The Mets suffered their ninth straight loss, falling to the Cubs 12-4 on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
This is New York's longest losing streak since 2004.
Here are some takeaways...
- The Mets' offense finally counterpunched after falling behind early. Kodai Senga spotted the Cubs four runs in the first, but the shaken up lineup was able to string together some second inning hits and struck three times on a Marcus Semien double and Tyrone Taylor two-run single to close the gap.
New York had scored three runs in their previous 39 innings before the big top of the second.
- Unfortunately for the Mets, Senga didn't fare much better the rest of the way. The right-hander gave up a monstrous two-run shot after walking the No. 9 hitter in the bottom of the second, then was able to work out of a two-out jam in the third before being pulled with a man on in the fourth.
Senga lasted just 3.1 innings this time out after going just 2.1 in his last outing.
- Things went from bad to worse after Senga left as some shoddy Mets defense helped the Cubs load the bases against Huascar Brazoban. The big righty appeared to get out of the jam, but Brett Baty booted a routine grounder to first, bringing in Chicago's seventh run of the game.
Senga's ERA is up to 8.83 after allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits and three walks.
- Sean Manaea put together two scoreless innings of work out the bullpen before running into trouble. The Cubs loaded the bases and tacked on three runs against him in the seventh, then Ian Happ crushed a 411 foot two-run homer to put the finishing touches on this one in the eighth.
- While it was wasted by the poor pitching performance, the Mets' offense did finally enjoy a decent showing. They recorded the eight hardest-hit balls in the game and finished with a total of 14 hits, with nine different players recording one and five of them finishing with two.
New York still couldn't come up with the big knock needed, though, finishing 4-for-11 with RISP.
- Carson Benge put together a nice day in his first big-league appearance in the leadoff spot. The lefty-hitting rookie smacked a 105.2 mph lineout to left in his first at-bat, then laced a single up the middle in his second, giving him hits in three straight and six of his last seven games.
Benge finished 1-for-4, and also made a diving catch in shallow right field.
- MJ Melendez enjoyed his second straight good game after being called up from Syracuse. He's now 4-for-7 to start his Mets tenure after reaching in each of his first three plate appearances with a walk and two hard-hit singles, before striking out in the eighth.
- Francisco Alvarez reached three times with two hits and walk, bringing his OPS to .959 on the season.
Game MVP: Nico Hoerner
Hoerner was tremendous on both sides of the ball, finishing with three hits and flashing the leather at second.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker #99 looks on during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs on April 15th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Detroit Tigers infielder Hao-Yu Lee bats during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After getting banged up repeatedly in Thursday’s victory, utilityman Zach McKinstry has been placed on the 10-day injured list with left hip/abdominal inflammation. Infielder Hao-Yu Lee has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo to make his major league debut. He’ll wear number 50, and is batting eighth and playing third base on Friday night in Boston.
The Tigers acquired Lee from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen back in 2023. Currently ranked sixth on MLB Pipeline’s ranking of Tigers’ prospect, the right-handed hitting infielder has good power and hit 14 home runs while stealing 22 bases last year in his first full season at the Triple-A level. Lee has solid plate discipline and will take his walks and generally keeps his strikeouts under control. Now 23 years old, Lee was injured this spring with an oblique strain before he got a chance to play for his native Team Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic, and missed most of the rest of spring camp.
As a hitter, Lee likes to go the opposite way and tends to spray a good amount of line drives. He’s much better against left-handed pitching, and that might be the majority of his role in McKinstry’s stead. The main flaw at the plate for Lee is handling good breaking balls. He’s shown some modest signs of improvement in terms of laying off the breaking stuff, but he’ll certainly be tested in the major leagues. If he can take the junk without chasing too much and get himself some fastballs to hit he should do fine, and this will be a good experience for him to take back to Toledo to keep refining his game.
Lee can handle both second and third base, but is generally better at second, while third is still a position he’s learning. He’s an aggressive hard-nosed player all around, running the bases better than his size and speed might suggest, and generally grinding out at-bats.
Congratulations to Hao-Yu Lee on his major league debut.
The Tigers today placed infielder Zach McKinstry on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 16) with left hip/abdominal inflammation. Infielder Hao-Yu Lee has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo.
Lee, who will wear uniform number 50, joins the first major league roster of…
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Bo Davidson #91 of the San Francisco Giants runs out a ground ball during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Thursday was a good day for the San Francisco Giants, as they finally won a game. It wasn’t as good of a day for their Minor League Baseball affiliates, though, who we have grown accustomed to winning, winning, and winning some more this year. They did a little bit of that on Thursday, but there were more losses than usual as well. Still a fun day, so let’s dive on in.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
A few big pieces of news. Most notably, RHP Reid Worley (No. 36 CPL) appeared to announce on his social media that he recently underwent Tommy John surgery. Shoutout to Twitter user @porkblds for catching this.
Worley was the Giants 9th-round pick in July, and signed well overslot, for a signing bonus commensurate with a late 3rd-round pick, as they bought the high schooler out of his commitment to Kennesaw State. He has some outrageous spin metrics, but for now, the focus is simply on getting back on the mound. It’s a long process, and hopefully one that doesn’t take too much of a mental toll on the youngster.
In milder injury news, Jesús Cano reports that shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) left an extended Spring Training game after falling over while running the basepaths. Cano listed the removal as “precautionary,” but noted that González was feeling some pain.
As long as we’re talking about injuries, AA Richmond second baseman Dayson Croes was placed on the Injured List. Roger Munter had reported that Croes left Wednesday’s game after a collision on the basepaths, while playing defense, and was holding his ankle. He’s replaced on Richmond’s roster by RHP Brad Deppermann, who was activated off the Development List. Deppermann, who is about to turn 30, signed with the Giants as a Minor League free agent this winter.
In happier news, Cano reports that third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) is rehabbing in extended, and hit a home run. That means Harber should be back to affiliated ball shortly, and he’ll be ticketed for AA, though the Giants may have him rehab at a few lower levels first.
Sacramento River Cats lost a 7-inning doubleheader to the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 3-1 and 8-1 Game 1 box score Game 2 box score
A very offensively-challenged pair of games for the River Cats, especially in the opener when they were held to just 1 hit. That came on a double by second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), who hit 3-7 with 2 doubles and 1 strikeout over the pair of games, which accounted for 100% of Sacramento’s extra-base hits. Given that Furman is a fairly light-hitting lefty, and that the Pacific Coast League is where offense normally goes to blossom, I’d say this is probably the only time this year that Furman will have all of the team’s extra-base knocks over a 2-game stretch. But Furman has been awesome this year, posting a 1.012 OPS and a 182 wRC+ in his debut pass through AAA. The Giants are clearly high on Furman — they gave him a camp invite and a AAA assignment despite just 22 games in AA — and he’s certainly rewarding that faith.
No one had a horrible weekend offensively but, other than Furman there weren’t any standouts, either. So let’s just look at the players on the 40-man roster: first baseman Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) hit 2-7 with a strikeout, and has a 1.006 OPS and a 176 wRC+; catcher/designated hitter Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) went 2-5 with a walk, a sac fly, a strikeout, and 2 errors, moving his OPS to .926 and his wRC+ to 146; and center fielder Grant McCray hit 1-5 with a walk and 3 strikeouts, as he now has a .588 OPS and an 81 wRC+.
The starting pitching was a tale of 2 pitchers in similar situations who had very dissimilar outings. RHP Carson Seymour kicked off the doubleheader and had a so-so game. Seymour pitched 5 innings, which is the longest start that a Sacramento pitcher has had this year and, impressively, didn’t allow a single walk. But he did get hit fairly hard, with 7 hits (which included a home run and 2 doubles), as well as 3 runs, 2 of which were earned. Seymour also hit a batter and, despite the absence of walks, didn’t have a stellar strike-throwing game, with 47 of 73 pitches for strikes, though he did strike out 5 hitters.
While Seymour hasn’t shown off the strikeout stuff we’ve sometimes seen from him in the past, he has done a good job holding batters in check … this was his 4th game of the year, and those were the 1st runs he’s allowed, while his WHIP sits at just 0.83, to go with a 1.15 ERA and a 3.66 FIP. It’s been assumed that LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) would be next in line if the Giants need help in the rotation, but I kind of wonder if Seymour might actually be ahead of Whisenhunt due to the vastly better walk numbers. Seymour has just 3 walks in 15.2 innings, while Whisenhunt (who has a 4.11 ERA and a 3.14 FIP) has given up 11 in 15.1 innings (and his WHIP of 1.76 is more than double Seymour’s).
The Game 2 starter was RHP Trevor McDonald (No. 12 CPL) and he had, yet again, a brutal outing. McDonald only gave up 3 hits in 3 innings, but absolutely could not find the strike zone. He managed to throw just 28 strikes out of his 62 pitches, which led to a whopping 7 walks and 4 runs, against just 2 strikeouts. It’s been an absolutely brutal start to the year for McDonald, who has struggled in all 4 of his starts, and has gotten progressively worse in each one. He now has 13 walks — plus 2 hit batters — in just 10 innings this year, and is rocking an 8.10 ERA and a 6.30 FIP. Add in his awful final few spring outings, and he’s quickly gone from looking like he might make the Opening Day roster to being at the very back of the depth chart.
There were a trio of encouraging relief appearances, including from the pair of relievers on the 40-man roster who pitched: RHP Spencer Bivens hit a batter but didn’t allow any hits or walks, while striking out 1 in an inning of work, while RHP Dylan Smith issued a walk in a no-hit inning, with a strikeout. LHP Juan Sánchez (No. 41 CPL) entered at the end of Game 2 to an ugly situation, with runners at the corners and just 1 out, and struck out both batters he faced, stranding the runners. Sánchez now has 7 strikeouts in 3.2 innings and a 0.00 ERA, though he’s walked 4 batters.
AA Richmond (10-2)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 6-5 Box score
Richmond’s magical 10-game winning streak finally came to a close, though only barely. The Squirrels trailed 6-2 entering the 8th inning, and gave it a hell of a run as they tried to tie the game.
That rally included a pair of runs in the 8th inning, which came off of a truly majestic swing of the bat, as center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) launched one deep, deep, deep into the night sky.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 17, 2026
Per the great Trey Wilson, who is Richmond’s broadcaster and head of communications, people in Hartford were saying that they’d never seen a ball hit to that part of the stadium before. Which points to just how special Davidson’s power is, and makes it all the more impressive that he displays it while also playing a strong center field (though he had his 1st error of the season in this game).
Davidson finished the day 2-5 and earned a share of the organization’s home run lead, and now has an .889 OPS and a 109 wRC+ (might be the first time I’ve ever seen an OPS that high and a wRC+ that low in the Eastern League, where the average OPS usually starts with a 6). There’s still a bit for Davidson to work on in AA — namely his 5.3% walk rate and 26.3% strikeout rate — but the Giants have to be thrilled with the way the 23-year old has started the season. It’s always exciting when someone looks to build on a breakout, rather than regress from it.
Catcher Adrián Sugastey also went deep, hitting 2-4 with a solo blast and a strikeout.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 17, 2026
Sugastey is on the weak end of a catcher platoon, after getting surpassed on the depth chart by Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL). He’s back in Richmond for a 3rd season, and while the offensive numbers aren’t very good — .701 OPS, 74 wRC+ — they certainly look better than they did before that game! He’s still just 23 years old with very, very strong defensive chops, so he’s a valuable part of the depth behind the dish.
Also a really nice game for shortstop Aeverson Arteaga, who continues to put his awful 2025 behind him. Arteaga hit 2-3 in this game, while also drawing a walk and hitting a sacrifice fly, and striking out once. Like Sugastey, Arteaga — also a 23-year old with strong defense — has seen his prospect shine decline as he’s been replaced on the depth chart by someone the Giants like more (in Arteaga’s case, Maui Ahuna [No. 33 CPL]).
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 17, 2026
Last year, in Arteaga’s return from injury, he hit a lowly .189, had just a .508 OPS and a 49 wRC+, and struck out 26.2% of the time. This year he’s nearly doubled his batting average to .353, has an .831 OPS and a 137 wRC+, and is only striking out 17.4% of the time. That said, it’s a sample size of just 23 plate appearances … but still. Arteaga didn’t have a single 23-PA sample last year that was good, so this is nice to see.
Speaking of offensive resurgences, right fielder Jonah Cox hit 1-2 and drew 3 walks. After posting a .731 OPS and a 103 wRC+ in High-A Eugene last year, Cox has a mesmerizing .921 OPS and 146 wRC+ in Richmond, with 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts. He’s done a fantastic job cutting back on strikeouts since joining the organization in the Ross Stripling trade 2 years ago, and his outfield defense is still among the best in the organization, even if he rarely plays center these days due to prioritizing Davidson’s development.
LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) got the start, and he had an extremely Joe Whitman start, which is to say it wasn’t good but there was also a lot to like. Most notably, Whitman struck out 7 batters in just 5 innings, while throwing 50 of 77 pitches for strikes. He challenged hitters all day long, giving up just 1 walk (though he also hit a batter).
On the less happy side, Whitman’s 4 hits allowed — which included a home run — tagged him for 4 earned runs, running his ERA up to 6.49 (though his FIP is once again lagging well behind, at a still-not-that-good 4.19).
There are some really encouraging signs for Whitman, who was a compensation round selection in 2023, and is repeating AA. Through a trio of starts this year, he’s really improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio … a year after having 9.5 strikeouts and 3.6 walks per 9 innings, Whitman has pushed those numbers in opposite directions, with 12.5 strikeouts and just 2.0 walks per 9. That’s great. Unfortunately, the issue that has plagued him — giving up hits, and loud ones in particular — continues to do so. Through 13.2 innings he’s ceded 13 hits, 5 of which have gone for extra bases, including 2 that have cleared the fence. There’s work to do, but there’s also work being done, it seems!
High-A Eugene (10-2)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 3-0 Box score
Just like the Giants, the Emeralds won 3-0 on Thursday. Keep them coming, I say.
When you win a shutout, it’s a sign of a battery performing well. But that understates just how strong Eugene’s battery was. Because not only did catcher Onil Perez help direct a 2-hitter, but he also provided the only 2 hits of the game for the Emeralds, as well! Hard to carry a team much more than catching a shutout on one end and having 100% of the hits on the other.
But that’s what Perez did, going 2-2 on a day when his teammates combined to hit 0-24. But Perez did more than just slap hits, as he smashed a solo home run in the 5th inning, while also drawing a walk and stealing a base. What a day!
Like Sugastey in AA, Perez was once one of the top backstop prospects in the organization, and has since been passed on the depth chart. Despite posting a 122 wRC+ for Eugene last year, the now-23 year old is back in High-A for a 3rd stint, as the team prioritizes Sugastey and Cavanaugh in Richmond. Perez has mostly been the second fiddle to Diego Cartaya in Eugene, though Cartaya’s recent injury — which hopefully is minor — opens the door a bit there.
On Thursday, at least, he ran with it, boosting his OPS to .761 and his wRC+ to 93, while nabbing his 1st stolen base of the year (Perez stole 23 bases in 2023 and 20 in 2024, but just 9 last year). Here’s to more days like that!
As for the players that Perez caught, it was a dynamic game for the starter, RHP Niko Mazza. As has been a theme a bit lately for the Giants prospects, Mazza was effectively wild, as he only threw 42 of 75 pitches for strikes, while walking 2 batters in 4 innings, and hitting another. But he gave up just 1 hit on the day — a single — and he struck out 7 batters. He didn’t give the Everrett batters anything to hit, and more often than not they futilely tried anyway.
It’s still too early to develop strong trend lines, but so far we’re really seeing an uptick in strikeout stuff across the organization. That’s been extremely true for Mazza, an 8th round pick in 2024. The recently-turned 24-year old struck out just 8.7 batters per 9 innings in his debut season with Low-A San Jose last year, but is up to a staggering 14.5 through 3 starts in High-A. But again, it’s a very small sample size — he’s thrown just 9.2 innings — and unfortunately the walks have accompanied the strikeouts.
RHP Cade Vernon, taken 2 rounds after Mazza, had his 2nd straight great outing, with a single being the only baserunner he allowed in 3 innings, while striking out a pair. In his 1st 2 games of the year, Vernon allowed 5 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs in just 3.1 innings … but in 2 games since, has ceded just 1 hit and 0 walks in 5.2 scoreless frames.
And finally, it was RHP Liam Simon, who again struggled with command but did have his best game of the year. Simon threw just 19 of 39 pitches for strikes — which, admittedly, is a huge improvement — while tossing 2 no-hit innings with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Simon has turned into an extreme all-or-nothing player as he looks to find his command following a string of severe injuries. Through 4 innings he’s faced 31 batters, and only 12 of those 31 have put the ball in play, as he has 9 walks, 2 hit batters, and 8 strikeouts.
Low-A San Jose (9-3)
San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 13-3 Box score
You want evidence of an offense that’s rolling? The Baby Giants have played 12 games this year, and they’ve scored double digits in 5 of those games. If you remove the pair of 7-inning doubleheaders, San Jose is hitting 10 runs or more in half of their full games. Remarkable!
And they did it Thursday the way they’ve been doing it: with a lot of hits, a lot of extra-base hits, and a lot of home runs. Specifically, with 15 hits, 10 extra-base knocks, and 4 big flies.
On Wednesday, right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) hit a home run, his 1st extra-base hit of the season. Here’s what I wrote in yesterday’s roundup:
Maldonado isn’t a huge power guy, but he’s not a stranger to power, either. Not to have a beloved former prospect catch a stray, but he’s no Wade Meckler. You can expect him to hit a few homers here and there. But his real calling card is his all-around game
Apparently Maldonado took great offense to that characterization, because last year’s 7th-round pick exploded on Thursday, hitting 3-5 with not1, but 2 more home runs, and also a double, with 3 total runs knocked in and 1 strikeout. That’ll teach me!
And with that, the right-handed hitter now has an .861 OPS and a 116 wRC+, and suddenly his debut full season is going quite swimmingly indeed.
Also in that article, I wrote the following about shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL):
Level will probably not continue having 1+ extra-base hits per game, which is what he currently has
And apparently he took offense to that characterization as well, because the switch-hitter, playing designated hitter in this game, went 2-6 with both of his hits being doubles, while recording 1 RBI and 1 strikeout.
Through 9 games, the recently-turned 19-year old has a whopping 8 doubles, to go along with 3 home runs, and he looks oh-so-comfortable on both sides of the plate. Level is significantly more than 2 years younger than the average Cal League hitter, yet currently has a 1.327 OPS and a 219 wRC+. If you’re new to stats, those ones are really, really, really, really good.
A pair of late-rounders left the yard as well, as left fielder Damian Bravo and first baseman Jeremiah Jenkins both hit solo shots. Bravo finished 2-5 and also added a double and 2 strikeouts, as he cleared the fences for the 2nd day in a row. The 15th-round pick in July started the year 5-30 with 1 home run and no doubles, and in 4 games since then has hit 6-20 with 2 homers and 3 doubles. Sometimes you just need a week to settle in!
Jenkins, on the other hand, hit 2-4 with a walk and 2 strikeouts, as the strong season continues for the 2024 14th-round pick. After hitting below league average in the Cal League last year, the lefty is mashing to the tune of a 1.221 OPS and a 192 wRC+, though he does have a 32.4% strikeout rate. A year ago, Jenkins had 4 home runs in 50 games with San Jose; this year, he has 3 in just 8 games.
So many hot performances have forced some players to fly under the radar, which is the case with second baseman Isaiah Barkett, last year’s 10th-round selection out of Stetson. The 22-year old righty has been hitting and hitting and hitting some more, and Thursday he went 2-4 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout, raising his OPS to 1.158 and his wRC+ to 184. This is his debut season, and he’s started it with an 8-game hitting streak! That’s quite an introduction!
The pitching was good, with the stars coming in relief. RHP Ubert Mejias, in particular, had a standout day, as he recorded 5 outs, 4 of which came by strikes (though he did allow a hit and a walk in his 1.2 shutout innings). The Cuban has a 1.29 ERA with 8 strikeouts in 7 innings, though he’s also issued 4 walks, and is 25 years old. RHP Garrett Langrell, a 24-year old taken in the 16th round in July, hit a batter in a no-hit, no-walk inning, with 1 strikeout. After ceding 2 runs in his professional debut, Langrell has pitched 3 consecutive scoreless outings, and has 8 strikeouts against just 1 walk in 5 innings this year.
The starter was LHP Jordan Gottesman, last year’s 6th-round selection, and he struggled quite a bit, throwing just 44 of 77 pitches for strikes, while walking 3 batters in 4 innings, and hitting another. The Northeastern southpaw gave up just 3 hits in those 4 innings, but 2 of those hits were home runs, which tagged him for 3 earned runs. He did strike out 5 batters, though. Gottesman is only 3 starts into his career, but he’s showing a lot of electricity, while also showing a good amount of things that he still needs to work on. That’s what the Minors are for!
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 28: George Lombard Jr. of the New York Yankees poses for a photo during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 28, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
Chip23 asks: Is George Lombard Jr. the Yankees’ starting third baseman by the middle of July?
Lombard is certainly carving up minor league pitching down in Double-A right now, fueling hope that he’ll make the jump from top prospect to an impact bat in the lineup this year. Of course, we’re very early in the MiLB season and Lombard has only played 10 games and they’ve been played two levels away from the majors — important things to note.
Last year, Lombard started off on a similar hot streak and earned a promotion from High-A Hudson Valley to Double-A after posting a .329/.495/.488 triple-slash in 24 games, a breakout performance after a down 2024 season that saw him never really figure things out at the plate. However, that step up in competition caused Lombard to struggle again once he started facing Double-A pitchers, as he posted a .695 OPS the rest of the way, nearly 200 points lower than his initial surge. The Yankees would have to see enough out of this start to give him the green light up to Scranton first, a promotion that is probably a good couple of weeks away if he comes close to maintaining the elite 1.186 OPS he currently has, and then also monitor how he handles the jump before making any kind of considerations on how he could impact the big league club.
It’s not out of the question that Lombard could make that happen — the talent is there and is being recognized by plenty of scouts now, as he’s been a fast riser in top 100 lists. The bigger question is how fast and loose will the Yankees play with their best prospect, especially given how they handled the last middle infielder to come up as their top prospect. Anthony Volpe’s development is surely a parallel they’re hoping to avoid — Volpe wowed the crowd in 2021, produced a very solid 2022 that got him a cup of coffee in Triple-A and then went straight to the big leagues with little time to ensure his bat was ready, to underwhelming results offensively thus far. The team is under pressure to compete this year, and they have a glaring need in their infield right now, but patience may outweigh everything else with Lombard’s ETA to try and ensure he can succeed as both an elite defender and hitter. Lombard’s currently covering third base down in Somerset with Volpe rehabbing there, and we may be getting a preview of the Yankee infield down the line, but a lot still has to go right for that to be the infield in 2026.
MSP Giant asks:He may walk a lot but he sure ain’t hitting. What if Grisham reverts to his pre 2025 play and is again, best off the bench. Then what?
Grisham got his get-right game on Monday against the Angels, pinch-hitting for Randal Grichuk and proceeding to go 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs including a two-run shot to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Or at least, it would’ve been nice if that breakout performance was his get-right game, because in reality he followed that up with an 0-for-4 night with three strikeouts, getting just a two-run single in the second inning of Wednesday’s win before going 0-for again on Thursday. The results haven’t been there for Grisham, but out of all of the hitters pulling down the lineup, there’s the most to be optimistic with the Yankee center fielder.
Despite posting a paltry .155 batting average, the contact that Grisham is generating has been very good. He’s in the 94th percentile for hard hit percentage at 55.6 and his average exit velocity of 90.9 mph is good for the 71st percentile. His Statcast page doesn’t quite read as unlucky as Ben Rice was looking last year, but it looks clear that the process has been good for Grisham and that he’s just not finding the outfield grass as much as he should be. Couple that with the elite eye for strikes that he’s shown, and there’s good reason that he’s still regularly been the leadoff hitter for New York.
The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks:I’m sorry, I have to say this. It is managerial malpractice that Ben Rice, who currently ranks fourth in MLB in batting Average, first in OBP, and first in SLG% ranks 140th in plate appearances. FIVE Yankees have more plate appearances than he does right now. A healthy Ben Rice needs to be in the lineup EVERY single day.
I get the frustration with not seeing Rice in the lineup, and share the sentiment in wanting the team’s best hitter to this point to get in the game as much as possible. Whether or not there’s a platoon being deployed with him and Paul Goldschmidt has been the biggest gripe fans have had with Aaron Boone’s management of the team this year, and you could argue that he’s sat a game or two more than is necessary, but they’re also making sure that their star in the making is going to ramp up to a full season of work and be in it for the long haul. The PSA editors (myself, Jake Devin, and Andrew Mearns) discussed Rice’s torrid start and the conversation around his starts recently, and as Jake noted, Rice is on pace to play in about 150 games and earn 620 plate appearances anyway despite the occasional spot on the bench. That’d also be the most he’s ever played in a single season, and as Andrew pointed out, Rice hasn’t had that full-year volume of games played due to having built-in days off as a catcher and having his college games cut down due to COVID.
Ultimately, I’d like to see the Yankees utilize that catcher flexibility a bit and get him behind the plate occasionally (especially with J.C. Escarra not providing much), and that would help bridge the gap between playing Goldschmidt the proper amount while also getting Rice his at-bats, but I’m not as compelled to raise the alarm over him sitting the occasional game as most are. He’ll get into plenty of games, and as the season goes on I imagine the Yankees will be sitting him less and less whether that’s due to him being built up and ready to roll through longer stretches without off-days or injuries to the rest of the roster forcing him into action elsewhere.
The New York Yankees aren’t looking much like a World Series contender this month, but they’ll have a chance to get back on track tonight at home to the Kansas City Royals.
Though New York spiraled to a heavy loss yesterday with Max Fried on the mound, my Royals vs. Yankees predictions buy into the hosts’ current No. 2 ace and signal a bounce-back effort here.
Get the lowdown on this April 17 matchup with my free MLB picks.
Who will win Royals vs Yankees tonight: Yankees moneyline (-173)
With eight straight wins over the Kansas City Royals, it’s fair to say the New York Yankees have their number. So I’m brushing aside the Bronx Bombers’ 3-7 mark across their past 10 contests, partly because Kansas City has the exact same record in that span.
As well as Michael Wacha has pitched this year, including a 0.43 ERA, the New York lineup has plenty of prior at-bats to lean on against the veteran righty.
In contrast, none of the Royals’ hitters have faced Cam Schlittler before, and the Yankees phenom has racked up 7+ strikeouts in each of his four outings this season.
COVERS INTEL:The underwhelming Kansas City offense has scored two runs or fewer in seven of its last 10 games and ranks in the bottom five in runs, hits, SLG and OPS.
Royals vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-115)
With both of tonight’s starters in a nice rhythm, I’m sticking with the trends that point to the Under, which is 7-2 in the last nine meetings between these teams – and 4-0 in the past four matchups at Yankee Stadium.
The Royals are giving their pitchers minimal run support. They’re averaging just 3.42 RPG, and all three of Wacha’s outings this season have fallen short of this 8.0 O/U mark.
Meanwhile, for all the unquestionable offensive firepower that Aaron Judge and Co. bring to the party, the hosts have only posted a .214 batting average, the fourth-lowest in the majors.
[WRITER NAME]'s 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets:0-3, -3 units
Over/Under bets:2-1, +0.8 units
Royals vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Kansas City +152 | New York -180
Run line: Kansas City +1.5 (-146) | New York -1.5 (+122)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-102) | Under 8 (-120)
Royals vs Yankees trend
The Under is 7-3 in the Royals’ last 10 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Yankees.
How to watch Royals vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Friday, April 17, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
Royals.TV, YES
Royals starting pitcher
Michael Wacha (2-0, 0.43 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Cam Schlittler (2-1, 2.49 ERA)
Royals vs Yankees latest injuries
Royals vs Yankees 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.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 08: Jorge Polanco #11 of the New York Mets in action during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on April 08, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jorge Polanco, already dealing with left Achilles bursitis that has hindered him since the start of the season, is now battling a second injury. His right wrist started bothering him after Tuesday’s loss to the Dodgers, and the issue was bad enough to keep him out of the lineup Friday in Chicago as the Mets look to avoid losing their ninth straight. That would be their longest losing streak since 2004.
Polanco, signed to a 2-year, $40M contract this offseason, has not been off to a particular strong start, batting .179/.246/.286 through 61 PA to this point. Nevertheless, the lineup could definitely use his presence. Brett Baty has posted a 30 wRC+ heading into Friday’s action, even worse than Polanco’s own 57, and Mark Vientos has cooled off dramatically from his early season hot streak. Coupled with Juan Soto’s absence, Francisco Lindor likely not playing at 100%, and Bo Bichette continuing to struggle, Polanco’s absence is definitely problematic.
The Mets have reportedly not received MRI results yet and have not made a decision about placing Polanco on the injured list. That might be the prudent move as he deals with simultaneous injuries, but we’ll see how the team’s thinking develops in the coming days.
KNOXVILLE, TN - MAY 31: Wake Forest Demon Deacons pitcher Chris Levonas (18) pitches during the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament baseball game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Miami (OH) RedHawks on May 31, 2025, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Wake Forest
Mascot: Pissed Off Preachers | School Location: NASCAR-Cigarette, NC | Conference: ACC
Wake came out of the gate a-hellin’ this year, losing their opener to Houston in the same Puerto Rico Challenge event that NC State participated in, but then reeling off 15 consecutive wins, including sweeping Stanford in their ACC season opening series. What followed was a fall back to reality, which probably could have been expected in hindsight when you consider that High Point (RPI #60; 7-6 Wake win) was the only team the Deacs played during that 15-game winning streak that currently has an RPI ranking better than 131 (Stanford).
The Demon Deacons lost to Coastal Carolina and then were swept at home by Florida State. They rebounded to go 8-4 over the next stretch, but with all four of those losses coming in conference play. Since then, Wake is just 2-5, but with those losses coming at Pitt, vs Coastal, and at Miami (x2), with the wins coming over Miami and Coastal.
All things considered, Wake has put itself into a nice situation. They still have a road series at Georgia Tech, but they get a home series with a pitching-depleted NC State squad this weekend before that GT series, and their last two ACC series are vs Louisville and at Duke, two teams who have not been very impressive this year. With a solid RPI already in place, a .500 finish to ACC play will have the Deacs in a Regional.
The lineup is an experienced bunch, with only two of their 11 regulars being under 20 years old. That group is hitting a collective .289/.411/.476, 76 2B, 47 HR, 14.6 BB%, 19.4 K%, 50-59 SB. Seven of their starters have OBPs over .400, and they generally handle the bat well with competitive ABs and low strikeout numbers.
As is normal for a Wake pitching staff under Tom Walter, there are some freaks on this staff with alarmingly good stuff. The group has a 4.60 ERA over 317.0 IP with a 11.6 BB% and 31.0 K%. I’m sure Walter and crew would like that walk rate to be a bit lower, but really only one of their top eight arms has a walk rate that would be considered alarming. Plus, when you have a team strikeout rate in the 30’s, you can live with a few extra walks.
This is a group that when they’ve lost, it’s generally been due to the lineup getting shut down (6 or fewer runs in all 13 losses, including 3 or fewer runs in 9 of those games). Unfortunately for an NC State squad that will be without Friday starter Ryan Marohn, that would-be key to victory gets a little more unattainable. The Wolfpack will need to hit in this one; that’s for sure.
Wake is a team with a lot of good pieces and certainly capable of making a run to an ACC Tournament title next month, and a deep run in the NCAAs thereafter.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Heath Andrews (JR) vs RHP Chris Levonas (SO)
Saturday: LHP Cooper Consiglio (JR) vs RHP Troy Dressler (SO)
Sunday: TBD vs RHP Cam Bagwell (SO)
Key Players:
Offense
CF Javar Williams (JR) – .342/.473/.544, 9 2B, 7 HR, 16.0 BB%, 15.5 K%, 21-24 SB. Highly regarded prospect that in the “wait and see” camp heading into this year after not having the level of breakout year many expected last year. He’s doing that this year and the left-handed-hitting speedster is rocketing up draft boards.
RF Luke Costello (SO) – .324/.474/.735, 6 2B, 12 HR, 13.5 BB%, 15.8 K%, 2-4 SB. Well regarded high school recruit who tore his ACL his senior year in high school, so made it to college. The draft-eligible sophomore should be moving up draft boards with his reduction in strikeouts this year.
3B Dalton Wentz (SO) – .310/.441/.627, 13 2B, 10 HR, 18.6 BB%, 23.2 K%, 1-2 SB. Draft-eligible switch-hitter was a 2025 Freshman All-American. Has the arm to stay on the left side of the infield at the next level and should easily go in the top 3-4 rounds of the draft. Strikeout rate is the biggest red flag in his game, but the power is real.
1B KadeLewis (JR) – .338/.422/.514, 9 2B, 5 HR, 12.7 BB%, 12.7 K%, 6-6 SB. Lefty-hitting leadoff man is a former transfer from Butler where he was a 2nd Team All-Big East selection in 2024. Played mostly 3rd base in 2025 with mixed results. Questions around his defense will limit his draft prospects, but he’s still a Top 75 prospect this year and can handle the bat with the best of them.
Pitching
RHP Chris Levonas (SO) – 7-2, 2.22 ERA, 48.2 IP, 8.3 BB%, 39.4 K%. Selected 67th overall out of high school by the Brewers in the 2024 draft (slot value: $1,230,000), but chose to head to college. Has been clocked over 100 mph on the fastball this year, which is a plus pitch and can be even more devastating when used to setup the slider and curve. Tracking towards being a Top 15 pick in next year’s draft.
RHP Troy Dressler (SO) – 5-1, 4.08 ERA, 35.1 IP, 10.3 BB%, 36.3 K%. Just recently moved into the starting rotation and has looked really good in that role. Can touch 97 with the fastball, sitting mostly in the low-to-mid 90’s with it. Has a nice slider and changeup. Already on draft radars after a strong season in the Cape Cod League last summer, he’s moving up 2027 boards quickly.
RHP Cam Bagwell (SO) – 2-1, 3.67 ERA, 41.2 IP, 6.7 BB%, 18.3 K%. Transfer from UNCW where he was the CAA Rookie-of-the-Year (9-2, 3.07 ERA, 85.0 IP, 4.9 BB%, 17.8 K%). Was Wake’s midweek starter until three weeks ago. Big 6’5, 210 lbs frame with a fastball that has touched 96 in the past, but he’s more of a low-90’s guy. A pair of breaking balls and a really good changeup that induces a lot of ground balls. Top 200 prospect for the 2027 Draft.
RHP Blake Morningstar (JR) – 2-3, 8.72 ERA, 32.0 IP, 10.1 BB%, 23.4 K%. Huge draft prospects heading into the year after earning 1st Team All-ACC honors last year (6-2, 3.87 ERA, 79.0 IP, 9.2 BB%, 26.8 K%), but struggled as a starter despite the impressive stuff and has been bumped from the starting rotation. In consecutive starts against Loyola Marymount and Stanford earlier this year, went a combined 13.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 20 K, 2 HBP, showing what he’s capable of when he’s on.
RHP Evan Jones (FR) – 2-1, 2 SV, 3.13 ERA, 23.0 IP, 11.8 BB%, 34.4 K%. Wake’s top rated freshman arm, he’s been up to 99 mph with the heater that he compliments with a sweeping slider. Outside of an outing at Virginia where he allowed 5 ER in 2.1 IP, he’s only allowed 3 ER over 14 appearances.
RHP Marcelo Harsch (FR) – 1-1, 1 SV, 5.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 8.1 BB%, 36.0 K%. Wake’s second highest rated freshman arm, he has been up to 99 mph in the past, too, but not yet this year. Despite having not topped 2.2 IP or 44 pitches in any single outing, has recorded 3+ strikeouts in seven of 11 outings.
Quick! Fun Facts!
Luke Costello is not related to Lucas Costello, who played for Wake from 2021-2023 before transferring to Miami for his senior year. He is related to Andrew Costello, his younger brother and a freshman catcher who reclassified from the 2027 freshman class up a year to enroll at Wake for the current spring semester.
An NCAA Regional appearance for Wake this year would be the fifth straight for the Demon Deacons, tying the program record for consecutive Regional appearances (1998-2002).
Six former Wake players have appeared at the MLB level so far in 2026: 1B/RF Gavin Sheets (Padres), LHP Jared Shuster (Cardinals), RHP Rhett Lowder (Reds), RHP Shane Smith (White Sox), 1B Nick Kurtz (Athletics), RHP Chase Burns (Reds). For whatever crossover that exists between Wake Forest and Cincinnati Reds fans, having two former Deacs in the Reds starting rotation has to be pretty amazing.
The Key To A Series Win For State
With Ryan Marohn not available this weekend – and hopefully the reports on his being available again soon are accurate – the lineup is going to need to produce if the Pack are going to pull this one out. It’s that simple: score runs. Score lots of runs.
Prediction
Before the news about Marohn dropped, I was feeling good about State pulling out the series win. Minus him, Wake has the advantage in both the Friday and Sunday pitching matchups.
Amid the Mets' eight-game losing streak that has featured not just poor offense but mental mistakes, president of baseball operations David Stearns was asked on Friday whether he agreed with the notion that there should be more scrutiny on manager Carlos Mendoza.
"No. I think Mendy is doing a really good job," Stearns told reporters before the Mets opened a series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. "I think he's putting our players in position to succeed. He's enormously consistent. So, no, I don't agree with that."
Asked how Mendoza was putting players in position to succeed, Stearns elaborated.
"I think both in terms of how he's managing in the clubhouse, how he's getting guys to the right pockets -- whether it's matchups out of the bullpen, the right matchups in games," Stearns explained. "I think he's doing a good job."
Mendoza, who is in his third year as manager, has a 179-164 career record at the helm of the Mets.
In his first season in 2024, Mendoza oversaw a team that finished 89-73 and made a run to Game 6 of the NLCS.
In 2025, with the Mets' pitching staff largely ineffective in the second half of the season, New York tumbled all the way out of a playoff spot while finishing 83-79.
Stearns hired Mendoza in November of 2023, shortly after his stint leading the front office began.
Mendoza is in the final guaranteed season of a three-year contract. The Mets hold a club option on Mendoza for the 2027 season.
Could Angels owner Arte Moreno get $4 billion if he put the team up for sale without a resolution to the long-running ballpark stalemate in Anaheim? (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
I’d heard Arte Moreno had told people recently that he thought the Angels could command $4 billion. He might sell the team. He might not. But the figure seemed ambitious, since no major league team ever had sold for even $3 billion.
Until Friday, that is, when the Wall Street Journal first reported the San Diego Padres were about to be sold for $3.9 billion.
The new owners: a group led by Jose Feliciano of Santa Monica-based Clearlake Capital, which manages more than $90 billion in assets, and his wife, Kwanza Jones. In 2022, Feliciano and Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly led the investment group that bought Chelsea of the Premier League for $5.2 billion.
The new money should enable the Padres to build upon the legacy of late owner Peter Seidler, who simply disregarded the fact that San Diego ranks as one of the smallest media markets in the major leagues. He spent to win, and the Padres have made the playoffs four times in the past six years — after making the playoffs five times in their first 51 years.
The fans rewarded him, packing Petco Park. As of Friday, the Padres had the second-best record and second-highest attendance in the major leagues. The Dodgers, of course, had the best record and the highest attendance.
The party most immediately interested in the Padres’ sale price? The players’ union, since Commissioner Rob Manfred has cited sluggish appreciation in sale prices as one reason to pursue cost controls on player salaries, whether through a salary cap or some other restriction. In recent years, the owners of the Angels, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals all have put their teams on the market without completing a sale.
But Moreno should be interested, too. He turns 80 this summer.
The comparison with the Padres only goes so far. In San Diego, in a city without a team in the NFL, NBA or NHL, the Padres are virtually unchallenged for dollars from fans and corporate sponsors.
And, in San Diego, the Padres play in Southern California’s best ballpark, one the team has turned into a year-round events center, with major concerts in the stadium itself and smaller ones within a delightful park beyond center field.
Could Moreno get $4 billion without a resolution to the long-running ballpark stalemate in Anaheim? It sounds borderline insane to consider that the only available team in America’s second-largest market might not be worth as much as the team that just sold in America’s 30th-largest market.
In Anaheim, however, two deals that would have anchored the Angels there for decades collapsed, and the 60-year-old stadium is in serious need of renovation or replacement. A buyer likely would have to account for the billion-dollar cost of a new ballpark and might ask for a credit against the purchase price, effectively lowering how much profit Moreno could make on the sale.
Any potential buyer should be keeping a close eye on a bill slowly winding its way through the state legislature this year. That bill, if enacted into law, would give the city the ability to loosen development restrictions on the stadium property for a team owner willing to call the team the Anaheim Angels.
Still, even without that legal assist, there should be no shortage of parties interested in acquiring two rarely available assets in one transaction: an MLB team in the Los Angeles market, and a 150-acre site perfect for the mixed-use development coveted by owners in every sport these days.
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who once worked as a peanut vendor at Angel Stadium, lost out in the Padres’ bidding and could take another run at the Angels.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who lost out in the Dodgers’ bidding in 2012, surrounded the Rams’ Inglewood stadium and Woodland Hills training site with major development and could consider replicating those successes in Anaheim.
Ducks owner Henry Samueli has denied interest in the Angels, but he could consider extending and complementing his OC Vibe development across the 57 Freeway — and his hockey team already wears the Anaheim name.
That assumes, of course, that Moreno opts to sell. He enjoys owning a team and, in a season in which the Angels are one-half game out of first place entering Friday in what appears to be a weak American League West, there is no hurry.
It is considered more likely that Moreno waits until after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached next year to determine whether to sell. All I can tell you for sure Friday is what one baseball official texted me when I asked for reaction to the Padres’ sale: “Great news for the Angels.”
The San Diego Padres (13-6) open their series with the Los Angeles Angels (10-10). The Padres have won eight in a row and 11 of their past 12. The Angels just split a four-game series with the New York Yankees in which Mike Trout homered in all four games. Starting pitchers are Matt Waldron for San Diego and José Soriano for Los Angeles.
How to watch San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Angels
Date: Friday, April 17
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET / 6:38 p.m. PT
Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
TV Channels: FanDuel Sports Network West, Padres.TV Presented by UC San Diego Health
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 15: Ozzie Albies #1 celebrates with Dominic Smith #8 of the Atlanta Braves after a home run against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at Truist Park on April 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another right-handed starter on the mound means another start for Dominic Smith in the Braves lineup for Friday night’s opener of the road series against the Phillies.
Smith, who is still on a torrid start to his Braves tenure, will bat seventh and serve as the designated hitter with Philadelphia starting veteran Taijuan Walker on the hill. With five more RBIs in the Marlins series, Smith is up to 15 RBIs in as many games played early this season, batting .381 and OPSing 1.043 in 42 at-bats.
The lineup is carrying over from the Marlins series finale, with Mike Yastrzemski back in the lineup and Mauricio Dubon once again of Michael Harris II at the bottom of the order.
Walker, who is in his sixth straight season in the NL East with the Mets (2021-22) and Phillies (2023-26), is 3-2 with a 4.63 ERA in 11 games against the Braves in his career. He faced Atlanta twice last season, allowing no runs over a combined 6 2/3 innings.
The current Braves roster is 27-for-89 (.303) against Walker with three homers, six doubles, 18 strikeouts and 14 walks. Harris actually has two of those homers off Walker and is hitting .444 against him in his career. Matt Olson is hitting just .231 against him but does have three doubles. Smith is 2-for-3 (.667) against Walker, who he was teammates with in New York for two seasons.
With Atlanta starting a southpaw in Martín Pérez, Philadelphia is giving Brandon Marsh a rare night off, starting Otto Kemp in left field and placing him ninth in the lineup. Marsh has a team-high .290 batting average early this season and is among the team leaders with 11 RBIs this season.
Pérez, a first-time NL East pitcher this season, is 4-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 10 games against the Phillies over his career.
The current Phillies roster is 30-for-99 (.303) against Pérez with five doubles, two homers, 19 strikeouts and 13 walks. Bryson Stott, who is also not in the starting lineup, is 2-for-2 against him, while Alec Bohm is 8-of-17 (.471) with a homer and five RBIs. Trea Turner also has a homer and a .357 average against Pérez.
Apr 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
After a disappointing .500 road trip, the Red Sox head home to host two tough opponents: the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees. First up are the Tigers. In their favor, the AL East is still close. Boston trails the Tampa Bay Rays by just 4.0 games. They are just 2.5 games out of a Wild Card. At 7-11 they’re tied with the Blue Jays for last place in the AL East. The 10-9 Tigers are in third place in the AL Central. This is a 4-game series including Patriots’ Day / Marathon Monday and the 11 AM start.
Casey Mize has started the season with two good outings (6.0 innings, 1 run and 5.2 innings, 1 run) and one clunker (4.1 innings, 5 runs). The bad start was in Minnesota against the Twins, who have just been raking some days. Ranger Suárez is coming off his best start of the season last time out against the Cardinals and will look to keep rolling. The 6K, 6.0 inning outing was much more like Sox fans expected out of the big offseason acquisition.
Saturday is a David vs. Goliath matchup as Tarik Skubal takes on Brayan Bello. Skubal has given up 6 earned runs on the season – 4 against the Twins in April 7th. Hopefully the Red Sox scouting department has a plan as they need all the wins they can get. The Sox did score 5 off the Detroit ace last May, so it can happen. The 5 runs allowed were Skubal’s season high. Like Suárez, Bello is coming of his best start of the short season. Just 2 runs (1 earned) in 6.2 innings was exactly what the doctor and Alex Cora ordered.
Sunday is the day everyone will be thinking about all weekend. Crochet Day. But first let’s start with his opponent: Framber Valdez. The Tigers added another top-of-the-rotation pitcher while taking Skubal to an arbitration hearing. And the former Astro has delivered. He’s made three starts of more than 6 innings with 1 earned run or less allowed. And one stat of 5.0 inning where he allowed 8 runs. To the Twins. In Minnesota. Seriously what is happening there? The Sox ace was rocked for 11 runs (10 earned) in 1.2 innings. It was like not other start in his life. And hopefully fades into memory.
Jack Flaherty gets the early start on Monday. Flaherty wasn’t a victim of the Twins, allowing just 1 run in 5.2 innings. But the Tigers lost his start anyway 3-1. Last time out against the Royals he went 6.0 innings allowing just 1 runs and striking out 7. Sonny Gray had a rough debut and then looked like the #2 for two starts before getting knocked around by the Twins. We almost can’t blame him for that one. Let’s hope this is another start where he’s on track.
Recently extended super-prospect Kevin McGonigle is hitting .313/.421/.484.
Dillon Dingler and Kerry Carpenter lead the club with 3 homers each.
Spencer Torkelson is hitting just .196/.369/.235 but has 13 walks!
Old friend Kenley Jansen is the closer and has picked up 4 saves already.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, April 17: Casey Mize (3.94 ERA / 3.66 FIP) vs. Ranger (5.02 ERA / 4.48 FIP)
Saturday, April 18: Tarik Skubal (2.22 ERA / 2.42 FIP) vs. Brayan Bello (6.14 ERA / 3.87 FIP)
Sunday, April 19: Framber Valdez (3.75 ERA / 3.07 FIP) vs. Garrett Crochet (7.58 ERA / 4.63 FIP)
Monday, April 20: Jack Flaherty (4.05 ERA / 4.26 FIP) vs. Sonny Gray (4.43 ERA / 4.73 FIP)
The Kansas City Royals (7-12) and New York Yankees (10-9) open a three-game series. The Royals were just swept in three games by the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees just split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels.
How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 13: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the first inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Monday, April 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Washington Nationals are a collection of one of the cuter memes in recent memory. Daylen Lile. Jorbit Vivas. Keibert Ruiz. None of these words are in the Bible? Oh… what’s that? These are the names of some of the players? Hmm, that makes a lot more sense. Well, look, getting to know the Nationals doesn’t seem like a good use of time, given that they’re in a transition period following the installation of a new front office necessitated by six straight losing seasons after the franchise’s sole world championship in 2019. And yet, right now, they’re better than the San Francisco Giants.
Sure, it’s only a two game difference, but they’ve also got the power of no expectations — and heaps of statistical data being infused with their coaching and scouting. The Giants have neither of that going for them, and this clash of organizational philosophies will be fascinating to watch here and going forward. In the offseason, the Nationals fumigated their front office to rid itself of the embalming fluids that had drenched every piece of furniture from the Mike Rizzo regime.
That group had managed to win a World Series and use the old method of tanking to get high draft picks in order to build up talent to great effect, leading to 6 years of misery begetting 8 years of contention. They’re since suffered 6 years of misery and figure to be bad again in 2026, a 7th street year of futility. But just to demonstrate the philosophical shift, two Spring Trainings ago, all the Nats did to prepare their pitchers better was hang signs in the bullpens:I don’t care how fast you throw ball four.
“In this league, you have to throw strikes,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. “I didn’t want to be a smart ass and put that up, but I think with one of the youngest teams in the league like we have and a young pitching staff, I wanted them to know that is important to the guy making the decisions on who’s making the team. Throw the ball over the plate. You have to get guys out.”
SF native, St. Ignatius & Cal alum Paul Toboni is now the President of Baseball Operations, and he’s brought aboard former McCovey Chronicles commenter prospect Anirudh Kilambi (garbanzo24) to be the GM. They’ve gone in the opposite direction of both the Nationals and the Giants (which proudly threw out the computers that had invaded their clubhouse) and the players have reacted positively. This Nats culture/vibes shift article for The Athletic by Spencer Nusbaum mentions several key details, but basically the coaching staff’s use of data in real time has helped the players more.
“Having the different resources that we have in the bullpen, cameras, TVs, TrackMan — like, we’ve had this stuff to an extent in the past,” [SP Jake] Irvin said. “But now we’re getting data in real time, and I think that that’s been a huge help.”
It’s led to their best start since 2019. Meanwhile, the Giants are 7-12 to start a season for just the second time this century and third time in 40 years. The last time this happened (2004), they had Barry Bonds on the team.
The Giants do have all or most of the same technology as the Nationals, but just given the results and the way the Giants have stumbled into those results, it’s worth wondering if said technology is being utilized in much the same way as the previous Nationals regime utilized their meager tech. If the Giants really are oversteering away from the Farhan Zaidi days to a more “traditional” and “old school” manner of what is today losing baseball, then that will be quite distressing to watch, and this series might provide us with a glimpse of what computers vs. gut is going to look like going forward. The Giants absolutely have the superior talent on both sides of the ball, but the Nationals might have the edge just by being willing to optimize what talent they do have.
Or do they? The easiest thing to optimize with modern baseball technology is pitching, and yet the Nationals have THE WORST pitching staff in the sport (-2.3 fWAR!!!) with a team ERA of 5.91 (5.95 FIP). The Giants are slightly better (+1.1 fWAR — 21st) with a 4.17 ERA (4.11 FIP). It’s on the hitting side where there’s a wide, wide gap in results in this 19-game sample size: Washington’s offense is ranked 5th heading into the series: +3.3 fWAR on a 112 wRC+ from a triple slash of .262/.338/.411. They’re tied with the Astros for most runs scored in the sport right now (107). Their 20 stolen bases is 6th in MLB, too. On paper, they’ve had a tough start to the season: @ Cubs (2-1), @ Phillies (1-2), Dodgers (0-3), Cardinals (1-2), @ Brewers (3-0), @ Pirates (2-2). Is it simply that the Cubs, Brewers, and Phillies are having a slow start to their seasons, too, or do the Nationals have a little magic?
Guess we’ll find out. If the Giants don’t win this series, they’ll be tied with the 2017, 2019, and 2020 teams starts OR be off to their worst start since the 100-loss 1985 season.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (7-12) at Washington Nationals (9-10) Where: Nationals Park | Washington, D.C. When: Friday at 3:45pm PT, Saturday at 1:05pm PT, Sunday at 10:35am PT National broadcasts: None.
Projected starters Friday: Logan Webb (1-2, 5.25 ERA) vs. Zack Littell (0-1, 4.20 ERA) Saturday: Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.06 ERA) vs. Cade Cavalli (RHP 0-1, 4.60 ERA) Sunday: Robbie Ray (2-2, 2.42 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (RHP 0-3, 11.49 ERA)
Players to watch
Nationals
CJ Abrams: The Giants tried to trade for the shortstop/second baseman in the offseason and maybe it’s because they saw in him what the new Nats front office does. The bloom had come off the rose for this player, with the industry being down on him for off the field matters plus perceived underperformance at the play. His prior three seasons have seen just a 101 wRC+ from the speedy lefty 25-year old. This year, he’s off to a white hot start: .371/.481/.710 in 77 PA (224 wRC+). Abrams is the best player on the Nats roster right now, even leading them in home runs (6). At the game level, he’s 6-for-8 on the first pitch this season with a home run and has been doing damage even later in the count, but it’s all such a small sample that the Giants can only hope he regresses to the mean during this series.
James Wood: The second-best player in the lineup right now whose .256/.376/.526 in 93 PA is only 50% better than the league average (150 wRC+) and has only hit 5 home runs (4 fewer than the Giants as a team). The outfielder went just 3-for-16 in the recently completed 4-game series in Pittsburgh, but in the prior homestand and 3 in Milwaukee, he was 14-for-35 with 4 homers. Is home cooking just what he needs?
Joey Wiemer: The Giants briefly had him this offseason and now with the Nats, he’s hitting .351/.442/.595 in a bench role (43 PA), which will almost certainly become a platoon role soon enough. Technically, the outfielder has had 1 more PA against RHP (19) than LHP (18), but the statistical separation is stark: .596 OPS vs. RHP and 1.490 against LHP.
Giants
Jerar Encarnacion: If he’s not designated for assignment before I post this article, then I would have to imagine his role on the roster is tenuous at best right now. He’s 6-for-24 in very limited action, but there’s also the matter of his poor baserunning — oh! and his bad defense (when he remembers to bring his mitt to the field). Sure, the guys who get the big bucks need to step up and produce, but on road trips, sometimes the role players need to play a winning role.
Logan Webb: He’ll probably wind up having a typical season, but it sure doesn’t feel like it right now. A great start against a team he’s done okay against for his career (4-1, 4.25 ERA) would go a long way towards calming down some negative perceptionof the team. The Nats might have different ideas, though. Webb has given up 10 runs in 3 starts (13.2 IP) at Nationals Park, though he pitched great there last time (2024: 5.2 IP 1 ER). In that game, he was called for the only balk of his career!
Ryan Walker & Erik Miller: Miller’s save in yesterday’s finale was fun to see as was Ryan Walker’s clean inning. If the 7th, 8th, and 9th are shaping into a Walker-Winn-Miller beast, that seems like one that most of us can get behind. Miller’s walk issues and Walker’s control issues are definitely things to keep an eye on, but this might be the best trio of options available to Tony Vitello for now. The Nationals’ batting average by inning so far makes the idea of the bullpen being “settled” very premature: 1st: .337 2nd: .167 3rd: .203 4th: .297 5th: .233 6th: .232 7th: .329 8th: .286 9th: .269
Tony Vitello watch
Why are the Giant struggling with their preparation? It’s not just the sloppy defense or lack of in-game substitutions, it’s also Jerar Encarnacion losing his glove and Tony Vitello arguing with an umpire against a clearly out Jerar Encarnacion or him not challenging an obvious dropped fly ball in yesterday’s game. Obviously, that’s on the players to an extent and the video room coaches — assuming the Giants still have one! They have taken great pride in de-technologizing the team! — but at the same time, every “rookie mistake” you’d expect of a guy who has never coached a major league game before March 2026 is being made.
It’d be an unacceptable spate of missteps so early in the season under any other sort of manager. That the Giants are generally playing poorly in addition to it only makes matters worse. Anyway, let’s see what happens when he manages against an actual computer.
Prediction time
The Giants will manage to win a game in this series, I think. Or… let’s hope.
COVERS INTEL:
