The second-half sunset has long been a selling point for the Rose Bowl after the game's traditional 2 p.m. PT kickoff.
Brewers at Giants Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 22
It's Tuesday, April 22 and the Brewers (12-11) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (15-8). Jose Quintana is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee against Jordan Hicks for San Francisco.
Milwaukee won the series-opener against San Francisco, 5-2 yesterday with one run scored in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. Milwaukee did not score after the second inning of yesterday's loss.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch the Brewers at Giants
- Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
- Time: 9:45PM EST
- Site: Oracle Park
- City: San Francisco, CA
- Network/Streaming: FDSNWIX, NBCSBA
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Probable starting pitchers for the Brewers at Giants
- Pitching matchup for April 22, 2025: Jose Quintana vs. Jordan Hicks
- Brewers: Jose Quintana, (2-0, 0.71 ERA)
Last outing: 5.2 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Run Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts - Giants: Jordan Hicks, (1-2, 6.05 ERA)
Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
- Brewers: Jose Quintana, (2-0, 0.71 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Odds for the Brewers at the Giants
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
- Moneyline: Brewers (+115), Giants (-135)
- Spread: Giants -1.5
- Total: 7.0 runs
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Brewers and the Giants
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Brewers ML for the plus-money price:
"The Giants have struggled against left-handed pitching this season with bottom 10 wRC+ ranks. While Jose Quintana isn't a star-studded pitcher, he has been efficient with a 0.71 ERA so far. The pitching edge is certainly with Milwaukee today, so it's Brewers ML at +110 or pass for me."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Brewers and the Giants:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Milwaukee Brewers at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Giants
- The Brewers have won 4 of their last 5 series
- 4 of the Brewers' last 5 matchups with the Giants have stayed under the Total
- The Giants are 5-2 at home this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
USC lands highly coveted transfer guard Rodney Rice, bolstering strong transfer haul
Rodney Rice chose USC over other national college basketball powers, helping Trojans coach Eric Musselman build on his strong transfers class.
Simone Biles unsure of competing at 2028 LA Olympics: ‘My body is aging’
- American has won seven Olympics golds
- Biles would be 31 at the start of next Summer Games
Simone Biles says she is unsure whether she will compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The 28-year-old says she has other priorities, and is mindful of the demands her sport puts on her body at an age when most elite gymnasts have long since retired. Biles will be 31 when the LA Olympics start: the oldest all-around female gymnastics champion is Maria Gorokhovskaya, who won gold at the age of 30 at the 1952 Games.
Continue reading...Ronnie O’Sullivan holds narrow lead over Ali Carter in World Snooker Championship
- O’Sullivan leads 5-4 on his return to competition
- Former champion Judd Trump makes positive start
Ronnie O’Sullivan had to settle for a single-frame overnight advantage as the opening session of his world championship first-round encounter with his old foe Ali Carter failed to live up to its pre-match hype.
The seven-time champion, returning to the tour for the first time since dumping his cue after losing a Championship League match in January, appeared to have scraped out a 6-3 lead to take into Wednesday afternoon’s scheduled conclusion. However, Carter dug deep after O’Sullivan missed a long red to the top corner in the final frame of the day, gradually reeling in a 51-point deficit and nervelessly clearing the colours to cut his deficit to 5-4.
Continue reading...Uh-oh … Sanchez leaves after 2 inning vs. Mets with forearm soreness
Uh-oh … Sanchez leaves after 2 inning vs. Mets with forearm soreness originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
NEW YORK – Oh boy …
A start after dominating the Giants to the tune of 12 strikeouts, Cristopher Sanchez was lifted Tuesday night with left forearm soreness after just two innings against the Mets.
Sanchez needed 58 pitches to complete those two innings, struggling with command and allowing three hits with two walks.
Sanchez’ sinker velocity was down from a season average of 95.9 mph to 94.7. He threw a good changeup to Juan Soto in the second inning but didn’t have his best changeup otherwise.
Sanchez saw a team doctor after leaving the game and went through movement drills in the training room.
“Right now, I feel normal,” he said. “I think it’s not going to be a thing we have to worry about. … The doc checked me out and I feel positive that we’re not gonna have to be worried about this.”
Forearm injuries are never a good sign and the Phillies will hope that this doesn’t reach Sanchez’ elbow. He will be further evaluated throughout the week and may go for an MRI. Sanchez is such an important piece of the Phillies’ rotation and team, especially with Aaron Nola struggling and Ranger Suarez yet to make his season debut.
Suarez threw five scoreless innings Tuesday at Triple A in his third rehab start and is still in line to make another one on Sunday for Lehigh Valley, manager Rob Thomson said late Tuesday night. Suarez has topped out at five innings/59 pitches and the Phillies ideally wanted him extended to six innings/85 pitches before having him join the rotation.
Sanchez has a 3.42 ERA through five starts. He broke out last season with a 3.32 ERA in 181⅔ innings, 33 above his prior career-high, and with additional velocity, more muscle and more confidence, Sanchez appeared poised to take another step in 2025.
The Phillies will cross their fingers that he’ll still have a chance.
“Well, he’s one of the best pitchers in the National League,” Thomson said of Sanchez. “Other people would have to pick it up. But I’m not anticipating that yet.”
Suarez moved up to AAA, could be back with Phillies during next homestand
Suarez moved up to AAA, could be back with Phillies during next homestand originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
NEW YORK — Ranger Suarez had his rehab assignment transferred from Single A Clearwater to Triple A Lehigh Valley and will make his third tune-up start on Tuesday night for the IronPigs.
He could be back with the Phillies by next weekend’s home series against the Diamondbacks.
Suarez will be in the five-inning, 75-pitch range Tuesday and will make one more rehab start on Sunday with Lehigh Valley. The Phillies want to extend him to 85-90 pitches in that one before returning him to the major-league rotation.
Suarez has been out since the second week of March with low back stiffness. He made just two Grapefruit League appearances and totaled five innings, so this rehab assignment has basically been his spring training, part two.
The lefty has been effective in two rehab starts, throwing his sinker 92 mph and striking out 11 in seven innings with just one walk. He was facing a much lower level of competition, obviously, which is why the Phillies wanted to send him back north once the schedule and weather permitted.
If Suarez returns to a healthy Phillies rotation, he will replace Taijuan Walker, who has a 2.29 ERA in 19⅔ innings over four starts. Walker experienced shoulder stiffness during Saturday’s start but came out of Tuesday’s bullpen session feeling good. He’s on track to pitch Friday at Wrigley Field.
Outfielder Brandon Marsh (hamstring strain) ran the bases at 100% intensity on Tuesday and will likely begin a rehab assignment Thursday.
Suarez moved up to AAA, could be back with Phillies during next homestand
Suarez moved up to AAA, could be back with Phillies during next homestand originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
NEW YORK — Ranger Suarez had his rehab assignment transferred from Single A Clearwater to Triple A Lehigh Valley and will make his third tune-up start on Tuesday night for the IronPigs.
He could be back with the Phillies by next weekend’s home series against the Diamondbacks.
Suarez will be in the five-inning, 75-pitch range Tuesday and will make one more rehab start on Sunday with Lehigh Valley. The Phillies want to extend him to 85-90 pitches in that one before returning him to the major-league rotation.
Suarez has been out since the second week of March with low back stiffness. He made just two Grapefruit League appearances and totaled five innings, so this rehab assignment has basically been his spring training, part two.
The lefty has been effective in two rehab starts, throwing his sinker 92 mph and striking out 11 in seven innings with just one walk. He was facing a much lower level of competition, obviously, which is why the Phillies wanted to send him back north once the schedule and weather permitted.
If Suarez returns to a healthy Phillies rotation, he will replace Taijuan Walker, who has a 2.29 ERA in 19⅔ innings over four starts. Walker experienced shoulder stiffness during Saturday’s start but came out of Tuesday’s bullpen session feeling good. He’s on track to pitch Friday at Wrigley Field.
Outfielder Brandon Marsh (hamstring strain) ran the bases at 100% intensity on Tuesday and will likely begin a rehab assignment Thursday.
Cardinals at Braves Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for April 22
Its Tuesday, April 22 and the Cardinals (9-14) are in Atlanta to take on the Braves (9-13).
Andre Pallante is slated to take the mound for St. Louis against Nathan Wiles for Atlanta.
The Braves knocked off the Cardinals in the series opener last night. Sean Murphy cracked his fifth home run of the year as part of a five-run outburst by the Braves in the bottom of the eighth. Scott Schwellenbach gave up two earned runs in seven innings but did not earn a decision for Atlanta.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Cardinals at Braves
- Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
- Time: 7:15PM EST
- Site: Truist Park
- City: Atlanta, GA
- Network/Streaming: FDSNMW, FDSNSO
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Cardinals at the Braves
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
- Moneyline: Cardinals (+180), Braves (-220)
- Spread: Braves -1.5
- Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Cardinals at Braves
- Pitching matchup for April 22, 2025: Andre Pallante vs. Nathan Wiles
- Cardinals: Andre Pallante (2-1, 3.22 ERA)
Last outing: 4/17 at Mets - 6IP, 4ER, 7H, 0BB, 2Ks - Braves: Nathan Wiles
This will be Wiles major league debut
- Cardinals: Andre Pallante (2-1, 3.22 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cardinals at Braves
- The Braves have won 4 straight games, while the Cardinals have lost 12 of their last 15 on the road
- In three starts for Gwinnett (Braves' Triple A affiliate), Nathan Wiles has yet to record a decision, but he has posted a 0.64 ERA, allowing just one earned run on nine hits and five walks in 14 innings
- Wiles has registered a 1.00 WHIP and 15 strikeouts
- The Cardinals have covered in their last 4 games against the Braves
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cardinals and the Braves
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Cardinals and the Braves:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Braves on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the St. Louis Cardinals at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
NHL Coaching Carousel Continues To Bypass Penguins' Sullivan
The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins skated in a playoff game was on May 15, 2022. Currently, only five head coaches, including Mike Sullivan, are still employed with the same team in 2025.
Those names include Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay Lightning), Jared Bednar (Colorado Avalanche), Rod Brind’Amour (Carolina Hurricanes), and Martin St. Louis (Montreal Canadiens).
Considering the last time the Penguins won a series was on April 22, 2018, only three coaches, including Sullivan, are still running their teams: Cooper and Bednar. In seven seasons since Pittsburgh last won a series, the Lightning have won 12 matchups and the Avalanche eight, with the two clubs combining for three Stanley Cup titles.
Penguins' Crosby Continues To Pace NHL In Top 10 Scoring Finishes During Salary Cap EraPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby just finished his ninth 90-point campaign in the NHL, finishing as the league's 10th highest scorer, the 13th time he's accomplished that feat in 20 seasons.
Since taking over, Brind’Amour has guided the Hurricanes to seven playoff series wins, while St. Louis has just gotten the Canadiens back to the playoffs since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
Meanwhile, just two months after their elimination, several competing teams replaced their coaches and have found postseason success.
Bruce Cassidy (June 14, 2022) won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, Peter DeBoer (June 21, 2022) has led the Dallas Stars to back-to-back Western Conference Final appearances, while Paul Maurice (June 22, 2022) finally won the Stanley Cup on the second of back-to-back Final appearances with the Florida Panthers in 2024.
Thus far, since the 2024-25 season ended, the NHL head coaching vacancies are starting to pile up.
First, the Anaheim Ducks fired Greg Cronin, despite a 21-point improvement from their 2023-24 season. Next, the New York Rangers fired Peter Laviolette, almost one year to the day the team celebrated its Presidents’ Trophy win. Finally, the Seattle Kraken fired former Penguins bench boss Dan Bylsma, who was 35-41-6 in his only season in the Pacific Northwest.
Inside The Numbers: Penguins Netminders Compile Second Worst SV% Totals In 20 SeasonsFans across the NHL were well aware of the nightly struggles of the trio of Pittsburgh Penguins goalies, Tristan Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Joel Blomqvist.
Since their last playoff win, the Penguins have compiled a 112-99-35 record for 259 points, which ranks 21st in the NHL, all under the guidance of Sullivan.
Interestingly, when we examine the teams with worse records, the number of coaching changes is quite fascinating. Never mind, when we look at the NHL in general, here’s a look at the head coaches and the franchise records since the end of the 2021-22 season.
- Dallas (149-68-29) 327 points (1 - Pete DeBoer)
- Carolina (151-74-21) 323 points (1 - Rod Brind’Amour)
- Toronto (148-73-25) 321 points (2 - Sheldon Keefe, Craig Berube)
- Winnipeg (154-79-13) 321 points (2 - Rick Bowness, Scott Arniel)
- Boston (145-71-30) 320 points (2 - Jim Montgomery, Joe Sacco)
- Vegas (146-73-27) 319 points (1 - Bruce Cassidy)
- Colorado (150-78-18) 318 points (1 - Jared Bednar)
- Edmonton (147-79-20) 308 points (2 - Jay Woodcroft, Kris Knoblauch)
- Los Angeles (139-77-30) 308 points (2 - Todd McLellan, Jim Hiller)
- New York Rangers (141-81-24) 306 points (2 - Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette)
- Florida (141-87-18) 300 points (1 - Paul Maurice)
- Tampa Bay (138-86-22) 298 points (1 - Jon Cooper)
- Minnesota (130-89-27) 287 points (2 - Dean Evason, John Hynes)
- New Jersey (132-94-20) 284 points (3 - Lindy Ruff, Travis Green, Sheldon Keefe)
- Vancouver (126-90-30) 282 points (2 - Bruce Boudreau, Rick Tocchet)
- Washington (126-90-30) 282 points (2 - Peter Laviolette, Spencer Carbery)
- Calgary (117-93-36) 270 points (2 - Darryl Sutter, Ryan Huska)
- St. Louis (124-101-21) 269 points (3 - Craig Berube, Drew Bannister, Jim Montgomery)
- New York Islanders (116-93-37) 269 points (2 - Lane Lambert, Patrick Roy)
- Ottawa (121-106-19) 261 points (3 - D.J. Smith, Jacques Martin, Travis Green)
- Pittsburgh (112-99-35) 259 points (1 - Mike Sullivan)
- Nashville (119-106-21) 259 points (2 - John Hynes, Andrew Brunette)
- Detroit (115-104-27) 257 points (2 - Derek Lalonde, Todd McLellan)
- Seattle (115-104-27) 257 points (2 - Dave Hakstol, Dan Bylsma)
- Buffalo (117-109-20) 254 points (2 - Don Granato, Lindy Ruff)
- Philadelphia (102-110-34) 238 points (2 - John Tortorella, Brad Shaw)
- Utah/Arizona (102-111-32) 236 points (1 - Andre Tourigny)
- Montreal (101-112-33) 235 points (1 - Martin St. Louis)
- Columbus (92-124-30) 197 points (3 - Brad Larsen, Pascal Vincent, Dean Evason)
- Anaheim (85-134-27) 197 points (2 - Dallas Eakins, Greg Cronin)
- Chicago (74-148-37) 172 points (2 - Luke Richardson, Anders Sorensen)
- San Jose (61-148-37) 159 points (2 - David Quinn, Ryan Warsofsky)
Except for the Canadiens and Utah Hockey Club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes), every franchise below the Penguins in the standings has switched coaches at least once. In Montreal’s case, they finally clinched a playoff spot in 2025, increasing from 68 points to 76 and now 91, a 23-point rise in the standings.
Utah had a winning record, 38-31-13 (89 points) in their first season, while registering 70 and 77 point seasons in the desert under Tourigny.
In Pittsburgh, under Sullivan’s guidance for the past three seasons, the Penguins have only continued to drop in the standings. In 2022-23, they finished 11 games over .500, with a record of 40-31-11 for 91 points. Last year, they were only six games over .500 at 38-32-12 for 88 points, while finishing two games under .500 this season at 34-36-12 for 80 points, an 11-point drop from three seasons ago.
If we go back even further to 2021-22, when the Penguins lost to the Rangers in Game 7, that year’s club had 103 points, meaning this year’s club finished 23 points below their most recent best season.
While the NHL coaching carousel continues to spin across North America, it has thus far bypassed Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, big-name head coaches are winning the Jack Adams Award, something Sullivan has never achieved, and have since been fired, as seen with Cassidy (2019), Sutter (2022), and Montgomery (2023).
Outside of Sutter’s absence from the game, both Cassidy and Montgomery have found successes with their new clubs, while their former club, the Bruins, plummeted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Penguins remain content with Sullivan behind the bench, with his most recent successes quickly fading into the rearview mirror.
Inside The Numbers: Penguins' Record In Season FinalesThe Pittsburgh Penguins just finished their 57th season with a 34-36-12 record, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive campaign.
With Brandon Sproat a step away, Mets could soon have a good rotation conundrum on their hands
"I think difficult decisions are a good thing."
The above quote came from David Stearns on Monday while he was speaking about the conundrum the Mets will be facing when Francisco Alvarez and Jeff McNeil return from the IL, which could come as soon as Friday.
In Alvarez and McNeil's absence, their replacements -- Luis Torrens and Luisangel Acuña -- have excelled, which could mean the kind of split playing time that perhaps wasn't envisioned when Alvarez and McNeil suffered their injuries during spring training.
But things happen. And plans change.
While not an imminent situation the Mets face, the club could have some tough (but good) choices to make with their starting rotation in the near future.
And though Stearns hasn't yet fielded a question about what the team will do when Brandon Sproat -- and later Nolan McLean -- are deemed ready, it's fair to believe he'd respond much like he did when discussing Alvarez and McNeil on Monday: "I think difficult decisions are a good thing."
As far as Sproat specifically, it will be a shock if he remains in Triple-A Syracuse all season if the Mets determine that he's ready for the majors. That's simply not how good teams operate.
When your top starting pitching prospect, who also happens to be the top prospect in your entire organization, is ready, you make room for him.
An old adage to cite at this point is that potentially tough decisions -- like the one the Mets could have with their rotation -- almost always find a way of working themselves out.
A pitcher or two currently in the rotation could start underperforming. There could be injuries. Roles could change.
But the Mets are in such good shape right now pitching-wise that doing this exercise makes sense. And that's even more impressive considering their rotation was their main question mark entering the season.
The results so far are a testament to the Mets' pitching lab, to pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, to Stearns' decision-making, and to the talent and work ethic of everyone currently in the starting rotation.
Consider the following:
- Kodai Senga leads the National League with a 0.79 ERA and 483 ERA+. He has a 0.97 WHIP, and again looks like the pitcher who finished seventh in Cy Young voting in 2023
- Clay Holmes' transition from reliever to starter hit some bumps early, but is humming along now. He has a 3.16 ERA, has yet to allow a home run this season, and has completed five or more innings in each of his last three starts
- David Peterson has a 3.27 ERA (3.08 FIP) and a strikeout rate of 10.6 per nine
- Tylor Megill has a 1.09 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. He has been overpowering at times, including on Monday against the Phillies, when he fired 5.1 shutout innings while striking out 10 and allowing just one hit
- Griffin Canning has a 3.43 ERA, and has seemingly put his rough 2024 campaign behind him while under new tutelage
There's also the presence of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, who are working their way back from their respective injuries and could be ready to rejoin the rotation around early June.
All of this led me to fire off a tweet on Monday where I suggested the Mets could be looking at a six-man rotation some point this summer that doesn't include Canning or Megill.
That tweet, which was met with understandable indignance by some, was not a commentary on Canning and Megill.
Rather, it had to do with an understanding that reinforcements (Manaea, Montas, Sproat, and perhaps McLean) are coming -- and that model organizations (which the Mets are) do not let 24-year-old top pitching prospects waste innings in the minors once they're ready for the majors.
The next sentence is one that the March version of myself would've thought was a crazy one to write. But like it or not, Sproat will be in the rotation at some point this season, bringing with him top-of-the-rotation upside.
The way McLean is pitching, he could force his way up to Queens this summer, too.
That means there's a scenario in the not-too-distant future where the Mets have nine legitimate big league starting pitchers for six spots.
As is noted above, things could easily change between now and then. But for the moment, the Mets are starting pitching-rich, and the decisions they might have to make soon would be both difficult and good.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Landen Roupp, Kumar Rocker, and Agustín Ramírez
As the early season dust has settled and more of the obvious breakout players and impact rookies are unavailable, we need to look a bit deeper to find gems on the waiver wire.
Fear not, becausethere are still a handful of players that are widely available and have the chance to be difference-makers in both the short and long term.
The Yankees and Mariners are the big risers this week while the Royals and Orioles are scuffling.
- ,
D.J. Short
- ,
Here are three players that are under 40% rostered on Yahoo leagues that you should strongly consider adding.
If you want a larger list, Eric Samulski wrote his extended waiver wire piece on Sunday.
Landen Roupp, SP Giants
(28% Rostered on Yahoo)
Roupp’s rostership is criminally low for how impressive he’s looked so far this season. After a strong spring training, he beat out Hayden Birdsong for the Giants’ fifth starter spot and has one of the highest strikeout rates among all starters in the league at 31.2%.
That being said, he is a bit of a weird case and I suspect that’s why many are still weary to buy-in on him.
He has a funky, side-arm delivery that looks quite unorthodox on the mound. Check him out, it’s objectively weird.
After a long first inning in just the seventh start of his career, Landen Roupp BATTLED, throwing a career-high 101 pitches pic.twitter.com/SguNAOZbZz
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) April 15, 2025
Weird can be quite good though, as Roupp has shown so far.
He broke camp with the Giants last season as a reliever and walked eight batters in 13 2/3 innings before being demoted. The plan was to stretch him back out as a starter in the minors, but he immediately went on the injured list with an elbow injury.
Then, he returned mid-season for a handful of extended relief outings and made a few starts in September, but still struggled with walks.
His walk problem was two-fold. First, he had no semblance of a plan for left-handed batters. Coming from a low, side-arm slot, Roupp is an extreme east-west pitcher. That means his pitches almost entirely move on a horizontal plane. Righties were totally lost, but lefties had an easy time.
Even his curveball, a pitch that traditionally moves more downward, has significantly more horizontal movement than downward compared to other curveballs.
So, he’d fall into patterns where he’d use that pitch to try and pick off called strikes, like sweeper-focused righties do to lefty batters. His command wasn’t good enough though. He’d wind up nibbling, fall behind, and allow walks. In total last season, he walked more left-handed batters than he struck out.
He has not had the same problems this season. He’s tightened up the vertical movement on that curveball a bit and has committed to burying it below the zone as a whiff pitch. So far, it’s forcing a 44.4% whiff rate against lefties. Last year, its whiff rate against them was just 19.5%.
Past that, his changeup is generating more arm-side run, more drop, and he’s been more confident throwing it as a put-away pitch.
Also, he developed a new cutter in lieu of a poor four-seam fastball and tight slider that he’s scrapped.
That cutter has been a valuable tool for him because it has a very different movement profile than the rest of his pitches and that surprises hitters. He’s throwing it 14% of the time against lefties – mostly when he’s behind in the count – and it’s bailed him out with a ton of weak contact.
He’s still lights out against righties too and few pitchers in the league are missing more bats or forcing more swings at pitches outside the strike zone than him. This is likely your final chance to add him before his ascension continues.
Kumar Rocker, SP Rangers
(22% Rostered on Yahoo)
At this point in the season, ERA can be our greatest aid in finding worthwhile pitchers on the waiver wire. Mainly, when a pitcher has an ugly ERA, but has made some material changes start to start that could change their fortunes.
That is the case for Rocker who allowed 10 earned runs over his first three starts that spanned just 11 1/3 total innings while only striking out six batters and walking four.
These rough starts were not against marquee offenses either, as the Reds and Mariners crushed him.
For some reason, Rocker threw progressively fewer sliders over those three poor starts. That slider is hands down his best pitch and the one keeps his potential sky-high. Yet, its usage bottomed out with just four total thrown in that rough start against the Mariners.
He was clearly struggling to command it and favored his curveball and more sinkers over it to no avail.
Well, something clicked with that slider in between his last two starts because he threw 45 of them last week against the Angels. That was nearly three times more than he threw any other pitch and it was highly effective forcing 12 whiffs, nine more called strikes, lots of soft contact, and plenty of ugly swings out of the zone.
He will be a highly effective starting pitcher if he can consistently rely on that pitch and his high ERA makes it a great time to sneakily buy back in on him.
Agustín Ramírez, C Marlins
(8% Rostered on Yahoo)
Ramírez was promoted somewhat surprisingly earlier this week and looks ready to hit the ground running.
First off, it’s expected that he plays nearly every day. The Marlins’ other options at catcher are Nick Fortes, Rob Brantly, and Liam Hicks. While they’ve held their own this season, none have anywhere near the pedigree nor physical tools than Ramírez does.
A consensus top-100 prospect and peaking at #55 on Baseball Prospectus’ pre-season top-101 list, Ramírez was the centerpiece of the Marlins’ return for Jazz Chisholm Jr. last summer.
He accumulated 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in his 176 total games across double-A and triple-A over the last three seasons. That power, speed combo is unheard of for a catcher and Ramírez looks like he could sustain it to a degree in the big leagues.
During his debut on Monday, he legged out an infield single, smoked a double 110.4 mph, and then stole third base. That is a well-rounded ball game if I’ve ever seen one.
Also, Ramírez showed off his gaudy raw power this spring training when he laced a single 115.1 mph.
Random Players Doing Cool Stuff
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) February 27, 2025
Agustín Ramírez is a power-hitting catcher that was traded from the Yankees to the Marlins for Jazz Chisholm
He smacked this single 115.1 MPH yesterday
The only catchers to hit a ball harder last season were William and Willson Contreras pic.twitter.com/H9heGlRqKK
He already has some of the best raw power and speed for any catcher in the league. There are some concerns with his defensive ability, but the Marlins likely didn’t call him up to sit on the bench.
He has a great chance to be a top-10 type of catcher right away.
NHL Playoffs: An Engaged, Energized Alex Ovechkin Is A Very Scary Man
You could argue that Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals haven't exactly been playoff beasts the past couple of years.
In fact, you could really make that argument since the Capitals won the Cup in 2018. Five one-and-dones and a one missed playoff tend to give that perception.
But the Capitals haven't been this good since they won the Cup. And Ovechkin hasn't been this inspired. Fresh off breaking the all-time goals record, Ovechkin had two goals, including the overtime-winner, in Game 1 of the Caps' first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
Ovechkin and the rest of the Capitals look as though they know they have a chance to accomplish something special in 2025. And that kind of feeling can go a long way.
Today's video column has more.
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Myers states Butler-to-Warriors one of NBA's ‘best in-season trades'
Myers states Butler-to-Warriors one of NBA's ‘best in-season trades' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
In just his second season as Warriors general manager, Mike Dunleavy took a massive gamble at the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline by acquiring six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler.
The early return has been positive, to say the least, as Butler single-handedly saved Golden State’s season as the team resurrected and rose to the playoffs. It was a move that will go down in the history books, at least according to Bob Myers, a man who knows a thing or two about championship basketball.
“I think it’s one of the best in-season trades in the history of the league,” Myers told The San Francisco Chronicle’s Ann Killion. “Credit Mike for seeing that because it’s his risk that he takes. Not just his, but when you make these decisions, it’s your name — your reputation — on the line.”
Myers was the general manager of Golden State for more than a decade and the orchestrator of the Warriors’ dynasty that brought four NBA championships to the Bay.
After he stepped down from his duties, Dunleavy took over, and the Warriors missed the playoffs in the first season of his tenure. Things weren’t looking good for the Warriors to start the 2024-25 season, either — until Butler arrived.
The Warriors skyrocketed the standings in a loaded Western Conference, finishing as the No. 7 playoff seed and currently in a first-round playoff series with the No. 3-seeded Houston Rockets.
“The Jimmy thing is a pivot point,” Myers told Killion. “That’s a signature deal that will go on Mike’s resume.”
Finding Steph Curry a reliable second option has been the main priority since Klay Thompson’s departure. Andrew Wiggins was a two-way beast in spurts, but his availability began to teeter for a team working on a win-now timeline.
In 30 regular-season games with Golden State, Butler averaged 17.9 points on 47.6 percent shooting, with 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes. More than anything, though, his presence helped relieve Curry while also making everyone around him better.
“With Jimmy, just — bam, right away it happened,” Myers told Killion. “If you hook up the people who made the decision to a lie detector. I think everybody would feel surprised at how well it’s worked.
“When you do these moves, you always think: What’s the best case? What’s the worst case? It’s usually somewhere in between. But this is the best-case scenario.”
Myers joked with Killion that Dunleavy likely will last longer as general manager than he did, attributing his early success to not only being a former player but also the son of an NBA coach.
“I think there’s a healthy disconnect you need to have, while balancing that with passion and intention,” Myers said. “He was reared in the NBA. He’s seen the highs and the lows, so he’s not going to get overly emotional. He knows too much.
“He puts the NBA in its proper place, and it makes him effective at what he does.”
No matter how this season ends, whenever that might be, it’s safe to say the Warriors’ trade for Butler will go down in the record books.
Sabres Hire Vernon As Chief Commercial Officer; Ex-Files Update
The Buffalo Sabres announced on Tuesday the hiring of Jake Vernon as the club’s Chief Commercial Officer. Vernon joins the Sabres after spending the last 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, where he led all initiatives related to ticketing, membership service, premium sales, fan experience, and group events, in addition to the team’s partnership with its concessions partner.
“Jake has extensive experience in the sports industry and has been thriving in an arena model for the last two decades. I’m excited to see what he can add to our organization as we continue to strive to provide an incredible experience for our great fans.” Sabres COO Pete Guelli said in a press release.
Other Sabres Stories
Questions Yet To Be Answered If Adams Will Remain As Sabres GM
Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday?
Sabres Ownership Ranked Worst In NHL By Survey In The Athletic
Skinner Finally Gets To The Postseason
Veteran winger Jeff Skinner, after 15 seasons of not making the playoffs, finally got a taste of the postseason on Tuesday with the Edmonton Oilers. It was not an auspicious debut for the 32-year-old, who was on the ice for three straight LA Kings goals, but he did register an assist on Mattias Janmark’s goal early in the third period that helped spark the Oilers late comeback.
After Connor McDavid tied the game late in the third, the Kings' Phillip Danault scored the game-winner with 42 seconds left to give Los Angeles a 6-5 victory in Game 1.
Ex-Sabres In The Playoffs:
Erik Johnson (COL), -1, 15:38 TOI, 3 SOG, two blocked shots
Joel Armia (MTL) 14:24 TOI, 2 SOG
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