SEVEN WOULD NOT BE HEAVEN: The Cubs have not lost a seventh consecutive game since July 14, 2022, when they were beaten at home by the Mets, 8-0. They have played 610 games since then, winning 327, for a percentage of .536. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: In their six straight losses, the Cubs have held only two leads, both last Sunday at the White Sox. A 4-1 cushion lasted from the middle of the fourth inning until the bottom of the fifth. An 8-7 lead in the middle of the 10th ended on a one-out homer in the bottom. They have not led in their last four games and in 16 of all 22 losses. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WHERE ARE THE RUNS?: Since the last game of their 10-game winning streak, a 7-1 win at Texas on May 8, the Cubs have scored 31 runs in 12 games. Eighteen came in two games and 13 in the remaining 10, with no more than three in any of the 10. They scored 0-2 runs in the first five of the 12 games and have scored 0-3 in the last four. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs and Cardinals went scoreless through nine in St. Louis. In the 10th, Javier Baéz hit a two-run homer. The Cardinals came back with a run in the bottom of the inning but Craig Kimbrel struck out their last two hitters and the Cubs won 2-1. It happened five years ago today, Sunday, May 23, 2021.
Colin Rea’s last start was pretty bad, so let’s try to ignore it. (Yes, I know you can’t really do that.)
In fact, over his last five starts Rea has posted a 7.04 ERA and 1.913 WHIP and has allowed four home runs in 23 innings. Yikes, do better, Colin.
Last year against the Astros, June 28, 2025 in Houston, he allowed two runs in five innings. That would be an improvement over recent outings.
Kai-Wei Teng, a native of Taiwan, originally signed with the Twins back in 2017 and was traded to the Giants two years later. He made 12 appearances (seven starts) with the Giants in 2024-25 and the results were pretty bad (7.30 ERA, 1.697 WHIP).
He was traded to the Astros for a minor leaguer last offseason and had thrown mostly in relief before recently being added to Houston’s rotation. Last time out, May 16 vs. the Rangers, he threw five shutout innings and 76 pitches.
He has never faced the Cubs. The only Cub who’s ever seen him is Michael Conforto (0-for-1).
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, ranked first in the NL West with a 31-20 record, face the Milwaukee Brewers, who are first in the NL Central with a 30-18 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -120 moneyline compared to the Milwaukee Brewers' +100. Starting pitchers are Roki Sasaki for Los Angeles, with a 5.09 ERA, and Robert Gasser for Milwaukee, with a 4.50 ERA.
How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers
PILA - GRESSAN, ITALY - MAY 23: Jan Hirt of Czech Republic and Team NSN Cycling competes in the breakaway during the 109th Giro d'Italia 2026, Stage 14 a 133km stage from Aosta to Pila - Gressan 1789m / #UCIWT / on May 23, 2026 in Pila - Gressan, Italy. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hickory starter Kamdyn Perry allowed two runs in 4.1 IP, strking out six, walking one and giving up a homer. Michael Trausch struck out one and walked one in a shutout inning.
Hector Osorio doubled, walked twice, and stole a base. Yolfran Castillo had a walk and two stolen bases. Paulino Santana had a double and a walk.
Frisco starter Winston Santos struck out five and walked three in five innings, giving up three runs. Wilian Bormie struck out two in a shutout inning.
Dylan Dreiling had a single and a double. Keith Jones II was 3 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. Cody Freeman continued his rehab assignment, and was 0 for 3 while playing third base before being lifted late in the game.
Josh Stephan started for Round Rock and it didn’t go well, as he allowed 11 runs in 4.1 IP, including three home runs, walking three and striking out two. Veteran Joe Ross, the brother of former Ranger Tyson Ross, was just signed to a minor league deal by the Rangers, and gave up three runs in 1.2 IP, including a home run by Nick Solak, walking one and striking out one. Thomas Ireland walked one and struck out one in two shutout innings.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 22: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks walks to the on deck circle during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field on May 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 3-2. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Exits Game with Hamstring Tightness The veteran suffered a torn right ACL on Sept. 1, 2025, having to be carted off at Chase Field to end his campaign. Gurriel worked tirelessly to come back sooner than expected, and he made his 2026 debut on April 18.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 21: Josh Wakefield, Mason Lytle, and Tyler Whitaker of the Houston Astros celebrate in the outfield after the game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (21-28) won 7-6 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got on the board in the 3rd inning scoring a run on error. The offense would rally for a huge inning scoring 6 runs in the 5th inning on a Biggio RBI single, Whitcomb RBI single, 2 runs scoring on an error, Strahm RBI single and a Thomas sac fly. Hendrickson got the start and pitched really well allowing 1 run over 6 innings of work. The pen allowed a few runs late but Murray held on for the save as Sugar Land won 7-6.
Joey Mancini, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Jayden Murray, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (SAVE)
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (19-24) lost 5-2 (BOX SCORE)
Swanson got the start and went 3.2 innings allowing 1 run, though he walked 5. The Hooks got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Sullivan solo home run. In the 4th, the Hooks took the lead on an Encarnacion RBI double. McLoughlin allowed a 3 run home run and the Hooks offense was quiet the rest of the way as they fell 5-2.
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (9-33) POSTPONED
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (19-24) won 7-5 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning scoring a run on a Wakefield RBI single. Weber got the start and went 4.1 innings allowing 3 runs, though just one earned, while striking out 6 batters. The offense rallied for 2 runs in the 6th on a disengagement violation and Moss RBI single. They scored 3 more runs in the 7th on a Sierra RBI single and Moss 2 run single. Alvarez added a sac fly in the 8th. Serrano went the final 4.2 allowing 2 run, none earned, as he closed out the 7-5 win.
Two of the best teams in baseball continue their weekend series tonight when the Milwaukee Brewers welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to American Family Field.
Milwaukee has feasted on fastballs this season and will enjoy a favorable matchup against a struggling Roki Sasaki, which is why I’m taking the hosts in my Dodgers vs. Brewers predictions.
Keep reading for my analysis and MLB picks for Saturday, May 23.
Who will win Dodgers vs Brewers tonight: Brewers (+105)
Sasaki has a bloated 5.09 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, ranking in the 24th percentile in xBA (.262) and 13th percentile in average exit velocity (91 mph).
Sasaki throws his four-seam fastball 43% of the time, though it’s been his worst pitch. Opponents are batting .342 vs. Sasaki’s four-seamer, while the Milwaukee Brewers own the ninth-highest average against that pitch type vs. righties (.261).
The Brewers provide great value as a +113 dog, and I’d bet them all the way down to +100.
Dodgers vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 9 (-115)
The Brewers' bats could get Sasaki out of the game early, but he’s backed up by a strong Dodgers bullpen that ranks second in ERA (2.98). Milwaukee’s pen isn’t too shabby, either, sitting sixth in that category (3.22).
To make matters worse for the Dodgers, who have averaged just 2.5 runs over their last four outings, Max Muncy left Friday’s game after taking a 95 mph heater to the wrist, and he’ll likely sit today.
It’ll also be another chilly night at American Family Field (54 degrees), which is tied for the fifth-lowest Park factor (97) in the majors.
Chris Faria's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 2-0, +1.71 units
Over/Under bets: 1-1, -0.12 units
Dodgers vs Brewers odds
Moneyline: Los Angeles -117 | Milwaukee +113
Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+138) | Milwaukee +1.5 (-144)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+127) | Under 7.5 (-133)
Dodgers vs Brewers trend
Los Angeles and Milwaukee have cashed the Under in four straight meetings. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Brewers.
How to watch Dodgers vs Brewers and game info
Location
American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Date
Saturday, May 23, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Dodgers starting pitcher
Roki Sasaki (2-3, 5.09 ERA)
Brewers starting pitcher
Robert Gasser (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
Dodgers vs Brewers latest injuries
Dodgers vs Brewers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Los Angeles, CA - July 21: Chris Taylor #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds third base base after hitting a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Chris Taylor, who played all over the field in 10 of his 12 major league seasons for the Dodgers, retired as a player on Friday.
Taylor was on a minor league deal with the Angels and hit .255/.382/.321 with an 86 wRC+ this year for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. The last game for the 35-year-old came on Wednesday, playing right field against Tacoma.
Drafted out of the University of Virginia in the fifth round in 2012 by the Seattle Mariners, Taylor struggled in his first taste of the majors, hitting .240/.296/.296 in 86 games over parts of two seasons with Seattle. The Mariners traded Taylor to the Dodgers on June 19, 2016 for pitcher Zach Lee, the former first-round pick.
Versatility was Taylor’s calling card, with the ability to play everywhere in the infield and outfield. With the dodgers, Taylor started 259 games in left field, 175 games at shortstop, 157 games in center field, 115 games at second base, 50 games at third base, and 17 games in right field.
“I feel like my role has always been to play all over the field, and that’s part of my value,” Taylor said in 2021. “There’s been times where guys have gotten hurt, and then I have to play one position for a month or whatever.”
In 2018, Taylor’s sliding catch in left field robbed Christian Yelich of a double in the fifth inning of Game 7 of the NLCS in Milwaukee, protecting a one-run lead at the time.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked Friday night in Milwaukee was asked about Taylor’s retirement, and that catch.
“Worlds would have been different if he didn’t make that play,” Roberts said, as shown on SportsNet LA. “He’s had a great career. He got everything out of his ability, and I was fortunate enough to coach him. He, Mary, and the kids can ride off into the sunset. Does a lot of stuff for the foundation. He was a joy, a complete pro.”
Taylor in his 12-year career hit .248/.327/.419 with a 104 wRC+, 16.2 bWAR, 17.2 fWAR, 200 doubles, and 110 home runs in 1,123 games for the Mariners, Dodgers, and Angels. He was a part of five pennant-winning teams and three championship teams with the Dodgers, and ranks third in team history with 80 postseason games played.
Taylor was released by the Dodgers last May, in the final season of his four-year contract, and wasn’t around for the 2025 championship run in October. But now that he’s retired, one would imagine Taylor will get his championship ring at some point in the relatively-near future, with a deserving pregame ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 16, 2025: Jackson Kent #45 of the Washington Nationals throws a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Mets at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 16, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The other day it was announced that the Nationals were promoting Jackson Kent to Triple-A. With this news happening, I wanted to talk about Kent because he is a fascinating and under-discussed prospect. You can argue that Kent is the Nats best healthy pitching prospect, though I would probably put him second behind Miguel Sime Jr.
2.35 ERA, 32.2% K rate, 6.8% BB rate at Harrisburg. Arguably the Nats’ top healthy pitching prospect, and I would not be surprised he debuted this summer. In fact, I might be surprised if he doesn’t. https://t.co/oW4SImB0XS
Kent had a fantastic start to the season in Double-A. He posted a 2.35 ERA in 30.2 innings with 38 strikeouts to just 8 walks. The Nats 4th rounder from 2024 also showed off improved stuff. His fastball has gone from being a low 90’s offering to sitting more consistently in the 93-95 MPH range. This improved velocity has helped Kent dominate in AA.
However, the fastball is not Kent’s biggest weapon, and it never has been. Kent’s signature pitch is an absolutely gorgeous changeup. His changeup has over 10 MPH of velocity separation, but Kent still sells it with his arm action. It is truly a plus offering for him. Last season, the pitch generated a 51% whiff rate, and it has continued to be elite this year.
Fangraphs gave Kent’s changeup a 70 grade. That is elite stuff, but it makes sense when you watch the pitch. I actually found a 5 and a half minute video from one of his most recent starts. You get to see quite a few of his signature changeups, and his best ones are absolutely gorgeous. He has a natural feel for it and locates it very well.
23 year old Jackson Kent is a pitcher to watch!
In AA:
7 starts 30.2 IP 2.35 ERA 25.4 K-BB% 34.7 CSW% 16.2 SwStr%
Kent’s wonky delivery and elite changeup actually remind me a bit of Guardians rookie Parker Messick, who is having a lot of success this season. Both guys are stockier left handed pitchers with solid but not elite velocity. These guys rely on command and a wipeout changeup to succeed.
Another thing Jackson Kent does very well is get down the mound. He gets about 7 feet of extension, which is elite. That helps his fastball get on hitters quickly. This trait makes Kent similar to former Nats prospect Jake Bennett, who was a big extender with a good changeup. Bennett’s command is a little bit better, but Kent has an even better changeup than him.
I am interested to see how his mix works at the AAA level. He will be facing plenty of guys with big league experience. Will the changeup mesmerize them the same way it did to lower level hitters? I am also interested to see what his pitch shapes look like because we will get that with statcast. Kent’s breaking balls are seen as average at best. He has a curveball and a slider, but neither truly stand out.
This has certainly been a breakout year for Kent, but he did not come out of nowhere. Last season, Kent had a high 4.61 ERA in High-A and Double-A. However, his underlying metrics were strong. For the season, Kent had 132 strikeouts in 123 innings, while keeping the walks in check. He also had a 3.75 FIP and 3.30 xFIP.
Jackson Kent struck out 6️⃣ through 6.0 innings of work on Tuesday!
He ranks 2nd in the system with 65 strikeouts in his first professional season. pic.twitter.com/VgzL5F9QBk
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) June 12, 2025
Kent’s stuff has ticked up this season, but he is also seeing some positive regression. He pitched much better than his ERA last season. Now, with even better stuff, the results have been undeniable. That is why the Nats are pushing him to AAA. If he throws the ball well in AAA, Kent has a chance to make his MLB debut later this season.
Jackson Kent is an advanced arm with a deceptive look, good command and a wipeout changeup. In a farm system full of risers, Kent is a guy who has gone under the radar. However, with his promotion, he should not be going under the radar for much longer.
This is a guy we could see in the big leagues, and pretty soon. Kent is just 23 years old, but he is a very mature pitcher who has a clear path to big league success. He can use his funk, changeup and new found velocity to get outs in the big leagues.
In my opinion, Kent has the ceiling to be a 3 or 4 starter. One of the reasons the Nats may have traded Jake Bennett is that they knew Kent was a very similar profile. They did not have a guy like Luis Perales in the system, but Kent could do what Jake Bennett did, and maybe even more.
The Nats 2024 draft class looked rough last season, but there have been some good performances from the group this year. Seaver King and Jackson Kent have been the standouts. Both are now in AAA, and knocking on the door of the big leagues.
SEINFELD -- "The Chaperone" Episode 1 -- Pictured: (l-r) Buck Showalter, Jason Alexander as George Costanza (Photo by Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) | NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Baseball history is full of managers who are famous for all sorts of reasons. Some are known for their unmatched success, others for their failures, and some for a particular moment or antics. Buck Showalter’s story is like that of most ballplayers. He never made it to the majors as a player and after his playing days ended, he turned to coaching the game he loved. That is where his story differs from the rest of us. Showalter became one of the most respected baseball minds of his generation and had a long run coaching at the highest level.
Before Yankees fans knew him as the intense manager who expected all the little things to be done right and who helped restore order to the franchise in the early 1990s, Showalter was simply another minor leaguer trying to survive the grind of professional baseball. That journey, and the way he carried himself through it, helped shape the leader baseball fans would eventually come to admire.
William Nathaniel “Buck” Showalter III Born: May 23, 1956 (DeFuniak Springs, FL) Yankees Tenure: 1977-91 (coach/minor-league player); 1992-95 (manager)
Before becoming “Buck,” Showalter was mostly known as “Nat.” Born William Nathaniel Showalter III, he went by his middle name throughout much of his younger life, including during his playing days at Chipola College and Mississippi State. The nickname “Buck” reportedly came from a tendency of liking to lounge in the minor-league clubhouses naked. Like many baseball nicknames, it simply stuck.
Showalter built an impressive amateur career before the Yankees selected the outfielder in the fifth round of the 1977 MLB Draft. At Mississippi State, Showalter helped establish himself as one of the better college players in the Southeast while earning All-SEC honors and eventually landing in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
After signing with New York, Showalter spent several seasons climbing through the Yankees minor league system at both first base and in the outfield. He hit well at times and became known for his work ethic and baseball intelligence, but he never quite broke through onto the big-league roster, topping out in Triple-A Columbus. It didn’t help that as he became more of a first baseman, he was overshadowed by another up-and-coming late-1970s draft pick who played alongside him at Double-A Nashville in 1981: Don Mattingly.
In many organizations, and for most players, that likely would have marked the end of the story. Instead, for Showalter it became the beginning.
Following the end of his playing career in 1983, Showalter quickly transitioned into coaching within the Yankees organization. His attention to detail, preparation, and ability to connect with players rapidly earned him respect throughout baseball circles. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Showalter became one of the quickest rising managerial prospects in the sport, earning praise and awards throughout his stops skippering Oneonta, Fort Lauderdale, and Albany-Colonie. Soon-to-be-familiar names emerged under his watch, including Bernie Williams and Jim Leyritz.
Showalter got his first taste of The Show on the coaching staffs of Bucky Dent and Stump Merrill in 1990 and 1991. General manager Gene “Stick” Michael grew to trust his keen eye, and it wasn’t long before those lousy Yankees teams ushered in an opening at the head of the dugout for the 35-year-old at the start of 1992, making him the youngest full-time manager in Yankees history.
The Yankees hired Showalter during one of the more unstable stretches in franchise history. Owner George Steinbrenner’s reputation and suspension loomed over the organization, and the Yankees were desperately searching for direction. “Stick” needed a coach who could help mold the upcoming young talent he was drafting and, for once, not being forced to trade away.
Showalter’s tenure as Yankees manager lasted just four seasons, but each year represented steady progress for a franchise trying to climb out of the chaos of the late 1980s. The Yankees finished 76-86 in his first season managing in 1992 before improving to 88-74 in 1993, narrowly missing the postseason despite playing meaningful September baseball for the first time in several years. He had the trust of his old teammate-turned-Yankees captain Mattingly, veterans like Paul O’Neill and Wade Boggs thrived under him, and Williams and Leyritz began to find their footing. Showalter’s attention to detail as skipper was nonpareil, as while he could be straitlaced, no one doubted his acumen.
In 1994, the Yankees owned the best record in the American League at 70-43 before the players’ strike abruptly ended the season and erased what many believed was a legitimate championship opportunity. Showalter was named the Manager of the Year and skipper of the 1995 AL All-Star team in what must have all felt like a consolation trophy (as did the famous Seinfeldcameo).
Once the dust settled on the strike, the Yankees went back to work on returning to postseason play for the first time since 1981. They had high hopes after 1994, but found themselves nine games under .500 on June 20th, and while they played better in July, a subpar post-Trade Deadline showing had them at 54-59 on the morning of August 29th. It looked like it would be yet another quiet October in the Bronx, as Boston was running away with the AL East and even with the recent advent of the Wild Card, they trailed six teams in that race. Given that the quick-trigger-finger Steinbrenner was long since reinstated, Showalter’s job was in jeopardy — though Stick always had his back.
Suddenly, the Yankees caught fire as Labor Day approached. They took five straight against the Angels and A’s, narrowly lost two out of their next three, and then reeled off another six wins in a row. Indeed, September would feature two more winning streaks of at least five games as the Yankees made a furious charge to the Wild Card lead with an incredible 22-6 final month under Showalter. With heroics down the stretch from the likes of Mattingly, O’Neill, trade acquistion David Cone, rookie Andy Pettitte, and even light-hitting second baseman Pat Kelly, the Yankees clinched a playoff spot in Toronto on the season’s last day.
As the final out was clinched, Buck could only watch with pride from the dugout, not immediately joining in on the handshake line because in his words, “That’s their moment.” But after a minute, he did take the field to congratulate his players, closing on an especially meaningful hug with Mattingly. Both men had lived and died with every second of the organization’s 14-year playoff drought and were emotional in the postgame celebration.
The ALDS against the Mariners featured incredible highs as the Yankees won the first two games in the Bronx in dramaticfashion. Unfortunately, it all unraveled when the series shifted to the Kingdome. The Yankees dropped three in a row, losing a heartbreaking series that would ultimately became the end of Showalter’s Yankees tenure.
In wake of the loss to Seattle, Steinbrenner chose to offer Showalter a new contract, but it came with a condition: the majority of the coaching staff had to be fired. Four coaches in particular—Rick Down, Mark Connor, Brian Butterfield, and Glenn Sherlock—could not be back on staff. Additionally, despite Showalter asking for a three-year contract, Steinbrenner refused to offer more than two years.
Showalter dug in and declined the Yankees offer, ending his time in the Bronx despite the clear upward trajectory of the organization. As the skipper for four seasons, Showalter managed the Yankees to a 313-268-1 record.
One year later, the Yankees won the 1996 World Series under Joe Torre. It is impossible to ignore that Showalter helped establish the structure, accountability, and expectations for a young core that would eventually define a generation.
Showalter walked away uncertain, as he had no jobs lined up and had only been in the Yankees organization as a working adult. However, he would not be unemployed long as he was offered and became the first manager in Arizona Diamondbacks history. Showalter, along with the four coaches he refused to fire, went to Arizona tasked with building an expansion franchise from the ground up, hired over two years before the D-backs would even play a game.
The move became legendary among coaches who appreciated the loyalty and dedication he showed to his staff. Much like he had in New York, Showalter helped establish structure and organizational expectations almost immediately.
The Diamondbacks went from a 65-win expansion team in 1998 to a 100-win playoff club in 1999. However, after Arizona regressed in 2000 and ownership tensions reportedly surfaced, Showalter was dismissed in early October.
One year later, the Bob Brenly-led Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees in a dramatic seven-game World Series, ending New York’s dynasty run at a fourth straight championship with Torre. In one of baseball’s strangest twists of fate, and even more painful for Yankees fans, the team Showalter helped mold in the desert became the group that finally stopped the dynasty.
Timing has always made Showalter one of baseball’s most fascinating “what if” figures. A strike took out his chance at a ring in 1994. The Yankees won the World Series the year after he departed, while the Diamondbacks also captured a championship the year after replacing him as manager. Fair or unfair, Showalter is “the guy before the guy.” To date, he is the winningest manager in MLB history (1,727 wins, 19th all-time) to never reach a Fall Classic, trailing only Gene Mauch.
Showalter’s post-Arizona career cemented his reputation as one of baseball’s great developers. After spending time in television and around the game as much as he could, he returned to the dugout with the Texas Rangers in 2003.
Showalter’s first year in Texas was surrounded by drama most of which was caused by Alex Rodriguez. Due to that drama and his huge contract, Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees during the 2004 offseason. Despite trading their star, the club found a way to end up with a winning record at 89-73 and those efforts were rewarded with a second Manager of the Year title. However, the Rangers would falter in 2005 and 2006 slipping below .500 both years. Showalter and the Rangers parted ways after the 2006 season.
Showalter returned to TV work until he was hired in Baltimore by the Orioles in July 2010. He quickly helped transform one of baseball’s worst organizations into a contender. Buck became beloved in the Charm City, which became one of the few places where you’d actually see fans wearing merchandise with the manager’s name and number on the back.
In 2012, the Orioles ended a streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons, as Showalter took the Orioles to their first playoff berth since 1997 and his first since 1999. They beat the Rangers in the first AL Wild Card Game before falling to his old Yankees (and Raúl Ibañez) in a five-game ALDS. Under his leadership, the O’s reached the postseason three times, including a 96-win division-winning season in 2014 that earned Showalter the Manager of the Year award for the third time. The swept a pitching-rich Tigers club in the Division Series before getting dusted themselves up the upstart Royals in the ALCS. It still stands as Baltimore’s longest playoff run within the last 29 years.
The O’s would lose steam and eventually bottom out in 2018. Showalter was dismissed during regime change from Dan Duquette to Mike Elias. His 669 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history, trailing only the Hall of Famer Earl Weaver. Showalter would once more return to TV, but hoped to coach again.
The Mets and former Yankees assistant general manager Billy Eppler gave him that chance for the 2022 campaign. Showalter helped guide little brother to a 101-win campaign and earned yet another Manager of the Year honor — though the Mets lost a division lead down the stretch to the hard-charging Braves and then fell to the Padres in a three-game Wild Card Series. Even though postseason success often proved elusive, Showalter’s career repeatedly followed the same pattern: struggling organizations became respectable, young players developed, and teams learned how to expect more from themselves after Buck arrived.
Tasting success, the Mets would “go for it” in free agency during the winter of 2022-23. Showalter and the club failed to meet expectations, and he was dismissed as manager following the 2023 season, as owner Steve Cohen granted new front-office head David Stearns the right to pick his own manager (Carlos Mendoza).
Showalter has been out of coaching since those two years in Queens, but he’s back working in TV as an analyst for MLB Network. Althoguh he’s still interested in managing, it’s hard to get those jobs at age-70, so his career in the dugout might be at an end. In total, Showalter spent 22 seasons as a professional manager, with a 1,727-1,665-1 record good for a .509 winning percentage. Only Dusty Baker guided more different teams to the postseason than Buck’s four.
Loved by so many fans, one might wonder why Showalter wore out his welcome so many times. Other than his run with the O’s, he never lasted more than four seasons managing a clubhouse. Showalter’s greatest strengths might also have been his biggest weaknesses. A player’s coach, Showalter loved conversations, teaching, and bonding with his players, viewing his role as helping them navigate life along with baseball. However, he demanded preparation and accountability with a hyper-focus on details. A little headstrong once he determined his mindset, he often prioritized player and coaching relationships over the front office and ownership.
Regardless of how long he could survive before getting voted off the island, Showalter’s ability to lead a turnaround is legendary. Often leadership gets framed entirely around sacrifice, toughness, or authority. His career serves as a reminder that leadership can also look like care, availability, consistency, and unwavering support. Even if Showalter himself would probably brush off those compliments, many former players and coaches clearly saw him as exactly that type of leader.
That humanity helps explain why Showalter remains beloved by so many baseball fans despite never fully getting the championship moment many believe he deserved. Across multiple organizations, players consistently respected him, front offices trusted him, even if those relationships strained over time, and fans connected with the authenticity he brought to the dugout every day.
Showalter never got the storybook championship, but baseball history would feel incomplete without him. Some leaders become famous for the dynasties they led. Others deserve to be remembered for helping build the foundation.
Happy birthday Buck!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 15: Brandon Marsh #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits an RBI double during the tenth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 15, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I have all sorts of questions for Brandon Marsh. Chief among them is how to grow a beard like that. But as this is a baseball site, and as my doomed attempts to grow impressive facial hair are likely of little interest to anyone other than myself, we’ll instead ask a different question: how has he been so good at the plate when his chase rate is up by double digits?
Specifically, it’s up by 11% (on the dot!), from 29.1% last year to 40.1% this season. That puts him in the sixth percentile for this season (that’s set up so a higher percentile means being better at avoiding chasing). He was once a chase-averse hitter: he was in the 72nd percentile in 2023, and the 80th in 2024. That plummeted to the 42nd percentile last season, and now he’s among the most chase-happy hitters league wide. Only 12 batters chase more.
That said, you can chase a lot and still be a great hitter; Bryce Harper’s chase rate is only a few percentage points beneath Marsh’s. And right now, Marsh is hitting very well. Batting average isn’t the best statistic to measure a hitter by, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Marsh’s .325 is the fourth-best in baseball. His slugging percentage of .462 would be the highest of his career if it holds. His on-base percentage of .350 wouldn’t be; he had a .372 in 2023. And those numbers are more different than they appear: his 2023 OBP was built more on a high walk rate (12.5%) than on hitting, whereas his current OBP is the opposite, with his walk rate now a lowly 4%. So Marsh is playing not only like a better batter, but also like an entirely different one.
More chases and far fewer walks sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it’s clearly not working out that way for Marsh. So we have to ask: how’s he doing it? My first thought was that perhaps he was swinging more overall, accepting more chases in exchange for more hacks at balls in the zone that he can really do some damage on. And that’s not entirely wrong, but it’s not really what’s going on here. His overall swing rate has gone from 47.1% to 53.8%, but the lion’s share of that overall change was produced by his greater willingness to swing outside the zone. His zone swing rate is up by 2.3%, which is notable, but far less dramatic than the chase rate change.
But there is an equally dramatic change to go along with the chase rate spike. That would be the change to his chase contact rate. Last season he made contact on 51.6% of the pitches he chased. This season, it’s 62.2%. His in-zone contact rate is also up, but like the zone swing rate, it’s not by much. So what’s happening here is that Marsh has become both more willing to swing at pitches outside the zone, and better at making contact on them. That’s how you turbocharge your chase rate while also dropping your whiff rate and K% by a couple percentage points each; a pretty nifty little trick.
That explains how he can chase so much more without hurting his hitting. But that doesn’t necessarily explain how he’s hitting better than he did last year. He doesn’t appear to have some sort of ability to deal unusual damage on pitches outside the zone. My next thought was that perhaps his increased ability to make contact outside the zone was allowing him to foul off pitches to a greater extent, extending at-bats and eventually forcing pitchers to throw him something he could hit. But his plate appearances are, on average, shorter than they’ve ever been (3.45 pitches per PA). So that’s out.
I was hoping to uncover some sort of secret sauce (and I mean a real secret sauce, not the garden variety Russian dressing with a cute name you see at so many burger joints) explaining how Marsh is doing it. And it’s possible that such a sauce exists somewhere in the data, and that I’m just not seeing it. But at this point, I’m wondering if Marsh’s changed approach at the plate isn’t really the explanation for his improved hitting. Marsh has the fourth-highest BABIP in the league at .395. That’s up from .363 last year and .348 the year before that. The only full season in which he posted a higher one would be 2023. That 2023 season was the best of his career offensively, with an OPS of .830. This season, he’s got an .812. He hasn’t posted an OPS above .800 in any of his other campaigns. It would be too simplistic to say that Marsh is just benefitting from good BABIP luck, but I suspect it’s contributing a lot to his strong slash line this year.
It’s possible that his BABIP could remain this high over a full season; it did in 2023. But if it doesn’t, he could find himself in a struggle at the plate, with the impact of his greatly diminished walk rate making its presence felt. You can outrun regression to the mean in batted ball luck for a while, but not forever. Marsh is chasing more, but he’s also being chased.
Apr 24, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Grant Holmes (66) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
After a stunning walk-off in the 11th inning to win yesterday’s matchup, the Atlanta Braves are looking for a series win against the high-offensive-powered Washington Nationals with Grant Holmes on the mound.
Holmes, who’s holding a 3.80 ERA and a 3-1 record, had a nice outing against the Boston Red Sox last weekend (May 17). Extending his stay to six innings—an upgrade from his previous four starts, where he had trouble with control— he held the Redsox scoreless with five hits and four total strikeouts within 87 pitches.
Now, with four quality starts under his belt for the season, the righty is looking to close out game two in the same fashion and keep the Braves alive on the defensive side.
On the opposing side, Nationals’ Jake Irvin is taking the mound. With a 5.79 ERA and 1-4 record across his 46.2 innings, one would think— given the Braves’ offense hunker down on run-support— Atlanta has this game in the bag.
Irvin last faced the Braves on April 20, where he took the loss (9-4), giving up three earned runs across his five innings. It was the bullpen rather than Irvin’s appearance that Atlanta’s offense took advantage of in that game, scoring five runs in the sixth and capping it off with two more in the ninth.
The one pitch in his arsenal that could rattle the Braves’ offense is Irvin’s curveball. This season, he’s gotten his second-leading strikeout rate (16) with the pitch and has only yielded five base hits with it.
The Cubs, on a six-game losing streak and in an offensive funk, have made a roster move that could shake things up, if only a bit.
Outfielder Kevin Alcántara has been recalled from Triple-A Iowa. In 41 games for Iowa this year, Alcántara is batting .242/.339/.567 (38-for-157) with 15 home runs. The power is good, but he’s also struck out 60 times.
In brief cameos with the Cubs in 2024 and 2025, Alcántara has gone 5-for-21 (.238) with three runs scored, one RBI and one stolen base.
To make room for Alcántara on the 26-man active roster, infielder Nicky Lopez was designated for assignment. Lopez was added to the active roster nearly a month ago — April 24 — but has barely played, appearing in just four games, two as a pinch-hitter and two as a defensive replacement. With Pedro Ramirez called up Friday, there was really no room for a player with Lopez’s skill set.
This move leaves the Cubs 40-man roster at 38 players.
I would think Alcántara would get occasional starts to give all three Cubs outfielders some days off, and also perhaps DH and pinch-hit against left-handers. As always, we await developments.
May 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) is tagged out at the plate by Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) in the seventh inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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The New York Mets may be having a poor season, but Juan Soto is having a decent campaign of his own. The superstar is hitting .301 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI.
He's raking over the last week, batting .423 with four long balls.Soto has gone deep in three of his last four contests,and he even had a multi-homer game earlier this week against the Washington Nationals.
Soto faces Miami Marlins righty Max Meyer today, who has only allowed four bombs this season. While Soto is 0-for-3 lifetime against Meyer, the right-handed starter has given up two homers across his last two outings, and Soto is jumping on everything at the moment.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNY, Marlins.TV
Home run pick: CJ Abrams (+560)
CJ Abrams is up to 11 home runs in 2026, and he currently leads the majors with 45 RBIs while hitting .299.
The Washington Nationals shortstop has a .345 average across the last seven days, and that includes a pair of long balls. Abrams went deep in Friday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves, his second HR in three games.
Abrams will see Grant Holmes on the mound today. He's 0-for-3 lifetime, but Holmes has surrendered four of his seven home runs to left-handed batters.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: BravesVision, Nationals.TV
Home run pick: Gavin Sheets (+540)
Gavin Sheets has been heating up, smacking three home runs across the last week while hitting .353.
He's hit all nine of his bombs this season off right-handed pitchers, and he'll face righty JT Ginn of the Athletics tonight. Sheets is also 2-for-2 lifetime against Ginn with a long ball.
While Ginn has only allowed six homers this season, four have been on the road, and he's given up a bomb in each of his last two outings away from Sacramento. Sheets has left the yard three times in his last six games.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSCA, Padres.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 6-39, -8.08 units
Today’s HR parlay
Juan Soto
Bet Now +12987
CJ Abrams
Gavin Sheets
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
COVERS INTEL:
Juan Soto 
CJ Abrams
Gavin Sheets