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The FCL Braves are the lowest United States based affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and they opened their 2026 season on Saturday. This is our chance to take a look at their Opening Day roster, which is filled with a bunch of teenagers, as well as some well known injured names.

Injured Guys

This is where you will find Raudy Reyes, Rayven Antonio, and also Marcos Pol. Those three are presently the only three guys listed on the IL. Reyes will miss the year thanks to a spring Tommy John, while Antonio and Pol’s statuses are less known. You will also see Luke Sinnard on this roster, but since he is listed as active you can find him with the pitchers.

Pitchers

There are two big names here on the active roster, Luke Sinnard and Briggs McKenzie. Briggs McKenzie was the team’s fourth round pick last year, but received the highest signing bonus at $3M. The North Carolina prep arm is still waiting to make his professional debut, but it will be highly anticipated. Luke Sinnard was the team’s third round pick in 2024, and injuries have slowed his career slightly – but he made 16 strong starts between Augusta and Rome last year in his pro debut, followed by five more starts in the Arizona Fall League. Sinnard has not yet appeared in a game this year after opening his season in extended spring training, but his stay here is expected to be short as they build him back up. Cristobal Abreu is a big armed reliever who opened the season in Augusta, but was sent down after walking eight in his first three innings of work. That was his first time appearing since getting injured in 2024, so they have decided to slow him down a little bit – not surprising since he just turned 20.

Among the players acquired via the draft and undrafted free agents, Cayman Goode was a slightly overslot 12th rounder out of high school in 2024. Goode was considered a bit raw, and his results here last year indicated that as he pitched to a 3.57 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 16 walks over 35.1 innings in his pro debut. Ryan Heppner was the 19th round pick out of a Canadian college last year, and he too opened this year in Augusta, but was sent down after giving up 10 runs over his 4.1 innings – though he did throw two and a third scoreless frames in on Opening Day.. Brody Fowler was the 17th rounder out of North Greenville last year, and is still waiting to make his pro debut, as is 16th round pick from last year Nico Wagner out of West Valley College. Daniel Brooks is a larger framed undrafted free agent out of College of Charleston waiting to make his pro debut, while Will Eldridge was an undrafted free agent out of Indiana, who made his debut on Opening Day in a save opportunity.

Among the international signees on the roster Luisberth Valdez is an 18-year-old who pitched to a 4.91 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 29.1 innings in his DSL debut last season. Gensi Angeles, the Opening Day starter this year, is also 18 and pitched to a 3.57 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, but with just 24 strikeouts over 35.1 innings in his DSL debut last year. Wuilinyer Tovar is an 18-year-old who made his pro debut in the DSL last year, pitching to a 6.83 ERA. Jorge Nunez is an 18-year-old who repeated in the DSL last year, and dropped his ERA from 4.02 to 2.57. Yander Pinero is an 18-year-old who also repeated in the DSL, dropping his ERA from 6.75 to 3.57. Melvin Hidalgo is a 20-year-old who made his pro debut last year as an older DSL player, as did the 22-year-old Dayner Matos, 21-year-old Robinson Narciso, and 21-year-old Cesar Rodriguez. Edward Cedano is repeating the FCL this year, after also repeating the DSL previously, but he is still just 20-years-old, and did show growth last time he repeated a level. Juan Olmos is a 21-year-old former catcher in the Royals organization who only converted to pitching last year for the first time.

Catchers

Yoelvis Betancourt is a 17-year-old making his stateside debut after slashing .260/.393/.344 in 122 plate appearances in the DSL last season. Arlenn Manzanillo is 18, but also made his debut in the DSL last year and is coming to the US for the first time this year. Manzanillo posted a .540 OPS last year, though he did have a .319 on base percentage giving him some silver lining. Johan Rodriguez is also 18 and coming to the US for the first time this year. He slashed .225/.309/.271 in the DSL over 149 plate appearances, but he posted an OPS of at least .662 in both June and July, before a rough month of August made his stat line look worse. He brings some defensive versatility, playing mostly at first base last year too. Luis Parababire is a 20-year-old in his third season here. He posted a .900 OPS in 24 games in 2024, but just .600 in 15 games last year.

Infielders

The biggest name in the infield has to be Manuel Campos. The 18-year-old infielder signed for basically $150k last year and went to the DSL and slashed .291/.395/.380 with six doubles, two triples, two homers, and 13 steals with 20 walks to 31 strikeouts in 218 plate appearances. Campos split last year between second base and shortstop, but played short almost twice as often and got the Opening Day start there. Malvin Fernandez is a 17-year-old who played second, third, and short last year, slashing .195/.340/230 in 141 plate appearances in his professional debut in the DSL. Juan Elejandro played mostly at second, but got some time at third last year, and the now 18-year-old is coming off slashing .248/.369/.301 in 141 plate appearances in his pro debut in the DSL last year. Mario Baez is in his third straight year in the FCL, but is still just in his age-19 season. After posting a promising .815 OPS in the DSL in 2023, Baez has only posted .515 and .604 marks in his two seasons in the FCL, spanning 95 games combined.

Outfielders

The star that most people are eager to see is Diego Tornes, the Braves big money international signee from last winter. Tornes sat out Opening Day, but he has lived up to the hype so far, slashing .279/.395/.402 with 10 extra base hits and 24 steals in 32 DSL games last season. Michael Martinez is also a familiar name to some, as he slashed .316/.435/.649 with three homers in 16 DSL games last year, before getting into 11 FCL games and slashing .237/.310/.474 with two more homers. Tornes is just 17, while Martinez is now 19, and those two will be among the biggest names to watch on this FCL club. Juan Espinal is here for the first time. Espinal repeated the DSL last year, seeing his OPS jump from .587 to .845, though he still had 63 strikeouts in 190 plate appearances. He has big power, but the 19-year-old will need to continue developing his hit tool. Gabriel Cesa is also a 19-year-old making his US debut. Cesa repeated the DSL last year and saw his OPS jump from .477 to .833 with seven extra base hits in 118 plate appearances.

Worcester: L, 3-6 (BOX SCORE)

Jack Anderson got taken for a ride in that middle relief spot as the Red Wings (Nationals AAA) put this one out of reach for the WooSox. While Worcester didn’t have the same luck the Red Sox did with runners in scoring position, going 3-for-8, the lack of baserunners to drive in – eight on the day including just two doubles – was the difference on Sunday. Vinny Capra and Anthony Seigler continue to bolster the offense of the folks playing infield. But, outside of those two, the WooSox only had two guys get hits in the lineup, which wouldn’t have gotten it done.

Portland: W, 11-4 (BOX SCORE)

The Sea Dogs didn’t truly run away with this game in Somerset (Yankees AA) until the middle innings, behind the bat of Johanfran Garcia. Password’s brother – and a solid catcher in his own right – belted his third home run of the season and had four RBIs. Nelly Taylor, who’s been stably climbing the organizational ladder, pulled the game further into Portland’s sights. But this game wouldn’t be as decisive if not for six innings from Hayden Mullins in which he got ten strikeouts and allowed just two hits. And this was after Sunday afternoon’s starter… Justin Slaten! Slaten rehabbing is huge for the pitching staff; but it doesn’t help the injured rotation if not to simply eat some relief innings.

Greenville: L, 1-7 (BOX SCORE)

Some troubles in the Greenville rotation – Marcus Phillips couldn’t make it out of the fifth but the offense kept up until it simply couldn’t. The bats were there when they had to be, scoring all of their runs in the fifth and sixth innings, including a three-run shot by Mason White that put this thing within reach, but the Spartanburgers (Astros High-A) scored another couple runs in the seventh innings and the Drive couldn’t even it back up.

Salem: : L, 3-4 (F/10) (BOX SCORE)

This game was tied up at two going into extras, and the pitching kept the Warbirds (Brewers A) in check, but Salem was unable to take advantage of this, going 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position on Sunday. This was despite nine-hole hitter Ilan Fernandez going 4-for-4 with three doubles. Ultimately, the RidgeYaks got walked off in the tenth off of a home run after scoring just the Manfred runner in the top of the inning.

May the fourth be with you this Monday.

Well now, that feels much, much better, doesn’t it? After getting their manager fired with their poor play on the field, the Phillies turned around and swept the inept Giants, then took two of three in Miami before wrapping that series up today. It’s pretty impressive what good play will do for a team.

Three up

Zack Wheeler – Boy, it’s just nice having him back in the rotation. I know I wrote about him last week and how he looked good in the first start he made even if the results were so-so, but this week, he looked good and had good results to go with it. I think it was Tom McCarthy who talked about how when Wheeler is on the mound, it’s similar to when Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee in 2011 were on the mound: you just kind of expected to win the game they were pitching in. That’s a nice feeling to have.

Chase Shugart – Listen, let’s give credit where it’s due. Shugart has been a nice story this season. His fastball/sweeper combination has kept batters off the bases and he has missed barrels so far in the batter’s box. His being able to come on in a doubleheader and pitching in and win both games is commendable as they can be pitching staff crushers. Shugart ghostbusted the runner in the second game (hat tip, Phillies Therapy), which is a huge lift to a team that has to equal or better what is done in the top half of the tenth inning in an extra inning affair. Can he keep it up? Maybe! The team is likely just thankful he’s been competent so far.

Jesus Luzardo – Maybe it was Rob Thomson’s fault that Luzardo had been off at the beginning of the season. Because in two starts since Don Mattingly took over, Luzardo threw 13 1/3 innings and struck out 18, walking nobody. Coincidence? I think not.

Three down

Rafael Marchan – Marchan is not a major league hitter and should not be thought of as such. The idea that he and Garrett Stubbs and J.T. Realmuto should exist on the same roster is patently absurd, but this is the path that Don Mattingly and Dave Dombrowski have chosen. However, Marchan has been absolutely dreadful at the plate and should not have his defensive prowess behind the plate outweigh the fact that major league pitching is vexing to him.

Felix Reyes – Yeah, it’s probably time to send Reyes back to Lehigh Valley to get him some more playing time. If an outfielder is needed, best to bring back Bryan de la Cruz and let him twist in the 40-man roster limbo wind for a bit. Reyes is just proving he isn’t major league ready just yet (and that’s ok!).

The Phillies’ front office – First, the news came out that they were trying to hire Alex Cora before firing Thomson, then they just went ahead and fired Thomson anyway. Seems a bit bumbling if you asked me. Then, they had fans come to a game on Tuesday that was eventually rained out, but not before people were already there and in their seats. Maybe “bumbling” would be being kind with this one. Just not a couple of days of good looks here for the front office.

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We're locked in to the central divisions today with our MLB best bets, as we love the value on three NL Central teams — and an AL Central squad — based on the prices available at Polymarket.

Read on to see why our expert MLB picks think you should back the offenses in Brewers/Cardinals, plus both Chicago squads coming out victorious tonight.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: MIL/STL o8.5	+108
Neil Parker: Cubs -1.5	+100
Joe Osborne: CHW ML	+138

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Brewers/Cardinals Over 8.5

Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket

There’s plenty to like offensively in this matchup, with both starters giving up loud contact and big swings. Kyle Leahy owns one of the worst Blast Contact rates in baseball, and 12-mph winds blowing out to right won’t help a pitcher who has allowed multiple homers in two of his last three starts. The St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen hasn’t offered much support either, ranking 28th in ERA over the last two weeks. Milwaukee Brewers starter Chad Patrick has also been one of the luckiest pitchers in baseball — plus THE BAT projects 9.11 runs.

Neil Parker's expert pick: Cubs -1.5

Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket

The Chicago Cubs mispriced again today. They’re facing Cincinnati Reds righty Chase Petty, who has just six innings of MLB experience and hasn’t been sharp to start the season with Triple-A Louisville. Petty sports a 4.38 ERA, while allowing a 48.5% hard-hit rate across 24 2/3 minor-league innings, and Chicago enters with a league-leading .381 wOBA while averaging 6.2 runs per game during a 15-3 heater. Additionally, Cubs starter Edward Cabrera has held opposing hitters to a .231 average and .645 OPS, so it’s a tough matchup for a Cincy lineup ranking 24th in wOBA against righties.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: White Sox moneyline

Price: 42¢ (+138) at Polymarket

It didn't take long for the Los Angeles Angels to start looking like the Angels again, as they've now lost eight of their last nine games. Jose Soriano owns a sparkling 0.84 ERA, but the White Sox got to him last week for three earned runs and nine baserunners. Davis Martin is breaking out in his own right, with a 1.95 ERA,  and held the Angels to one ER in that same matchup. The Chicago White Sox are 5-1 in his starts this season, and the recent offensive and bullpen numbers also heavily favor the ChiSox, who rank 10th in OPS and seventh in bullpen ERA over the past two weeks — compared to the Angels' 25th and 30th ranking in those categories.

More MLB best bets for today

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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Another week of big league baseball begins today, and we have 12 games on the schedule.

My MLB player props are circling big games from Jose Soriano, Cam Schlittler, and Aaron Judge. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Monday, May 4. 

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Jose Soriano	Over 6.5 strikeouts	-114
Cam Schlittler	Under 1.5 earned runs	+114
Aaron Judge	Over 1.5 total bases	-112

Jose Soriano Over 6.5 strikeouts

Jose Soriano has been absolutely lights out, currently leading the big leagues with a remarkable 0.84 ERA.

The Los Angeles Angels right-hander is also Top-10 in strikeouts with 49 in just 42 2/3 innings of work. The righty has cashed the Over in Ks in three of his last five outings, and he finished with six strikeouts last time out against the Chicago White Sox. 

Soriano takes the ball against them again tonight, and the White Sox are 28th in team strikeouts with nearly 10 per contest. He has 22 Ks in 18 2/3 innings at home, and the Angels welcome Chicago to town here. Soriano will miss his fair share of bats against a team that isn’t great at making consistent contact.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CHSN, ABTV

Cam Schlittler Under 1.5 earned runs

Cam Schlittler has been phenomenal for the New York Yankees, helping make up for the absences of Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole in the rotation.

The sophomore hurler owns a 4-1 record and 1.51 ERA. He’s tossed at least six frames in each of his last three starts, and has also cashed the Under in earned runs in each. 

Last time out, the Boston native held the Rangers to zero runs across six innings of work. He also dominated the Red Sox and the Royals previously.

Schlittler takes the mound against the Baltimore Orioles this evening, and he had a 0.73 ERA against them last season across two starts, surrendering a mere one earned run across 12 1/3 innings.

The O’s have also lost four straight and boast one of the highest whiff rates in MLB, which only plays into Schlittler's hands.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, YES

Aaron Judge Over 1.5 total bases

Aaron Judge continues to play like the reigning MVP, batting .264 with 13 home runs and 23 RBI.

The slugger is red-hot, cashing the Over in total bases in five of his last seven appearances, and he went 2-for-4 with a home run in yesterday's win. 

He’ll face Orioles righty Shane Baz tonight, and that’s been a nightmare for the hurler.

Judge is 4-for-10 against him with two home runs. The veteran is also raking at home, hitting .310. With the series finale in the Bronx, Judge will give Baz even more trouble.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, YES

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Morning everyone!

The A’s have an off day today as they head to the East Coast for the third time this year. That’s a lot of miles that the team is running up in the early going. On the bright side they’re getting those games out of the way early. The only other times the team will travel that far this season will be in August for three games in Boston against the Red Sox, and September in Tampa against the Rays. Other than that most of the team’s road trips won’t go father than the Midwest, so that’s a positive. Both Philly and Baltimore are struggling so far this year and the A’s could be catching them at the right time. After going just 3-3 on this most recent home stand, a winning record on this upcoming road trip would do wonders for this young squad.

Anyway, checking in down on the farm we’ve gotten an update regarding top prospect Leo De Vries. A shortstop by trade, the organization has begun getting the 19-year-old some reps at the hot corner down in Double-A. Whether this is the new long-term plan for him or just an effort to get him to the big leagues faster isn’t yet known, but it’s an interesting development and one that a lot of people speculated could happen this season.

On paper it makes sense as well. With the presence of Jacob Wilson at De Vries’ natural position of shortstop the team needs to find a position that won’t be blocked this summer/next spring. While incumbent third baseman and former first rounder Max Muncy has shown improvement in his second season, there’s still a lot to be desired from both his bat and especially his glove at the hot corner. Muncy currently ranks as one of the worst defenders at third base this year and the eye test confirms it. Luckily they’ve managed to get some offense out of the position but upgrading the defense at a critical position on the infield would go a long ways.

That’s where this move of De Vries from shortstop to third comes in. Before this season De Vries had only every played shortstop (outside of five games in the AFL back in 2024). There’s been a small contingent of scouts that don’t believe that short is De Vries’ ultimate home. The Athletics’ getting him some playing time at third base doesn’t mean that they’re making that positional switch with him now, just that the team is desperate to get him to the big leagues as soon as possible.

Makes sense. After a slow-ish start from the top prospect in Double-A De Vries has been looking much better in the box and frankly shouldn’t be too far off from a promotion to Las Vegas, who is relying on fellow top prospect Tommy White at the hot corner right now. White has himself had a good start to his season and is looking good facing Triple-A pitching for the first time, but there are questions about his long-term defensive home as well.

It’s only been three games that De Vries has played third base this year. He’s still getting the majority of the reps at shortstop for the Rockhounds, but this could be a development to watch over the coming weeks and months. A player that De Vries has been compared to plenty of, Manny Machado, also began his career as a shortstop before moving to third base in deference to J.J. Hardy. Hardy was a much better fielder than Wilson is now but it’s just worth remembering that it’s not unheard of for a shortstop to move to third base. In fact, it could ultimately be his best position. You never know until you try him out there.

No game today but we’ll be back with coverage tomorrow evening when the team takes on the Phillies for the first of three. Until then, have a great day A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• Civale and Soderstrom lead Athletics to a Sunday Victory
• Langeliers HRs twice on wife’s b-day, then welcomes 1st child; taking time off
• A’s Drop Second Straight To Guardians 14-6
• A Walk In The Park Is Nice…To A Point
• A’s Drop Series Opener To Guardians 8-5
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In May
• A’s Hold off Royals to Win Series Finale
• A Moment To Appreciate The Awesomeness That Is Carlos Cortes
• A’s defeat the Royals 5-2 behind Severino & Butler
• A’s drop opener 4-1 to Royals in extra innings
• Another hard-luck injury (fractured hand) lands Muncy on IL
• Kurtz ‘starting to get back to himself’ — and that’s a scary prospect
• What the Athletics’ Hot Start Means for Their 2026 Trade Deadline Strategy
• When he Reached the New World, Cortes Burned Opposing Pitchers

MLB News and Interest:

• John Sterling, beloved longtime Yankees radio voice, passes at 87
• Yanks option Volpe to Triple-A, giving Caballero everyday shortstop job
• Giants To Promote Bryce Eldridge, Jesus Rodriguez
• Twins’ Joe Ryan leaves start after two batters with sore elbow
• Braves place Ronald Acuna on IL, reinstate Spencer Strider
• Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani goes hitless in 4th straight game
• Marlins To Promote Joe Mack
• Angels Place Yusei Kikuchi On 15-Day Injured List
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Could Morris actually be the next in line for a call up?

Definitely check this out:

Owch. Hopefully that changes soon with some good prospects coming down the pipe:

ICYMI:

John Sterling, the iconic voice of the Yankees who began broadcasting games for the team in 1989, has died at the age of 87.

Sterling initially retired early in the 2024 season, but he returned later that year to broadcast games against the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series. 

He was on the call for five Yankees World Series titles, and called legendary moments like Aaron Judge’s AL-record-breaking 62nd home run of the 2022 season. His personalized home run calls and signature "Theeeeeeee Yankees win" have become part of Yankees lore.

The Yankees released the following statement:

“We pause today — along with millions of Yankees fans around the world — to recognize the passing of one of our own. John Sterling breathed life and excitement into Yankees games for 36 years while wearing his passion for baseball and the Yankees on his sleeve. He informed and entertained generations of fans with a theatrical and unapologetic style that was uniquely his own.

“John treasured his role as the voice of the New York Yankees, and his enthusiasm for the art of broadcasting perfectly complemented our city and our fans. The symmetry between John and his audience was both undeniable and magical, and his signature calls will resonate for as long as we put on pinstripes — especially after every Yankees win.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to the entire Sterling family, as well as his long list of loved ones and friends.”

Sterling also called games for the Nets and Islanders in the late 1970’s, among many other broadcasting roles.

Following the news of Sterling’s passing, tributes began flooding in:

I’m terribly sad to hear of the passing of John Sterling. He was truly one of a kind. A unique character who was blessed with pipes from above. Spoke to him a little over a month ago and although he didn’t sound great, this news still comes as a shock. RIP, old friend.

— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) May 4, 2026

Well, John, we thank you. pic.twitter.com/qjo70UJkiB

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 20, 2024

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of John Sterling. We send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and the New York Yankees organization. pic.twitter.com/aOZS9iouNh

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 4, 2026

We are saddened by the passing of former New York Yankees broadcaster John Sterling.

Through his unique style and passionate play-by-play calls, Sterling endeared himself to generations of players and fans as radio voice of the Yankees from 1989 to 2024.

His signature… pic.twitter.com/cKhJC368zy

— MLB (@MLB) May 4, 2026

Rest in peace to a New York sports icon. Sending our thoughts and prayers to the Sterling family https://t.co/hHqOvpUtxY

— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 4, 2026

pic.twitter.com/uABT49tN5O

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 4, 2026

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (17-16) lost 9-6 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the 1st inning scoring 2 runs on a Price 2 run single. They got 2 more runs in the 3rd inning on a Biggio 2 run home run. Bielak got the start and went 5 innings allowing 2 runs. The offense scored 2 more runs in the 6th on a Price solo home run and Strahm RBI double. The pen relieved Bielak in the 6th but struggled allowing 7 runs as Reno took the lead. The offense was unable to rally as Sugar Land fell 9-6.

Note: Price has a .844 OPS this season.

• Kellen Strahm, CF: 3-for-4, R, 2 2B, RBI, BB
• Carlos Perez, DH: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
• Collin Price, 1B: 2-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
• Riley Unroe, 2B: 1-for-3, R, SB
• Cavan Biggio, 1B: 1-for-3, 2 RBI

• Brandon Bielak, RHP: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Joey Mancini, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Amos Willingham, RHP: 0.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Jose Fleury, RHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (13-14) won 7-5 (BOX SCORE)

Dombroski started for the Hooks but had some troubles allowing 5 runs over 3.2 innings. The offense got on the board in the first scoring 2 runs on a Whitaker 2 run single. The Hooks responded again in the 4th scoring 4 runs on a Sacco solo home run and Encarnacion 3 run double. In the 5th inning, Sacco connected on another solo home run to extend the lead. The pen was solid tossing 5.1 scoreless innings as they closed out the 7-5 win.

Note: Chirinos has a 2.45 ERA this season.

• Will Bush, 1B: 1-for-5, R, SB
• Nick Allen, 2B: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, CF: 1-for-4, R, 2B, 3 RBI
• Tyler Whitaker, DH: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, SB
• Tommy Sacco, SS: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
• Hector Salas, 3B: 1-for-3, R, BB

• Trey Dombroski, LHP: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Alex Santos, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (SAVE)

A+: Asheville Tourists (6-21) lost 6-5 (BOX SCORE)

DeVos started for Asheville and was solid allowing 2 runs over 4.2 innings while striking out 6. Asheville got on the board in the 4th on a Batista RBI single and then tied things in the 6th on a Schiavone solo home run. In the 7th, Brutcher gave Asheville the lead connecting on a 3 run home run to right field. Wohlgemuth came on in relief but struggled allowing 4 runs as the Blue Rocks took the lead. Unfortunately the offense was shut down the rest of the game as Asheville fell 6-5.

Note: Brutcher is hitting .278 this season.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 0-for-4, R, BB, SB
• Jason Schiavone, C: 1-for-2, 3 R, HR, RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 1-for-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB
• Freuddy Batista, DH: 1-for-3, RBI, BB

• Nolan DeVos, RHP: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
• Eurys Martich, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• Nate Wohlgemuth, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (10-17) lost 2-1 (BOX SCORE) 

Carrera got the start for the Woodpeckers and pitched well tossing 4.2 scoreless innings. Smith came on in relief and went 3 innings allowing 2 runs. The offense got on the board in the 8th on an Alvarez RBI single but that was it from the offense as the Woodpeckers fell 2-1.

Note: Neyens has a .939 OPS this season.

• Kevin Alvarez, DH: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
• Xavier Neyens, SS: 0-for-2, 2 BB
• German Ramirez, 3B: 1-for-3, R, SB

• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
• Brandon Cassedy, RHP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Aubrey Smith, RHP: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: OFF

CC: OFF

AV: OFF

FV: OFF

Griffin Canning made his first start as a member of the San Diego Padres AND it came at Petco Park in front of the Friar Faithful. Canning ended with a no-decision, but left the game after five innings, allowing just one run on a solo home run to Drew Romo, with seven strikeouts. Canning did not look good to start the game, but that could be due to his return from an Achilles injury that cost him the majority of the 2025 season. It would be understandable if the Southern California native had a hard time controlling his emotions in front of a large contingent of supportive family and friends. While Canning did not get the win, he did walk off the mound after the top of the fifth inning after striking out the side to get his team back to the plate in the bottom of the frame. San Diego did allow the Chicago White Sox to tie the game late, but Xander Bogaerts came through with an infield single that allowed the Padres to take a one-run lead at 4-3. Mason Miller came into lockdown the ninth inning and the win, which prevented San Diego from suffering its first sweep of the season. The Padres will hit the road to San Francisco to take on the Giants at 6:45 p.m. today.

Padres News:

• With Canning being added to the roster so he could pitch in the game on Sunday, a move had to made to clear space and that came in the form of a German Marquez being added to the injury list.

• With the new owners of the Padres being announced this week, Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball looked at the details behind the move and what the process looks like going forward for Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones.

The Mets open a three-game series against the Rockies in Colorado at 5:40 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

• Bo Bichette is hitting .300 with a .341 OBP over his last 10 games
• Carson Benge is slashing .290/.333/.452 with one homer and two doubles over his last 10 games
• Juan Soto has a .904 OPS in 11 games since returning from the IL
• Luke Weaver has allowed just two runs in his last seven outings, spanning 7.2 innings

Today's Lineups

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The Royals selected Blake Mitchell with the eighth overall selection in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft, a somewhat surprising pick at the time. High school catchers are an extremely risky demographic with a high failure rate, but the Royals believed in his hitting ability. To Mitchell’s credit, he had an excellent debut in 2024, hitting well in A-ball and forcing his way to High-A by the end of the year.

Unfortunately for Mitchell, he fractured his hammate bone last February and 2025 was therefore a bit of a lost season for him. He displayed the same command of the strike zone and propensity for striking out as he did in his debut season, but the recovery from the fracture sapped much of the power from his swing.

A lot of eyes were therefore on Mitchell this year. Could he develop as a hitter? Would he get his power back? Additional organizational pressure was also on Mitchell thanks to the unfortunate fact that Kansas City’s three previous first round picks before him—Asa Lacy, Frank Mozzicato, and Gavin Cross—have flamed out in the minor leagues, with the Royals officially releasing Lacy this year. No team can endure drafting so high for so long and get nothing out those valuable picks, least of all a small market team.

So has Mitchell advanced? Well, he’s having a season for the ages, that’s for sure.

Let’s start with what kind of hitter Mitchell is, because that’s important. The Royals have, traditionally, valued defense, baserunning, athleticism, and contact ability. They have not valued power or plate discipline. But Mitchell is made up almost entirely of the latter two. Interestingly, the Royals knew it when they drafted him, comparing him to Bryce Harper.

And Harper, well, Harper is great, but he’s not a traditional Royals hitter. Harper knows the zone, has a swing built for home run power, and isn’t afraid of striking outs. As a result, he walks a lot, hits a lot of home runs, and strikes out a lot. Those three events are sometimes called the “three true outcomes” because all three events happen independently of the defense. For his career, Harper’s plate appearances have resulted in one of those three outcomes 43.6% of the time, which is a lot, but not quite the extreme upper end. The real platonic ideal of the “three true outcomes” hitter of recent years has been Joey Gallo, who has walked, struck out, or crushed a homer in 58.7% of his career plate appearances. That’s a huge percentage.

But Gallo can’t hold a candle to what Mitchell is doing, because Mitchell is achieving one of the Three True Outcomes an almost unbelievable 70.3% of the time.

The above video is really the key to understanding why this is happening at all. Mitchell generates crazy bat speed with a fly-ball swing, which translates to elite exit velocity figures and verrrry long homers. As a result, pitchers stay away from him, and Mitchell is more than happy to draw walks when they’re not giving him something to hit. At the same time, Mitchell isn’t a guy to choke up on the bat and look to poke pitches to the opposite field and is perfectly content with a full-throated swing—even if he ends up whiffing.

Mitchell’s triple slash in High-A is really funny because of this: .213/.479/.508. With a 33% walk rate, he’s gotten 31 walks on May 3; Salvador Perez has walked 31 times in a whole season just once. But he’s also struck out 30.9% of the time, which is just a crazy situation.

Walking a lot, striking out a lot, and hitting a lot of home runs is a relatively common combo. But what Mitchell is doing so far this year is literally unheard of. No qualified hitter in MLB history has ever ended up with a walk rate and a strikeout rate north of 30%. Heck, lowering that figure to a 20% walk and strikeout rate only yields 10 hitter-seasons since 1970 (not counting 1994 and 2020):

Now, let’s be fair: we’ve only had a month-ish of baseball so far, and the chances of Mitchell having his own bizarre 30/30 season over the full year are basically nil. But Mitchell does have 330 plate appearances in High-A ball overall, and he’s walked 23.3% of the time and struck out 32.4% of the time.

What’s the takeaway here, then? For starters, I don’t think High-A is challenging him nearly enough, and if it were up to me I’d promote him to Double-A tomorrow. Mitchell needs to cut down on his strikeout rate if he wants the best chance to succeed in the big leagues, but right now he can sleepwalk to being the most dangerous hitter on the team by simply murdering mistake pitches and spitting on the ones that aren’t in the zone.

The other takeaway here isn’t really a takeaway but an invitation to examine if Mitchell might indeed be able to succeed in the big leagues with a big ol’ strikeout rate. I have thus far been very skeptical of Mitchell for this reason, but he’s starting to show a level of plate discipline and game power where it just might work. I mentioned Gallo earlier, but his career .194/.319/.456 line, while bizarre, kept him in the league for a decade. Could Mitchell be a sort of Gallo at the plate? Maybe! The other potential guy to look at is Munetaka Murakami, the rookie Japanese slugger who has a 144 wRC+ despite a 33.1% strikeout rate because he walks almost 19% of the time and hits dingers left and right. Like, the White Sox could not care less that he’s only hitting .223.

I’d love it if Mitchell could wrangle his strikeouts down to a more manageable level. At the same time, it’s almost more fun to consider a world in which the Royals are the ones with the ridiculous Three True Outcomes player. Can the Royals develop such a hitter? That is another question, one that I don’t really like my gut answer to. I guess we’ll just half to wait and see.

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The Cardinals are one of the league’s hottest teams, winning six of their past seven games.

My Brewers vs. Cardinals predictions expect the offense to lead them to another victory on Monday night.

Let’s break down my MLB picks for May 4.

Who will win Brewers vs Cardinals today: Cardinals moneyline (+100)

Chad Patrick owns a sparkling 2.47 ERA, but his underlying profile is littered with red flags.

He's posted a 5.52 xFIP, 5.56 SIERA, and a +2.6% K-BB% — the lowest mark among today’s projected starters.

He’s also allowing a 50% fly ball rate, which could be trouble against a St. Louis Cardinals offense that sits sixth in ISO and second in HR/FB vs. right-handed pitching over the past five weeks.

Look for Cardinals' bats to do plenty of damage.

COVERS INTEL: Seven of St. Louis’ projected starters own a wOBA of at least .397 against righties throwing Patrick’s three most-used pitches.

Brewers vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-115)

The Cardinals rank ninth in runs per game and fourth in homers, with the emergence of young bats like JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker really lengthening their lineup. 

Patrick’s high fly-ball rate could be a problem, especially on a warm day with the wind blowing out.

The Milwaukee Brewers are also well positioned to produce. Kyle Leahy has conceded multiple runs in all six starts, and 3+ runs in four of six.

He’s giving up damage consistently and has not lasted six innings once. The fourth-ranked Brewers offense should cause him problems.

Brewers vs Cardinals odds

• Moneyline: Brewers -115 | Cardinals -105
• Run line: Brewers -1.5 (+140) | Cardinals +1.5 (-160)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

Brewers vs Cardinals trend

The Cardinals have hit the Moneyline in 13 of their last 22 games (+6.85 Units / 31% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cardinals.

How to watch Brewers vs Cardinals and game info

Brewers vs Cardinals latest injuries

Brewers vs Cardinals weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Coming off a series win in Anaheim over the weekend, the Mets (12-22) still own the worst record in baseball. Weather permitting, they’ll have an opportunity to overtake the Rockies (14-21) in a three-game series against them that’s scheduled to begin this afternoon in Denver.

The forecast for the next three days is the biggest story at the moment. There’s a chance of rain in Denver this evening, which is why the start time of the game was moved up to 5:40 PM EDT. Things are likely to get much dicier after the series opener, though, as there’s a high probability of rain for most of the day on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, there’s almost certainly going to be continued precipitation, and it might be cold enough for that to be snow.

If the second game of the series gets postponed, it might be possible for the teams to squeeze in a frigid doubleheader if the field at Coors Field is playable by a reasonable time on Wednesday. If not, both teams have an off day on their schedule on Thursday, and neither would have onerous travel ahead of them heading into the weekend. The Rockies are set to head to Philadelphia for a three-game series this weekend, and the Mets are scheduled to finish their road trip with three games in Arizona.

As for the Mets’ attempt to turn around their miserable season, well, at least they beat one of the other worst teams in baseball over the weekend. They’ll need to do the same against the Rockies in this one, but given the struggles of nearly every hitter in their lineup and the Rockies’ recent three-game sweep of the Mets in Queens, you really can’t take anything for granted here.

Thanks to his pair of two-run home runs in the series finale yesterday, Mark Vientos joined Juan Soto and MJ Melendez as the only Mets hitters with an wRC+ over 100. Melendez leads the way with a 177 wRC+ in 39 plate appearances, but he’s sporting a .474 BABIP and a 33.3 percent strikeout rate. Soto has a 158 wRC+ on the season and is on a six-game hitting streak. And Vientos is at a 107 wRC+ thanks to his big day at the plate, having entered the game with just an 84 wRC+. Francisco Alvarez is the only other Mets hitter who’s healthy and hovering around league average with a 98 wRC+.

With the Giants having plummeted to last spot in Major League Baseball in runs per game, the Mets rank 29th with 3.47 runs scored per game. Even in winning their series against the Angels over the weekend, they only have averaged 4.00 runs per game. League average so far this season is 4.50 runs per game, which means there’s still a lot of work to do. The fact that Vidal Bruján’s career numbers at the plate (.543 OPS, 54 wRC+) wouldn’t look too out of place in the Mets’ lineup if he were to be included in it is still pretty damning.

The Mets haven’t been spectacular in terms of run prevention, either, but they’ve been much better at it than they’ve been at scoring. At 4.38 runs allowed per game, the team has the 14th-lowest mark in baseball, one that obviously makes them slightly better than the aforementioned league average.

The Rockies, meanwhile, have allowed 4.91 runs per game, the seventh-highest rate in the sport. Their home ballpark always plays a role in that, of course, but the their struggling pitchers didn’t have much of a problem shutting down the Mets’ lineup in their recent series in Queens. The Mets managed just four runs total across that three-game series as Colorado swept them.

Rockies hitters have scored 4.29 runs per game, which isn’t all that impressive but is still quite a bit better than their counterparts in the Mets’ lineup. Among those with at least 50 plate appearances, Mickey Moniak is by far their best hitter this season, as he’s hit .327/.374/.724 with 11 home runs and a 185 wRC+.

Four other Rockies are hitting above league average by wRC+: Troy Johnston (124), Hunter Goodman (114), Edouard Julien (110), and Tyler Freeman (103). And two hitters are just below league average: Jake McCarthy (97) and TJ Rumfield (97).

The team isn’t without its own struggling hitters, as Willi Castro (68 wRC+), Brenton Doyle (49 wRC+), and Ezequiel Tovar (36 wRC+) have been pretty easy outs.

If these teams don’t play all three of these games this week and neither one gets into the playoff mix, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a game or two canceled entirely and not made up later in the season. Being that it’s early in the year, it seems more likely that one game today and a doubleheader on Thursday would be the worst case scenario in terms of scheduling, but if the Mets end up playing 160 or 161 games this season, this would be why.

Monday, May 4: Opener + David Peterson vs. Tomoyuki Sugano, 5:40 PM EDT on SNY

Peterson (2026): 30.1 IP, 29 K, 14 BB, 2 HR, 6.53 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 164 ERA-

The Mets haven’t specified who their opener will be in the series opener, but Peterson’s traditional start against the Nationals his last time out couldn’t have gone much worse. He gave up seven runs, all earned, in just three-and-two-thirds innings. Having found better success in the two outings that preceded that, both of which came out of the bullpen after an opener, the Mets will be hoping for similar results in this game.

Sugano (2026): 31.2 IP, 21 K, 9 BB, 5 HR, 2.84 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 60 ERA-

Coming off a so-so debut season in Major League Baseball last year with the Orioles that saw him finish the season with 157.0 innings pitched and a 4.64 ERA, Sugano signed a one-year deal with the Rockies over the offseason. The underlying metrics suggest that his impressive ERA is not sustainable, but the Mets have had a hard enough time this year when facing struggling pitchers. Maybe they’ll surprise us and beat a pitcher who’s off to good start.

Tuesday, May 5: Freddy Peralta vs. Michael Lorenzen, 8:40 PM EDT on SNY

Peralta (2026): 38.1 IP, 42 K, 16 BB, 4 HR, 3.52 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 88 ERA-

Freddy Peralta has continued being himself, and his ERA was helped by his own error in his most recent outing, one that resulted in two of the three runs he allowed being unearned and helping to turn the game into a loss for the Mets. Peralta has completed six innings twice in his seven starts with the Mets and is averaging a bit more than five-and-one-third innings per outing. That’s on brand, as are his current ERA and FIP.

Lorenzen (2026): 34.0 IP, 24 K, 9 BB, 6 HR, 6.09 ERA, 5.09 FIP, 129 ERA-

Lorenzen gave up just one run on seven hits in seven strong innings against the Mets on April 24. Since then, he’s made one start that saw the Reds get him for four runs in five-and-a-third innings. But he’s been particularly bad at home, which isn’t uncommon for pitchers in Colorado. Lorenzen has an 8.56 ERA at Coors Field this year in just 13.2 innings of work. Here’s hoping the Mets can take advantage of that.

Wednesday, May 6: Christian Scott vs. Jose Quintana, 3:10 PM EDT on SNY

Scott (2026): 6.1 IP, 9 K, 5 BB, 1 HR, 4.26 ERA, 5.68 FIP, 107 ERA-

After a disastrous return to the major league mound that saw him totally lose the strike zone, Scott returned when Kodai Senga went on the injured list and had a solid second start. He went five innings, gave up three runs, two of them earned, on three hits, struck out eight, and impressively didn’t walk anyone.

Quintana (2026): 24.1 IP, 12 K, 11 BB, 5 HR, 4.07 ERA, 6.31 FIP, 86 ERA-

The former Met pitched well when the Rockies were in Queens recently, as he gave up just one run in five-and-one-third innings with five strikeouts, two walks, and just two hits allowed. And it might surprise you to read that he has a 3.98 ERA since the Mets chose not to pursue him in free agency following the 2024 season. He’s done that despite a 5.05 FIP over that span, but the difference in those metrics is more pronounced this year than it was last year with the Brewers.