NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: UFC Champion, Alex Pereira throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 5, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve seen a lot of fighters over the years throw out some pretty questionable first pitches, but not our man “Poatan.”
Alex Pereira was on hand at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx yesterday (Tue. May 5th, 2026) to watch the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 7-4 in the first of a three game series. He was welcomed as a proper two division UFC champion should be — they gave him a Yankees jersey with the number 1 on the back and let him throw out the first ceremonial pitch.
And how did Pereira do? He put the ball straight down the middle and over the plate. It was no heater, but it got exactly where it was supposed to go. Take a look.
Compare that to Conor McGregor’s infamous first pitch during a Cubs game, which went, er, slightly to the right.
When lefty Conor McGregor fired in an absolutely wild first pitch at a Cubs game 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Pk0GmetyIS
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) April 19, 2026
Pereira was introduced as the ‘former’ two-division UFC champion which is technically true: he relinquished his light heavyweight belt to move up another division, where he’ll face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship. A win over Gane at the UFC White House event on June 14th will make “Poatan” the first fighter to ever hold titles in three weight classes.
Add that to the list of impressive accomplishments alongside his impressive first pitch.
Brad Stevens cut right to the chase in his end-of-season press conference at the Boston Celtics’ practice facility Wednesday.
“I’m pissed,” the Celtics president of basketball operations told reporters. “I’d rather be playing New York. We all would.”
The Celtics were one win away from advancing to the second round to face the Knicks, but blew a 3-1 series lead to the Philadelphia 76ers en route to their earliest playoff exit since Stevens’ final year as head coach in 2021.
So, there was Stevens on Wednesday fielding questions from reporters on the team’s play style, how to improve the roster and much more.
Stevens covered plenty of ground in the 33-minute press conference, which you can watch in full below. Here are his most notable answers:
Jaylen’s apparent “frustration” with Celtics
Tracy McGrady raised eyebrows on a recent episode of his podcast with Vince Carter by suggesting Jaylen Brown’s “frustration lies deep within the (Celtics) organization,” adding, “There’s just been a lot of stuff that I’ve been hearing just going on with the Boston organization with JB.”
Stevens was asked directly about Brown’s apparent frustration Tuesday.
“I talked to Jaylen on Monday a little bit just real quickly, and it was nothing but positive,” Stevens replied. “He has not expressed those frustrations to me.
“We’ve been here 10 years together. I love JB and everybody around here loves JB. I’ll be here, and my door is always open.”
The Celtics attempted the most 3-pointers in the playoffs by a wide margin (46.1 percent) yet made just 33.7 percent of them (10th among 16 playoff teams) while shooting worse than 30 percent in all four of their losses to Philly.
Stevens was asked several questions about Boston’s affinity for the 3-point shot and whether the team will consider changing either its strategy or its personnel this offseason to be less reliant on the deep shot.
His responses were telling, and arguably the highlight of Tuesday’s press conference.
“My general feeling watching us play in really each of the last two playoffs … was, we had a hard time generating really good looks on that first shot,” Stevens said. “So, we’ve got to figure out a way to do better in that.”
“One of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim, and I think we do need to add to our team to do that. Everybody plays a role in that, but at the end of (Game 7), Embiid is standing at the rim on all those possessions or a lot of those possessions.”
That sure sounds like Stevens wants to add more frontcourt depth to complement the current tandem of Neemias Queta and Luka Garza — or at least pursue a player who can create offense inside the 3-point line.
“I think the biggest thing is, can we generate looks at the rim? Yeah, everybody wants to do that, and every one of us would prefer a dunk over a 3. Every single one of us. Those are hard to get, and we struggle to generate them.”
The details around Jayson Tatum’s injury are still a bit murky. After sitting out the fourth quarter of Game 6 in Philly due to “left leg stiffness,” the Celtics star wasn’t listed on Boston’s initial injury report last Friday, then popped up as “questionable” with “left knee stiffness” on Saturday afternoon before being ruled out for Game 7 against the Sixers later than night.
According to Stevens, Tatum mostly stayed off the leg on Friday and went through a workout Saturday morning to see how his leg would respond. The answer, apparently, was “not well.”
“I watched (the workout), and clearly (it) didn’t feel right,” Stevens said. “It’s not a long, long-term concern, but it certainly didn’t look right when he was working out and didn’t feel right. So, it made sense to be smart about that.”
Tatum added that players coming back from a serious injury like Tatum’s ruptured Achilles his right leg have “a tendency to overcompensate,” and suggested that may have led to Tatum’s left leg issue.
Stevens gave a measured response when asked for his assessment of head coach Joe Mazzulla, who is a finalist to win NBA Coach of the Year due to the Celtics’ regular-season success but received criticism for some of his decision-making in the postseason.
“First of all, I know how hard that job is, “Stevens said. “I know all that goes into it, and I know he and his staff are putting everything they can into it.
“When I say that we struggle to get by, I think that’s — we need to add to our team. So, I think our coaching staff, like all of us, can continue to improve and get better.
“That said, I think they’re very good, and we need to continue to provide them the resources um to grow and get better and continue to be the best that we can be.”
A strong endorsement of Gonzalez
Stevens was much more effusive in his praise of rookie Hugo Gonzalez, the team’s first-round pick (28th overall) in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“Hugo had a great rookie year and is a critical part of us moving forward, because his athleticism can meet the moment in the big games,” Stevens said. “That’s a real thing. You can see it. You know it.
“His strength is off the charts. He’s one of the strongest guys on our team pound-for-pound right now as a 20- year old. So, he’s got a bright future.”
Gonzalez averaged just 14.7 minutes per game, though, and saw just 19 total minutes of floor time over seven playoff games. Stevens acknowledged that despite Gonzalez’s physical attributes, the Spain native wasn’t able to “separate himself” from those who played instead of him.
One and done for Vucevic?
Stevens took a swing at the NBA trade deadline by dealing Anfernee Simons for Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic. The veteran struggled to find his footing in Boston, suffering a finger injury just one month after joining the Celtics and finding himself on the bench in Game 7 against the Sixers.
Vucevic is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, and while Stevens offered some praise for the big man, it wouldn’t be surprising if he lands elsewhere this summer.
“Getting traded here when he did, he had some moments; broke his finger, that probably set him back,” Stevens said. “And then, (the Sixers series) was a hard matchup for all of us.
“I thought that Vooch gave us all that he had and did what we asked. It was a hard matchup, and I have a lot of respect for Vooch as a person and as a pro.
“I thought he was really good in our locker room. I thought he was a really good person to have around.”
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Masai Ujiri talks to Rick Welts during 2025 NBA Draft Lottery on May 12, 2025 in at Chicago, Illinois at McCormick Convention Center. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Masai Ujiri is a splashy name to fill the Dallas Mavericks’ president of basketball operations (and alternate governor) position, and one sure to spark endless fodder for debate for podcasters and basketball content creators.
Is Ujiri washed? Or is he the dose of stability that this franchise needs as the Mavericks stare down the task of building around Cooper Flagg? His 12 years heading up basketball operations for the Toronto Raptors, which ended one day after the 2025 NBA Draft after three straight years missing the playoffs, offers definitive evidence both ways.
Ujiri was introduced as the Mavericks’ head man in a press conference on Tuesday at American Airlines Center, an affair that offered little to sway members of either camp.
“To come to this storied organization, the Dallas Mavericks, to come back to the NBA, it’s a blessing and I’m honored and humbled to have this very unique opportunity,” Ujiri said.
“There’s no other way to do this than winning,” he added, when asked for the first time about helping the organization move on from the tumult that started with trading Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. “There’s a saying in Africa. When kings go, kings come. The king went, and we have a little prince here that we’re going to turn into a king, and I think we have to start thinking that way here.”
Lost in all the banter about what he learned during his year off, musings about coming up in the world of professional basketball and obligatory responses about the trade of Luka Dončić, which went down a full 15 months ago, while Ujiri was still leading the Raptors’ front office, was any clarity surrounding how decision-making will happen in this Mavericks’ front office.
Of course, he’ll be the final word on roster- and basketball-related decisions. He’s here to fill the role traditionally manned by a “general manager,” terminology that has apparently gone completely out of style in NBA circles these days. But he dodged questions about head coach Jason Kidd’s future with the franchise and mentioned co-interim general managers Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley exactly one time in the 35-minute nothing-burger of a press conference during a time where nothing but questions swirl all around the Mavericks.
To be clear, at both his previous posts as a GM-type guy, Ujiri kept the coach he was handed in place for at least three seasons. He kept George Karl in Denver for three seasons when he came on as general manager and vide president of basketball operations for the Nuggets in 2010. He kept Dwayne Casey in place for five seasons with the Raptors after joining that front office in 2013. His track record says Kidd will be the Mavericks’ coach for the 2026-27 season even if he side-stepped direct questions to that effect twice in Tuesday’s presser.
“I had a conversation with Jason Kidd yesterday,” Ujiri said the first time he was asked point-blank whether Kidd would remain in place next season. “I’m going to meet with Jason Kidd and hear his thoughts on everything. He’s done a great job. We’re going to look at this thing from head to toe and evaluate in every way that we can.”
He’s going to be in a million meetings in the next few days. He’s got to make informed decisions, and that takes time. That means evaluating everything and everyone on the basketball side of the organization. Stakes is high — too high to come in shooting from the hip. We get that.
But what we didn’t get from Tuesday’s introductory press conference was any definitive answer on how any of this is going to work moving forward. Without any clarity, we’re left clueless, without any sense as to whether this guy will effectively correct any of the CVS receipt full of problems the Mavericks face as they rebuild. Confidence lags behind clarity. Without any of the latter there is none of the former to be had.
Is Ujiri up to the task in Dallas? Your guess is as good as mine.
This lack of clarity is at least as much on the media assembled at the AAC as it is on Ujiri. Nobody cares who courted who more, team Governor Patrick Dumont or Ujiri. No one cares about the frank five-hour meeting the two shared. No one cares that it was only scheduled for an hour, but Dumont and Ujiri just genuinely liked staring lovingly into each other’s eyes so much that it turned into an all-day affair.
All of one question was asked about Riccardi and Finley’s future with the organization, and it was asked of Dumont, not Ujiri himself. Dumont’s answer was short and rote, with just a tinge of foreboding.
“I want to thank Matt and Fin for the work that they did across this year,” Dumont said. “They did phenomenal work. As Masai spoke about, he’s going to speak to everyone, and talk about the future of the organization, and we’ll go from there.”
Yeesh — I’d be polishing my resume if I were one of those two fellows after hearing that answer.
The central thesis of the presser was that, boy, we sure are glad we have Cooper Flagg. He sure is fun to watch and good as basketball. The rest is a huge question mark.
“The one difficult thing to find anywhere in sports is a generational player,” Ujiri said. “And we have one here. We’ve planted a flag(g) here. It is our job to continue to build the young players on this team. We have to figure it out and put them in the right situations to perform.”
Usiri and the Mavericks will have two more chances in the first round of the NBA Draft next month to put a couple more building blocks into place. Dumont can go on and on about how excited he is to have Ujiri at the top of his front-office food chain. The fans seem to be shrugging their shoulders, thoroughly unconvinced of anything, really.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Jacob Degrom #48 of the Texas Rangers reacts after giving up a home run against Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yankees 7, Rangers 4
That game made me grouchy.
Like the Very Grouchy Ladybug.
Three runs in the first off of Elmer Rodriguez, then one run the rest of the way.
The Yankees were 3 for 8 with runners in scoring position and stranded five. The Rangers were 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12.
And that pretty much explains the ball game.
I don’t want to talk about this game.
Jacob deGrom topped out at 98.7 mph with his fastball, averaging 97.8 mph. Jalen Beeks reached 94.4 mph with his fastball. Tyler Alexander’s sinker reached 92.8 mph.
Jake Burger had a 107.3 mph ground out, a 104.3 mph GIDP, and a 103.3 mph ground out. Ezequiel Duran had a 105.2 mph triple. Andrew McCutchen had a 104.6 mph single. Joc Pederson had a 103.1 mph sacrifice fly. Alejandro Osuna had a 103.0 mph ground out. Josh Jung had a 101.5 mph single.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 13: Jackson Rutledge #44 of the Washington Nationals reacts after giving up a triple in the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nationals have admitted defeat on yet another first round draft pick from the 2010’s. While the Nats were having a magical turnaround in the summer of 2019, Mike Rizzo drafted Jackson Rutledge with the 17th overall pick. He did not work out, and the Nats new regime officially admitted that last night when they DFA’d Rutledge.
Max Kranick signing is now official. One year deal with club option for 2027. In a corresponding move, the Nats designated Jackson Rutledge for assignment.
The Nats needed to remove someone from the 40-man roster to add new signing Max Kranick, and Rutledge was the guy. Despite Rutledge’s pedigree, the fact he was DFA’d did not come as much of a surprise. He just has not been productive enough to stick around in the big leagues.
Rutledge has appeared in 71 games, with five starts. In his career, Rutledge has an ERA of 6.29. This season he only made one disastrous MLB appearance, where he allowed 7 runs in 1.1 innings. At that point, it really felt like the writing was on the wall for the former first rounder.
Jackson Rutledge, summoned from Rochester to help provide some bullpen depth tonight, hasn't retired any of the five batters he's faced so far in the 6th, turning a 5-1 game into a 9-1 game.
In 2025, Rutledge was a full time big leaguer for the first time. He was a mainstay in the Nats bullpen. While he had some moments of success, there was more bad than good. He posted a 5.77 ERA in 63 outings last year. Despite throwing in the mid-90’s, Rutledge’s fastball was extremely hittable.
That has been one of the stories of his career. For a guy who was touted as having elite stuff coming out of the draft, he has always been hittable. Even in Single-A, hitters were not having trouble picking up his stuff. In 2021, he posted an ERA of 7.68 in various levels of A ball and in 2022, he had an ERA of 4.90 for the Fred Nats. For a 6’8 guy with a mid-90’s heater and a wipeout slider, he was always shockingly hittable.
Part of that is due to the fact that he does not take advantage of his big frame. Despite being a massive pitcher, Rutledge has below average extension down the mound. That means he is not a very deceptive guy. His fastball shape is also very ordinary, which was a problem for him. Coming out of junior college, Rutledge could dominate with pure velocity, but he could not do that in pro ball.
Despite the rough start to his pro career, Rutledge did appear to turn a corner in 2023. He posted a 3.71 ERA in 23 starts split between Double-A and Triple-A. That success earned him a big league call up in 2023. However, the success never came in the big leagues.
Jackson Rutledge struck out seven batters in 5.0 innings of two-hit, shutout ball last night.
That 2023 turned out to be an outlier. Rutledge posted an ERA above 6 in AAA the following year. After that, he became a full time reliever. He had some success in that role in the big leagues at the start of the 2025 season. However, as we mentioned, that success did not last.
There is a pretty good chance that Rutledge goes unclaimed and remains in the Nats organization. If that happens, he will be off the 40 man roster, and will officially just be organizational depth, which he pretty much was already.
Mike Rizzo’s drafts from 2012 onwards were rough, but his stretch between 2017-2019 was his worst work. In that three year stretch, the Nats took Seth Romero, Mason Denaburg and Jackson Rutledge in the first round. Those drafts are a big reason why the Nats had to enter a rebuild.
You can talk about ownership’s lack of spending, and that is a real problem. However, all of those draft misses added up for this organization. It is tough to build an entire team through free agency, especially in a medium sized market like DC. You need homegrown talent to be flowing through the system, and the Nats just did not have that.
Hopefully the new regime can change that, and they are already showing signs that they are. The Nats minor league teams are having more success than they have had in many years. Prospects like Eli Willits, Ronny Cruz, Devin Fitz-Gerald and Seaver King are also having monster years.
As we head into the future, I hope the Nats can build a young core of homegrown players and augment them with free agent talent. That is what the Nats did when they were at their best in the 2010’s. They spent money, but there was also a core of young, controllable players. That eventually dried up once all the draft misses caught up to this organization.
With the 20th pick in that same 2019 draft, the Mariners took a different college pitcher in George Kirby. Obviously that one is working out a lot better. The Mariners taking guys like Kirby and the Nats taking guys like Rutledge are a big reason why the two teams are in such different spots. With a new front office that has a rich history scouting the amateur draft, I think the Nats will be on the winning side of these sorts of things before too long.
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 05: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reads the catcher's signals in the bottom of the third inning during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros on May 5, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We are now over a month into the first season of what Shohei Ohtani can do on both sides of the field throughout the whole year as a Dodger.
Ohtani is seemingly back to his pre-injury, Cy Young award contending form on the mound, as he’s coming off a dominant month of April where he was named the National League Pitcher of the Month. On the other side of the field, where he hit 109 home run in his first two years with the Dodgers, his bat has cooled off recently as he is currently miring in an 0-17 slump dating back to Wednesday April 29 against the Miami Marlins.
Ohtani attempted to mitigate his struggles by taking batting practice before Monday’s 8-3 win over the Houston Astros, but it only resulted in his hitless streak reaching five games. Despite the recent offensive struggles, Ohtani knows that the early portion of the season isn’t his strong suit and has faith that his bat will wake up as the season marches on, notes Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
“I do feel like over the course of my career it’s just a reality that I’m not exactly hitting at the best of my ability at this time of year,” Ohtani said last week through interpreter Will Ireton. “At the same time, as a player, I do want to be better and get to that position where I’m feeling really good. It’s a balancing act of the two.”
“It is easier to maintain something good when things are going well,” Ohtani said. “But when things are not going well, it’s not easy, in the sense that I have to make sure that I’m healthy and not overdoing it in terms of repetition. So while I’m working on certain things, it’s also a balancing act of making sure I’m not overdoing it physically and making sure that I’m healthy.”
Ohtani has already shown during his time with the Angels that pitching full-time wasn’t the main factor behind an offensive slump, and the reigning two-time MVP is adamant that the adjustment to being a full-time pitcher again hasn’t hampered his ability to hit, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“I don’t think so, personally, that pitching has been affecting my hitting,” Ohtani said through his interpreter following Tuesday’s game. “At the same time, it has been a little bit longer than my expectation (to get going), in terms of the hitting side of things. So, I’ve been getting on base, which is a good thing. I just want to make sure that the quality of balls in play are better. And it’s not ideal that I’m trying to find that in the game (with less time to work in practice), but I just have to continue to do what I’m supposed to do.”
Tuesday was the third time this season that Ohtani solely took the mound, going a season-high seven innings while striking out eight, but his two home runs surrendered made the difference as he took another tough defeat. Ohtani spoke about the tenacity of Houston’s lineup and the ineffectiveness of his two mistake pitches following Tuesday’s game, per Courtney Hollmon of MLB.com.
“It was really mislocated, to the area completely opposite of where I was intending to,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “If the execution was better, I think it wouldn’t have been a homer, but they also put good swings as well.”
May 5, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias (26) celebrates following a victory against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves reinstated right-hander Raisel Iglesias from the injured list on Tuesday, ahead of the late-night matchup with the Seattle Mariners. The club also designated fellow righty Carlos Carrasco for assignment, and lastly, provided updates on the rehabilitation of Dylan Dodd and Ha-Seong Kim.
The #Braves today reinstated RHP Raisel Iglesias from the injured list and designated RHP Carlos Carrasco for assignment. Additionally, LHP Dylan Dodd tonight begins a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett. The club also transferred INF Ha-Seong Kim’s rehabilitation…
Iglesias has been lights-out for the Braves so far this season. In late April, he was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, but he made his return on Tuesday night, where he recorded the save.
As for Carrasco, this marks the second time in a week that Atlanta has designated him for assignment.
The Los Angeles Angels are shutting down lefty Yusei Kikuchi for the next three to four weeks with shoulder inflammation. He is attempting to rehab without surgery.
NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 22: Nico Daws #50 of the New Jersey Devils defends his net during the second period of the game against the Minnesota Wild on October 22, 2025 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Our free agency preview continues this week at All About the Jersey, and after taking a look at some of the bigger-ticket items last week, I thought it would be a good idea this week to dig a little deeper and look at some of the goaltenders who are up for new deals.
At the NHL level, there are no goaltenders up for new deals thanks in large part to one of our former GM’s final parting gifts, an ill-advised and poorly timed contract extension for one Jacob Markstrom. Barring some unforeseen transaction (more on that in a bit), the Devils appear slated to enter next season by running it back with the Markstrom and Jake Allen pairing in net.
The AHL level is a different story though, as the two netminders who primarily saw time with the Comets this past season are due new contracts. Nico Daws and Jakub Malek are both pending RFAs with arbitration rights, and are both likely, at a bare minimum, to be tendered a contract.
Let’s take a look at both goaltenders, see how they’ve performed this past season, and determine whether or not the Devils will indeed bring one or both back.
One of my larger themes in that aforementioned article is that while Daws has potential, I didn’t think it was apparent that the Devils trusted him at the NHL level to the point where they were going to continue to go “big game hunting” and “fix their goaltending” with a more proven option. Shortly after writing that, the Devils indeed made their big acquisition in net when they traded a 1st round pick and Kevin Bahl to the Calgary Flames for the aforementioned Markstrom. Markstrom and Allen have primarily been the NHL tandem for the last two seasons. This has left Daws as the “break glass in case of emergency” organizational third goaltender, a role that he has performed well in in limited action.
With only seven starts (and nine appearances) total at the NHL level the past two seasons, Daws hasn’t played much for the Devils. But when he has played, he has generally looked good. He has a .925 save percentage over those nine games and has saved 5.3 goals above expected. Again, its a very small sample size, but even if he regresses off of that over a larger body of work, Daws certainly looks like a guy who could put up the “average goaltending” that is often wished for around these parts when someone writes the “what if the Devils just had average goaltending” article when the season goes awry.
Daws, who will already be entering his age 26 season, has plenty of experience at the AHL level. His save percentages of .890, .893, and .892 over the last three seasons at Utica don’t exactly jump off the page as someone who has mastered the AHL level, although a lot of that can likely be attributed to Utica mostly being a bad team for much of him time there. Still, with over 150 AHL games (including postseason), I don’t think he has much of anything left to prove at the AHL level. He has plenty of experience. He’s as NHL-ready as he’s ever going to be. The question is whether or not the Devils determine if he is good enough to hold down a role as part of an NHL tandem for a full season, or if he’ll always be a ‘tweener’ AAAA-type who might be too good for the minor leagues but not good enough for the major leagues.
Tom Fitzgerald seemingly decided at some point over the last few years that the answer to that question is no, he’s not good enough. Markstrom and Allen are blocking him at the NHL level, Fitzgerald extended both of them, and this presumably leaves no room for Daws to break through.
But with that said, Tom Fitzgerald has been wrong before. Tom Fitzgerald never actually did fix the goaltending for the Devils despite his efforts to do so. Tom Fitzgerald is no longer the Devils general manager in large part because he failed to fix the goaltending (as well as other reasons). And with a new GM in Sunny Mehta comes, potentially, a fresh start.
I don’t know how Sunny Mehta will view the goaltending situation that he is inheriting, and he certainly didn’t tip his hand in regards to how he feels about any of the players when he met with the media a few weeks ago. Mehta didn’t draft Daws, nor did he trade for and sign Markstrom or Allen, so he has no preconceived notions or attachments to anyone on the Devils organizational depth chart in net.
What we do know, and what we’ve talked about in the past, is that the Devils salary cap situation is tight. If one is looking at areas where the Devils could stand to shave a few dollars off of payroll, it might be the $6M AAV goaltender who was dreadful last season that the previous regime committed to.
But is there a universe where Mehta looks at the Devils internal options and simply declares that Daws should be playing at the NHL level? Or at the very least, the Devils shouldn’t be willing to toss away Daws for nothing, whether that’s allowing him to sign overseas this summer or losing him on waivers? With two goaltenders in their mid 30s, maybe it makes sense for the Devils to be the rare NHL team that carries three goaltenders. Maybe having a younger goaltender dressing as the backup and giving the other, older goaltender a true day off on game days would make it more likely that Sheldon Keefe or whoever the coach is develops a quick hook if the starter “simply doesn’t have it” on any given night. It would require some forward, outside the box thinking, but if anyone seems capable of that, wouldn’t it be Sunny Mehta?
The Devils, as an organization, seem to be in a holding pattern while they’re waiting for Mikhail Yegorov to maybe someday be “the guy” in net. That’s fine, but Yegorov will not be an option for the Devils on Opening Night five months from now. They have to find a viable option in net in the meantime. They have to find the best options to win games here and now.
The Devils made their bed with the Markstrom situation, and if they want out of it now before the contract even starts, its complicated as to how they could feasibly make that happen. It’s a mess that Mehta is inheriting. That said, would it be all that surprising if Mehta wanted to move on from a statistically bottom-five, aging goaltender that he didn’t sign in the first place. As annoying and painful as it would be to take on that dead cap charge for a contract that hasn’t even begun yet, it might be what’s best for the Devils in the short-term and long-term.
AFP Analytics is projecting a 1-year, $892,500 contract for Daws, which is a slight raise from his previous AAV of $812,500. If he’s back with the Devils, I could see him agreeing to something close to that. Of course, I say ‘if’ because Daws might be ultimately fed up with his professional career stalling in North America. He might be fed up with Markstrom and Allen blocking him and the Devils not trading him somewhere where he could potentially make the NHL roster. And perhaps when Mehta does his evaluations, he comes to the conclusion that he likes Markstrom more than Daws for whatever reason. Maybe Mehta accepts that he can’t really do anything in net for the time being.
I say all that to say it wouldn’t be surprising to me if Daws said “thanks, but no thanks” when the Devils likely qualify him and he signs somewhere in Europe.
With the management change in New Jersey though, perhaps this is exactly the clean slate that Daws needs to finally carve out an NHL role with the Devils.
Jakub Malek
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been five years since Jakub Malek was drafted on a Zoom call at the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, but that is indeed the case.
Malek, the Devils 4th round pick in 2021, is well traveled. He played for VHK Vsetin of the Czechia2 league in 2021-22 and three seasons with Ilves of Liiga. The Devils actually signed him to his ELC on May 28th, 2024, but they wound up loaning Malek to Ilves for that aforementioned third season.
This past season was his first professional season in North America, and while he did get into a couple of games with the Adirondack Thunder, he primarily split the net with Daws at Utica. Malek posted an .895 save percentage over his 31 appearances.
Malek has yet to make his NHL debut, but there’s little reason for the Devils to do anything to move on from him at this point. They still have three more years of organizational control before he’s eligible for UFA (versus two for Daws), and unlike Daws, Malek is still exempt from waivers. Malek should be one half of the Utica goaltending tandem for the upcoming season, and time will tell whether or not he develops into anything more than that.
AFP Analytics doesn’t even have a projection for Malek, but I could see him signing something similar to the two-year deal that Daws just completed. Two years, under $900k, and the second year is one-way where Malek is making the same amount of money regardless where he plays. Granted, Daws had nearly 50 games of NHL experience when he signed his deal versus zero for Malek, so maybe that’s wishful thinking on Malek’s part, but the larger point is that a Malek contract isn’t going to break the bank and the Devils will need someone to play the games at the AHL level.
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt in my mind that the Devils extend a contract offer to both Daws and Malek. They’re both established AHL goaltenders, at a bare minimum, and there’s little reason for the Devils to go out and pursue a Louie Domingue-type to serve as the organizational third goaltender unless one or both goaltenders decides to return to Europe. I suppose an argument could be crafted that that makes sense for Daws if he doesn’t see a path forward in his NHL career. I don’t think that really makes sense for Malek.
The only real question when it comes to whether or not the Devils should bring back Nico Daws and Jakub Malek is more of a big picture question on how do the Devils envision their goaltending the next few years. It’s not a question of “should they bring them back” because the answer to that question is yes. But we don’t know how Mehta will view things when it comes to the organizational depth chart.
I do think its worth mentioning that throughout Mehta’s time as an AGM in Florida, the Panthers consistently took a goaltender late in the draft. Devon Levi was a 7th round pick in 2020 who was ultimately flipped to Buffalo in the deal that saw Florida get Sam Reinhart. Kirill Gerasimyuk played in the VHL and MHL for years before coming to North America to play in the AHL. Tyler Muszelik played four years in college before signing an ATO with the Charlotte Checkers. The Panthers have since drafted Olog Glifford, Denis Gabdrakhmanov, and Yegor Midlak in the latter rounds the last three seasons.
I say all that to say if that philosophy sounds familiar, its not much different that the Devils approach to trying to find goaltenders by drafting one just about every season, something they’ve done since Ray Shero was the GM. It’s one of those things that could be something, or it could be nothing, but I don’t anticipate the Devils deviating from that approach. The main difference would be Mehta signing off on whoever the Devils are indeed picking going forward.
Even with all of that said though, the Devils still need guys who are capable at the NHL level of stepping in and playing at a moment’s notice. So while Daws and Malek might not necessarily be Mehta’s “guys”, there is reason to keep them around for the time being.
Jonathan Sanchez is mobbed by his teammates after he pitched a no-hitter at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, July 10, 2009. (Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Good morning, baseball fans!
We are in the middle of a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I won’t be around for this week, and I want to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.
For the sixth day of Mays-mas, I thought we could take a look at a somewhat forgotten gem from the era. So much so that there isn’t even a full version available on YouTube, unfortunately. But before Matt Cain’s perfect game, before Tim Lincecum’s no-hitters, and before the championships started rolling in, there was a bright spot for Giants fans in the form of Jonathan Sánchez throwing a no-hitter in July of 2009.
I think it often gets overlooked considering what came after it, but it definitely deserves some love for Mays-mas. So here’s a highlight video to celebrate the occasion.
What time do the Giants play today?
The San Francisco Giants wrap up this three-game home series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon at 12:45 p.m. PT.
Cameron felt the tightness in his back after his outing last Thursday against the A’s, and it continued to feel tight as he threw on the days after that start. By Sunday, the Royals made the decision to go with Kolek for Cameron’s start on Tuesday.
“They’re like, ‘Hey, it’s too early to push it,’” Cameron said. “If it were August or September, I would be very capable of pitching through it. Right now, just trying to be smart and see where we are. It’s feeling a lot better. I’ll be ready whenever.”
Having Kolek ready to come up to the big leagues made pushing Cameron back an easier decision. Kolek has been sidelined since late February with a left oblique strain, but he’s made four rehab starts with Omaha over the past month and posted a 2.76 ERA across 16 1/3 innings with four walks and 14 strikeouts. He’s pitched into the 70-pitch range in his past two starts there, so he’s built up for the Royals.
A pitching performance like the one we saw from Michael Wacha last night was simultaneously incredible and kind of boring. But when I say boring, I mean it in a good way. He just cruised all night long outside of one mistake he made in the second inning. He combined with Matt Strahm and Alex Lange to throw just 95 pitches. Pitch data can be a little wonky so I’m not going to give you any interesting stats because I can’t trust Stathead on this one, but the last time the Royals threw fewer than 100 pitches in a game where they threw all nine innings was August 11, 2016 in a 2-1 win over the White Sox. I believe it’s the 32nd time they’ve thrown nine innings in a game and thrown fewer than 100 pitches.
Many want to be reimbursed and others planned to wait to subscribe next year. “I paid $100 at the beginning of the year,” one fan wrote on X. “What are yall going to do for customers like me? Seems like a bad way to earn customer loyalty.” Another noted the change to the broadcast crew: “These geniuses not only took @RexHudler1 out of the booth, now they’re giving a discount, after we’ve already coughed up $100…. I hate them.” “I’ll take my $50 check whenever you want since I signed up at the beginning of the season. Thanks,” a third wrote. “Address should be on file.”
But seriously, Witt continues to be one of baseball’s must-watch talents. After a slow start (by his standards) to April, he finished the month blazing, going 18-for-54 (.333 batting average) over his final 13 games, with two homers, a triple and six doubles, a .986 OPS.
Even when he wasn’t contributing with his bat over the month’s first 14 games, he was using his legs, going 7-for-8 in stolen base opportunities.
That, plus his standout defense at short, allowed him to finish fifth in fWAR for the month (1.5)
At an MLB-wide level, cleanup hitters are batting .245 with a .750 OPS, producing more home runs than any other spot in the lineup.
Royals pitching, however, has been lights out against that portion of the opponent’s lineup, allowing just a .252 on-base percentage that ranks best in the majors.
Starters Kris Bubic, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha all have a sub-.450 OPS against or better when dealing with the No. 4 hitter.
This is an either/or situation here, not a both. But if San Diego wants to build on its surprisingly strong start to this season, it’s going to need to bolster a rotation that so far has been making it work with guys like Griffin Canning, Walker Buehler and Matt Waldron behind Michael King. Hopefully Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove make it back at some point, but that’s a big if, and either Lugo or Wacha would profile nicely as a back-end innings-eater that will make full use of the pitcher-friendly confines of Petco Park.
An Olathe resident becomes the oldest hiker to reach Mount Everest’s base camp. Congratulations to Dave McClung! Did you recently have a good moment in your life that you are proud of? Let’s celebrate it in the comments.
Today’s song of the day is Nose on the Grindstone by Tyler Childers.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 03: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox at bat against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on May 03, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox have won two-straight games against the Detroit Tigers. They sit at 15-21 and made the Tigers the only sub-.500 team to be leading a division. Brayan Bello pitched well — his first 7.0 inning performance since August 22, 2025 against the Yankees.
Boston recorded 12 hits in the 10-3 drubbing of the Tigers, which is important to note. In 2025 they had double digit hits in 59 games, 36% of the season. This year they’ve done that 12 times in 36 games, 33%. In 2025 they lost 13 games with double-digit hits (22%). This year they’ve lost 3 of 12 (25%). With much of the season still to come, including the warmer/traditionally offense-friendly months, the rates might look even closer. But the Sox have quietly put together something that tracks with a more successful season.
And those games this season they lost?
11 hits they fell 8-6 against the Brewers.
10 hits they fell, famously, 13-6 against the Twins in a Garrett Crochet start.
10 hits they fell 10-3 against the Orioles.
This has been a historically bad start to the season. But they’re just 2.5 games out of the playoffs.
We heard all week that this was a big day for Brayan Bello. And of course it was. But in the leadup to the series the talk was also Skubal and Valdez. No one knows what will happen in free agency, but most likely Tarik Skubal is leaving Detroit after the season. And what did the Tigers do? They signed another ace-type to pair with him. I’m glad the Red Sox went in another direction, but the Tigers wanted to go all-in and prepare for the loss. Boston needed a couple bats. Even Craig Breslow said that last fall. But Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin were not the shape of offense anyone expected.
That said, once the roster was set they needed to play well. And hit well. On the 26th of March they recorded 12 hits. They wouldn’t get 12 again until April 15th. But in the 18 games since then they’ve done that 4 times, including last night. Ten hits? Home runs? 12 in the first 18 games, 15 in the next 18. Six since the start of May. Although it’s not raw numbers separating their parts of season: it’s streaks. April 4-11: zero home runs. They win 3 of 4. April 20-22: zero home runs and losers of 2 out of 3. Then they would homer in 5 straight and win 3 of the 5.
Losing 2-3 to the Astros last weekend was tough, no doubt about it. But the Red Sox had 27 hits distributed as 10, 8, 9 across the series. They scored 3,3, and 1 runs.
They are starting the finale in Detroit with 24 hits already in the bag. The last time they faced Jack Flaherty he only allowed 3 hits but walked 6. And the Sox would end up with 12 total hits once the bullpen was brought in.
Is this the start of something? They’ve looked somewhat better. Guys have had hitting streaks. There have been back-to-back homers and not simply hits, which was a challenge a few weeks ago. There have been men left on base, which is frustrating, but better than not having runners on base at all.
Is this because of changes in the dugout or simply regression to the mean? We don’t know. But it’s good to see. And if they keep hitting, some of those hits will drive in runners. And runners lead to wins.
Happy Wednesday, everyone. Unless, of course, you’re the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers—who had already lost several pitchers to the IL—are losing their ace, Tarik Skubal, to surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. It’s creating a lot of questions for how the Tigers will proceed as the AL Central becomes unexpectedly tight, and it also raises questions about how both the trade deadline and free agency are going to work.
We’ve got more on that below, as well as some updates from all over baseball, so let’s just get right into it.
To mark the 125th anniversary of the first-ever Red Sox home game, at Huntington Avenue Grounds in 1901, all living Sox alumni with retired numbers will deliver a ceremonial 1st pitch.
The Yankees mourn the loss of legendary broadcaster John Sterling. Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and loved ones at this time. pic.twitter.com/1rCeRC1D61
Things have not gone well for the Detroit Tigers in the second half of their current homestand against the Boston Red Sox. On Tuesday night, de facto ace hurler Framber Valdez completely fell apart, coughing up 10 runs in three innings en route to a 10-3 loss.
Now facing a possible sweep at home — something unthinkable coming into the series after dominating at Comerica Park in April — the Motor City Kitties turn to right-hander Jack Flaherty, whose woes have continued into the month of May. He has been limited to no more than 3 2/3 innings in his last three starts and has given up 12 runs (10 earned) in nine innings of work.
That stretch includes Flaherty’s previous start against the Red Sox, in which he threw 3 1/3 frames, allowing two runs — but neither earned — on three hits and six walks while striking out three. And that could easily be considered the best of his recent trio of starts.
Right-hander Sonny Gray will be toeing the rubber for the Red Sox in the midst of a perfectly mediocre campaign. Last time he saw the Tigers is also the last game he appeared in, as he left that Patriots’ Day game in the third inning with right hamstring tightness. After a 15-day injury list stint, he returns to action against the same foe.
Take a look below at how the two starters match up on Wednesday night.
Detroit Tigers (18-19) vs. Boston Red Sox (15-21)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Over the Monster Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 38: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-2, 5.90 ERA) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (2-1, 4.30 ERA)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Carlos Cortes #26 of the Athletics bats against the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the first inning of a major league baseball game at Sutter Health Park on May 02, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We hold these truths to be self evident and yet certain members of the front office, coaching team, and players’ unit don’t appear to grasp them. So here I come, the reluctant hero once again, to impart pearls of deep wisdom to the surely eager green and gold wearing humanoids. And AI bots if any are reading along.
1. LH batters need to embrace hitting to LF in order to succeed.
There’s a reason Tyler Soderstrom and Nick Kurtz are putting up poor numbers against LHP, the same reason Soderstrom took a pause from being an easy out and raked LHPs the second half of 2025.
Kurtz and Soderstrom are trying to pull most everything, which is a recipe for disaster. You pull sliders that are breaking away from you, resulting in a lot of ground balls, you start your swing earlier and find yourself fooled by more chase sliders, you have to be more cognizant of the outer 1/3 of the plate and become, as a result, far more vulnerable to fastballs in.
Kurtz may be an elite offensive player already, but his troubles against LHP are real, not just relative. This season he is off to a .205/.352/.250 start and while the walks are nice the BA and SLG are both legitimately bad. And he’s now sitting at .199/.285/.381 for his career (207 PA) with a 35.7% K rate.
Soderstrom, who was whacking singles and doubles the other way against lefties after last year’s All-Star break, is back to trying to pull everything and it has resulted in his going 5 for 43 with 15 K against only 3 BB.
The A’s have been particularly vulnerable against LHPs and these two are a big part of why. Both are capable of mastering lefties, as they have shown in spurts, but they need to take a page out their teammate, Carlos Cortes’, book and approach their at bats more prudently.
2. The “hot hand” is worth riding, but enough about Carlos Cortes.
There is much misunderstanding around the concept of a hot hand, kind of along the lines of “Joe Morgan wrote a book about how you should always try to walk.”
When the “hot hand” phenomenon was “debunked” it was on the statistical truth that nothing could accurately predict when a basketball shooter, a baseball hitter, or any other athlete, would turn from hot to cold. That does NOT mean that no one gets “hot” or “cold” or that you aren’t wise to ride them for as long as they are “feeling it” and producing commensurate results. It just means it won’t last forever and you shouldn’t be surprised any day that it might turn. And then you might want to focus on career norms more than recent stats.
It’s utterly ridiculous that the A’s are not starting Cortes each and every game right now. He’s not just “hot” he has hit like the best hitter on the planet all season so far: .387/.452/.640, 200 wRC+ with an 8.3% K rate to be exact. And that’s on the heels of his 99 PA debut in 2025 when he batted .309/.323/.543.
The fact is, we are still in the era where Carlos Cortes has never NOT hit over .300, and his career line now stands at .343/.383/.586, 163 wRC+. And it’s not even as if the platoon matchups have fazed him. Cortes has been given precious few chances to peddle his wares as a left-on-left threat, but when he’s gotten up there all he has done is go 7 for 12. (Precisely because he sprays the ball the other way if the pitch is breaking away from him or on the outer 1/3.)
It’s not about whether Cortes is actually a .343 hitter, it’s about recognizing that he’s been that since last July and that he has been consistently great throughout his time in the big leagues — and he’s doing it with excellent swing decisions, elite knowledge of the strike zone, a smart approach, and a sustainable all-fields approach.
You play that hand until the time comes where Cortes doesn’t look like one of the best hitters in all of MLB. (His career wRC+ right now is a little higher than Shohei Ohtani’s, a little lower than Aaron Judge’s, and a tick better than Nick Kurtz’.) Of course it’s still a small sample, but let him tell you when he’s ready to cool off. Don’t cool him off by sitting him while he’s not just hitting well, he’s hitting everyone.
3. Defense Matters, like a lot
Sometimes you sacrifice a little defense to get a bat in the lineup — Cortes is an example of someone who won’t win any gold gloves but more than offsets it with his hitting. It also helps that Cortes doesn’t play a ‘premium position’ on the diamond; you can hide deficiencies better in the corners than you can up the middle.
Kudos to Zack Gelof for almost instantly putting himself into the “helps your defense” category in CF. Given how he has shown up, the contrast between him in CF, the average CFers around MLB, and Lawrence Butler, is stark.
Now Butler may have his faults one can fairly criticize but his CF play isn’t among them. It’s not his fault that he simply doesn’t have the skill set for the job — he’s a fine RFer. But in CF he is a significant liability because he routinely gets poor reads, doesn’t always take good routes, and lacks the foot/sprint speed to make up for it.
If Butler were mashing like he did at the end of 2024 you could squint and make a case, though still the wiser course would be to play him where he’s actually suited to playing and figure out CF separately. As it is, he shouldn’t be an option in CF just as Max Muncy isn’t really the answer at 3B unless he’s hitting like he did the first 3 weeks of the season — and even then you need better defense at 3B than he has been able to give thus far in his career.
The A’s need to keep prioritizing defense even if it means sticking with Gelof in CF, and eventually Denzel Clarke again, regardless of how they are hitting. A run saved is indeed worth as much as a run scored, and overall this A’s team has far more acumen scoring than preventing.
In sum, all men are not created equal, so deal with it.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 13: Colorado Rockies President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta looks on as pitchers participate in the second day of spring training workouts at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 13, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
In life, patience is a virtue. In baseball, it’s a necessity.
The last seven years of Colorado Rockies baseball have exhausted the patience of fans, as the wait for a competitive team became more and more prolonged. Thankfully, the changes instituted at 20th and Blake by the President of Baseball Operations, Paul DePodesta, have started to yield some positive results for the 2026 Rockies. Games have been a bit more competitive, and there have been noticeable development improvements across the organization.
There is legitimate optimism for the first time in years.
The Rockies clearly have a plan for how they go about their business. A big part of that plan seems to be avoiding the folly of being reactionary, something so prevalent in the world of sports. The team is choosing patience, particularly with struggling players.
“We don’t want to be reactionary. We also don’t want our players thinking that if they go 0-for-4 tonight, they’re not in the lineup tomorrow. Or worse, they’re going to Triple-A,” DePodesta said to reporters on May 3.
“We believe in these guys. We also believe in a lot of the guys we have in Triple-A right now, but we want to give them ample opportunities to play.”
The struggles of players like Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle, and Jordan Beck likely inspired these comments from DePodesta. This trio of staples from the 2025 Rockies have been off to rough starts in 2026 and the issues have been obvious as numbers are down, strikeouts are up, and they are being overshadowed by the newcomers to the lineup. Those struggles have left fans and media onlookers clamoring for the promotions of prospects like Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) and Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP).
The Rockies have not indicated that these players are at risk of losing their spots on the roster at the moment, and while it may be an unpopular opinion, I’m fine with the Rockies’ approach of exhibiting patience and letting those struggling players figure things out, despite the frustrations of watching that process.
Players have always needed time and opportunity to grow and settle in during the regular season. Whether you are a rookie or an experienced veteran, baseball takes time. Both Doyle and Beck have seen their playing time reduced, but DePodesta and manager Warren Schaeffer have looked for ample opportunities to put them in match-ups to succeed, particularly against left-handed pitching.
“I think we’ve faced the fewest left-handed pitchers in all of baseball so far. I think that’s right — at least it was as of a couple of days ago,” DePodesta said. “So, we expect that they’ll have more opportunities. And it’s hard when you’re not playing every single day. It’s just hard to get in a rhythm, and then especially if you’ve gotten off to a slower start than you’re accustomed to, it can be really hard.”
The turn towards a platoon could benefit Beck more, as he is slashing .333/.344/.567 against lefties with four of his five extra-base hits, including his lone home run. While Doyle’s numbers aren’t what he’d like, he does have slightly better success against lefties, and the Rockies have experimented with his spot in the batting order. Batting ninth has actually been a great spot for Doyle, where he is 8-for-22. The presence of other successful outfielders has afforded the Rockies the grace of using Beck and Doyle in positions where they could succeed.
As for Tovar, I’m again reminded of Carlos González in 2009.
I won’t rehash the entire story again like I did in 2023, but CarGo was called up shortly after Jim Tracy was named the new manager of the struggling Rockies. CarGo struggled immensely, but Tracy was undeterred. As questions mounted from the media about why he was still playing, Tracy explained that if CarGo was still in the clubhouse, he was going to be in the lineup. Tracy saw the potential and understood the young outfielder needed time to both fail and learn to succeed, and he eventually did in the second half of 2009 en route to a spectacular career in Colorado.
Tovar is receiving the same amount of grace from Schaeffer. It can be hard to remember that Tovar is still just 24-years-old and is far from a finished product. He knows that he chases too much and is diligently working on improving his plate approach. Over the last six games, Tovar just about doubled his walk total for the season to seven while chasing much less. It’s not a barn burner in terms of progress, but small victories can start to stack up as he continues to play every day.
“We want to stay behind those guys and continue to give them opportunities,” DePodesta said,“and we’re confident that we’re going to look up at the end of the year and they will be as productive as they’ve been previously.”
Sticking behind players on the roster plays right into the plan the Rockies have. A problem of the past was rushing prospects to the big leagues out of desperation and reactionary tendencies. Despite excellent play in Triple-A in a brief sample size, those players faced a great deal of struggles at the major league level before they were ready.
That’s a mistake DePodesta isn’t going to replicate. He spent the offseason seeking to build depth and allowing prospects the chance to bloom after the proper amount of time.
“Like, we want to call players up when they are banging down the door where we have to make room for them because they’re just playing so well and that they have the underlying foundation in place to be successful up here — not just to survive, you know, but to be successful,” DePodesta said.
As James Riggenbach pointed out last week, production is not necessarily proof for the prospects in Albuquerque. Condon started hot out of the gate, but over the last 30 days, he has slashed .218/.382/.321 with four extra-base hits. However, he is showing the tools of a quality plate discipline that will bode well while he works on doing more with the ball in play. Carrigg has continued to play extremely well and was recently named the Pacific Coast Player of the Week. There is merit in calling for his promotion, but he is also 31 games into his first season of Triple-A, and it’s okay to allow him to continue solidifying his tools there.
As DePodesta said, the play is great, but the prospects need a solid foundation in which they can succeed and have their Triple-A tools translate against the best competition in baseball. We’ve seen the opposite side of that story far too often over the years.
We all want winning baseball in Colorado, but for the Rockies to succeed in their version of a rebuild, everyone has to be on board with trusting the process. Certainly, the front office, coaches, and players have to be on the same page, but the fans also need to display patience.
Trust that DePodesta and company know what they are doing and have a vision for what they want to accomplish.
Despite notching just four hits, the Isotopes scored seven runs to win an extra-inning affair in Sugar Land. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Isotopes struck back and knotted the game 4-4 in the top of the fifth. The game remained tied until Albuquerque put up three in the top of the 10th, thanks in part to a two-run home run by Braxton Fulford. The Isotopes struck out 13 times but also managed a staggering 15 walks with every player drawing at least one. Adael Amador led the team with four walks. Valente Bellozo started on the mound and worked four innings, giving up four runs and walking seven batters. However, the bullpen held firm with TJ Shook notably striking out five in his two innings of work. Seth Halverson locked down his third save in the 10th.
The offense came out in full force for Hartford, scoring 10 runs on 15 hits. Eight of the starters had at least one hit, while Andy Perez, Roc Riggio, and Aidan Longwell each had three hits. Riggio notched a pair of doubles while Longwell had a double and belted his fifth home run of the season and drove in three runs. Benny Montgomery also blasted a grand slam for his second home run of the season. Konner Eaton made the start and cruised through 5.2 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Enjoying some early morning baseball, the Spokane Indians utilized a three-run bottom of the second inning to win the series opener. Kelvin Hidalgo laced a two-run triple to get the Indians on the board before coming in to score on a Roynier Hernadez single. Max Belyeu added some insurance in the sixth inning, belting a solo shot for his fourth of the year. That is all the team would need as Jackson Cox was dealing on the mound. He allowed just one run on one hit, a solo home run in the third, while striking out nine and walking three. The Dust Devils got a run in the eighth and threatened in the ninth, but the combo of Justin Loer and Nathan Blasick secured the win with the latter earning his second save of the year.
Trailing 10-4 entering the ninth inning, the Fresno Grizzlies rallied for six runs to tie the game and go on to win in extra-innings over San Jose in the series opener. Fresno collected 13 hits in the game, led by Roldy Brito’s four hits. They had six doubles in the game, with Ethan Holliday’s two-run double and Jack O’Dowd’s RBI double tying the game in the ninth. Carlos Renzullo’s double in the 10th gave the Grizzlies the lead and later Brito’s single gave them the 13th run of the game. Ethan Cole started on the mound and went just 2.1 innings giving up two runs. Brady Parker followed but surrendered five runs in 2.2 innings of work. Dyland Crooks played stopper later in the game with two scoreless frames, followed by Seth Clausen earning the save. Fresno pitching had 13 strikeouts as a unit against two walks.
This Phillies site over on FanSided is lamenting how much the Phillies could use a player like Mickey Moniak currently. The former number one overall pick was considered a bust back east, but has found a home in Colorado, just as the Phillies struggle with an underperforming lineup, particularly in the outfield.
TJ Rumfield’s approach has been excellent through his first month of big league action. His ability to put bat to ball is impressive, so Thomas Harding caught up with him to chat about his approach.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the struggles of the bullpen lately, the joy of Rumfield and Troy Johnston, and bring back Players of the Month for 2026!
