Category: Baseball

Before the season Paul Toboni was very active on the waiver wire. With the Nats having plenty of roster spots up for grabs, the front office decided to take chances on players. We wrote about the Nats heavy use of the waiver wire this winter. Now that we are about a month and a half into the season, I wanted to look at how these waiver claims have been doing.

Between January and March, there were a bunch of roster churn at the back of the 40 man roster. It seemed like the Nats were claiming a new player every day. Sometimes they would DFA guys just days after claiming them. However, I can count 8 guys on the 40-man roster who were part of this waiver/small trade frenzy. 

Andre Granillo, Richard Lovelady, Paxton Schultz, Gus Varland, Ken Waldichuk, Curtis Mead, Jorbit Vivas and Joey Wiemer have provided mixed returns, but a few of these guys have been valuable pieces for the Nats. Before the season, I actually picked out 3 players that would hit. My picks were Granillo, Schultz and Varland. I would say I am 2 for 3 on those picks.

In my opinion, the hits have been Lovelady, Schultz, Varland, Mead and Wiemer. All five of those guys have provided real value to this roster. I want to break down these five and talk about their futures on the roster. Also, I want to explore some of the guys who have not performed so far and examine why they have missed.

The first player I want to discuss is Curtis Mead because I think he could be the best long term piece. Technically Mead was not a true waiver claim, but he came to the Nats through the waiver process. Mead was DFA’d by the White Sox in late March, but the Nats decided to swing a trade to make sure they got him. They traded 2025 6th rounder Boston Smith to Chicago to cut the line and get Mead.

A big reason why they wanted Mead is because the organization was familiar with the player. While Mead was in the lower minors in the Rays organization, he was managed by Blake Butera. Whenever he has been asked about Mead, Butera always speaks about the Aussie in glowing terms.

Mead was a fun reclamation project for the Nats. At one point, he was a top 50 prospect in baseball, known for his pure hitting ability. However, he struggled to translate his ability to hit in the minors into big league production. Eventually, the Rays gave up on him and so did the White Sox.

However, Mead has been really hitting this season. In 31 games, Mead has a .780 OPS and a 121 wRC+. This is despite running into some very bad batted ball luck, as you can see with his .227 BABIP. Mead is showing a lot more power this year and almost has as many walks as strikeouts. 

Mead has not been great defensively at first base, but he is fairly new to the position. He is decent with his scoops, but there are times where he needs to sharpen up his instincts at the position. Mead can play a little bit at second and third base which adds value as well. I think the Nats found a really quality hitter in Curtis Mead, which is why he is the biggest hit so far.

There have also been a trio of waiver wire relievers who have done well for the Nats. Before his blowup against the Marlins, Gus Varland’s ERA was sitting at 3.07 and he was the Nats closer. I still like Varland’s stuff and mentality, which is why I have written a lot about him this season. In my opinion, that Marlins game was just a bad day at the office for him.

Paxton Schultz has not been in as many high leverage situations as Varland, but he has done well in the innings he has pitched. He has a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings this season. Schultz does a great job pounding the zone, walking just 3.4% of hitters this season. For the season, Schultz only has 2 walks. 

He also does a good job putting hitters away when he gets to two strikes. While Schultz does not have elite velocity, his fastball has been a great put away pitch. Of Schultz’s 13 strikeouts, 11 have come on the heater despite the fact he only throws his fastball 30.4% of the time. He lulls batters to sleep with his cutter and changeup, then he can blow his 93-95 MPH heater by hitters.

Richard Lovelady is the other reliever who has been a big hit for the Nats. They have actually claimed him twice. The first time was in the winter, but at the end of Spring Training, he was DFA’d again and picked up by his old club the Mets. After pitching in 6 games with the Mets, Lovelady was DFA’d again. The Nats came calling again, and acquired him for cash.

Since November of 2024, Lovelady has been DFA’d 8 times. However, it seems like he has found a home in DC. In his 9 outings with the Nats, Lovelady has a 0.93 ERA. He has issued a lot of walks, but some of those have been intentional. However, when he is in the zone, Lovelady is tough to hit due to his funky mechanics and nasty sweeper. He is also an electric mound presence, who gets fired up after getting big outs.

He has been a really fun find for the Nats and has been a big part of stabilizing the bullpen. There will be nights where the walks will come back to bite him, but Lovelady looks like a quality reliever. He also seems like a fun guy to have around in the clubhouse.

The last claim I would call a win is Joey Wiemer. His insane March where he went 8/13 is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, but he did single-handedly win the Nats a couple games. Predictably, Wiemer has cooled off. However, if he can even be a .685 OPS bat like he was in April, that is a nice fourth outfielder.

Wiemer is a tremendous athlete, but he does not make a ton of contact. I am not sure how long he will be around with all the outfielders in AAA. However, that insane stretch where he quite literally could not get out makes him a win in my books.

As you would expect with waiver claims, it has not been all good. The biggest loss has been the Andre Granillo pickup, a move I actually liked at the time. Like the Mead deal, it was technically not a waiver claim, but it is connected. The Nats acquired Granillo from the Cardinals in a move that sent George Soriano to St. Louis.

Soriano was a waiver claim by the Nats, but they DFA’d him again. However, the Cardinals wanted to cut the line and gave the Nats Granillo, who was coming off a nice 2025 season. On paper, it looked like a win. Granillo was dominant in the minors last year and held his own in the MLB. Meanwhile, Soriano posted an ERA over 8 in 2025.

However, Soriano had the better stuff and the deeper arsenal. The early returns on this move have been bad. Granillo has posted an ERA over 9 in both the big leagues and the minors. His slider, which he relies on heavily, just has not been fooling anyone this season. On the other hand, Soriano has a 3.18 ERA in 18 outings with the Cardinals. Sometimes, you need to just bet on the stuff. Soriano averages 97 MPH and has five pitches, while Granillo is a two pitch guy with an average fastball and a slower slider.

Another move that was not really a part of the waiver process but I will include is the Jorbit Vivas deal. While Vivas was not on the wire, the out of options infielder was likely to be DFA’d by the Yankees. The Nats liked Vivas’ approach and decided to trade prospect Sean Paul Linan for him. That move seemed weird at the time, and has not really worked out.

Vivas was red hot to start the season, but his bat has gone cold. His wRC+ is down to 81 right now. He does have 0.2 fWAR due to his solid glove, but his lack of athletic tools really limits him. Meanwhile, Linan has a 3.47 ERA and over 12 strikeouts per 9 in High-A. This always felt like an unnecessary move by the Nats, but if Vivas’ bat can heat up again, he can be a solid utility infielder. 

As we have discussed, the waiver wire has provided mixed results for the Nats. That should not come as any surprise. After all, there is a reason that these guys are on waivers. Sometimes you can find gems, but you are not going to bat 1.000.

Between some of the relievers and Mead, I think there has been more good than bad on the wire. I am interested to see how active Paul Toboni is throughout the season when it comes to waiver claims. He picked up Zak Kent the other day, and I wonder if more claims are coming. This will be something for fans to follow as we continue through this 2026 season.

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The injury-plagued Houston Astros have dropped three consecutive games by multiple runs, and five of the last seven overall.

My Mariners vs. Astros predictions expect their struggles to continue in the second game of this AL West matchup.

Let's break down my MLB picks for Tuesday, May 12.

Who will win Mariners vs Astros today: Seattle Mariners (-150)

The Houston Astros have hit righties well this season... but they have not hit them well of late. They're dealing with injuries to key bats like Jeremy Pena, Carlos Correa, and Yainer Diaz — and they're really showing up.

Houston sits 19th in weighted on-base average (wOBA) against right-handed pitching in May, miles below their seasonal rank of third. They've struck out at a league-high 28.6% clip and have also hit grounders at the 11th-highest rate.

That doesn't set them up for success against Bryan Woo, who owns a strong 16% K-BB rate and has not allowed a homer in six of eight starts.

COVERS INTEL: Woo's soft contact rate of 21.6% is the best of his career.

Mariners vs Astros Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)

The Astros are struggling to score runs. They have plated just two in their last three games and have scored three or fewer in seven of their last eight. Manufacturing offense is extremely challenging with so much firepower missing from the lineup.

Although the Seattle Mariners should have an easier time against Tatsuya Imai and a subpar bullpen, they rank 25th in runs, 26th in average, and All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh doesn't have a hit this month. They're not exactly a dynamic offense likely to put forth a ceiling game.

Mariners vs Astros odds

• Moneyline: Mariners -150 | Astros +130
• Run line: Mariners -1.5 (+110) | Astros +1.5 (-130)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

Mariners vs Astros trend

The Seattle Mariners have hit the moneyline in seven of their past 10 away games (+3.05 units, 22% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Mariners vs. Astros.

How to watch Mariners vs Astros and game info

Mariners vs Astros latest injuries

Mariners vs Astros weather

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We're fading pitchers with our MLB picks for today, finding value in betting against a handful of struggling starters to continue being stuck in their rough patches.

Read on to see why our baseball experts are picking on Brayan Bello, Grant Holmes, Zac Gallen... and both pitchers in Miami/Minnesota.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: MIA/MIN o9.5	+122
Jon Metler: PHI ML	-138
Neil Parker: CHC ML	+117
Joe Osborne: TEX ML	-122

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Marlins/Twins Over 9.5

Price: 46¢ (+122) at Polymarket

Mother Nature should help generate some runs in Minnesota today with 19-mph winds screaming out to center field. Eury Pérez has been giving up home runs on fly balls, while Bailey Ober owns a groundball rate that ranks in the bottom half of MLB starters (in fact, both pitchers carry groundball rates below 37%). Add in a Minnesota Twins bullpen sporting a 6.93 ERA over the last two weeks, and the runs could keep coming all game long. THE BAT is projecting 10.32 total runs.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Phillies moneyline

Price: 58¢ (-138) at Polymarket

When you can get value on a team with a true ace on the mound, it’s hard not to back the Philadelphia Phillies in this spot. Zack Wheeler gives Philadelphia a major advantage because he can work deep into games — and help them avoid the weaker middle relief portion of their bullpen. The Phillies are currently trading around 58 cents, but I make them closer to a 63-cent (-170) favorite, which leaves a solid edge on the number. The matchup also sets up well offensively for Philadelphia: Brayan Bello has struggled badly against left-handed hitters this season, allowing a .366 batting average and a 1.143 OPS. Even if Jovani Moran opens the game from the left side, Bello will still eventually have to face dangerous left-handed bats like Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

Neil Parker's expert pick: Cubs moneyline

Price: 46¢ (+117) at Polymarket

Atlanta righty Grant Holmes had his most recent turn in the rotation skipped after an ineffective four-start stretch that went to the tune of a 5.95 ERA while allowing a healthy 53.8% hard-hit rate, so I'm expecting the Chicago bats to pick up the tempo after being blanked in consecutive games against Texas this weekend. The Chicago Cubs also have a splash of statistical correction coming at the dish with their third-ranked .346 xwOBA well above their actual .325 wOBA over the past 12 games, and also considering Chicago has the second-highest walk rate and third-lowest strikeout percentage during that stretch.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Rangers moneyline

Price: 55¢ (-122) at Polymarket

The Texas Rangers look like the right side tonight with both starting pitchers showing extreme home/road splits and Arizona being ice-cold at the plate. Zac Gallen has been strong in Arizona but owns a 7.13 ERA on the road, while Texas starter MacKenzie Gore has been far more effective at home. Add that the D-backs have scored two runs or fewer in five of their last six games, and it’s hard to trust them tonight — especially since the Rangers' bullpen has also arguably been the best in baseball over the last month.

More MLB best bets for today

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The San Diego Padres took a happy flight from San Diego to Milwaukee after splitting a four-game series at Petco Park with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Padres would have liked to win the series, but after a poor offensive showing over the four games at home, they will take winning two of the four games. San Diego scored a total of eight runs in four games, but on a positive note the pitching only allowed 12 runs. The current lack of offensive production cannot continue for much longer. If it does, the Padres’ luck may soon run out and the come-from-behind wins may become less likely due to player fatigue from constantly being held to one hit until the seventh inning when the San Diego offense wakes up and does just enough to get by – often in the final two or three innings of the game. The Brewers are coming off a sweep of the New York Yankees and are once again fighting for the National League Central Division crown. San Diego and Milwaukee faceoff today at 4:40 p.m. for the first of three games.

Padres News:

• Everyone wants to diagnose and “fix” Fernando Tatis Jr. He does not have a home run this season but he has been able to contribute to Padres wins. The lack of power is newsworthy, but it is not like Tatis Jr. is just sitting on the bench collecting a paycheck.

• Padres players explain why playing first base is more difficult than people realize and what they do to make the transition and preparation a little easier.

• Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribunebelieves the bullpen has been the reason the Padres have been able to stockpile wins as the stars of team work through their early season struggles.

• Walker Buehler and the other starting pitchers for the Padres, not named Michael King or Randy Vasquez, have been a surprise to this point in the season, but their tightrope walk could become strained and will not be enough going forward if the offense cannot score.

Baseball News:

• The Baltimore Orioles were no-hit by the Yankees for much of their game, but a three-run home run by Coby Mayo was all they would need to get a 3-2 win.

• The Tampa Bay Rays are off to one of their best starts in team history and are leading the American League East with a record of 27-13.

• The New York Mets are looking for a spark, and they are hoping to get one from their No. 2 prospect A.J. Ewing who is being called up to make his MLB debut.

• Big nights from Willy Adames and Rafael Devers led the San Francisco Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 9-3. On a positive note for the Dodgers, Mookie Betts returned from the IL.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks scored one run in the top of the first inning and Michael Soroka dominated on the mound to lead the Diamondbacks past the Texas Rangers, 1-0.

• Kevin Gausman became the sixth active player to reach 2,000 strikeouts, but it came in an 8-5 loss to the Rays.

The Mets open a three-game series against the Tigers at Citi Field on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

• A.J. Ewing will make his big league debut. Ewing slashed .339/.447/.514 in 30 games across Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse before being promoted
• Carson Benge is hitting .300/.352/.500 with two homers and four doubles in 54 plate appearances over his last 16 games
• Freddy Peralta tossed five scoreless innings on May 6 against the Rockies in Colorado. In 43.1 innings over eight starts this season, Peralta has a 3.12 ERA and 1.20 WHIP

Today's Lineups

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How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB?

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For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.

D-Backs 1, Rangers 0

• Surprisingly, this was just the second time this season the Rangers have been shut out.
• They have been held to just one run seven times, though. So it feels like they’ve been shut out more than twice.
• On the one hand, once Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his scheduled start on Monday, one wasn’t going to be flush with optimism about the Rangers’ chances.
• On the other hand, the bullpen game worked out well for the Rangers, holding the D-Backs to just one run on six hits and two walks, one of which was intentional.
• Well, kind of intentional? Cole Winn allowed a Ketel Marte double with one out, went 3-0 on Corbin Carroll, then Carroll was put on intentionally.
• Winn seemed to be pretty clearly pitching around him, but if you throw more unintentional balls, even if they were kind of intentional, instead of intentional balls, is it really an intentional walk?
• The one run in the game came on back-to-back one out first inning doubles by Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo off of Jakob Junis, who gave the Rangers 2.2 innings as the starter.
• The Rangers have now allowed 30 runs in the first inning of games this season, and 123 runs in all the other innings combined.
• Here’s something interesting…the Rangers have allowed no unearned runs in the first three innings of games this season. They’ve allowed three unearned runs in innings 4 through 6, and six unearned runs in innings 7 through 9.
• Maybe the fielders are just getting tired as the game goes on.
• Anyway, tip of the cap to Jakob Junis, Jalen Beeks, Peyton Gray, Cole Winn and Tyler Alexander, who did very fine work.
• Too bad the offense did nothing.
• Mike Soroka shut the Rangers down for 6.1 innings. He’s a fascinating story…he had a 6.0 bWAR season for Atlanta as a 21 year old in 2019. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, behind Pete Alonso, and sixth in the Cy Young voting. Jacob deGrom finished first, and Max Scherzer finished third.
• Its still weird to think to myself, oh, yeah, Max Scherzer is a former Ranger. And not just any former Ranger…he won a ring for the Rangers!
• Anyway, three games into the 2020 season Soroka tore his Achilles tendon, which required surgery. He missed all of 2021 and 2022 due to two more Achilles tendon surgeries. He split 2023 between AAA and the majors, and wasn’t good when he was in the majors. After the 2023 season he was sent to the White Sox in that weird trade when the ChiSox took on five guys the Braves were going to non-tender in exchange for Aaron Bummer.
• Soroka wasn’t particularly good in 2024, signed with the Nationals for 2025, was underwhelming in their rotation, was traded to the Cubs at the deadline, and made one start and five relief appearances for them.
• Arizona signed Soroka to a one year, $7.5 million deal this offseason, and he’s been pretty good for them. He had one disaster outing — an 8 run, three inning start against Milwaukee — but has a 3.53 ERA and 3.19 FIP overall.
• And Soroka is still just 28 years old, which seems weird, because he’s seemingly been around forever. Someone who was getting Cy Young votes pre-pandemic shouldn’t be only 28 years old.
• Anyway, the Rangers offense did a whole bunch of nothing against Soroka for 6.1 innings. After recording 19 outs, D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo went to lefty Brandyn Garcia with Evan Carter due up next.
• We know what was going to happen next. If the Rangers are trailing and the opposition brings in a lefty to face Carter, Skip Schumaker is going to pinch hit for Carter. Schumaker went with Justin Foscue, who struck out. Andrew McCutchen then hit for Joc Pederson, and flew out.
• Look, Evan Carter can’t hit lefties. We know that. You don’t want him to face a lefty.
• But pulling him from the game with one out in the seventh, no one on base, so that Justin Foscue can hit? How much does that really increase your odds of winning?
• And then, in the eighth, the Rangers had Foscue play second base, moved Ezequiel Duran from second base to left field, and Alejandro Osuna from left field to center field, meaning that the Rangers weakened themselves defensively at three position after that move.
• The Marte double that Winn gave up was a screamer to left center that Osuna tried, and failed, to make a play on. There was some carping that Carter makes that play, but Statcast had it as a 5% catch probability, so Carter most likely doesn’t make that play. Still, the immediate reaction — my immediate reaction — when that happened was, man, I wish Carter was still in center field.
• In the eighth, Osuna led off the inning with a single, then Jake Burger hit into a fielder’s choice. Sam Haggerty pinch ran for Burger. Haggerty promptly got picked off, which is how things went on Monday for the Rangers.
• In the ninth, Brandon Nimmo and Ezequiel Duran were retired by Paul Sewald, and then Corey Seager was hit by a pitch, bringing up Josh Jung. Jung flew out to end the game. Had Jung gotten a hit other than a homer, though, you know would have been due up?
• Justin Foscue. Against a righthanded reliever.
• I’ve not been terribly impressed with Skip Schumaker as an in-game manager thusfar this season, and the late inning events from Monday kind of illustrate that. If the Rangers are trailing and a lefty reliever comes into the game, Evan Carter is being pinch hit for, because that’s what you do, even if its the seventh inning, no one is on base, you’re going to weaken yourself defensively in multiple positions as a result of the move, and it sets you up to have disadvantageous matchups later in the game.
• Josh Jung had a 110.1 mph ground out. Brandon Nimmo had a 105.0 mph fly out.
• Jakob Junis touched 93.3 mph with his fastball. Jalen Beeks reached 94.7 mph with his fastball. Peyton Gray maxed out at 92.7 mph with his fastball. Cole Winn’s fastball reached 95.9 mph. Tyler Alexander topped out at 91.9 mph with his fastball.
• Let’s see if the Rangers can score a run on Tuesday.

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The Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox can swap stories of early-season gloom when they meet at Fenway Park tonight – but only one of these teams has been able to halt the spiral.

While Boston slips further from the .500 mark, Philadelphia is looking dangerous at last, and my Phillies vs. Red Sox predictions lean towards the visitors in this clash of marquee ballclubs.

Get the lowdown on this Tuesday, May 12, matchup with my free MLB picks.

Who will win Phillies vs Red Sox today: Phillies (-138)

What a difference a few weeks can make. Just when the obituaries were being written, the Philadelphia Phillies have climbed off the mat to win 10 of their last 13 contests, and I like Bryce Harper and Co. in this spot against the Boston Red Sox.

It also helps that the Phillies are handing the ball to Zack Wheeler tonight. He’s posted a 3.18 ERA so far this year, and Philadelphia has won all three of his starts.

After an eyebrow-raising sweep of the Tigers, the Red Sox came back to earth with a weekend series loss, and they’re just 7-12 at Fenway this season.

COVERS INTEL: Despite a late start to his season, Wheeler hasn't missed a beat, ranking in the 93rd percentile in xERA, xBA, and chase percentage.

Phillies vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+101)

With the Phillies heating up at the plate, I’m taking the Over tonight. It’s 7-3 in the visitors’ past 10 outings, and they scored 22 runs in the weekend series against the Rockies. That included four homers from Kyle Schwarber, with Alec Bohm and Harper also joining the party.

Philadelphia has also finished with 9+ hits in five of its last six games, so watch for solid production here, with Boston expected to use an opener before turning things over to Brayan Bello.

The Red Sox offense is the biggest cause for pause here, but the possible return of Willson Contreras would give the lineup a boost.

Phillies vs Red Sox odds

• Moneyline: Phillies -133 | Red Sox +127
• Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+122) | Red Sox +1.5 (-127)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+108) | Under 8.5 (-113)

Phillies vs Red Sox trend

The Red Sox have lost nine of their last 12 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Red Sox.

How to watch Phillies vs Red Sox and game info

Phillies vs Red Sox latest injuries

Phillies vs Red Sox weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland writes about a rip-roaring, scintillating 1-0 loss from the Texas Rangers at The Shed last evening.

Jeff Wilson writes that Nathan Eovaldi was scratched pregame to set up last night’s humiliation ritual for the Texas lineup.

Kennedi Landy writes that, even with the bats flailing and failing, the bullpen turned in an excellent performance on short notice.

McFarland notes that while relievers Chris Martin and Robert Garcia are working their way back, Josh Smith — on the IL for a glute strain — has a new pain in his ass with wrist inflammation.

Evan Grant holds a Q&A to discuss Kumar Rocker and Kumar Rocker adjacent topics.

And, Layten Praytor of D Magazine writes about Eric Nadel turning his birthday into an annual fundraiser to benefit mental health.

Have a nice day!

This post is, I suppose, only really relevant to the subset of you that has MLB.tv and has interest in watching non-Braves games. If that’s you, how do you decide what non-Braves game to watch?

My answer is Stream Finder, which was once called Game Changer and was created by folks associated with Baseball Gauge, before it was acquired by Baseball-Reference. It kind of works less well now than it did before (not much ongoing support, if any), but the idea of being able to flip through games automatically based not only on in-game leverage, but the relevance of the teams, continues to be amazing.

If you’re not using that, what are you using? Do you just have a secondary team to watch, or do you just watch the other NL East teams and hope they lose?

The overwhelming sentiment surrounding the Orioles’ lineup right now is one of frustration—a frustration primarily aimed at young Orioles who aren’t making the grade. Gunnar Henderson is currently enduring one of the worst cold streaks of his career. Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo both can’t get above the Mendoza line and often look lost at the plate. Dylan Beavers is doing slightly better, but is still struggling to perform at a league-average level. 

All of the turmoil and despair surrounding this lineup is what makes the evolution of Samuel Basallo so thrilling. Back on April 13th, Basallo went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in an Orioles win vs. the Diamondbacks. At that point, the 21-year-old backstop was slashing .136/.240/.273 with 15 strikeouts in 44 AB’s. Since then, Big Samuel has been a big problem for opposing pitchers.

In the 21 games since, the rookie catcher is hitting .352 with hits in 13 of his last 15 games. Basallo isn’t sacrificing power to maintain a better average, either. Throughout his hot streak, the 21-year-old is slugging .592 with six doubles, three homers and his first career triple.

It’s not shocking that Basallo is producing at the major league level. You need immense talent to be a Top 10 prospect in all of baseball and make your major league debut four days after your 21st birthday. However, what is suprising is how quickly he’s made adjustments that seasoned big league hitters often struggle to make.

Basallo’s profile—a towering power hitter with a willingness to chase pitches—is often one that takes time to adjust to the big leagues. They’re the type of bats that are used to clobbering fastballs against minor league pitchers, and often can’t lay off good changeups and breaking balls or handle the higher velocities that comes from big league pitchers. Cowser has been a victim of the former pitfall, and he was supposed to have a better hit tool as a prospect than Basallo.

And that’s what Basallo was through the first 150 AB’s of his MLB career. Dating back to his debut last August, the catcher started his career hitting .157 with a near 30% strikeout rate. Sure there were the occassional fireworks—like his walk-off homer agains the Dodgers—but every time he stepped to plate, it felt like a young hitter going through real struggles for the first time in his proffesional career.

Now, Samuel Basall0 at-bats feel like hope. The changes in his approach are so evident that it not only feels like the sky is the limit for the young Dominican, but that other Orioles hitters can make similarly meaningul adjustments. Watch him hit and it becomes clear that he’s no longer trying to hit home runs on every pitch he sees. From April to May, his line-drive rate has jumped from 24.1% to 36%, while his fly ball rate has dipped from 27.6% to 20%. That increase in qualify of contact has seen his average exit velocity for the season jump to 932 mph, 16th-best in all of baseball.

The Orioles’ backstop has also become increasingly patient. His pitches per plate appearance has jumped from 3.54 throughout the first month of the season, to 3.94 since the beginning of May. His chase rate against breaking balls and off-speed pitches have all dropped significantly, from about 41% to begin the season to down to 32% the past couple weeks.

However, it’s one thing to look at his Baseball Savant page and see a bunch of graphs trending in the right direction. It’s another to see him attack a perfectly-executed back door slider and shoot it 106 mph the other way for a double. Please, watch it and then watch it again. You know you want to.

The leaps we’ve seen from Basallo has ramifications for the right now and the long term roster construction for the Orioles. Basallo’s big leap has helped this offsense stay afloat through the unexpected struggles of Henderson and the inability to get any consistent production from the bottom third of the lineup.

The rate at which he’s risen to a prominent position in the lineup also means the Orioles don’t have chase power bats as they continue to try and build a winner in Baltimore. With recent additions such as Tyler O’Neill, Taylor Ward and Peter Alsono, the O’s have made it clear how badly they wanted to add power to this batting order. With Basallo entrenching himself in the 3-4-5 part of the order, it should empower the front office to pursue players who can help raise the team’s on-base percentage instead.

It’s also not purely coincidental that Basallo’s rise has come along side the best baseball of Adley Rutschman’s career. Pairing Basallo with Rutschman allows Rutschman to assume his best role as table-setter and offensive-catalyst rather than primary run producer. It also allows the O’s to keep Rutschman well-rested without having to worry about a decline in production behind the plate. And while Basallo is not the threat to Adley’s futuer with the O’s that many assume, it still undoubtedly provides Adley a push that keeps him locked it in.

There are still players on the O’s playing at a similar level as the young catcher. Ward has exceed every expectation even while under-performing in the powere department. Rutschman and Pete Alonso are both living up to their talent levels. But this is an Orioles team that needs proof of concept that things can go wrong and turn around. Samuel Basallo is that hope.

It’s hard to overstate just how good Brandon Marsh has been so far this season. He was leading all of Major League Baseball in batting average with a .353 mark entering play on Monday. He’s hitting an absurd .519 (14-27) over his last seven games played and his four home runs on the year are already almost half of his 2025 homer total. Not all of this is a small sample either, as Marsh is hitting .317 with an .852 OPS across 518 plate appearances dating back to his return from injury on May 3rd of 2025. 

But of course, one caveat with Marsh has always been his struggles against left handed pitching. Since arriving in Philadelphia, Marsh has hit .213 with a .611 OPS against lefties. He was particularly bad against lefties last season, hitting .197 with a strikeout rate of 36.4%. He’s been better so far in 2026, hitting .286 against lefties with a .680 OPS, but it’s been in an extremely limited 31 plate appearances as the Phillies have mostly deployed Marsh as part of a platoon. 

Herein lies the problem with that so far in 2026 though. All of the right handed hitters the Phillies have played in left field this season, primarily Otto Kemp and Felix Reyes, have hit a combined .114 with a .318 OPS. Both of those marks are dead last in baseball among right handed hitting left fielders. Their 34.1% strikeout rate is second worst. It’s only been 44 plate appearances, but clearly this is a major weakness with the Phillies roster. 

The team has correctly identified that Marsh should be limited against left handed pitching, but for at least the fourth straight season, they’ve also failed to find a competent right handed platoon partner for him. Marsh is likely to start seeing more playing time as an everyday player regardless of the opposing starting pitcher, especially considering rookie Justin Crawford’s own struggles against lefties so far in his young MLB career. 

So, should Brandon Marsh start everyday for the Phillies at the moment? It’s not an ideal solution, as again Marsh has been a poor hitter against lefties. But even his poor numbers are a massive upgrade over the current alternatives.  

The White Sox had a week that could very well be described as average, as they did in fact go 3-3. A closer look of the lost series to the Angels and the series victory against the Mariners will tell you a story of midweek missed opportunity capped on either end with quite the dominant efforts.

What went wrong for the Good Guys this week?

Offensively, there were far too many runners left on base. For those of us that might need a refresher after a long weekend of celebrating the moms in our lives, runners left on base do nothing for the scoreboard.

The woes started during Monday, May 4’s win in Anaheim. José Soriano is officially scared of the South Siders after getting walloped for two starts in a row. Even though the offense would score six runs and the defense shut out the Angels, the team would only go 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and leave 12 runners on base. In a 6-0 win, you can afford to leave a few runners on base.

But leaving runners on base was a huge issue during a 4-3 loss, which is exactly what happened on Tuesday when the White Sox went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and leave 11 on base. Wednesday’s 8-2 loss was capped by seven runners left on base. In fact, with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the bases were loaded for Edgar Quero … before he grounded out to end the game.

Friday saw five runners stranded in a 12-8 loss to the Mariners. I have not taken a math class in 10 years, but if my math is correct, had the runners not been left on the base paths and they crossed home plate, those two losses become wins.

Contributing to the stranded runners problem is the sheer number of strikeouts this team is continuing to rack up. To date, White Sox hitters are striking out in 28% of the time. Only six teams are striking out at a higher rate, with the Rockies and the Angels leading the pack. The Toronto Blue Jays have almost 50 more at-bats on the season and still trail the White Sox by more than 100 strikeouts.

Strikeouts are a particular issue for one very powerful hitter on the South Side squad, none other than Munetaka Murakami. Fans love him for very good reason, but he also ranks second most among qualified players in strikeouts this season, with 60. He has 173 plate appearances on the year, which means he is striking out a little more than a third of the time he is up to bat. On the flip side of this, because there always must be a positive spin with stars, he has drawn 30 walks, which puts him in the Top 10 of qualified players so far this season. Home runs are fun, but it would be great if Mune could focus on putting the ball in play a tad more than he currently is.

Pitching also had its woes this week.

Erik Fedde’s record dropped to 0-4 after going just 4 2/3 innings in his start, giving up four earned runs along the way. All four runs came via the long ball, thanks to Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and Zach Neto. The righty’s last two starts in April had improved his ERA to the lower half of three, but after this latest effort Fedde is back over three and a half.

Noah Schultz entered Wednesday’s series finale with the Angels hoping to build off of his strong start in San Diego. Instead the 6´10´´ rookie was only able to get through 3 2/3 innings. He exited the game after wearing seven earned runs on seven hits.

Sean Burke was also coming off of his hottest outing of the season, and last Friday’s game was anticipated as a pitching duel. Instead, a total of 20 runs were scored in the game, Burke being on the losing side of things. His 4 1/3 innings resulted in six runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

One of these days, I will start with the good that happened in the week, but today is not that day. If you made it this far, congratulations. It is time to talk about the highlights of the week.

First and foremost, Soriano may be an ace against every other team in the league, but he is not one when he faces the White Sox. He earned his second consecutive loss on May 4 against the Pale Hose after going just four innings and giving up five runs. The final three runs came via back-to-back dingers by Murakami and Miguel Vargas. The fourth was with both of them on Star Wars Day.

Soriano followed up this loss with 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays on Sunday; he and his 1.74 ERA will be just fine for the rest of the season, especially knowing he’ll no longer have to face the fearsome White Sox.

It would not be a week if we did not also talk about Mune for more than a split second. A massive amount of strikeouts or not, the dude can rake. As if on cue in the top of the first inning of Friday’s opener against the Mariners, Munetaka hit his 15th of the season to get the scoring going. The Good Guys would not see the winning end of the slugfest, but one can appreciate a great start.

A player I would have never guessed I would be highlighting ever this season is Randal Girchuk, who hit two home runs this week. One of those was an inconsequential pinch-hit long ball in Friday’s loss, but his home run on Sunday tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning before Vargas’ sacrifice fly brought Drew Romo around to score the winning run.

While he had 10 strikeouts this week, Chase Meidroth improved his batting average by a whole 14 points. He is hitting .343 in May, and added a home run to the list in Tuesday’s loss. His middle infield counterpart, Colson Montgomery, is only hitting .176 in May, but he did homer in Saturday’s win, which was fun to watch in person.

I know you are sitting here wondering why I have yet to mention Vargas and his game on Saturday. Well, here I am saving the best for last. May 9 was Game Day for the Girls at the ballpark. It featured many wonderful opportunities for female fans to come out and enjoy a game and other activations. Vargas proved himself to be a girl’s girl and hit not just one but two home runs on Chicago’s road to victory. When the third baseman hit his second dinger of the night, Randy Arozarena didn’t even bother to move from his spot in left field. Vargas now has nine home runs on the year. As of May 10 Vargas, Murakami and Montgomery have more home runs (34) than six MLB teams.

Davis Martin. That is the pitching highlight of the week. The righthander continues to mow down batters and plow through tough lineups. In his rematch with Soriano on Monday, he went seven innings for a third time this season, giving up no runs on five hits, walking none and striking out a career high 10 batters.

Then on Sunday, Martin threw six innings of one run ball, giving up three hits, walking two, and striking out another nine hitters. His ERA is now a stunning 1.62. I really hope he is looking for hotel rooms for himself and his family in Philly for mid-July.

Also getting a nod this week for his pitching performance is Anthony Kay. Last week, there was much discussion about how he was emerging as the weakest link in the rotation. I am not saying he read my article, but Kay did have five strong innings on one run (zero earned), earning Saturday’s win.

The White Sox had an off day on May 11 but will be back at home for the entirety of the week. First up in continuing the homestand are the Kansas City Royals. And this weekends series brings the Chicago Cubs to the South Side for the Crosstown Classic, a matchup that might be more interesting than it has been in recent years.

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Let's go! We are back in the black for the first time this year after a +520 Julio Rodriguez jack last night. The train has left the station, and it's time to stack some home runs and MLB player props with the weather turning in our favor. 

Andy Pages has an elite matchup in a good park vs. one of the worst starters in the league with a bad bullpen. We're adding him to our slate that already included Aaron Judge and an undervalued Andrew Vaughn.

These are my favorite home run props for Tuesday, May 12. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Aaron Judge	+310
Andrew Vaughn	+610
Andy Pages	+540
💲Today's HR parlay	+14570

Home run pick: Aaron Judge (+310)

It’s one of those days where the best hitter in baseball is projecting as +EV to go deep at +240 or better. 

Aaron Judge sits right at the top of the home run prop projections at Covers today, and he’ll either face a Baltimore Orioles bullpen game or Trevor Rogers returning from the IL. Either scenario is bad news for the Orioles’ relievers, who are likely going to have to cover plenty of innings.

Only one bullpen has thrown more innings over the last two weeks than the Orioles at 56, and they also own the ninth-worst ERA during that span at 4.66. Their co-closers, Rico Garcia and Anthony Nunez, have both pitched on back-to-back days and are likely unavailable today.

Judge should also benefit from a 7-mph wind blowing out to left field, and Camden Yards still features some of the shortest dimensions in baseball down the lines.

• Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, YES

Home run pick: Andrew Vaughn (+610)

Andrew Vaughn has popped up on the projections at Covers for the first time, with a fair home run price around +480 today.

American Family Field ranks as the sixth-best home run park for right-handed hitters, and Vaughn is into his sixth game since missing most of the season, so the rust appears gone. He’s already homered, owns a .880 OPS, and his 35.3% BlastContact rate over the last 14 days ranks second in all of baseball, thanks to an absurd 47.1% SqUpContact rate.

The right-handed bat also gets to attack knuckleballs today, with San Diego Padres righty Matt Waldron on the mound. Waldron’s floater can disappear quickly, and after a strong outing last time out plus a road start here, a rough performance feels more likely than another good one for a pitcher carrying a 7.71 ERA.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Brewers.TV, Padres.TV

Home run pick: Andy Pages (+540)

Let’s head to Dodger Stadium and grab a +540 Andy Pages dinger in one of the best matchups on the board.

Adrian Houser is a Bottom-10 starter who owns the fifth-worst BlastContact%, as hitters are taking aggressive swings and squaring him up consistently. Twenty-one percent of his fly balls are leaving the yard, and his xFIP suggests the damage is sustainable.

The setting also favors home runs with winds blowing out, and Pages has the third-fastest swing on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the last two weeks behind Shohei Ohtani (+235) and Max Muncy (+340). The Giants' bullpen is also one to target for runs these days. 

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC Sports Bay Area, SportsNet LA

Today’s HR parlay

Aaron Judge	Bet Now +14570
Andrew Vaughn
Andy Pages

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Meet the Mets

The Mets are calling up A.J. Ewing, one of their top prospects.

Ewing is someone who is on everyone’s radar, and several Mets farmhands are on the horizon, writes Laura Albanese.

Beyond just promoting Ewing, Max Goodman identified four more bold moves that the club can make to save its season.

Despite a disastrous 2026 season, Joe Pantorno explained why David Stearns’ job is probably not going to be in danger any time soon.

David Lennon wrote about every bad month for the Mets feeling like an existential crisis.

Abbey Mastracco provided the good, the bad, and the ugly from the team’s 5-4 road trip.

Dan Martin sees the Mets as ‘broken’ and help likely isn’t on the way.

With trade rumors swirling amid the team’s horrid start to the season, Freddy Peralta expressed confidence in the team’s turnaround, adding ‘I love being here”.

However, a changing Mets reality puts Peralta at ‘the top of the list’ for most deadline sales.

Christian Scott’s revamped mix of pitches has led to an electric start to his 2026 campaign.

After a rocky start to his season, Devin Williams has begun settling in.

In the latest edition of “This Week In Mets”, Tim Britton implored the Mets to find their offense sooner rather than later.

With Bo Bichette as the center piece, Joel Sherman focused his latest article on the death of the big-hitting third basemen.

Chelsea Janes attempted to answer some questions around the Mets in the latest Mets Mailbag on SNY.

The Mets outrighted Eric Wagaman to Triple-A.

The Mets purchased the contract of Nick Roselli from the Long Island Ducks.

Around the National League East

The Braves activated Ha-Seong Kim and placed Eli White on the 7-day concussion list one day after his incredible, game-saving catch.

Cristopher Sánchez was named NL Player of the Week. Bobby Witt Jr. took home AL honors.

Charlotte Varnes provided some Phillies takeaways, including some bullpen updates and Kyle Schwarber’s start.

Following Justin Crawford’s first major league home run, Todd Zolecki took a trip down memory lane with the first career homer for some Phillies players.

Phillies players are excited to see Ranger Suarez, their former teammate turned rival, as they travel to Boston to face the Red Sox.

The Marlins have released Chris Paddack.

Around Major League Baseball

The Cubs surged to Number One in the latest MLB Power Rankings.

The MLB.com staff looked at one thing each club can improve in 2026.

The Dodgers activated Mookie Betts from the IL, five weeks after suffering a strained right oblique, and optioned Alex Freeland to Triple-A.

The Blue Jays made a bunch of roster moves, placing Addison Barger on the IL, recalling Yohendrick Piñango from Triple-A, selecting Yariel Rodríguez to the big league roster, and designating Eric Lauer for assignment.

The Athletics are calling up No. 5 prospect Henry Bolte, one week after recording a hit in twelve straight plate appearances.

The Yankees appear more ruthless than ever this year, despite Brian Cashman rejecting the narrative around urgency.

José Caballero of the Yankees will have an MRI on his sore right middle finger.

Scott Boras believes that Tarik Skubal will have a short rehab and could be back sooner than later.

Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start last night due to left side tightness. Texas turned to a bullpen game with Eovaldi sidelined.

19-year-old Padres prospect Humberto Cruz plead guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants and has self-deported amid this plea.

Coby Mayo’s three-run home run with one out in the seventh inning catapulted the Orioles past the Yankees by a 3-2 victory.

The Yankees lost despite Ryan Weathers carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning.

The Guardians defeated the Angels 7-2, as Travis Bazzana’s trained eye continued to aid the Guardians’ offense.

The red-hot Rays stayed…well, red-hot…with an 8-5 win over the Blue Jays. The power of friendship has helped power the Rays to one of their best 40-game starts ever. In the victory, Rays’ speedster Chandler Simpson created a run entirely with his legs.

The Mariners topped the Astros 3-1. On the evening, Julio Rodríguez answered a fan’s call with a batting practice home run, and then did the same during the game.

With the help of a surging Rafael Devers and Willy Adames, the Giants’ offense got back on track with a 9-3 over the Dodgers.

A first inning run held up in the Diamondbacks’ 1-0 victory over the Rangers, as Michael Soroka’s gem and Paul Sewald’s save gave Arizona some payback for the 2023 World Series.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Linus Lawrence provided a Monday Stat Party.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 2011, Carlos Beltran became just the seventh Met to hit three home runs in a single game, accomplishing the feat in the team’s 9-5 win over the Rockies at Coors Field.

Another week on the farm is in the books, and there’s big stories at every level.

In Scranton, a talented roster tries to steady the ship after being depleted due to big league call-ups. A powerful lineup continues to mash in Somerset, while Hudson Valley’s pitching staff continues to round into form. Down at the lower levels, multiple highly-touted pitching prospects made big returns from Tommy John surgery on the road to recovery.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 20-17, 1 GB in the International League East after a 2-3 week against the Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)

Run differential: +21

Coming up: Home vs. Syracuse Mets (Mets)

It was an uneven week in Scranton as their once-stacked roster continued to be eaten away at, partially due to the MLB team needing injury reinforcements. Spencer Jones was called up mid-week to replace Jasson Domínguez (both started the year in Scranton). Multiple relievers went up and down, Brendan Beck was needed for a few innings in the majors, and Luis Gil was lost for the next six weeks due to a shoulder issue.

Saturday’s game was rained out, but they had ample opportunity to win the series otherwise. They blew a late lead on Tuesday and played an extremely bizarre 12-inning affair on Thursday, which saw emergency catcher Edinson Duran be forced to pitch extra innings due to the roster turnover. He got through 2.1 solid innings before allowing a walk-off home run in the 12th.

With some of their heavy hitters off the roster, the focus has shifted to the likes of recently promoted top prospect George Lombard Jr. and the recently demoted Anthony Volpe. On one end, Lombard is displaying some tremendous plate discipline and hitting the ball hard, but is running into some bad luck. Volpe is struggling considerably, particularly at putting the ball in the air with some mental lapses defensively and on the bases.

Carlos Rodón started on Tuesday and had a very uneven final rehab start, allowing six runs in 6.1 innings. Veterans Dom Hamel and Adam Kloffenstein struggled, while Carlos Lagrange continued an up-and-down season by striking out eight in 4.1 innings, but allowed five runs on three dingers. Elmer Rodríguez returned to the minors to make a solid start on Sunday, as he settles back into the next-man-up role.

Yovanny Cruz took the loss on Tuesday, but continued to be effective along with Bradley Hanner in the back of the bullpen. Veterans Dylan Coleman and Rafael Montero, who both started the year on the shelf, have combined to allow just two runs in 11.2 innings with 13 strikeouts. It was only four years ago when Montero was one of the best relievers in baseball for the Astros, and he could be an option at some point.

Players of Note:

Anthony Volpe: .205/.238/.333, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 XBH, 2 SB, 43 wRC+ (42 PA)
George Lombard Jr.: 6-for-34, 12 BB, 7 K, 2 SB
Brendan Beck: 2-2, 5.11 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 1.14 WHIP, 18.7 K-BB% (37 IP)
Carlos Lagrange: 0-2, 4.76 ERA, 5.63 FIP, 1.45 WHIP, 16.4 K-BB% (28.1 IP)
Yovanny Cruz: 16 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 22 K

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 15-18, 5.5 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 3-3 week against the Reading Fightin’ Phils (Phillies)

Run differential: +26

Coming up: Home vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)

It was a so-so week down in Somerset, as every single one of their games against Reading turned into a shootout. They scored at least 11 runs in each of the first three games and scored 42 runs in the series, while allowing 33. The offense cooled down towards the end of the week, but it produces some gaudy numbers.

Marco Luciano hit enough that he earned a midweek promotion. Tyler Hardman (10-for-25, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 2B) and Garrett Martin (10-for-28, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB) continued to rake, while Jace Avina (9-for-29, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 3 BB) heated up in a big way after being in a big-time slump to start the year. Jackson Castillo missed the start of the season due to injury, but has an OPS over .900 in 15 games since being activated.

In the rotation, Trent Sellers struggled badly on Tuesday, but the rest of the rotation wasn’t terrible. Cade Smith had his second straight solid start and Xavier Rivas struck out seven in 4.1 shutout innings, while Jack Cebert and Kyle Carr had inconsistent outings, with the latter striking out a career-high eight batters despite allowing four runs.

Gerrit Cole made his latest rehab start on Sunday, and he’s getting closer and closer to being ready. Despite taking the loss, he struck out eight and built up to 77 pitches in a five-inning outing while consistently flashing 96 on the radar gun.

The bullpen was rough this week. Will Brian was off to a fantastic start to the season, but had a disastrous outing in Tuesday’s 14-12 loss. Matt Keating and Michael Arias continue to struggle to put up zeroes, but the team is getting better performances from Geoff Gilbert and Kelly Austin of late. Eric Reyzelman also continues to flash his improved command with 25 strikeouts to just four walks in 13.2 innings. I truthfully think he isn’t far from a big league mound.

Players of Note:

Tyler Hardman: .306/.384/.622, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 17 XBH, 159 wRC+
Garrett Martin: .262/.321/.557, 11 HR, 22 RBI, 6 SB, 124 wRC+
Coby Morales: .293/.381/.560, 8 HR, 26 RBI, 8 SB, 144 wRC+
Eric Reyzelman: 13.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 25 K
Cade Smith: 1-1, 4.44 ERA, 6.38 FIP, 1.39 WHIP, 16.7 K-BB% (18.2 IP)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 18-14, 2.5 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 4-2 week against the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox)

Run differential: +32

Coming up: Home vs. Frederick Keys (Orioles)

Hudson Valley got back to its winning ways this week, rebounding after two early-week losses to win three straight to end the week, allowing just six total runs in its four victories.

Outside of Kaeden Kent, the offense has still been pretty bad. Eric Genther continued to cool off as his lack of slugging continues to be more apparent, and a lot of the 2025 draftees are inconsistent (Kyle West capped off the week with a two-homer, five-RBI day on Sunday, notably). A name to keep an eye on is Josue Gonzalez, who’s now up to a 96 wRC+ with a .221 ISO. The Yankees are really trying to replenish their minor league catching depth, and he could be a big part.

The rotation was absolutely phenomenal this week after Cole’s mediocre start on Tuesday. Luis Serna struggled with command, but worked around five walks to toss five shutout innings on Wednesday. Rory Fox (5 IP, 2 R) had a solid start on Friday, and Franyer Herrera struck out seven in five shutout innings on Sunday. The real highlight of the week, though, was Sean Paul Liñan. He made by far his best start since he was acquired in the Jorbit Vivas trade, tossing six no-hit innings with seven strikeouts in the best start of his entire pro career.

Chris Veach is up to 12.2 shutout innings with 21 strikeouts, Tony Rossi has 18 strikeouts in 11.1 innings, and the trio of Tanner Bauman, Jack Sokol, and Brady Kirtner aren’t far behind in terms of jaw-dropping numbers out of the bullpen. We’re getting to a point where some of them need to be promoted just to see if this isn’t an effect of A-ball hitting.

Players of Note:

Eric Genther: .233/.407/.291, 7 RBI, 4 XBH, 108 wRC+
Core Jackson: .248/.354/.376, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 11 SB, 99 wRC+
Kaeden Kent: .333/.406/.488, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 12 XBH, 9 SB, 138 wRC+
Luis Serna: 2-0, 1.67 ERA, 2.80 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 19.0 K-BB% (27 IP)
Sean Paul Liñan: 1-3, 3.47 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 25.7 K-BB% (23.1 IP)

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 15-18, 5 GB in the Florida State League West after a 3-3 week against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins)

Run differential: -26

Coming up: Home vs. Dunedin Blue Jays (Blue Jays)

It was a much better week for the Tampa offense, as they put up at least six runs on four different occasions, but the pitching took a step back as Fort Myers secured a split with two straight wins to end the week.

The two hitters who had the best weeks were Hans Montero and Jackson Lovich, who has rebounded nicely after the first real slump of his professional career. Enmanuel Tejada continues to pace the team with a near-.400 OBP and could be in line for a promotion if Kent is pushed up to Double-A in the near future to open up a spot in the infield.

Tyler Boudreau allowed three runs in 4.1 innings to start the week on Tuesday, Mac Heuer struggled with command in an abbreviated 2.2 inning outing, Justin West struck out eight in a choppy 4.1 innings on Thursday, and both JT Etheridge and Henry Lalane struggled early in their starts over the weekend. There wasn’t much to get excited about in the rotation this week… except for one big rehab assignment.

The team’s sixth-round pick from 2022 Chase Hampton made his first start since August 10, 2024, and just his eighth since 2023. He looked great in three innings for Tampa on Friday, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts and zero walks. You could tell the organization was still high on him when he was added to the 40-man roster amidst Tommy John recovery in the offseason, so he’s a big story to watch going forward.

Players of Note:

Jackson Lovich: .277/.370/.500, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 13 XBH, 135 wRC+
JoJo Jackson: .237/.364/.351, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 7 SB, 106 wRC+
Enmanuel Tejada: .232/.392/.384, 13 XBH, 12 RBI, 12 SB, 122 wRC+
Tyler Boudreau: 18.1 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 10 BB, 24 K
Pedro Rodríguez: 9.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 15 K

FCL Yankees

Record: 5-2, 2 GB in the FCL North after a 3-2 week.

Run differential: +30

The FCL North has been an extremely funny division. So far, the FCL Blue Jays are 7-0, and the FCL Tigers are 0-7, with the FCL Phillies sitting at 2-5. Both Yankees losses are to the Blue Jays, and both Phillies wins are against the Tigers. It’s perfect balance.

The offense has been great to start the season, specifically the likes of Leni Done and Wilberson De Pena, who was acquired for Oswald Peraza from the Angels last July. Last year’s DSL darling, Richard Matic, isn’t far behind. As a note, Francisco Vilorio is currently injured.

Thatcher Hurd and Wyatt Parliament, two 2024 draftees who missed all of last season with Tommy John recovery, have made their pro debuts and look good in a limited sample. Blake Gillespie, who started the year in Tampa before being demoted, and Omar Gonzalez have 19 strikeouts in 12 innings combined.

There’s not too much to talk about yet with this team as we wait for large enough sample sizes for it to matter, but there are certainly players to watch.

Players of Note:

Wilberson De Pena: 9-for-25, HR, 8 RBI, 6 XBH, BB, SB
Leni Done: 12-for-26, HR, 11 RBI, 3 XBH, 4 BB, 4 SB
Richard Matic: 10-for-30, 3 RBI, 2 XBH, 4 BB, 4 SB
Thatcher Hurd: 7.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K
Omar Gonzalez: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

Prospect of the Week: Marco Luciano

Weekly Stats: 8-for-20, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 4 BB (w/AA & AAA)
Season Stats (Combined): .324/.408/.685, 10 HR, 23 RBI, 19 XBH, 3 SB, 177 wRC+

Luciano is not legally a Yankees prospect, but considering he’s younger than multiple people we’re keeping close eyes on across the system and has only a handful of big league experience, he counts in my book.

At one point, Luciano was one of the best prospects in the world. Signed for $2.6 million out of the D.R. by the San Francisco Giants in 2018, he was a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball for three consecutive years from 2021-23, ahead of his MLB debut in July 2023 with the Giants. But over a 41-game big league sample in two years, he slashed just .217/.286/.304 with mediocre defense at both second base and shortstop, killing his hype to the point he was DFA’d this past offseason.

After being claimed off waivers by the Pirates and spending a month there before being DFA’d again, he went through the same process with Baltimore before the Yankees gave him a shot in late January. He would get DFA’d by a fourth different team a few weeks later, but he cleared waivers this time, staying in the Yankees’ organization.

After getting a good amount of reps in spring training, he was sent down to Double-A Somerset, the lowest level he’d played at since July 2023. In this situation, you’d love a guy like him to immediately show he doesn’t belong there and that’s exactly what he did.

His stats have been ludicrous to this point, and after Max Schuemann’s promotion and Paul DeJong’s release opened space in the infield, the Yankees suddenly have him one step away from the bigs once again. We’ve seen them rehabilitate former prospects in the past and tweak something with them to get them back on teams’ radars (Blake Perkins, Brennan Davis). Could Luciano be next? That’d be great to see.