Category: Sports News

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (6-5) lost 3-1 (BOX SCORE)

Gordon started for Sugar Land and pitched really well striking out 5 over 5.1 innings allowing just one unearned run. The pen allowed a couple of runs as Tacoma extended their lead. In the 9th, the offense picked up one run on an Unroe RBI single but that would be it as Sugar Land fell 3-1.

Note: Gordon has a 1.76 ERA this season.

• Shay Whitcomb, SS: 2-for-4, 2 SB
• CJ Alexander, LF: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Collin Price, 1B: 1-for-2, 2B, 2 BB
• Kellen Strahm, RF: 1-for-3, BB
• Riley Unroe, 3B: 1-for-4, RBI

• Colton Gordon, LHP: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Jose Fleury, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (2-3) won 9-6 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the 2nd inning scoring 4 runs on a Bush solo home run, a run on an error and a Spence 2 run single. Mayer got the start but ran into trouble in the 2nd inning allowing 3 runs as he was pulled after just 1.2 innings. He was relieved by Swanson who allowed 1 run over 3.1 innings. The offense picked up another run in the 6th on a Ferreras RBI single, though the Mission tied it in the 8th. The teams exchanged runs in the 10th but in the 11th, the Hooks picked up 3 runs on a Bush bases loaded walk and RBI singles by Austin and Nelson. David closed it out with a scoreless 11th as the Hooks won 9-6.

Note: Bush has a 1.200 OPS this season.

• Joseph Sullivan, RF: 0-for-2, R, 4 BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, 2B: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB
• Lucas Spence, CF: 2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB
• Walker Janek, C: 0-for-6
• Will Bush, 1B: 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Trevor Austin, 3B: 1-for-5, RBI, BB
• James Nelson, LF: 1-for-5, R, RBI, BB, SB
• Tommy Sacco, SS: 0-for-4, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SB

• Bryce Mayer, RHP: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Trey Dombroski, LHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Derek True, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Ramsey David, RHP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (WIN)

A+: Asheville Tourists (2-3) won 8-7 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board first scoring 4 runs in the 3rd inning on a Call solo HR, a run scoring on an error and a Schiavone 2 run HR. Taylor got the start and pitched well striking out 7 over 4 innings allowing just 1 run. The Grasshoppers took the lad in the 5th but the Asheville offense responded with 2 runs in the 6th on a Hernandez groundout and Powell RBI double. After the Grasshoppers tied it again, Thomas connected on a 2 run HR in the 8th to give Asheville the lead. The pen allowed a run in the 9th but held on for the 8-7 win.

Note: Cruz is hitting .364 this season.

• Caden Powell, RF: 1-for-5, R, 2B, RBI
• Ethan Frey, LF: 0-for-5
• Jason Schiavone, 1B: 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Max Holy, SS: 0-for-3, R, BB
• Narbe Cruz, 2B: 3-for-4, 2 R
• Justin Thomas, CF: 2-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Chase Call, DH: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Alberto Hernandez, 3B: 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB

• Andrew Taylor, RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
• Nate Wohlgemuth, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (WIN)
• Eurys Martich, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K (SAVE)

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (1-4) lost 6-5 (BOX SCORE)

Potter started for the Woodpeckers and allowed 2 runs over 3 innings with 4 strikeouts as he made his professional debut. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 4th inning on a Monistere RBI double. Oakes relieved Potter and was pitching well but allowed 2 runs in the 6th, as he also went 3 innings allowing 2 runs. The offense rallied for 4 runs in the 7th to take the lead on an Ochoa 2 run single and 2 runs scoring on errors. Varela allowed 2 runs in the top of the 8th as the RiverDogs retook the lead. The offense was unable to respond as the Woodpeckers fell 6-5.

Note: Huezo has two triples in four games.

• Kevin Alvarez, RF: 0-for-5
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 0-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Nick Monistere, 2B: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, SB
• Anthony Huezo, DH: 1-for-4, 3B
• Josh Wakefield, CF: 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 SB
• Arturo Flores, C: 0-for-2, R, BB, SB
• Nehomar Ochoa, 1B: 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB

• Nick Potter, RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• Kellan Oakes, RHP: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Spencer Arrighetti – 7:05 CT

CC: James Hicks – 7:05 CT

AV: Cole Hertzler – 5:30 CT

FV: TBD – 5:35 CT

Morning, all!

The Rangers’ 2022 top international signee, Anthony Gutierrez, will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in the second inning of his first game. Someone has a little Anthony Gutierrez doll they’ve been sticking pins in as he has yet to play more than 80 games in a season.

Cody Bradford has hit a setback in his return from elbow surgery, though it’s unclear if it will significantly delay his planned return to the Rangers in May.

Jacob Latz is embracing his versatility, making five appearances thus far in multiple roles without giving up an earned run.

Evan Grant will be serving burgers at two different Rodeo Goat locations on Friday to benefit disadvantaged youths.

MacKenzie Gore only allowed one hit over five innings while striking out nine yesterday to complete a sweep of the Mariners.

This is the first time the Rangers have managed to sweep a series against the Mariners since 2023.

When you are trotting out Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, and MacKenzie Gore it definitely ups your chances of sweeping a three game series.

The Rangers say their data indicates that fly balls are going deeper at Globe Life than last year, so maybe this low scoring homestand is just a result of great pitching.

After a very fun road trip to open the season, the Nats got a serious reality check on their first home stand. The boys went 1-5, which was a serious gut punch to the fanbase. Any hopes of being surprisingly competitive feel gone, but what can the Nats do to be a fun team? It is early, but fans are already celebrating off days.

It is too much to ask this group to be a good team, but I still think they can be a fun and scrappy bad team. However, they need to do a few things to make that possible. That is what we are going to break down here. 

First off, they are going to have to fix the pitching. It is not going to be a good pitching staff or even an average one, but can Paul Toboni make some roster tweaks to make sure this is not the worst pitching staff in baseball? An easy way to make a season not fun is to have the worst pitching staff in baseball.

As things stand right now, the Nats have the worst pitching staff in all of baseball. With that in mind, they have plenty of spots up for grabs. Paul Toboni should take advantage of that and try out as many arms as he can. Those could be waiver claims or calling guys up from Rochester. They are going to have to cobble together a pitching staff, so that will mean a lot of turnover.

One guy I would really like to see sometime soon is Riley Cornelio. That could be as a starter or in the bullpen. The 25 year old looks like he has leveled up again after an impressive 2025 season. His stuff looks sharper and he has been getting a lot of whiff in AAA. In his two starts, Cornelio has 13 strikeouts in 9.1 innings. He is on the 40 man roster, and could be an upgrade either in the rotation or bullpen.

I want to see any arm that looks promising in AAA get a shot in the big leagues. Cornelio and Andrew Alvarez are obvious candidates to get called up because they are on the 40 man roster. We know Miles Mikolas is over the hill, why not give some of these younger arms a shot.

There was some optimism for the Nats pitching staff coming out of Spring Training, but that is gone. For the pitching staff to not be absolutely miserable, we are going to need to see a lot of turnover. I want to see as many guys get chances as possible. If they are not producing, it is on to the next guy.

The pitching staff is not going to be the reason for this team being fun though. That would be the offense. So far this season, the offense has looked really good, other than yesterday. The at bats look better than last year and there is a real plan at the plate.

For this team to be fun, these improvements need to have at least some staying power. A breakout that would really excite me is Brady House. Ever since Spring Training, the 22 year old has looked way better at the plate. He has always been able to hit the ball hard, but now he has a plan at the plate and is doing a better job elevating the ball.

The Nats have not had a legitimate answer at the third base position since Anthony Rendon left. Even if the Nats lose a bunch of games, a lot of that will be worth it if House proves he is the long term answer at third base. House is a fun player to watch when he is on his game. He is aggressive, but is learning how to control that swing happy approach. House also makes consistent loud contact, which we love to see.

Another guy who absolutely hammers the ball is James Wood. He is another key player if the Nats want to be fun. When he is on his game, he is an absolute joy to watch. Wood consistently hits balls over 110 MPH. That kind of laser show is very fan friendly. His opposite field homers are also awe inspiring. He can hit a ball 430 feet and it does not even look like a full swing.

When Wood is struggling though, he is not a very fun player to watch. Strikeouts, especially strikeouts looking are frustrating to watch. We know Wood strikes out a lot when he is struggling. However, when he is on his game, he keeps the strikeouts in check. Wood only has two strikeouts in his last 15 at bats, which we love to see.  

The offense will be the unit that makes the Nats fun, and Wood is their most talented offensive player. That means he will bear a big responsibility in making this team watchable. However, there are plenty of solid bats in this Nats lineup. CJ Abrams, Daylen Lile, Luis Garcia Jr., and even Joey Wiemer have shown they can be very fun when they are on heaters.

One player who is not with the team now that can make the Nats more exciting is Dylan Crews. After a rough spring, Crews was surprisingly demoted to AAA. However, we will see him at some point this year. When Crews is hitting, he can be a fun player to watch. He is a very energetic player and can provide a spark. If he shows life at the plate, it would provide optimism to a fanbase that is tired of losing.

While there was some hope after that first road trip, it seems like that was a false dawn. The Nats are going to lose a lot of games this year. However, that does not mean this team is destined to be unwatchable. If the offense keeps clicking and the Nats front office finds at least a couple answers on the pitching staff, this could be a fun bad team rather than a totally depressing one.

As we reach April and start to get closer to the 2026 MLB Draft, we have looked at the college players in this draft a couple of times this season already. Now it’s time to turn our attention to some of the high school options that the Atlanta Braves may want to select this year.

These are going to be in alphabetical order, with a focus on players who might be selected within the first 100 picks of this draft. It will also be focusing on guys the Braves could draft, so the top prep prospect, Grady Emerson, will not be included due to there being no chance he gets down to the team with the ninth pick.

Carson Bolemon, LHP, South Carolina HS – Bolemon is in the conversation for the top prep pitcher off the board this year, meaning the Braves would need to select him as #9 as he may not be there for #26. He hasn’t pitched a ton this spring, but does have 13 strikeouts in just five innings, while also putting up big numbers as a hitter. He has touched 94 MPH so far this spring, but shown a plenty of swing and miss with both of his breaking balls as he has three to four potentially plus pitches. He is a Wake Forest commit.

Eric Booth Jr., OF, Mississippi HS – Booth has been rising over the past few months to the point where he is a potential Top 10 pick this year. The son of a former All Conference kick returner at Southern Miss, Booth is a power/speed combo center fielder with a feel for hitting. Booth will still be just 17 on draft day, but the Vandy commit is projected average or better in four tools – with his below average arm being the one exception. It is unlikely the Braves would even see him at #26.

Coleman Borthwick, RHP, Florida HS – A potential first rounder, Borthwick has looked great so far this year. He is presently at 32.2 scoreless innings with 58 strikeouts in that time, despite a pretty tough schedule. He was recently seen hitting 97 MPH, and has also been a key piece of his team’s lineup. The U18 World Baseball Classic MVP is an Auburn commit, who could start to be an option for the Braves at 26.

Blake Bowen, OF, California HS – A riser over the fall and winter, Bowen is a physical former football player with plus grades on his power, speed, and arm. He started his rise as he showed some real improvement with the hit tool over the fall, and could project into a middle of the order bat now. Bowen is a likely first rounder, who could be in play for the second Braves pick of the round.

Will Brick, C, Tennessee HS – The unquestioned top catcher in the prep class, Brick actually reclassified into the class from the 2027 class. His high end defense is the calling card, but he should be at least average with the hit tool and power. Brick is a potential first rounder, so the Braves would need to take him with #26 or their second round selection to get the Mississippi State commit.

Blake Bryant, RHP, Georgia HS – Bryant checks a lot of boxes that the Braves like. He’s a projectable, athletic, local 6’5 pitcher with a quality fastball, potentially plus slider, and the makings of a potentially future average change, as well as a future average command grade. He also possesses an average change to deepen his arsenal. The Clemson commit is probably more of a second or third rounder as the fastball is more average to a tick above, though could turn into a plus pitch depending on how much he adds when he fills in his 6’5, 180-pound frame.

James Clark, SS, California HS – A recent riser, Clark is a player who reminds me a bit of a prospect I liked last year in Kayson Cunningham. I was high on Cunningham and his similar skill set, a potential plus hitter with plus speed to go with power that is a tick below average and some questions about sticking at short – but would have a prospect like that a little further down the board in this loaded draft. Still he is a likely first rounder, and may not even be there for the Braves second first round pick. He just switched his commitment from Princeton to Duke to play with his twin brother, so he is very much a candidate to need an overslot deal.

Trevor Condon, OF, Georgia HS – Another local product, Condon is an old school leadoff hitting center fielder. His best tool is his 70 grade speed, but he is also a potentially plus hitter with plus defense in center. He brings a bit more power than the typical 80’s/90’s leadoff center fielder, though it’s probably just below average at maturity. Condon could potentially be a candidate at the back of the first round, but more likely in the second.

Joseph Contreras, RHP, Georgia HS – The son of former big leaguer Jose Contreras, the Vandy commit has had as loud of a spring as any high schooler on this list. That’s all due to his performance in the World Baseball Classic for Brazil, getting to pitch against Team USA and holding his own as a high schooler. He’s a projectable arm on the younger side for the class, and has four potentially above average pitches, including a plus forkball to go with average command. The ceiling could be really high if he was able to add a little more movement to his fastball, which has been up to 98 MPH – but doesn’t quite play at that velocity due to lacking life on it. He will potentially come off the board somewhere after the middle of the first round.

Sean Duncan, LHP, Canada HS – The top Canadian prep prospect this year, Duncan is a projectable, younger for the class lefty with three average or better pitches plus solid command. The change is his best weapon, but like many cold weather arms, there is potential he is just scratching the surface. He is a Vanderbilt commit. Duncan could go in the second or third rounds.

Sean Dunlap, C, Indiana HS – Dunlap is considered the second best catcher in this prep class, as the Tennessee commit has an interesting tool set for the position. Dunlap is most known for his power potential and great athleticism for the position, enough that outfield isn’t out of the question for him. He’s got some questions on the swing and miss in his game and will need to continue refining his defense, but this is a premium prospect who should go within the first four rounds.

Jared Gridlinger, OF/LHP, California HS – You may remember Jared Gridlinger as the very recent reclassification from the 2027 class, as the best legitimate two way prospect since Tampa took Brendan McKay in the first round. The younger brother of 2025 prospect and current Tennessee catcher Trent Gridlinger, Jared has high upside both on the mound and at the plate. It’s tough to say where he will end up playing, and that will probably be determined by the team drafting him. That along with his later entry into this draft complicate the draft stock a little bit, but he has a chance to be drafted in the first round, even before the Braves come up at #26.

Brady Harris, OF, Florida HS – A potential five tool talent, depending on if he is able to hit enough, Brady Harris is a player who has long been on teams radars. His stock is also tough as it really depends from team to team on what they think of the hit tool. He could go as early as the second round, or make it to Florida next year.

Jensen Hirschkorn, RHP, California HS – A projectable, athletic 6’7 prep arm up to 96 MPH already with above average command and a pitch mix that the Braves like (potential swing and miss slider, average curve) should have fans paying attention to LSU commit Jensen Hirschkorn. It’s thought that this multi-sport athlete has plenty of room to add on to his 205-pound frame. Hirschkorn would need to be drafted with the second first round pick or the early second rounder.

Archer Horn, SS/RHP, California HS – Horn is both another recent riser and two-way star, though most project him to end up playing every day. Horn, who is potentially average across the board as a hitter, is a Stanford commit. There are some questions on how his range would play at short, leading to some thought that he could move to third because of his strong arm. He also has a fastball that has been up to 95 MPH, giving him a fallback option for whoever drafts him. Horn could start to play a factor in the second round.

Cole Koeninger, SS/RHP, Texas HS – Yet another two-way guy, Koeninger may have some teams that like him as a pitcher – however he prefers hitting. There are some questions on his hit tool, but he could be a kid with four above-average tools including plus grades on his run and arm. As a pitcher he has touched 97 MPH and has what should be a plus curve to go with solid command and some flashes on a lightly used change. He is a Tennessee commit. Koeninger is a possible second or third rounder.

Jacob Lombard, SS, Florida HS – The son of former Brave George Lombard and brother of current Yankee top prospect George Jr., Jacob is an interesting prospect himself. Coming into last summer many saw him as a potential Top 3 pick this year, but then he started to struggle a bit with the hit tool in showcases. He came into the spring as a guy who would need to answer some questions, and the early returns from scouts have been very positive. He is starting to trend back towards the Top 10, and likely would need to be drafted #9 for the Braves to have a chance, that is if he even makes it that far as he is a potential plus power and speed guy who us expected to stick at short.

Bo Lowrance, 3B, South Carolina HS – A projectable prep shortstop, Lowrance is likely to have to move to third base as his 6’5 frame fills in. He is a guy who should have at least plus power and has some feel for hitting. He is likely to be a second or third round target, who will need to be bought out of a Virginia commitment.

Rocco Maniscalco, SS, Alabama HS – Another reclassification originally from the 2027 class, Maniscalco is the son of a former minor leaguer. The Mississippi State commit, who doesn’t even turn 17 until May, brings five average or better tools, with his plus defense and arm at short being the carrying tools. There is some first round buzz around him, but he could start to really be an option in the second round.

Beau Peterson, 3B, Kansas HS – A rare Kansas prep star that is ranked highly, Beau Peterson is a two-way guy that projects best as a hitter. The Texas commit has big power and has shown that he could be a potential average or above hitter at maturity. There are some questions about him sticking at third base, as his foot speed is below-average, but with his big arm he should have one of the corner outfield spots as an option if he does have to eventually move off third. He would start to be an option at the end of the first round.

Kevin Roberts Jr., OF, Mississippi HS – A high school teammate of Konnor Griffin, Kevin Roberts Jr. has been on scouts radars for a long time already. He’s super toolsy and is easily a four tool guy, though there are some questions about just how much the Florida recruit will hit. The power and speed each have the potential to be plus for him, and the glove is also an asset in center, but this three-sport, two-way star does have some questions to answer because of the hit tool. There is a wide variance to where he could be drafted because of that, but he is as toolsy as anyone in the class.

Gio Rojas, LHP, Florida HS – The other arm firmly in the running for the top prep arm in the class is Gio Rojas, out of Florida powerhouse program Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS. Rojas has a plus fastball up to 98 MPH, plus slider, and the makings of a solid change to go with above average command. This Miami commit is both athletic and projectable. To draft him the Braves would likely need to take him at #9, as it doesn’t seem especially likely that he would be there at #26.

Aiden Ruiz, SS, New York HS – While Aiden Ruiz isn’t the biggest prospect out there (5’10, 168) and projects to have below-average power, there is enough to like about him that he is considered to be a potential mid to late first round pick. The switch-hitting Vanderbilt commit is an elite defender at short, has a very strong hit tool, and has above average speed. He’s the kind of player that pitchers hate to face, because he is going to grind out tough at bats and put the ball into play. With a little more power, he’d be even higher on boards, but he still hits the ball plenty hard – just more into the gaps for doubles.

Logan Schmidt, LHP, California HS – Yet another reclassification from the 2027 class, Logan Schmidt, is another prep arm who is likely to go somewhere in the first round. Schmidt is up to 97 MPH with the fastball, but it hasn’t always been a plus pitch for him. You could argue his slider is his best pitch, and he has the makings of at least an average change to go with a very good feel for command. The LSU commit, who will still be 17 on draft day, may need a little more development than Rojas and Bolemon, but has everything teams want in a prep arm.

Martin Shelar, OF, Georgia HS – One of the biggest risers from the prep ranks this spring is Martin Shelar, the Mississippi State commit from Marist HS. Shelar projects as a power hitting outfielder with some feel for the hit tool. He could be an option after the start of the second round, though might be more likely around the third round.

Savion Sims, RHP, Texas HS – An ultra long and projectable arm, Sims is 6’8 and 205-pounds with a fastball already touching 97 MPH. The rest of his arsenal projects more average, with the command still a work in progress. Although he is listed as being from a Texas high school, he transferred there from an Oklahoma high school, and is committed to his home state Sooners for next year. He is also a bit older for the class, turning 19 before the draft. Still he is a lottery ticket type of talent and projection who could start to get interest in the second or third rounds.

Tyler Spangler, SS, California HS – Spangler is another potential first round shortstop, though with his 6’3, 195-pound frame there are some who wonder if he will eventually outgrow the position. Still he’s got all five tools with average or better grades, as a player who should hit for both average and power, and play above average defense over on the left side of the infield. The Stanford commit could be an option for the Braves as early as #9, though they may be hoping he could get to #26 as a possible overslot pick.

Landon Thome, SS, Illinois HS – The son of Jim Thome is the teammate of 2025 second rounder Jaden Fauske. Thome is a prospect expected to hit for both average and power. He isn’t going to have the quickness for short as a pro, though his glove itself is solid. That leads to questions about quickness and arm strength for second and third base, with left field being a possibility. That is going to put some extra pressure on the Florida State commit’s bat, but it is a very strong bat. He could start to be a candidate late in the first round, into the second.

Kaden Waechter, RHP, Florida HS – The son of former big league pitcher Doug Waechter, Kaden is athletic and projectable, pitching with a good four-pitch mix. The fastball already touches 96 MPH to go with a swing and miss slider and solid cutter. The change is a bit behind, but he has feel for it and it could turn into an adequate fourth offering with more reps. Command is also a selling point, as it could grow into above average in time. Waechter could start to become an option in the second round. He is a Florida State commit.

Noah Wilson, OF, Tennessee HS – Wilson is another player with helium this spring. The Vanderbilt commit is a two-way star who projects as a hitter at the next level with an interesting power/speed combination. Wilson could start to be considered at the end of the first round, but is more likely a second rounder.

The New York Yankees have seen hundreds of hurlers walk through the clubhouse doors. Some stayed for a long time and continued long major league careers elsewhere, while others saw the flame of their professional baseball dreams burn out quickly. For this edition of the Yankees birthday series, we’ll be taking a look at not just a World Series champion with the Bombers, but also someone who established himself with the organization and then went on to be a reliable pitcher for a long career with a handful of different teams: David Robertson.

David Alan Robertson
Born: April 9, 1985 (Birmingham, AL)
Yankees Tenure: 2008-2014, 2017-2018

“D-Rob,” as he is sometimes called, was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and played high school baseball there, working as a shortstop and a pitcher. After his high school days, he played college baseball for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide before being drafted by the Yankees in the 17th round of the 2006 MLB draft. After two seasons in the minors, Robertson made his MLB debut on June 29, 2008, at 23 years old. His first game would be against a team he would play for in the future and the Yankees’ crosstown rival, the New York Mets. He pitchedtwo innings, allowing four hits and an earned run with no walks and a strikeout.

Robertson pitched in 25 games that season and tallied 30.1 innings, a 4-0 record with a save, but a 5.34 ERA after what was an abysmal start to his career, as he was sent back down to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre in August before being recalled in September.

In 2009, Robertson took on a much more prominent role for the Yankees out of the bullpen. He pitched in 45 games with 43.2 innings to his name and a 3.30 ERA as well, a major jump from his first year. His 130 ERA+ is well above the average, and he was not only a crucial part of the 2009 Yankees regular season, but in the five games he pitched during the Yankees’ postseason run that year, he did not allow a single run and gave up only four hits. He finished the year as a World Series champion, and his performance in the Yankees bullpen certainly showcased that he deserved it.

In 2010 with the Yankees, he took another jump in games played and innings pitched and remained under the 4.00 ERA mark. However, in 2011, he really shone in pinstripes despite being the eighth-inning setup guy for then-closer Mariano Rivera. At the halfway point of the season, Robertson had already tallied 55 strikeouts and made the American League All-Star team as a replacement for David Price. And through the rest of the year, he was just as fantastic. He finished the season with 100 strikeouts on the dot in 70 games played and 66.2 innings pitched. Not only did he also finish with a 4-0 record, but it was simply impossible for anyone to score a run against him, as he ended the season with a whopping 1.08 ERA and a 399 ERA+. As a result, Robertson finished 11th in AL Cy Young voting and 22nd in AL MVP voting in one of the best seasons for a reliever that has ever been played.

Over the next couple of seasons, which weren’t as impressive as 2011 but still very good, Robertson continued to establish himself as a premier relief arm for the Yankees and across MLB. After Rivera’s retirement in 2013, Robertson took over the closing role for the 2014 season, his final in that first stint with the Yankees, and he pitched well in the new role. He recorded 39 saves and returned to an ERA just slightly above 3.00 at 3.08 in 64.1 innings pitched. He also finished with the most K’s since that 100 strikeout season, with 96.

After 2014, Robertson joined the Chicago White Sox for three seasons from 2015 to 2017 after signing as a free agent. He posted a 3.28 ERA across those three years as Chicago’s closer and also pitched on Team USA’s gold medal-winning team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

However, Robertson’s Yankees tenure wasn’t finished yet, as he was traded on July 18, 2017, back to the Bronx from the White Sox. He was in a package that also included Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle, while the White Sox received Blake Rutherford, Tyler Clippard, Ian Clarkin, and Tito Polo in return.

In those first 30 games during the 2017 season, he recorded a 1.03 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 35.0 innings. And in his final 69 games as a Yankee in 2018, he finished with a 3.23 ERA and 91 strikeouts — his fourth season with 90+ strikeouts out of the bullpen — in 69.2 innings pitched.

Following that last season in New York, Robertson moved around plenty. He played his 2019 season in Philadelphia for the Phillies before missing 2020 due to injury. In 2021, he put on the Tampa Bay Rays jersey only 12 times before playing for both the Chicago Cubs and heading back to Philadelphia in 2022 at the age of 37, finishing with a 2.40 ERA between the two squads.

In 2023, Robertson joined two new teams — the Mets and the Miami Marlins before playing 2024 with the Texas Rangers and recording his last truly excellent season. At the age of 39, Robertson posted a 3.00 ERA and 99 strikeouts, his first 90+ strikeout season since 2018 with the Yankees, in 72.0 innings.

In his final season at age 40, Robertson made his third return to Philadelphia and pitched in only 20 games before hanging up the spikes following his last game on the mound on September 28, 2025.

Lots of things have gone wrong for the Kansas City Royals in 2026 so far. The bullpen has been a complete and abject disaster, with a 6.40 ERA in 45 painful innings. Power left-handed batters Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino have combined for zero home runs and only three doubles in 93 plate appearances. Their pitching ace, Cole Ragans, has a 5.91 ERA across three starts of only 10.2 innings.

But the Royals are built to weather those sorts of things and still do well. They have excellent starting pitching depth and talent overall. They steal bases effectively. Their defense is still solid.

However, the Royals stand 5-7, two games under .500, because something is happening that the team is absolutely not built for, and that is for Bobby Witt Jr. to be in a prolonged slump.

Witt is, without a doubt, the Royals’ most talented and reliable asset. He’s on a Hall of Fame track, and displays a level of athleticism and poise that few professional athletes in general have. He’s great and Kansas City is lucky, beyond lucky, to have him.

Witt has also simply looked lost this year. Witt slugged .256 in 2024 and .205 in 2025, but it took him until his 12th game to get his first extra base hit, a double; he’s still searching for his first home run. His strikeout rate of 19.2% would be his highest since his rookie year.

Take a look at his Statcast dashboard and you’ll get a visual feel for what’s going on. Here’s his 2025 Statcast info:

And the same screen from his 2026 page:

Witt’s average sprint speed is a full mile per hour slower than last year, which isn’t great. But there are three real problems with Witt this year compared to last year: he’s not barreling the ball, he’s not squaring up the ball, and he’s not pulling the ball.

You can see pretty quickly that most of Witt’s hits this year have been on the opposite half of the field. Witt had a lot of hits to the opposite half of the field, but you can see that only four of his 23 homers were hit to the opposite half of the field in 2025. In other words, Witt’s most dangerous power is pull-side power, and he has simply not pulled the ball this year. Notably, Statcast doesn’t display same-day batted ball events, and you can see that his first extra base hit of the year was—you guessed it—a line drive to the pull side.

In the late part of the clip, Royals broadcaster Jake Eisenberg says that “That’s the thing about hitting the ball hard, you do it consistently, the more you do it, the more likely those results are gonna come.” And Eisenberg is right there, but he’s only partially right—you have to hit the ball hard at launch angles that result in the highest hit probabilities. Broadly speaking, Witt hasn’t been doing that, and his lower barrel rate shows that.

Witt hasn’t been totally useless, to be sure. Quite the opposite; Witt is an elite defensive shortstop and an accomplished base stealer. He’s also walked more often this year, too. That’s why he has a cool 0.4 Wins Above Replacement already (a nearly 5.5-WAR pace) despite an OPS safely below .700. He’ll start hitting home runs, and the Royals will start scoring more runs. That is inevitable.

The real biggest problem with Witt’s slump here to start the season is that it highlights just how shallow the team is. Kansas City simply does not have the offensive talent to compensate whenever its core cog isn’t rotating like it should. They have too many hitters that make too many outs, from Salvador Perez’s abysmal .281 OBP since the start of 2025 to Lane Thomas’ slightly-less-but-still abysmal .294 OBP since 2024. You’ve also got guys like Nick Loftin (career OBP of .296) and Kyle Isbel (career .292 OBP) and Michael Massey (career .283 OBP). Caglianone has an OBP of .250 so far in the big leagues. There’s not a lot of trust to go around, in other words.

When Witt isn’t hitting well, it just becomes uncomfortably obvious that the Royals have basically been a 75-win team with a league MVP talent strapped to it Looney Tunes-style. Consider: they won 86 games in 2024 when Witt was a 10.5 WAR player, and they won 82 games last year when Witt was an 8 WAR player. If you replace Witt with, like, Yuniesky Betancourt or Mark Teahen or whatever, there’s no way either of those teams end up with a winning record.

It’s not a bad thing to rely on superstars to do superstar things. That’s totally a reasonable roster construction strategy. It’s just that those superstars, when used correctly, are what takes a team from good to great. Right now, Witt is taking the team from bad to good. And that is an uncomfortable position for Witt and the team to be in.

All winter long, the buzzword about the Red Sox pitching rotation was “depth.” But a few weeks into the season, that depth hasn’t shown up yet, with the rotation looking top-heavy and overly reliant on Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

But if you have to be top-heavy in the rotation, it helps to have someone as good as Crochet at the top. He played stopper this week against the Brewers and, as one of the few Red Sox players who has heard “sell the team” chants before, he knew how to deal with the bad vibes at Fenway: “It’s weird because regardless of how you feel about the ownership group, the chants always come with you guys make an error, you guys walk a run in, you guys strike out with the bases loaded. They are (expletive) on us, but not saying it. It’s weird. It’s just passion, at the end of the day. We know when we’re doing bad. … I think it’s fair to want more and want us to get the job done and just play clean baseball. I don’t think that’s asking a lot of us to play clean baseball.” (Rob Bradford WEEI)

After Crochet and Gray, the next most reliable arm has been rookie Connelly Early. And the Red Sox are lucky to have him, considering that there’s a slightly altered universe wherein, as opposed to getting ready to face the Cardinals, Early would be getting ready to invade Kharg Island. That would be horrible for many, many reasons. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Early’s not the only rookie arm on the Sox right now, though. Reliever Tyler Samaniego made his big league debut against the Brewers yesterday, striking out Lexington native Sal Frelick with the first three pitches he threw. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Samaniego is going to get plenty of chances to show he belongs. After a relatively healthy spring training, the inevitable pitching injuries are finally here. Johan Oviedo has avoided surgery for now, but he won’t be throwing for the next six weeks and will be out until at least June. The news with Justin Slaten isn’t quite so bad, but his oblique injury will sideline him for a couple of weeks. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

While the Sox need more from the pitching staff, they also need more from the lineup, including vets like Trevor Story. Luckily, Alex Cora sees signs that Story is turning things around. (Hayden Bird, Boston.com)