May 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Texas Rangers assistant pitching coach Dave Bush (89) looks on in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Good morning.
Shawn McFarland writes that poor defense was the main culprit for the Texas Rangers dropping the series opener against the Colorado Rockies.
McFarland writes that Josh Jung in particular felt responsible for the defeat to Colorado after Jung’s error led to two runs scoring in a one-run loss.
Kennedi Landry writes that the game felt adverse from the start as Texas lost MacKenzie Gore to a muscle ailment after just one inning in the chilly conditions.
McFarland notes that Gore didn’t seem to think his injury was serious but the lefty will surely require more monitoring.
In addition to whatever the heck happened to Gore, Landry notes that Corey Seager finally landed on the IL proper yesterday after already missing several games with a back issue.
And, Matt Snyder has a power rankings for CBS sports but it’s mostly about how teams leaguewide have been bad and/or disappointing in what has been a very unusual season thus far.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 18: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves stands on the field after coming off of the IL before the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on May 18, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s funny that it happened yesterday for two reasons, at least to me.
First, in the recap thread for Sunday’s game, there was a brief exchange about non-competitive games. Using a couple of different methodologies, True2Atlanta and I noted that there have only been four-ish games where the Braves weren’t competitive. I did a method that used average leverage throughout the game, and found that about 40 percent of games this season have been below-average in competitiveness basically all the way through, but 80 percent of those were Braves wins/dominations.
Second, Sunday’s game was the first time this season I missed a few innings. I did it “deliberately,” in the sense that the Braves had a big lead and I surmised I wouldn’t miss anything at all if I went to deal with “you’ve recently been in a car wreck” stuff. Yesterday’s game, well… there wasn’t really any reason to watch the horror show descend on Bummer and company.
Anyway, was last night rock bottom in terms of single-game dismantling of the Braves, or are we somehow going to be in for even worse somewhere in the 100ish remaining games of the season?
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 16: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with teammates in the dugout after pitching a complete game in a 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates during the game at PNC Park on May 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s getting harder and harder to argue against the belief that Cristopher Sánchez is one of the best pitchers in baseball. The Phillies ace lefty turned in one of the most dominant outings of the season so far in his last start, a complete game shutout with 13 strikeouts on 108 pitches. That dazzling performance lowered Sánchez’ season ERA to 1.82 which led the National League on Monday morning and was the fourth best in all of baseball.
It’s funny to think now how disliked the trade that brought Sánchez to the Phillies was at the time it was made. As you’re probably well aware of by now, the Phillies traded a then top 100 prospect in Curtis Mead for Sánchez who, at the time, was deemed not worthy of the Tampa Bay Rays 40-man roster. Many evaluators believed that Sánchez’ ceiling was that of either a reliever or AAAA-type starter who would be destined to bounce back and forth from the Major and minor leagues.
Sánchez deserves the lion’s share of the credit for his transformation from a fringe of the roster body into one of the best pitchers in baseball. He put in the work to improve himself physically and mentally to achieve a ceiling many thought not possible. But the Phillies deserve some credit too, as they helped him along in his journey and were able to successfully develop a homegrown ace.
That brings us to our question of the day: Who is the Phillies’ biggest player development win? Sánchez may be the favorite, but the last winning core in Philadelphia also had some players that exceeded expectations. Ryan Howard of course was a fifth-round pick that turned into one of the most feared hitters across the league, but he was considered a first-round talent in some circles. Carlos Ruiz was never even close to a highly touted prospect, but under the Phillies tutelage he turned into a mainstay at catcher for a championship team while also guiding one of the best rotations in baseball history.
Who are some other huge development wins in Phillies history? Is Sánchez the biggest? What about Howard and Ruiz?
Shōta Imanaga has been so good this year that I think all of us hoped he had turned the page on 2025 and would have a 2024-type season all year.
Until Monday, that was the case. Unfortunately, Imanaga got hit hard and had his worst start of the year (and to be honest, he had a couple of clunkers like this in ‘24, too), and the Cubs’ 15-game home winning streak ended ith a 9-3 defeat at the hands of the Brewers.
Christian Yelich homered in the second to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead. Now, the wind was blowing out at 15 miles per hour on a warm evening at Wrigley Field, but that one didn’t need any help — it bounced off the right-field video board and measured 409 feet.
The Brewers put four on the board in the fourth and honestly, with a bit of luck Imanaga could have gotten out of that inning scoreless. Milwaukee had five hits in the inning, but the only one hit hard was a two-run double by Sal Frelick. A couple of seeing-eye singles and one that Nico Hoerner couldn’t get an out on produced most of the damage that gave the Brewers a 5-0 lead.
The Cubs couldn’t do anything with Brandon Sproat over the first four innings, even though the first two Cubs hitters of the game, Hoerner and Michael Busch, drew walks. About that, from BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs failed to score in the first inning after their first two batters walked.
In their last six games that had begun that way, from April 9, 2022 through July 18, 2025, the Cubs had scored three, six, five, six, five and three runs. They had won five of the games, only lost the next-to-last at home vs. the Padres, 8-7, on April 6 of last year.
The last time they did not score was on May 4, 2021, but they beat the Dodgers at home, 4-3.
So, not scoring in that situation is not only unusual, but the Cubs had generally won games like that in recent years. Not this time, though.
Imanaga was finally removed after serving up a three-run homer to Jake Bauers in the fifth. From John:
The eight runs off Imanaga tie for the second most he has surrendered in his 64 career starts.
He gave up 10 to the Mets in 3.0 innings on June 21, 2024, and eight to the Mets on Sept. 25 in 5.2 innings of last year. Both games were at home.
This was the eighth start in which he gave up at least five runs. His ERA this year was 2.32 going into Monday. Now it is 3.38.
I remember that 2024 game well. If it’s any consolation, in his first five starts after that game, Imanaga posted a 2.93 ERA and threw well most of the rest of 2024.
The Cubs did make an attempt to get back in the game. Carson Kelly’s single leading off the fifth erased any thoughts of a no-hit bid by Sproat. After Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out, Dansby Swanson deposited a baseball on Waveland [VIDEO].
And in case you were wondering where that ball wound up:
Dansby Swanson clears the left field bleachers onto Waveland Avenue for his 7th home run of the season. Cubs still down vs Brewers at Wrigley Field. 4th Street home run in 2026 !!#gocubsgo#ballhawk#chicagocubspic.twitter.com/eYToKbKDkN
Well. Now it’s 8-3 and there’s only one out, another couple of hits and the Cubs are back in the game. Unfortunately, Alex Bregman grounded out and Ian Happ was called out on strikes to end the inning.
The Brewers made it 9-3 off Ethan Roberts in the sixth, the first run Roberts has allowed all year.
Blach did exactly the job the Cubs put him on the roster for — to eat up some innings and save the rest of the bullpen. He’s 35 and not likely going to be around for long, but that was a nice effort for the evening.
The Cubs did have some baserunners after the three-run seventh, but nothing doing, and overall the team was 0-for-9 with RISP. You know that’s been an issue much of the year, so I won’t belabor it, especially in a 9-3 blowout.
I agree with Counsell about Imanaga’s command being the issue. Hopefully this is something that can be addressed quickly and he can turn it around in his next start.
One last note on this game from John:
This was the Cubs’ 100th regular-season game at home vs. the Brewers in which they allowed at least five runs. They are 28-72 in those games.
When they have given up no more than four runs, the Cubs are 91-39 — .700.
The Cubs are 74-21, .779, when they have scored at least five vs. the Brewers at Wrigley, and 45-89, .336, with four or fewer.
The Cubs’ lead in the NL Central over the Brewers dropped to half a game with this loss (and Milwaukee is one game ahead in the loss column). And this series is not going to get any easier with Jacob Misiorowski on the mound for Milwaukee Tuesday evening. Ben Brown will get the start for the Cubs and he’s been really good in his two starts so far this year. Game time is again 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Jett Williams is pictured before playing a spring training game on March 12, 2026. | Curt Hogg / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.
Triple-A Nashville Sounds (26-19)
Opponent this week: Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
Record this week: 6-0
Standout performances:
Luis Lara (No. 5): 9-for-20, 3 RBI, 8 BB, 5 K Cooper Pratt (No. 4): 8-for-20, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K Jett Williams (No. 3): 6-for-16, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K Garrett Stallings: 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Tyson Hardin (No. 17): 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Tyson Hardin’s name appearing here isn’t an error on my part — he was promoted to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday. Hardin had been struggling in Double-A, especially compared to his breakout season last year, pitching to a 7.29 ERA over seven starts with the Shuckers. However, his first start with the Sounds was a massive improvement, as Hardin went seven innings while allowing just one earned run against the Iowa Cubs.
Garrett Stallings, Kaleb Bowman, and Thomas Pannone (remember him?), all had scoreless weeks. Robert Gasser, who made his season debut with the Brewers on Sunday, went four innings, allowing one earned run and striking out seven.
Infield prospects Cooper Pratt (.400) and Jett Williams (.375) each had a pair of home runs. After this week, Pratt’s OPS is now up to .745. He’ll have good stretches and bad stretches as the bat continues to develop, but it’s nice to see him raking after a somewhat rough couple of weeks.
Cooper Pratt CRUSHES his third dinger of the year 💣
The @BrewersPD No. 3 prospect sends out a 401-foot homer at 101.1 mph off the bat for the Triple-A @nashvillesounds.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 16, 2026
Luis Lara continues to do Luis Lara things, reaching base in 17 of 28 plate appearances. Enough said. His breakout is for real; the question is whether or not there’s a spot for him this year. As Pat Murphy has said, Lara will need to play regularly when he comes up, and with Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich back, there’s less room in the lineup than there was a month ago.
Brock Wilken had another down week, bringing his average down to .174 on the season. He struggled to hit for average last year in Double-A, but he was consistently hitting home runs. Those have been hard to come by in Triple-A, as he has just two all season. Jeferson Quero also had an off-week (4-for-21), although he homered and only struck out twice.
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 17, 2026
Next week’s opponent: @ Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays)
Double-A Biloxi Shuckers (17-21)
Opponent this week: Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)
Record this week: 3-3
Standout performances:
Mark Coley II: 6-for-16, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K Mike Boeve: 9-for-25, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K Mark Manfredi Sr.: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Manuel Rodriguez: 5IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Tanner Gillis: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Brett Wichrowski: 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Mike Boeve (.360) and Mark Coley II (.375) were the only Shuckers to hit above .300 this week. Boeve, ranked a top 10 organizational prospect at the start of last season, is quietly heating up — slashing .294/.368/.471 (.839 OPS) in 85 at-bats over the last month. The only Shucker with a higher OPS in as many at-bats is outfielder Damon Keith, who has the second-best OPS (.954) and the best batting average (.305) on the team.
Coley II, signed as a minor league free agent after the Marlins cut him in April, is a new name in the roundup — mostly because he hasn’t done much all year. He had just five hits entering the week, and even after this week, he’s still hitting 11-for-52 (.212) with an OPS under .600. With that being said, his profile is one the Brewers tend to like, so he’s worth keeping an eye on. Coley is a speedster (64-for-75 in steals for his career) who hit .253 over 249 at-bats with the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate last year.
The new No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, Jesús Made, had another bad batting average week (5-for-24), although he did notch his first multi-homer game as a member of the Brewers organization. Dylan O’Rae (5-for-21), Blake Burke (6-for-25), and Keith (5-for-25) all cooled off this week as well.
JESÚS MADE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR!!
That's 807 feet worth of home runs today for Made!
Manuel Rodriguez, Tanner Gillis, and Brett Wichrowski all showed up in their starts this week. Jaron DeBerry gave up six earned runs over 12 innings, but struck out 18 batters and issued just three walks.
Next week’s opponent: vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)
High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (20-16)
Opponent this week: South Bend Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
Record this week: 1-4
Standout performances:
Josh Adamczewski (No. 10): 8-for-15, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Braylon Payne (No. 12): 7-for-17, 3 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K Daniel Dickinson (No. 28): 4-for-14, 1 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K Braylon Owens: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Garrett Hodges: 4 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K J.D. Thompson (No. 14): 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Josh Adamczewski hit over .500 on the week and has a 1.038 OPS this season. Nothing out of the ordinary for a guy with one of the prettiest swings in the organization. Hopefully, we’ll get to see him in Double-A this summer.
Braylon Payne hit .412 with a couple of homers. One of them went *checks notes* 460 feet into the right-field bleachers. He’s now up to eight home runs on the season, behind only Andrew Fischer (10).
Speaking of Fischer (No. 6), he’s the reason Payne didn’t even have the longest homer on the Timber Rattlers this week. Fischer only had one hit this week, a 477-foot nuke of a home run. For what it’s worth, he struck out six times in 14 at-bats — at this point, there’s enough of a sample size to where the strikeouts are more than a little concerning. Still, this is his first full season as a member of the organization, and I have confidence that a guy who had a 14.6% strikeout rate in his final season in college will be able to work out the kinks.
Andrew Fischer just crushed one
108.2 MPH, 477 ft
FWIW, I’m with Chris Mehring on not quite buying that that ball went 477 feet but it was certainly a bomb either way. pic.twitter.com/il93bT7P4T
Other than Adamczewski and Payne, Daniel Dickinson was the only Timber Rattler to hit over .200 this week (min. 10 at-bats). He hasn’t had a great start to the season (.206 batting average, .574 OPS), so hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
Playing time for Dickinson may be slightly harder to come by in the weeks to follow because No. 2 prospect Luis Peña should be back soon. Peña has officially been cleared to play after missing nearly a month due to a scary incident in a game last month. Per Curt Hogg, he is scheduled to join the Arizona Complex League Brewers sometime this week.
It was a rough week for Wisconsin’s pitching staff, which allowed 74 runs in just five games this week, including 24-plus runs in two separate games this week (yes, you read that right). The Timber Rattlers allowed nine runs or more in all four of their losses, winning 11-6 in their fifth game. One of the bright spots on the pitching staff was 2025 10th-rounder Braylon Owens (3.45 ERA in seven appearances), who put together another solid outing. His ERA leads all Timber Rattlers pitchers this season.
Former second-rounder J.D. Thompson also pitched well after getting lit up for four runs over two innings in his last outing. One really can’t put too much stock in Thompson’s ERA (6.00) given that he’s only pitched nine innings this year, and the underlying stats actually look really good. He hasn’t allowed more than two hits or walks in any outing this year and is striking out more than a batter per inning. Keep an eye on him as he starts to get comfortable in High-A.
Next week’s opponent: @ Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Single-A Wilson Warbirds (19-19)
Opponent this week: Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians)
Record this week: 4-2
Standout performances:
Pedro Ibarguen: 5-for-11, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K Brady Ebel (No. 13): 7-for-21, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K Jose Meneses: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Enderson Mercado: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Brady Ebel bounced back this week, leading the Warbirds in hits with seven. Nineteen-year-old Pedro Ibarguen, someone I said to keep an eye on a few weeks ago, is now hitting .353/.433/.510 over the last month in his first full season in Single-A. He’s been with the organization since 2023, when he was signed as an international free agent, but is still super young and looks to be developing into a productive player in Wilson.
Another position player who I haven’t given much love to this year is outfielder Jose Anderson, also 19, who hit another home run this week to bring his season total to eight. Anderson is hitting just .172 with a .276 OBP, but he leads the Warbirds in home runs and is tied for second with seven doubles. He needs just three more home runs to tie his career high, set last year in over 200 more plate appearances.
Wilson’s hitting stats weren’t particularly gaudy, but a couple of pitchers put together great weeks. Jose Meneses made two scoreless appearances, allowing six hits but striking out five over 5 2/3 innings. Meneses, a 21-year-old lefty, now has a 1.80 ERA through 20 innings. Enderson Mercado went six innings while allowing four hits and a lone earned run. Jarrett Bonet, named the organization’s Pitcher of the Month in April, allowed four earned runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight.
Next week’s opponent: vs. Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)
Player of the Week
Jett Williams, who had a 1.628 OPS this week and a .981 OPS — with five home runs — over the last month. If the Brewers decide they want more offense out of the left side of the infield than Luis Rengifo, Joey Ortiz, and David Hamilton are currently providing, the versatile Williams figures to be the next man up. He probably wouldn’t be the everyday shortstop, but a super-utility role — one that gets his bat in the lineup more often than not — isn’t out of the question. Even if he doesn’t reach the majors until later this season, it’s encouraging to see the Brewers’ No. 3 prospect heating up after a slow start.
May 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) celebrates with designated hitter Mickey Gasper (30) after hitting a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Throughout their history, the Boston Red Sox have notoriously done damage at the plate.
It’s pretty difficult to find an era in which they didn’t have mashers — or at least long, sustained periods where they ranked among the best in baseball at putting runs on the board.
Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr were the standard bearers in the 1940s and 1950s. Carl Yastrzemski then showed up in 1961, ushering in an era that included the likes of Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, and Carlton Fisk. Dwight Evans and Wade Boggs knocked the cover off the ball throughout the 1980s. (I don’t want to talk about the early 1990s, because that doesn’t fit my agenda.) Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers are just a few of the names who have led the charge for top-five offenses since the turn of the century.
It’s tradition — though that seems to have been lost this season…
The Red Sox seem to have forgotten what they’re supposed to be, as they ranked 29th in OPS (.666) and HR (33), 27th in total bases (546), and 22nd in batting average (.235) entering this week’s series against the Kansas City Royals.
EW!
I don’t need to get into all of the things that got them to this point, but a mix of stupid personnel decisions (Durbin, Caleb), regressing veterans (Duran, Jarren; Story, Trevor), injured youngsters (Anthony, Roman) and an entirely new coaching staff full of dweebs who have never played the sport in their lives are probably a good place to start the conversation — but where does it end?
I’d be extremely surprised if we see any meaningful moves made to get this group back on track before it’s too late, nor do I expect many of the names listed above to just turn things around. I just think they’re going to start playing a brand of baseball that works for them.
If that means playing like the Tampa Bay Rays, they’re going to play like the Tampa Bay Rays!
Boston’s pitching staff could be one of the three or four best in baseball, with the starting rotation giving you a quality start in seven of the last nine games. The Red Sox haven’t been able to consistently turn those performances into wins however, so there has been an emphasis on getting guys into the lineup who can actually put the ball in play and attempt to manufacture runs.
Mickey Gasper has started seven of the last nine games. Nick Sogard was called up and immediately inserted into an every day role. Andruw Monasterio is getting regular at-bats with the injury to Story. Connor Wong is playing a bit more.
It’s not sexy, but at least they aren’t swinging through everything and routinely posting uncompetitive innings.
Wong, Sogard, and Duran combined for an instance of small ball in Monday’s victory at Kauffman Stadium, with the former lacing a double down the line, moving over to third base on a bunt single, and scoring on a sacrifice fly — scoring an insurance run that gave them some breathing room in a 3-1 win over Kansas City.
It’s insane that those things get me excited, but that’s where we’re at!
Boston needs to continue playing that brand of baseball, which means more Sogard, Monasterio, Gasper, and whoever else is willing to actually give a shit.
Junior Caminero would be helpful, too, but they can’t actually be those guys…
May 17, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher David Bednar (53) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Let’s dial back to Sunday. With the caveat that I’m surprised Sean Manaea is still on an MLB roster, Aaron Boone hit all the right buttons. Pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt gets dotted to load the bases with one out, Max Schuemann comes into run for him. Anthony Volpe has his big two-run single, and Boone goes to his bench one more time, eschewing J.C. Escarra in favor of Amed Rosario. Rosario gets a ball in the air, Schuemann scampers home, and the Yankees have their third run of the frame. Not a bad bit of managing from Aaron Boone, and more importantly, highlights this reported sense of “urgency” the team seems to be running with.
From in-game snap decisions to broader choices like optioning Volpe to Triple-A, cutting Randal Grichuk, sending down Luis Gil, this does feel like a Yankee team that’s less interested in waiting out the first half of the season than most years. Of course the great irony is that while Boone made all those good moves in the top of the sixth, the Yankees actually lost that game because the bullpen collectively allowed six runs across five remaining innings.
And that’s the circle that we’re here to square today. The Yankees have some very obvious holes. It starts with the bullpen, where the team hovers around the median of baseball and can creep into the top ten depending on what metric you want to use. However, when we pair the relative weakness of the bullpen with the inconsistency of the offense — holes at catcher, third base, and a newly-discovered lack of depth in the outfield — and you start to get a picture of a team that can’t hit its way out of trouble.
I know people don’t like to hear this, but it is still early. I don’t think anyone should be doing serious roster analysis until a team has played 50 games, but I’m writing this a couple of hours before Game 48 with the Blue Jays kicks off. It’s early, but it’s starting to get not early. The trade market hasn’t quite kicked off yet, but one wonders just how far the Yankees are going to take this supposed sense of urgency. The club seems to perennially trade for relief pitchers that on paper improve the club, even if the 2025 version of that plan leaves some things to be desired.
Neither Escarra nor Austin Wells seems particularly interested in hitting a baseball, or are perhaps even aware there is a baseball to hit, and a change in the backup catcher slot seems inevitable. Ryan Jeffers’ 166 wRC+ will not hold up over a full season, but in a contract year for a pretty tough Twins team, he might be the type of target these oh-so-ruthless Yankees need to slightly overpay for.
Improving the outfield depends on how confident you can be in Jasson Domínguez’s return, and how he’ll hit upon returning. Spencer Jones, in at least his first taste of MLB action, doesn’t seem to have it, and while I’m going to be a little skeptical Domínguez has it long term, at least he’s shown more flashes than Jones has. That the Martian avoided a concussion while colliding with the wall should make us all optimistic, but outfield support could still be needed.
I know there are a lot of people who will probably stop reading the moment I type this, but this is a good baseball team. More than that, the club is combining yet another, improbable, year of Aaron Judge’s prime with performances by Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice that we may never see again. You can’t bank on a 1.35 ERA in perpetuity, even if Cam continues to soar across 2026 every reasonable bettor in the world would hedge on him being worse next year. The Yankees have wasted potential seasons of destiny before — the nice thing this year is you know exactly where the holes are. Want to prove you’re feeling the urgency? Fill them.
May 18, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run during the twelfth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets won an absolute insane baseball game, becoming the first team since 1983 to score double digit runs in extra innings as they prevailed 16-7 over the Nationals in twelve innings. It was the club’s third straight victory and their sixth win in their last seven games.
The Mets brought up Daniel Duarte and optioned Joey Gerber to Triple-A. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Mets transferred A.J. Minter to the 60-day IL.
Will Sammon shared the story of Joe Raccuia, the scout who discovered A.J. Ewing. Raccuia is recovering from a stroke and the loss of his son, but has found solace in watching Ewing’s rise to the majors.
Bo Bichette discussed his slow start and how he’s trying to get back to being the player the Mets signed.
Jorge Polanco has begun the strengthening phase of his road back to the majors, with the hope being that he could begin a rehab assignment in a week or so.
Kodai Senga tossed 46 pitches during a Sunday bullpen session as he tries to work his way back from injury.
Jared Young will move his rehab to Triple-A as aims to return from his injury.
Dave Kerpen, CEO of Kerpen Ventures, talked about how being a Mets fan, moreso than exiting companies or getting an MBA, was the best training to becoming a founder.
Around the National League East
The Braves activated Ronald Acuña Jr. from the injured list and played Kyle Farmer on the 10-day IL.
The Phillies scored two in the eighth to top the Reds 5-4.
The Marlins cooled off the red-hot Braves, shutting them out 12-0.
Around Major League Baseball
Gerrit Cole could make his next start in the majors after touching close to 100 mph in his latest rehab start.
Tarik Skubal was encouraged by his latest symptom-free rehab start.
Roman Anthony of the Red Sox has hit a snag in his rehab and has hit pause as he tries to work his way back.
Pete Crow-Armstrong expressed regret at his ‘choice of words’ with a White Sox fan in a recent exchange.
An Astros fan who did not interfere with Brandon Nimmo stealing back a home run was rewarded with a signed ball and a nice message from the ex-Mets outfielder.
The Padres blanked the Dodgers 1-0. Mason Miller showed his human side but still recovered to shut down L.A.
The Diamondbacks toppled the Giants 12-3.
The Mariners easily handled the White Sox 6-1. In the win, Colt Emerson hit his first major league home run, and after missing his debut, his family did not miss this feat.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Seth Ashby looked at what might be wrong with Bo Bichette.
Chris McShane previewed the team’s series against the Nationals.
The Mets are designating outfielder Austin Slater for assignment, with his replacement on the active roster being outfield prospect Nick Morabito.
In addition moves, the Mets selected left-handed pitcher Anderson Severino to the major league roster before optioning him to Triple-A Syracuse, and transferred Clay Holmes to the 60-day IL.
Morabito, 23, is hitting .253/.364/.390 with four homers, six doubles, one triple, and 14 stolen bases in 41 games for Syracuse this season in what is his first taste at the level.
He spoke to reporters before Tuesday's game against the Washington Nationals, a team he grew up rooting for, and said he got the call "pretty late" on Monday night that he was getting called up and said the last 12 hours have been "kind of hectic."
"Just do my best out there and be the [best] player I can be," Morabito said of the Mets' expectations of him. "Go out there and have fun and just try and help this team win."
Morabito has been a weapon against left-handed pitchers this year, posting a .936 OPS (his OPS against righties is .702).
In five minor league seasons in New York's system, Morabito has a .769 OPS.
Morabito has played primarily center field this season, but has also gotten starts in right field and left field. He'll make his MLB debut on Tuesday in left field while batting seventh in the lineup.
"It’s very special," he said of his debut. "I grew up coming to this park so it’s a pretty surreal moment for me, just to be here and it’s very special."
The youngster added that he'll have a good amount of family and friends at the ballpark.
Meanwhile, Slater, 33, struggled in limited opportunities with New York this season. Often getting chances against left-handed pitching, the right-handed hitter slashed .250/.286/.300 with one double in 21 plate appearances across nine games.
He had been signed by the Mets earlier this season after being DFA'd by the Marlins.
May 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Masataka Yoshida (7) at bat against the Kansas City Royals during the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Last night in the Red Sox 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals, Masataka Yoshida hit a triple and threw out a runner at the plate. When I think about Masataka Yoshida, hitting triples and throwing runners out at the plate aren’t things that come to mind. In fact, it was his first of each statistic since 2023.
What are some other uncharacteristic games that come to mind? Did Mo Vaughn ever steal two bags in a game or something? I’m young(ish), educate me! Talk about what you want and be good to one another. Go Sox.
May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting Blake Snell (7) warms up prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
A potential example of the shorter timeline is Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who had surgery on May 6. Skubal’s surgery was also performed by Dr. ElAttrache, who used a smaller NanoNeedle during the procedure. Cody Stavenhagen wrote about the procedure at The Athletic:
In the room with Skubal, ElAttrache explained how the smaller scope could change the procedure. There would be a smaller incision, almost like a poke for an IV. Where a larger arthroscope has to push through layers of tissue, sometimes causing more bleeding, scarring and inflammation, the NanoNeedle could more easily glide to the location. The surgery would require pumping an estimated 65 percent less fluid to insufflate the joint.
Skubal threw his first bullpen session for the Tigers on Monday, just 12 days after the surgery.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes spoke with reporters about Snell and other topics on Monday in San Diego, per Sonja Chen at MLB.com:
“Hopefully, it’s the shorter timeline,” Gomes said. “That’s the hope and expectation right now. Obviously we don’t know 100% until they’re in there, but that’s what we’re expecting.”
Gomes also talked about newcomer Eric Lauer, who was acquired on Sunday and will be activated during this series in San Diego. Lauer will likely pitch in relief this week before slotting into the six-man rotation next week at some point, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
Justin Turner through the weekend was hitting .314/.424/.543 in 21 games for the Tijuana Toros in the Mexican League, where he’s managed by Roberto Kelly, another former Dodger. The 41-year-old Turner talked with Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:
“I love playing,” he said. “I love competing. As long as I feel I’m serviceable and not just here for entertainment purposes, I’m going to keep doing it.”
The thing about rivals is that they are necessary. They are the result of multiple teams from the same division going after the exact same piece of glory and hardware. You’re probably not going to get to where you want to go without a rival pushing you to find your absolute peak. That’s what shows you where the ceiling is. That’s how you get to where you want to be.
SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 20: Ethan Anderson and Joseph Dzierwa of the Baltimore Orioles celebrate after the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Vincent Mizzoni/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The promotions have begun. If you were waiting to go see this year’s possible breakout pitching prospect Joseph Dzierwa in Frederick, tough luck, because he’s headed to Double-A. You’ll have to find him now in Bowie, where the team that once called itself Bowie and now calls itself Chesapeake plays its home games. We can hope this is the start of a summer full of prospects playing so well that they practically have to be promoted. Dzierwa may just be the first to go from Frederick to Chesapeake within this season.
These weekly updates focus on the team’s top prospects, particularly those on Camden Chat’s composite top 20 Orioles prospect list from before the season. They also include other guys who interest me who might develop into prospects over time. I do not tend to spend much time on non-prospect journeymen, though one never knows who might turn into the next Jeremiah Jackson. Or even, over the long haul, whether someone turning into Jackson is worth all that much to the franchise.
Here’s how things went this week:
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week: 3-3 at Charlotte (White Sox)
Coming week: at Jacksonville (Marlins)
Season record: 18-27, last place (9 GB) in International League East
Norfolk has been simultaneously playing host to the rehab assignments of Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad. The infielder may finally be settling back in to a good groove on this latest assignment; though he had 4-17 hitting, that included a triple and a homer, plus three walks, so it was a good OPS. Kjerstad, on the other hand, had 6-22 batting, with only one double, and no walks, so at .591 his OPS looks much worse.
Tougher to find real prospects in this lineup, particularly with Enrique Bradfield not having played since April 21. One other outfielder made his way back from the IL over this week. That’s Reed Trimble, who is on the 40-man roster right now. Trimble was back for two games and that was enough time for him to hit two home runs. Offseason acquisition Payton Eeles batted 15 times across five games, picking up five hits and five walks. Eeles is now sitting at a .327/.465/.364 line for the season. Gotta like the OBP, even if you also gotta be skeptical he’ll do anything like that at the next level when hitting for so little power.
More interesting are Norfolk’s pitching prospects, or at least they would be if they were pitching well. The trio of Nestor German, Trey Gibson, and Levi Wells each pitched four innings this week. Of these, only Gibson’s approximated something like acceptable, as he gave up one run on three hits and four walks. The others were much worse.
Others of interest
C/1B Creed Willems – Not a great week for Creed, 5-19 with no walks, but he’s still OPSing .842 in 37 games.
Season record: 15-23, fifth place (13 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
Not a good week for the Baysox as a team, but it was a good week for my guy Aron Estrada, so I’m going to tell you about him first. Eight hits in 19 AB, plus a couple of walks and a couple of stolen bases. These were his first two steals of the year. He’s got a .672 OPS after that hitting, so, I’d like to see more hot weeks. Mostly light-hitting infielder Griff O’Ferrall got in on the party as well, batting 6-19 with a pair of doubles, five walks, and three stolen bases. Don’t look at his season batting average. Dang it, I told you not to look.
It was mostly the offense that dragged the Baysox down this week, as they lost four games where they scored 3, 3, 2, and 1 runs apiece. Among pitching prospects worth following, things were mixed, with some decent things if you look only at the earned runs column. My honorary hyphenated cousin Juaron Watts-Brown tossed four scoreless, though he did walk four batters. Lefty pitching prospect Luis De León also had a zero in the ER column, though there were three unearned over a 3.1 inning start. This team has a 5.43 ERA. It’s not great.
Others of interest
OF Thomas Sosa – 5-21 hitting for the week included a double and a homer. Now a .666 OPS for the season, which is nothing to be superstitious about except that it’s way below a number where he’d be more exciting.
C/1B Ethan Anderson – Not one of his better weeks so far this season, batting 4-21, also with a double and a homer. Season OPS remains at .816 after 31 games.
Season record: 25-13, first place (0.5 games ahead) in South Atlantic League North
There is one affiliate in the Orioles system that has been playing good baseball, and one affiliate only. It is this one. The Keys are winners of seven games in a row and 12 of their last 13. That’s good stuff. They will have to do it going forward without Joseph Dzierwa, since he got the promotion – certainly a deserved one. Dzierwa allowed two runs over five innings in his start this week, picking up six strikeouts. That almost feels disappointing compared to some of his earlier games. Over eight games with the Keys, he had a 2.21 ERA and 0.811 WHIP.
Hopefully they don’t have to do it without Ike Irish; this wasn’t a good week for last year’s first round pick anyway, but also he was removed from the last game of the week after being hit by a pitch on the hand. That is the kind of luck the Orioles are having in 2026. Geez.
Fellow high 2026 draft pick Wehiwa Aloy did not add to his double-digit home run total this week. He still had an excellent week at the plate overall, with nine hits, including a pair of doubles, across 21 at-bats. Leading the way for Frederick on the week, though, was Braylin Tavera. Still just 21 years old, this outfield prospect hit three homers and stole four bases this week, raising his season OPS to .792. Heading in the right direction there.
Dzierwa wasn’t the only Keys pitcher worth following over this past week. Twine Palmer, the pitcher from last July’s Ramón Urías deal, threw another scoreless game, allowing two hits and two walks over four innings. Boston Bateman from the Padres trade also had a zero in the earned run column, though he managed to walk five batters and gave up one unearned run over 4.2 innings.
Others of interest
OF Vance Honeycutt – This week’s “How many times did Vance Honeycutt strike out?” answer is 11. Eleven times in 21 at-bats! I wanted that spring training stuff to mean something good for the future. It’s just not looking that way.
1B/DH Victor Figueroa – 6-22 hitting with nine runs driven in for the week. This big dude from the Padres trade last July is slugging .600 through 32 games. He’s 22, which is old to be a prospect at this level, but I’m keeping an eye on him anyway.
RHP Yeiber Cartaya – This 6’5” Venezuelan righty is 23, old to be a pitching prospect at this level, but he’s got an 11.3 K/9 and sub-1 WHIP and it’s possible there’s some late blooming going on here.
Season record: 14-25, last place (13 GB) in Carolina League North
It’s the 18- and 19-year-olds on this roster who are probably the ones worth watching; hopefully enough of them can actually do good things. For the youngest guy, outfielder Stiven Martinez (turns 19 in August), this was a good week, as he hit two home runs to give him three on the season. After 25 games in his first taste of a full-season affiliate, he’s hitting .242/.308/.411. A tougher week for another young guy, DJ Layton, who struck out 10 times in 20 AB.
The pitching prospect on this roster who came into the season with the most hype was Esteban Mejia. Like Keeler Morfe before him, I’m just not seeing it in the actual results so far. Mejia walked three guys in a 3.2 inning start where he gave up four earned runs, and has now walked 25 batters in 22.1 innings. No, really, that’s more walks than innings pitched. That takes some work.
Others of interest
LHP Caden Hunter – A sixth round pick from USC last year, Hunter is old for this level, so it’s only worth so much, but still: Two starts this week, just one hit and three walks allowed over 8.2 innings. 0.95 ERA and 0.842 WHIP for the season.
With the option to create polls in The Feed, we are able to once again proclaim a fan-voted minor league player of the week.
Last week, you voted Aloy to be the player of the week. No surprise! He hit five homers. Irish was the choice in the first poll the week before that. Maybe a player from somewhere other than Frederick will win this week? The choice is yours. Vote below:
Tuesday’s Scheduled Games
Norfolk: at Jacksonville, 7:05. Starter: TBD
Chesapeake: vs. Somerset, 6:35. Starter: TBD
Frederick: vs. Greenville, 6:00. Starter: JT Quinn
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 14: Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on May 14, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“It’s frustrating,” Bubic said. “I want to be available. A big goal of mine, I don’t set many numericals, but in terms of just being available, I wanted to make a full season of starts this year. And the goal is to keep this at a couple weeks, which we should. But yeah, it’s frustrating. I’m not gonna lie.”
This is the fourth straight season Bubic has been placed on the IL. He missed part of the 2023 and ‘24 seasons after having Tommy John surgery. A year ago, a strained left rotator cuff ended his season early.
If Bubic’s recovery goes the way he and the Royals expect it to, though, it will be a short stint on the IL before he slots back into the rotation.
“Very mild in nature,” Bubic said. “It’s not something I want to push, given my history and given the timing of the year. So for me, this is good news in a sense. I’ll talk to [Dr. Vincent Key] when he’s here later, but I expect this to be pretty minimal IL, just a few weeks, and we should be back. That’s the expectation in my head.”
Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep takes a look at Vinnie Pasquantino’s struggles.
There’s a lot to be said about Pasquantino, who launched 32 home runs, collected 113 RBI, hit .264, posted a 116 wRC+, and accumulated a 1.5 fWAR in 682 plate appearances last year, a career-high. The Royals agreed to a modest extension with him for the 2026-2027 seasons ($11.1 million), and it seemed like Pasquantino was going to continue to be a force in the Royals lineup this year.
Unfortunately, that’s been far from the case for Pasquantino.
In 189 plate appearances, Vinnie is hitting .201 with a .627 OPS. He also has five home runs, 18 runs scored, 22 RBI, and a wOBA of .278. When it comes to his Statcast percentiles, they haven’t been impressive, though he has been walking more (10.8%) than he did a season ago.
Jac Caglianone talks about recent lineup choices and how he’s sometimes not in them (video interview).
The Sports Business Journal named Kansas City as a top-10 sports city.
Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman takes a look at ESPN’s recent mock draft.
Kari Anderson at Yahoo Sports gives a little more detail on Blake Snell’s surgery. Max linked to a story yesterday on this topic; this story just expands it a bit.
Kyle Teel will remain out with a sprained LCL for a bit longer after suffering a setback in rehab.
The Mariners are promoting top prospect Colt Emerson to MLB.
DraftKings is closing its in-person sportsbook at Wrigley Field.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: A detailed view of the cap and Rawling baseball glove belonging to Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants sitting in the dugout in the bottom of the second inning of a major league baseball game at Oracle Park on April 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants continue their local road trip later today when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the meantime, I thought we’d take a moment to watch a video that the team’s social media crew put out last week on their YouTube channel.
In the video, Giants players answer some of the most frequently asked baseball questions. I’ll admit, I didn’t have the highest hopes upon beginning the video and seeing Harrison Bader reading his own name off the queue cards. But his first answer was an absolute lock, so I’ll let it pass.
Anyway, it’s not a long video but it’s pretty fun to see everyone’s answers. So grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy!
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin their three-game road series against the Diamondbacks tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees walks back to the dugout after being relieved in the seventh inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, May 15, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees’ 2-7 road trip left a sour taste in all our mouths, the club following up a stellar stretch of play with a frustrating week and a half that saw a number of bullpen blowups and close losses. New York now trails the Rays by three games in the AL East despite pacing the American League in run differential, ERA, wRC+, and a host of other measures.
These periods of time are grating, but they happen to every team, even good ones, over the course of the season. As we wait for the Yankees to pull out of this current skid, let’s try and focus on the positives and ask: what has been the most positive development so far in 2026?
I think there are two obvious choices that will pop first into everyone’s heads, those being the play of Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler. Rice enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign, but every last piece of underlying data we had available to us from Rice’s first two seasons suggested that he was capable of even more. This year has been proof of concept, Rice leading the majors in wRC+. For almost every team in baseball, there’d be no question that a player like Rice, in his prime, blossoming into one of the finest players in the league would be the best development of the early season.
And yet, it’s possible to argue that Schlittler’s ascension is not only the most positive development of the Yankees’ season, but of any team’s campaign thus far. Somewhat similar to Rice, Schlittler had a great 2025 that hinted at even greater promise, and just like Rice, Schlittler has fulfilled that promise and then some. He’s been the AL’s best pitcher so far and, even if it’s still early, is the current favorite to take home the Cy Young award. A year ago, many Yankee fans wouldn’t have even known Schlittler’s name; now, he is the premier name to watch in the Junior Circuit.
In truth, the most positive development of this season probably has to come down to one of these two, but I do want to highlight some other positive things we’ve seen this year that were far from guarantees. It might seem strange to note Aaron Judge here, with Judge’s metronomic excellence take for granted at this point, but the fact that at age-34 he’s still producing a 172 wRC+ even while slightly underperforming some of his underlying numbers, and while also just feeling like he hasn’t even really gotten going yet, has to qualify as a positive. And, though he has yet to debut in the majors and thus we can’t yet say anything all that definitive, the fact that Gerrit Cole has progressed has far through his rehab both healthy and flashing elite velo is also a nice development for this Yankees club. Just like Judge, Cole is at an age where precipitous physical decline could be around the corner at any moment. The fact that the team’s two superstar veteran cornerstones have not fallen off an athletic cliff yet is a positive that can’t be taken for granted at this point in their careers.
What do you think? What’s been the most positive development so far out of these 2026 Yankees?
On the site today, we’ll get Michael’s recap of the week that was down on the farm for the Yankees, while Matt sums up Monday night’s American League action. Josh will wonder whether the Yankees’ apparent sense of urgency early this season will translate to the trade market, Peter’s At-bat of the Week features some good work from Anthony Volpe (!), while Jonathan profiles Gil McDougald, one of the driving forces behind the Yankees’ 1950’s dynasty.
