Mets' Dedniel Núñez dominates, Blade Tidwell struggles in Triple-A Syracuse

Mets reliever Dedniel Núñez made his second appearance with the team's Triple-A team on Thursday night and was utterly dominant.

In two innings, Núñez allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out two batters. The right-hander tossed 29 pitches, 20 going for strikes. This comes after his first appearance where the 28-year-old allowed a run on one hit while striking out two batters in one inning of work.

Núñez came into camp after missing most of the second half of last season with a prolator strain. A shame considering he pitched to a 2.31 ERA in 25 appearances a year ago. He's begun the 2025 campaign in the minors so he can continue to ramp up, but he had a solid spring allowing two runs in two innings of work. If he continues to pitch this way, he'll make his way back to the club sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately for the Syracuse Mets, starter Blade Tidwell was not as sharp.

Tidwell allowed four runs on four hits and three walks across 3.1 innings while striking out four batters. It was the 23-year-old's second start of the minor league season and was a 180 from his first outing. Back on March 28, Tidwell pitched five innings, allowing just one run on one hit and one walk while striking out five.

Tyler Zuber pitched in relief of Tidewell and was perfect through 1.2 innings to give the Syracuse Mets a chance but the offense was just not there.

The Syracuse Mets collected just four hits in total. Two came from Jose Azocar and the other two from Gilberto Celestino.

Among Celestino's two knocks was a solo shot, which accounted for the Mets' only run in their 5-1 loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

White Sox at Tigers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for April 4

Friday, April 4 the Chicago White Sox (2-4) are scheduled to be in Motown to take on the Tigers (2-4) in Game 1 of their weekend series.

Jonathan Cannon is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Jack Flaherty for Detroit

The White Sox lost two of three earlier this week to the Minnesota Twins. Harrison Bader and Byron Buxton smacked home runs off Chicago hurlers as the Twin rolled the Pale Sox 6-1 in their series finale.

Detroit lost Wednesday to the Mariners but did take two of the three games in that series. Tarik Skubal is off to an 0-2 start and holds a 5.91 ERA through two starts for the Tigers.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch White Sox at Tigers

  • Date: Friday, April 4, 2025
  • Time: 1:10PM EST
  • Site: Comerica Park
  • City: Detroit, MI
  • Network/Streaming: Chicago Sports Net, FDS

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the White Sox at the Tigers

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: White Sox (+200), Tigers (-250)
  • Spread:  Tigers -1.5 (-110)
  • Total: 7 runs

Probable starting pitchers for White Sox at Tigers

  • Pitching matchup for April 4, 2025: Jonathan Cannon vs. Jack Flaherty
    • White Sox: Jonathan Cannon (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
      Last outing: 3/29 vs. Angels - 5 IP, 0ER, 4H, 3BB, 5Ks
    • Tigers: Jack Flaherty, (0-0, 3.18 ERA)
      Last outing: 3/28 at Dodgers - 5.2 IP, 2ER, 3H, 2BB, 5Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of White Sox at Tigers

  • The White Sox are 4-2 on the Run Line this season
  • The Tigers are 3-3 on the Run Line this season
  • The White Sox are the only team in the AL Central with a positive run differential (+4) at this point in the season

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s game between the White Sox and the Tigers

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the White Sox and the Tigers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Tigers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play ATS on the Detroit Tigers -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 7.

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Yankees launch three home runs, hold on for 9-7 win over Diamondbacks

The Yankees' bats roared for three long balls, led by Aaron Judge's three-hit, four-RBI night, which was just enough for New York to hold on to a 9-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.

After striking out 30 times in the first two games of the series, the Yankees were more disciplined fanning only seven times.

Here are the takeaways...

-The Yankees were shut out for the first eight innings of last night's game, but they would get on the board early and often thanks to the long ball. Judge launched his fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot, to put his team up 3-0. It was Judge's 500th career extra-base hit and he's the third-fastest in franchise history to reach that mark (999 games).

Trent Grisham would drive in the fourth first-inning run with a two-out double that scored Jasson Dominguez. But that wasn't the end of Grisham's night. He would launch a two-run shot in the third (354 ft), depositing a 91 mph fastball down in the zone over the right field wall.

Judge would tack on an RBI single in the fourth before Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a two-run shot of his own to make it 9-3. All of this came against one of Arizona's top three pitchers, Merrill Kelly. The right-hander allowed all nine runs in just 3.2 innings pitched.

-Carlos Carrasco made his first Yankees start on Thursday after pitching in relief over the weekend. In that appearance, he allowed three runs on five hits across two innings. This start was a lot different. The veteran right-hander cruised through three innings -- allowing a run on a groundout in the second -- but pitched into trouble in the fourth.

After a leadoff walk, a Josh Naylor single and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. double cut the Yankees lead to 6-2. But Carrasco came back by striking out the dangerous Eugenio Suarez before Alek Thomas grounded out to drive in Arizona's third run of the game. One final groundout helped Carrasco escape the fourth with minimal damage.

The 38-year-old left with one out in the sixth, putting a bow on a solid first start in pinstripes. Carrasco went 5.1 innings (82 pitches/55 strikes) allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

-In relief of Carrasco, the Yankees bullpen was mostly good but Ryan Yarbrough in the seventh struggled mightily. He allowed the Diamondbacks to load the bases with no outs before Geraldo Perdomo put a charge into one over the right field wall for a grand slam, cutting the Yankees lead to 9-7. The left-hander did get his next two batters out before he was subbed for Mark Leiter Jr.

This was the right-hander's first appearance since allowing a grand slam in Tuesday's implosion, but he struck out Gurriel Jr. to end the seventh.

-Manager Aaron Boone mixed up his lineup a bit. The changes saw Judge starting at DH with Grisham playing center and Cody Bellinger in right. Ben Rice started at first base -- and led off -- with J.C. Escarra making his first career start behind the plate. And the 29-year-old rookie was in the thick of it on Thursday.

After going hitless in his first two at-bats, Escarra laced a two-out double in the seventh inning for his first major league hit. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Rice struck out with the bases loaded. New York was 3-for-9 with RISP and left eight runners on base.

-After Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver came in for a four-out save and dominated, striking out one batter in his perfect outing.

Game MVP: Aaron Judge

Judge got the team started on the right foot after a miserable first two games of the series, hitting his first-inning blast and collecting three hits.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees hit the road for the first time this season, going to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates for a three-game series starting Friday. First pitch is set for 4:12 p.m.

Max Fried will make his second start with the Yankees, opposing veteran Mitch Keller.

Padres at Cubs Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for April 4

Its Friday, April 4 and the Padres (7-0) are in the Windy City to take on the Cubs (5-4) in Game 1 of their weekend series.

Randy Vásquez is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Shota Imanaga for Chicago.

The Cubs are back at Wrigley following a three-game smackdown of the Athletics in Sacramento. Chicago outscored the Athletics 35-9 in the series. Wednesday, Seiya Suzuki homered twice and drove in five runs to power the Cubs to a 10-2 win.

San Diego is one of two remaining unbeaten teams in baseball. The Padres swept the Guardians earlier this week. Jackson Merrill picked up two hits and a couple of RBIs in Wednesday's 5-2 win.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Padres at Cubs

  • Date: Friday, April 4, 2025
  • Time: 2:20PM EST
  • Site: Wrigley Field
  • City: Chicago, IL
  • Network/Streaming: Padres.TV, Marquee

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Padres at the Cubs

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Padres (+140), Cubs (-165)
  • Spread:  Cubs -1.5
  • Total: 6.5 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Cubs

  • Pitching matchup for April 4, 2025: Randy Vásquez vs. Shota Imanaga
    • Padres: Randy Vásquez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
      Last outing: 3/29 vs. Braves - 6 IP, 0ER, 4H, 4BB, 3Ks
    • Cubs: Shota Imanaga (1-0, 0.82 ERA)
      Last outing: 3/29 at DBacks - 7 IP, 1ER, 3H, 2BB, 4Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Cubs

  • Thanks to a series in Sacramento, the Cubs run differential is +14 for the season
  • Padres' pitchers have allowed a mere 11 runs in 7 games
  • San Diego has thrown three shutouts already this season
  • San Diego is 6-1 on the Run Line this season

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s game between the Padres and the Cubs

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Padres and the Cubs:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Diego Padres +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 6.5.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Blue Jays at Mets prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 4

Its Friday, April 4 and its Opening Day at Citi Field as the Mets (3-3) take on the Blue Jays (5-2) in Game 1 of their weekend series.

Kevin Gausman is slated to take the mound for Toronto against Tylor Megill for New York

Pete Alonso carried the Mets to a win Wednesday night in Miami. The Polar Bear had three hits and drove in four runs as New York bested Miami in 11 innings, 6-5.

Toronto comes to New York fresh off of a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals. George Springer homered to continue his hot start to the season (.429 average) and the Jays doubled up the Nationals in their series finale, 4-2.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Blue Jays at Mets

  • Date: Friday, April 4, 2025
  • Time: 3:10PM EST
  • Site: Citi Field
  • City: New York, NY
  • Network/Streaming: SportsNet Now, SNY

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Blue Jays at the Mets

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Blue Jays (+120), Mets (-140)
  • Spread:  Mets -1.5 (+155)
  • Total: 7.5 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Blue Jays at Mets

  • Pitching matchup for April 4, 2025: Kevin Gausman vs. Tylor Megill
    • Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (1-0, 3.00 ERA)
      Last outing: 3/28 vs. Baltimore - 6 IP, 2ER, 3H, 1BB, 4Ks
    • Mets: Tylor Megill (1-0, 1.80 ERA)
      Last outing: 3/28 at Houston - 5 IP, 1ER, 3H, 1BB, 6Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Blue Jays at Mets

  • Toronto is 5-2 on the Run Line this season
  • New York is 3-3 on the Run Line this season
  • The Mets Team ERA is 2.38 this season
  • The Blue Jays Team ERA is 4.43 this season
  • The Mets are hitting .188 as a team this season
  • The Blue Jays are hitting .288 as a team this season

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s game between the Blue Jays and the Mets

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Blue Jays and the Mets:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Mets -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 7.5.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Yankees' Adam Ottavino explains how playing winter ball — and being a relief pitcher — prepared him for a future as an MLB manager

Adam Ottavino had been looking to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic for many years before finally doing so after last season.

The opportunity came at a perfect time: Not only did Ottavino, 39, want to extend his distinguished pitching career, but he saw a chance to deepen his cultural understanding in a way that would one day make him a better MLB manager.

Ottavino, a native New Yorker who has gotten big outs for both the Yankees and Mets, is back in the Bronx this week because Yanks closer Devin Williams is on paternity leave. Beyond that nothing is guaranteed, though the team’s scouts do think he has a bit more to give.

Whenever his playing career ends, Ottavino believes that he is well-positioned to transition to managing, as rare as that is for a pitcher.

“Manager is the position where you can really make an impact on the margins by connecting with the humans in the room,” Ottavino says. “I also think that from a moves standpoint -- I know it’s unorthodox for a pitcher to manage, but if you really look at in-game moves, I would say 80 percent of it is managing the bullpen and the pitching staff.

“Having had so many great managers, that has been a big separator. And a lot of times guys don’t really learn that until they’re deeper into their careers. It’s a blind spot for a lot of guys because they didn’t pitch. Even though it seems unorthodox, I feel from that perspective I’d have a little edge on another guy who was new to the position because I have thought about pitching moves for my entire career. And I’ve done every role, and I understand how the pieces fit together. It’s just one aspect of the job, but I do think it’s one where a relief pitcher could have a leg up.”

One area that Ottavino wanted to shore up while in the Dominican Republic last winter was firsthand experience with Latin American baseball culture. The good managers -- think Aaron Boone, Alex Cora and Carlos Mendoza -- relate well to players from all regions and countries.

“I knew that going out there would definitely help me with the cultural aspect, relating to guys from Dominican and other Latin countries,” Ottavino said. “Just to get down there and really get a sense of what their culture is all about, what their life is all about.”

Aug 13, 2023; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) reacts after recording the last out against the Atlanta Braves in a 7-6 victory at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 13, 2023; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) reacts after recording the last out against the Atlanta Braves in a 7-6 victory at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / © Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

While there, Ottavino encountered a passion for baseball that reinvigorated his own.

“You could feel the presence of baseball everywhere you went,” he says. “I took a couple strolls outside Stadium in La Romana with my camera, and, every patch of dirt you could find, there were baseball games going on, just kids everywhere playing baseball. That is very inspiring.

“I grew up here in New York, and knew a lot of Dominican guys growing up. I had a sense for the culture. But being there on the ground at Ground Zero for Dominican culture, in their cities and their towns, you get to see the sense of community.”

Ottavino also found that the experience of playing in a foreign country deepened his empathy for teammates doing so in the United States.

“All of a sudden I'm in a place where I'm not speaking the language and I'm looking for other Americans to connect with,’” he says.

“You know what it feels like to be an outsider. You feel like, ‘Okay, I have to find a way to blend myself into this, into this world, and assimilate into it, be able to be within it and feel comfortable’ And I'm sure that it's a lot harder coming to America from the Dominican than it was for me, but at the same time you get a sense that it's definitely a culture shock, and it's a big adjustment.

“I've always been sympathetic to the journey because it's very real. But it's just even more clear when you're there just how different it is.”

By turning that sympathy to empathy last winter, Ottavino hopes that he enhanced his ability to understand a wider swath of a big league clubhouse -- and ultimately to lead one.

“I want to make an impact,” he says.

Clark Schmidt on track to make Yankees season debut on April 15 or 16

NEW YORK (AP) — Clark Schmidt is on track to make his New York Yankees season debut on April 15 or 16 against the Kansas City Royals.

Schmidt is recovering from right rotator cuff tendinitis and set to start Saturday for Double-A Somerset at Hartford, his first game action since a March 11 exhibition against Baltimore.

“One more after and then with us either the 15th or 16th,” manager Aaron Boone said Thursday.

A 29-year-old right-hander, Schmidt is among three projected starters absent from the Yankees rotation. Ace Gerrit Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, will miss the season following Tommy John surgery. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is sidelined until summer because of a lat strain.

Right-hander Ian Hamilton, recovering from a viral illness, made his second relief appearance for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday night. Boone said Hamilton will have one more minor league outing, then be activated for Monday’s series opener at Detroit.

Infielder DJ LeMahieu is about a week from getting at-bats against pitching. The 36-year-old, a two-time batting champion, injured a calf muscle in his spring training debut on March 1.

“It would be probably a pretty big build-up. I’d want him to have kind of a spring training, really,” Boone said.

Will Red Sox make the playoffs? Our panel shares their confidence level

Will Red Sox make the playoffs? Our panel shares their confidence level originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox made multiple blockbuster moves to bolster their roster in the offseason, but will that be enough to propel them to their first playoff berth since 2021?

With the American League East seemingly up for grabs, they’ll have a golden opportunity to play in October. The biggest obstacle on their path to the postseason will be staying healthy, as their talented roster can measure up to almost any other AL team.

Of course, games aren’t won on paper, so the Red Sox must prove they’ve moved past the issues that have plagued them for the last half-decade. They placed last in the division in 2020, 2022, and 2023 before finishing in third with an 81-81 record last season. Given their recent struggles, it’s hard to fault anyone who lacks confidence in the club for 2025.

So, just how confident should we be in the Red Sox’ playoff chances? Phil Perry, Marc Bertrand, and Trenni Casey shared their confidence levels on a scale of 1-10 during Thursday’s Early Edition.

“I’m feeling pretty good. I’m gonna say 8,” Bertrand said. “I have an expectation that they will be in the playoffs, and they have plenty of opportunity to be in the playoffs, so I’m feeling good about that one.”

Perry isn’t quite as optimistic as Bertrand, though he still has fairly high expectations for this year’s club.

“Eight is very strong, but I’m not gonna be too far behind. I’m gonna say a 7,” Perry said. “I just feel as though there’s still enough uncertainty where 8, 9, to me, you’re almost guaranteeing it. I feel good about it, but I still have some questions.”

Casey isn’t as sold as Bertrand and Perry, noting that even if the team is better, it will still have to overcome adversity at some point this season.

“I was gonna go like a 6 or a 7,” Casey said. “We’ve seen some really strong performances this week from a couple of different guys, but this is just how a season goes. You’re gonna have some injuries, you’re gonna have guys go through slumps.

“And when you look at the top of the AL East and the rest of the American League, you figure that the Yankees are gonna be right there if they continue to hit the way that they are hitting. I think the Blue Jays are really invested in making another run. The Rays will probably fall back and the Orioles will probably stay there as well.”

The Red Sox got off to a shaky start, winning on Opening Day before dropping four straight games. They’ve won their last two games, however, with standout performances from ace Garrett Crochet and rookie Kristian Campbell– both of whom signed contract extensions this week.

Crochet, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the offseason, struck out eight across eight shutout innings vs. Baltimore on Wednesday. Campbell tallied his second home run of the season on Thursday while making Red Sox history. Their continued success will be key to Boston clinching a postseason berth.

The Red Sox will look to improve to .500 when they welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to Fenway Park for their home opener on Friday.

Braves are desperate for recovery as they enter their home opener as the majors’ only winless team

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves’ longest winless start since 2016 has left manager Brian Snitker desperate for a recovery he hopes begins with the team’s home opener against Miami.

Atlanta blew a 5-0 lead and lost 6-5 on Shohei Ohtani’s ninth-inning homer. The loss left the Braves 0-7 for their worst start since their 0-9 opening in 2016, when they finished last in the NL East.

The Braves are the only team in the majors still looking for their first win, and the pain of the woeful start has been made worse by losing two players. Left fielder Jurickson Profar, the team’s leadoff hitter and top offseason addition, was suspended for 80 games for performance-enhancing drug use. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez was placed on the 15-day injured list because of an inflamed right shoulder.

Snitker, who has enjoyed a run of seven consecutive postseasons, including the 2021 World Series championship, and six straight NL East titles, didn’t try to hide the pain of the latest loss.

“I wouldn’t wish this on anybody honestly, you know, in a competitive arena,” Snitker told reporters. “And what we’re going through is tough. Very tough.”

The Braves were swept by San Diego in four games to open the season before three straight losses in Los Angeles.

A lack of hitting was the glaring weakness for most of the devastating road trip. After scoring only nine runs in their first six games combined, the Braves appeared to break out of their funk by taking an early 5-0 lead. They failed to score after loading the bases with no outs in the sixth. Closer Raisel Iglesias gave up Ohtani’s tiebreaking homer in the ninth.

“There’s nothing you can do but just continue to fight your way out of it and show up,” Snitker said, adding that the performance “was more of a real game than we’ve played, I think, in six days.

“It’s a shame that we lost it. But you know what? That’s up to us. I mean, we had it there. We couldn’t finish the deal.”

The Braves rank last in the majors with their .151 batting average and 28th with 14 runs, only two per game.

Looking for answers, Snitker shook up his lineup in Los Angeles. Shortstop Nick Allen had a combined three hits while starting the last two games. Outfielders Michael Harris II and Jarred Kelenic were rested.

“What are we going to do? Not score?” Snitker asked before the game when discussing the new lineup. It was his way of saying things couldn’t get much worse.

Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Harris are hitting below .200. Olson and Riley have yet to hit a homer.

“From an offensive point of view, there’s no excuses,” Riley told reporters after the game. “It’s embarrassing.”

Pitchers are avoiding designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who leads the majors with 13 walks.

“It’s pretty evident that they haven’t wanted to pitch to him,” Snitker said. “... Eventually some of the guys behind him are going to get it going as a whole. We will as a team.”

Shohei Ohtani MVP bobbleheads were free at Dodger Stadium. Now they cost up to $1,450 online

A bobblehead doll of Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is seen standing outside its box before a baseball game
The Dodgers gave away Shohei Ohtani MVP bobbleheads before their Wednesday game against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. The item has become a hot seller on the resale market. (Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press)

Shohei Ohtani ended Wednesday's Dodgers game in spectacular fashion, sending the first pitch he saw from Atlanta Braves reliever Raisel Iglesias 399 feet over the center-field wall for a walk-off home run and a 6-5 Los Angeles win.

It just so happened that everyone who witnessed that moment at Dodger Stadium had a tiny replica of the Japanese superstar in their possession, as all fans in attendance with a valid ticket were given an Ohtani bobblehead commemorating the National League MVP award he received last year.

What a wonderful memento for those folks!

Or in some cases, what a wonderful money-making opportunity!

Read more:Shohei Ohtani hits walk-off homer on his bobblehead night to keep Dodgers undefeated

The Ohtani MVP bobbleheads — which feature a smiling Ohtani in his Dodgers uniform, holding his NL MVP award in his right hand and resting a bat on his shoulder with his left hand — have been a hot seller on the resale market, with more than 250 having sold on eBay since Wednesday.

As of Thursday morning, the most paid for the standard bobblehead was $299.99, while some lucky fan got a bargain at $90. The majority of the items seemed to sell in the $150 to $170 range.

A man and woman and two young children all carry boxes with Shohei Ohtani bobbleheads at Dodger Stadium.
All fans in attendance with valid tickets received Shohei Ohtani bobbleheads Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A fan is handed a box with a Shohei Ohtani bobblehead inside. Numerous crates full of bobblehead boxes surround him.
The Dodgers are scheduled to give away Shohei Ohtani bobbleheads at three other home games this season. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A limited number of bobbleheads featuring Ohtani holding a silver bat appear to have been handed out as well. A handful of those variants have also sold on eBay, for prices ranging from $499 to $900.

The Dodgers declined to comment for this story.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani 50-50 card sells for $1.07 million. It includes piece of pants Dodger wore reaching milestone

If you're still in the market for an Ohtani MVP bobblehead, fear not. There are more than 100 still for sale on eBay. Many of the standard models are available for buy-it-now prices ranging from $143 to $500, while others are up for bid with final prices yet to be determined.

A number of silver-bat variations are listed as well, with price tags ranging from $699 to $1,450.

The Dodgers are handing out Ohtani bobbleheads at Dodger Stadium three more times this season — twice to commemorate him becoming the first player to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases (May 15 vs. the Athletics and Aug. 27 vs. the Cincinnati Reds, respectively) and once to commemorate his 2024 World Series ring (Aug. 6 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals).

Ohtani items seem to hold special value for collectors. An Ohtani Topps Dynasty Black baseball card featuring his signature in gold and a patch from the pants he wore while reaching the 50-50 milestone last season sold for $1.07 million this month, while his 50th home run ball was auctioned for $4.392 million in October.

Read more:Plaschke: Who says the Dodgers can’t go 162-0? Dramatic win over Braves extends a perfect start

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Bat Speed Risers and Fallers: Breakouts coming for Pete-Crow Armstrong and Ryan Mountcastle?

Last year, Statcast gave us some fun new toys to play with when they dropped their Bat Speed Leaderboards. At the time, we discussed that bat speed had a close correlation to power, with every 1 mph of bat speed earning you approximately six more feet of distance on a batted ball. Now that we have multiple years of data on it, we can more easily see who is coming into the 2025 season with more offensive potential than they demonstrated in the past.

Thanks to Kyle Bland over at Pitcher List, we have this awesome chart on bat speed risers and fallersfor early 2025 action that I encourage you to peruse in detail. What Kyle has also added are columns to show the potential added run value and home run value of each hitter's swing. For example, Brice Turang adding 3 mph to his bat speed is great, but it doesn't bring as much potential run value or power value as Brett Baty adding three mph to his swing since Baty is still swinging six mph faster, etc.

Run value chart

Before we dive into the leaderboard itself, I should just note that seeing a player on here does not automatically mean they're in for a breakout season. It's nice for players to gain bat speed because that's a crucial part of offensive success, but bat speed won't help with swing decisions or a hitter's approach or anything else that can factor into success. Some guys with faster swings also need to recalibrate their contact point, and that takes some time to get used to.

We also don’t have any clear data of when this stat stabilizes. Much like fastball velocity, velocity stats tend to stabilize quicker because players are taking their A swings often and doing it many times a game. So these numbers may changes but I think they’re still actionable now. Yet, this is not a waiver wire column where you're running to add the players who gained bat speed or cut the ones who lost it. This is just a starting point for a larger discussion.

Aaron Judge
Mookie Betts has bounced back from illness, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is in a great spot with the Yankees.

Bat Speed Leaderboard - Risers

Just a note before diving into these numbers is that around 71 mph is the leader average bat speed.

Name2024 Bat Speed (mph)2025 Bat Speed (mph)2025 Bat Speed Val (Runs/100)ΔBat Speed (mph)ΔRV/100 SwingsΔHR% (% of Swings)
Jesse Winker69.576.10.436.64.02.42%
Junior Caminero77.280.33.693.12.71.25%
Brendan Rodgers71.775.4-0.083.72.51.43%
Vinnie Pasquantino71.775.2-0.233.52.41.34%
Amed Rosario71.274.3-0.803.12.01.18%
Sean Bouchard71.174.1-0.913.02.01.14%
Brett Baty73.576.50.683.01.91.21%
Daniel Schneemann70.773.7-1.143.01.91.14%
Nick Maton70.073.0-1.593.01.81.08%
Jordan Beck71.473.9-1.022.51.70.97%
CJ Abrams72.274.8-0.512.61.70.96%
Bryce Harper74.076.60.742.61.71.09%
Kameron Misner70.273.0-1.592.81.71.03%
Pete Crow-Armstrong70.673.2-1.452.61.61.00%
James Wood73.976.40.632.51.61.04%
Ben Rice71.473.7-1.142.31.60.91%
Logan O'Hoppe70.773.2-1.452.51.60.96%

Instead of sorting just by added bat speed, I've sorted this list by added Run Value per 100 swings, so we should already be getting to players who have added the most potential fantasy value with their swings. I'm not going to talk about all of these guys, and there are a few players who don't appear on here that I do want to mention briefly, so I will once again encourage you to play around with the whole sheet.

Jesse Winker - OF, New York Mets: Winker has added 6.6 mph to his bat speed and is up to 76.1 mph. If he had enough swings to qualify, that would put him 16th in baseball, tied with Ryan Mountcastle and Gabriel Arias (yes, Gabriel Arias). Winker is just 2-for-16 so far on the season, but for a player who has battled back injuries over the years, it seems Winker is 100% healthy coming into the season, which is nice to see. He'll be the regular DH for the Mets against right-handed pitchers, so maybe this will turn into something.

Junior Caminero - 3B, Tampa Bay Rays: Not sure anybody needs to be told Junior Caminero is good, but it's nice to see him add 3.1 mph to his bat speed. That has taken up him to a 80.3mph average bat speed, which is best in all of baseball. That has also added 2.7 Run Value per 100 swings and 1.25% to his HR rate per swing. Now if he could just raise his launch angle a touch from -0.4 degrees, we might be onto something.

Brendan Rodgers - 2B, Houston Astros: Rodgers has added 3.7 mph to his bat speed, which puts him at 75.4 mph overall and well above the league average. We've never seen Rodgers be a huge power hitter, even in Colorado, but we also know he's battled a multitude of injuries so, much like with Winker, this may suggest that Rodgers is feeling healthy. He's also getting a chance to run with the starting second base job in Houston, so if this bat speed can lead to some strong contact, there could be fantasy value here.

Brett Baty - 2B/3B, New York Mets: Baty was a sleeper in drafts thanks to a strong spring training and an injury to Jeff McNeil, but he's gone just 1-for-14 to start the season with four strikeouts and no walks. Still, he has five hard-hit baseballs, and these numbers show us a 3 mph increase in his bat speed, which boosts him 1.21% HR rate per swing. At some point, the hits need to start to fall for him to keep getting starts at second base, but I wouldn't give up yet.

Kameron Misner - OF, Tampa Bay Rays: Misner has found himself with a shot at a starting job thanks to an oblique injury that could keep Josh Lowe out for multiple months. The 27-year-old Misner is off to a good start, going 5-for-14 with one home run and four RBI so far this season. He's added 2.8 mph to his bat speed, which has added 1.7 Run Value per 100 swings, which puts him 15th overall on this list. Remember that Misner was a former first-round pick, who hit .248/.360/.442 with 17 home runs and 30 steals in Triple-A for the Rays last season. This could be deep league worthy while Lowe is out.

Pete Crow-Armstrong - OF, Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong was a popular pick in fantasy drafts this off-season, but a lot of that had to do with him stealing 27 bases in 123 games last year and playing elite defense in center field, which should keep him in the lineup regularly. However, PCA has added 2.6 mph to his bat speed, which now gives him an above-average mark of 73.2 mph. He did have a 7.4% barrel rate last year and solid pull and fly ball rates, so perhaps this added bat speed will give him a little bit more juice than we thought.

Ben Rice - 1B, New York Yankees: I wrote about Ben Rice as a potential second-year breakout earlier in the off-season, so I love seeing him on this list. He's now up to 73.7 mph on his bat speed and added 0.91% to his HR rate per swing. I just need him to be in the lineup every day at this point.

Griffin Conine - OF, Miami Marlins: Griffin Conine is another player who's getting an opportunity thanks to injury (Jesus Sanchez is out with an oblique injury), and is trying to make the most of it. So far this season, Conine has gone 6-for-21 with one home run and four runs scored. He's added 2.4 mph to his bat speed, which puts him at 75.4 mph on average and ranks him 69th in baseball, right behind Marcel Ozuna. Conine did hit 20 home runs in the minors in 2023 and 19 home runs in 112 Triple-A games last year, so there could be 20+ home run power here with a player who is on the strong side of a platoon for the time being.

Brice Turang - 2B, Milwaukee Brewers: I mentioned Turang above because he added 3.9 mph to his bat speed, but that took him from 66.2 mph last year to 70.1 mph this year, which is still below average. Turang has never really made a fantasy impact because of authoritative contact, so added bat speed may not really make a big difference here, but we'll keep an eye on it and see.

Alejandro Kirk - C, Toronto Blue Jays: Kirk was a late target of mine in two-catcher leagues, and he's gotten off to a good start, going 6-for-19 with three runs and two RBI in five games. He's also added 2.5 mph to his bat speed, which has added 1.4 Run Value per 100 swings, that's 26th best on this sheet. Kirk has also been getting the ball into the air more so far with a 14.6 degree launch angle. I think the power is gonna come.

Miguel Vargas - 3B/OF, Chicago White Sox: Vargas had a big spring training and started to establish himself as a potential post-hype guy after disappointing with the Dodgers and with Chicago after coming over at the trade deadline. So far, Vargas is just 4-for-21, but his average exit velocity is 92.8 mph, which is much better than the career 87 mph mark he's posted in 402 MLB batted ball events. Overall, Vargas has added 2.3 mph to his bat speed, which now puts him at an above-average 72.1 mph average. I still love adding Vargas in deeper formats.

Ryan Mountcastle - 1B, Baltimore Orioles: I've always been a fan of Ryan Mountcastle, and I was a big fan of his this year with the Orioles moving the left field fences in. The 28-year-old has been hammering the ball so far this year, with a max exit velocity of 116.7mph that's over 2 mph more than the hardest ball he's ever hit in his career. He also has an average exit velocity of 93 mph, which could be thanks to adding 1.6 mph to his bat speed, which has added 1.1 Run Value per 100 swings. The power is coming, and I'd be trying to buy shares of Mountcastle now.

Nolan Jones - OF, Cleveland Guardians: Much like with Jesse Winker and Brendan Rodgers, Nolan Jones adding 1.8 mph to his bat speed and now averaging 72.5 mph is a good sign that his back is feeling pretty good right now. He's on the strong side of a platoon in right field in Cleveland, so if Jones were to stay healthy, there could be some fantasy juice here.

Gabriel Arias - 2B, Cleveland Guardians: I just wanted to quickly mention Arias because he has added 1.3 mph to his swing but now has an average bat speed of 76.1 mph, which is 17th-best in all of baseball. It's a faster bat speed than Elly De La Cruz, Bryce Harper, and many other established power hitters. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt talked up Arias in spring training, and the 25-year-old has gone 6-for-19 with one home run and two RBI to start the season. He's a name to keep an eye on in deeper formats given that Vogt has used him at 2B, 3B, and SS already this season.

I'll also end by just pointing out a bunch of "boring" veterans who qualified amongst the leaders in added run value and could be worthy of more fantasy love: Xander Bogaerts, Carson Kelly, Andrew Benintendi, Alec Bohm, Trevor Story, Gavin Sheets,Lane Thomas, and Ryan McMahon.

Bat Speed Leaderboard - Fallers

Just a note before diving into these numbers is that around 71 mph is the leader average bat speed.

Name2024 Bat Speed (mph)2025 Bat Speed (mph)2025 Bat Speed Val (Runs/100)ΔBat Speed (mph)ΔRV/100 SwingsΔHR% (% of Swings)
Christopher Morel76.172.9-1.66-3.2-2.1-1.26%
William Contreras74.771.7-2.59-3.0-2.0-1.13%
Javier Báez74.871.9-2.45-2.9-1.9-1.08%
Michael Harris II74.771.9-2.45-2.8-1.9-1.04%
Oliver Dunn75.272.5-1.98-2.7-1.7-1.01%
Rowdy Tellez74.471.9-2.45-2.5-1.7-0.94%
Edouard Julien71.968.3-4.13-3.6-1.7-1.02%
Elias Díaz73.971.6-2.64-2.3-1.6-0.90%
Jurickson Profar71.768.2-4.16-3.5-1.6-0.95%
Dylan Moore73.070.5-3.14-2.5-1.6-0.95%
Heston Kjerstad70.966.8-4.46-4.1-1.5-0.89%
Michael Conforto74.172.0-2.38-2.1-1.5-0.80%
Colt Keith71.367.8-4.26-3.5-1.5-0.87%
Mike Trout75.773.5-1.26-2.2-1.4-0.85%
Starling Marte72.469.9-3.39-2.5-1.3-0.86%
Willy Adames73.671.8-2.52-1.8-1.3-0.72%

No, Rafael Devers is not on here. Devers has lost 1.9 mph on his bat speed so far, which has cost him -1.1 Run Value per 100 swings. That put him 36th on this leaderboard, which still makes him a name we want to watch for the next few weeks.

Christopher Morel - 2B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays: As I mentioned before this chart, a bat speed around 71 mph is still league average, so Morel has lost 3.2 mph on his bat speed, but his 72.9 mph average is still a good number. He has had plenty of swing-and-miss issues in his career, so maybe he's taking a more contact-oriented approach early on? Of course, his swinging strike rate is still up, and he's struck out four times in 12 plate appearances, so who knows if that's actually working.

William Contreras - C, Milwaukee Brewers: Listen, this may be nothing, but Contreras played in 155 games last season, not including the playoffs. That can take its toll on a catcher. He's down three mph on his bat speed so far, which places him in basically league average territory and has cost him a 1.13% HR rate per swing and 2.0 Run Value per 100 swings. Those numbers stand out this early on, but it is still early, so maybe it won't be an issue.

Edouard Julien - 2B, Minnesota Twins: Julien has a shot to claim the second base job in Minnesota while Brooks Lee is sidelined, but he's down 3.6 mph on his bat speed and is averaging 68.3 mph overall. His early pull rates are down too, which may be connected, but this is an overly passive hitter who is now not swinging as fast a bat as before. I just don't like any of that.

Jurickson Profar - OF, Atlanta Braves: There's a joke in here, but I'm not going to make it.

Heston Kjerstad - OF, Baltimore Orioles: Kjerstad only has 13 competitive swings at the time of writing this, but I did want to mention him because he now has a chance to secure a starting spot in Baltimore's lineup. However, he has dropped 4.1 mph on his bat speed, which has put him down to a 66.8 mph average bat speed. That has also cost him .90% HR rate per swing and 1.5 Run Value per 100 swings. He also had a really bad spring training. I'm not so sure this is going to be a thing.

Colt Keith - 1B/2B, Detroit Tigers: Big YIKES here. Colt Keith has lost 3.5 mph on his bat speed, which has cost him 1.5 Run Value per 100 swings and .87% HR rate per swing. The bat speed drop has put him down at a 67.8 mph average bat speed. That's 244th in all of baseball, right around Taylor Walls and Tim Anderson. This is a major concern with the Tigers shifting Keith over to first base, especially with Spencer Torkelson off to a good start to the season. Keith has some leeway with all the injuries in Detroit, including the injury to Gleyber Torres that has allowed Keith to move back over to second base, but if this lineup gets healthy and these numbers stick, the 23-year-old may be in trouble.

Mike Trout - OF, Los Angeles Angels: Trout, like Juan Soto later on, is on here for losing over 2 mph in bat speed but remains above-average overall in the stat. However, if Trout keeps losing bat speed as he keeps enduring major injuries, you have to wonder when that will start to impact his overall production.

Willy Adames - SS, San Francisco Giants: Adames was coming off a career year in a contract season, so I get why people were "off" of him in draft season, but I still expected him to produce solid value in San Francisco even if he didn't run as much. However, he has lost 1.8 mph on his bat speed, which has cost him 1.3 Run Value per 100 swings. He's also struck out nine times in his first 26 plate appearances. We're gonna withhold judgment so far, but it's easy to tell yourself a story that the off-season preparation was not as intense coming off signing the big contract.

Juan Soto - OF, New York Mets: Soto has gone from 75.4 mph to 73.3 mph on his swing. It's still an above-average swing speed and it might be him adopting a less pull-happy approach outside of Yankee Stadium. I wouldn't worry about it.

Dylan Crews - OF, Washington Nationals: Dylan Crews is hitless through his first five games, so his showing up on this list is a bit concerning. He has lost 2.2 mph on his swing, which has cost him 1.2 Run Value per 100 swings and 0.77% HR rate per swing. What's more noteworthy is that he has dropped from 72.3 mph on his swing to 70.1 mph, which is now below the league average. Crews has 10 strikeouts in his first 19 plate appearances, and he's being pitched inside way more often to start this season than he was last year. If his bat is slower and hitters are coming inside on him, we could have a problem brewing.

Jorge Soler - OF, Los Angeles Angels: Soler is a 33-year-old power hitter, so his losing bat speed is not ideal, nor is his 4-for-20 start with eight strikeouts. Soler's bat speed is still 73.4 mph, so well above the league average and right in line with guys like Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker. However, we need to see if Soler can still be productive in the same way with that diminished bat speed. He ranks 25th on his sheet in terms of lost HR rate per swing due to his lost bat speed. If he were to lose power production, that would sap most of his fantasy value.

Spencer Steer - 3B/OF, Cincinnati Reds: Steer has lost 2.2 mph on his swing speed, which has cost him 1.0 Run Value per 100 swings. We know he's dealing with a shoulder injury, and it seems pretty clear to me that he's not healthy. I'm just not sure why he's still out there every day, but maybe that's just me.

Garrett Crochet's extension with the Red Sox is a bold bet on his ace potential

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

On the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman delved into the news of Garrett Crochet's six-year, $170 million extension with the Boston Red Sox, a contract that raised some eyebrows given Crochet's limited track record as a starting pitcher. 

The extension, which comes just a few months after Crochet was traded from the Chicago White Sox, reflects Boston's bet on Crochet's potential to evolve into a top-tier ace, even given his somewhat spotty injury history and unconventional pitching trajectory.

Drafted in 2020, Crochet's journey to the majors was fast-tracked due to the pandemic-canceled minor-league season that year, but then his emergence as a bullpen weapon was interrupted by Tommy John surgery. So when Crochet was named the White Sox's Opening Day starter a year ago, the news shocked most of the baseball industry.

"At the time, on this very podcast, we laughed at that," Mintz said.

Added Shusterman: "Everyone else was like, what are they thinking? What is going on?"

But then, as the hosts noted, Crochet was "simply marvelous" in his first year as a starter in 2024, arguably the lone bright spot on a historically horrible White Sox team. And once the deal with the Red Sox happened in December, it was clear that an extension between Crochet and Boston was the desired outcome on both sides.

However, as Shusterman pointed out, given Crochet's injury history and single season as a starting pitcher, the details of an extension were probably tricky to figure out.

"This is betting on a small sample of what he did last year and the fact that he is only 26 years old, and even though he's been in the big leagues now for half a decade, because he debuted immediately, we don't really know what we're getting," he said. "And yet the Red Sox clearly believe in what they're getting and were willing to commit a serious amount of money to a pitcher who has really only done it for one season."

Added Mintz: "They're betting on the package here. They're betting on the traits, they're betting on the fastball, they're betting on the work ethic, they're betting on the athleticism. They're betting that it will continue to be difficult to acquire aces."

The hosts also noted that the extension comes with significant financial nuances, including an opt-out clause after 2030, performance-based incentives and some injury contingencies, all of which underscore the team's reservations about Crochet's injury risks. On the flip side, Crochet's short track record could be seen as a positive thing.

"You could also spin it that way and be like, listen, we're getting him in his prime years, and he hasn't really thrown that many innings in his early 20s," Shusterman said. "So I have to imagine that was probably part of the calculus, too."

Ultimately, no matter how this deal turns out, the fact that the Red Sox are spending on young players and emerging talent is a good thing. 

"The Red Sox are spending. I think that's what's significant," Mintz said. "I think there's been frustration within the fan base ... that they haven't been willing to push the chips in. They're doing that now."

To listen to the full episode and more, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

Mets sign reliever Jose Marte

The Mets have signed right-handed reliever Jose Marte to a minor league deal.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the contract is for two years.

Marte, 28, had right shoulder surgery last September and is working his way back.

In 19.1 innings over 14 appearances last season for the Angels, Marte had a 2.33 ERA (4.10 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP while striking out 10 batters.

Marte's fastball was a high-octane one last year as he averaged 96.5 mph with his four-seamer and 96.3 mph with his sinker. In addition to the four- and two-seam fastballs, Marte features a slider (which he used nearly 40 percent of the time in 2024) and a changeup.

During his four-year career, all with the Angels, Marte has a 5.56 ERA and 1.78 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 43.2 innings over 39 games.

NFL announces key offseason program dates for all 32 teams

Offseason programs will be starting for teams with new coaches next week and the NFL has announced the key dates for all 32 teams.

All teams will open their programs with two weeks of meetings and conditioning work before they can advance to on-field work. That work will include up to 10 organized team activities and a mandatory minicamp. In addition to starting their work ahead of other clubs, teams with new coaches are also permitted to hold a voluntary minicamp.

The dates for all teams are listed below:

Arizona: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Atlanta: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.

Baltimore: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3, June 5-6, June 9-12; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.

Buffalo: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Carolina: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Chicago: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp April 21-23; OTAs - May 20-22, May 27-30, June 9-11; Mandatory minicamp June 3-5.

Cincinnati: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-4; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Cleveland: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 3-4, June 6, June 16-19; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Dallas: First day - April 14; OTAs - May 19-20, May 22, May 28-30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Denver: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Detroit: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Green Bay: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Houston: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 28-30, June 2-3, June 5. Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.

Indianapolis: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Jacksonville: First day - April 8; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 19, May 21-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Kansas City: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-4, June 10-13; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.

Las Vegas: First day - April 8; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 19, May 21-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Los Angeles Chargers: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 3-5, June 16-18; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Los Angeles Rams: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12; Mandatory minicamp - June 16-18.

Miami: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27, May 29-30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Minnesota: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 16-18; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

New England: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp April 22-24; OTAs - May 19-20, May 22, May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 9-11.

New Orleans: First day - April 14; OTAs - May 20-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2, June 4-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

New York Giants: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.

New York Jets: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 20-22, May 28-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Philadelphia: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10.

Pittsburgh: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

San Francisco: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.

Seattle: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27, May 29-30, June 2, June 4-5, June 9, June 11-12; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.

Tampa Bay: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Tennessee: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Washington: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28, May 30, June 3-4, June 8; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.

Campbell makes Red Sox history with electrifying start to MLB career

Campbell makes Red Sox history with electrifying start to MLB career originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It has been a week to remember for Boston Red Sox rookie Kristian Campbell.

The organization’s No. 2 ranked prospect made the Opening Day roster and recorded his first MLB hit in a win over the Texas Rangers. His first big-league home run came two days later.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox announced they signed Campbell to an eight-year contract extension worth $60 million. The 22-year-old second baseman celebrated the occasion with two doubles and a victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Campbell stayed hot on Thursday, helping the Red Sox to an 8-4 win in their series finale vs. Baltimore. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with his second homer of the season:

Through seven games, Campbell leads Boston in hits (10) and doubles (four). He is tied with Wilyer Abreu for the team lead in homers.

The fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft has made franchise history with his torrid start to the campaign. According to Elias Sports, Campbell is the first Red Sox player to have at least 10 hits, six extra-base hits, and four walks in their first seven games to start their career.

Those numbers have made Campbell the early odds-on favorite to secure the American League Rookie of the Year award. While he already looks like a star in the making, his own teammates could give him stiff competition for the honor later in the year. Fellow top Red Sox prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are expected to make an impact with the big-league club at some point this season.

The Red Sox will look to earn their third consecutive win Friday when they welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to Fenway Park for their home opener.