Category: Baseball

Comedian Rob Schneider has inserted himself into Major League Baseball’s latest Pride Night controversy, offering to pay any future fines for players who display Bible verses on their uniforms and accusing the league of being “anti-Christian.”

Schneider’s comments came after MLB issued warnings to San Francisco Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker, who wrote references to Genesis 9:12-16 on their Pride Night caps during Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. Another Giants pitcher, Sam Hentges, chose not to wear the rainbow-themed cap at all, opting instead for the club’s standard black cap.

“I will pay the fines for any MLB Christian player who wears a Bible verse on their uniform,” Schneider wrote on X. “MLB is ANTI-CHRISTIAN.”

The league, however, has maintained that the warning had nothing to do with religion.

“The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” MLB said in an initial statement.

MLB later clarified that the warning was procedural and not disciplinary. No fines have been reported

“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” the league said. “We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited.”

The league added that it has previously issued similar warnings for messages such as “Dad,” “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,” and names of family members.

Roupp later explained that the Bible passage reflected his Christian faith.

“It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us, his faithfulness and his mercy,” Roupp said. “That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that.”

Hentges also emphasized that his decision not to wear the Pride Night cap was not motivated by hostility toward LGBTQ people.

“It’s just something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don’t morally support it,” Hentges said. “There wasn’t hatred behind it. I think that’s kind of something that’s misinterpreted. I don’t hate the LGBTQ community. It’s just something I believed and talked with teammates and family, and they supported it.”

The debate has drawn comparisons to an earlier chapter in Giants history.

During the late 1970s, a group of San Francisco players dubbed by the media as the “God Squad” became a frequent target of media scrutiny after several players, including reliever Gary Lavelle, openly discussed their Christian faith, including their views on homosexuality.

The Giants situation is also far from the first time professional athletes have objected to Pride-related initiatives.

Last season, several Tampa Bay Rays pitchers declined to wear Pride-themed jerseys, citing their Christian faith. In 2023, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw publicly criticized the team’s decision to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, while stressing that his concerns were directed at the organization and not the LGBTQ community.

More recently, Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen appeared during Los Angeles’ Pride Night wearing the team’s traditional blue cap rather than the rainbow-themed version worn by most of his teammates. Treinen did not publicly explain the decision, but it quickly generated discussion across social media.

The Giants have since reaffirmed their support for Pride Night and the LGBTQ community while acknowledging that individual players may make personal decisions regarding team activations.

“We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations. We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that.  Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all.

“We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”

For now, MLB has indicated no discipline beyond the warning, but Schneider’s pledge has ensured the debate over faith, free expression and Pride Night celebrations will continue well beyond Oracle Park.

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The industry is buzzing over the possibility that the San Francisco Giants might hold a fire sale for their 2026 roster. I’ve already ranked the top 10 trade chips the Giants have, but yesterday, we got some actual names bandied about via informed rumormongering from Ken Rosenthal for The Athletic in a piece with the headline, “Giants start testing the waters on potential trade deals: Sources,” and from an X post by Buster Olney which said that the team is “open to offers for […] Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman — among other obvious trade candidates, like Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray.” Let’s examine this exquisite corpse the Giants are about to present to market and see if we can make ourselves a little hungry in anticipation of potential returns.

I’ll give you some analysis and then list teams I think might be interested, and in the comments, you can agree/disagree and/or find some potential returns from the other team’s organization.

Luis Arraez

Profile: Both Arraez and Robbie Ray are labeled by both Rosenthal and Olney as the “most obvious” moves to be made. They’re both free agents at the end of the year so, yeah, makes sense. At the beginning of the month, Arraez was the 23rd-most valuable in the sport. He’s currently #18 with +2.5 fWAR. Most impressively, his +6.9 Defensive Runs Above Average makes him one of the 11-best defenders currently gloving it in the sport. Wow! He is the second-best defender at second base behind St. Louis’s JJ Wetherholt.

Possible trade partners: Sixteen teams have sub-average performance at the plate from their second baseman, with Texas’s 99 wRC+ making it more like fifteen. Among them: the Nationals (38-35), Mets (32-40), Red Sox (29-40), Reds (34-37), Rays (41-28), Astros (33-41), Orioles (34-39), Athletics (36-36), Twins (34-40), Phillies (39-33), Dodgers (46-27), and Cubs (38-35).

The Giants probably won’t trade with the Athletics and certainly not the Dodgers. The Orioles are going to stick with Jackson Holliday, I’m sure. The Rays might like the roster they have and prefer to use the $4 million they might have to commit to the remainder of Arraez’s deal on someone else. The Cubs have Nico Hoerner for a long time and for a lot of money now. Do the Twins really think they’re in the race? Their owner was calling season ticketholders in the offseason to convince them that things would be okay, and now they’re just 3 games back of a Wild Card spot. Sure, they’re 6 games under and have a -40 run differential, but… 3 games! The Nationals have Luis Garcia Jr. who’s a left-handed second baseman. No, he’s not Arraez, but they might consider themselves to be a year or two ahead on their rebuild and might want to hold on to prospects. The Astros have Jose Altuve at second base.

So, let’s go with a field of the Red Sox (more on them in a bit), Reds, Phillies,Twins.

Robbie Ray

Profile: He has certainly pitched his way out of being a meaningful figure in any team’s rotation, but the trade deadline can get silly and one of these last minute pitching depth deals are sure to be when the Giants can move the lefty. In the trade value piece, I compared the situation to when the Padres got Nestor Cortes from the Brewers at the end of last year’s trade deadline. Teams always need pitching.

Possible trade partners: Now, he’s already pitching in the ballpark with the best Park factor for home runs (79) and walks (93), but the Pirates are right there with Oracle Park in both of those categories, and so maybe Pittsburgh (36-37) might try to supplement their rotation at the deadline just to show their fans they’re trying.

But, they’re already a top 5 staff. How about the Rangers? They play in a stadium with a solid Park Factor for Ray’s arsenal. They also have a house of cards rotation. 38-year old Jacob deGrom, 36-year old Nathan Eovaldi, and MacKenzie Gore are the front three, but the back part of Kumar Rocker, who will cross his previous MLB innings high of 65ish innings in his next start, and Jack Leiter, who has a 4.97 ERA, are shaky in a way that might require a solid backup.

Matt Chapman

Profile: As big of a mess as the Giants have been and figure to be for the foreseeable future, they might’ve somehow avoided being the messiest — and, therefore, worst — team in the sport thanks to the Boston Red Sox. Last week, Olney floated the possibility that someone in the ownership group has stepped forward to inquire about trades in hopes of improving the team’s fortunes in 2026.

So, this is what I’m getting from other teams. That, generally speaking, there isn’t a lot of trade stuff going on, and in fact, when Sam Kennedy came on and said, ‘Hey, there’s more trade talk than ever. There’s a lot going on,“ a rival executive actually called around thinking like, ‘Oh man, I missed something.’ […] and when he checked into it, what he got back was, ‘The Red Sox are looking aggressively.’ And the Red Sox are kind of on their own in that regard.

And then I heard last week from a couple teams that they [the Red Sox] were signaling that they were willing to take on money. Today, I talked to someone who with another team who told me that it’s to the degree that Red Sox ownership has gotten involved. […] I have not confirmed the name of the owner […] but, an owner […] is actually calling around and trying to grease the skids to get a right handed bat.

Buster’s unnamed rival exec also wondered, “Why didn’t they just offer Alex Bregman more money [to stay with the team after last season]?” and that’s how we get to Matt Chapman being on the block, I think, because there’s a potential deal to be made here. Craig Breslow — he’s a Yale grad, you know — got pretty cute with prospect capital and thought he was Moneyball Billy Beane when made this trade to replace Alex Bregman:

Brewers receive
INF David Hamilton
LHP Kyle Harrison
LHP Shane Drohan

Red Sox receive
2B/3B Caleb Durbin
INF Andruw Monasterio
3B Anthony Seigler
Competitive Balance Round B Draft Pick

Durbin is hitting .194/.255/.313 in 222 plate appearances (63 games). It would be an understatement to say that the addition of Matt Chapman would improve the Red Sox. Bregman signed for 5 years, $175 million with the Cubs, a $35 million AAV through 2030. Chappy’s deal also runs through 2030 but carries a $25.167 AAV by comparison. But there’s also the age factor. Bregman will be 36 at the end of his while Chapman will be 37. I don’t know how much that will weigh on the Red Sox taking on the contract — certainly, if Breslow is hewing close to SABR orthodoxy than Matt Chapman is mostly red flags. A big AVOID.

If the Red Sox are willing to take on money, as Olney suggests, then the Giants wouldn’t necessarily have to take back Masataka Yoshida’s $18 million salary for next season (but that’s just the CBT figure: it’s $18.6 million in actual value). That could limit the return, too, but sometimes it’s about quality and not quantity. And just to make sure it’s clear that I know he has a no trade clause, I’ll end this writeup by mentioning that, and how it could help or hinder the Giants. Help because it might make the other team more willing to part with a good prospect, but it could also be a hindrance if the best deal is with a team Chapman simply refuses.

Other trade partners: Mariners, Phillies, Yankees

Rafael Devers

Profile: I don’t think Devers has much more ceiling in him — at least this season. He’s owed a lot of money for a long time and carries an average annual value figure of $27.5 million. Not great for someone who might only hit around the league average. First base isn’t a position where a lot of teams have struggled to find production. The Giants’ 98 wRC+ is 23rd overall, but only 3 teams are below 90 wRC+: the Mets, Royals, and Diamondbacks.

Trade partners: The Blue Jays are using George Springer in that spot and have gotten no power. Literally, a .076 Isolated Slugging Percentage. He does get on base and doesn’t strike out much, but he might be an upgrade. In 47 games at Rogers Center, he’s hit 12 homers and has a .979 OPS (204 PA). He’s a notorious Yankees and Orioles killer, too. The Blue Jays might be trying to ride the wave of relevance from last year’s World Series appearance and might be motivated to make a big trade but also one that doesn’t really hurt them from a player development side — the Giants would almost certainly like to have the money back versus prospect capital. This is the last year of Springer’s contract ($25 million), and so Devers could simply slide into that slot for next season and beyond.

Willy Adames

Profile: I am surprised that the Giants would be willing to trade Adames, but that must mean things behind the scenes are as bad as they are in front. He has been the 8th-least valuable starting position player this season, so at first blush, it would seem like a lot of imagination and creativity are needed in order to envision a trade. On the other hand, over the last month (28 G 121 PA), he’s slashing .239/.306/.532 with 8 homers and a far more palatable 2.6 K/BB. He’s also hit 6 doubles and a triple and all with a .247 BAbip. So, some team out there would almost certainly be willing to buy his rise. It was from this point last season that Adames turned his season around, hitting .225/.323/.443 with 25 homers, 66 RBI, 60 BB, and 128 strikeouts over his final 116 games and 490 plate appearances. A similar resurgence seems to be happening here.

Defensively, though, he’s a mess, and an acquiring team might be more inclined to move him to another position. But then why not go for Luis Arraez when the cost would be considerably less long term? Well, it’s of a thought with acquiring Matt Chapman or (lol) Rafael Devers — if the owners are expecting a salary floor in the new CBA, then some teams might try to grab a guy who gets them to that threshold but without resorting to current and future market rates for similar players. Adames (like Chapman) isn’t a bargain, but the cost of a 3 or 4-win shortstop isn’t likely to get much cheaper than Adames, who’s owed $155.7 million through 2031 with a $26 million AAV for CBT purposes.

Trade partners: Yankees, Brewers (59 wRC+ — 30th), Red Sox (65 wRC+ — 27th) , Phillies (62 wRC+ — 29th). Of course, in order to make even this list seem plausible, you’d have to imagine the Brewers as one of those teams anticipating a salary floor, that the Red Sox would prefer Adames over Chapman, and that the Phillies would want Adames for second base (or, somehow, have convinced Trea Turner to move to second base). All three situations are tough to imagine right now.

But then there’s the New York Yankees, who I’ll register as a possible dark horse for any of the Giants trade chips. Matt Chapman or Willy Adames would be upgrades on Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, and/or Anthony Volpe.

Now, as the Rosenthal piece points out, the team has “not fully committed to becoming sellers at the trade deadline.” For some fans, that’s a sign that the team still thinks they can get back into the playoff race or, at the absolute worst, make a run to wind up with a more respectable record and maintain a core that has gathered some momentum heading into next season.

Maybe this is the cynical read, but I think the only reason why Rosenthal’s sourcing cautioned that the team isn’t fully committed is only because they haven’t yet heard any returns they like. Recall that in the offseason, the Giants were frustrated by the asks they were getting during various trade talks, and that’s when they were trying to add somebody. Taking their time to see what they could get for their high-priced players should only prove more frustrating. Remember, the Giants’ front office thought they had one of the best lineups of the last 20 years heading into the season. They’ll be dealing with an industry that never came close to sharing that opinion.

But that’s not to say the Giants won’t be sellers in some way. I was hoping they’d DFA the bullpen and let God sort it out, but there might be some small deals to be had with some of them, if the “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” expression has any meaning.

We’ve heard nothing about Jung Hoo Lee, who’s hitting well enough that he might have some interest, or Heliot Ramos, who might be a good power option from the right side once he returns from injury. Logan Webb and Casey Schmitt were the only two from reporting who the Giants don’t appear to be moving.

Personally, I agree that this is what needs to happen. The Giants don’t need to be precious about this roster. Yes, competing in the near-term will require some sort of Chapman-Adames-Devers core, but if it’s Schmitt-Adames-Eldridge are you about as competitive? Or Devers-Schmitt-Eldridge? But maybe you don’t think the Giants need a dramatic shakeup.

So, of this entire list, who do you think is most likely to be moved and to where and for what return?

The titans of small market midwest teams tangle for a three-game series in Milwaukee this week.

The Guardians are 38-32 with a -3 run differential, 22nd in wRC+ at 94, seventh in baserunning runs above average at 2.8, 12th in defense at -6.1, sixth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.80 (4.16 FIP), and 11th in bullpen ERA at 3.68 (3.61 FIP).

The Brewers are 43-26 with a +112 run differential (second-best in MLB behind the Dodgers), third in wRC+ at 107, 10th in baserunning runs above average at 2.1, 21st in defense at -14.8, third in starting pitcher ERA at 3.40 (3.49 FIP) and eighth in bullpen ERA at 3.51 (3.52 FIP).

On paper, this matchup doesn’t look quite as one-sided as the run differential would indicate, but it does require the Guardians to hit the ball better than they have in recent weeks to compete. The Brewers hit extremely well in the clutch with a 130 wRC+ with runners in scoring position and a 107 wRC+ in high leverage situations, while the Guardians have only an 84 wRC+ with RISP and an 83 wRC+ in high leverage.

MATCHUPS:

Game One, Tuesday, 7:40PM ET: Robert Gasser, LHP 6.38 ERA (7.24 FIP) vs. Slade Cecconi, RHP
Game Two, Wednesday, 7:40PM ET: Brandon Sproat, RHP 5.70 ERA (5.55 FIP) vs. Gavin Williams, RHP
Game Three, Thursday, 2:10PM ET: Shane Drohan, LHP 3.59 ERA (2.72 FIP) vs. Parker Messick, LHP

The Guardians definitely look to be getting a break here in the projected pitching matchups. Now, to see if advance scouting can help them adjust to some starting pitchers whom they have not seen before so they can take advantage.

The Brewers are led at the plate by Andrew Vaughn 172 wRC+, Jackson Chourio 161 wRC+, Jake Bauers 148 wRC+, Gary Sanchez 139 wRC+, Brice Turang 134 wRC+, Christian Yelich 116 wRC+, Garrett Mitchell 114 wRC, and William Contreras 113 wRC+.

The top Guardians hitters currently known to be healthy are Brayan Rocchio 113 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 111 wRC+, David Fry 106 wRC+, Kyle Manzardo 105 wRC+ and Rhys Hoskins 100 wRC+. Hopefully, Chase DeLauter’s 110 wRC+ can be added to the list above. We will know shortly!

It has been a rough June so far for Guardians’ hitters. If they can right the ship after a couple days off, this could be a fun series. If the June swoon continues… it won’t be pretty given the firepower of the Brewers’ offense.

Justin Wrobleski takes the mound on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium, just the second time this season a Dodgers pitcher has started on four days rest.

The left-hander is coming off a start last Thursday of 4 2/3 innings in Pittsburgh, an early exit spurred by both a four-run fifth inning and taking a comebacker off his right hamstring during the frame. It marked the first time in 11 starts this season Wrobleski has failed to complete five innings.

Wrobleski is second on the Dodgers with 73 1/3 innings, and in his starts has averaged 6.3 innings. His four starts of at least seven innings is second on the team, behind only Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Wrobleski has completed at least six innings eight times in 11 starts.

Going deep has been a hallmark of the Dodgers’ six-man rotation this season, averaging an MLB-best 5.75 innings in their real starts (excluding the bullpen game on May 15 in Anaheim), with a sparkling 3.13 ERA.

Eric Lauer allowed a two-run home run in the first inning and another run in the second in Monday’s series opener, but remained in the game to complete six innings with nothing else on the board. I likened this to a classic Randy Wolf start, allowing early runs but still managing to deliver a quality start. I thought this might be more apocryphal than real, though Wolf in 2009 with the Dodgers did have threedifferentstarts in which he allowed three runs in the first two innings but finished at least six innings with no other runs allowed, so my memory hasn’t completely left me just yet.

Lauer has two qualify starts in his four starts with the Dodgers, and the team leads the majors with 41 quality starts this season, seven more than any other MLB team. The Dodgers had 52 quality starts all of last regular season, but had 10 in the postseason, the most by any team since the 2013 Detroit Tigers.

Wrobleski has seven quality starts this season, and the Dodgers have won six of those games. As a team the Dodgers are 29-12 (.707) in games they get a quality start. MLB as a whole this season is 486-208 (.700) in such games.

It stands to reason teams are successful in such games. Starters pitching deeper means less wear and tear on the bullpen, and more rested relievers are likely to be more effective. That’s the kind of symbiotic relationship that can build a winning streak, or perhaps spur a losing streak.

The Dodgers haven’t had a losing streak for over a month now, not since losing four straight from May 9-12. But they haven’t had any kind of streak for a week and a half. They’ve alternated wins and losses for their last nine games, and haven’t posted consecutive wins since June 5-6 against the Angels.

Tuesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Rays
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Major League Baseball has issued warnings to four San Francisco Giants pitchers after three players wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps and another wore an entirely different hat during the team’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

Starter Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker took the field during Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs with Bible verses written on their rainbow-themed Pride Night caps.

The trio included the inscription “Gen 9:12-16,” a passage referencing God’s covenant with Noah and the rainbow as a sign of that promise.

Left-hander Sam Hentges, meanwhile, opted to wear the Giants’ standard black cap with the orange “SF” logo instead of the Pride Night version.

MLB said the players violated the league’s uniform policy, which prohibits writing or displaying messages on apparel or playing equipment.

“The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” MLB said in an initial statement.

The league later clarified that the warning was procedural and unrelated to the content of the messages.

“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” MLB said Tuesday. “We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited.”

MLB noted it has issued similar warnings in the past for messages referencing family members or holidays, including phrases such as “Dad” and “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom.”

After the game, Roupp said the Bible passage reflected his religious beliefs.

“It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us that, you know, his faithfulness and his mercy,” Roupp told reporters when asked about the Bible passage. “That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want.”

Hentges spoke to the media a day and explained his stance, “It’s just something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don’t morally support it. There wasn’t hatred behind it. I think that’s kind of something that’s misinterpreted,” he said. “I don’t hate the LGBTQ community. It’s just something I believed and talked with teammates and family, and they supported it.

Giants manager Tony Vitello said the pitchers’ decisions were not discussed beforehand and described them as personal choices.

The Giants later released a statement reaffirming the organization’s support for Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community while acknowledging that some fans felt “pain and anger” stemming from the players’ actions.

The team said those decisions do not change its commitment to inclusion and creating a welcoming environment for all fans.

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The Cubs managed to eke out their ninth walk off win of the season last night at Wrigley Field. It may seem weird to describe a huge win as “eked” out but that is how it felt. The Cubs entered the eighth inning with eight hits on the night, but four of them were Pete Crow-Armstrong’s cycle. When Caleb Thielbar surrendered a home run to Cole Carrigg in the top of the frame it seemed liked a foregone conclusion that the Cubs were about to suffer yet another agonizing defeat.

They managed to scrap together a win, however, aided by the control problems that have plagued the Rockies’ bullpen. But it was a subdued PCA who came to the mic to talk about the game, despite having just hit for the first Cubs cycle at Wrigley Field in 33 years:

Given the Cubs’ hot start to the season and recent struggles, it’s easy to see why PCA wants more. Considering he was picked off of first base in a one-run game after completing the cycle in the seventh inning, it’s easy to understand why he was more subdued than celebratory. While all of that is valid, today I’m going to make the case that PCA should go a little easier on himself. There have been some remarkable improvements in his game this season, specifically on the plate discipline side.

The book on PCA coming into the season is that he is an historically elite defender in centerfield with exceptional speed and a hit tool that can best be described as variable. He’s got an incredibly high ceiling and a very low floor, as you can see from his 15-game rolling wOBA throughout his career (as a reminder, wOBA is just a fancy on-base percentage that gives you more credit for extra base hits than walks):

You can see just how hot PCA has been recently relative to his past performance. This 15 game stretch is even better than his first half last season, which had PCA setting a pace for a 40/40 season before ultimately “settling” for a 30/30 season. You probably see another thing in that graph, specifically that the lowest points of the graph have started creeping every so slightly higher.

That’s a massive development for PCA, because if he can move the floor closer to the .300 wOBA rank from the .169 wOBA mark he set at his lowest point last season he’s not just an All-Star, he’s a superstar. To be clear, no one expects his wOBA to remain in the .583 stratosphere he’s currently living in, that will come back to Earth, but if that floor can move up he’ll be much more likely to avoid the collapse he saw at the end of last season in future campaigns.

There are a few statistics that indicate this could be a real development and not a small sample size mirage. Through PCA’s first two full seasons (2024-25), he had 1,057 plate appearances and slashed .243/.287/.443 with a wOBA of .307. For reference, the league average slashline and wOBA in 2025 was .245/.315/.404 and .313. That makes PCA a basically average hitter off the 2025 baseline for the most part with the glaring exception of his on base percentage, which was pretty far below the league norm for the first two seasons of his career.

So far in 2026 through 309 plate appearances PCA is slashing .277/.351/.493 with a wOBA of .364. This season’s league averages for those numbers are .243/.319/.398 and .320, indicating there has been a slight increase in on-base percentages across the league (possibly as a result of the ABS system, but I admit I’m speculating there), but PCA’s improvement this season is a massive step forward from the league average.

You can also see these improvements in PCA’s Statcast cards by comparing 2025 and 2026:

In 2026 PCA is walking 7.8 percent of the time. That’s still below the league average of a 9.1 percent walk rate, but it’s a massive improvement over his prior career mark of 4.7 percent. Taking more walks makes it more likely PCA will get a pitch to do damage on, which probably accounts for at least some of his slugging improvement this season relative to the first two seasons of his career.

A note of caution is required here because it does take a certain number of plate appearances to demonstrate that a player has actually improved a skill. That said, Fangraphs has done some in-depth look at when particular stats stabilize and on-base percentage tends to stabilize right around 300 plate appearances. PCA has 309 plate appearances this season.

PCA is still just 24 years old. He can and will improve and change his approach at the plate as he gets more exposure to the league. While he could regress to his prior sub-.300 OBP ways, here’s hoping this particular change sticks. If it does, PCA could be a historically good centerfielder with above average plate skills across the board. That’s a special player, indeed.

Everyone loves to hate a relief pitcher. Even the best teams have a “oh great, here comes this guy” guy in the bullpen. For the Boston Red Sox in 2026, that’s Greg Weissert. For some reason, Weissert is the Red Sox’s go-to guy to get out of a jam. That’s partially because they want to save Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman for later innings, and partially because he possesses qualities that should help him with traffic on the bases. Emphasis on should. Which is why I put it in italics, but I’m emphasizing it again because it’s that important.

What are those qualities, you might ask? Well, for starters relievers, it’s his sinker. Last season, against right-handed hitters, his sinker returned a 57% ground ball rate and 32% ideal contact rate. His four-seam managed a 15% swinging strike rate and 20% putaway rate. His slider also produced strikeouts in nearly one-third of two-strike counts against righties. Those factors combine to give him one pitch to produce ground balls, and two others to use to put away righties away. Against lefties, his changeup racked up ground balls while his four-seam was a reliable strike-getter and avoided hard contact. In 67 innings, Weissert posted a 2.82 ERA and, because I know you’re wondering, allowed 25% of inherited runners to score (54th of 174 qualifiers).

2026 hasn’t gone nearly as well. His ERA sits at 3.67, his strikeout rate is actually up 3.4% while his walk rate remains consistent, but his batting average against is up from .224 to .252. Inherited runners have also been a well-documented problem, with 50% scoring (173 of 205 qualifiers, although the qualifying number is kinda weird, which puts some guys with very few inherited runners on there. Either way, his mark isn’t good.)

Over the last few weeks, things have started to come together for Weissert. He hasn’t allowed an earned run and has stranded all three of the runners he’s inherited over his last five outings. He’s also struck out 7 of 18 hitters and only walked 1. Is it a case of a streaky reliever hitting a hot streak, or are there actual changes?

In this case, it’s a case of a streaky reliever having a good five-game stretch. That’s all. End of article. Thanks for the click.

I’m just messing around to increase my word count. There have obviously been changes, that’s why I’m writing this. Here’s a look at Weissert’s release point from the beginning of the season through his outing on May 28.

And here’s a look from May 29 through today.

You’ll notice there are two clear groupings in the first picture and just one in the second. At first, I thought Weissert was shifting back and forth, trying to find a spot on the mound that would work for him, but as I started digging deeper, I noticed he was actually shifting from side to side based on the hitter. Here are back-to-back hitters against the Minnesota Twins on May 22nd.

Against lefties, he’d stand on the first base side of the rubber, whereas he’d stand on the third base side of the rubber against righties. I still haven’t fully figured out horizontal approach angles, but I’d imagine the numbers say that this is the “optimal” approach for Weissert.

Unfortunately, the numbers are only numbers, and the player has to execute the game plan. Weissert already has a cross-body delivery, which tends to lend itself to inconsistency in command. Asking him to throw from multiple release points is just another variable that makes hitting spots harder. Check out his sinker locations over these two time frames.

It’s a small sample, but there are fewer pitches over the heart of the plate, and the ball is generally down in the zone. The weighted on-base average against the pitch in his first 24 appearances was .327; over his last five, it’s .199. The expected wOBA numbers line up with the actual nearly 1:1, as well.

I won’t run through every pitch, but I will look at them as a whole. In his first 24 outings, 35% of his pitches were either over the heart of the plate or in the “waste” zone. Those pitches are the best to hit, or almost wholly uncompetitive. The only positive outcome he’s had on one of those “waste” pitches this season is this whiff by Miguel Andujar for a strikeout. Every other pitch in that area has either been a ball or a hit by pitch. The pitches over the heart of the plate have a .353 xwOBA against them.

Since he’s shifted back to the first base side of the rubber full-time, he’s cut down on those pitches. Again, it’s a smaller sample, but only 30% of his pitches have been thrown to those zones. He’s living on the edges more, keeping the ball down, and it’s working out for him, at least for now.

Weissert isn’t all of a sudden going to become an elite reliever. He’s 31-years-old and has been up-and-down between Triple-A and the Majors for the last five seasons. Nobody is asking him to be elite, though. He just needs to be the bridge to the high-leverage arms, working one or two innings at a time. Now that he’s back to the first base side of the mound and his release points can remain consistent, he should be a steadier presence in the bullpen.

The Mets are designating infielder Vidal Brujan for assignment, reports SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes.

It is likely that Zack Short, who was claimed off waivers on Monday, replaces Brujan on the active roster.

Brujan, 28, struggled in limited playing time for New York this season, reaching base twice in 13 plate appearances. 

Short, whose positional versatility is similar to Brujan's, played 10 games for the Mets in 2024 and has since had stints with the Red Sox, Braves, Astros, and Tigers. 

There will be more roster machinations for the Mets when Francisco Lindor is activated from the IL, which could happen within the next week.

One player who could lose his 26-man roster spot upon Lindor's return is infielder Eric Wagaman, who has minor league options remaining. 

Three San Francisco Giants pitchers sparked controversy during the team’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Oracle Park by inscribing Bible verses on their team-issued caps, which featured a rainbow logo. The incident gained the attention of Vice President JD Vance, who publicly weighed in on the matter via social media.

In a reposted response to the Sports Illustrated social media post, Vance said, “Trump won; we don’t have to do this anymore.”

Pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker each altered their Pride Night caps by writing Genesis 9:12-16 next to the rainbow logo. This passage from the Bible describes God placing a rainbow in the sky as a sign of his covenant with humanity after the flood.

In recent years, these verses have become popular among Christian athletes seeking to reclaim the rainbow as a religious symbol, rather than as the widely recognized symbol of the LGBTQ+ community. Last season, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw made a similar statement by writing the same verses on his team’s Pride cap.

Major League Baseball responded by formally warning Roupp, Brubaker, and Walker that their actions violated the league’s strict uniform policy, which prohibits players from making unauthorized alterations to team-issued gear.

MLB chief communications officer Pat Courtney confirmed in a statement that the writing on the caps was a clear breach of league rules. He reiterated that the players had been cautioned not to repeat the offense.

More: Jose Ramirez injury update: Guardians star to miss extended time after hamate bone fracture

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The Chicago White Sox open a three-game set with the New York Yankees tonight at Yankee Stadium, with N.Y. listed as a -145 favorite despite Aaron Judge being shelved with a fractured right rib.

My White Sox vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, June 16 expect Chicago to pull off the upset.

Who will win White Sox vs Yankees today: White Sox moneyline (+129)

Former New York Yankees man Josh Donaldson said it simply recently in an interview about Aaron Judge’s absence:

It’s not the same team.

I agree with him and will be playing the Chicago White Sox moneyline down to +100 tonight.

Gerrit Cole’s 6th-percentile whiff rate serves as a massive red flag because it means he still doesn’t have his best stuff.

Chicago’s offense is well-positioned to take advantage, with Miguel Vargas (.398 xwOBA) along with Randal Grichuk (.388 xwOBA) flashing elite expected production.

Conversely, Davis Martin’s 88th-percentile chase rate should play well.

COVERS INTEL: Martin’s 97th-percentile pitching run value on his offspeed stuff has been elite throughout the 2026 campaign.

White Sox vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-120)

While both hurlers boast xERAs under the 4.00 mark, their underlying contact metrics suggest some looming trouble. 

Gerrit Cole's 4th-percentile ground ball rate is a concern against a lineup with sneaky power. On the other side, Davis Martin faces his own hurdles with a 9th-percentile hard-hit rate allowed, surrendering loud contact at a 46.5% clip.

Even with Judge sidelined, the Yankees still have Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger to provide pop, while the Chicago lineup features a trio of bats sporting xSLG marks over .530.

Play to -130.

White Sox vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: White Sox +124 | Yankees -144
• Run line: White Sox +1.5 (-178) | Yankees -1.5 (+146)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-122) | Under 7.5 (+100)

White Sox vs Yankees trend

The White Sox have hit the team total Over in 34 of their last 50 games (+16.30 Units / 28% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Yankees.

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Heading into play on Tuesday, the Yankees will remain alone atop the American League East. Although their margin over the Rays is not a large one, their standing is a testament to their resilience through some difficult times on the health front. The team’s best player, and one of the best the sport has ever seen, Aaron Judge, is on the shelf for an extended time once again. 

While Judge’s absence is obviously the most glaring for the Yankees at the moment, it is far from the only one. With a list of guys currently on the injured list, and some already having spent time there, the offense is turning into an all hands on deck situation. Not unlike the scrappy bunch that helped lead the Bombers back in 2019, this year’s squad may be in need of a similar boost from unexpected contributors.

In 2019, the Yankees won 103 games in the regular season, and made it to Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. While the World Series is always the goal, it was undoubtedly a successful season for the team. Despite all of the highs of that team, Judge missed 60 games, Giancarlo Stanton missed almost the entire season (18 games played), and multiple players who enjoyed huge 2018 seasons, Aaron Hicks, Miguel Andujar, and Didi Gregorious, all played half a season or less. The training staff was busy all year, and yet, the Yankees comfortably won over 100 games, and were within a couple wins of making the Fall Classic. While there is a lot that goes into a season-long saga, the surprising contributions from players like Mike Tauchman, Gio Urshela, and DJ LeMahieu made a huge impact. On top of that, partial seasons of really high quality ball from the likes of Cameron Maybin, Luke Voit, and Mike Ford were the cherry on top.

While asking for that many surprises would be wishful thinking, the 2026 Yankees will likely need some unsung heroes to step up in the absence of some of the roster’s bigger names. Aaron Judge is on the shelf until later on in the summer, and Giancarlo Stanton has only played in 24 games and just suffered a setback in his recovery. Meanwhile, last year’s big surprise Trent Grisham has found his way to the IL along with starting catcher Austin Wells, who also has had a miserable start to the year with the bat for good measure. It’s clear the production from these players, and any more who may miss some time, will need to be made up. While this is the case for any team that has realistic hopes for success, the question remains: who will do this for New York this time around?

Some of the make-up effort is already clear at this point of the season. Ben Rice is establishing himself as an high-caliber All-Star type, with a 172 wRC+ and 19 homers in just 65 games this season. While Rice taking a step forward is not necessarily a shock, to have it happen to this degree certainly helps with the absence Judge and company. After a miserable start, Ryan McMahon has heated up significantly over the past month, and would be a major boost if he could return to somewhere near peak form. José Caballero and Amed Rosario have done their part in occasionally limited roles, and feel like guys pulled directly from that 2019 vibe. Several infield spots for this team aren’t locked down by any means, regardless of injuries, so the continued success of Rosario and Caballero could be hugely beneficial. Veteran re-signee Paul Goldschmidt has also been experienced a pleasant renaissance, posting a 149 wRC+ and nearly matching last season’s home run total in just 45 games. If his low cost deal can help to keep some thump in the lineup in lieu of the absences, all the better.

While the unforeseen contributions that have already happened are fine and good, what’s to come is perhaps even more important. The Yankees can hope for the continued success of these guys, but it can’t necessarily be counted upon. Jasson Domínguez just recently returned, homering over the weekend, and the Yankees will have to hope his long-awaited breakout is on the horizon. Highly-touted prospect Spencer Jones has also been underwhelming since his call-up, and if the club can see some improvement as he adjusts to big league pitching, and if he can tap into the enormous power he’s known to possess, he could be a difference-maker.

This Yankees team has already enjoyed this phenomenon on the pitching side. When Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón were set to miss significant chunks of time to begin the season, the likes of Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and primarily Cam Schlittler all did their part in maintaining one of the league’s strongest rotations. To this point, the Yankees have a team wRC+ that is second-best in the league, but with plenty of absences locked in, including some long-term ones, the continued success of these young up-and-comers, unproven role players, and veterans will be vital to a potentially successful season, just as it was in that highly entertaining 2019 campaign.

This stretch of games had it all. A long-awaited MLB debut, a thrilling walk-off win against the best team in baseball, and almost having a perfect game thrown against them. This week, the White Sox made a statement to the entire league that they can compete in big ways.

The week started with the National League-leading Atlanta Braves arriving in Chicago. Brandon Eisert opened for Erick Fedde, who each gave up two runs apiece. Matt Olson accounted for the Braves’ first three runs with a pair of homers. A fourth run scored on an error. Down 4-0 in the top of the third, things were starting to feel like they might get out of hand. Enter Miguel Vargas, whose 16th home run of the season cut the Braves’ lead in half. The rest of the game and all the highlights from Tuesday are dedicated to Braden Montgomery.

In the fourth inning, the right fielder knocked his first MLB hit and pushed across his first RBI to bring the White Sox within one. It would be rookie Jacob Gonzalez to tie it in the seventh and take the game to extras.

In the top of the 10th inning, the Braves pulled ahead 5-4. This is when the cinema started. With two outs and the tying run on third base, Braden launched a line drive into the right field bullpen to light the pinwheels and send fans home thrilled. Letting the kids play is really paying off.

Wednesday was the pitchers’ duel that we had all been waiting for. Chris Sale, who was traded by the White Sox to the Boston Red Sox back in 2016, made his sixth start against his former team. In those six starts, the southpaw was 2-2, struck out 47 batters, and owned a 2.91 ERA. Sale may be reaching his elder years in the league, but there doesn’t seem to be much slowing him down. His 16th year in the league is quickly shaping up to be a career year, posting just a 2.31 ERA in 13 starts and hitting 99 mph in Wednesday’s game.

Facing off against him was Davis Martin. This year’s ace was coming off his worst start of the season and desperately needed a bounce-back start. Bounce back he did. The righthander carved through the Braves lineup, going six innings, giving up no runs, and striking out six. The start brought his ERA back below 2.50 and hopefully righted the ship.

Sale, who allowed only two earned runs, did earn the loss in the second game of the series. The only scoring in the entire game for the home team happened in the bottom of the fourth inning. The frame opened with a Montgomery double. The now traded Derek Hill plated the newly minted right fielder on an RBI single. Then Hill came around to score on a very exciting ground out by Luisangel Acuña.

The Braves’ lone run scored in the bottom of the seventh inning on a fielding error by Vargas. As someone who did not want to see our lead diminished and who has the third baseman on her fantasy team, the error was not received well. A locked-in Seranthony Domínguez and Bryan Hudson more than made up for it as Will Venable’s squad secured a series win against the best team in baseball.

It did not matter that Thursday’s game was postponed until August 20. The season series against an incredibly solid squad has been secured. It should be noted that this rainout does mean the White Sox will play 16 games in a row in August, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. The more important thing was to focus on the World Series-winning Dodgers coming to town.

The big headline ahead of this series was Shohei Ohtani leaving Thursday’s game with knee inflammation. It appeared we might catch a break and not have to face one of the greatest hitters in the game. This was true for Friday’s series opener. One would think the message to the team would be to take advantage of this, and it seemed they took the hint.

Not only did the offense score eight runs against Roki Saski and Blake Trinen, but Anthony Kay was the only White Sox pitcher to give up any runs to the LA squad. Kay, who was coming off a start where he gave up six runs to the Phillies, gave up just two runs over his five innings of work and struck out seven. Who would have thought!

Everyone on the offense, except for Gonzalez, recorded a hit in the 8-2 victory. Vargas and Chase Meidroth lead the effort with three hits apiece. This made me very happy for my fantasy baseball team. Andrew Benintendi notched his seventh homer of the year with two outs in the bottom of the first to start the scoring, and Tristan Peters brought the scoring to a finish in the bottom of the fifth with his second triple of the year. It was a great start to the weekend.

Do you know what kills the vibe of a weekend? Watching the opposing pitcher carry a perfect game into the eighth inning and a no-hitter into the ninth. Yoshinobu Yamamoto entered Saturday with 2.68 ERA and 6-2 record. After 8 1/3 innings on 109 pitches, seven strikeouts, and no walks, the 27-year-old righty left the game with a 2.52 ERA and a 7-2 record.

It’s hard to win a game when you can only score one run in the bottom of the ninth inning. It is even harder to win a ballgame when your pitching staff gives up seven runs. Sean Burke did not show up with the same magic as Yamamoto. The game started with a home run from Ohtani, who returned to the lineup in the leadoff spot. Max Muncy added insult to injury, hitting two long balls against South Side pitching.

Had the team ended the week 3-2, I would have been happy. Instead, the Chicago White Sox gave fans the shock of the decade with a six-run sixth inning. The highlights of the sixth inning offense were three long balls. The first homer came from Sam Antonacci, the left fielder’s second home run of the year and first to leave the ballpark, tying the game at one. The second by Colson Montgomery (finally, a good hit after a rough week) made the lead more comfortable, bringing the score to 4-1. Meidroth’s two-run shot took a game-tying grand slam off the table, making it 6-1.

Relief pitching almost spoiled it, giving up one run in each of the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. In fact, Domínguez faced the go-ahead run in the final frame on two occasions. A force out and a strikeout of Freddie Freeman finally ended the threat and secured the win and the White Sox’s eighth home series victory in a row!

This week was one worth celebrating. It took the South Side squad all the way up to sixth in MLB’s power rankings. A position well earned. However, there are problems with the pitching staff that this front office desperately needs to address. The issue is not how the team has been playing in Bridgeport, but rather how they have been performing on the road. Just how bad is it?

When the White Sox are in the comfort of their own home, the pitching staff ranks sixth in MLB with a 3.41 team ERA and is tied for first with the Tampa Bay Rays with 24 wins. When the show is taken on the road, it is a completely different story. The hurlers are 14-21 with the league’s third-worst road ERA of 5.30. A friendly reminder: each team has to play the same number of games at home as on the road. An almost two-point difference in ERA and significantly fewer road wins are not a recipe for sustained success.

With that being said, Bob Nightengale reported this week that Chris Getz is going to be aggressive at the trade deadline. Now, this is Bob, so I take what he says with a grain of salt, but this makes sense given what was just discussed above. There are clear holes in the pitching, and acquiring a solid starter or two could go a long way toward getting this team across the finish line. May I suggest making a play for Tarik Skubal or Dustin May? If injuries continue to pop up with Colson and other key members of the offense, it also might behoove them to snag a veteran slugger. Time will tell. Getz appears to have a few prospects to entice teams with down on the farm.

Another test is on the horizon with an away series against both the Yankees and Tigers this week. Here’s to hoping something starts clicking with the pitching staff while they’re in the Bronx and it carries over to the visit at Comerica.

The pitch was a slider, up.

With two strikes and two outs, that’s usually a pitcher’s count – but Cam Nelson had been hunting something he could drive all night, and this was it.

“I was just looking for a pitch up, a pitch I could do damage with,” Nelson said. “I saw a breaking pitch up, and I did damage on a pitch I knew I could. From there it just kind of felt pretty surreal. Rounding the bases and all that was pretty awesome.” 

The swing produced his second home run of the year, his first walk-off blast as a professional, and capped another big night for a Fresno Grizzlies club that has been no stranger to late-inning drama in 2026. 

“We’re definitely rolling, especially scoring late in games,” Nelson said. “It’s awesome to have that fire behind all of us.” 

For Colorado Rockies fans who haven’t been tracking the Low-A box scores closely, the 22-year-old outfielder is quietly building one of the more intriguing offensive profiles in the lower minors – not on the strength of loud tools, but on an advanced eye and a knack for being on time. 

A foundation built in two places 

Nelson’s path to pro ball ran through two very different stops. He spent three years at St.Paul’s School in Maryland before transferring to PDG Baseball Academy for his senior season, and he credits each with shaping a different part of his skillset. 

“St Paul’s was really good for me from an academic standpoint. I feel like I really got my ground from there, and it really helped my transition into Wake just for all the classroom things,” he said. “Then going to PDG my senior year, I needed to get a little bit more competition. Playing more games, playing down south, it really helped me prepare for college in both ways.” 

At Wake Forest, Nelson landed in the middle of one of college baseball’s most loaded programs – two trips to regionals and a clubhouse stacked with future high-round picks. Watching former teammates like Nick Kurtz and Chase Burns break through at the big-league level so quickly has not been lost on him. 

“It’s definitely pretty cool to see. Seeing Kurtz in the MVP race right now is pretty awesome, and it’s crazy to think I was playing with him two years ago,” Nelson said. “Same thing with Burns – he’s been throwing really well. It’s awesome to see.” 

More than the name recognition, Nelson says those teams taught him who he needs to be on the field. 

“They were huge from the standpoint of my development, helping me realize I’ve got to fit into a certain role,” he said. “I’m a center fielder, a guy that’s really good at defense and has really good legs. So it’s about trying to make sure I’m not overdoing my role and doing what I can while I’m in the game.” 

Learning from the setbacks 

Ask Nelson about the moments that have shaped him the most, and he doesn’t point to the highlights. He points to the time he spent off the field. 

“The setbacks with injuries have really taken a little toll on me these past few years – dealing with a broken finger, and then some knee issues,” he said. “Those have been times where I’ve had to take some time and think about my game. It was really hard not being out there playing, so for me it was kind of like a mental break, but at the same time I was really just ready to get back out there.” 

That experience has changed how he takes care of his body now that he’s playing more than he ever has.

“I have to stay on top of everything – hip exercises, knee exercises, every single day,” Nelson said. “Especially now that I’m playing five, six games a week, staying on top of all my exercises has been really important.” 

The jump from college to the daily grind of pro ball was an adjustment in its own right. 

“At the start it was a little tough,” he said. “Just recognizing that I needed to have a really solid routine every day.” 

The two-way itch

Like a lot of elite amateurs, Nelson came up as a two-way player and pitched a bit at Wake before settling into the outfield full-time. A part of him still misses the mound.

“There’s a little part of me that does miss it,” he admitted. “I kind of always knew I was going to be an outfielder, just from my tools in general. But I do miss it – coming in and maybe closing a game would be pretty cool.” 

The pitching background pays off in a less obvious way: It sharpened how he reads at-bats from the other side. 

“At least when I face lefties, I think about how they would attack me now,” he said. “Thinking back to how I would attack hitters, I feel like it makes it a little bit easier for me.” 

Discipline as an identity

The headline number in Nelson’s first full season is his patience. Nelson leads the California League in walks and ranks among its top 10 in on-base percentage – and he says that command of the strike zone is nothing new.

“It’s always been a thing I’ve been pretty good at – having good discipline, knowing what pitches I need to swing at, which pitches are good to swing at, and in what counts,” he said. “Especially now, after college, some guys aren’t as sharp as they are up there at the higher level. So I try to make sure I get my pitch early and in the right counts.” 

That foundation set the stage for a breakout May, when his batting average registered roughly 70 points higher from where it sat in April, with fewer strikeouts. Nelson chalks the surge up to a mix of support, repetition, and timing. 

“One, just the support from my teammates and coaches – they’ve been a huge help,” he said. “But for me, being able to get my swing off early has really been helping. We’re facing these guys more than once now, more than twice, so I’m starting to get my grounding. I just know I’ll continue to get better throughout the season.”

A young, hungry group

Nelson is quick to fold his individual progress into a team story. The Grizzlies are young – many of them, like Nelson, are products of last year’s draft class, with others pushing up from complex levels – and that mix has produced a brand of baseball he clearly enjoys being part of.

“It’s been a ton of fun. We have a ton of energy coming to the field every single day,” he said. “A lot of us are just coming out of college, and some guys are coming up from the ACL and DSL, so those guys are hungry and ready to play. It’s a different brand of baseball – very high energy. It’s a team you expect to see a lot of wins from throughout the rest of the season.” 

What he wants Rockies fans to know

For fans just getting acquainted with him, Nelson’s self-scouting report is less about tools than temperament. And the player he grew up emulating tells you a lot about the swing he’s built.

“I’m a very high-energy player. You’re going to get my all out of me every single game – I play every game like it’s my last, and I just want to win.” he said. “Growing up, one of the guys I watched was Bryce Harper. Seeing him get into the league at 19 was something pretty cool to watch, and I was very mesmerized with his left-handed swing. That was one guy I liked watching growing up.” 

As for the organization’s marching orders since drafting him, the message has been refreshingly simple.

“They picked me up for the player I am,” Nelson said. “They told me to go out there and play the brand of baseball I know – get on base, score runs. That’s pretty much it.” 

The ultimate destination, of course, sits a mile above sea level. But Nelson is careful not to let Coors Field pull his focus off the work in front of him.

“That’s definitely the long-term goal – it always has been,” he said. “But at the stage I’m at right now, I’m taking it day by day, trying to be great at all the little things I’m working on at this moment. Once I feel like I’m getting really good at those things, I can start having greater expectations for myself.” 

For now, the formula is working. Get on base, score runs, play with energy – and trust that the rest follows.

Weekly Pebble Report: June 9th-14th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes: (1-5, 35-34 overall)

The Isotopes had a difficult week in Tacoma, dropping five of six games. In typical PCL fashion, the pitching struggled as the ‘Topes allowed nine or more runs in four of the six games they played. The lack of roster continuity has seemingly caught up with Albuquerque, as they’ve now dropped nine of their last 12 games. They now sit just one game above .500, and are 6.0 games back of first place in the PCL.

Stock UP: Charlie Condon

Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) appears to have found his stride as June reaches its midpoint. The highlight of his week came Friday, when he went 4-for-4 with two home runs, five RBIs, and two walks. The 23-year-old has posted a 1.003 OPS across 12 games this month and is showing increasing comfort in the outfield.

Stock Down: Valente Bellozo (3.0 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 2 K, 3 BB)

Valente Bellozo endured another difficult outing in Tacoma this week, as the stat line reflects. It’s a troubling trend for the right-hander, who has allowed 14 earned runs over just 8.1 innings across his last three appearances.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats: (5-2, 35-27 overall)

The Yard Goats continue to grind out wins, largely on the strength of their pitching staff. Strong performances from Jackson Cox and Jack Mahoney led the way this week, helping Hartford maintain the second-best record in the Eastern League.

Stock UP: Jack Mahoney

Jack Mahoney was phenomenal in his lone start this week. The University of South Carolina product tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out 10 and issuing no walks. Mahoney has been nothing short of excellent since returning from the IL, posting a 0.83 ERA across five starts for Double-A Hartford in 2026.

Stock UP: Jackson Cox

2022 second-round pick Jackson Cox made his Double-A debut this week and appeared to have no trouble with the transition. The 22-year-old right-hander turned in 5.1 strong innings, allowing just three hits while striking out eight in Hartford’s 11-1 victory on Friday. His dominant performance provided an encouraging first glimpse of what he can bring to the Yard Goats’ rotation.

High-A: Spokane Indians (4-2, 27-36 overall)

After a 2-4 start to June, the Indians bounced back in a big way during their trip to Eugene, taking four of six from the league-leading Emeralds to climb back to .500 on the month. It was no easy task, as four of the six contests were decided by a single run. Despite the strong showing, Spokane remains in fifth place in the Northwest League, 14 games behind first-place Eugene.

Stock UP: Max Belyeu

Max Belyeu enjoyed nothing short of a monster week at the plate. The No. 15 PuRP prospect recorded two multi-homer games, driving in seven runs and scoring eight more over the course of the six-game series. The 2025 draft pick now owns a 1.199 OPS in June and continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the system.

Stock UP: Ethan Hedges

Hedges, another member of the Rockies’ 2025 draft class, found success against Eugene this week. The former third-round pick recorded a pair of three-hit performances and slashed .364 over 22 at-bats during the six-game series.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (3-3, 33-30 overall)

Fresno remained three games above .500 and within four games of first place in the California League after a 3-3 week. While the results have cooled somewhat of late, with the Grizzlies going 6-6 in June, they have continued to stay afloat despite being without Ethan Holliday, Derek Bernard, and Clayton Gray.

Stock UP: Bryson Van Sickle

In a week that wasn’t exactly chock-full of storylines in Low-A, Bryson Van Sickle’s performance was impossible to ignore. The Grizzlies reliever tossed seven scoreless innings across two appearances, allowing just two hits while striking out 11. His dominant week earned him California League Pitcher of the Week honors.

Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies (3-1, 23-8 overall)

The ACL Rockies remained atop the Arizona Complex League standings after a 3-1 week, highlighted by a 22-hit, 22-run outburst on Thursday. Through 31 games, they lead the ACL with a remarkable +90 run differential, further cementing their status as one of the league’s most dominant clubs.

Stock UP: Alessander De La Cruz

The 20-year-old German native enjoyed what was arguably his best four-game stretch of the season, going 9-for-17 (.529) with four extra-base hits, five RBIs, and six runs scored. He was a key contributor in the ACL Rockies’ 22-2 victory on Thursday, finishing 4-for-5 with a double, two walks, two RBIs, and two runs scored.

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One of the reasons I felt good about the Kansas City Royals coming into the season was that I was extremely impressed by what we saw from Carter Jensen in September of last year. Jensen came up to the majors and immediately looked like one of the best hitters on the team, sporting a .300/.390/.550 slash line, good for a wRC+ of 159. It wasn’t just the results, but how he achieved them. The left-handed hitter drew nine walks compared to 12 strikeouts and flashed a sweet swing at the plate with some outstanding power. I didn’t expect Jensen to be 60% above league average as a hitter again, but I assumed he would be above average at the plate and behind it as a catcher, which would make him a very valuable player even as a rookie.

Jensen has not been the most disappointing player on the Royals this season – that title can be shared with Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Lucas Erceg, in my opinion. But 40% of the way through the season, he has been a replacement-level player, which falls well short of expectations.

On one hand, this is not particularly surprising. It’s hard to be a rookie in MLB and live up to the expectations that us overeager fans can put on the players. Jensen currently has an 81 wRC+, which is disappointing given what he did last year but right in line with rookie catcher averages.

It’s hard for hitters to adjust to major-league pitching in their first extended taste of the big leagues when pitchers get a chance to study their tendencies and find weaknesses to exploit. That adjustment can be extra difficult on catchers, since they are also spending a lot of time learning on the defensive side of the ball as well.

The biggest sign of pitchers adjusting to Jensen is his increased strikeout percentage. Jensen is striking out in 28.8% of his plate appearances this season after only striking out in 17.4% last season. The catcher is swinging and missing at more pitches; his swinging strike percentage has gone from 10.9% to 12.4%. He is also looking at more pitches in the zone; his called strike percentage is up from 13% in 2025 to 16.5% in 2026.

Looking over Jensen’s Baseball Savant page gives us some more clues as to what might be contributing to the increase in strikeout rate and the adjustments that the 22-year-old will hopefully make as he continues to improve and adjust to MLB pitching. Statcast labels pitches thrown in the middle zone of the plate as “Meatballs,” and these are generally pitches that you want to swing at. Last season, the catcher swung at 79.2% of meatballs, which is above the major-league average of 76.2%. This season, Jensen is only swinging at 68.4% of meatballs.

I appreciate that he is attempting to take pitches and work the count, but this looks like a hitter being a little too cautious and not aggressive enough to me. I think if Jensen can get back to the level of aggressiveness on good pitches to hit that he found last season, he will both strikeout less and start making better contact. That seems achievable and something that should get better with time. I’m not worried currently about Jensen’s future ability at the plate, but for this season we may be watching more of him trying to figure out how to make good swing decisions against the best pitchers in the world.

It’s been the defensive side of the ball for Jensen that has stood out to me most when watching the Royals this season, particularly his blocking. Among 69 qualified catchers, Jensen is second-to-last (only above Logan O’Hoppe) in blocking runs above-average with -7 catching runs. Statcast estimates that Jensen should have 11 wild pitches + passed balls based on the quality of pitches he has received, but instead the catcher has 18. The rookie has struggled in particularly with balls low and to his left, which is a pitch that needs to be blocked to help your pitchers go for strikeouts. He’s had some truly awful blocking attempts. If the Royals were competitive this season, I’d feel like a Carter Jensen passed ball would be a Chekhov’s Gun just sitting there for a clutch moment. It doesn’t look like we will need to worry about it sabotaging this season, however, as there has been plenty of sabotage to go around.

The catcher does have some positive qualities behind the dish. He’s been slightly above-average as a framer, and has been much better than Perez at framing this season. Jensen has a quick pop time is currently in the 80th percentile in Caught Stealing Above Average. His overall defense as a catcher has been around replacement level despite giving away 8 runs with his poor blocking skills, so any improvement to his ability to block pitches is going to make his defense a net positive.

Jensen is skilled and athletic enough to figure out how to move to his left and block tough pitches. I believe that anyone who can make this catch can improve on their blocking ability:

We’ve also seen Bobby Witt Jr. make remarkable strides on defense after a difficult rookie campaign, so we know it can be done. Research by Tom Hanrahan has shown that catchers get better at handling pitchers after their rookie season, which is both encouraging and a reminder that Jensen is juggling a lot by leading off and catching as much as he is.

The struggles Jensen is currently working through seem like solvable issues and somewhat normal for a rookie catcher. I’m still optimistic about his future with the Royals, but watching him so far this season has reminded me that it’s tough to make the leap from Triple-A to MLB, and that I should have factored in more growing pains when estimating how the Royals would perform this season. Jensen looks like a rookie catcher out there, and at least so far, my expectations for something more were overly optimistic.

The Atlanta Braves are headed home and will face the San Francisco Giants after arguably their worst stretch of the season.

The good news is that the Giants are not good this year, and Drake Baldwin will be back for this series. Time will tell on the Baldwin return if he is back to full strength, but what we do know is that the Braves lack of rotation depth due to injuries is starting to rear its head.

Because of the state of injuries, it appears that Grant Holmes will be getting another start, even though he has proven that he gets absolutely rocked the second he faces a hitter the second time through. The first time Holmes faces a hitter in a game they are averaging a slash line of .187/.256/.280, which is excellent. The second time in a game he faces a hitter they are averaging a slash line of .317/.391/.663. When every single hitter you face averages MVP numbers the second time you face them, that is a recipe for disaster.

If Holmes does indeed get the start (the Braves have swayed recently from their probable pitchers), it will be shocking if Didier Fuentes does not come in to pitch in a long relief role early in the game. Ritchie would potentially have this long relief role if it were not for the Strider injury. Of all the Giants hitters, only four have faced Holmes before and none of them have more than five at-bats. Rafael Devers leads the team with those five at-bats, and he has a .400 average in that span.

Fortunately for the Braves they will be facing Adrian Houser in the midst of arguably the worst season of his career. His 5.54 ERA is the second worst of his career and his 1.538 WHIP is his worst of his career. His expectancy stats (XSTATS) paint the picture that he can’t blame bad luck on his poor performance either. His xERA so far has been 5.44, which is good for bottom 13.0 percent of qualified pitchers. Pretty much every stat that matters is in the bottom 13.0 percent or worse. The only thing he has going for him is his slightly above league average walk rate of 8.1 percent.

Of the players on the Braves’ active roster, Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies have faced Houser the most with seventeen and sixteen at-bats respectively. Both players have seen success with Riley hitting .471 with a HR and Albies hitting .375 with a .974 OPS. Michael Harris has a much smaller sample with eight at-bats but has an average of .375 in that span. Surprisingly, Matt Olson has struggled in his eleven at-bats against Houser where he has only hit .182 with a .630 OPS.

The Braves could really use a boost offensively as they have only scored more runs than three other MLB teams in the month of June.

First pitch is at 7:15 EDT

Game Info

Game Time: Tuesday, June 16th, 7:15 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, , Atlanta, Ga

Watch: BravesVision / Gray TV

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan