Category: Sports News

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane has said time and time again that as long as he’s in charge, the championship window will always be open. It’s a bold statement, and one that carries a lot of weight in a city that has grown accustomed to winning.

But what does that actually mean in 2026?

Is the window open so this team can compete for another title? Or is it open just enough for fans to look out and wonder how things have started to slip?

A Tale of Two Teams

When you look at this Astros team, there’s a clear divide.

Offensively, they’ve been more than good, they’ve been darn near elite. This is a lineup that continues to produce runs at a high level, boasting one of the best batting averages in baseball. They’ve been especially dangerous on the road and have consistently delivered with runners in scoring position. In short, the offense is doing everything you could reasonably ask, and then some.

But then there’s the pitching staff.

A Pitching Staff in Crisis

Coming into the season, general manager Dana Brown and the organization emphasized their depth in starting pitching. It was supposed to be a strength. Instead, just a few weeks into the season, it’s become the team’s biggest liability.

Injuries have piled up. Roles are uncertain. And on a nightly basis, the question looms: who’s going to take the mound next, and can they give this team a chance to win?

That’s a massive problem for a team with legitimate postseason aspirations.

Missed Evaluations and Mounting Pressure

This all circles back to roster construction.

Brown, now in the final year of his contract, is under increasing pressure. Whether or not ownership has limited his ability to make moves, the reality is that the results haven’t been good enough. The pitching staff, a strength just a year ago, has regressed in alarming fashion.

Yes, some players overachieved last season and some are failing miserbly this season. But more importantly, the Astros had a staff in 2025 that could get outs, limit damage, and hold leads, and now it seems the team got a little too flipped constructing the pen and may have taken for granted how difficult a task it can be.

Bullpen Breakdown

The bullpen, has been a recurring issue and a massive disappointment. Bryan Abreu has been almost unusable. With Josh Hader out, this has been the absolute worst case scenario.

Too many walks. Too many pitches thrown. Too many situations where a lead feels anything but safe.

It’s a dangerous combination. The few guys who can get outs are being used far too often, like Bryan King last night. Putting runners on base, especially without forcing hitters to earn it sets the table for tragedy. It’s all a recipe for disaster, and right now it feels like every inning comes with traffic on the bases and chance to fail yet again.

Rotation Questions and Failed Solutions

The problems extend beyond the bullpen, because the starting rotation has been just as bad.

The Astros knew changes were coming to the rotation. They knew they would have to replace key arms and find reliable options. Instead, the solutions they’ve turned to, both domestically and internationally, haven’t delivered.

Tatsuya Imai, for example, has been a major disappointment. Whether it’s injuries, adjustment issues, or a lack of proper evaluation before bringing him in, the result has been the same: he hasn’t helped stabilize the rotation.

Meanwhile, potential external solutions are disappearing. Pitchers like Lucas Giolito, now signed with the San Diego Padres, are no longer options, raising further questions about whether Crane is willing to spend what it takes to fix the problem and IF Dana Brown is the man to get it done.

A Staff Running on Empty

Another concern is the workload being placed on the few reliable arms this team does have.

The pitchers who are performing are being asked to do too much, throw too many pitches, cover too many innings, and compensate for those who can’t carry their share of the load. That’s not sustainable over a full season.

And if those arms start to wear down, things could go from bad to worse in a hurry.

What Comes Next?

This brings us back to the original question: what does an “open window” really mean?

Because right now, this doesn’t look like a team built to contend, it looks like a team with a glaring weakness that hasn’t been addressed.

There’s still time. The trade deadline offers an opportunity. Reinforcements could come in the form of returning arms like Hunter Brown, and perhaps even Christian Javier down the line.

But hope alone isn’t a strategy.

The Bottom Line

This is not the time to wave the white flag or consider moving key pieces. It’s the time to double down, to identify the problem and fix it.

The offense has already proven it can carry its weight. Now it’s up to the front office to give this team the pitching it desperately needs.

If Jim Crane truly believes the window is always open, then the next move is clear:

Do something to keep it that way.

When the idea of the Automated Ball-Strike system was introduced, it was impossible to count the number of baseball fans who thought it would be a good idea. Every baseball fan has had to deal with their team getting robbed in a big moment by a bad call. Whether it was a strike well below the zone or one that was called too far to the east or west, umpires are humans; they’re imperfect. When the opportunity arose to give players a chance to point out those imperfections, it was widely regarded as one of the best modern ideas to come to the forefront of the sport.

However, while the ABS system was initially designed (and thought of by the public) as strictly a way to give players in the batter’s box, on the mound, or behind the dish some power in what decisions were being made by officials on the playing field, it has managed to award umpires some fun, maybe-not-so-foreseen power as well.

Arguing balls and strikes has rarely changed the zone of an umpire in the middle of a game, so while it’s easy for players and managers to get frustrated with how an ump is calling a game, there usually isn’t a point unless you’re a manager trying to send a message by being ejected. But even as pointless as those arguments are, they’re even more useless now with the ABS system. Since its introduction this year in Major League Baseball, there have been a handful of instances where the umpire has told players or managers to use a challenge if they truly don’t think the call was a good one. Like this most recent spot with Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz:

Another recent one that came against the Yankees was with the Athletics and pitcher Aaron Civale, who was unhappy with a pitch being called a ball, argued his case, but was ultimately told to challenge it if he felt confident the call was wrong:

While some may argue that giving baseball umpires more power is not a good thing, this isn’t necessarily giving them more power. The ABS system is merely giving the umpires an outlet to say “put up or shut up,” which I do believe is a good thing for baseball. Many, many fans want to see umpires receive their comeuppance, with everyone at some point having been burned by a bad call, while the umpire who made said call wasn’t held accountable. On the other end, players and managers whining about calls can sometimes be over-the-top and annoying, especially so now that they have the power to try and change the call if they’re so confident it was wrong. In this way, giving players the power to actually do something about it also gives umpires the chance to tell them to put their money where their mouth is.

The ABS system is an idea that is almost universally viewed as beneficial for the sport. Giving players a chance to have their say if they think a call is wrong (especially in big moments that could change the course of a ballgame) is an excellent addition. Given how much chatter there was constantly about MLB and its umpires, the system is an excellent way to hold umpires accountable and ensure they get it right. However, it also gives umpires a bit of breathing room. They don’t have to sit around and listen to whining and complaining from the batter’s box, mound, or the dugout. Instead, they have the ability to tell the people complaining to stop because there’s an avenue for them to object to the call. If they don’t challenge, they have no reason to complain. And while the system was initially designed for players, it’s a welcome change to see umpires telling players and managers to stop barking for the sake of it.

TV: NESN

First Pitch: 6:45 p.m. ET

The Red Sox should believe in Ranger Suárez after a pair of improved starts. Ultimately, that won’t matter unless they can score for him.

The Yankees shut out the Red Sox on Tuesday night for the first time at Fenway Park since 2020. Now, Boston returns to action with Roman Anthony out of the lineup, who will be day-to-day with back tightness.

Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate Wednesday night.

The Yankees send Max Fried to the hill. The talented lefty won 19 games a year ago and sports a 2.37 ERA in his career against Boston. The lefty diced up the Red Sox in the playoff opener last fall before New York’s bullpen relinquished the advantage. 

The Mets are getting a huge boost in their lineup on Wednesday night, as superstar Juan Soto returns from the injured list. 

Soto hasn’t played since April 3 due to a calf strain, but he’s back in the lineup against the Minnesota Twins, serving as the DH and hitting second.

Soto’s return comes at a time when the Mets desperately need a spark, having lost 12 straight games. 

Interestingly enough, Soto told reporters on Wednesday that he didn't reach out to his teammates during the skid, citing the fact that the team has mainly been on the road. 

“No, not at all,” Soto said when asked if he had spoken to teammates to try to pick them up during the losing streak. “I mean, they’ve been on the road most of the time, so I haven’t talked to them.”

That being said, Soto did express confidence in the club to be able to rebound from their recent stretch.

“We have a great lineup,” Soto said. “We have guys going through tough times right now…. It’s tough when most of the lineup is going through it. It makes it hard to win games like that.”

“It’s tough to see it,” he added about the losing streak, “and it’s a little uncomfortable to see it from the outside…. It’s a tough time, but we’re going to get out of it.”

While the Mets' lineup has been struggling to score runs lately, Soto had gotten off to a great start prior to his injury, slashing .355/.412/.516 with a home run and 5 RBI.

His presence in the lineup should make a huge difference for the Mets, and Soto is ready to get back between the white lines.

“To be back on the field is always great,” Soto said. “That's what we do this for - to be out there to share a good time with your teammates, to learn, to play the game you love."

“I don’t think there’s going to be any pressure,” he added. “I just need to be myself.”

Christian Scott ready to be back in the bigs

When Christian Scott takes the mound on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins, it will have been 642 days since his last big league appearance. 

Scott, a fifth-round pick of the Mets in 2021, was called up in May 2024, and right away it looked like he belonged, as he went 6.2 innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays in his major league debut. 

But after nine starts, Scott’s rookie season came to an early end due to Tommy John surgery.

It’s been a long road back to the majors for Scott, but he’s more than ready for the moment.

“I want it bad. I’m hungry for it,” said the right-hander, who pitched to a 4.56 ERA in his rookie season. “It’s tough to be away from the game for a year. Getting a little taste of it and then obviously getting surgery, but I feel like I belong here and gonna do what I can to stay here and help this team win as many games as I possibly can.”

The Mets are adding Scott to the rotation and having David Peterson pitch out of the bullpen, a move they hope will help them get back on track from what is currently a 12-game losing streak. 

“Obviously, we’re in a little bit of a tough stretch right now, but we’ve got a really good ball club,” Scott said, “and if anyone’s going to get out of it, we’re going to get out of it. So, we’re excited for the rest of the season moving forward.”

The Houston Astros (10-16) win their first road series of the season.

Yordan Alvarez hit a 2-run homer and Peter Lambert hurled 6 shutout innings as the Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 2-0 at Progressive Field, winning their first road series of the season.

Houston got on the board fast against Guardians starter Tanner Bibee. In the top of the first, Carlos Correa led off the game with a double. The next batter was Yordan Alvarez:

The blast was Alvarez’ MLB-leading 11th HR of the season. His now 26 RBI also lead baseball. Yordan would finish the game 3×4, collecting half of the Astros’ 6 hits on the afternoon.

It would be the only runs that an offense that has been one of the high-powered in the league would score today, and it would be enough.

Peter Lambert, making his second start as a Houston Astro, threw 6 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8. Lambert also had 16 called strikes and 16 swings and misses on the afternoon, as he continues to show an uncanny ability to miss bats. He earned his first win of the season t o even his record at 1-1.

A.J. Blubaugh, Steven Okert, and Enyel De Los Santos would complete the final 3 innings without allowing a run. Blubaugh and Okert would record holds and De Los Santos, who got 4 outs for Houston today, would pick up his 3rd Save of the season.

The Astros are off Thursday before coming back home to Daikin Park to begin a 3-game series with the New York Yankees.

With the win, the Astros improve to 10-16 on the season. They are 4GB in the AL West.

Just three games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Tuesday, as AAA Sacramento once again saw their game postponed due to poor weather. It’s already the fifth time this year that the River Cats have lost a game due to rain, and they’ll try to get it back on Saturday with a scheduled doubleheader. They also pushed back today’s game from a scheduled start time of 12:05 p.m. PT to 6:35.

Now let’s dive into the games that did happen!

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

AA Richmond (13-2)

Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 8-5
Box score

Nothing can stop the Squirrels, who have responded to their 10-game winning streak being snapped by rattling off 3 straight victories. I’m enjoying this, and I’m sure they are, too!

It was once again the offense that led Richmond to victory, with a powerful attack. The Squirrels only had 9 hits, but were able to turn that into 8 runs thanks to 5 of those knocks going for extra bases.

The biggest contributor in that category was third baseman Sabin Ceballos, who hit 2-4 with a solo home run in the 1st inning, a double, and a strikeout.

Ceballos, who has a .900 OPS and a 132 wRC+ on the year, is really putting his disappointing 2025 behind him, as the .670 OPS and the 102 wRC+ that he posted in AA last season looks more and more distant with every swing of the bat. It certainly seems that Ceballos has made a concerted effort to be more aggressive in the batter’s box. Last year, his passive approach drew him a lot of walks and kept his strikeout rate delightfully low, but it resulted in a lot of soft contact. As a result, he had just a .232 batting average and a lowly .106 isolated slugging, a disappointing mark after he had showed a lot of power in his debut stint with the organization in 2024, when he came over in the Jorge Soler trade.

This year, he’s bringing the aggression back, and swinging more. The result is that his strikeout rate has jumped (from 17.4% to 25.9%), but so has the average, which has leaped to .271, and the isolated slugging, which is all the way up at .250. After hitting just 6 home runs in 420 plate appearances with Richmond a year ago, Ceballos already has 3 in just 58 plate appearances this season.

All of that said … if you’re ever wondering why hitters who perform well in the Minor Leagues so often struggle in the Major Leagues, well … there are a lot of reasons, and one of them is the defense. It’s very hard to overstate just how bad Minor League defense is relative to what we watch on a daily basis in the big leagues. And as evidence, I present Ceballos’ “double”:

The other big star in the game was second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL), who had his best game of the young season, hitting 1-2 with a solo home run, a walk, a sacrifice fly, and a stolen base.

You’d imagine there’s a little frustration for the switch-hitting Velasquez, who first made it to AA in 2024, and is approaching 800 plate appearances at the level. He certainly hasn’t forced the issue, but you could make the case that his AA assignment is more about roster logistics than his personal development. He had a .677 OPS, a 107 wRC+, and just a 14.3% strikeout rate a year ago, with 19 stolen bases, and that’s someone who you could at least make a compelling argument for being in AAA, were second base not being occupied daily by Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), whom the Giants certainly prefer at this juncture.

Velasquez’s numbers are quite similar this year to last year, though he has boosted the power a little, and has a .778 OPS and a 109 wRC+, with a 14.9% strikeout rate and 3 stolen bases in as many attempts (it tells you how the Eastern League is playing to start the year that Velasquez has increased his OPS by more than .100 points, but his wRC+ by just 2).

The questions remain for Velasquez — he’s lacking in physicality, lacking in power, and lacking in defensive value — though those are questions that also exist for Furman and Luis Arráez, so that doesn’t seem to be a huge issue for the Giants at the position. That said, it does feel telling that Velasquez wasn’t an NRI, and it seems like the 22-year old will be staying in Virginia for the foreseeable future.

Left fielder Scott Bandura also continued his hot play, hitting 2-5 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout, which saw his OPS rise to .905 and his wRC+ to 135. Most notably, Bandura has made a huge cut to his strikeout rate, which has dropped year-over-year from 26.3% in High-A/AA to just 16.2% in AA this year. His swinging strike rate has gone from 10.0% to 7.0%, as he is making more contact and better contact, though, again … Minor League defense, everybody:

A pretty uninteresting day on the mound, with RHP Logan Martin (the incoming piece in the Mason Black trade) making his 3rd start for the organization. Martin did some good things, most notably avoiding walking any batters. But on the whole it wasn’t a great showing, as he allowed 4 runs — including a home run — in just 4 innings, with 2 earned runs and 3 strikeouts. Despite the lack of walks, Martin threw just 45 of his 76 pitches for strikes. Martin has done a good job limiting hits this year, with just 9 allowed in 12.1 innings, but he’ll need to increase the strike-throwing. He has a 4.38 ERA and a 4.99 FIP on the season.

RHP Tyler Vogel had another scoreless outing, pitching the 9th inning with 1 hit and 1 walk allowed, plus 1 strikeout. Vogel, who has a very strong case to be made for being in AAA right now, retained his perfect 0.00 ERA, though he has walked 5 batters in just 7 innings. He’s only given up 5 hits though, and no extra-base knocks.

LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL) didn’t have the best outing, as he ceded a home run, but he struck out 3 batters in 2.1 innings. It seems the Giants are moving forward with Choate as a reliever this year, and so far the result has been 16 strikeouts in just 10 innings, which is exciting for the funky southpaw.

High-A Eugene (12-4)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks) 5-3
Box score

The Ems used a pair of runs in the 8th inning to pull ahead against the Hops, and with that, succeeded in avoiding their first losing streak of the year. Keep that up, I say!

Those 2 runs came off the bat of right fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL), who smacked a go-ahead 2-run home run after Eugene had blown a lead in the bottom of the 7th. Way to save the day, Lisbel!

Diaz, who finished the day 1-4, started the season slow but now has 2 home runs in his last 3 games. That — and a tiny 11.6% strikeout rate — are the lone bright spots on the year for the 20-year old, who has just a .599 OPS and a 55 wRC+ through 10 games, with a .205 batting average and no walks drawn. But on Tuesday he was the hero, and really the only offensive player worth talking about, so here’s to more days worth writing about for the toolsy young outfielder.

The top prospects in Eugene all had a few nice moments, but altogether were uninteresting: center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 2-4 but struck out twice; shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) hit just 1-5 with a strikeout; designated hitter Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) hit 1-4 with a walk, a stolen base (his 10th!) and a strikeout; and left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) went 1-4 with a double and a strikeout.

It was a really nice day on the mounding, starting with, well … the starter, LHP Charlie McDaniel. An undrafted free agent who debuted last year, McDaniel really struggled in 7 post-promotion starts with Eugene in 2025, posting a 5.77 ERA and a 4.82 FIP. But so far his 2026 is a case of learning and adapting, and Tuesday was the next data point, as he went 5 strong innings with just 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run allowed, while striking out 4. That was the 1st run that McDaniel had allowed all year (this was his 3rd start), and he needed just 61 pitches to get through 5 innings, throwing 41 of them for strikes.

McDaniel is remarkably consistent when it comes to throwing strikes. In Low-A last year, he walked 2.2 batters per 9 innings, then 2.4 in Eugene, and now 2.5 this year. His strikeouts per 9 innings, over those same 3 periods, went from 8.6 to 8.4 to 8.2. Consistency!

He’s a contact pitcher, and what he’s doing better this year is getting the ball back on the ground. He pitched well in San Jose in his debut season when he had a 46.8% ground ball rate, with just 0.3 home runs per 9 innings allowed. His struggles in Eugene last year included just a 33.3% ground ball rate, and 1.6 dingers per 9. This year? A 54.2% ground ball rate, and no home runs allowed yet.

RHP Ben Peterson closed out the game with a brilliant showing, striking out 2 batters while tossing 2 perfect innings. Like McDaniel, Peterson is an undrafted free agent who debuted last season and, like McDaniel, he wasn’t too sharp upon his Eugene debut following a 2025 promotion. In 27 innings last year, the UNC alum struck out 27 batters, while walking 12. But this year, the 24-year old already has 12 strikeouts in just 8 innings … and with only 1 free pass.

Low-A San Jose (12-4)

San Jose Giants beat the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers) 12-2
Box score

Another offensive explosion for the Baby Giants, who scored in double digits for the whopping 6th time already this season. Perhaps their big brothers in San Francisco could learn to do the same?

Yet despite the gaudy run total (again), the star for San Jose was on the mound, in the form of RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL). We haven’t talked about Martinez all that much this year, but Tuesday’s start was one worth discussing, as the 21-year old was nothing short of dynamic.

Martinez, who was signed in 2023 out of Venezuela and enjoyed a serious breakout season a year ago, mowed down Ontario batters for 5 innings, giving up just 1 hit — a swinging bunt — and walking 1 batter, while striking out 7. That’s how you introduce a new team to the California League (this is the 1st season of affiliated ball for Ontario [California, not Canada], and the 1st game between the the Tower Buzzers and Baby Giants).

It was a tremendous display of strike-throwing prowess for Martinez, who did hit a batter, but threw 45 of 62 pitches for strikes. Martinez had a dominant showing in the ACL a year ago, and backed it up with a very nice run of games in a short stint with San Jose. But his 2025 got off to a slow start, as he allowed 7 runs in 6.2 innings through his 1st 2 starts. But it turns out that the 3rd time is, indeed, the charm. And now he looks much more like himself. And while the overall numbers are still poor — he has a 5.40 ERA and a 5.02 FIP — Martinez has 16 strikeouts against 5 walks in 11.2 innings, and those are exciting numbers.

RHP Jose T. Perez also pitched well, coming out of the bullpen to throw 2 scoreless innings with 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter, plus 4 strikeouts. It’s been a fascinating career for the 22-year old Perez, who was signed in 2021 out of the Dominican Republic. He pitched just 3.1 innings that year, then lost the rest of the season to injury … and also all of 2022 ….. and 2023 ….. and 2024. He returned last year, made 1 appearance in the DSL, and then was the rare in-season international promotion, as he jumped up to the ACL. His numbers weren’t great in Arizona, but he still ended the season with a short stint in San Jose, where he begins this year, his 1st year of full-season ball.

Perez is struggling with command, as he’s walked 8 batters in 7.1 innings, but he’s also struck out 10, en route to a 6.14 ERA and a 7.58 FIP through 4 outings. Patience is certainly required, as this was just the 18th game of his young career.

The offense again put on a show, knocking 12 hits and drawing 9 walks. The star was first baseman Hayden Jatczak, an undrafted free agent from Kent State playing in his debut season. The right-handed hitter was an absolute force to be reckoned with, hitting 2-3 with a 3-run home run, drawing 2 walks, knocking in 4 runs, and striking out once. Hell of a day at the office!

Jatczak’s debut season has been a dream thus far, as he’s rocking a 1.019 OPS and a 161 wRC+ with a higher walk rate (22.9%) than strikeout rate (17.1%) through 15 games. The cold water for the UDFA is obvious, however: he’ll turn 25 later this season, and is nearly 3 years older than his average peer at the level. So we’ll need to see him face more advanced pitching before we start to mention him alongside Bo Davidson and Parks Harber as the next great undrafted hitter in the team’s system. But you can only beat up on the pitchers in front of you, and so far Jatczak is doing exactly that.

Also doing that is right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) whose torrential attack on Cal League pitchers continues. Maldonado had just another brilliant day, hitting 3-4 with a double, a sacrifice fly, and a strikeout, while stealing 2 bases. It really does feel like July’s 7th-round pick found something, and saw it all click together. Following a subpar brief debut last year, look at what Maldonado has done to start his 1st full season:

First 9 games: 6-34, 0 home runs, 0 doubles
Next 5 games: 13-21, 6 home runs, 3 doubles

And just like that, the 22-year old has a 1.158 OPS and a 175 wRC+, and is putting himself on the radar.

Nice games for left fielder Damian Bravo and designated hitter Jeremiah Jenkins. Bravo, a 22-year old 15th-round pick in 2025, hit 2-4 with a double and a hit by pitch, raising his OPS to .780 and his wRC+ to 86; Jenkins, a 22-year old 14th-round pick in 2024, went 2-3 with a double, 2 walks, and a strikeout, boosting his OPS to 1.151 and his wRC+ to 182 in his 2nd pass through the level.

Speaking of “level,” it was the rare quiet day for shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) who hit just 1-5, though he didn’t strike out and he had an RBI. Level now has a 10-game hitting streak as he continues to look like a star in the making, even on his quiet days.

Home run tracker

3 — Sabin Ceballos — [AA]
2 — Lisbel Diaz — [High-A]
2 — Hayden Jatczak — [Low-A]
1 — Diego Velasquez — [AA]

Wednesday schedule

Sacramento: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Albuquerque (SP: Carson Whisenhunt)
Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Richmond (SP: Greg Farone)
Eugene: 6:05 p.m. PT at Hillsboro (SP: Tyler Switalski)
San Jose: 6:00 p.m. PT vs. Ontario (SP: Jordan Gottesman)