Six hundred and fifty-plus episodes in, and the Royals Rundown Podcast is still finding new angles on Kansas City Royals baseball. Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco mark the milestone with one of the more wide-ranging conversations, from a series victory over the Seattle Mariners to a daunting date with the New York Yankees on the horizon.
The episode opens on a high note, recapping the Royals’ series win and the momentum it has generated heading into a critical stretch. Stephen Kolek is the pitching story of the week, delivering a complete game that doubles as one of the more unusual performances of the MLB season. Finishing with two or fewer strikeouts in a complete game is a feat rare enough that the hosts put it in full historical context. The bullpen’s contributions during the stretch also get their due, with the quality start metrics painting an encouraging picture of where the pitching staff stands right now.
The Yankees series preview is where the conversation takes on a sharper edge. Kansas City’s historical struggles against New York, including a 20-1 series record and a current ten-game losing streak against the club, frame a preview that is equal parts analytical and frank. With playoff positioning on the line, Jacob and Jeremy assess what winning this series would mean for the Royals’ postseason outlook and whether this roster is equipped to finally flip the script.
Pitching depth and roster construction also factor in, with a look at Noah Cameron, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha, who is approaching his 300th MLB start, alongside injury updates on Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, and James McArthur. On the transaction wire, the DFA of Elias Diaz, the signing of Luke Jackson, and Tyler Tolbert’s evolving role are all addressed.
Fort Myers, FL - February 15: Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow. The Red Sox held Day 6 of Spring Training at JetBlue Park on February 15, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Marcelo Mayer is now officially the Red Sox shortstop (for now, anyway) but there are a lot fewer questions about his glove than there are his bat. And when it comes to his bat, it isn’t hard to pinpoint where the issues lie: “He’s 1 for 35 since his call-up on changeups, a .029 average that is the worst in the big leagues. He’s 2 for 34 on “shadow zone” pitches near or just below the bottom of the strike zone, including 1 for 19 this season.“ (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
There have been fewer questions about Masataka Yoshida’s bat this season, but still plenty of questions about how he fits into the lineup. As a result, he has a predictably sanguine attitude about the possibility of getting traded. “It’s part of the game, right? If it happens, it happens,” he said. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Considering the fact that the Red Sox are dead-last in the league in runs scored, we shouldn’t be focused on trading away hitters, anyway. And indeed, we are starting to hear whispers that the Red Sox are “looking for a right-handed bat” on the trade market. (Lauren Campbell, MassLive)
Any deal for big league talent would likely mean sending prospects out of the system, so it’s a good time to read up on Keith Law’s latest scouting report on a few notable Sox names. Here’s what he has to say about much-hyped 2025 draftee Kyson Witherspoon, who has struggled thus far in single-A: “If I had zero history on the guy at all, I’d say he’s a very likely reliever — he doesn’t repeat his delivery, his command is a 45 at best (on the 20-80 scouting scale) and neither the slider nor cutter is an out pitch yet. Given how much the Red Sox have changed him, however, I’m inclined to give him a lot of slack. Changing an arm action like this is a big deal and it might take him most of the year to get comfortable with it.” (Keith Law, The Athletic)
So it sounds like Witherspoon is not going to repeat Payton Tolle’s feat of breaking into the big leagues in his very first season of pro ball. That’s not at all a knock on Witherspoon, as (a) almost no one does that, and (b) Tolle just seems to be an amazing person all around, as evidenced by the fact that he seeks out autographs from just about everyone he meets. “The biggest thing right now is just appreciating where I’m at. Being a part of this organization — it sounds cliché, but it’s an honor.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - APRIL 18, 2026: Ryan Clifford #20 of the Syracuse Mets is congratulated as he walks through the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders at NBT Bank Stadium on April 18, 2026 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Ryan Clifford has now appeared in 350 games as a member of the Mets organization since being traded here on August 1, 2023 along with Drew Gilbert in exchange for Justin Verlander and cash considerations. Over that period of time, which has seen him play 63 games for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, 204 games with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies, and 83 games with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, he has struck out 431 times. He is currently leading the minor league system in strikeouts, tallied the second-most in 2025, and had the third-most in 2024.
Since 2021, when the current iteration of minor league baseball began, Jaylen Palmer has more strikeouts than anybody else in the organization, with 609 punchouts and counting- and if you add his strikeouts from his time in the Chicago White Sox organization last season, that total increases to by 154 to a whopping 763. Scrolling down the list, Ryan Clifford’s name comes in at seventh, tied with Wyatt Young, with 431 strikeouts.
Although he may have catastrophic contact and swing & miss issues, Clifford also recoups some of that value by drawing a large number of walks and displaying in-game power, something very few of the organizational strikeout leaders since 2021 have.
Channing Austin
Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (High-A)
Channing Austin is enjoying an excellent season. In eight games now, he has a 1.17 ERA in 38.1 innings, with 20 hits allowed, 22 walks, and 48 strikeouts. Quickly scanning the surface stats, I was a bit worried that the right-hander would have home/road splits; Maimonides Park (FKA Keyspan Park until 2009 and MCU Park until 2021) has a habit of making some very pedestrian pitchers look like aces.
Last season, the Cyclones had the second-best ERA in the South Atlantic League (3.30), with Noah Hall leading the way with a 2.72 ERA. In 2024, they had the sixth-best ERA (3.94), with Jonah Tong posting the best ERA on the team (3.71). In 2023, they had the second-best ERA (3.72), with Tyler Stuart leading the charge (1.55). In 2022, they had the second-best ERA, with Nick Zwack posting the best (1.84). And in 2021, as members of the “High-A East”, the Cyclones were fifth-best in the league (4.51), with Justin Lasko having the best individual season (2.81).
Sure enough, Channing Austin does have some somewhat noticeable home/road concerns. In 15.2 innings at home, thrown over 3 starts, the right-hander has a 1.15 ERA, with 5 hits allowed, 7 walks, and 18 strikeouts. On the road, he has a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings thrown over 5 starts, with 15 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 30 strikeouts. While the earned runs allowed and strikeout numbers are roughly the same, which is good, the amount of hits allowed and the number of walks issued balloon on the road, as opposed to at home. Opposing batters are hitting .094/.200/.170 against him with a .118 BABIP while at home and .188/.327/.250 with a .294 BABIP on the road.
Pulling back the microscope from home/away splits and looking at his overall body of work, again, there are a lot of red flags of concern. A .221 BABIP is not realistically sustainable. An 89.2% LOB%, also not realistically sustainable. A 2.9% HR/FB%? Same thing. With a 39.3% groundball rate and 40.5% flyball rate, hits will start landing.
Brooklyn has habit of making players without premium stuff look like studs. The 2019 NY-Penn champions were led by Garrison Bryant, who posted a 2.39 ERA in 75.1 innings, allowing 49 hits, walking 14, and striking out 75. The year before, Jaison Vilera posted a 1.82 ERA in 73.2 innings with 50 hits allowed, 22 walks, and 78 strikeouts. Harol Gonzalez nearly won the New York-Penn League Triple Crown in 2016 with a 7-3 record, 2.01 ERA and 88 strikeouts. Shifting focus to a player who eventually made the majors, Corey Oswalt posted a 2.26 ERA in 67.2 innings with 55 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 59 strikeouts. Seeing a pattern here? That’s not to say that good pitchers haven’t passed through Coney Island and dominated, but the stadium (and at times, the league) has had a habit of hiding the flaws of players who otherwise weren’t equipped to progress to the top of the mountain of professional baseball.
The 24-year-old Channing does not have premium stuff. His fastball is a solidly average-to-above-average pitch in a vacuum, possessing above-average velocity and flashing above-average induced vertical break readings in the past; the pitch plays down however because of his poor command of the pitch. The same can be said of his slider and curveball, both of which are fringe-average-to-average pitches, also play down because of the poor command. His changeup, which is a decidedly below-average pitch? You guessed it.
You can’t take away what the Brooklyn native has done so far: two months in, roughly one-third of the 2026 season, he’s posted incredible surface numbers. It would be great if that train keeps on rolling, but the totality of the evidence suggests that it probably won’t.
TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Braylon Doughty #27 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the ninth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Let’s Scout the Lake County Captains!
Welcome back to my annual, unrequested article for Covering the Corner. My name is Mike, and you may have heard me on the Disgusting Baseball podcast rotation with Quincy. If not, here’s who I am.
I’ve been the “datacaster” with the Lake County Captains for 5 seasons. That means I relay pitch-by-pitch data from the ballpark to the server at Major League Baseball. That job requires two things, and affords one advantage to me with respect to scouting.
I have to pay attention to every pitch for every game I work. MLB takes the live reporting very seriously, so our accuracy is important.
I have to pay attention to every player on the roster. Wherever a player appears in this recap, rest assured I have seen this player enough times to have an informed opinion on them.
In exchange, I do get access to some information that does not get publicly shared on the game file. Those include the precise pitch location and velocity. While the client does not tag and identify pitches to me automatically, it does differentiate pitch types, and I have seen enough baseball to inform you what those pitch types are.
Without further ado, let’s break it down. I am using the roster as of May 19, 2026, to define our list (sorry, Justin Campbell fans- you will be reading about him from many people more qualified than me, rest assured). This roster is mostly derived from the MLB Draft, and it contains primarily later-round 2024 selections and higher-round 2025 selections. I will include biographical information as the team provides.
Ratings are based on a 20-80 scale, with 20 being fringe-professional and 80 being elite. Future projections are hard- I will try my best to estimate these, but development is not linear, and at High-A, these players have years ahead of them to develop.
Part 1 will cover the rotation and bullpen. In a future part 2, I will take you through the infield, including catchers. Last but not least, I will scout my favorite position group on the team, the outfield. In part 3, I will also rank this version of the roster in order.
Rotation: Braylon Doughty and The Boys
Another note before we crack into this: minor league rotations yield many kinds of pitchers, from spot-starters to mainstays to single-inning relievers. High-A is not the level for that transition, however. A number of these arms will be better suited for relief roles. Additionally, I am an optimistic evaluator, and I will sell you that vision if I can see it. It’s part of the fun! Please let me know where you land.
Doughty has a starting arsenal, a good feel for the spin, and can place most of his pitches for strikes. Doughty is not given to walking guys, but he has been willing to work outside of the strike zone more than he did in his professional debut last season. Doughty can give up his fair share of hits, despite having good enough stuff to attack the zone. He has used the sinker often, but its shape and velocity currently blends with his changeup.
Verdict: Kitchen-sink Starter (think Seth Lugo), projects to the middle of a MLB rotation. FV:50.
Franklin Gómez, LHP: 6’0”, 220, DoB 7/6/2005 (20 yrs. old), Samaná, DR (Acq. in trade w/ NYM, 2026). Four-seam Fastball: 45/45 (90-92 T94), Changeup 50/55(82-85), Cutter 45/50(86-88), Slider 45/50(79-83), Sinker 45/50(88-91), Control 60/60, Command 55/60.
Gómez is a true throwback, feel-for-pitching lefty in a system that has successfully developed pitchers like him. His five pitch mix is headlined by a changeup that separates well from his fastball offerings. The rest of the arsenal is a mix of 40-45 grade offerings that all play significantly better off each other. He works quickly, recovers from mistakes, and pitches with energy. If his fastball offerings can improve, he shows flashes that remind me of Parker Messick, albeit Gómez is significantly younger for the level.
Verdict: Swingman/ Back of rotation starter with possible upside to the middle of a rotation. FV: 40+.
Schlesinger is an interesting evaluation. He is remarkably hittable for how good his stuff is, especially at this level of competition. He strikes out well over a batter an inning, benefitting from a deceptive low three-quarters delivery and a quality breaking ball. THe low arm slot also adds run to his fastball- but the fastball comes in hot and flat. He gives up loud contact when hitters are ready for the heater, and he does not locate it consistently. His new sweeper changed my evaluation somewhat – I now think he can be a swing-man with upside to the back of the rotation. If he does not end up there, he will be a very difficult at-bat for left handed hitters in a bullpen role.
Verdict: Likely a leverage arm from the bullpen, with upside to be a swing-man/back of rotation starter. FV: 35+.
Hernandez is the most interesting of the remaining rotation arms in terms of whether they can stay starters. He has four pitches that I can identify, and none of them are particularly good for the level. He often pitches himself into trouble, but he has been allowed to work out of his own messes. When he starts, he has more success than when asked to piggy-back. I am intrigued because he has shown toughness on the mound, and he does not give in to hitters.
Verdict: He will remain in pro ball for a while. If his stuff creeps up, he may be a depth starter. FV: 35.
Garcia has thrown out his (pretty bad) changeup and moved to an arsenal that capitalizes on his great feel for spin. His slurve and slider have distinct movement patterns despite carrying similar velocity. Command is not his strong suit, but he controls his breaking balls a bit better than his heat. He is using his fastball more than he should, but his current role requires that of him. Garcia is destined for the bullpen, but the longer he can maintain his role in the rotation, the more excited you should be about his potential- it will mean those two breakers can navigate hitters of either handedness, and that they can perform when they’re not at their best.
Verdict: If you liked Scott Barlow, you will love Jogly Garcia. FV: 35.
Humphries has the ingredients to be a successful pitcher. He has a steep overhand delivery, and his fastball and changeup work well together from that release point. He changed his arsenal in 2025, throwing a cutter/slider hybrid to lefties in addition to his fastball/changeup heavy approach to righties and eschewing the curveball almost completely. Humphries simply cannot consistently command the baseball, and right now his arsenal is akin to a left-handed Eli Morgan. Humphries is a prime example of a future reliever who is in the rotation to figure out the basics.
Verdict: high-risk reliever profile with back of rotation upside if it clicks. FV:30+.
Michael Kennedy is a crafty left-handed pitcher who does not have the requisite control or command to make his pitches work. Much like Josh Hartle, who was acquired in the same trade, Kennedy relies on deception and location to get his results. He struggles to put away hitters unless he is pinpoint, and he often surrenders hard contact. Unless his command and control improve significantly, it will be difficult for him to remain in pro baseball.
Verdict: Something needs to change before you can imagine a role for him. FV: 25+.
The Bullpen, ft. Kendeglys Virguez, Cam Schuelke, and Questions
Virguez is a big-bodied righty who stands out on this pitching staff. He has a relatively conventional delivery, but explosive stuff. His slider gets great depth with little lateral movement, while his fastball gets almost no depth with exceptional run to the arm side. When he throws strikes, Virguez can dominate his innings. However, he gets fewer swings and misses than you might project. I believe this is due to the shapes of his pitches, and he may benefit from trying a different breaking ball or a true sinker in the future. When his command gets away from him, the hittable nature of his fastball causes issues.
Verdict: Keep your eye on this guy- he is someone with the stuff you want in the back of a bullpen. FV: 35+
I am almost certainly not doing Schuelke justice with the arsenal above- he throws a number of pitches from three arm slots. He goes from high three quarters to low three quarters to submarine within the same at-bat. Far from a party trick, he regularly deceives hitters with this approach, and with improved command and control, Schuelke could carve out a MLB role due to these unique traits.
Verdict: If his command holds and improves, this is a guy who can make a career out of his willingness to use new arm slots. FV: 35+.
Zsak was a relatively high pick in 2024, and the expectation was always that he would be a high-octane reliever with command issues. He has been exactly that as a professional. He will have an outing where he is untouchable, and he will usually follow that up with a bevy of walks. He reportedly threw harder as an amateur, but Zsak still generates good ride on his four-seamer and relies on it primarily.
Verdict: He has the stuff to be a bullpen arm, but he needs to show better control and live more consistently in the upper range of his velocity band to be an impact reliever. FV: 30+.
McGuire is the kind of reliever that can stick in an organization for years, and he could even develop into a middle reliever option as a pro due to his propensity to throw strikes and attack the zone. None of his pitches are anything special, but he has a frame that allows for some projection. If he can get a few more ticks up on his fastball, then I would feel much better about projecting him to the majors. For now, he is a useful organizational arm.
Verdict: I am happy to see him enter a game- the stuff needs to improve if he is going to be a big leaguer, but the control and feel for pitching are present. FV: 30+.
This one is for the short kings. Izaak Martinez is not blowing anybody away on the mound, but he is an athletic mover who shows decent command of all three offerings. His fastball is just deceptive enough to get swings and misses above the zone, and his changeup is certainly the star of the show. While Martinez is old for the level, he is skilled enough to make me feel confident that he will finish an inning he starts. I do not see a major leaguer here, but I am glad to see him enter a game.
Verdict: Martinez should be a bullpen arm in the organization for some time. FV: 30.
Cam Walty was a starter through mid-2025, but the arsenal is not deep enough for that to continue. Additionally, the stuff is just okay- he can get outs at this level, but he labors through innings on occasion. His fastball does not generate swing and miss, and the slider/cutter hybrid suffers the same fate in-zone.
Verdict: Walty needs something more in the arsenal to make it out of High-A. FV:30.
The other Martinez has a very similar mix to Izaak. He primarily works with his fastball and changeup, but he can get a bit too predictable. I do not foresee him being a major league arm at any point, and his control needs to improve to keep playing at the level.
Verdict: This Martinez also should acquit himself well in the bullpen for some years. FV: 30.
Luis Flores, LHP: 5’11”, 190, DoB 10/5/2003 (22 yrs. old), Samaná, DR (Int’l free agent, 2021). Four-seam fastball (91-95 T97): 40/40, Slider (83-86) 35/40, Control: 30/40, Command, 30/35.
Flores is a difficult evaluation. Year over year, his stuff has improved considerably, and he now has some similarities to Steven Perez. Unfortunately for him, the main differentiator here is fastball shape. Flores shows the ball early, and hitters are not fooled by his breaking pitch. The end result is loud contact, taken pitches in competitive areas outside the zone, and early identification of pitches that will be sprayed. And he sprays both of his offerings, displaying little feel for the zone.
Verdict: He is a tough watch- the whole is worse than the sum of the parts. He is young, but there is not a lot of upside here. FV: 25+.
Pay attention for analysis of the Rake County collection of hitters soon!
(Editor’s Note: We want to offer a big thank you to Mike for choosing to share his firsthand analysis of the Guardians’ High-A team with our site!)
May 19, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) hits the ball into play against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
On Monday night, the Washington Nationals were in Cleveland for the start of a three-game series with a Guardians who just left Philadelphia having won two out of three games while holding the Phils to just four runs.
In the first game of their series, the Nats plated 10 runs on 15 hits in their 10-2 victory. They did it against Tanner Bibee, who entered the game with an 0-7 record and a 4.57 ERA. He lasted just three innings against Washington, gave up seven earned runs on eight hits with just three strikeouts.
Washington did what you’re supposed to do with a lousy pitcher. They bullied and bloodied him.
The Phillies, meanwhile, trudged into San Diego having lost four of their last five with an unreal pitching staff but dragging an offense that has struggled mightily against, well, everyone. They entered their three game series against the Padres facing right-hander Griffin Canning, who had a 7.54 ERA in his first four starts of the season. Canning held the Phils to one run on one hit, a first inning Kyle Schwarber homer, before Brandon Marsh touched him for a two-out, two-run blast in the 7th, helping the Phillies to a 3-0 victory.
They did not bully and bloody a lousy pitcher. They made him look like a Cy Young contender. They managed just three hits off him, and have not compiled at least 10 hits in a game since Friday, May 15, in an 11-9 win against the Pirates in which they totaled 14.
That was 10 days ago.
Through the first two months of the season, Washington leads MLB in runs scored (298), while the Phillies are tied with Toronto for 22nd (216). If you look at all the numbers, you will see a Nationals team that had few expectations coming into 2026 totally outperforming the Phils’ collection of “stars.”
The Nats are outpacing the Phillies in every offensive category. It’s not even close.
But is it real?
To answer that question, ask yourself this.
Would you trade the Nationals offense/position players straight-up, right now, for the Phillies’?
It seems crazy to say out loud, but consider that the Nats appear to have young talent that the Phils could only dream of. You could argue James Wood (.939 OPS, 14 HRs) alone would be worth the swap. C.J. Abrams (.925, 12 HRs), is finally playing like an elite shortstop. Both should be starters in the NL All Star Game at the moment.
Outfielder Daylen Lile is emerging as a young star (.752) in his own right. Catcher Keibert Ruiz (.754) and Luis Garcia Jr. (.719) are starting to produce, and center fielder Jacob Young has found a power stroke he never had before, with seven bombs, 24 runs and 24 RBIs. He’s certainly been more productive than Justin Crawford thus far. And would you rather have Ruiz or J.T. Realmuto at catcher?
Washington is also getting big time production from platoon and part-time players. Curtis Mead, given up by the Phils in the Cristopher Sanchez trade to the Rays, plays first and third base for the Nats and launched two dingers on Monday night, giving him seven on the season with a very healthy .844 OPS in 136 PAs. And waiver claim Joey Wiemer is absolutely destroying left-handed pitching as a right-handed hitting outfielder, with a 1.199 OPS in 43 PAs against them. The Nats claimed him from the Giants back in January, and Wiemer made history by reaching base in each of his first eight plate appearances with the Nationals back in late March.
Wiemer is exactly the type of the player the Phils need and don’t have.
Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper don’t quite cancel out the production Wood and Abrams are giving the Nats, but it’s relatively close. Lile and Brandon Marsh are essentially a wash in left field, too. At some positions, the Phils have the advantage. You’ll take Bryson Stott over Nasim Nunez, whose 22 steals leads the NL but who will have a hard time staying on the field with a .188/.288/.206 slash line. And at third base, Brady House has a .681 OPS, while Alec Bohm is at .605, but rising (House was sent to AAA by Washington this week to improve his defense). By the end of the season, it’s more likely Bohm’s numbers will be better.
In my heart, I honestly do not believe Washington has a “better” offense than the Phillies. While I am a firm believer in Wood, Abrams and Lile, no one else on that roster deserves much trust yet. That’s why I would not flip the offensive rosters if I could. I truly believe, by the end of the season, the Phils’ offensive numbers will surpass the Nationals’ in most categories.
That being said, it’s hard not to be envious of what Nats fans are watching right now, at least offensively. They’re a fun, entertaining group, hitting the ball hard, playing solid fundamental baseball, and scoring a bunch of runs.
The bats are giving them a chance to win every night.
The same cannot be said of the Phillies.
On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, powered by WHYY, we discussed this and lots more! Listen to the full podcast below!
More so than any other American sport, Major League Baseball stadiums have their own characteristics.
One of the biggest variations in ballparks is capacity, with the league's 2026 stadiums ranging from 56,000 (Dodger Stadium) all the way down to 13,416 (A's). While the Athletics' temporary home in Sacramento is in fact a minor league stadium, the team's new stadium in Las Vegas is expected to have a capacity of about 33,000 – which would be the second-smallest in the game.
More than two-thirds of MLB stadiums have a capacity of more than 40,000, while the league's three newest stadiums — Globe Life Field (Rangers), Truist Park (Braves) and loanDepot Park (Marlins) all rank in the lower half for capacity.
In addition to the Athletics' new home in Las Vegas, the Tampa Bay Rays are expected to have a new stadium built perhaps by Opening Day in 2029, which will likely have the lowest capacity of any stadium in the game.
Here's a look at 2026 MLB stadiums ranked by capacity:
The Boston Red Sox offense has been wildly inconsistent, and things don't get any easier against Spencer Strider and the Atlanta Braves.
Boston's struggles won't be undone with Ranger Suarez on the mound, but that does help our Braves vs. Red Sox predictions land squarely on the Under and the Atlanta moneyline in our MLB picks for Tuesday, May 26.
Who will win Braves vs Red Sox today: Braves moneyline (-102)
I don't care if Ranger Suarez has been the best Boston Red Sox starting pitcher in 2026; getting the Atlanta Braves at anything close to even money is too good to pass up.
This is especially the case with Spencer Strider starting for Atlanta. Now, Strider isn't quite pitching at his peak as he continues working his way back from myriad injuries, but the Red Sox lineup is a soft landing for him to build upon some encouraging results.
Boston is batting .253 in May, but that's inflated due to a .313 BABIP. The Red Sox haven't cashed those runners in with any consistency, either, scoring just 71 runs in the month (28th in MLB).
Strider limited the Red Sox to one run over 5 1/3 innings two starts ago, and Atlanta's bullpen grades out as one of baseball's best, with a 3.07 ERA.
Even with Drake Baldwin sidelined, I would play the Braves to -125, as Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies have both handled left-handed pitchers well this season, and both Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. have historically fared better vs. southpaws than their current wRC+ numbers indicate.
COVERS INTEL: Post-injury, Strider still maintains 95th-percentile ranks in Whiff% and xBA. Expect his elite swing-and-miss stuff to anchor both the Braves ML and Under 8.5.
Braves vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-113)
While I like the Braves to win straight up, this has the makings of a pitcher's duel.
Even if brighter days are ahead for Riley and Acuna against left-handers, Suarez limits damage. The lefty has surrendered one earned run across his last 21 2/3 innings, and even if his outing is brief (as has become something of a custom for him), the Boston bullpen — similar to Atlanta's — has done an excellent job at run suppression this season.
Since April 11, Suarez is 2-1 with a 1.12 ERA and a 2.41 expected ERA. Even against the Braves' vaunted offense, which lacks Baldwin's stable presence in the middle of the lineup, expecting a massive offensive output is foolish.
Paired with Boston's own issues with run production, and I'd happily play the Under 8.5 to -140. If you can get the Under 7.5 at plus money, I'd strongly consider that, too.
Jason Wilson's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 1-0, +0.67 units
Over/Under bets: 1-0, +1.05 units
Braves vs Red Sox odds
Moneyline: Braves -104 | Red Sox +100
Run line: Braves -1.5 (+156) | Red Sox +1.5 (-163)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+108) | Under 8.5 (-117)
Braves vs Red Sox trend
The Braves have cashed the moneyline in 35 of their last 50 away games for +21.00 units and a 34% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Red Sox.
How to watch Braves vs Red Sox and game info
Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Date
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
First pitch
6:45 p.m. ET
TV
TBS
Braves starting pitcher
Spencer Strider (2-0, 3.00 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcher
Ranger Suarez (2-2, 2.40 ERA)
Braves vs Red Sox latest injuries
Braves 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.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 14: Jojo Romero #59 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Athletics during the seveth inning at Sutter Health Park on May 14, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yes, it is still May. Yes, you are reading a trade deadline article. Some say you really should wait until the dust settles on the first half of the season before debating what a team will do at the deadline. I am not one of those people.
What do the Guardians have to offer?
Well, the Guardians have, by most outlets, a top 5 farm system. Even with the graduation of a top 40 prospect (Chase DeLauter) and the imminent graduation of a top 20 one (Travis Bazzana), the Guardians still have three top-100 prospects per MLB Pipeline. That is either as many or more top-100 prospects than 17 MLB teams. That is, of course, not accounting for helium candidates who could very well crack the top 100 within the Guardians farm system this season (Caceres, Watson, Doughty, Campbell). Nor is it accounting for the rising of already top-100-ranked prospects like Velazquez and Ingle, who should both crack the top 50 on MLB Pipeline by their next update. The former, however, is much more likely to crack the top 30 than stay outside the top 50. This is all to say that the Guardians’ system is loaded. They could very easily do whatever they want to at this deadline.
Why this year?
A wonderful question. It is very fair to curb your enthusiasm with the deadline by wondering why this year will finally be the year the Guardians make a splash at the deadline. Well, I’m full of optimism and whimsy and would love to share some of that onto with you. (If you’ve listened to the Disgusting Baseball podcast you’ll know what I’m about to say) The Guardians’ front office is not acting in the ways we’ve all become accustomed to. They’re being aggressive with prospect promotions: Delauter on the OD roster and batting 2nd in the OD lineup, Bazzana called up in April, Velazquez promoted from Akron to Columbus after 36 games. They sent Bo to Arizona a little over a month into the season and immediately traded for a 3x Gold-Glove winner in Bailey. There is nothing that suggests the Guardians aren’t going to be aggressive all year (internally), but I’m pretty confident they’ll be aggressive at the deadline too. (Author’s note: As I was editing this article, the Guardians decided to move Bazzana up to the leadoff spot. Another aggressive move!)
What do the Guardians need?
Well, like most teams, there are a few holes needing to be filled. You may feel inclined to argue with me over some of these assertations, I would ask that you not. I am almost always right and do not appreciate criticism. Kidding! Okay, so the first thing I think they might go after is a starting pitcher. Yes, the rotation has been fantastic (6th in MLB in ERA, 12th in FIP, 9th in K-BB%). Parker Messick and Gavin Williams both look to be bonafide Game 1 starters. But, Bibee has been somewhat shaky (albeit better with Bailey), Cantillo has command issues that could cause an implosion, and Slade is, brutely, not good enough to start a playoff game. Who might be available? Let’s get into that.
SP Trade Candidates (work in progress)
Sonny Gray, BOS (3.27 ERA, 3.66 FIP)
Gray is one of those reliable vets who can give you a good five and fly in a playoff series. He is owed $31M ($20M of which Boston received in the trade) and has a $10M buyout for 2027, so it would require some money invested but that should be possible.
Tarik Skubal, DET (2.70 ERA, 2.10 FIP)
This is mostly a joke. Mostly. But, the Tigers are in freefall. Skubal is a free agent next year, and is making north of $30m this year. There are a laundry list of reasons why this will never happen, chiefly that the Guardians never make landmark trades within the AL Central and this would be nigh impossible for the Tigers to sell to their fans, regardless whom they got back. But, Skubal talks about how much he appreciates Cleveland’s fans all the time and he owes us a trade demand because he hit Fry in the face, right? Right??!!
The bullpen, however, is the much more pressing concern. Although it’s been better recently with the stabilization of Cade Smith and the emergence of Colin Holderman, the Guardians could really use another power lefty (especially with Sabrowski’s injury). They could also, just in general, use another leverage reliever. Who might be available, you ask?
RP Trade Candidates
LHRP Jojo Romero, STL (3.04 ERA, 4.24 FIP)
Romero has been markedly worse this year than he was last year and in 2023. His sweeper usage is down from last year, and his feel for the pitch is a little shaky. His sinker command has been exceptional, however, which should be a good building block for the Guardians. I’m pretty confident that he’s just a few tweaks away from being a stalwart reliever again, and this presents a fantastic buy-low opportunity for the Guardians.
LHRP Brooks Raley, NYM (1.40 ERA, 2.79 FIP)
Raley has been consistently good every year since 2022. Although he has been affected by some injuries in both 2024 and 2025 with New York, he’s still been good. He’s a rental (yay) and old (double-yay), so his price should not be exorbitantly high.
(Author’s note: Hello, me again. These next two are simply being advocated for from a baseball standpoint. I do not condone their past behavior)
Hader’s a fun one. I have no idea what Houston will do at this deadline (but I do have a very fun trade candidate who shares a clubhouse with Hader later on in the article), but Hader seems like he could realistically be traded. He’s on the third year of a 5y/$95m contract, and hasn’t pitched yet. He is slated to make a few more rehab appearances in MiLB before his activation of the 60-day, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. He’s been one of the best, if not the best, left-handed reliever in baseball since his debut. He could easily take over the closer role from Cade, and Cade could go back to being the all-world fireman that he was in his rookie season. Win-win.
LHRP Aroldis Chapman, BOS (0.51 ERA, 1.85 FIP)
(Editor’s Note: We rarely take an official site position on something, but CtC opposes the idea of acquiring Chapman. Please, NO).
RHRP Garrett Whitlock, BOS (2.79 ERA, 2.89 FIP)
Not a lefty, but Whitlock is an elite reliever. He ranks in the 85th percentile or above in Chase%, K%, and Hard-Hit%. He’s 29 and on the last year of a 4-year extension with the Red Sox. He has club options for 2027 and 2028 at $8.25m and $10.5m, respectively.
RHRP Bryan Abreu, HOU (career 2.86 ERA, 3.21 FIP)
Another Astro! Abreu has, since 2022, been a lockdown leverage guy. From 2022-2025, he had a 2.30 ERA and a 2.79 FIP, pitching 70 innings 3 times. This year has been atrocious for him. His walk rate has ballooned from a career 4.35 BB/9 mark to 10.69 this year. He seems to be cutting his fastball more this year, which has led to an extremely high xwOBA allowed, and a whiff rate that is 12% less than it was last year. Another somewhat reasonable buy-low and hopefully easy-fix reliever. Although, unlike most other organizations, the Astros are probably much less likely to sell low on a pitcher. But, we’ll see.
Onto the (limited) position player candidates. You can always add on hitters at the deadline, especially when you’re the Guardians. The offense has been much better this year than in year’s past, but you can always improve. Let’s start with a fun one.
Yes, this is unrealistic. But, the Guardians appear to be in contention mode and they have all the pieces to make a trade for Alvarez viable. He hasn’t just sneakily been the best hitter in baseball. His xwOBA is 60 (SIX-ZERO) (SIXTY) points higher than the next best hitter. He’s a monster at the plate, and an at worst top 5 hitter in baseball when healthy. He has a career 156 wRC+ in the postseason (7th all-time, min. 150 PA). He’s a monster. He immediately takes you from contender to odds-on pennant favorite. There are not enough positive things that I can say about Alvarez. There are, however, some concerns. He has a somewhat lengthy injury history, which is especially notable considering he’s transitioned into almost a full-time DH. He has played some outfield in the last two years, but I think the Guardians should never play him in the field. He’s a bad defender, even in Houston’s little-league LF. He should really only see the field on days in which Jose *has* to DH. It’s not a perfect fit, but you can move some pieces from your MLB roster (Manzardo, Hoskins) to free up the DH role most days.
For what it’s worth, I really wanted us to get Contreras last offseason. He filled a lot of the holes on this roster that existed at the time, and would’ve been a perfect clean-up hitter. He’s a RHH 1B/DH (who used to catch but doesn’t at this point) who destroys the ball. Is he also a cranky player who occassionally trucks the opposition’s catcher? Yes.
Normally, I’d have more hitters on this list, but the number of productive RHH who would also be feasibly available at the deadline is pretty small, even for being at this point in the season. However, given where the Guardians are at right now, I think that their needs lean more heavily toward relief pitching than offense. They have, theoretically, all the bats you need at all the positions of need in the minors. If Manzardo keeps hitting the way he’s been hitting in the month of May and if Fry and Hoskins keep being productive, there might not be a need for an impact right-handed bat at the deadline.
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 19: Kendall George #1 of the Tulsa Drillers takes a lead off first base during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here’s a recap of Sunday and Monday in the minor leagues, including Double-A Tulsa opting to play on Memorial Day for the first Monday game of the season among Dodgers affiliates.
Easton Shelton, first baseman for the Class-A Ontario Tower Buzzers, powered his way to winning California League player of the week. Shelton had at least one hit, one RBI, and one run scored in all seven games last week at Inland Empire (they played a doubleheader on Wednesday), and hit .419/.424/.774 with three home runs, two doubles, 12 runs batted in, and 12 runs scored.
— Ontario Tower Buzzers (@towerbuzzers) May 20, 2026
Shelton, who signed out of high school as a non-drafted free agent in 2023, has scored in each of his last 11 games and driven in a run in eight straight contests. The 20-year-old is hitting .267/.337/.547 with a 111 wRC+ this year, and leads Ontario in home runs (10), RBI (38), and runs scored (33).
Player of the day
Ontario second baseman Kellon Lindsey had five hits, including a triple and double for Class-A Ontario. He scored four runs and drove in a pair from the leadoff spot. In seven games since returning from the injured list, the former first-round pick is 15 for 33 (.455/.486/.727).
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Tyler Fitzgerald hit a three-run home run in the first inning, helping the Comets to a Sunday win over the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks). It was the second home run in three days for Fitzgerald, who since getting acquired by the Dodgers has started seven games in left field, two at third base, two at second base, two at designated hitter, and one apiece at shortstop and right field.
Ryan Fitzgerald, playing first base on Sunday, doubled and scored in the win.
Carlos Duran pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers lost on Sunday to the Wichita Wind Surge (Twins), but rebounded with a Memorial Day rout of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).
Tulsa scored seven runs in both the first and second innings on Monday. Sean McLain, who tripled and homered in Sunday’s loss, hit a grand slam in the first inning on Monday.
George came out of the game after that, replaced in center field by Chris Newell.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons’ Sunday home series finale against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers) was postponed by rain.
No makeup date has yet been announced. The only time these two teams meet again this season is June 9-14, but that’s at Wisconsin.
Class-A Ontario
Chase Harlan homered twice and drove in five runs in the Tower Buzzers’ Sunday rout of the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners).
Harlan hit a solo shot in the fourth inning and a two-run homer in the eighth inning. He also had a sacrifice fly and RBI single in his three-hit game. The 19-year-old, drafted by the Dodgers in the third round in 2024, is hitting .333/.460/.507 with a 149 wRC+ this season with nearly as many walks (team-leading 31) as strikeouts (33).
Cam Leiter struck out five in his two scoreless innings. He has 27 strikeouts and five walks in his first 17 innings as a pro this year.
Transactions
Double-A: Right-hander Antonio Knowles demoted to Tulsa from Oklahoma City. Catcher/infielder Bryan Garcia was sent back to the Arizona Complex League after two games active for Tulsa, during which time he did not play
High-A: Right-hander Robby Porco promoted from Ontario to Great Lakes.
Class-A: Right-hander Accimias Morales sent back to Ontario after 18 walks, 10 strikeouts, and eight runs allowed in eight innings for Great Lakes.
BRONX, NY - MAY 24: Catcher Austin Wells #28 of the New York Yankees walks to home plate during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 24, 2026 in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A couple of days ago, we asked for your input on which struggling Yankee you all were most concerned about. There were a variety of options, as the team has clearly seen problems arise in both their lineup and their bullpen that have defined their struggles up to this point. With plenty of input in outright votes as well as more in-depth responses via comments, let’s dig into the players that prompted the most worry.
Leading off, the overwhelming majority of you weighed in to elect Austin Wells as our most concerning struggling Yankee, at a whopping 66 percent of the vote. A couple of you also added commentary to your decision, with toddmarlin122 saying “third base and catcher need to be replaced asap,” ConorGallogly adding “I almost put Austin Wells because the organization has so little catching depth,” MDG92 chiming in that they’re “most concerned about Wells, because I don’t see it getting any better, and he was supposed to be a bat-first catcher,” and David6776 putting in “position wise though, I’m more worried about catcher. With the challenge system, Wells’ pitch framing is less valuable, we can’t have so many dead bats.”
That’s a lot of eyes on catcher specifically, and it makes sense that so much attention would be there. Wells indeed developed as a bat-first catcher that was looked at skeptically defensively, but the total inverse came true in the majors: he’s never found his stride consistently at the plate, but he’s handled the pitching staff beautifully and is one of the best framers in the league. The introduction of ABS does take away some of the effectiveness of Wells’ game, but only to a point as challenges can easily be wasted early in a game and batters can hesitate to pull the trigger on challenging borderline calls hoping to save their shot for a key at-bat later in the game. Still, it’s a slight damper on what is clearly Wells’ biggest strength individually that we can monitor, combined with the much easier to see struggles to get anything going offensively.
Wells’ bat has been average throughout his first three seasons, but its taken a complete nosedive in 2026. Despite working a career-best 14.7 walk percentage to this point, Wells is well-under the Mendoza line and slugging less than he’s getting on base, completely negating his defensive value by being a black hole at the bottom of the lineup. The team’s lack of options within the organization have given him little challenge for starting time, as J.C. Escarra has managed to look even worse offensively and commanded no more than the typical backup catcher’s playing time and the team appears unwilling to burden Ben Rice with the tools of ignorance now that he’s emerging as an elite bat. It’s on Wells to pull things together for now, and at best perhaps the Yankees look for an upgrade from Escarra to prompt some competition for their incumbent catcher.
The player that came in second at 13 percent of the vote was Jazz Chisholm Jr., and it’s easy to see why his name was on people’s minds as well. Chisholm was perhaps the team’s worst hitter through the first month and change of the year, completely missing his power swing as the cold of April sapped his ability to get a solid grip on the bat. Chisholm admitted to this being part of his problems, but he also had miscues in the field on top of the offensive struggles that elicited some heat from the fanbase. However, Chisholm has heated up with the weather, hitting for an .850 OPS in May to pull himself up to a slightly-above average 104 wRC+. He’s also gotten a couple of bombs on the board to pair with 13 stolen bases, continuing to apply pressure in that regard (though the team as a whole has struggled to swipe bags of late). Jazz will be one to monitor still, but he’s trending in the right direction and has the track record to inspire belief that he’s turned things around.
Third place in our polling went to the Other option, meaning that they opted not to chose either of our two main candidates nor any of Camilo Doval, Trent Grisham, or Ryan McMahon. Reading through the comments though, it’s clear who that other choice is: none other than the Captain, Aaron Judge. Several commenters felt no clarification was necessary other than to type his name, but others added on with WhittakerWalt asking “did he get old overnight, or is this just his usual slump?” while David6776 led off his thoughts with “for player, I’m most worried about Judge. Wondering if he’s starting to need glasses, and he’s probably our most important players.”
I can’t lie, I was surprised that so many of you were sounding off on Judge’s slump. We have the foresight of having seen his walk-off homer on Sunday and the double he laced in Monday’s game as indications that he’s breaking out of it, but even with those results its undeniable that he’s been on a cold streak: over his last 12 games, Judge owns a .593 OPS with that lone blast as his only long ball and the only two runs he’s batted in. However, given the body of work that he’s put up this season alone, I thought it would be clear that he’s going through just that — a slump. Judge has been one of the focal points of the offense, and when he’s firing on all cylinders he can hide the lineups’ flaws nearly single-handedly. His numbers may not be at the all-time pace he’s been on over the last two seasons, but he was putting those kinds of numbers up before this stretch and I have no doubt that he’ll get back to that territory before long.
If there was one area I would critique Judge’s play thus far, it would be his reluctance to abuse ABS to his advantage — Judge has seldom pulled the trigger on challenging a pitch, despite being the poster child of who the system should benefit after all of the low strike calls he’s taken throughout his career. He did confidently tap the helmet on a 3-2 pitch that was initially called strike three, and started walking towards first base before the replay confirmed that he’d indeed taken ball four, which leads me to believe that his top-notch plate discipline isn’t too out of whack. Instead, his timing is the thing that’s off, leading to him swinging through pitches and getting under more of them. I get the worries to a degree, as everyone knows the offense without Judge performing like he has throughout his MVP campaigns is a flawed one, but we don’t need to rush straight to being convinced that the cliff is here and Judge is going to start his decline.
Overall, I’d agree with the polling that Wells is the player I’m most concerned with, followed closely by McMahon who got a smattering of comments pointing out his performance as well. The two have ran into the occasional pitch that they can demolish, but haven’t done much else otherwise offensively, and having two regulars performing that poorly on top of having some starters still sitting with below-average numbers is a recipe for disaster. The Yankees have mostly avoided an outright tumble in the standings, facing one truly bad stretch of play that saw them lose three straight series to the Rays, Orioles, and Mets on the road. To avoid that in the future, it sure would help if one of those two could start to turn things around.
I’ve written about more than a thousand Cubs games in my years doing this. Never before has this felt more like Groundhog Day. For 23 games, this team overachieved. They caught a lot of breaks and came through in what felt like every big situation. It felt like every single day I was writing that we should soak it all in because the worm would turn, so to speak. Now they’ve lost 13 of 15, including nine straight. Now I’m writing every day that it isn’t as bad as all of this feels.
The big difference? We have so many decades of Cub fandom. We had no trouble accepting that the good times were a mirage. Taking on faith that this shall past? Another question all together. Unless we are talking in general about former Cub first round picks that didn’t pan out, Jordan Wicks isn’t particularly likely to be the answer to any questions. Things look so bleak right now.
There haven’t been a lot of quality starts in this stretch for Cubs starters, but this is the second one now in three games. But neither was enough to stop the skid. The Cub offense has scored 24 runs in the nine losses. Without doing any math, that’s fewer than three runs per game. The worst part of an extended offensive slump, the manager almost universally has to give days off to his struggling offensive players. The thought obviously makes complete sense. Also, any Cub lineup without Nico Hoerner in it is less than. I’d have said that earlier about a game that Ian Happ sat. I understand the frustration. This team will start stacking wins again when those guys and a handful of other regulars start consistently producing again.
The Cubs managed six hits and three walks. They had one runner caught stealing. They sent only 35 men to the plate. Quite simply, not good enough.
Three Positives:
Ben Brown allowed one run over six and struck out seven. That should win the overwhelming majority of time, even on a team much less skilled on offense.
Moisés Ballesteros had two singles and a walk in three trips to the plate.
Michael Busch had a solo homer for the only Cub run.
Game 54, May 25: Pirates 2, Cubs 1 (29-25)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Ben Brown (.225). 6 IP, 24 BF, 4 H, 2 BB, ER, 7 K
Hero: Moisés Ballesteros (.078). 2-2, BB
Sidekick: Michael Busch (.042). 1-4, HR, RBI, R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Trent Thornton (-.154). IP, 5 BF, 2 H, ER (L 2-1)
Goat: Dansby Swanson (-.145). 0-3
Kid: Michael Conforto (-.126). 0-4
WPA Play of the Game: Henry Davis’s solo homer in the seventh with two outs. Broke the tie. (.232)
Cubs Play of the Game: Michael Busch’s solo homer with two outs in the fifth. Tied the game at one. (.140)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 53 Winner: Michael Busch 31-24 over Pedro Ramirez (79 total votes).
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +18
Nico Hoerner +13
Michael Conforto +9
Shōta Imanaga +7
Trent Thornton/Carson Kelly +5.5
Ryan Rolison -8
Phil Maton -9
Matt Shaw -10
Dansby Swanson -12
Seiya Suzuki -23.5
Current Win Pace: 87 wins
Up Next: Game two of the four-game set Tuesday night. Jordan Wicks makes his 2026 MLB debut. In his career, he has a 5.21 ERA in 95 MLB innings. To be fair to him, that’s a pretty small sample size and he’s only 26. It isn’t entirely unprecedented for a guy to have a success as a late starter. It’s just that the Cubs had high hopes after grabbing him with the 21st pick in the first round in 2021 out of Kansas State.
He’ll face another 26-year-old in Braxton Ashcraft. Ashcraft was the 2nd round pick of the Pirates all of the way back in 2018 (51st overall). He’s 2-3, 2.89 in 62.1 innings over his 10 starts this year. Last time out, he held the Cardinals to one run on four hits in seven innings of work. He struck out nine and walked only two.
The possibility of a 10-game losing streak in the same month as a 10-game winning streak is looming ominously.
Maybe this is the one, though? The one that stops the bleeding? This team desperately needs someone to step up and deliver an over the top performance and lead the way.
11 Mar 1998: Pitcher Sean Bergman of the Houston Astros in action during a spring training game against the Florida Marlins at the Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida. The Astros won the game, 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Stockman /Allsport | Getty Images
Our 19th entry features pitcher Sean Bergman, who in 1998 would pitch 172 innings for the Astros, while allowing only 42 walks en route to a dozen wins.
Q: How much did you know about the Astros prior to being dealt for outfielder James Mouton?
A: I knew absolutely nothing (laughs) when I came there.
Q: Was that first season with Houston the pinnacle of your career?
A: I would say so. I remember going into the season talking to Larry Dierker and the staff and they walked me through what they had done with Mike Hampton the year before. We talked about taking a little bit off pitch, and simply hit more spots, and not worry about throwing it as hard as possible. That actually worked really well for me.
Q: That 1998 season was a memorable one as McGwire and Sosa captivated the nation. How did you battle those guys?
A: I wasn’t afraid of anybody, but with McGwire you never wanted the ball to go up the middle when he hit it. It was kind of cool being in the middle of that thing. I actually gave up a homerun to each of them.
I remember the one I gave up to Sosa in particular was the only four seam fastball I had thrown the whole game, and he hit it out to right field.
The one I gave up to McGwire was a laser shot. I look back now and realize I was part of history, and it’s kind of cool.
Q: You mentioned Larry Dierker a moment ago. Did you prefer his managerial style?
A: I really appreciated him. He let his pitchers get out of trouble and would let guys figure things out. I have nothing but good memories about Houston. I owe a lot to the Astros for giving me the opportunity to play there.
Q: When Randy Johnson came to the club, how much did it change things for you?
A: I thought when Randy came, our odds of winning it (World Series) became better. When it happened, it was so exciting and we were ready to go!
For me, it meant being kicked to the bullpen, but I got to play with him and I learned so much. He was one of the greatest to have ever played the game. I took away as much as I could from him.
Q: Favorite memory of the Astrodome?
A: I loved taking B.P. in the Astrodome. One time I hit a ball into the upper deck, and I thought that was pretty cool. Another time, I had a battle with Kerry Wood and there were some 55,000 people and it was a tight game, and the place was rocking. That was special.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 25: Arizona Diamondbacks INF Ketel Marte (4) drives in a run with his double in the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants on May 25, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Larry Placido/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Marte extended his hitting streak to nine games with four knocks at Oracle Park, his third straight game with three-plus hits.
The last Diamondbacks players with three hits in three straight games were Marte last June, Marte in 2019 (twice), Eduardo Escobar in 2019 and Paul Goldschmidt in 2018.
His batting average has jumped from .209 on May 15 to .275, as no one in MLB has a higher average over the past 15 days than his .444.
In other words, a vintage Merrill Kelly performance.
In an era where big velocity is king, Kelly has found success with a low 90s fastball because he’s able to throw a multitude of pitches and command them.
It was that command and feel that were missing early in the season, when he was still essentially going through Spring Training while pitching in regular-season games.
“That was probably, in my opinion, the sharpest it’s been so far,” Kelly said. “Saw some good life on the fastball. The misses that I have when I’m going bad, when things aren’t right, I didn’t see as many of those today. As far as shapes and location, everything was probably the sharpest.”
With June starting next week, the Arizona Diamondbacks are anticipating the impending return of several players from long-term injuries, including reliever A.J. Puk, outfielder Jordan Lawlar and first baseman Pavin Smith.
General manager Mike Hazen suggested on Monday that the order of their respective returns would be Smith, followed by Lawlar and then Puk.
Lawlar and Smith’s 60 days on the injured list are coming to a close, with Smith eligible to return first. Smith went on the IL on March 30 with left elbow inflammation while Lawlar was placed on April 3 with a broken right wrist.
While Corbin Carroll and Tommy Troy grabbed the headlines in Sunday’s win over the Colorado Rockies, Ryne Nelson quietly turned in a career outing of his own — and his consistency over the last few starts has made him one of the anchors of Arizona’s rotation.
Arizona’s rotation had previously hit a wall, with inconsistency and short outings from starters hurting not only results, but also forcing the bullpen into games earlier than ideal. Manager Torey Lovullo held a closed-door meeting with his starters to stress the need for better performances, and so far, that message has translated onto the field — especially in Nelson’s case.
The right-hander delivered his fifth consecutive quality start in his latest outing, working into the eighth inning for the first time in the majors. Nelson allowed just one earned run across eight frames while striking out three, continuing a stretch that has helped stabilize the Diamondbacks’ pitching staff.
It was around the 2022 season that the Diamondbacks, at least in the Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo era, began to witness a core group of young players rising to the top of the system, graduating, and becoming regular major league contributors.
Young players like Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy — and even pitchers like Ryne Nelson and Tommy Henry — began to make their mark on the big league club. So much so that the Diamondbacks made a surprise march to their second National League pennant and a World Series appearance.
It’s beginning to feel like that again, though perhaps not in identical fashion. The Diamondbacks have stripped away some of their veteran players like Christian Walker, Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez and begun to rely on their youth, once again.
Tatsuya Imai walked the first two batters he faced Monday night, throwing only two of his first 10 pitches for strikes. That prompted a visit from pitching coach Josh Miller, whose message must have struck the right tone with the former Japanese superstar.
Imai responded by getting a double play grounder and then allowed just two of the next 17 batters he faced to reach to finish six scoreless innings and combined with two relief pitchers to throw the first no-hitter in the Major Leagues in nearly two years in the Astros’ 9-0 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field.
The no-no was the first in the Major Leagues since the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge against the Pirates on Sept. 4, 2024.
2026 Memorial Day standings check: Surprises, letdowns, more [ESPN] {Ed. Note: Passan continues to beat the MLB line about how payroll isn’t actually a big deal in baseball. In the meantime, two of his colleagues further down the article note how the Dodgers don’t care about the regular season anymore because they know they’re getting to October…}
What stands out most when you look at the standings?
Passan: The number of low-payroll teams at the top and the number of high-payroll teams at the bottom. A look at the 10 best and worst teams by record reveals a very interesting fact: Their payrolls are almost identical. The 10 best teams in MLB this season are spending a combined $1.89 billion on players. The 10 worst teams in MLB this season are spending a combined $1.90 billion on players. Three of the 10 best teams — the Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Guardians — are carrying sub-$100 million payrolls, while just one of the bottom 10 (the Miami Marlins) are. There are five teams at $200 million-plus among the top 10 but only three in the bottom 10. Lower that threshold by just $5 million, though, and the Red Sox and San Francisco Giants join the New York Mets, Houston Astros and Tigers among the underachievers.
On Monday against the Cardinals, 103 mph was more than enough to continue rewriting the record books for power pitching.
The big right-hander hit 103 mph or more an unprecedented eight times in the first inning and hit triple digits 57 times on the day — 10 more than any other pitcher since the pitch tracking era began in 2008. Misiorowski tied his career high with 12 strikeouts to become the first pitcher in MLB to reach 100 strikeouts this season. He didn’t allow a hit until the sixth, when he finally allowed his first run of what has been a dazzling month of May.
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was declared criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor, but he will not serve a sentence for it, a Dominican judge ruled Monday.
In his decision, Judge José Antonio Núñez considered that Franco had been the victim of extortion and blackmail by the minor’s mother, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her daughter.
“It seems contradictory to declare criminal responsibility and, at the same time, exempt him from punishment,” Núñez said. “The court has granted Wander Franco a judicial pardon due to the particular circumstances that made him a material victim, but not a legal one.”
Quintana’s IL placement comes on the heels of a short and disastrous start in Arizona on Sunday. In what turned into a 9-1 loss, Quintana yielded six earned runs over 1 1/3 innings. He will now miss at least two weeks, but elbow injuries often lead to much longer absences. The 37-year-old Quintana has been on the IL seven times during his career, including once this season for a hamstring strain, but an elbow problem had never shelved him until this issue cropped up.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 20, 2026: Justin Lamkin #40 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 20, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”
Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (25-25, 5.5 games back)
The Storm Chasers took 4 of 6 from the St. Paul Saints on the road. Cole Ragans made a rehab start, he threw 4.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 run, walking 1 and striking out 3. However, Ragans experienced the same feeling in his elbow as he did previously. He is going to be shut down before being reevaluated. Other notable pitching performances include Beck Way throwing 3.1 scoreless innings, striking out 5. Eric Cerantola struck out 6 in 3 innings worth of work.
At the plate, Brett Squires continued to mash. He was 7-for-22 at the plate, with a pair of doubles and homers. Josh Rojas was 7-21 with a pair of doubles and homers as well. Squires is a 26-year-old, who plays the corner outfield spots and first base. He has steadily worked his way through the Royals system, with a career .271/.364/.455 line in the minors with stolen 76 bases in his career. For him to get the call to KC, it would require a 40-man roster move and him to find a spot to play, as there is a logjam at first and the corner outfield spots.
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) May 24, 2026
Omaha is home this week for the Memphis Redbirds, the series runs Tuesday through Sunday.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals (22-22, 5.5 games back)
The Naturals split their six-game series with the Amarillo Sod Poodles. At the plate, Spencer Nivens was 7-22 with three homers and a double. Carson Roccaforte was 9-26 with two more homers and a triple. Roccaforte is primed for a promotion really soon.
On the mound, Justin Lamkin’s second start in Double-A was a beauty. 6 innings of 1 hit ball, a solo homer, striking out 8. Lamkin is a fast riser to keep an eye on in the Royals system. Drew Beam also had a quality start, going 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, while striking out 3.
Spencer Nivens gives the Nats the lead in the second with a two-run, opposite field shot. It's his second of the year! #GoNatspic.twitter.com/Z93b0t8OhX
— Northwest Arkansas Naturals (@nwanaturals) May 23, 2026
The Naturals remain on the road, playing the Tulsa Drillers, the Naturals are down 14-7 right now in the top of the 8th as I write this. They gave up a pair of seven run innings to start the game. They don’t play Tuesday, but the rest of the series runs Wednesday through Sunday.
Quad Cities River Bandits (19-23, 6.5 games back)
The River Bandits lost 4 of 6 to the Beloit Sky Carp last week. David Shields threw a quality start, throwing one hit ball over 6 scoreless innings, while walking 1 and striking out 5. It was a good rebound for Shields, who got knocked around in his previous start. Blake Wolters, who recently got promoted from Columbia, had two rough starts. In total, he went 7.1 innings, allowing 11 hits, 13 runs (12 earned), walking 5 and striking out 5. It’ll be interesting to see how the 21-year-old bounces back this week. L.P. Langevin, a 22-year-old out of Quebec, had a good week, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out 4. The right-handed reliever was a 4th round pick in 2024 for the Royals from Louisiana-Lafayette. Langevin’s season ERA is 2.89 over 18.2 innings, with 34 strikeouts.
At the plate, Ramon Ramirez had a good week, hitting .455 over the series, smacking 3 doubles and a homer, while driving in 10 runs. Ramirez is batting .313 on the season, with a .374 OBP and .905 OPS and 40 runs batted in. The catcher is only 20 years old. Luke Pelzer, a 23-year-old outfielder has been having a nice season. The 17th round draft pick in 2025 out of Illinois-Chicago is hitting .305 on the season with 25 RBI’s and 15 stolen bases. This last week, Pelzer was 4-for-18 with a homer, 5 RBI’s and 3 stolen bases.
— Quad Cities River Bandits (@QCRiverBandits) May 23, 2026
The River Bandits travel to Cedar Rapids this week. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.
Columbia Fireflies (20-25, 6 games back)
The Fireflies lost 4 of 6 to the Augusta GreenJackets last week. Catcher Brooks Bryan had a solid week, going 5-12 with 2 runs batted in. He was 3-4 with runners in scoring position. Sean Gamble was 6-22 on the week with a pair of doubles. It was one of the best weeks at the plate this year for Gamble. Josh Hammond was 7-22 on the week with a triple and three runs batted in.
On the mound, Michael Lombardi made 2 starts, totaling 9 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 2 walks and 9 strikeouts. Kendry Chourio threw 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3 batters. Jordan Woods threw 5 innings of one run ball, striking out 8 batters.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 10: Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics looks on against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 10, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Memorial Day everyone!
The A’s have been without starting shortstop Jacob Wilson for a couple weeks at this point thanks to the 24-year-old hurting his shoulder on a diving play. Dislocating your shoulder is never fun, especially for a player than literally needs it on every play he makes.
He’s now taking swings with the bat though as he progresses into his regular routine. The right-handed hitter is also getting work in the field as he’s fielding ground balls at his usual position of shortstop.
There remains no exact time table for Wilson’s return but based off everything we know it doesn’t seem to be much longer until we see him back with the big league club. His extended absence almost all but guarantees that he’ll need some sort of rehab assignment to get back into the swing of things, but it’s looking like once he gets back into baseball activities he won’t take long to return to the big league squad and reclaim his spot as the team’s #1 option at shortstop.
#Athletics relief pitcher Scott Barlow joined Chris Townsend on A's Cast Live & spoke about how windy games change the way pitchers attack hitters based on the conditions. #MLB#Baseballpic.twitter.com/jkkoBsS3bX
COVERS INTEL: Post-injury, Strider still 
