The Braves face the Los Angeles Deathstars in game 2 of their weekend 3-game series and this is the game with the biggest name value in the pitching matchup, as Spencer Strider faces off with Blake Snell.

Strider’s first outing of the season last week went pretty poorly in Colorado, but it was also in Colorado, a notoriously abnormal environment unfriendly to pitching. That said, his control was clearly not there, which isn’t something you would expect to be altitude-driven. The promising part of his outing was the 6 strikeouts and 14 whiffs he got through 3.1 innings and 87 pitches. Let’s hope that Spencer can pitch much longer into the game today, as his abbreviated last start somewhat wrecked the pitching staff for a few days. He’ll also need to find much better command against this terrifying Dodgers lineup.

The Dodgers will have their own star pitcher returning from injury, as Blake Snell will make his season debut for them. He replaced another star pitcher for LA, Tyler Glasnow, who hits the IL. Snell is a former Cy Young winner, but it’s never a certainty how a pitcher will fair in their return from an injury, particularly after missing a normal Spring Training. Snell is a tough lefty, which is not a great matchup for an Atlanta lineup, which has three star-level lefty bats, is missing Ronald Acuna, and has a struggling Austin Riley, though righty-Ozzie is always a plus. Snell’s curveball and changeup are nasty, though his fastball is more variable. He is also notoriously “effectively wild”, so the Braves can and should take some walks against him, which also contributes to his relatively short outings for a starter of his quality.

I’d give this matchup a solid advantage to LA on paper, given the platoon splits and how long it’s been since we saw a dominant Spencer Strider at the major league level, but with fairly large error bars, since both pitchers are just getting back from injury.

Game Info

Game Time: Saturday, May 9th, 9:10 pm EDT

Location: UNIGLO Field at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

UPDATE: The game has been postponed and will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on July 17.

This may be stating the obvious, but weather will be a factor in this game, folks. (It’s sunny here in Seattle!) The Sox and Rays will either play through some serious bouts of rain this afternoon and into the evening, or deal with a postponement.

Plan seems to be to start #Rays–#RedSox game on time at 4:10 and play as long as they can before the heavy rain starts, currently expected around 6 – but subject to change pic.twitter.com/sj8MDGhLhM

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) May 9, 2026

Red Sox grounds crew and both clubs are preparing for today’s game to start at 4:10 ET, despite lingering rain all evening. Will keep you updated if that changes. There’s a call with MLB officials now regarding the weather.

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) May 9, 2026

Outside of that, we have Mickey Gasper at catcher, and Masa at DH. Let’s hope the only drama today is the forecast. Go Sox.

How to Watch and Listen

First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET on NESN and WEEI.

Lineups

Tampa Bay Rays Lineup

1. Chandler Simpson (L) LF
2. Junior Caminero (R) 3B
3. Ben Williamson (R) 2B
4. Yandy Díaz (R) DH
5. Ryan Vilade (R) 1B
6. Cedric Mullins (L) CF
7. Jonny DeLuca (R) RF
8. Nick Fortes (R) C
9. Taylor Walls (S) SS

RHP Nick Martinez (3-1, 1.71 ERA, 28 SO) takes the mound for the Rays.

Close one yesterday. Time to make it two in a row, right?

The series continues this afternoon with right-hander Aaron Civale on the mound for the good guys. He’s been a revelation of a pickup for the club so far and is on a roll so far for his new team. Let’s jope he can keep that up!

The A’s lineup today shakes out like this:

Let's run it back 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/HlFr2Z3KNH

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 9, 2026

Today’s lineup will be seeing Baltimore’s staff leader Shane Baz. A big offseason acquisition for the Orioles this offseason, Baz has been a slight disappointment as he brings a 4.99 ERA into tonight’s contest. Hopefully the A’s can take advantage of a pitcher with killer stuff but is going through a rough patch right now.

And Baltimore’s lineup:

Baz on the bump. pic.twitter.com/YisfRoC9YM

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 9, 2026

Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:

Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

There’s no arguing that the Diamondbacks offense has taken a step back this season. Last year, they ranked sixth overall in runs per game at 4.88. This season, after last night’s extra-innings loss, they are below league average (4.38 vs. 4.47). And if you break it down further, to the individual level, perhaps the biggest concern is with Ketel Marte. The All-Star and Silver Slugger winner last year, was on the bench yesterday, but has seen his performance at the plate crater, going from an OPS+ of 145 to just 70. I’ve already seen comments wishing the team had traded Marte this winter. But how much of this concern is justified.

Certainly, looking at the basic numbers, Marte is having a very poor season: by purely offensive WAR, he is actually slightly below replacement level, at -0.1 oWAR. He is batting just .209, with an OPS of .614. His K-rate is a career high 19.5%, while his walk rate has dropped to 6.7%, Ketel’s lowest since the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. However, it is true to say that the significance is magnified because it being the start of the season. Here are two streaks from Marte’s career, both covering a period of 35 games.
Streak A: .207/.265/.386, 5 HR, 10 BB, 35 SO
Streak B: .209/.262/.353, 5 HR, 10 BB, 29 SO

Streak B is, obviously enough, his current one. But Streak A comes from 2024 – when he was also an All-Star, won the Silver Slugger and came third in MVP balloting. The difference? Streak A didn’t come at the start of the season. When the slump started on April 21, Marte was batting .344 with .985. That provided a cushion: even at the end of the streak on June 1, his season OPS was still .781. Also, while both streaks had the same number of hits (29), Ketel somehow managed to have a 21-game hitting streak during the slump, and was only hitless in nine of the 35 games. This year, the ohfers have been considerably more common: 15 of 35 games.

What’s also significant is the underlying numbers suggest Ketel has been unlucky. It is generally accepted that the majority of what hitters can control is to make hard contact. Wee Willie Keeler’s maxim of “Hit ’em where they ain’t,” might sound nice. But when you’re facing a procession of hurlers with 98 mph fastballs, you will have very little control over where the pitch goes. Some balls will be hit at fielders, other will not. Over the course of a season, these should even out, and a player’s BABIP – batting average on balls in play, excluding home-runs, strikeouts and walks – tends to be relatively consistent.

We see this with Marte. From 2023-25, his BABIP was in the .290-.300 range: that’s right around MLB average of .295. But this season, it has cratered to .229. That’s ranked 164th of the 179 qualified batters this year. Now there are reasons why BABIP can drop for a batter. If his batting profile changes from line-drives to fly-balls, BABIP will drop, because fly-balls are much less likely to become hits. So let’s split up what has happened to Marte’s balls in play, into ground balls, fly balls and line drives. Below is what has happened to the pitches in each category, both last year and this:

The split hasn’t changed dramatically from last year, at least not away from line drives. In 2025, it was GB 41%; FB 37%; LD 22%. In 2026, it is GB 49%; FB 25%; LD: 25%. He is hitting a lot more ground balls rather than fly balls. But that should actually mean an increase in batting average, because ground balls are more likely to become hits than fly balls. Across all baseball last year, GB had a BABIP of .245; FB were at .091; and LD at .616. That’s why line drives are so key. But Marte’s GB and LD both have a below-average BABIP. If we give him an average BABIP in each category, we’re talking 9-10 extra hits. That’d get his average up to .277, and I am not writing this article.

If we look at the Statcast data for last year and this we see something similar. There’s not a lot which would explain the decline in batting average. Here are the charts for Marte in 2025 and 2026.

There’s still an awful lot of red (= good) on Marte’s chart. His average exit velocity is actually up on last year, and the expected batting average is higher too. Bat speed is basically unchanged too. One thing I do note is the sharp increase in chase percentage, the percent of pitches outside of the zone at which a hitter swings. Last year, Ketel was considerably better than average in this category, but he is now in the bottom twenty percent for the metric. This does fit with the eye test, where we have all seen Marte, quite possibly, trying to slug his way out of the current situation. I’m sure Torey Lovullo has had the conversation. Whether Marte listens is another matter.

Because this apparent struggle with pitch recognition is actually a team-wide issue. For the Diamondbacks have the second-worst chase percentage (or, as Fangraphs calls it, O-Swing%) in the majors. When you’re fighting with the Rockies for #1, it’s rarely a good thing… Conversely, Arizona are 28th for percentage of the time they swing at pitches in the zone. While the latter hasn’t actually changed on last year, they were 14th in O-Swing% in 2025. It’s an issue, which I’d hope hitting coach Joe Mather is working diligently to address. Because right now, it appear the D-backs hitters appear to have take the name of their ballpark as an instruction…

[All blame credit to shoewizard for that last sentence!]

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers claimed pitcher Charlie Barnes off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, adding to their potential starting pitcher depth.

Barnes pitched once for the Cubs this season, allowing four runs (three earned) in three innings of bulk relief on April 13. Most of the left-hander’s work this season has been at Triple-A Iowa, where he had a 3.04 ERA in seven games, including four starts, with 27 strikeouts and 12 walks in 26 2/3 innings.

The 30-year-old pitcher pitched in the majors in 2021 with the Minnesota Twins before heading to Korea to pitch four seasons for the Lotte Giants in the KBO. He put up a combined 3.58 ERA in 94 starts overseas, with 516 strikeouts and 166 walks in 553 innings. Barnes signed a minor league contract with Chicago in January.

Barnes entered the season with 37 days of major league service time, and is using his second option year, along with 2021. He was optioned twice by Chicago after opening day, and was in the minors when he was designated for assignment on Wednesday by the Cubs.

Though the Dodgers don’t expect Tyler Glasnow to miss much time on the injured list with back spasms, their depth is a bit tested after Blake Snell returns on Saturday. They have no other healthy starting pitchers on the 40-man roster other than Jake Eder, who was used solely in short relief during his three-week stint in the majors. Eder is starting on Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City after getting optioned on Wednesday, so presumably he’ll build back up.

To make room for Barnes on the 40-man roster, Tommy Edman was moved to the 60-day injured list. That means the earliest Edman could return is May 21, but he won’t be ready by then anyway. He’s behind fellow 60-day IL-er Kiké Hernández, who has already started his rehab assignment in Triple-A. Edman went through workouts at Dodger Stadium on Friday but has had a slow recovery from right ankle surgery in November.

Former Major League Baseball manager Bobby Cox passed away at the age of 84.

"We are overcome with emotion on the passing of Bobby Cox, our treasured skipper. Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform. He led our team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched," the Braves said in a statement.

"Bobby was a favorite among all in the baseball community, especially those who played for him. His wealth of knowledge on player development and the intricacies of managing the game were rewarded with the sport's ultimate prize in 2014 - enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame."

While he is best known for managing the Braves, Cox also managed the Toronto Blue Jays and was the first base coach when the New York Yankees won the World Series

Bobby Cox record and accomplishments

• Baseball Hall of Famer: Inducted in 2014
• World Series champion: 1995 with Atlanta Braves
• 2,504 career victories, 4th all-time
• 4-time Manager of the Year (1985, with Blue Jays, 1991, 2004, 2005 with Atlanta Braves).
• Led the Braves to 14 straight division championships (1991–2005, 1994 was a strike season)
• Had 100 or more wins in six different seasons
• Was ejected 158 times, a MLB record

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bobby Cox death: Braves manager's record and career accomplishments

Building on a one-game winning streak.

And Addison Barger is back (with Piñango the casualty). It was a weird spot….we are hip deep in lefty hitters, but then picking someone who isn’t hitting at all, just because he swings from the right side seems silly.

The Lineups:

Go Jays Go.

As discourse in baseball touches on how the Tigers will fare in the absence of Tarik Skubal, the reigning back-to-back champs take the field with Blake Snell on the mound for the first time in 2026—they do so, having managed his absence about as well as anyone could’ve hoped for, particularly given the outstanding efforts of Justin Wrobleski to keep this rotation running smoothly for the most part.

Although the Dodgers ultimately took the win in the first game of this series in an unfavorable matchup against Chris Sale, they probably would’ve liked to see Emmet Sheehan eat up a bit more innings than the 4.2 he covered—relying heavily on the bullpen finishing the job. Flipping the script, now it’s the Dodgers who send a veteran starter to the mound, and opposing Snell will be Spencer Strider.

A starting pitcher who finished top 5 in the Cy Young voting back in 2023, Strider, in large part thanks to injury woes and diminished velocity, has failed to replicate those numbers ever since, coming off a fairly pedestrian 2025 campaign. While he has Snell beat in MLB exposure this year, it isn’t by much, given that this will only be his second start of the year. Strider had a rocky season debut at Coors Field last week, walking five hitters in 3.1 innings of work in what was ultimately a Braves 11-6 win. Things don’t get much easier now for the power righty, visiting Dodger Stadium, squaring off against one of the best offenses in the sport.

With neither starter in rhythm as one might expect for a matchup in May, this might be a choppier game than usual, particularly when you account for the quality of these two offenses.

Saturday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Braves
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
• Start time: 6:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Bobby Cox, the Baseball Hall of Famer who led the Atlanta Braves to their 1995 World Series title and was a four-time Manager of the Year, has died at the age of 84.

The Braves announced Cox’s death in a statement on Saturday. The team did not give a cause of death.

“We are overcome with emotion on the passing of Bobby Cox, our treasured skipper,” the team said. “Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform.

“Bobby was a favorite among all in the baseball community, especially those who played for him. His wealth of knowledge on player development and the intricacies of managing the game were rewarded with the sport’s ultimate prize in 2014 – enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“And while Bobby’s passion for the game was unparalleled, his love of baseball was exceeded only by his love for his family. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we send our sincerest condolences to his beloved wife, Pam, and their loving children and grandchildren.”

Cox managed the Braves in two stints, first from 1978 to 1981 and then from 1990 to 2010. In the later spell, Atlanta became a National League powerhouse, winning 14 consecutive division titles, a feat no professional sports team had accomplished. They reached the World Series five times, including when they defeated Cleveland in 1995 to win the franchise’s third championship.

He managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985 before returning to the Braves as general manager and later appointing himself manager. He ranks fourth all-time with 2,504 wins, fifth with 4,508 games, first with 15 division titles, first with 16 playoff appearances and fourth with 67 playoff wins. He leads all managers in baseball history with 162 ejections.

“He is the Atlanta Braves,” longtime catcher Brian McCann said in 2019. “He’s the best.”

Before beginning his managerial career, the Oklahoma native coached in the New York Yankees’ system and was on Billy Martin’s staff when they won the World Series in 1977.

Cox retired in 2010 and was unanimously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. He was hospitalized after a stroke in 2019 and diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2020. Health issues kept him from attending the 2025 All-Star Game hosted by Atlanta, but he made an appearance later that year at Truist Park to honor the 30th anniversary of the Braves’ championship.

Ted Turner, the Atlanta media magnate and owner of the Braves from 1976 to 2007, died earlier this week at 87. Turner hired Cox to manage the Braves in 1978 and then fired him in 1981.

When asked what he was looking for in a replacement, Turner told reporters he wanted to hire someone exactly like Cox.

“Bobby Cox led one of the greatest eras of sustained excellence in baseball history,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “As manager of the Braves, his clubs became an October fixture, representing consistency, professionalism, and championship-caliber baseball for an entire generation of fans.

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Bobby’s family, the Braves organization, the many players and coaches whose lives he impacted throughout his 29-year managerial career, and Braves fans everywhere.”

Thanks to Ian Malinowski and Adam Sanford in our Slack channel for suggesting that Chandler Simpson may be getting more pitches to run on when Junior Caminero is at the plate.

Lineup protection is the idea that a hitter performs better when a strong hitter bats directly behind them in the lineup. The theory is that pitchers will be less willing to pitch around or intentionally avoid the first hitter because they don’t want to face another dangerous bat with runners on base.

While research generally suggests lineup protection has only marginal effects, something different may be happening with Junior Caminero when Chandler Simpson is on first base. Surprisingly, Caminero is actually seeing fewer fastballs and appears to be getting pitched around more often in those situations. This may not necessarily be a bad thing; Caminero appears to ““level up” in these situations.

Below are the rates at which hitters have seen four and two-seam fastballs since 2025:

• League average all situations: 47.2%
• League average with just runners on first base: 48.0%

League-wide, the presence of a runner on first base has almost no effect on fastball usage. This trend is also evident when we look at the break-down per team:

There are a few base runners who break this trend, but none to the extent that Chandler Simpson changes things. Rays hitters see 47.9% of fastballs overall and 47.3% with just a runner on first base, but that number jumps to 54.4% when that runner on first base is Simpson.

Breaking this down on an individual hitter level (min. 15 pitches seen with just Simpson on first base) reveals something really interesting:

Hitter	Fastball% Overall	Fastball% Simpson on First Base
Yandy Diaz	49.5%	63.0%
Brandon Lowe	42.3%	60.6%
Junior Caminero	42.0%	37.9%
Danny Jansen	50.9%	61.1%
Jonathan Aranda	51.0%	52.9%
Ben Williamson	46.2%	47.1%

The most surprising result belongs to Caminero: he actually sees fewer fastballs when Simpson is on first base. The average in-zone rate for four and two-seam fastballs is typically at or above 55% each season while breaking balls and offspeed pitches are typically under 43%.

Caminero has hit directly behind Simpson in 19 of 36 games this season, including 18 of the last 24 games. Why would the Rays want their best power hitter seeing fewer pitches in-zone? One possible explanation is avoiding double plays, but the early results don’t strongly support that idea. Caminero’s double-play rate actually increases with Simpson on first base, though the sample remains very small.

While the results aren’t there yet in this small sample, Caminero appears to be more disciplined and controlled in these situations. He makes better swing decisions (evident in his zone minus out-of-zone swing rate) and more contact when just Simpson is on first base:

	Overall (1021 PA)	Just Simpson on first base (22 PA)
Z-O Swing%	39.1%	47.8%
Contact%	76.0%	82.6%

This is an interesting trend; Caminero is seeing fewer fastballs but his approach is significantly better in these scenarios. Through his first 22 PAs, Caminero has an uninspiring .208 wOBA – much lower than the .357 mark he has maintained in his career so far. An improved process should translate into even better production in a larger sample considering he already has 80-grade power. The potential for greater production from Caminero with Simpson on first could explain why the Rays are comfortable with the trade-off in production from the leadoff spot by having Simpson there instead of Yandy.

Caminero actually sees even fewer fastballs with Yandy on first than Simspon, but that doesn’t benefit Yandy in the same way it benefits Simpson because Yandy isn’t a threat to run:

	Overall (1021 PA)	Just Yandy on first base (45 PA)	Just Simpson on first base (22 PA)
Fastball%	42.0%	31.1%	37.9%
Z-O Swing%	39.1%	32.9%	47.8%
Contact%	76.0%	75.9%	82.6%
wOBA	.357	.324	.208

There are two key things to monitor going forward: whether Caminero’s improved process with Simpson on base holds over a larger sample, and whether that process eventually translates into better production. The Rays already know Díaz is the more productive leadoff option, but Simpson’s ability to pressure defenses and alter pitch selection may create indirect benefits elsewhere in the lineup – particularly in elevating Caminero to another level. If those effects continue to improve Caminero’s underlying process, the trade-off could become worthwhile.

On Monday, we got the very sad news that former Yankees’ radio announcer John Sterling had passed away at the age of 87. The announcement was met with sadness from Yankees’ fans, but also from around the baseball world.

The tributes from Yankee fans are hardly unexpected. Sterling had been the radio voice of the Yankees for over 30 years. Plenty of people, myself included, quite literally grew up listening to him. You may very well watch or listen to your favorite team’s announcers over 100-150 times a year. Even if you never met them, they often can be a friendly voice that you seek out on a daily basis. Sterling was that for a lot of us Yankees’ fans.

Not that I expected people to be ripping him on the day that he died, but the tributes from around baseball did somewhat catch me off guard. To be frank, Sterling was not everyone’s cup of tea. I can completely understand him driving you mad if you were a neutral or opposing fan trying to listen to a Yankee game on the radio. However, I probably shouldn’t have been caught off guard. Again, people are generally speak well of people who just passed away. Also, while other fans might not have been fans of the way Sterling called games, they’re generally able to recognize what he meant to Yankee fans, as they themselves probably have that announcer for their own team. Sterling was ours.

John Sterling was never going to be a Vin Scully-type “voice of baseball.” Towards the end of his career, if you could’ve measured it, Scully probably had a near universally positive approval rating. Yes, he was only broadcasting Dodgers’ games by then, but he had a history of doing national broadcasts, and even after that, fans from around baseball would still tune in to hear him.

For various reasons, Sterling wasn’t that. His style with the personalized home runs calls and random show-tune references wouldn’t have hit. There was also the fact that, yes, he occasionally misjudged whether a deep fly ball was deep enough to be a home run or not. Those types of things aren’t always going to play well to people who aren’t invested in listening to him.

Sterling was ours, though, and he was ours because he cared about the Yankees and he cared about the people who care about the Yankees.

I don’t say that in a way to say that he was a homer. Hawk Harrelson for the White Sox was a dictionary-definition homer. White Sox fans loved him, so I’m not saying that to put him down while writing a piece in praise of someone else, but Sterling was not the same.

Considering his famous “The Yankees win!” call after every Bombers’ victory, Sterling definitely seemed to prefer that to Yankees’ losses, but he wasn’t trying to run cover for the team when things went against them. In recent days, a clip of him from the 2024 ALCS saying the Yankees “ran the bases like drunks” has been circulating. He wasn’t going to sugarcoat things going poorly. However, that wasn’t necessarily out of some strict journalistic duty to be neutral, it was more because that was generally what the Yankee fan base listening to him was feeling, and he knew how to read that.

Also in many of the tributes that you’ve seen, the people who knew him all talk about that he really was a kind and wonderful man. I think you could get that sense just from listening to him, but I think that also came across in things like the personalized home run calls. It didn’t matter if you were Aaron Judge or some random injury backup who got called up for a week or two and would be DFAed immediately after that: Sterling was going to give you your moment in the sun if you went deep.

Sure, it would be nice if Sterling got the level of national admiration that someone like Scully got. However, he didn’t need it. Sterling had the love of Yankees’ fans, and he always seemed content with that. I have a lot of good memories of John Sterling calls over the years, and I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else.

Weather will play a factor this afternoon at Fenway Park as the Rays and Red Sox try to play game three of a four game game set at 4:10pm. As of 12:30pm, the game is still on per Chris Cotillo:

As of now, Red Sox-Rays is on. Weather is going to be a factor. Lineup:

Duran LF, Contreras 1B, Abreu RF, Yoshida DH, Story SS, Gasper C, Mayer 2B, Rafaela CF, Durbin 3B

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) May 9, 2026

However, the outlook does not look promising. Below is a simulated radar from the HRRR model, which shows persistent, reoccurring batches of rain over Boston between now and 9:00pm this evening.

It will not be raining every minute, but when it does it will come down heavy on and off for several hours. Additionally, temperatures will be chilly and the air will be raw, so even if they do try and play through the weather (which seems like an increasingly common trend across MLB), conditions will be rather miserable.

The best move is probably to postpone the game, but that would either require a double header tomorrow, which the team probably wants to avoid on Mother’s Day, a double header in July when the Rays return to Fenway Park right after the All-Star break, or giving up an off day.

Despite the Red Sox having an off day on Monday, that’s not an option to make up this game because the Rays will be in Toronto to face the Blue Jays.

Looking further ahead, models are also suggesting additional rain problems during the back half of the homestand when the Red Sox host the Phillies. A slow moving system will move over New England late Wednesday into Thursday, putting at least one, if not both games in jeopardy.

Hey, at least this is happening while Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet are on the IL. Might be a chance to minimize their impact of being out.

Bobby Cox, who turned the Atlanta Braves into a National League powerhouse during his decades-long stint as manager died at the age of 84, the team confirmed on Saturday, May 9.

"While Bobby's passion for the game was unparalleled, his love of baseball was exceeded only by his love for his family," the team said in a statement. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we send our sincerest condolences to his beloved wife, Pam, and their loving children and grandchildren."

Cox was Braves manager on two occasions. Atlanta hired him in December 1977 at age 36, making him the NL's youngest manager at the time.  He went 266-323 in his first stint with the team from 1978-81. 

The Toronto Blue Jays promptly hired Cox after his firing. He would lead the Blue Jays to three winning seasons over the next four seasons, including a 99-win season and postseason appearance in 1985.

Cox returned to the Braves as a general manager in 1985 and named himself manager in 1990, where he would spend the rest of his managerial career.

Over the next 20 years, Cox would lead the Braves to 14 consecutive NL West titles, five National League pennants and a World Series title in 1995.

Cox won four manager of the year awards throughout his 32-year career and finished with 2,504 victories, fourth all time, plus a record 162 ejections. He retired in 2010 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Cox had been the third baseman for the New York Yankees from 1968 to 1969, but injuries cut his playing career short. He would spend the next decade working his way through the Yankees farm system as a manager until he became the first base coach in 1977 and later got his chance with the Braves.

Hall of Fame Braves pitcher Tom Glavine called Cox "the single greatest influence on me as a player, in terms of teaching the game, respecting the game, carrying yourself the right way on and off the field.”

Bobby Cox record

Bobby Cox was 2,504-2,001 in 29 seasons as an MLB manager, winning five National League titles and the 1995 World Series championship.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bobby Cox dies: Braves' Hall of Fame manager was 84 years old

Last night, the Brewers put together a strong performance to open up their series against the Yankees, shutting them out 6-0. While the final score reflects a complete game from the Brewers as a team, it was Jacob Misiorowski who generated the talk of the game. Not only did he dominate a strong Yankees’ lineup, but he did it with some of the fastest pitches ever thrown by a starting pitcher.

How good was Misiorowski’s start last night?

It was a historic start for Miz. While he didn’t set a single-game strikeout record or post an impressive stat line, he still made headlines with what he did. That was set from the first pitch of the game, when his fastball was one of the fastest in recorded major-league history.

Jacob Misiorowski with perhaps the most ABSURD first inning ever. 😳

10 Pitches at: 102, 103, 103, 103, 103, 103, 103, 103, 103 and 104 mph. pic.twitter.com/1Oh6TYehJy

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 8, 2026

Jacob Misiorowski threw the FIVE FASTEST PITCHES EVER RECORDED by a starting pitcher…

…ALL in tonight's first inning 🥵 pic.twitter.com/Ox0wfDGMVW

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 9, 2026

The previous fastest pitch recorded by a starting pitcher came back on July 12, 2022, thrown by Jordan Hicks. Not only did Misiorowski top that, but he did it seven times last night, and five of those came in the first inning. It’s also important to note that Hicks was used as an opener in that game and only pitched 1 2/3 innings. If you want to find a pitch thrown in a more traditional start, that goes back to 2011 by Justin Verlander, thrown in Game 5 of the ALCS. Only 14 times has a starting pitcher thrown a pitch of at least 103 mph, and Misiorowski did it 10 times last night.

The Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski hit 103.6 mph vs. Yankees, throwing the hardest pitches ever tracked by MLB from a starter 😱

The previous fastest pitch ever recorded by a starter was Jordan Hicks with a 103.2 mph fastball on July 12, 2022 (with data going back to 2008), per… pic.twitter.com/0wI8lrQebH

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 9, 2026

Here are some of the other marks he set in last night’s game and this season:

• Third-most pitches of 100+ mph in a single game (43). He also holds the mark for fourth-most (41) and fifth-most (39) in starts this season.
• Four strikeouts of 102+ mph in a single game, most by a pitcher since tracking started in 2008. He has eight in his career, while all other starting pitchers have a combined four.
• 40 careen pitches thrown of 102+ mph, also most by a pitcher since tracking started. Second place is Hunter Greene with 12.
• 161 career pitches thrown at 101+ mph, second most since tracking started. He’s only nine behind Hunter Greene for first place.

To finish this off, here is a video of his 11th strikeout from last night’s game. This was the end of his night at 95 pitches.

Jacob Misiorowski, Unfair Sequence for his 11th K. 😲

103mph FB, 96mph Slider, 103mph FB and 89mph Curveball.

Clearly not human. Add him to the UFO files. pic.twitter.com/JPK5qoFXPh

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 9, 2026

What marks is Misiorowski on an early pace to break?

As we approach the end of the first quarter of the season, there’s a larger data set that we can now look at and use to project out the rest of the season. Through his first eight starts, here are Misiorowski’s stats:

• 8 Games Started
• 44 Innings Pitched
• 12 Earned Runs Allowed – 2.45 ERA, 2.63 FIP
• 70 Strikeouts – 14.3 K/9
• 25 Hits Allowed – 5.1 H/9
• 17 Walks – 3.5 BB/9

Since that will be his first quarter of the season, if we multiply it out by four, here’s what the stats would look like over a full season:

• 32 Games Started
• 176 Innings Pitched
• 280 Strikeouts
• 100 Hits Allowed
• 56 Walks

While those numbers look great, I don’t think he’ll hit those marks. That’s not because he’s not capable of it; he absolutely could do that. However, he’s likely going to get some “maintenance” during the season. Whether that is in the form of a couple of skipped starts, a six-man rotation, or a short IL stint, there will be some extra rest built in during the season. With that in mind, here’s a more reasonable projection for a full season:

• 28 Games Started
• 154 Innings Pitched
• 245 Strikeouts
• 88 Hits Allowed
• 60 Walks

That’s still an incredibly strong season. It might not win a Cy Young award, but it would be one of the best single seasons in Brewers’ history. Here’s where that would rank him among the Brewers’ single-season leaders.

All these stats are from Baseball Reference. There is a caveat for these stats, as well. A pitcher typically needs to pitch one inning per team game played to qualify for these titles based on averages. Baseball Reference standardizes it at 100 games for their leaderboards, but if Misiorowski does not get to 162 innings, there could be some debate on whether some of these marks count.

Earned Run Average

Entering this season, here are the top five single-season ERAs:

1. Mike Caldwell, 1978 – 2.36
2. Corbin Burnes, 2021 – 2.43
3. Teddy Higuera, 1988 – 2.45
4. Brandon Woodruff, 2021 – 2.56
5. Freddy Peralta, 2025 & Ben Sheets, 2004 – 2.70

Misiorowski’s 2.45 ERA would put him in a tie for third for single-season ERA. If he improves it a little more, he would have a chance to have the best single-season ERA in team history.

Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP)

Entering this season, here are the top five single-season FIPs:

1. Corbin Burnes, 2021 – 1.63
2. Ben Sheets, 2004 – 2.65
3. Teddy Higuera, 1988 – 2.80
4. Chris Bosio, 1989 – 2.87
5. Mike Caldwell, 1978 – 2.94

This is a mark that will not fall any time soon. Burnes’ 2021 season is just too good for anyone to top it without a Cy Young season of their own. However, if Misiorowski keeps his current pace up, he could slide into second in that list.

Hits Per Nine Innings

Entering this season, here are the top five single-season marks:

1. Freddy Peralta, 2025 – 6.317
2. Corbin Burnes, 2022 – 6.416
3. Brandon Woodruff, 2021 – 6.524
4. Corbin Burnes, 2023 – 6.552
5. Corbin Burnes, 2021 – 6.629

Misiorowski would top this list as of today by over a hit less than the rest. Most of these marks have been set in recent years, as well. Burnes in 2021 would still top Misiorowski when factoring walks into it, but by hits alone, Misiorowski is on a level above any other pitcher in Brewers’ history.

Strikeouts

Entering this season, here are the top five strikeout totals in a season:

1. Ben Sheets, 2004 – 264
2. Corbin Burnes, 2022 – 243
3. Teddy Higuera, 1987 – 240
4. Corbin Burnes, 2021 – 234
5. Brandon Woodruff, 2021 – 211

Misiorowski has a legitimate chance to set the single-season strikeout record for the Brewers. The 28-game projection would put him just above Burnes for second, but the 32-game one puts him on top of the list. Not only could he do that in his second season in the major leagues, but he would do it in significantly fewer innings. Sheets pitched 237 innings in 2004, and Burnes pitched 202 in 2022.

All of this is fun speculation from a quarter season of data. There’s still a lot that can happen over the course of a season, but so far Misiorowski has shown what he’s capable of. He’s closing in on a full season of data from pitching in the major leagues, and all his numbers keep improving. If he keeps this up, we’re going to see some new Brewers’ history being made.