Category: Baseball

Just as we all predicted, the Cardinals are off to a solid start to the 2026 season with an offense led by Jordan Walker. Going into Friday night’s game, Walker is top ten in the MLB in WAR,  sports a 192 wRC+, is second in baseball in isolated slugging, and has somehow upstaged JJ Wetherholt as the most exciting Cardinal to follow for the first two weeks of the season. I, along with the majority of the fanbase, was prepared for another excruciating season of Walker runway. Over the offseason, my conspiracy theory was that the Cardinals didn’t really believe in Walker either and would trade him or send him to the minors after a couple months of putrid play. 

Walker has done everything humanly possible to completely reverse the narrative in the first 12 games of the season. Beyond the excellent offense, he has shown off his incredible arm and added value in the field and on the bases. The natural question that most of Cardinals Nation is debating is whether or not this new and improved Jordan Walker is here to stay. If I were a bit wiser and less prone to overreaction, I would say to just enjoy the ride and try not to overanalyze a 12-game sample size. Alas, I am not wise and one of my favorite activities is overreacting, so I must forge ahead into the abyss in search of a star right fielder. 

Has Jordan Walker Broken Out?

The first thing to note is that this type of stretch is not unprecedented for Walker. Here is a look at his rolling 12-game average wRC+ since he debuted in 2023.

He has not reached these heights since his rookie season when he had better 12-game stretches in both June and September. It feels like it has been forever since we have had a Walker hot streak to analyze, but I remember always feeling like even the good runs were a bit of a mirage driven by scorched ground balls and batted ball luck.

In the table above, you can see that both 2023 stretches were far more reliant on higher contact rates and elevated BABIPs. During the September 2023 stretch, his exit velocity of 87.7 MPH was actually below league average. The thing all three stretches have in common is the lowered chase rate around 28%, which is right around league average. Walker’s career chase rate is 33.2%, which places him in the bottom 20% in baseball. 

It isn’t fair to say that the two 2023 stretches were just batted ball luck, as Walker did pop four home runs in each. However, the metric that jumps off the page in this 2026 stretch is the 26.7% barrel rate. To quote from the Statcast Glossary: 

To be Barreled, a batted ball requires an exit velocity of at least 98 mph. At that speed, balls struck with a launch angle between 26-30 degrees always garner Barreled classification. For every mph over 98, the range of launch angles expands.

To illustrate this graphically:

I bring up Barrels because this metric gets at the real root of Walker’s struggles, the fact that he has not been able to get the ball off the ground and take advantage of his prodigious bat speed and exit velocity numbers. In order to barrel a baseball, you must not only hit it hard, but hit it at an optimal angle. Walker’s career Barrel% of 9.8% is just a touch above league average. His 26.7% barrel rate thus far in 2026 ranks third in baseball behind Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani (both at 27.3%). 

Walker has hit 30 balls in play this year, 8 of which were barrels. Looking at the rolling average over the course of his career, you can see in the numbers what is obvious in watching him hit this year, he is finally scorching the ball in the air.

Now the million-dollar question: is this sustainable? I will go out on a limb and say no… No player has ever maintained a Barrel% above 27% for a full season since tracking started in 2015. Aaron Judge holds the top four individual seasons with percentages between 24.7% and 26.9% of balls in play. However, given that Walker is in pretty rarefied air, I wanted to see how this 30-batted-ball sample size stacked up across a wider range of players. I looked at every player who had at least 30 balls hit in play in 2025 and calculated the rolling average of each to see how often players were able to maintain this kind of a rate. Here is the data:

1,100 plate appearances occurred in 2025 in which the batter had a 27% Barrel% over their previous 30 balls in play. While this puts Walker in the 99th percentile, it is far from an unprecedented run for a stretch this short. 96 players in total were able to eclipse the 27% threshold for a stretch of 30 balls in play at some point last year. The majority of the total plate appearances belong to the best hitters in the game, but there were plenty of below-average hitters able to peak at this level. The sample size of players able to crest 40% is much smaller and almost exclusively elite.

Nick Kurtz was the one player to get to a 47% rate over his absurd July run last season. 

So, how long would Walker have to keep up his newfound proclivity for finding the barrel for us to get truly giddy with excitement? Another 20 balls hammered at his current rate would reduce the cohort from 96 down to 19 of the (mostly) best hitters in baseball. One hundred balls in play at this level pretty much cements you as a top hitter in baseball, or Oneil Cruz.

Barrels Conclusion

Walker has improved, but we will know WAY more in just another 20 or 30 games. So, if Walker does keep barreling his way into the summer, do we have an MVP candidate on our hands? Probably not, but certainly not before we address the 7-foot-tall elephant in the room…

Oneil Cruz being included in this group of elite hitters is the perfect example of how things could still go wrong, even if they go mostly right. He has struggled with the same combination of low contact and high chase rates that have plagued Walker. Despite barreling the ball at an elite level, his contact problems have kept him as a roughly league-average hitter. Now, Cruz is still a good player and if Walker’s defense keeps improving, he could be valuable even as more of a 100 wRC+ player, but the Cardinals keep giving him chances because of his ceiling as a true middle-of-the-order bat. 

Comparing Walker and Cruz to the Judge, Ohtani, Schwarber, Stanton, and Raleigh group further illustrates the importance of plate discipline. The below table includes the career contact and chase rates for these players.

Not only is Walker’s contact rate exactly in line with the average of the power-hitting group, he actually has the best zone-contact%. The root of strikeout problems is not in his raw ability to make contact, but in his lack of discretion on when to swing. Looking at the same 12-game rolling average for chase rate, Walker has been near a career low in this metric as well.

Coming into the season, it seemed impossible that Walker would simultaneously start lifting the ball while reducing his chase rate, but that is exactly what he has done so far. Hopefully, as he gains confidence, he will become even more patient and wait for his pitch to drive. He hasn’t proved anything yet, and he still has some work to do on his plate discipline, but Walker has reminded us all why he was once the future of the franchise.

After five games of futility, the Detroit Tigers finally got back into the win column with a 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night.

It was another weak effort at the plate for the Motor City Kitties, but they were able to get their old friend Chris Paddack for a pair of runs during his six-inning stint — enough to earn the W. On the mound, Kieder Montero gave his team six scoreless innings, and the bullpen did the rest to ensure the triumph.

On Saturday afternoon, right-hander Casey Mize will take the bump opposite fellow righty Janson Junk. Detroit’s former top-overall draft pick has put up a near-elite strikeout percentage in a very limited sample size so far, but otherwise has struggled to find consistency.

Junk has looked perfectly serviceable so far, but far from invincible. Take a look below at how the two match up.

Detroit Tigers (5-9) vs. Miami Marlins (8-6)

Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. ET
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site: None
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 15: RHP Casey Mize (0-1, 5.23 ERA) vs. RHP Janson Junk (0-1, 3.09 ERA)

MIZE

JUNK

So we’re gonna do this Brandon Marsh as the cleanup hitter thing now? I guess it’ll work against a team without left handed relief pitching, but later on? What then?

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• You probably noticed this last night, but the Phillies shook up the lineup to score a few runs compared to their week in San Francisco ($). (It didn’t work)
• It’s still very early in the season, but these are six statistics that might actually matter more than others ($).

MLB news:

• Always love a good look back at history, so here are some of the best (and worst) free agent signings in MLB history.
• The number of Black players on MLB rosters has gone up again for the second straight year after being embarrassing.
• MLB players are getting PAID, the average salary cresting $5 million thanks to the Mets and their spending.
• Long term extensions are getting more and more common these days. How they’ve come about have been based on projection.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: L, 2-10 (7) vs. Durham Bulls; they were supposed to play a doubleheader but rain nixed the nightcap, so they’ll try to play two today in a single-admission twin bill beginning at 3:05pm ET

CF Jasson Domínguez 1-2, 2 BB, SB — only a single but he’s still doing his thing
SS Oswaldo Cabrera 0-4, K, GIDP
2B Max Schuemann 0-3, BB
LF Spencer Jones 0-2, 2 BB, K
RF Yanquiel Fernández 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI — drove in Scranton’s only runs in first with double
1B Seth Brown 0-3
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-3, 2 K
3B Paul DeJong 0-2, BB
C Payton Henry 0-1, BB, K
C Ali Sánchez 1-1

Elmer Rodríguez 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, HR, WP, pickoff error
Harrison Cohen 1.2 IP, 1 H, 5 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP, pickoff error (loss) — it was a 2-2 tie in the seventh; then it wasn’t
Kervin Castro 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, HR

Double-A Somerset Patriots: L, 1-13 at Binghamton Rumble Ponies

SS George Lombard Jr. 1-4, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin 1-4, K
LF Jace Avina 0-4, 2 K
2B Marco Luciano 1-4, 2B, 2 K
DH Coby Morales 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K, SB, CS — Patriots got some doubles but wasn’t their night
1B Nicholas Torres 2-3, 2B, HBP
CF Kenedy Corona 0-3, BB, 2 K
C Manuel Palencia 0-3, K, passed ball
3B Owen Cobb 1-3, 2 K

Xavier Rivas 2 IP, 5 H, 5 R (5 ER), 4 BB, 2 K, HR (loss) — woof
Bailey Dees 1.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 1 K, pickoff
Hayden Merda 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 5 K — dynamite relief
Kelly Austin 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, HBP
Diomedes Hernandez 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 0 K

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 1-3 vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks

3B Core Jackson 1-4, 2 K, SB, HBP, throwing error
SS Kaeden Kent 1-4, BB, SB
1B Kyle West 0-3, BB, RBI, K, SB
C Eric Genther 1-3, BB, K, missed catch error
DH Roderick Arias 0-3, BB, K, 2 SB, picked off — ‘Gades had the wheels but not much else
RF Tyler Wilson 0-4, K — bottom five in the lineup went a combined 0-for-15; hard to win with three hits
LF Josh Moylan 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K
PR Cole Gabrielson 0-0
CF Camden Troyer 0-4
2B Connor McGinnis 0-2, 2 BB, K

Jack Cebert 7.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 8 K, HR, HBP (loss) — don’t often see minor leaguers pitching into the eighth these days, especially in April, but Cebert was efficient (92 pitches) and very good; hard-luck loss due to the early two-run shot he allowed
Tanner Bauman 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, HBP
Chris Veach 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Low-A Tampa Tarpons: W, 9-0 at Clearwater Threshers

SS Jackson Lovich 2-4, 2 2B, BB, 2 RBI, K, SB
3B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-4, BB, 2 K
DH Engelth Urena 0-3, 2 BB, K
LF Logan Maxwell 2-4, 2 HR, BB, 5 RBI, K, CS — big afternoon for the undrafted free agent out of Arkansas!
CF Willy Montero 1-4, BB, 2 K
RF JoJo Jackson 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — hit the hell out of his first homer of 2026 (106.1 mph, 390 feet)
C Ediel Rivera 0-3, K, HBP, passed ball
2B Austin Green 0-3, BB
1B Hans Montero 0-3, K, HBP

Justin West 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (win) — 12 swings and misses, nice start
Jose M. Rodriguez 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K — almost as many swings and misses (8) in fewer pitches!
Pedro Rodriguez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (6-7)

BUFFALO 7, SYRACUSE 1 (BOX)

The Mets got three-hit by the Bisons in what was a pretty lackluster affair. Christian Arroyo continues his hot start to the season by driving in the Mets’ only run of the game, which was mercifully ended early by bad weather. At least potential bullpen churn pieces Anderson Severino and Mike Bauman looked alright.

• LF MJ Melendez: 1-3, R
• CF Cristian Pache: 0-3, K
• RF Ryan Clifford: 0-1, 2 BB, K
• DH Christian Arroyo: 1-3, RBI
• 1B Jose Rojas: 1-3
• SS Vidal Bruján: 0-0, 2 BB
• 2B Ji Hwan Bae: 0-2, K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 0-2, K
• C Onix Vega: 0-1, BB
• P Anderson Severino: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• P Joander Suarez: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• P Mike Baumann: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (4-2)

BINGHAMTON 13, SOMERSET 1 (BOX)

The Rumble Ponies walked 13 times, scored 13 runs, and only collected eight hits in a trouncing of the Yankees’ Double-A club. Bryce Conley and Gabriel Rodriguez combined for the first six innings of five hits, one walk, no runs, and ten strikeouts. D’Andre Smith drove in five on two hits (a double and a triple).

• CF A.J. Ewing: 1-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• 2B Marco Vargas: 2-5, 2 R, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K
• 1B Chris Suero: 1-2, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, K
• LF Jose Ramos: 0-1, 3 R, RBI, 4 BB, K
• C Kevin Parada: 0-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB
• RF D’Andre Smith: 2-4, 2B, 3B, 5 RBI
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• DH Matt Rudick: 1-4, K
• SS Wyatt Young: 0-3, R, BB
• P Bryce Conley: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
• P Gabriel Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• P Zach Peek: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• P Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (1-5)

BROOKLYN 6, JERSEY SHORE 4 (BOX)

Brooklyn finally got a dub in an extra-inning affair down the shore. John Bay, Corey Collins, and Colin Houck combined for three runs in the top of the tenth to secure the win.

• SS Mitch Voit: 0-5, K, SB
• CF John Bay: 1-5, R, 2B, RBI, 4 K
• DH Corey Collins: 2-4, R, 3B, RBI, BB, K
• 2B Colin Houck: 0-3, RBI, 2 K, E
• C Ronald Hernandez: 1-5, 2 R, 3 K
• 1B Trace Willhoite: 0-3, RBI, 2 K
• LF Vincent Perozo: 1-4, R, 2 K
• 3B Kevin Villavicencio: 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, E
• RF Diego Mosquera: 0-3, R, BB, SB
• P Noah Hall: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• P Bryce Jenkins: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• P Gregori Louis: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• P Juan Arnaud: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• P Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (3-3)

DUNEDIN 9, ST. LUCIE 2 (BOX)

Tommy Pham is trying to claw his way back to the bigs, and he went 0-2 with a walk in a lopsided loss to the Jays. Frank Camarillo went five innings, giving up three earned runs, but kept the Mets close until Joe Charles had what can only be described as one of the wildest innings you’ll ever hear about: Walk, wild pitch, walk, walk, wild pitch, walk, infield fly, wild pitch, single, got yanked.

• SS Elian Peña: 2-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI
• LF Tommy Pham: 0-2, BB
• LF Simon Juan: 0-1, K
• 1B Randy Guzman: 1-4, RBI
• DH Julio Zayas: 0-4, 4 K
• RF AJ Salgado: 1-4, 2B, K
• CF JT Benson: 1-2, 3B
• 2B Sam Robertson: 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 0-3, BB, 2 K
• C Francisco Toledo: 0-4, 2 K, E
• P Frank Camarillo: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• P Luis Alvarez: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• P Joe Charles: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 0 K
• P Joe Scarborough: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• P Caden Wooster: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Rookie: FCL Mets (0-0)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

D’Andre Smith

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Joe Charles

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Saturday’s full slate is loaded with opportunity, and today’s MLB picks come down to identifying pitching mismatches, bullpen reliability, and situational spots early in the season.

From bounce-back offenses to teams leaving hitter-friendly parks, there’s value across multiple games if you’re willing to trust the numbers over the noise.

Let’s break down the top MLB picks and moneyline predictions for Saturday, April 11.

MLB moneyline picks for April 11

Matchup	Pick
Diamondbacks vs Phillies	-127
Marlins vs Tigers	-133
Pirates vs Cubs	-144
Twins vs Blue Jays	-104
Angels vs Reds	+117
A's vs Mets	+133
White Sox vs Royals	+144
Yankees vs Rays	-168
Nationals vs Brewers	-156
Giants vs Orioles	-104
Red Sox vs Cardinals	-122
Guardians vs Braves	-117
Rockies vs Padres	-150
Rangers vs Dodgers	-178
Astros vs Mariners	-133

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 4-11.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for April 11

Diamondbacks vs Phillies: Phillies (-127)

Phillies win probability: 56%

Both pitchers are off to rough starts, but I trust the Phillies' offense to take advantage of Brandon Pfaadt's inability to strike anyone out. 

Marlins vs Tigers: Tigers (-133)

Tigers win probability: 57%

The Tigers aren't exactly hitting the cover off of the baseball, but sooner or later, they'll need to start stringing together some wins. With an advantage on the mound, I'll take them at home. 

Pirates vs Cubs: Cubs (-144)

Cubs win probability: 59%

The Pirates are still the Pirates despite an even-keel start, so give me the Cubs at home. Braxton Ashcraft is not as good as his early numbers suggest. 

Twins vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (-104)

Blue Jays win probability: 51%

The Twins are hot right now, but the odds suggest this is a game they lose. Blue Jays pick up the win behind a solid outing from Eric Lauer. 

Angels vs Reds: Angels (+117)

Angels win probability: 46%

The Reds should not be the favorite over anyone right now, except maybe the Angels. However, the Angels offense has been better, so plus money is a steal. 

A's vs Mets: A's (+133)

A's win probability: 43%

I do not trust the Mets. Neither should you. 

White Sox vs Royals: White Sox (+144)

White Sox win probability: 41%

Both teams are struggling out of the gates, but I will fade Michael Wacha in this spot, as I do not think he's still a Major League-calibre pitcher. 

Yankees vs Rays: Yankees (-168)

Yankees win probability: 64%

Max Fried is the Yankees' ace, and he will pitch them to victory. 

Nationals vs Brewers: Brewers  (-156)

Brewers win probability: 61%

The Nationals' entire pitching staff is awful, posting stats that are last in most major categories. The Brewers will do more than enough on offense to pick up the win. 

Giants vs Orioles: Giants (-104)

Giants win probability: 51%

I'll take the Giants and Logan Webb over the O's and Chris Bassitt. Better pitcher, with two even offenses. 

Red Sox vs Cardinals: Red Sox (-122)

Red Sox win probability: 55%

Ranger Suarez is not as bad as his early numbers suggest. The Cardinals once again struggle with production, so give me the Red Sox lineup to do plenty of damage against Kyle Leahy.

Guardians vs Braves: Braves (-117)

Braves win probability: 54%

These two teams may have near-identical records, but the Braves offense has been raking. I'll take them at home to pick up another win. 

Rockies vs Padres: Padres (-150)

Padres win probability: 60%

See Rockies. Bet against Rockies. You'll win more often than not. 

Rangers vs Dodgers: Dodgers (-178)

Dodgers win probability: 64%

See Dodgers. Bet Dodgers.  

Astros vs Mariners: Astros (-133)

Astros win probability: 47%

To say the Seattle Mariners' offense got stuck in the starting gate would be putting it lightly. They are 30th in batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS. The only reason they are not winless is that their pitching has been solid.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

It’s really great stuff to be in the midst of the Yankees’ first annoying stretches of 2026. Really, it’s charming! Really, it’s not exhausting at all watching this lineup flail against Jeffrey Springs and Steven Matz! Can this end now please?

Today on the site, we’ll have a birthday post for one of the key players on the Yankees’ 2009 World Series champions, Madison will have the Rivalry Roundup from a busy Friday night of baseball action, John will critique a new feature of lights and Yankee Stadium entertainment, Scott will sit down for chat with Max Schuemann of Triple-A Scranon/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (late of the A’s) is getting accustomed to his new digs, and Andrés will anzlyze Luis Gil’s season debut.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

Time: 6:10 p.m. EST

Video: YES Network, Rays.tv

Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

Questions/Prompts:

1. Any lineup shuffle suggestions for today to shake things up?

2. How flawless does Max Fried need to pitch today for you to feel comfortable?

NY Post | Greg Joyce: Anthony Volpe has reunited with the Yankees as they arrived in Tampa to play the Rays this weekend, the injured shortstop having taken an extended stay at the team’s complex while rehabbing from offseason surgery on his labrum. The time for a rehab assignment is nearing, and could come as early as Tuesday after meeting with the team physician for a final check-up, but once he’s fully ready to go what will his role with the team be? General manager Brian Cashman gave the strongest indication that he’ll be back as the starting shortstop that we’ve heard since the offseason, confirming “that’s always been the plan” when reporters asked. He did leave a caveat that “ultimately that’ll be the manager’s call” on starting Volpe, but there’s little doubt that the GM and manager will be in lockstep on this.

José Caballero had a chance to make this a more debatable choice with the starting gig wide open for the first month of the season, but his bat has been ice cold to start the year. A .135/.200/.162 triple-slash isn’t inspiring any confidence, and the team was already inclined to go back to Volpe once healthy after assessing the team in the offseason. Given how dreadful the bottom of the lineup has performed, an early season performer like Volpe could win a lot of favor back in his court by jumping back in with some timely hits.

NJ.com | Bob Klapisch ($): We’ve seen high highs and low lows with this 2026 team already, jumping out to a 7-1 start that was tops in the league with electric pitching just to watch as the bats have gone missing and been unable to support the staff amidst a 1-4 skid that’s mainly been punctuated by three consecutive losses. It’s early, yes, so the answer of what this Yankees team is likely falls somewhere between those two results, but some very real flaws have been exposed as stats begin to stabilize.

AP | Ronald Blum: The average salary of an MLB player rose for another year after Opening Day payrolls were made official, seeing a 3.4 percent jump from 2025 to a record $5.34 million. Overall, the growth of the game’s major-league side of the financials has been on a steady climb following the pandemic, recovering from a slow decline in the late 2010s, but the underlying concern is that the extreme spenders and thrifters have both gotten stronger: six teams paid out over $250 million this year instead of four last year, while eight teams spent under $100 million as opposed to five in 2025. The median salary also grew slightly, up to $1.4 million from $1.35 million, but it still hasn’t come close to the median record set back in 2015. With a lockout all but assumed to be arriving after this season concludes, these numbers paint a picture of the opening lines that the union and owners will set their trenches against, so it’s worth familiarizing yourself with them now.

MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: Former Yankee Mike Ford is taking on a front office role with the Tampa Bay Rays, which would all but confirm that the first baseman is electing to retire from the game after spending last season abroad in Japan. Ford had a sensational stint with the Yankees in 2019 filling in for an injured Edwin Encarnacion, hitting for a .909 OPS in 50 games, but his subsequent 2020 season didn’t fare nearly as well and he played only a minor role in that year as well as in 2021, leading to a trade that sent him to Tampa. Now he’ll get the chance to work with the Rays’ minor leaguers in a still-undefined role.

There’s an impenetrable, opaque blackness to this space. Devoid of the primary sense that humans rely on to orient themselves, you try to parse what information you can through your secondary inputs. 

Unfortunately, other senses provides no more insight. It is so painfully, crushingly loud here that you can’t be sure of the source of the noise, can’t be sure of anything other than the fact that your eardrums are on the verge of rupturing. Or is it instead that this place is so silent that you’re being deafened by the unyielding cycle of your blood frantically THUD, THUD, THUDing its way through your blood vessels? 

After an eternity of this, you finally hear it.

You were told what you should expect, but there isn’t any meaningful way to prepare yourself for how the velvety, telltale chuckle emerges from the void below you, starting at your age-appropriate New Balances, winding its way up your aging frame, slinking up into your ears before arriving at its destination. 

His laugh and his voice finds easy purchase in your brain.

“Oh, well, isn’t this just sublime? You’re clever enough to know that you’re just my type, aren’t you?” 

In this moment, you remember being a boy when your Paw taught you about viper’s fangs, how they’re hollow and hinged, a perfectly-designed poison delivery system. You swallow the knot in your throat.

“And a former catcher to boot, too. I’m spoiled today, aren’t I?” Another undulating laugh that feels like a scalpel against your brain stem. You say nothing.

He tuts. “Oh, come now, don’t be such a tease. I know you haven’t met me yet, but I know you. I know almost everything about you,” he croons. “And, since the second you replaced my dearest friend, I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for you to meet me here.”

“I know what you want. No one comes to my realm asking for anything else. He came here often enough, my friend, and for just the one thing. So, let’s get on to Hecuba,” he sighs. “You want my gift, and I’m willing to trade it. What else does a god want but tribute and worship?”

A fresh start can soothe many maladies. Leaving your hometown to escape the painful memories attached to your once-favorite places is a time-honored tradition of young adulthood. Or, if you’re feeling less dramatic but still need to cool the sting of heartbreak, may I interest you in a new haircut? 

Or, what if you’re a troubled but lovable baseball team that finds itself predicted to win their division, and with the second-highest odds to make the World Series in the league, BUT, after 13 mind-numbing games you have found yourself scuffling along to the worst record in baseball? Could a fresh start fix that?

Yes. 

The Seattle Mariners bullied the injury-ridden Houston Astros in a 9-6 win in front of a noisy crowd of nearly 45,000 last night. It was a welcome reprieve from a brutal 1-7 stretch characterized by a lifeless offense that averaged just 2 runs per game (and only 1.3 if you remove the 7-8 loss to the Angels).

Before the game, Dan Wilson said that he was looking to see his team return to their identity and do what they do best. 

“What we do well as a team offensively when we’re going well is get on base, create traffic…create chaos, so to speak,” he said. “Drive guys in and drive balls out of the ballpark.”

The Mariners did a little of both tonight, taking advantage of the opportunities that Houston handed them and being aggressive on the basepaths, while also making their own luck. 

The first inning was one for the books, an all-timer in Silliness. The Mariners scored three runs, each with their own little bit of pizzazz. A bases-loaded wild pitch, a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a ground ball that would have been a double play but for Randy Arozarena’s graceful sauté away from a tag chased Tatsuya Imai after recording just one out. The Mariners worked four walks off of Imai, some foreshadowing, perhaps, for the ten they would earn by the end of the game. 

Chaos Ball is so 2022, and this iteration of the Mariners ought not to need to stoop so low as to rely on such bullpucky to win baseball games. That said, you won’t find me complaining about how the 4-9 team wins ballgames.

Because Mariners fans may have nice things on occasion provided they are at least somewhat complicated, Emerson Hancock interrupted an otherwise sterling outing with a somewhat tarnished second inning. Hancock gracefully noted that he “never met a pitcher who’s complained when guys are scoring runs for you,” but one must wonder if the lengthy bottom of the first played a part in him losing the handle on the sweeper in the second inning.

Two singles, a walk, and a double later, the game was quickly born anew. 

Shaky second inning aside, Hancock put together another impressive outing tonight, earning his second win with 5 IP and 5 Ks while giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. He’s making his case for holding onto the fifth starter spot, impressing with his confidence and resilience. 

“There were a couple of big messes for us on the sweeper [in the second inning], but I thought for us to refine it in the third, it was a big pitch for us in the third, fourth and fifth innings.” 

The sweeper is probably Hancock’s best pitch, but the fastball was his most effective pitch tonight, racking up a 42% whiff rate while kissing 98 mph. The combination of the two can be deadly when the location is spot on, as it was on this hellacious punch-out of Jeremy Pena. 

But, really, whether you know it yet or not, you’re here for the Randy home run. After about 4 more innings of 3-3 baseball and a frustrating at-bat, Randy decided to talk his talk and send this ball to the absolute moon, marine layer be damned. 

There aren’t really words fit to describe this titanic blast, so why don’t you just go ahead and watch that one more time?

This game’s vibe is feel-good romp, so I’ll save the discussion of Randy’s outfield play for another article. Tonight, Randy delivered what he was traded for: the clutch, big-play, electric energy that can breathe the sparks of life into a team at risk of becoming flat, with a little bit of guitar playing to boot. 

While he hasn’t been struggling as hard as the rest of the top of the lineup, Randy has had an uneven start to the season, notching just 3 extra-base hits coming into tonight’s game. He said that he’s been taking lots of extra time in the cage to improve his pitch selection, and that it was gratifying to see it pay off tonight. 

“Obviously I’ve taken a lot of walks [this season], but to see it all come together after the work I’ve been putting in meant a lot.” 

So, who cares if Wilcox let Alvarez do what Alvarez does best? A big fat three-run home run of their own doesn’t mean much if Houston’s bullpen is content handing runs to Seattle. 2021 Mariners Amalgam J.P. France did just that, giving up another bases-loaded wild-pitch to score Cole Young, and the real J.P. and Cal each got their own RBIs.

That’s nine runs, five of which can safely be considered hardly silly at all and four that are at least a little bit silly. Beggars can’t be choosers, so Seattle should take the runs where they can. 

This was probably the game that’s been the most fun to watch this season – beating on the Astros will probably be uniquely joyful for another season, and Dave Valle’s halted explanation of how conversations work to Aaron Goldsmith gave me life after a long workweek. 

But, more than just being fun, this game held suggestions that the Mariners’ bats are climbing their way out of the hole they’ve put themselves in to start the year. Each hitter reached base tonight; in fact, everyone but Julio reached base at least twice. The at-bats across the board looked much-improved, as though there was a game plan going into them beyond the “see ball swing bat at” approach we’ve seen thus far. 

Combined with forcing Houston’s bullpen to put up 7.2 innings in the first of a four-game series, there’s good reason to hope that we might be in for a very entertaining and fulfilling weekend of baseball. If you have been waiting for the fun part to start, I think we might just be getting there. 

Your boss claps you on the back as you make your way out of the locker room and into the grey bowels of the stadium. You smile as he congratulates you on a great game. 

“Statistically, in terms of where our ship was headed, I knew it was probably a pretty likely outcome you would get this turned in a direction that we’re going to find productive. I feel that-”

“My name sounds so nice from your mouth, Danny,” he coos. It’s dark, unimaginably so. Your stomach feels like you’ve missed the last step on a long stairset that continues dropping out from under your feet. “I just love to see my song sung in front of the assembled press. Public tribute and worship feels so good, doesn’t it?”

“Anyways, this one’s is complementary, a gift for a friend well-met. I’m sure you have no plans to return – of course, Scott said the same thing the first time. And the second time, and, oh, every time after that. But you know where to find me. All you have to do is ask.” 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Yankees are ruing the fact that they cut ties with Cade Winquest on Friday before ever actually getting to see him pitch in a regular season game.

If only they knew someone that could have helped with that predicament.

Alas, after the Rule 5 pick broke camp with the team but only got as close to his MLB debut as warming up in the bullpen, Winquest was officially designated for assignment on Friday to make room on the roster for the Yankees to call up Luis Gil to start against the Rays.

“We were forced to make a decision and ultimately, he hadn’t even pitched yet this year,” general manager Brian Cashman said Friday before the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Rays. “It didn’t work out the way ultimately we wanted. But he’s really talented. We like the process we went through when we selected him, but it would have been nice to be able to find room to get him into games to develop, but it’s hard when you’re trying to compete to develop at the same time.

“So it just didn’t play out the way we wanted it to. … We think he’s got upside, he’s just going to need some time.”

If Winquest clears waivers, the Yankees must offer him back to the Cardinals for $50,000 (half of what they paid to select him in December’s Rule 5 draft).

If the Cardinals decline to take him back, the Yankees would then have a chance to keep him in the minor leagues.

While neither Cashman nor manager Aaron Boone second-guessed the decision to carry Winquest on the roster to begin the season — he was their ninth reliever as they started with a four-man rotation because of multiple early off days — they clearly never felt comfortable enough to use him through the first 12 games, most of which were relatively tight.

Lefty Brent Headrick appeared in eight of those games while five other relievers appeared in six, though off days helped somewhat to lighten the load.

“There were probably four or five games where he was a batter away from coming into the game and it just never happened, which disappoints me,” Boone said. “I wanted him to get in there and we wanted to see him and we still think very highly of him. [Thursday] was hard because obviously we invested that pick in him over the winter and we still believe this guy’s got a chance to be a really good pitcher in this league. So it was difficult, but just the early season so far declared itself in that way.”

The 25-year-old Winquest, who has yet to pitch above Double-A, did not have a great spring but still, Boone said, “a lot of smart people were seeing things and saying, ‘This guy’s got a chance to be really good.’ ”

But the Yankees are unlikely to get to see that to fruition.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

The situation offered a reminder of why the Yankees rarely make picks in the Rule 5 draft, because it is difficult to stash a developing player on the roster for a full season while trying to compete at the highest level.

“It’s harder to do, without a doubt, but it can be done,” Cashman said. “I guess another day.”

Clarke Schmidt threw 10 fastballs off the mound Friday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last July.

The right-hander was “pleasantly surprised” with how normal it felt, the latest milestone in a long rehab process that could get him back to the Yankees at some point in the second half.

“It’s been great,” said Schmidt, who hopes to face hitters by June. “I’m in the days of a lot of volume, this is a really high buildup phase, and I don’t feel stressed at all. It’s the perfect amount where you have to work through it and it’s not too much for my body. So it’s been good.”

Carlos Rodón (elbow, hamstring) is expected to face hitters again early next week.

The Yankees lost both of their automated ball-strike system challenges by the top of the fifth inning, after Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero were each unsuccessful trying to overturn the first pitch of an at-bat with nobody on base — continuing a rough week of challenges for the club.“Tonight, not very good ones,” Boone said.

Right-handed bullpen stalwart Jason Adam, who has been recovering from quad tendon surgery since last September, returned to the San Diego Padres in a dramatic fashion during the Friday night game against the Colorado Rockies. Less than an hour before first pitch of the game where the Padres debuted their new City Connect uniforms and tried to maintain their momentum from the walk-off win on Thursday, Adam was reinstated from the IL and struggling Jeremiah Estrada was placed on the 15-day IL with elbow tendinitis.

Adam seemed ready to be with the team coming out of spring camp but the Padres choose to be extra cautious with the valuable eighth inning specialist from 2025. Adam finished last season with a 1.93 ERA in 65.1 innings pitched before injuring his left leg while on the mound. He has thrown five innings over four games with Triple-A El Paso, including back-to-back games and multiple innings, in order to ready himself for the rigors of an MLB season.

In his postgame presser after the Padres staged another dramatic walk off win on Friday night, Padres manager Craig Stammen stated the preference for a “soft landing” for Adam in his return to a major league mound. That wasn’t possible when reliever Adrian Morejon blew a two-run lead in the eighth inning and Adam was called on to get the last out to preserve a tie. Adam threw five pitches and got a groundout to end the top of the inning.

There has been much debate as to who would be demoted from the Padres bullpen in order to make room for Adam upon his return. In the end, it wasn’t a hard decision. Estrada has been laboring in most of his appearances this season. His velocity has been down across the board and his command has also not been up to his norm. Over seven innings pitched in seven games, Estrada has a 5.14 ERA. Stammen also reported on Friday night that Estrada threw in the afternoon and didn’t feel right, reporting discomfort while throwing. They believe it is tendinitis and hope rest and rehab will take care of it.

Matt Waldron

Padres right-handed pitcher Matt Waldron threw another scoreless outing with Triple-A El Paso on April 8. He is on a slow progression in his build up as a starter after missing almost all of spring camp recovering from hemorrhoid surgery. His latest start went five innings with two hits, no runs and three strikeouts. That was his third start with a total of 12 innings pitched without allowing a run. He has a true five-pitch mix while using his fastball, sinker and knuckleball predominately. In those 12 innings he has 12 strikeouts and one walk.

Even with the slow build, he should be ready to join the team at the end of his rehab window later this month. It seems unlikely that Waldron would clear waivers if the Padres tried to send him to the minors. He is out of options and must be put on the roster in order to keep him in the organization.

For the second tine in as many nights, and for the first time in the new City Connect 2.0 uniforms, the San Diego Padres walked off the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. One night after Xander Bogaerts hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning, Gavin Sheets hit his second home run of the night with a walk-off three-run home run to right-center field in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Padres a 5-2 win over the Rockies.

Sheets hit his first home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, which gave San Diego a 1-0 lead. He was followed later in the inning by Luis Campusano who also hit a solo home run to push the Padres lead to 2-0. It was fitting that the second home run of the night by Sheets ended the scoring and the game, giving the Padres two wins in the first two games of the four-game series against the Rockies.

The left-handed slugger got the chance to play hero in the bottom of the inning after Mason Miller worked the top of the ninth. The closer did hit part, striking out all three Rockies hitters to keep the game tied 2-2. Jackson Merrill opened the bottom of the ninth with a single. Manny Machado followed with a walk and Bogaerts hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Merrill to move to third to put runners on the corner with one out for Sheets.

All Sheets had to do was follow the lead of Bogaerts with a flyball to the outfield and the Padres would walk off the field with a win. Sheets did in fact follow the lead of Bogaerts, but it was the example he set the night before that allowed Sheets to connect on a game-winning home run.

Walker Buehler made the start on the mound for San Diego, and he was solid in what turned out to be his best and longest outing of the season. Buehler pitched six innings and allowed no runs on three hits with four strikeouts.

Colorado scored both of its runs against the San Diego bullpen and the rocky start to the season continued for Adrian Morejon. The left-hander allowed two runs on four hits in just 2/3 of an inning. Jason Adam made his season debut in relief of Morejon. With runners at second and third, Adam induced a ground ball to third base from Ezequiel Tovar and Machado made the play to end the scoring threat and the inning for the Rockies.

The Padres will go for their third win against the Rockies and their fourth win in as many games when they return to action at Petco Park on Saturday at 5:40 p.m.

Max Muncy hit his third home run of the game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to secure a walk-off victory for the Dodgers (10-3) over the Rangers (7-6) immediately following the first blown save by Dodgers new closer Edwin Diaz.

Muncy homered thrice. The hero of the night collected a total of four hits, drove in three runs, and scored five runs. Andy Pages had another huge night at the plate as well. He drove in four runs on three hits to contribute to the Dodgers 8-7 win over the Rangers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Old friends Corey Seager and Joc Pederson helped make it a back-and-forth contest. Seager drove in three runs, and Pederson had a key at-bat.

Muncy got the Dodgers on the board in the second inning with a solo shot to right center for the first of three acts.

The Dodgers went from one run up to two runs down after one swing on a Glasnow fastball from old friend Corey Seager in the third. After Josh Smith and Brandon Nimmo singled, Seager slugged a three-run home run on a two-out 3-2 count.

Muncy went deep for the second time against Rocker in as many plate appearances with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. The solo home run made it a one-run game.

The longest-tenured player on the Dodgers, Muncy, is now alone in third place in LA Dodger history and sixth in franchise history with 212 home runs.

The Rangers got back the run in the next frame thanks to a Wyatt Langford solo home run off a hanging Glasnow curveball.

Hyeseong Kim’s sac fly made it a one-run game once again. Ohtani singled to right field, and the Dodgers had Rocker on the ropes with runners at the corners and two outs. A four-pitch walk to Kyle Tucker loaded the bases for Will Smith. Smith’s bases-loaded double play ended the threat there to keep it 4-3.

In the sixth, the comeback vibes returned. Pages once again came up clutch with a two-RBI double against Texas reliever Robert Garcia to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

Alex Vesia took over for Glasnow in the seventh and continued to pitch dominantly with three strikeouts in a scoreless inning. Glasnow nor Rocker were involved in the decision. Other than the two mistake pitches to Seager and Langford, Glasnow pitched well and struck out seven over six innings of work.

The Dodgers squandered another scoring opportunity when they cornered the Rangers again in the seventh. Freddie Freeman grounded into the third double play of the evening to end the threat.

Tanner Scott blew away Seager with a strikeout and pitched another scoreless inning out of the bullpen, another promising outing from the reliever.

Pages is playing on a whole different level and crushed his fourth homer of the season in the eighth, a two-run missile against right-hander Luis Curvelo for some insurance.

Sound the trumpets. Edwin Diaz emerged from the Dodgers bullpen to secure the series opener win, but things got sketchy quickly in the top of the ninth. Pederson struck out, but got it overturned on an ABS challenge. Joc subsequently singled. Evan Carter drove in Pederson on a two-run home run against Diaz to make it a one-run game once again.

Diaz intentionally walked Nimmo, but Ezequiel Duran singled home Sam Haggarty to tie the game at seven runs apiece in the top of the ninth. The save was blown, but the Dodgers still had an opportunity to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth.

Muncy saved us from extra-innings with a sweet bat drop after he hit his third home run of the night for a walk-off win.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Max Muncy 3 (4), Corey Seager (4), Wyatt Langford (1), Andy Pages (4), Evan Carter (1)

WP — Edwin Diaz (1-0): 1 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts (23 pitches)

LP — Jacob Latz (0-1): 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, no walks, 2 strikeouts (16 pitches)

Note: Will Smith now has 11 successful ABS challenges to lead major-league catchers

Up next

Emmet Sheehan (1-0, 8.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP) makes his third start of the season for the Dodgers Saturday night (6:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA). Jack Leiter (1-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) takes the mound for the Rangers. 

The Colorado Rockies battled all night, grinding through tough at-bats before finally breaking through with two late runs — making the walk-off home run that followed all the more painful. Juan Mejia gets tagged with the loss and Mason Miller picked up the win for the Padres.

Pitchers set the tone early 

Tomoyuki Sugano and Walker Buehler traded control early, each working efficiently through the first few innings in a game that quickly took on a low-scoring, tightly contested feel. 

Sugano delivered a solid six-inning outing, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out three without issuing a walk on 81 pitches (52 strikes). He mixed his arsenal effectively throughout the night, leaning on his splitter and varying speeds to keep Padres hitters off balance, while also inducing seven ground ball outs. 

After navigating early traffic and escaping a key jam in the third, Sugano ran into trouble in the fifth, where two mistakes were both punished for home runs.

Those swings accounted for all of San Diego’s early offense and ultimately proved pivitol in a game with little margin for error. To his credit, Sugano responded with a clean sixth inning to keep Colorado within reach. 

Buehler, meanwhile, was efficient and composed, holding the Rockies to three hits over six innings without issuing a walk while striking out four on just 68 pitches. 

A ‘light’ offensive game

For much of the night, neither offense generated much impact. The Rockies, in particular, struggled to produce anything resembling sustained pressure, and their lineup felt notably lighter without Hunter Goodman in the starting lineup. 

Colorado finished with eight hits — all singles — and no player recorded more than one hit. They struck out a manageable seven times but drew only one walk. 

Padres strike first on the long ball 

In a game defined by limited offense early, it was power that broke the deadlock. 

Gavin Sheets opened the scoring in the fifth with a solo home run to deep right-center:

while Luis Campusano also went deep:

Those two swings accounted for all of San Diego’s runs through eight innings and highlighted a known challenge for Sugano, whose otherwise strong outing was undone by the pair of mistakes. 

Rockies finally break through with scrappy eighth 

After seven innings of quiet offense, the Rockies finally found life in the eighth — and did it the hard way. 

Brenton Doyle sparked the inning with an infield single and was methodically moved into scoring position on a pair of groundouts from Brett Sullivan and Kyle Karros. With two outs, Goodman, pinch hitting, lined a single up the middle to score Doyle and cut the deficit to 2–1. 

Tyler Freeman followed with another base hit, and the inning came full circle when Beck stepped to the plate. After being picked off earlier in the inning in what looked like a costly mistake, Beck delivered in the biggest moment, lining a two-out single to right field. Third base coach Andy González waved Goodman home, and he sprinted around third before diving headfirst across the plate just ahead of the tag to tie the game at 2-2 and cap a remarkable turnaround. 

Bullpen keeps it tied — briefly 

Antonio Senzatela followed Sugano with a strong initial inning, showcasing both velocity and a full pitch mix before running into command issues in the eighth. After recording a momentum-shifting strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play, he issued a walk and was lifted as the inning grew tense. 

Adrián Morejón absorbed the eighth-inning damage for San Diego before Jason Adam recorded the final out. Miller then struck out the side in the ninth, overpowering the Rockies with triple-digit velocity. 

Another late heartbreak

Any momentum the Rockies carried into the ninth quickly disappeared against Miller, but the bottom half proved decisive. 

After a leadoff single and a walk put immediate pressure on Juan Mejía, the inning quickly turned into a high-wire act. Mejía recorded a key out on a deep fly ball that allowed the winning run to advance to third, but the margin for error had vanished. 

Moments later, Sheets ended it. 

Sheets crushed a pitch deep to right-center for a three-run, walk-off home run — his second of the night — scoring Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado and sealing a 5-2 Padres victory. 

Beck’s redemption 

Beck’s night encapsulated the volatility of baseball. 

After a frustrating sequence earlier in the seventh inning that included a successful ABS challenge and a subsequent pickoff at second base, Beck found himself back in a defining moment — and delivered. His game-tying hit transformed what could have been a night defined by a mistake into one defined by resilience. Is it a step in the right direction?

Final thoughts 

In a game defined by fine margins, the difference ultimately came down to a handful of swings. 

The Rockies showed resilience, clawing back with a scrappy eighth inning and getting contributions up and down the lineup. But three home runs from San Diego — including one final, decisive blast — proved too much to overcome. 

Even in defeat, the effort was there: gritty, competitive, and just short of enough.

Up Next

The Rockies are back at it again against these same San Diego Padres tomorrow evening.

They’ll face former Rockie Germán Márquez at 6:40 p.m. MT, a familiar face now standing in the way as Colorado looks to respond after two painful finishes. The Rockies will counter with Ryan Feltner, making his third start of the season.

After back-to-back walk-off heartbreaks, the Rockies have shown they can fight. Now they have to prove they can finish.

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The San Diego Padres did not start the season well at home in their first six games versus the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants, facing excellent starting pitching and showing an anemic offense, the Friars went 2-4 at home.

The road trip to Boston to face the Red Sox for their home opener also featured a struggling Padres offense with four hits against Boston starter Sonny Gray. But then the tide turned and the Padres took the last two against the Red Sox in cold and rainy weather. They moved on to Pittsburgh, playing a Pirates team that had won five straight. Taking two of three from Pittsburgh, the Padres showed their grit and perseverance while again playing in cold weather.

With the Padres starters are having some uneven performances and the bullpen is showing some stumbles to start the year, the offense was finally able to put up some runs with timely hitting and a standout pitching performance from Germán Márquez.

Nick Pivetta and Michael King show that they are working to stabilize their early season command issues while Randy Vasquez has put up a 0.75 ERA through two starts and 12 innings pitched.

Walker Buehler remains the only starter not to show improvement, he has a 9.45 ERA over his 6.2 innings pitched in two starts.

Mason Miller

The Padres closer has wowed all of baseball with his dominance, carrying over from the trend he started last season. In five games and 5.2 innings pitched so far this year, Miller has four saves and 13 strikeouts while allowing one hit and one walk. Including last postseason, Miller has 26.2 innings of scoreless relief that began last August. He has a 64% strikeout rate since last August and has K’d 76 of the 119 hitters he has faced.

Miller was at his hometown park in Pittsburgh for the first time as a closer and manager Craig Stammen brought him in for the series finale, despite the team being up by six runs. He had family and friends there to see him pitch so a non-save situation was justified for the reliever. He topped out at 102.8 mph in his appearance, again featuring his wipeout slider and mixing in a changeup.

Bullpen issues

The Padres bullpen is expected to be a strength in 2026. It has not started out that way. In 12 games and 49.2 innings pitched, the Friar bullpen sits with a 3.44 ERA, 12th worst in baseball. Normally, Adrian Morejon is dominant in his appearances. In 2025 he finished the year with a 2.08 ERA, second only to Jason Adam with a 1.93 ERA for the full season.

He currently has five innings pitched over four appearances with a 10.80 ERA. His command has been way off so far, allowing 10 hits and seven runs with only five strikeouts.

In contrast, David Morgan has been quietly excellent. He has five appearances and seven innings pitched with five hits allowed and no earned runs despite allowing six walks to five strikeouts.

Offensive struggles

An inconsistent offense has been highlighted by the futility of the lead-off hitter for the Padres. In their first 12 games the Friars have used Fernando Tatis Jr. for five games at leadoff. He has three hits and one RBI. Ramon Laureano has hit leadoff in four games and also has three hits and one RBI. Jake Cronenworth has been leadoff against some right-handed starters and in three games he has one hit. Overall, the three current leadoff batters have a combined .140 average and .369 OPS, the worst in baseball. 

Their team batting average of .213 is 25th and the team OPS of .618 is 26th.

The bright spot has been the bottom of the line up. Gavin Sheets, Miguel Andujar, Nick Castellanos, Luis Campusano, Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin have mostly occupied the bottom of the order for the Padres.

Andujar leads all Padres with a .310 average and .823 OPS. Castellanos is second with a .261 average with five RBI. Gavin Sheets has four doubles and two RBI while Jake Cronenworth has delivered a couple timely hits with three RBI and Fermin also has two doubles.

Luis Campusano started the year slowly but went 3-for-9 against the Pirates with two doubles and two RBI.

The power has been slow to develop for the Padres over their first 12 games. They have seven homers with Jackson Merrill and Ramon Laureano having two each. Their slug has been slightly better due to the number of doubles they have so far this year (26) and they are tied for second in that category.

Injury updates

• Joe Musgrove has continued to play catch since he began at the beginning of April. No timeline exists for his return to pitching and he has not graduated to the mound yet.

• Jason Adam completed pitching in back-to-back games with El Paso on April 4 and 5 then was kept with the Chihuahuas to pitch two innings in their game on Wednesday. He threw two perfect frames after skipping a day from his back-to- backs.  He has a total of five scoreless innings with El Paso. He should be joining the Padres for this homestand.

• Griffin Canning started the first game of the doubleheader on April 4, going 2.1 innings with three hits and a run and four strikeouts in 51 pitches. He will be advanced slowly and should have a buildup similar to a spring training schedule.

• Yuki Matsui has made two appearances and two innings pitched with two hits and no runs with two strikeouts. He will need to go back-to-back and maybe multiple innings before being ready.

• Matt Waldron continues his buildup with El Paso with seven innings pitched and no runs allowed. He will make his third start April 9. 

• Sung-Mun Song has played in 10 games with 36 at-bats. He has appeared at short, second, third and DH. It seems the outfield experiment for Song was scraped when he reaggravated his oblique injury in spring camp. He is hitting .278 with a .656 OPS but has 13 strikeouts in his 36 at-bats with four walks.

New City Connect unis

The Padres unveiled their new City Connect uniforms on April 9 and will wear them for the first time on Friday April 10 against the Colorado Rockies. Seven MLB teams unveiled their new alternate uniforms for 2026 on April 9. The Padres’ unis feature a tribute to the 1998 team with the blue and orange theme as well as a nod to the bi-cultural location of the team with the La Catrina patch for Dia de los Muertos.

The jersey is pullover style all in blue with marigold trim and braiding as well as bone-colored pants with marigold braiding. The hat is bone with a blue brim and blue/marigold interlocking SD.

The new gear is available on line at the Padres.com shop and at the team store.