Normally this is a series that we update after the draft, and then again upon the end of the season. Well, you have to stay hip to the trends and with several outlets already updating their top 30 lists after a full month of the season, we wanted to make sure we provided you with the same kind of content here. So without further ado, here’s a look at the Braves new look top 30.

1. Didier Fuentes – RHP

2026 Stats: 3-0, 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 24 K, 7 BB in 19.2 IP (Atlanta), 1-1, 2.16 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 20 K, 6 BB in 16.2 IP (Triple-A)

Reasoning: Fuentes ceiling, combined with the fact that he has been having success in the big leagues already gave him a strong case for taking the top spot in the system.

2. Cam Caminiti – LHP

2026 Stats: 1-2, 5.19 ERA, 1.38 ERA, 43 K, 18 BB in 43.1 IP

Reasoning: Cam stays near the top with his now six pitch mix (four-seam, two-seam, cutter, sweeper, splitter, changeup), but falls to 2 only because of the continued improved command by Didier Fuentes.

3. JR Ritchie – RHP

2026 Stats: 1-1, 4.56 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 21 K, 16 BB in 25.2 IP (Atlanta), 3-1, 1.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 31 K, 16 BB in 33 IP (Triple-A)

Reasoning: Ritchie drops a spot mostly because of the emergence of Fuentes on the big league level, rather than anything Ritchie has done wrong. He should still at least be a competent #4 starter.

4. Eric Hartman – OF

2026 Stats: .302/.384/.623, 11 2B, 3B, 13 HR, 34 RBI, 16-19 SB, 19 BB, 43 K, 185 PA (High-A)

Reasoning: Eric surges 20 spots because of his continued production with his hit tool, continued patience at the plate, and BOOMING power. Not only is the production at the plate impressive, the process behind the production is strong as well.

5. John Gil – SS

2026 Stats: .264/.374/.434, 6 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 23-26 SB, 29 BB, 37 K, 196 PA (High-A)

Reasoning: Gil’s rise is because he has shown the power spike we saw at the end of 2025 has successfully carried into this season. It’s now easier to see him becoming an impactful big leaguer as opposed to the guy who hit just six homers from 2023 through July 2025.

6. Tate Southisene – INF

2026 Stats: .286/.426/.472, 5 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 33-40 SB, 33 BB, 45 K, 204 PA (Low-A)

Reasoning: Tate stays at six after a very impressive start to his season. Tate has shown a very strong hit tool to go with a great approach at the plate which has resulted in a very strong .426 OBP. He’s also shown lots of success on the field, and on the base pads.

7. Diego Tornes – OF

2026 Stats: .212/.235/.212, 0 XBH, 6-8 SB, 0 BB, 7 K, 34 PA (FCL)

Reasoning: The reason Tornes dropped two spots is more about the emergence of Hartman, Gil, and Southisene than anything he has done. His stats in his first eight games aren’t great, but we continue to hear and see good things about him and his underlying metrics.

8. Owen Murphy – RHP

2026 Stats: 2-4, 5.75 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 45 K, 29 BB in 40.2 IP (AA + AAA)

Reasoning: Owen has struggled out the gate with the command of his fastball which has led to some early season struggles. That said, his fall is mainly due to the rise of the players above him. His potential remains unchanged, with serious upside as a #3 with the improved velocity on his four-seam.

9. Briggs McKenzie – LHP

2026 Stats: 0-0, 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 5 K, 2 BB in 6.1 IP (FCL)

Reasoning: McKenzie’s two spot drop is also because others have emerged. He’s only made two FCL starts after a slight delay to his year, but he has looked pretty much as expected so far.

10. Luke Sinnard – RHP

2026 Stats: 0-2, 3.00 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 14 K, 1 BB in 12.0 IP (FCL + High-A)

Reasoning: The delayed start of the season for Luke combined with the hot starts of the positional players above him, is the reason why Luke has fallen to 10 overall. He still remains an intriguing, high-upside starting pitcher.

11. Luis Guanipa – OF

2026 Stats: .308/.351/.527, 7 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 21-24 SB, 10 BB, 21 K in 188 PA (Low-A)

Reasoning: After two lost years due to injury, Guanipa is finally healthy and producing in 2026. The power that we last saw in 2023 has returned as well.

12. Conor Essenburg – OF

2026 Stats: .196/.362/.326, 2B, 3B, HR, 7 RBI, 1-2 SB, 12 BB, 24 K in 58 PA (FCL + Low-A)

Reasoning: Conor has shown an approach well beyond his age as he’s put up quality at-bat after quality at-bat to start his career. That approach, along with his impressive EV numbers make him a very intriguing corner outfield prospect for the Braves.

13. Isaiah Drake – OF

2026 Stats: .280/.360/.451, 9 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 14-19 SB, 20 BB, 49 K in 197 PA (High-A)

Reasoning: The progress with the hit tool continues, as all three numbers in his slash line are on pace to be new career highs for a full season.

14. Alex Lodise – SS

2026 Stats: .250/.332/.413, 4 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 9-9 SB, 19 BB, 58 K in 208 PA (Low-A)

Reasoning: It’s been a bit of an up and down start for Alex who has flashed impressive power, tied first for home runs on the team, and impressive exit velocities, but has struggled to have consistent quality at bats. The defense has been as advertised.

15. Herick Hernandez – LHP

2026 Stats: 0-1, 1.83 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 29 K, 12 BB in 19.2 IP (Double-A)

Reasoning: Currently out on the IL, Hernandez has shown that he can keep missing bats in his first taste of the upper minors. Command is still his biggest question mark going forward.

16. Garrett Baumann – RHP

2026 Stats: 3-3, 5.86 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 46 K, 23 BB in 43.0 IP (Double-A)

Reasoning: Garrett has struggled just a bit with his command which has seen his walk rate more than double, and his home run rate nearly double. He’s also the victim of some bad luck as his BABIP is a robust .390.

17. Dixon Williams – INF/OF

2026 Stats: .257/.374/.465, 6 2B, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 9-13 SB, 18 BB, 27 K in 101 PA (High-A)

Reasoning: All Williams has done this year is produce when he’s been on the field, despite splitting his time between first (8 games), second (7), third (2), center (6), and DH (5).

18. Ethan Bagwell – RHP

2026 Stats: 2-0, 2.20 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 42 K, 12 BB in 41.0 IP (Low-A)

Reasoning: Ethan climbs after showing a continued ability to land his fastball in the upper third to go along with a sweeper that he’s been able to locate on both sides of the plate to lefties and righties.

19. Jhancarlos Lara – RHP

2026 Stats: 1-0, 7.43 ERA, 2.55 WHIP, 18 K, 24 BB in 13.1 IP (Double-A)

Reasoning: One of the biggest drops in the system, Lara started the year out at a level lower than he finished last season and has struggled more than ever before with his command. On a positive note, he has looked much better in May than April – though he still has a 2.10 WHIP and 8 walks in 6.2 innings this month.

20. Rayven Antonio – RHP

2026 Stats: IL – Full Season

Reasoning: After a promising 2025, Rayven will miss the entire season.

21. Owen Carey – OF

2026 Stats: .267/.340/.444, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1-1 SB, 4 BB, 7 K in 50 PA (High-A)

Reasoning: The main reason for Carey’s four spot drop is that he simply hasn’t been able to play. He’s been out with injury since April 19th.

22. Michael Martinez – OF

2026 Stats: .352/.456/.722, 2 2B, 6 HR, 3-5 SB, 10 BB, 12 K in 68 PA (FCL + Low-A)

Reasoning: After tearing apart the FCL, Michal earned a promotion to Low-A Augusta where he’s put on an impressive power display.

23. Cade Kuehler – RHP

2026 Stats: 4-1, 4.31 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 34 K, 13 BB in 39.2 IP (High-A)

Reasoning: Kuehler really struggled through April, but has since been dominant. Over his last three starts he has pitched 17.1 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts. Considering he missed 2025 with injury, he may have just been shaking off the rust early in this season.

24. Raudy Reyes – RHP

2026 Stats: IL – Full Season

Reasoning: Raudy will miss the season due to Tommy John surgery.

25. Juan Mateo – INF

2026 Stats: .314/.368/.390, 4 2B, 2 3B, 8-11 SB, 9 BB, 26 K in 114 PA (Low-A)

Reasoning: Mateo, who just turned 19 within the last week, has been showing off his advanced feel for hitting against older pitching. He doesn’t walk much, and there isn’t a lot of power yet – but you can’t argue with his feel for hitting, especially when there is still plenty of time to grow into more power.

26. Cody Miller – INF

2026 Stats: .200/.292/.327, 9 2B, 4 HR, 15-18 SB, 16 BB, 60 K in 193 PA (High-A)

Reasoning: Cody is one of the biggest fallers as he’s struggled to produce at the plate with rising strikeout rates and decreased contact rates. The pressing at the plate has led him to increase his chasing, leading to a sub .300 OBP.

27. Jose Perdomo – SS

2026 Stats: 0-6 in 2 games (Low-A)

Reasoning: After two injury plagued seasons, Perdomo came into camp in the best shape the Braves have seen him since signing. Unfortunately he was injured in the second game of the season, and it is expected to cost him a lengthy stay on the IL.

28. Jose Mañon – SS

2026 Stats: N/A (DSL)

Reasoning: The biggest signing of this last signing period, Jose has yet to start his season but has been talked about quite positively by coaches.

29. Edelson Cabral – OF

2026 Stats: N/A (DSL)

Reasoning: Cabral was one of the top international signings in this year’s class for the Braves, though like Manon he hasn’t played any games yet as the DSL season hasn’t begun. Still we continue to hear very positive signs about the young outfielder.

30. Carter Holton – LHP

2026 Stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 2 BB, 6 K in 4.2 IP (FCL)

Reasoning: Carter has made a pair of rehab assignment for the FCL Braves as he returns from Tommy John surgery.

It seems like a long time ago now, but the Royals were in the playoffs as recently as 2024. They vanquished the Baltimore Orioles, setting up a matchup against the Yankees in the ALDS.

The series was quickly developing a villain for Royals fans – Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. He had a cocky attitude and was unafraid to speak his mind. He had a controversial “safe call” in Game 1 when replays showed he might have been out, drawing the ire of Royals fans. Following a Game 2 win for Kansas City, Chisholm fanned those flames by calling the Royals “lucky.”

“It still feels the same, that we’re going to win it. I don’t feel like anybody feels any different. We’re going to go out there and do our thing still, we still don’t feel like any team is better than us. We had a lot of missed opportunities tonight, so they just got lucky.”

Still, the Royals were heading back to Kansas City with a chance to take the series at home and shut Chisholm up for good. Instead, the Yankees took the next two games to advance to the ALCS. A tough series, but the Royals looked like they were the young guns on the rise.

The Royals traveled back to New York the next April and were promptly swept. When the Yankees came to town that June, and Chisholm was still beefing with Royals infielder Maikel Garcia, who had drawn ire from the Yankees in the 2024 ALDS for an aggressive slide. It didn’t matter. The Royals still lost. Again and again. In six games against the Yankees in 2025, the Royals lost all six, scoring a total of 11 runs.

In 2026, there has not even been an illusion that the Royals are on the same level as the Yankees. Kansas City has stumbled out of the gate, including a three-game sweep in the Bronx where the Yankees outscored them 24-6. The beatings continued this week in Kansas City with a devastating ninth inning loss on Monday, and a shellacking on Tuesday that was effectively decided just as fans were getting comfortable in their seats.

So if you’re counting at home, the Royals have lost 13 games in a row to the New York Yankees. That is the worst stretch by any Royals team against their pinstriped enemies – the previous record was a 12-game losing streak by the 1997-98 Royals.

That’s right, no other Royals team has been as thoroughly dominated by the Yankees as this team.

Not the expansion franchise when it was first getting started with a collection of castoffs from around the league.

Not the up-and-coming Royals when they took on George Steinbrenner’s high-priced collection of free agents like Reggie Jackson.

Not the late-90s Royals, adrift without an owner, facing one of the greatest Yankees dynasties ever assembled.

Not even the slap-hitting clubs under Trey Hillman with Kyle Davies on the mound did this.

This team.

They’ve lost close games and blowouts. They’ve lost with Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Cole Ragans, and Kris Bubic on the mound. They’ve certainly lost with Bailey Falter on the mound (dear lord what were they thinking putting him out there?)

Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Ben Rice have each hit four home runs during this streak – Chisholm has hit two. The Royals are hitting .177 as a team over those 13 games. Maikel Garcia is hitting .106. Kyle Isbel is hitting .083. Isaac Collins has yet to get a hit in 13 tries.

The 2024 Royals did not feel like a fluke at the time. Even in defeat, the Royals looked like they belonged on that field. They had a superstar MVP candidate, a great pitching staff, some rising stars, and seemed like a team that would pay their dues that year, but use it to fuel them for deeper runs in subsequent years.

Now, less than two years later, the gap feels wider instead of narrower.

Sure, the Yankees have gotten better. They’ve spent more. But the Royals were supposed to have gotten better too. They’re spending a near-club record $140 million on payroll this year.

The most concerning part isn’t that the Royals keep losing to the Yankees. The Yankees are one of the best teams in baseball. Plenty of clubs lose to them.

It’s that the matchup has become so predictable.

The Yankees patiently wait for a hittable pitch. The Royals do not.

The Yankees hit mistakes over the wall. The Royals do not.

The Yankees turn a baserunner into a crooked number. The Royals turn baserunners into stranded runners.

The Yankees punish thin margins. The Royals have to play perfectly just to stay close.

In October 2024, the Royals looked like a young club knocking on the door. In May 2026, they look like a joke. They will have to spend the rest of this season proving the 2024 season wasn’t just dumb luck.

Diamondbacks News

Marte Stays Hot, Diamondbacks Fell Giants
Ketel Marte hit the farthest home run at Oracle Park this season during the seventh inning on Tuesday, as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-5.

Arenado Exits Game with Groin Issue
Arizona’s fandom will be holding its collective breath that this is a nothing burger issue.

Eduardo Rodriguez’s Odd Start
E-Rod’s latest start was a gritty quality start that he managed to pull off despite not having his best stuff. But, when he needed to make the big pitches, he did. This is the E-Rod of old, the one that Arizona thought they were signing a few winters ago.

Brandon Pfaadt Could Become Valuable Bullpen Arm
As starters are going deeper into starts and some arms are nearing return, it is going to be important to find Pfaadt’s best role, sooner rather than later.

Other Baseball News

How are the Giants Walking this Rarely?
If they could wait at least one more game before figuring it out, that sure would be nice.

Travis Kelce Purchases Minority Stake in Guardians
After making over $111 million in his playing career with the Chiefs, Travis Kelce is investing in professional sports clubs.

As Labor Fight Looms, Success of Some Division Leaders Is Creating Intriguing Trade Deadline
Ken Rosenthal takes an early look at what is shaping up to be an unprecedented trade deadline.

Chase Burns has been a revelation for the Cincinnati Reds this season, the former #2 overall draft pick emerging as a legitimate rotation-carrying ace during the first third of the season. Andrew Abbott, an All Star in 2025, has turned the corner after a rough start and once again looks a more-than-competent mid-rotation arm. Even Nick Lodolo looks potentially back to form after his 6.0 IP of ER ball against the New York Mets to start this week.

Still, this Reds rotation revolves around Hunter Greene, even though he’s been sidelined all season after needing cleanup surgery in his prized right elbow right before the start of the 2026 season. Ever since going under the knife, it’s been expected that he would return to the Reds at some point in July, and yesterday he took the first huge on-mound step towards making that a reality by firing his first bullpen session.

Greene posted some footage on his Instagram page, which the Reds later relayed on Twitter.

Despite the ‘knowns’ I laid out in the opening paragraph about Cincinnati’s starting rotation, several pertinent caveats need to be added to them.

For one – as the Reds TV crew began to dive into during last night’s start against the Mets – is that Burns is going to run smack into an innings limit at some point this year. He threw just 66.0 IP last year and only topped out at 100 IP during the 2024 season with Wake Forest, and he’s already thrown 64.1 IP so far this season. Finding a way to keep him from throwing 160, 170, 180 IP and still being able to contribute down the stretch for the Reds this year will take some serious rotation juggling at some point, and Greene’s return in July could help throttle that in a way where Burns is still a rotation option in September.

The Reds will also ultimately get to play that game with Rhett Lowder, who is nearing a return soon from his shoulder clicking after missing almost the entire 2025 season with other injury issues, too. How they work him back in, throttle Burns a bit, add Greene back in, and decide what to do with pending free agent Brady Singer amid his struggles will be quite the job for Derek Johnson and Tito Francona, but having too many healthy arms is a problem any management would kill for during the dog days of summer in a baseball season.

Anyway, Greene’s making the right kind of progress, and that’s fantastic given that there’s nary a guarantee when it comes to getting pitchers back from arm surgeries.

The most successful players in the world aren’t only successful because of their innate abilities. Sure, some of those who walk this planet can naturally throw a ball harder than others, but being able to throw a ball hard and honing the craft enough to make it to the major league level are two very different things. And that’s where coaches come in.

Every single player who has walked away with a major award at the highest level has likely had many influential coaches in their baseball lives. And there have been a handful of big names who credit Mark Connor as their guiding light.

Mark Peter Connor
Born: May 27, 1949 (Brooklyn, NY)
Yankees Tenure: 1984-87, 1990-93 (all as coach)

Connor was born in Brooklyn and played college baseball at both Belmont Abbey College and Manhattan University. He was a right-handed pitcher and ended up drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 22nd round of the 1971 MLB Draft out of Manhattan. He would only play two pro seasons, the first with the Low-A Auburn Twins in 1971 and the second with the Low-A Wisconsin Rapids Twins in 1972. He was primarily used as a reliever, pitching in 20 games (and starting only three) with a 4-5 record in 1971, finishing with a 2.78 ERA. His second season saw him post a 3.83 ERA and a 3-3 record in 32 games with zero starts.

The major drop-off in ERA from one year to another was caused by a brutal injury to Connor’s pitching shoulder in that first season with Auburn. In a future interview with Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) during his time with the Baltimore Orioles, he talked about having completely blown out his shoulder and having to take lots of painkillers and medicine to try to ease the inflammation.

However, he also spoke about that injury sparking a desire in his brain to figure out why he got hurt and how improving pitching mechanics can help prevent injuries.

And thus, Connor’s future in baseball was decided: his time would be spent in the dugout, the bullpen, and in the clubhouse as a scout and pitching coach.

Following the end of his playing career, Connor headed to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville not just to earn his Master’s Degree, but also to be the Volunteers’ pitching coach under manager Bill Wright. He was a member of the staff from 1974 to 1978 and saw four seasons of success with the team going 29-15 (1974), 32-16 (1975), 33-17 (1976), 24-24-1 (1977), and 25-21 in 1978. And following his time in Knoxville, he received a call to come help a major league squad — the New York Yankees.

Connor didn’t automatically start with the big club. Instead, he was brought in to be a scout in 1979 and worked his way into the pitching realm with the Yankees’ minor league teams the following seasons. He first worked with the Greensboro Hornets from 1980 to 1982, where he threw batting practice to a crop of hopefully-future Yankees players. One of those hopefuls who became a legend in his own right within the organization, Don Mattingly, was with Connor as he moved up the minor league ranks from Greensboro to Columbus with the Clippers in 1983. He even gave Connor his nickname, “Goose,” as Connor would serve up batting practice to the left-handed hitters on the team, and they would be smashed into the street called “Goose Creek” over the fence.

Connor started in 1984 with the Clippers, but was promoted to pitching coach for the Yankees on June 18th after the firing of Sammy Ellis, marking the first time he worked with a major league squad. He would be working alongside Jeff Torborg and under manager Yogi Berra, becoming the 20th pitching coach that George Steinbrenner had in his 12 years (to that point) as the club’s owner.

Until August of 1985, Connor was with the Yankees, but he was soon demoted to the Fort Lauderdale Yankees, where he also served as pitching coach. That demotion was temporary as he returned to the Yankees in May 1986 as the team’s pitching coach, holding the position through the 1987 season. Such was the turbulent life under Steinbrenner at the peak of his meddling days.

Through his first few seasons, Connor worked with the likes of Ron Guidry, Phil Niekro, and Dave Righetti, and with Tommy John at the end of his career. John was one of the players who said he owed a lot to Connor’s brain and understanding of the pitching motion, mentioning in his book “T.J.: My Twenty-Six Years in Baseball” that because of what Connor did for his motion, it added multiple seasons to the end of his career.

“He knew what to look for in my motion and had an intuitive understanding of the way I threw the baseball.” – Tommy John

Connor eventually returned to Tennessee to become the head coach of the Volunteers program in 1988 and 1989. His tenure as manager, though, did not yield great results, as he finished with a 44-65 record and finished in ninth and 10th in the SEC, respectively.

Following his return to college and a less-than-ideal time as head of a program, Connor found himself back in the Bronx first as a bullpen coach in 1990, then as the pitching coach in 1991 and 1992, and back to the bullpen coach in 1993. He played a role in a bit of notable Yankees history as well, advising Jim Abbott on September 4, 1993 to “work the outside more and mix in breaking pitches” since his velocity had been lacking of late. The southpaw had been rocked in his last start by the burgeoning Cleveland offense. This time around, he no-hit them.

However, following the 1993 season, just before the Yankees’ dynasty was to begin in the late 90s, the team decided not to renew Connor’s contract, and his time in the Bronx ended. Connor spent the rest of his career elsewhere.

The rest of Connor’s career was linked to another key player in Yankees history — Buck Showalter — whom he met first in Triple-A Columbus when Showalter was in his late-20s. Connor coached under him in 1992 and 1993 with New York as the Yankees slowly resurrected themselves from their early-’90s nadir before a staff overhaul by Steinbrenner that led to Connor’s dismissal.

In 1996 and 1997, Connor was the pitching coordinator for the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks, who had hired Showalter as their future manager when Steinbrenner forced him out of New York as well. Connor assisted Showalter and company with the 1997 expansion draft that birthed the first D’Backs roster, and continued to help with scouting duties during that period before becoming the big-league pitching coach from 1998 to 2000 under Buck. And while a 65-97 season in 1998 wasn’t an ideal start to his time as pitching coach, the 1999 season proved worth it for Connor, as he helped lead a staff anchored by the Big Unit Randy Johnson, who won back-to-back National League Cy Young Awards under Connor’s tutelage in 1999 and 2000.

Showalter and Connor were let go after a disappointing 2000 season following their National League West title in 1999, and while Showalter had a couple of years off, Connor went north of the American border to Toronto and coached the Blue Jays in 2001 and for the early part of the 2002 season. His stint with the Blue Jays did not last past June, as he submitted his resignation following the firing of manager Buck Martinez.

Then, when Showalter returned to the top step of the dugout, this time in Arlington with the Texas Rangers, he came calling to his old friend Connor, and he took the job down south as the bullpen coach from 2003 to 2005, and then served as the pitching coach in 2006 before Showalter was, once again, fired by management after a disappointing season and four straight years of no playoffs. While Showalter was on his way out, the new manager, Ron Washington, decided that Connor was worth keeping around, given his previous work. He remained the pitching coach for Texas until 2o08, when he was fired, but he didn’t leave the organization until 2010, staying with them as a Player Development Consultant.

Connor’s final stop on a major league coaching staff came under Showalter in Baltimore in 2011. But his tenure there was short-lived, as he resigned from his position as pitching coach for personal reasons, a move the Orioles brass was not aware of until it happened. Three months following the surprise departure, he was rehired by the Rangers as a Special Advisor to Baseball Operations and also served as their Minor League Special Assistant for Pitching from 2012 to 2018.

Mark Connor lived and breathed baseball, and he lived and breathed pitching. He worked with so many influential hurlers in his time as a bullpen coach and pitching coach for multiple organizations, and while he wasn’t with the Yankees during the glory years of the late ’90s, he still had a part to play in the team’s development to success. Happy birthday, Mark!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

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The New York Yankees will look to extend one of the longest head-to-head win streaks in MLB with a sweep of the Kansas City Royals.

A win yesterday gave the Yankees their 13th straight win over K.C. Can they make it 14? I think so. Noah Cameron has struggled to miss barrels, while Gerrit Cole’s early return indicators are far more stable than the surface sample suggests.

Here are my Yankees vs Royalspredictions and MLB picks for Wednesday, May 27.

Who will win Yankees vs Royals today: Yankees (-149)

Hey, look, it's a starting pitcher facing the New York Yankees with a hard-hit issue, and I'm backing the Bronx Bombers. I'd play this rather comfortably to -165.

Noah Cameron’s contact issues are poorly aligned here. Cameron has allowed a 49%+ hard-hit rate and 10%+  barrel rate, while New York has been dangerous against left-handed pitching with a .476 SLG and 128 wRC+.

On the other side is Gerrit Cole. Turns out he's still pretty good! While you can't take much away from what he's done this season, his 2.53 expected ERA is enough validation that he'll have a sizable edge here.

COVERS INTEL: The Yankees own an 11.3% walk rate against southpaws this season.

Yankees vs Royals Over/Under pick: Under 9 (-120)

The Under works if Cole handles the Kansas City Royals' contact-heavy lineup. 

Kansas City does not strike out much against righties, but Cole’s current profile is less about pure strikeouts and more about limiting damage.

That directly attacks Kansas City’s issue: the Royals have a team barrel rate of just 8%.

This is an angle we've hit on throughout the series. The Royals' path to scoring is stringing together multiple hits, and the quality of pitchers that New York has thrown out haven't allowed that to happen.

This isn’t a huge edge, though, and I’d play to -130.

Yankees vs Royals odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -155 | Royals +125
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 | Royals +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 9 | Under 9

Yankees vs Royals trend

The Kansas City Royals have hit the Team Total Under in 10 of their last 13 games (+6.95 Units / 45% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Royals.

How to watch Yankees vs Royals and game info

Yankees vs Royals latest injuries

Yankees vs Royals weather

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The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox have split the first two of their three-game set and will play the series finale at Rate Field on Wednesday, May 27.

My top Twins vs. White Sox predictions and MLB picks are calling for Chicago to win a high-scoring Game 3 tonight. 

Who will win Twins vs White Sox today: White Sox moneyline (-111)

The Chicago White Sox rank fifth in wOBA against left-handed starters this season and second in overall xwOBA while averaging 4.9 runs per game in May.

Chicago righty Davis Martin is also dealing and sports an elite 2.04 ERA and 1.02 WHIP backed by a high-end 2.85 xFIP and 22.4 K-BB%.

As a result, I give the edge to the White Sox on the mound and at the dish.

The Minnesota Twins are countering with lefty Connor Prielipp, and in addition to him coming off his worst start of the season, the rookie’s 4.03 ERA and 4.34 xFIP are run-of-the-mill marks.

I’d back Pale Hose to -125.

COVERS INTEL: My support for the Chicago moneyline is strengthened by starter Davis Martin holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .569 OPS and .261 wOBA while posting a 2.76 xFIP at Rate Field this season.

Twins vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-115)

Both the Twins and White Sox have trended to the Over, and in addition to the highlighted strength of the Chicago lineup against lefties, Minnesota is also rolling.

The Twins have won seven of their past nine games with a solid .325 wOBA and an average of 4.4 runs per game, so I’m anticipating them chipping in enough to send this total Over the number.

Additionally, the Chicago bullpen ranks 25th in xFIP while allowing the second-highest squared-up contact rate in baseball, and the White Sox have tasked their relievers with 21 innings across the past five games.

This Over is in play until -125, and I’d also bet the Over 8.0 at +100.

Twins vs White Sox odds

• Moneyline: Twins +100 | White Sox -120
• Run line: Twins -1.5 (+155) | White Sox +1.5 (-210)
• Over/Under: Over 8.0 (+100) | Under 8.0 (-120)

Twins vs White Sox trend

The Minnesota Twins have hit the Over in 23 of their last 40 games (+7.55 Units / 17% ROI), and the Chicago White Sox have played to the Over in 11 of their last 14 games (+8.95 Units / 59% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. White Sox.

How to watch Twins vs White Sox and game info

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The Rays surprised the baseball world by signing likely future Hall of Fame pitcher Craig Kimbrel, adding a veteran presence to the bullpen well ahead of any forced move at the trade deadline, but with a similar effect.

Kimbrel joins his 11th professional team in Tampa Bay, having been designated by the Mets after allowing 10 runs in 15 innings, despite league average strikeout and walk rates through the first two months. He’d joined the Mets on a minor league deal that paid $2.5 million once he made the roster out of camp.

For Kimbrel, going from a last place team to one of the American League’s best, with a reputation for getting the most out of pitchers in the last years of their career, must be a boon. For the Rays, they gain a veteran presence with playoff experience. It’s hard to see the addition as anything other than a win-win.

Kimbrel isn’t what he once in his age-38 season, but his fastball is as lively as it’s been in years — getting used 75% of the time — and we can trust the Rays will have some keen ideas on how to get the most of out his secondary pitches. It also helps that Kimbrel has an ability to go multiple innings as well, having faced 10 batters in his final appearance for the Mets.

A gamer, Kimbrel showed up to the Rays bullpen in Baltimore…

And went straight into an ugly game to help his new crew get through the night, picking up two strikeouts — including one on the slider.

Here is the Rays press release on signing Kimbrel:

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed right-handed pitcher Craig Kimbrel to a major league contract. To make room on the active roster, right-handed pitcher Jesse Scholtens was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right wrist strain. The club’s 40-man roster is now at 40 players.

A nine-time All-Star, 2018 World Series champion, and 2011 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year, the 37-year-old Kimbrel went 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA (15.0IP, 10ER), 15 strikeouts, six walks, and a 1.47 WHIP over 14 appearances with the Mets this season before being designated for assignment on May 22 and becoming a free agent on May 25. He signed a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training on Jan. 29 and was selected to New York-NL’s major league roster on April 11.

Kimbrel has gone 56-50 with a 2.65 ERA (836.2IP, 246ER), 1,297 strikeouts, 352 walks, 440 saves, 30 holds, and a 1.03 WHIP over 865 career appearances spanning 17 seasons with the Mets (2026), Astros (2025), Braves (2025, 2010-14), Orioles (2024), Phillies (2023), Dodgers (2022), White Sox (2021), Cubs (2019-21), Red Sox (2016-18), and Padres (2015).

The right-hander’s nine career All-Star selections are tied with Rich Gossage for second most in major league history by a reliever, trailing only Mariano Rivera’s 13. He was tabbed as the Mariano Rivera American League (AL) Reliever of the Year in 2017 and earned inaugural Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Years honors in 2014. Kimbrel, who made four relief appearances for Team USA at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, was voted the sixth relief pitcher to earn NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2011, becoming the 10th player to unanimously win the award, after setting a major league rookie record with 46 saves. He debuted with the Braves in 2010 and made four consecutive All-Star appearances over his first four full seasons (2011-14), finishing among the top 10 in NL Cy Young Award voting following each of those campaigns.

Kimbrel’s 440 career saves are second most among active pitchers behind Detroit’s Kenley Jansen (483) and fifth most by any pitcher since saves became an official statistic in 1969, also trailing Hall of Famers Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), and Lee Smith (478). He recorded four consecutive 40-save seasons from 2011-14, tying the majors’ longest streak since 1969 (fourth time), a record he shares with Hoffman (two times: 1998–2001, 2004-07) and Francisco Rodríguez (2005-08). Kimbrel has recorded 12 seasons with 20 saves or more, tied with Billy Wagner for fifth most in the majors since 1969, trailing Rivera (16), Hoffman (15), Jansen (13), and Smith (13).

His 1,297 career strikeouts are tied with Jansen for second most among active relievers behind Boston’s Aroldis Chapman (1,354) and are tied fourth most by a relief pitcher in the modern era (since 1900), also behind Hall of Famers Hoyt Wilhem (1,363) and Gossage (1,340). Kimbrel’s seven seasons with 95 strikeouts or more in relief are tied with Chapman for the most in major league history.

The Huntsville, Ala. native was selected by the Braves in the 2008 (third round) and 2007 (33rd round) First-Year Player Drafts out of Wallace State (Ala.) Community College. At 37 years, 363 days, Kimbrel would become the oldest pitcher to appear for the Rays since Rich Hill (41.129) on July 18, 2021 at Atlanta.

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Prior to Tuesday’s 10-7 win, the Rangers had lost four in a row, getting swept in Anaheim and then no hit by the Houston Astros.

Texas is currently 25-29, 1.5 games back of the Athletics in the putrid A.L. West.

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