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

Getting picked 24^th overall in the draft isn’t necessarily a ticket to being one of the greats; of players who were drafted 24^th and signed, the most valuable by bWAR is Rondell White. He was taken 24^th in 1990 and posted a respectable 28.2 bWAR. Alex Fernandez was taken in 1988 but didn’t sign; he’d go on to post 28.5 bWAR, which is the most by anyone picked 24^th regardless of signing. Nico Hoerner will likely pass both White and Fernandez before too much longer.

Sandwiched between Fernandez and White was Alan Zinter, picked 24^th in 1989 and the 149^th player in Diamondbacks’ history. It was actually the second time he’d been drafted; the Padres had selected him out of high school in 1986. Zinter signed with the Mets but wouldn’t reach the major leagues until over a decade later and on his seventh organization, not counting time in Japan. He had solid power and drew his share of walks, but spent his time as a AAA player as his defense at catcher never came around (he threw out just 15% of base stealers) and so he played mostly first base. Across 18 seasons of minor league ball, Zinter slashed .258/.355/.461 with 250 home runs. Between the minor leagues, Japan, and independent baseball he had over 7000 plate appearances. He got 84 plate appearances in the big leagues.

His longest run in the big leagues came with the Astros in 2002. He debuted on June 18 and was up and down most of the remainder of the season, but made just one start. He pinch hit in 33 of his 39 games. He signed back with the Astros for 2003 but spent the entire season in the minor leagues, and then signed with the Diamondbacks that offseason. It was actually his second stint with the organization; he’d been dealt from the Cubs to the Diamondbacks in 2000 and tore up Tucson in the 11 games he spent there.

He made his Diamondbacks debut on June 8, taking over for Shea Hillenbrand and playing the ninth inning at first base. He got his first plate appearances the next day when Carlos Baerga was injured running the bases; Zinter took over and finished the day as DH (the game was in Baltimore). He walked in both of those plate appearances and picked up his first hit with the club the next day, in his first start.

Then it was back to National League parks and pinch hitting appearances. Zinter’s first hit came on June 10; he was sent back to Tucson before he got another hit, and his second hit as a Diamondback didn’t come until September 3. But with expanded rosters still a thing, he at least got to stick around this time.

On September 28, with the season winding down and the Diamondbacks a dismal 48-109, the Brewers came to town. Brandon Webb got the start and committed an error in the first inning that led to a run, but he also struck out to end the bottom of the first inning, meaning that he had a 4-1 lead. Considering the 2004 Diamondbacks averaged 3.8 runs per game, such run support must have astounded him. He allowed three more runs, but the Diamondbacks led 5-4 in the ninth inning before everything went insane.

Geoff Jenkins hit a home run to put the Brewers up 7-5. Then came the changes, thanks to the expanded rosters. Chad Tracy pinch hit to lead off the ninth and drew a walk. Baerga pinch hit and got a single. Josh Kroeger ran for Baerga, and Danny Bautista would later single in Kroeger as the tying run before he was stranded at third as the potential winning run.

For some reason, Bautista had to be pulled at the start of the 11^th inning. Perhaps he’d picked up a slight injury on a fly ball in the 10^th. It wasn’t surprising that it was his final game with the Diamondbacks, but no one thought it would be his final major league game, as he would retire after an ankle injury in spring training. Al Pedrique moved Chad Tracy (who had never played the outfield before) to left field, which meant that Hillenbrand had to move to third base, and Zinter came in to play first base. The Brewers made it 8-7 on a Lyle Overbay single. Josh Kroeger and Andy Green made quick outs in the bottom of the 11^th before Alex Cintron pushed a single through second base, bringing Zinter up.

The Brewers still had a 90% chance of winning the game. So far in franchise history, the biggest hit by win probability added was a Tony Womack home run off of Dave Veres in 2000, at 70%. So up stepped the most improbable figure, the former prospect hanging on, the 36 year old rookie. He took ball one. He fouled off a pitch. He took ball two. He took strike two. He fouled off a pitch. He took ball three. He fouled off yet another pitch. And on the eighth pitch of the at bat (and fourth with two strikes) he lofted a fly ball into the (primarily empty) right field seats of Bank One Ballpark, collecting what is still the third-highest win probability added figure of a hit in franchise history. (Two Ryan Roberts home runs have narrowly surpassed it.)

His major league career after that point consisted of three plate appearances in which he walked, singled, and struck out. He spent 2005 in Tucson and 2006 with Round Rock (then Houston’s AAA team) and another year in independent ball before getting into coaching. And he possibly had a bigger effect on the Diamondbacks in that role, for he was hitting coach at Visalia in 2010 and Mobile in 2011, where one Paul Edward Goldschmidt was playing. He’s still coaching, currently at the Royals’ complex.

The changes (both to the minor league system as a whole and September rosters in particular) that Major League Baseball has imposed may have improved the quality of individual September games. The downside is that they ensure there will never be another Alan Zinter. With limited roster spots in the minor leagues, teams aren’t going to hang on to a player like him, particularly not into his mid-30s. And even if they did, he’s not going to have a roster spot on the big league team in September. So unless we have a pitcher come up in a similar situation, Alan Zinter will likely continue to hold the most improbable hit in franchise history.

Shohei Ohtani was one of four Dodgers players to lead fan voting for this year’s All-Star Game at their positions for the National League team, according to the first balloting update announced by Major League Baseball on Monday morning.

With more than 1.1 million votes to this point, Ohtani represented the top vote-getter in the early race for the Midsummer Classic, an unsurprising development with the four-time MVP dominating both at the plate (with an NL-best .975 OPS) and on the mound (with an MLB-best ERA of 1.06, among pitchers with at least 60 innings).

Though fan voting –– which is how starters for the All-Star Game are decided –– will remain open for several weeks, Ohtani is already almost assuredly on track to earn his sixth career All-Star nod.

And based on Monday’s vote totals, he won’t be the only Dodger headed to Philadelphia either.

First baseman Freddie Freeman (looking for his 10th selection), third baseman Max Muncy (looking for his third) and outfielder Andy Pages (in search of his first) were also the top vote-getters at their positions at this stage.

Catcher Will Smith, shortstop Mookie Betts and outfielder Teoscar Hernández were also in position to advance to the second stage of voting, in which fans will pick starters among smaller groups of finalists at each position.

MLB released its first All-Star fan vote update today

Unsurprisingly, several Dodgers players are in good position to get to Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/p9wVsgL8ct

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) June 15, 2026

The Dodgers have been well-represented at the All-Star Game in recent years, earning at least five player selections in each of the last six editions of the event.

They could also add more this year on the pitching side –– which is not determined by fan voting –– as both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski rank top-10 in the NL in ERA.

The first phase of All-Star voting will end June 26.

Don Mattingly isn't ‘giving up' on Trea Turner during prolonged slump originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It’s been a down year for Trea Turner.

But the Phillies remain confident in their shortstop. He’ll bat second against the Marlins on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, despite questions about a potential reset day or a move down in the lineup.

Don Mattingly said he did not give much thought to sitting Turner.

“Well, I really didn’t think about it today,” Mattingly said. “So I really wouldn’t need deliberation at all.”

The conversation around town right now centers on Turner, the 32-year-old shortstop who won the National League batting title last year and is now enduring one of the biggest slumps of his major league career.

Turner is batting .219 with a .598 OPS through a league-leading 288 at-bats. His OPS is the seventh lowest among 156 qualified hitters in the sport.

His struggles are reminiscent of his first season in Philadelphia.

After a hot 19-game stretch in 2023, Turner spent the next 88 games in a massive skid. He produced a .217/.270/.350 slash line in 365 at-bats from April 20 to August 4. He dropped as low as the eighth spot in the Phillies’ lineup.

That preceded the infamous standing ovation game, when Turner homered and then took off as one of baseball’s hottest hitters. He batted .337 with a 1.057 OPS in the final 48 games.

Turner said then that the key was gripping the bat softer and lowering his hands. His underlying metrics that year provided a sense of optimism.

In 2026, the advanced numbers are not quite the same.

He ranks in the bottom 25 percent of hitters in barrel rate, chase rate and walk rate. He is in the bottom 40 percent in hard-hit rate, whiff rate and strikeout rate.

Interestingly enough, Turner is hitting .303 against four-seam fastballs, a pitch he sees nearly 30 percent of the time. But he has struggled badly against sinkers on the inner part of the plate, batting .203, and more recently has been pitched away often with offspeed. He is batting .180 against breaking pitches and .152 against other offspeed deliveries.

He is not pulling the baseball like he has in the past. For a contact hitter, spraying the ball to all fields can be a strength. But it has hurt his numbers. His pull rate is down seven percent, and his opposite-field rate is at its highest in a full season.

A lot of it has been soft contact the other way.

What is also similar to three seasons ago?

The underwhelming defense.

That year, Turner posted minus-six outs above average. This year, he is already at minus-two, in the bottom ninth percentile, after ranking in the 99th percentile with 17 outs above average last season.

Mattingly compared this stretch to Alec Bohm earlier in the season, when Bohm also stayed in the lineup through an extended rough patch.

“It’s what we talked about earlier in the year with Bohmer, when everybody was ready to bench him and not ever play him again,” Mattingly said. “Guys hit. Trea’s a great player, and he’s going to be a great player for us.”

Mattingly said he has not seriously considered moving Turner down in the order yet.

“Not really. Not at this point,” Mattingly said. “If it gets to that point, then consider anything that’s going to help us win. But right now, everybody all of a sudden is talking about Trea today. Trea’s not the reason when we don’t score. He’s not the only reason when things like that happen.”

The Phillies’ right-handed hitters have struggled this year as a group. And their offense will not fully take off until a top-of-the-order bat like Turner gets going. At his best, he is putting the ball in play with force, wreaking havoc on the basepaths and gobbling up everything hit to him.

The speed is still there.

Everything else has lagged behind.

But Mattingly made one thing clear Monday: Turner is still central to what the Phillies believe they can be.

“Trea’s a big piece of what we are, what we’re going to be, and if we’re going to be really successful, we’re going to need Trea,” Mattingly said. “For me, I’m not giving up on Trea. I’m not moving him right now.”

That confidence, Mattingly said, is not just for show.

“I want to show confidence because I feel confidence,” Mattingly said. “I wouldn’t say the things I say if I didn’t feel confident that Trea was going to find it, and be swinging more consistently and better as we go through the season.”

For Mattingly, pulling Turner out of his usual spot would send the wrong message before the Phillies believe they have reached that point.

“When you do certain things to guys, it basically tells them you don’t believe it,” Mattingly said. “And that’s where I’m not going.”

Major League Baseball has released the first round of updates for All-Star voting for this year’s MLB All-Star Game, which will be taking place in Philadelphia this season. Assuming things remain as they are, the locals will get an opportunity to boo three players in particular once the introductions are made, as the Braves currently have three players who are leading the voting in their respective positions for the National League team.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin are each leading their positions in All-Star votes at the moment. Here’s more from MLB’s press release on the voting results so far:

The Atlanta Braves, who own the best record in MLB at 46-25, have three players among the NL leaders. Reigning NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin, seeking his first All-Star assignment, ranks second among all NL players and is leading NL catchers with 972,813 votes…

Baldwin is joined by second baseman Ozzie Albies and outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves. Albies (517,147), who is bidding for his fourth All-Star selection and first fan-elected starting assignment, is trailed by a pair of potential first-time All-Stars in Philadelphia’s Bryson Stott (399,729) and Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers (373,656). Albies would become Atlanta’s first second baseman to win a fan election since Dan Uggla in 2012…

Acuña Jr. (693,472) ranks second among NL outfielder behind positional leader Andy Pages of the Dodgers (800,496). The duo is joined by Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh (668,191), while Atlanta’s Michael Harris II (635,473), two-time All-Star Teoscar Hernández of the Dodgers (507,625) and Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals (437,071) are currently in position to advance to Phase 2…

Dodgers teammates Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy are currently leading at the corner infield positions, joining Ohtani and Pages among Los Angeles positional leaders. The nine-time All-Star Freeman (870,606) is narrowly edging out three-time All-Star Matt Olson of the Braves (802,848) while eight-time All-Star Bryce Harper of the Phillies (651,792) ranks third. Freeman, who has won five of the last seven fan elections, is aiming for his sixth fan-elected start, while Olson seeks his first and Harper his eighth.

So as you can see, while Acuña, Albies and Baldwin are currently leading, both Michael Harris II and Matt Olson are at least primed to make things interesting in their respective races to get voted into the All-Star Game. Additionally, Austin Riley is currently running in fourth place among NL Third Basemen, Ha-Seong Kim is running sixth in the Shortstop voting, Dominic Smith is third among all Designated Hitters and Mauricio Dubón is 11th among outfielders. The rest of those names are long shots to get in but hey, it’s still pretty cool to see this many Braves players even in the mix at this point.

The next round of updates will be released at this time next week, with Phase 1 of the balloting ending at 12:00 p.m. ET sharp on June 25, finalists being announced at 6:00 p.m ET that same day and Phase 2 beginning on June 29. If you’re trying to get your favorite Braves players to Philadelphia for the Midsummer Classic, you’d better get to voting (or keep voting).

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Let's get the week started with a few plus-money Silly Goose Parlays (SPGs). That is what SGP stands for, right?

I dug through the slate and found a handful of spots backed by mouthwatering trends, strong matchup data, and hitters who are swinging a hot bat.

If you are looking for a little fun with your MLB picks this evening, these are the MLB same-game parlay predictions catching my eye tonight.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Rockies vs Cubs SGP: Pitchers in trouble

I am fully expecting both offenses to carry over the success they had in their previous series as the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs square off tonight at Wrigley Field.

Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga enters with a favorable Batters-Box rating, sporting poor marks in matchup ISO, hard contact rate, and ground ball rate. In 20 previous favorable matchups, he has allowed 5+ hits in 85% of those starts and has gone over 5.5 hits allowed 50% of the time. This season, the Cubs southpaw owns a 5.13 ERA at home while allowing a 42% hard contact rate and a 10.29% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

Michael Lorenzen brings similar concerns to the mound, entering with the worst pitcher rating on the slate. In 17 previous poorly rated matchups, the Rockies right-hander has allowed over 5.5 hits in 52.94% of those outings. His struggles have been even more pronounced on the road, where he owns a 6.68 ERA while allowing a 49.15% hard contact rate and a 12.71% barrel rate.

Both offenses are loaded with hitters in favorable matchups, making this a strong spot for the bats to stay hot tonight.

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee, COLR

See full analysis of this game in our Rockies vs. Cubs predictions.

Marlins vs Phillies SGP: Philly...with Gusto!

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSP, MIAM

Tigers vs Astros SGP: Southpaw slugfest

I have always been a big advocate of a little plus-money three-leg hit parlay. They are tough to come by, but they are always worth a look. This evening, Detroit Tigers young studs Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter find themselves with elite ratings over on Batters-Box as they take on Houston Astros right-hander Kai-Wei Teng.

Teng owns the third-worst pitcher rating on the slate, carrying poorly rated marks in matchup ISO, hard contact rate, and ground ball rate. Over his last five outings, the right-hander has allowed 42% hard contact while posting a 1.48 WHIP.

Both Tigers have been scorching the baseball lately, producing plenty of hard contact and barrels over their last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching. Each hitter also owns at least 50% arsenal coverage against Teng's pitch mix. On top of that, both have strong trends when carrying an elite Batters-Box rating, recording a hit in at least 63.79% of those opportunities.

Finally, adding the most dangerous bat in baseball to simply record a hit, as he carries nearly 90% arsenal coverage against Tigers right hander Troy Melton. Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has also recorded a hit in nearly 67% of his elite rated games over the last three seasons, a 218 game sample size.

At +180, asking these three to simply do the floor and record a hit feels well worth the squeeze this evening.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: DSN, SCHN

See full analysis of this game in our Tigers vs. Astros predictions.

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.

We won.

Lately my previews are always a race against the clock. I start this preview well ahead of the first game starting time, so you could say I am save, but I just remembered that the Spain game starts 30 minutes from now and, since I live in Spain, I feel obliged to watch the team, beside it being probably one of the most fun teams to watch this World Cup.

But, before that, we have to take a look at this series preview.

The Diamondbacks won a series against the Reds. That is good news. I am sharing a subscription now with someone and was very disappointed on Saturday when I noticed that the Friday game was on Apple TV. On Saturday we had a huge neighbourhood party and early morning Sunday I went out for a game of squash. After that life happens so I hadn’t been able to watch the Saturday game either and then my country played Japan. Conclusion: I haven’t seen the Snakes this weekend.

Of all the people on the Injury List, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. should be close to returning: Taking machine batting practice, running and doing outfield work. Manager Torey Lovullo said on June 14 that the team is honing in on a plan for a return. I guess that is positive news, no matter how much he has sucked so far or how much we need a left-handed batter. Can’t be much worse than Pavin Smith, Jorge Barroso, or Adrian Del Castillo.

Now the Angels though…

Dead last Angels.

They didn’t do much last year, and notable departures were probably only veteran Kenley Jansen’s and his 29 saves. In the off-season they signed long-time former Pirate and second baseman Adam Frazier, third baseman Yoan Moncada and outfielder and Rays’ Jose Siri. Their biggest movements were on the reliever market, where they signed Drew Pomeranz to a $5MM contract. I had no idea he was still pitching but he apparently threw almost 50 good innings for the Cubs last year. Brent Suter, Kirby Yates and Jordan Romano are other well-known names. The Angels also took a flier on the fallen-from-grace Blue Jays’ pitcher Alex Manoah.

Though those are not really spectacular signings, and indeed some haven’t been able to contribute that much, you also have to admit that the Angels haven’t been lucky with injuries.

Jorge Soler, Vaughn Grissom, Adam Frazier, Travis D’Arnaud and Yoan Moncada are currently all without a timetable for return. On the pitching side Yusei Kikuchi, and Ben Joyce are also out, though they might return in July. Currently, Wade Meckler and Grayson Rodriguez are day to day.

You haven’t read the name of Mike Trout and that is good news for all Angels and baseball fans. The future Hall of Famer has been troubled by many injuries over the past seasons, but 2026 has treated him kindly so far. He has played 71 games this season and his 134 OPS+ and 15 homeruns lead the team. Over the past two weeks Mike Trout has been in a slump though, batting a miserable 34 WRC+, but others have stepped up to make sure that the Angels are a middle of the pack hitting team at the moment. Jose Siri, rookie Wade Meckler, Nick Madrigal and Jo Adell have been riding a hot bat. Zach Neto is one of the other bats that stand out, hitting a bit above average.

On the pitching side you could say that only Reid Detmers really stands out and every off-season signing hasn’t panned out so far. That probably explains why the Angels are 29-43 and dead last in the AL West. Yet another lost season for Anaheim, like there already have been so many.

It didn’t look that bad at the beginning of the season. They stayed around .500 for the first month of the season until they entered a long streak of losses, going 6-24 in the next 30 games, from an 11-10 record to 17-34. The last two series though, they have been able to string some wins together, beating both Houston and Tampa Bay. Two weeks ago the Rockies beat the Angels 2-1 in their series, so that should be our benchmark.

Matchups.

Game #1 Mon 06/15 6:40 PM MST, Ryne Nelson (ARI) vs Walbert Ureña (LAA).

• Ryne Nelson. 14 GS, 76.1 IP, 2 W-5 L, 5.19 ERA, 5.53 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 57/22 K/BB. $3,000,000.
• Walbert Ureña. 12 G, 10 GS, 55.1 IP, 4 W-4 L, 2.44 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 1.36 WHIP, 55/33 K/BB. $780,000.

What do you get when you have Dilbert walking into a Walmart? You get a very bad joke that ends with Walbert. The names kids have in the Dominican never stop to amaze me and if you think you have seen it all, well, Walbert shows up. The jokes do not do justice to his career and hat off for this Dominican 22-year old who makes his debut in the MLB this season. Signed in 2021 and making his professional debut in 2022 in the complex league, Ureña has skyrocketed through the Angels’ farm system. FanGraphs hasn’t been high on him, pointing out that he is more of a thrower than a pitcher. Perhaps that explains why Ureña is already in the MLB. He throws 101 mph and we all know that the Angels love some gas on their pitchers. The pattern of poor control and allowing way too many free passes has haunted him since his early days into the MLB. However, until now he has been able to keep the damage controlled. But expect to see a wild one in this first game.

Nelson had a terrible performance against Miami, after a good one against the Dodgers, so it is time to bounce back. For Ryne it will be the second time that he faces the Angels, though this season for the first time at Chase Field. Last season he got a no-decision, struggling over 4 innings, allowing 4 runs.

Game #2 Tue 06/16 6:40 PM MST, Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs Reid Detmers (LAA).

• Merrill Kelly. 11 GS, 64.1 IP, 5 W-5 L, 5.46 ERA, 5.90 FIP, 1.45 WHIP, 38/27 K/BB. $18,000,000.
• Reid Detmers. 14 GS, 81.0 IP, 2 W-5 L, 4.00 ERA, 2.87 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 97/24 K/BB. $2,625,000.

Just like Walbert Ureña, Merrill Kelly isn’t able to strike anyone out either. Though, where Ureña is earning league minimum, Kelly is earning some real big money, but you could say that this is payback for all those years where he was steady and excellent while earning crap for the value he provided to this team. Well, that value might be at its lowest right now. Merrill struck out just 1 Marlin in his latest performance and before that, the Nationals knocked him around for 7 runs. Last season Merrill notched a win against the Angels, though what value has his performance of last season?

The loss looks a certainty with Reid Detmers on the mound. Detmers has had two stinkers though also seems to be a victim of some bad luck. That is evidenced by the 97 men he has mowed down so far this season. In that category Detmers has only Jacob Misiorowski and Paul Skenes in front of him. His fastball averages 94.1, which isn’t that much, and he combines it with excellent control, command and and a great slider and curveball.

Game #3 Wed 06/17 12:40 PM MST, Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) vs Samuel Aldegheri (LAA).

• Eduardo Rodriguez. 14 GS, 81.1 IP, 5 W-2 L, 2.55 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 60/32 K/BB. $21,000,000.
• Samuel Aldegheri. 5 G, 2 GS, 17.0 IP, 2 W-1 L, 2.12 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 12/8 K/BB. $500,520.

Italy will be happy to know that, although the Azzuri is not at the World Cup (part of me likes to believe that they get punished for years of catenaccio – what is equivalent to destroying football), Italy is at the highest level in the MLB in the form of Samuel Aldegheri. That is terrific for this pitcher, who was born in 2001 in Verona. After starting his career for well-known team Parma, he signed for the Phillies in one of the international amateur signing periods and ended up in Anaheim in 2024 in a trade for former Rockie Carlos Estévez. Aldegheri was ahead of Ureña in the Angels farm ranking on FanGraphs, projected as a back-end starter with good command but without any outstanding pitch and oscillation in his velocity. Aldegheri made his debut in 2024 in the majors, making him the 5th Italian born pitcher in the leagues, but had a little crisis in 2025 with declining velocity. He has been up and down this season, but got the start almost a week ago against the Tampa Bay Rays and pitched well enough to earn another one. His four-seamer sits around 92 mph and he also uses a curve, slider and changeup.

E-Rod struggled against the Reds. That was after an already tough performance against the Nationals in his performance before that one. The last time E-Rod saw the Angels was in 2023. In 11 plate appearances, Mike Trout has a .919 OPS, with 1 homerun, against Rodriguez. Trey Mancini, recently added to the team and last year, for a while, in Reno, has seen E-Rod in 48 plate appearances, good for a .811 OPS.

To play or not to play? That has become the question Astros fans are debating following Houston’s 4-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

With an opportunity to complete a three-game sweep and continue building momentum, the Astros elected to keep two of their most important hitters, Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve, out of the lineup. The result was a noticeably less potent offense that performed exactly as many feared it would, managing little at the plate in a shutout loss.

Let me be clear: I am not one of those people calling for Joe Espada’s job because of a lineup decision. I’m also not naive enough to believe the manager is solely responsible for filling out the lineup card. General Manager Dana Brown, the analytics department, and other members of the baseball operations staff undoubtedly have significant input in those decisions on a daily basis.

That said, this isn’t the first time we’ve had this discussion.

The Astros have once again found themselves digging out of an early-season hole, spending much of the first half trying to make up ground in both the division and Wild Card races. When you’re playing catch-up, every game matters. Every opportunity to gain ground matters. And in those situations, I believe your best players need to be on the field as often as possible.

Houston had an off day on Thursday. Yes, Saturday night’s game featured a 90-minute rain delay, but shortly after play resumed, the Astros wrapped up the victory in the next inning. It’s not as though the club had endured a grueling stretch of baseball leading into Sunday afternoon.

That’s why I struggle to understand sitting two of your top four hitters when a sweep was there for the taking.

A victory would have given the Astros four wins in six games on the road trip, continued the momentum they’ve built over the last several weeks, and helped them inch closer to .500 while narrowing the gap in both the Wild Card and division races.

Instead, the lineup looked diminished from the start, and the offense never found its footing.

The larger question is one that has divided Astros fans on social media.

Do you subscribe to the belief that the season is a marathon, not a sprint, and that key players should receive rest whenever the organization believes they need it, regardless of circumstance?

Or do you believe that when a team starts slowly and spends months trying to recover lost ground, the urgency changes? That every game carries added significance and your best players should be in the lineup whenever reasonably possible to maximize your chances of winning?

I fall into the latter category.

Had it been my decision, both Altuve and Paredes would have been in Sunday’s lineup. The team had just enjoyed an off day earlier in the week, and they were headed home immediately after the game. Given the circumstances, the opportunity to secure a sweep and continue gaining ground outweighed the need for rest.

The good news for Astros fans is that the season is far from over. Houston remains within striking distance, sitting only a few games out of a Wild Card spot and still close enough to keep an eye on the division race. As injured players continue to return and the roster gets healthier, the Astros should only improve.

But if they’re serious about climbing back into contention, I believe their best players need to be on the field as often as possible.

What do you think? Should teams prioritize rest no matter the circumstances, or should the urgency of the standings dictate when stars get days off?

The San Diego Padres haven’t won two consecutive series since April. They finally did so on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. After besting the Cincinnati Reds in a rubber match last week, they did the same against the O’s in the rubber match Sunday afternoon. They did so on the backs of some great pitching alongside some even better offense.

The Friars put up 17 runs in the series, including a nine-run romp of Baltimore in Game 2. They haven’t scored that many runs since they swept the Seattle Mariners in May. San Diego needs to ride that momentum into their series against a recently struggling St. Louis Cardinals ballclub.

Taking the mound

Dustin May (STL) v. Lucas Giolito (SD)

May has been off to a solid season with the Cards. He’s pitched to a 4.21 ERA through 72 2/3 innings. That was due to a difficult stretch to start the year, but he’s turned things around lately. May boasts a 3.43 ERA in his last seven starts.

He pitched well against the Friars last time they faced St. Louis. May pitched six innings but surrendered three runs (two earned) and failed to record a win for the Cards. He’ll look to improve this time around against San Diego.

Giolito has struggled with consistency in his Padres tenure thus far. He owns a 4.35 ERA through 20 2/3 innings pitched. His last few starts have been better, surrendering just three runs in his last 8 innings. Hoping to turn that around, the Friars will be using an opener for him today.

The right-hander has struggled with fastball command, but has looked better. Hopefully, Giolito can return to the form he had in his first two starts with the club (3 ER, 10.0 IP). If he can, the Padres should easily take Game 1 over St. Louis.

Batter up!

The sample size is getting bigger and bigger. Samad Taylor has been fantastic for the Friars. He’s batting .357 with a .919 OPS and went 5-for-13 with his first MLB home run in the series against Baltimore.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Xander Bogaerts, SS
5. Gavin Sheets, 1B
6. Samad Taylor, LF
7. Will Wagner, DH
8. Jase Bowen, RF
9. Rodolfo Durán, C

The star of the rubber match was Durán, who will be shouldering the catching weight with Freddy Fermin hitting the 7-day IL on concussion protocol. Durán slugged two homers in the last two games. Padres catchers have now combined for five home runs in the last week.

Relief corps

San Diego exhausted the majority of their high leverage relievers on Sunday afternoon. Bradgley Rodriguez, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller covered the final four innings of the game after Walker Buehler covered the first five and allowed just one run.

That will leave the Padres with options, though none of them have been fantastic. Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta will each be available in Game 1 against the Cards.

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Happy Monday one and all.

The Arizona Cardinals are on a slight break before training camp picks up in July, and the Arizona Cardinals get a couple days extra of work since they are part of the Hall of Fame Game this year in the preseason.

Now the question that is outstanding for the Arizona Cardinals, what is happening with Jacoby Brissett?

We know he has held out all of voluntary OTA’s and held-in during mandatory minicamp, meaning he was there and did nothing, while he waits for a new contract that pays him as the starter.

While the Cardinals have not publicly said he is the starter, it was reported by Josh Weinfuss and later John Gambadoro that the Cardinals are going with Brissett.

So, we asked, would how much would you change things contract wise for Brissett? The results really surprised me:

Fans are fine giving Brissett a slight bump, raise him up to $10 million(ish) and guarantee it, and let’s move foward.

I actually am shocked that fans would only want to slightly bump or keep Brissett at the same salary, but it makes sense.

He was given an opportunity and had a modicum of success statistically, but was also the quarterback of a team that went 1-11 with him starting and lost nine straight games.

Right now, our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook have the odds of Brissett starting game one at -350, with Gardner Minshew at +420 and Carson Beck at +700. The Cardinals are not favored in a single game this season either. What is that worth

After getting swept to open the month, it’s been smooth sailing for the Nationals as we hit the halfway mark in June. They won their last 2 games against the Seattle Mariners for a come-from-behind series victory, making that their 3rd in a row. With the gritty Tampa Bay Rays and division rival Philadelphia Phillies on the horizon, they get a chance to extend their winning streak against a Royals team that has been far from elite this season.

Kansas City sits firmly in last place in the AL Central, with a record of just 29-43. Their offense is in the bottom 10 of almost every statistical category, despite the MVP-level season that shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has put together thus far. They have lost their last 2 series, and now head into Washington to attempt to right the ship.

Game 1 – Monday 6:45 PM EST

WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 3.70 ERA)

KCR: RHP Mitch Spence (0-0, 13.50 ERA)

Alvarez’s two starts as a swingman have been about as advertised, going less than 5.0 innings both times out but limiting opposing offenses to 2 or fewer runs. The lefty is a true “get it done” pitcher, allowing a decent amount of baserunners but having enough putaway stuff to work his way out of jams. Commanding the strike zone remains a work in progress, although he has racked up just over 9 strikeouts per 9 innings, and the coaching staff will definitely be careful with him against the Royals’ top bats.

The right-hander is on his 3rd team in 3 MLB seasons, and his lone appearance with Kansas City was back in mid-April. Spence was hit for 6 runs across 4.0 innings in said outing, and his AAA ERA sat above 6.50 over the course of 10 starts. The Nats have a chance to absolutely feast on a pitcher the Royals are essentially forced to start, and it would be great to see the lineup get off to another hot start.

Game 2 – Tuesday 6:45 PM EST

WSH: LHP Foster Griffin (7-2, 3.46 ERA)

KCR: RHP Michael Wacha (4-5, 3.58 ERA)

The days of calling Griffin a reclamation project have come and gone, and he remains the steadiest pitcher in the Washington rotation entering his 15th start. He battled through another 6.0 strong innings the last time through the rotation, surrendering a single run to the San Francisco Giants and lowering his season ERA to 3.46. It’s hard not to have utmost confidence in the 30-year-old every time he takes the mound, and he faces another stable veteran on Tuesday night.

Wacha is seemingly entering “ageless wonder” territory and has been a lock for an ERA in the mid-3.00s every year since 2021. The Nats are seeing him amidst a rough patch, though, with his ERA rising almost a full point in his last 3 starts, giving up 14 runs in 17.2 innings. His offspeed pitches are where hitters have found the most success against him, making the plan for success fairly clear.

Game 3 – Wednesday 1:05 PM EST

WSH: RHP Zack Littell (6-5, 5.32 ERA)

KCR: RHP Luinder Avila (1-3, 6.19 ERA)

Littell had been cruising in his recent starts, but that run of dominance came to a screeching halt against the Seattle Mariners on June 12th. He was tagged for 5 runs over just 1.2 innings, with the long ball getting him once and forcing him out of the game abruptly. There is something to be said about how he had to deal with an impromptu rain delay before his start, making this next appearance an important watch for Nats coaches and fans alike.

The story for Avila’s 2026 campaign is nearly identical to Littell’s, despite the 6-year age difference. His sophomore season got off to a dreadful start out of the bullpen, but he put together a fine month of May. He was moved to the rotation and had 2 impressive starts to begin June, but got absolutely shelled by the Astros for 8 runs, failing to make it out of the 1st inning. This game will come down to whichever starter can rebound better, and whether or not Littell’s experience can outlast Avila’s youthful energy.

The Nationals won their first championship in 2019, and after stumbling to a losing record in 2020, they began rebuilding. They traded Trea Turner and Max Scherzer in 2021, and Juan Soto in 2022. That brought several years of bad baseball, as the team struggled to develop good players. But the prospects from those trades are starting to bear fruit – three of them are in the regular starting lineup for this year’s Nationals – and the team is enjoying a winning season.

Kansas City Royals (29-43) vs. Washington Nationals (37-35) at Nationals Park, Washington, DC

Royals: 4.00 runs scored/game (29th in MLB), 4.68 runs allowed/game (20th)

Nationals: 5.44 runs scored/game (1st), 5.26 runs allowed/game (29th)

The Nationals have scored the most runs in baseball, with three games this month where they have scored 10+ runs. Only five teams have hit more home runs, and only the Marlins have stolen more bases. James Wood broke through last year with a 31-home run season and an All-Star appearances. He leads the National League in runs scored (66) and walks (58) this year, and is tied for fourth in MLB in home runs (20). Daylen Lile is hitting .333/.400/.511 in 12 games this month. Catcher Keibert Ruiz is hitting .366/.386/.648 at home. CJ Abrams is hitting .297/.395/.555 against lefties.

Jacob Young is fifth in baseball in taking called strikes at 22.8 percent. Nasim Nuñez leads the National League with 25 steals and has only been caught three times. The Nats lead all of baseball in most outs on the bases. Young grades as one of the best defenders in baseball, by Outs Above Average, while Abrams rates as one of the worst.

The Royals have announced Mitch Spence will be called up to start Monday to replace Seth Lugo, who is on the 7-day IL with a concussion. He’ll face Andrew Alvarez, who has made seven career MLB starts. Alvarez walked five, but allowed just two runs in four innings in his last start against the Giants. He had a 5.29 ERA in seven starts for Triple-A Rochester. He throws mostly breaking balls and has a 54 percent groundball rate.

Former Royals first round pick Foster Griffin went to Japan and has returned to become an effective MLB starter. He has given up just five runs in 22 innings (2.05) over his last four starts. Lefties are hitting .172/.250/.322 against him. He throws his cutter 30 percent of the time, and gets by with a 91 mph fastball, but his sweeper has a 32.5 percent whiff rate.

Zack Littell had a 3.3 rWAR season last year, but found few free agent offers and signed with the Nationals. He retired just 5 of the 10 hitters he faced in his last start, giving up five runs, including a home run to the Mariners. Opponents are hitting .315 against his 91 mph fastball, but he throws his slider 28.6 percent of the time.

Nationals relievers have a 4.69 ERA with the lowest strikeout rate of any bullpen. Gus Varland and Clayton Beeter have each gotten closing duties this year. Nationals relievers allow 43 percent of inherited runners to score, most in baseball. Former Royals reliever Richard Lovelady has a reverse split, with lefties hitting .333/.433/.431 against him.

The National score a lot of runs, but allow a lot of runs. The Royals have won their last two series against the Nationals, including a sweep in DC in 2024. With a decimated roster, they’ll need to raise their game against an improved Nats squad this week.

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We nearly swept on Friday, so let's try that again with today's MLB home run predictions. 

I'm backing Junior Caminero, Juan Soto, and Ian Happ to go deep in my favorite MLB player props on Monday, June 15. 

Best MLB home run props today

Home run pick: Junior Caminero (+241)

I am in love with Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero to leave the yard this evening. The budding star draws Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer, who enters today with one of the worst pitcher ratings on the slate. He also grades poorly in matchup ISO, strikeout rate, and ground ball rate.

Lauer has been struggling against right-handed hitters at home this season, allowing a 71% elevation rate. Overall, right-handed bats have posted a .504 xSLG and .349 xwOBA against him, while also producing a 12% barrel rate against the lefty. In addition, 54% of Lauer’s pitch mix is valued below league average, per FanGraphs. Caminero also brings the highest arsenal coverage in this matchup, covering 72.5% of Lauer’s pitch mix.

On top of that, over his last 30 plate appearances against southpaws, Caminero is hitting .304 with a .902 OPS, while generating nearly 60% hard contact and a 12% barrel rate in that span.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

Home run pick: Juan Soto (+294)

New York Mets slugger Juan Soto has finally snapped out of that cold streak he was dealing with over the last few weeks, and I think it is time we can trust him again. 

In his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, he owns an .868 OPS, with 59% hard contact and a 9.1% barrel rate. Soto also carries the highest arsenal coverage among elite-rated bats this evening, covering 99.3% of Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns’ pitch mix.

Burns has been allowing a ton of elevation to left-handed hitters this season. At home, those hitters have been elevating the ball nearly 70% of the time. Over his last 60 lefties faced, he has allowed a 12.9% barrel rate and a 70.9% elevation rate, while also carrying a .347 xBA and .679 xSLG against.

With the cold stretch seemingly behind him, this looks like a spot where Soto can do damage tonight in Great American Small Park.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CINR, SNY

Home run pick: Ian Happ (+344)

Colorado Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen has been getting tormented by left-handed hitters this season, especially on the road. In that split, they are batting .418 with a .716 SLG and a .499 wOBA. On top of that, they are producing 45.5% hard contact and nearly a 70% fly ball rate.

I think it is a must that we back Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ to go yard this evening. Why Happ? Not only does he have an elite rating in this matchup over on Batters-Box, but he also owns the highest arsenal coverage with an elite rating.

He is batting .296 with a 1.054 OPS and .704 SLG, while posting 47.5% hard contact and a 10% barrel rate over his last 60 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.

With Happ sitting at 76.3% arsenal coverage against a pitcher with every single pitch in his mix graded below average, he looks like a must-back to leave the yard this evening on the North Side.

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee, COLR

Today’s HR parlay

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