The Philadelphia Phillies (5-3) will try to complete a three-game sweep over the Colorado Rockies (2-6). The Phillies won the series’ first two games by limiting the Rockies to a single run in each. Philadelphia's Taijuan Walker is scheduled to start against Colorado's Tomoyuki Sugano.
How to Watch Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 04: Brandon Nimmo #24 of the Texas Rangers catches a fly ball by Matt McLain of the Cincinnati Reds in the seventh inning at Globe Life Field on April 04, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, folks…
The Texas Rangers fell to the Cincinnati Reds yesterday by a score of 2-0.
The Cleveland Guardians (5-3) and Chicago Cubs (3-4) are playing a doubleheader after Saturday’s game was rained out. Edward Cabrera (1-0, 0.00 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener for the Cubs against the Guardians’ Slade Cecconi (0-1, 12.46 ERA).
The New York Mets (5-4) are looking to make it three in a row against the San Francisco Giants (3-6) in the final game of their four-game series. San Francisco won the opener but the Mets have taken the past two games by a combined score of 19-3. The Mets' Kodai Senga (0-1, 3.00 ERA) will pitch against the Giants' Logan Webb (1-1, 7.36 ERA).
How to Watch New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants
Oklahoma City's James Tibbs III is introduced before a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 27, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Saturday in the Dodgers minors saw a stellar combined pitching effort in Tulsa, while River Ryan pitched in his first game that counted in 602 days in Las Vegas. But like most days since the minor league season started, James Tibbs III stole the spotlight.
Player of the day
James Tibbs III has been hitting ever since the Triple-A season started on March 27, and there’s never been more of a lock for the Pacific Coast League player of the (extended) week. Tibbs singled in the first inning, then hit solo home runs in the third, fifth, and seventh innings.
JAMES TIBBS III GOES YARD FOR THE THIRD, YES THIRD TIME TONIGHT‼️
We’re not sure what he ate this morning but we're going to make sure he does it again tomorrow 😅 pic.twitter.com/zSvnkOvWoH
Tibbs through eight games leads all of the minors with seven home runs and 12 extra-base hits, hitting an absurd .514/.564/1.286. His OPS was an already gaudy 1.596 heading into Saturday and his monster game vaulted him up another 254 points. Tibbs already has three games with three extra-base hits this season.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Despite Tibbs going off, the Comets managed only two other runs in a road loss to the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics).
River Ryan stayed in Arizona for a bit after big league camp broke in spring training, but joined Oklahoma City on Saturday for his first competitive game since August 10, 2024. Ryan allowed only two singles through three scoreless innings, but ran into trouble with three hits and a walk in the fourth inning. Las Vegas scored three in the inning, aided a bit by an error from shortstop Noah Miller. There was a lot to like in Ryan’s outing, with six strikeouts and just the one walk.
Patrick Copen led all Dodgers minor league pitchers with 152 strikeouts last season, and started off this season with eight more punchouts in five scoreless innings in the Drillers’ shutout of the San Antonio Missions (Padres). Copen worked around three walks and two singles, and has allowed two or fewer runs in 12 of his 18 starts since getting promoted to Double-A last June.
The Drillers backed Copen with two home runs, providing all the offense they neededFirst baseman Kyle Nevin hit a solo shot in the first inning, followed by shortstop Elijah Hainline blasting a three-run homer in the fifth.
Wyatt Crowell shot way up my personal rankings of top prospects by getting the final nine outs in scoreless fashion to record a three-inning save, the first in the Dodgers minors this season.
Two home runs in the eighth inning broke a tie and gave the Tower Buzzers a second straight win over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres).
Center fielder Brendan Tunink, who homered twice on opening day Thursday, broke the tie with a solo home run, and was immediately followed by another homer by Mairoshendrick Martinus.
Shortstop Joendrys Vargas hit a two-run shot earlier in the game, in the fourth inning.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (6-2) will aim for a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals. (3-5).The Dodgers won the first two games of the series by a combined score of 23-11, scoring at least 10 runs in each. The Dodgers' Roki Sasaki (ERA 2.25) will face the Nationals' Foster Griffin (ERA 3.60).
How to Watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals
The Montreal Canadiens head back to the Bell Centre to host the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, April 5.
The Canadiens took a 4-3 nailbiter via shootout at the Prudential Center last night and will look to win their ninth consecutive game.
My Devils vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks suggest that Cole Caufield will remain a shooting machine in search of that elusive 50th goal, and his line will continue to push this team amidst a tight Atlantic Division playoff race.
Devils vs Canadiens prediction
Devils vs Canadiens best bet: Cole Caufield Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+105)
While Cole Caufield missed the opportunity to score his 50th, fittingly on a Saturday night, he'll have another shot in front of a home crowd. He's racked up 23 shots in his last five games, hitting the Over four times.
He pestered five shots on goal last night, and seven the game before. The New Jersey Devils did well to keep him from reaching the half-century mark last night, but that didn't stop the Wisconsin native from firing at all angles.
Expect more of the same tonight, and perhaps he'll become the first Montreal Canadiens player to score 50 goals since Stephane Richer in 1989-90.
Devils vs Canadiens same-game parlay
The Habs' top line has served as an envoy for the team's sudden push for the Atlantic Division crown, and a big part of that is Juraj Slafkovsky.
The Slovak has racked up nine assists in his last 12 games and has a helper in three of his last four. Yet, a Slaf assist astoundingly remains at plus-odds.
Lane Hutson has 74 points, but has also made strides on the other side of the puck. He's blocked two or more in seven of his last eight, and once again faces a Devils team that ranks fourth in shots on goal.
Montreal snapped a five-game losing streak versus New Jersey on Saturday, and have won just two of the last nine against them. Find more NHL betting trends for Devils vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Devils vs Canadiens
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN2
Devils vs Canadiens latest injuries
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.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 04: Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres (left) and Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres embrace after their ninth inning win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 04, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Better late than never – that is what they say.
For the San Diego Padres, that statement rang true when Fernando Tatis Jr., who had four strikeouts in the game, lined a two-out double to center field in the top of the ninth inning off Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman. Ramon Laureano, who had not recorded a hit in the game, followed with an RBI-single to left-center field which allowed Tatis Jr. to score to give the Padres a 3-2 lead. San Diego closer Mason Miller came out for the bottom of the ninth inning and made quick work of the Red Sox hitters, retiring all three in order with strikeouts.
The win helped the Padres move to 3-5 on the season, but it was yet another game in which the San Diego lineup struggled to get anything going. Miguel Andujar had three hits in the game while Tatis Jr. and Laureano recorded their only hits in the top of the ninth inning. Freddy Fermin and Ty France logged the other two hits for the Padres.
Left-hander Connely Early started for the Red Sox and that caused San Diego manager Craig Stammen to go with a righty heavy lineup that featured Tatis Jr., Laureano, Andujar, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Freddy Fermin and Ty France to all step to the plate before lefty Jake Cronenworth took his turn. Bryce Johnson, a switch hitter rounded out the lineup.
Padres starter Randy Vasquez completed six innings, allowing one run on six hits. He combined his start against the Red Sox with his start against the Detroit Tigers and has now thrown 12 innings with eight hits allowed and carries an ERA of 0.75.
Padres News:
Mason Miller debuted his new bullpen entrance during the first homestand of 2026 and it has received positive reviews from the Friar Faithful.
Matt Waldron missed some time in Spring Training due to a lower body surgery and has been building back up during his rehab in the San Diego minor league system. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says he could help the Padres sooner than later.
Baseball News:
Jo Adell of the Los Angeles Angels took a home run away from Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh which kept the slugger homerless on the year.
Juan Soto is day-to-day with a calf injury, but will avoid spending time on the IL, for now.
Masataka Murakami and the Chicago White Sox returned to their home stadium where the Japanese slugger launched yet another home run.
The New York Yankees (7-1) will try to complete a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins (5-3) on Sunday. The Yankees won the series’ second game 9-7 on Saturday. Max Fried is scheduled to start for the Yankees while Chris Paddack pitches for the Marlins.
The second Sunday of the MLB season is here, and there are plenty of home runs to be hit.
My MLB home run predictions hone in on Ian Happ and Yordan Alvarez, who will benefit from some favorable matchups, as well as the HR king himself, Aaron Judge.
Keep reading for the full details of my MLB player props for Sunday, April 5.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Ian Happ
+420
Aaron Judge
+210
Yordan Alvarez
+285
💲Today's HR parlay
+6106
Ian Happ (+420)
After hitting a solid 23 homers last season, Ian Happ has gotten off to a great start in 2026 with three dingers in seven games.
The Chicago Cubs outfielder has just five hits so far, but the ball flies out of the park almost every time he makes contact. With Slade Cecconi taking the mound for the Cleveland Guardians, I like Happ’s chances of going long again.
Cecconi was poor in his first start this season, giving up six hits, one homer, and six earned runs over just 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander allowed 24 homers in 23 starts last year.
Time: 1:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Guardians.TV
Aaron Judge (+210)
Aaron Judge rolled to his third AL MVP award last year after hitting 53 homers with an MLB-best .688 slugging percentage.
The New York Yankees star has picked up right where he left off with three home runs through his first seven games, including a two-run bomb against the Miami Marlins on Saturday.
The Marlins send Chris Paddack to the mound today after he was lit up for eight hits, two home runs, and eight earned runs over four innings by the Chicago White Sox last Monday.
A confident Judge and a shaky starter is a great recipe for a homer.
Time:1:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Marlins.TV
Yordan Alvarez (+285)
Last year was one to forget for Yordan Alvarez, who hit just six dingers in 48 games due to a fracture in his hand. The Houston Astros slugger is finally back to full health, and he’s already gone yard three times in nine games.
Alvarez has been smashing the baseball with six extra-base hits, a .423 batting average, and an .885 slugging percentage.
Athletics starter Jacob Lopez was pretty bad in his first appearance of the year, allowing six hits, five walks, and three earned runs over four innings.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Space City Home Network, NBCS-California
Today’s HR parlay
Ian Happ
Bet Now +6106
Aaron Judge
Yordan Alvarez
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 OKC Thunder are closing in on the top seed in the West. Completing a regular-season series sweep over the Utah Jazz on Sunday would definitely help.
OKC, with just one loss in its last 17 games, is a massive 22.5-point favorite in the NBA odds.
My Jazz vs. Thunder prediction and free NBA picks think the depleted Jazz roster can't compete with a top-tier team that still has something to play for.
Jazz vs Thunder prediction
Jazz vs Thunder best bet: Thunder -22.5 (-110)
Since dropping a decision to Boston on March 25 that snapped a 12-game losing streak, the Oklahoma City Thunder have reeled off four straight wins, including a 139-96 demolition of the Lakers last time out.
There are two main objectives for the Thunder at this point: holding off San Antonio for the top seed and getting all-star Jalen Williams up to speed as the postseason nears.
Williams, who's played just 31 games this season, was an all-around stud against the Lakers, scoring 10 points, with nine rebounds and eight assists.
It should be a fine tune-up for Williams and the gang on Sunday, as the Utah Jazz have lost eight straight and have just three wins in 22 games since the All-Star break.
Over that sample size, the Jazz are among the worst teams in the NBA in defense, allowing 124.9 points per game (28h), with teams shooting 50.5% from the field and 37.1% from distance.
The Thunder have owned the Jazz, with wins in eight straight, and save for the last head-to-head meeting that went to OT and resulted in a Thunder OT win, there hasn't been much drama.
OKC has won by at least 23 points in four of the last five, including three wins by 30+ points.
Utah will also be down major contributors, as Lauri Markkanen (hip) and Keyonte George (hamstring) are both out. With Jaren Jackson Jr (knee) already shut down for the year, that's the Jazz's three top scorers.
With the Thunder a Top 5 scoring team in basketball, there's just no way the Jazz should be able to stay in range, even with that many points.
Jazz vs Thunder same-game parlay
Jalen Williams has scored 16 or more points three times in the five games since he's returned, but that shouldn't be an issue against the Jazz, as he's scored 16+ points in eight straight.
Williams is coming off his best rebound game since returning from injury, and has at least four boards in three of five, while pulling down at least four boards in two of his last three against Utah.
Jazz vs Thunder SGP
Thunder -22.5
Jalen Williams Over 15.5 points
Jalen Williams Over 3.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: One-Williams Show!
Williams' 3-point stroke has not arrived yet, as he's had zero makes in three of his last four games, but he should be in range against the Jazz, as he's connected on at least one triple in five straight and in 12 of the last 13 against Utah.
And we'll finish with his assist line, which was set for 4.5 on Sunday. Williams just dropped eight dimes against the Lakers, giving him 8+ assists in back-to-back games.
Jazz vs Thunder SGP
Thunder -22.5
Jalen Williams Over 15.5 points
Jalen Williams Over 3.5 rebounds
Jalen Williams Over 0.5 made threes
Jazz vs Thunder odds
Spread: Jazz +23.5 | Thunder -23.5
Moneyline: Jazz +2500 | Thunder -10000
Over/Under: Over 239 | Under 239
Jazz vs Thunder betting trend to know
Utah has combined with its opponent to go Over the total in six of its last eight games. Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Thunder.
How to watch Jazz vs Thunder
Location
Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Date
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
Jazz+, FDSN Oklahoma
Jazz vs Thunder latest injuries
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.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 03: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals hits a three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Nationals Park on April 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CJ Abrams is off to a hot start, and has homered for three straight games. Hot starts are nothing new for Abrams. The last couple years he has come into seasons really locked in. This year is no different. Hopefully Abrams can show more consistency this year, and I am bullish on that.
It is still early, but CJ Abrams is really doing a good job hitting flyballs to the pullside. Right now, he has a 31.8% air pull rate. The last couple years, he has pulled the ball in the air around 22% of the time, which is above average, but not exceptional. Blake Butera said the Nats are trying to “lean into” Abrams ability to pull balls in the air.
One thing Abrams does extraordinarily well is pulling outside pitches for damage. Usually hitters are told to take the ball where it is pitched. However, Abrams has always been really comfortable yanking those outside pitches to the pullside. It is not something that will work for everyone, but it is something in his bag.
CJ Abrams might be the best puller of outside pitches for home runs I’ve EVER seen
However, as we mentioned at the top, it is tough to call Abrams a changed player right now. It is not like he did not get off to hot starts under Rizzo and Davey. He posted a .992 OPS in March and April in 2024 and an .865 mark in 2025. The big thing for Abrams will be keeping that up for a full season.
Luis Garcia Jr. actually said something after the game that I found interesting. He said that Abrams is at his best when he is “concentrated”. Garcia added that when Abrams is locked in, they are looking at video of pitchers together a lot. As Abrams gets older and more experienced, I think his concentration will be able to sustain better for all 162.
It is a long season, so I don’t blame Abrams for not being totally locked in every game, especially on a bad team. However, as he becomes one of the older players on the team, he will have to find that consistency. I am bullish on him doing that, especially with this new coaching staff. When they warned him after he stared at a ball that was not a homer, Abrams took it well, which I liked.
The Nats are going to have an interesting decision to make with Abrams over the coming months. He has three years of team control left and was in trade rumors this offseason. Will the Nats trade him or could they possibly give him an extension that would be a big statement to the fanbase? He is a fan favorite and a player, I would not mind seeing get an extension.
That will be something we have to follow throughout the year. However, this start to the season has shown us why so many teams aggressively pursued Abrams. When he is at his best, CJ Abrams can be a really dynamic player. If he can unlock more consistency as he gets older, that would take his game to another level.
Another thing that would take his game to another level would be defensive improvements at shortstop. Most of the teams interested in Abrams, like the Royals and Giants, would have used him as a second baseman.
However, the Nats have him at shortstop, and I think he’s looked a bit better so far. This Dodgers series has not been as great defensively, but I think he has looked much smoother so far this season.
It is early, but CJ Abrams has looked more fluid defensively this year. You can see his natural athleticism translating on that side of the ball so far
Blake Butera noted that Abrams has looked better making plays “outside of his body”. That is not always natural for Abrams, who Butera called a guy who likes to make plays with two hands. However, he has the natural athleticism to make those plays. It is all about being more confident in himself to make those plays. We will see how it goes, but I think Abrams will be a better defender in 2026.
Overall, I am more confident in Abrams sustaining his hot start this year than I was in prior seasons, especially last year. That is due to a couple factors. One is the coaching changes, which we have harped on constantly. Another one is Abrams just being an older, more mature player. Despite just being 25, he has been in the big leagues for a while now. By Nats standards, he is a veteran.
I think he will be more empowered to take on a leadership role, and that will help him. When Abrams concentration may drop, or his swing may lose some steam, there will always be someone in his ear. I also hope his own standards will be raised this year. CJ Abrams has always had the talent, but I am bullish on the idea that this is the year where he puts it together.
Alexis Lafreniere is playing some of the best hockey of his career, and he has the numbers to back it up.
My Capitals vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks expect the former No. 1 overall pick to have another productive showing on home soil.
Capitals vs Rangers prediction
Capitals vs Rangers best bet: Alexis Lafreniere Over 0.5 points (-125)
Alexis Lafreniere has piled up 23 points over the last 22 games and shown the ability to move the needle offensively, even without Artemi Panarin.
He draws a Washington Capitals squad ripe for the picking at 5-on-5. They rank 23rd in expected goals and 27th in shot attempts allowed per 60 over the past 10 games.
The Capitals used starter Logan Thompson against the Sabres last night. That means they’ll turn to a worn-out goaltender for his 11th straight start (and third in four days), or Charlie Lindgren, who owns a poor .886 save percentage.
Either way, Lafreniere is primed to produce.
Capitals vs Rangers same-game parlay
Adam Fox is reminding us he’s still one of the most impactful blueliners in the NHL. He has picked up a point in 13 of his last 15 games and tallied 15 helpers along the way.
He plays a ton of minutes and facilitates a lot for the New York Rangers, making him a prime candidate to make noise in this matchup.
If top line and top pairing players like Lafreniere and Fox can take advantage of this struggling Capitals defense — and goaltending situation — there’s a good chance the Rangers come out on top. Igor Shesterkin generally doesn’t need much run support.
The Rangers have won four of their last five home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Rangers.
How to watch Capitals vs Rangers
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Capitals vs Rangers latest injuries
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.
It’s 2026, which means baseball is partially governed by robots. More precisely, the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system is in place with the challenge system. Lots of ink, including our own, has been spilled on the new system; personally, I’m a fan of this intermediate step between letting CB Bucknor do whatever he wants and replacing umpires entirely. ABS also adds a small layer of strategy on when to use a challenge or when to save it.
Today, I want to see how well the Tigers are doing with their challenges. BaseballSavant helpfully keeps a leaderboard for each team’s challenge metrics. I’ll be breaking those down here and examining where Detroit stands out, where they don’t, and why some of these metrics really don’t matter that much. These statistics are all based upon a league-wide “expected” challenge formula developed by Tom Tango. You can read more about it here, but put simply, by evaluating the distance from the edge of the plate, how much is left of the game, and how many challenges a team has remaining, Tango developed a method to determine how likely any pitch is to be challenged. This results in “net overturns more than expected” for four basic scenarios: the offense and defense when Detroit is batting, and the offense and defense when Detroit is pitching.
Offensive Challenges
Offensively speaking, the two categories of note are “net overturns more than expected for” and “net overturns more than expected against”. “For” is the category for when a Tiger batter initiates the challenge, while “against” means the opposing team’s pitcher or catcher initiated.
When trying to determine how good the Tigers are at challenging, it of course makes more sense to look at the “net for” category. There’s nothing they can do about “net against”; the umpire called a ball and the catcher, or occasionally the pitcher, said no. Short of swinging at it anyways, Detroit has no way to prevent that. Their 1.3 “net against” challenges ranks 18th in baseball, but really, it speaks to Padres’ catchers not getting the call on 2 pitches in the zone. Only one of their “net against” challenges got overturned into a strikeout, which is good. Hitters really shouldn’t be swinging at pitches that could have been challenged unless there’s 2 strikes.
Far more interesting to me is the “net for” category; this is what Detroit can control. These are pitches called strikes and Tigers’ batters requested review. Here they rate much more positively: 2.3 net overturns more than expected, 9th in the league. Detroit’s mostly succeeding here by challenging pitches very close to the zone and getting them right, which has outweighed some decently large misses. The picture below shows all 9 of Detroit’s offensive challenges so far. The green circles are challenges they won and got overturned, while they lost the gray ones.
The highlight here is Kerry Carpenter challenging that really close green one with 2 strikes, which flipped a strikeout on a pitch that was listed as “less than 0.1 inches” off the plate. Carpenter capitalized by walking on the next pitch, which must have felt good. Unfortunately, he didn’t end up scoring, which would have been the best outcome, but it’s still best practice to flip a strikeout the other way whenever possible.
My main takeaway here is Detroit probably stands to benefit from challenging a little more. They seem to be saving challenges for leverage situations, which is smart, but are probably leaving some obvious overturns on the table to try and save them for bigger opportunities later. If you combine their “net for” and “net against” scores, the Tigers’ hitters rank 15th in baseball. They aren’t taking many more chances than the median team, nor are they succeeding too much more than the median team.
Defensive Challenges
The exact same scenarios play out for defensive challenges, but in reverse. “Net overturns for” are when the Tigers are pitching and their catchers call for a challenge, while “net overturns against” means an opposing batter initiated the challenge.
The “net against” category means a little more here than with the hitters since how a catcher frames the pitch can fool both the umpire and the batter. The Tigers are 12th here at 0.1 “net overturns against more than average”. Basically, opposing hitters aren’t doing anything unexpected with their challenges versus Detroit. Interestingly, all four challenge attempts have come with Jake Rogers behind the plate.
“Net overturns for” is where Detroit – and really, Dillon Dingler – stands out. The team as a whole is 4/4 on defensive challenges; only the New York Yankees match their 100% success rate. Again, only having four defensive challenges is probably too few (it’s less than 1 per game), but hitting on all four is impressive. Furthermore, only 1 has been a gimme. That was Rogers against the Diamondbacks, and it stands out in the picture below. The other three on the edges were all Dingler.
Those three calls are certainly not gimme challenges. Considering how much a catcher has on his plate with pitch calling, the pitch com, and managing base runners, knowing the corner of a pitch’s trajectory clipped the zone on its way through is very impressive. The most impactful was a corrected strikeout on Fernando Tatis Jr on the pitch closest to the edge of those four.
Basically, add this to a list of things Dingler does very, very well, at least early in the season. A year after earning the AL Gold Glove as a catcher, Dingler’s already showing a new dimension to his defensive capabilities. Presumably his two years of experience with ABS in Toledo give him a leg up on most of his veteran MLB peers, and his overall framing skills handle the rest. So far, he’s rated at having saved the Tigers 0.8 runs in challenges through 7 games, third most in the league. Additionally, with Dingler leading the charge, the Tigers’ defense rates 4th with 3.8 total overturns above average. This really is a team built on pitching and defense.
On the whole, Detroit is 6th in all of baseball with 4.9 total overturns above average. The majority of that value comes from their exceptional catchers, while the offense is mostly just holding serve. The only way to improve would likely be challenging less conservatively in general, as both halves of the team are at an above-average success rate. Similarly to baserunning, risking a few bad calls is likely the price of correctly challenging a whole let more. Teams are surely still experimenting with the best challenge strategies, and we have little idea yet how sticky a skill this will turn out to be for catchers and hitters, but a more aggressive approach that doesn’t quite breach into recklessness seems like the right path.
Ian Happ
Aaron Judge
Yordan Alvarez
