MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 9: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals hits a two-run single against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot park on May 9, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Sam Navarro/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After taking game one of the weekend series in Miami and getting back to within 1 game of .500, the Nationals dropped the final two games to lose the series to the Marlins, who stormed ahead in the 8th inning of both Saturday and Sunday’s games. They didn’t play badly in either of the losses, but didn’t do enough to secure the series win, and now they will head to Cincinnati to take on the 22-19 Reds.
While the Reds are 3 games above .500, they are also tied for last place in the NL Central, which is looking extremely competitive in 2026. Offensively, the Reds are receiving big years from their star shortstop Elly De La Cruz and rookie first baseman Sal Stewart, but outside of those two, it has been a struggle, as their team’s wRC+ of 90 is 4th worst in MLB. One player you may not know is a Red and who the Nats will face off with this week is Nathaniel Lowe, who is one of the only other productive bats in the Reds lineup with a 139 wRC+ in 29 games.
On the pitching side, the Reds have a rotation filled with great young talent, such as Hunter Greene (who is currently on the IL), Chase Burns, and Rhett Lowder, but they rank 25th in baseball in starting pitching ERA regardless, with regression from starters Brady Singer and Andrew Abbott hitting them hard. The bullpen has not been much better either, ranking 22nd in bullpen ERA. Despite being 3 games over .500, the numbers show the Reds are a flawed team currently, and one the Nats could surprise in this three-game set.
Game One – Tuesday 6:40 PM EST
WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (1-3, 7.44 ERA)
CIN: Brady Singer (2-2, 5.63 ERA)
Mikolas hasn’t quite eaten innings at the rate he was expected to this season, going at least 5 innings only twice, but the results have been much improved since his disaster start in the home opener against the Dodgers, having not allowed more than 3 runs in a start since. He’ll now face a struggling Reds lineup located in a dangerous hitters’ park.
Singer has played the innings-eater role in the Reds’ rotation, but has struggled to limit damage at the same time, giving up 4 runs in his last two starts against the Pirates and Cubs. The home run ball has plagued him in 2026, and the Nats will look to hit a few of their own off him tonight.
Game Two – Wednesday 6:40 PM EST
WSH: RHP Jake Irvin (1-4, 5.22 ERA)
CIN: LHP Nick Lodolo (0-1, 6.75 ERA)
Irvin logged yet another start where he went at least 5 innings last time out against the Twins, but did get tagged for 4 runs in the process. If Irvin can keep the ball on the ground and limit walks, he should have success against the struggling Reds’ lineup.
Lodolo made his return to the Reds rotation from injury last time out against the Astros and looked fine, going 5 1/3 innings but allowing 4 runs. Lodolo had a breakout 2025 campaign, with a 3.33 ERA in 29 starts, and will look to get back to that level here in 2026.
Game Three – Thursday 12:40 PM EST
WSH: LHP Foster Griffin (4-1, 2.12 ERA)
CIN: RHP Chase Burns (4-1, 2.11 ERA)
Foster Griffin continued his run of excellence with 7 innings of 1 run ball against the Marlins in their game one win Friday night, striking out 9 hitters in the process. He’s now down to a 2.12 ERA on the year, and has gone 20 innings of 1 run ball in his last 3 starts.
The 2nd overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Burns has electric stuff and has looked very sharp to begin 2026, throwing 6 innings of 1 run ball in his last start against the Astros. He has allowed 2 or fewer runs in all but one start this season, so the Nats may need to get scrappy at the plate and on the bases to manufacture some runs.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 21: JB Middleton #18 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 21, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Original photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images, March 21, 2026
As the Colorado Rockies embark in earnest on their rebuild, attention turns to what’s happening in their farm system, especially with the pitching staff. One of those players is RHP JB Middleton (No. 7 PuRP), currently on the Fresno Grizzlies.
Actually, I’ll turn it over to Purple Row’s prospects expert Jeff Aberle:
Middleton became the highest-ever drafted pitcher for Southern Mississippi when the Rockies took him 45th overall in the 2025 draft (Middleton was 41st in MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings), signing the now 22-year-old right-hander to a $2.072 million bonus that was $100k under slot. Middleton doesn’t possess ideal size for a modern day hurler (he’s only 6’0”), but his repertoire includes a good three pitch mix (fastball, slider, change) that he throws for strikes. He throws from a three-quarter slot with a quick arm action, a mid-90s fastball, a late-breaking slider that gets whiffs, and a good change-up to keep lefties honest.
Although he sent on the seven-day IL last week, prior to his injury in early May, Middleton had a 4.95 ERA (1.70 WHIP) over 20.0 IP. That number includes 18 strikeouts, 3 home runs, and 13 walks.
That said, he was excellent on April 11, 2025, when he strike out five and allowed only one run over five innings.
Purple Row caught up with Middleton at spring training as he recounted what he’d worked on over the offseason and what he antici`pated in 2026 as he was on the eve of making his debut as a professional baseball player.
Middleton said he had some takeaways from his final year of college baseball — that would be his 2025 with the Eagles when he tallied 105.1 IP with a 2.31 ERA that included 122 strikeouts and just 25 walks.
“Just being yourself, having confidence, learning how to pitch, and going out there and winning games for your team,” Middleton said.
His offseason focus was the natural next step: pitching development.
To be specific, according to Middleton, “just pitch shapes, trying to dial everything in and be consistent in the zone and just efficiency pitching — throwing strikes.”
The focus, too, has been on his slider, a pitch that Middleton only threw as some 10% of his pitches.
“I think we’ll probably use it a little more this year,” he said.
Tied to that has been his early work with the Rockies new pitching staff. “It’s kind of been great, everybody on the new staff,” Middleton said. “It’s amazing to think everybody’s on the same page and just go out there and fill up the zone and put guys away.”
He’s also eager to embark on his professional career.
“It’s exciting,” he said of making his debut. “You know, it’s an honor to get to be able to do this and go out there and have fun.”
And his goals for 2026?
“Just stay healthy, go out there, and try to be the best version of me I can, and just have fun.”
The Albuquerque Isotopes continue to play a solid brand of winning baseball, taking five of six against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros), and maintain a two-game lead atop the Pacific Coast League standings. Albuquerque won a road series at Sugar Land for the first time, and it was also their first series win on the road against an Astros affiliate since taking three of four in Oklahoma City back in 2012. The Isotopes offense continues to produce as they launched 10 home runs in the series, their most ever in Sugar Land.
⬆️ Stock Up:Carrigg-ing On
Picking up where he left off as the reigning PCL Player of the Week, Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP), enjoyed another fantastic series in Sugar Land. Over five games, he slashed .320/.370/.600, going 8-for-25 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, and six runs scored. Additionally, he added another five stolen bases, bringing him to a season total of 24 bags. Carrigg also extended his hitting streak to 18 games, the longest active among all players in affiliated pro ball. During that stretch, he is slashing .452/.506/.685 with four doubles, two triples, three homers, 18 RBI, and 14 steals. He has also reached base in 30-straight games now.
Bullpen reinforcements are sometimes difficult to predict in Albuquerque, but Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP) has continued to impress working out of the pen in his first year of Triple-A ball. The lefty made appearances in the Sugar Land series, working two innings each time. In those four innings, he allowed just one hit while striking out four against just one walk. In his 16.1 innings of work on the year, Herrera owns a 4.41 ERA, allowing runs in just four of his 12 outings while tallying 24 strikeouts against 13 walks. The Rockies need more left-handed relievers, and the prospects of the 22-year-old are getting brighter and brighter.
Upcoming:
The Isotopes are back home to host the Oklahoma City Comets (Los Angeles Dodgers). Notably, utility playerKiké Hernandez and right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol are beginning rehab assignments with the Comets en route to returning to the Dodgers.
A much-needed winning series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets) helped to lift the Yard Goats up to .500 and back in the Eastern League fight. Hartford won three of their first four and then swept a Sunday double header.
⬆️ Stock Up:Roc’s Feather
Roc Riggio (no. 14 PuRP) has really hit his stride over the last few series and turned in an excellent performance against the Rumble Ponies. Riggio went 10-for-20 during the series with three doubles, three home runs, and six RBI. He had two three-hit games and had multiple hits in three of the five games he appeared in.
Right-handed pitcher Victor Juarez has quietly been one of Hartford’s best relievers. Operating mostly in late innings, Juarez has a 1.69 ERA in 12 appearances with five saves. Juarez made three relief appearances against the Rumble Ponies. In 4.1 innings he gave up just one unearned run and one hit while striking out five batters with no walks.
Upcoming:
The Yard Goats look to keep the wins coming against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) at home this week in a series that includes their first Chivos de Hartford night of 2026.
High-A: Spokane Indians (4-2, 13-20 Overall)
The Spokane Indians are still figuring things out. Pitching—expected to be a strength—has struggled somewhat while the offense has had difficulty finding their footing in the Pacific Northwest. However, the Indians made some great progress this week. They finally won their first six-game series of the season with four wins against the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels)
⬆️ Stock Up:Cox of the Rox
Jackson Cox (no. 16 PuRP) continues to show he’s recovered from his Tommy John surgery and is able to thrive with the limiters off by showing what made him worth a second round pick back in 2022. Cox made the longest start of his professional career against Tri-City and looked good doing it. Through seven complete innings he gave up just one earned run on one hit—a solo home run—while striking out nine batters for the second time this season.
⬆️ Stock Up:Roynier. Royfar. Roywherever you are.
Second baseman Roynier Hernandez went 7-for-19 against the Dust Devils with three RBIs, two walks, and just one strikeout. His best performance came on Wednesday when he went 3-for-4 and hit a walk-off RBI single to deliver the Indians victory.
Upcoming:
The Indians are off to Oregon to face the Hillsboro Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks). The Hops currently sitting at the bottom of the Northwest League standings.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (4-2, 19-14 Overall)
The Fresno Grizzlies continue to excel as the season rolls on with a record over .500 and a fantastic series against the reigning champion San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants). The Grizzlies took four games of the six and scored at least eight runs in each win. The pitching has been quietly solid, but it’s the offense that is surging. Many players in the Grizzlies lineup are hitting with an OPS close to or above .900 so far this season.
⬆️ Stock Up:The Return of the Roldy Brito Award for Weekly Excellence at Being Roldy Brito
The ever-exciting Roldy Brito (no. 11 PuRP) put together another strong week, going 10-for-28 with a double, a home run, four RBIs, two stolen bases, and two walks to only one strikeout. Brito kicked off the week going 4-for-5 against the Giants and had at least one hit in every other game during the series.
Wake Forest outfielder Cam Nelson was one of the more intriguing picks the Rockies made in the 2025 draft. Only a sophomore and having missed playing time due to injury, the Rockies drafted Nelson in the fifth round and paid above slot value to get him into the organization. Nelson’s bat is starting to come around, but where he has really shined is displaying an ability to get on base. With a .403 on-base percentage he has walked a whopping 26 times. He also has impressive speed with four triples and nine stolen bases.
Nelson had one of his best series of his young career against the Giants, going 9-for-26 with two doubles, a triple, a stolen base, and four RBIs.
Upcoming:
The Grizzlies head home to host the Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks) with hopes to continue their winning ways.
The ACL Rockies were dominant in their first full week of Complex League play, scoring at least five runs in all of their wins. The only loss they suffered is against the ACL Royals (Kansas City Royals) with whom they are tied for the best record in the Complex League.
⬆️ Stock Up:Kamuel is smokin’
18-year-old infielder Kamuel Villar is one of two members of the Rockies’ 2025 international class to make it stateside for the Arizona Complex League this season. In his last five games, playing a mix of second and third base, Villar went 6-for-12 with a double, a triple, five RBIs, five walks to two strikeouts, and two stolen bases.
⬇️ Stock Down:Penalized
20-year-old right-handed pitcher Eliezer Pena—a member of the 2023 international class—made two starts for the ACL Rockies this week. While he did strike out nine batters over 6.1 total innings, he also gave up nine runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and six walks.
Apr 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story runs the bases on his three run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
The Phillies and Red Sox have a lot in common this season. After making the playoffs in 2025, both teams made offseason moves that weren’t embraced by many fans. And both got off to poor starts that resulted in an early season firing of the manager.
Another thing the teams have in common: They’ve gotten disappointing play from their All-Star shortstops. Trea Turner is off to a poor start this season and has been worth negative WAR (yet he’s somehow avoided receiving too much scrutiny) while his counterpart on the Red Sox isn’t faring much – if any – better.
That’s nothing new for Trevor Story since his career with the Red Sox has mostly been a disappointment.
Trevor Story through 4+ seasons as a member of the Boston Red Sox:
• Played in only 358 of a possible 688 games. (52%)
• Accumulated a combined 6.1 fWAR over his entire Red Sox career. For reference, he posted 6.0 fWAR in 2019 alone.
He was a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner for the Colorado Rockies, and upon hitting free agency, cashed in with a six-year/$140 million deal with the Sox. Spending big money on Rockies players has always been a “buyer beware” situation, because it’s often unclear how much their numbers have been aided by the thin air of Colorado.
Story’s numbers indeed took a significant downturn upon leaving the Rockies, but a large part of that was due to poor health. In his first three seasons in Boston, Story was limited to 163 games. In 2025, he finally managed to stay healthy for a full season, and while his offense wasn’t what it was in Colorado, he hit 25 home runs.
Apparently, there was a lack of consensus among Red Sox management whether Story’s upturn was sustainable. Manager Alex Cora believed in Story, and continued to bat him high in the lineup, while people in the front office thought the underlying metrics showed that a drop off was coming.
There are some in the organization that no longer see Trevor Story as an everyday impact player, and were not convinced his 2025 production was sustainable.
Questions were raised internally when Alex Cora hit him in the two-hole to open the season.
While that was far from the only reason Cora was fired, it certainly didn’t help his case when Story got off to a poor start to the season.
Story has been dropped from second in the lineup, and now typically finds himself batting fifth. But the change in positions hasn’t helped his offense turnaround. After a bad month of April, Story has been even worse in May, putting up a .478 OPS and he hasn’t hit a home run since April 15th.
Pennant year song battle
Nobody can stop It’s a Mistake! The Men at Work tune defeated I Get Around by 2Pac to hold the title for another week.
This week’s contender is also from 1983. With both the Phillies and Red Sox in similar situations at the moment, I figured You and I by Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gale would be appropriate:
If the song sounds familiar to younger readers, that’s because it was covered on both Glee and 30 Rock.
Vote for the winner now:
Non-Phillies thought
It is truly amazing how quickly the Sixers and Flyers squandered all the goodwill from their first-round playoff victories. You can partly excuse the Flyers who were just happy to be there and were clearly outmatched by the Carolina Hurricanes. But the Sixers get no excuses, as they’re a veteran team whose performance in game three was awful, while game four was one of the most shameful rollovers in team history.
I figured GM Daryl Morey and coach Nick Nurse were safe after beating the Celtics in round one, but seeing the Sixers get embarrassed like that might prompt changes. Then again, I don’t think anything will improve too dramatically as long as Josh Harris owns the team.
There's so much wrong with the #Sixers that the only way to correct it is by firing Nick Nurse and Daryl Morey. Then, Josh Harris has to sell the #76ers to someone who actually wants Philadelphia to win a championship. https://t.co/nYBAwnDYa9
The scheduled pitchers for Thursday’s game are Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez, which should get some fans feeling a certain way. This past offseason, with Suarez a free agent, and Luzardo hitting the market the year after, it seemed unlikely that the Phillies would be able to retain both of them.
They chose Luzardo, signing him to a lucrative extension shortly after Suarez left for the Red Sox as a free agent.
The Phillies gave Luzardo the Ranger Suarez contract (5/$130) but with only $1 million more each year
The early results are not good for the Phillies. Luzardo can apparently be only very good or very bad in any given start, and he’s had more bad outings than good ones this season. Meanwhile, Ranger has a 2.77 ERA, although he’s also had his share of inconsistency. Oddly, in every one of his starts, he’s either given up zero or four runs.
It also doesn’t help that the rookie who replaced Ranger in the rotation, Andrew Painter, has also been bad lately. But if you want to avoid a team getting too old – as many fans claim they want – then at some point, you have to replace veterans with younger players, and often times, you’re going to have to deal with some growing pains.
It’s obviously too early to cast final judgement on the Phillies decision, but I do suggest Phillies fans not forget that Suarez has yet to maintain good health and effectiveness over a full season. I appreciated the guy, but I won’t miss the annual reports about his back bothering him.
Suarez is also two years older than Luzardo, and there are many who believe his stuff will not age well.
Why did the Phillies give this deal to Jesús Luzardo and not Ranger Suarez?
RICHMOND, VA - MAY 06: Ralphy Velazquez #24 of the Akron RubberDucks plays defense at first base during the game between the Akron RubberDucks and the Richmond Flying Squirrels at CarMax Park on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matthew Mitrani/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
I’m a little late to this project, but let’s see the standout performers from the first month(plus) of Guardians’ minor league baseball action:
Triple-A Columbus – Hitters: Cooper Ingle, C – 223 wRC+, 19.5/28.6 K/BB%, .315 ISO Angel Genao, SS – 157 wRC+, 17.2/6.9%, .296 ISO Stuart Fairchild, OF – 154 wRC+, 19.4/15.8%, .202 ISO Kody Huff, C – 151 wRC+, 17.7/13.6 K/BB%, .224 ISO Maick Collado, 1B/3B – 150 wRC+, 8.1/2.7 K/BB%, .206 ISO Kahlil Watson, OF – 141 wRC+, 26.7/20.6 K/BB%, .265 ISO Juan Brito – 138 wRC+, 15.6/13.54 K/BB%, .250 ISO
Analysis: There are some pretty impressive hitters in this bunch. Primarily, I wonder how long the team will wait to get Ingle and Watson their shots at impacting the major league roster. Watson still whiffs a bit too much, but every other number looks sustainable. Genao probably doesn’t get a shot until next season, but all his numbers so far look insane – EXCEPT for that near 60% groundball rate. If he starts lifting the ball just a little more – watch out. He’s still likely the organization’s shortstop of the future… or an amazing trade chip… Collado’s numbers are not sustainable, but it is fun he has had such a great first 37 plate appearances in Columbus. Kody Huff might be the most interesting name to watch here, as he seems to have made some significant hitting adjustments, and his catching gets rave reviews. Fairchild may get a shot to replace Angel Martinez at some point if Angel doesn’t stop chasing everything out of the zone he gets thrown. Brito has yet to get any outfield reps this year, however, so he is looking like an injury-replacement only so far. He doesn’t need to see second base again, but his bat still looks like it could be an asset in the bigs if given time.
Analysis: Peterson has seen the usual walk tic-up of a pitcher going to Triple-A, but I’d expect him to lower that rate and show himself to be a competent fifth starter, with a solid groundball rate. Maltrud may become a solid long reliever, but I’m not sure that low of a K-rate is able to make him a major league option. Side note – Codi Heuer has a decent ERA that does not look at all sustainable, and should be the first roster spot to give way if the team wants to add a player at some point. Also, Daniel Espino has had a rough couple weeks, but I believe in that kid to figure it out. Still striking out 11 batters per 9.
Double-A Akron – Hitters: Ralphy Velazquez, 1B/LF – 146 wRC+, 16.9/14.1 K/BB/9, .192 ISO Jake Fox, OF – 144 wRC+, 18.5/22.2 K/BB/9, .067 ISO
Analysis: Velazquez has yet to consistently tap into his power. When that happens, he will quickly make his way to Columbus. Fox’s wRC+ is mostly a mirage, but he has fringe major league hitter potential, still.
Analysis: Cheating a little by putting Campbell here, who has had just one start at Akron, but he is the most exciting arm of this bunch. I don’t know what his innings limits look like, but he could force the issue for a promotion sooner rather than later if he keeps this up. Rustad and Jasiak look like usable relievers who deserve a Columbus promotion at some point. Favors and Stephen have both struggled with walks. I would guess Stephen gets the walks under control in the month to come and makes his way to Triple-A, but things are much less sure for Favors.
High-A Lake County – Hitters: Bennett Thompson, C – 182 wRC+, 21.9/30.2 K/BB%, .231 ISO Aaron Walton, OF – 147 wRC+, 25/9 K/BB%, .245 ISO Dean Curley, SS – 140 wRC+, 26.8/27.6 K/BB%, .153 ISO Jaison Chourio, OF – 139 wRC+, 17.6/17.6 K/BB%, .159 ISO Ryan Cesarini, OF – 123 wRC+, 21.6/7.2, .267 ISO
Analysis: A team lacking power but with lots of contact and plate discipline. I am not sure how Thompson’s defense at catcher will hold up as he advances, but he can hit. Walton’s early returns have been great; just a question if he can keep the whiff low enough and the power high enough to maintain his value as a hitter. Chourio’s injury is unfortunate, but he was displaying the “average ML hitter” potential folks saw for him. Curley’s numbers will be determined on if he can reduce his K-rate and impact the ball at a high enough rate to help when his walk rate declines. Cesarini might be a fourth outfielder someday.
Analysis: Gomez and Doughty are very exciting starting pitching prospects. I’d like to see both brought up to Akron in June or July, at the latest, and I think BOTH have strong front of the rotation potential. Schuelke could be a fringe major league reliever with his unusual delivery, and Martinez should get a shot as a major league lefty out of the pen at some point.
Low-A Hill City – Hitters: Anthony Martinez, 1B – 165 wRC+, 16.5/19.6 K/BB%, .250 ISO Robert Arias, OF – 148 wRC+, 15.7/18.1 K/BB%, .155 ISO Jose Pirela, OF – 148 wRC+, 26.7/11.5 K/BB%, .205 ISO Luis De La Cruz, 1B/3B – 135 wRC+, 28.6/14.3 K/BB%, .083 ISO Juneiker Caceres, OF – 121 wRC+, 10.7/14.3 K/BB%, .140 ISO
Analysis: Martinez and Arias are such exciting hitters, folks. Wow. Pay attention for their progress this season. Pirela and De La Cruz have some reasons to doubt their output so far, but, hey, better to hit than not to hit. Caceres is dealing with an injury, but I expect big things from him and from Dauri Fernandez in the months ahead.
Analysis: Some strong pitching in Hill City. Bodendorg, Keljo and Major are the starters in this group, and Bodendorf will be especially knocking on the door for Lake County soon. Bodendorf is 6’5 and Keljo is 6’4, so that’s some exciting physical talent to dream on. Fernandez’s numbers seem somewhat unsustainable, but Alfaro is gonna head to Lake County sooner rather than later.
Overall, it’s been an encouraging beginning for the Guardians’ farm system. Let’s hope this solid development work continues and even improves in the months ahead. Let us know which prospect you’re most excited about from the list above in the comments below.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 10: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a single in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park on May 10, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have a leadoff problem, and they’re well aware of it.
As TJ Friedl struggled through one of the worst stretches of his (or anyone’s) career, we watched as manager Terry Francona lightly shuffled his lineup over the weekend as the Reds eschewed their recent 8-game losing streak and managed to win the series over Houston on Sunday. Will Benson, who has been hot enough to carve out a more permanent role in the lineup against RHP, was moved to the top of the order, and Spencer Steer – himelf on a heater since a slow start – jumped up to hit 2nd.
Right now, Reds leadoff hitters own just a 65 wRC+ collectively this season. That’s the worst mark among leadoff hitters in the sport. They rank last in slugging (.272) and last in OPS (.576), too.
It’s an especially impermissable problem given that the last few weeks have seemingly unlocked several hitters who profile as guys who could actually drive some guys in, if given the chance. Steer has hit .274/.346/.504 (.850) since a brutal 5-game stretch to start the season. Nate Lowe stepped in and showed that his bat simply has to be in the lineup against RHP, and the back of his baseball card over the last 8 years show that, too. Geno Suarez was brought in for big hits in big spots, and he’ll be back within a week if all things go according to plan on his rehab stint. And, there’s Sal Stewart, who despite his recent slump remains a bat you simply dream about having up with runners on base and in position to score.
Benson may be fine as a mix and match guy up top for the time being. He’s been prone to streakiness, and when he’s hot he’s as hot as anyone, and riding that right now may not be the worst decision of all time. However, I just can’t get over the fact that the Reds, right now, have a 24 year old star with 40/80 upside, elite speed when given the chance to run, and an on-base percentage that’s above league average who they just…won’t…give the most PA possible.
When Mike Trout first cut into the big leagues, he was a leadoff hitter, once stealing 49 bags while also swatting 30 homers – he also twice got over 700+ PA in those early years. It was a similar story with Hanley Ramirez when he first broke in with the Marlins, twice swiping 50+ bags in 700+ PA seasons, with one featuring an elite 145 OPS+. As early as tomorrow, the Atlanta Braves are going to activate Ronald Acuña, Jr. off the injured list, and when they do, they’re going to the originator of the 40/70 club in his customary spot atop the order.
Elite power/speed guys simply do not show up often. We’ve seen enough of Elly through his early career to know exactly how devastating he can be when he gets on base, especially when there’s a lineup behind him capable of buying him time to get to 2B. He can score from anywhere, as the Milwaukee Brewers well know, and other teams across the baseball landscape sure seem to be emphasizing that those skills deserve as many chances as they can get each and every day. After all, the top spot in the lineup comes to the plate a good number of times more often over the course of a full season than does the #3 spot.
The Reds offense needs a spark in the worst of ways. They’ll get a little of that when Geno gets back, surely, assuming Francona doesn’t bottle it by giving too many PA to others across the infield. In Elly, they’ve got the single biggest spark in the game…if they could just figure out how best to deploy him.
Right up top, I say. Hit Elly De La Cruz in the leadoff spot.
A trio of Giants outfielders celebrated a big win over the Dodgers on Monday night in a very bizarre manner.
Just after San Francisco took down Los Angeles, 9-3, at Dodger Stadium, Jung Hoo Lee, Drew Gilbert and Harrison Bader all met up in centerfield and thrusted on each other.
Broadcast cameras captured the three wrapping their arms around one another and gyrating together multiple times.
Broadcast cameras captured the three Giants outfielders wrapping their arms around one another and pumping their pelvises multiple times. NBC Sports Bay Area
Bader and Gilbert really seemed to get a kick out of it, though at one point, Lee sure looked like he was ready for it to be over.
The guys then bolted into the infield without creating any further viral scenes.
The postgame party, while unique, was deserved. Not only did the scuffling Giants beat up their rival, but the evening marked Bader’s first game back since he suffered a hamstring injury in March.
Bader told reporters following the win that everything felt “good,” and he’s “excited to go out there and help this team win” moving forward.
If that all comes with further buzzworthy moments from the centerfielder and his teammates, it certainly seems social media users won’t mind it one bit.
But others online were outraged by the X-rated act.
“Now watch Little Leaguers wanna imitate that s–t,” wrote Carlos Betancourt on X. “Even if we lose, I would sit all 3 players tonight for doing that on live TV and embarrassing the franchise.”
“@NBCSGiants Come on guys you’re high paid professionals and you shouldn’t hump each other like that!” wrote another fan on the social media platform. “All games televised with young viewers and others that can be offended! I will not be surprised if MLB says something along with a fine or suspension!”
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That’s what California Post baseball writers Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris are debating on the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast.
After the Dodgers’ Monday night loss to the San Francisco Giants, the pair analyzed the Dodgers’ continued skid over the last several weeks, and how much of what they’ve seen lately has raised bigger-picture concerns about the club’s World Series aspirations.
They also dive into Shohei Ohtani’s slump specifically, and try to identify why the four-time MVP has not been able to snap out of what is now a weeks-long funk.
Later, they break down Roki Sasaki’s most recent start, and whether the young right-hander is making enough to progress to warrant remaining in the Dodgers’ rotation moving forward this year.
They also discuss Mookie Betts’ return from the IL, and how much of an impact he will be able to making on the team’s slumping lineup.
On this episode of the Dodgers Post podcast, Jack Harris and Dylan Hernandez answer every fan’s question: ‘Is it time for the Dodgers to panic?’Getty Images On this episode of the Dodgers Post podcast, Jack Harris and Dylan Hernandez answer every fan’s question: ‘Is it time for the Dodgers to panic?’AP
As always, they then finish with their weekly predictions, and look ahead to the rest of this week’s series with the Giants.
All that and more on this latest edition of Dodgers Post.
The Astros hit a new low with Monday’s 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners. They are now 10 games below .500 after crossing the quarter pole of the season on a three-game losing streak.
That skid comes on the heels of a 16-game stretch in which the Astros managed to play .500 baseball against the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers despite an injured list as long as a CVS receipt.
There’s been some good and a lot of bad from the first 42 games of the season, so let’s hand out some awards.
MVP- Yordan Alvarez
After a lost 2025 season in which he posted a career-low 117 OPS+ over 199 plate appearances, Alvarez has largely regained the form that made him one of baseball’s most feared hitters, despite a recent slump to begin May.
Alvarez slashed .356/.462/.737 in March and April to earn American League Player of the Month honors for the first time since September 2023. He has followed that up with a .184/.262/.289 line in May, but his presence in a depleted Astros lineup continues to elevate the hitters around him.
Even with a rough 10-game stretch in May, Alvarez’s 1.044 OPS ranks second in baseball, and he is tied for fifth in home runs.
Most importantly for the Astros, Alvarez has started all 42 games this season.
LVP- Yainer Diaz
Three years ago, Diaz looked like a future All-Star. Now, he looks like a potential non-tender candidate if things don’t turn around. Diaz, who landed on the IL 10 days ago with a left oblique strain, was performing at a sub-replacement level before the injury. The 27-year-old slashed .238/.255/.347 with a 67 OPS+ in 26 games, and his OPS has declined from .846 in 2023 to .766 in 2024 and .701 this season.
Diaz’s struggles at the plate wouldn’t be nearly as glaring if he were playing well defensively, but he has continued to regress in that area as well.
In 2024, Diaz’s first season as the Astros’ primary catcher, he ranked in the top quartile in blocks above average and caught stealing above average, though he was below average in framing and pop time, per Baseball Savant. He declined in three of those four metrics last season and has regressed in all four this year, even after the Astros brought in new catching coach Tim Cossins from the Baltimore Orioles.
Cy Young- Spencer Arrighetti
Arrighetti opened the season in Sugar Land due to a numbers crunch, but the move allowed him to stay on a starter’s routine and hit the ground running when he joined the Astros rotation on April 15. He struck out 10 Rockies in his debut while allowing just one run over six innings. Arrighetti won his first four starts before defensive miscues caught up with him Saturday in Cincinnati.
The 26-year-old is 4-1 with a 1.88 ERA. While his 13.6% walk rate has prevented him from pitching deeper into games, Arrighetti has still completed five innings in each of his five starts, which has been crucial for a team missing three starters from its Opening Day rotation.
Opposing hitters are 4 for 33 with 20 strikeouts with a 50.9% whiff rate against Arrighetti’s curveball this season, and they are just 2 for 16 against his sweeper.
Arrighetti’s 2025 season was torpedoed by a fractured thumb suffered in an April batting practice accident. After returning to make five starts in August, Arrighetti was shut down in September due to elbow inflammation. He’s bounced back nicely, even while starting the season in Sugar Land.
Cy Yuck- Brian Abreu
Abreu went from closer looking to cash in after the season to unusable in the span of just a few weeks.
He became the first Astros reliever since 2017 to allow at least one earned run in six straight games in the same season, and while he’s only been scored on twice in the eight outing since, everything has felt like a struggle
Abreu has a 9.24 ERA through 14 games this season, and his strikeout rate has dipped from 35.5% to 30.3% while his walk rate has shot up to 24.2% from 10.5%, and his fastball velocity is down 2.3 MPH.
The New York Mets will look to build on a successful road trip as they return home to face the Detroit Tigers tonight.
New York’s offense has a great chance to pounce on struggling right-hander Jack Flaherty, so I’m backing the Mets to take care of business at Citi Field.
Let’s break down this matchup and take a look at my free Tigers vs. Mets predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, May 12.
Who will win Tigers vs Mets today: Mets (-145)
Jack Flaherty has failed to go longer than five innings in any of his last four starts, posting a 7.71 ERA over that stretch.
Command has been an issue for Flaherty all season, averaging 6.9 walks per nine innings, while hitters have largely stayed patient against the Detroit Tigers' starter, producing just a 24% chase rate against him.
The New York Mets may be struggling on offense, but they have chances to capitalize on the free passes and pressure Flaherty early.
On the other side, Freddy Peralta continues to deliver steady outings, allowing just one earned run over his last 11 innings pitched. He draws a favorable matchup against the Tigers, who are averaging just 2.83 runs over their last six games.
This sets up as a great opportunity for the Mets to secure a much-needed win.
COVERS INTEL: The Tigers have hit line drives on just 22.4% of four-seam fastballs — a pitch Peralta throws 54% of the time.
Tigers vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-108)
Any offensive outburst for the Mets is likely to come before the Tigers' bullpen enters the fray, which was given a much-needed rest day on Monday following a reliever-by-committee approach on Sunday Night Baseball in Kansas City.
I have even less faith in the Tigers generating runs off of Peralta, who has held Detroit hitters to a lifetime OPS of .419, and both teams are also a combined 6–14 to the O/U in their last 10 games.
Ed Scimia's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 6-13, -7.31 units
Over/Under bets: 7-10, -3.53 units
Tigers vs Mets odds
Moneyline: Tigers +125 | Mets -145
Run line: Tigers +1.5 (-170) | Mets -1.5 (+140)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+112) | Under 7.5 (-108)
Tigers vs Mets trend
Detroit is 0-4 SU in Flaherty’s last four starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Mets.
How to watch Tigers vs Mets and game info
Location
Citi Field, Queens, NY
Date
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
First pitch
7:10 p.m. ET
TV
TBS
Tigers starting pitcher
Jack Flaherty (0-3, 5.56 ERA)
Mets starting pitcher
Freddy Peralta (2-3, 3.12 ERA)
Tigers vs Mets latest injuries
Tigers vs Mets 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.
Andrew Joseph Ewing attended Springboro High School in Springboro, Ohio, where he was a multi-sport athlete who also played football. A baseball rat, his skill on the diamond quickly began outpacing his skill on the gridiron, earning him All-Conference First Team honors in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons and All-Southwestern Ohio Conference honors in his junior season. He was named named the 2023 Great Western Ohio Conference Player of the Year in his senior season after winning the triple crown, hitting .464 with four home runs and 37 RBI.
The Mets had a selection in the free agent compensation round of the 2023 MLB Draft, which they obtained when Jacob deGrom signed with the Texas Rangers, and with it, they selected shortstop A.J. Ewing. The youngster had a commitment to the University of Alabama but forwent it when he and the organization agreed to a $675,000 signing bonus, roughly $200,000 above the MLB-assigned slot value of $483,000 for the 134th overall pick. He was assigned to the FCL Mets to close out the summer and appeared in seven games with them, hitting .286/.524/.357 in 14 at-bats with 1 double, 1 stolen base in as many attempts, and 5 walks to 6 strikeouts.
He remained in the Florida Complex League when the 2024 season began and got off to a hot start there. In 19 games, he hit .254/.422/.571 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 5 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 19 walks to 22 strikeouts. He was promoted to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets in June and spent the rest of the season in the Florida State League, hitting .228/.345/.344 in 71 games with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, 8 stolen bases in 13 attempts, and drew 44 walks to 87 strikeouts. All in all, he appeared in 90 games in his first full professional season and hit a cumulative .233/.361/.390 with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 10 home runs, 13 stolen bases in 19 attempts and drew 63 walks to 109 walks.
The 20-year-old Ewing began the 2025 season in St. Lucie, but he did not stay there long. In 18 games, he hit an astounding .400/.506/.615 with 3 doubles, 4 triples, 1 home run, 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts, and drew 15 walks to 10 strikeouts, earning a promotion to High-A Brooklyn at the end of April. Ewing hit the ground running and thrived in an environment where many players—especially left-handed hitters like him—have trouble. In 88 games for the Cyclones, Ewing hit .288/.387/.388 with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 2 home runs, 44 stolen bases in 51 attempts, and he drew 46 walks to 66 strikeouts.
He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton in mid-August and finished the 2025 season there, hitting .339/.371/.430 in 28 games with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 12 stolen bases in 14 attempts, and he drew 7 walks to 29 strikeouts. All in all, Ewing hit a combined .315/.401/.429 in 124 games between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A, hitting 26 doubles, 10 triples, 3 home runs, stealing 70 bases in 81 attempts, and drawing 68 walks to 105 strikeouts.
Ewing remained in Binghamton to start the 2026 season, but as had been the case over the prior two seasons, he did not stay for long. In 18 games, the 21-year-old hit .349/.481/.571 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts, and drew 17 walks to 15 strikeouts. He was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse on April 27 and did not miss a beat. In 12 games with the Syracuse Mets, he hit .326/.392/.435 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 0 home runs, 5 stolen bases in as many attempts, and drew an even 5 walks to 5 strikeouts.
A natural right-hander who was taught how to hit as a left-hander by a father when he was a kid, Ewing stands square at the plate with a slight crouch, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head at 9:30. He swings with a slight leg lift or toe tap timing mechanism and has an extremely minimal load and weight transfer.
Ewing dedicated a lot of time and effort to working out and adding muscle mass to his 5’10” frame over the 2025 offseason, but even before making a dedicated effort, he was capable of making loud contact with his long, whippy stroke. As a 19-year-old, he averaged an 88 MPH exit velocity with a high-water mark of 108 MPH in 151 recorded batted ball events in the Florida State Leagu, and now as a 21-year-old, he averaged an 89.2 MPH exit velocity with a high-water mark of 108.8 MPH in 41 batted ball events in the International League. In the interim, where concrete data does not publicly exist, scouts and evaluators have remarked about how balls put in play off his bat pass the “eye” and “ear” tests.
Aiding in his ability to make loud contact and put well-struck balls in play, Ewing makes excellent swing decisions, not just relative to his youth and experience, but in general. For his career, he has a 3:5 walk to strikeout ratio, with a cumulative 14.4% walk rate and 21.8% strikeout rate; over the course of his time in in Double-A, he drew 24 walks in 213 plate appearances to 44 strikeouts, a 11.3% walk rate and 20.7% strikeout rate, and during his time in Triple-A, he drew 5 walks in 51 plate appearances to 5 strikeouts, a 9.8% walk rate and 9.8% strikeout rate.
Ewing rarely swings at pitches that he can’t hit, nor does he swing at everything for the sake of making contact. He goes with pitches, especially fastballs, spraying the ball to all fields. In the totality of 2025, he pulled the ball at a 40.8% rate, went back up the middle at a 21.2% rate, and went to the opposite field at a 38.0% rate. In his month-plus with Binghamton and Syracuse this season, he pulled the ball at a 38.9% rate, went back up the middle at a 30.0% rate, and went to the opposite field at a 31.1% rate. In Binghamton earlier in the season, he had a 46.9% Pull%, 28.6% Cent%, and 24.5% Oppo%, but in an almost equal amount of games in Syracuse, he had a 29.3% Pull%, 31.7% Cent%, and 39.0% Oppo%.
Speed is Ewing’s carrying tool, and its influence is felt all over his game. One of the fastest sprinters in the Mets’ minor league system, he posts plus speeds out of the box, manufacturing singles busting out of the box and pushing the envelope stretching singles into doubles. As a result, Ewing has maintained a .372 BABIP for the totality of his minor league career, running a .430 BABIP during his time in Double-A and a .366 BABIP during his time in Triple-A. With that, Ewing has developed a style of hitting that maximizes his speed and takes advantage of that high BABIP. In Double-A Binghamton, he maintained a 25.9% line drive rate, 51.5% ground ball rate, 22.6% fly ball rate, and in Triple-A, he maintained a 21.1% line drive rate, 44.4% ground ball rate, 34.4% fly ball rate.
Ewing’s speed is also an asset on defense. Drafted as a shortstop and still technically listed as one despite never playing the position as a professional, Ewing has primarily shifted into center field, though he occasionally plays in a corner and every once in a while gets penciled in at second base as well. In the outfield, he is an above-average, borderline plus fielder, showing plenty of speed and range. He closes in on the ball well, is exceptionally sure-handed, and gets rid of the ball quickly and accurately with a strong arm. Occasionally, he will flub a play by misreading the ball or airmailing a throw, but Ewing has already developed into a legitimate above-average defensive center fielder with the potential to truly be plus with more time and experience out there.
The Dodgers acquired a recognizable name in a minor trade with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
Just don’t expect to see him on the Dodgers’ MLB roster for now.
A week after he was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks, five-year MLB veteran Alek Thomas was dealt to the Dodgers in exchange for 17-year-old prospect Jose Requena, both teams announced.
Dodgers have added some much-needed outfield depth when they traded for Diamondbacks OF Alek Thomas on Tuesday. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Thomas, 26, boasts ample big-league experience, having played 448 games with the Dbacks since his debut in 2022. However, he is just a career .230 hitter, and was DFA’d last week –– even with a minor-league option remaining –– after starting this season with a .181 average.
The Dodgers will likely exercise Thomas’ minor-league option now that they’ve acquired him. According to a source, Thomas is not reporting to the club’s MLB roster following Tuesday’s trade.
Instead, it appears Thomas is effectively replacing Michael Siani –– who was DFA’d in a corresponding move Tuesday to clear a 40-man roster spot –– as left-handed hitting outfield depth in their minor-league ranks.
He offers some protection in center field, specifically, where he has excellent speed and a highly-touted glove.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts now has added outfield depth with the addition of Thomas. D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Whether he can improve enough offensively to ever make big-league contributions for the Dodgers, however, is less clear.
Thoams isn’t much of a power threat, with just 31 career home runs. He has never had a season with a .300 on-base percentage, thanks in part to a walk rate that is almost half of the MLB average. And the last two years, his strikeout rate has jumped to roughly 25%.
Still, the Dodgers saw enough to take a flier on him, execute a rare intradivison trade, and stash him in their organizational ranks.
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The Pittsburgh Pirates (22-19) welcome the Colorado Rockies (16-25) to town for a three-game series at PNC Park.
Paul Skenes takes the mound for Pittsburgh as the Pirates are 5-3 when he pitches. Pittsburgh is coming back from a West Coast trip (3-3 record) and a series loss to San Francisco. The Pirates have won three straight at home and hitting an MLB-best .283 at home with the fifth-most walks (94).
Colorado is coming off two straight losses and are 2-7 in the month of May. The Rockies are 8-14 on the road this season, but rank in the upper half of the league when it comes to batting average (.239), home runs (21), and doubles (35). Michael Lorenzen is pitching for Colorado and the Rockies are 3-6 when he starts and 1-4 on the road.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Rockies at Pirates
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 6:40 PM EST
Site: PNC Park
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Pirates’ Nick Gonzales is hitting .316 with 43 hits and 49 total bases over 136 at-bats
The Pirates’ Marcell Ozuna is hitting .194 with 25 hits and 37 strikeouts over 129 at-bats
The Rockies’ Troy Johnston is hitting .325 with 39 hits and 55 total bases over 120 at-bats
The Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar is hitting .197 with 27 hits and 42 strikeouts over 137 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Pirates
The Pirates are 22-19 ATS this season
The Pirates are 11-9 ATS at home
The Pirates are 22-18-1 to the Over this season
The Pirates are 13-7 to the Over at home, ranking fifth-best
The Rockies are 22-19 ATS this season
The Rockies are 12-10 ATS on the road
The Rockies are 22-19 to the Under this season
The Rockies are 12-10 to the Under on the road
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Pirates
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Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game two between the Rockies and the Pirates:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Pirates on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Pirates at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
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SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - APRIL 18, 2026: Ryan Clifford #20 of the Syracuse Mets hits a three-run home run during the first inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders at NBT Bank Stadium on April 18, 2026 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Ryan Clifford logged 9 hits this past week, over 25% of his total on the season. The slugger is one of the streakiest minor league hitters the Mets have had in years, maybe even decades. When he is cold, he can be a black hole in the lineup, incapable of even having productive at-bats like moving runners over or plating sac flies. When he is hot, he can single-handedly win games, or entire series’; Syracuse lost this week’s series against Rochester 4 games to 2, so maybe next week.
Given how moribund the Mets currently are and how poorly David Stearns handled the first base situation over the off-season, now would be the perfect opportunity for Clifford to make his case and force his name into the conversation. Unfortunately, Clifford is not having that kind of season, and truthfully, may simply not be a player who has the necessary tools and abilities to play in the majors. There have been plenty of players in baseball history who had light tower power, blazing speed, a cannon for an arm, or an elite glove, or some combination of some or all of those tools, but if you can’t hit, you can’t hit.
Generously, Ryan Clifford has a below-average hit tool, if not something considered below that; he has not hit above .240 since 2023, when he hit .271 in 58 games in the late spring/early summer for the High-A Ashville Tourists just prior to being traded to the Mets. Since then, he hit .201 in 63 games with the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2023-2024, .237 in 203 with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 2024-2025, and, interestingly enough, .237 in 71 games with the Syracuse Mets from his promotion there in late 2025 until Sunday night, all while striking out roughly around 30% of the time.
If transcribed 1:1 at the major league level, a .240 batting average with Clifford’s strong walk rate and his obvious power would be more than palatable, but there’s the rub: these things do not get transcribed 1:1 from the upper levels of the minor league to the majors.
Mark Vientos, the most successful of the most recent group of Mets prospects to make it to the majors, hit .281 during his 72 games in Double-A and .285 in his 210 games in Triple-A; he is currently a .239 hitter in 345 MLB games/1199 at-bats. Brett Baty hit .299 in 129 Double-A games and .273 in 97 Triple-A games; he is currently a .229 hitter in 336 MLB games/1048 at-bats. Ronny Mauricio hit .259 in 136 Double-A games and .305 in 140 Triple-A games; he is a .233 hitter in 97 MLB games/301 at-bats at present.
I’m not really sure what kind of baseball future Ryan Clifford is going to have, and maybe I’m being unfairly pessimistic as I’ve been accused of being by others in the past, but I don’t really know if I see it, even when I squint. Here’s hoping I’m wrong.
Jonathan Santucci
Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (Double-A)
We are a month-plus into the season now, and this was Jonathan Santucci’s first real actually good game. I wouldn’t say that the former Blue Devil has been bad, but he certainly hasn’t been good, either. Coming into his start this past week, the left-hander had a 5.57 ERA in 21.0 innings over five starts, with 14 hits allowed, 17 walks, and 31 strikeouts.
Given the strong strikeout rate and BAA, Santucci’s stuff has not backed up, but he is not as sharp as he was last season, when he posted a 2.52 ERA in 50.0 innings with the Rumble Ponies. Command has been Santucci’s biggest problem going back to his college days, and that has been his biggest issue so far this season, an issue that he largely avoided last year; with 17 walks, he has virtually reached the same total he had last season while pitching for Binghamton (18), but in roughly 20 fewer innings. The left-hander generally has not looked as sharp the second or third time through the order, wearing himself out and/or giving batters a look at all of his pitches because of his inability to put himself in favorable counts early, and his stat splits for the fourth inning and beyond bear this out- his hit rate increases, his walk rate increases, and his strikeout rate shrinks.
With that said, coincidentally or perhaps not, like Jonah Tong, Santucci has been quite unlucky in that the relievers who are coming in to replace him are allowing the baserunners he put on base to score at astronomically high rates. Over the course of those above-mentioned six starts prior to his start this past week, Santucci has an abysmal 60.3% LOB%, roughly 10-15% below the major league average; with his most recent start last week included, that number climbs to 64.9%, roughly 5-10% below the major league average. Having allowed 14 earned runs so far this season in 27.1 innings, if the left-hander’s LOB% was adjusted to be the MLB average, he would currently have a 3.95 to 4.28 ERA.
When the final out is recorded following Game No. 162 of the 2026 MLB season, when the records are finalized and the statistical ledgers are put to bed, we will be comforted in knowing exactly what saved Alec Bohm’s year.
After starting April in the most dreadful slump imaginable on the field while dealing with what one can only assume is a nightmarish legal dispute with his parents off the field, interim manager Don Mattingly gave Bohm two nights off.
No baseball on Thursday. No baseball on Friday.
Entering Saturday, Bohm dragged a .159 batting average, .227 on-base percentage and .433 OPS around his neck like an anchor. The Phillies were running out of options. He was in danger of losing his starting spot to Edmundo Sosa or some combination of minor leaguers who would be called up to replace him.
Then, Elmo entered the picture.
After declaring “Elmo wants to see a home run,” to Tom McCarthy and John Kruk on the Phillies’ broadcast, Bohm stepped up to the plate and swatted a solo homer to left field, his first since Opening Day. He followed it up with a second dinger in his second at-bat and finished the day 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs in the Phils’ 9-3 victory.
On Sunday, Bohm didn’t exactly repeat those heroics, but did got 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Sunday’s 6-0 whitewashing of Colorado.
Sometimes, a player needs a little something, even if it’s not real. For Bohm, who has seen nothing go right for him in 2026, why not attribute a turnaround to a furry little red muppet?
Clearly, Bohm is entering the Elmo Stage of this current iteration of the Phillies.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts as he comes to the mound to take out Roki Sasaki #11 from the game during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers at least had a lead on Monday, which counts as progress for the funk they are in at the moment. It was their first lead since Friday, when they scratched together three runs against Chris Sale in what felt like one of their best wins of the season so far. But they’ve laid three legs in a row since.
Alex Vesia gave up three hits and a walk while recording only one out in a three-run seventh, and then Wyatt Mills walked four and hit a batter in a three-run ninth that made the score more lopsided.
The 6-3 deficit would have been enough, shocking as it was facing the worst offense in Major League Baseball. But the Dodgers offense can’t seem to get much going, and were held to no more than three runs for the ninth time in their last 12 games.
“The effort, the focus is there, I thought the fight was there. You know, we’re going to come out of it,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday night. “It’s frustrating while you’re in it, but we just have too much talent and too much desire to keep doing this for much longer.”
Three straight blowout losses — by five runs or more — ties a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record, last done on June 12-14, 2008.
The Dodgers have their two best starting pitchers going in the next two games, trying to lower the threshold of victory for an offense that hasn’t been consistently good for several weeks. Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the ball on Tuesday, and Shohei Ohtani pitches on Wednesday. Ohtani the hitter is having his worst stretch in a while, his .404 slugging percentage on the season is his worst 38-game stretch within any season since 2021 with the Angels. Ohtani won’t hit in one of the final two games of the series, Roberts said Monday night.
Ohtani’s not alone in struggling at the plate. Teoscar Hernández has been fighting it for some time and didn’t have an extra-base hit for three weeks before Roberts moved him down to eighth in the lineup on Monday night, the first time Hernández hit that low since August 7, 2020 while with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I think he’s missing pitches that he should hit, whether it’s fastballs or spin. I think that he’s patient at sometimes the wrong time,” Roberts said before Monday’s game. “He’s working through his mechanics, that the hitting guys are trying to work through diligently. He hasn’t been successful, he hasn’t really hit left-handed pitching in quite some time, which is kind of a surprise for me.”
Hernández is hitting just .233/.410/.300 with a 113 wRC+ against southpaws this season, well below his career .273/.331/.542, 135 wRC+ line against left-handers. He didn’t face any lefties on Monday, but did double, single, and walk, his best game in a while.
The Dodgers can’t simply hit everyone eighth or ninth to try to get them going. At some point, the big hitters are going to have to hit big.
COVERS INTEL: The Tigers have hit line drives on just 
