Category: Baseball

In an exclusive interview with Federal Baseball, new President of Business Operations Jason Sinnarajah talked about a wide range of issues, including the decline in attendance, beer prices and a potential stadium reboot. Sinnarajah took his new role at the beginning of the year and has his hands full. However, he is working tirelessly to regain the trust of a weary fanbase.

One thing he spoke about that struck me was when he hinted at changes to the stadium itself. I asked Sinnarajah, what do you think will be different about the ballpark experience in like 2 to 3 years once you really make your mark here? In his answer he said, “Without speaking to it too much directly because we are working with our friends in local government to make it happen, but I think the ballpark itself will go through what I would call a tuneup or a change. It is a 19 year old ballpark, and there are areas that need to be refreshed. It needs to be modernized in some areas, our premium areas need to be better, our concession experience needs to be better, our connection to Half Street and the community could be better. People are going to walk in here in a few years and see an experience they can be really proud of”.

This was a newsworthy, and somewhat surprising quote. A so-called ballpark tuneup had not been on my radar, but it is a good idea. As Sinnarajah mentioned, the ballpark is not that new anymore. It is crazy to think about, but Nationals Park is 19 years old now. That is around the time when you see some of these ballparks have a bit of a facelift.

I think Nationals Park could use some refreshing. It is not a bad ballpark, but it is known as one of the more bland stadiums. In a USA Today piece ranking stadiums, they wrote, “It’s a solid, newer stadium. It has amenities but lacks overall character”. Jason Sinnarajah is well aware of that reputation, and is looking to change it. He is still early in his tenure, but he has ambitious goals.

Another thing Sinnarajah is aware of is the Nationals reputation for having some of the most expensive beer in the league. When you go on the internet, you see graphics that list the Nats as having the most expensive beer. So, I asked him what steps the organization has made on the affordability side of things.

Sinnarajah told me that he sees those graphics when he is surfing the internet. However, he told me, “I understand there are people that think we still have beer at $15.75 only. That is not true, we launched $8.99 16 ounce cans of Budweiser and Bud light. Sometimes there are these old habits and hearsay. Like I have been saying since Spring Training, I cannot speak to what happened here before and all the challenges we have had, but what we can do is listen to our fans and hope they come to the ballpark with an open mind. Hopefully they like the experience, and if they don’t we want to hear the feedback so we can get better”.

The Nats are taking steps in the right direction, but sometimes it can take time for those positive changes to translate into results. You can see that in the attendance numbers. On average, about 4,000 fewer fans showed up to the first 16 Nats home games compared to last year. That is the biggest attendance drop in baseball. A lot of that can be attributed to rebuild fatigue, but the ballpark experience plays a role too.

I asked Sinnarajah about these attendance problems. As you would expect from someone in his position, he was well aware of the issues, telling me, “I have obviously noticed that our attendance is down compared to prior years. I go back to the core principles of what we are trying to do. We are trying to listen to our fans, make sure they are being heard, listen and take fan feedback and adjust. We are aware of the attendance, but we feel like we need to continue taking a data driven approach and listen to our fans. We have seen improvements in the Voice of the Consumer metrics, we have seen positive feedback. I hear it from fans”. 

Sinnarajah also acknowledged that the ballpark experience is not where they want it to be yet, though he pointed out it is getting a little bit better with every game. He told me that, “If we can improve every game and every homestand, then we are doing a good job. On the attendance piece, there are all sorts of factors that go into that. What we are doing is we are trying to provide as good of an experience as we can when we come in. The attendance this weekend should be large, so we are excited”. 

Clearly, this is still a work in progress. Just like Paul Toboni did when he took over the baseball side of things, Jason Sinnarajah knew he had to refresh an already existing rebuild. It will be exciting to see the baseball and business side of the team hopefully take off and find their footing at the same time. Both sides of the operation are rebuilding, and I think they have good people in place now.

Sinnarajah came to the Nats after three years with the Royals. When he was with the Royals, the team ranked second in the Voice of the Consumer metric. He helped bring Joe’s BBQ to the ballpark and helped freshen up the ballpark experience at Kauffman Stadium. Sinnarajah hopes to have a similar impact here in DC. 

Another ambitious project that Sinnarajah is trying to pull off is to bring more female fans to the stadium. That is something he did in his previous role in Kansas City that he wants to bring here. Sinnarajah told me, “I believe we need to connect with female fans, especially young ladies. When we played Miami this weekend, they had a Barbie promotion. I have seen a Hello Kitty one. Things that bring people who don’t necessarily watch baseball everyday to the ballpark and try the product. To connect with that demographic would be really cool and we are having those conversations”.

This weekend’s series against the O’s is a time where Sinnarajah and his team can prove themselves. They have several promotions, including a fun hot dog hat and an Alexander Ovechkin bobblehead. Jason Sinnarajah has a lot of big ideas, and this weekend he will show fans what he has got. Hopefully the team can do some winning because that is the biggest key to a good ballpark experience.

The six-game series for the Ohio Cup in 2026 begins tonight. Everything is on the line. Or something like that.

The Reds are 23-21 with a -14 run differential (even after just winning by 14 runs yesterday, wow!), 21st in wRC+ at 94, 13th in baserunning runs above average at 1, 17th in Defense at -7.9, 22nd in ERA at 4.65 (4.80 FIP), and 23rd in bullpen ERA at 4.61 (4.95 FIP).

The Guardians are 24-21 with a +4 run differential, 19th in wRC+ at 96, eighth in baserunning runs above average at 1.5, 15th in Defense at -6.8, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.72 (4.04 FIP), and 14th in bullpen ERA at 3.95 (3.91 FIP).

Right now, the Reds look like a bad team that has been playing over their skis (not unusual for Terry Francona teams, of course), and the Guardians look like a ballclub becoming a good team on paper. Let’s see how that plays out over the next few days.

Matchups:
Friday, 7:10PM ET: Andrew Abbott, LHP 4.47 ERA (4.38 FIP) vs. Tanner Bibee, RHP 4.17 ERA (4.39 FIP)
Saturday, 6:10PM ET: Chris Paddack, RHP 7.63 ERA (4.97 FIP) vs. Gavin Williams, RHP 3.74 ERA (3.85 FIP)
Sunday, 1:40PM ET: Brady Singer, RHP 5.79 ERA (6.18 FIP) vs. Joey Cantillo, LHP 2.98 ERA (4.12 FIP).

The Reds are led by JJ Bleday who in a limited sample size has a 224 wRC+, Elly De La Cruz with a 144 wRC+, Nathaniel Lowe at 131 wRC+, Sal Stewart at 118 wRC+ and Spencer Steer at 117 wRC+. Of course, they also have Will Benson who has an 94 wRC+ right now but for his career against his former team has a 226 wRC+ with 4 homers in 37 plate appearances. Would really appreciate our catching savants devising a plan to keep him from repeating that this weekend.

The Guardians are led by Chase DeLauter at 146 wRC+, David Fry at 133 wRC+, Daniel Schneemann at 128 wRC+, Travis Bazzana at 117 wRC+, Angel Martinez at 114 wRC+, Rhys Hoskins at 110 wRC+, Brayan Rocchio and Austin Hedges both at 108 wRC+, and Jose Ramirez at 101 wRC+. Kyle Manzardo since May 1st has a 111 wRC+, a trend that really needs to continue for the offense to thrive.

The Reds have some hitters so the Guardians really need to score some runs off some favorable pitching matchups to win this series. And keep Will Benson from exacting a horrific revenge yet again.

Team News

The Zac Gallen Situation is Getting More Dire By the Dayhttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/zac-gallen-situation-more-dire-diamondbacks

3 Diamondbacks Players Who Are On Fire This Month

https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/3-diamondbacks-players-may-rodriguez-garcia-arenado

Rockies Pose a Much Bigger Threat to Diamondbacks Than You’d Expecthttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/rockies-pose-bigger-threat-diamondbacks-expect

Other Baseball

Rays, local officials reach tentative deal for ballpark in Tampahttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48772516/rays-local-officials-reach-tentative-deal-ballpark-tampa

Tampa Bay Rays and local officials announce a tentative $2.3B deal for a new ballparkhttps://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tampa-bay-rays-local-officials-220919661.html

Mariners’ Cal Raleigh (oblique) lands on IL for first timehttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48770453/mariners-cal-raleigh-oblique-lands-il-first

Rivalry Weekend has arrived! Here are the most intriguing clashes
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-rivalry-weekend-biggest-series-2026

Previewing this year’s Rivalry Weekend matchups
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-rivalry-weekend-preview-2026

The Top 100 Prospects list has been updated, and there’s a new No. 1
https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/updated-top-100-prospects-list-may-2026?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

We have a new record for most ABS challenges in a game
https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/athletics-cardinals-set-record-for-most-abs-challenges-in-game

‘Lower the stigma’: Kwan hosts chess tourney for mental health awarenesshttps://www.mlb.com/guardians/news/steven-kwan-hosts-chess-tournament-for-mental-health-awareness

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-15

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/May_15

300 million cells die on your body every minute.

Don’t worry, though: We also make 10 to 50 trillion cells per day.

Mustache shields were a thing in the Victorian Era.

You’ve heard of post-mortem photo opps and cocaine toothache drops, but another peculiar Victorian Era thing is the mustache shield.  Patented in 1876 by Virgil A Gates, the mustache shield was designed to keep facial hair out of the way when eating and drinking.

The thumb nail grows the slowest, the middle nail the fastest, nearly 4 times faster than toenails.

Fingernails grow about 3.5 millimeters per month while toenails grow 1.6 mm on average. 

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The Houston Astros have dropped five of their last six games and been outscored 32-11 in the process.

My Rangers vs. Astros predictions expect their losing ways to continue against a Texas team that has hit very well on the road.

Let's dive deeper into my MLB picks for Friday, May 15.

Who will win Rangers vs Astros today: Rangers moneyline (-110)

Houston Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti owns a 4.64 xFIP and ranks in the 16th percentile in xERA, yet his actual ERA sits at 1.88. 

He's heading for significant regression, and the Texas Rangers are capable of forcing the issue. 

The Rangers rank Top 5 in batting average, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and hard hit rate against right-handed pitching on the road.

Jack Leiter, whose xFIP (3.57) is well below his ERA (4.85), should build on nearly five innings of shutout ball against an injury-plagued Astros offense.

COVERS INTEL: Arrighetti's ERA-FIP of -1.78 ranks dead-last among today's projected starters, a signal he is undeserving of his strong results.

Rangers vs Astros Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-105)

Leiter has allowed five hits or fewer in three of his past four starts, and is coming off his best outing of the season against the Cubs.

He's in a good spot to build on that performance vs. the Astros, who have cluster injuries on offense and rank 29th in runs scored since May 3. Even if Leiter can't give the Rangers a lot of length, their bullpen ranks first in ERA.

The Rangers are well-equipped to keep the Astros to a low number, which could mean six or seven runs are needed to go Over the total.

Rangers vs Astros odds

• Moneyline: Rangers -110 | Astros -110
• Run line: Rangers -1.5 (+150) | Astros +1.5 (-175)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

Rangers vs Astros trend

The Astros have hit their team total Under in 14 of the last 19 games (+7.7 units, 32% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Astros.

How to watch Rangers vs Astros and game info

Rangers vs Astros latest injuries

Rangers vs Astros weather

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The 2026 MLB Rivalry Weekend is here, and I’ve got a trio of NRFI/YRFI bets to kick-start the action.

My top MLB picks begin with an American League showdown between the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers on Apple TV and wrap up with a Windy City clash between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

Pick	Odds
/ NRFI	-120
/ NRFI	-120
/ NRFI	-120

Blue Jays at Tigers: NRFI (-120)

The Detroit Tigers rank 25th in wOBA over the past two weeks, and Toronto Blue Jays righty Trey Yesavage has pitched a scoreless opening frame in four of his six career starts.

So, with the wind forecasted to be blowing in at Comerica Park, Yesavage is positioned to blank the bottom half of the first inning.

Turning to Tigers righty Ty Madden, he’ll be making his first start of the season and has held the 21 right-handed hitters he’s faced this season to a .095 on-base percentage and .076 wOBA.

Not only do the Blue Jays have a righty-heavy top of the lineup, but they’re also tied for the seventh-highest percentage of games not scoring in the first inning (74.42%).

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Apple TV

Brewers at Twins: NFRI (-120)

The Milwaukee Brewers are turning to Chad Patrick to start Friday, and he’s pitched a scoreless opening frame in four of five starts while holding opposing hitters to a .599 OPS.

Minnesota Twins righty Joe Ryan has also tossed three consecutive scoreless opening innings to improve to 7-2 this season while holding opposing bats to a similar .587 OPS. 

Additionally, Milwaukee and Minnesota rank 21st and 20th, respectively, in the percentage of games in which they’ve scored a run in the first inning.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MNNT, BREW

Cubs at White Sox: NRFI (-120)

The wind is forecasted to be blowing in at Rate Field, and Chicago Cubs righty Edward Cabrera has spun eight consecutive scoreless opening innings while allowing just four hits to start 2026.

So, with the Cubs also tied for the third-lowest percentage of games scoring in the first, I expect Chicago White Sox righty Sean Burke to blank the opening frame for a sixth consecutive game.

After all, Burke has only allowed four first-inning baserunners since his season debut.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CHSN, MARQ

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It’s time for the Freeway Series as the Los Angeles Dodgers begin a battle with the Los Angeles Angels tonight. 

The Angels are reeling, dropping five of their last six games, while the Dodgers have won two straight to snap a cold stretch of their own.

I’m backing Blake Snell and the Boys in Blue with my Dodgers vs. Angels predictions and MLB picks for Friday, May 15.

Who will win Dodgers vs Angels today: Dodgers -1.5 (-134)

Blake Snell is a dominant force when healthy, so don’t fret over his 2026 debut in which he was quite unfortunate (.545 BABIP, 37.5% left-on-base percentage).

The two-time Cy Young winner’s stuff looked elite, as his 119 Stuff+ would rank second among starters. Expect him to overpower an ice-cold Los Angeles Angels lineup that has a 78 wRC+ in May. 

Jack Kochanowicz’s 4.99 xERA calls for immediate regression to his 3.97 ERA, and his 3.5% K-BB% simply won’t cut it against a strong lineup.

COVERS INTEL: Kochanowicz has a 10th percentile chase rate, and he won’t succeed in fooling a disciplined Dodgers lineup with the sixth-lowest chase rate.

Dodgers vs Angels Over/Under pick: Under 9 (-108)

This is a high number in a game where two teams are trending toward the Under. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers have cashed the Under in 10 of their last 15 games on the road, and send out Snell, who has held an ERA of 2.35 or lower in two of the last three seasons.

Meanwhile, the Angels have played to the Under in 11 of their last 14 games. The offense has gone dry, plating two runs or fewer in five of their last six contests. 

Their bullpen ranks 12th in SIERA in May after a rough start to the year, while the Dodgers have a 2.45 FIP in relief. 

Dodgers vs Angels odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -230 | Angels +190
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 | Angels +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 9 | Under 9

Dodgers vs Angels trend

The Angels are 0-5 in Jack Kochanowicz’s last five starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Angels.

How to watch Dodgers vs Angels and game info

Dodgers vs Angels latest injuries

Dodgers vs Angels 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.

The Cubs might have looked worse in this series than they have in any series since the one at Cleveland in early April. There were series losses to the Pirates (cumulative score 12-10 Pirates advantage), the Dodgers (22-10) and Rangers (10-7) in the interim. So maybe that Dodgers one was worse than the Cleveland series (10-7 Guardians). So if we say the two series where they have looked worst were the Dodgers (back-to-back championships) and the Braves (best record in baseball so far this year), those two series don’t look particularly embarrassing.

You certainly hate to lose four in a row. I don’t really follow other teams, so I can’t say how representative historical Cub results are, but I’m guessing somewhat typical. As we saw yesterday, every Cub team going back to at least 2003 had at least one losing streak of four or more games. Excepting those 2003 Cubs, every other team had at least a five-game losing streak. These things can and do happen. The losses to the Rangers feel pretty lousy, though one of them was a superstar effort out of Jacob deGrom who has done that throughout his career when healthy.

I’m not losing any sleep at all over this stretch. I don’t think it’s likely to even be a footnote in my memory of this season. Instead, I’m dreaming on the two Ben Brown starts that have bookended the four losses. His first two starts of the year have come on the road. He’s thrown eight innings, allowed two hits, one walk and no runs. He has a 1.60 ERA on the season. IF he can build on this, that potentially fills an enormous hole on this team. Moving him to the rotation has weakened a bullpen that was the already the weakness of this team. But, at the end of the day, I’m going to prioritize better starting over better relief every single time.

The Cub bats were still pretty well stifled in this game. But six hits and three walks were just enough for them to put two runs on the board and combined with a strong outing from the pitching staff, that was enough to salvage a win heading back to Chicago. Coupling a “road” series on the South Side with two home series and a day off means the team will now get 10 nights in their own beds. The early Fangraphs projections favor the Cubs in seven of these nine games. I like to think the team can grab six over this stretch. If they can grab two from each series, they would be 34-19 heading to Pittsburgh for the holiday. I’ll take it.

Three Positives:

• Ian Happ had a homer, single, walk and scored both runs.
• Ben Brown threw four scoreless on one hit and one walk. He struck out seven.
• Daniel Palencia had maybe his best outing of the year, despite allowing a single. He struck out two in picking up his second save.

Hat tip to Phil Maton who bounced back with an inning that matched Palencia’s and Hoby Milner who faced seven, retiring six.

Game 44, May 14: Cubs 2, Braves 0 (28-16)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Ben Brown (.215). 4 IP, 15 BF, H, BB, 0 ER, 7 K
• Hero: Ian Happ (.215). 2-3, HR, BB, RBI, 2 R
• Sidekick: Hoby Milner (.155). 2 IP, 7 BF, H, K (W 1-0)

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.104). 1-4
• Goat: Dansby Swanson (-.097). 0-4
• Kid: Matt Shaw (-.094). 0-4, RBI, SB

WPA Play of the Game: Seiya Suzuki batted with a runner on first and no outs, the game scoreless in the sixth inning. He hit a ground ball and Ha-Seong Kim had a throwing error allowing Happ to end up on third. (.132)

Braves Play of the Game: With runners on first and third and one out in the fourth, Chris Sale struck out Seiya Suzuki. (.065)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 43 Winner: Shōta Imanaga received 149 of 151 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Michael Busch/Shōta Imanaga +13
• Michael Conforto +12
• Ian Happ +7
• Ben Brown +6
• Caleb Thielbar -6
• Phil Maton -7
• Dansby Swanson/Matt Shaw -11
• Seiya Suzuki -17

Current Win Pace: 103.1 wins

Up Next: On to Chicago to face the White Sox on the South Side. The White Sox also won Thursday, moving to 22-21. This is the latest the White Sox have been over .500 in a while now. They’ve won five straight to get here. They are 12-9 at home. They would have the second Wild Card spot if the season ended right now. They are one game ahead of the Mariners and Rangers for that last spot. Only one team in the whole AL is more than five games back of that spot and that is the Angels at only 5.5 back.

Edward Cabrera (3-1, 3.88, 46.1 IP) makes his ninth start as a Cub. He’ll be looking to bounce back from his worst start of the year, allowing five earned runs in five innings of work. He’s been better at home and during the day so far this year, so that’s something to keep an eye on. The White Sox offense has been pesky, sitting ninth in OPS.

26-year-old Sean Burke (2-3, 3.68, 44 IP) makes his ninth appearance and seventh start of the year. Last time out, he was a loser after allowing six runs on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings against the Mariners in Chicago. Burke was the 94th overall pick, the third round pick of the White Sox in the 2021 draft. Burke also has pitched better on the road and during the day. So neither of these pitchers is throwing in their sweet spot.

I like Cabrera to bounce back and the Cubs to win their second straight.

Go Cubs!

Monday afternoon, Baseball America published their Mock Draft 3.0, featuring the latest intel and scouting reports for each team. The Tigers, who will pick 22nd this year, were linked to high school outfielder Trevor Condon in the first round. Condon hails from the state of Georgia and is a well known player in this high school class among draft analysts. 

With three drafts under their belt, Scott Harris and his scouting team have developed something of a reputation for falling in love with athletic, up the middle defenders with strong contact skills, and high school pitchers with promising traits and plenty of projection. The selection of Condon would fit right into that mold. A center fielder with plus speed and a portfolio of well-balanced skills, he’s a name that I’ve had speculatively circled for about a month now.

Condon is on the small side — he measures at just 5-foot-9, 175 pounds and doesn’t have a ton of present power as a result — and evaluators note that he has something of an unorthodox swing. Despite that, Baseball America calls him “one of the most popular” players in the second tier of high school draft prospects thanks to a strong spring showing and good track record. It’s difficult to read too much into high school stats, but he’s been racking up extra base hits like it’s going out of style. More importantly, he makes consistent left-handed contact and shoots the ball to all fields, tempting scouts to dream of a future leadoff type hitter. 

Contributing to the rise in his draft stock is the physicality he’s begun to demonstrate over the past six months. According to a December article from Prep Baseball Report, his arm strength is already above average, as he’s been clocked at 95 mph from the outfield. He’s also upped his max recorded exit velocity from sub-100 mph to 106.2. That’s pretty good from a teenager who wasn’t viewed as much a future power hitter until recently.

The Tigers evidently have quite a bit of faith in their ability to help underpowered players get the best of their physicality and tap into unforeseen power projections. They gambled big on Jordan Yost last year and have already been rewarded this year with tangible power gains. They picked up local product Zach MacDonald in the 15th round, and while he has significant flaws, we have seen him quickly blossom into a slugging center fielder. And lest we forget, none of the public-facing prospect outlets saw Kevin McGonigle as a power hitter on draft day 2023, but he graduated with plus grades on his power to go with his elite hit tool.

The Baseball America blurb concluded by saying that their sources have linked Detroit to an abundance of high school hitters. This shouldn’t come as a surprise based on their preferences over the last few years, and, if true, could help us get a read on who they may be interested in taking with their first pick. There aren’t a ton of high school hitters in the range where Detroit’s pick lays, so we can zoom in on Condon as a probable option.

Other potential selections include a pair of shortstops in Tyler Spangler, a big bodied player with a decent bat, and Aiden Ruiz, whose slick fielding is offset by questions about his offense. Two-way player Jared Gridlinger is ranked more lowly by MLB Pipeline, but is reported to be popular among MLB teams for his excellent traits and projectable pitch mix. Outfielder Blake Bowen seems less likely, as he doesn’t fit the sweet-swinging mold that the Tigers seem to prefer, but he has every physical tool in spades and will almost certainly entice some team to draft him highly if he can be bought out of his commitment to Oregon State.

The Cleveland Guardians had a day off at home yesterday and now they will play a weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds, led by Tito Francona and former Guardian Will Benson. Because we all know he is going to make our lives miserable soon.

The Reds beat the Nationals 15-1 yesterday. Hopefully, that was them getting all of their run-scoring out of the way before this weekend.

Jeff M. and I talked about the Guardians on the Disgusting Baseball Podcast last night. Check it out here.

Rumors swirl that Peyton Pallette’s partner is about to have a baby any second, so I wonder if Franco Aleman gets the paternity leave recall tonight.

Connor Brogdon made it through waivers and is in Columbus again.

AROUND MLB:

The White Sox beat the Royals, the Tigers got swept by the Mets, and the Twins destroyed the Marlins.

The Columbus Clippers game against St. Paul was postponed.

Akron RubberDucks 3, Chesapeake Baysox 2

RubberDucks improve to 20-16

Nick Mitchell was an on-base machine, going 1-for-2 with three walks and two stolen bases, yet he somehow didn’t score any of Akron’s three runs.

Ralphy Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a walk and Guy Lipscomb went 1-for-3 with a walk. Alex Mooney and Conor Barstad both doubled.

Starting pitcher Justin Campbell still has the baby gloves on, but he didn’t allow a hit or a run in his 2.2 innings of work while striking out three and walking three.

Carter Rustad followed with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief and Magnus Ellerts and Jack Jasiak both allowed a run in their inning-plus of work each. Jack Carey picked up the easiest win of his life, striking out the only batter he faced.

Lake County Captains 4, Dayton Dragons 8

Captains fall to 17-18

Aaron Walton stayed consistent, going 1-for-3 with a walk while Ryan Cesarini and Luke Hill both walked twice, with Cesarini also stealing a base.

Esteban Gonzalez accounted for almost all of Lake County’s offense, blasting a two-run home run while Jeffrey Mercedes went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Starting pitcher Braylon Doughty pitched well, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 4.2 innings. Cam Walty came in and got tattooed for five runs in his 2.1 innings pitched to take the loss.

Hill City Howlers 3, Wilson Warbirds 7

Howlers fall to 20-16

Cannon Peebles had a strong game, going 2-for-4 with a home run and Dauri Fernandez followed suit, going 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.

Robert Arias continued to do Robert Arias things, going 2-for-4 with a double while catcher Victor Izturis went 1-for-2 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Joey Oakie had a rough day at the office, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 3.1 innings pitched to take the loss. His ERA on the season has risen to 5.09.

ACL Guardians 5, ACL Dodgers 1

Guardians improve to 6-3

The ACL Guardians used their patience, scoring five runs despite just three hits because they walked a whopping 13 times.

Catcher Gustavo Baptista had the best game, going perfect at the plate, 1-for-1 with a triple, a hit by pitch, two walks and a stolen base.

Ricardo Romero also continued his hot stretch, going 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit by pitch and two stolen bases.

A rehabbing Welbyn Francisca walked twice while Randy Martinez walked twice and stole three bases and Carlos Garces went 1-for-2 with two walks.

Starting pitcher Edelvis Perez was sensational, tossing 4.0 shutout innings with seven strikeouts, one hit allowed and one walk. The bullpen allowed one run the rest of the way to preserve the victory.

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The Chicago White Sox are playing their best ball heading into a series with their crosstown rivals, winning five in a row by an aggregate score of 26-14.

My Cubs vs. White Sox predictions expect the home team to give the Cubs all they can handle in Game 1.

Let's take a closer look at my MLB picks for Friday, May 15.

Who will win Cubs vs White Sox today: White Sox +1.5 (-135)

All arrows are pointing upwards for the Chicago White Sox, who have won five consecutive games and posted strong indicators in May.

The White Sox rank fourth in wOBA, second in ISO, and second in hard hit rate against right-handed pitching this month – ahead of their North Side counterparts in each category.

Pitching has also been a strength. Sean Burke will be backed by a bullpen that owns a clean 1.00 WHIP and sits seventh in xFIP in May.

With everything coming together, it's easy to see how the ChiSox have covered +1.5 in 14 of 16. Expect that trend to continue.

COVERS INTEL:The White Sox lead the league in HR/FB against righties in May.

Cubs vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-115)

Burke has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his past six starts. He's walking few batters and limiting hard contact, which is a good recipe for success. 

With a strong, in-form bullpen backing him up, the White Sox should limit a Chicago Cubs offense that has scored five runs over the past five games.

Edward Cabrera is sporting a 33.1 FB% this season. His ability to keep the ball on the ground equips him to slow down a White Sox team that sits fifth in homers and is more reliant on the longball than stringing together hits.

Cubs vs White Sox odds

• Moneyline: Cubs -145 | White Sox +125
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+115) | White Sox +1.5 (-135)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-115)

Cubs vs White Sox trend

The Cubs have hit the Under in six straight games. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. White Sox.

How to watch Cubs vs White Sox and game info

Cubs vs White Sox latest injuries

Cubs vs White Sox weather

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If you’re visiting Over the Monster this morning, it’s because you care about the Boston Red Sox. Every day, most of us read, write, and talk about a baseball team that is, at the very least, background noise for our summers. Whether at the game, on the television, or on the radio, the Red Sox are the soundtrack to my life. Shoutout, Kid Cudi.

I went to Fenway Park last night (not a humble brag), and I had serious concerns upon leaving. Not just about the team, but about what it sounded like in the stadium. We all know that opposing fans have been slowly increasing their presence at Fenway in recent years, but it’s not even summer vacation season yet and it’s getting ugly.

When Kyle Schwarber hit his nightly home run, it genuinely sounded like a home game for the Phillies. I had a perfect view from behind the Phillies’ on-deck circle, seats that were certainly not the ones that I paid for, as it was plenty easy to move up thanks to the weather and the product on the field these days. As an Always Sunny episode unfolded around me, there was very little that Red Sox fans in attendance could yell back. I wasn’t even mad about the home run, as Schwarber is my favorite non-Red Sox player, and he should still be playing in Boston in my opinion. Dave Dombrowski should also still be the GM of this team. And there should be star power still residing on the Boston bench, as it did on the other side of the infield this week.

Unfortunately, we’re stuck with this team. As someone with very few hobbies, I want to be at the ballfield all summer. It’s just a matter of whether it’s this ballfield. Even when the team is ordinary, Fenway is usually a sellout during the summer months, but this year just feels different. People are pissed.

So, do you want to go to Fenway Park this summer? Will you go less often than you usually do? Talk about this or whatever else you want in thus space and, as always, be good to each other.

After losing five of six on their road trip so far, the Yankees are set to come back to New York this weekend, albeit to Queens for the Subway Series against the Mets. However before they do that, the Yankees got Thursday off as they try to lick their wounds and get back on track.

While they might’ve had an idle day, there was other action around baseball that impacted the Yankees and their position in the standings. Let’s look back on Thursday’s action in the Rivalry Roundup.

New York Mets (18-25) 9, Detroit Tigers (19-25) 4

The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, but after that, it was almost all Mets, as they eventually pulled away from Detroit in the finale of that series.

Facing the Mets’ Nolan McLean, the Tigers struck very quickly. Gage Workman took McLean deep for a three-run homer, giving Detroit a decent lead with only one out on the board. However, those would be the only runs McLean allowed, and the Mets’ offense eventually got going themselves.

Detroit’s Keider Montero worked around a couple runners in the opening two innings, before allowing rookie A.J. Ewing’s first career homer in the third. Then, a Brent Baty two-run homer tied the game the following inning, and one from Mark Vientos helped the Mets to a three-spot in the fifth. In total, the Mets would score eight unanswered runs off Montero and the Tigers’ bullpen. Detroit got one run back in the eighth, but that was answered back as the Mets sealed the win. The victory actually gave the Mets their first series sweep of 2026. Congrats?

Seattle Mariners (22-23) 8, Houston Astros (17-28) 3

Meanwhile in Houston, the Mariners also jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, but they never let up, downing the Astros.

Despite missing Cal Raleigh, who was placed on the injured list prior to the game, Seattle’s offense jumped on Houston quickly. With Brendan Donovan and Randy Arozarena on after a double and a walk respectively, Luke Raley took Astros’ starter Mike Burrows deep to give the M’s the early edge.

While the next run of the game came via a Yordan Alvarez home run (his 14th), the Mariners then bounced back and put the pressure back on Houston. Mitch Garver, playing in place of Raleigh, did his part, adding a two-run shot in the fourth, while Cole Young added a two-RBI double in the sixth.

Seattle starter Luis Castillo was okay but not excellent, allowing three runs in 5.2 innings, but his offense did more than enough. The M’s finished the day with eight runs on 11 hits, which was plenty good enough for the victory. The Astros have the second-worst record in baseball, leading only the Angels.

Philadelphia Phillies (21-23) 3, Boston Red Sox (18-25) 1

Facing his former Phillies teammates for the first time since signing with the Red Sox, Ranger Suarez struck out eight and didn’t allow a run. Unfortunately for him, old friend Jesus Luzardo didn’t give anything up for the Phils, and they eventually won the battle of the bullpens to take the game.

Neither team managed a run until the eighth inning. For Boston, Suarez went 5.1 frames, allowing just four hits and a walk, with Justin Slaten and Garrett Whitlock following him with a couple zeroes. Over on the other side, Luzardo went six innings, also giving up no runs on four hits and a walk. That left the game still poised going into the eighth, where the Phillies took control.

Boston’s Tyler Samaniego has had a pretty good season out of the ‘pen for them so far, but he allowed a single to Trea Turner and a home run to Kyle Schwarber, breaking the deadlock. Philadelphia added another run later in the inning after the won a challenge on a play at first that otherwise would’ve ended the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Red Sox got one run back with Wilyer Abreu hitting an RBI single. However, Boston ended up leaving two runners on base in that inning, and that ended up being their best chance at coming back.

Jerry Mumphrey spent 15 seasons patrolling various outfields across the majors, including a stop with the Astros in the 80’s which saw him earn his first and only All-Star selection.  The pride of Tyler, Texas joins us today for our 15th installment of our continuing Legends Series.

Q:  So many great athletes have come through Tyler, Texas; you, Earl Campbell, Patrick Mahomes, Johnny Manziel among others.  What’s with Tyler, Texas?  Is there something in the water out there?  

A:  (laughs)  You know Tyler has put out a lot of good athletes throughout the years.  Most of those guys are football guys but I was able to make it professionally too.  It’s a special place.

Q:  On August 10th, 1983, you were dealt to Houston and made an immediate impact.   What was it like going from the Yankees and playing for Billy Martin, to the Astros and being managed by Bob Lillis?  That had to have been night and day.

A:  It was one extreme to the other.  That was a good trade for me.  I got to play for my home team and playing in the Astrodome was special.  It really worked out well for me.   

Q:  It really did and in 1984, you made the All-Star Team.  How special was that?

A:  That was always one of my goals in baseball.  The other was to win the World Series.  

To make the All-Star was a happy experience for me.  Unfortunately, I only got into the game as a pinch hitter and I struck out, but at least we won the game.   

Q:  Toughest pitcher you faced in your career?

A:  There were a lot of tough guys.  Nolan Ryan, even Fernando Valenzuela, heck even when Don Sutton was with the A’s, he was still good at his craft.  They all had different stuff and styles but were all tough.    

Q:  Favorite opposing ballpark/city?

A:  I loved playing in all of them, but you know this might surprise you, but I always hit really good in Philadelphia.  I don’t know why, but playing at the old Vet, I had some big games there and that would be on the top of my list.  

Fresh off a series win against the Tigers, the New York Mets (18-25) welcome the crosstown rival New York Yankees (27-17) to Citi Field for a Subway Series showdown. The two teams split their six games last year, with the road team taking two out of three in each instance. The Mets are 69-83 all-time in regular season play against the Yankees.

The Mets won their third series in four tries by sweeping the Tigers at Citi Field. They accomplished this feat by coming back to win each game, 10-2 on Tuesday, 3-2 on Wednesday, and 9-4 on Thursday. New York got a spark on Tuesday thanks to the promotion of top prospect A.J. Ewing, who had an incredibly fun debut with a triple, three walks, two runs batted in, and a stolen bases. After falling behind 2-0, the Mets poured it on, taking advantage of a ton of mistakes by the hapless Detroit defense, which bailed the Mets out with a few key errors and misplays that resulted in runs.

The offense returned to its lifeless state on Wednesday night, and trailed 2-0 from the first thanks to a Carson Benge misplay in right. The Mets finally evened things up in the seventh on a Bo Bichette run-scoring hit. Benge made up for his earlier mistake by driving Ewing home in the tenth to give the Mets a walk-off win and give Benge the first walk-off hit of his career.

The Mets completed the sweep with another comeback after falling in a 3-0 hole. After surrendering a three-run homer in the first, Nolan McLean settled down to give the Mets another solid start, and the bats, led by the young Mets, mounted the comeback. New York used the long ball to their advantage, as Ewing hit the first home run of his career, and Brett Baty tied it up with a two-run shot. After Juan Soto gave the Mets the lead with a run-scoring hit in the fifth, Mark Vientos provided some insurance with a two-run home run, and the Mets cruised from there. Detroit came in as the worst road team in all of baseball and left with an eight-game losing skid.

Despite the very impressive performance, the Mets have found themselves enduring even more injuries. For a team that has a small army on the injured list already, they learned they would be without Francisco Alvarez for about eight weeks after he tore his meniscus on a swing and had to undergo surgery. On top of that, Francisco Lindor is no closer to returning after the latest update, and Kodai Senga, despite throwing a bullpen, still seems quite a ways away from a return. On the bright side, Soto remained in the lineup after fouling a ball off his foot. Additionally, A.J. Minter continues to rehab, while Jared Young is slated to begin his own rehab assignment fairly soon.

The Mets are catching the Yankees at a bit of an opportune time. The Bronx Bombers began May on a five-gave winning streak but have hit a rough patch as of late, losing six of eight since then to fall into second place int he American League East. They also lost ace Max Fried to an injury this week, though it’s unclear if he’ll miss time as he recovers from elbow soreness.

It should surprise no one that the Yankees are led on offense by three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, who leads the sport with 16 home runs. He got off to a bit of a slow start this year—slow by his standards—but he has come roaring back. The defending AL batting champion is hitting .268/.404/.618 (1.022 OPS) on the year with an AL-best 36 runs scored. His OPS currently ranks third in baseball, while his 179 wRC+ is tied with Yordan Alvarez for second. What may be a bit more surprising is who he trails—teammate Ben Rice, who has had an incredible start to his third season with the Yankees. On top of OPS and wRC+, he leads the AL in slugging as he enters play with a .303/.413/.667 slash line—all well above his career norms to date. He is also half-way to the 26 home runs he hit last year, entering play tonight with 13. That gives the Yankees a fearsome power duo in the middle of their lineup, though the rest of the lineup has not quite been able to match their prowess.

The Yankees rotation, more than anything has put them in the position they are today. As they await the return of Gerrit Cole, the rest of the rotation has been spectacular, posting a 3.14 ERA, which is good for third in baseball and second in the Al. Their 3.30 FIP, meanwhile, is best in the sport. They have also been better than any club at limiting home runs, as their rotation sports an MLB-best 0.75 HR/9. The bullpen has also been good, albeit not quite as good, with a 3.34 ERA and a 3.71 FIP, both top-1o in MLB.

Friday, May 15: Clay Holmes vs. Cam Schlittler, 7:15 PM EDT on Apple TV

Holmes (2026): 48.1 IP, 37 K, 16 BB, 3 HR, 1.86 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 48 ERA-

Holmes pitched well enough to win, but by his standards as he had one of his weakest starts of the as he battled through 5 2/3 innings while throwing a season-high 103 pitches. He endured a lot of high pitch count at-bats, which prevented him from completing six innings for the first time since his April 15 start against the Dodgers. Still, his final line was solid: two earned runs allowed on five hits, with six strikeouts and two walks. He saw his ERA tick up a bit from 1.69 to 1.86, but he still finds himself seventh in MLB and third in the NL in starter ERA.

Schlittler (2026): 53.1 IP, 59 K, 9 BB, 1 HR, 1.35 ERA, 1.64 FIP, 33 ERA-

Schlittler has established himself as an early AL Cy Young favorite with his incredible performance. He leads all AL starters in ERA and all MLB starters in FIP, and also has the best bWAR (2.5) among starting pitchers. He doesn’t walk a lot of batters, doesn’t surrender many homers, and strikes out a bunch of hitters, so he’s an all-around tough pitcher to face. His last performance was a prime example, as he shut out the Brewers over six innings of two-hit ball while striking out six and not issuing a single walk. Over his past five starts, he’s allowed just four runs (two earned) in 31 2/3 innings.

Saturday, May 16: TBD vs. Carlos Rodón, 7:15 PM EDT on FOX

TBD

The Mets have not announced their plans for Saturday’s game, but it’ll likely be another David Peterson bulk day with an opener. This has worked fairly well for Peterson, as he’s allowed five runs (two earned) on seven hits over his last nine innings as a bulk guy. More importantly, he hasn’t walked a batter in either start.

Rodón (2026): 4.1 IP, 4 K, 5 BB, 0 HR, 6.23 ERA, 5.41 FIP, 152 ERA-

Rodón made his first start of the season after recovering from elbow surgery. The left-hander, who finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting last year, was not sharp in his returning walking five over 4 1/3 innings. He allowed three earned runs on just two hits and settled for a no decision.

Sunday, April 26: Freddy Peralta vs. Ryan Weathers, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY

Peralta (2026): 49.1 IP, 50 K, 19 BB, 5 HR, 3.10 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 79 ERA-

Peralta navigated an early deficit in his last start against the Tigers and ended up completing six innings of work for the third time this season. He allowed just the two runs on seven hits, while striking out seven and walking one. As a result, he earned his third win as a Met and his second in as many starts. He will look to continue building on that positive momentum after struggling to go deep into starts in the early part of the year.

Weathers (2026): 45.0 IP, 54 K, 13 BB, 6 HR, 3.00 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 73 ERA-

Weathers spent the last three years with the Marlins before heading over to New York in a big offseason trade. He’s had a solid first few weeks with the Yankees and has been especially scintillating in his last four starts, where he’s posted a 1.88 ERA and a 2.77 FIP in 24 innings pitched. His last time out, he carried a no-hitter into the seventh and left with the lead, but ended up settling for a no decision as the Yankees’ bullpen surrendered the lead in the seventh.