Category: Sports News

We may have just written about how the Nats bullpen was turning things around, but Paul Toboni is always on the lookout for new arms. The Nats have reportedly signed Max Kranick to a deal that is pending a physical. Before going down with an injury, Kranick was a solid arm in the Mets bullpen, posting a 3.65 ERA in 37 innings.

After making the Mets out of camp last season, Kranick was a valuable multi-inning reliever for them. He showed off a solid combination of good stuff and great control. Kranick only walked 5 batters in 37 innings last year. He also averaged 95.6 MPH on his fastball. 

However, the 28 year old went down with an elbow injury in mid June. He ended up undergoing Flexor Tendon surgery in July of 2025. Kranick missed the remainder of the 2025 season, and went unsigned after being non-tendered by the Mets this offseason.

Kranick has been throwing for teams though. It seems like he was throwing the ball well enough to catch the Nats eye. We are still not totally sure when Kranick will be ready to pitch in big league games, but presumably it will be at some point this season.

I would assume this is a minor league deal for Kranick where he will get a shot at the big leagues if he looks good in AAA. If Kranick can return to his pre-injury form, he would be a solid piece for this Nats bullpen. 

Kranick has a really good fastball that generated whiffs over 25% of the time last season. He can also spin several breaking balls. Kranick used a slider, a curveball and a sweeper last year, with the slider being his go to breaking pitch.

While Kranick did not strike a ton of guys out last year, he can be pretty electric when he is on his game. The breaking ball is not as good, but the plus fastball does remind me a bit of Gus Varland. Both Varland and Kranick have good, but not elite velocity. However, their heaters play up due to the shape of the pitch.

I am excited to follow Kranick as he builds back up and gets ready for big league action. He is likely to have a ramp up period and then pitch in the minors for a while. However, I think Kranick will have a role to play in this bullpen in the second half of the season. He has some intriguing pitch traits and has the ability to go multiple innings.

Last season, Kranick threw 37 innings in 24 outings. He has the ability to be a one inning guy or a multi-inning arm. The Nats new regime clearly values guys like that, which is why they are picking up Kranick. This could end up being a solid little signing.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (16-14) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Nelson solo HR. France got the start and went 4 innings allowing 3 runs. In the 6th inning, Nelson added another solo home run. The pen was solid tossing 4 scoreless innings but the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 3-2.

Note: Nelson is hitting .333 this season.

• James Nelson, RF: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
• Kellen Strahm, CF: 1-for-2, 2B, BB

• J.P. France, RHP: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Jose Fleury, RHP: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Anthony Maldonado, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (11-13) won 7-6 (BOX SCORE)

Hicks got the start but struggled a bit allowing 5 runs early. The Hooks offense responded though scoring 4 runs in the first inning on a Sullivan solo home run, Whitaker 2 run double and Guillemette RBI single. In the 6th, Lytle gave the Hooks the lead with a 2 run double. Swanson relieved Hicks and allowed 1 run over 3.2 innings while striking out 4. The game went into the 9th tied and in the bottom of the inning, Bush walked it off with a solo HR as the Hooks won 7-6.

Note: Bush has a .884 OPS this season.

• Will Bush, C: 2-for-5, R, 2B, HR, RBI
• Joseph Sullivan, CF: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Trevor Austin, 3B: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Tyler Whitaker, LF: 1-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Garret Guillemette, 1B: 1-for-3, BB
• Mason Lytle, RF: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

• James Hicks, RHP: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)

A+: Asheville Tourists (6-18) won 9-3 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Schiavone solo HR and a run scoring on a steal of home. They picked up another run in the third inning on Brutcher RBI groundout. Hertzler got the start and pitched well striking out 6 over 5 scoreless innings. In the 6th, Asheville got a run on a Brutcher RBI double. Rodriguez relieved Hertzler and tossed 3 scoreless innings. The offense added some insurance in the 9th on a Thomas hit by pitch, wild pitch and Schiavone 3 run home run. Guedez allowed a few runs in the 9th but held on for the 9-3 win.

Note: Schiavone has a 1.050 OPS this season.

• Justin Thomas, LF: 0-for-3, R, RBI, BB
• Ethan Frey, CF: 1-for-5
• Jason Schiavone, C: 3-for-4, 3 R, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 2-for-5, R, 2 2B
• Chase Call, RF: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Zach Daudet, 3B: 1-for-4, R
• Kyle Walker, 2B: 1-for-4, R

• Cole Hertzler, RHP: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K (WIN)
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (10-14) lost 8-5 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the third inning on an Ochoa 2 run double. They picked up another run in the 5th inning on a wild pitch. Perez got the start and was pitching well but ran into some trouble in the 5th allowing 2 runs to score, and then another 2 runs after he was pulled, though only one was earned. Weber continued to struggle in relief allowing another 4 runs. The offense got 2 runs in the 8th on a balk and a groundout but that was it as the Woodpeckers fell 8-5.

Note: Huezo is hitting .280 this season.

• Anthony Huezo, CF: 2-for-5, R
• Nick Monistere, 3B: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• Josh Wakefield, LF: 1-for-4, R, BB
• Nehomar Ochoa, 1B: 1-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SB
• Kenni Gomez, RF: 1-for-3, BB

• Javier Perez, RHP: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Charlie Weber, RHP: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ethan Pecko – 8:05 CT

CC: Brandon McPherson – 7:05 CT

AV: TBD – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

The Atlanta Braves lost the series finale yesterday against the Tigers, and although the offense was to blame for only scoring two runs, Joel Payamps was partly to blame as well as he came in and blew a one run lead in the eighth inning, and then to add insult to injury José Suarez came in the game and also gave up two runs.

The Braves’ bullpen has been one of the best in MLB in terms of ERA, but the writing was on the wall for both Payamps and Saurez who were the two odd men out that have struggled more than anyone else. After Payamps’ blown save yesterday, his ERA rose to 8.22 on the season. Suarez is not too far behind him with is ERA raising to 6.61.

It now becomes clear that yesterday was their last chance to prove that they earned another chance to stay on the roster after today the Braves announced that they will both be DFA’d and replaced with Hunter Stratton and Anthony Molina.

We have not seen Anthony Molina yet this season for the Braves. He pitched 94.1 innings for the Rockies over the past two seasons and struggled to a 6.96 ERA, but if we know anything about the Braves’ front office, they love to take struggling relievers from the Rockies and turn their careers around. Molina has pitched 14.0 innings in at Gwinnett this year of 4.50 ERA ball but has had the best WHIP of any minors season of his career of 1.357. He also pitched 2.0 innings for Venezuela in the WBC.

Hunter Stratton was very good in his limited 16.1 innings so far at the MLB level for the Braves last season with a 2.20 ERA and 1.102 WHIP. It was honestly a bit puzzling when he was not part of the plan for the season to begin with.

With this move, the Braves have undoubtably improved their bullpen.

The Guardians demoted George Valera to Columbus yesterday, without announcing a corresponding move. However, Petey Halpin was not in the Clippers’ lineup in Columbus last night and Stuart Fairchild was, so internet sleuths suspect that Halpin will join the Guardians in Sacramento today to play the A’s.

Valera was given the chance to earn a starting spot in left field, but was lapped by Angel Martinez and Daniel Schneemann. He will get a chance to get his bearings in Triple-A while Angel and Schnee try to show their work is sustainable.

Speaking of Columbus, I am not sure how long the Guardians can leave Franco Aleman there. He has a 0.00 ERA, a 1.62 FIP and a 13.5/2.7 K/BB/9. Daniel Espino is striking out 10.38 per 9, but his 6 per 9 walk rate is at least justification for leaving him down there, as is his need to get used to a reliever’s schedule. I was told Codi Heuer is doing well, but his 6.55/4.09 K/BB/9 doesn’t inspire. He’s limiting hard contact, but I don’t see anything that makes me think Heuer is a “can’t lose” guy if the team needs a 40-man spot in the future.

Zack Meisel offered a good article on Travis Bazzana and his first few days in the bigs for the Athletic. He followed that up today with a nice piece on the Angel Martinez early season breakout.

Jace LaViolette did a nice little card opening video for the Lake County Captains on Instagram:

AROUND MLB:

The Tigers beat the Braves, the Twins beat the Blue Jays, and the Royals lost to the Athletics

The Cubs just completed a 17-9 April and have won 12 of their last 15.

The Diamondbacks come to Wrigley having lost six of their last nine. The Cubs just finished taking two of three from the Padres, whose previous series was in Mexico City against… the Diamondbacks. That series was split. Arizona stopped off in Milwaukee before they headed to Wrigley for the weekend.

For more on the D-backs, here’s Jim McLennan, manager of our SB Nation D-backs site AZ Snakepit.

After being outscored in Milwaukee 28-9, the D-backs will hope for better in Chicago. Somehow, Arizona finished April better than .500, despite being outscored by 24 runs to date. This is mostly due to a severe blowout deficit: of seven games decided by more than five runs, the Diamondbacks have won only one. Their pitching has been very shaky: the D-backs came into Thursday ranked 27th for ERA, and the 13-1 loss in the series finale against the Brewers will not have helped that position. There have been bright spots. Eduardo Rodriguez finally looks like the pitcher signed to an $80 million contract in December 2023. Juan Morillo and Taylor Clarke have been effective out of the bullpen. But Merrill Kelly has been a shadow of his former self, and backup catcher James McCann is on pace for twenty-two appearances on the mound.

The offense has been solid generally, and that’s without major contributions from Ketel Marte (.682 OPS) and Geraldo Perdomo (.729), though the last of our “Big 3” from last year, Corbin Carroll, has been as effective as ever. Arizona has been getting production from unexpected sources instead. None more unexpected than Ildemaro Vargas. Now in his tenth season, he came into the year with a career OPS+ of just 78. But he ends April leading the majors in average at .378, and the NL in OPS (1.087). Sustainable? Almost certainly not. But it has been a nice story. His current 26-game hitting streak, dating back to last season, is the second longest in franchise history (Paul Goldschmidt reached 30 games). Elsewhere, rookie Jose Fernandez and veteran Nolan Arenado have also performed better than expected. 

Before the start of the season, Arizona fans looked at the early schedule and thought, “If we can get through April at .500, that’ll be solid.” This is partly because the D-backs will be getting pitching help off the IL in the coming months, in the shapes of Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. Though with all three coming off elbow surgery of various kinds, their effectiveness is to be determined. April is done, and at 16-14, the D-backs are above the intended mark. Though it certainly helped that the Mets and Phillies, part of that early schedule, have been nowhere near as good as expected. But it does feel like the current record is illusory, or at least, lucky. If the pitching doesn’t come round, there could be some harsh regression in store for the Diamondbacks, though the offense should prove capable of scoring runs as well. 

Fun facts

The Cubs lost the first games of their first four homestands or road trips. They lost at home to the Nationals on Opening Day, 10-4, and to the Pirates on April 10, 2-0. They snapped the streak on April 17 with a 12-4 win over the Mets.
…
The Cubs’ next win at home over the Diamondbacks will be their 50th since the rivalry began in 1998. They have lost 45. At Arizona, the Cubs are just 41-55, so they trail overall, 100-90.
…
Last year, the Cubs won two of the three meetings at Wrigley Field, for their first series win at home vs. the Snakes since 2021. They had lost three of four in 2022 and 2023, then two of three in 2024. The Cubs’ last three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks was in 2015. This is the 10th series on the North Side since then. 

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Colin Rea, RHP (3-1, 4.61 ERA, 1.280 WHIP, 3.89 FIP) vs. Zac Gallen, RHP (1-1, 3.14 ERA, 1.360 WHIP, 3.57 FIP)

Saturday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (2-2, 3.15 ERA, 0.874 WHIP, 2.83 FIP) vs. Ryne Nelson, RHP (1-2, 7.71 ERA, 1.519 WHIP, 5.57 FIP)

Sunday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (1-1, 7.00 ERA, 1.444 WHIP, 1.78 FIP) vs. Merrill Kelly, RHP (1-2, 9.20 ERA, 2.250 WHIP, 8.78 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Diamondbacks market territories)

Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

The Cubs are starting two left-handers in this series. It should be noted, then, that the D-backs are 6-0 vs. LH starters so far this year. Those lefties are: Trevor Rogers, Anthony Kay, Martin Perez, Jesús Luzardo, David Peterson and Tarik Skubal, who they beat 1-0. So I don’t know that there’s any predictive value there, just thought it was interesting.

Where was I? Oh, yes, a series prediction. Two of three.

Up next

The Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds in a four-game series at Wrigley Field beginning Monday evening.

The Bombers enjoyed a day off on Thursday, before kicking off a set with the Orioles at home this weekend. With an early slate of games taking up much of Thursday, there wasn’t much positive movement for the American League’s top teams. Between a split double header, grand slams and a tough Jays loss to the Twins, let’s take a look at what happened on Thursday.

Minnesota Twins (13-19) 7, Toronto Blue Jays (14-17) 1

After two much-needed wins against the Red Sox, the Blue Jays dropped a dud against the Twins on Thursday. Despite an early lead and a strong start to the game for Toronto, the middling Minnesota squad took control of this game in the second half.

Kevin Gausman was on the hill for the Jays, who has had a terrific start to the 2026 season. He looked good to begin his outing, as the veteran righty fired three scoreless innings out of the gate, though it was matched by Bailey Ober for the Twins. Toronto broke out first with the bats, when Daulton Varsho belted his fourth homer of the season in the fourth inning, a solo shot to open the scoring.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Ryan Jeffers tagged Gausman with a two-run blast in the following half inning, which turned Minnesota’s deficit into a lead with one swing of the bat.

Two innings later, the Twins tacked on two more runs, fueled in part by Byron Buxton’s eighth home run of the season. In the eighth, they added some additional insurance thanks to RBIs from Josh Bell and Luke Keaschall against the Toronto ‘pen. With a six-run lead in tow, the Twins were able to cruise to victory in the series opener, as the Jays fall to fourth in the AL East, two games ahead of the Red Sox, who had the day off on Thursday.

Other Games

Detroit Tigers (16-16) 5, Atlanta Braves (22-10) 2: Despite a shaky start in the outing, Framber Valdez turned in a good start for the Tigers. Two early runs were the only marks on his day, as he finished striking out eight across his six solid innings of work. Detroit overcame a 2-0 deficit thanks in part to four runs in their final two innings, with doubles from Matt Vierling and Dillon Dingler leading the charge for the rally.

Baltimore Orioles (15-15) 10, Houston Astros (11-20) 3 (Game 1): The Orioles hosted the Astros for a back-to-back double header on Thursday, making up a rain out from Wednesday. In the first, The Orioles took command in the middle innings, and never trailed on their way to a win. A pair of grand slams usually does the trick, and the O’s got just that from Adley Rutschman in the fifth and Jeremiah Jackson in the seventh. Chris Bassitt also turned in a very good start, tossing 6.2 innings of one-run ball, striking out seven.

Houston Astros (12-20) 11, Baltimore Orioles (15-16) 5 (Game 2): The Astros flipped the script in the second game, jumping out to an early lead and putting up a double-digit run total of their own. After five runs in the first, Yordan Alvarez padded Houston’s lead in the second with his 12th home run of the season. Lance McCullers Jr. struck out nine in his six frames for the ‘Stros.

With the first month of the minor league season in the books, we‘re checking in on the top 25 Mets prospects who made our list ahead of the 2026 season.

1) Nolan McLean

April: 6 G (6 GS), 35.1 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 10 ER (2.55 ERA), 10 BB, 45 K, .234 BABIP (MLB)

2026 Season: 6 G (6 GS), 35.1 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 10 ER (2.55 ERA), 10 BB, 45 K, .234 BABIP (MLB)

Grade: A+

I was a Nolan McLean skeptic coming into the season. It’s not that I thought he would be bad, but in the 48.0 innings he pitched last season, he was basically as good as the NL and AL Cy Young Award winners and I did not think that would be sustainable over an entire season. Well, here we are a month into the 2026 season, and by the eye test and by the metrics, it seems like it might be sustainable; the right-hander is somehow even better than he was last season! One month down, five more to go, if these trends continue, the Mets might be looking at their seventh Rookie of the Year and/or fifth Cy Young Award winner, either of which would be their first since 2019 when Pete Alonso won the former and Jacob deGrom won the latter.

2) Carson Benge

April: 27 G, 93 AB, .186/.247/.279, 16 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 21 K, 6/6 SB, .222 BABIP (MLB)

2026 Season: 27 G, 93 AB, .186/.247/.279, 16 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 21 K, 6/6 SB, .222 BABIP (MLB)

Grade: C-

It’s not exactly fair to grade Carson Benge the same way I am grading everyone else on this list (with the exception of Nolan McLean, but with him, it’s a moot point). Yes, Benge is struggling, but might he be excelling if he was in Triple-A? Might another hitter who is in the upper levels of the minors right now struggle just as much, if not more, if promoted to the majors tomorrow? Over the offseason, Benge spent a lot of time working with his former head coach at Oklahoma State, Josh Holliday; his swing during his time at OSU was decidedly not a major-league swing, with too much hand movement interfering with his ability to get them into optimal hitting position and to keep his body balanced. Early in the season, it was looking like Benge had gotten into that habit, something he eliminated just prior to signing with the Mets and going pro. Whether or not he is doing this intentionally, if so, if he begins to succeed with it or adjusts and streamlines his mechanics, remains to be seen. Regardless, this is certainly not the start that even the biggest Benge critic was expecting.

3) Jonah Tong

April: 6 G (6 GS), 25.1 IP, 20 H, 19 R, 16 ER (5.68 ERA), 15 BB, 38 K, .288 BABIP (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 6 G (6 GS), 25.1 IP, 20 H, 19 R, 16 ER (5.68 ERA), 15 BB, 38 K, .288 BABIP (Triple-A)

Grade: C+

It’s been a confusing month for Tong. Outside of an elevated walk rate- command has been a weakness Tong has traditionally always had, though it really wasn’t much of a noticeable issue last season- Tong is still doing everything you want to see. He has limited batters to a .211 BAA and his 38 strikeouts are most on the team and second in the International League. Issuing all those free passes and allowing five home runs in 25.1 innings will screw with your ERA, though. I’m not too worried about Tong, and obviously I’d rather see excellent performance than poor performance, but I think the right-hander will start improving as the weather warms and he gets better acclimated to the Triple-A/MLB ball.

4) A.J. Ewing

April: 18 G, 63 AB, .349/.481/.571, 22 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 17 BB, 15 K, 12/13 SB, .426 BABIP (Double-A) / 3 G, 12 AB, .583/.615/.833, 7 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 0 K, 1/1 SB, .583 BABIP (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 18 G, 63 AB, .349/.481/.571, 22 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 17 BB, 15 K, 12/13 SB, .426 BABIP (Double-A) / 3 G, 12 AB, .583/.615/.833, 7 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 0 K, 1/1 SB, .583 BABIP (Triple-A)

Grade: A+

Two games in and A.J. Ewing already has 7 hits in Triple-A. That’s…something else. After having no trouble in Single-A, High-A, or Double-A last season, Ewing continued where he left off, demolishing the Eastern League until his promotion to Syracuse earlier this week. As I’ve said before, there are things Ewing could improve, mainly improving his groundball:flyball ratio, which was a not-that-great 55.1%:22.4% in Binghamton. While it would be great if he keeps posting impressive numbers and gets promoted to Queens sooner rather than later, I’d rather see Ewing not be rushed and improve on the things he could stand improving on, so he can truly be a big-time contributor when he gets the call

5) Jacob Reimer

April: 20 G, 70 AB, .186/.329/.314, 13 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 13 BB, 26 K, 3/4 SB, .279 BABIP (Double-A)

2026 Season: 20 G, 70 AB, .186/.329/.314, 13 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 13 BB, 26 K, 3/4 SB, .279 BABIP (Double-A)

Grade: C-

Reimer has gotten off to such a cold start to the season after having such a great year last year. He has been walking a lot, which has basically been sustaining his offense- such that it is- but he has also seen a spike in his strikeout rate by nearly 10%. The rest of his batted ball data is more of less in line with the numbers he posted in 2026, so here’s hoping this is just an adjustment period while facing better pitchers.

6) Ryan Clifford

April: 28 G, 98 AB, .224/.306/.429, 22 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 12 BB, 44 K, 2/4 SB, .340 BABIP (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 28 G, 98 AB, .224/.306/.429, 22 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 12 BB, 44 K, 2/4 SB, .340 BABIP (Triple-A)

Grade: C

I repeated I don’t know how many times last year that when Ryan Clifford is on, he is capable of single-handedly carrying a team, but when he’s on the schneid, he is almost unwatchable. Such has been Ryan Clifford’s April. In his first two series’, he hit .219/.265/.250 in 8 games with 1 double, 2 walks, and 16 strikeouts. In his next series, he hit .200/.333/.333 in 6 games with 2 doubles, 3 walks, and 8 strikeouts. In his next, he hit .375/.474/.875 in 5 games with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 3 walks to 2 strikeouts. In his next, he hit .217/.296/.478 in 6 games with 2 home runs and 3 walks to 11 strikeouts. As I write this, Clifford has notched just one hit in the three games in Syracuse’s current series against Lehigh Valley while drawing 1 walk and striking out 7 times- and of course it was a home run. I’m just not a believer in Clifford’s hit tool; I mean, you’d hope with a .340 BABIP, a guy could do better than a .224 average, but here we are. He’s on the cusp of the majors, at this point, he is what he is.

7) Will Watson

April: 5 G (5 GS), 19.1 IP, 23 H, 17 R, 15 ER (6.98 ERA), 10 BB, 19 K, .344 BABIP (Double-A)

2026 Season: 5 G (5 GS), 19.1 IP, 23 H, 17 R, 15 ER (6.98 ERA), 10 BB, 19 K, .344 BABIP (Double-A)

Grade: D

I had very high hopes for Watson coming into 2026, and, well, they really haven’t been realized yet. He has roughly the same sample size in Double-A Binghamton in 2026 as he did last season, and basically everything is trending in the wrong direction (with the exception of his walk rate, which is slightly improved). He is inducing about 10% fewer groundballs and is allowing about 10% more line drives, contributing to the high BABIP and the more hits allowed than innings pitched. Hopefully, as the weather improves, so too does Watson.

8) Jack Wenninger

April: 5 G (5 GS), 22.1 IP, 16 H, 5 R, 4 ER (1.61 ERA), 12 BB, 26 K, .273 BABIP (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 5 G (5 GS), 22.1 IP, 16 H, 5 R, 4 ER (1.61 ERA), 12 BB, 26 K, .273 BABIP (Triple-A)

Grade: A+

Jack Wenninger has been one of the bright spots in an April that has seen so many players, in the majors and in the minors, under-perform. I’m happy that the right-hander is getting the recognition that he deserves. The stuff has been effective and there are no major red flags to think that he will be hit hard by the regression bug. I do think he is performing above his head a little bit, but I think Wenninger is unquestionably a major league caliber pitcher and will pitch in some capacity sooner rather than later.

9) Mitch Voit

April: 19 G, 76 AB, .224/.314/.382, 17 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 7 BB, 20 K, 10/11 SB, .264 BABIP (High-A)

2026 Season: 19 G, 76 AB, .224/.314/.382, 17 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 7 BB, 20 K, 10/11 SB, .264 BABIP (High-A)

Grade: C

Unlike 2024 first-round pick Carson Benge, 2025 first-round pick Mitch Voit was always going to be something of a project. Not considered nearly as polished as Benge, he ran roughshod over the lower minors, while Voit is not. The infielder has been treading water in Brooklyn, anchored down a bit by a sub-.300 BABIP that he should have the ability to raise in the long haul with more line drives hit with authority and fewer weakly hit fly balls- both things he is capable of doing.

10) Jonathan Santucci

April: 4 G (4 GS), 17.1 IP, 13 H, 12 R, 11 ER (5.71 ERA), 11 BB, 26 K, .364 BABIP (Double-A)

2026 Season: 4 G (4 GS), 17.1 IP, 13 H, 12 R, 11 ER (5.71 ERA), 11 BB, 26 K, .364 BABIP (Double-A)

Grade: B-

Santucci’s 5.71 ERA is pretty deceptive. He is allowing too many walks- he’s always had that problem- but outside of that, he’s doing everything else right. He’s been limiting the hits, keeping the ball on the ground at a solidly average rate, and has been striking out a surprising number of batters; with a 53.1% LOB%, it just seems like Santucci is getting burned by the relievers after him failing to get outs.

11) Elian Peña

April: 22 G, 85 AB, .353/.467/.482, 30 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 17 BB, 16 K, 9/10 SB, .420 BABIP (Single-A)

2026 Season: 22 G, 85 AB, .353/.467/.482, 30 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 17 BB, 16 K, 9/10 SB, .420 BABIP (Single-A)

Grade: A+

What superlatives can we use that haven’t already been used? The youngest qualified player in the Florida State League, Peña is fourth in the circuit in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, ninth in OPS, sixth in stolen bases and is walking more than he is striking out. His batted ball data is impeccable, and with the exception of not pulling the ball enough, almost perfect. Yes, he is just 18-years-old, but at this point, he is making the Florida State League look like child’s play. The Cyclones are gonna need some marquee players to put butts in those seats, let’s make it happen sooner rather than later.

12) Zach Thornton

April: 4 G (4 GS), 21.0 IP, 21 H, 10 R, 10 ER (4.29 ERA), 7 BB, 20 K, .333 BABIP (Double-A)

2026 Season: 4 G (4 GS), 21.0 IP, 21 H, 10 R, 10 ER (4.29 ERA), 7 BB, 20 K, .333 BABIP (Double-A)

Grade: C+

Thornton was pitching exceptionally well in Double-A Binghamton last season, prior to an oblique injury sustained in early July that ended his season prematurely. This season? Not so much. So far in the young season, the left-hander is more hittable than he was last year, with his peripherals all trending in the wrong direction. Between the chilly weather and his shaking off the cobwebs, I wouldn’t be worried right now, but as a pitcher who is a sum-of-all-parts guy rather than someone with exceptional stuff, Thornton admittedly doesn’t have too much wiggle room for mistakes.

13) Nick Morabito

April: 26 G, 90 AB, .256/.376/.444, 23 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 14 BB, 23 K, 7/9 SB, .297 BABIP (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 26 G, 90 AB, .256/.376/.444, 23 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 14 BB, 23 K, 7/9 SB, .297 BABIP (Triple-A)

Grade: B+

Through his first twelve games, Morabito hit .295. Over the course of his next 12, he hit .225. Nick Morabito is an extremely BABIP-dependent hitter given the fact that he hits over 50% of the balls he puts in play on the ground; case in point, he had a .333 BABIP over his first 12 games, and a .241 in his next 12. The outfielder has been walking a lot more, striking out a bit less, and has been showing a little more power as compared to last season, all of which is sorely needed ones if he wants to take the next step and become a meaningful MLB contributor on the offensive side.

14) R.J. Gordon

April: N/A

2026 Season: N/A

Grade: N/A

Gordon began the season on the 7-Day Injured List with a lat injury. He began a rehab assignment with the St. Lucie Mets at the end of the month, allowing three runs on three hits while throwing 23 pitches, recording just one out.

15) Chris Suero

April: 19 G, 63 AB, .159/.349/.397, 10 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 18 BB, 28 K, 3/5 SB, .188 BABIP (Double-A)

2026 Season: 19 G, 63 AB, .159/.349/.397, 10 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 18 BB, 28 K, 3/5 SB, .188 BABIP (Double-A)

Grade: C+

Chris Suero was never going to run a particularly high batting average, but yeesh. Thanks to his power and his walk rate, he’s put up an above-average wRC+ though. Go figure. The backstop/outfielder has seen a 10% decrease in his line drive and groundball rates, and a massive 20% increase in his flyball rate. His Pull% dropped almost 20% while his Center% increased about 10% and his Opp% increased about 5%; in short, Suero is hitting more balls in the air, which is good, but he’s hitting fewer balls to his pull-side for power. All those extra flyballs are dying out there in center and right. Conceptually, should be a correctable issue, so here’s hoping.

16) Dylan Ross

April: 1 G, 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER (27.00 ERA), 2 BB, 1 K, .500 BABIP (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 1 G, 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER (27.00 ERA), 2 BB, 1 K, .500 BABIP (Triple-A)

Grade: N/A

Ross began the year on the 7-Day Injured List, suffering from ‘arm fatigue’. He appeared in four rehab games, two with Single-A St. Lucie and two with High-A Brooklyn, and looked fine in them. He has since appeared in a single game for Triple-A Syracuse after being activated, allowing a pair of runs in 0.2 innings, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out one.

17) Ryan Lambert

April: 10 G (0 GS), 8.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER (6.23 ERA), 9 BB, 12 K, .278 BABIP (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 10 G (0 GS), 8.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER (6.23 ERA), 9 BB, 12 K, .278 BABIP (Triple-A)

Grade: C

Lambert still is who he is; he’s been stingy allowing hits but negates that by allowing tons of walks, this season a bit more than last. Key to his schtick has been his ability to strike batters out left and right, and Lambert has not really been able to do that so far this season, at least up to his standards. Nothing about his performance has been all that red flag worthy outside of the uptick in walks and decrease in strikeouts, but we’re working with an 8.2 inning sample size here. I have confidence that things will normalize a bit as the season progresses.

18) Antonio Jimenez

April: 20 G, 77 AB, .143/.193/.247, 11 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 22 K, 3/4 SB, .167 BABIP (High-A)

2026 Season: 20 G, 77 AB, .143/.193/.247, 11 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 22 K, 3/4 SB, .167 BABIP (High-A)

Grade: F

Another player whose offense I expected to be depressed due to being in Brooklyn, I didn’t necessarily expect Jimenez’ batting line to be so depressing. Jimenez comes up to the plate looking to swing and swing hard, and that he does, resulting in plenty of strikeouts and plenty of poorly hit balls put in play for easy outs. Very few players hit their way out of Brooklyn, and Jimenez will likely have to either adapt, growing as a player and changing his approach to whatever degree, or risk posting the worst offensive numbers among every player in the minor league system like he is now.

19) Edward Lantigua

April: 2 G, 8 AB, .125/.125/.250, 1 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 BB, 3 K, 0/0 SB, .200 BABIP (Single-A)

2026 Season: 2 G, 8 AB, .125/.125/.250, 1 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 BB, 3 K, 0/0 SB, .200 BABIP (Single-A)

Grade: N/A

Lantigua was held back in extended spring training when the minor league season began in order to better rehab a core muscle injury. He was activated at the end of the month and played in both halves of a doubleheader, notching one hit, a double.

20) Eli Serrano III

April: 21 G, 71 AB, .239/.371/.451, 17 H, 6 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 13 BB, 22 K, 0/0 SB, .320 BABIP (Double-A)

2026 Season: 21 G, 71 AB, .239/.371/.451, 17 H, 6 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 13 BB, 22 K, 0/0 SB, .320 BABIP (Double-A)

Grade: C+

The physical and baseball growth that was envisioned when Eli Serrano III was drafted still hasn’t manifested itself. The outfielder is walking plenty and has shown no major platoon splits against fellow left-handers, but the hit tool still isn’t up to snuff and the power still isn’t up to snuff; scouts and evaluators still rave about certain underlying hitting metrics and expected statistics, but at a certain point, we need to start seeing the results that have largely been absent.

21) Randy Guzman

April: 22 G, 77 AB, .234/.359/.468, 18 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 11 BB, 24 K, 3/3 SB, .286 BABIP (Single-A)

2026 Season: 22 G, 77 AB, .234/.359/.468, 18 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 11 BB, 24 K, 3/3 SB, .286 BABIP (Single-A)

Grade: B

Guzman got off to a slow start, hitting below the Mendoza line, failing to record a single extra base hit, and striking out at an elevated rate while barely walking. Around the middle of the month, things started clicking and hit a solid .275 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs for the rest of the month, with 9 walks to 14 strikeouts. The strikeouts are baked into Guzman’s profile, but as long as he is hitting for power, you can live with that. He has about the same amount of games with St. Lucie this year as he did last year, and while he hasn’t been able to continue that torrid pace- he hit .333/.381/.604 with 13 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs in 26 games- he has been looking solid since the middle of the month.

22) Daiverson Gutierrez

April: 20 G, 70 AB, .171/.326/.257, 12 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 9 BB, 18 K, 1/1 SB, .216 BABIP (High-A)

2026 Season: 20 G, 70 AB, .171/.326/.257, 12 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 9 BB, 18 K, 1/1 SB, .216 BABIP (High-A)

Grade: D

Expectations weren’t especially high for Gutierrez coming into the year. He showed some improvements as a hitter, the advanced metrics showed many were legitimate, and his defense generally got neutral-to-positive reviews. Playing in Brooklyn, I’m not surprised that he is struggling offensively, but more concerning to me is that there are more reports that his defense is bad. I knew he had a scattershot arm, but based on what I have heard, from what I have seen, and from the stats, it’s bad enough that he might not be able to stick behind the dish despite doing everything else back there solidly enough. As a 20-year-old catcher, there’s still plenty of time to figure things out, but he’s really going to need to improve his defense since his offensive profile is not exactly sky high.

23) Boston Baro

April: DNP

2026 Season: DNP

Grade: N/A

Baro sustained a right shoulder injury prior to the start of the 2026 season and is expected to return to the field around the All-Star Break.

24) Marco Vargas

April: 17 G, 66 AB, .212/.333/.303, 14 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 12 BB, 21 K, 9/9 SB, .311 BABIP (Double-A)

2026 Season: 17 G, 66 AB, .212/.333/.303, 14 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 12 BB, 21 K, 9/9 SB, .311 BABIP (Double-A)

Grade: C-

Vargas started the season out slowly, but it looked like he was starting to come out of that funk towards the end of the month. In the last series he played in, against the Erie SeaWolves, he hit .412 with a pair of doubles and a pair of stolen bases, walking 4 times to 5 strikeouts. Unfortunately, he was placed on the on the 7-Day Injured List on the 29th with a shoulder injury.

25) Peter Kussow

April: DNP

2026 Season: DNP

Grade: N/A

Kussow underwent season-ending labrum surgery on his right shoulder prior to the start of the season.

Good morning everyone and happy Friday!

The M’s are on national TV tonight with an Apple TV broadcast on tap for the series opener with the Royals. The Apple TV broadcast has long been my favorite of the national TV presentations. Which ones have you been impressed with so far in 2026?

In Mariners news…

• The Lookout Landing staff discussed the merits and demerits of a “Gray Zone” for ABS challenges.
• Over on The Feed, Eric Sanford asked you all which Mariners starter you’ve been most impressed with so far this year.
• Adam Jude at The Seattle Times spoke to Mariners brass about the impressive start to the season for M’s second baseman Cole Young.

Around the league…

• Brewers veteran starter Brandon Woodruff was removed from yesterday’s game and will undergo an MRI after seeing an alarming drop in velocity during his outing.
• Yesterday’s game between the Pirates and Cardinals featured a cool moment — Pittsburgh starter Paul Skenes got to face off against his high school mentor Nathan Church in their first-ever MLB matchup.
• The MLB Pipeline prospect team wrote about the hottest-performing minor league hitter for each MLB organization.
• Rustin Dodd at The Athletic spoke to several professional athletes — including Logan Gilbert — about why they take on a “persona” when they get on the field or court. ($)

Diamondbacks News

(Sporting News) Diamondbacks’ James McCann sets absurd position player pitching record

McCann has set a mark by pitching more times before the end of April as a position player than anyone in MLB history, according to Baseball Reference’s Jessica Brand.

The long-time major league catcher has already thrown in four games, including Thursday’s blowout loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

(MLB.com) Brewers await MRI results after low velocity prompts Woodruff’s early exit

Woodruff’s first pitch of the game was a four-seamer at 84.2 mph, and it didn’t improve as he tried to settle into his outing. He worked around a leadoff walk with a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless first inning, then didn’t touch 85 mph with any of his pitches in the second while retiring a batter and surrendered a single to start the frame.

In hindsight, the first signs that something was amiss may have appeared in Woodruff’s previous outing against the Pirates, when 59 of his 71 pitches were varieties of fastballs. His four-seamer averaged 92.9 mph — which was actually up a tick — but he was part of the decision to come out of the game after only five innings, according to Murphy.

(Clutchpoints) Diamondbacks’ Ildemaro Vargas ties Venezuelan-born history in blowout loss to Brewers

Despite Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff being pulled after just 1.1 innings, they still blew out the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-1 on Thursday. But in the process, Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas made Venezuelan history.

Vargas went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in the loss. He extended his hitting streak to 26, which ties the record for longest by a Venezuelan-born player, originally set by Wilson Ramos in 2019, via independent journalist Francys Romero.

(SI.com) Ildemaro Vargas Is Forcing MLB Fans to Pay Attention

Vargas’ .378 batting average is 20 points higher than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, who has the second-best batting average in baseball at .358. Vargas’ .378 batting average is 42 points ahead of Xavier Edwards of the Miami Marlins, who is in second place in the National League in batting average at .336.

MLB News

(Yahoo! Sports) MLB owners, MLBPA reportedly set to begin labor negotiations soon, with salary cap at center of talks

With the 2026 MLB season only a month old, both the players and owners are already looking to the future. The league’s collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) expires at the end of the season, and both sides are expected to engage in multiple contentious rounds of negotiation.

In an effort to get ahead of that, the owners and MLBPA will reportedly start meeting in the coming weeks, per The Athletic. At the center of those talks is a salary cap, which the owners are eager to implement.

[Ed. Note] And so it begins

(CBS Sports) 10 most pleasant MLB surprises after the first month of 2026, from Mike Trout’s renaissance to a Rockies ace

We’re roughly one month into the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season, and that means it’s time for a league-wide check-in. Specifically, we’re going to highlight 10 baseball entities that qualify as “pleasant surprises” thus far. What’s a surprise? Something that’s gone contrary to general expectations. What’s the pleasant part of this? It means the player/team/etc has exceeded expectations in a positive way.

Now let’s look at 10 pleasant baseball surprises that stand out through the first month of the season. We’ll proceed in no particular order, just like time itself …

[Ed. Note] No Ildemaro Vargas. List invalid.

(MLB.com) Phillies the first team in 22 years to walk off twice in a doubleheader

The Phillies swept the Giants in Thursday’s doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park with a 3-2 walk-off victory in Game 1 and a 6-5 walk-off victory in 10 innings in Game 2, leading them to a 3-0 start under interim manager Don Mattingly.

It was the first time the Phillies had two walk-off wins on the same day since July 24, 1998, against the Marlins. The last team to accomplish the feat was the Pirates on May 28, 2004, against the Cubs.

If you haven’t been paying much attention to non-Orioles baseball so far this year, I regret to inform you that the 2026 New York Yankees are a good team. Their 20 wins are the most in the American League. They have scored 153 runs, second-most in the AL. They have allowed 106, which is the fewest. And while the Orioles spent yesterday playing a doubleheader, the Yankees had an off day.

It could be a long four-game series. And, in fact, the Orioles play the Yankees in seven of the next 13 games.

On offense, the Yankees are being led, as expected, by Aaron Judge. In his 11th season, Judge leads the league with 12 home runs and has an OPS of 1.002. More surprising is first baseman Ben Rice, who has 10 home runs and an even higher OPS than Judge. In Rice’s case, something tells me that a .373 BABIP and a17.2% walk rate are probably not sustainable. Arguably, they are the best offense in the AL.

The starting pitching on the Yankees has been insanely good this year. It has been the best in baseball. The Orioles will face their top four starters in this series. Two of them are lefties. Three of them have K/9 over 10. They just called up one of their top prospects, Elmer Rodríguez, to round out the rotation.

The relief pitching hasn’t been as good as the starters, but they have still been good with an opposing OPS of .710. Closer David Bednar leads the league with nine saves, but his ERA of 3.55 and WHIP of 1.658 are a little ugly.

Note: As of Thursday night, the Orioles have not announced any starters for this series. Chris Bassitt and Brandon Young pitched yesterday, so they are out. With Trevor Rogers and Dean Kremer on the IL, it’s unclear how things will shake out.

Kyle Bradish could pitch on regular rest tonight and Shane Baz could pitch on regular rest on Sunday. Down in the minors, Cade Povich last pitched on April 25th. It stands to reason he’ll be called up for this series to pitch today or tomorrow. As for Monday? Maybe Albert Suárez, if they add him back to the 40-man.

Game 1: Friday, 7:05

TBD vs RHP Will Warren (3-0, 2.59 ERA, 37 SO)

After pitching to a 4.44 ERA over 33 starts last year and getting a few Rookie of the Year votes, Warren is off to a great start in 2026. After failing to pitch deep into the game in his first four starts, Warren has gone seven and six innings in his last two.

So far this year, Warren has good numbers across the board with a 28.7% strikeout rate and just a 5.4% walk rate. When he isn’t striking guys out, he is getting groundouts 48.8% of the time. He’s been doing this despite an average fastball velocity of 93.9 mph.

Last year, Warren faced the Orioles four times, and they did pretty well against him. In 20 innings, he gave up 11 runs (4.95 ERA) and the Orioles hit .272/.333/.506. But that was 4.44 ERA Warren, not 2.59 ERA Warren. In limited plate appearances, Gunnar Henderson (3-for-7, 4 BB) and Colton Cowser (3-for-7) have fared well against Warren.

Game 2: Saturday, 1:35

TBD vs LHP Ryan Weathers 1-2, 3.21 ERA, 40 SO

Lefty alert! The Yankees traded for Weathers in January, with the 26-year-old pitcher coming to the American League for the first time in his career. After a tough start with the Padres, Weathers looked good for the Marlins over the last two seasons before the trade. That has continued for six starts this year with the Yankees.

Weathers is a big strikeout guy with a K rate of just under 30% so far this year, but has struggled with the homer. He’s given up five long balls in six starts, but none in his last appearance against the Astros.

Weathers has never faced the Orioles, and no current Orioles have much experience against him.

Game 3: Sunday, 1:35

TBD vs LHP Max Fried (4-1, 2.09 ERA, 37 SO)

Oh great. Max Fried. Back-to-back lefties!

Imagine a world where the Orioles had signed Max Fried before the 2025 season instead of the Yankees? I can’t either, but it would have been cool. Fried has been exactly what the Yankees expected after signing the ace to an eight-year contract.

Fried’s 47.1 innings pitched over seven starts is tops in the league at this point. He hasn’t been striking as many guys out so far, but is keeping guys off base with just 4.9 hits per nine innings and a WHIP of just 0.803.

Last year, Fried faced the Orioles twice. In June, Fried had the old Quality Start with three runs in six inning. In September, Fried struck out 13 Orioles in 7 shutout innings.

From their time together in the NL East, Pete Alonso has faced Fried 48 times with a hitting line of .238/.333/.405 with two home runs.

Game 4: Monday, 7:05

TBD vs RHP Cam Schlittler (4-1, 1.51 ERA, 49 SO)

Are these guys kidding me with these tiny ERAs? Come on!

The Yankees drafted Schlittler in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. He debuted last year with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts and has been even better this year. He has that tiny 1.51 ERA and leads the league in FIP (1.51), WHIP (0.744), and K/BB (8.17). In case you’re wondering, the Orioles drafted Preston Johnson in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. He is currently on the roster of the Mississippi Mud Monsters of the Frontier League.

Schlittler’s Statcast page is a sea of red. His fastball averages over 97 mph and he has a curve ball that drops in at just 84. He strikes out over 30% of batters and hardly allows home runs.

Last year, Schlittler faced the Orioles twice. In 12.1 innings, he allowed just one run on 5 hits and struck out 15.

How do you think the Orioles will do this series? Let us know in the comments.