 HR, triple, 5 RBIs) and 1B Eric Bitonti (5-for-5, HR, 2 doubles, walk, 2 RBIs). The Timber Rattlers scored runs in 6 of the first 7 innings, including multiple runs in four of the frames to build an unassailable 15-5 advantage. At least as important as the breakout offensive performances (e.g. OF Luis Castillo: 2-for-3, double, 3 walks, 2 RBIs) was the immediate return-to-health of starting RHP Jason Woodward (2 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 Ks; 46 pitches), who had exited a game one week earlier due to a ball off of his forearm. C Blayberg Diaz (2-for-5, double, walk, 3 RBIs) and SS Luiyin Alastre (3-for-5, double, triple, 2 RBIs) were happy to join Castillo in the 7-8-9 batter hit brigade. After playing no innings at shortstop in 2025, Alastre has now started 4 games there in Luis Pena’s absence, with no errors committed. Timber Rattlers’ Extras: After just 132 PAs in an injury-affected 2025 campaign (.466 OPS that season), Castillo has found a groove over his last 9 games: 10-for-31, 2 HR, 2 doubles, 5 walks. RHP Jose Nova (1 2/3 IP, 3 R, 1 K) managed to strand a baserunner for Woodward, but the hit-by-pitch and 7(!) wild pitches were not child-friendly viewing. RHP Chandler Welch covered long relief (4 IP, 3 R, 6 Ks; 66 pitches), with 2 runs coming on a homer as he sought the final out of the 8th inning. Fischer may have really wanted to complete the cycle (he needed a double), as he was ejected followed a called strikeout to start the 9th inning. Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin host Cubs’ affiliate South Bend for six games, with 21-year old LHP Wande Torres (6.35 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 9.9 K/9 in 22 2/3 IP) listed as the schedule for the series opener on Tuesday. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Fayetteville (Astros) 7, Wilson 6 Box Score and Game Log Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Warbirds Rally Comes Up Short in Series Finale Our Low-A squad rallied from an early 5-1 deficit and then nearly rallied again with two outs and nobody on in the 9th inning, but ended up stranding 2 baserunners to fall just short. As he is so often, OF Handelfry Encarnacion (3-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 SBs) was the offensive catalyst, homering on the first pitch of the game, singling to spark the 4-run third inning rally and singling in the 9th inning to extend the contest. After a rough first seven batters faced (5 runs, 4 earned), starting RHP Jarrette Bonet dialed in to register 9 outs from the next 10 batters, exiting after 70 pitches (42 strikes). Two errors didn’t help him in that difficult first frame, but DH Luis Lameda’s game-tying, 2-out, 2-run single in the 3rd inning evened things up. RHPs Thomas Conrad and Tanner Perry were capable in relief, combining to cover 4 2/3 innings (2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks), but the offense was unable to cash in on SS Brady Ebel’s leadoff 5th inning double or two walks in the 6th frame. The Warbirds’ 4th error of the game helped the Woodpeckers to an insurance run in the 7th inning. After Encarnacion, Ebel (1-for-3, double, 2 walks, SB) and 2B Juan Ortuno (1-for-4, walk, SB) refused to make the final out, C Kevin Garcia struck out on five pitches to end the game. Warbirds’ Extras: Garcia is now 1-for-24 to commence the 2026 campaign, starting slowly after missing spring training time due to an injury. Lameda (1-for-3, walk, 2 RBIs) and 3B Filippo Di Turi (1-for-3, walk, RBI) each reached base twice. While OF Nick Monile contributed an outfield assist to end the 6th inning, he’s unfortunately struggling on the offensive end, now 1-for-36 to start his minor league career. Next week’s outlook: Wilson return home to take on Guardian’s affiliate Hill City for six games, commencing on Tuesday. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, the sole affiliate in action is the ACL Brewers, who play at the ACL Reds at 8:00pm CST. The Milwaukee Brewers also have a day off on Monday, resting up before hosting the Padres on Tuesday. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

It’s that time of the year again, when TalkSox updates our Top 20 prospect rankings for the Boston Red Sx. Both staff and readers voted and after tabulating the votes, the reveal of the list is now ready. The Top 20 saw some notable changes from the preseason, including the addition of two new prospects which we will break down. Let’s jump into it below. Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospect List Payton Tolle LHP MLB (40-man) (previously #1) Franklin Arias SS AA (previously #3) Kyson Witherspoon RHP A+ (previously #4) Anthony Eyanson RHP AA (previously #10) Justin Gonzales OF/1B A+ (previously #7) Juan Valera RHP A+ (previously #5) Jake Bennett LHP AAA (40-man) (previously #12) Mikey Romero INF AAA (previously #6) Marcus Phillips RHP A+ (previously #9) Dorian Soto INF FCL (previously #8) Henry Godbout 2B/SS A+ (previously #14) Tyler Uberstine RHP AAA (40-man) (previously #17) Yoeilin Cespedes 2B/SS A+ (previously #15) John Holobetz RHP AA (previously #20) Enddy Azocar OF A (previously unranked) Miguel Bleis OF AA (previously #11) Yophery Rodriguez OF A+ (previously #16) Johanfran Garcia C AA (previously #13) Hayden Mullins LHP AA (previously unranked) Conrad Cason TWP FCL (previously #19) The list retains many players from the previous Top 20, with Connelly Early and Nelly Taylor Jr. being the only players removed — Early due to his graduation from prospect status, while Taylor has struggled mightily in Double-A with Portland to the tune of a stat line of .098/.202/.195. The biggest rank improvements belong to Anthony Eyanson who went from 10th to 4th, Jake Bennett climbing from 12th to 7th, Tyler Uberstine rising from 17th to 12th, and John Holobetz who went from 20th to 14th. Their rise is a sign of the improvements that Craig Breslow made on the pitching development side of things. Though, it wasn’t just pitching that improved, as both Justin Gonzales and Henry Godbout saw their rankings improve, as well as the addition of Enddy Azocar to the Top 20. The biggest rank decreases belonged to catcher Johanfran Garcia falling from 13th to 18th and Miguel Bleis who went from being just outside of the top 10 at 11th down to 16th. Both players have shown flashes of their talent that has generated buzz and hope that they can reach their potential, but a combination of injuries and inconsistency has stifled the duo. The ranking is dominated in two specific areas. The first being that pitching very much makes up most of the Top 10 on the list. Of the 10 players, six are pitchers, including number one prospect Payton Tolle and the big three pitching prospects of Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, and Marcus Phillips all whom were drafted in 2025. Eyanson specifically has generated comparisons to a Tolle-esque season thanks to his hot start in Greenville (20 1/3 innings, seven hits, one earned run, three walks, 34 strikeouts) that led to a promotion to Portland after just five starts. The second area that dominates this list is that Greenville makes up the most players on the list with seven prospects. Portland finished second with six prospects, while Salem had the least with just a single prospect. Greenville at the start of the season was viewed as an exciting, young, team that could be showcasing the future of the franchise thanks to its pitching staff containing the likes of Eyanson, Witherspoon, Phillips, and Juan Valera along with their offense containing players like Rodriguez, Gonzales and Godbout. Yoeilin Cespedes’ great start to the season was a welcomed surprise too, as he’s beginning to showcase the offensive production that once made him a top prospect within the organization. Let's review the two new additions to our list to round things out. Enddy Azocar, OF (Single-A Salem): No. 15 Azocar is an interesting prospect, as he’s just 19 years old and breaking out in Salem. When signed as an amateur, Azocar was viewed as having good contact skills along with projections viewing him as eventually being a good hitter. However, he struggled in 2024 with just three extra-base hits while moving from the infield to the outfield full time. Entering 2025, the outfielder put on 25 pounds of muscle and increased his quality of contact which led to a quick promotion to Single-A where he was one of the youngest players in the league. If you looked at just his stats, you would think that there wasn’t much to like with Azocar, as he hit just .202/.273/.314 in 71 games. In that same span he had nine doubles, a triple, six home runs and 26 RBIs. Despite those numbers, there was a lot to like in the underlying data, including 90th percentile exit velocity. In the majors, a 90th exit velocity of 107 mph or higher is considered elite. Azocar’s 105.4 mph was the highest for all players of his age across the minors. To add to his power, he also showcased solid contact ability thanks to an in-zone whiff rate of just 18%. Azocar starts with a leg lift timing device while hitting and has showcased average bat speed so far in his young career. He can be aggressive at times but will make contact with pitches in the zone and does not chase often. He still needs to work on developing his pitch recognition for secondary pitches, but should that happen, he should take off as a prospect. He currently has average raw power, but as he fills out as he ages that should increase, as shown in 2026 (six home runs through 28 games vs. six home runs in 71 games in 2025). Azocar has been viewed as having slightly above average speed which helps in the outfield when paired with his plus range in center field. Often, he shows solid instincts on balls hit to the outfield while taking good routes to the ball. While he is likely capable of playing all three outfield positions at an above-average level, he is likely to stick in center field long term. His arm is also viewed as being above-average, which will only help his development. Overall, he should be viewed as an athletic, defensive outfielder with power potential. At the moment, his hit tool is what will determine if he truly breaks out into a great prospect or not, but the improvements have been seen so far in 2026. His outcome is anywhere from a starting outfielder to a minor-league bench role, a huge range laden with tantalizing upside. Hayden Mullins, LHP (Double-A Portland): No. 19 For some, it’s a surprise that Mullins remained in the organization after his 2025 season that saw him go 8-2 with a 2.21 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) between Greenville and Portland. He tossed 101 2/3 innings while striking out 123 batters. For his dominance, (7-2 record, 2.44 ERA, 84 2/3 innings, 96 strikeouts), he was named the 2025 Portland Sea Dogs Pitcher of the Year. Entering the Rule 5 Draft, there was a lot of concern that Mullins could be selected after his 2025 season, especially as many felt that his stuff could play well out of the bullpen a role. Instead, he was not selected and returned to the Boston organization for the 2026 season where he’s looked rather good so far including being part of a no-hitter on April 26. Mullins throws from a three-quarters slot and starts on the third base side of the rubber. His motion tends to involve a high leg kick and rotates his hips. He’s also viewed as having good extension, which we all know Craig Breslow loves. He has a five-pitch arsenal that is made up of a four-seam fastball, slider, sweeper, changeup and cutter. His fastball tends to average around 92 to 95 mph and can show life up in the zone. It’s been shown to have bat-missing ability so far through his minor-league career despite the command and control still being a work in progress. If he were in the bullpen, the velocity could potentially increase for shorter outings, which would place it in plus territory. The slider tends to be between 81 and 85 mph with a high spin rate. He has an advanced feel for it and when at a lower velocity, it sometimes takes on a shape similar to a sweeper. He can land it in the zone or throw it down and outside of the zone if he is hoping to get the batter to chase. The sweeper averages between 77 and 80 mph and has been a work in progress for Mullins. In 2025, he managed to make it more into its own pitch and has shown bat missing ability. The changeup and cutter are his weakest pitches, as the changeup sits between 81 and 83 mph. When the changeup is on, it flashes a late drop and thrown with an arm speed that makes it deceptive. When it isn’t on, the pitch doesn’t work as well and because of that it’s viewed as very inconsistent. The cutter is a pitch that he hasn’t used as much since 2024 but is viewed as having average traits. Mullins has battled injuries in his career, and even before his career started as he was drafted shortly after having Tommy John surgery. As such, being drafted in 2022, he would not make his organizational debut until August of 2023 and that would take place in the Florida Complex League. Last year, he also deal with a bout of shoulder fatigue that had him miss most of May. Due to the injury concerns and his command issues, there is belief he could work best out of the bullpen in a one- or two-inning role, especially if he focuses on a fastball/slider combination. However, due to a deep arsenal that can work against both left-handed and right-handed hitters, the organization will look to develop him as a starter until he struggles in that role. View the full article

Outside of the teams that won World Series championships in 1997 and 2003, the 2023 edition of the Miami Marlins was perhaps the most adored in franchise history. Following consecutive seasons of 90-plus losses in 2021 and 2022, '23 was a breath of fresh air. Those fiery, resilient Fish blended both veterans and young stars with formidable pitching and hitting to clinch just Miami's third-ever playoff berth in a full season. You cannot tell the story of that team without a certain 5-foot-10 second baseman with fewer than forty career homers. Luis Arraez was the 2023 Marlins. Acquired from the Minnesota Twins a little less than a month away from spring training, "La Regadera" etched himself in team lore while simultaneously becoming a fan favorite. He achieved the first cycle in franchise history...in just his twelfth game. He proceeded to flirt with a .400 average deep into the season and set a franchise single-season record with his final .354 mark. Arraez was an All-Star, Silver Slugger and top-10 finisher in National League MVP balloting, the leader and face of a scrappy lineup that had Miami in the spotlight like they haven't been in years, with what seemed to be a promising future. On the heels of that prosperous season, Marlins ownership opted for a bold shake-up. General manager Kim Ng was out, replaced by new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. There were wholesale changes to front office personnel, but Bendix largely kept the club's major league roster intact—the most notable departures were letting Jorge Soler and his 36 homers walk in free agency and flipping super utility man Jon Berti on the eve of Opening Day. Given the dire state of Miami's farm system, a rebuild seemingly loomed, but not imminently. To reference Murphy's Law, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. On May 3, just 33 games into their 2024 campaign, the Marlins entered their cross-country trip to Oakland sitting at 9-24, set up by a brutal season-opening 0-9 skid. But hey, maybe this core could do the impossible again. Jesús Sánchez said it himself not even 24 hours ago following his walk-off that "Miami was back" and there were signs of stabilization with a 6-4 record in their last ten. Then, just like that, it was all over. Minutes before first pitch from the Coliseum, news broke that Arraez was headed to San Diego in exchange for a quartet of minor league talent. The reported blockbuster was met with shock and outrage, not just from Marlins faithful, but from all corners of the baseball world. Bendix had gutted the soul from his organization barely one month into his first regular season in Miami. He confirmed in the subsequent media session that this was waving the white flag on 2024, saying "we are unlikely to make the playoffs this year." Many more moves followed and the Marlins endured 100 losses that year. At the time of this article, two players that Bendix inherited from the 26-man postseason roster remain on the major league squad. Although the Marlins are not yet perennial contenders like Bendix aspires to be, their outlook is considerably brighter than it was two years ago. We now have the necessary context to evaluate the Arraez deal more fairly. It's fair to start with the man himself, whom after collecting another batting title in 2024 with San Diego, saw his name and what he brings to the table get more criticized amongst the general baseball population. The "one-tool player" label gained serious wheels following Arraez's first season as a Padre and a 2025 campaign that featured a league-lead in hits with 181, but an OPS of .719. Despite hitting free agency in the theoretical prime of his career (entering his age-29 season), Arraez lingered on the market until February. He ultimately moved north in to the division rival San Francisco Giants on a modest one-year, $12 million deal that literally any MLB team could've afforded (yes, even the frugal Fish). His first quarter of a season in the Bay has been mostly a continuation of his Padres tenure offensively—tons of singles and fewer strikeouts than any other qualified hitter. Interestingly, his defense has graded out brilliantly. Arraez still plays his role and does it better than anybody...except for one guy. We'll get to him later. The package sent to Miami included OF Jakob Marsee, RHP Woo-Suk Go, 1B Nathan Martorella and OF Dillon Head, with the final being considered the headliner. Thus far, Miami gets a 1.5/4. Go was the least desirable at the time of the swap and his stock only lowered since joining the Marlins organization. The Korean right-hander struggled as a low-leverage reliever in the minors and was cut 13 months after being acquired without ever tasting the majors. Martorella's hit tool had been a question mark when he came over and it's looking as questionable as ever now. He is OPS'ing .520 with a .135 average in Triple-A Jacksonville, a step down from an already discouraging .630 OPS a year ago. I'm giving Miami a generous half point for Dillon Head, the 70-grade speedster who was just 19 at the time of the deal. Head has been absolutely hampered by injuries ever since, including a season-ending hip injury a little over a month after joining the organization and has appeared in a limited nine games in 2026 after nursing a hand injury. It is entirely too early to write Head off, but this season in High-A will play a huge role when evaluating his future with the club. Finally-and most notably-Jakob Marsee, who was the first of the four to receive a call-up and did not miss his opportunity. The Dearborn, MI native went scorched earth in his debut month in the bigs, being honored with NL Rookie of the Month for August after posting a sensational .352/.430/.629 with eighteen extra-base hits and above-average defense. It's been a mixed bag since, most notably the start to Marsee's sophomore season—he currently holds a 67 wRC+ (league average is 100). What we do understand is that Bendix and the Marlins front office has supreme confidence in their potential franchise center fielder to figure things out, and there's reason to believe. Marsee boasts incredible plate discipline, still possessing an OBP over .307 with an average of .182. If you choose to view the trade simply based off the four players Miami received in return, it appears Bendix still won his first blockbuster, but not by a landslide. However, the true value of the deal can be seen when analyzing the other guy I was referring to earlier. Xavier Edwards, who had no way of finding consistent playing time with Arraez and Tim Anderson up the middle in 2024, was called up shortly after the departure of his predecessor. Instantly, the former first-round pick proved Bendix was right to deal Arraez in favor of his former Rays farmhand. While Edwards and Arraez both have elite hit tools, the former's value extends far beyond. An elite runner despite not swiping as many bags as one would expect, Edwards can take extra bases and keep balls in the infield at second base. In addition, since transitioning to the position full-time just halfway into 2025, Edwards proved to be elite, even being named a Gold Glove finalist. Perhaps most important to Bendix and Co., the switch-hitting Edwards is three years younger than Arraez and doesn't hit free agency until 2030. Edwards' production and future value chalks this trade up as a win for Miami already. Couple that with a potential franchise center fielder and an uber-athletic 21-year-old that simply needs to stay healthy? While Bendix took plenty of heat for getting rid of the fan favorite, he was just setting the tone for what was to come. View the full article

The 2024 New York Mets feel like a distant memory. While it hasn’t even been 24 months since Grimace’s first pitch turned the Mets into a juggernaut, it might as well have been the pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War. A late-season collapse in 2025, followed by the fast-moving ecological disaster to start 2026, has all but erased what felt like, for a fleeting moment, the beginning of something special. And no player has embodied the rollercoaster quite like Sean Manaea. Manaea was a revelation for the 2024 Mets. He made 32 starts, totaling 181.2 innings, and posted a 3.47 ERA. A season after being moved to the bullpen in San Francisco, Manaea earned the right to start four playoff games for the Mets, and it was in large part thanks to him lowering his arm slot. The truth about hitting is that it is fundamentally subconscious. There just isn’t enough time to see, think, and react to a pitch moving 90-plus MPH. What this means for pitchers is that being generic is the worst thing possible. The more generic a pitch is, the more times a hitter has seen it, and the easier it is for them to square it up or spit on it. Manaea always had a weird profile. His sinker and four-seam fastball might be the same pitch. The former has more horizontal movement and vertical drop than average, but is usually thrown at the top of the strike zone. The general rule is that sinking fastballs play best at the bottom of the zone, while high-spin ones dominate at the top. Despite all this, Manaea limited fly balls, threw enough strikes, and got hitters to chase his sweeper or changeup on his way to being a mostly league-average pitcher. It was an effective plan, but it was mostly generic, until all of a sudden, he wasn’t. With the Mets in 2024, Manaea made the bold decision to lower his arm angle and completely transformed his fastball into an unstoppable weapon. While pitch characteristics are important, they aren’t the only factor in determining how a pitch will play. A lower arm angle provides pitches with a flatter approach angle, which generally makes them play better at the top of the zone. The combination of a sinking-tailing fastball from a shallow approach angle at the top of the zone made Manaea’s fastball far more unique, and helped him and the Mets to a second-half surge. So, what has gone so wrong for Manaea since 2024 and, in particular, 2026? Well, it’s complicated. First, his 2025 wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked. His xERA was 4.00, his FIP was 4.39, and his xFIP was 3.30. In fact, he posted the best K% (28.5%) and K%-BB% (24%) of his career, but was undone by a career-worst home-run-to-fly-ball ratio of 19.4%, which is how he posted a 5.64 ERA, despite some solid indicators. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of his 2026. There is no way around it: Manaea has legitimately been awful to start the season. His xERA is 5.52, his FIP is 4.48, and his xFIP is 4.58, despite throwing exclusively out of the bullpen. So, while he has been unlucky to have a 6.85 ERA, it’s not like he’s making a case to re-enter the Mets' rotation. The biggest concern facing Manaea has been his fastball. Usually, pitchers experience some form of velocity bump when throwing out of the bullpen, but Manaea’s average fastball velocity has dropped to 90.2 MPH, down from 91.7 in 2025 and 92.2 in 2024. No matter the secondary characteristics or the location, at a certain speed, any fastball is vulnerable. And to make matters worse, he’s locating it far worse. Manaea’s fastball has played relatively well at the top of the zone, and has characteristics where it could play near the bottom, but what you cannot do is throw a 90 MPH fastball down the middle, and that’s exactly what he has been doing this season. Sean Manaea 2026 Four Seam Heat Map Unsurprisingly, the pitch has surrendered an xSLG of .537 and has seen its whiff rate drop from 23.2% to 18.2%. The reality is that Manaea’s fastball velocity might never return. He’s 34, and his velocity has been trending down over the past few seasons, despite throwing more innings out of the bullpen. However, that doesn’t mean his fastball can’t play far better if he can manage to locate it more consistently at the top of the zone and out of the heart of the plate, and despite the awful results, there are still a few things under the hood that the southpaw is doing well. His infield fly ball percentage of 17.2%, which, when paired with a 41.4% fly-ball rate, means that 7% of all the batted balls he has allowed are infield fly balls. Infield fly balls are historically converted as outs at nearly the same rate as strikeouts. When added to his current 22% K%, he's still getting nearly automatic outs in 27.08% of plate appearances. That's not elite, but it's something to build upon. Manaea's first pitch strike percentage is also down to a career-low 59.3%, but in his excellent 2024, it was 59.8%. In all likelihood, his first pitch strike percentage should regress towards his career average of 63.1%, which will help cut into his career-high 9.3% BB%, and probably lead to slightly better strikeout figures and batted ball metrics. With the loss of velocity, Manaea’s days as anything but a spot starter might be over, but there’s a road map for him to be a viable member of a bullpen. All he needs to do is locate his fastball a bit better, and he should start to look like the league-average pitcher he has been for most of his career. That's not particularly exciting, but the Mets, and Manaea for that matter, need boring competence more than anything. View the full article

Welcome back to Blue Jays Clutch Plays, a recurring post that highlights the six most pivotal plays (three pitching, three hitting) from the past week of Blue Jays baseball, according to MLB's win probability model. Click here to read last week's edition. After recovering enough to undo their early-April struggles, the Blue Jays went down without much of a fight in St. Petersburg, getting swept in their first set at Tropicana Field since 2024. A series win against the Angels over the weekend may sound like a relief, but they let slip an opportunity to sweep them on Sunday afternoon. After jumping out to a 1-0 lead and forcing José Soriano to throw 25 pitches in the bottom of the first, the bats proceeded to shut down as Soriano only needed 78 pitches to get through the next 6.2 innings. The long ball continued to haunt Eric Lauer, who gave up six runs in five innings to take the loss. They're 18-22, the Rays are coming to town next, and the sense of urgency is climbing. Pitching 3. Patrick Corbin: Junior Caminero GIDP, Bot 1, 5/6 (+10.6% WPA) The offense once again squandered a respectable effort by Patrick Corbin, whose advanced metrics suggest his days with an ERA under 4.00 might be numbered. After getting into early trouble on Wednesday, he located this sinker beautifully off the outer half of the plate, getting Junior Caminero, the most dangerous power threat in the Rays' lineup, to ground into an easy unassisted 4-3 double play. 2. Trey Yesavage: Vaughn Grissom LIDP, Top 2, 5/9 (+11.0% WPA) Vaughn Grissom didn't put a bad swing on this Trey Yesavage fastball, turning it around on a line to right field, but Addison Barger ensured that no run would score on the play thanks to a dazzling 101-mph outfield assist. This clutch play might've come with a curse, though, as Barger was scratched with elbow soreness on Sunday, just a day after getting activated from the IL. He'll be getting an MRI on that elbow shortly. The injuries just keep piling onto each other. 1. Trey Yesavage: Sebastian Rivero GIDP, Top 4, 5/9 (+19.4% WPA) Yesavage exited Saturday's start without giving up a run, but he didn't have his best stuff, as the Angels knocked him out after he threw 87 pitches through four innings. Despite that, he continues to have a knack for well-timed double plays. On a full count with the bases loaded, Sebastian Rivero chased a fastball below the zone and grounded it harmlessly to Ernie Clement, who turned the inning-ender himself. According to win probability, this was the fifth-most clutch play by a Toronto pitcher this season so far. Hitting 3. Kazuma Okamoto: RBI Single, Bot 3, 5/8 (+12.0% WPA) Kazuma Okamoto's monstrous stretch (254 wRC+ in May) is showing no signs of slowing down, as this RBI single on Friday night proved to be the eventual winner in a 2-0 Blue Jays victory. It was one of only three hits they got on the night, which, along with his 26 RBIs being eight more than the next closest hitter on the team, indicates how much he has been carrying the lineup. 2. Yohendrick Piñango: RBI Single, Top 5, 5/5 (+12.3% WPA) This was an impressive piece of hitting from Yohendrick Piñango, who was unfortunately the odd man out when Barger returned on Saturday but is likely to be the first call-up if the MRI on Barger's elbow reveals any sort of bad news. Drew Rasmussen, who owns one of the best cut fastballs in the game, bunched him up with a first-pitch cutter in on the hands. Piñango fought it off and took it right back up the middle to score Clement and give the Blue Jays the lead, one they would not hold after the baseball gods conjured an evil force to hex Tyler Rogers in the bottom of the eighth. 1. Andrés Giménez: RBI Single, Top 2, 5/5 (+12.3% WPA) The Blue Jays went 2-4 this week. One of those wins was by a 2-0 score, in which they scored both runs early, and the other was a 14-1 rout. As such, it was a quiet stretch in terms of truly impactful swings, as this Andrés Giménez single doesn't even crack the top 40 biggest WPA changes on the season for the offense. Giménez's bouncing ball up the middle scored Daulton Varsho from second to put the Jays up 2-0, which was about as good as things got at any point during the Tampa series. They'll try to get their revenge at home this week. View the full article

In nearly three and a half decades as a franchise, the Florida/Miami Marlins have had six different pitchers throw a no-hitter. The first came on this day 30 years ago. Left-hander Al Leiter needed 103 pitches to accomplish the feat at Joe Robbie Stadium on May 11, 1996. Leiter allowed just three baserunners in the Florida Marlins’ 11-0 win over the Colorado Rockies. In the first, Leiter needed just 10 pitches to work a 1-2-3 inning. The next time he took the mound, he had a big lead. After Jeff Conine drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first to get the scoring started, Terry Pendleton followed with a two-run single. Two pitches later, Charles Johnson’s three-run home run staked Florida to a 6-0 lead. The biggest threat for Colorado came in the top of the second. Leiter walked Andrés Galarraga to open the inning before hitting Ellis Burks. Leiter, however, bounced back by striking out Vinny Castilla and getting Trenidad Hubbard to hit into an inning-ending double play. Following a two-run double by Conine in the bottom of the second that pushed the lead to 8-0, the double-play ball was again Leiter’s friend in the third. Leiter walked Jayhawk Owens to open the frame, but got opposing pitcher John Habyan to bunt into a double play two pitches later. The Rockies never had another baserunner. The rest of the Florida offense came courtesy of Pendleton. The third baseman extended the lead to 9-0 with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth before plating two with a double in the sixth. As the game went on, Leiter appeared to be getting better. He struck out Galarraga and Dante Bichette on back-to-back 3-2 pitches in the seventh. As the contest went to the ninth, he was three outs away. Leiter got Owens and Quinton McCracken to each ground out on the first pitch of their at-bats in the ninth. After the count went full on Eric Young, Leiter got the speedy Colorado second baseman to swing through a fastball to complete the no-no and make Marlins history. While the Rockies were held without a hit, the Marlins had 11. Pendleton and Greg Colbrunn each had three knocks. Pendleton finished with five RBIs while Colbrunn scored three times. Conine and Johnson finished with three RBIs apiece. The night, however, would belong to Leiter. In what would be his first All-Star season, Leiter threw the first no-hitter in club history. It came on this day three decades ago. View the full article

While the Mets have upgraded their standard level of offensive play from consistently disastrous to weak and insubstantial, their league-worst 15-25 record is well reflected by Mets Roster Central, who saw a database crash reflect recent updates as the Mets scrambled to restock their system for the summer ahead. Transactions, 5/5/2026 COMING Signed away from SEA to Minor-League Contract, Not Yet Assigned Relief Pitchers Guillo Zuñiga R/R DoB: 36078 High Level: MLB (2024) Guillo (short for Guillermo) Zuñiga last saw MLB action as an Angel in 2024. A native of Colombia who recently appeared for his country of origin in the World Baseball Classic (his second WBC), G-Money spent the spring with the Mariners organization, released at the end of training camp. Zu Station originally signed with the Braves back in 2016, but his contract was one of over a dozen voided by the league a year later in the aftermath of a broad scandal and investigation involving player bundling, under-the-table benefits and predraft deals that would lead to a lifetime ban for former Braves GM John Coppolella. A pitcher on the Mets after originally being signed by the Braves, only to see that contract voided due to rules violations? We're not going to say that Guillo Zuñiga is the second coming of Tom Seaver, but ... yes, actually, that's exactly what we're saying. Transactions, 5/6/2026 COMING Signed as International Amateur Free Agent out of Venezuela, Not Yet Assigned Relief Pitchers Josbel Torrez R/R DoB: 39177 High Level: Academy (2026) Josbel Torrez, like most foreign amateur teenagers not signed in the mid-season or mid-winter periods, comes with little known about him, but an Instagram image of him signing his contract comes with the caption "Lo que repites cada dia, define tu resultado" — That which you repeat every day defines your result. But here at Mets Roster Central, we have our doubts. That which we repeat daily sometimes just defines what part of our back is going to hurt a lot tomorrow. blah Zvon. Transactions, 5/8/2026 GOING Signed Away to Minor League Contract by DET Relief Pitchers Carl Edwards, Jr. R/R DoB: 1991-09-03 High Level: MLB (2026) We can't say enough about Carl Edwards, Jr., but we've largely said it already. It's a mistake to keep shuffling off bullpen backenders to keep arms fresh. Yes, the talent in that role often fungible from player to player, but it keeps players from finding their groove and/or establishing themselves as capable of doing more than the role at hand, and it keep the bonds of teams from establishing themselves. All that said, we wish Carl the best, and knowing that guys who get DFA'd tend to get DFA'd, we hope to see him in a Mets uni again. Transactions, 5/9/2026 COMING Signed Away from Quintana Roo (Mexican Summer League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Syracuse Signed away from Monclava (Mexican Summer League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Brooklyn Signed away from WAS to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Syracuse Signed as International Amateur Free Agent out of The Dominican Republic Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Infielder Xzavion Curry Brady Miller Cionel Pérez Jesus Minaya R/R DoB: 36003 High Level: MLB (2025) R/R DoB: 36452 High Level: American Association (2025) R/R DoB: 35176 High Level: MLB (2026) L/R DoB: 39870 High Level: Academy (2026) Clearly, somebody has come home from scouting the Mexican league and brought with them two US exiles. Xzavion Curry has beaucoups MLB experience as a starter and reliever, and more importantly, has a name that is worth 36 raw points in Scrabble, before factoring in any multiplier squares. We haven't checked to see if that would be a Mets record, but we're just going to go ahead and assume that's a Mets record. One thinks of Zebulon Vermillion, who got released back on April 1. Even had Zebulon and his paltry 33 Scrabble points reached Citi Field, he would now stand to be eclipsed by Xzavion Curry. The X-Man pitched in multiple roles for Cleveland's staff, and so could find himself being a Tobias Myers-type — possibly an opener — should he wend his way to Citi Field, and probably don a really high number. Brady Miller has only appeared in unaffiliated ball since graduating with a finance degree from Western Michigan U., so he will be deployed to Brooklyn. Cionel Perez has appeared in nine different big league seasons. His bad starts the last two seasons has set him adrift, but he represents the kind of redeemable-if-not-recently-effective talent floating around that probably makes the Mets think the Carl Edwardses are replaceable. Sometimes, they are right, but the process is an ugly game. Cionel's perfectly symmetrical well-scaped beard and un-marred face make him look like a videogame NPC. Look at his thumbnail pic and tell us we are wrong. Transactions, 5/10/2026 NEUTRAL COMING Ended Rehab Assignment, Activated from 15-Day Injured List, Demoted to Syracuse Cleared Waivers and Assigned to Syracuse Relief Pitchers Infielders Joey Gerber Eric Wagaman R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 35656 High Level: MLB (2026) Joey Gerber is someone we fully expect to see again, providing no disasters befall him. Extending his Injured List status out with a long rehab assignment was clearly the Mets just playing roster games, trying to keep him in their back pocket if needed. Eric Wagaman is more likely someone we can imagine joining the list of ghost Mets, having been activated on the big league roster for a single game last week. Now being off the 40, and expecting perhaps the return to health of other Met infielders and the expected activation of top prospect A.J. Ewing, one would expect several dominoes would have to fall before we see a return of Eric, but William Butler Years will tell you — things do fall apart. Transactions, 5/6/2026 GOING Released Relief Pitchers Kevin Gowdy R/R DoB: 35750 High Level: AAA (2025) The Mets are (or more correctly, were) the fifth MLB organization for Kevin Gowdy. When he joined the team toward the end of spring training, we had guessed he might be a relation to Sports Broadcasting Hall-of-Famer Curt Gowdy, Jr., longtime executive vice president for SNY, as well as the even-more-famous Curt Gowdy, Sr., — and maybe he got a courtesy look from the Mets — but we have found no evidence to back that up. Kevin is just a journeyman reliever, and now he journeys on, his second-round-draft-pick (Phillies) status from back in 2016 is well in the past, but maybe somebody pulls their old 2016 scouting reports and decides to give him a tumble. Stranger things have come to pass in this game. And heck, maybe he is one of those Gowdys after all. Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Clay Holmes Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson Christian Scott R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán Craig Kimbrel Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 R/R DoB: 32291 R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Vidal Brujan Andy Ibáñez MJ Melendez R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 Infielders Outfielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Brett Baty Carson Benge Austin Slater Juan Soto Tyrone Taylor R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 R/R DoB: 33951 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 R/R DoB: 34356 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Tylor Megill Kodai Senga Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 On 60-Day Injured List with torn right UCL. On 15-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Inflammation With Syracuse With Syracuse On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery and nerve relocation surgery. With St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment On 60 Day Injured List with fractured rib. Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders A.J. Minter Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 With Syracuse on Rehab Assignment On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery. With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Strained Left Calf On 10-Day Injured List with fractured right thumb. Infielders Outfielders Jorge Polanco Nick Morabito Luis Robert, Jr. Jared Young S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 On 10-Day Injured List with right wrist contusion. With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Disc Hernitaion On 10-Day Injured List with torn left meniscus. Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coordinator Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitching Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Prac. Pitcher Equipment Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Reconditioning Coordinator Reconditioning Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? DoB: 22846 View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays are ready to give Yariel Rodriguez another shot. The right-handed reliever will be called up from Triple-A Buffalo by the Blue Jays on Monday, according to MLB insider Francys Romero. The Jays have an open spot on their 40-man roster, so only a move involving the 26-man roster will be necessary. Rodriguez signed a five-year, $24 million contract with the Jays before the 2024 season, but has had issues with walks, causing him not to stick on the major-league roster. Rodriguez made 21 starts in 2024 with a 4.34 FIP (4.47 ERA), then 66 appearances in 2025, all but one out of the bullpen, posting a 4.40 FIP (3.08 ERA). While Rodriguez has had strikeout rates of 23.1% and 22.1% the last two years (22.4% is the MLB average), respectively, his walk rates have been below average at 10.9% and 11.9%. The MLB average is 8.3%. In 11 appearances, including one start, this year at Buffalo, Rodriguez has walked nine and struck out 25 in 13⅔ innings, giving up four runs for a 2.63 ERA. View the full article

El Paso walked off Tacoma 7-6 in 10 innings as Nick Solak went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. San Antonio rallied past Midland 3-2 on a Lucas Giolito quality start and a walk-off single by Carson Tucker. Fort Wayne fell 9-7 to Beloit in extras despite six strong innings from Jamie Hitt. Lake Elsinore dropped a 5-4 decision to Inland Empire after Carlos Medina worked four scoreless and Ryan Wideman went 4-for-4 with five stolen bases. Padres Minor-League Transactions No roster moves Mason McCoy, Chihuahuas Rally For Win In 10th Mason McCoy's opposite-field line-drive single to right scored Nick Solak from third base with no outs in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas overcame a three-run deficit to beat the Tacoma Rainiers 7-6. The walk-off win was the second of the series and fourth of the season for the Chihuahuas (19-20), who won the series 4-2. Solak, who went 4-for-5, led off the 10th by bouncing an RBI single up the middle past a diving shortstop to score zombie runner Nick Schnell from second. Solak went to third on Clay Dungan's bunt single and a throwing error by the pitcher, then scored when McCoy hit the first pitch for the game-winner. Solak also scored three times, while Dungan went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and Samad Taylor had a pair of hits and has reached base seven times in the last two games. Pablo Reyes had a first-inning single to extend his on-base streak to all 27 games he has played this year. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Evan Fitterer bounced back from a subpar last outing to allow two runs 4⅔ innings, yielding seven hits and two runs with three strikeouts. Right-hander Logan Gillaspie pitched a perfect 2⅓ innings of relief, striking out two. Tacoma took a 4-1 lead with three runs in the top of the sixth, but the Chihuahuas got two back in the bottom half on back-to-back one-out doubles by Solak and Dungan and Marcos Castanon's two-out single to make it 4-3. El Paso tied it in the bottom of the eighth as Solak, Dungan and Jose Miranda getting one-out singles, with Miranda's plating Solak. In the 10th, Tacoma scored once in the top, before the Chihuahuas rallied for the win in the bottom half. El Paso's Jase Bowen had a first-inning triple, his fourth, which is tied for the Pacific Coast League lead. EP_0510.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Jase Bowen 5 1 1 0 0 1 Samad Taylor 4 0 2 0 1 1 Pablo Reyes 3 0 1 2 1 0 Nick Schnell 5 1 0 0 0 2 Nick Solak 5 3 4 1 0 0 Clay Dungan 4 1 3 1 1 0 Jose Miranda 4 0 1 1 0 1 Mason McCoy 1 0 1 1 0 0 Marcos Castañon 4 0 1 1 0 0 Colton Vincent 4 1 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Evan Fitterer 4 2/3 7 2 2 2 3 1 Triston McKenzie 1/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 David Morgan 2/3 4 3 3 0 0 0 Logan Gillaspie 2 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Alek Jacob (W) 2 2 1 0 1 1 0 Lucas Giolito Shines, Missions Walk It Off For First Series Win Kai Murphy and Carson Tucker had back-to-back RBI singles with one out in the bottom of the ninth as the Double-A San Antonio Missions pulled out a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Midland RockHounds. With their second straight walk-off, the Missions (11-22) won their first series of the season 4-2. It is also their first series victory since July 8-13 last season against Wichita. San Diego Padres right-handed starter Lucas Giolito, in what is likely to be his final tuneup before joining the major-league rotation, allowed one run on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts in six innings. He threw 74 pitches, 52 for strikes. In four starts since signing a one-year contract April 22, Giolito has thrown 17 innings, allowing 11 runs (nine earned) on 18 hits with six walks and 15 strikeouts. He has a clause in his contract that requires him to be added to the MLB roster by Saturday. Midland had grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth before Braedon Karpathios led off the bottom with a walk, was bunted to second, pinch-hitter Leandro Cedeno intentionally walked and replaced by pinch-runner Luis Verdugo. Murphy lined the tying single to right, easily scoring Karpathios, and Tucker won it by going the other way with a single down to right, driving in Verdugo from second. After Giolito, right-hander Victor Lizarraga went the final three innings, giving up a run on three hits and a pair of walks with one strikeout. Ethan Salas had an RBI single in the third inning for the Missions. SA_0510.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 5 0 1 1 0 3 Ethan Salas 3 0 1 1 1 1 Tirso Ornelas 3 0 1 0 1 0 Romeo Sanabria 4 0 1 0 0 0 Ryan Jackson 4 0 1 0 0 1 Braedon Karpathios 2 1 2 0 2 0 Francisco Acuna 3 0 0 0 0 2 Albert Fabian 3 1 2 0 0 0 Kai Roberts 0 0 0 0 0 0 Leandro Cedeño 0 0 0 0 1 0 Luis Verdugo 0 1 0 0 0 0 Kai Murphy 4 0 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Lucas Giolito 6 3 1 1 0 3 0 Victor Lizarraga (W) 3 3 1 1 2 1 0 TinCaps Squander Lead, Fall To Sky Carp In Extras The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps gave up three runs in the top of the ninth and three more in the 10th to drop a 9-7 decision to the Beloit SkyCarp. The TinCaps (16-17), who lost for the first time in extra innings this year, won four of the six games in the series. The TinCaps scored once in the bottom of the 10th on Alex McCoy's sac fly, but couldn't get anyone else on base. Fort Wayne had a 6-2 lead after the sixth and 6-3 after the top of the seventh before the SkyCarp tied it up with three runs in the top of the ninth. Left-hander Jamie Hitt, the Padres' eighth-round pick in 2025 who is making his pro debut this year, turned in the TinCaps' first quality start of the season, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in a season-high six innings. The outing is the longest by a TinCaps pitcher this year. The TinCaps' bullpen had been instrumental in Fort Wayne winning nine of its last 10. Over that stretch, the relief corps led the entire minors in wins, saves, ERA and opponent batting average, but faltered in the ninth and 10th innings. Carlos E. Rodriguez had his first three-hit game in 25 games with the TinCaps, driving in two and scoring once. FW_0510.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 4 1 1 0 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 4 3 1 1 1 0 Carlos Rodriguez 4 1 3 2 1 1 Alex McCoy 3 0 0 1 0 0 Jake Cunningham 5 0 1 0 0 3 Jack Costello 4 0 0 0 1 1 Zach Evans 4 1 1 0 0 0 Jonathan Vastine 4 0 0 0 0 1 Oswaldo Linares 4 1 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jamie Hitt 6 5 2 2 2 5 0 Igor Gil 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 Kleiber Olmedo (H) 1 3 3 3 0 0 0 C.J. Widger (BS) 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 Isaiah Lowe (L) 1 2 3 2 0 1 1 Ryan Wideman Has 4 Hits, 5 Steals, But Storm Falter Late Ryan Wideman went 4-for-4 and stole a career-best five bases, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm let a late lead slip away, losing in walk-off fashion to the Inland Empire 66ers 5-4. The Storm (19-14) went 2-4 in the series. Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect, has 27 steals in 33 attempts in the 32 games he has played. He had a four-steal game April 23 vs. Visalia and has eight games with multiple stolen bases. Nine of his steals came in this series. Lake Elsinore scored three times in the top of the eighth to take a 4-2 lead. But the 66ers tied it in the bottom of the eighth and won it in the ninth. Storm right-handed starter Carlos Medina matched his season high with four innings, not allowing a run while giving up three hits and a walk with five strikeouts, one shy of his season high. Luke Cantwell had a pair of hits and scored once for the Storm. Wideman got the Storm on the board in the fourth when he singled, then stole second and third. After Kerrington Cross was hit by a pitch and stole second, Jorge Quintana had an RBI groundout to bring in Wideman and put the Storm up 1-0. Inland Empire went up 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, but the Storm regained the lead in the eighth. Cantwell had a leadoff double and went to third on a Wideman single. Wideman stole his fifth base of the day and Truitt Madonna singled home Cantwell. Wideman, now on third, scored on Cross' squeeze bunt and, with two outs, Jose Verdugo singled home Madonna from second. LE_0510.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 0 1 George Bilecki 2 0 0 0 0 0 Luke Cantwell 5 1 2 0 0 2 Ryan Wideman 4 2 4 0 0 0 Truitt Madonna 4 1 1 1 0 2 Kerrington Cross 2 0 0 1 0 0 Jorge Quintana 4 0 1 1 0 1 Jose Verdugo 3 0 1 1 0 0 Yoiber Ocopio 4 0 1 0 0 1 Conner Westenburg 3 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carlos Medina 4 3 0 0 1 5 0 Cal Riehl 1 1/3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Carson Swilling (BS) 1 2/3 1 2 2 2 2 0 Joseph Herrera (L) 1 1/3 2 3 3 2 0 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K Kash Mayfield: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Ryan Wideman: 4-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 5 SB Kale Fountain: DNP Romeo Sanabria: 1-for-4 Jorge Quintana: 1-for-4, RBI, K Lamar King Jr.: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Tirso Ornelas: 1-for-3, BB Kavares Tears: DNP Truitt Madonna: 1-for-4, R, RBI, 2 K Deivid Coronil: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Francis Pena: DNP View the full article

The Weekly Nutshell: It's becoming a weekly trend for the Minnesota Twins: they start and finish strong, with a whole lot of ugliness in between. This time around, they kicked off the week with an 11-3 win over Washington before dropping three in a row and then rebounding over the weekend with rare back-to-back one-run wins in Cleveland. The Twins are in last place but are hanging around in a closely grouped AL Central, currently led by Cleveland with a .500 record. Though they're far from out of the running, it's tough to feel much belief in this team's outlook as the bullpen continues to bleed and the hits keep coming from an injury standpoint. But Minnesota's star center fielder is doing all he can to single-handedly keep things interesting. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 5/4 through Sun, 5/10 *** Record Last Week: 3-3 (Overall: 18-23) Run Differential Last Week: -7 (Overall: -12) Standing: 5th Place in AL Central (2.5 GB) Latest Game Results Game 36 | MIN 11, WAS 3: Twins Beat Up on Brutal Nats Pitching Staff in Rout Lee: 3-5, 3 RBI Game 37 | WAS 15, MIN 2: Ober Struggles, Bullpen Gets Nuked in Late Innings Topa, García: 1.1 IP, 8 ER, 3 HR allowed Game 38 | WAS 7, MIN 5: Mental Mistakes, Missed Chances Cost Twins Series Woods Richardson: 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K Game 39 | CLE 6, MIN 4: Four-Run First Carries Guardians to Win in Opener Buxton: 3-5, HR, 2 RBI Game 40 | MIN 2, CLE 1 (11): Buxton Provides All the Offense Epic Pitching Duel Buxton: 2-5, HR, 2 RBI Game 41 | MIN 5, CLE 4: Twins Scrape Out Another Rare One-Run Win at Cleveland Clemens: 2-4, 2 R NEWS & NOTES The week opened with some much-needed good news: Joe Ryan's MRI showed no structural damage in his elbow, eliciting a collective sigh of relief after his early exit last week set off major alarm bells. Not only was Ryan able to avoid a trip to the injured list, but he didn't even miss a start, returning to the mound for his scheduled turn in Cleveland on Saturday. It went very well. More on that below. But it wasn't all good news on the pitching health front. Mick Abel, who's trying to work his way back from elbow inflammation, experienced a setback and received a cortisone shot in his triceps. He's still probably multiple weeks away at least. This comes on the heels of David Festa being shut down on his own rehab journey due to renewed soreness in his shoulder, leaving his season somewhat in limbo. And on Saturday, the Twins placed Taj Bradley — who's been easily the biggest bright spot on the pitching staff — on the injured list with right pec muscle inflammation. Travis Adams was recalled to take his spot on the roster. Hopefully this is a minor issue for Bradley but it unfortunately should be noted that the same injury cost him two months in 2024. Word is that imaging came back clean, but Bradley was headed to see Dr. Keith Meister (famed pitching surgeon) for a second opinion, which suggests some level of concern. We'll see what comes next. While Adams replaced him immediately on the roster, it looks like it'll be Kendry Rojas — recalled on Sunday with Kody Funderburk heading down — counted on to fill the bulk innings lost from Bradley, who's been a workhorse for this staff. Rojas threw 3 ⅓ innings in relief of opener Andrew Morris in the series finale against Cleveland. Finally, Yoendrys Gómez was acquired from Tampa Bay for cash considerations. The Twins designated Christian Roa for assignment to make room on the 40-man and optioned John Klein to make room on the active roster. HIGHLIGHTS This was a fairly solid week for the offense, all in all, with some of the lineup's top performers contributing and building on their successful starts to the season. As usual, Byron Buxton was the driving force. At times it's felt like he IS the Twins offense, and that became literal on Saturday night when Buxton's leadoff homer in the first and RBI double in the 11th represented the entirety of Minnesota's production in a 2-1 victory. The home run was Buxton's third of the week, pushing his season total to 13. Entering play on Sunday he was tied for fourth in the majors behind Aaron Judge, Munetaka Murakami and Kyle Schwarber. Ryan Jeffers went 6-for-17 with a home run, four doubles and four runs scored. Austin Martin was 7-for-20 with a double and a stolen base. Buxton, Jeffers and Martin rank first, second and fourth among Twins position players in fWAR this season, respectively. Brooks Lee has risen to fifth on that list, ascending steadily in recent weeks after pulling clear of a season-opening lull. He tallied four multi-hit games and six RBIs, and on Saturday played perhaps his best defensive game of the season at shortstop. In extra innings, Lee made a couple of stellar, high-stakes plays, including a game-ending putout on a diving play to his left in the 11th, following an almost miraculous stab of a hot liner with the infield in. Luke Keaschall is also rising on the WAR leaderboard following his own slow start. He had four hits including a double, but also drew eight walks with no strikeouts. In his past 14 games, Keaschall is 13-for-43 (.317) with five doubles and three stolen bases, lifting his OPS by over 100 points. On the pitching side, Ryan looked to be in top form on Saturday, which was a huge relief. There were no signs of discomfort or hindrance from the elbow that forced him out of his previous start, and in fact Ryan's velocity was actually up a tick over his season norm. He held the Guardians to one over six innings and finished with 107 pitches, his highest total in an outing since June of 2023. Never a dull moment when it comes to the Joe Ryan Experience. LOWLIGHTS Another horrendous week for the bullpen. Wednesday's game was the clear low point, with four relievers combining to allow 10 earned runs in three innings after Bailey Ober's exit. That included six charged to Justin Topa, who now has a 7.88 ERA and has been one of the most-used relievers in baseball despite his lack of capability. Luis García followed Topa and gave up home runs to two of the four batters he faced; García has now surrendered eight earned runs in 4 ⅔ innings since being signed to a minor-league contract after the Mets jettisoned him. Anthony Banda continues to look erratic and unreliable. He issued two walks and hit two batters in his four appearances. His ERA sits at 7.64 on the season, making him one of four Twins pitchers seeing regular use despite an ERA over six. Joining Banda, Topa and García in that category is Simeon Woods Richardson, who is getting knocked around every fifth day with no end in sight. The Nationals jumped on him for five earned runs in 4 ⅓ innings on Thursday, marking the third straight start in which he's been unable to get through the fifth. The Twins are 1-7 in games started by Woods Richardson, whose 6.92 ERA is tied for the worst in baseball. There haven't been many redeeming aspects in the right-hander's performance so far. He has the lowest strikeout rate in the majors at 10.7%. Opponents are slashing .323/.390/.544 against him, and they have a .440 wOBA against the splitter that's supposed to be a neutralizing weapon. Yet the Twins have little choice but to keep trotting him out there as a member of their rotation. Injuries to Festa, Abel and now Bradley have decimated Minnesota's starting depth, so even if they wanted to make a move with Woods Richardson — tricky in and of itself since he's out of options and doesn't seem to offer much potential as a reliever — their hands are essentially tied. Honestly, I can live with it. In an increasingly lost season, letting a 25-year-old starter work through his struggles is acceptable. He's not giving the Twins much chance to win when he's on the mound but that doesn't really matter a whole lot. In the bigger picture there is still a purpose in running him out there. The bullpen situation is far more difficult to tolerate. Klein also wasn't pitching well either, allowing two earned runs over 2 ⅓ innings during his brief stint with the Twins, but at least he's a semi-legitimate prospect who could possibly be a factor for the bullpen going forward. Instead, he's back in Triple-A, while the Twins trot out veterans like Topa, García and now Gómez with no current or future value. This isn't a rebuilding bullpen, it's just a bad bullpen offering no compelling reason to tune in. Finally, we've got to talk about Royce Lewis. It's getting late early for the Twins third baseman. He sat consecutive games on Wednesday and Thursday as Derek Shelton sought to give Lewis — hitting .133 with a 15-to-1 K/BB ratio since coming off the injured list — a bit of a soft reset. The 26-year-old now routinely finds himself batting ninth in the order, with an OPS that has dropped well below .600. Despite efforts to reduce the pressure and get him right, Lewis just can't find his way out of a funk that essentially extends back to the middle of the 2024 season. Where to go from here? In some sense you can make a similar argument as the one above with Woods Richardson — as a hopeful building block, let him take the lumps and try to figure things out — but this slump has lasted far longer and unlike with SWR, Lewis has a minor-league option remaining, as well as credible options in the minors to replace him. TRENDING STORYLINE If you're looking for a vibe lift, you might turn your attention to the super-slugging St. Paul Saints. Yes, there's cause for dismay on this roster too, with top prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez both landing on the injured list last week, but there's still plenty of juice in this lineup. The Saints tweeted last week that they lead all of professional baseball in home runs, outpacing even the New York Yankees who were leading the majors. Among the power bats fueling St. Paul's prolific long-ball prowess are Gabriel Gonzalez, Kyler Fedko, Orlando Arcia and Kaelen Culpepper with eight home runs apiece. The latter two stand out as potential promotion candidates, with the capability to displace Lewis at third base. Understandably, the Twins might want to keep playing it slow with Culpepper, prioritizing his development as he continues acclimating to the Triple-A level. But Arcia, who is slashing .316.372/.579 through 34 games with the Saints, sure looks like a candidate for a relatively imminent call-up. LOOKING AHEAD Following a 2-3 road trip [thru sat], the Twins are coming back to Target Field for a pair of interleague showdowns. First they'll be welcoming the Marlins, with Woodbury native Max Meyer slated to make his Target Field debut on Wednesday. Over the weekend it'll be the cross-border rival Brewers, with plenty of Wisconsinite fans surely in tow. Should be some nice weather as long as it stays dry. TUESDAY, MAY 12: MARLINS @ TWINS — RHP Eury Perez v. RHP Bailey Ober WEDNESDAY, MAY 13: MARLINS @ TWINS — RHP Max Meyer v. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson THURSDAY, MAY 14: MARLINS @ TWINS — LHP Robby Snelling v. LHP Connor Prielipp FRIDAY, MAY 15: BREWERS @ TWINS — LHP Kyle Harrison v. RHP Joe Ryan SATURDAY, MAY 16: BREWERS @ TWINS — RHP Logan Henderson v. TBD SUNDAY, MAY 17: BREWERS @ TWINS — RHO Chad Patrick v. RHP Bailey Ober View the full article

TRANSACTIONS LHP Kody Funderburk optioned to AAA St. Paul LHP Kendry Rojas recalled INF Quinn McDaniel signed* Another Indy Ball Star? On Sunday, news broke that the Twins plucked Quinn McDaniel from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. A 5th-round 2023 draftee, McDaniel spent two forgettable seasons in Eugene, Oregon, for the Giants' A+ ball squad before striking a path to indy ball. He obliterated the competition. McDaniel was hitting the days in the year, .365 in 14 games before the Twins handed him a minor-league contract. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 4, Las Vegas 2 Box Score Ryan Gallagher: 3 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K HR: David Bañuelos (1) Multi-hit games: Kaelen Culpepper (2-for-5, 3 RBI), Ryan Kreidler (2-for-3, 2B, BB), Ben Ross (2-for-4, 2B, R) “This is bat country.” Perhaps, Mr. Thompson, but the bats of this series aren’t from the hallucinations of a drug-fueled madman: rather, the Saints’ wooden cylinders were as real and potent as the mescaline favored by Raoul Duke and his associate. And no one made a beast of himself (except for maybe Aaron Sabato on Tuesday.) Ryan Gallagher earned the start for the Saints. Though the high-flying ways of the PCL clipped the wings of others before him, the UC Santa Barbara product proved to possess a steeled mettle: he overcame a minor kerfuffle in the first to give his team 3 ⅔ effective frames, punching out six. He threw 74 pitches. St. Paul supported their hurler early, scoring three in the second inning. Every run came off a rare bases-clearing single from Kaelen Culpepper. Credit goes to Harry Genth for busting it from first with a speed and vigor unseen outside a Mint 400 Motorcycle race. Because no Saints game can exist without a blast these days, David Bañuelos shot one over the left-center wall in the ninth off former Twin Who Got Away, Nick Anderson. It’s a mystery what Brian Schales is up to these days. The Aviators are an affiliate of the Team Formerly Known as the Oakland Athletics. Their fifth-ranked prospect, Henry Bolte, singled once in four at-bats, a notable outcome given he entered the day 12 for his last 12 with nine extra-base-hits, five of them homers. Wind Surge Wisdom Unending rain canceled the Wichita game on Sunday. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 10, Quad Cities 5 Box Score Dasan Hill: 3 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K HR: Rayne Doncon 2 (4, 5), Jay Thomason (4), Jaime Ferrer (9), Brandon Winokur (3) Multi-hit games: Brandon Winokur (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Miguel Briceno (2-for-4, R), Rayne Doncon (2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI) The Kernels bashed their way to victory on Sunday. Rayne Doncon started matters with a second-inning blast, soon followed by Jay Thomason, whose homer was so powerful it emitted an “outfielder stopper” 15 feet away from the track. A confused fisherman will find the ball in the coming days. Jaime Ferrer’s three-run blast in the third gave Cedar Rapids a 5-0 advantage. The Kernels allowed the River Bandits to tie the game—how generous of them—before unleashing a second barrage upon their pitchers. Brandon Winokur joined the fun with his third homer of the season, before Doncon gave the left-field children another souvenir. Christman-born starter Dasan Hill put forth his best start of the season. The talented lefty suffered a dreadful April, allowing 15 runs in 16 innings, but evidently remained sanguine. On Sunday, he earned seven of his 11 outs on whiffs in his first scoreless outing of the year, though control remained an issue, as he walked three. The start was nonetheless a positive outcome for the youngster from Grapevine. Catcher Blake Mitchell is ranked as the 58th-best prospect in MLB, according to the league’s website. He went 0-3, with three strikeouts, a sacrifice fly, and a walk. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 5, Tampa 3 Box Score Matthew Dalquist: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Dameury Pena (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI), Jayson Bass (2-for-3, R, RBI), Byron Chourio (2-for-4) The Mighty Mussels took an early lead and never looked back on Sunday. Has Matthew Dalquist turned a corner? The 18th-round righty found April cold, chilly, and unforgiving; his ERA in the month sat at 5.40, and his WHIP neared 2.00. Through two May starts, though, he has allowed just two runs across nine frames, pushing his ERA down to a serviceable 4.03 mark. That’ll do just fine. Fort Myers’ offense started immediately. Dameury Pena—after taking a strike on a pitch timer violation—chopped an infield single, and Bruin Agbayani walked. A Ramiro Dominguez flyout did nothing to stop the momentum: Hungry Kusiak shot a single into left field to draw Pena home. Agbayani then scored on a wild pitch. Pena proved to be a magnet for scoring runs, as he singled in another score the following frame. Spoiler: Pena earned a second RBI on a fielder’s choice in the fourth. Even Rickey Henderson would have been impressed by his leadoff production (he also stole a base!) A middle-innings Tampa skirmish brought the score within one, yet Fort Myers plated an insurance run in the eighth off a Jayson Bass sacrifice fly. The Tarpons never scored again. The Tarpons are a part of the Great Yankees Talent Machine, the development system that pumps out major leaguers with brutal efficiency. On Sunday, they sent forth lefty Henry Lalane, their 14th-ranked prospect. He surrendered four earned runs in 3 ⅓ innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dasan Hill Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Rayne Doncon PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 2-5, 3 RBI #4 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, K #6 – Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - 3 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K #7 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-4 #8 – Kendry Rojas (Twins) - 3 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #9 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, K #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K #13 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 0-4, 2 K #18 – C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 0-0 #20 – James Ellwanger (Fort Myers) - IL MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Twins @ FCL Orioles (11:00 AM) - TBD View the full article

Box Score: Bulk Pitcher: Kendry Rojas: 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (60 Pitches, 34 Strikes, 56.6%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Kody Clemens (0.23), Brooks Lee (0.18), Anthony Banda (0.11) Win Probability Chart (Via BaseballSavant): Well, the Twins won a close game in extra innings in Cleveland yesterday. That, alone, was a revelation, given the past four or five years of results. It also gave them a chance to take a series at Progressive Field for the first time since the 1990s (or so it's felt). The starter would be Andrew Morris, but the bulk assignment fell on rookie Kendry Rojas. Morris, for his part, pitched an easy six-pitch scoreless first, with Rojas coming in to face the lefty-heavy Guardians lineup to start the second. Rojas has trouble throwing strikes, and that trend continued today, but he did show some reasons for optimism, including a nice changeup to strike out Angel Martínez in the second. His slider was sliding, and his sinker has some pop to it, so he has the makings of an effective major-league pitcher, but can he deliver on that promise in his rookie year? The Twins lineup had to deal with big Gavin Williams, who has built upon his 2025 breakout. Hes always looked the part of a big-time prospect, but injuries and some poor luck delayed his takeoff for a couple of years. Last year', he was able to make 31 starts, and while he led the league in walks, he was extremely hard to hit, posting a 129 OPS+ with a .211 batting average against. His heavy sinker/four-seam combo kept the Twins off-balance early, but Kody Clemens dunked a ball down the third-base line in the second for a Guardians Double™ and scored on a wild pitch for the game's first run. Ryan Jeffers scalded a ball through the middle that ended up getting all the way to the warning track for a leadoff double. Unfortunately, the Twins now employ Cold Josh Bell™ (not to be confused with the legendary Cool Papa Bell), who struck out in his sixth straight plate appearance to derail that potential rally. Meanwhile, Rojas gave up three singles and a walk in the third, but managed to give up just a single run on a José Ramírez tapper up the middle. He was wobbly with his command, but showed some composure pitching in a tough environment, including striking out All-Star Steven Kwan with two men on to end the third. It was probably the worst swing I've seen Kwan take. The fifth inning was the pivot point. Clemens led off with a more legitimate double, to the gap in right-center field at 105 MPH. Brooks Lee singled to bring home Clemens, and Royce Lewis showed some life by roping a double down the left-field line. Byron Buxton legged out a tapper to third base, and Bell broke out of his slump with a single up the middle to make the score 4-1. Austin Martin then continued his hot streak by staying with a fastball and flipping it to the opposite field to make it a four-run lead. Travis Adams took over for Rojas with one out in the fifth and got the second out pretty quickly. But he walked Kyle Manzardo, fell behind hitters, and allowed two more hits and a walk before striking out new catcher acquisition Patrick Bailey (who looked rough in his Guardians debut) with the bases full. Those bad Giants vibes will follow you, I guess. Adams allowed another run in the sixth, but got Ramírez to pop out as the tying run before giving way to Anthony Banda, who was able to retire pinch-hitter Rhys Hoskins on a fly ball. There was some Guardians Ball in the eighth, with David Fry singling and Bryan Rocchio dumping a broken-bat single into center off of righty Luis García. Kwan then bunted them over (on a 3-1 count, ouch) before Chase DeLauter grounded out to trim the lead to one. García was able to get Hoskins to ground out to preserve the lead. Clemens led off the ninth inning with an opposite-field single, and was bunted to second by Lee (somewhat surprisingly). Clemens then stole third, but was left stranded with Lewis striking out and pinch-hitter Victor Caratini flying out to deep right field. Yoendrys Gómez got the ninth, which speaks to some level of concern for Justin Topa, who hasn't pitched since Wednesday. Gómez, who has not had any sustained major-league success, threw strikes and looked good, working a 1-2-3 inning to secure the victory. Things I'm Tracking: -Brooks Lee looks like he may truly be part of the solution, delivering a couple hits with runners in scoring position. He even stole a base, despite looking like he was pumping his legs through molasses. -Travis Adams made his debut and threw some good changeups, but was largely ineffective in allowing four hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. -Jeffers is setting himself up for a big payday this offseason, with his OPS now over .900 and having built a reputation as an elite ABS challenger. -The Guardians may have found yet another demon in their relief corps, with Franco Aleman making his debut and pumping 99 MPH with deception. He allowed two singles but also went two scoreless in relief of Williams. -The Twins' bullpen hierarchy is a mess, with two recent waiver claims taking the eighth and ninth innings protecting a slim lead. The options Derek Shelton has late in games are pretty brutal right now. What’s Next: The Miami Marlins are in town, with electric young righty Eury Perez (2-4, 5.01 ERA) taking the mound against Bailey Ober (3-2, 4.19 ERA). It might be one of the tallest combined pitching matchups ever, with Perez standing 6'8", an inch shorter than Ober. The Marlins are league average on both sides of the ball in contrast to their recent past of being dependent on dominant pitching to sustain a nothing offense. They also are feisty, leading baseball in steals, so it will be an interesting test for the Twins at home. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Banda 0 20 22 0 19 61 Funderburk 17 0 22 10 0 49 Garcia 14 0 0 13 20 47 Rogers 0 26 0 17 0 43 Adams 0 0 0 0 43 43 Topa 32 0 0 0 0 32 Orze 0 0 16 15 0 31 Morris 14 0 0 11 6 31 Gómez 0 0 2 5 10 17 View the full article

MIAMI — The month of May had not been kind to the Marlins, early. Entering Sunday, 3-6 in a stretch that saw them play their tenth game in as many days, it would be up to Sandy Alcantara to be the tone-setter if they were to look to win this series against the Washington Nationals. Making his 90th career start at loanDepot park on this Mother's Day Sunday, Alcantara twirled six innings of two-run ball in Miami's 5-2 win over the Nationals, ultimately coming away with a no-decision. Upon completing a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, Alcantara, at 89 pitches, appeared as if a seventh inning wasn't out of the question. However, after throwing a season-high 106 pitches in his previous outing, manager Clayton McCullough deferred to his bullpen to slam the door. "I thought I was going back out there for the seventh," said Alcantara, whose workhorse mentality has garnered him league-wide respect. Through nine starts this season, only Max Fried (58.2) has thrown more innings than Alcantara's 57.2, with the latter's total pacing the senior circuit. "We felt like, at six and right at 90 pitches, a couple runs, he really did his job," noted McCullough, now just two wins shy of 100 in his young managerial career. In relief of Alcantara, the Marlins bullpen tandem of Calvin Faucher, Andrew Nardi, and Josh Ekness pitched in to throw three scoreless innings. Pitching in just his fourth career big league game, Ekness would be called on with two outs in the ninth in what would result in his first career save. Miami's offense would open the scoring in the bottom of the third, hanging a two-spot on Washington starter and former top prospect Cade Cavalli (5.2, 4 H, 2 R, 4 K), started by Joe Mack's first career walk. Liam Hicks would single Mack home before a routine ground ball hit by Otto Lopez went right through the legs of Nasim Nuñez, allowing Xavier Edwards to plate the Marlins' second run. Washington would begin to claw back, though, as they quickly turned a Luis Garcia Jr. leadoff triple into their first run in the top of the fourth. They would eventually tie the scoring at 2-2 when James Wood's fielder's choice plated second baseman Jorbit Vivas. Heading into the bottom of the eighth with the score unchanged, Kyle Stowers worked a walk after starting down 0-2. With Esteury Ruiz pinch-running, Jakob Marsee reached base via a walk before executing, with Ruiz, a double steal to get the pair into scoring position. It would be the unlikeliest of heroes to provide the deciding blow, as Christopher Morel, who entered that at-bat hitting just .148, scraped a single just in front of centerfielder Jacob Young to give the Marlins the lead. Immediately following Morel, Heriberto Hernandez, not in the starting lineup until some thirty minutes ahead of first pitch due to Owen Caissie experiencing right triceps soreness, laced a single down the third base line to give the Marlins some added insurance. Hernandez was previously with the club before being optioned to AAA following a start to the season that saw him hit .159 over his first 22 games. Miami improved to 19-22, concluding their 10-game homestand 4-6, sharing a three-way tie with Washington and Philadelphia for second place in the National League East. Looking Ahead Off Monday, the Marlins will resume play on Tuesday, beginning a six-game road trip against the Minnesota Twins. Eury Pérez (2-4, 5.01 ERA) will take the ball in the series opener. In his lone career start against them on July 3 last season, Pérez twirled six innings of one-hit ball. First pitch from Target Field is slated for 7:40 EST. View the full article