Category: Baseball

The final postseason of the college athletic season is finally here, and once again, the Diamond Heels of the University of North Carolina will be hosting a regional in the NCAA Tournament. College baseball seems to be drawing more eyes than ever this year, but given that most regular-season games are still on streaming-only platforms and there are a ton fewer places that cover the sport (and especially from an ACC/UNC lens) than for things like football and basketball, I’m certainly not going to judge anybody who’s choosing now to start really paying attention to Scott Forbes’ team. For you, and perhaps for Tennessee/ECU/VCU fans wanting to check out the competition, this will function as the most thorough look at the Diamond Heels that you’ll find on the Internet, at least for free. And hopefully, even if you’ve been following the team and program more committedly than most this season, there will still be some things in here for you to learn and/or talk about ahead of the games in Chapel Hill this weekend.

Overview

For the second straight year, UNC is an arguably under-seeded 5th overall seed after a 45-plus-win season with an elite pitching staff and an offensive lineup that survived a bunch of turnover. They don’t have some of the superlatives of last year’s team; namely, they don’t have a starter as good and consistent as Jake Knapp was nor do they have a big-time power threat like Luke Stevenson provided, but they’re a gritty squad that finds a way to win games — they lost just one series all season, and that was to Virginia to open ACC play. They have probably the best series win in the country after having taken 2 out of 3 against Georgia Tech at home, and in a lot of ways entered the postseason playing their best baseball. They had an up-and-down ACC Tournament — the offense was as live as it has ever been, while starting pitching struggled in their first two games before the entire arm barn ran into the buzzsaw that was Georgia Tech — but still have established themselves as one of the country’s premier squads, as has become tradition for head coach Scott Forbes at this point. Polls have had them at #2 in the country for basically the last month, and Forbes should once again have a team that should be a favorite to make Omaha and a threat to make noise once there.

Lineup

Remember how going into last year, all the talk about UNC was about all the power they were losing and that the Heels were going to have to lean into a different brand of baseball that relied on balls finding grass and guys going station-to-station instead of swinging for the fences? Last year’s team kind of did that, but nowhere near to the extent that it was stated after they took 5 games to hit their first home run. I think this year’s team does it a fair bit more. The slugging percentages are nearly identical; .478 to .487, but the 2025 Heels had 87 home runs in 61 games compared to this year’s 76 in 57. Last year’s team relied a ton on stealing bases to get guys in scoring position; this year, it’s been much more about just making contact and advancing runners with hits — the lineup isn’t as deep with on-base threats as last year’s, but the guys who hit for average do so at significantly higher clips while maintaining similarly high walk rates. This team has the typical discipline of a Scott Forbes club, ranking 13th in the country in total walks and 18th in walk rate, but they’ve cut down some on the high-ish strikeout rates that have annoyed past groups, ranking a respectable 56th in strikeout rate and 20th in K:BB ratio. Here’s an individual rundown:

1. SS Jake Schaffner (L/R, .362/.465/.580): Transferred to UNC from North Dakota State and has been a mainstay at the top of the lineup. Has a fantastic eye at the plate; has recorded 37 walks to 27 strikeouts. Rarely chases out of the zone and has a real knack for 2-strike hitting, where he can kind of just throw his wrists at the ball and flick it over the shortstop’s head. UNC’s best stolen base threat, has 25 on 28 attempts. Great defensive shortstop with plus range and an arm that plays well enough in college, and his speed has also helped him record 7 triples — the 3rd-highest total in the country.
2. 2B Gavin Gallaher(R/R, .275/.367/.488): The lone everyday returner in the lineup and a team captain. Hasn’t had quite the draft season he would have hoped for, but the numbers are pretty much in line with where he was last year before his postseason heroic gene activated. His feel for and control of the zone have been spotty this year and his pole-to-pole power, while clearly there, hasn’t always played this year, though he’s hit 3 home runs in his last 7 games to bring his season total to 12. The two-time Chapel Hill Regional Most Outstanding Player will be aiming to play his best baseball come tournament time once again. He’s moved from playing 3rd the last 2 years to second base this year, and he’s been awesome there — statistically he’s been the best defensive second baseman in the conference.
3. CF Owen Hull (L/R, .374/.487/.565): Transfer from George Mason and UNC’s batting average leader. Hull is the latest in a pretty legendary run of center fielders at UNC, and after a really slow start to the season, has lived up to the mantle. He’s built like a brick house at 6’4, 215, and while he doesn’t rake like the build suggests (7 home runs on the season), he consistently makes hard ground ball contact up the middle or to the opposite field that creates trouble for infielders. Sometimes he’ll just accidentally hit a rocket because there’s so much latent power in his body. Pairs all that with a decent eye (41:37 K-BB); the strikeouts have gone up as he’s gained more confidence in his swing after he started the season leading the country in walks. Pretty good defender in center field thanks to his athleticism, though he doesn’t have a standout arm or instincts at the position.
4. C/DH Macon Winslow (R/R, .310/.455/.522): Cross-rivalry transfer from Duke after coach Chris Pollard left. Winslow was good at Duke and has leveled up at UNC, improving both his average and power numbers (10 HR, .967 OPS compared to 9 and .881 last year). Pull-heavy swing and a disciplined approach, working a lot of counts deep and leading the team with 43 walks (to go with 38 Ks). Good defensive catcher who doesn’t get run on very often, but he’s now coming back from an injured wrist that might have influenced him not getting in front of 3 run-scoring wild pitches in the ACC Championship game — his rust will be something to monitor.
5. 3B Cooper Nicholson (R/R, .275/.452/.607): Junior college transfer from Iowa Central CC who has become the team’s power leader, with 15 home runs on the season. Swings for the fences on seemingly every pitch he sees in the zone, which leads to a fair bit of swing-and-miss (team-leading 51 Ks) but ends up being worth it as he leads the team in slugging. Power plays to all fields and he isn’t swinging blindly, with 38 walks. Also has a knack for getting hit by pitches, has racked up 21. Plays a pretty dynamic 3rd base but has had his share of errors — granted, it’s a tough position to play with metal bats, and he hasn’t been worse than Gallaher was last year (.909 fielding percentages for both. That’d be atrocious at any other position, but like I said, 3rd base is really tough in college).
6. 1B Erik Paulsen (L/L, .285/.419/.464): Transfer from Stony Brook. Started the season red-hot and looked like he might just replicate Stevenson’s power and average production one-to-one, but cooled off mightily over the course of April and May. When the swing is working, he’s capable of both pulling inside fastballs and poking outside pitches to the opposite field, but there’s a lot more swing-and-miss lately for a guy who once had elite zone control. It’s rare to say this about a first baseman, but Paulsen is a genuinely great defender at first. He won the CAA’s DPOY award last year at a position that’s usually taken for granted, and watching him play the position it’s easy to see why with his quick actions, footwork, and glove.
7. LF Tyler Howe (L/L, .250/.386/.368):A freshman from Huntersville who has settled into an everyday spot after some early-season shuffling at the corner outfield positions. The numbers aren’t fantastic but there’s a lot of promise here; he’s got fast hands and a compact, flat swing that reminds me a little of early-career Casey Cook, albeit without the elite zone control or contact rates that Cook already had. Good athlete on the bases and an okay defender with a big arm — has gunned down 3 runners at home from left field.
8. DH/C Colin Hynek (R/R, .273/.357/.483): The transfer from Georgia Tech has split time with Winslow at catcher, but is usually in the lineup regardless of whether he’s catching or not. Had outstanding power numbers at GSU, but that hasn’t really shown up in Chapel Hill (7 home runs). He has hit 3 triples, though, thanks to a knack for finding gaps in the outfield. Takes his share of noncompetitive at-bats at this level, but when he makes contact, it’s usually very hard. Slightly worse as a defensive catcher and receiver than Hynek — Forbes says his arm is stronger but it doesn’t play as such in-game.
9. RF Carter French (L/L, .231/.383/.288): For the second straight year, French has taken over as an everyday corner outfielder after the other options just weren’t consistent enough in the field or at the plate. It took him a while to get going this year; his average hovered around or just under .200 until near the end of April, since when he’s been closer to his old self. Controls the zone well and puts the ball in play, and is a plus athlete on the bases and in the field.

You may also see Rom Kellis V, who has been used as a corner outfielder against lefties and had a breakout game in the ACC Tournament semifinal, as well as guys like Jadyn Nunez, Perry Hargett, Michael Maginnis, and Sawyer Black, who have all seen some time as pinch-hitters or corner outfielders.

Pitching

Once again, these Heels have one of the best staff ERAs in the country, led by an ace starter, a second starter who’s been a little up and down but has certainly had big-time moments, and two stud relievers, supported by a deep staff that’s been inconsistent in comparison but decent in the big picture. The names are going to be familiar, as the Heels didn’t bring in a single transfer to the arm barn despite losing starters in Jake Knapp and Aidan Haugh, and so is the formula: starters who don’t have overwhelming strikeout numbers but limit walks and let their defense work, and relievers who get a little nastier and eat up the back innings.

• SP Jason DeCaro (R, 2.30 ERA):In his third season as a starter in Chapel Hill, DeCaro has put together his best year yet. He’s looked more or less the same as ever, but he’s improved his consistency and pitchability to be the best version of himself he can be. The fastball sits 91-94 with high spin but not much corresponding movement, but he locates it well to keep hitters off him and set up his sweeper, curve, and changeup, the latter of which has been a money pitch of late. He’ll allow more baserunners than you’d expect, but consistently manages to get the outs he needs. You’d like to see him get a little more length in the postseason; even in very good starts against Georgia Tech and N.C. State to close the season he only went 5 innings.
• SP Ryan Lynch (R, 4.44 ERA):Lynch’s transition from relief last year to starting this year has been a little rocky. He’s given the Heels length, leading the team in innings pitched, has the best K-BB of UNC’s high-use arms at 70:29, and has had a few good starts, but opposing offenses have had a lot more success against him as a starter than they did last year — his batting average against of .285 is really worrisome. Features a nasty 94-97 power sinker and a slider that has been off and on this season after being devastating last year, and has added a changeup this year that hasn’t really helped him. The stuff is clearly there to be elite, but it hasn’t been unlocked this season in his draft year — that said, he saved his best for last as a freshman.
• RP Caden Glauber (R, 1.93 ERA): Big-time freshman arm who has maybe one-upped what Lynch did as a relief ace last year en route to winning ACC Freshman of the Year and racking up the country’s 3rd-best ERA. He’s pitched 70 innings in relief and has not yet pitched in a game his team didn’t win. Has a lively 93-96 heater with a lot of armside run, a good changeup to throw to lefties, and a decent sweeper/slider, but the money pitch right now is the fastball, which lets him get ahead in seemingly every count he faces. He’s also got a knack for inducing GIDPs when he needs them thanks to the sink on his heater.
• RP Walker McDuffie (R, 2.82 ERA): Pitched his way into UNC fans’ hearts last year with his baby face and Wild Thing glasses, and has leveled up his game this year after a slow start. His sweeper continues to be one of the best putout pitches in the country and he leads the team in strikeout rate thanks in large part to it (79 in 60.2 IP). His 92-95 sinker continues to be underrated and he’s been locating it better of late, while he’s also added a changeup to the arsenal that’s been effective against lefties. Reliance on getting swing-and-miss on the sweeper means he walks a few more hitters than is optimal, but he gets enough whiffs that it rarely hurts him.
• SP Folger Boaz (L, 7.30 ERA): Has returned to a starting role after pitching out of the pen last year, and results have varied. Got hit around the park in 3 of his last 4 starts, but in fairness those were against Georgia Tech twice and a good N.C. State lineup, and he put together one of his best starts of the season in between those against a dangerous Pitt offense. Throws a 91-93 fastball that’s run as high as 96 in-game as of late, as well as a nasty slider and a sharp cutter, but struggles to get righties out because the changeup lags behind his other offerings.
• RP Jackson Rose (L, 2.82 ERA): Another freshman arm who’s been impressive, especially in relief. Hasn’t done great given midweek starting opportunities, but has thrived out of the pen with an 89-92 fastball that he locates well, to go with a nasty changeup. Has a batting average against under .200 and a WHIP comparable to McDuffie’s, albeit in lower-leverage situations and probably including work against worse lineups.

Other names to know include captain Matthew Matthijs, who has had an up-and-down season but is trusted to get outs late in games, and Cam Padgett, a flamethrowing righty who’s done some of his best work in the last month.

Last Thursday night, Colorado Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer brought Pedro Lopez onto the field at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona with a hug. The 57-year-old from Puerto Rico was making his Major League coaching debut after more than 20 years of coaching in minor league and international baseball.

“I was already in my office back in Albuquerque when Schaeff called me, and you know, actually, we were talking about players,” Lopez recounted. “I never thought he was going to say this, and I kept it quiet. I didn’t tell anybody until maybe a couple of days ago when I held a meeting with the whole team telling them, ‘Hey, I’m not going to be with you guys on Thursday and Friday.’ I didn’t tell anybody where I was going until some of the guys saw me here.”

The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes manager had been “called up” to serve in the stead of Rockies third base coach Andy González, who had stepped away from the team to attend his daughter’s high school graduation.

For Lopez, his Major League coaching debut was also a reunion. Lopez served as both a hitting coach and a bench coach under Warren Schaeffer when the latter was the manager of the Isotopes in 2021 and 2022. Current Rockies assistant hitting coach Jordan Pacheco was also a member of the 2022 Isotopes coaching staff.

“It’s incredible. This whole thing has been special because Schaeff, he’s our manager, but he’s a good friend. He’s my brother. And then you’ve got Chec (Pacheco) in there too,” Lopez said.

“I rode to the ballpark with Schaeff and Giddy (Ron Gideon) and Schaeff brought me out. He said, ‘Hey, come here. I want to show you something.’ I actually thought he was going to talk to me about signs, or where he was going to stand, things to look for. And then we came out here in the dugout before the steps and he gave me a hug. He goes ‘Now you and I, we’re both in the big leagues.’”

It was a meaningful moment for Lopez.

“It meant a lot. It kind of brings tears to my eyes,” he said. “I was telling my wife [Gladys] and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ you know? It was a really touching moment for me. What better time to do it with a friend, with a brother, and having Chec—and actually the whole staff? These guys, they have been amazing.”

Warren Schaeffer reflected on his friend’s special moment.

“That was awesome,” he said. “You know, ‘P-Lo’ has been waiting a long time to coach in the big leagues, and he’s wanted that for a long time. It just seemed like the right opportunity to have him come up and do it. He’s coaching third base every night down in Triple-A, so he’s the guy that’s most ready to take on that role if Andy has to leave. I’m just so excited for him to be able to come up and experience a couple big league games and be right in the thick of it. And I know how it feels to be down there, and you’re on an island down there coaching third base and right in it with the boys in the grind. It was special.”

The Rockies unfortunately lost on Lopez’s debut, but he was right back out there at third base the next day for a Rockies win where his players from Triple-A—Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) and Chad Stevens—were heavily involved. Lopez had actually informed Thompson he was being called up earlier in the week.

“When we told Sterlin that he was coming up was pretty cool,” Lopez said.

“He actually made a baserunning mistake the day he got the call, so I brought him in and I told him, ‘If you pull that tomorrow in the big leagues, I’m telling you right now, you’re going to find yourself back in Albuquerque again,’ and he kind of looked at me. Sterlin and I, we go way back. I saw this kid from how he started last year in the first month, and how much progress he made. I keep saying it to this day, I thought last year he was the most improved player of all in Albuquerque. Just to see where he was to where he is now is incredible.”

With the game tied at 2-2 in the ninth inning, Thompson hit a double and was driven home via a Chad Stevens RBI single.

“He had the game-winning send, which was awesome, and the boys just made it so special for him,” Schaeffer said. “It was a great day. It was my favorite day, I think, in the big leagues so far.”

Meanwhile, Lopez was surprised with how he felt during his experience coaching at the big-league level.

“I thought that, ‘Well my knees are going to be shaking, and my heartbeat is going to be going 1,000 miles an hour.’ No, that didn’t happen,” he said. “It was actually cool that I was out there and it was just another game, but I’ll tell you what, it was awesome for me to experience this with Schaeff and Chec and the rest of the coaching staff. It’s incredible.”

Lopez returned to the Isotopes on Saturday, where he is in the midst of one of the team’s strongest starts in recent memory. The Isotopes are 28-23 with one of the best records in the Pacific Coast League. It’s a refreshing change of pace after finishing with 80 or more losses over the last three seasons as part of the Rockies’ bottom-heavy and struggling farm system.

He praised the pitching and defense as key factors in the Isotopes’ success.

“The pitching has been awesome this year if you will look at last year and previous years,” he explained. “One thing we’re doing this year is attacking the strike zone more, and that’s allowing our pitchers to put the ball in play, and the defense is playing well. So, I think that would be the biggest thing.”

Lopez also praised leaders in the clubhouse, many of whom are new arrivals to the organization.

“From the pitching, (Keegan) Thompson was one of [the leaders] and now he’s here. (Parker) Mushinski has been another guy that’s been awesome for us. Too bad right now he’s on the IL,” Lopez said. “If you look at the position players, Stevens is here now, (Blaine) Crim, Vimael Machín has done a terrific job with those guys as well. I think the culture is good. I think these guys are expecting to win every night. It’s a good atmosphere.”

When asked who else could step into a leadership role, Lopez didn’t hesitate to answer.

“I think Charlie will be perfect for that role,” he said. “I think Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) has done a really good job for a kid his age. He handles himself better than anybody I’ve ever seen at that age. He’s really mature. He’s a guy that you don’t have to hold him by the hand to do anything. He goes out there, takes his ground balls — you don’t have to tell him — and then after he takes his ground balls he goes out to right field and gets his live reads during BP. It’s really incredible to me.”

Although temporary, Pedro Lopez was able to take the next step forward on his lengthy coaching journey. Now that he is back with the Isotopes, he can hopefully help the team and farm system take their own next steps as well.

Weekly Pebble Report: May 19th-25th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (3-3, 28-23 Overall)

The Albuquerque Isotopes had to settle for a series split on the road as they faced off against the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics). The roster itself saw a bit of shuffling as Blaine Crim was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers, and both Sterlin Thompson and Chad Stevens are currently with the big league team. Still, the veteran contingent propped up the offense while younger prospects like Nic Kent hit three home runs during the week. Pitching continues to be inconsistent, particularly from the younger starters, but Ryan Feltner did excel in his rehab start on Sunday, firing five innings and allowing just one run.

⬆️ Stock Up: Keep on Rolling

It’s becoming somewhat redundant to say the stock is up, but Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) keeps finding a way to keep his up. It was another strong week for Carrigg as he batted .400/.556/.700, going 8-for-20 with three doubles and a home run. His newfound patience at the plate this season continues to thrive as he drew seven walks and struck out five times. The most surprising thing was that he failed to steal a base in the series, getting caught twice. Through 47 games in Triple-A, Carrigg is slashing .358/.424/.551 with 30 strikeouts and 26 walks, and as June approaches, it may be time for the Rockies front office to start seriously considering when to call him up.

⬆️ Stock Up:Slump Buster

Bogged down by a hitting slump that wasn’t yielding results despite quality at-bats, Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) got back into a rhythm in this series. He went 8-for-24, slashing .333/.407/.625, and extended his hitting streak to seven games. His power has been missing of late, but he managed five extra-base hits, including four doubles and a home run. He managed just two RBI and struck out 10 times against two walks, but he was making some better contact, which is a huge step forward after the last month he has had.

Upcoming:

The Isotopes are back home to welcome the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres) for a new six-game series. Last time the two faced off in Albuquerque earlier this month, it was a series split.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (4-1, 23-20 Overall)

The Hartford Yard Goats rocketed up the Eastern League standings with a dominant series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays), winning four of five contests. The series finale was postponed due to inclement weather. Both strong pitching and the offense clicking were the keys to success in the series.

⬆️ Stock Up:Welcome back, Wimmer!

Super-utilityman Braylen Wimmer played his first three games against the Fisher Cats after being reinstated from the Development List. Wimmer went 5-for-13 with three doubles, an RBI, and a stolen base while only striking out twice—both in one game.

⬆️ Stock Up:Goat Stu

After some emergency spot-starts on a depleted Albuquerque Isotopes rotation, left-handed pitcher Stu Flesland III was officially promoted from the High-A Spokane Indians up to Double-A Hartford. Flesland III pitched 3.1 innings in relief of a rehabbing Ryan Feltner, giving up just one earned run on two hits and tallying three strikeouts.

Upcoming:

The Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) are in town as the Yard Goats introduce a throwback alternate identity for the New Britain Rock Cats, whom they played as from 1997 until 2015!

High-A: Spokane Indians (4-2, 19-26 Overall)

The Indians may still be below .500, but a 4-2 series split against their rival Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays) certainly helped them regain some ground. While they did stumble in the series with an ugly 15-0 shutout, the offense also scored nine or more runs in three of their victories.

⬆️ Stock Up:The Jack Attack is Back, Mack.

Catcher and designated hitter Jack O’Dowd made a mighty first impression for Spokane fans. Freshly promoted to the Indians this week, O’Dowd hammered the ball for two home runs in his debut and finished the week hitting 7-for-15 with a double, two home runs, seven RBIs, and two walks.

⬇️ Stock Down:Hampered and Hammered

That 15-0 shutout I mentioned was a rough one for left-handed pitcher Bryson Hammer and right-handed reliever Tyler Hampu. Hammer pitched the first three innings and gave up seven earned runs on two hits and five walks, while Hampu gave up another five earned runs on two hits and three walks over 1.1 innings. Both pitchers gave up back-breaking home runs: a grand slam for Hammer and a three-run home run for Hampu.

Upcoming:

The Indians are on the road for a six game series against the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels).

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (2-4, 25-20 Overall)

The Grizzlies remain atop their division for now despite a tough series against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Los Angeles Angels) that featured multiple slugfests—the first two games of the series had a combined 34 runs scored—and close contests.

⬆️ Stock Up:Thach continues to smash

This week Thach went 13-for-24 with a double, a triple, two home runs, seven RBIs, four walks, and his first stolen base of the season. With an OPS of 1.004 and leading the team in doubles, home runs, and RBIs, and currently leading the California League in RBIs and slugging percentage, Thach might not have much left to prove at this level.

⬆️ Stock Up:Andujar goes far

With Ethan Holliday (foot) going on the injured list, the Grizzlies needed roster reinforcements. For the final game of their series they summoned 18-year-old infielder Ashly Andujar (no. 20 PuRP), who made an immediate and powerful first impression. In his first game outside of the Arizona Fall League, Andujar went 2-for-4 without striking out, had two RBIs, and clubbed his first home run in Low-A.

Upcoming:

The Grizzlies are back at home and looking to put some distance between themselves and the San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants) for the division lead.

Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies (4-1, 12-5 Overall)

The ACL Rockies rattled off four quick wins to stay atop their division in the Complex before getting humbled 9-1 yesterday by the ACL Angels (Los Angeles Angels).

⬆️ Stock Up:No argument here

18-year-old center fielder Cristian Arguelles had a strong week at the plate, going 10-for-19 with two doubles, a home run, and eight RBIs across five games.

⬆️ Stock Up:Saved by the Bell

Left-handed pitcher Zack Morris—who started the season on the injured list—has been turning in strong work on rehab assignment with the ACL Rockies. Morris turned in 3.2 scoreless innings over two appearances with six strikeouts, one walk, and three hits allowed. Over his assignment he now has four scoreless outings over 5.2 innings.

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The Red Sox at Fenway Park in 2026 is a very on brand for the year 2026. You walk up Lansdowne Street excited for a game and then they actually start playing.

Boston opens the series at 22-30, last place in the AL East, against a Braves team that is 36-18 with among the best winning percentages in baseball. The Braves essentially put a starting rotation on the IL to open the season and their fans must have thought “here we go again.” Boston hasn’t had as many injuries, just guys who all forgot how to hit.

It’s Monster Week on NESN so Dave O’Brien, Lou Merloni, and Kevin Millar will be broadcasting from atop the famous left field wall on Tuesday. Expect to see Wally and other special guests at well. Will any be right-handed hitters? Mike Lowell was a guest one year I think. At age 36 in 2010 he slugged .367. Believe it or not, that mark, the lowest of his career, would place him fourth among regulars this year (after Willson Contreras, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Masataka Yoshida) and just ahead of Jarren Duran.

After making just two starts on the season before facing the Sox in Atlanta, Spencer Strider is now a whopping four starts into 2026. His last time out against the Miami Marlins the righty allowed 3 runs in 6.1 innings. All three were solo home runs. He’s given up 4 homers on the season, along with 2 doubles (both against Boston), and a triple. All the rest of his 12 hits allowed are singles. Ranger Suarez missed the Braves in Atlanta but has experience facing them with the Phillies. In three starts last year the southpaw allowed just 2 runs in 18 innings against Atlanta. If you say “but the Braves were bad!” well, uh, in 14 innings over three starts in 2024 he allowed 12 runs and 5 homers. So hopefully there’s a better plan.

Bryce Elder lost a game where he allowed 3 runs in 8.0 innings. The Sox only allowed two on May 16 and that was the game they took out of the three. Boston ran him up to 103 pitches and he was right back down to 87 over 6.0 innings against the Nationals the next time out. Connelly Early led the Sox to a win on May 20th with a 6.1 inning, 3 run performance. He allowed 2 home runs, he’s up to 9 on the season in 10 starts. A solo shot here and there isn’t the worst thing for a pitcher. It’s trouble when there are guys on base. That’s when the big swings start and the Sox offense simply can’t afford to fall behind.

Thursday is the gem of the series in terms of pitching matchups. The old, tall, lefty, former White Sox ace Chris Sale returns to face the new lefty pitcher in Payton Tolle. Wouldn’t a matchup with Crochet have been entertaining too? Well, we’re getting Sale vs Tolle which is no slouch either. Sale has 72 Ks in 62 innings. The Sox are lefty heavy and prone to striking out. He was roughed up by the Angels for 6 runs in early April. He’s been dominant in his other 9 starts. Tolle was the tough-luck loser against the Twins after allowing 3 runs in 6.0 innings but turned things over to a bullpen that had a bad weekend. Against Atlanta before that he went 8.0 innings while allowing just 2 runs. Bring it again, Tolle.

Good news/bad news…Drake Baldwin is on the IL but Ronald Acuna Jr. is back.

Matt Olson leads the league in doubles with 17.

Austin Riley has a .673 OPS on the season (I know, would be amazing at third base here) but it’s at .800 in May after a slow April.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday, May 26: Spencer Strider (3.00 ERA / 4.70 FIP) vs. Ranger Suarez (2.40 ERA / 2.98 FIP)

Wednesday, May 27: Bryce Elder (1.97 ERA / 3.29 FIP) vs. Connelly Early (3.33 ERA / 4.73FIP)

Thursday, May 28: Chris Sale (1.89 ERA / 2.94 FIP) vs. Payton Tolle (2.93 ERA / 3.73 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Tuesday, May 26: 6:45 PM ET on NESN

Wednesday, May 27: 6:45 PM ET on NESN

Thursday, May 28: 4:10 PM ET on NESN

The Cubs are exactly one-third of the way through the 2026 season.

Nine games ago, at 29-16, they had a .644 winning percentage, which would be a 104-win pace for a full season.

Now? After 54 games and on a nine-game losing streak, their 29-25 record is on pace for just 87 wins.

So which is the real Cubs team? We will find out over the next 108 games, of course, but the way this team has won — and lost — is utterly confounding. Two 10-game winning streaks and a nine-game losing streak, all within the season’s first third?

BCB’s JohnW53 noted this after the eighth loss:

The Cubs have tied for the longest losing streak in MLB history by a team that also had multiple double-digit winning streaks. The 1916 Giants won 17, 14 and 12 in a row (the last two separated by a tie) and lost eight. The losing streak came before the winning streaks, making the Giants 1-9. They were 2-13 when they won 17. The two subsequent streaks came in September. They finished 86-66, in fourth place, seven games out of first. 

So now the Cubs stand alone in accomplishing that “feat,” something I’m sure no one connected with the team wanted.

This year’s Cubs aren’t alone in franchise history in roaring off to a great start, then posting a long losing streak.

In 1970, the Cubs began 1-3, then won 11 in a row — all but the last one at Wrigley Field, including two consecutive walk-off victories, one over the Phillies, one over the Expos. In that win over Montreal, the Cubs blew a 6-4 ninth-inning lead, using four different pitchers in that inning, and the Expos led 7-6 going to the bottom of the ninth. In that ninth, Willie Smith doubled in Boots Day to tie the game with one out, then the Cubs loaded the bases with two out with walks by Don Kessinger and Billy Williams. Ron Santo then ran the count full and Expos reliever Carroll Sembera walked him, forcing in the winning run.

The Cubs played around .500 ball for the next two months. Even with that, after defeating the Cardinals 8-3 on June 20, 1970 they were 35-25 and led the NL East by 4.5 games. It felt to many of us who lived through it that this version of the Cubs was going to make up for what had happened the previous year.

And then… the Cubs lost 12 in a row. The first seven of those were at home, including being swept in a doubleheader by the Mets. When the streak finally ended, the Cubs were 35-37 and 4.5 games behind.

They managed to pick up the pace — a little. They stayed close to first place much of the summer and on Sept. 13, they trailed the Pirates 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth when, with two out, Smith lofted a routine fly to center — and Matty Alou of the Pirates dropped it. Smith wound up on second, and three straight singles by Kessinger, Glenn Beckert and Williams won the game. The Cubs were 76-69 and one game out of first place. They won the next day, too, and at 77-69 and one game back, hopes were high.

They lost the next two games, but still trailed by only two games with 14 remaining.

1970 was the last year the Chicago Bears played in Wrigley Field. And by a scheduling agreement between the NFL and MLB, the Cubs were forced to play their final 14 games of 1970 on the road. They were a bad road team that year even while going a good 46-34 at home. On that 14-game road trip, though, they won the first three and at 80-71, were 1.5 games back with 11 remaining. Maybe… ?

Nope. The Cubs lost seven of those 11 and finished second, five games behind the Pirates. Apart from the wacky 1973 NL East race, they wouldn’t get that close to first place in September again until 1984.

What happened in 1970? The bullpen fell apart, mostly. The offense was great. Billy Williams hit .322/.391/.586 with a career-high 42 home runs (he’s the only Cubs left-handed hitter to have a 40-homer season) and had the Cubs won the division, he’d likely have been named MVP (he finished second to Johnny Bench). Jim Hickman was fantastic, batting .315/.419/.582 with 32 home runs and finishing eighth in MVP voting. The Cubs scored 806 runs, second-most in the NL; they hadn’t scored over 800 runs since 1937 and wouldn’t again until 1998. The pitching staff overall allowed 679 runs, third-fewest in the league. Their RS/RA projection was for 94 wins, which would have won the division easily.

The bullpen, though, was terrible. Phil Regan, who had started blowing saves near the end of the 1969 season, had 12 saves in 1970 — and nine blown saves. Right there, converting those save opportunities would have been enough to win the division. The team had 17 blown saves and six walk-off losses (all six in mid-June or later), and while the modern concept of “closer” did not exist back then, that was enough to doom the 1970 Cubs, who were probably a better team overall than the 1969 version. Plus, there was no real dominant team in the division — it was there for the taking. The Cubs just didn’t take it.

The Cubs sure could have used Ted Abernathy in 1970, but for some reason Leo Durocher didn’t like Abernathy. He was traded to the Cardinals for no one you’ve ever heard of and later went on to have three good years for the Royals.

A similar collapse happened to the Cubs in 1985 coming off the 1984 division title year. Rick Sutcliffe had been re-signed to a multi-year deal, which at the time made everyone happy. Ryne Sandberg was coming off his MVP season at age 25, and hopes were extremely high.

The Cubs started the year like they were going to repeat. They were 35-19 and led the NL East by four games after defeating the Expos on June 11, and many thought it could be a 100-win season.

And then… the team lost 13 in a row, which matched a franchise record that had been set in 1944 and equaled in 1982. No Cubs team has lost that many in a row in the four decades since. Four of the losses were by one run. After the streak ended the Cubs were 35-32 and 4.5 games behind the Expos, who were then in first place.

Sutcliffe had suffered a hamstring injury running the bases in a win over the Braves May 19. He came back after just a couple of weeks, but his pitching wasn’t quite up to his previous level. Later in the year he would suffer shoulder and groin injuries. It was the shoulder issues that eventually made Sutcliffe less than the pitcher he could have been.

And then the four other regular rotation Cubs starters also went down with injuries. Scott Sanderson, Dennis Eckersley, Steve Trout and Dick Ruthven all missed time with various maladies. No Cubs starter made more than 25 starts in 1985 (Sutcliffe), and so beyond those five, 59 games were started by Ray Fontenot, Lary Sorensen, Jay Baller, Steve Engel, Ron Meridith, Derek Botelho, Reggie Patterson, Johnny Abrego and whatever was left of Larry Gura, who had come up as a Cub in 1970 (of all years!), was later traded away for (again) no one you’ve ever heard of and who had good years for the Royals and Yankees, pitching in the World Series for K.C. in 1980. By ‘85 he was done and posted an 8.41 ERA in five games (four starts) for the Cubs late in the year.

So it was mostly the rotation going down in ‘85 that doomed the Cubs. They managed to stay marginally in the NL East race until Aug. 2, when a 5-4 win over the Mets made them 54-47 and had them 7.5 games out of first place. Then they lost seven straight and 12 of 14 and that, basically, was that. The Cubs offense did okay in ‘85, finishing fourth in the NL with 686 runs (in a lower-offense environment than 1970), but the pitching was horrific, giving up 729 runs. Only the 96-loss Braves (781 runs) allowed more.

Here are some video highlights from 1985, the title obviously referring to all the injuries:

There are, as you can see, some similarities between what happened in 1985 and what’s happening in 2026, with Cubs starters going down one after another. Only Jameson Taillon and Shōta Imanaga have not yet missed a start this year (and let’s hope they don’t!). The difference now is that the Cubs have better fill-in guys than the 1985 crew I listed above. and hopefully Matthew Boyd will return healthy, soon.

This year’s Cubs also have the advantage of multiple wild-card spots they could qualify for if they don’t win the NL Central, something that was not available in 1970 or 1985. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

There are 108 games remaining. It would be good to end the nine-game losing streak… today.

Good morning and happy Monday everybody! Sorry about the late links! Traffic, am I right?

The Mariners offense took advantage of windy conditions in Sacramento while the piggyback tandem of Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller stifled the A’s offense to cruise to a comfortable 9-2 win. The squad will look to secure a series win behind Emerson Hancock tonight at 6:40!

In Mariners news…

• The Mariners may have won a nice and easy one last night, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t bumps in the road. Luis Castillo started the game and pitched four innings allowing two hits and no runs. Upon learning that he was being lifted to get Bryce Miller into the game for his leg of the piggyback start, Castillo was visibly upset.

• Bryce Miller said in a post game interview that he finds the whole situation to be “not very comfortable.” Miller went on to say that he’s grateful for any chance he gets to pitch, but it seems clear that the team’s solution to too many good pitchers, however logical it might be, is having some dire human consequences.

Around the league…

• Three Houston Astros pitchers, led by Tatsuya Imai, combined to no-hit the Texas Rangers in Arlington last night. Imai started with six innings, allowing four walks before Steven Okert came in and pitched the seventh, allowing a walk. Alimber Santa pitched the last two innings to close out the effort, securing a pretty unethical looking 9IP, 0H, 0R, 5BB, 4K line.
• Part of me wants to say it’s time for Craig Kimbrel to hang it up, but gosh darn it if the man doesn’t keep finding work! Aging or not, something about Kimbrel ending up in the Rays pitching lab terrifies me.
• The Athletics called up left-handed pitching prospect Gage Jump in the middle of the night last night. Jump is the A’s number two overall prospect and will fill Aaron Civale’s roster spot as he is likely to land on the IL after the Mariners roughed him up last night.
• The Chicago White Sox designated outfielder Jarred Kelenic for assignment yesterday, becoming the third team to cut bait with him since his debut. Kelenic is rapidly running out of options in the big leagues, but as a loud and out Jarred Kelenic supporter, I do truly hope he manages to land on his feet with another team, Although, I have a sneaking suspicion there’s only one team left that might try it, and I don’t like the sound of “Jarred Kelenic, Los Angeles Angel,” all that much.
• The Kansas City Royals are shutting down Cole Ragans rehab assignment for a few days. Ragans is working back from a left elbow impingement and had a good outing in Triple-A Omaha over the weekend, but didn’t feel right in the days following.

Spencer Strider’s last outing for the Atlanta Braves was against the Miami Marlins on Thursday (5/21), making that his longest outing since coming off the IL this season. He pitched for 6.1 innings, allowed three runs on four hits and struck out nine batters.

So far, he’s been producing as someone getting back to the swing of things, gaining two wins across his four outings, and boasting a 3.00 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He also, however, has a total of 12 batters walked in his return this month so far, so that will be something he’ll need to decrease against the Boston Red Sox, who might be struggling heavily on offense with an average of 3.7 runs per game, but can take advantage of drawing walks to secure their runs on the board.

The Ohio native is looking to continue his strong stint to kick the series off, but he’ll need the offense to follow suit and have a complete turnaround from their last series against the Washington Nationals.

Boston’s Ranger Suarez will be facing the Braves, currently holding a 2.40 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across his (2-2) nine games pitched.

If there’s a pitch that the Braves’ offense needs to look out for, it’s his 90.6 mph sinker. The lefty is dominant with it and takes up 30% of his arsenal. Against left-handed hitters, he touches the pitch almost 50% of the time, and it lands almost securely in the zone. He lowers it to around a 24% usage against righties.

The Braves’ offense will need to put on a show to blank the Sox early on and give Strider a quality game, but if they continue where they left off against the Nationals and Suarez gets the best of them, there might need to be a shakeup in the game plan for the remainder of the series.

Game Info

Game Time: Tuesday, May 26th, 6:45 pm EDT

Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Watch: BravesVision/TBS

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Nathaniel Lowe swatted a walk-off homer against the Detroit Tigers and future Hall of Famer Kneley Jansen on the night of April 24th, the final swing in a roller-coaster 9-8 victory. In that game, the Cincinnati Reds had overcome a 5-0 deficit only to give it back with a 3-run Top of the 8th by the Tigers, with Lowe rectifying things with one mighty cut in the Bottom of the 9th.

It was a game that’s something of a microcosm of the Reds season so far. It was a 1-run win. It featured the bullpen forking over the lead. It also featured dingers a-plenty, with Lowe socking two and Matt McLain swatting a pair in one of his precious few good games of the season.

Aside from that, it was something of a nondescript outing in the annals of baseball history. A good win, an entertaining one, but merely one data point in the billions of data points we’ve got in this great game’s vast history.

If you choose that data point to look closer at the offense of the Cincinnati Reds, though, you’ll begin to see something that’s both spectacular and completely unheard of through the lens we viewed their brutal start to the 2026 season as a team.

Counting that game, the Reds have played 28 games since dawn on April 24th, 2026. And since dawn on April 26th, zero teams have hit more homers than the 41 the Reds have launched. Zero! Their .191 ISO in that span ranks 3rd behind the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals (both at .194). Their .435 SLG ranks 2nd behind only the Bronx Bombers (.440), while their .333 wOBA similarly ranks behind only that of the Yankees (.341).

It’s not fluky, either – at least by xwOBA. The Reds sport the 2nd best expected wOBA in the game in that span at .340, ahead of the Yankees (.339) and behind just the Los Angeles Dodgers (.344). That’s right – for over a month of the season, it’s been the Reds sandwiched between the behemoths on both coasts for the honors of being the single best offense in the sport.

It’s a cherry-picked date, obviously. It’s also a date that fully encompasses the evolution of the regulars in the lineup, however. Each of Lowe and JJ Bleday have assumed almost daily use in that time, with Bleday having not even been a part of the offense since being called up for the first time on April 25th. We’ve also seen the gradual phasing out of TJ Friedl and Ke’Bryan Hayes, with the latter eventually landing on the IL over the weekend with lingering back problems. In other words, it’s cherry-picked, but pretty accurately overlaps with the Reds beginning to eschew their strict defense-first lineup decisions in favor of letting their big bats bat early and often.

And, it’s paying off in spades.

Craig Kimbrel wasn't out of work for long, and he even got a nice boost in the standings.

Kimbrel, 37, signed a major league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, May 26, The Athletic first reported, just four days after the New York Mets designated him for assignment. Ranked fifth on the all-time saves list, Kimbrel posted a 6.00 ERA in 14 appearances for the Mets and did not earn a save.

But ninth-inning chances might be more plentiful with Tampa Bay, and the Rays are in first place in the American League East, and not the cellar of the National League East. Tampa Bay has mixed and matched with veteran right-hander Bryan Baker recording 14 saves, but lefty Ian Seymour and a half-dozen others have saved games.

The Rays could use the immediate help - they played 13 innings on Monday in losing 7-5 to the Baltimore Orioles.

Kimbrel's 440 career saves are second among active players, trailing Detroit's Kenley Jansen, who has saved 483 games. The Rays will be his 11th major league team, and his eighth in the past six seasons.

It was another story-driven week on the farm. Prominent relievers earned promotions all around, while top prospects started getting going. A few prominent starters struggled, while others shone. And even better, for the first time all year, nobody had a losing week!

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 26-23, 3.5 GB in the International League East after a 3-3 week against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies)

Run differential: +24

Coming up: Home vs. Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)

It was a topsy-turvy week for the RailRiders, who played just about every type of ballgame this week. They blew ‘em out on Tuesday, got blown out on Wednesday, and then split four consecutive one-run games to end the week. It’s the splittiest six-game split that you’ll ever see.

In Scranton, we’ve seen a lot of pop this past week, as guys like Yanquiel Fernandez, Seth Brown, and Ernesto Martinez Jr. traded big swings all week long. Marco Luciano was placed on the injured list midweek, but was replaced by Double-A call-up Tyler Hardman, who’s finally moving up after four years in Somerset. It was a better week for George Lombard Jr. (8-for-27, 7 RBI, 3 XBH), who picked up some big hits along the way as his peripherals continue to look excellent, but he’s still running into bad luck.

Brendan Beck made a pair of starts and allowed five runs in 10.1 innings in an unpleasant week for the rotation. Veterans Adam Kloffenstein and Dom Hamel struggled considerably, but they weren’t alone in bad weeks. Carlos Lagrange continued an up-and-down season by allowing five runs in five innings, while Elmer Rodríguez had a fascinating stat line: 3 IP, 2 H, 5 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 8 K. Not a lot of balls in play, huh.

Yovanny Cruz rode the Scranton Shuffle this week, but the big headline was the return of Eric Reyzelman to the level after a nightmare 2025 season prompted a reset in Somerset. He tossed two shutout innings on Friday, sitting 96 on the fastball while maxing out at 98.1.

Players of Note:

Oswaldo Cabrera: .212/.300/.333, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 11 XBH, 4 SB, 66 wRC+
George Lombard Jr.: .198/.358/.233, 9 RBI, 4 SB, 74 wRC+ (109 PA)
Brendan Beck: 3-2, 4.42 ERA, 4.24 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 18.5 K-BB% (53 IP)
Carlos Lagrange: 0-2, 4.78 ERA, 4.93 FIP, 1.42 WHIP, 16.8 K-BB% (43.1 IP)
Elmer Rodríguez: 1-3, 2.48 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 16.5 K-BB% (29 IP)

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 23-22, 1.5 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 4-2 week against the Chesapeake BaySox (Orioles)

Run differential: +49

Coming up: Home vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies)

Talk about a comeback. Chesapeake won the first two games of the series by scoring 18 combined runs, but Somerset rallied back to win four straight behind some excellent pitching. They allowed just five total runs in the final 36 innings.

While Hardman’s promotion continued to eat away at a hitting core that’s been among the best in all of Minor League Baseball to start the season, the holdovers continued to rake. Jace Avina has fully shaken off an early slump with an OPS over 1.000 in May, Garrett Martin leads the Eastern League in home runs, and DJ Gladney has re-emerged as a quality contact bat. The depth has really suffered from Lombard, Hardman, and Luciano’s promotions, but they’re still one of the best in the league.

After a rough start to the week, the rotation rounded into shape. Xavier Rivas continued a strong strikeout season (43 in 27.1 IP) with seven in 3.1 innings, Kyle Carr struck out eight in 5.1 shutout innings, and Chase Chaney tossed six scoreless innings. The struggles came with Jack Cebert (3.2 IP, 2 R, 6 K), Cade Smith (1+ IP, 4 R), and Trent Sellers (4 IP, 3 R).

Reyzelman’s promotion led to Chris Veach getting his turn in Double-A after a terrific start to the season. The only rough spot of the week for the bullpen came with Ben Grable’s blown save on Tuesday, but he rebounded with 1.2 scoreless innings on Friday. Will Brian and Chris Kean got back on the saddle after rough weeks last week as well.

Players of Note:

Jace Avina: .259/.340/.548, 12 HR, 32 RBI, 24 XBH, 133 wRC+
Garrett Martin: .266/.326/.572, 15 HR, 39 RBI, 8 SB, 133 wRC+
Coby Morales: .264/.341/.485, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 11 SB, 119 wRC+
Hayden Merda: 0-0, 2.29 ERA, 2.00 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, 32.9 K-BB% (19.2 IP)
Jack Cebert (HV/Somerset): 4-1, 2.61 ERA, 4.10 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, 21.9 K-BB% (38 IP)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 21-23, 8 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 3-3 week against the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)

Run differential: +11

Coming up: Home vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)

Hudson Valley’s inconsistent offense continues to struggle, being shut out twice. They put up seven runs in all three of their wins, including both in the Thursday doubleheader, but had nothing for the three losses.

Eric Genther finally got his power stroke going, blasting a big grand slam in a big bounce-back week. Outside of him and Josue Gonzalez continuing to be a revelation offensively, there’s not a whole lot of standouts, with Kaeden Kent’s strong start slowly tapering off. The son of a Hall of Famer is still hitting almost .300 with strong plate discipline metrics, but he seems to still need a bit more time at the level.

Bryce Cunningham got back on track on Tuesday to start the week, allowing one run in 4.2 innings as he continued to build up. Luis Serna pitched into the sixth but allowed five runs, and both Franyer Herrera and Sean Paul Liñan had uneven starts, but the two stars this week were Rory Fox and Allen Facundo.

Fox tossed the best start of his brief pro career, bouncing back after a rough first few starts by tossing a seven-inning complete game shutout with eight strikeouts. Facundo, on the other hand, tossed five innings and allowed three runs, but made up for it with a staggering 13 strikeouts, marking a new career high.

Veach’s terrific start to the season got rewarded with a promotion, so he left behind the likes of Tony Rossi and Jack Sokol, who continue to pitch well. Returning from rehab to bolster said pen is Bryce Warrecker, who was terrific at this level last season and tossed nine shutout innings in his rehab assignment in Tampa before being activated early last week.

Players of Note:

Kaeden Kent: .298/.368/.421, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 13 XBH, 13 SB, 111 wRC+
Core Jackson: .248/.354/.376, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 11 SB, 98 wRC+
Luis Serna: 2-1, 2.79 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 1.01 WHIP, 21.7 K-BB% (38.2 IP)
Bryce Cunningham: 13.1 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 10 BB, 19 K
Sean Paul Liñan: 1-5, 4.18 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.14 WHIP, 25.7 K-BB% (32.1 IP)

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 22-23, 4 GB in the Florida State League West after a 3-3 week against the Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)

Run differential: -20

Coming up: Away @ Daytona Beach Tortugas (Reds)

After a Tuesday postponement and getting swept on Wednesday in a doubleheader, the Tarpons picked themselves up to win three of the last four games of the series in an overall solid week.

Jackson Lovich (7-for-20, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB) continued to be one of the hottest hitters on the planet, spearheading an offense that continues to improve with a three-homer game on Tuesday. Hans Montero has also been fantastic at the plate, blasting three bombs of his own. The 22-year-old should get a call-up sooner rather than later. Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek’s strong month, coupled with the juice that some FCL call-ups have given them in the last few weeks, has made this a sneakily exciting offense with the potential for more in the coming month or two.

It wasn’t a pleasant start to the week for the rotation, as the rehabbing Chase Hampton (3 IP, 3 R) scuffled, Justin West allowed four runs in a gritty six innings, and Mac Heuer continued to falter with his command, but things rebounded later in the week with a terrific start by Henry Lalane (more on him later) and Tyler Boudreau (5.1 IP, 0 R, 5 K).

The bullpen has seen better weeks. Saturday was an absolute catastrophe, as they wasted Lalane’s brilliant start with a six-run blowup in the ninth off the team’s best reliever, Pedro Rodriguez. The strongest weeks came from the likes of Brennan Stuprich, Greyson Carter, and Jose M. Rodriguez.

Players of Note:

Jackson Lovich: .302/.384/.633, 11 HR, 32 RBI, 22 XBH, 11 SB, 164 wRC+
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: .262/.373/.383, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 15 SB, 113 wRC+
Hans Montero: .278/.399/.549, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 19 XBH, 12 SB, 151 wRC+
Tyler Boudreau: 0-1, 2.94 ERA, 3.17 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 22.2 K-BB% (33.2 IP)
Henry Lalane: 0-1, 4.97 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.54 WHIP, 13.0 K-BB% (25.1 IP)

FCL Yankees

Record: 9-8, 5 GB in the FCL North after a 3-2 week.

Run differential: +21

The story of the rookie ball Yanks has been their offense. Wilberson De Pena has been absolutely unreal to start this season, which makes Oswald Peraza’s hot start to 2026 a bit easier to stomach with the Yankees’ infield woes. He had seven RBI on Saturday and should be in Single-A in the next several weeks. One thing to watch with the offense is that Jose Castro, who started on fire through five games, hasn’t played in 10 days.

On the pitching side, Omar Gonzalez continued to be exceptional as he pushes for a full-season promotion, while Sabier Marte continues to struggle. We didn’t see any of Thatcher Hurd this week, but considering he’s getting promoted to Tampa today, that’s not a cause for concern.

Their path to the postseason would go through the FCL Blue Jays, whom they blew a lead to on Sunday afternoon. It would also help if they could take care of business against the other two struggling teams in the division more often.

Players of Note:

Wilberson De Pena: .379/.438/.727, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 12 XBH, 9 SB, 187 wRC+ (73 PA)
Jose Castro: .345/.568/.621, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 10 SB, 199 wRC+ (44 PA)
Richard Matic: .333/.481/.460, 6 XBH, 8 RBI, 7 SB, 132 wRC+ (81 PA)
Thatcher Hurd: 11.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 12 K
Omar Gonzalez: 16 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 21 K

Prospect of the Week: Henry Lalane

Weekly Stats: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 15 whiffs
Season Stats: 0-1, 4.97 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.54 WHIP, 13.0 K-BB% (25.1 IP)

It has not been a fun season, let alone three for Lalane, whose prospect stock has been steadily declining since his terrific two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. Injuries have limited him to just 53.1 combined innings from 2023-25, where he’s struggled to generate whiffs and put the ball in the strike zone, aside from a 21-inning sample back in 2023.

To start 2026, he allowed four runs in seven innings across two starts before briefly going on the injured list. Upon returning on April 26th, he’s had his moments, but he’s allowed some hard contact along the way, culminating in allowing nine hits in 4.2 innings last week against Dunedin.

This week, he did something he hasn’t done since July 2022 down in the D.R., and that’s pitching into the sixth inning. He managed his pitch count, racked up a career-high eight strikeouts, and shut down the Clearwater offense for 5.1 innings. His bullpen ultimately ruined his outing, but it was extremely encouraging.

What might’ve been more encouraging was the pitch data. He had an even four-pitch mix between his fastball, changeup, slider, and sinker. 14 of his 15 whiffs came on 34 combined pitches between his changeup and slider, as he kept opposing hitters off balance with his four-seamer, which had more life on it than we’ve seen in years. He sat 94 on it and finished off the fifth by touching 97 on the radar gun, showing the tantalizing velocity he displayed earlier in his pro career.

After a 2-4 homestand against the Ohio teams, the Don Mattingly honeymoon officially ended as the Phillies traveled out west for their next six games against two of the better teams in the National League. The Padres, like the Phillies, possess an anemic offense that has been carried by plenty of front line pitching.

The Padres did not send one of their two front line starters on the mound Monday night, instead having Griffin Canning, who is trying to rebound his value after an ACL tear ended his 2025 season with the Mets. After a Trea Turner strikeout, Kyle Schwarber set the tone by somehow pulling a well located down and away changeup for a solo home run to right field.

Jesús Luzardo entered last night’s contest with a 2.73 ERA over his previous six starts. The BABIP luck and issues with runners on base regressed to the mean with not much else changing around it.

None of that seemed to matter in the first inning. Fernando Tatis jr hit a soft dribbler to no man’s land for an infield hit, Miguel Andujar poked a single into center field, and then Turner botched a Xander Bogaerts groundball. The bases were loaded with no one out and the middle of the Padres lineup at the plate.

Manny Machado could not keep up with a full-count comeback sinker and Jackson Merrill went down on three straight sweepers. It all set up the perfect opportunity for revenge with Nick Castellanos stepping into the box with the bases loaded and no one out.

Luzardo got ahead 0-2 quickly with a backdoor sweeper for a called strike and a swinging one on a down and away changeup. They tried to get Castellanos to chase on three straight pitches outside the zone but he laid them off. With a full count, Luzardo perfectly painted an inside fastball and Castellanos grounded out to shortstop.

The Padres once again got the first two runners on in the third with a Tatis single and an Andujar walk. Bogaerts hit a soft grounder to Bohm who got a forceout at second base. Machado stepped up again but rolled a first pitch fastball over to shortstop for an inning ending double play.

In the fifth, Luzardo once again had to work out of trouble. Rodolfo Durán got hit in the foot with a backfoot sweeper and then Tatis worked a walk. Just like the other innings, the Padres could not muster more to generate a run. Andujar hit a popup and Bogaerts hit a flyball to left field.

The Phillies did not record their second hit off Griffin Canning until the seventh inning when Kyle Schwarber singled to right field to reach base for a third time. Rookie manager Craig Stammen decided to leave Canning in to face Bryce Harper, who worked a five pitch walk.

Stammen kept him in for Bohm and it paid off with a groundball double play that sent Schwarber to third but with two outs.

And again, Stammen elected to leave Canning in for Brandon Marsh and the worst possible outcome occurred, a two-run home run to give the Phillies a three run lead in the late innings.

The Phillies stacked the final three innings with three of their handpicked reliable right handers to close the game out. Orion Kerkering got the seventh against the bottom of the Padres order and struck out a pair with a dotted fastball on the outside corner to Ty France and a nasty down and away sweeper to Ramón Laureano.

In the eighth, Brad Keller walked Tatis to leadoff the inning but got the next three outs including a Machado strikeout to end it.

Jhoan Duran entered the ninth with no lightshow or handpicked music because they’re on the road but had a special milestone on the line. He picked up his 100th big league save with Laureano swung through a full-count splinker.

The Phillies are back to the .500 mark with Aaron Nola getting the ball later tonight against Padres breakout starter Randy Vásquez. It’s probably as good a matchup for Nola as he will have this season.

(Yes, well aware how late this recap is. I’m very sorry, Ethan.)

There are many more than 10 trade candidates in Major League Baseball. If you think about, every player is a trade candidate; I mean, you can technically trade any player if they waive their no trade clause, and until American sports institutes the “ironclad no trade clause” which prevents both the team and player from consenting to a trade (sidebar: imagine how much content we’d all get out of that), everyone can be a “trade candidate.” 

Instead, we’re picking the 10 most interesting trade candidates, people who would not simply be a boring, 35-year-old first-baseman with decent power numbers on a losing roster. I’m talking sneaky trades, players with the potential to dazzle, deals the potential to change everyone’s fortunes overnight. That, or to be really, really funny. 

(Note: Trade are ranked in order of how much I’d like to see them happen, corrected for one standard deviation of Boston Red Sox bias, but not ranked by how likely they are to occur. You really can’t know these things this early.)

1. Tarik Skubal

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 6 (wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, that’s just an example, I’m not going to write it out every time)

Do the Detroit Tigers want to trade Skubal? No, they don’t, but they also didn’t want to be 10 games below .500 in late May with Skubal coming off apparently very-successful elbow surgery. Unless the Tigers are really super-duper confident they can re-sign Tarik Skubal (they aren’t), they probably have to trade him. Jon Heyman’s really-super-happy-positive reporting about the surgery leads me to believe the Tigers are working hard to downplay Skubal’s injury to improve his market. I expect he will be traded.

The interesting bit is what they may or may not be able to get back given Skubal’s injury timeline. Any trade would be a physiologically-dubious rental, and how much would you pay for a rental car that just recently failed inspection? That said, Skubal isn’t some Toyota Camry; he’s a Ferrari that makes a good rotation great overnight. Someone will talk themselves into this, and it won’t be a long talk.

2. Sandy Alcantara

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 2

Alcantara was an ace-level pitcher between 2021 and 2023, but has not been remotely that since missing all of 2024 with Tommy John Surgery. It’s worth wondering if the Miami Marlins would rather just hang onto Alcantara as they try to moneyball their way out of having just one winning season since 2011. They almost certainly won’t get ace-level compensation anymore as Alcantara continues to try to figure out his post-surgery career, but they also might want to get something before its gone — he only has one year left of team control after this one, and his trade market will evaporate if they allow his contract to progress another year.

3. Jarren Duran

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 0, I would just say “mhmm, yep”

I’m a Red Sox fan, so the “mhmm, yep” would be a reaction to the fact that Duran is redundant on this team, plain and simple. He’s a nice luxury who can plausibly hit leadoff, but his 9 WAR 2024 is starting to look like more of an aberration than who he always was. Plainly, he hasn’t been able to hit this year, striking out constantly with super-problematic whiff rates. Once Roman Anthony returns from injury, the Red Sox outfield is set with Cedanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu being two of the only offensive bright spots all year. If those are his hitting chops right now, he just doesn’t have a position in Boston.

4. Rafael Devers

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 19, then cackle hysterically for four minutes

This would be flooring if it actually occurred, since Devers has spent most of 2026 looking like the mother of all cursed contracts. He has been slowly course-correcting, but the San Francisco Giants aren’t a big budget team that has routinely been willing to pay the luxury tax. They are on the hook for $171 million for seven years after this — not sure who is trading for that, but given that Willy Adames and Matt Chapman both have full no-trade clauses, Devers is somehow still the easiest to move.

5. Seth Lugo

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 0.5 (would consider saying wow)

Is Seth Lugo an elite starting pitcher? No, not really, but he’s much improved since last year, still throwing 873 different pitches and liable to seduce someone into thinking his 2024 All-Star campaign could be recaptured sometime soon. He can pitch a lot of innings, (ideally) get some ground balls and I think would benefit a good team as a third or fourth starter without too much pressure. He’s 36 with two full years of team control after this one, so the Royals could plausibly make some demands for him. Maybe one demand. One single demand seems fair. 

6. CJ Abrams

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 1 solid wow

Here’s the rundown about CJ Abrams: he’s 25, a great hitter, wicked fast but a horrendous defensive shortstop. He’s also on the Washington Nationals, who are currently .500 but are absolutely not expected to maintain that. A lot of teams would love a hard-hitting shortstop who can fly, but there’s a lot of evidence he probably shouldn’t be a shortstop. Some executives think his defense is better than his metrics, so I suggest that whoever that was trade for him! Put your money where you mouth is.

7. Yordan Alvarez

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 5

This would be serious business. The Houston Astros have had the season from one of the circles of Hell (which one is still up for debate), but Alvarez has been every bit the ball-striking machine they all knew he could be when healthy. He would command a major return, though I don’t know if Houston wants to be in the business of trading 29-year-old MVP candidates with two more years left on their deal and plenty of time to turn things around.

8. Joe Ryan

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 4

Joe Ryan has been awesome again this year, utilizing his witch’s brew of pitches to smack hitters around like he’s Doctor Octopus in a slap fight. They apparently came close to trading him last year, and with the Twins fire-sale not quite done burning down the roster, I wouldn’t be shocked at all (though it would matter a lot) if Ryan and #10 on this list make their way out of Minnesota.

9. Robbie Ray

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 0, not sure 2026 Robbie Ray is a wow guy

I said this list was going to be “interesting trade candidates” which makes me wonder how exactly Robbie Ray got himself on the docket. He actually was an All-Star in 2025 but was much worse after the All-Star break, I’m not going to sit here and tell you I think Robbie Ray will swing the fortunes of some budding contender. But he is a professional starter who showed last year he could pitch big innings again; he’s a half-season rental that probably won’t cost much at all, I’d be shocked if the Giants don’t move him.

10. Byron Buxton

How many times would I say “wow” if this happened: 2, 4 if he’s healthy

We are big fans of Byron Buxton around here … when healthy. He’s a center fielder who hits for serious power and runs seriously fast. Two years left on his deal, only 32 with late-career DH potential, every team wants that. But this is also his 12th MLB season, and he has played over 100 games in only three of them. That will be factored into whatever package the Twins try to get back for him.

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Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jesus Sanchez is on fire at the plate, and I expect him to continue his hitting streak with Sandy Alcantara on the mound for the Miami Marlins.  

Read on to see why with my Jays vs. Marlins predictions and MLB picks on Tuesday, May 26.

Marlins vs Blue Jays predictions

Marlins vs Blue Jays best bet: Jesus Sanchez Over 0.5 hits (-170)

Jesus Sanchez has been the hottest hitter in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup, and the books seem to be slowly catching on, but there’s still some juice left to be squeezed at a -170 price.

The Jays outfielder has eclipsed today’s 0.5 hits total in 12 of his last 15 contests, posting a .400 batting average and a 1.032 OPS in that stretch. 

As for Sandy Alcantara, he’s been victimized more by left-handed batters, who are hitting .276 against him. 

He has also struggled mightily in May, posting a 6.04 ERA this month, with an opponent batting average of .315 while allowing an average of 7.25 hits per outing. 

COVERS INTEL: Sandy Alcantara ranks in the 92nd percentile with a .290 xBA.

Marlins vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. should return after sitting out last night's game. He’s 5-for-11 with a 1.273 OPS against Alcantara throughout his career and is starting to heat up at the plate, reaching base 10 times in his last five games from the two-hole. He’s come around to score in four straight outings as well, and that’s the market I’ll bet on for the second leg of my SGP.

Ernie Clement is on an eight-game hitting streak, averaging 2.65 bases per game. With a struggling Alcantara on the mound, who pitches to contact, I’ll bet on Clement to keep swinging a hot bat and go Over 1.5 total bases.

Marlins vs Blue Jays SGP

• Jesus Sanchez Over 0.5 hits
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 runs
• Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases

Marlins vs Blue Jays home run pick: Daulton Varsho (+475)

Alcantara has kept the ball in the yard, only allowing two homers over his last six starts, so we’ll make this a half-unit wager. 

The Marlins starter gives up fairly hard contact to lefties who have 15 extra base hits off him for a .787 opponent OPS. 

The lefty in the Jays lineup I’m banking on to homer tonight is Daulton Varsho, who owns a 59% hard-hit rate against the four-seamer and owns a .375 average vs. the sinker, two pitches that Alcantara throws often against left-handed hitters.

Marlins vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Miami +125 | Toronto -150
• Run line: Miami +1.5 (-170) | Toronto -1.5 (+145)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-125) | Under 7.5 (-115)

Marlins vs Blue Jays trend

The Blue Jays have covered the run line in 10 of their last 12 games for +9.4 units and a 59% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Marlins vs. Blue Jays.

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Alright, so here we are, folks. It’s the day after Memorial Day which is usually the moment in the season where I’d say that it’s safe to start taking whatever’s happening in the standings a bit more seriously. We’re over a quarter of the way deep into this campaign and basically the news is nothing but positive for the Braves as they enter into the Summer portion of the baseball season.

Heading into today’s action, the Braves are 36-18, they have the best record in the National League, they’re tied on percentage for the best record in all of baseball and they’re 8.5 games clear at the top of the NL East, with only the Washington Nationals joining them in the “Over .500” Club at this point in the season.

Whoa. I bet y’all didn’t see any of this coming, now did you? I’ll happily admit that I figured that this team wasn’t going to put on a performance that would have them looking like something closer to what we saw this team do for the second half of 2021 and throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons as well. “They don’t have enough starting pitching,” I cried. Well, Bryce Elder is looking like a more-improved version of his 2023 version and Martín Pérez has developed into a solid fifth starter while Chris Sale, Spencer Strider and Grant Holmes have all performed as expected The starting rotation is putting up great numbers as a collective (3.02 ERA, 75 ERA-, 4.01 FIP, 102 FIP-) but the bullpen has been just as good as well (3.07 ERA, 76 ERA-, 3.52 FIP, 90 FIP-), combining to make Atlanta’s pitching staff the current ERA and ERA- leaders (3.04 and 91) while also making sure that their FIP is in a position where this doesn’t seem too unsustainable going forward. That’ll do it!

It also helps that the offense has returned to something that looks a whole lot similar to what it looked like back when this team was really clicking. Braves President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos said on multiple occasions during the offseason that he figured that if the Braves were going to bounce back, it would be because of the offense rather than the pitching. It’s almost as if one of the best front office executives in baseball was onto something, huh? Heading into tonight’s game, the Braves are sitting on the third-best team wRC+ in all of baseball (113, only behind the Yankees and the Dodgers), they’re tied for first in batting average (.260) with the Rays, they have a top-10 On-Base Percentage as a team, they lead baseball in slugging (.431) and they only trail the Dodgers in OPS (.755) and wOBA (.334).

Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley have both performed below their respectively lofty expectations and normally that’d be a recipe for disaster. Instead, they’ve just been serving as complimentary pieces to guys like Drake Baldwin (who was absolutely murdering the baseball before going down with an oblique strain), Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II. It also helps that some of the players outside of the core have been coming up big as well. Mauricio Dubón has been an invaluable piece for this team so far, Jorge Mateo and Dominic Smith have been reliable when called upon and we’re starting to get some good stuff from Mike Yastrzemski as well. If Ha-Seong Kim can get going and the Braves can finally play a game with a full-strength lineup at some point, the ceiling for this team figures to be about as tall as Victor Wembanyama.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that if you’re hitting well and pitching well, you’re going to win a whole bunch of ballgames. Fortunately for the Braves (and outside of their most recent woeful series at home against the Nationals), the bad luck that seemingly tripped them up at all times is starting to turn around for Atlanta. As such, the team has played its way into a very comfortable position as far as their outlook for the rest of the season goes.

FanGraphs currently has the Braves winning 94 games and winning the NL East (86 percent chance by their current calculations) by eight games over the Phillies. PECOTA has a similarly rosy outlook for the Braves at the moment (94 wins, 84 percent chance of winning the division) and both Atlanta’s Expected W/L record and Pythagorean Record (both 38-16) suggest that this is no fluke on Atlanta’s part. Pretty much all of the statistics and metrics indicate that the Braves are right where they need to be right now and it’s something that they’re definitely capable of keeping up or even improving upon going forward.

While it’s been a tiny bit concerning to see them benefit greatly from the New Manager Bounce of going from Rob Thomson to Don Mattingly, Philadelphia would have to keep up an astonishingly furious pace all season while the Braves would have to suffer a significant slow down in order to make this even a nervous race for the Braves going forward. I’m not going full Sal Licata and saying that “The NL East is over” because there’s still plenty of baseball left to be played between now and September but it’s totally fair to say that everybody else in this division is going to be spending a lot of time looking up at the Braves while this season is still going on.

So am I saying all of this to say that the Braves are going to be on easy street from now until October? I’d love to say that but I think we all know that baseball is about as unpredictable as a washer when you throw a brick inside of it (for some reason or another) so there’s always a possibility that a nasty surprise here or there could pop up and throw a wrench in things for Atlanta. Despite the good times that the Braves have had so far, they’ve still had some injuries to key players. I mentioned that Drake Baldwin is currently on the IL and it doesn’t help that his fellow catcher Sean Murphy is also on the IL so Atlanta has already had to go deep into their depth chart for catching help at the moment. Ronald Acuña Jr. has had an IL stint recently and we all know how things go for pitchers nowadays where you kind of just have to pray for health and hope for the best.

Still, it’s hard to see how this train gets derailed for the Braves going forward. Sure, they had a woeful series against a Nationals pitching staff that has been one of the absolute worst in all of baseball so far this season but again, that’s just baseball for you! Not everything is going to go as planned and there’s bound to be some slip-ups and drop-offs here and there. With all of that being said, it really does seem like the Braves are back to playing at the level that we’re used to seeing from them.

It’s also fun to think about where the Braves were at this time last year. At the end of the day on May 25, 2025, the Braves were 25-27 and 8.5 games back in the division. After Memorial Day in 2024, they were 30-21 but six games back. They were only up four games in the division after Memorial Day in 2023 but they were actually 9.5 back in 2022! It’s been a good long while since the Braves were in such a comfortable position after crossing the Memorial Day signpost and while the past has shown that the story of this season is far from being complete, it’s clear that the Braves have played themselves into a very good spot to be in now that it’s starting to get really hot outside. Hopefully we’ll see the Braves continue to keep rolling so we’ll have a very fun Summer around here. We’ll see what happens!