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San Diego Padres (25-17) at Milwaukee Brewers (23-17), May 14, 2026, 10:40 a.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: American Family Field – Milwaukee, Wisc.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Good morning ☀️ pic.twitter.com/b46MuMgPiB

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 14, 2026

Bounce back

📺: https://t.co/eycfmE2vgm
📻: WTMJ

→ https://t.co/mvGXoRMTFSpic.twitter.com/FYxSwyfnJL

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 14, 2026

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For the first time in his career, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has been placed on the injured list. After resting and attempting to play through some side discomfort, the Big Dumper seemed to aggravate his side discomfort in Wednesday’s game. He was eventually replaced by Mitch Garver behind the dish, and now the club will be without their superstar backstop for at least 10 days with an oblique strain, with C Jhonny Pereda recalled in his place.

The news is unsurprising, but troubling, as Raleigh now faces the uncommon challenge of rehabbing an oblique injury as a switch-hitter, an issue noted by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com as one of the factors that may complicate his recovery timeline. Raleigh will receive imaging on Friday when Seattle begins the second leg of the Vedder Cup as they play host to the San Diego Padres.

While Raleigh has struggled immensely in 2026, and it is some small relief to see him receive the time to effectively heal, that’s a bronze lining at best. Cal’s absence puts serious strain on a catching corps that has not demonstrated strength. Mitch Garver signed to a minor league deal this winter after the club soured swiftly on their initial backup plan of Andrew Knizner, who was released before Opening Day despite signing a big league deal. He’ll be expected to take on the primary role in the interim.

Garver, of course, originally came to the Mariners in 2024 with the intention of full-time DH work, as he’d done overwhelmingly in his time with the Texas Rangers. While Garver’s 2024-25 were disappointments, and saw him relegated into a backup role again, he’s been a fairly stalwart, but a major reason for Garver’s DH shift was durability issues, which saw him placed on the IL at least once a year from 2019-2023. Garver has not missed time with the M’s, but it’s a concern point now to see the 35 year old pushed into more serious duty.

That may mean a more even split of time with Pereda, who has fewer big league games under his belt than Garver has played in seven different seasons. Pereda is no Alejandro Kirk, but he does bring a more contact-focused approach at the plate than Garver. The 30 year old is in his eighth MLB organization, and faces primarily a titanic task of filling the shoes and sliding shorts of the Big Dumper for an indefinite period of time. Pereda has hit well in Triple-A Tacoma (his seventh different Triple-A club), running a .321/.414/.417 line in 100 plate appearances, and has historically performed well at the top level of the minors regardless of whether it’s earned him big league opportunities. This will likely be his most significant stretch of play in his career, though it’s possible Seattle looks externally for another option.

After a dramatic come from behind win, the Nats have a chance to sweep the Reds and get to .500 on the season. They will have to do it in an early afternoon game, which has been tough sledding for them the past few years. The Nats will also have to face a high octane arm in Chase Burns.

With a righty on the mound, Blake Butera made some tweaks to his lineup. The red hot Luis Garcia Jr. is back in there at first base. Jorbit Vivas will make his first start of the series in the DH spot. With a day game after a night game, Drew Millas will also get his first start of the series, looking to redeem himself after the debacle in the Marlins game. Nats surprise ace Foster Griffin will take the mound with a chance to get his team to .500.

behold 🙌

→ https://t.co/iUBDqlACVspic.twitter.com/FtohkT3tOv

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 14, 2026

With a lefty on the mound, this Reds lineup looks very different. It is a new look outfield, with Spencer Steer in left, Dane Myers in center and Blake Dunn in right. Sal Stewart will move to first base and JJ Bleday will be DH. Ke’Bryan Hayes will also be in the lineup. Backup catcher Jose Trevino will get his first start of the series. Chase Burns has pitched like an ace and has electric stuff. He will be on the mound, and will look to stop the bleeding for the Reds.

Chase Burns on the mound for the series finale.

Powered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/r1kEJ2LSiF

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 14, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: Great American Ball Park

Time: 12:40 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The bullpens have gotten a lot of work in this series, so both starters will be expected to go deep in the game. Both teams have the right guy on the mound to do that as well. Offense has king in this series, but the pitching matchup indicates that may change today. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

Mets lineup

Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – SS
Juan Soto – DH
Mark Vientos – 1B
MJ Melendez – LF
Brett Baty – 3B
Marcus Semien – 2B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Hayden Senger – C

SP: Nolan McLean – RHP

Tigers lineup

Kevin McGonigle – SS
Colt Keith – 3B
Riley Greene – LF
Dillon Dingler – DH
Gage Workman – 2B
Zach McKinstry – RF
Spencer Torkelson – 1B
Wenceel Perez – CF
Jake Rogers – C

SP: Keider Montero – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 1:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

While Shohei Ohtani has been struggling at the plate recently, he’s made opposing hitters look even worse. Wednesday night was arguably his best pitching start of the season with seven scoreless innings and eight strikeouts against the San Francisco Giants.

Perspective is important with Ohtani, who has legitimately had a rough go of it while hitting of late, such that he didn’t hit Wednesday night and won’t hit on Thursday to gain some semblance of rest. But even with his hitting struggles, Ohtani still has a 122 wRC+, making him still a well-above-average hitter, just below his own standards.

But he’s thriving on the mound. After Wednesday’s performance, Ohtani has a minuscule 0.82 ERA with 50 strikeouts against 11 walks in 44 innings.

Ohtani has led the National League in ERA after all seven of his starts, and led the majors in ERA after five of them, including each of the last three. The only thing keeping him off the leaderboard at times this season is the lack of innings.

Ohtani didn’t pitch until the Dodgers fifth game of the season, got extra time in between then and his second start in order to line up with a team off day the day after said start in Toronto, and even got extra time before Wednesday’s start with Blake Snell inserted into the rotation earlier than planned last weekend.

So Ohtani has been straddling the line of qualifying for leaderboards, needing at least one inning per team game played. What’s stayed consistent though is his performance, lasting at least six innings in all seven of his starts, including seven innings in each of his last two outings.

After Tuesday’s start he’s up to 44 innings, through 43 Dodgers games.

Of his 44 innings, 38 of them have been scoreless frames, plus single runs in six different innings, two of those tallies unearned. For what it’s worth, even if those other two runs were earned, Ohtani’s updated 1.23 ERA would would still lead the majors, with New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlitter next-best at 1.35. Ohtani’s 2.17 xERA is second-best in baseball, behind only Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

Here are the dates Ohtani has led the NL in ERA to date in 2026 (at the end of that day):

• March 31: 0.00 ERA (tied with 17 others)
• April 1: 0.00 ERA (tied with 7 others)
• April 2: 0.00 ERA (tied with 5 others)
• April 8: 0.00 ERA (tied with 2 others)
• April 9: 0.00 ERA (tied with Bryce Elder)
• April 15: 0.50 ERA
• April 16: 0.50 ERA
• April 22: 0.38 ERA
• April 28: 0.60 ERA (also 1st in MLB)
• May 5: 0.97 ERA (also 1st in MLB)
• May 6: 0.97 ERA (also 1st in MLB)
• May 7: 0.97 ERA (also 1st in MLB)
• May 13: 0.82 ERA (also 1st in MLB)
• May 14: 0.82 ERA (also 1st in MLB)

I included May 14 as well because with 44 innings, Ohtani will continue to qualify through Thursday’s game, the Dodgers’ 44th of the season. And nobody is close enough to pass him for the top spot.

Counting his time on the mound last year, Ohtani now has a 1.88 ERA in 21 starts and 91 innings with the Dodgers. Put another way, the man with the top two home-run seasons in franchise history also has the lowest ERA in team history with a minimum of 90 innings.

Worcester: W, 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

Although the WooSox again had to go to a bullpen game, nearly everyone pitched well and kept the Bison (Blue Jays AAA) off the board. Worcester then subjected Buffalo to death by a thousand cuts, as all nine of their hits were singles, but a good third inning where they nearly batted around the lineup was all they needed to score six runs. The success of this inning, a three-run frame that put them up 4-o, was also thanks to a Buffalo defensive error as well as Braiden Ward stealing his twentieth base of the season already.

Portland: W, 9-6 (BOX SCORE)

Gage Ziehl had his worst start in a while, getting tagged for six runs in five innings, but the bullpen kept the Yard Goats (Rockies AA) within arm’s reach and the Sea Dogs then exploded for five runs in the eighth. That inning included three home runs, including one by Brooks Brannon, whose power has been raising some eyebrows. Miguel Bleis also joined in on the action in a feel-good win where everyone got involved, and Franklin Arias now has nine hits in his last four games.

Greenville: L, 4-10 (BOX SCORE)

Greenville has now lost eleven of their last twelve games. They have relievers with ERAs approaching ten, and some with that metric over ten. No pitcher on Tuesday departed the game unscathed from home run balls, in which the Hot Rods (Rays High-A) hit five. Jack Winnay’s home run in the fourth was the closest the Drive got all night as far as winning percentage expected is concerned (8.7%); even then, the game was 6-1.

Salem: : W, 3-1 (BOX SCORE)

The RidgeYaks didn’t need much offense in Fredericksburg (Nationals A) to come out on top due to their pitching staff striking fourteen out and the Nats stranding fourteen runners including not getting a hit with nine chances with runners in scoring position. Salem got just enough offensive spark in the nick of time through a two-run, two-out double from catcher Luke Heyman in the eighth inning. The play brought Salem from a 51% chance winning all the way up to 85.4%, a .344 WPA, and Salem wouldn’t look back.

Have a productive Wednesday.

For Astros fans, this season has been a harsh reminder that baseball is not always fair. What once looked like a team capable of another miraculous turnaround is now a club dangerously close to rock bottom. Unlike last season, when Houston managed to claw its way back into the divisional race, this year’s team appears to be spiraling further out of control with each passing game.

In professional sports, when things go wrong, the players are rarely the first to pay the price, especially when they are tied to massive contracts worth millions of dollars. Instead, organizations often look to the manager as the easiest way to shake things up. That reality may soon be approaching for Astros manager Joe Espada.

To be fair, the Astros have faced significant adversity from the start of the season. Beginning the year with 16 players on the injured list created immediate obstacles and left the roster depleted before the campaign truly got going. Injuries, however, can only excuse so much. Despite flashes of offensive success, the team as a whole has underachieved in nearly every area.

The biggest concern has undoubtedly been the pitching staff. Both the starting rotation and bullpen have struggled badly, and the numbers paint an ugly picture. Houston is currently on pace to challenge all-time records for walks allowed both per game and over the course of a full season. Regardless of injuries, that level of inconsistency and lack of command simply cannot continue if the Astros hope to remain competitive.

Much of the blame for the roster construction and pitching depth should rightfully fall on General Manager Dana Brown. Still, with the amateur draft approaching and critical decisions looming regarding potential trades, Houston likely needs Brown’s experience steering the organization through whatever comes next, whether that means attempting to buy at the deadline or beginning a larger reset for the future.

That leaves Espada in a difficult position.

This is not necessarily an argument that Espada is a bad manager or undeserving of the job. By most accounts, he is respected throughout the organization and well-liked inside the clubhouse. But sports can be unforgiving, and when a team consistently underperforms, ownership often believes a new voice is needed to spark change.

One name that could quickly enter the conversation is bench coach Omar López. Fresh off a championship run coaching in the World Baseball Classic, López has become one of the more intriguing rising names in baseball managerial circles. He carries strong relationships within the clubhouse and is viewed as someone capable of bringing fresh energy and perspective to a struggling team. If the Astros decide to make a move, promoting López could represent the organization’s best internal option.

Around Major League Baseball, managerial changes have already begun. Teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox have made leadership changes in response to disappointing performances, and Houston could soon find itself following a similar path very soon.

The question now becomes: how much responsibility should fall on Espada? Is the Astros’ disappointing season primarily the result of injuries and roster shortcomings, or does the team truly need a new manager to change its direction?

For Astros fans, that debate is only going to grow louder if the losses continue piling up.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided a couple of positive injury updates prior to first pitch of Thursday’s matchup with the Detroit Tigers.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor’s MRI revealed that things are heading in the right direction, though when exactly he’ll be able to return to the field remains unknown. 

“He’s getting better, showing signs of healing,” Mendoza said. “Now we’re moving to the phase of the strength part, moving to the weight room before he starts his running progression. Positive sign, we’ve just gotta let it heal.”

Lindor landed on the IL after suffering a left calf strain on April 22. 

Mendoza said that he doesn’t think Lindor will need additional imaging, but that there is still no timetable for him to resume baseball activities or get back on the field for game action. 

Meanwhile, catcher Francisco Alvarez underwent surgery on Thursday morning, with Mendoza saying there was no additional structural damage to his right knee, aside from the torn meniscus. 

The manager said that Alvarez is likely looking at an eight-week recovery.

Alvarez is hitting .241 with four home runs and 10 RBI this season. 

In The Desert

[AZSnakePit] Rangers 6, D-Backs 5: Angina in Arlington

It seems as if no amount of lineup tinkering or prospect call-ups has been able to shake the Arizona offense out of its malaise and the team’s pitching (both in the bullpen and in the rotation) have significant question marks themselves. 

[AZCentral] Diamondbacks’ crushing, walk-off loss comes with a silver lining

“We’ve seen this before,” Lovullo said. “We’ve seen this lineup do what they did today.” He added: “We play games like this — and I know they’re very eager to get back out there and show what they can do — we’ll be just fine.”

[SI.com] What D-backs Poor Series Loss to Rangers Told Us — And What it Didn’t

The D-backs were held to just 6-for-25 with runners in scoring position, and stranded 21 batters. That is not a recipe for success, no matter how good the pitching may or may not be.
Gallen has been on a bit of a downturn ever since he was struck by a comebacker and forced to leave a promising start in Mexico City. Since that game, he has gone 0-3 and allowed 17 runs in 14.1 innings.

[DBacks.com] ‘This game will rip your heart out’: D-backs lament missed chances in Texas

“It’s brutal,” Lovullo said. “This game will rip your heart out. But the one thing I want to say is these guys play their [butts] off. And when you look at the full body of work, I thought today there was so much progress made and we were pushing in the right direction. I learned a lot about this team as I watched them rally and come together in those late innings and fight to win that baseball game.

[DBacks.com] Thomas trade provides Hazen, D-backs ‘flexibility’ for Deadline

In addition, the financial savings could pay dividends in a couple months at the Trade Deadline.

That’s because the Diamondbacks are getting close to the first Competitive Balance Tax threshold. They are around $5-$10 million away from that threshold, and if they want to make significant acquisitions at the Deadline, they’ll need some financial flexibility unless they are willing to go over the CBT for the first time in franchise history.

[Rangers.com] Burger delivers on SpongeBob Night as his ‘swagger’ leads to walk-off

For SpongeBob SquarePants Night at Globe Life Field against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, it was only right that Burger would blast a three-run opposite-field homer in the fifth inning before delivering a game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.

Around The MLB

[MLB.com] Varsho delivers walk-off hit in 10th

[MLB.com] McCarthy’s unassisted DP from left field is a Rockies first, MLB first in 13 years

[MLB.com] Josh Bell steals base for first time since 2018

[MLB.com] Braves first team to reach 30 wins

[FanGraphs.com] Dansby Swanson is King of old Shortstops

[CBS Sports] How to blow up the Astros: Why Houston could dictate the trade deadline if ugly season continues

Your Random D-Back

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It was a very happy birthday for Mickey Moniak as he helped propel the Colorado Rockies to a 10-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. If the team is hoping for some more birthday magic, it just so happens to be Brenton Doyle’s birthday, and he could use some of that magic himself. With the series tied, the Rockies are looking to end the road trip on a high note and finish 3-3.

Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.35 ERA) will get his second straight start as it appears the team is moving away from the opener for “Mr. Hundy.” Dollander wasn’t exactly sharp in his last outing in Philadelphia as he issued five walks but he still managed to grind out 5.2 innings and allowed just two runs on three hits with five strikeouts. The command has been a little lacking his last two times out, but the ability to get strikeouts and be effective when he doesn’t have his best stuff is what top-of-the-line pitchers have to be able to do. This will also be Dollander’s first time facing Pittsburgh.

Mason Montgomery (1-0, 2.87 ERA) will make the start for the Pirates, serving as the opener. Montgomery has slotted in as a fireballing lefty since coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays in the trade that also brought in Brandon Lowe. He has tossed 11-straight scoreless outings and is also making his third start of the season. Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3, 4.50 ERA) was initially scheduled to start the game, but the Pirates are choosing to go the opener route and use him as the bulk reliever, as they did on April 15 against the Washington Nationals. Mlodzinski was excellent in his last outing, allowing just two runs on six hits over six innings in his start against San Francisco, but he only had one strikeout.

In roster news, the Rockies placed Jimmy Herget on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. In the corresponding move, Tanner Gordon was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Rockies announced today the following transactions:

– Placed RHP Jimmy Herget on the 15-day IL, retroactive to May 13 (right shoulder impingement).
– Recalled RHP Tanner Gordon from Triple-A Albuquerque.

— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) May 14, 2026

First Pitch: 10:35 AM MDT

TV: Rockies TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Pirates SB Nation site: Bucs Dugout

Lineups:

Closing out the series with this squad 😎 pic.twitter.com/4J4Xp0VwO9

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 14, 2026

44/162.

📺: @SNPittsburgh
📻: @KDKARadiopic.twitter.com/ljNtsROijI

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 14, 2026

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Colorado Rockies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, May 14, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ET

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.35 ERA) vs. Carmen Moldzinski (2-3, 4.50 ERA)

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home with a three-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies at beautiful PNC Park.

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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game against the Rockies. Enjoy!

As we saw when the Angels had literally Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout at the same time and couldn’t sniff the playoffs, you need more than just a couple stars to make a good roster in baseball.

The “Murderers’ Row” Yankees of the 1920s and ‘30s are a good example. Yes, they had the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and without those two, those teams would’ve gone nowhere. However, if it was just those two with a roster of below average players everywhere else, those teams might not have won a World Series, never mind be historically notable. One of the other good players who played on those great Yankees teams of the ‘20s and ‘30s was Earle Combs. Today happens to be his birthday, so let’s look back on the life and times of “The Kentucky Colonel.”

Earle Bryan Combs
Born: May 14, 1899 (Pebworth, KY)
Died: July 21. 1976 (Richmond, KY)
Yankees Tenure: 1924-35

As that nickname might suggest, Combs was born and raised in Kentucky, and basically lived his entire life there apart from his baseball career. He grew up working on his family’s farm, but eventually decided to attend Eastern Kentucky University to study to be a school teacher. He played on several of the college’s sports teams, including baseball, where he was a star. After graduating, he did follow through on becoming a teacher, but eventually the pull of baseball, including the money that came with it, became too much to ignore.

Combs first signed with the local Louisville Colonels, where he was managed by his future Yankees skipper Joe McCarthy. Combs quickly locked down the center field role for Louisville and became a star, hitting .380 in his second season. That season led to the Yankees purchasing him ahead of the 1924 season.

In Louisville, Combs had been not only an excellent hitter but a dangerous base-stealer. Upon getting to New York, Miller Huggins had him tone down that aspect, as Combs would be tasked with hitting in front of Ruth and a strong Yankees’ lineup. With Combs’ on-base ability, that ended up allowing him to become the perfect lead-off hitter for the Yankees’ Murderers’ Row era.

Over the course of a 12-year career with the Yankees, Combs hit .325/.397/.462, which equated to a career 125 OPS+. He was extremely adept at getting on base ahead of he likes of Ruth and Gehrig, as he was skilled at both getting hits and walking. Even with all the stars that littered the 1927 Yankees, it was Combs who ended up recording a league-leading 231 hits that season. In addition, Combs could still use his speed even without stealing bases. He recorded 154 triples in his career, and led the league on three occasions.

Over the course of his 12 seasons in the majors, Combs would be part of three World Series championship teams with the Yankees: 1927, ‘28, and ‘32. Combs performed especially well in the third of those, as he OPSed 1.125 in the sweep of the Cubs in ‘32.

In addition to his remarkable career on the field, Combs was also regarded as one of the best human beings in baseball in his era. He was also a fan favorite in the Bronx, and some fans even apparently once took up a collection to buy him a gold watch. That’s something that won’t — and shouldn’t to be real — happen in today’s game.

Combs remained a very solid player to the Yankees until 1934. He was on pace for another good year that season, but he suffered a fractured skull after crashing into an outfield wall trying to make a catch. There were briefly fears for his life after the accident, but Combs eventually recovered in time to return to the Yankees for 1935. However, he dealt with further — not as serious — injuries that year. He was limited to just 89 games and didn’t play to his previous level. At that point, Combs was 36 years old, and the Yankees had also signed a young center fielder named Joe DiMaggio. Sensing that the writing was on the wall, Combs retired after 1935.

After retiring as a player, Combs joined the Yankees as a coach, where he was credited with helping DiMaggio learn how to play center field at Yankee Stadium. Combs would also spend time on the coaching staffs of the St. Louis Browns, Red Sox, and Phillies before leaving baseball for good and returning to his Kentucky farm.

In 1970, Combs was voted into the Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee. He’s considered a bit of a reach in retrospect, although the Veterans Committee still makes plenty of those choices today. Combs himself was surprised by his induction, saying “I thought the Hall of Fame was for superstars, not just average players like me.” He was a bit unfair to himself, there, as he was definitely not “average.”

Combs eventually passed away in 1976 at the age of 77. He was never as famous or as good as the likes of Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig, but if you look ever look back at the play-by-play data of Yankees’ games of those era, chances are good that he was the one scoring on their hits.

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See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

You are perpetually judged on results in the business of baseball. Wins are ultimately what matter to fans (and most owners), and flags fly forever. Chasing results, however, is an administrative tactic of the past.

Front offices, at least I hope, don’t go sign a guy because he had 112 RBI the season before. Even if he swatted 40 dingers the season before free agency, where he hit them, how far they went, and how many he’d ever hit in a season before that carry just as much weight in the evaluation now than simply staring at the back of one’s baseball card.

So far in 2026, the results of the Cincinnati Reds offense are pretty poor. They own just a 90 wRC+ as a team, a mark good for just 26th out of the 30 MLB clubs. Their .220 batting average ranks dead last, their .306 OBP just 25th. There are 227 MLB players who have logged at least 110 PA so far, and the Reds have the guy with the single worst wRC+ mark (Ke’Bryan Hayes, 10), 14th worst (TJ Friedl, 51), and tied for 23rd worst (Tyler Stephenson, 66).

If you had never looked at the FanGraphs leaderboards, though, and simply cruised over to the team stats at Baseball Savant, you’d be shouting from the rooftops that this Cincinnati Reds offense has been built up as a powerhouse.

Only the New York Yankees (7.5%) have a better barrels per PA percentage than the Reds (7.2%). The team with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, breakout star Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt…and then the Cincinnati Reds. Barrels, for those that aren’t familiar with the term, are effectively qualified on a rolling scale based on exit velocity and ideal launch angle, but are effectively a term that describes squaring a ball up, and only the Yankees do it with better frequency than the Reds so far this season.

It’s the same story for Brls/BBE%, or barrels per batted ball event – the Reds rank 2nd (11.2%) to only the Yankees (11.7%) in the rate in which they barrel the ball in plate appearances where the ball ends up in play.

No team, and it’s not particularly close, has a higher average launch angle this season than the 17.5 degree mark posted by the Reds. In fact, dating back to the start of the 2021 season, no team in any season has posted a mark better than 16.1 degrees over the course of a season.

They rank 4th in launch angle sweet spot percentage. They rank 5th in maximum exit velocity, and 4th in average exit velocity. In other words, they’re hitting the ball square with more frequency than just about every team out there, hitting harder than almost every team out there, and hitting it with the highest average launch angle in recent memory – all hallmarks of a club that should be seeing line-drive lasers plastered all over every ball park in which they play.

Yet here they are sporting that lowly 90 wRC+ over a quarter of the way through the 2026 season.

What we get to ponder, for now, is which one of these begins to normalize and reveal itself as the true indicator of what this Reds club truly is. Will they continue to mash like this with middling results? Will the mashing produce better results? Is this offense actually even worse than it’s shown so far, and will it produce even worse results as the rate in which this club hits barrels sinks back down towards league average?

What we get to watch for the rest of the season is which one wins out, since for now, there’s a pretty clear divergence between process and results.