Category: MLB

Team News

Lovullo gave Marte a piece of advice, and he’s been mashing ever since
Marte, though, asked to move back into the leadoff spot a few weeks ago — “We were winning games then,” Lovullo recalled him saying — but the real difference has been his dedication to getting back on track.

“I just said, ‘Be kind to yourself, just be yourself,’” Lovullo said. “Go out there and you’re going to be fine. Flush days. Flush good days, flush bad days, and tomorrow is another one.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/ketel-marte-home-run-leads-diamondbacks-past-rockies

Ketel Marte’s heater continues in D-backs win vs. Rockies

When creating a timeline that begins with Marte’s walk-off dinger on Tuesday, across his last 19 plate appearances, Marte is 10-for-16 with two doubles, three homers, three walks and has scored six times.

His OPS has jumped over 100 points in that time. Not bad. He is now indeed getting luckier, as the advanced numbers said he should.

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/ketel-martes-heater-continues-in-d-backs-win-vs-rockies

2 Encouraging Signs from Diamondbacks’ Win over Rockies

“Crazy what he’s doing right now,” rookie outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt said of Marte to the D-backs.TV postgame broadcast.

“That’s especially important for me to get on base (Waldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a run scored Saturday) for the hot streak that he’s going on, and that’s just the player he is. If I can get on first base in front of him, and I know he’s going to hit the ball like that we’re going to score a lot of runs.” https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/2-encouraging-signs-diamondbacks-win-rockies

The Tarps Off Movement Reaches Diamondbacks at Chase Fieldhttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/tarps-off-movement-diamondbacks-chase-field

‘I didn’t believe it at first’: D-backs call up No. 4 prospect Troy
Montero and Troy started to review highlights of his recent defensive plays before Montero asked a question that the D-backs’ No. 4 prospect has been waiting to hear since he was drafted by the club 12th overall in 2023.

“He started going over some play in the outfield, and asked me if I felt good in left field, and if I’m able to go play at Chase [Field],” Troy said with a beaming grin. “It was this incredible, incredible moment.” https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/no-4-prospect-tommy-troy-called-up-by-diamondbacks?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

Tommy Troy promotion further adds to D-backs roster logjamhttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/tommy-troy-dbacks-roster

Baseball’s top ‘triple threat’ is speeding his way toward more history
And full gear for Carroll is a place very few can go. In fact, since the beginning of the 2023 season, Carroll owns 14 of the 21 fastest home-to-third times on a triple. The fastest of those came earlier this week, when he raced to third in 10.71 seconds against the Giants.

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/corbin-carroll-on-pace-to-make-mlb-triples-history

Other Baseball

Cardinals’ Torres completes 11-year journey with HR in debuthttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48855702/cardinals-torres-completes-11-year-journey-hr-debut

Manzardo’s pinch-hit HR saves Williams’ 11-K gem as Guardians winhttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48848809/manzardo-pinch-hit-hr-saves-williams-11-k-gem-guardians-win

Angels Sign Taijuan Walker To Minor League Deal

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/05/angels-sign-taijuan-walker-to-minor-league-deal.html

Big Amish, meet Man of Steal: Kurtz ties Henderson’s 46-game on-base streak

https://www.mlb.com/news/nick-kurtz-ties-rickey-henderson-with-a-s-46-game-on-base-streak

Mariners gift game-worn Steelheads jersey to Negro Leagues Baseball Museumhttps://www.mlb.com/mariners/news/mariners-donate-steelheads-uniform-to-negro-leagues-museum

Kolek’s complete-game masterpiece helps Royals snap skid with shutout of Seattlehttps://www.mlb.com/royals/news/stephen-kolek-complete-game-shutout-royals-beat-mariners

Striking out too many guys? Holmes fans 10, but Braves drop to 0-8 when he K’s 8+https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/grant-holmes-strikes-out-10-nationals-in-tough-luck-loss

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-24

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/May_24

Bees have 5 eyes.

The 3 small eyes on a bee’s head detect light and help them escape from predators approaching from above. The 2 visible front eyes help them with navigation and recognizing shapes.

The oldest English word is ‘town’.

This is one of the oldest words in the English language that is still in use. The first dictionary took note of this in 1755.

Humans have just 1 bone fewer than horses.

Horses have an average of 205 bones or more while the adult human is set at 206. On average, horses will live for 25-30 years. 

The Tampa Bay Rays, first in the AL East with a 34-15 record, face the New York Yankees, who are second in the division at 30-22. The Yankees have lost three in a row, including Friday’s series opener with the Rays. The teams’ Saturday game was postponed. Scheduled starting pitchers are Drew Rasmussen for Tampa Bay, with a 3.19 ERA, and Ryan Weathers for New York, with a 3.58 ERA.

How to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees

• Date: Sunday, May 24

• Time: 1:35 p.m. ET / 10:35 a.m. PT

• Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

• TV Channels: YES, Rays.TV, WMOR

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Tampa Bay Rays: 34-15 (No. 1 in AL East)

• New York Yankees: 30-22 (No. 2 in AL East)

Odds

• Spread: New York Yankees -1.5

• Moneyline: New York Yankees -134 (54.8%) / Tampa Bay Rays +112 (45.2%)

• Over/Under: 7

Starting pitchers

Tampa Bay Rays: Drew Rasmussen (4-1, ERA: 3.19, K: 45, WHIP: 1.00)
New York Yankees: Ryan Weathers (2-2, ERA: 3.58, K: 61, WHIP: 1.13)

Weather: 53°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 47,309 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

The Mets wrap up their weekend series with the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

• Christian Scott allowed three earned runs over 4.0 innings against the Nationals in his last start, and has posted a 4.12 ERA this season
• Juan Soto remains a force in the Mets lineup, hitting .333 with a .778 slugging percentage, four home runs, and seven RBI over his last seven games
• The Marlins are using right-handed reliever Tyler Phillips as an opener on Sunday

Today's Lineups

What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package via MLB or Amazon. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone.

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB?

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps:

• Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider.

• Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account.

• Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY.

• Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center.

How can I watch the game on the MLB App?

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.

• Download the free MLB App.

• Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.

• Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.” 

• To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available. 

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.

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

Only rain has been able to slow down the Tampa Bay Rays of late.

Inclement weather postponed Saturday’s showdown with the New York Yankees, but they’ll resume this afternoon, with Tampa seeking its fifth straight win in this head-to-head.

My Rays vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks lean on the visitors, who should have a leg up in the pitching matchup.

Who will win Rays vs Yankees today: Rays moneyline (+119)

COVERS INTEL: Drew Rasmussen has dominated the current Yankees lineup, as they're hitting just .112 collectively against him. Aaron Judge is 1-for-13 (0.77) with eight strikeouts. Ben Rice, who leads MLB in OPS and slugging, has yet to record a hit against him in eight at-bats, striking out four times.

Rays vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (+110)

Rays vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Rays +133 | Yankees -178
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+104) | Under 7.5 (-117)

Rays vs Yankees trend

The Rays have won 24 of their last 27 games against AL opponents.

How to watch Rays vs Yankees and game info

Rays vs Yankees latest injuries

Rays vs Yankees 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.

San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France put on a defensive clinic which helped pitcher Lucas Giolito and the Padres squeak past the Athletics with a 2-0 win at Petco Park on Saturday. The win also gave San Diego another series win with a chance for a sweep with Michael King taking the mound in Game 3.

San Diego broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning after Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. San Diego was unable to find a hit to break the game open before the inning ended.

France erased an Athletics runner with an unassisted double play in the top of the third inning. Carlos Cortes walked to open the inning, but Nick Kurtz hit a groundball at France. The first baseman fielded the ball, tagged Cortes who was trying to go back to first base, and the stepped on the bag to complete the double play. San Diego added a run to its total in the bottom half of the inning when France hit a ground ball through the middle of the infield with runners at second and third that allowed Nick Castellanos to score from third base.

France struck again in the top of the fourth inning when the Athletics loaded the bases with one out. Jeff McNeil hit a groundball to France who fielded the grounder and threw to second for the front end of the double play and then retreated back to the base to receive the return throw to end the inning and the scoring threat.

Darell Hernaiz opened the top of the fifth inning for the Athletics with a leadoff single. Cortes then hit a line drive down the first base line and France snared the ball over the bag for an out and stepped on first base to double off Hernaiz who never had a chance to get back to the bag.

After those highlight-type plays, it was only fitting that France fielded a ground ball off the bat of McNeil and flipped the ball to closer Mason Miller who was covering the base for the final out of the game. The play secured the two-run win for the Padres and gave Miller his 16th save of the season.

San Diego will try to sweep the Athletics at Petco Park today at 1:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• Rodolfo Duran has been making a name for himself at the MLB level. After a long wait to get to the big-leagues, Duran is making his case to remain with the club when Luis Campusano returns from injury.

• Fernando Tatis Jr. is looking at a debt of $3.74 million dollars that is owed to Big League Advance Fund, but he plans to appeal a court decision that says he must pay it.

Baseball News:

• The Cincinnati Reds walked off their division rival St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

• Former Padres pitcher Stephen Kolek pitched a complete game and kept the Seattle Mariners off the scoreboard and helped the Kansas City Royals win, 5-0.

• Benches cleared between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins after a collision at home plate.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back with a dominant win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

• Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly and his pitching coach were thrown out of their team’s loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

• Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas lost a flyball in the sun that dropped in foul territory. Harrison Bader took advantage of his second life at the plate and hit a grand slam to help the San Francisco Giants win the game.

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

It’s another busy Sunday in the majors, and there are plenty of juicy MLB player props to choose from.

My MLB home run picks for Sunday, May 24, feature Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.

Keep reading for my full analysis.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Shohei Ohtani	+250
Kyle Schwarber	+325
Jordan Walker	+335
💲Today's HR parlay	+6370

Home run pick: Shohei Ohtani (+250)

Shohei Ohtani seems to be finally turning the corner. The reigning NL MVP has not put up his usual eye-popping numbers this season, but he’s been in a groove over the past few weeks.

Over his past nine games, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar leads the majors in batting average (.467), wxOBA (.530), and sits second in slugging percentage (.867).

Ohtani will enjoy a favorable matchup against Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Sproat. The right-hander has allowed at least one dinger in four of his last five starts and carries a massive 5.75 ERA this season. 

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Brewers.TV

Home run pick: Kyle Schwarber (+325)

Kyle Schwarber remains the only man to reach the 20-home run mark this season, thanks to a run of nine dingers in an eight-game span earlier this month. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger is due to add to his homer totals today vs. the Cleveland Guardians.

Parker Messick got off to a solid start in his second MLB season, but the Guardians starter has stumbled in May, getting rocked for five home runs over his last four outings.

Schwarber is tied for second in homers vs. southpaws (six), while Citizens Bank Park has the sixth-highest Park Factor in the MLB (102).

• Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCS-Philadelphia, Guardians.TV

Home run pick: Jordan Walker (+335)

Oddsmakers are finally adjusting for Jordan Walker’s power, but the St. Louis Cardinals slugger still provides solid value at +335 —  especially with Brady Singer on the mound.

The right-hander has given up a whopping six dingers over his last two starts, and two or more homers in four of his last five.

Walker has gone yard in two straight games and will be hitting out of Great American Ballpark, which has the third-highest Park Factor in the MLB (103). 

The Cardinals slugger has feasted on right-handed pitching as well, batting .311 with 11 of his 15 home runs coming vs. righties.

• Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: One National or Two local

Today’s HR parlay

Shohei Ohtani	Bet Now +6370
Kyle Schwarber
Jordan Walker

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.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Saturday in case you missed it...

• The Mets have had identical lines of one run on three hits in each of their losses to the Marlins this weekend
• Carlos Mendoza gave credit to Marlins pitching over the first two games, but also said his ball club is better than what they've been showing
• Starter Freddy Peralta went seven innings for the first time this season, but his performance on the mound was a mixed bag
• Mendoza outlined the pitching plan for the next few days, with Christian Scott starting Sunday, followed by Nolan McLean on Tuesday against the Reds
• The Mets called up righty reliever Johnathan Pintaroand optioned Zach Thornton to Triple-A

They’ve been trying to do it for years with players that have been posted from Japan. Failed pursuits of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki have resulted in the Phillies ramping up their attempts to bring someone from one of Japan, Korea or some other international baseball league to the team. This weekend, they were successful.

Chan-min Park represents one of the team’s biggest international signings since Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. He’s got the goods to become successful should he reach that ceiling.

Park operates with a 91-93 mph fastball that has touched as high as 94. He can pound the zone with the offering and it has late ride, allowing him to blow it past more inexperienced batters. Working with a clean and repeatable delivery from a three-quarters slot, he pounds right-handed hitters in with some added sink to his heater.

His best secondaries are a pair of breaking balls in a curveball and slider. They’re presently just solid pitches, but could develop into plus in time, particularly the slide piece, which has already generated spin rates north of 2800 RPMs while sitting 78-82 mph. He has both a changeup and splitter in his arsenal, but has largely backpocketed the latter. Park likes to throw the cambio to both right and left-handed batters and it shows promise as a future putaway offering.

The team now has several high profile additions to their international group with Park and Francisco Renteria. It’s a good step in the right direction.

Meet the Mets

The Mets’ bats failed to get anything going in Miami for the second straight day, held to just three hits as the Mets fell to the Marlins 4-1. Despite pitching a season high seven innings, Freddy Peralta took the loss and Miami righty Max Meyer improved to 5-0 on the season with seven scoreless innings of work.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, Faith and Fear in Flushing, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post

Righty Jonathan Pintaro was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse yesterday and Zach Thornton was sent back down.

Both Jared Young and A.J. Minter are nearing a return for the Mets.

Devin Gordon reflects on Mets fandom for the New York Times in what is likely to be another losing season.

Around the National League East

The Nationals shut out the Braves 2-0 in the other intra-division matchup yesterday. Jake Irvin struck out seven over five no-hit innings and Dylan Crews launched his first home run of the season for Washington. The Braves managed just one hit in the contest.

The Phillies blanked the Guardians 3-0 behind six shutout innings from Zack Wheeler.

Wheeler, who gave up just two hits in the game, has dropped his arm angle 15 degrees incrementally over the past five years. And the change has worked for him.

The Phillies signed Korean right-hander Chan-Min Park, thanks to extra international bonus pool money they acquired in trade that allowed them to make an aggressive offer that tempted Park to bypass a career in the KBO.

Around Major League Baseball

The Angels signed Taijuan Walker, who was recently released by the Phillies, to a minor league deal.

Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com went through eight early-season surprises that seem like they might be for real, like the Rays’ strong run of play and the powerful offenses of the Nationals and Pirates.

Benches cleared at Fenway in 4-2 Red Sox loss to the Twins after a home plate collision between Willson Contreras and former teammate Victor Caratini.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1973, the Mets won a marathon 19-inning contest against the Dodgers in Los Angeles that went well past 4:00am ET.

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

There are 16 games on deck today and endless MLB player props to choose from. Luckily for you, I’ve narrowed them down to my three best bets.

Dylan Cease, Shohei Ohtani, and Jordan Walker highlight my MLB picks for Sunday, May 24.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Dylan Cease	Over 8.5 strikeouts	+106
Shohei Ohtani	Over 1.5 total bases	+101
Jordan Walker	Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI	-156

Dylan Cease Over 8.5 strikeouts (+106)

There hasn’t been a lot to love about the Toronto Blue Jays so far this season, but Dylan Cease is one of the only exceptions.

The right-hander is third in the majors with 84 strikeouts, racking up Over 8.5 strikeouts in each of his last three starts.

Cease ranks in the 97th percentile in Whiff % (36.5), thanks to his changeup (58.8 Whiff %) and slider (47.8 Whiff %).

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the fourth-most strikeouts per game (9.27) and are batting just .204 and .225 against the changeup and slider, respectively.

• Time: 12:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, NBCSN/Peacock

Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 total bases (+101)

Shotime might officially be back, ladies and gentlemen.

Shohei Ohtani enters Sunday on a nine-game hit streak, with Over 1.5 total bases in eight of those contests. His home run numbers may not be there, but he’s still smashing the baseball, ranking in the 95th percentile in barrel % (17.2).

The Los Angeles Dodgers star will feast on a struggling Milwaukee Brewers starter in Brandon Sproat, who has a bloated 1.50 WHIP this season after allowing 38 hits in 40 2/3 innings.

This Brewers bullpen won’t be able to contain Ohtani either, sporting a mediocre 1.32 WHIP.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Los Angeles, Brewers.TV

Jordan Walker Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-156)

The St. Louis Cardinals have put up runs for fun against the Cincinnati Reds this weekend, scoring 14 times in two games.

Jordan Walker has been heavily involved in the action, recording two dingers, three runs, four hits, and seven RBI so far this series. He’s also hitOver 1.5 hits + runs + RBI in three straight games overall.

Reds starter Brady Singer has a massive 8.47 ERA and 1.82 WHIP in May, which sets up another big day for Walker and the Cardinals.

• Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, Reds.TV

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

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

Dylan Cease continues to give hitters trouble in the batter's box, and I’m expecting another strikeout-filled outing against this Pittsburgh Pirates lineup. 

Read on to see why with my Blue Jays vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks this afternoon.

Pirates vs Blue Jays predictions

Pirates vs Blue Jays best bet: Dylan Cease Over 7.5 strikeouts (-160)

The Pittsburgh Pirates have struck out 23 times already in the first two games of the series. I’m expecting strikeout merchant Dylan Cease to continue mowing down batters in this matchup. 

He’s gone Over today’s posted total of 7.5 strikeouts with 9+ strikeouts in three straight outings. He's second in K/9 this season, averaging 8.1 strikeouts per start, while also ranking in the 97th percentile in whiff rate.

That should match well today against a swing-happy Pirates lineup, which owns the fifth-highest whiff rate in baseball. They have the fourth-highest team strikeout rate at 24%.

COVERS INTEL: Dylan Cease owns a 31.8% strikeout rate against this current Pirates lineup.

Pirates vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

George Springer is heating up, riding a six-game hitting streak, while going 2-for-5 against Pirates starter Mitch Keller in his career. He’s also scored in three straight games and in four of his last six outings. I’ll take him to go Over 0.5 runs today.

Jesus Sanchez is quietly on a lengthy hitting streak of his own, recording a hit in six straight games and in 10 of his last 11 outings. He also ranks in the 88th percentile in xBA. I’ll add Over 0.5 hits for Sanchez as the final leg of my SGP.

Pirates vs Blue Jays SGP

• Dylan Cease Over 7.5 strikeouts
• George Springer Over 0.5 hits
• Jesus Sanchez Over 0.5 hits

Pirates vs Blue Jays home run pick: George Springer (+405)

This Toronto Blue Jays offense has picked up recently, but we’re still waiting on consistent power, so we’ll make this a half-unit wager. However, Pirates starter Mitch Keller has surrendered a home run in each of his last three starts. 

So how about another Springer dinger? The Jays outfielder is starting to find a groove at the plate with a hit in six straight games, homering three times in that stretch.

Pirates vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Pittsburgh +145 | Toronto -170
• Run line: Pittsburgh +1.5 (-155) | Toronto -1.5 (+130)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-110) | Under 7.5 (-110)

Pirates vs Blue Jays trend

The Blue Jays have covered the first five innings run line in eight of their last nine games for +6.9 units and a 68% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Pirates vs Blue Jays and game info

Pirates vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Pirates vs Blue Jays 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.

Do you know the last game when the Atlanta Braves weren’t in first place by the end of the day? Do you know when Walt Weiss tackled Jorge Soler? If you know one then you know the other. Let’s go back to April 7th.

I don’t know that it saved the season. But for the first twelve games, the Braves were 7-5 and underperforming their xwOBA by .005. Since that point, they’re 29-12 and outrunning their xwOBA by .007. That works out to a wRC+ advantage of 9 before and after. They’re definitely managing to keep the HR/FB monster in its cage. They’re doing a tremendous job getting a song out of Martin Perez, Grant Holmes, and even Chadwick Tromp. But this dustup didn’t do Reynaldo Lopez any favors. He would blow up two weeks later in Washington, and hasn’t approached his 2024 form this season.

So did the Walt Weiss tackle save the season? I mean, no, but one thing that Walt Weiss has been doing is pursuing wins. He chases those down in the same manner that he chased down Jorge Soler in Anaheim. The Braves are up by 9.5 games in the NL East Division. Let’s hope that they run away from everyone.

The St. Louis Cardinals have passed every test thrown their way so far and are in the midst of another as they take on the NL Central in all but one series over the next two-plus weeks. How the rest of May ends up could tell us whether our expectations have shifted for what was supposed to be a rebuild year as the Cardinals could realistically be in first or last in the division by the first weekend of June. By that time, we will be more than 1/3 of the way through the season and I believe we can officially shift away from the overused small sample size arguments, if you have not already.

As we gain clarity on our true expectations for this season, I do not believe we are yet in the middle of the next great Cardinals team, although there are likely pieces here that will be involved with that next iteration of greatness. While we can figure JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, and possibly Ivan Herrera and Masyn Winn will be key cogs for that era, Alec Burleson may just miss the cut simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite being one of the most consistent and dependable hitters on the roster, Burly’s age and position could have him out of St. Louis before he is able to see the fruits of his labor ripen up.

I originally had this article asking if Burleson is still underrated, but decided to make the change to under appreciated because of the things he does that the rest of the league may not understand by simply reading the stats. Burleson was a second round pick in the 2020 draft (a draft that only the Cardinals can be proud of), and made his major league debut just two years later. That is already impressive for a guy that maxed out as the Cardinals’ 10th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, but even more so is the fact that he has not played a game in the minors since his first promotion.

Each year, he has taken his offense to the next level, going from a .691 OPS in his first full big league season in 2023 to now sitting at an .827 OPS before the Reds series after coming off a utility Silver Slugger award last year. His numbers improve every year, raising his OPS+, walk rate, and production stats on a per rate basis since he did miss time last year with injury. What has surprisingly gone in the wrong direction, however, is his value as a defender. Since breaking into the league, the lefty slugger has spent time in left field, right field, and first base, with more time at the cold corner last season than his previous three seasons combined. With Paul Goldschmidt and Willson Contreras manning first base during Burly’s tenure, there simply were not enough innings to go around to Burleson until this year.

Alec Burleson’s underrated defense is tanking his overall value in an unfair way

After the still heartbreaking (to me) trade of Contreras, Burly has unofficially retired his outfield glove for the big pancake glove at first and, to the eye test, has been a solid contributor with the leather. When the eye test meets analytical measures, however, Burleson has technically been one of the worst defenders at first in all of baseball. Over the past two seasons, Burleson has spent 89 games at first base and according to FanGraphs, that minimal time there has totaled a -7 defensive value. This year, among the 19 first basemen who have taken at least 150 plate appearances while playing the position, Burleson is ranked 16th in defense, checking in with a -4 defensive value, as well as a -1 Outs Above Average and 1 Defensive Run Saved. Having watched the vast majority of the Cardinals’ 49 games this year, I came to the conclusion that there is simply no advanced metric that can fully grasp defensive value at first base.

When taking in Burleson’s offense and defense, FanGraphs pegged the slugger as a 1.2 fWAR player which ranks him as 9th-best in the league among primary first baseman. Looking further, though, Burly ranks 25th by measure of defensive value, falling below 30-grade fielder Munetaka Murakami, utility man Spencer Steer, and the rumbling Jake Burger. The other outlets are also down on Burleson’s glove with Baseball Savant giving him a 0 in Fielding Run Value (44th percentile) and -1 Outs Above Average (27th percentile), which again tells me that my eyes are either really messed up or the more likely fact that first base defense is tough to value.

Taking the metrics out of it, Burly has been asked to be the consistent piece of a Cardinals organization that has been going through a rollercoaster stretch for the entirety of his big league career. To his credit, he has taken every challenge in stride and challenging himself to become a more complete baseball player. On a team without any veteran leadership, Burleson has been a voice and example for the youngsters, while also being a solid foundation for Marmol to rally his team around. The issue, though, is that as the only veteran (until Nootbaar comes back), Burleson might miss the timeline for the Cardinals return to relevance if this year goes south.

Because of his early rise to the major leagues, Burleson will approach four years of service time and will be arbitration eligible for this offseason. This will put him as a free agent following the 2028 campaign, putting him firmly in the conversation of extension or trade piece in the next couple of years. Currently, the first base depth is thin behind Burleson, but that is typically a position that can be acquired relatively easily through trade or with cash. If Bloom feels that Burly will still be hitting at his current level or better in his age-30 and later seasons, an extension should be on the table despite his struggles against lefties. With Burly continuing to show his ability to adapt and improve, putting a ceiling on his potential might be premature.

Behind Burleson is Blaze Jordan, who I personally love as a prospect but wonder what the Cardinals feel about his future. Jordan has also played more third base this year so most of the first base starts have gone to 30-year-old Bligh Madris. Among prospects, Leonardo Bernal has played first this year while splitting time behind the plate with Jimmy Crooks and that could be a way to get the switch-hitter promoted quicker as the catching situation continues to be cloudy. Outside of those options, Ivan Herrera has been a common talking point from fans who say he should just simply move to first base, a position he has spent a grand total of eight games while playing in the Caribbean Series winter league in 2023 and I would rather not have a player learn a new position during the season.

Alec Burleson is an established major league hitter who continues to get better every season. He is still just 27-years-old but has been around the big leagues so long that it feels like he is even older. That could also just be because of the beard. Because of the extremely young team surrounding him and an unclear timeline in the organization’s expected return to relevance, Burly could find himself in an awkward in-between phase like teammate Lars Nootbaar may be in when he returns from the injured list in the next couple of weeks.

Columbus Clippers 7, Louisville Bats 3 F/7 Game 1
Columbus Clippers 0, Louisville Bats 5 F/7 Game 2

Clippers move to 26-24

The Columbus Clippers split their doubleheader with Louisville on Saturday. In game one, Ralphy Velaquez put on a show, going 2-for-4 with a double as he is settling in nicely at Triple-A and showing no signs of slowing down, just missing his first Triple-A home run by about a foot.

George Valera went 1-for-2 with two walks while Dom Nunez went 1-for-1 with a double and two walks and both Milan Tolentino and Kahlil Watson homered, with Tolentino’s being a grand slam.

Starting pitcher Ryan Webb had a strong showing, allowing two runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. He danced around five walks and had two strikeouts. Franco Aleman pitched a perfect seventh inning with two strikeouts.

In game two, no one reached base safely more than once, with Stuart Fairchild having the lone extra base hit — a double.

Starting pitcher Pedro Avila was tagged for four runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Andrew Walters struggled in relief, allowing one run on three hits in just 0.1 innings. Jack Leftwich pitched 2.2 scoreless frames out of the bullpen.

Akron RubberDucks 7, Harrisburg Senators 3

RubberDucks improve to 25-18

Jaison Chourio had the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Alex Mooney tripled and Juan Benjamin, Nick Mitchell and Jake Fox all walked twice.

Starting pitcher Josh Hartle had his best performance of the season, allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and a walk in 5.1 innings.

Jack Carey allowed one run despite not allowing a hit in 2.1 innings due to four walks. Reid Johnson earned the save by pitching the final 1.1 innings of the game.

Lake County Captains 9, Lansing Lugnuts 3

Captains improve to 22-21

Tommy Hawke had his best game of the season, going 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks and two stolen bases, setting the table perfectly for his teammates from the leadoff position as he scored three runs as well.

Jace LaViolette was one of the beneficiaries, blasting a three-run home run, his seventh of the season and he absolutely destroyed it.

Esteban Gonzalez also homered and Logun Clark walked twice, was hit by a pitch and scored three runs.

Starting pitcher Melkis Hernandez allowed three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks in just 3.0 innings.

Jogly Garcia was solid in the piggyback role, tossing 3.2 scoreless frames with four strikeouts and two walks and the bullpen closed out the game with 2.1 more scoreless innings to preserve the victory.

Hill City Howlers 5, Salem RidgeYaks 4

Howlers improve to 23-21

Luis De La Cruz led the way on offense, going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a stolen base. Johan Rodriguez also was rock solid, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and a walk while Cannon Peebles went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Starting pitcher Jacob Zibin had the best game of his young, delayed career, throwing 5.0 scoreless one-hit innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.

He’s worth keeping an eye on if he can continue this trend.

ACL Guardians 3, ACL Rangers 11

ACL Guardians fall to 10-7

Outfield prospect Steven Cruz had a perfect day at the plate, going 1-for-1 with three walks and two stolen bases.

Starting pitcher Erigaldi Perez allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings with five strikeouts and a walk. A rehabbing Matt Jachec pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout.