Category: MLB

So you have decided to heed the call to adventure. Good for you.

If you need to recall what the Guide is or who I am, please refer to the included links.

The House that Apathy Built

The Guide has the following to say about going to a game at Rate Field:

Did you lose a bet? Were you too cheap to go to Wrigley Field? In either case, do I have a ballpark for you! An avatar to giving less than your all, a totem to mediocrity, a marker for failure in novel ways one would expect in fiction rather than in reality. If there is a corner to be cut, Rate Field found a way. Prepare for the unreality, if you dare to tread here.

Rate Field stinks.

For the lazy or disinterested, you can stop right here. If you were somehow wondering whether Wrigley or Rate Field was the superior Chicago stadium, it’s Wrigley, which isn’t perfect by any means. Imagine your reaction if someone claimed that Angel Stadium was superior to Dodger Stadium, and the point is made.

Some stadiums in this Guide are not worth your time and money for various reasons. Some are the victims of terrible design decisions (Daikin Park, loanDepot Park). Some are victims of possessing a poor baseball culture (Angel Stadium, Truist Park, loanDepot Park). Some are venues that really should be put out to pasture (Angel Stadium, Chase Field, Tropicana Field). One is the Oakland Coliseum — it is this author’s opinion that anyone who likes a dive bar over the age of 25 needs to grow up. Rate Field does not even have “it’s just an average minor ballpark playing as a placeholder to everyone’s detriment” status working against it.

Rate Field somehow manages to combine all of the above demerits and adds a certain je n’sais quoi of soul-crushing apathy. At least it did, until one man sauntered in from Japan, someone whom I have been hyping for 18 months: Munetaka Murakami. Murakami-san has injected life—and he’s now hurt. Of course he is. Never mind; the rhetorical beating shall continue until morale improves.

The only positive of Rate Field is the home fans, those motley, brave souls who remain. I will not criticize them, because I can think of home fans that are instantly far more annoying in their home venues (Rogers Centre, Petco Park, Oracle Park, Busch Stadium 3, Angel Stadium, loanDepot Park) than fans of the White Sox.

There was always going to be one stadium that arrived too soon for the retroclassic ballpark boom started by Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and that was this ballpark. New Comiskey Park, as it was first known, was the house that cheapness and apathy built. But while missing the retroclassic boom may have capped this venue’s potential, it just means mediocrity on paper.

There was no reason that this stadium to be this bad. Rate Field has had multiple names over its 35-year history:

• “New” Comiskey Park: 1991-2002
• U.S. Cellular Field: 2003–2016
• Guaranteed Rate Field: 2016–2024
• Rate Field: 2025–Present

At the risk of bastardizing the Bard, a corpse flower by any other name would still smell just as bad in bloom.

We often learn more from failure than success, so it’s time to rip the figurative bandage off and see what went wrong. The following is all you will need to know if you made the mistake of going to Chicago for the purpose of seeing a Dodgers/White Sox game.

The Five Questions of the Guide

1. Is it worth going to?

No — unless you are trying to visit all 30 current MLB ballparks.

Establishing that Rate Field is a subpar venue is easy.

Narrowing down the why and how requires some rhetorical work. The most obvious flaw is the sheer, almost overwhelming sense of apathy that permeates the ballpark. If there was a corner to be cut to save a buck, this ballpark found a way. I visited in 2024 on a lark, which was the infamous year of failure for the organization.

This elephant in the room cannot be ignored while making or understanding this review, as the massive stench of the wafting failure was a long time coming. A fan had an infamously viral call to ESPN Chicago 1000 AM in 2023 that presaged the madness that unfolded in 2024.

Once the failure arrived, it was all-encompassing, all-consuming, a self-sustaining gravity well of terrible decisions that reinforced the failure.

But the White Sox being bad is actually good for a visiting team. Who doesn’t want to see the Dodgers win in person? When the proceedings are as drab as Rate Field, even ironic enjoyment is hard to come by because the visiting team better win. Imagine if the Harlem Globetrotters lost to the Washington Generals; that’s the level of ineptitude that was on display in 2024.

Poor performance on the field is one thing, but poor customer service in the stadium is another: disinterested, apathetic staff unable to answer basic questions. Lack of decent amenities is another, even in supposedly upscale portions of the park. The adjective “shabby” came to mind in multiple places and on multiple occasions.

Having cafeteria-level food is another. Imagine paying extra for an add-on with unlimited barbecue and drinks to hang out before the game, and then you get … cold this …

Having broken seats or other areas in need of obvious repair is another. I would call this ballpark a factory of sadness, but unfortunately, that name is already taken in Cleveland — in another sport! Rate Field is greater than the sum of its parts of collective failure in this regard.

While the White Sox are playing better in a vastly diminished American League in 2026, the memories of the poor experience from my initial review in 2024 linger. “Imagine being in a dentist’s office where a baseball game broke out or a divorced dad’s apartment, who has given up” is the primary note I left for myself. The stadium is drab, with nothing interesting to see in the distance while looking out at the field.

It’s not as if Chicago is an ugly city, far from it. If you walk around Rate Field, you can see the gorgeous Chicago skyline, which begs the question: Why is the stadium pointing away from anything interesting? PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Busch Stadium 3 in St. Louis have iconic backdrops. Imagine the view below overlooking the outfield.

Rate Field was built across the street from Comiskey Park, which was at least pointing towards something.

As will be a recurring theme in this essay, the answer was ownership’s greed and skinflintry. There was a proposal to make the successor to Comiskey Park more like Wrigley Field and to integrate it into the surrounding community. Per the website This Great Game, owner Jerry Reinsdorf essentially said to hell with that idea:

Jerry Reinsdorf and the White Sox would have none of Bess’ retro idealism. Armour Field was to have a gorgeous view of downtown Chicago, but with New Comiskey the Sox strangely decided to look the other way, towards the southeast—where the distant landscape was dotted with hi-rise projects. Apparently, the team was more concerned with cheap home runs and decided to orient the ballpark so that typical winds from the southwest wouldn’t push fly balls over the outfield fence and toward Sears Tower. And rather than surround the ballpark with a neighborhood, they destroyed it—getting the backing of the city to tear down nearly 100 residences in a poor, black section that sat in the way of New Comiskey. For being in the wrong place at the wrong time, evicted homeowners were each given $25,000 to set up camp elsewhere….

…Some of Old Comiskey’s architectural touches would be retained in New Comiskey. Principal among these would be the arched openings spaced around the ballpark bowl—but unlike the old ballpark, the openings were covered with highly reflective glass which, along with beige-painted precast concrete etched with mild, abstract patterns, gave the overall structure the look of a sporty office complex. Worse, the structure—lacking embellishment at the top due to budget restraints—was largely hidden behind a series of switchback pedestrian ramps that interfered with what grace it had. 

Inside, intimacy was hard to find. So were the players on the field for those sitting towards the top of the upper deck, an arduous ascent to a height so far up, you would have thought the White Sox would advertise for sherpas over ushers to assist fans to their seats. Someone did the math and discovered that the closest seat in New Comiskey’s upper deck was farther away from the field than the last row of upper deck at Old Comiskey. And it was much, much higher. The steepness of the upper deck, combined with Chicago’s famously strong winds, at times forced the White Sox to actually close portions of the level as a safety precaution. But fans did remark how cool it was to look down on a towering pop-up….

…At some point, around 2000, Reinsdorf and the White Sox finally experienced their come-to-Jesus moment and admitted that the ballpark could use some work. They hired a different architect (Dallas-based HKS, designers of the ornate Ballpark at Arlington), spent almost as much money ($118 million) as it took to build the entire venue and took seven years on a renovation that was undertaken bit by bit to keep distraction to the fans and players at a minimum. It may not have transformed the joint into Wrigley, but it was an improvement—a sorely needed one at that. 

(Emphasis added.)

But one would be remiss in omitting the potential divine providence that was not present during my initial review. The arguably most famous White Sox fan no longer resides in the Oval Office, but in the Vatican with the new Pontiff.

In 2005, then-Priest Robert Provost was literally sighted on the telecast of World Series Game 1, a sweep which was the Southsider’s last championship. The White Sox put up a mural in Section 140 after his election as pope.

While kitschy elements and touches were added around the ballpark, one would have to be blind to ignore half-measures of them. Do you like cafeteria-grade food vendors scattered throughout the ballpark with bland empty hallways between them? Rate Field has that in spades. Do you want to pay for an add-on that gets you access to what would barely pass for cafeteria food 90 minutes before a game? Rate Field has you covered.

The standout item from Rate Field was the Campfire Milkshake, a chocolate milkshake. The White Sox brought it back in 2026; they just made it bigger and doubled the price, which is laziness personified.

Unsurprisingly, the White Sox do not offer tours of Rate Field, but they do offer virtual tours of premium areas to rent. As for First Game Certificates, the following is just the embodiment of the Rate Field experience. You go to Customer Service to get one printed out on cardstock, so far, so good. You are then asked to write your name in block letters so the customer service representative can enter it and the date, and complete your certificate, which is placed inside a folder. All excellent so far.

I did not bother to check the certificate until I got back to California, because I was carrying food at the time and saw that it was the correct cardstock. After all, I wrote my information in large, friendly block letters. You can see for yourself where things went awry.

Words can barely express my horror when I finally opened the folder to frame the certificate. The incompetence just grabs your attention and refuses to let go. If the above is not emblematic of Rate Field, I don’t know what is.

2. How should I get there?

Getting to Chicago is easy, all things considered. As we covered in “The House an Earworm Built,” getting to Chicago is pretty straightforward, as most major airlines have connections to Chicago, mostly likely Chicago O’Hare International Airport. One could make a road trip of it, driving across country, or even take major Amtrak routes from the coast. I would not recommend this last option, as American rail is infinitely inferior to Japanese rail in scope, speed, and quality.

Once in Chicago, unless there is a specific errand that requires a car, you can take the Chicago Transit Authority to just about anywhere. Taking the Blue Line train from O’Hare into Chicago is likely the easiest way to get into the city. For our purposes, the Red Line of Chicago’s Metro is life; it will take you just outside of Wrigley, and there is a dedicated stop for Rate Field.

A CTA Ventra 3-day pass allows unlimited use on the system after scanning your phone or card for 3 days, and is more than enough unless one is staying in Chicago for longer.

Weatherwise, it’s Chicago. It can be rainy, humid, or nice; just look at the weather report and plan accordingly. Chicago is not like San Francisco, where the temperature can vary wildly throughout the day or by neighborhood on a normal basis. Chicago can be sunny and humid, nice, rainy, or windy, or any combination thereof.

While there is parking at Rate Field, unless one is driving in from southern Illinois or Milwaukee, public transit is the best option to get to and from the ballpark, easily besting car or rideshare options. While one ultimately will walk a few hundred feet to get to the ballpark from the train station, there’s enough police presence and foot traffic for all but the most crowdphobic of fans to feel comfortable in making the transit.

3. Where should I stay?

The short answer is that any half-decent hotel near the Red Line will suit your purposes. One of the issues with Rate Field’s location is that the ballpark is near two highway interchanges, making it more car-friendly than people-friendly. As discussed above, it is not as if there is a thriving neighborhood nearby, ala Wrigleyville. Accordingly, hotel options near the Rate Field are somewhat limited.

While one might be initially tempted by these choices, note that you will be walking a considerable distance and multiple city blocks. For instance, The Polo Inn Bed and Breakfast is a mile walk from Rate Field.

One can bypass this conundrum by staying at a hotel in The Loop off the Red Line. The downside to this approach is that hotels in this part of Chicago tend to be more expensive. Also, Chicago’s Metro is not the friendliest when it comes to accessibility issues, i.e., if you have trouble with stairs, you might have issues reaching your train.

Another option to try is staying in Chinatown, which is just to the north of Rate Field. The Jaslin Hotel is a viable option because it is close to the train station without the arduous walk required by other hotels.

4. Where should I sit?

Rate Field does charge more for Dodgers games compared to standard fare, but not so much that it’s notable, or that you feel gouged. However, for field-level seats behind home plate, expect to pay north of three figures, which is bog standard for any MLB ballpark.

A seat behind home plate that would normally cost four to five digits at Dodger Stadium can be had for a few hundred dollars here. However, the positive remarks about the seating options end there.

If one attends a day game, one will be in direct sunlight unless one is either on the upper deck or sitting in the back of the sections in the stadium’s inner bowl. Outfield seating is exposed to the elements. While there are social areas in the outfield, if a traveling fan made the journey to Chicago, they can just socialize at their chosen venue or bar in downtown Chicago after the game. The White Sox do have a sports bar/restaurant adjacent to the ballpark, which is just about the only amenity outside it.

The stadium has a unique rule where if one is sitting in the upper deck (the 500s seating), they are not allowed to visit other parts of the stadium once up there. The broken seating I encountered was in this section, where not only was my assigned seat broken, but two other seats were either about to break and broke when I sat on them or already broken.

Thankfully, the upper deck was essentially empty for this game, so I eventually did find a seat comparable to the one that I paid for. Seat roulette should not be a thing and is a glaring red flag for skimping on maintenance. Yes, the seat was about $25 in 2024, but that price was dwarfed by both the almost comical lack of food options on that level and the social embarrassment of subpar seating.

While one can get closer to the visiting bullpen by sitting in the front of sections 104 and 105, it is done at the literal expense of watching the game without magnification. That said, when I visited the bullpen, they mostly spent their time underneath the awning to avoid the sun.

Seating in the 300s that allows access to the then-Huntington Stadium Club, where the original Campfire Milkshake was served. The private dining area I had access to before the game gave solid views of the Dodgers bullpen, less so of the game itself. Ultimately, during the game I sat in this section, there was a rain delay, which caused a good portion of the crowd to leave, but I switched my seat from the one above to the one at the very start of the Guide entry.

Anecdotally, while the staff at Rate Field was generally apathetic to customer questions and feedback, the one aspect in which they showed an unexpectedly high level of diligence was enforcing that people sat in their assigned seats. Granted, one would expect most ushers at most stadiums to do this act, but during inclement weather, one would expect a certain relaxation, considering that the original patrons likely left. Potential hermit crab fans would likely need to be mindful and avoid drawing attention to themselves.

5. After your trip, is it worth going back?

In the disclaimer to the Guide, I described the informal range of subjective outcomes that can occur after visiting a location. So far, I have attended three games at Rate Field in 2024, all of which the Dodgers won. After this visit, my rating of going to Rate Field is:

• Hey, that was somehow NOT fun. Why did I put myself through all of this work?

The Dodgers won three largely stress-free games (when Bobby Miller wasn’t pitching) on an outing that cost very little out-of-pocket costs in weather that was largely pleasant in a venue that was easy to get to and from. In theory, considering all the positive factors that should be in play at this ballpark, I should be raving. Yet two years later, I am still spectacularly annoyed by the experience of going to a series at Rate Field.

Going to baseball games should be a fun experience. When a venue makes decisions that make it harder to have fun, considering that one of the main purposes of a ballpark is to enable fun (while getting your money in trade), one cannot help but speak out. White Sox fans deserve better, both in venue and in ownership. It’s like watching a toxic relationship from afar; you cannot intervene (and odds are, your intervention would be unwelcome), but you know that they deserve better.

Therefore, based on the above information, I can not recommend attending a Dodgers game at Rate Field. If the above 3,450 words are not enough to sway all but the most hearty Dodger chasers from going to this ballpark, then please enjoy and be well. While new ownership is eventually coming to the Southside, the cavalry has ties to private equity, which is problematic in a familiar way.

While friendship is the gravity that might cause me to return, and while I remain hopeful for the future, my mind keeps returning to the song lyrics “Meet the new Boss / same as the old Boss … ”

Columbus Clippers 6, Indianapolis Indians 11

Clippers fall to 36-29

Some old friends had some big days for the Clippers as a rehabbing Gabriel Arias went 2-for-3 with his third home run already. He has a ridiculous 1.377 OPS in his rehab assignment thus far.

Bo Naylor also blasted off for a home run, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk while Kahlil Watson went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two walks and also stole a base.

Starting pitcher Ryan Webb got torched for six runs (three earned) on three hits with six walks and five strikeouts in 3.0 innings.

Pedro Avila attempted to be an innings eater, but he also wore it for five runs (three earned) in 4.0 innings.

Akron RubberDucks 7, Erie SeaWolves 8

RubberDucks fall to 31-29

Alex Mooney had an incredible game, going 4-for-4 with a home run and a double with two stolen bases (including home), but it wasn’t enough as Akron’s pitching had a rough day.

Jaison Chourio also continued his strong performance at Double-A, going 2-for-5 with a triple and a home run while Luke Hill also homered, his first since being promoted.

Dylan DeLucia got absolutely blistered for seven runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 2.2 innings pitched.

Matt Jachec, Alaska Abney and Adam Tulloch were excellent out of the bullpen, combining for 5.1 shutout innings with seven strikeouts. Carter Rusted then gave up a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth after Akron had tied it 7-7 in the top of the ninth.

Lake County Captains 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 5

Captains improve to 34-25

Lake County got some strong performances from its college bats as Dean Curley had a huge game, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and a walk.

Nolan Schubart also homered, going 1-for-2 with two walks and three RBIs and Jace LaViolette went 2-for-4.

Starting pitcher Melkis Hernandez was extremely hittable on the day, giving up five runs on 11 hits with one strikeout and one walk in 3.1 innings.

The bullpen dominated the rest of the way, however, as Logan McGuire, Luis Flores and Connor Zsak combined for 5.2 innings of scoreless relief with seven strikeouts.

Hill City Howlers 3, Wilson Warbirds 7

Howlers fall to 28-32

No one had a multi-hit game or an extra-base hit for Hill City on Thursday, although the team drew several walks.

Dauri Fernandez went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base while Yerlin Luis and Yaikel Mijares both went 1-for-2 with two walks, with Mijares also stealing a base.

Luis De La Cruz and Jhorvic Abreus also both walked twice.

Starting pitcher Joey Oakie had a rough day, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 4.0 innings.

Chase Mobley was given a chance to piggyback with Oakie and he allowed two runs on two hits with two walks in just 1.0 inning of work.

Javi Torres and Eudry Alcantara were superb, both tossing 2.0 scoreless frames, but the damage had been done.

ACL Guardians 17, ACL Reds 6

Guardians improve to 19-12

The ACL Guardians are officially the most patient team I’ve ever seen. They scored 17 runs on just eight hits Thursday, largely in part to drawing a ridiculous 15 walks and getting hit by a pitch.

Alejandro Blasco continued his insanely scorching start to the season, going 2-for-3 with his third home run and a walk. He has a .600 batting average and a 2.194 OPS already through seven games.

Catching prospect Reiner Herrera also homered and walked twice while Pedro Dalmagro homered and walked.

Rodny Rosario went 1-for-2 with three whiles while Estivel Morillo went 1-for-3 with two walks, three RBIs and three runs scored. Steven Cruz went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base and Angel Abreu walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

Starting pitcher Edelvis Perez was tagged for six runs (five earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 4.0 innings. A rehabbing Zach Jacobs tossed a scoreless inning and Alejandro Rivera finished off the game with 4.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts to earn the win.

The Nationals’ West Coast trip was a successful one, taking 2 out of 3 in both series and bringing themselves back over .500, but the way the final game of the trip ended, it felt like a disaster. After entering the bottom of the 8th inning leading 9-1, the Nats surrendered 10 runs in the final 2 innings, capped off by a walkoff grand slam from DMV native Bryce Eldridge to give the Giants the 11-10 win. For the Giants, it was a much needed momentum swing, after being on the brink of another sweep in a lost season. For the Nats, it took the vibes around the organization from the highest they’ve been in years to a confusing middle ground.

The team the Nationals will look to get the good vibes back on track against is the Seattle Mariners, who come into this series with a record just above .500 at 36-34, but still good enough for first place in the AL West. Like most of the rest of the American League, the Mariners have stumbled somewhat out of the gate, but they still possess one of the strongest rosters in baseball, even with 2025 MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh on the Injured List.

Game One – Friday 6:45 PM EST

SEA: Bryce Miller (2-0, 1.33 ERA)

WSH: RHP Zach Littell (6-4, 4.76 ERA)

Game Two – Saturday 4:05 PM EST

SEA: RHP Luis Castillo (2-5, 5.16 ERA)

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (304, 3.88 ERA)

Game Three – Sunday 1:35 PM EST

SEA: RHP Emerson Hancock (5-2, 2.74 ERA)

WSH: Miles Mikolas (1-5, 5.90 ERA)

Not that long ago, the Cincinnati Reds were nine games over the .500 mark. Even after a burp and a hiccup, this was still a team that was 29-25 through 54 games, a club that had absorbed some punches and returned a few in good measure.

The last two weeks of baseball, though, have seen them look as dismal and disheveled as they’ve looked in years. They’ve gone 3-10 over their last 13 contests, slipped all the way down to 32-35 on the season, lost their star, forgotten how to hit, and lost in excruciating fashion almost every single time they’ve stepped on the field.

Wednesday’s series finale against the San Diego Padres was perhaps the nail in the coffin. Despite poking a pair of late homers to give them an insurance run, the bullpen once again was completely wiped, and Fernando Tatis, Jr. swatted a homer off a pitcher who, in Chase Petty, really had no business being on the mound at the time.

The Reds are firmly in throw it at the wall and hope it sticks territory already, and there are still nearly 100 games left to play this season. That’s a daunting reality that they must face, and despite the incredibly long odds at this juncture, must overcome to give a roster with Hunter Greene, Elly De La Cruz, and Emilio Pagan a chance to still play for something come July.

Through the rest of June they go, however, with the Arizona Diamondbacks next up on their list.

Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez is having a resurgent campaign, and he’ll start for the Snakes in the series opener at Great American Ball Park on Friday evening opposite fellow southpaw Nick Lodolo. It’s a dreaded Apple TV game sharing the very same time slot as the US Men’s National Team during their World Cup debut, so it’s sure to be a ratings blockbuster.

Arizona is coming into GABP on a slump of their own, fresh off a sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins. They’ve lost 5 of 6 and, like the Reds, 10 of their last 13 overall to drop to just 34-34 on the season, and they’re surely eyeing this as a ‘get right’ series given the quality of competition and the bandbox where the games will be played. So, the Reds have that going for them, which is not nice.

First pitch for Friday’s series opener is set for 7:15 PM ET.

Here’s how the Reds will line up to begin:

The Colorado Rockies are reportedly promoting left-handed pitcher Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP) to start Friday night’s game against the Athletics. The Gazette’s Kevin Henry was among the first to report on the news. The Rockies have yet to officially announce the move.

Sullivan was the Rockies’ second-round pick in the 2023 draft after pitching 69.2 innings with a 2.45 ERA in his final season with Wake Forest. His fastball typically sits in the high 80’s and he relies on a mixture of good command and deception from a low arm slot to get batters out.

Making stops at every Rockies full-season minor league affiliate, Sullivan continued to have great results until hitting a roadblock in the hitter-friendly PCL this season.

In 2024, across stops at both High-A and Double-A, Sullivan pitched 115.1 innings with a 2.11 ERA and earned the High-A Northwest League Pitcher of the Year award. He followed that up with a full season at Double-A Hartford in 2025, where, across 97.1 innings, he recorded a 3.14 ERA backed up by a 3.17 FIP and a sterling 1.09 WHIP.

Upon reaching Triple-A Albuquerque to start this season, however, some of the warning signs in his profile began to shine through. In eleven starts for the Isotopes, Sullivan sports a 5.60 ERA backed up by a 5.70 FIP. Most notably, he has not been able to control the long ball nearly as well as he had in the lower minors, and his HR/9 has jumped from 0.61 last year to 1.65 so far this season.

He will get his first major league start in a familiar stadium, as tonight’s game against the Athletics will be hosted in the Triple-A Las Vegas stadium, where Sullivan last pitched on May 19th. In that start, he lasted 4.2 innings and allowed six earned runs on twelve hits while striking out four and allowing no walks.

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I’ve spent a lot of time this season comparing the 2026 Giants’ record to the records of bad teams throughout franchise history, but as it becomes clearer and clearer that this team, though fun, is tacking to the 2017 team’s record or thereabouts, I don’t see the point in continuing to belabor the point. So, instead, let’s look at how this is some of the worst pitching ever seen by fans of the San Francisco Giants in the long history of the franchise.

Hey, wait, come back. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or trick you. I’m trying to validate your feelings. A recent post to The Feed by a member of the McCovey Chronicles community wondered if this year’s squad featured the worst bullpen in franchise history. It’s perhaps a little difficult to quantify bullpen innings versus rotation innings over time just because of how much pitcher usage has changed, and sorting data gets tricky in these recent years because of what the opener has done, but generally speaking, the 2026 team is not (yet) the worst bullpen ever assembled by the Orange & Black. It is merely among the worst.

10. 1999, 4.21 ERA
9. 2020, 4.24
8. 2026, 4.27
7. 2017, 4.34
6. 2008, 4.45
5. 2004, 4.68
4. 1997, 4.75
3. 1996, 4.77
2. 2006, 4.77
1. 1995, 5.35

But that’s not the point of this piece! It’s not just the bullpen that stinks, it’s the rotation, too. The entire pitching staff is just a huge liability. The current staff ERA of 4.55 might go down, sure, but through the first 69 games of a season, only 12 Giants teams have run up a team ERA of 4.50 or worse:

Okay, now, if I’ve validated your feelings and you’re now mad at me instead of the Giants and have taken to tut-tutting me for bringing up a 69-game sample instead of focusing on there still being plenty of season left, I ask you to consider the following:

• Robbie Ray is either going to be this bad or be traded
• Logan Webb might be back to his old form and won’t be traded, but the Giants will still have innings to cover…
• Which might mean resorting to Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle even more down the stretch.
• Ryan Walker is back.
• Any prospects they’ll call up down the stretch will be susceptible to fatigue for pitching past their previous innings limits and pace of the season.

And I’ll add this final wrinkle, I suppose in order to suggest that things won’t get much better, which means that the Giants are on an unavoidable clash with history. Just 11 Giants teams in the history of the franchise have ended the season with a 4.50 or worse ERA. Not even the 100-loss 1985 team did that (3.61 team ERA). Here they are, the worst pitching staffs in Giants history:

So, as you can see, the Giants have had some really bad staffs in our lifetime. 7 of 11 seasons in living memory have been among the worst pitching performances ever seen by fans, so why couldn’t this year become #8?

Well, if I had to pitch a path for a turnaround, I suppose it would start with walking fewer batters. Pitchers shouldn’t walk hitters. This year’s team has a walk rate 4.04 BB/9 that would be the worst of this century were it not for the 2008 team (4.07). Still a chance to improve upon that, sure, but can they? In the past 6 weeks or so, things have only gotten worse:

May 1st-June 11th: 7.7 K/9, 4.11 BB/9
May 29th-June 11th: 7.85 K/9, 4.79 BB/9

A reminder that Tyler Mahle hasn’t pitched since May 26th. But also, Robbie Ray has the second-worst walk rate in the sport (4.42 per 9). Oh, but wait! Landen Roupp’s 3.88 is 7th-worst. So, it’s not just a bad apple spoiling the bunch. There are no apples here. Just walks. A bunch of walks.

So, the Giants have some work to do. The lineup is surging but Justin Meccage’s side of the ledger has been a real mecc. The front office had a publicly stated plan for the lineup that is making the naysayers like me eat crow. They did not have a publicly stated plan on the pitching side and it seems like all of our worst fears have come true, which is why it’s so difficult to envision, imagine, or even hope for a turnaround.

The Dodgers and Chicago White Sox continue their weekend series on Saturday afternoon at Rate Field in Chicago, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound coming off his best start of the season.

Yamamoto retired his final 22 batters faced in his eight innings to beat the Angels last Saturday at Dodger Stadium, and allowed just one run. Yamamoto has allowed only three runs over his last four starts, and has lasted at least seven innings three times during that span, with 25 strikeouts and five walks in 27 1/3 innings.

Right-hander Sean Burke starts for Chicago.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at White Sox
• Ballpark: Rate Field, Chicago
• Time: 1:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

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Friday is here, and the MLB slate is loaded with hitters in prime spots to leave the yard.

My favorite looks and MLB player props this evening include Yandy Diaz, Samuel Basallo, and Kody Clemens.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Yandy Diaz	+359
Samuel Basallo	+389
Kody Clemens	+437
💲Today's HR parlay	+11953

Home run pick: Yandy Diaz (+359)

One of my favorite home run looks this evening is Tampa Bay Rays slugger Yandy Diaz.

Diaz has been crushing the baseball lately against left-handed pitching. Over his last 30 plate appearances versus southpaws, he's produced a 56.5% hard-hit rate and 13% barrel rate while batting .400, with a .720 SLG, 1.187 OPS and 221 wRC+.

Tonight, the Rays star draws Los Angeles Angels left hander Sam Aldegheri, who has allowed a 61.9% fly-ball rate and 19% line-drive rate to right handed hitters this season. Those elevated contact numbers have been a consistent theme throughout his professional career.

Diaz also owns the highest arsenal coverage among Batters-Box elite-rated hitters tonight, covering 94.7% of Aldegheri's pitch mix. With the amount of hard contact Díaz is generating and the amount of elevation Aldegheri is allowing, this is a matchup I have to be all over.

If you're looking to add another home run sprinkle from this game, I do not hate the idea of Junior Caminero leaving the yard as well.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABTV, RAYS

Home run pick: Samuel Basallo (+389)

Baltimore Orioles young slugger Samuel Basallo is a guy I am already a fan of. His hits, runs and RBI prop looks good this evening, and when I like a hitter to have success at the dish, I am always a strong advocate for sprinkling on their home run prop as well.

The 21-year-old draws San Diego Padres right hander Griffin Canning, who enters today with the one of the worst pitcher ratings on the day, according to Batters-Box.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, SDPA

Home run pick: Kody Clemens (+437)

Minnesota Twins outfielder Kody Clemens has been making a ton of hard contact lately. Over his last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching, he owns a 54.2% hard-hit rate, 16.7% barrel rate, and 66.7% elevation rate while batting .379 with an .862 SLG and 1.262 OPS.

Roger's son draws St. Louis Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy, who grades poorly in hard contact and strikeout metrics on Batters-Box.

The right-hander has struggled this season against left-handed hitters, allowing 60% hard contact and a 13.7% barrel rate. Those lefties have produced a .619 xSLG and .434 xwOBA against him.

According to FanGraphs, only 14% of Leahy’s arsenal grades above league average. On the other side, Clemens owns an 84.2% arsenal coverage rating against Leahy’s pitch mix.

After an 0-for-4 day at the dish on Thursday, Clemens should be looking to bounce back this weekend and do damage against the below-average pitches Leahy will throw his way.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MNNT, CARD

Today’s HR parlay

Yandy Diaz	Bet Now +11953
Samuel Basallo
Kody Clemens

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It’s hard to argue against the idea that a Yankees outfield feels incomplete without the 6-foot-7 right fielder manning the grass, warning track, and wall. No, Aaron Judge isn’t just a huge presence in the field missing (literally and figuratively), but losing a .907 OPS with 17 home runs and 38 RBI in 59 games is a major hole in the lineup that needs to be filled for the time being.

For a while, there was a concern about the team’s outfield with Trent Grisham starting in center following his signing of a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer to remain with the team. Through his first 29 games of the season in March and April, he was batting .151 with a BABIP of .145 and a wRC+ of 76. For a guy hoping to prove that his breakout 2025 season wasn’t a fluke and that he deserves a significant free-agent contract after 2026, Grisham was not doing a very good job through the first couple months of the season. However, over the last 30 games, the tide has turned in his favor.

Grisham went from well below the Mendoza line in the box in his first 35 games of the season to slashing .296/.382/.454 in his next 30. Now, he’s hitting .232 on the season with an 114 wRC+ and a career-high walk rate and career-low strikeout rate (to this point).

The Yankees needed this change, but what’s driving it? It was highly unlikely that Grisham would hit .150 all year, but the change has been a tale of two halves through the first 65 games of the season.

There are a few major changes to what Grisham has been doing in the box that have helped expedite his resurgence. First, he’s probably just gotten some better luck. He was hitting the ball hard through the early parts of the season, but it was right at defenders. His process was not terrible, showing the same solid plate approach that helped him excel in 2025, but he just wasn’t seeing the ball find grass.

But Grisham has also seen an improvement in his batted ball profile. He’s seen an increase in both pulled balls (slightly up from 41.1% to 41.6% in May and 43.3% in June) and those hit to the opposite field (up from 17.8% to 24.7% in May and 20% in June). But he has also seen an increase in line drives and decreases in both groundballs and fly balls. His line drive rate through March and April was 8.2%, well below the league average, and that shot up to 14.3% in May and is even higher in June (23.3%). The line drives have made it easier for him to score runs or put his team in position to do so, like this hard-pulled line-drive triple following an incredible ABS challenge, which kept the inning at one out and allowed Grisham to score the fourth run on a sacrifice fly. And the Yankees would go on to score two more runs in the inning to make the score 6-3.

The Yankees needed their outfield production to replace Judge in the aggregate (or at least try their best with a rookie Spencer Jones still getting a hold of playing in the majors), and Grisham’s return to an above-average level is a boon. A change in approach that involves putting the bat to the ball while also keeping emphasis on high exit velocities has helped Grisham not just find the gaps in both right and left more, but it’s kept his power around. There’s still quite some time left until Judge returns, but the Yankees will have an easier time weathering the storm as long as Grisham continues at this rate. Grisham resembling the version of himself from 2025 (as well as Cody Bellinger’s return to MVP-caliber form) will go a long way to keeping the team afloat in Judge’s absence.

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Toronto Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage profiles well against a New York Yankees squad that has been swing-happy this season, making his strikeout prop appetizing.  

Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks for this Thursday, June 12, matchup. 

Yankees vs Blue Jays predictions

Yankees vs Blue Jays best bet: Trey Yesavage Over 6.5 Ks (+110)

Trey Yesavage is 2-0 against the New York Yankees, throwing 11.2 scoreless innings with 19 strikeouts. His splitter gave this Yankees team fits last season, and the Toronto Blue Jays' rookie right-hander is poised to baffle those Yankee bats again. 

He limits contact, garnering a .188 xBA, while ranking in the 85th percentile in barrel rates. 

The Yankees don’t barrel the ball very well, and have the second-highest strikeout rate against right-handers with Yesavage’s pitching arsenal (four-seamer, Splitter, slider).

New York’s offense also owns a league-worst .199 xBA against those pitch types. I’d bet Yesavage O 6.5 strikeouts up to +100.

COVERS INTEL: Yesavage owns a 54% strikeout rate against the Yankees. 

Yankees vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

I’m expecting a lot of swings and misses from the Yankees' bats tonight, so I’ll add Over 0.5 strikeouts to Trent Grisham.

He owns a 37.5% strikeout rating against Yesavages pitch mix, and struck out in 3-of-4 playoff appearances against him. 

I’ll also bet over 0.5 singles for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He profiles well against Yankees starter Ryan Weathers and has been hitting the ball harder recently, which has led to line drive singles and hard hit balls into the outfield. 

Additionally, 80% of his hits this season have been singles. 

Yankees vs Blue Jays SGP

• Trey Yesavage Over 6.5 strikeouts
• Trent Grisham Over 0.5 strikeouts
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 singles

Yankees vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+370)

Weathers has been prone to the longball over his last four starts, surrendering seven bombs in that stretch. 

Kazuma Okamoto’s hitting profile matches up best against Weathers, who uses a four-seamer as his primary pitch. 

The Jays slugger barrels the baseball well and puts power into his swings with a 64% hard-hit rate and a .544 slug against the four-seamer this season. 

I’ll bet half a unit on this, however, considering the Jays’ inconsistent power numbers all season. 

Yankees vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: New York -115 | Toronto +104
• Run line: New York +1.5 (-210) | Toronto -1.5 (+180)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-110) | Under 8 (-110)

Yankees vs Blue Jays trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the Game Total Over in 9 of their last 12 games (+5.80 Units / 45% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Yankees vs Blue Jays and game info

Yankees vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Yankees vs Blue Jays weather

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As the Arizona Cardinals closed up minicamp on Wednesday, Mike LaFleur decided he had seen enough through mandatory minicamp and the Cardinals are now off until training camp opens, with the Cardinals being one of the first teams reporting.

Fans were a little perplexed by the decision, which I get their thoughts, the Cardinals are one of the worst teams in the NFL in terms of odds to even make the playoffs. They are being bet heavily that they will not even make their over 4.5 wins, so why would you take the last day off?

Well, here is my thoughts on it… Why does it matter?

Everyone that is there and participating have been there and participating through all of voluntary OTA’s as well, so what is one day for those guys?

If Jacoby Brissett was back and participating, then to me it makes more sense to keep getting an extra day of work and getting some more camaraderie. However, Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck have been throwing to these guys for over a month already. One day isn’t taking it to the next level, and one day isn’t causing them to lose anything.

Again, I get the concern, but these guys who have been at camps are there everyday and working. It is one day, it is one less two hour workday. It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, and those who think it is bad can’t be convinced otherwise. Yet, for me it is a nice way to say thank you for the work and effort put in over the last month from those that were there.

If Brissett had shown up to work (I understand why he did not) then get all three days in and work, but if he’s not doing anything, then those that have been here have gotten enough work in and will be prepared for the next phase.

After narrowly escaping Pittsburgh with their first series win there in five years, the Dodgers are now in the South Side of Chicago to take on the first-place White Sox. Yes, you read that right, the first-place White Sox.

While it is currently just a half game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central, they are taking advantage of the situation that is presented to them. Two years ago, they won 35 games total. This season brought them their 36th win on Wednesday. They are a group of young and exciting players who don’t really have anything to lose. The ChiSox are coming off a mini sweep of the Braves, winning their first two of the series with the game on Thursday being postponed due to weather.

Old friend Miguel Vargas has found a home in Chicago after he was traded midseason in 2024. He has 16 homers on the season and while his .243 batting average is not high, it’s much higher than his lifetime average of .212.

The White Sox are sending Anthony Kay to the mound, a left hander who is 5-1 on the season with a 4.40 ERA. His ERA in May was 1.95, however he is coming off a clunker of an outing against the Philadelphia Phillies where he allowed six runs in 4.0 innings including two homers. He does not strike out a lot of batters and walks about 25% of the right-handed batters that he faces.

For their part the Dodgers are sending Roki Sasaki, who has been fantastic in his last three outings and seems to be figuring things out again. The White Sox are very good against right-handed pitching however, scoring three or more runs on each of the last five righties they’ve faced. The White Sox do strike out a fair amount as a team, so look for Sasaki to exploit that.

The Dodgers will be without Will Smith, and Shohei Ohtani left Thursday’s game with an inflamed left knee. Manager Dave Roberts did indicate after the game that Ohtani’s removal was precautionary, and that he is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday.

Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at White Sox
• Ballpark: Rate Field, Chicago
• Time: 4:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

This week, our Rangers Reacts Survey asked y’all to give new manager Skip Schumaker a grade for his work as manager so far.

Y’all seem to find him to be, generally, just okay.

Just over half of you gave him a “C” grade, and over 80% of you have him with either a “B” or a “C.” So a fairly unremarkable performance so far from Skip.

As for the national questions, Yordan Alvarez narrowly edged out Shohei Ohtani for the title of “best hitter in baseball”:

Asked about the looming labor negotiations, over half of respondents are following, and a large majority are worried about a work stoppage.

This has been brought to you by FanDuel.

The Astros missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016, but still finished with 87 wins. This year, the bottom may be dropping out, as they are tied for the eighth-worst record in baseball and are headed to their first losing season since 2014. Their dynasty run that included nine playoff appearances, four pennants, and two titles, appears to be coming to an end.

Houston Astros (31-39) vs. Kansas City Royals (28-41) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Astros: 4.50 runs scored/game (13th in MLB), 5.04 runs allowed/game (24th)

Royals: 3.90 runs scored/game (29th), 4.62 runs allowed/game (20th)

Despite playing in Minute Maid Park, the Astros have hit better away from home this year, and only five teams in baseball have hit more road homers. Jose Altuve is one hitter who has struggled on the road, hitting .189/.252/.263 away from Houston. Yordan Alvarez leads all qualified hitters in slugging percentage (.636) and wRC+ (189), and is second in on-base percentage (.430) and home runs (22). He is hitting lefties equally as well as righties. Jeremy Peña is hitting .328/.418/.534 with three home runs over his last 17 games.

Isaac Paredes has a 53.8 percent pull rate, seventh-highest in baseball. He’s a lifetime .196/.328/.373 hitter in 14 games at Kauffman Stadium. The Astros have the worst success rate on stolen bases, getting caught 33 percent of the time. Altuve and Paredes rank as poor defenders by Outs Above Average, but much of the rest of the team rates well.

Tatsuya Imai struggled in his first few starts in the big leagues after coming over from Japan, but he allowed just four runs in 17 innings over his last three starts. He has a 3.24 ERA in four road starts. He throws his slider 44.7 percent of the time, helping him induce a 51 percent groundball rate.

The Astros acquired Mike Burrows in the offseason in a trade with the Pirates, but he has struggled. He leads the majors in losses (8), home runs allowed (17), and he has the highest ERA among qualified starters at 5.77. He has given up four or more runs in 7 of his 13 starts. Lefties are hitting .321/.397/.575 against him. Noah Cameron has allowed just six earned runs in 30 innings over his last five starts for 1.80 ERA, but the Royals have won only one of those games.

Spencer Arrighetti is tied for third in the American League with seven wins, with five Quality Starts. Opponents are hitting just .185/.322/.260 against him. He throws his curveball one-third of the time, and the pitch has a 42 percent whiff rate. Stephen Kolek has allowed just seven earned runs in 32.1 innings over his last five starts.

The Astros have a 4.82 ERA from their bullpen, seventh-worst in baseball, with the third-highest walk rate. And yet, they have the fewest blown saves in baseball with just three. Josh Hader missed the first two months with shoulder and bicep injuries, but earned a save in his first game back. He has struck out 7 of the 13 batters he has faced so far, without allowing a hit. Bryan King, Bryan Abreu, and Enyel de los Santos had each earned saves prior to Hader’s return. Abreu has the highest walk rate among relievers. Steven Okert has a 60 percent flyball rate, third-highest in baseball.

The Astros had an awful month of April, but have played .500 ball since then. They split their season series with the Royals last year, with Kansas City winning the series at Kauffman. This is the fifth consecutive series for the Royals against a team that currently has a .500 record or worse. They’ve gone 6-7 over that stretch so far, and will need to do much better if they any hopes for climbing back into contention.