Category: MLB

Despite the fact that the Braves were back in town and riding high following a successful road trip out West, there was still a bit of a somber feeling at the ballpark ahead of their series opener against the Chicago Cubs. That’s because this was the first time where the organization would be able to honor the memory of both former owner Ted Turner and former manager Bobby Cox — both of whom passed away while the Braves on the road.

As such, this gave some figures around the Braves a chance to publicly spell out some of their memories and takeaways from their time spent with the legendary manager. Walt Weiss spoke with the media (as he usually does) ahead of Tuesday’s game and he had plenty to say about Bobby Cox’s impact on his baseball career.“

“I think everybody’s done a really good job of communicating the legacy of Bobby Cox in the last several days. There’s been a lot of great stories,” said Weiss when he was asked about his thoughts on the whole situation. A lot of confirmation about what a great leader he was and the impact he had on so many people.

Walt Weiss played under Bobby Cox from 1998 through the 2000 season as he ended his playing career as a member of the Braves. He also discussed how he learned from Cox on how to be a leader during those times. “I was honored that I got a chance to play for him for three years. I always tell everybody that I wish everybody in the game could either play for Bobby or work for Bobby for at least one year, just to see how it’s supposed to be done,” explained Weiss. “He was a different type of leader and a different type of person based on the way he treated people. He just created loyalty with how he treated people. That respect always came back to him.”

“He always had great culture,” continued Weiss. “I remember coming in my first year for spring training as a Brave and thinking ‘I don’t wan’t be the one to screw this thing up,’ so you get on board and you do things the way Bobby wanted them done…in ‘99 we lost in the World Series to the Yankees. Every guy in the room felt like we let Bobby down. That doesn’t happen in professional sports. A lot of times, it becomes self-preservation because it’s such a cutthroat business. But he had that kind of impact where when we didn’t play well or in that instance, we didn’t win the World Series for him, we let him down. I don’t know if I’d ever felt that before at this level.”

Weiss’ time playing under Bobby Cox clearly had an impact on how he has operated as a manager and it’s obvious that he has carried a lot of what he learned during that time with him into his current stint as manager. “I said this when I got hired. I was proud that in some way, a small way, that Bobby’s lineage continues,” exclaimed Weiss. “I think that’s really important here. It’s been foundational to the Braves’ success over the last few decades so I’m proud of that. That doesn’t mean that we’re all do the things the exact same way that Bobby did but we are going to do some of the things that he did that are important and that respect this brand and organization. I think that’s important and I’m proud that in some small way, I’m an extension of Bobby.”

Tuesday’s game was televised on TBS (coincidentally but also fitting), which meant that Jeff Francoeur got a chance to be in the house as a color commentator. He also spoke with the media ahead of the game and he took the time to share plenty of memories that he had during his time playing under Bobby Cox.

“The first game I ever got ejected was in San Diego at Petco Park in 2006,” began Frenchy as he started telling a story of one of the more offbeat moments for him — and something routine for Cox. “Bobby comes out and he gets ejected with me — I’ve never been ejected. We’re walking on the stairs, Bobby’s waddlin’ and I ask him ‘Bobby, what do I do? I’ve never been thrown out of a game before,’ and he said ‘Well, go get in the cold tub, have a couple of beers, ice your legs. You’ll probably get fined $500 or $1000, depending on what you said — or you can do what I do which is I just send a $50,000 check at the beginning of the year and whatever’s left over, just give it to charity…he was one of a kind.”

Frenchy went on to talk about how he wasn’t the only former Braves player in the house to pay respects to their former manager. “It’s cool to be here to be able to honor Bobby tonight…we’re having Andruw [Jones] on in the third [inning] on TBS because I want him to tell the story live of when Bobby yanked him out of the game…He’s just a such a respected man, Bobby was. In our first day of spring training, Bobby would get everybody in that thing and he would say that everybody that was on the plane, whatever they were, they were part of the Braves family. Treat them with respect and give them your time.”

Frenchy went on to give Bobby Cox some extremely lofty praise when it came to his opinion of Cox’s impact on the franchise. “This might be a lot to say but I think that the two most influential people in the history of the Atlanta Braves were Hank Aaron No. 1 and probably Bobby Cox as No. 2,” exclaimed Frenchy. “Just the foundation and the way he built [this team], people came here to play for less money and they came here to play for Bobby. I was one of the fortunate ones who got to realize the dream to play for him early on.”

Francoeur went on to tell another story about how Bobby Cox would be faithful to his players. Sometimes it would be to a fault but sometime it would work out like it did for Frenchy in this particular situation. “I was 2-for-26 coming off a road trip and he’s like ‘You’re going to play right field for me and you’re going to bat fifth or sixth depending on the matchups so just go out there, relax and play baseball. It’s what you’re good at, it’s what you do — don’t listen to talk radio or anybody else. Just go out there and play baseball,” remembered Francoeur. “That little two-minute conversation all of a sudden frees me up. My last at-bat that night, I got a bloop single to right at Turner Field. The very next night vs. the Phillies…I had two home runs. I took off, man. He knew how to encourage you.”

It makes sense that when Francoeur was asked to sum up Bobby Cox in one word. It’s a tough task but Frenchy rose to the occasion with a pretty good word, in my opinion. “Loyal. Loyalty was his thing,” said Francoeur. “He would ride and die with you. You wanna know the impact he had? All the guys he had to release, trade, send down…they all still talked about him with reverence. They all talked about him with such respect. I’ve played for a lot of other managers and I loved them but they’re not talked about like that. He found a way to just ride with you to the end.

Good morning! The Boston Red Sox have scored just four runs in their last three games. It is now abundantly clear that this is not a good offensive team. Moreover, it won’t be a good offensive team even if we see a little bit of a bounce back from Trevor Story, Caleb Durbin, Carlos Narvaez, Roman Anthony… from everyone except Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, really. The lineup’s ceiling is… league average, maybe?

There are four major components of the game — hitting, fielding, starting pitching, and relief pitching — and it’s rare for any team to excel in each of them. But when a team is outright bad in one of those areas, it can make for some ugly watches. But I will say this: if your team has to be terrible at one of those components (note to Craig: it doesn’t!) then I think I’d take the ugly lineup. The Red Sox might be losing ballgames, but at least they aren’t losing lopsided, four-hour affairs that are out of hand by the fourth inning, which is what fans of teams with terrible starting pitching are forced to deal with.

So I suppose my question today is: what’s the most tolerable kind of bad baseball team?

Use this space to talk about that and whatever else you want and, as always, be good to one another.

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, determined to break out of a frustrating 10-game hitless streak, decided to take drastic action, showering in his full uniform Monday after another tough night at the plate. His unconventional approach paid off, as he broke his slump Tuesday night and helped lead the Mariners to a 10-2 win over the Houston Astros.

In Seattle's May 12 victory, Raleigh snapped his 0-for-38 skid with two singles. Last year’s American League MVP runner-up recorded his first hit since April 27 with a sharp line drive to center field in the seventh inning. Moments later, Randy Arozarena doubled to right field, allowing Raleigh to capitalize and score, pushing the score to 8-2.

“Logan (Gilbert) gave me some good advice to wash off the bad mojo or juju from the baseball gods,” Raleigh told the Associated Press. “So yeah, it worked. He was right, so I got to give him credit where credit’s due.”

Cal Raleigh singles to snap an 0-for-38 stretch, the longest hitless streak of his career and of any player this season pic.twitter.com/g0dOpJVqgN

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 13, 2026

Raleigh capped off his night with another single in the ninth inning, finishing the game with two hits and a much-needed renewed sense of confidence at the plate.

Last year, Raleigh led the American League with an impressive 60 home runs and 125 RBIs. However, this season has been more challenging for the slugger, as he has recorded only seven home runs and 18 RBIs over the first 40 games.

More: Why catcher Cal Raleigh is nicknamed 'Big Dumper'

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mariners' Cal Raleigh ends hitless streak after washing off bad luck

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The Cleveland Guardians seek a series sweep when they host the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of their three-game set.

Cleveland starter Parker Messick has been a revelation, and my Angels vs. Guardians predictions expect a convincing Guardians victory today.

Read on for my MLB picks for Wednesday, May 13. 

Who will win Angels vs Guardians today: Guardians -1.5 (+156)

The Cleveland Guardians send Parker Messick to the mound against a Los Angeles Angels lineup without many answers for left-handed pitching. 

Messick owns a 2.30 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through eight starts, with his fastball-changeup combination generating elite run value on both pitches. 

Three of the Angels' top four hitters rank among MLB's individual strikeout leaders, and Los Angeles owns the highest raw strikeout total in baseball with 419 on the season. 

With Cleveland's bullpen pitching decently over the last two weeks, the plus-money value is there. 

Angels vs Guardians Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-108)

Two left-handed starters take the mound in Cleveland, and neither figures to allow much damage. 

Messick ranks in the 85th percentile in chase rate with a 28.3% strikeout rate, while Reid Detmers owns a 2.90 xERA and a 91st-percentile breaking ball that neutralizes opposing lineups. 

The Angels have struck out 115 times against left-handed pitching this season, while the Guardians lack much power against lefties, evidenced by their .148 ISO.

With two southpaws dealing and sharp money moving the total down to seven runs, a low-scoring affair is in the cards today. 

Angels vs Guardians odds

• Moneyline: Angels +133 | Guardians -138
• Run line: Angels +1.5 (-170) | Guardians -1.5 (+163)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+127) | Under 7.5 (-133)

Angels vs Guardians trend

The Under is 3-7 in the Los Angeles Angels' previous 10 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Guardians.

How to watch Angels vs Guardians and game info

Angels vs Guardians latest injuries

Angels vs Guardians 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.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (21-18)

SYRACUSE 7, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 4 / 13 (BOX)

With nearly even records coming into this game, Syracuse held the lead for most of the early portions of the game, but it was a thin lead. Jack Wenninger went unscored upon, lowering his ERA to 1.08, but sure enough, Scranton not only tied things up but then took control after he was taken out of the ballgame. The Mets came into the ninth inning down 4-2, but Ryan Clifford and Yonny Hernandez tied things up with an RBI double and single, respectively. With the adoption of the ghost-runner-starts-at-second rule, you don’t see extra-inning games go too long, but this one made it into the thirteenth inning and since these things are not too common anymore, you gotta appreciate it.

Nick Morabito led off the thirteenth with a sac bunt to move ghost runner Matt Rudick over to third, but old friend Ali Sanchez bungled the play- considered a sure-handed catcher, he was playing first base after having been pinch hit into the game. A few batters later, Christian Arroyo drove in two more runs with a single into left. Mike Baumann, thankfully, was able to throw a 1-2-3 inning for the save, and that was that.

·  CF Nick Morabito: 0-5, R, RBI, BB, 2 K, SB (14)

·  LF Ji Hwan Bae: 2-7, 2 R, 4 K, SB (9)

·  1B Ryan Clifford: 1-6, R, 2B, RBI, BB, 4 K

·  2B Christian Arroyo: 3-7, 2 RBI

·  3B Yonny Hernández: 1-5, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB (1)

·  RF Cristian Pache: 1-6, R, 2B, 3 K, HBP

·  SS Jackson Cluff: 0-3, 4 BB, 2 K, SB (4)

·  C Hayden Senger: 1-4, R, HR (6), RBI, BB, 2 K

·  C Ben Rortvedt: 0-2

·  DH Matt Rudick: 0-5, R, K, HBP

·  RHP Jack Wenninger: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

·  RHP Luke Jackson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, WP, H (1)

·  LHP Nate Lavender: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, BS (1)

·  RHP Daniel Duarte: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Alex Carrillo: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  LHP Anderson Severino: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (2-0)

·  RHP Mike Baumann: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, S (1)

ROSTER ALERT: OF Matt Rudick assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (11-23)

SOMERSET 3, BINGHAMTON 0 (BOX)

The Rumble Ponies fell to the Patriots to kick off the Double-A Subway Series, their fifth loss in a row and their second consecutive shutout. Nick Lorusso and JT Schwartz were the only Ponies to log hits, while Eli Serrano and Jacob Reimer drew a walk apiece and the indomitable Wyatt Young drew two. Brendan Girton made the start for Binghamton and was solid, allowing one run over five innings, but even if the bullpen hadn’t allowed two more, he would’ve been the losing pitcher in this contest.

·  RF Eli Serrano III: 0-3, BB

·  C Chris Suero: 0-4, 2 K

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 0-3, BB

·  CF Jose Ramos: 0-4, 3 K

·  DH Kevin Parada: 0-4, 2 K

·  2B Nick Lorusso: 1-4, 2 K

·  LF TT Bowens: 0-4, 3 K

·  1B JT Schwartz: 1-2, HBP

·  SS Wyatt Young: 0-1, 2 BB

·  RHP Brendan Girton: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, WP, HBP, L (1-2)

·  LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP

·  RHP Zach Peek: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Bryce Conley assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Syracuse Mets.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (8-25)

ROME 2, BROOKLYN 0 (BOX)

The Cyclones fell to Rome to kick off their series, their third loss in a row. Mitch Voit and Daiverson Gutierrez were the only Cyclones to log hits, while Ronald Hernandez drew a walk. Joel Diaz made the start for Brooklyn and was decent, allowing two runs over four innings, but even if he cut that in half, he still would’ve been the losing pitcher in this contest.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 1-4

·  2B Yonatan Henriquez: 0-4, 2 K

·  CF John Bay: 0-4, 2 K

·  DH Ronald Hernandez: 0-2, BB, 2 K

·  C Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-3, CS (1)

·  1B Corey Collins: 0-3, 3 K

·  3B Colin Houck: 0-3, K

·  LF Vincent Perozo: 0-2, K, HBP, E (3)

·  RF Yohairo Cuevas: 0-3, K

·  RHP Joel Díaz: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 3 K, L (0-6)

·  RHP Felix Cepeda: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Danis Correa: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones transferred SS Antonio Jimenez to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: 2B Nick Roselli assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones.

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (14-19)

POSTPONED (INCLEMENT WEATHER)

ROSTER ALERT: SS Kevin Villavicencio assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Syracuse Mets.

Rookie: FCL Mets (2-5)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Christian Arroyo

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Binghamton/Brooklyn

Note: All statistics are as of May 11

At some point every season, the Brewers’ bullpen stops making sense.

Not bad, necessarily. Just… different.

There’s no clean seventh-eighth-ninth progression. There’s no “this is the closer, this is the setup guy, everyone else fall in line.” Instead, it’s a constant shuffle of arms, innings, and situations that feel like they’re being decided on the fly.

And yet, more often than not, it works.

This year, a big part of that weirdness — and a big part of why it’s working — comes down to Aaron Ashby and DL Hall.

If you’ve watched even a handful of Brewers games this year, you’ve probably felt it. The most stressful inning is almost never the ninth. It’s the fifth when the starter runs out of gas with two on and one out. It’s the sixth when the lineup turns over and the middle of the order is coming up. It’s that one stretch where the game can flip, even if there are still 12 outs left to get.

That’s where Ashby has lived.

He leads the bullpen in plenty of stats, as he’s already up to 19 appearances and 26 innings with a 2.08 ERA, a perfect 7-0 record (those seven wins lead the majors), and 41 strikeouts. That alone stands out, but it’s how those innings are coming that really matters. These aren’t clean innings with nobody on and the bottom of the order due up. Ashby is getting the “this could unravel quickly” moments, and more often than not, he’s shutting them down.

He’ll give you multiple innings. He’ll come in mid-inning. He’ll face righties, lefties, whoever. There’s no clean label for it, but it’s pretty clear what the Brewers think of him: when things start getting dicey, he’s one of the first calls. That’s not a middle reliever or a setup guy. That’s just one of your most important pitchers.

Hall’s role isn’t identical, but it’s cut from the same cloth.

He’s been one of the more reliable arms in the bullpen so far, and like Ashby, he’s not being boxed into a traditional role. Some outings are longer, some are shorter, some are clearly matchup-driven, and some feel like pure feel. The Brewers aren’t asking him to be a one-inning specialist. They’re asking him to take whatever inning is available and turn it into something manageable.

Between Hall and Ashby, they’ve essentially created two malleable pieces that can plug into almost any situation. Starter exits early? They can cover it. Bullpen is taxed? They can stretch out. Tough pocket of hitters coming up? They can take that too.

If you’re trying to map out the Brewers’ bullpen by role, you’re going to drive yourself crazy. There isn’t a traditional structure here. Instead, it’s more about coverage. Ashby and Hall handle the messy middle innings and the multi-inning work, and the rest of the staff combines to get them to the finish line. Even that shifts from game to game.

The Brewers aren’t really managing innings as much as they’re managing problems, and Ashby and Hall are the guys solving the biggest ones.

Here’s the thing: even when it’s working, it doesn’t feel comfortable. You don’t get that sense of “OK, just three outs left.” Instead, you get Ashby coming in with traffic and throwing upper-90s with movement all over the place. You get Hall bouncing between roles. You get Abner Uribe hitting triple digits and occasionally losing the zone. Same with Trevor Megill. You get pitching changes that don’t follow a script.

It feels like the game is constantly on the edge.

And maybe that’s why Brewers fans never fully trust the bullpen, no matter how good the numbers look, because it doesn’t look stable.

But it works because of guys like this.

Take Ashby and Hall out of the equation, and everything gets thinner, fast. Suddenly you’re asking more of the traditional relievers. You’re exposing the lower-leverage arms. You’re burning through pitchers just to get from the fifth to the eighth.

Instead, the Brewers have built in some margin. Not through defined roles, but through flexibility. Ashby and Hall don’t just fill innings — they absorb chaos. They turn messy situations into manageable ones and keep games from getting away before the late innings even arrive.

No two games look the same. No bullpen usage pattern repeats cleanly. And no lead ever feels totally safe.

But somehow, Pat Murphy and this bullpen make it work.

That’s not happening by accident. It’s happening because in the middle innings — the ones that actually decide games — guys like Aaron Ashby and DL Hall are quietly doing the hardest work on the staff, even if it never really feels that way while you’re watching it.

Good morning Birdland,

Those two back-to-back wins the Orioles had on Sunday and Monday were cool, huh? But yesterday felt like a slap back to reality.

The 6-2 loss to the Yankees is easy enough to swallow. Losses happen in baseball. But the fact that Trevor Rogers got hit around does not instill much confidence that his IL stint allowed him to reset in any meaningful way. His pitch velocity was up, but so were the Yankees’ exit velocities.

On top of that, the O’s got some bad injury news. Grant Wolfram was placed on the IL just before the game with a low back strain. It doesn’t seem super serious. The team was trying to wait it out, but it got to the point where they just needed the fresh arm. Possibly more concerning was the late scratch of Dylan Beavers with right oblique discomfort. O’s manager Craig Albernaz said that Beavers felt it in the batting cage while preparing for the game. No IL stint was said to be imminent, but obliques do tend to linger.

Beavers has not been a star for the Orioles this year. He has a .243/331/.369 batting line after all. But he has at least been competent in the box, and had been putting together some nice at-bats lately. Missing him for any length of time does weaken the team’s outfield.

This team can’t really absorb the loss of any sort of offense contributor. It has been one week since the Orioles last scored more than three runs in a game. They have scored more than four runs in a game just twice in the month of May, both against the Marlins. You aren’t going to win many games consistently scoring four runs or fewer, especially with the O’s rotation in its current state.

Maybe an earlier game time wakes them up! The Orioles and Yankees will wrap up their series at 1:05 p.m. today, a late change to the schedule due to expected rain in the area. That might make it hard for some of us to take this game in. Depending on your feelings regarding this team, that could be construed as a positive.

Links

Ahead of her final game, Nicole Sherry reflects on two decades as Orioles head groundskeeper | The Baltimore Banner
Sherry is an iconic figure in Orioles history and a trailblazer in professional sports. She is part of what has made Camden Yards such an incredible place to take in a game. Now she moves on to another role that sounds like a great opportunity. But it will be odd to see someone else taking charge of the grounds crew.

Lou Trivino Elects Free Agency | MLB Trade Rumors
The Trivino era of Orioles baseball has come to end, at least for now. He pitched in two games and was worth -0.2 bWAR. Thanks for the memories, Lou.

Beavers (oblique) scratched as injuries continue to plague struggling O’s | MLB.com
Here’s more on the latest injuries that the Orioles are dealing with. It’s just one thing after another with this club. Their fortune has to turn around at some point, right?

More this, that and the other | Roch Kubatko
Lots of notes from Roch, including about the rotation. In short: it’s been a disaster but the Orioles are trying to keep their cool. What else can they do? It’s not as if Norfolk is frothing with top prospects. There’s one Trey Gibson and more than one questionable spot in the rotation at the moment.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Mychal Givens turns 36 today. The sidearming reliever had two stints in Baltimore. The first, from 2015 through 2020 went well. The second, which lasted just six games in 2023, did not.
• David Hernández is 41 years old. He pitched in a total of 61 games for the Orioles between 2009 and 2010, as both a starter and reliever. the club then included him in a deal that landed slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds in Baltimore.
• Ryan Bukvich is 48. He pitched in four games for the 2008 O’s.
• Lyle Mouton turns 57. In 1998 he was an outfield option for the Orioles, playing in 18 games for the club.
• Juan Beníquez is 76 today. He spent 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, including the 1986 campaign in Baltimore.

This day in O’s history

2007 – The Orioles fall apart right at the end of a game that they were leading 5-0. Dubbed the “Mother’s Day Miracle” in Boston, the Red Sox rally for six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning against a combination of starter Jeremy Guthrie and relievers Danys Báez and Chris Ray, winning in walk-off fashion.

2011 – Rays rookie Jeremy Hellickson throws his first career complete game and shutout, leading his team to a 3-0 win over the Orioles.

2018 – Fresh off of a call-up from Triple-A, Joey Rickard hits two home runs and drives in four as part of the Orioles 17-1 romp of the Rays. Danny Valencia and Trey Mancini also homer in support of Dylan Bundy’s seven scoreless innings on the mound.

Truly, I am not looking forward to the takes that will be coming out of the woodwork about Thursday’s game. The much anticipated Jesus Luzardo-Ranger Suarez dustup is going to bring the hottest of hot takes.

Not looking forward to that.

At. All.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Cristopher Sanchez has had an impressive season so far. A weird season, yes, but still an impressive one.
• The Phillies added some outfield depth to Lehigh Valley, signing Dylan Carlson to a minor league deal.
• If it usually takes 40 games for Dave Dombrowski to assess his team, what does he think of his current team now ($)?

MLB news:

• Talks between the league and the player’s union over a new CBA have begun. Thus begins the long march of doom.
• The Diamondbacks DFA’ed Alek Thomas, so the Dodgers swung a trade for him. Which means he’ll be the NLCS MVP.
• The Mets’ offense stinks right now, so they’re promoting their #2 prospect to try and get the ship right. Good luck!
• Anthony Volpe is a Yankee once again with Jose Caballero heading to the injured list.

The struggles continue for the Detroit Tigers, who opened up their three-game road series at the New York Mets on Tuesday night with a miserable 10-2 loss. Jack Flaherty only lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, which was all it took to overtake the visitors’ anemic offense.

The good news is that the Motor City Kitties get their No. 2 starter, left-hander Framber Valdez, back from suspension with a chance to even up the midweek series. The 32-year-old had one of the worst outings of the season, allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits (three home runs) and a walk while striking out three before the bean-ball incident that led to his five-game stint in the penalty box.

Last time Valdez faced the Mets was with the Houston Astros on opening day 2025, when he threw seven frames of shutout ball while allowing four hits and two walks while striking out four to earn the win. He did, however, hit a batter in that game.

For New York, right-hander Christian Scott takes the mound for the fourth time this season. His season debut only lasted 1 1/3 innings after issuing five walks, plunking a batter and balking before he was pulled in that one. The 26-year-old’s next two outings saw him throw five and 4 2/3 innings, respectively, putting up a 2.79 and a 2.50 FIP while striking out 14 over that stretch.

Scott has only pitched a dozen games in his major league career, but none of them came against the Tigers.

Take a look below at an overview of the two starters in Wednesday night’s clay diamond duel.

Detroit Tigers (19-23) vs. New York Mets (16-25)

Time (ET): 7:10 p.m.
Place: Citi Field, Queens, New York
SB Nation Site:Amazin’ Avenue
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 43: LHP Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.57 ERA) vs. RHP Christian Scott (0-0, 3.27 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Valdez	8	43.1	17.9	7.7	52.5	4.32	0.4
Scott	3	11.0	31.3	14.6	22.7	4.03	0.1

VALDEZ

SCOTT

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Eli Morgan, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history is a story that is so good, so nice it shouldn’t be buried amongst the ther stories. In 1947 – Larry Miggins hits the first of his two major league home runs, going deep off Preacher Roe in the fourth inning of the Cardinals’ 14-8 loss to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. The round-tripper hit by the Bronx-born outfielder, who had once shared his dream of playing in the big leagues during a prep school assembly with a buddy with aspirations to be a baseball broadcaster, is called by an overwhelmed Vin Scully, Brooklyn’s play-by-play announcer who had wondered that day with his friend “what the odds against that would be.” And enjoy the other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1911 – Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers hits his first grand slam. After six innings, Detroit leads the Boston Red Sox, 10 – 1. Boston comes back to win the game, 13- 1, in 10 innings.
• 1911 – The New York Giants score a major league record ten runs before the St. Louis Cardinals retire the first batter in the 1st inning. Fred Merkle drives in six of the Giants’ 13 runs in the first en route to a 19-5 victory. When Giants manager John McGraw decides to save starting pitcher Christy Mathewson for another day, Rube Marquard enters the game in the 2nd inning and sets a record for relievers (since broken) with 14 strikeouts in his eight-inning appearance.
• 1923 – Joe Sewell of the Cleveland Indians strikes out twice in one game for the first time in his career. Washington Senators rookie Cy Warmoth is the pitcher. In a 14-year career, Sewell will have only one other multiple strikeout game.
• 1947 – A barrage of racial slurs is directed at Jackie Robinson by the Cincinnati fans at Crosley Field. Brooklyn shortstop Pee Wee Reese, a Southerner from Kentucky, puts his arm around his teammate’s shoulder in support
• 1954 Robin Roberts gives up a HR then retires next 27 men in a row
• 1955 – At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle hits home runs from both sides of the plate for the first time in his major league career. The New York Yankees slugger finishes the game with three home runs — two left-handed and one right-handed — and drives in all of his team’s runs in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Whitey Ford is the winning pitcher and Steve Gromek the loser.
• 1958 – Teammates Willie Mays and Daryl Spencer each have four extra-base hits as San Francisco beats the Dodgers in Los Angeles, 16-9. Mays hits two home runs, two triples, a single and drives in four runs, and Spencer has two home runs, a triple, a double and six RBI for a combined 28 total bases. The Ginats set a record with a total of 50 total bases in the game.
• 1958 – Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals collects his 3,000th career hit with a pinch double off Chicago Cubs pitcher Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals win, 5-3.
• 1969 – Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs reaches the 1,500 runs batted in milestone with seven RBI in a 19 – 0 shellacking of the expansion San Diego Padres. Hard-throwing right-hander Dick Selma earns the win as the Cubs tie a modern-day record for the most one-sided shutout in National League history.
• 1976 – For the sixth consecutive game, George Brett of the Kansas City Royals collects at least three hits.
• 1981 – Don Sutton twirls a five-hit shutout to blank St. Louis, 3-0. It is the 53rd whitewash of the Astros hurler’s career.
• 1982 – The Chicago Cubs win game No. 8,000 in their history with a 5-0 shutout of Houston at the Astrodome. Allen Ripley and Lee Smith combine on the blanking.
• 1983 – Reggie Jackson became the first batter to strike out 2,000 (or about four years in the majors now)
• 1988 – Glenn Davis drives in four as Houston pounds the Cubs, 8-2. Nolan Ryan tosses his first complete game in over two years, fanning eleven. Davis leads the league in RBIs (33) .
• 1989 – Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins ties a major league record with four doubles against the Toronto Blue Jays. He becomes the 35th player to hit four doubles in a game, the first since Toronto’s Damaso Garcia in 1986.
• 1993 – George Brett of the Kansas City Royals hits his 300th career home run in the sixth inning of a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Brett is only the sixth major league player with at least 3,000 hits and 300 home runs.
• 1995 – As of today, Tony Gwynn has hit .402 in his last 162-game stretch.
• 2009 – Alfonso Soriano hits his 53rd leadoff homer as the Chicago Cubs defeat the Padres, 6-4, in a rain-shortened game. Soriano’s blast ties Craig Biggio for second on the all-time list, still well behind record holder Rickey Henderson at 81; it also breaks the Cubs record held by Jimmy Ryan, as it is Soriano’s 21st such homer since joining the team in 2006.
• 2015 – Last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, Corey Kluber of the Indians, finally gets his first win of the year after starting off 0-5. He strikes out 18 Cardinals batters and allows only one hit over eight innings to lead Cleveland to a 2-0 win. The 18 strikeouts tie a club record set by Bob Feller in 1938 and are the most by any American League pitcher since Roger Clemens also struck out 18 in 1998.
• 2023 – By striking out Brice Turang and Joey Wiemer of the Brewers in the fifth inning, Zack Greinke becomes only the fifth pitcher in major league history to have struck out 1,000 different batters in his career. The veteran Royals hurler, who is in his 20th season, joins Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens in the exclusive club.

Cubs Birthdays:Eli Morgan,* Willson Contreras, Mychal Givens, Terry Hughes, Terry Hughes.

Today in history:

• 1607 – English colonists led by John Smith establish Jamestown at a second landing near the James River in Virginia – first permanent English settlement in North America.
• 1846 – US Congress votes in favor of President James K. Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico over border disputes.
• 1878 – Danvers State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts, opens and later serves as inspiration for Arkham Sanitorium in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, which in turn inspires Arkham Asylum of the D.C. Batman universe.
• 1905 – World heavyweight boxing champion James J. Jeffries retires undefeated after 7 title defences; returns in 1910 to be beaten by Jack Johnson.
• 1940 – Winston Churchill says “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” in his first speech as Prime Minister to the British House of Commons.
• 1966 – The Rolling Stones release “Paint it Black” single in the UK.
• 1977 – Howard Stern begins his professional broadcasting career at WRNW radio in Briarcliff Manor, New York.
• 1981 Pope John Paul II is shot and critically wounded by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Ağca in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
• 1989 – After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between the demonstrators and the Chinese government to find a peaceful resolution, the Chinese government initiated martial law in late May and deployed troops to occupy the square on the night of 3 June in what is referred to as the Tiananmen Square massacre.

*pictured.

Toledo Mud Hens 19, Omaha Storm Chasers 1 (box)

The Mud Hens got a solid start out of Dylan File, but they didn’t need any help as they piled up the runs early and put it to Storm Chasers’ pitching all game long.

Ben Malgeri doubled to start the game, and Max Clark dropped down a bunt single. A soft tapper from Paul DeJong was booted by Omaha pitcher Ryan Ramsey, scoring Malgeri. Eduardo Valencia flew out, and Max Anderson singled in Clark. That’s all they’d get, but Tyler Gentry led off the second with a single and Andrew Navigato walked. Malgeri stepped up and launched his sixth home run of the season. 5-0 Hens.

3-run home run 104.4mph off the bat of Ben Malgeri, who had a double earlier. @MudHens now goes up 5-0. pic.twitter.com/zWqOxfDAxC

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 13, 2026

An error gave the Hens another run in the third. In the fourth, Anderson singled and rode home on a Jace Jung two-run shot. Walks set up the Hens in the fifth, and Valencia doubled in Clark and rode home on Anderson’s first homer of the year as he only just returned from the injury list. That blast made it 12-0.

Omaha native Max Anderson drives a 2-run homer to right center to put Toledo up 12-0. Anderson is 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs tonight. pic.twitter.com/aotrVqHuG0

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 13, 2026

Tyler Gentry cracked a two-run homer in the sixth, and you get the picture. This was a full-on beatdown of the Twins’ Triple-A squad.

File allowed a run in the fifth before wrapping up his outing with five strikeout, three walks allowed, and just one run allowed over five innings of work.

Beau Brieske’s rehab work progressed to Toledo in this one. The struck out two, allowing one hit in the sixth inning. Connor Seabold also moved form Lakeland to Toledo for his rehab and spun a scoreless seventh. Woo-Suk Go continues to be the Tigers’ best upper level reliever this spring, and he tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth with three punchouts, maintaining his sub-2.00 ERA on the year, with a strikeout rate approaching 40 percent, though most of that work came at the Double-A level.

Malgeri: 2-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K

Anderson: 5-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR, K

Jung: 3-6, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR

File (W, ): 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.

BREAKING: Gary Jones named Manager of the Mud Hens.

Read more: https://t.co/eAxWGvFvvfpic.twitter.com/RSwJKjmnvf

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) May 12, 2026

Richmond Flying Squirrels 7, Erie SeaWolves 1 (b0x)

A couple of bad innings from Zack Lee and Yosber Sanchez on a bullpen day spelled doom for the Erie SeaWolves. Richmond is now 26-7 and running away with the first half divisional lead.

This was just a tough day for the offense all around. Zack Lee took over from Trevin Michael, who gave Erie two scoreless inning, but Lee allowed three in the third. Yosber Sanchez was knocked around for a four-run seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, a single from Chris Meyers was followed by a walk to Izaac Pacheco. Andrew Jenkins lined a shallow single to center that loaded the bases. The SeaWolves needed a big knock, but Aaron Antonini grounded into a double play, scoring Meyers, but that was all they’d get.

John Peck, Peyton Graham, and especially Brett Callahan have been swinging hot bats the past few weeks, but they were quiet in this one.

Jenkins: 2-3, 2B

Lee (L, 0-1): 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s an 11:05 a.m. ET start on Wednesday.

West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Great Lakes Loons 3 (box)

Good defense, solid starting pitching, and homers from Garrett Pennington and Ricardo Hurtado helped the Whitecaps finally break their 14-game losing streak on Tuesday.

Hayden Minton gave the ‘Caps his best start of the year. The right-hander had his breaking stuff working, punching out six, and allowing just a solo shot over five innings of work.

Pennington got the ‘Caps started when he cracked his seventh home in the top of the first inning. In the third, Andrew Sojka and Cristian Santana walked and performed the double steal. A wild pitch eventually scored Sojka to make it 2-0 ‘Caps, but Minton allowed a solo shot to Nico Perez in the bottom half. In the fifth, Bryce Rainer singled in Santana to make it 3-1 Whitecaps.

Hurtado launched a solo shot in the top of the seventh, and it was well that he did. Both Donye Evans and Ryan Harvey allowed a run in relief, but Luke Stofel held things down in the ninth to collect the save.

Ricardo Hurtado smokes a solo homer 414 feet to left center to put the Whitecaps up 4-1. It’s his 3rd home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/6pBGoc2c79

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 12, 2026

The Whitecaps still only managed three hits in this one, to the Loons 10.

Pennington: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, 2 BB, K

Rainer: 1-4, RBI, BB, K

Minton (W, 1-2): 5.0 IP, ER, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps will look to keep it going at 6:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, Clearwater Threshers 4 (box)

Grayson Grinsell was a bit wild but gave the Flying Tigers a good start anyway, and the top of the order pieced together enough runs to win on Tuesday.

The left-handed Grinsell has been pretty good so far, but still a bit erratic, and that showed up as he walked four and struck out five over five innings of one run ball in this one.

The Flying Tigers jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the first. Jude Warwick singled and Jordan Yost was hit by a pitch. Zach MacDonald singled in Warwick, and a sacrifice fly from Carson Rucker got Yost in from third for a 2-0 lead. Warwick doubled home Sergio Tapia in the second, and is suddenly swinging a pretty hot bat.

Grinsell allowed a run in the third, but in the fifth, Anibal Salas led off with a walk, Warwick was hit by a pitch, and Yost drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Single-A baseball, folks. MacDonald pulled a grounder to third, and Salas was cut down at the plate. A run was balked in before Rucker struck out and Beau Ankeney popped out. So it was 4-1 at that point.

In the seventh, Warwick singled, and Yost doubled him to third. A MacDonald sacrifice fly made it 5-1.

Preston Howey’s rehab outing in relief did not go well at all. The right-hander was wild, allowing three runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-4 Flying Tigers. Luke Hoskins and Yendry Gomez handled the last two innings with no issues to secure the win.

Warwick: 3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2B

Yost: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, K

Grinsell (W, 3-1): 5.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.

FCL Tigers 6, FCL Yankees 4 (b0x)

The Complex Leagues are development ball, so no one cares a lot about their records, but no doubt manager Brayan Pena was happy to get off the schneid with a good start from budding pitching prospect Jhonan Coba on Tuesday. Coba has really good stuff with plenty of projection, and he no-hit the Yankees rookies with six strikeouts and just two walks allowed. Cris Rodriguez cranked a two-run homer at 104 mph in the second inning to help lead the offense.

Rodriguez: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, K

Ramirez: 2-2, R, RBI, 3B, BB

Coba: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 6 K

It might come as a surprise, but negative run differential teams sometimes make the postseason. I am not saying that the 2026 Cardinals will finish with a minus in runs, but I’m not saying they are going to make the playoffs, either. Anyhow, I thought I might go all the way back to 1981, let’s take a journey back into time.

The 1981 Cardinals outperformed their pythagorean record (what their record should be assuming a normal balance according to run differential) by only three games. That is because of a positive run differential. But, in 1983 they also had a positive run differential and finished 4 games below .500.

In 1984, the Cardinals were 6 games above .500 but with a run differential barely above zero. They should’ve been just over .500, according to their pythagorean record. The 1986 Cardinals did the right thing and absolutely nailed their pythagorean record, finishing at 79-82 with a -10 run differential.

The 1991 Cardinals should have finished at .500 but were a few games over .500. We could talk about the 2006 Cardinals, but they had a positive run differential and barely finished over their pythagorean record. And yet somehow won the World Series, of course. It doesn’t happen often, but a +19 run team can go all the way. But could a team with a negative run differential have possibly pulled that off?

The 2007 Cardinals really paid the piper for that one, finishing with a -104 run differential. That team should’ve been much, much worse though, interestingly enough. So maybe they never paid the piper! Should’ve been 20 games under! Finished 6 games under .500! So strangely enough, that was a team that didn’t give two turds about their run differential.

The 2008 Cardinals were another team to absolutely nail their pythagorean record, just as the 1986 Cardinals did. The Cardinals finished 10 games over in 2008, winning 86 games.

In 2010, the Cardinals underperformed by quite a bit, +95, & should’ve won 91 games but won 86, ten games over just like the 2008 team.

The incredible 2011 team barely overperformed their pythagorean record but was still destined for the postseason. They did have a +70 run differential, however.

Then, something happened to the 2012 Cardinals… they had a +100 run differential, but finished 5 games lower than their pythagorean record, making a team that would seemingly be a good postseason team into a third place team.

The 2013 Cardinals scored so many runs that them underperforming their pythagorean record didn’t matter. That team should’ve won over 100 games! But 97 wins was enough. It is noted that that team didn’t fare too well in close games.

2014 Cardinals won a lot more than they should’ve. They didn’t overperform their run differential like the 2007 Cardinals did, but they were certainly another outlier finishing at 90 wins with a +11 run differential.

The 2018 squad which was lead by both Mike Matheny and Mike Shildt, is the third team that hit their pythagorean record spot on (since 1981). That team actually won 88 games! But somehow finished in 3rd place. And also the Covid shortened 2020 season would make it four.

The 2021 Cardinals were another team that really overperformed their pythagorean record, finishing at 90 wins when they had a +34 run differential. Impressive.

The 2023 Cardinals are our fifth Cardinals team since 1981 to hit their pythagorean record. This team finished 20 games below .500! Far worse than the 2007 squad.

Most fans remember the 2024 team as being a lot better than expected. This is because that team should’ve finished ten games below .500, but Oliver Marmol coaxed a winning record out of a team with a negative run differential. However, an 83 win Cardinals team usually isn’t going to make the postseason. So it’s possible for the Cardinals to have a winning season with a negative run differential, but it would take some opportune circumstances for a team of that caliber to sneak into the postseason. The are however the best example I have come across with success as a negative run differential season performance by the Cardinals.

Last year’s team won 4 more games than their pythagorean record, so maybe the Cardinals are pretty good at overperforming their run differential nowadays. They were still under .500, but what about this season?

Baseball reference has the Cardinals as a pythagorean record .500 ballclub. I’ve always thought this is about what this team would be, give or take 5 games. Fangraphs has them finishing just below .500 now. Certainly much better than the Las Vegas odds we saw at the beginning of the season. Instead, this season the team is 7 games over .500. But what’s most impressive: they are only +3 runs. And have been a minus for much of the season!

There is of course a correlation with run differential, but it’s also much more random than you might think. It’s about as effective as a weather vane. A rather general barometer for the season. But there’s a history to it, and pythagorean records have been around for a while. How meaningful it is for Cardinals fans, I must shrug it off a bit. And there have been teams with a really good run differential in the first half and not so good in the second half, barely over. All sorts of scenarios and situations.

_{Here is a much snarkier article about it that I ran across: https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-bauman-run-differential-far-from-perfect/c-132583912}

It’s hit and miss, but not a bad indicator, really. There are more advanced predictors out there, but it sticks around. It’s fun to look at, simple. But I have to admit, teams that beat their run differential are often more interesting than teams that just crush it. How do they do it? It’s often good bullpens and defense, and we have one of those, at least! At least a good closer helps, too.

It looks like I will have to go outside the Cardinals world to find a really good negative run differential team. Do they have those?

• 1981 and 1984 Royals were both negative run differential teams that had some success
• the (expletive) 1987 Twins had a -20 run differential and, you know… sigh.
• 1997 Giants had a -7 run differential… and won 90 games! but ended up being swept by the Marlins in the NLDS. This particular team was driven by a 11-3 extra innings record resulting from an offense that lead the league in late and close situations. Clearly one of those “devil magic” Giants teams.
• the 2005 Padres were some sort of unbelievable… they won their division only 2 games over .500 and scored -42 runs… the Cardinals swept them in the NLDS!
• 2007 Diamondbacks were a -20 run differential squad that somehow won 90 games, swept the Cubs, then got swept by the Rockies in the NLCS
• 2023 Diamondbacks made it all the way to the World Series with a -15 run differential, but lost
• the phenomenon might actually be happening more often, and more egregiously than ever… the 2023 Marlins finished with a -57 run differential, 6 games over .500 and good enough for a wild card
• last year’s Guardians had a negative run differential and won the AL Central with 88 wins

What did I learn? Successful teams with a negative run differential are rare. They often come from the NL West. The 2007 Cardinals weren’t as bad as I remember. And only two teams have made it to the World Series with a negative run differential in modern times… of course the Cardinals had to lose the championship to one of those two teams. So yeah, the only team to ever win the World Series with a negative run differential beat us.

Music section will be back next week, 1990 was a monster year! And I didn’t have as much time to research this week, being out of town then starting a new job.

Ok, last minute change of subject, where does our pitching stand? Our three best pitchers by BB/9 are Riley O’Brien, Michael McGreevy, and Dustin May. I think those guys will be all right. I would like to see Liberatore, Leahy, Pallante, and Graceffo improve their control. The problem is a big one though: Soriano, Svanson, Bruihl, and Stanek are all walking over 5 batters per 9 innings. That’s bad. Bruihl and Stanek in particular need to control their stuff, although Stanek can get away with it more than Bruihl with his 12 K/9.

I think I trust in Michael McGreevy more than any of our starting rotation, even though I’m a big fan of Dustin May, I just think McG is going to be the most reliable guy out there. I like that he has his walks under control. I like his xFIP. The xERA is worrisome but, whatever, I gotta trust somebody in the rotation. Maybe I’ll trust May more if he strikes out more batters.

Liberatore on the mound tonight, we will have to wait until 8:40 at night again. JT Ginn takes the rubber for the Athletics. Fangraphs gives a 41.7% chance of winning to the Cardinals. We’ll take it. I think I don’t mind Liberatore in this particular matchup, especially if he pitches like he has in the month of May as opposed to how he pitched in April.

Hey folks, it was a quick turnaround last night on a weeknight and I was at the game, so we’re going to just do a classic “Today on Pinstripe Alley” post today rather than doing a full question exercise. Thanks for understanding! We’ll still have two rapid-fire questions for folks to talk about if they so desire, as we do on the weekends.

Today on the site, we have a shorter schedule, partially due to the changes in the timing of the Yankees’ series finale in Baltimore. (It was supposed to be a night game but it was bumped up to 1:05 p.m. because it’s supposed to pour tonight.) So Scott will Triple-A Scranton’s big week ahead in Syracuse, Madison will run through the Rivalry Roundup, and Jonathan will salute 2010s Yankees catcher and all-time quote producer John Ryan Murphy on his 35th birthday.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST (moved up due to the weather)

Video: Amazon Prime Video, MASN

Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD

Questions/Prompts:

1. Would you rather see Anthony Volpe or Max Schuemann at shortstop in José Caballero’s absence? (No, George Lombard Jr. is not an option here because he is at Triple-A.)

2. How much of the Stanley Cup playoffs do you typically watch?

The Pittsburgh Pirates third highest ranked prospect, Edward Florentino, is off to a hot start in 2026 and is looking like one of the best hitters in minor league baseball.

Florentino is currently with High-A Greensboro and since his debut with the Grasshoppers on May 1, he has been tearing the covers off of baseballs. In the club’s most recent series against Greenville Florentino made a huge impression in the final two games. The 19-year-old centerfielder had homers in back to back contests against the Drive, making it his third with the club sixth on the year.

Fast starts are nothing new for Florentino. The Pirates originally signed him as an international free-agent in 2024, and he was quickly turning heads for Pittsburgh. Florentino started his journey in professional baseball in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old, but just a year later was already playing full-time minor league ball after hitting his way through the Florida Complex League and ended up playing in 54 contests with Low-A Bradenton.

Edward Florentino homers in back-to-back games for High-A @GSOHoppers 🚀

The @Pirates' No. 3 prospect is slugging .691 across two levels: pic.twitter.com/fywZtHR3D9

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 10, 2026

Now in 2026, Florentino is off to yet another hot in 2026. The Dominican native was a non-roster invitee to the Pirates’ big league Spring Training in Bradenton and represented the club in the Spring Breakout. From there Florentino returned to Low-A Bradenton but only played in nine games with the Marauders. In those nine games, Florentino left with a slash line of .321/.500/.750 with a 1.250 OPS and three homers.

With Greensboro Florentino has continued his hot streak, adding the three more homers to bring his season total to six and has been just as efficient at the plate as well. With the Grasshoppers, he is slashing .290/.303/.581 and has 8 RBIs and two steals. Overall Florentino has a .305 batting average with 18 hits, 18 RBIs and a .411 on base percentage in 16 games.

At just 18-years-old the Pirates may have found another solid star in Florentino. As a power threat he has been able to capitalize on his discipline at the plate coupled with his raw strength and hitting IQ will benefit him as he continues to advance in his career. He’s continued to add muscle to his 6’4” frame since signing and many believe this could just be the beginning of his hitting prowess, given the raw power that he already possesses. He’s athletic in the outfield and is showing a further understanding of navigating centerfield and tracking fly balls.

Florentino has a Major League ETA of 2028.

BALTIMORE – If they have a need and want to fill it, the New York Yankees can almost always scratch a check. That may never change.

Yet in this modern era where the Yankees are outflanked in the spending department by a handful of ballclubs and owner Hal Steinbrenner is both far less capricious and much more patient than his father, there’s an almost equal likelihood the Yankees will patch that hole internally: Through scouting and development and guiding to Yankee Stadium players who are ready to meet the moment.

Six of the Yankees’ current 14 regular position players and starting pitchers are products of the system, an output that places them tied for 11^th among 30 Major League Baseball teams, according to USA TODAY Sports research.

More notably, three of them – franchise player Aaron Judge, young slugger Ben Rice and emerging ace Cam Schlittler – are well on track to rep the club at this summer’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

They’re the product of organizational consistency, along with coherent messaging that ensures they’re ready as they can be for the Bronx.

Even if you’re a former seventh-round pick who was once too skinny and did not throw nearly hard enough to hear his name called the first day of the draft.

“The Yankees are really good at what they do. They’re a superstar organization, they develop players well and they’re a winning organization,” Schlittler, the American League’s leader with a 1.35 ERA, tells USA TODAY Sports. “They give you the pieces for your success. You gotta be able to do it on your own, as well: ‘Here’s what we can do for you. It’s up to you if you want to put in the work.’

“They’re not going to baby you. This is professional baseball. I took advantage of the resources I had, the coaches and teammates I had along the way and that’s why I’m in the position I’m in.”

Schlittler arrived from Northeastern University with several red flags: He had trouble putting on weight and adding velocity. His mechanics were a mess. And his pitch mix needed an entire makeover, all the way through the Yankees system.

Thanks to the infrastructure the Yankees had in place, there was an answer for it all.

Cohesion and consistency

In an industry as volatile as baseball, continuity is elusive. Less than one-fourth through this season, three managers have already been fired. Support staff like pitching and hitting coaches are viewed as fungible should a rough patch come up during the season.

And from October through January, the annual ritual of expunging and recycling scouts, coaches, and other non-executive personnel is the sport’s grimmest ritual.

Under George Steinbrenner, Yankee managerial instability was legend. In this era, though, the executives responsible for funneling players to the majors are as entrenched as the plaques in Monument Park.

Damon Oppenheimer, the club’s vice president of amateur scouting, has been with the club 34 years, and run their amateur draft since 2005. Kevin Reese, the VP of player development, is in his 19^th season as a scout or front office member and ninth year heading up player development.

While the phalanx of scouts, coaches and quants beneath them may rotate, continuity at the top shows up when the next rookie is ready for pinstripes.

At 27-16, the Yankees are once again on track for more than 90 wins and a 10^th playoff berth in 12 seasons.

“It’s been really good, especially lately,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone tells USA TODAY Sports. “We’ve done a really good job the last four and five years developmentally, getting better and better on the pitching and position player side of things.

“They’re very much cohesive. I think it’s huge. It’s very important. And I feel like they’ve just continued to build on that cohesion.”

And, as Boone points out, the Yankees are hardly drafting the pick of the litter. They haven’t had a losing season since 1992, have made the playoffs nine of the past 11 seasons and often lose their first-round pick as free agent compensation for the stars they do import.

So their first draft pick often comes after the first two or three dozen players have already been selected. No matter: Their top draft pick has made the majors ever year from 2015-2022, with 2023’s No. 1, shortstop George Lombard Jr., expected to become a big league regular.

And since 2019, the Yankees have drafted and developed 17 major leaguers who have produced 36.7 WAR. That’s nearly double the 19.5 WAR Los Angeles Dodgers draftees – like the Yankees, perennial winners drafting late – produced from their 17 big leaguers.

The most recent Yankee to bubble up, 6-foot-7 slugger and speed demon Spencer Jones, was picked 25^th overall out of Vanderbilt in 2022. He blasted through the minors, with an .848 career OPS and a 35-homer season in 2025.

With his strikeout rate slowly falling into place, Jones got the call for his major league debut May 8, knowing the process will continue.

“Our player development group does such an incredible job of not only helping us in the minor leagues but also the guys in the major leagues, being open and communicating the things we need to get better at, what we need to work on,” says Jones. “And we’re all trying to help each other get better. There’s no interference or static.

“Everybody’s pulling on the same rope as far as development and the belief it doesn’t stop when you get here.”

It doesn’t hurt to have a familiar face waiting when you’re ready to debut.

From Dartmouth to dominance

Like Schlittler, Rice was a lightly-regarded collegiate prospect from the Northeast, picked in the 12^th round of the 2021 draft. A year later, Jones was drafted and the two made the minor league climb together, at least until Rice got the call to the Bronx in June 2024.

Since then, he’s evolved from intriguing lefty bat who can both catch and play first base to essential Yankee.

Rice leads the major leagues in slugging (.696) and OPS (1.113) and is tied for fifth with 13 home runs. These are not numbers expected from a Dartmouth draftee.

Yet regardless of pedigree, the simple message from player development resonated just as easily to Rice.

“They were very clear from day one how we were evaluated from an offensive standpoint and what would move you up from level to level: Control the strike zone. Hit the ball in the air. And that’s about it,” says Rice.

“For me, that communication was key. I knew what I needed to do to move up the system.”

It didn’t hurt that multiple coaches in the Yankees system climbed the ranks as Rice did and are now on the major league staff, such as assistant hitting coaches Jake Hirst and Casey Dykes.

The lessons do not stop once the pinstripes are donned. Even Judge has significantly benefited from the enhanced infrastructure of the past seven years, upping his game even as he approaches his mid-30s.

“They would, of course, love for you to be a finished product, but they don’t require that. They know there’s going to be adjustments at the big league level,” says Rice. “But their goal, what they’ve always told us, is they try to set you up for a transition that is a little smoother than most. Set you up for success.

“They’re not going to send you up to the next level if they don’t think you’re ready to handle the adjustments they think you’re going to need to make.”

Will Warren found that out this season. The second-year right-hander was an eighth-round draft pick in 2021, and enjoyed a decent rookie season a year ago.

Yet over the winter, the Yankees pitching staff discovered if he moved just a few inches on the pitching rubber, toward the third base side, his pitches would gain greater effectiveness, particularly his sweeper against right-handed batters.

“That move helped me tunnel stuff a little deeper,” says Warren after improving to 5-1 by hodling Baltimore to four hits over 5 2/3 innings May 12. “I can throw sinkers in and sweepers away and there might be 30 inches of difference, but the tunnel is the same to the hitter.

“Therefore, we get later swings. They have to guess a little more.”

Through eight starts, Warren has nearly doubled his strikeout-walk ratio, from 2.63 to 4.92, and his adjusted ERA has improved from a below-average 93 to 123.

All thanks to a few inches in his set-up.

“Your strengths aren’t really ever going to change,” says Warren. “It’s just honing in on the little things – we found something that was going to make a difference even if we were going to be throwing the exact same pitches.

“That’s what it takes to be at that next level here in the big leagues. Everyone’s the best. What’s going to separate me from whoever?”

The Yankees started making big moves on the pitching side in 2019, when they hired Sam Briend away from the Texas Rangers and Driveline Baseball, where he was director of pitching for the innovative Seattle-based lab.

Before leaving the Rangers, Briend took note of a Rangers pitcher retiring that year – and took Preston Claiborne with him to the Yankees.

Now, Claiborne is the Yankees’ assistant pitching coach. But in 2023, he had a different project: Turn a skinny, erratic, soft-throwing draftee into a major leaguer.

And Claiborne got to work on Cam Schlittler.

'He skyrocketed'

Schlittler barely cracked 88 mph at Northeastern. In his first full pro season at high-A Hudson Valley in 2023, he’d be fortunate to touch 90 mph.

Enter Claiborne, whose work relationship with Schlittler would prove mutually beneficial.

“He fixed my mechanics,” says a grateful Schlittler. “He’s really good.”

To hear Claiborne tell it, the credit goes to the pupil.

“He has a lot of underlying qualities we really liked,” says Claiborne. “As he’s going to physically mature, a lot of the strength aspects take care of themselves. That’s why I always say, credit to him for putting in the work in 2023.

“He showed up in 2024 spring training pumping 95, 97 mph and the rest is history – he skyrocketed.”

With Briend working to refine Schlittler’s pitch mix, the 6-6 right-hander posted a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts following his July 2025 debut.

By October he was starting the decisive Game 3 of the AL wild card series and beating the Boston Red Sox, hitting 99 or 100 mph on the radar gun 37 times.

And now, just might start the All-Star Game for the AL.

Schlittler views it as doing nothing more than expected of him from an organization that finds just enough gems to maintain their expected level of excellence.

And demand nothing less.

“The Yankees being the Yankees, some guys aren’t built for it,” says Schlittler. “You’ve seen guys come in here, leave and have a lot more success. That’s just part of the game.

“If you want to be a Yankee, you need to be able to handle that pressure playing in New York. And if you can’t, it will expose you. That’s what makes it exciting - relying on the fans, relying on the atmosphere. You’re in that stadium every other week. You’re making a playoff push. That’s the goal.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be. If you’re gonna have pressure on you, and those are the situations I’m in, I’m going to take that over a team maybe looking for 75 wins and draft picks.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees' dominance isn't just payroll as Schlittler and Rice shine