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It wasn’t a great week to be a pitcher in the Yankees’ organization. Several highly touted pitching prospects scuffled across all levels in some of their worst outings of the season, but they were picked up by some strong hitting performances up and down the system.

Dax Kilby made his season debut, George Lombard Jr. began to heat up, the DSL season is kicking off, and so much more on another week on the farm.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 28-27, 5.5 GB in the International League East after a 2-4 week against the Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)

Run differential: +18

Coming up: Away @ Syracuse Mets (Mets)

It wasn’t a fun start to the week for Scranton, but they finished strong. They lost four consecutive games to start the week, scoring nine total runs in those games, but got two terrific pitching performances on Saturday and Sunday to salvage a pair of games.

Spencer Jones (6-for-22, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB) returned to the level after his cup of coffee in the big leagues and went back to anchoring this offense. Tyler Hardman had a few big hits, but is in an adjustment period after his promotion, while many of the veterans struggled with the rest of the offense. We saw the best week yet from George Lombard Jr. since his promotion, as he mashed his first two homers at the level in a week that saw him reach base 10 times across six games.

It was an up-and-down week for the rotation. Adam Kloffenstein struggled on Tuesday, but bounced back to deliver six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts on Sunday. Dom Hamel got blown up on Wednesday, Elmer Rodríguez (5 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 K) finished a disappointing month with an uneven outing on Friday, and Brendan Beck tossed six shutout innings despite uncharacteristic command issues on Saturday. The best performer of the week was Carlos Lagrange, who toned down the four-seamer velo to pitch a season-high 5.2 one-run innings on Thursday.

Yovanny Cruz hasn’t been fazed since his first taste of the big leagues, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in two games this week. Bradley Hanner and Kervin Castro continued to be rocks in the bullpen, along with Dylan Coleman continuing to navigate poor command with zeroes. The hotshot name is Eric Reyzelman, who allowed a run in 2.1 innings this week while maxing out at 98 on his four-seamer.

Players of Note:

Spencer Jones: .261/.369/.585, 13 HR, 46 RBI, 9 SB, 33.3 K%, 143 wRC+
George Lombard Jr.: .196/.360/.299, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 6 SB, 88 wRC+
Brendan Beck: 4-2, 3.97 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, 17.6 K-BB% (59 IP)
Carlos Lagrange: 0-2, 4.41 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 17.5 K-BB% (49 IP)
Elmer Rodríguez: 1-3, 2.48 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 16.5 K-BB% (29 IP)

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 26-25, 2 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 3-3 week against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies)

Run differential: +35

Coming up: Away @ Harrisburg Senators (Nationals)

Despite taking a big hit in the run differential department, Somerset had a solid week, holding serve in a very underwhelming EL Northeast Division that’s still ripe for the taking. Some high-scoring shootout victories on Tuesday and Friday partially overshadowed an overall poor week for the pitching staff, which allowed at least seven runs four consecutive days to start the week.

The bats continue to rake. Jace Avina continues to be a star at the level, Garrett Martin added to his Eastern League-leading home run total, and Nick Torres returned from injury and didn’t lose a step, going 4-for-12 with a double and four walks in four games after missing six weeks with injury. Despite continuing to pace their league in hitting, the bottom of the order is looking shallow. A-ball call-ups Connor McGinnis, Kevin Verde, and Santiago Gomez (who’s been sent down to High-A Hudson Valley) have struggled in brief stints in the infield.

Ben Hess is being built up extremely slowly from injury, tossing a pair of multi-inning outings this week without completing three innings. Behind him in those two starts, Trent Sellers and Chase Chaney bounced back from rough outings to throw five solid innings.

Outside of those three, it was a really rough week. Cade Smith allowed six runs in 3.2 innings on Wednesday, Xavier Rivas allowed 11 runs in 4.1 innings on Thursday, and Jack Cebert allowed seven runs in four innings on Friday. The best outing came from Kyle Carr, whose topsy-turvy season continued with a quality start on Saturday, where he tossed 6.2 innings, allowed one earned run, and struck out 10, a new career high.

The bullpen has suddenly become an issue. With Reyzelman promoted and arms like Will Brian and Chris Kean struggling, there aren’t many guys consistently putting up zeroes. Harrison Cohen adds a boost after being sent down from Scranton following a rough first two months, but Hayden Merda, a former 17th-round pick in 2022, is performing best, having gained four ticks on his fastball after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, and is suddenly one of the best relievers in Double-A, posting a 34.9 K-BB% in 21 innings.

Players of Note:

Jace Avina: .279/.361/.589, 14 HR, 35 RBI, 30 XBH, 148 wRC+
Garrett Martin: .263/.326/.551, 16 HR, 43 RBI, 11 SB, 129 wRC+
Coby Morales: .262/.348/.486, 10 HR, 42 RBI, 12 SB, 122 wRC+
Hayden Merda: 0-0, 2.11 ERA, 1.79 FIP, 1.03 WHIP, 34.9 K-BB% (21.1 IP)
Jack Cebert (HV/Somerset): 4-1, 4.29 ERA, 4.72 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 22.4 K-BB% (42 IP)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 23-27, 9.5 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 2-4 week against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)

Run differential: -3

Coming up: Away @ Frederick Keys (Orioles)

I told you it wasn’t a good week for most of the pitchers in the system. In Hudson Valley’s 2-4 week against Bowling Green, they allowed at least seven runs in the first five games, while giving up at least 10 three different times. Winning a Thursday shootout and Sunday’s series finale was all that stopped this week from being catastrophic.

For several weeks, the only player hitting well for the Renegades was Kaeden Kent, but as he’s cooled off in the back half of May, two other 2025 bats picked him up by finding their power strokes. Undrafted free agent Eric Genther (6-for-21, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB) has hit four homers in the last two weeks after managing just one in his first 40 pro games, while fifth-rounder Core Jackson (5-for-12, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 2B) has hit three home runs in four starts since coming back off the injured list after hitting just two through 54 career games.

Chase Hampton’s rehab continues to progress. He got a pair of starts up in Hudson Valley on Tuesday and Sunday, where he combined to allow three runs in 7.2 innings with six strikeouts. Bryce Cunningham allowed three runs in 4.1 innings as a piggyback on Tuesday, while Franyer Herrera K’d eight in 5.2 innings in the same role on Sunday. Luis Serna and Sean Paul Liñan struggled, and Rory Fox had an uneven outing. Allen Facundo allowed five runs on four walks and a HBP in the first inning on Thursday, but rebounded to toss five shutout innings after that.

The piggyback outings by Cunningham and Herrera ate up a lot of relief innings, but Jack Sokol and Tony Rossi stayed steady, while Brandon Decker has quietly turned into a solid reliever with a 2.31 ERA across 23 innings.

Players of Note:

Kaeden Kent: .299/.364/.416, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 15 XBH, 14 SB, 109 wRC+
Core Jackson: .260/.369/.455, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 11 SB, 117 wRC+
Luis Serna: 2-2, 3.59 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 18.1 K-BB% (.2 IP)
Bryce Cunningham: 0-2, 5.60 ERA, 5.15 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, 16.0 K-BB% (17.2 IP)
Sean Paul Liñan: 1-5, 4.63 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 26.0 K-BB% (35 IP)

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 25-26, 6 GB in the Florida State League West after a 3-3 week against the Daytona Beach Tortugas (Reds)

Run differential: -3

Coming up: Home vs. Palm Beach Cardinals (Cardinals)

Tampa had the opposite week that Somerset did. While they also went 3-3 against their opponents this week and salvaged a split on Sunday, they won two of their three wins by at least six runs, while losing three close games by a combined five runs.

The usual suspects, Jackson Lovich (4-for-10, 2B, RBI) and Hans Montero (5-for-23, RBI, 4 BB, 2 2B), continued to be anchors of this lineup, but the big story right now continues to be the emergence of Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, who finished May with a stellar .305/.409/.516 slashline after hitting two more home runs this week. The former 20th-round pick could be a candidate for a promotion soon. FCL call-up Luis Puello (6-for-22, 3 XBH, 4 RBI) also continues to be a revelation, while Willy Montero and Engelth Urena slowly heat up.

Thatcher Hurd and Wyatt Parliament were both called up for their Single-A debuts, and they didn’t go well. Hurd allowed 10 runs in 2.1 innings, while Parliament was more manageable with three runs allowed in four innings. On a brighter note, Mac Heuer (5 IP, 0 R, 7 K), Henry Lalane (5 IP, 0 R, 7 K), and Brennan Stuprich (5 IP, 0 R, 4 K) all had superb outings. We also saw an improved outing from Justin West in long relief (5.2 IP, 2 R) and a so-so outing from Tyler Boudreau.

It was a nice bounce-back week for the bullpen. Pedro Rodriguez got back on track, while Jose M. Rodriguez and Jose Martinez continued to pitch well. Greysen Carter continues to throw strikes, while Parker Seay is now up to 24 strikeouts in 16.1 innings.

Players of Note:

Jackson Lovich: .305/.384/.616, 11 HR, 33 RBI, 23 XBH, 12 SB, 159 wRC+
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: .274/.386/.427, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 15 SB, 123 wRC+
Hans Montero: .269/.389/.513, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 21 XBH, 13 SB, 140 wRC+
Tyler Boudreau: 1-2, 3.32 ERA, 3.08 FIP, 1.16 WHIP, 21.7 K-BB% (38 IP)
Henry Lalane: 0-1, 4.15 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 1.35 WHIP, 15.9 K-BB% (30.1 IP)

FCL Yankees

Record: 11-11, 6 GB in the FCL North after a 2-3 week.

Run differential: +19

It was another week of missed opportunities for the FCL squad, as they faltered late on Tuesday against the division-leading Blue Jays before splitting the next four games against the Phillies and Tigers, only looking impressive in a 12-4 win on Saturday.

Wilberson De Pena continues to be one of the best hitters in all of rookie ball, leading the FCL with seven home runs in 95 plate appearances. Richard Matic continues to carry his elite 2025 in the DSL over, providing a boost with Leni Done cooling off.

With Jose Castro still out, the team has gotten needed reinforcements in a rehabbing Logan Maxwell and former seven-figure international prospect Francisco Vilorio, who made his season debut on Monday after missing the first month with injury. 2025 first-rounder Dax Kilby even popped up early in the week to start a rehab assignment, but hasn’t played since Thursday.

With Hurd and Parliament moving on, there’s more of an emphasis now on the progressing international prospects. Omar Gonzalez continued to be very consistent on the mound, while Sabier Marte delivered his best start of the year with eight strikeouts in four shutout innings. Manuel Cruz, Edinzo Marquez, and Austin Breedlove are the top arms in the bullpen.

Players of Note:

Wilberson De Pena: .376/.432/.729, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 15 XBH, 11 SB, 184 wRC+ (95 PA)
Jose Castro: .345/.568/.621, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 10 SB, 199 wRC+ (44 PA)
Richard Matic: .325/.456/.506, 10 XBH, 11 RBI, 7 SB, 147 wRC+ (103 PA)
Sabier Marte: 12.2 IP, 7.82 ERA, 3,77 FIP, 1.89 WHIP, 14.3 K-BB%
Omar Gonzalez: 21 IP, 2.57 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 0.81 WHIP, 30.5 K-BB%

DSL Yankees & Bombers

Monday was Opening Day in the DSL, so check out our daily minor league roundup for results. Once we get a full week down, check back here for full breakdowns.

Prospect of the Week: Jace Avina

Weekly Stats: 10-for-24, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 7 XBH, 3 BB, SB
Season Stats: .279/.361/.589, 14 HR, 35 RBI, 30 XBH, 5 SB, 148 wRC+

Not every minor leaguer can just show up at a particular level and start mashing immediately. Sometimes, you need an adjustment period.

A hitter that personifies that is Jace Avina, a former 14th-round pick out of high school in 2021 by the Brewers, who made his way to the Yankees’ organization in a November 2023 trade that saw Jake Bauers head to the Brew Crew.

As he’s progressed from Single-A to High-A to Double-A, Avina’s struggled with early inconsistency. He had some truly dreadful months in his first year in Hudson Valley in 2024 before conquering the level in early 2025. He spent the last few months of that year and most of April 2026 figuring out Double-A pitching with Somerset.

But since the beginning of May, Avina’s been one of the best hitters in all of MiLB. On a team with several formidable sluggers and in an offense leading the Eastern League in homers and runs, he’s stood out with a .339/.429/.679 slashline on the month, sporting an impressive 189 wRC+ while displaying his tremendous pull-side power.

This week in particular, he sprayed the ball all around the field and reached base in 13 of his 27 plate appearances, while picking up an offense that scuffled more this week than usual.

Just four days prior to his 23rd birthday, he’s in a position where he could be considered for a promotion to Triple-A later in the summer and could even be a potential Rule 5 consideration down the road. That’s not too shabby for someone who signed for under $300,000 out of high school.

White Sox fans, you’ve been hurt, and don’t I know it.

You hesitate to recognize the 2026 White Sox as postseason contenders, which, based on the trauma of the 2024 season alone, is valid. You don’t trust the front office or the organization as a whole, and may harbor anger towards the team. You’re exhausted from growing attached to a lineup, a player, or the cultural climate, only to have it ripped from you. You’re unwilling to expose your defenseless baseball bosom, which has been weakened more gravely than Jerry Reinsdorf’s aging brain, to any sense of hope. You’re tired of being gacha’d like a three-year-old with their own mobile phone, because Chicago Sports Network charges $20 per month to watch White Sox games if you don’t have cable. It feels rotten to be nickel-and-dimed in the current day and age for a team that has let you down so far into your baseball grave that you can no longer see the sun.

I’ve been there, right where you are. I took an entire year off baseball, not watching a single game, which caused psychic damage to my innermost self. I came into this season with a barrel of wishes and not much to lose, my bar aflame in the depths of hell and being used as a leaning post by Arnold “Chick” Gandil. Re-entering the fold, I was primed for pain and ready for losses in the high nineties, feeling dissatisfied with the 6-13 start, my brain burning with knowledge of the team’s potential. My doubt was the suit of armor I was clad in, but it rusted quickly in April and completely corroded by mid-May, revealing that classic pinstripe jersey underneath.

The White Sox haven’t just obtained a pulse; they’ve gained a new life and are already sprinting on the base paths.

This isn’t the same old Chicago White Sox, and only one active position player on the roster remains from the accursed 2024 squad. With Jacob Gonzalez as the 11th player to make their Chicago debut this season, this is a brand new team.

And boy, is it a fun squad! If you permit yourself to enjoy it again, White Sox baseball is a paramour, gathering you back into its arms with seductively dramatic dingers, magic wands in the hand of a smiling dingus (affectionately, from a fellow dork), projectile run-killing missiles from the outfield to home plate, walk-offs, winning months, and excited players, having fun. They celebrate one another. They play until the game is over. 

Bewilderingly, even the national media are noticing the Good Guys, and not just because of Munetaka Murakami. Even during the modern-era South Siders’ best year, the harsh criticism never stopped, and the national media discredited the 2005 White Sox every step of the way, right up to the very end. When they swept the World Series, critics yawned, complaining that it was boring. Usually, this team can’t please everyone, but before this season, they couldn’t please anyone. 

Just as Big Media wants to dislike the White Sox and is usually actively rooting against them, fans feel they have earned the right to hate on their team because they put in the time to learn the stat lines. I agree with this. Like you, I’m critical of the White Sox. As a lifelong fan, I’ve been hurt before, but I’ve also hopped on board for the greatest rides. I was there in the ’80s, but don’t remember much. In the early ’90s, the strange feeling of watching Comiskey’s demolition is drowned out by memories of my love for Frank Thomas and his dingers, and fireworks after the game. I never got busted for smoking Marlboro Reds in the nosebleeds in the late ’90s, but I should have been. In the early ’00s, I wised up and started getting better seats. Mid-season 2004, I knew the team could go all the way. It was easy to see in the way the guys played after the All-Star break, and I was lucky to watch them sail that headwind directly into a 2005 World Series title, never running out of steam along the way. That’s what this current White Sox team reminds me of: post-All-Star break 2004. This current team has the power, drive, and unity to go deep into the postseason, and maybe even all the way. 

Will the White Sox win a World Series this year? I don’t know. Can they?

Yes, they can. 

Look at how they play. They give it their all until the game is over. They’re 12-6 in one-run games this season, a stat that would make the 2024-era past you do a spit take. This past weekend, with the White Sox up by enough against the Tigers and no one on base, Sam Antonacci made a killer outfield catch when there was nothing at stake. That’s the energy in the entire clubhouse, and you can see it in every sprint to first, every low-stakes catch, and every pinch hit. They believe in one another and are finally a team that’s good enough to have fun.

Something was missing the last time the White Sox were in a position to think about the playoffs. While 2021 was dynamic and exciting, it felt like we were watching many individual players who lacked a team mentality. That vibe is long gone. Every cog in this machine is operating for the greater whole, and every game is important. This is evident in every play.

The White Sox have turned the tide and have been putting the spanking the AL Central, a feat that’s not small to this team. Once the next series is done in Minnesota, a test is nigh for both players and fans. A daunting 13-game gauntlet against four formidable playoff contenders is in our immediate future, and it will define who this White Sox team is, for all of us, fans and players alike. June 5 is the start of the series with the Phillies, then it’s the Braves, Dodgers and Yankees. It won’t be easy, but the White Sox aren’t stopping any time soon. 

At the start of this season, the Milwaukee Brewers didn’t just sweep the White Sox; they obliterated them and left no opportunity to the wind. Despite this, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said about the White Sox, “Mark my words right now: That Chicago White Sox team will be something to be reckoned with in that division.”

I’d like to believe he’s onto something.

No matter what happens, let’s permit ourselves to enjoy this ride. This team is a pure pleasure to watch, and I haven’t had this much fun watching baseball since 2005. In the present moment, the White Sox are a squad of remarkable talent, and they’ve made us fall in love with the South Siders again, despite how shattered our fandom had become.

You can wait until the June gauntlet is over to decide whether you believe in this White Sox team. I believe now.

It needs to be asked: Is Manny Machado elite anymore?

The San Diego Padres’ third baseman has had a great career, making seven All-Star teams, winning three Silver Slugger awards, two Gold Gloves, and four finishes in the top five of MVP voting. But at age 33, it seems like he may no longer be a great player.

2025 marked his third straight season with an OPS under .800, although his .795 mark was still good enough to earn the Silver Slugger award, mostly thanks to hitting 27 home runs. In 2026, he’s still hitting home runs (10) but that’s about all he’s doing at the plate. His .174 batting average is about 100 points lower than last year, and he’s striking out at a career high rate. To top it off, the onetime Platinum Glove winner isn’t even grading out well defensively.

"It's been tough… I'm a baseball player, I'm not a theorist."
Manny Machado on what's going on with his offensive struggles. "@FriarTerritorypic.twitter.com/v2glLXDUgB

— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) May 20, 2026

He’s not alone in his struggles. Fellow All-Stars Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Xander Bogaerts are also hitting below their career averages. They’ve been offset somewhat by better-than-expected production from Ty France and Gavin Sheets, but it seems unlikely that the Padres will be able to sustain their winning if the stars don’t start performing like it.

Machado has seven more years on his current contract, so the Padres certainly hope that his struggles are temporary. Then again, at his age, elite status might be permanently behind him. Considering how poorly he’s played this year; they’d probably be happy if he could just find a way to be a good player again.

Pennant year song battle

Patriotism (or anti-patriotism) wins the day. It’s a Mistake finally loses the crown at the hands of I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier by the Peerless Quarter. Can they hold on to the title now that Memorial Day is behind us?

The next contender is in honor of Wednesday night’s starter Cristopher Sanchez and how many players scored runs against him in May. From 2008, it’s No One by Alicia Keys.

Vote for the winner:

Additional thought about the series

A 4-2 record on a trip through San Diego and Los Angeles is more than respectable, but it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to keep winning on pitching alone.

Phillies offense rankings this season:

AVG- .224 (29th)
OBP- .292 (30th)
SLG- .381 (21st)
OPS- .673 (28th)
Hits- 442 (29th)
Runs- 230 (27th)
Walks- 172 (29th)
Strikeouts- 492 (15th) pic.twitter.com/GhG1Q07dRU

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) June 1, 2026

Adolis Garcia seems to be receiving the most criticism – and he certainly deserves criticism – but the Phillies’ offense has far more than one hole. The player who should be receiving the most flak is the one who is supposed to be a franchise cornerstone (The Phillies and Padres could compare notes on albatross contracts) and has been batting in the top two of the order all season despite poor results. (To be fair, there’s no obvious choice to replace him there.)

When Trea Turner struggled in Spring Training, I wasn’t concerned, because it seems silly to get worked up about Spring stats for an eleven-year veteran. But the struggles carried over into the regular season, and he got even worse in May, putting up a .529 OPS for the month.

While all the Phillies' right-handed bats are struggling, none are worse than Trea Turner's expectations.

"We've seen downs from him before. This is starting to look like an albatross of a contract."

How do you view the future of Turner's future with the Phillies? pic.twitter.com/5bkvp9WegB

— PHLY Phillies (@PHLY_Phillies) June 1, 2026

With two home runs against the Padres, there was some hope that he might be turning things around, but a 2-12 showing against the Dodgers doused those hopes. A low BABIP indicates there might be some bad luck involved, but you also might think that a top of the order hitter who is slumping might try to walk more. However, he only took five free passes in the month of May.

Like Machado, Turner is owed a lot of future money by the Phillies, so they’d better hope this isn’t a permanent age-related decline. And no, before anyone suggests it, we shouldn’t give him another standing ovation to get him back on track.

It goes without saying that the Twins’ bullpen is in need of some juice. They have seemingly found a few strong building blocks, including Yoendrys Gomez, who has been a revelation for this team after the Twins pulled him out of thin air. Others have done enough to keep the team afloat, but the bullpen as a whole ranks 24th in ERA and 29th in strikeout rate. The team desperately needs to add velo and stuff. Thankfully, there are two young prospects right across the river who look like they could solve some of the bullpen problems down the stretch.

RHP Marco Raya

Currently sitting at #17 on MLB Pipeline’s Twins prospect rankings, Marco Raya’s hype has worn off over the past couple years after struggling to adjust to the upper levels of the minor leagues. However, Raya’s stuff is as good as ever this year, and he has begun to find more success with the Saints in May.

Although his fastball is averaging 96 MPH this season, deadzone tendencies and inconsistent command have led to poor results. Instead, Raya has been relying on two excellent breaking balls in the mid 80s. With more than 12 inches of horizontal break and spin rates around 2,800 RPM, his sweeper has generated a 44% whiff rate this season. Raya pairs it with a curveball that sits at a similar velocity, but has more of a 12-6 shape. He also mixes in a power changeup in the low 90s that has been a weapon against lefties, but his struggle to command the pitch has forced him to limit its usage.

After posting a 9.98 ERA in his first 11 appearances with 11 walks and 15 strikeouts, Raya has since hit his stride, working a 4.02 ERA and 1 walk to 17 strikeouts in his last 8 outings. He has the highest graded stuff on the Saints and is currently holding a 40 man spot, so a major league debut could be on the horizon.

RHP Alejandro Hidalgo

It has been a rocky road of a minor league career for Alejandro Hidalgo. Signed out of Venezuela, he spent the first two years of his pro career in the Angels’ system before being shipped to Minnesota for Gio Urshela ahead of the 2023 season. His time in the Twins’ system did not get off to a good start. At 20 years old, Hidalgo ran a 5.24 ERA as a starter in High-A Cedar Rapids before a shoulder injury costed him the entire 2024 season. He returned in 2025 with much improved stuff, playing at both High-A and Double-A. This season, he has moved to the bullpen and taken his stuff to a whole new level at age 23, showing flashes of absolute dominance in the upper minors as he is now just across the river from Target Field.

Hidalgo leads with a dangerous fastball at 95-97, and at 18 iVB from a lower release point, the heater possesses elite carry. He has a cutter in the upper 80s that may be his best whiff pitch and also has a reliable changeup in the mid 80s that he uses to attack lefties. An occasional sinker is mixed in, but it’s mainly a three pitch arsenal, all of which are undoubtably big league pitches if he can command them.

This projection is more of a work-in-progress, as Hidalgo currently sits at a 6.75 ERA this season. Home runs and walks have both been major issues, but the stuff is some of the best in the system and cannot be ignored. He has struck out 43 batters in 28 innings of work while walking 14 this season.

Both Raya and Hidalgo have their flaws, but they also have electric stuff that can only be matched by a few other pitchers in the organization. There are a lot of questions to be answered over the next few months as the Twins hope to get David Festa and Garrett Acton back from injury. Will Kendry Rojas settle into a more traditional bullpen role? Will Kody Funderburk recapture his dominance from the end of the 2025 season? There are lots of pieces to fit into this puzzle, and these two flamethrowing prospects in the Saints’ bullpen have a chance to make a big impact.

Now, our brave heroes enter the dark lords’ realm in an attempt to overthrow their plan to cover AL lands in a twenty-eighth darkness.

I know some folks are disturbed by my series Preview of doom. I’m doing a thing. We all have to do a thing to reverse the curse against the New York Nazgul. Wear your lucky underwear, grab the Guardians hat that they win when you put it on, wear a clove of garlic, eat some lembas, something.

We should get Steven Kwan back tonight which hopefully sends Stuart Fairchild back to the shadow. The trial run was a nice idea but I have never seen a hitter look so overmatched.

Daniel Espino starts in Columbus tonight. I will be interested to see how many innings he goes.

AROUND MLB:

Tigers beat the Rays, Royals won and Twins beat the White Sox.

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Loaded Tuesday slate this evening with mispriced prop opportunities, and I am leaning into some familiar power bats in Yordan Alvarez, Nick Kurtz, and Kyle Schwarber to get things rolling.

Read on for our MLB player props and MLB picks for Tuesday, June 2. 

Best MLB player props today

Yordan Alvarez Over 1.5 total bases (-109)

I love Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez this evening against Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler.

The big fella has been demolishing baseballs. Over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, he's posted a 64.4% hard-hit rate, a ridiculous 42.9% barrel rate, and a 78.6% elevation rate (fly balls + line drives).

Not to mention, he owns 100% arsenal coverage against Chandler's pitch mix, per Batters-Box.

The Pirates' rookie has struggled against left-handed hitters this season, allowing a 15.2% barrel rate while generating just a 29.1% ground-ball rate and a 52% fly-ball rate. Lefties have tagged him for a .510 xSLG and .365 xwOBA.

If you need another mouthwatering stat, Chandler is throwing his fastball nearly 54% of the time. Alvarez owns a .468 xBA, 1.136 OPS, and 67.4% hard-hit rate against fastballs this season.

I think he leaves the yard tonight. I'd play this prop up to -115 if I had to. Anything around the number above is still a go.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SCHN, SNP

Nick Kurtz Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI

Another complete misprice by the books, as Athletics star Nick Kurtz’s hits, runs, RBI prop is hovering around even money. The young star in the making enters tonight’s slate with the number one rating on Batters-Box, where he sports some of the most mouthwatering trends any numbers nerd has ever laid eyes on.

In 86 elite ratings, he clears this prop 62.79% of the time. In 45 elite ratings on the road, Kurtz jumps to nearly a 70% hit rate. Not to mention, he has gone over this prop in eight of his last 10 elite ratings on the road. Oh, and he brings 81% arsenal coverage into a matchup with Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon.

The veteran arm enters today with one of the weakest pitcher ratings on the slate. He also carries poor matchup grades in wOBA, ISO, hard contact, strikeout rate, and ground ball rate. Among today’s starters, Taillon is allowing the second-highest hard contact rate at 41.9%.

That is not all. Over his last 60 left-handed hitters faced, he is allowing a 41.9% hard contact rate, 19.1% barrel rate, and 73.8% elevation rate. During that stretch, those hitters have posted a .386 xBA, .770 xSLG, and .444 wOBA.

Based on the trends, I would personally take this prop up to -120.

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee, NBCSCA

Kyle Schwarber Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI (-116)

Sadly, no plus money props for you all today, unless you count the home run props on every batter listed. Even if it is not mentioned, I always include the home run angle.

This evening, I think Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber is due for a big one against San Diego Padres starter Randy Vasquez, who sports poorly rated matchup wOBA, ISO, and strikeout numbers, per Batters-Box.

The Padres starter has struggled to miss bats against left-handed hitters this season, which has me firmly on Schwarber tonight. When you think of the Phillies slugger, you think of a true three-outcome profile.

Vasquez owns just an 8.3% strikeout rate against the last 60 lefties he has faced. In that span, those hitters are posting a 46% hard-contact rate, a 10% barrel rate, and a 68% elevation rate.

Despite an off stretch due to illness, Schwarber still owns a 1.133 OPS, .482 wOBA, and a 33.3% barrel rate over his last 30 plate appearances at home. In 98 elite home ratings over the last three seasons, he has cleared this prop 55% of the time.

I would take this up to -120 if I had to.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: TBS

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The New York Yankees are massive home favorites against the Cleveland Guardians, but I’m not laying a taxed price into this specific contact matchup.

Cam Schlittler has ace-level indicators, but Cleveland’s projected lineup has enough low-strikeout bats to make his best skill less automatic. 

Here are my Guardians vs Yankees predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, June 2.

Who will win Guardians vs Yankees today: Guardians +1.5 (+100)

I see the Cleveland Guardians' moneyline case, but the run line is the better bet.

Cam Schlittler has been excellent, but numbers this sharp are not sustainable forever, and this is the right matchup to test him. His 94th-percentile chase profile meets a Cleveland lineup that rarely expands, and the Guardians own MLB’s second-lowest whiff rate at 22.9%.

The proof of concept is the Tampa Bay Rays, baseball's lowest-whiff team, being the only opponent to tag Schlittler for 3+ earned runs this season.

I’d play Cleveland +1.5 to -115.

Guardians vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-105)

It goes without saying that if I expect the Guardians to make Schlitter labor some, then I should like a low total going Over. I do, and I'd play this to 8 at +100.

On the other side of things, like we've hit on often with the New York Yankees, giving them free passes is an issue. Joey Cantillo’s12.7% walk rate is a problem, as it gives a group with patience and power a chance to create traffic.

For the most part, you're looking for both teams to score three or more runs, and I'm comfortable backing that here.

Guardians vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Guardians +200 | Yankees -250
• Run line: Guardians +1.5 | Yankees -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Guardians vs Yankees trend

The Guardians have hit the F5 Run Line in 28 of their last 40 away games (+15.10 Units / 31% ROI)

How to watch Guardians vs Yankees and game info

Guardians vs Yankees latest injuries

Guardians vs Yankees weather

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