In the 2022 MLB Draft, Gavin Cross was taken ninth overall by the Kansas City Royals. The Virginia Tech outfielder had just wrapped up an outstanding three-year career with the Hokies.
In his “freshman” season in 2020, he started all 16 games and hit .369, recording seven multi-hit performances before the pandemic cut the season short.
His next season was considered his true freshman campaign, and he became the first freshman in program history to earn All-ACC First Team honors. He also led the team with a .345 batting average. The talent was obvious, and he looked destined for the big leagues. After another strong season, the Royals selected him ninth overall.
Cross carried that success into his first professional season, slashing .312/.437/.633 between the ACL and Columbia with the Fireflies.
At that point, he appeared to be moving quickly through the minors, with the potential to become the next big thing in Kansas City. He opened the 2023 season in High-A Quad Cities and even reached Double-A Northwest Arkansas by year’s end. However, he struggled mightily, hitting just .206/.300/.383.
It didn’t add up. How does a hitter who had posted .300-plus seasons for four straight years suddenly look lost at the plate?
The answer came later. Cross made three separate trips to the emergency room before doctors diagnosed him with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a serious tick-borne illness. Though he was treated with antibiotics, the disease left him physically drained and effectively derailed his season.
The illness is relatively rare, affecting only a few thousand people in the United States each year, according to the CDC.
In other words, a rare condition cost Cross one of the most important developmental seasons of his career and set him back on his path to the majors.
Since then, Cross has somewhat rebounded, spending the last two seasons in Double-A and putting together respectable numbers, hitting .261 and .241 with 32 combined home runs.
Now entering his age-25 season, time is beginning to feel like a factor. Prospects such as Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen have surged up the system, and Cross has faded from the spotlight.
However, with players away for the World Baseball Classic this spring, Cross received an extended opportunity in Arizona—and he made the most of it. He hit .281/.324/.500 with two home runs. The 14 strikeouts are a concern, but elevated strikeout rates are common in today’s game.
He won’t open the season in Kansas City. More likely, he returns to Double-A, though he seems close to breaking through to Triple-A Omaha.
And given the Royals’ outfield struggles over the past two seasons, opportunities could arise. If players like Starling Marte or Lane Thomas fail to produce, or if injuries hit, Cross could finally get his chance to reach the majors and live up to his draft status.
It would make for a compelling comeback story, especially after the lost season caused by Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The earliest realistic timeline for a call-up would be late July or early August, but he’s an easy player to root for, and one who still has a chance to fulfill the expectations placed on him four years ago.
Los Angeles Dodgers pose for a photograph after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0 to clinch the National League West title during the season home finale at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sept. 25, 2025. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Although it ultimately came down to a two-horse race, the National League West fielded four teams in 2025 that showed flashes throughout the year. Those four squads started hot and held a winning record as July kicked off. While the Los Angeles Dodgers would ultimately hold serve throughout September, the San Diego Padres were within just a couple games of first down the stretch in a race that was closer than many expected.
The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks were in the mix for a good portion of the year, but would fall out of the race for first and into a battle with each other for third by August. Neither was a Wild Card threat. Even still, both had their moments.
Hey, even the Colorado Rockies found success, in that they avoided posting the worst record of all time. (It’s the little things.)
Heading into 2026, pitching looks to be a common thread that will define the division. Teams around the West focused their offseason on acquiring pitching talent, for a variety of reasons.
The Padres looked to replace departing aces, the Dodgers bolstered an already strong squad.
The Diamondbacks sought relief for a struggling unit across a number of stats.
The Giants held steady and will generally rely on the pieces they had.
The Rockies tinkered with the philosophy behind their staff.
In a tough division with little margin for error, each team’s adjustments could result in big changes for how the standings shake out.
Key Additions: 3B Nolan Arenado, SP Merrill Kelly, SP Michael Soroka, 1B Carlos Santana
Key Departures: OF Jake McCarthy, SS Blaze Alexander, RP Jalen Beeks
The D-Backs aimed to shore up a pitching staff that was bottom-10 in both ERA and hits allowed, re-signing Zac Gallen to anchor their starting rotation and bringing in Kelly and Soroka to slot in. Kelly will start the season on the IL after an injury in early March, but will look to make his 2026 debut soon enough.
Much of the Serpientes’ success came on the offensive side. Their bottom-10 pitching was countered by an offense that was top-10 in just about every batting category. They got on base, scored a lot of runs, drew a lot of walks, and hit a lot of homers. Things were clicking.
They acquired two new starters in Arenado and Santana, both of whom are coming off of down years at the plate relative to their usual production. Arenado slashed .237/.289/.377, each the lowest in his career. Santana posted .219/.308/.325 across two teams, and while those weren’t career lows, they were big dips from recent years. Both hope to rebound, but bring uncertainty to their new team. Keeping this steady are a core of solid hitters in Geraldo Perdomo, Corbin Carroll, and Ketel Marte.
The D-Backs still have some question marks and might not emerge as one of MLB’s top teams, but they certainly are positioned to push for the playoffs if they see a return to form for Gallen and some improvements to their pitching numbers overall.
However, an uptick in pitching could unfortunately pair with a regression in batting, threatening those chances.
Key Departures: SP Germán Márquez, 1B Michael Toglia, INF Kyle Farmer
After you’ve flirted with the likes of the 2024 White Sox and the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, any improvement feels welcome.
The 2026 Rockies won’t yet be looking for their first winning season in eight years. They probably aren’t even looking at their first sub-100 loss season. But bringing the losses down from 119 to 101, as PECOTA suggests, would feel like a massive win. Again, the bar is low.
Following 103-, 101-, and 119-loss seasons, the biggest improvements the club made in the offseason might be those in the front office. The team is young in positions and approaches related to club management, baseball operations, analytics (FINALLY!), and scouting. Obviously, time will tell how the new philosophies take shape, but for the time being it feels like the Rockies are actually headed in any direction.
The year ahead will be one of evaluation and development, understanding what the Rox have in the pipeline across the roster (see our 2026 State of the Position series for a look at each position in more detail!) and tinkering with organizational philosophies. That is evidenced by the number of one-year deals the Rockies have taken on as they try to avoid being tied down by any more big contracts or players who aren’t a long-term fit.
Obviously, as the Rockies try to shore up talent and work through the growing pains of young players playing who may or may not be around in a couple years, their outlook to compete in the division is very rough. What they can’t bring in wins, they hope to bring in exciting prospects and fun. The Rockies have not been a fun team to watch in a while, but several young cornerstone pieces and bright spots in camp could change that. A double-digit improvement in wins would be a very nice cherry on top.
Key Additions: OF Kyle Tucker, RP Edwin Díaz, UTIL Kiké Hernández
Key Departures: SP Clayton Kershaw, OF Michael Conforto, RP Kirby Yates
I think the Dodgers may have broken the PECOTA Standings…
They come into the year with the highest win projection in all of MLB and the best percentage chance to win their division (98.7%) of any projected division winner. On top of that, PECOTA gives them a 100% chance to make the playoffs and a 21.6% chance to win the World Series. So, yeah, I guess the back-to-back champs are in okay shape.
They came into 2025 with similarly high expectations and while they fell behind the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers for a postseason bye, that was a lost battle on their way to winning the World Series war.
Any concerns about Los Angeles’ outlook can be deferred until a later date. Having Shohei Ohtani and adding some of the year’s top free agents will squash any worries. The 2026 Dodgers had a rich-get-richer offseason, and the defending champs look even stronger with the addition of Tucker and Díaz. On paper, it’s a roster with very few holes. As heavy favorites, the Dodgers will look to put a little more distance between themselves and the Padres in locking up the division and securing the 1-seed on the way to another NL Pennant.
Ultimately, last year’s season is a recipe that should comfort LA. While they didn’t hit the stellar projections many thought they would, they weathered injuries and made it to the dance, where they could unleash a loaded rotation of Cy Young-caliber stars and flash depth in the field that helped them withstand a very good Toronto Blue Jays team that outplayed them for much of a series. In short, all of their talent gives them enough wiggle room to the point that the regular season finish won’t make or break their disgustingly high floor.
Key Additions: SP Michael King, 3B/OF Miguel Andujar, INF Sung-Mun Song, RP Ty Adcock
Key Departures: SP Dylan Cease, 1B/2B Luis Arráez, 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn, RP Robert Suárez
The Friars came surprisingly and agonizingly close to their first division title since 2006. In a West that was thought to belong to the Dodgers, the Padres were just three games out when all was said and done, even coming a game and a half within the lead in the final week of the season. It was a year of “so close, yet so far”, as they would end up falling to the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Round.
San Diego rode the wave of a top-notch pitching staff in 2025, finishing first in the league in hits allowed and saves, and third in ERA. They’ll look to plug some holes to hit those marks again after losing their top starting pitcher and relief pitcher in the offseason. Cease headed north of the border to join the AL Champs in Toronto, after giving San Diego 32 starts (8-12, 4.55 ERA) last year. Suárez may be even harder to replace, joining the Atlanta Braves after 56 games finished (40 saves, 2.97 ERA) for the Padres.
That’s a lot of games, and San Diego will face an uphill battle in filling them. Yu Darvish is out for the full season following elbow surgery, so the team will have more spots to fill. Germán Márquez looks to be a new addition to their projected starting rotation, as is Randy Vásquez (acquired from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto trade) after a strong spring. They may look to hop in the trade market to acquire another starter, with rumors that they could be in on Kodai Senga if he’s moved. Mason Miller, the closer acquired at the 2025 trade deadline, will look to take Suárez’s role.
On the other side of things, the Padres bring back a top-heavy lineup led by Fernando Tatís Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackson Merrill. They’re likely to miss Luis Arráez, who pitched in a team-high 181 hits on .292/.327/.392 batting. Gavin Sheets and newcomer Miguel Andujar will look to contribute, but the team’s fate will rely on how those core guys look this year.
Big change at key positions and the wear-and-tear of the NL West gauntlet will test San Diego’s playoff hopes. PECOTA has them as the biggest fallers in the division, but they’ll look to keep their window of contention forced open in spite of the turnover.
Key Additions: OF Harrison Bader, 1B/2B Luis Arráez, SP Adrian Houser
Key Departures: SP Justin Verlander, C Andrew Knizner
The 2025 Giants were the third horse in the divisional race for a big stretch of the season until things went downhill after the All Star break. Evidently, the club’s brass liked what they saw, adding just a few key pieces to the club that went .500 last year. They laid the groundwork in past seasons with the acquisition of Rafael Devers and Willy Adames, so the quiet path forward looks to build on that.
The Giants will welcome the production that the Padres are losing in Luis Arráez. A three-time batting champion, his on-base percentage and batting average have been very consistent and very reliable throughout his career, to say the least. San Francisco will add that production right into their starting lineup with Arráez projected to bat leadoff, along with some improved outfield defense via Harrison Bader. Bader also brings a wealth of postseason experience, and his bat wasn’t too shabby last year either, as he posted career highs in batting average, hits, and homers.
Beyond those acquisitions and new starting pitcher Adrian Houser, the Gigantes kept things fairly steady and will work with what they’ve got, hoping a few splashes will go a long way. With a rotation of Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp, Houser, and free agent acquisition Tyler Mahle, they’ll look to rely more heavily on more innings from their starters to preserve their bullpen, contrasting with the “opener” approach they’ve used in the past.
While the last four seasons haven’t necessarily marked steady improvement for San Francisco (at least in terms of their record), they also haven’t sounded any alarm bells. They’ve finished at or just under .500 in each of those years. If they can finally move further north of that mark, they’ll show that the path they’ve taken is the right one.
Will the Dodgers win their 13th NL West title in the last 14 years? Will the Giants or the D-Backs leapfrog the Padres in the race? How much will the Rockies improve? Let us know how you think the West will be won!
For a detailed explanation/FAQ regarding this tournament, click here.
QUADRANT 1
1986(1)vs 1962 (16) G1: 5-3, ’86 G2: 8-2, ’62 G3: 6-2, ’86 G4: 12-3, ’86 Series MVP: Ray Knight
I know what you’re thinking: How did 1962, the team with the second-most losses in the modern era, possibly steal a game from 1986? It seems like a miracle. It took a 3-RBI day from Frank Thomas (not the HOFer), a stunning homer from Joe Pignatano (who never hit one during his actual Mets career), and a Jesse Orosco implosion which yielded five runs in the ninth. But aside from that surprising blip, the ’86 Mets performed as expected, getting a walk-off homer from Howard Johnson in Game 1 and outscoring the ’62 squad 18-5 in the series’ final two games. World Series MVP Ray Knight came through with a homer in Game 4 to give the Mets a lead they would not relinquish, and Orosco redeemed himself with a clean outing. A Richie Ashburn groundout to Rafael Santana at short sent the ’86 team advancing, and sent ’62 packing — just like we all expected.
A seesaw series of two near-seeded teams, the advantage in this series ultimately proved to be 2010’s starting pitching staff. Johan Santana collected two of the team’s three wins, tossing a complete game in Game 1 and handing a quality start off to Francisco Rodriguez in Game 5. 2010’s pitchers even came through with the bat, as Santana had a pair of RBI singles and Jon Niese notched a solo homer. On the flipside, 1991’s staff led by David Cone struggled to hold 2010’s bats at bay — especially José Reyes, who batted .542, but also Angel Pagan and Carlos Beltran, who were extra-base hit machines. Though 1991 won’t be advancing in the tournament, we must still offer a footnote to the absurd heroics of catcher Mackey Sasser, who delivered a whopping nine RBI. His efforts will not be forgotten.
1998 (5)vs 2009(12) G1: 13-4, ’09 G2: 7-6, ’09 G3: 12-6, ’98 G4: 15-3, ’09 Series MVP: José Reyes
The opening and closing games of this series were an absolute massacre by 2009’s lineup. They had an eight-run inning in the fifth inning in Game 1, and collected eight extra-base hits in Game 5. Much like the ’09 team’s actual first game at Citi Field, Game 3 immediately got off to a shaky start when Edgardo Alfonzo hit a two-run homer before an out had been recorded. 1998 didn’t let up from there, pouncing on John Maine and earning a clean win led by center fielder Brian McRae on offense. The only truly competitive contest was Game 2, during which ’09 trailed 5-3 entering the bottom of the eighth inning before a Josh Thole RBI single, Luis Castillo RBI double, and José Reyes two-run homer gave them a lead late.
2008 (4)vs 1983(13) G1: 14-2 ’08 G2: 6-2 ’83 G3: 13-12 ’83 G4: 8-7 ’83 Series MVP: George Foster
Things looked all too promising for the 2008 Mets — and then their hopes turned to disaster. Where have I heard that one before? Game 1 was a blowout, with back-to-back homers from Carlos Delgado and Ramón Castro setting the tone early (Castro would finish 4-for-4 with two homers on the day), but the subsequent three games each ended in more devastating fashion than the last. In Game 2, 1983 trailed by a score of 2-1 in the top of the eighth, when George Foster crushed a go-ahead three-run homer. In Game 3, ’83 went ahead 8-3 and 13-6, but ’08 kept coming back, with homers from Carlos Beltran, Fernando Tatís, and Castro (yes, he did it again); but despite 12 runs and 15 hits, it ultimately wasn’t enough. In Game 4, ’08 seemed en route to a cathartic win, with a pair of David Wright homers giving them a 7-3 lead entering the bottom of the ninth inning. That’s when Billy Wagner had a nightmarish meltdown. Foster hit a two-run double, a wild pitch scored a run, and a Brian Giles RBI single tied the game. The only out that ’08 recorded in the ninth inning was the John Stearns walk-off sac fly which put them out of their misery.
2024 (3)vs 1982 (14) G1: 6-3 ’24 G2: 5-0 ’24 G3: 5-3 ’82 G4: 6-1 ’82 G5: 8-6 ’24 Series MVP: Pete Alonso
This series was a tale of two flipped scripts. It started out as an “OMG”-style party, with nothing but magical vibes through the first two games at Citi Field. In Game 1, Sean Manaea was dominating, Jose Iglesias was getting hit after hit, and Edwin Díaz’s trumpets summoned a clean save. In Game 2, everyone was homering while Luis Severino took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before George Foster dunked a floater into left for the only ’82 hit of the night. When ’24 got ahead early in Game 3, and it seemed a sweep was in their sights. Then, the unthinkable happened. After a scoreless David Peterson outing, 1982 stormed back with five runs off Tylor Megill in the eighth inning. In Game 4, with Pat Zachry in command, ’82 kept Grimace’s forces at bay to force a winner-take-all Game 5. Ron Hodges stunned the Citi crowd with a grand slam down the right-field line to give ’82 an early lead. But the ’24 team simply can’t be counted out. Winker homered. Taylor homered. And with two on and two out in the fifth, Alonso delivered what ultimately proved the decisive blow. Dave Kingman and ’82 tried to claw their way back, but Díaz shut the door in the ninth, and the team perhaps most fit for a tournament called “Mets Madness” lived to sing another day.
2005 (6)vs 1968(11) G1: 6-3, ’68 G2: 14-12, ’68 G3: 7-4, ’68 Series MVP: Ed Charles
Despite it being “The Year of the Pitcher,” it was actually 1968’s offense which took center stage in this upset sweep. Lots of players stepped up — Ron Swoboda hit .429, Ken Boswell blasted a three-run homer off lefty Tom Glavine, and Tommie Agee provided key insurance with a homer in Game 3 — but Ed Charles separated himself from the pack, batting .571 with 6 RBI and hitting a three-run homer of his own. In fact, of the four elite pitchers who took the bump in this series (Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Pedro Martinez, and Tom Glavine), Seaver was the only one who avoided getting shelled, tossing a dominant 8.1 innings of one-run ball. 2005 did manage an unusual feat in Game 2, getting back-to-back homers from Carlos Beltran and Marlon Anderson as well as José Reyes and Mike Cameron, but this was ’68’s series all the way.
Make no mistake: 2002 did a lot to make this upset possible. They got a surprise scoreless gem of an outing from Jeff D’Amico in Game 4, saved at the last second by a Roberto Alomar diving play in the top of the ninth inning. Their stars showed up at the right times on offense, with Mike Piazza hitting a three-run homer and Edgardo Alfonzo hitting two solo shots in the winner-take-all Game 5. Even Mo Vaughn got in on the action, crushing a homer onto the Shea Bridge off Nolan McLean. And Al Leiter was gutsy as ever, striking out nine in five innings of one-run ball in Game 1 and tossing a complete game in Game 5 (even more impressive when considering the 2025 home-field stamina settings). But when all is said and done, as with their real-life season, the 2025 Mets beat themselves more than anything else. The big bats did their best, with Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Alvarez, and Mark Vientos all homering (the Polar Bear also had a three-hit performance Game 2), but aside from a Brett Baty walk-off single in Game 3, they had no knack for stacking hits together or coming through in the clutch. This tournament was yet another blown opportunity for the talent-rich 2025 squad.
Despite 1973’s series win, the undisputed best game of this series was Game 2 — a 16-inning affair which had everything from game-saving catches (two of them, actually, from left fielder Dave Gallagher and right fielder Jeromy Burnitz in the bottom of the twelfth inning) to RBI from starting pitchers (one from Dwight Gooden, one from Jim McAndrew). The game lasted so long that Jon Matlack, ’73’s starting pitcher slated for the subsequent game, came on in relief, ultimately yielding the Jeff McKnight RBI single and Todd Hundley sac fly that gave 1993 the edge. But ’73 bounced back, with spot starter George Stone delivering a stellar outing in Game 3 and Matlack then heroically tossing a complete game on short rest in Game 4. Willie Mays, who had already put a mark on the series by getting a go-ahead hit late in Game 1, fittingly delivered the decisive blow in Game 5 when he hit an epic grand slam to left-center at Shea, handing “the worst team money could buy” an early exit from the tournament. And of course, Tug McGraw did his part by notching a pair of saves. Ya Gotta Believe!
The Miracle Mets’ path to a first-round victory was, unsurprisingly, stellar starting pitching. I mean, just take a look at these beautiful final lines:
Tom Seaver: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K Jerry Koosman: 8.0 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Gary Gentry: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Meanwhile, on the offensive side, Donn Clendenon hit .727. That’s not a misprint. He went 8-for-11 with three home runs and seven RBI. The ’63 team used their only ounce of magic late in Game 3, when Jesse Gonder hit an unlikely three-run, inside-the-park home run to give ’63 their first lead of the series. But Ken Boswell responded with a two-run double into the right-center-field gap in the top of the ninth, seizing the momentum right back. It may have been a less miraculous victory than they’re used to, but the 1969 World Champions can still celebrate a clean series win to advance onto the next round.
The first two games of this series were both pitchers’ duels. Jacob deGrom and Bret Saberhagen were in command during Game 1, with Jeff McNeil finally hitting a go-ahead homer in the top of the tenth to turn the game in 2018’s favor. The ’18 bullpen also came up clutch, getting a combined six innings of scoreless relief from Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, and Daniel Zamora in Games 1 and 2. 1994’s lone win came in Game 3, headlined by homers from Bobby Bonilla (who is technically a salaried member of 30% of the teams in this tournament) and first baseman David Segui. Game 4 was a classic, with Steven Matz cruising and ’18 leading 6-0 before the local left-hander suddenly fell apart, surrendering a seven-run seventh inning (aided by another Bonilla homer). Todd Frazier tied it with a no-doubt homer into the second deck at Citi Field in the bottom of the frame, but a Jeff Kent base hit misplayed by left fielder Yoenis Céspedes in the top of the ninth caused ’94 to retake the lead. Minutes later, Céspedes got his redemption by delivering a game-tying hit off John Franco, before Austin Jackson — who delivered the game-winning hit during David Wright’s emotional final game that season — fittingly capped off the series with a walk-off RBI single to center.
2007 (5) vs 2017(12) G1: 7-6, ’17 G2: 5-3, ’17 G3: 9-7, ’17 Series MVP: Juan Lagares
And just like that, the 2007 team’s devastating stretch of six losses in seven games extends to nine losses in ten games. To add insult to injury, ’07 was close to winning all three contests in this series. In Game 1, Carlos Beltran hit an electrifying game-tying homer in the eighth, but Michael Conforto put 2017 back ahead with a double off the wall in the top of the ninth, and ’08 couldn’t muster a second comeback. In Game 2, ’07 nearly overcame a John Maine disaster (the right-hander walked and hit a batter to drive in two runs), but ’18’s defense stole the show with a vintage Juan Lagares leap, a Travis d’Arnaud caught stealing, and a Yoenis Céspedes diving catch accounting for three of the final six outs. In Game 3, the ’07 team had a 7-3 lead at the seventh-inning stretch off a homer by Beltran and a pair of homers by Carlos Delgado (one of which went to the back of the seven-line section off Jerry Blevins). But José Reyes — the 2018 José Reyes — hit a surprise three-run homer, and Céspedes hit a bases-clearing double down the left-field line. A.J. Ramos induced a Lastings Milledge popup to end it, and seal yet another disappointing finish for the ’07 Mets.
This was about as lopsided an affair as any in Mets Madness’ opening round. 1997 outscored the 1980 squad 31-10, riding the bats of Bernard Gilkey, John Olerud, and especially Edgardo Alfonzo, who hit a pair of homers and drove in seven runs. They also received strong outings from Rick Reed and Dave Mlicki, leaving little work for the ’97 bullpen. The couple of bright spots which ’80 boasted came courtesy of Lee Mazzilli and right fielder Butch Huskey, each of whom delivered a homer in Game 3 and had respectable results at the plate all series.
In one of the most shocking starts to any first-round series, the 1966 Mets had 1985 staring down the barrel after just two games. The ’66 squad outscored ’85 11-4, blindsiding Dwight Gooden in Game 1 and getting a gem from right-hander Dennis Ribant (who put up a respectable 3.3 bWAR that season) in Game 2. But the heavily-favored ’85 Mets dug deep and pulled out a pair of tense wins, taking Game 3 on a go-ahead homer by Keith Hernandez in the tenth inning and hanging on to a shrinking lead in Game 4 thanks to a Lenny Dykstra diving catch in center field. Gooden redeemed himself in Game 5, allowing ’85 to hold a narrow 2-1 lead before Hernandez hit another homer to put the game out of reach. The ’66 team put up a valiant fight, but their goals of pulling off an upset and advancing in the tournament ultimately came up short.
This MVP award could just as easily have gone to Dave Kingman, who racked up eight RBI and hit the only home run of the series for either side. Had his team been victorious, the award certainly would have gone to Lance Johnson — owner of an oft-overlooked 7.2 bWAR season in ’96 — who was raking with the bat and made a game-saving catch with two on in the ninth inning of Game 4. But it was future Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre who delivered when it mattered most, getting the go-ahead hit for the 1976 Mets in Games 2 and 5. Both teams received stellar starting pitching performances, with Rick Reed outlasting Tom Seaver in Game 1, Jon Matlack throwing a complete game for ’76 in Game 3, and 23-year-old Jason Istringhausen showing his future promise with a dominant Game 4. When their rematch came in Game 5, Seaver outdueled Reed, tossing eight innings of two-run ball and securing a series win for the veteran ’76 squad.
Ending with arguably the best Game 5 in Mets Madness’ first round, this series saw quite the pendulum swing. Tom Seaver (8.1 IP) and Nolan Ryan (back-to-back strikeouts of Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso) combined for a shutout in Game 1, while Bud Harrelson and Donn Clendenon each hit two-run homers to power a Game 2 victory for 1971. 2023 bounced back, with Game 3 featuring a Lindor grand slam and Justin Verlander complete game, while Game 4 saw them hang on despite a 4-0 and 7-3 leads turning to 9-8. Finally, we arrive at the main attraction: a winner-take-all showdown of three-time Cy Young Award Winners Tom Seaver and Max Scherzer. The score was knotted at 1-1 through six, with a Cleon Jones sac fly and Francisco Alvarez solo shot providing the only runs. In the seventh, the chaos started. Out of nowhere — and I can’t believe I’m writing this — DJ Stewart hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Seaver. ’71 immediately answered with three runs to retake a 4-3 lead. In the top of the eighth, Brandon Nimmo hit a three-run homer off Danny Frisella, making it 6-4 ’23. In the bottom of the eighth, Jerry Grote hit a ball that Nimmo misplayed in center, leading to two runs scoring and tying the game at 6-6. The score was locked until the bottom of the tenth, when Bud Harrelson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out against Kodai Senga, who was on in emergency relief. Harrelson tapped a dribbler in front of the mound. Senga pounced in to try and shuffle it to Omar Narváez at home. Jones dashed for the plate. The rest is (simulated) history.
1988(2) vs 1967 (15) G1: 2-1, ’88 G2: 3-2, ’88 G3: 5-3, ’88 Series MVP: Kevin McReynolds
1967’s starting staff, led by a rookie Tom Seaver, held their own against the mighty 1988 offense; but ’88’s starting pitching was somehow even better, with David Cone, Dwight Gooden, and Bob Ojeda combining for 23.2 innings pitched and only five earned runs allowed. Despite all three games being decided by a margin of two runs or fewer, the only contest which felt truly contested was Game 2. After a Kevin McReynolds two-RBI double and early solo homers from left fielder Tommy Davis and pitcher Don Cardwell, the score remained tied until the bottom of the ninth inning, when Mookie Wilson came to the plate with Dave Magadan at third. Mookie hit a ground ball to Bud Harrelson at short, who made a tremendous diving stop and got to his feet to throw home, but Magadan was already crossing the plate. ’88 will certainly need the big bats of Darryl Strawberry and Howard Johnson to step up if they wish to advance further in the tournament, but for now, ten runs in three games was all the offense they needed for a first-round sweep.
The 1965 Mets proved a more frustrating opponent than the 2000 team anticipated, pushing them to five games. ’65 pulled off a surprising late comeback in Game 1, thanks to a game-tying double from third baseman Charley Smith and a go-ahead single from Ron Swoboda. ’00 appeared to have found their footing with which to stomp ’65 in Games 2 and 3, but 23-year-old Dennis Ribant kept the N.L. Champions’ bats at bay in Game 4 (see “1985 vs 1966” for details on another surprising Ribant gem in the tournament). In Game 5, the ’00 team resoundingly silenced any rumblings of an upset, thwacking ’65 by a score of 12-2 in a blowout punctuated by a 455-foot, three-run homer to left-center field from Mike Piazza in the fourth inning.
If you like chaos, this series is dedicated to you. If you like Daniel Murphy, this series is also dedicated to you. In Game 2, 2014’s Murphy ended the game in the twelfth inning with a walk-off single to right field. In Game 3, Murphy ended the game with a two-run walk-off homer in the eleventh inning — only this time, it was 2011’s Daniel Murphy. Over the subsequent two games, ’11’s Murphy drove in two more runs, while ’14’s drove in three. But enough about the Murphies. This series was a sloppy showing from the ’14 squad, who made a total of eight errors and managed to (characteristically) lose both games pitched by Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom. The ’11 team didn’t make it easy on their defense, especially batting champion José Reyes (who hit a whopping .571 across the five games), but between the extra innings loss in Game 3 and the pair of deGrom losses, this certainly feels like a series ’14 should have won.
After getting shutout by Noah Syndergaard in Game 1, the 1974 Mets absolutely teed off in this series, scoring 34 runs over the subsequent four games. They were led offensively by Cleon Jones and Wayne Garrett, both of whom were sizzling hot. The 2016 team was on a slight power surge of their own, hitting 14 homers over the five-game series (including four from Curtis Granderson), but the series’ biggest blast came off the bat of Ed Kranepool. With the ’74 team narrowly winning 1-0 in the seventh inning of a Game 5 pitchers’ duel between Syndergaard and Jon Matlack, Kranepool stunned the Citi Field crowd with a grand slam off the Shea Bridge. As in real life, the 2016 Mets’ plans were foiled by a late homer to right-center field in a winner-take-all game.
1990 (4)vs 1978 (13) G1: 7-3, ’78 G2: 6-1, ’90 G3: 11-3, ’90 G4: 8-4, ’90 Series MVP: Howard Johnson
The post-Midnight Massacre Mets didn’t quite have the power or the pitching to pull off an upset here, despite scrappy hitting from Steve Henderson, Willie Montañez, and Joel Youngblood. The 1990 starting pitchers were untouchable, with Frank Viola, David Cone, Dwight Gooden, and Sid Fernandez all throwing at least seven innings while allowing no more than one earned run. Viola’s Game 1 gem was spoiled by a bullpen implosion and defensive miscues, but ’90 didn’t make the same mistakes in the subsequent three contests, with Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry slugging enough (combining for three homers in the final two games) to keep so much as a lead well out of 1978’s reach.
How was this series possibly as close as it was? The 2003 Mets won two of the first three games, stunning 1987 in Game 1 with an epic Mo Vaughn game-tying homer in the eighth and a clutch go-ahead single from future MLBPA leader Tony Clark in the eleventh. In Game 3, they rode a strong eight-inning performance from Tom Glavine and a big homer from Cliff Floyd. But the ’87 team found themselves just in time, with David Cone and Jesse Orosco combining to three-hit ’03 in Game 4 and Dwight Gooden doing his job as an ace in Game 5. The big boppers for ’87 were exactly the pair we all predicted: Darryl Strawberry and…wait for it…Tim Teufel, both of whom hit three homers in the five-game set. That’s 8.6% of the homers Teufel hit in his entire six-year career with the Mets.
2019 (6)vs 1992 (11) G1: 7-0, ’19 G2: 3-2, ’19 G3: 9-7, ’19 Series MVP: J.D. Davis
These three games really summed up all the chaos and charm of the 2019 Mets — except for the part where they ended up winning all the games. In Game 1, that season’s Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom was his usual deGrominant self, tossing six scoreless innings before Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman completed the shutout. In Game 2, the team’s “LFGM” side showed itself, with ’19 getting an exhilarating RBI hit off the bench from, of all people, Jed Lowrie. And in Game 3, their absolutely catastrophic bullpen made its presence felt, nearly blowing a 9-3 lead built by homers from J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo, and starter Noah Syndergaard. When Daryl Boston hit his second homer of the game in the bottom of the ninth, it seemed the ’92 team might be able to pull off a comeback of Kurt Suzuki-esc proportions, but Edwin Díaz came through, striking out future Mets manager Willie Randolph to end it.
1975 (7) vs 2021 (10) G1: 2-1, ’75 (f/10) G2: 5-0, ’21 G3: 4-3, ’21 G4: 6-5, ’21 (f/14) Series MVP: Michael Conforto
This series kicked off with the pitchers’ duel to end all pitchers’ duels: prime Tom Seaver versus prime Jacob deGrom. It did not disappoint. DeGrom threw seven innings of one-run ball, while Seaver carried a shutout into the ninth before Michael Conforto suddenly took him deep to tie the game. An inning later, center fielder Del Unser reached on a J.D. Davis error, and future Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre drove him in with a walk-off sac fly. But that was all the 1975 team would get, as 2021 answered by winning a trio of thrillers. In Game 2, Marcus Stroman somehow threw 8.2 scoreless innings while allowing 13 baserunners. In Game 3, a late rally led by RBI from Francisco Lindor, Conforto, and Pete Alonso helped them overcome a mammoth 471-foot, three-run homer from Dave Kingman. And in Game 4, a fourteen-inning extravaganza which saw ’75 come back from down 5-1 against Edwin Díaz and the ’21 bullpen, it was Conforto who once again came through with a walk-off single to right to clinch a series victory.
For a team that outscored its opponent 41-29, the star-studded 2006 Mets came dangerously close to blowing this one. The 1981 squad made a strong statement right out of the gate, going up 6-0 after two innings of play due to a pair of Dave Kingman homers (he would finish the series with a total of four). The ’06 team made a pair of comeback attempts, tying the game in the fifth on a Lastings Milledge single and trying to tie it again in the ninth with runners on — but a diving grab by Ron Gardenhire ended the bid. ’81 earned another win on a Hubie Brooks walk-off single in Game 3, putting them one game from a stunning upset, but ’06 was able to fend off Kingman’s hot bat and secure a pair of tense wins. It wasn’t quite how they drew it up. Well, except for Game 2, which is exactly how they drew it up: an offensive explosion that featured 18 runs and two-homer days from Carlos Beltrán and José Valentín, who also homered in Game 4. But ’06 advances nonetheless, with a chance to prove themselves the champions we hoped they’d be.
QUADRANT 4
2015(1) vs 1964 (15) G1: 3-1, ’15 G2: 4-2, ’64 G3: 10-1, ’15 G4: 8-6, ’15 Series MVP: Wilmer Flores
This performance was true to character for the magical 2015 team, and there are a few key reasons why. For one, their young starting staff was phenomenal. Jacob deGrom racked up nine strikeouts in 7.2 innings of one-run ball in Game 1, Matt Harvey dominated despite ultimately being pinned with a loss in Game 2, and rookie Noah Syndergaard struck out ten in a scoreless Game 3 outing. For another, they did most of their scoring via the long ball, with Yoenis Céspedes, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, and Curtis Granderson all hitting multiple homers in the four-game series. Most importantly, it felt true to 2015 because Wilmer Flores was at the heart of the action, batting .467 and adding a homer of his own in the Game 3 blowout. The 1964 squad put up a tremendous battle in Game 4, with Ron Hunt ripping a grand slam off Steven Matz and right fielder Joe Christopher hitting a late game-tying homer. But it was David Wright who delivered the final blow, mustering a two-out, go-ahead hit in the top of the ninth inning to eliminate the original Shea Stadium squad.
2001 (8) vs 1995 (9) G1: 5-1, ’01 G2: 8-3, ’01 G3: 2-1, ’01 Series MVP: Mark Johnson
The 2001 rotation absolutely dominated in this sweep, with Al Leiter, Kevin Appier, and Steve Trachsel all tossing at least 6.2 innings while allowing no more than one earned run. Offensively, the ’01 squad saw strong showings from Robin Ventura, Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo, and Jay Payton, who delivered a clutch go-ahead home run off a cruising rookie Jason Isringhausen in Game 1. But it was 33-year-old utilityman Mark Johnson who stole the show despite only appearing in (*checks notes*) the final two innings of the series. He entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth, breaking up a 1-1 tie by dunking an RBI center into center field off future Phillies All-Star Paul Byrd. He then moved to right field, where he made a spectacular diving catch to turn a Carl Everett game-tying hit into the final out of the series. Talk about being ready off the bench.
This series was bracketed by a pair of spectacular Dwight Gooden/Tom Glavine pitchers’ duels. Gooden won the first one with no margin of error, tossing a complete-game shutout while 1989’s only run came off a Juan Samuel RBI single. But Glavine got the last laugh, allowing just two runs in Game 5 while the 2004 lineup jumped on Gooden for three runs early. ’04 was led in Game 2 by a two-homer performance from Mike Cameron, and received a fine pitching performance from Kris Benson in Game 3. ’89 pulled off a Game 4 comeback thanks to big hits from Howard Johnson and Kevin Elster, but was unable to do the same in Game 5 despite bringing the tying run to the plate in the ninth.
1984 seemed completely in command at this series’ outset, lighting up Jacob deGrom in Game 1 and exploding for a 14-3 victory in Game 2 thanks to a 10-run seventh inning. But the 2020 squad stormed back, winning both games in their cardboard-cutout-filled stadium. Game 3 was punctuated by a Dom Smith bases-clearing triple to give ’20 the lead in the eighth inning, while Game 4 was all about rookie David Peterson, who tossed 8.1 innings of one-run ball. Game 5 was one of the best in all of Mets Madness’ first round, beginning as a pitchers’ duel between deGrom and Dwight Gooden which kept the score glued at 1-1 through seven. In the bottom of the eighth, Wally Backman slapped a two-run double over the third base bag and down the left field line, seeming to prove the nail in the coffin for a ’20 team struggling to break through when Wilson Ramos suddenly hit a mammoth two-run home run in the top of the ninth to tie it. Seth Lugo somehow sidestepped a jam in the bottom of the ninth, and was on the cusp of evading similar trouble in the tenth with the help of a spectacular Michael Conforto diving catch, but a George Foster dribbler snuck through a scurrying Jeff McNeil on the right side of the infield to finally give ’84 a hard-fought victory.
Much like in real life, the 2022 Mets somewhat collapsed under pressure when seemingly on the cusp of greatness. Games 1 and 2 saw ’22 and 1977 trade a pair of wild extra-inning victories, with Eduardo Escobar delivering a walk-off double to right-center in Game 1 and mid-season “Midnight Massacre” acquisition Steve Henderson notching the go-ahead hit for ’77 in Game 2. The ’22 squad earned a clean victory behind a Mark Canha two-homer performance and scoreless Chris Bassitt outing in Game 3, appearing poised to advance as anticipated; but that’s when their bats went completely silent. Over the final two games of the series, ’22 was held to just one run and six hits, with longtime Met Craig Swan befuddling them in Game 4 and Jerry Koosman narrowly outdueling Jacob deGrom in Game 5. The turning point once again came courtesy of Henderson, who hit a 400-foot homer down the left-field line off deGrom in the sixth inning. Henderson would finish the series with a pair of homers, having driven in five of ’77’s 13 runs scored.
This exhilarating, mind-bogglingly insane series was defined by two things: starting pitching and defense. Every single game was a legitimate pitchers’ duel, with only 23 total runs scored across the five games. In the opening two at Shea, Tom Seaver and Jon Matlack both fired complete games for the 1972 squad (a shutout for Seaver and a one-run performance for Matlack), outlasting Matt Harvey and Jon Niese. In G3, it was 2013’s turn, with rookie Zack Wheeler outdueling Jerry Koosman in a scoreless, eight-inning performance. Game 4 was an extra-inning marathon, which could have ended at multiple points if not for the phenomenal center field play of Juan Lagares and Tommie Agee, both of whom made spectacular catches (Lagares also made a pair of highlight-reel plays in Game 1. It finally ended in the way we’d all expect: with an Anthony Recker lead-off, walk-off home run in the bottom of the fourteenth which barely scraped over the left-field fence at Citi Field. In Game 5, Seaver and Harvey matched up once again, but this time the All-Star Game starter was up to the task, allowing two runs in 7.1 innings pitched while the franchise allowed three runs over eight innings pitched. It’s safe to say that the ’13 team advances to the next round with some of the most unexpected, unbridled momentum of the tournament — not just because they pulled off an upset, and not just because they won three straight after going down 2-0, but because of just how energizing those wins were.
1970 (7)vs 2012 (10) G1: 7-3, ’70 G2: 2-0, ’70 G3: 6-5, ’12 (f/10) G4: 5-3, ’12 G5: 4-3, ’70 Series MVP(s): Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman
You could say that the 1970 Mets won all three games while playing at Shea Stadium, but it would be more apt to say they won all three games while their two aces (and this round’s only co-MVPs) Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman were on the mound. Seaver twice outdueled 2012’s Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey, throwing a complete game while allowing three runs in both Game 1 and Game 5. Kosoman, meanwhile, threw a five-hit, complete-game shutout in Game 2. When those two weren’t on the mound, ’12 was able to compete. They won Game 3 after being down 5-1 in the seventh, with a Josh Thole two-run single and Daniel Murphy two-run double tying the game before Scott Hairston dunked a two-out, walk-off single into right field in the tenth. David Wright hit a homer in Game 4 while rookie Matt Harvey and 22-year-old Jenrry Mejía shut down the ’70 offense. Wright seemed to have provided a series-defining moment when he hit a three-run, go-ahead homer off Seaver in a battle of franchise icons late in Game 5, but Bobby Parnell suffered a nightmarish meltdown in the bottom of the ninth, walking two batters and perhaps getting flustered by a Bud Harrelson bunt single. When Ken Boswell hit a two-run walk-off single to right field, the phenomenal five-game series came to an end. It’s also worth noting: Art Shamsky was inexplicably on fire, driving in nine of the ’70 team’s 21 runs while throwing out a runner at the plate.
1999(2)vs 1979 (15) G1: 11-7, ’99 G2: 12-11, ’79 G3: 16-1, ’99 G4: 12-5, ’99 Series MVP: Robin Ventura
You want offense? Boy, do I have the series for you. Let’s just take a minute to marvel at these numbers: the 1999 Mets scored 50 runs and got 61 hits over the course of four games. They spread it out remarkably evenly, too, scoring at least 11 runs in all four affairs, while getting contributions out of everyone from Mike Piazza (3 homers, 7 RBI) to Edgardo Alfonzo (.333 average) to Darryl Hamilton (an insane .533 average) to Robin Ventura, who hit 4 homers, racked up 10 RBI, and recorded a 1.200 OPS. How, you ask, did ’99 manage to lose a game under these circumstances? Believe it or not, the 1979 lineup gave them a run for their money in the early going, managing to outlast them in a see-saw Game 2. ’99 came back from being down 6-1 to take an 11-6 lead, but ’79 surged back to score six unanswered runs aided by a two-homer performance from third baseman Richie Hebner and capped by a go-ahead homer from John Stearns. ’99 looked in position to walk it off with runners at the corners and one out in the ninth, but Skip Lockwood struck out John Olerud looking and then induced a pop out from Mike Piazza to end the slugfest. Still, all’s well that ends well for the ’99 squad, which absolutely put the rest of the tournament on notice with its incredible offensive outpouring.
15 years ago today, and just two weeks after returning to the field following lat surgery, Jake Peavy was sidelined by rotator cuff issues. | (Photo by John Gress/Getty Images)
1900 The still-minor league White Sox purchase second baseman Dick Padden from the Washington Senators. In truth, Padden was sold to Detroit, but in some transaction lost to time, Padden ended up on the South Side, as the White Sox’s first player-manager. (Charles Comiskey is regarded as the 1900 team’s manager, but player-managers were the norm at the time, so at most the two men co-managed the White Sox.)
Padden, then 29, had his best season — unsurprising having moved “down” from the National League to the then-minor American. He hit a career-best .284 with another career high, 36 steals, while playing in 130 of Chicago’s 135 games.
Oh, and Padden led the White Sox to the first AL pennant, with an 82-53 record.
When the White Sox moved into the major leagues in 1901 and enticed pitching ace Clark Griffith to jump to the AL, part of the proviso was granting Griffith the manager’s role. Thus Madden re-jumped back to the National League, and the St. Louis Cardinals.
2006 The White Sox pull off what turns out to be a terrific deal, in a swap of blue-chippers. Seattle sends its ballyhooed southpaw Matt Thornton to Chicago for outfielder Joe Borchard.
Borchard was a first round (No. 12 overall) pick in 2000 but beyond hitting what is still the longest home run in new Sox Park history (504 feet) in 2004 never had a single positive-WAR season. He lasted for six games in Seattle before being placed on waivers in May.
Thornton, the No. 22 overall pick in 1998 by the M’s, fell under the tutelage of pitching coach Don Cooper, conquered his control issues, and became a dominant reliever for the better part of a decade. Right away, he contributed to White Sox success, with an outstanding 1.7 WAR and 3.33 ERA in 2006. Over his seven-plus years in Chicago he tallied a 3.28 ERA/3.02 FIP and 10.8 WAR over 512 games, and was named an All-Star in 2010.
2009 The White Sox swapped shortstop Sergio Santos — signed as a minor league free agent on January 12 — to the San Francisco Giants. Whether explicitly plotted or not, this deal seemed to be predicated on giving Santos one final shot to make it in baseball as a hitter. Support for this hypothesis comes in the form of Santos failing to make an impact with San Francisco at the end of Spring Training and getting shipped back to Chicago on April 1 — at which point his transformation from hitter to relief pitcher began.
Just one year later, Santos broke north with the White Sox — as a key setup man in the bullpen.
2011 Just two weeks after his unprecedented return to the field after lat surgery, Jake Peavy’s rotator cuff put his status to make the Opening Day roster in question. He’ll end up missing the first month-plus of the season with soreness, allowing Philip Humber to make his mark on the season. The rotation pitches so well in Peavy’s absence that upon his return the White Sox briefly adopt a six-man rotation, novel for the time.
On the season, Peavy is medicore, going 7-7 with 18 starts and a 1.1 WAR. His 4.92 ERA looks horrible until considering his 3.21 WHIP. In 2012, Peavy will come back and pitch the best non-Cy Young season of his career, with 5.0 WAR.
USA - CIRCA 1980s: Paul Mirabella of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches circa 1980s. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
Paul Mirabella pitched in the big leagues for 13 years, tossing nearly 500 innings for six different teams, mostly in relief. He was never an All-Star, never a league leader, never a closer, and never appeared in the playoffs. Considering those facts, his longevity is a remarkable achievement and a testament to power of a lefty arm that teams can dream on.
Paul Thomas Mirabella Born: March 20, 1954 (Belleville, NJ) Yankees Tenure: 1979
Mirabella was born just 20 miles from his future home at Yankee Stadium, in Belleville, NJ. A standout at Parsippany High and Montclair State University, the Rangers made the youngster their first-round pick in the 1976 MLB Draft. Mirabella rose quickly through their system, making his big-league debut in his third professional season. He struggled in a cup of coffee with Texas, allowing 18 runs in 28 innings.
That offseason, the 24-year-old would be a central figure in a blockbuster deal. Despite winning the Cy Young Award in 1977, the following season Sparky Lyle lost his closer job to Goose Gossage, making him expendable (and personally interested in a change of scenery regardless). The Yankees spun the reliever to the Rangers in a nine-player trade that also brought back Dave Righetti, who would spend 11 years in New York, winning Rookie of the Year honors in ’81, throwing a no-hitter in ’83 and making two All-Star teams after converting to closer a few years later.
Central to the deal was Mirabella himself. With Lyle departing, the Yankees needed to replace the sole lefty in their bullpen. And, while Mirabella could not reasonably be expected to replicate the three-time All-Star’s performance on the mound, he helped the Yankees fill an area of need.
Despite his status as the team’s lone lefty reliever, Mirabella was not guaranteed a spot on the Yankees’ roster out of spring training camp, instead competing with several others for a final bullpen slot. “If I do get sent on to Columbus, I’m going to be disappointed,” said Mirabella at the time. “It will be a letdown, but I’d have to pick up the pieces and do well. Whatever decision they make, I’ll accept it. I won’t fight it. I won’t tell them I’m going to go home. I’ll do what they say.”
He would win out, debuting in the season’s fourth game on April 10th. Brought on to face the left-handed Al Bumbry, he allowed a single that loaded the bases and was promptly removed. It was a sign of things to come. As our own Matt Ferenchick detailed a few years back, Mirabella’s time in New York was a disaster. He allowed 14 earned runs in 14.1 innings, putting up an astonishing -1.0 bWAR in limited action, and would end up spending most of the year down at Triple-A Columbus after all.
That offseason, Mirabella was once again involved in a memorable transaction. This time, he joined erstwhile playoff hero Chris Chambliss and up-and-comer Dámaso García in shipping up north to Toronto in a deal that brought back catcher Rick Cerone, a fellow New Jersey native who would finish seventh in MVP voting the following season and end up spending seven years with the team. (Incidentally, Cerone would be dealt for Brian Fisher, who by sheer coincidence, we profiled two days ago for his birthday.) For his part, Mirabella would embark on a nomadic career that took him back to Texas, then to Baltimore, then Seattle, and finally Milwaukee. It was on that last stop that he posted a career year in 1988 at the age of 34, recording a 1.65 ERA in 60 innings for a Brewers squad that missed the playoffs by just two games.
Mirabella hung up his cleats after the 1990 season. While his time in New York was a lowlight in his career, the left-hander bounced back admirably to have a long run in the show. Join us in wishing a happy 72nd birthday to Belleville’s own, Paul Mirabella.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
After legendary Mets broadcaster Howie Rose announced his retirement Thursday, he took to social media to send a message to fans in Queens.
“Seriously, I am absolutely overwhelmed by your kind words and thoughts. I cannot even begin to articulate how deeply you’ve touched me, not just yesterday but over all these years. Let’s have a great time this season. You truly are the best. Much love,” Rose wrote Friday morning in a post on X.
Howie Rose has emceed events at Citi Field, such as number retirement ceremonies, in past years. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Rose, 72, will retire after the 2026 season and is scheduled to work only Mets’ home games this season, barring a postseason run.
He’s previously served as an emcee for certain on-field events and could remain in that capacity as well.
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“Trust me, I did not arrive at this decision to retire easily,” Rose said in a video posted by the Mets on Thursday. “I have been going back and forth in my mind about it for the last few years. But the simple reality is that I am 72 years old and my wife Barbara, who has sacrificed so much for so long, deserves to have her husband around a little more often — whether she likes it or not.
“Time is getting short for that, at least as far as I’m concerned…I have got to hit the gas here, but there is only so much that I can control,” he added.
Rose also revealed in the video that he won’t be making a “clean break” and wants to stay involved with the organization after this season.
For Gary Cohen, the Mets’ lead voice in its SNY booth since 2006, the news hit hard, even though the two had conversations about Rose’s retirement in recent years.
“It still hit like a ton of bricks because it’s such a huge piece of the Mets’ firmament that will be going away,” Cohen said.
Howie Rose will still call Mets home games and Subway Series games this season before he officially retires. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Rose has been a part of Mets broadcasts since 1987, eventually switching to radio in 2004.
He also called the NHL’s New York Rangers and Islanders at different points earlier in his career.
Across his career, Rose had numerous iconic calls, from Mike Piazza’s home run following the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 to Pete Alonso’s go-ahead long ball against the Brewers in the 2024 Wild Card series.
MESA, AZ - NOVEMBER 09: Blake Mitchell #8 of the Kansas City Royals hits a double in the second inning during the 2025 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game between the American League Fall Stars and the National League Fall Stars at Sloan Park on Sunday, November 9, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Royals fans can get a glimpse of the future this afternoon, as MLB hosts Spring Breakout games today. Top prospects like catcher Blake Mitchell, outfielder Sean Gamble, and pitcher Kendry Chourio are on the 27-man roster that will take on Texas Rangers prospects at 3 p.m. CT in Arizona. All Spring Breakout games will be broadcast live and fully available on MLB’s digital platforms (MLB.com, MLB.TV, and the MLB app).
The Royals will serve as the visiting team in their contest at Surprise Stadium. The original 40-man roster was narrowed to a 27-man active roster for today’s game, with a roster that also includes top pitching prospect Felix Arronde, hard-throwing Dennis Colleran, 2025 draft pick Justin Lamkin, speedster Asbel Gonzalez, former first-round pick Gavin Cross, and top hitting prospects like Ramon Ramirez, Yandel Ricarod, Daniel Vazquez, and Carson Roccaforte.
The future takes the field this afternoon in our 2026 Spring Breakout Prospect Showcase! pic.twitter.com/gNeWqGCz7D
JUPITER, FL - MARCH 19: Gavin Fein #8 of the Washington Nationals runs to first base during the game between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Jared Blais/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
While the Washington Nationals lost their Spring Breakout game against the Cardinals 9-8, there were so many positives to take away. The biggest storyline was how impressive the Nats youngest prospects were. Yesterday, the biggest contributors were the teenagers. Gavin Fien, Eli Willits, Miguel Sime Jr. and Landon Harmon all showed why they are so highly touted.
The Nats teenagers have blown me away in the Spring Breakout game. Gavin Fien, Eli Willits, Landon Harmon and Miguel Sime Jr. were all fantastic and showed elite traits. Fien showed his hitting chops, Willits shows his great eye, Harmon showed his beautiful mechanics and Sime…
All of them showed unique skillsets. The most impressive of them all was Gavin Fien though. He showed why the Nats made him the headlining piece in the MacKenzie Gore return. The 12th overall pick from the 2025 draft showed his combination of hitting ability and impact.
Fien was the engine of the Nats offense in the Spring Breakout game. He was 3 for 4 with a walk and two doubles. Fien, who turned 19 earlier this month, also drove in five runs. His biggest hit was a bases clearing double off of top five pick Liam Doyle. He crushed a 97 MPH fastball above the zone 107 MPH down the left field line.
It was a highly impressive offensive display from the youngster. While Fien had a track record of hitting on the showcase circuits, some scouts had concerns about his swing translating to pro ball. That was not a problem yesterday, where the youngster handled premium velocity with ease.
If this is any indicator of what is to come, Fien should become a consensus top 100 prospect very quickly. Not many teenagers look as comfortable as he does in the batters box. Fien projects as an offensively gifted third baseman who can hit in the .275 range while hitting 25 or so home runs.
Honestly, his offensive game reminds me a lot of Ryan Zimmerman. Both have big time power, but aren’t necessarily home run hitters. Like Zimmerman, Fien loves hitting line drives all around the yard. He still has a long way to go, but I think he has that kind of offensive ceiling.
Speaking of teenage hitters, who look unusually comfortable in the box, Eli Willits showed some of what made him the first overall pick. He drew two walks that were extremely impressive. Some walks come from the pitcher being uncompetitive, while others are due to a hitter having great command of the strike zone. On both of Willits’ walks, we saw the latter.
He led off the game with a seven pitch at bat against Liam Doyle. In that AB, he took some really quality pitches that most hitters would have swung at. He looked frighteningly calm in the box against a lefty that throws in the mid to upper 90’s.
His second at bat was even better. Willits worked an 8 pitch walk to load the bases. There is actually a video of the whole at bat, which I will show down here. I have not seen a teenaged Nats prospect with this kind of plate discipline since Juan Soto.
Doyle re-entered in the second inning and continued to struggle to command his secondaries. His lively fastball would get him back into counts, but he struggled to put guys away with anything else. This at bat against Eli Willits is an example.
Willits also showed his value in the field and on the bases. He made a couple nice plays at shortstop and stole a base as well. Willits is going to be very fun to watch on the bases. The youngster makes great reads, but is also extremely aggressive. His helmet was flying all over the place yesterday.
We may have gotten a taste of Nats future left side of the infield. Yesterday, Eli Willits and Gavin Fien looked a bit like Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon. The youngsters have a long way to go to reach those levels, but it was super fun to see them ball out.
On the pitching side of things, we saw two electric teenage arms in Miguel Sime Jr. and Landon Harmon. I want to start with Sime because he delivered the bigger headlines. He showed why the Nats paid him $2 million in the fourth round, but also why he fell to the fourth round.
Sime’s pure velocity was bonkers. At 18 years old, he was sitting at 99-101 MPH and touched 102. It was fairly easy velocity as well. Sime is a massive young man, who is built like a defensive lineman, so he does not have to strain as much to hit 100.
His most impressive work came against Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt. The youngster started the at bat with a pitch clock violation and then threw two more balls to fall behind 3-0. That is not the spot you want to be in against an advanced hitter like Wetherholt. However, he got three straight whiffs, finishing Wetherholt off with a 101 MPH heater.
When Sime was locating his fastball and slider, they were unhittable. However, his control was hit or miss. He did a decent job controlling his heater, though there were a couple bad misses. Sime did not have a great feel for his slider. He missed high on a lot of them. Missing in the same spot consistently makes me think his mechanics were not lined up on that pitch.
The slider is actually a new pitch for him, so not having a great feel for it is understandable. Sime’s overall control definitely needs work, but he is still just 18. Even in today’s game, 18 year olds who throw 100 do not grow on trees. Sime can sit in the triple digits and flashes a strong breaking ball as well. It will be a long road for him, but his upside is massive, whether that is as a starter or as a closer.
Landon Harmon was not sitting at 100 MPH, so he did not get as many headlines as Sime. However, he may have been even more impressive. Unlike Sime, Harmon’s mechanics and control were very sharp. His delivery is beautiful and he just looks the part on the mound.
Harmon only threw 10 pitches, but I saw enough to be very excited. He featured a mid-90’s fastball which was classified as a cutter and a low to mid 80’s slider. I am curious as to why they classified his fastball as a cutter. Either way, the pitch was very impressive. He got two ground outs on the heater, retiring the first two hitters on just three pitches.
To finish the inning, he had a nice seven pitch battle with Tai Peete. He showcased his slider in that at bat, and it looked pretty good. It was a bit slurvy and could use some more power, but it has nice movement. He froze Peete on a slider at the top of the zone to get the strikeout. Peete challenged the pitch, but ABS confirmed the umpire’s ruling.
I am not sure where Harmon will start the season, but based on that outing, he looked sharp enough to skip over rookie ball. A couple years ago, Travis Sykora went straight to Low-A, and I think Harmon could do the same. If he pitches well there, he may even get some run at High-A to end the season.
Yesterday, the Nationals most impressive players were teenagers from the 2025 draft. You would think the prospects who have experience in the upper minors would be the stars of the event, but that was not the case.
That is a really good sign for the future of the Nats. The guys who looked like stars yesterday were the new regime’s guys. They were either drafted by Mike DeBartolo or acquired by Paul Toboni in the case of Fien. If yesterday is any indicator, these teenagers could be the guys who can take the Nats back to the top of the National League.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 19: Joseph Sullivan #19 of the Houston Astros bats during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Houston Astros at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Yesterday, Astros prospects took on the Marlins in the Spring Breakout game, and rather than provide a traditional recap, the focus here is on the positives and the players who stood out. The Astros came away with a 7-6 win in an entertaining matchup.
James Hicks
Hicks got the start for the Astros and, after a breakout Arizona Fall League, he turned in a nice performance on Thursday. The right-hander allowed zero earned runs over 2 innings while striking out 4. The defense committed three errors behind him, so two runs scored unearned, but it was a good performance for him. He topped out at 94.8 MPH with the sinker and got three whiffs with his changeup.
Cole Hertzler
Hertzler was drafted by the Astros in the 5th round of the 2024 draft, and despite having just 21 professional innings, the upside is clearly there. The right-hander was up to 95.5 MPH with the fastball, but his curveball and slider were the real weapons. He threw nine curveballs and three sliders and got six whiffs. He finished the day striking out 5 over 3 scoreless innings.
Leomar Rosario
Rosario is a 22-year-old relief pitcher in the system who pitched in Single-A last year but had some command issues, as he walked 40 in 49 innings. He has an electric arm and was sharp on Thursday. In one inning of work, Rosario got 5 whiffs and struck out the side as his fastball hit 100.2 MPH and sat at a 99.7 MPH average.
Alimber Santa
Santa has gotten some decent run this Spring Training and got the 9th inning of the game on Thursday. In his one inning, he allowed zero runs and struck out 2 batters, hitting 96.8 MPH with his fastball and generating 2 whiffs on the sweeper.
Xavier Neyens
This was the first bit of action we saw from Xavier Neyens, the Astros’ first-round pick in 2025. While he had some miscues early defensively, he did draw three walks in five plate appearances, and keep in mind he is just 19 years old.
Chase Call
Call was the Astros’ 16th-round pick in the 2025 draft, and while he only got two plate appearances Thursday, he made the most of them. In his first appearance, he connected on a 108.6 MPH single, the hardest-hit ball of the day for either team. In his second appearance, he drew a six-pitch walk.
Joseph Sullivan
Sullivan had a breakout 2025 season, and in yesterday’s game, he did what he did all last year. While he didn’t get a hit, he ended up drawing two walks and stealing three bases. He stole 42 bases last year.
Lucas Spence
Spence, also a breakout prospect from 2025, received three plate appearances and went 0-for-1 with 2 walks. But his one batted ball was the second-hardest-hit ball of the game on a 106.2 MPH groundout. He also added a stolen base.
Arturo Flores
Flores has kind of flown under the radar, but after a solid year in 2025 making it to Single-A at 19, he found himself on the Spring Breakout roster. He only had one at-bat but made the most of it, connecting on a 101.0 MPH 2-run double to help cut the lead to just one run
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after winning game five of the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field on October 11, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This time one year ago, the notion that three of the National League’s playoffs teams would have come from the Central was farfetched, and yet, by the time the post-season began, the division champion Milwaukee Brewers were joined by the Wild Card entrants Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.
The NL Central featured several 2025 award winners including Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates (Cy Young) and the Milwaukee Brewers duo of Pat Murphy (Manager of the Year) and Matt Arnold (Executive of the Year). In addition, the Chicago Cubs won the team Gold Glove Award.
Coming into the 2026 season, the Central looks be just as competitive as it was in 2025, and although the Cardinals finally embraced a re-build, the Pirates actually spent money on free agents. Here’s a preview of the division.
It was a third consecutive NL Central title for the Brewers in 2025, winning 97 games along the way. The team’s high impact position players return in 2026, led by catcher William Contreras, outfielder Jackson Chourio, infielder Brice Turang and designated hitter Christian Yelich. They also have one of the top prospects in the game, Jesus Made, who will turn 19 in May and could force his way to Milwaukee before the year ends. Jett Williams, the top infield prospect picked up from the New York Mets in an off-season trade, may also impact the big league team this season.
The starting rotation lost Freddy Peralta, who the team dealt to the Mets for Williams and pitcher Brandon Sproat, which will impact the rotation but jettisoning a pitcher who is headed for free agency is a common strategy used by the team’s front office, and thus one they were prepared to accommodate.
Starter Brandon Woodruff signed his qualifying offer, somewhat surprisingly, but his return gives the team’s rotation a veteran presence that also includes Chad Patrick, Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison and Aaron Ashby – at least to start the season. Quinn Priester will begin the season on the IL and prospects Sproat, Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser could all factor into the rotation sooner than later.
The bullpen’s top arms, Trevor Megill – who saved 30 games for the team last season – and Abner Uribe, who may take over as the team’s primary closer, are supplemented by returning relievers DL Hall, Rob Zastryzny and Grant Anderson.
Questions in their rotation notwithstanding – and the loss of Peralta is no small one – the Brewers are still the team to beat in the Central, with Pat Murphy’s squad of position players all under 30 (outside of Yelich) and prospects knocking on the door. Andrew Vaughn, who had a career renaissance after joining the team mid-season, has to prove his 64 outstanding games as a Brewer wasn’t a fluke.
The Brewers have been one of the best-run small market clubs for the last decade. They’ve finished worst than 2nd in their division only once (4th in 2020, but still made the playoffs) and only twice missed playing in the postseason during this run.
Can the Brew Crew make it four-in-a-row in 2026 with another division crown? It’s tough to bet against them.
Chicago Cubs 2025 record: 92-70, 2nd (Wild Card)
The Cubs enjoyed a 90+ win season in 2025 – manager Craig Counsell’s second season at the helm. Winners of the team Gold Glove, the team’s core position players return – minus the departed free agent Kyle Tucker – and with the addition of Alex Bregman to play third base. First baseman Micheal Busch paced the team with 34 home runs while infielders Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson provided excellent defense with above average offense while both also stealing 20-or-more bases. Carson Kelly had a career-best season behind the plate with the Cubs in his 10th big league season.
Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a 30/30 season and was electric in the first-half of the season, his second full-time year in the big leagues. Seiya Suzuki posted another above-average season with an MLB-career best 32 home runs. Ian Happ rounds out the outfield with another 20+ home run bat.
The team’s starting rotation will be without Justin Steele for most of the first half of the season, but 2025 All-Star Matthew Boyd and 2024 All-Star Shota Imanaga will be joined by new addition Edward Cabrera and veteran Jameson Taillon in a rotation that includes 2025 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Cade Horton. Collin Rea, who made 27 starts for the Cubs last season, may find himself in the bullpen.
Closer Daniel Palencia is coming off of a dominate showing in the World Baseball Classic where he picked up the save in Venezuela’s championship winning game against the United States. Behind him will be some new names after the team lost Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller to free agency and Ryan Pressly to retirement. Caleb Thielbar does return and will be joined by newcomers Hoby Milner, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton and Jacob Webb.
The Cubs should compete for a Wild Card while battling the Brewers for the top spot in the division.
When the New York Mets collapsed down the stretch in 2025, the Reds were able to claim a Wild Card birth. The Reds may be hard-pressed to repeat last season’s winning season with staff anchor Hunter Greene out until July after having chips removed from his elbow.
The team’s starting rotation does return the excellent Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo, but after Nick Martinez left during free agency, the team will look to fill out their rotation with a handful of pitchers – including one of their top prospects, Rhett Lowder
Emilio Pagan returns as closer with top set-up man Tony Santillan. New addition Pierce Johnson should help fortify their depth along with Graham Ashcroft, but the back-end of their bullpen has more questions than answers heading into the season.
Eugenio Suárez returns to the team he spent seven seasons with earlier in his career as the team’s designated hitter. He also add a veteran leader and power bat to a position player group under-performed in 2025. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz played in all 162 games, but struggled in the season’s second half. The team will be counting on top prospect Sal Stewart after a strong September showing as the team’s first baseman. After missing the 2024 season, Matt McClain struggled last year, and his ability to return to the offensive output similar to what he produced during his rookie campaign in 2023 would be a boon to the team’s lineup.
The team return their veteran catchers while their outfield will include Noelvi Marté Spencer Steer, who both spent much of last season on the infield.
If everything goes right for the Reds, the could stay in the Wild Card race into September, but they aren’t a sure thing to repeat their winning record from 2025.
St. Louis Cardinals 2025 record: 78-84, 4th
Finally, the Cardinals have embraced the rebuild. Gone are starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas as well as first baseman Willson Contreras, second baseman Brandon Donovan and third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The team will start the season without outfielder Lars Nootbaar who is recovering from heel surgery. The team will need former top outfield prospect Jordan Walker to rebound from a disappointing 2025 and the infield will need to see Masyn Winn take a step forward offensively and hope his new double-play partner, top prospect JJ Wetherholt, can contend for NL Rookie of the Year. Nolan Gorman will get a chance to stick at third base while Alec Burleson – who posted the best offensive numbers of any returning player – can build on a strong 2025.
The team’s starting rotation will be led by Matthew Liberatore but the Cardinals rotation depth will be banking on a the buy-low Dustin May and Kyle Leahy, who will work out of the rotation after making 61 relief appearances last year. The bullpen returns presumptive closer JoJo Romero but has more questions that the rotation.
St. Louis will be in for a rough 2026 season and could threaten to fall below the 71-win mark the team posted in 2023 – the lowest win total in a 162-game season since 1990.
Pittsburgh Pirates 2025 record: 71-91, 5th
Could this be the year the Pirates finally return to the post-season?
After years of ownership failing invest in the major league team via free agency, Pittsburgh added outfielder Ryan O’Hearn on what is the largest position-player free agent contract in the organization’s history. They also added designated hitter Marcell Ozuna late in the off-season and hope he can provide a higher ceiling offensively that the departed franchise icon Andrew McCutchen. The team also swung a trade for veteran infielder Brandon Lowe, who will likley slot into second base, but has the positional versatility to move around the diamond, if needed.
The Pirates also have to top prospect in baseball in shortstop Konnor Griffin who is fighting for a spot on the big league roster despite only playing 21 games at Double-A last season. The outfield returns Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, both of whom had disappointing 2025 seasons, as well a first baseman Spencer Horwitz. The team’s catching duo of Joey Bart and Henry Davis are both still searching for a break-out season to match their once top-prospect billings.
The team added Gregory Soto to the team’s bullpen behind Dennis Santana but the rest of the team’s relievers are nondescript.
The starting rotation is where the Pirates shine with reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes as the team’s ace. Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcroft solidify the top four spots in the rotation with Jose Urquidy – who has pitched in only two big league games since 2023 – a possibility for the fifth starter’s spot.
The Pirates raised their floor offensively for 2026 and while it likely wasn’t enough to put them in position to challenge for the division title, barring injury, the team should be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot deep into September.
2026 NL Central Division Prediction
Milwaukee Brewers (Division Champions) Chicago Cubs (Wild Card) Pittsburgh Pirates (Wild Card) Cincinnati Reds St. Louis Cardinals
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 13, 2026: Jhoan Duran #59 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at BayCare Ballpark on March 13, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Good Phight will be previewing the 2026 season by going over each position on the field. We’ll talk about the players that will occupy them, the played behind them, their strengths and weaknesses and give a few takes about how we think the season will shake out.
The Phillies began 2025 betting on Jordan Romano to have a bounce-back season, for José Ruiz to look like a solid middle-inning reliever, José Alvarado to look like a high leverage reliever, and for Orion Kerkering to ascend into an upper tier right handed reliever.
None of that happened. Luckily, they were able to sign David Robertson and make a massive trade for Jhoan Duran but the bullpen still cost them in each of their losses against the Dodgers in the NLDS. The Phillies were never able to overcome an offseason plan going horribly wrong.
The Leverage/Middle Relief Arms:Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, José Alvarado, Jonathan Bowlan, Orion Kerkering, and Tanner Banks
Jhoan Duran will pitch his first full season as a Philadelphia Phillie after being acquired at the trade deadline last year. That means a full season of a set ninth inning and the Durantula throwing a ridiculous splinker while his intro music is still ringing in the heads of a sold-out crowd.
Personal opinion: it should be illegal for a closer to throw more than 3 pitches.
That’s not all to the bullpen in 2026. Brad Keller signed a two-year deal after a career-altering season with the Chicago Cubs. Keller pitched to a 2.07 ERA in 69.2 innings last season with a five-pitch arsenal. Given his .569 OPS allowed to left-handed hitters last season, Keller slots in as the primary setup option.
José Alvarado returns after his 2025 was defined by an 80-game suspension. The sinker and cutter have looked sharp in camp and there isn’t much left-handed relief depth behind him. He is the primary left handed option for Rob Thomson’s bullpen.
Jonathan Bowlan was acquired from the Royals in exchange for Matt Strahm. Bowlan finally got extended major league action as a reliever last season and showed some promising traits. His four-seam fastball generated a 43.5% whiff rate while his slider was at 40.2%. He also throws a sinker, curveball, and changeup to mix up the arsenal.
While it hasn’t been the best camp for Bowlan, there are still plenty of reasons to believe this was a very good trade for the Phillies given his upside and team control moving forward.
Orion Kerkering has a lot to prove in 2026. Beyond what happened in the NLDS, Kerkering took a step back in the 2025 regular season with a spike in walk rate and some bad tweaks with his sweeper. The pitch that got him to the major leagues did not have the same horizontal break and drop it had before and hitters looked a lot more comfortable against it. His whiff rate on the pitch declined by 7.5% and opponents hit it for more damage.
There is a world where Kerkering ends up as the second or third-best arm in the bullpen. He is working on a splitter, which could help him against left-handed hitters. It will still come down to how his sweeper performs in 2026 for him to reach his full potential.
No, Kerkering should not throw more fastballs.
Tanner Banks is comfortably the sixth guy in Thomson’s bullpen as a middle-relief/matchup arm against left-handed hitters. Banks limited lefties to a .456 OPS last season but struggled against righties. The Phillies are banking on him doing the exact same thing again.
This is the strongest the bullpen has looked since the end of the 2024 season. It will look more conventional than any bullpen in the Rob Thomson era. There is a set closer, there are set 7th and 8th inning arms, and there are set middle relievers.
The churn: Kyle Backhus, Zach Pop, Seth Johnson, Chase Shugart, Max Lazar, Nolan Hoffman, and Zach McCambley (for now)
The Phillies completely revamped the back of their 40-man roster with plenty of new relief options for depth. They traded for Kyle Backhus to bolster their left-handed reliever depth, bought some Pop, and claimed Shu(gart).
There are a lot more options for roster churn as the season goes on. Backhus, Zach Pop, and Seth Johnson stood out in camp. Shugart and Lazar look like options that can pitch more than an inning.
There are even some nice non-roster invite pickups here. Trevor Richards still throws a sick changeup, Jonathan Hernández has shown some stuff, and Daniel Robert throws a good sweeper.
Strengths: High end stuff and mix
The Phillies’ bullpen lacked swing-and-miss stuff, which is a necessity for high-leverage situations. Adding Duran for a full season, signing Keller, getting a full year out of Alvarado, and even trading for someone like Bowlan will go a long way in giving Thomson more high-end swing-and-miss stuff.
The Phillies also clearly prioritized pitchers, especially right-handed pitchers with deeper arsenals. Trading for Duran began the trend but Keller and Bowlan also have five-pitch arsenals and two different fastballs to help mitigate platoon advantages.
On paper, this is the kind of bullpen to feel good about taking to October.
Weaknesses: Left Handed Depth
The 40-man roster only carries three left-handed relievers in Alvarado, Banks, and Backhus. They added Tim Mayza and Génesis Cabrera to minor league stills but it’s still easy to see the group as a little thin.
Some of their right-handed relievers will mitigate some of this. Duran and Keller were very good at getting both righties and lefties out last season but it’s still easy to see why you could want a little more.
If Alvarado misses some time, you will need right-handed pitchers to make up for it in leverage spots. Banks and Backhus are very good at getting lefties out but do not profile well against righties.
Hottest take: Jonathan Bowlan is the 3rd best reliever in the bullpen
The four-seam fastball and slider combination will make for a big strikeout rate and his command is solid for a reliever. There could be some home-run issues here but he feels like the best guy outside of their top two arms to break through as a true leverage piece.
Realistic take: Duran earns a career high in saves
From 2023-2025, Duran recorded 82 saves with a career high of 32 last season. Those Minnesota Twins teams never won more than 87 games while he was there and the closer role is less valuable when the team doesn’t have as many ninth inning leads.
The Phillies won 95 games in 2024 and 96 last season. The general expectation for this group is to once again win the division and win roughly 93+ games.
From a math standpoint, it’s hard to imagine Duran finishing with fewer than 33 saves next season.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Kumar Rocker #80 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at pitcher Kumar Rocker.
There were a number of individual disappointing seasons for the Texas Rangers in 2025. I’m not sure any of them, however, were as disappointing as Kumar Rocker’s 2025 campaign.
Remember how hyped we were about Rocker at the end of 2024? Returning from Tommy John surgery and destroying AA and AAA batters — 3 runs allowed in 29.2 IP, 47 of 106 batters fanned, just four walks. Making his major league debut in Seattle and getting 17 swinging strikes on 74 pitches while striking out seven and allowing one run in four innings, followed by a couple of decent, if not as dominant, outings to finish the season.
Rocker entered 2025 as a consensus top 50 prospect, with Baseball America having him at #20 overall, and injury concerns being the main reason he wasn’t a consensus top 20-25 prospect. It seemed like he was ready to step into a major league rotation and immediately contribute, while offering the ceiling of a legitimate top of the rotation starter. Rocker seemed especially impressive in contrast to fellow Vandy Boy Jack Leiter, who seemed completely overmatched in the majors in 2024.
Rocker was not, as it turned out, ready to step into a major league rotation and immediately contribute in 2025.
Rocker did start the season in the rotation, out of necessity as much as anything else after a rough spring. His first start of the year was in Cincinnati. Four batters into the bottom of the first he was down 3-0 after a single-homer-single-stolen base-double sequence. He bounced back to get the next three batters, and could have gotten out of the second without allowing a run if he could have retired Matt McLain, who had hit the homer off of him in the first. McLain drew a seven pitch walk, however, and then Elly De La Cruz took Rocker’s next pitch deep for the momentum-shifting two out, three run homer. Rocker allowed a single and a walk after that, then retired the final four batters he faced, two on strikes.
It was a microcosm of what we would see from Rocker in 2025 — inefficiency, an inability to control the opponent’s running game, some ugly results, and some instances where he looked great, where you are left wondering why he isn’t performing at that high level more often.
Rocker made five starts with the Rangers before landing on the injured list with a shoulder impingement after a 1.2 inning, five run outing in Oakland. After a two game rehab assignment — one for Frisco, one for Round Rock — that saw Rocker again dominate minor leaguers, allowing 2 hits and 1 walk in seven shutout innings while striking out eight, the Rangers activated him and returned him to the rotation.
That return lasted just one start. You probably remember it — it was the game where Rocker got Jake Mangrum to hit what should have been an inning-ending ground out to first base, but Rocker didn’t cover first base, resulting in a pair of runs scoring to turn what was a 3-0 Rays lead into a 5-0 Rays lead in a game the Rangers ultimately lost 5-4.
Rocker was optioned the next day, with the plan for him to get innings for a while in Round Rock. He only made one start for the Express, though, before Tyler Mahle went to the i.l. with a rotator cuff strain, creating a hole that Rocker was brought back up to fill.
Rocker made eight more starts upon his return, and was better, superficially at least — he had a 3.95 ERA and 4.96 FIP in 41 innings, compared to an 8.87 ERA and 4.72 FIP in his first six starts of the year. His first start back saw him throw five shutout innings against the ChiSox, with six Ks against just one walk. He also had a start in July where he allowed one hit in 6.1 shutout innings against Detroit.
He continued to struggle to work deep into games, however, as he struggled to put away batters and keep his pitch counts down. And basestealers continued to be an issue for him — he allowed 11 stolen bases in 11 attempts in 2025.
Rocker’s last game in the bigs in 2025 was on July 31 — the addition of Merrill Kelly allowed the Rangers to return Rocker to AAA. He made one start for Round Rock after being sent down, then didn’t pitch again until mid-September, with the team having him work on things on the side while also seeking to limit his innings.
Kumar Rocker is really a mystery at this point, with moments where he appears elite and moments where he looks like he isn’t a major leaguer. Part of the overall inconsistency can probably be chalked up to his overall lack of innings — from his freshman season at Vanderbilt in 2019 through the end of the 2025 season Rocker has accumulated just 430.1 innings, due to a combination of the pandemic, not signing with the Mets after they drafted him in 2021, and Tommy John surgery. One of the things Bruce Bochy talked about last year, in the context of controlling the running game and the mental error on not covering first, is that Rocker is much more inexperienced from an in-game action standpoint that most pitchers of his age and ability.
Rocker’s slider is an out pitch, a legitimate weapon, and his cutter and curveball can be quality pitches as well, though his command of his curveball is too erratic for it to be something he can rely upon. However, his fastball and sinker, despite averaging in the 95-96 mph range, were pounded in 2025. His fastball is unusual, in that it lacks vertical movement but has a lot of horizontal movement — from a movement standpoint, his sinker is the more effective pitch.
The result is that Rocker isn’t generating many swings and misses with his fastball or his sinker. That’s less of an issue with the sinker, which isn’t generally a swing-and-miss pitch, than the fastball, and it may be that Rocker would be better off using his sinker as his primary fastball while using the fastball as an occasional show-me pitch. That said, he will have to command his sinker better to have success that way.
Rocker finished the 2025 season with a 5.74 ERA, a 5.74 xERA (convenient!), and a 4.88 FIP. He’s a ground ball pitcher — he was in the 80th percentile in 2025 in ground ball rate, and his ground ball rates in the minors were even higher — so should benefit from what we expect will be a good Rangers’ infield defense in 2026, though one could say the same about 2025, when the Rangers had one of the best infield defenses in the league.
Rocker appears to have a good chance of opening the 2026 season in the rotation once again, with manager Skip Schumaker calling his most recent outing “electric” (shades of Jamey Wright, I know). Jack Leiter took a step forward in 2025, after getting knocked around in 2024. Fingers crossed that his Vanderbilt teammate can do the same this year.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Houston Astros left-hander Bennett Sousa will begin the season on the injured list, manager Joe Espada said.
Sousa, 30, strained his left oblique in a Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals. Sousa returned to Houston for further testing, but Espada said he would “be down for a while.”
“We’re going to not have him throw until that pain goes away,” Espada said.
Last year was a breakout season for Sousa after sitting out the 2024 season due to injury. He appeared in 44 games in 2025, and posted a 2.84 ERA across 50 2/3 innings with 59 strikeouts. But Sousa landed on the injured list on Aug. 20 with left elbow inflammation and didn’t return.
The loss of Sousa is the latest blow to Houston’s bullpen. Espada said All-Star closer Josh Hader will begin the season on the 15-day injured list. Hader did not appear in any spring training games, and his buildup will extend past the Astros’ opener against the Los Angeles Angles on March 26.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2026 season.
The right-hander had felt soreness in his throwing elbow after pitching in a Cactus League game on March 10. After the Giants diagnosed Birdsong with a forearm strain and ulnar collateral ligament sprain, Birdsong met with Dr. Keith Meister.
Birdsong, 24, went 4-4 with a 4.80 ERA last season while making 21 appearances, including 10 starts. He struck out 68 batters over 65 2/3 innings.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — With a black sweatshirt pulled over his head and a glove in hand, Tony Vitello blends in almost as if he’s one of the Giants players.
San Francisco’s new manager grabs a piece of gum from a dugout basket then heads out onto the grass at Scottsdale Stadium and gets to work. He lingers for a while in right field, surveying the scene, before making his way to the indoor cage. A short while later, he’s all the way back to home plate, leaning on the right side of the cage, where he fist bumps Heliot Ramos after one of the left fielder’s rounds of batting practice. Vitello moves several feet to his left and takes in more hitters’ work.
“He’s everywhere,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “He has a lot of energy. He likes to be watching everybody, making sure that everybody is working right and doing the right things. He’s just trying to push the guys to work hard and to be better and I think that’s something that’s going to help the guys a lot and I think that’s something we needed.”
All eyes are on Vitello as he takes over one of baseball’s most storied franchises without a professional baseball backstory of his own. Giants executive and former catcher Buster Posey made the unconventional hire, entrusting the top dugout step to someone with no major league experience as a player or coach.
And everybody will be paying attention for his high-profile managerial debut when the Giants host the New York Yankees in baseball’s season opener March 25.
“As ready as I’ll be if you ask me that question before the season starts,” Vitello said ahead of the club’s Cactus League opener. “I don’t think you’re ever really ready to do something until you get to do it. ... Inevitably something pops up in where you’re like, ‘I wish I could go back in time and know that.’”
An avid swimmer who aspires to one day complete the famous event from Alcatraz in San Francisco, Vitello scans his various baseball zones much like a lifeguard with eyes up, observing everything and everyone.
He also has committed to taking in the wisdom from former managers he has surrounded himself with, such as Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy, and also new Giants infield coach Ron Washington.
“I’ve talked with those guys, they’ve been awesome,” Vitello said. “A lot of little things. When Boch says it, not only do you hear it but you hear it in that thunderous voice. I’ve taken notes from all those guys. I don’t think there’s been one drastic thing said to me, like, ‘Holy cow, reinvent the game’ or anything like that. It’s just been a lot of consistent help.”
Bouncing between fields during spring training has been one of the biggest adjustments for the 47-year-old Vitello.
When he addressed the full team on Day 1, Vitello aimed to just be himself — “hopefully it didn’t sound like a speech, more of a conversation,” he said.
Everybody realizes there will be a large learning curve, but Vitello has already made a strong impression on his players.
“Tony’s passion for baseball is something else,” outfielder Jung Hoo Lee said. “Just being around him, I feel like my passion grows more with him. It’s really nice being around Tony.”
Near the end of one spring training practice last month, Vitello squatted with hands on his thighs watching Washington work with Adames.
“That’s going to help him a lot,” Adames said of all the support. “He’s got Bochy that’s going to be around and Dusty that’s going to be around and Buster is always around. We’ve got a lot of people who have a lot of experience in baseball and have a lot of people who have a lot of experience being a manager, and I think that’s going to help him a lot.”
Ex-Padres manager Jayce Tingler is Vitello’s good friend and now bench coach, too. Vitello only announced his coaching staff at the start of spring — months after many other teams — because that’s how much thought he put into who he wanted by his side.
And because not doing everything himself has been a process. Previously, there was recruiting, planning road trips, monitoring studies and all of the other demands in the college game.
“I think get more comfortable with delegating, but about nine years ago I definitely warmed up to it with the group of people that I was around,” he said.
First-year San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen understands the questions about inexperience and that scrutiny comes with the job.
“He’s a baseball guy, so I’m going to respect him the same way I respect somebody that played 20 years in the big leagues,” Stammen said of Vitello. “I think he’s earned the right to be a manager in the big leagues. Some people will question me if I earned the right to be a manager in the big leagues. His track record in college is very successful, so he’s going to have the opportunity to bring that track record to MLB.”
Vitello acknowledges there have been some early hurdles — and knows there will be plenty more along the way. He replaces three-time Manager of the Year Bob Melvin, a 22-year managerial veteran who was fired after two years and the Giants’ fourth straight season out of the playoffs.
“I don’t think it’s been too wild. I think everything that was a precursor to here was the key,” he said. “FanFest, just how welcoming everybody is. It might sound silly, but just interacting with the 49ers group a few different times and other people in the Bay Area, it made you feel like you were in high school instead of a freshman. I still remember freshman year in high school was kind of nerve-wracking.
“So I think there was a little bit of momentum for myself coming in. Seamless is a high standard. I think there’s been some snags, but it’s kind of been like, ‘OK, I get how this goes now.’”
