Category: Baseball

Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the end of the month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.

Unlike the mediocrity that seems to be overtaking large chunks of the American League, the National League features a much higher quantity of good baseball teams up to this point in the season. The Braves in the East have the best record in baseball, and the Dodgers are the Dodgers, but they find themselves in a division that’s anything but a cakewalk.

The NL West has obviously produced very good teams over the last handful of years, but the division has a tendency to be a bit top-heavy. While the top line is still quite good, there are multiple clubs in the West with high aspirations for October, and with good reason.

First Place: Los Angeles Dodgers (37-21)

Top Position Player: Andy Pages (2.7 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Shohei Ohtani (1.9 fWAR)

Once again adding big-ticket players over the offseason, the Dodgers are unsurprisingly one of baseball’s best teams again. They are not, however, game-breakingly dominant. They still feature a roster that boasts several of the game’s very best players, and will almost certainly be the World Series favorites throughout the season, but they are also not without their flaws, though neither is anyone else.

The offense continues to be led by Shohei Ohtani (despite a “diminished” 150 wRC+), Freddie Freeman, and a resurgent Max Muncy. At the top of the fWAR leaderboard, however, is Andy Pages, who is proving that last year was no fluke, and perhaps even a preview to even greater production. Their greatest strength has long been incredible depth, and with multiple All-Star level catchers and nine different hitters producing above league average, the same rings true in 2026. While their pitching has been impressive, durability has often been their Achilles Heel, which will certainly be something to monitor later in the season. Nevertheless, FanGraphs has them as the significant favorite in all of baseball to win their division, clinch a bye, and win the World Series.

Second Place: San Diego Padres (32-26)

Top Position Player: Xander Boagaerts (1.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Mason Miller (1.5 fWAR)

Five games back of the Dodgers, the Padres have played some good baseball on the whole in 2026. That being said, they aren’t doing it in a way that was expected or even desired. The lineup regulars have been middling at best, with only Gavin Sheets and Ty France putting up good numbers in significant playing time. Most concerningly, Manny Machado is in the midst of his worst offensive season to this point, and Fernando Tatis Jr. has one home run in 241 plate appearances.

Yet somehow, the Dads are making it happen, proud owners of the top Wild Card spot in the NL as things stand. While Michael King has led the charge for their rotation, they are certainly helped by the continued otherworldly performance of Mason Miller, who has a 0.46 FIP and is striking out more than half of the batters he faces, making himself an unlikely Cy Young candidate.

Third Place: Arizona Diamondbacks (31-26)

Top Position Player: Corbin Carroll (2.6 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Michael Soroka (1.5 fWAR)

Once again, the D-Backs are also fully in on the conversation and hold a share of a playoff spot as well. After some roster shifting at last year’s deadline and over the offseason, they are proving to be a formidable club once again. The stars are doing their job, as Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte continue to be some of the league’s best players, while the offense has enjoyed a rejuvenated newcomer in Nolan Arenado, who’s posting his best wRC+ (130) since 2022.

On the pitching side, while Zac Gallen has been highly disappointing, veterans Eduardo Rodriguez and shockingly, Michael Soroka have delivered plenty on the mound. Appearing healthy, the 28-year-old is doing plenty to keep his club above water, and only has one dud to show for in his 11 starts this season. FanGraphs has Arizona’s postseason odds just above 40 percent, a good bit above that of the Padres.

Fourth Place: San Francisco Giants (22-36)

Top Position Player: Luis Arraez (2.3 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Landen Roupp (1.6 fWAR)

Seemingly always involved, the Giants are where the NL West drops off a cliff. Already 15 games back in the division, 2026 has not gone to plan, despite some nice surprises. Luis Arraez has played well as a newbie by the Bay, while Casey Schmitt’s 12 homers and 145 wRC+ have been a major boost. The infield, however, has suffered difficult starts from both Matt Chapman and Willy Adames. Logan Webb has also been a disappointment by his standards, contributing to the major hole the club has found themselves in as we head to June.

Last Place: Colorado Rockies (22-37)

Top Position Player: Mickey Moniak (1.4 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Antonio Senzatela (0.7 fWAR)

The Rockies. Still kind of doing their thing, though admittedly a good bit better than the historic lows they saw last season. That being said — still not good! At least Mickey Moniak’s career year has been a fun story, and they have a handful of interesting hitters, including former Yankee prospect TJ Rumfield. Someday they’ll figure things out (right?).

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The Seattle Mariners will look to stay hot as they welcome the New York Mets for the start of a three-game series on Monday night.

Seattle should have its way with New York’s pitching tonight, which is why I’m taking the home team to win in my Mets vs. Mariners predictions.

Let’s dig into tonight’s matchup as I explore my free MLB picks for Monday, June 1.

Who will win Mets vs Mariners today:  Mariners moneyline (-130)

Seattle Mariners starter Emerson Hancock (4-2, 2.78 ERA) has dropped his WHIP to 1.01 this season behind his fastball. It’s one of the best pitches any starter is throwing this year, with Baseball Savant rating it in the 100th percentile for Fastball Run Value.

The New York Mets are giving Austin Warren his first start tonight, with Sean Manaea (0-1, 5.56 ERA) likely picking up the bulk of the innings. The Mets are 2-10 in Manaea’s appearances this year. This is a mismatch on the mound, and I like the Mariners to win at anything better than -150.

COVERS INTEL: The Mets are hitting four-seam fastballs and sinkers – pitches that make up more than 60% of Hancock’s arsenal – for line drives just 21% of the time against righties, the fifth-worst percentage in the majors this year.

Mets vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (+105)

The Mariners have been effective against lefties this year, with 20% of all balls they’ve hit off of southpaws being pulled in the air. They should find success against Manaea, who has an average fastball velocity of just over 90 MPH, which will let those Seattle bats get around on him.

The Mets should provide something towards the total, as they’ve averaged 7.25 runs per game during their four-game winning streak. Even if Juan Soto and company can’t generate more than a couple of runs, the Mariners might get there themselves. I’m taking the Over at even money or better.

Mets vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Mets +122 | Mariners -135
• Run line: Mets +1.5 (-200) | Mariners -1.5 (+174)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (-115) | Under 7 (-105)

Mets vs Mariners trend

The Mariners are 3-1 straight up in Hancock’s last four starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Mariners.

How to watch Mets vs Mariners and game info

Mets vs Mariners latest injuries

Mets vs Mariners weather

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In this series, every win against the Dodgers adds to my happiness.  Despite my optimism, great joy would follow splitting this four-game series. Looking at the pitching matchups, the Diamondbacks have better winning chances in three of the four games. My prediction is the series is a split. In any case, don’t underestimate the underdog Diamondbacks.

Let’s compare the teams, ignoring that the Dodgers have an advantage in depth of players.

Offense.This season through 29 May, the Dodgers had more runs scored per game (5.30 vs 4.66).

Runners Left On Base. In games through 29 May, the Diamondbacks had the third lowest runners left on base of 6.38 per game.  The Dodgers were average with 6.89 runners left on base per game. 

Defense. In games through 29 May, the Dodgers defense was better than the Diamondbacks defense. (19 vs 11 outs above average (OAA), and 34 vs 11 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS).

Bullpens. In May, the Dodgers bullpen had an amazing streak of scoreless innings per this SB Nation article.  Their bullpen allowed zero runs in 11 games played from 13-24 May (36.0 innings pitched). The streak stopped abruptly. In the following four games, their bullpen allowed 7 earned runs in 11 innings pitched.

For the entire season, the Diamondbacks had more shutdown performances by the bullpen (58 vs 39). Very slight edge to the Diamondbacks.

Starting Pitcher Matchups. In May, the Diamondbacks had 17 quality starts (so far).  This is the key that is allowing the Diamondbacks offense to drive the Diamondbacks towards the playoffs.  For this series, three of the four matchups are advantage Diamondbacks.

Dodger Player to Watch

Shohei Ohtani, future Hall of Famer.  Although he won a silver sligger award four times, this season he may fall short of winning (but with batting well above average). His pitching is a career best. He is in contention for his first Cy Young award. In this series, Diamondbacks fans at Chase will likely see him pitch!

“Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani tossed six hitless innings on Wednesday against the Rockies. He also chipped in a leadoff home run for good measure. Ohtani lowered his ERA to 0.82. As ESPN points out, it’s the ninth-lowest ERA heading into June among pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings since 1913….” — Charlie Wright, MLBTR

Diamondbacks Player to Watch

On 26 May, Lovullo said yes to a question about whether Pavin Smith would likely return in the Dodgers series. I’m confident that when he rejoins the team, he will show consistent excellent performance.

Pitching Matchups.

Monday, 6:40 PM MST, Korean Heritage Celebration. Eduardo Rodriguez will face Emmet Sheehan. In March/April, Rodriguez had the better ERA (3.03 vs 4.78 ERA). In May, Rodriguez compared even better (1.60 vs 4.62 ERA). In May, Sheehan improved his ratio of strikeouts to walks from 3.11 to 6,20, but his ERA was little changed.

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

Tuesday, 6:40 PM MST, Lou Gehrig Day. Michael Soroka will face Eric Lauer. In March/April, Soroka had the better ERA (4.70 vs 6.00 ERA). In May, Soroka compared even better (1.78 vs 5.87 ERA).

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

Wednesday, 6:40 PM MST, Japanese Heritage Celebration. Zac Gallen will face Shohei Ohtani. The contrast between these two pitchers is stark. While Gallen is currently the fourth or fifth best pitcher in the Diamondbacks rotation, Ohtani is competing for the Cy Young award. Nevertheless, this season Gallen had two quality starts. This game could be a third quality start, and the Diamondbacks would have winning chances.

This matchup is advantage Dodgers.

Thursday, 6:40 PM MST, Mexican Heritage Night. Ryne Nelson will face Justin Wobleski. In March/April, Wobleski had the better ERA (1.50 vs 7.71 ERA). In May (prior to his start on 30 May), Nelson turned it around, showing he is now the better pitcher (2.36 vs 4.13 ERA). My gut is telling me that Nelson is the better pitcher.

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

The Nationals continue to stay hot as the calendar flips to June, having just finished a month where they went 6-2-1 in their 9 series’. Holding 2nd place in the National League East, this month offers Washington a chance to maintain their place in contention and potentially force the front office’s hand and buy before the late July trade deadline. As they look to keep fighting for a playoff spot, they have a chance for revenge against the 26-34 Miami Marlins, who took a 3-game series against them in early May.

It’s certainly a good time for the Nats to face Miami, who enters the series on a 5-game losing streak, capped off by getting swept by the New York Mets. The Marlins have had their stretches, but remain entrenched in mediocrity at the bottom of the division, However, two of their best arms are set to throw this series, giving Washington a legitimate test.

Game 1 – Monday 6:45 PM EST

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (3-3, 3.62 ERA)

MIA: RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-4, 4.66 ERA)

Cavalli hasn’t been a worldbeater this season, but he’s steadied out as of late and has continued to be a reliable option in the rotation. His most recent outing, 6.0 innings of 1-run ball with 7 strikeouts against the Cleveland Guardians, again showed that the 25-year-old has an arsenal capabale of handling MLB lineups on a consistent basis. He’s done fine job of preventing opponents from putting together crooked innings, and he looks to continue that trend on Monday.

May was a month to forget for Alcantara, giving up 6 runs or more in 3 of his 5 appearances, including getting ripped by Toronto for a season high 8 runs on May 26th. He’s striking guys out at a lower rate than usual, and his offspeed pitches have been getting torched on the regular. The Nats’ offense has been firing on all cylinders, easily swinging this game in their favor.

Game 2 – Tuesday 6:45 PM EST

WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (1-4, 5.72 ERA)

MIA: TBD

This has certainly been an interesting narrative shift for Mikolas, who has seen much improved results since the beginning of May. He’s bounced between starting and entering after an opener, but what hasn’t changed is how impressive he’s been across the last calendar month. His abysmal 8.46 ERA in April was flipped on its head in May, and he takes on Miami after posting just a 2.74 ERA over his last 5 times through the rotation.

No pitcher has been announced yet for Miami, as they continue to work through a handful of injuries and roster moves within the rotation.

Game 3 – Wednesday 1:05 PM EST

WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 4.02 ERA)

MIA: RHP Max Meyer (5-0, 2.97)

The 26-year-old’s 6th appearance in 2026 is set to be his 1st start. San Diego gave him troubles the last time he toed the rubber, and needs to attack hitters instead of restricting himself to the corners. In what’s set up to be a bullpen game for Washington, they look to Alvarez to take care of the top of the Marlins’ lineup in the series finale.

The clear alpha of the Miami staff, Meyer has finally broken out into the pitcher they envisioned when selecting him 3rd overall in 2020. His 5-pitch mix has kept hitters at bay, and his secondaries continue to generate some of the best results across the league. Winning at least one of the first two games will be crucial for the Nats, with Game 3 looking like their weakest matchup on paper.

Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the end of the month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.

First Place: Seattle Mariners (31-29)

Top Position Player: Randy Arozarena (2.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Bryan Woo (1.5 fWAR)

The top spot in the American League West has been a bit of a merry-go-round this season, with the reigning division champs, the Seattle Mariners, emerging as the team on top at the end of the month. Despite a disappointing start to the season from Cal Raleigh, plus injuries to Raleigh and Brendan Donovan, Seattle boasts one of the more prolific offenses in the American League, thanks to strong performances from Randy Arozarena (147 wRC+) and Luke Raley (155 wRC+), plus a strong month of May from Julio Rodríguez (.278/.316/.583 slash line with nine home runs). And yet, this offense still has another level it can reach, as they’ve gotten little production out of first base due to Josh Naylor’s lackluster production (98 wRC+, though he’s heated up since his frigid start), and southpaw-killer Rob Refsnyder has just a .115/.197/.262 slash line against lefties this season.

On the mound, the Mariners boast one of the few rotations in the American League that can challenge the Yankees in terms of depth. Bryan Woo (1.5 fWAR), George Kirby (1.3 fWAR), Emerson Hancock (1.1 fWAR), and Logan Gilbert (0.9 fWAR) each rank within the top 21 of AL starters in fWAR, a number matched only by the aforementioned Bombers. Only Luis Castillo, the pitcher with the longest track record, has struggled. Overall, the bullpen has been solid, although Andrés Muñoz has been uncharacteristically prone to meltdowns.

Second Place: The Athletics (28-31)

Top Position Player: Shea Langeliers (2.3 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Jackson Perkins (0.7 fWAR)

Hovering within two to three games of .500 on each side, the Athletics have spent much of the season at or near the top of a weak American League West. While they have had some big series wins, however, their success in the division to date has less to do with the Athletics themselves, and more to do with how flawed their division has been. The offense has been slightly below league average, despite fantastic performances from Shea Langeliers (147 wRC+), Nick Kurtz (152 wRC+), and Carlos Cortes (165 wRC+), because outside of this trio, the A’s lack a true offensive threat. Brent Rooker has been a real disappointment, accruing -0.3 fWAR with a 71 wRC+ out of the DH spot.

On the flip side, the pitching staff has been slightly better than league average. Jeffrey Springs and J.T. Ginn have been solid (as were Aaron Civale and Luis Severino before they hit the shelf), while the bullpen has seen their roles shuffle (Hogan Harris, Joel Kuhnel, and Mark Leiter Jr. all have four saves, highlighting the team’s search for a consistent closer at the back end). Although they have solid pieces, however, they lack a true ace or a dominant bullpen arm — possibly the result of playing in a minor-league ballpark.

Third Place: Texas Rangers (28-31)

Top Position Player: Josh Jung (1.5 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: MacKenzie Gore (1.2 fWAR)

Heading into the season, the narrative around the Texas Rangers was that they would go as far as their pitching staff would take them, and in my heart, I still believe that to be the case. But as it currently stands, the offense has been their (mild) calling card. Thanks to a large number of platoons — the FanGraphs Depth Chart lists them as running four righty/lefty platoons, they have managed a 104 wRC+, good for fourth in the American League. Josh Jung, Brandon Nimmo, Joc Pederson, and Ezequiel Durán each have wRC+ of 129 and above. Should the struggling Corey Seager (80 wRC+) begin to find his stroke whenever he returns from the lower back inflammation that has kept him on the shelf since mid-May, this lineup may finally become truly dangerous.

The starting rotation, on the other hand, has been…less than stellar. Nathan Eovaldi (3.93 ERA) and Jacob deGrom (3.77 ERA) have been inconsistent, sometimes turning the clock back and dominating opposing lineups, at other times looking like their 36- and 38-year-old selves. Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, meanwhile, have yet to live up to the lofty expectations that their status as top draft picks placed upon them. A dominant bullpen, led by Jacob Latz, Tyler Alexander, and Jakob Junis, has held their pitching staff afloat, and allowed them to have a perfectly league average 100 ERA+.

Fourth Place: Houston Astros (27-34)

Top Position Player: Yordan Álvarez (2.7 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Peter Lambert (0.8 fWAR)

What happens when you put together one of the league’s best offenses with the league’s worst pitching staff? You get the Houston Astros, a team that in most divisions would already be in dire straits, but who (unfortunately for Yankees fans) exist in a division that cannot get out of its own way, and are thus still right in the thick of the division race.

Second baseman Jose Altuve has finally begun to look his age, and Carlos Correa is out for the season with an ankle injury suffered during batting practice, but the Houston offense has not missed a beat. Yordan Álvarez looks truly healthy for the first time in years, and looks to be one of the early frontrunners for the American League MVP with a 187 wRC+ and an AL-leading 20 home runs. Between Yordan, first baseman Christian Walker, and a returned-to-health Jeremy Peña, the Astros offense will not be the thing holding this team back.

On the other hand, though, the pitching staff has largely been a disappointment, the combined no-hitter notwithstanding. Thanks to injuries to ace Hunter Brown as well as Ronel Blanco, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., Brandon Walter, and Hayden Wesneski, Houston has been forced to use 12 different starting pitchers this season. Spencer Arrighetti has been electric, and Tatsuya Imai may (emphasis: may) be starting to settle in after a disastrous transition to America, but the depth has been challenged. The bullpen hasn’t been any better, either, with Yankee reject Enyel De Los Santos one of their best relievers, somehow. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that Josh Hader should finally be activated for his season debut on Tuesday, following biceps tendinitis.

The Astros being the Astros, though, they have somehow managed to crawl out of the cellar, and string together enough wins in May to make contention in the division at least plausible.

Last Place: Los Angeles Angels (23-37)

Top Position Player: Mike Trout (2.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Reid Detmers (1.9 fWAR)

After years of absolute disasters, the Angels have recaptured their mid-to-late 2010s form, which is to say, they’ve been a disaster, but at least Mike Trout has looked good — and more importantly, remained healthy.

Anaheim’s favorite fish has looked vintage so far this season, posting a .241/.412/.498 slash line with 14 home runs and five stolen bases in his return to center field. Unfortunately for him, help has been rather lacking, as offseason acquisition Josh Lowe was optioned to Triple-A, Jo Adell is proving that last year’s 37-homer campaign was an aberration, and Jorge Soler looks every bit the 34-year-old unable to play the field. Besides Trout, in fact, the only two players contributing offensively on a consistent basis have been shortstop Zack Neto (121 wRC+) and second baseman Oswald Peraza (122 wRC+).

On the mound, the Angels have been, well, just like the offense. After his dominant start to the season, José Soriano has crashed down to earth, posting a 5.34 ERA in the month of May, thanks in part to two awful performances against the White Sox and Dodgers, respectively. Behind him, Walbert Ureña has been in the midst of a breakout, having allowed two runs or fewer in all six of his May starts. Reid Detmers, however, is a reliever cosplaying as a starter, Jack Kochanowicz leads the league in walks, and Yusei Kikuchi wasn’t exactly good before going on the IL. The bullpen hasn’t been any better, with only Chase Silseth and Sam Bachman the only thing resesmbling high-leverage arms.

The latest news on your Houston Astros!

Josh Hader’s return appears to be imminent:

After 6 no-hit innings in his best start in MLB, Tatsuya Imai gave the Astros another strong start this weekend against division-leading Milwaukee:

Bryan Abreu’s struggles continue, so much so that the Astros have, at least for now, changed the trajectory of a prospect’s career to possibly make him reach the majors this season:

A milestone for Isaac Paredes:

Updates for Javier, Altuve, Brown

Pitching Probables vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Astros Manager Joe Espada is being inducted into the Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in Puerto Rico

The Reds have not finished in first place since 2012, but were in first place in the National League Central after a hot start had them 20-11 by the end of April. They have lost 17 of 27 since then and their only series wins since have come against the struggling Astros, Phillies, and Mets. Now they face the struggling Royals! The Royals dropped 18 of 28 in the month of May, and now have the second-worst record in baseball.

Kansas City Royals (22-37) vs. Cincinnati Reds (30-28) at Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH

Royals: 3.75 runs scored/game (29th in MLB), 4.75 runs allowed/game (22nd)

Reds: 4.41 runs scored/game (14th), 4.97 runs allowed/game (25th)

Only seven teams have hit more home runs than the Reds, and they have the seventh-highest walk rate, but the second-highest strikeout rate. They have hit 43 of their 72 home runs at home (60 percent), but are hitting just .224 at Great American Ballpark. Sal Stewart leads all National League rookies in home runs with 12, and is third in wRC+ among all rookies with at least 200 plate appearances. Nathaniel Lowe is hitting .324 with three home runs and four doubles in his last nine games. Spencer Steer is hitting .327/.411/.612 against lefties this year. JJ Bleday is hitting .333/.474/.778 at home.

Matt McLain is hitting just .167/.231/.310 over his last 26 games. The Reds are without All-Star Elly de la Cruz, who was placed on the Injured List with a hamstring strain. Edwin Arroyo, who hit .323/.383/.562 with 11 home runs in 53 games in Triple-A, will be called up to replace him. The 22-year-old is a former top 100 prospect and the #3 ranked prospect in the Reds system, according to MLB Pipeline.

The Royals will start Luinder Avila on Monday, although he is not ramped up to make a full start. Former second-overall pick Chase Burns is enjoying an All-Star season in his first full year in the big leagues. He has given up two runs or less in ten of his eleven starts this year. He has the tenth-highest strikeout rate among starers. He throws a 98 mph fastball, and opponents are hitting just .137 against his slider with a 53 percent whiff rate.

Andrew Abbott was an All-Star last year and earned Cy Young votes, finishing fifth in the National League with a 2.87 ERA. He allowed just four earned runs in 28 innings in May, for a 1.29 ERA, earning three wins. He has a 5.28 ERA in six starts at home this year with five home runs allowed.

Chris Paddack has a 5.40 ERA in three starts with the Reds since they picked him up following his release by the Marlins. He leads the National League with seven losses, and has yet to win a game. Paddack had a 3.33 ERA in 2019, but has a 5.23 ERA in 102 games since then. Salvador Perez is just 1-for-8 against him in their career matchups, but Vinnie Pasquantino has homered against him, going 2-for-7.

The Reds have a 4.98 ERA from relievers, fourth-worst in baseball. Closer Emilio Pagán is currently on the Injured List. Tony Santillan has two saves, but was lifted from a save opportunity yesterday when he struggled to get throught the inning. He has a 53 percent flyball rate, one of the highest in baseball. Today, the Reds called up pitcher Brandon Leibrandt, son of former Reds and Royals pitcher Charlie Leibrandt.

The Royals swept the Reds in their last visit to Cincinnati, outscoring the Reds 28-3 in 2024. They enter this series with a much different mojo, although the Reds matched their gloomy May performance. Both teams could badly use a series win, although at least the Reds are still in a pennant race. The Royals may be looking forward to 2027.

The Dodgers’ depth took some hits during May, with a pair of injuries on both sides of the ball. But they withstood the losses and piled up the wins over the final three weeks of the month.

After an incredibly stable starting rotation through the end of April, the Dodgers lost Tyler Glasnow to back spasms in the first week of May, and Blake Snell succumbed to left elbow surgery a week later after only one start. Hits to the offense came in the final week. Kiké Hernández had four hits in four at-bats after missing the first 53 games of the season, but might miss that much time again after straining his oblique. Two days later, Teoscar Hernández ended his productive May with a hamstring injury that will likely sideline him for a month.

But the team started to click on all cylinders, combining a powerful offense with stingy pitching to win 14 of their last 17 games. The Dodgers started May with a half-game lead in the division, and finished the month up by 5 1/2 games in the National League West.

May results

18-10 record
147 runs scored (5.25 per game, 4th in MLB)
84 runs allowed (3.00 per game, 2nd in MLB)
.736 pythagorean win percentage (21-7)

Year to date

38-21 record
314 runs scored (5.32 per game, 2nd in MLB)
185 runs allowed (3.14 per game 1st in MLB)
.725 pythagorean win percentage (43-16)

Fantastic four

The Dodgers dipped a bit in offense in May, relative to April, but still ranked fourth in the majors in runs scored during this month. Most of the difference came with a drop in batting average.

• April: .273/.350/.452, 126 wRC+
• May: .252/.339/.441, 120 wRC+

Andy Pages continued his strong season by hitting .26/.319/.560 with a 142 wRC+ during May, and led the team in home runs (eight), RBI (25), runs scored (20), and stolen bases (three). Plus one very memorable sacrifice fly off fireballer Mason Miller.

Freddie Freeman found his stroke, hitting eight doubles to move into the top 30 all-time, and hit .287/.397/.532 with a 159 wRC+ in May. Teoscar Hernández was on an extra-base hit tear when he got hurt, and hit .216/.333/.446 with a 149 wRC+ during May.

Shohei Ohtani still hasn’t gone on a home run barrage — he’s at 10 home runs on the season, on pace for 27 this year after hitting 54 and 55 in his first two years in Los Angels — but he was still quite productive, hitting .289/.397/.495 with a 153 wRC+ in May.

For starters

Ohtani was also busy on the mound, and in his four May starts his ERA ballooned … to 1.08 for the month with 27 strikeouts and eight walks.

The rotation got only one start each from Glasnow and Snell in May, and was more workmanlike in May than in April, but was still quite effective. Eric Lauer made one start during the month, and it was a quality one. Outside of a bullpen game on May 15 in Anaheim, Dodgers starters averaged 5 2/3 innings per start, a bit down from 5.85 innings in April.

Starting pitchers

• March/April: 5.85 IP/start, 2.83 ERA, 3.52 xERA
• May: 5.67 IP/start, 3.35 ERA, 3.46 xERA

What a relief

Unmentioned in the injuries above was left-hander Jack Dreyer, who missed most of the last half of May with left shoulder discomfort. But he still had enough time to pitch 8 2/3 scoreless innings, but he wasn’t alone. Kyle Hurt and Will Klein allowed one run apiece, and combined for 23 innings and 24 strikeouts. Tanner Scott had a scoreless month until blowing a save on Saturday. The bullpen, complete with its rotating cast of characters, did not allow any runs at all from May 13-24, totaling 38 (but really 40) consecutive scoreless innings, and a 1.74 ERA in 93 innings from actual relievers during the month. And the good news is that Dreyer was activated from the injured list on the final day of the month.

The month ahead

In June the Dodgers only play nine games at home, all of them against American League teams. Interleague play accounts for 17 of the Dodgers’ 27 games during the month, with divisional road series at Arizona to open the month and in San Diego in the last weekend of June.

The Cubs went 3-4 over the past week, which isn’t great… until you remember that they had lost eight in a row before the week began, and then the first two games of last week.

So let’s go with this: The Cubs have won three of their last five. Something to build on, anyway.

Here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.

Three up

Ian Happ. Yes, Ian Happ.

Happ went 0-for-3 in the first game of the road trip and 0-for-4 in the last one.

In between, in the other five games: .417/.417/.917 (10-for-24) with three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI. Overall on the trip, then: .323/.344/.710. That’s a pretty good run, and Happ, as you know, is a very streaky hitter. Hopefully the streakiness will continue in a positive way this week at Wrigley Field.

Here’s his longest homer of the week, 407 feet in St. Louis on Friday [VIDEO].

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s bat came alive

At last, over the last seven games, we saw signs of the PCA we saw last year.

The best of it was the four-hit game he had against the Cardinals on Saturday, which included this massive 444-foot home run into a group of fans chanting “Overrated!” [VIDEO].

Then PCA ended that game with yet another five-star catch [VIDEO].

Ben Brown has arrived as a starter

In Brown’s two starts last week, one in Pittsburgh and one in St. Louis, he threw 13 innings, allowed seven hits and three walks (0.769 WHIP) and posted a 1.38 ERA (two earned runs). He struck out 13.

Here are the seven K’s he registered against the Pirates [VIDEO].

Brown has allowed one home run this year — to the very first batter he faced on Opening Day (Jacob Young of the Nationals). The 51.1 innings he’s thrown since then without allowing a homer is the longest active homerless streak for any MLB pitcher.

Great stuff, Ben.

Honorable mention to Alex Bregman, who’s on a 10-game hitting streak and homered Sunday. Maybe he’s finally coming out of it.

Three down

Jordan Wicks needs a return trip to Iowa

Two starts, 6.1 innings, 13 hits, one walk (2.211 WHIP), 11 runs (all earned, 15.63 ERA).

I’m beginning to wonder if a change of scenery would work for Wicks. But would anyone trade for him after those two bad performances in Pittsburgh and St. Louis?

Moisés Ballesteros, same as Wicks

Ballesteros went 3-for-15 (.200), all singles, with five strikeouts in five games on the road trip. For the month of May he batted .102/.206/.153 (6-for-59) with one extra-base hit (a home run) and 18 strikeouts.

Give Kevin Alcántara and Pedro Ramirez some DH at-bats and let Ballesteros get his batting stroke back in Triple-A.

Dansby Swanson’s bat has disappeared

Swanson did have one two-hit game in Pittsburgh but overall batted .136/.321/.182 (3-for-22) on the trip with nine strikeouts. The six walks make the OBP decent, but overall in May Swanson batted .151/.233/.215 (14-for-93) with 24 strikeouts.

He continues to play stellar defense, but that bat has got to get going.

You all know about the home run issues for Shōta Imanaga and Jameson Taillon, so I won’t belabor them.

Instead of playing into June, as had been the case the previous five years, Arizona found itself done by mid-May after a disastrous 2026 season. It was a major regression from the year before, when the Wildcats returned to the College World Series for the 19th time.

But if there’s an upside to such a bad season, it’s that work on the next one can get started a little earlier.

The NCAA transfer portal officially opened on Monday, but plenty of players across the country had publicly announced their intention to enter. That included several members of the UA squad that went 19-34.

Arizona’s roster will look very different when the 2027 season begins in February with another tournament at Globe Life Field in Texas, and below is a breakdown of all the comings and goings. Updates will be made as changes occur:

Departures

Out of eligibility

• 2B Tyler Bickers
• LHP Luc Fladda
• RHP Garrett Hicks
• RHP Matthew Martinez
• 3B Maddox Mihalakis
• SS Mathis Meurant
• LHP Patrick Morris
• DH Dom Rodriguez
• LHP Mason Russell

Entered NCAA transfer portal

• OF Sean Barta
• IF/OF Jackson Forbes
• OF Gunner Geile
• IF Ethan Guerra
• RHP Andrew Jacobs
• OF Chaz McNellis
• C Roman Meyers
• RHP Sam Round
• RHP Nolan Straniero

Drafted

• 2026 MLB Draft is July 11-12

Holdovers

• OF TJ Adams (R-Sr.)
• RHP JT Drake (R-Sr.)*
• RHP Collin McKinney (R-Sr.)
• RHP Tony Pluta (R-Sr.)*
• C Beau Sylvester (R-Sr.)
• RHP Evan Brandt (Sr.)
• OF Easton Breyfogle (Sr.)
• OF Andrew Cain (Sr.)
• RHP Corey Kling (Sr.)
• RHP Owen Kramkowski (Sr.)
• LHP Maclain Roberts (Sr.)
• OF Carson McEntire (R-Jr.)
• RHP Smith Bailey (Jr.)
• OF Tyler Russell (Jr.)
• 1B Tony Lira (R-So.)
• IF Nate Novitske (R-So.)
• SS Cash Brennan (So.)
• OF Caleb Danzeisen (So.)
• C Joe Forbes (So.)
• RHP Benton Hickman (So.)
• RHP Jack Lafflam (So.)
• IF Gavin Triezenberg (So.)

*-redshirted in 2026

Additions

Transfer portal commitments

• Stay tuned!

Signed with Arizona in November

• OF Ben Ball
• RHP Jack Byers
• IF Jory Crocker
• 3B Ayden Deome
• RHP James Hunt
• C Cooper Kruk (JUCO)
• IF Lyndon Lee
• OF Matthew Maize (JUCO)
• RHP Quinn O’Rourke
• LHP Tommy Pascanu
• C Francisco Rivero Jr.
• IF Abram Sherrin
• OF Drew Ward

The San Francisco Giants will be sellers at this year’s trade deadline and while they have some obvious “chips,” “chits,” or “pieces,” I figured it’d be a better conversation starter to rank them, as the perception of a player’s value will surely not be uniform across the fandom or even just those who read this post.

Now, it was only yesterday that I joined the community here by saying that the Giants should not rebuild, and while being sellers at the trade deadline doesn’t necessarily follow a philosophical shift from “trying to sneak into the postseason by accidentally getting the third Wild Card” to TANKING, I want to be ideologically consistent. This post isn’t to say that the Giants should be willing to move anybody on the roster, it’s just to rank the value *I* perceive players to have should the Giants decide to move them.

So, here are the 10 most valuable players the Giants could move before this year’s trade deadline.

10. Tyler Mahle

Look, I’m with you. He’s been terrible. The 1-7 record and 6.04 ERA gets the season ticketholders riled up, but it’s that 4.86 FIP (tied for 8th-worst in MLB with Zac Gallen) that really underscores how terrible he’s been. His 10.0 hits per 9 innings is explained away by the Giants being bad on defense, but the 1.7 HR/9 and 3.8 BB/9 are much closer to his career averages when the small sample size of 56.2 innings and context of his situation (being on one of the worst Giants teams in the long history of the franchise) are taken into account.

And I’ll add that Aaron Civale, he of the 4.91 ERA and 5.59 FIP in just 22 MLB innings last season, wound up being traded around this time last season by the Milwaukee Brewers — who had acquired him the previous season from the Tampa Bay Rays — to the Chicago White Sox for… Andrew Vaughn, one of the key figures in Milwaukee’s lineup these days.

Of course, Buster Posey isn’t the savvy operator that Brewers’ POBO Matt Arnold is nor are the Giants a big unlocker of hitting talent. Milwaukee really isn’t, either, but they are such a well run organization by comparison that simply getting Vaughn off a struggling team like the White Sox and onto a good team like the Brewers really did seem to reset his talent. It’s an interesting situation to note because the White Sox also had current Giant Adrian Houser on their roster last year and seemed to help him revitalize his career (2.10 ERA in 68.2 IP) to the point that they were able to trade him to Tampa Bay.

Mahle would have some value to teams because of his strikeouts (9.1 K/9 is right in line with his career average) and all of the under the hood numbers indicate that he’s still the same guy when healthy — he’s just never healthy. But he would also be more valuable than Houser in a trade scenario because he doesn’t have the extra year attached to him, unlike Houser. That fact might be moot if there’s a lockout, but Houser hasn’t pitched much better than Mahle to merit extra consideration, I think.

The Giants might not be able to get a middle of the lineup tarnished figure a la Vaughn for him, but there’s some dinged up value to be exchanged for dinged up value here.

9. Jung Hoo Lee

There are 64 hitters currently hitting 20% or better than the league average and one of them is Jung Hoo Lee. But to put it another, better way: there are 32 hitters aged 27 or younger currently hitting 20% or better than the league average and one of them is Jung Hoo Lee.

His age plus position plus hitting ability makes him valuable. Weighted against him are some big negatives:

• An extensive injury history
• An $18.833 CBT number through 2029, as he’s unlikely to opt out after this next season
• Average defense, no stolen bases

And did I mention that he has an $18.833 CBT number through 2029? Oh, I did. Well, it’s even worse than that. Because of the structure of his deal, he’s owed $64.25 million after this season, $79.75 million if you factor in what’s left of his contract this season.

That’s a lot of money for a player who could still go either way in his career. That’s right, there’s still a good chance that he winds up hitting his way into a 3-win player over the next few years as the Giants hoped when they signed him. Another team might be able to unlock more consistency with better coaching and scouting, but with such an extensive cost attached to him, the Giants might not be able to get too much back in return, making him less valuable to trade.

On the other hand, here are the worst hitting outfields in MLB right now:

30. Brewers, 79 wRC+
29. Phillies, 80 wRC+
28. Rays, 80 wRC+
27. White Sox, 82 wRC+
26. Padres, 84 wRC+
25. Marlins, 84 wRC+
24. Astros, 87 wRC+
23. Giants, 89 wRC+
22. Reds, 91 wRC+
21. Athletics, 92 wRC+

Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, and San Diego are almost certainly locks for the postseason, while the Phillies, White Sox, Astros, and Reds are extremely in the mix. With a looming lockout plus salary cap on the horizon, I’m not sure what the risk appetite will be, but if there’s a cap then there’s going to be a floor, and you could envision a scenario where the Rays, Reds, or Marlins add Lee just to help get them to a theoretical floor sooner… with the Giants kicking in some money to get back a decent prospect or two.

A bad example that still might apply. Back in 2024, the Mariners acquired Randy Arozarena (2.5 years on deal) from the Rays in exchange for their #12 and #22 prospects plus a player to be named later. Another bad example might be when the Marlins traded Jazz Chisholm (2.5 years on deal) to the Yankees back in 2024. They received the Yankees’ #19 & #20 prospects plus an infielder.

A player with 3.5 years remaining on his deal with a nonzero possibility of opting out next offseason (if there is one!) certainly limits a potential return, but given that he’s not one of Buster’s guys and the Giants needing to create some payroll flexibility, I’d say there’s a version of reality where a deal is possible and the Giants would get something in return that might be useful but would certainly be extra money they’ll need in the future.

8. Rafael Devers

In this morning’s Power Alley on SiriusXM radio, Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden talked about the Milwaukee Brewers and how the NL Central is theirs. They also pointed out that as good as they are in terms of winning a division, they’re going to struggle against the Dodgers and Atlanta come the postseason, suggesting they’re one starting pitcher short after Jacob Misioroski and Kyle Harrison and need a middle of the order bat, too. Bowden said something to the effect of “Now, they can’t afford it, but imagine them trading for Rafael Devers and dropping him into the middle of their lineup.”

Would the Giants trade Rafael Devers? I think so. He would be a great near-term value add for a lot of teams out there. I think there might be a behind the scenes scenario where the Giants, in trying to impress their new investors with their fiscal responsibility, might be looking to cut costs on a dead season as quickly as possible. Devers is owed a lot of money for a long time, so, this would be another situation where the Giants would probably need to eat some of the contract, which might be a problem unto itself, or it might be a situation where they get back another team’s problem contract just to balance the books in the near-term; but in any case, I can see another team wanting to make Buster Posey look bad by trading for Devers for even less than what the Giants gave up to get him.

I can also see the Giants figuring they need to hold on to Devers because his bat is meaningfully better than what they have on hand for the time being, and if they’re going to be good again next season or the season after, they’ll probably need him to stick around. So, moving him might hurt the team more than it helps, but I’ll put him low on this list because I think he should be on it. Just in case!

7. Keaton Winn

The Giants should try to move a 28-year old with an injury track record but who’s having a great start to a season (2.45 ERA / 2.80 FIP in 25.2 IP) in a new role as quickly as possible. Including him along with another player on the list might help boost a return, too. Just take a look at last year’s trades to see the reliever duos traded.

6. Robbie Ray

Before the start of the season, he absolutely would’ve been #1 or #2 on this list, but he has pitched so poorly this season that it’s clear the haul will be quite minimal. His 4.45 BB/9 is worst in the National League for starting pitchers (3rd in all of MLB) and his 5.37 FIP is third-worst in MLB behind Jamison Taillon and Ryne Nelson.

He’ll also be owed about $12.5 million the rest of the season, so, a team acquiring him would really need pitching and Ray will have had to string together some starts reminiscent of his best work. Last year, the Padres acquired Nestor Cortes from the Brewers in exchange for backup outfielder Brandon Lockridge. Now, Lockridge is hitting .294/.368/.341 for Milwaukee this season, so it’s not like they got nothing back for Cortes (who was by that point a journeyman several seasons removed from being an All-Star). I’m not sure Ray’s value has tumbled that low, but I’m putting him so low on this list because it feels like that might be more true than not.

5. Erik Miller

Lefty relievers who throw hard are always valuable and especially around trade deadlines. Look, Erik Miller is not is not is not Tanner Scott, but Tanner Scott has been traded twice in his career. After 156 innings of 4.73 ERA ball, the Orioles traded him to the Marlins for three minor leaguers (none of whom panned out). With the Marlins, he had ERAs of 4.31, 2.31, and 1.75 across 212.2 IP and wound up being traded to the Padres along with another pitching prospect for the Padres’ #2, #4, and #5 prospects.

The 28-year old miller is, again, NOT Tanner Scott, and has an extensive injury history that chews into the remaining value, but if the Giants were to dangle him, they’d get a really good return for him. He is a strikeout machine, and you would think an acquiring team would be able to help him tone down that walk rate, especially since they’d have him for three arbitration years after 2026. But even somebody like 34-year old Andrew Chafin netted the Tigers the Rangers’ #24 prospect and a major league reliever back in 2024.

Now, could the Giants use him in, like, 2030 when they might be an 83-win team, fighting for the fourth Wild Card? Sure. But his best value today is as a trade chip.

4. Landen Roupp

He’s got to be high on the list because he would be a tremendously valuable addition to an acquiring team which would mean that the Giants would get a lot for him. On the other hand, the hit to their starting rotation would probably be pretty steep, so, I can’t put him so high on the list. There also aren’t many comparisons to be made here and it would depend on what the industry thinks of him. Moving Roupp seems more like a move to make in the offseason, but if the lockout worries pickup, I wonder if that will change the calculation for teams hoping to compete in 2026. Roupp is also an injury risk who might only be sticking around for another 50-60 innings this season; but, really, I don’t think the Giants would be able to find equivalent value in a trade.

Still, you never know.

3. Luis Arraez

One could argue that the Giants signed him specifically to trade him at the deadline, regardless of their win-loss record. That they were able to Wash him and make him an above average defender at second base makes this whole gambit an absolute miracle, and it’s reasonable to believe that the Giants will do very well in trading him.

He is the 23rd most valuable position player in Major League Baseball as I write this. I bolded that because it is still hard to process. Buster Posey found Joe Panik? Found Marco Scutaro? in free agency for $12 million.

It’s very hard to find a comparison here because teams don’t typically trade players with this much value. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the year, so, it’s not like there will be a lot of value to be had in a trade scenario anyway, but on the other hand, we’ve seen teams really go all out to acquire exactly what they need. But just to give an example of value: last year, here were the position players around the 23rd-most valuable on June 1st:

• Steven Kwan, 2.1 fWAR
• Brendan Donovan, 2.0
• Rafael Devers, 1.9
• Ryan O’Hearn, 2.1

Remarkably, all of these players were traded at some point or, in the case of Kwan, rumored to be on the trade block. Only O’Hearn was a free agent at year’s end.

In his case, the Orioles traded him along with outfielder Ramon Laureano along with cash to the Padres in exchange for their #6, #8, and #16 prospects along with two more position player prospects and a pitching prospect. Laureano had an extra year on his deal and the Padres were in terrible need of help in their outfield, so, it’s not a true comparison to the Arraez situation.

Then there’s the factor of what teams value more: offense or defense. Only 11 of the 30 teams have positive defense and offense at second base. The rest

Plus, the teams that could use a boost at second base aren’t playoff teams for the most part, and the ones that could be are actually . Only the Rays (+0.3 fWAR, 100 wRC+), but 20 of the 30 teams have at least average defense there. So, how many of those teams would seek an upgrade at the position?

The Giants’ 113 wRC+ is 7th in MLB for the second base position, top third in the sport. Their +6.3 Defensive Runs Above Average is #2. Would Philadelphia want to improve over Bryson Stott (67 wRC+, +3.6 Def, +0.5 fWAR)? Or the Reds over Spencer Steer & Edwin Arroyo (78 wRC+, +2.4 Def, +0.3 fWAR)? Or Tampa Bay get better than Richie Palacios (100 wRC+, -5.4 Def, +0.3 fWAR)?

This is almost certainly the one big trade the Giants will be involved in this deadline and it’s a situation where they might get a big return if they are able to drum up enough interest or move him in June when the acquiring team would get to have him longer.

2. Logan Webb

From December: The “best time to trade Logan Webb is after the 2026 season, provided the Giants are still a .500 at best team.” The Giants are no longer a .500 team at best. They are back to the Bobby Evans era of 2017 in terms of their ceiling. It’s time to move Logan Webb. Problem is, he might not be the same pitcher everyone planned for him to be at the start of the season and the ABS Challenge System might’ve further eroded his value by taking away the shadow strike zone.

Still! There are plenty of comps to be made for a Webb deal. Back in December, I briefly mentioned the Padres trade for Dylan Cease before pivoting to more realistic-looking deals that fit Webb’s contract & age:

– The Orioles gave up INF Joey Ortiz (#8 prospect, #63 on Pipeline’s Top 100), LHP DL Hall, and a Competitive Balance Round A pick for one year of Corbin Burnes (then 29) two offseasons ago.

– The Rangers got the #4, #17, and #27 prospects in the Dodgers’ system at the 2017 trade deadline in exchange for Yu Darvish (age 30).

– In 2014, the Rays traded away David Price at the deadline for Willy Adames, Drew Smyly, and Nick Franklin (Seattle’s #4 prospect)

Now, here’s where things get really interesting. Ken Rosenthal wrote in The Athletic this morning that the trade deadline is about to be dominated by talk of Tarik Skubal being on the move, provided he can establish he’s healthy. I would never suggest that Logan Webb is on Skubal’s level, but he’s right there on the tier beneath and he, too, needs to demonstrate that he’s healthy, not just for the Giants, but for any team that might have interest. Such times might include those that miss out on acquiring Skubal or come to find that Skubal isn’t healthy and not worth acquiring in-season. Logan Webb could very quickly become The Best Pitcher Available, and that’s why I’m sneaking him past Luis Arraez. Not because he’s more likely to move, but because he’d be a more valuable player to move, given the probable return.

It’d be a big hit to the rotation, of course, but this season is so bad that moving Webb might be met by the season ticketholders and general fans with more of a “Well, Buster had to do something to shake things up.“ Because the possible return is lower and the pain for the Giants much greater, I can’t put Logan Webb #1. No Giants fan should want the Giants to trade away Logan Webb. But, you know, if it happens, it will be a logical decision.

1. Casey Schmitt

Now, why would the Giants move their best hitter right now? Well, because they have Matt Chapman, and chances are they won’t be able to trade Matt Chapman. Now, if they trade Luis Arraez, I’d think that would put Schmitt there or even shortstop if they want to slide Adames over to second in-season. There are certainly scenarios where a trade makes him more valuable to the Giants on the Giants, but just imagine what a player who is having his breakout season with three years of team control remaining could fetch in the trade market.

The Red Sox didn’t want to pay Alex Bregman to continue playing third base, so they let him walk and traded for Caleb Durbin (.183/.250/.280). Let Casey Schmitt aim his bat at the Green Monster and have some fun. The Red Sox have not only some interesting outfielders, but interesting arms who could really help the Giants, and with Schmitt in the lineup, Boston might be able to make a run at the AL Wild Card.

The Brewers could improve upon the 71 wRC+ they’re getting from the position and improve upon the defense, too. Cincinnati is dead last in offense from the position. The Phillies are 24th (71 wRC+).

Yes, this would be a big hit to the current Giants lineup, but with Schmitt out of position and a lot of the prospect depth being on the infield, it stands to reason that selling high on him would be a wise decision, particularly if it’s one of only a few moves they’d make around the deadline. It wouldn’t need to be a part of a total teardown, and it wouldn’t be the first time the team traded a popular third baseman to get better fast.

Sure, the Giants should make virtually their entire roster available for trade, but I didn’t include these players for the following reasons:

• Adrian Houser: that extra guaranteed year. I don’t think he’s pitched well enough for a team to acquire him with that commitment. Then again, a team might be certain there won’t be a 2027 and change their mind, but I couldn’t conjure value there other than a salary dump for the Giants.
• Matt Chapman: Yesterday, I wrote about how he’s not washed, cooked, or finished, but he’s still far enough along the aging curve with enough time left on his deal (plus a no trade clause!) that I don’t think he’d be one of the 10 most valuable trade pieces the Giants would have to offer at the deadline.
• Willy Adames: Too much money owed, and not enough upside, especially with the bad defense this season.
• Heliot Ramos: I did consider adding him to the list, but I think the Giants would want to hold on to him in the event that they do make other trades because he will be an important bat for them to have in the lineup when he comes back. If he doesn’t come back soon (and it doesn’t seem like he will), then teams won’t want him in-season.
• Bryce Eldridge: Since the Giants wouldn’t be trying to acquire a player to remarkably improve their in-season chances I think he’ll stay put. But, wow, I wonder if Zack Minasian has even briefly reconsidered not moving him for CJ Abrams. Ultimately, of course, it all worked out at second base, but the situation is… interesting.
• Caleb Kilian, Matt Gage, Joel Peguero, Ryan Walker: The relievers I put on the list would bring back more of a return than any of these guys.

Here’s my opinion of my own list: I’d like to see how the Giants could remake themselves for next year (or a post-lockout 2028) by trading Schmitt, Arraez, Webb, Robbie Ray, and Erik Miller. That would hurt, but it wouldn’t set them back very much going forward with the upside of bringing in prospects from the outside to pair with the ones they’ve been developing internally. The internal processes seem to be going well, so maybe now is the time to lean on the potential strength of player development and set themselves up nicely or a good, long future.

Fresh off back-to-back sweeps of the A’s and the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Mariners enter June in first place in their division, with a 31-29 record. Never a doubt, right? 

Let’s set the scene together, shall we? Think back to the early (and then not-so-early) days of this Mariners season, when everything felt chaotic in all the worst ways. Players were dropping like flies, former stalwarts looked awful and the vibes were all around bad. Take all that, stuff it into the New York media megaphone and then add many more millions of dollars of salary and stress. Ta da! You’ve got the 2026 Mets. Carlos Mendoza is treating every day like a gift (and by gift, we mean a package left on your doorstep, shoddily wrapped and disconcertingly lumpy, with no return label or other markings). But, credit to ‘em, they’re riding a nice little win streak of their own and could be in the midst of turning things around. Regardless of how the series transpires, it seems Mets fans are overwhelmingly unbothered by us PNWers.

If you’re looking at this lineup wondering “Hey, this is a weird list of players. I thought [insert names including Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, Kodai Senga and more] was on the Mets this year?” you’re absolutely correct. They’re supposed to be on the Mets, but they are instead, unfortunately, hurt. It’s been part of their whole issue. Other components to the Mets’ issues include Bo Bichette being what some physicians might diagnose as “refried ass,” Marcus Semien being old and Luis Torrens, sweetie pie that he is, being their everyday catcher. The outfield is Juan Soto and a duo of babies with promising upside, and former Doosan Bear Jared Young is having the season of his life. They’re an offense that’s been trending positively of late, but whether that’s because they set the bar so low at the start or because they’ve truly turned things around remains to be seen.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Sean Manaea enjoyed a resurgence in his first season with the Mets back in 2024, keyed by a new arm slot and a new sweeper. He struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness last year and was relegated to the bullpen to start this season. With David Peterson limping to a 5.18 ERA in 13 appearances, the Mets have opted to move Manaea back into the rotation. The team will use Austin Warren as an opener and then turn to Manaea for the bulk of the middle innings. He’s still reliant on his fastball-sweeper combo but he’s widened his arsenal by reintroducing a sinker and cutter into his repertoire. Those two pitches have helped him manage his platoon split a bit better this year.

Jonah Tong flew through the Mets’ minor league system after being drafted in the seventh round in the 2022 draft. He made his big league debut late last year after posting a 1.43 ERA across 22 minor league starts. Tong’s success rides on a plus plus fastball that has a ton of carry at the top of the zone. His secondary pitches are a little less developed; his changeup is the best of the lot but his cutter and curveball look decidedly average right now. Tong started the year in the minors but the Mets recalled him a few weeks ago when Clay Holmes went down with his leg injury. He’s worked behind an opener in his two outings and I’d expect the Mets to continue that strategy to protect Tong from over exposure.

Freddy Peralta was one of the Mets’ headlining acquisitions this offseason. Acquired in a trade from the Brewers, Peralta was expected to give New York an ace to lead the starting rotation. His fastball is his best pitch; he gets a ton of extension down the mound and his short stature produces a flat approach angle that really fools hitters. He’s got a trio of above average secondary pitches, though the effectiveness of each has waned a bit this year. He can be a little wild with his command, but has enough deception to generate high chase rates out of the zone. At times, that wildness can lead to a bunch of walks, but he’s usually able to overcome those extra base runners with a ton of strikeouts.

The Big Picture:

The Mariners have a two and a half game lead in their division and are currently the only team above .500. If that feels fragile to you, how about this: Only five teams in the American League have a record over .500. If the playoffs began today, the 29-31 Toronto Blue Jays would have the third Wild Card spot. Everyone in the West embarks on interleague play this week, which should be varying levels of entertaining. Me personally? I’ll be tuning in to Rockies vs Angels. As the towering pile of laundry I promised myself I’d do yesterday but eschewed in favor of attending the M’s game can attest, sometimes a little mess can feel good. 

The Cincinnati Redsplaced shortstop Elly De La Cruz on the injured list with a strained hamstring on Monday, June 1.

De La Cruz suffered the injury in Sunday's game when he hit a booming fly ball off the outfield wall but could only limp to first base with a single.

"He feels like he caught it before it did anything worse," Reds manager Terry Francona said after the game. "Saying that, we're gonna get him scanned at nine in the morning and we'll know more. ... Let's kind of hope. He's a pretty miraculous kid. Let's wait and see what happens."

An MRI revealed a right hamstring strain and resulted in a trip to the IL.

The Reds announce that Elly De La Cruz exited today's game with right hamstring tightness.

De La Cruz appears to have been injured on this base hit. pic.twitter.com/Hn4Vo6iS25

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 31, 2026

The injury will end De La Cruz's run of 276 consecutive games played, the third-longest active streak in the majors.

To take De La Cruz's place on the active roster, the Reds are calling up top infield prospect Edwin Arroyo from Class AAA Louisville.

Arroyo, 22, was hitting .323/.383/.562 with 11 home runs and nine stolen bases in 53 games.

He had been playing multiple positions in the minors to increase his versatility when he eventually made his MLB debut. However, the Reds had hoped Arroyo would come up to play alongside De La Cruz, not in place of him.

Reds general manager Brad Meador told The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Arroyo was most prepared to play shortstop, so the organization will at least have a chance to further evaluate him there.