On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Rangers series preview

The Cubs met up with an AL West team in their second series of 2026 and took two of three from an Angels club that has fallen into the basement in their division.

This weekend they’ll visit another AL West team, the Rangers.

For more on the Rangers, here’s Adam Morris, manager of our SB Nation Rangers site Lone Star Ball.

Things are less than ideal for the Texas Rangers currently. The team is three games under .500, and Wyatt Langford and Josh Smith are both on the injured list, and yes, if you check the B-R page, both players have gotten off to bad starts, but Langford, in particular, profiles as one of the Rangers top players, so his absence hurts the lineup.  

On the other hand, the Rangers have played either the most difficult schedule so far this season, or the second most difficult schedule, depending on where you look, and are just two games behind the Northern California Athletics in the American League West, so, you know, things could be worse.

The Rangers will have the Vandy Boys — Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter — starting the first two games of the series. Each has been up-and-down this season, looking great at times and looking awful at other times, often in the same game.  

Rocker is a sinker/slider guy who has a changeup that is still a work in progress, and who generates a ton of ground balls. His slider is his best pitch, and when he’s on, he throws it for strikes enough to keep hitters from sitting on his sinker. When he’s not on, he struggles to throw strikes and hitters will tee off on his sinker.  Rocker is terrible at holding on runners, and the Rangers catchers aren’t great at throwing out baserunners, so the Cubs will almost certainly look to run on him. Base stealers are 5 for 5 against him this season, and 17 for 17 against him in his major league career.

Leiter, on the other hand, relies on a high-speed, high-spin fastball that generates swings-and-misses.  He introduced a kick-change last year that he’s used much more this year — its his second most frequently thrown pitch — and, unusually, he throws it frequently to righthanded hitters as well as lefties. It can be a devastating pitch, but he struggles to command it — if you look at the heat map for the changeup, you will see that the pitch can end up anywhere from above the batter’s head to hitting the ground 4 feet in front of the plate. When Leiter is on, he racks up Ks and gets a lot of pop ups and lazy fly balls. When he’s not on, his pitch count gets out of control early on, and he gives up a lot of loud contact in the air.  

Jacob deGrom is slated to pitch the finale. You might have heard of him before. He’s pretty good. He’s no longer “best pitcher in baseball” Jacob deGrom, but he is still “legitimate No. 1 starter” Jacob deGrom.  The biggest issue with deGrom is that he’s much more homer-prone since coming back from Tommy John surgery — he’s allowed just 13 runs this year, but 6 home runs, and allowed 26 homers last year.

The bullpen is a collection of no-names, but has performed quite well so far this season. Manager Skip Schumaker has tended to go with Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz as his primary options late in games with a lead.

The offense has been erratic. Corey Seager is off to a slow (for him) start, though he’s still got a 114 OPS+.  Brandon Nimmo and Josh Jung are off to great starts offensively, though Nimmo is nursing a hamstring issue that has limited him of late — he’s missed a couple of games over the past week, and DH’d when he has played. With Smith and Langford out, the Rangers have had to use Andrew McCutchen — on the roster as a platoon DH — in the outfield some, and put Joc Pederson in right field against the Yankees on Thursday, something we hope we will never have to see again.  

Globe Life Park played very hitter-friendly in 2023, when the Rangers won the World Series, but since the start of the 2025 has played as an extreme pitchers park due to the ball not carrying well at all. A ball off the bat that seems like it should land 10 rows back will end up caught on the warning track. Don’t be surprised if we have a low-scoring series.

Fun facts

The Cubs have a winning record against the Rangers all-time, with 14 wins and 13 losses. But they are 5-7 at Texas, where they have won only one of four series, two games to one in 2010. They lost two of three in their two subsequent visits, both to start seasons, in 2019 and 2024.

This is the first of three straight series on the road for the Cubs, their only three-team road trip this season. However, the third series will be in Chicago, on the South Side vs. the White Sox. They will play three games at Atlanta before that one.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Ben Brown, RHP (1-1, 2.10 ERA, 1.013 WHIP, 2.71 FIP) vs. Kumar Rocker, RHP (1-3, 4.71 ERA, 1.465 WHIP, 3.98 FIP)

Saturday: Edward Cabrera, RHP (3-0, 3.27 ERA, 1.282 WHIP, 4.01 FIP) vs. Jack Leiter, RHP (1-3, 5.45 ERA, 1.368 WHIP, 4.45 FIP)

Sunday: Jameson Taillon, RHP (2-1, 4.24 ERA, 1.140 WHIP, 6.01 FIP) vs. Jacob deGrom, RHP (2-2, 3.11 ERA, 1.009 WHIP, 3.35 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Friday: 7:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, Peacock (streaming, Rangers broadcast, outside the Cubs and Rangers market territories)

Saturday: 6:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 1:35 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

The Rangers got off to a decent start this year but have lost eight of their last 12. Two of the pitching matchups look favorable to the Cubs, so I’ll say, again, that the Cubs will win two of three.

Up next

The Cubs have Monday off, then head to Atlanta for a three-game series against the Braves beginning Tuesday evening.

Giants-Pirates Series Preview: How to remake a lineup

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 02: Ryan O'Hearn (29) of the Pittsburgh Pirates singles to right field to drive in two runs in the fourth inning during an MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 02, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Is this a series featuring two teams headed in opposite directions or early season mirages?

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the offseason fresh off a seventh consecutive losing season. Their 434-598 record over that span was the second-worst in MLB behind only the Rockies (402-629). A team ERA of 4.58 (26th). 29th in runs scored!

What could be done?

The Pirates decided to retool their dreadful lineup, first by offering Kyle Schwarber a reported 4-year, $125 million deal. When that was rejected (he signed for 5/$150MM), they signed 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn to a 2-year, $29 million contract and have gotten an .824 OPS out of it. But O’Hearn’s production does not lead the team. That honor belongs to second baseman Brandon Lowe, who was acquired for RHP Mike Burrows in a three-team trade involving the Pirates, Rays, and Astros. He has a Pirates-leading 10 home runs and .941 OPS. He hit .247/.326/.481 for the Rays across 8 seasons, but he’s off to a white-hot start. Even his defense (-23.8 Defensive Runs Above Average in those 8 seasons) has been great (+1.8 in 2026). They also signed Marcell Ozuna to be their DH, but he’s been a Deversian bust to this point, posting a putrid line of .186/.256/.288 in 129 PA.

Former Giants prospect Bryan Reynolds is off to a great start, too, hitting .254/.399/.410 and has played in every game to this point. Joey Bart has been pushed into more of a backup role at this point and in his .619 OPS (54 PA) he has 19 strikeouts against just 2 walks. The Pirates’ own farm hand, Oneil Cruz has shifted from shortstop to center field and has gotten better as a hitting, with a .773 OPS to start the year while playing the new position. He vacated shortstop so that the Pirates could call up their top prospect, Konnor Griffin, all of 20 years old. He’s hitting .257/.320/.389 with a pair of homers and 9 walks against 36 strikeouts in his first 125 major league plate appearances.

So, there’s a buzz in Pittsburgh and not just because it’s the setting of the excellent HBO Max drama The Pitt, but because their baseball team is finally competitive. They’ve been good on the road this season (10-8), though with a negative run differential, too. Regardless of how the season ends, the extra work they put in to reimagine their offense has gone a long way. They’ll be playing a Giants team tha has a distinct lack of imagination when it comes to rebuilding or reimagining any part of the roster, and the “stand pat” attitude towards the lineup coupled with the “win the lottery five times” strategy for the pitching staff seems to have set them up for a lost season just 37 games in.

Sure, you can’t win the division in April, but you can lose it all in May, and so far the Giants are off to a worst month in the second month of the season (1-5) than how they started the season (2-4); but, they’ve also lost 8 of 9. They spent the offseason crowing about how they felt they had the best lineup the franchise has seen in years, but through 37 games they’re merely the absolute worst lineup going in every way. Their pitching is valued at 24th (2.0 fWAR), Pittsburgh’s is ranked 3rd (5.3 fWAR). Knowing that most Giants fans and probably the front office abhor Wins Above Replacement, I’ll look at another stat that makes the gap between these two staffs look smaller than it is: the Pirates’ team ERA of 3.70 is 7th in MLB while the Giants’ 3.99 ERA is 11th. So, there you go. There’s not much of a difference between these two teams in this one very narrow respect. So, if you focus on that, maybe that’ll make it easier to imagine that the Giants are as good as the Pirates have been — unless you’re sticking with recent history and imagining that the Pirates will pumpkin back into the Pirates of the last seven years and the Giants will similarly revert to the… around .500 team they’ve been 5 of the last 6 seasons.


Series overview

Who: Pittsburgh Pirates (21-17) vs. San Francisco Giants (14-23)
Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California
When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 6:05pm PT, Sunday at 1:05pm PT
National broadcasts: None.

Projected starters
Friday: Carmen Mlodzinski (RHP 2-2, 4.76 ERA) vs. TBD
Saturday: Braxton Ashcraft (RHP 1-2, 3.02 ERA) vs. TBD
Sunday: Bubba Chandler (RHP 1-4, 4.76 ERA) vs. TBD


Players to watch

Pirates

Konnor Griffin / Brandon Lowe / Bryan Reynolds: Yes, yes, I just mentioned all these guys up above, but over the past two weeks, they’ve really led the Pirates’ lineup, with wRC+s of 183, 182, and 158, respectively. Griffin’s slugging .596 and Lowe .625. Griffin has also stolen 4 bases. Reynolds has scored 11 runs in 13 games and has a walk rate of 24.1% against a strikeout rate of 25.9% — interesting!

Spencer Horwitz: Sort of the big offensive acquisition the Pirates made last offseason in a trade with the Blue Jays. He’s struggled on the road this season (.530 OPS), but the first baseman has a .920 OPS in 31 career PA vs. the Giants, but in Oracle Park he’s hitting .381/.409/.619 in 22 PA with a home run and a pair of doubles. This might be a perfect setup for him, because the Giants might try to get around the hotter hitters in the lineup and forget about him.

Mason Montgomery: He was the other part of the three-team trade that netted Pittsburgh Brandon Lowe and all the 26-year old lefty has done is strike dudes out (22 in 14 IP). Okay, and walked duded (8 in 14 IP). And, uh, even given up a lot of hits to them (1.429 WHIP). But he’s allowed just 1 home run in those 14 innings, and that’s because his stuff is really something, with a 98 mph four-seamer paired with an average-ish curve and high spin slider (2,648 rpm). He’s not the team’s closer (that’s veteran Gregory Santos, who has a 1.42 ERA in 19 IP), but it feels like he’ll come into situations late in the game that will, effectively, decide them.

Giants

Willy Adames: This series will be the definitive test to determine whether or not Willy Adames passed away at some point this season and what we’re seeing haunt the Giants lineup right now is, in fact, a g-g-g-ghost. He has a lot of experience against the Pirates from his NL Central days, and while that .790 career OPS in 299 PA isn’t among the best results against a specific team, if he has a series that good we’ll know he’s still alive.

Jung Hoo Lee: He has just a .611 OPS in his career against Pittsburgh, but let’s balance that against what he’s done over his last 24 games (96 PA): .319/.354/.462 (.816 OPS). This stretches back to that terrible Baltimore-Cincinnati road trip. He has 5 doubles, a triple, and a pair of homers to go with 5 walks against 9 Ks. Of course, he’s just 2-for-22 in the first 6 games of May, so, maybe he’s back in a cold spell along with the rest of the offense? We’ll just have to find out!

Bryce Eldridge: This will be a classic test of a rookie, especially a rookie of the modern game, and especially for Eldridge himself. The three scheduled starters in this series all average either 96, 97, or 98 mph with their fastball, and have one exceptional second pitch while the rest of their arsenals are average/sub-average. Those other exceptional pitches will play around with his tremendous height. Mlodzinski has a splitter he throws more often than that fastball (though, he has a wipeout sweeper too). Ashcraft has a 46.2% whiff rate on his curveball (throw 28.5% of the time). And Chandler has a 92-93 mph changeup.


Tony Vitello watch

He’ll be managing against another first year manager in Don Kelly. The only differences are that Kelly played in the majors for 9 years and was an organizational scout and then staffed as a coach on two major league staffs prior to being named the Pirates’ manager. But, you know, other than that, exactly the same.


Prediction time

The Giants really need to sweep this series to get to a record (17-23) that, historically, has been one that can be recovered from in the quest for a solid season. I’m pretty sure these 2026 Giants are awful, and maybe even historically so, but I’ll let this one last flimsy historical mark be the deciding factor before I delete Have Hope In Your Sports Team app from my brain.

Chris Sale takes the mound as the Atlanta Braves look to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers

DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 02: Pitcher Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves throws against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Coors Field on May 02, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Atlanta Braves are headed to The City of Angels to face off against the Dodgers after a day of rest. As it turns out, there could not be a better time in the schedule to play this series. The Braves are slotted to use their top half of their rotation, while the Dodgers will go with the bottom half of theirs.

Both teams have had injury issues with their rotations, but both have kept on winning. This series will be the biggest test yet for the Atlanta Braves that have been winning the games that they are supposed to. This will be the first series in quite some time that the Braves will be the underdog, which is always fun to see how teams respond.

The game one matchup tonight will feature Chris Sale against Emmet Sheehan, and in terms of ERA these two pitchers are having very different seasons. Sale is once again starting off strong with a 2.14 ERA and Sheehan is struggling with a 5.23. The season is still young, so the sample sizes are small, but this pitching matchup should make for the one game in the series that the Braves have the best odds of winning.

Chris Sale’s season has been no fluke. He did have the forgettable start on April sixth when he surrendered six runs, but that makes the rest of his work much more impressive. It is crazy to think that a pitcher, this early in the season, could surrender six runs in a 4.0 inning start, yet still own an ERA of 2.14 in the first half of May. Outside of that start with six ERs, Sale has pitched at least six innings in every other start and has not surrendered more than one earned run in any of them. Sale is also trending in the right direction. In his last three starts he is averaging 6.2 innings, 3.0 hits, 0.7 earned runs, 2.0 walks, and 9.0 strikeouts. Those are Cy Young front runner numbers almost every year. The one caveat is that he pitched those three games against the Phillies twice and then the Rockies.

Believe it or not, Chris Sale has not faced the Dodgers’ hitters that often. Outside of Teoscar Hernández that has faced Sale eighteen times, no other Dodger has faced him more in than nine at-bats.

Ironically enough, the player who has had the most success against Sale is former Braves hero, Freddie Freeman. Freeman has nine at-bats against Sale and currently holds a .333 average and 1.222 OPS with a HR. Hernández has an OPS of .818 against him, but no one else has an OPS above .708. Not even world superstar Shohei Ohtani.

The Braves will be facing Emmet Sheehan who has been victim of some poor luck. His ERA is much higher than his expected ERA (xERA) of 4.31. An xERA of 4.31 is not exactly elite, but it is much better than his surface numbers. What could be a recipe for success for the Braves is that Sheehan’s weakness is the Braves’ strength. Sheehan is in the top 25.0 percent of the league in strikeout and walk rates but struggles with giving up hard contact. Sheehan is currently at the bottom 36.0 percent in barrel percentage and bottom 42.0 percent in hard-hit rate. The Braves are currently third in MLB in barrels per plat appearance and eighth in hard-hit percentage. Fun side note, the Braves are first in MLB in batted balls (BBE), and second in MLB in balls hit 95.0 MPH or harder.

It should go without saying that in his young career Sheehan has not faced many of the Braves’ hitters many times. In fact, the last time he faced them was way back in 2023 before his season ending injury that kept him out all of 2024 as well. He has not faced any hitter on the Braves in more than five at-bats, and no player that was on the Braves in 2023 faced him more than twice. Ozzie Albies had two hits on him in that game.

The Atlanta Braves have a legitimate shot to win tonight but bring your coffee because the game does not start till 10:10 EDT.

Game Info

Game Time: Friday, May 8th, 10:10 pm EDT

Location: UNIGLO Field at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Remembering the pre-Ben Rice era, Part 2: Voit’s brief reign, LeMahieu’s peak and fall, and the Rizzo years

TAMPA, FL - MARCH 15: Luke Voit #59 of the New York Yankees poses for a photo during the New York Yankees Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday, March 15, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Welcome, friends. I hope you brought popcorn and soda, because it’s time for Part 2 of my impromptu review of the Yankees’ first base situation before Ben Rice arrived on the scene. In Part 1, we covered the decline phase of Mark Teixeira and the tragic fate of Greg Bird, but ended on a high note with Luke Voit’s magical 2018 run. Today, we’ll be covering 2019-2024. Without further ado, let’s remember some guys.

2019 – 2021: Voit’s truncated tenure, LeMahieu’s uncomfortable fit, and Rizzo’s introduction

As the 2019 season approached, all eyes were on Luke Voit. I guess hitting 14 home runs in 39 games the year prior has a way of heightening expectations. While Voit could not quite match that level, he had a very strong start to the year, hitting .277/.386/.497 with 16 home runs through June. Everyone in Yankee Universe was just about ready to crown him as the future at first base. However, as with Greg Bird, the injury bug would befall Voit time and time again. 

First, on June 29 during the London Series against the Red Sox, Voit suffered an abdominal injury that sidelined him until July 13, forcing him to miss eight games. Then, on July 31, he was placed on the injured list yet again with a sports hernia. When he returned at the end of August, he simply wasn’t the same. Prior to the hernia, Voit’s wRC+ stood at a robust 132; post-injury, he only managed an 80 wRC+ over 94 plate appearances, with a paltry .138 ISO. Although his overall line (.263/.378/.464, 126 wRC+) was still strong thanks to his early-season performance, the way Voit’s season ended left a bad taste in many a fan’s mouth. 

Fortunately, though, for 2019, the Yankees were able to weather Voit’s absences quite well thanks to two excellent backup options – DJ LeMahieu and Mike Ford. When Voit went down at the end of June, it was LeMahieu, along with the recently acquired Edwin Encarnación, who handled first base. Those of you who have followed the Yankees’ recent years might not remember LeMahieu so fondly, but in 2019, he was truly a force to be reckoned with, hitting .327/.375/.518 while handling multiple infield spots capably. With LeMahieu sliding over to first from second and third, the Yankees did not miss a beat offensively – in 135 plate appearances as a first baseman, LeMahieu hit a sparkling .338/.361/.531. 

LeMahieu also saw time after Voit’s second IL stint, but this time, his first base partner was Mike Ford. A sleeper prospect who had posted strong OBPs in the Yankees’ system for many years prior, Ford was invited to spring training as a non-roster player, and had been assigned to Scranton to start the year before being called up in April when Greg Bird was placed on the IL. While he struggled in his initial April stretch, Voit’s second injury gave him another opening, and he sure made the most of it. In 84 August PAs, Ford hit eight homers with a .582 slugging percentage, good for a 121 wRC+. Between Ford and LeMahieu, first base was in good hands despite Luke Voit’s injuries and subsequent struggles, at least for 2019.

Coming into 2020, there was some uncertainty around how Voit would perform (although if that was your main preoccupation at the time, you should consider yourself lucky). However, Voit quickly silenced any doubters. In a pandemic-shortened season, Voit hit .277/.338/.610, and led the league with 22 dingers in just 234 PAs. Unfortunately, Mike Ford cratered, managing only a 37 wRC+ in 84 PAs. However, you don’t really have to worry that much about how your backup 1B is doing when your starter is running a 153 wRC+. Once again, Voit had shown that he was capable of being an elite player – the only question was whether he would be able to sustain that over a full year, and Yankeedom could not wait for that question to be answered in 2021.

So, the baseball gods being the bullies that they are, naturally it was time for Voit’s body to betray him again. On March 27, it was announced that he had partially torn his meniscus in his right knee and would undergo surgery. It wasn’t until May 11 that he would make his season debut, and just twelve games later, he landed on the IL again with an oblique strain, sidelining him for a month. Then, on July 11, Voit suffered a bone bruise, forcing him to miss yet another month. When all was said and done, Voit was only able to play 68 games, and while his 11 homers and 113 wRC+ weren’t terrible, it was a far cry from his peak form.

Unlike 2019, the 2021 Yankees’ backup options could not carry them. Fresh off winning the AL batting title, the magic was gone from LeMahieu’s bat, and he could only manage a 101 wRC+ – fine if you’re a slick defender at second and third, but inexcusable if you’re manning first. Ford could not bounce back from his awful 2020, hitting just .136 with three homers in his 21 games at first base. The Yankees tried throwing Jay Bruce and Chris Gittens at the wall, but they disintegrated upon impact. It was painfully clear that the Bombers did not have any in-house options.

So, the Yankees got creative. On July 29, they sent prospects Kevin Alcántara and Alexander Vizcaíno along with cash considerations to the Cubs for Anthony Rizzo. At the time, Rizzo was enduring the worst full season of his career since 2013, when he was still a budding major leaguer. At 31 years of age, it was abundantly clear that Rizzo had entered his decline phase. However, even a diminished Rizzo was head and shoulders above the Yankees’ other options at the time. He hit for a 115 wRC+ over 200 plate appearances with the Yanks, and coupled with Luke Voit’s struggles with injury, that was enough for Brian Cashman to hand him the keys to the first base job. On March 17, 2022, the Yankees signed Rizzo to a two-year, $32-million deal. A day later, they shipped Voit to the Padres for Justin Lange. Thus ended Luke Voit’s Bronx tenure – what an unceremonious end, given that it had started with such promise.

2022 – 2024: Rizzo falls victim to injuries, Yankees’ mismanagement; A new hope

Going into the 2022 season, there was some trepidation with Rizzo given his age and his performance in the prior year. However, Rizzo responded resoundingly with a resurgent year with the bat, hitting .224/.331/.480 (131 wRC+) with 32 homers in 548 plate appearances. Even though he was hampered by injuries, particularly in the second half of the season – first by back spasms, then by the aftereffects of an epidural injection gone wrong – Rizzo managed to be a stable presence at first base for the first time in what felt like forever. Indeed, his 117 games at 1B were the most by a Yankees first baseman since…Lyle Overbay’s 119 games in 2013. Man, that 2013 team sure was something.

In the offseason, Rizzo bet on himself, opting out of his deal and becoming a free agent. However, the Yankees weren’t going to let their first “real” 1B in nearly a decade slip away. They signed him to another two-year deal, this time for $40 million, and Yankees fans everywhere rejoiced. Then, as the 2023 season started, Rizzo did the unthinkable – he was even better than the year before. Through May 28, 2023, Rizzo hit .304/.376/.505, good for a 145 wRC+.

Why was I so specific about the date there? Because that was the day it all went south for Rizzo and the Yankees.

That day, during a pickoff attempt at first base, Fernando Tatis, Jr. rushed back to the bag, and his right hip collided squarely with the side of Rizzo’s head.

Hindsight is 20/20, but reviewing the video, it’s painfully clear that the play left Rizzo seriously disoriented. Watch the way he sluggishly rises to his full height, tries to tag Tatis again like he’s not sure where he is, and stumbles off towards second base like he’s had one too many beers. He left the game due to what was initially described as a “neck injury”, but even to the untrained eye, it seems quite obvious that Rizzo was suffering from a concussion.

Fortunately, the Yankees eventually reached the same conclusion. Unfortunately for Rizzo, it took fourty-six games for them to do so.

For more than two whole months, the Yankees kept on running Rizzo out, despite the fact that he was experiencing signs of post-concussion syndrome such as grogginess and fogginess, and the fact that his post-injury performance (a 43 wRC+ over 192 PAs) should have been cause for alarm in itself. Sure, he passed MLB’s initial concussion testing, but that’s no excuse for the Yankees to have continued to play Rizzo for as long as they did. For the record, in Chris Kirshner’s postmortem interview with Rizzo regarding the whole fiasco for The Athletic, Rizzo claimed that neither he nor the Yankees handled anything wrongly, explaining that he was hesitant to blame his struggles on the collision with Tatis because “we’re not bred to come up with excuses”.

I’m going to cut Rizzo some slack here. Although the “play through pain” mentality is just another example of how patriarchy harms men, I think it’s unrealistic to expect someone like Rizzo, who has spent nearly his entire life in a hyper-masculine, hyper-competitive field, to suddenly have a moment of clarity and concede that something wasn’t right. But I’m not inclined to extend the same courtesy to the Yankees. They have a responsibility to put their players’ health before anything else, especially for an issue as serious as this. Reading the Kirshner interview, it seemed like the team waited for Rizzo to come forward to conduct additional testing, but the onus should be on the team to look out for their players.

The hope for 2024 was that Rizzo would able to recover from this ordeal and return to his career norms. That did not happen. Limited to 92 games due to a mid-June arm fracture that sidelined him until September, Rizzo hit a pitiful .228/.301/.335 (85 wRC+). Somehow, the Yankees saw enough in him to stick with him at first base in the playoffs, but it did not end well, both offensively (he went 2-for-16 in the World Series) and defensively. After the season ended, the Yankees declined his $17 million option, making him a free agent. He went unsigned, and in September 2025, he officially announced his retirement.

However, all was not lost for the Yankees. A certain unheralded prospect made his debut in 2024. Always old for his level, no one expected much of him, but he burst on to the scene, becoming the first Yankees rookie to dinger thrice in one game. And though a hellacious slump prompted the Yankees to send him down to Scranton in late August, his peripherals suggested that he was much better than the back of his baseball card. His name was Ben Rice, and I guess you all know what happened next.

So, that concludes our trip to the pre-Rice era. The moral of the story is: don’t take what Rice is doing now for granted. Savor every moment. I hope he’s able to enjoy a long, healthy career, but you just don’t know. And if Rice ever finds himself in a slump, remember this article and remind yourself that it could always be worse.

Braves vs Dodgers Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today's MLB Game

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Two National League division leaders begin a weekend series tonight as the Atlanta Braves visit the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The Braves are tied for the best record in baseball at 26-12, while the Dodgers are at 23-14.

I’m backing Chris Sale and the visitors with my Braves vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks for Friday, May 8.

Who will win Braves vs Dodgers today: Braves moneyline (+108)

The Atlanta Braves and Chris Sale at plus money? That’s difficult to pass up.

Sale has been his typical dominant self with a 2.14 ERA, and Atlanta has come away victorious in six of his seven starts. His 114 Stuff+ ranks seventh among starters — well ahead of his pitching counterpart on Friday, Emmet Sheehan (169th among starters with a 93 Stuff+).

Sheehan’s velocity is down a full tick from last year, and he’s offered no mercy against an Atlanta lineup that has plated the most runs (213) in the MLB.

Covers COVERS INTEL: Sale has dominated the Dodgers’ projected starting lineup, limiting them to a .535 OPS across 69 at-bats with a 21-5 strikeout-walk ratio.

Braves vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-110)

Two of the most effective bullpens in baseball, and one of the most lethal starting pitchers? Yeah, that’s enough for me to take the Under. 

All of the top arms will be available for both teams after Thursday’s off day. Atlanta’s pen ranks third in bullpen SIERA (3.27), and the Los Angeles Dodgers are right behind (3.30).

While Sheehan’s 5.23 ERA is a worry, his 3.11 xFIP is more encouraging, and he’s turned things on lately with 18 Ks in his last two starts. 

Sale, meanwhile, has held some of the Dodgers' best bats (Kyle Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith) to a combined 2-for-21 at the dish.

JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
  • ML/RL bets: 11-9, +0.57 units
  • Over/Under bets: 14-7, +6.64 units

Braves vs Dodgers odds

  • Moneyline: Braves +102 | Dodgers -120
  • Run line: Braves +1.5 | Dodgers -1.5
  • Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8

Braves vs Dodgers trend

Atlanta is 6-1 in games where Chris Sale is the starting pitcher. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Braves vs Dodgers and game info

LocationDodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
DateFriday, May 8, 2026
First pitch10:10 p.m. ET
TVBravesVsn, SportsNet LA
Braves starting pitcherChris Sale
(6-1, 2.14 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcherEmmet Sheehan
(2-1, 5.23 ERA)

Braves vs Dodgers latest injuries

Braves vs Dodgers weather

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Tigers series preview: Detroit is running low on pitchers

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 28: Manager A.J. Hinch (14) of the Detroit Tigers looks at the scoreboard as he leaves the pitching mound during the Tuesday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Detroit Tigers on April 28, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Tigers come to Kansas City this weekend, giving the Royals an opportunity to vault ahead of them in the mediocre Central Division. Detroit was considered by many to be the favorites to win the division title, but have had an up-and-down start and have dropped six of their last nine. The Tigers’ rotation was thought to be a strength, but they have been decimated. Tarik Skubal had elbow surgery this week, Framber Valdez was suspended for throwing at Trevor Story, and they were already missing Jackson Jobe, Casy Mize, Reese Olson, Justin Verlander, and Troy Melton due to injury.

Detroit Tigers (18-20) vs. Kansas City Royals (17-21) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Tigers: 4.34 runs scored/game (17th in MLB), 4.18 runs allowed/game (9th)

Royals: 4.13 runs scored/game (22nd), 4.55 runs allowed/game (17th)

The Tigers have hit just 36 home runs, three fewer than the Royals. They are hitting .238/.323/.375 on the road. Only two teams have stolen fewer bases. Kevin McGonigle is on his way to being in the mix for Rookie of the Year after a blazing start to his career, and he is hitting .338/.410/.486 in road games this year. Riley Greene is hitting .362/.463/.580 in his last 20 games.

Spencer Torkelson has the tenth-highest strikeout rate in baseball at 31.3 percent. Kerry Carpenter is just a .212/.274/.303 career hitter against the Royals in 39 games. Colt Keith is a 7-for-20 (.350) hitter against Michael Wacha. The Tigers are without Gleyber Torres, Javier Báez, and Parker Meadows.

Keider Montero will go in the opener after winning his last start against the Rangers, allowing one run in 6.2 innings. Montero had a 3.72 ERA in 12 starts last year, with a 5.51 ERA in eight relief appearances. Salvador Perez is 4-for-7 in their career matchups, while Bobby Witt Jr. is 3-for-8 with a walk.

Ty Madden has not been announced as the starter on Saturday, but seems like a likely option after he tossed five shutout innings in his season debut last week. Madden was drafted by the Royals out of high school in Texas, but elected to attend the University of Texas where the Tigers made him a first round pick. The 26-year-old has battled injuries and missed all of last year, and was promoted after putting up a 4.71 ERA in 21 innings at Triple-A.

The Tigers have had a solid bullpen the last few seasons despite not having a lot of big name relievers, and have the 11th-lowest ERA in baseball at 3.76. Top reliever Will Vest is out with injury, but the Tigers have gotten good innings from former Royals pitcher Burch Smith. Kenley Jansen has 482 career saves, but has blown his last two opportunities, and is 6-for-9 in converting saves this year. Brant Hurter has a 59.6 percent groundball rate this year. Kyle Finnegan has a minuscule ERA despite the 8th-highest walk rate in baseball.

The Tigers swept the Royals in Detroit a few weeks ago and took 9 of 13 from them last year. The Royals seem to have the offense going better than it was operating when they last saw the Tigers. They had a missed opportunity to win a series against Cleveland, they could really use a series win this weekend against Detroit.

MLB Pipeline releases their first 2026 Mock Draft

HOOVER, AL - MAY 24: Ole Miss pitcher Cade Townsend (10) grimaces after walking a LSU player during the SEC Baseball Tournament Semifinals game between Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers on May 24, 2025, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Last night MLB’s Pipeline released their first mock draft for the 2026 MLB Draft, a draft where the Atlanta Braves have two first round picks – including their first Top 10 selection in seven years.

This mock draft only covers the first 25 picks of the draft, as well as the first selection for teams who pick after that point. This means the Braves second first round pick at #26 is not covered in this mock draft.

The first three picks shouldn’t surprise anyone, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson, and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. The first pick that might surprise a little would be the Giants taking prep shortstop Jacob Lombard fourth. Then as expected the fifth pick is UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora. The sixth pick is another surprise with Florida prep lefty Gio Rojas, leaving Mississippi prep outfielder Eric Booth Jr. to go seventh, and Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick to go eighth.

The Braves came up at nine and were taking Ole Miss right-hander Cade Townsend, for the second time in a mock released yesterday after Keith Law also made this pick in his mock.

The writeup for that pick is right here:

“Clubs believe that college pitchers will rise up boards by the time the Draft arrives, and Townsend could move up more than most. He can hit 98 mph with his fastball and spin a pair of plus breaking balls as well as a plus cutter.”

Others of note in this mock draft would include Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress at #10, Etowah HS outfielder Trevor Condon at #15, and Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron #16.

Thoughts

I like Townsend as a prospect in this draft, though I am not feeling like he is the guy I would target at #9. He has been great at a sophomore this year, a real improvement over his freshman season in 2025 – especially with the command. He also has potentially four pitches that could be plus offerings, though there is still some effort in his delivery which could keep his command in the more fringe-average range.

Overall this year he is 5-1 with a 2.42 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 52 IP over 11 starts. Townsend has struck out 73 to 13 walks, racking up a 12.6 K/9. He has also allowed just 37 hits, for a 6.4 H/9 and five home runs.

It is also important to know that he missed a start this year with shoulder inflammation. He has returned and looked good since then, but considering it is a shoulder, his medicals will need to be reviewed closely.

I personally would have preferred a bat here, as I believe the drop off in bats between #9 and #26 is greater than the drop off of arms in that same range.

Guardians Analysis: Franco Aleman Gets the Call

After a long wait, it’s finally time to see Franco Aleman on a mound in Cleveland. The 26 year-old, 6-foot-6 specimen of a reliever finally gets the call.

BBWA writer Francys Romero reports the call has been made on Twitter:

I am not sure who @MayDayTimes is, but they had it first:

The big righty reliever had gone through ups and downs in Columbus, primarily with location, but 2026 has seen him completely dominate Triple-A. So where does Aleman fit? That answer is easy: wherever he’s needed. The Guardians bullpen, outside of Erik Sabrowski and recently Matt Festa and Cade Smith, has been abysmal. Colin Holderman has been better lately but isn’t used in big spots. Peyton Pallette can’t find the zone (16.4% BB%), Connor Brogdon has been rough and is coming off an outing where he gave up back to back home runs to Bobby Witt and Vinnie Pasquantino, and Tim Herrin has a horseshoe you know where as he’s running a -4.1% K-BB% but hasn’t allowed an earned run.

So yes, Aleman can and will slide in wherever he’s needed, the question just becomes can he throw enough strikes? This season says yes, but the lurking struggles of 2025 and beyond still loom. Aleman is throwing in the zone a career high 53.9% of the time, a mark 9% higher than 2024 and 2025 combined in Columbus, but the stuff is better. Aleman is generating better spin on his fastball and slider, his only two offerings thus far, and nobody in Triple-A has been able to hit either of them.

Aleman has a bull whip of a release, making for an incredibly uncomfortable at-bat for right-handed hitters. Aleman torments them and fares far better on a rate basis than he does against lefties. Aleman is able to utilize his fastball to cuff righties so that his slider can dive away from them and induce lots of swing and miss. From TJStats, Aleman is running a sub .200 xwOBA against RHH with a preposterous 42.3% strikeout rate.

You’ll notice the walk rate spike against lefties. Aleman being a two pitch pitcher with one being a slider turns him almost into a one pitch guy which lends to longer at-bats and more walks as the chase doesn’t follow. Definitely something to monitor as he makes the leap.

Aleman is not a sure thing nor a savior for the bullpen, but he is a massive step in the right direction. Cleveland shopped in the bargain bin all offseason and are feeling some regrets of their cheapness. Aleman will hopefully be the first of a few arms on the way to Cleveland to aid the back end in their quest to stay Division Champs.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Bryce Eldridge returns, Robby Snelling and Ryan Waldschmidt debut

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, our weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire guide. We'll be doing things a little differently this season, with Eric Samulski publishing the initial waiver-wire article on Friday afternoon. Then James Schiano updates it every Sunday to make sure you get the most up-to-date information.

The premise of the article is pretty straightforward. We'll give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When we list a player, we'll list the category where we think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. We hope it helps you determine if the player fits what your team needs. Not every "trending" player will be a good addition for your specific roster.

To qualify for this list, a player needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. We understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and we can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places, and that can hopefully satisfy readers who play in all league types.

⚾️ Baseball is back on NBC: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters

Casey Schmitt - 1B/2B/3B, SF (42% rostered)

(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, HOT STREAK)

Two weeks ago, we had Schmitt on here with the headline "hot streak coming." Since then, Schmitt has hit .318 with four home runs, seven runs scored, and 10 RBI in 13 games. No, he's not going to keep up that pace for the entire season, but he's 27 years old and has shown some intriguing skills in a part-time role before. This year, he's improved his barrel rate to 16.7% and his hard-hit rate to 46.7% by looking to pull and lift the ball more often and being a bit more selective. His zone contact rate is up to 91%, and his swinging strike rate is under 10%. Kudos to you if you were able to scoop him before the hot stretch.

Brooks Lee - 2B/3B/SS, MIN (38% rostered)

(HOT STREAK, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

Few hitters are hotter than Brooks Lee, who is actually a top 40 player in Yahoo formats over the last two weeks because he's hitting .326 with two home runs, eight runs scored, 11 RBI, and two steals. He has just a 5% barrel rate and 33% hard-hit rate, so he's likely overperforming from a power standpoint right now, but he makes a lot of contact, doesn't take a lot of called strikes, and squares the ball up regularly. That should lead to a good batting average, but he also only had three steals all of last season, so it's hard to know exactly how much he's going to run this year. Another multi-position option for deeper formats is Ezequiel Duran- 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, TEX (12% rostered), who has hit his way into a (pretty much) every-day role in Texas. Over the last two weeks, he's hitting .345 with one home run, one steal, five RBI, and six runs scored. This is more about playing the hot streak here, but if you need a multi-position guy to fill in gaps in your roster in a deeper format, he'll do the trick.

Adolis Garcia - OF, PHI (34% rostered)

(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POWER UPSIDE)

We created this narrative that Garcia was washed back when he was dealing with knee injuries in Texas, so perhaps we're not noticing what he's doing this season. His hard-hit rate is up to 53%, and he's posting a career-high average exit velocity. He's squaring the ball up more than he ever has and seems to be focused on peppering line drives and not just trying to lift the ball. His swinging strike rate is the lowest it's ever been, and he's chasing less than he has since 2020. Oh, and his zone contact rate and contact rate are the highest they've ever been. He may not be a 30-home-run bat anymore, but he could easily hit .245-.255 with 25 home runs this season, hitting in the middle of an offense that's beginning to heat up. That deserves more love.

Bryson Stott - 2B/SS, PHI (34% rostered)

(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, BATTED BALL QUALITY)

Earlier this season, Stott was really struggling, but Eric had him in a do-not-drop article and said, Stott "still has a 95% zone contact rate, a 6.6% SwSt%, and the quality of contact he is making has been good. His hard-hit rate is 50%, which is up 20.5% from last year, the 4th-biggest improvement of any hitter in baseball. His average exit velocity is up two mph, his bat speed is up one mph, and he is pulling the ball 12% more. His attack direction, which measures the horizontal angle of the bat’s sweet spot at the point of contact, has gone from two degrees towards the opposite field to four degrees to the pull side, which is tied for the 4th-biggest change in baseball. So what we’re getting is a player who is making elite levels of contact, hitting the ball harder than ever, and making a conscious change to pull the ball more. He’s also a player who has stolen at least 24 bases in three straight seasons. All of that should entice us." While the batting average hasn't improved yet, Stott has three home runs and eight RBI in his last seven games, so the quality of contact is starting to lead to impactful hits as the weather is warming up. Ryan McMahon - 3B, NYY (2% rostered) was also in that same article, and he's hit .311 with two home runs and eight RBI over his last 13 games. Perhaps that can continue if you need corner infield help.

Samuel Basallo - C, BAL (32% rostered)

(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)

Basallo probably deserves a look in more one-catcher formats. Yes, he's going to sit against left-handed pitchers, but most catchers are sitting out two or more games a week. Basallo has a 10.5% barrel rate, a nearly 50% hard-hit rate, and has started to heat up a bit at the plate, hitting .293 over the last 20 games with four home runs and 13 RBI. Over the last 30 days, he's the 11th-ranked catcher on FanGraph's Player Rater and likely needs to be rostered in all 12-team formats.

Spencer Jones - OF, NYY (30% rostered)

(PROSPECT CALL-UP, POWER UPSIDE)

The Yankees called up Spencer Jones on Friday with Jasson Dominguez on the injured list. Understandably, there is a lot of hype around a hitter who's 6'6" and has light tower power. Jones has a .258/.366/.592 slash line with 11 homers, 41 RBI, and seven stolen bases in Triple-A. However, he also has an astonishingly low 59% contact rate overall, with a 32 percent strikeout rate. It’s incredibly difficult to be a starter at the MLB level if you make that little contact. He may get off to a hot start and smash a few home runs early on, and we understand adding him if you're in an OPS format or are desperate for power, but we would be really careful spending big FAAB dollars on a hitter with this profile. Plus, Giancarlo Stanton (calf) is not expected to be sidelined too much longer and would most likely take Jones’ spot on the roster.

Sunday update: Jones has four strikeouts and one walk through six plate appearances entering play on Sunday. He is going to stress the limits of the three-true-outcome approach.

Cole Young - 2B, SEA (23% rostered)

(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POTENTIAL BREAKOUT)

As we said last week, second base is a trainwreck, so why are so few people rostering Young? He’s hitting .276 on the season with a .342 on-base percentage, three home runs, two steals, 20 runs scored, and 20 RBI. He’s doing a little bit of everything and was a guy Eric highlighted this offseason in his second-year hitters article. In fact, over the last two weeks, he's the 8th-ranked second baseman on the FanGraph's Player Rater.

Carlos Cortes - OF, ATH (21% rostered)

(GREAT SCHEDULE, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

Over the last 30 days, Cortes is the 27th-ranked outfielder in the FanGraph's Player Rater. He's hitting .365 with four home runs, 10 runs scored, and 12 RBI over that span. His swing is compact and helps him generate more power than his below-average bat speed would suggest. His elite power metrics right now are likely to trend down, but elite bat-to-ball skills and great swing decisions give him a better floor than most would assume. Even with Brent Rooker’s return to the Athletics’ lineup, Cortes is still starting in the corner outfield and hitting near the middle of their order against right-handed pitching. Even when Denzel Clarke (foot) eventually returns, it's going to be hard to take Cortes' bat out of the lineup.

Spencer Steer - 1B/OF, CIN (16% rostered)

(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, PAST SUCCESS)

We’ve seen Steer be a useful fantasy contributor before, and we like having any member of the Reds lineup who is getting regular playing time. Over his last 30 days, Steer is a top 40 outfielder on FanGraph's Player Rater. Over that stretch, he is hitting .291 with five home runs, 11 runs scored, and nine RBI. We called this out last week, but the Reds' inability to get anybody on base is leading to a pretty depressed RBI total, given the amount of home runs Steer is hitting. We would bet on that changing.

Nasim Nuñez- 2B/SS, WAS (12% rostered)

(BATTING AVERAGE SURGE, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE

The batting average is bad for Nuñez, but he has been collecting more hits lately. Over his last 15 games, he's hitting .262/.360/.310 with nine RBI and six steals. He also has a 9/7 K/B ratio over that span. He doesn't hit the ball hard, so there will be no power, and he relies a lot on placement and speed to collect hits, but if he's going to make this kind of contact and run a 50% groundball rate and 21% line drive rate, he's going to have a passable batting average and then try to steal bases whenever he's on. Brayan Rocchio - 2B/SS, CLE (12% rostered) also has four steals over that same 15-game stretch with a .273/.322/.309 slash line, so he's giving you a little bit of what Nuñez is with a higher batting average floor and less stolen base upside.

Carson Benge - OF, NYM (12% rostered)

(PROSPECT PEDIGREE, HOT STREAK)

Sometimes prospects just need a little bit of time to figure things out. Carson Benge got off to a slow start to his MLB career, but over his last 15 games, he's hitting .302/.348/.512 with two home runs, nine runs scored, seven RBI, and one steal. He also has an 8/3 K/BB ratio over that span and a 51.4% hard-hit rate, so we like that he's not striking out much and is making firm contact. He's not going to hit for big-time power, but he already has six steals this season, so if the batting average can continue to be solid, Benge is going to help a lot of fantasy managers. Another option would be Zack Gelof - 2B/OF, ATH (1% rostered), who has hit .269/.309/.519 in 21 games since being called up, with three home runs and two steals. We may remember the version of Gelof that went 14/14 with a .267 average in 69 games in his rookie season in 2023, but that version is still likely fictitious. However, Gelof has made some changes to his contact profile that should prevent him from being as bad as he was the last two seasons. His swing rate and chase rate are both down this season, but he's swinging far more often in the heart of the zone. Also, despite chasing LESS outside of the zone, his contact on pitches outside of the zone is up 36%, which should be a good indication that when he is offering, it's on pitches he knows he can foul off or put in play. It's just a 21-game sample size, so who knows if this will continue, but it might be worth a gamble given his power and speed and the fact that second base is a black hole in fantasy right now.

Sam Antonacci - 2B/3B/OF, CWS (12% rostered)

(HOT STREAK, SPEED UPSIDE - MAYBE)

After a slow start, Antonnaci is hitting .311/.407/.511 in his last 15 games with one home run, eight RBI, and eight runs scored. He doesn't have much power and has just a 37% hard-hit rate over that span, but he's trying to lift the ball and drive it into the gaps, which we like. He has also started to play against lefties, which the White Sox weren't letting him do early on. I'm not sure why he has just one steal despite stealing almost 50 bases last season, but you'd have to think that the speed will also come and be paired with an elite contact profile. Another speed option would be Caleb Durbin - 2B/3B, BOS (11% rostered). The Red Sox have been running a little more since they fired Alex Cora. In 12 games since then, Caleb Durbin is hitting .250/.302/.375 with one home run, six runs scored, seven RBI, and four steals. That's not exceptional, but Durbin should still steal 20 bases this season and hit .250-.270, so that has some value in deeper formats.

Bryce Eldridge - 1B, SFG (12% rostered)

(PROSPECT PEDIGREE, HUGE POWER UPSIDE)

One of the most fascinating top prospects in baseball, Eldridge is getting his second shot in the show after an uninspiring cup of coffee last September. Yet, he got the call last season at just 20 years old after being speed-ran through the minor leagues, only being drafted in 2023 as a two-way player out of high school. He's a 6'7" behemoth with obscene raw power evidenced by multiple batted balls hit harder than 110 mph in his time at Triple-A and this 470 foot home run last season.

He also hit his first career major league home run on Saturday night on a pitch that had absolutely no business winding up in the bay.

The profile is far from perfect with what's likely to be rampant swing-and-miss, but it's not a bad idea to bet on players with traits like this and hoping to catch lightening in a bottle. Just note, he's only drawn a start in four of six games since being called up. All have come at DH and against right-handed pitchers.

JJ Bleday - OF, CIN (12% rostered)

(APPROACH CHANGE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)

Bleday has come back from the minors on a mission, hitting .303/.410/.727 with four home runs, six runs scored, seven RBI, and a 7/6 K/BB ratio in 10 games. It's a small sample, but his bat speed is up from 71.7 mph to 75 mph, and his hard-hit rate is surging to 61.5%. That has helped his average exit velocity go from an 88.4 mph career rate to 94.5 mph. He's also running just a 19% groundball rate, so much of what he's hitting is on a line or in the air. He's also being far more aggressive in the "shadow" area of the strike zone, which is the fringes of the zone, swinging 11% more often there than he has in his career. That aggression has caused his contact rate to drop a bit, but if it allows him to hit for more power, then we're all for it.

Ryan Waldschmidt - OF, ARI (10% rostered)

(PROSPECT PEDIGREE, REGULAR PLAYING TIME)

The Diamondbacks promoted their top prospect Waldschmidt midday Friday and DFA'd Alek Thomas in the corresponding move. That should give Waldschmidt plenty of runway as a starter for them moving forward. While he didn't start on Friday night, he came in late as a pinch-hitter and immediately stroked his first career hit. Then, he drew the start Saturday in center field and is in left on Sunday. He has enough raw power to flirt with a 25 homer pace from this point on and the speed to steal a handful of bases as well. One odd note about his profile, he had one of the lowest swing rates in all of Triple-A before being called up. Pay attention to whether or not he brings that extreme passivity to the majors.

Nathaniel Lowe - 1B, CIN (8% rostered)

(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, HOT STREAK)

Another Cincinnati player, which is weird for a team that isn't hitting well. Lowe has started pretty much every game for the Reds since Eugenio Suarez went on the IL, and is hitting .270 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 27 games. He’s pulling the ball more than he ever has and hitting with a higher launch angle than he ever has, while also hitting in a hitter-friendly environment. Oh, and his bat speed is up 1.5 mph from last year. I don't know if this will last, but I'll roster him while I wait to find out.

Isaac Collins - OF, KC (3% rostered)

(HOT STREAK, MODEST SPEED UPSIDE)

Over his last 50 plate appearances, Collins has seen the biggest increase in xwOBA (Expected Weighted On-Base Average) in baseball. If you even go back to his last 75 plate appearances, Collins is hitting .286/.387/.429 with two home runs, nine runs scored, nine RBI, and two steals. He has a 19/10 K/BB ratio over that span, while also posting a nearly 45% hard-hit rate (the league average is 39.7%). On the season, Collins now has a 7.9% barrel rate, which is up from his 5.4% career mark. That could be the result of a massive increase in fly ball rate from 34.3% last year to 49.2% this year. He has just a 9.1% HR/Fly ball rate, which is below league average, so it’s unclear if elevating the ball that much will really pay off for him in the long run, but the approach change appears to be working for now.

Jesús Rodríguez - C, SFG (3% rostered)

(TWO-CATCHER TARGET)

Tired of their offensive woes, the Giants first promoted Rodríguez earlier this week to take some starting reps from the incumbent Patrick Bailey. Then, they shipped Bailey to Cleveland on Friday, which opens the door for Rodríguez to be something close to their full-time catcher. Known more for his bat, the 24-year-old Rodríguez was acquired from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval trade last deadline and should put up a high contact rate without much thump. It's also worth noting that he played a bit of corner outfield in the minors and has already drawn one start in right field. That extra playing time could make him an intriguing option in two-catch formats.

Vaughn Grissom - 2B, LAA (1% rostered)

(PLATOON ADVANTAGED WEEK)

Deep league note, the Angels have three lefties on their schedule this week and Grissom has started against every lefty they've faced over the last month. Plus, a smattering of righties. He doesn't offer much power or speed, but puts his bat on the ball and has a chance for a few multi-hit games this week.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers

Gregory Soto - RP PIT (37% rostered)

Heading into Friday, Soto is coming off back-to-back save opportunities and conversions. He's thrown 6 1/3 scoreless with six strikeouts, two saves, and two wins in recent weeks, which has provided tons of fantasy value for your teams. However, we have seen this happen before. He got his first save on April third, and then didn't record another one until this week. It's hard to see him being "the closer" on the Pirates, but he's certainly in the mix, and his ratios are good enough to provide value even if the saves don't come.

Sunday update: the Pirates didn't have a save opportunity on either Friday or Saturday, so forge ahead into the unknown.

Logan Henderson - SP, MIL (35% rostered)

Henderson was promoted to start for the Brewers last Sunday in the wake of Brandon Woodruff’s concerning drop in velocity and ensuing trip to the injured list. Henderson had a great season debut Sunday against the Nationals despite squandering a one-run lead in the fifth inning. Nevertheless, his trusted changeup was sharp, and his cutter was intriguing when he was able to bury it in on the hands of left-handed hitters. He also showed off a new sweeper that would be a crucial pitch for him against right-handed hitters. Woodruff got fluid drained from his shoulder this week, so we're still not convinced he's going to be healthy in a couple of weeks, which means we're comfortably adding Henderson in most places.

Jacob Latz - SP/RP, TEX (31% rostered)

Since April 14th, Latz has recorded the only saves for Texas, and Jakob Junis has the only other save opportunity, which is just one opportunity that he blew. Lats has also only pitched once since May 1st, and it was in a non-save situation, so this remains a bit of a fluid bullpen. We assume that Latz is the closer, but there haven't been many save chances of late, and he's still a left-handed former starter who throws 94 mph. That's not really the profile of a lockdown closer. We're hapy to add him but not assuming this is a rest of season type of thing.

Rico Garcia - RP, BAL (30% rostered)

Last week, Ryan Helsley became yet another closer who is on the IL, as the Orioles' closer hit the injured list with elbow inflammation. Since then, the Orioles have had one genuine save chance, which went to Garcia, and he converted. Andrew Kittredge was also charged with a blown save, but he did not enter in the 9th with a lead. Garcia has also been far better than Kittredge this season, so he's the player we're looking to add, but we also just saw all of Jhoan Duran, Daniel Palencia, and Raisel Iglesias get hurt and return in like three weeks, so we can't just assume Garcia is going to have this role for a month-plus.

Robbie Snelling - SP, MIA (28% rostered)

Snelling got the call and will start on Friday, so by the time James updates this on Sunday, he's going to have way more information on what Snelling could do at the MLB level. For now, we acknowledge that he's a top pitching prospect in baseball, who was crushing Triple-A and is worth an add in most formats. Also, James recorded a video on him this week, so check that out for more details.

Sunday update: Snelling struggled in his debut, walking four batters and allowing three runs against the Nationals over five innings. All three of those runs came in the first inning, with the big blow being a two-run home run from Jacob Young (somehow). Then, it felt like Snelling was trying to be a bit too fine so as to not let up much more damage, hence the walks. His fastball held true around 95 mph for most of his start, but tailed off once he got around 70 pitches. He also struggled to put hitters away, as his command was spotty in general. It was good to see him tough out a passable start, it was just very lackluster from a fantasy perspective. Keep an eye on his next start, which is scheduled to come Thursday against the Twins.

Janson Junk - SP, MIA (28% rostered)

Junk just continues to produce with a 2.82 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across seven starts. Of course, that comes with a 17% strikeout rate and 10.1% swinging strike rate, so this is not a slam-dunk add. We have seen him get better recently, using his fastball up in the zone more often and then keeping the changeups, sweepers, and sliders low in the zone. We still consider him a streamer, but he's one of the better ones for now.

Griffin Jax - SP/RP, TB (24% rostered)

The Rays are stretching Jax out as a starter, and with Steven Matz on the IL with elbow inflammation, there is a rotation spot for Jax to take. On Thursday, Jax pitched four innings, struck out three and walked one while throwing 59 pitches in this one. The former reliever showed off a six-pitch mix in this one, using five pitches at least 14 percent of the time. He threw plenty of strikes with his sinker and four-seamer and was able to use his changeup for whiffs against both righties and lefties. However, no other pitches really missed many bats, and he had just a 10 percent swinging strike rate. We’ll need to see a little more strikeout upside from Jax if he’s going to be relied on in fantasy leagues, but he could be worth a speculative add in deeper formats.

Jack Perkins - RP/SP, ATH (22% rostered)

If somebody gave up on Perkins because he had a rough outing on Wednesday, we would scoop him up. The reliever has a 3.68 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 19/4 K/BB ratio in 14.2 innings. That also comes with three saves. He's simply the best reliever in the Athletics' bullpen, and it's hard to see them moving away from him in the late innings.

Sunday update: Perkins ran into more trouble Friday night and was pulled after letting a run home in the ninth inning for Hogan Harris (4% rostered), who secured the save. After walking the lead-off man, Perkins struck out the next two before allowing a run-scoring single to cut the Athletics' lead in half. On came the left-handed Harris to face two right-handed batters and close this one out, after allowing a walk of his own. Perkins likely still gets the next save chance, but his hold on the role could be slipping some.

Tony Santillan - RP, CIN (22% rostered)

It was Graham Ashcraft - RP, CIN (14% rostered), who got the first save opportunity with Emilio Pagan on the injured list. He did blow the save, but somebody from this Reds bullpen is going to emerge as the closer for the three months that Pagan is going to be sidelined. Terry Francona likes to use one guy in the back-end of the bullpen, so it might be worth trying to figure out who it is. Eric recorded a video going into detail on that this week.

Sunday update: Santillan had an absymal outing on Friday, allowing four hits, four runs, and two home runs against the Astros without recording an out. Possibly more telling, he entered this game in the ninth inning, but with the Reds down 5-0. Pierce Johnson (2%) came in for the save on Saturday and pitched a clean ninth inning. Perhaps he's the preferred ninth inning option in Cincinnati after Ashcraft and Santillan's respective missteps.

Peter Lambert - SP, HOU (14% rostered)

We recommended Lambert after his first two starts, so we're going to keep him on here now, especially after a solid outing against the Dodgers. He's probably just a streamer or a deeper league add, but he has shown a 95 mph four-seam fastball with good vertical movement that he keeps up in the zone. He has also shown the ability to keep the changeup low/away from lefties, while the cutter looks like a decent pitch. It's unclear if this production will stick, but we like the four-seam, cutter, change combination, and the breaking balls are just fines, so we're going to keep rolling him out there.

Griffin Canning - SP, SD (12% rostered)

Canning was pretty good in his debut with the Padres, allowing one run on three hits in five innings while striking out seven. The velocity is up on his four-seam fastball, and he actually went to his changeup way more than we're used to seeing, but it got plenty of whiffs. His command was a bit all over the place, but it was his first start off the IL so he deserves some grace. We still consider him more of a deep league add.

Sunday update: Canning's changeup-first arsenal got torched by the Cardinals on Friday night to the tune of six runs in a catastrophic fifth inning. Yet, most of the damage came via a misplay by Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field that allowed JJ Wetherholt to hit a little league grand slam.

Still, that changeup allowed plenty of hard-hit balls and this start was a good reminder than Canning is prone to blowups without tons of upside.

Connor Prielipp - SP, MIN (11% rostered)

Meanwhile, Prielipp should be rostered in far more places. No, he hasn't gone deeper than five innings in any of his starts, which is an issue, but the Twins are pushing him past 90 pitches, so it's going to happen. Mick Abel is also dealing with continued soreness in his arm and needed a cortisone injection, so Prielipp's spot in the rotation seems secure. He has a solid enough fastnall and a wicked slider. I also think his changeup will continue to improve versus righties because it has the makings of a good pitch.

Sunday update: Prielipp had another strong start on Friday, striking out six and allowing just earned one run over five innings. Yet, a critical error by second baseman Luke Keaschall opened the floodgates in the second inning and caused a two-run home run by Travis Bazzana to register as unearned runs. Nevertheless, Prielipp is a highly functional mixed-league pitcher at this point and needs to be on more rosters.

Christian Scott - SP, NYM (10% rostered)

Scott was electric in his second start of the season last week, striking out eight Angels in five innings of work. He was not as good in Coors this week, but that start was actually encouraging for us because he looked fine in a bad environment. His fastball has tremendous life and is electric working up in the zone. His sweeper moves like a frisbee and his cutter has nice bite. It's unclear how good he will be against lefties, so his next start against Detroit is a bit unnerving, but he has plenty of upside and a good schedule coming up, so we love him as an add.

Ryan Zeferjahn - RP, LAA (1% rostered)

Did you know Zeferjahn has increased his fastball velocity more than any other pitcher in baseball? There are some command issues here, but he has good Stuff+ numbers, is being used in high-leverage spots, and can miss bats. Somebody needs to close for the Angels.

Best NRFI Bets Today: No Run First Inning Predictions for MLB [Friday, May 8]

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Let’s welcome the weekend in with a trio of NRFI/YRFI bets to cover you throughout the 15-game slate of baseball on Friday, May 8.

My top MLB picks begin with an NL East clash between the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins before wrapping up with another National League showdown between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres in the late window.

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

PickOdds
Twins/Guardians - NRFI/YRFI-135
Nationals/Marlins - NRFI/YRFI-115
Cardinals/Padres - NRFI/YRFI-115

Twins at Guardians: NRFI (-135)

Minnesota Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp has limited opposing batters to a .455 OPS while allowing just a pair of hits and a single run across seven opening innings.

Additionally, the Cleveland Guardians have overachieved at the dish of late, sporting a .336 wOBA (.310 xwOBA) across the past seven games.

I’m also expecting the Twins to struggle against emerging Cleveland star Parker Messick. He’s spun a tidy 2.40 ERA and 2.86 xERA while also pitching seven consecutive scoreless opening innings and allowing just two hits and a minuscule .247 OPS.

  • Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: Apple TV

Nationals at Marlins: NRFI (-115)

Miami Marlins lefty Robby Snelling is set to make his MLB debut after posting a 1.86 ERA, 2.64 xFIP, and 40.0 K% across six Triple-A starts.

I’m fully anticipating Snelling to keep the Washington Nationals off balance in their first look at him, and the Nats also have the fifth-highest strikeout percentage against southpaws. 

Meanwhile, the Marlins are in tough against Washington LHP Foster Griffin. He’s held opposing hitters to a .442 OPS without allowing a single earned run through seven opening innings, and I also value him keeping batters to a 36.0% hard-hit rate. 

  • Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: Nationals.TV, Marlins.TV

Cardinals at Padres: NRFI (-115)

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy has pitched a scoreless first frame in six of seven starts and boasts a positive pitch value on each of his three most frequent offerings. This spells trouble for a San Diego Padres offense that has failed to score a run in the first inning in 83.8% of their games.

Similarly, the Cards rank middle of the pack in games without a first-inning run (70.3%) and now face Friars righty Griffin Canning following a solid season debut.

Canning scattered six baserunners across five innings while allowing just one run and striking out seven in his last outing, which also included a scoreless opening frame.

  • Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: Apple TV
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
  • NRFI/YRFI picks: 6-7, -1.37 units

What is a NRFI bet?

NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.

A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.

NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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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.

Brandon Lowe has been most impactful acquisition of Pirates offseason

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 07: Brandon Lowe #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates with teammates in the dugout after a solo home against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the firest inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on May 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Pirates have had a handful of big name free agent signings in the offseason. The Bucs signed players like Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Gregory Soto to name a few. Who has been the most impactful free agent signing so far for the Bucs ? 

To me, the obvious pick for most impactful free agent has been Brandon Lowe. Lowe was not a free agent signing, as he was a part of a three-team trade, but was still a move made in the offseason so we are counting it here. Lowe was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, and he leads the team in home runs with 10 and is third on the team in RBIs with 23. Oneil Cruz is first on the team with 28 RBIs, while Ryan O’hearn is second with 25. 

It has been a long time since Pittsburgh has had a second baseman who can hit for serious power, and Lowe is doing just that.

The veteran second basemen went on an absolute tear in their last series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lowe had five hits in two games played in Arizona. He also hit two home runs in the series, with both of them coming in the first inning. Those home runs were a huge reason why the Pirates won two out of three against Arizona, securing a 1-0 and 4-2 wins.

Pittsburgh is now 21-17 on the season, and that early success is because of the Pittsburgh offense. The Pirates had one of the worst offenses last year, but the addition of Lowe specifically has turned them into more of a power team this year.

That is surprising too, because everyone thought that O’hearn and Ozuna would be the additions that would bring the power, but really it has been the opposite. Lowe’s power has been so nice, especially in the top of that lineup. Having Lowe bat second in the lineup behind Cruz and in front of Bryan Reynolds is the best lineup decision in my opinion.

We have talked a lot about his offense, but his defense has been really solid too so far. His veteran presence has also been important especially with Pittsburgh still having a younger lineup and team. The Pirates will need Brandon Lowe to continue to play well if Pittsburgh wants to contend in what is the most competitive decision in baseball.  

Comment below who you think has been the most impactful acquisition from the offseason so far for the Pirates.  

The Brians | A strange coincidence in St. Louis Cardinal history

Baseball is full of statistical oddities, but the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008 and 2009 had one of the strangest name coincidences in franchise history. Enter Brian Barden and Brian Barton.

Both were born in California. Both were born in April. Both were trying to find their footing in the big leagues at the exact same time—often on the same roster.

In this week’s episode of Random Cardinal of the Week, Jim Plaza dives into the overlapping careers of these two players who flashed brilliance before fading into baseball trivia.

In this episode, we discuss:

The 2008 Rule 5 Draft pick that cost the Cardinals a fan favorite (So Taguchi).

Brian Barden’s blistering April 2009 that saw him named NL Rookie of the Month.

The “switch” that happened between the two Brians during Spring Training.

The surprising link between Brian Barden and World Series hero David Freese.

Whether you remember them as the future of the Cardinals’ infield or just as a confusing duo in the box score, we’re breaking down the full “Two Brians” saga. Unfortunately, the quick stay in the majors made it more difficult to find relevant pictures and highlights, so the YouTube video is a little bare on the visual this week. Either way, we hope you have been enjoying this weekly segment and are always welcome to feedback!

Drop your favorite Brian memories below!

Momentum: Mariners at White Sox Series Preview

SAN DIEGO, CA - MAY 01: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates in the dugout during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Friday, May 1, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Emma Steinberg/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Mariners finally showed some life against a really tough opponent, handing the Braves their first series loss of the season earlier this week. All three games were incredibly close affairs as you would expect in a series between two playoff contenders. Seattle now embarks on a seven-game road trip and the beginning of a stretch of 13 straight games without an off day. Despite possessing a record two games below .500, the M’s are still in fine position in the standings because it seems like no other team in the American League actually wants to win — there are just four teams with winning records currently and the Mariners are in possession of a Wild Card berth with their 18-20 record.

GameTimeMariners StarterWhite Sox StarterMariners Win%White Sox Win%
Game 1Friday, May 8 | 4:40 pmRHP Emerson HancockRHP Sean Burke52.8%47.2%
Game 2Saturday, May 9 | 4:10 pmRHP Luis CastilloLHP Anthony Kay55.7%44.3%
Game 3Sunday, May 10 | 11:10 amRHP Logan GilbertRHP Davis Martin55.2%44.8%
*Game odds courtesy of FanGraphs
OverviewWhite SoxMarinersEdge
Batting (wRC+)96 (11th in AL)103 (3rd in AL)Mariners
Fielding (FRV)1 (6th)-12 (15th)White Sox
Starting Pitching (FIP-)99 (10th)96 (5th)Mariners
Bullpen (FIP-)103 (9th)82 (2nd)Mariners

The White Sox have made some quick progress in their rebuild after losing more than 100 games in three straight seasons. It’s easy to improve after losing a record 121 games like they did in 2024, but the forward progress this year has been shocking. The team was the surprising landing spot for Munetaka Murakami this offseason and their crop of young prospects have already started to make big impacts in the majors. After a bit of a slow start to the season, Chicago is 11-7 over its last 18 games. Even though they’re in a pretty favorable spot in the standings — third in the AL Central and just half a game out of a Wild Card spot — I don’t think this team is suddenly a contender this year, but they’re definitely a lot closer to breaking out of their rebuilding cycle than expected.

PlayerPositionBatsPAK%BB%ISOwRC+
Sam AntonacciLFL749.5%8.1%0.148126
Munetaka Murakami1BL16034.4%17.5%0.328153
Miguel Vargas3BR15917.0%16.4%0.208119
Colson MontgomerySSL15428.6%9.7%0.258127
Chase Meidroth2BR15324.2%10.5%0.098108
Andrew BenintendiDHL12133.1%5.8%0.13574
Jarred Kelenic (MiLB)RFL10428.8%18.3%0.26298
Tristan PetersCFL8924.7%6.7%0.03878
Drew Romo (MiLB)CS6826.5%10.3%0.263137

I think there are a bunch of teams who really regret missing out on Murakami this offseason now that they’ve seen what he can do against MLB pitching. Yes, the contact issues are still present — he’s running 34.4% strikeout rate and a 58.9% contact rate — but his walk rate has been surprisingly robust and the power is obviously big enough to play. He’s currently second in the majors with 14 home runs. He’s not the only power hitter in the middle of this lineup either. Colson Montgomery made a splash last summer, blasting 21 home runs in just 71 games after being called up in July. He’s hit another nine to start this year and is playing solid defense at shortstop to boot. Miguel Vargas is the other youngster showing some real progress this season. Pushed off the fringe of the Dodgers roster a few years ago, he’s been able to establish himself with regular playing time in Chicago. He’s got an excellent approach at the plate and hits the ball hard enough to run an above average batting line at third base.

Jarred Kelenic deserves a mention as well. He was recalled from Triple-A last week after Everson Pereira was sidelined with an injury. Kelenic couldn’t establish himself in the two years he spent in Atlanta and signed a minor league deal with the White Sox this offseason. Still just 26 years old, his issues are still the same as ever: trouble making consistent contact.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

PitcherIPK%BB%HR/FB%GB%ERAFIP
Sean Burke39.220.5%5.1%6.8%42.5%2.723.19
Emerson Hancock41.228.9%3.8%17.5%46.7%2.593.69
PitchUsage vRHBUsage vLHBVelocityStuff+Whiff+BIP+xwOBA
Four-seam28.8%42.9%94.0112971080.289
Sinker24.2%9.1%94.291551960.292
Cutter2.7%6.9%89.986
Changeup0.4%6.9%85.8
Curveball16.7%28.8%79.387581120.306
Slider27.3%5.3%86.585

Sean Burke showed some flashes of promise in his first full season in the big leagues last year. His 4.22 ERA was perfectly acceptable for a rebuilding Chicago club, though his 4.92 FIP wasn’t nearly as encouraging. Still, there was a stretch in May and June where he ran a 3.33 ERA and a 4.06 FIP across nine starts. Things are looking up for Burke this year. He’s dramatically improved his command and cut his walk rate by more than half, down to 5.1%. He doesn’t strike out that many guys, but simply reducing the amount of traffic on the bases has helped him dramatically improve his topline results.

PitcherIPK%BB%HR/FB%GB%ERAFIP
Anthony Kay3014.0%10.5%15.4%39.2%5.706.41
Luis Castillo34.119.4%8.1%8.7%33.0%6.294.25
PitchUsage vRHBUsage vLHBVelocityStuff+Whiff+BIP+xwOBA
Four-seam38.2%35.2%95.89157720.491
Sinker13.4%44.0%95.1114
Cutter24.1%18.7%90.999911580.421
Changeup22.3%0.0%85.7109
Slider2.0%2.2%84.6109
Sweeper20.3%45.1%82.810978970.323

After a few years of riding the Triple-A shuttle for the Blue Jays, Anthony Kay signed a two-year deal with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of NBP. He excelled in Japan and returned to the US this offseason, signing a two-year deal with Chicago. He developed a sinker and a sweeper overseas, giving him a much deeper repertoire to keep batters off balance. Unfortunately, that revamped arsenal hasn’t helped him find much success against batters this year. The stuff models really like his sinker and a few of his secondary pitches, but he’s throwing a thoroughly mediocre four-seam fastball 30% of the time right now. That pitch is getting absolutely crushed. He simply isn’t working deep enough into counts to properly utilize his secondary pitches, his strike out rate has cratered to just 14.0%, and his ERA and FIP are both approaching six.

PitcherIPK%BB%HR/FB%GB%ERAFIP
Davis Martin4425.4%4.7%4.9%38.6%1.642.46
Logan Gilbert4423.2%5.4%15.4%36.7%4.304.43
PitchUsage vRHBUsage vLHBVelocityStuff+Whiff+BIP+xwOBA
Four-seam21.8%28.9%94.0961111020.356
Sinker20.2%11.5%92.886
Cutter10.3%19.5%89.689105820.468
Changeup10.7%21.4%90.18645850.356
Curveball5.8%14.3%82.191
Slider31.3%4.4%87.195

Davis Martin has quietly led the White Sox rotation with a 1.64 ERA and 2.46 FIP in seven starts this year. He’s improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio from 2.17 to 5.38 this year, adding more than eight points to his strikeout rate while simultaneously cutting his walk rate to 4.7%. He’s added a cutter to his pitch mix this year, giving him six weapons to use against opposing batters. None of them stand out individually in the stuff models, but his slider looks like one of the nastiest pitches in baseball right now. The whiff rate on that breaking ball is 59.6%, the second highest whiff rate on a slider in baseball. Opposing batters are running a sub-.200 wOBA against his three secondary pitches, and a plus-.300 wOBA against his three fastball variations. The problem is that batters have been struggling to identify his pitches — his called strike rate is up 3.5 points this year — so even if they’re making good contact against his fastballs, they’re just as likely to whiff or mishit one of his secondary offerings.


The Big Picture:

TeamW-LW%Games BehindRun DiffRecent Form
Athletics19-180.514-10L-W-L-L-W
Mariners18-200.4741.5+4L-L-W-L-W
Rangers17-200.4592.0-6L-L-L-W-L
Astros15-230.3954.5-37W-W-L-W-L
Angels15-230.3954.5-14W-L-L-W-W

The Athletics managed to avoid a sweep in Philadelphia with a 12-1 blowout win yesterday. They head to Baltimore this weekend looking to maintain their grip on the AL West lead. The Rangers lost their series in New York against the Yankees and will return home to face the red-hot Cubs this weekend. The blows just keep coming for the Astros: Carlos Correa has been sidelined for the season with an ankle injury suffered on Tuesday. Houston wound up losing its series against the Dodgers and will head to Cincinnati this weekend.

Nats Look To Stay Hot On The Road Against The Marlins

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 07: Keibert Ruiz #20 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning at Nationals Park on May 7, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Thanks to an offensive outburst by Keibert Ruiz, which included 2 doubles and a solo shot, the Nationals beat the Twins 7-5 to secure the series win and an even 3-3 homestand. The win brought their record on the year to 18-20, good for sole possession of second place in the NL East and 2 wins shy of the .500 mark. They’ll have an opportunity to climb over the .500 mark with a three-game set in Miami against the Marlins, who are in the midst of a 4 game losing streak.

The Marlins have been led offensively by a pair of middle infielders in Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards in 2026, who have a 143 and 145 wRC+, respectively. Like the Nats, the Marlins lineup is extremely young, with none of their usual starting 9 hitters being over the age of 28. On the pitching side, they are led by a mix of former top prospects, journeymen, and a former Cy Young winner, and the result has been a respectable 4.09 ERA on the year as a club.

Friday – 7:10 PM EST

WSH: LHP Foster Griffin (3-1, 2.27 ERA)

MIA: LHP Robby Snelling (Major League Debut)

Despite throwing 6 innings and allowing 0 earned runs last time out, Griffin earned the loss due to some unearned runs in the first inning and the Nats’ offense failing to get going. He’s been a monster for the Nats every 5 days, and will look to keep it going against a young Marlins lineup.

Robby Snelling, one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, will make his major league debut tonight against the Nats, a left-handed heavy lineup. Acquired from the Padres for reliever Tanner Scott in 2024, Snelling had a 1.86 ERA in Triple-A this season and will now get his first crack at the big leagues.

Saturday – 4:10 PM EST

WSH: Zack Littell (1-4, 7.24 ERA)

MIA: RHP Janson Junk (2-3, 2.82 ERA)

Littell was effective in his last outing after PJ Poulin opened the game, throwing 3 2/3 innings of 1-run ball. The best the Nats can hope for out of Littell is to get through the order twice unscathed, before handing it off to Mitchell Parker to pitch the bulk of the innings.

A 22nd-rounder in 2017 by the Yankees, Junk has turned himself into an effective starter in Miami, with a 4.17 ERA in 21 outings in 2025 and a 2.82 ERA in 7 starts in 2026. He’s allowed just 1 run in his last 3 starts, so the Nats are catching him in the middle of a hot stretch.

Sunday – 12:15 PM EST

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (1-2, 4.15 ERA)

MIA: RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 4.01 ERA)

After back-to-back 10-strikeout starts against the Braves and Mets, Cavalli took a step back in his outing against the Twins, allowing 3 runs over 4 innings and walking more batters than he struck out. When Cavalli has his command, he’s a tough guy to get runs off, so hopefully he has a feel for his stuff on Sunday in Miami.

Alcantara’s season has been a mixed bag so far, as he’s been brilliant in 6 of his 8 starts, going deep in the outings and limiting damage, but in 2 of them, he has allowed 7 runs, including last time out against the Orioles. Hopefully, the Nats get the bad version of Alcantara on Sunday and can drop a 7-spot of their own.

Could the Cubs bolster the rotation by trading for Freddy Peralta?

The Cubs’ starting rotation has actually done pretty well in 2026, considering they lost Cade Horton for the season after two starts, and now are missing Matthew Boyd with an injury for the second time this year (and Boyd has a 6.00 ERA in five starts in 2026).

The team’s 3.77 starting pitcher ERA ranks seventh among all teams, which is really pretty good considering the injuries. Colin Rea and Javier Assad have done a good job as fill-ins, and Ben Brown will get a chance at a start tonight.

Clearly, Jed Hoyer will be looking for starting pitching help going forward, particularly as we approach the trade deadline. But that’s two months away and most teams aren’t going to trade a quality starter in early May.

One starter who might become available somewhat soon is Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta.

The Mets are off to a terrible start, currently tied with the Giants for MLB’s worst record at 14-23. They’ve had injury issues and some of the changes they made in the offseason simply haven’t worked. They stand 11.5 games behind the first-place Braves just 37 games into the season.

Would the Mets trade Peralta now? Possibly not; there have been teams that started this poorly who have made the postseason, though it seems unlikely. The Mets lost 12 in a row last month, including being swept by the Cubs, and no team that has had that long a losing streak has ever made the postseason. So maybe they’d be open to a trade now, instead of waiting until the deadline.

Peralta is a pending free agent who turns 30 next month. He’s been consistently good throughout his career and has been so this year as well, entering Friday’s action with a 3.12 ERA and 1.200 WHIP, with just four home runs allowed in 43.1 innings. He’s made at least 30 starts each of the last three years and seems durable. And, Cubs manager Craig Counsell managed Peralta for six years in Milwaukee, so he’s quite familiar with the right-hander.

Also, Peralta is making $8 million this year, so he could likely easily fit into Hoyer’s budget.

Now, what would the Cubs have to give the Mets to get Peralta?

This article suggests sending Kevin Alcántara and Jefferson Rojas to New York in exchange for the veteran right-hander. Those two currently rank third and fourth in MLB Pipeline’s ranking of Cubs prospects. This past offseason, Josh ranked them fifth and third.

So that’s a fairly high price for a rental pitcher, though it’s not impossible that the Cubs could keep Peralta past this year.

Would you make that trade?