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The Minnesota Twins continue an extended road trip as they face the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight to begin a weekend series. 

With flamethrower Jared Jones making his long-awaited return to the mound, my Twins vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks see him hurling Pittsburgh to a victory

Who will win Twins vs Pirates today: Pirates moneyline (-134)

Taj Bradley and Jared Jones are similar in that they're both uber-talented hurlers under 25 who miss a ton of bats. They also have the same Achilles heel — allowing too much loud contact, and too frequently in the air. 

Only one lineup is poised to exploit this flaw, however. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 112 wRC+ against RHP in the last 20 days, while the Minnesota Twins are well behind with an 86 wRC+.

Pittsburgh’s 40% hard-hit rate will make noise against Bradley’s second percentile average exit velocity and 18th percentile hard-hit rate. I'd play this to -140.

COVERS INTEL:Jared Jones strikes out 9.76 batters per nine innings. He’ll find strikeout aplenty against Minnesota, which has the third-highest K% (24.6%) and third-lowest contact rate (73.6%) over the last 20 days.

Twins vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-130)

Both starters have nasty stuff, so this is a pitcher’s delight. Bradley has a 108 Stuff+, while Jones can touch 100 mph with his heater. 

The Twins’ 30.1% hard-hit rate over the last 20 days is the third-worst in the Big Leagues, so they don’t appear equipped to punish Jones’ proclivity for allowing loud contact (eighth percentile hard-hit rate when we last saw him in 2024).

The total is inflated due to the weather (high 70s, winds of 8-10 mph blowing out), but PNC Park has the second-lowest park factor for home runs, which mitigates that concern.

Twins vs Pirates odds

• Moneyline: Twins +115 | Pirates -135
• Run line: Twins +1.5 (-180) | Pirates -1.5 (+150)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Twins vs Pirates trend

The Pirates are 12-6 in their last 18 games against right-handed starting pitchers. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Pirates.

How to watch Twins vs Pirates and game info

Twins vs Pirates latest injuries

Twins vs Pirates weather

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As the most recent member of the 20 jacks club, Munetaka Murakami has proven that he’s the real deal. As the first rookie ever to blast 20 homers before June, Murakami quickly progressed from winning over White Sox fans’ hearts to gaining national traction. In less than two months, his name is already getting thrown around with Kyle Schwarber, Yordan Alvarez and Aaron Judge in home run champion conversations.

Although the Sox have cleared the .500 bar, it’s much easier and more tempting to focus on the future than bask in a present where the Cubs are fighting to stay out of the NL Central cellar. Even two months out from the trade deadline, the biggest question still remains: What does Murakami’s future on the South Side look like now that it’s clear his big-league career isn’t going to peter out anytime soon? 

Least Desirable and Least Likely: Traded at the Deadline
No matter the return, losing Murakami in July would be the biggest blow to the team and fans.

Murakami appears to be outplaying his 1.8 WAR in multiple ways. He’s the AL leader in runs scored (42), at-bats per home runs (9.8), and home runs (20, of course), while sitting in the Top 5 for qualified AL hitters for a number of categories:

• Slugging percentage (.561)
• OPS (.936)
• RBIs (40)
• Walks (42)
• Putouts (380)
• Range factor per nine innings (8.44) at first base 

Even if his production level isn’t steady for the rest of the season, the Sox won the first Crosstown series at home thanks to two Murakami tanks, so the first $17 million of his contract has already paid itself off. Clearing Murakami’s locker from the clubhouse wouldn’t kill the vibe or run production, but it would significantly stunt it. 

Plus, there’s no reason to be greedy. Stocking up on Triple-A players when the Sox currently have four Top 100-ranked prospects and two highly-underrated players in Jacob Gonzalez and Ben Peoples isn’t just stingy, it’s illogical.

Jerry Reinsdorf can’t avoid the truth: Chicago can’t afford to lose Murakami before 2028.

Most Lucrative and Least Expected: Contract Extension
While Murakami may not garner the same degree of international following, keeping him in a Sox uniform would be the most lucrative option for the front office. 

Murakami has undoubtedly been the best free agent investment the White Sox have made since perhaps the beloved Jermaine Dye in 2004. The Japanese Babe Ruth has played a significant role in increasing the Sox’s average game attendance by 12% (roughly 2,300 fans). White it may seem small, attendance revenue exponentially increases with each attendee. Taking Capitol City Now’s $62.37 estimated cost per fan per game, the estimated revenue from those 2,300-ish fans is roughly $145.5k, and that’s excluding merchandise sales. With Murakami’s salary sitting at about $105k per game he plays this season, the increase in attendance more than covers his bat in the lineup. Factoring in increased merchandise sales and media sharing revenue from international and domestic fans, the front office is sitting on a decent financial cushion that grows with each game the Sox win.

Keeping average attendance the same, the Sox can afford to pay him $23.5 million AAV. For a guy that could potentially lead the Sox to a winning season, it’s hard to see why the Sox wouldn’t cough up another $3.5 million and replace Murakami with Andrew Benintendi’s contract that expires in 2027.

Even with a 32.% strikeout rate and just over 42% whiff rate, the Sox aren’t getting shortchanged on Murakami. Until he proves otherwise, there’s no incentive or motivator to not give him an extension.

Most Expected: No Contract Extension 
Fans are already begging future Sox owner Justin Ishbia to keep Murakami on the team beyond 2030, but one can only keep their head in the clouds for so long. Coming back to earth, Murakami will serve his two years while Sox fans soak up every moment of it before the Dodgers or Yankees swoop in winter 2027 and snag him for $250 million over seven years. But is this really a horrible outcome?

Barring significant injuries or a multi-month slump, Murakami’s price will inevitably be high heading into free agency. Because there are too many salary uncertainties surrounding free agency with the new CBA negotiations underway, it’s safe to assume that the Sox won’t be able to meet Murakami’s asking price, even if there’s a salary floor. Best-case scenario, the Sox drop more than $30 million on a guy that can’t hit better than .220 and whose home run output tampers to 20 in one season. Worst-case scenario, Murakami becomes the next Luis Robert Jr. and misses more than half of the season from injuries. And we all know how that one is going.

When the 2026 MLB Draft begins July 13 in Philadelphia ahead of the All-Star Game, UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora is expected to be one of the first names taken off the board.

That moment will launch his professional career, which will likely begin in late July or early August, once he signs, either at his new team's spring training complex or rookie ball, or even both.

Fans still have some time to watch and scout the projected top-5 pick at the collegiate level, as the 6-5 right-hander has helped lead UC Santa Barbara to the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

NCAA baseball tournament predictions: Who is advancing to super regionals?

Flora has taken a big jump in his development this season, transforming into one of the top pitching prospects at the mid-major level while also taking on a larger workload on the Gauchos' pitching staff, which is top 10 in ERA and WHIP.

He enters the postseason 11-0 in 15 starts (two complete game shutouts) with a nation-leading 1.05 ERA. A semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the highest individual honor handed out in college baseball, Flora has 124 strikeouts this season and has held opponents to a .169 batting average in 94 1/3 innings of work.

Here's what to know about Flora's MLB draft projections and more as UC Santa Barbara competes in the Austin Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament this weekend:

Jackson Flora MLB draft projections

Flora is projected to be a first-round draft pick by MLB draft analysts.

Here's a breakdown of exactly where MLB draft analysts have Flora being taken:

• USA TODAY (as of April 20): No. 3 overall to the Minnesota Twins
• ESPN (as of May 14):No. 5 overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates
• MLB.com/MLB Pipeline (as of May 21):No. 3 overall to the Minnesota Twins
• The Athletic (as of May 7):No. 4 to the San Francisco Giants

Jackson Flora MLB draft rankings, grades

MLB Pipeline has Flora as the No. 4 overall prospect and the No. 1 pitching prospect in the upcoming MLB draft.

His fastball has a 70 scouting grade — an individual tool used with the MLB draft, where players are graded on a scale of 20-80 in different categories — according to MLB Pipeline. Flora's other scouting grades include a 55 for his slider, his changeup and command. He has an overall scouting grade of 60, which Major League Baseball defines as "above average."

As noted by USA TODAY, the scouting grades assigned to a player are usually based on what the player will eventually develop into rather than where they stand at the time of being drafted or early on in their professional career.

Here's MLB Pipeline's scouting report on Flora:

"Flora's combination of size and arm strength should intrigue most teams. The 6-foot-5 right-hander already offers premium velocity, with a fastball that sits in the 96-97 mph range and regularly touches triple digits, with good shape, carry and armside ride to it. He'll employ two different sliders, both of which can flash plus. There's a slower 78-81 mph sweeper with a lot of horizontal depth and also a harder, more gyro-like traditional slider, thrown 86-89 mph. He has plus feel to spin and just needs to gain a little bit more consistency with shape. His hard changeup is coming along, a kick change with downer splitter depth that now flashes plus.

"A solid strike-thrower who maintains his velocity, Flora might not have the same feel to pitch Bremner had, but he's more physical than his predecessor. He's posting every week for the Gauchos and has separated himself more than any college arm in the class, so he should fly off the board early in the first round."

Jackson Flora stats

Here's a year-by-year look at Flora's stats at UC Santa Barbara:

• 2024: 3-2 record with a 3.82 ERA and five saves in 47.0 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts and 25 walks
• 2025: 6-3 record with a 3.60 ERA in 75.0 innings pitched with 86 strikeouts and 17 walks
• 2026: 11-0 record with a 1.05 ERA in 94 1/3 inning pitched with 124 strikeouts and 30 walks

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jackson Flora MLB draft latest mock projections for UC Santa Barbara ace

Somewhat of a big deal has been made of the fact that the Yankees have built up their solid record so far mostly on the back of below .500 teams. That leaves them somewhat in an interesting conundrum this weekend. This weekend the Yankees will face the Athletics, who come in at 27-29. A Yankees’ series win would send the former Oaklanders further under .500. An A’s series sweep would get them back above .500, but would continue to hamper the Yankees’ record against those teams.

Just on position alone, this would be a solid series victory for the Yankees, should they get it. The Athletics are in second in the AL West, it’s just that no one in that division has exactly been impressive this season. However as we saw in New York a couple weeks ago, the A’s are a perfectly solid team with some good players capable of doing damage.

Before the action gets going later tonight, here’s a look at the expected pitching matchups for this weekend.

Friday: Carlos Rodón vs. Luis Severino (9:40 pm ET)

Rodón’s still only made three starts since coming off the injured list, but he is coming off his best one so far, allowing just one run in five innings against the Blue Jays. His main issue this season has been walks, and those were still an issue for him, as he issued three. In fact, he’s only allowed eight hits in 13 innings, and has struck out 17, so if he can cut back on the walks, he could really be cooking.

For the season, Sevy’s numbers grade out as a bit better than average, but he’s had his ups and downs. That being said, other than a bad outing against the Giants on May 16th, he’s had more ups than downs. Since April 24th, he has a 2.92 ERA and a 3.37 FIP over his last six starts.

Saturday: Ryan Weathers vs. J.T. Ginn (10:05 pm ET)

After a rough spring training and an up and down first couple outings, Weathers has gotten into a zone and his acquisition is starting to look like a very good one. Following one outing where he flirted with a no-hitter, Weathers shutout the Rays for seven innings last Sunday, eventually allowing Aaron Judge to hit a walk-off homer. He’s only allowed more than two runs in an outing once in the last month and a half, and he has a 2.48 ERA in that time.

Ginn is in his third season in the big leagues, and while the first two were both below par, he’s been very good so far in 2026, posting a 3.19 ERA. That being said, he can run into some trouble with walks. In his last start, he lasted just 2.1 innings despite not actually giving up a hit. That’s because he managed to issue six free passes in that time and was already over the 70 pitch mark.

Sunday: Will Warren vs. TBD (4:05 pm ET)

A major reason that the Yankees’ rotation has been one of, if not the tops, the best in baseball is that they’ve gotten good production out of the backend arms like Weathers and Will Warren. Only once this season has he given up more than three earned runs in a game. (Slight asterisk on that, as there was a game in which he allowed four, all just ended up scored unearned.) One negative you could jot down is that even in a good run throughout May, his longest outing is just 6.1 innings. That’s still a perfectly solid start, but he does tend to nibble a bit, occasionally leading to his pitch count knocking him out earlier than his numbers could suggest.

The A’s haven’t announced any starter for Sunday at time of writing. Starter Aaron Civale recently hit the injured list with a shoulder injury, leading to the A’s needing to shuffle some things around. Jacob Lopez has nine starts on the season, with the most recent being back on May 19th, so he seems like a potential option, but a bullpen game could be another option.

Three years ago, Justin Lebron faced the uncertainty of whether he would be selected in the MLB Draft from a deep class of Florida high school shortstops or would honor his commitment to play college baseball at Alabama.

The latter ultimately is what happened, as Lebron didn't get drafted in the 20-round 2023 MLB Draft.

After helping Alabama to three consecutive NCAA Baseball Tournament appearances, Lebron is expected to cash in his childhood dream of playing professional — and is projected to be drafted as one of the top players in the draft pool.

NCAA baseball tournament predictions: Who is heading to super regionals?

In his time in Tuscaloosa, Lebron — no, he is not related to four-time NBA champion LeBron James — has developed into one of the top players in the country. He entered the season as a potential No. 1 overall pick, but has been jumped over by the likes of UCLA's Roch Cholowsky.

That said, Lebron has still produced an impressive junior campaign for the Crimson Tide, who open up the Tuscaloosa Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament at 7 p.m. ET, Friday against Alabama State, with a team-leading 16 home runs.

He's also a menace on the basepaths with his speed. He is one of two players in the country to have at least 38 stolen bases and only been caught once this season.

Here's what to know on Lebron's MLB projections and more as the Crimson Tide begin their Road to Omaha in the NCAA Baseball Tournament:

Justin Lebron MLB draft projections

Lebron is projected to be a first-round draft pick by MLB draft analysts, with most projections coming between picks No. 7 and the mid-teens. Alabama has not had a top-20 pick since the Kansas City Royals selected Joe Vitello with the No. 7 overall pick in 1991.

Here's a breakdown of exactly where MLB draft analysts have Lebron being taken:

• USA TODAY (as of April 20): No. 7 overall to the Baltimore Orioles
• ESPN (as of May 14): No. 14 overall to the Miami Marlins
• MLB.com/MLB Pipeline (as of May 21): No. 11 overall to the Washington Nationals
• The Athletic (as of May 7): No. 16 to the Texas Rangers

Justin Lebron MLB draft rankings, grades

MLB Pipeline has Lebron as the No. 9 overall prospect and the No. 2 college-ranked shortstop in the upcoming MLB draft.

His hitting has a low 45 scouting grade — an individual tool used with the MLB draft, where players are graded on a scale of 20-80 in different categories — according to MLB Pipeline. That 40-49 grading for hitting is defined by Major League Baseball as "below average." He has higher scouting grades of 60 for his power, arm, running and fielding. He has an overall scouting grade of 55, which is defined as "average."

As noted by USA TODAY, the scouting grades assigned to a player are usually based on what the player will eventually develop into rather than where they stand at the time of being drafted or early on in their professional career.

Here's MLB Pipeline's scouting report on Lebron:

"The only knock on Lebron is a tendency to chase pitches out of the zone, especially breaking balls. But he's also making strides with his approach and two-strike plan and could develop into an average hitter, which would make him an All-Star. He has added 15 pounds and significant bat speed in college, giving him well-above-average raw power from the right side of the plate, and he also has good feel for driving balls in the air.

"All the rest of Lebron's tools grade as plus, as does his makeup, and some evaluators think he's even better than that as a defender despite an uncharacteristically erratic spring. He has a quick first step that allows him to steal bases and cover plenty of ground to both sides at shortstop. He can make any throw needed from anywhere at short and would be an asset anywhere on the diamond."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justin Lebron MLB draft latest mock projections for Alabama shortstop

On Tuesday, Kiké Hernández was forced to exit early and was placed on the injured list just two days after making his season debut. On Wednesday, another Hernández got bit by the injury bug.

Teoscar Hernández departed Wednesday’s game after suffering a left hamstring strain while trying to beat out a ground ball in the bottom of the second inning. Hernández was placed on the injured list on Thursday, with Ryan Ward being called back up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to fill his spot, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.

He sustained a left hamstring strain and is headed to the injured list, manager Dave Roberts said after the game. Hernández, after undergoing preliminary testing Wednesday, was scheduled for imaging Thursday. The Dodgers planned to recall outfield/first base prospect Ryan Ward, a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly confirmed Thursday morning.

While the Dodgers received bad news regarding both the Hernández’s injuries, reliever Evan Phillips is right on track in his recovery process. Sonja Chen of MLB.com notes that Phillips is set to begin his rehab assignment after throwing another two live outings, putting him on pace to return in July.

“It’s really good to see,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Evan’s a guy that’s very focused and determined, and he’s going to do everything he’s supposed to do to get back. And to potentially have him back is a big weapon that we’ve missed for quite some time, and I miss seeing him around. … I depended on him a lot when he was active, so to get him back is going to be a big boost to everyone.”

Tommy Edman is now in the midst of his rehab assignment, as the Dodgers announced on Monday prior to their 5-1 win over Colorado. Edman went 1-3 in his Triple-A season debut on Tuesday.

The injuries to both Kiké and Teoscar Hernández have allowed Hyeseong Kim to receive more playing time, as the speedster finished Wednesday’s game in left field, a position foreign to him at the big league level.

For Kim, the goal is simply to focus on contributing on a nightly basis at the highest level rather than worry about decisions outside of his immediate control, notes Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register.

“As a baseball player, it’s my job to produce, so I’m always focused on producing numbers, and just given the situation, I try not to think about it too much,” Kim said through an interpreter. “Just keep working hard and keep producing as best I can.”

The Atlanta Braves were firing on all cylinders as they collected a series win after Thursday’s 10-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Chris Sale was solid, throwing five innings of two-run ball. He issued three walks and struck out eight. 

Ronald Acuña Jr. showed a major sign of life and launched a grand slam in the sixth inning to blow it open. Together, the Atlanta lineup tallied 11 hits. 

The Braves look to chase this momentum into this weekend’s series against the Cincinnati Reds. 

More Braves News:

Owen Murphy collected eight strikeouts for the Gwinnett Stripers on Wednesday. More in the minor league recap. 

We continue to remember Bob Horner, this time, for his four-homer game in ‘86. 

MLB News:

The Boston Red Sox placed reliever Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation. The move is retroactive to May 25.

The Detroit Tigers placed righty Kenley Jansen on the injured list with pelvic inflammation. He has been dealing with groin/abdominal issues for the past few weeks. 

From the Feed:

ESPN’s Jeff Passan comments on the initial CBA proposals. Which do you like best?