Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in a slump at the plate, but a matchup against Casey Mize may be just what he needs to buck the trend.
Read on to see why with my Blue Jays vs. Tigers predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, May 16.
Blue Jays vs Tigers predictions
Blue Jays vs Tigers best bet: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 singles (-130)
Despite being mired in a lengthy skid at the plate, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still ranks in the 96th percentile in xBA, and should see some positive regression soon once he finally gets going.
Today could be that day, especially with Casey Mize on the mound for the Detroit Tigers.
Guerrero Jr. is 3-for-3 against Mize in his career, with two of the three hits being singles.
I’m betting his singles market specifically because that’s the sweet spot for value, as 80% of his hits this year have been one-baggers.
COVERS INTEL: Guerrero Jr. owns a .345 career average against the Detroit Tigers.
Blue Jays vs Tigers same-game parlay (SGP)
Yohendrick Pinango continues to rack up the hits game by game. He owns a .350 batting average, while recording a hit in 10 of his 14 career outings.
Ernie Clement is a contact hitter who’s gone Under his strikeout number in 68% of his outings this season, ranking in the 99th percentile in K-rate.
Blue Jays vs Tigers SGP
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 singles
Yohendrick Pinango Over 0.5 hits
Ernie Clement Under 0.5 strikeouts
img loading="lazy" width="100%" height="null" src="https://img.covers.com/editorial/2026/jaysmlcbp.jpg" alt="Canada’s best price for Jays"
Get the best Jays ML odds at BET99 — every game.
Blue Jays vs Tigers home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+300)
I’m making this a half-unit wager.
Mize has kept the ball in the yard this season, and hasn’t given up a home run in four starts. However, if there’s one player who could take him deep today, I’m banking on it being Kazuma Okamoto.
The Jays slugger owns a .391 AVG and a .610 SLG against the four-seam fastball, which is Mize’s most used pitch against right-handed batters.
Okamoto has a team-high 10 home runs this year, while ranking in the 95th percentile in hard hit rate.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 18-25, -3.60 units
SGPs: 8-35, -1.20 units
HR picks: 8-35, +5.65 units
Blue Jays vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Toronto +110 | Detroit -130
Run line: Toronto +1.5 | Detroit -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Blue Jays vs Tigers trend
The Blue Jays have hit the team total Under in 15 of their last 20 away games (+9.35 Units / 39% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Tigers.
How to watch Blue Jays vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Saturday, May 16, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
DSN, SN
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Mason Fluharty (2-0, 5.40 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Casey Mize (2-2, 2.90 ERA)
Blue Jays vs Tigers latest injuries
Blue Jays vs Tigers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
May 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) celebrates making a three point shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half during game six of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
In this magical postseason run, the Spurs capped off a gritty second round with a victory that was extremely impressive. Of course, the only reward San Antonio has earned through this achievement is the opportunity to face one of the most statistically dominant teams in NBA history (albeit one they’ve enjoyed much success against), but there will be plenty of time to discuss that matchup in the days ahead. In the meantime, let’s dive in to this game’s WILD box score:
Note: Now that we’ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of May 15, 2026, this group include 1,189 games.
Factors that decided the game
Unbelievably, Minnesota enjoyed a MASSIVE advantage in the turnover battle, with San Antonio having 11 more that the Timberwolves.
However, the Spurs’ domination of the glass was nearly unprecedented, as the Silver and Black recorded 31 more rebounds than Minnesota.
In fairness, that huge TRB differential was almost entirely generated by defensive rebounds, and those were available to the Spurs in abundance because the Timberwolves had a dreadful shooting night.
Despite taking 18 fewer shots, the Spurs made nine more due to a FG% margin of +17.95 percentage points.
San Antonio also made six more threes, largely due to a +12.07 percentage-point edge in 3P%.
On top of everything else, the Spurs enjoyed advantages in volume (+6 FTA) and efficiency (+4.23 percentage points) from the charity stripe. Consequently, San Antonio widened their lead by +6 through free throws.
Rare Box Score Stats
This box score is BONKERS. One way to tells is that the winner’s (i.e., the Spurs’) grades were average to exceptional in 14 of 17 box score stats, with 12 of those 14 being well above average and four being truly excellent. At the same time, San Antonio was dreadful in the remaining three areas.
Let’s start with the things that are UNIQUE to this contest in the 1,189 postseason games played since 2012-2013:
Timberwolves: No one else has lost by 30+ points while having no more than five turnovers.
Timberwolves: No other team has lost by 30+ points with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5:1 or better. Previously a team with a ratio that good had never lost by more than 15.
Spurs: No other team has won by 30+ while having a turnover differential of +11 or more. Prior to this game, the highest margin of victory for a winner with a turnover differential at least this bad was 23 points.
Spurs: No other winner has logged a DRB margin of +28 or more.
Spurs: No other winner has had a TRB margin better than +25 while earning an ORB margin of +3 or worse.
Spurs: No other team has won by 30+ points with a FGA differential of -18 or worse.
Spurs: No other team has earned a FGM margin of +9 or better while having a FGA differential of – 18 or worse.
Ok, let’s turn our attention to the stuff is that – while still extremely rare – is not completely unique in the last 14 postseasons. The odds of everything listed below happening have been no better than 1-in-99 games during the reference period:
There has been only one other case in which a winner has recorded a TRB margin of +31 or better. That occasion was a 102-79 Washington Wizards victory over Indiana on May 13, 2014.
This is just the fifth time that a winner has had 34+ assists and lost the assist-to-turnover ratio battle.
Only six other winners have recorded a block differential of +11 or better. Hilariously, Game 1 of this series (in which Wemby alone had 12 blocks) is NOT one of these six cases (the Spurs’ block margin in that game was a paltry +9).
This is just the 11th time that a winner has recorded FG%, 3P%, and FT% values as good or better than 55.68%, 47.37%, and 85.19%, respectively.
This game marked the 12th case in which winner has a turnover differential of +11 or worse.
What are Team Graded Box Scores?
Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).
Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 21: Brent Headrick #47 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees’ bullpen has dealt with underperformance, bad luck, and a lack of clearly defined roles through mid-May. And yet, the unit ranks fifth in baseball in ERA. Aided by a starting rotation which has shouldered a lion’s share of the workload and overperformances by two little-heralded lefties, New York’s relievers have somehow managed to keep pace.
As I do each month in a given season, I’m going to take a look at the Yankees’ relievers to identify how manager Aaron Boone is deploying each and offer a verdict as to how much trust we can place in them moving forward.
Statistics below are as of the morning of May 15th.
The Closer
David Bednar
Season stats: 18 IP, 3.50 ERA, 22 SO, 2.38 FIP, 10 Saves (in 11 opportunities)
Bednar has not been a shutdown closer. That fact has not prevented him from getting the job done. Of the eight games in which he’s allowed at least one run, only one has resulted in a blown save. He’s avoided the big inning, permitting only one home run, and hasn’t walked a batter since April 17, limiting traffic as he’s worked around some base hits.
Bednar’s peripherals may be the strongest of his career. 40 percent of the time opponents swing at one of his pitches, it’s outside the strike zone, helping along an elite 57.7 percent ground-ball rate. His expected ERA of 2.39 is more in line with his career benchmarks and suggests the veteran closer is right where he needs to be.
The Middle Relievers
Camilo Doval
Season stats: 15.2 IP, 5.74 ERA, 17 SO, 4.00 FIP
The Yankees do not have a set-up man. That’s because Doval, who was handed the job out of camp, has struggled mightily, creating a vacuum which has yet to be filled. Despite allowing 10 runs in 15.2 innings, Doval remains in the mix for late-inning opportunities. He’s looked better, though by no means dominant, in May, pitching to a 3.38 ERA in six outings.
Confidence level: Low
Part of the reason the former Giants’ closer is still involved in high-leverage spots may be his pedigree, but part of it is his underlying numbers. Doval has a sparkling expected ERA of 2.86, driven by a miniscule 4.5 percent walk rate and an ability to keep the ball on the ground. That gives some cause for hope that he can turn things around, but the right-hander is yet to build confidence that he will do so.
Fernando Cruz
Season stats: 16.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 24 SO, 4.13 FIP
With Cruz, the formula is simple: here’s my splitter, good luck hitting it. After opponents batted .178 against the pitch last year, it was fair to wonder if the league would adjust. Through this point in the season, they’re hitting .139 against it. Sure, batters are raking against Cruz’s four-seamer and he’s walking more than a batter every other outing. But, as long as that splitter continues to dominate, his formula for success is clear.
Cruz is red hot, having allowed only one earned run in his past nine appearances. Boone has continued to use him in key spots, often in the middle innings of close games when the outcome is still very much in the air.
Brent Headrick
Season stats: 21.2 IP, 2.08 ERA, 23 SO, 3.29 FIP
After getting his ERA as low as 1.37 after a victory on May 7, Headrick has allowed runs in his last two outings.
It could be the beginning of a regression anticipated by just about any predictive metric, though the 28-year-old has done plenty to earn the trust Boone has placed in him. One thing to keep an eye on is some gaudy splits. Bizarrely, the southpaw has dominated righties (.538 OPS) but struggled against lefties (.914) He’s also pitched much better at home (.368 OPS) than on the road (.931).
Confidence level: Medium-High
Underlying metrics and unsustainably extreme splits, as well as an unremarkable track record before this season, suggest that Headrick’s early run of success may not last. Time will tell, but for now, he’s well established as a high-leverage option, and for good reason.
Tim Hill
Season stats: 18 IP, 1.00 ERA, 7 SO, 3.38 FIP
In last month’s column, I lamented how difficult it is to find new angles to discuss “old reliable” himself. Since then? Hill has tossed seven scoreless innings. The man walks no one and gets opponents to put 73.2 percent of batted balls on the ground, far and away tops in baseball. 20 appearances into the season, he’s still just allowed one home run.
Confidence level: High
FIP and expected ERA anticipate some regression from Hill. I can guarantee you that the 36-year-old does not care. Clearly, neither does Boone, who’s quickly elevated the southpaw from lefty specialist to pseudo set-up man.
The Long Relievers
Paul Blackburn
Season stats: 17.2 IP, 4.08 ERA, 11 SO, 4.29 FIP
The Yankees re-signed Blackburn, who’d started 86 big-league games in his career, this offseason to serve as a long reliever. So far, he’s fit the role like a glove. When Boone wanted an opener for a Brendan Beck spot start? Blackburn took the bump in the first. When Max Fried exited with an injury after three innings? Blackburn stepped in. He’s been eminently solid, pitching to a 105 ERA+ and eating innings at a pro level.
Assuming he continues to be used in low leverage spots, Blackburn provides a solid floor. There’s nothing under the hood to suggest he’s on the path to more prominent usage.
The Mop-Up Men
Ryan Yarbrough
Season stats: 15.2 IP, 3.45 ERA, 14 SO, 3.49 FIP
Yarbrough has largely been used in blowouts, mopping up in games that are already out of hand. Still, his ERA+ of 124 is exemplary. The lefty’s peripherals, including a 2.22 xERA and 18.2 percent hard-hit rate, suggest those outcomes may not be a fluke, though the sample size remains small.
Confidence index: Low
Despite better outcomes than Blackburn, Yarborough is clearly below his right-handed counterpart in Boone’s pecking order. The lack of confidence here is not his fault; it’s simply impossible to put trust in a pitcher who’s only pitched twice in the last three weeks. Given this lack of usage, it’s unclear if the southpaw will continue to maintain his spot in the bullpen long-term.
Jake Bird
Season stats: 13.1 IP, 4.73 ERA, 14 SO, 3.11 FIP
May has been kind to Jake Bird. After entering the month with a 7.00 ERA, he’s turned in six scoreless appearances.
The right-hander hasn’t looked particularly dynamic, striking out four against three walks, but beggars can’t be choosers. On the season as a whole, opponents are hitting .200 against his sinker after batting .345 against the pitch last year. Given it’s his primary fastball, that difference could end up having a major impact.
Confidence level: Low
Considering the open-ended nature of the Yankees’ bullpen picture, if Bird continues to perform well, he could start to see himself inserted in more high-leverage spots. The Yankees clearly think highly of his stuff; expect them to continue looking for opportunities to get him involved.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Red-hot slugger Kyle Schwarber homered twice to boost his majors-leading total to 20 and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-9 in 10 innings Friday night.
Philadelphia trailed by six early. Schwarber led the comeback, smashing a pair of two-run homers. The designated hitter went deep off Braxton Ashcraft in the fifth and again off Mason Montgomery in the seventh.
Schwarber has nine home runs in the past eight games, the second time in his career he's achieved that feat. He also did it in 2021 while playing for Washington. Albert Belle is the only other player in MLB history to hit nine homers in an eight-game stretch twice.
The Pirates were so wary of Schwarber while holding onto a three-run lead in the ninth that closer Gregory Soto walked him on four pitches with the bases loaded. Bryce Harper followed with a two-run single off the top of the wall in right center to pull Philadelphia even.
The Phillies pounced on Pirates reliever Dennis Santana (2-3) in the 10th. Brandon Marsh led off with an RBI single and Rafael Marchán followed with a two-run single. Jose Alvarado (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth. Orion Kerkering worked the 10th for his first save as Philadelphia won for the fifth time in six games to improve to 13-4 since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as manager last month.
Brandon Lowe homered twice for the Pirates. Marcell Ozuna added a 438-shot to the Pirates' bullpen that reliever Yohan Ramirez caught with a traffic cone.
The traffic cones have become a fixture in both the Pittsburgh dugout and the stands at PNC Park this season in Pittsburgh after outfielder Jake Mangum brought one into the clubhouse in Cincinnati in early April, which coincided with an offensive explosion in a victory over the Reds.
Up next
The series continues Saturday. NL Cy Young runner-up Cristopher Sánchez (4-2, 2.11 ERA) was set to start for the Phillies against Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler (1-4, 4.62).
NEW YORK — Clay Holmes has a broken right leg after getting hit on the mound by a 111 mph line drive Friday night, another devastating setback for the New York Mets in their miserable season so far.
“It’s a huge blow. He’s been one of our most consistent guys that we have in our rotation,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Holmes chased after the ball as it caromed past the first-base line into foul territory. Mendoza and an athletic trainer came out of the dugout to check on the right-hander, who threw two warmup pitches and remained in the game.
His next six pitches were balls, but Holmes then got consecutive strikeouts and retired Aaron Judge on a flyball with the bases loaded to finish a scoreless inning.
Holmes was lifted following a one-out walk in the fifth. He threw 95 pitches, including 26 while facing seven batters after getting hit by Jones' line drive.
“He said he was fine. That’s the crazy part. We went out, checked him out, threw a couple pitches, was able to finish the inning," Mendoza said. “Comes back in and he didn’t even give me a chance. He said, ‘I’m good to go back out,’ and he goes back out there. Sent him for X-rays and this is what we’re dealing with now.”
Mendoza said those X-rays showed a fractured right fibula that will sideline Holmes “for a long time.”
“That’s the hard part to understand. He was fine, we checked him, finished the inning, he goes back out because he feels good. And then the last pitch, something didn’t look right. He came out, I’m talking to him in the dugout, he’s like, yeah, something didn’t feel right,” Mendoza said.
A former Yankees reliever, Holmes has been a dependable member of the rotation since converting to a starting role after signing a $38 million, three-year contract with the Mets as a free agent before the 2025 season. He entered Friday third in the National League with a 1.86 ERA.
“We all know how tough he is. He’s not going to come out that easy,” Mets slugger Juan Soto said. “But whenever I saw him coming out of the game in the next inning is when I was thinking something is wrong.”
Holmes (4-4) was charged with four runs and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings in a 5-2 loss, raising his ERA to 2.39. He struck out eight and walked two.
Holmes had lasted at least five innings and permitted no more than two runs in each of his first eight starts this season. His contract includes a $12 million player option for 2027.
“It’s tough to hear,” said Jones, who called Holmes a friend and noted they work out together during the offseason in Nashville, Tennessee. “I hit the ball and then I saw it come back towards me. It sounded loud.
“He’s a tough guy. Workhorse. Competitor. Says a lot about who he is to go back out there again the next inning with a broken leg. It’s incredible.”
After opening the season with baseball's biggest payroll, the Mets dropped to 18-26. Four projected regulars are already on the injured list — shortstop Francisco Lindor, catcher Francisco Alvarez, first baseman Jorge Polanco and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. — along with ineffective starting pitcher Kodai Senga and backups Ronny Mauricio and Jared Young.
“It’s tough, man. Clay is a guy who shows up every day and is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen in my career,” said Soto, who was also teammates with Holmes on the Yankees. “It’s part of the game. We’re going to support him, we’re going to be right there for him in any way that he needs us. But it just sucks.”
May 15, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Mike Yastrzemski (18) wears a bubble gum container after hitting a walk off double to drive in the winning run against the Boston Red Sox during the tenth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves began the series with the Boston Red Sox on a high note after getting a win in walk-off fashion. Mike Yastrzemski was the hero and delivered a walk-off in the 10th to give the Braves the 3-2 edge.
Prior to the 10th inning, the Atlanta offense was relatively quiet. The lineup collected seven hits but only plated a run in the first and fourth innings.
Yastrzemski and the Braves look to ride this momentum and go for another series win tonight at 7:15 ET.
More Braves News:
Ronald Acuña Jr. took BP ahead of Friday’s contest, but he is still not ready to play in the outfield.
Luis Arestigueta recorded six strikeouts during his outing on Thursday. More in the minor league recap.
MLB News:
New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes has a fractured fibula and will be out “for a long time.” He suffered the injury during Friday’s matchup with the New York Yankees.
The Los Angeles Dodgers placed lefty Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list due to loose bodies in his throwing elbow. The move is retroactive to May 12.
The New York Yankees placed Max Fried on the injured list due to a bone bruise in his left elbow. Though there is not a clear timetable for his return, he will be on the IL for more than a minimum stint.
From The Feed:
When Ronald Acuña Jr. returns from the injured list, should Drake Baldwin continue to hit leadoff? Cast your vote here.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 9, 2026: Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell sits in the dugout after giving up four runs to the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Dodger Stadium on May 9, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dodgers starting rotation was the most stable part of their team through the first quarter of the season, but the last week and a half has put a dent in the depth and figures to create some tests over at least the next few weeks. Blake Snell was placed on the injured list on Friday with loose bodies in his left elbow, which means he’ll be on the shelf for quite a while.
Tyler Glasnow is also on the injured list with back spasms. He’s technically eligible to return next Friday, but Roberts said earlier this week that Glasnow won’t be ready by then, and is only just now throwing off flat ground.
So for now, the Dodgers rotation is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki. Yamamoto and Sasaki always get at least five days of rest between starts and Ohtani usually gets at least six, with just one start this year on five days rest. That figures to continue, per Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic:
“I think we’re prepared to do whatever we can,” Roberts said. “But I will say the most important thing is to keep the guys on their schedules, not try to push too much because of circumstances with the rotation, because then you start to compromise their health.”
To date, no Dodgers pitcher this season has started on four days rest, and only 12 of 45 starts have been with five days rest.
Perhaps a bullpen game was inevitable either in this series or the next, but with Snell scratched on Friday the Dodgers pivoted to using eight pitchers for a combined shutout of the Angels. There are five games left during this current stretch of 13 game days in a row. If the Dodgers stay in order, they can start Wrobleski, Sasaki, Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Sheehan over the next five games, with all of them going on five days rest.
If the Dodgers stay in that order in the rotation, they won’t need a sixth starter (or someone pitching on four days rest) until May 27, at home against the Colorado Rockies. If Glasnow isn’t an option by then, River Ryan will at least still be on the radar. Ryan returned for Triple-A Oklahoma City with four innings and four strikeouts on Friday in Albuquerque, after missing over a month with a hamstring strain, and has time to start at least once more in Triple-A to build up before a potential call-up, though the Dodgers don’t plan to rush him back.
“You’ve just got to be sure that he gets out of this one okay and it’s got to be a uniform decision that we all feel good about,” Roberts told reporters in Anaheim earlier on Friday. “Him pitching for us is a possibility, but it’s a slim possibility. The most important thing is his progression. If everyone isn’t on board with that and speeding it up, it’s moot, it’s just not going to happen. But if the training staff feels that it’s okay and you’re not compromising him and the progression, then it’s a conversation.”
Or more bullpen games could be in the future Left-hander Charlie Barnes was called up from Oklahoma City on Friday with Snell going on the injured list, and pitched the ninth inning on Friday’s shutout. Barnes is a starter by trade and four of his seven appearances for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs this season were starts, all of them lasting five innings, the last on May 6. The Dodgers claimed Barnes off waivers on May 9, and he was originally slated to start for Oklahoma City on Saturday before the call up.
Mar 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) reacts after scoring against the NC State Wolfpack during the first half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images CHICAGO, IL – MAY 11: NBA draft prospect, Ebuka Okorie poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 11, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Editor’s note: this is the first piece from new staff writer Jeremy Riggs. He’ll be contributing to our NBA draft coverage and beyond. Please give him a warm welcome as we’re excited for him to join our team at Peachtree Hoops.
As the 2026 NBA Draft approaches and the Hawks look to inject youth and creativity into a backcourt that is still adjusting after the Trae Young era, Ebuka Okorie has been rising up draft boards.
The Stanford freshman did not just announce himself this season. He announced himself with authority, leading the ACC in scoring while turning heads as one of the most productive one and done guards in recent memory. At six foot two and 185 pounds, the 19-year-old from Nashua, New Hampshire (via Brewster Academy) is not the tallest or most explosive athlete on the board. Yet his feel for the game, craftiness as a scorer, and ability to create offense in tight spaces make him a prospect worth serious consideration in the late first round. Here is our full breakdown on Okorie, pulled from film study, the recent combine workouts, and conversations around the league.
Background and College Production
Okorie arrived at Stanford as a three-star recruit who flew somewhat under the national radar. That changed fast. In 31 games as a true freshman, he averaged 23.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 46.5 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from three, and an impressive 83.2 percent from the free throw line. He led the ACC in scoring, set Stanford freshman records for points in a season (719), and dropped eight 30-point games, including a 40-point explosion against Georgia Tech. Those numbers placed him among an elite group of freshmen since 2000 who hit the 20, 3.5, 3.5 threshold.
What stands out beyond the box score is how he carried a heavy load. Okorie operated with a usage rate above 31 percent while posting one of the lowest turnover rates among high usage freshmen in the modern era. He was the engine for a Stanford team that leaned on him night after night.
Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) with the ball in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Okorie is not a freak athlete in the traditional sense. There is no elite vertical pop or above the rim explosiveness. Yet he is a jitterbug with elite change of pace and burst in short spaces. His wingspan gives him functional length for a guard his size, helping him navigate screens and finish through contact. He is listed at 185 pounds but plays stronger than that thanks to a compact, sturdy frame that holds up in traffic.
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 11: Ebuka Okorie participates in the pro lane drill during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 11, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Offensive Game: The Real Strength
This is where Okorie shines. He is a shifty, creative ball handler who manipulates defenses with ball fakes, hesitation moves, and misdirection. Watch him in the pick and roll or isolation. He reads angles, uses his body to shield defenders, and finds seams others miss. His driving ability is elite for the class. He attacks with purpose, changes speeds, and finishes with soft touch on floaters, reverse layups, and off-balance runners.
He drew fouls at a high rate and converted at the rim with craft rather than raw power. The pull up game is smooth, especially from the elbows and mid range. He is comfortable stepping into threes off the dribble, and while his 35.4 percent mark from deep was not lights out, it improved dramatically late in the season (46.9 percent in his final 12 games). He is a true point guard at heart, comfortable distributing and running sets, but he can also play off the ball as a secondary creator.
LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 02: Ebuka Okorie #1 of the Stanford Cardinal takes a jump shot during the 2026 College Basketball Crown – Quarterfinal game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Grand Resort on April 02, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Playmaking and Vision: Real potential
Okorie is not a flashy passer, but he is a smart one. He makes the simple read ahead of the defense and flashes real vision in live dribble situations. His assist numbers (3.6 per game) do not scream floor general, but the tape shows a player who keeps the offense flowing and rarely forces the issue. Low turnover rate for his usage is a big plus.
LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 02: Ebuka Okorie #1 of the Stanford Cardinal dribbles up court during the 2026 College Basketball Crown – Quarterfinal game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Grand Resort on April 02, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Defense: Functional but With Limits
On ball, Okorie is pesky. Quick hands, active feet, and that wingspan help him poke away steals (1.6 per game) and stay in front of most guards. He is disruptive in passing lanes and brings energy. Off ball, he is engaged and rotates well for his size.
The concern? He can get overpowered by bigger, stronger guards and some tape suggests that he lacks elite lateral quickness against elite athletes. Versatility on the defensive end will be an area to watch in the NBA.
CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 10: Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) during the ACC Men's basketball tournament between the Stanford Cardinal and the Pitt Panthers on March 10, 2026 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Areas for Improvement
A quick list:
Three point consistency and shot selection: He can hunt tough pull ups early in the shot clock. Refining his decision making will boost efficiency.
Defensive physicality: Adding strength and learning to navigate bigger matchups without fouling.
Lead guard polish: More consistent command of tempo when the game slows down.
None of these feel like deal breakers for a 19 year old who just dominated the ACC as a freshman.
NBA Projection and Fit with Atlanta
There are likely some wary fans when it comes to Okorie due to him not getting as much buzz as some of the prospects. But there seems to be a clear floor and ceiling for a guy who possesses the kind of skill and film that he has.
Ceiling? A starting caliber lead guard on a good team. Floor? A high level bench spark who can create his own shot and defend.
For the Hawks specifically, he offers intriguing fit as the team builds its backcourt long term with young pieces like Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander Walker and not to mention a mentor in CJ McCollum if he is back with the team next season. With the No. 8 pick from the Pelicans already secured and the No. 23 pick via Cleveland in hand, Okorie could be a strong option if Atlanta goes another direction with the higher selection or decides to double down on guards. He can provide rest for the current starters, play alongside them in certain lineups, or grow into a secondary creator who adds scoring punch off the bench.
His ability to score in bunches and draw fouls gives Atlanta another weapon in half court sets, and his youth aligns perfectly with the timeline of injecting fresh talent into a roster that has shown real promise since the midseason reset.
Bottom line: Ebuka Okorie is the kind of player who can surprise people who only look at the measurables. He plays bigger than his size, processes the game at a high level, and scores with real creativity.
If he lands in Atlanta, do not be shocked if he is contributing meaningful minutes sooner than expected. We will be watching closely on draft night.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 02: Mark Williams #15 of the Phoenix Suns looks on against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on April 02, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.
Player Snapshot
Position: C
Age: 24
2026-27 Contract Status: RFA ($9.6 million qualifying offer)
SunsRank (Preseason): 5
SunsRank (Postseason): 6
*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.
Season in One Sentence
While Mark Williams provides the rim deterrence and verticality this roster craves, his inability to stay on the floor makes him a luxury that a shifting contender has to think twice about overpaying for.
By the Numbers
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
BLK
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/- (TOTAL)
60
23.6
11.7
8.0
1.0
0.9
64.4%
1.000%
77.1%
111.3
113.3
-42
The Expectation
Many folks knew what to expect in Mark Williams. A lob threat who could rebound and alter shots defensively. He has an insane wingspan and standing reach, and provides size that this Suns team hadn’t had a ton of in recent years.
The hope was straightforward: Mark Williams would serve as the definitive interior anchor for the future. A physical, high-motor bridge center who could lock down the paint while rookie Khaman Maluach learned the ropes. Phoenix needed a consistent, 60-70 game defensive presence capable of solving the team’s interior rebounding woes and anchoring the backline.
Phoenix handpicked Williams as a trade target moments before drafting Khaman Maluach. The vision was clear. Add more youth, size, and athleticism, and figure the rest out later.
PHOENIX, AZ – JANUARY 9: Khaman Maluach #10 and Mark Williams #15 of the Phoenix Suns high five before the game against the New York Knicks on January 9, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Reality
When he was active, the physical impact was obvious. Williams is an elite lob threat with a massive wingspan and a legitimate motor. He gave the Suns true verticality, averaging 11.7 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting an incredibly efficient 64.4% from the field.
The problem is, we spent the second half of the year holding our breath every time he contested a shot. The same foot and back issues that disrupted his early career caught up with him during the stretch run. Playing in 60 games was technically a personal career high, but the injuries piled up exactly when the stakes were raised. He missed the entire postseason, including the Play-In games. Watching the Suns get physically overwhelmed inside by longer, twitchier teams made his absence in street clothes feel like a recurring structural flaw.
Do we really want to do that to ourselves again?
What It Means
This comes down to resource allocation in a tightening financial landscape. Williams enters restricted free agency with a $9.6 million qualifying offer, giving Phoenix matching rights. If an outside suitor offers a deal in the $16 million to $20 million annual range, matching that sheet means anchoring significant cap space to a big man with major medical red flags. A sign-and-trade makes sense for anything above $18 million per season.
If the Suns move on from Williams, it likely means the following factors were considered:
Khaman Maluach may need to be ahead of schedule. At just 20 years old next season, Maluach flashed immense defensive upside in his limited minutes, proving he possesses the raw length and perimeter-switching fluidity that this frontcourt needs. He’s still very raw and may need another year of seasoning, but if thrown into the fire, I think he could survive.
Oso Ighodaro’s reliability. Ighodaro played all 82 games, offering an athletic, playmaking counterweight that keeps the offensive flow from stagnating.
The cost of replacement-level talent. Functional backup bigs are consistently the easiest assets to secure via low-cost free agency or the draft. Tying up premium money in a non-shooting center who carries availability risks is how a roster stays inflexible and lacking in lateral quickness.
If he returns next season, it’s pretty clear that the Suns need to hold him off from playing in ALL back-to-backs. Not just occasionally. All of them. It’s easy to get lost in the emotion of a season where things seem to be going well.
Defining Moment
January 27th vs. Brooklyn: Williams absolutely dominated the interior, bruising his way to an ultra-efficient 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block on 13 of 16 shooting from the field in a gritty, physical 106-102 win. The 81% clip for a season-high 27 points was a glimpse at just how dominant he could be when involved in the flow of the offense.
It was a showcase of exactly how imposing he can be when his body cooperates.
Grade: B
It’s difficult to go any higher or lower than a solid B. He did his job and made strides with his durability by appearing in 60 games. That should not be glossed over, even if the timing of his injuries could not be worse. By all accounts, he had himself a strong season.
If Phoenix can land him on a team-friendly deal or one that is heavily incentivized with games played or team options in the back-end of the deal, then I’m all for bringing him back. If he prices himself out by commanding a good chunk of the salary cap, then that’s another story.
If a team like Brooklyn or Toronto wants to step up and offer a massive multi-year bag, the Suns should look to leverage their matching rights into a sign-and-trade rather than locking themselves in long-term. With Maluach and Ighodaro on cheap rookie deals, executing a pivot now maximizes Williams’ trade value before his health history complicates the books.
I do believe retaining Mark Williams is something the Suns would like to do so not having him in my top two priorities is NOT me saying he won't be back since so many of you are commenting on this. I do think he will be back. Just believe Collin and Jordan are the 2 most… https://t.co/Ha893NcwiQ
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Jesus Rodriguez #79 of the San Francisco Giants hits a walk off single during the 12th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oracle Park on May 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to a close this weekend, which means it’s time to pick our Player of the Week!
Or, I guess in this week’s case, our Players of the Week. Because I’m giving the honors to two people this week, with a caveat that I didn’t pick any players last weekend or the weekend before. So I’m kind of making picks for the entirety of May so far.
And my picks are a pair of rookies who had pretty great accomplishments.
First up, we have Jesús Rodríguez who made a statement in the Giants’ 10-5 loss to the San Diego Padres on May 5th. Not only did he get his first major league hit earlier in the game, but he also got his first major league home run a few innings later! On top of that, he knocked in the winning run last Sunday for a Mothers Day walk-off win.
That leads me to our second pick for this week, Bryce Eldridge! Eldridge also got his first major league home run in the Giants’ 13-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates last Saturday. Sure, it was a massive loss. But Eldridge gave us something to cheer for, at least. We love to see rookies doing well.
Who is your pick for Player of the Week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue this three-game series against the Athletics tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT in Sacramento.
May 8, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) greets pitcher Shane Drohan (55) following the game against the New York Yankees at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
When the Milwaukee Brewers sent Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio to Boston before the season, the focus was, understandably, on the former top 100 prospect Kyle Harrison. (That has worked out quite well so far!) After that, people’s eyes likely wandered to David Hamilton, who was expected to get a pretty decent amount of work as the replacement for Monasterio as the Brewers’ primary backup infielder (and has). It was easy to overlook the third player in that return, a 27-year-old pitcher who had not yet thrown a pitch as a major leaguer.
But to call Shane Drohan’s 2025 season “intriguing” would be an understatement. Drohan, who was a fifth-round pick in 2020 out of Florida State, spent 2021-2023 toiling in the minor leagues before the White Sox selected him in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. But he missed the first half of that season with a nerve issue before the White Sox — who lost 121 games in 2024 — couldn’t find a place on their major league roster for him and sent him back to Boston. In total he pitched only 16 1/3 professional innings in 2024, and heading into 2025, his career ERA was hovering right around 4.50.
But, with due credit to Boston’s pitching development system, Drohan figured something out in 2025, despite missing significant time with forearm inflammation. So what changed? Drohan’s four-seam fastball, according to MLB Pipeline, had one of the best whiff rates in Triple-A even though it averaged a fairly modest 93.3 mph. Drohan also showcased an improved slider, and in 12 games (11 starts) that covered 47 2/3 innings last season, Drohan pitched to a 2.27 ERA, he struck out 67 batters (12.7 per nine), and walked only 16 (3.0/9, a vast improvement over his previous minor league seasons).
That’s not a huge sample size, but it was enough for the Red Sox to add him to the 40-man roster to protect him from another Rule 5 Draft, and it was enough for the Brewers to ask for him in the Durbin trade.
Drohan has started for his entire career, and he began the 2026 season in Triple-A Nashville’s rotation. But after just one start for the Sounds, Milwaukee needed a spot starter on April 8 and summoned Drohan for his major league debut (against his former team, the Red Sox). Things didn’t go particularly well: Drohan struggled badly with his command, walked four batters, and allowed three runs in just 2 2/3 innings in what became a 5-0 loss. Drohan was sent back to Nashville the next day. But he did have some fun trivia: his first career strikeout was of the guy he was traded for, Durbin.
Drohan made two more appearances (one of which used an opener) in mid-April for the Sounds and looked quite good — he allowed just three earned runs over 10 1/3 innings and had 11 strikeouts to three walks in that time — and by the end of the month he was back in Milwaukee. But this time Drohan was in a different role: Milwaukee was asking him to fill the bulk relief role that has been held at times over the last few seasons by players like Bryse Wilson, Tyler Alexander, Tobias Myers (in 2025), and, briefly earlier this season, Carlos Rodriguez.
Since returning to the big leagues on April 24, Drohan has made six appearances, none of which were starts. He has thrown at least three innings in half of those appearances. He has allowed just three earned runs in 14 innings, giving him a 1.93 ERA in that span. He has struck out 13 batters and, impressively, walked just two (half of the number he walked in the 2 2/3 innings of his major league debut).
This isn’t necessarily a situation where Drohan has increased his effectiveness because of shorter bursts as a reliever. That could be a little bit of a contributing factor, but Drohan threw 71 pitches on April 24, 60 on April 30, and 40 on May 8, with shorter outings sprinkled in between his longer ones. And while his role is ostensibly one that will include some mop-up duty, it’s getting harder to say that Drohan isn’t ever pitching in high-leverage situations. Only two of the six games that Drohan has pitched in since coming back are losses, and while two of the wins were blowouts, the score was within three runs — technically save situations — at the time when he entered. In the four wins in which Drohan has pitched as a Brewer, the team’s lead has been three runs or less when he entered in three of them, and he earned a three-inning save in the other.
It remains to be seen how sustainable Drohan’s improvement is. Even including last year’s minor league numbers, it’s a pretty small sample we’re dealing with here. He does not boast an overpowering fastball. But there are good underlying indicators. Drohan currently sports a 2.39 FIP, and there’s a pretty solid amount of red on his statcast profile: his xERA (2.73) is in the 88th percentile, his barrel percentage (4.0%) is in the 87th percentile, and he’s solidly above average in xBA, average exit velocity, chase percentage, hard-hit percentage, and groundball rate. FanGraphs’ Stuff+ model has Drohan as slightly below average overall, but it likes his slider quite a bit, and his fastball, curveball, and changeup all rate as perfectly usable. If he stays in the bullpen, the fact that Drohan has a reliable four-pitch mix is going to be rough on batters who only get to see him once.
Drohan looks like he might be overqualified for the mop-up role that he was sort of slotted into. That might be a very good thing for the Brewers. As Aaron Ashby and DL Hall have shown, having guys who can give you length in the bullpen who can be relied upon at any time are valuable weapons, and even if Drohan never gets a real shot in the Brewers’ rotation — Robert Gasser and Coleman Crow are still healthy and available at Triple-A — he can still be a valuable long-term contributor for his new team.
I expect to see a continued shift in how smart teams like the Brewers (and, eventually, everyone) thinks of starters and relievers. As innings continue to trend downward amongst starters, it will be more and more important for teams to have multiple relief pitchers who can go multiple innings. Drohan, along with Ashby and Hall, gives the Brewers at least three of those guys who can all be relied upon, with Chad Patrick as a possible fourth depending on how his role shakes out.
Once again, we’re seeing a situation where the Brewers have identified an undervalued asset, and once again, it looks like the Brewers are ahead of the curve on how they’re going to deploy their bullpen. The Red Sox deserve credit for helping Drohan turn a corner, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s making a difference not in Boston, but in Milwaukee.
Please. Jed. Just re-sign Ian Happ ASAP. You have to look at what he’s doing with bat-to-ball contact compared to how much he swings and misses pitches. Barreling-the-bat percentages aren’t my forte, but Happ been doing so at an over 18-percent rate, which puts him in the top 12 in baseball, ahead of Yordan Alvarez, Shohei Ohtani and Nick Kurtz. Good company.
There is a lot of consistent contact elsewhere on the Cubs. Leave it to them. The Cubs need to continue to have a big bat to count on. Thirty HRs is possible. He’s averaging over 20. He plays nearly every game, averages over 30 doubles and four Gold Gloves, even in LF, is nothing to sneeze at. I’m still hammering away on the big bat, but he’s seven HRs behind Hack Wilson, 15 behind Hank Sauer to be in the Cubs’ top 10 and 17 HRs from 200 for his career. Can he total 27 HRs this year? Heck, why not. He hit 25 two years ago, and he has 10 as of Thursday — a quarter through the season.
After I wrote this, I posted below that Pedro Ramirez will be playing some outfield in Iowa, making him a prospective replacement for Happ. Well, that’s interesting — can you name that last Iowa Cub that was an infielder who turned himself into a good LF to help his move into the majors? Yep. Happ. You should see my head having a nuclear explosion.
If Ramirez can turn himself into an inexpensive Happ by the trade deadline, do you deal Happ? If the Cubs have built an offense to make a World Series run, can they handle the up-and-downs of another young player in the lineup while dealing with PCA, Shaw and Ballesteros at the plate? We await developments.
Thank goodness that Daniel Palencia is back! A big ninth inning for his third save of the year Thursday. His presence moves everybody up a chair. Hoby Milner pitched the fifth and sixth for the win, while Phil Maton and Jacob Webb took care of the next two. Combined, four innings of shutout ball on three hits and four strikeouts. Need more of that!
I don’t always pay attention to everything that goes on — some do. More power to ya. 🙂 As much as I love JD, I usually watch the Cubs with the sound off. I don’t want to belabor the reason why. But Thursday night, while working on the computer, I had the game and volume on. I entered the game in the fourth, scoreless (again), and after a couple of innings, I had realized that there had been melodious sounds coming from the speakers that just melded perfectly with JD and called the game with the perfect flair with out overdoing. It was like music to my ears. I have heard people talk about Alex Cohen from the Iowa Cubs, and I now I know why people have sung his praises. I will hold off on giving the obvious comment in this spot. 🙂
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Thomas Domol (North Side Baseball): Cubs’ Distinguished Running Game Is Finding Its Stride. “Seizing opportunities is what separates baseball’s contenders and pretenders. Despite their recent slide, the Chicago Cubs are one of the best in the game at cashing theirs in. The club’s deceptively deep running game is one major way in which the North Siders are winning or staying in ball games.”
Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery): Ian Happ Replacement? Chicago Cubs Prospect Moves to Outfield. “Pedro Ramirez, a switch-hitting infielder, has already set a career high in home runs after 40 games with the Iowa Cubs, and now Ramirez is expanding his versatility by playing in the outfield.”
Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Michael Conforto Is Back To Mashing Righties. “Michael Conforto has become a key left-handed bat for the Cubs, returning to form while dominating right-handed pitching.”
Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic): Cubs mailbag, Part 2: All your questions about the trade deadline answered. “Ultimately, the major decisions won’t be made until much closer to the Aug. 3 trade deadline. But the interest in trade concepts is such that it filled Part 2 of this week’s mailbag.”
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Perils of Bat Speed. “The Cubs’ star center fielder has better bat speed this season, which is leading to more hard contact. He’s not paying for it with more whiffs, either. So why are his numbers so off?”
Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs drop season-high 4th straight, wasting Shota Imanaga’s strong start in 4-1 loss to Atlanta Braves. ““Reflecting on my outing today, if I didn’t give up any runs, then the Cubs would have had a chance to win,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “So when I’m looking back at it, I should have kept them to zero.”
Max Ralph (MLB.com): Cubs’ pitcher injuries: Who’s available? Who’s on the way back? “The club has used 24 pitchers this season, 11 of whom were not on the active roster on Opening Day. …… So, let’s take stock of what’s actually out there for the North Siders.”
Freddie King, blues musician, was born Freddie Christian in Gilmer, Texas, on September 3, 1934. He was the son of J. T. Christian and Ella Mae (or May) King. At the age of six he began playing guitar with his mother and an uncle, Leon King. As a youth he purchased a Roger’s acoustic guitar with money he had earned picking cotton.
He moved to Chicago with his family in 1949. At the age of sixteen he snuck into a Chicago blues club and sat in with the house band, which included Howlin’ Wolf. King developed his style under the influence of Lightnin’ Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, B. B. King (not a relative), Louis Jordan, and others. By day he worked in a steel mill, and he played shows at night. King formed his own band, the Every Hour Blues Boys, which included Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Lee Robinson, and Sonny Scott.
Mexican performer lifts 166.11 pounds with her hair — A Mexican circus performer showed off the strength of her scalp by lifting a 166.11-pound weight with her hair. Diana Elizabeth Batres Hermosillo, who has been performing circus feats for 26 years, took on the Guinness World Record for the heaviest weight lifted with the hair (female) at the Le Paz Theatre in San Luis, Potosi, on Feb. 28.
Hermosillo put her long hair into twin braids that she tied together at the ends and used them to lift 166.11 pounds of weight. She kept the weight off the ground for 14 seconds. She took the record from Indian weightlifter Asha Rani, who used her hair to lift 122.58 pounds in 2014. Hermosillo said she trained for six months to be able to withstand the immense pressure on her scalp, neck and back.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
Jun 27, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg (11) hits a double during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Good morning Birdland,
Leave it to the 2026 Orioles to make a pitcher with an ERA near seven look like an all-star. Look, Zack Littell has been in the majors for nearly a decade and has put together multiple solid seasons. He’s not a random Triple-A arm making a spot start. But 2026 has been a struggle for him. The opener of this series with the Nationals seemed like an opportunity for the Orioles to score some runs. Instead, Littell shut the lineup down for five innings, and they couldn’t do much of anything against any of the Nationals pitchers until the ninth inning.
Given how poorly the Orioles hit all game, they were fortunate to have a chance so late in the game. They even had their best hitter, Adley Rutschman, at the plate with the bases loaded. They could have taken the lead outright. But it wasn’t to be. Rutschman got down in the count and was then struck out on a half-swing to end the game.
The decision to get Jackson Holliday involved at third base probably had a lot to do with the fact that the Orioles already knew Westburg’s elbow was not getting better. The team also can’t love what they have seen from Coby Mayo. Weston Wilson probably isn’t the solution. But they have to figure something out at the hot corner.
Just add it to the list of things with this team that have not gone according to Mike Elias’ plan in 2026. Some of it is bad luck, like the injuries to Westburg, Holliday, and Zach Eflin. But a lot more of it comes down to poor planning or bad development. The O’s President of Baseball Operations had better hope his roster magical starts playing well, or it’s going to be a long summer for him and his staff.
Links
Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg undergoes season-ending elbow surgery | The Baltimore Banner Here’s more about Westburg’s surgery. It always felt like the Orioles weren’t going to have the third baseman in 2026, but because they opted for rehab over surgery for the last three months, the injury may now impact the 2027 season. It’s understandable. No one wants to get surgery if they can avoid it. Unfortunately, Westburg could not avoid it.
Orioles Acquire Eduarniel Núñez, Designate Christian Roa | MLB Trade Rumors You have to be a sicko to know who either of these players are at this point in their careers. The Orioles swapped one righty for another. Núñez is a 26 years old and made his big league debut last year. He walks a lot of hitters, and his limited MLB experience has not gone well. Clearly, the Orioles like him a bit more than Roa, who could stick around the organization if he gets through waivers.
Leftovers for breakfast | Roch Kubatko Quotes from Elias abound in this one. He even says that the team is looking in to what might be causing the continued onslaught of injuries that have plagued the Orioles for several seasons now. Any ideas?
Luis Sardiñas turns 33 today. He appeared in eight games for the Orioles as an infield option in 2018.
Dietrich Enns is 35 years old. The lefty came out of nowhere to be a viable member of the Orioles bullpen in 2025, and has continued to do so in 2026.
Ivanon Coffie is 49. His only MLB experience came as a utility infielder with the 2000 Orioles.
The late Dave Philley (b. 1920, d. 2012) was born on this day. He had an 18-season career, which included parts of the 1960 and ‘61 campaigns in Baltimore.
This day in O’s history
1984 – The Orioles release legendary pitcher Jim Palmer, who began the season 0-3 with a 9.17 ERA. He is asked to retire and accept a job with the organization, but he declines, hoping to find a roster spot elsewhere.
1999 – The Orioles crush the Rangers 16-5. Mike Bordick leads the team with four hits, and Albert Belle smacks two home runs.
2017 – Chris Davis hits two extra-inning home runs to lift the Orioles to a 13-11 win over the Tigers. The O’s had blown a 7-1 lead and needed a Mark Trumbo homer with two outs in the ninth inning to even get to extras in the first place.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 2: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies flips hit bat after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on September 2, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The interesting part is not that Goodman is producing. It is the extreme, occasionally odd shape of how he is doing it.
The power indicators are extreme. So are the access concerns. His production has been better on the road than at Coors Field. And he is not just a right-handed power bat exploiting left-handed pitching.
Then there is the ABS piece, where Goodman’s relationship with the strike zone appears to change depending on whether he is wearing the gear or holding the bat.
The production is real. So are the caution lights.
In 2026, Goodman ranks in the 91st percentile in average exit velocity, 85th percentile in barrel rate, 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate, and 90th percentile in bat speed. When he gets to the baseball, there is impact in the bat. The shape has also moved in an even more power-friendly direction:39.6% fly balls, 52.7% pull rate.
This is an extreme power profile.
But here is another extreme: 3rd percentile chase rate, 4th percentile whiff rate.
That is where the access question gets sharper. Power hitters are going to miss. Aaron Judge whiffs, too. The difference is whether those misses come while hunting damage in the zone or chasing damage out of it. Judge’s 2026 chase rate is 25.2%, below the MLB average of 28.5%. Goodman’s chase rate is 43.6%.
Their chase-contact rates are fairly similar — 45.7% for Judge, 49.7% for Goodman — but Goodman is putting himself in those chase situations much more often, contributing to an eye-catching 1st percentile strikeout rate and 25th percentile walk rate that holds the entire profile back.
Right now, Goodman is more Oneil Cruz and less Judge: overwhelming impact, real production, and massive plate discipline caution lights.
Still, it is working.
The home/road split is its own (odd) extreme
There were hints last year that Goodman’s power did not need Coors Field. In 2025, he hit more home runs on the road than at home, 18 to 13, even though the full profile still behaved like a normal Rockies hitter profile.
Goodman hit .307/.356/.526 with an .882 OPS at home and .248/.288/.515 with an .803 OPS on the road. The power traveled. The production still lived mostly at home.
This year, the whole thing has flipped.
In 2026, Goodman has hit .200/.278/.415 with a .693 OPS at home and .281/.333/.584 with a .917 OPS on the road. He has three home runs at Coors and eight away from it.
That is not just road power: That is a Rockies hitter doing the Rockies thing backward.
And because, apparently, the profile needed one more oddity, Goodman’s day/night split has been extreme, too: a .571 OPS in day games and a .962 OPS at night.
The platoon split is not extreme
Goodman is a right-handed power bat, so one might think the damage is coming mostly against left-handed pitching — the reverse Mickey Moniak.
Except that is not exactly the case, either.
His 2026 platoon splits are almost perfectly neutral: .244/.311/.512 with an .823 OPS against lefties and .248/.309/.513 with an .822 OPS against righties. And while the plate appearance gap matters, eight of his 11 home runs have come against right-handed pitching.
Goodman is giving the Rockies right-handed thump against all pitchers.
Goodman the catcher and Goodman the hitter
The strangest layer is Goodman’s relationship with the strike zone: it seems to change depending on where he is standing — or squatting.
As a hitter, Goodman has been one of the worst ABS challengers in baseball — ranking second-to-last in MLB in net overturns vs. expected at -4.0, while going 2-for-8 on challenges.
Behind the plate, he has been one of the best in baseball — ranking second in MLB with +14.4 net overturns vs. expected and a 71% success rate on 31 challenges.
Goodman appears to know the strike zone when he is trying to win a pitch for his pitcher. He has had a much harder time knowing it when he needs one more pitch for himself.
That split sounds strange, but eye angles and body positioning aside, there may be a simple human explanation. League-wide ABS usage hints at the emotional difference between challenging as a batter and challenging as a catcher. Batters challenge more often as the count becomes pressure-filled — especially in two-strike and full-count situations:
The same pattern shows up by inning, too. As the game gets later and the pressure rises, hitters challenge more often:
The urgency shows up in the challenge rate, but not in the success rate. Hitters challenge more often in those do-or-die counts without getting better results.
That is the existential crisis of the hitter. For a catcher, a challenge can be tactical. For a hitter, it can become a plea for one more pitch. To stay alive.
That does not solve Goodman’s hitter-side ABS struggles. It just makes the split more fascinating: the catcher can read the edge; the hitter is trying to survive it.
The Rockies can live with extremes
For now, maybe the cleanest way to understand the Rockies’ 26-year-old catcher is this: swing hard and often. Hit the ball outrageously hard when contact arrives. Live with the misses.
That profile is not tidy, but tidy is not the requirement. Production is. The Rockies can live with an extreme Hunter Goodman.
But this is also where the “what if?” game gets fun. What if Coors starts helping? What if the whiffs tick down? What if Goodman the hitter borrows a little more from Goodman the catcher?
Then the question gets bigger.
Is Hunter Goodman someone the Rockies can truly build around?
The Albuquerque Isotopes fell to 25-18 with a lopsided 17-1 loss to the Oklahoma City Comets, who improved to 22-20.
Oklahoma City scored in each of the first five innings, including nine runs in the fifth. Carson Palmquist (No. 19 PuRP) started for Albuquerque and allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks over 2.1 innings. Palmquist took the loss, falling to 1-3 with a 6.95 ERA. The bullpen did not fare much better, as the Comets finished with 17 runs on 19 hits and 12 walks. Albuquerque had eight hits but scored only once. Blaine Crim drove in the lone Isotopes run and now has a .781 OPS, while Vimael Machín went 2-for-4 and is carrying a 1.010 OPS. The rest of the lineup was quiet. The Comets were led by Alex Freeland, who drove in five runs, Jack Suwinski, who added three hits and four RBI, and James Tibbs III, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and has a 1.011 OPS.
The Hartford Yard Goats fell to 17-19 with a 2-1 extra-innings loss to the Portland Sea Dogs, who improved to 17-19.
Portland scored first in the fifth inning on a Tyler McDonough RBI single, but Hartford answered in the sixth when Bryant Betancourt hit his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to right field that tied the game at 1-1. The game stayed there until the 10th. Portland opened the inning with the automatic runner on second, moved him to third on a single, and brought him home on a groundout. Hartford moved its automatic runner to third with one out in the bottom half, but GJ Hill struck out and Benny Montgomery grounded out to end the game. Jake Brooks gave the Yard Goats a strong start — one run on eight hits over five innings with no walks and four strikeouts. Andy Perez went 2-for-4 and continues to produce on offense with a .368 average and .897 OPS.
The Spokane Indians fell to 14-23 with a 5-4 loss to the Hillsboro Hops, who improved to 15-22.
Spokane scored twice in the first inning, but Hillsboro tied it in the third, moved ahead in the fifth, and took the lead for good with two runs in the seventh. The Indians made it close in the ninth, loading the bases and scoring on an Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP) hit-by-pitch, but Max Belyeu (No. 15 PuRP) struck out to end the game. Spokane had eight hits, with Robert Calaz (No. 6 PuRP) and Tevin Tucker collecting two apiece. Hedges drove in two runs, while Kelvin Hidalgo added an RBI single. The Indians used three pitchers in short outings. Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) allowed two runs over 2.1 innings, Francis Rivera gave up one run in 2.2 innings, and Justin Loer took the loss after allowing two runs over three innings.
The Fresno Grizzlies improved to 22-15 with a 6-5 extra-innings win over the Visalia Rawhide, who fell to 13-24.
Fresno led early, lost the lead in the eighth, and then got it back late. Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP) delivered the biggest swing of the night, tying the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. In the 10th, the Grizzlies put runners on the corners before Jeremy Ciriaco reached on a throwing error that brought home the winning run. Brito finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and now has a .965 OPS. Tanner Thach also had a strong night, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and pushing his OPS to .920. Jack O’Dowd added an RBI as part of Fresno’s 12-hit night. Angel Jimenez gave the Grizzlies a solid start, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits over six innings while striking out six. Fresno’s bullpen made things interesting, but Samy Clausen struck out the side in the 10th to keep the game tied and earn the win.
MLB.com’s Ayako Oikawa-Hughes shares a beautiful first-person piece from Mickey Moniak, written as a letter to Mickey Mantle. It is part family history, part baseball memory, and part reflection on how a name can connect one generation of the game to another.
Kyle Newman of SI.com frames Chase Dollander’s right elbow strain as the Rockies’ biggest concern because he represents both the present and future of a rotation already in crisis. It also covers the related roster moves, including Sterlin Thompson’s call-up and Sammy Peralta being added as likely multi-inning depth.
If you like trades and predictions, check out this Purple Row After Dark from Zeke you might have missed. He asked Purple Row readers for their way-too-early trade deadline predictions, which feels like a pretty natural conversation starter for where this Rockies season already is.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 15: Mason Plumlee #45 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during the fourth quarter of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Six of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In Friday Night’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Tyrese Proctor and the Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 6 to the Detroit Pistons, 115-94, while Mason Plumlee and the San Antonio Spurs moved on, knocking off Minnesota, 139-109.
The Detroit win was no surprise after reports that a wave of illness hit Cleveland. Apparently it was some sort of stomach bug.
The NBA operates at a level of peak athletic performance, and while you might get past one guy getting sick, this sounds worse than that. Just a tough break.
Proctor did not get off the bench.
Plumlee did play for the Spurs for the first time in a while, getting 2 points and 2 rebounds.
So the Western Conference Finals are set with San Antonio facing Oklahoma City.
And that means that whoever emerges from the West has a chance to join former Blue Devils who have won rings: either Plumlee or Jared McCain will play for it all soon.
Here’s the list of Blue Devils who have already done it:
Jeff Mullins — Golden State (1975)
Danny Ferry — San Antonio (2003)
Shane Battier — Miami (2012, 2013)
Kyrie Irving — Cleveland (2016)
Dahntay Jones — Cleveland (2016)
Quinn Cook — Golden State (2018) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020)
Jack White — Denver (2023)
Jayson Tatum — Boston (2024)
It’s interesting, isn’t it, that the only two guys who have won twice are Battier and Cook.
As we noted Friday about the late Hack Tison, he opted not to play pro ball when Boston took him in the 1965 draft. Had he played, he would have surely won rings in 1967, ‘68, and ‘69.
COVERS INTEL: Guerrero Jr. owns a .345 career average against the Detroit Tigers.
