SHEPTON MALLET , ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 06: A old, end-of-life scrap car is placed in a crusher as it is processed at Pylle Motor Spares and Metal Processing, a licensed scrap yard in Pylle, near Shepton Mallet on September 6, 2017 in Somerset, England The UK government recently announced that it is to ban the sale all new petrol and diesel powered cars and vans from 2040 amid public health fears posed by rising levels of nitrogen oxide. The move follows similar pledges in France and has seen a number of car manufacturers offering substantial savings or 'scrappage' deals on new cars if customers trade-in older more polluting cars. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
A.J. Puk and Carlos Santana are rehabbing in Reno. Lourdes Gurriel Jr recently started his rehab assignment at Salt River Fields. The team signed Max Kepler to a deal. The clock is ticking on all these players, and in the next couple of weeks, decisions will need to be made, regarding what to do with them. There’s really three separate levels at which these choices have to be executed. Let’s look at each in turn, and see where the Diamondbacks stand.
The 40-man roster
Gurriel is, at least, already on here. Having been placed only on the 10-day injured list, that saves his spot on the 40-man roster. But Puk and Santana are both on the 60-day IL. While a positive at the time, in that they no longer counted towards the 40-man roster, in order for them to be re-activated, a spot will have to be cleared on that. Kepler, similarly, is not on Arizona’s 40-man roster, because he is still serving out the end of his 80-game suspension for a failed drug test. But when that happens, the team will also need to find a spot, if they want to keep him. All told, that’s three 40-man spots Arizona probably needs to find.
Let’s exclude the current 26-man roster from consideration here, calling their spots on the 40-man roster secure for the time being. That leaves fourteen men. Nine of them are pitchers, three are position players, and there are two on the 10-day IL: Gurriel and catcher James McCann. The latter is out with a strained quad, which led to an IL placement on May 19. Might he be moved to the 60-day IL? Quads are tricky things, especially for catchers. However, he reportedly started facing a pitching machine and doing catching drills last week. Unless there’s a set-back, 60-daying McCann – sidelining him for at least another five weeks – seems excessive. Especially with Aramis Garcia as the backup catcher.
The three position players are Jose Fernandez, Tim Tawa and Tyler Locklear. The first two were on the active roster until just a few days ago. If they were going to be DFAd, it would probably have have happened when they were taken off it (on June 5th and 1st respectively). I think it’s interesting that Locklear wasn’t activated when he came off the IL, especially given Arizona’s struggles at 1B, where their production is among the worst in the majors. But he has been merely okay in Reno: his .786 OPS in 25 games through Monday is basically team average. Still, the team traded for him for a reason, and it seems unlikely they’d cut bait as yet.
My instinct is, there’s going to be a bit of a National German Chocolate Cake Day Massacre (you know I’ll be celebrating that one tomorrow) among the minor-league pitching staff. Below, I’ve ranked the nine pitchers from most secure to most at risk, in terms of whose 40-man roster spot is in jeopardy. Generally, starters preferred over relievers, age and current level of performance also taken into account. All stats through Monday.
Brandon Pfaadt. Despite his fall from grace, definitely not going anywhere.
Mitch Bratt. Performing very well – a 2.68 ERA in 10 Reno starts is stellar. Currently on the MiLB IL with back inflammation
Yilber Díaz. Best K-rate of anyone currently in Reno – 38 Ks in 27.2 IP – but as ever, the walks (19) are an issue. Future closer potential.
Dylan Ray. A starter, and a 4.82 ERA is reasonable. He’s also young for AAA, but is on the 7-day IL for the second time this season.
Kohl Drake. A 7.80 ERA isn’t great. But he’s a starting pitcher and a left-hander, two big reasons to keep him around.
Andrew Hoffmann. Prone to the meltdown. Allowed 19 ER in twenty outings: 12 ER came in just two of those. Walks too many, but improved recently.
Philip Abner. Well, he’s left-handed and quite young. But that horrendous outing vs. Washington won’t have done his chances any good.
Kade Strowd. A rough game against the Nationals, and almost as many walks as strikeouts in Reno. Also turns 29 in September. so limited upside.
Juan Burgos. Came from Seattle with Locklear in the Suarez trade, but seems to have struggled since.
The 26-man roster
The next problem is going to be finding slots for everyone on the active roster. Let’s start with Puk, since he’s the only pitcher among the quartet, and there is a fairly easy solution there. As mentioned previously, the top of the D-backs bullpen has been excellent so far. The latest arrival was Drey Jameson, who took Pfaadt’s spot after the starter was optioned to Reno. His appearance in the Washington series didn’t exactly inspire confidence, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in an inning of work. Having only been recalled on the 6th, he seems the clear candidate to give up his spot for Puk.
On the position player side, LuJames Groover is the most obvious candidate for similar reasons, and will probably be going back down to Reno when Santana is available. It’s an infielder for an infielder, and with Santana being a switch-hitter, handedness isn’t particularly important. When Lourdes is ready, I’d not be surprised to see Adrian Del Castillo optioned out to Reno. I’ve a feeling the team may want to keep Gurriel off the field, given this is already his second IL stint of the year, and use him more as a DH. Del Castillo is a lefty though while Gurriel is a righty. If the team wants to remain balanced, and Gurriel is considered able to play the outfield, optioning Tommy Troy instead makes sense.
If that does happen, then making room for the final man would become relatively easy, with left-handed Del Castillo being replaced by left-handed Kepler, largely in the DH spot. So while the ordering may be uncertain, it looks as though Groover, Troy and Del Castillo will be the ones to give up their spots on the position player side, as and when necessary to make room for the returning players and new arrival.
The roles
I touched briefly on this above, mentioning whether Gurriel is going to keep playing the field, or become our primary DH. Given the problems with his legs, I would be inclined to keep him at DH where possible. While Gurriel has struggled at the plate this year (OPS+ just 66), he might have the best overall track record among the right-handed candidates there. The problem would be, DH starts vs. LHSP are going to be the minority. What do you do the rest of the time with a man who is earning $13 million this year, whether or not he plays?
That isn’t a particular problem with Kepler, who is likely earning little more than league minimum. If he doesn’t hit down in Reno – and there’s a non-zero chance of that – then the team can simply let him go, with no damage except to their reputation. Presuming that isn’t the case, and he joins the active roster, then he’ll likely get starts at DH against RHSP. Even with the low bar at 1B (the D-backs are dead last in OPS there, and it’s not close), it’s hard to see much time for Santana, except as a late-inning defensive replacement. I would not be surprised if he comes back, fails to hit and the D-backs release him before the trade deadline.
The most interesting situation will be Puk, and whether he’ll take over as closer from Paul Sewald. The latter has been almost perfect in save situation (15 of 16), but a FIP of 4.00 and a minuscule .137 BABIP suggests there may be a Paulpocalypse approaching. The latter is the third-lowest of the 360 pitchers with 20 IP this year. That might be good reason to transfer the closer’s mantle to A.J. as soon as possible, rather than continuing to roll the dice. But that’s what the poll below is for. How do you think the team should handle the closer’s situation when A.J. Puk returns? Make your selection below, and explain your decision in the comments.
Feb 19, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Reiver Sanmartin (48) poses during Photo Day at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Some day game roster moves: lefty reliever Reiver Sanmartin, who’d been placed on the 60-day IL with a right hip flexor strain back in Spring Training, has returned from his rehab assignment and is now on the active roster. To make space for him, the Giants needed to clear both a 40-man spot and a 26-man roster spot.
Outfielder Will Brennan became the 40-man roster casualty as the Giants designated the 28-year old outfielder for assignment. The “speedster” stole 0 bases in 11 games with the Giants and was just 2-for-23 at the plate with 0 walks and 3 strikeouts. I confess ignorance about the financial ramifications of his split contract. He would’ve earned $900,000 if he’d spent the whole year in the majors or $400,000 if he played the whole year in the minors, but if he goes unclaimed (as I suspect he will), does that mean the Giants are on the hook for the prorated portion of the $900,000, as that’s a major league salary and seemingly guaranteed? Or because it was a formally split one, does that mean he’s only guaranteed the prorated portion of $400,000 because that’s where he was located at the time of the DFA? or is there some Giants both optioned Tristan Beck back to Triple-A Sacramento and designated for assignment outfielder Will Brennan. The difference would be about $250,000 ($450,000 if the majors is guaranteed vs. $200,000 for the minors).
But enough about Will Brennan.
Tristan Beck was optioned to Triple-A to clear the requisite spot on the major league roster and as someone who was once a Beck booster I believe his time on the team has likely come to an end. In this latest callup, he had just two scoreless appearances out of 6 and a 7.88 ERA (4.73 FIP) in 8 innings of work. Just 3 strikeouts, too.
He never had a great fastball, but it averaged down around 94 as opposed to 95 and batters teed off on it pretty good, slugging 1.091 off of it on 10 batted balls out of 56 times it was thrown. He’s been a bit better in Triple-A this year (3.91 ERA in 23 IP with a 9.0 K/9), but at 30 years old, he’s definitely entered “fungible reliever” territory.
So now the Giants turn to Reiver Sanmartin as their third lefty reliever in the bullpen, slotted behind Erik Miller (4.19 ERA / 3.77 FIP) and Sam Hentges (1.92 / 4.92). His 4-year major league career prior to 2026 had been on the Reds exclusively, where he had a 5.66 ERA (4.45 FIP) in 84.1 innings pitched. He had an 8.22 ERA with the River Cats in 7.2 IP but 8 strikeouts against just 2 walks. He is not a velo arm. He’s a contact pitcher by arsenal, featuring a 92-94 mph sinker, high-spin slider, and a changeup. Firmly in the Scott Alexander or Joey Lucchesi mold. Obviously, there’s something in the Giants’ scouting that tells them this pitch-to-contact type of arm is effective, even if the results for the team hasn’t shown up. A reminder that that Giants are 22nd in K/9 (8.03) but 4th in groundball rate (45.2%) yet 22nd in ERA (4.47). From 2022-2025, they were 12th (8.67 K/9), 1st (47.5%), and 12th (3.96), respectively.
Sanmartin missed all of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made just one appearance in 2025, back on September 2nd.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 04: Ronald Acuna, Jr. (13) of the Atlanta Braves loses his bat after striking out during the Thursday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays on June 4, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The big advantage of having a blazing two-plus months and MLB’s best record? You can afford to ease off the gas here and there. The disadvantage? Your fans have to watch a team that sometimes eases off the gas. While I have no idea how long Ronald Acuña Jr. will actually be out as a result of his latest run-in with injury, it’s possible that it’s less than ten days and this is a precautionary, if warranted, Injured List placement:
Atlanta today also placed OF Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring and selected INF Rowdy Tellez to the major league roster. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club designated RHP Jhancarlos Lara for assignment.
This is Acuña’s second IL placement for a left hamstring issue this year. He previously missed about two weeks in May with a similar ailment. He had a .333 wOBA (111 wRC+) and a massive .380 xwOBA before his first IL stint, and then returned and posted a much more fortunate .390 wOBA (150 wRC+) with more or less the same inputs (.376 xwOBA). What will he do for his third act? Stay tuned, but it won’t start until at least ten days from now. On the season, he has 0.9 fWAR in 235 PAs, which is a pretty good rate for a player in general, but is well below what we’re used to from him — dragged down by his own defensive issues, and the lingering ball-in-play issues from April.
Taking Acuña’s spot on the active roster is Rowdy Tellez, a veteran of eight MLB seasons that signed a minor league deal with the Braves a week before Opening Day. Tellez has a career 98 wRC+ and 0.1 fWAR, which makes sense given that a league-average bat isn’t very useful if you aren’t providing any defensive value. He’s put up a 123 wRC+ in 207 PAs in Gwinnett. My main thought is: if Dominic Smith can be blessed with the bounty of the 2025 Braves and become a fan-favorite masher, why not Tellez? The answer? Well, he and Smith can’t both be in the lineup at the same time…
Part of the roster math here sees Jhancarlos Lara get DFAed. I have no real knowledge about Lara, but people used to talk about him as being exciting back in 2023, when he was striking out a million dudes as a starter in A-ball. Since then, he’s really fallen apart with ballooning walk rates and dwindling strikeout rates; even moving to a swingman and then a relief role didn’t salvage much. Lara was pitching out of the Double-A bullpen earlier this year and putting up ghastly numbers like an FIP and xFIP both in the 7.00s.
The real question, though: are you ready for more Eli White?
RICHMOND, VA - APRIL 26: Cesar Perdomo #57 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels pitches during the game between the Somerset Patriots and the Richmond Flying Squirrels at CarMax Park on Sunday, April 26, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matthew Mitrani/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Apologies for going a few days without roundups for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. Thankfully, Tuesday was a full day, with all seven teams in action, so there’s still lots to talk about!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
High-A Eugene LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL) was named Pitcher of the Week in the Northwest League after a 12-strikeout performance last week. Congrats!
AAA Sacramento (38-24)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) 5-4 Box score
What’s the pitching equivalent of “one to measure, two to rake?” Whatever it is, it’s a philosophy that LHP Matt Wilkinson apparently abides by. Wilkinson, acquired earlier this year in the Patrick Bailey trade, was promoted to AAA after just 9 games in AA. And in his AAA debut, he was unable to make it out of the 2nd inning.
But things went much, much better with his second take. The burly southpaw was sensational on Tuesday, striking out 9 Space Cowboys in 5 innings, while throwing 53 of 81 pitches for strikes. Tugboat gave up just 4 baserunners on the day: a pair of singles, a walk, and a hit batter.
Unfortunately — but kind of humorously — all 4 of those allowed baserunners were in succession. After Wilkinson retired the first 2 batters he faced, he gave up back-to-back singles, hit a batter, and then issued a 4-pitch, run-scoring walk. But after that? He retired 13 consecutive batters to finish his day, which included striking out the side in both the 2nd and 4th innings. And with that, Tugboat is off and motoring in AAA!
Matt Wilkinson was on cruise control after a busy first inning yesterday against Sugar Land. A season-high nine Ks in five innings of one-run work for Tugboat, retiring the final 13 batters that he faced. No footage of the ninth strikeout due to a broadcast issue. pic.twitter.com/gupBGcIBEs
— Giant Prospective (@giantprospectiv) June 10, 2026
Things went less well for the pair of pitchers on the 40-man roster who threw. Recently-optioned RHP Wilkin Ramos threw just 12 of 26 pitches for strikes while failing to get through an inning, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs, while recording 2 outs. RHP Ryan Walker got the save, but gave up 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, with no strikeouts. Walker has been pitching quite well with Sacramento, where he has a 1.93 ERA, a 3.80 FIP, and just 3 walks in 9.1 innings … given how awful San Francisco’s bullpen is, I’m in favor of bringing him back … just not for the 9th inning.
A very boring day on offense. Designated hitter Will Brennan had the only multi-hit game, as he went 2-4 with a strikeout, but I think most Giants fans have seen enough to want Brennan to stay put as depth in AAA. He could be a roster casualty given that center fielder Jared Oliva (who went 1-5 with 2 strikeouts) will be coming off the 60-Day IL soon, and the Giants won’t need as much as outfield depth when Heliot Ramos and Harrison Bader get healthy. And as I write this, the news comes in that Brennan has been designated for assignment.
Catcher Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL) continues to look oh so comfortable at the level, and went 1-2 with a walk and a hit by pitch. In their recent ranking of the top prospects in the organization last week, Fangraphs noted that “there are people within the organization who think he’s the player most likely to emerge from the pile of upper-level catchers as the club’s starter.” The lefty is up to a 1.166 OPS and a 196 wRC+ through 21 games with the River Cats, and has done a tremendous job limiting strikeouts this year (he had a 27.4% strikeout rate across 4 levels last year, and just a 19.8% rate in AAA this season). I think we’ll see him make an MLB debut at some point this year, especially since Daniel Susac (No. 20 CPL) has been struggling on offense lately, Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) got optioned/demoted, and Eric Haase could be dealt at the deadline.
AA Richmond (37-20)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) 1-0 Box score
The Squirrels may have lost, but it was still perhaps the best game on the farm this year from a pitching standpoint. Richmond was truly and utterly sensational from the start of the game to the finish.
It began with the starter, LHP Cesar Perdomo. A week after having one of the best pitching performances of the year on the farm, Perdomo one-upped himself with what I feel quite confident calling the best pitching performance of the year for a Giants prospect. The 24-year old from Venezuela took down 7 shutout innings while throwing just 85 pitches, 65 of which went for strikes. In those 7 innings, Perdomo allowed just 1 batter to reach base, when he gave up a 3rd-inning single.
And the cherry on top? Of the 22 batters he faced, Perdomo struck out 13 of them!
HAVE A NIGHT, DOMO‼️
Cesar Perdomo has struck out 1⃣3⃣ batters tonight, tying a Flying Squirrels single-game record! pic.twitter.com/QG6CPOE5Bt
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 10, 2026
June has been sheer dominance for Perdomo, who in his last start pitched 6 shutout innings with 4 baserunners and 9 strikeouts. Perdomo’s numbers this year are phenomenal: he has a 3.35 ERA, a 2.45 FIP, and 68 strikeouts against just 18 walks in 53.2 innings. He’s also made huge strides: after striking out 8.3 batters per 9 innings in High-A a year ago, he’s all the way up to 11.4 in AA this season. Of the 39 Eastern League pitchers with at least 40 innings thrown this year, Perdomo is 3rd in strikeouts per 9, and 2nd in FIP (behind former teammate Joe Whitman in both cases). Just an incredible year.
The bullpen was awesome, too, if a little chaotic. LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL) had the lone hiccup, but even it was kind of funny and impressive: he gave up the winning run in the 8th inning, despite not allowing a hit or a walk, and striking out 2 … but he hit a pair of batters and committed an error. RHP Ben Peterson, recently promoted to AA, struck out a pair in the 9th inning, while allowing a hit. He has a stunning 23 strikeouts in just 13 innings since getting promoted.
In all, Richmond pitchers had 17 strikeouts on the day, while allowing just 2 hits and 0 walks. They deserved better than to lose the game!
Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t help them. The Squirrels had just 6 hits, and 0 extra-base hits. Center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) led the way by going 2-4, as he continues to round into form. Davidson hit quite a rough patch there for a while, but has opened up June with a 7-game hitting streak, during which time he’s gone 12-30 with 5 home runs, 1 double, and just 4 strikeouts. That’s brought his OPS back to .814 and his wRC+ to 110.
Eugene was the lone member of the Giants Class-A teams that didn’t shine on the pitching front, but they still won, which made them first-half champions in the Northwest League. Still, there were some exciting things there. LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) is still trying to find a groove this year, after missing the start of the season with an injury. He wasn’t great in this game, as he allowed 4 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs in just 4.2 innings, but he did strike out 6 batters. With a 4.80 ERA and a 5.05 FIP, it’s looking very unlikely that Bresnahan makes it 3 straight seasons with Pitcher of the Year honors in his league, but the 11.4 strikeouts per 9 innings are a reminder as to why the Giants are so high on the southpaw, who turns 21 later this month. There’s a lot to like there, even if right now he’s issuing too many walks and giving up too many dingers.
RHP Ubert Mejias pitched quite well in relief, striking out 4 batters in 3 innings, while throwing 31 of 42 pitches for strikes. Impressive! Mejias did allow 4 hits though (all singles), which tagged him for a run. It was nice to see Mejias settle in, as he got absolutely rocked in his High-A season debut (this was his 2nd appearance at the level this year, after 1 appearance in 2025). As a result of that, his numbers look hilarious with Eugene this year: in 5 innings, he’s allowed 10 hits, 3 homers, and 6 earned runs … but has 8 strikeouts and 0 walks.
The offense was more solid than exceptional, but Eugene’s quartet of highly-ranked prospects, who fittingly fill the top spots in the order, all had good days. Right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) went 1-4 with a strikeout, but drew a walk and bopped his 20th double of the season. Last year’s 3rd-round pick has an .808 OPS and a 124 wRC+ in his debut full season. Shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) also went 1-4 with a double, while also getting hit by a pitch and not striking out. Level has adjusted well to High-A so far, as he’s hit safely in all 7 games with the Emeralds, going 11-31 with 4 doubles and just 5 strikeouts (he hasn’t drawn a walk yet, but he’s been hit 3 times). Notably, Level played shortstop with High-A for the first time on Tuesday, as he had only played second base in his opening series with the team. It seems as though the Giants will switch he and Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) on a series by series basis, rather than a game-by-game one.
Speaking of which, Kilen played second for the first time this year, and went 1-3 with a double and a walk. The reigning 1st-round pick is now up to a .774 OPS and a 111 wRC+, with just a 13.3% strikeout rate. Rounding things out was center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), who had a mixed bag of a day … the powerful righty hit 1-4 and struck out 3 times, but also blasted a 2-run home run, showing off his sensational power. The 2024 4th-rounder has a .790 OPS and a 113 wRC+ on the year, but also has a 30.6% strikeout rate.
San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 7-1 Box score
And now we return to our regularly scheduled pitching dominance. And this one began with someone who I would argue is the top pitching prospect in the organization: RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL).
It’s been an up-and-down season for Martinez, following his breakout in 2025. But Tuesday was firmly in the “up” category, as the 21-year old Venezuelan breezed through 5 innings, giving up just 2 singles, a walk, and an unearned run, while striking out 8 batters. After a tough May, Martinez has started June on a dominant foot, as his 1st start of the month featured 9 strikeouts in just 4 innings, with an unearned run.
There’s no denying the magic in Martinez’s arm. He’s now up to 67 strikeouts in 41.1 innings, resulting in a 14.6 K/9 mark that ranks 3rd out of the 419 Minor League pitchers with at least 40 innings thrown this year.
It hasn’t been a flawless year for Martinez, who is allowing 5.0 walks per 9 innings, has seen his ground ball rate drop by more than 10 percentage points (to 38.6%), and has both an ERA and an FIP that begin with a 4 (4.57 and 4.05, respectively). But my goodness is he exciting.
The bullpen was great, too. More than great, actually; perfect! RHP Mauricio Estrella tossed 3 perfect innings while striking out 4 batters, while RHP Trey Seeley K’d all 3 batters that he faced. Estrella’s overall numbers have been more good than great, as he has a 3.74 ERA and a 3.62 FIP, but the recently-turned 22 year old has phenomenal walk and strikeout numbers: 42 and 7, respectively, in 33.2 innings.
As for Seeley, it was his debut at Low-A, and what a debut it was! The 23-year old was a 14th-round pick in last year’s draft, and pitched 7 times in the Complex League with middling results this year, before moving to San Jose. Perhaps he just needed to face better competition!
The pitching stole the show, but the hitting was good, too. Catcher Junior Barajas had a really nice game, hitting 2-5 with a solo home run and a strikeout.
A left-handed hitter taken in the 11th round last year, Barajas earned high praises entering the year, and started the season red hot, but he’d really cooled off lately, posting just a .573 OPS in May after a .940 OPS in April. Most notably, he bashed 4 home runs in his first 8 professional games … then went 31 straight games without a dinger. Until Tuesday! The cold stretch tanked his numbers to a .741 OPS and an 83 wRC+, but there’s still so much potential in his bat, to go along with some awesome defense and leadership behind the dish.
Two other hitters had great games: third baseman Dario Reynoso continued his stellar season by hitting 2-3 with 2 stolen bases, while also striking out once, while designated hitter Jeremiah Jenkins went 1-2 with a double, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Reynoso, a right-handed hitter from the Dominican Republic who recently turned 21, has a sensational 1.003 OPS and a 148 wRC+, with 9 stolen bases in 11 attempts, though he’s still striking out at a 30.5% clip. Jenkins, a lefty from Maine who was taken in the 14th-round of the 2024 draft and just turned 23, has an .828 OPS and a 113 wRC+, but is striking out 33.1% of the time.
Arizona Complex League (12-15)
ACL Giants lost to the ACL Athletics 12-2 (7 innings) Box score
Well, this was just a bad game, and there’s no reason to dwell on it. The ACL Giants sent 5 pitchers to the mound, and all 5 struggled, en route to 15 hits and 12 runs in just 6 innings of action. RHPs Brayan Narvaez and Matt Dunaway, the latter of which is on a rehab assignment from High-A, struggled the most, as each gave up 3 runs in just an inning of work, without a strikeout.
The offense wasn’t all that much better. Designated hitter Yulian Barreto had a funny game in which he didn’t register an official at-bat, as he had a sacrifice fly and was hit by a pitch twice. Second baseman Jose Ramos had the best day, as he went 2-4, while shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) went 1-3, but was caught stealing and committed an error.
Moving on…
Dominican Summer League Black (4-3)
DSL Giants beat the DSL Red Sox Blue 15-5 (7 innings) Box score
Well, this is a much better game. The pitching wasn’t great, with the best performance coming from RHP Frank Quiroz. A 19-year old from the Dominican Republic who was a late addition to this year’s international signing class, Quiroz got rocked in his first 2 games of the season. But this one went much better, as he tossed a no-hit inning with 2 strikeouts, though he also walked 2.
The offense, on the other hand, was awesome, with 14 hits in 7 innings, half of which went for extra bases. Left fielder Franco Willias went 2-4 with a 3-run home run, a walk, a stolen base and a strikeout, while third baseman Boris Sarduy hit 1-3 with a 2-run blast and a walk. Both players are having exceptional seasons: Willias, a 21-year old, has a 1.029 OPS and a 119 wRC+, though it’s his third pass through the DSL (he performed well in the first two attempts); Sarduy, a 19-year old, has a 1.111 OPS and a 176 wRC+. It’s very early, but after really struggling with strikeouts in his first two years, Sarduy is K’ing much less frequently this season.
Designated hitter Keiberg Camacaro hit 2-4 with a double, a walk, and 2 stolen bases, while catcher Diego Alambarrio went 2-3 with a pair of doubles and a walk. Camacaro, who is only 19 but is in his fourth season in the DSL, is easily having his best year, with an .899 OPS, a 125 wRC+, 6 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and, like Sarduy, a dramatically reduced strikeout rate. Alambarrio, who just turned 18, has a .950 OPS and a 127 wRC+; he was great in his debut last year, but only played 9 games.
Dominican Summer League Orange (5-2)
DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Mariners 8-7 Box score
Another rough pitching performance, though RHP Gerson Rivero stood out in earning the save, as he struck out 2 batters in a scoreless inning, with a hit allowed. Rivero, who recently turned 18, was part of last year’s signing class but this was his professional debut. Quite an introduction!
The stars were on offense, though, and there were a trio of them. Third baseman Albert Jimenez had the biggest day, as he went 2-4 with a 3-run home run, a sacrifice fly, and 5 runs batter in. Jimenez, a 19-year old righty, entered the season with 7 career home runs in 81 DSL games over two seasons. This year? He already has 5 home runs in just 7 games, giving him a 1.580 OPS and a 218 wRC+.
Shortstop Yeison Oviedo hit 3-5 with 2 doubles and 2 strikeouts, while right fielder Yoxander Benitez went 3-4 with a walk. Oviedo, an 18-year old in his second season, has a 1.071 OPS and a 163 wRC+ after struggling in his debut last year; Benitez, a 19-year old in his third season, has a 1.029 OPS and a 160 wRC+ as he looks to prove himself following two below-average years.
Home run tracker
8 — Dakota Jordan — [High-A] 5 — Junior Barajas — [Low-A] 5 — Albert Jimenez — [DSL] 1 — Franco Willias — [DSL] 1 — Boris Sarduy — [DSL]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 5:05 p.m. PT at Sugar Lang (SP: John Michael Bertrand) Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Harrisburg (SP: Greg Farone) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Spokane (SP: Niko Mazza) San Jose: 7:05 p.m. PT at Stockton (SP: Jordan Gottesman)
Feb 17, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago White Sox infielder Jacob Gonzalez poses for a portrait during photo day at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The WNBA and Major League Baseball are in full swing as summer nears and both have a hint of Ole Miss flavor to them.
The Chicago White Sox called up Jacob Gonzalez on May 31st, not to play short stop or even second base, but to be their starting first baseman after the injury to star rookie Munetaka Murakami. That call would have likely gone to Tim Elko, who made his debut last season, but he is currently injured and Gonzo has been on a tear in the minors, forcing his way to the bigs.
Gonzalez was batting .317 with 19 home runs in the minors and since his debut, he’s hitting .333 with a home run. He got his first career hit in his first career game and hit his first home run on June 6th.
(Side note for those interested, Madison Central product Braden Montgomery made his MLB Debut on June 9th. He had two hits, the second being a walk off home run in the tenth inning against the MLB-best Atlanta Braves).
Nick Fortes is with the Tampa Bay Rays this season and is currently batting .260 with a home run and 14 RBI. His average is an improvement from his time in Miami last season.
I was pumped this off-season when I saw the Braves had claimed Ryan Rolison from the Rockies. Then they let him go. Now, he is dealing for the Chicago Cubs with a 2.35 ERA across 23 innings pitched and a 5-1 record.
Over in the WNBA, Cotie McMahon is playing roughly 17 minutes a night for the Washington Mystics, contributing six points and two rebounds per game.
Also for the Mystics, Shakira Austin is doing her thing averaging just over 15 points and eight rebounds per game.
UFC CEO Dana White is friends with the president and the two have discussed for more than a year the idea of bringing mixed martial arts to the White House.
Their relationship dates to UFC’s infancy as White reorganized the company and led its rise into national prominence.
The cage and stage will themselves be surrounded by thousands of temporary seats, including ringside space for a full marching band that can set the entire scene to blaring music. The Zac Brown Band will perform the National Anthem.
The fight card is part of a series of events celebrating the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence’s signing on July 4, 1776. Other planned events include an IndyCar race that will pass by the White House.
How to watch UFC Freedom 250
The main card airs live only on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.
There was some initial discussion that the show would be simulcast on television via CBS. The show instead will only air domestically on the subscription service. Paramount, which is controlled by the Ellison family, also close allies of Trump, this year became the new home to UFC events across the United States
It was a shift away from UFC’s long-time pay-per-view model. Paramount and UFC parent company TKO said the change will allow the mixed martial arts programming to reach more consumers nationwide.
Paramount+ plans start at $8.99 a month.
Who is on the card?
The card has been panned by fans online as underwhelming and features just two championship fights.
Brazil’s Alex Pereira will meet France’s Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria then takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje, one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC’s 11 championship belts.
There are five other fights on the main card that include former title-fight participants Michael Chandler and Derrick Lewis and former 135-pound champion Sean O'Malley.
What about the weather?
White says the outdoor show will go on rain or shine.
The mid-week forecast on Weather.com called for rain showers early with overcast skies late Sunday and temperatures around 70 degrees around the time of the first fight.
The main venue has 4,500 seats but thousands more are expected to watch in the open air at the Ellipse, a prominent public park south of the White House.
Apr 10, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic (50) on the mound during the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Kris Bubic has been a hot topic of conversation lately. Bob Nightengale reported that the Athletics were interested in the Royals’ pitcher. It’s difficult to know what a reasonable asking price for Bubic might be, but one marker might be the Guardians trade of an injured Shane Bieber last year. They managed to get back Khal Stephen, who was the Blue Jays’ fifth-best prospect at the time of the trade. Stephen is now considered the Guardian’s sixth-best prospect and has a 3.44 ERA, though only an 11.1% K-BB% in AA as a 23-year-old.
That would probably be the best possible outcome for the Royals, though Bubic figures to need to be healthy if KC makes a trade; he doesn’t have the history of excellence that Bieber has.
The Royals, of course, might not ultimately even be sellers. They’ve won 5 of their last 6 and 6 of their last 8 to put themselves only 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in a messy, messy American League. But if they are sellers, Bubic doesn’t figure to be the only starting pitcher on the staff to get some attention. Per an article on Bleacher Report, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha are likely getting some attention, too.
The Trade: Kansas City Royals send RHP Seth Lugo and RHP Michael Wacha to the Chicago Cubs for IF Jefferson Rojas, OF Kevin Alcántara and RHP Jaxon Wiggins
If the Royals could get better prospects for Lugo and Wacha, perhaps they’d be better off extending Bubic. His injury history should drive the price down some. Perhaps even to the point where if he continues to be unable to hold up in the rotation, the team would be able to move him to the bullpen without feeling like they were overpaying. They’d certainly have the money on hand to keep Bubic if they dumped Lugo’s and Wacha’s salaries.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 04: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves stands on the mound during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Truist Park on June 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chris Sale’s former team road tour continues and concludes this series as he’s set to take the mound at Rate Field against the Chicago White Sox. It goes without saying, and he probably already thinks this way as an ace, but going six innings / giving some length tonight would be ideal after last night’s extra-innings heartbreaker. We’ve been so wowed by the aggressive bullpen management to date, but the downsides of it appeared yesterday after the team was hamstrung by Grant Holmes’ early exit and the desire for more rest for the high-leverage relievers. In theory, the arms Walt Weiss wanted to stay away from yesterday are rested, so all should be in play tonight except for Dylan Dodd and Raisel Iglesias. ICYMI, Carlos Carrasco (DFA) and Tyler Kinley (IL , right elbow inflammation) are out, JR Ritchie and James Karinchak are in.
Sale (8-4, 2.23 ERA) was the losing pitcher last week on Thursday, where the Braves failed to complete a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays in their single loss of the homestand. But the 7-2 score is deceptive – Sale was charged with three earned runs in his 5.2 innings of work. Sale exited, the bullpen threw up zeroes in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, and the bats got us within one before Things Happened. It was a weird one. Sale was throwing as hard as ever, extra-rested as he was, but he gave up ten hits for the first time since 2021. There’s nothing more frustrating than death by a thousand soft singles. Something to keep an eye on: this is Sale’s first outing pitching on regular rest since the Braves have started building in those extra days starting in April. His record against his original team is 2-2 with a 2.92 ERA.
Only two White Sox have faced Chris Sale before: Randal Grichuk is 6-for-27 in his career against Sale with two homers and a .781 OPS. Drew Romo has 3 at-bats with a strikeout. But as we saw last night, this White Sox lineup is unfortunately very fun and very legit.
As of this posting (~2:30 pm ET), the White Sox have yet to confirm their starting pitcher. Likely taking the ball for Chicago will be the righty Davis Martin (8-2, 2.61 ERA), who’s outperforming an xERA of 3.65. He throws a six-pitch mix, relying on a four-seamer 26.4% of the time, followed by the sinker and changeup in almost equal measure with a slider, cutter, and curveball in there as well. Only three Braves have seen Martin with very limited data. Mike Yastrzemski is 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, Jorge Mateo 1-for-1 with a homer, and Ha-Seong Kim is 0-for-2. We will likely see a lineup shakeup anyway to accommodate for the day-to-day status of Ronald Acuña Jr. (left hamstring tightness). But in whatever configuration, let’s hope this is the version of the Braves that gives Chris Sale run support. The Braves were meant to feast off of Fedde last night, which didn’t come to pass – I’m inviting anyone else not named Matt Olson to launch multiple homers out of Rate Field, please and thank you.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 09: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rayni Shiring/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What to make of a starting pitcher with more wins than earned runs allowed in June? A day following seeing Eric Lauer masterfully navigate a lineup incredibly susceptible to left-handed pitching, Shohei Ohtani makes his 11th start of what’s currently a season defined by his otherworldly pitching accomplishments, with six wins and five earned runs allowed in 61 innings.
While the Pirates lineup carries stark splits, featuring a 112 wRC+ against right-handers that goes down to 88 against southpaws, Ohtani’s dominance knows no limits, going through opposing lineups like a hot knife through butter. After shockingly—in large part thanks to the offense’s shortcomings—losing back-to-back games between the end of April and the beginning of May, Ohtani puts to the test a streak of four wins, allowing all of one run in this period.
Despite this winning streak, one could argue for the similarities between Ohtani and Paul Skenes as starters let down by their offenses when you consider the respective qualities of these teams. Following last night’s Dodgers win, the Pirates are now 6-8 when Skenes takes the mound, absurd numbers for a team that has improved to hover around .500 in what’s an insanely competitive NL Central. For Ohtani, those four straight wins have carried the Dodgers into a solid but unspectacular 6-4 record in Ohtani starts. There is nothing wrong with a .600 record, far from it, but to contemplate that the reigning champs have had this many losses in Ohtani starts when he’s been untouchable is still a bit of a surprise.
Kirsty Coventry: IOC will have taskforce for any issues
Referee Omar Artan refused entry by US officials
The International Olympic Committee insists it is “confident” that the LA Games in 2028 will not face the same immigration issues that have marred the buildup to the World Cup – including Africa’s top referee, Omar Artan, from Somalia being refused entry by US officials.
Despite Fifa’s close relationship with the Trump administration, it was also unable to stop Iran being moved from a training camp in Arizona to Mexico and some of its officials being denied entry visas.
The St. Louis Blues tried several players in their bottom six last season, especially on their fourth line, but the feeling was that no one truly locked down a role.
Heading into the 2026 off-season, finding players who can solidify that fourth line is a must, and a new report from The Athletic indicates that the player could come from within the organization.
According to The Athletic’s Jim Rutherford, he was told there is a “strong chance” the Blues will sign Dillon Dube to an NHL deal this off-season to play down the middle of the ice. The 27-year-old was signed to a professional tryout in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he excelled.
Dube played as the first-line center for the Thunderbirds this season, posting 20 goals and 37 points in 46 games. He then added five goals and eight points in 12 post-season games.
The fourth line was a glaring weakness for the Blues this season, as Oskar Sundqvist, Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker, and Jack Finley never truly emerged as must-play players.
If Dube can join the lineup and bring speed, physicality and chip in offensively when needed, there is a role for him to earn and lock down.
Although Dube hasn’t played an NHL game since the 2023-24 season, he was a second-round pick (56th overall) of the Calgary Flames in 2016. In his NHL career, Dube has posted 57 goals and 127 points in 325 games across six seasons.
While no contract has been finalized, and this is the first we are hearing of news involving Dube, this is a move that works for both sides. The Blues shore up their fourth-line center role with a player who plays a responsible game, and Dube receives the opportunity to play in the NHL again for the first time since the Team Canada world juniors sexual assault case.
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DENVER, CO - JUNE 9: A detail of the debut patch worn by Cole Carrigg #16 of the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on June 9, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Carrigg is making his Major League debut. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
After weeks of folks begging for a prospect promotion, it finally happened yesterday — the Rockies called up Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP), who not only made his MLB debut, but made a statement when he smacked a triple for his first MLB hit.
With the triple, he became the second Rockie ever to record a triple as their first MLB hit (Ryan Ritter was the first just one season before. However, he also drew a walk in his next plate appearance, becoming the first Rockie to record a triple and and walk in their first MLB game.
So now that the gates have opened, more promotions may be on the horizon — either in the near term or later in the season. President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta has said players need to show they are ready, and an opening on the roster must present itself before a prospects is promoted.
With that in mind, which prospect do you think will be next?
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 09: Manager Skip Schumaker watches from the dugout prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 09, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rangers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We have a Rangers Reacts question for you today, and it is about new Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, who took over from Bruce Bochy this offseason.
What we want to know is, what grade would you give on the job Schumaker has done so far this season?
Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) celebrates a three run home run against Minnesota Twins with second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) and shortstop Zach McKinstry (39) at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
You’d be excused if you avoided watching the Detroit Tigers in the month of May, as injuries and underperformance led to a 6-22 record for the month. If that was you, you might’ve missed Dillon Dingler’s early-season breakout. However, Dingler’s rampage through early June makes one thing clear: Detroit has a top catcher on their roster right now, likely the favorite to start the All Star Game for the American League.
Coming off a strong 2025 season, Dingler seemed like a solid starting catcher to begin with. He paired Gold Glove defense with a .752 OPS, basically league average. Considering the league-average catcher’s OPS was just .696, Dillon repeating 2025 would have made him an under the radar top-5 to 7 catcher in the league.
Instead, Dingler has improved across the board. The 27-year-old backstop has always taken an aggressive approach at the plate, looking to do damage and hit his way on base, which led to a 4.9% walk rate last year. That worked because he hit the ball hard anyways, but it’s a major limitation to his ceiling; there just aren’t many great hitters with walk rates around 5% anymore. Those that do need either outlier raw power or contact skills to stand out; Dingler had neither, so a bit more patience was probably his best path forward. So far, so good; he’s spiked his walk rate up to 8.9%, basically league average, to create a far more stable offensive approach.
However, if all Dingler did was walk more, he wouldn’t be a prime contender to start the All Star Game as the American League’s catcher; that’s only the first step. He also slashed his strikeout rate from 23.5% to a better-than-average 19.4%, and more importantly, has 16 home runs on June 10th compared to the 13 home runs he mashed in all of 2025.
This is what controlling the zone really looks like. Take your walks, lay off pitches you can’t handle, and punish the baseball if a pitcher throws you something he shouldn’t have. Despite some rough BABIP luck, Dingler’s hiked his OPS all the way up to .857 this year, 3rd among all catchers.
In terms of pitch type success, the big change for Dingler this season is that rather than chasing breaking balls, he’s forcing pitchers in need of an answer against him, because you don’t want to pump fastballs with abandon to Dillon Dingler, to try and spot their breaking stuff for strikes. That’s now a particularly dangerous game, as Dingler holds a .508 weighted onbase average (wOBA) against breaking balls this year. Last year his mark against breaking stuff was a .263 wOBA. The weakness pitchers could most exploit in 2024-2025 is now a strength. There’s even a minor argument that Dingler has outperformed his results. His overall wOBA on the season stands at a whopping .371 mark, but his expected wOBA based on contact and batted ball data is .407.
How’s he doing this, then? On the plate discipline side, it’s pretty simple. Dingler’s seeing fewer pitches in the strike zone, he’s swinging at about the same rates as always, and he’s whiffing a little less than he did last year. That means taking more pitches out of the zone and fewer swinging strikes, hence the improved walk and strikeout rates. Most likely, pitchers saw he was pretty aggressive last year, and haven’t adjusted back to his slightly more patient approach. Of course, what he’s doing when they put something in the zone could also be scaring them back out of it.
To put it simply, Dingler is crushing pitches in the zone with two basic tenets: making a lot of contact and hitting balls really hard in the air. In both respects he has improved from 2025, and combined, those are pretty big changes on the stat sheet. Seriously. He’s 15th in biggest gainers in contact rate and 19th in biggest gainers in barrel rate. Pulling that off at the same time is the simplest way to level up as a hitter. Why wouldn’t you want to make more contact while also making better contact?
For most hitters, they have to pick one or the other. The guys who do both are the names you know from teams you don’t follow. Dingler’s special, however, because he’s doing this as a Gold Glove caliber catcher. And yeah, he’s still one of the best defensive backstops in the game.
As of today, Dingler is tied for 5th in all of baseball in Fielding Run Value at 8, BasaballSavant’s best attempt at a catch-all fielding statistic. This incorporates Outs Above Average, Arm Value, and Catcher Throwing, Blocking and Framing, from all positions. It’s worth mentioning that FRV is a counting stat, and Dingler only plays about 70% of all Detroit’s innings, because he’s a catcher. Only Adley Rutschmaan, another excellent catcher, has 8 or more FRV in fewer innings than Dingler. And despite nearly 100 fewer innings than most other top defenders, he’s 5th, ahead of names like Fernando Tatis Jr and Andres Gimenez.
As icing on the cake, Dingler is also arguably the best catcher at challenging pitches, which is a totally awesome perk that isn’t (yet) included in FRV. Seriously, we went over this about a month ago, and he was top-5 then. Now, Dingler leads the league in ‘net overturns more than expected’ based on the opportunities he gets to challenge. He’s also 3rd in overturn rate among catchers with at least 40 challenges, at 70%. Add it to the long list of things Dingler is excellent at.
Basically, if you wanted to build a good position player in a lab, it would be what Dingler’s doing early in 2026. Start with an excellent up-the-middle defender, then make him coincidentally one of the best at handling the new ABS system for a smidgen of extra value. Then, double that player’s previous walk rates and home run rates, and for good measure, reduce his strikeout rate, all at the same time, so he’s now making more contact that’s also better. Put all that together, and you get Dillon Dingler, tied for 3rd in all of baseball in fWAR with Corbin Carrol. The guys he’s behind? Bobby Witt Jr. and Yordan Alvarez. You’ve heard of them, I’m sure.
Will he keep it up? Maybe. So many of his process stats have leveled up, it feels like most of the gains are legitimate so far. Maybe he breaks down in the second half as his catcher’s workload stacks up on him. Or maybe he just… keeps going. The defense is stable – he’s been among the best defensive catchers in baseball for almost 2 years now – and walks don’t typically dry up all of a sudden. Catchers are notoriously slow to develop at the dish, so peaking at age 27 really isn’t that big of a surprise. At this pace, the All-Star Game should be just the next step in an outstanding season full of accolades.
I don’t have to tell you that the Cubs have been just awful over their last 28 games, going 7-21 after a 27-12 start.
That leaves them just one game over .500 entering tonight’s contest against the Rockies at Coors Field.
Let’s look at some of the numbers from that great 39-game start, and then the same numbers from the 28-game collapse (and really, it can’t be called anything other than a “collapse” right now.
Over the first 39 games the Cubs batted .258/.354/.429. They scored 215 runs (5.51 per game) and had 62 doubles and 51 home runs (1.31 homers per game). They drew 185 walks (4.74 per game) and struck out 308 times (7.92 per game).
In the last 28 games, the Cubs batted .213/.304 /.334. They scored 98 runs (3.5 per game) and had 39 doubles and 25 home runs (0.89 homers per game). They drew 111 walks (3.96 per game) and struck out 254 times (9.07 per game).
So as you can see, the Cubs got significantly worse in every offensive category over the last 28 games. They’re still walking at a decent rate, but even that is down from earlier in the year.
But it’s not just the bats that have gone silent. The pitching staff has just gotten pounded.
Over the first 39 games, Cubs pitchers had a 3.75 ERA and 1.189 WHIP, with a 4.15 FIP. They allowed 47 home runs (1.21 per game), issued 123 walks (3.15 per game) and struck out 323 (8.28 per game).
In the last 28 games, Cubs pitchers posted a 5.17 ERA and 1.325 WHIP, with a 5.23 FIP. They allowed 51 home runs (1.82 per game), issued 80 walks (2.86 per game) and struck out 208 (7.43 per game).
The home run number is ghastly. It’s gone up by more than .60 per game, and the 98 homers the Cubs have allowed this season are the most of any team (four more than the Nationals).
So it’s basically everything. Over the 28 game slump the Cubs have been outscored 148-91. That’s an average of 5.29 runs allowed and 3.25 runs scoreed per game — so they’ve been outscored by an average of two runs per game for an entire month, basically. They’ve been shut out four times and scored one or two runs nine other times, winning just one of those nine (2-o over the Braves May 14, largely thanks to great pitching by Ben Brown).
What is the answer to this?
Well, if I knew that, I’d certainly tell Jed Hoyer and Craig Counsell.
It’s mystifying how an entire team can slump this badly, both offensively and the pitching staff. Some of the pitching issues are injury-related, but not all of them. What’s happened to Shōta Imanaga, for example, is almost inexplicable. How does a guy pitch lights-out for nine starts (2.32 ERA, just five home runs in 54 innings), then just get absolutely hammered by opposing hitters (four starts, 10.80 ERA, 12 home runs in 21.1 innings)?
I have to believe these guys are all better than they’ve shown over the last 28 games. Usually, when a team’s hitters or pitchers go into slumps, they have other guys on the team to carry them. The only Cubs hitters who have hit reasonably well over the last month are Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch. The only pitchers who have been solid for that time are Ben Brown and Jacob Webb.
