It’s never too early for baseball panic meters to go into overdrive, and the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays lead the list of teams under the microscope heading into today’s action.
The Mets’ 10-game losing streak is especially alarming, but there are more encouraging signs elsewhere in the NL East, and my MLB player props include a wager on Ozzie Albies, who’s delivering for the division-leading Atlanta Braves.
Read on for more on Albies and my other favorite MLB picks for the April 19 slate.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Mike Trout
Over 1.5 total bases
+110
Kevin Gausman
Over 5.5 strikeouts
+104
Ozzie Albies
Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI
-115
Mike Trout Over 1.5 total bases (+110)
The Mike Trout hot streak continued last night with a double off San Diego Padres starter German Marquez, and he’s now mashed 10 hits across his past eight outings.
That stretch includes five homers, with Trout putting this L.A. Angels offense on his shoulders. He’s posted a .500 OBP and a 1.115 OPS in day games so far this season, and I like this price for 2+ bases today.
San Diego’s Michael King is in the firing line today at Angel Stadium and, despite his solid start to the year, he gave up a hit to Trout in their lone head-to-head career battle.
Time: 4:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Angels.TV, FDSN-West
Kevin Gausman Over 5.5 strikeouts (+104)
Injuries have derailed the Toronto Blue Jays’ opening month, and they desperately need Kevin Gausman to steady the ship today against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He’s been his usual reliable self through four starts this year, with a 2.42 ERA and 0.85 WHIP, and he’s already racked up 31 strikeouts.
Toronto has struggled to collect Ks in this series against Arizona, but Gausman can at least point to impressive numbers in his matchups with key Arizona hitters. Nolan Arenado and Ketel Marte are a combined 7-for-43 against him, with five strikeouts.
Look for the stumbling Jays to ride Gausman as long as possible after another disastrous Jeff Hoffman bullpen outing last night.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, Dbacks.TV
Ozzie Albies Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-115)
Ozzie Albies has been one of the engines for the Atlanta Braves’ eye-catching 14-7 start, and he’s picked up 11 hits in his last 10 contests, with six RBI in that span. I’m counting on that consistency here.
The Braves have scored 6+ runs in four of their past six outings, and Albies has nailed this Over in three of his last four games.
Today, he faces Philadelphia Phillies rookie Andrew Painter as Atlanta goes for the sweep, and Albies will be a danger man in the heart of the lineup on the heels of a double and a single yesterday off Cristopher Sanchez.
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FOX
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.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres makes a catch and avoids a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 as he robs Yoán Moncada #10 of the Los Angeles Angels of a home run in the second inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 18, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fernando Tatis Jr. still does not have a home run on the season and for San Diego Padres fans and the superstar right fielder, that is hard to comprehend. While the power has not shown up for Tatis Jr. after 20 games into the season, he has been an offensive contributor and proved that once again with a 2-for-4 night, with two RBI, a walk and a strikeout. That was enough to help the Padres score four runs over the eighth and ninth innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 at Angel Stadium on Saturday night. German Marquez started on the mound for San Diego and seems to be improving each time he takes the ball. The former Colorado ace did not get the win, but he did complete 5.2 innings of shutout baseball, allowing two hits with five strikeouts and two walks. The Padres bullpen took over for the remainder of the game and saw Jason Adam surrender a run in the eighth, but he also worked out of trouble in what could have been a much bigger inning for the Angels. Mason Miller, who has been automatic to this point in the season, closed the game out to secure the win and set San Diego up with a chance to take the series in the rubber match on Sunday at 1:07 p.m.
Padres News:
Ramon Laureano has been the most consistent hitter for the Padres this season and that has resulted in him climbing the lineup to the leadoff spot. He attributes some of his success this season to new San Diego hitting coach Steven Souza Jr.
Not to be lost in the celebration about the win for the Padres and the late offense was the early defense from centerfielder Jackson Merrill. He and Tatis Jr. had a near miss collision in the outfield while each attempting to rob the same potential home run, which was actually brought back by Merrill to keep the game scoreless in the early innings.
Baseball News:
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a 50-game on base streak, but his offensive dominance was not enough to keep the Colorado Rockies from winning 4-3.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners is out as he slides into second base and Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers throws the ball to first base for a double play during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on April 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, folks…
The Texas Rangers fell to the Seattle Mariners last night by a score of 7-3.
Evan Grant writes that the Rangers continue to be bedeviled by George Kirby.
MILWAUKEE, WI - MAY 14: Scott Kamieniecki #28 of the New York Yankees pitches during a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 14, 1994 at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the afternoon of October 7, 1995, Scott Kamieniecki prepared to take the mound at the Kingdome for what would be the pinnacle of his Yankees tenure. As would be the case throughout that tenure, though, the moment was fraught. On the heels of a near-family tragedy the day prior that left him shaken, the 31-year-old who had endured demotions, reassignments, injuries, and struggles for the past five years was handed the ball with the chance to lead his team to victory in its first playoff series since 1981.
Scott Andrew Kamieniecki Born: April 19, 1964 (Mount Clemens, MI) Yankees Tenure: 1991-96
Scott Kamieniecki grew up in Metro Detroit, starring at St. Mary’s of Redford High School before getting taken in the second round of the 1982 MLB Draft by his hometown Tigers. He spurned them, instead enrolling at the University of Michigan. A rare player to see his stock drop during his college years, Kamieniecki would end up drafted by the Yankees in the 14th round in 1986, facing long odds to work his way to the big leagues.
He steadily rose through the ranks, finishing the 1990 season at Double-A. But it was his performance at the following spring training that put Kamieniecki on the path to the Show. “What we saw of Scott in spring training opened up a lot of eyes,” Yankees pitching coach Mark Connor later said. “The first day I saw him throw on the side, I told him, ‘that stuff is good enough to pitch in the big leagues.’”
That ‘stuff’ included a fastball that topped out in the low 90s, unremarkable in today’s game but enough to earn him a reputation as a fireballer in the early 1990s. His greatest hurdle was the mental side of the game. Highly competitive on the mound, Kamieniecki would later recall how living and dying with every pitch held him back early in his pro career. “I would have been out there in the second or third inning and had a negative attitude, like, ‘Here we go again, it’s not my day,’” he said of his ability to cope with adversity. “Now, I try to channel my energies somewhere else. If a guy gets a base hit, it’s not the end of the world.”
Kamieniecki started the year at Triple-A in 1991, where his 2.36 ERA with just two homers allowed in 76.1 innings made him a standout. A late bloomer at 27, he was ready at the right time, when the Gene Michael-led front office was beginning to promote its promising youngsters instead of trading them away for established veteran talent. “There’s a lot better atmosphere, knowing you’ve got a chance,” Kamieniecki said. “In the past, they neglected their system and traded guys away for a quick fix. Now they’ve brought up three or four of our players, and we’re feeling like a part of the Yankee future.”
His comments would prove remarkably prescient. Kamieniecki was called up to make his big-league debut just a week later, allowing two runs over six innings to earn his first victory. He was a bright spot on a team that would finish the year 20 games below .500, posting a 2.68 ERA through his first seven starts. Nonetheless, the following camp, he was forced into a battle with Greg Cadaret for the final spot in the rotation. It would begin a frustrating cycle that would go on throughout Kamieniecki’s Yankees career, with the right-hander shuttling between the rotation and bullpen with remarkable regularity.
Kamieniecki started 48 games between 1992 and 1993, a high-water mark during his time in New York. He pitched to a 4.23 ERA and 95 ERA+, serving as a solid contributor for a struggling team but doing little to cement his status going forward. Before the 1994 season, with the Yankees on the come-up, they signed veteran Bob Ojeda, a key cog on the ‘86 Mets nearly a decade earlier, supplanting Kamieniecki in the team’s rotation. While the veteran endured the indignity of returning to the bullpen, Ojeda lasted a combined three innings through two starts before the Yankees cut him loose. Back in a starting role, Kamieniecki was circumspect. “You can’t get upset and you can’t carry it out on the field,” he said at the time. “I’ve worked too hard.”
He’d stick in the rotation most of the season, putting up his best numbers in pinstripes. At 30, it looked like Kamieniecki might finally have the wind at his sails.
Of course, Kamieniecki would end up one of many victims of the labor dispute that would end the MLB season in August.
The following season, he’d miss time with injury early in the year on the Wild Card-winning club and nearly lose his job in August, this time to a young starter at Triple-A named Mariano Rivera. “It’s New York,” Kamieniecki said. “It’s the way things were before I got here and the way things will be after I leave. You have two or three bad games and you’re on the hot seat. I’m used to it.”
Nonetheless, the resilient right-hander stuck in the rotation, making a pivotal start in Game 4 of the ALDS with the chance to send the Yankees to the doorstep of the pennant. The day prior, his children were involved in a house fire that nearly turned into a tragedy. “You’re talking maybe 30 seconds more and you lose both kids,” he said later of the jarring incident which nearly precluded him from pitching in the biggest game of his life.
Kamieniecki ended up taking the bump, though he allowed five runs (four earned) in five innings in an eventual loss. The next spring he faced a familiar fate after undergoing elbow surgery in the offseason, with another member of the ‘86 Mets, Dwight Gooden, signed to take his place in the rotation. This time, he didn’t find out directly from new skipper Joe Torre but instead heard from the press that he would be on the outside looking in. A professional but disgruntled Kamieniecki called the situation “deja vu three years over,” adding simply, “nothing surprises me around here.”
When he did get the chance to pitch, he did little to build trust with his new manager, allowing 30 runs in 22.2 innings. ”If he’s like he was the last two starts, we have to start looking,” Torre said after Kamieniecki’s final outing in pinstripes. ”We can’t afford to have starters pitch two innings. It’s detrimental to the rotation and to the bullpen.” He was sent down shortly thereafter and non-tendered after the season.
After his departure, Kamieniecki was more blunt about his dissatisfaction with how he was treated in New York. He claimed the team put him on the DL with a “bogus” elbow injury, decried Joe Torre as a liar, and expressed frustration that the team made a public showing of getting him sized for a World Series ring but never gave him one.
By the time he made those comments, though, he was on to greener pastures. Kamieniecki had a career year in 1997 at the age of 33, going 10-6 with a 4.01 ERA while starting 30 games for the playoff-bound Orioles. He’d end up tossing eight scoreless innings in the ALCS against Cleveland that year, a performance which no doubt felt like a vindication of his second-class status while a Yankee.
Kamieniecki would spend two more seasons in Baltimore before splitting 2000 between Cleveland and Atlanta. He briefly returned to the Yankees as a non-roster invitee in 2001 spring training, seemingly burying the hatchet with Torre, but he didn’t make the cut. His career would end with eight games for the Iowa Cubs.
In all, the 14th-rounder who didn’t crack the big leagues until the age of 27 ended up sticking for 10 years, proving that he belonged. Kamieniecki appears to have left any hard feelings over his treatment by the Yankees in the past, making his Old-Timers’ Day debut in 2019.
Join us in wishing a happy 62nd birthday to a reliable and resilient Yankee if ever there was one.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Aug 3, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Kyle Stowers (28) hits a single against the New York Yankees during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Mariners mercifully broke the losing streak last night with a convincing 7-3 win over the Rangers last night. With how streaky the team has been to start the year, we can only hope this marks the beginning of a long winning streak, if only to get my day job manager to shut up. Anybody else have a manager who bothers them when they know your favorite team isn’t playing well? How do you deal with it? I have to do something, this disrespect can’t continue.
Happy Sunday everyone!
In Mariners news…
Bryce Millers pitched in his first rehab start for Tacoma yesterday, topping out close to 99 mph with the fastball, and allowing three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings. Bryce will have at least one more rehab start before coming back to Seattle for his season debut.
Don’t forget to help us get our new reverse mailbag series started! Drop into the thread on the site feed and leave a spicy take for us to react to!
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto came out of yesterday’s game with tightness in his lower back. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that he expects Realmuto will be not be in the lineup today as the Phillies look to avoid a sweep against the Braves at home.
Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski has a bad ass glove with a Gengar card on the back of the webbing. But lest we forget, Will Klein did it first.
As someone who works at a mostly outdoor establishment, you always have to get the umbrellas down before they turn into weapons.
Nick’s pick…
Starting April 25th, the world of fencing is getting a whole lot more Star Wars with the debut of “Fencing Visualized” a system that can track the tips of the foils without the need for markers.
It’s a sad state of affairs when disappointment settles in, like a thick bank of fog, even before mid-April has rolled around. I don’t have constructive suggestions. I’m not even sure these thoughts rise to the level of complaints since I’m not worked up about it anymore. What I can offer are mere observations—no hot takes, no surprises.
Starting rotation falls short so far
After all the preseason talk about our world-class rotation, let’s just say that things are running counter to plan. Crochet’s catastrophe of an outing in Minneapolis has received the lion’s share of the headlines, of course, but he’s not alone. This is no deep dive, but take a glance and admit no one predicted this. Stats as of April 18.
Garrett Crochet: -0.6 WAR, 7.58 ERA
Ranger Suárez: until Friday’s game, his stats were a not-great -0.1 WAR and a pretty ugly 5.02 ERA. That stabilizing performance improved these numbers to 0.4 WAR and 3.22. He has reentered respectable territory.
Brayan Bello: these stats got worse with Saturday’s outing, dropping to -0.4 WAR and 6.75 ERA
Errors
And after I was looking forward to smooth defense, too! I talked it up, and this is the thanks I get.
Through April 13, the Red Sox were collecting errors at a slightly increased rate from 2025, when they led the league in errors for much of the season. It took four errorless games in a row to drive the rate down, if only slightly. This streak is the first of the season where the Sox have played more than two games in a row without an error. Along the way, they have also already logged four two-error games. So much for the Sox newfound defensive prowess.
And so it goes
Marcelo Mayer needing to step up, Roman Anthony shedding his cape and revealing that he is all too human, the stupid hit celebration…I won’t belabor these points again, so much as offer them as punctuation to my point that the Red Sox have been anything but fun to watch in 2026.
MLB Side Quest
As a matter of self-care, I turned to my local Mariners to seek relief from the torture of Red Sox fandom. Surprise, surprise, I ran up against a wall there too.
An almost equally slow start to the season (9-13, compared to the Sox 8-12 as of April 18) has them falling far behind all expectations.
Old friend Rob Refsnyder is hitless (0-18) as of April 18.
Ferry fries have been MIA at T-Mobile Park due to some unfathomable oversight and it’s simply wrong. What does a fan have to do to have fun in 2026? I arrived incredibly early for a game last week JUST TO BOOST MY SPIRITS BY TAKING A SELFIE WITH THE FERRY FRIES only to find that they were completely out, indefinitely. As in, needing to source a new supplier or whatever. You know it’s bad when even comfort food lets you down.
It has to get better, right?
[Author’s note: at least the ferry fries returned, though with an unexpected rebrand. I will hope the same for the Red Sox.]
Jameson Taillon did not look sharp early and then said as much during his postgame interview. But he got better as his start wore on. Just under half of Jameson’s starts as a Cub have been quality starts. We all know that not all quality starts are created equal. Without any digging, there are some clunkers surely within that batch of games. But we also know that there are some good ones that didn’t reach the minimum definition. In the modern game, there a lot of pretty good starts that don’t reach six innings. He’s now gone six innings three straight times. He’s hanging around and giving the team a fighting chance. He’s a good rotation piece for the marathon part of the process.
Importantly, Jameson has stayed largely healthy throughout his Cub tenure. That’s becoming a valuable skill. Any once perceived existence of depth has been decimated by a swath of early season pitching injuries. I’ll admit to having blind spots for players on other rosters around the MLB. I put better than 90% of my baseball focus on the Cubs, so while I self-identify as a pretty knowledgeable Cub fan, I admit to being a casual baseball fan’s knowledge of modern players. That is even worse when it comes to minor league players. Years ago, when the team was rebuilding, I woke up every day to read prospect stories (mostly written by Josh). But again, flying blind. At this point, I have to confess to being largely unaware of more than a third of the present Cub pitchers. I feel like I probably heard the names Hoby Milner and Jacob Webb somewhere in the past and feel like I was vaguely aware of Riley Martin. But I’m going to need a scorecard sooner than later.
It’s hard not to be at least a little distressed about the mounting injury toll. It’s another display of the fickle nature of baseball that the injuries and the first sustained winning streak of the year are contemporaries of one another. You may have heard me say in the past that the road to the top isn’t guaranteed and isn’t a straight line. Ask the Toronto Blue Jays. They seemed to finally break through last year. They are off to a really rough start to 2026. Maybe they’ll be able to draw on some past success to turn their early struggles around. But they certainly don’t yet look like the team that got within a few inches of winning last year’s World Series.
After the Mets leave town, things are going to get a lot harder. The Phillies come to town for four, then the Cubs go west to face the Dodgers and Padres. All of that happens without a day off. Sunday’s game against the reeling Mets is a big one. Get this sweep. It could be almost a month before the Cubs face a team with a losing record. Right now today, it looks like a month straight of games against teams that are over .500 and either in first or second place in their division. This is a brutal stretch of games. The Cubs are probably going to need even more from their offense that has come to life over the last week or so. And they’ll likely doing it while facing better starting pitching and some of the more dominant relievers in the game today.
Oh yeah, also I had the math wrong yesterday on the Cub win pace. Writing at the end of a long day can be challenging. Anyway, the up to date math has the Cubs on an 89-win pace. But hey, they are on a 162-win pace over their last four. Stats are all about framing and context.
Buckle up.
Three Positives:
Jameson Taillon threw six innings, allowing five hits and three walks but only one run. It’s not a work of art, but it led the Cubs to victory.
Ian Happ had a solo homer and drew two walks. He scored twice.
Carson Kelly got only the one plate appearance. That one plate appearance was a three-run homer.
Game 20, April 18: Cubs 4, Mets 2 (11-9)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Carson Kelly (.346). 1-1, HR, 3 RBI, R
Hero: Jameson Taillon (.226). 6 IP, 24 BF, 5 H, 3 BB, ER, 4 K (W 1-1)
Sidekick: Ian Happ (.112). 1-2, HR, 2 BB, RBI, 2 R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Pete Crow-Armstrong (-.080). 0-3
Goat: Dansby Swanson (-.068). 0-3
Kid: Nico Hoerner/Alex Bregman (-.063). 0-4/0-4
WPA Play of the Game: Carson Kelly’s three-run pinch hit homer with two outs in the sixth inning. (.340)
*Mets Play of the Game: Mark Vientos hit a solo shot with one out in the second inning for the game’s first run. (.110)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 19 Winner: Nico Hoerner received 119 of 191 votes
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Nico Hoerner +12.5
Carson Kelly +7
Edward Cabrera/Daniel Palencia +5
Phil Maton -6
Matt Shaw -8
Pete Crow-Armstrong -15
Up Next: The Cubs will seek their first sweep and five-game winning streak of the season. Javier Assad (1-1, 8.10, 10 IP) makes his third start of the year. Tobias Myers is a 27-year-old righty, originally drafted by the Orioles with the 181st overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Winter Haven, Florida. This season he is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 relief innings. He started six games last year as a Brewer. He doesn’t appear stretched out to start. David Peterson normally takes this turn in the Mets rotation but has allowed 14 ER in just 19.2 IP.
There a lot of teams that face the Cubs and I feel sorry for. The Mets are not one of them, despite having a family member who is a (NJ resident) Mets fan. Kick them while they are down and sweep this series.
Apr 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Felix Reyes (29) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run in his first major league at bat during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Calling up Felix Reyes was an idea that someone in the front office had in order to give the offense a spark. “Moribund” is an adjective that isn’t used enough, but it’s accurate in describing what the Phillies’ offense has been of late. Reyes hitting a home run on the first strike he saw was impressive, but it being against Chris Sale and to the opposite field was super impressive.
The Detroit Tigers evened up their four-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday with a 4-1 win behind an ace performance by Tarik Skubal and his 10 strikeouts.
The victory brought AJ Hinch’s squad back above the .500 mark and within a half game of the American Central Division lead, behind the 12-10 Cleveland Guardians; they are also tied with the Minnesota Twins at 11-10. Not that the standings mean too much early in the season, but it always feels good to be trending toward the top.
On Sunday, the two teams will play Game 3 in a faceoff between a pair of big-name southpaws. Detroit has Framber Valdez on the mound, having given the Tigers many quality innings so far this season, up against Garrett Crochet, who has not been quite as good as his talent level would suggest.
Take a look at how they match up below.
Detroit Tigers (11-10) vs. Boston Red Sox (8-12)
Time (ET): 4:35 p.m. Place: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts SB Nation Site:Over the Monster Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 22: LHP Framber Valdez (1-1, 3.75 ERA) vs. LHP Garrett Crochet (2-2, 7.58 ERA)
The New York Yankees look for a series sweep when they host the Kansas City Royals this afternoon. New York starter Ryan Weathers has thrown better than his numbers suggest, and my Royals vs. Yankees predictions anticipate a comfortable win for the Bronx Bombers. Find out more in my MLB picks for Sunday, April 19.
Who will win Royals vs Yankees today: Yankees -1.5 (+165)
Ryan Weathers doesn’t need to be perfect today — he just needs to be better than Cole Ragans, and that bar isn’t especially high.
Ragans walks nearly 15% of the batters he faces, and the Kansas City Royals bullpen has been leaking runs, posting a 6.08 ERA with 1.55 home runs allowed per nine innings.
The moneyline price is solid, but the run line is where the real value lies.
COVERS INTEL: The Royals’ bullpen ranks bottom five in MLB with a 4.67 xFIP and a ninth-worst 4.25 SIERA.
Royals vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+100)
Ragans has command issues and is prone to the long ball. When he exits early, the Kansas City bullpen has been a disaster, and this Yankee lineup is beefy, having already scored 17 runs in this series.
The Yankees will feast, but Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia are no pushovers either, both posting xwOBAs above .350 against a mediocre Yankees bullpen.
Runs are coming from both sides, poor weather be damned. Back the Over.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 2-3, -0.85 units
Over/Under bets: 3-1, +1.94 units
Royals vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Royals +122 | Yankees -127
Run line: Royals +1.5 (-200) | Yankees -1.5 (+165)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-120)
Royals vs Yankees trend
New York has covered the run line in four of its last five meetings with the Royals. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Yankees.
How to watch Royals vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Sunday, April 19, 2026
First pitch
1:35 p.m. ET
TV
Royals.TV, YES
Royals starting pitcher
Cole Ragans (0-3, 3.78 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers (0-2, 4.29 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.
Sunday’s 15-game slate offers some intriguing value spots that the markets may not have fully priced in.
We’ve got several starting pitchers due for regression against lineups that underlying metrics suggest are primed to break out, while some seemingly weaker starters are actually performing better than the surface numbers indicate.
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for April 19
Tigers vs Red Sox: Tigers (+117)
Tigers win probability: 46%
Framber Valdez is one of the best arms in this game. Boston sits at 8-11, and being favored at -122 is a market mistake.
Tigers plus money offers strong value.
Royals vs Yankees: Yankees (-150)
Yankees win probability: 60%
This matchup features shaky starting pitching, and I expect a slugfest.
That being the case, the Yankees have better hitters, while Kansas City has been brutal on the road.
Giants vs Nationals: Giants (-122)
Giants win probability: 55%
Miles Mikolas has been highly inefficient.
Robbie Ray has been good thus far, and we’ll eat the juice and roll with Ray and the Giants to hammer Mikolas today.
Rays vs Pirates: Rays (+117)
Rays win probability: 46%
Shane McClanahan is coming off his best start of the season, while Mitch Keller is coming off his worst.
The Rays' sticks have been solid and are worth backing at plus-money.
Orioles vs Guardians: Guardians (-122)
Guardians win probability: 55%
Joey Cantillo is the real deal, while Trevor Rogers boasts a .404 xFIP.
Cantillo is a fireballer, and the Orioles’ top-10 strikeout rate should get overwhelmed by the young lefty and the Guardians’ bats.
Brewers vs Marlins: Brewers (-104)
Brewers win probability: 51%
We have two fireballers on the hill this afternoon, along with a low total.
Jacob Misiorowski has been prone to the long ball, but I’m backing the Brewers' bats against Eury Perez and his command issues.
Reds vs Twins: Reds (+104)
Reds win probability: 48%
Believe it or not, Cincinnati has been more effective away from Great American Ballpark.
Bailey Ober has struggled to find any consistency, and Minny's bats won’t save him today.
Cardinals vs Astros: Cardinals (+122)
Cardinals win probability: 45%
Mike Burrows has struggled mightily to begin the season.
The Cardinals can score runs, and Matthew Liberatore will pitch decently enough to give the Cardinals' bats a chance to pull off the road upset.
Mets vs Cubs: Cubs (-113)
Cubs win probability: 53%
David Peterson and the Mets have both been brutal this season.
I’ll back the home team and its surging offense as short home favorites.
Dodgers vs Rockies: Rockies (+261)
Rockies win probability: 28%
We have two starters prone to the long ball, and two lineups full of sticks to capitalize on it.
The Rockies have a plus .500 mark at home, and there is no way I am backing Roki Sasaki at Coors.
Hold your nose and take Colorado.
White Sox vs Athletics: Athletics (-156)
Athletics win probability: 61%
Jeffrey Springs has been dynamite for the Athletics, while Noah Schultz is a rookie coming off a tough start.
The A’s are a more consistent offense with a better bullpen. Back Springs and the Athletics bats today.
Padres vs Angels: Angels (-104)
Angels win probability: 51%
Mike Trout seems to have found his stroke, and the Angels are scoring runs in bunches.
Michael King’s underlying metrics suggest he could get lit up today, while Reid Detmers numbers are solid.
Rangers vs Mariners: Rangers (+117)
Rangers win probability: 46%
Mackenzie Gore’s numbers are better than they already suggest, and the Mariners' offense will give Bryan Woo little support.
Texas has been heating up on offense, and I’ll take the Rangers at good value.
Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks: Blue Jays (+113)
Blue Jays win probability: 46%
Although Toronto’s offense is riding the struggle bus, Ryne Nelson surrenders nearly two bombs per nine.
Let’s bet on the Jays' offense turning things around this afternoon.
Braves vs Phillies: Phillies (-107)
Blue Jays win probability: 52%
Andrew Painter and his 2.20 xERA look solid, whereas Clay Holmes’ xERA is two points higher than his ERA.
The Phillies' bullpen is also elite, so I’ll back Painter and the bullpen to get the job done tonight.
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.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 18: Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians on April 18, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Hello, friends.
In yesterday’s edition of the Bird Droppings, Tyler Young began by saying, “The Orioles offense is having a weird weekend in Cleveland.” They’re still doing it. They lost on Saturday to add another weird game to the pile, one in which they had only four hits all game (actually out-hitting the Guardians) but also struck out 16 times, with Pete Alonso and Colton Cowser each collecting the ol’ golden sombrero. It wasn’t great. Check out Andrea’s recap of the game for more of the not-so-lovely totals.
This was a game that was winnable, if not for the total lack of offense beyond each of Leody Taveras and Gunnar Henderson hitting a solo homer. Dean Kremer turned in the minimum quality start, six innings with three earned runs allowed, with all of the damage coming on one swing. Annoying to get beaten by the #9 hitter getting a three-run homer. Still, if the offense was performing according to expectations, that’s good enough to win. They just… aren’t.
If you’re inclined to make allowances for the Orioles this weekend, it is worth noting that yesterday’s Guardians starter, Gavin Williams, was pretty darn good a year ago and so far this year has been on an even greater form for recording strikeouts. He brought a 2.38 ERA into yesterday’s game. It’s not like getting rocked by some random joker who came in with a 9 ERA. Still, it doesn’t feel good.
Although the Orioles are, at least, successfully mounting some comebacks to fight off this feeling somewhat, there are still a lot of games where it feels like not enough has changed since last year’s set of problems. It’s too early to say they haven’t fixed them. We are 13% of the way through the season. It’s just, it would feel better if it seemed like they had fixed some of them – especially if guys like Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo were looking capable at the plate instead of… whatever they are doing.
Today is a new day and a chance to start writing a different story. Not that it will be easy to do this. Another Guardians starter who’s been good so far this year awaits. This one is Joey Cantillo, a lefty with a 2.61 ERA through his first four starts. Are we going to get the whopper lineup with Johnathan Rodríguez as the cleanup hitter again all because it’s a lefty? The Orioles also have a lefty going on the mound in the form of Trevor Rogers. Last year’s ace wasn’t too good last time around. Hopefully it goes better. The finale is set to start at 1:40 Eastern. It’s going to be cold over there in Cleveland.
Rico Garcia’s hitless streak to open the season (Orioles.com) People are noticing that Rico Garcia has been very, very good, which means his excellent streak is definitely going to end today.
In their 21st game last year, the Orioles were figuratively slaughtered on Easter against the Reds, getting pasted by a 24-2 margin. Every Oriole who pitched in the game, starting with Charlie Morton and ending with backup catcher Gary Sánchez, gave up at least three runs. They fell to 9-12 after this blowout loss.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2008-09 reliever George Sherrill, and 1997-99 pitcher Scott Kamieniecki. Today is Kamieniecki’s 62nd birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Declaration of Independence signer Roger Sherman (1721), Al Capone investigator Eliot Ness (1903), actress Ashley Judd (1968), and baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer (1983).
On this day in history…
In 1713, the reigning Holy Roman Emperor, Charles VI, who at that point had no living male children, issued the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 to state that his titles, including the throne of Austria, could be inherited by a daughter. In spite of this, a seven-year conflict called the War of the Austrian Succession broke out after his death.
In 1775, colonial militias clashed with the British military in battles around Lexington and Concord in present day Massachusetts, the first substantial battles in what ultimately became a successful war for American independence.
In 1861, a mob of secessionists attacked army troops who were marching through Baltimore. 17 people were killed during this rioting, among them five soldiers. These were the first Union soldiers killed in some kind of hostile action of the Civil War.
In 1995, the federal office building in Oklahoma City was bombed. There were 168 people killed by this act of domestic terrorism, including 19 children who were six or younger.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on April 19. Have a safe Sunday. Go O’s!
This photograph of Rick Monday saving the American flag, taken by James Roark of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, was lauded by Times columnist Jim Murray as "the most famous picture of its kind since the flag-raising at Iwo Jima." (Herald Examiner / Associated Press)
There are the great moments we saw, and then there are the great moments we feel we saw. We have heard about them, seen them, talked about them so often that we feel like we were there, even if we might not have been alive at the time.
For generations of Dodgers fans, Vin Scully was our historian, with words so memorable we feel as if we lived those experiences, so perfect fans repeat them to this day.
In 1965, for the Sandy Koufax perfect game: “There’s 29,000 people in the ballpark and a million butterflies.”
In 1988, for a walk-off home run by the hobbled Kirk Gibson in the World Series: “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”
In 1990, for the Fernando Valenzuela no-hitter: “If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky!”
On April 25, 1976, for perhaps the only time in the 67-year career of the best broadcaster in baseball history, Vin Scully didn’t know quite what to say.
“There’s two of them,” Scully said. “All right.”
Two people had run onto the field at Dodger Stadium, in the middle of the game. That was not entirely unusual in the disco era. A woman nicknamed “Morganna the Kissing Bandit” hopped fences and interrupted games to smooch players.
But this was something unfamiliar. Tension was in the air. Three seconds of silence, then Scully resumed his narration, his voice flat for the first sentence, rising with incredulity in the second and with exclamation in the third: “I’m not sure what he’s doing out there. It looks like he’s going to burn a flag.
“And Rick Monday runs in and takes it away from him!”
“It just happened in 10 seconds,” Dodgers historian Mark Langill said. “Fifty years later, we’re still talking about it.”
It was the play that defined an already distinguished career. On Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the day he rescued the American flag, the Dodgers will honor Monday before they play the Chicago Cubs — the team for which he played on that day in 1976.
The flag itself — presented to Monday two weeks later by Dodgers general manager Al Campanis — will be on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, as America celebrates its 250th birthday.
Monday, who served in the Marine Corps reserves during his major league career, has used the flag to raise money for veterans and their families, but he never has loaned it for a long-term exhibition.
Seldom does a day pass without someone coming up to Monday to say thank you, or to shake his hand.
“It is nothing that he seeks out,” said Charley Steiner, Monday’s partner on Dodgers broadcasts for 22 years. “Whether we’re at Dodger Stadium or on the road somewhere, people will just come up and say hi.
There was nothing flashy in the rescue. Monday leaned down, grabbed the flag without breaking stride, and delivered it to pitcher Doug Rau in the dugout. He returned to his position in center field, serenaded by a standing ovation.
Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ publicist at the time and later the general manager, sent word to the scoreboard operator to display a congratulatory message. When Monday came to bat in the next inning, the scoreboard read: “RICK MONDAY … YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY.”
Said former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley: “It’s one of the great moments in Dodger history.”
That moment came courtesy of a guy wearing a Cubs uniform, but Monday grew up in Santa Monica and delivered his spontaneous commemoration of Flag Day in the year of America’s bicentennial.
“It all came together,” Steiner said. “The hometown kid, visiting from Chicago, doing what he did at that time in American history, it was just an unbelievable confluence of events.
“And then, lo and behold, he becomes a Dodger. And he has been a Dodger ever since.”
After the 1976 season, the Dodgers traded Bill Buckner to the Cubs for Monday, who played the final eight years of his career in Los Angeles. He was the first player drafted in the first-ever baseball draft in 1965, a two-time All-Star and 1981 World Series champion that might have been best remembered for hitting the home run that lifted the Dodgers past the Montreal Expos in the 1981 National League Championship Series.
Best remembered, that is, if not for the flag rescue that elevated him from a ballplayer to a hero.
“Whether you’re a casual fan or an avid fan, you know of that moment if you grew up as a fan in Los Angeles,” Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch said.
And beyond. Steiner, who was news director of a radio station in Hartford, Conn., that day, said Monday’s play instantly made headlines on the East Coast. President Ford called Monday after the game.
In 2006, the U.S. Senate formally presented him with a proclamation of appreciation. Two years later, President George W. Bush invited him to the White House.
Rick Monday stands near a flag he rescued from being burnt by protesters at Dodger Stadium during a news conference on Capitol Hill on June 14, 2006 in Washington. The news conference was held on Flag Day to support the proposed Flag Protection Amendment. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
The award-winning photograph of Monday swiping the flag, taken by James Roark of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, was lauded by Times columnist Jim Murray as “the most famous picture of its kind since the flag-raising at Iwo Jima.”
“It about as unique a moment in U.S. baseball history as there’s been,” Rawitch said, “and I think that’s probably why people connect to it.”
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, but that game was on the schedule. History, yes, but no surprise. Same when Bush threw out the first pitch during a World Series game in New York after 9/11.
The father and son that invaded the field at Dodger Stadium that day never have spoken publicly about why they did. But all was not well in America in 1976, in the aftermath of the unpopular Vietnam War and the presidential scandal that was Watergate, and beset by soaring gasoline prices amid crisis in the Middle East.
We hear echoes of all three themes today. In an Ipsos poll released this month, a majority of Americans said the country’s best days are behind us and said we are “splitting apart” as a nation.
However, 80% said military veterans reflect “core America values,” including service and commitment to the greater good. And, among a list of icons that included the Statue of Liberty and the White House, respondents most often selected the U.S. flag as the one they associated most closely with America.
Perhaps Monday and his flag can help renew a sense of national unity, borrowing from the astonishment that pervaded Scully’s voice that day in 1976, once he finally figured out what was happening: “I think a guy was going to set fire to the American flag. Can you imagine that?”
It turned out to be a great call after all. In 2022, as soon as he learned Scully had died, Monday listened to Scully’s call one more time.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 17: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees crosses home plate following his two-run home run in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees finally got some home cooking going on Saturday, putting a beatdown on the Royals to the tune of 13 runs while Will Warren made it a worry-free day tossing seven innings and striking out 11 batters. Cody Bellinger slugged two home runs on the day, Ben Rice made it three straight days with a bomb, and Amed Rosario continued to earn his starting time with another homer to round out the long balls. Now the team sits a win away from a sweep that would turn the homestand overall into a decent one when it started off incredibly rocky.
While we wait for the finale to start up, let’s run through what’s in store for the day. Scott profiled Dom Hamel before he went up against his old organization in Scranton’s doubleheader yesterday, and Andrew goes over the latest scores from around the AL in the Rivalry Roundup. Nick wishes Scott Kamieniecki a happy birthday and goes over his Yankees career in the early ‘90s, Estevão looks around the AL landscape and sees some expected contenders floundering leaving a path to the top for the Yanks, and after the game John will have the weekly social media spotlight featuring plenty from Jackie Robinson Day.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals
Time: 1:35 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, Royals.TV
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. What do you make of Will Warren’s gem? Was it just a nice surprise, or will he find his way into the sixth and seventh innings more frequently?
2. Can Ben Rice make it four straight games with a homer?
SNY | John Flanigan: Will Warren dominated the Royals Saturday, holding them off the board into the seventh inning to continue an encouraging start. “The four-seam was really playing well,” Aaron Boone said of his second-year starter. “He got a lot of swing-and-miss, the changeup was good today too, I just think it was the overall mix — it was good to see him take that lead and run with it, really good job.” Warren has pitched to a 2.49 ERA through five starts, building on a campaign in which he finished eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting last year.
NY Post | Greg Joyce: The offense also played its part in making the win a rare comfortable victory. Cody Bellinger led the charge with two homers, as the lineup overall coasted to 13 runs. This outburst came against left-hander Noah Cameron, a particularly encouraging sign as the team had entered play with a .535 OPS against southpaws, second-worst in baseball.
ESPN | Jorge Castillo: Aaron Boone threw some cold water on anyone anticipating a rapid return from Gerrit Cole, who made his first rehab start on Friday against Double-A Somerset, indicating he will need “several more” rehab outings first, with a return expected by early June. “Nothing’s imminent here,” the Yankees manager noted. “We’ll be disciplined and make sure we take the right amount of time.” Cole threw 44 pitches across 4.1 innings, and his fastball was sitting around 95 mph. Carlos Rodón still appears ahead of Cole, even though he won’t begin his rehab until this week.
SNY | John Flanigan: Saturday’s rout was also a showcase for Ben Rice, who’s begun 2026 proving the predictive nature of analytics which indicated he was profoundly unlucky last season. Boone sat lefty-masher Paul Goldschmidt against the left-handed Cameron and the gambit paid off, with Rice crushing a 398-footer lefty-on-lefty to notch his third straight game with a home run. After the game, his OPS sat at 1.224, second-best in baseball.
NJ.com | Bob Klapisch: Day games at Yankee Stadium have been kicking off a little later than in years past this season. At the request of several veterans, including Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees pushed their start times back from 1:05 to 1:35 with the goal of allowing more time for recuperation and preparation. The seemingly minor change has had a noticeable impact. “It’s a 100 percent improvement,” said Stanton. “For some guys, the extra sleep in their prep. For other guys, they use time here getting treatment. I like it. The extra half hour feels like an hour.”
Mike Trout
Kevin Gausman
Ozzie Albies
COVERS INTEL: The Royals’ bullpen ranks bottom five in MLB with a 4.67 xFIP and a ninth-worst 4.25 SIERA.
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