Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 6, Nashville (Brewers) 5

The Tides had to go with something of a patchwork pitching staff for this game, as the scheduled starter, Trey Gibson, was moved around to set up potentially joining the MLB team tomorrow. Norfolk jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, helped in part by Creed Willems hitting a two-run homer against rehabbing major leaguer Quinn Priester. This was a good one for the prospects in the Tides lineup, with Willems collecting a pair of hits, Jud Fabian having two hits, two walks, and two stolen bases, and even Peyton Eeles, the short king, picking up three hits and a walk. All of these guys are OPSing over .800 so far.

Substitute starting pitcher Christian Herberholz allowed eight hits across 4.1 innings. The two runs he gave up, both in the bottom of the first, were unearned, following after a missed catch error by Willems at first base. Both teams would have regretted losing this one – Norfolk left 11 men on base and Nashville stranded 10. A fourth inning home run by Christian Encarnacion-Strand – who’s also OPSing over .800 – provided the sixth and ultimately decisive Norfolk run.

Box score.

Double-A: Erie (Tigers) 7, Chesapeake Baysox 4

Largely a stinker as far as the prospects on this roster are concerned, starting with my honorary hyphenated cousin Juaron Watts-Brown getting blasted for six runs, with three home runs allowed, in only four innings. It’s tough to come back from that and the Baysox did not. This was Watts-Brown’s first start at his proper level after starting his year on an injury rehab assignment.

Chesapeake was efficient in its scoring, collecting its four runs on only four hits. Infielder Griff O’Ferrall hit a two-run homer, his second of the season, to bring things within save range in the ninth inning, but at that point Erie did not change pitchers to give anyone save opportunity.

Syrup heir Brandon Butterworth (note: not actually a syrup heir) took an 0-for out of the leadoff spot. Ethan Anderson was also hitless. My guy Aron Estrada added one hit. So did early strong performer Anderson De Los Santos, still OPSing over 1.000 after 21 games. He is 22 and if he breaks out here at that age, that’s worth taking note.

Box score.

High-A: Frederick Keys 5, Brooklyn (Mets) 2

Did Wehiwa Aloy homer again? He sure did! That’s his fifth for the season. This one expanded the Keys lead in the eighth. Aloy himself drove in the first Keys run with a sixth inning double, and he shortly scored when Victor Figueroa – one of the guys from last year’s Padres deal – also homered again, his seventh in 20 games played here. This Keys lineup has been strong. Nate George was 1-5, and Braylin Tavera added a hit and two walks.

Figueroa is OPSing over 1.100, which is great. The other guys are holding around .750, less exciting but also less depressing than tracking Aberdeen box scores last year.

The starter for Frederick was Twine Palmer. The modest trade return for Ramón Urías last July, Palmer was particularly terrible with his new organization after the deal, and he had a couple of tough games in April of this year. Still, after just one run allowed in 4.1 innings in this one, Palmer has the ERA down to 3.86 and High-A batters are only hitting .164 against him this year. It’s not nothing.

Box score.

Low-A: Hill City (Guardians) 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 3

Although Delmarva outhit their opponent by an 8-6 margin and the Howlers committed four errors to the Shorebirds zero, the Orioles affiliate was not able to capitalize and turn this into a victory.

One standout effort at the plate came from outfielder Stiven Martinez, an 18-year-old who had three hits out of the leadoff spot to raise his season OPS to .722. As the Shorebirds roster has been for the past several years, it’s a group in search of somebody who might break out into something interesting; the ones who do so, such as George last year, tend not to remain for long.

Box score.

Saturday’s Scheduled Games

• Norfolk: at Nashville, 7:35. Starter: Cameron Weston
• Chesapeake: at Erie, 1:35. Starter: Juan Rojas
• Frederick: at Brooklyn, 2:00. Starter: Yeiber Cartaya
• Delmarva: vs. Hill City, 7:05. Starter: Kailen Hamson

In addition, today is the beginning of the Florida Complex League Orioles season. We may check in on those players in our weekly recaps but will not be updating those box scores in the daily posts.

Friday night’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t have gone much worse for the Cincinnati Reds. First, they sat out a lengthy rain delay in PNC Park and eventually waded into a drubbing at the hands of the Bucs in cool temperatures, their arms and bats looking as soggy as the 9-1 scoreline.

Brady Singer got rocked, again. Zach Maxwell was rudely welcomed back to the big league mound. The 2 through 5 spots in the Reds lineup combined to go 0 for 16 with nary a walk, with the entire Reds lineup mustering only a lone walk and trio of hits on the night.

It was perhaps the ugliest loss of the year, especially given the company.

Cincinnati will look to bounce back on Saturday, however, and will do so with rookie Rhett Lowder on the bump to start. Pittsburgh will counter with righty Carmen Mlodzinski, against whom previous Reds lineups have struggled mightily.

In 8 career starts against Mlodzinski, Cincinnati batters have posted a combined .214/.267/.321 line with nary a homer. Lucky for these Reds, though, they’ve now got both Sal Stewart and Nate Lowe anchoring the middle of their lineup.

The Reds will also welcome back bullpen anchor Graham Ashcraft, who was activated off the bereavement list prior to the start of this one. Maxwell was optioned back to AAA Louisville on the other side of that ledger, with the Reds noting that he’ll now be teammates with Nick Lodolo as the latter takes his rehab tour up to the AAA level.

First pitch on Saturday is slated for a 4:05 PM ET start.

Here’s how the Reds will line up for this one:

The Mets and backup catcher Luis Torrens have agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract extension that covers the 2027 and 2028 seasons, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. If he hadn’t agreed to a deal, the 30-year-old was slated to hit free agency following the 2026 season.

Torrens joined the Mets on May 31, 2024, when the team purchased him from the Yankees for a tiny sum by the standards of Major League Baseball. He’s been one of the best under-the-radar finds of the David Stearns era, as he’s been an excellent defender behind the plate while being a serviceable if unspectacular hitter.

Since joining the Mets, Torrens is the best catcher in the game at throwing out baserunners who attempt to steal bases against him. Statcast has rated him as +20 in catcher’s caught stealing above average. And while he doesn’t top the framing leaderboard over the same span, he still rates pretty well.

Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Torrens hit .227/.286/.354 with 8 home runs and an 82 wRC+ in 413 plate appearances. Like most of his teammates, he’s struggled mightily at the plate to start this season, as he has a .200/.200/.267 line and a 27 wRC+ in 31 plate appearances.

With starting catcher Francisco Alvarez under team control through the 2029 season, the Mets would appear to have locked in their catching situation for the foreseeable future.

Saturday notes…

• STREAKING AT HOME: The Cubs are trying today for a 10th consecutive victory at home. They have had 18 such double-digit streaks during the Modern Era, the last 14 at Wrigley Field, their home since 1916. Their most recent was 14 in a row, May 18-June 22, 2008. A 13-game streak in 2001 and a 10-game streak in 1998 are their only others of the kind since 1970. Their record is 18 straight, Sept. 4-22, 1935, during a surge that lifted them to the pennant. The 2008 streak was one of five of 14 games. The 2001 streak was the only one of 13. They also had a lone streak of 12, in 1927, and of 11, in 1910. Eight of the streaks ended after 10 games. Ten were snapped after nine wins. The first seven were in 1908-33. Then there was one in 1957 and two in back-to-back years, 2016 and 2017. The most recent streak ended with a 5-1 loss to the Braves in which the Cubs managed only five hits: two each by Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist, and one by Jason Heyward. One of Happ’s was a homer. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• THREE OF A KIND: The Cubs’ pair of three-run innings yesterday were their 11th and 12th of the season with a trio. They have scored five runs in three innings, four runs in seven and two runs in 22, for a total of 44 crooked-number innings, out of 95 total innings in which they have scored. They have allowed multiple runs in 35 of 74 innings in which they gave up runs. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• DANSBY: Dansby Swanson, last 17 games since April 12: .273/.391/.600 (15-for-55) with a double, a triple, five home runs, 11 walks, 16 runs scored and 18 RBI.
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs homered four times (Sammy Sosa, Gary Matthews Jr., Bill Mueller and Eric Young Sr.) and defeated the Padres 8-3 at Wrigley Field. It happened 25 years ago today, Wednesday, May 2, 2001.

Cubs lineup:

Diamondbacks lineup:

Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. Ryne Nelson, RHP

Shōta Imanaga was a little off his game Sunday against the Dodgers, allowing five runs in 5.1 innings. One positive: He did not allow a home run and this year he’s given up just three long balls in 34.1 innings, a vast improvement over last year.

Overall, though, after a bit of a rough outing his first time out this year against the Nationals, Imanaga posted a 2.45 ERA and 0.750 WHIP in 29.1 innings in five April starts. Can’t really argue with that sort of production.

Last year, he threw seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball against the D-backs March 29, 2025 at Chase Field. Do that again, Shōta.

Ryne Nelson had a pretty good year for the D-backs in 2025 (33 games, 23 starts, 3.39 ERA, 1.071 WHIP, 3.4 bWAR), but this year has been a disaster. He’s had two decent starts but the other four have been awful, and especially the last two: 15 hits, 14 earned runs in 5.1 innings (that’s a 23.83 ERA). He’s allowed six home runs in 25.2 innings this year.

Last year he made two relief appearances against the Cubs and they absolutely pounded him: 10 hits, nine runs in 2.1 innings.

Do that again this afternoon, Cubs hitters.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Diamondbacks site AZ Snakepit. If you do go there to interact with D-backs fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

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The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees clash this afternoon in the Bronx.

That matchup headlines my favorite MLB picks for today in the "no run first inning" and "yes run first inning" markets.

Here are my best free NRFI and YRFI bets for Saturday, May 2.

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

Pick	Odds
/ - NRFI	-108
/ - NRFI	-117
/ - NRFI	-108

Orioles at Yankees: NRFI (-108)

The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees continue their three-game set today. Kyle Bradish takes the hill for the visitors, and he has a perfect 6-0 NRFI record this season. While his 4.80 ERA isn’t great, Bradish rarely gets into trouble in the first inning.

The Yankees are hitting just .220 in the first, and they’ve scored in the first inning just twice in their last six games. As for the O’s, they’re in the midst of a three-game NRFI streak, and Ryan Weathers has allowed no runs in the first in two of his previous four appearances.

• Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, YES

Blue Jays at Twins: NRFI (-117)

This one is a no-brainer. We’re looking at two teams who rarely produce offense out of the gates. The Toronto Blue Jays have a 23-9 NRFI/YRFI record, while the Minnesota Twins are 25-8 in that category.

Dylan Cease has allowed a run in the first in just two of his six starts this year, while Connor Prielipp is 1-1. The Jays are hitting just .253 in the first innings, and although the Twins are 10th in the big leagues in runs, they’re batting under .200 in the first.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Twins.TV, SN1

Phillies at Giants: NRFI (-108)

The Philadelphia Phillies send Andrew Painter to the mound tonight against the Miami Marlins. While he’s posted a dismal 5.25 ERA, Painter hasn’t allowed a run in the first inning yet this season. The Fish have also scored in the first just once across their last six appearances, and that was on Friday.

As for the Phils, their offensive struggles are well known, and they’ve only scored in the first in 66% of their games so far. Max Meyer has also shoved early in games, not surrendering a single run in the first inning in five straight starts.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSP, Marlins.TV

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Mets catcher Luis Torrens has inked a two-year extension with the club, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.

Torrens, 30, is set to receive $11.5 million ($5.75 million each year) as part of the new deal, with $2 million up front. He can also get $2 million in incentives.

He was set to become a free agent at season’s end, after two-plus years with the Mets.

Torrens, who got the contract on his 30th birthday, has hit .200 this season in 13 games, with four RBIs.

Behind the plate, he’s leading MLB with a 57.1 caught-stealing percentage after finishing at the top of baseball last year (40.8 percent).

The extension will see Torrens continue to serve as the Mets’ backup catcher behind Francisco Alvarez, who has hit four home runs this season.

Torrens was traded to the Mets from the Yankees (who he had signed a minor league contract with) in May 2024, and he’s gone on to play 152 games for the franchise.

Prior to joining the Mets, Torrens had major league stops with the Padres, Mariners and Cubs.

He saw action in two games this week as the Mets fell to the Nationals on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Mets beat the Angels 4-3 on Friday to move to 11-21 on the year.

The NL East leading Atlanta Braves, who have a 7.5 game lead and refuse to lose a series, have made a roster move before tonight’s game with the Colorado Rockies.

Anthony Molina was helpful in last night’s come-from-behind win for the never-say-die, put-them-in-a-Walt-Weiss-sleeper-hold Braves. He pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning with a walk and no strikeouts as Atlanta staged their comeback. And hahahaha just as I was writing something to highlight Anthony Molina, he’s been sent to Gwinnett. I will do it anyway but still annoying. He has my attention. With a 96-97 MPH fastball and a 85 MPH curveball, he is more equipped than the average fringe reliever. But with a career 15% K rate and 110 xFIP-, he still needs to cook in Gwinnett.

Speaking of Cook(ie), Carlos Carrasco is back with Atlanta tonight. Carlos was designated for assignment on Wednesday, chose free agency on Friday, and will be in the Braves bullpen tonight. With Chris Sale on the mound tonight, they may not need him. But Denver has made a fool of many pitchers.

Crumpet and Lobo love walks. Unfortunately, so do opposing batters and my dogs only wish they could get walked at the rate A’s pitchers are offering. It’s been an issue all season and not only does it continue to be a major barrier to success, it is a widespread phenomenon across all types and levels of pitchers.

Last night the A’s issued 8 more free passes, 5 from starter JT Ginn in just 4.1 IP. Today’s starting pitcher, Jacob Lopez, is trying to bring down a walk rate that started at over a batter an inning and currently sits at 21 BB in 24.1 IP. “Ace” Luis Severino has put together two excellent starts in a row, but has still walked 23 in his 38.1 IP for the season.

Team wide, strangely the A’s have issued the 3rd most walks in all of MLB yet also only the 3rd most walks in the division. More generous than A’s pitchers are only those who toil for the Angels and Astros. But for contrast, the A’s have now walked 147 batters in 32 games (4.6 per game) while despite playing one more game the Mariners staff has walked only 82 (2.48 per game).

What is typical this season, with the ABS challenge system shrinking the strike zone a bit as umpires can’t “Verlander” the opposing hitters? 3.5 BB/game is the median, meaning the A’s staff is a whopping 31.4% above the league average so far in 2026.

Here’s the ominous part. The issue is far from limited to the big league club. Currently the A’s have an organizational problem with throwing enough strikes, including their very best pitching prospects.

Gage Jump? Scouts continue to be excited about his potential and his ceiling and cite him as not being far from ready to pitch in the big leagues. Yet one stat stands out as still needing work and attention: so far this season at AAA, Jump has thrown 18.1 IP and walked 10.

Luis Morales was envisioned to be a breakout candidate pitching his way to the front of the A’s big league rotation but he has been wild at 3 levels in the span of a month. In spring training Morales threw 19 sad innings in which he walked 14 and was tagged for 16 ER. Then he lasted only 7.1 IP in the big leagues as he walked 8 and was soon shipped back to AAA for more seasoning. At AAA he has completed just 12.1 IP in 3 starts, walking 9. So that’s, in aggregate, 38.2 IP, 31 BB.

Mason Barnett continues to struggle greatly to throw enough strikes, with an MLB mark of 13 BB in 24.1 IP. At AAA he has not made strides, with 12 BB in 19.2 IP.

Even Kade Morris, a “pitch to contact” sinker baller with low K rates but strong “pitchability,” has walked 16 in his 31.1 IP.

Dipping down to AA, Jamie Arnold is, like Jump, viewed as a “fast mover” with upside and in fairness to Arnold starting his pro career at AA is an aggressive assignment. Arnold came with some concerns around his control and so far, indeed control has been his main vice. In 21.1 IP he has walked 10.

Perhaps most puzzling is Wei-En Lin who, at 19 years old last season, established himself as a strike throwing machine. Lin issued only 22 free passes in 87 IP as a teenager (while striking out 117), walking just 2.28/9 IP at AA. But Lin walked 4 batters in his 3.1 IP in spring training and hasn’t been nearly as efficient at Midland so far this season with 9 BB in 21 IP (3.86/9 IP). It’s as if everyone in the A’s system has caught the walkies bug.

To what can we attribute what is becoming a serious issue impeding the A’s quest for success on the mound? There are myriad potential explanations, most of which are probably entirely inaccurate. They include:

1. Lack of talent. If the group of MLB pitchers and top MiLB prospects just doesn’t measure up to the industry norm then you’re going to see it reflected in performance. Certainly pre-season projections did not favor the big league staff as a whole, but few organizations would not want to have Jump, Morales, Arnold, and Lin among their top pitching prospects.

2. Mechanical issues not solved. Control problems often arise when a pitcher loses that “repeatability” or something gets off with their mechanics, they can’t get right in real time and coaches are unable to help them right the ship.

3. Approach not geared to limit walks. If pitchers are nibbling, throwing breaking pitches in fastball counts, trying to miss bats with chase pitches instead of challenging, etc., the cost is going to be higher walk totals along the way.

4. Drafting/Acquiring philosophy. Certainly, from Joe Boyle to Elvis Alvarado to Braden Nett to the selection of Arnold, the A’s have not shied away recently from pitchers with plus stuff whose biggest red flag on the mound is their control. Perhaps the organization is paying the price of a “be careful what you wish for” approach.

5. Home field disadvantage. Both in Sacramento and Las Vegas/PCL, A’s pitchers face a hostile pitching environment that discourages being aggressive in the strike zone and tempts hurlers to be extra careful. This could inflate walk totals as well as embedding bad habits even when in the comfort of a “pitcher’s park”.

What do you think is at the root of the A’s system wide breakdown in throwing enough strikes in 2026? It’s having a significant impact on the big league team’s success and on the development of the A’s top prospects, so it would be prudent for the A’s to identify and solve the issue. Walks are great for doggies and terrible for ERAs.

Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the season’s final month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.

Out in the West, it already looks like a two-horse race will pull many lengths ahead of the rest of the pack. The Dodgers got off to a scorching start and have never relinquished their grasp on the NL West lead. However, a recent slip up and consistent strong play from the Padres have the Friars breathing down the necks of their division rivals.

First Place: Los Angeles Dodgers (20-11)

Top Position Player: Max Muncy (1.4 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Shohei Ohtani (1.3 fWAR)

Shohei Ohtani looks like he’s on a mission to secure one of the few pieces of hardware that has eluded him thus far in his career. He has four MVPs and a pair of rings, next up on the mantel might be the NL Cy Young. He leads all NL pitchers with a 1.97 FIP and 1.3 fWAR, his 0.60 ERA in five starts the second-lowest of any starts after the Angels’ José Soriano and has yet to give up a home run in 30 innings. His hitting has suffered a touch as he sacrificed some DH days to focus on pitching, but even then he still has six home runs and a 143 wRC+. He leads a team that boasts the best offense by wRC+ (123) and second-best pitching staff by ERA (3.19) in baseball.

Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are once again experiencing slow starts to their campaigns, both right around league-average at the plate and not much more valuable than replacement level. Kyle Tucker has also had a slow start to his Dodgers career with a 100 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR. Fortunately for LA, Max Muncy as well as a pair of their youngsters have been carrying the weight at the dish, Andy Pages looking like a legitimate perennial All-Star caliber center fielder while rookie catcher Dalton Rushing has been worth a win while trying his hardest to be the league’s biggest villain.

Ohtani is joined by three other excellent starters in the rotation, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Wrobleski all sporting sub-3.00 ERAs. The bullpen will be without big money closer Edwin Díaz until at least the All-Star break after he underwent elbow surgery, but a resurgent Tanner Scott has helped ease that blow. Top to bottom the Dodgers once again look like a deep, scary team, which underlines why they are still the overwhelming favorites to make it a three-peat.

Second Place: San Diego Padres (19-11)

Top Position Player: Luis Campusano (0.9 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Mason Miller (0.9 fWAR)

The Padres have had to play their best baseball to keep pace with the Dodgers, but a recent 5-7 stretch by LA has the Dads within a half-game. It’s not often that you see a relief pitcher being a team’s most valuable pitcher, but Mason Miller is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible from a pitcher. He recently had his scoreless streak ended, but a -0.06 FIP from striking out over half the batters he has faced is the stuff of video games. His efforts have gone a long way toward carrying an offense and pitching staff that has been middle of the pack in terms of wRC+ (97) and ERA (4.23).

Their offense lacks any standout performers. Case in point: the usually light hitting Luis Campusano leads the way with 0.9 fWAR, propped up a lot by his defense behind the plate and an unsustainably high .400 BABIP. Fernando Tatis Jr. has been one of the unluckiest hitters so far and still has yet to hit his first home run of the year while Jackson Merrill has been a serious disappointment — neither has a wRC+ above Tatis’ 76. Xander Bogaerts is riding a hot start while Manny Machado has been league average so far.

Two of the pitchers from the Juan Soto trade to the Yankees lead the way in the rotation, both Michael King and Randy Vásquez sporting sub-3.00 ERAs. However, there is a chance they could lose Nick Pivetta for the season after an MRI revealed a forearm flexor strain — often a harbinger of Tommy John surgery. Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito could be close to reinforcing the rotation once they return from injury.

Third Place: Arizona Diamondbacks (16-15)

Top Position Player: Ildemaro Vargas (1.5 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Michael Soroka (0.6 fWAR)

Last year, the Diamondbacks mounted a late surge led by a three-headed monster of Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Geraldo Perdomo. Carroll is the only one to have picked up where he led off with a 165 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR. Perdomo is at a 107 wRC+ while Marte is at 89 after both were at or above 138 in 2025. Instead, it’s the most improbable candidate leading the way, 34-year-old journeyman first baseman Ildemaro Vargas posting MLB’s fourth highest wRC+ at 199 (which is almost certain to normalize given his 3.2-percent walk rate and almost 100 point gap between wOBA and xwOBA).

It’s quite remarkable that they are above .500 considering they are one of only three teams with a staff ERA north of 5.00. Four of their six starters in Eduardo Rodriguez, Ryne Nelson, Brandon Pfaadt, and Merrill Kelly have been replacement level or worse. The bullpen has been a smidge better, led by Juan Morillo and his 1.84 ERA.

Fourth Place: Colorado Rockies (14-18)

Top Position Player: Mickey Moniak (0.9 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Antonio Senzatela (0.7 fWAR)

I’m not sure anyone would have believed that the team that lost 119 games in 2025 would not be in last place at the end of April. Mickey Moniak might finally be fulfilling the pedigree of being the first overall pick in 2016, leading the way with his 162 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR along with eight home runs. He’s joined by fellow slugger Hunter Goodman and his nine home runs, 129 wRC+, and 0.8 fWAR. Otherwise, their offense is a bottom-five unit in the game.

Instead, it’s Colorado’s completely remade pitching department that leads the way. After finishing dead last in ERA and FIP in each of the last three seasons, they modernized their analytics department, leading to a pitching staff that is middle of the pack now in those aforementioned stats. They brought in starters Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Jose Quintana to bring some experience to the room, but it’s actually the bullpen that has shown up. Led by converted starter Antonio Senzatela and his 0.46 ERA, the Rockies are just not surrendering leads with the same ferocity with which we are accustomed.

Last Place: San Francisco Giants (13-19)

Top Position Player: Luis Arraez (0.9 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Landen Roupp (0.9 fWAR)

The Giants are adrift in the wilderness, led by a college manager with zero MLB experience in Tony Vitello who could find his seat growing quite hot given the way heads are rolling early this year. Despite investing over a half-billion dollars into Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman, San Francisco are rolling out a bottom-three offense by wRC+ (84) and fWAR (0.8).

Devers is the second-worst qualified hitter in baseball with a 48 wRC+ and -0.8 fWAR as his ability to hit the fastball has seemingly disappeared. Adames isn’t much better at a 64 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR, that pair two of the ten worst hitters in the sport. As a team, they’ve hit an MLB-worst 19 home runs, so it is fitting that their top position player is noted singles hitter Luis Arraez at a 97 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR.

Their pitching staff is in the top-third of the league in ERA (3.96), but there is only so much you can do to make up for an absent offense. Landen Roupp has displaced a surprisingly underperforming Logan Webb from the top spot among their pitchers — the third-year righty sports a 2.55 ERA and has yet to give up a barrel in 84 batted ball events. Robbie Ray is having another nice start to the campaign, but winter signings Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser have been worse than replacement level. Their bullpen is the lone bright spot, second in the majors at a 3.19 ERA led by Erik Miller (3.18 ERA, 1.72 FIP, and Keaton Winn (2.84 ERA, 2.26 FIP).