Category: MLB

Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma dropped the series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, losing four of six on the week with little life shown throughout. Hopefully they’re able to shake this one and get back on the right track.

The weekly check in on boy-wonder Colt Emerson is less flattering this week. Going 6-23 with seven strikeouts and two walks, Emerson struggled at the plate and showed his first bit of “being 20 at the Triple-A level”. Learning how to hit the junk-ballers of Triple-A will be valuable experience for the young phenom, and despite his lack of overwhelming production thus far, Emerson should still be on track to debut with the big league club some time this summer.

Alex Hoppe continues to look like the best arm in this bullpen. Having logged six innings without allowing a run, Hoppe has K’ed ten batters and walked just two, looking like a potential shut down reliever that could contribute to the big league roster tomorrow. He’s changed up his arsenal from last year and is throwing fastball-slider almost exclusively, mixing in a cutter and all but scrapping his changeup. There’s a tangible difference to how Hoppe is going about his business, making his improvements on the mound that much more exciting.

Arkansas Travelers

The Travs showed off some excellent pitching this series, splitting a series against the Wind Surge that was relatively low scoring across the board. The bats are looking a little lethargic right now, but the pitching has picked them up big time, keeping them afloat as the season gets underway.

The story here is Kade Anderson. As written up by Kate Preusser here, Kade was lights out on Friday night, working five no-hit innings with 11 punchouts and two walks. The left hander has lived up to the hype in every way over his first two outings, maintaining his perfect ERA with a high K rate and very little traffic on the basepaths. Frankly, there’s been nothing to complain about thus far. He’s looked amazing.

Ryan Sloan, another young phenom in this rotation, also turned in a fine start this weekend. Allowing one run across four innings, Sloan was the victim of some unfortunate defense from the Travs and probably could have escaped with a scoreless line, but regardless, the 20 year old looks like he belongs in Double-A and should be able to hold his own as the season progresses. There are very few one-two punches that can compete with what the Travs can offer, and that alone should give them ample opportunity at making a run at the playoffs this season.

Everett AquaSox

The Frogs have easily had the most compelling start of any minor league affiliate in this system. Taking four of six from the Dust Devils, they now find themselves above .500 and playing some really compelling ball. If you’re in the area, get out and watch these guys!

The dynamic duo of catchers fueling this lineup, both Luke Stevenson and Josh Caron have been fantastic to start this season. Caron, a fourth rounder in the 2024 class, struggled last season, but he’s gotten things back on track and looks like a much better player than he was just a season ago. He’s ambushing pitches and doing damage, and though it’s not an approach that’ll land him a sterling OBP, his slug-first mentality is what got him drafted, and getting back to it is probably his best shot at advancing to the big league level. Stevenson, however, has had little issue getting on base. Last year’s 35th overall pick, the former Tar Heel is slashing .400/.518/.650 through 27 PA’s this season, playing a fantastic defensive catcher to boot. He’s looking more and more like one of the best players in the class, and his upside is truly immense. He’s approaching must-know territory.

This bullpen is a ton of fun. Newcomer Casey Hintz, the newest funky sidearmer in the system, has been great thus far, striking out five across the first three innings and allowing just two total baserunners. Christian Little, who’s been working out of the bullpen after starting last year, has also looked great, striking out eight in his first 3.2 innings of the year. He’s worked multiple innings in both of his outings and could be on a buildup plan to get back to starting at some point this season, though that piece is pure speculation at this point in time.

The king of the ‘pen, however, is Brock Moore. The hulking flamethrower is finally throwing strikes, and he’s been nearly untouchable thus far. Having logged four innings on the year, Moore has tallied 11 strikeouts and no walks, only surrendering one hit all season. He’s pumping triple-digit velocity from a low slot and has wipeout secondary pitches he can use to hitters of either handedness. If he’s truly figured out a cue to get him over the plate with any sort of consistency, this is a high leverage arm that could pitch in a major league bullpen sooner than later.

Though he’s not a bullpen arm, shoutout to Colton Shaw. His six inning, seven strikeout performance was a tremendous effort, and his sinker-slider combination was hellish on opposing hitters. He looked great out there.

Inland Empire 66ers

A fun squad of players in their own right, Modesto has had some dramatic finishes thus far despite just two wins on the year. Consistency has been tough for this team on a night to night basis, and it’s going to have to improve if they’re going to get into the win column regularly. The pitching took a step in the right direction this week; hopefully the bats will follow suit.

Mason Peters, a personal favorite from last year’s class, showed off the goods that got him drafted in the fourth round last July. Working four hitless innings and racking up nine punchouts, Peters would allow just one baserunner on a walk, dicing up opposing hitters with his collection of high-spin breaking balls. He looked dynamic on the mound and seems like a guy that’s going to pop in this pitching development system. Everything about him screams Mariner.

This offense hasn’t been terribly potent at this point, but the duo of Korbyn Dickerson and Ricardo Cova remain a legitimate threat in the heart of this order. Dickerson, last year’s fifth rounder, is striking out quite a bit, but with a healthy amount of walks, good slug, and above average defense in centerfield, he more than makes up for the whiff elsewhere. Cova, the undersized middle infielder, is doing a bit of everything offensively, batting over .400 and getting plenty of thump to pair with his bat-to-ball skills. The sample size is still very small at this point, but early returns for these two have been incredibly positive.

The nascent years of the Yankees franchise — then known as the New York Highlanders — were a veritable Wild West. Fortunes fluctuated frenetically as teammates, manager, and even owner clashed daily. The behavior of certain involved parties would make even the most controversial issues nowadays appear tame. Perhaps no player associated with the franchise embodied this volatility more than shortstop and later manager Kid Elberfeld.

Norman Arthur “Kid” Elberfeld
Born: April 13, 1875 (Pomeroy, OH)
Died: January 13, 1944 (Chattanooga, TN)
Yankees Tenure: 1903-09

Norman Arthur “Kid” Elberfeld was born in Pomeroy, OH, on April 13, 1875, the tenth of eleven children to German immigrants Philip Elberfeld and Katherine Eiselstein. He played mainly hockey and baseball in his youth, suiting up at every position except pitcher. After captaining several Cincinnati-area local teams, he got his first chance in professional baseball with the Dallas Navigators of the Class C Texas Association.

A leg injury ended his tenure with the team in May, but he managed to land with the Richmond Bluebirds of the Class B Atlantic League, with whom he would bat .306 with 46 stolen bases in 138 games in 1897. These performances caught the eye of the Phillies, who purchased his contract that fall. His MLB debut was delayed by several months, Elberfeld injuring his knee when he fell in a bathtub, but he finally made it to the bigs on May 30, 1898, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Louisville Colonels, collecting a pair of doubles and a hit-by-pitch while also committing a pair of errors at third.

An attitude that was equal parts petulant and lackadaisical defined his career as a major league fielder, Philadelphia sportswriters writing that he “might as well learn now that Philadelphia ballcranks will not stand for his minor league methods. What we want [are] ball players, not toughs.” He made just 14 appearances for the Phillies, batting .237 with no home runs and seven RBIs before his contract was sold to the Detroit Tigers, then a minor league club playing in the Class A Western League.

Elberfeld rebounded in 1899, batting .308 with 23 stolen bases to earn another shot in the majors. However, a back injury, poor play and an even worse attitude limited him to just 41 appearances with the Reds before they got fed up and sold him back to Detroit in 1900. He would play two-and-a-half years with the Tigers including their debut season in MLB in 1901. By the end of 1902, there was a deal in place for the New York Giants to purchase Elberfeld from the Tigers, but in the interest of maintaining peace between the AL and NL, Elberfeld remained in Detroit, now under the direction of new manager and future Yankees GM Ed Barrow. Barrow quickly grew tired of Elberfeld’s antics, fining and suspending him for “loaferish conduct” amid suspicion that Elberfeld was trying to force a trade to the St. Louis Browns, Barrow instead trading him to the New York Highlanders.

Soon after his arrival in New York, Elberfeld was given the nickname “the Tabasco Kid” by sportswriter Sam Crane on account of his being “the dirtiest, scrappiest, most pestiferous, most rantankerous, most rambunctious ball player that ever stood on spikes.” He was notorious for his hard-nosed play on the field and ill-temper off it, at one point getting charged with disorderly conduct for throwing either a bottle or a knife at a hotel waiter not long after his trade to the Highlanders.

Despite his frequent feuds with teammates including Hal Chase, Jimmy Williams, Wid Conroy, and Ira Thomas, Elberfeld played his best baseball in his first years with the Highlanders, leading all AL shortstops with a .275 batting average between 1904 and 1906. He had a pair of infamous run-ins with umpire Silk O’Loughlin in 1906, first threatening him with the bat before initiating an actual brawl in the second incident that required police intervention, which the New York Times called “one of the most disgraceful scenes ever witnessed on a baseball field.” This disdain for umpires would characterize his baseball career, Elberfeld on another occasion throwing mud into an umpire’s mouth during a confrontation.

His standing on the Highlanders began to seriously degrade in 1907, owner Frank Farrell suspending him in July for “indifferent work in the field and at the bat,” as Elberfeld again sought to force a trade, this time to the Washington Senators, whom he harbored aspirations of managing. As it happens, that opportunity to manage would come with the team that was close to pushing him out the door. Farrell lifted the suspension in mid-August and even offered a contract extension on improved terms. The following year, Elberfeld suffered a season-ending injury on May 1st, and after a poor stretch of play in June, manager Clark Griffith was forced to resign and Elberfeld was handed the reins.

That decision could not have a more disastrous result. Starting his tenure ten games back of first place, the Highlanders went 27-71 under Elberfeld’s direction to finish in dead last with a 51-103 record, 39.5 games back of first place. His .276 winning percentage remains the worst in franchise history. That catastrophe of a managerial appointment was summed up in the words of one of his unnamed players:

“We are … playing under the direction of a crazy man. It won’t take Elberfeld more than two weeks to make us the most demoralized ball team that the American League has ever known. He thinks he is a manager, but he can’t convince any one but himself that he has the first qualification for the place. It’s a joke.”

Elberfeld was replaced by George Stallings as manager in 1909, but still had a contract to play for the team. In 106 games, he batted .237 with 26 RBIs and 23 stolen bases, allowing Stallings to sell him to Washington at the conclusion of the campaign. He played two injury-filled years in the nation’s capital, followed by a season each with Montgomery and Chattanooga of the Class A Southern Association, and a final season in the majors with Brooklyn in 1914. The next four seasons saw him return to various minor league clubs in the Southern Association, and his final appearance in professional baseball was as a 61-year-old pinch hitter for the Fulton Eagles of the Class D Kitty League in 1936.

Elberfeld dedicated his post-playing days to coaching and instructing in various youth baseball leagues in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana. He passed away from pneumonia in Chattanooga on January 13, 1944, at the age of 68. Though notorious for his confrontational-going-on-violent personality during his playing days, he left behind arguably a greater legacy as a mentor for a generation of young ballplayers.

References

Kid Elberfeld. Baseball-Reference.

Kid Elberfeld. Baseball Almanac.

Simpkins, Terry “Kid Elberfeld.” SABR.

“ELBERFELD IS SET DOWN BY FARRELL; Owner of Yankees Suspends Sulky Player Indefinitely and Without Pay. CONROY TO PLAY SHORT Hilltop Club Drops Two Miserably Played Games to Cleveland — Chicago Loses Fourth Straight.” The New York Times. July 27, 1907.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here

We all need something to be positive about after that weekend series versus the Atlanta Braves. Luckily, this team is good at finding those moments.

Messick Has Stellar Outing

While the Braves steamrolled the Guardians in games one and three, Parker Messick made sure that didn’t happen in game two. The rookie went 6.2 innings against the offensive powerhouse, giving up just four hits and two walks while striking out five. He earned the win after the offense put up six runs, and the bullpen was able to hold on to secure the shutout victory. Messick’s ERA sits at just 0.51 after three starts, and he’s earned the win in two of them. He’s collected 16 strikeouts in the 17.2 innings he’s pitched, and has only walked five. He’s quickly becoming a reliable option to fill out the second or third spot in the rotation.

Ramírez Sets Club Record

While this technically should’ve been in last week’s article, I want to be sure it gets highlighted. In Sunday’s second game versus the Chicago Cubs, third baseman José Ramírez set the all-time franchise record for most games played with 1,620. He passed Terry Turner’s 1,619 games after the fifth inning when Sunday’s game became official. He is now the only active player to lead a team in games played. He is continuing to prove that he wants to play in Cleveland through it all. He stated, “Of all the records, I feel that this one is the most important because it kind of resembles what I wanted to do with this team.” Somehow, 1,620 games with the perennial MVP candidate doesn’t seem like nearly enough, so I’m very glad to see that number continue to go up.

Brito Finding Success Early

With Gabriel Arias, unfortunately, being placed on the 10-day IL for a left hamstring strain, the Guardians needed to make a call-up prior to Tuesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals. While many were hoping it would be No. 1 prospect Travis Bazzana, they’re allowing him a bit more time to acclimate to Triple-A ball before making the move. They selected infielder Juan Brito, and he definitely made some noise in his debut. He ended the day with two hits including a double. Since then, he’s continued to hit well, picking up two more hits in his second game. He’s currently hitting .278/.350/.389.

Social Media Spotlight

This week’s social media spotlight goes to the amazing Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz over at Céspedes Family BBQ on Twitter. Since at least 2017, they’ve tweeted “@RhysHoskins congrats on the homer dude” Every. Single. Time. he hits a home run. I’ve been waiting patiently for that tweet since he signed with the Guardians, and it finally came in Sunday’s game against the Braves.

Morning A’s fans and welcome to another new week!

The club is back in Sacramento and set to kick off a new home stand tonight. It’s going to be a long one as the team will be home for the entire week, first with four games against the Texas Rangers and then three this weekend against the Chicago White Sox. Righty Luis Severino is going to kick things off tonight in the first game of the series. Texas and the Athletics have the same record two weeks into the season so someone is going to rise in the standings while the loser will fall a spot. It’s still early but these games matter so it’s important to get off on the right foot in the early going.

Have a great week guys.

A’s Coverage:

• Saturday Potpourri As A’s Reach For .500
• A’s Sweep the Mets!
• A’s Take Down The Yankees 1-0 in New York
• A’s roster moves: Rooker to IL, Gelof recalled
• A’s roster moves: Jack Perkins recalled, Michael Kelly optioned
• Luis Morales Optioned to Triple-A
• A’s Add Former Yankees Reliever as Bullpen Depth Option
• Armchair 101: The Challenge Of Judging Decisions In Real Time
• Las Vegas Single Game Ticket On Sale
• A’s Biggest Camp Question is Already Becoming a Strength in 2026
• A’s feed off electric crowd in breakout opener
• Extensions To Colt Emerson And Konnor Griffin A New Trend?
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Observes The Wild Denzelope In Its Natural Habitat
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Toes The Rubber With Pitching Coach Scott Emerson
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Catches Up With Starting Pitcher Jacob Lopez

MLB News and Interest:

• Brewers outfielder Yelich exits, team expecting bad news
• Cubs place Hunter Harvey on IL
• Braves DFA Martin Perez
• Mets promote Tommy Pham
• Phil Garner passes away
• Padres’ Nick Pivetta exits with elbow soreness
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Big day for De Vries down in Double-A:

Same:

Any surprises for you guys?

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While no one in the Twin Cities knows how to feel about a successful season, the Minnesota Twins have surprised the world to start the year.

If and when Minnesota comes back to reality, it likely will be because of its pitching, a disadvantage tonight against the Boston Red Sox.

My Red Sox vs. Twins predictions and MLB picks doubt the weather will make things quick, but whenever there is a game, Minnesota’s surprise season should continue on Monday, April 13.

Who will win Red Sox vs Twins today: Twins +1.5 (-124)

Minnesota Twins righthander Bailey Ober has yet to throw a quality outing this season. Of his three starts, his season debut at Baltimore was the worst, but also the only one that the Twins lost.

With Ober’s continued struggles in mind, it is difficult to justify betting on Minnesota to beat the Boston Red Sox outright. But given the Twins have won six of their last seven games and are shockingly sitting atop the American League right now, some faith should still be put in them.

Minnesota sits sixth in runs per game this year, and while Garrett Crochet is a pitcher to fear, the Boston bullpen is not as fearsome (15th by ERA).

COVERS INTEL: Expected ERA paints and even grimmer picture for the Red Sox bullpen, as it ranks 26th.

Red Sox vs Twins Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (+106)

Expecting Ober to struggle immediately lends itself to expecting this Over to cash, as does expecting the Twins to still keep the game interesting.

Minnesota sits atop the AL because of its bats, ones that have powered the way to three straight Overs.

Crochet’s strikeout tendencies will cost the Twins some outs, but true-outcome baseball generally yields runs eventually, as well.

And if nothing else, the distinct likelihood of a weather delay tonight should throw any pitching plans into chaos.

Red Sox vs Twins odds

• Moneyline: Red Sox -161 | Twins +140
• Run line: Red Sox -1.5 | Twins +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Red Sox vs Twins trend

In winning six of their last seven games, the Twins sprung outright upsets in five of those six wins. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Twins.

How to watch Red Sox vs Twins and game info

Red Sox vs Twins latest injuries

Red Sox vs Twins weather

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.

In memory of former Astros player and manager Phil Garner, this is a piece I previously wrote last year for The Sporting News on his reflection on the Astros first World Series run in 2005, twenty years after.

(This article was written for The Sporting News by Craig Larson Jr. and the original link can be accessed with the link below. Originally published 10/26/2025

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/houston-astros/news/twenty-years-later-phil-garner-reflects-astros-first-world-series-run/01ed46472bdaee102033307a )

As the World Series plays on without them, many Houstonians are feeling October withdrawals. George Springer’s heroics for Toronto reminded everyone just how special this time of year can be, and how nostalgia rules the moment.

Astros fans can never forget their first trip. It was twenty years ago this very week when Houston defied the odds, rallying from a 15-30 start to capture the National League pennant. The run finally erased the heartbreaks of 1980 and 1986, as well as more recent postseason disappointments against the Braves and Cardinals.

Their appearance in the 2005 World Series ended in a sweep by Chicago’s South Siders, yet it remains one of the most cherished chapters in franchise history. Manager Phil Garner, who guided that club, reflected with Sporting News on the magic of that run.

“It was a wonderful time,” Garner said. “People still approach me and say it was the best time they ever had. Families would get together and watch the games and had the best times of their lives. It looked bad at the start of the season, but most baseball players are optimistic. You never count yourself out. You can recover, but if we had been that percentage on the negative side after the All-Star break, it would’ve been virtually impossible to come back.”

Asked about finally breaking through to the franchise’s first World Series, Garner pointed to leadership and belief as the key.

“We had a couple of hurdles,” he said. “We had those series where we couldn’t get past the Braves, and then we had St. Louis the year before. I have to admit, you need great players, but you also need guys who have bought all the way into the program. If they don’t buy into what you’re selling, it’s not going to work. We had so much leadership on that team. There was Bagwell, Biggio, Clemens, Pettitte, Oswalt, and Lidge. We had all the core ingredients and great role players who carried us down the stretch.”

Two decades later, Garner is watching another October classic unfold — and he marvels at the modern era’s transcendent stars.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Garner said of Shohei Ohtani. “Look at the guys in the game right now who are 23 to 30 years old, this is the golden age of baseball. He plays both ways and plays at a Hall-of-Fame clip. It’s just crazy how good he is.”

The Pittsburgh Pirates, who are leading the NL Central with a 9-6 record, open a four-game series with the Washington Nationals (7-8). The Pirates took two of three games from the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. Washington swept three games from the Milwaukee Brewers. Paul Skenes is expected to start for Pittsburgh against the Nationals’ Cade Cavalli.

How to watch Washington Nationals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

• Date: Monday, April 13

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET / 3:40 p.m. PT

• Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

• TV Channels: SN PT

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Washington Nationals: 7-8 (#4 in NL East)

• Pittsburgh Pirates: 9-6 (#1 in NL Central)

Odds

• Spread: Pittsburgh Pirates -1.5

• Moneyline: Pittsburgh Pirates -225 (66.4%) / Washington Nationals +185 (33.6%)

• Over/Under: 7.0

Starting pitchers

Washington Nationals: Cade Cavalli (0-0, ERA: 2.51, K: 11, WHIP: 1.47)
Pittsburgh Pirates: Paul Skenes (2-1, ERA: 5.25, K: 12, WHIP: 1.25)

Weather: 76°F at first pitch

The Philadelphia Phillies (7-8) begin a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs (7-8). The Phillies have lost four of their past five games. The Cubs avoided a three-game sweep by the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 7-6 victory on Sunday. Javier Assad is scheduled to start for the Cubs against the Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez.

How to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies

• Date: Monday, April 13

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET / 3:40 p.m. PT

• Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

• TV Channels: FS1, NBCSP+, Marquee Sports Network

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Chicago Cubs: 7-8 (No. 5 in NL Central)

• Philadelphia Phillies: 7-8 (No. 3 in NL East)

Odds

• Spread: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5

• Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies -185 (62.2%) / Chicago Cubs +154 (37.8%)

• Over/Under: 8.0

Starting pitchers

Chicago Cubs: Javier Assad (1-0, ERA: 0.00, K: 3, WHIP: 0.53)
Philadelphia Phillies: Cristopher Sánchez (1-1, ERA: 1.65, K: 23, WHIP: 1.35)

Weather: 80°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 42,901 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

The New York Yankees (8-7) start a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels (8-8) at Yankee Stadium. New York has lost five in a row, including a three-game sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays. Will Warren is scheduled to start for the Yankees against the Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi.

How to watch Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees

• Date: Monday, April 13

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET / 4:05 p.m. PT

• Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

• TV Channels: YES, FanDuel Sports Network West

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Los Angeles Angels: 8-8 (No. 3 in AL West)

• New York Yankees: 8-7 (No. 2 in AL East)

Odds

• Spread: New York Yankees -1.5

• Moneyline: New York Yankees -200 (63.9%) / Los Angeles Angels +165 (36.1%)

• Over/Under: 9.0

Starting pitchers

Los Angeles Angels: Yusei Kikuchi (0-2, ERA: 6.75, K: 16, WHIP: 1.77)
New York Yankees: Will Warren (1-0, ERA: 3.07, K: 14, WHIP: 1.30)

Weather: 71°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 47,309 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

The 2026 minor league season is underway. 

Let's open up the mailbag to discuss some of the Mets' top prospects...

Does the organization have any concerns regarding A.J. Ewing’s arm strength in center field and could second base be a better fit? -- Mets Ledger

In talking to multiple people in player development about Ewing over the past couple of months, I have not gotten any indications that they believe arm strength will limit his ability to end up in center field long term.

He may not have the arm talent of a Carson Benge, but Ewing’s arm grades out average to a tick above. The Mets firmly believe he has the tools to become elite defensively at center field and it should be expected he spends a vast majority of his time this year in center.

Him playing some second base early is about maintaining versatility. It doesn’t hurt that second base is a natural position for him. It would not shock me if as the year wore on, you saw the second base reps dissipate.

In just seven games, Ewing has made a couple of highlight defensive plays. He made this diving catch in the gap and more in line with the question posed, threw out a runner at home to complete a double play.

Even if Ewing’s arm strength isn’t a plus, it is not considered to be a deterrent to his future in center field.

What is the outlook for Nate Lavender this season? Can he make the MLB club? -- Dan B

Lavender was returned to the Mets from the Rays this past November, after Tampa Bay selected him in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. He missed the 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery and had a cleanup procedure in August. 

Given that cleanup, the Mets took it slow with Lavender this spring. Despite being a non-roster invite to big league camp, he did not get into game action. Instead, he worked in the backfields on building back up.

He has made two rehab outings so far with Low-A St. Lucie, with two scoreless innings, striking out three batters and walking none. His velocity is back to pre-Tommy John form, averaging 93 mph and touching 95 mph. He’s also throwing a low-to-mid 80s slider.

Lavender should be moving his rehab up before long, and if he performs once he reaches Triple-A, a big league debut could be in the cards. It ultimately does take a number of relievers to get through the marathon of 162 games.

The question is whether there will be a situation where there is a need for a third or even fourth left-hander in the bullpen.

While the Mets are hopeful that their main left-handers (A.J. Minter once he’s back and Brooks Raley) provide stability, Minter has a history of injury that has to be taken into account. There is also the uncertainty in what the long-term role this season will be for Sean Manaea. If Minter and Raley can remain healthy, it’s hard to envision Lavender playing a significant role in 2026.

The organization’s plan is for Lavender to be bullpen depth in Triple-A, but as we have seen year over year, especially in the bullpen, that depth often finds its way to being needed.

With Eli Serrano's move out of Brooklyn .. think we see emergence as a top prospect in the system? -- Dave Schoenfeld

Serrano stands out as a player who was affected by the environment of Brooklyn, which is known as the toughest park for left-handed hitters in minor league baseball. In 2025 in Brooklyn he hit .189 with a .635 OPS, while hitting .255 with a .743 OPS on the road.

Ranking 17th in my preseason top 30 list, Serrano does stand out as someone who could take a step forward, even at a higher level of competition. Through seven games with Double-A Binghamton to start 2026, he is hitting .320 with a .979 OPS and four extra-base hits (two doubles and two triples).

Serrano is a long-levered, 6-foot-5 outfielder who is up 20 pounds since being drafted in 2024. It is a power over hit profile, with above average raw power. He has worked with hitting coordinator Daniel Nicolaisen to refine his swing mechanics, and even dating back to spring training, Serrano has been impacting the baseball more.

He is an above average athlete who will play all three outfield spots, with right field being the best fit, though he did make a web gem catch in center field last week.

Serrano is one to follow, and with a strong season along with some graduations expected to happen this year, he could make a jump towards the top 10 of the system.

The group over at Overslot Baseball has come out with an interesting and fun new tool ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft, giving us a mock draft simulator to play with, just like there is for the NFL and NBA drafts. I would recommend giving it a try for yourself if you have a few minutes.

This will be the first official mock draft of the season, and there will be more in the series as Overslot tweaks their draft board, with one final one to come just ahead of the actual draft.

The mock draft lasts 10 rounds, and the bonuses listed are their best estimates at what bonuses could look like for some of these prospects. While not perfect, they are mostly pretty reasonable. I will note ahead of time that the player database is not quite the full list of players you will find eligible for the actual draft, and there is no current ability for senior signs. For my senior signs, I will just take placeholders and subtract the amount they sign for and project that money to be used to sign overslot guys in rounds 11-20.

You can see below the screenshot of the mock draft, and get more reasoning on why each player was picked, along with who else was considered for each pick. For the top pick, I am noting who was already taken ahead of the Braves pick. Note that the placeholders are the final two picks, Derrick Mitchell and Ty Horn.

Pick 1.9 – Jacob Lombard, SS, Florida HS

The first eight picks ended up being Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey, Justin Lebron, Chris Hacopian, Eric Booth Jr., AJ Gracia, and Liam Peterson. That left me to choose from Jacob Lombard (significantly overslot), Jackson Flora (slightly overslot), and my current favorite Sawyer Strosnider (underslot). I went with Lombard, who cost $1.6M overslot at $8.3M, with $6.7M being the slot value. It was a tough choice between three very talented players, but Lombard may have the highest upside of anyone in this class if he hits, and the reports on him this spring have been quite positive following a slightly disappointing summer.

Lombard is a player capable of being the face of a franchise if he hits enough. The son of George Lombard and brother of George Jr.has plus power, double plus speed, and will stick at shortstop. The hit tool has rebounded since the summer, but should be an average tool for him with continued work. He is immediately the Braves best prospect if he was drafted.

Pick 1.26 – Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee

Slot here is $3.6M and the Lombard pick makes it tough to consider the two best players on the board, prep lefty Gio Rojas (significantly overslot), and a second prep shortstop Tyler Spangler (slightly over). I started to look at some of the other options on the board, and it was filled with Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, Texas outfielder Aiden Robbins and a grouping of college pitchers led by Mason Edwards, Cole Carlon, Tegan Kuhns, and Joey Volchko among others. I’ve liked Kuhns a for a bit, and his deep pitch mix and upside definitely feel like a Braves pick, plus it doesn’t hurt that he’s on the cheaper side of that group at $3.1M – saving $500k on slot.

Kuhns has the plus fastball and curve and the rest of his five-pitch arsenal could all be average to slightly below. Command is probably going to be below average, but that shouldn’t hold him up too much with his arsenal, assuming he can get it to a 45-grade. He is a guy with legitimate middle of the rotation upside, and a fall back of a late inning reliever.

Pick 2.48 – Jake Brown, OF, LSU

Slot is $2.1M here and I want to save a little bit more money since I am still $1.1M overslot. That removes Canadian lefty Sean Duncan and prep right-handers Cooper Sides and Jensen Hirschkorn from the mix despite being the best players available. Texas catcher Carson Tinney, LSU outfielder Jake Brown, Notre Dame righty Jack Radel, and Liberty righty Ben Blair are the best of the college options, while on the prep side shortstops Aiden Ruiz and Rocco Maniscalco, and outfielders Noah Wilson and local Martin Shelar are among the best options in the price range. Another local option is Blessed Trinity right-hander Joseph Contreras, though his price is listed at $2.2M. If I hadn’t grabbed Lombard with the top pick, Ruiz would be the pick here – but doubling up on shortstops this early after last year’s draft doesn’t feel realistic. It comes down to Brown and Wilson, with Brown being $200k cheaper. Brown is the pick here as the Braves can both use outfielders and bats who are closer to the big leagues, plus he saves $300k on his slot – bringing us to halfway through the overage on Lombard.

Brown has been productive in the past, but has taken a step forward this spring. He projects to be above-average with four of his tools, with average to slightly above power being the one thing that isn’t. He will have a chance to play center in the pros, but would be a good defender in right that should move through the minors fairly quickly. In a different draft, he would probably not be available with this pick.

Pick 3.84 – Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia

Slot is $974k here and there are several interesting options on the board. UCLA outfielder Will Gasparino, Kansas State breakout shortstop Dee Kennedy, and Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson are the best of the bats. North Carolina’s Jason DeCaro is the top righty with East Carolina’s Ethan Norby being the best lefty. I decided to take the toolsy Jackson here over DeCaro with the Braves interest in drafting catchers, especially after not grabbing one last year. Jackson costs $730k, saving $244k and putting us $556k over.

Jackson has been a huge breakout star this year for the Bulldogs. He has gone from a three true outcomes hitter to among the national leaders in homers due to the strides he has made with his plate discipline. That isn’t the only reason he is being drafted here, as he is an excellent athlete who could develop into a solid defensive catcher – with a fallback option of an outfield spot as well.

Pick 4.112 – Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M

Slot is $698k and there are three names that are really sticking out. Texas A&M slugger Gavin Grahovac, NC State lefty Ryan Marohn, and Miami slugger Daniel Cuvet. I decided on Grahovac at $516k, saving $182k and reducing the deficit to $374k.

Grahovac has big power, but swing and miss and will always be a below average hitter. Still he’s easily got plus power and is a good athlete. There are some defensive questions, but with average speed and a big arm he could make a quality corner outfielder. The hope here is that you can continue to progress with the hit tool, as he has cut his 2024 strikeout rate down from 34.3% to 16.3% (he missed all but six games last year due to injury). This is probably the latest he would be available, as his power has started to show up recently after a slow start to the season in that department.

Pick 5.144 – Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU

Slot is $511k and one name sticks out, TCU’s Tommy LaPour. The right hander would have been projected to go much higher, but an early season injury has prevented him from pitching. Getting him for $359k here is a steal, saving $152k and dropping that total to $222k over.

LaPour came into the year as a potential late first rounder, but hasn’t pitched since Opening Day. He’s a big, physical college right-hander with a fastball that has touched 101 MPH, an inconsistent slider that at its best is a second plus pitch, and a solid change. His command also projects to be an average tool. The makings are there for this former two-sport star to continue developing as a pro, which is something the Braves would love to work with.

Pick 6.173 – Lorenzo Carrier, OF, Pitt

Slot is $390k and I decided to get under budget by taking a senior, though he will not be a traditional senior sign ($5-50k). A breakout this year by Pitt’s Lorenzo Carrier is enough to get him $150k, a savings of $240k – putting us $18k in the green. It is important to remember Carrier could have had top three round money out of high school, but turned it down to head to Miami. The power and speed have always been there, but he seems to have unlocked the hit tool that had held him back for his entire college career. Despite the breakout and tools, this is a fifth year senior who presently has a half year of production on this level, so he isn’t going to cost slot.

While Carrier is picked as a money saver, the plus power and speed are for real. His strides with his hit tool have him currently hitting .396/.563/.871 with 13 homers and more walks (36) than strikeouts (32). It’s not just about the stats either, as his analytical data is pointing to real growth too. His speed and arm should also allow him to be an asset in right.

Pick 7.202 – Matt Scott, RHP, Georgia

Slot is $307k and once again I focused on one name. Georgia’s Matt Scott is a big, talented pitcher who has never quite performed to his tools yet in his college career. He has been better at UGA than he was at Stanford, but this is a bet on the Braves player development to maximize his stuff and improve his command. He will cost $207k, a savings of $100k.

Scott’s breakout this year with his command has coincided with him being mostly used as a reliever, as six of his eight appearances are out of the pen – though he has the arm to work multi-innings. His strikeout rate is a career high 13.9 – more than two above his previous high. Command will probably never he his strength, which will likely keep him in the pen, but he has a chance to be a very useful power arm out of the bullpen, and in the seventh round without a ton of money left in the bonus pool, that would be a win.

Pick 8.232 – Jaxon Jelkin, RHP, Kentucky

Slot is $245k and I wanted to grab another arm. Kentucky’s Jelkin is one of the better arms available to close out the picks based on pure talent in the first half of the draft. He will cost me $150k, a savings of $95k.

Jelkin is in the middle of his best season, and the well traveled 23-year-old, is one of those guys with both stuff and pitchability. He’s up to 96 MPH, has a four pitch mix, and gets excellent movement on his pitches. Like Scott, the traits are there and for not much money, this is worth a flier.

Pick 9.262 – Gable Mitchell, INF, Iowa

Slot is $212k. The Derrick Mitchell name in the picture is a place holder for Iowa senior sign infielder Gable Miller. Derrick Mitchell is listed at $150k, but I’m giving Gable $10k here, a savings of $202k, and a savings of $140k from the picture.

Mitchell is the kind of player the Braves like – a kid with a high-end ability to make contact who doesn’t strike out often. He doesn’t quite impact the ball hard often enough to go earlier, but this is the type you keep sending out there to prove himself until he can’t. He is hitting .385/.483/.582 with 18 walks to only five strikeouts in 149 plate appearances. Mitchell’s limited power and not impressive exit velocity numbers probably give him a ceiling of a utility guy, but the Braves do like adding players in this mold here.

Pick 10.292 – Darin Horn, RHP, Coastal Carolina

Slot is $198k. The Ty Horn name above is also a place holder for Coastal Carolina senior sign right-hander Darin Horn. Ty is listed as $150k, but I’m giving Darrin $10k here, a savings of $188k, and a savings of $140k from the picture.

Horn is a multi-inning reliever for a strong Coastal program who has been very productive for the last two seasons. He has seen his command improve this year, cutting his walk per nine rate from 6.5 last year to a career high 3.0 this year. Also important to note is the fact his sinker has a 47% whiff rate (min 100 pitches), which completely dominates the category, as the guy in second is only at 30.8%.

Rounds 11-20 budget:

Rounds 11-20 show as having $263k remaining to spend, but with the Mitchell and Horn place holders, there is an additional $280k available. That means there is an extra $543k to spend overslot in the second half of the draft. With the first $150k in those rounds not counting towards the bonus pool, that means the Braves would be able to go up to $693k to sign a player.

Overall thoughts:

I want to say that I never intended for this draft to avoid prep players minus one, but due to the way the budget worked that wasn’t really a possibility. This is a strong draft, though the flexibility was removed at the start by taking Lombard with the first pick. If I had gone Strosnider followed by Spangler instead, I would have had a little extra money to work with – but Lombard is the type of player you don’t want to watch become a superstar in some other team’s uniform. Brown, Jackson, and Grahovac help infuse more talent into the hitting side of the system, and Brown and Grahovac especially could move quicker. Getting a talented arm like Kuhns, plus LaPour means I added to the pitching in the system as well. Then a pair of toolsy lottery tickets in Carrier and Scott could further add to the talent in the system. The final three picks in Jelkin, Mitchell, and Horn are longer shots, but each of them has something to work with. Finally with this draft the Braves could spent nearly $700k on a prep in the 11th round, or spread that money around to give out four bonuses of around $300k for the final 10 selections.

The New York Mets (7-9) travel to the West Coast to face the Los Angeles Dodgers (11-4) in a three-game series in Chavez Ravine. While there is never a good time to face the best team on the planet two years running, coming off of a sweep by the lowly Athletics, the Mets could really have used an easier draw.

Where do we start?

With the exception of a failed comeback on Saturday afternoon, the Mets’ bats have been taking a spring siesta for the better part of a week. During their current five-game losing streak, the Mets have scored nine runs, but six of those came in Saturday’s attempted comeback. They’ve been shut out twice, scored one run once, and scored two runs once in the other four games in that period.

It is easy to blame some of this offensive drought on Juan Soto’s stint on the injured list, but that is far too easy of a scapegoat. The entire team isn’t hitting with any consistency, including players who we all know are too good for this to be a long term issue, such as Bo Bichette and the notoriously slow-starting Francisco Lindor.

But for a team that lost a playoff spot by one game last season, that is cold comfort at best. And while there are some solutions that may be temporary balms (hello Thomas James Pham!), there was a narrative in the offseason that once Eric Chavez and his “hammer the ball into the ground as hard as you can as often as you can” philosophy was jettisoned, things would improve.

And they will. We know this. But for the short term, watching Marcus Semien take an even further dive into offensive irrelevance, Jorge Polanco unable to do much of anything, and Carson Benge look consistently overmatched at the plate, it is hard to feel good about the players that required an optimistic lens in the first place. Benge will adjust, Polanco will heal, Semien will…I don’t know, man. But right now, none of them are helping the team with their bats.

The good news, if there is any, is that the pitching staff hasn’t been as dreadful as the stat line looks. Luke Weaver has eaten shit twice in the last week and he’s more or less responsible for two of those losses. That’s not great, but I would rather one reliever be struggling than an entire bullpen of ineptitude. The Mets moved on from both Richard Lovelady and Luis García over the weekend, and while we shouldn’t be printing up Joey Gerber or Craig Kimbrel shirseys just yet, at least the Mets aren’t resting on their broken down laurels and are trying something new.

As for the starting pitching, it continues to be a mixed bag. Nolan McLean has been as advertised and Freddy Peralta is doing lots of Freddy Peralta stuff. Kodai Senga had two fantastic starts and then a terrible one, and David Peterson did the same in reverse. Clay Holmes left Friday’s game with hamstring tightness, but apparently is on track to start on Thursday, despite his spot still being listed as TBD.

Look, it’s early in the season, and we all know how this goes. But this offseason was a tough sell for a few reasons, but some of the major talking points included run prevention, versatility, a deeper lineup, and an improved relief corps. The versatility has been more or less accurate, but everything else has been flat-out wrong. If the Mets turn things around and waltz into a playoff spot, we will all laugh about our April panic, but that doesn’t make being in the middle of the panic any less frustrating.

Again, if they were traveling (without an off day to the opposite side of the country) to play almost any other team, things would feel better. But the Dodgers are the owners of the best record in baseball, the best player of the 21st century, and more money than some mid-sized nations. They snatched up the Mets’ All-Star closer, they outbid the Mets for their outfield target, and generally are the best run franchise in baseball.

While they lost to old friends Jacob deGrom on Sunday and Tyler Rogers on Wednesday, the team looks strong, even with Kyle Tucker hitting below league average thus far. Andy Pages isn’t going to have a 1.181 OPS the entire season, but there is enough thump in the Los Angeles lineup that they don’t need him to. This is what a deep lineup actually looks like.

Monday, April 13: David Peterson vs. Justin Wrobleski, 10:10 PM EDT on SNY

Peterson (2026): 14.2 IP, 14 K, 6 BB, 0 HR, 6.14 ERA, 2.44 FIP, 166 ERA-

After a good first start, Peterson has been downright awful in his next two appearances. Ten earned runs over nine and two-third innings is never pretty, but if FIP is to be believed, Peterson isn’t having as bad of an April as his ERA would have us believe. Until the Mets’ bats heat up, the club could really use Peterson’s FIP instead of his ERA.

Wrobleski (2026): 9.0 IP, 4 K, 5 BB, 0 HR, 4.00 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 105 ERA-

In his first start against the Guardians, Wrobleski gave up three runs in four innings. It wasn’t exactly a terrible start, but it is one that he would build on when he faced the Blue Jays in a rout a week later. While he’sbeen fine thus far, he’s not necessarily a pitcher of the caliber of the next two starters in this series. The Mets need to win this game in order to have any real shot at taking the series, if there’s any hope of that at all.

Tuesday, April 14: Nolan McLean vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 10:10 PM EDT on SNY

McLean (2026): 16.2 IP, 20 K, 6 BB, 1 HR, 2.70 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 73 ERA-

The Mets have a wonderful history of producing top-level starting pitching over their history, and McLean appears to be the latest in that line. Over his first 11 MLB starts, McLean has exactly one (1) start of more than three earned runs. He’s been the recipient of some lackluster offense behind him, and while that doesn’t appear to be changing too much against the Dodgers and one of the best pitchers in baseball, the long term outlook for McLean looks very, very bright.

Yamamoto (2026): 18.0 IP, 14 K, 2 BB, 2 HR, 2.50 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 66 ERA-

In what still feels like a ‘the one who got away’ situation, Yamamoto spurned the Mets in favor of the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season. Since then, he had a good ‘24 and a great ‘25, and 2026 is looking to be more of the same. In his last start against the Blue Jays, Yamamoto struck out six, walked one, and allowed just one run. This pitching matchup looks to be one of the best of the early season.

Wednesday, April 13: TBD vs. Shohei Ohtani, 10:10 PM EDT on ESPN

Ohtani (2026): 12.0 IP, 8 K, 4 BB, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 0 ERA-

I must admit, I don’t keep as informed about other teams’ individual performance as I probably should. And so while it was somewhat of a shock to see Ohtani’s 0.00 ERA, it’s not really surprising. Just when we start to get used to who Ohtani is as an absolute once in a generation superstar, he does something else seemingly unbelievable. And so while this sparkling ERA won’t last, don’t be surprised if Ohtani continues to make the best baseball players on the planet look like little leaguers.

This season couldn’t have started much better for the Braves, at least to date. They are the only team that hasn’t yet lost a series (they did split one, though), they have baseball’s second-best record (behind the Dodgers, tied with the Padres), they’re top ten in both position player and pitching fWAR, and they’re top five in a bunch of other things like batting inputs and defensive value. Even though it’s early and a small sample could be responsible for pretty much anything, the only guy they’ll ultimately rely on that are struggling are Mike Yastrzemski. It’s baseball, and things can change on a dime at any time. But, right now, anyway, the Braves look pretty good. This recent series with the Guardians reminded me a lot of 2022-2023: broadly and wildly successful, but on the basis of smashing the ball rather than any kind of holistic, fundamental baseball excellence. In other words, booting balls and getting thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double doesn’t matter if you’re pummeling the opposing team at the plate.

All of this leaves the Braves’ lack of success in the ABS challenge system as incongruously jutting out from what’s going on with the team otherwise. This is self-evident both from watching the games, and from the data here: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/abs and here: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/abs-challenges.

I’ll be quick, but essentially, a few things jump out at me:

1. Yes, the Braves have been really bad so far.
2. However, the Braves have not been really bad at actually swinging strikeouts or walks as a result of challenges.
3. On top of that, where leverage is meaningful, the Braves are okay if not actually good at challenges, at least on a rate basis. They just don’t get these opportunities a lot… because they waste their challenges early on, where it doesn’t matter.

So, I’m not going to write out a long heuristic here (that’s your job), but I do think that whatever heuristic they implement, should they choose to do so, it should definitely include:

A) Only challenges that are relevant to a walk or strikeout, not other stuff futzing with the count; and

B) Only challenges in some semblance of leverage, i.e., tying or go-ahead run at the plate or on deck, and if a low-scoring game early, then not at all until the fourth inning or whatever.

There are of course more complicated and probably better heuristics, but these are also things the players need to remember in real-time. I’d love to say, “Only challenge in the first three innings if you’re 90 percent confident you’ll win” but the players are probably 90 percent confident every time they challenge, so that’s not helpful to anyone.

Anyway, have at it…