The New York Yankees aren’t looking much like a World Series contender this month, but they’ll have a chance to get back on track tonight at home to the Kansas City Royals.
Though New York spiraled to a heavy loss yesterday with Max Fried on the mound, my Royals vs. Yankees predictions buy into the hosts’ current No. 2 ace and signal a bounce-back effort here.
Get the lowdown on this April 17 matchup with my free MLB picks.
Who will win Royals vs Yankees tonight: Yankees moneyline (-173)
With eight straight wins over the Kansas City Royals, it’s fair to say the New York Yankees have their number. So I’m brushing aside the Bronx Bombers’ 3-7 mark across their past 10 contests, partly because Kansas City has the exact same record in that span.
As well as Michael Wacha has pitched this year, including a 0.43 ERA, the New York lineup has plenty of prior at-bats to lean on against the veteran righty.
In contrast, none of the Royals’ hitters have faced Cam Schlittler before, and the Yankees phenom has racked up 7+ strikeouts in each of his four outings this season.
COVERS INTEL:The underwhelming Kansas City offense has scored two runs or fewer in seven of its last 10 games and ranks in the bottom five in runs, hits, SLG and OPS.
Royals vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-115)
With both of tonight’s starters in a nice rhythm, I’m sticking with the trends that point to the Under, which is 7-2 in the last nine meetings between these teams – and 4-0 in the past four matchups at Yankee Stadium.
The Royals are giving their pitchers minimal run support. They’re averaging just 3.42 RPG, and all three of Wacha’s outings this season have fallen short of this 8.0 O/U mark.
Meanwhile, for all the unquestionable offensive firepower that Aaron Judge and Co. bring to the party, the hosts have only posted a .214 batting average, the fourth-lowest in the majors.
[WRITER NAME]'s 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets:0-3, -3 units
Over/Under bets:2-1, +0.8 units
Royals vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Kansas City +152 | New York -180
Run line: Kansas City +1.5 (-146) | New York -1.5 (+122)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-102) | Under 8 (-120)
Royals vs Yankees trend
The Under is 7-3 in the Royals’ last 10 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Yankees.
How to watch Royals vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Friday, April 17, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
Royals.TV, YES
Royals starting pitcher
Michael Wacha (2-0, 0.43 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Cam Schlittler (2-1, 2.49 ERA)
Royals vs Yankees latest injuries
Royals vs Yankees weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 08: Jorge Polanco #11 of the New York Mets in action during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on April 08, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jorge Polanco, already dealing with left Achilles bursitis that has hindered him since the start of the season, is now battling a second injury. His right wrist started bothering him after Tuesday’s loss to the Dodgers, and the issue was bad enough to keep him out of the lineup Friday in Chicago as the Mets look to avoid losing their ninth straight. That would be their longest losing streak since 2004.
Polanco, signed to a 2-year, $40M contract this offseason, has not been off to a particular strong start, batting .179/.246/.286 through 61 PA to this point. Nevertheless, the lineup could definitely use his presence. Brett Baty has posted a 30 wRC+ heading into Friday’s action, even worse than Polanco’s own 57, and Mark Vientos has cooled off dramatically from his early season hot streak. Coupled with Juan Soto’s absence, Francisco Lindor likely not playing at 100%, and Bo Bichette continuing to struggle, Polanco’s absence is definitely problematic.
The Mets have reportedly not received MRI results yet and have not made a decision about placing Polanco on the injured list. That might be the prudent move as he deals with simultaneous injuries, but we’ll see how the team’s thinking develops in the coming days.
KNOXVILLE, TN - MAY 31: Wake Forest Demon Deacons pitcher Chris Levonas (18) pitches during the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament baseball game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Miami (OH) RedHawks on May 31, 2025, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Wake Forest
Mascot: Pissed Off Preachers | School Location: NASCAR-Cigarette, NC | Conference: ACC
Wake came out of the gate a-hellin’ this year, losing their opener to Houston in the same Puerto Rico Challenge event that NC State participated in, but then reeling off 15 consecutive wins, including sweeping Stanford in their ACC season opening series. What followed was a fall back to reality, which probably could have been expected in hindsight when you consider that High Point (RPI #60; 7-6 Wake win) was the only team the Deacs played during that 15-game winning streak that currently has an RPI ranking better than 131 (Stanford).
The Demon Deacons lost to Coastal Carolina and then were swept at home by Florida State. They rebounded to go 8-4 over the next stretch, but with all four of those losses coming in conference play. Since then, Wake is just 2-5, but with those losses coming at Pitt, vs Coastal, and at Miami (x2), with the wins coming over Miami and Coastal.
All things considered, Wake has put itself into a nice situation. They still have a road series at Georgia Tech, but they get a home series with a pitching-depleted NC State squad this weekend before that GT series, and their last two ACC series are vs Louisville and at Duke, two teams who have not been very impressive this year. With a solid RPI already in place, a .500 finish to ACC play will have the Deacs in a Regional.
The lineup is an experienced bunch, with only two of their 11 regulars being under 20 years old. That group is hitting a collective .289/.411/.476, 76 2B, 47 HR, 14.6 BB%, 19.4 K%, 50-59 SB. Seven of their starters have OBPs over .400, and they generally handle the bat well with competitive ABs and low strikeout numbers.
As is normal for a Wake pitching staff under Tom Walter, there are some freaks on this staff with alarmingly good stuff. The group has a 4.60 ERA over 317.0 IP with a 11.6 BB% and 31.0 K%. I’m sure Walter and crew would like that walk rate to be a bit lower, but really only one of their top eight arms has a walk rate that would be considered alarming. Plus, when you have a team strikeout rate in the 30’s, you can live with a few extra walks.
This is a group that when they’ve lost, it’s generally been due to the lineup getting shut down (6 or fewer runs in all 13 losses, including 3 or fewer runs in 9 of those games). Unfortunately for an NC State squad that will be without Friday starter Ryan Marohn, that would-be key to victory gets a little more unattainable. The Wolfpack will need to hit in this one; that’s for sure.
Wake is a team with a lot of good pieces and certainly capable of making a run to an ACC Tournament title next month, and a deep run in the NCAAs thereafter.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Heath Andrews (JR) vs RHP Chris Levonas (SO)
Saturday: LHP Cooper Consiglio (JR) vs RHP Troy Dressler (SO)
Sunday: TBD vs RHP Cam Bagwell (SO)
Key Players:
Offense
CF Javar Williams (JR) – .342/.473/.544, 9 2B, 7 HR, 16.0 BB%, 15.5 K%, 21-24 SB. Highly regarded prospect that in the “wait and see” camp heading into this year after not having the level of breakout year many expected last year. He’s doing that this year and the left-handed-hitting speedster is rocketing up draft boards.
RF Luke Costello (SO) – .324/.474/.735, 6 2B, 12 HR, 13.5 BB%, 15.8 K%, 2-4 SB. Well regarded high school recruit who tore his ACL his senior year in high school, so made it to college. The draft-eligible sophomore should be moving up draft boards with his reduction in strikeouts this year.
3B Dalton Wentz (SO) – .310/.441/.627, 13 2B, 10 HR, 18.6 BB%, 23.2 K%, 1-2 SB. Draft-eligible switch-hitter was a 2025 Freshman All-American. Has the arm to stay on the left side of the infield at the next level and should easily go in the top 3-4 rounds of the draft. Strikeout rate is the biggest red flag in his game, but the power is real.
1B KadeLewis (JR) – .338/.422/.514, 9 2B, 5 HR, 12.7 BB%, 12.7 K%, 6-6 SB. Lefty-hitting leadoff man is a former transfer from Butler where he was a 2nd Team All-Big East selection in 2024. Played mostly 3rd base in 2025 with mixed results. Questions around his defense will limit his draft prospects, but he’s still a Top 75 prospect this year and can handle the bat with the best of them.
Pitching
RHP Chris Levonas (SO) – 7-2, 2.22 ERA, 48.2 IP, 8.3 BB%, 39.4 K%. Selected 67th overall out of high school by the Brewers in the 2024 draft (slot value: $1,230,000), but chose to head to college. Has been clocked over 100 mph on the fastball this year, which is a plus pitch and can be even more devastating when used to setup the slider and curve. Tracking towards being a Top 15 pick in next year’s draft.
RHP Troy Dressler (SO) – 5-1, 4.08 ERA, 35.1 IP, 10.3 BB%, 36.3 K%. Just recently moved into the starting rotation and has looked really good in that role. Can touch 97 with the fastball, sitting mostly in the low-to-mid 90’s with it. Has a nice slider and changeup. Already on draft radars after a strong season in the Cape Cod League last summer, he’s moving up 2027 boards quickly.
RHP Cam Bagwell (SO) – 2-1, 3.67 ERA, 41.2 IP, 6.7 BB%, 18.3 K%. Transfer from UNCW where he was the CAA Rookie-of-the-Year (9-2, 3.07 ERA, 85.0 IP, 4.9 BB%, 17.8 K%). Was Wake’s midweek starter until three weeks ago. Big 6’5, 210 lbs frame with a fastball that has touched 96 in the past, but he’s more of a low-90’s guy. A pair of breaking balls and a really good changeup that induces a lot of ground balls. Top 200 prospect for the 2027 Draft.
RHP Blake Morningstar (JR) – 2-3, 8.72 ERA, 32.0 IP, 10.1 BB%, 23.4 K%. Huge draft prospects heading into the year after earning 1st Team All-ACC honors last year (6-2, 3.87 ERA, 79.0 IP, 9.2 BB%, 26.8 K%), but struggled as a starter despite the impressive stuff and has been bumped from the starting rotation. In consecutive starts against Loyola Marymount and Stanford earlier this year, went a combined 13.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 20 K, 2 HBP, showing what he’s capable of when he’s on.
RHP Evan Jones (FR) – 2-1, 2 SV, 3.13 ERA, 23.0 IP, 11.8 BB%, 34.4 K%. Wake’s top rated freshman arm, he’s been up to 99 mph with the heater that he compliments with a sweeping slider. Outside of an outing at Virginia where he allowed 5 ER in 2.1 IP, he’s only allowed 3 ER over 14 appearances.
RHP Marcelo Harsch (FR) – 1-1, 1 SV, 5.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 8.1 BB%, 36.0 K%. Wake’s second highest rated freshman arm, he has been up to 99 mph in the past, too, but not yet this year. Despite having not topped 2.2 IP or 44 pitches in any single outing, has recorded 3+ strikeouts in seven of 11 outings.
Quick! Fun Facts!
Luke Costello is not related to Lucas Costello, who played for Wake from 2021-2023 before transferring to Miami for his senior year. He is related to Andrew Costello, his younger brother and a freshman catcher who reclassified from the 2027 freshman class up a year to enroll at Wake for the current spring semester.
An NCAA Regional appearance for Wake this year would be the fifth straight for the Demon Deacons, tying the program record for consecutive Regional appearances (1998-2002).
Six former Wake players have appeared at the MLB level so far in 2026: 1B/RF Gavin Sheets (Padres), LHP Jared Shuster (Cardinals), RHP Rhett Lowder (Reds), RHP Shane Smith (White Sox), 1B Nick Kurtz (Athletics), RHP Chase Burns (Reds). For whatever crossover that exists between Wake Forest and Cincinnati Reds fans, having two former Deacs in the Reds starting rotation has to be pretty amazing.
The Key To A Series Win For State
With Ryan Marohn not available this weekend – and hopefully the reports on his being available again soon are accurate – the lineup is going to need to produce if the Pack are going to pull this one out. It’s that simple: score runs. Score lots of runs.
Prediction
Before the news about Marohn dropped, I was feeling good about State pulling out the series win. Minus him, Wake has the advantage in both the Friday and Sunday pitching matchups.
Amid the Mets' eight-game losing streak that has featured not just poor offense but mental mistakes, president of baseball operations David Stearns was asked on Friday whether he agreed with the notion that there should be more scrutiny on manager Carlos Mendoza.
"No. I think Mendy is doing a really good job," Stearns told reporters before the Mets opened a series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. "I think he's putting our players in position to succeed. He's enormously consistent. So, no, I don't agree with that."
Asked how Mendoza was putting players in position to succeed, Stearns elaborated.
"I think both in terms of how he's managing in the clubhouse, how he's getting guys to the right pockets -- whether it's matchups out of the bullpen, the right matchups in games," Stearns explained. "I think he's doing a good job."
Mendoza, who is in his third year as manager, has a 179-164 career record at the helm of the Mets.
In his first season in 2024, Mendoza oversaw a team that finished 89-73 and made a run to Game 6 of the NLCS.
In 2025, with the Mets' pitching staff largely ineffective in the second half of the season, New York tumbled all the way out of a playoff spot while finishing 83-79.
Stearns hired Mendoza in November of 2023, shortly after his stint leading the front office began.
Mendoza is in the final guaranteed season of a three-year contract. The Mets hold a club option on Mendoza for the 2027 season.
Could Angels owner Arte Moreno get $4 billion if he put the team up for sale without a resolution to the long-running ballpark stalemate in Anaheim? (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
I’d heard Arte Moreno had told people recently that he thought the Angels could command $4 billion. He might sell the team. He might not. But the figure seemed ambitious, since no major league team ever had sold for even $3 billion.
Until Friday, that is, when the Wall Street Journal first reported the San Diego Padres were about to be sold for $3.9 billion.
The new owners: a group led by Jose Feliciano of Santa Monica-based Clearlake Capital, which manages more than $90 billion in assets, and his wife, Kwanza Jones. In 2022, Feliciano and Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly led the investment group that bought Chelsea of the Premier League for $5.2 billion.
The new money should enable the Padres to build upon the legacy of late owner Peter Seidler, who simply disregarded the fact that San Diego ranks as one of the smallest media markets in the major leagues. He spent to win, and the Padres have made the playoffs four times in the past six years — after making the playoffs five times in their first 51 years.
The fans rewarded him, packing Petco Park. As of Friday, the Padres had the second-best record and second-highest attendance in the major leagues. The Dodgers, of course, had the best record and the highest attendance.
The party most immediately interested in the Padres’ sale price? The players’ union, since Commissioner Rob Manfred has cited sluggish appreciation in sale prices as one reason to pursue cost controls on player salaries, whether through a salary cap or some other restriction. In recent years, the owners of the Angels, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals all have put their teams on the market without completing a sale.
But Moreno should be interested, too. He turns 80 this summer.
The comparison with the Padres only goes so far. In San Diego, in a city without a team in the NFL, NBA or NHL, the Padres are virtually unchallenged for dollars from fans and corporate sponsors.
And, in San Diego, the Padres play in Southern California’s best ballpark, one the team has turned into a year-round events center, with major concerts in the stadium itself and smaller ones within a delightful park beyond center field.
Could Moreno get $4 billion without a resolution to the long-running ballpark stalemate in Anaheim? It sounds borderline insane to consider that the only available team in America’s second-largest market might not be worth as much as the team that just sold in America’s 30th-largest market.
In Anaheim, however, two deals that would have anchored the Angels there for decades collapsed, and the 60-year-old stadium is in serious need of renovation or replacement. A buyer likely would have to account for the billion-dollar cost of a new ballpark and might ask for a credit against the purchase price, effectively lowering how much profit Moreno could make on the sale.
Any potential buyer should be keeping a close eye on a bill slowly winding its way through the state legislature this year. That bill, if enacted into law, would give the city the ability to loosen development restrictions on the stadium property for a team owner willing to call the team the Anaheim Angels.
Still, even without that legal assist, there should be no shortage of parties interested in acquiring two rarely available assets in one transaction: an MLB team in the Los Angeles market, and a 150-acre site perfect for the mixed-use development coveted by owners in every sport these days.
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who once worked as a peanut vendor at Angel Stadium, lost out in the Padres’ bidding and could take another run at the Angels.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who lost out in the Dodgers’ bidding in 2012, surrounded the Rams’ Inglewood stadium and Woodland Hills training site with major development and could consider replicating those successes in Anaheim.
Ducks owner Henry Samueli has denied interest in the Angels, but he could consider extending and complementing his OC Vibe development across the 57 Freeway — and his hockey team already wears the Anaheim name.
That assumes, of course, that Moreno opts to sell. He enjoys owning a team and, in a season in which the Angels are one-half game out of first place entering Friday in what appears to be a weak American League West, there is no hurry.
It is considered more likely that Moreno waits until after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached next year to determine whether to sell. All I can tell you for sure Friday is what one baseball official texted me when I asked for reaction to the Padres’ sale: “Great news for the Angels.”
The San Diego Padres (13-6) open their series with the Los Angeles Angels (10-10). The Padres have won eight in a row and 11 of their past 12. The Angels just split a four-game series with the New York Yankees in which Mike Trout homered in all four games. Starting pitchers are Matt Waldron for San Diego and José Soriano for Los Angeles.
How to watch San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Angels
Date: Friday, April 17
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET / 6:38 p.m. PT
Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
TV Channels: FanDuel Sports Network West, Padres.TV Presented by UC San Diego Health
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 15: Ozzie Albies #1 celebrates with Dominic Smith #8 of the Atlanta Braves after a home run against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at Truist Park on April 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another right-handed starter on the mound means another start for Dominic Smith in the Braves lineup for Friday night’s opener of the road series against the Phillies.
Smith, who is still on a torrid start to his Braves tenure, will bat seventh and serve as the designated hitter with Philadelphia starting veteran Taijuan Walker on the hill. With five more RBIs in the Marlins series, Smith is up to 15 RBIs in as many games played early this season, batting .381 and OPSing 1.043 in 42 at-bats.
The lineup is carrying over from the Marlins series finale, with Mike Yastrzemski back in the lineup and Mauricio Dubon once again of Michael Harris II at the bottom of the order.
Walker, who is in his sixth straight season in the NL East with the Mets (2021-22) and Phillies (2023-26), is 3-2 with a 4.63 ERA in 11 games against the Braves in his career. He faced Atlanta twice last season, allowing no runs over a combined 6 2/3 innings.
The current Braves roster is 27-for-89 (.303) against Walker with three homers, six doubles, 18 strikeouts and 14 walks. Harris actually has two of those homers off Walker and is hitting .444 against him in his career. Matt Olson is hitting just .231 against him but does have three doubles. Smith is 2-for-3 (.667) against Walker, who he was teammates with in New York for two seasons.
With Atlanta starting a southpaw in Martín Pérez, Philadelphia is giving Brandon Marsh a rare night off, starting Otto Kemp in left field and placing him ninth in the lineup. Marsh has a team-high .290 batting average early this season and is among the team leaders with 11 RBIs this season.
Pérez, a first-time NL East pitcher this season, is 4-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 10 games against the Phillies over his career.
The current Phillies roster is 30-for-99 (.303) against Pérez with five doubles, two homers, 19 strikeouts and 13 walks. Bryson Stott, who is also not in the starting lineup, is 2-for-2 against him, while Alec Bohm is 8-of-17 (.471) with a homer and five RBIs. Trea Turner also has a homer and a .357 average against Pérez.
Apr 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
After a disappointing .500 road trip, the Red Sox head home to host two tough opponents: the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees. First up are the Tigers. In their favor, the AL East is still close. Boston trails the Tampa Bay Rays by just 4.0 games. They are just 2.5 games out of a Wild Card. At 7-11 they’re tied with the Blue Jays for last place in the AL East. The 10-9 Tigers are in third place in the AL Central. This is a 4-game series including Patriots’ Day / Marathon Monday and the 11 AM start.
Casey Mize has started the season with two good outings (6.0 innings, 1 run and 5.2 innings, 1 run) and one clunker (4.1 innings, 5 runs). The bad start was in Minnesota against the Twins, who have just been raking some days. Ranger Suárez is coming off his best start of the season last time out against the Cardinals and will look to keep rolling. The 6K, 6.0 inning outing was much more like Sox fans expected out of the big offseason acquisition.
Saturday is a David vs. Goliath matchup as Tarik Skubal takes on Brayan Bello. Skubal has given up 6 earned runs on the season – 4 against the Twins in April 7th. Hopefully the Red Sox scouting department has a plan as they need all the wins they can get. The Sox did score 5 off the Detroit ace last May, so it can happen. The 5 runs allowed were Skubal’s season high. Like Suárez, Bello is coming of his best start of the short season. Just 2 runs (1 earned) in 6.2 innings was exactly what the doctor and Alex Cora ordered.
Sunday is the day everyone will be thinking about all weekend. Crochet Day. But first let’s start with his opponent: Framber Valdez. The Tigers added another top-of-the-rotation pitcher while taking Skubal to an arbitration hearing. And the former Astro has delivered. He’s made three starts of more than 6 innings with 1 earned run or less allowed. And one stat of 5.0 inning where he allowed 8 runs. To the Twins. In Minnesota. Seriously what is happening there? The Sox ace was rocked for 11 runs (10 earned) in 1.2 innings. It was like not other start in his life. And hopefully fades into memory.
Jack Flaherty gets the early start on Monday. Flaherty wasn’t a victim of the Twins, allowing just 1 run in 5.2 innings. But the Tigers lost his start anyway 3-1. Last time out against the Royals he went 6.0 innings allowing just 1 runs and striking out 7. Sonny Gray had a rough debut and then looked like the #2 for two starts before getting knocked around by the Twins. We almost can’t blame him for that one. Let’s hope this is another start where he’s on track.
Recently extended super-prospect Kevin McGonigle is hitting .313/.421/.484.
Dillon Dingler and Kerry Carpenter lead the club with 3 homers each.
Spencer Torkelson is hitting just .196/.369/.235 but has 13 walks!
Old friend Kenley Jansen is the closer and has picked up 4 saves already.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, April 17: Casey Mize (3.94 ERA / 3.66 FIP) vs. Ranger (5.02 ERA / 4.48 FIP)
Saturday, April 18: Tarik Skubal (2.22 ERA / 2.42 FIP) vs. Brayan Bello (6.14 ERA / 3.87 FIP)
Sunday, April 19: Framber Valdez (3.75 ERA / 3.07 FIP) vs. Garrett Crochet (7.58 ERA / 4.63 FIP)
Monday, April 20: Jack Flaherty (4.05 ERA / 4.26 FIP) vs. Sonny Gray (4.43 ERA / 4.73 FIP)
The Kansas City Royals (7-12) and New York Yankees (10-9) open a three-game series. The Royals were just swept in three games by the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees just split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels.
How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 13: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the first inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Monday, April 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Washington Nationals are a collection of one of the cuter memes in recent memory. Daylen Lile. Jorbit Vivas. Keibert Ruiz. None of these words are in the Bible? Oh… what’s that? These are the names of some of the players? Hmm, that makes a lot more sense. Well, look, getting to know the Nationals doesn’t seem like a good use of time, given that they’re in a transition period following the installation of a new front office necessitated by six straight losing seasons after the franchise’s sole world championship in 2019. And yet, right now, they’re better than the San Francisco Giants.
Sure, it’s only a two game difference, but they’ve also got the power of no expectations — and heaps of statistical data being infused with their coaching and scouting. The Giants have neither of that going for them, and this clash of organizational philosophies will be fascinating to watch here and going forward. In the offseason, the Nationals fumigated their front office to rid itself of the embalming fluids that had drenched every piece of furniture from the Mike Rizzo regime.
That group had managed to win a World Series and use the old method of tanking to get high draft picks in order to build up talent to great effect, leading to 6 years of misery begetting 8 years of contention. They’re since suffered 6 years of misery and figure to be bad again in 2026, a 7th street year of futility. But just to demonstrate the philosophical shift, two Spring Trainings ago, all the Nats did to prepare their pitchers better was hang signs in the bullpens:I don’t care how fast you throw ball four.
“In this league, you have to throw strikes,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. “I didn’t want to be a smart ass and put that up, but I think with one of the youngest teams in the league like we have and a young pitching staff, I wanted them to know that is important to the guy making the decisions on who’s making the team. Throw the ball over the plate. You have to get guys out.”
SF native, St. Ignatius & Cal alum Paul Toboni is now the President of Baseball Operations, and he’s brought aboard former McCovey Chronicles commenter prospect Anirudh Kilambi (garbanzo24) to be the GM. They’ve gone in the opposite direction of both the Nationals and the Giants (which proudly threw out the computers that had invaded their clubhouse) and the players have reacted positively. This Nats culture/vibes shift article for The Athletic by Spencer Nusbaum mentions several key details, but basically the coaching staff’s use of data in real time has helped the players more.
“Having the different resources that we have in the bullpen, cameras, TVs, TrackMan — like, we’ve had this stuff to an extent in the past,” [SP Jake] Irvin said. “But now we’re getting data in real time, and I think that that’s been a huge help.”
It’s led to their best start since 2019. Meanwhile, the Giants are 7-12 to start a season for just the second time this century and third time in 40 years. The last time this happened (2004), they had Barry Bonds on the team.
The Giants do have all or most of the same technology as the Nationals, but just given the results and the way the Giants have stumbled into those results, it’s worth wondering if said technology is being utilized in much the same way as the previous Nationals regime utilized their meager tech. If the Giants really are oversteering away from the Farhan Zaidi days to a more “traditional” and “old school” manner of what is today losing baseball, then that will be quite distressing to watch, and this series might provide us with a glimpse of what computers vs. gut is going to look like going forward. The Giants absolutely have the superior talent on both sides of the ball, but the Nationals might have the edge just by being willing to optimize what talent they do have.
Or do they? The easiest thing to optimize with modern baseball technology is pitching, and yet the Nationals have THE WORST pitching staff in the sport (-2.3 fWAR!!!) with a team ERA of 5.91 (5.95 FIP). The Giants are slightly better (+1.1 fWAR — 21st) with a 4.17 ERA (4.11 FIP). It’s on the hitting side where there’s a wide, wide gap in results in this 19-game sample size: Washington’s offense is ranked 5th heading into the series: +3.3 fWAR on a 112 wRC+ from a triple slash of .262/.338/.411. They’re tied with the Astros for most runs scored in the sport right now (107). Their 20 stolen bases is 6th in MLB, too. On paper, they’ve had a tough start to the season: @ Cubs (2-1), @ Phillies (1-2), Dodgers (0-3), Cardinals (1-2), @ Brewers (3-0), @ Pirates (2-2). Is it simply that the Cubs, Brewers, and Phillies are having a slow start to their seasons, too, or do the Nationals have a little magic?
Guess we’ll find out. If the Giants don’t win this series, they’ll be tied with the 2017, 2019, and 2020 teams starts OR be off to their worst start since the 100-loss 1985 season.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (7-12) at Washington Nationals (9-10) Where: Nationals Park | Washington, D.C. When: Friday at 3:45pm PT, Saturday at 1:05pm PT, Sunday at 10:35am PT National broadcasts: None.
Projected starters Friday: Logan Webb (1-2, 5.25 ERA) vs. Zack Littell (0-1, 4.20 ERA) Saturday: Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.06 ERA) vs. Cade Cavalli (RHP 0-1, 4.60 ERA) Sunday: Robbie Ray (2-2, 2.42 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (RHP 0-3, 11.49 ERA)
Players to watch
Nationals
CJ Abrams: The Giants tried to trade for the shortstop/second baseman in the offseason and maybe it’s because they saw in him what the new Nats front office does. The bloom had come off the rose for this player, with the industry being down on him for off the field matters plus perceived underperformance at the play. His prior three seasons have seen just a 101 wRC+ from the speedy lefty 25-year old. This year, he’s off to a white hot start: .371/.481/.710 in 77 PA (224 wRC+). Abrams is the best player on the Nats roster right now, even leading them in home runs (6). At the game level, he’s 6-for-8 on the first pitch this season with a home run and has been doing damage even later in the count, but it’s all such a small sample that the Giants can only hope he regresses to the mean during this series.
James Wood: The second-best player in the lineup right now whose .256/.376/.526 in 93 PA is only 50% better than the league average (150 wRC+) and has only hit 5 home runs (4 fewer than the Giants as a team). The outfielder went just 3-for-16 in the recently completed 4-game series in Pittsburgh, but in the prior homestand and 3 in Milwaukee, he was 14-for-35 with 4 homers. Is home cooking just what he needs?
Joey Wiemer: The Giants briefly had him this offseason and now with the Nats, he’s hitting .351/.442/.595 in a bench role (43 PA), which will almost certainly become a platoon role soon enough. Technically, the outfielder has had 1 more PA against RHP (19) than LHP (18), but the statistical separation is stark: .596 OPS vs. RHP and 1.490 against LHP.
Giants
Jerar Encarnacion: If he’s not designated for assignment before I post this article, then I would have to imagine his role on the roster is tenuous at best right now. He’s 6-for-24 in very limited action, but there’s also the matter of his poor baserunning — oh! and his bad defense (when he remembers to bring his mitt to the field). Sure, the guys who get the big bucks need to step up and produce, but on road trips, sometimes the role players need to play a winning role.
Logan Webb: He’ll probably wind up having a typical season, but it sure doesn’t feel like it right now. A great start against a team he’s done okay against for his career (4-1, 4.25 ERA) would go a long way towards calming down some negative perceptionof the team. The Nats might have different ideas, though. Webb has given up 10 runs in 3 starts (13.2 IP) at Nationals Park, though he pitched great there last time (2024: 5.2 IP 1 ER). In that game, he was called for the only balk of his career!
Ryan Walker & Erik Miller: Miller’s save in yesterday’s finale was fun to see as was Ryan Walker’s clean inning. If the 7th, 8th, and 9th are shaping into a Walker-Winn-Miller beast, that seems like one that most of us can get behind. Miller’s walk issues and Walker’s control issues are definitely things to keep an eye on, but this might be the best trio of options available to Tony Vitello for now. The Nationals’ batting average by inning so far makes the idea of the bullpen being “settled” very premature: 1st: .337 2nd: .167 3rd: .203 4th: .297 5th: .233 6th: .232 7th: .329 8th: .286 9th: .269
Tony Vitello watch
Why are the Giant struggling with their preparation? It’s not just the sloppy defense or lack of in-game substitutions, it’s also Jerar Encarnacion losing his glove and Tony Vitello arguing with an umpire against a clearly out Jerar Encarnacion or him not challenging an obvious dropped fly ball in yesterday’s game. Obviously, that’s on the players to an extent and the video room coaches — assuming the Giants still have one! They have taken great pride in de-technologizing the team! — but at the same time, every “rookie mistake” you’d expect of a guy who has never coached a major league game before March 2026 is being made.
It’d be an unacceptable spate of missteps so early in the season under any other sort of manager. That the Giants are generally playing poorly in addition to it only makes matters worse. Anyway, let’s see what happens when he manages against an actual computer.
Prediction time
The Giants will manage to win a game in this series, I think. Or… let’s hope.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 12: Max Scherzer #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays leaves the mound in the third inning of their MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre on April 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Diamondbacks come into this series as one of the hottest teams in baseball. They’ve won seven out of their last ten, have only lost one series this season. They’re on fire. Unfortunately, they are exactly the third hottest team in baseball. The other two are directly in front of them in the NL West standings. The Padres have won eight straight. The Dodgers eight out of ten. It’s truly exhausting to be a fan of an NL West team. But hey, we’re a tenth of the way through the season and the Dbacks are in a playoff position. Take the little wins, even if we can never make up ground in our division.
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are not in great shape. They’re even more injured than the Diamondbacks are, and have more money on the IL right now than some teams do. They are scuffling as much as would be expected at this point. They’ve only won a single series; a sweep of the Athletics to start the season. Since then, they haven’t won a single one, and that includes a series against both the Rockies as well as the White Sox, who swept them. Add in being in the AL East, which is always going to be competitive, the Jays have already dug themselves a hole that they’ll be chasing for the rest of the season.
Game 1 — 4/17, 6:40 PM — Michael Soroka (3-0, 2.87 ERA/146 ERA+, 1.21 WHIP) vs Eric Lauer (1-2, 7.82 ERA/59 ERA+, 1.57 WHIP)
Michael Soroka was supposed to just be a placeholder until Merrill Kelly came back, and then he would go to the bullpen. Instead, he’s been arguably the best starter on the team, currently on pace for 230 strike outs this season, and Brandon Pfaadt, he of the long term extension just 13 months ago, was banished to the bullpen instead. It’s totally deserved on Soroka’s part. He’s had a single bad inning all season, and other than that four run first against the Phillies, he’s been stellar. So far this season, he’s looked far more like the sixth placing Cy Young nominee he was in his rookie season than bargain bin pick up. Good for him.
Lauer has not had a great season at all. He’s pitched 12 2/3 innings so far. He’s given up 11 hits, 11 ER, 3 HR, and nine walks. Most of those counting stats came in his last outing against the Twins he gave up seven runs and five walks in 5 1/3 inning, but the White Sox knocked him from the game in just two innings prior to that, and he gave up another two runs there. Small sample sizes still apply, of course, but early returns have been less than stellar for the 30 year old pitcher.
Game 2 — 4/18, 5:10 PM — Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60 ERA/116 ERA+, 1.45 WHIP) vs. Max Scherzer (1-2, 9.58 ERA/48 ERA+, 1.45 WHIP)
Zac Gallen has been alright to start the season. Not great, but flashes of good. Got hit for four runs in four innings on opening day, but followed it up with 11 innings of two run baseball, but couldn’t keep it going and gave up three in 5 IP last time out against the Phillies. I don’t really think anyone was expecting Ace level shut down work from Gallen this season, so there isn’t much to be disappointed about, but still, like most of his output for the past three seasons or so, you’re left with the feeling it could be better.
I won’t lie, I was kind of hoping Scherzer would get the roster spot currently occupied by Soroka. Purely nostalgic, and, uh, wow, I’m so glad I’m not the GM of the Diamondbacks. Probably a reason for that, now that I’m thinking about it. He’s only gotten out of the third inning once in three starts, and he gave up eight runs to the Twins in his last start. One has to wonder, when is he going to retire, or will the league have to decide he is retired for him? Either way, it’s kind of a sad end to a surefire HOF career.
Game 3 — 4/19, 1:10 PM — Ryne Nelson (1-1, 3.54 ERA/118 ERA+, 1.03 WHIP) vs. Kevin Gausman (0-1, 2.42 ERA/187 ERA+, 0.85 WHIP)
Nelson has had an interesting season. Some of his stats are still being overly effected by his 7 run, 2 earned run game against the Braves, for sure, and outside of that start he’s gotten good results. His FIP is still very high, but it’s coming down with each start. That in particular is being hurt by his high walk numbers and lower strike out numbers, but, again, both of those are getting better as time goes on. He hasn’t quite lived up to the standard he set for himself the past season and a half, nor the expectations many had going into this season, but he’s still been good to start.
Kevin Gausman is off to a great start to the season, and he’s also providing the latest example of why Pitcher Wins are a useless statistic. After four starts, he’s yet to get a win, even though he’s got a low 2’s ERA, a 180’s ERA+, and would be the best pitcher on the Diamondbacks by a mile. This start will be the real test for the Diamondbacks in this series.
Conclusion
This is a beatable team that’s coming into Chase Field this weekend. They’re reeling from injuries, their pitchers have been ineffective, and the top of the Diamondbacks rotation is lined up to take them on. Games 1 and 2 should be easy. Three is close, but a strong Nelson performance can put that away as well. Honestly, I’m going to call it. Diamondbacks win three out of three.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (14-4) face the Colorado Rockies (7-12) in the opener of a four-game series. The Dodgers are coming off a three-game sweep of the New York Mets while the Rockies just ended a six-game losing streak with a win over the Houston Astros. Starting pitchers are Tyler Glasnow for the Dodgers and Tomoyuki Sugano for the Rockies.
How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 11: Brandon Williamson #55 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park on April 11, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Cincinnati Reds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Brandon Williamson was born in Fairmont, Minnesota, which is roughly a two hour drive south of Target Field in Minneapolis. He went to Martin County West High School just down I-90 in Sherburn, and to date registers as the lone player from that program to ever crack the big leagues.
He’ll be on the mound in his home state on Friday evening as the Cincinnati Reds begin a three-game weekend series against the Minnesota Twins, and he’s expecting a big, big crowd of local folk in the stands to cheer him on. That’s pretty damn special, and hopefully he’ll dazzle them the way he dazzled the crowd in Miami on April 6th when he fired 6.2 IP of 3 H, 0 ER, 4 K, BB ball across 93 pitches.
(That’s the hope since in his other two starts in 2026 he’s combined for 9 ER in 8.2 IP with 8 walks against just 6 punchouts.)
The Reds as a whole enter the series somewhat sideways. They just split a 6 game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants, respectively, and have gone just 3-5 in their last 8 games overall. They did take 2 of 3 against the Giants, though yesterday’s series finale saw them tally just one (1) hit – and that came from PJ Higgins, who you usually don’t even want to be playing.
They also finished the game with something of a bluff-brawl against San Francisco, so we’ll see if that had any residual charge-up for them when they face the Twins.
The Twins, meanwhile, are rolling. They’re 11-8 like the Reds (and sit atop the AL Central), but they’ve won 8 of their last 10 against some class competition in Detroit, Toronto, and Boston. They’re also lined up to send ace Joe Ryan to the mound for tonight’s series opener, so Cincinnati’s offense has a lot on its table from the get-go.
Speaking of Cincinnati’s offense, their 64 runs scored on the season ranks 3rd worst in the majors. Their collective 77 wRC+ is worsted only by the Chicago White Sox. Somehow, their .333 slugging percentage is 3rd worst in the game despite them having two players – Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz – ranking among the Top 7 (and ties) in homers across the entire league.
TJ Friedl’s .154 slugging percentage is the worst among 188 qualified big leaguers, to date. Of the 277 players who’ve logged at least 40 PA so far this season, Ke’Bryan Hayes owns a spectacularly awful -44 wRC+ that’s far and away the worst (with San Francisco’s Patrick Bailey second worst at -9). Cincinnati’s outfield production as a whole has amounted to just a 39 wRC+, a mark that’s tied with the Giants for the worst overall unit in the game.
So, there’s a lot of improving that needs to happen, and it needs to happen fast.
They’ll get their next chance tonight at 8:10 PM ET in Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 14: Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox looks on prior to the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Red Sox are officially “not worried” about Garrett Crochet after the worst start of his career earlier this week. “The greatest pitchers in baseball have tough days, and that’s OK,” said pitching coach Andrew Bailey. “I think we have to recognize, too, that these guys are human, and sometimes baseball is baseball. It’s a tough little go. So I’m not worried about it.” But if he’s going to get back on track, he needs to regain control of the strike zone, as he’s hit four batters so far this season. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Unlike Crochet, Roman Anthony is not yet one of the greatest players in baseball. But the 2026 Red Sox roster was essentially constructed in a way that he has to become one soon if they’re going to win anything. In light of that, it’s reasonable to wonder whether the pressure is getting to him. “He’s got the weight of this organization — they’ve put the weight of the world on him,” said Jarren Duran. “I think he’s doing a great job managing it. … [And] it is one of those markets where media is a big presence. As a 21-year-old, that can be tough, but he handles it like he’s a 10-year vet.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
And while Anthony is not yet an established big leaguer, there is already another prospect in the system who, like Anthony and Marcelo Mayer before him, is receiving every increasing amounts of hype. Twenty-year-old infielder Franklin Arias is off to a scorching start in AA Portland, where he is the youngest position player in the league. “He’s a stud, which we already knew,” said Red Sox director of hitting Jason Orchart. “He’s always had a high floor, and now his ceiling is starting to climb.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
But the here and now is more important than Arias’s prospect development. And in the here and now, the Red Sox are struggling to win baseball games. But here are some numbers that indicate that better days may be ahead. (Travis Shawchik, MLB.com)
We’ll probably know we’re in those hypothetical better days when we’re not reading stories about Red Sox players flipping the bird to fans in the stands. But in light of the fact that Jarren Duran claims he made the gesture only after a Minnesota Twins fan told him to kill himself, the Red Sox are giving Duran his full support. (Meghan Ottolini, WEEI)
But there is something to keep an eye on regarding the latest Duran incident: while the Twins have started a full investigation into the incident, they have yet to corroborate Duran’s version of events. “One person with knowledge of the event said fans were bragging afterward that Duran had raised his middle finger at them after they had mocked his swing…. In spite of the subdued crowd noise, field and television microphones didn’t pick up fans yelling for Duran to harm himself or mocking his swing. Additional audio or video of the incident has yet to surface on social media or in the public sphere.” (Jen McCaffrey and Dan Hayes, The Athletic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 09: Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees bats during the game against the Athletics at Yankee Stadium on April 09, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the ball flew and dunked into the left-center field grass, a sense of disbelief washed over me. What I thought was going to be another out in a long list of them became a game-winning double, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. tied the game for the Yankees and Austin Wells snuck his foot under the tag at home plate to seal the victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
Jose Caballero was 0-for-2 before coming up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with two runners on in the third game of the four-game set against the Angels. Through the series, including those at-bats, he was 2-for-10 with two RBI, with both of those hits coming in the thrilling 11-10 extra innings victory. And a .200 batting average is better than where he (or any of the five players who have graced the bottom-half of the Yankees lineup) sits at the present moment.
Since the beginning of the season, the Yankees have struggled at the plate outside of a couple of consistent names like Ben Rice and Aaron Judge. Leadoff man Trent Grisham is batting .164, and while Cody Bellinger is hitting .242, his .693 OPS is much lower than desired out of the cleanup spot in the order. And while Giancarlo Stanton is racking up the hits (maybe with not as much power), the issues in the order then begin to make themselves apparent.
The final four hitters in the Yankees lineup are all hitting below the Mendoza line.
Chisholm is hitting .185, Austin Wells is batting .191, and Caballero sits at .186 with Ryan McMahon at a paltry .119. Oh, and Randal Grichuk, who has stepped into the lineup at times through this early part of the 2026 season, is hitting .063. And it’s not as if any of them are getting on base at a high rate to make up for not making much happen with the bat. The only player of those five with an OBP over .300 is Wells. All of this leads to the conclusion for Yankees fans that if the bottom of the order is up in a tight situation, you can more than likely consider the game over. What happened against the Angels in walk-off fashion is more of a miracle at this stage than anything that can be expected on even a semi-regular basis.
For example, when the Yankees were trying to avoid being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time since 2019, the bottom of the order was up to bat following Aaron Judge’s home run to bring the game within one. Bellinger struck out, and another out was earned by Rays closer Mason Englert before Wells stepped up to the plate. Following a missed pitch by Englert, Wells was intentionally walked, putting the tying run on base. But it was McMahon who stepped into the batter’s box, and what was expected by everyone came to fruition.
Rays decided to intentionally walk Austin Wells after throwing one pitch to him. Ryan McMahon comes up and hacks at the first pitch to end the game
While there are certainly areas of the game in which the Yankees’ bottom half of the order is helpful (Caballero’s speed, McMahon’s defense, Jazz’s bat and speed when he’s playing at his best), there’s simply no excuse for a team trying to win a World Series to have players performing this poorly consistently in their lineup. And it’s not as if the potential replacements are any good either. The only one offering any hope of consistency is Anthony Volpe, but he’s still a couple of weeks away, and even his bat can be extremely iffy at times (although it’s well-known that his defense is important during crunch time). Outside of Volpe, though, the bench is grim, as Paul Goldschmidt and Grichuk are not suitable, higher-than-replacement-level players to help aid any of these positions. Amed Rosario has been helpful, but the chances of that being consistent over an extended period of time don’t fall in line with his overall career numbers and trends.
The Yankees are in desperate need of someone in the bottom of the order to step up at this point of the season. While it’s still very early into the 162-game slate, even slight improvements from a couple of players would benefit the entire Yankees squad.
COVERS INTEL:The underwhelming Kansas City offense has scored two runs or fewer in seven of its last 10 games and ranks in the bottom five in runs, hits, SLG and OPS.
