Category: MLB

Gee, winning for the 31st time sure was a lot easier than winning for the 30th time turned out to be. It took 11 tries to win number 30. But then the Cubs came right back and won their 31st, despite the immensely talented Paul Skenes being in their way. I love this for so many reasons. Obviously, winning is always more fun than losing. I love that there was such a dread that the team needed to win in that 11th try because it was a foregone conclusion that the 12th was going to be a loss. I love because I’d had this one in my head as soon as I saw the matchups. The May 1 Colin Rea over Skenes win in 2025 was memorable for me because I dropped my daughter off at an airport that day. I listened to the game in the car, at a McDonald’s and on the road. I knew. I knew this one wasn’t set in stone.

The Cubs had a number of hitting stars in the game, but unsurprisingly, the brightest star on this night in Pittsburgh was Ian Happ. Ian remains the most polarizing Cub I can think of. I will again say that Happ belongs in the middle of the lineup because he has unquestionably been the Cubs’ most productive hitter this season. Michael Busch was their most productive hitter in 2025, with a nod to extensive split protection. He’s been their most productive hitter in May and so I’m totally fine with him sitting in the third spot in the order. But none of that diminishes that Happ remains their most productive hitter year to date.

Happ had another huge series against an NL Central foe. That’s been the calling card of his career. He has a long history of tormenting his division mates. Ignoring the A’s, who he has only 54 plate appearances against (with a .985 OPS), his three highest OPS are against the Pirates (.953), Reds (.946) and Cardinals (.905). The Brewers have held him to .767, just a bit below his career mark of .789. Happ is best in the games that matter most during the regular season. Those games against his division foes. That’s not a bad thing.

With two singles and a homer, Ian’s OBP and SLG are both above his career averages. All of these years after Moneyball, we still have to occasionally remind people that though batting average may be underrated in the modern game, it is not mandatory for being a productive hitter. I’m going to say this for all of the remaining 105 games of the regular season and however many postseason games this team plays in. As long as Ian is on this team, he belongs in left field the overwhelming majority of the games. Everyone should get days off and fortunately this team has decent depth. But this team is best with Ian on the field. I can certainly see a path forward in 2027 that doesn’t include Ian on the Cubs, but while he’s here he should play. Also know that even those paths forward without Ian in 2027 don’t necessarily make the team better.

My other note in this game is: Once again, the high leverage situations really didn’t materialize. Without looking at exactly how Baseball Reference sets the baskets relative to leverage stats, we generally think of them as late in a close game. Myself, I think of the sixth and the seventh as medium leverage and the eighth and ninth as high leverage and then adjust upward or downward based upon the score. The Cubs briefly had a 3-0 lead, threatened to give that away before escaping 3-2. The seventh inning was arguably a high leverage situation, definitely at least medium with a one run lead. Then the Cubs scored three in the eighth and blew it open.

The Cubs have just 10 saves in 57 games. That places them in a tie for 25th in MLB, the bottom 20 percent of all teams. In that bottom 20 percent, the only other team with a winning record is the Pirates with a matching 10 saves in 57 games. The Dodgers have just three more saves, but have won close to two-thirds of their games and have the largest run differential in baseball. It’s so odd for the Cubs to so consistently not have high leverage situations.

Three Positives:

• Ian Happ. Three hits, one a two-run homer.
• Colin Rea was very sharp and kept the Cubs in this game while the offense got started. Two earned over 5.1 innings. Just four hits and three walks allowed.
• Seiya Suzuki didn’t exactly scorch the ball, but he had two singles and two runs batted in. He scored once.

Game 57, May 28: Cubs 7, Pirates 2 (31-26)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Ian Happ (.337). 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Hero: Colin Rea (.196). 5.1 IP, 23 BF, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, 5 K (W 5-3)
• Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.182). 2-5, 2 RBI, R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.086). 1-5
• Goat: Moisés Ballesteros (-.077). 0-2
• Kid: Pete Crow-Armstrong (-.071). 1-4, BB, R

WPA Play of the Game: Ian Happ hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth to extend the lead to three runs. (.201)

Pirates Play of the Game: Tyler Callihan doubled with a runner on first in the sixth, cutting the gap to one. (.148)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 56 Winner: Ian Happ received 125 of 138 votes

Game 55 Winner: Alex Bregman received 52 of 84 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Michael Busch +21
• Alex Bregman/Ian Happ +9.5
• Michael Conforto/Nico Hoerner +9
• Jameson Taillon/Phil Maton -9
• Matt Shaw -10
• Dansby Swanson -12
• Seiya Suzuki -26.5

Current Win Pace: 88.11 wins

Up Next: The first series of the year against the Cardinals (29-25). Whoever wins the series will leave town ahead of the other, probably in second place. The Cardinals have lost four straight and with a -10 run differential, there remain questions as to how good they actually are. They’ve played 24 games against teams currently under .500 (12-12) while the Cubs have only played 12 such games (6-6). Neither team is capitalizing when they get the chance.

Shōta Imanaga (4-5, 4.04, 64.2 IP) makes his 12th start of the year. He’s lost his last three, allowing 17 earned runs in 17.1 innings. The Cardinals are 6-5 against left-handed starters. As a team, the Cardinals have a 95 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. This feels like a good matchup for Shōta to get back on track.

27-year-old Andre Pallante (5-4, 3.76, 55 IP) will make his 11th start of the year for the Cardinals. He’s 2-1 over his last three while pitching very well (5 ER in 17.2 IP). He’s struck out 15 and walked only four in there. Despite being a guy who’s been around for a while, I don’t have any memory of him.

Last August 9, he started a game against the Cubs and only recorded five outs while surrendering six runs on seven hits. Michael Busch took him deep and Dansby Swanson and Carson Kelly each had a three hit day. That game was in St. Louis, so for the second straight day, the Cubs look out an opponent they beat on their own field last year.

Look for another good game and series out of Happ.

Go Cubs!

What on Earth is wrong with José Ramírez?! So far in 2026, he’s slashing .226/.343/.396 – that comes out to just a .739 OPS and a 108 wRC+. Definitely low for a hitter that’s been ~.850 OPS and ~130 wRC+ for a decade. So what’s going on? Is this the beginning of the end of José’s time as a perennial MVP candidate, or is it something else?

The first thing we want to take a look at when gauging if a hitter is on the decline is their plate discipline and contact data. Is the player still making good swing decisions, and are they making contact with the ball when they do swing? Next, we want to look at the quality of that contact. Are they impacting the ball still, and if so, at what level? Is their contact in the optimal launch angle window, or are they popping the ball up or hitting it straight into the ground? Then, we look at luck indicators. Are they finding more gloves than average with their batted balls? I’ll be the first to tell you, as someone that spends a somewhat unhealthy amount of time pouring over baseball related data, the case of 2026 José Ramírez is a complicated but interesting one.

Has José’s plate discipline declined? For the purposes of this research, I decided to compare the data from 2026 so far with two other data sets: José’s career averages, and his 2024 season (since that is arguably his best most recent season). It’s important to keep in mind that when comparing to 2024, things being just a little below that is still keeping him in the top levels of offensive production for his career, because of how good that season was. Let’s look at some numbers. The first one is Chase % (how often he’s swinging at pitches outside the zone). José has a career average Chase % of 26, and so far in 2026 it’s been 29.5. So a little higher, but if we compare to 2024 he’s actually chasing a bit less, as in that season it was 31.6. When compared to the rest of the league this season, the 29.5 rate is actually right around league average. So while that might help him some, that difference really isn’t too significant when we bring in some context. José’s BB % for his career sits right around 10, in 2024 it was 7.9, and so far in 2026? It’s 14.8. This is a massive increase and a good indicator that his patience is still very much intact, especially when combined with the low change in Chase %. The biggest reason for this is pitchers just aren’t throwing him as many strikes. The % of pitches he’s seen in the ABS zone has gone from a career % of 47.4 (47.5 in 2024) to just 45.2 so far in 2026. So actually, this is a very positive sign. It shows a significant adjustment by José in response to changed league pitching strategy toward him.

This doesn’t explain everything though. So let’s look at the contact and contact quality next. His career Contact % is 86.8. In 2024 it was 86.4, and so far in 2026 it’s 86.2. These differences are so small that it could easily just be statistical noise, but that’s a good sign. There’s no meaningful difference in the number of swings and misses he’s having, but let’s narrow it down further. The contact that matters the most is contact on pitches in the zone, as those are the ones easiest for a hitter to drive. His Z-Contact % (The % of pitches in the zone he makes contact with when swinging) for his career is 91.7, in 2024 it was 92.2, and so far in 2026 it’s 93.3. This is another good sign, and it’s an example of still elite bat to ball skill. This is where we’d now want to get into the quality of the contact. After all, hitting the ball more means very little if those batted balls are more weak grounders and pop-ups.

The best place to start for quality of contact is exit velo and bat speed. This is where we see our first really interesting data point. José has never been a bat speed demon by any means, and in fact is usually around the bottom ⅓ or so in the league. His career average is 71 mph, and he averaged 71.6 in 2024. So far in 2026, he’s down to 70.1. This is a noticeable drop, but when we look at his average exit velocity, he’s gone from a career 88.8 and 89.2 in 2024 to 90 in 2026. Since José has never been reliant on bat speed in his career, the fact that the average exit velocity has stayed consistent (and even increased) is the more important factor here.

So what gives here? So far everything has been the same or better than before, right? Basically yeah. There’s 2 more major areas we need to look at, and it’s here where I believe our answer lies. The first data point I want to bring up is launch angle. To get the numbers out of the way early, his career average Launch Angle is 18. In 2024 it was 19.6, and so far in 2026 it’s 20.6. The magnitude of this change isn’t large, but there’s an important subset of his batted balls we want to look at – pulled fly balls. Pulling fly balls is how a lot of hitters generate their home run value, and few have done it better over the last several years than José Ramírez. According to Statcast, in his career, José has pulled the ball in the air 26.6% of the time. In 2024, it was 29.8, and so far in 2026 it’s 28.7. So we’re down a little bit from 2024, but honestly still a very elite level of pulled fly balls. But if we isolate to just the pulled fly ball outcomes and look at the average exit velocity and average launch angle, we have a career average of 35 LA and 94.3 EV, in 2024 it was 34 LA, and 97.1 EV, and in 2026 so far it’s 37 LA and 93.2 EV. These numbers are a small drop, but we can combine it with new Statcast bat tracking data to see José’s attack angle on his swing has increased slightly from 12 (in 2024 and his career average) to 13 so far in 2026. We also see a small jump in the infield fly ball rate – 12.2% for his career, only 10.9% in 2024, and is back up in 2026 so far to 12.5%. It looks like he’s just slightly undercutting the ball a bit, and making less consistent flush contact. We can look at Squared-Up% (or Squared-Up Swing% on Fangraphs) and see he’s squaring the ball up less. His career mark is 29.7, it was 28.5 in 2024, and so far in 2026 it’s 25.7. This is likely a major cause of a lot of the warning track fly balls we might be seeing, or some balls that might’ve been hits staying up just a little longer and being caught. 

This brings us to our last major area we need to go over – luck. José is posting a .367 xwOBA so far in 2026. If that holds, it would be the 3rd best mark of his entire career, only falling short of 2020 and 2021. His actual wOBA though is .039 below the expected results, likely due to a few well struck balls ending up right at fielders, or maybe a few fielders making some nice running/jumping/diving catches to rob him of some hits, or even the wind knocking down a would be homerun on a cold windy day. A negative .039 xwOBA difference is pretty massive. It’s the equivalent of anywhere from a .040 to .070 OPS point drop all on its own. When you consider José’s excellent base running and ability to consistently stretch singles into doubles, he’s a player that often outperforms expected results with his outcomes, making the negative difference all the more devastating for translating into results. We can see this even more when we specifically look at the expected results on the pulled fly balls we broke down earlier. His career xwOBA on pulled fly balls sits at .560, in 2024 it was .646, and so far in 2026 it’s .557. So the batted quality of the fly balls is right at career average levels, but the results have lagged behind. The actual wOBA has been .824 for his career, .989 in 2024, but only .676 in 2026. Make no mistake – these numbers are still elite numbers all things considered, but the bad batted ball luck with the decrease in squared-up contact explains a large portion of the lower results we’re seeing.

Now that it seems we’ve isolated where the change is coming from, it brings up the question “is this correctable, or is this the beginning of the end?” Looking at the whole body of data, I would say he’s just in an unlucky stretch that’s compounded by it happening when he’s also just a little bit off with his contact. There is absolutely nothing here that screams career decline, or that he is suddenly a washed up hitter. While it certainly is possible that this could be the result of an aging hitter, the under the hood numbers suggest he’s making some of the best contact of his career, and just has nothing to show for it so far. It seems more likely he may just be a slight attack angle or timing adjustment away from being back to his reliable old self. So no need to press the panic button yet, and as we see the weather continue to heat up, I believe José will too.

The 2026 Kansas City Royals season has taken a difficult turn, and Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are not pretending otherwise. This episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast navigates a bleak stretch of baseball with the honesty and perspective that have defined the show through the tough times.

The episode opens with the latest roster moves, including the minor-league additions of bullpen veterans Luke Jackson and Genesis Cabrera. The hosts assess what that depth actually provides for a team currently on pace for 98 losses, and whether organizational decisions at this stage of the season reflect a coherent plan or simply roster management for its own sake. The Bailey Falter start controversy, the Evan Sisk trade, and the outfield and rotation struggles all factor into a candid conversation about where this team has fallen short and why.

Road performance and diminished resilience after losses are identified as particular concerns, and Jacob and Jeremy work through what the remaining schedule realistically offers for a team that has struggled to capitalize on opportunities throughout the year.

The episode’s most expansive segment shifts to the broader baseball landscape, with a thorough breakdown of the MLB collective bargaining proposals currently on the table. Increased minimum salaries, pre-arbitration pools, spending floors, and the ongoing revenue sharing debate all get detailed treatment. The hosts examine what a proposed salary cap could mean specifically for small market teams like the Royals, and how the spending models of clubs like the Dodgers and Padres illustrate the competitive imbalance at the heart of these negotiations. It is a timely and substantive conversation that goes well beyond the typical frustration with league economics.

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

BlueSky
– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

Twitter / X
– Podcast: @RoyalRundownPod

As most baseball fans know by now, Major League Baseball is staring down the barrel of a work stoppage after this season. We have known that CBA negotiations would be tense for a while. After the success of the big money Dodgers, the idea of a salary cap has come up more than ever. Over the past couple days, we saw the opening proposals from the MLB and the MLBPA.

I wanted to break down the proposals, talk about how far the two sides have to go, and discuss what it means for the Nats. The great Jeff Passan actually wrote a good piece explaining the situation. It really seems like the only question is how long will the lockout last, not whether there will be a lockout.

The MLBPA and MLB have made their first proposals in what's expected to be a prolonged labor negotiation. All that's at stake is the future of baseball.

Free at ESPN: A breakdown of what all of it means, what you need to know and where everything stands. https://t.co/e0wzrJQGnb

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 29, 2026

The last time owners pushed for a salary cap was back in 1994. If you have been following the game long enough, you would know that was a disaster. A work stoppage interrupted the season, and there was no World Series in 1994. The Expos, the Nats predecessors, were rolling that year, but never got to go all the way. That was a big turning point in the downfall of that franchise.

Over 30 years later, the owners are pushing for a cap again. In their initial proposal, the owners proposed a $245.3 million cap and a $171.2 million floor. The plan would also include a redistribution of the TV revenue to make this possible. Right now, 6 teams are above that cap and 15 teams are below the floor. This would seriously change baseball forever.

MLB proposes the first salary cap since August, 1994, at $245.3 million, with a salary floor of $171.2 million.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 28, 2026

Honestly, the cap is lower than I thought it would be and the floor is higher. This proposal would really force Mark Lerner to spend money. Right now, the Nats are $77 million below the proposed floor. If something like this passes, the Nats would have to extend players, trade for larger contracts and sign free agents. As a fan of the Nats, that is fine by me.

For fans of bigger market teams and the players association, this proposal will not make them happy. Right now, the Dodgers and Mets are both $50 million over the cap. They would have to shed serious payroll and not spend any money to be compliant. That would make their fans and the players upset.

Now, we turn to the player’s proposal. They have proposed a $150 million floor, but obviously have no cap with it. The players also want to increase the minimum salary, which is an idea I can get behind. Guys like James Wood are making peanuts compared to what they deserve. Lastly, they want the CBT threshold to go from $244 million to $300 million. That last proposal just seems like a non-starter given the concerns about parity. This would allow teams like the Dodgers to spend even more.

The MLBPA made its first proposal to MLB today in collective bargaining. Among the topline issues:

– A "competitive-integrity tax" for any team that does not spend $150M
– Increase minimum salary from $780,000 to $1.5M
– Increase in base CBT threshold from $244M to $300M

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 27, 2026

It is clear that the two sides are very far apart. They do have some common ground, especially when it comes to revenue sharing. Both sides seem to know that there needs to be more revenue sharing for this system to work. The Dodgers TV deal can’t absolutely dwarf any other teams. That is not a viable system, and both sides know it.

So what happens if/when the lockout comes. Well, any player on the 40-man roster is pretty much out of commission. This could have some impact on what the Nats do later in the season. Yohandy Morales will be Rule-5 eligible after the season, so they have to put him on the 40-man anyway. That means his potential big league call up won’t be affected by this. 

However, for players like Seaver King and Jackson Kent, this could leave them in the minors longer than they otherwise would be. The organization is not going to want to have them on the 40-man and not play games in the minors next year. By the way, the minor leagues are not impacted by this other than the 40-man roster players. I really enjoy minor league baseball, and fans might have to lock into that, at least to start next season.

Many people have theorized that this lockout could cost us all of next season. While I think the start of next season will be delayed, I have faith that they will figure it out. Once games are missed, the pressure will amp up on both sides to get something done. It won’t be pretty, but I believe we will see Major League Baseball at some point in 2027.

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

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement has been one of the most consistent hitters in baseball over the last two weeks, and his profile matches up perfectly against struggling Baltimore Orioles starter Trevor Rogers.

The matchup sets up well for Clement to go Over his bases total for my Blue Jays vs. Orioles predictions and MLB picks for Friday, May 29.

Blue Jays vs Orioles predictions

Blue Jays vs Orioles best bet: Ernie Clement Over 1.5 Total Bases (+115)

The combination of a struggling Baltimore Orioles starter, Trevor Rogers, and a red-hot Ernie Clement makes this plus-money wager a solid value at +115. 

In fact, I’d bet Over 1.5 bases to -110

Clement has recorded a hit in nine of his last 10 games, averaging 2.3 bases over that stretch. He’s also seen the power numbers improve over the last eight with seven extra base hits, resulting in a 1.055 OPS in that stretch. 

Rogers is a contact pitcher who ranks in the 23rd percentile in xBA, relying heavily on his four-seam fastball, which has a 42% usage rate against right-handed batters.

His last six starts have been abysmal, owning an 11.07 ERA in that stretch with a .343 opponent batting average while giving up hard contact at a 41.1% clip. 

Clement’s hitting profile matches up well to Rogers, as he owns a .327 average against the four-seamer with a team-high .572 slug rate against the pitch.

Blue Jays vs Orioles same-game parlay (SGP)

I’ll continue fading Rogers by taking the Over on his earned runs total of 2.5. He’s eclipsed this total in six straight starts, and the Toronto Blue Jays should victimize him again as a strong-hitting team against the fastball. 

Rogers owns just a 22% strikeout rate and is averaging just 2.5 K’s per game over his last four starts. Give me Vlad Guerrero Jr to go Under 0.5 strikeouts tonight. He’s seeing the ball well and has struck out just once in his last seven outings. 

Blue Jays vs Orioles SGP

• Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases
• Trevor Rogers Over 2.5 earned runs
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Under 0.5 strikeouts

img loading="lazy" width="100%" height="null" src="https://img.covers.com/editorial/2026/jaysmlcbp.jpg" alt="Canada’s best price for Jays"

Blue Jays vs Orioles home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+315)

Rogers has been hit hard and often over his last six starts, surrendering six home runs in that stretch off a 41% hard-hit rate. 

Additionally, the Jays have seen an uptick in their power numbers with eight homers over their last seven games. 

So the matchup favors Toronto to go yard tonight, and I’m betting on Kazuma Okamoto, who owns a team-high .596 slug rate against the four-seamer, with a 66% hard-hit rate. 

Blue Jays vs Orioles odds

• Moneyline: Toronto +104 | Baltimore -115
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-195) | Baltimore -1.5 (-170)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

Blue Jays vs Orioles trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have covered the Run Line in 12 of their last 16 games (+10.10 Units / 49% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Orioles.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Orioles and game info

Blue Jays vs Orioles latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Orioles 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.

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

With a busy schedule across the majors tonight, I've found immense value in my MLB same-game parlay predictions. 

I'm eyeing the Miami Marlins to beat the New York Mets behind the brilliance of Max Meyer, while a high-scoring affair should be in the cards between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, May 29. 

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Marlins at Mets SGP: Meyer dominates

Max Meyer tossed seven scoreless innings last weekend against the New York Mets, allowing just one hit while walking three. He's cashed the Under in earned runs surrendered in three of four.

The Miami Marlins have also dominated the Mets in recent memory, winning eight of the last 10 meetings. They've covered the run line in three of the last four matchups as well.

Meyer is a strikeout pitcher, racking up 68 Ks in 60 2/3 innings of work. He easily cashed the Over in last Sunday's outing, striking out eight Mets.

He's also hit the Over in punchouts in three consecutive appearances, and New York is striking out nine times per game across their previous three.  

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

Cubs vs Cardinals SGP: Runs galore in St. Louis

The Chicago Cubs have won three straight against the St. Louis Cardinals, and head into the series opener on a two-game winning streak. They've covered the run line in all of those meetings, and St. Louis comes in cold, losing four straight.

The Over has also hit in three of the last five, and the pitching matchup profiles to potentially be high-scoring. 

Shota Imanaga has been getting torched, allowing 15 earned runs across his previous two appearances. While Kyle Leahy has pitched solid overall this season, he did give up give up five earned runs last time out.

Chicago's offense is hot, scoring 17 runs in their last two games.

Masynn Winn is 4-for-12 lifetime against Imanaga, and he's hitting .302 against lefties. 

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MARQ, Cardinals.TV

Royals vs Rangers  SGP: Kolek carves up struggling Rangers

The Kansas City Royals head into the series opener against the Texas Rangers as an underdog, but they've actually dominated them recently, winning six of the last seven meetings. 

Stephen Kolek takes the hill, and he just threw a complete game shutout last weekend.

Since making his season debut in early May, Kolek owns a 2.77 ERA, and he's given up Under 5.5 hits in every start so far. The Rangers are 24th in hits, and they've collected just 10 hits across their last two games. 

The Under has cashed in three of the last five, and neither team is exactly tearing the cover off the baseball. MacKenzie Gore has pitched extremely well lately, allowing only four runs across his previous three starts. 

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Royals.TV, Rangers Sports Network

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.

Following a much-needed sweep of the Kansas City Royals, the Yankees enjoyed an off day on Thursday. They next head further west to take on the Athletics, who are very much in the American League’s playoff picture. The first place Rays were also off the schedule, though there were still games of note to take in on Thursday. So, here’s a look at went down around the Junior Circuit.

Toronto Blue Jays (28-29) 2, Baltimore Orioles (26-31) 1

In an evening AL East matchup, pitching was the name of the game, as the Blue Jays did just enough to push past the O’s in Baltimore.

Both starters, Patrick Corbin for the Jays and Chris Bassitt for Baltimore, were excellent in their respective outings. It was Toronto who got to their former teammate Bassitt first, when Andrés Giménez led off the third inning with a solo blast, his sixth homer of the season.

The solo shot would stand as the only real blemish on the veteran righty’s day on the mound. Bassitt finished his day after six innings of work, allowing just that one run on four hits and striking out a pair. Unfortunately for him and the Orioles, Patrick Corbin was just as good on the mound for Toronto.

In fact, his line was nearly identical. The left-hander worked his way through five innings of solid ball, also allowing a single run on four hits, though he tallied a few more strikeouts, racking up four on the evening. His first mistake, and Baltimore’s lone run of the game, came in the fourth, when Coby Mayo teed off on a solo homer of his own, squaring things up at one a piece.

After both starters exited the game, things remained quiet on the offensive side, as this game remained in a 1-1 gridlock into the later innings. In the top of the eighth, the Blue Jays did what they could to change that. George Springer led the frame off with a double, before being advanced by a sacrifice bunt. A pair of walks following this had the bases loaded with just one out. Kazuma Okamoto struck out for the second out, before pinch-hitter Yohendrick Piñango worked a walk to push the go-ahead run across. The bases-loaded walk in the eighth turned out to be the decisive blow, as the Jays skated past the O’s, though both clubs still have an uphill climb in the division.

Other Games

Houston Astros (26-32) 5, Texas Rangers (25-31) 1:

In a matchup of middling AL West squads, early scoring pushed the Astros past the Rangers on Thursday. The game opened with a bang for Houston, as home runs from Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes had them up 3-0 before the Rangers had a chance to hit.

Josh Jung answered with a solo shot for Texas in the second, but the ‘Stros continued to lay it on in the third inning, with a double from Taylor Trammell and a Cam Smith knock putting them up 5-1. A forgettable day on the mound for Nathan Eovaldi (7 IP, 5 ER) had Houston up from end to end. The Rangers could only post a single run on the evening, as they dropped an important one at home. The AL West remains a situation to monitor, as the sub-.500 Mariners lead the division by a half-game, and four teams are within 2.5 games of first place.

We made it through another week A’s fans! Ready for a huge weekend of A’s baseball?

The Yankees are in town and the series kicks off tonight in Sacramento. The Athletics just got swept for just the second time this season and have fallen out of first place so stacking up a couple wins against a strong Yankee team would be ideal. Definitely can’t afford another sweep and finish the homestand 0-6. The Yankees are a tough opponent though and they just welcomed back their ace in Gerritt Cole (but lost Max Fried). They have the second-best record in the American League and have won four straight entering tonight. Lucky for the A’s they’ll miss Cole in this series as well as emerging right-hander Cam Schlittler. The A’s will instead be tasked with getting to veteran Carlos Rodon tonight before facing 26-year-old starters Ryan Weathers and Will Warren on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Elsewhere, down in the minors the Athletics’ #1 prospect is dealing with a minor injury. Shortstop Leo De Vries has missed a few games in recent days with an unknown problem with a finger (unknown which one):

A's top prospect Leo De Vries has missed Midland's last 3 games due to a finger issue. He's not been placed on the IL at this point, but he flew to Arizona on Wednesday to be examined.

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) May 28, 2026

The 20-year-old shortstop is actually going to get away from the team and travel to Arizona where he will be looked at by an orthopedic hand specialist. That’s a concerning development for the young shortstop, who is off to a solid start in Midland. He’s hitting .281/.360/.401 with five home runs and 16 stolen bases. He had a strong April before going through a tougher May, which will now be cut short. Everyone will be holding their breath that De Vries hasn’t done something major to a finger and hope he can return to game action sooner rather than later. He’s still incredibly young for his level but a promotion to Triple-A has been on the radar all year. That eventual promotion will now certainly be pushed back a bit and could come a lot later than A’s fans hoped, depending on what the doctor says about that finger.

Wrapping your Friday news dump, MLB’s owners have made their first proposal to the MLBPA regarding the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement.

BREAKING: As expected, MLB proposed a hard salary cap to union officials today as part of the next CBA, sources tell ESPN. The salary floor for teams beginning in 2027 would be set at $171.2 million which includes player benefits with the ceiling at $245.3 million.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 28, 2026

That has always been a huge sticking point for the players as they believe the owners want to keep salaries from continuing to explode. A lot of the league will point to the two-time champion Los Angeles Dodgers as the reason for a need for a salary cap and the logic works, to a degree. The players’ association would almost certainly fight tooth and nail over this, which was a huge cause of the 1994 players’ strike. They won out in that battle but the owners seem more determined than ever to get a salary cap like the NFL and NBA currently have.

If that truly is a sticking point in negotiations, then there is a very real possibility we have a lockout coming up soon. One of the proposed things the owners would be agreeing to for the salary cap would be a salary floor, forcing every team in the league to spend at least X amount on the major league team. That was something A’s have had been hoping for when the team was still in Oakland. How would the recent playoff teams the Athletics had could have done more damage in the postseason had they been supplemented with free agent additions and a sizable payroll increase?

It’s too late for Oakland now but if this is the future parameters of a deal then owner John Fisher will have to finally spend more on the team. He’s begun doing more of that since moving the team and they rank 21st in the league with a $94 million payroll but he’d have to spend close to $77 million more on the team. Add in the great young talent the A’s have accumulated and the potential salary floor would certainly help the Green & Gold go up against high-priced teams like the Yankees and Dodgers. Something to think about and monitor as these negotiations continue over the next few months.

Have a great weekend everyone.

A’s Coverage:

• 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
• Latest Athletics injuries and transactions
• A’s lose to Mariners 4-1, Kurtz Streak ends with O-fer
• Is A Jump In Talent Nigh?
• What to expect when A’s Jump makes leap to MLB
• What The Mariners’ Slow First 1/3 Means For The AL West
• Wilson takes swings in next step toward return from IL
• After facing Miller for first time, how is blockbuster trade looking for A’s?
• Athletics Drop Series Opener to Mariners 9-2
• A’s Win In San Diego, Beat Padres 5-2
• “State Of The Rotation”: A Projected Weakness, An Actual…?

MLB News and Interest:

• Tigers place Kenley Jansen on 15-day IL with pelvic inflammation
• Teoscar Hernández To Be Placed On IL With Hamstring Strain
• Pirates’ Jared Jones to make 1st MLB appearance since ’24 on Friday
• Red Sox place Garrett Whitlock on IL with knee inflammation
• MLB makes initial CBA proposal to address competitive balance
• Rockies Transfer Jose Quintana To 60-Day Injured List
• White Sox secure 1st winning month since ’23 after latest Martin gem
• NEW Top 200 Draft Prospects list! Here are 7 key takeaways
• Orioles Activate, Option Heston Kjerstad
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Sacramento making a play to somehow keep the A’s/lure an expansion to Northern California:

BREAKING: Sacramento Officially Unveils MLB Expansion Ballpark And Funding Details

(Link in the comments) pic.twitter.com/OSlnpv71iJ

— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) May 28, 2026

Improvement!

Through 56 games in 2026, the A's sit at 27-29.
Through 56 games in 2025, the A's were 23-33.
They would tack on seven more losses before adding another win.

— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) May 28, 2026

How accurate would you call this assessment?

I’ll keep saying it

The A’s have a mediocre pitching staff. Without Wilson, their defense is bad.

Offense is streaky by nature. When you’re an offense first team, and the offense is cold, it’s going to look ugly

This series changes absolutely nothing about how I view the A’s

— Straight A’s (@StraightAs123) May 27, 2026

Ugh. Hard to bench a guy with that huge contract but how long can the A’s keep marching him out there? Are the offseason surgeries affecting him more than he’s letting on?

Lawerence Butler last 10 games:

.095 AVG, 2 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI

He will get out of this drought and come back HOT… just wait, mark my words!
💪💚💛 pic.twitter.com/WdIFExfKH8

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) May 28, 2026

From Wednesday:

A’s Prospect of the Day is LHP Jackson Phipps @1ackson who threw 6 scoreless innings to earn the win for @stocktonports on Wednesday…https://t.co/g0CAtruStIpic.twitter.com/3d3cYfOK4T

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) May 28, 2026

The Comets and Drillers won comfortably as Tulsa managed to get at least one of the games in, pushing the doubleheader to this Friday.

Player of the day

The standout player in the Dodgers’ minor league system early in the season, James Tibbs III, returned to the spotlight with one of his most impressive performances since being acquired in a trade with the Red Sox.

Tibbs III had his first multi-homer game since early April when he managed to hit three of them and now has 14, already closing in on the 20 he had across multiple levels last season.

TWO-HOMER GAME FOR JAMES TIBBS III☄️

He goes deep against Josh Hader and has driven in a career-high six runs tonight! pic.twitter.com/jem0TvTTcK

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) May 29, 2026

Triple-A Oklahoma City

There was a mix-up in plans, with eight of the Comets’ nine hitters committed to a death by a thousand cuts approach, only to see James Tibbs III smash through the opposition for a blowout 9-2 win. Scoring at least one run in five of the game’s first six innings, the Comets were relentless, and at the heart of the scoring, you had not one but two three-run shots from Tibbs.

Tibbs’ outstanding player display was maximized by a top of the order that thrived with both Tommy Edman and Zach Ehrahrd reaching base multiple times. Moving over to the pitching side of things, River Ryan allowed just one unearned run in six terrific innings, striking out eight and walking none. It was the first time Ryan pitched into the sixth inning this season.

Double-A Tulsa

While he couldn’t limit walks as well as Ryan, Tulsa starter Adam Serwinowski also struck out eight on his way to a superb pitching performance, allowing just one run in 5.1 innings as the Drillers beat the Naturals 6-1. A double-header was supposed to be played, but the second of these games had to be pushed back a day.

Buried in the ninth spot in the lineup, Chris Newell led the action as the Drillers’ outfield combined to record five of the nine hits from the Drillers. Newell hit the game’s only home run and also stole a base, one of five successful steals from the Drillers.

Keep ‘em coming 😤

Chris Newell with his 5th home run of the season! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/6Fsrv6U5XQ

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) May 28, 2026

High-A Great Lakes

Starter Jakob Wright had three reasonable to great outings in May, but on either side of it, he was absolutely blown up to start and end the month with a loss. Dayton got the Loons starter for seven runs, four of them earned, in a 12-3 loss for Great Lakes.

Center fielder Eduardo Quintero had a rather unlucky game, recording three hits and no runs or RBI. The leadoff hitter carried on his positive momentum with a couple of doubles, currently boasting a .919 OPS. Lastly, designated hitter Jose Meza hit the Loons’ only home run.

Single-A Ontario

Despite outhomering their opponents three to one and recording a late surge with a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth, the Tower Buzzers fell short of the Rawhide at home in an 8-6 loss. Interestingly, starter Tyler Gough didn’t allow a run in his 3.1 innings of work, as all of the Rawhide scoring came against Ontario’s bullpen, pouncing on Accimias Morales and Jesus Tillero.

Responsible for one of those three home runs, Chase Harlan is about as unstoppable as any other hitter in Single-A these days. The nineteen-year-old third baseman has left the yard in each of his last four games for the Tower Buzzers, accumulating five home runs during this period.

Transactions

Utility player Santiago Espinal was sent to the Comets. The Ontario Tower Buzzers activated right-handed pitcher Tyler Gough.

Thursday’s scores

• Sugar Land 2, Oklahoma City 9
• Tulsa 6, NW Arkansas 1
• Double-A game 2 postponed
• Dayton 12, Great Lakes 3
• Ontario 6, Visalia 8

Friday’s schedule

• 2:30 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Payton Martin) vs. NW Arkansas (Hunter Owen)
• Game 2: Tulsa (Peter Heubeck) vs. NW Arkansas (TBD)
• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Christian Zazueta) at Dayton (Kyle McCoy)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Logan Allen) at Sugar Land (Josh Hendrickson)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) vs. Visalia (TBD)

There was plenty to like on the offensive end at the lower levels, with some top prospects going off for big games in wins. Isaiah Drake broke a nearly two-week long streak of no extra base hits with an impressive home run in a Rome win, a game that was also marked by another great start from Cedric De Grandpre. The GreenJackets were led by a Tate Southisene masterclass, as he reached base in every single plate appearance on the day. Then there was Ethan Bagwell, who finished up his May without allowing a single earned run.

(29-25) Gwinnett Stripers 0, (32-22) Nashville Sounds 2

Box Score

Statcast

• Jim Jarvis, SS: 0-4, .289/.401/.417
• Luke Williams, 3B: 2-4, 2B, .254/.319/.421
• Elieser Hernandez, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 5.10 ERA
• Rolddy Munoz, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.79 ERA

The Stripers are likely going to look to forget this game rather quickly. There was little offense to speak of, and this game moved at pace due to good pitching out of the Gwinnett staff. Early it didn’t seem like it would be that rough of a game for Gwinnett. They were in good position following a walk and a hit with two out, getting an early opportunity to put up a run for Elieser Hernandez to work with. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. hit what would be one of the hardest batted balls of the game for either side on a line, but within range of the center fielder to keep Gwinnett off of the board. That early push was the closest Gwinnett would get to scoring in the game, as over the final eight innings Luke Williams was the only player who managed a hit. Williams found fortune with a bloop into right center in the third inning that he turned into a hustle double, but the next hitter struck out after a successful challenge from the Sounds to strand Williams at second. In the final inning Williams gave the Stripers just a dash of hope with a base hit, but the other three batters struck out and spoiled the day.

Elieser Hernandez kept the Stripers in this game by posting by far his best outing of the season, though it would end with a sour twist as he couldn’t get through the lineup a third time. It was a bit of a different approach for Hernandez as he largely went away from the changeup that typically makes up around 10-12% of his pitches, but the Sounds were pretty aggressive at swinging the bat in this game and were particularly swinging at breaking balls and cutters at a high rate. This helped both Hernandez and Rolddy Munoz, both of whom commanded the ball well by their standards and were able to work efficiently. Hernandez faced only one batter over the minimum through six innings of work, though the seventh inning proved insurmountable when the Sounds best hitters got a third look at Hernandez. Luis Lara broke the scoreless tie by attacking a slider in the strike zone and yanking it down the line for an RBI double, and the next hitter took a fat fastball and hit it off of the wall in left center field to chase Hernandez from the game. Munoz had one of his best games in relief despite only having the one strikeout over two innings, specifically from a location standpoint. Munoz hasn’t faced much trouble this season, but his tendency to lay his slider in the middle of the plate is a concern for him moving up levels. That was not the case at all in this game as he located his slider well and got whiffs on four of five swings, and he kept his sinker in on the hands of right handed hitters to force weak contact.

Swing and Misses

Elieser Hernandez – 10

Rolddy Munoz – 4

(23-23) Columbus Clingstones, (22-23) Biloxi Shuckers POSTPONED

(26-22) Rome Emperors 5, (28-20) Winston-Salem Dash 1

Box Score

• Isaiah Drake, LF: 1-3, HR, 2 BB, .285/.367/.462
• John Gil, SS: 2-3, BB, .265/.375/.424
• Eric Hartman, DH: 1-3, BB, .302/.384/.610
• Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 4.60 ERA

It is a fine relief to see a big day from Isaiah Drake at the plate. Drake has undoubtedly had a good season, one that has made a huge impact on getting him the prospect hype that he (I think) unfairly lost following 2024, but his series in Asheville has been doing much of the heavy lifting for his numbers. It had been nearly two weeks since he had an extra base hit, but that streak ended in a big way in the third inning of this game. Drake got a slider on a 1-2 count and was sitting back on that pitch, and was able to go down and hit a low pitch well out of the yard to left field for his eighth home run of the season. Drake’s turnaround in his approach and ability to hit the ball hard on the pull side has been so impressive, and even though there is a bit of an increase in swing-and-miss this season compared to last he is still well within acceptable range while hitting the ball harder and in the air more often. He isn’t the only one in the midst of a rough patch, as John Gil only has one extra base hit since that May 10th multi-home run game in Asheville. He didn’t break that streak, but he did have a multi-hit game to go along with a couple of stolen bases. Lately Gil has had a tendency to get too long with his swing path and that’s led to more swing-and-miss than we’re used to and a lot of swinging over pitches and hitting the ball weakly. There is still a little bit of that even in this game and it’s going to be something to monitor as the season wears on, though for a young player these mechanical habits aren’t something to worry about long term. Gil adding two stolen bases brings him up to 13 in a row since his last caught stealing, dating back over a month to an April 26th stolen base. Eric Hartman hit a laser for a double in the seventh inning as his lone hit of the game, and there is definitely nothing worrying about his game. It was natural he was going to fall off a bit after that insane start, but he’s still consistently hitting the ball hard and putting up much better plate appearances than last season. He’s on one of his worst stretches of the season with three hits and only that double over his past six games, but it’s not come with any sort of concerns at the plate beyond just sample fluctuation.

There is so much positive that could be said about Cedric De Grandpre from the month of May. He’s just been terrific, and the command issues that were slowing him down in April have ironed themselves out and he has been the team’s most consistent arm. The home runs haven’t been great, but this month he has seven walks and 39 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings, and taking away a poor opening game he has 34 strikeouts and only four walks in the past 23 2/3 innings. With his command improvements on his fastball his slider has sharpened up and become a much more effective weapon over these past weeks. Though I did say his command has been much better this month this was the worst he’s been in that category in awhile as he was pulling pitches on his glove side quite a bit this game, though it’s not nearly as bad as some of his early season outings. Most of his issues came in bursts of at bats, one of which led to both walks and the run he allowed, while for the over 4 2/3 innings he was right in line with where he has been over his prior four starts. This is far and away his most successful season as a starter in his career and he’s likely trending towards a mid-summer promotion where it will be nice to see him facing off with guys who are more appropriate to his level of age and experience.

Swing and Misses 

Cedric De Grandpre – 12

Drew Christo – 4

(27-21) Augusta GreenJackets 6, (25-23) Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5

Box Score

• Tate Southisene, 2B: 2-2, 2B, 3 BB, 2 RBI, .297/.436/.488
• Alex Lodise, SS: 1-5, .245/.329/.398
• Luis Guanipa, CF: 2-5, .313/.356/.527
• Ethan Bagwell, SP: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.96 ERA
• Luis Arestigueta, RP: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 6.94 ERA

The GreenJackets had no trouble on the offensive end of the spectrum, but a late bullpen blowup threatened to derail what was trending to be an easy win for them. The Kannapolis pitching staff could not throw strikes in this game, and Augusta just let them get themselves into trouble. In total they drew 11 walks in this game, and they were able to score three of those in just the first four innings as part of them scoring a total of six runs early in the game. The MVP was of course Tate Southisene, who reached base five times and notched his 35th stolen base of the season. Southisene had one of the biggest hits of the game in the second inning, coming through with a clutch two-out double that really expanding Augusta’s lead. He shot a hard ground ball the other way, driving in two runs to make it 4-0 early, and in the next three times up the Cannon Ballers didn’t give him much to hit. Luis Guanipa had a two-run double in the fourth inning that capped off the scoring, and he’s starting to turn in a lot of power at the plate even without really having any big breakout games. He’s just consistently putting up good at bats and over the past nine games he has seven extra base hits and only four strikeouts.

No shade intended towards any Augusta pitcher, but it is nice as a recapper to have a bit of a switch up in the starting rotation order so I can talk about someone different than every other week this season. Ethan Bagwell took the ball for the start today for the GreenJackets, and he continued his incredible work for the entire month of May. Bagwell did finally allow a run for the first time this month, but it was unearned, meaning he is going to finish May with a 0.00 ERA in 24 innings with some impressive peripherals to boot. This is something that has felt like a matter of time for Bagwell as the talent has oozed out of him since he joined the system but finding the consistent footing on his secondaries has been a fit further behind. He has really honed in on his sweeper and that east-west approach that he excels at, showing an ability beyond his years to move his fastball inside and out. He has plenty of run on the pitch and has gotten weaker contact this season than last to go along with the increase in whiffs. Now on to the bad side of things, I have been singing Luis Arestigueta’s praises the past few weeks but he really did not have his mechanics in this outing. Though he battled through the sixth inning despite not locating anything well it eventually fell apart for him in the seventh inning. He let up four runs before narrowly escaping with the lead still intact, and though he finished with a strong eighth it still stung to see him struggle so much after a few good looking games in a row. He had no consistency to his arm path or release point and nothing worked well for him this game, and it’s just a start he is going to have to move on from and get back in rhythm next week.

Swing and Misses

Ethan Bagwell – 10

Luis Arestigueta – 5

Hello, and welcome to my column about positivity. Please leave all negative feelings at the door as they won’t be tolerated.

Lol, just kidding, I’m a super negative person. I’m Irish, an attorney, and a Kansas City sports fan. I never stood a chance.

But sometimes I have these terrible bouts of optimism. They’re rare, and rarer do they come to fruition, but despite my nature/nurture, these feelings hit me like a piano falling five stories and landing on top of my head.

With that in mind, I looked back through the history of baseball (mainly the Wild Card Era) to find some teams that started off oh so slowly before kicking into gear and either making some noise down the stretch or winning the whole damn thing. This is not an exhaustive list, just some teams I found interesting.

As the late, great Lou Brown once said about winning streaks, “It has happened before.”

The 2019 Washington Nationals started 19-31 before finishing 74-38, which still wasn’t enough to capture the National League East, but did enable them to get into the playoffs as a Wild Card. After wins against the Brewers, Dodgers, and Cardinals, the Nationals knocked off the Astros in seven games to win the World Series. Led on offense by a 20-year-old Juan Soto and contract-year Anthony Rendon (I’m sure he did well with his next team), the Nats received excellent pitching from Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, and Mad Max Scherzer.

Go back eight years to that September, and the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals were 10.5 games back on September 5. A furious month capped by a maddening final day of the season boosted them into the playoffs where they beat the Phillies and Brewers. They trailed the Rangers 7-5 in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the World Series before storming back and winning in extras, forcing a deciding Game 7 that resulted in a St. Louis championship.

In 2009, the Colorado Rockies were 12 games under .500 on June 3 with a record of 20-32. Led by star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado finished the season 90-72 before falling in the division series.

Two years earlier, the 2007 Colorado Rockies reached the World Series only to lose to the Boston Red Sox. But on May 21st, the playoffs, let alone the World Series, looked out of reach, as a loss to the Diamondbacks dropped them to 18-27. In June, the Rockies lost eight straight. Despite all that, they swept the Phillies and Diamondbacks on their way to capturing the pennant.

On May 27, 2005, the Houston Astros, then still in the National League, were 15 games under .500 at 16-31. Yet, they finished the season 83-73-1 (yes, they finished with a tie) before taking out the Braves and Cardinals to win the pennant. But then the future Pope showed up and the fun ended.

Let’s get back to another World Series winner: the 2003 Marlins were 19-29 after a loss on May 22nd and had just fired their manager, Jeff Torberg. But under new manager Jack McKeon (who managed the Royals for two-and-a-half seasons in the 70s), the Marlins finished 72-42 before preventing the awful Cubs and equally awful Yankees from winning the pennant and World Series, respectively. Great work, Jack. Also: Moises would not have caught that ball, so says the Billy Goat.

Of course, there were major comebacks in the pre-Wild Card era, such as:

• The 1989 Toronto Blue Jays, who started 12-24 before (a) firing their manager and (b) finishing 77-49 to win the American League East.
• The 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates who were 14 games under .500 as late as June before reaching the pennant.
• The 1973 New York Mets who were 13 games under .500 in August before winning the pennant and losing the World Series in seven games.

Sure, things look dire for the Royals right now, but if those nine teams listed above prove anything, it’s that the season is 162 games long for a reason. It helps, sure, to start off strong, and most championship caliber teams do so.

But not all of them.

Listen, you’re just here to see how Gage Wood did last night, so let’s get to the good stuff.

Lehigh Valley 9, Buffalo 4

Felix Reyes continued to stay hot with the Ironpigs and makes the question of why not see what he can do again at the major league level one that deserves a longer discussion. Ultimately, the answer is probably somewhere between “he’s a quad-A player” and “they’re simply not going to sit Adolis Garcia right now”. Bryse Wilson was good, throwing five shutout innings, lowering his ERA below 8 on the season. That’s not exactly the way to declare yourself “starting rotation depth” to the organization, but hey, gotta start somewhere.

Reading 5, Harrisburg 1

It was Gage Wood’s home debut for the Fightin’ Phils and he did not disappoint.

Four strikeouts tonight for Gage Wood in his home debut for Reading. He allows 3 hits and a run and didn’t walk a batter. He threw 33 of his 50 pitches for strikes pic.twitter.com/VC9YXfzo1f

— Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert) May 29, 2026

You can see from Mitch Rupert’s post that he only went four innings, so clearly they’re still trying to watch his innings, for good or bad. In those four innings, he sat in 94-96 range, hitting 99 at one point.

#Phillies prospect Gage Wood ramped it to 99 mph on this pitch to get a whiff.

Wood has 4 K's on 50 pitches thru 4IP pic.twitter.com/vNCoYCfaMP

— FuturePhils (@FuturePhils) May 28, 2026

I mean, yeah, there was some offense tonight too, but the biggest takeaway is that even after two starts, Wood is starting to establish himself as a top pitching prospect in the game. He’ll have to start doing it over longer outings, something I’ll bet the team starts challenging him with as the season goes on, but he’s looking like the jump straight to Double-A is not a difficult one.

Jersey Shore 11, Frederick 2

Sam Highfill was the story tonight for the Blue Claws, firing five innings in which he struck out ten. Trent Farquhar was also in his bag, going two for four with three RBI in the the victory, but a larger story is Keaton Anthony continuing his minor league rehab assignment and going two for four of his own accord, racking up two RBI in the process. Anthony is likely headed for a new destination at some point in his near future. There really is nowhere for him to play at the major league level, so being used as a trade piece makes the most. If there is a team that could use some right handed pop at first base or DH, maybe he can translate minor league numbers into major league success.

Clearwater 12, Dunedin 11

Another offensive barnburner, this time, it was Robert Phelps and TJayy Walton leading the charge. Phelps had three hits, a double among them, while Walton had two hits and scored three times. Both also stole a base to chip in. One of those rare nights where all of the team’s minor league affiliates hit well and won.

Weird.

Brewers broadcaster Jeff Levering stops by The Crawfish Boxes to preview the weekend series versus Milwaukee.   

Q: Christian Yelich was slowed in May with that groin strain.    Last May when he last faced the Astros, he had some nice at bats against them.  What kind of season is he having this year?

A:  Yelich had a resurgent season in 2025, his most games played since 2022, and arguably his most productive since 2019. With no rehab assignment, and some lingering back issues, he has been somewhat slow to come back from the groin strain. However, he did homer in back to back games in his return. His presence strengthens the lineup.   

Q:  Do you think the NL Central is the toughest in all of baseball?

A:  It has always been a competitive division, but every team got better this offseason. Two months into the season, it is the most balanced division in the league.

Q:  What does Jake Bauers bring to the club?

A:  Great intangibles and a steady approach to the game (and life).  Finally healthy and given an opportunity to play most days, Bauers is thriving with the opportunity. He is solid at first, can play either corner outfield spot and has power to all fields at the plate.

Q:  Kyle Harrison and Jacob Misiorowski have been equally impressive collecting K’s and wins.  What have been their biggest improvements leading to their success this season?   

A:  Miz brings the heat, up to 104MPH, but his command has taken on a new life form this year. He’s not just a thrower anymore, he’s hitting spots with all of his pitches and maintains his velocity throughout the game. 

For Harrison, he’s finally getting a shot. He’s always had the stuff, but moving to the first base side of the rubber has allowed his pitches to become weapons. (He’s added) Additional depth on the slurve, and the fastball sneaks up on the league’s best hitters. 

Quite the 1-2 punch. And both leading MLB’s youngest pitching staff.

The New York Mets (22-33) welcome the Miami Marlins (26-31) to Citi Field, one week after Miami swept New York down at loanDepot Park. Miami promptly went out and lost two out of three to the Blue Jays, much like how the Mets lost two of three to the Reds following the sweep.

The Mets ended up dropping the next two games after getting swept, falling by an identical 7-2 score on Monday and 7-2 on Tuesday. Even weirder still, both games had the same score and the same time of game (2:56). They did rebound to win, mercifully, by a 4-2 score on Wednesday, which halted their five-game skid. The win was primarily aided by the Reds’ inability to bring home runners, as they stranded a small army (17 in total) on the base paths. Despite having runners on base in every single inning, the Mets held Cincinnati to two runs on the evening, and the pitching, which was essentially a bullpen game with Jonah Tong serving as the bulk arm, did just enough to secure a win.

The offense scored eight runs across the three games, which feels like an embarrassment of riches compared to the two runs they scored last weekend in Miami, but it’s hardly enough to consider the offense “back”. Meanwhile, the pitching faltered in each of the first two games, first with Nolan McLean getting knocked around for a second straight start, and then with David Peterson reverting back to his struggles after some encouraging outings earlier in the month. Speaking of Peterson, he made a mental lapse in the field which was the topic of much conversation in the booth, and with some starting to question whether apathy is setting in for a group that appears to be going nowhere fast.

Carson Benge, who struggled so mightily in April, continues to emerge as a might spot in another relatively dim month for the Mets—this is again probably an overreaction given that the team is hovering around .500 this month, but still hardly well enough to be celebrated. Benge has the second-highest wRC+ (122) and second-best fWAR (0.6) among Mets hitters this month, trailing just Juan Soto in both categories. The rookie contributed two run-scoring hits on Thursday, which ended up being the difference, as the only other runs the Mets could muster came on solo shots from the aforementioned Soto and the newly-acquired Eric Wagaman. Benge is also second on the team in runs scored this month with 16 (again, behind Soto) and third in runs batted in with 14, trailing Soto (16) and Mark Vientos (15). He leads all Mets qualified hitters this month with a .302 average.

But two of the veterans the team acquired in the offseason continue to be hugely problematic on offense. Bo Bichette, who has shown some glimpses of turning it around, is still hitting .218/.275/.317 with a 72 wRC+ and a 0.1 fWAR in May. Meanwhile, Marcus Semien, who did homer in Monday’s loss, has done little else, hitting .207/.250/.326 with a 63 wRC+ and a -0.2 fWAR for the month. For the Mets to have any shot of digging themselves out of their early-season hole, they will need much more production from these two bats, specifically Bichette, who was brought in for his offense.

The Mets got to enjoy something yesterday that they haven’t enjoyed since May 11: a day off and some extra rest. The last time the Mets had a day off, the Knicks had just wrapped up a sweep of the 76ers on the previous day and were beginning their eight days of rest before the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. In any event, the Mets played a marathon stretch that took them through a homestand against the Tigers and Yankees, back onto the road against the Nationals and Marlins, and then back home again to face the Reds. The stretch encompassed their jubilant 5-1 homestand, their demoralizing 2-5 road trip, and their uneven series loss this week. This is just the second (and final) day off of the month, but it could prove to give them a bit of a boost as they prepare for one final home series before heading back out west to take on the Mariners.

Friday, May 29: Freddy Peralta vs. Max Meyer, 7:10 PM EDT on WPIX

Peralta (2026): 61.1 IP. 63 K, 27 BB, 8 HR, 3.52 ERA, 4.13 IP, 91 ERA-

Peralta endured his strangest start as a Met. He allowed a season-high eight hits and matched his season-worst by allowing four earned runs and two home runs (both on Opening Day). However, he completed seven innings for the first time as a Met, struck out a season-high nine and walked just two batters after walking a season-high six in his prior outing. All that said, he still endured a loss to the Marlins, his fourth in a Mets uniform. It wouldn’t have mattered much anyway, as the offense was only able to push one run across.

Meyer (2026): 60.2 IP, 68 K, 22 BB, 4 HR, 2.52 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 62 ERA-

Meyer had no problem handling the Mets his last time out. He hurled seven shutout innings against New York, allowing just one hit and walking three while striking out eight. He has now tossed 13 scoreless innings across his last two starts, and has earned a win in his last three starts and four of five outings in May. For the month, he has posted a 1.76 ERA and a 2.71 FIP in 30 2/3 innings. He has struck out 35 and is limiting hitters to a .168/.246/.271 slash line.

Saturday, May 30: Christian Scott vs. Tyler Phillips, 4:10 PM EDT on SNY

Scott (2026): 25.1 IP, 30 K, 14 BB, 1 HR, 3.20 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 82 ERA-

Scott is coming off his best start of the young season, and his best since coming back from Tommy John Surgery. The right-hander pitched into the sixth inning for the first time all year, throwing 5 2/3 innings against Miami. He held the Marlins off the board, scattering four hits while walking two and striking out five. It was his first time holding an opponent scoreless in 15 major league appearances, meaning that the 26-year-old could be turning a corner after struggling across much of the early part of this year. It’s a sorely-needed development for the Mets, who need all the help they can get on the starting pitching front.

Phillips (2026): 33.2 IP, 31 K, 18 BB, 1 HR, 1.07 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 26 ERA-

Phillips started the year off as a reliever but has transitioned to the rotation in recent weeks. This will be just his second start of the season. His first one went well, as he limited the Mets to just two hits over 3 2/3 shutout innings. He walked two, struck out four, and tossed a season-high 59 pitches. It was his longest outing of the year, though he has gone three innings on four separate occasions in relief. It’s likely he’ll be stretched out enough to go four, and maybe a little further depending on pitch count, but he likely won’t go much further than 60-70 pitches. He has only allowed a run in five of his 16 outings this year.

Sunday, May 31: Nolan McLean vs. Janson Junk, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY

McLean (2026):61.1 IP, 75 K, 19 BB, 8 HR, 4.40 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 113 ERA-

The last two starts have been a disaster for McLean. After allowing 19 runs in his first nine starts, he allowed 16 runs over his last two outings, which drove his ERA up from 2.92 to 4.40. His last time out started on a promising note, with the right-hander striking out the side in the first. However, it quickly devolved from there, and he only lasted 3 1/3 innings, the shortest outing of his major league career. He ended up being tagged for even earned runs (his season high) on five hits, with six strikeouts and two walks. He also allowed two home runs for the second consecutive start and has allowed six over his last four appearances after serving up just two in his first seven starts. For whatever little hope the Mets have of getting back into the playoff race, they will need McLean to be more like the 2025 version and less like what they’ve seen the last two times out.

Junk (2026): 60.0 IP, 43 K, 13 BB, 8 HR, 4.80 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 118 ERA-

Junk had a nice bounce back outing after suffering two really bad starts in a row against the Rays (5 2/3 innings, seven earned runs, ten hits, three walks, four strikeouts, two home runs) and the Braves (five innings, eight earned runs, eight hits, three strikeouts, zero walks, two home runs), both of which resulted in losses. Against the Blue Jays, he went five innings and allowed just one earned run on eight hits while striking out three and not issuing a walk. It was an encouraging outing and got the right-hander back in the win column after his recent string of losses. Surprisingly, the Mets did not see Junk at any point last year while pitching for the Marlins and in fact this will be his first regular season appearance against the Amazins.

Diamondbacks News

(SI.com) The Diamondbacks Have a Geraldo Perdomo Problem

Franchise shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who sprung to life with an elite seven-WAR season and a fourth-place MVP placement in 2025, has a mere .671 OPS. He’s on pace to produce his worst full-season OPS since 2022, when (at 22 years old) he hit just .195.

Perdomo’s hit primarily in the three-hole this season, but has only 20 RBI — a far cry from the 100-RBI production that earned him a franchise record in 2025.

So, how bad has Perdomo really been? What part of his game has remained positive this year? Let’s take a look at the numbers:

(ClutchPoints) How a Diamondbacks fan’s mistake ended with 2 Giants Willy Adames home run balls

The Arizona Diamondbacks became part of one of baseball’s strangest fan stories this week after a Chase Field mix-up somehow turned into two Willy Adames home run balls for the same couple.

(AZ Central) Red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks rising in 2026 World Series odds

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won 10 of their past 11 games.

They have surged to the top of the NL wild-card race, tied with the San Diego Padres at 31-24.

And their World Series odds are improving

MLB News

(ESPN) Breaking down initial MLB CBA proposals: Salary cap and more

MLB proposed a salary-cap system Thursday, marking the league’s first foray into overhauling the sport’s economic structure in more than three decades. The long-awaited proposal would set a hard cap of $245.3 million and hard floor of $171.2 million, aiming to shrink the disparity among team payrolls by a significant amount. The league’s proposal — which also called for a 50/50 revenue split and the centralization of all television revenue — came one day after the MLBPA made a wide-ranging opening offer that called for a soft floor, new definitions of revenue sharing and pay increases for younger players.

(NBC Sports) Baseball players ask for expanded free agency, salary arbitration rights, almost doubling minimum

A day before Major League Baseball is expected to make a salary cap proposal, the union outlined its initial economic proposals during a bargaining session at the players’ association office in Manhattan. It included what it called a “competitive integrity tax” that would penalize teams dropping below a payroll floor and called for the luxury tax threshold to rise to $300 million next year.

(CBS Sports) NL Cy Young odds, prediction: Incredible race has current top six that doesn’t even include Paul Skenes

We just got past the two-month mark of the 2026 MLB season, which means there are still four long months to go. Needless to say, so many things can change over the large sample that is yet to come. In looking at the top-shelf pitching on the National League side, however, I couldn’t help but want to run through the race for the Cy Young award right now.

I count at least six pitchers with a very strong case and this doesn’t even include last season’s winner in Paul Skenes. I fully expect him to be in the mix by the time we get to September, but his case thus far in 2026 just doesn’t measure up to our top six.