Category: MLB

The Jays finally got a day off after finishing 17 straight games with a 10-7 record. But back at it tonight, they are facing the team with the best record in all of baseball: Atlanta Braves. The Braves have gone 40-20 so far this season, burying their closest competitors at 9.5 games back out of first. This has been powered by an offense that leads baseball in RBIs, is second in home runs, and sports a top five rotation and bullpen. They’ve managed this despite injuries that have benched 2025 RoY Drake Baldwin and starter Spencer Schwellenbach.

I reached out to Battery Power’s Ivan the Great to answer a few questions about the Braves team and how their fans view the 2026 season.

Atlanta has a commanding lead at the top of the NLE right now, clicking on all cylinders. What are the key elements that are driving their winning ways so far?
Comprehensively answering this question would probably take 3,000 words, so I’ll focus on a few. First, the team was already supposed to be pretty good; last year was the outlier driven by a completely unforced error of a top-down change to team offensive approach, and then intensified by an absurdly bad run of injuries. Second, it looks like last year has finally spurred some changes in how the team approaches individual games, with new skipper Walt Weiss implementing a much more “let’s try to win most games we’re in” mentality that was absent from about 2023-onward when the team’s projections were really good. Third, they’re back to focusing on what many hitters were acquired for and initially coached to do: hit homers. Even as MLB continues to “experiment” with increased drag on the ball, that still remains the dominant strategy where you have the personnel to achieve it. Lastly, the defense has been really good, with Mauricio Dubon and a hopefully-it’s-not-just-a-small-sample defensive resurgence from Ozzie Albies really making the pitching look more effective than it has been

Baldwin looked like he was recreating his rookie season before the injury. How soon are the Braves hoping to get him back and why do you think he’s been able to successfully build on last season so far this season?

It looks like the timeline for Drake Baldwin is about mid-June, but the Braves generally slow-play injury returns, and there’s little reason to rush him back given the standings. Baldwin has an almost-ideal profile in that he doesn’t have a particular long swing, nor is he jumping out to pull the ball, but he’s able to generate a fast, hard swing that can cover the zone and then some even though he doesn’t need to cheat or rely on a longer swing through the zone to do it. This year, a huge difference has been simply hitting the ball in the air more, letting that hard swing turn what used to be lasers through the infield into things that go a lot further than the infield. Combine his ability to cover non-strikes and hit them pretty hard with a teamwide approach that’s tilted back towards aggression and damage on contact, and you’ve basically got a monster at the plate at this point.

Matt Olson continues to rake for the Braves. Anyone still missing Freeman or regretting that deal?

I’m sure lots of folks are still missing Freddie Freeman, but I hope that Olson continues to take the sting out of those proceedings. It’s worth noting that post-trade, through May 2026, Freeman still has a sizable fWAR advantage (23.7 to 19.3) and a large xwOBA lead (about .020) as well. That said, I don’t think the Braves would’ve been able to get out of Freeman what the Dodgers did in his 30s, as the Dodgers re-oriented him towards something he probably enjoys more (spraying liners) than what the Braves were morphing into (hitting bombs and scowling disgustedly at the punishment meted out, something Olson excels at).

Which prospect are Braves fans most excited for that debuted or might debut this year?

I think this was probably JR Ritchie, and folks got their wish as he was ultimately called up and did… okay for a call-up but not so great for an MLB pitcher. That excitement only grew after Ritchie’s very fun MLB debut, but he never really got back to that level of performance and has some stuff to figure out in the minors.

Who is your favourite member of the team to watch right now?

Well, Baldwin’s on the shelf, so I’d probably have to go with Chris Sale, because it’s just such a confident form of dominance. He’s not necessarily outsmarting you (guys, it’s two pitches) and it’s not like he can’t be squared up at all such that he never even has to work out of a jam or anything. But, when it comes down to it, the combination of his delivery and arm angle just makes trying to face his slider comical… and then you remember that he can blow it by you in the zone, too. At this point, everyone pretty much knows how Chris Sale is going to pitch against them, but it doesn’t help them much, not even when they stand in the box against him multiple times a game. In a league where many pitchers kind of feel like cookie cutter-esque fastball/slider guys that are nonetheless effective if interchangeable, Chris Sale stands out as a completely different fastball/slider guy who might look similar-if-better on paper, but looks like he’s from a completely different league when he gets up there and gets guys to swing and miss by a foot on a slider that sweeps all the way across the center field camera view.

And just a fun little exercise, if you could make a guaranteed trade for one player from a division rival, who would it be and what would you consider a fair return to acquire them?

The Braves don’t have too much that they could, and would want to, offer to improve what already looks like one of MLB’s best rosters. So, I’ll focus on plugging a hole in this one. The Braves could use another lefty reliever, as Aaron Bummer’s shoulder cratered his effectiveness and he was sent packing a few weeks ago. Brooks Raley is a boring older lefty veteran type who isn’t making much this year, and wouldn’t cost much of anything that the Braves would likely miss, either. While the Braves probably won’t actually get Raley given general Braves-Mets animosity, I expect them to add one or maybe two Raley analogues before the summer ends.

Thanks Ivan!

It was quite a bloodletting for seeded teams in the tournament this weekend. Seven of the sixteen seeded were wiped away in the first weekend, including the top two seeds in UCLA and Georgia Tech. There were some great performances in the tournament though. It’s possible some of these players that we’re tracking were able to move up the board.

To start off, let’s talk about Aiden Robbins.

Well, that’s some opposite field power. Per Baseball America, he’s not a player that puts the ball in the air a lot and has a “hit-over-power” profile. He appears to have made an exception today. If he keeps trending in this direction, he might not stay in the middle of the first round very long. Aiden continues play next weekend versus Oregon.

Justin Lebron looks like a solid five-tool guy. Here he is showing off the power, pulling a ball on the outside corner into the scoreboard area. He displayed some speed as well with two stolen bases. He plays solid defense as shortstop as well. The only knock is his contact skills, but it’s a smal knock. Justin will play against St. John’s this weekend.

Oklahoma took out the number two seed in the tournament with two wins over Georgia Tech. Brendan Brock helped lead the way with two home runs and 8/15 overall at the plate. He can play catcher and center field, which might make him an unique one in this year’s draft. Brendan will be at Kansas this weekend.

Here’s another catcher with pop. Daniel Jackson had two home runs and a double and went 5/10 overall. The power is there with above average speed. The defense is a bit of a question mark despite his good arm. Daniel will play Mississippi State this weekend.

Alex Hernandez went ham over the weekend in a losing effort for Georgia Tech. He grabbed 4 home runs and 3 other hits. There is a lot of swing-and-miss in his profile, but hoo boy the power is there. He has some work to do with zone recognition, but it’s nothing that a summer in High A ball wouldn’t cure. Georgia Tech’s season is over, but that just allows some of their players more prep time for the draft.

Speaking of Georgia Tech players getting ready for the draft, I present Drew Burress. If you can call 4/16 and 2 home runs as a quiet weekend, it’s because there were some ridiculous lines put up this week. Burress is listed at number 4 to 10 depending on what publication you are reading. A lot of mock draft have him going to the Braves. The hit, power, and speed tools are there, and most observers think he can stick in center field. 60 home runs in a college career for a 5-9 180 guy seems like a ton.

Want to see a late first round pitching prospect? Hunter Dietz punched out 14 Jayhawks in a loss to Kansas. Dietz is a big lefty at 6-6 230. He sits 95 on the fastball and touches 98. He features a pretty good slider/cutter and a curveball. He’s a guy with a lot of bullets left, as he dealt with a stress fracture early in his college career. I’m not saying he’s not going to the Braves. He’s too big to say that to him. We can say his college season has ended.

Gavin Grahovac had three home runs, three walks, and a single in a regional loss over the weekend. There were some questions about his contact skills, but he seems to have dealt with those. He has overcome shoulder surgery in 2025 to hit 47 home runs in his college career. The observers love his physicality, but it’s unclear if he will play corner outfield in the pros. Texas A&M’s season is over.

AJ Gracia displayed all of his skills over the weekend, reaching base 10 times. He was spraying the ball around the park and had this super catch to rob Jacksonville State of a home run. AJ put up a .354/.489/.632 line with 24 home runs for Virginia. Baseball America likes him in the 10-15 range. Virginia’s season is over.

I didn’t watch college baseball at all, but I did get to see some late Sunday and Monday. There are more 95+ MPH pitchers in college than I realized. These hitters are using he aluminum bats, but their contact skills are no joke. Their defense collectively looks to be a work in progress, but these guys will play two or three seasons in the minor leagues anyway. There appears to be a ton of hitting talent in the draft, and the Braves could even grab a catcher or center fielder.

The Royals have lost 16 of 20 games, and are now just a half game from having the worst record in baseball in early June. The season has been a huge disappointment for a team that largely returned a roster coming off back-to-back winning seasons and was expecting to contend for a post-season spot.

When teams fail to live up to expectations in such dramatic fashion, fans and media begin to call for people to be fired. Royals manager Matt Quatraro was hired in 2023, and the next season he was praised for one of the biggest improvements in recent baseball history, winning 30 more games and reaching the playoffs. The team took a step back in 2025, but still finished with a winning record.

But now, as the team stumbles to a 23-37 start, the calls for a change in the dugout grow louder. Quatraro signed a three-year contract extension in January, which would seem to make a change unlikely. J.J. Picollo has expressed confidence in his skipper, telling reporters last week that the data doesn’t suggest a change would matter.

“You can go back and look at all the historical research on changing coaching staffs. There’s not a lot of strong data on changing coaching staffs mid-season leading to what you need to do. It appeases the fanbase because you’ve made a change, but we have to be logical in our thinking.” 

Does firing a manager make a difference in team performance? Studies suggest a manager only has a net impact of a few wins or losses per year. Some moves backfire and blow the game, but other moves help win games and counteract those moves. Ultimately, a win/loss record is dependent largely on the level of talent.

But baseball is a results-oriented business, and a manager’s job is to win games. Aside from in-game tactical decisions, there is the question on how effective a manager is at getting the most out of his roster, or even getting it to overachieve. Leadership does matter, and if players are underperforming their expected talent level, questions will be pointed at the manager for what he is doing or not doing to get a better performance out of his players. Sometimes, a leadership style gets stale, a clubhouse vibe turns sour, and a clubhouse shake-up is needed.

Dan Syzmborski at Fangraphs took a look at this earlier this year after the Red Sox and Phillies each dismissed their respective skippers back in April. The Phillies have taken off since Don Mattingly took over for Rob Thomson, and are now over .500. The Red Sox have played near .500 baseball under Chad Tracy, a slight improvement over how they played under Alex Cora, but not enough to get them out of the cellar.

Syzmborski examined 40 managerial firings since the start of the 2004 season and found:

On a fundamental level, the teams did play better ball after firing their manager. The teams had a .414 winning percentage when their managers were fired, and the replacements accumulated a .467 winning percentage the rest of the way. Thirty two of the 40 teams saw their record improve. 

So teams do generally improve in the win/loss column. But how much of this is the manager’s doing, and how much of this is underperforming teams simply regressing toward the mean? The Phillies and Red Sox were projected to be talented teams that could contend for postseason spots. Did they improve because the new manager made a difference? Or was it the team reverting to their true talent level? Or perhaps even a “dead cat bounce” where no team can play that poorly for that long?

Syzmborski compared how the team projected to do based on “rest of the season projections” at the time of the managerial change, and compared them to how the manager actually fared. The result was that “across 3,061 games managed, the new managers won 1.5 fewer games than expected…..a statistically insignificant difference.” The Red Sox were on pace to lose 102 games when Cora was fired – the team may be playing better under Tracy mostly because the roster talent level isn’t that bad. Don Mattingly has fared well for the Phillies, but it also helps that he took over when the Giants, Marlins, and Rockies were on the schedule.

That doesn’t necessarily mean a managerial firing is the wrong move. Teams do not operate in a vacuum of projections and probability. When a club is careening toward a disappointing season, ownership and the front office are often compelled to show that someone is being held accountable. A managerial change can signal that the organization recognizes the failure and is unwilling to accept it, even if the move itself is unlikely to produce a dramatic turnaround. The problem is that accountability and improvement are not always the same thing. Royals history offers several examples of that distinction.

Here are some of the recent mid-season managerial firings in Royals history.

1991 John Wathan fired, Bob Schaefer named interim manager, Hal McRae hired

The Royals went on a free agent splurge in 1990, signing Mark and Storm Davis (no relation), only to see those moves backfire. The team lost 86 games, at the time tying for the third-worst season in club history, and the low-key approach of manager John Wathan drew scrutiny. The next year, the team got off to a 15-22 (.405) start when new GM Herk Robinson fired Wathan in May, replacing him with Expos hitting coach and former Royals star Hal McRae. McRae wanted a much more aggressive style on the bases, – their stolen bases per game went from 0.54 under Wathan to 0.79 under McRae. He may have light a fire under the team, as they went 66-58 (.532) under him and finished with a winning record.

1997 Bob Boone fired, Tony Muser hired

The Royals wanted a youth movement after the work stoppage in 1995, and they brought in the academically-minded Bob Boone to oversee the effort. His first season was near .500, but the team lost 86 games his second year, and once again had a losing record of 36-46 (.439) going into the 1997 All-Star break. The Royals canned Boone and replaced him with Cubs hitting coach Tony Muser, but the team fared much worse, going just 31-48 (.392) down the stretch.

2002 Tony Muser fired, John Mizerock named interim manager, Tony Peña hired

Muser had a dour attitude, seemed to dig at one of his best hitters (Mike Sweeney), and was criticized for overusing his few good pitchers. He had four full losing seasons – at the time, some of the worst in club history – and yet the team seemed to stick with him. They finally fired him in 2002, after an 8-15 (.347) start, replacing him with bullpen coach John Mizerock on an interim basis. They lost their first six games with Mizerock in the dugout, but after they swept Cleveland, some fans wanted Mizerock to get the job on a full-time basis. Instead, they hired Astros bench coach Tony Peña, at the time a hot managerial prospect who had success in the minors and had been a widely respected player. The team did not play much better, going 49-77 (.389), and suffering two eight-game losing streaks and a 7-19 September.

2005 Tony Peña resigns, Bob Schaefer named interim manager, Buddy Bell hired

After a surprising run in 2003, Peña’s Royals fell back to earth with a thud in 2004. In 2005, he resigned in May with the team 8-25 (.242), the worst record in baseball. At the time, it seemed as if the stress of having the worst team in baseball had caused the resignation, but later reports indicated Peña may have been distracted by his involvement in a contentious divorce case in which he was alleged to have had an affair with the wife. After going 5-12 with interim manager Bob Schafer (.294), the team hired former Tigers and Rockies manager Buddy Bell who was Cleveland’s bench coach. The Royals went just 43-69 (.384) with Bell, a preview of the losing to come under his helm.

2010 Trey Hillman fired, Ned Yost hired

The Royals made an unconventional hire in Trey Hillman, who had become a candidate based on his experience managing in Japan. He won 75 games his first season, and the team got off to a good start in 2009 (18-11!) only to see the bottom drop out in a 97-loss season. The Royals brought in former Brewers manager Ned Yost as a special adviser in the front office, and the writing seemed to be on the wall for Hillman. His team got off to a 12-23 (.343) start, and a week after Dayton Moore said the team was not planning any moves, Hillman was let go. The Royals played much better under Yost until a September swoon, but they still finished with a 55-72 (.433) record on his watch.

With a .301/.416/.634 slash line through his first 60 games of the season, it’s not a question of whether Yordan Alvarez will be selected to his fourth American League All-Star team. The question is whether he’ll be traveling to Philadelphia alone.

It’s been 12 years since the Astros were limited to a single All-Star, and only once during that span have they had fewer than three representatives. So who could join Alvarez at next month’s Midsummer Classic?

Spencer Arrighetti

Arrighetti has been historically good since beginning the season in Sugar Land. His 1.34 ERA is the eighth-best mark in Astros history through a pitcher’s first eight starts of a season, and it would lead the majors if he had enough innings to qualify.

The Astros are 7-1 in Arrighetti’s starts, and he’s completed at least five innings in every outing while allowing two or fewer earned runs each time.

Arrighetti’s 3.97 FIP indicates he’s been a little fortunate, and his strikeout rate is below league average while his walk rate is above it. However, he’s been elite at limiting hard contact and has surrendered just two home runs.

The biggest strike against Arrighetti’s All-Star candidacy is his lack of innings, the result of making three or four fewer starts than the other pitchers competing for a spot. He won’t be able to make up all of that ground over the next month, but he’ll have a chance to narrow the gap. If he pitches anywhere close to the level he has through his first eight starts, he’ll likely join Alvarez in Philadelphia.

Christian Walker

What a difference a year makes for the 35-year-old first baseman, whom the Astros appeared ready to salary dump over the offseason. Walker finished May with 16 homers, 43 RBIs, and an .835 OPS after ending last May with seven homers, 25 RBIs, and a .630 OPS.

Walker leads the Astros in RBIs and trails only Alvarez in home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base. This is the production the Astros thought they were getting when they signed Walker to a three-year, $60 million contract after the 2024 season.

The biggest hurdle standing between Walker and his first All-Star bid is that first base in the American League is stacked.

Ben Rice, Nick Kurtz, Munetaka Murakami, Willson Contreras, and Jonathan Aranda are AL first basemen with higher OPS marks than Walker. Murakami is currently on the injured list with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which could create a slight opening, but an All-Star selection still feels unlikely unless Walker goes on a tear in June.

Shohei Ohtani had three more hits on Monday night in Phoenix, extending his on-base streak to 18 games. He’s been hot at the plate for the last three weeks, dating back to May 12, the day before he got a little two-game rest at the plate amid a hitting slump.

In those 18 games, Ohtani is hitting .415/.506/.723 with 11 extra-base hits. That includes a ringing double to left center field that bounced off the warning track on Monday night.

This wasn’t necessarily a near home run — Baseball Savant says the 102.8-mph drive hit 375 feet with a 22-degree launch angle would have been a home run only in Wrigley Field among the 30 MLB parks — but it was a sign that Ohtani is locked in at the plate. Orel Hershiser commented on it on the SportsNet LA broadcast, and manager Dave Roberts likes to say Ohtani is at his best when he’s using all parts of the field.

Ohtani has 10 home runs through the Dodgers’ first 60 games, which puts him on pace for 27 home runs this year. It’s hard to be disappointed in a hitter with a 153 wRC+ — even before considering that player is alsoone of the best pitchers in baseball — but Ohtani’s first two seasons with the Dodgers broke the scale for proper calibration. That’s what happens when you set a franchise home run record in each of your first two seasons, hitting 54 home runs in 2024 and 55 in 2025.

Ohtani hit six home runs in March/April, and four in May. Those are his two lowest home run months with the Dodgers, with April tied with July 2024 as his previous home run nadir in Los Angeles. In every other month with the Dodgers, Ohtani hit between seven and 15 home runs.

In his career, June is Ohtani’s best power month, with 62 home runs and a .723 slugging percentage in 163 career games during the month.

Ohtani career splits

• March/April: 43 HR (one per 18.3 PA), .559 SLG
• May: 53 HR (one per 16.1 PA), .546 SLG
• June: 62 HR (one per 11.3 PA), .723 SLG
• July: 46 HR (one per 15.6 PA), .543 SLG
• August: 47 HR (one per 18.2 PA), .537 SLG
• September: 39 HR (one per 17.4 PA), .582 SLG

Whether you think Ohtani has another June to remember brings us to today’s question: How many home runs with Shohei Ohtani hit this June? He hit 12 home runs in June 2024, and seven in June 2025, for reference.

One of the more challenging problems in professional sports is that of determining who will make a proper coach or manager. Some of those who are the greatest to play the game aren’t good coaches, and some who are below average just so turn out to be constructors or leaders of the best teams to ever grace a diamond, field, or other playing surfaces.

While Gene Michael didn’t finish his playing career with anything close to Hall of Fame numbers, “Stick” is known as a constructor of not just the best MLB team to play a full season (record-wise), but the creator of arguably the greatest dynasty in baseball history.

Eugene Richard “Stick” Michael

Born: June 2, 1938 (Kent, OH)
Died: September 7, 2017 (Oldsmar, FL)
Yankees Tenure: 1968-74 (player); 1977-78, 1984-85 (coach); 1981, 1982 (manager); 1980-81, 1991-95 (GM); 1996-2017 (VP)

Born in Ohio just outside of Akron, Michael stayed local through his upbringing, playing baseball throughout his childhood and attending school at Akron East High School, where he also played basketball. In fact, he excelled so much in both sports that he played both when he attended Kent State University in his college days, receiving a scholarship from the same school where future teammate Thurman Munson would star in a few years. While playing for the Golden Flashes, he was selected as their outstanding sophomore basketball player in 1958 when he led the team in scoring and field goal percentage. And while he did play one season of professional basketball in 1966-67 with the Columbus Comets of North American Basketball League, baseball was the route he chose for his future.

Michael’s best season on the college hardwood coincided with an excellent season on the diamond, and because of his work on the field, the Pittsburgh Pirates took an interest in the 6-foot-3 athlete. After being invited to Forbes Field in Pittsburgh to tryout in front of Pirates general manager Joe L. Brown, manager Danny Murtaugh, and coach/Hall of Famer George Sisler, Michael showcased his defensive skills in the middle infield and enough of what he could do at the plate to warrant a contract offer that brought in a $25,000 signing bonus as well.

After signing the contract early in September of 1958, Michael began what would be an eight-year journey through the minor leagues. He played two seasons with the Grand Forks Chiefs of the Northern League, three games with the Savannah Pirates in Single-A, the Class-D Hobbs Pirates, the Class-B and Class-A Kinston Eagles, and the three seasons with the Triple-A Columbus Jets of the International League.

Following his long stint in the minors, Michael finally made his debut as a pinch-hitter in 1966 with the Pirates against the Chicago Cubs, and that trend continued through his first season. In 30 games played, Michael had 33 at-bats and had only five hits with zero walks for a batting average and on-base percentage of .152 each. He then requested a trade from the Pirates, which was granted despite concerns that Pittsburgh wouldn’t get anything worth much value in the trade, the Pirates sending him to the Dodgers in December of ‘66.

And while Michael received more playing time in Los Angeles, he was benched for a significant period of time, which made him unhappy. In 98 games, the 29-year-old batted .202 and finished with an OPS under .500 for an OPS+ of 41. Following his one season with the Dodgers, the Yankees purchased his contract, and he would call New York home for the next seven seasons.

Michael’s seven seasons with the Yankees were uneventful at the plate, with an average of a 72 OPS+ through the course of them. His best OPS+ came in 1969, when he posted a 101 OPS+, along with a slashline of .272/.341/.364 and a career-high 2.5 bWAR. His career high in RBI’s in 1973 came at 35 years old. However, considering his age (36) and his overall production at the plate (an 81 OPS as a backup first baseman and shortstop) under new owner George Steinbrenner, a person who Michael became very familiar with following his playing days, the Yankees gave him an unconditional release, granting him the opportunity to be signed as a backup for the Tigers. Michael played 56 games at age-37 there before eventually hanging up the spikes.

It wasn’t long after his retirement that the Yankees picked up Michael. Hired initially as a coach and instructor, he bounced around many different staff positions, including scout, manager, vice president, and general manager as well. Stick did it all in the Bronx.

Michael was a rising star in the organization after managing the Triple-A team to a title in 1979. Steinbrenner named him GM of the 1980 club, which saw Dick Howser lead the Yanks to 103 wins and a division title. Following an ALCS sweep at the hands of the Royals though, Howser refused to fire coaches who Steinbrenner wanted to let go, so he left his post. Rather than picking a new skipper, the Boss simply told Michael that the job was his for 1981, no small feat given the expectations and the addition of star free-agent Dave Winfield.

The 1981 campaign was full of ups and downs, as the player’s strike lasted for over a month from June 12th to July 31st, and Steinbrenner continued to interfere with the day-to-day decisions of the team. That would’ve frustrated Michael regardless, but he had also already clinched a playoff spot by virtue of the Yankees leading the AL East at the beginning of the strike. Michael stood his ground, challenging Steinbrenner in September to fire him. He did, and instead of Michael, it was Bob Lemon managing the team to an AL pennant and World Series defeat at the hands of the Dodgers.

In 1982, Steinbrenner’s managerial carousel continued, canning Lemon after a 6-8 start and re-hiring Michael. The “Bronx Burners” that the Boss promoted flopped, and though Michael still had them over .500 under his watch, he was dismissed as well near the beginning of August in favor of Clyde King. Stick had publicly criticized Steinbrenner and his interference with the team, once again showing his mettle. This was not a man who was ever going to be intimated by the owner’s tactics. Michael’s final record as manager during his separate stints in 1981 and ’82 was 92-76.

After coaching on Yogi Berra, Billy Martin, and Lou Piniella’s staffs from 1984-86, another team gave Michael a shot as skipper. Hired as the Cubs’ manager, he went 114-124 from 1986-87 before being let go. The Yankees made sure he wasn’t unemployed for long, as he rejoined the organization as a scout.

When Steinbrenner was on the verge of being suspended from baseball in 1990, he picked Michael to lead the time once more as GM — and an especially powerful one since his owner would be mostly unable to overrule him from the sidelines. That’s when Stick began constructing the roster that made the late ’90s excellent for Yankees fans around the nation. And he did that not just by scouting and drafting extremely well, but he did it with his approach to building a roster, as Buster Olney says in his piece titled “Gene ‘Stick’ Michael’s stubbornness was the heart of Yankees’ Core Four”. More than a decade before “Moneyball” highlighted the Oakland A’s focus on on-base percentage, Michael rebuilt the Yankees by emphasizing OBP and acquiring left-handed power hitters to take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s dimensions.“

Michael approached his building of his Yankees teams with an analytical mind, just as he approached his coaching and scouting careers. He would take physical notes on players and games as a manager, and he used that in every aspect of his baseball life. He also found a good partner-in-crime on the field in manager Buck Showalter, who he hired at age-35 in 1992 and worked with closely to get the Yankees back on track.

While Michael found the Core Four via the draft and amateur free agency, he also made trades for capable, hard-nosed players like Paul O’Neill and David Cone, signed productive veterans like Jimmy Key and Wade Boggs, and—arguably biggest of all—he outright refused to trade Bernie Williams early in the center fielder’s career. Steinbrenner was reinstated in 1993, and he often pushed for Michael to trade Bernie due to the up-and-comer’s occasionally slow development at the plate and in the field. In fact, according to Olney and a Forbes article, Michael made calls to teams, didn’t talk about Williams at all, and then went to Steinbrenner saying no one made an offer for him.

Michael’s Yankees were the best team in the American League in 1994, when a strike again interfered with his promising team’s momentum. The World Series was cancelled, and the Yankees had to make a furious run in September the following year to at last snap their 14-year playoff drought.

Michael’s general managing career with the Yankees came to an end in the wake of the heartbreaking 1995 ALDS loss to Seattle, as he was burned out by years of butting heads with Steinbrenner. He stayed on with the organization but stuck with his roots and led big-league scouting as director and vice president. So, he was not the GM for the dynasty years, but those who followed the team knew he was largely responsible for assembling the core that would lead the Yankees back to glory. Longtime GM Brian Cashman—an assistant general manager under Michael—has always credited Michael as his mentor and someone whose philosophies he still values. As Michael reached his later years, he was named vice president and a senior advisor, a role he would fill until his death at the age of 79 in 2017. Whenever he had a tip on anything during that time, the Yankees all knew to listen. Few have ever understood the subtleties of this game as well as Stick.

Michael was known as an impressive athlete during his playing days. He had the chance to go pro in either baseball or basketball. Stick recalled later in his life that sometimes he wished he went the basketball route. But baseball was his calling, and while his playing days were not as fruitful as his days behind the scenes, he still left a lasting legacy on the game, constructing a dynasty and shaping the way the baseball teams scout and manage their rosters. If we’re being frank, that near-lifetime of service and longstanding impact on a truly outstanding era of Yankees baseball is a legacy worthy of Monument Park.

Happy birthday, Stick. You were one of a kind.

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

With the success of the big league club, we have not talked a ton about the farm system lately. Having things to be happy about at the big league level is always a good thing, but I wanted to shine a light on three prospects who absolutely crushed the ball in May. Abimelec Ortiz, Ethan Petry and Devin Fitz-Gerald all showed their impressive combination of hitting ability and power this month.

The first player I want to discuss is Ethan Petry. In previous years, I feel like we would be talking way more about Petry. The slugger has put up massive numbers in Wilmington, which is a tough place to hit. However, he has been overshadowed by some other prospects with more well rounded skillsets.

Despite being a bat first prospect, Petry is still someone we need to pay attention to. He is hitting .310 with a .962 OPS and 9 home runs in 38 games this season. Interestingly, Petry posted nearly identical OPS numbers in April and May, with a .960 OPS in April and a .961 mark in May. However, he went about it in very different ways. In April, he relied on getting on base, while this month, he has been a true slugger. I prefer the slugger version of Petry.

In April, he only hit 3 homers, but that number doubled to 6 in May. Power will be the carrying tool for Petry, so I prefer him getting to his numbers with home runs and impact, rather than BABIP luck and walks. He has shown power to all fields, and has also been more than a power hitter, as you can see with his batting average.

The second round pick from South Carolina has split time between the outfield and first base. Most project him to be a first baseman long term, but Keith Law has mentioned that Petry has been better than expected as a defensive outfielder. Law had Petry as one of his honorable mentions for his top 50 prospect list, which shows how much his stock has risen. We knew Petry had power, but I am most impressed with how the rest of his game is rounding out.

Petry’s teammate Devin Fitz-Gerald is not known as a power hitter, but has been hitting a ton of home runs this year. Fitz-Gerald is one of those bats who is a contact hitter, who also happens to have power. His exit velocities don’t pop off the page like Petry’s, but he has a knack for pulling the ball in the air.

At 5’10 185 pounds, Fitz-Gerald does not look like a power hitter, but already has 12 homers on the season, including 9 in May. There was a stretch in the middle of the month where it felt like DFG was hitting a homer every game. From May 5th to May 16th, Fitz-Gerald hit 8 homers.

That crazy run helped him become a consensus top 100 prospect across the industry. I think Fitz-Gerald’s stock will get even higher as he gets closer to the majors. The bat is special, and it will carry him to the big leagues. He projects as a second baseman with the ability to hit for average and power. 

Fitz-Gerald has been compared to Kevin McGonigle on multiple occasions, and it is hard to not see the similarities. Both are smaller guys with a natural ability to hit. McGonigle is slightly more contact oriented, while Fitz-Gerald may have more power. However, they have similar body types and approaches at the plate.

The last player to discuss here has been doing his damage recently. Abimelec Ortiz’s insane finish to the month has been a joy to watch. In May, Ortiz hit .313 with a 1.132 OPS and 9 homers. This past week, he hit 3 homers and almost hit .500 to earn himself International League player of the week honors.

In April, Ortiz showed a strong approach, and took plenty of walks. However, the big slugger only hit 1 homer. This month he has been more aggressive, and it has led to a power frenzy. From May 20th to May 27th, Ortiz hit 7 homers in 6 games. Like Petry and Fitz-Gerald, Ortiz is not just a home run or strike out player.

This season, Ortiz’s strikeout rate is below 20%. He also does a nice job pulling the ball in the air as well. That is why I think Ortiz will need less of an adaptation period to the MLB compared to his teammate Yohandy Morales, whose raw numbers are slightly better.

The Nats farm is in such a great spot, especially offensively. They have added so much offensive talent in the past 12 months. None of the guys I wrote about today were in the organization a year ago. Petry was selected in the draft, while Ortiz and Fitz-Gerald came over in the MacKenzie Gore trade.

Now, they are part of a loaded position player group. Between those three, Eli Willits, Ronny Cruz, Seaver King, Coy James and more, the Nats farm has incredible hitting depth. The Nats lineup is already elite, but they have more talent coming through the system. This Nationals offense should be electric for years to come.

Clippers 6, Mud Hens 4

The excitement of the day was seeing Cooper Ingle playing left field for the first time in a professional game. Ingle homered, going 1 for 5 and not embarrassing himself in the field. CJ Kayfus went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Bo Naylor went 2 for 4 with a double. Logan Allen pitched poorly again, and Andrew Walters gave up a hit and a walk but struck out two in a scoreless inning. Ralphy Velazquez struck out three times, darn.

Rubber Ducks 11, Flying Squirrels 5

Jaison Chourio and Zack Cozart both went 2 for 4, Chourio hitting a double and Cozart a homer. Justin Campbell had the worst start of his young career giving up five walks and four runs… but still struck out five.

Sky Carp 7, Captains 5

The only extra-base hit from the Captains was Aaron Walton’s double. Braylon Doughty gave up eight hits but no walks and struck out 9.

Woodpeckers 3, Howlers 2

Will McCausland struck out 7 in 4 and 2/3rds and that’s about all there is to say about this one.

Ryan Clifford

Week: 6 G, 24 AB, .286/.375/.762, 6 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 3 BB, 6 K, 0/0 SB (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 55 G, 201 AB, .229/.307/.483, 46 H, 10 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 24 BB, 78 K, 4/6 SB, .292 BABIP (Triple-A)

That wraps up a productive May for Ryan Clifford. In 23 games, the slugger hit .233/.308/.534, adding 5 more doubles, 1 triple, and 8 homers to his ledger for the year. In total, he is now hitting .229/.307/.483 with 10 doubles, 1 triple, 13 homers, 4 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 24 walks to 78 strikeouts.

Clifford has a solidly above-average 10.5% BB% at present, somewhat balancing his Brobdingnagian 34.2 K% rate, but even that is not enough to make him an above offensive contributor in the International League; believe it or not, Clifford has a 96 wRC+ with two months in the book. In 34 games last season, he was able to maintain a 15.5% BB% and 24.6% K%, which helped him produce a 102 wRC+ in Syracuse last season; Clifford is going to need to bump his walk rate up a bit while optimally shaving that strikeout rate a bit.

One way to do that would be swinging at fewer pitches out of the zone (revolutionary, I know!) Last season, Clifford had a 22.9% O-Swing rate and 43.3% O-Contact rate; this season, he has a 29.3% O-Swing rate and 53.3% O-Contact rate.

In a lot of cases, chasing pitches out of the zone is not necessarily a bad thing; if a pitch is drivable, it’s drivable, whether or not it’s in the strike zone or not. In Clifford’s case, it hasn’t been. Excluding clear waste pitches and mistakes that are nowhere close to the zone, nearly 64% of the pitches that he has seen during official plate appearances have been outside the zone, either in the shadow of the zone or in the chase zone. In total, he is hitting .178/.301/.381 against pitches outside of the zone with a 37.9% whiff rate, .194/.271/.441 against pitches in the shadow of the zone with a 33.3% whiff rate, and .120/.389/.160 in the chase zone with a 54.5% whiff rate.

He has done some damage against pitches in the shadow of the zone, hammering 3 doubles, 1 triple, and 6 home runs, but in the chase zone, all he has to show for his troubles is a measly double. Clifford needs to tighten up his internal visualization of the zone and just ignore pitches with trajectories past a certain point, whether or not they look like they are within his plate coverage ability (easy for me to say, of course!). Taking more pitches out of the zone will not only increase his walk rate over time, but will also force pitches to throw more pitches in the zone, giving him a better opportunity to put them in play with authority.

Also, a weird tidbit I noticed: Clifford is hitting .280/.354/.600 in 113 plate appearances at home, but .178/.261/.366 in 110 plate appearances on the road. Nobody else among the everyday Syracuse starting lineup had home/road splits as pronounced as that; Jackson Cluff came the closest with a .250-point OPS differential in favor of playing at home, but that still pales in comparison to Clifford’ .375-point differential.

I don’t like leaving my house either, I completely get it, but that said, I don’t know what up with that.

Jose Chirinos

Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (Single-A)

2026 Season: 9 G (7 GS), 42.0 IP, 34 H, 16 R, 11 ER (2.36 ERA), 10 BB, 48 K, .292 BABIP (Single-A)

Of Chirinos’ nine strikeouts, two-thirds were swinging; In the bottom of the first, he struck out Sammy Stafura swinging on a curveball middle-away and then got Edgleen Perez looking on a sinker down-and-away. In the third, he struck out Josh Tate swinging with a slider almost middle-middle that he got away with. In the fourth, he struck out Eddie King Jr. with a cutter down-and-away and then struck out Luke Scherrer swinging with a sinker middle-and-low. In the fifth, Chirino struck out the side, first getting Richard Ramirez swinging on a curveball middle-and-low, then getting Dylan Palmer looking on a sinker up-and-away, and then Eddie Rynders on a sinker down-and-in. Finally, his last strikeout of the evening came in the sixth, when he got Jaden Kim to strike out on a foul tip on a changeup down-and-away.

Last season, the right-hander threw 56.1 innings with St. Lucie over 15 games, starting 10 of them, and posted a 3.20 ERA with 40 hits allowed, 30 walks, and 51 strikeouts. We are getting close to Chirinos matching the amount of innings he has pitched, with 42.0 innings this season over the course of 9 games, 7 of which have been starts. The right-hander is showing some real improvements in virtually every facet of his game as compared to last season’s innings in St. Lucie. His ERA is nearly a full run lower, his xERA is roughly 0.50 points lower, and his FIP and xFIP are both a full run lower. His strikeout rate, 28.4%, is up from 20.6%. His walk rate, 5.9%, is down from 12.1%.

The only point of trouble currently would be the fact that his flyball rate is up slightly, 39.2% from 34.4%, and he is giving up more home runs as a result- Chirinos currently has allowed 3 longballs, up from 1 not just with St. Lucie but in his 71.2 innings total with St. Lucie and the FCL Mets. Those three homers- a Jacob Friend homer to right center on a pitch down-and-away, a Johnathan Mejia homer to left on a change-up right down Broadway, and an Abranham Ramirez homer to right-center on a cutter down and in- don’t show any specific trends, like all being from breaking balls down-and-in that were pulled or fastballs up-and-away that were poked away, and as such, I don’t think the spike is of any real concern; allowing a single home run in 71.2 innings is more of an outlier, if you ask me.

By far, his slider has been his best pitch so far this season; throwing it 18.7% of the time so far this season, batters are hitting .174 /.208 /.217 against it with a 46.3% whiff rate. By comparison, they are hitting .233/.303/.267 against his sinker with a 26.2% whiff rate, .243 /.268 /.351 against his cutter with a 20% whiff rate, .280 /.357/.480 against his changeup with a 23.9% whiff rate, and .000/.000/.000 against his curveball in extremely limited usage with a 55.6% whiff rate. Over the last month, the pitch has averaged roughly 80 MPH, with above-average vertical drop and very little horizontal movement thanks to its lower velocity band and a spin rate hovering around 2000 RPM.

The last tall, lanky pitcher the Mets developed who had a head full of hair, wore 48, and threw a slider that struck a lot of batters out worked out pretty well. Jose Chirinos is almost half as old as that guy, but if Jose Chirinos developed half as good as that guy, I’d say that would be a pretty remarkable outcome.

Players of the Week 2026

Week One/Two (March 27-April 5): Hayden Senger/Cam Tilly

Week Three (April 7-April 12): A.J. Ewing/Christian Scott

Week Four (April 14-April 18): Randy Guzman/Jose Chirinos

Week Five (April 21-April 26): A.J. Ewing/Channing Austin

Week Six (April 30-May 3): A.J. Ewing/Jonah Tong

Week Seven (May 5-May 10): Ryan Clifford/Jonathan Santucci

Week Eight: (May 12-May 17): Jacob Reimer/Zach Thornton

Week Nine: (May 19-May 24): Ryan Clifford/Channing Austin

Is the Red Sox (relatively) improved play of late late all down to Jarren Duran? Duran hit nine homers in the month of May — the most home runs he’s ever hit in one month in his career — and the Red Sox went 7-2 in those games. He also moved into second-place on the all-time Red Sox leadoff home run list with 11 career leadoff dongs, second to (who else) Mookie Betts’ 20. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

But not everyone digs the long ball. There are those among us who prefer the subtle art of bunting, and those people have found their champion in Nick Sogard, who had a key sacrifice bunt in last week’s win against the Braves. For Sogard, the bunting runs in the family. “It goes back to being taught how to bunt by his father, former Tufts baseball and football player Steve Sogard. ‘He was a similar player to me, not a ton of home runs, and he relied on his speed,” Nick said. ‘One of the first things I learned in baseball was bunting.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

The Sox might need to bunt even more, unfortunately. FanGraphs ZiPS model infamously didn’t project a single Red Sox hitter to hit 20 home runs at the start of the season. While both Duran and Willson Contreras are now more than halfway to that mark, the model has been updated and now has no Red Sox hitters reaching 25 homers, which, 2020 excluded, would be the first time the team failed to hit that mark since 2017. (Andrew Gould, NESN)

Thank god the pitching is holding up, even when Sonny Gray is getting chirped by opposing managers. (Henry Palattella, MLB.com)

There is some surprising power potential in the minors, though. Infielder Henry Godbout, who was heralded as an elite contact hitter when he was drafted last year, already has seven homers on the year down in Greenville. He has a pretty big fan in the Red Sox dugout: Connelly Early, who was teammates with Godbout at UVA. “Pretty cool to watch him succeed,” Early said. “I feel like last year, in his little short stint that he had, it was pretty amazing to watch as well. So obviously got off to the right foot, made a really good first impression.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Godbout was not the Red Sox’ first pick in last year’s draft. That would be Kyson Witherspoon, who, at the time, was viewed as someone who could potentially climb up to the big leagues very quickly. Instead, Witherspoon has struggled as the Sox tinker with his mechanics. “One evaluator who saw him last month saw a pitcher whose execution looked like that of a middle reliever, rather than the projected mid-rotation starter viewed as the best college righthander in last year’s draft.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Milwaukee Brewers blew the San Francisco Giants out of the water in their series opener on Monday.

While a 14-run victory is unlikely to be replicated, my Giants vs. Brewers predictions are backing the home team to pick up another convincing win Tuesday night.

Let's dive deeper into my MLB picks for June 2.

Who will win Giants vs Brewers today: Milwaukee Brewers -1.5 (-110)

The Milwaukee Brewers are a miserable offense to deal with, especially at home. They rank third in batting average and ninth in walks against righties, and are scoring 5.42 runs per game in Milwaukee.

Their combination of patience and elite bat on ball skills makes them a very difficult team to slow down. 

Trevor McDonald is a promising pitcher, but he has allowed 11 runs over three starts against Top-10 teams in OBP, and the Brewers sit sixth.

Kyle Harrison should get enough run support to earn a multi-run win. Playable to -117. 

COVERS INTEL:Kyle Harrison ranks in the 95th percentile in Pitching Run Value.

Giants vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Over 7.0 (-120)

McDonald has not been nearly as tough on left-handed hitters, allowing a .283 average and .358 wOBA. That could spell trouble against the Brewers.

They have an abundance of lefties to throw at McDonald, including Christian Yelich, Brice Turang, Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick.

The splits work in Milwaukee's favor, and they're one of the most prolific home offenses in baseball.

The Giants might only need a couple of runs to push this game Over the total, and they have been much more productive on the road this season (4.03 runs per game vs. 3.75 at home). Playable to -130.

Giants vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Giants +170 | Brewers -210
• Run line: Giants +1.5 (-130) | Brewers -1.5 (+110)
• Over/Under: Over 7.0 (-120) | Under 7.0 (+100)

Giants vs Brewers trend

Milwaukee has covered the run line in 28 of their last 45 home games (+16.0 units, 30% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Brewers.

How to watch Giants vs Brewers and game info

Giants vs Brewers latest injuries

Giants vs Brewers weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Welcome to Tuesday everyone! Happy Lou Gehrig Day!

The A’s are set to begin their next new series, hitting the road to take on the Chicago Cubs in the first of three mid-week contests. The Athletics are coming off a terrible 1-5 homestand that saw them drop from first place in the AL West to third behind the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. The A’s are desperate for a win to start this road trip on a high note and they’re running into a Cubs squad that, like the A’s, began the year hot and in first place before going through a recent rough patch and falling in the standings. After the Cubs the A’s will head south to Texas for three games this weekend against the Houston Astros, the second time the two clubs will meet this season.

Tonight’s series begins with the Athletics’ young starter Gage Jump, who is set to get the ball for his second career start. The young lefty showed a lot of promise in his first big league outing but also had some expected struggles in a loss to the Mariners. He pitched five full frames, collecting five punchouts while only issuing one free pass. He did allow four runs on nine hits so he’ll be hoping to keep the contact down this evening against a Cubs offense that has never seen him before. How does Jump perform in his second start now that he’s got his debut nerves out of the way?

Jump will be opposed by a veteran of the game tonight in right-hander Jameson Taillon. The 34-year-old is now in his 10th big league season with his third team, and his fourth year in a Cubbies uniform. Coming off two strong seasons for Chicago Taillon has seen some regression this season as he’ll enter tonight’s game with a 5.37 ERA in his 11 starts. He’s especially gotten hit hard in recent outings as he’s allowed 16 runs across his past 14 2/3 innings of work spanning three starts. For his career Taillon has a 4.62 ERA in five career starts against the A’s, including a start last year where he pitched six innings of two-run ball in April.

Wednesday’s contest sees another left-hander on the mound for the road team as Jeffrey Springs gets the ball for the 13th time this year. After a hot start to his season Springs hit a rough patch and since then has been more hot and cold on the mound. He’s coming off a so-so start last time out after he allowed five runs but only two of those were earned. The defense has been an issue in recent weeks and it’s been hurting Springs especially hard. The 33-year-old will be hoping to get things back on track this evening against a Chicago club he has minimal experience against (4 games, 1 start, 5.68 ERA).

Springs will be opposed by righty Colin Rea. The 35-year-old has been around since 2015 but has had an up-and-down career overall but has found an extra gear as he enters the twilight of his career. He enters tonight with a 4.70 ERA as an innings eater at the back of the Chicago rotation. He’s put together back-to-back quality starts entering Wednesday’s contest and the A’s will be hoping to knock him back off his game early on. He’s pitched twice against the A’s, one start and one relief appearance spanning nine innings and allowing four runs.

The series wraps up on Thursday and while the A’s don’t have a named starter for the finale all signs point to rookie Kade Morris getting the ball for his major league debut. The right-hander is one of the Athletics’ top pitching prospects and has been pitching well at Triple-A this year. Obviously the Cubs wont have any experience facing him but it’ll also be his debut so it wouldn’t be a shock to see some rookie yips. The A’s need their young pitchers to step up though and it’s a great opportunity for both team and player to see what they have in Morris.

Whoever the Thursday pitcher is, they’ll be going up against Chicago right-hander Shota Imanaga. The Japanese product is in his third year atop the Chicago rotation but has taken a step back in each year in MLB. This season he’s posted a 4.37 ERA in 12 starts, though that doesn’t do his season justice. After getting tagged for four runs in his season debut, Imanaga posted a dominant month of April as he allowed only seven runs in five starts. May began in the same way but in his most recent three starts he’s gotten absolutely torched, allowing eight, seven, and five runs in his past three outings, respectively. The A’s may be running into Imanaga at the perfect time.

That’s the likely pitching matchup for this upcoming Cubs series, but we should all be on the lookout for some big roster changes this afternoon. Manager Mark Kotsay said a major shakeup was on the way after the most recent lackluster homestand. How far those changes go will be an interesting storyline this afternoon.

First pitch is at 5:05 everyone. Have a great day A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In June
• The A’s Inability To Play Well At Home Is Embarrassing
• A’s Unravel in Series and Homestand Finale
• Road, sweet road? A’s ready for reset after rough homestand
• Ginn’s glow-up: A’s hurler coming into his own at right time
• Athletics Early MLB Draft Preview
• The A’s may have finally found their new leadoff hitter
• A’s drop the game and Series to the Mariners, fall into second place
• Wilson takes swings in next step toward return from IL

MLB News and Interest:

• Diamondbacks To Reinstate Pavin Smith From 60-Day IL
• More to celebrate! deGrom earns 100th career win on son’s 3rd birthday
• Rangers Place Chris Martin On IL With Shoulder Impingement
• Carlos Carrasco Elects Free Agency
• Red Sox great Ortiz says owner John Henry ‘worried’ about team
• MLBPA negotiator sees clear distance between 2 sides of CBA
• Pirates Trade Justin Lawrence To Twins
• Mariners’ Josh Naylor exits with back spasms after hitting HR
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

What changes are we expecting today?

How about a massive throwback?