Category: Baseball

The White Sox revealed the lineup for their Postgame Alumni Home Run Derby, set to follow the July 11 contest with the A’s at Rate Field. Six familiar names, all ready to take their hacks.

The group features a grab bag of franchise favorites and power hitters from across several eras of White Sox baseball: José Canseco, Gordon Beckham, Leury García, Daniel Palka, Scott Podsednik, and Alexei Ramírez. First pitch at 1:10 CST, then the derby kicks off about half an hour after the last out.

Canseco headlines the group with perhaps the most accomplished power résumé (and most chemical assistance, although Alexei would like a word). The 1988 AL MVP, six-time All-Star, 462 career bombs, four Silver Sluggers, and half of the Bash Brothers with Mark McGwire. His last big league homer? Of course, it came in a Sox jersey.

The rest? Maybe not classic sluggers, but each has a moment burned into Sox fans’ memories. Podsednik’s walk-off in the ’05 World Series, García’s “Leury Legend” three-run rocket in the 2021 ALDS, and Ramírez’s rookie grand slam binge in 2008 — four of them, including the one that set up the Blackout Game. It’s certainly an interesting supporting cast.

Beckham still gets love for both his days on the field and his current gig in the booth.

And Palka? Well, he did drop 27 bombs as a rookie in 2018 and rose to instant cult hero status as one of the bright spots in a sea of rebuilding blues.

The derby will feature three rounds with simple rules: ten outs or three minutes to mash as many as you can in the opening round. The top four move on, then it’s down to two for the crown. If a slugger hits a special Blue Moon Orange Baseball? Those count double. If there’s a tie, the fans get the final say with a vote.

Before all that, there’s a Draft Viewing Party where fans get to watch the Sox make the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, right on the centerfield board. Draft, game, derby, all jammed into one afternoon. Oh, and fans get 20% off all concessions until 1 p.m. July 11 is shaping up as a full-on Sox-palooza: past, present, and whatever the future brings.

It has been quite the administrative few days for the Cincinnati Reds.

Fresh off a weekend that saw them need to place both Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson on the injured list, the Reds were forced to place star Elly De La Cruz on there due to hamstring issues earlier on Monday. Kyle Nicolas was designated for assignment to free up a 40-man roster spot for Lyon Richardson, while Yunior Marte went from having his contract selected on Saturday to being DFA’d himself for Brandon Liebrandt on Monday.

In the midst of it all, top prospect Edwin Arroyo was recalled, and he’ll make his debut for the Reds on Monday as they take on the Kansas City Royals.

With all that roster shuffling going on, it was at least refreshing to know the Reds would be able to hand the ball to ace Chase Burns on Monday amid their pitching staff’s injury crisis. However, word broke Monday afternoon that Burns is apparently battling an illness, and he’s been scratched for the day with Richardson – who has worked multiple innings in appearances often with AAA Louisville over the last month – being tasked with the start in GABP in his stead.

Got all that?

It will be a bullpen day with a patchwork infield in the series opener, as the Reds will roll out different players in all four infield positions from those they used in their starting lineup on Opening Day. Matt McLain is sliding over to play short in Elly’s stead, Arroyo will start at 2B, Nate Lowe is in the lineup at 1B for the day, and Sal Stewart will slide over and start at 3B as Eugenio Suarez serves as DH (and with Ke’Bryan Hayes on the shelf indefinitely).

First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET, and the full lineup for the start is listed below.

Several of the 2016 World Series champion Cubs have begun a podcast called “The Lovable Reunion” to reminisce about that championship season.

Now, a number of your favorite 2016 Cubs will have a live “Lovable Reunion” show at the Chicago Theater in downtown Chicago on Thursday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m., during MLB’s All-Star break, the day before the 2026 Cubs will resume their season at Wrigley Field against the Minnesota Twins.

Participating 2016 Cubs will include Anthony Rizzo, David Ross, Joe Maddon, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler, and possibly others.

“The podcast has been such a success with The Volume that a reunion event like this felt like something we couldn’t miss out on doing with such a special team and group of guys,” said Rizzo. “We can’t wait to reminisce in person, bringing fans back to the moments that made 2016 unforgettable.”

Ross added, “The Chicago Theatre, this city, and this team — it doesn’t get more iconic than that. We can’t wait to give the fans a night they’ll never forget.”

There’s a presale tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2 at 10 a.m. CT, for active listeners of the podcast, and the general on-sale for this show is Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets will be available at this link — I have been told that link will be live when the presales begin. (No, I don’t know who qualifies for presales, so check it out tomorrow.)

Sounds fun. Enjoy!

The Dodgers travel to Arizona not entirely knowing what to expect from the Diamondbacks, who aren’t just playing another regular-season series. This 31-27 Diamondbacks team is playing to validate its presence as a worthy postseason contender this year. It is true that even if the Dodgers sweep the Diamondbacks, they’ll still carry a more than decent chance of making the postseason, but the path they took to get here has Arizona playing to show they’re something more than just a byproduct of an easy schedule.

After a difficult start to the year, Arizona won 11 of 13 by strictly beating up on the Rockies and Giants, only to go on and be swept by the Mariners this weekend. Overwhelming success against the bottom of the NL West might carry them somewhere, but for any true contender (the Dodgers) to take them seriously, they’ll have to prove themselves at a whole different level, and that starts with games like these.

The first matchup of the series has a couple of southpaws on the mound with well over one thousand innings between them. Justin Wrobleski is coming off his magnificent display against the Phillies, while Eduardo Rodríguez is in the middle of his best campaign since joining Arizona. Rodríguez made his season debut outdueling Tyler Glasnow, only to see his offense fail to contribute, leading to an eventual 3-2 loss for the Snakes. Even though Wrobleski has had his moments, this is about as favorable a matchup as Arizona will get against Los Angeles. Tuesday’s between Eric Lauer and Mike Soroka also has Arizona with the edge.

Arizona isn’t the only team playing to prove a point, though. This might also be seen as the time for the Dodgers to hand the Diamondbacks a reality check, sending a young starter on the road against a division rival’s ace.

Monday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Diamondbacks
• Ballpark: Chase Field, Phoenix
• Start time: 6:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Texas Rangers lineup for June 1, 2026 against the St. Louis Cardinals: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Michael McGreevy for the Cardinals.

The Rangers begin the month of June with a short road trip to St. Louis. Jacob deGrom will try once again to get to win #100, and if he can strike out eight batters today, he will pass Tom Gordon for #108 on the all time strikeout list.

Evan Carter is starting in center field, and of course, offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez is holding down the ninth spot in the order.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Duran — SS

Osuna — LF

Carter — CF

Jansen — C

Lopez — 2B

6:45 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -129 favorites.

Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the end of the month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.

Unlike the mediocrity that seems to be overtaking large chunks of the American League, the National League features a much higher quantity of good baseball teams up to this point in the season. The Braves in the East have the best record in baseball, and the Dodgers are the Dodgers, but they find themselves in a division that’s anything but a cakewalk.

The NL West has obviously produced very good teams over the last handful of years, but the division has a tendency to be a bit top-heavy. While the top line is still quite good, there are multiple clubs in the West with high aspirations for October, and with good reason.

First Place: Los Angeles Dodgers (37-21)

Top Position Player: Andy Pages (2.7 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Shohei Ohtani (1.9 fWAR)

Once again adding big-ticket players over the offseason, the Dodgers are unsurprisingly one of baseball’s best teams again. They are not, however, game-breakingly dominant. They still feature a roster that boasts several of the game’s very best players, and will almost certainly be the World Series favorites throughout the season, but they are also not without their flaws, though neither is anyone else.

The offense continues to be led by Shohei Ohtani (despite a “diminished” 150 wRC+), Freddie Freeman, and a resurgent Max Muncy. At the top of the fWAR leaderboard, however, is Andy Pages, who is proving that last year was no fluke, and perhaps even a preview to even greater production. Their greatest strength has long been incredible depth, and with multiple All-Star level catchers and nine different hitters producing above league average, the same rings true in 2026. While their pitching has been impressive, durability has often been their Achilles Heel, which will certainly be something to monitor later in the season. Nevertheless, FanGraphs has them as the significant favorite in all of baseball to win their division, clinch a bye, and win the World Series.

Second Place: San Diego Padres (32-26)

Top Position Player: Xander Boagaerts (1.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Mason Miller (1.5 fWAR)

Five games back of the Dodgers, the Padres have played some good baseball on the whole in 2026. That being said, they aren’t doing it in a way that was expected or even desired. The lineup regulars have been middling at best, with only Gavin Sheets and Ty France putting up good numbers in significant playing time. Most concerningly, Manny Machado is in the midst of his worst offensive season to this point, and Fernando Tatis Jr. has one home run in 241 plate appearances.

Yet somehow, the Dads are making it happen, proud owners of the top Wild Card spot in the NL as things stand. While Michael King has led the charge for their rotation, they are certainly helped by the continued otherworldly performance of Mason Miller, who has a 0.46 FIP and is striking out more than half of the batters he faces, making himself an unlikely Cy Young candidate.

Third Place: Arizona Diamondbacks (31-26)

Top Position Player: Corbin Carroll (2.6 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Michael Soroka (1.5 fWAR)

Once again, the D-Backs are also fully in on the conversation and hold a share of a playoff spot as well. After some roster shifting at last year’s deadline and over the offseason, they are proving to be a formidable club once again. The stars are doing their job, as Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte continue to be some of the league’s best players, while the offense has enjoyed a rejuvenated newcomer in Nolan Arenado, who’s posting his best wRC+ (130) since 2022.

On the pitching side, while Zac Gallen has been highly disappointing, veterans Eduardo Rodriguez and shockingly, Michael Soroka have delivered plenty on the mound. Appearing healthy, the 28-year-old is doing plenty to keep his club above water, and only has one dud to show for in his 11 starts this season. FanGraphs has Arizona’s postseason odds just above 40 percent, a good bit above that of the Padres.

Fourth Place: San Francisco Giants (22-36)

Top Position Player: Luis Arraez (2.3 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Landen Roupp (1.6 fWAR)

Seemingly always involved, the Giants are where the NL West drops off a cliff. Already 15 games back in the division, 2026 has not gone to plan, despite some nice surprises. Luis Arraez has played well as a newbie by the Bay, while Casey Schmitt’s 12 homers and 145 wRC+ have been a major boost. The infield, however, has suffered difficult starts from both Matt Chapman and Willy Adames. Logan Webb has also been a disappointment by his standards, contributing to the major hole the club has found themselves in as we head to June.

Last Place: Colorado Rockies (22-37)

Top Position Player: Mickey Moniak (1.4 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Antonio Senzatela (0.7 fWAR)

The Rockies. Still kind of doing their thing, though admittedly a good bit better than the historic lows they saw last season. That being said — still not good! At least Mickey Moniak’s career year has been a fun story, and they have a handful of interesting hitters, including former Yankee prospect TJ Rumfield. Someday they’ll figure things out (right?).

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The Seattle Mariners will look to stay hot as they welcome the New York Mets for the start of a three-game series on Monday night.

Seattle should have its way with New York’s pitching tonight, which is why I’m taking the home team to win in my Mets vs. Mariners predictions.

Let’s dig into tonight’s matchup as I explore my free MLB picks for Monday, June 1.

Who will win Mets vs Mariners today:  Mariners moneyline (-130)

Seattle Mariners starter Emerson Hancock (4-2, 2.78 ERA) has dropped his WHIP to 1.01 this season behind his fastball. It’s one of the best pitches any starter is throwing this year, with Baseball Savant rating it in the 100th percentile for Fastball Run Value.

The New York Mets are giving Austin Warren his first start tonight, with Sean Manaea (0-1, 5.56 ERA) likely picking up the bulk of the innings. The Mets are 2-10 in Manaea’s appearances this year. This is a mismatch on the mound, and I like the Mariners to win at anything better than -150.

COVERS INTEL: The Mets are hitting four-seam fastballs and sinkers – pitches that make up more than 60% of Hancock’s arsenal – for line drives just 21% of the time against righties, the fifth-worst percentage in the majors this year.

Mets vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (+105)

The Mariners have been effective against lefties this year, with 20% of all balls they’ve hit off of southpaws being pulled in the air. They should find success against Manaea, who has an average fastball velocity of just over 90 MPH, which will let those Seattle bats get around on him.

The Mets should provide something towards the total, as they’ve averaged 7.25 runs per game during their four-game winning streak. Even if Juan Soto and company can’t generate more than a couple of runs, the Mariners might get there themselves. I’m taking the Over at even money or better.

Mets vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Mets +122 | Mariners -135
• Run line: Mets +1.5 (-200) | Mariners -1.5 (+174)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (-115) | Under 7 (-105)

Mets vs Mariners trend

The Mariners are 3-1 straight up in Hancock’s last four starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Mariners.

How to watch Mets vs Mariners and game info

Mets vs Mariners latest injuries

Mets vs Mariners weather

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In this series, every win against the Dodgers adds to my happiness.  Despite my optimism, great joy would follow splitting this four-game series. Looking at the pitching matchups, the Diamondbacks have better winning chances in three of the four games. My prediction is the series is a split. In any case, don’t underestimate the underdog Diamondbacks.

Let’s compare the teams, ignoring that the Dodgers have an advantage in depth of players.

Offense.This season through 29 May, the Dodgers had more runs scored per game (5.30 vs 4.66).

Runners Left On Base. In games through 29 May, the Diamondbacks had the third lowest runners left on base of 6.38 per game.  The Dodgers were average with 6.89 runners left on base per game. 

Defense. In games through 29 May, the Dodgers defense was better than the Diamondbacks defense. (19 vs 11 outs above average (OAA), and 34 vs 11 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS).

Bullpens. In May, the Dodgers bullpen had an amazing streak of scoreless innings per this SB Nation article.  Their bullpen allowed zero runs in 11 games played from 13-24 May (36.0 innings pitched). The streak stopped abruptly. In the following four games, their bullpen allowed 7 earned runs in 11 innings pitched.

For the entire season, the Diamondbacks had more shutdown performances by the bullpen (58 vs 39). Very slight edge to the Diamondbacks.

Starting Pitcher Matchups. In May, the Diamondbacks had 17 quality starts (so far).  This is the key that is allowing the Diamondbacks offense to drive the Diamondbacks towards the playoffs.  For this series, three of the four matchups are advantage Diamondbacks.

Dodger Player to Watch

Shohei Ohtani, future Hall of Famer.  Although he won a silver sligger award four times, this season he may fall short of winning (but with batting well above average). His pitching is a career best. He is in contention for his first Cy Young award. In this series, Diamondbacks fans at Chase will likely see him pitch!

“Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani tossed six hitless innings on Wednesday against the Rockies. He also chipped in a leadoff home run for good measure. Ohtani lowered his ERA to 0.82. As ESPN points out, it’s the ninth-lowest ERA heading into June among pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings since 1913….” — Charlie Wright, MLBTR

Diamondbacks Player to Watch

On 26 May, Lovullo said yes to a question about whether Pavin Smith would likely return in the Dodgers series. I’m confident that when he rejoins the team, he will show consistent excellent performance.

Pitching Matchups.

Monday, 6:40 PM MST, Korean Heritage Celebration. Eduardo Rodriguez will face Emmet Sheehan. In March/April, Rodriguez had the better ERA (3.03 vs 4.78 ERA). In May, Rodriguez compared even better (1.60 vs 4.62 ERA). In May, Sheehan improved his ratio of strikeouts to walks from 3.11 to 6,20, but his ERA was little changed.

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

Tuesday, 6:40 PM MST, Lou Gehrig Day. Michael Soroka will face Eric Lauer. In March/April, Soroka had the better ERA (4.70 vs 6.00 ERA). In May, Soroka compared even better (1.78 vs 5.87 ERA).

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

Wednesday, 6:40 PM MST, Japanese Heritage Celebration. Zac Gallen will face Shohei Ohtani. The contrast between these two pitchers is stark. While Gallen is currently the fourth or fifth best pitcher in the Diamondbacks rotation, Ohtani is competing for the Cy Young award. Nevertheless, this season Gallen had two quality starts. This game could be a third quality start, and the Diamondbacks would have winning chances.

This matchup is advantage Dodgers.

Thursday, 6:40 PM MST, Mexican Heritage Night. Ryne Nelson will face Justin Wobleski. In March/April, Wobleski had the better ERA (1.50 vs 7.71 ERA). In May (prior to his start on 30 May), Nelson turned it around, showing he is now the better pitcher (2.36 vs 4.13 ERA). My gut is telling me that Nelson is the better pitcher.

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

The Nationals continue to stay hot as the calendar flips to June, having just finished a month where they went 6-2-1 in their 9 series’. Holding 2nd place in the National League East, this month offers Washington a chance to maintain their place in contention and potentially force the front office’s hand and buy before the late July trade deadline. As they look to keep fighting for a playoff spot, they have a chance for revenge against the 26-34 Miami Marlins, who took a 3-game series against them in early May.

It’s certainly a good time for the Nats to face Miami, who enters the series on a 5-game losing streak, capped off by getting swept by the New York Mets. The Marlins have had their stretches, but remain entrenched in mediocrity at the bottom of the division, However, two of their best arms are set to throw this series, giving Washington a legitimate test.

Game 1 – Monday 6:45 PM EST

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (3-3, 3.62 ERA)

MIA: RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-4, 4.66 ERA)

Cavalli hasn’t been a worldbeater this season, but he’s steadied out as of late and has continued to be a reliable option in the rotation. His most recent outing, 6.0 innings of 1-run ball with 7 strikeouts against the Cleveland Guardians, again showed that the 25-year-old has an arsenal capabale of handling MLB lineups on a consistent basis. He’s done fine job of preventing opponents from putting together crooked innings, and he looks to continue that trend on Monday.

May was a month to forget for Alcantara, giving up 6 runs or more in 3 of his 5 appearances, including getting ripped by Toronto for a season high 8 runs on May 26th. He’s striking guys out at a lower rate than usual, and his offspeed pitches have been getting torched on the regular. The Nats’ offense has been firing on all cylinders, easily swinging this game in their favor.

Game 2 – Tuesday 6:45 PM EST

WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (1-4, 5.72 ERA)

MIA: TBD

This has certainly been an interesting narrative shift for Mikolas, who has seen much improved results since the beginning of May. He’s bounced between starting and entering after an opener, but what hasn’t changed is how impressive he’s been across the last calendar month. His abysmal 8.46 ERA in April was flipped on its head in May, and he takes on Miami after posting just a 2.74 ERA over his last 5 times through the rotation.

No pitcher has been announced yet for Miami, as they continue to work through a handful of injuries and roster moves within the rotation.

Game 3 – Wednesday 1:05 PM EST

WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 4.02 ERA)

MIA: RHP Max Meyer (5-0, 2.97)

The 26-year-old’s 6th appearance in 2026 is set to be his 1st start. San Diego gave him troubles the last time he toed the rubber, and needs to attack hitters instead of restricting himself to the corners. In what’s set up to be a bullpen game for Washington, they look to Alvarez to take care of the top of the Marlins’ lineup in the series finale.

The clear alpha of the Miami staff, Meyer has finally broken out into the pitcher they envisioned when selecting him 3rd overall in 2020. His 5-pitch mix has kept hitters at bay, and his secondaries continue to generate some of the best results across the league. Winning at least one of the first two games will be crucial for the Nats, with Game 3 looking like their weakest matchup on paper.

Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the end of the month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.

First Place: Seattle Mariners (31-29)

Top Position Player: Randy Arozarena (2.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Bryan Woo (1.5 fWAR)

The top spot in the American League West has been a bit of a merry-go-round this season, with the reigning division champs, the Seattle Mariners, emerging as the team on top at the end of the month. Despite a disappointing start to the season from Cal Raleigh, plus injuries to Raleigh and Brendan Donovan, Seattle boasts one of the more prolific offenses in the American League, thanks to strong performances from Randy Arozarena (147 wRC+) and Luke Raley (155 wRC+), plus a strong month of May from Julio Rodríguez (.278/.316/.583 slash line with nine home runs). And yet, this offense still has another level it can reach, as they’ve gotten little production out of first base due to Josh Naylor’s lackluster production (98 wRC+, though he’s heated up since his frigid start), and southpaw-killer Rob Refsnyder has just a .115/.197/.262 slash line against lefties this season.

On the mound, the Mariners boast one of the few rotations in the American League that can challenge the Yankees in terms of depth. Bryan Woo (1.5 fWAR), George Kirby (1.3 fWAR), Emerson Hancock (1.1 fWAR), and Logan Gilbert (0.9 fWAR) each rank within the top 21 of AL starters in fWAR, a number matched only by the aforementioned Bombers. Only Luis Castillo, the pitcher with the longest track record, has struggled. Overall, the bullpen has been solid, although Andrés Muñoz has been uncharacteristically prone to meltdowns.

Second Place: The Athletics (28-31)

Top Position Player: Shea Langeliers (2.3 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Jackson Perkins (0.7 fWAR)

Hovering within two to three games of .500 on each side, the Athletics have spent much of the season at or near the top of a weak American League West. While they have had some big series wins, however, their success in the division to date has less to do with the Athletics themselves, and more to do with how flawed their division has been. The offense has been slightly below league average, despite fantastic performances from Shea Langeliers (147 wRC+), Nick Kurtz (152 wRC+), and Carlos Cortes (165 wRC+), because outside of this trio, the A’s lack a true offensive threat. Brent Rooker has been a real disappointment, accruing -0.3 fWAR with a 71 wRC+ out of the DH spot.

On the flip side, the pitching staff has been slightly better than league average. Jeffrey Springs and J.T. Ginn have been solid (as were Aaron Civale and Luis Severino before they hit the shelf), while the bullpen has seen their roles shuffle (Hogan Harris, Joel Kuhnel, and Mark Leiter Jr. all have four saves, highlighting the team’s search for a consistent closer at the back end). Although they have solid pieces, however, they lack a true ace or a dominant bullpen arm — possibly the result of playing in a minor-league ballpark.

Third Place: Texas Rangers (28-31)

Top Position Player: Josh Jung (1.5 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: MacKenzie Gore (1.2 fWAR)

Heading into the season, the narrative around the Texas Rangers was that they would go as far as their pitching staff would take them, and in my heart, I still believe that to be the case. But as it currently stands, the offense has been their (mild) calling card. Thanks to a large number of platoons — the FanGraphs Depth Chart lists them as running four righty/lefty platoons, they have managed a 104 wRC+, good for fourth in the American League. Josh Jung, Brandon Nimmo, Joc Pederson, and Ezequiel Durán each have wRC+ of 129 and above. Should the struggling Corey Seager (80 wRC+) begin to find his stroke whenever he returns from the lower back inflammation that has kept him on the shelf since mid-May, this lineup may finally become truly dangerous.

The starting rotation, on the other hand, has been…less than stellar. Nathan Eovaldi (3.93 ERA) and Jacob deGrom (3.77 ERA) have been inconsistent, sometimes turning the clock back and dominating opposing lineups, at other times looking like their 36- and 38-year-old selves. Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, meanwhile, have yet to live up to the lofty expectations that their status as top draft picks placed upon them. A dominant bullpen, led by Jacob Latz, Tyler Alexander, and Jakob Junis, has held their pitching staff afloat, and allowed them to have a perfectly league average 100 ERA+.

Fourth Place: Houston Astros (27-34)

Top Position Player: Yordan Álvarez (2.7 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Peter Lambert (0.8 fWAR)

What happens when you put together one of the league’s best offenses with the league’s worst pitching staff? You get the Houston Astros, a team that in most divisions would already be in dire straits, but who (unfortunately for Yankees fans) exist in a division that cannot get out of its own way, and are thus still right in the thick of the division race.

Second baseman Jose Altuve has finally begun to look his age, and Carlos Correa is out for the season with an ankle injury suffered during batting practice, but the Houston offense has not missed a beat. Yordan Álvarez looks truly healthy for the first time in years, and looks to be one of the early frontrunners for the American League MVP with a 187 wRC+ and an AL-leading 20 home runs. Between Yordan, first baseman Christian Walker, and a returned-to-health Jeremy Peña, the Astros offense will not be the thing holding this team back.

On the other hand, though, the pitching staff has largely been a disappointment, the combined no-hitter notwithstanding. Thanks to injuries to ace Hunter Brown as well as Ronel Blanco, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., Brandon Walter, and Hayden Wesneski, Houston has been forced to use 12 different starting pitchers this season. Spencer Arrighetti has been electric, and Tatsuya Imai may (emphasis: may) be starting to settle in after a disastrous transition to America, but the depth has been challenged. The bullpen hasn’t been any better, either, with Yankee reject Enyel De Los Santos one of their best relievers, somehow. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that Josh Hader should finally be activated for his season debut on Tuesday, following biceps tendinitis.

The Astros being the Astros, though, they have somehow managed to crawl out of the cellar, and string together enough wins in May to make contention in the division at least plausible.

Last Place: Los Angeles Angels (23-37)

Top Position Player: Mike Trout (2.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Reid Detmers (1.9 fWAR)

After years of absolute disasters, the Angels have recaptured their mid-to-late 2010s form, which is to say, they’ve been a disaster, but at least Mike Trout has looked good — and more importantly, remained healthy.

Anaheim’s favorite fish has looked vintage so far this season, posting a .241/.412/.498 slash line with 14 home runs and five stolen bases in his return to center field. Unfortunately for him, help has been rather lacking, as offseason acquisition Josh Lowe was optioned to Triple-A, Jo Adell is proving that last year’s 37-homer campaign was an aberration, and Jorge Soler looks every bit the 34-year-old unable to play the field. Besides Trout, in fact, the only two players contributing offensively on a consistent basis have been shortstop Zack Neto (121 wRC+) and second baseman Oswald Peraza (122 wRC+).

On the mound, the Angels have been, well, just like the offense. After his dominant start to the season, José Soriano has crashed down to earth, posting a 5.34 ERA in the month of May, thanks in part to two awful performances against the White Sox and Dodgers, respectively. Behind him, Walbert Ureña has been in the midst of a breakout, having allowed two runs or fewer in all six of his May starts. Reid Detmers, however, is a reliever cosplaying as a starter, Jack Kochanowicz leads the league in walks, and Yusei Kikuchi wasn’t exactly good before going on the IL. The bullpen hasn’t been any better, with only Chase Silseth and Sam Bachman the only thing resesmbling high-leverage arms.

The latest news on your Houston Astros!

Josh Hader’s return appears to be imminent:

After 6 no-hit innings in his best start in MLB, Tatsuya Imai gave the Astros another strong start this weekend against division-leading Milwaukee:

Bryan Abreu’s struggles continue, so much so that the Astros have, at least for now, changed the trajectory of a prospect’s career to possibly make him reach the majors this season:

A milestone for Isaac Paredes:

Updates for Javier, Altuve, Brown

Pitching Probables vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Astros Manager Joe Espada is being inducted into the Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in Puerto Rico

The Reds have not finished in first place since 2012, but were in first place in the National League Central after a hot start had them 20-11 by the end of April. They have lost 17 of 27 since then and their only series wins since have come against the struggling Astros, Phillies, and Mets. Now they face the struggling Royals! The Royals dropped 18 of 28 in the month of May, and now have the second-worst record in baseball.

Kansas City Royals (22-37) vs. Cincinnati Reds (30-28) at Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH

Royals: 3.75 runs scored/game (29th in MLB), 4.75 runs allowed/game (22nd)

Reds: 4.41 runs scored/game (14th), 4.97 runs allowed/game (25th)

Only seven teams have hit more home runs than the Reds, and they have the seventh-highest walk rate, but the second-highest strikeout rate. They have hit 43 of their 72 home runs at home (60 percent), but are hitting just .224 at Great American Ballpark. Sal Stewart leads all National League rookies in home runs with 12, and is third in wRC+ among all rookies with at least 200 plate appearances. Nathaniel Lowe is hitting .324 with three home runs and four doubles in his last nine games. Spencer Steer is hitting .327/.411/.612 against lefties this year. JJ Bleday is hitting .333/.474/.778 at home.

Matt McLain is hitting just .167/.231/.310 over his last 26 games. The Reds are without All-Star Elly de la Cruz, who was placed on the Injured List with a hamstring strain. Edwin Arroyo, who hit .323/.383/.562 with 11 home runs in 53 games in Triple-A, will be called up to replace him. The 22-year-old is a former top 100 prospect and the #3 ranked prospect in the Reds system, according to MLB Pipeline.

The Royals will start Luinder Avila on Monday, although he is not ramped up to make a full start. Former second-overall pick Chase Burns is enjoying an All-Star season in his first full year in the big leagues. He has given up two runs or less in ten of his eleven starts this year. He has the tenth-highest strikeout rate among starers. He throws a 98 mph fastball, and opponents are hitting just .137 against his slider with a 53 percent whiff rate.

Andrew Abbott was an All-Star last year and earned Cy Young votes, finishing fifth in the National League with a 2.87 ERA. He allowed just four earned runs in 28 innings in May, for a 1.29 ERA, earning three wins. He has a 5.28 ERA in six starts at home this year with five home runs allowed.

Chris Paddack has a 5.40 ERA in three starts with the Reds since they picked him up following his release by the Marlins. He leads the National League with seven losses, and has yet to win a game. Paddack had a 3.33 ERA in 2019, but has a 5.23 ERA in 102 games since then. Salvador Perez is just 1-for-8 against him in their career matchups, but Vinnie Pasquantino has homered against him, going 2-for-7.

The Reds have a 4.98 ERA from relievers, fourth-worst in baseball. Closer Emilio Pagán is currently on the Injured List. Tony Santillan has two saves, but was lifted from a save opportunity yesterday when he struggled to get throught the inning. He has a 53 percent flyball rate, one of the highest in baseball. Today, the Reds called up pitcher Brandon Leibrandt, son of former Reds and Royals pitcher Charlie Leibrandt.

The Royals swept the Reds in their last visit to Cincinnati, outscoring the Reds 28-3 in 2024. They enter this series with a much different mojo, although the Reds matched their gloomy May performance. Both teams could badly use a series win, although at least the Reds are still in a pennant race. The Royals may be looking forward to 2027.

The Dodgers’ depth took some hits during May, with a pair of injuries on both sides of the ball. But they withstood the losses and piled up the wins over the final three weeks of the month.

After an incredibly stable starting rotation through the end of April, the Dodgers lost Tyler Glasnow to back spasms in the first week of May, and Blake Snell succumbed to left elbow surgery a week later after only one start. Hits to the offense came in the final week. Kiké Hernández had four hits in four at-bats after missing the first 53 games of the season, but might miss that much time again after straining his oblique. Two days later, Teoscar Hernández ended his productive May with a hamstring injury that will likely sideline him for a month.

But the team started to click on all cylinders, combining a powerful offense with stingy pitching to win 14 of their last 17 games. The Dodgers started May with a half-game lead in the division, and finished the month up by 5 1/2 games in the National League West.

May results

18-10 record
147 runs scored (5.25 per game, 4th in MLB)
84 runs allowed (3.00 per game, 2nd in MLB)
.736 pythagorean win percentage (21-7)

Year to date

38-21 record
314 runs scored (5.32 per game, 2nd in MLB)
185 runs allowed (3.14 per game 1st in MLB)
.725 pythagorean win percentage (43-16)

Fantastic four

The Dodgers dipped a bit in offense in May, relative to April, but still ranked fourth in the majors in runs scored during this month. Most of the difference came with a drop in batting average.

• April: .273/.350/.452, 126 wRC+
• May: .252/.339/.441, 120 wRC+

Andy Pages continued his strong season by hitting .26/.319/.560 with a 142 wRC+ during May, and led the team in home runs (eight), RBI (25), runs scored (20), and stolen bases (three). Plus one very memorable sacrifice fly off fireballer Mason Miller.

Freddie Freeman found his stroke, hitting eight doubles to move into the top 30 all-time, and hit .287/.397/.532 with a 159 wRC+ in May. Teoscar Hernández was on an extra-base hit tear when he got hurt, and hit .216/.333/.446 with a 149 wRC+ during May.

Shohei Ohtani still hasn’t gone on a home run barrage — he’s at 10 home runs on the season, on pace for 27 this year after hitting 54 and 55 in his first two years in Los Angels — but he was still quite productive, hitting .289/.397/.495 with a 153 wRC+ in May.

For starters

Ohtani was also busy on the mound, and in his four May starts his ERA ballooned … to 1.08 for the month with 27 strikeouts and eight walks.

The rotation got only one start each from Glasnow and Snell in May, and was more workmanlike in May than in April, but was still quite effective. Eric Lauer made one start during the month, and it was a quality one. Outside of a bullpen game on May 15 in Anaheim, Dodgers starters averaged 5 2/3 innings per start, a bit down from 5.85 innings in April.

Starting pitchers

• March/April: 5.85 IP/start, 2.83 ERA, 3.52 xERA
• May: 5.67 IP/start, 3.35 ERA, 3.46 xERA

What a relief

Unmentioned in the injuries above was left-hander Jack Dreyer, who missed most of the last half of May with left shoulder discomfort. But he still had enough time to pitch 8 2/3 scoreless innings, but he wasn’t alone. Kyle Hurt and Will Klein allowed one run apiece, and combined for 23 innings and 24 strikeouts. Tanner Scott had a scoreless month until blowing a save on Saturday. The bullpen, complete with its rotating cast of characters, did not allow any runs at all from May 13-24, totaling 38 (but really 40) consecutive scoreless innings, and a 1.74 ERA in 93 innings from actual relievers during the month. And the good news is that Dreyer was activated from the injured list on the final day of the month.

The month ahead

In June the Dodgers only play nine games at home, all of them against American League teams. Interleague play accounts for 17 of the Dodgers’ 27 games during the month, with divisional road series at Arizona to open the month and in San Diego in the last weekend of June.