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A look at the 2026 Cubs at the season’s halfway mark

Let’s look at the season this way for a moment.

If, on Opening Day, I had told you the Cubs would be 44-37 after 81 games, you’d have probably been a bit disappointed. That’s an 88-win pace, which is good, but fewer wins than last year and probably not enough to win the NL Central.

The thing is, I think a lot of Cubs fans are hugely disappointed in the team right now. They’ve generated enough offense, I’d think, to win more games than that. They currently rank sixth in MLB in runs with 399 (and they’re only 10 runs behind the third-ranked Pirates). That’s just less than five runs per game. Generally, if you can score around 800 runs in a season, you’re going to win 90+ games.

Except if the pitching staff isn’t doing its job, you’re not. And this pitching staff has been riddled with injuries. I don’t need to recount all of those to you, you are quite familiar with them. And right now, the team has allowed 362 runs, which ranks 16th, exactly league average. What’s worse, though, is that they have served up 123 home runs, most in MLB. The A’s are second at 120, and as you know, they play in a minor-league park that’s known for long balls.

The weirdest part about this very odd Cubs season is how they got to 44-37.

First 16 games: 7-9, 73 runs scored, 69 allowed
Next 23 games: 20-3, 142 runs scored, 90 allowed
Next 29 games: 7-22, 93 runs scored, 151 allowed
Next 13 games: 10-3, 91 runs scored, 52 allowed

That is…

I mean, what team does that in half of a single season? That’s a .500 club for a couple of weeks, the best team in baseball for three weeks, the worst team in baseball for four weeks, and the best team again for two weeks.

Hitting? Pitching? As you can see, it’s both. During the 20-3 streak, the team averaged more than six runs a game and allowed fewer than four. Then they spent nearly a month scoring only a bit more than three per game (and scored 1 run or fewer nine times), but also allowed 5.2 per game.

In the current 13-game stretch, they’re back to pounding the ball — seven runs scored per game — and also have had solid pitching, allowing four per game.

Where does this team go from here?

Acquiring David Peterson will help. As has been written elsewhere, he’s an extreme ground ball pitcher who will be helped by the Cubs’ elite infield defense. We just spent four days watching how bad the Mets infield defense is (and that’s not a one-year problem, either).

But clearly, the team needs another starting pitcher, too. Today we stand 38 days from the trade deadline. The Mets, incidentally, should be one of the teams selling, and Freddy Peralta pitched well enough Thursday (and for most of the season) that he should be a Cubs trade target. Peralta, too, would be helped by the Cubs defense. There are other pitchers out there that I’m sure Jed Hoyer & Co. are targeting.

They could use some relief help, too. If I’m Hoyer I’m on the phone with my old buddy Craig Breslow in Boston, seeing what it would take to get Aroldis Chapman. Hey, it worked 10 years ago. Chapman isn’t the pitcher he was in 2016, but he is still an effective MLB reliever and he could close games in Daniel Palencia’s absence.

Other than that, the offense has begun to click again. If the team can get Alex Bregman, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch going, it could be a real juggernaut in the season’s second half.

That second 81-game stretch begins tonight in Milwaukee. Hopefully this Cubs team can play better against the Brewers than they did last month in Chicago.

As always, we await developments. Go Cubs.

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Yankees Sequence of the Week: Ryan Weathers (6/24)

DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park on June 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Yankees rebounded from a recent three-game losing streak to secure the final two games of their series against the Tigers. They couldn’t keep that momentum rolling into the series opener against the Red Sox as countless mental errors piled up en route to a 6-3 loss. As such, we have to go back to that series at Comerica to find a candidate for Sequence of the Week, that distinction belonging to Ryan Weathers in the rubber game.

We join Weathers with two outs in the bottom of the second on Wednesday. Paul Goldschmidt led off the game with a home run off Tarik Skubal, but Weathers handed it right back with a Spencer Torkelson double, Hao-Yu Lee walk, and Zach McKinstry RBI single. That put runners on first and second with the score tied, 1-1; every run crucial with the back-to-back reigning AL Cy Young on the mound for the home team.

With the nine-hole hitter Jake Rogers at the plate, it becomes imperative that Weathers go right after him and halt the early rally here to avoid turning the lineup over to AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner Kevin McGonigle. Weathers starts Rogers with a first pitch sweeper, Austin Wells setting a target on the outside edge as they attempt to steal a called strike one.

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Instead, Weathers pulls this pitch down and in, and it lands a full two feet away from his intended aim of back-dooring the pitch. Had he landed a fastball in the zone before this, there’s a much higher chance that Rogers would have chased this pitch, but as a first pitch offering, there was nothing to set it up.

Despite failing to execute that sweeper to his spot by a wide margin, Weathers tries the same backdoor tactic again.

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He’s lucky that Rogers gives up on this pitch early, because it ends up right down the middle for a called strike. Had Rogers been sitting on another breaker, there’s a good chance he would have crushed this pitch having gotten a good look at its movement profile on the prior pitch.

Now that Weathers has shown Rogers two straight off-speed pitches that break toward the batter, he has the situation set up to start a changeup down the same tunnel as the sweeper he just threw so that he can fool Rogers with a pitch that now breaks away from him.

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The process is sound but the execution not so much. He yanks this changeup just like he did with the first pitch changeup, and it ends up well below the zone for ball two. The pitch starts as a ball out of Weathers’ hand and only travels farther away from the zone, making for a straightforward take from Rogers.

This pitch wasn’t as poorly executed as the result might suggest, and it appears has found the right seam orientation at release based on the sharp, late breaking movement downward. The pitch must have felt good coming out of his hand, because he shakes off Wells to get back to the changeup.

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This one is an absolute doozy, as evidenced by Rogers spinning out and falling into the dirt as he whiffs wildly over the top. He’s obviously selling out for the fastball here, and is made to look silly by an absolutely disgusting changeup.

After seeing such an out of control hack from Rogers, the only logical choice would be to try to replicate that pitch.

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Weathers throws the perfect changeup, on the corner down and away with wicked sinking and fading movement. Even if Rogers takes this pitch, it’s called strike three. However, that’s a moot point as Rogers once again swings and misses super early and over the top as if he is anticipating a fastball. Weathers strands both the runners, giving his offense the chance to grab the lead again as Goldschmidt crushed his second homer and Jasson Domínguez went yard off Skubal as he continues to look much improved batting righty.

Here’s the full sequence:

Weathers needed this turnaround start badly having allowed at least five runs in four of six starts before this game. In allowing one earned run across six strong innings, Weathers’ ERA sinks back below four, Weathers crucially keeping the ball in the yard amid his home run issues. Weathers and Will Warren are currently fighting for their spot in the rotation with Max Fried’s return from injury on the not-too-distant horizon, and a performance like this is certainly a mark in Weathers’ favor.

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If not now, when? Phillies vs. Mets series preview

May 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos tosses his bat after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Phillies could have easily been swept by the Washington Nationals. They generally played poorly for most of the four-game series, but thanks to some late-inning magic against a garbage fire bullpen, they ended up winning the series.

Speaking of garbage fires, there’s the New York Mets. Since defeating the Phillies last Thursday, they’ve lost six games in a row, some of them in embarrassing fashion. But hey, at least some people in the stadium managed to enjoy themselves.

However, if there’s one thing the Mets have been able to count on in recent years, it’s beating the Phillies at Citi Field. The Phillies have lost ten straight games at the stadium including two games in the 2024 NLDS. With the Mets in freefall, if the Phillies can’t find a way to win a game this weekend, it seems possible that they might never win there again.

…..And as I was writing this, it was announced that the Mets have fired manager Carlos Mendoza.

This is not a positive development for the Phillies, as the Mets may likely experience a “new manager bounce” this weekend. On the other hand, it gives me a reason to use this clip:

Opposition research: Mark Vientos

In 2024, the Mets thought they had a young star on their hands. In his first full season, Mark Vientos put up an OPS of .837 with 27 home runs. And he went on to destroy the Phillies in the NLDS, going 9-16 with two home runs.

He’s continued to perform well against the Phillies. Last year, he batted .313 with two home runs against them, and in the series last week, he was 2-5 with a homer. However, he hasn’t hit all that well against anybody else in that time, and combined with horrendous defense, he’s been one of the least valuable players in the league.

Things aren’t trending in Vientos’ direction either. He’s batting just .179 in June and went 1-10 in the series against the Cubs.

Defensively, the Mets accepted that he couldn’t hack it at third base so they moved him to first this season. However, he’s proven to be equally bad there, committing a league high six errors. Mets fans are now openly pining for Pete Alonso.

Does any of this mean that he won’t have a few big hits against the Phillies this weekend? Of course not!

Hating on the Mets

There’s not that much I can write about the Mets that their own fans haven’t already said.

Let’s see what Mets fan Jerry Seinfeld has to say about that.

Trivia

Last week’s answer: The three relievers to earn wins in the Phillies’ sweep of the Mets in September 2007 were Tom Gordon, Antonio Alfonseca, and Geoff Geary. MG77 and Morris Buttermaker each named one of them.

This week’s question: The Phillies last win at Citi Field was a 12-2 romp on September 20, 2024. Which Phillie had four hits and four RBIs in that game?

Vote for the Phillies! Just not necessarily the ones you expected

It’s kind of hilarious that Brandon Marsh, Alec Bohm, and Bryson Stott have all reached the second round of All-Star voting while Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber did not. While Marsh clearly deserves inclusion on the team, it wasn’t that long ago that fans wanted both Bohm and Stott traded away for anything they could get. (Can you imagine the reaction at the end of April if someone told you that Alec Bohm might be an All-Star?)

Harper and Schwarber both have a good chance to be named to the team as reserves, although they could always get excluded due to the “every team gets a guy” role and whether or not Dave Roberts feels he has to choose a rookie with six starts under his belt.

Additional thought about the series

Late inning comebacks are really fun, and the Mets also do not have a great bullpen. (Sure, it’s better than the Nationals’ relief group, but I don’t think it’s possible to be worse.) That said, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Phillies to simply get out to an early lead and sustain it for the entire game.

They should have an opportunity to score early runs. The Mets are calling up rookie Zach Thornton to start one game, and it seems likely either Kodai Senga or Christian Scott will get the ball at some point. Either way, the Phillies won’t be facing a top-notch array of pitchers this weekend.

I am slightly worried that the Mets can’t possibly continue to play as poorly as they have been, and they might be somewhat motivated by getting their manager fired. On the other hand, the Phillies can’t keep losing every game at Citi Field, right? In the end, while I’d love to see the Phillies extend the Mets’ misery, I think I’d be happy if they can come away with one win this weekend. That’s not too much to ask for, right?

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Two-start pitchers: Tarik Skubal headlines a plethora of elite options as we turn the page to July

Hello and welcome to the 14th installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2026 MLB season.

I will continue to be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week providing my insights and recommendations on which options should be started or benched.

The fantasy baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. As we creep toward the All-Star break, it’s easy to fall into bad habits and not spend as much time on teams that have struggled out of the gate, but now is not the time to panic or give up. Keep putting in the work and plugging away, striving to improve each week, and you’ll reap rewards at the end of this season.

This is a living document, so we'll update the options below as the weekend moves along.

Before we get into it, we'll start with a couple of notes on situations that may be unresolved or teams that may not have a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week:

⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

Someone from the Cubs is likely to make two starts next week (vs. Padres, vs. Cardinals), but as of Friday afternoon we still have no idea who that will be. It won’t be Colin Rea or Matthew Boyd, that much is sure. With Edward Cabrera (hamstring)and Ben Brown (neck) hitting the injured list though, the Cubs are going to have to get creative. Both Javier Assad and Shota Imanaga pitched in Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Mets, so one of them is likely to get the ball on Monday with the other going on Tuesday. That leaves Jordan Wicks and David Peterson to try to get through the weekend on Saturday and Sunday against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Imanaga is an every-week start regardless of whether or not he goes twice. Assad would be much more appealing if he’s lined up to start Monday.

The Astros have shifted to a six-man rotation, at least for the time being, so with six games on tap for next week none of their hurlers are scheduled to pitch twice. If anything changes, or if someone gets skipped this time through, Peter Lambert would be the beneficiary and he would get a two-start week (vs. Twins, vs. Rays).

The Royals only play five games next week, so unless they plan on skipping someone in their rotation, no one is going to get a two-start week. If they do decide to adjust their rotation, Noah Cameron pitches on Tuesday and would draw the two-start week (vs. Rays, vs. Phillies). We’ll update here if anything changes.

The Mets are currently rolling with a six-man rotation and only have six games on the docket, so it’s unclear if anyone is going to pitch twice. They also canned manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday morning, so major changes to the rotation could be coming. Nolan McLean is scheduled to pitch on Monday and would draw the two-start week (at Blue Jays, at Braves) if the Mets do shake things up. There’s no actionable takeaway though as McLean should be an every week start in all leagues regardless of matchup.

Going Twice…

Note: Probable pitchers as of June 26 and are subject to change.

American League

▶ Strong Plays

Tarik Skubal, Tigers, LHP (at Yankees, at Rangers)

Since returning from the injured list, Skubal hasn’t been quite as good as he has been over the past two seasons – posting a 4.96 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 21/2 K/BB ratio over 16 1/3 innings in his three starts. He has served up six home runs during that stretch, a trend that’s unlikely to continue as he continues to shake off the rust. You can’t sit Skubal for a two-start week, even if it includes a matchup against the Yankees in New York. With the Tigers’ playoff hopes sinking by the day, he’ll have the added motivation of auditioning for interested clubs over his next few starts as the trade deadline approaches.

Ranger Suarez, Red Sox, LHP (vs. Nationals, at Angels)

The Red Sox as a club have been a major disappointment this season, but there has been nothing disappointing about what free agent acquisition Ranger Suarez has given them. Through 15 starts he holds a brilliant 2.83 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and an 84/25 K/BB ratio across 82 2/3 innings of work. He should be an every week start in all formats, so just sit back and enjoy the added production from a two-start week. As a bonus, the matchups fall in his favor this week and he’s likely to finally tally his fourth victory of the season.

Jacob deGrom, Rangers, RHP (at Guardians, vs. Tigers)

As the old adage goes, as long as deGrom is healthy enough to take the mound, he’s an elite option and should be locked into all fantasy lineups. That has been the case once again this season as the 38-year-old hurler has registered a 3.55 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 106/20 K/BB ratio across 88 2/3 innings through his first 16 starts. Just sit back and enjoy the added production from a two-start week this time around. He represents one of the top overall plays on the board this week.

Parker Messick, Guardians, LHP (vs. Rangers, vs. White Sox)

The 25-year-old southpaw has enjoyed tremendous success in his rookie campaign, going 7-4 with a 2.67 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and a 101/29 K/BB ratio across 94 1/3 innings through his first 16 starts. He seems to be getting better as the year goes on also, striking out at least nine batters in each of his last two starts – including a matchup against the White Sox. Those that have Messick should be using him every week, so there’s no real actionable takeaway here. He’s easily one of the top options on the board for this week.

Bryan Woo, Mariners, RHP (vs. Angels, vs. Blue Jays)

Woo hasn’t been quite as dominant as we have come to expect from him this season, pitching to a pedestrian 4.26 ERA with a strong 1.04 WHIP and a 92/18 K/BB ratio over 93 innings. His issues have come on the road recently, giving up five or more runs in each of his last three outings away from T-Mobile Park. Fortunately for fantasy managers, he’ll make two starts at home this week against offenses that rank in the middle of the pack. Expect Woo to do some work at correcting that ERA this week. It should be all systems go in all leagues for the Mariners’ right-hander.

Trey Yesavage, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Mets, at Mariners)

So far, so good for Yesavage through his first 11 starts on the season. The 22-year-old right-hander holds a strong 3.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a 58/30 K/BB ratio over 60 2/3 innings. It’s not quite the elite production that he flashed at the end of the 2025 season, but it’s been more than good enough for fantasy managers. He should be an every week start in all fantasy leagues until he gives us a reason to think otherwise. You just get the bonus of double the production and a pair of strong matchups to boot this week.

Griffin Jax, Rays, RHP (at Royals, at Astros)

Since making the jump to the Rays’ rotation at the end of April, Jax has put together a 2.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 43/13 K/BB ratio over 45 innings in his 11 starts. That’s pretty great work. It’s even better when you account for most of the damage coming in one six-run disaster against the Tigers. Otherwise, he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his other 10 starts. Look for the good times to continue this week, making Jax a very strong option in all leagues.

Ryan Weathers, Yankees, LHP (vs. Tigers, vs. Twins)

It has been exciting to see what Weathers can do when he’s able to stay on the mound. Through 15 starts on the season, he boasts a solid 3.95 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 95/24 K/BB ratio across 86 2/3 innings. He went through a tough stretch in late May through early June where he allowed five or more runs in three straight outings, but has righted the ship with two very strong outings his last two times out. One of those was against the Tigers who struggle mightily against left-handed pitching and who he’ll take on once again on Monday. He’s an easy start in all leagues this week.

Sean Burke, White Sox, RHP (at Orioles, at Guardians)

Burke has done a very nice job for the White Sox this season, posting a solid 3.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and an 87/30 K/BB ratio over 87 1/3 innings of work through his first 16 appearances (12 starts). He enters this two-start week in especially good form, allowing just one run in each of his last two starts while registering a 14/2 K/BB ratio over 13 2/3 innings against the Yankees in New York and the Guardians at home. Go ahead and ride the hot hand here as Burke looks like a very strong play in all league sizes this week.

Tanner Bibee, Guardians, RHP (vs. Rangers, vs. White Sox)

Despite the fact that he has won just two games on the season, Bibee has pitched very well overall – compiling a 3.78 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and an 81/29 K/BB ratio across 95 1/3 innings. Winning games is going to continue to be a struggle while the offense is without Jose Ramirez, but Bibee looks to be a rock solid option in all formats with two home starts on the docket. He should be started in all leagues without hesitation.

▶ Decent Plays

Gage Jump, Athletics, LHP (vs. Dodgers, vs. Marlins)

This one is tough and really depends on what you’re looking for. Jump has been one of the breakout stars of the 2026 season so far, registering a 2.06 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 35/10 K/BB ratio over 35 1/3 innings through his first six starts for the Athletics. The major problem this week is that he’s making both of his starts at home in West Sacramento, and the first one comes against the vaunted Dodgers’ offense. The strikeouts are going to be there regardless, and I think he easily soars into the double digits there for the week. That’s probably enough to use him in 15 teamers already. Just understand that there’s more ratio risk involved here than we’re used to seeing from Jump this season.

Shane Baz, Orioles, RHP (vs. White Sox, at Reds)

It has been a rough go for Baz as of late, giving up 11 runs (10 earned) over 17 innings in his last three starts. During that stretch he saw his ERA climb from 4.09 to 4.31. Now he has to battle a couple of offenses that hit well against right-handed pitching and his second start comes in a strong hitting environment in Cincinnati. If you’re not worried about ratios and want to use Baz as a full volume play to attack wins and strikeouts, that’s probably fine in all league sizes. Good ratios from him would just be a bonus this week and shouldn’t be the expectation.

Zebby Matthews, Twins, RHP (at Astros, at Yankees)

Aside from the inflated ERA, Matthews has done a nice job through his first eight starts for the Twins, compiling a 1.19 WHIP and a 39/11 K/BB ratio over 49 1/3 innings while notching three victories. Two disaster starts against the Tigers and Pirates – both on the road – are what has brought down his overall line. He’s coming off of a strong start at home against the Dodgers, which should inspire some confidence. He has struggled on the road though and now has to take on a pair of strong offenses in hitter’s parks. I could really go either way with this one. I’m fine betting on the talent winning out here, but be aware that one of these starts could turn into another seven-run explosion.

▶ At Your Own Risk

Ryan Johnson, Angels, RHP (at Mariners, vs. Red Sox)

Johnson has been pretty disastrous overall this season, registering an 8.84 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and a 15/9 K/BB ratio over 19 1/3 innings through his first six appearances (three starts). He did flash his upside his last time out though, firing six innings of one-hit, shutout baseball with eight strikeouts against the Orioles. Is that a trend that can continue this week? That’s up to you and your risk tolerance to decide. The matchups are actually pretty good and the strikeouts should be there even if he does struggle. I could understand taking the plunge in 15 teamers.

Erick Fedde, White Sox, RHP (at Orioles, at Guardians)

Maybe the White Sox are onto something having Fedde work behind an opener instead of as a traditional starter. Over his last four bulk outings, he holds a 2.20 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and a 14/6 K/BB ratio over 16 1/3 innings. He’s not giving you much length and he’s never really been an asset in strikeouts, so unless you’re hunting for wins it’s really tough to see the upside, especially with the WHIP damage that Fedde is likely to inflict.

National League

▶ Strong Plays

Braxton Ashcraft, Pirates, RHP (at Phillies, at Nationals)

Ashcraft has been an absolute stud for the Pirates and for fantasy managers through his first 16 starts on the season. He sits at 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 107/22 K/BB ratio across 96 2/3 innings. For someone who was undrafted and plucked off the waiver wire in the majority of leagues, that’s excellent work. He enters his two-start week in good form also, having allowed just four runs in total over his last three starts while posting a 10/0 K/BB ratio in last week’s victory over the Mariners. There’s no reason that he should be sitting on any benches this week, start him with complete confidence.

Eduardo Rodriguez, Diamondbacks, LHP (vs. Giants, vs. Brewers)

Rodriguez was supposed to have made two starts this past week, but Thursday night’s rainout threw a wrench into those plans and pushed back his second outing. It’s not all bad though, as the rejuvenated southpaw gets to make a pair of home starts including a stellar draw against the Giants to start the week. He’s still an every week start in all leagues until he gives us a reason to think otherwise.

Sandy Alcantara, Marlins, RHP (at Rockies, at Athletics)

This one is fascinating to try to decipher. Alcantara has pitched decently overall this season, as his overall line has been dragged down by four disastrous outings in which he was shelled for six runs or more. Since the calendar flipped to June though, he has delivered five straight quality starts, lowering his ERA from 4.66 to 4.01 in the process. You’d like to think that trend continues this week, but he has to pitch in the two most hitter friendly ballparks in all of baseball in Coors Field and Sutter Health Park. When Alcantara is going well he can succeed in any environment and I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt here. I’d throw caution to the wind and start him in all formats this week.

Eric Lauer, Dodgers, LHP (at Athletics, vs. Padres)

As we mentioned last week, the Dodgers finally get a seven-game week this week which means that Lauer is scheduled to make two starts. Any time we get a Dodgers’ pitcher going twice they’re a must-start for fantasy purposes. Since joining the Dodgers, Lauer has posted a brilliant 2.54 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a 16/8 K/BB ratio across 28 1/3 innings. He was even used as a bulk reliever his last time out, which only adds to his win equity if that trend continues. He’s a very strong streaming option in all leagues this week.

▶ Decent Plays

Grant Holmes, Braves, RHP (vs. Cardinals, vs. Mets)

Overall this season Holmes has done a decent job for the Braves, posting a 4.17 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and a 65/37 K/BB ratio over 73 1/3 innings through his first 15 starts. He hasn’t made it out of the fifth inning since June 6 though and has really struggled with his command his last two times out. If he can get through five innings, he’s always a threat to earn a victory with the Braves’ offense backing him, but he hasn’t looked sharp recently. The matchups are good enough that I’d still probably roll the dice with him in 15 teamers and hope for the best. In 12’s it would really depend on what alternative options I had available.

Brandon Sproat, Brewers, RHP (vs. Reds, at Diamondbacks)

The overall numbers for Sproat this season have been underwhelming, but it looks like he actually may be rounding into the form that piqued the interest of fantasy managers coming into the season. The 25-year-old right-hander has allowed three earned runs or fewer in three of his last four starts and he’s coming off of a brilliant outing against the Reds in Cincinnati where he allowed just one hit and struck out 10 batters over six scoreless frames. The talent has always been there, and I’m inclined to roll with him until he shows any signs of slowing down.

Aaron Nola, Phillies, RHP (vs. Pirates, at Royals)

It’s disappointing to see what has become of Aaron Nola, who was once an ace-level option for fantasy purposes. Now, he’s nothing more than a source of strikeouts. He holds a miserable 5.58 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 80 2/3 innings on the season, with his 82 punchouts the only thing that’s keeping him on the fringe of mixed league consideration. The matchups are intriguing enough this week that I’d be willing to go back to the well here. If he secures a victory and gets 10 strikeouts, it’ll be well worth the potential ratio hit.

Shane Drohan, Brewers, LHP (vs. Reds, at Diamondbacks)

Drohan has pitched well for the Brewers this season, registering a 3.12 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and a 52/17 K/BB ratio across 52 innings in 16 appearances (six starts). The ceiling isn’t terribly high here, but I don’t think there’s a major risk of ratio damage either if rolling him out for two starts. He should get you somewhere in the range of 8-12 strikeouts while posting decent ratios and giving you a shot at a victory. If you’re trying to stream two-start pitchers to add volume, he makes for a very attractive target this week.

Bubba Chandler, Pirates, RHP (at Phillies, at Nationals)

Could it be that we’re finally starting to see Chandler put it all together and figure out how to have sustained success at the big league level? Small sample size caveat, but over his last four starts, the right-hander has posted a 2.82 ERA and an 18/8 K/BB ratio over 22 1/3 innings, going at least five innings and surrendering two earned runs or fewer each time. The talent has never been in doubt, so I’m tempted to ride the hot hand here and roll with him in all leagues for this two-start week.

Rhett Lowder, Reds, RHP (at Brewers, vs. Orioles)

If you’re desperate for volume in deeper leagues and looking to gain ground in wins and strikeouts, Lowder isn’t the worst dart throw. His overall line on the season doesn’t look very appealing, but he has allowed just eight runs over 16 2/3 innings over his last three starts, going at least five innings and striking out at least five batters in all of them. That included a matchup against the Brewers his last time out. I think he could get you 10+ strikeouts and a shot at a victory this week, though his WHIP will probably leave a lot to be desired.

Tyler Mahle, Giants, RHP (at Diamondbacks, at Rockies)

It could be my own personal bias here, but I’m still desperately clinging to hope that Tyler Mahle can turn his season around and be the pitcher that we all thought he could be. He sits at 1-7 with a 5.49 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over 62 1/3 innings on the season. That’s terrible. The only category that he has been an asset in is strikeouts with 61. The matchups are tough too, taking on a pair of divisional opponents in extreme hitter’s parks. So why the optimism? After a long stint on the injured list, Mahle looked sharp this past week, firing 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball against the Athletics. It’s not much to go on, but it’s just enough that I’ll probably buy back in and roll the dice in 15 teamers.

▶ At Your Own Risk

Eury Perez, Marlins, RHP (at Rockies, at Athletics)

We saw mixed results from Perez in his first start back off of the injured list, as he allowed just one run on three hits over 4 2/3 innings against the Rangers. He only struck out one batter in that start though and was pulled after only 68 pitches. It was probably just the Marlins easing him back into action and he should be able to work deeper when he takes the mound on Tuesday. The problem is that he has to pitch at Coors Field and Sutter Health Park this week which is horrifying considering his issues giving up the long ball. There’s a chance he slides through unscathed this week, but the chances of him doing serious damage to your ratios are extremely high. I’d only use this one in leagues where I could handle the ratio damage or where I was in a tough spot and needed to take these types of chances.

Kyle Leahy, Cardinals, RHP (at Braves, at Cubs)

Leahy has struggled to find consistency this season, posting a middling 4.24 ERA, a catastrophic 1.51 WHIP and a 62/28 K/BB ratio over 76 1/3 innings through his first 15 starts. If the matchups were better, I’d consider him as a streaming option for his two-start week, but taking on the Braves and Cubs on the road is a bit terrifying. If your ratios are already in shambles and you don’t care about the WHIPping that he’s likely to provide, go ahead. Otherwise, I’d lean towards other alternatives this week.

JP Sears, Padres, LHP (at Cubs, at Dodgers)

Sears has pitched well in his lone start with the Padres this season and now gets another opportunity to pitch out of the rotation with Lucas Giolito heading to the injured list. He may wind up having some mixed league value at some point over the next few weeks, but these matchups are particularly brutal, having to take on the Cubs and Dodgers on the road. If you want to throw caution to the wind and hope for the best, go right ahead. Just understand the ratio risk you’re incurring when doing so.

Nick Lodolo, Reds, LHP (at Brewers, vs. Orioles)

Thus far, 2026 has been a season to forget for the Reds’ 28-year-old southpaw. In nine starts, he holds a miserable 5.59 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and a 38/18 K/BB ratio across 46 2/3 innings. That’s simply not going to cut it for fantasy managers. If there’s a glimmer of hope, he went four scoreless innings his last time out against the Brewers and struck out six. Maybe that’s him finally rounding back into form? Even so, he’s very difficult to trust at the moment, especially if you can’t even count on him going five innings. He’d leave him shelved if possible.

Griffin Canning, Padres, RHP (at Cubs, at Dodgers)

I had such high hopes that Canning could be a viable mixed league option once he was healthy enough to join the Padres’ rotation. He has been anything but. Through 10 appearances (eight starts) he sits at 1-5 with a hideous 7.38 ERA and 1.66 WHIP with 43 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings. Maybe in neutral matchups you could talk yourself into using him as a volume option, but these matchups are the polar opposite of neutral. Having to battle the Cubs at Wrigley Field and the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium is simply asking for ratio damage. Stay away from this one.

Miles Mikolas, Nationals, RHP (at Red Sox, vs. Pirates)

Every time that Mikolas is scheduled to make two starts, he stares at fantasy managers from the waiver wire and tries to entice them into rolling the dice. It’s almost never a good idea. The 37-year-old hurler holds a 5.24 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 44/17 K/BB ratio over 77 1/3 innings on the season and has won a grand total of two ballgames. The upside in wins and strikeouts is low, and the risk of ratio damage is high. Do with that what you will.

Kyle Freeland, Rockies, LHP (vs. Marlins, vs. Giants)

Never Rockies. Especially not for two starts at Coors Field, regardless of how good the matchups look. Freeland owns a horrendous 7.50 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and a 61/17 K/BB ratio over 72 innings on the season. He has allowed five or more earned runs in three of his last five starts. There’s just no reason to do it. Stay far, far away.

Sean Sullivan, Rockies, LHP (vs. Marlins, vs. Giants)

Never Rockies. Especially not for two starts at Coors Field, regardless of how good the matchups look. Sullivan owns a horrendous 8.25 ERA, 1.92 WHIP and a 7/7 K/BB ratio over 12 innings on the season. There’s just no reason to do it. Stay far, far away.

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The LaMelo Ball backlash has gone too far

CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 14: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots a free throw during the game against the Miami Heat during the 2026 SoFi Play-In Tournament on April 14, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

LaMelo Ball feels like the most polarizing player in the NBA. His highlight reel is a thing of beauty, full of dazzling passes, daring crossovers, and pull-up shooting with range that only Steph Curry can rival. Of course, Ball can also be a maddening player. His shot selection is exasperating when the ball isn’t going through the net, his on-ball defense can be atrocious, and there are many examples of his audacious passes turning into unforgivable turnovers.

The Charlotte Hornets made a stunning decision to trade Ball on Thursday morning, sending him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, one future first-round pick, three future first-round swaps, and three second round picks. Most of the mainstream media outlets believe the Wolves are crazy for making this deal. ESPN gave Minnesota a D+ for the trade, The Athletic said it was an A- for the Hornets and a D+ for the Wolves, and Yahoo! gave Charlotte an A and Minnesota a C. Michael Wilbon said Ball isn’t as valuable as Reid.

It sure seems like the perception of Ball off the court is impossible to untangle from his production on it for most analysts. Ball has earned a reputation as the NBA’s clown prince for his reckless driving, his ridiculous tattoos, and his penchant to speak in slang that confuses older people. Ball isn’t actually that young anymore, he turns 25 years old just before the season, but he still feels like a caricature of everything older people don’t like about Gen Z.

The character assassinations on Ball are a little bit perplexing considering his Charlotte teammate Miles Bridges seems to face less pushback despite some horrifying domestic violence charges. It also overlooks that LaMelo is something of an analytical darling who left a massively positive influence on winning for the Hornets last season.

The Hornets started last season 11-22. After that, they finished 33-16 with the best net-rating in the NBA. With a better supporting cast around him, Ball trimmed some of the fat in his game, stayed healthy, and turned in an incredible season. When Ball was on the court, the Hornets out-scored teams by about eight points per 100 possessions — when he was off, Charlotte essentially played teams even. When Ball shared the floor with Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, Charlotte was +15.1 per 100 possessions. When Ball sat and the other two played, Charlotte was negative 7.4 per 100 possessions.

In fairness, Charlotte put up some electric numbers with Coby White in place of Ball last season, but that was in a much, much smaller sample of minutes. White now takes over for Ball as Charlotte’s starting point guard after inking a new three-year extension. White is good, and he plays a more reliable game than Ball, but it feels like Charlotte also significantly lowered its ceiling in the process.

My favorite all-in-one NBA stat is EPM. LaMelo Ball was the 12th best player in the NBA by that metric last year. The other all-in-ones love LaMelo, too.

What makes Ball so good in these stats? It mostly comes down to his ability to improve his team’s scoring efficiency when he’s on the floor. Ball’s scoring efficiency is below-average on an individual level with 54.6 percent true shooting last year, but Charlotte finally figured out he could still drive an efficient offense if they loaded up on offensive rebounders. Moussa Diabaté became a revelation for Charlotte last season because he can grab Ball’s misses. Besides creating second-chance points, Ball’s passing also leads to efficient scoring chances. He had 4.8 rim assists per 100 possessions last year, which ranked in the 92nd percentile of the league. He ranked in the 93rd percentile in “teammate effective field goal percentage on potential assists.”

While he’s not really a good defender, Ball is a great defensive rebounder (99th percentile among guards), and he’s surprisingly quick to loose balls.

The Hornets were so good in the second half of the season that it’s shocking they decided against giving the team another chance. It’s even more surprising because Charlotte really didn’t get all that much back in return for him. The Hornets essentially only got one real pick swap (in 2028) and one first-round pick along with Reid because of complications with the other swaps.

How will Ball work out in Minnesota? I’m not sure. The Wolves are very thin in the front court now after dumping Julius Randle and Reid. I wish they had a bigger player on the wing than Ayo Dosunmu. Dosunmu is a personal favorite of mine as someone who has closely followed his career since he was in high school, but the five-year, $112 million contract they promised him before the Ball trade immediately felt like an overpay.

The Wolves are still going to be underdogs against the Thunder and Spurs next season, but at least they have more variance in a potential matchup with either after trading for Ball. LaMelo and Anthony Edwards are two of the most high-volume pull-up three-point shooters in the NBA. Minnesota will try to beat OKC and San Antonio by bombing away from three. Maybe they can actually pull off an upset if those shots drop in a short series.

I’ve been a LaMelo apologist for his entire career. When his dad started the “JBA” during his high school years, I was the only media member in the gym in Chicago to watch him play. I also rated LaMelo as my No. 1 prospect coming into the 2020 NBA Draft. While Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton have probably been better so far, Ball has still been damn good when he plays.

When he plays carries a ton of weight — and it’s the most sensible reason for why Charlotte traded him. Ball averages 48 games played per year. He was mostly healthy this past season with 72 games played, but it’s possible he has chronic ankle injuries that will prevent him from being a full-time player moving forward. LaMelo’s brother Lonzo tragically saw his body break down at an early age. Hopefully those damn Big Baller Shoes don’t cut short LaMelo’s career, too.

The Hornets will look like geniuses if LaMelo keeps getting hurt. They know his body better than anyone, so maybe I shouldn’t doubt them. It’s just that if LaMelo stays healthy, he can make magic happen. He is a borderline superstar player by the advanced stats, not just the highlights, and he clearly had a big impact on winning for Charlotte last year.

The Hornets were primed to be the most fun to watch this season with LaMelo in the lineup. Maybe Charlotte will still be real good with Coby White and rookie Christian Anderson running the show, but it feels like they just lowered their ceiling in a big way.

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Friday Jays Notes

Jun 25, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Ernie Clement (22) tags out Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (11) at second base to complete a double play during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Happy Friday. I’m getting ready to be away for the weekend doing the bike ride. Thanks to very generous people I’m up to $4,052 raised, 21st our of 362 riders.

There isn’t much for Jays news. Jamie Campbell is reporting that Adam Macko is being recalled from Buffalo. No word on who is being shipped out.

The team is three games under .500 and I don’t think I’d bet that they’ll ever be over .500 the rest of this season.

Ernie Clement has been named to the All-Star team receiving the most votes of any AL player, which is pretty cool. And there will likely be more Blue Jays on the AL team. There are Jays ‘finalists’ at every position. Most of them clearly don’t deserve to be All Stars, but often, when you let people vote, you don’t get the best candidate winning. Obviously, we vote a lot up here in Canada.

The Mets and Bo Bichette are in Toronto on the weekend and they have fired their manager. The Mets are 34-47, deep in last place in the NL East and 9.5 games back of the Wild Card. That and a $358 million payroll (and a $124 million luxury tax bill) will get a manager fired. So Carlos Mendoza is looking for a new job and Andy Green gets the job of trying to get the team going.

I hate when we play against teams who have just fired their manager. The players seem to work hard for the new chief.

The owners have made a new proposal for the players, which they know will be rejected. In it:

  • New contracts for free agents can only be five years long for guys switching teams (and for $202 million at the most) and six years for players staying with their team (and for $265 million at the most).
  • No deferred money allowed anymore.
  • Qualifying offers will disappear.
  • Players will be able to become free agents at age 30 if they have five years of MLB playing time.
  • Minimum salary will go up to $1 million for players with two or more years of service time.

I always wonder why owners think they have to protect themselves from themselves but that’s where we are.

Have a good weekend

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REPORT: Detroit adds shooting to their backcourt

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 04: Isaiah Joe #11 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots the ball against Og Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden on March 04, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded wing Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for two future second-round picks.

With the move, Detroit adds a much-needed movement shooter to complement Cade Cunningham. Joe averaged 11.1 points in just 21.2 minutes per game last season while knocking down 42.3 percent of his six three-point attempts per game. Fresh off helping Oklahoma City win a championship, the 26-year-old gives the Pistons another proven floor spacer and playoff-tested rotation player.

Joe has spent six NBA seasons with the Thunder and 76ers, averaging 8.2 points and 2.1 rebounds across 392 regular-season games. Of his 71 appearances last season, only nine came as a starter. With Duncan Robinson projected to open the season in Detroit’s starting lineup, and Daniss Jenkins also in the backcourt mix, Joe is expected to carve out a significant role off the bench for J.B. Bickerstaff.

The Pistons engineered a remarkable worst-to-first turnaround under J.B., finishing with an Eastern Conference-best 60-22 record. Cunningham emerged as an MVP candidate while leading Detroit to its first playoff appearance in nearly two decades. The Pistons rallied from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate Orlando in the opening round before falling to Cleveland in a grueling seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal.

For OKC, the move continues a reshaping of its championship roster. After also dealing Aaron Wiggins, the Bolts have turned the two veterans into four future second-round picks, adding even more draft capital to an already hefty collection of assets.

Acquiring Joe isn’t a move that transforms Detroit into a championship-caliber team, but it’s a smart piece of business. He is an efficient role player with championship experience whose movement creates open looks, and he will burn defenses that overload Cade. For the price of two future second-round picks? Nice pick-up.

From a Knicks perspective, we’re reminded that the Eastern Conference is still in flux. Teams are looking for every possible edge to challenge the WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS. This move brings Detroit closer to the finish line, but it doesn’t push them over. Consider it a solid marginal upgrade for a team intent on giving Cunningham some relief and keeping him happy in the Motor City.

Go Knicks.

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Pistons add sharpshooter Isaiah Joe, send OKC two 2nds

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 24: Isaiah Joe #11 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 24, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Detroit Pistons addressed a glaring need for a reliable perimeter threat by agreeing to trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder sharpshooter, Isaiah Joe, ESPN reports. In exchange, the Pistons will send OKC two second-round picks. The Thunder will also save $76 million in luxury tax penalties by getting Joe’s salary off their books, per Yossi Gozlan.

Joe has shot better than 40% from three each of the past four seasons, all with the Thunder. He has attempted at least six threes per game the past two seasons. He becomes a critical three-point threat for a Pistons team that wants to provide as much space as possible around Cade Cunningham, and knew they needed a player like Joe, especially if they plan to also build around Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren as part of a young core.

There is still a lot of optionality on how Detroit is going to be able to execute this move as either an above-the-cap team or below-the-cap team. The earlier trade of Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies for three second-round picks gave them much needed flexibility as they navigate the desire to add a player like Joe (with one or two more additions likely to come), navigate whether they will retain fellow sharpshooter Duncan Robinson or waive him (only $2 million of his salary is guaranteed) in order to free up cap space, and the ongoing negotiations with restricted free agent Jalen Duren.

Much like Duncan, Joe is ideally a bench player who creates ample spacing and can knock down deep shots in a variety of ways. He ranked second in the NBA in catch-and-shoot threes per game of those with at least five attempts, knocking down 43.1%. He shot 39% above the break and 53.5% from the corners this season. With his high, quick-release and good body control, he also has the ability to hit threes off of movement and on quick relocations.

As detailed by Harrison Hamm at Only Down One, Joe was able to form a remarkable two-man game with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and I think many of those lessons can be applied to a new pairing with Cade Cunningham.

Ideally, this addition would mean Detroit has two great two-point shooters in both Joe and Robinson. Neither is an ideal defender, but both are lethal offensively. Of course, that depends largely on how the rest of Detroit’s offseason goes. Robinson could be shipped in a deal or waived as Detroit continues to search for a dangerous sidekick, likely at the shooting guard or power forward spots, to pair alongside Cunningham.

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SB Nati0n Reacts results: Pirates need Konnor Griffin back in the lineup

In the most recent edition of polls conducted by Bucs Dugout fans were asked what has been the biggest loss from the Pirates’ lineup; who’s been missed more, Oneil Cruz or Konnor Griffin? The poll results are in and the majority of Pirates fans that voted said that Griffin was a bigger loss for the team with 57% of the votes reflecting that.

Griffin the former top prospect in baseball was really starting to come around right up until he was sidelined with a right elbow strain injury. The Pirates have approached his rehab cautiously as he just returned to action with the Altoona Curve earlier this week. Still though his presence in Pittsburgh has certainly been missed.

Jared Triolo has taken a majority of the starts at shortstop since Griffin was moved to the IL, and he just doesn’t provide the same spark that the latter does in the lineup. Griffin was already proving to be a very capable defender in the middle infield and was finally showing signs of growth at the plate against major league pitchers. Triolo is probably the most versatile defender on the Pirates, but he’s also an anchor in Pittsburgh’s lineup. His slugging percentage is at a career low .269 while his batting average is just .228 through 48 games played. Triolo is also not a huge threat on the base pads as he only has 5 stolen bases on the season, while Griffin left Pittsburgh with 14 steals which ranks 12th in the National League.

In 51 games played Griffin has a slash line of .270/.327/.402 with 51 hits, four homers, 22 RBIs and the aforementioned 14 steals. His return to Pittsburgh will be a welcomed one, as fans are dying to see what he can do back from injury.

Cruz has certainly been a fixture that’s been missed in Pittsburgh as well. The Pirates’ converted center fielder was having arguably his best season at the plate before being sent to the IL with left hand fractures.

At the time of his injury Cruz was slugging .472 with a .264 batting average. His 14 homers and 21 steals made him a standout in Pittsburgh’s lineup, as the power and speed combination was on full display in the first half of the season. Luckily for Pittsburgh fans (perhaps this influenced the vote) Jake Mangum who has taken a majority of the reps in center since Cruz’s departure has been a positive for the Pirates. He certainly doesn’t bring the same skillset that Cruz possesses but Mangum has been a spark plug with a .291 average and .335 on base percentage.

FanDuel Sports Network has the current betting odds for projected award winners at the end of the MLB season and the Pirates’ rookie Griffin currently has +2000 odds to win the National League’s Rookie of the Year honors. If the rookie can pickup where he left off before landing on the injured list he should be in a great position to take home some hardware and to get back to helping the Buccos in their race to make the postseason.

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Wimbledon offers Novak Djokovic his last realistic shot at a 25th grand slam

Shorter points help the 39-year-old at SW19, where Jannik Sinner hopes to show French Open upset was a blip

For the 21st time in his long and fruitful career, Novak Djokovic arrived at the All England Club on Monday and began his preparations for another Wimbledon in earnest. The 39-year-old worked his way through his tentative first steps on the grass courts of Aorangi Park, movement exercises complementing his sparring on court. He found his rhythm against local hitting partners and tussled with other champions. His training sessions included a catchup with his old friend Marin Cilic and then he broke in the grass on No 1 Court with the world No 1, Jannik Sinner, iron sharpening iron.

The ultimate goal is the same as it has been for some time: Djokovic, the seventh seed, returns to Wimbledon again seeking to become the oldest grand slam singles champion in history by winning an unprecedented 25th grand slam title. At 39 years old, his chances of achieving this goal naturally lessen with each tournament, but he has repeatedly shown that, if fortune favours him for two weeks, he is more than capable of taking advantage.

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Astros Fans, Are You Ready to Trust Tatsuya Imai?

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JUNE 25: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the bottom of the first inning at Comerica Park on June 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Bust. Disaster. Another Dana Brown failure. Bum. DFA that clown.

These are the things Astros fans were saying about Tatsuya Imai after his third start of the season.

Imai’s 3rd start of the year was an epic failure. He only got one out against division-rival Seattle. He allowed 3 runs on 4 walks and a hit. He was all over the place.

Fans had already seen Imai have a meltdown in his first start of the season. After cruising through 2 innings, he suddenly lost the plate in the 3rd and couldn’t get out of the inning. In 2.2IP, he was charged with 4 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks.

After his third start, he was IL-bound with arm fatigue. Fans screamed it was really the team’s way of getting a lousy pitcher out of the rotation.

The vitriol against Imai was strong. Even members of the media were absolutely destroying him as a total bust after three starts in a new country.

Imai had the stuff, but people couldn’t see it. They only saw the results.

He was clearly struggling to adjust to the American lifestyle, fans didn’t care.

No one on the team spoke Japanese, and Imai’s English and Spanish weren’t very good, so he didn’t understand anything being said. Didn’t understand the movie dialogue, the music, words from the wait staff or really from anyone.

He was in the country about 3 months, and was struggling. Fans and media didn’t give a rip. They were tearing into him over anything and everything they could.

With Imai sporting a 7.27 ERA for $18M this year, they all felt justified.

Imai spent the next month recovering from arm fatigue and trying to figure out why his command had suddenly left him.

While Imai mentioned Yusei Kikuchi’s success with the Astros as a reason he wanted to sign in Houston, it had become clear Imai was not comfortable with what he was being asked to do. He felt he was being asked to defer to the hitter’s strengths instead of attack with his own.

At first he didn’t share this, but during his IL stint, he did. The team decided to oblige him, and allow him to do whatever he felt would make him be successful.

He pared back his arsenal. Fans and media crushed him again.

Media and fans had the same question: Didn’t we hear Taylor Trammell say in spring training that Imai’s splitter was the nastiest thing he had ever seen? Why is he refusing to throw it? It was hard to argue with the logic. Imai just didn’t like the way the pitch was feeling to him. His command on that pitch needed work. He was going with his bread and butter.

Imai’s first two starts back from the IL weren’t great. However, in his second start back, there was a noticeable change.

Imai was more aggressive in his May 18 start against Minnesota, one that was cut short because of a long rain delay. In 4.2 IP, he allowed 3 runs (all on two HRs allowed) on 5 hits. He struck out 5 He also didn’t walk a batter.

Imai had allowed 14 walks in his first 4 starts, covering just 12.2 IP. Not allowing any walks stood out. He likely would have gone deeper into the game had the long rain delay not happened.

In his next start against Texas, Imai was terrific. He threw 6 no-hit innings in what would be a combined no-hitter for the Astros. He did walk 4, and only struck out 2, but he did get 8 ground ball outs.

In his next start, he was matched up with Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers. Misiorowki has been setting records for most pitches thrown over 100 MPH with seemingly each start. Which Imai would the Astros get? The one who has throws 2 outings without allowing a run, or the one who melted down, lost control, and got chased early?

Imai held his own in that matchup, allowing only 2 runs (on a 2-run HR) on 3 hits in 6 innings. he walked 2 and struck out 5. Houston lost 2-0, but Imai gave a strong effort, and showed he wasn’t afraid or intimidated by the big stage.

In his next start, he would allow just 2 runs in 5 innings, and struck out 8 in a 13-2 win over the Athletics.

Maybe Imai had turned the corner? People were cautiously coming around. Maybe he can be a decent mid-rotation guy after all, they mused. Maybe, they weren’t convinced yet.

Then another disaster start struck.

Staked to a 9-0 lead before throwing a pitch, in what seemed like the easiest path to a win you could ever ask for, Imai lost his command again.

He didn’t make it out of the first inning, giving back 5 of the 9 runs the Astros scored in the top of the 1st on 4 hits and a walk. He recorded only 2 outs. It caused the Astros to rifle through their bullpen for 25 outs.

Fans were furious. They wanted him DFA’d. Optioned to Sugar Land. Anywhere but on the Astros.

Of course, $18M investments don’t get thrown away for poor early returns.

Imai would rebound strongly against Cleveland, with 6 innings of 3 run ball, striking out a career-best 11. He didn’t walk a batter.

Imai was dominant again yesterday, with 6 shutout innings of 2 hit ball, he walked 1 and struck out 10.

Imai became the first Astros pitcher this season with back to back starts of at least 10 strikeouts.

Imai’s numbers on the season still aren’t great. He’s 5-3 with a 5.36 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in 11 starts. So let’s try and peel the onion back and see the trend:

Imai has made 11 starts, but his last 7 (even with the KC clunker) tell a different story: In the last 7 starts, he’s 4-2 with a 3.93 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Those are much stronger numbers.

He also has 42 K in 34.1 IP. That is 11K/9. That’s a very strong number. He only walked 11 batters in that time. That’s 2.89 BB/9, quite respectable. His 3.8 K/BB ratio is excellent.

He’s now performed well in 5 of his last 6 starts, and his last 2 have been terrific. That blip in Kansas City is starting to look like a blip, and not something that he is going to give you every 3 starts or so.

But with such a small sample size, how confident are you when he takes the mound of which Imai you will get? The blip or the guy who looks like he can be a legit #2 behind Hunter Brown?

Are you ready to trust Tatsuya Imai yet?

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SOURCES: Teams Inquiring About Islanders Mathew Barzal Ahead Of 2026 NHL Draft

With the trade and free agent market drying up, the New York Islanders are receiving inquiries regarding forward Mathew Barzal. 

General manager Mathieu Darche has told us numerous times that his job is to listen, so this news shouldn't shock anyone. 

Barzal, 28, who has four seasons left on his deal at $9.15 million annually, has a 22-team modified no-trade clause. That means he can only be dealt to nine teams, with many of those teams already having significant money tied up in their forward group, I'm told. 

Two teams that I believe checked in on Barzal are the Dallas Stars and the Montreal Canadiens.

The Stars are dealing with pending unrestricted free agent Jason Robertson at the moment and if they can't re-sign him, he'll be on the move.

While Robertson doesn't have any trade protection, he controls where he goes like Noah Dobson did last summer. 

Jason Robertson's Contract Situation Mirrors Noah Dobson's With The IslandersJason Robertson's Contract Situation Mirrors Noah Dobson's With The IslandersAs Dallas faces a contract stalemate with their superstar sniper, a blueprint emerges for Lou Lamoriello to leverage draft capital and young talent for a franchise-altering acquisition.

The Stars aren't looking for picks and prospects for Robertson as they want to continue contending for a Stanley Cup so them having interest in Barzal in a potential deal makes complete sense.

The question is would Robertson have interest in signing on Long Island?

He did play for head coach Pete DeBoer, who was hired by the Islanders with four games to go. 

While the Seattle Kraken are  likely an interested party, especially after trying to land Artemi Panarin ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline and striking out on Robertson, I don't believe that Barzal would be interested in going there. 

The Islanders don't have interest in rebuilding and have previously told the Canadiens "no" when they called about Bo Horvat.

Moving Barzal for picks and prospects makes no real sense, even less sense with DeBoer aboard. 

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Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Dylan Crews is heating up, Brandon Sproat turns a corner

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, our weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire guide. We'll be doing things a little differently this season, with Eric Samulski publishing the initial waiver-wire article on Friday afternoon. Then James Schiano updates it every Sunday to make sure you get the most up-to-date information.

The premise of the article is pretty straightforward. We'll give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When we list a player, we'll list the category where we think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. We hope this helps you determine whether the player fits your team's needs. Not every "trending" player will be a good addition for your specific roster.

To qualify for this list, a player needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. We understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and we can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places, and that can hopefully satisfy readers who play in all league types.

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters

TJ Rumfield - 1B, COL (38% rostered)

(STARTING JOB, GREAT SCHEDULE)

We're not entirely sure why Rumfield's roster rate has dropped so low. He's hitting .286/.356/.584 in 21 games in June with five home runs, 12 runs scored, and 15 RBI. No, he doesn't barrel the ball or hit it overly hard, but he makes tons of contact and hits in an incredibly hitter-friendly ballpark. He also gets seven games at Coors Field this upcoming week, so now is not the time to leave him on the wire. Another Rockies option for this week could be Troy Johnston - 1B/OF, COL (11% rostered). Right now, he seems to only be facing right-handed pitchers, but the Rockies will face six of them this upcoming week. In June, Johnston is hitting .328/.406/.500 with 11 RBI in 18 games. Like Rumfield, he also hasn't been barreling the ball a ton, but he has more walks than strikeouts this month, which shows his tremendous plate discipline. He's worth a look this week.

Lawrence Butler - OF, ATH (35% rostered)

(EVERYDAY PLAYER, POWER-SPEED UPSIDE)

Butler seems to have settled back into a regular role against right-handed pitching after Brent Rooker's injury freed up some playing time for the Athletics. In 19 games in June, he's hitting .277/.320/.468 with two home runs, nine runs scored, and one steal. Even in his "bad" year last year, he still put together a 20/20 season. Yes, there remains some swing-and-miss in his game, but this could have just been a case of him needing to get his knees fully healthy after offseason surgery.

Dylan Crews - OF, WAS (32% rostered)

(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK COMING)

We know many people dropped Crews a week or two ago when the results weren't coming, and we almost did too, but his quality of contact had been so good that we decided to hold on, and Crews has started to pick things up, going 7-for-23 with six runs scored and one home run in his last six games. He's hitting just .208 in 21 games in June, but that comes with a 12% barrel rate, 46% hard-hit rate, and 90.6 mph average exit velocity. That, in part, is why he also has a .275 xBA and .521 xSLG. We're going to be on the quality of contact winning out. Daulton Varsho - OF, TOR (30% rostered) is also off the injured list and is hitting .320/.379/.640 with two home runs, six RBI, and three steals in 11 games in June. He's still pulling the ball a ton, but no longer sporting as extreme a launch angle as we saw from him last year. That should help with the batting average, and he's clearly ready to run.

Nasim Nunez - 2B/SS, WAS (31% rostered)

(STOLEN BASE UPSIDE, HOT STREAK)

Nunez had an 18% roster rate last week when he made the waiver wire article, but he continues to produce, so his rate continues to rise. We expected Nunez to be a burner who gave you little else, but he's now hitting .379/.429/.483 in 19 games in June with 10 RBI and nine steals. Yes, he's not going to continue to run a .550 BABIP, but his bat speed is up, he's hitting the ball harder, and he runs fast, so there's a good chance he always has a higher than average BABIP. There's a good chance that he's at least a .250-.260 hitter the rest of the way, and that's going to be massive for people who need stolen bases.

Kody Clemens - 1B/2B/OF, MIN (24% rostered)

(STARTING JOB, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

Clemens had a rough week, and his roster rate fell, but we'd caution you against abandoning a player too quickly. In 20 games in June, he's still hitting .256/.301/.513 with five home runs, 12 runs scored, 12 RBI, and one steal. That comes with a 9.5% barrel rate and a 48% hard-hit rate. He hits third essentially every day for the Twins and is eligible at plenty of positions, so he's a great option in deeper formats, but we understand if you wanted to move on in shallower leagues.

Francisco Alvarez - C, NYM (19% rostered)

(HOT STREAK, POWER UPSIDE)

Alvarez has plenty of talent, but can't seem to stay healthy. The 24-year-old is back from the injured list now and is hitting .319/.360/.574 in 13 games with four home runs and eight RBI. In his 50 games this season, he has a career-high 16.8% barrel rate and his highest bat speed ever. He’s pulling the ball 49.6% of the time, which is up from his 39.2% career average. He has just an 18.4% Pull Air rate, which ranks 121st among hitters with 100 batted-ball events this season; yet that has risen to 27.8% since coming off the IL, which could be part of what's unlocking his power. He's one-catcher viable. In Pittsburgh, Endy Rodriguez - C, PIT (2% rostered) has seemingly grabbed the starting job away from Henry Davis. Rodriguez has gone .260/.339/.425 over 18 games in June with three home runs and nine RBI. He also has a 16.7% barrel rate and 56% hard-hit rate over that span. was a former top prospect before two years of injuries and could be worth a gamble.

Samad Taylor - 2B/OF, SD (19% rostered)

(STARTING JOB, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE)

Samad Taylor is 10-for-23 in his last six games with two steals, but his roster rate has also gone up by just 1%. Perhaps people don't believe this is real, and we don't blame them. It probably isn't, but it's real for right now. Taylor was called up from Triple-A when Nick Castellanos was designated for assignment and has hit the ground running (literally), hitting .379/.438/.448 in 16 games with 11 runs scored, 11 RBI, one home run, and six steals. He also had just a 27% hard-hit rate in Triple-A and a league-average 85% zone contact rate. He’s hitting the ball on the ground 60% of the time with the Padres and has the speed to beat out infield singles, so the batting average and stolen bases could be there, and the Padres are hitting him second in the order, so why not take a gamble while he's running this hot?

Joshua Baez - OF, STL (18% rostered)

(POTENTIAL CALL-UP, POWER UPSIDE)

We like to get ahead of prospect stashes on the waiver wire, but this is a rough time of year. Most incentive deadlines have passed, and teams are still deciding if they are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, so we may not get any major prospect promotions until after the All-Star game. That being said, it might be time for Baez to be stashed. He had a four-home run game last week and now leads the entire International League with 26 home runs in 69 games. That also comes with a .273/.343/.626 slash line and 13 stolen bases to create a nice power/speed combo. There are some lingering concerns about his contact since he’s struck out nearly 31 percent of the time at the Triple-A level this season, but when you have that kind of power and speed, you can still produce fantasy goodness. You could look to stash Yohandy Morales - 1B/3B, WAS (2% rostered), who is now up to 16 home runs and 50 RBI on the season to go along with a .311 batting average and a .923 OPS in 69 Triple-A games. He’s ready for a chance at big league pitching, but with Curtis Mead playing well at third base, the Nationals will need to use Morales as a DH or a first baseman.

Jasson Dominguez - OF, NYY (16% rostered)

(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POST HYPE UPSIDE)

Dominguez may only be hitting .250 in 10 games since coming off the IL with a 12/1 K/BB ratio, but he does have two home runs and four steals over that time, so you're starting to see some of the power and speed upside that people were excited about. He figures to get regular playing time even when Trent Grisham returns from the IL and has been hitting in the top half of the lineup for one of the best offenses in baseball. His roster rate needs to be higher. Another risky outfield option is Heriberto Hernandez - OF, MIA (2% rostered), who is hitting .274/.318/.613 in 17 games in June with six home runs, 11 RBI, and a 57.1% hard-hit rate, which is 15th in baseball among hitters with 40 plate appearances in June.

Blaze Alexander - 2B/3B/SS/OF, BAL (16% rostered)

(STARTING JOB, STATCAST DARLING)

It seems that Blaze Alexander may have finally won himself a starting role. After putting up strong production in a part-time role, Alexander seems to have supplanted Coby Mayo at third base. He appeared in Eric’s article last week on hitters to target based on their May results, and, since June 1st, he's been the best hitter on the Orioles, slashing .388/.436/.633 in 18 games with two home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored, and two steals. He's making better-than-league-average contact in the zone with a better hard-hit percentage than league average as well. There is an intriguing profile here, and icould be an add in 12-team formats now that the playing time is there. We also had Caleb Durbin - 2B/3B, BOS (19% rostered) on here last week. He broke his pinky earlier in the week, but still hit a home run off Cam Schlittler on Thursday. In 20 games in June, Durbin is hitting .324/.356/.618 with five home runs, 12 runs, 10 RBI, and three steals. This may be coming together.

Jack McCarthy - OF, COL (16% rostered)

(HOT STRETCH, GOOD SCHEDULE)

We mentioned two Rockies to add before their seven-game week at home, so now it's time to mention two more. McCarthy has been a full-time player for the Rockies for a while now. In June, he's hitting .324/.368/.507 in 17 games with two home runs, nine runs scored, eight RBI, and two steals. He hits leadoff and has 12 steals on the season, so he should provide average, runs, and steals during a full week in Coors. You could also add Cole Carrigg - OF, COL (15% rostered), who is hitting .271/.379/.542 in his 14 MLB games with three home runs and 11 RBI. The only issue is that, since Mickey Moniak has come back, Carrigg has only played against lefties. Now, it's also only been three games so far, so it's not 100% clear what the Rockies' plan is going forward, but Carrigg could very well be on the short side of a platoon.

Blaze Jordan - 1B/3B, STL (12% rostered)

(STARTING JOB, BATTING AVERAGE POTENTIAL)

There's this idea that Blaze Jordan is a top-tier power hitter, likely because he was hitting mammoth home runs in high school home run derbies. However, he has never hit 20 home runs in any minor league season. He had 11 in 57 games at Triple-A this season, so he may have been on his way, but he has just one in 12 games since being called up with the Cardinals. That being said, he's also hitting .286/.298/.476 with 12 RBI and a 46% hard-hit rate. Jordan won't walk much, which will hurt him in OBP leagues, but he's playing every day in St. Louis right now and is worth a shot in 15-team leagues.

Henry Bolte - OF, ATH (11% rostered)

(RECENT HOT STRETCH, POWER UPSIDE)

It took a little while for Bolte to get going at the MLB level, but he's hitting .323/.416/.477 in 21 games in June with two home runs, five steals, and seven runs scored. That comes with a 12.2% barrel rate and 53.7% hard-hit rate. Bolte is sporting a .487 batting average, so it will likely regress closer to his .252 xBA, but the rookie had improved his contact rates in the minors this season, and that seems to be carrying over. There is swing and miss in his game, so this may not be the smoothest ride, but it's fun right now.

Anthony Volpe - SS, NYY (9% rostered)

(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)

The power hasn't been there for Volpe this season, with one home run and a 37% hard-hit rate. However, there has been far more contact in the zone. In 18 games in June, he's hitting .276/.354/.345 with seven runs scored and three steals. He has seven steals in 31 games since being activated this season, so the shoulder injury isn't stopping him from running. He continues to start every day at shortstop with Jose Caballero moving all over the field, and that should continue for the foreseeable future. Even if we don't get the previous power back, a .250 hitter with speed is still valuable in an offense like this. Across town, the Mets also recalled Ronny Mauricio - 2B/SS/3B, NYM (1% rostered), with Marcus Semien landing on the injured list. He was just 7-for-32 in his 10-game MLB stint before fracturing his thumb, but he had a productive season in the minors and has plus raw tools. He might be a good gamble in deeper formats for a Mets offense that is starving for production.

Victor Caratini - C, MIN (9% rostered)

(HOT STREAK, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

This is a short-term add with Ryan Jeffers eventually coming back, but Caratini has been red hot right now. In 16 games in June, he's hitting .377/.450/.679 with four home runs, 11 RBI, and 11 runs scored. That's with a 16% barrel rate and 46% hard-hit rate. If you need a stopgap at catcher, he's a good one. Joe Mack- C, MIA (4% rostered) has also been producing lately, hitting .327/.397/596 in 17 games in June with four home runs, 11 runs scored, and 12 RBI. He's still more of a defensive catcher, but the bat isn't nothing, as evidenced by his 12% barrel rate and 44% hard-hit rate in June. He's going to be Miami's catcher for the rest of the season, so there is some security there.

Cooper Pratt - SS, MIL (7% rostered)

(PROSPECT CALL-UP, MODEST UPSIDE)

The Brewers called up Cooper Pratt this week to turn the shortstop reins over to their young prospect. The 21-year-old was slashing .241/.349/.386 batting line in Triple-A, which is not exciting, but he had been hitting better before his call-up. He's also gone 7-for-27 in his first nine games with two RBI and four steals. Eric recorded a video last week with more thoughts on Pratt’s fantasy upside.

Lars Nootbaar - OF, STL (6% rostered)

(OFF THE TIL, STATCAST DARLING

People really don't want to pick up Nootbaar. We know he's another boring outfielder who is set to come off the injured list following offseason surgery on both of his heels. We know that you've been waiting for that Nootbaar breakout for a long time, but he remains a solid/productive player who should be in an everyday role on a solid Cardinals team. In 17 games since coming off the injured list, he's hitting .288/.386/.492 with two home runs, 12 runs scored, and seven RBI. He's a productive player and will continue to settle in. Another veteran, oft-injured outfield option is Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN (7% rostered). Larnach has enjoyed a nice month of June, hitting .333/.406/.509 in 18 games with two home runs, 10 runs scored, and eight RBI. He has just a 32.7% hard-hit rate over that stretch, but his .308 xBA suggests that his success has not just been luck. The Twins will also only face one lefty this upcoming week, which is good news for Larnach.

Kyle Karros - 3B, COL (2% rostered)

(EVERY DAY PLAYER, GOOD SCHEDULE)

Oh hey, look, another Rockies hitter ahead of their seven-game week at home. Karros has been quietly productive over the last month, hitting .345/.406/.517 in 20 games with one home run, 13 runs scored, and six RBI. As the son of an MLB player, he has a good understanding of the strike zone and a disciplined approach at the plate. The power isn't tremendous, but the batting average could be pretty good in Coors Field, especially with the favorable schedule. Nick Loftin - 2B/3B/OF, KC (5% rostered) could be a short-term option with Maikel Garcia out. In 18 games in June, he's hitting .306/.389/.565 with three home runs, 11 runs scored, and 11 RBI. He is sporting a career-high barrel rate and hard-hit rate, but little has changed with his approach, so we're not going to expect this to last. However, if you need production right now, he's playing and hitting well. We prefer Michael Massey - 2B/OF (4% rostered), who is hitting .315/.333/.507 in 20 games in June with three home runs, 11 runs scored, and 12 RBI. Massey has increased his bat speed and exit velocities and is a better bet to produce for the rest of the season.

Donovan Walton - 2B/3B, LAA (1% rostered)

(HOT STREAK, STARTING JOB)

If you want the ultimate hot streak play, it's Donovan Walton. We never expected Walton to be a full-time player and still don't, but he's been a starter for almost the whole month of June because his bat is red hot. He's hitting .340/.364/.604 in 18 games with three home runs, eight runs scored, and 10 RBI. This is a 32-year-old who swings at most everything and has a .217 career average in 98 MLB games, so we'd only add in deeper formats if we had an open spot and don't hold when the cold streak comes. His teammate Christian Moore(2B, LAA - 1% rostered) has been cold since being called up, but we're still intrigued by his talent and the prospect of playing time. The 23-year-old had made some real adjustments at the plate in Triple-A, making more contact and better contact, and was slashing .333/.468/.585 with nine homers, 45 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 252 plate appearances. We're not sure why the Angels would throw a new defensive position at him along with a call-up, but if Walton or Denzer Guzman cool down, as we expect, Moore could move back to the infield. This is a highly talented young hitter who's getting another shot. We should probably give him one too.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers

Sean Burke - SP, CWS (36% rostered)

Eric wrote about Sean Burke in this week’s streaming starting pitcher article, so we encourage you to check that out for more details on his pitch mix and fantasy value. He has a good two-start week this week with the Orioles and Guardians on tap.

Joey Cantillo - SP, CLE (30% rostered)

Joey Cantillo appeared in that same article above, thanks to a new cutter he has started to lean on. We've always been a fan of Cantillo's potential upside because of his changeup and curve, but his four-seam fastball is pretty average despite elite extension. The added cutter could make a huge difference, and he has looked good lately. We'd add him for upside here.

Yoendrys Gomez - SP/RP, MIN (24% rostered)

Gomez has been really good since joining the Twins and has emerged as their clear closer. Eric recorded a video with some detailed thoughts last week.We also know that Alex Lange - RP, KC (24% rostered) continued to deliver saves for the Royals, but it just doesn't seem as believable. An 11.3% K-BB% and 12% swinging strike rate are not really what we'd like to see from a closer. Plus, his 13% barrel rate allowed and 4.12 SIERA. You can roll with this while it's working, but don't expect it to last.

Grant Taylor - RP/SP, CWS (22% rostered)

The case for Taylor here is that the White Sox are a legit playoff contender, and Seranthony Dominguez has just been really bad lately. At some point, the White Sox may WANT to use Taylor as their fireman, but he may NEED to be used to close games. If he gets that role, he could be a legit stud. Adrian Morejon - RP, SD (15% rostered) is just an option if you need ratios and some sneaky wins from a good reliever.

Eric Lauer - SP, LAD (13% rostered)

This isn't some Dodgers' magic, but Lauer did throw six no-hit innings against the Twins and has been really solid since coming over to the Dodgers. We should note that, even in his six no-hit innings, it was with three walks and two strikeouts. It was not some dominant outing. However, Lauer was good for the Blue Jays last season and could be a solid deep league streamer while he's on a roll like this. We just don't love that he goes to Sacramento next week.

Elvis Alvarado - RP, ATH (12% rostered)

Alvarado was Eric's featured relief pitcher in this week’s MLB Notebook. In that article, Eric said, "Alvarado has battled command issues in the past and then posted an 8.38 ERA in his first 10 appearances this season before being sent to Triple-A. Since being recalled on June 6th, he looks like a different pitcher and, even after a poor last outing, has a 2.70 ERA and 47% strikeout rate in 10 innings. This version of him feels different. Since Alvarado has returned, he has showcased better command of his four-seamer but also has been able to get ahead in the count with his slider and sinker. He’s started to use his slider more as an early-count called strike pitch in addition to a whiff pitch, which has given his pitch mix another dimension that he didn’t have last year. Alvarado may only have two saves since being recalled, but he has the third-lowest SIERA among qualified relievers at 0.67 and has the best K-BB% at 47.1%.

Anthony Kay - SP, CWS (10% rostered)

We had Kay on here last week because we believed that his recent poor stretch was because he faced the Phillies, Dodgers, and Yankees in consecutive starts. Over that stretch, his ERA jumped from 3.77 on June 1st to 4.61 now. He had a good first start this week against the Guardians and will face the Royals on Sunday. Then he gets the Guardians and Red Sox in his next two starts. I think his reward for that tough stretch is a nice run of production coming.

Ian Seymour - SP, TB (8% rostered)

Oh, man. Is it happening? We've had Seymour on this list for two weeks, but it's just been a bet on the future because Eric wrote about him as one of his favorite late-round starting pitcher targets this offseason,which you can read here for full thoughts on his arsenal. Yet, Seymour hadn't quite delivered on his chances as a starter, and his stuff hasn't looked as crisp as Eric wrote about in his streaming starting pitcher article two weeks ago. Then it all seemed to click on Thursday. Yes, it was the Royals without Bobby Witt Jr., but Seymour looked good with his four-seamer upstairs and changeups low in the zone. We're choosing to believe that this is the beginning of the breakout.

Reynaldo Lopez- SP/RP, ATL (8% rostered)

With JR Ritchie down in the minors, Lopez is getting another chance in the starting rotation. He's been solid overall this year, posting a 3.50 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 39/21 K/BB ratio in 43 2/3 innings. We know what he did for Atlanta when he was healthy in 2024, and so, with the starting pitching landscape what it is, he's not a bad gamble right now. He gets the Cardinals at home in his first start next week.

Brandon Sproat - SP, MIL (7% rostered)

OK, we have to talk about the six innings of shutout ball against the Reds, where Sproat struck out 10, didn't walk a batter, allowed one hit, and had 18 whiffs. We should also note that Sproat has not issued more than two walks in his last four starts. On Tuesday against the Reds, Sproat's command of his four-seamer was exceptional, and he did a great job of keeping it at the top of the zone. The sweeper stayed low and away from righties, and he had four whiffs and a 38.5% CSW on that pitch. The curveball was always low and under the zone (sometimes too low), but we'd rather that than leaving it up. He also mixed in sinkers and cutters to allow the four-seamer to play up more as a whiff pitch, and you can see how this can all work. His start before that at Cleveland was really just one bad inning, and the previous start in Sacramento was good, so maybe this is Sproat coming into his own? We'd rather take a shot on guys like Sproat and Seymour than low-upside streamers like Andre Pallante (who we like).

Jake Bennett - SP, BOS (7% rostered)

Bennett is coming off a nice outing against the Rockies in Coors, throwing six shutout innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. He showed the ability to be what Nick Pollack refers to as a SWATCH (Southpaw With a Tight Changeup). He started to do that a bit on Monday and also peppered the top of the strike zone with four-seamers. He doesn't throw hard, but this is a five-pitch mix that, if commanded well, could be successful from the big left-hander. There will be some ups and downs, but Bennett is intriguing. We would NOT start him this upcoming week against the Yankees, but he gets the Angels, White Sox, and Rays after that, which could be a decent run.

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Blackhawks Named Possible Suitor For Their Former Star Sniper

Alex DeBrincat has been creating some chatter in the rumor mill as a trade candidate as he enters the final season of his contract with the Detroit Red Wings in 2026-27. 

Could the Chicago Blackhawks look to bring the star forward back?

The Fourth Period recently listed the Blackhawks among the possible suitors for DeBrincat this summer.

"The Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken and Buffalo Sabres are some of the teams exploring the market for a top-line, scoring winger and could have interest in DeBrincat," The Fourth Period wrote.

The idea of the Blackhawks bringing back DeBrincat is undoubtedly a fascinating one. They memorably traded DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators during the 2022 NHL off-season as they were getting their rebuild started. It would make for an entertaining story if they brought him back to Chicago four summers later. 

With the Blackhawks needing a star scoring winger, it would make sense for them to try to reunite with DeBrincat. The 28-year-old winger is coming off a fantastic season with the Red Wings, as he scored 41 goals and set new career highs with 44 assists and 85 points in 82 games. With numbers like these, he could be a great linemate for Connor Bedard to have. 

In 368 games over five seasons with the Blackhawks from 2017-18 to 2021-22, DeBrincat posted 160 goals, 140 assists, and 307 points. 

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Is a bigger Mets purge needed after firing of Carlos Mendoza?

With the Mets spiraling out of control -- and with manager Carlos Mendoza not under contract beyond this season -- New York essentially ripped the band aid off on Friday, firing Mendoza and naming Andy Green the interim manager for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Back in April, the message the Mets gave was that there was really no reason to blame their struggles on Mendoza -- to make him the fall guy for what the club hoped were issues that were temporary. It was quite apparent that they did not plan to fire Mendoza.

But after the team treaded water for a bit and even played a few games over .500 for a decent stretch across May and June, things devolved over the last week as they lost game after game in humiliating fashion while falling 10.0 games back of the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League.

Barring a miracle, their season is over before the calendar flips to July. And since Mendoza almost certainly would've been gone after the year, letting him go now made sense. Maybe it creates a spark. Maybe it doesn't. But continuing to do nothing about what this team had become would've been malpractice. 

While it's not fair to lay this season at the feet of Mendoza, it is fair to point out that he didn't seem to be helping matters.

Specifically, the continued mental mistakes and physical errors on the field were shocking -- to the point where Mendoza described the team's performance after Wednesday's doubleheader sweep as "embarrassing."

There were also guys running through stop signs at third base, and -- in one instance -- showing no remorse for it after. Players forgot how many outs there were numerous times, constantly challenged ball/strike calls at odd times, failed to back up home plate, overthrew cutoff men, and did baffling things on the field -- including recently, when Juan Soto attempted to bunt with runners on first and second.

But the Mets' season isn't in disarray because of the above, and it isn't in disarray because of the now-departed Mendoza.

The Mets are where they are due mainly to a combination of poor roster construction, injuries, and underperformance.

So with Mendoza now gone, what's next? 

A trade deadline sell-off seems to be a foregone conclusion, but do the Mets need to do more than just deal players who are set to be free agents after the season? In other words, are there far deeper issues at play than a struggling roster?

Feb 11, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; David Stearns, Mets President of Baseball Operations, watches pitchers warm-up during spring training.
Feb 11, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; David Stearns, Mets President of Baseball Operations, watches pitchers warm-up during spring training. / Jim Rassol - Imagn Images

One thing that stuck out after Thursday's loss to the Cubs was who the face of it was afterwards.

The only position player who spoke following the game was Eric Wagaman, a journeyman who has a grand total of 25 plate appearances as a Met and who will very likely not be a big part of the team going forward. Given that the Mets' season is falling apart, it would've made sense for a more prominent member of the team (or multiple prominent members) to be available to speak about it.

Perhaps the Mets' leadership in the clubhouse behind closed doors is sound. But the front-facing leadership has felt rudderless, which really shouldn't be a shock when you consider that most of the players who were long-tenured members of the team left as free agents or were traded this past offseason.

And that is still at the top of many fans' minds, as evidenced by the loud "PETE ALONSO" chants that rang out at Citi Field late during their Game 2 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.

Alonso, who is now an Oriole, has 18 homers, 55 RBI, and an .815 OPS for Baltimore this season in the first year of a five-year deal.

Meanwhile, three of the four key offensive players David Stearns brought in are on the IL. Jorge Polanco has been out since April 15 due to an Achilles issue. Luis Robert Jr. has been out since April 27 because of a back injury. Marcus Semien recently joined them on the IL because of a hip injury.

All three players were struggling before hitting the IL, and their absences have led to daily lineups that include the likes of Wagaman, MJ Melendez, and Jared Young.

The injuries have also meant players being used out of position, or at spots where they should really only be used in a pinch. Examples of that? Mark Vientos getting starts at first base and Brett Baty manning right field, where their presence hurt the Mets badly during their four-game sweep to Chicago.

There have also been major starting rotation issues. The freak leg injury to Clay Holmes hurt, but underperformance -- especially by Sean Manaea, the recently-traded David Peterson, and Kodai Senga --has been the main culprit.

It's also fair to wonder if the mostly-new coaching staff is getting the most out of this roster.

To that end, Stearns said earlier this week that he's "pleased" with the coaching staff's process.

"I think our staff and our coaches are working incredibly hard every day to get these guys going," Stearns explained. "And I think in certain areas they're as frustrated as anyone that we haven't seen better results."

May 23, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) speaks to first baseman Mark Vientos (27) after this at bat against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park.
May 23, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) speaks to first baseman Mark Vientos (27) after this at bat against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Even the minor league performance has been worse than expected this year, with many of the Mets' top prospects -- including Jonah Tong, Jacob Reimer, Will Watson, Dylan Ross, and Ryan Lambert --struggling badly. Perhaps that's a blip, given the strong performance overall in the minors during the first few years of Stearns' tenure.

But questions about Stearns' process in building the roster, the effectiveness of the coaching staff, and many players on the big league club remain.

There also doesn't seem to be a soul to this team, which is not surprising given how many of them were thrown together this past offseason. It takes time for things to gel. Sometimes, things don't gel at all.

So what now?

I was among the people this past February who thought Stearns did a good enough job putting the club together. I, like many, thought the Mets would make the playoffs and be a legitimate World Series contender. I, like many, was wrong.

Amid the offseason of change, though, I wrote last November that the Mets needed to add two legitimate starting pitchers to guard against possible underperformance from all of their bounce back candidates. They did not. I also wrote that they should bring back Alonso -- even if it took a five-year deal to do so. His power mattered. His connection to the fans mattered. But the Mets did not even make an effort to bring him back.

In fairness, it seems that everything that could've possibly gone wrong this season has gone wrong. The underperformance, the injuries, the bad luck. But this is where the Mets are now, with no clear answers beyond the fact that Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing are keepers as part of a rather small core.

Beyond that, nearly everything should be in question.

In addition to trading pending free agents such as Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley, and A.J. Minter, should the Mets try to fast-track a retool by also dealing Luke Weaver and even Devin Williams?

Should they trade Clay Holmes if he gets healthy before the deadline, or try to work out an extension for him to stay? As things stand, Holmes has a player option for 2027 that he seems very likely to decline.

Is something more drastic needed to shake things up, such as pondering a trade of Francisco Lindor? Lindor, who has been a terrific, accountable, tough Met, certainly didn't seem off-limits this past offseason.

What about the future of Semien, who is under contract through 2028 but was borderline unplayable before his injury?

One thing does seem clear -- at least for now -- which is that Stearns will get the chance to turn this around. If he gets it right this time, the mess that is the 2026 season will eventually disappear into the rearview. If he doesn't, there won't be another fall guy to sacrifice.