Forget existential crises, attention economies, disparate and increasingly complex TV situations and, dare we say, salary caps and luxury tax thresholds. If the industry - and that includes owners, players and fans - ever needed a crystal clear sign that the game is healthy, that spending some money might actually make you a little money in the end, the impending purchase of the Padres will be it.
Private equity baron Jose E. Feliciano - and that's apparently a career prerequisite for owning a ball club these days and wife Kwanza Jones - are on the verge of a $3.9 billion transaction to buy the club from the Seidler family trust, the Wall Street Journal reported.
It is a staggering amount, not just because it's a 62.5% increase on the record $2.4 billion Steve Cohen spent to buy the New York Mets in 2020. Hey, inflation is a bear and franchises appreciate. It happens.
Just not like this, and not for a club like the Padres.
We've heard the two to three strikes against them for years: San Diego is bordered by the Los Angeles region (and its two MLB franchises) to the north, Mexico to the south and the desert to the east. The Padres were also the very first team whose local broadcast situation collapsed to the point MLB had to take over production and distribution, way back in 2023.
So just how did the Padres, their TV model collapsing, their geographic situaton no better, go from a $600 million valuation when the club was last purchased in 2012 to nearly twice the purchase price of the Mets, who have their own lucrative TV network and a position in the game's largest media market?
Well, sometimes when you spend a little money, you can make it back.
The Padres' ownership group - Ron Fowler and then the Seidler family, with the late patriarch Peter Seidler still talked about reverentially around Petco Park - has been on one for the last eight years. It started with a slow drip - a nine-figure contract in 2018 for first baseman Eric Hosmer, an overpay that let the world know San Diego was open for business.
It went into hyperspace mode a year later, with a $300 million guarantee to Manny Machado. And since then, Seidler's checkbook and GM AJ Preller's impetuous and sometimes insane but always forward-looking transactions have kept it pushing at Petco.
Ah, Petco Park. No worse than the fourth-greatest park in the game yet a place that could never attrack more than 1.9 to 2.1 million fans in eight of 10 seasons from 2009 to 2018.
Now, look at 'em.
The attendance meter has only gone up, up, up since 2019, COVID notwithstanding, and in 2023, the club's first full season after Preller traded for Juan Soto, the team cracked the 3 million mark for the first time since Petco's opening year of 2004.
Preller has barely slowed doling out big paychecks (Xander Bogaerts, $280 million, Machado $350 million after an opt-out) and neither have the turnstiles stopped whirring. The club drew a franchise-record 3.4 million last season and are behaving like they have the entire market to themselves (which, along with the San Diego Surf, they do, after the Chargers left).
Now, we said the game was healthy, not perfect.
The club's frenetic spend has slowed since Seidler's tragic passing in November 2023. Many a modern executive would term their payroll commitments "unsustainable," and they'd probably be right.
Yet this was no Ponzi scheme. The Padres' four playoff berths the past six seasons were very real, as were the millions who populated their ballpark. As is the $3.9 billion reportedly about to make the Seidler heirs wealthy beyond their imagination.
Jose E. Feliciano set to become Padres' new owner
MLB needed this, in a sense. Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed satisfaction, but hardly rabid enthusiasm, over the Baltimore Orioles' $1.73 billion purchase price. The Tampa Bay Rays sold for a similar $1.7 billion and now hope to leverage political clout to strong-arm a stadium in Tampa.
The Padres have no such worries. Petco isn't going anywhere and, apparently, neither are the fans, who have come out more than 40,000 strong for 10 of the Padres' first 13 home dates.
Yes, the Padres. Which is one reason why the upcoming labor war won't engender too many sympathetic cries from players. Management and labor will hammer out a deal knowing that the true Armageddon comes in 2028, when MLB's entire national TV inventory hits the market.
But this purchase price is a pretty big tell, and another argument that the sport should not screw up what it has going on right now in favor of a civil war.
After all, the Padres are a $4 billion team, and a bigwig like Feliciano - co-founder of Clearlake Capital Group and part owner of the Chelsea soccer club - viewed them as a good investment, still. No telling if he can continue pushing them toward a first World Series title.
Yet the franchise is already an example of what's possible even in a decidedly imperfect economic landscape.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 01: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros steals second base against Zach Neto #9 and Chris Taylor #33 of the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Daikin Park on September 01, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:
It’s a good thing the Astros went and acquired all that starting pitching depth:
He will be the ninth different starting pitcher for the Astros in 21 games. https://t.co/gDZkVMoi4A
Starting pitching woes have led to the Astros leaning harder on their bullpen than any team in baseball:
The Astros bullpen is bearing the brunt of early pitching and injury woes. No team entered Thursday with more multi-inning relief outings than the Astros, who added three in a loss to Colorado and will use their ninth different starter in 21 games Friday: https://t.co/N4MnXHrwPe
There is a strategy to challenging. The Astros lost both their challenges early and it cost them later in the game with some bad calls to their hitters:
Listening to Rockies commentators discuss how losing both challenges allowed their pitchers to expand the zone. And they took advantage of it. Something to think about.
The New York Yankees (10-9) open a weekend series tonight against the Kansas City Royals (7-12). Both teams have been consistently inconsistent in April. The Yankees sit second in the AL East and the Royals arrive in the Bronx in fourth in the AL Central.
The Yankees split a four-game series earlier this week with the Angels. While New York’s pitching was throwing at an all-time elite level in March, Yankee hurlers struggled against the Halos allowing 32 runs in the series. Offensively, Aaron Judge was in fine form. The MVP smacked four home runs in the four games to give him eight for the season.
The Royals’ offense made a rare appearance yesterday, but KC’s pitching was MIA as the Tigers scored three in the bottom of the ninth to knock off the Royals 10-9. It was just the second time in the last 10 games that Kansas City scored more than two runs in a game.
The pitching matchup tonight features right-hander Michael Wacha (2-0) going to the bump for the Royals and Cam Schlittler (2-0) getting the ball for New York. Wacha has been dominant with a 0.43 ERA over 21 innings. Conversely, Schlitter looks to rebound from his first loss of the season, a 5-4 defeat at Tampa Bay where he allowed three runs in five innings.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Royals vs. Yankees
Date: Friday, April 17, 2026
Time: 7:05PM EST
Site: Yankee Stadium
City: New York, NY
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, Royals.TV, YES
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Royals vs. Yankees
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Kansas City Royals (+153), New York Yankees (-186)
Spread: Royals +1.5 (-143), Yankees -1.5 (+119)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: Royals vs. Yankees
Pitching matchup for April 17:
Royals: Michael Wacha Season Totals: 21.0 IP, 2-0, 0.43 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 17K, 5 BB
Cam Schlittler has struck out 30 hitters this season (T7 in MLB)
Jose Caballero is 6-15 over his last 4 games
Trent Grisham is 3-22 over his last 8 games
Bobby Witt Jr. has been on base 25 times in April, but it was not until yesterday that he scored his first run of the month
Sal Perez is 5-37 over his last 10 games
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Royals vs. Yankees
The Yankees are 8-11 on the Run Line this season
The Royals are 8-11 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed an MLB-worst 6 times in the Royals’ 19 games this season (6-13)
The OVER has cashed 8 times in the Yankees’ 19 games this season (8-9-2)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: Royals vs. Yankees
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Yankees and the Royals:
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MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers have grown accustomed to scoring runs without necessarily having much punch in their lineup.
They’re needing to do that more than ever as they wait for some of their top hitters to recover from injuries.
Milwaukee has scored three runs or fewer in six of its last eight games as it plays without the injured Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn. Yet they managed to snap a six-game skid by winning 2-1 each of the last two days, relying on small ball during their go-ahead rallies each time.
“It’s just about getting the job done, doing the little things right,” said shortstop Joey Ortiz, whose safety squeeze in the seventh inning brought home the go-ahead run Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays. “When guys get on, we’ve got to get them over and get them in. However we do that is the way we do it.”
They’ve done it in some unusual ways lately.
Milwaukee hit only one ball out of the infield Wednesday during its two-run rally in the eighth inning. The Brewers didn’t hit any balls out of the infield in the seventh inning Thursday, but still scored the tiebreaking run by executing three consecutive bunts.
“We’re not really hitting the best right now as a team, so we’re doing anything we can to make something happen,” utilityman David Hamilton said.
That kind of resourcefulness has helped Milwaukee win three straight NL Central titles. The Brewers led the majors with a franchise-record 97 wins last year and had the third-highest run total – behind only the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers – despite ranking just 22nd in homers.
“We find a way to score in literally any way,” Ortiz said.
Sometimes that means taking advantage of any assist possible.
For instance, outfielder Sal Frelick said after Wednesday’s game that the Brewers may have gotten some help from Mother Nature, which is rather notable considering they play in a stadium with a retractable roof.
A torrential downpour caused some leaking through the American Family Field roof that resulted in pockets of rain coming down in certain portions of the field. One of the areas impacted was right in front of home plate, and Frelick believed that might have deadened the ball when he hit a chopper that catcher Brandon Valenzuela was unable to pick up cleanly off the ground
Frelick reached on an error after Hamilton had led off by beating out an infield hit. Both runners ended up scoring.
The field was dry as the Brewers played under the roof again Thursday, but they still found a way to manufacture a run when it mattered.
With the score tied 1-all, Garrett Mitchell led off the seventh by walking. Then came the flurry of bunts.
Greg Jones, making his Brewers debut and playing just his 10th career MLB game, bunted Mitchell over to second. Hamilton then got a bunt single to put runners on the corners before Ortiz dropped his safety squeeze.
“Once we got the leadoff runner on, we knew we had to move him around the basepaths,” Jones said. “We weren’t swinging the bats the best, so getting the ball on the ground, moving the baseball is an easy way to get guys to the next base. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
The Brewers needed this kind of response as they closed a six-game homestand before playing their next six games away from American Family Field. Brewers manager Pat Murphy liked the way his team bounced back from adversity.
For instance, Hamilton struck out on each of his first two at-bats Thursday. Then he delivered that key bunt hit in the seventh to play a major role in a go-ahead rally for a second straight day.
“That’s what I’m looking for – that resiliency,” Murphy said. “That’s who we have to be.”
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: José Berríos #17 of the Toronto Blue Jays works pitches a spring training workout at the Toronto Blue Jays' Player Development Complex on February 18, 2026 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Friday. It’s been a long week in Blue Jays land, and a long week here in Calgary for that matter. It snowed sideways yesterday, about eight inches. Other Tom is enjoying 21 degrees and cherry blossoms in Tokyo, not that I’m bitter.
Anyways, in Jays news, Jose Berrios pitched in Dunedin yesterday. The surface stats were ugly, five runs on five hits and a walk over 2.2 with three strikeouts. Some of the pitches that got hit were definitely left way too much out over the plate. Probably more importantly, though, he was sitting 93 and 94 with his sinker and four seamer, respectively, which is better than he managed last year by about a mile an hour, and was getting all his pitches over. He was allowed to throw 47 pitches, so he’s well into stretching out, but I would imagine we’ll need to see him handle 30+ more pitches and look significantly sharper in a minor league game before he’s back in Toronto, which probably makes early May the target at this point.
Tonight will be a big test for how much of a problem the wait is, as Eric Lauer makes his first start since (hopefully) fully recovering from the stomach flu that sapped his stuff and lead him to getting rocked his last two times out. Tomorrow, we’ll hopefully see Max Scherzer bounce back from a couple of ugly outings as he’s dealt with forearm tendinitis. If one or both can look at least serviceable, the Jays have a hope of getting through this stretch until Trey Yesavage and Berrios make it back. If not, it’s going to be a rough ride.
More optimistically, although not for 2026, Nolan Perry took the ball for the next five innings and allowed just one hit. He also punched out a dozen, somehow only needing 60 pitches to do it. It took about one inning of seeing Perry this spring for me to realize he should have been on the main prospect list, but at least Matt was smart enough to feature him prominently on his pref list. He’ll definitely feature in our midseason update, and not at the bottom. Other early standputs among lower ranked prospects in the farm system include Daniel Guerra, a 22 year old righty who struck out 11 in five hitless innings for the Vancouver Canadians last night to bring his early K total to 23 in 14.1 innings, Charles McAdoo, who’s showing a better eye and making more contact at AAA than he did last year at AA and posting a .900 OPS because of it, and the New Hampshire trio of Eddie Micheletti jr, Sean Keys and Jayce Bohrofen, who’ve combined for 11 home runs so far with improved underlying data.
That’s it for Jays news. On a happier note, here’s Mike Trout hitting a 450 foot tank as the Angels beat the Yankees in New York:
The Detroit Tigers have had a miserable time away from Comerica Park, losing eight of 10 road games this season.
My Tigers vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks expect those struggles to continue in Boston on Friday, April 17.
Who will win Tigers vs Red Sox tonight: Red Sox (-130)
Ranger Suarez has had a difficult start to his Boston Red Sox career, but that coincides with very tough competition.
He has faced the Astros, Padres, and Cardinals. The Astros sit fourth in runs per game while the Padres sit 11th, and the Cardinals rank seventh in wRC+ against left-handed pitchers.
Suarez should get a little bit of relief against the Detroit Tigers. They've hit just .213 off lefties and rank 22nd in wRC+.
While most of the Red Sox top bats are lefties, they do have some good righties — most notably Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela — who could cause problems for Casey Mize.
COVERS INTEL: Ranger Suarez has induced soft contact 22.7% of the time, best among today’s projected starting pitchers.
Tigers vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-120)
Suarez owns a 3.74 xFIP, which is well below his 5.02 ERA. He hasn’t pitched as poorly as the results suggest — and I’ve already highlighted the difficult competition he faced.
The Tigers are hitting .216 with a .083 ISO on the road and cold weather is expected, making this a good spot for Suarez to get back on track.
Mize owns a solid 3.85 xFIP and has done a good job of neutralizing left-handed bets, setting him up for a quality start against Boston.
Both bullpens are also well-rested, so the managers will have plenty of options to help limit runs.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 1-3, -2.82 units
Over/Under bets: 0-4, -4.67 units
Tigers vs Red Sox odds
Moneyline: Detroit +122 | Boston -127
Run line: Detroit +1.5 (-186) | Boston -1.5 (+178)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+117) | Under 8.5 (-122)
Tigers vs Red Sox trend
The Red Sox have hit the Under in 14 of their last 22 games at home (+6.45 Units / 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Red Sox.
How to watch Tigers vs Red Sox and game info
Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Date
Friday, April 17, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
Apple TV
Tigers starting pitcher
Casey Mize (1-1, 3.94 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcher
Ranger Suarez (1-1, 5.02 ERA)
Tigers vs Red Sox latest injuries
Tigers vs Red Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: James Hicks #21 of the Houston Astros throws a pitch during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (10-7) POSTPONED
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (6-6) lost 9-4 (BOX SCORE)
The Hooks got some runs early getting an Austin solo HR in the first and an Encarnacion RBI single in the 2nd. Hicks got the start and was solid allowing 2 runs over 5 innings of work. The Hooks got 2 more runs in the 4th on an error. The Hooks held a 4-2 lead but the pen struggled allowing 7 runs and the offense was quiet the rest of the way as they fell 9-4.
James Hicks, RHP: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Alex Santos, RHP: 1.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Railin Perez, RHP: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (4-8) lost 11-8 (BOX SCORE)
Hertzler started for Asheville and was solid allowing 1 run over 3 innings. He was relieved by Rodriguez who struggled allowing 7 runs over 1.2 innings. The Asheville offense battled getting a Rosario 3 run HR in the 6th and a 2 run single from Hernandez in the 7th. The bullpen allowed another 3 runs as the Dash extended their lead. In the 9th, the offense got 3 runs on a Hernandez RBI single and Frey 2 run single but the comeback fell short as they lost 11-8.
Jose Guedez, RHP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Eurys Martich, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (2-10) lost 6-3 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board first scoring 2 runs in the first inning on Diaz and Ramirez RBI singles. Perez got the start and was pitching well but allowed a 3 run home run in the 5th. He finished with 6 strikeouts over 5 innings. The offense tied it in the 6th scoring a run on an error. Weber relieved Perez and allowed 3 runs in relief and the offense was quiet the rest of the way as the Woodpeckers fell 6-3.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 09: General Manager Mike Elias of the Baltimore Orioles watches the Orioles Hall of Fame ceremony before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 09, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Through the first 19 games of the 2026 Orioles season, they are once again disappointing us. It is not a lot of comfort that many teams in the American League are off to a start where they are muddling along around .500. That’s mostly because a lot of these problems feel familiar and it’s frustrating that they’ve had an offseason to try to resolve them and so far they haven’t.
How much blame does Mike Elias deserve for all of this? To some degree, he deserves all blame for all of the Orioles problems, because he is the man in charge and he makes the decisions. I find this not a wholly satisfying perspective, since it’s also the players who take the field and have to actually make the plays. Many struggling Orioles have had previous MLB success that it was reasonable to believe they could do again this year. It’s too early to make final judgments about whether certain guys stink or not in 2026.
In this completely subjective survey of early 2026 Orioles problems, I consider each of the problem players, whether this is likely to prove a durable problem, and whether Elias deserves the blame if the problem is durable.
For my money, there are five problem hitters, four problem pitchers, problems with the defense in general, and injury problems. The list goes in order of players as they appear while scrolling down on the Baseball Reference 2026 Orioles statistics page.
Pete Alonso
Am I worried? No
Alonso has hit 34 home runs or more in each of the five seasons before this. He is not hitting them yet, or hitting much at all yet. I think it is reasonable to believe that the home runs and hitting in general will arrive. He is even playing better defense than expected so far. We can all find more productive uses for our anxious energy than to project concerns about Chris Davis from years beyond the end of his playing career onto Alonso.
Coby Mayo
Am I worried? Yes
Should Elias be blamed? Yes
Unlike some of the early struggling Orioles, there is nothing you can look at in Mayo’s batted ball profile that points to better things coming. He is a mess up there. He isn’t hitting the ball hard and the result is he’s not hitting the ball much at all. The only small saving grace is that his defense, the thing everyone was worried about in spring training, is fine.
Elias went out of his way to hold on to Mayo, rather than trading him for a pitcher before or during any of the 2023, 2024, or 2025 seasons, points when he had a lot of value as a prospect. All of this was so that he could step up now. He’s not given much reason to show that his success from last September can be repeated.
Samuel Basallo
Am I worried? No
In contrast to Mayo, you can find a decent amount of red on Basallo’s Statcast profile. He is swinging the bat fast and hitting the ball hard, though he doesn’t yet have much to show for it. Although he’s chasing a lot of pitches out of the zone, he’s also drawing a lot of walks. This is a 21-year-old player who should be given some allowance for growing pains as a player. That doesn’t mean the Orioles have to bat him 4th or 5th every game while he sorts it out. I blame Elias for that one.
Blaze Alexander
Am I worried? No, if only because there’s no point worrying about a player like this
Should Elias be blamed? Yes
Alexander played in 135 games with the Diamondbacks across the previous two seasons and gave indications that he would be a guy whose bat is just on the right side of “not bad” as long as he is able to provide decent defensive value at multiple positions. With his .542 OPS so far this year, he’s hitting much worse than that. This was the guy Elias went out and got once the injuries started to mount in his infield before spring training even began. Expected batting stats point to a turnaround coming for Alexander. Hopefully that bears out.
Dylan Beavers
Am I worried? Yes
Should Elias be blamed? Yes
Pretty much nothing is going right for Beavers so far other than that he isn’t swinging out of the strike zone much or swinging and missing much. He isn’t hitting the ball well, or hard. Maybe the most disheartening to me is how bad he’s looked in the field, coming in at 4th percentile in range despite also having 96th percentile sprint speed. This is a fast player who is getting no defensive value even with that speed. Elias went out of his way to call up Beavers later last year to preserve his rookie eligibility and maybe have a shot at contending for Rookie of the Year this year. So far, that looks like a joke.
Colton Cowser
Am I worried? Yes
Should Elias be blamed? Yes
The thing with Cowser and swinging and missing at nearly every changeup that he sees is beyond parody. That’s a comic second-tier character in a Major League-type movie, except in the movie he would actually overcome the flaw as the team improves thanks to some absurd training regimen. Maybe Cowser should try to figure out if he can break his changeup curse by building a very specific Lego set while blindfolded or with one hand tied behind his back.
Cowser is also Elias’s guy. The Orioles reached to draft him in the first round in 2021. We saw in his rookie season some signs of a perennial pretty good player. He has not been able to follow up on this. I don’t blame Elias entirely for this, but I do think he needed a better “what if Cowser keeps struggling” backup plan ready and he didn’t have one.
Shane Baz
Am I worried? Not really
Should Elias be blamed? If the problems continue
It doesn’t feel good that the Orioles gave up four prospects plus a draft pick for this guy, then gave him a $68 million extension before he’d ever thrown a pitch for the team, and after four starts he has a 4.91 ERA. He’s having rotten batted ball luck (.364 BABIP) that may be real bad luck or may be about the defense behind him. I’m willing to believe that things may still click for him. I understand the frustrations in the meantime. It’s one more Elias move from the offseason that’s bearing no immediate fruit.
Kyle Bradish
Am I worried? No
Should Elias be blamed? No
Bradish looked like he would be able to pick up close to where he left off before his Tommy John surgery in six starts after returning last year. That hasn’t carried forward into 2026; Bradish has battled command problems and he’s getting rocked in a way we haven’t seen from him since the bad days of his early career.
Even moreso than Baz, I think you can point to the defense behind him costing him a lot. Take away the two earned runs from Weston Wilson’s botch being scored a triple on Sunday and Bradish’s ERA shaves down to 4.58. That still doesn’t feel good, but it would feel better than 5.49. The Fielding Independent Pitching metric, an ERA analogue that tries to take defense out of the equation, has Bradish at 3.22 so far. We could live with Bradish at a 3.22 ERA.
Chris Bassitt
Am I worried? Yes
Should Elias be blamed? Yes
Elias could have invested real money in a starting pitcher in free agency this offseason and instead he went for two one-year guys, Bassitt and Zach Eflin. Obviously, Eflin is done already and that sucks; I don’t blame Elias for an elbow injury. That could have happened to any other pitcher he signed.
Bassitt, through three starts, is on the Charlie Morton path. When you have to try to feel good about, “Well, he only gave up one earned run in 4.2 innings,” that’s a bad place to be. It’s early and he’s only got to make like two good starts in a row to quiet some of the doubters. He’s got to actually do it. If he never does, this is a big strike against Elias. Building a consistently good rotation has proved elusive for him.
Tyler Wells
Am I worried? Yes
Should Elias be blamed? Yes
One of my observations about the Orioles over the years is that just about every season, there’s one reliever who you don’t expect to suck who suddenly is no good. The year-to-year volatility of relievers is one of those trends of the modern game. It looks a lot like Wells is that guy this year. I think the Orioles constructed their roster assuming that Wells would be able to take the eighth or ninth inning. If he flames out spectacularly, that’s a big evaluation failure.
If other players are able to step up, maybe Elias won’t have to shoulder too much blame for this. Indeed, as far as the bullpen goes, there’s not a lot of blame to shoulder so far: The Orioles bullpen is ninth in ERA at 3.52, even with Wells plus a couple of clunkers in Yaramil Hiraldo and Nick Raquet.
The defense
Am I worried? Yes
Should Elias be blamed? YES
You will probably not be surprised to learn that the Orioles are a bottom five defense in the league so far, as measured by Statcast’s Outs Above Average. Quite unexpectedly, the only places they’ve been okay are the infield corners, first and third base. The whole outfield is in the negatives. Second base and shortstop are negative.
This was one area of the roster where anyone should have been concerned heading into the season. A regular outfield alignment of Taylor Ward, Cowser, and Tyler O’Neill was always going to be bad. Ward has made people happy with his hitting so far, but he showed his poor defense on Opening Day and that’s not changed. He’s slow and he can’t make plays an average left fielder would make. Beavers struggling in the field early on was an unexpected problem.
If you wrangled a genie and used up one of your wishes on having the opportunity to ask Mike Elias questions to which he must give truthful answers, I think that genie-compelled Elias would admit that he always expected some defensive problems this year. There were supposed to be other trade-offs to make up for that defensive weakness, particularly guys hitting dingers. The bad defenders who are annoying you the most are not hitting dingers. Nor is anyone other than Gunnar Henderson and Jeremiah Jackson. Other than Ward, the offenders for bad defense aren’t hitting much at all.
The injuries
Am I worried? Yes
Should Elias be blamed? Eh
The Orioles are once again among the league leaders in players who are on the injured list. That feels like a problem, and if a problem exists then someone should be blamed for it. Whether the Orioles are doing something problematic in their strength and conditioning that is leading to being a more injury-prone team is beyond the knowledge of any fan.
There are some real freak injuries in the assortment. Dietrich Enns with a foot infection? Tyler O’Neill gave himself a concussion from passing out from dehydration while sick? Ryan Mountcastle broke a bone in his foot while running the bases? Jackson Holliday broke his hamate bone while swinging just before spring training even started?
It is up to a general manager to assemble depth that is competent to handle some unexpected problems. Elias probably thought he had this. I’m sure he knew O’Neill would hit the IL some time this year: That would have meant easier playing time for Beavers, and Leody Taveras is around to back things up too. Taveras has been great so far. Beavers has not.
Elias went and got Alexander when he learned about Jordan Westburg’s injury, and Jeremiah Jackson was around when Holliday was hurt. Mayo was in the mix. Even the Adley Rutschman injury, theoretically that would mean, okay, it’s Basallo’s time to shine. Which isn’t happening yet. Elias has two of his projected bullpen guys on the IL in Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge.
I think the Orioles should have probably signed another real reliever other than Helsley, probably instead of re-acquiring Kittredge, but guys are stepping up in the bullpen so far. Anthony Nunez has looked great. Rico Garcia is also off to a strong start. Even Yennier Cano has rediscovered something positive in the early results.
**
If the Orioles don’t make the playoffs this year, I think that’s a sign that Elias’s plan has failed and he should be fired. In that event, it would be clear that he does not have it in him to build a sustained talent pipeline and supplement that internal pipeline with useful players from outside the organization.
We are 19 games into the season and there is no certainty that the Orioles will remain on their current path. All of this feels worse because many of their problems do feel like they’re carrying over from last year, this despite having a new manager, new hitting coaches, and a decent amount of roster turnover. It should have been better than this, and so far it’s not. That’s not fun. Elias at the top is the big constant here.
Still, it’s early to give up on the team. The 2014 Orioles were below .500 as late as May 30, 53 games into their season. They finished 96-66. There is plenty of time for things to still come together for the 2026 Orioles. Of course, there was plenty of time for things to come together for the 2025 Orioles at this time a year ago, and we know that they never did.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: Walker Buehler #10 of the San Diego Padres throws a pitch in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park on April 16, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres erased the memories of the season-opening homestand where they got off to a 2-4 start against the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants with a perfect second homestand that saw them get back-to-back sweeps of the Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners. The Padres have won games throughout the season in multiple ways which have been nerve wracking and exciting at the same time. The win against the Mariners on Thursday neither – it was just a solid baseball game with a good start from Walker Buehler, a competent offensive approach and a stingy bullpen anchored by Mason Miller, who moved into second place in San Diego franchise history with 30 2/3 innings without allowing a run, which resulted in a 5-2 victory. The Padres go on the road today to face the Los Angeles Angels at 6:38 p.m.
Padres News:
Luis Campusano has been a key contributor throughout the seven-game homestand. His recent success and his 2026 season overall appear to be a credit to the confidence his manager Craig Stammen has in him and his reformed approach to the game.
Sung-Mun Song was activated off the IL and was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. It is understandable that San Diego would not want to shake up the lineup that is in the midst of an eight-game winning streak.
Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says MLB and ABS inadvertently helped the Padres offense by shrinking the strike zone, leading to an improved offense.
Baseball News:;
The Angels and New York Yankees engaged in a heavyweight fight throughout their series, which resulted in both sides hitting home runs at an impressive rate and superstars Mike Trout and Aaron Judge captivating fans on both sides.
SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 20: Juan Valera #67 of the Boston Red Sox leaves the field during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Bowling Green Hot Rods 9, Greenville Drive 8 (BOX)
Unfortunately, the story of the day in this one was Juan Valera’s elbow. After beginning to pop up on top-100 MLB prospect lists, Valera left the game after one inning with inflammation in his pitching elbow. Chris Cotillo has more detail here. Valera was off to an electric start, with 17 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings to start the season. He also missed more than half the season a year ago with an elbow injury.
After his departure, the Hot Rods (TB) pulled out a wild back-and-forth affair on Thursday night in Greenville.
Last year, I made my pitch for the movie Hot Rod being rather underrated. This year, I’m pushing for professional athletes to go back to the nickname “Hot Rod”. There was Rodney “Hot Rod” Hundley who was the first overall pick in the 1957 NBA draft, played his whole career for the Lakers, and was a broadcaster after retirement. John “Hot Rod” Williams played in the NBA from 1986-1999, mostly for the Cavaliers.
We’re long overdue for a lightning-fast MLB player who points finger-guns into the air after sliding in for an extra-base hit.
For the Drive in the loss, Yoeilin Cespedes went yard twice on the day, with both coming off another 80-grade name in pitcher Gary Gill Hill. Yophery Rodriguez homered twice as well, knocking in five runs on the day.
🪀💣
Boston Red Sox prospect Yophery Rodriguez with his second home run of the night in High-A pic.twitter.com/of7r9Bf86m
The Altoona Curve (PIT) are 0-12 to start the season, and Thursday’s game was more of the same. Sea Dogs starter Eduardo Rivera struck out nine batters over 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits to get the win in his second straight strong start. Joe Vogatsky got the ever-popular three-inning save (plus one out), preserving the shutout.
On the offensive side, Max Ferguson had the biggest blast of the night on a grand slam.
Max Ferguson to the roller coaster for a grand slam!
The second home run of the season for the Boston Red Sox prospect in Double-A. pic.twitter.com/Wy3wxc6AMH
RidgeYaks pitching got hit early and often yesterday by the Crawdads (TEX), beginning with starter Dylan Brown, who allowed 11 baserunners and six runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Offensively, right fielder Andrews Opata had three RBIs, including a solo home run.
Madinson Frias (0-0, 12.60) will take the bump on Friday at 7:00.
Worcester Red Sox at Nashville Sounds (Suspended, 0-0, Top 4th inn.)
Starters Jake Bennett for the Woo Sox and Thomas Pannone for the Sounds (MIL) each threw three shutout innings before the game was suspended in the top of the fourth inning.
The game will be continued, followed by the regularly scheduled game, at 7:05 ET on Friday, with pitching matchups yet to be determined.
This Cubs homestand is an old NL East flashback — Mets and Phillies! Just like it was the 1970s or 1980s again.
Obviously, that’s just a bit of nostalgia. In the meantime, this seven-game homestand seems important for the Cubs to begin to set a tone at Wrigley Field, where they are just 4-5 so far this year.
Here’s more on the Mets from Chris McShane, manager of our SB Nation Mets site Amazin’ Avenue.
If you wanted to draw up a nightmare season for David Stearns, it would pretty much look exactly like this. We keep reminding ourselves that it’s still incredibly early, but you can’t help but worry that this will be a lost season when your team loses eight games in a row by the middle of April. And even with the lineup being the team’s biggest problem right now, it felt all too fitting that Devin Williams had his first terrible outing as a Met in the team’s series finale in Los Angeles, turning a game that would’ve involved Edwin Díaz coming in for a save opportunity against the Mets into a blowout that no longer required his services.
Not every player who Stearns jettisoned is off to a hot start, but of the five new faces that were in the Mets’ lineup on Opening Day, only Luis Robert Jr. is hitting above league average so far this season. The rotation has major question marks after David Peterson’s recent run of bad starts and Kodai Senga’s particularly awful start his last time out. And after emphasizing run prevention early in the offseason as the team said goodbye to Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil, the Mets’ defense looks anything but sharp as there are several players learning new positions on the job.
Things can’t get much worse than they are right now, but there’s no optimism about this team at the moment.
Fun facts
The Cubs’ next win against the Mets will be their 400th in the rivalry, which began in 1962. They have lost 379 and tied two, for a winning percentage of .513. While the Cubs have earned 20 more wins, in all 780 games they have been outscored, by seven runs, 3,372 to 3,365.
They are 213-181-1, .541, vs. the Mets at home, but lost two of three each of the last two seasons and are 5-8 since 2022.
The Los Angeles Dodgers head to Coors Field for a four-game series with the Colorado Rockies beginning Friday night.
Tyler Glasnow gets the nod for the visitors in the series opener, while Tomoyuki Sugano toes the rubber for the home team.
My Dodgers vs. Rockies predictions and MLB picks for Friday, April 17 see a low-scoring game unfolding in frigid conditions.
Who will win Dodgers vs Rockies tonight: Dodgers (-291)
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a warranted heavy favorite given their advantages over the Colorado Rockies in starting pitching, relief pitching, and hitting.
Tyler Glasnow has strong underlying metrics (2.60 xERA, 2.83 FIP) and a 107 Stuff+, whereas Tomoyuki Sugano has a worrisome 4.98 xERA and 5.39 FIP. Sugano’s 82 Stuff+ ranks 178th out of 184 pitchers who have started a game.
L.A. has the more effective and better-rested bullpen after Thursday’s off day. Its lineup is tops in the league against right-handed pitching (135 wRC+), whereas Colorado lags well behind (80 wRC+).
COVERS INTEL: Glasnow has dominated the Rockies, holding their projected lineup to just three hits in 29 at-bats (.103) with 15 strikeouts.
Dodgers vs Rockies Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-107)
The Rockies have cashed the Under in 12 of their 19 games this season. With temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees at Coors Field, Friday could be another low-scoring contest.
Glasnow, combined with a well-rested bullpen, should limit a punchless Rockies lineup.
Sugano managed to outperform his underlying metrics a year ago (4.64 ERA, 5.79 xERA), and that’s been the case again through three starts (2.16 ERA, 4.98 xERA).
He’ll certainly experience regression given his .136 BABIP and 100% left-on-base rate, but his surface-level statistics (four earned runs in 16 2/3 innings) indicate that he’s at least in good form.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 4-5, -0.62 units
Over/Under bets: 5-5, -0.26 units
Dodgers vs Rockies odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -291 | Rockies +240
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 | Rockies +1.5
Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5
Dodgers vs Rockies trend
The Rockies have cashed the Under in four of their last five home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Rockies.
How to watch Dodgers vs Rockies and game info
Location
Coors Field, Denver, CO
Date
Friday, April 17, 2026
First pitch
8:40 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet LA, Rockies.TV
Dodgers starting pitcher
Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00 ERA)
Rockies starting pitcher
Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16 ERA)
Dodgers vs Rockies latest injuries
Dodgers vs Rockies weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 16: Joey Ortiz #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a RBI sacrifice bunt against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at American Family Field on April 16, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees were Mike Trout-ed once again on Thursday. The future Hall-of-Famer walked twice and homered for the fifth (!!) time of the series. Against a not-great Angels team, the Bombers could only manage a split in the four-game series at home. But, life goes on, as does other action around the American League. Let’s take a look at what happened on Thursday.
Toronto Blue Jays (7-11) 1, Milwaukee Brewers (10-8) 2
For a second consecutive game, the Blue Jays lost to the Brewers by a score of 2-1. Toronto actually put a tally in the run column first in this one, when Taylor Heineman laid down a perfect safety squeeze to kick off scoring in the third inning. The Brewers manufactured a run of their own an inning later, thanks to a Luis Rengifo sacrifice fly, but outside of that, the bats were quiet on both sides.
That was thanks, in large part, to excellent starting efforts on the mound. Patrick Corbin tossed 5.2 innings of one-run ball, striking out six for the Blue Jays. Out of the other dugout, Milwaukee’s Darren Sproat produced a remarkably similar line over 6.2 frames. Both starters allowed one run on four hits while striking out six.
In the spirit of how this game shaped up, the decisive run came via some small ball once again. This time, a retaliatory squeeze bunt from Joey Ortiz scored the go-ahead run for the Brew Crew in the seventh inning. As things would have it, that would be the play that decided the game, as the Jays dropped another one, 2-1.
With the loss Thursday, the Astros officially lost the season series with the Rockies, a deal every other team in the Junior Circuit would happily sign up for. Houston jumped out to an early lead thanks to RBI hits from Yordan Alvarez and Joey Loperfido, but that would be all the noise the Houston bats would be able to make.
Following that, Colorado’s bulk guy Chase Dollander was terrific, allowing just one hit and striking out nine across 5.1 scoreless innings out of the ‘pen.
The Rockies made their charge in the middle innings, with runs in each of the third through fifth innings. An RBI knock and a run-scoring double play sandwiched Hunter Goodman’s fifth homer of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning off of Houston’s Ryan Weiss.
By dropping another game, to the lowly Rockies no less, the Astros find themselves knotted up in last place in the AL West.
Seattle Mariners (8-12) 2, San Diego Padres (13-6) 5
Right down there with the Astros in the West basement is the Mariners, who took a lost to an NL West opponent on Thursday as well.
Luis Castillo struggled in his fourth outing on the season, as the Padres plated four runs in the first inning, and the right-hander eventually exited in the sixth inning having walked three and allowed seven hits. The damage San Diego did early came thanks to a couple of timely hits, punctuated by Fernando Tatis Jr.’s two-run single to make it 4-0.
On the mound for the Dads, Walker Buehler did a nice job across five innings of work, allowing just a pair of runs and striking out seven. The Mariner’s lone action on offense came in the sixth, when Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez each managed RBI singles, but it wasn’t enough to match the early output of the Padres.
Like the Astros, the M’s drop to 8-12, and find themselves in a bit of a hole to kick off the 2026 season.
Detroit Tigers (10-9) 10, Kansas City Royals (7-12) 9: The Tigers took home a slugfest to crawl above .500 on Thursday. Five different Detroit batters recorded multiple hits in this one, which included three from Riley Greene and a two-run blast from Dillon Dingler. The Royals staged a comeback in the seventh, scoring six runs led by a three-run dinger from Salvador Perez. Suddenly trailing 9-7 in the last of the ninth, a clutch double from Greene tied the game up, and he was later scored thanks to Colt Keith’s walk-off knock.
Cleveland Guardians (11-9) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (10-9) 2: Contrary to the other AL Central winner on Thursday, the Guardians took one home thanks largely to some terrific pitching. José Ramírez led the scoring charge with a two-run blast in the first, but the story of the night was Parker Messick. In his 11th career start, the lefty delivered his finest work, ultimately taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Cardinals. He finished on the hook for two runs in the ninth, but he pitched a near-perfect eight innings, allowing just two hits and striking out nine in the win.
Aug 6, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first base Justin Turner (3) is safe at home plate as Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (37) makes a late tag during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
Good morning everyone and happy Friday!
The Mariners dropped the series finale to the Padres last night, completing San Diego’s sweep in the first leg of the 2026 Vedder Cup. The team heads back home to open a new series tonight against the first-place Texas Rangers.
As we’re now 20 games into the season, which AL West team are you the most afraid of moving forward? The Rangers are in first place, though the Angels are seeing a rejuvenated Mike Trout, the A’s are an up-and-coming team that might be more competitive than expected, and the Astros are…also there.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics hits a double that scored three runs in the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning everyone and welcome to another Friday!
Yesterday the A’s wrapped up their four-game series with the Texas Rangers, splitting the series and remaining in a tie atop the AL West. Not the best outcome but certainly not the worst. Now these two teams will split up and face a couple other teams before seeing each other again next weekend in Texas. Who will be in first place at that point?
Looking ahead to the next series, we welcome the Chicago White Sox to town for a weekend three-game set. Chicago has been one of the worst teams in baseball history over the past two seasons, and while they are back at the bottom of the AL Central with a 6-13 record they seem to have a bit more fight in them than the past couple of years. Can’t ever take a game for granted but the A’s should have the goal of taking at least two of three against the South Siders, with a sweep being the ultimate goal.
Tonight’s game will feature right-hander Aaron Civale on the bump for what will be his fourth start in an Athletics uniform. He’s gotten off to a terrific start with his new team as he’s gone at least five innings in each of his starts, which is exactly what the team was hoping for. They’re probably surprised at Civale’s ability so far this season to avoid giving up runs: he’s allowed just three baserunners to cross home plate in 15 2/3 innings of work. The team will be hoping he can keep that up against Chicago, who will be sending fellow righty Davis Martin to the mound to kick off the series for them. Martin has been arguably their best starter in the early going as he’ll bring a 2.50 ERA in three starts so far this year.
After that Friday night matchup it’ll be Luis Severino versus Erick Fedde on Saturday afternoon followed by a matchup between Jeffrey Springs against Noah Shultz on Sunday. That’ll be Schultz’s second career major league game so an excellent chance to jump on a fresh-faced rookie. The pitching matchups favor the Athletics all series but you still gotta go out there and play the games. Severino has had major home struggles so perhaps Saturday is the day he can begin turning that around.
On another note, two of the organization’s top pitching prospects got starts yesterday and did not disappoint. Left-handers Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump both had Thursday assignments and both posted quality outings. Jump, pitching at Triple-A Las Vegas and making his third start, collected eight strikeouts against just one walk in 4 1/3 innings of work. He allowed a pair of runs on four hits but he’s still sporting a pristine 2.61 ERA through three (short) starts. The team is clearly being cautious as they ramp up the young lefty but this was his longest outing of the year as he got up to 80 pitches. The current major league rotation is full and no one other than Severino is truly struggling so there’s no obvious opening but the team must be happy with how Jump is handling his first taste of Triple-A. Maybe if Jacob Lopez’s struggles get worse the team may elect to press fast forward towards the future a little earlier than expected.
As for Arnold, the 22-year-old southpaw had an even better performance a level lower in Double-A. In 3 1/3 innings of work (remember, slow ramp up for these two) Arnold punched out 7 of the 10 outs he collected, not allowing a run compared to just one walk. Many expected Arnold to be a fast riser through the system and so far in his first three starts as a professional, he hasn’t done anything to dispel that belief. It’s starting to feel like a foregone conclusion that we will see not only Jump at some point this season but Arnold as well. We’ll see if the A’s get aggressive with these two if they’re still in a playoff race but the smart money would be on seeing these guys in the Green & Gold sooner than later.
That’s all we have today everyone. Game tonight at 6:40. Until then, have a great day everyone!
Disappointing considering he needs every hit he can possibly get. He had time for jokes earlier this week about his lack of hitting skills, but this wasn’t funny to watch:
COVERS INTEL: Ranger Suarez has induced soft contact 22.7% of the time, best among today’s projected starting pitchers.
