GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 21: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Tibbs III (98) reacts running the bases after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox in a Spring Breakout Game on March 21, 2026, at Camelback Ranch at Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Comets and Drillers won comfortably as Tulsa managed to get at least one of the games in, pushing the doubleheader to this Friday.
Player of the day
The standout player in the Dodgers’ minor league system early in the season, James Tibbs III, returned to the spotlight with one of his most impressive performances since being acquired in a trade with the Red Sox.
Tibbs III had his first multi-homer game since early April when he managed to hit three of them and now has 14, already closing in on the 20 he had across multiple levels last season.
TWO-HOMER GAME FOR JAMES TIBBS III☄️
He goes deep against Josh Hader and has driven in a career-high six runs tonight! pic.twitter.com/jem0TvTTcK
There was a mix-up in plans, with eight of the Comets’ nine hitters committed to a death by a thousand cuts approach, only to see James Tibbs III smash through the opposition for a blowout 9-2 win. Scoring at least one run in five of the game’s first six innings, the Comets were relentless, and at the heart of the scoring, you had not one but two three-run shots from Tibbs.
Tibbs’ outstanding player display was maximized by a top of the order that thrived with both Tommy Edman and Zach Ehrahrd reaching base multiple times. Moving over to the pitching side of things, River Ryan allowed just one unearned run in six terrific innings, striking out eight and walking none. It was the first time Ryan pitched into the sixth inning this season.
Double-A Tulsa
While he couldn’t limit walks as well as Ryan, Tulsa starter Adam Serwinowski also struck out eight on his way to a superb pitching performance, allowing just one run in 5.1 innings as the Drillers beat the Naturals 6-1. A double-header was supposed to be played, but the second of these games had to be pushed back a day.
Buried in the ninth spot in the lineup, Chris Newell led the action as the Drillers’ outfield combined to record five of the nine hits from the Drillers. Newell hit the game’s only home run and also stole a base, one of five successful steals from the Drillers.
Starter Jakob Wright had three reasonable to great outings in May, but on either side of it, he was absolutely blown up to start and end the month with a loss. Dayton got the Loons starter for seven runs, four of them earned, in a 12-3 loss for Great Lakes.
Center fielder Eduardo Quintero had a rather unlucky game, recording three hits and no runs or RBI. The leadoff hitter carried on his positive momentum with a couple of doubles, currently boasting a .919 OPS. Lastly, designated hitter Jose Meza hit the Loons’ only home run.
Single-A Ontario
Despite outhomering their opponents three to one and recording a late surge with a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth, the Tower Buzzers fell short of the Rawhide at home in an 8-6 loss. Interestingly, starter Tyler Gough didn’t allow a run in his 3.1 innings of work, as all of the Rawhide scoring came against Ontario’s bullpen, pouncing on Accimias Morales and Jesus Tillero.
Responsible for one of those three home runs, Chase Harlan is about as unstoppable as any other hitter in Single-A these days. The nineteen-year-old third baseman has left the yard in each of his last four games for the Tower Buzzers, accumulating five home runs during this period.
Transactions
Utility player Santiago Espinal was sent to the Comets. The Ontario Tower Buzzers activated right-handed pitcher Tyler Gough.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 3: Isaiah Drake #93 of the Atlanta Braves hits a triple during the Atlanta Braves post-season workouts at Truist Park on October 3, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There was plenty to like on the offensive end at the lower levels, with some top prospects going off for big games in wins. Isaiah Drake broke a nearly two-week long streak of no extra base hits with an impressive home run in a Rome win, a game that was also marked by another great start from Cedric De Grandpre. The GreenJackets were led by a Tate Southisene masterclass, as he reached base in every single plate appearance on the day. Then there was Ethan Bagwell, who finished up his May without allowing a single earned run.
Elieser Hernandez, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 5.10 ERA
Rolddy Munoz, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.79 ERA
The Stripers are likely going to look to forget this game rather quickly. There was little offense to speak of, and this game moved at pace due to good pitching out of the Gwinnett staff. Early it didn’t seem like it would be that rough of a game for Gwinnett. They were in good position following a walk and a hit with two out, getting an early opportunity to put up a run for Elieser Hernandez to work with. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. hit what would be one of the hardest batted balls of the game for either side on a line, but within range of the center fielder to keep Gwinnett off of the board. That early push was the closest Gwinnett would get to scoring in the game, as over the final eight innings Luke Williams was the only player who managed a hit. Williams found fortune with a bloop into right center in the third inning that he turned into a hustle double, but the next hitter struck out after a successful challenge from the Sounds to strand Williams at second. In the final inning Williams gave the Stripers just a dash of hope with a base hit, but the other three batters struck out and spoiled the day.
Elieser Hernandez kept the Stripers in this game by posting by far his best outing of the season, though it would end with a sour twist as he couldn’t get through the lineup a third time. It was a bit of a different approach for Hernandez as he largely went away from the changeup that typically makes up around 10-12% of his pitches, but the Sounds were pretty aggressive at swinging the bat in this game and were particularly swinging at breaking balls and cutters at a high rate. This helped both Hernandez and Rolddy Munoz, both of whom commanded the ball well by their standards and were able to work efficiently. Hernandez faced only one batter over the minimum through six innings of work, though the seventh inning proved insurmountable when the Sounds best hitters got a third look at Hernandez. Luis Lara broke the scoreless tie by attacking a slider in the strike zone and yanking it down the line for an RBI double, and the next hitter took a fat fastball and hit it off of the wall in left center field to chase Hernandez from the game. Munoz had one of his best games in relief despite only having the one strikeout over two innings, specifically from a location standpoint. Munoz hasn’t faced much trouble this season, but his tendency to lay his slider in the middle of the plate is a concern for him moving up levels. That was not the case at all in this game as he located his slider well and got whiffs on four of five swings, and he kept his sinker in on the hands of right handed hitters to force weak contact.
Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 4.60 ERA
It is a fine relief to see a big day from Isaiah Drake at the plate. Drake has undoubtedly had a good season, one that has made a huge impact on getting him the prospect hype that he (I think) unfairly lost following 2024, but his series in Asheville has been doing much of the heavy lifting for his numbers. It had been nearly two weeks since he had an extra base hit, but that streak ended in a big way in the third inning of this game. Drake got a slider on a 1-2 count and was sitting back on that pitch, and was able to go down and hit a low pitch well out of the yard to left field for his eighth home run of the season. Drake’s turnaround in his approach and ability to hit the ball hard on the pull side has been so impressive, and even though there is a bit of an increase in swing-and-miss this season compared to last he is still well within acceptable range while hitting the ball harder and in the air more often. He isn’t the only one in the midst of a rough patch, as John Gil only has one extra base hit since that May 10th multi-home run game in Asheville. He didn’t break that streak, but he did have a multi-hit game to go along with a couple of stolen bases. Lately Gil has had a tendency to get too long with his swing path and that’s led to more swing-and-miss than we’re used to and a lot of swinging over pitches and hitting the ball weakly. There is still a little bit of that even in this game and it’s going to be something to monitor as the season wears on, though for a young player these mechanical habits aren’t something to worry about long term. Gil adding two stolen bases brings him up to 13 in a row since his last caught stealing, dating back over a month to an April 26th stolen base. Eric Hartman hit a laser for a double in the seventh inning as his lone hit of the game, and there is definitely nothing worrying about his game. It was natural he was going to fall off a bit after that insane start, but he’s still consistently hitting the ball hard and putting up much better plate appearances than last season. He’s on one of his worst stretches of the season with three hits and only that double over his past six games, but it’s not come with any sort of concerns at the plate beyond just sample fluctuation.
There is so much positive that could be said about Cedric De Grandpre from the month of May. He’s just been terrific, and the command issues that were slowing him down in April have ironed themselves out and he has been the team’s most consistent arm. The home runs haven’t been great, but this month he has seven walks and 39 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings, and taking away a poor opening game he has 34 strikeouts and only four walks in the past 23 2/3 innings. With his command improvements on his fastball his slider has sharpened up and become a much more effective weapon over these past weeks. Though I did say his command has been much better this month this was the worst he’s been in that category in awhile as he was pulling pitches on his glove side quite a bit this game, though it’s not nearly as bad as some of his early season outings. Most of his issues came in bursts of at bats, one of which led to both walks and the run he allowed, while for the over 4 2/3 innings he was right in line with where he has been over his prior four starts. This is far and away his most successful season as a starter in his career and he’s likely trending towards a mid-summer promotion where it will be nice to see him facing off with guys who are more appropriate to his level of age and experience.
Swing and Misses
Cedric De Grandpre – 12
Drew Christo – 4
(27-21) Augusta GreenJackets 6, (25-23) Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5
Ethan Bagwell, SP: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.96 ERA
Luis Arestigueta, RP: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 6.94 ERA
The GreenJackets had no trouble on the offensive end of the spectrum, but a late bullpen blowup threatened to derail what was trending to be an easy win for them. The Kannapolis pitching staff could not throw strikes in this game, and Augusta just let them get themselves into trouble. In total they drew 11 walks in this game, and they were able to score three of those in just the first four innings as part of them scoring a total of six runs early in the game. The MVP was of course Tate Southisene, who reached base five times and notched his 35th stolen base of the season. Southisene had one of the biggest hits of the game in the second inning, coming through with a clutch two-out double that really expanding Augusta’s lead. He shot a hard ground ball the other way, driving in two runs to make it 4-0 early, and in the next three times up the Cannon Ballers didn’t give him much to hit. Luis Guanipa had a two-run double in the fourth inning that capped off the scoring, and he’s starting to turn in a lot of power at the plate even without really having any big breakout games. He’s just consistently putting up good at bats and over the past nine games he has seven extra base hits and only four strikeouts.
No shade intended towards any Augusta pitcher, but it is nice as a recapper to have a bit of a switch up in the starting rotation order so I can talk about someone different than every other week this season. Ethan Bagwell took the ball for the start today for the GreenJackets, and he continued his incredible work for the entire month of May. Bagwell did finally allow a run for the first time this month, but it was unearned, meaning he is going to finish May with a 0.00 ERA in 24 innings with some impressive peripherals to boot. This is something that has felt like a matter of time for Bagwell as the talent has oozed out of him since he joined the system but finding the consistent footing on his secondaries has been a fit further behind. He has really honed in on his sweeper and that east-west approach that he excels at, showing an ability beyond his years to move his fastball inside and out. He has plenty of run on the pitch and has gotten weaker contact this season than last to go along with the increase in whiffs. Now on to the bad side of things, I have been singing Luis Arestigueta’s praises the past few weeks but he really did not have his mechanics in this outing. Though he battled through the sixth inning despite not locating anything well it eventually fell apart for him in the seventh inning. He let up four runs before narrowly escaping with the lead still intact, and though he finished with a strong eighth it still stung to see him struggle so much after a few good looking games in a row. He had no consistency to his arm path or release point and nothing worked well for him this game, and it’s just a start he is going to have to move on from and get back in rhythm next week.
Hello, and welcome to my column about positivity. Please leave all negative feelings at the door as they won’t be tolerated.
Lol, just kidding, I’m a super negative person. I’m Irish, an attorney, and a Kansas City sports fan. I never stood a chance.
But sometimes I have these terrible bouts of optimism. They’re rare, and rarer do they come to fruition, but despite my nature/nurture, these feelings hit me like a piano falling five stories and landing on top of my head.
With that in mind, I looked back through the history of baseball (mainly the Wild Card Era) to find some teams that started off oh so slowly before kicking into gear and either making some noise down the stretch or winning the whole damn thing. This is not an exhaustive list, just some teams I found interesting.
The 2019 Washington Nationals started 19-31 before finishing 74-38, which still wasn’t enough to capture the National League East, but did enable them to get into the playoffs as a Wild Card. After wins against the Brewers, Dodgers, and Cardinals, the Nationals knocked off the Astros in seven games to win the World Series. Led on offense by a 20-year-old Juan Soto and contract-year Anthony Rendon (I’m sure he did well with his next team), the Nats received excellent pitching from Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, and Mad Max Scherzer.
Go back eight years to that September, and the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals were 10.5 games back on September 5. A furious month capped by a maddening final day of the season boosted them into the playoffs where they beat the Phillies and Brewers. They trailed the Rangers 7-5 in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the World Series before storming back and winning in extras, forcing a deciding Game 7 that resulted in a St. Louis championship.
In 2009, the Colorado Rockies were 12 games under .500 on June 3 with a record of 20-32. Led by star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado finished the season 90-72 before falling in the division series.
Two years earlier, the 2007 Colorado Rockies reached the World Series only to lose to the Boston Red Sox. But on May 21st, the playoffs, let alone the World Series, looked out of reach, as a loss to the Diamondbacks dropped them to 18-27. In June, the Rockies lost eight straight. Despite all that, they swept the Phillies and Diamondbacks on their way to capturing the pennant.
On May 27, 2005, the Houston Astros, then still in the National League, were 15 games under .500 at 16-31. Yet, they finished the season 83-73-1 (yes, they finished with a tie) before taking out the Braves and Cardinals to win the pennant. But then the future Pope showed up and the fun ended.
Let’s get back to another World Series winner: the 2003 Marlins were 19-29 after a loss on May 22nd and had just fired their manager, Jeff Torberg. But under new manager Jack McKeon (who managed the Royals for two-and-a-half seasons in the 70s), the Marlins finished 72-42 before preventing the awful Cubs and equally awful Yankees from winning the pennant and World Series, respectively. Great work, Jack. Also: Moises would not have caught that ball, so says the Billy Goat.
Of course, there were major comebacks in the pre-Wild Card era, such as:
The 1989 Toronto Blue Jays, who started 12-24 before (a) firing their manager and (b) finishing 77-49 to win the American League East.
The 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates who were 14 games under .500 as late as June before reaching the pennant.
The 1973 New York Mets who were 13 games under .500 in August before winning the pennant and losing the World Series in seven games.
Sure, things look dire for the Royals right now, but if those nine teams listed above prove anything, it’s that the season is 162 games long for a reason. It helps, sure, to start off strong, and most championship caliber teams do so.
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 21: Gage Wood #41 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nathan Ray Seebeck/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Listen, you’re just here to see how Gage Wood did last night, so let’s get to the good stuff.
Lehigh Valley 9, Buffalo 4
Felix Reyes continued to stay hot with the Ironpigs and makes the question of why not see what he can do again at the major league level one that deserves a longer discussion. Ultimately, the answer is probably somewhere between “he’s a quad-A player” and “they’re simply not going to sit Adolis Garcia right now”. Bryse Wilson was good, throwing five shutout innings, lowering his ERA below 8 on the season. That’s not exactly the way to declare yourself “starting rotation depth” to the organization, but hey, gotta start somewhere.
Reading 5, Harrisburg 1
It was Gage Wood’s home debut for the Fightin’ Phils and he did not disappoint.
Four strikeouts tonight for Gage Wood in his home debut for Reading. He allows 3 hits and a run and didn’t walk a batter. He threw 33 of his 50 pitches for strikes pic.twitter.com/VC9YXfzo1f
You can see from Mitch Rupert’s post that he only went four innings, so clearly they’re still trying to watch his innings, for good or bad. In those four innings, he sat in 94-96 range, hitting 99 at one point.
#Phillies prospect Gage Wood ramped it to 99 mph on this pitch to get a whiff.
I mean, yeah, there was some offense tonight too, but the biggest takeaway is that even after two starts, Wood is starting to establish himself as a top pitching prospect in the game. He’ll have to start doing it over longer outings, something I’ll bet the team starts challenging him with as the season goes on, but he’s looking like the jump straight to Double-A is not a difficult one.
Jersey Shore 11, Frederick 2
Sam Highfill was the story tonight for the Blue Claws, firing five innings in which he struck out ten. Trent Farquhar was also in his bag, going two for four with three RBI in the the victory, but a larger story is Keaton Anthony continuing his minor league rehab assignment and going two for four of his own accord, racking up two RBI in the process. Anthony is likely headed for a new destination at some point in his near future. There really is nowhere for him to play at the major league level, so being used as a trade piece makes the most. If there is a team that could use some right handed pop at first base or DH, maybe he can translate minor league numbers into major league success.
Clearwater 12, Dunedin 11
Another offensive barnburner, this time, it was Robert Phelps and TJayy Walton leading the charge. Phelps had three hits, a double among them, while Walton had two hits and scored three times. Both also stole a base to chip in. One of those rare nights where all of the team’s minor league affiliates hit well and won.
Brewers broadcaster Jeff Levering stops by The Crawfish Boxes to preview the weekend series versus Milwaukee.
Q: Christian Yelich was slowed in May with that groin strain. Last May when he last faced the Astros, he had some nice at bats against them. What kind of season is he having this year?
A: Yelich had a resurgent season in 2025, his most games played since 2022, and arguably his most productive since 2019. With no rehab assignment, and some lingering back issues, he has been somewhat slow to come back from the groin strain. However, he did homer in back to back games in his return. His presence strengthens the lineup.
Q: Do you think the NL Central is the toughest in all of baseball?
A: It has always been a competitive division, but every team got better this offseason. Two months into the season, it is the most balanced division in the league.
Q: What does Jake Bauers bring to the club?
A: Great intangibles and a steady approach to the game (and life). Finally healthy and given an opportunity to play most days, Bauers is thriving with the opportunity. He is solid at first, can play either corner outfield spot and has power to all fields at the plate.
Q: Kyle Harrison and Jacob Misiorowski have been equally impressive collecting K’s and wins. What have been their biggest improvements leading to their success this season?
A: Miz brings the heat, up to 104MPH, but his command has taken on a new life form this year. He’s not just a thrower anymore, he’s hitting spots with all of his pitches and maintains his velocity throughout the game.
For Harrison, he’s finally getting a shot. He’s always had the stuff, but moving to the first base side of the rubber has allowed his pitches to become weapons. (He’s added) Additional depth on the slurve, and the fastball sneaks up on the league’s best hitters.
Quite the 1-2 punch. And both leading MLB’s youngest pitching staff.
May 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins pinch hitter Heriberto Hernandez (13) gets doused after hitting a grand slam to end the game against the New York Mets at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
The New York Mets (22-33) welcome the Miami Marlins (26-31) to Citi Field, one week after Miami swept New York down at loanDepot Park. Miami promptly went out and lost two out of three to the Blue Jays, much like how the Mets lost two of three to the Reds following the sweep.
The Mets ended up dropping the next two games after getting swept, falling by an identical 7-2 score on Monday and 7-2 on Tuesday. Even weirder still, both games had the same score and the same time of game (2:56). They did rebound to win, mercifully, by a 4-2 score on Wednesday, which halted their five-game skid. The win was primarily aided by the Reds’ inability to bring home runners, as they stranded a small army (17 in total) on the base paths. Despite having runners on base in every single inning, the Mets held Cincinnati to two runs on the evening, and the pitching, which was essentially a bullpen game with Jonah Tong serving as the bulk arm, did just enough to secure a win.
The offense scored eight runs across the three games, which feels like an embarrassment of riches compared to the two runs they scored last weekend in Miami, but it’s hardly enough to consider the offense “back”. Meanwhile, the pitching faltered in each of the first two games, first with Nolan McLean getting knocked around for a second straight start, and then with David Peterson reverting back to his struggles after some encouraging outings earlier in the month. Speaking of Peterson, he made a mental lapse in the field which was the topic of much conversation in the booth, and with some starting to question whether apathy is setting in for a group that appears to be going nowhere fast.
Carson Benge, who struggled so mightily in April, continues to emerge as a might spot in another relatively dim month for the Mets—this is again probably an overreaction given that the team is hovering around .500 this month, but still hardly well enough to be celebrated. Benge has the second-highest wRC+ (122) and second-best fWAR (0.6) among Mets hitters this month, trailing just Juan Soto in both categories. The rookie contributed two run-scoring hits on Thursday, which ended up being the difference, as the only other runs the Mets could muster came on solo shots from the aforementioned Soto and the newly-acquired Eric Wagaman. Benge is also second on the team in runs scored this month with 16 (again, behind Soto) and third in runs batted in with 14, trailing Soto (16) and Mark Vientos (15). He leads all Mets qualified hitters this month with a .302 average.
But two of the veterans the team acquired in the offseason continue to be hugely problematic on offense. Bo Bichette, who has shown some glimpses of turning it around, is still hitting .218/.275/.317 with a 72 wRC+ and a 0.1 fWAR in May. Meanwhile, Marcus Semien, who did homer in Monday’s loss, has done little else, hitting .207/.250/.326 with a 63 wRC+ and a -0.2 fWAR for the month. For the Mets to have any shot of digging themselves out of their early-season hole, they will need much more production from these two bats, specifically Bichette, who was brought in for his offense.
The Mets got to enjoy something yesterday that they haven’t enjoyed since May 11: a day off and some extra rest. The last time the Mets had a day off, the Knicks had just wrapped up a sweep of the 76ers on the previous day and were beginning their eight days of rest before the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. In any event, the Mets played a marathon stretch that took them through a homestand against the Tigers and Yankees, back onto the road against the Nationals and Marlins, and then back home again to face the Reds. The stretch encompassed their jubilant 5-1 homestand, their demoralizing 2-5 road trip, and their uneven series loss this week. This is just the second (and final) day off of the month, but it could prove to give them a bit of a boost as they prepare for one final home series before heading back out west to take on the Mariners.
Friday, May 29: Freddy Peralta vs. Max Meyer, 7:10 PM EDT on WPIX
Peralta endured his strangest start as a Met. He allowed a season-high eight hits and matched his season-worst by allowing four earned runs and two home runs (both on Opening Day). However, he completed seven innings for the first time as a Met, struck out a season-high nine and walked just two batters after walking a season-high six in his prior outing. All that said, he still endured a loss to the Marlins, his fourth in a Mets uniform. It wouldn’t have mattered much anyway, as the offense was only able to push one run across.
Meyer had no problem handling the Mets his last time out. He hurled seven shutout innings against New York, allowing just one hit and walking three while striking out eight. He has now tossed 13 scoreless innings across his last two starts, and has earned a win in his last three starts and four of five outings in May. For the month, he has posted a 1.76 ERA and a 2.71 FIP in 30 2/3 innings. He has struck out 35 and is limiting hitters to a .168/.246/.271 slash line.
Saturday, May 30: Christian Scott vs. Tyler Phillips, 4:10 PM EDT on SNY
Scott is coming off his best start of the young season, and his best since coming back from Tommy John Surgery. The right-hander pitched into the sixth inning for the first time all year, throwing 5 2/3 innings against Miami. He held the Marlins off the board, scattering four hits while walking two and striking out five. It was his first time holding an opponent scoreless in 15 major league appearances, meaning that the 26-year-old could be turning a corner after struggling across much of the early part of this year. It’s a sorely-needed development for the Mets, who need all the help they can get on the starting pitching front.
Phillips started the year off as a reliever but has transitioned to the rotation in recent weeks. This will be just his second start of the season. His first one went well, as he limited the Mets to just two hits over 3 2/3 shutout innings. He walked two, struck out four, and tossed a season-high 59 pitches. It was his longest outing of the year, though he has gone three innings on four separate occasions in relief. It’s likely he’ll be stretched out enough to go four, and maybe a little further depending on pitch count, but he likely won’t go much further than 60-70 pitches. He has only allowed a run in five of his 16 outings this year.
Sunday, May 31: Nolan McLean vs. Janson Junk, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY
The last two starts have been a disaster for McLean. After allowing 19 runs in his first nine starts, he allowed 16 runs over his last two outings, which drove his ERA up from 2.92 to 4.40. His last time out started on a promising note, with the right-hander striking out the side in the first. However, it quickly devolved from there, and he only lasted 3 1/3 innings, the shortest outing of his major league career. He ended up being tagged for even earned runs (his season high) on five hits, with six strikeouts and two walks. He also allowed two home runs for the second consecutive start and has allowed six over his last four appearances after serving up just two in his first seven starts. For whatever little hope the Mets have of getting back into the playoff race, they will need McLean to be more like the 2025 version and less like what they’ve seen the last two times out.
Junk had a nice bounce back outing after suffering two really bad starts in a row against the Rays (5 2/3 innings, seven earned runs, ten hits, three walks, four strikeouts, two home runs) and the Braves (five innings, eight earned runs, eight hits, three strikeouts, zero walks, two home runs), both of which resulted in losses. Against the Blue Jays, he went five innings and allowed just one earned run on eight hits while striking out three and not issuing a walk. It was an encouraging outing and got the right-hander back in the win column after his recent string of losses. Surprisingly, the Mets did not see Junk at any point last year while pitching for the Marlins and in fact this will be his first regular season appearance against the Amazins.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) New York Knicks president Leon Rose (C) watches his team play against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden on March 06, 2020 in New York City. The Thunder defeated the Knicks 126-103. 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 Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
To start, here’s a breakdown of the 2026 Executive of the Year voting:
The voting panel for the 2025-26 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award consisted of basketball executives from NBA teams.
There are a lot of good executives here. If you look leaguewide, of the nine teams that won at least 50 games, eight of them are on this list.
Who’s missing? The Knicks, of course. Only one other team won at least 47 games and saw its executive not earn a single vote: Minnesota.
Fast forward to late May, and despite five different teams in the East having an executive on this list, none of them are in the NBA Finals, but Leon Rose is. You’d think at some point, awards like these would no longer value the regular season in such a way, but how else would we show how highly we think of Brad Stevens?
Individual awards are temporary. Banners are eternal. Even if the NBA Cup banner will never be hung, the 2025-26 Knicks will forever be represented in the rafters at Madison Square Garden, regardless of what happens next.
And it’s all thanks to Mr. Rose.
When James Dolan hired Rose to succeed Steve Mills as the Knicks’ President of Basketball Operations on March 2, 2020, the organization was in a bleak, bleak place. They were just over a year removed from trading their young All-Star on a rookie contract because of his lack of long-term belief in the organization, and had a foundation banking on several late lottery picks and 2019 No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett to move into the future.
Rose had never worked in an NBA front office, but had decades of experience in basketball as an agent with CAA, which had many star connections. Some of the best players in the league had Rose in their inner circle in the past, so the hope among fans was that he’d leverage those connections to make the Knicks a destination after years of being spurned by elite talent.
The day he was hired, the young Knicks took down a veteran Rockets squad led by James Harden (go figure) at Madison Square Garden behind 27 by Barrett and a double-double off the bench by Mitchell Robinson. Despite how bleak this roster looked, those two were your foundation.
Nine days later, their season abruptly ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Leon Rose era was already in chaotic and uncharted waters before he had even gotten a chance to furnish his office at 34th and 7th.
With no invitation to the bubble when life got more normal, his first offseason began without much of an in-person evaluation period. Interim head coach Mike Miller was shown the door, and the search began for the team’s 13th head coach in 20 years since Jeff Van Gundy was canned in late 2001. There are a lot of directions they could’ve gone.
They interviewed, in some capacity, the likes of Ime Udoka, Jason Kidd, Kenny Atkinson, Jahmal Mosley, Will Hardy, Mike Brown (hmm, whatever happened to him), and more, offering all different types of styles. Developers, young coaches, analytical coaches, offensive coaches, defensive coaches, star target coaches, etc.
Ultimately, in a list that included plenty of faces looking for their first head coaching job, he went for a retread, hiring Tom Thibodeau to take his “dream job” after up-and-down tenures in both Chicago and Minnesota. While their last attempt at hiring a defensive coach failed miserably in David Fizdale, Thibodeau was more respected in the mediascape and showed right away just how serious Rose was about ending the cycle of mediocrity.
Thibs’ scheme required buy-in, effort, and conditioning. For a young team, it might be hard to adapt to, but he made the early-2010s Bulls and late-2010s Timberwolves grow up. Why couldn’t he do it here? It was an edict to get out of the doldrums and start building something competitive.
But going into 2020-21, the team wasn’t expected to be competitive. Rose’s first-ever draft saw the Knicks drop from 6th to 8th in the lottery and select Dayton forward Obi Toppin, who was considered the best player available. This, to date, has been Rose’s only lottery selection, so the fact that multiple talented players like Devin Vassell and Tyrese Haliburton went behind him stings, but oh well. Drafting a talented combo guard in Immanuel Quickley at No. 25 doesn’t hurt.
Drafting Toppin clearly indicated that the conglomerate of power forwards the Knicks signed after striking out on three pitches in 2019 free agency was not part of the future vision. Taj Gibson was waived, Bobby Portis’ team option was declined, and Julius Randle was pretty clearly on the trade block as an expiring contract. The team waived Elfrid Payton, only to re-sign him a few days later.
Rose was also a big fan of wheeling and dealing. He swung multiple trades on draft night to maneuver around the board, ultimately selling the team’s second-round pick for a 2023 Pistons 2nd. He’d acquire a pair of 2nds from the Utah Jazz to eat Ed Davis’ modest contract before flipping him to the Timberwolves for filler and another 2nd. Three seconds just to ship Davis from Utah to Minnesota is good business.
On the margins entering his first season, he signed veteran role players Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Austin Rivers, while eventually bringing back Gibson to continue mentoring the young Robinson in January after waiving OG Nova Knick Omari Spellman. Despite what we know now, this season was supposed to be a continuation of a rebuild that saw the team enter 2021 with another crack at a top pick.
That didn’t happen. Instead, Thibodeau’s system ignited a fire into the ragtag mix of youth and veterans that charged them to an unlikely 41-31 record and No. 4 seed. Randle took himself off the trade block with an unbelievable season, finishing eighth in MVP voting while winning Most Improved Player. Everyone on the team was a sniper. They had the third-best defensive rating in basketball. Even as COVID restrictions limited fans, the energy was palpable as they broke the eight-year playoff drought out of nowhere.
Real ones remember the first big 7th Ave celebrations were when the Knicks got to a .500 record in 2021 😭 pic.twitter.com/8n2g2CmpuU
Adjusting to the sudden reality of a potential Knicks playoff team, Rose swung a masterful midseason trade, sending certified bust Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 Hornets’ 2nd to the Pistons for Derrick Rose. He additionally grabbed another two seconds in a midseason trade that shipped out Rivers and Ignas Brazdeikis. D-Rose immediately stabilized a point guard position that had Elfrid Payton eating up too many minutes from Quickley in Thibs’ veteran system, and put the Knicks in a serious position.
But the reality check came hard and fast, as Trae Young became the first true Garden villain of the 21st century and the clock struck midnight on Randle’s Cinderella run. The magic ended as quickly as it began, but there was new hope surrounding the franchise.
The sudden bolt into playoff contention rewired the brains of everyone in the organization. There have been many cases of young teams overreacting to a strong season after years of misery, and it has led to negative blowbacks (the 2023 Giants still give me pain). Unfortunately for Rose, he wasn’t immune.
The flexibility the Knicks had in the 2021 offseason was mostly used to re-sign guys like D-Rose, Noel, and Burks to multi-year deals. They picked up Randle’s team option and gave him a new $120 million contract. But with the team’s offense being a major sticking point in the playoffs, Rose elected to give $72 million to Evan Fournier and, after being bought out by OKC, a one-year deal to former All-Star and New York native Kemba Walker.
In the draft, Rose continued to wheel and deal, drafting a talented quartet that included Quentin Grimes, Deuce McBride, Rokas Jokubaitis, and Jericho Sims while picking up a conditional 1st and two more future second-round picks.
Expectations were as high as they’d been in eight years ahead of the 2021-22 season. The season started brilliantly with a double-overtime win over Boston and a Christmas revenge game against the Hawks, but misery sank in over time. The offensive additions weakened the team’s defensive identity. Randle regressed, as did several veterans who were just given big extensions. D-Rose missed most of the season with an injury. The team sank to a miserable 37-45, missing the play-in and dooming the Knicks back to the lottery for the eighth time in nine years.
The first major inflection point had been reached in his tenure. Many outside voices believed the Knicks rushed a rebuild and urged them to build around their smattering of young players. Barrett took a step forward in 21-22, while guys like Grimes, Quickley, and Toppin showed promise when given time to cook. The vitriol surrounding Randle reached an all-time high as his relationship with the fans grew toxic.
At this point, he had to decide what path to take with the team. Does he tear it down and “Play the Kids”, or does he take a big swing in the offseason to patch the holes in the foundation? The Spurs and Jazz were starting to tear things down, freeing up both Dejounte Murray and Donovan Mitchell in the trade market. Murray was a strong defender with an ability to score, but the real prize was bringing the New York kid home. It would take a hefty sum, but for the first time in over a decade, there was a star that wanted to call the Mecca home.
Rose was adamant about pushing forward to return to the playoffs in 2023. He sent a sizable contingent (including Randle, for some reason) to sit courtside to watch Mitchell in his first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks. With Luka Doncic sidelined with injury, he’d have a chance to show that he’s the top dog in this series and win it by himself for the Jazz.
But Mitchell wasn’t the one they were solely there to see. Doncic’s second-in-command just so happened to be Rose’s godson, who has deep ties to the organization through his agency and his childhood. Jalen Brunson stole the show that series, scoring 41 points in Game 2 and averaging 27.8 points across a six-game series victory. With all the connections, coupled with his father being hired as an assistant, it was a match made in heaven when Brunson hit free agency on June 30.
The problem was that the Knicks had zero cap space, and Dallas would likely not be very cooperative towards a sign-and-trade. To fit his contract, they’d need to open up $30 million, which isn’t an easy task. It cost the team their lottery pick, as a complicated web of trades saw the team trade back from No. 11 to No. 13 (collecting multiple conditional firsts in the process) and then flip the pick that became All-NBA center Jalen Duren, along with Walker, to the Pistons for basically nothing. A week later, Burks and Noel met the same fate as salary dumps.
With that new cap space, Brunson was inked to a $104 million contract, the largest-ever free agent deal for a non-All-Star. That gamble was widely criticized, especially when it would seem to complicate the pursuits of Murray and Mitchell. The rest of the day was spent rewarding the homegrown Robinson with a $60 million extension, while signing his backup in analytical darling Isaiah Hartenstein for just eight million per year.
Rose didn’t match the Hawks’ offer for Murray despite a warchest of picks. When Danny Ainge asked for the moon and the stars for Mitchell, he balked at it, too. He didn’t want to give up foundational young pieces like Barrett, whom he rewarded with a $115 million extension. Twice, he stayed frugal when he had a chance to add an All-Star guard, hoping that his acquisition of Brunson and overall roster reshuffling could return the team to the playoffs.
23 games into the 2022-23 season, things weren’t changing. The Knicks were 10-13, and the sharks were circling. So much so that Rose privately started to consider a coaching change as the good graces of Thibodeau’s first year started to fade. For the first time, his job security started to feel in serious danger. What if all of these moves didn’t work out? Would Dolan emerge from his multi-year slumber to take a sledgehammer to the operations?
Thankfully, we never found out. Brunson emerged as a bona fide superstar, forming a formidable tandem with a rejuvenated Randle to revitalize the Knicks’ offense. The defensive fortitude of Robinson and the rising Grimes made the starting five solid defensively despite its natural shortcomings. With the deadline approaching once again, Rose had a decision to make.
And, once again, he made the right move in adding to the roster. Just before the deadline, he flipped the malcontent, benched Cam Reddish, and traded a first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers to acquire Brunson’s college roommate, Josh Hart. His addition would bring a spark on both ends of the floor, as he’d prove to be a dynamo in transition, add a new element to the team’s already gigantic rebounding advantage, and give them the hustle and glue guy they sorely lacked.
“You get regular rebounds, I get rebounds that break teams”
-Josh Hart to Mitchell Robinson
Dudes on the court balling while coming up with the coldest quotes you’ve ever heard 🤯🥶 pic.twitter.com/TAANp9ysen
That team finished 47-35, obtaining the No. 5 seed. In a twist of fate, they matched up with Mitchell’s Cavaliers in the first round and knocked them out in five games, with Brunson outdueling the New York native and Hart tormenting the Cavs with his hustle. The series win marked the first for the Knicks in a decade, but the good feelings dissipated when Brunson’s supporting cast completely failed him against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in the second round.
But the calculus was now significantly easier going forward. The foundation was there and stabilized, no longer relying on outlier performances from veterans on contract years and data that suggested Randle was closer to an all-star than he was to what he was in 21-22.
The 2023 offseason was rather quiet. After trading away their draft pick, the team was essentially muted in the NBA Draft for the first time in quite a while. With Randle’s contract and his performance justifying his role on the team, Rose cut bait with his only ever lottery pick, flipping Toppin for two seconds. He used the savings to sign yet another Villanova product to the mid-level exception, inking Donte DiVincenzo to a four-year contract to add perimeter shooting to a team that was very mid-range and paint-oriented with its three best players in Brunson, Randle, and Barrett.
The start of the 2023-24 season was uneven. There were highs, there were lows, there was a feeling of stagnation. You knew the Knicks were good, a step above what we saw the last 20 years, but you knew they were limited in terms of upward trajectory. With Quickley due for a new extension soon and the team’s ceiling being rather low, Rose made a bold move. Out went the team’s two best young players for a non-All-Star on an expiring contract.
The Knicks are trading RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and one second-round pick to the Raptors for OG Anunoby, sources said. https://t.co/0z3pGcqd5e
OG Anunoby is one of the league’s best 3-and-D wings, so it was no surprise that he would eventually field the largest contract in franchise history that offseason, but it’s never an easy sell to fully commit to contention by shedding the best young talent on your team. Rose doubled down on this by trading Fournier’s buried contract and the diminished Quentin Grimes for Bojan Bogdanovic and OAKAAK Burks just before the trade deadline.
On the night of the OG trade, Rose made one of his niftiest moves as POBO, extending seldom-used guard Deuce McBride to a three-year, $13 million deal to replace Quickley as the team’s backup point guard. It’s fair to say that it went pretty well.
For a month, the Knicks looked like the best team in basketball. Randle, Brunson, and Anunoby fit together like a glove. The emergence of DiVincenzo as one of the best volume shooters in the league, coupled with the steadiness of Hartenstein on both ends, made the January Knicks a dominant force to be reckoned with, but that all changed when Randle went crashing to the floor on a drawn charge attempt by Jaime Jaquez Jr. on January 28.
Randle would never wear the orange and blue again. Injuries to Anunoby, Bogdanovic, Robinson, Hart, and eventually Brunson saw the team fall apart in Game 7 of a second-round series against the Pacers. An exciting season came to a close, but the Knicks felt like a legitimate player going forward in the Eastern Conference.
This momentum motivated the front office to continue adding pieces. The war chest had been slowly accumulating over the years, to the point where the Knicks had the most future picks of any top-tier team outside of the surging Thunder. With no true 1A emerging on the trade market and wonky fits being passed over yearly, Rose chose a bold move. The war chest would be unloaded… for another non-All-Star role player.
Mikal Bridges is a different flavor of 3-and-D wing. He isn’t quite as impressive a defender as Anunoby, nor as strong, but he possesses a better ability to handle the ball and was a better matchup for the league’s premier guards. He was also a Villanova graduate, further strengthening the Nova Knicks bond. Four unprotected first-round picks, along with an excess Milwaukee pick and a pick swap, is an extremely hefty price, but it was time to push the chips in.
Why? Well, the newly established second apron was quickly approaching. Anunoby was about to ink a $212 million contract. Brunson was extension-eligible. Randle was extension-eligible. While Rose’s cap expert, Brock Aller, was incredible at circumventing the aprons, the time to go all in was now. They couldn’t wait another offseason or two without risking the aprons breaking up the core.
Speaking of all in, there was one big move left to be made. Karl-Anthony Towns is a CAA client, someone that Knicks brass has been eyeing up for years as Minnesota gravitated towards No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards as its franchise face. The tires had long been kicked for a move, but nobody expected it to come days before training camp started in late September. For everything they meant to the franchise and fans, Randle and DiVincenzo were gone. The Big Bodega was in.
The Knicks were all in. While Brunson had taken a massive pay cut to gain flexibility, the team now had two players on $200 million contracts and another two who would be on $150 million deals to go along with two others making over $15 million per year. They built their roster to beat the defending champion Celtics, but those Celtics thrashed them four times in the regular season. The starters looked clunky all season, the offense never felt dominant, and the defense wasn’t able to be elite with two bad defenders. Going into the playoffs, there was real concern.
Then, for a while, it went away. A gritty, six-game series win over the Pistons and an unbelievable upset over the Celtics had fans dreaming of the team’s first NBA Finals trip of the 2000s. All that stood in the way was a Pacers team they knew they should’ve beat the year before. What could go wrong?
It turns out, everything. Rose built the team to conquer the Celtics, but they were not prepared for the run-and-gun Pacers, who ran them out of the gym in a six-game series that was over much earlier than it seems. While the Knicks reached their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, the season felt underwhelming.
And so, we reached the second major inflection point. Serious flaws with this roster were presented, and many felt like a big change might be necessary to shake things up. There was also the case of Tom Thibodeau, to whom the franchise was indebted after helping return them to relevance. But his issues were abundant. The starters were gassed, his scheme wasn’t modern on either end of the floor, and the locker room was split on him.
It was a tough decision, but Rose and Dolan decided to fire Thibodeau just one year after giving him an extension. To replace him, the front office went on a lengthy coaching search that briefly made the team a laughing stock, but they settled on Mike Brown, an offensive coach who would maximize this team’s offensive potential.
The roster stayed mostly intact, even when the Bucks came calling after Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear to their brass that he wanted to be a Knick. There wasn’t much the Knicks could offer, but the fact that those talks didn’t get serious implies that they weren’t willing to make the move at all costs.
New York emerged as the only team Giannis Antetokounmpo desired outside of Milwaukee in the offseason, sources told ESPN, and the Knicks and Bucks engaged in talks for a window of time.
It’s been a rocky season. The Knicks have looked unbeatable one day and hard to watch the next, but they’ve found their stride at the right time. 11 consecutive wins in the postseason for the team’s longest winning streak, regardless of time of season, in 13 years. Sweeping their way to the NBA Finals against the team led by the man you almost acquired via trade four years ago. Finally reaching the place that seemed unattainable six years ago.
The journey has been exhausting. Dealing with big market expectations has been a chore for every decision-maker for every New York franchise for decades, but the Knicks were a different beast. Rose was considered a savior for several years, but as the Knicks stagnated a tier beneath the true contenders, he traded fan favorites and future flexibility for win-now pieces.
He faced multiple serious inflection points. He had to decide whether he was going to commit to prolonged rebuild or trying to turn things around fast. When the 2021 Knicks’ bubble burst, he had to decide whether it was worth it to continue trying to win or to retool around the young guys. He had to decide whether it would be wise to spend the team’s assets on a star guard in the trade market. He had to decide whether to fire Thibodeau or retool the roster after last season’s disappointing finish.
He had to make bold moves. Signing Brunson to a nine-figure contract was widely criticized by the NBA community. He made all in move after all in move to raise the team’s ceiling high enough to compete for a championship. He fired the most accomplished head coach the franchise had seen this century after the team’s best season in 25 years.
He’s not without his mistakes. The one lottery pick he’s ever had was spent on a permanent role player. He’s traded picks that became Ajay Mitchell, Tre Johnson, and Jalen Duren. He’s passed on the likes of Herb Jones, Jalen Williams, and Tyrese Haliburton. He signed Evan Fournier to a massive contract in an overreaction to 2020-21.
But perhaps his greatest strength is his patience. It’s extremely easy to overreact to things. If he had listened to the fanbase, the team would’ve built around a core of Quickley, Toppin, Reddish, and Barrett and been doomed to 35 wins forever. He knew not to trade Randle at an all-time low in 2022. He didn’t pull the trigger on enticing stars over the years just to finally accomplish a decade-long mission goal. He gave this roster patience, not disbanding them after one year or giving up on them when things looked extremely bleak at the deadline.
Leon Rose’s vision has culminated in things beyond what any fan could’ve imagined in 2020. He’s done this with one singular inherited player still on the roster, one lottery pick, and a whole lot of creativity. Consider where he’s built this roster from:
Jalen Brunson: signed in free agency on a four-year, $104 million deal that was widely considered an overpay. Extended on a 4/156.
Mikal Bridges: acquired via trade from Brooklyn for five first-round picks, Bojan Bogdanovic, and filler salary (thanks, Brock Aller!). Extended on a 4/150.
Josh Hart: acquired via trade from Portland for Cam Reddish and the No. 23 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft (Kris Murray). Extended on a 4/80.
OG Anunoby: acquired via trade from Toronto for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Extended on a 5/212.
Karl-Anthony Towns: acquired via trade from Minnesota for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
Jose Alvarado: acquired via trade from New Orleans for Dalen Terry and two seconds.
Deuce McBride: drafted No. 36 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Extended on a 3/13.
Jordan Clarkson: signed in free agency on a veteran minimum in July 2025.
Landry Shamet: signed in free agency on a veteran minimum in September 2024.
Mitchell Robinson: inherited from Steve Mills.
Mo Diawara: drafted No. 51 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Jeremy Sochan: signed in the buyout market in February 2026.
Tyler Kolek: drafted No. 38 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Pacome Dadiet: drafted No. 25 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Ariel Hukporti: drafted No. 58 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In the end, Rose has built something that has proven to be an outlier in the NBA. The Knicks weren’t built through a massive free agency haul like superteams of old. They didn’t rely on tanking for a half-decade and getting lucky in the lottery over and over again. They built their team meticulously in an innovative way, assembling a group of players who were cast off for deficiencies, imperfections, and players who were misvalued in one way or another.
Regardless of how the NBA Finals go, the Leon Rose era has been a resounding success. He’s completed one of the great turnarounds in NBA history, with as little ammunition as any executive in league history.
Leon Rose puts his arm around his son, Sam, and visibly breaks down in tears after the emotions set in of the Knicks going to the NBA Finals.
This is beautiful stuff. We love you, Leon. Thank you for everything you have done.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 29: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox is taken out of the game in a break in play against the Toronto Blue Jays in their MLB game at Rogers Centre on April 29, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brayan Bello Experience is turning into a complicated one in Boston on numerous levels. In the short-term, it’s unclear whether he should start or enter the game behind an “Opener.” In the season-long term, it’s unclear if he should be in the starting rotation or the bullpen. In the long, long term, it’s unclear if his extension through 2029 will be a bargain or a burden.
The word “Opener” gives me the shakes and it’s just one example in a long list of things that the Rays did very well, out of necessity, and the rest of the league copied poorly. It can’t be denied that Bello’s three games as the “bulk” reliever have been astronomically better than his seven starts.
That being said, Jovani Moran’s splits are an inverse relationship to Bello’s. In a fairly hot take, I don’t think Jovani Moran should start any more games this season.
Whether it’s Bello or an Opener, the starting pitcher has stunk on ice in each of the ten Bello games this season. This isn’t working, whatever it is.
As Garrett Crochet faces live hitters for the second time this week, a rehab stint seems imminent. It’s unfathomable for any of Crochet, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle, or Connelly Early to be removed from this rotation (at least not until Sonny Gray is traded at the deadline). It’s also hard envisioning Brayan Bello transitioning into the Greg Weissert role and faring much better. Bello has two minor league options left, but what would that do for his confidence?
When Bello debuted in 2022, out of necessity due to nine starting pitchers being on the IL, he was due to become a free agent after the 2027 season. The Red Sox bought out his arbitration years, and signed him to a six-year, $55M extension running from 2024 through 2029. Bello had been solid in 2023, with a 4.24 ERA in 157 innings, with a 13.0 K-BB% when the team offered the extension. Since that date, Bello’s ERA has stayed at an identical 4.24 ERA, but his K-BB% is down to 10.3%. His velocity has decreased, the barrels allowed are way up, and he disappointed in his playoff start last October.
What would you do with Brayan Bello … Should he be following an Opener, and if so, whom? When Crochet returns, what should Bello’s role be? Do you anticipate him being in this Red Sox rotation for three more years after this one?
Enjoy the weekend, and be good to each other in the comments.
The home run grind rolls into a great Friday slate, and the +EV dingers and MLB player props are plentiful today.
It's never a bad idea to look for home runs in Cincinnati, but the pitching matchup is making it even better today, and getting the No. 2 HR/FB hitter in baseball at a price north of +500 is also making the card.
These are my favorite home run props for Friday, May 29.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Mike Yastrzemski
+577
Bryce Harper
+527
Aaron Judge
+246
💲Today's HR parlay
+13630
Home run pick: Mike Yastrzemski(+577)
Great American Ball Park is always a strong place to target home runs, and Mike Yastrzemski is one of the better +EV dinger looks on the board today with a fair price around +480, per the projections at Covers powered by THE BAT.
He’s in strong form right now with the team’s third-best slugging percentage and wOBA over the last 30 days, while also getting the ball in the air consistently with a 52% fly-ball rate that ranks second on the team this month.
He’ll face Chris Paddack, who has been crushed at GABP this year with a 12.67 ERA and a 2.2 HR/9. His 35% groundball rate does him no favors in this park, and his Bottom-10 xFIP among MLB starters over the last 30 days suggests the struggles are very real.
Pitcher/hitter history is usually secondary, but it’s still worth noting that Yastrzemski has had success against Paddack with three home runs across 25 plate appearances.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Reds.TV, BravesVision
Home run pick: Bryce Harper (+527)
Dodger Stadium grades out as a Top-5 park for home runs today, per Ballpark Pal, with 9-mph winds blowing out to right-center field.
That’s good news for a Bryce Harper bomb priced north of +500, with a buy point at +480 or better. Harper has already launched seven home runs this month and owns an absurd 31.8% HR/FB rate over the last 30 days, which ranks second in baseball behind only teammate Kyle Schwarber at 37.5%.
Harper’s fly-ball rate hasn’t been elite lately, but if he gets one in the air against Justin Wrobleski, it could quickly turn into four bases. Wrobleski is a fly-ball pitcher with reverse splits who has been vulnerable to left-handed hitters. There's often value in targeting reverse-split arms because the market tends to overprice the lefty vs. lefty matchup.
Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Apple TV
Home run pick: Aaron Judge (+246)
When you’re cold, it’s never a bad idea to take the most probable home run on the slate today at a projection of 0.39 HR from New York’s Aaron Judge. With an implied 0.33 HR from the +246 price, it grades out as a +EV spot for a Judge homer.
This is also the second-best home run park on the slate, per Ballpark Pal, and the matchup is favorable for the right-handed slugger, who ranks as THE BAT’s No. 1 hitter in baseball. Luis Severino has struggled significantly at Sutter Health Park, where his ERA is roughly two runs higher than his season average and was three runs higher there last year.
His 2.2 HR/9 at home is among the worst marks in baseball, and he has already allowed multiple home runs in three of his four home starts this season. Judge also has history in the matchup, going 4-for-8 with a home run and four RBI across eight at-bats against Severino.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, NBCS-California
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 13-100, -32.94 units
Today’s HR parlay
Mike Yastrzemski
Bet Now +13630
Bryce Harper
Aaron Judge
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.
The Columbus Clippers offense blasted off for 10 runs on 17 hits as every player in the lineup had at least one hit with five players have multi-hit games and all but two reaching base safely at least twice.
Leading the charge was Nolan Jones, who went 4-for-5 with a double. Jones has quietly raised his Triple-A batting average to .269 and his OPS is up to .802.
Angel Genao had a three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with a double and a walk.
Cooper Ingle had the big hit of the day, going 2-for-6 with a three-run home run.
C.J. Kayfus went 2-for-5 with a double and three runs scored, Milan Tolentino went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, Juan Brito went 1-for-2 with two walks and a steal and Bo Naylor returned to Columbus by going 1-for-4 with a walk.
Starting pitcher Austin Peterson was decent, allowing three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 4.0 innings. Knuckleballer Trenton Denholm was sensational in long relief, tossing 5.0 shutout one-hit frames with four strikeouts and three walks to earn the win.
Lake County took advantage of eight walks to score four runs despite getting just four hits. Jace LaViolette reached base safely twice with a walk, a single and a stolen base.
Nolan Schubart walked twice and both Maick Collado and Esteban Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a walk. Gonzalez also stole a base.
Starting pitcher Jackson Humphries was superb, tossing 4.0 shutout innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and no walks.
Michael Kennedy also had one of his better outings of the season, finishing off the game with 5.0 innings of long relief, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Top Guardians outfield prospect Robert Arias was in the middle of a breakout season, slashing .294/.400/.865 through 44 games in his age-19 campaign at Single-A Hill City.
Unfortunately, after a leadoff single on Thursday, Arias was injured sliding into second base when I think he caught a spike and his foot rolled underneath his body and he was removed from the game in an air cast. I wish him the best and hope for a swift recovery.
Jose Pirela went 2-for-4 and Anthony Martinez doubled, but otherwise, the offense was pretty non-existent.
Starting pitcher Joey Oakie absolutely dominated opposing hitters, allowing one run on two hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in 4.2 innings.
Ryan Prager was sensational out of the bullpen, striking out all six of his outs in 2.0 scoreless innings, but Miguel Flores allowed two runs in his 3.0 innings of long relief to take the loss.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 26: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after lining out to center to end the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at Progressive Field on May 26, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB’s owners and players exchanged CBA proposals yesterday. Jeff Passan has your breakdown here for ESPN.
For one, I dread the discussion and division ahead. Of course, a hard cap benefits owners who want to control the spending they have to commit to in order to get top-end talent. Also, players do not particularly care about competitive balance issues and refuse to admit that the current financial system is not particularly fair to mid-level talent or to fans. I kinda hate everyone involved already so expect analysis from other writers here, not me.
Tim Stebbins has an article on Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter. Would be nice to see CDL get a little burst from the off-day and get back on track.
Steven Kwan has been placed on the family leave/bereavement list. Our sympathies go out to him and hopes that things will be ok, whatever is going on. Neither Stuart Fairchild nor George Valera were in the Columbus lineup yesterday. One would assume it will be Valera because he is on the 40-man and left-handed.
Around MLB:
The White Sox beat the Twins and the Tigers lost to the Angels.
Great players meet the moment. Victor Wembanyama met the moment in Game 6 leading the Spurs to a decisive 118-91 victory over the Thunder, setting the tone right from the jump knocking down three, 3-pointers in the first quarter.
San Antonio led 60-53 at the half with half their field goals coming from beyond the arc. Credit the Spurs’ defense in the third quarter as OKC went ice cold from the field at one point missing 13 straight field goal attempts and going without a point for 7:30. The game was over at that point as San Antonio outscored the Thunder 32-13 in the third quarter. The starters for each side watched the fourth from their respective benches.
Wembanyama finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Spurs. Dylan Harper chipped in 18 off the bench. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was held in check, scoring just 15 points for Oklahoma City. In only one game in this series has SGA shot even 50% as the Spurs have at least consistently bothered the two-time MVP every time he touches the ball.
San Antonio and Oklahoma City head into Game 7 with all the pressure you’d expect. Who handles this moment and propels their team to the NBA Finals and a date with the New York Knicks? Can San Antonio lean on Wembanyama’s two‑way presence, and get enough shot creation from its guards? Or will Oklahoma City’s athleticism, defensive pressure, and Game 7 experience from last season be the difference?
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Game 7 Live: Thunder vs. Spurs
Date: Saturday, May 28, 2026
Time: 8PM EST
Site: Paycom Center
City: Oklahoma City, OK
Network/Streaming: NBC/Peacock
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Game 7 Odds: Thunder vs. Spurs
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder (-162), San Antonio Spurs (+136)
Spread: Spurs -3.5
Total: 212.5 points
This game opened Thunder -4.5 with the Game Total set at 213.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups for Game 7: Thunder vs. Spurs
Oklahoma City Thunder
PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SG Jared McCain
C Isaiah Hartenstein
SF Luguentz Dort
PF Chet Holmgren
San Antonio Spurs
PG De’Aaron Fox
SG Devin Vassell
SG Stephon Castle
PF Julian Champagnie
C Victor Wembanyama
Injury Report: Thunder vs. Spurs
Oklahoma City Thunder
Thomas Sorber (knee) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Ajay Mitchel (calf) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
San Antonio Spurs
David Jones Garcia (ankle) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Thunder vs. Spurs
The Thunder are 40-8 at home this season
The Spurs are 34-15 on the road this season
The Spurs are 56-42-2 ATS this season
OKC is 47-48-1 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 54 of the Thunder’s 96 games this season (54-42)
The OVER has cashed in 46 of the Spurs’ 100 games this season (46-54)
Alex Caruso is 19-34 (55.9%) from beyond the arc in this series
Jared McCain has scored at least 12 points in 4 of the 6 games of this series
Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down just 5 rebounds in Game 6
Devin Vassell went 4-7 from deep in Game 6 and is now 20-47 (42.6%) in the series from beyond the arc
De’Aaron Fox had 7 assists in Game 6 without committing a turnover
Chet Holmgren had a double-double for the second consecutive game in this series
Jalen Williams (hamstring) played just 10 minutes in Game 6 and his stat line featured 1 point, 1 assist, and 2 turnovers
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Game 7 between the Thunder and the Spurs:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Thunder on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Thunder -3.5
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 212.5 Player Props:
Dylan Harper 11+ Points (-102)
Chet Holmgren: 8+ Rebounds (-156)
Alex Caruso 2+ Steals (+109)
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We took a little mini break from bases per out, but we were always going to come back. This is really about two suppositions. First, the Astros current pitching staff is MLB average. We saw that in the last lab that we ran on Wednesday. Yes, Josh Hader is due back next week. Hunter Brown is due back in a couple of weeks. Still, this is not the kind of pitching staff the team had in 2018, 2019, or 2022. That brings us to the second supposition. The Astros offense is also currently average.
The good news is that the team finds themselves three games out of first place as of this writing. There have been a few instances in history where teams have won their division with fewer than 85 wins. When I reviewed the math problem with everyone it was based on the assumption that 85 wins would be needed to get into the playoffs. It is fair at this point to question whether that actually is true. If it takes only 82 or 83 wins then the math changes and things become much more possible.
Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker have been spectacular this season. Yet, when you look at the rest of the current unit, no other regular has an OPS higher than Christian Vazquez at .725 and he will likely see that go down if expected numbers are correct. Players like Jeremy Pena are expected to improve and certainly that should be the case, but this offense is a little top heavy and that is clear in the outfield. If we consider Yordan Alvarez as a designated hitter only then there are seven guys that have gotten considerable time that likely will factor into the current or future plans of the organization.
As a reminder, bases per out are calculated by adding total bases, walks, stolen bases, and hit by pitches and dividing it by the total number of outs a player accrues. The current MLB average is .663. It goes without saying, but you want the players with the most outs to be the players that accrue the most damage per out. However, I am sure you will notice something immediately when looking at the outfielders. They will be listed in order of outs.
TB
BB/HBP
SB
Outs
BPO
Cam Smith
60
25
7
148
.622
Brice Matthews
46
10
2
113
.513
Jake Meyers
20
5
1
49
.531
Joey Loperfido
21
7
1
44
.659
Zach Cole
18
2
0
43
.465
Zach Dezenzo
16
4
0
33
.606
Taylor Trammel
14
4
1
21
.905
You’ve undoubtedly noticed that Trammel is the only outfielder over the league average and he has the least number of outs. Obviously, that is due to his untimely injury in Cleveland and he has been back in the lineup since returning from the injured list. Cole was mercifully sent down and Loperfido is on a rehab assignment, so he should be back next week as well. So, who amongst these guys will he replace?
Admittedly, holding a spot is not only a function of offensive production. The Astros have to consider things like positional flexibility, options, and defensive output. The same is true for when deciding who gets to start and where. Based on those points alone, Dezenzo would seem to be the most likely player out because of a lack of positional flexibility and defensive ability.
Certainly, this current road trip has changed a lot of minds over what is possible down the stretch. I am certainly in that group, but it is more about what other teams are not doing than what the Astros have actually done. Given that, the job for Joe Espada is to manage with razor thin margins and get as much blood out of that rock as possible. Many of you are screaming about the fielding side and it is definitely a factor. So, below we see the defensive innings along with the defensive runs saved (DRS), outs above average (OAA), and fielding run value (FRV). All three are popular fielding metrics that usually say the same thing, but occasionally disagree because they all have their own methods and assumptions.
Innings
DRS
OAA
FRV
Cam Smith
459.1
6
6
6
Brice Matthews
263.0
1
3
3
Jake Meyers
145.0
2
0
0
Zach Cole
127.0
1
0
1
Joey Loperfido
125.1
0
0
0
Zach Dezenzo
96.0
1
-2
-1
Taylor Trammel
84.1
1
-1
0
To give everyone some context, Smith is likely to be a finalist again for the Gold Glove in right field if he continues on this pace. Unlike last season, he may actually take it home this time. That obviously complicates a decision as to whether he should get regular starts in right field. When you add in the fact that he is probably the second best outfielder offensively behind Loperfido (Trammel likely comes back to Earth) then it seems pretty clear that he has right field held down.
This is why competing matters. If you are in the business of winning games then you put the best three guys out there. If you are in the business of development then you consider the best interests of the player. Smith likely should have been in the minors last season and maybe this season as well. It still might have been best for his overall development. Yet, if you are in the business of winning games then you need him out there.
Loperfido and Trammel seem like a nice platoon in left of sorts. In this case, it isn’t so much which side of the plate they hit from (left) as riding the hot hand in the moment. Trammel is not likely to be an average MLB performer over a full season. He certainly looks the part now, so you might as well ride that bull until it bucks you. Over a longer timeline, Loperfido has a slightly higher upside.
That leaves centerfield. Matthews has made that more compelling through his defense. Is Jake Meyers likely to live at a .531 BPO? He has a career .613 BPO. It seems reasonable to expect him to get back to the neighborhood of a .600 BPO at the very least. That certainly begs the question: is Brice Matthews likely to elevate himself to that? Obviously, what 2027 or 2028 might look like is anyone’s best guess, but the simple answer to that question in 2026 is likely no.
When Jose Altuve comes back it becomes a question of whether you want to option Matthews, Braden Shewmake, or Nick Allen. We haven’t looked at their numbers yet, but suffice it to say that both are performing better than Matthews. Remember, this is about squeezing as much offense as possible out of players that are not quite league average. If you have enough luck and win enough close games then you can find yourself right back in the hunt. These are razor thin margins we are talking about here, so the Astros must exploit every positive difference they can.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 26: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres reacts after striking out during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park on May 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When it was happening, the San Diego Padres and their fans knew the walk-off wins and seventh inning surges would not propel them through the season — but it was fun. The most recent homestand saw the Padres finish with a 3-6 record over nine games at Petco Park and was hardly the result anyone expected but was not totally shocking either.
There were concerns about the San Diego rotation coming into the season, but no one predicted the offense would be this bad. For the majority of the season, the big three of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill have struggled to provide any significant contributions at the plate. Machado has a slash line of .169/.265/.339 with nine home runs, 27 RBI and 27 runs scored. Tatis has a slash line of .260/.339/.300 with no home runs, 16 RBI and 19 runs scored, and Merrill has a slash line of .200/.271/.318 with four home runs, 19 RBI and 24 runs scored.
The trio of San Diego’s stars combined are eight home runs shy of the MLB leader, Kyle Schwarber. In fact, with all three combined, they would not rank in the top 10 in long balls this season. It was said about the spending under former owner Peter Seidler and it was said this season about the late-inning heroics to win games, this is not sustainable. Somehow the Padres remain seven games above .500, but San Diego is currently on a four-game skid and that seven can get to zero in a hurry unless something changes.
MLB and the MLBPA have traded proposals and have begun negotiating toward a new CBA that will prevent a lockout that will affect the 2027 season and beyond.
After a historic 11-game winning streak in the playoffs, the Knicks are in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. And it’s fair to ask where this Knicks team ranks among the greatest squads in the franchise’s history.
The Knicks had a really strong regular season, winning 53 games. The playoffs have been even better, with New York winning its the last 11 playoff games by a 262-point differential -- an NBA record.
With this Finals run still in progress, let’s look at where the 2025-26 team stacks up against the best Knicks squads past and present.
Regular season record, playoff record, opponent strength, and memorable moments were all factors in these rankings.
Here are the top five Knicks teams ever...
No. 5: 1992-93
The 1998-99 team, which was the first No. 8 seed to advance to an NBA Finals, deserves an honorable mention. But the only team on this list to not make the NBA Finals, the 1992-93 Knicks, was memorable. New York finished with the second-best record in the NBA at 60-22. The Knicks had the top-ranked defense, which propped up an offense that was ranked just 22nd.
Fifth in net rating, the Knicks were led by All-Star Patrick Ewing. John Starks emerged as a full-time starter by the second half of the season and was second on the club in scoring.
New York went 7-2 in the first two rounds before the ultimate showdown with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, with the Knicks having homecourt advantage in the Conference Finals. The swing moment of the series was Game 5, when Knicks forward Charles Smith was stuffed on four consecutive shot attempts in the waning moments of a deflating 97-94 loss at home. New York would’ve taken a lead if Smith converted. Chicago closed out the series in Game 6.
No. 4: 1952-53
Going 47-23 during the regular season, the Knicks had the best record in the Eastern Division and the second-best mark out of 10 teams. New York was led by All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers Carl Braun and Harry Gallatin.
The Knicks swept the Baltimore Bullets in two games and beat the Boston Celtics 3-1 before dropping the final four games to the Minneapolis Lakers in a 4-1 NBA Finals loss. But the combined success in both the regular season and the playoffs gives this group a spot in the top five.
No. 3: 1993-94
After multiple years in the shadow of the Bulls, New York was an instant title favorite for 1994 when Jordan announced his sudden retirement.
Bolstered by strong play from three All-Stars in Ewing, Starks, and Charles Oakley, and a midseason trade for point guard Derek Harper, the Knicks finished tied for the third-best record in the NBA at 57-25.
After two seven-game series in the first three rounds, New York got to the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years. Facing the Houston Rockets, the Knicks held a 3-2 series advantage after five games. But a game-saving block from Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon on Starks -- who was taking a potential title-clinching three-pointer -- gave the Rockets Game 6 before Houston closed it out in Game 7.
No. 2: 1969-70
New York’s first truly dominant team came in 1969. Led by Willis Reed and Walt Frazier, the Knicks won 23 of their first 24 games in the regular season on their way to setting a franchise record with an NBA-high 60 wins.
The playoffs saw the Knicks beat the Bullets 4-3 and the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 before advancing to the NBA Finals. The Knicks needed seven games to defeat the 46-36 Los Angeles Lakers.
Part of the reason for the long series was a torn thigh muscle Reed suffered in Game 5. He famously returned briefly for Game 7, and Frazier led the Knicks to a championship with a remarkable 36 points and 19 assists in the clincher.
No. 1: 1972-73
The last championship squad for the franchise, this Knicks team ranked third in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency during the regular season. With a 57-25 record, the Knicks had the fourth-best record in the NBA.
The playoff run was of supreme quality. The Knicks had the top net rating (plus-4.9) in the playoffs, per Basketball Reference. After defeating the 52-win Bullets in five games, the highlight of this Knicks team’s run came in the Eastern Conference Finals against the 68-14 Celtics, when the Knicks won 94-78 at the Boston Garden in Game 7. New York then vanquished another 60-win juggernaut with a 4-1 NBA Finals win over the Lakers.
The Knicks' starting lineup was stacked. Its starting five of Frazier, Earl Monroe, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Reed is the last championship team to have all five starters make the Hall-of-Fame.
Final say
Regardless of a win or loss, a competitive NBA Finals would vault this current Knicks squad easily into the top five.
Thanks to a top 10 finish in both offense and defense during the regular season and a historically dominant run in the playoffs, the 2025-26 Knicks are quickly moving up the list as one of the top teams in franchise history.
Mike Yastrzemski
Bryce Harper 
Aaron Judge
