Category: MLB

Luis Robert Jr. has never been in this position before. 

The 29-year-old admitted there were some weird emotions about having to switch teams midseason, but he understands why the Mets opted to place him on waivers this past weekend. 

“It’s part of the business,” he said Tuesday through an interpreter. “They sat me down and explained the reason behind it, so at the end of the day I understand that it’s a business.”

With Robert being claimed by the Orioles, this Mets are now completely off the hook for the roughly $3 million remaining on his contract for this season.

The slugger has a $20 million club option for next year as well, but Baltimore could also buy him out for $2 million over the offseason and send him to the open market instead. 

Before having to make that decision, though, the contending O's will look him to help them in the midst of a tight and crowded American League Wild Card race. 

They enter play on Wednesday one game under .500, and 1.5 games back of the Guardians for the final spot. 

“It feels good, that’s what you play for from the moment you arrive at spring training,” Robert said. “Unfortunately it didn’t happen with the Mets, but I’m excited to have this opportunity here and to try to do it with this team.”

Baltimore appears to be getting Robert at the right time too, as he just finished off easily his best month to this point in the season, with six of his 10 homers coming in August. 

The oft-injured outfielder has finally been able to find some consistency. 

“Health is the biggest thing,” he said. “Unfortunately that’s been the thing that’s kept me off the field at different points in my career, but I’m definitely feeling good right now, and I think that’s what has led to this success.”

I was planning to write this article even before Tuesday night’s bullpen meltdown against the Brewers.

It seems even more important now, so here are some numbers that might astonish you. These are fWAR figures — and they don’t include Tuesday’s game, so the pitching number is likely even worse:

By fWAR the Cubs are the best offense in MLB — and it’s not close. Next up are the Dodgers, with only about two-thirds as much fWAR as Cubs hitters have. This is borne out in the raw data, too. Including Tuesday’s game, the Cubs lead MLB in runs, home runs, walks, OBP, SLG, OPS and OPS+.

The Cubs offense also leads the majors via bWAR, though the gap is not quite as large. Baseball-reference.com has Cubs hitters with 32.8 WAR, with the Red Sox second at 26.9.

Now look at that chart again. The Cubs pitchers are the worst in MLB by fWAR, slightly below the Nationals, and far worse than the four teams above them in total fWAR.

Baseball-reference.com doesn’t frown quite as much at Cubs pitching as Fangraphs. Through Tuesday’s game they have the Cubs with 5.6 bWAR, with four teams below them: Nationals, Giants, A’s and Royals.

The Cubs leading pitcher in bWAR is Ben Brown at 2.2… and he hasn’t pitched in two months. Clay Holmes has 1.3 bWAR in just five starts, and he’s likely to pass Brown in another start or two. Shōta Imanaga is also at 1.3 bWAR, but… that number is probably not going up.

Eighteen Cubs pitchers have a bWAR of 0.0 or lower, and that doesn’t include Carson Kelly, also at 0.0 after three pitching appearances covering three innings with an ERA of 6.00. (And 11 Cubs pitchers have an ERA this year worse than that.)

Is there help available? Not really, not much, anyway. Many of us have clamored for Javier Assad to have remained in the Cubs bullpen, where he’s been excellent, but he languishes at Triple-A Iowa and isn’t eligible for a recall until Saturday:

Tony Andracki’s post mentions Jaxon Wiggins, who the Cubs almost certainly don’t want to put on the 40-man roster this year due to the impending lockout, and Shelby Miller, who is just beginning a rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa.

Also potentially available to return are Justin Steele, who also recently began a rehab assignment, and Edward Cabrera, whose 97 mile per hour fastball might work well out of the bullpen. Cabrera is also on rehab at Iowa.

What would I do right now? Well, I’m sure Imanaga has some sort of arm fatigue; put him on the injured list and then Assad could be recalled to make Imanaga’s next scheduled start, which would come up Friday in Miami.

Could the team actually do that? Sure. Will they? Who knows? They could also make Friday a bullpen game, but… the way the bullpen has been recently, that’s not really a good idea.

One thing is for sure. This Cubs team is exceptionally talented offensively. They could score 850 or more runs, which would be among the top figures for any Cubs team in the last 95 years. But unless they can find some relief pitchers who can be Craig Counsell’s “out-getters,” this team isn’t likely going past the wild card round of the postseason.

The National League East has been a two-team race for most of the season, and with August now behind us, the same largely rings true. The last time the Braves were not first in odds to win the division, according to FanGraphs, was April 8th. There was minimal movement during the month of August, and with the season’s final month kicking off, the East is the Braves’ to lose, though the Phillies maintain as high a ceiling as anyone around the league.

First Place: Atlanta Braves (82-56)

Top Position Player: Michael Harris II (4.0 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Chris Sale (5.3 fWAR)

It was a solid month of August for Atlanta, who started with five consecutive wins, and closed the month by winning seven of eight. Matt Olson’s 37 homers, good for third-most in the NL, along with Michael Harris II’s continued rock-solid play on both sides has led the way to this point, with August changing nothing in that narrative. Drake Baldwin has been the other primary force for the season, outdoing his impressive rookie season in ‘25 despite a middling August.

While the lineup is strong, particularly at the top, the pitching staff is still led by 37-year-old Chris Sale, who is putting up some of the best numbers of his career in 144 innings so far. The dominant lefty capped off another good month with a true gem, a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts against the Dodgers. With FanGraphs giving Atlanta an 84.7 percent chance of winning the division, the Braves are not a team anyone would want to see come October.

Second Place: Philadelphia Phillies (78-60)

Top Position Player: Bryson Stott (3.5 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Cristopher Sánchez (5.7 fWAR)

In that aforementioned race, the Phillies have been the second horse for much of the season. In August, however, the Fightin’ Phils paced the league with a scorching 21-7 record, a run that keeps them only four games out of first place in the East. Kyle Schwarber’s seven homers on the month make him the only player in baseball with 40, while Bryce Harper’s 194 wRC+ in August has helped make 2027 a full return to form for the two-time MVP.

The rotation headed by Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, and Zack Wheeler continues to be among the best units in baseball. Sánchez and his 175.1 innings will be firmly in the middle of the Cy Young discussion, not to mention that Luzardo joins him as one of the top five pitchers in baseball by fWAR. While they still have a hill to climb in the final month if they want a division crown, they have as good a top end as any team in baseball.

Third Place: Miami Marlins (69-69)

Top Position Player: Otto Lopez (4.8 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Sandy Alcantara (3.5 fWAR)

The Marlins, in a division with two big-time clubs, continue to play solid ball in 2026. It was another month hovering around .500, but given their overall record, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. August did unfortunately feature a sweep at the hands of both the Braves and the Phillies, but the Fish still did enough to remain at .500, and most importantly, stay within reach in the Wild Card race.

Sandy Alcantara’s 189.2 innings after August leads baseball by a wide margin, as the righty has finished at least six innings in 11 consecutive outings, including a pair of scoreless starts that kicked off his month. On offense, a balanced squad with eight different players managing a wRC+ over 100 has helped to keep this club afloat for much of the season. They ended the month by losing three of four to Washington, but they’ll need everything they can get if they want to contend over this final month of the regular season.

Fourth Place: Washington Nationals (66-74)

Top Position Player: James Wood (4.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Cade Cavalli (3.3 fWAR)

The Nationals essentially lost any shred of contention they had in the month of August, fueled by a 3-12 stretch that saw them fall rapidly in a competitive race. James Wood is quite good, and hasn’t played in a game since August 3rd thanks to an oblique problem, which certainly doesn’t help.

The 23-year-old Daylen Lile has been a bright spot, though, as he’s reached the 20 homer mark and posted a 140 wRC+ in August. On the pitching side, Cade Cavalli has continued to lead the way, a status maintained by his 1.75 ERA in six August starts. Unfortunately for the Nats, a rough go on the whole has essentially put them out of play as the season heads toward its end.

Last Place: New York Mets (62-76)

Top Position Player: Carson Benge (3.0 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Nolan McLean (3.0 fWAR)

Ah, the Mets. One of the bigger disappointments of the 2026 season actually enjoyed a solid month of August. Sweeps of the Nationals and the Guardians were high points in the month, though the return of Juan Soto was the best news of all, after he spent more than a month on the shelf. Luis Torrens, Bo Bichette, and Carson Benge were all forces with the bat in August — excitement that was a welcome sight for the people of Queens.

Their playoff odds have been in the basement since the middle of June, as the Met’s dug themselves too deep a hole to make any sort of real run.

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The desert double dip fell through last night, but getaway Wednesday always offers some great pitcher and MLB player prop edges and angles. 

Griffin Jax is coming off the IL with an elbow issue and only threw 42 pitches in his one rehab start. His leash is very questionable. Davis Martin is also coming off the shelf, but his Over strikeouts is projecting well on a conservative pitch count. Finally, Bryce Miller is not in the trust tree, and getting deep vs. the Red Sox is unlikely. 

These are my favorite MLB strikeout and pitcher props for Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Player	Pick	Odds
Griffin Jax	Under 4.5 strikeouts	+104
Davis Martin	Over 3.5 strikeouts	+105
Bryce Miller	Under 15.5 outs	-116

Strikeout prop: Griffin Jax Under 4.5 strikeouts (+104)

Let's keep it simple off the top. Griffin Jax is coming off the IL after throwing just 42 pitches in his only rehab start. He has been dealing with right elbow discomfort, a major red flag, and pushing him far beyond 60 pitches seems unlikely. There is also a chance he is innings-capped, as Tampa should be cautious with Jax with a long playoff run on the horizon.

He's better than a K-per-inning pitcher, but getting to 15 outs is doubtful. That was his leash on a full workload, and now it could be cut in half. The Rays have all of their middle relievers and long arms available today, giving them little reason to push Jax deep into this game.

The market is already moving, and THE BAT is projecting 60 pitches, with a fair price of -150 on this total at that pitch count. Todd Cordell still likes the Rays on the ML in his Mets vs. Rays predictions.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rays.TV, SNY

Strikeout prop: Davis Martin Over 3.5 strikeouts (+105)

Houston has not been a good offense since the beginning of August, ranking 23rd in wOBA. Davis Martin is returning from the IL, but unlike Jax, this total is a little short, and the projections agree.

THE BAT is calling for 3.8 Ks on 74 pitches. Martin went 15 outs in his lone rehab start, allowing just one hit while striking out five over 59 pitches. That makes the additional 15 pitches in the projection feel about right.

A blister issue slowed Martin down, but now that he's past it, he could get back to his 8.24 K/9 rate from the first half of the season instead of his 6.63 mark after the All-Star break.

There is some leash concern, but that rehab start looked sharp, and the play-money price makes this an easy decision. I'd play this to -105/-110, with a fair price of -120.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Space City Network, Chicago Sports Network

Pitcher out prop: Bryce Miller Under 15.5 outs (-116)

Bryce Miller was just demoted to the bullpen before an injury to the Seattle rotation sent him back to a starting role. The demotion was warranted, as he has been one of the worst second-half pitchers in baseball, with the fifth-worst ERA and 10th-worst FIP.

He threw 104 pitches in his last start, a season-high, and still recorded just 13 outs. He has failed to get beyond 15 outs in three of his last four outings.

The command is lacking, and the ball is leaving the park, as Miller has allowed a home run in eight straight starts. There isn't much trust in Miller right now, and the middle of the Seattle bullpen is fresh.

For a pitcher who has reached 91+ pitches in just 29% of his starts, expecting him to get back to that range after a demotion is a tough ask. The market is already as low as -140 at some books.

Miller is the reason I'm backing Mickey Gasper today to go deep in today's MLB home run props.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NESN, Mariners.TV

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“With the position that our team’s in right now, it’s a time for us to take advantage of opportunities to evaluate for 2027.”

That’s what JJ Picollo, Royals general manager and overall head honcho of baseball operations, said in the dugout before Tuesday’s game when asked why Kansas City let John Schreiber go a few days earlier. Schreiber was in his third season for the Royals, a downright rarity for a middle reliever who didn’t come up through an organization’s own farm system. To be fair, there were some other reasons: Kansas City saves $600,000 on his contract by not employing him, and by letting Schreiber go he could sign on with a team that’s gunning for a playoff spot instead of just hoping not to lose 90 games. He did just that, and is now a Yankee.

Picollo is right that the Royals are in a period of evaluation. As I’ve even written recently, that can actually be a pretty nice place to be, where a team can take risks and generally not care if those risks pay off. The Royals know who Schreiber is, and Schreiber doesn’t help them at all next year.

But Picollo’s statement is a little curious, especially because of who they used for Schreiber’s open roster spot and the other two additions that the Royals got as part of expanded September rosters: 28-year-old Euston McGee, 29-year-old Nolan Hoffman, and 27-year-old Drew Waters.

Indeed, less than a minute after talking about how the team needs to take advantage of 2027 opportunities, he hedged those words.

“We have some other guys that are on the roster that are eligible to be recalled coming up here in the next couple days,” Picollo said. “There might be a guy or two that aren’t on the roster that we’ll consider as well. It’s 24 games, so how many looks can we actually get? That’s another part of it, but we’ll probably just play it by ear and make decisions day to day.”

Picollo’s reasoning seems squishy here, but there is also a unique twist to this situation. Competitive Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations have loomed over this season. The current CBA between the owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association ends in December, and pretty much everyone in the industry thinks that the owners are going to lock out the MLBPA. That wording is key, because the owners wouldn’t lock out every single baseball player; they’d just lock out members of the union. Not a member of the MLBPA? You can still come to work, you can still use team doctors, you can rehab at team facilities.

If you’re added to the 40-man roster, you become a member of the MLBPA. And so anyone added to the 40-man roster, regardless of whether they ever made it into an MLB game, means that they will be locked out of team facilities, unable to use team doctors and cut off from team communication – all for a maximum 24 games of big league experience.

I wondered if the Royals’ milquetoast call-ups were impacted by such a decision. And being in the dugout with the rest of the media, I took an opportunity to ask: Does the possibility of a lockout impact who you’re able to call up in September, or are you able to look at whoever?

Picollo’s response was definitive. “No, you can look at whoever,” he said. “All you’re doing is add them to the roster. I mean, if they’re added to the roster, obviously they’re part of the lockout, but we can call up whoever we like to call up. We want to still do what’s best for the team.”

But whatever is ‘best for the team’ is up for debate; are they looking at 2027, or are they looking at trying to put themselves in a position to win the rest of the games for the year? Well…the latter, I guess?

“We have some guys right now that are not on the roster that are outfielders that we have interest in the future,” Picollo continued. “But the reality is if you look at our outfield, we’re extremely left-handed. So when you come down to the now 14 guys that you’re going to have available on any given night, you want that balance. And if we brought up another left-handed hitter, you lose some of that balance. You don’t have as many weapons and somebody for the other team to be thinking about ‘who’s on the bench over there for them’.”

It is true that the Royals’ outfield is very left-handed heavy. John Rave, Kyle Isbel, and Jac Caglianone are left-handed bats. Isaac Collins is a switch-hitter, but he is a significantly better left-handed hitter than a right-handed hitter. Tyler Tolbert is the only right-handed-hitting outfielder, and he’s not even a full-time outfielder let alone full-time player, and besides he’s hit righties better in his big league career.

But it is also true that this approach just doesn’t resonate with me. If the Royals are looking at 2027, prioritizing whether or not they win or lose a game this September because they don’t have a righty to pinch hit for in the late innings seems like an odd choice.

This is especially true because of the guys that they didn’t call up: center fielder Carson Roccaforte and corner outfielder Gavin Cross, both left-handed hitters. The former ninth-overall pick in the 2022 draft, Cross has actually been on quite an extended heater: a .309/.357/.568 slash with 15 home runs in 281 plate appearances since mid-May. And Roccaforte, the back-to-back winner of the Royals’ organization’s minor league defensive player of the year award, is also swatting dingers left and right. He, of course, hit one just a few hours after Picollo’s press conference—his 33rd on the season.

While 24 games may just be 24 games, a successful September can help pave the way for a successful full year. Last season, Carter Jensen played in 20 games, hitting well and showing maturity and athleticism in spades. This year, his 2.2 Wins Above Replacement per Fangraphs rank third on the team among position players.

We know who Isbel, Rave, and Collins are at this point. They are good enough to secure a role on a big league team, but they’re not going to provide the upside the Royals need to get back into the playoffs. Roccaforte or Cross could be regulars for years to come. They might not be. But they could be, and a lost September provides a solid way to get either or both some experience and give the Royals a risk-free period of evaluation. To not elect to do so because of a lack of platoon ability doesn’t sit right.

Of course, there’s another possibility: that Picollo and the Royals are not being fully transparent here. With so much uncertainty regarding the CBA – other than the near certainty that a lockout would include Roccaforte or Cross if they did make September debuts – it makes sense that Kansas City would want to play it safe here. Is Picollo really going to come out and publicly say that the CBA negotiations are impacting baseball operations? Maybe, but you can obviously see why an MLB general manager would not want to touch labor negotiations PR with a 10-foot pole.

In any case, it’ll probably be next year before we see Cross or Roccaforte in a Royals uniform. Hopefully, it will be for a winning team that has figured out how to have effective right-handed and left-handed outfielders—and with a functioning CBA.

The Atlanta Braves are looking to stop a two game skid and secure a win against the Washington Nationals behind Grant Holmes who could surpass 130.0 innings on the season with his start today. Brad Lord will be pitching for the Nationals and all four of his starts have been in the opening capacity.

The goal for the Braves will hopefully be to get to Lord as fast as possible to get the the subpar Nationals bullpen that has the third worst ERA in MLB this season. The Braves need to win games they are supposed to win to stay in first in the NLE, and this is one of those games.

Follow along in the comments.

Lineup

Preview

After the new kids led the Nats to a 9-5 win last night, they have a chance for a mini sweep in this two game set against the Braves. It will not be easy, but the Nats are playing solid baseball lately and get a major weapon back. This has been a good home stand, and now it is time to make it a great one.

James Wood is back! After missing about a month with an oblique injury, the Nats star slugger is back. He is leading off and playing right field. That moves CJ Abrams to the cleanup spot. Abrams is playing second base for a second time today. YoYo Morales will play the field for the first time, getting a start at first base. That moves Andres Chaparro to third and Abi Ortiz to DH. Keibert Ruiz is back behind the plate for this one. Brad Lord will get the start, but all hands will be on deck heading into the off day.

The Braves are only making a couple changes. Mike Yastrzemski will get the start in left field today. Sean Murphy will catch, which causes a chain reaction. Drake Baldwin moves to DH, Ozzie Albies moves to second and Mauricio Dubon is out of the lineup. Grant Holmes will make the start for the Braves who look to salvage a split.

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 1:05 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

With Wood back in the lineup, this offense feels complete again. There is just so much more depth now. With Daylen Lile rolling too, this offense is fierce. The Nats are looking to make this a 7-3 home stand. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

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With all-day baseball on tap, there is plenty to dig into across the MLB player propsmarket.

Join me as I break down three of my favorite MLB picks for Wednesday, Sept. 2, including why Jake Burger will light up Jacob Lopez.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Jake Burger	Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI	-103
Rafael Devers	Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI	-122
Tomoyuki Sugano	Over 3.5 earned runs	+102

Jake Burger Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-103)

Get those burgers on the grill, STAT! This game kicks off early this afternoon, and we are backing Texas Rangers slugger Jake Burger to go over his hits, runs, and RBI prop against Athletics southpaw  Jacob Lopez.

Burger has an elite rating on Batters-Box’s current-season dataset, where he also has nearly 76% arsenal coverage against Lopez’s pitch mix.

The Rangers first baseman has been punishing the ball over his last 10 games, posting a .548 SLG, .765 xSLG and .290 ISO, while generating a 26.1% barrel rate. He has also crushed left-handed pitching this season. Over his last 60 at-bats against lefties, Burger owns a .636 SLG and is still generating a 25% barrel rate.

Lopez has been very solid for the Athletics, but he has allowed more than 70% elevation and a hard-hit rate of nearly 44% to the last 30 right-handed hitters he has faced. Those right-handed hitters also own a .288 xBA and .482 xSLG.

• Time: 2:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSCA, RSN

Rafael Devers Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-122)

The third-highest-rated hitter on the day is San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers, who has homered in back-to-back games. Some will argue he should not be touched after going deep in consecutive games, but that ideology is flawed.

So far this season, across 36 elite ratings, Devers has surpassed this prop 58.33% of the time, while going deep more than 25% of the time.

The big fella draws Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler, against whom he has nearly 90% arsenal coverage. The last 60 left-handed hitters Chandler has faced have been producing a ton of hard-hit balls while elevating the baseball at a very high rate. During that stretch, those hitters also own a .389 xBA and .548 xSLG.

Devers has been outstanding over his last 10 games, posting a .789 SLG and .421 ISO while generating a 51.7% hard-hit rate and 17.2% barrel rate.

Despite the offensive explosion from both teams last night, expect Devers to get involved tonight.

Take this down to -130.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNP, NBCSBA

Tomoyuki Sugano Over 3.5 earned runs (+102)

It is extremely hard to worry about how cold the Baltimore Orioles’ bats have become when Colorado Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano owns a 12.75 ERA and 2.42 WHIP over his last three outings. Plus, he has the worst pitcher rating on Batters-Box today.

Sugano draws a fully elite-rated Orioles lineup with seven elite-rated hitters and two with strong ratings.

In five of Sugano’s last 10 poorly rated matchups, he has allowed five or more runs. It might be more fun to alt this prop up for better value, especially because manager Warren Schaefer gives him a very long leash and rarely pulls him early.

With the amount of power the Orioles’ bats can produce, this is well worth a look today.

Do not pay juice for this prop. We are already asking the Orioles to go above and beyond their first-five runs average.

• Time: 3:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: COLR, MASN

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

 The Houston Astros player development department has named IF/OF Logan Hughes the Astros Player of the Month for August and RHP Alex Santos II the Astros Pitcher of the Month for August.

Hughes, 21, batted .343 (24×70) with 17 runs, eight doubles, one triple, three home runs, 25 RBI, 12 walks, eight stolen bases and a 1.073 OPS in August with Single A Fayetteville. The left-handed hitter has a hit in every minor league game he’s played in since being activated by Single A Fayetteville on August 7 for a 19-game hitting streak. Hughes was drafted by the Astros with the 17th overall pick of the 2026 MLB Draft from Texas Tech University. According to MLB.com, Hughes is rated as the Astros number three overall prospect.

Santos, 24, went 1-0 with a 0.68 ERA (1ER/13.1IP) in August between Double A Corpus Christi (six appearances) and Triple A Sugar Land (four appearances). He also recorded 24 strikeouts, a 1.28 WHIP and a .204 opponent batting average in 10 relief appearances. For the minor league season, Santos has recorded a 3.15 ERA (21ER/60IP) with 93 strikeouts, a 1.38 WHIP and a .216 opponent batting average in 44 relief appearances. The right-handed pitcher was drafted by the Astros with their second-round compensation pick (#72 overall) in the 2020 MLB Draft.

April Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Brandon McPherson

May Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Kellan Oakes

June Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Javier Perez

July Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Bryce Mayer

April Astros Player of the Month: C Jason Schiavone

May Astros Player of the Month: C Jason Schiavone

June Astros Player of the Month: OF Drew Brutcher

July Astros Player of the Month: IF Waner Luciano

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Detroit is a live underdog at Polymarket today, so we're riding with them as part of my Tigers vs. Twins prediction.

Yes, the Detroit Tigers are trading at 49 cents today, but should be able to get the best of Dean Kremer, a pitcher they've historically rocked.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Who will win Tigers vs Twins today: Detroit Tigers (49%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

The Detroit Tigers are in need of a bounce-back game after surrendering 26 runs across their first two against the Twins, and they may just get it with Dean Kremer on the mound for the Minnesota Twins.

Not only has he allowed a homer in three straight starts, but this Tigers team also seems to have his number, owning a .303 xBA and .510 xSLGacross 98 plate appearances against him. Now that's a sample size we can get behind.

On the other side, Drew Anderson has been serviceable this year in Detroit, owning a career-best 3.91 xERA and 34.1% chase rate. The Tigers are a live 'dog tonight, trading at 49 cents, and I'd play them up to 54.

COVERS INTEL: Are we about to witness the Gleyber Torres game? He's got a long history against Kremer, going 10-for-31 with three doubles and a homer against him while rocking a .467 xSLG. If Detroit wins, he'll be at the center of the offense.

Tigers vs Twins Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (53%)

The Over has hit in four straight Kremer startsand has cashed in five straight when the Tigers and Twins meet. Yes, the trends are on our side, and they likely won't stop tonight.

Expect Detroit to get the best of Kremer, with the Twins, who have the fifth-highest wRC+ in baseball, doing their part to get us over the line.

Tigers vs Twins home run prediction: Gleyber Torres (9%)

Torres has the deepest history against Kremer to draw from, and at 9 cents, we'll take that type of value to the bank. Owning a respectable .714 OPS in August with a homer already against the righty, we're going to ride with him to take his old friend over the wall. He's undoubtedly the best bang for your buck on the board.

Tigers vs Twins weather

It looks to be a perfect night for baseball in Minnesota at Target Field, with temperatures sitting around 77 degrees Fahrenheit under partly cloudy skies.

Tigers vs Twins odds

• Moneyline: Tigers 49% | Twins 52%
• Run line: Tigers -1.5 (38%) | Twins +1.5 (63%)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (52%) | Under 8.5 (49%)

Tigers vs Twins trend

The Over is 3-0-1 in the Twins' last four when their opponent scores two runs or less in their previous game. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Twins.

How to watch Tigers vs Twins and game info

Tigers vs Twins latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country.

It’s been an awful season for the San Francisco Giants, but there have been a lot of opportunities to reminisce. In July, the team drafted Peyton Bonds. A few weeks later, they traded for Kaeden Kent. Earlier this week, they signed Darren Baker.

And of course, in late July, Jeff Kent was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Giants honored Kent, the five-time All-Star and 2000 league MVP, with a ceremony on Saturday. And while addressing the crowd, a notably softened and more family-friendly Kent embraced his former frenemy Barry Bonds, and commented on how Bonds could still get into the Hall of Fame some day.

It is, of course, absurd that Bonds is not in the Hall, and for now his pathways are closed. But pathways can always change, especially for such an arbitrary institution.

So, be it in a year, a decade, or a century, will MLB’s home run leader make his way to Cooperstown some day?

Left-handed pitching prospect Ben Jacobs was the Detroit Tigers third round pick in the 2025 amateur draft out of Arizona State University. We liked the pick at the time for his fastball shape, strike throwing, and his developing bag of secondary pitches, but there was also a bet placed on his physical projection. With refined mechanics and plenty of good muscle added in his first year of pro ball, Jacobs has already laid all concerns to rest. The draft of Cameron Flukey in the first round of the 2026 draft gives him some competition in terms of top pitching prospect in the system, but Jacobs is certainly high on the list, with a chance to break into national top 100 rankings in 2027.

In our preseason scouting report, we talked about Jacobs’ crossfire delivery, and suggested the Tigers would try to get him moving more directly down the mound to home plate, rather than the closed stride and rotation required to get back on target that was prominent in his college work. Jacobs was basically pitching out of the stretch, so it certainly wasn’t an elaborate move to the plate, but the big crossfire move was squandering energy and forcing him to compensate a lot to locate back on target, especially to his glove side.

As Jacobs told David Laurila of FanGraphs recently, he’s made short work of that requirement. By adding a rock step back toward third base with his lead leg to get him moving into his delivery rather than driving to the plate from a full stop, they improved his rhythm and repeatability and cleaned up his stride direction at the same time. That more direct move has given him more extension to the plate as well, though it only got him to a roughly average level. The delivery adjustments, along with putting on a reported 10 pounds of lean muscle since draft day, have him throwing a consistent 94 mph velocity now, with a little extra in the tank.

The changes to Jacobs’ delivery haven’t just gotten him throwing harder. Because he’s getting further down the mound with his lead leg, he’s throwing from a lower point, giving him a flatter angle to the top of the zone. With around 19 inches of induced vertical break on his heater, those two elements are helping him miss a ton of bats with fastballs along the top of the zone. His command took time to come around after making these changes, and his walk rate was a little high, but he powered right through Low-A Lakeland after just 16 2/3 innings of work in the spring.

Things were tougher in West Michigan. Jacobs was piling up a lot of strikeouts, but the walks spiked against more advanced hitters, and his were hit harder. His first 10 starts for the Whitecaps were a real mixed bag, but in late July and August everything started to come together for him. He started spotting his slider and splitter a little better, and still has a solid curveball to mix in as well. With the improved velocity, shape, and angle to the plate, Jacobs just needed to locate more consistently, and once he did, hitters have done very little against him.

Over his last five starts, covering 26 innings of work, Jacobs has only allowed two earned runs. He’s currently on a streak of three consecutive scoreless outings, and he’s punched out 33 hitters in that span. In his August 12th start against the Lansing Lugnuts, Jacobs did walk five batters in 4.2 innings of work, but he also didn’t allow a hit in that start and struck out seven on the night. In the other four outings on this five start run, he’s walked one batter three times, and two batters once. There’s still work to do in the consistency department, but no one is hitting him right now. He’s surrendered just 10 hits in those 26 innings. His 33.6 percent strikeout rate in the Midwest League is excellent, and this is his first year of pro ball. Jacobs just turned 22 years old back in June.

The improvements in his fastball and better command of it more recently is a big factor in this run, but the splitter is playing a major role as well, drawing a huge whiff rate just short of 50 percent. It doesn’t fall off the table like a classic splitter. Instead it has funky, late tailing action away from right-handers. That’s gotten it mis-identified as a changeup fairly regularly, but Jacobs set the record straight in the Laurila interview.

At this point the fourseamer and splitter are both flashing plus. A little more consistent velo and more importantly, better command of those two pitches will take him a long way. His slider and curveball are solid breaking pitches, and he’s showing some good signs of spotting them for strikes and breaking off slightly sharper versions to get hitters chasing. More often, at least until recently, his command of both has been a little hit or miss.

If hia trendline continues in terms of commanding the whole package and building himself up, Jacobs looks like a future quality mid-rotation starter. If he falls a little short or doesn’t quite prove durable enough to be a full-time starter, he’s still got a nice future as a versatile lefty relief option. It’s been a very successful year for him, and at this point it’s comfortable to put a 45 grade on him, and real optimists may go higher. Jacobs will make one more start this week for a Whitecaps team fighting for its playoff life, which will get him over 90 innings on the year. He should be clear to stretch out to 120-130 innings next season starting at Double-A Erie.

If Jacobs can take the step up to Double-A Erie and throw something like 115-130 innings in 2027, lingering questions about durability, which follow every young pitcher through the A-ball levels, will dissipate. We can hope for a little sharper slider with more work, but at this point the four-pitch mix is already good enough if his command improves a little more. He’s on his way though, and has executed complicated sequences more and more over the past month. Instead of falling back on his fourseamer too much, he’s working backwards more with curveballs and sliders to start at-bats, and then expanding the zone up with his fastball and away from right-handers with the splitter once they’re behind in the count. Jacobs is a much more polished and dangerous pitcher than he was when the season began, and the Tigers have to be pretty thrilled with his progress in year one.

At this point only Cameron Flukey really stands out above Jacobs in the Tigers’ pecking order, and Flukey himself is just getting started. If things continue to go well there’s an outside chance Jacobs could reach Detroit next summer, but for now we’ll keep to a 2028 timetable.

Lázaro Montes’ debut last night got the lion’s share of the attention, but we would be remiss if we did not dedicate some time to another Mariners debut on Tuesday evening: Journeyman lefty Hoby Milner.

In the bottom of the ninth with a five-run lead, Dan Wilson turned to his newest toy in the bullpen. The M’s had signed Milner to a minor league deal on August 31, shortly after the Cubs released him, and brought him up with the expanded rosters on September 1.

Roman Anthony, a lefty, at the plate. Hoby serves up his first pitch as a Mariner: an 85 MPH sinker, hold the sink. Anthony lines it to center for a single.

Jahmai Jones replaces lefty Mickey Gasper, takes a sweeping 77 MPH pitch well outside and scoops an 86 MPH sinker, tasteful sink, way over the Green Monster.

He’s thrown three pitches, given up two runs and cannot be pulled because he has to face a third hitter. He blinks grimly at Eli White and digs in. 78 MPH sweeper a country mile wide. 77 MPH down the pipe; White politely stands still. 79 MPH outside and low this time. At Bat identifies it as a changeup, and I’ll let you do with that what you will. 80 MPH change outside middle; White’s politeness gone, he shoots to kill. Hoby survives, but Wilson steps onto the field. Andrés Muñoz arrives and cleans up the mess with four pitches. No dance for Hoby tonight. It is an inauspicious start for a pitcher who was in talks with Seattle during the off-season. The comments rain down, but you sillies, you waste your words.

You think you can hurt Hoby?

Hoby has been saddled with a David Hasellhoff-inspired name all this life.

Hoby grew up with the fragility of baseball dreams woven into his childhood. His father, Brian, made his big league debut at age 18, played two games and never returned to the majors.

Hoby was a multiway player throughout college until he took a fastball to the eye.

Hoby named his cat Darth Kittypuss because he wanted to make a play on Darth Sidious.

Hoby has raced through the streets in a stranger’s car as his organ failed.

Hoby is on his seventh team in nine seasons, zigzagging across the country and toiling intermittently in the minors for years.

Hoby survived Anaheim in 2020.

Hoby’s overhead pictures depict a shadow that looks closer to kokopelli than a human man pitching.

Hoby has never known a velocity beginning with 9.

You cannot hurt Hoby. Only Hoby can hurt Hoby. And he knows it could always be worse. He’s a perfect Mariner.

Brandon Williamson returns to the mound for the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday to start the series finale against the San Diego Padres. In doing so, he’ll make his first appearance in the big leagues since all the way back on April 29th as a shoulder issue shelved him for the bulk of the 2026 season.

That, of course, is after he missed all of the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery. That is on top of him making only 3 appearances during the 2024 season, as injury after injury has set him back at just about every turn.

How he finishes this season will go a long, long way towards the Cincinnati Reds being able to plan for their 2027 starting rotation. To be quite honest, they pretty desperately need Williamson to be a dependable, available option, and it sure seems like he’s going to get the chance to show that’s what he can be down the stretch.

First pitch is slated for an early 12:40 PM ET start. Here’s how both clubs will line up for first pitch: