Category: Sports News

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Athletics play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Friday night...

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5 things to watch

Will the power output heat up with the weather?

With the exception of the relatively balmy weather on Opening Day (when the Mets smacked two homers and erupted for 11 runs), all of their home games so far (there have been six total) have been played in suboptimal conditions.

It was so cold on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Diamondbacks that the game times were shifted from 7:10 p.m. to 4:10 p.m.

This has created an environment where the ball is not carrying much, and resulted in a near total power outage during the recently completed three-game series against Arizona. Luis Robert Jr. hit a long solo homer on Thursday, but that was the only dinger hit by either the Mets or D-backs during the series.

Overall, the Mets -- who have also played four games at cavernous Oracle Park in San Francisco -- have hit just 10 home runs this season, which is more than just six teams.

Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, and Jorge Polanco have yet to go yard, but perhaps the overall deep freeze lifts during the series against the A's, with the temperature expected to be around 60 degrees for all three games. 

The Jorge Polanco situation

Polanco has been in and out of the lineup and limited to DH duty lately due to an Achilles issue that could require an IL stint.

With Polanco hobbled, it has been Mark Vientos and Brett Baty getting most of the starts at first base.

Beyond the defensive adjustments being made in light of Polanco's Achilles (and more important) is the fact that the lineup is shortened when he's not in it.

And Polanco's absence has been felt even more since the Mets are already without Juan Soto, which means two of the regular top four hitters in their lineup are missing on days when Polanco sits.

Can Kodai Senga keep it going?

Senga has been stellar to start the season, carrying over his spring training success.

In 11.2 innings over two starts (both on the road), Senga has allowed just four runs on nine hits while walking five and striking out 16.

Senga's FIP (1.69) is more representative of how he's looked so far than his ERA (3.09).

But the most important thing is that he again looks healthy. And if it stays that way, it's fair to believe the results will follow.

During his four-year MLB career, Senga has a 3.00 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with a strikeout rate of 10.2. Translation? When he's healthy, he's an elite performer. 

Jeff McNeil's return

McNeil, who was traded to the A's during the offseason, will be at Citi Field as a visitor for the first time.

The infielder, who spent the first eight years of his career in Queens, has started to heat up after a slow start to the season.

Over his last six games, McNeil is slashing .389/.476/.444 in 21 plate appearances.

That includes a pair of two-hit games against the Yankees in the Bronx. 

The hot and cold A's

The A's are 5-7, but are coming off a series win over the Yanks.

Their offense has been all over the place and ordinarily all or nothing. 

For example, they scored 23 runs in two wins over the Astros earlier this week, but were shut out in their one loss to Houston.

And even while taking two out of three games in the Bronx, the A's mustered just seven runs total.

One thing to keep an eye on is the health of slugger Brent Rooker, who exited Thursday's game early due to a back injury.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Luis Robert Jr.

Without Soto, Robert has been the toughest out in the lineup and the biggest source of power, hitting .333 with an NL-leading .480 OBP.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Freddy Peralta

Peralta, who gets the ball on Sunday, has looked better than his results. Expect that to start to match up. 

Which A's player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Shea Langeliers

Langeliers is off to a strong start, with a 182 OPS+ over his first 45 at-bats.

Xander Bogaerts had to have felt a little disrespected when the Colorado Rockies elected to load the bases on back-to-back intentional walks to Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado to load the bases with Jake Cronenworth on third base. Bogaerts took the first pitch of the at-bat for a ball and then belted the second pitch deep into the left field bleachers for the walk-off grand slam that gave the San Diego Padres a 7-3 win in the bottom of the 12th inning. Randy Vasquez started the game for San Diego and the late-game heroics covered up his third stellar start of the season. The right-hander worked into the sixth inning allowing one run, which came on a solo home run by Brenton Doyle, and did not allow a walk. Vasquez recorded eight strikeouts in the game. The Padres continue their series against the Rockies at Petco Park tonight at 6:40 p.m. and they will wear their City Connect 2.0 uniforms in a game for the first time.

Padres News:

• The San Diego minor league affiliates were in action all week, but they had to compete with the weather as much as the opponent on the field. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides details about which prospects are drawing attention in the Padres organization.

• Adrian Morejon has had a rough start to the 2026 season and Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball says he needs to get right quick if the San Diego bullpen is going to be the dominant force all of baseball expects it to be.

• Jason Adam was back in the Padres locker room but remains on the IL until San Diego makes his return to the bullpen official.

Baseball News:

• Seven other teams joined the Padres in unveiling their new City Connect uniforms on Thursday. See all of the new looks here.

• A’s pitcher Jeffrey Springs took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium and said he did not know anything about it.

• Parker Meadows collided with Detroit Tigers teammate Riley Greene and he was transported to the hospital where he spent the night.

• MLB.com provided the most recent injury roundup. See who landed on the IL here.

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It’s another full slate of MLB games today, which means lots of opportunities for homers.

My MLB player props and home run analysis will include Kerry Carpenter and Josh Bell.

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, April 10.

Best MLB home run props today

Kerry Carpenter (+440)

Kerry Carpenter is only hitting .184 so far, but he’s already clubbed two home runs. That’s after going deep a career-high 26 times last season.

The slugger has smacked a homer twice in his last five contests. The Tigers take on a Marlins team sending Chris Paddack to the hill tonight.

Paddack has had a shaky start to the campaign. He’s already allowed two home runs in just 8 1/3 innings of work while posting an 8.31 ERA.

Opponents have a .475 xSLG against him, and Carpenter has already taken him deep, going 3-for-5 with a bomb. 

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marlins.TV, DSN

Josh Bell (+490)

Josh Bell is thriving early in his first season with the Twins.

The slugger is batting .317 with three home runs and 10 RBI, and he just went deep on Thursday evening against the Tigers, finishing the game 3-for-4.

Bell is up against a familiar arm tonight in Patrick Corbin, who won’t be happy to see Bell in the batter’s box. 

The veteran is 4-for-16 lifetime versus Corbin with three bombs. He’s already smacked one homer this season off a left-handed hurler, and Corbin allowed 21 home runs last season.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Twins.TV, SN

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The Cincinnati Reds are off to a strong 8-5 start, trailing only the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers in total wins.

With rising talent Chase Burns set to take the mound, my Angels vs. Reds predictions have Cincinnati defending home field with a win in the series opener.

Let’s break down my MLB picks for Friday, April 10.

Who will win Angels vs Reds today: Cincinnati Reds (-170)

Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns has allowed next to nothing through two games, holding opponents to a .154 average, .213 wOBA, and .77 ISO.

Burns leads all of today’s starters with a 37.2 K%, a 42% whiff rate, and a 20.6% swinging strike rate. He is giving up little to no contact and sitting hitters down at an electric rate.

Los Angeles Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz is not nearly as capable at missing bats, and he allows a lot of good contact to lefties – something top of the lineup bats Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl could exploit.

Expect the Reds’ pitching advantage to shine through.

Angels vs Reds Over/Under pick: Under 9 (-104)

Burns has been dominant to start the season. While he showed some vulnerability to lefties last year, the Angels’ lineup is right-handed heavy.

Most of their notable bats – including Zach Neto, Mike Trout, and Jorge Soler – are righties, working in Burns’ favor.

The Angels rank 22nd in wOBA and 27th in line drive rate against right-handed pitching. They’re not a team that should cause Burns problems. 

On the other side, Kochanowicz looks improved with a .211 average and .285 wOBA allowed. He draws a Reds offense sitting 28th in wOBA vs. righties.

With both sides struggling against righties and a good pitching matchup, the Under is appealing.

Angels vs Reds odds

• Moneyline: Angels +163 | Reds -170
• Run line: Angels +1.5 (-122) | Reds -1.5 (+117)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+122) | Under 9.5 (-127)

Angels vs Reds trend

The Cincinnati Reds have hit the Game Total Under in 29 of their last 50 games at home (+13.45 Units / 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Reds.

How to watch Angels vs Reds and game info

Angels vs Reds latest injuries

Angels vs Reds weather

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It’s a rockin’ Friday in Major League Baseball with 15 games on tap, starting with the Pirates and Cubbies in the afternoon and ending with the Rangers and Dodgers throwing their first pitch at 10:10 p.m. ET.

Read below for my favorite MLB player props for Friday, April 9, starting in Baltimore with a red-hot Gunnar Henderson.

Best MLB player props today

Gunnar Henderson 1+ runs (-120)

It’s been a great week for Baltimore Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson, who has hits in five of his last six games.

That includes three home runs, a pair of doubles, and five runs batted in. He’s also scored at least one run in all but one game.

He’ll be facing San Francisco Giants’ SP Landen Roupp for the first time. Roup is coming off a brutal 9-0 loss to the Mets, where he was tagged for seven hits and seven runs.

Roupp's career WHIP of 1.425 is nothing to fear. Back Henderson to cross the plate at Camden Yards tonight.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Apple TV+

Giancarlo Stanton 1+ HR (+330)

Tampa Bay Rays starter Steven Matz is 2-0 and coming off his best start of the year, albeit against the Twins. He now gets a massive class test against the Yankees, a team that's tagged him pretty well in the past.

I’m going with Giancarlo Stanton to take him yard. The Yankees’ outfielder is hitting .326 out of the gate, but has just one home run on the year. It’s a nice spot for him to double that output.

Stanton is a career .316 hitter off Matz in 19 at-bats, with a pair of home runs and four RBI.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MLBN

Ronald Acuna Jr. 2+ total bases (-130)

It’s been a slow start to the year for Ronald Acuna Jr, hitting just .204 with no homers in his first 49 at-bats, but there are signs of him heating up.

He rapped a pair of doubles against the Angels last time out, doubling his two-base total on the year.

He’s 1-for-3 in his career against Slade Cecconi, but this matchup is more about how the righty got rocked in his lone road start of the year. Cecconi was pelted for six hits and six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to the Mariners.

This feels like a good spot for Acuna to keep hitting the ball hard.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CleGuardians.TV, BravesVision

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Major League Baseball, after sinking in 2024 to its lowest Black population in the sport since 1955, has now shown an increase in back-to-back years for the first time in about two decades, according to MLB’s research.

The African American population is 6.5% on this year’s opening-day rosters and injured lists, a rise from 5.7% in 2024 and 6% last year.

MLB officials are encouraged that developmental programs are starting to produce results, with 20 of the 62 African American players participating in their youth academies, Breakthrough or Dream Series or an invitational. It also includes nine former first-round picks.

There’s also optimism there will be gains in the future with just eight Black players older than 32, and 34 of the players 27 years or younger. There were 17 Black minor-league players on 40-man rosters on opening day, which was reduced to 16 when the Milwaukee Brewers called up outfielder Blake Perkins.

Still, it’s alarming that there are six teams who opened the season without a single Black player on their roster, double the total of last year.

The Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates are all without a single African American player. The Padres also don’t have a Black player in the minors on their 40-man roster.

There are 11 teams with no more than one Black player on the roster, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will celebrate Jackie Robinson’s breaking the color barrier in 1947 on Wednesday against the New York Mets.

Two of the smallest-market teams have the most Black players in baseball, the Minnesota Twins and Cincinnati Reds. The Twins have six Black players on their roster, including two Black starting pitchers_Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods-Richardson. The Reds have five Black players on the roster.

Together, the Twins and Reds comprise of 17.7% of the African American population in baseball.

While MLB continues to try to develop more Black pitchers and catchers, with an annual Dream Series each year in Tempe, Arizona, Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin remains the only everyday Black catcher. Baldwin, the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year winner, is the first everyday African American catcher since All-Star Charles Johnson, who last played in 2005.

“It’s definitely a position you don’t see many Black players," Baldwin told USA TODAY Sports, “so it’s kind of nice to break that stereotype and gives you the motivation to keep going.’’

And although there are 13 pitchers on every MLB team, there currently are only 13 Black pitchers in the league. Reliever Joe Ross, who made the Diamondbacks’ opening-day roster, was designated for assignment last week.

“My why is being able to grow the numbers of African American players within our sport," Reds starter Hunter Greene told USA TODAY Sports in December, “or at least give the opportunity to the Black community. It's up to the kids to want to continue to pursue baseball. But it's clear as day, I'm 10 toes down in my why. …I've seen my impact in real time."

While the Black population in baseball is slightly growing, MLB continues to see gains internationally, with 26.1% of its players born outside the United States, spanning 16 countries and territories. Japan has 14 players in MLB, its most since 2010. Canada has 17 players, the country’s most since 2013, including Black Canadians Josh and Bo Naylor. The Dominican Republic has 93 players in the big leagues, leading all foreign nations.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Black MLB players see growth again in 2026 population

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” — Robert Burns

Often the best judge of a general manager’s character is not what happens when things go according to plan, but what happens when those plans go sideways. In some sense, fans will want to hold Dana Brown accountable for not having contingency plans for some of these injuries and poor play, but some of that is not reasonable. The question is what happens from here.

I often wish I could be a fly on the wall when general managers and other executives talk. Dana Brown could be forgiven for feeling some desperation. It is hard to imagine so many plans going awry so quickly and so completely. On the one hand, the team sits at 6-7 and they have been in more dire straits before. Seemingly, they have been in worse position in each of the past three seasons at different points of the season. So, panic is not on the level of believing you are tumbling out of contention in mid-April.

The panic probably results from a number of calculated gambles that have all come up snake eyes. Jake Meyers pulled up lame in his first at bat of the game and could be disabled. When the Astros broke camp the assumption was that Zach Cole would be ready to step in and take over in that instance. He fell on his face this spring and then broke his foot in AAA. He is out a couple of months at least himself. The team can deploy Brice Mathews this year, but his K rate is close to 50 percent. That’s problem number one.

Problems two through infinity are all on the mound. The club hoped that Mike Burrows would step up and become a number two starter. That hasn’t happened yet. Tatsuya Imai looked good in his second start, but he is hardly a sure thing either. The only sure thing in the rotation is no longer a sure thing. Hunter Brown is on the shelf for at least a month.

The news went from bad to worse when Cristian Javier suddenly left the game before throwing a pitch in the second inning. He wasn’t off to a good start to begin with. Couple that with the sudden ineffectiveness of Bryan Abreu and you could be forgiven for looking past the 6-7 record and expressing more pessimism in the moment. For a general manager in the last year of a contract, this is the nightmare scenario. A normal general manager on a longer leash would exercise patience. A guy that wants to win now to keep his job must be sweating bullets.

I make no bones about the fact that I am a data driven guy. However, this commentary is not offered in the form of a lab because the labs have to remain pure to the search for truth and knowledge. This is more a gut feel. My gut is based on data and analytical thinking in part, but there is also an emotional bent to it. This feels like an avalanche. The temptation is to make some kind of trade to bring a jolt into a team reeling from sudden injury woes. That instinct would be a mistake.

Part of this is based on science. Vince Gennero used to be the president of SABR and he wrote a landmark book called “Diamond Dollars.” In that book he posited a lot of revolutionary ideas and one of those was the sweet spot of when to spend. Most good players are worth three to five wins. Six plus win players are rarely available and players worth less than three wins are probably not worth a major investment. That is true for free agency, but it is also true for trades.

The hot name right now is Sandy Alcantara. He is an impending free agent, so it is fairly certain that the Marlins will deal him before the deadline to recoup some value there. He is 2-0 with an ERA under 1.00 in the early part of the season, so it appears he is back to top form. The temptation is to think that a healthy Brown and Alcantara could team with Burrows and Imai to form a pretty good top four of a playoff rotation. That is assuming that it would be enough to get into the playoffs.

Gennaro posited that the sweet spot for making moves was when a team was somewhere around 85 wins. Those three to five wins would throw you into the playoffs. This is probably where commenters would point out that I picked them to win 85 games. This was based on a healthy Brown and a reasonably effective Cristian Javier and Bryan Abreu. This has the look of an 80 win team now. I’m not sure that warrants expending prospect capital to turn the tide.

This is the other half of the equation. The Astros don’t have a ton of hot prospects. Kevin Alvarez, Ethan Frey, Xavier Neyens, and Walker Janek qualify on that front. An Alcantara (or other similar player) would cost at least two of them. With Yainer Diaz looking overmatched, trading Janek has to be seen as a no go. That leaves you two of the three others (and probably one more prospect). In a system with few impact position player prospects, that would be extremely painful and Alcantara would be a pure rental.

Not making a trade does not mean surrendering. You have depth in Sugar Land that might help you stem the tide. Obviously, situations can change. Just a week ago we were feeling good about a 5-2 baseball team. It isn’t the losses that hurt. It is losing three players in the span of a week. This feels like 2025 all over again. It feels like fixing holes in a boat with chewing gum. That’s not the right time for desperation moves. The best move is to hope everything stabilizes. If it does then you can reevaluate a decision to add down the line. If it doesn’t then all the additions in the world won’t matter.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers were off yesterday.

They spent the off day releasing their new city connect uniforms.

Evan Grant has details on the jersey paying homage to North Texas’ Mexican heritage.

Jeff Wilson says the Rangers are bringing back red.

Elsewhere Wilson also has notes on the Rangers’ big sweep before they take on the mighty Dodgers.

Grant takes a look at where the team stands before its long road trip.

Grant also had a long YouTube Q&A where he answered fan questions.

And finally Evan will be waiting tables at Rodeo Goat today to raise money for Mercy Street Dallas.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers take on the Dodgers tonight 9 with Kumar Rocker getting the late start for Texas.

Happy Friday!

When the Phillies acquired Jonathan Bowlan in a trade over the winter with the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Matt Strahm, you would have been forgiven if it was the first time you were ever hearing about someone named Jonathan Bowlan. The 29-year-old had only appeared in 37 career MLB games to that point, spending the majority of his professional career in the minor leagues.

But the Phillies apparently saw something more in Bowlan, and despite an unglamorous spring, he has found himself primarily used as the third right-hander out of the Phillies bullpen after Jhoan Duran and Brad Keller thanks in part to the previous absence of Orion Kerkering. So far in 2026, Bowlan has allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings pitched. But he also has five strikeouts and has yet to walk a batter.

He’s flashed some impressive stuff, as Bowlan is averaging 97.5 MPH on his fastball, a full 2 MPH increase from 2025. He’s thrown his new sweeper ten times and has generated a swing and miss on nine of those pitches. In addition to adding that sweeper, the Phillies also have had Bowlan change his pix mitch so far, throwing his changeup more and his slider less than he has in the past. Again, this is in a miniscule sample size of just 84 total pitches, but it will be interesting if this mix is the plan going forward.

Meanwhile the man traded for Bowlan, Matt Strahm, has allowed three runs in 4.2 IP for the Royals with two walks and five strikeouts. But whereas Bowlan’s velocity is up two miles per hour, Strahm’s is down two miles per hour to 90.1 MPH from his already diminishing 92.3 MPH from last season. The direction of both relievers will be something interesting to track as the 2026 season goes on.

So, what are your first impressions of Jonathan Bowlan? Is there something here and he’s only scratching the surface of what the Phillies pitching program can pull out? Or is he just an unimpressive depth reliever? Has anything Bowlan’s done stood out in any way to you, good or bad?

Columbus Clippers 0, Worcester Red Sox 5

Clippers fall to 7-5

Columbus managed just four hits on Thursday and Nolan Jones had two of them, going 2-for-4. The only other player to reach base safely twice was Kody Huff, who went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Logan Allen was tagged for four runs on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched.

Will Dion had 1.1 scoreless frames of relief and Hunter Gaddis allowed one run on one hit with a hit by pitch in his one inning of rehab work.

The lone bright spot was Daniel Espino, who continues to pitch spotlessly, striking out two batters in a scoreless inning of work. I can’t wait until they start allowing him to pitch more than one inning at a time.

Akron RubberDucks 1, Harrisburg Senators 12

RubberDucks fall to 3-3

This one was uuuuuugly. Christian Knapczyk was the lone source of runs for Akron, hitting a fourth inning solo shot over former Guardian prospect Alex Clemmey.

Other than that, the only offensive bright spot was Jose Devers, who went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.

Starting pitcher Khal Stephen was OK, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits in 3.2 innings pitched. He struck out five and walked two.

Reliever Jack Carey had an especially rough day, giving up five runs on three hits and two walks in just 0.1 innings.

Position player Guy Lipscomb got to pitch late in the game, giving up a pair of runs in one inning.

Lake County Captains 4, Dayton Dragons 7

Captains fall to 3-3

The top of Lake County’s batting order accounted for nearly all of the team’s offense in this game.

Jace LaViolette’s bat woke up from its ancient slumber as he picked up his first two career hits as a professional ballplayer. He went 2-for-5 with a double.

Jaison Chourio reached base safely three times, going 2-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases.

Nolan Schubart walked twice and scored a pair of runs while both Anthony Silva and Garrett Howe went 1-fo-3 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Jackson Humphries was solid, allowing three runs on three hits in 5.0 innings with four strikeouts and two walks.

Miguel Virguez was tattooed for four runs on four hits and a walk in just 0.2 innings of work. Cam Walty cleaned up the mess with 2.1 innings of scoreless long relief and three strikeouts.

Hill City Howlers 3, Fredericksburg Nationals 8

Howlers fall to 3-3

Fredericksburg jumped all over starting pitcher Joey Oakie with four runs in the first inning and two more in the second, although three of the runs were unearned.

Oakie’s final line was 3.0 innings pitched, six runs, three earned on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Jervis Alfaro was sensational in long relief, striking out seven in 4.0 scoreless innings of work.

Jose Pirela was a standout on offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk.

Luis De La Cruz also went 2-for-3 with a walk. No one else reached base twice or had an extra base hit.

[Warning: Mixed metaphors incoming. Polar bears don’t like the heat. But human ballplayers do go hot and cold, respectively and metaphorically.]

When the Orioles signed Pete Alonso last winter, they knew they what they were getting: the big, slow, mashing first baseman whose value resides entirely in the batter’s box. Not a fielder. Not a base stealer. A big bat, designed to hit dingers, strike fear in the hearts of opposing starters, and do little else.

So when Alonso dove headfirst into second base in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s come-from-behind win against the White Sox—belly flopping across the bag on a hustle double that ignited the go-ahead rally—it felt like a statement… maybe? … about this team and its character, surely, but more importantly, about what version of Pete Alonso we might come to expect.

One double is a rounding error in the career of this five-time All Star. (He’s hit 185, if you were wondering.) But it felt encouraging in context. The truth is, through the first twelve games of 2026, Alonso has been… ice-cold. Not, to prolong this strained image, like a Polar Bear romping in the Artic; more like, well, a first baseman you worry might be overpaid, granted a generous five-year, $155 million contract. He’s hitting .188 with a .264 OBP and .556 OPS.

Wednesday didn’t fix that. But maybe it was the start of improvement. Twelve games, as we know, is nothing.

Also, there are other things going right. Alonso is pounding the ball right now. He’s posting career-highs in exit velocity (95.1 mph) and hard-hit percentage (60.6%). He’s walking at normal rates, and he’s not chasing, either.

The story seems pitch-specific. Alonso is a hitter who loves to hit fastballs, and this year, results-wise, despite good contact, it’s not going well: his average off heaters is .185, although with an expected average (.241) about seventy points better. Interestingly, the launch angle on this pitch is way down: 5 degrees. So is his bat speed: 72.9 mph, down from above 75 in most seasons since MLB Statcast started keeping track. With a lot of ground balls off heaters, this helps to explain why his power is way down, as evidenced by a career .261 ISO (isolated power) and a .104 mark so far this season.

Also, his strikeouts are up: 28.3% versus a career 22.9%. This seems to be driven by swinging strikes against breaking balls, a 40.7% whiff rate that’s a career high in the way you don’t want. It seems Alonso is having difficult timing up offspeed and breaking pitches, and he’s seeing more of them, especially on the first pitch, than ever.

Alonso is struggling to hit lefties (.100 LH vesus .211 RHP splits, respectively), but he’s struggling to hit lefty fastballs most of all. He still doesn’t have a hit off this pitch, despite already seeing 26 of them so far. As for right-handed pitchers, his worst work is against changeups: he’s still hitting .000 off these.  

I’m curious about the bat speed, but otherwise, my best guess, these problems are fluky and small sample-size-based and shouldn’t continue. The weather is still cold, Alonso’s career lefty-righty splits are .231/.260, and power has always been his greatest strength. If I had to guess, I’d say he still hasn’t found his timing.

Back on Wednesday, that sixth-inning double came off an 86-mph sweeper from a right hander. This is a pitch Alonso hasn’t had much luck with all season. Instead, this time he put a charge into one to the gap, and then he ran. Hard and true, pulling out a double with a dive into the bag before later scoring on a wild pitch. It was inspiring hustle from the big man.

Pete Alonso’s designated role on this team is clubhouse leader and big bat. So far, he hasn’t found the latter, for interesting reasons. But there’s a lot more to him as a hitter and he’s certainly already earned a lot of trust with his impressive career track record and leadership role on this new team.

Once the power shows up, the Polar Bear will be an anchor of this lineup. He’s here to play.

The Orioles are now 6-6, back at .500 after Wednesday’s sweep-clincher over the White Sox, and they feel like a team that’s finding something. Whether Alonso ends up being a difference-maker in the traditional sense remains to be seen. But this week, when the moment called for effort over elegance, he delivered.