Apr 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Mets owner Steve Cohen sits court side during the first quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets return to action tonight and will turn to young Nolan McLean to halt their slide.
Juan Soto should be back in uniform for the Mets soon, but Max Ralph pondered the question that’s on everybody’s mind: When exactly will Soto be back on the field?
Jared Greenspan explored the history of teams that have endured long losing streaks like the Mets, and what it means for their playoff hopes.
The team is backing Carlos Mendoza amid the losing streak, which isn’t sitting right with everybody. Still, it is clear that there’s enough blame to go around here.
On This Week In Mets, Tim Britton discussed the Mets having 10 days to save their season.
Did you have the NL Central as baseball’s best division? Be honest. Of course you didn’t, but it is.
Ken Rosenthal analyzed the deep problems the Mets, Phillies, and Astros face beyond their managers, who are not safe despite this not being entirely their faults.
The Yankees’ rotation might be this generation’s Murderers’ Row, explains Mike Lupica.
Cam Schlittler, who grew up a Red Sox fan in Massachucetts, says he and his family have received threats ahead of his start against the Red Sox in Fenway, but is nevertheless excited to pitch in the series.
The Royals released former first round pick Asa Lacy after six injury-riddled seasons.
Old friend Edwin Díaz will miss three month as he is set to undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow.
The Twins placed right-hander Mick Abel on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Abel was slated to face the Mets tonight.
Sonny Gray exited his start on Patriots’ Day with right hamstring tightness.
The Red Sox used some late-game small ball to secure an 8-6 victory over the Tigers on Patriots’ Day.
Colin Rea and a plethora of defensive gems helped Chicago top Philadelphia yesterday for their sixth straight win.
The first-place Reds won again, defeating the Rays 6-1 for their fourth straight victory. After some friendly pre-game trash talk, Elly De La Cruz robbed Junior Caminero with an incredible catch.
The Blue Jays had to take three buses from Phoenix to Anaheim, but they shook off the rust and prevailed 5-2 over the Angels for a series-opening win.
The Astros beat up the Guardians 9-2.
The Orioles edged the lowly Royals 7-5 in 12 innings.
The Mariners fell 6-4 to the Athletics, but Julio Rodríguez made a catch that people are talking about in the loss.
The Dodgers trounced the Rockies 12-3. In the win, Dave Roberts went with his gut and flipped Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas in the lineup, resulting in three homers between the two. Shohei Ohtani also extended his on-base streak to 52.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
I wrote about the decision the Mets face with Carlos Mendoza
Detroit Tigers shortstop Bryce Rainer talks to reporters March 20, 2026, before the Spring Breakout game at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida. | Evan Petzold / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After a really unfortunate shoulder injury that short-circuited a hot start to his pro career, the Detroit Tigers third ranked prospect, shortstop Bryce Rainer, has had a sluggish return to action in 2026. However, it’s only been 11 games, and he’s returning after 10 months away from game action, so it’s no surprise that he needed some time to get his bearings. The Tigers are unconcerned, and the 20-year-old Rainer was promoted to the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps on Monday. In his place, the Tigers have activated their 2025 first round pick in the draft, prep shortstop Jordan Yost, assigning him to Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers for his full season debut.
Rainer was the 11th round pick out of Harvard-Westlake HS in the 2024 MLB draft. He hit the ground running in 2025 in Lakeland, showing off 70 grade raw power and a big arm that had made him more of a pitching prospect in high school until he broke out with the bat during his senior season. He immediately turned heads by hammering fastballs and going the opposite way with authority, showing good zone judgement, and displaying good defensive chops and speed on the basepaths. The left-hander hitter showed some early weakness against breaking balls, but was well on his way to a great pro debut and a rapid promotion to West Michigan when he tore his right rotator cuff diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt. So he’s really picking up about where he left off last May.
Some struggles as he faces some more advanced pitching should be expected, as with only 46 games worth of experience against pro pitching out of high school, there is bound to be some catching up to do. There’s no rush, and as long as he’s handling the level well by year’s end that’s very good progress, setting him up to tackle Double-A in his age 21 season in 2027.
Rainer missed the rest of the 25 season after the injury, and the Tigers eased him back into action throughout minor league camp in March. Since the Florida State League got underway, the Tigers have played him at shortstop in 8 of his 11 games and worked out of the DH slot in the rest. Rainer hasn’t hit the ground running offensively, but he’s continued to post some eye-popping exit velocity numbers that surpass anything a current Detroit Tigers hitter has managed, Riley Greene included.
A 477 foot blast last week that left the bat at over 116 mph made a statement that Rainer was stronger and swinging the bat even faster than last year. On the other hand, he’s been taking an awful lot of called strikes so far, and seems a little tight in the batters box. This early on it’s hard to say if the passivity is an issue here or just Rainer reacclimating himself. I would bet the latter.
As for Yost, he’s so far followed a familiar pattern since draft day. Lauded for his elite bat to ball skills and strike zone judgement, as well as the potential for Gold Glove defense at the shortstop position, the shortcoming scouts pointed to around draft day was his slender frame and low level of present power. There was some thought that Yost might never even develop good gap power. The Tigers obviously begged to differ, and they’re developing a track record of being correct on these matters. The slender, six-foot tall left-handed hitter built 13 pounds of good muscle between draft day and spring training, and immediately debuted in major league camp with a grand slam this spring in his first place appearance outside of the back fields. It wasn’t a cheap home run either.
So, some concerns about Yost’s future power potential were immediately alleviated. The 19-year-old will probably never be a big time power threat, but he’s got all the tools to develop into a really good hitting shortstop who plays high end defense, steals bases, and gives the Tigers 15 home runs a year with plenty of extra base hits. At the same time, he’s just getting started, and there’s a very long way to go.
So far, the Harris/Greenberg strategy of favoring athletic prep players with high end contact ability and worrying about power potential later is paying off already in the form of Kevin McGonigle thanks to the work of scouting chiefs Rob Metzler and Mark Conner. The long-term future of the Tigers’ infield could be really exciting. The heavy emphasis on locking up good prep pitchers in the draft, on the other hand, is not working out well at all, but there’s time for that to turn around.
It’s a positive, if not surprising, sign that Ryan Garko and Shane Ferrell decided Yost didn’t need extended spring training or work in the Complex League, which opens on May 2, to help prepare him for Florida State League action. Rainer moving up made this the move, but the timing makes sense as well, as the Flying Tigers will start a homestand against the New York Yankees affiliate, the Tampa Bay Tarpons on Tuesday evening. Fellow 2025 first rounder Michael Oliveto will probably need a little more time to refine his work at the catcher position comign out of high school, but his bat is also advanced enough that the two should unite with the Flying Tigers before too long.
As for Rainer, the Tigers wanted to give him some time to get his feet under him before what is still a pretty rapid promotion. At the same time, he’ll be 21 in July and is ready to be pushed even if he struggles along the way. The psuedo rehab assignment in Lakeland allowed him to play in decent weather as he got up to speed. With a homestand starting on Tuesday night versus the Lake County Captains and the weather turning back to spring, it’s a good week to get out to LMCU Park and catch the Whitecaps if you’re in the area. Rainer will probably need some time to adapt to more consistent breaking stuff in the Midwest League, but his defense and the crazy raw power on display are comfortably worth the price of admission alone. He’s a riskier prospect than McGonigle or Max Clark, but the upside here is tremendous.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has a message for anyone who thinks his team is bending MLB's rules regarding two-way players: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
The Dodgers came under fire recently from Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who took issue with a recent game in which Shohei Ohtani served as a starting pitcher, but wasn't also in the lineup as designated hitter.
Before the Brewers' game on Monday, April 20, Counsell called the rule "bizarre" and suggested it gives the Dodgers an unfair advantage. "There’s not another player like that," Counsell said, "but one team gets different rules for that player."
"We're more than willing to have other teams go out and find a player that can do both (pitching and hitting)," Roberts said. "He's an exception because he's an exceptional player."
Ohtani went 1-for-4 with two walks and two runs scored in the Dodgers' win on Monday night. In the process he extended his streak of reaching base to 52 consecutive games, moving him ever closer to Duke Snider's franchise record of 58 in a row.
Counsell will have a chance to express his concerns directly to Roberts and Ohtani this weekend when the Cubs visit Dodger Stadium for a three-game series against the two-time defending World Series champions.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 18: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves waves to Phillies fans after the final out for the 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park on April 18, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Monday was another fun day for the Braves offense as they won their sixth straight game in a 9-4 victory over the Nationals. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson had big games, while the offense as a whole once again delivered. However, the story of the game was a stretch of concern after Ronald Acuna Jr. left the game after being hit by a pitch two different times. Fortunately, x-rays were negative and he is day-to-day. Despite the brief scare, it was another highly successful night for the Braves.
One development to watch this week is the potential for Didier Fuentes to start Thursday’s game vs. the Nats. Walt Weiss commented that Chris Sale could be a candidate to move back on the schedule due to having a pretty thorough previous outing. If the Braves take care of business over the next few days, Fuentes could be be an option to start Thursday it seems.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 19: Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The 2025 American League Cy Young runner-up, Garrett Crochet, ranks 72nd of 73 qualified pitchers in ERA this season. Through five starts, he’s registered a 7.88 ERA in 24 innings. Over his last two starts, he’s allowed more earned runs than strikeouts, and more home runs than scoreless innings. After the worst start of his career against the Minnesota Twins, he came out and surrendered a first-inning run against the Detroit Tigers, making Red Sox Nation hold its collective breath. After cruising through the second, third, and fourth innings and allowing Red Sox fans to exhale, the Tigers jumped on him for four more runs in the fifth inning so fast that any breath would have been a gasp.
So, is it time to worry? I touched on this briefly in my game recap, but I say no. The velocity dipped in his start against Minnesota, and he paid the price for it, but it was following a 100+ pitch performance, and consistent with an early-season outing last season after a long outing, when he also temporarily lost some velo. It was back up on Sunday, and the stuff looked as sharp as it normally does. His sinkers on the armside earned strikes, while his fastballs above the zone flew by hitters in two-strike counts. He didn’t get as many strikes with his cutter, but it wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t use the pitch at all.
But there are two problems worth keeping an eye on.
The first is that he’s falling behind hitters. In 2025, Crochet threw 31.5% of his pitches ahead in the count. So far in 2026, that number is down to 25.2%. The league average is down to about 28% from 29%, potentially in part due to ABS, but Crochet went from above average to below. He’s also getting to two-strike counts against fewer hitters. In 2025, according to my janky Excel work, he got two strikes against 57% of the hitters he faced. In 2026, he’s getting to put away counts against 46% of opponents.
The second problem is his execution with two strikes, particularly with his sweeper. I’m going to focus on righties because Crochet isn’t going to see many lefties. Lefties are 4 for 13 against Crochet this season, but his sinker is still incredibly effective, and opponents will start as many righties as possible against him.
In two-strike counts against righties, his sweeper accounts for almost 35% of his offerings. That makes it his most used pitch in those counts, a year after his four-seam dominated in two-strike counts. While he’s throwing it more, it’s been less effective. The putaway rate is down from 30% to 19%, despite a nearly identical shape. When the shape is the same, and the way a pitch is deployed is the same, but the results are different, it typically comes down to location. That’s the case here.
Simply put, he’s not getting the ball to the glove side as frequently. A left-handed sweeper to a right-handed hitter will play best at the back foot, and Crochet hasn’t thrown to that spot as often this season. When it’s over the middle or up, righties can get around it and pull it to left field for hits. The good news is the stuff is still there. Maybe it’s feel, maybe it’s a mechanical issue. Let’s look at it in practice.
Here’s Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning. His first time up, we walked on five pitches, three of them nowhere close to the strike zone.
The at-bat starts with a fastball for a called strike. It looks like he wanted it up and in, but misses on the arm side, but it’s a strike nonetheless. Good start.
At 0-1, Crochet goes to his sweeper and locates it low in the zone. It’s hard to say if Narvaez’s target is meant to be where the ball is supposed to start or finish, so he might have been looking to backdoor it for a called strike. If it is a miss, it’s not a bad one. It’s low in the zone, and Torkelson’s early swing fouls it off. Now at 0-2, Crochet can throw whatever he wants. I’d probably elevate a four-seam, or double up on the sweeper, and try to get it to the back foot.
He goes with a sinker that’s supposed to be away from Torkelson, but he spikes it for ball one. It’s a non-competitive pitch and a hard sequence off. At 1-2, I’d again look for an elevated four-seam or sweeper.
It’s the sweeper, and it’s a really good one. It doesn’t get a swing, but it’s located in an area where he will get swings if he throws it consistently. It’s maybe a little bit low, but that’s nitpicking. After spitting on a good breaking ball, hitters often look for a fastball because they feel as if they showed the pitcher they have the breaking ball covered. He also knows that Crochet doesn’t want to get to 3-2 with a runner on base and two outs. With that in mind, Crochet can double up on the sweeper in the same location to get a chase from Torkelson.
See what I mean? Torkelson is clearly looking for something hard, and he’s way out in front of this one. That’s basically it for Crochet. When he locates the sweeper, he’s going to carve up lineups. When he doesn’t, and hitters can look for one of his fastballs, things get more difficult. The ability to drop changeups in for called strikes to keep hitters honest would go a long way, but he’s never shown the willingness to commit to the pitch or the ability to throw it in the strike zone.
So that’s what it looks like when it’s going good, but what about when it’s going poorly? Here’s a look at some two-strike offerings against Matt Vierling in the first inning.
The first 0-2 pitch is a sweeper that’s fouled off. Notice the location? It’s in the zone, neither inside nor low enough to get a whiff.
He doubles up on it after the foul ball, this one misses on the arm side, where it’s never close to being a strike. Here are all the whiffs he got on the sweeper against righties last season.
There are a few away from righties, but the vast majority came down and in. Moving on.
At 1-2, Crochet goes to the cutter, and it again catches too much of the plate. Vierling fouls it down the line, and we do it again.
He tries to elevate a four-seam for his fourth two-strike pitch of the at-bat, but it’s down in the zone and fouled straight back. A straight-back foul ball typically means the hitter just missed it, so I’d avoid doubling up on that one.
He goes back to the sweeper, and it’s up in the zone. Vierling gets around it and pulls it into left field for a double. As an aside, sweepers typically benefit from velocity. This one was only 80 mph, a few ticks below his average. I know this is the forum where I’m supposed to dive into this stuff, but it’s late, and I have a deadline, so keep an eye on my Twitter for more on how his sweeper velocity could be impacting his performance.
That’s an example of Crochet not being able to put guys away, one of the issues I mentioned. The other is falling behind hitters. I won’t bore you with videos of Crochet missing with his fastball over and over again, only for the fastballs in the zone to get hit because hitters are ready for it. That’s what happened with Dillon Dingler, who blew the game wide open with his fifth-inning home run.
Long story short, I’d bet on a bounce-back from Crochet. The stuff is still there, and it’s just a matter of execution. Why he hasn’t been able to locate with two strikes, I can’t tell you. Fortunately, it likely isn’t a months-long fix. It could be as simple as throwing on the side between starts and making a tweak to get right. It’s not as if he was totally lost on Sunday, either. It’s easy to think about the run he allowed in the first inning and think that he struggled all day, but in reality, he dominated for the better part of 4.2 innings. His next start will likely come against the Orioles this weekend. I’m backing the pig to get back on track when that time comes.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 19: Edwin Diaz #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the mound in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff [Sunday], and it sent up red flags,” Roberts said. “And so, after the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. So we just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get an MRI, get imaging, which we did do, and it showed loose bodies.”
“I think we have a lot of guys capable of pitching in the ninth inning,” Gomes said. “It is a different three outs, but we also have multiple guys that have done it at a high level in the past.”
Sasaki turned in sharp results, and his velocity played up in his short stint as a reliever during last year’s playoff run. But his role in the bullpen was strictly situational. The plan was always for him to return to the rotation. Gomes doubled down on that once more Monday afternoon. When he was asked if Sasaki was a candidate to move to the bullpen, the executive responded with a one-word answer: “No.”
“He’s also making more contact this year, and his 20% strikeout rate is the lowest of his career. That’s encouraging, given the biggest question about Morales’ offensive profile is his hit tool,” wrote Ian Cundall at Baseball America. “The Dodgers have a stable of intriguing prospects on the Ontario team, but Morales might have the most upside of them all. He’s already showing present ability at the plate, and his bat could be ready for a new test soon.”
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 16: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) reacts after the final out of the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians on April 16, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It is time for Parker Messick to pitch.
The Guardians lost a bad game, yesterday, 9-2, to the Astros. Slade Cecconi looked pretty lousy again, but at least he said the right things after the game:
Cecconi: "I’ve been getting dragged through it a little bit, but f—, that’s baseball. Got sick for a couple weeks, I’ve pitched in 30 degree weather twice. Experiences like this will make me better, regardless of how I feel right now."
Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo, David Fry, Bo Naylor and Juan Brito are providing next to nothing at the plate. Connor Brogdon, Shawn Armstrong and Matt Festa continue to get hit hard every time out. So, if we solve those eight issues, we’ll win a World Series. Nice to know.
AROUND MLB:
The Tigers and Royals both lost. The Mets lost their 11th straight, which is quite funny.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: A detailed view of the cap and Rawling baseball glove belonging to Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants sitting in the dugout in the bottom of the second inning of a major league baseball game at Oracle Park on April 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants return to Oracle Park today to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time this season.
I can’t lie, I’m kind of dreading this series. The wins over the weekend were great, and exactly what the team needed to build some momentum. Unfortunately, I’m concerned that said momentum is going to lead them straight into a brick wall when the Dodgers come to town. But I can maintain cautious optimism.
That’s the nice thing about rivalries, they can bring out the best in the players and cause unlikely things to happen. Like the Giants not getting swept. That would be wonderful. And I’m going to hope for it.
How are you all feeling about the Giants and Dodgers series this week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants and Dodgers play game one of this three-game series tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.
BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Brandon Young #63 of the Baltimore Orioles looks to delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during a Grapefruit League spring training game at LECOM Park on February 27, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The early weeks of the 2026 Orioles season are giving off vibes that maybe it is going to turn into an anxious look down to the farm for better times for the team in the future. Hopefully those vibes go away. Until they do, every prospect development story feels essential. It’s important even if things get better for the team. They’re going to need guys they can trade to supplement the MLB roster with players who are actually capable of coming here and performing well for the duration of the remaining time before they hit free agency.
These weekly updates focus on the team’s top prospects, particularly those on Camden Chat’s composite top 20 Orioles prospect list from before the season. They also include other guys who interest us who might develop into prospects over time. I do not tend to spend much time on non-prospect journeymen, though one never knows who might turn into the next Jeremiah Jackson.
Here’s how things went this week:
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week: 3-3 at Durham (Rays)
Coming week: vs. Memphis (Cardinals)
Season record: 8-13, t-last place (6.0 GB) in International League East
The Tides are home to this week’s International League Pitcher of the Week. The winner of that honor is a guy I had pretty much given up on going into this season, Brandon Young. He was on fire this past week, though, throwing 5.2 hitless innings where he struck out ten batters. Counting his MLB start, Young has given up just two earned runs across 21.2 innings. I don’t know if it means anything in the long run, but it’s interesting.
Young was not the only Norfolk starter to have a good week. His fellow erstwhile Oriole, Cade Povich, also struck out ten men, with one run allowed over five innings. Pitching prospect Nestor Germanalso struck out ten men, though in his case it was over 4.1 innings with one run surrendered. Trey Gibson didn’t manage to strike out ten guys, but two runs allowed in five innings isn’t bad.
Levi Wells could not complete the party, allowing nine runs in four innings. Rehabbing major leaguer Andrew Kittredge also had a tough one, like seven earned runs in 1.2 innings over two outings. Keegan Akin is also rehabbing here. He did better, allowing a run over 2.1 innings. Dietrich Enns was also part of the rehab squad, pitching one scoreless inning.
For Norfolk batters, the standout for the week was a guy who’s making an early bid to be this year’s version of Jeremiah Jackson. That’s shortstop José Barrero, who smashed three homers over these games to raise his early season OPS to .982. Jud Fabian hit two homers, drew four walks, and struck out eight times. Whatever that guy is, he continues to be very that. Enrique Bradfield Jr. also had a nice week at the plate, with five hits in four games, and two stolen bases in the field.
Others of interest
C/1B Creed Willems – Was not part of the hitting party this week, going just 3-18. He did draw five walks though, so good for him.
Season record: 7-7, fourth place (5.0 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
Since I’m doing the update this week, you will have to first endure an update on my prospect crush, Aron Estrada. Not much to say about him this week, though, as he batted 4-16 with one double. At 21, he remains young for this level, but it’d be more exciting if he was OPSing above .629.
Chesapeake’s top hitter over these games was Brandon Butterworth, one of the players from the big Padres trade last year. He had seven hits, including a homer, and stole a pair of bases over five games played. I dig that.
It was the pitching staff that sent the Baysox to a poor record over these games. They gave up at least six runs in all five games that were played and allowed 10+ in three games. Among the guys who absorbed bad numbers were lefty Luis De León, who allowed four runs over four innings in his lone start, and reliever Tyson Neighbors, another guy from the Padres trade, who surrendered six earned runs in a three-inning outing.
Others of interest
C/1B Ethan Anderson – Hitless in 12 at-bats across three games
IF Griff O’Ferrall – One hit in 12 at-bats. If you want to feel better, he walked five times
OF Thomas Sosa – The power-hitting outfielder was 4-22 at the plate; three of the four hits were doubles
Season record: 6-8, fifth place (4.5 GB) in South Atlantic League North
The tradition last season was to begin Aberdeen’s updates by asking, how many times did Vance Honeycutt strike out this week? It continues with Frederick, and this week’s answer is 11 times in 20 at-bats. It’s a lot of strikeouts. However, Honeycutt did also get five hits, including two dingers, and he stole three bases, so that’s not nothing.
Your favorite recent Orioles first round pick and mine, Ike Irish, had five hits, including a homer, and also stole three bases. Irish outpaced Honeycutt in OBP by walking four times. Two guys managed to top both of these OPS numbers: Victor Figueroa (yet another player from that Padres trade) and Braylin Tavera. Figueroa now has a 1.157 OPS through ten games.
Joseph Dzierwa proved to be human over these games, giving up three runs while walking four batters over five innings. Okay, so he’s not just going to pitch shutouts with double digit strikeouts all the way up to MLB. His teammate JT Quinn, another early round pitcher from last year, continued to rock, tossing five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
Others of interest
2B Jackson Holliday – Played two games of a new rehab assignment, notching two hits in eight at-bats
SS Wehiwa Aloy – 3-19 at the plate over this week, with nine strikeouts
OF Nate George – 5-22 over five games, including a double, and he stole three bases, but with no walks that’s still a rough OBP for the week
RHP Juaron Watts-Brown – Rehabbing at this level after starting on the IL with a shoulder injury, allowing one run on three hits and three walks over five innings
LHP Boston Bateman – Piggybacked a relief outing, three scoreless innings with two hits, a walk, and a hit batter while striking out five guys
Season record: 4-11, fifth place (6.0 GB) in Carolina League North
DJ Layton, I see you. After spending last year with the Florida Complex League squad, the 2024 sixth round pick is making his full-season affiliate debut this year. It’s off to an excellent start, which the shortstop added to over the last week by going 6-18 with a double and a homer, plus five walks, plus two stolen bases. (He was caught twice, too. Not the ideal percentage.) The 19-year-old Layton is still a young guy for this level. He’s OPSing 1.062 through his first 14 games. Love to see some more of that.
The pitcher most worth following on this roster, at least going into the season, is Esteban Mejia. I do not have good news to share about him this week. He failed to complete the third inning in his one start, walking a whopping eight guys. No, I’m not kidding. Eight walks! This time last year, the similarly-command-challenged Keeler Morfe got some attention. Hopefully Mejia does not follow down the same road. Three starts in, the results aren’t encouraging.
Others of interest
OF Jordan Sanchez – One of my hoped-for sleeper picks for the system this season. 3-21 batting and a .445 OPS overall so far isn’t an early winner on that pick.
RHP Kiefer Lord – Barely pitched since being drafted by the team in 2023, which is why he’s 23 and still in Low-A. Eight strikeouts in five innings this week, with only one run allowed.
This is the only week all season where all four of these affiliates are at home. The Orioles will also be at home for the coming weekend. You have the opportunity to watch a lot of O’s-connected baseball in the mid-Atlantic from now through Sunday.
Past seasons have allowed us to present a poll where readers are able to choose their minor league player of the week. Unfortunately, technical changes outside of our control no longer allow us to embed polls the way we could before and we cannot track winners as the season goes along.
Rather than a poll, the comments are up for discussion. Who were the standout efforts for you over this past week? Whose early minor league performance has you concerned? Who are you excited to follow as the season goes along? Let us know in the comments below.
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Michael Brauner (Chicago Cubs on SI): Cubs Flashy Young Prospect is Biggest Trade Deadline Candidate to be Moved. “Beyond just the difficult path to playing time, Jefferson Rojas is thought highly enough of in prospect circles that he could be the centerpiece of a big-time deal to bring another ace to Chicago. Slashing .294/.351/.618 over 10 Double-A games at the age of just 20 this season, his status could continue to climb.”
Field Level Media (Deadspin): On 5-game win streak, Cubs aim to add to Phillies’ woes. “Both teams continued going in opposite directions while completing a home series Sunday. The Cubs closed out a three-game sweep of the New York Mets with a 2-1, 10-inning win, while the Phillies suffered their fifth consecutive loss as the Atlanta Braves finished a three-game sweep with a 4-2 victory.”
Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Alex Bregman knows what he wants his swing to look like, but he’s not there yet. “A lot of what Bregman is currently doing at the plate normally leads to success. He’s not chasing or swinging and missing, both at an elite rate. He’s squaring the ball up frequently, and his hard-hit rate is the highest it’s ever been. Still, the results just aren’t coming. It’s not hard to find the culprit. Bregman’s groundball rate of 47.8 percent is nearly a dozen points higher than his career average.”
Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Jordan Wicks returns to the mound and could be a critical piece of the Cubs’ puzzle, “Wicks spent the offseason tweaking some things and the hope is he can pitch meaningful innings for the Cubs this year. On Saturday, he took the first step toward achieving that goal, making his first start of the year. Wicks fired three scoreless frames for the Iowa Cubs, filling up the strike zone before calling it a day. It was a strong first step back after working his way back from nerve irritation that delayed his start to the season. Given the injuries that have ravaged the pitching staff, this team isn’t in a position to be overly picky.”
Jared Wyllys (Allchgo.com): Craig Counsell juggling hitter development with winning. “In moments like the sixth inning of Saturday’s game, Counsell’s focus is on getting runs on the board and winning a ballgame. That is going to mean pinch-hitting for guys like Ballesteros later in games. A part of a team’s long-term success comes from every guy understanding his role and being willing to put the group above the self.”
Joey Mistretta (ClutchPoints.com): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s favorite MLB player is his Cubs teammate. “”We got the best bat to ball guy in baseball and my favorite player in baseball as our leadoff hitter,” Crow-Armstrong said of Nico Hoerner. “So getting on third base with one out and having Nico up, you’re pretty confident that you’re gonna find home plate somehow.”“
Billy Heyen (Sporting News): Mark McGwire’s son is climbing the ladder toward the Chicago Cubs.“Mason McGwire made his first start of the 2026 season on Sunday, and he threw two perfect innings before allowing a double and a hit batter in the third. A double play allowed him to escape there, and he went 1-2-3 in the fourth. He had five strikeouts in the outing, as well.”
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Hey, a Cubs Pitching Prospect Won Weekly Honors for All of Minor League Baseball! “The system is heavier on the positional side right now in any case, and Jaxon Wiggins has been hurt (sigh), but we’re still hoping there will be some big pitching breakouts over the course of the season. The system really, really needs it. That’s why, even if only for one appearance, it was very good to see Mason McGwire nab a lot of positive attention today”
Mike Sullivan (Sporting News): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s offense is a concerning problem for Cubs. “The struggles from mid-July on in 2025 have returned in 2026. His offense has become a major issue for the Cubs and is something to be worried about this season. If it weren’t for his stellar defense in the outfield, the $115 million outfielder would be someone the team would have a lot greater concerns over. Crow-Armstrong is hitting .222 this season with just one homer and a .585 OPS. Last season, he had a .768 OPS and 119 OPS+. He’s down to a 72 OPS+ this year. Another concerning part of his game that hopefully will get better is his base-stealing ability. He’s stolen four bases this year, but he’s been caught three times, the most in MLB so far.”
Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times {$}): Injuries to Cubs’ bullpen forcing manager Craig Counsell to be flexible. ‘‘When the names are changing quickly, then your plans are a little more flexible and they’re going to change a little quicker,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘We’ve got enough new bodies down there that, day-to-day, roles can change a little bit.’’
Steve Adams (MLB Trade Rumors): Cubs Re-Sign Dylan Carlson To Minor League Deal. “Back with the Cubs now, Carlson will provide some depth in the upper minors. Chicago’s roster has been decimated by injury, but nearly all of the health problems for the Cubs have been on the pitching side of things.”
Daryl Van Schouwen (Chicago Sun-Times {$}): Jameson Taillon doesn’t discount struggling Mets, then holds them to one run in six innings. “It would have been easy to think silly thoughts and let the Mets’ losing streak get into his head. But Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon wouldn’t allow it on his drive Saturday to Wrigley Field. ‘‘I wasn’t going to fall into the trap of thinking this was a bad team or a struggling team,’’ Taillon said. ‘‘You look at the names up and down the lineup, I came in here not wanting to be the reason they got hot. I had that conversation with myself.’’”
Jared Bloom (Sporting News): Strong pitching and high-scoring offense have the Cubs surging despite injuries. “Pitching was especially big for the club over the weekend. Jameson Taillon went six strong innings on Saturday, while Javier Assad went 5.2 innings, giving up just one run on three hits in the 2-1 extra-inning win on Sunday. On top of solid pitching, the Cubs have gotten good offensive production last week. Nico Hoerner has really stepped up lately, hitting two home runs and having 11 runs batted in over the last five games.”
A highly accomplished guitarist and singer/songwriter with a strong musical point of view grounded in the very best blues traditions. Combine those talents with original blues-based material and you begin to understand Daniel Castro’s strengths as an artist. After cutting his teeth in South Central L.A. blues clubs with “Mighty Mouth” Delmar Evans, who worked with the Johnny Otis Show, Castro backed other great artists from Otis’ band, including Pee Wee Crayton and Little Ester Phillips. He also recorded and toured with many other artists including legendary Small Faces singer-bassist Ronnie Lane. A Daniel Castro Band performance is soulful, polished, and intense as the group shifts from one scintillating groove to the next. Daniel covers lead vocals and rhythm and lead guitar with amazing dexterity. Musical chemistry is obvious from the first note the band plays and it never lets up.
A group of students from a Kansas high school rode to prom in style when they were able to enlist the services of an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
“People take limos,” student Cooper Lietz said. “This is basically just a big hot dog limo.”
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Munetaka Murakami sends another one into orbit. | (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Last week, the White Sox were 2-5. Over this past seven-day stretch, they were 2-5. Sounds like an emerging pattern.
The week opened with incredibly positive energy as the club called up Noah Schultz on Tuesday, and, after a miscommunication, brought up Sam Antonacci on Wednesday. Promoting the organization’s No. 2 and No. 9 prospects is a big deal. So is getting swept at home — and not in a good way.
Debuts
Things got underway with a three-game set at Rate Field against the Tampa Bay Rays. Somehow, the teams played the entire series without delay, even amid one of the area’s rainiest Aprils on record. Schultz, a Chicagoland native, made it 4 1/3 innings in his first outing, allowing four runs (three earned), walking four, and punching out four. Was it the debut he had hoped for? Probably not. However, when the offense can only get within one, and the bullpen gives up four more after your exit, it is easier to sleep knowing that you were not the sole contributor to the loss.
The Southpaw made his second start of his young career on Sunday and had quite the bounce back. Five innings of one-run ball, with one walk, six strikeouts, and some run support, is enough to earn the first win of your career.
On Wednesday, it was Antonacci’s turn to rally the South Side around him and earn a win for his debut. Instead, the pitching gave up eight earned runs, four apiece by Sean Burke and Tyler Gilbert. The offense spent the entire game trying to score but was unable to do so until the bottom of the ninth inning. The Springfield native got his first hit in the bottom of the second with a blooper to right field. Hawk Harrelson would’ve called it a “Kansas City special” if he were still on the air. In the same inning, the second baseman also recorded his first caught stealing. Despite the loss, Antonacci went 1-for-3 on the night with a walk and a run scored, so it is doubtful he will ever forget Tax Day 2026.
Davis Martin is making a name for himself this season with just four starts under his belt. The righthander opened the series with the Athletics out in Sacramento with seven strong innings. His ERA is now down to 2.16 after giving up just one run, walking two, and striking out four. Martin leads the team with three quality starts. If you were wondering who else on the team has a quality start to their name, the answer is no one.
On the opposite side of positive pitching performances is Seranthony Domínguez. There wasn’t much that went right for the “closer” this week. In three appearances, the struggling righty gave up three runs, hit two batters, walked four, and earned a loss. Domínguez is the star child of an overall struggling bullpen. If there are silver linings here, he did earn a save in Sunday’s win. It was not without drama as two men reached base to bring the tying run to the plate before he shut it down.
Hitting
In the last edition of this recap, much time was spent discussing how the offense was struggling and the severe lack of home runs. This week, round-trippers were abundant. Leading the charge is Japanese phenom Munetaka Murakami. The lefty doubled his home run total during the week by hitting a whopping four long balls. One of them came at home in the bottom of the ninth inning of Tuesday’s loss against the Rays.
Munetaka hit the other three at the highly touted Sutter Health Park against the (just) Athletics. The highlight reel dinger came on Friday night in the form of a grand slam; he smashed it 431 feet over the batter’s eye. If 114.1 mph off the bat wasn’t impressive enough, he hit another home run with the same velocity, 425 feet to right field, in Sunday’s finale.
Mune now finds himself as the first Japanese-born player to hit eight home runs in his first 22 games. Even though he is still striking out at a high rate (33.3%), he is also drawing a considerable number of walks (21.5%). In the six games he played last week, Murakami recorded seven free passes.
The rest of the offense also had itself quite a week. As a team, the South Siders hit 14 home runs. That is an average of two four-baggers per game! The increase in long balls boosted the team’s batting average as well. There are only five batters left on the team that are batting below .200. One of those batters is Antonacci, and it’s a small sample size with only five at-bats under his belt. There is significant room for improvement, but over the last seven days, the White Sox ranked 12th in strikeouts and third in walks drawn. Looking for the light in the dark.
The key to success for this team is for the pitching to click at the same time as the hitting. When these things stay in sync for more than three days, this team can put together a winning streak. In lighter news, this is the first time the Chicago White Sox have reached eight wins before May 1 since 2021. That’s either comforting or mildly embarrassing, depending on your perspective. Either way, this is our baseball team.
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Asa Lacy #33 of the Kansas City Royals poses during Photo Day on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Lacy, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 Draft, came to the Kansas City organization as a highly touted left-handed pitcher from Texas A&M who, on stuff alone, showed the potential of a frontline starter. The Royals gave him a $6.67 million signing bonus, a franchise record for a drafted pitcher. He was ranked as high as No. 30 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list in 2021, his first full season in professional baseball.
But Lacy never found the command to allow him to take a step forward in his early seasons, and then injuries took over, including a lat/shoulder injury in 2021, a back injury in ‘22 and ‘23 and two Tommy John surgeries — one in the offseason after the ‘23 season and one in ‘25. He’s still rehabbing from the second one.
Jaylon Thompson writes about Jonathan India hitting the Injured List.
The Royals are hopeful India isn’t sidelined long-term. For now, he will meet with team doctors to determine the severity of the injury. “It’s a chronic shoulder issue that he’s had,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, it just wasn’t getting better this year. He aggravated it a few times on dives. And it’s loose. It’s something he’s gonna have to get checked out and see if we can help him get through it.”
The 1914 World Series champion sat 14 games under .500 in early July. The Braves — and this is so long ago that they played their home games in Boston — were baseball’s laughingstock, 11 straight losing seasons and barreling toward another before they suddenly and stunningly won 68 of their final 87 games to earn a spot in the World Series.
Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman writes about Nick Loftin’s role as he was called up to take India’s spot.
As someone who can play all around the infield and the corner outfield, there’s no shortage of places Loftin could make his mark in this lineup. In fact, as it stands right now, there’s plenty of places he can occupy that the Royals don’t fair well in in comparison to the rest of the league.
We’ve established that Loftin could make a difference at second base, but he could make his mark in the outfield, with Caglianone, Isaac Collins, Lane Thomas and Starling Marte all performing under par.
The Blue Jays had to take a bus from Phoenix to SoCal after mechanical issues with their plane prevented air travel.
MESA, AZ - NOVEMBER 09: Josh Adamczewski #14 of the Milwaukee Brewers takes batting practice prior to the 2025 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game between the American League Fall Stars and the National League Fall Stars at Sloan Park on November 9, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Logan Henderson (No. 7): 3 IP, 2 H 1 ER, 3 BBs, 4 Ks
Tate Kuehner: 5 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hs, 1 BB, 5 Ks
Luis Lara has continued to produce for the Sounds, hitting .318 with an .832 OPS over 22 at-bats this week. The Brewers’ top outfield prospect (aside from Jett Williams) is now slashing .352/.446/.507 in his first 71 at-bats with Nashville. Injuries and ineffectiveness have plagued Milwaukee’s outfield early in the season — if Lara keeps this up for even a couple more weeks, he might see himself in a Brewers uniform this summer.
Another player that probably won’t spend the whole season in Triple-A is Williams, who had three extra base hits while walking almost exactly as much as he struck out. Williams is still only hitting .219 (.653 OPS), but this week’s performance served as a reminder why he’s considered one of the best prospects in the organization. Jeferson Quero didn’t hit for a high average this week, but came through in the clutch with more RBIs (6) than hits (4).
Brock Wilken has had a rough start to the season (7-for-60 with 24 K). Wilken hit 18 home runs in 79 games last year, but only has one through 19 games in 2026. Still, four of those seven hits came this week, which — along with his nine walks — is a sign that he’s figuring things out at the plate.
Shane Drohan served as the staff’s workhorse, giving up more than a hit per inning but limiting Worcester to 3 earned runs over 10 1/3 innings. Logan Henderson and Tate Kuehner also put together solid outings this week.
Jesús Made (No. 1): 7-for-24, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBIs, 5 BB, 2 K
Eduardo Garcia: 7-for-25, 2B, HR
Jaron DeBerry: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Tyson Hardin (No. 18): 6 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
One of Biloxi’s standout players early in the season has been shortstop Dylan O’Rae, the Brewers’ 2022 third-round pick. He raked at the lower levels of the minors before being promoted to Double-A midway through the 2024 season, where he struggled. O’Rae ended up missing the entire 2025 season to a wrist injury, but he’s back and has been seeing the ball well — hitting over .300 in back-to-back weeks. He’s worth keeping an eye on as he gets his feet under him.
Jesús Made continues to do Jesús Made things, drawing Jose Ramirez comparisons with a monster week that included five extra base hits. He now has a 1.019 OPS, making him a candidate for a Triple-A call-up — although that probably wouldn’t happen until Jett Williams debuts with the Brewers.
DeBerry and Hardin were the only Biloxi pitchers to go more than three innings and record an ERA of 3 or under. Blake Burke (4-for-24, HR) and Mike Boeve (5-for-20, 10 K) both had down weeks.
Jesús Made went 3-for-5 with a walk. His three hits included the double below. Through 15 games Made has a 1.019 OPS.
His two strike approach has been particularly impressive and he’s struck out just twice in his last 35 plate appearances.#ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/Y8X8a56ZQr
Bryce Meccage (No. 21): 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Pretty much every highly-ranked position player prospect on the Timber Rattlers has showed up to start the season. Josh Adamczewski (1.302), Luis Peña (1.059), and Braylon Payne (1.011) all have OPSes over 1.000 through the first thirteen games of the season. Marco Dinges (.955) isn’t far off of Peña and Payne.
Andrew Fischer is slashing .256/.375/.419 with 11 RBI, tied with Adamczewski for the team lead. The 20 strikeouts in 43 at-bats stand out, but there’s little reason for concern at this stage.
For one, Fischer was able to significantly reduce his strikeout rate during his final college season, showing an ability to adjust his approach while maintaining success at the plate. This is also his first full year in pro ball, so some week-to-week volatility is expected as he gets used to higher-level pitching. The strikeouts are worth monitoring, but the overall profile remains encouraging — especially if his K rate begins to stabilize over the next few weeks. Even while striking out so often, he’s still producing an OPS near .800.
Luis Peña needed some time to adjust to High-A last season, but whatever he did this offseason is already paying off. Peña is now slashing .400/.488/.571 with just six strikeouts on the year. He’s totaled three extra-base hits so far, but he’s only 19 — the power should show up in games sooner rather than later. Hard to nitpick a teenager who’s hitting .400 while making this much contact.
It’s been a tougher introduction to High-A for Eric Bitonti (No. 25), who has struck out in 18 of his first 37 at-bats (48.6%). The raw power is still very real — arguably among the best in the system — but it hasn’t translated yet, with just one home run to this point.
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) April 18, 2026
Next week’s opponent: @ Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres)
Single-A Wilson Warbirds (6-9)
Record this week: 3-3
Standout performances:
José Anderson: 5-for-20, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1 BB, 12 K
Luiyin Alastre: 5-for-19, 2 2B, 1 BB, 6 K
Juan Ortuno: 5-for-19, 3 BB, 6 K
Tyler Renz: 2 GS, 9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 7 K
The Warbirds’ offense struggled again this week, as no player with 10 or more at-bats hit above .263. Jose Anderson, who now leads Wilson with three home runs on the season, put together another solid week despite striking out 12 times in 20 at-bats. Brady Ebel went 3-for-19, although he walked more than he struck out. Jadyn Fielder went 1-for-8 with a double, three walks, and four strikeouts.
Tyler Renz started two games for Wilson and pitched well in both, ending the week with a 2.00 ERA. Renz, a 2024 18th round pick, is still just 19 years old and had a 3.19 ERA last year between rookie ball and High-A. His ERA is down to 1.93 through 14 innings this season despite walking twice as many batters per nine innings (6.43) as he did last year (3.04)
Next week’s opponent: @ Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)
Player of the Week
As always, there were a few strong candidates, but Josh Adamczewski clearly separated himself this week.
Adamczewski slashed .375/.524/1.125 with four home runs over the past seven days alone. He wasn’t ranked among the MLB Pipeline top-30 Brewers prospects entering last season, but with the graduation of Brandon Sproat he’s now inside the top 10. If you throw out the seven at-bats he logged in 2023, he’s posted an OPS of .900 or better in every season since joining the organization.
Adamczewski’s overall line this season borders on absurd: .310/.474/.828 (yes, that’s his slugging percentage, not his OPS) with five home runs in just 29 at-bats.
As of now, he’s still listed as an infielder, but he’s not a standout defender there — especially compared to players like Cooper Pratt, Made, and Peña. The Brewers are clearly prioritizing finding ways to get Adamczewski’s bat in the lineup, so they’ve been giving him most of his reps in the outfield dating back to the Arizona Fall League. That’s carried over into the regular season. Adamczewski has started every game this year in left field, with just one appearance at second base (coming as a late-game defensive substitution).
Apr 8, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer (4) during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
I spent the weekend covering the Colorado Rockies from Coors Field. Generally, I come away from events like these with ideas for stories or player profiles, but I wanted to do something a bit different this time. I found manager Warren Schaeffer’s media availabilities interesting in that I think they might answer some of the questions we’ve seen on the Purple Row board.
So, I thought I would turn today’s Rockpile over to him:
On the value of one-run games:
Winning is a skill, and we’re learning how to win right now. Little things in the game, early-approach tendencies that we have right now, flipping them. I mean, it’s a difference of a couple pitches in terms of wins and losses, and it’s very valuable that we’re playing one-run games. It’s way better than playing blowout games, that’s for sure. So we’re learning from them. We’re going to get better from them. I know the boys are grinding through it. They’re right in the fight every night, taking them one day at a time, which is what we want.
On the Rockies final game against the Houston Astros, which ended a six-game losing streak:
It was a collective team approach. There’s no doubt about it. It was discussed before the game, and I think it was a commitment to each other — at least that’s what it looked like to me. It was a commitment to each other to move the line. That’s what it looks like. It’s taking balls, not trying to be the man that drives everybody in, letting the next guy do it [and] just taking what they’re giving you. I thought we did it exceptionally well last night. It may be the best of the season. It’s something to build on. Now, the challenge is to repeat it today and to repeat it the next day, and that becomes who we are.
On Chase Dollander’s progress:
I’m more than comfortable with where he’s at because he’s having a lot of success doing it. He’s settled into a routine. The routines are very, very different from being in the bullpen and starting. I mean, obviously, we want him to be a starter long term. That’s the goal, and especially with the innings that he’s throwing right now, that’s basically what he’s doing. It’s just bulk out of the pen. But I think at the moment, we don’t want to mess with the routine because it’s going really well.
On Dollander’s timeline to return to the rotation:
[There’s] no timeline because he’s helping us win. He’s pitching big innings. He’s pitching important innings for us.
On the benefits of Dollander following an opener:
Well, the routine is huge, and the third time through the lineup, he’s not facing the top four hitters, which is a big deal. That’s the main reason why you open, in general, with anybody, is that you can potentially extend your starter longer into the game without the downside of facing the top of the order, which is a huge, huge number advantage to the offense always.
On using bulk relievers:
It is by design in terms of in April at Coors Field, specifically with us, you have a tendency — we have in the past — to absolutely overuse and destroy your one-inning relievers and pitch them in tight games, down tight games, and then by August and September, they’re fried. So I think this definitely extends our short-inning relievers for a longer time in the year. It’s helped, so far, tremendously.
On facing the Dodgers:
[We’re] very eager — no more eager than going to face the Blue Jays in their park, facing Houston at their place. I mean, respect every opponent, fear none. You’re going to hear me say that a lot. This is a team that, for a long time, has had our number, and for that reason alone, we look forward to tonight. No matter what happens tonight, we’re going to look forward to tomorrow, too.
On developing problem solvers:
This is a game where you fail more than any other game. We fail all the time in this game. So if you’re not dedicated and completely committed to solving problems that arise every single day over a 162-game season, you’re in the wrong business. There is a tendency — I get it — to have this thing be monotonous and to overlook things, but we’re not looking to do that. We can’t afford to do that. That’s not the direction we want to go in. So we all want to be problem solvers and to empower players to be problem solvers and be collaborative in the process is the way that I think work gets done the best.
On empowering players:
So when you empower players, you don’t just say, “Hey, we’re the coach. You do this because this is right.” They might be feeling something different. Each player is an individual. We want to get to the solution. It’s about being right and not who’s right. . . . But the collaborative process is the way everything always gets done the best. So I guess, the best way to put it is it’s not a one-way street. You’re empowering them to think, and you’re telling them, “We want you to come up with solutions as well, and we’ll work together to get to the best place possible.”
On overthinking:
That’s where we come in. A lot. If players are overthinkers — which there’s a lot of them out there — it’s just keeping them on track, keeping them in the lane of where we need to go, instead of going way over here or way over here if it’s detrimental. Believe it or not, sometimes, when you go over here, it leads to a solution. So it’s just a matter of knowing your person and who you’re dealing with and their tendency to go that direction, and the ability to keep them straight.
On lineup construction:
The reason Eddie [Julien] is in the top spot — and he’s staying there — is because he gets on base, and that’s his skill set. And we need guys on base at the top of the order. Tyler Freeman, when he plays, will be right up there with Eddie. We just have to be careful with Tyler at the moment. But those two guys at the top because they get on base and they take good at bats. Rumfield towards the top because he does the same thing. He takes really good at-bats, solid at-bats. [Goodman] up there because he drives in runs. We want to get to a point where our one through nine is taking quality at bats, and that’s what we’re looking for, getting those guys more at-bats than the other ones.
. . .
A lot of the time with [Tovar], it’s the matter of lineup construction, in terms of strategy, what they have in the bullpen, where we think some matchups are going to take place later in the game. Today’s lineup is based on that. Getting pockets for left-handers, pockets for right-handers in what we’re trying to do, knowing where we’re going to pinch hit in games to get the best matchups. So there’s a lot of in-game thinking to it — match up against the starter who you want. Maybe some days you want to get the most runs off of that starter. So you stack your lefties on the top of the lineup.
Schaeffer’s comments gave me a much better sense of the Rockies thinking on Chase Dollander, and I also appreciated getting to see him explain how their system works. I’ll be eager to hear your takeaways.
This week on the internet
Please enjoy these GIFs of various Rockies players fishing:
The folks over at Awful Announcing did their homework, which revealed — zero surprises here — that the Rockies swing at first pitches a lot, no matter the team they’re facing.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 19: Cleveland Guardians second baseman Juan Brito (34) leaves the field following the third inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians on April 19, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With eleven games under rookie Juan Brito’s major league belt, he is entering a stretch where it will be important for him to prove he can make some needed adjustments to continue top-side with Cleveland.
For Brito’s first 24 plate appearances, things could not have gone much better for the young hitter. He had a 102 wRC+ with a 20.8/8.3 K/BB%. He saw 21% four-seamers, 16% cutters, 10% sinkers, 24% sliders, 22% changeups, and 6% curveballs. In the following 21 plate appearances, Brito has put up a -20 wRC+ with a 42.9/4.8 K/BB%. From promise to disappointment… such is the life of many a baseball player. But, will Brito return to the promise we saw at first?
Well, have opposing pitchers begun attacking him differently? Nothing stands out when we look at pitch mix… Brito has seen a 10% increase in four-seamers (the decline coming from fewer changeups) in the past 21 plate appearances. Have pitchers begun going to different plans in locating those pitches? Aha… yes. During the first half of his 45 major league plate appearances, Brito saw 23.6% of the pitches thrown his way land outside the strike zone. During the second half, that number has increased to 31%. So far in the bigs, Brito has chased 38% of the time (36% in that first 24 PA’s and 39% in the following 21 PA’s), and only made contact outside of the zone 53% of the time. In looking at his chase rates, this doesn’t seem to be a pitch-specific issue; he’s chasing both fastballs and offspeed and breaking pitches outside the zone.
This is the big issue for Brito at the plate. If he is chasing pitches at anything near the rate he is right now, he will not be able to take his walks (obviously) and he will not consistently get pitches he can pull in the air. Brito does not have elite raw power to compensate for any of those losses in value by doing maximum damage on the few pitches he does see in the zone. He is not fast (34% sprint speed), so he will not be stealing bases when he does take a walk. He has to learn to chase less often, take his walks, and force pitchers to bring the ball into the zone where his 86% zone-contact can allow him to pull the ball in the air and be a dangerous offensive presence.
He can’t do what he did tonight as I was writing this article, for example. This is Brito against a fastball outside, a cutter in the zone, and three changeups to end the at-bat out of the zone from Astros’ pitcher Spencer Arrighetti:
Plaster this all over your locker, Juan. Opposing pitchers are going to do this to you until you force them to bring the ball into the zone.
Most folks reading this article are more concerned with Brito’s defense, I suspect. He has -2 Defensive Runs Saved so far and 0 Outs Above Average. It’s hard to tell much from small sample sizes of fielding stats, of course, but he also has looked in over his head at several points, and cost the Guardians a game in Atlanta by muffing a 91 mph grounder hit right at him. Brito can’t be making a notable error every week and costing the team games. There is no surer way to find himself hopping a bus back to the state’s capital.
It’s a critical time for Brito to begin to adjust back, because the team has two options to play second base who are performing quite well. In the majors, Daniel Schneemann has a 153 wRC+ with a 27.6/8.3 K/BB%. and he’s also been an average-good fielder all over the field, including 3 DRS and 5 OAA at second base for his career. In the minors… you guessed it… in 168 plate appearances at Triple-A, Travis Bazzana has a 134 wRC+ and a 22.6/19.3 K/BB% there. Getting Bazzana up soon and getting his feet wet to let him work through the usual struggles he has experience at each new level he reaches could be extremely helpful for a potential playoff run later in the year. Finally, Gabriel Arias is beginning baseball activities, and, while I suspect Rocchio has Wally Pipped his partner at short, I do think the team would promote Arias and demote Brito, rather than risk losing Arias’s glove in a DFA (I leave no comment on whether this is risk worth respecting).
I have been saying for a while that I think Brito’s best position is in the corner outfield. I still believe that’s the case, but, it will rely on him being able to get to his plate discipline and pull-air power on a somewhat consistent basis. I suspect that is what we will see him get the chance to do over the next 2-4 weeks… at which point, we will probably see either Arias OR Bazzana. Meanwhile, I would continue to give Schneemann 2-3 starts a week vs. RHP, at least until he shows signs of cooling off (as Angel Martinez has done).
I have long been a believer in Brito’s plate discipline and pull-fly ball ability. It certainly won’t be the worst or the last time I am wrong if he can’t quite reach his potential in the major leagues, but it would definitely be a tough pill to swallow for a young guy finally reaching his lifelong dream of being a big leaguer, and on a good team. We will keep rooting for you, Juan, even if the arrival of Bazzana is what’s going to drive media attention when it happens.
