Oh, how different a week can make you feel. The Yankees’ fast start climbing to the top of the league with a 7-1 record has flipped on its head just as quick, as a five-game losing streak has torpedoed them down towards the rest of the pack in a hurry. While the team certainly was flawed during their winning streak, their flaws have been their outright downfall as they’ve lost one-run game after one-run game. The lineup at large has been dormant, and the few moments that a spark has sprung have been quickly put down by a bullpen that is struggling to match the success of their starting counterparts.
Drastic measures are hardly the right call three weeks into a 162-game season, but some adjustments are clearly necessary. The Yankees may not want to mess up the development of Jasson Domínguez, but they’ve yet to get a single hit from Randal Grichuk and the team is floundering from the lack of production from the supporting cast as a whole. Should they cut bait with the journeyman backup and promote Domínguez? Can the bullpen turn it around or will they need to remodel again? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of April 16th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves hits a single during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a win-win for Michael Harris as he was on paternity leave to be with his family, and the Atlanta Braves were able to score a large number of runs while he was out. The Braves’ offense now averages 5.62 runs per game behind only three other teams after the massive 13-1 blowout yesterday.
With the announcement of Harris coming back we could assume already that he would be back in the lineup, which means that Mauricio Dubón’s stint at CF is done for the moment. The Dubón trade may go down as the best offseason addition by Alex Anthopoulos in a landslide not only for the offensive upgrade, but the versatility he has already brought this team.
The 5.62 runs per game has been impressive, especially considering the Braves are down Sean Murphy, and Ha-Seong Kim, plus Ronald Acuña and Austin Riley have had slow starts.
Today the offense will be facing Eury Pérez who is a righty, and Weiss has been pretty consistent in his lineups when facing them, at least in terms of who is drawing the start. No Braves player has faced Pérez in more than six at-bats, but Dominic Smith, who typically only starts against righties is one of two players to do so with Matt Olson being the other. Smith has been successful in those at-bats with an .833 OPS.
Drake Baldwin has two HRs in only four at-bats against Pérez, and Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña both have a HR against him as well. Considering the Braves are second behind only the mighty Dodgers in HRs this season, we may be in store for a HR happy evening.
In his return, Harris will be batting eighth. Maybe with his time out, his luck has flipped. His BABIP has been terrible at .256 and his xwOBA is on the top 9.0 of MLB. He has a wOBA of .287, yet his xwOBA is .401. He has arguably been the unluckiest hitter in the sport. Dubón will no be back at SS, and batting ninth.
The Miami Marlins only have five players who have faced Grant Holmes before, and three have struggled in limited action. Xavier Edwards has a .393 OPS in seven at-bats, while Connor Norby and Agustín Ramírez are both hitless so far in four and three at-bats respectively. Otto Lopez and Liam Hicks both have a hit in their two at-bats.
Surprisingly, the Marlins offense is scoring 4.38 runs per game which is in the top half of MLB. Grant Holmes is not going to have a walk in the park so to speak as some may assume.
LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 12: Cade Winquest #80 of the New York Yankees pitches during the spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 4-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Completing his strange trek from St. Louis to New York and back, Cade Winquest has been returned to the Cardinals after the Yankees designated him for assignment last week. The Yankees selected Winquest in the Rule 5 Draft last December, but the right-hander ultimately never made an appearance for the team.
It was a surprise to see the Yankees take Winquest in the Rule 5, the club’s first Rule 5 selection in over a decade. By rule, Rule 5 draftees must be added to the active roster and stay there for an entire season or else be exposed to waivers, indicating the Yankees saw at least some potential for Winquest to upgrade their bullpen.
But the fit proved awkward from the start. The Yankees saw potential, but they don’t have the luxury of letting long-term projects develop on the active roster while trying to win a pennant. Brian Cashman said as much when asked of Winquest’s DFA, telling reporters “It would have been nice to be able to find room to get him into games to develop, but it’s hard when you’re trying to compete to develop at the same time.”
The Cardinals assigned Winquest to their Triple-A affiliate, where he’ll continue to work in an effort to actually make his major league debut. It was a tough draw for Winquest in New York, getting warm a couple times in comfortable wins at the start of the season, only to not make it into the game. Hopefully, the call comes soon enough for him in St. Louis.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 12: Luke Raley #20 of the Seattle Mariners hoists the trident after beating the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 12, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mops are on the table, I repeat, mops are ON the table. The Seattle Mariners have won their first series of 2026, and have the mopportunity to send the reeling Houston Astros on their way in an ambulance. This is sadly literally true as much as figurative, as Houston is falling apart physically as much as performance-wise. Today launched another flurry of injury news for the browbeaten Texans.
On the bump today are a newcomer and and oldcomer to the AL West – RHP Mike Burrows for the Astros takes his first crack at the Mariners since coming over from the Pittsburgh Pirates this winter, while George Kirby will look to build on a trio of solid outings that showcased his trademark efficiency. Additionally, we got a little injury update from Dan Wilson on Bryce Miller:
Lineups
Sorry this is truly the least aesthetically pleasing but I am a-hustling. It’s a Mitch Garver day behind the plate, while Houston’s lineup continues to thin.
Game Info
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. PDT TV: Mariners TV Radio: Old Reliable
The Mets versus the Dodgers is about as star-studded a matchup as the National League can offer these days. That being said, the first pitching duel of this series doesn’t necessarily reflect that, and it provides the reigning back-to-back champs yet another opportunity to showcase their early prowess against left-handed pitching—Justin Wrobleski will square off against David Peterson at Dodger Stadium. As of April 13th, the Dodgers are tied with the Washington Nationals for the best wRC+ against southpaws, currently sitting at 146.
While the results haven’t been great, Peterson has managed to overcome the 19 runs allowed (15 of them earned) in 30.1 innings against the Dodgers to feature a 2-0 record against them throughout his career. The potential for an even more damaging outing is on the table, as this attack has been unforgiving when going up against a left-hander. It’ll be the first southpaw starter the Dodgers face since they had a surprisingly difficult time against Foster Griffin more than a week ago, seeing nothing but righties against the Blue Jays and Rangers.
A surprising factor in this early success against lefties—one unlikely to last—is that Max Muncy is already one home run away from tying his last season’s total versus southpaws, hitting half of his four homers this season against same-handed pitching. It’s not just him, though. Cornerstones of this offense have already proven themselves against lefties in the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, and you have Andy Pages leaving those postseason struggles behind to follow up on what was a very productive 2026 campaign.
Pitching-wise, Justin Wrobleski will look to follow up on a successful and very peculiar outing against the Blue Jays—not only due to the massive run support he received in making this a blowout early on, but also the four walks he conceded in five one-run innings.
We are once again joined by the one and only Brian Walton to talk with us about what he experienced during Cardinals spring training and who is showing positively for the Cardinals’ minor league affiliates early in the season.
We covered the impressive start AAA Memphis has gotten off to, Hunter Dobbins, Jimmy Crooks, Tanner Franklin, Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cintje, Tai Peete, and much, much more!
As you can see here, which has been posted on social media, we will be joined by some special guests throughout April! Each of these gentlemen covers different aspects of the game, and we here at Viva El Birdos are committed to trying to give fans of all walks of baseball consumption something that appeals to them, whether it be the minor leagues, which I know there is a strong appetite for, analytical thinkers and those who follow the game by the numbers and this website built its reputation off of, or inside info/those with direct access who bring you the news and perspective from the club. Hopefully, all of these elements will allow VEB to continue to be one of the best sources for fans to consume their Cardinals content!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Manager Warren Schaeffer #4 of the Colorado Rockies looks on before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 09, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While progress will be slow in the climb to change the trajectory of an organization that’s lost more than 100 games in three straight seasons, several indicators show this team is considerably better than the 2025 squad at this point last year. That could be good to keep in mind, considering the five remaining series in April will be against teams that finished above .500 last year. This includes a four-game matchup with the Dodgers that’s part of a seven-game homestand that includes three more games against the Padres.
Through 16 games, here are eight reasons to believe the Rockies are on the right track.
#1 — 3 More Wins
While three might not feel like a lot, it really is. Through 16 games last year, the Rockies were 3-13. Right now, the Rockies are 6-10. Riding a four-game losing streak, 6-10 doesn’t feel great. However, just think about last season. It took the Rockies until May 1, at which point they were 6-25, to earn six wins. In earning six wins, the 2025 Rockies had a .165 winning percentage. Through Sunday, the Rockies winning percentage is .375.
#2 — 6 vs. -46
In 2025, the Rockies were getting rocked by opposing hitters. Through 16 games, the Rockies had given up 89 runs and scored only 43 for a jaw-dropping run differential of -46. That’s hard to do so early in the season.
This season, the Rockies have a -6 run differential. That means more close games and more entertaining games. The Rockies have scored 65 runs, which is a vast improvement from last season, and given up 71.
#3 — 3.76 vs. 5.50
Some rough outings against the Padres might make it seem like the bullpen is worse than it really is. Not to make excuses, but the Rockies are down a starter after Jose Quintana hit the 15-day IL with a right hamstring injury. Plus, the San Diego series hit the bullpen hard with a 12-inning contest on Thursday and Kyle Freeland being scratched while warming up for his start on Sunday, resulting in a bullpen day.
Even with that amount of stress, the bullpen ERA is down from 5.50 at this point last season to 3.76 heading into Tuesday’s series opener in Houston. A huge part of that lower number is thanks to Antonio Senzatela, who has thrown nine scoreless innings over four appearances with 12 strikeouts for a 0.00 ERA. Jimmy Herget has also continued to shine, giving up only two runs in nine innings over eight appearances, which include two opener starts. In relief only, he’s posted a 1.29 ERA. Jaden Hill has also been impressive, recording a 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings.
#4 — 2 vs. 5
The Rockies are more competitive because, in 2026, they are in more games until the end. They started the season losing three one-run games. They have played in five one-run games, going 1-4 in them. They have also been walked-off by three teams.
While it’s frustrating not to close out those wins, the Rockies are showing they can hang with teams better this season. Last year at this point, the Rockies had only had two one-run games and they went 1-1 in those contests. Most games weren’t close (see the run differential above).
#5 — 2 vs. 0
The Rockies defeated the Blue Jays 2-1 in Toronto and swept the Astros at home in their third and fourth series of the season. That’s two series wins in 2026 in April with 16 games left this month. Last season, the Rockies didn’t get their first series win until June 4 when they swept the Marlins at home. They didn’t get their second series win until June 18 when the Rockies swept the Nationals. That makes a difference in team morale.
#6 — 16 vs. 10
While the offense has felt stuck sometimes, and they are striking out about the same amount (169 in 2025 vs. 162 in 2026), the Rockies have hit more homers through 16 games this season. Last year, the Rockies hit 10 homers. This year, they have hit 16. Through Sunday, Mickey Moniak is tied for second in the National League with five homers. Sure, it’s a seven-way tie, but that group also includes Shohei Ohtani.
After Sunday’s games, the Rockies 16 homer mark is tied for fourth best in the NL.
#7 — 23rd vs. 29th
After 16 games in 2025, the Rockies ranked No. 29 in baseball with a 4.99 team ERA. While the team had four quality starts, often, the starters or the relievers weren’t able to help keep Colorado in games. This season, the Rockies team ERA is 4.27, which is ranked No. 23 through Sunday’s games.
While it’s not a massive climb up the MLB rankings ladder, it’s significant. Leading the way for Colorado is Tomoyuki Sugano, who has a 2.15 ERA through three starts, spanning 16.2 innings with 12 strikeouts. Freeland is right behind him with a 2.3o ERA in 15.2 innings over two starts with 13 strikeouts.
#8 — 212.5%
The Rockies base-stealing numbers are up 212.5% between this year and last year. In 2025 after 16 games, the Rockies had stolen eight bases. That ranked No. 26 in MLB. This year, the Rockies have stolen 17 bases, which is tied for fourth most in MLB. The Rockies also have been caught eight times, which isn’t great, but at least they are more aggressive.
Another bonus is that nine different Rockies have gotten in on the action. Jake McCarthy is leading the way with four stolen bases, while five more Rockies have two (Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle, Tyler Freeman, Edouard Julien and Kyle Karros).
Conclusion
It’s early. The Rockies are less than 10% through the 2026 season, and it’s too early to draw conclusions about how the new front office, coaching staff and players are performing.
However, I do remember how things felt in April and May in 2025.
This is better.
Anything could happen moving forward, but after six losing seasons and not much hope in sight, I am choosing to believe this 2026 squad is better and will be more fun to watch this season.
Sep 20, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Byron Buxton (25) celebrates a single against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of game two of a double header at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
After taking two-of-three from the St. Louis Cardinals, the Red Sox are 6-9, just two games out of first place in the AL East. Ditto a Wild Card spot. Their run differential is zero. The offense has scored 62 runs, third in the division after Tampa Bay (70) and New York (65). The pitching is also third in the division in runs allowed behind the Yankees (44) and Orioles (59).
After facing the National League so far this season it’s time to play in the AL. First up, the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins are off to a very solid start at 9-7, just half a game behind the Cleveland Guardians. After the selloff at 2025 trade deadline, getting off to a +.500 record is music to their fans’ ears. FanGraphs still projects the team at a tick under .500 for the year, but with the Tigers coming out of the gate a little weaker who knows what the AL Central could look like.
As Boston looks to turn a two-game winning streak into three, Garrett Crochet takes the ball. Coming off a win against the Brewers where he was brilliant for about six innings and then a little gassed as his pitch count topped 100, the lefty looks to pitch not as the stopper but the continuer. He’s opposed by Bailey Ober, a tall righty who missed much of 2025. He’s back this season and things have been…ok. Over three starts he’s totaled 13.2 innings with 8 hits, 7 strikeouts, and 4 walks. In the early going this season his strikeout percentage has dropped from a career average of 23.7% of batters to 11.9% and his 6.8% walk rate is the highest of his career with a 5.3% average rate across his time in the majors. With a fastball sitting in the high 80s vs the mid-90s is he crafty enough to get by? Will the velocity return?
Tuesday we get anther start from Sonny Gray, who is coming off back-to-back strong outings against the Padres and Brewers. After a lackluster start to open the season in Cincinnati, Gray excelled in Fenway Park. Now he’s taking the show back on the road, hopefully with those bugs worked out. Mick Abel is a 24-year-old righty who came to Minnesota from the Philles in exchange for Jhoan Duran. It’s his second season in the majors and he’s sitting on a career 6.19 ERA / 3.87 FIP). So far this year he’s walking (14.9%) almost the same percentage of batters he’s striking out (19.4%) which isn’t going to end well. Luckily for him last year he only walked 9.2%. and he’s only 52.1 innings into his major league career.
The series finale is an afternoon start. Connelly Early has had trouble getting deep into games. He’s thrown 96, 88, and 86 pitches and lasted 5.1, 4.0, and 4.1 innings before needing to be removed for a reliever. He’s looked good at times but also a little lost. The team clearly believes in him. He’s opposed by Simeon Woods Richardson. Another righty, he’s coming off a bad start after two good outings to begin the season. On the year he’s tossed 15.2 innings allowing 16 runs (8 earned), 8 hits, struck out 8, and walked 4. He give up about 34% ground balls so there’s a chance to force the defense to make plays.
Royce Lewis is on the IL, as his career remains frustrating in that regard.
Byron Buxton is off to a slow start: .182/.258/.273
Josh Bell has been a tremendous asset so far: .286/.390/.551 with 3 homers. This is well ahead of his career averages but he’s sure on a hot streak at the moment.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Monday, April 13: Garrett Crochet (3.12 ERA / 2.54 FIP) vs. Bailey Ober (5.27 ERA / 3.92 FIP)
Tuesday, April 14: Sonny Gray (2.76 ERA / 6.19 FIP) vs. Mick Abel (6.08 ERA / 3.87 FIP)
Wednesday, April 15: Connelly Early (2.63 ERA / 2.90 FIP) vs. Simeon Woods Richardson (5.35 ERA / 4.29 FIP)
The Texas Rangers travel to Sacramento to face the A’s in a battle between the two teams tied for first in the AL West.
Texas started its West Coast trip losing two of three to the Dodgers, while the A’s return home after winning five of six in New York.
The A’s are mowing people down on the mound, which is why my Rangers vs. A’s predictions and MLB picks have the Athletics to win outright.
Who will win Rangers vs A's today: A’s moneyline (+110)
The A’s pitching had been average at best in the early going, but they found a new level in New York.
Facing the Yankees and Mets, two teams that started their series with the Athletics over .500, A’s pitchers threw three shutouts in the last four games.
Opposing batters have hit .164 with a .453 OPS over that span. Luis Severino will try to keep the streak going.
The Texas Rangers gave up 16 runs in three days to the Dodgers. Their offense may be down a man, as Wyatt Langford hurt his quad on Friday and hasn’t played since.
COVERS INTEL: Both teams rank in the Top 10 in batter strikeouts this season, and each starter is averaging over 11.0 K/9 innings.
Rangers vs A's Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-118)
The A’s have needed that strong pitching, because they scored just six total runs in the three shutout wins. They had 11 in the fourth game and have been an all-or-nothing offense this season.
In 15 games, the A’s have scored 10 or more four times, two or less seven times.
Severino struck out seven in five innings in a 3-2 A’s win over the Yankees last time out. Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi struggled in his first two starts but looked much better in beating the Mariners, striking out seven in six innings.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 4-6 -2.48 units
Over/Under bets: 6-8 -2.06 units
Rangers vs A's odds
Moneyline: Rangers -117 | A's +110
Run line: Rangers -1.5 | A's +1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Rangers vs A's trend
The Athletics have hit the Under in 15 of their last 24 games (+6.30 Units / 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. A's.
How to watch Rangers vs A's and game info
Location
Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, CA
Date
Monday, April 13, 2026
First pitch
9:40 p.m. ET
TV
RSN, NBC Sports California
Rangers starting pitcher
Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 7.98 ERA)
A's starting pitcher
Luis Severino (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
Rangers vs A's latest injuries
Rangers vs A's weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 07: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles is tagged out at home plate by catcher Gabriel Moreno #14 of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on April 07, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Orioles are league leaders.
Tonight the Diamondbacks will be starting the first game of a series that will wrap up their East Coast trip. After meeting the Mets in Flushing (I used to live on a 10 minute drive from Vlissingen, which is the Dutch village it was named after – just to provide you with some interesting useless information -) and the Phighting Phils in Philadelphia (that the Dutch king is visiting today – just to provide you with even more interesting useless information -), the Snakes will enter Baltimore (that has Dutch Rotterdam as its sister city – I had to look up this useless information -).
After achieving some good wins against our NL East foes, the Diamondbacks will be looking forward to do the same against a team from the AL East, and go at least 3 games over .500.
But who will they be playing?
The Orioles started their seaston with an opening series win over Minnesota, but then entered a tiny slump, losing a series against Texas before getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last week they were able to work on their 3-6 record and are now at 8-7 after sweeping the Chicago White Sox and beating the San Francisco Giants, the latter result for which we are always grateful.
In the always competitive AL East, that has suddenly made them joined leader, where Yankees and Rays are also at 8-7, with the Blue Jays and Red Sox 2 wins behind. They will probably be happy with that, though they probably had expected a bit more from a couple of players.
Cold Polar Bear.
Entering the 2025 season after a 91–71 record the year before, the Orioles were one of the favourites in a competitive AL East. However, things didn’t click. Manager Brandon Hyde was ousted in May with a 15-28 record but it didn’t prevent an underperforming team with too many injuries from ending dead last with a 75–87 record. So, Baltimore said goodbye to those they no longer needed and who were on an expiring contract and tried to make some serious splashes on the free agency market.
They resigned starting pitcher Zach Eflin (1 year, $10MM), signed Chris Bassitt from the Blue Jays (1 year, $18.5MM), made a big jump adding Ryan Helsley to the bullpen (2 years, $28MM) but surprised everyone with the signing of Mets icon and slugger Polar Bear Pete Alonso (5 years, $155MM).
Early results on those signings are not terrific: Eflin pitched in just 1 game and completed 3.2 innings before requiring TJ surgery. He is done for the season. Bassitt has not completed the 4th inning in any of his 3 starts and has pitched to a 9.00 ERA. Ryan Helsley has achieved 4 saves, but has been a rollercoaster Fernando Rodney ride in each of his closing performances. Alonso had a .819 OPS in his first 6 games of the season, but achieved just 2 hits in the next 8 games, only to double that again in his latest appearance. A .190 batting average, .518 OPS and just 1 homerun is probably not what Oriole Park was expecting to see.
The bad news hasn’t stopped there. Recently star catcher Adley Rutschman (150 OPS+) went on the IL with an ankle injury, just like outfielder Tyler O’Neil (105 OPS+). Both will be unavailable for the series against the Diamondbacks. Talented outfielders Jordan Westburg and Heston Kjerstad don’t have a timetable yet for their return.
Good news is that star player Jackson Holliday (hamate surgery) and reliever Andrew Kittredge (shoulder) should be both close to return. It’d be the season debut for both.
The Orioles are, like their win-loss record suggests, a team that has difficulties to win but is also hard to beat. Their starting pitching, according to xFIP, is amongst the worst in the league, though just a tad lower than the Diamondbacks’, just like the relief pitching. Their offense is one of the better ones in the league, though it has the 3rd highest BABIP in the entire league. With the injury of Rutschman it took a hit and now relies on Gunnar Henderson, Leody Taveras and Taylor Ward, until the Polar Bear warms up.
In 2025 the Diamondbacks were victorious over the Orioles (2-1), in 2024 it was the other way around (1-2). All-time record is 18-12 advantage for Arizona.
Matchups.
Game #1 Mon 04/13 3:35 PM MST, Ryne Nelson (ARI) vs TBD.
After a bad outing against the Dodgers and an abysmal one against the Braves, Ryne stepped up against the Mets and limited them to just 1 run (5 hits) in 5.2 innings. That is good to see, because with Pfaadt still deciding whether he is major league starting material, his good outing against the Mets became just in time, before the activation of Kelly and the removal of one of the current starting pitchers.
Nelson faced the Orioles one time, in 2024. He had to swallow 10 hits and 3 runs in 4.2 innings, but was backed up by 4 Diamondback runs. Arizona would eventually lose that game in extra innings, after a blown save from Ginkel and Jarvis taking the loss in the 11th inning.
Game #2 Tue 04/14 3:35 PM MST, Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs Trevor Rogers (BAL).
Merrill Kelly makes his season debut after pitching a couple of bullpen sessions and a rehab start in Reno. Last season he got a win against Baltimore, 6 innings, giving up 3 runs.
Trevor Rogers faced the Diamondbacks three times as a starter, from 2021 to 2023, as a member of the Miami Marlins. After some so so seasons, he took a big step forward in 2025, pitching to a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts, enough for getting votes in the Cy Young race. He is pitching to similar results in 2026 so far and will thus be a tough nut to crack. Rogers added a sweeper to his arsenal and that 5th additional pitch, beside improving his command, has brought him success.
Game #3 Wed 04/15 9:35 AM MST, Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) vs Kyle Bradish (BAL).
If E-Rod keeps to pitch like this, he will be one of the Cy Young candidates and we will be hoping for a yearly World Baseball Classic. As a former Red Sox and AL pitcher, E-Rod is familiar with the opponent, though probably less with the players. With a 2.73 lifetime ERA against the Orioles and a .737 winning percentage, this will obviously another cross in the win box for our Venezuelan buddy.
Bradish was originally drafted by the Angels and went to Baltimore in a Dylan Bundy trade. He made his major league debut in 2022 and became one of the top starters of the team in 2023, with a 2.83 ERA over 30 starts, ending 4th in the Cy Young voting. However, injuries, a TJ amongst them, have limited Bradish since then. Whenever healthy he has lived up to those 2023 numbers, though sporadically, with just 14 starts in the last two seasons. In 3 starts this season he has struggled with his command and is still looking for his groove. Hopefully he doesn’t find it against Arizona.
Apr 11, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) throws to first against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
This is not solely a piece to bash Jazz Chisholm Jr. I think he’s a very good player, and I am currently watching him relay signs while standing on second base, both to help his own hitters and mess with Rays’ starter Drew Rassmussen. I think he brings an energy to the club that they’ve needed for a little while.
This is not solely a piece to bash Jazz, but I think he’s illustrative of a problem the Yankees have had for a number of years now. For all the very real talent they boast, they’re constantly getting into their own way. Chisholm Jr. is a genuine perennial All Star type of talent. but if you’re going to brag about a 50/50 season, you can’t have a 42 wRC+ in the season’s first two weeks, and you definitely can’t be admitting you don’t know the rules.
In the same vein, the team that went so viral for being “savages in the box”, and pushes to the public how much their hitters own the strike zone, you can’t be the fourth-worst in the game in hitter ABS challenges — giving away strikes and the limited number of reviews you can ask for. Funny enough Jazz is one of nine players tied for just a 25 percent challenge success rate, the worst mark in the game. Ben Rice, one of the few Yankees that have really shown up this year, has just now joined Jazz at 1-4. Of course there was reporting just this weekend that José Caballero had to be pulled aside by Aaron Boone and have the importance of getting challenges right re-asserted in a one on one meeting.
Pair that weakness with the fact that a team built around working counts and wearing down opposing pitching has possibly taken all that too far, to the point where they’re downright passive. Swinging at strikes just 62.7 percent of the time, the Yankees are only more…judicious (to put it charitably) than the Red Sox and Diamondbacks, and last year while they were the best offense in baseball they were offering at pitches in the zone five points higher, still selective while not allowing themselves to give up even more free strikes.
Part of this is just being reactive to the first rough patch of the season. The team managed a series win against the Marlins by the skin of their teeth, before dropping a trap series to the Athletics and not playing well at the Trop, none of those things in isolation would mean all that much. All of baseball is sequencing, putting together 14 hits in a game doesn’t mean much if they’re spread evenly across all nine innings — you need an inning or two with four or five hits to do real damage. If the Yankees went to Tropicana Field in July while in first place in the division and didn’t play well, that’d be annoying, and if Jazz was hitting to his level while making a moronic play defensively we’d all have a “Jazz being Jazz” kind of attitude — the kind of attitude that has built more than one Hall of Very Good career.
Instead it comes when it comes, at this confluence of events where it looks like the Yankees have tied their own shoelaces together. We don’t know yet if this is some bump on the road we’ll forget about when the club’s in the division hunt in September or an early harbinger of the risk of “running it back because we’re good enough”. In the meantime though, let’s learn how double plays work.
Apr 6, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (2) celebrates in the dugout after scoring during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
The concept of a team captain isn’t all that important and fans will typically project their favorite player as the face of the franchise, but with Brandon Belt Celebration Day just 12 days out, it got me thinking, “Who is the captain of the Giants?“ Like, if we had to pick and Tony Vitello wasn’t an option (sorry, Tony!), who would it be?
When Netflix and Major League Baseball promoted Opening Night, it was Aaron Judge and the Yankees take on Rafael Devers and the San Francisco Giants. Frequently, national broadcasts will default to Matt Chapman as the team’s leader when discussing the state of the organization. But neither of those players performs or carries themselves in such a way that you would automatically think, “He’s the face of the team.” That distinction goes to Willy Adames.
Maybe all of this goes without saying as he’s the recipient of the richest contract offered in team history, but other factors make a compelling and straight forward case for the Giants’ shortstop.
The camera loves him
We’ll start with superficial because this is a good factor. He’s smiling at least half the time the camera catches him and his face always lights up when he does, which means he’s an electric screen presence. Not only someone you want to watch, but someone you seek out. That’s a great quality in a marquee player and a leader.
Should this discussion even matter when the team is trying to claw back to relevancy? Sure, why not? It’s early enough in the season to still make predictions and over the summer the team will need leadership to get through the rough patches. Cutting to Adames smiling as the team runs off the field during a half inning is a simple pleasure we don’t have to overthink and needn’t overlook.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” [Chapman] said. “No one has a bad word to say about him, and I love the way he goes about his business. He plays the right way, he plays for the team — he has a lot of the qualities I’d like to think I have. He wants to set the tone every day, too.”
They selected him to be the 2025 Willie Mac Award recipient. In the offseason, he traveled with Tony Vitello — who he nicknamed Rookie — to South Korea to partner up with Jung Hoo Lee for some cultural immersion and Giants propaganda.
The trip was also a pretty big signal that the team loves him, too. He’s a great Giants ambassador.
He broke the 30 home run season drought
Adames has been as much of a help to his teammates by simply being a positive guy as he has a leader by example. The Giants hadn’t had a 30 home run hitter since 2004. He did it by playing in 160 games and overcoming a horrendous start to the season (.680 OPS in the 1st half, .828 OPS in the 2nd half).
He’s going to be here through 2031
Longevity is a factor in this, I think, and even though Rafael Devers is signed through 2033, we have to take the work already done to this point. Matt Chapman has been the quiet performer. Devers is the aloof talent guy. Adames is a merging of the two personalities.
After slaying the 30 home run drought monster, he’s still got some things left to do in his career. Despite receiving MVP votes in 2021 and 2024, he has never been named to an All-Star team. As Steven Kennedy noted in his player review, “Disappointing might be an apt way to ultimately describe Adames’s first year as a Giant, but it wasn’t a disappointment.“ He’s already off to a great start in year two, playing in all 16 games and hitting a league-leading 9 doubles to go with a pair of homers. A triple slash of .258/.313/.500 — fantastic if he can sustain it over a full season (he probably won’t as he’s never slugged .500 in a full season), but mainly, it’s heartening to see after a career where he’s been notorious for slow starts.
He’s been a fantastic addition to the Giants roster as well as its culture. The exact shot in the arm the team has been looking for in its post-championship wandering through a desert of mediocrity. Willy Adames might just lead them back to the land of success.
But if Buster Posey cornered you in an elevator at Oracle Park or if a beat writer solicited your feedback for a piece they were working on and demanded you name the team’s captain, who would you select?
Apr 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Lenyn Sosa (50) scores against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Well, we know why Shane Bieber picked up his player option. This morning, the Jays moved him to the 60-day IL. There’s no indication of a specific setback, and this morning Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that he’s been throwing off a mound in his round-up of Jays injury timelines. So it may be more that they’re just belatedly admitting what the timeline has always been rather than moving the timeline back, but from the outside we can’t really say. What’s certain, now, is that the Biebs won’t be a factor in the Jays’ rotation until the last week of May at the absolute earliest.
They turned around and used the 40-man roster spot created by the move to exchange Jordan Rich and a player to be named later or cash for the White Sox’ Lenyn Sosa. Rich, last year’s 17th round pick, signed for $150,000 out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida (alma mater of Jays prospect Brandon Barriera, plus Eric Hosmer and a host of other big leaguers). Rich hasn’t made a professional appearance yet, so we don’t have much to go on, but given that he lasted until the 17th round and didn’t require dipping into the top 10 round bonus pool to sign the indication is that the trade cost was not major.
Comrade Lenyn is off to a rough start, but he was a league average hitter last year and his underlying data is modestly promising. He swings at everything, but makes an above average amount of contact and has above average power. It’s the offensive profile of a poor man’s Lourdes Gurriel jr. He’s right handed, and while he isn’t bad against same handed pitchers he’s probably the short side of a platoon in a decent lineup. Defensively, he’s a poor but playable defender at either second or third. His speed is fringe average, so he could probably also make it work in left field. He’s a useful MLB player but not a starter on a competitive team.
How he fits on the Blue Jays is kind of unclear to me. His ideal roster role is kind of Davis Schneider shaped, but the Jays have a player whose role is exactly Davis Schneider shaped. It’s Davis Schneider, and he’s better basically across the board. A 26-man roster move hasn’t been announced, but as he’s out of options one will presumably follow soon. My guess is that he’ll take Tyler Fitzgerald’s active roster spot, offering an offensive upgrade to offset a defensive downgrade. Once Addison Barger is back, which doesn’t seem like it’ll be that long, it might be Nathan Lukes who ultimately loses. He’s been awful to start the season, and Myles Straw continues to hit enough to hold down the utility outfielder role with his better speed and glove. Carrying a right handed infielder would allow them to play him at second and Clement at short with Schneider in left to maximize the platoon advantage against good left handed starters, while Lukes doesn’t offer as much platoon value because the starting outfield are all left handed. I’ve been a Lukes booster, but he’s never been a good roster fit this season and his first 29 PA have not helped the cause.
Finally, one more small note, the Jays have re-signed Josh Fleming to a minor league deal. Fleming was claimed on waivers amid the rotation chaos last week and made one appearance as a Jay, giving up four runs over three innings on the sixth. He started for Buffalo yesterday and will presumably stay in that rotation until Kevin Gausman is hypnotized into believing he’s a chicken or something next week.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 8: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 8, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves take on the Miami Marlins this evening after riding the high of having yet another offensive explosive game. The Braves are now the only team in MLB left to have not lost a series yet. The Guardians were the other, and thanks to the Braves, that is no longer the case.
It is crazy to think that the Braves and Marlins are the two teams fighting for first place after what happened last season.
Grant Holmes will hope to continue his hot start to the season tonight when he faces a Marlins’ offense that is surprisingly in the top half of MLB in runs scored per game with 4.38.
Holmes has limited his opponents to a pristine 2.55 ERA so far this season while maintaining a 1.08 WHIP over 17.2 innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is fourteen to eight so it is not elite, but he has limited hard contact well. His 28.6 percent hard-hit rate is good for the top 17.0 percent of all MLB pitchers. He also has an expected ERA (xERA) of 3.20 which shows that although he has been a bit lucky, he has still been very good.
His biggest weakness is when he has to face a hitter for the third time in a game. The first time he faces a hitter, they hit .091/.259/.227, the second time they hit .192/.222/.346, but the third time through they hit .214/.313/.286. An OPS .598 against him the third time through is not bad at all, but it is clear that he walks hitters more in that scenario. Holmes has been a shining light in a rotation that has been through the ringer with injuries.
Only five Marlins have faced Holmes before, but in small samples. Xaiver Edwards leads the team with seven at-bats, but has struggled to a .393 OPS. Otto Lopez and Liam Hicks each have a hit off of Holmes in two at-bats each.
Fireballer Eury Pérez has been the opposite side of the coin for the Marlins so far. He has not been able to keep runs off the board despite his fastball averaging 98.3 MPH. He had high hopes from Marlins fans after his 3.23 xERA last season, but he currently sits at a 5.056 ERA and 4.98 xERA. Despite his fastball having an elite velocity he has struggled with command and only has a chase rate of 26.4 percent overall. Hitters are also hitting the ball hard 42.9 percent of the time, which is good for bottom 35.0 percent of MLB pitchers.
Even though Pérez plays for the Marlins, no Braves hitter has more than six at-bats against him. Dominic Smith and Matt Olson lead the team in at-bats and have been successful with an OPS of .833 and .762 respectively. Drake Baldwin has four at-bats and two of those resulted in a HR, while Albies and Acuña both have a HR against him as well.
Michael Harris will also be back from paternity leave, and likely will get the start tonight.
The #Braves today also reinstated OF Michael Harris II from the paternity list and designated INF Luke Williams for assignment.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 12: Ken Waldichuk #52 of the Washington Nationals walks off the field after an apparent injury during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As if the Nats did not already have enough problems in their bullpen, they have now been hit with the injury bug. Two Nats relievers are now on the shelf, with Cole Henry and Ken Waldichuk hitting the IL. Waldichuk going on the IL was not much of a surprise to anyone who watched him leave the other day, but Henry hitting the shelf is a bit more surprising.
The Nationals have announced the following roster moves:
-Recalled RHP Orlando Ribalta and RHP Jackson -Rutledge from Triple-A Rochester -Placed RHP Cole Henry on the 15-day IL (right rotator cuff strain) -Placed LHP Ken Waldichuk on the 15-day IL (left forearm tightness)…
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) April 13, 2026
Things looked really bad for Ken Waldichuk when he left the game yesterday. Leaving the game while grimacing in pain and pointing at your elbow is never a good sign. For now at least, the injury is just listed as forearm tightness. Hopefully Waldichuk avoided anything serious and can come back sooner rather than later.
Waldichuk had a Tommy John in 2024, and the recovery was bumpy to say the least. He did not look like himself when he returned in 2025. That led to the southpaw bouncing around the waiver wire until he found a home in DC. Before he got hurt, Waldichuk was having his best outing of the season, which made the injury sting even more.
For Henry, you have to hope this injury is not too serious and is just a case of the Nats wanting to give him a re-set. After Waldichuk went down, Henry came in and blew the Nats lead. Now, he is on the shelf with a rotator cuff injury.
For a guy with a lengthy injury history that includes surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a rotator cuff injury sounds ominous. We will have to hear about what the severity of that injury is before we jump to conclusions. Henry got off to a great start in the big leagues last year, but faded down the stretch and did not have a good start to this season.
To replace these two, the Nats have turned to a couple familiar faces. Of the pair, I am the most excited about Orlando Ribalta. The results have not been there for Ribalta in his 26 career big league outings, but I like his stuff. Ribalta has a mid-90’s heater with real life, as well as a slider and a changeup that can both look very good at times.
The big thing for Ribalta is control and keeping the ball in the yard. He has struggled with both as a big leaguer, walking over 6 batters per nine and allowing nearly two homers per nine. However, he does have swing and miss stuff, as well as a track record of success in the minors. In his six outings for Rochester, Ribalta has been very solid this season with a 3.38 ERA and a WHIP of 0.75.
Jackson Rutledge was the other pitcher the Nats called up. Rutledge was a first round pick for the Nats back in 2019, but has not yet solidified himself as a big leaguer. He made 63 appearances last year, and looked good at times, but his 5.77 ERA for the season left a lot to be desired.
Rutledge has not looked great in AAA to start this year either. He has a 5.40 ERA in five innings, with five walks to just one strikeout. Rutledge’s fastball, slider and splitter combo can look good at times, but it is inconsistent. Despite solid velocity, the fastball does not play well. When he has a feel for his secondary pitches, he can have success, but when he does not, things can get ugly.
Overall, this is just more musical chairs for a bullpen that is light on difference makers. I like Ribalta’s upside and Rutledge can look good in flashes, but both need to find consistency. For the bullpen, the Nats need to keep giving guys chances and see who can stick around.
COVERS INTEL: Both teams rank in the Top 10 in batter strikeouts this season, and each starter is averaging over 11.0 K/9 innings.
