PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 12: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park on May 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Zack Wheeler (2-0, 2.55 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (6-2, 1.98 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the Philadelphia Phillies today at beautiful PNC Park.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are bringing out the brooms Sunday night, on the road looking to sweep away their in-state rivals, the Los Angeles Angels.
The Halos might have their best shot at a win in this set, facing struggling Dodgers’ righty Roki Sasaki.
However, my Dodgers vs. Angels predictions and free MLB picks think the visitors will also prove tough for Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez, who hasn’t pitched in the bigs since 2024.
Who will win Dodgers vs Angels today: Dodgers -1.5 run line(+115)
Offense has been a problem all year, as they’re Bottom-7 in runs scored, tallying just two in two losses to the Los Angeles Dodgersso far.
There is optimism, though, to see what Grayson Rodriguez can do in his 2026 debut, as he fanned 11 in his minor-league tune-up. He missed all 2025 from elbow surgery.
But not sure this is the lineup you want to see first: the Dodgers are second in the majors in road scoring (5.95 runs) and rank Top 3 in average, OBP, slugging and OPS.
COVERS INTEL:Shohei Ohtani will face Grayson Rodriguez for the first time in his career,but he mashes against his former club. In 12 games, he’s hitting .311 with 15 hits, five HR’s, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored.
Dodgers vs Angels Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 runs (+100)
This head-to-head series has put the scoreboard bulbs to work. Including the Dodgers’ 15-2 thumping Saturday night, the Over has cashed in seven of the last nine meetings.
We don’t know what Rodriguez brings to the table, but we know what the Dodger lineup can do, and how Roki Sasaki has struggled.
Not only has he allowed at least three earned runs in five of six starts, but the floodgates usually open in his games, with at least 12 runs combined in four of his last six outings.
Watch for that trend to continue Sunday.
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 5-6-0, -1.20 units
Over/Under bets: 8-2-0, +5.58 units
Dodgers vs Angels odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -133 | Angels +127
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+117) | LAA +1.5 -127)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+108) | Under 9.5 (-117)
Dodgers vs Angels trend
At 8-12 at home, the Los Angeles Angels is tied with the Boston Red Sox for fewest home wins in Major League Baseball. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Angels.
How to watch Dodgers vs Angels and game info
Location
Angels Stadium, Anaheim, CA
Date
Sunday, May 17, 2026
First pitch
4:07 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet LA, FDSN West
Dodgers starting pitcher
Roki Sasaki (1-3, 5.88 ERA)
Angels starting pitcher
Grayson Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Dodgers vs Angels latest injuries
Dodgers vs Angels weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Sunday Night Baseball returns as the San Diego Padres go for the road sweep of the Seattle Mariners at 7:20 p.m. ET on Peacock.
With the series wrapped up, the Padres might come out sluggish. I’m bullish on three Seattle Overs with my Padres vs. Mariners props and MLB picks for Sunday, May 17.
The Seattle Mariners have to be thrilled with what they’ve gotten from George Kirby in 2026.
After a relatively ineffective and injury-plagued season in 2025, "Furious George" is in the Top 10 in innings thrown (57) and wins (five) among starting pitchers.
This is a spot for the San Diego Padres to underperform. They’ve already wrapped up the series by taking the first two on the road, and are looking ahead to tomorrow’s crucial matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who enter Sunday a half-game ahead of the Friars in the NL West.
The Padres haven’t been excellent against right-handed pitchers even when dialed in, posting the second-worst wRC+ (74) and fifth-highest K-rate (24.9%) this month.
Kirby pitches deep into games, averaging 6 1/3 innings per contest. If he goes that long, his ability to control the strike zone (92nd percentile chase rate, 83rd percentile walk rate) makes him a strong candidate to rack up Ks.
Randy Arozarena 2+ hits + runs + RBI (-110)
Lucas Giolito returns to the big leagues for his debut with San Diego. Given his 5.01 xERA across 26 starts in 2025, the Seattle lineup should be licking its collective chops.
The husky hurler showed reverse splits a year ago, surrendering a 1.40 WHIP to right-handed hitters. That’s a continuation of what he’s done for most of his career (4.60 FIP), so it’s fair to boost projections for all of Seattle’s righties.
Randy Arozarena’s 148 wRC+ is the highest he’s recorded since 2020. He’s destroyed right-handed pitching, slashing .318/.414/.450 with a 155 wRC+.
Julio Rodriguez 2+ total bases (+100)
Last we saw Giolito, he operated with a three-pitch mix of four-seamers, sliders, and changeups. This is music to the ears of Julio Rodriguez, who has feasted on all three offerings.
J-Rod has strong results against four-seamers (164 wRC+) and sliders (122) while positively demolishing changeups (282). He hasn’t been able to find success against any other pitch type, posting a wRC+ below 100 for all other offerings.
Add that to Giolito’s aforementioned reverse splits, and this is a dream matchup on paper for Rodriguez.
How to watch Padres vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Sunday, May 17, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 14: Surfers walk out of the Pacific Ocean at La Jolla Shores beach at sunset on May 14, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hickory starter A.J. Russell went 2.1 IP, allowing two runs, striking out two and walking one.
Hector Osorio was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. Yolfran Castillo was 3 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. Marcos Torres was 2 for 6 with a double. Paulino Santana had a hit.
For Hub City, starter Ismael Agreda struck out six and walked four, allowed two runs in four innings. Andrew Susac allowed three runs in 1.2 IP, striking out two and walking one. Joey Danielson walked two and struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings.
Malcolm Moore’s recent hot streak continued, as he went 3 for 5 with a homer. Paxton Kling homered. Gleider Figuereo was 2 for 4 with a double and a homer. Yeison Morrobel had a hit and a walk. Rafe Perich had a hit and a walk.
Frisco starter Leandro Lopez allowed four runs in five innings, walking three, striking out nine and givine up a homer. Wilian Bormie allowed a run in an inning, striking out two. Ryan Lobus struck out two in two shutout innings.
Keith Jones II went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. Arturo Disla tripled.
Round Rock starter Josh Stephan allowed a two run homer in 5.2 IP, walking one and striking out no one. Chris Martin retired all three batters he faced. Ryan Brasier struck out one in a scoreless inning. Emiliano Teodo walked two and struck out one in an inning of work, allowing one run.
Cam Cauley was 3 for 5 with a double and two stolen bases. Aaron Zavala doubled.
The Seattle Mariners have dropped two in a row to begin this weekend series with the San Diego Padres, but my Padres vs. Mariners predictions believe Seattle's significant pitching advantage will enable them to salvage a game from this interleague affair tonight.
Who will win Padres vs Mariners tonight: Mariners moneyline (-157)
George Kirby gives the Seattle Mariners a tremendous advantage on the mound, and that will allow them to coast to victory.
Kirby doesn't rack up Ks (38th percentile), but he gets batters to chase (92nd percentile), and doesn't issue many free passes (17th in BB/9 innings among qualified starters).
The San Diego Padres lineup has been absolutely awful in May, ranking dead-last in OPS (.593).
Countering Kirby is Lucas Giolito, who makes his season debut. His minor-league rehab starts do not inspire confidence, as he recorded a 4.76 ERA across 17 innings. He also had a 5.01 xERA in 2025.
Padres vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-110)
I'm expecting a heavy dose of the Padres bullpen in this one with Giolito making his first start of 2026, and this unit is fifth by ERA in May (2.24). The Mariners offense is solid but not scary, ranking 16th in OPS.
Seattle is also swing-happy, ranking third-worst in whiff rate (27.7%). That plays directly into the hands of San Diego's relievers, who rank second in K/9 innings (10.91) this month.
The Mariners' bullpen shouldn't be taxed too heavily behind Kirby, but this a strong relief corps. Seattle relievers are eighth by ERA in May (2.38).
Padres vs Mariners odds
Moneyline: Padres +130 | Mariners -150
Run line: Padres +1.5 | Mariners -1.5
Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Padres vs Mariners trend
The Mariners are 5-1 across Kirby's last six starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Mariners.
How to watch Padres vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Sunday, May 17, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Padres starting pitcher
Lucas Giolito (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcher
George Kirby (5-2, 2.84 ERA)
Padres vs Mariners latest injuries
Padres vs Mariners weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
May 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Phillies will go for the sweep on Sunday as they wrap up their three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
The good news is that they’ll have Zack Wheeler on the mound. He’s been excellent since his return from surgery with a 2.55 ERA in four starts.
And while there is no updated timeline for Polanco, who hasn’t played since April 14 due to wrist and Achilles injuries, Mendoza indicated that the Achilles bursitis is something that likely will not heal 100 percent this season, and that it comes down to how well the veteran can tolerate and play through it.
If Polanco doesn’t reach that point, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be playing any time soon.
“I think it’s getting to a point where—he’s going to feel it, right? But just keeping it to a point of ‘I can tolerate this’ because if not he’s going to get shut down for a long period of time,” Mendoza said. “So, I think we just continue to go through baseball activities, continue to push it running-wise, and see how he reacts to that.
"Hopefully, he can continue to get treatment and hopefully it goes away, but it's something that he's probably gonna have to manage."
Polanco, who signed a two-year deal with the Mets this offseason with the idea of him being the everyday first baseman, has played in just 14 games this season, hitting .179 with one home run.
SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE: This is the 21st of the Cubs’ 59-regular season series against the White Sox in which the teams have split the first two games. The Cubs won a third game six times and lost it seven times. There was no third game seven times. The Cubs are 1-5 in third games after winning, then losing, including 1-4 on the road. The win was in the last such game, in 2020. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
DAY GAMES ON THE ROAD: The Cubs lost their first day game of the year on the road, by 4-1 at Cleveland on April 3. Two days later, in Game 1 of a doubleheader, they beat the Guardians, 1-0. Beginning with a 4-1 loss in Game 2, they have dropped five of six day games as the visiting team. The win was by 5-4 at San Diego on April 29. Their only such game since then was last Sunday, when they lost, 3-0, at Texas. They are 1-3 in all day games on the road on Sundays. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE BUSCH LEAGUE: Michael Busch extended his on-base streak to a career-high tying 17 games in which he is batting .286/.453/.464 (16-for-56) with five doubles, a triple, a home run, 17 walks and 13 RBI.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Sean Marshall and three relievers combine on a one-hit shutout of the Nationals at Wrigley Field. The only Nats hit is a leadoff single by Alfonso Soriano in the sixth. The Cubs win the game 5-0. It happened 20 years ago today, Wednesday, May 17, 2006.
Colin Rea was going along pretty well and then the Braves torched him pretty good last Tuesday in Atlanta.
But, I’d say Rea does well enough for a fifth starter type. Eats innings, and most of the time gives you a decent outing.
Against the Sox almost exactly a year ago, May 18, 2025 at Wrigley Field, Rea held the Sox to one run in 5.1 innings. We’ll take another one like that today, please.
Erick Fedde… what year is this, 2024?
Fedde pitched for the Sox that year, then was shipped away to the Cardinals in a three-way deal that brought Miguel Vargas to the South Side. Since then he’s also pitched for the Braves and Brewers before he came back to the Sox as a free agent this past offseason.
He has pitched well enough for the Sox (3.77 ERA, 1.163 WHIP) in eight games (six starts) that, well, they could flip him again if they fall out of contention.
The Cubs hit him hard twice last year when he was with St. Louis — 10 earned runs in five innings. Dansby Swanson is 10-for-27 (.370) against Fedde with a double.
Please visit our SB Nation White Sox site South Side Sox. If you do go there to interact with Sox fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 15: Justin Foscue #14 of the Texas Rangers breaks his bat as he hits a single in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on May 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for May 17, 2026 against the Houston Astros: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Peter Lambert for the Astros.
Texas will attempt to avoid a sweep. They will also attempt to get their average runs scored per game in this series to at least 1. Corey Seager is out again.
The lineup:
Carter — CF
Nimmo — RF
Jung — 3B
Pederson — DH
Duran — SS
Osuna — LF
Burger — 1B
Foscue — 2B
Higashioka — C
1:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -125 favorites.
Unfortunately for the Mets, injuries have been the major storyline from their first quarter-plus of the 2026 regular season. From Juan Soto, to Francisco Lindor, to Francisco Alavrez, to Luis Robert Jr., to Jorge Polanco, the list goes on and on.
The club’s latest stroke of bad injury luck came on Friday night, when starting pitcher Clay Holmes fractured his fibula on a comebacker to the mound.
Holmes, who stayed in the game on Friday a bit longer after the injury occurred, said he initially thought he could pitch through it, but by the end of the outing he was not surprised by the diagnosis.
“When it first hit me, I knew I could still put pressure on it, so I thought I still had a chance to pitch,” he said. “I’ve done this before, back in 2020, and it kind of immediately gave away on me then, so I was kind of hoping this was different.
“I kind of knew walking off that it was probably broken, so I was kind of expecting it and wasn’t surprised with the X-rays. But it caught me good. Had some hope there for a little bit, but the more I was throwing on it, it kind of continued to feel worse. Like I said, I have some history with it, so I knew that it probably wasn’t great.”
Back in spring training of March 2020, Holmes suffered a similar fracture in his right foot after a Nelson Cruz comebacker caromed off of him. But Holmes said it’s hard to compare the two injuries because the last time he recovered happened during the COVID shutdown and he was back for the start of the shortened season in July.
The good news, it seems, is that Holmes believes he can avoid surgery. While adding a plate or a screw to stabilize the bone hasn’t been entirely ruled out, Holmes said that having surgery “doesn’t seem to be the case,” though the medical staff is still gathering information.
“Comes down to how well the bone heals,” Holmes said.
Injuries are never welcomed with open arms, but Holmes’ fracture comes at an especially rough time for both the player and team. Individually, Holmes has been one of the Mets’ most consistent starters this season, pitching to a 2.39 ERA. The Mets, meanwhile, have gotten off to a rough start as a team, but are a game over .500 in their last 10 games.
According to Holmes, the toughest part is not being out on the field with his teammates as they try to climb out of this early hole.
“It’s tough. Just from a personal standpoint, I feel like I was in a good spot, the body and the arm,” Holmes said. “It’s kind of hard to stay healthy in this game as is, and I’ve had some freak accident things that are out of your control that are tough. More than anything, not being able to compete with the guys here, the team.
“We haven’t gotten off, I think, to the start that we wanted or everybody wanted, but just to see how guys were battling through it and seeing how things were starting to come together, you just want to be in the fight with everyone.”
Nobody who watched the first week of Rece Hinds’ MLB career will ever forget it. Most everybody who watched it will use it as a measuring stick for the debut of any other player, so rife was it with gargantuan homers and pinpoint precision with his powerful swing.
If only things had managed to keep even a sliver of that pace.
The Cincinnati Reds designated Hinds for assignment on Sunday morning as part of a larger series of short-term focused roster moves. They needed a 40-man roster spot for a catcher since they needed to place Jose Trevino back on the 10-day IL, and it was Hinds’ spot that, for whatever reason, was up.
Cincinnati also shuttled Luis Mey back to AAA after his rough outing last night, recalling a fresher Jose Franco to help add to the bullpen depth for the time being.
The story here, though, is with Hinds. Even as recently as spring training, manager Terry Francona spoke about how Hinds had done everything he needed to do to make the team only to lose out on a numbers game. Then, when Noelvi Marte ran into a serious slump to begin the 2026 season at the big league level, it was Hinds – not JJ Bleday – who was turned to, and he got a multi-week run in the outfield almost every day to show whether or not he’d made significant enough improvement at the AAA level to warrant a full-time role in the big leagues.
He went 4 for 33 with a lone walk and 18 strikeouts, with nary a homer to his name.
There is huge swing and miss with Hinds, that’s undeniable. The former 2nd round pick is still just 25 years old, though, and the rest of the tools in his arsenal are pretty dang impressive, and there will undoubtedly be another team out there willing to take a flier on him to see if they, unlike the Reds, can unlock the rest that’s there.
If anything, this also rings as an endorsement of who else the Reds have in their current outfield mix. Bleday has obviously hit the ground running, and the presence of Blake Dunn, Hector Rodriguez, and Marte has obviously given the Reds the impression that they’ve got a baked-in hierarchy at the position that no longer needs Hinds, should he be claimed on waivers.
Oct 22, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Adam Macko plays for the Peoria Javelinas during an Arizona Fall League baseball game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Yeah, this is the way this season is going.
Tommy Nance has been put on the IL with forearm discomfort. Well, they said ‘right forearm discomfort’….but I figured you guys knew which arm it would be. Nance has pitched in 19 games, 20 innings, 16 hits, 1 home run, 8 walks, 24 strikeouts with a 4.05 ERA. He pitched three of four games from May 9 for May 12, but hasn’t pitched since then.
Adam Macko has been called up from Buffalo. He relieved in 13 games, 18 innings, allowing 13 hits, 3 home run, 8 walks and 19 strikeouts with a 4.50 ERA. He also pitched for Team Canada in the WBC.
Macko was #7 on our prospect list this year. Tom M wrote:
Every year there’s a guy I don’t think I’m going to have all that high in my rankings who, once I sit down and put together the probabilities that we use to underpin the expected value scores, just has to be up there. This year it’s Macko. He didn’t perform great in Buffalo’s rotation last season, but he held batters to a 73% contact rate overall and just under 82% inside the zone, both of which are solidly above average and represent steps forward over his superficially more impressive 2024.
Macko grew up in Slovakia, a noted baseball hotbed, and learned to pitch from watching YouTube. He moved to Canada and was drafted by the Mariners in the 7th round of the 2019 draft out of the noted baseball hotbed (but mostly not sarcastic this time) of Vauxhall High School in Alberta. He worked his way up to A+ in the Seattle organization before coming to Toronto in the Teoscar Hernandez deal. From there he’s gone one level at a time, establishing himself in Buffalo in 2025. He’s been maddeningly inconsistent, dealing with both actual injuries and fluctuations in his stuff and command. On the right day, he’ll spot 94-96 with a crisp slider and promising change, while on the wrong day he’ll be missing the zone entirely and sitting 91 with shaky secondaries. Things seemed to click a bit in the second half last year after a demotion to a long relief role. He sat closer to the top of his velocity range in three inning appearances and allowed just a 64% contact rate, generating 29 Ks and 61 swinging strikes in 26.0 innings while keeping his walks (6) under control.
I think that’s Macko’s most likely role going forward: a high quality multi-inning reliever who can make the occasional 5 and dive spot start. If that brings out the good version of him, the one with three 55 grade pitches that he can locate, more often, he could be an actual weapon on a good team. There’s still some hope that he finds a way to harness that quality in the rotation, in which case there could be a #3 starter in there, but that would take achieving a consistency that we haven’t yet seen from him.
When he makes it into a game, it will be his first major league appearance.
Congratulations Adam. Heal up quick Tommy (I have a friend that calls me Tommy, and I’m never sure how to react really, cause I don’t think that’s my name. But, we named my middle boy Thomas (my father, and his father, and his father were all Toms) and he decided, very young, that he was Tommy and he’s continued that way into adulthood and it suits him).
Today’s lineup. There are some changes. Pinango leads off, with Vlad second (DHing) and no Springer.
May 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Corbin Carroll (7) reacts after striking out with two on base in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
At 11.3 kg of chocolate consumed each year, Germans eat twice the amount of chocolate that Americans do.
Croissants are not French.
You might associate croissants with French lifestyle, but the croissant is actually from Vienna. In the 13th century, it was known as a kipferl, a denser bread made in the distinct crescent shape.
Silent Hill is based on a real place.
If you’re looking for nightmare fuel: The eerie psychological horror game is actually based on a real place. If you’re a brave soul, you might want to visit the abandoned town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. Travelers who have visited confirmed the Silent Hill-esque unsettling feel.
BINGHAMTON, NY - JUNE 25: Brian Metoyer #28 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies pitching during the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Kylie Richelle/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - CIRCA 1976: Lou Piniella #14 and Carlos May #38 of the New York Yankees poses together for this photo prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game circa 1976 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Piniella played for the Yankees from 1974-84. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In August of 1969, Carlos May found himself laying in a hospital bed. Just weeks removed from appearing in his first All-Star Game, the burly outfielder was, by his own admission, feeling sorry for himself. That’s because he’d suffered a freak accident during a gunnery exercise while fulfilling his service obligations with the U.S. Marine Reserves, losing part of his right thumb. At the age of 21, it looked like the promising future for which he’d worked so hard might be over as soon as it began. Instead, played 10 years in the majors — a more than commendable career.
Carlos May Born: May 17, 1948 (Birmingham, AL) Yankees Tenure: 1976-77
May grew up in Birmingham in the shadow of his older brother, Lee. Lee May was a three-sport athlete at Parker High School before embarking on an 18-year MLB career, earning the nickname “Big Bopper” while swatting 354 home runs. Carlos followed in his footsteps, playing baseball, basketball, and football at Parker High. Despite receiving a scholarship offer to play running back and punt at Southern University, May opted for baseball. “I saw the size of some of those guys, 270-280 pounds, and thought baseball would be a lot healthier for me,” he would later say of the fortuitous decision.
In 1966, the year after Lee made his debut with the Reds, the White Sox took Carlos in the first round of the MLB Draft. While he didn’t have the prodigious power of his big brother, who stood four inches taller, May showcased an impressive hit tool, batting .333 in 604 Single-A at-bats between the 1967 and ‘68 seasons. That was enough to earn him a September call-up in ‘68. He’d never see the minors again.
In just his age-21 season, May emerged as an offensive force in 1969, slashing .281/.385/.488 in 367 at-bats. He made his first All-Star game that season as the lone representative of an eventual 94-loss Chicago squad. The showcase allowed the Mays to make history as the first brothers to oppose each other in a Midsummer Classic, with Lee representing the Reds in the NL.
Carlos got one at-bat in the game and was faced with the dubious obstacle of opposing Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil Niekro. Unsurprisingly, he struck out to end the game. “Lee was at first base and he had his glove over his mouth,” Carlos later said. “He was laughing so hard at me. I’d never seen a knuckleball before; I didn’t know how to hit the thing!”
That moment of levity would stand in stark contrast to the months ahead. After the injury that cost him part of his right thumb, May spent months in and out of hospitals, leveraging everything from massage therapy to skin grafts to toughen up the skin around his wounded hand. He maintained a remarkable sense of perspective throughout the crisis.
“When I first went to the hospital, I felt sorry for myself,” said May. “Then I looked around. I saw guys with no eyes, guys with no legs, guys with half a head, guys who couldn’t talk, walk, hear, guys with no mind or half a mind. I began to think, ‘What am I griping about?’”
After making a few adjustments — including the use of a custom batting glove designed by Wilson Sporting Goods — May was ready to return for the 1970 season. The rapid recovery was not lost on his teammates. “Carlos really showed me something,” said Tommy McCraw, a first baseman and outfielder on the ’69 and ‘70 White Sox. “He’s got great courage. If he didn’t have real guts, he’d be back in Chicago, not out here trying to play ball. I know he has pain every time he throws, but he keeps throwing anyway.”
While May never again slugged as much as he had in his rookie season — a campaign in which he hit 18 home runs in 100 games and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting — his hitting ability and plate discipline kept him performing at a high level for the next three seasons. May had a career year in 1972, making his second All-Star team while slashing .308/.405/.438. He began to fall off in the years after that showing, as leg injuries had further sapped his power and made him a liability in the outfield.
On May 18, 1976, the day after his 28th birthday, the White Sox traded their homegrown star to the Yankees for pitcher Ken Brett and outfielder Rich Coggins. The lefty had gotten off to a brutal start, slugging just .206, but found new life in pinstripes, serving almost exclusively as a DH, where he split time with the right-handed Lou Piniella. In 87 games, May hit .278 and got on base at a .358 clip, an encouraging return to form.
May showed out in the first playoff game of his career. In Game 2 of the ALCS, the DH went 2-for-5 against Royals pitching. Unfortunately, he’d go 0-for-14 the rest of the way, unable to contribute as the Yankees got swept by the Reds in the World Series.
May got off to another slow start in ‘77, posting a .601 OPS in 65 games before getting moved to the Angels. After appearing in just 11 games there, it looked like a 10-year career that had yielded two All-Star berths and a .274 batting average had run its course. Indeed, at the age of 29, May had played his last game in the MLB. But, after being recruited to play for the Nankai Hawks of the NPB, he had a second act in Japan. In four seasons with the Hawks, May slashed .309/.390/.506 and hit 70 homers, showcasing more power than he had in the States and ending his playing career on a high note.
After hanging up his spikes, May transitioned to a career with the U.S. Postal Service and has remained involved with the White Sox in their Community Relations Department. “I came to Chicago in 1968 and haven’t left,” May said of his adopted city. “They have the greatest fans in baseball. I played with the Yankees and the Angels, but the White Sox are me. I am a Sox die-hard fan. It hurts me when they don’t do well.”
While his stint in New York was brief, May was part of a pivotal team in Yankees history, one that ended a 12-year playoff drought and set the stage for championships in 1977 and ‘78. Please join us in wishing a happy 78th birthday to Carlos May.
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COVERS INTEL:
George Kirby Over 5.5 strikeouts
