PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 27: Harrison Brunicke #45 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates during the game against the St. Louis Blues at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Now it is time to look at some of the Pittsburgh Penguins young players that could break out in a big way for the 2026-27 season.
The candidates are mostly obvious, but how high should we be setting the ceiling?
Let’s dig into it a little bit,
Ben Kindel
The most encouraging development for the Penguins during the 2025-26 season was the emergence and rapid development of center Ben Kindel. From the moment he arrived in training camp and started to play in the preseason there was obvious reason for excitement and optimism. And then he delivered on that far sooner than anticipated by not only making the team as an 18-year-old in his draft year, and not only sticking around for the entire season and playoffs, but also making a sizable impact.
He was not a passenger.
He was one of the drivers of the team’s success for a good chunk of the season.
He did have some moments where he ran into a rookie wall, especially later on, but that is to be expected for a player that age going through that sort of grind for the first time.
At the very least, he looks like an NHL player. The question is what his long-term upside is, including in his second season.
To try and get an idea I pulled up comparable rookie seasons over the past 20 years. The criteria: 18-year-old forwards in their rookie season, scoring between 12 and 25 goals, and finishing with between 25 and 40 points. It eliminates the 18-year-olds like Sidney Crosby and Macklin Celebrini that were clearly on a different level, as well as the players that did not stick around long enough to contribute or simply did not contribute as much as Kindel did.
The comparable results were: Andrei Svechnikov, Cole Sillinger, Valeri Nichushkin and Evander Kane.
Kindel, Svechnikov and Nichushkin were the only ones that also exceeded a better than 50 percent shot attempt share in their rookie seasons, indicating an ability to drive possession.
It’s not exactly a big group of players to draw many conclusions or comparables from, which also kind of highlights how rare of a season it was for Kindel.
Svechnikov took a huge step forward in year two. Kane took a small step forward offensively. Nchushkin was limited to just eight games in his second season and took a few years to become an outstanding second-line winger. Sillinger took a massive step backwards and has not really taken a major step forward ever since.
It’s also not really an apples-to-apples comparison across the board because Svechnikov, Nichushkin and Kane are all wingers, while Kindel and Sillinger are the only centers on the list.
The ideal scenario here would be a Svechnikov-like jump offensively. But I am not sure he has Svechnikov’s shot, even if he might have the two-way game.
Sillinger is the example you do not want him to follow, but I also think his rookie year was significantly better and more well-rounded than Sillinger’s. Sillinger didn’t push play to the same degree that Kindel did and received slightly more favorable situations and matchups.
Kindel’s not likely to be a franchise-level player or star-level player. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be a really good, really important long-term piece. The sort of jump he takes next season will give us more insight into what that upside can be.
Harrison Brunicke
Brunicke’s 2025-26 season did not follow the path many people expected, getting playing time in the NHL, WHL and AHL. There’s been some concern that the Penguins didn’t really help his development this season by jumping him all around to three different levels, and having him sit for most of the first half of the season while they made a decision on him, but I’m not sure I agree with that take.
At the end of the day he is going to play more hockey games this season than he did in each of the previous two seasons.
He has also received a significant taste of pro hockey, including at the NHL level, and held his own as a 19-year-old.
He just wasn’t ready for full-time NHL action at that point. It’s okay. It happens.
He has been especially strong since getting an opportunity to play at Wilkes-Barre, including in the playoffs.
President of Hockey Operations/general manager Kyle Dubas has already made it clear that improving the team’s defensive play is going to be a huge priority this offseason, and I can’t think of a better place to start looking for that than internally with a player like Brunicke, even if it does not happen from the very start of the season.
Honestly, he checks every box for what the Penguins should be looking for on next year’s roster and would add youth, skating and a potential long-term defensive solution. He’s been a highly touted prospect from the moment he was drafted and has impressed at every step in the process.
They need somebody to emerge as a long-term piece on defense. Next year could be the start for him.
Sergei Murashov
There is not a young player in the organization that can change the Penguins’ timeline for contention more than Murashov.
I do not say that to put more pressure on the kid or raise expectations around him, but just to point out the reality of the situation and his position.
The Penguins farm system has improved significantly over the past few years in terms of depth and potential NHL players. But it is still lacking that one dude that can be a top-tier player. If Murashov reaches his ceiling, he could be that top-tier player. And given that he plays the most impactful position on the ice, and the one that can change an entire season for a team, he could be the most significant player they have.
That is what goalies do.
But goalies are also maddening, volatile beasts that can surprise in the best and worst ways. There are maybe five established goalies in the NHL that you should feel confident in from one year to the next. Or even within the same season.
Young goalies with no NHL track record are even more volatile and unpredictable.
The good news: Murashov looks NHL ready, at least in the sense that he has nothing left to prove in the AHL. He has dominated for two years down there, and entering play on Monday has a .938 save percentage this postseason in his first six games. He is almost certainly going to be in the goalie rotation next season with a chance to make a difference. I imagine there will be some rocky moments at times, but there is also the potential for a major contribution.
If they get back to the playoffs next season, my guess is he would be a big reason why.
Bill Zonnon
If you go back to the 2025 NHL Draft, the one Penguins player taken in the first round that seemed to get the most consistent praise for his game, and for being NHL-ready, wasn’t actually Ben Kindel, but instead Bill Zonnon. He’s been a favorite of prospect watchers all year and has received high-praise for his work ethic, two-way play and hockey IQ. He has done nothing but back all of that up on the ice in both the QMJHL and AHL. When it comes to the latter, he showed up having already learned the system on his own and was ready to be plopped into the lineup.
He then scored two goals in his first two games.
I don’t know if he will make the roster next season right out of training camp, but I could see a scenario in the middle of the season where he gets an opportunity and never returns to Wilkes-Barre.
Juraj Slafkovsky is having a productive series, with six points through six games. What’s impressive is that he has managed strong outputs while scoring only once on 3.13 expected goals and 21 chances. He’s deserving of better.
Open ice will be hard to come by in a Game 7, with every puck hotly contested in a meat-and-potatoes style of game. Slafkovsky’s ability to get to the net and operate in tight spaces will serve him well.
Game 7 Prop #2: Rasmus Dahlin Over 2.5 shots
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Rasmus Dahlin is a one-man shooting gallery for the Buffalo Sabres. He has generated 3+ shots in eight of the last nine games and five straight in Buffalo.
He’s been more productive at home, especially in this series. Dahlin combined for 12 shots on 21 attempts through three home dates, a stark contrast to the eight on 11 he mustered up over three games in Montreal.
Nobody on the Sabres has generated more attempts or shots than Dahlin at home. Likely to play 25+ minutes in Game 7, the volume should remain quite strong.
Game 7 Prop #3: Nick Suzuki Over 0.5 assists
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Cole Caufield leads the Montreal Canadiens with 22 scoring chances against Buffalo, and right behind him is Slafkovsky at 21.
What do those two have in common? They're centered by Nick Suzuki at 5-on-5 as well as on the power play.
Suzuki is the best facilitator the Canadiens have up front and, clearly, he's helping create plenty of looks for his linemates. Given how much of the offense runs through Suzuki and the talented finishers on his wing, he's as likely as anybody to pick up a helper.
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The Oilers' head-coaching role is also vacant, as they fired Kris Knoblauch one day after the Leafs fired Berube.
Knoblauch was Edmonton's bench boss for three seasons, hired in November 2023. He led the Oilers to two straight trips to the Stanley Cup final, but also a first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks in this past campaign.
As for Berube, he coached the Maple Leafs for two whole seasons.
In his first year, Berube was able to push Toronto to Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs, which is the furthest the Buds have gone in the post-season for quite some time.
In his second year, the team's direction started to change course. The Leafs went from 52 wins and Atlantic Division champions in 2024-25, to 32 wins and finishing at the bottom of the division one year later.
Outside of Berube's contributions in Toronto, he was a Stanley Cup champion in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, and the following year, they finished first in the Central Division, albeit after playing 71 games due to COVID-19 ending the regular season early.
TSN's Edmonton reporter, Ryan Rishaug, reported that "a formal interview with Berube is expected after some initial conversation" between him and Oilers GM Stan Bowman.
In terms of Leafs GM John Chayka and his search for a new bench boss, on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman name-dropped Jay Woodcroft, David Carle and Manny Malhotra as three candidates that could be in the mix, or had initial conversations.
He further noted that Toronto's search will be very broad, and that it's too early to tell what kind of coach will be coming in.
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Good morning from Edgbaston, where the players and match officials lined up before play to pay their respects to Warwickshire great MJK Smith, who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Smith captained England in 25 of his 50 Tests between 1958 and 1972, and scored just shy of 40,000 first-class runs.
A promising start, cricketers marching out everywhere except Bristol and Southport.
May 17, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) celebrates with left fielder Juan Soto (22) after defeating the New York Yankees in ten innings at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
Every good Mets season needs That Game. You know, the one that you look back on in a year or 20 and say “remember that game?” Perhaps Sunday afternoon was That Game for the 2026 New York Mets. Coming against the Yankees, that’s just a bonus.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 17: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays high fives teammates after scoring a run against the Detroit Tigers during the top of the third inning at Comerica Park on May 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees got run out of Queens this weekend, dropping back-to-back contests to the Mets—the latter in particularly ignominious fashion—to lose the Subway Series and their third straight series overall. Adding to their woes is the Rays’ continued success, which leaves them three games back in the divisional road. Now seems like a less-than-ideal time for the Yanks to face a team that was a true nemesis for them in 2025: the Blue Jays. Fresh off going 11-6 against them in 2025 (including the playoffs), Toronto returns to the site of their ALDS Game 4 clincher to begin a new four-game series tonight.
The Jays have battled inconsistent hitting and a rash of pitching injuries to start their year, as they enter action at 21-25. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the midst of one of his rather frequent power outages (though he did go deep yesterday), and the cast surrounding him hasn’t flexed much muscle this year. NPB free agent Kazuma Okamoto has been their most reliable slugger, but much of the core that brought them within a few feet of winning the World Series has failed to repeat their success. That said, the Jays remain flush with talent and have won six of their last eight series. This four-game rumble promises a bevy of fascinating pitching matchups. Let’s dig in.
Monday: Ryan Weathers vs. Patrick Corbin (7:05 pm ET)
Both teams will open this series sending a portsider to the mound. Ryan Weathers was invincible for most of his last start against the Orioles. He didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning, at which point he was chased from the game and Coby Mayo’s go-ahead home run off Brent Headrick spoiled all the fun. Weathers, whose father David was a Blue Jays draftee in 1986, will face them for just the second time in his MLB career. His first time at Rogers Centre marked a nice finale to his 2024 season with Miami: 6.1 innings of one-run ball with three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.
Patrick Corbin always comes back. He signed in Toronto when the season was already underway to shore up an undermanned rotation which was reeling from preseason injuries to José Berrios, Shane Bieber, and Wednesday night’s starter Trey Yesavage. Corbin has performed better than your typical replacement-level arm so far, with a 3.93 ERA through seven spins of the wheel. He’s always going to be pitching around a good amount of traffic, but his slider remains a weapon after all these years.
Tuesday: Will Warren vs. Dylan Cease(7:05 pm ET)
Warren got decidedly more aid from his lineup than from his defense in Tuesday night’s win against the Orioles—a bevy of misplays in the field cost him a chance to complete six frames, but he wound up with a win regardless thanks to a big third inning. Warren will return to the barn where he got eaten alive last playoffs, wearing the rest of the Blue Jays’ relentless onslaught during ALDS Game 2, in relief of Max Fried. But he does so having grown into his repertoire a lot more than his up-and-down rookie year. Regardless, this will prove a psychologically important start.
Cease is the Jays’ shiny new ace, channeling Dave Stieb in more ways than just his striking mustache. The 30-year old is on a roll, having finished seven innings in three straight starts. His last effort was almost wasted, as the Rays rallied against the Toronto bullpen to force extra innings; the ultimately Jays prevailed 5-3. Cease’s command is always liable to fly away on any given day, but you’ll take the chance because he has 75 strikeouts, the most in the AL so far.
The only MLB pitchers with a higher fWAR than Cease’s 2.2 thus far are the Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez at 2.5 and the 6-foot-6 Yankee I’m about to discuss.
Wednesday: Cam Schlittler vs. Trey Yesavage(7:05 pm ET)
You get the feeling we’ll be seeing this exact pitching matchup in the AL East for years to come. Both breakout stars of the 2025 playoffs have repeated their brilliance in 2026, but Schlittler’s first 10 starts have been in a class unto themselves in the Junior Circuit. Cam exceeded 100 pitches in a start for the first time his last time out against the Mets; a leadoff home run from two-out walk to Brett Baty was all that stood between him finishing seven innings. Revenge may be on his mind after his Game 4 loss to Toronto, which sent the Yankees home last October.
Yesavage stole the spotlight from Schlittler in those playoffs as his team’s playoff run went all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. The big righty with the extreme top-down delivery had a shoulder issue that delayed his encore, so he’s only four starts into his campaign. His latest outing against the Tigers was his first to complete six innings, and he limited Detroit to two runs on four hits while striking out exactly six batters for the third straight appearance. Seeing these two sorcerers of the slab go toe-to-toe should be a delight.
Thursday: Carlos Rodón vs. TBD(7:05 pm ET)
Carlos Rodón would be the first to tell you that his first two starts of 2026 “didn’t go well at all.” The left-hander departed Saturday’s start before the end of the fourth inning thanks to command issues and a pair of gaffes on one play in the third which gave the Mets the lead. Room for optimism exists: Rodón’s issues have almost exclusively come after getting two outs in an inning. The two-out numbers have been rather grisly: the Mets and Brewers combined went 4-for-11 with three walks and five runs scored. As long as he can continue to obtain the first two outs without too much trouble, those troubles should even out over time. Toronto was an outstanding two-out offense in 2025, but have not been quite the same force this season.
This slot in the Blue Jays’ rotation used to belong to Eric Lauer, but he struggled so mightily to begin the year that the Jays designated him for assignment last week. On Saturday against the Tigers, Toronto turned to a bullpen game in which lefty reliever Mason Fluharty opened ahead of rookie Spencer Miles. Miles proved effective in the bulk man role last time, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings with two runs and two walks on five hits. Depending on how much (or how little) the Yankees make the Jays’ bullpen work in the first three games, Miles may be compelled to eat up more of this contest than that affair in Detroit—a 10-inning 2-1 victory.
After a spring of boardroom civil war, the Giallorossi’s two-goal hero put his side on the verge of a historic return to Champions League
A Rome derby on the penultimate weekend of a Serie A season could never be a low-stakes occasion. Scudetto wins come rarely in Italy’s capital city – Roma and Lazio have only five between them – leaving neighbourly bragging rights as the next-most important prize on offer. It is an intense, bitter rivalry that has produced countless iconic moments – from Francesco Totti taking selfies under the Curva to a cup-winning goal by Senad Lulic – if sadly also many violent clashes between supporters.
And, of course, it matters more when either side has tangible objectives left to play for. As recently as late April that did not appear very likely. Roma were sixth – five points adrift of the Champions League places – and Lazio ninth. But then the Giallorossi got on a roll, just as Milan and Juventus started dropping points. A win in the derby now could propel them into the top four, if either of those sides slipped up again.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 17: Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitchs during the second inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 17, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sasaki has tinkered with his pitch mix this season, adding a faster version of his split-fingered fastball while also throwing a slower forkball that he’s used in both years with the Dodgers. David Adler at MLB.com broke down the differences in movement of the pitches, and how Sasaki has been able to incorporate both.
“When hitters have to contend with both the diving splitter and floating forkball with two strikes,” Adler wrote, “Sasaki can keep them way more off-balance.”
Links
The Dodgers acquired Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash consideration on Sunday. The veteran left-hander will be activated at some point during the series against the San Diego Padres, reports Maddie Lee at the Los Angeles Times, who noted that manager Dave Roberts is “initially picturing Lauer in a length role out of the bullpen.”
Shohei Ohtani tripled home two runs and scored on an error in the eighth inning on Saturday. There was plenty of confusion since the ball bounced in play and then hit and nearly got caught in the netting above the right field wall in foul territory, which per the ground rules in Anaheim was not out of play.
Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic wrote about the Little League home run, including this reaction from Alex Call: “I turned around and Shohei was coming home, and I’m like, ‘What happened?’ I didn’t find out until later. But I guess yeah, the ball’s in play there.”
Stripling believes he can win by concentrating on young athletes, the ones suddenly showered in six- or seven-figure payments from draft bonuses, college revenue sharing payments, and name, image and likeness deals.
“I’ve seen the first-rounders come in and blow money on cars and houses and gambling,” Stripling said, “and I’ve seen the first-rounders like (former Dodgers shortstop Corey) Seager, who probably hasn’t spent a dime of his signing bonus.”
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 05: Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Minnesota Wild in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on May 05, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
That painful night in Dallas still fuels this Avalanche team: ‘You never totally get over it’. [Denver Post]
Avalanche finding ‘emotional balance’ ahead of Western Final. [NHL]
Avs head coach Jared Bednar thinks all players will be available for Game 1. [Denver Sports]
Sidney Crosby’s decision to play at worlds surprised Team Canada leaders. [Toronto Sun]
Gigantic Oilers goalie prospect crushing it in playoffs, but is his NHL path blocked? [Edmonton Journal]
Game 6 couldn’t have gone much worse for the Canadiens. The Sabres score seven unanswered goals in a commanding 8-3 win to force a deciding game. [Montreal Gazette]
Wild vets Brodin, Eriksson Ek each had broken foot that kept them out of playoff series loss to Avs. [TSN]
Sunday Overreactions: Wild need clarity from Hughes as soon as possible. [Sportsnet]
A list of suspensions and fines issued so far during the 2026 playoffs. [The Hockey News]
Golden Knights lose pick and coach John Tortorella is fined for boxing out media. [ESPN]
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 08: A general view of Oracle Park during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants on Friday, May 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
A new week of San Francisco Giants baseball begins today, so let’s take a look at what’s on deck for this week.
First up, the Giants keep their west coast road trip going as they begin a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight. After a day off on Thursday, they head back to Oracle Park to begin a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.
Personally, I’m going to pick the Diamondbacks series this week. The Giants are currently sitting in fourth place in the division and if they can get a couple wins against Arizona, that would move them up a bit to a slightly more respectable third place. One can dream, anyway.
Which series are you most interested in this week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin their series against the Diamondbacks tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 17: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after hitting a foul ball off of his foot during the MLB game between the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves on May 17, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
…………………………………..Sometimes I wonder why I watch a team like this, man. I’m so tired already. I can’t even muster the energy to write a fun lil’ intro. You know what the deal is with this team: the deal is that the 2026 Boston Red Sox fuckin’ suck at baseball. So, why waste any time? Let’s get this over with, because we’ve got plenty of stuff to talk about over the past week. Feel like this is gonna be a relatively quick one, since I don’t know how many times I can tell you that we’re watching a bad team.
(Going back to read this intro now that I’m done, and hahahahahahahaha of course I couldn’t keep it short. Who am I fooling? God I’m an ass.)
It’s Monday Morning Brushback time, y’all.
Defense Good, Offense Bad
Say what you want about Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, but he was a man of his word when it came to emphasizing pitching and defense. The Red Sox’s pitching staff has a top-10 ERA in the league following the weekend, while their defense has graded out as by far the best in baseball in terms of defensive runs saved.
Unfortunately, it looks like that’s come at the expense of…well, anything resembling consistent offense. The only team that has a worse combined OPS than the Sox this season (.666; very fitting if you ask me) are the Mets. Boston boasts one of the worst total on base percentages across MLB (.310) and are the posting the second-worst combined slugging percentage (.356; I’ll let you guess which team is putting up the only worse slugging output as of the time of publication).
You know who the suspects are. Three Red Sox hitters qualified for the league’s bottom 10 in OPS as of Sunday morning. Sing ‘em with me: Durbin, Duran, Story.
It’s not just that trio that have sucked complete shit on offense. The only guys who can skate from criticism here are Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras, and Ceddanne Rafaela. Those three—along with Nick Sogard (who has had all of four ABs in the bigs this year) and Mickey Gasper (25 ABs to his name, wowwwww such a bigger sample size)—are the only guys this year who are able to say they’ve got an OPS north of .687.
Again: I can sit here and try to dissect exactly what the problems are (I’ve tried to! On this very website! Multiple times this season!!!! In blog posts just like this one!!!!!!). Honestly, there are too many to even name. They can’t move runners over once they actually somehow manage to get into scoring position. They strikeout far too often for a team that has nearly zero slugging potential to speak of. They ground out far too often in general, sans qualifier. Go ahead and name a dozen more problems in the comments; there’s no shortage of them.
So this all comes back to Breslow, especially now that this is official his entire show. Hindsight is 20/20, yes, but what the fuck are we doing here, guys? I’ve been one to complain about stupid defensive mistakes before (again, I’ve done so on OTM many times over the last few years!!!!), but I didn’t want the monkey paw to curl this much to the point where the offense is on life support.
I’m sure in the coming weeks and months we’ll carry out the official autopsy on the 2026 lineup. The larger conversations about Breslow will be shelved, by me at least, for another day (knock yourself out; I just don’t have the energy for it right now……this team is breaking me, man). Those will all come with time. I guess I’m just still shocked at how uninspiring this team is at the plate. Almost everyone looks like they’re hitting with a pool noodle. Here I was trying to find silver linings about the hard hit rate, or strides that were being made by Marcelo Mayer or Jarren Duran. Serves me right for sticking my neck out for perhaps the single worst Red Sox offense I’ve seen in my entire life.
Hope the defensive improvements have been worth it!
It’s Hell-o Watching Bello
(Yes, I’m aware this doesn’t actually rhyme.)
Speaking of sticking my necks out for guys: I think I’m done doing so for Brayan Bello.
Just as I was starting to warm up to him again after a pair of solid outings that were preceded by an opener on the hill, Bello self-destructed once again in Sunday’s finale against Atlanta: seven earned runs coughed up across five innings of work. He surrendered eight hits, several of which went for extra bases, and walked three Braves.
I don’t really know what else to say about his stuff on the mound that I haven’t already touched upon in a previous MMBB this year (with the exception of one point that I’ll get to in a moment). His cutter still sucks, and it’s still a bad idea to make it his number two or three offering (which, to be fair, he only ended up throwing it 9% of the time on Sunday……….I can make a guess why that is, though). So, it made no sense as to why he tried to deploy it as an out pitch with two strikes and two down in the first and a pair of runners aboard against a power hitter in Austin Riley. The Bravos slugger did exactly what he was supposed to do with a 88 MPH cookie that ended up right in his happy zone.
Despite a slow start, Austin Riley is on pace for 25 HR and 98 RBI.
Bello can’t consistently get strikes with his changeup or his curve, and he’s never gonna consistently pile up the K’s. If he’s not spinning to keep the ball on the ground and if he can’t keep batters off balance, it spells trouble for him. Simple as that; nothing you didn’t already know.
Is this pickle’s solution really something as simple as preceding Bello’s “starts” with an opener? I don’t know if two appearances after an opener is enough of a sample size to see something sticky in that idea. But on the other hand………like……..it had been working. He was ass before the opener strategy, manager Chad Tracy and the gang enacted that idea for two starts, he threw 13.1 total frames in those appearances to the tune of just two earned runs alongside eight hits and a pair of free passes (12 strikeouts, too!), they dumped the opener plan for the finale against Atlanta, and then he was ass again.
I think having an opener appear before handing it off to Bello is at least worst revisiting once more. What’s the worst that can happen at this point? That he shits his pants, something he had been doing the entire season thus far without the assistance of someone from the bullpen to be his opening act?
A point on this topic of openers I want to share: Tracy, after Sunday’s loss, said the opener strategy could be back on the table.
Chad Tracy isn't shutting down the idea of going back to an opener with Brayan Bello. Seems like it will be decided based on where the lefties in the bullpen are at. pic.twitter.com/N3222JmROR
Isn’t the onus on Tracy, the rest of the staff, and the organization to set Bello up for success?
I understand that Brayan’s a veteran at this point (one with a not-so-insignificant contract and financial commitment from the club, might I add) and that he should be expected to start a game right away, opener or not. But to quote John Mulaney talking about horses lose in hospitals, we’re well past that. It’s clear that at this point in time, the regular plan for Bello ain’t worth a lick.
So isn’t it the responsibility of Tracy to ensure that he’s getting the best version of number 66 by not burning all of his possible openers? This is especially the case when ace Garrett Crochet has yet to return and when you need guys to eat innings in order to survive in what is a truly putrid American League race (it is insane that we could hypothetically be in a playoff spot by the time Memorial Day rolls around next week). Isn’t the manager supposed to, I suppose, manage these things?
Regardless of what inning Bello toes the rubber in his next outing, though, he’s obviously got to improve. Otherwise, I don’t think an option to Worcester in the near future is out of the question. I’m rooting for him desperately. I’ve defended his pitching profile plenty of times before. I really want to see a homegrown talent succeed here, like he did in 2025. Yet it’s time for the veteran to start pitching like one, opener or no opener.
Oh, and happy belated birthday Brayan.
(What’s The Story) Trev and Sogie?
Trevor Story’s bad start to 2026 got worse this past week, as the shortstop has been placed on the injured list with a sports hernia. Chris Cotillo of The Mexican TimesMassLive reported that all options to get Story on the mend, including surgery, are being considered. As I’m writing this on Sunday before the finale in Hotlanta, it sounds like he could miss at least six to 10 weeks of action.
A trio of points I’d like to make on this front to round us out:
1. As reported in that same MassLive article, Story himself mentioned he’s been playing with this lingering groin issue since spring training.
“Obviously, I haven’t been able to really move like myself out there, so it kind of built up on me. After a few hard days in a row, it popped up and I just couldn’t kick it after that. It’s been a battle for the first month, month-and-a-half. I hang my hat on being able to play and being available, and obviously, now it’s probably a good time to re-evaluate that.”
Maybe that explains some of the struggles we’ve seen from Story, both at the plate and on the infield dirt, to begin 2026. To be frank, he’s looked lost with both the bat and the glove. Not to go all Savant slop on all of you, but the old saying is that a picture says 1,000 words. If that’s the case, I think a screenshot of Trevor’s Savant page can do all the explaining I need.
Bad. Really, really, really bad stuff. And honestly, if you watch the games (which I’d imagine you do if you’re reading this, thank you for doing so), you didn’t need me nor that screenshot to tell you that everything with his game this season has been rough to see.
With that said, here’s hoping the recovery process goes well for Story so that we can maybe get some productivity out of him in the second half of the season. For better or for worse, I think we’re gonna have him on the roster short of a DFA being executed in a few months. I don’t think anyone’s gonna trade for him along with the $25 million deal for 2027 that’s attached to him at this juncture (and that includes the Mets; I saw those rumors too and I don’t buy ‘em). I suppose stranger things have happened, and maybe Story can salvage something from this season, but I guess I’m not holding my breath. Just a shame all around, really.
2. Story’s time on the shelf paved the way for Nick Sogard to be recalled from AAA. While he’s not the absolute pinnacle of the farm system at this point, maybe he can step in and be a serviceable left-handed hitting option within the infield alongside the righty Andruw Monasterio at least for the time being.
For what it’s worth, Sogard has been hitting the ball real well this season for the WooSox: his triple slash prior to being called up to the big club stood at .269/.417/.454 for an .871 OPS across 168 plate appearances at the AAA level, with the five homers sticking out to me as an impressive figure worthy of a shout out.
Is five homers in the minors gonna get me out of bed in the morning? No, not particularly. However, to bring things back to what I spoke about earlier on in the article: this team is starved of offensive output right now, so any positive developments within the organization are a welcome sign and something that’s worth monitoring at the very least.
After all: Sogard’s Prospect Savant page don’t look too shabby. He’s been drawing a healthy amount of walks, he hasn’t been striking out a ton, and his average exit velocities have actually been quite firm. A solid approach at the plate could provide the foundation of some semblance of production, regardless of how long his stint in Boston this season lasts. Watch this space. Let me try to convince myself of something to latch onto, folks. I’m gonna go insane if I can’t, and I’m sure Mr. Secatore and Co. will not appreciate that outcome.
3. Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported a piece of news regarding Marcelo Mayer prior to Sunday’s game that I was really hoping to see sooner rather than later.
Marcelo Mayer said he has talked with Chad Tracy about potentially moving to shortstop and is going to start practicing there.
With all due respect to Mr. Story along with his career accomplishments and previous reputation on defense, I think this moves has to happen—nay: had to, as in something that should’ve happened. I don’t think I’d hear much pushback to the idea of Mayer being a better fielder right now than anyone else you could put on the left side of the infield right now outside of, perhaps, Caleb Durbin. Durbin’s been sensational at third, though I’m not sure how he’d fare at short. Meanwhile, I’ve seen Mayer play both quite well. But I digress.
While Mayer’s offensive output has ebbed and flowed thus far in 2026, he’s already shown he’s a major league-caliber fielder. It would behoove the organization to get him over to shortstop now, especially while the incumbent Story heals up. Hell, I would’ve made the change much sooner—but I’m just a mere blogger trying to write this while my dog paws at me to take him to go pee (in a minute, Marshall, I’m writing thousands of words about a sub-.500 ball club…).
Point is: more Mayer at short, please. It’s been long enough. The kid’s got to sink or swim at some point; that means putting him in the lineup against more lefties and letting him get a hold of that position full-time.
Song of the Week: “If Not For You” by George Harrison
A beaut from the best Beatles solo album, of course.
Same time and same place next week, friends! Go Sox.
We’re going to the butcher’s bill early today because it’s long and I don’t have any more animal cruelty stories (thank goodness). Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. The Dodgers are hopeful the former two-time Cy Young Award winner will return before the end of the season.
The Dodgers acquired lefty Eric Lauer in a trade with the Blue Jays. Toronto gets cash. Lauer takes the place of lefty Jack Dreyer, who goes on the IL with left shoulder discomfort.
Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg, who hasn’t played yet this year, is now out for the season with ulnar collateral ligament surgery. Dayn Perry writes that the pressure is now on the rest of the Orioles to step up.
Just under a year ago, Wilber Flores hit three home runs in one game for the Giants. Now a free agent, Flores can’t find a team that wants him. (The Athletic sub. req.) So he’s also playing for Tijuana. Sam Blum and Dennis Lim with both Tijuana stories. (If you want a blast from the past, Flores and Turner are teammates on the Toros with Junior Lake.)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 13: Mickey Moniak #22 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a three run home run in the fifth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies have, to put it lightly, struggled over the past few years. However, one bright spot every year is the selection of a team’s All-Star representative(s). The Rockies have only had one representative each year since 2021:
Germán Márquez (2021)
C.J. Cron (2022)
Elias Díaz (2023)
Ryan McMahon (2024)
Hunter Goodman (2025).
Looking ahead to this year, one player is making a case for himself to represent the Rockies in the Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia: Mickey Moniak.
Moniak posted career highs in games played (135), runs (62), hits (117), total bases (225), triples (8), home runs (24), RBI (68), walks (22), stolen bases (9) and OPS (.824).
He began the 2026 campaign on the 10-day IL after he sprained his finger diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt during spring training. However, he’s been on a tear since being reinstated on April 3 and is leading in numerous categories, both for the Rockies and around Major League Baseball.
Here’s how he ranks among NL and MLB leaders so far in 2026 (all stats current through the evening of May 17):
Stat
Number
NL Rank
MLB Rank
NL OF Rank
Rockies Rank
AVG
.298
12th
—
5th
2nd
SLG
.645
1st
2nd
1st
1st
OPS
.996
1st
5th
1st
1st
Total Bases
91
7th
9th
T-2nd
1st
Home Runs
12
T-4th
T-7th
T-2nd
1st
Extra-Base Hits
23
T-3rd
T-4th
T-2nd
1st
AB per HR
11.8
2nd
7th
1st
1st
In addition to the above stats, Moniak has had four multi-homer games in 2026 — which leads the Majors — and had an 18-game hitting streak from April 15-May 6. And on Wednesday, the 28-year-old fell a single shy of the cycle with a career-high tying five RBI, and his nine total bases were the most for a Rockie on their birthday.
If All-Stars were selected today, Moniak would have a case alongside St. Louis’ Jordan Walker and Washington’s James Wood. Wood was an All-Star last year, while Walker would also make his first All-Star team is selected. Here’s how Moniak stacks against them:
Stat
Number
NL OF Rank
Next Number
Player
AVG
.298
5th
.293
Michael Harris II (ATL)
SLG
.645
1st
.584
Jordan Walker (STL)
OPS
.996
1st
.955
Jordan Walker (STL)
Total Bases
91
T-2nd
91
James Wood (WSH)
Home Runs
12
T-2nd
12
James Wood (WSH)
Extra-Base Hits
23
T-2nd
23
Jordan Walker (STL)
AB per HR
11.8
1st
13.3
Jordan Walker (STL)
As you can see, not only does Moniak rank among NL outfield leaders, but in some cases, he’s far ahead of the next ranking player. That is particularly true of SLG, OPS and AB/HR.
In addition to Wood, the rest of the 2025 honors belonged to Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Kyle Tucker (CHC), Corbin Carroll (AZ), Kyle Stowers (MIA), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD). Acuña, Crow-Armstrong and Tucker were the starters, while the other four were reserves.
Mickey Moniak vs. The Rockies
Not only does Moniak rank among league leaders, but he leads the Rockies in numerous categories — often by a wide margin.
Stat
Number
Rockies Rank
Next Number
Player
AVG
.298
2nd
.275
TJ Rumfield
SLG
.645
1st
.506
Hunter Goodman
OPS
.996
1st
.844
Troy Johnston
Total Bases
91
1st
82
Hunter Goodman
Home Runs
12
1st
11
Hunter Goodman
Extra-Base Hits
23
1st
19
Hunter Goodman
AB per HR
11.8
1st
14.7
Hunter Goodman
Most of the time, he ranks just above Hunter Goodman, who is making his own case to be the first Rockies back-to-back All-Star since Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon did it from 2017-2019. The thing that would give Goodman the edge over Moniak is that the catcher field is less crowded than the outfield, but Moniak is still leading his teammates in enough categories that position might not matter.
Mickey Moniak 2026 vs. Charlie Blackmon 2019
The last Rockies outfielder to make an All-Star Game was Charlie Blackmon in 2019. (He was also selected in 2017 and 2018.) It was also the last time the Rockies fielded multiple All-Stars.
The rosters were announced on June 30 that year, and here’s how Blackmon stood out entering the reveal:
Stat
Number
NL Rank
MLB Rank
NL OF Rank
AVG
.337
3rd
4th
3rd
SLG
.653
3rd
3rd
3rd
OPS
1.036
3rd
4th
3rd
Triples
7
1st
T-2nd
1st
Home Runs
20
7th
T-8th
T-4th
Blackmon also had two multi-homer games in that stretch, and went on two separate 11-game hitting streaks from April 16-28 and May 1-14.
In 2019, Christian Yelich (MIL), Cody Bellinger (LAD) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL) were selected as starters, while Blackmon was selected by his peers as a reserve alongside David Dahl (COL) and Jeff McNeil (NYM).
The case for Mickey Moniak to be an All-Star
The case speaks for itself. Moniak is among league leaders in numerous offensive categories. When you’re in the same conversation as players such as Kyle Schwarber, Matt Olson, Bryce Harper and Max Muncy, you’re doing something right.
That said, Moniak likely won’t be selected as a starter — the last Rockie to have that honor was Nolan Arenado in 2019. However, if Moniak keeps playing the way he has been, he will likely be selected by his peers as a reserve.
Do you think Moniak will be an All-Star, or will that honor go to Goodman? Or do you think the Rockies will have multiple All-Stars for the first time in seven years? Let us know in the comments!
It was not a good day for the Isotopes pitching staff against the Oklahoma City Comets (LAD). Starter Erasmo Ramírez lasted just three innings and gave up nine runs on 10 hits. Bryson Van Sickle then came in and gave up six (four earned) on three hits and Ryan Miller gave up two on three hits. Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP) and Mason Green combined for three shutout innings (Herrera threw two perfect innings with three strikeouts), but then TJ Shook gave up three more in the final inning to seal the blowout loss. The pitching staff gave up three home runs, and only one was a multi-run homer in the fifth inning.
Offensively, Adael Amador went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and two runs scored. Chad Stevens, Blaine Crim and Jose Cordova also recorded multi-hit games, and Crim and Nic Kent also hit homers of their own.
The Yard Goats fared better than the Isotopes, as they walked off the Portland Sea Dogs (BOS). Starter Konner Eaton struggled, giving up four runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks, five strikeouts and two home runs. Luckily, Carlos Torres bailed him out with two hits and two strikeouts over two innings, and Cade Denton ended up with the win after allowing just one run on one hit with two walks and a strikeout.
Bryant Betancourt ended up being the hero for the Goats, hitting a two-RBI double in the bottom of the ninth.
It was a low-scoring affair in Spokane, but the Indians came out on the losing side of it. They jumped out to an early 1-0 lead over the Hops (AZ) in the first, but it was given back in the bottom of the inning. Roynier Hernandez scored on a pickoff error in the third to put the Indians up 2-1, but that was the end of the scoring as the Hops scored twice in the fifth and once again in the eighth. Hernandez was the only Indians player to have multiple hits (2).
On the pitching side, each player gave up at least one run but Hunter Mann’s was unearned in his 2.2 innings of work.
It was a high-scoring affair in Fresno, but unfortunately the Grizzlies weren’t quite able to overcome an eight-run sixth inning by the Rawhide (AZ). The game was tied 2-2 after the first, and then the Grizzlies scored six in the third to go up 8-2. It started with Tanner Thach being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Clayton Gray. Then Derek Bernard reached on an error to score Roldy Brito, and then Jack O’Dowd hit a grand slam. But then the Rawhide scored eight in the sixth with an RBI double by Pedro Catuy, a two-run triple by Ivan Luciano, an RBI single by Jose Alpuria, a two-run homer by Enyervert Perez and then another two-run homer by JD Dix to put them up 11-8 after the inning. Kyle Fossum grounded into a force in the seventh, but Bernard and O’Dowd were able to score. But then Jakey Josepha singled to tack on another run in the eighth, 12-10, and Alpuria doubled and Cunningham singled to put the Rawhide up 15-10. Gray doubled to score Matt Klein, then Brito singled to score Fossum and Gray. And finally Ethan Holliday singled to score Brito, but that was the end of it: 15-14.
Tanner Gordon flew to and from Albuquerque in place of Jimmy Herget twice last week. After being recalled on April 14, he was optioned down on Tuesday when Herget came off the bereavement/family emergency list. However, he barely touched down before he was summoned back on Thursday when Herget went on the IL with right shoulder impingement. And naturally, after being in five different cities in 48 hours, Gordon had to pitch four innings at PNC Park after starter Chase Dollander went down with an elbow injury in the second inning. He allowed one run on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Michael Lorenzen signed with the Rockies with the hopes of solving Coors Field. Unfortunately, that has not happened yet, as the right-hander has put up a 2-6 record and 7.03 ERA (10.03 at Coors Field). On Sunday, he yielded nine hits and seven runs (six earned) in 4.2 innings in the loss to the Diamondbacks. Lorenzen addressed the media after the game, and we’ll have to see if he’s able to right the ship.
The Rockies’ in-game host has connections both to Colorado and to Major League Baseball. Patrick Saunders caught up with Gianna about her history in both, and how she is making her way in a tough industry.
SPRINGFIELD, MO - APRIL 08: Liam Doyle #19 of the Springfield Cardinals pitches during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Kaylee Vaughan/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Last week, I shared how the hitting prospects in the system were doing. Wasn’t really planning for it to be a weeklong thing, it’s just that the Cardinals seem to have that many prospects worth monitoring. And I definitely didn’t cover everyone too. This week, I’ll cover the pitching prospects. Let’s get started.
Maybe it’s because he got to Memphis so fast, but I am truly confused as to how long it is taking Mathews to adjust to AAA. Maybe it’s the ball and he’s uniquely affected. Maybe it’s just that some pitchers need more development time at some level. Whatever it is, I really wish he could get his walk rate to a level where I would feel comfortable promoting him to the big leagues. 18% is a nonstarter and it’s not like his other stats are good right now either.
I am suddenly not concerned about Mathews at all after seeing how Hence has pitched this year. He is not currently in Memphis to the best of my knowledge, being sent to the complex league to work out whatever exactly is affecting him right now. The talent is still there. Either the mechanics or the health isn’t however. Hopefully, it works out as well as the Joshua Baez experience.
Tekoah Roby, RHP – 24 (VEB’s #11 prospect)
Underwent Tommy John surgery on July 28th last season. If he pitches at all this year, I doubt he’ll have much time to do more than be a multi-inning relief pitcher.
Mautz hasn’t really had a walk problem before this season, so there really does seem to be something to having to adjust to pitching with a different ball. And of course harder competition. I’m not worried about Mautz only because he wasn’t really ever on my radar to pitch at the big league level this season except maybe a spot start later in the season. Would have surprised me more if he was immediately good in Memphis.
Ixan Henderson, LHP – 24 (VEB’s #17 prospect)
Henderson was shut down due to a flexor strain in his elbow and was slated to miss at least the first two months of the season. I haven’t heard any updates since spring training.
Hunter Dobbins, RHP – 26 (acquired in the Sonny Gray trade)
Dobbins is currently a bit of a confusing pitcher. His Memphis stats suggest we basically have another Andre Pallante waiting in the wings. Which… actually it’s support by his lone MLB start too. He got a ton of groundballs, but couldn’t locate the zone. Pallante, despite lacking control, walks less than you would think. I don’t think Dobbins is exactly kicking down the door with his performance, though it’s good enough that he’s the clear choice if you need a starter.
Richard Fitts, RHP – 26 (acquired in the Willson Contreras trade)
I understand that Zimmermann is this year’s version of Curtis Taylor. I kind of want to see what he’s like in relief though. His K/BB numbers are excellent and it’s clear he can’t start at the MLB level – he’s just too homer-prone. He allowed three homers in yesterday’s game so that FIP is going to get way worse. He had a 6:1 K/BB so that xFIP won’t be hit that badly. Anyway, he was a reliever for 7 total games at the MLB level and he had a 14:0 K/BB ratio. I see more potential in him than Jared Shuster.
Hansen began the year injured, but has worked his way back to full heath at this point. If you focus on his batters faced, they have steadily increased to a season high of 22 in his most recent start, even though he only went 4.1 IP and he managed 5 innings in a previous start. It got momentarily derailed when he got rocked in a start where he lasted just 1.2 IP, hence the high ERA. It’s going pretty well for Hansen so far though. Would like to have another viable player to call up if needed in the Memphis rotation. It’s pretty much just Dobbins right now.
Sem Robberse, RHP – 24
Robberse underwent Tommy John surgery on May 14th of last season, so it’s entirely possible he could be starting rehab in the near future. Very far from being an MLB impact of course.
The Cardinals are kind of playing the in-between game with Rincon, where he’s not a starting pitcher, but he’s a little more than a reliever. He has started 3 games, but not been asked to face more than 15 batters in any appearance. I’m not sure if his innings are being limited or if he’s truly not a starter anymore, but I do find it a bit strange they seem to have given up on him as a starter.
His lone start wasn’t a real start, Rajcic is a full-blown reliever. Just wanted to put that out there. Jake Wood has been a big advocate to consider promoting him to the big league and it’s easy enough to see why. Probably not future as a starter and excelling as a reliever at the moment.
Winquest somehow has three hit by pitches in his three innings of work which do factor into his overall stats. It’s a similar negative penalty to a walk. Despite a solid K%, he hasn’t actually had a good appearance in Memphis yet – he’s allowed a run in each one. He had 2 Ks and no walks or HBPs in one appearance, but also allowed a homer. He is also now injured with an undisclosed injury. So much for bullpen help here.
For a minor league Rule 5 pickup, this is as good of a start as you can ask for. Yes, I know his ERA and FIP are ugly in Memphis. And it’s unfortunate he’s already allowed four homers this year. But he proved to be too good in AA pretty much immediately which is encouraging for a guy who spent last year pitching only rehab innings essentially.
Ryan Fernandez went from someone they couldn’t send down because he needed to work out his issues at the MLB level to a guy who can’t get called up even if he’s pitching well in Memphis (and a brief time at the MLB level) despite the Cardinals having a bad bullpen pretty quickly honestly. It is nice to have someone who I think deserves to get called up if a spot is needed at least.
I mean… Roycroft has to be getting close to entering DFA territory if a 40 man spot is needed. In his last four appearances, including last night, he’s allowed 10 earned runs in 4.1 IP. He may have been the punching bag on May 9th because innings were needed and he faced 13 batters, which is 5 batters more than he’s faced in any other appearance. He allowed six runs in that appearance.
People have suggested Gastelum for the MLB bullpen. He doesn’t appear that close to being MLB ready to me. It does not help his case that he is not on the 40 man roster. Typically if you are on the outside looking in with regards to the 40 man, you need to have great stats to get the call-up. He does not have that.
Good news. I can adjust many stats based upon how a pitcher pitched the night I’m writing this, but FIP and xFIP are not those stats. And Hales pitched a great inning yesterday and his FIP and xFIP will both drop. He struck out 2 in a scoreless innings with no walks and only a hit allowed. The bad news is that his BB% only dropped to 16.9%, so that’s going to need to fall a lot farther down before you consider a promotion.
Okay we at least have two relief pitchers worth promoting if they are needed. Obviously Blewett is a bit more complicated, not being on the 40 man and not having any options if promoted. The team BABIP in Memphis must be .330 because I am seeing a lot of high BABIPs.
In Doyle’s last three starts, he has a 37 K% and 5.6 BB%, so I think he’s at the right level. His advanced stats for the whole season are solid, though nothing special and I would expect a higher GB% at some point. But yeah if you were concerned about his first few starts, his last few starts make me think he’ll see Memphis sooner rather than later.
Not the most impressive stats, and you can really see the value in not walking guys when comparing him and Doyle. Doyle doesn’t have a particularly low BB%, and yet he has a significantly lower xFIP than Cjintje pretty much just because of walks. Cjintje also has four HBPs and man I really wish HBPs wasn’t playing such a big role in some of these pitching lines, because a 12.2 BB% is high, but I found it weird how bad his xFIP was. If you add the HBPs to the walks, it’s a 14.6 BB/HBP% which is really bad. He did strike out 10 in his most recent appearance so clearly there’s a lot of potential here.
Cooper Hjerpe, LHP – 25 (VEB’s #15 prospect)
Hjerpe underwent Tommy John surgery on April 15th last season. I haven’t seen any updates on his rehab, but he should probably pitch this season and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him in the MLB bullpen in September.
Everyone raise your hand if you thought Lin was going to outpitch Cjintje after a month and half of play. Now stop lying because you guys did not vote him onto the top 20 prospect list this past season. He’s still walking too many batters, but at least he’s striking out nearly a third of hitters and his walks are in a better place than last season certainly. Let’s hope he keeps this up.
Molina is now in his third organization and at least two of them have been pretty aggressive in promoting Molina, which is interesting because he was a 7th round pick. He’s advanced like a Day One pick. He started 11 games at Low A for the Rangers before they promoted him, and 12 total games at High A before the Cardinals put him in AA. Because the dude can miss bats.
If I wrote this before yesterday’s start happened, there’d be a lot more reason for optimism about Davis, but he had a horrendous start yesterday, walking five and only striking out two while giving up 5 runs. His FIP is going to be a lot worse and so will his xFIP. So that one’s a bummer. I also felt they were particularly aggressive with Davis, as he made just 8 starts at High A last year.
I can’t be the only one whose first instinct on seeing this guy and his stats and thought: “Who’s this guy?” Honestly, there wasn’t much reason before this year to pay attention. He was a 17th rounder in 2024 and spent most of 2025 in A ball, only striking out 19.8% of hitters in Low A. He struck out 39% of batters in High A, but it was just 15 innings. But he also was promoted to Springfield as well, and had a 1.00 ERA, albeit with a 15% K rate. Clearly that 39% K rate told us more than I think I would have guessed at the time as well as his permanent promotion to Springfield. These are great stats. This is a late round gem, even if he ends up hitting a wall. He’s not even old for his level. Score one for the scouting department on this one.
Saladin appears to be a full-time reliever, which is a bummer after his 2024 season, but appears to be the right choice. He didn’t have a great 2025, he would have started being old for his level if they kept him at High A, so they both promoted him and moved him to the bullpen. He’s been wild. Hasn’t allowed a homer, but a crazy high BABIP. Yesterday he threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, so his FIP and xFIP will see some improvement. Just needs to control the walks.
Okay, well the Cardinals know more than me. News at eleven. Love has been pretty bad lately, and in fact gave up four runs in a relief appearance yesterday. I don’t know if he’s working on something, I don’t know if he’s fighting through an injury, but the Love I wanted to promote has exited the building.
Most of you probably know this – hell most of you probably don’t pay attention to this – but when I list the age of a player, I am listing the age they are considered for that year. Which can lead to thinks like me calling Watson 24-years-old despite not turning 24 until June. If he was born a month later, he’d be considered 23. That’s just the way it works. Anyway, he actually allowed three of his four homers in his last appearance, which really dragged down his numbers.
Oh hey I made a good call. In a post earlier this year, I said Love should be promoted to Memphis. That has not aged well, I also said Findlay should be promoted to Springfield. It happened less than a week later. And Findlay has rewarded that promotion so far.
Again, let’s give a hand to the scouting department. Burns was drafted in the 14th round of the 2024 draft. Granted, if you told me a later round draft pick had made it to AA, I wouldn’t be that shocked if it was a reliever. Thompson is shocking to me because he’s a starting pitcher. That’s taking nothing away from Burns however, who has been a three true outcomes guy: strikeout, groundball, or walk. He’s allowed two homers in 19.1 IP and has been supremely unlucky to do so since 25% of his flyballs allowed have been homers (average is 12%)
Uhhhh, what in the hell? How is this line even possible? This is legitimately an unbelievable line. I don’t know what to do with this. He has allowed 24 balls in play, which is a crazy low number considering he’s thrown 13.1 IP. Out of those 24, 16 have been hits. Does he occasionally just want to make things hard and just yell “I’m throwing three fastballs right down the middle” because how can you be this unhittable and have a .667 BABIP against. I want to write 2,000 words about this.
Anyway, that’s a good place to end. Hunter Hayes does not have stats worth sharing but he did strike out four and walk none a 2.1 inning relief appearance yesterday, so hopefully that means he turned a corner.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -MAY 12: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs high fives Stephon Castle #5 after a basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half of Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on May 12, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA has arrived at the very best part of the calendar. Four teams are left standing in the race for the 2026 championship, and it should produce the highest possible level of basketball played this season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to become the first team since the 2018 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back championships. They’re facing an upstart contender in the San Antonio Spurs who can threaten their potential dynasty. The Spurs have 22-year-old 7’5 sensation Victor Wembanyama. If the mythical Best Player in the World title belongs to Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander right now, it sure feels like Wemby is on the brink of claiming it as its own for the foreseeable future.
In the East, the New York Knicks are rolling, and playing the best basketball the franchise has seen since its last championship in 1973. The Cleveland Cavaliers are standing in their way after surviving a seven-game series against the Pistons.
Let’s rank the four teams still alive by their championships chances.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs and Knicks were expected to be the last two clubs left standing in the East at the start of the year, and that’s exactly what happened even if there were some twists for Cleveland that no one could have seen coming. The Cavs left no doubt in Game 7 against the Pistons despite another clunker from their trade deadline addition James Harden in a big game. It’s a testament to Cleveland’s talent level that Harden can no show and the team can still win a blowout. Harden will have better games against the Knicks, and he’ll need to for Cleveland to keep pace. The Cavs got Evan Mobley more involved in the offense after going down 0-2 to Detroit, and his continued growth represents Cleveland’s best chance to pull off an upset in the conference finals. Mobley and Jarrett Allen have the ability to give Karl-Anthony Towns fits defensively, and Mobley in particular should be able to hold up better than most bigs when switched onto Jalen Brunson. Donovan Mitchell probably has to be the best player in the series for Cleveland to make the NBA Finals, and he’s capable of getting to that level. This will be a huge series for Sam Merrill and Max Strus, the designated movement shooters for the Cavs who need to stay hot to match buckets with a powerful Knicks offense. New York has clearly been the better team in the playoffs, but Cleveland is still learning who it is, and there’s a chance it can still discover its best level in the conference finals.
3. New York Knicks
Remember when the Knicks were trailing the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 in their first-round series and all of New York was ready to fire head coach Mike Brown? Since then, the Knicks have rattled off seven straight wins to look like a realistic championship challenger out of the East. The Knicks have been the favorite in the conference going back to the preseason, but it feels like they’re just starting to hit their stride and play their best ball at the best possible time. OG Anunoby’s right hamstring strain hangs over the team’s ascent, but he’s reportedly in line to play in Game 1 of this series. Anunoby is the skeleton key that makes New York go, providing spacing and three-point shooting around Jalen Brunson’s shot-creation and excellent defense next to two offensively-slanted stars in Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. While lineups with Brunson, KAT, and Anunoby are pretty mid on the season, Anunoby with one star on and the other star off crushes everything in its path. Brunson remains as good as it gets in crunch time: he’s always ready to pick out the weakest defender and attack them relentlessly, and it’s almost impossible to stop him from getting to his spots. This series and potentially the next one feel pivotal for Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson as players who bring unique strengths off the bench. If Anunoby is back and regains the level he’s played at so far in the postseason, the Knicks are a big favorite in the East and could have a decent chance against the Thunder or Spurs.
2. San Antonio Spurs
It’s wild to think that Victor Wembanyama had never played in a playoff game entering his third season this year. All San Antonio did this season was win 62 games (second-most in the NBA), with Wemby ascending to a top-3 player in the world, and posing problems no one has a solution for. Wembanyama isn’t just 7’5 with an 8-foot wingspan, he also plays with an incredible motor and enough skill to hit shots all over the floor. Wemby alone would make this team a contender, the Spurs also moved up into the top-4 of the draft lottery the next two seasons after landing the best prospect of the generation. Put Wemby on the floor with Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, and the Spurs outscore opponents by 38.7 points per 100 possessions. Take Wemby and Castle off, and lineups led by Harper are still out-scoring opponents by +4.5 points. I’ll drop the fancy numbers for a second and just say the Spurs are much more than a one-man show. Luke Kornet provides elite rim protection as Wembanyama’s backup, and Julian Champagnie has grown into high-volume and accurate three-point shooter. Oh yeah, De’Aaron Fox is here too, and while he’s often frustrating, his shot-creation is still nice to have in a pinch. The Spurs have three losses throughout the playoffs, and two of them came when Wembanyama was either concussed or ejected. The Spurs already showed they could beat the Thunder in the regular season by winning the season series 4-1. No one should be surprised if this team wins the championship, and then wins a whole bunch more in the coming years.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are 8-0 in the playoffs entering the Western Conference Finals, and six of those eight wins have been by double-figures. The Spurs will be a much tougher opponent than the Suns or Lakers, and in many ways this is the first real chapter of what should be the defining rivalry in the NBA for the foreseeable future. While the Spurs won four of the five games during the regular season, teams usually have to take their lumps before breaking through for a championship. Beyond that, OKC has answers for everything San Antonio can do outside of Wembanyama. The Thunder’s defense is one of the best units in league history, and players like Fox, Castle, and Harper won’t have such an easy time creating looks against them. San Antonio has some good defenders, but they don’t have anyone who can slow down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA scored 20+ points in literally every game this season on the way to back-to-back MVPs. Chet Holmgren is the closest thing to Wemby the United States has produced, and while he’s not nearly as good as his French counterpart, Holmgren still feels like a top-10 player in the league right now. Jalen Williams will reportedly be ready to go for game one, but he’s missed so much of this season with a hamstring injury that it’s hard to know how much he can be counted on. Of course, Ajay Mitchell has basically replicated the scoring and shot-creation Williams was providing, so the Thunder should be just fine either way. Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player in the world right now, and while Wembanyama will probably grab that title from him soon (maybe even in the next two weeks), I think SGA has enough juice to get the Thunder over the finish line this year. This is an elite team in its prime, and they’re ready to break the NBA’s no repeats streak.
Juraj Slafkovsky
Rasmus Dahlin 
