This biggest moment in the NBA on Thursday night didn’t happen on the court, but rather in the stands of the Pacers vs. Nets game. A couple in Pacers gear were filmed in the stands having what looked to be a deep, philosophical conversation before the woman snapped.
The man appeared to be saying something about what it takes to get a full-time job, to which she clapped back: “That’s you! That’s you … what the f*** are you talking about?” Immediately, the clip went viral, with the widespread assumption being that he was mansplaining to her, and she was fed up — but it’s now been clarified by the woman herself that everyone is wrong.
IM CRYINGGGGGGGG I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND THIS IS JUST HOW WE TALK!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://t.co/V9yjPwAP43
There are numerous photos of the couple together on her Instagram, confirming that she is the woman seen in the video — and we even got a clarification about exactly what set off this discussion from the boyfriend.
To be fair: It was an April game between the Pacers (19-61) and the Nets (20-60) — given the circumstance I’d probably be talking about the practical application of a Liberal Arts degree was well, rather than be locked on Obi Toppin scoring 26 points.
The New York Knicks (52-28) can lock down no worse than the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 playoff seed with a win over the Toronto Raptors (43-35). The Raptors can secure the No. 5 seed if they beat the Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Atlanta Hawks.
Apr 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck against the Florida Panthers during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Alberti-Imagn Images | Mark Alberti-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the playoffs, officially clinching their spot on Thursday night with a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. It ends a three-year playoff drought and gets them back into the playoffs far sooner than anybody expected when Kyle Dubas was hired as general manager to start rebuilding the organization. There is still a lot of work to do long-term, especially as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and even Erik Karlsson get closer to the end of their careers. Those are questions for another day.
The only question that matters right now is what can the Penguins actually do now that they are in the playoffs with home-ice advantage secured in the opening round.
Given that this team has silenced doubters and exceeded expectations all season, nothing should be completely ruled out.
I said this a few weeks ago, but if you ignored the preseason expectations and just simply looked at the way this team plays and the numbers behind it, you would probably not hesitate to call it a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
As of Friday they are on pace for 101 points this season. They have the eighth-best record in the NHL as a whole, the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference and rate in the top-10 in pretty much every meaningful category.
Standings: 8th
Goal-Differential: 8th
5-on-5 Goal Differential: 7th
5-on-5 Expected Goals Share: 7th
5-on-5 Scoring Chance Share: 10th
5-on-5 High-Danger Scoring Chance Share: 9th
Power Play: 7th
Penalty Kill: 6th
They are also the second-highest scoring team in the league behind only the Colorado Avalanche, despite Crosby, Malkin, and Rickard Rakell each missing double-digit games. The depth has been sensational as they already boast 12 10-goal scorers, 10 15-goal scorers, five 20-goal scorers, and have outscored teams 93-89 with a 52 percent expected goal share during 5-on-5 play when neither Crosby or Malkin is on the ice.
They are incredibly deep at forward with as many as 16 or 17 NHL caliber players. That is a necessary ingredient for a Stanley Cup contender.
They also have two other necessary ingredients in a true No. 1 center (Crosby) and a true No. 1 defenseman (Erik Karlsson).
No matter who their first-round opponent ends up being, whether it is the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders or Washington Capitals (very long shot) the Penguins should be favorites in it. Imagine somebody telling you that back in September. You would look at them like they were crazy. Well there is nothing crazy about it now, because the Penguins are here, and they look like a team that is capable of at least advancing a little bit in the playoffs.
It is just a matter of how far they can go and what their ceiling actually is.
For all of the positives and key ingredients this team has, there are still a couple of questions that could limit what they do and how far they can go.
They can score with, and outscore, just about any team in the league.
The question will be stopping people.
While the Karlsson-Parker Wotherspoon pairing has been outstanding, the Penguins do have some big questions on defense after them.
The biggest being whether or not Kris Letang and Sam Girard can continue on the path they have started to display over the past couple of weeks.
When that duo was first put together it was a problem. A big problem. But as Girard has started to find his confidence, that pairing is starting to click a little bit. There might not be a bigger development for the Penguins right now than those two becoming a legitimate second defense pair. They are now outscoring teams 13-8 with a 52 percent expected goals share at 5-on-5 overall. Over the past 10 games those numbers are 11-5 and 58.4 percent.
That would be a game-changer to have two pairings you can count on.
The question then becomes whether or not you can hide the third pairing of Connor Clifton and Ryan Shea. And while they have been very good this season, and especially lately, I do still have some fears about Clifton in a best-of-seven series where teams are scouting deeper, line-matching harder and looking to exploit whatever weakness they can.
Then there is the goaltending.
Stuart Skinner seems to have taken the upper hand in net and is likely to enter the playoffs as the No. 1 goalie. It is deserved, and the best choice. For all of his flaws and inconsistencies, he has shown over the past two years he can play well in stretches, especially in big games, and at least do enough to get a team to the Stanley Cup Final. The Penguins do not need him to be a superhero in there. They just need him to not lose games.
I am not ready to say the Penguins are on the same level as a Colorado, Tampa Bay or even Carolina when it comes to Stanley Cup contenders. But they are also not going to be a pushover or an easy out if/when they get beyond the first round. This is a really good hockey team. A playoff team. Now we get to see just what type of playoff team they can be.
The Phoenix Suns (44-36) are locked into the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed and the play-in tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers (51-29) can finish anywhere from Nos. 3-5. A win against the Suns and a loss by the Houston Rockets to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday would secure home-court advantage for the Lakers in the first round.
With just a single win in their last six games, the Golden State Warriors try to get right ahead of the play-in when they visit the Sacramento Kings.
SacTown has gone full tank mode and should be sporting a bunch of unknowns Friday night.
Despite that, my Warriors vs Kings predictions and free NBA picks don't think Golden State is in any state to run through any team, even one as awful as the Kings.
He is expected to be back in the lineup and will take on the Sacramento Kings, the last team he played on Wednesday (April 7), scoring 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting in a Warriors 110-105 victory.
The Warriors are also expected to get some players off the injured list and into the lineup, including big men Al Horford (calf) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) back in the lineup.
Curry has only played in 41 games this season, and the Warriors' offense is in shambles because of it.
They were a bottom-5 scoring team in the NBA when he went down with a knee injury on January 30, and missed the next 27 straight games, plummeting to 10th in the West.
As for the Kings, the season end couldn't come sooner. Sacramento looks nothing like the young, fun, and up-and-coming "Light the Beam" squad from two years ago, and almost every key player is in street clothes.
That includes DeMar DeRozan (hamstring), Russell Westbrook (foot), and Keegan Murray (ankle).
The Warriors have taken four of five in this head-to-head, and aside from the last meeting, have won by at least 26 points in the other three wins.
But these aren't the same Warriors. And while they should win, they're really just trying to get Steph Curry up to full speed before the play-in. That's no stress, and definitely not a blowout.
Warriors vs Kings same-game parlay
Let's focus on the Golden State star working to get back into game shape.
Steph has been held to 26 minutes or less in the two games since returning from a knee injury, but scoring 20 is nothing, especially against the Kings. In his last 25 vs SacTown, Curry has touched 20 points 21 times.
His assist numbers fluctuate more, but he's had at least five assists in four of the last five games against these Kings.
Warriors vs Kings SGP
Kings +10.5
Steph Curry Over 19.5 points
Steph Curry Over 4.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: Curry Cooking Soup!
Knocking down the moneyball is what Curry does best, and he's consistently lighting up the Kings from deep. He's hit at least four 3-pointers in eight of his last 10 against Sacramento.
As for his rebounding, grabbing three boards shouldn't be a problem: he had five last game against the Kings, and has had at least three boards in 11 of the last 14 against them.
Warriors vs Kings SGP
Kings +10.5
Steph Curry Over 19.5 points
Steph Curry Over 4.5 assists
Steph Curry Over 3.5 made threes
Steph Curry Over 2.5 rebounds
Warriors vs Kings odds
Spread: Warriors -10.5 | Kings +10.5
Moneyline: Warriors -500 | Kings +375
Over/Under: Over 228.5 | Under 228.5
Warriors vs Kings betting trend to know
The Over has cashed in eight of the last 10 head-to-head matchups between these teams. Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Kings.
How to watch Warriors vs Kings
Location
Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Date
Friday, April 10, 2026
Tip-off
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Bay Area
Warriors vs Kings latest injuries
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When England begin their defence of the Women’s Six Nations against Ireland on Saturday at Twickenham they will be without Zoe Stratford, Lark Atkin-Davies and Rosie Galligan as they prepare to become mothers for the first time. The England rugby league player Kelsey Gentles – who has returned to her sport as a different player and person – says the World Cup winners should embrace the imminent metamorphosis.
Gentles left the Women’s Super League as a sparkling outside back in 2023; when she returned the following year, having given birth to her daughter Maia, she was a prop who blasted holes in defensive lines. She enjoyed a glorious comeback, scoring the winning try as York Valkyrie clinched the Grand Final, but there were challenges along the way.
This week on Sunday Night Baseball, the Cleveland Guardians head to Atlanta to take on the Braves. Live coverage begins at 7:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock. See below for additional information on how to live stream the Guardians vs Braves game.
On April 12, 1966, the Braves played their very first game in Atlanta. Sunday's game marks the 60th anniversary of that day. Before moving to Atlanta, the team spent 13 seasons in Milwaukee.
Hall of Famers Andruw Jones, CC Sabathia, and two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber join NBC Sports’ announce team. Jason Benetti will provideplay-by-play in the booth with Kluber and Andruw Jones. Bob Costas will host the pregame show alongside Sabathia, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary during the game.
Sunday Night Baseball will make its debut March 29 with the Guardians vs. Mariners. The 18-game MLB Sunday Leadoff schedule will begin May 3, with the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Twins in Minnesota. On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
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Major League Baseball’s average salary rose 3.4% on opening day to a record $5.34 million, according to a study by The Associated Press, and the New York Mets topped spending at the season’s start for the fourth straight year.
The Texas Rangers head to Dodger Stadium to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and strikeout artist Tyler Glasnow on Friday night.
My top Rangers vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks are calling for Glasnow to cruise through the Texas lineup in winning fashion in the April 10 nightcap.
Who will win Rangers vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -1.5 (-107)
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow has been dealing to start the year with a tidy 3.00 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 2.44 xFIP while holding opposing hitters to a miniscule 27.6% hard-hit rate.
The Dodgers are also second in both wOBA and ISO against righties, so I expect them to do damage against Texas Rangers starter Kumar Rocker given his 9.29 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 5.01 xFIP on the highway since the beginning of 2025.
Opposing hitters have teed off to the tune of a .451 wOBA against Rocker, too.
COVERS INTEL: Glasnow's 30.9 K% since 2024 is the fourth-highest mark among pitchers with at least 200 IP.
Rangers vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 9 (-105)
I fully expect Glasnow to hold the Rangers in check, and while the Dodgers are positioned to put runs on the board, I’m not anticipating them sending this game Over the number on their own.
Texas ranks 22nd in OBP against right-handed pitchers and have only scored 3.7 runs per game. Additionally, the Rangers have hit the Under in five straight.
Finally, these are two solid bullpens, with Texas sporting the second-lowest ERA, and Los Angeles checking in 11th.
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 3-4, -0.99 units
Over/Under bets: 1-2, -1.2 units
Rangers vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Rangers +200 | Dodgers -245
Run line: Rangers +1.5 (-105) | Dodgers 11.5 (-115)
Over/Under: Over 9 (-110) | Under 9 (-110)
Rangers vs Dodgers trend
The Dodgers have covered the run line in 29 of their last 50 games (+10.75 Units / 18% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Rangers vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Friday, April 10, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
CW33, SportsNet LA
Rangers starting pitcher
Kumar Rocker (0-1, 3.60 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 3.00 ERA)
Rangers vs Dodgers latest injuries
Rangers vs Dodgers 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.
Let's kick off the weekend with some winners from our MLB best bets!
Our baseball experts have given their favorite MLB picks for today based on prices from Polymarket, which allows MLB fans across the country to get in on the baseball action.
Our favorite plays for today go back to a profitable Under well, back a roster with a favorable pitching matchup, and start early with a pick for the 2:20 p.m. ET game.
Sign up now using our exclusive Polymarket promo code 'COVERS' (on your mobile app only) and get a $20 trading bonus after you deposit $20 to trade on any other event contracts — including MLB expert picks!
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: White Sox/Royals Under 8.5
Price: 55¢ (-122) at Polymarket
Let's keep riding these Kansas City Royals Unders. They've moved to 9-4 to the Under and have scored just three runs over their last three games — all without facing top-end pitching. This sets up similarly to yesterday’s 2-0 game, with another comparable starting pitching matchup on tap against the White Sox. Conditions also lean Under, with temperatures still below 60 degrees and winds now blowing in at 10 mph (after blowing out at 20 mph last night). This number looks a bit inflated, and it should close closer to a flat 8.
Jon Metler's expert pick: Red Sox moneyline
Price: 58¢ (-138) at Polymarket
The Red Sox are trading at 58% on Polymarket, and that’s a price worth attacking — I make them closer to a 66% favorite today against the St. Louis Cardinals. Dustin May relies heavily on his power sinker, but when it doesn’t have its usual bite — especially against left-handed hitters — it tends to run into their barrels. Early in the season, that sinker hasn’t shown much movement, which is reflected in the numbers: lefties are batting .500 with a 1.542 OPS against him... and that’s where this matchup becomes a real concern: The Red Sox lineup is built to exploit it, with left-handed bats like Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, and Wilyer Abreu stacked at the top of the order.
Neil Parker's expert pick: Cubs moneyline
Price: 58¢ (-138) at Polymarket
The Chicago Cubs will receive a boost with Seiya Suzuki making his season debut this afternoon, and the Cubbies have also been on the unlucky side to start the year. They rank second in hard-hit rate and sixth in barrel percentage, so positive regression to a 25th-ranked BABIP is coming — and Pirates righty Carmen Mlodzinski is the perfect get-right candidate, surrendering a 68% hard-hit rate through two starts, with three of his five offerings having negative pitch values.
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.
Moreover, Woods Richardson has a career ERA of 11.35 against Toronto.
COVERS INTEL: Despite a 2.31 ERA through his first two starts, Wood Richardson's xERA is 3.99, and he ranks in the 37th percentile in xBA.
Twins vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
I’ll continue to fade Woods Richardson in this matchup by taking the Over on his earned runs. He’s allowed five runs in each game against the Jays in his career, giving up five homers and a 1.240 OPS in two outings.
George Springer is starting to turn things around as well with hits and an RBI in back-to-back games. If the Jays pounce on SWR again tonight, he should be in position to drive in another run for a third straight game.
Twins vs Blue Jays SGP
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
Simeon Woods Richardson Over 2.5 earned runs
George Springer 1+ RBI
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Get the best Jays ML odds at BET99 — every game.
Twins vs Blue Jays home run pick: George Springer (+245)
This is a half unit bet.
Davis Schneider isn’t on the board quite yet, but if he gets a last-minute start tonight, I’d bet on him to take SWR deep. He’s 4-for-5 with three home runs against the Twins starter.
The other Jays hitter I like to go deep tonight would be Springer, who showed signs of a turnaround the other night.
His ability to hit the fastball, paired with the 50% usage on that pitch for SWR, should give Springer an edge to take it deep over the wall.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 3-8, -2.35 units
SGPs: 1-10, -6.50 units
HR picks: 2-9, -0.30 units
Twins vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Twins +118 | Blue Jays -138
Run line: Twins +1.5 | Blue Jays -1.5
Over/Under: Over 9 | Under 9
Twins vs Blue Jays trend
The Blue Jays have covered the F5 run line in 15 of their last 22 games at home (+7.00 Units / 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Twins vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Friday, April 10, 2026
First pitch
7:07 p.m. ET
TV
MNNT, Sportsnet
Twins starting pitcher
Simeon Woods Richardson (0-1, 2.31 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Patrick Corbin (2025: 7-11, 4.40 ERA)
Twins vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Twins vs Blue Jays 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.
COLUMBUS, GA - MARCH 31: David McCabe #24 of the Columbus Clingstones poses for a photo during the Columbus Clingstones photo day at Synovus Park on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 in Columbus, Georgia. (Photo by Kaylinn Gilstrap/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The affiliates left much to be desired on Thursday evening, but the one man who kept his great season rolling was David McCabe. McCabe has homered in half of Columbus’s games so far, and his performance led to the only win in the system. In Augusta Luis Arestigueta made his season debut and looked sharp, striking out six batters over three innings.
Carlos Carrasco, SP: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2.40 ERA
Hayden Harris, RP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 6.23 ERA
It was a drag on the offensive end for the Gwinnett Stripers, who struggled to get anything going throughout this game save for a single big swing from Jim Jarvis. While the Sounds were applying steady pressure throughout the game the Stripers had no real signs of life with two outs in the fifth inning, when Sandy Leon poked a bloop hit the other way for just his second hit this season. On the very next pitch Brewer Hicklen hit a sharp liner back up the middle and into center field, and for the first time in the game Gwinnett was threatening a bit with two runners on and the top of the order up to bat. With the game sitting on a one run margin Jarvis had a chance to make a huge impact on this game, and the Sounds were giving him a diet of sliders on the inning half of the plate. When the count ran to 2-2 Jarvis got a slider that stayed in the top of the zone and he turned on it, hooking it fair down the right field line and into the visitor bullpen for a three-run home run. Aaron Shunk got Gwinnett right back rolling with their fourth straight hit, but the fun ended on a Rowdy Tellez strikeout and the Sounds clawed those runs back in the late innings. In the sixth the Stripers had a huge chance to score after a Ben Gamel leadoff walk that was followed by a double from Jose Azocar, but the left fielder cut the ball off before it could reach the wall and held Gamel at third base. The next two Stripers struck out with runners in scoring position, and Leon ended the inning with an infield pop up, spoiling what would be by far the biggest chance for Gwinnett in the later half of the game. Hicklen’s single to lead off the next inning was the final hit they would get in the game, and even he didn’t last on the basepaths when a laser from Schunk went straight at the third baseman with Hicklen running, turning into an inning-ending double play.
While the offense was in the pits Carlos Carrasco kept Gwinnett around in this game with a strong outing that saw him cover five innings of one-run ball. His early inning work was a bit shaky with the first two batters netting singles and former Striper Eddys Leonard tagging him for a second inning home run, but he found a rhythm quickly and begin retiring the order with ease. Carrasco allowed only one hit over the final three innings, and after that swing from Jarvis he was in line for a win. Unfortunately that lead would quickly dwindle and flip, as Anthony Molina had an outing that was marked by a huge defensive mistake. Though Molina was shaky and gave up a lot of contact, in the sixth inning he had the Sounds down to the final out with two runners on and none in, and he forced a soft roller over to the left side. Luke Williams made the pick and tossed to first, but put it in the dirt and the ball got past Tellez allowing two runners to score and tie the game. Molina came in for another inning and once again Eddys Leonard made his presence felt, hitting his second home run of the game to give the Sounds the lead and in the end the game. The only pitcher to slow him down was Hayden Harris, who appeared in the ninth inning just to face Leonard. A caught stealing accounted for the second out while Harris was on the mound, and Harris needed just four fastballs to retire Leonard on swings.
Owen Murphy, SP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 5.40 ERA
Jhancarlos Lara, RP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 6.75 ERA
The Clingstones had some issues making contact in this game, recording 13 strikeouts and only six hits, but the Biscuits issued free pass after free pass to the top of the lineup and eventually they would take advantage of the wildness of the Montgomery staff. First, they walked the bases loaded with no outs in the first inning, only for a strikeout and a double play to eliminate a huge threat. Montgomery took the lead in the bottom of the first inning, and after three innings held fast to a 3-0 advantage. The second time through the order David McCabe made an impact with the lumber, crushing a monster home run to center field to put the Clingstones on the board. Jordan Groshans made it back-to-back home runs to pull Columbus within a run, but the fireworks faded and Columbus went back to struggling in key moments with runners on. In the top of the eighth inning they had another good chance with the top of the order up to bat, and once again the Biscuits issued three consecutive walks to load the bases. With the tying run on second base Drew Compton hit a dangerous grounder over to the right side of the infield, but the second baseman bobbled the ball a bit after tagging out Jordan Groshans, and that delay ensured that Compton had plenty of time to get to first and prevent the double play. Adam Zebrowski tied the game up with a base hit, a feat matched by Ambioris Tavarez who landed an inside-out liner just inside the right field line to give Columbus their first lead of the day. A wild pitch scored one more and Ethan Workinger fit a chopper perfectly between second base and short, extending the inning to a five run outburst and giving Columbus a comfortable lead.
Owen Murphy really struggled in this game as he could not find his command at all and Montgomery took advantage quickly. Murphy walked four batters and hit another, and never really seemed to settle in with the command of any of his pitches. In the third inning he allowed that hit batter and three walks in a span of just five batters, and after a base hit forced in the third run allowed Murphy was yanked from the game for Samuel Strickland. This was a highly out of character outing for Murphy, whose last remotely similar game as a professional came on July 20, 2023 when he walked four and struck out four over three innings. It’s just the third time he’s walked more hitters than he has struck out as a professional. After a shaky opener last week Jhancarlos Lara got back in the saddle with a good performance, limiting the action to just one walk and no hits over 1 2/3 innings and earning the win. The same cannot be said of Elison Joseph, who managed to not allow any runs despite walking four of the nine batters he faced. Joseph had a terrific outing last week and gave some hope he may turn things around after a disappointing regression last season, but this is more of the old ways we saw last season where he really seems to have no idea where the ball is going.
Swing and Misses
Jhancarlos Lara – 4
Samuel Strickland – 4
(3-3) Rome Emperors 5, (4-2) Bowling Green Hot Rods 10
Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 6.35 ERA
It’s been a rough start to the season for Cedric De Grandpre and his command, as both outings have featured him struggling to find the strike zone. His first outing features enough control to work around his bad moments and keep a good final line, but in this one it was all over the place and he ran out of leash quickly. The first inning was solid enough despite a walk, but it all fell apart after a leadoff home run in the second inning. De Grandpre allowed three hits and two walks before being pulled, and if it wasn’t for a failed double steal attempt it could have been an even uglier line. Colin Burgess recording two caught stealing in the inning really kept the game reasonable for the time being, but that didn’t last. Jacob Shafer let up three more runs in the next inning, and just a third of the way through the game was already out of hand. After Shafer gave up two more runs in the fourth inning it was a beat down, and all of Rome’s runs came with the game well in hand.
The Rome lineup had all sorts of trouble with Bowling Green starter Jacob Kisting, who struck out the side in the first inning. It took four innings before a bloop single from Colby Jones had the Emperors in the hit column, but all the while Bowling Green was scoring the Emperors had no real answer. Logan Braunschweig finally got some good lumber on the ball and led off in the fifth inning with a single, and despite no more hits in the inning he was able to advance and score to get Rome off of the goose egg before Kisting left the game. Immediately the Emperors had more success against the mop up guys for Bowling Green, with Eric Hartman drawing a walk and scoring a run on a Mason Guerra double. Still the top of the order didn’t really have much say (especially with Gil and Owen Carey both sitting this one out), but that would change in the seventh inning. Isaiah Drake floated a single into center field to put runners on the corner, bringing up Cody Miller who has really struggled in the few games he’s played this year. He had a great swing in this at bat, though, hitting a deep fly ball to left field that fell for a corner and brought in Miller’s first RBI of the season. Isaiah Drake has struggled a bit with an elevated strikeout rate in the small sample so far this season, and there is a level of expectation that will happen as he tries to tap into his power more often, but it doesn’t seem to be a matter of any swing deficiencies causing it. His timing is fine and he’s making solid contact when he does get to the ball, so with a bigger sample size he should start to see his strikeout rate trickle back down to the impressive numbers we saw last season. He has, at least in this sample, been a lot more patient than he was in his 32 games in High-A last season. He got far too aggressive last season on borderline pitches and his walk rate plummeted after being promoted, but in his leadoff role this season he is showing a good eye and attacking the pitches he wants to hit more often, another good sign for him in the few times we’ve gotten to see him.
Swing and Misses
Cedric De Grandpre – 7
Jacob Kroeger – 6
Isaac Gallegos – 5
(2-4) Augusta GreenJackets 2, (2-4) Delmarva Shorebirds 7
Landon Biedelschies, SP: 3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 15.00 ERA
Luis Arestigueta, RP: 3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2.25 ERA
If you were hoping for a happy ending to a pretty lackluster day on the farm it’s not going to come in Augusta, as the GreenJackets had their worst collective offensive performance of the young season. Five hits to 15 strikeouts is never the ratio you want to see, and even some of the game’s bright spots came with their caveats. Tate Southisene drew two walks, but also struck out in his first two at bats both on pitches out of the strike zone. Southisene has been a bit off at the plate so far this season, with a handful of ugly at bats and a lot of swing-and-miss with an approach that’s bordered on too patient early in counts. Now, it could be the Braves trying to get him to see pitches, a teaching style that has become more common to the Braves in recent years, but it’s the contact that’s been the most unfortunate. So far it’s been mostly soft ground balls from Southisene and it’s clear the approach on what pitches he can drive needs a bit of work. Luis Guanipa had a couple of hits, one a hard hit line drive up the middle, but it’s been more of the same for him early this season. While he has the bat speed and barrel presence to make contact at a high rate he just swings at way too much and his swing mechanics aren’t consistent enough for him to drive the ball. The lack of walks is getting scarier and scarier and his swing decisions need to take a massive leap to get him to a point he can compete at the High-A level and make that jump.
Thursday featured two good Landon Beidelschies innings and one very sad one. Beidelschies was leaning heavily on his slider this outing, and while he mostly kept it in the zone and low in the early innings as he kept pounding them in there they started to get higher and more on his arm side. His release point deteriorated the deeper he went into the game. and the Shorebirds were all over anything he left in the strike zone. They racked up six straight hits in the third inning and scored five runs before Beidelschies was finally able to pick off a runner and get a strikeout to escape the nightmare. The most promising performance for either side of the ball came by Luis Arestigueta, who was terrific in his relief appearance finishing this game. Arestigueta commanded his fastball and slider well, and with the quality of those pitches he can always have some success if he stays around the zone. He slider had a sharp bite off the plate and he showed a more vertical fastball, one he was able to put at the top of the zone and get hitters to swing under. He hit a bit of a wall in the third inning and issued a walk, hit a batter, then walked another, but he settled back down with a strikeout and retired the final three guys in the inning. After a disappointing 2025 season this is a huge start to the year for Arestigueta, who has a great base with his slider and projectability. He didn’t utilize the changeup in this offering and that’s still a distant third pitch for him, but the main goal for him will be to stay in the rotation and get more than 42 innings this season.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 07: Riley Greene #31 of the Detroit Tigers reacts to striking out against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning at Target Field on April 07, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Tigers 4-2. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a quiet day around baseball and particularly in the Yankees’ dugout, the Bombers getting one-hit to lose the rubber match against the Athletics, 1-0, with hardly a whimper of protest. There were only five other games around the league on this sleepy Thursday, and only one we’ll cover today for Rivalry Roundup, the Twins completing a four-game sweep of the Tigers to relegate the clawless cats to last place in the AL Central in the very early going.
Minnesota Twins (7-6) 3, Detroit Tigers (4-9) 1
This game featured two of the most profligate starting pitchers through the first two weeks, Twins starter Mick Abel entering the contest with an 11.05 ERA while Tigers starter Jack Flaherty wasn’t much better at a 7.56 ERA. Abel was the headliner in the deal that netted the Phillies closer Jhoan Duran at the last trade deadline while Flaherty declined his offseason opt-out to remain with the Tigers for a $20 million salary in 2026. Both pitchers came into this game having walked as many as they struck out, neither reaching the five inning mark in any of their appearances.
Both rebounded from such disappointing opens to their seasons to make this an actual pitchers’ duel. Flaherty went 5.2 innings, allowing a run on five hits and three walks to go along with six strikeouts. However, it was Abel who came out on top with his six scoreless innings, the Twins righty allowing four hits and walking three while also tallying a half-dozen strikeouts. Abel doubled Flaherty’s whiff total — 14 to seven — his 95 mph four-seamer overpowering the Tigers lineup to achieve a 40-percent whiff rate.
In truth, this was far from an exhibition in timely hitting by either team, the Tigers going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding eight while the Twins were only slightly better — 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and nine men stranded. Detroit made Abel work early but with nothing to show for it. Colt Keith led off the first with a walk followed by a Gleyber Torres single to put a pair on with no outs. The second followed an identical trajectory, Zach McKinstry drawing a leadoff walk followed by a Javier Báez single. However, Abel struck out a pair both times before getting the inning-ending batted ball out. He also erased one-out doubles by Riley Greene in the third and Báez in the fourth.
Minnesota struck first in the fourth, Josh Bell blasting a booming leadoff home run to continue a hot start to the season for the DH — now with three home runs, ten RBIs, and a 204 wRC+ in his first 13 games.
After that, it was the Twins’ turn to be inefficient with runners on. Bell and Matt Wallner smacked one-out singles in the sixth while they put a further pair on in the seventh on an Austin Martin single and Byron Buxton walk, only to strand all four runners. That gave the Tigers the opportunity to tie the game in the seventh, Jake Rogers reaching on a HBP and advancing to third on a one-out single from Keith before jogging home on a Torres sac fly.
There was a really scary moment in the eighth, Bell hitting a leadoff liner to left-center that resulted in a collision between Greene and Parker Meadows. Meadows remained down on the field for several minutes, and though he was able to stand up with some assistance, the center fielder had to be carted off, the severity of the injury as yet unknown.
As it happens, those events signaled the beginning of the Twins’ game winning rally. The next batter Wallner drew a walk and advanced to second on a Victor Caratini single. Reliever Will Vest struck out Kody Clemens to draw within an out of escaping the jam, but Royce Lewis kept the rally alive with a two-out single to load the bases. With the righty Vest on the mound, Derek Shelton chose to pinch-hit the switch-hitting Brooks Lee for Martin, and boy did it pay off. Lee fought back from 0-2 down to eventually force a full count, and on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, he pulled a center-cut fastball through the right side and under the diving attempt by McKinstry to plate Wallner and Caratini as the winning runs.
After winning their first two games of the season, the Tigers have now lost nine of eleven to fall to last place in the division. Meanwhile, with the win the Twins creep over .500 for the first time since last June and find themselves second behind the Guardians.
SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 03: Jeff McNeil #22 of the Athletics watches the fireworks show with his family after the game between the Houston Astros and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a less-than-encouraging series to start the homestand, the Mets (7-6) will try to conclude on a higher note as they welcome the Oakland Sacramento Athletics (5-7) to Citi Field. The two teams squared off in California last April, with New York besting the A’s in two out of the three games.
The weather was cold, and the Mets’ bats were colder in a series loss to the Diamondbacks in which they won the first game 4-3 in walk-off fashion but fell 7-2 on Wednesday and 7-1 on Thursday. Tuesday’s win saw the Mets jump out 2-0 by the second inning before their bats disappeared until the eighth. Arizona put up a three-spot—aided by an ABS challenge overturn that directly led to the three runs—in the fifth, but the Mets scratched out a run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth to knot up the game. That set the stage for Ronny Mauricio to play hero, as Juan Soto’s roster replacement lined a single in the tenth in his first at-bat of the year to give New York the win.
The good vibes were shortlived, as the team appeared lifeless in their loss on Wednesday afternoon—like on Tuesday, this game was moved up to 4:10pm to deal with cold conditions, in front of a sparse and bundled-up crowd at Citi Field. David Peterson allowed five runs through the first two frames, and New York really could not recover. Sean Manaea was mostly solid in relief, but gave up two runs on a ball that Luis Robert Jr. dropped in the ninth. Nolan McLean took the mound on Thursday and was dominant, allowing just one hit through five and pitching into the seventh. However, with a 1-0 lead and two runners on, he was removed in favor of Luke Weaver, who had his first rough outing as a Met as he blew the lead and allowed four runs—two charged to McLean, and two charged to his ledger. Luis García allowed three in the eighth to put the game well out of New York’s reach.
The returns so far in Soto’s absence has been mixed. After an offensive outburst in the 2 8/9 games he missed in San Francisco, the Mets’ lineup looked listless. Some of it could likely be attributed to cold conditions and a lack of enthusiasm from the crowd, but it’s also hard to deny that the lineup generally looks a lot emptier without Soto’s bat in the lineup. With guys like Francisco Lindor continuing to struggle, and Jorge Polanco missing some time due to his achilles, it’s putting a lot of pressure on newcomers like Robert and Bo Bichette to pick up the slack, and an added burden on youngers like Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Francisco Alvarez to become impact bats in the lineup.
The A’s are coming off a series win in the Bronx, as they took two out of three from the Yankees. This follows a series in which they took two of three at home from the Astros. They did so in vastly different ways: They used offense to topple Houston, winning by scores of 11-4 and 12-0 (while losing the middle game 12-0), while their pitching excelled at Yankee Stadium, with 3-2 and 1-0 wins after losing the first game 5-3. The former should be no surprise, given how offense-friendly their temporary home ballpark has proven to be.
Shea Langaliers has gotten off to a torrid start this season for the A’s, slashing .289/.333/.644 with a 182 wRC+ and a 0.6 fWAR in 48 plate appearances. Among qualified American League bats, he’s 11th in wRC+ and tied for 15th in fWAR. Meanwhile, his five home runs are tied for the league lead, while his .978 OPS is 11th in the league, just ahead of teammate Max Muncy. Speaking of Muncy, he has a 161 wRC+ and a 0.4 fWAR in the same number of plate appearances, with two home runs and a team-leading 11 runs scored. Checking in on old friend Jeff McNeil, he has a 92 WRC+ and 0.1 fWAR in 35 plate appearances so far in his new home, and has a .258/.343/.290 slash line so far.
Friday, April 10: Clay Holmes vs. J.T. Ginn, 7:10 PM EDT on WPIX
Holmes hurled seven shutout frames in his last outing as he earned his second win in as many starts this season. He was efficient with his pitches, throwing 90 across the seven frames, with 61 of them (68%) going for strikes. He issued two walks and struck our four, and he limited San Francisco to just three hits in the win. Holmes continues to excel as a starter, and he’s once again been one of the anchors to the team’s rotation early on in the season.
Ahead of the 2022 MLB season, J.T. Ginn was ranked as the team’s No. 6 prospect on Amazin’ Avenue’s prospect rankings. Then the Mets traded him during that spring training in a package for Chris Bassitt, and Ginn has been in the Athletics’ system ever since, breaking through with the team in 2024. He spent much of the last two seasons oscillating between reliever and starter but he’s made all three of his appearances as a reliever this year before his spot start on Friday. He did make his first start of 2025 against the Mets as well and earned the victory (the second of his career), as he hurled 5 1/3 inning of one-run ball with six strikeouts and two walks.
Saturday, April 11: Kodai Senga vs. Jacob Lopez, 4:10 PM EDT on SNY
Senga returning to form has been one of the highlights of the early season, and a much welcome sight for a team that was debating trading the right-hander over the offseason. The right-hander threw five shutout innings his last start and was prime to finish up six shutout frames before running out of gas during his last two batters. He finished up with 5 2/3 pitches, allowing two earned runs on five hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts. It’s still early, but signs have been very positive, dating back to spring, that Senga is back to his old self, and if he can stay healthy, he should continue to find success the way he’s been throwing.
Lopez is coming off the best year of his young career, finishing with a career-best 1.1 bWAR and finishing 2025 with a 4.08 ERA in 21 games (17 starts). However, he’s gotten off to a rough start this year, and it’s easy to point to the main culprit. Lopez has walked six batters against just six strikeouts in his two outings. In fact, in his first start, he walked five without striking out a batter, and then followed up that up with five more walks. Across the two starts, he’s thrown just 53% of his pitches (97 out of 183) for strikes. He will need to improve his control if he wants to get his season back on track.
Sunday, April 12: Freddy Peralta vs. Aaron Civale, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY
Peralta’s final line his last time out wasn’t as bad as it looked (4 2/3, three earned runs, three hits, three walks, five strikeouts) as he pitched four scoreless frames before tiring out in the fifth and failing to record the third and final out of the fifth. His ledger may have remained clean—he exited having allowed no earned runs with two outs in the frame—but a successful ABS challenge overturned an inning-ending strikeout and immediately led to the three runs scoring. Peralta also was less than efficient, needing 101 pitches to get through the outing and struggling with a high pitch count and deep counts from the first inning, which did not help his cause.
Civale has gone five innings in each of his two outings so far and has had mostly strong results. His first time out, he earned the win against the Braves, allowing two earned runs on four hits, with one walk and three strikeouts. He followed that up by allowing one earned run on two hits in a no decision against the Yankees. However, in that start, he walked four which was less than ideal, though he did also strike out three batters.
Apr 8, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (16) looks on after hitting a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images
It’ll be a black and orange fest at Camden Yards this weekend as the San Francisco Giants roll into town for an interleague matchup. The two similarly colored teams from opposite coasts and opposite leagues are infrequent opponents. The Orioles have faced the Giants just 27 times in their history, going 14-13. This is the Giants’ first visit to Camden Yards since 2024, when the Orioles averted a sweep on Anthony Santander’s walkoff homer in the series finale. The Giants also took two out of three from the O’s in San Francisco last year.
One familiar name in the Giants lineup is Rafael Devers, a longtime division rival of the Orioles during his Boston days. San Francisco took on the disgruntled Devers and his $300+ million salary from the Red Sox in a shocking trade last June, and since then his bat hasn’t resembled his Beantown best. Devers is hitting just .220/.278/.360 with two homers in 13 games this year. The O’s, who also have a high-priced first baseman who is currently hitting well below his career numbers, can commiserate.
Otherwise, though, the Giants’ infield has been carrying the team offensively, with veterans Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and three-time batting title winner Luis Arraez all hitting well so far. The outfield, on the other hand, has been a huge problem. Corner guys Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos each have an OPS+ of 29, which is horrid, but not as horrid as Harrison Bader’s 2. Yes, that’s an OPS+ of two. The veteran center fielder, signed as a free agent, is batting .114/.149/.205 with five hits in 47 PAs.
Overall, the Giants’ team OPS of .618 is tied for the third-worst in the majors. They’ve hit only five homers all season, last in MLB. They didn’t score their first run of the season until their third game, and didn’t score their second until Game 4. This is a struggling lineup that Orioles pitchers really need to exploit.
San Francisco’s pitching staff hasn’t been much better. Their longtime ace and Jesse Plemons lookalike Logan Webb has a 5.00 ERA through three starts, though most of that damage was done on Opening Night when he gave up seven runs to the Yankees. The rest of the rotation has been decidedly mediocre aside from Robbie Ray, who has a 2.08 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP in three starts. The O’s, fortunately, will miss him in this series.
The Giants, like the Orioles, have a rookie manager, but San Francisco’s was a much more unconventional pick. The Giants hired Tony Vitello, previously the head coach at the University of Tennessee, who became the first manager in MLB history hired directly from the college ranks. The early returns on Vitello haven’t been great, and fans are already mad at him for airing the team’s dirty laundry, among other things.
Roupp (pronounced ROOP, not ROWP) is a third-year righty with excellent taste in birthdays who moved to the Giants’ rotation full time last season. He’s a league average-ish pitcher who gets by on his quality offspeed pitches — a curveball and changeup — rather than his underwhelming fastball. At least there aren’t any Orioles hitters who struggle to hit breaking balls, right? …Right?
The last time Baz walked off the mound on April 4, his ERA was 3.27. Now it’s 80 points higher, thanks to a scoring change from his start in Pittsburgh that changed an error to a hit (and an unearned run to an earned run). Still, his Pirates outing was a nice bounceback from his rough O’s debut a week earlier. This will be Baz’s first career outing against the Giants, one of six MLB teams he’s never faced. But he has faced Devers, and has been dominant against him, holding him hitless in eight at-bats.
There is no local broadcast of this game. It will stream exclusively on Apple TV+.
Game 2: Saturday, 7:15 PM, FOX
RHP Logan Webb (1-1, 5.00) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (0-2, 14.21)
Woof. On paper, this is the biggest mismatch of the series. As mentioned, Webb got lit up by the Yankees in MLB’s season-opening game, but he’s been one of the most reliable starting pitchers in baseball for the past six years, earning Cy Young votes every season from 2022-25. He’s a true workhorse in a day and age when such things are rare; Webb has thrown at least 204 innings in each of the past three seasons. He’ll generally allow his share of hits but they rarely turn into sustained rallies, because he doesn’t walk many batters (career 2.1 BB/9) and rarely allows home runs (0.6 HR/9). The two Orioles who have faced him the most, Pete Alonso and Tyler O’Neill, are a combined 5-for-30, so this might not be the day for the Polar Bear to break out of his deep freeze.
Meanwhile, Bassitt’s introduction to Baltimore has gone as badly as possible. In two starts, he’s been bombed for 10 runs, 12 hits, and six walks — plus three HBPs — in just 6.1 innings. It’s the full Charlie Morton experience. Unless the 37-year-old Bassitt has just hit the wall, he’s not supposed to be this bad (the Orioles hope). If he aims to bounce back against the Giants, he’ll need to be very careful with Devers, who has owned him with a 10-for-20, three-homer performance in his career. On the other hand, Bassitt has been brilliant against Adames (0-for-11, five strikeouts).
Game 3: Sunday, 1:35 PM, 1:35 PM, MASN
RHP Adrian Houser (0-1, 3.97) vs. LHP Cade Povich (0-0, 3.18)
Show of hands, who picked Game 15 of the season as the first time we’d see a Cade Povich start this season? With all due respect to Cade, I was hoping that number would be in the triple digits. Or not at all. But with Zach Eflin having Tommy John surgery and Dean Kremer still stuck in the minors, the O’s are once again giving a shot to Povich, whose first 36 major league starts resulted in a 5.20 ERA and all too many abbreviated outings. I’m not expecting much from Cade, though he did have a workmanlike performance in long relief against the Pirates last week.
The Giants counter with the journeyman Houser, playing for his fifth team in the last four years. He was drafted by Mike Elias during his Astros days, a second-round pick in 2011, before being traded as a minor leaguer to the Brewers in 2015. After seven years in Milwaukee he bounced around to the Mets, White Sox, and Rays before landing with the Giants this offseason. The 33-year-old has faced the Orioles just twice in his career, including once with the White Sox last season, when he allowed nine baserunners in 6.1 innings but still managed a quality start. If the Orioles’ bats are going to heat up, this is the kind of pitcher to do it against.
How many games do you think the Orioles will win in this series? Let us know in the comments below.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 04: Curtis Mead #45 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park on April 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not much was made of the March 28 trade between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago White Sox, when the Nats sent minor league catcher Boston Smith for first baseman Curtis Mead, who was designated for assignment three days earlier.
A 25-year-old now on his fourth franchise, he had posted just a .231 batting average, .304 on-base percentage, and .632 OPS with 6 home runs and 34 runs batted in across 460 MLB at-bats. He secured a spot on the major league roster after the conclusion of the team’s first series and has absolutely run with every opportunity he’s been given.
The season is still in its earliest stages, but of all the issues plaguing the Nationals in their early 4-8 skid to open the season, Mead has certainly not been one of them. Mead was a former top 50 prospect in the sport, so this is a player with pedigree. He was known as a pure hitter in the minors, but so far that has not translated in big leagues. However, there is a chance, even if it is slim, that he has unlocked something in DC.
He’s seen 17 total plate appearances in 6 games since being activated, and has come out to a flaming hot start. After going hitless in his first 2 games against the Philadelphia Phillies, the first team he saw time in the minor leagues with, he’s recorded a hit in 5 of his last 11 at-bats. Of those hits, 2 have been doubles and 1 was a home run, tacking on 3 RBIs, a stolen base, and 3 walks en route to a .333/.412/667 slash line on the season so far.
Obviously, it’s unreasonable to make any definitive statements on a player just a handful of games under their belt. It’s far from a rare occurrence to see players come out swinging and quickly taper off, but the rise in advanced stats has made it far easier to predict what’s real and what’s a facade.
It’s an extremely small sample…but with everything that Taboni has cooked so far…I think we’re on 👀 watch.
Crazier things have happened than a post hype breakout with an analytically savvy team… pic.twitter.com/QxEFt2c7dy
— ProspectVibeCheck (@PrspctVibeCheck) April 9, 2026
Baseball Savant is by far the most popular database for under-the-hood metrics, and taking one look at Mead’s full profile shows some extremely favorable signs. Every single one of his listed offensive statistics grades out at an above-average percentile, albeit he hasn’t yet recorded enough batted ball data to qualify for a full breakdown. What is available, however, should spark plenty of hope among the Nats fanbase.
Throwing out a few numbers, he’s posted an expected batting average (xBA) of .321, an average exit velocity of 94.2 MPH, and is squaring up the ball at a borderline elite level, all while rarely whiffing at anything.
For the record, while these numbers can lead to a comfortable regression to the mean, they definitely aren’t an end-all be-all. Even so, it would be unwise to chalk up his electric Nationals introduction to just fluky April baseball. Mead has flat-out been a fantastic baseball player to begin his Washington tenure, and if he can continue to post at the plate, President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni might have his first big analytical win since joining the organization.
COVERS INTEL: Glasnow's 30.9 K% since 2024 is the fourth-highest mark among pitchers with at least 200 IP.
