Category: Baseball

The Nats enter June riding high with a record of 31-29. However, now is when the real test starts. June was when things really unraveled for the Nats last year. I would like to think the foundation is stronger this year, but we need to see things play out some more. This series against the Marlins is a big measuring stick.

Dylan Crews is out of the lineup for a second straight game with a sore hand. However, it sounds like he will be back in there tomorrow. It is a pretty similar lineup to yesterday. One change is that Nasim Nunez will replace Jorbit Vivas at second base. Cade Cavalli pitched more like a frontline starter in May, going deep into games consistently. He will look to keep that up tonight.

The Marlins lineup has been carried by three players. Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards and Liam Hicks have done the heavy lifting this year. Meanwhile, players like Jakob Marsee, Kyle Stowers and Owen Caissie have been underperforming. There was a time when Sandy Alcantara was a dominant ace in this league. However, he has been more of a mid rotation innings eater since his Cy Young season. He can still be brilliant at his best though, and hopefully we don’t see that version of Sandy tonight.

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The Nats are in an unfamiliar spot. They are beginning a series where the expectation is to win and take care of business. After three straight series wins over good teams, they face a 26-34 Marlins squad. They can’t let their guard down, or else the Fish will surprise them. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

The Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants are getting set to kick off a four-game series at American Family Field. It’ll be a reunion with several former Brewers players who are on the Giants, including Willy Adames, Eric Haase, and Adrian Houser.

Prior to the game, manager Pat Murphy provided some updates on injured Brewers and the plans for this series. Currently, the Brewers have Wednesday and Thursday marked with TBA as the starters. When going over possibilities, Murphy said Chad Patrick, Brandon Sproat, and Coleman Crow are all possibilities, but that Brandon Woodruff was not. Woodruff played catch today and is scheduled for a “3-up” live BP session on Wednesday and then there’s another step after that before he could return to the rotation.

Also Logan Henderson’s back is progressing “very well” and he should be playing catch to start his return soon. In other good news, Jacob Misiorowski is taking home the NL Player of the Week award for last week following his most recent dominant outings.

For the game today, Shane Drohan is getting the start for the Brewers. It’s just his second start of the season with the other being his MLB debut. Since then Drohan has pitched in a bulk role out of the bullpen and has done incredibly well with a 2.63 ERA on the year, helping him earn this start tonight.

On the other side, the Giants will be countering with right-hander Landen Roupp, who has a 3.30 ERA on the season. The 27-year-old righty has been a regular in the Giants rotation and is having a breakout season in his third year in the bigs.

The Giants will keep four lefties in their lineup against the left-handed Drohan. Rafael Devers, Luis Arraez, and Jung-Hoo Lee will surround the right-handed hitting Willy Adames in the heart of their order. The Giants will also have their top prospect, the giant Bryce Eldridge batting seventh. Eldridge stands 6-foot-7 with plenty of pop in a dangerous bat.

The Brewers lineup has Christian Yelich leading off again, followed by Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Luis Rengifo will man third base and David Hamilton will have shortstop to round out the bottom of the order.

First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers.TV and nationally as FS1, as well as the Brewers Radio Network.

We’re entering June, and the Yankees are slightly behind in the division as we pull past the one-third mark of the season. The Rays have proven relentless, and look to contend with New York as they’ve taken a 1.5 game lead heading into the month with an 18-9 run in May. The rest of the division still is stuck in the doldrums, but they can’t be discounted as the Wild Card picture is wide enough that it has them firmly in playoff contention. This month will prove essential to shaking up the leaderboards, and with only two divisional matchups ahead of the Yankees they’ll get to face off with different competition mainly from the AL Central — a familiar stomping ground.

Outside of the unknown timetable for Max Fried, the Yankees are near full-strength and in position to make things happen if they can get the bats going. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham showed major turnarounds, and Anthony Volpe hasn’t been too shabby in his return from the minors as well, but with Aaron Judge not firing on all cylinders it’d sure help if the bottom of the lineup could become a bit more respectable. Will Austin Wells finally get a foothold in the batter’s box, and can Ryan McMahon trend be the next bat to trend back to average? Will the Captain go on a tear to silence the critics, or will this slump turn out to be something more worrisome? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of June 4th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Always look on the bright side of LIFE!

While the Astros are in the throws of another slow start, despite some recent success there aren’t many Astros fans who see any trends going in the right direction. The Clubhouse would tell you a different. Here are a few of those bright spots:

1. We recently heard Spencer Arrighetti speak up and say that there was no quit in the clubhouse.

“I know it sounds dumb to say where we were sitting right now,” Arrighetti said, “but this is a really special group, and I really believe in every single player that’s in this locker room right now, and I think we need to take it a little more personally.

“I’m sure there’s stuff being said right now that makes it seem bleak. I don’t think it feels that way in here.”

Quote taken from Chandler Rome, The Athletic from his article written on May 29, 2026.

Spencer Arrighetti is a BIG part of the Houston Astros staff in 2026, and in the absence of Hunter Brown due to his IL stint, Arrighetti has taken the bull by the horns. You need young players to step up, especially when it’s your veterans who have been injured, or not been performing up to par.

Overall his numbers are impressive despite being considered the luckiest pitcher in 2026, sometimes its better to be lucky than good? I know even Spencer knows where he stands and the kid will, in my eyes see where the league is looking to exploit him, so he can continue his success.

2nd Bright Spot: Yordan Alvarez

Despite not having the eye popping numbers he did in the previous month he is still the only hitter to have an OPS over 1.000, tied for 2nd (at the time of this article) in Home Runs in the AL, leads in many key offensive categories, and allows other hitters in the lineup to get better pitches through out the game. Not to mention how well he does when he faces a pitcher for the 2nd time.

Numbers calculated May 28, 2026 by Locked on Astros.

3rd Bright Spot: The Astros are playing better baseball as the season progresses.

The Houston Astros record by month:

March 4-2

April 8-18

May 15-14

You may not think much about a club that is one game over .500 in a month, and probably should have at least 5 more wins in the W column. The fact that they did this, with players being out, getting players off the IL, as well back up players becoming starters, and the pitching starting to turn things around. I would say the trend is welcomed in Astros nation.

A second part to the 3rd Bright Spot is the runs given up has gone down. This is one of those good news/bad news kind of bits, just hear me out. April their totals were 129 Runs Scored and 166 Runs against, moving into May the run production slowed down, where they only had 103 runs scored, but also only gave up 110 runs against. I see this as a very positive thing, also recently the runs have started to tick up.

The fact that baseball is a 162 game season, where our favorite team is entrenched in a weak division as well sub .500 league in the A.L. should give some hope to the Astros fanbase. I would say that it does still seem very bleak when it comes to chances at a playoff run or even a deep playoff run, but we are only this far into the season, 61 games completed. with 101 games left.

Why all the fuss? Always Positive, Always Stros guy?

Well I have been with this team since I was 2 years old, no I wasn’t checking box scores then, but I have seen far more losing seasons than I have seen winning. I do believe that a healthy lineup, with a healthy starting rotation and back end bullpen, can yield solid results. I am not calling the Mayor for a parade route, I am also not willing to say they are 100% not going to make the playoffs. Here is what I am saying.

1. You’re getting Josh Hader and Hunter Brown back real soon. That is improvement.

2. You have Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Jeremy Pena to anchor this offense.

3. Jose Altuve I believe will come back motivated to hit the ball, he’s inching closer to 3,000 and we all know he wants that.

4. Spencer Arrighetti, Tatsuya Imai, Kai Wei Teng, Peter Lambert and Co. are looking to continiue their improving performances on the mound.

Now with this being said, there are many things that HAVE to go right. I understand that, but to sit here and say there is no way, shows that maybe you haven’t observed enough up and down Astros baseball. So this is what I ask of you. Sit back, enjoy the wins when they come. Don’t focus on the standings, and hope that the team can find a month like June where they can capitalize on their opponents. In June the Astros face the: Pirates, Athletics, Angels, Royals, Tigers Guardians, Blue Jays, Tigers again, then the Twins.

What do you predict they will do in June. I if I am going to take the optimist and say they go 16-8, The realist approach would be more like 13-11, So tell me what will their June record be?

We knew the San Francisco Giants would have to make a move today, after right-handed pitcher Joel Peguero injured his hamstring during an otherwise perfect baseball game on Sunday. But the Giants have decided to take it a step further, with a flurry of moves, as they seem firmly in their button-mashing phase.

Ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Giants announced that right-handed reliever Wilkin Ramos and corner infielder Buddy Kennedy had been brought up from AAA Sacramento, while catcher/outfielder Jesús Rodríguez — a day after a pinch-hit home run off a position player — had been optioned back to AAA.

Neither Ramos nor Kennedy was on the 40-man roster. The Giants cleared one spot on the 40 by placing Peguero on the 60-Day Injured List, while the other spot was opened by designating AAA catcher Logan Porter for assignment. The team announced the moves on social media.

The Giants signed Ramos, who is 25, to a Minor League deal early in the offseason. He impressed in Spring Training, though he was never really in contention to earn a role out of camp. But he’s excelled in AAA this year, posting a 2.00 ERA and a 3.99 FIP, with 27 strikeouts and just seven walks in 27 innings. He has a large amount of funk, and is an extreme ground ball pitcher, with a 61.4 ground ball rate this year. For his career, he has always kept the ball on the ground, and has excelled at not allowing home runs … since the start of 2023, he’s allowed just four home runs in 200.1 innings. This is his first time making the Major Leagues.

As for Kennedy, he has a fair amount of MLB experience, having appeared in each of the last four MLB seasons (2022 and 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks; 2024 with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies; and 2025 with the Phillies and, hilariously, both the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

A 27-year old who signed a Minor League deal with the Giants this offseason, Kennedy has struggled mightily in the Majors, hitting just .178/.271/.274 in 181 plate appearances. But he has had a phenomenal year in Sacramento, slashing .321/.424/.543 with eight home runs and just a 12.4% strikeout rate. He has spent the bulk of the year at third base, where he plays good defense, and has seen some time at first as well. He’s played a lot of second base earlier in his career, with a little time at shortstop and in the outfield as well.

More moves, and more buttons being pressed. We’ll see how well they work.

The White Sox revealed the lineup for their Postgame Alumni Home Run Derby, set to follow the July 11 contest with the A’s at Rate Field. Six familiar names, all ready to take their hacks.

The group features a grab bag of franchise favorites and power hitters from across several eras of White Sox baseball: José Canseco, Gordon Beckham, Leury García, Daniel Palka, Scott Podsednik, and Alexei Ramírez. First pitch at 1:10 CST, then the derby kicks off about half an hour after the last out.

Canseco headlines the group with perhaps the most accomplished power résumé (and most chemical assistance, although Alexei would like a word). The 1988 AL MVP, six-time All-Star, 462 career bombs, four Silver Sluggers, and half of the Bash Brothers with Mark McGwire. His last big league homer? Of course, it came in a Sox jersey.

The rest? Maybe not classic sluggers, but each has a moment burned into Sox fans’ memories. Podsednik’s walk-off in the ’05 World Series, García’s “Leury Legend” three-run rocket in the 2021 ALDS, and Ramírez’s rookie grand slam binge in 2008 — four of them, including the one that set up the Blackout Game. It’s certainly an interesting supporting cast.

Beckham still gets love for both his days on the field and his current gig in the booth.

And Palka? Well, he did drop 27 bombs as a rookie in 2018 and rose to instant cult hero status as one of the bright spots in a sea of rebuilding blues.

The derby will feature three rounds with simple rules: ten outs or three minutes to mash as many as you can in the opening round. The top four move on, then it’s down to two for the crown. If a slugger hits a special Blue Moon Orange Baseball? Those count double. If there’s a tie, the fans get the final say with a vote.

Before all that, there’s a Draft Viewing Party where fans get to watch the Sox make the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, right on the centerfield board. Draft, game, derby, all jammed into one afternoon. Oh, and fans get 20% off all concessions until 1 p.m. July 11 is shaping up as a full-on Sox-palooza: past, present, and whatever the future brings.

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It doesn’t matter that the New York Yankees are at the top of the AL East while the Boston Red Sox languish in the cellar.

Their historic rivalry — which technically stretches back all the way to 1903, 16 years before the infamous Babe Ruth trade — is still arguably the best in baseball.

And, this weekend, the 123-year-old grudge match will pick up for a three-game series at the Bronx’s Yankee Stadium.

The trio of high-stakes showdowns between Aaron Judge’s Bronx Bombers and Willson Contreras’ BoSox are slated to go down on:

Friday, June 57:05 p.m.

Saturday, June 67:35 p.m.

Sunday, June 71:35 p.m.

Starting pitchers have yet to be announced but it’s likely Ryan Weather, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler will pitch if all goes according to plan.

If you’d like to be there, last-minute tickets are available for all three games.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for any one contest was $46 including fees on SeatGeek.

Should you attend a more expensive game, you’ll be treated to a Red, White and Blue Yankees T-shirt giveaway on Saturday, which is Military Night.

In the event, you’re buying pricier seats, make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 on SeatGeek at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).

Never been to a Yankees-Red Sox game in person and don’t know what to expect?

“There’s a different air in the stadium,” New York Post Yankees fan Frank Massaro told us. “The beer tastes better. The hot dogs taste better. This is what baseball’s all about. It’s a true bucket list experience for any Yankees fan.”

With that, we’ll see you at The House That Jeter Built this weekend.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the June 2026 New York Yankees vs. Red Sox home game series at Yankee Stadium below.

Yankees vs. Red Sox ticket prices 2026

A complete breakdown of all Yankees-Red Sox game dates, start times and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found here:

Yankees 2026 home game tickets

At the moment, Aaron Boone’s Yankees are sitting at 36-23 just 1.5 games behind the scrappy Tampa Bay Rays in the competitive AL East.

And, while that’s certainly exciting, we’re most jazzed about all the amazing giveaways the team has planned for the rest of the year.

To make sure you’re fully up to speed on which games include special trinkets with your tickets (and Old-Timer’s Day!), here are all the remaining 2026 Yankees giveaways and special dates.

Note: Most freebies will be given to the first 18,000 fans. There are exceptions so make sure to arrive at the ballpark early.

Prefer a home game without giveaways? You can find the Yankees’ complete 2026 schedule here.

Huge 2026 concerts

Hoping to catch a concert or three this year, too?

If the answer is a resounding yes, here are just a few you won’t want to miss these next few months.

• RUSH

• Bon Jovi

• Phish

• Gorillaz

• Wu-Tang Clan

Plus, JAŸ-Z has three concerts at Yankee Stadium from July 10-12 celebrating the anniversaries of his landmark albums “Reasonable Doubt” and “The Blueprint.”

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

It has been quite the administrative few days for the Cincinnati Reds.

Fresh off a weekend that saw them need to place both Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson on the injured list, the Reds were forced to place star Elly De La Cruz on there due to hamstring issues earlier on Monday. Kyle Nicolas was designated for assignment to free up a 40-man roster spot for Lyon Richardson, while Yunior Marte went from having his contract selected on Saturday to being DFA’d himself for Brandon Liebrandt on Monday.

In the midst of it all, top prospect Edwin Arroyo was recalled, and he’ll make his debut for the Reds on Monday as they take on the Kansas City Royals.

With all that roster shuffling going on, it was at least refreshing to know the Reds would be able to hand the ball to ace Chase Burns on Monday amid their pitching staff’s injury crisis. However, word broke Monday afternoon that Burns is apparently battling an illness, and he’s been scratched for the day with Richardson – who has worked multiple innings in appearances often with AAA Louisville over the last month – being tasked with the start in GABP in his stead.

Got all that?

It will be a bullpen day with a patchwork infield in the series opener, as the Reds will roll out different players in all four infield positions from those they used in their starting lineup on Opening Day. Matt McLain is sliding over to play short in Elly’s stead, Arroyo will start at 2B, Nate Lowe is in the lineup at 1B for the day, and Sal Stewart will slide over and start at 3B as Eugenio Suarez serves as DH (and with Ke’Bryan Hayes on the shelf indefinitely).

First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET, and the full lineup for the start is listed below.

Yankees first baseman Ben Rice has been named AL Player of the Week for the final week of May. 

From May 25-31, Rice hit .462 with 11RBI and a 1.418 OPS. He capped things off with a four-RBI performance against the Athletics in which he had a two-run double and two-run triple in the same inning.

Rice is in the midst of a phenomenal 2026 season, posting a 1.056 OPS with 17 home runs and 44 RBI, pairing up with Aaron Judge to make one of the best righty-lefty hitting combos in all of baseball. 

Several of the 2016 World Series champion Cubs have begun a podcast called “The Lovable Reunion” to reminisce about that championship season.

Now, a number of your favorite 2016 Cubs will have a live “Lovable Reunion” show at the Chicago Theater in downtown Chicago on Thursday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m., during MLB’s All-Star break, the day before the 2026 Cubs will resume their season at Wrigley Field against the Minnesota Twins.

Participating 2016 Cubs will include Anthony Rizzo, David Ross, Joe Maddon, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler, and possibly others.

“The podcast has been such a success with The Volume that a reunion event like this felt like something we couldn’t miss out on doing with such a special team and group of guys,” said Rizzo. “We can’t wait to reminisce in person, bringing fans back to the moments that made 2016 unforgettable.”

Ross added, “The Chicago Theatre, this city, and this team — it doesn’t get more iconic than that. We can’t wait to give the fans a night they’ll never forget.”

There’s a presale tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2 at 10 a.m. CT, for active listeners of the podcast, and the general on-sale for this show is Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets will be available at this link — I have been told that link will be live when the presales begin. (No, I don’t know who qualifies for presales, so check it out tomorrow.)

Sounds fun. Enjoy!

The Dodgers travel to Arizona not entirely knowing what to expect from the Diamondbacks, who aren’t just playing another regular-season series. This 31-27 Diamondbacks team is playing to validate its presence as a worthy postseason contender this year. It is true that even if the Dodgers sweep the Diamondbacks, they’ll still carry a more than decent chance of making the postseason, but the path they took to get here has Arizona playing to show they’re something more than just a byproduct of an easy schedule.

After a difficult start to the year, Arizona won 11 of 13 by strictly beating up on the Rockies and Giants, only to go on and be swept by the Mariners this weekend. Overwhelming success against the bottom of the NL West might carry them somewhere, but for any true contender (the Dodgers) to take them seriously, they’ll have to prove themselves at a whole different level, and that starts with games like these.

The first matchup of the series has a couple of southpaws on the mound with well over one thousand innings between them. Justin Wrobleski is coming off his magnificent display against the Phillies, while Eduardo Rodríguez is in the middle of his best campaign since joining Arizona. Rodríguez made his season debut outdueling Tyler Glasnow, only to see his offense fail to contribute, leading to an eventual 3-2 loss for the Snakes. Even though Wrobleski has had his moments, this is about as favorable a matchup as Arizona will get against Los Angeles. Tuesday’s between Eric Lauer and Mike Soroka also has Arizona with the edge.

Arizona isn’t the only team playing to prove a point, though. This might also be seen as the time for the Dodgers to hand the Diamondbacks a reality check, sending a young starter on the road against a division rival’s ace.

Monday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Diamondbacks
• Ballpark: Chase Field, Phoenix
• Start time: 6:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Texas Rangers lineup for June 1, 2026 against the St. Louis Cardinals: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Michael McGreevy for the Cardinals.

The Rangers begin the month of June with a short road trip to St. Louis. Jacob deGrom will try once again to get to win #100, and if he can strike out eight batters today, he will pass Tom Gordon for #108 on the all time strikeout list.

Evan Carter is starting in center field, and of course, offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez is holding down the ninth spot in the order.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Duran — SS

Osuna — LF

Carter — CF

Jansen — C

Lopez — 2B

6:45 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -129 favorites.

Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the end of the month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.

Unlike the mediocrity that seems to be overtaking large chunks of the American League, the National League features a much higher quantity of good baseball teams up to this point in the season. The Braves in the East have the best record in baseball, and the Dodgers are the Dodgers, but they find themselves in a division that’s anything but a cakewalk.

The NL West has obviously produced very good teams over the last handful of years, but the division has a tendency to be a bit top-heavy. While the top line is still quite good, there are multiple clubs in the West with high aspirations for October, and with good reason.

First Place: Los Angeles Dodgers (37-21)

Top Position Player: Andy Pages (2.7 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Shohei Ohtani (1.9 fWAR)

Once again adding big-ticket players over the offseason, the Dodgers are unsurprisingly one of baseball’s best teams again. They are not, however, game-breakingly dominant. They still feature a roster that boasts several of the game’s very best players, and will almost certainly be the World Series favorites throughout the season, but they are also not without their flaws, though neither is anyone else.

The offense continues to be led by Shohei Ohtani (despite a “diminished” 150 wRC+), Freddie Freeman, and a resurgent Max Muncy. At the top of the fWAR leaderboard, however, is Andy Pages, who is proving that last year was no fluke, and perhaps even a preview to even greater production. Their greatest strength has long been incredible depth, and with multiple All-Star level catchers and nine different hitters producing above league average, the same rings true in 2026. While their pitching has been impressive, durability has often been their Achilles Heel, which will certainly be something to monitor later in the season. Nevertheless, FanGraphs has them as the significant favorite in all of baseball to win their division, clinch a bye, and win the World Series.

Second Place: San Diego Padres (32-26)

Top Position Player: Xander Boagaerts (1.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Mason Miller (1.5 fWAR)

Five games back of the Dodgers, the Padres have played some good baseball on the whole in 2026. That being said, they aren’t doing it in a way that was expected or even desired. The lineup regulars have been middling at best, with only Gavin Sheets and Ty France putting up good numbers in significant playing time. Most concerningly, Manny Machado is in the midst of his worst offensive season to this point, and Fernando Tatis Jr. has one home run in 241 plate appearances.

Yet somehow, the Dads are making it happen, proud owners of the top Wild Card spot in the NL as things stand. While Michael King has led the charge for their rotation, they are certainly helped by the continued otherworldly performance of Mason Miller, who has a 0.46 FIP and is striking out more than half of the batters he faces, making himself an unlikely Cy Young candidate.

Third Place: Arizona Diamondbacks (31-26)

Top Position Player: Corbin Carroll (2.6 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Michael Soroka (1.5 fWAR)

Once again, the D-Backs are also fully in on the conversation and hold a share of a playoff spot as well. After some roster shifting at last year’s deadline and over the offseason, they are proving to be a formidable club once again. The stars are doing their job, as Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte continue to be some of the league’s best players, while the offense has enjoyed a rejuvenated newcomer in Nolan Arenado, who’s posting his best wRC+ (130) since 2022.

On the pitching side, while Zac Gallen has been highly disappointing, veterans Eduardo Rodriguez and shockingly, Michael Soroka have delivered plenty on the mound. Appearing healthy, the 28-year-old is doing plenty to keep his club above water, and only has one dud to show for in his 11 starts this season. FanGraphs has Arizona’s postseason odds just above 40 percent, a good bit above that of the Padres.

Fourth Place: San Francisco Giants (22-36)

Top Position Player: Luis Arraez (2.3 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Landen Roupp (1.6 fWAR)

Seemingly always involved, the Giants are where the NL West drops off a cliff. Already 15 games back in the division, 2026 has not gone to plan, despite some nice surprises. Luis Arraez has played well as a newbie by the Bay, while Casey Schmitt’s 12 homers and 145 wRC+ have been a major boost. The infield, however, has suffered difficult starts from both Matt Chapman and Willy Adames. Logan Webb has also been a disappointment by his standards, contributing to the major hole the club has found themselves in as we head to June.

Last Place: Colorado Rockies (22-37)

Top Position Player: Mickey Moniak (1.4 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Antonio Senzatela (0.7 fWAR)

The Rockies. Still kind of doing their thing, though admittedly a good bit better than the historic lows they saw last season. That being said — still not good! At least Mickey Moniak’s career year has been a fun story, and they have a handful of interesting hitters, including former Yankee prospect TJ Rumfield. Someday they’ll figure things out (right?).

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The Seattle Mariners will look to stay hot as they welcome the New York Mets for the start of a three-game series on Monday night.

Seattle should have its way with New York’s pitching tonight, which is why I’m taking the home team to win in my Mets vs. Mariners predictions.

Let’s dig into tonight’s matchup as I explore my free MLB picks for Monday, June 1.

Who will win Mets vs Mariners today:  Mariners moneyline (-130)

Seattle Mariners starter Emerson Hancock (4-2, 2.78 ERA) has dropped his WHIP to 1.01 this season behind his fastball. It’s one of the best pitches any starter is throwing this year, with Baseball Savant rating it in the 100th percentile for Fastball Run Value.

The New York Mets are giving Austin Warren his first start tonight, with Sean Manaea (0-1, 5.56 ERA) likely picking up the bulk of the innings. The Mets are 2-10 in Manaea’s appearances this year. This is a mismatch on the mound, and I like the Mariners to win at anything better than -150.

COVERS INTEL: The Mets are hitting four-seam fastballs and sinkers – pitches that make up more than 60% of Hancock’s arsenal – for line drives just 21% of the time against righties, the fifth-worst percentage in the majors this year.

Mets vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (+105)

The Mariners have been effective against lefties this year, with 20% of all balls they’ve hit off of southpaws being pulled in the air. They should find success against Manaea, who has an average fastball velocity of just over 90 MPH, which will let those Seattle bats get around on him.

The Mets should provide something towards the total, as they’ve averaged 7.25 runs per game during their four-game winning streak. Even if Juan Soto and company can’t generate more than a couple of runs, the Mariners might get there themselves. I’m taking the Over at even money or better.

Mets vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Mets +122 | Mariners -135
• Run line: Mets +1.5 (-200) | Mariners -1.5 (+174)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (-115) | Under 7 (-105)

Mets vs Mariners trend

The Mariners are 3-1 straight up in Hancock’s last four starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Mariners.

How to watch Mets vs Mariners and game info

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Mets vs Mariners weather

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