Category: MLB

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

TUESDAY

A.J. Ewing became the second Met this year, along with Carson Benge, to reach base three times in their MLB debut. It’s the first time the Mets have had two such debuts in the same season in franchise history. 

The 2026 Mets also became the first team in history to have multiple players reach base three times, record an RBI, and record a stolen base in their major league debut. 

Ewing became the first Met to walk three times and triple in one game since Brandon Nimmo, the Mets’ previous No. 9, on May 26, 2023, at Coors Field. Ewing also became the first Met to do it at Citi Field and the second player overall along with the Phillies’ César Hernández on September 22, 2016—a game you might remember. 

The Mets scored 10 runs against the Tigers in Queens for the second time. The first came on June 22, 2010, when another player made their major league debut with a little less success than Ewing. Tigers reliever Jay Sborz hit the first two batters he faced and allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning, marking his first and only major league appearance. But thirteen years later, his brother Josh closed out the 2023 World Series.

Freddy Peralta generated 11 whiffs on his fastball, the most on a Mets pitcher’s fastball since Tylor Megill against the Rays on June 14, 2025.

WEDNESDAY

Carson Benge became the first Mets rookie to record a walk-off RBI since Patrick Mazeika, who did so twice within his first week in the Majors on a pair of fielder’s choices in May 2021. Benge became the first Mets rookie to record a walk-off hit since Travis Taijeron off future Met A.J. Minter on September 26, 2017. It was the last of Taijeron’s nine hits in the big leagues.

THURSDAY

The Mets hit five home runs in a game for the first time since August 29, 2025, during Jonah Tong’s debut against the Marlins at Citi Field. The Mets also hit all five home runs at 104+ mph, marking just the third time in the Statcast era (since 2015) they’ve hit five homers with that high an exit velocity. The other times were April 6, 2019 (against the Nationals at Citi Field) and September 5, 2023 (against the Nationals in Washington). Patrick Corbin started both games, giving up three of the 104+ mph homers in each one.

Juan Soto hit his 250th career home run to become the 10th-youngest player to reach that total behind. In alphabetical order, only these players did it at a younger age: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Ken Griffey Jr., Andruw Jones, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, Albert Pujols, and Alex Rodriguez. Of that group, none came close to Soto’s total of 911 walks at the time of their 250th homer, and only three (Griffey, Jones, Rodriguez) surpassed his 96 stolen bases.

Carson Benge became the first Mets rookie with three consecutive multi-hit games since Pete Alonso from September 16-18, 2019.

A.J. Ewing became the second Met to score a run in each of his first three major league games. Benny Ayala was the first to do it in 1974.

Nolan McLean received the win for the first time since April 3 in San Francisco. In his previous six starts, he had totaled 35 innings and allowed just 11 earned runs while receiving no wins. The last Mets pitcher to have a six-game stretch with that many innings pitched, that few earned runs allowed, and no wins was Steven Matz, and the last right-hander to do it was Jacob deGrom. Both Matz and deGrom accomplished the unlucky feat in 2018.

The Mets earned their first series sweep since August 25-27, 2025, against the Phillies at Citi Field, a series which also concluded with a McLean win (though the series MVP was arguably SNY’s parabolic microphones).

FRIDAY

Juan Soto became the eighth player to homer for both the Mets and Yankees in the Subway Series, joining Robin Ventura, Tony Clark, Miguel Cairo, Gary Sheffield, Curtis Granderson, Carlos Beltrán, and Robinson Canó.

Cam Schlittler generated 17 whiffs on fastballs against the Mets. The last pitcher to generate that many fastball whiffs in a single game against the Mets was Saturday night’s starter, Carlos Rodón, on April 20, 2022, as a member of the Giants.

With 1.2 scoreless innings, Austin Warren became just the fifth Met with an ERA below 0.75 and 15+ strikeouts through nine appearances to begin a season. The others are Tug McGraw (1971, 1972), Armando Benítez (1999), Jacob deGrom (2021), and Reed Garrett (2024). It’s worth noting that all these pitchers were relievers, who maintained their minuscule ERA over 25 IP or fewer — except for deGrom, who had a 0.62 ERA through 58 IP after nine starts in 2021.

SATURDAY

Carson Benge became the first Mets rookie with 10 hits in a five-game span since Pete Alonso from August 15-20, 2019.

SUNDAY

A.J. Ewing became just the fourth player in baseball history with multiple three-walk performances in their first six career games, joining: Bobby Estalella (1935), Earle Brucker (1937), and Jim Gilliam (1953).

Ewing also became the fifth Met to reach base 12 times in their first six career games, joining: Mike Vail, Kazuo Matsui, Mike Jacobs, and Daniel Murphy. Ewing and Matsui are the only two players in Mets history to walk seven times in their first six career games.

The Mets have won 14 of their last 19 games at Citi Field against the Yankees, dating back to June 10, 2018. 

The Mets earned their 11th walk-off win against the Yankees, and their first since Brandon Nimmo’s double off Nick Ramirez on June 14, 2023.

Tyrone Taylor’s three-run, game-tying homer had a 48.3% WPA (Win Probability Added), the second-most of any Mets plate appearance this year behind Luis Robert’s walk-off homer on March 28 (48.7% WPA). No other Mets plate appearance has yielded greater than 33.9% WPA.

Taylor’s homer was also the Mets’ first game-tying homer when down to their final out since Francisco Alvarez took Andrew Chafin deep with the Mets down 1-0 in Arizona on July 5, 2023. Alvarez also had the Mets’ prior homer of that variety against Jason Adam and the Rays on May 17, 2023 — exactly three years before Taylor’s blast.

Taylor’s homer was also the Mets’ first game-tying homer by an outfielder when down to their final out or final two outs since Michael Conforto took Kyle Barraclough deep on September 13, 2018. Soon after Taylor’s blast on Sunday, Conforto hit an eerily similar three-run, game-tying homer in the ninth inning for the Cubs against the White Sox. It was Conforto’s first game-tying homer with his team down to their final out or final two outs since that September afternoon almost eight years ago.

Carson Benge became the first Met to record two walk-off RBI within five days since Patrick Mazeika, who did it on May 7, 2021, and May 11, 2021. It’s only fitting that Benge’s second walk-off came on a fielder’s choice, Mazeika’s patented play.

Benge also became one of two Mets to deliver a walk-off RBI against the Yankees at age 23 or younger. The other was David Wright, who did so in another 7-6 game almost exactly 20 years earlier on May 19, 2006, when he was just 33 days older than Benge.

The Mets overcame a deficit of three or more runs in the 9th inning to win against the Yankees for the first time in Subway Series history. The largest 9th-inning comeback by either side came when the Yankees scored four runs in the ninth to beat the Mets on…May 20, 2006 — the day after Wright’s walk-off.

The Mets won a game while trailing after eight innings for the first time since Game 3 of the 2024 Wild Card Series, when Pete Alonso hit a homer off Sunday’s winning pitcher, Devin Willams. The winless streak in those situations had reached 96 games, including regular season and postseason.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Ron Swoboda is baseball’s all-time leader in walk-off walks with four. All four came with the Mets between 1966 and 1970:

April 17, 1966 vs. ATL (facing Billy O’Dell)
July 9, 1967 vs. ATL (facing Claude Raymond)
June 1, 1969 vs. SF (facing Joe Gibbon)
July 7, 1970 vs. STL (facing Sal Campisi)

The Cubs just completed a 3-6 road trip. They were outscored 41-33 and those numbers are only that “good” because the first game of the trip was a 7-1 win over the Rangers.

After that they were shut out twice and had some bullpen failures.

Hopefully, some home cooking this week will help them get back on track. Even with the bad week, going 2-4 in Atlanta and on the South Side, the Cubs still lead the NL Central by 1.5 games.

Here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.

Three up

Alex Bregman’s bat is heating up

Bregman is on an eight-game hitting streak. Over the six games in Atlanta and against the White Sox, Bregman batted .385/.429/.538 (10-for-26) with a double, a home run, three RBI and six runs scored. Now that the weather is getting warmer, hopefully Bregman’s power will return. He has hit just four home runs in 46 games so far this year.

Ben Brown seems to have taken to being a starter

After no-hitting the Rangers for four innings, Brown continued his good pitching with four one-hit innings against the Braves on Thursday. He struck out seven [VIDEO].

In addition, he has an improved pitch mix [VIDEO].

Maybe this starting pitcher thing will work out for him after all.

Jacob Webb has become a member of the Circle of Trust

Webb had a rough start to his 2026 season but over the week, threw 3.1 scoreless innings vs. the Braves and White Sox, allowing one hit and striking out five of the 12 batters he faced.

For the month of May: Seven appearances covering nine innings, 1.00 ERA, 0.667 WHIP, two walks, 11 strikeouts.

Craig Counsell could use some reliable relievers and Webb appears to be one of them now.

Tip o’ the cap to Michael Conforto for his home run Sunday that tied the game in the ninth, even though the Cubs lost the game.

Three down

Phil Maton, ugh

Maton started poorly and went on the IL in early April with a 13.50 ERA.

On his return he allowed two runs to the Padres in his first game back, then had a few scoreless outings. But this past week he allowed two runs to the Braves in a single inning, then had trouble getting outs against the White Sox. Result for the week: 2.2 innings, 16.88 ERA, 2.626 WHIP, two home runs allowed.

For the season: 9.49 ERA, 1.784 WHIP, three home runs in 12.1 innings.

And he’s under contract for next year, too. This looks like a bad mistake by Jed Hoyer.

Dansby Swanson’s bat has vanished

Swanson was in such a bad slump that Counsell gave him Saturday off. In the other five games: 2-for-17 with six strikeouts. He’s now batting .192/.302/.351 for the season with 38 strikeouts in 151 at-bats.

He does continue to play good defense, though. Here’s a slick play he made in Atlanta last Thursday [VIDEO].

Colin Rea got rocked

In two starts over the week against the Braves and White Sox, Rea threw nine innings and allowed nine runs (9.00 ERA), 13 hits and two walks (1.667 WHIP) and served up a pair of home runs.

Rea was good as a fill-in starter last year and for most of April this year, but these last two starts are concerning.

A note about Moisés Ballesteros, who was 1-for-11 with three strikeouts and didn’t play in the last two games vs. the White Sox: In his last 14 games since April 28, Ballesteros is 3-for-46 (.065) with 11 strikeouts. It might be time for him to spend a few weeks at Triple-A Iowa to get regular at-bats.

Well, maybe it wasn’t a phantom IL stint after all? The Red Sox have reported that Trevor Story, rather than battling a minor “groin issue,” has a sports hernia that could require surgery, keeping him out for up to ten weeks. Though for what it’s worth, Story himself sounds a little hesitant: “We’re still unsure, but [surgery is possible.] Still trying to diagnose it, the severity of it, because we’ve got a couple of different opinions.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

So with the news that Story could be on the shelf until the second half of the season, we have a little more clarity on what’s going to happen at shortstop. Marcelo Mayer will start working out there in anticipation of moving across the bag if Story goes under the knife. Of course, he doesn’t sound like he needs much prep time: “Obviously, that’s home to me. That’s where I’ve played my whole life. And we’ve had some discussions, going to get some reps there in practice whenever I can. But wherever Trace [tells] you to play, that’s what it’s going to be, whether it’s short, third, second. I’m just here to help the team.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Marcelo Mayer sure looks like he handle shortstop with the glove. But can he hit enough to be an everyday plaer in the big leagues? Here’s a look at the new Red Sox hitting coach who is going to try to turn Mayer’s offensive season around, John Soteropulos, the former Driveline coach and Red Sox minor league hitting coordinator. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)

Of course Soteropulos has a lot of work to do with the entire lineup, not just Mayer. The Red Sox offense continues to be shockingly bad. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)

Brayan Bello isn’t hurt like Story; he’s just been mostly terrible to start the season. And with Garrett Crochet hoping for a May 1 return, his time in the starting rotation may be coming to an end. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

Bello’s battery mate in yesterday’s game may find himself with some time off, too, though not because of poor performance. Carlos Narvaez left yesterday’s game after experiencing some pain in his middle finger. X-rays were negative, though, and he is considered day-to-day:

The pitching’s a mess and the lineup is a disappointment. Which team am I talking about?

Arizona has just 3 more home runs as a team than the Giants (40 to 37) and a sub-average offensive production (95 wRC+). That’s with Corbin Carroll having an MVP-caliber start to the season, a resurgent Nolan Arenado, a surprise in journeyman Ildemaro Vargas, and the always reliable Ketel Marte in the lineup. The Giants thought they had their best lineup since 2021, if not the championship era, and it’s cruising around 10% worse than league average.

Arizona’s pitching has been about as valuable as the Giants’ (2.2 fWAR to 2.0), but when you split it into starters and relievers, the Giants have managed to get solid performances out of three starters (Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp, and Trevor McDonald) compared to Arizona’s two (Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Soroka). Meanwhile, Arizona’s relievers are better at avoiding walks (by 1.75 BB/9) and striking out batters a bit better than the Giants’ pen, giving them a slight edge in value there, by around a win above replacement.

On the other hand, Arizona’s been great on defense: +5.5 Defensive Runs Above Average — 6th in MLB, and a full 10 runs (or 1 win) better than the Giants (-5.5 Def).

But let’s circle back to that disastrous rotation the Diamondbacks are sporting. Here’s what it looks like:

Eduardo Rodriguez, 2.53 ERA
Ryne Nelson, 5.40 ERA
Michael Soroka, 3.49 ERA
Zac Gallen, 5.02 ERA
Merrill Kelly, 5.91 ERA

Rodriguez was a hot commodity around the 2023 trade deadline until he made it clear that he didn’t want to be traded. The Diamondbacks signed him that offseason and in the first two years of the deal, he posted a 5+ ERA. They’re finally seeing some strong positive value in year 3, but it’s worth noting that the 2.53 ERA is betrayed by a 3.85 ERA and the Giants won’t see him in this series! Meanwhile, Michael Soroka was once a promising arm for Atlanta whose career was derailed by injuries. He’s back with Arizona and have a great reclamation project season. The Giants will miss him, too.

But the rest?

Even after all the drama that followed Zac Gallen’s first foray into free agency, he has come back looking like the wornout arm we saw last year. Ryne Nelson has managed to frustrate the Giants before (2-0, 3.05 ERA in 44.1 IP), but he’s allowed 9 home runs in 9 starts. Merrill Kelly was traded to the Rangers last deadline and then re-signed with Arizona, but the 37-year old has been bad — though, it must be noted, his last start was a complete game in Colorado where he gave up a solo home run. The start before that was 7 innings of 1-run ball at home against the Mets.

Are the Giants bats heated up enough to do some damage against a vulnerable staff? How Devers, Adames, and Chapman do against a “Please Hit Me” trio of starters could be very telling about how all three will do this season.

In terms of their fearsome lineup, it’s Corbin Carroll, Ildemaro Vargas, and Nolan Arenado who’ve been consistently threatening. Ketel Marte is still 20% below the league average, Gabriel Moreno is around 25% worse. Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo is backing up his 7-WAR 2025 with a very slow start in 2026 (sub-100 wRC+ and -100 points of slug). Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was close to league average last season (95 wRC+) but has been really bad this season (61 wRC+) — though, it must be noted he’s 6-for-his-last-17 with 2 doubles and a homer.

It’s a scary lineup if everyone’s clicking and it’s possible that a bat or two beyond Carroll, Vargas, and Arenado are close enough to create real problems for the Giants. It’ll be an interesting test to see if the Giants’ ability to frustrate their NL West opponents is only possible against the Dodgers and Padres and not the two other teams in their division, because on paper, the Diamondbacks look like they could really frustrate the Giants.

Series overview

Who: San Francisco Giants (20-27) at Arizona Diamondbacks (22-23)
Where: Chase Field | Phoenix, Arizona
When: Monday & Tuesday at 6:40pm PT, Wednesday at 12:40pm PT
National broadcasts: None.

Projected starters
Monday: Robbie Ray (LHP 3-5, 3.04 ERA) vs. Zac Gallen (RHP 1-4, 5.02 ERA)
Tuesday: Landen Roupp (RHP 5-4, 3.49 ERA) vs. Ryne Nelson (RHP 1-3, 5.40 ERA)
Wednesday: Tyler Mahle (RHP 1-5, 5.59 ERA) vs. Merrill Kelly (RHP 3-3, 5.91 ERA)

Players to watch

Diamondbacks (besides Corbin Carroll)

Ildemaro Vargas: The infielder is having the best season of his career at age 34 and it comes on his third stint with the Diamondbacks. This is a wacky transaction log!

In 2026, he went to Arizona’s Spring Training as an NRI and earned his way onto the major league roster from there. He has a .903 OPS so far this season and has hit about as well as Munetaka Murakami, Bryce Harper, and Nick Kurtz. He’s always done fine against the Giants (career .720 OPS), so we’ll see if his hot streak is just a streak or if he goes off on our favorite team in such a way that we know that he’s simply having one of those years.

Nolan Arenado: The Cardinals tried very hard to trade him the past two offseasons and finally found a taker in the Diamondbacks, who will pay him just $11 million of the $42 million owed to him over this season and next. In 2022, he was worth 7.2 fWAR, but in the three seasons that followed, just 6.8 total. Here in his age-35 season, he’s hitting 25% better than league average (125 wRC+) thanks to a .798 OPS. Time has taken away enough of his physicality that he’s no longer the demigod defender at the hot corner of days gone by — we have seen him make some unbelievable defense plays against the Giants over the years, that’s for sure — but he’s still adequate. Coupled with a resurgent bat, it’s plausible that we’ll be cursing his name before the end of the series just like old times.

Paul Sewald: He’s sort of like their Ryan Walker in that he backed into the closer role by accident. Arizona traded for him in 2023 as part of their World Series run. He was on the team in 2024 but sort of fell apart as their closer and left as a free agent. He played for two teams last season and then this past offseason the Diamondbacks re-signed him and he’s back to being their closer. He has just 1 blown save on record, but 4 losses already. Could his vulnerability give the Giants an opening late in one of these games?

Giants

Daniel Susac: Maybe it’s me, but I can’t shake the feeling that Buster Posey shoved aside Patrick Bailey for Daniel Susac because of batting average. I’d like to believe that the front office hasn’t bought into the equivalent of magic beans in the form of a small sample size heater in a position that had basically been a black hole of production in the lineup. The Diamondbacks-Giants matchup used to feature two of the best defense catchers in the sport — Bailey vs. Gabriel Moreno — but the focus has become “will Daniel Susac hit a single?”

Jung Hoo Lee: He ended April slashing .297/.344/.441 but has fallen off here in May. His pinch-hit RBI single in yesterday’s win raised his May line to just .215/.250/.292. He has a career .607 OPS at Chase Field, suggesting that his slump will be prolonged for at least a few more days. Then again, Arizona’s rotation has been Athletics/Rockies/Nationals bad, so it’s as good a time as any for that bat to get going again.

Robbie Ray: In 5+ seasons for the Diamondbacks, he made 147 starts and one All-Star appearance. He has a 3-0, 3.15 ERA in 3 starts (21 IP) against his former team, including a 102-pitch complete game last July. It’s not too early to start putting him on lists for “players who will be traded this season,” which means each start will be watched not just by scouts, but by fans salivating at the prospect of the team acquiring, um, err, a prospect for him near the deadline. Regrettably, he’s likely to net something in the range of what Tyler Rogers brought back for the Giants: 2-3 prospects near the bottom of the trading team’s top 10 or outside of it altogether.

Bryce Eldridge: Throwing him in here because either as a pinch hitter or a starter, Arizona’s righties would seem to have a lot to offer a masher looking to get his bat going. The rotation gives up a lot of home runs!

Tony Vitello Watch

There was a moment before the Vitello hire that Torey Lovullo’s job was maybe not so secure despite a World Series appearance just two years prior. In that brief bit of time I wondered if maybe the Giants might try to poach Lovullo a la Bruce Bochy from San Diego. His modest success in Arizona aside (686-715 a month and a half into his 10th season with two postseason appearances), he seems like the kind of player-centric and stats-second manager Buster Posey would want. He does a regular radio hit on MLB Network Radio and sounds like a good guy and the type of energy the Giants’ manager position needed in a post-Bochy/Kapler/Melvin period. It didn’t work out that way and instead the Giants signed a guy whose name sort of sounds like Torey Lovullo.

Tony Vitello, Torey Lovullo. Torey Lovullo, Tony Vitello.

Lovullo. Vitello. Lovullo. Vitello.

Torey. Tony. Torey. Tony.

Prediction time

Those are some rough numbers from Arizona’s starters. It stands to reason that the Giants should win a game in this series for that fact alone.

Season Record: 22-24

Week Record: 3-3

Series Record: 6–8, 1 split

GAME 41: 0-1 LOSS vs ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
GAME 42: 7-4 WIN vs ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
GAME 43: 6-5 WIN vs ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

GAME 44: 0-2 LOSS @ HOUSTON ASTROS
GAME 45: 1-4 LOSS @ HOUSTON ASTROS
GAME 46: 8-0 WIN @ HOUSTON ASTROS

Whatever Texas had on Wednesday and Sunday, they need to bottle it up, multiple it, and use it in every game going forward.

Both games proved the Rangers have it in them, but brining that out once a series, isn’t really worth anything.

Truly the win on Wednesday to end the home stand and the series, was maybe the biggest shock of the season so far. I fully expected three up three down that inning. To get their first walk off going into the 9th inning down 5-3 and scoring all three runs with two outs, that’s the determination they needed to show going into a nine game road trip against the three worst teams in MLB.

Going into Friday, Houston was the second worst team in the American League.

In Friday’s game, the Rangers got one hit.

In Saturday’s game, they stranded 13 base runners, this series was theirs to win.

Sunday had a slow start but they did a good job of stringing together hits to score runs as well as additional slugging in the form of home runs.

And what feels like the eighth time I’ve said this, maybe they can ride the momentum of Sunday’s win into the next series.

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The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs open a series Monday night at Wrigley Field in the first meeting between these NL Central rivals since the Brewers won Game 5 of last October's NLDS. We like the Cubs to get revenge.

Read all about it in my Brewers vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks for Monday, May 18, 2026.

Who will win Brewers vs Cubs today: Cubs -1.5 (+110)

Brandon Sproat takes the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers tonight with a concerning profile, especially against a team like the Chicago Cubs.

His pitching run value ranks in the third percentile of baseball, with the breaking ball slightly worse than that. That’s a problem against the Cubs because it forces him to rely too much on the fastball, which is a pitch the Cubs hit as well as any team in the sport.

On the other side is Shota Imanaga. His diverse skill set, which has resulted in a chase rate in the 99th percentile, will neutralize the Brewers' bats tonight. I would play this down to -110. 

COVERS INTEL: Sproat walks batters at one of the highest rates in baseball, with a BB rate in the bottom 13 percentile of the sport. 

Brewers vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 10.5 (-105)

A very windy Wrigley Field has pushed this total up at least a full run. I get it. I still think it's a bit too much.

Imanaga has been sensational over the past month, and his 91st percentile whiff rate should grab some easy outs.

The Brewers are a disciplined lineup that chases at right around 25%, but that doesn't matter much here. Imanga generates swing-and-miss with pure stuff, which poses unique issues.

On the other hand, while I expect the Cubs to score enough to cover, it won't be enough to push this Over. I'd play to 10.  

Brewers vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Brewers +139 | Cubs -168
• Run line: Brewers +1.5 (-136) | Cubs -1.5 (+113)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-112) | Under 10.5 (-107)

Brewers vs Cubs trend

The Chicago Cubs have hit the Moneyline in their last 15 games at home (+15.00 Units / 66% ROI)Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cubs.

How to watch Brewers vs Cubs and game info

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It’s back to facing off against the usual suspects for the Atlanta Braves, as their 2026 train now rolls into familiar territory for the next week of baseball action. This includes four games with the Marlins in Miami and three games at home against the Nationals. This is certainly a golden chance for the Braves to continue to put some serious distance between themselves and their divisional foes but as you can imagine, these two teams aren’t going to just roll over for the Braves and get ran over.

Instead, this’ll probably be (here we go again) tricky for the Braves to navigate. The Marlins and Nationals are both going to provide a unique set of challenges that’ll be tough for the Braves to deal with but at the same time, it also helps that this Braves team has experience and knows what to expect from both Miami and Washington at this point. It’s time to take a further look into what’s in store for the Braves this week.

May 18-21: Miami Marlins

Current Record: 21-26 Projected Record (via FanGraphs): 75-87

The last time the Braves saw the Marlins was around this time last month when Miami made the trip to Cobb County. Miami actually took the first game in convincing 10-4 fashion before the Braves got it in gear and won the next two in order to clinch the series. Ever since then the Marlins have been on a bumpy road. They have series wins over the Cardinals and the Dodgers (in Dodger Stadium, no less) but ever since that run, it’s been pretty rough. They dropped three out of four against the Phillies at home and that began a 2-6 stretch that only abated once they took a series win over the Nationals. Now they’re entering this series with the Braves having dropped two straight series on the road and are essentially limping back home.

As far as their record goes, this isn’t particularly a case of a team that’s playing above or below their weight class. Their Expected W/L record and their Pythagorean W/L are an identical 22-25, which seems to suggest that this is just who the Marlins are at this point. Their pitching staff has a collective 103 ERA- with a 97 FIP-, which seem like totally middle-of-the-road numbers until you break it down by rotation and bullpen. That’s when you see that the starting pitching has actually not been great for Miami at all (118 ERA-, 104 FIP-) while the bullpen has been lights out (81 ERA-, 85 FIP-) when called upon. It’ll likely be crucial for the Braves to do their damage early because if they leave it too late, that late-game magic may be tough to conjure up against this bullpen in particular.

With that being said, it’s pretty difficult to avoid seeing the best of any given pitching staff during a four-game series and the Braves are going to have to deal with Max Meyer, Janson Junk and Sandy Alcantara, who have been Miami’s top starters so far. As far as Miami’s top three hitters go, the three guys to keep an eye on are Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards and Liam Hicks. If the Braves can avoid getting beat by that trio while taking care of the rest of Miami’s underwhelming lineup (team wRC+ of 97) then this could be a productive four-game series for the Braves. A split is the bare minimum result, here.

Monday, May 18 at 6:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision, Gray TV)
Tuesday, May 19 at 4:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Wednesday, May 20 at 6:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Thursday, May 21 at 6:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

May 22-24: Washington Nationals

Current Record: 23-24 Projected Record: 72-90

Well, here we are, a week before Memorial Day and the Nationals are still floating around .500. Washington is also on a bit of a NL East sojourn, themselves, as they’ll be coming to town after having hosted the Mets for four games (and the Marlins will be seeing the Mets while this series is going on, so there will be plenty of intra-NL East action this week). They’re actually having to scrape and claw for second place because the Phillies are proving that simply firing your manager apparently is the key to success and if I’m being honest, it likely won’t be long until the Nationals get left in the dust and have to fight with the Mets and Marlins for third place in the division.

That’s because not a lot has changed for the Nationals since the last time they ran into the Braves. Washington still has a top-10 offense according to team wRC+ (107) but their pitching staff is absolutely dreadful. Cade Cavalli is clearly their best starting pitcher, which is not a position you want to be in. In fact, none of their pitchers have yet to clear the 1.0 fWAR mark. For comparison’s sake, both Bryce Elder and Chris Sale have cleared that mark. Cavalli is at 0.9 fWAR and one he does clear that mark, he’ll likely be alone in that territory for a good, long while. The good news for the Braves is that they’ll likely avoid Cavalli since he’s currently slated to pitch the series finale against the Mets, so that could be good news for the Braves after dealing with Miami’s pitching staff.

Still, the Nationals have to be taken seriously because their lineup is no joke. CJ Abrams and James Wood have proved to be a fairly effective dynamic duo and Daylen Lile is also starting to establish himself as a dangerous big league hitter as well. Joey Weimer and Curtis Mead have also been very reliable for this team when called upon and then dealing with José Tena and Luis García Jr. won’t be a walk in the park either. If this goes how the first series in D.C. went then expect this to be a stressful affair where the Braves are going to have to swing the bat effectively every single night in order to come away with a series win.

Friday, May 22 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Saturday, May 23 at 4:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Sunday, May 24 at 4:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma managed to take the series by a score of 4-2 this week, besting Houston’s lackluster affiliate in Cheney Stadium. With a healthy amount of turmoil present within the major league roster, expect several of these Rainier players to be shuttling up to Seattle sooner than later.

In case you missed the news yesterday, top prospect Colt Emerson earned his way up to the majors yesterday. Prior to his promotion, Colt was in the midst of another solid week against Sugarland, launching his sixth homer of the season down the right field line. Congrats to Colt!

Perhaps the biggest “position battle” left with some minor league implications involves two current Rainier right fielders. Both Victor Robles and Brennen Davis looked good at the plate this week, with the former delivering a walkoff knock in the series-clinching contest on Sunday afternoon. Robles (5-15, 2B, 3BB, 2SB) is currently nearing the end of his rehab stint with the Rainiers and seems likely to be joining the team relatively soon, though Davis, whose contract stipulations require him to be added to the 40 man roster in the coming weeks, may be the odd man out despite superior numbers. Davis (7-25, HR, 2 2B) has injury concerns and no big league track record to speak of, but his presence in Triple-A will certainly light a fire underneath those ahead of him on the depth chart. His performance warrants a big league promotion; how much run the Mariners want to give the veterans ahead of him will ultimately dictate his seemingly inevitable debut.

Arkansas Travelers

What a run these Travs are on! Taking five of six from their instate rivals, Arkansas took down Northwest Arkansas in convincing fashion and moved into sole possession of first place in the Texas League North. There is an unreal amount of talent up and down this roster, and should this iteration of the team be the version that makes it into postseason play, they’ll be considered heavy favorites to take home the title.

First, the bad. Michael Arroyo was pulled from Saturday’s game with an apparent lower body injury he sustained running to first base. He walked off on his own, but he wasn’t in the lineup on Sunday. Hopefully it’s simply a precautionary move, but it’s something to monitor.

Ryan Sloan has looked great in his last few starts, now settled in after a rough introduction to the Double-A level. Working another 4.2 innings this week, Sloan struck out six batters and walked just one, posting a zero in the run column despite working around heavy traffic. Sloan’s advanced feel for pitching is a major reason why evaluators view him so favorably; there are plenty of young arms that have incredible stuff, but his ability to deploy it effectively puts him in rare territory for someone his age. He’s an immensely talented player who looks to be moving in the right direction.

Lazaro Montes had a stellar week at the dish, looking exactly like the fearsome slugger we’ve grown to love over the last several years. Laying claim to an 8-24 week with three homers and a double, Laz has been displaying enough plate discipline to draw a healthy number of walks while still maintaining the gaudy power he’s possessed his whole life, allowing him to flourish at the plate against good Double-A competition. The strikeouts aren’t going anywhere; his optimal approach is that of a “three true outcomer”. Making that strategy work is what’s gotten him to this point, and it’s undoubtedly what’s going to get him promoted to the big leagues. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Cuban slugger roaming right field in Tacoma at some point this summer.

Everett AquaSox

It was a series split for the Frogs this week, unable to best the pesky Canadians despite a far superior record. The lineup was relentless this week, and though the pitching has been a bit shaky as of late, this is still a very dangerous AquaSox roster that’s primed to do damage. They’ll have to catch a truly ridiculous Eugene team (they’re 30-9, 9 games up on the Frogs), but this roster has the talent to do it.

It has been exactly one month since the last time Felnin Celesten did not get a hit. At the conclusion of that game, Celesten was slashing .167/.293/.271 and struggling mightily. In the month since, he’s become unrecognizable. Now up to a .341 average on the season, the young shortstop has slashed .449/.537/.654 in the month of his hit streak and has taken home nearly every award the Northwest League can offer him. He seems destined for Arkansas in the coming months and should have every opportunity to thrive against improved competition.

For all of the flashy prospect pedigree present on this team, Brandon Eike has arguably been the best hitter in this lineup. The right-handed corner infielder has displayed tremendous pop at the plate and currently sits second in both homers and OPS in the Northwest League. He strikes out quite a bit, but that number has been steadily falling in recent weeks, and his aggressive style at the plate plays a role in inflating that number as well. Whether he gets a chance at Double-A this season or not is yet to be seen, but with his current output exceeding just about everyone at the level, it’s hard to argue he hasn’t earned it.

Inland Empire 66ers

The 66ers had their best series of the season this week, taking all but one game against the Ports in Stockton. Inland Empire has clawed their way back up to .500 and will look to build on this resounding win, ideally establishing some long-term momentum moving forward. It hasn’t been easy so far, but there’s plenty of season left to get things turned around.

Korbyn Dickerson had been in a bit of slump in recent weeks, but he looked much better at the plate this week, showing off some extra-base thump alongside a bit of his speed on the basepaths. Launching an oppo homer in Friday Night’s contest, Dickerson remains one of the more intriguing “mid-tier” prospects within this system. His tools are a true separator; whether or not he can get them to their fullest potential on the field will ultimately decide how high he’s able to ascend through the ranks of professional baseball.

Mason Peters continues to dominate the California League and has looked like the best pitcher at the level thus far. The slight left hander doesn’t overwhelm with his velocity, but his capacity for spin has left opposing hitters with little chance of doing damage against him and has led to a healthy amount of whiff in the early goings. Lowering his season ERA to 1.93, Peters owns a 38.3% K% and a 6.5% BB% across his first 28 innings of professional baseball and has shown little sign of slowing down. Everett is a notoriously tough ballpark on pitchers, but considering his dominance, a midseason promotion seems more than warranted.

ACL Mariners

It was a tough week for the big names on the Baby M’s roster, but Nick Becker is starting to come alive at the plate after a funky opening week. The whiff is still very high, but he’s also walking a ton and stealing seemingly every base he’s able to. It’s hard to draw any hard conclusions about players in the ACL as the level of talent ranges incredibly widely and leads to some bizarre stat lines, but if Becker is able to dial in the whiff a bit more, expect him to take off. He’s got the tools to dominate.

A few days ago, MLB Pipeline updated their top 100 list, and for some reason, Devin Fitz-Gerald did not feature. They must regret that decision right now because the 20 year old Fitz-Gerald has been playing like a no doubt top 100 prospect. In his last 10 games, Fitz-Gerald has 7 home runs for the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

The craziest part is that Fitz-Gerald is not a prospect who is known as a slugger. Fitz-Gerald is known for having a highly polished hit tool as a switch hitting infielder. At 5’10 185 pounds, he does not look like a slugger, but is hitting like one. His strikeout rate is hovering around 15% and he rarely misses in the zone. Fitz-Gerald combines these skills with above average power as well.

Fitz-Gerald’s home run power does not come from crazy strength or elite exit velocities. He is not like his Wilmington teammate Ethan Petry, who looks like your typical power hitter. Instead, Fitz-Gerald specializes at hitting the ball at good angles. He has mastered the art of pulling the ball in the air, which allows him to hit homers with the least amount of resistance.

His elite hit tool and ability to tap into every ounce of his raw power is why Fitz-Gerald is getting comparisons to Kevin McGonigle. That is very lofty praise, but it is something he deserves. McGonigle was one of the best pure hitters the minor leagues has seen in the last decade. We still need to see a bit more from Fitz-Gerald to throw that tag on him, but he is trending in that direction.

The numbers are absolutely insane for him. He is hitting .307 with a 1.073 OPS with 11 homers and 11 stolen bases as a 20 year old in High-A. Just as a reminder, Fitz-Gerald had only played in 10 games above rookie ball before this season. He is one of just four hitters with 10 homers and 10 steals in the minors, and the only one with a strikeout rate under 20%.

I am not sure those stolen base numbers will translate to the big leagues, but that is not the end of the world. The one knock on Fitz-Gerald is that he is not an elite athlete with flashy physical tools. However, he makes up for that with elite baseball instincts that he learned from his father, who is the coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, one of the best high school baseball programs in the country.

Those instincts make me believe that Fitz-Gerald could steal 12-15 bases in the big leagues despite only having average speed. Fitz-Gerald’s polished skills are his defining trait as a player. It is why he has a chance to hit 20-25 home runs in the big leagues despite only having average raw power. While Fitz-Gerald does not have the physical tools of a Ronny Cruz, at the end of the day, the numbers do not lie. 

Wilmington is usually a very difficult place for batters to hit, but not for Fitz-Gerald. He is making it look easy. Power usually suffers for hitters at Wilmington, but Fitz-Gerald hits the ball at such good angles that he can find the shorter parts of the park. He also has the ability to make a ton of contact.

Another neat thing about Fitz-Gerald is that he is a switch hitter. It seems like players who grow up with fathers that are around the game are inclined to switch hit. Both Fitz-Gerald and Eli Willits grew up around the game and are switch hitters. Fitz-Gerald has been much better from the left side of the plate this season, but he did hit a grand slam as a righty last week.

He is just hitting .188 from the right side, but his OPS is still a solid .722 from that side of the plate. His numbers from the left side are totally absurd. He is hitting .343 with a 1.176 OPS as a lefty. For now, I am not too concerned with his relative struggles from the right side. He does not get as many reps as a righty, and he is still just 20 years old.

While Fitz-Gerald is a bat first prospect, he is not a bad defender either. His lack of elite athleticism or arm strength limits him, but his baseball instincts translate well to the field. He has played 15 games at second base, 9 games at shortstop and 8 games at third base. I think second base is the best fit for him, but Fitz-Gerald has the ability to play all over the infield. That versatility only adds to the Kevin McGonigle comparison.

If you do not have Devin Fitz-Gerald on your top 100 prospect list, you are just wrong. This kind of bat does not come around that often. He has a rare blend of hitting ability, power and patience. His swing is picture perfect and he is crushing baseballs in a pitcher friendly environment. For goodness sakes, he has 8 home runs since May 5th and had a run where he hit 7 in 8 games. 

With the way he is playing, Devin Fitz-Gerald is making the MacKenzie Gore trade a win just on his own. However, Fitz-Gerald was not the only exciting piece the Nats got in that deal. Gavin Fien, who was supposed to be the headlining piece, has been out for most of the season, but just returned to the lineup. He also has very exciting traits as a hitter. Fien hit his first home run as a pro the other day.

Yeremy Cabrera has also had a great start to the season. He tore up Low-A before getting promoted to Wilmington, where he is teammates with Fitz-Gerald. Abimelec Ortiz has not put up massive numbers, but his under the hood data has been quite good. Lastly, Alejandro Rosario will not pitch this season, but he did finally get his Tommy John Surgery. The last time we saw Rosario, he looked like an elite pitching prospect in 2024.

Paul Toboni has knocked that trade out of the park, and Devin Fitz-Gerald is the biggest reason why. He looks like one of the best pure hitters in the minor leagues, and was a great scouting job by the new regime. Fitz-Gerald had buzz last year, but got hurt, and only played 10 games above rookie ball. Evaluating him as a piece they needed to have was a great job. We are seeing why Paul Toboni was so high on Devin Fitz-Gerald. The sky is the limit for this kid and a promotion to Double-A feels like it is on the horizon.

The Dodgers last week lost Blake Snell to the injured list, with the left-hander set for surgery this Tuesday to remove loose bodies in his left elbow. This came after Tyler Glasnow was sidelined the week before with back spasms.

Losses on the field mounted too, including Monday and Tuesday to the San Francisco Giants, giving the Dodgers four straight losses by at least four runs, something they hadn’t done since 90 years ago. Shohei Ohtani’s hitting slump continued, such that he was given a two-day respite at the plate. His gem on the mound started a winning streak, then his hitting helped continue it through the weekend when the Dodgers swept the Angels in Anaheim.

After getting outscored by 20 runs in their four-game skid, the Dodgers walloped the Giants and Angels 40-5 in a five-game win streak to end the week on a high note.

Batter of the week

Managing Shohei Ohtani’s workload will be a challenge this season, and this week saw him get his first actual rest day of the year. Ohtani didn’t hit when he pitched on Wednesday and didn’t hit on Thursday either. Despite being limited to five of the seven games offensively, Ohtani made his mark anyway with two doubles, a triple, and a home run, the latter snapping a string of 52 plate appearances without a long ball (directly after a 59-PA homerless skid). Ohtani this week hit .364/.462/.682 with a team-leading eight RBI.

Honorable mention goes to Teoscar Hernández, who ended a three-week drought of no extra-base hits with three doubles and a home run in his six games this week, and led the team with 11 hits.

Pitcher of the week

After a year and a half of rehab from his second Tommy John surgery followed by gradually building back up over the last few months of 2025, Shohei Ohtani has been fully unleashed on the mound from the get-go this year, with spectacular results. His latest gem was seven scoreless innings on Wednesday to beat the Giants, allowing only four singles and two walks with his eight strikeouts. That lowered Ohtani’s ERA to a major-league-best 0.82.

“He wants to be the best pitcher in baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Right now, he’s doing it.”

This is the second time Ohtani has won the batter of the week and pitcher of the week here in the same week. He also did so last year for the week of July 7-13.

Honorable mention goes to Roki Sasaki, who had by far his best MLB outing to date with seven strong innings to beat the Angels on Sunday. It’s the first time with the Dodgers a start lasted past six innings for Sasaki, who struck out eight and, for the first time in the majors, walked zero.

Week 8 results

5-2 record
45 runs scored (6.43 per game)
20 runs allowed (2.86 per game)
.815 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

29-18 record
248 runs scored (5.28 per game)
154 runs allowed (3.28 per game)
.705 pythagorean win percentage (33-14)

Miscellany

It takes a village: It was scramble mode for the Dodgers on Friday with one of their eggs cracked as Blake Snell was placed on the injured list. They used a bullpen game for the first time this season, to great success. Will Klein pitched the first two innings, followed by six reliever friends at one inning apiece to blank the Angels. Eight pitchers tied the most pitchers ever used in a shutout in Dodgers franchise history, along with May 3, 2015 in a 13-inning game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and September 29, 2019 at San Francisco, the last day of the regular season. In MLB history dating back to at least 1898, there are only 10 shutouts in which a team used at least eight pitchers. The two times nine pitchers were used in a shutout were extra-inning affairs. The Dodgers’ win on Friday was just the sixth nine-inning shutout with eight pitchers used.

More than hits: Saturday in Anaheim was the second Dodgers game this season with more runs scored than hits, along with March 27 against the Arizona Diamondbacks with five runs on four hits. Saturday was much more extreme, with 15 runs on 10 hits, thanks in large part to 10 walks and two times hit by a pitch. The win over the Angels was just the 15th major league game dating back to at least 1898 in which a team scored at least 15 runs on no more than 10 hits. The previous such game was August 10, 1993 by the Detroit Tigers against the Baltimore Orioles. The Dodgers did so one previous time, on July 13, 1929 in Brooklyn, collecting nine hits in a 15-8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Lopsided sweep: The Dodgers scored 31 runs in their weekend sweep of the Angels, while allowing just three, outscoring the Halos by 28 runs. Since moving to Los Angeles, that was their second-most lopsided run differential in a three-game sweep, behind only April 21-23 against the Reds in Cincinnati, in which the Dodgers scored 36 runs and gave up seven. Since 1958, the Dodgers have only two other three-game stretches in which they outscored an opponent by 28 runs, but they were not in the same series — July 10-16, 2021 (+30) and August 11-14, 2019 (+28).

Transactions

Monday: After missing 32 games with a strained oblique, Mookie Betts was activated off the injured list. Alex Freeland was the odd man out in the infield, sent down to Oklahoma City.

Tuesday: The Dodgers acquired recently-DFA’d outfielder Alek Thomas from the D-backs for minor league outfielder Jose Requena, and designated outfielder Michael Siani for assignment. Thomas was optioned and sent to Cameback Ranch in Arizona for now.

“We have him in the organization, we’ll kind of do a deep dive on his swing to figure out of there’s some things we can unlock,” Roberts said Tuesday. “Then, if the opportunity presents itself, to get him up here.”

Friday: Blake Snell was placed on the injured list with loose bodies in his elbow, and will be out a while. Charlie Barnes got the call from Oklahoma City.

Sunday: For the first time as a pro Jack Dreyer is on the injured list, with left shoulder discomfort. Paul Gervase and Chayce McDermott were called up from Triple-A, and Barnes was optioned.

Sunday: With Snell and Tyler Glansnow sidelined, the Dodgers added starting depth by trading for Eric Lauer, and Brusdar Graterol was moved to the 60-day injured list after a setback in his rehab assignment.

Game results

• Monday: Giants 9, Dodgers 3
• Tuesday: Giants 6, Dodgers 2
• Wednesday: Dodgers 4, Giants 0
• Thursday: Dodgers 5, Giants 2
• Friday: Dodgers 6, Angels 0
• Saturday: Dodgers 15, Angels 2
• Sunday: Dodgers 10, Angels 1

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7

Up next

After a pseudo-away series near enough to home over the weekend in Anaheim, the Dodgers hit the road for real this week while running the Kurt Bevacqua gauntlet, playing three games each in San Diego and Milwaukee against teams they’ve faced in the postseason once each over the last two years.

The Dodgers flipped the rotation a bit, with Shohei Ohtani bumped to Wednesday’s series finale at Petco Park, which lines him up to pitch directly before an off day (and likely two such weeks in a row). That means Emmet Sheehan on Tuesday, which will be the first start by a Dodgers pitcher on four days rest this season. The weekend rotation in Milwaukee is a guess, depending on how and when they decide to use newcomer Eric Lauer into the mix.

A 3-3 road trip to Boston and Pittsburgh was, for me at least, the bare minimum the Phillies had to do. Gaining some steam at home was great, but going to those two cities and laying some eggs would have left a sour taste. They had to at least go .500 to maintain that steam moving forward, but instead won five of six and again look like one of the better teams in baseball.

Deep down, we all knew this was going to be how it was with them. There’s simply too much talent to not be this good. It just looked like they all were struggling together, now they’re all on the upswing. Now they just need to maintain the momentum and take care of business at home this week.

Three up

Cristopher Sanchez – A lot of people don’t subscribe to The Athletic and I get it. However, I am one of those people that does, which means I can read this article each year, where it talks to different people around the game to try and determine who the actual Aces of the game are. Sanchez came in fifth, behind the names you’d suspect in Skenes, Skubal, Crochet and Yamamoto. However, Skenes and Skubal were placed in their own tier called “The Inner Circle”. I think it’s time to start putting Sanchez into that same conversation with those two, calling for his own placement in that “Inner Circle” of starters.

Kyle Schwarber – What more is there to say? Schwarber’s week was an incredible one and has arguably been the reason this team has moved back over .500. The starting pitching getting their act together is probably the biggest reason, but the offense was doing absolutely nothing during that 10 game rough patch. Seeing Schwarber get hot and vault himself to the top of the home run leaderboard has been a pleasure to watch.

Alec Bohm – Sometimes, a guy just needs a few days off to get his game going again. Rob Thomson had a lot of strong points to his game, but one of his weaker ones was sticking with players in the lineup when they clearly needed to come out of it. He believed that a player slumping needed to keep swinging his way out of the slump and a lot of times, that’s true. It was so blatantly obvious that Bohm needed a break, even for a day, and yet Thomson continued to put him in the lineup. Don Mattingly saw right away that Bohm’s poor production was hurting the team as well, so he sat him down to let him clear his head and he has a week where he collects nine hits in 25 plate appearances. Sometimes, it’s that easy.

Three down

Edmundo Sosa – Remember each time that we say, me included, how Sosa needs to play more and Bohm needs to play less? At the time, it wasn’t wrong. Bohm was horrid and Don Mattingly acted accordingly, sitting him down two games to get his head on straight. The only problem is – Sosa is in one of his own slumps right now and probably shouldn’t be playing much either. I think I know what the team should be looking for at the trade deadline.

J.T. Realmuto – It really does look like age has caught up to Realmuto offensively. As Matt Gelb pointed out, he’s missing fastballs in the zone badly this year. Even though his bat speed is fine, he’s just getting blown away right now. Will it change? Maybe. It had better.

Aaron Nola – There is only so much a person can defend a guy. I’ve been pro-Nola during these struggles last year and this, but even I can’t defend some of his recent performances. Even with the usual caveats of “lower your expectations!”, there is only so low one can go with him.

Just about anyone rooting for the New York Mets this season has been watching, waiting, and hoping that former All-Star Bo Bichette will break out at the plate and be himself. His first 46 games of 2026 are in the books, and the wait continues.

Bichette is coming off a brutal Subway Series, during which he went 1-for-12 and had an embarrassing error that helped the Yankees score a run. Bichette’s lone hit came in the ninth inning of a 7-6 comeback win Sunday. When he got to first base, he couldn’t help but crack a smile after finally breaking through with a knock.

A key part of the Mets’ offseason overhaul, Bichette’s signing helped ease the loss of several homegrown players. Landing him was seen as a consolation after missing out on Kyle Tucker. The Mets even secured Bichette at the last moment before the Phillies could. It seemed like signing a 28-year-old free agent out from under a division rival was a win for the front office.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was quick to talk up his splashy free-agent signing.

“This is someone who has been one of the better and complete right-handed hitters in all of baseball, really since he entered the league,” Stearns said at Bichette’s introductory press conference. “Beyond that, it brings an intense competitor. Someone who never takes a play off, who never takes an at-bat off, and that can only help the group as a whole.”

But so far, the results have been near the worst-case scenario for a player who had an epic performance for the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series just seven months ago. Bichette is hitting .210/.262/.269 with a 54 wRC+. His calling card is producing with RISP (.330 for his career), but he’s hitting an abysmal 8-for-42 (.190) in those situations this year and has just four RBIs in his last 15 games. His .518 OPS against fastballs is the third lowest of any qualified hitter in MLB, significantly lower than his career number of .813. His line drive percentage (18.8%) is at a career low, while his ground ball rate (53%) is at a career high.

“The difference this year is that his bat angle is under 45 degrees and he has been under everything,” Keith Hernandez said on SNY. “Pitches that he should hit, he’s fouling back or swinging under and missing. I would get him in (batting practice) and tell him to focus on the top half of the ball.”

One of several frustrating aspects of the situation is that Bichette has been relatively healthy since joining the team and has yet to miss a game. He has dealt with lower-body injuries at various points in his career, including during the 2024 season, when he played 81 games. Unfortunately for the team, Bichette’s stats so far this season have resembled his injury-plagued ‘24 season rather than his best years that saw him be one of the most exciting hitters in baseball.

Bichette isn’t the first big-name player to come to Queens and struggle. Juan Soto had an .822 OPS (.946 career) and 20 RBIs in his first 46 games with the Mets. Francisco Lindor was even worse with a .589 OPS (.815 career) and 11 RBIs. Both Soto and Lindor settled in to be above-average hitters in those seasons despite their slow starts.

When Soto was struggling last year, Hall of Famer and former Met Pedro Martinez was quick to defend him, reminding people that there’s a person in the uniform and that there would always be an adjustment period after switching teams on a massive contract.

Perhaps Bichette is in a similar situation, where the mental side of his game still has to catch up with the physical side. His $42 million salary this season is quite a raise from the $17.5 million he made in his final year with Toronto. Bichette himself admitted to pressing in the season’s opening series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I didn’t anticipate it, but I definitely felt that wanting to have a moment not only for my teammates, but for the fans,” Bichette said. “That’s just something I have to manage. I guess I didn’t anticipate it affecting the way I play.”

Crushing injuries and poor offensive play across the lineup have only put more of a spotlight on Bichette’s cold start, as he and Soto are expected to carry the lineup daily. Despite setbacks, the Mets have momentum in May, notching a 10-5 record and winning four of their last five series.

Maybe his base hit late against the Yankees could be the start of a breakout. In the meantime, the Mets and their faithful will just have to wait for Bichette to find consistent success in New York.

The Kansas City Royals snapped a losing streak with a win against the Cardinals, but one win does not erase the questions that have been building, and Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are not shying away from any of them.

The episode opens with an honest assessment of where this team stands relative to expectations, with patience for certain management decisions wearing noticeably thin. The most pointed conversation centers on Jac Caglianone’s benching, which the hosts argue is being driven by questionable split-based reasoning. It is a lineup decision that invites a broader discussion about how the front office and coaching staff are evaluating talent and making in-game strategic calls.

The player analysis segment covers significant ground. Salvador Perez’s declining offensive numbers remain a concern, while Bobby Witt Jr.’s MVP-level resurgence offers one of the brightest storylines on the roster right now. The pitching staff also gets attention, with updates on Kolek, Lynch, and Falter rounding out a thorough look at where the staff stands heading into the next stretch of games.

One of the episode’s most technically rich segments is a deep dive into Caglianone’s swing mechanics, specifically his attack angle and swing path. Drawing on data from Baseball Savant and principles from Driveline Baseball, Jacob and Jeremy work through what adjustments could unlock his considerable potential and why getting his mechanics right matters for the long-term outlook of this lineup.

And yes, there is also a mystical mojo segment. The guys attempt to metaphysically uncurse the Royals, and it is exactly as entertaining as it sounds.

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