Let's go! We are back in the black for the first time this year after a +520 Julio Rodriguez jack last night. The train has left the station, and it's time to stack some home runs and MLB player props with the weather turning in our favor.
Andy Pages has an elite matchup in a good park vs. one of the worst starters in the league with a bad bullpen. We're adding him to our slate that already included Aaron Judge and an undervalued Andrew Vaughn.
These are my favorite home run props for Tuesday, May 12.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Aaron Judge
+310
Andrew Vaughn
+610
Andy Pages
+540
đČToday's HR parlay
+14570
Home run pick: Aaron Judge (+310)
Itâs one of those days where the best hitter in baseball is projecting as +EV to go deep at +240 or better.
Aaron Judge sits right at the top of the home run prop projections at Covers today, and heâll either face a Baltimore Orioles bullpen game or Trevor Rogers returning from the IL. Either scenario is bad news for the Oriolesâ relievers, who are likely going to have to cover plenty of innings.
Only one bullpen has thrown more innings over the last two weeks than the Orioles at 56, and they also own the ninth-worst ERA during that span at 4.66. Their co-closers, Rico Garcia and Anthony Nunez, have both pitched on back-to-back days and are likely unavailable today.
Judge should also benefit from a 7-mph wind blowing out to left field, and Camden Yards still features some of the shortest dimensions in baseball down the lines.
Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, YES
Home run pick: Andrew Vaughn (+610)
Andrew Vaughn has popped up on the projections at Covers for the first time, with a fair home run price around +480 today.
American Family Field ranks as the sixth-best home run park for right-handed hitters, and Vaughn is into his sixth game since missing most of the season, so the rust appears gone. Heâs already homered, owns a .880 OPS, and his 35.3% BlastContact rate over the last 14 days ranks second in all of baseball, thanks to an absurd 47.1% SqUpContact rate.
The right-handed bat also gets to attack knuckleballs today, with San Diego Padres righty Matt Waldron on the mound. Waldronâs floater can disappear quickly, and after a strong outing last time out plus a road start here, a rough performance feels more likely than another good one for a pitcher carrying a 7.71 ERA.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Brewers.TV, Padres.TV
Home run pick: Andy Pages (+540)
Letâs head to Dodger Stadium and grab a +540 Andy Pages dinger in one of the best matchups on the board.
Adrian Houser is a Bottom-10 starter who owns the fifth-worst BlastContact%, as hitters are taking aggressive swings and squaring him up consistently. Twenty-one percent of his fly balls are leaving the yard, and his xFIP suggests the damage is sustainable.
The setting also favors home runs with winds blowing out, and Pages has the third-fastest swing on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the last two weeks behind Shohei Ohtani (+235) and Max Muncy (+340). The Giants' bullpen is also one to target for runs these days.
Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC Sports Bay Area, SportsNet LA
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 13-67 +0.06 units
Todayâs HR parlay
Aaron Judge
Bet Now +14570
Andrew Vaughn
Andy Pages
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 02: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against Hugo GonzĂĄlez #28 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If thereâs one question that has captured the attention of Celtics fans and the greater NBA this month, it has been this one (see title). So I thought Iâd pose it to the writers of your favorite Celtics site. Hereâs what the staff came up with.
Ian Inangelo
I donât think I would trade Jaylen Brown for Giannis Antetokounmpo and I donât think it happens. Brown is at the peak of his value right now after having a First-Team All-NBA level season and it could be smart for the Celtics to sell high on him right now. Giannis is one of the few players in the NBA that I would be willing to trade Jaylen Brown for just because of how talented he is and I think a lineup of Tatum at the 4 and Giannis at the 5 would be an incredibly overpowered duo.
However, for as much as I love the idea of Tatum and Giannis on the floor together, the grass isnât always greener on the other side. Brown and Tatum have built in chemistry with years of playing together that could take time to develop with Giannis. Giannis is also on a 1-year deal so Boston would have to give him an extension and the Celtics could be in the same place they are now cap wise with two max contracts and not a lot of depth.
In my mind though, I just donât think this move happens unless Brown comes out and requests a trade on his own accord. I feel like heâs so intertwined with the city of Boston and the culture of the Celtics that Brad Stevens would only move him if it was a mutual decision. But maybe Iâm wrong, Stevens has shown in the past he doesnât make deals off of emotion (i.e. Marcus Smart) so if its the right decision to improve this Celtics team I think they would trade Brown.
Mark Aboyoun
No. I think weâre being a little too emotional after the elimination. Jaylen hasnât helped his standing with some poorly timed streams, but trading Brown isnât the answer, even if itâs for Giannis Antetokounmpo. When Brown and Tatum are both healthy, theyâve proven theyâre good enough to win a lot of games together, including a championship. The grass isnât always greener on the other side, and I donât think this situation is dead enough to justify moving on from him.
Grant Burfeind
Why does this feel like Iâm being asked whether Iâd trade my childhood home for a mansion? Youâve made fun of the mansion for years. Scoffed at it as you walked by. A saltwater pool and a hot tub? Tacky much? But then a real estate agent comes knocking and says, with your childhood home and a few other assets, the mansion could be yours. Youâd be ridiculous not to consider it, but the childhood home has brought you memories and joy to last a lifetime. You donât just shrug that off because the other place has a nicer kitchen.
Okay, Iâve taken this analogy as far as it can go. Back to basketball. I love Jaylen, and there are maybe nine or ten players in the world Iâd even consider moving him for. Giannis is one of them. My general trade philosophy is a popular one: in a superstar deal, I want to walk away with the best player. At his best, Giannis is the best player in any realistic version of this conversation.
It would hurt. Brown was the Finals MVP of Banner 18, just had an MVP-caliber season and has become part of the fabric of this era of Celtics basketball. But if Brad Stevens is serious about finding more rim pressure like he said in his end-of-season presser, Giannis is the final boss version of that idea. I tried to rearrange the letters in âwe need a gosh darn rim attackerâ into Giannis Antetokounmpo and got nowhere, but spiritually, it checks out. Pairing Giannisâ rim-pulverizing, transition-wrecking force with Tatumâs smoother, jazz-like offensive skillset would give Boston a different ceiling than the Tatum-Brown pairing, as painful as that is to admit.
So yes, Iâd do it if the framework is Brown plus a couple first rounders (Iâm not trying to lose any other pieces this summer if JB is leaving in this hypothetical), especially if the alternative is watching Giannis land with another East contender. The injury concerns are fair, but fear of what might go wrong canât outweigh the chance to add one of the 75 greatest players ever while Tatum is still in his prime. I wouldnât trade Jaylen just because the playoffs ended badly. I wouldnât trade him for a collection of solid role players. But Iâd trade him for Giannis.
And for those wondering what you can spell with all the letters of the Greek Freakâs name: âTo tie a sunk moon: no gain.â Let that sink in.
Rich Jensen
Weâre herd animals, and once thereâs a sufficient level of buzz around, say, buying a pet rock, people stop talking about how stupid the idea is, and start talking about what theyâve named their pet rock.
But that doesnât change the fact that buying a pet rock is stupid.
So it goes with the sudden flood of Jaylen-Giannis trade speculation. Talk of various trade packages has saturated the air so much so that people have seemingly stopped looking closely at where Giannis is at this point in his career, and are exclusively focused on what trade packages for him should look like. The unspoken assumption is âwell of course, youâd trade for Giannis.â
There are real concerns with Giannis. He missed 46 games last season with a variety of injuries, he seems to have developed a bit of an attitude problem, and I have questions about how well heâd fit on the Celtics.
Thatâs what Iâm focused on, and for that reason, I donât think dealing for Giannis is the right move for Boston.
Mike Dynon
No, I wouldnât make that trade. There are the obvious reasons: Giannisâ age (31, vs. Jaylen, 29); his many injuries in recent years; and the fact that even with Giannis on the roster, the Bucks havenât won a single playoff series in the past four seasons.
So letâs focus on a different reason: How the Celtics are perceived across the league. It wasnât too long ago that Isaiah Thomas had that heroic season in which he was top-five in MVP voting, persevered through the death of his sister just as the playoffs began, and led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. At that point, a hip injury ended his season â and then he was traded to Cleveland during the summer.
The Celtics franchise was widely criticized as being untrustworthy, doing wrong to a player who had given his all for Boston. Soon after, the father of superstar Anthony Davis used that episode as the reason his son â who then was trying to force a trade out of New Orleans â would not consider Boston as a potential destination. It was a bad look for a franchise that honestly has never been a magnet for available talent.
Now, after the All-NBA season of leadership that Jaylen just delivered, trading him could harm the âDifferent Hereâ Celticsâ culture. Critics (logical or not, there are always critics) could again question the loyalty of the franchise. Some might say thatâs superficial, but the Davis episode demonstrated the real consequences. Plus, the actual splitting up of the Jays would let all the hot-takers win, and Iâm too stubborn to accept that. Jaylen says he wants to play in Boston for another 10 years, and I believe him. Letâs make that happen.
Jack Anderson
I would trade Jaylen for Giannis. I think what the Sixers series and then Knicks sweep of the Sixers showed us is that the Celtics arenât good enough as it. Brad Stevens even said so in his press conference.
This is Giannis Antetokounmpo, man. He makes you better than Jaylen Brown makes you. I love JB, he is an awesome player and he and Tatum have had awesome results.
However, the Celtics have to get better, the window is open as long as Jayson Tatum is Jayson Tatum. You have to strike when given the chance.
Trading Jaylen would be sad and I wouldnât deal him if Antetokounmpo isnât an option. Yet, if Giannis is an option, I think Boston needs to strike.
Nirav Barman
If I had it my way, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would be Celtics for the entirety of their careers. At this point, I donât see any realistic trades that would make me change my mind on that, including trading JB for Giannis. Giannis is the better player â you wonât find any argument from me on that. That being said, big swings like this donât always yield the expected results.
Giannis, as exceptional as he is, hasnât had a fully healthy playoff run since 2022. In fact, heâs only played 8 total playoff games since then, 3 in â23 and 5 in â25. Playing as physical of a game as Giannis does, and that too as a freak athlete of a near 7-footer, is bound to have some harsh wear and tear over the course of a season, and over the course of a career. He will be 32 next year, He will also be expecting a contract extension while making $58.5M in 26-27 and holding a $62.8M player option in 27-28. The extension would probably be in the range of $65M-70M per year going into his year 36 season. Thatâs a hell of a gamble to take.
More than Giannis, I think Jaylenâs value on the Celtics is severely understated. Weâre talking about trading the longest-tenured player on the team. The guy who has made enormous efforts to take his team to new heights, while also making his mark on the city of Boston off the court. He studied his teammatesâ birth signs to learn how to better communicate with them. He takes accountability after each loss, and takes every opportunity to uplift his teammates, whether that be praise or direct coaching. He has made his commitment to the team and its success very clear.
We already know Jaylen fits into the Celtics, including right next to Tatum, who Boston is most definitely focused on building around. Why break up a good thing when you donât need to? The Celtics over-achieved this season, and fell due to some inefficiency and a lack of experienced depth, or at least a lack of willingness to use it. They can get back to serious contention by tinkering around the edges instead of making drastic changes.
I say no JB for Giannis trade.
Robby Fletcher
As tempting as the prospect of a Giannis-Tatum pairing is, I still donât see a reason for Boston to break up the Jays. Maybe thereâs a time to consider a trade as seismic as that, but I definitely donât think weâre there yet.
The play of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum this postseason was not my primary concern after the 3-1 collapse to the 76ers, and I donât think itâs Brad Stevensâ either. Weâve seen a range of extreme highs and stunning lows with Brown and Tatum leading the way, but we know the right supporting cast automatically makes them a contender together in the East.
True, the needs of this current roster align with what Giannis presents: a stronger two-way presence inside the paint. But I donât anticipate Boston taking that big of a swing to address it. With some wiggle room to evade the repeater tax, along with draft assets and tradeable contracts to work with, the Celtics can still be active this offseason to improve whatâs already a pretty promising roster.
Iâm mostly expecting a similar core outside of a few new additions in the middle of the rotation. Pair that with a healthy Tatum ready for opening night, and Boston still looks like a legitimate contender entering next season.
A trade notification involving Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo would immediately enter the conversation as one of the most franchise-shifting deals in Celtics history. Do I expect this offseason to produce that reality? Probably not. But itâs intriguing to think about. Weâve seen plenty of summer trade rumors surrounding JB over the years. Iâm ready to add this one to the file.
Ryan Paice
As much as it would hurt, I would trade JB for Giannis â if there is some kind of guarantee that he signs an extension to stay in Boston long term. The Greek Freakâs current contract is only guaranteed through the 2026-27 season, as he has a player option for 2027-28 that he will likely decline to seek what could be his last max contract. If the Lakers or Heat play it right, they could have max slots open to sign him when that happens and â no matter how much I think Giannis would like playing in Boston â the pull of LA and Miami on free agents is too strong to ignore when considering moves like this. So, if the Celtics are going to part with their 2024 Finals MVP to get Giannis, Brad better make sure that heâs staying in Boston when his current contract expires.
Cost-wise, I think the Câs can and should do whatever it takes to facilitate a JB for Giannis swap as long as the deal does not exhaust the teamâs flexibility moving forward. JB, Max Shulga and a pair of first round picks would work for me. Boston would be able to maintain its shooting depth (as opposed to the White/Hauser/Pritchard idea) and keep a FRP to potentially add onto the newly souped-up core. Despite the fact that Giannis would definitely see time as a 5 under Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics may still need another center â hopefully one who can wrestle with trees like Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic â so maintaining assets for such a deal is important.
Overall, the potential in trading for Giannis is just too high to pass up on, even if that means trading one of my favorite players of the last decade. Heâd add a much needed interior scoring dynamic, bolster Bostonâs defense and make the team an instant title favorite. What more could you ask for?
Jeff Clark
Admittedly, I go back and forth on this topic daily. I would like to say that my final stance is that I would not do it because I want Jaylen to retire a Celtic (but if it happened I would talk myself into it in about .034 seconds). But I donât think it is that simple.
Sure, weâve seen Jayson and Jaylen win a title together, so we know that formula can and does work. Weâve also seen them get bounced pretty early in 3 of the last 4 playoffs. So maybe the formula is a little more unstable than weâd like to believe. I very much trust Joe Mazzulla and his system, but also recognize that heâs not flawless and has some work to do on his own game. I think Brad Stevens has a good feel for what this team needs and he thinks we need to put more pressure on the rim. Perhaps that can be accomplished with a focus on play style and a few interchanged pieces. However, it is hard to deny that adding Giannis to a roster with Tatum (who can play with anyone) would unlock a lot of what Brad is trying to accomplish.
The freak sized caveat is âif heâs healthy.â The leg injuries should scare anyone considering this investment. Are we just signing up for the death rattle of his career? Or are the next few years of his prime worth the risk? Can we count on a KG type of impact? Or is it more of a Kemba Walker situation?
Ultimately if I had to choose, I would say I do want to trade for Giannis (but if it doesnât happen, Iâll be perfectly happy keeping Jaylen). It is a gamble, but fortune favors the bold. Unless it doesnât. You can see now why Iâm a blogger, flip flopping my opinion even in the course of writing one down, and not the GM of our favorite team.
So now the question goes to you fine folks. Would you trade Jaylen for Giannis?
PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: A.J. Ewing #97 of the New York Mets bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Clover Park on March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Despite a disastrous 2026 season, Joe Pantorno explained why David Stearnsâ job is probably not going to be in danger any time soon.
David Lennon wrote about every bad month for the Mets feeling like an existential crisis.
Abbey Mastracco provided the good, the bad, and the ugly from the teamâs 5-4 road trip.
Dan Martin sees the Mets as âbrokenâ and help likely isnât on the way.
With trade rumors swirling amid the teamâs horrid start to the season, Freddy Peralta expressed confidence in the teamâs turnaround, adding âI love being hereâ.
However, a changing Mets reality puts Peralta at âthe top of the listâ for most deadline sales.
Christian Scottâs revamped mix of pitches has led to an electric start to his 2026 campaign.
The Braves activated Ha-Seong Kim and placed Eli White on the 7-day concussion list one day after his incredible, game-saving catch.
Cristopher SĂĄnchez was named NL Player of the Week. Bobby Witt Jr. took home AL honors.
Charlotte Varnes provided some Phillies takeaways, including some bullpen updates and Kyle Schwarberâs start.
Following Justin Crawfordâs first major league home run, Todd Zolecki took a trip down memory lane with the first career homer for some Phillies players.
Phillies players are excited to see Ranger Suarez, their former teammate turned rival, as they travel to Boston to face the Red Sox.
The MLB.com staff looked at one thing each club can improve in 2026.
The Dodgers activated Mookie Betts from the IL, five weeks after suffering a strained right oblique, and optioned Alex Freeland to Triple-A.
The Blue Jays made a bunch of roster moves, placing Addison Barger on the IL, recalling Yohendrick Piñango from Triple-A, selecting Yariel RodrĂguez to the big league roster, and designating Eric Lauer for assignment.
The Athletics are calling up No. 5 prospect Henry Bolte, one week after recording a hit in twelve straight plate appearances.
The Yankees appear more ruthless than ever this year, despite Brian Cashman rejecting the narrative around urgency.
Scott Boras believes that Tarik Skubal will have a short rehab and could be back sooner than later.
Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start last night due to left side tightness. Texas turned to a bullpen game with Eovaldi sidelined.
19-year-old Padres prospect Humberto Cruz plead guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants and has self-deported amid this plea.
Coby Mayoâs three-run home run with one out in the seventh inning catapulted the Orioles past the Yankees by a 3-2 victory.
The Yankees lost despite Ryan Weathers carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning.
The Guardians defeated the Angels 7-2, as Travis Bazzanaâs trained eye continued to aid the Guardiansâ offense.
The red-hot Rays stayedâŠwell, red-hotâŠwith an 8-5 win over the Blue Jays. The power of friendship has helped power the Rays to one of their best 40-game starts ever. In the victory, Raysâ speedster Chandler Simpson created a run entirely with his legs.
The Mariners topped the Astros 3-1. On the evening, Julio RodrĂguez answered a fanâs call with a batting practice home run, and then did the same during the game.
With the help of a surging Rafael Devers and Willy Adames, the Giantsâ offense got back on track with a 9-3 over the Dodgers.
A first inning run held up in the Diamondbacksâ 1-0 victory over the Rangers, as Michael Sorokaâs gem and Paul Sewaldâs save gave Arizona some payback for the 2023 World Series.
On this date in 2011, Carlos Beltran became just the seventh Met to hit three home runs in a single game, accomplishing the feat in the teamâs 9-5 win over the Rockies at Coors Field.
Marco Luciano of the Somerset Patriots reacts during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on May 1, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Another week on the farm is in the books, and thereâs big stories at every level.
In Scranton, a talented roster tries to steady the ship after being depleted due to big league call-ups. A powerful lineup continues to mash in Somerset, while Hudson Valleyâs pitching staff continues to round into form. Down at the lower levels, multiple highly-touted pitching prospects made big returns from Tommy John surgery on the road to recovery.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Record: 20-17, 1 GB in the International League East after a 2-3 week against the Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)
Run differential: +21
Coming up: Home vs. Syracuse Mets (Mets)
It was an uneven week in Scranton as their once-stacked roster continued to be eaten away at, partially due to the MLB team needing injury reinforcements. Spencer Jones was called up mid-week to replace Jasson DomĂnguez (both started the year in Scranton). Multiple relievers went up and down, Brendan Beck was needed for a few innings in the majors, and Luis Gil was lost for the next six weeks due to a shoulder issue.
Saturdayâs game was rained out, but they had ample opportunity to win the series otherwise. They blew a late lead on Tuesday and played an extremely bizarre 12-inning affair on Thursday, which saw emergency catcher Edinson Duran be forced to pitch extra innings due to the roster turnover. He got through 2.1 solid innings before allowing a walk-off home run in the 12th.
With some of their heavy hitters off the roster, the focus has shifted to the likes of recently promoted top prospect George Lombard Jr. and the recently demoted Anthony Volpe. On one end, Lombard is displaying some tremendous plate discipline and hitting the ball hard, but is running into some bad luck. Volpe is struggling considerably, particularly at putting the ball in the air with some mental lapses defensively and on the bases.
Spencer Jones crushes a rocket double off the wall. Anthony Volpe didnât score here (not sure what he was doing), but Yanquiel FernĂĄndez followed with a home run. pic.twitter.com/aGrYzMe0gJ
Carlos RodĂłn started on Tuesday and had a very uneven final rehab start, allowing six runs in 6.1 innings. Veterans Dom Hamel and Adam Kloffenstein struggled, while Carlos Lagrange continued an up-and-down season by striking out eight in 4.1 innings, but allowed five runs on three dingers. Elmer RodrĂguez returned to the minors to make a solid start on Sunday, as he settles back into the next-man-up role.
Yovanny Cruz took the loss on Tuesday, but continued to be effective along with Bradley Hanner in the back of the bullpen. Veterans Dylan Coleman and Rafael Montero, who both started the year on the shelf, have combined to allow just two runs in 11.2 innings with 13 strikeouts. It was only four years ago when Montero was one of the best relievers in baseball for the Astros, and he could be an option at some point.
Record: 15-18, 5.5 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 3-3 week against the Reading Fightinâ Phils (Phillies)
Run differential: +26
Coming up: Home vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)
It was a so-so week down in Somerset, as every single one of their games against Reading turned into a shootout. They scored at least 11 runs in each of the first three games and scored 42 runs in the series, while allowing 33. The offense cooled down towards the end of the week, but it produces some gaudy numbers.
Marco Luciano hit enough that he earned a midweek promotion. Tyler Hardman (10-for-25, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 2B) and Garrett Martin (10-for-28, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB) continued to rake, while Jace Avina (9-for-29, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 3 BB) heated up in a big way after being in a big-time slump to start the year. Jackson Castillo missed the start of the season due to injury, but has an OPS over .900 in 15 games since being activated.
In the rotation, Trent Sellers struggled badly on Tuesday, but the rest of the rotation wasnât terrible. Cade Smith had his second straight solid start and Xavier Rivas struck out seven in 4.1 shutout innings, while Jack Cebert and Kyle Carr had inconsistent outings, with the latter striking out a career-high eight batters despite allowing four runs.
Gerrit Cole made his latest rehab start on Sunday, and heâs getting closer and closer to being ready. Despite taking the loss, he struck out eight and built up to 77 pitches in a five-inning outing while consistently flashing 96 on the radar gun.
The bullpen was rough this week. Will Brian was off to a fantastic start to the season, but had a disastrous outing in Tuesdayâs 14-12 loss. Matt Keating and Michael Arias continue to struggle to put up zeroes, but the team is getting better performances from Geoff Gilbert and Kelly Austin of late. Eric Reyzelman also continues to flash his improved command with 25 strikeouts to just four walks in 13.2 innings. I truthfully think he isnât far from a big league mound.
Record: 18-14, 2.5 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 4-2 week against the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox)
Run differential: +32
Coming up: Home vs. Frederick Keys (Orioles)
Hudson Valley got back to its winning ways this week, rebounding after two early-week losses to win three straight to end the week, allowing just six total runs in its four victories.
Outside of Kaeden Kent, the offense has still been pretty bad. Eric Genther continued to cool off as his lack of slugging continues to be more apparent, and a lot of the 2025 draftees are inconsistent (Kyle West capped off the week with a two-homer, five-RBI day on Sunday, notably). A name to keep an eye on is Josue Gonzalez, whoâs now up to a 96 wRC+ with a .221 ISO. The Yankees are really trying to replenish their minor league catching depth, and he could be a big part.
The rotation was absolutely phenomenal this week after Coleâs mediocre start on Tuesday. Luis Serna struggled with command, but worked around five walks to toss five shutout innings on Wednesday. Rory Fox (5 IP, 2 R) had a solid start on Friday, and Franyer Herrera struck out seven in five shutout innings on Sunday. The real highlight of the week, though, was Sean Paul Liñan. He made by far his best start since he was acquired in the Jorbit Vivas trade, tossing six no-hit innings with seven strikeouts in the best start of his entire pro career.
Chris Veach is up to 12.2 shutout innings with 21 strikeouts, Tony Rossi has 18 strikeouts in 11.1 innings, and the trio of Tanner Bauman, Jack Sokol, and Brady Kirtner arenât far behind in terms of jaw-dropping numbers out of the bullpen. Weâre getting to a point where some of them need to be promoted just to see if this isnât an effect of A-ball hitting.
Record: 15-18, 5 GB in the Florida State League West after a 3-3 week against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins)
Run differential: -26
Coming up: Home vs. Dunedin Blue Jays (Blue Jays)
It was a much better week for the Tampa offense, as they put up at least six runs on four different occasions, but the pitching took a step back as Fort Myers secured a split with two straight wins to end the week.
The two hitters who had the best weeks were Hans Montero and Jackson Lovich, who has rebounded nicely after the first real slump of his professional career. Enmanuel Tejada continues to pace the team with a near-.400 OBP and could be in line for a promotion if Kent is pushed up to Double-A in the near future to open up a spot in the infield.
Tyler Boudreau allowed three runs in 4.1 innings to start the week on Tuesday, Mac Heuer struggled with command in an abbreviated 2.2 inning outing, Justin West struck out eight in a choppy 4.1 innings on Thursday, and both JT Etheridge and Henry Lalane struggled early in their starts over the weekend. There wasnât much to get excited about in the rotation this week⊠except for one big rehab assignment.
The teamâs sixth-round pick from 2022 Chase Hampton made his first start since August 10, 2024, and just his eighth since 2023. He looked great in three innings for Tampa on Friday, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts and zero walks. You could tell the organization was still high on him when he was added to the 40-man roster amidst Tommy John recovery in the offseason, so heâs a big story to watch going forward.
Record: 5-2, 2 GB in the FCL North after a 3-2 week.
Run differential: +30
The FCL North has been an extremely funny division. So far, the FCL Blue Jays are 7-0, and the FCL Tigers are 0-7, with the FCL Phillies sitting at 2-5. Both Yankees losses are to the Blue Jays, and both Phillies wins are against the Tigers. Itâs perfect balance.
The offense has been great to start the season, specifically the likes of Leni Done and Wilberson De Pena, who was acquired for Oswald Peraza from the Angels last July. Last yearâs DSL darling, Richard Matic, isnât far behind. As a note, Francisco Vilorio is currently injured.
Thatcher Hurd and Wyatt Parliament, two 2024 draftees who missed all of last season with Tommy John recovery, have made their pro debuts and look good in a limited sample. Blake Gillespie, who started the year in Tampa before being demoted, and Omar Gonzalez have 19 strikeouts in 12 innings combined.
Thereâs not too much to talk about yet with this team as we wait for large enough sample sizes for it to matter, but there are certainly players to watch.
Luciano is not legally a Yankees prospect, but considering heâs younger than multiple people weâre keeping close eyes on across the system and has only a handful of big league experience, he counts in my book.
At one point, Luciano was one of the best prospects in the world. Signed for $2.6 million out of the D.R. by the San Francisco Giants in 2018, he was a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball for three consecutive years from 2021-23, ahead of his MLB debut in July 2023 with the Giants. But over a 41-game big league sample in two years, he slashed just .217/.286/.304 with mediocre defense at both second base and shortstop, killing his hype to the point he was DFAâd this past offseason.
After being claimed off waivers by the Pirates and spending a month there before being DFAâd again, he went through the same process with Baltimore before the Yankees gave him a shot in late January. He would get DFAâd by a fourth different team a few weeks later, but he cleared waivers this time, staying in the Yankeesâ organization.
After getting a good amount of reps in spring training, he was sent down to Double-A Somerset, the lowest level heâd played at since July 2023. In this situation, youâd love a guy like him to immediately show he doesnât belong there and thatâs exactly what he did.
His stats have been ludicrous to this point, and after Max Schuemannâs promotion and Paul DeJongâs release opened space in the infield, the Yankees suddenly have him one step away from the bigs once again. Weâve seen them rehabilitate former prospects in the past and tweak something with them to get them back on teamsâ radars (Blake Perkins, Brennan Davis). Could Luciano be next? Thatâd be great to see.
Pace bowler Nahid Rana claimed five wickets as Bangladesh trumped Pakistan by 104 runs in a rain-hit first Test on Tuesday after a thrilling fifth day of batting collapses.
At the APSE Southeast Region meeting in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Sankey answered whether he thought expanding the men's and women's basketball field from 68 teams to 76 was necessary.
The new opening round will grow from eight teams to 24, be played Tuesday/Wednesday prior to the first round for men and Wednesday/Thursday for women and feature at-large teams and automatic qualifiers.
Sankeyâs said the NCAA Tournament should feature âthe top 50 analytically, committee-determined teams.â
âYou know, thereâs a combination eligible to participate. What we do is give away spots for automatic bids, because thatâs the ethos of the term. It seems a reasonable balance,â Sankey said. âAnd I think all the criticism and negativity, thatâs the way social media rolls.â
The move has been anticipated since conversations began in 2025 as NCAA president Charlie Baker has strongly vouched for expansion. Multiple college athletic directors and coaches confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on April 28 thereâs an âexpectationâ for it to grow.
âThe apple cart hasnât been upset, burned, thrown down the hill and discarded,â Sankey said.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In Monday nightâs Brotherhood Playoff Action, Cleveland took out Detroit, 112-103, behind a dstunning 22-0 run. Tyrese Proctor got in at the end, but did not score. The series is now tied 2-2.
In the nightcap, Oklahoma City eliminated Los Angeles, 115-110. Jared McCain scored 13 points and had 2 assists for OKC, while Luke Kennard finished his season with 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
At 8-0, the Thunder look increasingly inevitable, and may push the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers. When someone asked Moses Malone how his team would do, he famously said, âFoâ, foâ, and fo,â meaning the Sixers would not lose in the playoffs.
Close: Philadelphia finished 11-1 in the postseason.
On Tuesday, The T-Wolves and the Spurs tangle in Game 5. Mason Plumlee is on the Spursâ roster, but heâs essentially depth at this point, and we donât expect to see him going forward.
May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates a solo home run in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Max Muncy shares a birthday with the Aâs Max Muncy, both were drafted by the Aâs, and both are playing third base. As David Adler at MLB.com noted, both Maxes Muncy are also among the MLB leaders this year in hard-hit rate.
On Monday the Dodgersâ Muncy added two more hard-hit balls with a home run 104.1 mph off the bat and a 102.2-mph single.
âHe was indisputably one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball radio broadcasting, and he opened the door for other broadcasters to reach the major leagues,â JarrĂn told The Times in Spanish on Monday morning. âHe was a total professional, truly.â
On this day 72 years ago, Don Johnson threw his second two-hitter in 10 days. | Topps
1904 Future Hall-of-Famer Ed Walsh made his White Sox debut, pitching in relief. It happened in Philadelphia, during a 9-3 loss to the Aâs. Walsh threw one inning, giving up two hits and a run.
1915 Red Faber threw a complete game win at Comiskey Park vs. Washington, 4-1.
So what? Well, it was Faberâs sixth start of 1915, fifth win ⊠and sixth complete game.
OK, yeah, so what? How about this:
Yes, Faber threw just 67 pitches for the win.
While there was no official pitch-counting 110 years ago, a boy-clerk in Washington, Frank Saffell, tracked each pitch for an electronic scoreboard. He telegraphed The Chicago Tribune after realizing how remarkable Faberâs efficiency was. While itâs hard to recognize the pitch count-tracking of a child not even at the park for the game, Saffellâs inning-by-inning count â adding to 50 strikes, 17 balls and two three-pitch innings â has been accepted enough into baseball lore as to be acknowledged by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Saffell had been at pitch-counting for enough time to have qualified the count to the Tribune as being five pitches better than the previous record (Christy Mathewson, 72 pitches).
Faber carried a one-hitter into the ninth, when with two outs a single, passed ball and double gave the Sens their tally when the game was no longer in doubt â or, as the Tribune accounted, at a point when ânobody cared a whoop what happened.â The game lasted just one hour, 35 minutes.
The most efficient officially-counted game at Baseball-Reference is 75 pitches, by Bob Tewksbury (1990) and Andy Ashby (1998). The unofficial but almost certain MLB record comes on Aug. 10, 1944, when Red Barrett of the Boston Braves had a 58-pitch win that was tracked by official scorer Frank Grayson.
1923 St. Louisâ haste helped the White Sox score a coup, as just two games and four innings into his professional career Hollis âSloppyâ Thurston was placed on waivers by the Browns. Chicago wasted no time in completing a purchase for the screwballer.
In 1923 Thurston would immediately fill an important role for the White Sox, throwing some starts (and complete games) but also working out of the bullpen. It was out of the pen Thurston became the fifth pitcher ever to hurl an immaculate inning, on Aug. 22, 1923. And in 1924 Thurston moved almost exclusively to the starting rotation, to great success.
In 1923-24 Thurston amassed 10.6 WAR on the South Side, topping all White Sox hurlers both seasons. His stardom was brief, but Thurston remains one of the best waiver pickups the franchise ever made.
1932 For the ninth time of the 1932 season, White Sox third baseman/second baseman Carey Selph struck out.
It is also the last time in 1932 that Selph whiffed, as he played another 89 games strikeout-free, setting a major league record.
(When was the record broken? Oh, in 1958, when another White Sox second baseman, Nellie Fox, went 98 games between strikeouts.)
Selph had a decent enough season, hitting .283/.341/.371 over 396 total at-bats tying and for seventh among position players with 1.0 WAR on the 49-102-1 White Sox. At a .325 winning percentage, 1932 was the worst White Sox team in history, although it still finished 7 1â2 games ahead of the cellar-dwelling Boston Red Sox.
This would be Selphâs first full, but last overall major league season. He had been plucked from St. Louis in the Rule 5 draft before the 1932 season, and was swapped back to the Cardinals in the offseason. The St. Louis system was loaded, and Selph was sent to the minors, where he played his final two pro seasons for the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League.
1953 With a 9-7 win in 10 innings at Boston, the White Sox not only climbed to 16-10, they got a monkey off of their backs: By rallying for the win in the top of the 10th, the club hung a defeat on Ellis Kinder, snapping his 18-game winning streak against the White Sox. Kinder didnât even get a chance to âdefendâ his streak, as a leadoff walk to Minnie Miñoso, Jim Rivera beating out his sac bunt and Chico Carrasquel moving both runners up and prompted Bill Kennedy into the game to put out the fire â but instead serve up the eventual game-decider, an RBI double from Ferris Fain.
Kinder would come to the South Side to finish out his career, in 1956-57. Kennedy had just been traded from Sox to Sox a few months earlier, in February.
Also on this day, the White Sox purchased Sandy Consuegra from the Washington Senators. Heâd make his debut in a 3-0 loss at Boston the next day, and would end up with an outstanding, career-high 3.0 WAR for the White Sox in 1953, going 7-5 with a 2.54 ERA while both starting and closing games. Consuegra, pitching for the White Sox over three more seasons to come, forged a terrific record with the team, with a career 2.85 ERA/3.28 FIP and 8.0 WAR over 140 games.
1954 For the second time in 10 days, Don Johnson tossed a two-hitter. Johnson had beaten Philadelphia on May 2 on two hits, and slid by Boston on this day, 1-0. With a low number of Ks, the righthander had a relatively low game score for a shutout (87 at Philadelphia, 86 vs. Boston, not among the 150 best games in White Sox history), but with this latest win the swingmanâs record improved to 3-1 on the season.
Amazingly, Johnson was given just 14 other starts in 1954, despite excelling as both a starter and closer (seven saves, 17 finishes). His 2.0 WAR was matched just one other time in his career, one in fact that ended with him overall a sub-replacement pitcher (-1.2 WAR).
2013 Chris Sale couldnât have picked a better time to show the baseball world what type of pitcher he was, as on ESPNâs Sunday Night Baseball he tossed a complete game one-hitter, beating the Angels, 3-0, at U.S. Cellular Field. Salewas dominant, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Mike Trout broke it up with a single to center. Chriswould finish the night with seven strikeouts, and Trout would be the only Angels base runner. The game was scoreless until the Chicago half of the seventh, when they scored three runs. The big blow was a two-run single from Alexei RamĂrez.
The Western Conference Semifinals shift back to Sin City tonight as the Anaheim Ducks visit the Vegas Golden Knights, with the series tied at two games apiece.
My Golden Knights vs. Ducks player props are targeting Mitch Marner to keep dominating, while Jack Eichel and Beckett Sennecke will also do their part.
Mitch Marner has been an absolute monster in these playoffs. The veteran has compiled 16 points already, and he has a mind-boggling seven points across the last two games. While the Vegas Golden Knights did lose Game 4, he finished with three helpers. Marner also netted a natural hat-trick in Game 3 while grabbing an assist.
In the postseason, he's had four multi-point outings, and the Canadian is playing with so much confidence. His ice time has also skyrocketed across these last two games, playing over 23 minutes per contest after barely playing 18 minutes in the first two games of this series. John Tortorella is putting Marner out there a lot, and it's paying off.
Game 5 Prop #2: Jack Eichel Over 0.5 assists
-170 at BET99
Jack Eichel sits right behind Marner with 13 playoff points. The majority of his production has come as a playmaker, notching 12 assists. Eichel was one of the Golden Knights' top suppliers during the regular season as well, picking 63 apples, ranking 11th in the NHL.
He's hit the Over in helpers in three straight, finishing with four assists during that span. Eichel had two in the Game-4 defeat. He's also grabbed five assists on home ice in the playoffs, and his presence on the top line and PP1 strengthens his case for another.
Game 5 Prop #3: Beckett Sennecke anytime goal
+320 at BET99
He may be just 20 years of age, but Beckett Sennecke is proving the playoff stage isn't too big for him. The youngster had 23 regular-season goals, and he's added another four in the postseason. After a quiet Round 1, Sennecke has found his best against Vegas, scoring three times, finding the back of the net in three consecutive contests.
While he's only notched six SOG across those games, Sennecke is making the most of his chances. His PP2 line also scored both goals for the Anaheim Ducks on the man advantage in Game 3, including his PP goal, assisted by Alex Killorn and Cutter Gauthier, who notched three helpers. Heavy PP usage and solid playmakers getting him the puck make this one a valuable bet.
img alt="Get a first bet encore up to $800 with the BET99 promo code COVERSNHL" width="100%" loading="lazy" src="https://img.covers.com/promo-articles/bet99nhlcreative2526.jpeg"Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL. (not available in Ontario)
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks works out before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Giannis Antetokounmpo has an ultimatum from Milwaukee Bucks ownership: either sign a contract extension this summer, or get traded. The long-rumored divorce between the two sides might finally come to fruition as the NBA prepares to enter the offseason, and the Bucks are making it known theyâre ready to hear offers.
The Bucks are âopen for business âon Antetokounmpo trade offers, and the team is reportedly seeking âyoung blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of draft picks,â according to ESPNâs Shams Charania. Charaniaâs report comes on the brink of the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, historically a place where early trade conversations happen as the entire league is gathered in Chicago. Antetokounmpo essentially asked out of Milwaukee ahead of the trade deadline, but a deal never materialized, and the trade landscape feels different this time.
The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder were reportedly not interested in a Giannis trade at the deadline. Does that change for Houston after a first-round exit? Will San Antonio or OKC also change their mind on a potential trade if they fall short of a championship? The Boston Celtics are another team to watch in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes now after a first-round exit in the 2026 NBA Playoffs when they were supposed to be the favorites in the East.
Here are six potential Antetokounmpo trade packages that make sense, plus two darkhorse surprise teams at the end.
Miami Heatâs best Giannis trade offer
Bucks receive: Tyler Herro, Kelâel Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, No. 13 overall pick in 2026 NBA Draft, 2030 first-rounder, 2032 first-rounder
Heat receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince
It will be tricky to make the salaries match, but thereâs a framework in place for the potential Giannis trade to the Heat this summer. Miami has three first-round picks available to trade, including No. 13 overall this year, where we have Karim Lopez projected in our mock draft. Kelâel Ware had a solid second season even if he falls short of the âblue chipâ prospect Milwaukee covets. If Mikal Bridges and Rudy Gobert were traded for five first-round picks, why is Giannis only fetching three? Well, itâs a different trade landscape these days, and Antetokounmpoâs constant late season injury issues feel like a real problem at age-31. The Heat are also chasing stars, and at this point it feels like theyâve maximized their current group. An all-in trade for Giannis makes sense for Miami, and it might be the best package Milwaukee can get.
Cavsâ best Giannis trade offer
Bucks receive: Evan Mobley, Sam Merrill, 2030 and 2032 first-round picks
Heat receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
This trade is not currently legal because the Cavs are in the second apron, and thus cannot aggregate salaries to match Giannisâ massive deal. Itâs possible Cleveland can get under the apron for this deal during the summer, and subbing in Jaylon Tyson for Merrill would make it even more appealing if they can square the salaries. Mobley is potentially the best young player on the market for Milwaukee. The big man turns 25 years old next month, and feels like he stagnated a bit offensively this season. He remains an incredible defender as a mobile 7-footer, and Milwaukee could probably flip him for a ton of assets if they wanted a longer view of their upcoming rebuild. Those Cleveland picks could be pretty valuable too with an older core in place should the Cavs do this deal.
Celticsâ best Giannis trade offer with Hawks to form 3-team deal
Bucks receive: No. 8 pick in 2026 NBA Draft, Celticsâ first-round picks in 2027 and 2032, Zaccharie Risacher, Hugo Gonzalez, Corey Kispert
Celtics receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Hawks receive: Jaylen Brown
This is admittedly a rough draft what a three-team trade would look like between the Celtics, Hawks, and Bucks. The general framework would have Jaylen Brown landing in his hometown of Atlanta, Giannis going to the Celtics, and the Bucks getting Atlantaâs No. 8 overall pick and more future first-rounders. The salaries do work out in this deal according to the trade machine, so something like this could make sense. Risacher was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but he already lost his spot in the Hawksâ playoff rotation, so this doesnât feel like too much to give up for Atlanta to get Brown. The Celtics upgrade from Brown to Antetokounmpo and push for a championship next year. The Bucks land a second top-10 pick in this trade, and Gonzalez would be a nice get after a surprisingly strong rookie year.
Wolves receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis
The Wolves were reportedly interested in Giannis at the trade deadline, and they could have interest again this summer should they fall short in the playoffs. This package features neither a blue chip young player or a bundle of picks, but it would give the Bucks a lot of flippable assets. McDaniels will be 26 years old next season and is one of the best wing defenders in the league. Gobert is still a defensive stud, and heâs on a more affordable deal now. DiVincenzo is out for the year sadly with an Achilles tear. Milwaukee could flip McDaniels and Gobert for 1-2 more future first-round picks each if they take this deal, and that Minnesota 2032 first-round could be spicy down the line.
Blazersâ best Giannis offer
Bucks receive: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Yang Hansen, 2028 and 2030 Bucks swaps returned, 2032 Blazers first-round pick
TrailBlazers receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
New Blazers owner Tom Dundan said the team has a big trade offer available at the trade deadline that the team chose to not pull the trigger on, but that things might be different under his watch. Was he talking about Giannis? The Blazers have always felt like a natural trade partner for Giannis because they own two future Milwaukee pick swaps. This deal has Portland unloading bad money in Jerami Grant, and cashing in Scoot Henderson and Yang Hansen, while returning the swap rights to Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo. Henderson is starting to come on lately even if he hasnât yet lived up to his draft hype, and heâs exactly the type of player who could intrigue Milwaukee. This is probably too much to give up for Portland, but it could potentially win a bidding war.
Knicksâ best Giannis trade offer
Bucks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, 2032 first-round pick
The Knicks seem very likely to go to the Finals, but I wonât put a trade like this past them if they get smoked by the Thunder or Spurs once they get there. I do think itâs too much to give up for New York given Giannisâ injury history. Milwaukee wouldnât get a pick surplus or any good young players from this haul, but it could immediately turn around and trade Anunoby and KAT for value.
Two surprise teams who could trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Orlando Magic: How about a Paolo Banchero for Giannis package as a starting point? I donât think thatâs going to solve Orlandoâs shooting and injury woes, but it would be an instant talent upgrade for a team thatâs already all-in on the present.
Charlotte Hornets: The Hornets could offer a huge package of picks, and they certainly need more physicality inside. Charlotte already had the best net-rating in the NBA after Jan. 1. Would they really empty the clip to trade every available pick for Giannis? Miles Bridges, Tre Mann, and Josh Green would match salaries.
Brewers third base prospect Andrew Fischer signs an autograph during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
As a reminder, you can find this roundup â covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewersâ minor league affiliates â every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.
Jett Williams (No. 3): 6-for-21, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K
Luis Lara (No. 11): 6-for-21, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K
Garrett Stallings: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Coleman Crow (No. 26): 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Carlos Rodriguez: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 6 BB, 5 K
Robert Gasser (No. 16): 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Now that weâre more than a month into the minor league season, stats are starting to stabilize a bit. Nashvilleâs offenses has been led by Eddys Leonard, who leads the Sounds with a 1.028 OPS and .345 batting average over 116 at-bats. Luis Lara isnât far behind him, with a .317/.417/.511 line in 139 at-bats. Other important contributors for the Sounds have included catchers Ramon Rodriguez (.319 batting average, .806 OPS) and Jeferson Quero (.257/.344/.425).
â Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 10, 2026
The Sounds have a few top organizational prospects who have struggled to start the season. Cooper Pratt is barely hitting over .200 (.205). Heâs hitting .207 over the last month and .205 over the last two weeks, although his numbers are weighed down by a 3-for-24 performance this week. Jett Williams (.243/.360/.354) also had a rough start, although heâs started to turn things around over the last month (.812 OPS).
Brock Wilken (No. 21) has also bounced back recently, but his season long slash line (.179/.316/.317 with just two home runs) is still far from encouraging. Heâs struck out 43 times in 123 at-bats, which means heâs striking out in over a third of his at-bats. Luke Adams (No. 12)has been out with a shoulder contusion for almost a month, but he had a .732 OPS in 39 at-bats before going on the IL. Tyler Black, whoâs up in Milwaukee right now, has gone 11-for-39 with the Sounds this season.
The Sounds have a lot of pitching depth, but a couple of their starters havenât had great starts. Tate Kuehner (5.50 ERA) and Coleman Crow (4.70) have had a few rough outings that have ballooned their season-long stats, although both pitchers are still striking out one batter per inning. Carlos Rodriguez (7.91) has been hit even harder over 19.1 innings. Logan Henderson (1.02) has been by far the Soundsâ best starting pitcher, but heâs now in the major league rotation.
With Henderson in Milwaukee, lefty Robert Gasser (4.08) would probably be the next pitcher to get the call to the majors should the Brewers need reinforcements. Gasserâs only allowed one home run all year and has 25 strikeouts to seven walks in 17.2 innings pitched.
Jacob Waguespack (11 appearances, 2.25 ERA, 12.94 K/9) has pitched extremely well out of the bullpen, as has Will Childers, who hasnât allowed an earned run in nine relief appearances. Neither has Brian Fitzpatrick, whoâs now pitching out of the bullpen in Milwaukee.
Jeferson Quero teaches the kids about what happens to an 88 MPH fastball that leaves the bat at 107.7 MPH with a 36 degree launch angle. pic.twitter.com/SGAb4pGajw
â Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 6, 2026
Next weekâs opponent: vs. Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
1B/DH Blake Burke, who was just named the Brewers Minor League Player of the Month, has turned into a formidable power hitter with the Shuckers. Heâs hit 22 homers for the Shuckers since his promotion from High-A in August 2025. Eight of those home runs came in the month of April, along with 8 doubles, a triple, 20 RBI, 17 runs scored, and â perhaps most impressively â 9 stolen bases.
The Brewers donât usually rush their prospects, so donât expect to see Burke in the major leagues this year â especially given the wealth of 1B/DH options currently on the 26-man roster. Still, he should be in Triple-A pretty soon if he keeps hitting like this. Heâs looking like a legitimate power hitter, a trait that should translate to the majors someday.
â Biloxi Shuckers (@BiloxiShuckers) May 10, 2026
Jesus Madeâs season-long stats still look solid (.275.360/.427), but his numbers have taken a nosedive over the last month. Heâs now hitting .242 with a .698 OPS over the last month. Over the last two weeks, his numbers are down even further (.233 batting average, .578 OPS).
Iâve consistently said not to worry about Made, but at this point heâs been performing below his (admittedly sky-high) expectations for about a month. I still wouldnât worry too much, for a couple reasons.
One, Made is still a good two years younger than the average Double-A player. Going from High-A to Double-A is often considered the hardest jump in the minor leagues, and pitchers have adjusted to how they pitch him. He was so absurdly good to start the season (and last year) that anything short of eye-popping stats start to feel like a let-down, but heâs also not striking out that often (16 Ks in his last 95 at-bats) and has still looked like himself at the plate. Development isnât linear. If Made keeps hitting like this for another month, then itâs worth a deeper dive into his mechanics and approach.
I generally try to avoid speculation, but itâs at least worth noting that Madeâs recent downturn has overlapped with the hospitalization of Luis Peña, who collapsed in the dugout during a High-A game. Iâll get into Peñaâs situation more in the High-A section below, but the short version is this: Brewers GM Matt Arnold said Peña was okay following the incident, yet he hasnât appeared in a game in nearly three weeks. The organization announced more than a week ago that Peña was scheduled to see a neurologist, but there hasnât been any public update from either the Brewers or Peñaâs camp since then.
Hitting is as much mental as it is physical, and the Peña situation was undeniably scary. Made and Peña have known each other since they were twelve years old and are reportedly very close. If Peña is still dealing with something serious, it wouldnât be surprising if thatâs affecting Made as well.
JESĂS MADE IS THE MAN WE NEED! His 3rd home run of the year extends the lead back to 2!
Less-heralded prospects Dylan OâRae, Mike Boeve, and Damon Keith have all continued to play well with the Shuckers. OâRae is hitting .299 with an .809 OPS, while Keith is hitting .338 with a 1.093 OPS in eighty at-bats. Boeveâs season-long numbers are less impressive, but over the last two weeks he has an OPS of .762.
â Biloxi Shuckers (@BiloxiShuckers) May 10, 2026
Tyson Hardin and Brett Wichrowski, both top-30 Brewers prospects, havenât been effective this season. Hardin had a breakout season in 2025, but heâs already allowed almost as many earned runs (25) as he did all of last season (28) and has an ERA approaching eight. At least heâs still striking guys out, with 43 Ks in less than 30 innings. Wichrowski has nearly identical stats, except that heâs striking out less batters and has allowed twice as many home runs as Hardin.
Manuel Rodriguez (5.40 ERA), Bishop Letson (6.75), and Jaron DeBerry (7.25) have also been struggling. Letsonâs at least had a couple solid outings lately, giving up three hits and two runs in four innings in his last appearance. Ryan Birchard has been limiting opponentsâ production, but heâs also walked 26 batters in 20 innings.
Next weekâs opponent: @ Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)
Eric Bitonti (No. 25): 8-for-23, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 10 K
Travis Smith: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Braylon Owens: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Bryan Rivera: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Andrew Fischer turned in another impressive week, recording three home runs and six total extra-base hits in just 23 at-bats. Josh Adamczewski (No. 10) and Marco Dinges (No. 9) also both bounced back this week with six hits each. Adamczewski hit two home runs, while Dinges hit one. Adamczewskiâs OPS is still over 1.000 on the season, while Dingesâ is âonlyâ .908.
Josiah Ragsdale has also kept hitting. Over the last month, he owns an .883 OPS across 78 at-bats, trailing only Andrew Fischer among Timber Rattlers hitters.
â Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 8, 2026
Eric Bitonti has quietly been great over the last month, with a .257/.382/.473 line over 74 at-bats. Bitonti still strikes out way too much (30 Ks in those 74 at-bats), but this stretch has still brought his strikeout rate down. He wonât be promoted until he refines his approach, but heâs been showing that the hit tool is still very much there.
â Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 10, 2026
Luis Peña, the Brewersâ No. 2 prospect, is the best prospect on the Timber Rattlers. As I mentioned above, Peña still hasnât played since the medical emergency on April 22nd, and the organization hasnât given any updates on him since they announced he was scheduled to see a neurologist last Monday. Simply put, thatâs not great.
Like I also said above, I hate to speculate, but it seems logical to conclude that there may be more going on here than initially meets the eye. Peña was diagnosed with heatstroke, but has now missed almost three weeks. Furthermore, the Brewers havenât placed him on the injured list. If he had been cleared to play, the Brewers would have obviously announced that, even if they were giving him some time to recover before throwing him back in the lineup. Iâm not going to guess whatâs going on, but itâs clearly something. Hopefully heâs alright and will be back in the lineup soon.
Wisconsin has four pitchers who threw more than 20 innings this month â Travis Smith, Ethan Dorchies, Braylon Owens, and Wande Torres. Other than Smith (3.42), the others had ERAs between 4.50 and 6.95.
Next weekâs opponent: vs. South Bend Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
Player of the Month: Jarrette Bonet (this week: 7.2 IP, 10 H, 9 ER, 6 BB, 7 K)
Jarrett Bonet, named the Brewersâ Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April, went 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA over 23.1 innings pitched. He racked up 26 strikeouts while posting an opponent batting average of just .222 (18-for-81). Bonet was signed as a free agent after last yearâs draft and is quickly surpassing expectations with the Warbirds.
Although the season-long hitting stats look pretty bad so far, the bats have continued to heat up as Wilson inches closer to .500. Infielder Luis Lameda is slashing .318/,439/.379 this season. Handelfry Encarnacion, who won Carolina League Player of the Week last week, has shown some serious power over the last month with five homers and ten extra-base hits. Over that same stretch, Pedro Ibarguen is hitting .327 with a .929 OPS and Brady Ebel (No. 14) has a .388 OBP. Ebel is still hitting south of .200 on the season, but heâs clearly improving at the plate.
â Wilson Warbirds (@wilsonwarbirds) May 10, 2026
Wilson doesnât really have a workhorse starter outside of Bonet (31 IP). After Bonet, Enderson Mercado ranks second on the staff in innings pitched, though heâs struggled to a 6.58 ERA. Tyler Renz (3.38 ERA in 26 2/3 innings), Miqueas Mercedes (3.04 ERA in 23 2/3 innings), and Garrett Hodges (2.00 ERA in 18 innings) have all quietly put together strong seasons.
Next weekâs opponent: vs. Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians)
Player of the Week
Andrew Fischer, who hit three home runs in a week for the second time in the last month. Itâs easy to forget Fischer, whoâs slashing .274/.365/.623 with a .988 OPS and nine home runs in his first full professional season, was playing in the College World Series less than a year ago. At this rate, it would be surprising if he isnât viewed as a top-50 prospect in baseball by the end of the year.
Andrew Fischer went 4/6 with 2 HR and a triple today.
Andrew Fischer had an incredible day Sunday (4 for 6, 2 HRâs + Triple) that propelled him to the Midwest Player of the Week award đïž
Fischerâs power number ranks among all full-season minor leaguers: đ„ .988 OPS (95th Percentile) đ„ .623 SLG (97th Percentile) đ„ .349 ISO (98th⊠https://t.co/AzZyiB2kZx
â Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) May 11, 2026
Play of the Week
I couldnât find a defensive play that impressed me as much as this filthy strikeout from Craig Yoho:
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 06: Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on April 6, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is the fifth installment in Purple Rowâs series on the Colorado Rockies Cultural Education & Development Program. So far, I have written about what the program does, its curriculum, and its origins. Yesterday, Renee Dechert wrote a profile on one of the English teachers, and this week weâll continue exploring how the Rockies help non-English-speaking players develop their language skills.
As weâve discussed over the last few weeks, the Colorado Rockies have been at the forefront of English education around Major League Baseball. It all started because Josh Rosenthal had a vision after returning from the Peace Corps, and he and Angel Amparo have turned that vision into a reality that set the standard for all 30 clubs.
The Rockies currently have five players from Latin America on their active roster, and three of them graduated from the Cultural Education & Development Program â Antonio Senzatela, Juan Mejia and Ezequiel Tovar. Hereâs how they described their experiences.
Antonio Senzatela
Senzatela was one of the original students in the program, having been signed out of Valencia, Venezuela, in 2011. He was assigned to the DSL Rockies the following year and came stateside in 2013. Since he was around in the early goings, he had a lot more experience with Rosenthal than Amparo.
âIt was really good,â Senzatela said of his experience. âJosh was an amazing person. Heâs a different personality. He liked to teach us how to be a good person and how to engage in American culture when weâre just kids. And it was really fun and really nice to have him.â
And the lessons he learned have stuck with him throughout his career.
âIn our country, we donât have a lot of things. Itâs different,â he said. âHere you have to be more quiet and more careful with things you say and stuff like that. He taught us that and a couple of English words, especially more on the baseball-wise because at least we have to know baseball terms. And itâs really nice, and it was perfect for me.â
Ezequiel Tovar and Juan Mejia
Tovar and Mejia were both signed in 2017 â Tovar out of Maracay, Venezuela, and Mejia out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Both came stateside in 2019, but Tovar made his MLB debut in 2022 while Mejia made his debut in 2025.
âI think it was a big help. They taught me so much,â Mejia said of his experience. âI think through that program and through the help of Angel, I think it not only shaped myself as a whole but it also shaped my personality. It changed my personality over here, so it helped me from that first year that I got in the United States. I felt better going into it because I had so much help, and it helped me in various ways.â
Tovar explained more about how the early classes were structured.
âThereâs two of them over there that head the program, and obviously they taught me a lot,â he said. âThat program meant a lot for learning English. First it was through Duolingo and some of the classes over there, and they had a bunch of applications that they gave to us to help us learn English. But yeah, I started all the way over there in the Dominican my first year with all that.â
He also remembers there were a lot of âquizzes and testsâ but also Amparo and Julio Medina got more creative with teaching their players how to understand and begin internalizing English.
âTheyâd send you movies, songs and things like that to help you remember English and kind of get used to it,â Tovar said. âI think thatâs the biggest thing that I remember.â
Mejia remembered a project where the players all had to create an advertisement for a product, and while he couldnât remember the specific product he was trying to sell, he âvividly remember(s) doing those videos.â
âI canât specifically recall that because I was in Spokane,â he said. âI knew a little more English, so I think that was helpful, but it was still hard for me because I was a little nervous, and I kind of wanted to get it done with so I kind of rushed it a little bit. It was still hard on me, doing those videos, and I canât recall specifically that.â
However, he didnât think it was harder than opening or closing a baseball game â itâs just a different kind of challenge.
âI think it was that youâre focusing on talking, and obviously it makes you nervous because youâre not fully adapted to the language,â he explained. âBut over here, Iâm confident in my talent when Iâm pitching. I think everyone can see that talent that I have, and thanks to God, so I enjoy being out there with the guys.â
Tovar offered some advice for players who are still in the program and who are still getting used to English as well as life in the United States.
âMy advice for them is that Iâm still learning English myself and getting used to it,â he said. âBut over here, we speak English. Itâs a huge part of the culture and a huge part of what you do, so youâve got to go hard and focus on what youâre doing.
âBut I think all the guys are doing it,â he continued. âEver since you leave from the Dominican and come to Arizona, youâre still doing the programs, even if itâs on Zoom or anything like that. The program is something that obviously helps a lot of us out, and I think itâs a program that means a lot for a lot of us. Itâs something that follows you, even as you keep rising in the programs.â
Closing Thoughts
Over the past few weeks, weâve highlighted a lot of details about this program. This concludes the first part of our series, but it is not the end! We will go on a short hiatus, but we will bring this back in June with more teacher interviews as well as interviews from players currently in the program.
The ACL Rockies continued their hot start to the young season, where they have only lost one game so far. Things got a little hairy in the first inning, as the Baby Snakes put up a three-spot where the third run was scored on a wild pitch by Eliezer Pena. However, the Baby Rockies got things going in the fourth with a triple by Kamuel Villar followed by an RBI single by Yeiker Reyes. A wild pitch tied things up in the fifth, and a three-run double by Reyes doubled the Baby Rockies score. Sebastian Blanco doubled in the fifth to end the scoring at 7-3.
In total, ACL Rockies pitching held the ACL Dbacks to just four hits while striking out eight and walking four. The ACL Rockies offense, on the other hand, had 13 hits, six walks and just three strikeouts.
The Rockies are better this year, but thereâs always room for improvement. Thomas Harding identifies âbetter right-handed hittingâ as the need for the Rockies, as players such as Ezequiel Tovar, Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle and Hunter Goodman have all struggled out of the gate in various ways.
Forget Grimace. Forget Dinger. Elmo entered the booth during the Rockies-Phillies game on Saturday as part of the Philliesâ Strike Out the Stigmaâ initiative to support mental health awareness. During his interview, Elmo gave his opinion many things including the Rockies, especially since heâs beefing with a friend with a similar name (Rocco).
Hereâs the full video, if you missed it (or want to relive it!):
Antonio Senzatela and Chase Dollander have been the focus of the Rockies this season, and for good reason. Both have had excellent starts, and both have made some major adjustments at the suggestions of the new coaching staff. Shawn Trewartha details the changes that both have made, and how theyâve been working in real time.
San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds hits his record-setting 756th career home run in the fifth inning against Washington Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik in San Francisco, Ca. (Photo by Richard Clement /Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
Good morning, baseball fans!
Today, we are in wrapping up a new feature for May that Iâm calling the â12 Days of Mays-masâ because I have been away, and I wanted to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while Iâm gone.
Itâs only fitting that for the twelfth day of Mays-mas, we go back a little farther than we have been to include Willie Maysâ godson breaking the all-time home run record on August 7th, 2007. Thatâs right, baby, itâs time for some Barry Bonds dingers! Well, one very specific dinger, to be exact.
Unfortunately, they donât have the full game available but I was able to find the full at-bat. So grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!
What time do the Giants play today?
The San Francisco Giants continue this four-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight at 7:10 p.m. PT.
Today, a lot of varied topics and varied fervor are here in Cub Tracks: From the latest injury news and fears, to rumors of needed trades, to comparing the 2026 and the 2016 Cubs (WAY to early for that, but a fun exercise) to Glenallen Hill checking out the apartment building across the street the HARD way.
The injury replacements are getting injured themselves. The trade deadline is many moons away, but 1) the Cubs canât wait until August 3 (which sounds a lot farther away than July 31 was), and 2) the Athletic lists TEN possible targets (again, a fun exercise, but, wow). With just a scan of the 2016/26 comparison, there may be a point on offense, but I didnât even look at the pitching comparisons. I did look at the verdict and agreed straight down the line.
And Glenallen, that swing still scares me. Iâm sure itâs the shortest swing for a 500-foot homerun ever. So enjoy the fun and not so fun.
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Was Edward Cabreraâs Last Start Canary in Coalmine or Rock Bottom? âTwo of those hits left the yard, which has now been the case for Cabrera in three of his last four starts. Thatâs what happens when your stuff isnât as sharp. The curveball has lost just over four inches of horizontal movement and nearly four of vertical drop from last season.â
Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Ten starters Cubs could target before trade deadline, from Logan Webb to Joe Ryan. âTo be clear, Chicago Cubs officials do not expect to execute any major trades at this point in the baseball calendar âŠ.. But it is the front officeâs job to constantly brainstorm ideas, gather information and anticipate where those markets are moving.â
Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Potential Cubs Targets, Teams to Watch, Challenge Trades, More. âAdd it all up and, yeah, theyâll very likely be adding a starting pitcher via trade this season. But while that wonât likely happen anytime soon, the rumors and breakdowns are already out in full force. Letâs break these rumors down and get an understanding of who might be on their radar.â
Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): For Ian Happ, the Cubsâ historically great start is a long time coming, âThe little details and big moments have led to this pivotal point in Happâs career. Right now, heâs a driving force behind one of baseballâs best teams, which is off to a historically great start for a franchise marking its 150th anniversary.â
Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Hoby Milnerâs journey to Chicago part of âa great fairytaleâ for his father, Brian, a former Cubs scout. âA 48-year-long fairytale brought Brian Milner to Tropicana Field in early April. Milner watched his son Hoby toss a scoreless relief appearance for the Chicago Cubs during a win against the Rays in a full-circle moment for the family. Brian spent 12 seasons (1996-2007) as a Cubs scout and now gets to see Hoby representing the team.â
Tommy Erbe (OnTapSportsNet): OTD 26 Years Ago, Glenallen Hill Hit A Ball To The Wrigley Field Rooftops. âHill hit the ball over the bleachers in left field, over Waveland Avenue, and onto the bleacher seats across the street from Wrigley Field. The building sits 460 feet from home plate, but youâd need some extra mustard to get it to the top.â
26 years ago today, the wind was gusting out to LF at 30mphđš and Glenallen Hill homered ~500ft onto the rooftop of 1032 W. Waveland pic.twitter.com/QGHIVl0JK4
Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune{$}): Chicago Cubs â whose streak ends at 10 â feel no urgency to add a starter despite social media madness. âThe (Peralta) report was retracted, but that didnât stop the internet, which never sleeps. It was picked up by aggregating websites focusing on Cubs news. Views of the original tweet and the retraction reached almost 600,000 as of Saturday night. The tweet worked, even if it was wrong, the story of our times.â
Food For Thought:
Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, Actor, Author, and Songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles. His storytelling is sometimes painful, deep, and real, an earthy contrast to modern-day commercial music, meant to create thought, underlined by gentle tones from his guitar or banjo fingerpicking. A self-taught âRenaissance Manâ, he first heard the banjo at a summer camp run by John Seeger, the brother of the American Folk Musician, Pete Seeger, and soon after, asked his father for one.
When asked about his experience as a performer, Guy has replied, âThere is no tale so tall that I cannot tell it, nor song so sweet that I cannot sing it.â
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
Aaron Judge
Andrew Vaughn
Andy Pages
Mitch Marner
Beckett Sennecke
