Category: MLB

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are slight road favorites against the New York Yankees, and I’m staying with the better offense.

Cam Schlittler is Cam Schlittler, but this is a brutal test against a Dodgers lineup built to punish his main flaw. I’m also taking the Under with two starters capable of limiting free traffic.

Here are my Dodgers vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks for July 19.

Who will win Dodgers vs Yankees tonight: Dodgers moneyline (-115)

Cam Schlittler has shown few weaknesses, but barrel damage is one that has started to appear. For strikeout-heavy aces, there is always a tradeoff for all of the high velocity stuff you've shown and that's usually hard-hit balls.

Schlittler has allowed an 8.3% barrel rate (bottom 40 percentile), and that issue has surfaced in two of his last three starts: eight earned runs and six homers against the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers, two top-five barrel-rate offenses.

You don't need me to tell you that this could be a big issue against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto counters with a 6.5% barrel rate and low hard-hit rate against New York’s homer reliant offense. I'd play this to -140.

COVERS INTEL: Cam Schlittler’s walk rate sits at just 5.3%, a key reason I prefer the full-game Under.

Dodgers vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 9 (-110)

I like the Under. Schlittler’s 29% strikeout rate and low walk rate gives the New York Yankees a way to manage traffic, even against baseball’s most complete offense.

Yamamoto is the bigger reason I like the number. He has allowed a .280 xwOBA with a 6.5% barrel rate, and his pitch mix makes it tough for hitters to sit on one shape.

The Yankees can hit mistakes (they are the Yankees after all), but sustained rallies are less likely if Yamamoto keeps them guessing. Good to -120.

Dodgers vs Yankees weather

Dodgers vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Los Angeles -115 | New York +100
• Run line: Los Angeles +1.5 | New York -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 9 | Under 9

Dodgers vs Yankees trend

The New York Yankees have hit the Team Total Under in 18 of their last 25 games (+10.20 Units / 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Yankees.

How to watch Dodgers vs Yankees and game info

Dodgers vs Yankees latest injuries

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Two games on the docket on Sunday. First game of the split doubleheader has Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, with a bullpen game coming for the nightcap.

Get ready for Orel Hershiser on your television calling Dodgers games on two different networks today.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Yankees
• Game 1 of split doubleheader
• Ballpark: Yankee Stadium, New York
• Start time: 9:35 a.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Luis Robert Jr. enjoyed himself in a second straight strong game with Triple-A Syracuse, reaching base twice including a two-run homer in Saturday’s win over Buffalo. 

Mets interim manager Andy Green is waiting to see how he came out of that game feeling, but the team still anticipates Robert Jr. will rejoin them for the three-game set with the Brewers. 

Robert has been sidelined since late-April due to a back injury.

When he is ready to return, Green said on Saturday that the team will work all of their outfielders into the mix down the stretch of the regular season.

Robert, of course, could also be moved to a contender if he proves that he is back fully healthy before the Aug. 3 trade deadline hits.

What’s next for Holmes

Rain delayed Clay Holmes’ return to game action with High-A Brooklyn on Saturday night, but the right-hander was still able to successfully complete a 45-pitch bullpen session.

Green said that Holmes came through the session feeling good and strong.

The hope is that he woke up this morning feeling the same way, and if he did, he’ll throw a side and then attempt to pitch in a game again on his normal turn in the rotation.

Green indicated on Saturday that Holmes would need to work up to the five-inning mark before they can begin the conversation on when he’ll be set to return to the majors. 

The 33-year-old has been sidelined since May 15 with a fractured fibula. 

Like Robert, he could potentially be used as an assert ahead of the deadline, but SNY’s Chelsea Janes recently indicated that there’s mutual interest on an extension. 

Talks between the two sides are expected to pick up this week.

Austin Warren on the mend

Warren has begun throwing after his forearm tightness scare. 

Green said that the righty remains without a timeline for a potential return, but the team is still expecting his absence won’t be too terribly long. 

Warren was officially placed on the 15-day IL just over a week ago. 

Though there was some initial concern, testing revealed that there was no structural damage, which should allow him to avoid another long-term surgery. 

While he struggled in his last two outings before landing on the sidelines, getting Warren back would be a nice boost for a Mets bullpen set to lose key pieces ahead of the deadline. 

The Dodgers don’t know when Shohei Ohtani will take the mound next.

He was tentatively scheduled to start Wednesday against the Phillies, after promising initial reports on his recovery from an injection in his left knee. But after seeing his knee’s response to playing catch, the team decided to give him more time.

“We just want to continue to give it the best chance to kind of get into a good spot,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And as he said, as we feel, it’s the pitching and the torque of landing on that leg that kind of gets it upset.”

It was clear enough from catch play that Ohtani’s start would have to be pushed back and that Ohtani did not feel the need to test it by throwing off a mound, Roberts said.

Read more:Shaikin: Shohei Ohtani's knee troubles creating a major pitching dilemma for Dodgers

“Where we’re at right now, how we’re proceeding, I would say that it’s going to be some time,” Roberts said. “It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing.”

That left a wide range of timeline possibilities, from days to weeks. Roberts did, however, rule out shutting Ohtani down from pitching for the rest of the season.

“I guess anything is possible, but I just don’t think that’s a possibility,” he said.

To fill Ohtani’s spot in the rotation this week, the Dodgers moved right-hander Emmet Sheehan’s start to Monday. Before the rainout bumped the second game of the series against the New York Yankees, Sheehan was scheduled to start Saturday.

Read more:Shaikin: With Will Smith out indefinitely, Dodgers need to trade for a catcher

For Sunday’s doubleheader, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound in the first game. The bullpen, and potentially multiple innings from the 27th man, will cover the nightcap.

“Honestly, a lot of it is where we’re at and how we’ve put ourselves in a good spot,” Roberts said of the MLB-leading Dodgers. “Could [Ohtani] probably do it? Sure. But right now, the benefits just don’t seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. So I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot to then pitch.”

Ohtani, who went hitless in four at-bats as the designated hitter in Friday’s 2-1 win, was set to DH and hit leadoff in Sunday’s first game.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

What’s better than one game between the Yankees and Dodgers? Two Yankees-Dodgers games, of course. That’s what we’re set for today thanks to last night’s storm, which postponed what was set to be an interesting matchup between Ryan Weathers and Emmett Sheehan. Ironically, Weathers was prevented from pitching because—you know what, no. Forget that one.

Anyway, because of the postponement, what was set to be a national TV matchup in the evening between two superstar pitchers is now going to be the afternoon docket! Rather unfortunate for the folks who have tickets for the nightcap, but such is life. Cam Schlittler will make his first start of the second half opposite reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

There isn’t really much that needs to be said about either pitcher here. Both were named All-Stars this season, though neither participated in the actual Midsummer Classic. Both have been remarkably consistent from start to start, though Yamamoto’s final appearance of the first half saw him run out of steam in the sixth inning against the Diamondbacks.

Schlittler’s last start at Yankee Stadium was on June 30th; three turns in the rotation plus the All-Star Break ago. That game was the second of his two blowup starts this season: both at home and both against AL Central foes. There will be no stouter test than the Dodgers, the league’s best offense by wRC+ (114). Cam’s already earned a reputation as a big-game pitcher. Let’s see how he fares today.

This afternoon’s starting nine is slightly adjusted from the lineup which was slated for last night’s game against Emmet Sheehan. Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, and Jasson Domínguez will still be at the top, with Cody Bellinger hitting cleanup. Midseason MVP Max Schuemann will play right field and bat fifth ahead of Jazz Chisholm Jr. Anthony Volpe draws back into the lineup, with Ryan McMahon at the hot corner. Ali Sánchez will handle the catching for the front half of this twin bill.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY

First pitch: 12:35 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, SportsNet LA

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280, Dodgers Radio AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Online stream: MLB.tv

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Who would’ve thunk last fall watching Trey Yeasavage mow through AL hitters that just a few long months later, we’d be saying things like “Yeah he’s good, but Sean Burke might wind up getting some Cy Young votes, has the advantage.”

Obviously I’m being rather liberal with the royal “we” there, because I might really be the only one saying it, but I think it’s true. Burke is making his first start of the second half after catching fire going into the All-Star break, and if he can maintain anything like his season-long pace of a 3.41 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning, he’ll almost certainly garner some down-ballot votes.

It’s hard to understate how red-hot Burke is. After spinning seven stellar innings against the Athletics just before the break, his totals from his last six starts work out to six earned runs over 32 innings, looking every bit a starter who might not need an opener any longer. He touched 99 mph last week. 99! From Sean Burke! You just can’t fake that stuff, and if he can keep up anything like that while maintaining a good feel for his breaking balls, the Sox are going to be in very very good shape.

It seems in fact we may be in for a replay of last summer, when Shane Smith grabbed our attention while Burke quietly became the most consistent pitcher on the staff from late May-on. I strongly suspect Davis Martin will continue to make it a conversation, but if the Sox wind up playing in October this year, I also suspect Burke will be the one starting Game 1.

I also just noticed that this is happening over on the AL rookie leaderboard, sorted by WRC+.

There’s really a non-zero chance that this team winds up with two Top 3 Cy Young finishers and all but sweeping the top of the Rookie of the Year voting. There’s also a non-zero chance they do that and still wind up missing the playoffs, because the White Sox are still the White Sox. Still, it becomes harder to argue almost every day that this isn’t simply a talented ball club, and if their lineup can find some middle ground between Friday’s slugfest and yesterday’s neutering, they’ll be pretty well set for the series. That would also put them back to a season-high six games above breakeven heading into a tough series down in Arlington, Texas.

Here’s what Toronto manager John Schneider is using to match up against Burke this morning:

There is one more piece of reporting to report heading into today’s game. Clay Holmes may not be the ace we’re hoping for, but he won’t be expensive, and a veteran arm to solidify the staff just to get them to the playoffs might be the best move they can make, given the state of the trade market.

If you’re wondering why we’re up this early on a Sunday, I’d because today’s game is unfortunately only accessible via Peacock, though Len and DJ will be on the AM 1000 radio call as always. First pitch is at 11:15 a.m. CT, and we’ll see you there!

The Phillies’ first series of the second half wraps up with an afternoon contest against the New York Mets. It will be a battle of rookie pitchers, with the Phillies giving the ball to Alan Rangel. The righthander is 0-2 with a 4.19 ERA.

The Mets will go with Nolan McLean. In his first full season, the righty is 6-6 with a 3.52 ERA.

Game time is 1:35 PM and will be televised locally by NBCSP.

We have an early game. Maybe it will be finished before the start of the World Cup game.

Let’s score more than one run today.

Yesterday I mentioned the 1-0 games are very rare. That was our first 1-0 game, win or loss, of the season, and they didn’t have a 1-0 game all of last year. We had two 1-0 losses in 2024. Our last 1-0 win was August 18th, 2024 and that was out only 1-0 win that year.

Go Jays Go.

And Rest In Peace Duane Ward.

Texas Rangers lineup for July 19, 2026 against the Atlanta Braves: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Grant Holmes for the Braves.

The Rangers come to the end of their brief three game road trip this afternoon, and will try to take the series against the Braves.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Langford — LF

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Duran — SS

Carter — CF

Lopez — 2B

Higashioka — C

12:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -121 favorites.

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Let's end the weekend on a high note!

These are my top looks to leave the yard this Sunday afternoon, featuring Yordan Alvarez showing value in the MLB player props. 

Here are my favorite MLB picks & home run props for July 19.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Heriberto Hernandez	+335
Yordan Alvarez	+209
Pete Crow-Armstrong	+375
💲Today's HR parlay	+6504

Home run pick: Heriberto Hernandez (+335)

Miami Marlins outfielder Heriberto Hernandez finds himself in a great spot to leave the yard against Milwaukee Brewers southpaw Robert Gasser.

Hernandez enters Sunday with an elite Batters-Box rating, along with over 75% arsenal coverage against Gasser. The Marlins slugger has been crushing left handed pitching, posting a .759 SLG, 1.126 OPS, and .444 ISO, while producing a 51.2% hard hit rate and 16.3% barrel rate.

At home, Gasser has struggled against right handed hitters, allowing a 68.3% elevation rate and a 35.7% hard hit rate. Over his last 60 batters faced, opponents have elevated the baseball 74.5% of the time while posting a .355 xBA, .544 xSLG, and .343 xwOBA.

With how well Hernandez has been seeing the baseball, I'm fully expecting extra bases this afternoon, with a strong chance one leaves the yard.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: BREW, MIAM

Home run pick: Yordan Alvarez (+209)

Give me the big fella, the highest rated hitter on the slate over at Batters-Box. He also owns 100% arsenal coverage against Brandon Young.

Yep, it's Yordan Alvarez day.

When Alvarez has earned an elite rating this season, he has left the yard 35% of the time across a 25 game sample. The Houston Astros slugger hasn't slowed down one bit, batting .385 with a .923 SLG, 1.390 OPS, and .538 ISO, while producing a 63.6% hard hit rate and 22.7% barrel rate over his last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching.

Meanwhile, the last 30 left-handed hitters Young has faced have generated a 57.1% hard hit rate, 9.5% barrel rate, and 76.2% elevation rate. They also own a .497 xBA, 1.127 xSLG, and .371 xwOBA.

Yeah...give me Yordan Alvarez to leave the yard this afternoon.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SCHN, MASN

Home run pick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+375)

First of all...what is a Zebby? Somebody let me know.

Anywho, Pete Crow-Armstrong finds himself in a fantastic spot against Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews this afternoon. He enters Sunday with an elite rating and 100% arsenal coverage against Matthews.

Over his last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching, Crow-Armstrong owns a .667 SLG, 1.117 OPS, and .355 ISO, while producing nearly a 40% hard-hit rate and a 14.3% barrel rate.

Matthews has struggled against left-handed hitters in recent outings. Across the last 30 lefties he has faced, opponents have generated a 50% hard-hit rate, 16.7% barrel rate, and a 28% line drive rate. They also own an .852 xSLG and .390 xwOBA against him.

While his recent elevation rate has been a bit low, the quality of contact he's allowing suggests hitters are due to cash in with a long ball.

• Time: 1:20 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MARQ, MNNT

Today’s HR parlay

Heriberto Hernandez	Bet Now +6504
Yordan Alvarez
Pete Crow-Armstrong

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.

It has been better since a disastrous April, but Miles Mikolas and Zack Littell in the back of the rotation is not ideal. Both have ERA’s well over 5 for the season, and are just way too hittable. The pair have allowed a combined 45 home runs. After the trade deadline, I would like to see some new blood, specifically Jackson Kent.

Kent is one of the Nats most underrated prospects, and has the ability to be a number 4 starter for a long time. His combination of solid stuff, deception and control allows him to rack up the strikeouts in the minor leagues. Between AA and AAA, Kent has 90 strikeouts in 78.2 innings with a 3.78 ERA and 3.67 FIP.

He had a great outing the other day, allowing just one run and striking out 8 in five innings. Kent has had a very interesting season, especially in AAA. Since being promoted to Rochester, Kent has a mediocre 4.69 ERA, but his FIP sits at just 3.93 and his xERA is 3.31.

The thing with Kent is that most of his outings are stellar. He has allowed 2 or fewer runs in 7 of his 10 AAA starts, allowing one earned run or less in 6 of them. However, in the other three starts he allowed 7,6 and 5 earned runs. Blowup starts have been a problem for Kent in his career, and that will be one thing he has to solve if he wants to reach his full ceiling.

A reason for those blowup starts in my opinion is that Kent’s stuff is good, not great. He has to be pretty pinpoint with his command. To his credit, he usually is, but when he is not, things can spiral on him. His stuff is better than the likes of Mikolas and Littell though, with a 93-95 MPH heater from the left side to go with a nasty changeup and a pair of usable breaking balls.

In some ways, Kent reminds me of Jake Bennett, who the Nats traded this offseason and is now flourishing with the Red Sox. Both are left handers with big extension down the mound, good command and average stuff that plays up. Bennett’s game is more about soft contact, while Kent’s relies more on swing and miss. However, the two have a lot of similarities, and Kent could also have big league success like Bennett.

When August rolls around, I would love to see Kent get his shot. Despite an ERA that is not super impressive, all the underlying numbers suggest Kent is ready. He actually does a solid job of limiting hard contact for the most part, though when he does allow it, home runs come fairly often. 

One stat evaluators look at a lot is K-BB%. It is a simple stat that is just your strikeout percentage minus your walk rate. Kent has always been great in that stat. This season he has a 28.4% K rate and just a 7.3% BB rate, which is a 21.1 K-BB%. That is higher than a lot of pitchers’ strikeout rates.

Kent is an interesting watch on the mound. A former high school football player, Kent is built like a linebacker. His delivery has a lot of flying arms and legs, but he manages to repeat it very well. Kent’s best pitch is his changeup, which does not pop on stuff models but plays super well off his fastball. That is his put away pitch, especially to right handed hitters.

This season Kent has seen his velocity go from the low-90’s to the mid-90’s, which has really helped him out. The increased juice on his heater has helped make the changeup even more deadly. In AAA, the changeup has a whiff rate of 42.9%. 

Overall, this is just a way more interesting profile than a Mikolas or Littell. Kent has a chance to be a solid big league starter for a long time. Drafted in 2024, Kent is still a youngster at just 23 years of age. He does not have the flashy velocity of a Susana or Sykora, but if you can command the ball, you don’t need that, especially as a lefty.

When Kent gets to the big leagues, I could see them making some tweaks with him. The most obvious thing would be to throw a sinker to left handed hitters. Another thing could just be to work on his mental game to help avoid those blowup starts. He does not get a ton of headlines, but Jackson Kent has the ingredients to be a solid big league starter for a long time. I think the Nats should give him a shot sooner rather than later, ideally after the trade deadline.

NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani’s knee is still bothering him.

And now, exactly when he will return to the mound for the Dodgers has become ominously unclear.

On Sunday, manager Dave Roberts announced Ohtani will not make a pitching start on Wednesday as initially expected, after the two-way star continued to feel discomfort in his bothersome left knee during catch play this weekend.

Roberts added that the team didn’t know when Ohtani — who will continue to hit in the Dodgers’ lineup in the meantime— would pitch again but suggested “that it’s going to be some time” before he is back on the bump.

“His knee, we just want to continue to give it the best chance to kind of get into a good spot,” Roberts said. “And as he said, as we feel, it’s the pitching and the torque of landing on that leg that kind of gets it upset.”

Ohtani has not pitched for the Dodgers since July 3 while continuing to battle a knee problem that first surfaced in mid-June.

The two-way star had his final start before the All-Star break scratched last Friday, then skipped All-Star festivities to receive a lubricant injection in his knee last Sunday. 

The team had hoped that treatment would allow the 32-year-old to resume pitching once the second half began. 

But now, Ohtani’s status remains shrouded in even more uncertainty, with Roberts unable to provide even a rough timeline for his return to the mound.

“It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing,” Roberts said. “The first step is getting him into a spot where he feels like, and we feel like, he can pitch and not regress. At that point in time, we can kind of read and react. I just can’t even answer [when that might be] right now.”

Roberts tried to downplay bigger-picture concerns over Ohtani’s knee issue. He said he still fully expected the four-time MVP to pitch again this year. He described Ohtani’s current layoff as more of a precaution, thanks to “where we’re at and how we’ve put ourselves in a good spot” in the standings.

“Could he probably do it? Sure,” Roberts said of Ohtani trying to pitch through his knee injury now. “But right now, the benefits just don’t seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot.”

Roberts also noted that the decision to postpone Ohtani’s next start was made after the player and coaching staff discussed his health in recent days.

“It was more of the training staff talking to him about, ‘Hey, coming out of the break, how does Wednesday look? How do you feel? If you don’t feel 100%, we have the opportunity to just kick the can,’” Roberts said. “The player is always gonna want to be out there and participate. But I think it’s more driven by the organization saying, ‘Hey, if you’re not 100% right, you don’t have to do this.’”

Still, Ohtani’s knee discomfort was significant enough that he didn’t even attempt a bullpen session before reaching that conclusion.

“That was enough for him to talk to the trainers and feel that there was no need to test it with a bullpen where he already knew the answer,” Roberts said. “For us, it’s like we’ve done many times over, erring on the side of caution.”

Suddenly, it all leaves the Dodgers facing some pivotal questions about their pitching staff –– needing to replace Ohtani in the rotation short term and decide if more reinforcements are needed at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

To the former question, Roberts said the Dodgers would try to maintain a six-man rotation, which will become easier once Blake Snell completes a rehab assignment he began on Saturday night with a 1 ⅓-inning outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City. 

In the interim, the Dodgers could use bullpen games, spot starts and strategic scheduling around off-days to get by.

For the second leg of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Yankees, the club opted for a bullpen game while pushing Emmet Sheehan back to Monday’s series opener in Philadelphia against the Phillies (Justin Wrobleski and Eric Lauer will be the other two starters for that series).

“The rotation can keep going forward without Shohei, for the time being,” Roberts said. “Again, I can’t speak to how long that’s going to be.”

Longer term, however, Ohtani’s knee will now be an unwanted variable in the Dodgers’ three-peat plans.

Roberts said, ideally, this current break will help the right-hander’s knee get back to full health. But, because the problem flares up when Ohtani pitches, thanks to the force generated every time he lands on his front left leg, there’s no certainty that it won’t continue to linger for the rest of the year.

“I’m sure he’s going to work on that,” Roberts said when asked if there are tweaks Ohtani can make to his pitching mechanics to take pressure off his knee. “But you’ve got to obviously get off the mound and see how it feels when you get on the mound.”

For now, when that will be is an unknown.

After a first half full of two-way excellence, Ohtani is now grappling with the toll his dueling roles have taken.

Shohei Ohtani's left knee issues and concerns over his viability as a pitcher will extend into the second half, as Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday, July 19 that Ohtani will not make his next scheduled start and will be absent from the rotation indefinitely.

Ohtani received treatment on the knee during the All-Star break, including a lubricant injection, and missed the annual midsummer game. He was penciled in to rejoin the Dodgers rotation Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, but Roberts said Sunday he will not pitch.

The Blue Jays announced that Duane Ward passed away in Toronto.

He was in Toronto for the ceremony for the World Series winning teams, but didn’t get to the ceremony Saturday. They say he died of natural causes. He was just 62. Far too young.

We mentioned that it was strange that Tom Henke was in a truck by himself, yesterday, I’m sure Ward was to be with him. I wonder if they knew he passed then and kept it quiet.

Duane ranks second on the Blue Jays’ all-time saves list with 121.

Duane Ward, born on May 18, 1964, in Park View, New Mexico, was drafted out of high school as the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 1982 amateur draft by the Atlanta Braves. The 6’4” right-hander initially faced challenges as a starting pitcher prospect in Atlanta’s system, struggling with control and walking five batters per nine innings, while not yet developing his eventual strikeout prowess. On July 6, 1986, the Blue Jays acquired Ward in a trade for Doyle Alexander. While Alexander was a reliable starter, the Jays ultimately benefited more from the deal.

After short appearances in the majors during 1986 and 1987, Duane Ward started the 1988 season in the Blue Jays’ bullpen, quickly establishing himself as Tom Henke’s primary setup man. That year, he shined with a 9-3 record, 15 saves, and a 3.30 ERA across 111.2 innings in 64 games. His 60 walks and 91 strikeouts showed that his unpredictability was part of his effectiveness. Times have changed; today, no setup man is expected to pitch that many innings—nowadays, 70 innings is considered a heavy workload for a reliever.

Ward remained Henke’s setup man for the next four seasons, forming a dominant bullpen tandem. Each year, Ward’s performance improved, with ERAs dropping from 3.77 to 1.95. He was no longer limited to setup duties, often pitching multiple innings, and notched double-digit saves each season, topping out at 23 in 1991. That year, he struck out 11 batters per nine innings and lowered his walk rate, earning a ninth-place finish in Cy Young Award voting.

When Tom Henke left after the 1992 season, Ward became the Blue Jays’ closer. He excelled, leading the league with 45 saves—still a franchise record—while striking out 97 batters in 71.2 innings and posting a 2.13 ERA. Ward’s dominance was evident in his 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a .182 opponents’ batting average. He was named an All-Star, finished fifth in Cy Young voting, and even garnered MVP consideration.

Ward was instrumental in the Blue Jays’ consecutive World Series championships. In 1992, he pitched in three ALCS games against Oakland, earning a win, and appeared in four World Series games against Atlanta, where he won twice, allowed no runs, and struck out six in 3.1 innings. The following year, Ward pitched four times and earned two saves in the ALCS win over the White Sox, then made four more appearances—including a win and a save—in the World Series victory over the Phillies.

Ward missed the entire 1994 season with a torn rotator cuff. He attempted a comeback in 1995, but after only four appearances, his career was cut short at age 31—a stark reminder of the toll heavy workloads can exact on relievers. For six seasons, Ward was a dominant force, regularly throwing 95 mph fastballs and sharp sliders. In his era, relievers were often expected to pitch multiple innings and appear in as many as 80 games per season.

Rob Neyer ranked Ward as the second-best reliever in Blue Jays history. Ward traveled with the Blue Jays’ clinics. My youngest son attended those clinics a few times, and Ward was excellent with the kids and kind with his time, he spent a few minutes talking to after clinic days.

Deepest condolences to his family and friends. He was a favourite of mine.