Jun 7, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Luke Weaver (30) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
The New York Mets’ bullpen has been a stable force for an otherwise disappointing club, and Thursday night in Philadelphia was no different.
Led by Luke Weaver’s continued scoreless inning streak and another save from Devin Williams, the bullpen backed up starter Sean Manaea to secure a 6-4 victory. The win was an example of what this bullpen is capable of when given a chance to protect a lead.
Weaver is in the midst of a career-best and MLB-leading 20-inning shutout streak that dates back to May 1. His current ERA (2.25) and WHIP (0.90) are at career lows, while the bullpen as a whole has been above league average.
Focusing almost exclusively on his fastball, changeup, and cutter, Weaver is using his changeup at a career-high rate. The result has been the lowest hard-hit and sweet-spot rates of his career.
A viral moment waiting to happen, Weaver has been the best offseason acquisition for the Mets’ front office, and he’s one of the few that hasn’t elicited groans from the Queens faithful. The bullpen is maybe the only portion of the roster that’s clearly improved over last year’s team that missed the playoffs.
At the end of New York’s brutal 12-game losing streak in April, Weaver offered perhaps the quote of the year in his postgame interview with SNY’s Steve Gelbs. A statement he’s been able to back up in resounding fashion.
“Look, people smell fear. I’m not the biggest guy in the room, but I ain’t scared of nobody,” he said. “That’s the attitude I try to take, and if I screw up, it’s on me, but at the end of the day I’m going to sleep at night, and I’m going to feel good about the effort I put in.”
As solid as Weaver has been, he might not even be the Mets’ best reliever. According to WAR, that would be Huascar Brazobán, who has done everything the coaching staff has asked of him. Opening games for struggling starters, or coming in late with runners on, Brazobán’s hard-hit rate is in the 99th percentile, even better than Weaver’s.
Williams has had some ups and downs in the closer role, including Thursday night, where he gave up a run and allowed the winning batter to the plate before notching his 11th save of the season. Another offseason addition, Williams has posted scoreless outings in 15 of his last 18 appearances.
New York has enjoyed depth beyond Weaver, Brazobán, and Williams. AJ Minter hasn’t given up a run in his first eight innings since returning from elbow surgery, while Austin Warren has a 2.63 ERA across a career-high 27.1 innings pitched. Brooks Raley had been able to stay healthy and effective despite being in his age-38 season.
The Mets can count on Weaver and the bullpen, but will they feel that way about the rest of the squad before it’s too late, if it’s not already? Getting a win in the series opener against the Phillies is helpful. Maybe take this series, go after the up-and-down Cubs, then rinse and repeat against Philadelphia at home as June winds down. It sounds simple, but it’s been so hard for this Mets squad to go on a run. If they ever do, this bullpen will be a big reason why.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 05: Justin Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies bunts during the game against the Athletics on May 5, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
I bought a pocket radio recently. Although it’s posed a few problems (reception for my favorite station is a bit shaky), it’s been a real joy to have it. It really doesn’t offer any advantages over streaming the stations digitally, but there’s something charming about it, a tactile satisfaction in tuning it manually and hearing the voices emerge from the static. I sometimes use it to listen to baseball, of course, but I’m not yet the sort of nerd who brings his radio to the ballpark (though I will be as soon as I get around to buying earbuds that’ll work with it). That sort of appreciation for the old-fashioned and analog is growing, as anyone in the vinyl record business has noted. A similar appreciation for the joys of yesteryear is developing in baseball; it turns out that our delightfully crotchety and nostalgic sport can become even more so. You see, the bunt is back.
As Ben Clemens of FanGraphs recently noted, 2026 is the Year of the Bunt. Bunts are more common than they’ve been in years, and teams are getting an unusually large amount of value from those bunts. That’s in part the result of teams figuring out how best to deploy them. As Clemens noted, bunts with a runner on first, the other bases empty, and no outs, remain unfashionable, like Jell-O salads, but bunts in situations where you can get some real benefit from them are like vintage jeans— increasingly in demand.
The Phillies, however, have not joined this trend (all stats prior to Friday’s games). They’ve attempted just nine bunts this season, the second-least in baseball, and laid down just three of them for hits; only two teams have fewer. Contrast with the Rays, who lead baseball with a whopping 56 attempts and 21 hits. The Rays braintrust is famously savvy; if they think bunts are the future, there’s good reason to believe it (though this point may be a bit less effective for this audience, given that Phillies fans are reminded of one of the Rays’ most infamous errors in judgment every fifth game). Tampa Bay is an outlier; the median number of bunt attempts this season is 22, and the median for bunt hits is 7. Still, that puts the Phillies decidedly behind average.
The tiny number of bunts attempted so far means that any attempt to explore how good the Phillies are at bunting is going to fall prey to small sample size. Still, we can note that their success rate on bunts is 33.3%, which puts them squarely in the middle of the pack. The lion’s share of the Phillies’ bunt attempts and successes have come from Justin Crawford, who has two hits on four tries. The other bunt hit came from Brandon Marsh, in his lone try. Bryson Stott and Garrett Stubbs both tried twice, to no avail. No other Phillies have attempted to bunt.
Of the Phillies who have joined Bunt Club this year, Brandon Marsh probably shouldn’t renew his membership. He’s pretty fast (74th percentile sprint speed), and solid at bunting (7 for 22 in his career) but he’s hitting well enough that there’s probably no need for him to lay down more. Bryson Stott might want to give it a whirl, though. Unsurprisingly for someone with his above-average speed, he’s good at bunting, having turned half of the 18 bunts in play across his career into hits. In the midst of a down season at the plate (.235/.291/.393, 87 wRC+), a successful bunt here and there would help him add more to the team’s offense. The same can be said of Justin Crawford, whose blazing sprint speed (96th percentile) no doubt explains why he’s bunted more often this season than any other Phillie.
What about the Phillies who haven’t attempted any bunts so far, though? Most obviously shouldn’t try it; they’re either not fast enough, or would be better off just swinging. But there is one candidate who should perhaps ask if bunting is right for him. When you think about it, it is somewhat odd that the fastest Phillie hasn’t attempted a bunt this season. Actually, he hasn’t attempted a bunt at all since 2019. Said fastest Phil would be Trea Turner, of course. As the fastest player on the team, and the fifth-fastest in baseball this season, he’s got the legs for it (the fastest, if you were wondering, is the fittingly and marvelously named Henry Bolte, of the peripatetic Athletics). And he’s done well with bunting in the past. He’s converted 9 bunts into hits out of 15 he’s put into play. 14 of those attempts came in 2018. He had no bunts at all in the first four seasons of his career. I assume that the explanation for the sudden change in 2018 lies with a managerial change: Dave Martinez took over for Washington that year and presumably put that strategy into place. I don’t know why it was suddenly abandoned afterwards; perhaps Turner was hitting well enough that the Nats felt it wasn’t necessary to do it anymore.
But, unfortunately, he is not hitting well this season. With a .223/.274/.334 slash line, Turner has struggled mightily with the bat. Bunting isn’t going to be a solution to that: even if deployed frequently and successfully, it won’t change the larger picture at the plate. Still, Turner’s speed makes the bunt an arrow in his quiver, and thus that of the Phillies. If Trea Turner were born a few generations earlier, he’d have been bunting all the time. The fact that he was born in a bunt-shy era, though, certainly doesn’t mean he has to avoid it. You can live in the modern day and still appreciate the pastimes that are, or at least seem to be, truly past. At least that’s what I tell myself before dropping $45 on a new record.
Justin Dean in the field for the Cubs during Spring Training 2026 | | Getty Images
Moisés Ballesteros had an excellent start to his 2026 season, serving mostly as the Cubs designated hitter. Over his first 25 games this year, “Mo Baller” batted .387/.435/.710 (24-for-62) with five doubles, five home runs, 16 RBI and 12 runs scored.
Unfortunately, he then went into an extended slump. Since that great start he’s batting just .128/.217/.170 (12-for-94) with one home run and 24 strikeouts in 34 games.
To replace Ballesteros on the 26-man active roster, outfielder Justin Dean was recalled from Iowa Friday.
Dean is 29 and a career minor leaguer who played in 18 regular season games for the Dodgers last year, mostly as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner (only two plate appearances). He also played in 13 games for the Dodgers in last year’s postseason, all as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement.
That’s Dean in center field for the Dodgers, putting his arms up to indicate the ball hit by Addison Barger of the Blue Jays was stuck in the wall. That prevented Toronto from scoring a run on that play, and the Dodgers eventually won the game (and the World Series).
Dean wore uniform No. 1 for the Cubs in Spring Training this year and I assume he’ll continue to wear it when he makes his Cubs debut. Oddly enough, if he plays this weekend, that Cubs debut will be against the Blue Jays.
As for Ballesteros, he absolutely has the talent to hit at the major league level. The league appears to have adjusted to him and now he’ll have to make adjustments himself. I believe he’ll do so and will be back at some point later this season.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 08: Eugenio Suarez #28 of the Cincinnati Reds blows a bubble-gum bubble during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on June 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This week’s MLB Reacts question may well feature a classic case of striking while the iron is hot. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll look back on it later as an example of being irrationally exuberant at precisely the wrong time.
Either way, this week we got some pretty definitive results!
On Tuesday, we laid out the case that the projected roster of the Cincinnati Reds in 2027 sure looked like it could use a thumper, a big bat capable of playing corner infield defense given the holes existing both on their roster as-is as well as on the farm behind it. We also highlighted that in Eugenio Suárez, they’ve already got a franchise icon who is capable of providing just about all of that, whose mutual option for next year could maybe be reworked into a contract for the 2027 season.
Of course, we also asked that the morning after Geno socked a pair of homers – one a grand slam – while driving in 6 runs in a 12-0 rout of the New York Mets. The timing seemed impeccable for some classic Geno love, and that’s precisely what happened.
70% of respondents thought bringing back Geno for the 2027 was a good idea!
In the two games since that two-homer night, Geno has gone 0 for 8 with 5 Ks. He’s hitting .212/.274/.376 on the season (a .651 OPS), with just 7 homers and 25 RBI through 47 games played. Baseball Reference values him at -0.5 bWAR, and FanGraphs concurs (-0.5 fWAR), and his 35th birthday is almost exactly one month away.
Perhaps we’d get a markedly different result here if we’d asked on just about any other day of the 2026 season. But this week, after Monday’s game, it’s clear that Geno once again endeared himself to the Cincinnati Reds faithful, who wouldn’t mind seeing him back in the uniform again next year.
The St. Louis Cardinals are small road favorites in Kansas City, priced -120 on the moneyline.
My Cardinals vs. Royals predictions and MLB picks see value in backing the Redbirds to come out on top in a high-scoring affair on Friday, June 19.
Who will win Cardinals vs Royals today: Cardinals moneyline (-120)
Neither starting pitcher inspires much confidence — both have red flags that suggest regression is coming — so I’ll defer to the offenses and bullpens, where the St. Louis Cardinals look better.
They sit 14th in SLG and 13th in runs, while the Kansas City Royals rank outside the Top 20 in both categories.
The Cardinals are 19th in bullpen FIP while the Royals are 29th, giving them a pitching advantage after the first handful of innings.
I think the Cardinals deserve to be bigger favorites, and would back them on the moneyline up to -130.
Cardinals vs Royals Over/Under pick: Over 9 (-115)
Seth Lugo is sporting a 3.86 ERA despite a 5.30 xERA. He has gotten much better results than deserved, and the Cardinals are capable of bringing him back down to earth.
They sit 10th in wOBA vs. right-handed pitching this month and will benefit from playing in a hitter-friendly park.
Kansas City ranks sixth in wOBA against righties in June and has performed better at home all year.
Play the Over to -130.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 34-27, -0.65 units
Over/Under bets: 32-27-2, +1.69 units
Cardinals vs Royals weather
Temperatures in the low 80s are expected with slight winds blowing out. The bats will see a small boost.
Cardinals vs Royals odds
Moneyline: Cardinals -120 | Royals +100
Run line: Cardinals -1.5 (+140) | Royals +1.5 (-160)
Over/Under: Over 9 (-115) | Under 9 (-105)
Cardinals vs Royals trend
St. Louis has hit the team total Over in 24 of its last 35 away games (+11.45 units, 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Royals.
How to watch Cardinals vs Royals and game info
Location
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Date
Friday, June 19, 2026
First pitch
8:15 p.m. ET
TV
Apple TV
Cardinals starting pitcher
Michael McGreevy (3-5, 2.99 ERA)
Royals starting pitcher
Seth Lugo (2-4, 3.86 ERA)
Cardinals vs Royals latest injuries
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.
Writer error (yeah, Brett’s wearing this one) prevented the issuance of our customary White Sox question this week (it concerned the area on the roster to strengthen at the trade deadline), so we’ll table it for a week from now. But that doesn’t mean you didn’t get your national surveys this week, with some fun questions to weigh in on!
The first national question … was a bummer. But timely, given Rob Manfred’s announcement on Thursday that MLB owners would seek to slash the MLB draft to 12 rounds (and along with it the bonus pool) and instituting an international draft as well. Just as the White Sox are getting back to winning, ominous labor issues loom over the game. A majority — but frankly, not a big enough majority — anticipated pinning the blame on ownership, which is (always) the correct answer. Presumably, a South Side fan base voted anti-owner at a clip much bigger than 58%:
The second national question was much more fun, albeit predictable. It’s not looking good — nor should it — for the American League this year:
Bless you crazies who tabbed the White Sox to go all the way. You gotta figure that Every Single One of the White Sox support votes came from this very site. STUFF THE BALLOT BOX BABY!
Did you miss out on this round of questions? No worry, sign up here to participate in our weekly emailed surveys, and have your White Sox voice be heard!
Romy Gonzalez began a rehab assignment at Double-A on Tuesday.
Prior to the season, I outlined the impact of Romy Gonzalez’s injury, combined with the Red Sox letting Rob Refsnyder go to Seattle. I worried that the lineup would struggle against left-handers without both of them. I should have also added that the lineup would struggle against right-handers without both of them.
Sure, Gonzalez’ .978 OPS in 143 plate appearances against lefties would be welcomed. But his explosive bat was pretty good against everybody a year ago. Romy hit .286 with a .718 OPS against right-handers a year ago. Of players with 100+ plate appearances this season, the only Red Sox with a higher OPS than .718 against all pitchers are Willson Contreras, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu. Outside of these three hitters, no one is owed anything in terms of playing time going forward. This lineup team is broken.
He could return during the upcoming road trip, but should be back for the Yankees series on Thursday, at the latest. As Gonzalez embarked on his rehab assignment, manager Chad Tracy said, “With the power potential and the thump with the bat, we’ve got to get him involved.”
How involved, though? Gonzalez played second base on Tuesday and designated hitter on Wednesday. Tracy mentioned they’ll work him in at first base in the minor leagues to be the backup to Contreras at first base. In my mind, Romy should be an everyday player. Mix him in at shortstop during the rehab, where he has played 117 MLB innings defensively, so that he can shift over there if Marcelo Mayer (.588 OPS) continues slumping.
Additionally, who should be the corresponding move? Andruw Monasterio plays all of the same positions that Gonzalez does, and over the past 30 days, he’s slashing .194/.242/.355 with a 42.4% K-rate. The Red Sox are also carrying three catchers, who have a combined total of 2 home runs and 19 RBI in 329 plate appearances. One of whom is Connor Wong, whose last home run came on September 8th, 2024 (!!!), and still has an option remaining.
A reminder that a year ago, Romy had the seventh best batting average (.305) in all of baseball, out of players with 300+ plate appearances.
How often do you think Romy should play, and who should hit the road? Discuss in the comments, and be good to each other.
Landen Roupp was one of several players to write a Bible verse on their hats during the San Francisco Giants’ Pride Night game.Photograph: Scott Marshall/AP
The US justice department has launched a civil rights investigation into Major League Baseball after the league criticized three San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their hats during the team’s Pride Night.
Most of MLB’s 30 teams celebrate Pride month with a themed game to acknowledge the LGBTQ community and its baseball fans. During a 12 June game against the Chicago Cubs, pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses on their hats, which featured the Giants’ logo in rainbow colors, while pitcher Sam Hentges chose not to wear the themed cap at all.
MLB said in a statement on Monday that writing on hats “violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations.”
On Thursday, assistant US attorney general Harmeet Dhillon wrote a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred saying the justice department had referred the league to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate whether the discipline amounts to religious discrimination.
“The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League’s vehicle for pro-Pride messages,” Dhillon said in the letter. “Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees’ exercise of religion.”
Dhillon called MLB’s decision to allow players to wear Black Lives Matter uniform patches in 2020 a “double standard”. Andrea Lucas, the EEOC chair, reposted Dhillon’s letter saying the agency could not confirm the existence of a charge or investigation without a court filing or public resolution, but added: “Rest assured, however, that EEOC is committed to protecting the religious liberty of all workers.”
Roupp said after the Giants’ game last week that the decision to write on his cap was not malicious and that there was “no hate at all”. Hentges said he did not appreciate being told to wear the cap for a cause he did not “morally support”.
After MLB’s warning to the Giants players, vice-president JD Vance weighed in on X, saying: “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore”, referencing Pride hats. Republican senator Josh Hawley wrote a letter to Manfred voicing his concerns over what he termed a “pattern of discrimination” against Christian players.
The league has said that its warning about writing on caps has nothing to do with the content of the message, and that it has sent the same warning for Mother’s Day messages and names of family members.
The controversy over Pride nights is not new in baseball. In 2022, several members of the Tampa Bay Rays refused to wear the team’s rainbow-themed logos in “faith-based decisions”. This week, it extended beyond the majors, as the independent league York Revolution forfeited a game after some of its players refused to don the Pride Night jerseys.
The Giants released a statement after their Pride Night saying they are “proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ community” while also respecting that “individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations” and apologizing for the “pain and anger [of] many in the LGBTQ+ community”.
San Francisco has a large LGBTQ population and holds an important place in the history of American LGBTQ rights. The director of the city’s Pride efforts told NBC Bay Area that the moment was painful for many Giants fans.
“I hate that it’s dividing us, this time of year I hope that we’re unifying people,” said Suzanne Ford.
“It’s so ludicrous that this story is being spun that Christians are being discriminated against,” she added.
Sunday Night Baseball is coming to Citizens Bank Park this week when the New York Mets take on the Phillies at 7:20 p.m. ET in a game that can be seen on NBC and Peacock. Both teams got off to slow starts this season, but the Phillies have turned things around and still have designs on a long October playoff run.
And if that happens, one of the main reasons will be due to the play of their first baseman Bryce Harper. Harper has accomplished an almost impossible task: he has lived up to extraordinary expectations. He was perhaps the most hyped position-player prospect in history, certainly the most hyped in the last 30 years.
Harper has outperformed expectations. Remember, he was a mega-star before his first major league plate appearance. He went from child prodigy (he skipped the final two years of high school to concentrate on his baseball development) to one of the game’s most enduring superstars.
Harper was the first player selected in the June 2010 draft. He won the National League MVP Award in 2015 with a season that would fit in nicely on the back of Ted Williams’ or Barry Bonds’ baseball card. Harper would capture another NL MVP Award with a different team six years later in 2021. In 2022, Bryce won the NLCS MVP, leading the Phillies to the World Series.
It is the middle of 2026—Bryce’s 15th season in MLB. It is his eighth season in Philadelphia, since signing his 13-year contract in early 2019. He’s on pace for a 35-homer season. He’s slugging .496. His OPS is .860, and his OPS+ is 133 (not far off from his career 142).
I appreciate all of this.
Aaron Judge: Born April 26, 1992: 385 HR Bryce Harper: Born October 16, 1992: 378 HR
Harper is six months younger than Judge and has virtually the same amount of home runs. Judge does have one more piece of hardware: he has three MVPs, and Harper has two.
If Harper compares to one of the greatest right-handed batters ever (Judge), he also compares quite favorably to one of the greatest left-handed batters—Barry Bonds.
Through 7,000 PA
Bryce Harper
Barry Bonds
(through 9/6/24)
(through 6/19/97)
5,858
AB
5,755
332
HR
346
1,026
BB
1,143
1,647
H
1,651
.281
AVG
.287
.389
OBP
.405
.521
SLG
.545
.910
OPS
.950
Through their first 7,000 plate appearances, Bonds had won three MVP awards, and Harper two. Bonds had slightly higher average, on-base, and slugging percentages, but it was all close. Clearly on Hall of Fame tracks.
You know what happened to Bonds. He didn’t decline after 7,000 plate appearances. He did the opposite, to an extreme degree. Harper has followed a more natural projection.
After their 7,000th PA
Bryce Harper
Barry Bonds
816
AB
4,093
46
HR
416
.268
AVG
.314
.365
OBP
.494
.504
SLG
.694
.869
OPS
1.187
We should be celebrating Harper for being this good this far into his contract, this far into his career.
The two contenders for the “Most Hyped Position Player” entering MLB the last 50 years besides Harper were probably Alex Rodriguez and Bo Jackson.
Bo was out of baseball by the time he was 31, a victim of a damaged hip.
Alex’s name was linked to steroid use and admitted in 2009 to taking a banned substance when he arrived in Texas as a free agent in 2001. His name was linked to Biogenesis, a company investigated for providing performance-enhancing substances to players. Arod received a 211-day suspension and missed the entire 2014 season. He has not received much support for the Hall of Fame despite superb statistics.
That’s the pattern that most of these prodigies follow. There are only a few paths. One is that the journey ends prematurely, due to the body breaking down. Another, as we saw with Rodriguez and Bonds, is prolonged greatness aided by performance-enhancing substances. The third is inevitability, where a player performs to high expectations, and then has a natural regression.
That’s Harper.
Harper has hit 15 home runs this season, a 5.1 HR% that would be his highest since 2021. Assuming the 33-year-old plays only six more seasons after this one, let’s be conservative and give him 18 more this season to end 2026 with 395. Now, project him for only 2,400 more at-bats through 2031 and a 4.7% HR percentage. That gives him 112 more home runs, meaning he would finish with 507 home runs.
That’s 500 home runs without being suspended or widely suspected of cheating. That’s 500 home runs and (at least) a couple of MVP seasons and deep playoff runs while coming back from broken thumbs and Tommy John surgery and hamstring injuries along the way.
More fighting back time: Bryce this season is striking out less and walking more than his career averages. He is performing well in the eighth year of his 13-year deal, which is remarkable given the number of long-term contracts which don’t work out in the end. Harper started 2026 with a memorable game-tying home run in the World Baseball Classic. Will he end one with a memorable October blast?
This weekend, Bryce will face the Mets, a familiar opponent as Harper has spent his entire career in the N.L. East. Harper has hit 40 home runs against the Mets. Is that a lot?
May 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) on deck against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Most HR vs. Mets
60 — Willie Stargell, HOF
49 — Chipper Jones, HOF
49 — Mike Schmidt, HOF
48 — Willie McCovey, HOF
48 — Ryan Howard
45 — Hank Aaron, HOF
42 — Pat Burrell
40 — Bryce Harper
Harper has hit home runs against some terrific Mets pitchers: Johan Santana, current teammate Zack Wheeler, Bartolo Colon, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Max Scherzer, and Edwin Diaz.
▶ A few Father’s Day connections between the Phillies and Mets
It’s Father’s Day every Philadelphia Phillies game:
Don Mattingly’s son Preston Mattingly is the general manager of the Phillies. It’s hard to imagine a father-son duo operating a team as GM-manager. Wait, the son is the boss of the father?
It’s nice that the Mets play the Phils on Father’ Day:
Phillies’ TV announcer Tom McCarthy’s son Pat McCarthy is a radio broadcaster for the New York Mets.
The most memorable Phillies/Mets game played on Father’s Day:
The Phillies and Mets played on Father's Day--also June 21--in 1964. It was memorable.
Philadelphia's Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game--only the fifth all-time...the first in regular season play since 1922....the first in the National League since 1880.
Jim Bunning of course was a Hall of Fame pitcher (224-184, 3.27). He was a sidearm pitcher, mostly for the Tigers and Phillies. When he retired, he was second on the all-time strikeout list (only to Walter Johnson). Following his baseball career, he became a member of the United States Senate (from Kentucky) from 1999-2011. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 85.
A great use of ChatGPT is to find out exactly how many times since 1964 has Father's Day been on June 21. 2026 will be only the ninth time (1970, 1981, 1987, 1992, 1998, 2009, 2015, 2020, and 2026).
Can lightning strike twice on the same date with the same franchises? Where’s Benjamin Franklin when you need him?
Editors’ Note: Elliott Kalb - dubbed “Mr. Stats” decades ago by Marv Albert and Bob Costas - is the former Senior Editorial Director at MLB Network and a longtime contributor of research and information to NBC Sports’ telecasts.
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - JULY 24: Ethan Pecko #20 of the Corpus Christi Hooks pitches during the game between the Amarillo Sod Poodles and the Corpus Christi Hooks at Whataburger Field on Thursday, July 24, 2025 in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Photo by Vanessa Buentello/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (31-39) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
Pecko got the start for Sugar Land and was great going 7 innings allowing just 1 run while striking out 5 batters. The offense got on the board in the 7th on a Price walk. They took the lead in the 8th on a Salazar RBI triple. VanWey allowed a run in the 8th as the Isotopes tied it. The game went to extras and in the 10th inning, the Isotopes walked it off as Sugar Land fell 3-2.
Ethan Pecko, RHP: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Alimber Santa, RHP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (30-36) lost 11-7 (BOX SCORE)
Hicks started for the Hooks but ran into some trouble allowing 6 runs over 4.2 innings. The offense got on the board in the first inning on a Spence solo home run. In the 3rd, they scored 3 more runs on a Spence 2 run home run and Brutcher solo home run. Holy added a solo home run in the 4th. The offense got 2 runs back in the 7th on Spence and Brutcher RBI singles but the pen struggled allowing 5 more runs as the Hooks fell 11-7.
James Hicks, RHP: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Jack Dashwood, LHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Railin Perez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (17-48) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
Oakes got the start but struggled allowing 2 runs while retiring just 2 batters. Asheville got on the board in the first inning on a Call sac fly. Carr relieved Oakes and went 4.1 innings allowing 1 run. In the bottom of the 5th, Call connected on a solo home run. Unfortunately the game was called after 5 innings due to rain as Asheville fell 3-2.
Kellan Oakes, RHP: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
Jordan Carr, LHP: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (32-33) won 9-4 (BOX SCORE)
Shoemaker started for the Woodpeckers and allowed 1 run over 3.2 innings. The offense blew the game open in the third scoring 8 runs on a Flores 2 run home run, a run on an error, a Cauro RBI double, Ramirez 2 run double, Gomez RBI single and Huezo RBI single. Mathiesen and Cassedy were solid in relief allowing 1 run each. There was about a 2 hour rain delay but the Woodpeckers were able to hold on for the 9-4 win.
He allows a ton of quality contact, doesn’t miss bats, and control issues lead to a lot of additional traffic on the basepaths.
The New York Yankees are third in wOBA, second in OPS, and first in BB% against right-handed pitching at home — they are a perfect team to exploit Lowder’s shortcomings.
Schlittler has posted a 1.69 ERA over seven starts against teams ranking Bottom-15 in OPS vs. right-handed pitching. Only once did he concede more than a single run.
The Reds are a subpar offense against righties on the road, and the injury to De La Cruz only makes their life tougher.
It’ll be harder for them to run up the score without them. I also project they’ll only have eight innings to hit.
Play to -115.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 34-27, -0.65 units
Over/Under bets: 32-27-2, +1.69 units
Reds vs Yankees weather
It will be another warm day in New York, with temperatures expected to reach the 80s. That should boost the bats, although both teams are missing some of their top power sources.
Reds vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Reds +310 | Yankees -260
Run line: Reds +1.5 (+105) | Yankees -1.5 (-125)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (+100)
Reds vs Yankees trend
New York has hit the Run Line in seven of the last 11 games (+4.4 units, 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Reds vs. Yankees.
How to watch Reds vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Friday, June 19, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
Reds.TV, YES
Reds starting pitcher
Rhett Lowder (3-3, 4.60 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.82 ERA)
Reds vs Yankees latest injuries
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.
Feb 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Tibbs III against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Several one-run affairs and a blowout loss for the Tower Buzzers made up a day of baseball in the Dodgers’ minor league system.
Player of the day
Sometimes one hit is all you need. Through nine innings, James Tibbs III hadn’t done anything, but then, with one out in the tenth and the Comets trailing 4-3, Tibbs was at the plate with a runner on base and homered to the opposite field for the win.
It hasn’t been the best of months for Tibbs, far from it, as the left-handed hitter now has a .200 average with three home runs in June. On the plus side, he still is getting on base rather consistently with a .362 OBP despite that batting average at the Mendoza line.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
James Tibbs III is now up to 20 homers on the season, none bigger than last night’s two-run shot, which came when the Comets were two outs away from losing the game in the 10th inning. Tibbs drove in Ryan Fitzgerald, who also only had one hit the whole game.
Considering Tibbs’ homer was the Comets’ only extra-base hit in the entire game, and Hyesong Kim was their only hitter with a multi-hit game, the bullpen deserves a ton of praise. Led by Evan Phillips, Comets’ relievers tossed five innings without allowing an earned run after Christian Romero’s solid but unspectacular start. The only run conceded when relievers were on the mound was the ghost runner in the 10th.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers started off hot with four runs in the second, but quickly faded in a 6-5 loss against the Naturals. Just like in the Comets game, the whole lineup only had one hitter with a multihit game; here it was catcher and ninth-hole hitter Hayden Gilliland. It also only had one home run, here belonging to Josue De Paula.
Unable to score more than one run after that second inning, the Drillers’ offense allowed the Naturals the chance to get back into this one, and after a couple of blown saves from Lucas Wepf and Kelvin Ramírez, the veteran Nick Robertson suffered his first loss on the year. Robertson now moves to a 6-1 record, allowing only his fourth run (two earned) in 29.2 innings.
High-A Great Lakes
Playing a couple of closely contested games, both decided by a single run, the Loons split the doubleheader with the Captains. The bullpen tried to let their win slip, allowing the Naturals to tie the game at four-all after Aidan Foeller left them leading 4-0 thanks to 4.2 scoreless innings. However, the Loons caught a break, earning a walk-off win thanks to a defensive error from the Naturals, allowing DH Jose Meza to cross the plate.
Christian Zazueta’s five scoreless innings in the Loons loss meant that, combined, the Loons starters tossed 9.2 innings without allowing a run. This time around, reliever Isaac Ayon didn’t have it out of the bullpen, and not only did he blow the save in the sixth, but he also allowed a walk-off loss an inning later, coughing up a solo homer. The two runs the Loons had scored in this game, thanks to Emil Morales and Jose Meza, which looked like enough for most of it, fell short.
Single-A Ontario
Unlike the other four games, all decided by one run, the Tower Buzzers fell at the hands of the Quakes by a score of 11-2 in a game with a forgettable defensive performance. Four different players committed an error for the Loons, ultimately accumulating more defensive errors than hits (.3).
The only reliever out of the five from the Tower Buzzers to not give up a run was the veteran Brock Stewart, continuing to work his way back. Starter Brady Smith is now up to a 0-4 record.
Unable to drive forward a competitive effort by himself, designated hitter Eason Shelton at least upped his individual numbers, responsible for both RBI of his team, now sitting at 62 on the season.
Thursday’s scores
Oklahoma City 5, Sacramento 4
NW Arkansas 6, Tulsa 5
Great Lakes 5, Lake County 4
Lake County 3, Great Lakes 2
Ontario 2, Rancho Cucamonga 11
Friday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) vs. Lake County (Michael Kennedy)
5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Charlie Barnes) vs. Sacramento (Joe Whitman)
Jun 18, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Good morning, foLLks, and happy Friday!
The Mariners shut out the Orioles 3-0 yesterday to secure their first series win over Baltimore since 2022. The second series of the homestand kicks off today against the Red Sox at 7:10pm PDT.
Brewers righty Quinn Priester will undergo first rib removal surgery. He will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
MLB has proposed a reworked Draft system as negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement remain in their infancy, including the addition of an international draft, removing draft eligibility for high school players, and once again truncating the number of rounds. The MLBPA released a statement regarding these proposals in response, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it appears to be a non-starter in negotiations.
The Pirates and Braves completed a small swap, with Pittsburgh sending former second overall pick C Joey Bart to Atlanta for RHP Hunter Stratton.
The Tigers will recall utilityman Trei Cruz from Triple-A Toledo, who will fill in for Wenceel Pérez after a freak eye injury involving a snapped plyo band. Notably, he is the son of former Mariner José Cruz Jr., and the Cruzes will become just the fifth family to have three generations of MLB players when Trei makes his debut.
Ribbie launched a few weeks ago. Per their site description, it’s “[a]ctual live games rendered pitch by pitch in a cozy 8-bit view while they happen. Watch for free. No account needed. A calmer way to keep baseball close.” While it’s still a work in progress , it’s a pretty neat way to follow a game if you tire of the Gameday view.
If you are looking for a new show to watch, please consider this one (~NSFW).
When the Blue Jays were last at Wrigley Field in August 2024, thousands of Jays fans followed them to Chicago. I found them to all be passionate fans, but also friendly and unfailingly polite.
As we are near the beginning of summer travel season, I’d expect more Jays fans at Wrigley again this weekend — and in fact, I have heard all three games are already near-sellouts. So, welcome!
This series matches two teams that were supposed to be World Series contenders, but at this time both are struggling. For more on the Blue Jays, here’s Tom Dakers, manager of our SB Nation Blue Jays site Bluebird Banter.
What can I say about the Blue Jays? Well, they have been incredibly average. They can hit, unless, of course, there are RISP, and then they hit much as you or I would. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the ‘face’ of the team, has been in a deep slump and an even deeper power outage. Earlier in the season, he was hitting well, just not hitting home runs. Now, if you look at his stats, you’d see he has three home runs, and that’s not a typo. Three.
The starting pitching has been pretty good, other than Max Scherzer, whom you are unlucky enough to miss out on seeing. The team has been getting starting pitchers back from the IL, so we weren’t going the ‘bullpen days’ two times out of five. Louis Varland has been amazing in the closer role, after Jeff Hoffman had enough blowups to lose the job. Hoffman has a great strikeout rate (36.1 percent) and a roughly equal home run rate (well, not really, but he does seem to give up home runs at the worst possible moments). On the good news side, Alejandro Kirk and Nathan Lukes are back and hitting well.
We Jays fans are hanging our hopes on the fact that they are in about the same spot as they were at this time last year, and that turned out pretty good.
Fun facts
The Cubs have played only nine previous games at home against the Blue Jays, their fewest vs. any current big league team.
They played more against three long-defunct National League clubs: 10 vs. the Hartford Dark Blues, 11 vs. the Louisville Grays and 11 vs. the St. Louis Brown Stockings, all in 1876-77, the league’s first two seasons.
The Cubs are 6-3 at Wrigley Field vs. the Jays. They lost two of three in 2005, swept three in 2017 and won two of three in 2024, missing a sweep when they lost the finale, 1-0.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Ben Brown, RHP (3-2, 1.74 ERA, 0.968 WHIP, 2.36 FIP) vs. Kevin Gausman, RHP (4-4, 3.41 ERA, 1.034 WHIP, 3.20 FIP)
Saturday: Colin Rea, RHP (5-5, 5.35 ERA, 1.459 WHIP, 5.03 FIP) vs. Patrick Corbin, LHP (2-3, 4.57 ERA, 1.475 WHIP, 4.41 FIP)
Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, also streaming on Peacock (outside the Cubs and Blue Jays market territories)
Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
The Cubs have had their struggles of late, but now they are facing a team that has had trouble winning on the road. The Jays are 16-20 away from Toronto, though they now have a winning record this month, 8-7, while the Cubs are 7-8 so far in June.
The pitching matchups seem to slightly favor the Jays, but I still think this is a series the Cubs can win. Two of three. If the Cubs can do that, that would be three straight series wins.
Up next
The Cubs head to New York for a four-game series against the Mets beginning Monday evening.
ST. LOUIS, MO - JULY 12: Sean Berry of the Houston Astros during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 12, 1998 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
Sean Berry made an immediate impact upon his arrival to Houston in 1996. Originally acquired in a trade from the Expos, Berry would join the “Killer B’s” lineup and drive in 95 runs in his debut season in the dome. Along the way that first season, he’d also hit a pair of grand slams. Berry is our 27th installment of our exclusive Legends Series.
Q: What do you remember about being dealt to Houston?
A: You know, it benefited me that the trade happened during the offseason, so I was able to get a full spring training under my belt and get to know the superstars that I was around in Craig and Jeff and everybody else.
It was a perfect fit. I kind of fell right into the framework and mindset that they had. They all hustled, and it was a great feeling. It was perfect because you knew there was something special with that team on day one.
Q: “Killer B’s” still resonates all these years later down here. How great were Biggio and Bagwell?
A: I think for me, just seeing those guys play as hard as they did, day in and day out, and to do it at that level. Those guys were great players, but what impressed me was the hard work they put in when no one was watching. I never even played a full 162 game schedule like those guys. The turf at the Astrodome wasn’t really turf (laughs) it was more like concrete and they kept their bodies in tune.
Q: Was there any doubt in your mind that they’d eventually wind up in Cooperstown?
A: I came up through the Royals organization, and I got to know this guy by the name of George Brett. Those guys had the same competitiveness as George did and they all had long careers. eff’s numbers would be even more impressive if he didn’t have the arthritis in his shoulder. He would’ve had another 2 or 3 years with great numbers.
Q: What did you like about taking the field for Larry Dierker?
A: When I got there, he was a new manager of sorts but the one thing that they don’t do these days but that Larry always instilled was with our staff, he’d say don’t be looking in here during the 5th or 6th inning for me to come and get you out of the game.
We had Mike Hampton and Shane Reynolds and Darryl Kile, and they always took us deep into games. They were our best guys, so Larry’s belief was to keep them out there even if the metrics didn’t bear it out. He was that way. Larry in his own right had some incredible complete games as a pitcher, so he brought that to the table as a manager.
Q: I heard a rumor that during the first week of the season, you attended a game as a fan for the first time. Is that true?
A: It is (laughs). It was against Boston in April. It was weird, very strange. I was sitting there and there were so many strikeouts and guys not putting the ball in play. It bothered me and watching guys not break up double plays was a little hard. We never tried to hurt anybody, but the second base play stuff doesn’t feel right when I watch it, it just feels wrong.
Q: What did you think of seeing Yordan Alvarez for the first time in person?
A: He’s pretty impressive. Wow. When I did that for a living, I did it pretty okay at times, but then I see a guy like him and I’m like, I never looked that polished at the plate.
COVERS INTEL:
