Apr 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch against the Athletics during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
En route to a 4-0 loss to the City-less Athletics, Mets’ starter Clay Holmes left the game in the sixth inning with ‘left hamstring tightness.’ Holmes expressed optimism after the game that he could make his next scheduled start, calling the injury “nothing major.” Manager Carlos Mendoza said that how Holmes feels today will determine their course of action going forward.
Even with last night’s abbreviated start, Holmes has looked quite good in his second year as a starer. Over 18 innings thrown, he’s allowed just three earned runs on 12 hits striking out 12 and walking eight. While his 3.87 FIP is showing that his 1.50 ERA might be a bit of a fluke, Holmes has been the third most effective Mets’ starter thus far after Nolan McLean and Kodai Senga.
The only blemish against Holmes in last night’s start was a Shea Langeliers RBI single in the third inning. Holmes was pulled in the top of the sixth with one out after 81 pitches.
The Mets have been bit by the injury bug already this season, with Juan Soto currently on the Injured List with a calf injury and Jorge Polanco missing time with a hamstring injury.
If Holmes does go on the IL, the Mets will have an interesting decision to make. With Sean Manaea and last night’s goat Tobias Myers both acting as long men right now, one of them would likely be called upon to start. However, Manaea’s diminished velocity and walk rate are huge red flags, and the Mets may not want to put him in that role. Christian Scott and Jonah Tong are both available from Triple-A, but the Mets likely wouldn’t want to disrupt their progress for a spot start or two. Hopefully, this is a moot point and Holmes makes his next scheduled start.
Senga takes the hill for the Mets this afternoon against Jacob Lopez for the A’s.
24 September 2014: Dodgers third base coach Davey Lopes consoles with Los Angeles Dodgers Second base Dee Gordon (9) [7422] after being pulled from the game during a Major League Baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Davey Lopes, the Dodgers infield fixture who spent over 50 years in baseball, died on Wednesday at age 80. Here are a few more remembrances of his life and career.
Lopes’ former teammates and fellow members of The Infield that played together for 8 1/2 seasons Ron Cey and Steve Garvey talked with Jack Harris at the California Post: “He controlled the game at times with his base-stealing capabilities,” Cey said. “He wreaked havoc on defenses … His contributions were immense.”
From former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, who hired Lopes to coach first base in Los Angeles: “Davey was a winner in life & on the field. After an outstanding playing career, he became a coach – the best 1st base coach I ever saw: secondary leads, pitch tips, cutting your steps 1st to 3rd…he looked and taught players to look for every advantage. 1 of 1.”
From former Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner: “Such a straight shooter and a great baseball mind. I’ll never forget being on 1st base for 3 or 4 pitches and him looking right at me and saying, ‘What the hell are you waiting for? Go!’”
From former Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp: “Thank you Davey for being one of the best mentors ever. I can still hear him saying ‘If you don’t steal this base right now, I’m gonna kick your ass!!’ Rest easy.”
From Tim Kurkjian’s article on baserunning at ESPN: “[Johnny] Bench said the best baserunner he ever saw was ex-Dodger Davey Lopes, who was adept at getting a good lead and reading the pitcher.”
Of the 82 major league players born in Rhode Island, Lopes has the fourth-highest Baseball Reference WAR (42.4), behind only Hall of Famers Nap Lajoie, Gabby Hartnett, and Hugh Duffy. Stephen Rosa for the Boston Globe wrote, “For many of us, Davey Lopes was more than a great athlete. He was an example. He was an inspiration. And for a lot of us, he was one of the first people who made success feel real.”
When it comes to Lopes, his impact on the team’s running game was undeniable. During his tenure with the team, the Phillies were the best baserunning team in baseball. It showed up in the traditional stats like stolen bases, where Lopes’ expertise in analyzing the opposing pitchers made them the most efficient team around (84% success rate). It also showed up in the other things that make baserunners good. Fangraphs tracks different advanced baserunning stats with their publicly available information. The Phillies of 2007-2010 were the best in several of these categories, including wSB (stolen bases and caught stealing runs above average – 43.8), speed score (5.3) and baserunning runs (77.5).
Bruce Levine reports that Matthew Boyd will make a rehab start this coming week. More when we know more. We’ll see if Dylan Carlson makes it back to Triple-A.
Shōta Imanaga on the hill versus Carmen Mlodzinski. Let’s hope Mike Imanaga takes the day off. Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ were in the lineup, which was nicely balanced at the outset:
Nico Hoerner, 2B
Michael Busch, 1B
Alex Bregman, 3B
Ian Happ, LF
Seiya Suzuki, RF
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
Carson Kelly, C
Moisés Ballesteros, DH
Dansby Swanson, SS
Game Result:
Pirates 2, Cubs 0.
Shōta pitched well. He allowed the Pirates a big fat zero in 6.0 innings of work. Longtime Cubs nemesis Bryan Reynolds took Caleb Thielbar deep for a two-run homer in the sixth inning. That was it for scoring on this day.
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MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 06: Charlie Condon #66 of the Colorado Rockies looks on from his dugout at Hohokam Stadium prior to a game against the Athletics on March 06, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
Less than a week later, the Pirates — hardly a perennial contender — announced a nine-year extension that keeps him under contract through 2034.
That’s not just a prospect promotion. That’s a team deciding to be aggressive.
For an organization searching for relevance, the Pittsburgh Pirates are acting like a club that wants to compete now — trusting talent, accelerating timelines, and building around players as they prove ready.
And early on, it’s translating.
They’ve opened the season playing winning baseball — getting contributions from their young rotation (having Paul Skenes helps a lot) with just enough offense. It’s a small sample, and by June this could look very different.
But the intent is clear.
The Rockies are operating in a similar space: more competitive than projected, treading water behind just enough pitching and solid defense.
But where Pittsburgh had Griffin and pulled the trigger, Colorado has Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) — and a lineup that still needs impact.
This lineup isn’t broken — but it’s still volatile
There are stretches where the Rockies’ offense looks competent — productive and capable of pressure.
Strikeouts persist. Walk rates are low. And a swing-first approach means consistency can disappear quickly. When the offense is on, it looks pesky. When it’s not, it stalls.
There have been bright spots, but production hasn’t been evenly distributed — and that’s where cracks show.
The outfield, in particular, has struggled.
Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle and Jake McCarthy — the projected starting outfield heading into the season — have opened cold. The trio has gone a combined 13-93 (.139) with one home run and a 30% strike-out rate entering Friday’s game.
Troy Johnston and Tyler Freeman have hit, but much of their value comes from versatility and time spent in the infield, not as everyday outfield anchors. As a result, the outfield’s offense hasn’t stabilized and is still leaving a clear gap in production.
Mickey Moniak is the clear exception — but comes with a massive trade-off.
He’s off to a hot start at the plate, and his bat has been vital. But he shouldn’t be anywhere near a baseball glove. Moniak has struggled defensively throughout his career, and the metrics reflect it. If he’s a key offensive contributor from the grass, the Rockies are accepting defensive risk.
That’s not a sustainable equation.
Charlie Condon is ready for the next evaluation
Condon’s case doesn’t hinge on projection anymore.
He had a loud spring — driving the ball with authority — and has carried that into pro ball. He’s produced at every level, and the power stroke is showing up more consistently.
To begin the minor league season, Condon produced a two-homer, five-RBI game in Oklahoma City on March 29th. After a brief absence for a minor procedure to remove a cyst, he returned to Triple-A Albuquerque and picked up right where he left off:
The sample is small, but the takeaway is consistent: performance isn’t slowing his timeline. Condon is batting .286/.405/.976 through 35 at-bats.
And it’s not just the bat.
Condon offers real flexibility — capable of playing first base or right field, and even sliding into a right-handed DH role at times, potentially pairing with Mickey Moniak as part of a platoon. That kind of versatility makes it easier to find a path to at-bats, not harder.
Questions remain, sure. He struck out in 28% of his Double-A plate appearances in 2025, and evaluators still point to recognizing spin as the next hurdle. But those aren’t questions that get answered in Albuquerque. They get answered in the majors.
Condon may be the most immediate answer, but he’s not the only one pushing the Rockies toward a decision.
The next wave isn’t one player — it’s a mix
Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) feels like the incumbent, even after opening 2026 on the injured list (right knee contusion) and having a tepid start to his season. The version seen this spring looked stronger and more impactful, highlighted by a 468-foot walk-off — if that holds, he can change the lineup.
Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) offers a different profile; a versatile, high-energy contributor hitting .265 with eight stolen bases at Triple-A, with development centered on refining approach and reducing chase. He’s not the centerpiece. He’s a multiplier.
Timing still matters — even beyond incentives
This isn’t just about service time, but it’s not not about service time either.
MLB’s Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) rewards early promotions with a draft pick, but it comes with guardrails — Top 100 eligibility, award thresholds, and a one-pick-per-organization cap.
For Condon, the decision is likely more traditional: service time, where teams balance long-term control against present-day impact and development.
Some organizations still manage timelines carefully; others — like Pittsburgh with Griffin — are accelerating them. The Rockies are somewhere in between.
At some point, it’s about belief
The Rockies have taken real steps forward — they’re more competitive, the lineup has flashes, and there’s something worth building on.
But the next step is reinforcing that progress, not waiting on it. Development still matters, but the most important questions get answered against major league pitching.
If this team is going to reward the progress it’s already made, it starts by trusting the talent that can push it forward.
The Isotopes (6-7) fell 8-10 in El Paso, but the offense continued to show life. Blaine Crim led the way with three hits, including a home run, while Nicky Lopez stayed scorching hot with another three-hit game—pushing his line to .375 with a .929 OPS. Braxton Fulford also chipped in, going 2-for-2 with a home run after entering as a defensive sub in the sixth.
On the mound, Gabriel Hughes had a tough outing, throwing 84 pitches and allowing five runs over 4.1 innings.
The Yard Goats (3-4) couldn’t keep up in Reading, falling to the Fightin Phils 6-9. Connor Capel provided one of the few highlights, going deep to supply some early offense, but pitching told the story. Konner Eaton battled through 5.1 innings and was tagged for five earned runs, while Davison Palermo surrendered four more earned runs in just 1.2 innings of relief, putting the game out of reach.
The Indians (3-4) dropped a high-scoring game to the Hops. Jacob Humphrey led the way on offense with two hits and three RBIs, while Max Belyeu added two hits and two RBIs of his own — both staying hot early in the season. But despite the run support, pitching couldn’t hold up. Jackson Cox got the start and allowed four earned runs over four innings, though he did rack up eight strikeouts. The bullpen didn’t fare much better, with all three relievers surrendering multiple earned runs as the game got away.
Grizzlies (4-3) come up short against the Ports. Ethan Holliday went 2-for-5 and launched his first home run of the season, an encouraging sign as he looks to get going early in the year. On the mound, JB Middleton was excellent. He threw five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts, continuing a strong start to his season — now allowing just two runs over his first nine innings
In this piece by the Denver Post, the Walton-Penner ownership group has purchased a significant minority stake in the Colorado Rockies, adding a powerful new financial partner to the franchise. While the Monfort family retains control, the move signals increased resources and potential organizational change. It’s a notable shift in ownership structure — and a clear sign of growing investment in the Rockies’ future.
In this piece by Sports Illustrated, Paul DePodesta frames the Rockies’ surprising early start less as a signal of success and more as a data point in a long rebuild. He emphasizes that the early competitiveness is encouraging but not definitive, stressing that the organization is focused on long-term development rather than short-term results. The takeaway: the Rockies may be playing better now, but in DePodesta’s view, what matters is whether that progress is sustainable over a full season.
In this piece by MLB.com, the Rockies are highlighted alongside the Pirates and Marlins as teams off to better-than-expected starts in 2026. It points out that while the early results are encouraging, it’s still very early — and whether this kind of play can hold over a full season is the real question. For now, the Rockies are showing signs of life, but like the others, they still have to prove it’s more than just a hot start.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 7: Daniel Susac #6 of the San Francisco Giants gets high fives in the dugout after scoring a run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park on April 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
It’s another weekend of San Francisco Giants baseball, which means it’s time to figure out who was this week’s Player of the Week!
Personally, I’ve got to give this week’s honors to Daniel Susac! Not only did Susac have a three-hit game in last Thursday’s 7-2 win over the New York Mets, but he went and did it AGAIN in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies!
Those are great numbers for an individual game no matter who you are, but to do it twice in a week as a rookie? Yeah, people are definitely paying attention.
Way to go, Daniel!
Who is your pick for Player of the Week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue their series against the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at 4:15 p.m. PT.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 10: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates makes a diving catch against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field on April 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
This week’s question we asked you where Oneil Cruz should be playing for the Pirates. He has had a solid start at the plate with 4 home runs, 12 RBIs and .292 batting average but he has struggled defensively at center field with multiple errors. So we asked the readers where he should be playing and this was this week’s results.
So there you have it 42% of you guys believe Cruz should be the pirates DH instead of playing in the field. I agree with the results but the tough thing is what should the Bucs do with Marcell Ozuna then. Cruz continues top show that he is a liability at center field and a change might need to happen sooner rather than later.
As usual, don’t forget to drop by FanDuel’s MLB page. You can bet on all kinds of player props as well as the Bucs winning the Worlds Series (+5000) and also for them just making the MLB Playoffs (+164).
After five games of futility, the Detroit Tigers finally got back into the win column with a 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night.
It was another weak effort at the plate for the Motor City Kitties, but they were able to get their old friend Chris Paddack for a pair of runs during his six-inning stint — enough to earn the W. On the mound, Kieder Montero gave his team six scoreless innings, and the bullpen did the rest to ensure the triumph.
On Saturday afternoon, right-hander Casey Mize will take the bump opposite fellow righty Janson Junk. Detroit’s former top-overall draft pick has put up a near-elite strikeout percentage in a very limited sample size so far, but otherwise has struggled to find consistency.
Junk has looked perfectly serviceable so far, but far from invincible. Take a look below at how the two match up.
Detroit Tigers (5-9) vs. Miami Marlins (8-6)
Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. ET Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site: None Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 15: RHP Casey Mize (0-1, 5.23 ERA) vs. RHP Janson Junk (0-1, 3.09 ERA)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 10: Brandon Marsh #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates his three-run home run with Bryce Harper #3 in the first inning during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park on April 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.(Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So we’re gonna do this Brandon Marsh as the cleanup hitter thing now? I guess it’ll work against a team without left handed relief pitching, but later on? What then?
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: L, 2-10 (7) vs. Durham Bulls; they were supposed to play a doubleheader but rain nixed the nightcap, so they’ll try to play two today in a single-admission twin bill beginning at 3:05pm ET
CF Jasson Domínguez 1-2, 2 BB, SB — only a single but he’s still doing his thing SS Oswaldo Cabrera 0-4, K, GIDP 2B Max Schuemann 0-3, BB LF Spencer Jones 0-2, 2 BB, K RF Yanquiel Fernández 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI — drove in Scranton’s only runs in first with double 1B Seth Brown 0-3 DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-3, 2 K 3B Paul DeJong 0-2, BB C Payton Henry 0-1, BB, K C Ali Sánchez 1-1
Elmer Rodríguez 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, HR, WP, pickoff error Harrison Cohen 1.2 IP, 1 H, 5 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP, pickoff error (loss) — it was a 2-2 tie in the seventh; then it wasn’t Kervin Castro 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, HR
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 1-13 at Binghamton Rumble Ponies
SS George Lombard Jr. 1-4, 2 K RF Garrett Martin 1-4, K LF Jace Avina 0-4, 2 K 2B Marco Luciano 1-4, 2B, 2 K DH Coby Morales 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K, SB, CS — Patriots got some doubles but wasn’t their night 1B Nicholas Torres 2-3, 2B, HBP CF Kenedy Corona 0-3, BB, 2 K C Manuel Palencia 0-3, K, passed ball 3B Owen Cobb 1-3, 2 K
Xavier Rivas 2 IP, 5 H, 5 R (5 ER), 4 BB, 2 K, HR (loss) — woof Bailey Dees 1.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 1 K, pickoff Hayden Merda 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 5 K — dynamite relief Kelly Austin 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, HBP Diomedes Hernandez 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 0 K
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 1-3 vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks
3B Core Jackson 1-4, 2 K, SB, HBP, throwing error SS Kaeden Kent 1-4, BB, SB 1B Kyle West 0-3, BB, RBI, K, SB C Eric Genther 1-3, BB, K, missed catch error DH Roderick Arias 0-3, BB, K, 2 SB, picked off — ‘Gades had the wheels but not much else RF Tyler Wilson 0-4, K — bottom five in the lineup went a combined 0-for-15; hard to win with three hits LF Josh Moylan 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K PR Cole Gabrielson 0-0 CF Camden Troyer 0-4 2B Connor McGinnis 0-2, 2 BB, K
Jack Cebert 7.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 8 K, HR, HBP (loss) — don’t often see minor leaguers pitching into the eighth these days, especially in April, but Cebert was efficient (92 pitches) and very good; hard-luck loss due to the early two-run shot he allowed Tanner Bauman 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, HBP Chris Veach 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Low-A Tampa Tarpons: W, 9-0 at Clearwater Threshers
SS Jackson Lovich 2-4, 2 2B, BB, 2 RBI, K, SB 3B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-4, BB, 2 K DH Engelth Urena 0-3, 2 BB, K LF Logan Maxwell 2-4, 2 HR, BB, 5 RBI, K, CS — big afternoon for the undrafted free agent out of Arkansas! CF Willy Montero 1-4, BB, 2 K RF JoJo Jackson 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — hit the hell out of his first homer of 2026 (106.1 mph, 390 feet) C Ediel Rivera 0-3, K, HBP, passed ball 2B Austin Green 0-3, BB 1B Hans Montero 0-3, K, HBP
Justin West 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (win) — 12 swings and misses, nice start Jose M. Rodriguez 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K — almost as many swings and misses (8) in fewer pitches! Pedro Rodriguez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Yankee UDFA Logan Maxwell with his 2nd HR on the night.
I had tweeted out weeks ago coming into the year of the 2025 class, Logan Maxwell was a guy that struck me as a diamond in the rough sort of find in the UDFA market. Performs well against both splits and has no issue… https://t.co/oXqqTT7wc9pic.twitter.com/2bxNSKA9kv
SURPRISE, AZ - OCTOBER 18: DíAndre Smith #6 of the Scottsdale Scorpions slides into third base during the game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Saturday, October 18, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mets got three-hit by the Bisons in what was a pretty lackluster affair. Christian Arroyo continues his hot start to the season by driving in the Mets’ only run of the game, which was mercifully ended early by bad weather. At least potential bullpen churn pieces Anderson Severino and Mike Bauman looked alright.
The Rumble Ponies walked 13 times, scored 13 runs, and only collected eight hits in a trouncing of the Yankees’ Double-A club. Bryce Conley and Gabriel Rodriguez combined for the first six innings of five hits, one walk, no runs, and ten strikeouts. D’Andre Smith drove in five on two hits (a double and a triple).
Brooklyn finally got a dub in an extra-inning affair down the shore. John Bay, Corey Collins, and Colin Houck combined for three runs in the top of the tenth to secure the win.
Tommy Pham is trying to claw his way back to the bigs, and he went 0-2 with a walk in a lopsided loss to the Jays. Frank Camarillo went five innings, giving up three earned runs, but kept the Mets close until Joe Charles had what can only be described as one of the wildest innings you’ll ever hear about: Walk, wild pitch, walk, walk, wild pitch, walk, infield fly, wild pitch, single, got yanked.
Saturday’s full slate is loaded with opportunity, and today’s MLB picks come down to identifying pitching mismatches, bullpen reliability, and situational spots early in the season.
From bounce-back offenses to teams leaving hitter-friendly parks, there’s value across multiple games if you’re willing to trust the numbers over the noise.
Let’s break down the top MLB picks and moneyline predictions for Saturday, April 11.
MLB moneyline picks for April 11
Matchup
Pick
Diamondbacks vs Phillies
-127
Marlins vs Tigers
-133
Pirates vs Cubs
-144
Twins vs Blue Jays
-104
Angels vs Reds
+117
A's vs Mets
+133
White Sox vs Royals
+144
Yankees vs Rays
-168
Nationals vs Brewers
-156
Giants vs Orioles
-104
Red Sox vs Cardinals
-122
Guardians vs Braves
-117
Rockies vs Padres
-150
Rangers vs Dodgers
-178
Astros vs Mariners
-133
Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 4-11.
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for April 11
Diamondbacks vs Phillies: Phillies (-127)
Phillies win probability: 56%
Both pitchers are off to rough starts, but I trust the Phillies' offense to take advantage of Brandon Pfaadt's inability to strike anyone out.
Marlins vs Tigers: Tigers (-133)
Tigers win probability: 57%
The Tigers aren't exactly hitting the cover off of the baseball, but sooner or later, they'll need to start stringing together some wins. With an advantage on the mound, I'll take them at home.
Pirates vs Cubs: Cubs (-144)
Cubs win probability: 59%
The Pirates are still the Pirates despite an even-keel start, so give me the Cubs at home. Braxton Ashcraft is not as good as his early numbers suggest.
Twins vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (-104)
Blue Jays win probability: 51%
The Twins are hot right now, but the odds suggest this is a game they lose. Blue Jays pick up the win behind a solid outing from Eric Lauer.
Angels vs Reds: Angels (+117)
Angels win probability: 46%
The Reds should not be the favorite over anyone right now, except maybe the Angels. However, the Angels offense has been better, so plus money is a steal.
A's vs Mets: A's (+133)
A's win probability: 43%
I do not trust the Mets. Neither should you.
White Sox vs Royals: White Sox (+144)
White Sox win probability: 41%
Both teams are struggling out of the gates, but I will fade Michael Wacha in this spot, as I do not think he's still a Major League-calibre pitcher.
Yankees vs Rays: Yankees (-168)
Yankees win probability: 64%
Max Fried is the Yankees' ace, and he will pitch them to victory.
Nationals vs Brewers: Brewers (-156)
Brewers win probability: 61%
The Nationals' entire pitching staff is awful, posting stats that are last in most major categories. The Brewers will do more than enough on offense to pick up the win.
Giants vs Orioles: Giants (-104)
Giants win probability: 51%
I'll take the Giants and Logan Webb over the O's and Chris Bassitt. Better pitcher, with two even offenses.
Red Sox vs Cardinals: Red Sox (-122)
Red Sox win probability: 55%
Ranger Suarez is not as bad as his early numbers suggest. The Cardinals once again struggle with production, so give me the Red Sox lineup to do plenty of damage against Kyle Leahy.
Guardians vs Braves: Braves (-117)
Braves win probability: 54%
These two teams may have near-identical records, but the Braves offense has been raking. I'll take them at home to pick up another win.
Rockies vs Padres: Padres (-150)
Padres win probability: 60%
See Rockies. Bet against Rockies. You'll win more often than not.
Rangers vs Dodgers: Dodgers (-178)
Dodgers win probability: 64%
See Dodgers. Bet Dodgers.
Astros vs Mariners: Astros (-133)
Astros win probability: 47%
To say the Seattle Mariners' offense got stuck in the starting gate would be putting it lightly. They are 30th in batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS. The only reason they are not winless is that their pitching has been solid.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Just as we all predicted, the Cardinals are off to a solid start to the 2026 season with an offense led by Jordan Walker. Going into Friday night’s game, Walker is top ten in the MLB in WAR, sports a 192 wRC+, is second in baseball in isolated slugging, and has somehow upstaged JJ Wetherholt as the most exciting Cardinal to follow for the first two weeks of the season. I, along with the majority of the fanbase, was prepared for another excruciating season of Walker runway. Over the offseason, my conspiracy theory was that the Cardinals didn’t really believe in Walker either and would trade him or send him to the minors after a couple months of putrid play.
Walker has done everything humanly possible to completely reverse the narrative in the first 12 games of the season. Beyond the excellent offense, he has shown off his incredible arm and added value in the field and on the bases. The natural question that most of Cardinals Nation is debating is whether or not this new and improved Jordan Walker is here to stay. If I were a bit wiser and less prone to overreaction, I would say to just enjoy the ride and try not to overanalyze a 12-game sample size. Alas, I am not wise and one of my favorite activities is overreacting, so I must forge ahead into the abyss in search of a star right fielder.
Has Jordan Walker Broken Out?
The first thing to note is that this type of stretch is not unprecedented for Walker. Here is a look at his rolling 12-game average wRC+ since he debuted in 2023.
He has not reached these heights since his rookie season when he had better 12-game stretches in both June and September. It feels like it has been forever since we have had a Walker hot streak to analyze, but I remember always feeling like even the good runs were a bit of a mirage driven by scorched ground balls and batted ball luck.
In the table above, you can see that both 2023 stretches were far more reliant on higher contact rates and elevated BABIPs. During the September 2023 stretch, his exit velocity of 87.7 MPH was actually below league average. The thing all three stretches have in common is the lowered chase rate around 28%, which is right around league average. Walker’s career chase rate is 33.2%, which places him in the bottom 20% in baseball.
It isn’t fair to say that the two 2023 stretches were just batted ball luck, as Walker did pop four home runs in each. However, the metric that jumps off the page in this 2026 stretch is the 26.7% barrel rate. To quote from the Statcast Glossary:
To be Barreled, a batted ball requires an exit velocity of at least 98 mph. At that speed, balls struck with a launch angle between 26-30 degrees always garner Barreled classification. For every mph over 98, the range of launch angles expands.
To illustrate this graphically:
I bring up Barrels because this metric gets at the real root of Walker’s struggles, the fact that he has not been able to get the ball off the ground and take advantage of his prodigious bat speed and exit velocity numbers. In order to barrel a baseball, you must not only hit it hard, but hit it at an optimal angle. Walker’s career Barrel% of 9.8% is just a touch above league average. His 26.7% barrel rate thus far in 2026 ranks third in baseball behind Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani (both at 27.3%).
Walker has hit 30 balls in play this year, 8 of which were barrels. Looking at the rolling average over the course of his career, you can see in the numbers what is obvious in watching him hit this year, he is finally scorching the ball in the air.
Now the million-dollar question: is this sustainable? I will go out on a limb and say no… No player has ever maintained a Barrel% above 27% for a full season since tracking started in 2015. Aaron Judge holds the top four individual seasons with percentages between 24.7% and 26.9% of balls in play. However, given that Walker is in pretty rarefied air, I wanted to see how this 30-batted-ball sample size stacked up across a wider range of players. I looked at every player who had at least 30 balls hit in play in 2025 and calculated the rolling average of each to see how often players were able to maintain this kind of a rate. Here is the data:
1,100 plate appearances occurred in 2025 in which the batter had a 27% Barrel% over their previous 30 balls in play. While this puts Walker in the 99th percentile, it is far from an unprecedented run for a stretch this short. 96 players in total were able to eclipse the 27% threshold for a stretch of 30 balls in play at some point last year. The majority of the total plate appearances belong to the best hitters in the game, but there were plenty of below-average hitters able to peak at this level. The sample size of players able to crest 40% is much smaller and almost exclusively elite.
Nick Kurtz was the one player to get to a 47% rate over his absurd July run last season.
So, how long would Walker have to keep up his newfound proclivity for finding the barrel for us to get truly giddy with excitement? Another 20 balls hammered at his current rate would reduce the cohort from 96 down to 19 of the (mostly) best hitters in baseball. One hundred balls in play at this level pretty much cements you as a top hitter in baseball, or Oneil Cruz.
Barrels Conclusion
Walker has improved, but we will know WAY more in just another 20 or 30 games. So, if Walker does keep barreling his way into the summer, do we have an MVP candidate on our hands? Probably not, but certainly not before we address the 7-foot-tall elephant in the room…
Oneil Cruz being included in this group of elite hitters is the perfect example of how things could still go wrong, even if they go mostly right. He has struggled with the same combination of low contact and high chase rates that have plagued Walker. Despite barreling the ball at an elite level, his contact problems have kept him as a roughly league-average hitter. Now, Cruz is still a good player and if Walker’s defense keeps improving, he could be valuable even as more of a 100 wRC+ player, but the Cardinals keep giving him chances because of his ceiling as a true middle-of-the-order bat.
Comparing Walker and Cruz to the Judge, Ohtani, Schwarber, Stanton, and Raleigh group further illustrates the importance of plate discipline. The below table includes the career contact and chase rates for these players.
Not only is Walker’s contact rate exactly in line with the average of the power-hitting group, he actually has the best zone-contact%. The root of strikeout problems is not in his raw ability to make contact, but in his lack of discretion on when to swing. Looking at the same 12-game rolling average for chase rate, Walker has been near a career low in this metric as well.
Coming into the season, it seemed impossible that Walker would simultaneously start lifting the ball while reducing his chase rate, but that is exactly what he has done so far. Hopefully, as he gains confidence, he will become even more patient and wait for his pitch to drive. He hasn’t proved anything yet, and he still has some work to do on his plate discipline, but Walker has reminded us all why he was once the future of the franchise.
Apr 10, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees infielder Amed Rosario (14) throws to first base during the fifth inning against Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images
It’s really great stuff to be in the midst of the Yankees’ first annoying stretches of 2026. Really, it’s charming! Really, it’s not exhausting at all watching this lineup flail against Jeffrey Springs and Steven Matz! Can this end now please?
Today on the site, we’ll have a birthday post for one of the key players on the Yankees’ 2009 World Series champions, Madison will have the Rivalry Roundup from a busy Friday night of baseball action, John will critique a new feature of lights and Yankee Stadium entertainment, Scott will sit down for chat with Max Schuemann of Triple-A Scranon/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (late of the A’s) is getting accustomed to his new digs, and Andrés will anzlyze Luis Gil’s season debut.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays
Time: 6:10 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, Rays.tv
Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Questions/Prompts:
1. Any lineup shuffle suggestions for today to shake things up?
2. How flawless does Max Fried need to pitch today for you to feel comfortable?
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 16: New York Yankees Infielder Anthony Volpe (11) listens to instructions during the spring training workout on February 16, 2026 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
NY Post | Greg Joyce: Anthony Volpe has reunited with the Yankees as they arrived in Tampa to play the Rays this weekend, the injured shortstop having taken an extended stay at the team’s complex while rehabbing from offseason surgery on his labrum. The time for a rehab assignment is nearing, and could come as early as Tuesday after meeting with the team physician for a final check-up, but once he’s fully ready to go what will his role with the team be? General manager Brian Cashman gave the strongest indication that he’ll be back as the starting shortstop that we’ve heard since the offseason, confirming “that’s always been the plan” when reporters asked. He did leave a caveat that “ultimately that’ll be the manager’s call” on starting Volpe, but there’s little doubt that the GM and manager will be in lockstep on this.
José Caballero had a chance to make this a more debatable choice with the starting gig wide open for the first month of the season, but his bat has been ice cold to start the year. A .135/.200/.162 triple-slash isn’t inspiring any confidence, and the team was already inclined to go back to Volpe once healthy after assessing the team in the offseason. Given how dreadful the bottom of the lineup has performed, an early season performer like Volpe could win a lot of favor back in his court by jumping back in with some timely hits.
NJ.com | Bob Klapisch ($): We’ve seen high highs and low lows with this 2026 team already, jumping out to a 7-1 start that was tops in the league with electric pitching just to watch as the bats have gone missing and been unable to support the staff amidst a 1-4 skid that’s mainly been punctuated by three consecutive losses. It’s early, yes, so the answer of what this Yankees team is likely falls somewhere between those two results, but some very real flaws have been exposed as stats begin to stabilize.
AP | Ronald Blum: The average salary of an MLB player rose for another year after Opening Day payrolls were made official, seeing a 3.4 percent jump from 2025 to a record $5.34 million. Overall, the growth of the game’s major-league side of the financials has been on a steady climb following the pandemic, recovering from a slow decline in the late 2010s, but the underlying concern is that the extreme spenders and thrifters have both gotten stronger: six teams paid out over $250 million this year instead of four last year, while eight teams spent under $100 million as opposed to five in 2025. The median salary also grew slightly, up to $1.4 million from $1.35 million, but it still hasn’t come close to the median record set back in 2015. With a lockout all but assumed to be arriving after this season concludes, these numbers paint a picture of the opening lines that the union and owners will set their trenches against, so it’s worth familiarizing yourself with them now.
MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: Former Yankee Mike Ford is taking on a front office role with the Tampa Bay Rays, which would all but confirm that the first baseman is electing to retire from the game after spending last season abroad in Japan. Ford had a sensational stint with the Yankees in 2019 filling in for an injured Edwin Encarnacion, hitting for a .909 OPS in 50 games, but his subsequent 2020 season didn’t fare nearly as well and he played only a minor role in that year as well as in 2021, leading to a trade that sent him to Tampa. Now he’ll get the chance to work with the Rays’ minor leaguers in a still-undefined role.
Apr 10, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) hits a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
There’s an impenetrable, opaque blackness to this space. Devoid of the primary sense that humans rely on to orient themselves, you try to parse what information you can through your secondary inputs.
Unfortunately, other senses provides no more insight. It is so painfully, crushingly loud here that you can’t be sure of the source of the noise, can’t be sure of anything other than the fact that your eardrums are on the verge of rupturing. Or is it instead that this place is so silent that you’re being deafened by the unyielding cycle of your blood frantically THUD, THUD, THUDing its way through your blood vessels?
After an eternity of this, you finally hear it.
You were told what you should expect, but there isn’t any meaningful way to prepare yourself for how the velvety, telltale chuckle emerges from the void below you, starting at your age-appropriate New Balances, winding its way up your aging frame, slinking up into your ears before arriving at its destination.
His laugh and his voice finds easy purchase in your brain.
“Oh, well, isn’t this just sublime? You’re clever enough to know that you’re just my type, aren’t you?”
In this moment, you remember being a boy when your Paw taught you about viper’s fangs, how they’re hollow and hinged, a perfectly-designed poison delivery system. You swallow the knot in your throat.
“And a former catcher to boot, too. I’m spoiled today, aren’t I?” Another undulating laugh that feels like a scalpel against your brain stem. You say nothing.
He tuts. “Oh, come now, don’t be such a tease. I know you haven’t met me yet, but I know you. I know almost everything about you,” he croons. “And, since the second you replaced my dearest friend, I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for you to meet me here.”
“I know what you want. No one comes to my realm asking for anything else. He came here often enough, my friend, and for just the one thing. So, let’s get on to Hecuba,” he sighs. “You want my gift, and I’m willing to trade it. What else does a god want but tribute and worship?”
A fresh start can soothe many maladies. Leaving your hometown to escape the painful memories attached to your once-favorite places is a time-honored tradition of young adulthood. Or, if you’re feeling less dramatic but still need to cool the sting of heartbreak, may I interest you in a new haircut?
Or, what if you’re a troubled but lovable baseball team that finds itself predicted to win their division, and with the second-highest odds to make the World Series in the league, BUT, after 13 mind-numbing games you have found yourself scuffling along to the worst record in baseball? Could a fresh start fix that?
Yes.
The Seattle Mariners bullied the injury-ridden Houston Astros in a 9-6 win in front of a noisy crowd of nearly 45,000 last night. It was a welcome reprieve from a brutal 1-7 stretch characterized by a lifeless offense that averaged just 2 runs per game (and only 1.3 if you remove the 7-8 loss to the Angels).
Before the game, Dan Wilson said that he was looking to see his team return to their identity and do what they do best.
“What we do well as a team offensively when we’re going well is get on base, create traffic…create chaos, so to speak,” he said. “Drive guys in and drive balls out of the ballpark.”
The Mariners did a little of both tonight, taking advantage of the opportunities that Houston handed them and being aggressive on the basepaths, while also making their own luck.
The first inning was one for the books, an all-timer in Silliness. The Mariners scored three runs, each with their own little bit of pizzazz. A bases-loaded wild pitch, a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a ground ball that would have been a double play but for Randy Arozarena’s graceful sauté away from a tag chased Tatsuya Imai after recording just one out. The Mariners worked four walks off of Imai, some foreshadowing, perhaps, for the ten they would earn by the end of the game.
Chaos Ball is so 2022, and this iteration of the Mariners ought not to need to stoop so low as to rely on such bullpucky to win baseball games. That said, you won’t find me complaining about how the 4-9 team wins ballgames.
Because Mariners fans may have nice things on occasion provided they are at least somewhat complicated, Emerson Hancock interrupted an otherwise sterling outing with a somewhat tarnished second inning. Hancock gracefully noted that he “never met a pitcher who’s complained when guys are scoring runs for you,” but one must wonder if the lengthy bottom of the first played a part in him losing the handle on the sweeper in the second inning.
Two singles, a walk, and a double later, the game was quickly born anew.
Shaky second inning aside, Hancock put together another impressive outing tonight, earning his second win with 5 IP and 5 Ks while giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. He’s making his case for holding onto the fifth starter spot, impressing with his confidence and resilience.
“There were a couple of big messes for us on the sweeper [in the second inning], but I thought for us to refine it in the third, it was a big pitch for us in the third, fourth and fifth innings.”
The sweeper is probably Hancock’s best pitch, but the fastball was his most effective pitch tonight, racking up a 42% whiff rate while kissing 98 mph. The combination of the two can be deadly when the location is spot on, as it was on this hellacious punch-out of Jeremy Pena.
But, really, whether you know it yet or not, you’re here for the Randy home run. After about 4 more innings of 3-3 baseball and a frustrating at-bat, Randy decided to talk his talk and send this ball to the absolute moon, marine layer be damned.
There aren’t really words fit to describe this titanic blast, so why don’t you just go ahead and watch that one more time?
This game’s vibe is feel-good romp, so I’ll save the discussion of Randy’s outfield play for another article. Tonight, Randy delivered what he was traded for: the clutch, big-play, electric energy that can breathe the sparks of life into a team at risk of becoming flat, with a little bit of guitar playing to boot.
While he hasn’t been struggling as hard as the rest of the top of the lineup, Randy has had an uneven start to the season, notching just 3 extra-base hits coming into tonight’s game. He said that he’s been taking lots of extra time in the cage to improve his pitch selection, and that it was gratifying to see it pay off tonight.
“Obviously I’ve taken a lot of walks [this season], but to see it all come together after the work I’ve been putting in meant a lot.”
So, who cares if Wilcox let Alvarez do what Alvarez does best? A big fat three-run home run of their own doesn’t mean much if Houston’s bullpen is content handing runs to Seattle. 2021 Mariners Amalgam J.P. France did just that, giving up another bases-loaded wild-pitch to score Cole Young, and the real J.P. and Cal each got their own RBIs.
That’s nine runs, five of which can safely be considered hardly silly at all and four that are at least a little bit silly. Beggars can’t be choosers, so Seattle should take the runs where they can.
This was probably the game that’s been the most fun to watch this season – beating on the Astros will probably be uniquely joyful for another season, and Dave Valle’s halted explanation of how conversations work to Aaron Goldsmith gave me life after a long workweek.
But, more than just being fun, this game held suggestions that the Mariners’ bats are climbing their way out of the hole they’ve put themselves in to start the year. Each hitter reached base tonight; in fact, everyone but Julio reached base at least twice. The at-bats across the board looked much-improved, as though there was a game plan going into them beyond the “see ball swing bat at” approach we’ve seen thus far.
Combined with forcing Houston’s bullpen to put up 7.2 innings in the first of a four-game series, there’s good reason to hope that we might be in for a very entertaining and fulfilling weekend of baseball. If you have been waiting for the fun part to start, I think we might just be getting there.
Your boss claps you on the back as you make your way out of the locker room and into the grey bowels of the stadium. You smile as he congratulates you on a great game.
“Statistically, in terms of where our ship was headed, I knew it was probably a pretty likely outcome you would get this turned in a direction that we’re going to find productive. I feel that-”
“My name sounds so nice from your mouth, Danny,” he coos. It’s dark, unimaginably so. Your stomach feels like you’ve missed the last step on a long stairset that continues dropping out from under your feet. “I just love to see my song sung in front of the assembled press. Public tribute and worship feels so good, doesn’t it?”
“Anyways, this one’s is complementary, a gift for a friend well-met. I’m sure you have no plans to return – of course, Scott said the same thing the first time. And the second time, and, oh, every time after that. But you know where to find me. All you have to do is ask.”
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