BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 26: A general view of Oriole Park at Camden Yards o before the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The apparel company with the big swoosh logo has deemed that it’s time for a number of MLB teams to change up their City Connect jerseys so they can sell people a new round of jerseys. The Orioles are in this year’s wave for updated uniforms, so the black ones with the boring block lettering are out and a new set of jerseys are in. The new jerseys will debut tomorrow night. No one will have to wait too long to see them in action.
The team released some promo photos of players in the new uniforms to go along with this rollout. Here are the jerseys on some players:
For me, these are a substantial improvement over the previous City Connect jerseys. That’s not to say that I think they are good, or that I would ever wear them. They are not, and I would not. I am confused by the people who spend their money on these jerseys. You’ll only get this jersey on my body if I’m in a coma or dead. If you put this on my corpse, my spirit will haunt you to the fullest extent it is able.
As you may have guessed from my opening paragraph of this article, I take a cynical view of the whole City Connect endeavor. This whole thing is there to rope people in with feeling like they are getting something limited edition and special. Now that the pattern is established that the jerseys change every few years, the thought will be that you’d better get it before it’s gone. Buy, buy, buy. This is never far from your sports fandom, people wanting to make money off of it. I feel it is uncommonly out in the open with the City Connects.
The most interesting jerseys since the start of this whole project have been the ones that were different and unafraid of being bad. You may remember those yellow and blue Red Sox ones that are meant to evoke Boston Marathon race numbers. Terrible jerseys. They are, at least, distinct from the usual Red Sox fare and that makes them interesting. A small handful of designs have ended up being truly cool and interesting, such as the original Nationals design that had the cherry blossoms. There was more personality in those jerseys than that franchise has ever had in the entirety of its existence.
The previous Orioles ones were primarily black when the team already had a primarily black weekend home game jersey top. That’s boring. The little splashes of color on the edges of the jerseys just weren’t enough to change that. It was a complete waste of an opportunity. I blame John Angelos even if it was probably someone else’s fault.
Now, you’ve got these new ones. They’re terrible, just in a more interesting way. From a distance, they look like minor league gimmick jerseys, not all that far removed from SpongeBob SquarePants jersey night. Up close, there are some cool details. The orange trim on the sleeves is patterned in a way that evokes the brick of the B&O Warehouse. That’s good. The sleeve that isn’t being taken up by the investment company sponsorship has one of the Eutaw Street home run plaques on it. Instantly iconic.
The white with mostly green and then a little bit of orange is a distinct color pattern compared to the existing array of Orioles jerseys. That’s a plus. They should just wear the jerseys they already have. But if they must exist, then at least they might as well exist while being something like this. I would go so far as to say this is one of the better ones that was unveiled today:
These new jerseys are coming tomorrow night. I hope that the Orioles win the game so I don’t have to spend multiple years again hearing about how the jerseys are cursed.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 05: Peter Moylan #30 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game against the San Francisco Giants at SunTrust Park on May 5, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia. The Giants won 9-4. (Photo by Cameron Hart/Beam Imagination/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Right before Wednesday’s series finale between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels, I got a chance to chat with former Braves reliever and current BravesVision TV analyst Peter Moylan. Moylan was gracious enough to share some of his time with us and so I got the chance to ask him some questions about the past and also about the future of the sport as well.
As Braves fans, we’re all familiar with the Australian hurler who became a bit of a cult legend no matter where he went. He’s been all over the place as well, as he even had a stint in the Czech Republic. There aren’t too many people who can say that they’ve played baseball in MLB, Australia and Czechia so when you get a chance to chat with someone who has, you absolutely have to take it.
Here’s our interview with Peter Moylan and I hope y’all enjoy it!
This interview has been edited for clarity when needed
Demetrius Bell: So, about [Tuesday] night! You were a teammate of [Jorge] Soler’s and you played under Walt Weiss when he was a coach here. What were your thoughts on the fight?
Peter Moylan: I don’t know what ticked Jorge off — obviously there’s a little bit of history there with Reynaldo. I think [the pitch] might’ve been a little too close for comfort for him and I think something sparked when there was a little break. Everybody was caught off guard and honestly, I’ve never seen Jorge look like that! He’s such a mild-mannered guy so something obviously ticked him off. But Walt was able to defuse the situation! They were not pushing and shoving, they were throwing haymakers! I think Walt’s thought process was ‘I just want to get Soler on the ground and hopefully everything can calm down after that.’ It kind of did but it was mad crazy!
DB: Yeah, it was absolutely crazy. It was also a good thing that there was somebody with Taekwondo knowledge in there to deal with the situation.
PM: Let me tell you something: No one’s going to mess with Walt. Everybody knows that Walt spends as much time as anybody in the weight room and he’s not just doing band work. He’s throwing some serious weight around and he definitely knows how to take someone down as we saw.
DB: Yeah, that was an absolutely crazy incident. But now that we can get to the actual questions for this interview: How does your preparation go for every game? What’s the process like for you when it comes to getting information ready to share out to the fans?
PM: I like to get to the studio or the field about three hours before the game. I’ll check the lineups if we have those. Then I’ll just run through a checklist: I’ll check out the starting pitchers, I’ll check out the opposing lineups, who’s hot, who’s not, potential base stealers, any little features that we want to work on. Anybody who’s been hot for us, we usually do some sort of story on. Recently it’s been Drake Baldwin and Mauricio Dubón for most of this year. It all depends on what’s happened in the couple of days before and where we’re at in the series.
For instance, this [the series finale vs. the Angels] is the last game of the series. We want to win this one today obviously to come home with a positive road trip and then they have the first day off of the year following that. So this is a big game today.
DB: Moving on, so you have experience as a coach in Australia. Has that changed your perspective on the game as both an analyst and a former player?
PM: Let me tell you: As a manager, the game speeds up on you so fast. You’re just worried about so many different things — the pitching changes, moving the infield, placing the outfield, do you put a bunt down, are you going to hit-and-run in a certain situation, do you pinch-hit for a guy? There’s just so much information getting fed to you so quickly. In close games and tight games, that’s where it gets really interest. I’ve got a whole different level of respect for managers and coaches in general, for sure.
DB: Right? I remember seeing of yours from the past where you said that you felt more nervous as a coach than you did as a player.
PM: Well, it’s because you can’t control anything. You just hope you’ve done enough to get these guys prepared so that when they get in a situation where they have to either perform or not that they can perform. Your hands are tied at that point once the game starts — you’re just sitting back and hoping that you can do what you taught them.
DB: Right, it’s a very different situation. Even though you have control of the tactics, it’s still different from being actually on the field to actually do it.
PM: I can have the perfect ‘pen night lined up but if one guy comes in and he doesn’t have his best stuff that day and he struggles then all your plans are gone and you’re going to have to try to figure it out after that.
DB: So, from your experience in Australia to playing in places like the Czech Republic, how did that time in the Czech Republic influence your thoughts on baseball? Have you carried anything with you from that experience?
PM: It’s interesting because growing up in Australia, baseball is not the number one sport. Obviously our facilities have never been the greatest. So when I went to the Czech Republic, it was very similar to what [I had when] I grew up playing so it was very comfortable for me. To go over there and experience that level of the sport like I did when I was growing up, I think the Czech Republic and a lot of European nations are really putting a lot of effort into improving their baseball teams and they’re very passionate about it.
Much like our Australian Baseball League, a lot of the guys that are on those teams [in the Czech Republic] have regular jobs. They’ll have a 9-to-5 and they’ll show up to training a couple of times a week. They played more games on the weekend and train a couple of times a week, so they’re really into it over there. It was just such an amazing experience.
I’d never been to Europe before! I’d pitch on a Friday night and then I’d travel Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday somewhere around Europe and then I’d come back and pitch again on the next Friday night and try to get a win for the guys. It was just incredible.
DB: Did you play with any of the players who were on the Czech team during this most recent World Baseball Classic?
PM: Oh yeah, definitely. The team I actually went and played for had about eight or nine representatives for the Czech National Team. The reason why I was over there was because one of my really good buddies from home is the pitching coach for the National Team and he was the pitching coach for the [club] team that I went and pitched for as well. So the connection was there and it was a really fun time.
DB: In terms of your experience in playing across all types of countries and continents, you’re really a unicorn in the baseball world, so that’s a really interesting thing to take with you.
PM: It’s a great game. It’s a great game at any level. The passion you see at those kind of local levels is just incredible to watch.
DB: Going back to yourself, if you could go back in time and commentate on yourself as a pitcher, what would the present-day version of you think about the pitcher version of you?
PM: I think I would’ve liked myself! That sounds funny to say that but I honestly think I would’ve enjoyed breaking down my appearances for sure. The Ryan Zimmerman home run that I gave up, I would’ve absolutely ripped myself for that! I think there’s been a few outings where I’ve had a bit of success where I would’ve loved to have broken it down. I would’ve said that I was a nice piece to a bullpen. Obviously often injured but when healthy, I was pretty good at my job.
DB: When it comes to your approach as a pitcher back then, do you feel like it would work in today’s game or would you have to adjust to what’s going on today?
PM: That’s a great question. I think, sure; I faced a lot of right-handed hitters and my strength was to face right-handers since we didn’t have the three-batter minimum when I was playing. We didn’t have the technology that they have available now but if we did, I would have probably added a couple of more pitches if I was playing today. I would’ve liked to have had something that cut and maybe something that stayed true to the top of the zone so I could work all four quadrants. I mainly worked down in the zone for most of my career.
I think if I was pitching now, I would learn how to elevate and I’d learn something else to get left-handed hitters off of my stuff. I think I would’ve adapted to it but it certainly would’ve been a lot different. I had a lot of one-pitch outings, a lot of one-out outings so you just don’t see them anymore unless it’s ending the inning.
DB: Like you mentioned with the three-batter rule, you’ve got to be out there for a little bit longer now.
PM: I called myself the original right-handed specialist, because there weren’t a lot of us! [Laughs]
DB: So again, coming from Australia, you probably didn’t see baseball a ton of TV. If you did, though, who was your inspiration as a broadcaster?
PM: When it comes to broadcasting, Vin Scully – you really can’t go past him. But, we did used to get some [coverage] on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). They’d show us highlights of the World Series and I remember the VHS tapes that they used to send out of every single World Series. I would get ahold of those anytime that I could going back to the ‘89, ‘90 [World Series], right the way through the ‘90s with all of the Braves success. I would still try to keep up with it even from over there.
I remember specifically when [Mark] McGwire and [Sammy] Sosa were chasing down the home run record and that was everywhere. That even got to us in Australia. I went online once and bought one of the newspaper clippings from the St. Louis newspaper when McGwire finally broke that record. We were far enough away from it but because I was so interested in the game as it was, I tried to get my claws on it over here [in Australia] as well.
DB: That had to have been a pretty big task since there’s a pretty loaded sports environment out there in Australia with footy, rugby, etc.
PM: Big time. That’s why we don’t get the best athletes trying to play baseball in Australia because they’ve all had to funnel down from Australian Rules football, rugby, cricket, tennis, basketball and soccer. It’s a sporting capital where I grew up and everybody loves their sports.
DB: Going back to your current career, what made you realize that commentary was a viable path for you as a post-playing career option?
PM: When they called me once I announced my retirement and said ‘Hey, do you want to give television a go?’ I didn’t see myself doing this and I didn’t plan to do this right after I left. But when I got that call, I thought to myself ‘I’m going to have to do something and this is worth a try.’
I was totally uncomfortable the first couple of times doing it, obviously as most people would be. But as I got into the groove, I really enjoyed still being able to be around the guys and breaking down the game and honestly watching it evolve. It’s just evolved so much over the last few years with all of the rule changes that have been introduced and all of the different technologies that guys have now. I still really love the game! I love the game at its purest form but I also really appreciate the improvements that have been made to it.
DB: When it comes to the rule changes, which ones do you like the most so far?
PM: Obviously, the three-batter minimum would’ve affected my career the most out of all of them. I love the pitch clock and I especially love the [ABS] system now. I think being able to challenge balls and strikes has added a whole new element to the game. There’s still a level of frustration because we’re not getting 100 percent of the calls right but I think the fact that they have the ability to challenge in big situations and you have to figure out when you want to do that and when you want to risk it [adds a lot to the game].
We saw a game earlier where the Braves lost all of their challenges within four outs of the game. That was obviously huge [that they ended up] winning that game but that could come back to bite them. I think it’s a whole new element. I think every rule change that has been introduced, I was a little skeptical to start off with but since they’ve been implemented, I really enjoy them.
DB: It’s very interesting to talk about the strategy when it comes to challenging. Do you feel like you’d follow in Chris Sale’s footsteps to where you’ll let the catcher do all the work when it comes to challenging or would you get involved?
PM: I think I would want to challenge most of the pitches that I thought were close, so I would be on the Chris Sale program probably implemented by my coaches and managers where they say ‘Peter, you’re an emotional man. Let’s go ahead and hold the challenges to the catchers.’ If I was a batter, I’d probably have a little more confidence but as a pitcher, I’d feel like everything I’d throw is a strike.
DB: Yeah, that sounds about right for a pitcher! [Both laugh] So, winding down, what’s the most exciting or favorite event that you’ve gotten to call or work during your time as an analyst?
PM: Well, we got to cover the World Series. That was so out of the blue. We all know how the Braves were going that season. They were just trying to scrape into the playoffs in 2021. They ended up going on a run after the All-Star break and after the Trade Deadline that was just incredible. Just to be a part of that, you could just sense the energy change as the guys started to play better, as they started to look like they were going to make the playoffs. I guess the lack of expectations for them to do any damage in the playoffs just let them hide under the cover of night and run through the playoffs like they did.
The Battery at the time and the energy of Atlanta was just incredible. I just know that everybody involved here wants to get back to that.
DB: Jumping off of that, I don’t want to put you on the spot here since you’ve played in many spots but which one would you consider to be your favorite ballpark that you’ve played in or just visited?
PM: I got lucky enough to pitch in Truist Park after they built it. It’s a great stadium. The facilities are still just incredible. However, I like the old stadiums. I love Wrigley Field, I love Fenway Park. When it comes to success, I also enjoyed pitching in Miami. I had a lot of success down there even if the [old] stadium wasn’t the best. I can tell you where I didn’t like pitching and that’s Philly.
DB: Sounds about right [laughs]. So yeah, that’s about it. Can you tell everybody where they can find you and how they can get set up to watch the Braves on TV?
PM: Of course. You can sign up at Braves.TV. We’re obviously new with BravesVision. We are learning at the big league level but we are all excited to bring the product to as many faces as we can. I know it’s been a struggle for people to find Braves games in the past. I think we’ve done a really good job to partner up with a lot of the major cable companies and a lot of the smaller ones as well.
More eyes are on it and that’s been the goal from the start of this — to get as many eyes on Braves baseball and the Braves product as you can. We’re going to try to bring you an entertaining product and as the season goes on, I’m sure the team on the field and off the field is going to be just as good.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees takes the field to start the game against the Athletics at Yankee Stadium on April 07, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees haven’t had many losses on the young season, but you could argue that Wednesday’s was the most frustrating so far. After starting the game with a couple hits and a couple runs in the first innings, they proceeded to not do much for the rest of the game. That allowed the Athletics to come back and eventually take the lead for good.
Thanks to that, the Yankees will now have to win Thursday’s matinee to avoid their first series loss of the season.
For this afternoon’s finale, the Yankees will send Ryan Weathers to the hill. While his regular season debut when well enough, Weathers struggled in his last time out, looking more like the pitcher we saw struggle in spring training. We’ll see if he can right the ship today.
With a lefty on the mound, the Yankees are giving starts not only at Amed Rosario but to Randal Grichuk, who has received just two at-bats thus far. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham are the ones getting days off, with the lineup fairly normal besides that. It is worth noting that Ben Rice is starting against a lefty, affirming the Yankees’ commitment to him as very much the primary first baseman, with only occasional looks from Paul Goldschmidt behind him.
Said lefty for the A’s is Jeffrey Springs. The Yankees have seen Springs a decent amount over the years, back in his days with the Red Sox and Rays, and he has a career 2.03 ERA against the Bombers. He mostly stymied the Blue Jays’ and Astros’ lineups during his first two times out in 2026 and had a 105 ERA+ in 171 innings last year, so he could be a challenge.
We hope that you’ll come join us in the game thread for this afternoon’s action!
With the Cubs off today, let’s have a bit of fun by looking back at some players we used to root for when they were members of our favorite team.
These men are all the former Cubs on other MLB 26-man active rosters as of today (with one exception, noted below). Notes: This does not include players who played in the Cubs minor-league system but never for the MLB Cubs.
Further, there are currently just six players who played for the 2016 World Series Cubs still on active rosters as of now: Jeimer Candelario (yes, he played in five games for the Cubs in 2016, going 1-for-11), Aroldis Chapman, Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler and Javier Báez. Kris Bryant remains on the Rockies’ 60-day injured list and it’s unclear when, or whether, he will play again.
Here is the entire list — a total of 36 players on 23 of the other 29 MLB teams. Many of these players had very brief Cub careers, but all wore the blue pinstripes at one time.
NL Central
Brewers: Trevor Megill
Cardinals: No one
Pirates: No one
Reds: Pierce Johnson, P.J. Higgins
NL East
Braves: No one
Marlins: Owen Caissie
Mets: Richard Lovelady, Brooks Raley, Luis Torrens, Jared Young
Nationals: No one
Phillies: Brad Keller, Kyle Schwarber
NL West
Diamondbacks: Michael Soroka, Ildemaro Vargas
Dodgers: Kyle Tucker
Giants: Caleb Kilian
Padres: Nick Castellanos, Jeremiah Estrada
Rockies: Willi Castro
AL East
Blue Jays: Tommy Nance
Orioles: No one
Rays: Hunter Bigge
Red Sox: Aroldis Chapman, Willson Contreras
Yankees: Cody Bellinger
AL Central
Guardians: Shawn Armstrong
Royals: No one
Tigers: Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry
Twins: Victor Caratini
White Sox: Anthony Kay, Reese McGuire, Sean Newcomb
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 03: Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Carl Jones II/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s a long season that’s just getting underway, but the St. Louis Cardinals are performing in some surprising ways. Jordan Walker…might be a thing? (Crosses fingers, avoids black cats, throws salt over shoulder. Let’s just do everything we can do to manifest it for this kid.) JJ Wetherholt looks to be the player advertised. Matt Svanson thinks he’s a Little League pitcher (that is not something I saw coming), and the bullpen at large seems as though it’ll be raising our blood pressure all year. Through two starts, Michael McGreevy’s baseball card numbers look really nice, but there are more warning signs than redacted portions of the Epstein files. To put it succinctly, he’s dancing on the edge of a knife.
Before we go diving into numbers to back up my claim, I think it’s important that we establish some groundwork. Michael McGreevy was never going to be a top of the rotation arm. He’s a quintessentially a Mozielak era draft and develop story as there ever has been. You’re familiar with the trope: a polished, college righty with pitch-to-contact stuff. Last year he had fans clamoring for more as he bumfuzzled major league lineups while he was riding the Zach Thompson Memorial Bullet Train back and forth to Memphis. He’s destined to be a back-of-the-rotation innings guy. There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s just the ceiling. Long term, I’m afraid McGreevy is going to be swamped by the tidal wave of K punch the organization is developing in the minors.
In fact, if you’re interested in audio/visual content, we talked more about Michael McGreevy with Kevin Wheeler (!) in the latest edition of Cardinals on My Time (™ Scott Plaza!). You can check it out here if that’s of interest to you, Apple and Spotify.
With that context established, let’s look at the data through three starts for Mr. McGreevy. As I mentioned, the baseball card stats are good. He’s averaging 5.1 innings per start with a 2.16 ERA and a 3.12 FIP. He’s been the most valuable pitcher in this young season thus far. On the surface, this is looking like the very best years of the Miles Mikolas experience. Ok, now while you’re recovering from that name drop, let’s be honest: McGreevy’s profile is quite similar to Mikolas’. Here’s the thing, Miles Mikolas had not one, but two, legitimately all-star caliber seasons for the Cardinals. I know that’s hard to remember through the mists of the hard contact, but it’s true.
There are going to be stretches where Michael McGreevy looks…pretty good. If all things go well, I wouldn’t even rule out a fringe all-star season a la Mikolas. And, honestly, I’m rooting for his success, aren’t you?
This is where the Mike Schildt happy talk ends though. Because McGreevy scares the you know what out of me right now. Those ERA and FIP stats are nice and glittery, but the xERA is like the evil stepmother lurking in the shadows. Michael McGreevy’s expected ERA is 7.80. That is…catastrophic. Miles Mikolas this year is running an 7.85 expected ERA. I know I just kinda sorta praised Mikolas (I took a shower right after, don’t worry), but you do not want to be linked to Miles Mikolas’ pitching performance in 2026.
So, what gives? Expected ERA is one level smarter than ERA. ERA doesn’t care how you got there, xERA does. It factors in the quality of contact against a pitcher to give a better picture of how well they’re actually pitching. And, well, McGreevy is terrifying right now. While you’re reading these next stats, play the crescendo of a horror film in your mind. His barrel percentage is in the 26th percentile. His groundball percentage is below average. He’s not missing any bats at all with a whiff percentage in the fifth percentile and not fooling any batters with a chase percentage in the 28th percentile.
Translation: McGreevy is getting smoked. What’s worse is this damage is occurring in the air at levels we’ve never seen in his career before. Why is air contact worse? How many groundball homeruns and doubles have you ever seen? What’s keeping him afloat? He’s currently running a .204 BABIP – he’s getting crazy lucky.
A deeper look at his arsenal and command reveals the conundrum that looks ready to plague him his whole career. He has a Location+ of 110. That’s amazing and in line with his career averages. McGreevy is one of the best pitchers alive when it comes to placing pitches where he wants them to go. The problem comes when you look at his Stuff+. Right now it’s checking in at an anemic 76. To put it bluntly, that’s not competitive in a major league setting. McGreevy must maintain elite command if he’s going to be a viable pitcher with a long MLB career.
This brings us to the final, and most worrying issue. That Stuff+ rating is directly tied to his fastball. And that fastball is currently dragging him down faster than an Old Testament millstone around the neck. In 2024 and 2025 he averaged exactly 93 mph with the heater. He’s only at 90.7 mph thus far. He’s been literally quoted as saying that the fastball velocity issue keeps him up at night. So, we know they haven’t solved it yet. Unfortunately, there’s only so much pinpoint control will do for you. His “stuff” is in danger of slipping off the earth and into the void where major league hitters are teeing off on him.
Is he injured? There’s no indication of that. Maybe it’s a cold April, early season thing? Perhaps a mechanical issue is at fault? Whatever it is, it’s going to have to be solved if McGreevy is going to survive in this rotation. He’s probably always going to be on the edge of competitiveness because of his stuff. It’s just that right now with the velocity decrease he’s dancing on the edge of a knife. Hopefully, they can solve it – I’ll be rooting for that outcome!
If you’d like #evenmorecoverage, feel free to follow me on twitter @mksmith86. I’m usually watching the game. Honestly, your best bet is to follow our podcast on twitter @redbirdrundown2 – we post a lot more there.
Let me know how you’re feeling about McGreevy in the comments. Thanks for reading!
There are very few baseball players capable of doing the things that Ryan Sloan does on a daily basis. At just 20 years old, Sloan has ascended from high schooler to consensus top 100 prospect in just 82 innings, supplanting himself near the top of pitching ranks over players with far more professional experience. A tremendously gifted player with as much potential as any pitching prospect the Seattle system has seen in years, Sloan is on a rocket ship toward the big leagues and could be a major league contributor far sooner than anyone could have anticipated at the time of his drafting.
MLB's No. 4 RHP prospect Ryan Sloan (@Mariners) retires his final 7 batters faced and finishes with 4 K's across 4 IP in his Double-A @ARTravs debut: pic.twitter.com/VbW0WYZBNZ
Physically, Sloan has an imposing 6’5 frame with plenty of strength to hold velocity deep into games. More impressively, however, is how he’s able to move given his size. Sloan is smooth down the mound and rarely looks like he’s overexerting himself, repeating his mechanics exceptionally well for someone as green as he is. His athleticism is an underrated aspect of his game and is foundational to what makes him so tantalizing as a prospect.
The arsenal is immense. His fastball, arguably his “worst” pitch, is now sitting 98 mph, up a few ticks from last season. It doesn’t get much carry through the zone and isn’t spectacular metrically, but his velocity helps it play up and makes it a solid offering. His slider, a hellish breaker with bite and sweep, is a true strikeout offering that profiles as a plus-pitch long term. His changeup, a pitch he picked up at a high school event one day to combat a lefty heavy lineup, is equally as impressive, dropping off the table for hitters and getting some arm-side fade to boot. He’s added a cutter and sinker as well, giving him a five-pitch arsenal to deploy on opposing hitters. The stuff is not a concern whatsoever.
The command is typically where young pitchers falter, but for Sloan, it’s arguably better than his stuff. Sloan rarely walks batters and has commanded his pitches rather well, working a sub 2 BB/9 in his first professional season and landing his putaway pitches in good spots to induce chase. His aforementioned athleticism and repeatable mechanics corroborate the notion he’ll throw strikes, and he’s given little reason to believe adding new pitches to his arsenal impacts his overall control of the zone. It’s borderline anomalous talent.
At the risk of egging on the hype train even further, there is not an obvious critique of Sloan’s game. Sure, the fastball is generic in shape, but any heater that’s sitting 98 is going to play at any level, particularly one that’s well located. At 20 years old, Sloan has already ascended to Double-A and seems destined for the elite upper echelon of prospects leaguewide. He’s polished, he’s “stuffy”, and he’s got a great head on his shoulders that’s equally personable as it is competitive. It’s tough to poke holes in his game right now, and fans should get excited to watch Sloan pitch in a Mariner uniform for many years to come.
Paul Skenes is the undisputed face of the Pirates’ franchise, right? To many fans, that’s the case.
But Skenes thinks it’s Konnor Griffin.
After Griffin inked a nine-year, $140 million extension with the Pirates on Wednesday, Skenes was asked of the deal.
“He’s gonna be the face of the Pirates for a long time,” Skenes said of Griffin.
Paul Skenes led the league in ERA in 2025, leading to his Cy Young win. Archie Carpenter/UPI/Shutterstock
Of course, that distinction undoubtedly falls on Skenes right now.
The 2023 No. 1 overall pick won the National League Cy Young Award last season in just his second year in the league.
He also captured Rookie of the Year honors the campaign prior after posting a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts over 23 games.
Last year, Skenes was even better, leading the league with a 1.97 ERA in 187 2/3 innings, while also punching out 216 batters. That is what you call the face of a franchise.
But for Skenes, he thinks that should be Griffin.
In 2025, he split time between three levels, eventually finishing the year in Double-A. Before the season, Griffin was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball at just 19 years old.
He started this season in Triple-A, where he batted .438 in just 21 plate appearances before being called up to the majors.
Konnor Griffin has played six games at the MLB level since being called up. Getty Images
Griffin has played in six MLB games thus far, racking up three hits and four RBIs but hitting .167.
His extension marks the largest contract in Pirates history, surpassing Bryan Reynolds’ $106.75 million deal in 2023.
“I see a winning organization here,” Griffin said after inking the deal. “We’re gonna do a lot of great things with the players that we have. I wanna be a part of it for nine years. I wanna continue to be a part of the build of winning playoff baseball. This is a great place for me, a great place for my family. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Now, Skenes hasn’t exactly agreed with that sentiment recently. After Pittsburgh fired Derek Shelton midway through last season, Skenes blasted the team for its poor play.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t shocked,” Skenes said. “At the end of the day, we’re (12-26). Someone’s gotta be held accountable. Right now, it’s him. That’s just kind of how it goes. I don’t know if it fixes the root of the issue, which is that we need to play better.”
In contrast to Griffin, Skenes has yet to sign an extension with the Pirates, and he would currently become a free agent after the 2029 season.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 08: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins is congratulated after scoring a run by Victor Caratini #37 during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):12:40 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Bless You Boys
The Twins have already secured their first series win of the season and they’ll go for their first sweep of the season as they try to take game four against Jack Flaherty and the Tigers. Both Flaherty and Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel have great stuff, but have struggled in their first few starts of the young season. With both bullpens pretty taxed after short starts and bullpen struggles, whichever starter can last the longest will likely emerge victorious.
One way or another, expect a heavy dose of new Twin Garrett Acton this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Luke Keaschall gets his first day off of the season amid this stretch of 15 straight days with a game. He is likely available off the bench to pinch hit against a lefty, but I would expect Austin Martin up first as they try to get him completely off his feet for the day. As talented as he is, it’s important to remember he’s never played over 103 games in a season due to his various arm injuries and it does no one any favors to wear him down in April.
In its never-ending quest to separate the hardball superfan from more of their hard-earned money, Major League Baseball, its apparel and merchandising partners and eight teams have rolled out a second generation of “City Connect” jerseys and hats.
Coming just three years after dropping alternate togs for the Braves, Brewers, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rangers, Reds and Royals, fans of that octet of teams will now have the right drop $200 on a new jersey, or $53 on a cap.
Yet is it all worth it?
Whether these Connects 2.0 are an improvement on the OGs is of course a matter of taste. Yet the first pass through these eight mid-market clubs produced both iconic jerseys and also some mail-it-in efforts that made it an easier bar to clear.
Ranking the eight new City Connect jerseys – and whether they represent an improvement on the original:
Daunting and haunting, from font to cap. Pirates are supposed to be a little scary and this kit fills that bill, thanks to a heaping spoonful of what outfielder Jake Mangum calls “mustard gold” accenting the jersey and cap. The Jolly Roger on the sleeve is downright horrifying. While the league wants to siphon more cash out of the consumer, you might be in a plundering mood yourself when donning this gear.
Yes. Both the Pirates and Reds seemed to draw the short straw the first time around, with unimaginative “PGH” and “CIN” slapped across the jerseys. The Pirates, at least, got better treatment this time around.
Just a gorgeous callback to their orange and blue color scheme of the 1990s. While the Padres have wisely and successfully leaned into Brown over the years, this color scheme is regionally evocative and recalls an era that was quietly successful, including a surprise 1998 World Series run.
No. You wanna talk retro regionally evocative? There’s just no improving upon the fluorescent aerobics-class gear of the original City Connects, an apparel set that makes you want to grab a Walkman and rollerblade through Mission Bay Park. This version's La Catrina Dia de los Muertos patch, while a nice touch, seems to make the kit want to split the difference between "active lifestyle" and "cultural history."
3. Texas Rangers
The Rangers opened their airplane hangar of a ballpark with an accompanying everyday uniform set that was appropriately bland. Their ’23 City Connects were an improvement on that. Yet this version steers hard into the red that was a staple of their franchise for most of their first six decades. And the “TEJAS” script across the chest is “also in homage to the Tejano culture as we know it,” Daisy Rincón, the Rangers manager of multicultural marketing tells MLB.com. “There’s a large mix of Mexican-Americans here in Texas. It’s in the spirit of celebrating Texas culture.”
Yes. The originals that paid homage to the long history of baseball in Texas were pretty cool, even if they had a “Will I really wear this in public?” vibe. Acknowledging the multicultural makeup of the club’s fans is a nice touch, though it loses some steam when you take into account some, um, other actions of the franchise.
Aiming to connect the city’s “big stoop energy” with its jewel of a gathering place, Camden Yards, the Orioles’ new entry features accents of “Camden Green” (who knew?) and patches celebrating the Eutaw Street home-run plaques and the iconic clock tower. Hey, why be less when you can BMORE?
Yes. If only because the previous version’s special touches were so subtle they often escaped the naked eye. The green and orange does evoke a Miami Hurricanes intrasquad scrimmage, but it’s a pretty combo.
5. Milwaukee Brewers
The “Wisco” in script letters across the chest immediately signal an aggressive rebrand: “Even though the official branding is City Connect, we call it ‘State Connect’ internally,” Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger tells MLB.com. So, shoutout Kewaunee County, we guess. It is a pretty color scheme, for sure, with its Base Blue intended to reflect the state’s endless shorelines and waterways.
No. Hey, the Great Lakes are freaking awesome, and the club is wise to tap into the state’s greatest natural resources. Yet the grill-out theme of the originals also captured the Milwaukee baseball experience and the winterlong pining for warmer times so wonderfully.
The most powdery blue you’ve ever seen, the Braves have scrawled an audacious “Atlanta” across the chest with font choices aimed to evoke the team’s TBS glory days of the 1980s and ‘90s (the ATL sleeve patch is essentially the old TBS logo). Sartorially pleasing.
Southeast, Stand Up.
The Atlanta Braves’ 2026 City Connect uniform is a nod to the Braves’ Classic 1980 powder blue uniforms, harkening back to when Braves baseball was a national fixture across the country on the SuperStation.
No. The 2023 originals were so clean, with “The A” scrawled in such gorgeous type. It provided a nice roadmap should the club ever want to move on from its nickname. Also, it was released “to honor the legacy of Hank Aaron,” which one would think might have a shelf life greater than three years.
7. Cincinnati Reds
They are the Reds, and the uniforms are very red – seven shades of it, according to the team. For the first time since that odd swath of franchise history when the club commuted from Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field to Great American Ball Park, the kits will feature pinstripes, though they’re less pronounced set against the, well, redness of it all.
Yes. Like the Pirates, the Reds’ first Connects seemed bereft of creativity, relative to their major league brethren. These pop a little more and feature more interesting design elements, though the “C” logo is, well, interesting.
8. Kansas City Royals
They’ve gone from a fountain theme to a… fountain theme. At first glance, the scheme looks like way too much is going on, though the subtleties pop a little more once you slow everything down. Most notably: Two blue stripes on the armbands surrounding a swath of white, symbolizing the city’s position with one foot in Missouri and another in Kansas.
No, but it’s close. The Kauffman Stadium fountains have given way to a more regional look, appropriate given the club’s desire to join the Chiefs in greener pastures elsewhere in the surrounding area.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 08: Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants puts on his cap during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 8, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It hasn’t been the start to the season that the San Francisco Giants wanted. And unfortunately, it’s been a struggle across the board.
The offense, which on paper should arguably be the strength of the the team, is 28th in the Majors in runs per game. The defense, something Buster Posey openly wants to win with, has graded out as fairly poor, with plenty of mistakes. The pitching looks significantly better after back-to-back shutout wins over the Philadelphia Phillies, but even so, the rotation is 15th in ERA, and the bullpen 19th … despite playing 10 of their 13 games at Oracle Park.
So which of those four do you assign the most blame to when assessing the poor start to the 2026 season?
Jeffrey Springs will take the mound today in the rubber match of the 3-game series with the New York Yankees. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Fresh off a come from behind, ninth inning victory over the New York Yankees last night, the two teams are back at it this morning in the Bronx. Yankee Stadium will host the rubber match of this three-game series with the 4-7 A’s going up against the 8-3 Yankees.
Jeffrey Springs will get the start for the Athletics today. Springs is 1-0 in his two starts this season with a 2.38 ERA and nine strikeouts in 11.1 innings. He’ll go up against 26-year-old lefty Ryan Weathers who came to the Yankees vis trade from Miami in the off-season. Weathers is the son of former MLB (and Yankees) hurler David Weathers. He has no record in his two starts for the Yankees this season with a 4.50 ERA and eleven strikeouts.
Weathers will face off against this lineup for the A’s:
One of the most passionate fan bases in baseball just got a lot happier Thursday morning.
MLB and the Padres announced San Diego’s new City Connect jerseys for the 2026 season, revealing a striking color combination that honors the cross-cultural fan base between Southern California and Mexico.
Per the Padres, the slogan for the jerseys are “Two Countries. Two Cultures. Together as One.”
The uniform begins with a white hat and navy blue bill, with the traditional “SD” embroidered in orange and navy blue. The jersey is navy blue with trim colors that reflect the traditional celebration of Día de Los Muertos. The pants are white with an orange band the runs from the hip to the ankle along the side.
The newest iteration of the jerseys are a stark contrast to its predecessors.
While the old combination was bright and vibrant, celebrating San Diego’s sublime coastal location, the newest version pays homage to past that honors its legends and former greats.
Among Padres legends who have passed recently are Tony Gwynn, Ken Caminiti, Randy Jones and Padres owner Peter Seidler.
Gwynn, or better known as “Mr. Padre” after spending 20 season with the team, is the greatest Padre to have ever lived. He finished with a career .338 batting average, eight national league batting titles and played in San Diego’s two World Series trips. He passed away on June 16, 2014 at the age of 54 after losing his battle with cancer.
San Diego Padres’ Tony Gwynn, who passed away in 2014, acknowledges the crowd as he comes up to bat in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2001. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) AP
According to the Padres, there are six distinct features for the city connect uniforms.
Sleeve Patch
Día de los Muertos is about remembering and celebrating our loved ones. The Padres honor our traditions and families with a La Catrina patch, an iconic symbol of this holiday and celebration of those we hold dear. She is adorned with a traditional floral crown, surrounded by ofrenda candles, and set against the aqua backdrop of the Pacific Ocean.
Wordmark
The uniform is a continued celebration of our binational region. The refreshed wordmark is inspired by our beautiful shared coastline, spectacular sunsets, and active lifestyle.
The Cap
Featuring a bone crown, obsidian bill and floral pattern on the interior, the hat design is a nod to one fo the Padres greatest teams and legends taken too soon.
A marigold pattern is sublimated on the trim of the sleeves and the braids on the bone-colored pants. This flower is quintessential to Día de los Muertos and symbolizes joy and the beauty of life.
Colors
Evocative of our vibrant landscape, rich culture, history, and traditions, the colors — bone, obsidian, marigold, aqua, fireberry, and Padres gold — come together in one uniform.
Jock Tag
The papel picado celebrates the history of the Padres franchise and region we call home, using logos from the past that pay tribute to our teams, players, and faithful fans.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 27, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia (51) reacts after striking out Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) to retire the side in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on March 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Alex Vesia pitched in one of the highest-leverage moments of the young season for the Dodgers on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh inning to protect a two-run lead.
Vesia inherited runners at the corners after Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed a double and single to open the frame, the first Dodgers starting pitcher to last into the seventh inning this season. Vesia walked his first batter to load the bases, but then sandwiched two flyouts around a strikeout to get out unscathed.
He’s been a fixture in the Dodgers bullpen for the last half-decade, with a 2.62 ERA and 3.01 xERA, and 32.6-percent strikeout rate, and also has a 1.86 ERA and 3.76 xERA in 26 postseason games, including a save in Game 2 of the 2024 World Series.
Only one of Vesia’s Dodgers games was a start. He served as the opener on July 8, 2023 against the Angels, and pitched a scoreless first inning. But when he pitches next in relief, Vesia will join an even more exclusive club. Currently only nine Dodgers have pitched 300 times in relief.
The Chicago White Sox (4-8) travel to Kauffman Stadium on Thursday to open a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals (5-7). It's a matchup of two teams looking to snap modest losing streaks and move north in the American League Central standings.
Chicago heads on the road this weekend owning a 1-5 record away from the Windy City and riding a three-game losing streak. Along those same lines, the Royals are looking to snap a two-game skid of their own. KC is looking to continue what has been a dominant run at home against the ChiSox having knocked them off 14 straight times. Royals’ pitchers have allowed just 17 runs during their 14-game home winning streak against Chicago.
On the mound, Kansas City looks to veteran right-hander Seth Lugo (1-0, 1.59 ERA) to help get them back in the win column. Last season, the White Sox scored just three runs over 12 innings against Lugo. Opposing the veteran hurler will be left-hander Anthony Kay (0-0, 4.00 ERA), who is back in a big league starting rotation for the first time since 2021.
Offensively, the Royals will rely on Maikel Garcia, who has 13 hits over his last 10 games, and rookie Carter Jensen to spark their offense, which has struggled with runners in scoring position this season. For the White Sox, power hitter Munetaka Murakami, who has four home runs this season, will need to produce in a lineup that has scored just 41 runs this season (no team has scored fewer runs).
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: White Sox vs. Royals
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: Kauffman Stadium
City: Kansas City, MO
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, CSNA, Royals.TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: White Sox vs. Royals
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: White Sox (+153), Royals (-186)
Spread: White Sox +1.5 (-131) / Royals -1.5 (+109)
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: White Sox vs. Royals
Pitching matchup for April 9:
White Sox: Anthony Kay Season Totals: 9.0 IP, 0-0, 4.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 5K, 6 BB
Rookie Carter Jensen is 5-14 over his last 4 games
Munetaka Murakami is hitting only .205 but has smacked 4 HRs
Bobby Witt Jr. is 5-15 over his last 4 games
Luisangel Acuna is 7-24 (.292) in April
Andrew Benintendi is 3-20 (.150) in April
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: White Sox vs. Royals
The White Sox are 5-7 on the Run Line this season
The Royals are also 5-7 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed just 4 times in the Royals’ 12 games this season (4-8)
The OVER has cashed 8 times in Chicago’s 12 games (8-4)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: White Sox vs. Royals
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday’s game between the White Sox and the Royals:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Royals on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total UNDER 9.0.
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ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 07: Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler (12) swings a punch at Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (40) on the mound as home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso trails the play during the MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels on April 7, 2026 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
I think this series is our clearest evidence yet that 2026 should be a better year for the Atlanta Braves than 2025 was. Sure, it’s still very early and 13 games is only a small drop in the bucket of a full 162-game season but the Braves have already just gotten done doing something that they failed to do all last season: Win more than one (1) game in the state of California.
Indeed, the Braves are now back in Atlanta after pulling off a series win in California in order to up their record in the Golden State to 2-1. For reference’s sake, they went 1-12 in every game they played in that state last season. Already, things are looking up for this ballclubs and it’s not just the fact that they got this particular monkey off of their collective backs. There’s a lot to talk about from what was a wild (but successful) series in Anaheim against the Angels. Let’s get into it!
This game essentially came down to two bad innings from Chris Sale — two uncharacteristically bad innings, at that. The bottom of the fourth felt like one of those typical implosions that seems to happen with alarming regularity in the state of California for the Braves, no matter who’s pitching or playing. It started with Sale hitting our old friend Jorge Soler with a pitch and that was the start of five of the first six Angels batters in that frame reaching base safely. Despite the fact that only one of those was a hit that made it into the outfield, Sale managed to give up three runs in the process. Two singles, two walks and two hit-by-pitches was the method by which the Angels did their damage. He did strike out seven batters though, so there’s that.
The Braves were unable to respond in the next frame as Jose Soriano continued to absolutely mow down Braves hitters for what would turn into an excellent eight-inning performance from the Angels hurler. The Angels then rudely welcomed Sale back to the mound with a Jorge Soler single and then a two-run dinger from Jo Adell. That was the end of the night for Sale and essentially the end of the contest for the Braves as they were unable to muster up anything outside of a first-inning solo homer from Drake Baldwin and a ninth-inning solo shot from Mauricio Dubón.
Even when the Braves win one in California, it’s anything but normal. Jorge Soler continued to be a thorn in Atlanta’s side as he hit a two-run shot in the first inning that put the Angels ahead and it would’ve been understandable to think that this would be the start of another long and late night out West for the Braves. The good news is that this time, the Braves got up off of the mat and came back swinging. Eli White doubled in the first run of the night for the Braves in the second inning and then Atlanta took the lead in the fourth inning after rallying to score three more runs. Austin Riley tied the game up with an RBI single, which was lovely to se considering how much he has struggled to start this season
Funnily enough, there weren’t too many post-fight fireworks from both teams and things actually calmed down a bit. Atlanta’s bullpen did a very good job of covering the final four innings of this one after López got ejected, which meant that the runs scored by the Braves later on in the game weren’t sorely needed but were there purely as insurance. A solo homer from Ozzie Albies in the eighth gave Atlanta some real breathing room at 5-2 and then RBIs from Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson in the ninth inning allowed the Braves to pull away in order to make sure that this truculent ballgame ended in victorious fashion for Atlanta.
If you had told me that Grant Holmes would’ve gotten nearly seven full innings deep into this game after how the second inning went, first I’d be confused about you being a time traveler and using that power to inform me about a baseball game but then I’d be shocked at the result of said baseball game. Indeed, Grant Holmes looked like he was going to have a Sale-like implosion in the second inning of this one but he somehow got out of it by “only” giving up two runs. Those two runs would be all he’d surrender for the rest of his outing, as he quickly regained his composure and clamped down on the Angels from that point forward.
While that was going on, Atlanta’s lineup proved to be a bit much for Reid Detmers and the rest of the Angels pitching staff to deal with on the day. Austin Riley came to life in this one with a hit and two walks and each time he reached base, he scored. Riley even legged out a double in extremely cool fashion (with a swim move at second to finish it) as he looked as dynamic and threatening as he had since Opening Day. Ronald Acuña Jr. picked up a couple of good-luck hits in this one as well, so hopefully this’ll be the start of these two really getting going.
Ultimately, the Braves ended up cruising to victory in this one as Holmes settled down and went deep. Joel Payamps was able to make sure that Holmes’ line stayed looking good once he exited and then Jose Suarez delivered a nice performance over two innings as well. The series win marked Atlanta’s first series victory in California since 2024, which is when they downed this same Angels team over the course of three games in mid-August back then.
Is the California Curse over and limited to just 2025? They still have to go visit their National League foes in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco but for now, this was a huge relief to see the Braves pick up a series win in Anaheim and it was even better to see this team continue to avoid dropping any series so far. They’ve now either won or split each of the series that they’ve played here early on and you don’t need me to tell you that winning every series is a surefire way to rack up some wins across the long haul of a regular season.
A winning road trip in general is a lovely way for the Braves to return home. While they could’ve gotten more from the series in Arizona, taking two-out-of-three against a tricky Angels squad was the perfect way to make sure that this was a productive road trip. While Chris Sale’s performance was disappointing, even the staff ace is entitled to having a bad day now and then. It also helped that Reynaldo López was effective before he joined Fight Club (and they even got some best-case scenario news when it came to his inevitable suspension) and Grant Holmes came up big as well. The offense was also consistent over the course of these three games and hopefully this will get some of the stars like Acuña and Riley going as well.
Meanwhile, things won’t get a lot easier for the Braves once they return home to wear their clean new City Connect uniforms. The Cleveland Guardians won their series over the Kansas City Royals, so we’ll have two 8-5 teams doing baseball battle once the Braves get back in action on Friday night. That’ll certainly be a test for the bottom portion of this Braves rotation and another test to se if this lineup can continue getting it done. For now, they’ll be full of confidence following a productive road trip with a lot of positives to take home with them.
