Remember yesterday, when I brought out the old line: “No team is as bad as it looks when it’s on a long losing streak”?
I dunno. Maybe I’m wrong about that. The Cubs sure looked that bad in losing to the Brewers 5-0 Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field, being swept by their division rivals and now on a five-game losing streak.
The Brewers both dominated the Cubs pitching-wise and schooled them in several aspects of the game.
Edward Cabrera got out of the first inning scoreless despite allowing two hits. Nico Hoerner then led off the bottom of the first with a double.
I mean, I really could just stop this recap right there because the rest of the game was all Brewers and not Cubs. The thing about Nico’s double is — he took a really wide turn around second, thinking “triple,” but then had to quickly scoot back to first. I guess he really wanted third base because then he tried to advance on a medium-deep fly ball to left-center.
I dunno. (I think I’ve said that before.) I’m obviously not in Pete Crow-Armstrong’s head and have no idea what’s on his mind or what he was thinking there, but something is clearly off with him. If it’s still the incident with the Sox fan, well, that’s in the past and gotta move on from it. PCA always wears his heart on his sleeve and his intensity level is something we don’t see from too many players. Often, that intensity serves him well. Recently, it has not. Honestly, given everything that’s happened to him this year, maybe Craig Counsell should have given him Wednesday off, which would have given him two full days (with today’s off day) for a reset.
If Joe Maddon were managing this team, I think he’d tell PCA to take the off day and not think about baseball at all.
Anyway, that play made it 3-0 Brewers, and you’re thinking this is 20/20 hindsight but honestly my first thought after that play was, “This game is over.”
And it was. The Cubs had just three more baserunners the entire game — walks to Seiya Suzuki in the second and Michael Busch in the eighth, and a single by Alex Bregman in the seventh. Busch was erased on a double play, and that along with the DP on Nico in the first meant that Brewers pitchers faced just two over the minimum. Starter Kyle Harrison struck out 11 Cubs and reliever DL Hall added two K’s. It’s like the Cubs were just going through the motions after that Little League home run in the second. I’d like to hope I’m wrong about that.
Obviously, the last thing the Cubs need is another starting pitcher injury. Fortunately, blisters aren’t serious and perhaps he won’t even miss a start. Cabrera threw reasonably well; the error on PCA made all three of the runs that scored on that play unearned.
Cubs relievers, with one notable exception, threw well. Trent Thornton, Hoby Milner, Ryan Rolison and Daniel Palencia combined for 5.1 shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks, with six strikeouts.
And then there was Phil Maton, who allowed Milwaukee’s fifth run in the seventh, giving up two hits and a walk and wild-pitching in the run [VIDEO].
At this point, I’ve got to think maybe there’s some other injury to Maton that can put him on the IL again and get someone in the pen who can actually get outs. Who would that be? Here’s the Cubs’ 40-man roster, maybe you can figure it out. And I know this has become a meme but… maybe the Cubs really should stop signing former Astros relievers.
A “sad note,” as he called it when he sent it to me, about this game from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was the 305th regular-season game since 1901 in which the Cubs made two or fewer hits — one of every 64 played.
It was the 49th since July 31, 2012, the last time the Cubs made no more than two hits and committed three errors. They made one hit and three errors that day, in a 5-0 loss at home to the Pirates.
They made one hit and two errors in a 5-0 loss at home to the Dodgers on May 31, 2016.
They made two hits and two errors in losses at Washington by 4-1 and 6-1, on June 13, 2016, and June 27, 2017.
They also made two and two in a 9-0 loss to the Reds at home on May 6, 2023.
Back to that line I quoted at the top of this recap… No, of course no team is as bad as it looks during a long losing streak. We know this Cubs team is better than that. Hopefully they begin looking that way starting Friday.
Even with this losing streak and being swept, the Cubs are just 1.5 games behind the Brewers, in a virtual tie with the Cardinals for second place in the NL Central (three percentage points behind). The team will certainly enjoy this off day, their first after playing nine days in a row, and then will begin a three-game series against the Astros Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Jameson Taillon is the Cubs’ listed starter for Friday. At this time the Astros don’t have a starter listed. Game time Friday is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be on Apple TV (how to watch).
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Cameron Boozer #12 of the Duke Blue Devils takes a free throw against the UConn Huskies during the first half of a game in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Born from a basketball pedigree, Cameron Boozer is a natural-born winner. Boozer has made a case as possibly the most accomplished high school player of all time, claiming four Florida state championships, three Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) rings, two gold medals, and countless individual awards. This isn’t a coincidence; Boozer has one of the most mature, league-ready skillsets and physical frames in the 2026 NBA draft class. Although Boozer couldn’t bring home an NCAA Tournament title to Duke in this year’s March Madness, he could play a significant role on a contending team through his physicality, floor spacing, and high basketball IQ.
Boozer was cerebral, consistent, and physical in his short stint in Durham. He averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game on .556/.391/.789 shooting splits. His all-around success can be attributed to how he played at Duke. As a stretch-four playing alongside 6’11” Pat Ngongba for most of the season, Boozer was Duke’s primary offensive hub. He didn’t confine himself to any area of the court; he could be found on the block as frequently as he would be at the top of the key. His ability to read defenses and to adjust to the pace of the game helped him serve as a secondary ballhandler for Duke, and his physicality and efficient shooting made him very dangerous on screens.
Boozer is a great scorer. He isn’t just a wrecking ball in the paint; he has a deep post bag. He can finesse past opposing bigs with an array of shimmies, pump-fakes, and shuffles. Although going up against smaller, less skilled ACC defenders helped a bit, he legitimately showcased a league-ready understanding of post scoring and consistently found great looks. Additionally, his three-point shooting makes him a true floor spacer and a headache to deal with on screens, where Boozer was equally dangerous barreling down the floor or putting up a fluid, fundamentally sound jumper. Just ask Trevon Brazile and the Arkansas frontcourt.
Boozer was an above-average defender while at Duke, averaging 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. Despite the elite burst of athleticism that many of this draft class’s top prospects share, his intelligence and feel for the game extended to the other side of the ball. He keeps up active hands to disrupt passing lanes, and he’s an elite rebounder, meaning he’s more than serviceable on the defensive end. Additionally, his seven-foot wingspan allowed him to swat a couple of shots, even in the presence of the renowned shot-blocker Ngongba.
His roughly 6’9”, 250-pound frame, coupled with his playmaking instincts, efficiency, and dangerous jumper, has drawn him comparisons to Nikola Jokić. But Boozer is much smaller than Jokić, meaning he projects more like a modern-day, more athletic Kevin Love. However, Boozer’s natural athleticism is a major concern for analysts. Although he isn’t a total non-factor when it comes to vertical leap and agility—he clocked higher than AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson in several Combine agility measurements— he has looked a little sluggish when switching onto smaller guards. He doesn’t play above the rim as much as the prototypical NBA power forward does, and although he can, his vertical ability isn’t as evident as it is with Dybantsa and Wilson.
Additionally, his fit on an NBA roster would be cloudy. Boozer was one of Duke’s primary initiators on offense, running pick-and-rolls and advanced sets as a do-it-all forward. However, Boozer was largely restricted to the interior on defense, and his height makes it very hard for him to be the imposing rim protector that the prototypical NBA center is. He looked really uncertain switching onto guards throughout the season, and it proved difficult for him to bang around with college’s larger centers like UNC’s Henri Veesaar and Michigan’s Aday Mara. His relatively slow feet play a large part in this, and his ability to deal with smaller wings on the perimeter and larger, agile bigs inside is a legitimate concern. Thus, it’s hard to see him making the same disruptive impact he had on opposing defenses in college without drastically improving his perimeter defense to match up against other stretch forwards.
Although Milwaukee’s chances of selecting Boozer are very, very slim, he’ll still be an exciting player to watch elsewhere in the league.
Who would you want to pick with the fourth pick in the NBA Draft? Vote in our community draft board below!
OAKLAND - FEBRUARY 12: Vince Carter #15 of the Toronto Raptors dunks the ball during the 2000 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest at The Arena In Oakland on February 12, 2000 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2000 (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Arguably the biggest story in sports in recent days came in the NBA. On Monday night, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. A large reason — literally and figuratively — for the victory was San Antonio’s star Victor Wembanyama. The man known “Wemby” scored 41 points and grabbed 24 rebounds, also making a game-tying three to send it to double overtime, where the Spurs came away with the win.
Just by looking at him, you would be able to tell that Wembanyama in a freak of nature, which I mean in the positive sense. The man is 7’4”. Then you watch him actually play, and he’s even crazier. Most players with his massively tall but slender build tended to be of the “stiff” variety who mainly made it because they’re just taller than everyone else. However, Wembanyama can do all sorts of basketball things that should be impossible for someone his size.
Watching him dominate action the other night got me thinking: who are the biggest freaks of nature you’ve seen in your years watching North Carolina Tar Heels’ sports?
There’s probably going to be a couple popular choices here, including one Julius Peppers. For one, Peppers just played two sports in general, and was at least a contributor in both. Peppers was obviously better on the football field, where he went on to be a top NFL Draft pick and had a career that got him inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
However, Peppers was also a very handy basketball player. He played on the Tar Heels’ basketball team in the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons. In the first of those, he helped Carolina go on an unexpected run to the Final Four, averaging 4.5 poings and 3.5 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game.
Also, just look at this man, they made one of those.
However, my own personal choice is someone who played solely on the basketball court, but also doesn’t require much explanation.
I came of a sports-watching age in the late 1990s into the early 2000s. At that time, there was no basketball player cooler for a kid than Vince Carter. Part of that was that he played for a pro team with a name would appeal to a child on the Toronto Raptors, with fun jerseys. (He also played for a college team that had awesome jerseys.) Oh, and there was also the dunks.
I personally chose the #15 to wear in basketball for my grade school team — who had light blue jerseys, it should be said — just because of Vince. He was so cool. (I mean, he probably still is, he just was then too.)
What about you, who do you think the biggest freak of nature you ever saw play at UNC was?
DALLAS, TX - MAY 5: Masai Ujiri talks to the media during an introductory press conference on May 5, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Before the Dallas Mavericks announced the hiring of team president Masai Ujiri, very little had been reported on the search. Every couple months between the November firing of Nico Harrison and this month’s hiring, there would be a sprinkle of insight into team governor Patrick Dumont’s thinking. The team made it clear that they would let the season play out, that the interim leadership would be considered, and a shortlist of recognizable industry names were sought after. And while Ujiri’s name floated in that reporting, traction on that or others remained silent.
Looking at that candidate list one could gather that Dumont was most interested in flashy names, some even completely unattainable. Forgive me if I read that reporting and felt past traumas of Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson-led free agency strategy of aiming for whichever top tier target existed only to strike out and keep the powder dry.
Even more surprising was the announcement days later that Ujiri had named draft expert and former Portland Trail Blazers assistant general manager Mike Schmitz as team general manager. With these hirings and the skillsets each leader brings, the organization has found experience and balance that the team hasn’t had in quite some time.
Their first task is finding a new head coach to lead them into this new Mavericks era, after Tuesday’s announcement that the team had mutually parted ways with Jason Kidd. This important next step officially initiates the Ujiri-Schmitz era — one that hopefully allows the pair to install a new vision around Cooper Flagg.
The last 24 months at Mavs HQ has been anything but calm. Few pro franchises, in any sport, have experienced the emotional highs and personal devastation in such short, public order. Dumont has faced such a steep learning curve since taking over in January 2024, with a rapid fire sequence of mistakes across 2025 that required extreme damage control.
Before that damage was done Dumont seemed content for the operational leader — at the time, Nico Harrison — to run the team as he saw fit. And boy did he. With Tuesday’s decision, and the press conference on Wednesday where Ujiri made clear that the decision to move on from Kidd was his alone, it underlines that Dumont is handing the keys over to Ujiri to the run the team as well. The difference between the former leader and this one, is a wealth of experience and a stable presence that the team sorely missed in the Harrison era.
In Wednesday’s presser Ujiri spoke of a “new slate” and a unified direction with all leaders to build under the same shared vision. That vision starts with Schmitz, who steps into the role for the first time, with his previous stint in Portland after making his name in global NBA draft scouting. And their relationship has been in depth and unified.
“I’ve worked with him how many years in this league, scouring, scouting the whole world. Whether it’s in Uganda, Russia, Serbia, or South America — we’ve been all over the world together,” Ujiri shared about his relationship with press Wednesday. “You see the basketball mind, you see the strategy, you see the people relationships, you see the respect for an organization. And you see the focus on winning. And the focus on direction.”
In the few short weeks Ujiri has been at the helm, and the even fewer times he’s spoken publicly, it’s clear that he brings clarity and intention in the way he communicates. He speaks with an authority and integrity that quite frankly the organization has lacked. And while their could be questions about how tapped in he still is with an ever-evolving league landscape after a slow fade in Toronto, the addition of Schmitz effectively balances his potential gaps with a young, development forward, general manager who has a deep global knowledge of the game. They will compliment each other in leading this team.
Now they’ll be on the lookout for the final leadership piece. Ujiri didn’t elaborate much on who he’ll be looking for to lead their bench. He clarified that he hasn’t yet spoken to any candidate directly, but will take an aggressive approach to finding the right match, as they align the team to Cooper Flagg’s timeline. It’s worth unpacking that the other two times he’s hired a head coach, both did not previously have NBA head coaching experience — something he acknowledged on Wednesday, but said it was out of circumstance. He will leave no stone unturned in finding the right match. And with the draft nearly a month away, expect that to progress quickly.
May 20, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game two of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Honestly, the fact that San Antonio lost ranks fourth or fifth on my list of most troubling facts about last night’s game. By far the most serious issue is Dylan Harper’s injury, as he has been absolutely essential in this playoff run and clearly the second-best Spur in the series so far. The second most vexing problem has been San Antonio’s proclivity for turnovers, especially since many of them were unforced and they unequivocally cost the Spurs the game. In any case, one silver lining is that last night’s box score is unusual and interesting in several ways, so let’s dive in:
Note: Now that we’ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of May 20, 2026, this group include 1,193 games.
Factors that decided the game
For as complicated and messy as the game appeared to be at times, the key issues deciding the game are actually quite clear.
First, San Antonio’s shooting efficiency surpassed OKC’s (albeit by tiny-to-modest margins) from everywhere; in fact, in recent NBA history it has been quite rare for a team to win a playoff game with the FG%, 3P%, and FT% margins that the Thunder had (more on that below).
Furthermore, OKC didn’t enjoy any notable advantage in rebounding; they did record one more offensive board, but San Antonio won the defensive glass by five (largely because the Thunder took more shots).
Quite simply, the Spurs’ turnovers were devastating. Because OKC had 11 fewer giveaways, they had more opportunities to score, both from the field and at the free throw line. Most importantly, the Thunder enjoyed a FGA margin of +10, which allowed them to make four more shots despite having a lower FG%.
On top of their advantage from the field, OKC had a FTA margin of +7, partly because of a terrible rash of fouls by the Spurs in the fourth quarter. This allowed the Thunder to extend their lead by four points from the charity stripe despite having a lower FT%.
Rare Box Score Stats
Let’s start with team stats from the graded box score. Everything mentioned in this section captures the frequency of different statistical combinations in the 1,193 postseason games played since 2012-2013 (i.e., the “reference period”):
This is the 30th game in which the winning team had a turnover margin of -11 or better.
Given such a favorable turnover margin, it’s actually a bit shocking that OKC didn’t win in a blowout. In fact, they became just the eighth winner with a turnover margin of -11 or better and a point differential no greater than +9.
San Antonio became just the eighth loser to log FG%, 3P%, and FT% values at least as good as 48.81%, 40%, and 88.24%, respectively.
There were A LOT of offensive rebounds in this game, with 16 for the Spurs and 17 for OKC. In fact, this is just the 22nd contest in the reference period in which at least 33 offensive boards were recovered (that’s about 1.76% of the 1,193 postseason games played in this period, or roughly 1-in-54).
The offensive rebounding numbers are especially surprising when you consider that both teams logged a pretty good FG%, so there weren’t a huge amount of rebounds to be had. In fact, there is just ONE other contest in the reference period in which 33+ offensive boards were recorded with both teams shooting at least 47.87% from the field. That other game was another OKC win, this time over Minnesota in Game 4 of the 2025 Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder became just the 11th winner in the reference period to log FG%, 3P%, and FT% differentials as bad or worse as -0.94, -3.89, and -9.07 percentage points, respectively.
Now let’s turn to stats for individual Spurs, which includes some good news and bad news:
Wemby recorded just the 15th instance since the 1996-1997 postseason in which a player pulled down 41+ rebounds over two consecutive playoff games (this is excluding play-in games). Available data do not capture how many times a player has done this with Isaiah Hartenstein BLATANTLY HOLDING his off arm at all times, but I assume that this number is much lower.
Sadly, Stephon Castle has become the first player across all true playoff games since 1996-1997 to run up a total of 20 turnovers over tow consecutive games. The previous high was 17, a former record shared by LeBron James and Cade Cunningham.
What are Team Graded Box Scores?
Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).
Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 31: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
While most of the focus for the offseason is going to be on the Pittsburgh Penguins pending unrestricted free agents (like, say, Evgeni Malkin) and what they do with their available salary cap space, there’s another group of players that should get some attention. It is the eight players entering the final year of their current contracts and eligible for new contracts on July 1.
Let’s take a quick look at that group and try to determine if the Penguins should try to keep them, shop them or simply let them move on.
Sidney Crosby: Extend
I’m not sure there is much more analysis needed here.
He’s still playing at a high level. He should continue to do so for at least another couple of years. As long as he wants to keep playing it’s probably a safe assumption he is here. Whether that’s a longer-term deal, year-to-year, shorter-term deals … whatever. He is here. He will be here. That is what the Penguins probably want. It is what he probably wants. Easy call.
Erik Karlsson: Shop, but consider an extension
I wouldn’t trade Karlsson just for the sake of trading him because you think that’s what you need to do in a rebuild. But I also wouldn’t completely take him off the table. You’re not doing your job if you’re not at least listening, keeping an open mind and seeing what is out there.
Especially given the lack of defensemen on the free agent market and the fact you might be able to get a really solid return for him. His value has to be sky-high right now, or at least higher than it’s been, and there will no doubt be at least some interested teams.
But … Kyle Dubas has not totally ruled out the idea of an extension, and even though he is in his mid-30s it could make sense. Defensive depth is thin, Karlsson is still a top-pairing defender and he should still have a few high-level years remaining.
Listen to offers. See what’s out there. But keep an extension on the table.
Tommy Novak: Shop/Trade
Novak is by no means a bad player. He has a role on an NHL team, and it can be a very fluid role given his versatility to play up and down the lineup, on the wing, at center, and pretty much anywhere he is needed. But like I said in his year-in-review entry, he can also be a little frustrating. He’s good, but he also lulls you into wanting a little more given his talent. His playoff showings have also left something to be desired. Plus, when his next contract begins he will be 30 years old.
I am okay paying superstars into their 30s, because even if they decline and regress they are starting from a significantly higher point and can still remain productive.
But when you start talking about second-and third-tier players, that is where contracts into their 30s start to become problematic.
Shop him and see what’s out there.
Justin Brazeau: Shop/move on
Brazeau was part of the Penguins’ highly successful 2025 offseason and exceeded everybody’s expectations by scoring 17 goals with 34 total points. He’s big. He brings some physicality. He is extremely talented for his size and always seems to be a late-bloomer at every level.
But like Novak you are talking about a non-star player in his late 20s when his next contract kicks, and it will almost certainly be a contract that goes into his 30s. This is a situation where you found some lightning in a bottle, ride it out for as long as you can, and then try to find the next Justin Brazeau. If you slip out of the playoff race by the trade deadline he would be ideal trade fodder given his cheap salary.
Samuel Girard: Shop, but consider an extension
I am going to stay bullish on this, but I am not writing off Sam Girard.
I just think there’s more to his game than what we saw after the trade this past season, and I want to see what he does with a fresh start at the beginning of the season. There’s talent there. He’s been a good NHL player before. And as I said with Karlsson, the defensive depth in the organization isn’t great at the moment when it comes to short-term or medium-term options. Owen Pickering isn’t that guy. Harrison Brunicke might be that guy, but there is only one of him. You are going to need people here.
I am not extending him right now now.
I wouldn’t turn down reasonable trades for him.
But I’m keeping an open mind toward an extension, especially if he comes back strong next season. There were some rocky moments at the end of the season and in the playoffs, but there were also some really good moments.
Parker Wotherspoon: Move on
Wotherspoon was another offseason surprise that made a bigger-than-expected impact. He went from an expected depth piece to a top-pairing defenseman alongside Karlsson for pretty much the entire season, and it was one of the most effective defense pairings in the NHL. That’s great. But I wouldn’t push my luck on it, especially when Karlsson’s future in Pittsburgh is in some question given HIS contract situation.
The problem with Wotherspoon is that while he was very effective alongside Karlsson, his impact took a significant hit when he was away from Karlsson.
There was a pretty notable and significant Karlsson boost happening here. You got a great value for a couple of years. Be happy with that.
Caleb Jones: Move on
We only saw him for seven games before he was injured and then suspended. Over the past three years he has played 48 games in the NHL. He will be 30 when his next contract begins. Organizational depth at best. There are 25 Caleb Jones-type players available every offseason.
Jack St. Ivany: Move on, but consider keeping
I would be a little more open to keeping him as organizational depth than Jones just based on age alone. St. Ivany is still only 26 (well, 27 next season) and at least played a few more games in the NHL this season and was, at times, pretty solid. I wouldn’t want him playing a regular shift, but as a seventh defenseman or organizational depth he is fine.
Who will win Pirates vs Cardinals today: Pirates moneyline (-122)
The Pittsburgh Pirates shut down the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, winning 7-0 behind a four-hit game from rookie Konnor Griffin. The Bucs' pitching staff allowed just five hits, containing a Cards offense that has struggled with consistency. Braxton Ashcraft takes the mound today for the visitors, and he's been impressive.
The right-hander owns a 3.09 ERA, and that lowers to 2.16 on the road across four outings. Coincidentally enough, all six earned runs he's allowed away from PNC Park were to the Cards last month in a tough start. But Ashcraft has improved immensely since that outing, compiling a 2.11 ERA across three May appearances. His last road start was a seven-inning, one-run outing against the San Francisco Giants.
As for the Cards, they hand Dustin May the ball. He owns a 4.50 ERA at home this season, and Pittsburgh's lineup has hit him around. They're batting .400 across 40 at-bats, and the Pirates are one of the top offensive ball clubs in the big leagues, averaging 4.9 runs per game. The visitors will keep it rolling here.
COVERS INTEL: May owns a BABIP of .338 so far this season, compared to .298 in 2025.
Pirates vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 runs (-108)
Four of the last five meetings between the Pirates and Cardinals have cashed the Over, and Wednesday's matchup finished just below today's total. While I do expect Ashcraft to have a solid outing, the Cards have hit him around before, and they could do some damage.
As for May, he's had minimal luck against Pittsburgh's lineup, with several key players swinging it well against him. The right-hander also has a career-worst 52% hard-hit rate, and the Bucs have scored 13 runs across their last two contests.
The St. Louis bullpen has also been poor, compiling a 4.53 ERA, and it surrendered four earned runs on Wednesday.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 14-11, +3.90 units
Over/Under bets: 14-11, +1.16 units
Pirates vs Cardinals odds
Moneyline: Pirates -122 | Cardinals +117
Run line: Pirates -1.5 (+138) | Cardinals +1.5 (-144)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-108) | Under 7.5 (+104)
Pirates vs Cardinals trend
The Pittsburgh Pirates have covered the Run Line in 28 of their last 45 away games (+8.20 Units / 13% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Cardinals.
How to watch Pirates vs Cardinals and game info
Location
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Date
Thursday, May 21, 2026
First pitch
1:15 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet Pittsburgh, Cardinals.TV
Pirates starting pitcher
Braxton Ashcraft (2-2, 3.09 ERA)
Cardinals starting pitcher
Dustin May (3-4, 4.81 ERA)
Pirates vs Cardinals latest injuries
Pirates vs Cardinals weather
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 - MAY 07: Starting pitcher Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox throws in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on May 07, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This game fell apart in extras, namely the eleventh, and to be honest, the WooSox should have had it won earlier than that. The pitching was solid throughout the night, starting with Jake Bennett striking out eleven Red Wings (Nationals AAA) and allowing one run. Bennett’s pitch count was only at 73 so he could have conceivably gone longer, but the bullpen was fine throughout the night and recorded 8 more Ks.
Worcester lacked an extra base hit besides Matt Lloyd’s solo shot and also went hitless in eight chances with runners in scoring position. But they played with their food for too long and, by virtue of Wyatt Olds allowing five runs (four earned) in the eleventh, the food got all over them. Bennett is suffering from being a young minor league option… or should I say young with options (ba dum tiss) behind one of the best rotations in baseball. It’s good to know he’s mowing them down consistently in Triple-A.
Catastrophic news as Franklin Arias’ OPS is about to dip under 1.000 with another hitless night (he did, though get on base with a walk). The horror! To be honest, though, behind the rest of the lineup and a good five innings out of Hayden Mullins, a guy who’s becoming the dependable workhorse of Portland’s rotation, the Sea Dogs didn’t need Arias to put away the Fightin Phils’ (Phillies AA). Johanfran Garcia got his sixth home run of the season in the fifth inning and Nelly Taylor had two doubles. This was a feel good win where everyone contributed: even though every single batter struck out at least once on the night, everyone aside from the nine-hole hitter got on base once, as well. The result was a 7-0 lead after two and a game that the Sea Dogs could coast through.
After losing most of the month, the Drive won two consecutive games for the first time since late April Sunday and Tuesday. That did not continue on Wednesday against Frederick (Orioles High-A). This was more like a defensive death by a thousand cuts, as the Keys got the Drive for 17 hits but just six runs, and the Drive couldn’t match that output by a long shot, gathering just five. Yoelin Cespedes got the game within striking distance with a two-run shot, his eighth of the year, in the ninth inning, but it was too little, too late.
After getting taken for sixteen runs by the Howlers (Guardians A) on Tuesday, the RidgeYaks came back and allowed just three hits, and just one extra-base hit. Salem had another productive lineup as eight of their nine hitters got a knock and even the one that didn’t got a walk. They also got a home run to clinch the game (albeit all the way back in the fourth inning) out of Andrews Opata. Opata also swiped his twentieth bag of the season. This game was really never within losing distance for Salem.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 19: Camilo Doval #75 of the New York Yankees celebrates after pitching during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on May 19, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The New York Yankees won 5-4. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The last three games have been an adventure with the Yankees bullpen, and not a particularly fun one either. Yes, they secured the win in two out of three, but boy have David Bednar and Camilo Doval put Yankees fans through the wringer in the ninth inning against the Mets and the first two against Toronto. Doval’s final out to secure the save against on Tuesday night is the moment we’ll look at this time on Sequence of the Week.
We join Doval with two outs in the ninth. The back of the Yankees bullpen is short following Bednar and Fernando Cruz’s exertions in the previous two games, leaving Doval as the lone remaining option to close out this game. It’s been far from smooth sailing for the flame throwing righty, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. cutting the Yankees’ lead to one with a sac fly after Doval gave up an Andrés Giménez walk and Ernie Clement single to open the frame. After the Vlad Jr. sac fly, Daulton Varsho reached on an infield single when Doval forgot to cover first base on the grounder to the right side, putting runners on the corners and bringing the Blue Jays’ team leader in home runs Kazuma Okamoto to the plate.
Renowned during his San Francisco days for his triple digits cutter, Doval instead starts Okamoto off with a sinker — a pitch he has been working on behind the scenes with Matt Blake and the rest of the Yankees pitching coaches.
This is pretty close to a perfect pitch — a 100-mph sinker right on the bottom shelf of the strike zone. It’s a called strike if Okamoto doesn’t swing, but commanded to a location where it’s almost impossible to do damage. It’s honestly impressive that Okamoto recognizes it as a strike — given it started off the plate away before tailing back into the zone — and is able to catch a piece and tap it foul.
Following the excellent execution of the first pitch sinker, Doval tries to keep the muscle memory of that release point by targeting the same location with the same pitch.
He manages to achieve the same lateral release point, but this sinker is elevated relative to the previous one. This makes it a more hittable pitch, but it appears that Okamoto is in fight-off mode, perhaps hunting a pitch inside, and he fires a late, off-balance swing and fouls it off to the right.
Doval is now just one strike away from locking down the save. Just one more decent execution of a pitch away from sending all those of a Yankees persuasion home happy. After showing Okamoto a pair of in-breaking sinkers, Doval looks to put him away with a cutter that moves away from the hitter, Austin Wells setting a target low and away.
The key to throwing a good cutter is staying behind and through the ball, something which Doval fails to do here. He almost slings this pitch rather than finishing out in front, causing the pitch to sail wildly inside as it backs up rather than cuts, and Okamoto has to spin out of the way to avoid getting hit.
After mis-executing that cutter so poorly, Doval immediately scraps the pitch and goes back to the sinker. He still has the feeling of having executed two good ones to open the AB, he just has to find that release point again and it should be game over.
Instead, Doval makes a mistake releasing this pitch a hair too early, and it ends up middle-middle. Fortunately for him and his teammates, Okamoto has never quite figured out the correct swing path to match up against Doval’s sinker, and though he is right on time and clubs this ball at 103 mph, he impacts the top of the baseball sending a routine grounder to Anthony Volpe for the game-ending ground out. That is the margin of error that being able to throw over 100 mph affords the pitcher, allowing Doval to get a ground out on a mistake pitch.
There is a lot to like from this sequence from Doval. For starters, he managed to find the zone with all three of the sinkers he threw — no small feat considering how much walks have tended to hurt him in his career. They surprisingly haven’t been as big of an issue this year, but his general wildness this campaign has seen him fall behind in counts and then cough up a home run as he is forced into the middle of the zone. I was also impressed by Doval’s ability to immediately flush the previous play when he forgot to cover first. It would be easy to let that moment linger and impact his concentration against Okamoto, but he turned the page quickly and focused fully on this AB.
Finally, I am intrigued by Doval’s progress with this new sinker — a pitch that went from a 12.2-percent usage rate in 2025 to his most used pitch so far in 2026 at a 41.7-percent usage rate. Doval is perennially among the league leaders in ground ball rate and this gives him another weapon to maintain those levels. It’s a pitch I’m excited to analyze more deeply in my new series about the Yankees bringing the sinker back into vogue, so stay tuned! While I’m certainly not ready to say that I trust Doval in spots as high leverage at this, it’s a positive first step toward re-earning the trust to pitch in late-game situations.
May 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez (26) steals second base as New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) attempts to catch a throw during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
Zach Thornton’s major league debut didn’t go as well as hoped when he put the Mets in a hole early. The team did attempt to come back, led by two Juan Soto home runs, but the bullpen put the game out of reach and the Mets dropped their second straight to Washington.
Clippers general manager Trent Redden has “emerged as a candidate.”
Lloyd is “expected to interview” and “has the backing of a few key members of the Sixers’ organization.”
The Hawks denied Myers’ request to interview Atlanta GM Onsi Saleh last week.
Nelson starred at Chester High School and St. Joseph’s before his 14-year NBA career. Sixers GM Elton Brand hired him in 2020 as a scout and an assistant general manager for the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats.
“Obviously you try to use data,” he told NBC Sports Philadelphia in an April 2024 phone interview. “I’m not a huge analytics guy, but you have to use them to help back up some things that you see. And you can make the best decision in terms of the upside and all that stuff when it comes to young guys.
“But it’s also when you see a guy, you have to know who this guy is as a person. At the beginning of it, they’re people. … In the G League, we’ve been successful with just saying, ‘This is how we see you becoming successful.’ Some guys fight it, some guys don’t, but we have a good track record of identifying talent and also putting them in positions to be successful for themselves and for the team. … So it’s identifying what a guy has and how we can help them get better at their skills and some of their weaknesses.”
Lloyd was widely reported to have been a finalist for the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations job that ultimately went to Bryson Graham. At the moment, Lloyd is the No. 2 in Minnesota’s front office under president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
“He’s one of the most well-respected guys in our profession,” Connelly told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski in 2024. “He’s got the acumen and the work ethic and he’s got a wonderful emotional IQ. Someone really smart is going to hire him as their president.”
“A lot of executives have backgrounds in strategy or evaluation. Trent brings expertise and agility in both,” Frank said in the Clippers’ press release on Redden’s promotion to GM. “Since he joined us, Trent has scoured the globe in search of amateur and pro talent while serving as an integral advisor on every major decision and acquisition we’ve made.”
Frank called Redden “a respected leader with strong relationships throughout the league.”
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 19: Tommy Edman of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 19, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman is a step closer to being a step closer to returning from the injured list after offseason ankle surgery, thanks to a few more steps closer to full speed in the last week.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Wednesday at Petco Park in San Diego that Edman could face hitters at Camelback Ranch in Arizona in the next week, then potentially start a minor league rehab assignment after that.
Next steps for Tommy Edman, who has been running arcs at what looks like close to max effort this week: First, he'll go to Arizona to take live at-bats. After that, Dave Roberts said he could begin a rehab assignment, potentially next week.
After the surgery, Edman’s offseason work was limited, with his right leg in a walking boot up until mid January. He was slow-played during spring training, gradually working up, and explained the methodology at Dodgers Fan Fest during the offseason.
“I’m really hopeful I’ll be able to put the ankle injuries of the last couple of years behind me. It’s something I kind of dealt with throughout ’24 and ’25, and I feel like it affected the way to play the game I normally would be able to,” Edman said in January. “The timetable is more of as I progress, so it’s kind of hard to say when I’ll be able to hop back into a major league game again. … I want to make sure I’m a full go, and don’t have to worry about [the ankle] again the rest of the year.”
At the beginning of the regular season, Roberts guestimated Edman would return some time in late May, though that has since been pushed back. Edman has been working out off and on at Dodger Stadium at various times this season, but hadn’t really progressed much until recently. He was moved to the 60-day injured list on May 9, though that does not affect Edman’s timeline at all, as those 60 days will have already expired by the time he is ready to return.
For a comparison of how long Edman’s rehab assignment might take, look no further than Kiké Hernández, who is in his third week of games with Triple-A Oklahoma City and is eligible to be activated off the injured list as early as this Sunday. Hernández is coming off left elbow surgery in November and was initially thought to be out until around midseason but made strides in April to essentially leapfrog Edman in the return timeline pecking order.
When Chayka was named GM of the Maple Leafs, many were surprised and shocked by the hire, for several different reasons.
With the surprise hire for the GM position, what if Toronto go a similar route when selecting the 42nd head coach in franchise history?
Here are three surprising head coach candidates for the Maple Leafs.
Todd Nelson
Maybe it wouldn't surprise some if the Maple Leafs considered hiring Todd Nelson as the team's next head coach. Nonetheless, he'd be a great candidate to be a head coach in the NHL, let alone for Toronto, and many may not have Nelson at the top of their lists.
Nelson is currently an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, coming off his first season with the team. He previously spent three years as the head coach of the AHL's Hershey Bears, winning a pair of Calder Cups in that stint. Nelson has won a total of four Calder Cups in his coaching career.
Despite his excellence in the American League, Nelson has never had a true tenure as an NHL head coach. In 2014-15, Nelson led the Edmonton Oilers behind the bench as an interim head coach for the final 51 games of that regular season.
Even if the Maple Leafs don't snatch him up, Nelson should be getting an offer to be a head coach in the NHL eventually.
Dallas Eakins has been out of the league for a few years now, with his last season as an NHL head coach coming in 2022-23. Since then, he's been the head coach of the DEL's Mannheim in Germany.
In the NHL, Eakins coached the Oilers for two seasons and was actually replaced by Nelson in 2014-15. He also had a four-year stint with the Anaheim Ducks from 2019-20 to 2022-23. In between those gigs, he was the head coach of Anaheim's AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
It's worth noting that Eakins has ties to the Maple Leafs, serving as an assistant coach in 2006-07 and 2007-08, as well as the director of player development in 2008-09. Also, he was the bench boss of the Toronto Marlies from 2009-10 to 2012-13.
Like Eakins, it's been a few years since Bruce Boudreau has been a head coach in the NHL. His last stint ended in 2022-23 when he was fired by the Vancouver Canucks in the midst of his second campaign with the team.
Boudreau, a Toronto native, has had some successful campaigns as an NHL head coach.
In his first year as an NHL bench boss, he won the Jack Adams Trophy with the Washington Capitals. In 2009-10, he led Washington to a stellar 54-15-13 record, which turned out to be the best season in Capitals history.
He had some more great years with the Ducks, marking a 54-20-8 record in the 2013-14 season, which was also the best campaign in Anaheim's franchise history.
Boudreau certainly knows how to make a team successful in the regular season, winning eight divisional titles in his NHL coaching career.
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From left, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, talk to team owner Chris Ilitch, president of baseball operations Scott Harris, and general manager Jeff Greenberg at practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
So many things have gone wrong with the Detroit Tigers already this season that it’s hard to know where to even start unpacking it all. After a third straight loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, they hold a 20-30 record, 10 games under .500. In all of baseball history, only one team in the modern era has been that deep underwater in mid-June and still made the postseason, and that sets the parameters here. They are out of time to pick themselves up off the mat and start closing the gap or the season is over. If they lose a few more series in late May and early June, it’s already time to hang a for sale sign out front. Some might argue we’re already there.
The only team to pull off such a comeback outside of the dead ball era was the 2022 Seattle Mariners. They were 10 games under .500 on June 19 of that year and pulled it together enough to win a Wild Card berth. That’s it. Of course, the Wild Card is still a relatively new invention, but still only one team has taken advantage of it from that far behind in mid-June. So the Tigers have to be a lot closer to .500 by mid-June to even maintain the faintest shred of hope.
Certainly the incredible amount of injuries have been a factor, but it’s also important to remember that the team was quite healthy until late April and they weren’t exactly piling up the wins then either. Part of the reason they’re in this shape is that they didn’t build themselves any cushion by playing .500 ball when they had their roster almost exactly as planned on Opening Day. The bullpen cost them several games when the offense was stronger, and the pitching staff has actually held up decently through this 2-8 losing stretch while the offense and defense have been atrocious. Despite some good news on the injury front, and the host of players the Tigers should get back over the next few weeks, they’re already uncomfortably close to losing any realistic chance of even a wild card run. It’s strange to say in mid-May, but the season is already hanging by a thread.
The pitching is no longer the problem. Troy Melton looks good and is due to return soon. Tarik Skubal’s rehab is proceeding at breakneck speed. The problem is that the team has only a couple of good hitters with Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter basically non-factors this season. And, instead of the group of roughly average platoon players that filled out the lineup last year, half the lineup is shot full of holes leaving opponents with only a couple of hitters to even concern themselves with. Add to that a defensive group that has been downright atrocious without Parker Meadows, Javier Báez, or even their primary utility option in Toledo, CF/SS Trei Cruz, to shore up the middle of the field, and there are just way too many weak points in the position player group right now to turn things around signficantly.
There’s no one coming to rescue the Tigers the offense for at least another week or two. Unfortunately this leaves the responsibility for turning things around on a lot of guys the Tigers shouldn’t be depending on too much in the first place.
Wenceel Pérez is supposed to be the Tigers first depth outfielder in the minor leagues. He’s posted league average run production number for two straight seasons, though he remains too mistake prone to love him in the outfield on a regular basis. But more to the point, he isn’t doing anything at the plate hitting left-handed. Inexplicably, his contact has just fallen apart, and so despite the lowest strikeout rate on the team, he’s not hitting enough line drives and hard fly balls and grounders to stay above the Mendoza line, let alone showing off the average home run power we saw from him last season.
Zach McKinstry is now 31 years old and a career utility player. Hopefully few bought into his outstanding 2025 season at this point in his career, but the Tigers could really use just mediocre production from him to help lengthen their extremely short lineup. Instead he’s approaching 100 plate appearances this season and holds a 32 wRC+ this year. He’s also dealt with tearing a muscle off his pelvic bone, which he probably returned from as soon as possible.
Matt Vierling will be 30 in a few months, and like McKinstry is a journeyman utility outfielder who is probably just past his already modest prime. After a brief run as a quality platoon player in 2024, he tore up his shoulder and missed most of 2025. His defense in center field has been acceptable, and he does hold an 88 wRC+ so he hasn’t been atrocious, but he’s not making much impact anywhere either.
Finally, Jake Rogers has been a terrible hitter for years now. You can get away with having a good defensive catcher who doesn’t hit, but that requires that the rest of the roster be pretty solid. The Tigers have also had opportunities to upgrade and decided to keep the status quo, perhaps because Rogers is the closest thing to a clubhouse leader the team seems to have beyond Tarik Skubal. Now you have Dillon Dingler catching most days, and DH-ing on a lot of his off days, which is only going to hurt his long-term effectiveness this season.
Of course, McKinstry, Vierling, Jahmai Jones, Rogers, these are all pretty fungible role players in the first place. There is just too much being asked of them right now, and it isn’t their fault the Tigers are in this shape.
If there’s one player who was supposed to be capable of helping carry the offense, it’s Spencer Torkelson. Below average offensive production from a first baseman is just unacceptable. A year after putting together his first fairly consistent season of getting on base and hitting for power, Torkelson is doing little of either on pace for 23 home runs with a .309 on-base and a strikeout rate of 33.5 percent.
Beyond that you have Lee, Gage Workman, Zack Short…these aren’t guys who are capable of giving you anything like average production. I like Hao-Yu Lee, but he just needs more time to work on his game. You see the flashes of what he can do and it’s well worth sticking with him for a year or two to see if he can take the next step. Workman is a perfectly fine Triple-A utility player with strong enough secondary tools to help in a pinch, but he’s not expected to work out playing regularly. Finally, Zack Short brings something close to an average glove at shortstop, but has never hit at the major league level. These guys get zero blame in my book.
So, we know what is happening, and generally why, but who gets the blame will be the question for much of the rest of the season. The obvious, and accurate answer is the injuries, as the Tigers have had more than anyone, and that will be the case president of baseball operations Scott Harris, and GM Jeff Greenberg are pleading with ownership should no miraculous recovery of the season come to pass. But growing criticism of Harris’ inability to add talent other than potentially through the draft is entirely justified. It’s hard to have any confidence in his ability to sell off the Tigers assets for young talent with his track record if it comes to that point.
Of course, baseball is also just a weird game. Just as current Tigers’ examples, Rlley Greene is on pace for a 6 WAR season and somehow has only four home runs on May 21. Wenceel Pérez has a 13.9 percent strikeout rate and a .168 batting average. That’s almost impressively weird. Hopefully you know that ERA means squat for relievers, particularly prior to the All-Star break, but Kyle Finnegan has walked more batters than he’s struck out and has a 1.66 ERA.
There are a lot of teams woefully underperforming in the American League alone, and they don’t have the Tigers’ injury excuses. Many good national analysts thought very highly of the 22-27 Boston Red Sox. The Seattle Mariners were arguably the best team in baseball in the second half of last year and made a pretty good run at the ALCS last year and they’re 23-27 with Cal Raleigh hitting .161/.243/.317 with seven home runs after hitting 60 last year. The Royals were a popular choice to push the Tigers and Guardians atop of the AL Central this season, and they’re 20-30 as well, sitting with the Tigers in the cellar despite no particular injury trouble other than their ace Cole Ragans missing two starts and woefully underperforming.
Still the facts are the facts. You can already make a case that the Tigers should be shopping a pitcher like Casey Mize for young pitching talent. If they happen to fall a few more games below .500? It’s time to sell anyone who isn’t tied down long-term and is performing well immediately, and keep that attitude all season long. Frankly, I will be very surprised if either Scott Harris or AJ Hinch are fired.
Even more frankly, the best thing for this franchise is probably to fall a few more games back into June and really have no choice but to sell. That’s the nature of the spot they’ve put themselves in so far this season. It will already take a heck of a run to get that back into serious contention by mid-July. There are 97 games total games this season until the All-Star break. They’ve played 50 already. Can the Tigers go from 20-30 now to 54-43 and get a game over .500 by that point?
Because injuries have been a signficant problem, and just by the weird nature of baseball, it wouldn’t be that surprising if the Tigers played much better baseball from June through September. It just isn’t going to help them if they slip much further back over the next 2-3 weeks, and it may not help them anyway. Even so, should the Tigers sell a few pieces and admit defeat, and then get healthier in a few spots and play decent baseball the rest of the year? The case that this is really just a cursed year with injuries and there is nothing to be done about it is going to be a pretty easy one to make for the front office and for AJ Hinch and his coaching staff.
So not to be melodramatic, but the Tigers season is right on the brink of disaster here. Troy Melton, Gleyber Torres, Javy Báez, Kerry Carpenter, Tarik Skubal…getting those players back will certainly change the equation, but until that happens in full, they’re going to remain under siege and on the brink of collapse. And there’s a good argument that would be the best thing for the franchise. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but there it is. Get swept by the Guardians today? Lose two of three series in Baltimore, versus the Angels at home, or on the south side against the plucky young White Sox? The math surrenders to faith as justification alone.
Let’s say they split their next 12 games. The Tigers will be 26-36. Can they go 60-40 the rest of the way to get to 86 wins and have a quality shot at a wild card? Winning 60 percent of 100 games isn’t out of the question if healthy perhaps, but it’s certainly a longshot as things stand. Right now, just playing .500 ball for a few weeks might earn them some time to find out if getting some players back turns things around. But iff they can’t at least split these next 12 games? Forget about it. No one is coming to the rescue. The guys on this roster right now have to get off the mat for a few weeks and earn the right to find out if getting healhier will make a difference.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 17: Edgar Quero #26 of the Chicago White Sox is given a gatorade shower after hitting a walk off home run against the Chicago Cubs during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Sunday, May 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Regardless of whether they end up keeping up this pace for the full season or not, this is an incredible turnaround from one of the worst ever teams.
Are there any lessons the Rockies, coming off their own historically bad season, can take from how this White Sox roster was built?
Finding undervalued markets
This offseason, the market for players coming to MLB from NPB and KBO was more tepid than it had been in recent years. The White Sox, having just seen success in that market when signing Erick Fedde prior to 2024, were ready and willing to pounce on what they perceived as undervalued players.
In early December, they made a modest two year $12 million commitment to left handed starting pitcher Anthony Kay but he was not the only import from NPB that the White Sox brought in this offseason.
After hitting 246 home runs in NPB before he turned 26 years old, Munetaka Murakami was one of the most polarizing free agents this year. The power in his bat was hardly questionable, however, concerns about strikeouts and his ability to hit high velocity was enough to make most teams pass on him. While MLB Trade Rumors predicted an eight year deal worth $180 million when the offseason began, the market for a long-term deal never materialized.
That’s where the White Sox swooped in and offered a short two-year $34 million deal that would allow Murakami a chance to prove his doubters wrong and retest free agency before his age 28 season. For that amount of money the White Sox saw little risk. The reward, however, appears to be immense.
Murakami has already hit 17 home runs and sports a .240/.382/.557 line that would make him a middle of the order hitter in any MLB lineup. It’s still early, we’ll need to see if opposing hitters can adjust to him, but so far the signing looks incredible. The White Sox have two years of a young star and then will either look to extend him or trade him for a haul as a rental.
For the Rockies, the lesson is not simply to throw money at the next risky-profile potential star out of NPB (though they shouldn’t rule that out), it’s to be willing to zig when other teams are zagging. This is not a new concept but it is one where the applications are constantly changing and it would behoove the Rockies to try and be the first to find the next one.
Patience with growing pains
Some of the contributors to this early season surge were also there in Chicago contributing to the past few years of losing. Now, however, the teams patience with these formerly struggling players appears to be paying off.
On the mound, Davis Martin spent his first 250 big league innings with an ERA and FIP both in the mid-fours while walking over three per nine innings. He was the definition of a bottom of the rotation starter who did not have the prospect pedigree to give much hope he’d ever be more than that.
Some of that run prevention is likely to regress as his sequencing luck has been abnormally good (he’s stranded 89.2% of runners), but his component skills do appear to have meaningfully improved. He’s striking out 9.48 per nine and walking only 1.61, both of which are significantly better than his career averages.
On the hitting side, there’s the curious case of Miguel Vargas. The headlining piece in the return from the much maligned Erik Fedde deal at the deadline in 2024, Vargas looked entirely lost in his first calendar year in Chicago to the tune of a 17 wRC+ in his 42 games following the trade.
Other than those mentioned above, the majority of players fueling this currently competitive White Sox team were either drafted by them or traded for while they were still prospects.
On the pitching side that includes Sean Burke, Noah Schultz, and Grant Taylor. Each of these arms was entirely home grown and now are being leaned on by White Sox manager Will Venable. While Burke and Schultz are holding their own in the rotation, it’s Taylor who has been a revelation in the bullpen.
So far in 2026 the White Sox rank 23rd in ERA from relief pitchers at 4.57. This comes after the front office had tried to bolster the bullpen this offseason with free agent pickup Seranthony Domínguez but have instead seen him walk 13.3% of the batters he’s faced as the teams closer.
Grant Taylor, the White Sox second round pick in 2023, has been working out of the bullpen this year in order to build his innings up before a planned conversion to the rotation next year. That conversion, however, may not happen given how integral he has become to the bullpen unit with his 1.78 ERA and 13.5 k/9 in 25.1 innings of work. Taylor picked up his first save of the season on Tuesday night and looks poised to be the first name up in high leverage situations moving forward.
Montgomery, the White Sox first round pick in 2021, has blossomed into arguably their best player. The 24 year old has a very three true outcomes style slash line of .228/.327/.503 with 13 home runs while also recording seven outs above average at shortstop. The White Sox developmental staff has been able to help him access his power at the major league level despite consistently running a strikeout rate hovering around 30%, and to improve his defense enough that he will stick at short for the foreseeable future.
For the Rockies there isn’t much that is directly transferrable other than the obvious: It’s good to draft and develop well.
It does seem noteworthy, however, just how much of this White Sox roster is already homegrown just two seasons after they hit rock bottom in 2024. They do not appear to have clogged up their roster with tons of veteran one year trade-bait style contracts. Instead, they are letting their former prospects play at the big league level and it seems like it may be paying off sooner than expected. This is something the Rockies could look to mimic possibly as soon as the trade deadline passes later this season.
This was essentially two games: The first eight innings and then the final one.
In the first eight, the Isotopes failed to string any hits together instead scattering a handful of isolated singles and doubles in different frames. Carson Palmquist (No. 19 PuRP) and Blake Adams combined to pitch seven innings between them and allowed four runs on eight hits. It looked like the Isotopes would go down quietly… then came the top of the ninth.
Singles from Adael Amador and Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP), along with walks from Brian Serven and Vimael Machín, were all cashed in by a Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) double and a Nic Kent home run. Suddenly the Isotopes were leading and it was the bottom of the ninth. Joey Meneses walked with two outs and Cade Marlowe slapped a line drive into right center field that was intercepted by a diving Nic Kent to end the game.
Aside from one blemish, in the form of Sam Weatherly allowing seven runs while recording only a single out, the Yard Goats trounced the Fisher Cats. Eiberson Castellano got the start and completed seven innings on only 84 pitches while collecting eight strikeouts.
At the plate Zach Kokoska had three hits including a double, and both Bryant Betancourt and GJ Hill launched home runs, but the real star was Benny Montgomery. After a difficult start to the season, Montgomery would be hard-pressed to have a better game than this one in which he scored two runs, walked, stole a base, and hit two home runs.
A relatively listless game from Spokane until the seventh inning. Jordy Vargas (No. 21 PuRP) got the start and managed four and two thirds innings wherein the only runs scored were as a result of a homer from Alexis Hernandez. Vargas, however, wasn’t efficient enough with his pitch count to go any deeper and the lineup had not provided him with any run support.
Once the Candians’ starting pitcher Nolan Perry was no longer on the mound the Indians attempted a late comeback. They scored three runs in the seventh before Jacob Humphrey hit an absolute rocket into right center field in the eighth. It was, however, too little too late for Spokane.
While no one stood out on the mound (the closest being Dylan Crooks with a scoreless ninth to close out the game), the lineup brought enough firepower for the Grizzlies to earn a convincing win.
As a whole, Grizzlies batters collected fourteen hits, seven of which were for extra bases. Cameron Nelson earned three walks and a stole a base from the leadoff spot, Tanner Thach continued his torrid start to the season with three hits including a home run, and Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP) matched him with three hits and a homer of his own. As a group they struck out a whopping thirteen times but that certainly did not stop the Grizzlies from scoring runs.
Matt Eddy details what has changed in Baseball America’s assessment of the Rockies farm system since their pre-season rankings. There are a handful of prospects that have broken into their top 30, highlighted by Andy Perez who they now rank 12th in the system. The biggest riser is 18 year-old outfielder Cristian Arguelles, who the Rockies signed out of Venezuela in 2024. Arguelles has rocketed up from the 20th spot all the way to 8th in Baseball America’s estimation.
Thomas Harding talks to Troy Johnston about what has led to his success to begin the season. Johnston goes into how his time at Gonzaga led to him getting more looks at breaking balls than folks in other environments would have at that age. According to Johnston, his ability to sit breaking ball first has started to pay dividends in a league where pitchers become less fastball reliant each year.
Drew Creasman and Mark Knudson sit down for their weekly podcast where they recap all the recent news from the Rockies. This week they focus on both a breakdown of potential trade candidates that they think the front office should consider shopping ahead of the august deadline (including Kyle Freeland) as well as a check-in on how the Rockies top prospects are performing down on the farm.
COVERS INTEL: May owns a 
