NHL Insider Believes Rangers' Reputation Is Damaged After Disastrous Season

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers will have to make changes both with the roster and internally in terms of their culture. 

After winning the Presidents’ Trophy and reaching the Eastern Conference Final just one year ago, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs in what was a disaster of a season. 

Not only did the Rangers miss the playoffs, but the team dealt with issues of tension and dysfunction within the organization that spiraled out of control. 

It started in the summer when the Rangers waived Barclay Goodrow without giving the player much notice as he was claimed off waivers by the San Jose Sharks.

Goodrow was an important leader in the Blueshirts’ locker room and the manner in which he was released didn’t boil over too well with Goodrow. 

During the offseason, the Rangers’ desire to trade Jacob Trouba became public and that situation carried into training camp when Trouba remained on the roster. 

After some struggles to start the season, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury sent out a league-wide memo indicating his willingness to shake up the team’s core while specifically mentioning Chris Kreider and Trouba’s name. That also ultimately became public, which only plummeted the Rangers’ level of play even further.

Things quickly escalated and Trouba was shipped off to Anaheim after the Rangers threatened to place him on waivers if he did not waive his no-trade clause.

Now, the Rangers need to improve the roster and also do some damage control on their reputation which one NHL insider believes was badly hurt due to everything that transpired. 

“I do think reputation wise, the Rangers have taken a hit this year,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said. “Players notice how things like that happen. For them it is easier to bounce back because of who they are and where they play. You can recover quickly from that.”

The Rangers fired Peter Laviolette on Saturday, but it will take far more than just a coaching change to fix the damage that has already been done. 

Bullpen saves Dodgers after Tyler Glasnow exits with leg cramps in win over Rangers

Dodgers infielders, umpire Nic Lentz and a team staff member check on starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow
Dodgers infielders, umpire Nic Lentz and a team staff member check on starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow during the fifth inning Sunday during a road game against the Rangers. Glasnow suffered cramps in the fourth inning and left the game in the fifth. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)

Tyler Glasnow stood on the back of the mound, flexed his right leg to test how it felt, then threw his first pitch of the fifth inning on Sunday afternoon.

In the Dodgers’ 1-0 win against the Texas Rangers, it proved to be the right-hander’s last one of the day.

Though the Dodgers salvaged a series win at Globe Life Field, riding a stout bullpen and eighth-inning sacrifice fly from Freddie Freeman to victory in the series rubber match, they first had to overcome yet another injury concern from Glasnow, who left the game after just four innings with what he later said was cramping in both his legs.

“Ankles, calves, feet. Both sides,” Glasnow said. “After a while, it just gets to the point where it’s fully locked up. I’m not sure why.”

Read more:After offseason changes, Tyler Glasnow has familiar goal with Dodgers: ‘To stay healthy’

The good news for the Dodgers: Glasnow’s issue is not believed to be serious.

Among the many injury problems that have plagued his big-league career, occasional bouts of cramping have been among the most benign.

“We expect him to make his next start on Sunday at home,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So hopefully this is a one-time occurrence.”

Glasnow’s early exit didn’t derail the Dodgers (16-7) either. Instead, a sturdy bullpen came to the rescue once again.

Luis García and Anthony Banda each got two outs after Glasnow’s departure. Rookie standout Ben Casparius collected five more after them, marking his sixth-straight outing of more than one inning.

The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman follows through on a sacrifice fly that allowed Will Smith to score
The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman follows through on a sacrifice fly that allowed Will Smith to score on Sunday in Arlington, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)

Another rookie surprise, left-hander Jack Dreyer, recovered from a leadoff walk in the eighth by retiring his next two batters. Evan Phillips then finished off that inning, before Tanner Scott got his eighth save of the season in the ninth — the game ending when Rangers baserunner Wyatt Langford was tagged out by second baseman Miguel Rojas after popping off the bag on a bang-bang play while trying to steal a base.

The Dodgers’ offense only produced three hits against the Rangers (13-9), but got their lone run in the top of the eighth inning. Will Smith led off with a pinch-hit single, moved to second on a walk from Shohei Ohtani — who was returning to the lineup after missing the previous two games for the birth of his daughter — then advanced all the way home on back-to-back fly balls from Mookie Betts and Freeman.

“It was just a great manufactured inning,” Roberts said.

In the end, the only real question was the severity of Glasnow’s cramping issue — and whether it signaled any reason for future concern given his lengthy history of injuries in the big leagues.

Read more:The Dodgers didn't just help Tyler Glasnow get healthy, they helped him get better

Glasnow said his legs started bothering him in the third inning. In the fourth, he initially stayed in the game after being checked on the mound by a trainer once. But when the problem persisted into the fifth — his lone pitch that inning was a 93.7 mph fastball, one of his slowest this season — signs of his discomfort were visible again, prompting Roberts and the training staff to remove him from the game.

“I’ve done all the hydration stuff. I do all the supplements,” Glasnow said. “I think we’ll try and figure some stuff out soon. And just hopefully it doesn’t happen again.”

Glasnow had a similar cramping episode last April in Toronto. Though he bounced back from that to complete a strong first half to the season, earning him his first career All-Star selection, he ultimately succumbed to an elbow injury in August that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Roberts wasn’t concerned about Glasnow’s long-term health after Sunday’s game, but did acknowledge a sense of frustration from the 31-year-old veteran — who has a 3.71 ERA in four starts this year, but only 17 total innings pitched.

Dodgers' Austin Barnes, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and the rest of the team celebrate their 1-0 win over the Rangers
Dodgers' Austin Barnes, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and the rest of the team celebrate their 1-0 win over the Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)

“I’m sure no one’s more frustrated than he is, especially when you’re pitching well,” Roberts said of Glasnow, who had another short start two weeks ago in Philadelphia when he failed to complete the third inning amid a light rain shower.

“But the bullpen has picked him up. And hopefully this one and some other things are behind us and he can give us some length [next] Sunday.”

Given the currently shorthanded state of the Dodgers’ rotation (which is still awaiting the return of Blake Snell and Tony Gonsolin from the injured list) and the heavy early-season workload that has fallen on the bullpen (which leads the majors with 96 ⅔ combined innings this season), the Dodgers will need it.

“It’s not a good feeling, just to have the bullpen throw so many innings this year,” Glasnow said. “But like I said, they’ve done an amazing job, and they helped me out today a lot.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mets' Jeff McNeil homers for second straight game in Double-A

Jeff McNeil did it all for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Sunday as the Mets infielder/outfielder continued his rehab from a right oblique strain sustained during spring training.

A day after going yard in his first game for Double-A, McNeil unloaded on the first pitch of the game against Moises Chase for his second home run in as many days to give the Rumble Ponies an instant 1-0 advantage.

The 33-year-old playing second base followed that up with a long double in the third inning, scoring the game's second run on Nick Morabito's sacrifice fly later in the frame.

McNeil finished the game 4-for-4 and was a triple away from hitting for the cycle. He swung at the first pitch on three of his four hits, wasting no time to make his mark and prove he's ready to re-join the big-league club as soon as possible.

Another injured player itching to return to the majors is Francisco Alvarez, who played in back-to-back games for the second time during his rehab. After catching nine innings on Saturday, the 23-year-old was the designated hitter on Sunday and finished 1-for-5 in the No. 2 hole.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said before New York's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals that it's "most likely [both players] will continue to get at-bats," but it'll be interesting to see if either McNeil or Alvarez has made enough of a case to get the call before the Mets begin a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.

Mets complete four-game sweep over Cardinals with 7-3 win

The Mets finished off a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 7-3 win on Easter Sunday at Citi Field.

Here are the takeaways...

-After ending Friday night's game with a solo shot, Francisco Lindor started this one off with a leadoff home run against Sonny Gray -- Lindor's third career homer against Gray, who has allowed five dingers already this season.

Lindor is now 9-for-20 when leading off the game and appears to have put his bad start to the year in the rearview mirror. He finished 3-for-5 and bumped his average up to .271.

-New York may have stolen its second run in the third inning, taking advantage of the scouting report on the Cardinals' outfield defense.

After Tyrone Taylor and Lindor singles put runners on the corners to bring up Juan Soto in another opportunity with runners in scoring position -- one in which Soto has struggled this season after excelling mightily in that spot last year with the Yankees -- the outfielder hit a shallow fly ball to Lars Nootbaar in left field. Without skipping a beat, Taylor raced home after the catch and beat Nootbaar's throw home to double the Mets' lead.

-Pitching with an early lead, Clay Holmes had his best outing for New York and was able to complete six innings for the first time as a member of the Mets. The right-hander allowed just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six and throwing 91 pitches (58 strikes).

The only run Holmes allowed came in the sixth inning, but it could've been more if not for Brandon Nimmo's leaping catch at the wall to rob Jordan Walker of a home run and end the inning.

-After being unable to get deeper into games as a whole, New York's pitching staff has now gone at least six innings in four of its past nine games after doing so only once in its first 13 games.

-Pete Alonso stayed hot with an RBI single in the fifth inning as the first baseman now leads the NL with 24 RBI.

-The Mets saw their lead disappear in the seventh inning after reliever Danny Young entered. The lefty allowed a hit and a walk and left after striking out Nootbaar for the second out of the inning. Looking for the final out of the frame, Jose Butto got jumped on by Thomas Saggese, who doubled his first pitch to drive in two runs and tie the game.

-New York got the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning as Nimmo, facing former Met Phil Maton, got his first hit of the day to drive in Lindor before the Mets piled on in the eighth.

On the strength of three doubles, the Mets scored three insurance runs to make it 7-3. Luisangel Acuña, who had another positive day at the plate by going 2-for-4, started things off with a chopper to the left side of the infield that was deflected by third baseman Nolan Gorman. It allowed Acuña to get to second base for a hustle double.

Taylor followed with his second hit of the day, a conventional double to right field, that scored a run before Soto brought in two with a slicing double to center field and cashing in on another RISP opportunity.

-Ryne Stanek pitched the ninth and allowed his first run of the season.

Game MVP: Juan Soto

Soto was in the middle of all the action, and his two-run double in the eighth put the icing on the cake.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets begin a three-game set with the Philadelphia Phillies at home starting on Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Tylor Megill (2-2, 1.40 ERA) goes for New York and will be opposed by RHP Aaron Nola (0-4, 6.65 ERA).

Max Fried proves worth as Yankees' 2025 ace, takes no-hit bid deep into series-clinching win at Rays

Max Fried lived up to his eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees and delivered his best start yet for AL East-leading New York (14-8) in Sunday's 4-0, series-clinching win at the Tampa Bay Rays.

Takeaways

-Without Gerrit Cole, Fried has been invaluable as the ace of the Yankees' 2025 starting rotation. He took a no-hit bid deep into his remarkable outing, giving the bullpen a breather after Saturday's extra-inning loss and stifled the Rays (9-13). Fried (4-0, 1.42 ERA) allowed two hits while striking out two and walking two in 7.2 IP. The 64-strike, 102-pitch outing saw Fried embrace the role of the ace with New York coming off a collapse in Saturday's 10-8 defeat.

-Trent Grisham stepped up in the leadoff spot for Ben Rice (left elbow), whom the Yankees kept out of the lineup Sunday after a hit-by-pitch during Saturday's game. Grisham turned on a 2-0 fastball down the middle at 94 mph and sent Ryan Pepiot's offering over the right-field wall for an important solo shot to start the game. Three strikeouts followed for Grisham, who has six home runs through 20 games, but he ultimately gave the Yankees a pivotal run in a big spot as the pitchers' duel between Fried and Pepiot ensued.

-After Grisham drew first blood and while Fried battled,Cody Bellinger's two RBI created separation in the third and sixth innings. His second home run of the early season, a solo shot to right-center field off Pepiot's 95-mph fastball on a 1-2 count, was the last blow in what was an otherwise strong start by the opposing pitcher. Without Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees need Bellinger (12 RBI through 19 games) to be a run-driving supporter behind Aaron Judge and that was the case Sunday.

-Austin Wells' fourth home run through 19 games was the last nail in the Yankees' shutout, sending the first pitch of a one-out, ninth-inning at-bat into opposite field for a solo shot off Garrett Cleavinger. Wells, whose 1-for-3 afternoon included a fourth-inning walk, is up to 10 RBI on the early season.

Who's the MVP?

Fried, who dominated the Rays in a game where New York got just enough offense to end the victorious series with a bounce-back win.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees' three-game series at the Cleveland Guardians starts with Monday's 6:10 p.m. opener. RHP Clarke Schmidt is set to make his second start this season after he scattered three runs on four hits in 5.2 IP of last Wednesday's 4-3 New York win over the Kansas City Royals. The Guardians are projected to start RHP Gavin Williams (1-1, 4.58 ERA).

Yankees' Clayton Beeter begins rehab assignment, strikes out four in first outing

Yankees RHP Clayton Beeter began his rehab assignment Sunday with the Low-A Tampa Tarpons and struck out all of his opposing batters.

He entered Sunday's game at the St. Lucie Mets in the fifth inning and struck out the side. He fanned Vincent Perozo to start the sixth inning and ended the day with 14 strikes on 20 pitches.

Beeter's fastball sat at 97 mph, according to the Daily News.

"Reports have been good with how he's throwing the ball," Yankees manager Aaron Boonesaid, via the Daily News, before Sunday's series finale at the Tampa Bay Rays. "Velocity's in a good spot. He could definitely be a guy that could play a big role for us this year."

New York placed Beeter, 26, on the 15-day IL in late March due to right shoulder impingement syndrome.

He made his MLB debut last March and logged three games with the Yankees in 2024, striking out five and walking one while allowing two runs on four hits over 3.2 IP.

Spending most of 2024 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Beeter was 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 36 IP over 10 games (seven starts).

New York landed Beeter -- the 2020 MLB Draft's No. 66 overall pick -- in the Aug. 2, 2022 trade that sent Joey Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kerkering struggles as Phillies blow early lead, fail to sweep Marlins

Kerkering struggles as Phillies blow early lead, fail to sweep Marlins originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The sun was shining, birthday festivities for the Phanatic were ongoing all afternoon, the offense was flowing early, Jesús Luzardo allowed one earned run in seven innings and it looked like the Phillies were on their way to their second series sweep of the season.

It was all going well … until it wasn’t.

Orion Kerkering entered the game with a two-run lead in the eighth inning and gave up singles to the first two batters he faced. He settled, collected a pair of outs, and then gave up a three-run home run to Javier Sanoja.

It was the first home run of Sanoja’s career and the first lead the Marlins saw in the weekend series at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies went on to lose 7-5 in extra innings in the series finale, wrapping up a 4-3 homestand.

Pro: The club has gone 11 straight series at home without a loss, dating back to late July of last season.

Con (and it’s glaring): Sunday was a very winnable game — one that should’ve ended in the opposite column. Instead, we saw a strong outing by the starting pitcher and an early offensive jump washed away from the bullpen.

“This one is gone,” Rob Thomson said after the loss. “It’s in the past. We can’t control what we did today, we just gotta move forward and control what we can control.”

The reality is, it’s one loss in April. The Phillies have a near identical record through 22 games this season as they had in the previous (2024: 14-8, 2025: 13-9).

It’s not the be-all and end-all — it was just a game they knowingly should’ve had.

There’s time to build off what works and adjust what doesn’t.

The offensive stretch during the seven-game homestand, for example, is something the Phillies can use as a launch pad. Especially when it comes to the top of the order.

Since Bryson Stott has moved to the leadoff spot, there’s been a different type of early aggression from the lineup. What was initially a change to protect Bryce Harper by moving Kyle Schwarber to cleanup, turned into a lethal trio to open games.

Stott, Trea Turner and Harper all had explosive weekends, combining for 15 hits, 11 RBI, seven walks and five stolen bases. They all crossed home plate safely before the Marlins could register two outs on the day.

You follow it up with Schwarber, who extended his on base streak to 28 games? And then Castellanos, who is averaging .302 this season?

It’s a lineup of consistency and power — and when it’s combined with a solid outing from the starting pitcher — that’s a recipe that’s going to bring success more times than not.

That just wasn’t the case Sunday.

Luzardo made his first start against his former club of three years and went seven innings, allowing eight hits and two runs, only one was earned. It was just “another start” for him.

He ended the day at 88 pitches but 21 of them came in his final inning.

If it wrapped up a little cleaner? Maybe Kerkering doesn’t come into the game and the end result would’ve been different.

So, chalk it up on the “what if” list for the season.

Maybe we should all just take a slice out of Thomson’s postgame press conference and “control what we can control.”

… And also a slice from the Phanatic’s birthday cake. After the roller-coaster in the final two innings, we’ve earned it.

Verlander's first Giants win spoiled in walk-off loss to Angels

Verlander's first Giants win spoiled in walk-off loss to Angels originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Justin Verlander nearly inched closer to the 300-win milestone he’s chasing in the twilight of his MLB career.

The 42-year-old was in line for his first Giants win on Sunday against the Angels before San Francisco closer Ryan Walker surrendered four earned runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, sealing Los Angeles’ 5-4 walk-off victory.

Verlander has a long way to go to reach the exclusive milestone and is trying to prove he still has Father Time on his side. Sunday’s impressive outing was a small piece of evidence that he just might.

The veteran righty tossed six innings of one-run ball with two walks and six strikeouts on 98 pitches. Outside of a 33-pitch bottom of the fourth inning, Verlander was excellent.

“I felt better about it,” Verlander told reporters after the game, which he left with a 3-1 lead. “I feel like I’ve been turning in the right direction, and it was nice to give us a better chance to win today.”

Sunday’s loss ended a 10-day, three-city road trip for the Giants, who posted a 5-5 record against the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and the Angels. Manager Bob Melvin lauded Verlander for pitching well Sunday but acknowledged Walker experienced a rare bad outing, spoiling what could have sent San Francisco home on a happy flight after Sam Huff’s two-run homer and Willy Adames’ two-RBI day.

“Just a little off from the very beginning,” Melvin told reporters of Walker’s performance. “He gets the punch-out and now you feel pretty good about him getting out of the inning, but I think that’s the first runs he’s given up all year, so you’re going to have some bad days.

“Unfortunately it happened today.”

San Francisco (14-8) now heads back to Oracle Park for a seven-game homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers (12-10) and Texas Rangers (13-9).

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Carlos Mendoza updates Mets' injuries: Mark Vientos 'feeling better' after leaving Saturday's game, Francisco Alvarez medically clear

Carlos Mendoza updated the injuries of four Mets players before Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Here is the latest from New York's manager on the statuses of Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez, Jeff McNeil and Paul Blackburn.

Vientos 'feeling better'

Vientos left Saturday's 3-0 win with groin discomfort and was frustrated but "not concerned." Mendoza's Sunday update confirmed as much.

"Feeling better," Mendoza said of Vientos. "I just saw him before, when he was on his way to the training room, and he says he feels a lot better today.

"Again, I will check again after he gets checked out by our trainers and all that. But talking to him, he says, 'Definitely a lot better today.'"

Vientos, who batted fourth and started at third base before Saturday's fifth-inning exit, is out of Sunday's lineup. Brett Baty replaced Vientos at third base Saturday and remains there entering Sunday's game, batting seventh.

"We'll see," Mendoza said of Vientos' Sunday availability. "I'll wait till he goes through all the testing and all that to see if he's going to be able to do some baseball activity, and then hopefully he's a player for us. But if not, we'll continue to treat it day by day."

Alvarez, McNeil progress

Alvarez (hamate fracture) and McNeil (right oblique strain) will play for Double-A Binghamton in Sunday's game against the Reading Fightin Phils. Batting second and third in the Rumble Ponies' lineup, they make their latest rehab starts with Alvarez medically clear but working on timing.

"Alvy will DH today, Jeff is scheduled to play second base," Mendoza said Sunday after McNeil homered in Saturday's 6-1 Binghamton win over Reading. "They will both be here (Monday). We will check with them. Most likely, they will continue to get at-bats.

"I think, from Alvy, from the medical standpoint, he's clear. Now, he's just continuing to work on his timing and things like that. So maybe a couple of more games in Triple-A, and then we'll see where we're at -- and same thing with Jeff."

Blackburn's rehab start

Blackburn (right knee inflammation) came out of his first rehab start feeling good, Mendoza said. The right-hander allowed one run -- a solo homer -- on two hits while striking out one and walking two in two frames for High-A Brooklyn.

"Good," Mendoza said of how Blackburn emerged from Saturday's outing. "I haven't heard anything -- he'll be here today -- but threw his two innings, and the reports from yesterday after he came out (were) he felt good."

Mets vs. Cardinals: How to watch on April 20, 2025

The Mets (14-7) go for a series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals (9-12) Sunday at 1:40 p.m. on PIX11. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...


Mets Notes

  • The Mets are currently in a stretch of 13 consecutive days with games and are 6-3 since the slate started April 11, winning three straight after back-to-back losses.
  • New York has a 16-23 all-time record on Easter.
  • With Saturday's 3-0 clincher, he Mets have not lost a series at home since Aug. 13-15 against the Athletics. They have won their past nine Citi Field sets.
  • RHPClay Holmes makes his fifth start of the season for New York. He is 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, striking out 28 and walking 11 in 19.2 IP. The Cardinals, on the other hand, start RHP Sonny Gray (3-0, 3.13 ERA).


METS
CARDINALS

Francisco Lindor, SS

Lars Nootbaar, LF

Juan Soto, RF

Thomas Saggese, SS

Pete Alonso, 1B

Brendan Donovan, 2B

Brandon Nimmo, LF

Willson Contreras, DH

Jesse Winker, DH

Alec Burleson, 1B

Luisangel Acuña, 2B

Jordan Walker, RF

Brett Baty, 3B

Nolan Gorman, 3B

Tyrone Taylor, CF

Pedro Pagés, C

Hayden Senger, C

Victor Scott II, CF


How can I watch Mets vs. Cardinals online?

To watch Mets games online via PIX11, you will need a subscription to a TV service provider and live in the New York City metro area. This will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone browser.

To get started on your computer, go to the PIX11 live stream website and follow the site's steps. For more FAQs, you can go here.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Prospect call-ups galore, Austin Hays off the IL

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.

The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope that it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.

For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types.

Waiver Wire Hitters

Jonathan Aranda - 1B, TB: 54% rostered (38% when the article was first drafted)
(POWER UPSIDE, SECURE PLAYING TIME)

I'm not quite sure what people are waiting for with Aranda. Even the 54% mark here feels a bit low. Yes, I know Aranda sits against left-handed pitching, but he has been crushing it this season, slashing .367/.435/.700 with four home runs, 12 runs, and 13 RBI in 19 games. While his pull rates have dipped slightly, Aranda has seen a 12% jump in his fly ball rate, and he's driving the ball to right and right-center field. He's traded a bit of contact for power, but we're OK with that because he still makes a league-average amount of contact, and the ball should carry in Tampa Bay in the summer months. It's also worth noting that Aranda has played 14 games at 1B this year while Yandy Diaz has played just two. Diaz's name also came up in plenty of trade rumors this off-season, so if the Rays continue to struggle, he could be moved this summer, which even further cements Aranda's spot in the lineup. He needs to be added in more places.

Tyler Fitzgerald - 2B/SS/OF - SF: 45% rostered(28% rostered when this was drafted)
(HOT STRETCH, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)

Tyler Fitzgerald is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, going 12-for-34 (.353) over his last 10 games with one home run, five RBI, and three steals. That's after a strong 2024 season where he hit .280 with 15 home runs and 17 steals in 96 games. There were some concerns with Fitzgerald's approach coming into the season with a 14% swinging strike rate and nearly 32% strikeout rate, and some of that swing-and-miss remains, with Fitzgerald sporting a 15% swinging strike rate this season. However, he has been more aggressive, swinging almost 8% more overall, which means even though he is swinging and missing, he's swinging more often, which gives him more chances to make contact. His 80% zone contact rate and 72% contact rate overall are not good, but also not horrible. At the end of the day, this is likely not an approach that will lead to consistent success for Fitzgerald, but it can lead to hot streaks when he's seeing the ball well, and that's happening now.

Dylan Moore - 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, SEA: 44% rostered(33% rostered when this was drafted)
(SPEED UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)

Injuries to Victor Robles and Ryan Bliss have opened up the opportunity for everyday playing time for Moore, who can play second base, third base, or the outfield. He has seemed to settle in as the primary second baseman and is hitting .308 with four home runs and five steals in 18 games so far this season. We've also seen Dylan Moore do this before. He has great speed and plays almost every position on the diamond. However, we also know that he struggles with making consistent contact, and the cold streaks will always be there. I know that Wyatt Langford's return is going to cause some people to drop Josh Smith - 3B/SS/OF, TEX (16% rostered), and I get that in shallow formats, but Smith isn't going to start playing just once or twice a week. He was getting regular starts in left field with Wyatt Langford out and also started at third base when Josh Jung was out, so the Rangers have no problem plugging and playing him basically anywhere. He's hitting .341/.438/.512 with three steals to start the season, and is a great multi-position bench piece in deeper leagues because I still believe he can play four times a week by moving all over the field.

Rhys Hoskins - 1B, MIL: 31% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STRETCH)

I bought in on Rhys Hoskins in spring training because he talked about being fully healthy after ACL surgery in 2023 and had also changed his stance to quiet his head and improve his contact. The results didn’t come right at the start of the season, but we're starting to see them now with Hoskins going 10-for-34 (.294) over his last 11 games with two home runs and six RBI. I like his ballpark, I like his lineup, and so I have no problem adding Hoskins anywhere he's available.

Chandler Simpson - OF, TB: 27% rostered
(CALL-UP, SPEED UPSIDE )

Chandler Simpson is very fast. You don’t need me to tell you that, but it’s the basis for why you’re trying to add him this weekend. Anybody who steals 100 bases in one season has tons of fantasy juice in one category. He’s also a .321 career hitter in the minors, so he should still get on base and run a lot, but he has no thump in his bat. You’re hoping for speed and runs scored atop a Rays lineup. If you don’t really need speed, then you may not need/want to pay what it’s gonna take to get him, and if you do need speed but you're not willing to pay what it will take to get Chandler then a pivot to Jake Meyers - OF, HOU (3% rostered) makes some sense. He's starting every day in center field for the Astros and has gone 16-for-55 (.291) with seven steals so far this season. He hits eighth in the order, so he's unlikely to help your counting stats too much, but an outfielder who can hit .270-.280 and swipe bases in a good offense certainly has value in deeper formats.

Sal Frelick (OF, MIL: 27% rostered
(EVERYDAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE)

Frelick is playing every day in Milwaukee and hitting .319 in his 21 games with five steals and 11 runs scored. He hits fifth or sixth in the Brewers' lineup, which should lead to decent counting stats as the season goes on, but he's unlikely to hit more than five home runs this season. This play is essentially about batting average and speed, but if you need those two things, Frelick is a solid option for you. Another similar "boring but useful" outfielder is Mike Yastrzemski - OF, SF (21% rostered), who is hitting .279/.405/.525 with three home runs, two steals, and 11 RBI so far this season. His contact profile doesn't look much different, except for a slight bump in pull rate, but he has just a 9.2% swinging strike rate, which has led to a 78.3% contact rate and a solid amount of barrels early in the year. He's not going to "break out," but the Giants are a solid lineup, and Yaz has been leading off against right-handed pitching, which is a great spot to be in.

Jorge Polanco - 2B/3B, SEA: 26% rostered
(EVERYDAY STARTER, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE)

Polanco has been off to a hot start to the season, but his surgically repaired knee has been giving him some problems, and he still hasn't been hitting right-handed since injuring his side a few weeks ago. Still, even with all those injuries, Polanco continues to produce, going 15-for-41 (.366) in 12 games with three home runs, 12 RBI, and one steal.I wrote him up as an undervalued hitter in spring training, so I would recommend taking some shares. If you're after a multi-position player in deeper formats, Ernie Clement - 3B/SS, TOR (1% rostered) is starting to do what we thought he would do in spring, going 9-for-31 (.290) over his last 11 games with four runs scored and a steal. Clement is still starting four or five times a week and hit 12 home runs while stealing 12 bases in 139 games last year, so there is some low-end across-the-board value in deeper formats.

Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 24% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STREAK COMING)

I understand that Manzardo hasn't produced the way people wanted this season with a .194/.316/.500 slash line, but I like so much of what he's doing process-wise. For starters, he has 19 strikeouts and 11 walks in 19 games with a sub-10% swinging strike rate, so we're not concerned about his contact quality. If he's anything, he's maybe being a bit too passive on fringe strikes, but a 76% contact rate overall is fine. He has also raised his pull rate and his fly ball rate, and has a 20% barrel rate in 45 batted ball events. Now, we know it's too early for those stats to stabilize, and I think some calibration needs to be done where Manzardo doesn't need to lift the ball AS MUCH as he currently is. However, we have a young hitter who is not swinging and missing, understands the strike zone, and is getting to his barrel more often than in years past. That's something I want to buy into, and I think Manzardo will likely end up having a better season than Matt Mervis - 1B, MIA (9% rostered), who has been on fire from a power standpoint of late with four home runs in his last 10 games. There has never been any doubt about Mervis' power, and he was a fantasy darling back when he was on the Cubs a couple of years ago, but his minor league numbers didn't carry over to the big leagues. He now has an everyday role in Miami, but also has a 40% strikeout rate and a 19.8% swinging strike rate, so the batting average is not going to be good even if his power and playing time remain.

Nick Kurtz - 1B, ATH: 24% rostered
(PROSPECT STASH, POWER UPSIDE)

I've had Kurtz in here for a couple of weeks, and his roster rate has climbed from 5% over those two weeks, so you may have missed the window on stashing him, but if you can, you should now. Kurtz was the fourth overall pick in last year's draft and got an aggressive assignment to Triple-A after a strong spring training. Well, he's hitting .348/.395/.738 in his first 16 Triple-A games with seven home runs and 22 RBI. The Athletics have been playing Brent Rooker in the outfield more often this past week, which tells me that a Kurtz call-up is brewing. Roman Anthony - OF, BOS (28% rostered) is another top prospect who may not be long for the minors. The Red Sox will need to clear up some space in the outfield for him, but he's off to a strong start in Triple-A and should be up soon, especially if Ceddanne Rafaela continues to struggle to make good on his strong spring training. Rafaela could move into a super utility role with Jarren Duran in CF and Anthony in LF.

Pavin Smith - 1B/OF, ARI: 24% rostered
(COUNTING STAT UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)

It's tough to roster players like Smith, who sit every time a left-hander is on the mound, but if you're playing in a daily moves league or a league that lets you change hitters mid-week, you should at least put him on your radar. Smithis somebody that I’m in onafter he hit .270/.348/.547 with nine home runs and a .896 OPS in 158 plate appearances in a part-time role last year. This season, he's gone 20-for-51 (.392) with three home runs and 10 runs scored. It's early days, but he's pulling the ball way more than he has before, which has led to more swing and miss but also more authoritative contact. If he starts lifting the ball more, then he should see the hot stretch continue. If you were looking for a first baseman who is going to play more often, then Nolan Schanuel - 1B, LAA (12% rostered) could be your guy. I had Schanuel on a few teams last year. He has good speed for a first baseman and a 91% zone contact rate, which highlights his overall batting average upside. So far in 2025, Schanuel has posted much better bat speed numbers and has hit the two hardest balls of his MLB career. Remember that he's only 23 years old and debuted in the same season he was drafted. There is still some potential growth here, and it wouldn't surprise me if Schanuel hit .275 with 15 home runs and 10 steals. That's not bad for a deeper league corner infield target.

Kameron Misner - OF, TB (18% rostered)
(POWER/SPEED UPSIDE, CONSISTENT PLAYING TIME)

Misner found himself with a shot at a starting job thanks to an oblique injury that could keep Josh Lowe out for multiple months, and he has delivered, going .360/.404/.660 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 15 games. I know that there is a tendency to write this off as a fluke that will flame out soon, but a few interesting things are happening here. For starters, he’s added 2.8 mph to his bat speed, which is among the tops in baseball in the early going. Misner is pulling the ball less and also chasing far less, waiting for pitches he can drive to all parts of the field. That has led to a huge improvement in swinging strike rate and a really impressive 95.2% zone contact rate. Misner struggles to make contact on anything out of the zone when he does chase, but his chase rate has been cut to just 27%, so that might not hurt him as much as it used to. Remember that Misner was a former first-round pick, who hit .248/.360/.442 with 17 home runs and 30 steals in Triple-A for the Rays last season, and these new approach changes make me feel confident that at least some of this is real. Misner's teammate Jake Mangum - OF, TB (11% rostered) is another option, especially if you're in a deep league and looking for speed. Mangum makes more contact than Misner does, but is a far more aggressive hitter, so he won't draw walks or hit for much power at all. He's a good bet for a better average and more steals, so if those are the two categories you're after, Mangum could be your guy.

Gabriel Arias - 2B/3B/SS, CLE: 16% rostered
(STARTING JOB, POWER UPSIDE)

It might be time to start taking note of what Arias is doing. The 25-year-old won the starting second base job for the Guardians and has gone 17-for-61 (.279) with four home runs and 10 RBI to start the season. Arias added 1.3 mph to his swing as welland now has an average bat speed of 75.7 mph, which is 15th-best in all of baseball, right around Elly De La Cruz, James Wood, and many other high-upside power hitters. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt talked up Arias in spring training and has used him at 2B, 3B, and SS already this season. He could be a solid bench add in deeper formats, but we need to acknowledge that his 22% swinging strike rate is an issue. Some aggressive hitters can sustain a certain level of success even when they swing and miss more than normal, but 22% is super high. It's a bit of an issue.

Austin Hays - OF, CIN: 12% rostered
(EVERYDAY ROLE, COUTING STAT UPSIDE)

Last week, we talked about Austin Hays as a stash while he was nearing his activation off the IL. He has come off the IL and started as the clean-up hitter in every game while going 8-for-22 with three home runs and seven RBI. We know who Hays is as a hitter, and he's not going to set the world on fire. However, he's a .262 career hitter, who has shown 20+ home run power in Baltimore and could run into 20-25 home runs in Cincinnati. Hitting every day behind Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain should help his counting stats too. If you're looking for an outfielder in deeper leagues, I think it's time to roll the dice on Alek Thomas - OF, ARI: 2% rostered, who was once a top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization but battled injuries and could never seem to transition his minor league ability into MLB success. Thomas has also started four of the last five games in center field and seems to have wrestled away the starting job from Jake McCarthy pretty firmly for now. Thomas is just 24 years old and is a former top prospect, so it makes sense for Arizona to continue to give him a chance to play full-time. So far, he’s hitting .292/.364/.438 in 55 plate appearances with 10 RBI and two steals. He seems to have a slightly more aggressive approach this season, pulling and barreling the ball more often, which could make him an intriguing fantasy asset for batting average and steals.

Caleb Durbin - 2B/SS/3B, MIL: 9% rostered
(CALL-UP, EVERY DAY JOB SPEED UPSIDE)

Caleb Durbin is yet another rookie getting a starting job this week. The Brewers have said Durbin is their 3B for the foreseeable future, so you’ve got a bit of job security here. Durbin had emerged as an intriguing prospect for the Yankees over the last two years and was the central piece in the offseason trade for Devin Williams. So far this season, Durbin was hitting .278/.316/.482 at Triple- with two home runs and three steals. He’s never shown much power in the minors, but he has 30 stolen base upside and has rarely ever had a strikeout rate over 10%. He’s gonna make a ton of contact and reminds me a bit of his teammate Sal Frelick with slightly more power. He’s an option if you, like me, lost Matt Shaw in some leagues. A less exciting third base option would be Eric Wagaman - 1B/3B, MIA (1% rostered). Wagaman came up for me on a random search of players who are making solid swing decisions, making a lot of contact, and making authoritative contact. He’s always made a fair amount of contact and doesn’t lift the ball a lot, which will limit his home run upside, but his strong understanding of the strike zone means he gets his pitch often and has the chance to run a decent batting average with 15 HR power. He’ll just need to hit to keep getting at-bats. With Jonah Bride now gone and Griffin Conine injured, Wagaman has a chance to carve out some playing time at 1B/3B/DH. I’d only take gambles in deep leagues, but it might be worth a shot.

Luke Keaschall - 1B/2B/OF, MIN: 7% rostered
(CALL-UP, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

Luke Keaschall came onto our redraft radars this spring when he showed up to spring training healthy enough to swing a bat and with Twins beat writers suggesting he could push for the 2B job by summer. It seems that summer has come early. Keaschall is a 2023 second-round pick who hit .303/.420/.483 in 102 games between high-A and Double-A before undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. He’s a smart hitter who doesn’t get himself out and will take advantage of a pitcher’s mistakes and has the speed to swipe some bags when he gets on. He’s not gonna hit for tons of power, and the Twins infield could get crowded with Keaschall, Brooks Lee, Edouard Julien, Willi Castro, and Carlos Correa when everybody is healthy. He has a bit of a similar profile to Chase Meidroth - 2B/3B/SS, CWS (4% rostered), who is another multi-position option in deeper leagues. Chase Meidroth was one of the central components that came over to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet deal. Despite the batting average not being great in spring training, he showed elite plate discipline and then went down to Triple-A and hit .267/.450/.600 with three home runs, two steals, and 11 runs scored in nine games. Now, he's getting a shot with the White Sox and will most likely be an everyday starter now that he's up. He's unlikely to hit double-digit home runs, but he can steal 10+ bags and hit .250-.260 while producing a solid on-base percentage. That may not have much shallow league value because of the poor lineup around him, but he's firmly on deep league radars.

Brooks Lee - 2B/SS/3B - MIN: 4% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY , BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE )

Lee has gone just 2-for-15 with a home run and two RBI since coming off the IL. But with Willi Castro banged up, Lee could see regular playing time. He was sidelined by a back strain late in spring training, but figured to play every day for the Twins. He didn't have a great spring and is not much of a power/speed threat, so I think he's a better real-life player than a fantasy player. Another player who would benefit from a playing time boost is Thomas Saggese - 2B, STL (1% rostered). He hit .253/.313/.438 with 20 home runs and nine steals in 125 games at Triple-A last year, and is off to a strong start in 2025, going 13-for-30 (.433) with one home run and five RBI. Even with Masyn Winn hurt, the Cardinals seem intent on not playing Saggese every day and continuing to run Nolan Gorman out there. In deeper formats, I'm OK adding Saggese and seeing if the performance leads to more at-bats.

Edgar Quero - C, CWS (1% rostered)
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, STARTING JOB)

It's catcher's corner over here. The 22-year-old Quero is the 62nd-ranked prospect in baseball and the 6th-ranked prospect in the WHite Sox organization, so him getting the call is something to keep an eye on. Quero was off to a strong start in Triple-A, going 17-for-51 with one home run in 15 games. Quero has always been a high contact rate hitter in the minors and has never posted high fly ball rates, which tends to limit his power upside. He should hit for a decent average, but he won’t steal bases and is unlikely to hit for much power right away, which makes him more of a target in two-catcher formats for right now. As will Dillon Dingler - C, DET (8% rostered) in Detroit with Jake Rogers hurt. Dingler has gotten off to the best start of the group, going 16-for-53 (.302) with two home runs and nine RBI, and he was a top prospect in the Detroit system, so he's worth a shot as well in case any of these early gains stick.

Tirso Ornelas - OF, SD (0% rostered)
(CALL UP, STARTING JOB)

The last prospect to get called up is probably the most under-the-radar, but Ornelas figures to be the everyday left fielder (at minimum against right-handed pitchers) with Jason Heyward on the 10-day IL with knee inflammation. Ornelas became a favorite in the fantasy community after a strong spring training and started the year in Triple-A by hitting 281/.418/.359 with three steals, 17 runs scored, one home run, and seven RBI in 79 plate appearances. He's definitely more of a deep-league option, but he hit 23 homers in the minors last season, has a good feel for the strike zone, and makes a fair amount of contact, so he could be worth a gamble.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Emilio Pagan - RP, CIN: 36% rostered
Despite my initial doubts that he could hold this job down, Pagan is clearly "the guy" for saves in Cincinnati right now, and his velocity is up, but we've kind of seen this from him in the past. We know Pagan can go through hot stretches, but he can also give up lots of hard contact and home runs, as he did on Thursday. That makes me a little nervous, even if he has Terry Francona's trust right now. I honestly have more confidence in Tommy Kahnle - RP, DET (28% rostered) since he's looked good so far and Detroit has no problem running out a closer who doesn't have elite strikeout upside or a big fastball. Kahnle has four saves and a 1.17 ERA in seven appearances so far this year, so I'm scooping if he's available.

Hayden Wesneski - SP, HOU: 37% rostered
I covered Wesneski in my Starting Pitcher News column a few weeks ago, so I'd encourage you to check that out to see how Houston is changing his pitch mix and what my expectations are for Wesneski this season.

Grant Holmes - SP, ATL: 37% rostered
I was in on Grant Holmes at the start of the season thanks to Eno Sarris and Nick Pollack, who talked him up, but the weather threw his schedule into chaos, and he was really hard to roster in shallow formats early on. Now that he’s gotten a few starts under his belt, it’s easy to see why we were in on him to begin with.

David Bednar - RP, PIT: 36% rostered
Now, may be the time to stash Bednar if you need saves. The veteran has only allowed one hit in five innings at Triple-A while striking out seven and walking nobody. If the Pirates wanted a reset, it’s happened. There’s no reason for Bednar to remain in Triple-A any longer. Perhaps I'm biased because I have Bednar in a few places, but I watched those first few outings, and I think his defense let him down on several occasions, which helped make those outings seem worse than they truly were. Nobody in Pittsburgh has really staked a claim to the closer's role, so I expect Bednar to get it back soon. BEDNAR WAS CALLED UP ON SATURDAY, SO IT MIGHT ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE'S CLOSING GAMES AGAIN.

Andrew Heaney - SP, PIT: 25% rostered
We’ve seen Andrew Heaney do this before, but you’ve also wanted him on your team when he’s running hot like this. There’s nothing he’s doing that makes him seem different from the Heaney we’ve come to now, but he’s throwing strikes, the slider looks good, and he gets the Angels next time out. Just roll with this until the wheels start to wobble.

Andrew Abbott - SP, CIN: 24% rostered
Abbott had a tremendous last start, striking out 11 Orioles. In some ways, he’s a little different in 2025, leaning into his changeup more and adding a little more arm-side run. He’s also shortened up the break on his curve to have it tunnel better with his slider. I still hate the home ballpark, and I don’t love that his fastball velocity is down, so I wouldn’t say I’m “in” on Abbott, but I can see taking a chance in deeper leagues.

Eduardo Rodriguez - SP, ARI: 22% rostered
E-Rod is an interesting case because a 4.09 ERA and 1.36 WHIP through four starts doesn't seem all that great; however, he also has 29 strikeouts to just six walks in 22 innings and is among the league leaders in K-BB%. Early in the season, I like using K-BB% to identify pitchers because it tells me who's missing bats and also has command of the strike zone. That's usually a good indicator of who could have longer-term success. He'll also get a weak Rays offense at home next week, so I like that start.

Zebby Matthews - SP, MIN: 19% rostered
Matthews wasone of my favorite late-round picks early in spring training, and he has been cruising in Triple-A, pitching to a 1.80 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts in 15 innings in his first three starts. We thought Matthews would get a chance when Pablo Lopez went down, but that doesn't appear to be the case. However, Simeon Woods-Richardson now appears to be hurt, David Festa has struggled to pitch deep into games, and Chris Paddack has been underwhelming, so there are a few options for the Twins to give Matthews a shot if they wanted to.

Brayan Bello - SP, BOS: 16% rostered
It's finally time. Last week, I mentioned Bello if you needed an IL stash, and now it seems that he's going to make his season debut for the Red Sox next week against the Mariners. I understand his overall stats in the minors haven't looked great, but his velocity has been good, and he's getting tons of swinging strikes. When veterans are in the minors on rehab assignments, they're just working on different things with their mechanics and trying to stretch out and remain healthy, so I urge against looking too much into surface-level stats for guys on rehab assignments.

Tyler Anderson - SP, LAA: 9% rostered
Tyler Anderson is in a similar situation to Heaney. We’ve seen him be a solid fantasy starter in the past when he’s changeup is working, and it’s certainly working right now as the veteran has started the year with a 2.08 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts in 21.2 innings. Anderson also gets the Pirates in his next start, so I’m happy to roll with this here.

Robert Garcia - RP, TEX: 9% rostered
This is just a bet on my continued lack of faith in Luke Jackson. I know Jackson is the closer in Texas and has been good, but I just don’t buy it. Garcia is a solid reliever who will pick up the odd save here and there as a left-hander, which will make him valuable even if Jackson continues to pitch well. But it Jackson struggles, Garcia will likely enter a clear closer committee, so why not roll the dice now? Justin Slaten - RP, BOS (10% rostered) is in the same boat. Slaten got the first save of the season for Boston, and people scooped him everywhere, but then he had one bad outing, and he was dropped in most places. Yet, he has looked legit since then and notched a save on Wednesday night in a dominant innings. Aroldis Chapman is the main closer in Boston, but Slaten will mix in when Chapman needs a rest or is needed against tough lefties in the 8th inning. That's worth a roster spot in a lot of formats. You could also add Luke Wever - RP, NYY (30% rostered) since Devin Williams simply doesn't look right in New York right now.

Abner Uribe (5% rostered) or Nick Mears (1% rostered) - RP, MIL
I know Trevor Megill is still pitching through his knee injury, but anybody who needs to get a second opinion on a knee injury is somebody I’m worried about. Pair that with declining fastball velocity, and I’m willing to add some other relievers in Milwaukee and see what happens. Both Mears and Uribe have earned a save, but they have also both repeatedly entered a game in the 6th inning. I have no idea how Pat Murphy is running his bullpen, but these are the two names I think would be in the saves mix if this Megill injury becomes relevant.

Quinn Priester - SP, MIL: 4% rostered
The Quinn Priester trade returned lots of value for Boston, but they revamped his arsenal and then shipped him off to succeed elsewhere. Since getting Priester from Pittsburgh, the Red Sox added a cutter, tightened up his slider, and narrowed the wide movement gaps in his pitch mix, which creates better tunneling and deception in the zone. So far, he's allowed one run in 10 innings for the Brewers while striking out eight. This has a real Tobias Myers feel for Milwaukee.

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

(ranked in loose order)

Week of 4/21

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%Opponent
Eduardo Rodriguez22%vs TB
Jose Soriano45%vs PIT, at MIN
Andrew Heaney25%at LAA
Nick Martinez16%at MIA
Hayden Wesneski33%at KC
Tyler Anderson9%vs PIT

Fairly Confident

Brayan Bello16%vs SEA, at CLE
Michael Lorenzen6%vs COL
Shane Smith13%at MIN
David Festa8%vs CWS
Cade Povich3%at WAS
Landen Roupp26vs MIL
Matthew Liberatore15%vs MIL
Osvaldo Bido7%vs TEX, vs CWS
Kumar Rocker22%at ATH
Grant Holmes33%at ARI
Edward Cabrera4%vs CIN
Quinn Priester4%at STL

Some Hesitation

Jose Quintana1%at STL
Sean Burke6%at ATH
Lance McCullers5%at KC
Will Warren8%at CLE
Tomoyuki Sugano8%at WAS
Patrick Corbin1%at ATH
Dean Kremer4%at WAS, at DET
Chase Dollander16%at KC
Randy Vasquez4%at DET, vs TB

ICYMI in Mets Land: Pete Alonso, Kodai Senga star in series-clinching win over Cardinals; Jeff McNeil update

Here's what happened Saturday in Mets Land, in case you missed it...


Paul Skenes bobblehead giveaway causes frenzy at Pirates game

Paul Skenes bobblehead giveaway causes frenzy at Pirates game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Paul Skenes grew used to the buzz that surrounds him a while ago.

Still, Saturday was different. Throughout an unseasonably warm spring afternoon, the mania that seems to follow the 22-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates ace whenever he takes the mound collided with the reality of the current state of his underperforming team.

A day that began with fans queueing up outside the gates of PNC Park more than five hours before Skenes delivered his first pitch — all in the in hopes of securing one of the 20,000 bobbleheads inspired by the National League Rookie of the Year — ended with a 3-0 loss and the increasingly familiar chants urging owner Bob Nutting to sell the team.

The irony this time is that the club’s executives avoided the kind of public-relations missteps that have become all too frequent over the season’s opening month.

Due to what Pirates president Travis Williams called unprecedented demand, the team pledged to make sure that every one of the 37,113 who waited in lines that stretched for blocks in every direction — including across the Roberto Clemente Bridge into the city’s downtown — would be able to obtain one of the popular collectibles.

It didn’t take long for some of them to pop up on eBay, though for far less than a one-of-a-kind Skenes rookie card that fetched more than $1 million at a public auction last month.

Asked if he thought the bobblehead bore more than a passing resemblance to him, the bearded Skenes — who is about 6 feet taller than the figurine — shrugged.

“It’s a bobblehead,” he said. “It’s not my thing.”

He didn’t notice the growing crush of people outside the ballpark when he arrived for work, though he called seeing a sellout for just the second time this season “cool.”

“Wish we would’ve gotten the win,” Skenes added inside a postgame clubhouse so quiet the most notable noise was coming from the air conditioning unit in the middle of the room.

Those moments have been far too infrequent during an opening month in which the Pirates’ play has offered a reminder that for all of Skenes’ brilliance, it takes more than a phenom pitcher to compete against some of baseball’s best teams.

Skenes did his part, limiting the Guardians to two runs and six hits across seven efficient if not quite overpowering innings. Making the first start of his big league career on four days’ rest, Skenes struck out a season-low four batters, which he chalked up to Cleveland’s approach more than the quality of his stuff.

There was just one true mistake, a 93 mph splitter on the first pitch of the seventh that dipped down and in to Kyle Manzardo. The left-handed designated hitter turned on it and sent it bouncing into the Allegheny River to put the Guardians up 2-0.

“I’m not going to lose any sleep over this outing,” he said. “Just got to score runs.”

Something the Pirates have not done with any sort of consistency. Five days after putting up a season-high 10 runs to back Skenes in a win over Washington, Pittsburgh managed just six hits while being shut out for the third time in a week.

The Pirates went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the most damning a two-batter sequence in the sixth in which first-and-third with no outs ended with Ke’Bryan Hayes taking a ball that looked outside for strike three, immediately followed by Tommy Pham grounding into a double play.

The unease that bubbled up during the home opener — when a plane flew overhead dragging a banner urging owner Bob Nutting to put the team up for sale — is starting to become a constant.

While there were boos after Pham’s dribbler to second ended the scoring threat, a brief but noticeable “sell the team” chant curiously popped up after Skenes gave up the homer to Manzardo. It quickly died out, and Skenes was given a generous ovation when he walked off the mound after the top of the seventh following a performance that gave his team a chance to win.

Only the Pirates didn’t. Just as they haven’t in three of his five starts this season, or in 14 of their first 22 overall.

Skenes brushed aside the idea that frustration is starting to creep in, even with the Pirates dealing with the same issues — namely offense and spotty work from the bullpen — that plagued them during a late-summer swoon that dropped them out of contention in 2024.

Everyone from Nutting to Williams to general manager Ben Cherington to Shelton to Skenes has said it’s time for Pittsburgh to win. Those wins aren’t coming with any regularity.

The window to contend that the club expected to open in 2025 remains shut. And no amount of giveaways can distract the fanbase, even as their bright young hope continues to look every bit the budding superstar that he is.

Skenes brushed aside the idea that frustration is starting to mount internally, even as it ratchets up externally, even on days that begin with the giddy frenzy that seems to follow Skenes wherever he goes in full bloom.

“We’re just not executing at a high enough level and as consistently as we need to, to win these games,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a clubhouse thing. Everybody likes each other. But positive feelings, friendships and all that don’t win championships. We’ve got to figure it out.”

Mets’ Kodai Senga wins third straight start, extends scoreless streak: ‘That’s what we’re looking for’

Kodai Senga has been spectacular this season.  

The right-hander was forced to work his way into and out of trouble at times during the Mets’ meeting with the Cardinals on Saturday -- but he got the job done, helping them secure their fourth shutout victory

Senga retired the side in order in the first, but had some heavy lifting to do in the second as a double and a walk put two in scoring position with just one out, but he struck out Nolan Gorman and got a line out to end the inning. 

He cruised through the third and fourth, picking up two more punch outs along the way. 

The Cardinals threatened again in the fifth, as Thomas Saggese led off the inning with a double and then advanced to third on a wild pitch but a strike out and a strong throw to the plate from Brett Baty on a fielders choice helped him dance out of danger again. 

A leadoff walk followed by a Willson Contreras single put Senga in immediate danger again in the sixth, but he got Brendan Donovan to roll into a double play before hitting Nolan Arenado with a pitch to end his day. 

Reed Garrett entered and escaped the first and third jam easily -- capping off Senga’s final line at three hits, two walks, and four strikeouts across 5.2 shutout innings of work. 

After being limited to just one regular season start last year due to numbers different injuries, the 32-year-old has stepped tremendously thus far -- pitching to the second-lowest ERA in the majors (0.79) through four outings.

Senga's taken home the victory in each of his last three starts and he hasn't allowed a run in any of them -- stretching his streak to 18.2 consecutive scoreless innings, a much-needed return to form following his injury-plagued campaign. 

“That’s what people saw here in 2023,” Carlos Mendoza said. “A guy that’s going to take the baseball and he’s going to give you a chance every night -- it doesn’t matter who we’re facing. If they’ve got an ace, we feel good about our chances when he takes the ball.

“That’s what we’re looking for and that’s what you want -- someone who is going to match the best of the best when he’s healthy and feeling good.”

The last time Senga was at the top of his game he was the Mets’ ace -- finishing seventh in National League Cy Young voting and second in Rookie of the Year voting during a spectacular first year in the league.

Despite the success and his manager’s praise, he feels he’s not quite at that form just yet.  

“The pitches are coming out of my hand and what I’m imaging them to look like there’s still a bit of a difference,” Senga said through a translator. “I think getting used to the speed I'm throwing, going deeper into games -- my body will slowly adapt and hopefully I'll get closer and get to that form.”