Category: Baseball

MOOSIC — At PNC Field, home of the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the pitch speed on the scoreboard rounds up.

So when Gerrit Cole threw a four-seam fastball 99.6 mph in the top of the third inning of his latest rehab start Saturday night against the Syracuse Mets, “100” popped up on the board. Later, in the fifth inning, he hit 99 mph with another four-seamer.

“Just the progression, getting stronger and stronger every outing,” Cole said. “It’s been coming the last few weeks.”

Those pitches were the highlights of a solid performance on Saturday by the six-time All-Star and 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner as he moved another step closer to returning to the New York Yankees from reconstructive elbow surgery on March 11, 2025. Cole went 5.1 innings and allowed one run and six hits with one walk and six strikeouts. He threw 86 pitches, 56 for strikes.

“Felt really good,” Cole said. “Some good velocity tonight, some good locations. Some good quick innings and some innings that tested us.”

Going in, Cole was expected to throw about 80 pitches. So when he was at 83 after five innings, there was plenty of speculation that would be it for him.

However, Cole came out for the top of the sixth. He retired Christian Arroyo on a groundout to third on one pitch, then got ahead 0-2 on erstwhile Yankees prospect Eric Wagaman. That’s when RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan emerged from the dugout to pull Cole. Turns out 86 was the number.

In each of his first five rehab starts, his pitch count has increased — 44 on April 17th, 52 on April 23rd, 60 on April 29th, 69 on May 5th, and 77 on May 10th. “So far, so good, it’s been a good progression,” Cole said. “Pitch count is steadily increasing, recovery has been good and velocity and command are steadily increasing as well.”

Duncan thought Cole looked really good. He felt he was aggressive in the strike zone and had command of all his pitches. “He was doing what Gerrit does best,” the manager said. “He was hitting spots, working his pitches off each other, making it hard for the opposing hitters. It was a lot of fun watching him.”

Catcher Ali Sánchez agreed.

“He was commanding the fastball, it was good velo on it,” Sánchez said. “The two-seam was moving good. The sinker was good. Everything was working really good. Curveball, slider, changeup to lefties. He threw some good ones. He mixed it to righties, too. It was a great job by him.”

Cole retired the first seven batters he faced, including strikeouts of Ryan Clifford to end the top of the first and Cristian Pache to begin the third. Then things got a bit interesting.

Jackson Cluff and Kevin Parada followed with one-out singles. With two outs, Ji Hwan Bae hit a groundball wide of first base that Ernesto Martínez Jr. fielded and flipped to Cole covering. However, the speedy Bae beat Cole to the bag and was safe on an infield single. Cluff never stopped running on the play and headed for home. Cole turned and threw to the plate, but Cluff just got his hand in under the Sanchez’s tag to score and make it 2-1, Scranton.

Sánchez had hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second to put the RailRiders in front.

The Force Awakens Ali. 🛸💪#RepBXpic.twitter.com/q6tiB1uDUc

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) May 16, 2026

“A guy scored from second base on a groundball to the first baseman,” Cole said. “I made a really good play overall, but they’re really fast. I anticipated him coming around to home and made a strong throw. But we just didn’t convert an out or prevent a run. It was a little frustrating.”

To end the inning, Cole struck out Clifford. It was during that at-bat that he threw the 99.6-mph four-seam fastball.

With one out in the fourth, Wagaman doubled. Yonny Hernandez followed with a single to left. Wagaman tried to score, but Jonathan Ornelas threw him out at the plate. Pache followed with a single that sent Hernandez to third, but Cole struck out Cluff to strand the runners.

He made it three straight strikeouts when he got Parada looking and Nick Morabito swinging to open the Syracuse fifth. Cole then got ahead of Bae 0-2, but he threw four consecutive balls to walk him, including another 99-mph four-seam fastball on ball one.

“I was repeating the changeup a few times,” Cole said. “For the most part that was good. That, unfortunately, was one package of two in a row where I lost the zone a little bit and then didn’t make a good pitch 3-2.”

Clifford flew out to right field for the final out of the fifth. Cole then threw the three pitches in the sixth to conclude his sixth rehab start. On the night, he averaged 97 mph on the heater and induced 13 combined swings and misses from his full arsenal — including seven from his changeup alone.

PNC Field gives Gerrit Cole a hand as he leaves game@swbrailriders@Yankees#RepBx@MiLBpic.twitter.com/lAGz4kOfCC

— Scott Walsh (@swalshTT) May 16, 2026

Well after Cole exited, Syracuse rallied to win in 10 innings, 6-2. The Mets tied it in the eighth inning, then struck for four runs in the top of the 10th.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has told reporters in New York that Cole likely will need one more rehab start before returning to the majors. Despite Max Fried recently being placed on the injured list and expected to miss at least a month with a left elbow bone bruise, the Yankees won’t rush Cole back. Elmer Rodríguez was recalled to take Fried’s spot and will start the Subway Series matinee today at Citi Field.

“That’s a challenge, but my job is to stay focused on my progression and my start from week to week,” Cole said. “Max obviously is an integral part of our rotation and our team. It’s unfortunate, but thankfully we have good depth in order to cover him in the interim. In situations like this, it’s just important to remain focused on what their job is. I fall into that category as well.”

Whether that likely final start will be with the RailRiders again remains to be seen. They have a series in Allentown, Pa., against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs next week.

“I’m sure Cash (GM Brian Casheman), Boonie, the whole group will talk about his outing here along with Gerrit and make a decision,” Duncan said. “We’ll be ready if it is here. If not, we’ll have the privilege of watching him in the big leagues.”

Cole admits he is itching to return to the majors. He pointed out that when you include the offseason following the 2024 season, it has been more than 17 months that he has pitched in the bigs.

“No matter how you slice it, that’s a long time,” Cole said. “I feel like we’ve executed one step at a time and it’s been going really well. I just take it week to week. There’s always something to work on. I’m never really satisfied.”

The Mariners lost again last night. Logan Gilbert didn’t have his best stuff again, and Dan Wilson got sent home early by the umpires.

Rivalry weekend is a wash at this point, but the Mariners will attempt to salvage a win in the series anyway on NBC and Peacock at 4:20pm.

In Mariners news…

• The young season isn’t actually so young anymore, and performances are starting to look more and more sustainable with each passing week. Some players appear to have bounced back from relative down years in 2025, including Mariners starter George Kirby.

Around the league…

• Mets pitcher Clay Holmes is headed to the 15-day IL with a broken leg after taking a 111.1 mph line drive off his leg on Friday night.
• Toronto Blue Jays starter José Berríos will be getting surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday. The severity of the injury won’t be known until Berríos is on the table, but it seems even in the best case scenario, the team will be without his services for the remainder of 2026.
• Travis Sawchik at mlb.com wrote about how the consistent rise in fastball velocity may be due in large part to many pitchers slowest fastballs being faster than ever before, rather than fastballs getting that much faster year after year.
• David Adler at mlb.com wrote a very comprehensive profile on Kevin McGonigle and his unique plate approach.
• The St. Louis Cardinals and manager Oli Marmol have fully embraced the power of their shirtless fans.
• The hits keep coming and they don’t stop coming. The beatings will continue until morale improves. Etc. Etc.

• The Boston Red Sox placed infielder Trevor Story on the IL yesterday and called up utility infielder Nick Sogard, who has had a promising start to his season in Triple-A Worcester.
• A baseball game is a beautiful place to meet someone new, or run into an old friend.

Saturday saw a lot of action in the Atlanta Braves farm system. Michael Martinez homered for the second straight day, as his red hot start to the FCL season continues. The entire Augusta lineup had big days, as did David McCabe, Manuel Campos, and Yamvier Carrero. On the pitching side, we got to see great efforts out of Garrett Baumann, Cedric De Grandpre, Zach Royse, and Gensi Angeles, as the quartet allowed just three earned runs over 27 innings on the day.

Durham Bulls 11, Gwinnett Stripers 2

• Luke Williams, DH/P: 1-4, HR, R, RBI, .242/.303/.418
• Brett Wisely, 2B: 2-4, 2B, BB, .310/.377/.500
• Lucas Braun, SP: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 4.85 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

This one was ugly early, as starter Lucas Braun failed to make it out of the first inning. Braun was able to record just two outs before allowing four runs on four hits and a walk. Rolddy Munoz pitched a scoreless next inning and a third, before giving way to Elieser Hernandez. Hernandez came in and ate five innings, though allowed five runs – including a pair of homers. After a scoreless Joel Payamps inning, they put in position player Luke Williams to pitch the ninth, and he went on to allow the final two runs to score.

Prior to coming in to pitch, Williams spent the game at DH, where he blasted a 105.7 MPH home run. He and Brett Wisely were about the only two players in the Stripers lineup who were productive on Saturday, as Wisely recorded a single, double, and walk in five trips to the dish. Brewer Hicklen and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singles accounted for the remainder of the Stripers hits. Keirsey also drew a walk to reach base twice, and Jim Jarvis had two walks in the loss.

Columbus Clingstones 6, Knoxville Smokies 2

• David McCabe, 1B: 2-4, HR, 2B, 1 R, 3 RBI, .272/.361/.621
• Patrick Clohisy, LF: 2-3, BB, R, SB, .267/.339/.416
• Lizandro Espinoza, CF: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, SB, .295/.415/.562
• Garrett Baumann, SP: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, 5.92 ERA

Box Score

This season has been a bit of a struggle for Garrett Baumann in his first experience in the upper minors, but on Saturday he put together his best start of the season. Baumann set new season high marks for going both seven innings and striking out 11. In total he allowed six hits and a walk, and the two runs he gave up were both unearned, while he picked up 13 whiffs. Luis Vargas and Tyler LaPorte were each able to toss a scoreless frame to close this one out, and each one struck out a pair of batters to give Columbus pitchers 15 strikeouts on the day.

The top part of the order won this game for the Clingstones, as each of the first three hitters in the lineup had a multi-hit day. David McCabe’s two hits went for his 11th homer and third double of the season, and he picked up three runs batted in. Patrick Clohisy went two for three with a walk, stolen base, and run scored, while Lizandro Espinoza was two for three with a steal, run batted in, and two runs scored. In total seven members of the lineup had base hits, and eight of the nine reached base safely in the win.

Rome Emperors 1, Brooklyn Cyclones 0

• Dixon Williams, 2B: 1-3, 2B, .297/.426/.541
• John Gil, DH: 0-3, BB, R, SB, .274/.376/.452
• Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K, 5.13 ERA

Box Score

Cedric De Grandpre’s season of ups and downs continued on Saturday night with a very much up start. Cedric went seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and no walks and striking out 10 with 14 whiffs. This gives him three excellent outings with three poor outings, as well as two mediocre outings on the season. Drew Christo came on to pitch the final two innings and struck out three to preserve the combined shutout. Combined Cedric and Christo allowed three hits and no walks with 13 strikeouts.

As good as the pitching for Rome was, the offense was equally non-existent. The Emperors managed a run on just two hits and three walks. A Dixon Williams double and Logan Braunschweig single accounted for the hits, while John Gil, Eric Hartman, and Mac Guscette were able to draw the walks. Gil scored the lone run, and had a stolen base – as did Hartman and Braunschweig.

Augusta GreenJackets 11, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 1

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 1-4, BB, HBP, R, RBI, .305/.352/.511
• Nick Montgomery, C: 2-5, 2B, BB, 2 R, RBI, .213/.341/.387
• Cooper McMurray, 1B: 2-3, HR, 2 BB, R, 4 RBI, .188/.339/.307
• Zach Royse, SP: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 4.21 ERA

Box Score

Zach Royse turned in a dominant start in this one, going a career best eight innings and allowing just one run on four hits and no walks. Royse picked up eight strikeouts, to go with 15 whiffs, and needed just 90 pitches to get through eight innings. Styven Paez pitched a scoreless ninth inning to finish this one off, and dropped his ERA to 0.71 on the season.

The Augusta offense got going in the top of the first, when they put up four runs, and never looked back as they cruised to an easy win. Every member of the lineup got on base, and eight of the nine got on multiple times in the win. In fact the only guy not to factor into the storyline was Tate Southisene, who received a rare day off here. The star of the game had to be Cooper McMurray, who homered, singled, walked twice, and batted in four runs. If it wasn’t McMurray, then Dallas Macias is the next option after he went recorded two doubles, two hit by pitches, a walk, run scored, and two batted in. Nick Montgomery singled, doubled, walked, scored a run, and batted two in. Luis Guanipa singled, walked, and got hit by a pitch. Alex Lodise singled, walked, stole a base, and scored a pair of runs. Juan Mateo singled twice, walked, and stole a base. Even Dalton McIntyre had a pair of singles and a walk, while Junior Garcia drew a pair of walks.

FCL Rays 10, FCL Braves 9

• Michael Martinez, LF: 1-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, .375/.522/.781
• Manuel Campos, DH: 3-5, 3B, R, RBI, 3 SB, .200/.391/.286
• Diego Tornes, CF: 1-4, 2 RBI, .273/.273/.273
• Yamvier Carrero, SS: 3-5, R, RBI, SB, .308/.471/.308
• Gensi Angeles, SP: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

The final score isn’t truly indicative of the game that was played. The Braves team was up 5-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth, before the bullpen let things get away. Gensi Angeles threw five shutout innings, allowing just three hits and no walks as his ERA remains at 0.00 through 14.1 innings, to go with a 0.98 WHIP. Angeles also had four strikeouts with five whiffs. Edward Cedano came in for the sixth, and he was charged with six runs without recording an out. Cristobal Abreu allowed another run, but was able to limit further damage in the sixth. Daniel Brooks came in for the next two innings, and gave up two runs of his own. Melvin Hidalgo went an inning and a third, allowing a walk-off in the 10th as the inherited ghost runner came in to score.

The Michael Martinez show continued on Saturday, as he homered for the second straight day to give him four on the year, in just 11 games. Martinez’s homer went 108.1 MPH off the bat. Infielders Manuel Campos and Yamvier Carrero also helped lead the Braves offense, as each had three hits. Campos’ three hits included a triple, and he stole three bases as he scored once and batted one in, while Carrero also stole a base, scored a run, and batted one in. Diego Tornes played for the third straight day, going one for four with a single and batting in a pair of runs, though from reports he just missed his first pro homer on a 102.5 MPH flyout. Manuel Dos Passos and Juan Espinal each added two-hit games, while Johan Rodriguez had a double in the loss. Conor Essenburg was not in the lineup after he started his rehab assignment on Friday.

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The Philadelphia Phillies go for the road series sweep today when they play the Pittsburgh Pirates in an exciting pitching matchup.

Paul Skenes and Zach Wheeler take the mound today, which has the MLB odds expecting a fairly low-scoring game.

My Phillies vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks explain why it’s what happens after they depart that will decide this one for the road underdogs.

Who will win Phillies vs Pirates today: Phillies moneyline (+120)

Paul Skenes will dominate the Philadelphia Phillies today... and then he’ll hand the ball to a bullpen with a league-worst 7.09 ERA over the past two weeks.

That will be the difference in this game.

Philly’s pen has a league-best 2.76 xFIP in that same span, with a 2.30 ERA. They also got a full day’s rest yesterday.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a GB rate of 46.4% the past two weeks, the sixth-highest in the league, and Zach Wheeler’s sinker/splitter combo has induced ground balls at a 46.5% clip.

Wheeler and his pen will outlast Skenes and his.

Phillies vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-130)

Skenes is dominating opponents behind a filthy arsenal and impeccable control. His 1.26 BB/9 and .183 BABIP lead the majors, and his 1.85 xERA is 0.62 runs better than any other qualified pitcher. 

He’s also controlled this Philly lineup. In 38 appearances, they’ve posted a .081/.108/.213 split while striking out 11 times. 

Skenes should rack up plenty of punchouts against a Philly lineup with the fifth-highest chase rate over the past two weeks, swinging at 37.1% of pitches outside the zone. 

He and Wheeler will limit scoring enough to stay under the total.

Phillies vs Pirates odds

• Moneyline: Phillies +127 | Pirates -133
• Run line: Phillies +1.5 | Pirates -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+122) | Under 7.5 (-127)

Phillies vs Pirates trend

The Phillies have hit the Moneyline in 6 of their last 7 games (+5.15 Units / 47% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Pirates.

How to watch Phillies vs Pirates and game info

Phillies vs Pirates latest injuries

Phillies vs Pirates weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Saturday, in case you missed it...

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• Mark Vientos drove in three runs and the bullpen was excellent in a 6-3 win over the Yankees
• MLB Insider Chelsea Janes writes that Vientos, who is aware of the game's ebbs and flows, is thriving in an everyday role
• Luke Weaver and the rest of the pitching staff showed some resilience in the wake of Clay Holmes' injury on Friday, writes John Harper
• Tobias Myers is a potential replacement option for Holmes in the rotation, but it seems more likely that a young pitcher like Zach Thornton could get called up
• In the meantime, the Mets called up reliever Joey Gerberto give them a fresh arm in the bullpen until they need a new starter
• Carlos Mendoza praised the Mets' resiliency on Saturday after they dropped the series opener on Friday

The first two games of this weekend’s Braves-Red Sox series couldn’t have been much closer, with each team claiming a 3-2 win.

After Boston used an eighth-inning homer from Willson Contreras to win Saturday night’s game, the rubber match is set for Sunday at 1:35 p.m. at Truist Park.

The Braves, who have lost just one series this season, are 6-1 in rubber matches this season, including 4-0 at home.

The Red Sox, on the other hand, are 3-5 in rubber matches and have lost their last four, including one Thursday against the Phillies.

With the series on the line, the Braves will turn to Grant Holmes (2-1, 4.35 ERA), who will close out the homestand he began on Tuesday after going 11 days between appearances when he was skipped once through the rotation.

The right-hander has battled some control issues of late, with 13 strikeouts and 10 walks in his last three starts. In eight starts this season, he has 34 strikeouts to 21 walks in 41 1/3 innings. With his 1.31 WHIP, one would imagine his ERA would be higher. However, he’s navigated trouble pretty well, with only one start where he’s allowed more than three runs this season.

Last time out in Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the Cubs, Holmes glided through three innings before allowing a homer to Alex Bregman and walking the bases loaded in the fourth. He allowed one more run before escaping but his elevated pitch count chased him after a season-low-tying four innings of work.

Holmes has faced the Red Sox twice, starting a pair of games against them less than two weeks apart last May. He’s 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA, allowing a combined five runs over 11 2/3 innings, striking out 14 and walking five. He took the loss in a 5-1 Braves defeat on May 30.

Boston had a TBA starter for the series finale until after Saturday’s win. Brayan Bello (2-4, 6.46) was expected to be the bulk pitcher, but the last two times, he’s been used after an opener. This time, Bello will get the start, a role he’s had much less success in this season.

In his last two games out of the bullpen, Bello threw a combined 13 1/3 innings, allowing a run on four hits in each appearance with 12 total strikeouts and two walks.

In his six starts before that, he had a 9.12 ERA and a 1-4 record, allowing 26 runs on 43 hits over 25 2/3 innings. He struck out 17 and walked 15 in those six starts.

It’s been a surprising down season for Bello, who had a career-best 3.35 ERA in a career-high 166 2/3 innings last season and has never had an ERA above 4.71 in his first four seasons.

Bello is 1-1 with a 6.61 ERA in three career starts against the Braves. His two 2023 starts against Atlanta went pretty well, but he was roughed up last season in Boston, allowing seven runs on 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings in a 10-4 Braves win.

A breakout performance for an Atlanta offense which hasn’t yet scored more than five runs in a game this week would help end the homestand on a positive note and with a winning record.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, May 17, 1:35 p.m. EDT

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision, Gray TV

Streaming: MLB.tv — it’s a free weekend, even if you don’t subscribe (though of course you’ll need to be out-of-market to benefit)

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Good morning, folks…

The Texas Rangers lost to the Houston Astros last night by a score of 4-1.

Evan Grant says the Rangers’ offense is historically bad, though his math appears to be off in regards to the average number of runs the Rangers are scoring per game thusfar.

Corey Seager got a day off on Saturday due to back spasms.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve left Saturday’s game with a left side issue, and will be undergoing an MRI.

Caden Scarborough, whose start to the 2026 season was delayed to due melanoma treatment, made his 2026 debut on Saturday for the ACL Rangers.

In some non-Rangers news, Blake Snell is going to have surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow.

David Laurila has his Sunday Notes column up at Fangraphs.

Mark Vientos is not prone to overthinking. His confidence is so sturdy that it renders any anxious analysis moot: If he is hitting, of course he is. If he isn’t, he will be soon.

So Vientos sees no mystery in the way he has gone from struggling this spring to settling into the cleanup spot, protecting Juan Soto in the Mets’ injury-riddled lineup, and tied for fourth in baseball with 14 May runs batted in. He was, the way he explains it, merely due.

“I think baseball’s just being baseball,” Vientos said after the Mets’ win over the Yankees Saturday night. “You have a good month you have a bad month. “The season’s so long. You have a bad month, you have a good month, you have a bad month, you have a good one. That’s just the nature of the game.”

Two months ago, Vientos was in a 2-for-35 spring training that left him with no clear path to regular at-bats other than as a part-time designated hitter. A month ago, the 27-year-old was clawing out of an 0-for-23 hitless streak that spit him out as a part-time player even for the Mets’ patched-together lineup.

But then Jorge Polanco landed on the injured list and Francisco Lindor followed. Suddenly, Vientos was the Mets’ every day first baseman. Eventually, he secured the cleanup spot. Since April 18 — the first of 21 starts in 22 games — Vientos has five home runs, three doubles, and an OPS of .747.

“He knows he’s in the lineup. He knows he’s playing every day. He knows he’s hitting cleanup,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He doesn’t have to worry whether he’s going to be in the lineup or not, whether he has to get two or three hits to be in there again — which is the competition. You have to earn it. And he’s done that, obviously. We need him.”

Vientos acknowledged that being in the lineup every day helps him, but he did not seem to think it made some transformational difference. And to his earlier point about being subject to baseball’s whims, Vientos has been unlucky: Even those solid numbers since April 18 include several near misses on deep fly balls as well as a batting average on balls in play so low (.228) it suggests they should be even better.

“He’s just swinging the bat well. He’s just been a little unlucky lately. He’s a great, talented player,” Soto said, before cracking a rare postgame interview smile. “His talent, it has to come out at some point. Now, it’s just coming out.”

Certainly, Vientos’ talent has come out before. His 2024 postseason outburst, for example, seemed to signal a star turn that did not materialize.

But whether it lasts or not, this latest reemergence arrived at a crucial time for the Mets, whose cleanup options were whittled away by injuries in recent weeks. If they want to revive their season, they will probably have to claw back to .500 over the next few weeks — a period they will almost certainly spend without Franciscos Lindor and Alvarez and could possibly spend without Polanco and/or Luis Robert Jr., either.

Bo Bichette is still slumping. Soto is still aching. Recovery will probably require several members of their bruised lineup producing beyond their usual levels. Vientos, meanwhile, need simply to keep doing what he’s doing.

“I don’t think there’s a formula to it,” Vientos said. “It’s going my way now, and just gotta trust it.”

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The weather is heating up, and so are sluggers around the MLB.

My home run props today feature some of the hottest hitters in baseball in Munetaka Murakami and Jordan Walker.

Read my full MLB player props for Sunday, May 17 below.

Best MLB home run props today

Home run pick: Jordan Walker (+660)

Jordan Walker cooled off for a bit after hitting eight homers in April, but dingers are back on the menu for the St. Louis Cardinals slugger.

Walker has gone deep in two of his last three games while batting .358 so far in May. The 6-foot-6 outfielder has the fifth-highest average exit velocity in baseball (94.8 mph), so it’s no surprise that he’s piling up the homers.

Stephen Kolek gets the ball for the Kansas City Royals, and he’s already given up three homers over his first two appearances of the season.

• Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, Royals.TV

Home run pick: Munetaka Murakami (+338)

Munetaka Murakami snapped a six-game homer drought Saturday with a pair of dingers, bringing his season total up to 17 and just three back of Kyle Schwarber for the most in the majors.

Murakami is tied for first in hard hit percentage (61.5%), and the Chicago White Sox rookie will get plenty of good pitches to hit this afternoon.

Chicago Cubs starter Colin Rea has allowed three dingers over his last two outings, and five overall through his last six games.

The Cubs' pen has also struggled to keep the ball in the yard, surrendering 23 home runs this season.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Chicago Sports Network

Home run pick: Max Muncy (+361)

Shohei Ohtani has been struggling at the dish, but fortunately the Los Angeles Dodgers have plenty of depth. Max Muncy is leading the team with 12 dingers this season, going yard three times in his last six games.

Muncy has been crushing the baseball, ranking 11th in the majors in hard hit percentage (56.1%) and eighth in barrels per plate appearance percentage (12.2%).

L.A. Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez is set to make his first appearance in the majors since July 2024, while their bullpen ranks third last in ERA (5.17) and seventh last in homers allowed (22).

• Time: 4:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Angels Broadcast Television, SportsNet LA

Today’s HR parlay

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Columbus Clippers 11, St. Paul Saints 7

Clippers fall to 22-22

Every single member of the Columbus Clippers lineup had at least one hit on Saturday, with three top prospects all homering.

Cooper Ingle led the way, going 2-for-5 with a three-run home run.

Cooper Ingle 3-run homer.

His OPS is now 1.199 in Triple-A.

The Guardians had Austin Hedges pinch hit for Patrick Bailey last night, which tells you everything about where their catcher production is at. pic.twitter.com/vDEzKmuchR

— Jose (@GuardsBurner_) May 16, 2026

Angel Genao also blasted his second home run in as many days, also going 2-for-5 and raising his Triple-A OPS to 1.006.

Make that consecutive days with a home run for Angel Genao!

The @CleGuardians No. 2 prospect (MLB No. 47) continues his tear since being promoted to Triple-A last week with 11 hits — 7 for extra bases — in his past 7 games for the @CLBClippers. pic.twitter.com/niN8JmhcGD

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 16, 2026

George Valera was the other Clipper to homer.

Juan Brito reached base safely four times, going 1-for-2 with three walks. Kahlil Watson doubled and had a sacrifice fly while Nolan Jones doubled and walked. Stuart Fairchild doubled and walked and Kody Huff went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.

Starting pitcher Logan Allen got hammered for six runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings with two strikeouts and two walks.

Jack Leftwich added 2.1 scoreless innings of relief while Daniel Espino added a scoreless inning while striking out the size. Tanner Burns earned the save by getting the final out of the ninth inning.

Akron RubberDucks 5, Chesapeake Baysox 8

RubberDucks fall to 21-17

Ralphy Velazquez had a big hit for Akron, tripling. Jose Devers had the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a double. Conner Barstad walked twice.

Starting pitcher Josh Hartle allowed two runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks is 5.0 innings.

Adam Tulloch allowed five unearned runs in 0.2 innings, which put the game out of reach.

Lake County Captains 5, Dayton Dragons 8

Captains fall to 18-19

Luke Hill had a huge game for Lake County, but it wasn’t enough. Hill went 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and two walks, raising his season OPS to 1.006.

HE CAN’T BE STOPPED! 😤

Luke Hill hits his team-best 8th home run of the year! 💪 pic.twitter.com/SOsgCBIaiB

— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) May 17, 2026

Catching prospect Bennett Thompson also had a monster performance, going 3-for-4 with two doubles.

Ryan Cesarini also reached base three times, going 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base.

Starting pitcher Jackson Humphries allowed five runs on three hits with five walks and two strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.

Michael Kennedy allowed three additional runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings.

Hill City Howlers 4, Wilson Warbirds 8

Howlers fall to 20-18

Johan Rodriguez had the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-4.

Jose Pirela went 1-for-3 with a walk, while Cannon Peebles went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. Robert Arias tripled while Yaikel Mijares walked twice and stole a base. Jhorvic Abreus homered.

Starting pitcher Will McCausland allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 4.0 innings.

Jervis Alfaro allowed four additional runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings.

Luke Fernandez added a scoreless inning of relief.

ACL Guardians 2, ACL Mariners 9

Guardians fall to 7-4

A rehabbing Gabriel Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with a double while Reiner Herrera went 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk and a sacrifice fly.

Starting pitcher Erigaldi Perez allowed three runs on six hits in 4.0 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

I’ll be honest. College baseball is decidedly not my thing. The very best college prospects sometimes end up in Double-A, while the vast majority will be sent to A ball or perhaps the complex. If I wanted that I could, you know, go see actual minor leaguers in person. I know “gotta support the school” and all, but I paid tuition to two of them so we’re even. And I find that as a working parent and a guy who watches the Braves intently, I don’t have the bandwidth.

But thankfully, I don’t represent everybody. And some of you really like college baseball. Some of you have played it and others are parents of current players. And I’ve noticed that this place clears out when there’s no Braves game and the NCAA baseball tournament.

This year, the Braves have the eighth highest draft pool. They could end up drafting some of the better prospects. So I’m gonna attempt to follow the college baseball postseason this year. You might get a baseball tournament roundup, or at least an aggregated one from other coverage pretty soon.

So are you going to watch the college baseball tournaments? Are there any players that you’re following? Can you all help me find what to watch for? I know UCLA is good, and there are 8 SEC teams in the top 25. Also, can players jump up the board drastically with a good postseason? I know college football players do all the time. Regardless, you’re going to hear more about it in the coming weeks. The minor league team is already on the hunt, and I’ll be chipping in where I can.

Based on almost all preseason projections, the St. Louis Cardinals have outperformed expectations and have shifted the fan view from rebuilding to contending in just a couple short months. Now, as Chaim Bloom has to answer the question “buy or sell”, fans also wonder what this hot start means for this season and beyond. The original thought was that this year would give us some answers on much of the roster, but what we did not anticipate was that those answers would result in a rebuild that is years ahead of schedule. So that brings me to my question this week: Most of us expected a painful season but we are getting the complete opposite. Because of that, are we allowed to be disappointed in the Cardinals this year if they finish below .500 or miss the playoffs?

As a lifelong fan, I always go into every season with high expectations and good vibes, even if the team is not looking so hot on paper. Even if I disagree with the lineup or roster decisions, I am still going to cheer for a 10-0 shutout win. I would much rather be wrong about a player I thought was bad than be right and see them continue to struggle. And this year, my expectations were higher than most and I am beyond happy with how the season has started. In our recent Redbird Rundown episode with Joe Roderick, we handed out quarter grades and I gave the whole team an A, even though some individuals received plenty of marks worse. Now, if that A grade drops to say, a C by the All-Star break, will I be upset? 100% yes, but that is because I want my team to go 162-0 despite the need for this reset season.

The Cardinals have outperformed this year. If they miss the playoffs, does this season become a disappointment?

To give you my answer right away, yes, I will be disappointed if the Cardinals miss the postseason again, but that is the case every year for me. From a zoomed out perspective, though, that may not be fair for this season specifically. The main objective for this season was simply to get answers on the current roster after shipping off the high-priced and underperforming veterans who did not fit into the timeline for the next competitive St. Louis Cardinals team. Through the first two-plus months of the season, I would say that they are well on the way of fulfilling that mission thanks to phenomenal performances by Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt, while Masyn Winn, Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, and Nathan Church have all shown plenty enough to be considered for the long(er)-term.

The other spots on the lineup taken up by Victor Scott II, Nolan Gorman, and Pedro Pages have created additional conversations of their own, with fans and surely the organization wondering where they all fit beyond this year. Scott has been a massive disappointment, especially after hearing about all of the work he did in the offseason to rework his swing and become more than a stellar defensive center fielder. With Lars Nootbaar returning in the next couple of weeks, the outfield competition is going to be one to keep an eye on. At third, Gorman has been my own personal disappointment as I was excited to see a truly uninterrupted “runway” on defense and in the middle-ish of the order. So far, he is simply showing that what we have seen is who is going to be, with a little better glove than we anticipated. On a team with other run producers and table setters in the order, a.220 batting average and .700 OPS would not be a huge detriment, but when he was expected to be one of the boppers, I understand why Cardinal Nation remains down on his future. As for Pages… I’ll let all of you sound off in the comments about his role with the team. Whether Jimmy Crooks is ready or not, I personally feel it is time to see at least one of the catching prospects get their shot in St. Louis, with Pages then moving into the Yohel Pozo role. We talked with Kyle Reis this week, and he noted that the clubhouse culture is so good right now that the team likely does not want to upset the vibe, so Kyle went as far to say go ahead and send Thomas Saggese down and have four catchers on the roster. Not a bad idea as Saggese would definitely fall into the disappointing category, but is still just 24-years-old so some additional time in Memphis would be best for everyone.

On the pitching side, I personally feel what we are seeing is what the expectations were for the starting five. While the minor leagues has the more exciting arsenals, we are still a little bit away from seeing those arms in the bigs and the major league staff has done exactly what was needed this year. The team obviously hoped to get a little more from Kyle Leahy in the rotation, but he has been completely serviceable thus far. Unfortunately, his service would be better on a team with more exciting arms, but being surrounded by Andre Pallante overshadows his overall effectiveness. There are no complaints from me about Michael McGreevy, although I am nervous for how potentially ugly it could get if the metrics catch up to his real life performance. Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May have been just fine, despite both probably having a little higher expectations coming into the year.

The bullpen rollercoaster is never fun, regardless of a rebuild or competitive window, but holy cow what a ride we have had so far. Riley O’Brien has performed like a top closer in all of baseball, but in my opinion, is best used as a trade piece alongside JoJo Romero and Ryne Stanek. Unfortunately, removing this many arms would create an even scarier reliever alignment, which could cause the team to tumble from contender to rebuild, especially if Matt Svanson and crew are unable to right the ship.

It is that realistic situation that makes me a little uneasy about getting my hopes up too much in May. As someone who is financially invested in the Cardinals’ win totals and potential to make the playoffs, I hope they continue on this amazing run, but the recent comments from Chaim Bloom about the deadline strategy keeps me from counting all the money in the bank. Recently, Bloom said the plan remains to build towards the future but they could get “creative” to keep the young core together and plug some holes that may also have some long-term value. Reading not-so in between the lines, veterans and those on one-year deals may not want to put the finishing touches on their St. Louis residence just yet. This means guys like O’Brien, May, Romero, Stanek, and even Lars Nootbaar and/or Ramon Urias could find themselves playing for a different organization before the summer concludes. Over on Twitter, I asked if the replacements for those subtractions would really be that much of a difference from the current contingent. The overwhelming response was no, and those new bodies might even be better.

Assuming the #STLCards remain committed to the rebuild, that means they will likely trade:
– Riley O'Brien
– JoJo Romero
– Lars Nootbaar
– Dustin May

Are the replacements for those players so much worse where we see a big drop off in team performance?

— Scott Plaza (@MrPlaztastic17) May 5, 2026

In the bullpen, I do not necessarily agree. The Memphis Shuttle has not run as often as it typically has in the past, so any reinforcements would come in the form of Chris Roycroft, Ryan Fernandez, and Hunter Dobbins before diving into the non-40-man options. Outside of Dobbins, the other two would be a fresh arm replacement for someone in the big league bullpen, rather than heavy artillery coming in to close the door. In this potential outcome, it is a very real possibility that starters’ outings and solid early game offense could be wasted with late game collapses, causing a tumble down the standings and, therefore, my feeling of disappointment towards the season. In that case, the answer to my question is a definitive yes, although I am very strongly against dealing from the depth for bullpen relief. For my armchair GM capabilities, I would simply live on the waiver wire and dumpster dive my way into a diamond in the rough while churning over spots 38-40 on the roster.

It is no surprise that the stellar start to the Cardinals’ season has altered fan perspective on the year, but is that fair to the team? I think so. The players and coaches in the dugout never came into the season expecting to lose, quite the opposite honestly. Everyone on the roster expected this team to be competitive and we are seeing all 26/40 guys pulling on the same end of the rope. Any roster shakeup would come with the potential of messing up that clubhouse aura, and with the overall goal of this year being to find who will be here for the future, it makes the most sense to stay the course.

Let me hear what you think! If the team hovers at or below .500 for the rest of the year, will this year be a failure? Is this a playoff caliber team? Time to cash in on prospects?

Thanks as always!

On Saturday, pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano 菅野 智之 made his ninth start with the Colorado Rockies and his fifth start at Coors Field. Sugano had a good day for the Rockies, pitching five innings and allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits, and setting them up for a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

However, the day also marked a significant marker for the former Yomuiri Giant as he also tallied his 150th career win, despite experiencing some flu-like symptoms prior to his start.

Sugano was modest about the accomplishment, saying through interpreter Yuto Sakurai, “I’m obviously happy about it, but it’s just another win, so I want to look forward to the 151st win.”

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer wasn’t surprised.

“He’s just the ultimate professional on a daily basis,” Schaeffer said, “whether it’s pitching or not, around everybody else. You can just tell he’s been doing it at a high level for a long time. We celebrated the 150th in there today, but [I’m] very, very happy for him. It’s a great milestone, well deserved.”

Antonio Senzatela recognized the importance of his teammate’s accomplishment.

“It was really big,” Senzatela said. “He’s one of the best pitchers out there in Japan, and he’s performing really well here in Coors. He’s a nice human being, a nice person. I love him, and I’m so happy for him.”

An All-Star in Japan

An All-Star in Japan, Sugano won the Central League Most Valuable Player Award three times and the Eiji Sawamura Award twice.

“The No. 1 honorable thing I could say about [my career highlights] is playing for the Yomiuri Giants,” Sugano said. “I have a lot of history there, for 12 years, and the teammates and the coaching staff that I met throughout the process is probably my No. 1 thing.”

Despite his stature in Japan, Sugano acknowledged the different kind of pressures he’s experienced pitching in Japan and the United States.

“It’s a different type of pressure that I felt back in Japan versus here,” he said. “In Japan, I was expected, obviously, to win and pitch well every game. But over here, I’m more so feeling like a rookie. I was a rookie last year, and in terms of that, like not as much pressure over here,”

He decided to spend part of his baseball career in the United States.

“I was obviously in my latter part of the career in Japan,” Sugano said, “and I just didn’t want to have any regrets looking back in my career. So it was one of the things I wanted to accomplish, so I think that would be one of the biggest reasons.”

A rookie in the US — at elevation

Sugano is also learning to adjust to pitching at elevation.

“The first thing I noticed is how my off-speed pitches move here versus on the road,” Sugano said, “but I think I’m making good adjustments to that too.”

Currently, Sugano has a 4.07 ERA in 42.0 IP. His ERA at Coors Field is 4.71 while his road ERA comes in at 3.43, which suggests that Sugano is experiencing some of the same home-road adjustments as other Rockies pitchers. Worth noting, however, is that his home HR/9 is 1.29 while his road HR/9 is 2.57. So while he’s pitching better on the road, he’s giving up more home runs there than he does at Coors Field.

For Sugano, it’s about making the most of his sizable arsenal.

“I guess my strength is I get to pitch with different pitches,” Sugano said. “I haven’t looked through the arsenal to pitch around hitters, and that’s obviously my strength.”

He also pointed out that he’s enjoying his time in Denver, a big switch from Baltimore where Sugano spent the 2025 season.

“It’s an amazing city, easy to have a good life here,” Sugano said. “I like it. It’s, it’s just easy to live on a day-to-day basis.

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To Read: Rockpiles

• Monday:Paul Worley gives Rockies prospects real-world English practice | Renee Dechert
• Tuesday: Rockies players share their experiences from the Cultural Education & Development Program | Sam Bradfield
• Wednesday:Is the Platoon System Working for the Rockies? | Skyler Timmins
• Thursday:Checking in on players the Rockies moved in the 2026 offseason | Cory Cohen
• Friday:Is Michael Lorenzen’s 2026 unlucky so far or a sign of trouble for Rockies? | Joelle Milholm
• Saturday:Hunter Goodman: An Extreme Profile | James Riggenbach

To Read: Other News

• Weekly Pebble Report: JB Middleton focuses on pitch development | Renee Dechert, Skyler Timmins, & Evan Lang
• Rockies injury news:Chase Dollander leaves Rockies-Pirates game | Sam Bradfield
• Rockies roster news:Rockies call up OF Sterlin Thompson, place RHP Chase Dollander on IL | Evan Lang
• Rockies injury news:Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander appears to have avoided the worst | Evan Lang

Weekend Discussion Topics

Tomoyuki Sugano’s 150th career win across Japan and the United states is one of many career milestones reached with (or against) the Rockies in their relatively short team history. What are some others you can think of, or believe might be reached in the near future?

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Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Jameson Taillon has been a decent starting pitcher in MLB for a decade. Some years have been better than others; his last two were pretty good for the Cubs after a rough first season in Chicago in 2023. I’ve met him and he seems to be a good guy.

I’m afraid Jamo might be past his sell-by date. Taillon served up five home runs to the White Sox Saturday night on the South Side and the Sox blew out the Cubs 8-3.

Not only was that the most for Taillon in any game in his career, it was one of the worst home-run-allowed performances by any Cubs pitcher, ever. From BCB’s JohnW53:

Taillon is just the eighth Cubs pitcher to surrender at least five home runs in a game.

The previous one was Matt Swarmer, the only one to serve up six, on June 11, 2022, at New York vs. the Yankees.

The six before him were, in order, Warren Hacker at Cincinnati in 1954, Steve Stone at home vs. the Reds in 1974, Ismael Valdez at the White Sox in 2000, Carlos Zambrano at Atlanta in 2011, Travis Wood at home vs. the Cardinals in 2012 and Jason Hammel at New York vs. the Mets in 2016.

Hammel gave up 10 runs; Wood and Zambrano, eight, the same as Taillon; Swarmer, six; and the three earliest, five. The Cubs won the game at the Sox, 6-5. They were outscored in the other earlier games, 53-16.

Not only that, but Taillon put the Cubs in a deep hole after just 10 pitches, which resulted in:

• A ball that ate up Matt Shaw at second base for a single
• A walk to Munetaka Murakami
• A home run to Miguel Vargas

Meanwhile, the Cubs couldn’t do anything with Davis Martin for three innings. One of those outs was Tristan Peters robbing Shaw on this sinking line drive [VIDEO].

Then Taillon served up two more homers, solo jobs, in the third to make it 5-0. The second one of those, by Colson Montgomery, went 442 feet, yikes. That one was reviewed, as it was pretty close to the foul pole, but was confirmed as a home run. At this point it was pretty obvious that Taillon was going to have to stay in the game for at least a couple more innings because two guys who could do long relief (Javier Assad and Trent Thornton) had both done so in Friday’s game.

Another homer, a two-run job by Murakami, made it 7-0 in the fifth.

The Cubs finally got on the board in the sixth with a home run of their own, Miguel Amaya’s third of the year [VIDEO].

One out later, Michael Busch singled and Alex Bregman doubled, perhaps giving some hope of a comeback. But Davis Martin struck out Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki to end the inning.

I am pretty sure Craig Counsell wanted Taillon to throw the entire sixth inning, but after he allowed a leadoff homer to Andrew Benintendi, that was it for Jamo. Five-plus innings, 90 pitches, five home runs. That gives Taillon 16 home runs allowed in 50.2 innings this year. That’s two more than anyone else (Zack Littell of the Nationals, 14). And it’s worse than that, because in two of his nine starts, Taillon allowed no home runs. So the 16 homers have been served up in just 40.2 of those 50.2 innings — and that’s after giving up 10 home runs in 13.2 innings in Spring Training. His ERA went up by more than a run after this game, from 3.94 to 4.97. Any way you do the math, it’s just bad.

The Cubs did have a chance to get back in the game in the seventh. They loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single by Amaya sandwiched around a fielder’s choice. But Nico Hoerner flied to right and Busch grounded out to end the threat.

Ethan Roberts threw two scoreless innings in relief and Ryan Rolison had a 1-2-3 eighth, so that saved most of the leverage relievers from having to work in this blowout.

The Cubs got two consolation runs in the ninth. Michael Conforto led off with a double and one out later Pete Crow-Armstrong smashed this long home run [VIDEO].

That was PCA’s first homer since May 6, a span of 34 plate appearances. Perhaps he can go on a nice run now. Also, Bregman had two more hits in this game, extending his hitting streak to seven games in which he is batting .333/.354/.467 — maybe he, too, can get things going.

There was a scary moment in this game in the fourth inning when plate umpire Brian O’Nora got hit by a foul ball [VIDEO].

O’Nora had to leave the game and the rest of the game was played with three umpires. Hope he’s okay.

Here are some postgame remarks from Counsell [VIDEO].

So here’s the thing. With Sox starter Davis Martin dealing all year, the Cubs were going to have a tough time in this one regardless. But Taillon did not make things any easier. At this point I think Cubs management has to take some time to think about what’s next for him. In his postgame comments, Counsell mentioned “missed locations” by Taillon and while that’s true, there have been far too many of those this year. Four days of rest for Taillon would bring his turn up on Thursday, which is an off day for the Cubs. In my view it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just skip his next turn while he works on figuring out how to fix things.

Meanwhile, the Cubs still have a chance for a series win on the South Side. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs Sunday afternoon and Erick Fedde will go for the Sox. Game time is 1:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and also on CHSN and WCIU-Ch. 26 with the Sox announcers).

The Nats have finally done it! After 15 failed attempts, the Nationals finally got over the hump, beating the Orioles 13-3 to reach .500. It is May 17th, and the Washington Nationals enter play with a 23-23 record. Seeing the instant impact this new regime has made has truly been a joy to watch as someone who covers the team.

Final: Nats 13, Orioles 3. They did it. At 23-23, they won a game to reach the .500 mark. They had been 0-15 over the last two calendar years when a win would've gotten them to .500.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) May 16, 2026

The game yesterday was a close and tense affair until it suddenly was not. While the Nats were always in the driver’s seat, there was a feeling of tension around the game until the bottom of the 7th. The Nats got out to a 4-0 lead, and had chances to blow the game open, but did not take them.

For a minute, it seemed like that lack of a killer instinct would cost the Nats. It was quickly forgotten, but that top of the 7th was a bit of a disaster. After the Nats loaded the bases with nobody out, but did not score in the 5th, it seemed like the momentum shifted. Cade Cavalli pitched brilliantly in the first 6 innings, but ran into a wall in the 7th.

The O’s took advantage of that, hitting back to back jacks off the Nationals right hander to start the inning. The rest of the inning was a long and winding road that included walks, robberies and long at bats. However, the Nats got out of there allowing just one more run to hold onto the lead.

Winding back a bit, the Nats got out to that big lead due to their catcher. With how he is hitting, I don’t think we can call Keibert Ruiz an unlikely hero anymore. He is showing a ton of power right now. For the season, he has 13 extra base hits in 87 AB’s. Last year, he had 14 XBH in 255 AB’s. Sure, Ruiz’s .244 OBP is terrible, but he is making up for it with a .471 slugging percentage. He hit a massive 3-run homer in the second in this contest.

Keibert Ruiz sends a towering fly ball over the wall for a 3-run shot ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/vaEwCHkhjw

— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2026

It is very cool to see Ruiz have big games at the plate. I have been critical of Ruiz over the years, but he seems like a good character and a hard worker. Blake Butera said as much when I asked him about Ruiz. Butera called Ruiz, “An incredible person to coach”. He pointed to Ruiz’s willingness to work on things and try new ideas.

At the beginning of the season, Ruiz really struggled at the plate. It felt like Ruiz was so keyed into making defensive improvements that it hurt his offense. To his credit, Ruiz’s defense has gotten way better. He has a +1 fielding run value, which is a huge step forward. Last year, he was at -10, and has consistently been one of the worst defensive catchers in the league. You have to give a ton of credit to new catching coach Bobby Wilson, as well as Ruiz.

Now that the defense is where he wants it to be, it seems like Keibert has been trying to get back to his best as a hitter. Over the last couple weeks, he has really done that. In May, Ruiz is hitting .323 with a 1.097 OPS. Sure, he does not have any walks, but he is showing a better approach at the plate. He is waiting for pitches that he can do damage with and crushing them. Even Jacob Young noted that he thought Ruiz was doing a better job getting his A swing off.

Right now, Ruiz has a 94 wRC+ while being an above average defender behind the plate. That will certainly play, and I think the Nats should be playing Ruiz more. However, they still need to balance that with not overplaying him like they have in the past. While he is clearly the best catching option right now, you want to keep him fresh.

Overall, this was just an outstanding day at the ballpark. That bottom of the 7th inning was electric. This offense just kept attacking the O’s pitchers and never let up. With the way Lile and Ruiz are hitting, this offense is so dangerous to pitch to. It is not just Abrams and Wood anymore, the supporting cast is coming through too.

The Nationals in the 7th inning:

Wood: Walk
Mead: Pop out
House: RBI-2B
Abrams: 1B
Lile: RBI-FC
Nunez: Walk
Ruiz: 2-RBI 1B
Wiemer: FC
Young: 3-run HR

A 7-run outburst against the Orioles’ bullpen 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7pkzQ1NIKA

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 16, 2026

Jacob Young’s homer was the cherry on top of that inning. He was one of many Nationals to have a big game today. Young hit his 4th homer of the season, which is already a career high. He also made a couple outstanding plays on defense, including one in the top of the 7th. Sure the bat can be frustrating, but there is a reason Young has a role on this team. The extra power is also a fun, new element to his game.

One thing that stood out to me in the press box was how great the crowd was. There were over 40,000 people in the building, and they were engaged. Sure, there were some O’s fans in attendance, and they got loud in that 7th inning. However, it was a pro Nats crowd that was cheering on their squad throughout.

Blake Butera was quick to give the fans credit after the game. Before he took questions, he made a little statement thanking the fans and talking about how much it meant to the team. He talked about how much the players love playing in front of a big crowd and said they were talking about how much Navy Yard was buzzing. To see them make that big crowd happy as well fired me up.

Blake Butera opened his postgame press conference with a message to Nationals fans: pic.twitter.com/THJEtMFcg3

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) May 16, 2026

The best way to get people to come to the games is to win, especially on days where there are already big crowds. You have to make the Nationals cool again, and this weekend is a huge step in the right direction. These two games have created a real buzz around this team. Blake Butera may not want to acknowledge it, but getting back to .500 plays a role in creating more buzz going forward.