Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Good morning everyone, we’re one day closer to actual, bonafide MLB baseball being played. As we draw nearer, we’ll be using our first posts of the day to ask One Big Question about the Yankees. Today, let’s focus on Cody Bellinger. The offseason saga of Bellinger and the Yankees was a slog, but after months of posturing, the two sides managed to reunite, as was expected after the partnership proved so fruitful in Bellinger’s first year in the Bronx.

Bellinger may have been the Yankees’ best position player not named Aaron Judge in 2025, hitting 29 homers and providing capable defense across the field. His 4.9 fWAR trailed only Judge on the Yankees, and indeed was a top-ten figure among all American League hitters. Suffice to say, Bellinger’s contributions were vital last year, and the Yankees will expect something close to a repeat as they pencil him in as their starting left fielder.

So, will Bellinger be able to repeat his superlative 2025? Bellinger certainly did enough in his Yankee debut to make one optimistic. At age-30, he’s not at the point on the aging curve where decline feels inevitable, and Bellinger’s athleticism looked, at least to the naked eye, to still be largely intact last year. Moreover, even though Bellinger’s been inconsistent throughout his big-league tenure, his strong 2025 came in right around his career averages, with his .813 OPS last year in line with his career .817 OPS. Why shouldn’t we expect Bellinger to continue trucking right along near that mark?

On the other hand, the unfeeling projections forecast some regression, with FanGraphs pegging him for a solid yet unspectacular 3.3 fWAR. Plus, Bellinger arguably ran a little hot last year, his expected wOBA of .322 lagging behind his actual mark of .347. Where will he ultimately land in 2026? Lay out your case in the comments below.

And today on the site, gear up for the 2026 season with the start of our season preview series! Leading off, Jeremy will preview David Bednar’s upcoming campaign. Also, Matt will celebrate George Halas as part of our Yankee Birthday series, Josh will look back at a tense negotiation between Derek Jeter and the Yankees during The Captain’s first foray into free agency, and Madison will put out the call for this week’s mailbag.

Phils 'pen built on different looks — why the relief mix works originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies bullpen has long lacked identity. And commitment.

It starts with the ninth inning. The last Phillie to post multiple 30-save seasons with the club was Jonathan Papelbon in 2012 and 2014. The last 30-save season, period, came from Jeanmar Gómez in 2016.

The Phillies tried to change that narrative two seasons ago when they acquired closer Carlos Estévez from the Angels at the trade deadline. At the time, he had 20 saves paired with a 2.38 ERA. Pairing him with a group that included Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman gave Philadelphia its deepest relief unit in years.

Estévez was solid across 20 regular-season appearances, but his season ended with a series-clinching grand slam allowed to Francisco Lindor in the NLDS. The right-hander then left for Kansas City that offseason, and the late-inning picture quickly returned to feeling fluid.

Until now.

Dombrowski and the front office made another deadline move last season, this time targeting a lockdown reliever with years of team control. The Phillies sent two of their top five prospects — catcher Eduardo Tait and pitcher Mick Abel — to Minnesota for Jhoan Duran.

Duran’s routine triple-digit fastball and closer entrance immediately played at Citizens Bank Park. The production matched the buzz: a 2.18 ERA in 23 appearances and 16 saves — the same total he recorded in 49 games with the Twins.

Bolstering the back end remained a priority into the winter. The Phillies signed Brad Keller to a two-year, $22 million deal, a move that reads as a setup-man investment. It also stood out historically as the first multi-year, double-digit annual value deal the Phillies handed out since the 2011–12 offseason, when they landed Papelbon.

The organization still views pitching as a strength. The difference now is how much of that responsibility sits in the bullpen.

Over the past two seasons, Phillies relievers have posted a 4.06 ERA, ranking 19th in baseball.

What makes this group more compelling, however, is how the pieces fit together. This unit can win matchups without being locked into a single lane because the looks are genuinely different.

Two lefties, two different profiles

The bullpen still begins with two southpaws, but the approach has shifted. With Strahm traded, the Phillies are leaning further into matchup usage — and the two left-handers who remain offer entirely different problems.

José Alvarado is coming off a turbulent 2025, but the raw traits remain intact. His sinker averaged 99.1 mph and ranked in the 99th percentile in fastball velocity. It wasn’t even his most effective pitch.

Alvarado leaned heavily on his cutter, which has long been a foundation of his success. Excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season, opponents have hit .181 or lower against the pitch. It’s not a finesse approach — it’s built on tunneling the two kinds of fastballs.

Tanner Banks offers the contrast. The softer thrower of the pair, Banks made his biggest leap in 2025 by limiting free passes. He leaned into his strengths, mixing a slider/sweeper and four-seamer as part of his five-pitch mix, with the sweeper continuing to improve year over year.

Among left-handers who faced at least 110 left-handed hitters last season, Banks allowed the fewest earned runs in the majors (five) and posted a 1.47 ERA. There may be another layer coming. His changeup averaged 36.6 inches of vertical drop, giving it the shape to develop into a late-count swing-and-miss option if he leans on it more in 2026.

Why Keller’s 2025 relief jump sticks out

Part of what fueled the 30-year-old’s breakout in relief in 2025 — a 2.07 ERA across 68 appearances — was nearly a four-mph jump in his average four-seam fastball, which sat at 97.2 mph. Keller also used the pitch the most since 2018. He became a Statcast standout for a reason.

That fastball success (opponents slugged .295 against it) allowed the rest of his arsenal to play up. His sweeper–sinker–changeup combination produced significant soft contact, contributing to a 30.6 percent hard-hit rate (99th percentile) and a groundball rate that ranked in the top five percent of the league.

Strahm’s calling card in Philadelphia was neutralizing right-handed hitters. Keller did that even better last season, which helps explain why the Phillies felt comfortable dealing Strahm to Kansas City.

Against righties, Keller held opponents to a .466 OPS. The usage tells the story: despite the fastball’s overall effectiveness, he primarily threw it to left-handers (57 percent usage). Against righties, his sinker–sweeper combination accounted for 50 percent of his pitches and allowed just two extra-base hits combined.

If the Phillies are serious about building a bullpen that thrives in multi-dimensional matchups, Keller is central to that vision. He can absorb leverage innings without needing a narrowly defined pocket of hitters.

Kerkering’s look still plays

The end of Orion Kerkering’s season is easy to remember — for the wrong reasons. But he’s 24 years old and has just over two years of major league service time. Across three seasons with the Phillies, he owns a 2.79 ERA.

In 2025, Kerkering leaned less on his most trusted pitch, the sweeper. The result was a groundball rate that dipped by roughly 10 percent, but the quality of contact held steady. His look continues to disrupt swings, largely because of his arm slot.

Kerkering’s arm angle sits at 31 degrees. Paired with the arm-side run on his sinker and four-seam fastball, it creates a shape no other right-hander in the bullpen offers.

Assuming the NLDS ending is behind him, Kerkering should remain a key matchup piece, particularly in right-on-right situations alongside Keller.

Duran ties it together

Duran is the connective piece. His 100.6 mph average fastball — in the 100th percentile leaguewide — grabs attention, but it isn’t even his most-used pitch. He leaned more heavily on his split-finger last season, and that pitch led all of baseball in run value (12).

While it’s tempting to credit his swing-and-miss profile solely to velocity, the curveball is where most of the empty swings come from. Among pitchers who threw at least 200 curveballs, Duran’s 41.8 percent whiff rate ranked seventh among relievers.

Even then, there’s more ceiling. His 2025 swing-and-miss rate on the curveball was a career low, underscoring how effective he remains regardless of usage patterns.

A 30-save season for the “Durantula” is well within reach in 2026. More importantly, his presence finally gives the bullpen a defined end point — and the rest of the roles stop feeling like monthly experiments.

Under-the-radar names

A quieter but important part of the Phillies’ bullpen construction has been how they’ve filled out the 40-man roster, setting the stage for real competition in Spring Training.

That group includes optional arms and veterans with big-league experience, such as right-hander Zach Pop. Two trade acquisitions, however, add real intrigue.

Jonathan Bowlan, acquired in the Strahm deal, features a five-pitch mix highlighted by a four-seam fastball that is exceptionally difficult to square up. In 2025, among 357 pitchers who threw at least 200 four-seamers, Bowlan generated the highest swing-and-miss rate on the pitch (43.5 percent).

The next closest was Oakland’s Elvis Alvarado at 39.6 percent — nearly four points lower. That rate would have also led all 362 qualified pitchers in 2024 by a similar margin.

Bowlan’s sinker could also take on a larger role in 2026. Among pitchers who threw at least 100 sinkers last season, he ranked third in opponents’ hard-hit rate (10.7 percent). Keller ranked second, and the two new Phillies produced identical run values on the pitch (five).

Another acquisition, left-hander Kyle Backhus, brings a completely different look. The 6-foot-4 southpaw features a low-velocity, three-pitch mix and delivers from the fourth-lowest arm angle among left-handed pitchers. What separates him from others near that slot is extension.

Backhus releases the ball 7.2 feet from the rubber, ranking in the 96th percentile leaguewide. That extension can make his 91 mph sinker play quicker than the radar gun suggests. Despite a 4.62 ERA with Arizona in 2025, he profiles as a potential matchup left-hander capable of limiting barrels and disrupting timing with his sidearm delivery.

The identity isn’t tied to one arm or one role. It’s built on contrast and different looks. For the first time in a while, the pieces connect without having to force matchups.

Joe Espada has been upfront about wanting to start the season with a six-man rotation. Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai appear to have four of those spots locked up, but what about the other two?

Here’s a list of contenders to watch with the start of spring training just a week away.

Spencer Arrighetti

Arrighetti was limited to just seven starts and 35.1 innings last season. He missed four months after suffering a fractured thumb when he was struck by an errant ball during batting practice. He made five starts in August, but was shut down in September due to elbow inflammation.

The good news is that Arrighetti didn’t need elbow surgery, and told reporters at FanFest on Saturday that he’s thrown seven bullpens, which would seem to mean he’s on track to hit the ground running when spring training begins. 

The 26-year old has an 87 ERA+ through his first two Major League seasons, but the Astros would be over the moon if he could find a way to come close to replicating the 3.18 ERA he posted in the second half of 2024 with a 29 percent strikeout rate and a 7.9 percent walk rate.

Lance McCullers Jr

It’s now or never for McCullers, who is in the final year of the five-year, $85 million extension he signed before the 2021 season. McCullers returned after missing more than two seasons due to flexor tendon surgery and posted a 6.51 ERA over 55.1 innings in between three separate IL stints, though none were arm-related.

If you’re looking for signs of optimism for the 32-year old in 2026, you can point to a few starts early in his return. He struck out 12 while allowing three runs over six innings against the A’s on May 28, tossed six shutout innings against the Pirates six days later, and limited the Dodgers to one run over six innings on July 4, but compiled an 8.10 ERA over his final seven games.

Despite the IL time, McCullers was healthy when the season ended, which should’ve given him a normal offseason ramp-up for the first time in a long time, but it’s hard to think he recaptures the form that earned him a top-10 Cy Young finish, the season before his extension kicked in.

Jason Alexander

Claimed off waivers from the A’s in May, Alexander saved an Astros rotation ravaged by injuries. The 32-year old journeyman put up a 3.66 ERA and the Astros won 10 of his first 11 before losing his last two. 

Whether or not Alexander can repeat that success remains to be determined. His FIP with the Astros was a run higher than his ERA, and there is a lot of blue in his Baseball Savant profile, and a good portion of that blue is dark. His 22 percent chase rate was in the bottom 1 percent in all of baseball. That’s a tough way to make a living.

Ryan Weiss

The Astros thought enough of Weiss that they gave him $2.6 million after compiling a 2.87 ERA with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate in 178.2 innings last season in the KBO. Last season marked a major improvement for the former fourth-round pick, who posted a 3.77 ERA in the second half of 2024 after beginning the year in the Atlantic League.

Weiss shows average fastball velocity, though Astros GM Dana Brown said he was able to touch 97 mph in Korea, and his command and control, which were strengths for him during his first stateside stint, improved in the KBO.

Whether or not Weiss’ improvements last season carry over is still to be determined. He pitched parts of three seasons in Triple-A for the Diamondbacks and Royals, posting a 6.72 ERA over 89.2 innings, and his numbers in Double-A were not much better.

AJ Blubaugh

Blubaugh made his Major League debut April 30, allowing two runs over four innings against the Tigers, and did not return to the big leagues until August, when he pitched well every time Joe Espada gave him the ball. Blubaugh finished last season with a 1.69 ERA over 32 innings, mostly working out of the bullpen as a long reliever.

The 26-year old showed average fastball velocity and relied on a sweeper against right-handers, but opponents went 0-for-29 against his changeup, which he could throw effectively to both lefties and righties. While the sample size was small, Blubaugh’s FIP was almost three runs higher than his ERA, indicating some good fortune, though his strikeout numbers suggest his low ERA wasn’t entirely a mirage.

Possibly the biggest question moving forward is whether the Astros view Blubaugh as a starter. He made only three starts, and he was never asked to turn a lineup over twice, topping out at 19 batters faced in his first two Major League outings.

Colton Gordon

Gordon compiled a 5.34 ERA over 86 innings in his first taste of Major League action last season. The 27-year old had one of baseball’s lowest walk rates, but he did not miss bats and allowed too much hard contact. Opponents batted .298 against his four-seam fastball with a .645 slugging percentage. That pitch posted a -10 run value, per Baseball Savant, and his sweeper—against which opponents slugged .515—carried a -7 run value.

Unless he improves his fastball velocity, which is well below average, or develops another weapon, it’s hard to see Gordon surviving as a Major League starter.

Nate Pearson

The Astros signed Pearson to a one-year, $1.35 million contract in October, a month after he was released by the Cubs. Once one of baseball’s top prospects, the 29-year old has a 5.17 ERA in 123 major league games, almost entirely out of the bullpen, but represents an intriguing reclamation project for a team with a strong track record of fixing pitchers.

While major league success has eluded Pearson, elite velocity has not. The right-hander’s four-seam fastball averaged 97.6 mph last season, and he has a slider that generated a 37.5 percent whiff rate in 2024. He probably profiles more as a reliever, but a starter with elite velocity is a hot commodity, and Pearson reunites with Brown, who was part of the Blue Jays’ front office when he was drafted in the first round nine years ago.

Miguel Ullola

Rated as the Astros’ best pitching prospect by MLB.com, Ullola finished 2025 with a 3.88 ERA while appearing in 28 games (23 starts) and logging 113.2 innings for Triple-A Sugar Land. He posted a 26.6% strikeout rate, but also walked nearly 16% of the hitters he faced. It’s hard to see him finding consistent success at the major league level if he doesn’t throw more strikes.

The good news is that his ERA dropped to 3.00 in Sugar Land, where conditions more closely resemble big league parks, but that did nothing to rein in his walk rate, which actually ticked up slightly.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Trevor Hoffman is one of the most beloved players to ever wear a San Diego Padres uniform and that fact is highlighted with the results of this week’s Padres Reacts Survey. Gaslamp Ball asked readers which of the 2026 bobbleheads would get them to Petco Park to take in a game and the top choice was the Hall of Fame closer. The Hoffman bobblehead will be given out to the first 40,000 fans on Wednesday, July 8, when the Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 7:10 p.m.

Hoffman started his tenure in San Diego at the end of the 1993 season, and he remained with the Padres through the 2008 season. Hoffman accumulated 552 of his 601 saves in San Diego, which included his career best 53 save season in 1998, helping the Padres reach the World Series. It is fitting the Hoffman bobblehead is donning the navy-blue hat and jersey with white pants that was the uniform during that magical season.  

Not surprisingly, the Don & Mud theme game bobblehead, with Don Orsillo in his mini-yacht towing Mark “Mud” Grant sitting in a life ring, was the second choice. The broadcast team is routinely voted one of the best booths in MLB and Padres fans often make signs for the duo whether at home or on the road. The Don & Mud bobblehead will be given out Friday, July 31, when the Padres host the San Francisco Giants at 6:40 p.m. Fans must purchase a theme game ticket to receive one of these bobbleheads.

New Padres closer Mason Miller was also a top choice of fans joining Hoffman and Don & Mud as the only bobbleheads of the nine listed to receive 20 percent or more of the vote. The Miller bobblehead will be given out to the first 40,000 fans on Thursday, May 7, when the Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:10 p.m.

It has been a slow offseason for the Padres and their general manager A.J. Preller, but many fans and baseball reports still believe a major move is coming. Will that be as a trade or a free agent signing no one sees coming, only time will tell. The team, with stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts in the lineup is enough to get fans to the stadium, but the added bonus of a promotional giveaway in the form of a bobblehead adds a little extra motivation to see the game in person.

MLB.com | Joe Trezza: This time of year is one where you’ll see a lot of prospect rankings released by the various outlets that track and profile the future stars of the sport. According to MLB.com, the Yankees ended up with four players in the Top 100 prospects across baseball, led by George Lombard Jr. at #32. However, here’s a look at some of the prospects who could crack future Top 100 lists with a good year or two, including former first round draft pick Ben Hess.

New York Post | Greg Joyce: One of the earliest moves of the Yankees’ offseason was outfielder Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer to remain with the Yankees in 2026. While the $22+ million that the qualifying offer was worth felt like a big number when he accepted, GM Brian Cashman believes the price may end up a bargain considering how the free agent market has played out since.

MassLive | Christopher Smith: The Red Sox made a deal on Sunday, trading pitcher Jordan Hicks to the White Sox. In return, they got pitching prospect Gage Ziehl, which is a name that might sound somewhat familiar. If it does, that’s because Ziehl is a former Yankees’ prospect that they sent to Chicago as part as the Austin Slater trade last summer.

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We have two clear-cut favorites in the MLB Rookie of the Year odds with the All-Star break looming.

JJ Wetherholt is in charge in the National League, as he's been swinging a hot bat. A brief re-entry into the race by Konnor Griffin has come to a swift end following his latest injury news.

Meanwhile, Kevin McGonigle is in control on the Junior Circuit, flashing his five-tool talent on a nightly basis.

Let's explore the markets and MLB odds for AL and NL Rookie of the Year.

Odds to win 2026 AL Rookie of the Year

Player
Kevin McGonigle	-178
Munetaka Murakami	+525
Samuel Basallo	+2603
Travis Bazzana	+3025

Odds last updated on 7-8. Odds from Polymarket. Use our Polymarket promo code (COVERS) for a $50 trading bonus when you deposit at least $20 as a new user.

Odds to win 2026 NL Rookie of the Year

Player
JJ Wetherholt	-194
Sal Stewart	+525
Bryce Eldridge	+1166
Carson Benge	+1861

Odds as of 7-8.

MLB Rookie of the Year analysis

JJ Wetherholt's grasp atop the NL Rookie of the Year odds board remains stronger than ever with Konnor Griffin ruled out until September.

Wetherholt is tied for 10th in WAR (1.2) among all batters over the last 30 days, batting .300 while playing solid defense.

But a rising tide lifts all boats, and Sal Stewart (.255, five homers, 22 RBI last 30 days) and Carson Benge (.257, four homers, 10 RBI) have seen noteworthy positive movement in this market too.

AL Rookie of the Year odds frontrunner Kevin McGonigle is tied with Wetherholt in WAR over the last month. 

The injured Munetaka Murakami remains second in the market, with Samuel Basallo (.256, 14 homers, 42 RBI) emerging from the pack to be a distant third-choice.

MLB Rookie of the Year futures predictions 

Pick	Odds	Pick date	Units
JJ Wetherholt	+370	May 11	1
Andrew Painter	+3000	March 24	0.25
Carson Benge	+2000	March 11	0.25
Bubba Chandler	+1400	February 25	0.25
Chase DeLauter	+2000	February 25	0.25

My National League bets have all floundered to varying degrees, so I'll cut bait and grab St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt for one unit.

I like Nolan McLean at +2500 as a dark horse to win the NL Cy Young, so he's tempting here as a hedge alongside Wetherholt, but I'm going to single out the infielder.

With Sal Stewart scuffling, Wetherholt should have the shortest odds among position players. He's batting leadoff for the Cardinals and is displaying the power-speed combo that had him near the top of draft rankings ahead of 2024 when St. Louis took him seventh overall (an absolute fleecing).

His .250 BABIP also tells me that better days are coming for the .235/.350/.405 slash line. He's also the only qualified position-player rookie worth more than 1.0 fWAR on the Senior Circuit, and some of that comes from his elite glovework at the keystone.

Popular MLB futures markets

• MLB World Series odds
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• MLB Cy Young odds
• MLB playoff odds
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Past Rookie of the Year winners

Previous AL RoY winners

Although all players have an equal chance of winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award, the honor has been claimed disproportionately by outfielders since its inception in 1949. Outfielders have 24 victories compared to 17 for pitchers and 17 for shortstops. Catchers are bringing up the rear with just two ROY victories over the past 73 years.

Year	Player
2025	Nick Kurtz (1B)
2024	Luis Gil (SP)
2023	Gunnar Henderson (3B/SS)
2022	Julio Rodriguez (OF)
2021	Randy Arozarena (OF)
2020	Kyle Lewis (OF)
2019	Yordan Alvarez (OF)
2018	Shohei Ohtani (P/OF)
2017	Aaron Judge (OF)
2016	Michael Fulmer (SP)

Previous NL RoY winners

No franchise has won more Rookie of the Year awards than the Dodgers. "The Blue Crew" have claimed 18 RoY trophies dating back to the club's early days in Brooklyn.

However, unlike the AL — where the West has been the recent home of the top rookies — the NL East has housed six of the last 13 RoYs, with a mix of outfielders, infielders, starting pitchers, a catcher, and even a reliever.

Year	Player (Team)
2025	Drake Baldwin (C)
2024	Paul Skenes (SP)
2023	Corbin Carroll (OF)
2022	Michael Harris (OF)
2021	Jonathan India (2B)
2020	Devin Williams (RP)
2019	Pete Alonso (1B)
2018	Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF)
2017	Cody Bellinger (1B/OF)
2016	Cory Seager (SS)

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

The Mets’ biggest star will be among those on display during next month’s World Baseball Classic.

Juan Soto will represent the Dominican Republic in the tournament, the Mets announced Sunday — hardly a surprise given the All-Star outfielder’s visibility within his native country.

Soto also played for the Dominican Republic in the 2023 WBC.

Rosters for this year’s event will be finalized this week.

The Mets will send Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes to represent the United States in the WBC.

Mark Vientos has committed to representing Nicaragua.

Francisco Lindor was set to serve as Puerto Rico’s captain for a second straight WBC, but the Mets shortstop won’t participate after the event’s insurer ruled last week he was ineligible for coverage following two elbow surgeries in the past three offseasons.

Jose Altuve was also among those denied insurance coverage, removing him from the tournament.

Lindor and the Mets are all too familiar with the insurance ramifications after Edwin Díaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee during an on-field celebration with Team Puerto Rico during the 2023 WBC.

The All-Star closer underwent season-ending surgery, but received his full salary through insurance.

Soto appeared in four games for the Dominican Republic in the 2023 WBC and finished 6-for-15 (.400) with two homers and a 1.500 OPS.

He will be joined on this year’s Dominican squad by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Julio Rodríguez, Ketel Marte and Manny Machado, among others.

The Mets have been well represented in the tournament since its inception, most notably by David Wright, who earned the “Captain America” moniker for his WBC heroics.

The team sent Lindor, Díaz, Pete Alonso, Eduardo Escobar and Brooks Raley to the 2023 WBC.

McLean will be a Mets focal point for Team USA in this year’s event after the rookie dominated in eight starts following his call-up late last season.

Holmes will also be a first-time participant.

“It’s an opportunity that you never really know if you’re going to get again,” Holmes said in December. “For me, just looking at the whole workload stuff and kind of where I was at in spring training last year, I feel like I was going to do the same workload this year, the same buildup and it really put me on track to do not much different this year, even with the WBC.”

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The Cy Young odds have shifted in the AL following a near no-hitter for Dylan Cease.

The Blue Jays ace is now within range of favored Cam Schlittler of the Yankees.

Meanwhile, the competition is getting smaller in Jacob Misiorowski's rearview mirror in the NL.

Let's look at the latest MLB odds to win the Cy Young awards and make some Cy Young predictions along the way.

Odds to win AL Cy Young award 2026

Player
Cam Schlittler	+133
Dylan Cease	+233
Cole Ragans	+910
Jacob deGrom	+2464
Gavin Williams	+3900

Odds last updated on 7-9. Odds from Polymarket. Use our Polymarket promo code (COVERS) for a $50 trading bonus when you deposit at least $20 as a new user.

Odds to win NL Cy Young award 2026

Player
Jacob Misiorowski	-376
Cristopher Sanchez	+614
Yoshinobu Yamamoto	+1349
Zack Wheeler	+1349
Shohei Ohtani	+2400

Odds as of 7-9.

MLB Cy Young analysis

Dylan Cease threw eight no-hit innings vs. the Giants on Wednesday before Heliot Ramos broke it up to lead off the ninth inning. The 30-year-old hurler, who has one career no-no, was immediately lifted after throwing a career-high 118 pitches.

Cease (6-4, 2.56 ERA) went from +614 to +233 in this market immediately following the stellar start. 

Cam Schlittler (9-5, 2.01 ERA) is still second in all of baseball in ERA among qualified starters. He's showing no signs of slowing down, as he just fanned eight Rays over eight innings of one-run ball on July 6.

Despite that, he's drifted from -127 to +133 to win AL Cy Young.

Jacob Misiorowski continues to dazzle in his sophomore season, most recently K-ing 11 Cardinals over seven innings while allowing only two runs. He's sitting at 10-4 with a 1.62 ERA and 0.757 WHIP through 18 starts.

Misiorowski has gone from -213 to -376 in recent days to win this award. He's pulling away from Cristopher Sanchez (10-4, 2.62 ERA), who just coughed up nine earned runs vs. the Royals over 3 1/3 innings on July 6.

MLB Cy Young futures predictions

Pick	Odds	Pick date	Units
Paul Skenes	+200	May 11	2.5
Nolan McLean	+2500	May 11	0.5
Kevin Gausman	+4000	April 20	0.25
Eury Perez	+3500	March 25	0.25
Dylan Cease	+3000	March 25	0.25
Hunter Greene	+1400	February 24	0.25
Cole Ragans	+1300	February 24	0.25

Popular MLB futures markets

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Previous Cy Young Award winners

Here are the last 10 winners of the AL and NL Cy Young Award, with Detroit, Cleveland, Houston, Washington, and the New York Mets each leading the way with two. Overall, the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have the most Cy Youngs all time (12), followed by the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves with eight and the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and Mets with seven apiece.

Previous AL Cy Young winners

Year	American League Winner
2025	Tarik Skubal
2024	Tarik Skubal
2023	Gerrit Cole
2022	Justin Verlander
2021	Robbie Ray
2020	Shane Bieber
2019	Justin Verlander
2018	Blake Snell
2017	Corey Kluber
2016	Rick Porcello

Previous NL Cy Young winners

Year	National League Winner
2025	Paul Skenes
2024	Chris Sale
2023	Blake Snell
2022	Sandy Alcantara
2021	Corbin Burnes
2020	Trevor Bauer
2019	Jacob deGrom
2018	Jacob deGrom
2017	Max Scherzer
2016	Max Scherzer

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

At the time Trent Grisham accepted the qualifying offer back in November, the $22.025 million seemed like a steep price for the Yankees to pay him.

A few months later, with the market more defined and the offseason nearly complete, Brian Cashman believes they got a deal.

“At this point, that $22 million looks like a bargain the way the free agent market got away from everyone, on a one-year basis,” Cashman said Sunday morning on MLB Network Radio.

Grisham only made $5.25 million in 2025, his final year of arbitration, but did so while enjoying a breakout season in which the center fielder hit 34 home runs with a .811 OPS and became the regular Yankees leadoff hitter.

That led the Yankees to extend a qualifying offer to Grisham, who could have explored the free agent market and potentially landed a multiyear deal worth more overall than the $22.025 million.

Instead, he accepted it, giving the Yankees some insurance as they worked to bring Cody Bellinger back as well — ultimately re-signing him on a five-year, $162.5 million contract.

Besides Bellinger and Kyle Tucker (four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers), Grisham was the next best outfielder who would have been available on the free agent market.

“What he did last year to unlock and take it to another level was spectacular and all the information that we buy into leads us to believe clearly that by offering him the qualifying offer that [2025] was real, it is sustainable and that he is an offensive and defensive player for us moving forward,” Cashman said.

“We’re really happy he chose to stay with us at the $22 [million] on a one-year basis and hopefully he can replicate what he did last year for us because it was one of the reasons we had the success we had and made the postseason.”

And so the Yankees are set to bring back the same starting outfield of Bellinger, Grisham and Aaron Judge, with Jasson Domínguez — who was eventually squeezed out of playing time last season because of Grisham’s continued emergence — currently projected to be a fourth outfielder.

While Grisham’s high average annual value is part of the reason why the Yankees’ luxury tax payroll now stands at $335.5 million, according to Cot’s Contracts, his $22.025 million is tied for the seventh-highest AAV of any position player who signed this offseason.

That trails only Tucker ($60 million), Bo Bichette ($42 million), Alex Bregman ($35 million), Bellinger ($32.5 million), Pete Alonso ($31 million) and Kyle Schwarber ($30 million).

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Shohei Ohtani has been in cruise control in the MLB MVP odds for most of this year, and Yordan Alvarez may soon be joining him.

The MLB odds have Alvarez as a minus-odds favorite to win AL MVP. The price is even steeper on Ohtani in the NL.

For more analysis of these MLB odds, check out our MLB MVP predictionsbelow.  

Odds to win 2026 AL MVP 

Player
Yordan Alvarez	-231
Nick Kurtz	+429
Bobby Witt Jr.	+525
Ben Rice	+2930
Julio Rodriguez	+6567

Odds last updated on 7-8. Odds from Polymarket. Use our Polymarket promo code (COVERS) for a $50 trading bonus when you deposit at least $20 as a new user.

Odds to win 2026 NL MVP 

Player
Shohei Ohtani	-669
Kyle Schwarber	+2281
Pete Crow-Armstrong	+2281
Corbin Carroll	+3746
Bryce Harper	+4900

Odds last updated on 7-8.

MLB MVP odds analysis

Since Houston Astros GM Dana Brown shut down trade speculation involving Yordan Alvarez, his price has continued to tumble in the AL MVP odds.

The dangerous designated hitter has gone from +113 to -231 in just the last two weeks, despite a modest .821 OPS in that span with five homers and 11 RBI.

Nick Kurtz remains in second, hovering around +400 despite a poor wRC+ of 33 over the last two weeks.

Shohei Ohtani has had a stranglehold on the Senior Circuit race for a while now. He's cemented his status as NL MVP frontrunner by batting .300 with three dingers and 11 RBI over the last 14 days. 

SHOHEI OHTANI'S 300th MLB HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/GbNlyPbM07

— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2026

Ohtani also has a 1.79 ERA over 85 2/3 innings on the mound.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has emerged from the pack by putting up a 2.8 WAR over the last month. The next-closest player to him in that sample is over a full point behind (not counting Ohtani).

However, at this point, you're basically counting on an Ohtani injury if you're betting against him in this race.

MLB MVP futures predictions

Prediction	Odds	Prediction date	Units
Mike Trout	+2000	April 21	0.5
Ben Rice	+2500	April 21	0.5
Gunnar Henderson	+1500	March 24	0.5
Wyatt Langford	+4000	February 25	0.25
Jackson Merrill	+5500	February 25	0.25

Popular MLB futures markets

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Previous MVP winners

Here are the last 10 winners of the AL and NL MVP Award, with Shohei Ohtani leading the way as a four-time winner, with two in the AL and two in the NL. Only Frank Robinson has also won MVP awards in both leagues.

Barry Bonds holds the record for most MVP awards (seven).

The New York Yankees have won the most MVPs in MLB history with 25, while the St. Louis Cardinals are second, leading all NL teams, with 21. No player for the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, or Tampa Bay Rays has ever won MVP.

Previous AL MVP winners

Year	American League Winner
2025	Aaron Judge
2024	Aaron Judge
2023	Shohei Ohtani
2022	Aaron Judge
2021	Shohei Ohtani
2020	Jose Abreu
2019	Mike Trout
2018	Mookie Betts
2017	Jose Altuve
2016	Mike Trout

Previous NL MVP winners

Year	National League Winner
2025	Shohei Ohtani
2024	Shohei Ohtani
2023	Ronald Acuna Jr.
2022	Paul Goldschmidt
2021	Bryce Harper
2020	Freddie Freeman
2019	Cody Bellinger
2018	Christian Yelich
2017	Giancarlo Stanton
2016	Kris Bryant

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Slugger Eugenio Suárez is headed back to Cincinnati. 

Suárez and the Reds have agreed to a one-year, $15 million deal, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed. 

The contract includes a mutual option for the 2027 season worth $16 million, ESPN reported. 

Suárez was the biggest bat remaining on the open market, and he heads to the Reds after hitting 49 home runs last season, although he struggled during the second half of the campaign. 

Suárez spent seven of his 12 years in Major League Baseball with the Reds, playing in Cincinnati from 2015-21.

The infielder split last season between the Diamondbacks and the Mariners. 

He clobbered 36 home runs and batted .248 before the trade to Seattle. 

Suárez then hit .189/.255/.428 and recorded 13 home runs in 53 games with the Mariners following the move. 

He did finish the 2025 season with a career-best 118 RBIs, though he finished the year hitting .228/.298/.526. 

ESPN reported that Suárez is expected to get a majority of his at-bats in Cincinnati as a designated hitter, with the Reds already having Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base and rookie Sal Stewart believed to be taking over at first base for the upcoming season. 

He spent two seasons with the Mariners from 2022-23 before he was traded in November 2023 to the Diamondbacks.

Day 2 of SoxFest Live felt very familiar, with many of the same key talking points put out by GM Chris Getz and manager Will Venable the night before. However, the atmosphere did seem a bit different. While Friday night set the tone for a more intimate gathering, Saturday’s sold-out crowd made it feel more like a celebration.

Friday evening was only for season ticket holders, while Saturday opened its doors to everyone, offering general admission and VIP options. GA ticket holders had access to the lower level, but the VIP experience added the upper level for exclusive player photo opportunities and meet-and-greets (ahem, Bo Jackson), along with a nightcap after-party that felt less like a formal event and more like a late-night hangout. White Sox staff, coaches, and players mingled with fans, music pumping, conversations flowing in the kind of setting where walls came down, and personalities came out.

Our own Crystal O’Keefe and her son Hayden opted for the VIP route, and it paid off. The up-close access made a real difference. “My son was able to collect more autographs and was especially excited to chat with Miguel Vargas,” O’Keefe says. Those types of moments, unhurried, unscripted, and personal, are what seemed to set this reimagined SoxFest apart.

O’Keefe also talked with pitcher Davis Martin, who shared how excited he is for the season. The event’s interactive setup let players and fans really connect. They weren’t just answering questions or taking photos; they were laughing, joking, and even dancing with the DJ.

The overall vibes of the weekend were positive, and the optimism was pretty evident. Many of the fans we spoke with were energized by the direction and momentum of Rebuild 2.0. One lifelong South Side fan, someone who’s been a fan of the team for more than 60 years, told us he’s officially bought back in, convinced by the new wave of young talent the Sox have acquired and developed. That kind of hope, from someone who’s seen it all, says a lot.

Young fans are also enjoying the connections they’re making with players they can relate to:

South Side Sox writer Hannah Filippo dove deeper into Friday night’s event in her assessment, taking a closer look at clubhouse culture and the organization’s emphasis on bringing in players with a specific makeup. Skepticism from fans about rebuilding and culture is understandable and earned, given recent history. But having seen firsthand what happens when a clubhouse lacks cohesion (talking to you, 2022), it’s hard not to at least acknowledge the importance of getting that part right.

For a lot of people, the 2005 championship team was special not just because of talent, but because of how close the players all seemed to be. That was evident at the 20th World Series reunion at the ballpark last summer. After interviewing six different players from the current team on Friday, it was obvious they really enjoy being together. Just looking through their social media posts, you can see many of them got together during the offseason. This young core likes to compete and push each other, while understanding that there’s a lot of work to do. They appear ready to put in the effort, and their skipper seems to have their attention, and, more importantly, their trust.

Will “vibes” or clubhouse culture really make that big of a difference? Probably not. But it certainly won’t hurt. And it’s hard to ignore how damaging the previous group’s toxic culture appeared to be in the long run.

Maybe this rebuild flames out, too. We know all too well that it’s a possibility. But for now, I’m willing to take the gamble. This group comes across as humble, likable and focused. That’s a foundation I find worth rooting for.

Even so, it’s totally fair for many Sox fans to be hesitant. No one should feel pressured to “enjoy the ride.” That’s what makes being a sports fan great — everyone gets to experience it their own way. At South Side Sox, we call out the team when it’s needed, and we’ll keep doing that. You can count on it. We’re fans first, always.

But it’s also fair to give credit where it’s due. The White Sox appear to be making a real effort to do things differently by hiring outside the organization, modernizing long-neglected infrastructure and reshaping SoxFest into an event that actually connects players and fans.

For one weekend at Ramova Theatre, at least, it felt like a step in the right direction.

MLB Rumors: Eugenio Suarez and the Cincinnati Reds are in agreement on a one year, $15 million deal with a $16 million mutual option for 2026, per reports.

I think it is fair to say that this is a much lighter deal than most were expecting. Suarez, 34, split the 2025 season between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners, and ended up accumulating 49 homers on the season. Ben Clemsns projected two years, $50 million for Suarez at Fangraphs, while Kiley McDaniel had him at 2 years, $45 million. Just $15 million for one year for a 49 homer guy from last year doesn’t seem to make sense.

There are some concerns, though, which would seem to help explain it. Suarez has become rather one-dimensional — his defense at third base has declined, and Cincinnati will be playing him primarily at a DH, per reports. He doesn’t get on base much, slashing .228/.298/.526, and strikes out a ton. Basically, his value is pretty much wrapped up in his home runs, and teams have long been leery of righthanded power hitters falling off the cliff. Suarez likely didn’t help himself with his .189/.255/.428 slash line for Seattle post-trade, though he did hit three home runs in the playoffs.

A couple of interesting things here, to me, anyway. Suarez has 1814 strikeouts in his career, which places him 26th all time, two behind Dave Kingman. However, given he struck out 196 times last year, and has averaged 190 Ks per season the last five years, if he plays every day, he has a good chance of cracking the 2000 K mark. Only 8 players have struck out at least 2000 times in their major league careers, though Paul Goldschmidt (1979) seems likely to reach 2000 Ks in 2026, assuming he plays, and Andrew McCutchen (1893) could get there as well if he lands somewhere he can play every day. He needs 189 to tie Andres Galarraga, who is currently 8th, and 158 to pass Justin Upton and reach the top 10.

The other interesting thing is that Suarez is seemingly coming full circle in his franchise travels. This is his second stint with the Reds, who traded him to Seattle in the spring of 2022. Seattle traded him to Arizona after the 2023 season, then re-acquired him last summer. To make it complete, after playing for the Reds this year, Suarez will need to join the Detroit Tigers, who signed him originally, and traded him to Cincy for Alfredo Simon in 2014.

We will continue to update this list with new articles as new information/acquisitions occur.

Spring Training is almost here. Astros pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach February 11.

This is the part of the year where that excitement starts to ramp up, it’s almost time for baseball to be back!

Now that the calendar has turned to February, let’s start taking a look at the Astros roster. While I do not believe the roster is a finished product and that Astros GM Dana Brown will continue to make some more moves, these projections will reflect only players currently in the Astros’ organization.

Here is my “as of Feb. 1, 2026” roster projections/depth chart for the Houston Astros:

Pitching Staff:

Starters (6): Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows, Spencer Arrighetti, Ryan Weiss

Bullpen (7): Josh Hader (CL), Bryan Abreu (SU), AJ Blubaugh, Bennett Sousa, Bryan King, Steven Okert, Nate Pearson

AAA Depth: Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, Miguel Ullola, Jayden Murray, Kai-Wei Teng, Logan VanWey

Decisions looming: Enyel De Los Santos (out of options), Roddery Munoz (Rule V pick, must be on MLB roster or MLB IL or offered back to original team), Lance McCullers Jr. (retirement?)

The Astros top 4 starters are a virtual lock. The back two spots are the ones being battled for, and currently Spencer Arrighetti and Ryan Weiss should have the inside track.

Arrighetti has spent the last 2 seasons on the big league club, although 2025 was a forgettable year due to injury and ineffectiveness. How much of that ineffectiveness after his return was due to lingering injury is yet unknown. He must prove he is healthy and has regained his command. Arrighetti’s significant decrease in strikeout rate year over year (10.6 in 2024, 7.9 in 2025) combined with his very high walk rates (4.1 BB/9 in 2024, 5.0 BB/9 in 2025) and propensity for surrendering the long ball(1.3 HR/9 in 20024, 1.5 HR/9 in 2025) will need to be rectified or he will not stick at the MLB level.

Weiss has never pitched at the MLB level, but his tremendous stats in the KBO in 2025 (16-5, 2.87 ERA, 1.024 WHIP) and his demonstration of being able to pitch an entire season (178.2 IP in 2025) should give him a nod over AJ Blubaugh and Nate Pearson entering Spring Training.

Five of the seven bullpen spots return from last season, with two newcomers in Blubaugh and Pearson. The Astros need righthanded arms in the pen, where they are very lefty heavy. Since the Astros plan on utilizing a 6-man rotation, having multiple relievers capable of going multiple innings will be important for them.

Both Blubaugh and Pearson are capable of giving longer outings out of the pen, and being able to “save the pen” is going to be paramount for team that doesn’t have a lot of maneuverable spots in it’s pen to begin with. While Blubaugh still has options remaining, Pearson does not. If Pearson fails to impress or hold his own early, he could find himself with a one-way ticket to DFA-ville early.

Lance McCullers Jr. is a sentimentally difficult decision but not necessarily difficult from a production standpoint. Lance’s velocity on his fastball last season was not MLB caliber, and both he and the team know it. He will need to show improved velocity and command this spring or it will be time for that “come to the light” meeting where the Astros give him the choice of retiring as an Astro before the season or being DFA’d.

The Astros have shown they are not afraid to DFA players in the final year of their contracts and simply eat the money to free up the roster spot.

McCullers is a fan favorite. I cannot help but have the utmost respect for him as a competitor, watching him year after year work his tail off to recover from repeated injuries. Unfortunately, there comes a point in time where the body can no longer do as the mind and heart command and injuries accelerate that timetable. It may be that time for McCullers.

As this time, I would expect Jason Alexander to be the first man up from Sugar Land if one of the projected arms to start the year with the Astros underperforms or suffers an injury.

With 24 games in the first 26 days of the season, the Astros need some pitchers with options to call up fresh arms when they have to burn a pen arm for any reason.

Blubaugh, Gordon, Alexander, Murray and Teng all have options, and are all players who could be on the “Sugar Land Shuttle” if the Astros need pen reinforcements in the first month. Sousa also has options and has an injury question coming into the season regarding his left flexor tendon, which shut him down last year, though the Astros considered the injury minor and he did not need surgery.

Enyel De Los Santos is out of options and needs to make the club or pass through waivers. Logan VanWey is not on the 40-man roster. Roddery Munoz was a Rule V pick and will have to show monster improvement to make this roster. He has a significant likelihood of being returned to the Cincinnati Reds as Rule V picks must be offered back to the team they were selected from if they are not going to be on the MLB roster or MLB IL for the season.

Position Players:

STARTERS: Yainer Diaz (C), Christian Walker (1B), Jose Altuve (2B), Jeremy Pena (SS), Carlos Correa (3B), Zach Cole (LF), Jake Meyers (CF), Cam Smith (RF), Yordan Alvarez (DH)

BENCH: Isaac Paredes (CO), Cesar Salazar (C), Nick Allen (MI), Jesus Sanchez (OF)

AAA Depth: Zach Dezenzo (OF) Shay Whitcomb (UT), Taylor Trammell (OF), Carlos Perez (C)

There is likely to be some movement among this group before the season starts, as Astros GM Dana Brown has expressed desire for another lefty hitting outfielder and a veteran backup catcher. The Astros publicly deny that their logjam in the infield is an issue but information from around the league tells a different story of the Astros trying to figure out a way to make a deal that alleviates that logjam and improves the team at the same time.

In the meantime, Yainer Diaz projects to get a significant share of the catching reps, perhaps as much as 75% (120 games). That number could change if the Astros bring in a veteran (they have reportedly been exploring talks with Christian Vazquez though Vazquez has been a dreadful hitter since the Astros acquired him at the deadline in 2022), if Diaz struggles at the plate badly, or if they get unexpected production elsewhere. Right now, Cesar Salazar would seem to be the best option as a backup catcher. Houston is concerned about his bat at the MLB level, but if they are concerned about Salazar’s bat then they should be more concerned about Vazquez’ bat. If the rest of the team produces as it should, Salazar’s potential weak bat would not be much of an issue.

Christian Walker will start at 1B, although if Isaac Paredes is on the team and healthy, he may cede some playing time to him.

Paredes and Walker coexisting will be a challenge for Joe Espada, as getting enough ABs for both of those players will not only be a major challenge, but will be something the Astros manager will be asked about every single game.

Paredes can give Walker a day off (or 2) at first, Correa a day off at third, maybe an occasional day out of the field for Altuve at 2B (whether Paredes can truly play 2B is a question right now), and spell Yordan at DH every couple of weeks. That has Paredes in the lineup about 4 days a week, and has a lot of days off for both him and regulars.

Granted, two of those players are older players (Altuve, Walker) and two are injury-prone players (Alvarez, Correa), but if everyone is healthy it can be a pretty tough situation trying to keep everyone happy. (Before you ask, yes, happy matters, especially over 162 games.) Guys need to be accepting of their roles, and the biggest potential problem would be Paredes.

Paredes is the one with the most to gain by playing well and playing often. He has one year of arbitration remaining, and he can get either a long term extension or a big free agent contract if he gets enough opportunity and capitalizes on it. The opportunity may be diminished if he and Walker are both on the team and it forces Espada to use Paredes in a super utility role. The looming work stoppage that could potentially happen at the end of the 2026 season also plays a factor.

The outfield right now breaks down to just four players, as a 4 man bench limits opportunity and the team must use two spots for a backup catcher and backup shortstop, and one for Paredes. That leaves Smith, Meyers, Cole and Sanchez as the outfield.

Sanchez has reportedly been on the trade block all offseason, with the Astros disappointed both by his offensive disappearing act once they acquired him from Miami last year and his defensive deficiencies. However, for his career he is a decent hitter against righthanded pitching.

Sanchez career numbers against RHP (.253/.324/.450 slash line, .774 OPS) are certainly playable at the bottom of the lineup, but his numbers vs. lefties are abysmal (.181/.231/.289 slash line, .520 OPS) for his career, and he is clearly a platoon player.

The Astros are hoping Cam Smith can take a step forward and be a productive hitter for an entire season and against both righties and lefties. While Dana Brown has said Smith is not guaranteed a roster spot to start the season, it’s hard to see who would take that roster spot from him, as competition right now for his spot would come from Zach Dezenzo, Shay Whitcomb and Taylor Trammell. None of those players should be striking fear in the heart of Smith that his spot is truly in jeopardy. Brown just wants more from a player he views as immensely talented in Smith.

Jake Meyers has reportedly been on the trade block all offseason, but he is still on the team. If he is on the team, he starts in center.

Cole impressed the organization with his progress and power last season, and he will get a chance to show his wares plenty in spring.

Potential Lineups:

Pena – SS

Yordan – DH

Altuve – 2B

Correa – 3B

Walker – 1B

Diaz – C

Cole – LF

Smith – RF

Meyers – CF

I believe this can form the baseline of the Astros lineup. Sanchez will get time, solely against RHP, and he will get more time if Smith falters.

Paredes will get time as well, and could find himself hitting behind Correa in the 5 spot or pushing everyone down one slot by batting 2.

Salazar would be the 9 hitter anytime he played, pushing the bottom three hitters up a spot, ditto Allen. I would expect we would never see Allen and Salazar in the same lineup barring something unexpected or catastrophic. In fact, with the current roster, I would expect to see the Astros make Paredes a regular with any infield injury (he would start at 1B/2B/3B, and in the case of an injury to Pena – Correa would slide to SS and Paredes would play 3B).

Of note: Altuve hit .222 with a .316 OBP and .649 OPS batting 2nd (133 PA) and .276 with a .338 OBP and .854 OPS batting 3rd (350 PA) last season.

Yordan for his career is a .312 hitter batting second, with a .383 OBP and .926 OPS. In 2025, Yordan batted .338 with a .409 OBP and .909 OPS in 22 games batting second.

Paredes had his worst slash numbers batting second in 2025, posting a .233 AVG with a .337 OBP and .765 OPS in 58 games. For his career, he a .223 hitter batting 2nd with a .329 OBP and .751 OPS. His best slash line has been batting sixth, where he is a career .293 hitter with a .393 OBP and .999 OPS in 57 games.