SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 22: Matt Brash #47 of the Seattle Mariners delivers a pitch during the seventh inning against the Athletics at T-Mobile Park on April 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning everyone and happy Saturday!
The Mariners opened up the weekend with a sleepy 2-0 loss to the Padres last night, though it was great to see Emerson Hancock continue his strong start to the season.
Speaking of, we finally got a resolution to the six-man rotation situation yesterday:
Do you endorse this decision by the club? What would you have done?
In Mariners news…
Kate provided a flurry of updates on currently-injured Mariners. Make sure to follow Lookout Landing on BlueSky to get these alerts in real-time!
In the latest episode of the Meet at the Mitt podcast, the squad worked through the M’s options for navigating Cal’s injury (Spotify link; Apple link)
After a slow start to the season, Rainiers outfielder Brennen Davis is heating up. Ryan Divish at The Seattle Times has the latest on the post-hype breakout candidate.
The Mason Peters experience continues to roll in Single-A. It shouldn’t be long before he’s making starts in Everett.
Mason Peters is good. Final line: 4IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 4K, 12 whiffs, 6 groundouts, 61-37. Lowers ERA at 1.93. pic.twitter.com/l6pHQj4cjk
In Kansas City, Hawaiian Bros agreed to a promotion with the Royals in which they’d give a free lunch to every fan each time the club scored six or more runs during a home game. Well, the Royals did just that eight times in their first 17 home games, so the company had to adjust the promotion to prevent going out of business.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 15: Yandy Díaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field on May 15, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After dropping five of six, the Yankees got back on track yesterday with a strong showing against the Mets at Citi Field. Cam Schlittler outdueled Clay Holmes, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Spencer Jones had timely hits, and Ben Rice’s solo shot off Craig Kimbrel was the icing on the cake in a 5-2 win. It did stink to hear in the postgame that Jones fractured Holmes’ fibula on a line drive though. Holmes is a great dude who has defied the odds by turning back into a good starter. Call this one of the morse somber citations of “That’s baseball, Suzyn.”
Here’s what else was going on around the American League’s best on Friday night.
Tampa Bay Rays (29-14) 7, Miami Marlins (20-25) 2
The Rays are on some kind of heater right now. On the morning of April 22nd, they were 12-11 after clinching a series loss to the Reds. Since then, they’ve now won 17 of their last 20, zooming to the front of the American League in a season when they weren’t really expected to compete. The bottom still might fall out to some degree, but these wins are banked and they keep on coming.
Remember when Janson Junk inexplicably shut out the Dodgers in a six-inning effort in LA a few weeks ago? That was fun. Anyway, the long-ago Yankees prospect got smoked by the Rays last night, with a Yandy Díaz two-run shot in the first setting the tone. They plated two more in the second and then another pair in the fourth on Taylor Walls’ double.
Southpaw Ian Seymour was the opener for Tampa Bay and was fine through two with a Connor Norby solo shot the lone real blemish on his line. Jesse Scholtens took over after that, and the righty evidently decided that this was a good strategy for him as well. During his five innings of work, he allowed a few hits but likewise held them to a Jakob Marsee homer with no one on base.
The Rays quickly atoned for that anyway, as the struggling Cedric Mullins muscled up a long ball to mark their seventh run against Junk. Casey Legumina finished off the Fish with two perfect frames. Tampa Bay has won 11 in a row at Tropicana Field.
Toronto Blue Jays (19-25) 2, Detroit Tigers (20-25) 3
You know, this once could’ve been a Trey Yesavage vs. Tarik Skubal matchup had the Tigers’ ace not gone down with an injury earlier in the month. Instead, the Tigers had an opener with Ty Madden expected to cover the bulk of the action in Skubal’s place. But not even Skubal’s effective replacement was safe — Madden left the ballgame after recording only one out in the third, as he got drilled by a comebacker from Yohendrick Piñango.
That scare aside, Detroit’s Johnny Wholestaff strategy worked out, exactly matching Yesavage’s effort of six innings with four hits and two runs allowed. Although Toronto’s tallies came on a two-run double by Andrés Giménez in the second, the Tigers’ bullpen kept them at bay from there. That gave their offense some leeway to eventually knot it up at 2-2 off Yesavage thanks to bases-loaded wild pitch to score Kevin McGonigle and then an RBI double from Riley Greene down the right-field line during Yesavage’s final frame.
Drew Anderson did yeoman’s work for Detroit with Madden unable to eat innings. So instead Anderson went four scoreless, limiting Toronto to a Brandon Valenzuela single that was quickly erased on a double-play ball from George Springer. Veteran Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth, giving his team an opportunity to walk it off.
The Tigers did just that. With the beleaguered Jeff Hoffman on for the Jays, Matt Vierling hit a one-out single and stole second, setting the stage for Spencer Torkelson. Toronto challenged the erstwhile No. 1 overall pick by intentionally walking Zach McKinstry to face him, so Tork thanked them by lining a walk-off single to right-center.
Boston Red Sox (18-26) 2, Atlanta Braves (31-14) 3: The Red Sox overcame homers against Connelly Early by Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II to tie it up at Truist Park against a fading Spencer Strider and reliever Tyler Kinley. It was a Marcelo Mayer solo shot that knotted it up at 2-2 in the seventh. The bullpens battled from there, with prominent arms like Aroldis Chapman, Robert Suarez, and Raisel Iglesias keeping their opponents off the board. Tasked with stranding Boston’s zombie runner in the 10th, 20-year-old Didier Fuentes was up to the task, striking out Carlos Narváez and getting outs from Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Mickey Gasper. Mike Yastrzemski rewarded the rookie in Atlanta’s first at-bat of the 10th, doubling in Ha-Seong Kim to walk it off.
Seattle Mariners (22-24) 0, San Diego Padres (25-19) 2: Are the Mariners and Rangers really going to force us to cover the A’s, who still sit in first despite barely sitting over .500? We are getting closer by the day, even in mid-May. Former Yankee Randy Vásquez continued his surpisingly superb first month and a half, lowering his ERA to 2.68 with six scoreless frames, and fellow old friend Miguel Andujar got San Diego on the board with an RBI knock off Emerson Hancock. Andujar was involved in the second run as well, as his seventh-inning single was followed by a Ramón Laureano hit, and Andujar then scored on an out. Later, Mason Miller escaped a mostly-inherited jam by striking out Connor Joe with the bases loaded in the eighth. Then he got out of his own mess by striking out Mitch Garver and Brendan Donovan to end the game.
Texas Rangers (21-23) 0, Houston Astros (18-28) 2: I’ve made no secret of how much I long to exclude the Rangers from the Rivalry Roundup. Maybe almost getting no-hit by Spencer Arrighetti will be what send them on the role to “uncovered whatever.” Texas was held hitless until Justin Foscue broke up the gem with one out in the eighth. The Astros were backed up an Isaac Paredes blast against Jack Leiter, and Arrighetti made it hold up.
Cleveland Guardians (24-22) 6, Cincinnati Reds (24-21) 7: The Ohio Cup turned into a minor slugfest on Friday night, but not until the later innings. Entering the eighth, it was a 3-1 Reds lead, with a Rhys Hoskins dinger representing the sum of Cleveland’s offense. But in the Cincy half of the eighth, they scored three, two of them on a blast by Matt McLain. Atrocious relief by Graham Ashcraft and Brock Burke allowed the Guardians to get back into it on the strength of five (!) walks, a single, and a sacrifice fly. Now in a 6-5 ballgame, the Reds got insurance with productive outs following a Dane Myers double, and that came in clutch when Kyle Manzardo tripled in the ninth for Cleveland. Facing Angel Martínez and then rookie Travis Bazzana as the potential tying runs at the plate, Tejay Antone got two groundouts to end it (with a nice play by McLain for the end). To quote Marty Brennaman, this one belonged to the Reds, but boy was it an adventure to get there!
After a shootout victory on Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies can wrap up a sixth straight series win when they play the second of their three-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
My Phillies vs. Pirates predictions and free MLB picks believe Philly has a distinct starting pitching advantage, which will prove the deciding factor on Saturday, May 16.
Who will win Phillies vs Pirates today: Phillies -1.5 (+100)
Sanchez hasn’t allowed an earned run across 15 innings in wins over the Rockies and Athletics, surrendering only nine hits while striking out 17 against just one walk.
Philly has been hot in the last week, ranking fourth in runs and seventh in OPS. That, with Sanchez dealing, is a winning combo.
COVERS INTEL:Chandler will face MLB home run leader Kyle Schwarber for the first time in his career. Schwarber is mashing right-handed pitching at home this year, hitting .358 with a 1.094 SLG and a 1.563 OPS.
Phillies vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-125)
Philadelphia’s 11-9 slugfest win in the opener is more the outlier than the norm. The Phillies had gone Under the total in four straight before cashing the Over last night.
The Under is also a noticeable trend in the head-to-head matchup between these teams, going 6-3-0 in the last nine matchups.
The Pirates have just had trouble putting up runs lately against the Phils, scoring two runs or fewer in four of the last six. With Sanchez dealing, there’s a good chance it'll be five of seven, keeping that total low.
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 4-10, -2.28 units
Over/Under bets: 7-9, +4.76 units
Phillies vs Pirates odds
Moneyline: Phillies -156 | Pirates +150
Run line: Phillies -1.5 | Pirates +1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Phillies vs Pirates trend
Philadelphia has just four losses in its last 16 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Pirates.
How to watch Phillies vs Pirates and game info
Location
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Date
Saturday, May 16, 2026
First pitch
4:05 p.m. ET
TV
NBC Sports Philadelphia, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Phillies starting pitcher
Cristopher Sanchez (4-2, 2.11 ERA)
Pirates starting pitcher
Bubba Chandler (1-4, 4.62 ERA)
Phillies vs Pirates latest injuries
Phillies vs Pirates weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
DINANT, BELGIUM - JULY 03: A view of the Meuse River, which passes through France, Belgium and the Netherlands, divides the Dinant city in two, where Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Dinant, Belgium on July 03, 2023. Dinant is one of Belgium's most popular tourism centers with its giant saxophones adorning the city and its natural and historical beauties. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Hickory starter Kamdyn Perry allowed a run in 4.2 IP, striking out six and walking one.
Hector Osorio homered and drew a pair of walks. Dewar Tovar was 2 for 5 with a homer. Yolfran Castillo had a hit and a stolen base. Paulino Satana had a pair of hits. Marcos Torres was 2 for 5 with a double.
Hub City was down 17-1 after three innings and 23-1 after six innings before ultimately losing 23-11.
We will skip pitchers.
Malcolm Moore was 2 for 4 with a homer and a pair of walks. Paxton Kling was 2 for 5 with a double, a homer and a walk. Gleider Figuereo doubled. Rafe Perich doubled. Chandler Pollard had a pair of hits.
Winston Santos started for Frisco, striking out six and walking four in four innings, allowing three runs.
Dylan Dreiling was 2 for 4 with a pair of walks and a stolen base. Ian Moller had a pair of doubles and a walk. Keith Jones II was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base.
David Davalillo made his AAA debut for Round Rock and had a rough go of it. In 4.1 IP, Davalillo walked five batters, hit four batters, threw a wild pitch, and allowed six runs. Robbie Ahlstrom allowed a run in 1.2 IP, walking one. Chris Martin, continuing his rehab assignment, faced six batters and allowed hits to four of them, though he gave up just one run. Luis Curvelo, beginning his rehab assignment, faced four batters and walked two of them. Alexis Diaz walked a batter and struck out a batter in 1.1 shutout innings.
Caden Scarborough, who has been on the injured list, made his 2026 debut for the ACL Rangers, allowing two runs in 1.2 IP, striking out two and walking one.
It's another jam-packed slate across the show today, and I've found solid value in my MLB player props. I'll highlight Jacob deGrom, Bobby Witt Jr., and Randy Arozarena.
Jacob deGrom has been absolutely dominant this season for the Texas Rangers, posting a 2.62 ERA while striking out 57 hitters in 44.2 innings of work.
The right-hander has cashed the Over in Ks in two of his last four starts, hitting double digits in both. He also sat down seven via the strikeout in one of his other outings, just a tad below tonight's total.
deGrom will face the Houston Astros here, and he's had tons of success against them. Across 59 at-bats, he'd held the Astros to a .153 average while striking out 23 hitters. That includes 4 Ks against Jose Altuve and nine against Christian Walker, two of their top hitters.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SCHN, CW33
Bobby Witt Jr. Over 1.5 hits (+170)
Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the best players in the sport, and he's definitely proving that right now. The shortstop is batting over .360 over the last week, with six RBI and plenty of hits.
He's also cashed the Over in three of his last five, and Witt Jr. finished with a pair of hits in Friday's loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Two of his last three multi-hit games over these last seven days have been on the road as the Kansas City Royals visit the Cardinals again today.
Witt Jr. is hitting .305 on the road, and he's also batting .328 in day games. While he's 0-for-2 lifetime against Kyle Leahy, it's an incredibly small sample size, and Witt Jr is seeing the ball very well lately. He'll be a key factor in the Royals' offense again.
Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Royals.TV, Cardinals.TV
Randy Arozarena Over 1.5 total bases (+140 at DraftKings)
Randy Arozarena is tearing the cover off the baseball in May, hitting .327 and .301 overall. The Seattle Mariners outfielder has four multi-hit games in his last five appearances, and although the M's didn't score a single run on Friday, he still went 2-for-4 with a pair of base knocks.
Arozarena was even 4-for-4 earlier this week, and he's hitting .311 against right-handers. The San Diego Padres send Walker Buehler to the mound tonight.
Arozarena is 0-for-8 lifetime against him, but he's hitting pretty much everything right now, and Buehler has an alarming 10.13 ERA on the road, giving up 18 hits in 10.2 frames.
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FOX
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 30-53, +4.90 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Kyle Schwarber smacked his MLB-leading 19th and 20th home runs in Friday's victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates as he continues to stay hot.
The slugger has now gone deep in seven of his last eight games, and three times across his previous two contests.
The veteran is tearing the cover off the baseball, and no matter who is facing him, he's doing damage. Pirates SP Bubba Chandler has served up six homers across his last six starts.
Schwarber has also smacked his last four bombs on the road, and the Philadelphia Phillies visit the Bucs again here.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSP, SportsNet Pittsburgh
Home run pick: Matt McLain (+750)
Perhaps Matt McLain isn't the most household name in the big leagues, but he's on a tear lately.
The Cincinnati Reds second baseman has cracked home runs in back-to-back games, finishing 2-for-3 on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians with a bomb.
McLain will face Gavin Williams here, who has allowed eight home runs in just nine starts this season.
McLain has never faced Williams, but he's coming in hot, and Williams has allowed 10 earned runs across his previous two outings, including a pair of long balls.
Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Reds.TV, Guardians TV
Home run pick: Aaron Judge (+317)
Every time Aaron Judge steps up to the plate, he's a threat to go yard. The New York Yankees slugger has 16 home runs already, and he went deep twice last season at Citi Field, as the Yanks visit the New York Mets again tonight.
Judge has smacked four homers already in May, and he's collected three hits in his last three games.
Seven of his bombs have been on the road, and he'll face veteran Huascar Brazoban. Judge is 0-for-3 lifetime, but Brazoban rarely starts games, and he's around the strike zone a lot.
The Mets' bullpen is also unpredictable, and Judge has historically hit well vs. New York, with 14 homers in 32 career games.
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FOX
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 6-33, -2.08 units
Today’s HR parlay
Kyle Schwarber
Bet Now +43992
Matt McLain
Aaron Judge
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Mets (18-26) look to bounce back from a costly first game of the Subway Series against the Yankees (28-17) at 7:15 p.m. on FOX. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Carlos Mendoza's Swiss Army Knife reliever Huascar Brazobán will serve as an opener. The righty enters the game with a 2.14 ERA, 0.952 WHIP in 21.0 innings over 18 outings (two starts)
Carson Benge has been entering a groove: 14-for-45 (.311) with an .811 OPS in his last 13 games
Left-hander Carlos Rodón makes his second start of the season for the Yanks. He allowed three runs on two hits and five walks in 4.1 innings, his first go-round
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How can I watch Yankees vs. Mets online?
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WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 15: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals hits a two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park on May 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Daylen Lile gets hot, boy does he get hot. We saw a Lile heater last September when he went on a triple frenzy and won NL Player of the Month. He is doing it again this May, but this time he is showing off more home run power. Lile is now 10 for his last 20 with 4 homers, including what turned out to be the game winning shot last night.
After the game, I asked Lile and Blake Butera about what was going right for him. Butera said that Lile has been catching more balls out in front lately. He also added that Lile is the type of hitter that can really go on a roll once he sees a few balls hit grass. For his part, Lile agreed that his timing has been better lately.
Lile told me that one of the keys to his recent success has been starting his toe tap just a little bit earlier. That has allowed his hitting moves to be more on time. This honestly makes a lot of sense to me. In April, it felt like Lile was consistently just a beat late. That is not the case anymore, and he has been crushing balls to the pull side.
In May, Lile is hitting .319 with a 1.051 OPS. These last couple series, we have seen truly special things from Lile. When he is on his game, Lile is my favorite hitter to watch on the team. His swing is just so pretty and everything he does looks so effortless. He can just spray balls all around the yard, while showing some real pop. In his last 7 games, Lile is 12 for 27, and looks like September Lile again.
The last week of Daylen Lile looks a lot like September 2025 Daylen Lile, which was one of the best hitters in MLB. That's perhaps an unfair expectation, but man, it's an unreal stretch right now.
The corner outfield duo of James Wood and Lile is one of the best ones in all of baseball. It is also such a young duo, with both players being 23 years old. Nats fans will be able to watch these two for years to come. Hopefully we will be able to watch them for the next decade together.
Lile is a player that Paul Toboni should seriously consider extending. Before the season, I wrote about how he was a prime extension candidate. He is good enough to be worthy of an extension, but I do not think the price would be astronomical either. Lile is not a Boras client or anything, so it is something that could be on the table.
Extending a player like Lile would give Paul Toboni a lot of good will with the fanbase. I also think it would be a smart baseball move. In my opinion, extending him is not that risky either. It is pretty clear that Lile’s bat plays in the big leagues, and he is getting better defensively as well. His fielding run value has gone from -10 last year to +1 this year.
That added defensive value to go with an above average bat gives Lile a pretty safe floor as a 2.5 win player. I think he has the ceiling to be more as well. We are seeing some real power from him this season. He has 7 homers already. If Lile can be a 20 homer bat, that would be massive for his profile.
Lile has played in 135 career games, which is pretty close to a full season’s worth of action. In those games, Lile is hitting .290 with an .829 OPS. He has 27 doubles, 11 triples and 16 homers to go with that. Daylen Lile is a very good hitter, and we have enough of a sample size to say that.
Lile can be a bit hot and cold, but the hot is really hot. Something about seeing his family in Cincinnati unleashed something in Daylen Lile. He carried the offense against the Reds, hitting three homers. His biggest homer came in the 10th inning the other day. Like last night, that homer ended up being the difference in a one run game.
Seeing Lile and his family go nuts when he hit that homer was amazing to watch. His dad was running down the steps in his section yelling ‘that is my son’. Meanwhile, Lile turned to the dugout and pointed to his throat to signal the game was over. It was a true outpouring of emotion that was so much fun to watch.
Between that emotion, and Lile’s sweet swing, the 23 year old has become a fan favorite in DC. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and it is so easy for fans to see that he cares. You can tell how happy he is when he is rolling and how upset he is when he is struggling. Maybe he can get too emotional at times, but from an outside view, I love seeing someone who cares that much.
Daylen Lile is one of my favorite players on the team, and these kinds of runs are why. The sweet-swinging lefty can carry a lineup and brings so much excitement to the field. One of the reasons the Nats lineup is so good is that they have a few guys who can carry the load. Along with CJ Abrams and James Wood, Daylen Lile is one of those guys.
May 15, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Diego Padres, from left, Xander Bogaerts (2), right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23), second baseman Sung-Mun Song (24) and left fielder Ramon Laureano (5) celebrate after a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
Mason Miller was asked to deliver a four-out save to secure a 2-0 win for the San Deigo Padres over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Friday. He was eventually able to get four outs and seal the win for the Padres, but the Mariners did not make it easy. Miller was able to get out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning with a strikeout of Connor Joe on a knee-buckling slider. Miller returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning and walked the leadoff batter, recorded a strikeout and then allowed a single to put runners at first and second base. Miller then recorded back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the 2-0 win.
Randy Vasquez started the game for the Padres and had a stellar six innings without allowing a run. He completed his start after the sixth with no walks allowed and three strikeouts. Vasquez allowed just four hits in the game. Adrian Morejon pitched a scoreless seventh, followed by Jason Adam who was able to get two outs in the eighth, but allowed a hit and a walk, which prompted manager Craig Stammen to turn to Miller for the four-out save.
The San Diego offense did enough to get the win, but it was not much. The top of the order, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado were 0-for-16 with four strikeouts, three of which were from Merrill against Seattle starter Emerson Hancock. Gavin Sheets, Xander Bogaerts, Miguel Andujar and Ramon Laureano each had two hits in the game. Sheets and Andujar each scored a run, while Andujar and Sung-Mun Song each had an RBI.
The Padres will look to take the second game of the series today at 4:15 p.m.
Padres News:
San Diego traded two pitchers to the Kansas City Royals for catcher Freddy Fermin and both pitchers could help the Padres today. However, it was evident in the 2025 season they needed an upgrade from Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz and Fermin was that. This season, he has struggled offensively and Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball says he needs to be better.
The Padres lineup has rarely been the same under Stammen, but to this point, he has been unable to find a combination that can produce on a consistent basis. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball takes a look at how the order fared after its first stress test of the season.
May 15, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch during the second inning against New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
Coming off a sweep of the Tigers, the Mets began the Subway Series last night against the Yankees, and the good times quickly came to an end. They fell behind early, were largely shut down by Cam Schlittler, and ultimately suffered a 5-2 loss.
The Subway Series always means we’re going to get a bunch of comparisons about where things stand between the Mets and Yankees, including in off-the-field factors.
Another area of comparison: the Yankees largely running their squad back from last year versus the Mets revamping their roster.
The Yankees did not show much interest in bringing back Luke Weaver this past winter, but there are no hard feelings from the former Yankee.
Baseball Prospectus’s Jarrett Seidler provided an evaluation of the good, the bad, and the unfortunate of David Stearns’s Mets track record.
Around the National League East
Mike Yastrzemski played hero against the team his grandfather played for, hitting a walk-off single in extras against the Red Sox to give the Braves a 3-2 win.
The Phillies continued their hot stretch by overcoming a six-run deficit to beat the Pirates 11-9 in extra innings.
Remember when the Mets tried to sign Kyle Schwarber and he ended up re-signing with the Phillies? Well, now he’s hitting a ton of home runs.
Janson Junk got touched up for seven runs in 5 2/3 innings, and the Marlins fell to the Rays 7-2.
The Nationals survived a ninth-inning rally by the Orioles and secured a 3-2 victory over their Beltway rivals.
Another noteworthy starting pitcher is being shut down, as Blake Snell is returning to the injured list less than a week after being activated from it.
The New York Yankees and New York Mets meet for game two of the Subway Series tonight, with Carlos Rodon making just his second start of the season against what is expected to be a bullpen game for the Bronx Bombers' crosstown rivals.
I like the same story from last night to repeat.
Read all about it in my Yankees vs. Mets predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, May 16.
Who will win Yankees vs Mets tonight: Yankees -1.5 (+125)
I was at least slightly surprised at this price and would play it down to +110. Perhaps there are still lingering concerns about New York Yankees hurler Carlos Rodon after a pretty rough season debut, where he allowed three earned runs in just 4 innings pitched.
But that was just that: a season debut.
This matchup against the New York Mets is strong. Batting average is hardly a tell-all stat, but the Mets' .216 against southpaws this season stands out.
Couple that with the Mets still being short-handed, having a below league average hard-hit rate against lefties at 33%, and things start to point in one direction.
COVERS INTEL: Huascar Brazoban's average exit velocity on his pitches ranks in the top 2% of baseball at 83.4 MPH.
Yankees vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)
I like Mets arm Huascar Brazoban. He looks to be the opener in what is expected to be a bullpen game for the Mets and should have some success.
His hard-hit rate and barrel rate sit in the top 3% of baseball, which should help him avoid any early crooked numbers from the Yankees.
I eventually expect the Yankees to open the scoring up against a relatively taxed bullpen; there is still plenty of reason to think this looks a lot like last night rather than some offensive showcase.
I projected this total at 8 and would play it to there.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 18-16, +1.16 units
Over/Under bets: 22-12, +12.59 units
Yankees vs Mets odds
Moneyline: Yankees -135 | Mets +110
Run line: Yankees -1.5 | Mets +1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Yankees vs Mets trend
The New York Yankees have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline in 30 of their last 50 away games (+10.60 Units / 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Mets.
How to watch Yankees vs Mets and game info
Location
Citi Field, Flushing, NY
Date
Saturday, May 16, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon (0-0, 6.23 ERA)
Mets starting pitcher
Huascar Brazoban (2-1, 2.14 ERA)
Yankees vs Mets latest injuries
Yankees vs Mets weather
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May 15, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) points to the sky after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Long gone are the resilience of the Giants extra innings win against Pittsburgh, the heights of Borucki, the hip-thrusting pleasures of LA. Oh, how a three-game winning streak makes fools of us all, and how a three-game losing streak lays bare.
It was the cantankerous and eyebrow-y manager Earl Weaver who built his Baltimore dynasty of the early 70’s around the three-run homer. The concept is simple: one guy gets on a base, then the guy after that gets on a base, and then the pitcher becomes so frustrated by all these guys getting on base that he loses focus, loses command, and grooves a fastball to a guy named “Boog” who launches it out of the park.
A Boog is out of the shallow 6 feet range in terms of height, and able to stand and breathe comfortably in the deep end of most motel swimming pools. A Boog is like a bowling ball on a mattress, the movement of their mass pulls surrounding objects helplessly towards them. When a Boog steps into the batter’s box, attention gravitates into their orbit. Defenders on a Boog’s pull-side feel the effects of the Hitchcock Zoom: They physically step back from the plate and yet the Boog somehow grows.
Nick Kurtz is the A’s Boog. The reigning Rookie of the Year is no longer a rookie but still hitting like he deserves all the end-of-the-year hardware. The 23 year old has the longest on-base streak in the MLB right now at 38 games. He’s pretty much good at everything in terms of what we value in a hitter these days…and he looks the part too. 6’4’’, 240 pounds — completely different from the A’s catcher and number-2 hitter behind Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, who’s just as good offensively, with a .337 average that leads the American League while his 1.007 OPS ranks fourth, but is only 5’11’’. Not a Boog.
Kurtz, on the other hand… It felt like every time he took to the box you could hear Duane Kuiper or Mike Krukow suck their teeth and adjust their weight in their swivel chairs.
“And here comes the big, strong first baseman” Kuip whistled once.
“Uh oh, the big boy,” or “That’s a big boy right there” is maybe what their thoughts whistled more than once.
That’s the Boog effect in a nutshell.
The top of the order was the gauntlet to get through for starting pitcher Tyler Mahle. Kurtz to start, followed by Langeliers: A Boog, and a Boog-lite. Surprisingly, Mahle handled them well in their first two meetings. He got Kurtz with a 92 MPH fastball that rode the back of an 85 MPH splitter before Langeliers popped out in foul territory in the 1st.
A nice relay home from Jung Hoo Lee to Luis Arraez to Daniel Susac (with a lovely cross-body pick) ended the 2nd and kept a second run from scoring on Jeff McNeil’s double with the top of the line-up left waiting on deck.
In the 3rd, Mahle would give Kurtz nothing in the zone, exploiting his 35% whiff rate, to chase a shoe-top splitter, while Langeliers once again popped up to Rafael Devers in a hitter-friendly count.
Things were going well for the most part. The Giants had a (slim) lead. Mahle was collecting K’s without getting himself into too much trouble with the walk. But that’s the thing with three-run homers — it really just takes one to ruin your night. What’s going to get remembered in a 1-for-4 night with 3 Ks and 3-run homer?
I know what Mahle will remember. And I know what Mahle regretted the moment the baseball left his fingertips.
And that regret stemmed from frustration. He hadn’t dispatched a light-hitting bottom of the line-up when he could’ve. Soft singles from Lawrence Butler and Jeff McNeil had him in one-out, runners-at-the-corners bind with the Boog coming to the plate. This is the exact situation pitchers want to avoid: the game-changer at the plate with an opportunity to change the game. Earl Weaver gleefully combed his sideburns in his grave, just as he drew it up half-a-century ago.
Instant regret. Instant shame. Mahle had no more fight against Kurtz. He didn’t throw the first pitch cutter, but disowned it. His back was to the ball before it had even reached the plate.
The pitch-type wasn’t the problem necessarily. Mahle had thrown only two cutters to Kurtz over the 11 pitches previous. It’s not a primary weapon and third time facing a batter, as a pitcher you tend to shake things up in order to not get too predictable. The cutter, fine, but where it was placed, oof. Center cut, on the outer-third where Kurtz could be a little patient, get his hands extended, and torch it to left-center.
The inning, the start, the game went belly-up real fast. Langeliers would follow that homer with another single that led to the A’s putting another run on the board. They’d score four runs on six hits in the 5th, raising Mahle’s season ERA to 5.59. The right-hander has now given up 5 earned runs or more in four of his nine starts.
The A’s bottom of the order did their job against Mahle. Number 9 hitter McNeil roped a 2-out RBI double for the first run of the game. His single in the 5th put runners on the corners and turned the line-up over for the big boy, Kurtz, and the big boy did his big boy thing.
More than the Giants could say. The scoring opportunities presented themselves for San Francisco, but no matter how many supposed “big boys” they sent up to the plate, they couldn’t come up with a comparable hit.
With runners on first and second, Bryce Eldridge smoked one in the 4th at 106 MPH — so hard second baseman McNeil couldn’t get out of its way. With one out in the 5th, Lee and Arraez on base, Matt Chapman continued his vexing freefall with a soft toss foul out to first before Rafael Devers foul-tipped a 3-2 cutter into the glove of catcher Langeliers.
A double by Willy Adames went for naught in the 6th after Eldridge’s hard-hit ball got slowed by a reliever Joel Kuhnel’s heel. And after knocks from homer boys Harrison Bader (2-for-4) and Luis Arraez (4-for-5), Chapman once again couldn’t move the needle. His foul that missed being a 2-run 2B by half-an-inch might as well have been a yard. While the rest of us watched the ball teeter between fair-or-foul, Chapman barely left the box. He knew. The way things have been going for him — what was the point. Resigned to his fate, he struck out a couple of pitches later before Devers rolled out to first to end the inning.
Four innings in a row with a runner in scoring position and nothing to show for it. They collected two homers from unlikely sources (Arraez’s homer was his first since September 23, 2025) but two solo shots does not equal one 3-run homer. This arithmetic has been clear to great baseball minds since the late-60s. The Giants could only get table clearing hits from the table-setters, and when the table setters set the table, the table clearers were…just sitting there, I guess.
The difference: the Giants were 0-for-7 with RISP; the A’s, 4-for-6. An offense with no Boog.
San Francisco is now 0-for-20 when scoring 2 runs or fewer, and 1-9 in interleague play, and back to nine games below .500.
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 15: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers looks on from the dugout prior to the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Friday, May 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Michaela Schumacher/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Astros 2, Rangers 0
Well, at least they didn’t get no hit.
Still, an ignominious way to start the road trip, getting one-hit by the team with the worst pitching staff in baseball this year.
Justin Foscue being the guy who broke up the no hitter was kind of funny.
Justin Foscue then being picked off of first base — when there was a runner at second, to boot — was less funny.
Ezequiel Duran was at the plate with a 2-0 count, Alejandro Osuna at second and Foscue at first when Foscue was picked off. That was one of the Rangers’ best scoring opportunities of the game.
The best scoring opportunity came in the fifth. Jake Burger drew a one out walk, and then Alejandro Osuna lined a ball into the gap the other way that looked like it was going to be a double. Zach Dezenzo made a great diving catch on it, for the second out.
Burger then stole second, and Kyle Higashioka reached on an E5 to put runners on the corners with two outs for Foscue, who grounded out to end the inning.
Those were, really, the only meaningful scoring opportunities the Rangers had in the game.
Per Statcast, the Rangers had an xBA in the game of .161, which meant that they would have been expected to have 4 hits in their 27 at bats, rather than 1 hit.
Not that that would have been that much better.
The offensive underperformance overshadowed a very solid outing from Jack Leiter, who went seven innings, with an Isaac Paredes homer into the Crawford Boxes accounting for the one run he gave up.
Leiter only allowed three hits himself in the game, along with three walks. Interestingly, he used his fastball a little less often than usual, mixing in his sinker more than he has most of this year. I’m curious if this was a one off, or if we’ll see that more often going forward.
Cole Winn allowed a run on a hit by pitch and two singles, but also struck out three batters in the inning, so we can all start up the “did he strike out the side?” debate again.
Jack Leiter hit 97.9 mph with his fastball, averaging 96.6 mph. Cole Winn’s fastball maxed out at 96.9 mph.
Evan Carter had a 103.0 mph fly out. Justin Foscue had a 102.4 mph ground out. Alejandro Osuna had a 101.0 mph fly out.
Sep 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Triple-A: Charlotte (White Sox) 4, Norfolk Tides 1
One might like to see better from a Tides lineup that has rehabbing big leaguers Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad than to get just four hits in the game. One does not always get what one wants. Holliday and Kjerstad, batting at the top of the lineup, had a hit apiece. Holliday also drew two walks, two of ten that were picked up by Tides batters in this game. Lots of traffic! They just couldn’t capitalize, going 0-9 with RISP as they left 11 men on base.
Norfolk’s starter, Levi Wells, a guy who if you squint counts as a pitching prospect, allowed all four runs on seven hits over a four inning game. That included two solo home runs. He’s up to a 4.50 ERA for the season. This was a tough one for Tides pitcher/catcher combos, as the Knights stole five bases in the game.
If all of the above puts you in the mood to hear about the ongoing Triple-A success of a random reliever in whom Orioles fans had no emotional investment before this season, 28-year-old lefty Andrew Magno threw two scoreless innings, dropping his season ERA to 0.49 over 18.1 innings. My sources say that’s pretty good. To be clear, my sources are me looking at a lot of minor league box scores, many of which are bad games for the Orioles affiliate.
My guy Aron Estrada had three hits and stole a base and that’s about the only good thing to say about this one. And that’s only so good, because after this game he has a .672 OPS. OK, I’ll try to find a little more: outfielder Thomas Sosa hit a home run, his third of the season, one of two hits. Other than that, a lot of zeroes, and not the good kind. Ethan Anderson took an 0-4. Lately-sorta-interesting infielder Anderson De Los Santos was 0-4. The team combined for seven hits and three players accounted for all of those hits. It is a tough way to win.
High-A: Frederick Keys 4, Hudson Valley (Yankees) 3
Vance Honeycutt strikeout watch: Three strikeouts in an 0-4 game. We should perhaps also do a Wehiwa Aloy strikeout watch: He struck out two times, though at least he added a double for his trouble. Big first baseman Victor Figueroa remains over a 1.000 OPS after a 1-4 game here.
The performer of the game for the Keys was outfielder Braylin Tavera, still young enough that some modest success at this level is interesting. Tavera hit his third homer of the season, one of two hits on the game. He also stole a base, his 12th in 15 tries. There was a throwing error mixed in there too.
Keys starting pitcher Carson Dorsey labored through five innings, allowing six hits and three walks, which ended up translating into three runs. Two relievers behind him combined for four scoreless innings – last year’s 17th round pick Braeden Sloan struck out four guys in his two innings, picking up a save and lowering his ERA to 0.60 in ten games. He’s 22, so he’ll have to prove it at higher levels to be interesting, but it’s something.
Maybe the perfect example of a Shorebirds box score, not that this says good things about the recent fortunes of the lowest-level Orioles affiliate. The starting pitcher was not good. Two other pitchers weren’t good either. The team combined for just four hits, and nearly had more errors (three) than those four hits. Yeah, they lost. I don’t like to pile on when non-prospects don’t do anything to look like prospects. Look at the box score below if you really need to know.
If you have been paying attention to this roster, you might be interested in infielder DJ Layton or outfielder Stiven Martinez (the DH in this game). Layton went 1-5 with three strikeouts. Martinez took an 0-4 with three strikeouts. There just couldn’t be anything too fun here.
Norfolk: at Charlotte, 6:05. Starter: Nestor German
Chesapeake: at Akron, 6:05. Starter: Christian Herberholz
Frederick: at Hudson Valley, 5:05. Starter: Joseph Dzierwa
Delmarva: vs. Fayetteville, 7:05. Starter: Brayan Orrantia
Dzierwa’s last start was cut short when a bad bounce popped up and hit him in the face as he was backing up a base on a play. Let’s not have any more of that! The guy has struck out 44 batters in 35.2 innings. I am going to see Frederick in a couple of weekends; I wonder if Dzierwa will even still be on this roster by then.
The 2026 MLB Draft, where the Cardinals hold the 13th overall pick, will take place July 12-14, making it now less than two months away. With the college and high school regular seasons winding to a close, I thought now would be a good time to check in on who the Cardinals may be eyeing with their first pick. Before we run through a few player blurbs, I want to review Chaim Bloom’s strategy in Boston to see if there are any clues on how the draft may play out.
An important caveat: Chaim Bloom will not be solely (or even primarily) responsible for the top draft selection as Zach Mortimer and Randy Flores will lead the draft charge, but the POBO still sets the tone and has ultimate accountability within the organization. Two of the four top picks during Bloom’s Boston tenure were largely considered the best player available. Two were “reaches” for high school infielders that Boston signed to underslot deals to allow them to take more shots later in the draft.
In 2020, Chaim’s first year, the Red Sox drafted high school second baseman Nick Yorke (17th overall). At the time, this pick was seen as a surprise as Yorke was ranked as the 139th best draft prospect by MLB Pipeline. Yorke would ultimately be signed to an underslot deal allowing the Sox to give Blaze Jordan over $1M more than slot value. Yorke was a player the models loved (baseball models, not fashion) meaning the pick was more about his data and metrics than a pure scouting pick.
In 2021, the Sox had the fourth overall pick and spent it on Marcelo Mayer. At the time, Mayer was ranked as the best draft prospect, so I do not think there is too much to glean from the selection other than taking the best player available, but it did make two straight high school infielders in a row.
In 2022, the Red Sox again returned to the high school infielder ranks selecting Mikey Romero (24th overall), and again signed him to an underslot deal saving almost $700K. Just like in 2020, the Red Sox used savings from their first pick to sign an overslot player later in the draft when they gave Roman Anthony a $2.5M bonus in the second round (slot of $820K).
Finally in Bloom’s last draft with the Red Sox in 2023, they took a more conventional route with the 14th overall pick by selecting a college catcher, Kyle Teel. At the time of the draft, he was seen as the best player still on the board as a strong-armed catcher with a good hit tool.
The Cardinals have the sixth-largest draft pool ($16.6M) thanks to their competitive balance picks, which will give them a lot of flexibility in the strategy they deploy. They can play it straight up and take the top player on their board or even use some over their bonus pool to try to float a higher-ranked talent down the board. If they don’t feel that there is a standout player available, we could definitely see an underslot deal cut to give the Cardinals even more flexibility to court top talent with their later-round picks.
If the Cardinals do decide to play it straight and take the best player available, which players could be in play at 13?
Top 2026 Draft Prospects
I personally do not follow college or high school baseball religiously, but the draft is one of my favorite baseball days of the year, so I always do some last-second cramming on the top players. My annual tradition is to get overly attached to one player and then be disappointed with who the Cardinals select (JJ being the exception).
I pulled together the latest player rankings from some of the major outlets to provide what should capture the general sentiment of how the industry views the top players in the draft. If you want to do some deeper research, here are the current rankings (free) from MLB, ESPN, and the Athletic. The below list is just a weighted average from the three outlets mentioned above. I did not include Baseball America since their content is behind a paywall, but it is, of course, exceptional as well.
Players Unlikely to be Available
The consensus right now is that the top five players in this class are unlikely to slip far, but you never know, so we might as well include them.
1. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA Cholowsky has been the favorite to go number one overall for over a year, and that is still the case as most (all?) outlets have him ranked first in the class as a four or five tool shortstop. He is arguably about the same level of prospect Wetherholt was when he was drafted, which highlights how incredible it was that Wetherholt was available at seventh overall in that draft.
2. Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech Lackey has been one of the big risers in this class as he came into the season as a solid bat, good glove catcher projected to go in the mid-to-late first round. He has more than doubled his power output this year and jumped to a consensus top-five draft prospect.
3. Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX) Emerson is the consensus best high school prospect in the class. Polished bat with power potential and expected to stick at shortstop. His scouting report reads like Kyle Tucker the hitter but with good infield defense! Regardless, he won’t fall to the Cardinals range.
4. Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara Flora has a 60 grade fastball that has topped out at 100 mph and carries a 1.15 ERA at UCSB. He is definitely closer to the Liam Doyle tier of draft prospects than to Paul Skenes, but should be the first pitcher off the board.
5. Eric Booth Jr., CF, Oak Grove HS (MS) Booth Jr. is described as having an “unconventional” swing by multiple outlets, but has top-of-the-scale athleticism and has 70-grade speed. His scouting reports make him sound like more of a project than you would expect with a top-five pick, but his ceiling is sky high.
Players Who Could Be in the Cardinals’ Range
After the top handful of prospects, there seems to be very little consensus on how to rank the next few tiers, making this class feel even more muddled than usual.
6. Drew Burress, CF, Georgia Tech Burress is interesting because he is probably the first player on the list so far that has a chance of being available when the Cardinals pick at 13. He also has a wild profile. Listed at 5’9”, but supposedly shorter, he has a muscular frame and average to plus power. As a freshman at Georgia Tech, he blasted 25 home runs but has followed it up with 19 and 13 (so far) in his next two seasons. Because of his great track record, he is seen as one of the safer college bats in the draft, so he is a long shot to get to the Cardinals pick.
7. Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama Lebron is the first real “faller” on this list as he came into the season ranked in the top three and was the favorite to go number one overall at different points in his college career. He is the classic four-tool player that has shown everything but the ability to make consistent contact. His strikeout rate has been around 20% in college, which is pretty high for a top draft prospect. Some mock drafts have him falling all the way to the middle or later first round. I prefer players with an excellent hit tool, but Lebron is one of the highest upside players in the draft and could very well be there when the Cardinals pick.
8. Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida Peterson has some of the best stuff among the college pitching prospects, but his command has not progressed enough to push him into the elite prospect tier. He walked 6.29 batters per nine as a freshman and has been in the 4s the next two years while putting up identical 4.28 ERAs each season. The stats don’t scream first-round pick, but with a plus to double-plus slider and a fastball that reaches the upper 90s, there is plenty to like here.
9. Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver HS (FL) Lombard is a toolsy player with some questions about his hit tool. This ranking seems to undersell where he is expected to go in the draft as recent mocks have him going much higher. Lombard is a 65 or 70 grade runner, super athletic, and projects to stick at shortstop.
10. Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M If you squint extremely hard, maybe you can see a little JJ Wetherholt in Hacopian’s profile. He had an electric sophomore season at Maryland posting a .375/.502/.656 stat line. He has battled injuries this season after transferring to Texas A&M in the SEC, but is still hitting .307/.401/.562, with a K/BB ratio of 1.16. He is not seen as a player that will stick at shortstop long-term, but is one of the best pure bats in the class.
11. Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina Flukey was ranked as the top college pitching prospect heading into the 2026 season, but has missed most of the season with a rib injury. He is probably one of the more volatile pitchers on the board that will have his draft position impacted by his performance and health in the tournament. Flukey has a prototypical pitcher build at 6’6”, but with room to add additional weight as he matures. He has the fastball to match his frame that sits in the mid-90s with good shape.
12. Eric Becker, SS, Virginia Becker is a tall lanky shortstop that produced impressive batting lines as a freshman and sophomore at Virginia. Scouts were hoping to see the power develop more, but his offense has backed up slightly as a junior. MLB Pipeline gives him a 60 grade hit tool. While he does seem to have a good feel for finding the barrel, his plate discipline numbers are nothing special with an 18/33 BB/K ratio this year.
13. Sawyer Strosnider, RF, TCU Strosnider is a draft-eligible sophomore who has some of the best tools in the class. He had an impressive freshman season at TCU putting up a 138 wRC+. His batting line is down as a sophomore, but that is mostly due to his BABIP falling below .300. He has increased his walk rate from 8% to 18.4% while keeping his strikeout rate around 18% both seasons. He projects as a corner outfielder in pro ball.
14. Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas Helfrick is a defense-first catcher that has impressive pull-side power. He has hit 15 home runs at Arkansas each of the last two seasons. His strikeout rate has steadily improved from 26.9% as a freshman to 17.4% as a junior, but there are still questions about his hit tool and ability to hit breaking balls. I know teams typically do not draft for need, but surely the Cardinals’ current depth at catcher would steer them away from Helfrick. It would be a troll job of epic proportions if they spent a first-round pick on another catcher.
15. A.J. Gracia, CF, Virginia Gracia has big-time bat speed and has translated it into over 40 home runs in three seasons at Duke and Virginia. He has a good plate approach as he has walked more than he has struck out the last two seasons. Listed at 6’3” and 195 pounds, Gracia is one of the more polished hitters in the draft and may have a chance to stick in center field at the next level.
There you have it, 15 players that the Cardinals are definitely not going to pick now that I have taken the time to get to know them.
COVERS INTEL: 
Jacob deGrom
Bobby Witt Jr. 
Randy Arozarena
Kyle Schwarber
Matt McLain
Aaron Judge
