Suzyn Waldman spent decades sitting next to John Sterling in broadcast booths around the world and she offered a very simple explanation of why a whole sport is mourning the Yankees broadcaster who died Monday at age 87.
“That kind of love for a team and that kind of love for his fan base, there will never be another person like that,” Waldman said on WFAN hours after Sterling’s death was announced.
Waldman said her favorite Sterling moment was not one of his historic “It is high! It is far! It is gone!” and unique home run calls like “Bern, baby, Bern” for Bernie Williams. It is a simple call of a big moment that she cherishes: Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit on July 9, 2011, when Jeter homered off David Price to reach that milestone.
“He had tears coming down his face. He was crying. I was crying,” Waldman said. “When you see someone’s whole career – we met Derek Jeter when he was just 18 years old. That call was absolutely perfect. And he did it perfectly while he was really emotional.”
Waldman said Sterling never wrote down any of his iconic calls. What came out of him, she said, came from his heart.
She pointed to his call of the final out of the 1996 World Series. Charlie Hayes caught a popup in foul territory for the Yankees’ first championship in 18 years.
“Go back and listen to what he said. He never wrote anything down. So, what came out of him, came out of his heart,” Waldman said. “And it was perfect, just perfect.”
Sterling called 5,631 games for the Yankees over 36 seasons, beginning in 1989. He never missed a game for the first 30 years, a streak of 5,060. He retired abruptly early in the 2024 season but came back to call the World Series one final time.
“Every day was a unique, funny, strange, wonderful experience,” Waldman said. “One of a kind”
Born John Sloss in Manhattan, Sterling started his play-by-play career with the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets in 1970-71. He came back to New York in 1971, calling Islanders hockey and Nets basketball. He spent nine years in Atlanta calling Braves and Hawks games for Turner Sports before returning to New York in 1989 to take the Yankees job. Sterling won 12 Emmy Awards and was nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame twice.
NEW YORK — Anthony Volpe’s rehab from left shoulder surgery ended, but the shortstop’s next step is not rejoining the New York Yankees.
With José Caballero excelling as New York’s everyday shortstop, the AL East-leading Yankees announced they had optioned Volpe to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and playing really well,” manager Aaron Boone said before an 11-3 win over Baltimore. “That complicates it.”
Volpe batted .250 (11 for 44) in 13 minor league rehabilitation games, mostly for Double-A Somerset. He reached the maximum 20th day for a rehab assignment in the minors.
If Volpe remains in the minors for another 20 days or more, it would delay his free-agent eligibility by a year until after the 2029 season.
Volpe had left shoulder surgery on Oct. 14, a week after the Yankees were eliminated by Toronto in the AL Division Series.
Volpe hit .212 with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs last year and made a career-high 19 errors, tied for third-most among major league shortstops. He got a cortisone shot on Sept. 10 after reaggravating a previous shoulder injury three days earlier.
Volpe also had a cortisone shot during the All-Star break. He initially got hurt when he felt a pop in his shoulder during a loss to Tampa Bay on May 3 last season.
As a rookie in 2023, Volpe won a Gold Glove and hit .209 with 21 homers, 60 RBIs and had 24 stolen bases after winning the shortstop job in spring training.
He batted .243 with 12 homers and 60 RBIs in 2024.
In the 2024 playoffs, Volpe batted .286 and hit a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Caballero has started at shortstop in 33 of the Yankees’ 34 games this season. On Friday, he had a go-ahead, second-inning homer off Baltimore’s Cade Povich. He is batting .259 with four homers, 12 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
“He’s been right in the middle of that, defensively and offensively,” Boone said. “He’s earned some opportunities there. It’s really as simple as that.”
A 29-year-old acquired from Tampa Bay last July 31, Caballero is hitting .316 (24 for 76) with 11 RBIs in his last 21 games.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 28: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after throwing a pitch during the MLB game between the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 28, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani has six player of the month honors in his career, but on Monday he won his first career pitcher of the month award, taking home top National League honors for his excellent mound work in March and April.
Ohtani allowed only four total runs, two of them earned in his 30 innings of work, with 34 strikeouts and nine walks to go with his 0.60 ERA and 2.24 xERA in five starts. Among NL pitchers with at least 30 innings, Ohtani led the league in ERA, xERA, and FIP (1.98), and ranked sixth in strikeout rate (28.6 percent) and ninth in strikeout-minus-walk rate (21 percent).
Ohtani has led the National League in ERA after each of his five starts, but only intermittently so as his innings total has at times lagged behind the total number of Dodgers games played. He’s completed exactly six innings in each of his starts thus far, and will need to do so again to qualify for the leaderboard on Tuesday, pitching in the Dodgers’ 36th game of the season, in Houston.
Tyler Glasnow was among the other National League pitchers receiving votes for the monthly honor, with his 2.56 ERA, 3.07 xERA and 23.6-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate with 47 strikeouts and 13 walks in 38 2/3 innings over six starts.
The Dodgers won two pitcher of the month awards last season, both by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in March/April and in September.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 22: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during the game between the Houston Astros and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:
Is Astros Manager Joe Espada’s job hanging by a thread? MLB Insider Bob Nightengale addressed that and more with our Craig Larson Jr. in Four Big Questions:
AJ Blubaugh, who has not been pitching in longer outings recently, gave the Astros a very important 11 outs Sunday:
AJ Blubaugh has thrown 3 2/3 innings on 59 pitches. His previous season high was 44 pitches. Steven Okert was warming through the sixth, apparently in case Jarren Duran came up again. Blubaugh prevented that by getting Caleb Durbin to pop out with two on. Still 1-1.
Brice Matthews and Mauricio Dubon text each other to talk trash. This is awesome.
Brice Matthews said Mauricio Dubón texted him to "catch the ball" on Thursday after Matthews couldn't haul in Adley Rutschman's grand slam in Baltimore. After catching Willson Contreras' deep fly ball today, Matthews said he plans to text Dubón that "and some other choice words"
Bryan Abreu pitched 2 innings without giving up a run for the win Sunday. Yes, this is real life.
The Astros “didn’t have a ton of options” to navigate a bullpen game Sunday. Extending AJ Blubaugh and an encouraging day for Bryan Abreu helped them escape Boston with a series win, while highlighting a staff stretched thin:https://t.co/8ZquYAYugV
Houston’s much-maligned defense performed better this weekend at Fenway:
What two defensive moments – one ground ball, one fly ball – reflected for Spencer Arrighetti and Brice Matthews in an Astros win Saturday at Fenway Park:https://t.co/Tf81xk1XmQ
Astros dodged a major bullet with Christian Walker avoiding injury after getting beaned:
Christian Walker said he cleared concussion testing and feels "OK, luckily" after being hit in the helmet by a pitch in Saturday's ninth inning: https://t.co/xNAwHxx7lI
Zach Dezenzo is starting to find his rhythm at the plate on his rehab assignment:
Zach Dezenzo homered for the first time this season. He’s on a rehab assignment with the Hooks and is on a 4-game hitting streak. pic.twitter.com/vMp64yOfv2
First home series since firing the manager, the hitting coach and various other coaches. Red Sox hit .107 with a .492 OPS with runners in scoring position. 7 runs scored. 29 runners left on base.
Deals like this are probably why the Red Sox aren’t doing so well:
The Atlanta Braves pulled off one of the biggest thefts in baseball history, courtesy of the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox sent Chris Sale + $17,000,000 cash to Atlanta in exchange for a prospect that hasn't panned out.
— The Voice Of Reason (@SportsAndStock1) May 3, 2026
Chris Sale is pitching his way into Cooperstown: 7 innings 3 hits 1 run 11 strikeouts He is about to go 6-1 with a 2.16 ERA and 46 strikeouts with Atlanta leading 8-1 over the Rockies at Coors Field.
BRONX, NY - APRIL 29: Miguel Cairo #41 of the New York Yankees makes a throw during the game against the Oakland A's on April 29, 2004 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees defeated the Athletics 7-5. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Our Yankees birthday series has covered players from every era of Yankees history, from the legends immortalized in Monument Park to virtually unknown characters of franchise lore. If those are the two extremes of the sliding scale of fame, Miguel Cairo can probably be found directly down the middle. Cairo was your prototypical dependable reserve—a 17-year big leaguer who played over 1500 games between the regular season and playoffs for nearly a third of all teams in the league, but never played a starring role. Cairo was, above all, the kind of guy you remember during idle conversations with friends years after he took the field.
One of Cairo’s best MLB seasons came in 2004, during the first of two different stints in the Bronx. He filled the keystone position admirably that year as the direct predecessor to franchise cornerstone Robinson Canó. Two years later he returned to the Yankees and stayed through August of 2007 before his winding journey through the league resumed for another five seasons.
Miguel Jesus Cairo Born: May 4, 1975 (Anaco, Venezuela) Yankees Tenure: 2004, 2006-07
Cairo was born in Anaco, a city in northern Venezuela further inland and east of the capital Caracas. (For those curious, Anaco is roughly 6,200 miles away from the capital of Egypt—Cairo, New York is about 4,000 miles closer.) Cairo signed at the age of 15 with the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1990, and began a slow and steady climb through the Minor Leagues in 1992. He left his first organization, for whom he never played a game, in a trade to the Mariners, a team he wouldn’t play for until the back-nine of his career in 2008. He was shipped to Seattle in a November 1995 deal for third baseman and clairvoyant Mike Blowers—then flipped by the M’s to Toronto in another trade the following month.
It was with the Blue Jays in 1996 that Cairo first had a cup of coffee in the Show—and we do mean a cup of coffee, as he played just nine games and logged 30 plate appearances for a fourth-place team. In the offseason, the Cubs acquired Cairo in a prospect swap, and afforded him 16 games of Major League action for an even less impressive team. Then came the 1998 expansion draft, in which the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays entered the league. Cairo was selected by the latter club and at last planted roots in the Cairo of America: St. Petersburg, Florida..
Cairo’s official rookie season, which came in the Devil Rays’ rookie season of 1998, was by bWAR the best of his career. While he only managed a 74 OPS+ at the plate as their everyday second baseman—a mark well in line with career norms—he quickly proved to be a strong defensive player. Cairo stayed in Tampa for three seasons before being released at the end of 2000. He signed with Oakland, then returned to the Cubs in a preseason trade for Eric Hinske. Chicago waived him in the summer, so he caught on with St. Louis at the end of 2001, hitting .333 down the stretch for a playoff team.
Cairo couldn’t replicate that success at the dish in two subsequent seasons with the Redbirds, but had at last reached free agency ahead of 2004. Enter: the big bad Yankees. In a move seen as highly unfair to the rest of baseball, the Yankees signed Cairo in their most publicized deal of the offseason to form a new star double-play combo with captain Derek Jeter—the kind of co-star capable of hitting clutch home runs like this go-ahead grand slam in Texas on August 12.
…Okay, fine. Maybe A-Rod was a bit more important to the Yankees’ success that season than our hero, but Cairo was quite valuable for them! Incumbent second-sacker Enrique Wilson wasn’t cutting the mustard at the plate, so Joe Torre made the move to Cairo about two months into the season. Miguel rewarded his skipper with one of the best offensive seasons of his career, hitting .292/.346/.417 (good for an OPS+ of exactly 100), giving the Yankees a perfectly pesky ninth-place hitter that opponents couldn’t overlook.
Enough ink has been spilled on the Yanks’ 2004 postseason that we won’t belabor it here, but Cairo continued to play well for New York throughout the run—posting a .383 OBP across 11 postseason games. He was particularly effective against Boston, grabbing seven of his ten hits in the ALCS.
Cairo became a free agent again in the offseason, so he simply moved across town to Queens to spend 2005 with the Mets before the Yankees welcomed him back to their neighborhood in 2006. Of course, the Bombers had a new everyday second baseman in town: the smooth-swinging, sweet-smiling Robinson Canó. So Cairo wasn’t about to get his starting role back, but plied his trade as a dependable utilityman for the Yankees throughout 2006 and the better part of 2007. By August, however, the 33-year old appeared to be running out of steam, so the Yanks cut him to give more looks to young players like Wilson Betemit and Shelley Duncan—two more excellent Remember-Some-Guys guys.
Cairo’s journey was far from over. After sojourning in St. Louis in September (say that five times fast), he had a few more destinations to check off his bucket list. In 2008, he finally played for the Mariners, who had dealt him away 13 years earlier. A season later at age 35, Cairo joined the defending champion Phillies, and made a few appearances off the bench throughout their NL pennant run—though he never appeared in that year’s Fall Classic against the Yanks.
Cairo spent the final three years of his playing career in the Queen City, hitting to a highly respectable .751 OPS with the Reds across 193 contests in 2010 and 2011. But in yet another win for sports’ greatest dynasty, Father Time, Cairo’s numbers plummeted to subterranean depths in 2012. The vet made three more appearances in the playoffs for the Redlegs in their NLDS loss to the Giants before finally calling it quits.
Unsurprisingly, Cairo has stuck around baseball since retiring as a player. His MLB coaching career began in 2021 with the White Sox, and he served as interim manager for Chicago in 2022 after Tony La Russa stepped away for good. He did the same for the Nationals last season after the dismissal of skipper Dave Martinez.
This season, Cairo joined the Orioles’ staff as an infield coach—meaning he’ll be celebrating his 52nd birthday tonight at Yankee Stadium. Welcome back, Miguel! ¡Y feliz cumpleaños!
I’ve often said to friends that the Guy We Remember is one of the most universally respected kinds of people in American life; players who weren’t good enough or prominent enough for public opinion to tilt one direction or the other, but whose mention elicits a hearty “oh yeah, that dude!” Cairo is the perfect example of a guy we fans love to remind ourselves of—but owing to his longevity in the league and success as a coach, it’s clear he was more than just a great pull on Immaculate Grid. It wouldn’t be surprising if Cairo gets an opportunity as a full-time manager in MLB someday soon. After all, it’s hard to imagine there’s anything he hasn’t seen throughout a full life spent on the diamond.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
It's the first full week of May, and that dinger weather is knocking on the door. There are some great spots today with a lot of +EV home run props and MLB player props. Let's dig out our favorites today on a board with some bad starters and good wind.
Michael Busch is in a great spot to break out of a home run drought with the wind blowing to right field at Wrigley today. I'll also circle some big-time power possibilities for Cal Raleigh and William Contreras.
These are my favorite home run props for Monday, May 4.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
William Contreras
+650
Cal Raleigh
+390
Michael Busch
+378
💲Today's HR parlay
+15121
Home run pick: William Contreras (+650)
The St. Louis Cardinals could be giving up runs from start to finish today, with Kyle Leahy sporting some of the worst BlastContact numbers and HR/FB rates among MLB starters. He’s a groundball pitcher, but when the ball gets elevated, it’s leaving the yard — and that has William Contreras written all over it.
Contreras has the best BlastContact% on the Milwaukee Brewers over the last two weeks and an elite Ideal Attack Angle, ranking second in baseball at 81.4% over that span.
The right-handed bat also benefits from a double-digit wind blowing out to left. Once he’s through with Leahy, he’ll get a crack at the Cardinals' bullpen, which has one of the worst ERAs in baseball lately.
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, Brewers.TV
Home run pick: Cal Raleigh (+390)
It’s not every day we get +EV on a stick like Cal Raleigh, but today is the day to back a big name at value. This is the top +EV home-run play on the board, per Covers projections, and has a fair price of +290.
Raleigh draws a strong matchup vs. JR Ritchie, who has been fortunate with a .227 BABIP and carries shaky HR/FB numbers in a small sample. His ground-ball rate won’t bail him out much, and Atlanta Braves starters tend to be pushed into the 90–95 pitch range even with subpar stuff.
Ritchie has been tougher on righties, but all three homers he’s allowed have come off left-handed bats — and the switch-hitting Raleigh has six of his seven homers vs. RHPs.
There’s some risk after Raleigh sat out yesterday with right-side soreness, but a recent MRI came back clean. He took BP on Sunday and said he’s feeling better. The bat wasn’t slowing down anyway, with five homers over his last 11 games.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Mariners.TV, BravesVision
Home run pick: Michael Busch (+378)
You’re looking at one of the best HR environments on the board at Wrigley Field. With ~16 mph winds blowing out to right field, and temps around 70°F, the carry is significantly boosted — ideal for left-handed power.
Michael Busch gets a great matchup vs. Chase Petty, who is making his season debut for the big club after being just average at Triple-A. He logged six innings last year with the Cincinnati Reds and gave up three home runs on 14 hits. He also threw just 2 1/3 innings in his last outing and will likely hand things off early to a bullpen primed for regression.
Busch hasn’t gone deep in nine straight games, but he had an extra-base hit in every game vs. Arizona and finished that series 5-for-10 with 10 total bases.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Reds.TV, Marquee
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 9-55, -7.9 units
Today’s HR parlay
William Contreras
Bet Now +15121
Cal Raleigh
Michael Busch
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 2: Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out against the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium on May 2, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Le/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers offense reached its nadir to date in 2026 last week, failing to hit a home run in any of their six games, losing four — two each to the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. It’s the longest home run drought for Los Angeles in a dozen years.
Batter of the week
The choices on offense were sparse here, but we’ll go with Max Muncy with his two doubles, four singles, and three walks, narrowly over Teoscar Hernández with his five singles and five walks. No Dodgers regular had an OPS of at least .800 last week.
Honorable mention to Alex Call, who had three hits in six at-bats.
Pitcher of the week
Justin Wrobleski did not strike any Cardinals out on Sunday but still pitched six scoreless innings, something not done by a Dodgers pitcher in 35 years. Wrobleski since joining the rotation has 29 scoreless innings in his 31 frames.
A close call over Shohei Ohtani, who struck out nine in his six innings on Tuesday, while allowing two runs (one earned) against the Marlins.
Week 6 results
2-4 record 16 runs scored (2.67 per game) 20 runs allowed (3.33 per game) .399 pythagorean win percentage
Year to date
21-13 record 175 runs scored (5.15 per game) 112 runs allowed (3.29 per game) .694 pythagorean win percentage (24-10)
The Dodgers run the Sonny Jackson gauntlet this week, finishing up the road trip with three games against the Astros in Houston, then return home to host the first-place Atlanta Braves in Los Angeles.
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Chase Shugart (55) prepares to pitch during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Well now, that feels much, much better, doesn’t it? After getting their manager fired with their poor play on the field, the Phillies turned around and swept the inept Giants, then took two of three in Miami before wrapping that series up today. It’s pretty impressive what good play will do for a team.
Three up
Zack Wheeler – Boy, it’s just nice having him back in the rotation. I know I wrote about him last week and how he looked good in the first start he made even if the results were so-so, but this week, he looked good and had good results to go with it. I think it was Tom McCarthy who talked about how when Wheeler is on the mound, it’s similar to when Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee in 2011 were on the mound: you just kind of expected to win the game they were pitching in. That’s a nice feeling to have.
Chase Shugart – Listen, let’s give credit where it’s due. Shugart has been a nice story this season. His fastball/sweeper combination has kept batters off the bases and he has missed barrels so far in the batter’s box. His being able to come on in a doubleheader and pitching in and win both games is commendable as they can be pitching staff crushers. Shugart ghostbusted the runner in the second game (hat tip, Phillies Therapy), which is a huge lift to a team that has to equal or better what is done in the top half of the tenth inning in an extra inning affair. Can he keep it up? Maybe! The team is likely just thankful he’s been competent so far.
Jesus Luzardo – Maybe it was Rob Thomson’s fault that Luzardo had been off at the beginning of the season. Because in two starts since Don Mattingly took over, Luzardo threw 13 1/3 innings and struck out 18, walking nobody. Coincidence? I think not.
Three down
Rafael Marchan – Marchan is not a major league hitter and should not be thought of as such. The idea that he and Garrett Stubbs and J.T. Realmuto should exist on the same roster is patently absurd, but this is the path that Don Mattingly and Dave Dombrowski have chosen. However, Marchan has been absolutely dreadful at the plate and should not have his defensive prowess behind the plate outweigh the fact that major league pitching is vexing to him.
Felix Reyes – Yeah, it’s probably time to send Reyes back to Lehigh Valley to get him some more playing time. If an outfielder is needed, best to bring back Bryan de la Cruz and let him twist in the 40-man roster limbo wind for a bit. Reyes is just proving he isn’t major league ready just yet (and that’s ok!).
The Phillies’ front office – First, the news came out that they were trying to hire Alex Cora before firing Thomson, then they just went ahead and fired Thomson anyway. Seems a bit bumbling if you asked me. Then, they had fans come to a game on Tuesday that was eventually rained out, but not before people were already there and in their seats. Maybe “bumbling” would be being kind with this one. Just not a couple of days of good looks here for the front office.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 05: Relief pitcher Justin Slaten #63 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning at Chase Field on September 05, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Red Sox 10-5. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jack Anderson got taken for a ride in that middle relief spot as the Red Wings (Nationals AAA) put this one out of reach for the WooSox. While Worcester didn’t have the same luck the Red Sox did with runners in scoring position, going 3-for-8, the lack of baserunners to drive in – eight on the day including just two doubles – was the difference on Sunday. Vinny Capra and Anthony Seigler continue to bolster the offense of the folks playing infield. But, outside of those two, the WooSox only had two guys get hits in the lineup, which wouldn’t have gotten it done.
The Sea Dogs didn’t truly run away with this game in Somerset (Yankees AA) until the middle innings, behind the bat of Johanfran Garcia. Password’s brother – and a solid catcher in his own right – belted his third home run of the season and had four RBIs. Nelly Taylor, who’s been stably climbing the organizational ladder, pulled the game further into Portland’s sights. But this game wouldn’t be as decisive if not for six innings from Hayden Mullins in which he got ten strikeouts and allowed just two hits. And this was after Sunday afternoon’s starter… Justin Slaten! Slaten rehabbing is huge for the pitching staff; but it doesn’t help the injured rotation if not to simply eat some relief innings.
Some troubles in the Greenville rotation – Marcus Phillips couldn’t make it out of the fifth but the offense kept up until it simply couldn’t. The bats were there when they had to be, scoring all of their runs in the fifth and sixth innings, including a three-run shot by Mason White that put this thing within reach, but the Spartanburgers (Astros High-A) scored another couple runs in the seventh innings and the Drive couldn’t even it back up.
This game was tied up at two going into extras, and the pitching kept the Warbirds (Brewers A) in check, but Salem was unable to take advantage of this, going 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position on Sunday. This was despite nine-hole hitter Ilan Fernandez going 4-for-4 with three doubles. Ultimately, the RidgeYaks got walked off in the tenth off of a home run after scoring just the Manfred runner in the top of the inning.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Diego Tornes #61 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The FCL Braves are the lowest United States based affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and they opened their 2026 season on Saturday. This is our chance to take a look at their Opening Day roster, which is filled with a bunch of teenagers, as well as some well known injured names.
Injured Guys
This is where you will find Raudy Reyes, Rayven Antonio, and also Marcos Pol. Those three are presently the only three guys listed on the IL. Reyes will miss the year thanks to a spring Tommy John, while Antonio and Pol’s statuses are less known. You will also see Luke Sinnard on this roster, but since he is listed as active you can find him with the pitchers.
Pitchers
There are two big names here on the active roster, Luke Sinnard and Briggs McKenzie. Briggs McKenzie was the team’s fourth round pick last year, but received the highest signing bonus at $3M. The North Carolina prep arm is still waiting to make his professional debut, but it will be highly anticipated. Luke Sinnard was the team’s third round pick in 2024, and injuries have slowed his career slightly – but he made 16 strong starts between Augusta and Rome last year in his pro debut, followed by five more starts in the Arizona Fall League. Sinnard has not yet appeared in a game this year after opening his season in extended spring training, but his stay here is expected to be short as they build him back up. Cristobal Abreu is a big armed reliever who opened the season in Augusta, but was sent down after walking eight in his first three innings of work. That was his first time appearing since getting injured in 2024, so they have decided to slow him down a little bit – not surprising since he just turned 20.
Among the players acquired via the draft and undrafted free agents, Cayman Goode was a slightly overslot 12th rounder out of high school in 2024. Goode was considered a bit raw, and his results here last year indicated that as he pitched to a 3.57 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 16 walks over 35.1 innings in his pro debut. Ryan Heppner was the 19th round pick out of a Canadian college last year, and he too opened this year in Augusta, but was sent down after giving up 10 runs over his 4.1 innings – though he did throw two and a third scoreless frames in on Opening Day.. Brody Fowler was the 17th rounder out of North Greenville last year, and is still waiting to make his pro debut, as is 16th round pick from last year Nico Wagner out of West Valley College. Daniel Brooks is a larger framed undrafted free agent out of College of Charleston waiting to make his pro debut, while Will Eldridge was an undrafted free agent out of Indiana, who made his debut on Opening Day in a save opportunity.
Among the international signees on the roster Luisberth Valdez is an 18-year-old who pitched to a 4.91 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 29.1 innings in his DSL debut last season. Gensi Angeles, the Opening Day starter this year, is also 18 and pitched to a 3.57 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, but with just 24 strikeouts over 35.1 innings in his DSL debut last year. Wuilinyer Tovar is an 18-year-old who made his pro debut in the DSL last year, pitching to a 6.83 ERA. Jorge Nunez is an 18-year-old who repeated in the DSL last year, and dropped his ERA from 4.02 to 2.57. Yander Pinero is an 18-year-old who also repeated in the DSL, dropping his ERA from 6.75 to 3.57. Melvin Hidalgo is a 20-year-old who made his pro debut last year as an older DSL player, as did the 22-year-old Dayner Matos, 21-year-old Robinson Narciso, and 21-year-old Cesar Rodriguez. Edward Cedano is repeating the FCL this year, after also repeating the DSL previously, but he is still just 20-years-old, and did show growth last time he repeated a level. Juan Olmos is a 21-year-old former catcher in the Royals organization who only converted to pitching last year for the first time.
Catchers
Yoelvis Betancourt is a 17-year-old making his stateside debut after slashing .260/.393/.344 in 122 plate appearances in the DSL last season. Arlenn Manzanillo is 18, but also made his debut in the DSL last year and is coming to the US for the first time this year. Manzanillo posted a .540 OPS last year, though he did have a .319 on base percentage giving him some silver lining. Johan Rodriguez is also 18 and coming to the US for the first time this year. He slashed .225/.309/.271 in the DSL over 149 plate appearances, but he posted an OPS of at least .662 in both June and July, before a rough month of August made his stat line look worse. He brings some defensive versatility, playing mostly at first base last year too. Luis Parababire is a 20-year-old in his third season here. He posted a .900 OPS in 24 games in 2024, but just .600 in 15 games last year.
Infielders
The biggest name in the infield has to be Manuel Campos. The 18-year-old infielder signed for basically $150k last year and went to the DSL and slashed .291/.395/.380 with six doubles, two triples, two homers, and 13 steals with 20 walks to 31 strikeouts in 218 plate appearances. Campos split last year between second base and shortstop, but played short almost twice as often and got the Opening Day start there. Malvin Fernandez is a 17-year-old who played second, third, and short last year, slashing .195/.340/230 in 141 plate appearances in his professional debut in the DSL. Juan Elejandro played mostly at second, but got some time at third last year, and the now 18-year-old is coming off slashing .248/.369/.301 in 141 plate appearances in his pro debut in the DSL last year. Mario Baez is in his third straight year in the FCL, but is still just in his age-19 season. After posting a promising .815 OPS in the DSL in 2023, Baez has only posted .515 and .604 marks in his two seasons in the FCL, spanning 95 games combined.
Outfielders
The star that most people are eager to see is Diego Tornes, the Braves big money international signee from last winter. Tornes sat out Opening Day, but he has lived up to the hype so far, slashing .279/.395/.402 with 10 extra base hits and 24 steals in 32 DSL games last season. Michael Martinez is also a familiar name to some, as he slashed .316/.435/.649 with three homers in 16 DSL games last year, before getting into 11 FCL games and slashing .237/.310/.474 with two more homers. Tornes is just 17, while Martinez is now 19, and those two will be among the biggest names to watch on this FCL club. Juan Espinal is here for the first time. Espinal repeated the DSL last year, seeing his OPS jump from .587 to .845, though he still had 63 strikeouts in 190 plate appearances. He has big power, but the 19-year-old will need to continue developing his hit tool. Gabriel Cesa is also a 19-year-old making his US debut. Cesa repeated the DSL last year and saw his OPS jump from .477 to .833 with seven extra base hits in 118 plate appearances.
The Kansas City Royals are putting a terrible losing streak far behind them, and a winning West Coast stint solidifies their positive trajectory.
Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco open recapping of the Royals’ series victory against the Seattle Mariners, examining what that win reveals about the team’s trajectory while also putting their West Coast struggles in honest perspective. One of the brightest storylines right now is both the bullpen’s performance and the outfield’s improvements at the plate — breaking down what’s made them effective and what their continued development could mean for the roster.
Injury updates await for Jonathan India, Ryan Bergert, Ben Kudrna, and others, offering context on roster depth and how the coaching staff might manage those absences heading into a critical stretch of divisional play. In one of the episode’s more thought-provoking segments, the conversation ventures into the science of pitching injuries and what future medical advancements might mean for pitcher health and roster management league-wide.
We're locked in to the central divisions today with our MLB best bets, as we love the value on three NL Central teams — and an AL Central squad — based on the prices available at Polymarket.
Read on to see why our expert MLB picks think you should back the offenses in Brewers/Cardinals, plus both Chicago squads coming out victorious tonight.
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Brewers/Cardinals Over 8.5
Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket
There’s plenty to like offensively in this matchup, with both starters giving up loud contact and big swings. Kyle Leahy owns one of the worst Blast Contact rates in baseball, and 12-mph winds blowing out to right won’t help a pitcher who has allowed multiple homers in two of his last three starts. The St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen hasn’t offered much support either, ranking 28th in ERA over the last two weeks. Milwaukee Brewers starter Chad Patrick has also been one of the luckiest pitchers in baseball — plus THE BAT projects 9.11 runs.
Neil Parker's expert pick: Cubs -1.5
Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket
The Chicago Cubs mispriced again today. They’re facing Cincinnati Reds righty Chase Petty, who has just six innings of MLB experience and hasn’t been sharp to start the season with Triple-A Louisville. Petty sports a 4.38 ERA, while allowing a 48.5% hard-hit rate across 24 2/3 minor-league innings, and Chicago enters with a league-leading .381 wOBA while averaging 6.2 runs per game during a 15-3 heater. Additionally, Cubs starter Edward Cabrera has held opposing hitters to a .231 average and .645 OPS, so it’s a tough matchup for a Cincy lineup ranking 24th in wOBA against righties.
Joe Osborne's expert pick: White Sox moneyline
Price: 42¢ (+138) at Polymarket
It didn't take long for the Los Angeles Angels to start looking like the Angels again, as they've now lost eight of their last nine games. Jose Soriano owns a sparkling 0.84 ERA, but the White Sox got to him last week for three earned runs and nine baserunners. Davis Martin is breaking out in his own right, with a 1.95 ERA, and held the Angels to one ER in that same matchup. The Chicago White Sox are 5-1 in his starts this season, and the recent offensive and bullpen numbers also heavily favor the ChiSox, who rank 10th in OPS and seventh in bullpen ERA over the past two weeks — compared to the Angels' 25th and 30th ranking in those categories.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Jose Soriano has been absolutely lights out, currently leading the big leagues with a remarkable 0.84 ERA.
The Los Angeles Angels right-hander is also Top-10 in strikeouts with 49 in just 42 2/3 innings of work. The righty has cashed the Over in Ks in three of his last five outings, and he finished with six strikeouts last time out against the Chicago White Sox.
Soriano takes the ball against them again tonight, and the White Sox are 28th in team strikeouts with nearly 10 per contest. He has 22 Ks in 18 2/3 innings at home, and the Angels welcome Chicago to town here. Soriano will miss his fair share of bats against a team that isn’t great at making consistent contact.
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CHSN, ABTV
Cam Schlittler Under 1.5 earned runs
Cam Schlittler has been phenomenal for the New York Yankees, helping make up for the absences of Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole in the rotation.
The sophomore hurler owns a 4-1 record and 1.51 ERA. He’s tossed at least six frames in each of his last three starts, and has also cashed the Under in earned runs in each.
Last time out, the Boston native held the Rangers to zero runs across six innings of work. He also dominated the Red Sox and the Royals previously.
Schlittler takes the mound against the Baltimore Orioles this evening, and he had a 0.73 ERA against them last season across two starts, surrendering a mere one earned run across 12 1/3 innings.
The O’s have also lost four straight and boast one of the highest whiff rates in MLB, which only plays into Schlittler's hands.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, YES
Aaron Judge Over 1.5 total bases
Aaron Judge continues to play like the reigning MVP, batting .264 with 13 home runs and 23 RBI.
The slugger is red-hot, cashing the Over in total bases in five of his last seven appearances, and he went 2-for-4 with a home run in yesterday's win.
He’ll face Orioles righty Shane Baz tonight, and that’s been a nightmare for the hurler.
Judge is 4-for-10 against him with two home runs. The veteran is also raking at home, hitting .310. With the series finale in the Bronx, Judge will give Baz even more trouble.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, YES
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 11-21, +0.38 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
John Sterling, Edgewater, NJ resident and the voice of the Yankees on radio on Aug. 17, 2012 in Bronx, New York.
Viorel Florescu/NorthJersey.com/Viorel Florescu/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
NEW YORK — John Sterling, the theatrical New York Yankees broadcaster known for extravagant, individualized home run calls, has died, the team and radio station WFAN announced. He was 87.
Sterling had undergone heart bypass surgery this winter and after the procedure was attended by health care aides at his home in Edgewater, New Jersey.
He had called 5,420 regular-season games plus 211 postseason games when he retired in April 2024 just after the season’s start. Sterling broadcast 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 through July 2019 after beginning with the Yankees as a pregame host. He came out of retirement to call Yankees games during the 2024 postseason.
Sterling’s call for a player’s home run became as treasured a part of a Yankees identity as an initial set of pinstripes or a championship ring. As rookies prepared for debuts and former opponents arrived in trades, fans speculated how he would label the newcomer’s first longball.
From “Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams, to “It’s a Jeter jolt!” for Derek to “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod!” for Alex Rodriguez, “The Giambino!” for Jason Giambi and ”A thrilla from Godzilla!” for Hideki Matsui, Sterling created personal stamps resonating from the clubhouse to the bleachers.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 22, 2026: Leo De Vries #14 of the Athletics in the field during the fifth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Hohokam Stadium on March 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Morning everyone!
The A’s have an off day today as they head to the East Coast for the third time this year. That’s a lot of miles that the team is running up in the early going. On the bright side they’re getting those games out of the way early. The only other times the team will travel that far this season will be in August for three games in Boston against the Red Sox, and September in Tampa against the Rays. Other than that most of the team’s road trips won’t go father than the Midwest, so that’s a positive. Both Philly and Baltimore are struggling so far this year and the A’s could be catching them at the right time. After going just 3-3 on this most recent home stand, a winning record on this upcoming road trip would do wonders for this young squad.
Anyway, checking in down on the farm we’ve gotten an update regarding top prospect Leo De Vries. A shortstop by trade, the organization has begun getting the 19-year-old some reps at the hot corner down in Double-A. Whether this is the new long-term plan for him or just an effort to get him to the big leagues faster isn’t yet known, but it’s an interesting development and one that a lot of people speculated could happen this season.
On paper it makes sense as well. With the presence of Jacob Wilson at De Vries’ natural position of shortstop the team needs to find a position that won’t be blocked this summer/next spring. While incumbent third baseman and former first rounder Max Muncy has shown improvement in his second season, there’s still a lot to be desired from both his bat and especially his glove at the hot corner. Muncy currently ranks as one of the worst defenders at third base this year and the eye test confirms it. Luckily they’ve managed to get some offense out of the position but upgrading the defense at a critical position on the infield would go a long ways.
That’s where this move of De Vries from shortstop to third comes in. Before this season De Vries had only every played shortstop (outside of five games in the AFL back in 2024). There’s been a small contingent of scouts that don’t believe that short is De Vries’ ultimate home. The Athletics’ getting him some playing time at third base doesn’t mean that they’re making that positional switch with him now, just that the team is desperate to get him to the big leagues as soon as possible.
Makes sense. After a slow-ish start from the top prospect in Double-A De Vries has been looking much better in the box and frankly shouldn’t be too far off from a promotion to Las Vegas, who is relying on fellow top prospect Tommy White at the hot corner right now. White has himself had a good start to his season and is looking good facing Triple-A pitching for the first time, but there are questions about his long-term defensive home as well.
It’s only been three games that De Vries has played third base this year. He’s still getting the majority of the reps at shortstop for the Rockhounds, but this could be a development to watch over the coming weeks and months. A player that De Vries has been compared to plenty of, Manny Machado, also began his career as a shortstop before moving to third base in deference to J.J. Hardy. Hardy was a much better fielder than Wilson is now but it’s just worth remembering that it’s not unheard of for a shortstop to move to third base. In fact, it could ultimately be his best position. You never know until you try him out there.
No game today but we’ll be back with coverage tomorrow evening when the team takes on the Phillies for the first of three. Until then, have a great day A’s fans.
William Contreras
Cal Raleigh
Michael Busch
Jose Soriano
Cam Schlittler
