The Chicago Cubs are the hottest team in baseball, having won 10 consecutive games.
They are favored to extend their winning streak in Texas, but my Cubs vs. Rangers predictions see the home team keeping it close.
Let's dive deeper into my MLB picks for Saturday, May 9.
Who will win Cubs vs Rangers today: Rangers +1.5 (-135)
Jack Leiter has posted an xFIP of 3.44 and SIERA of 3.52, putting him in company with Joe Ryan, Landon Roupp, and Braxton Ashcraft among today's starters. Those arms have ERAs comfortably in the threes, yet Leiter sits at 5.44.
It's almost the opposite story for Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera. His ERA sits at 3.27 despite a 4.21 xERA. He has allowed plenty of hard contact and ranks in the 11th percentile in barrel rate.
With both starters showing misleading surface stats — and the Cubs riding a 10-game winning streak — there is value in backing the Texas Rangers to keep it close.
COVERS INTEL: Cabrera ranks in the 37th percentile in expected batting average allowed.
Cubs vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-105)
Leiter has allowed 20 runs over his last five starts. While I expect him to earn better results moving forward than he has thus far, it's a stretch to suggest he'll completely slow a Cubs offense that leads the league in runs per game and on base percentage.
The Rangers are also a threat to score several runs in this game. Their offense has posted some respectable numbers beneath the surface, ranking seventh in hard hit rate, 10th in fly ball rate, and 13th in wOBA against right-handed pitching over the last month.
They should cause problems for Cabrera.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 15-6, +6.53 units
Over/Under bets: 9-11-1, -3.06 units
Cubs vs Rangers odds
Moneyline: Cubs -140 | Rangers +120
Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+115) | Rangers +1.5 (-135)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)
Cubs vs Rangers trend
The Cubs have hit the game total Over in 20 of their last 30 games (+10.05 units, 30% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Rangers.
How to watch Cubs vs Rangers and game info
Location
Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
Date
Saturday, May 9, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Cubs starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera (3-0, 3.27 ERA)
Rangers starting pitcher
Jack Leiter (1-3, 5.45 ERA)
Cubs vs Rangers latest injuries
Cubs vs Rangers 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.
Don’t make too much of their recent troubles scoring runs. Or how they have a bunch of old players on their roster. Or how it feels as if you have a better chance of seeing a dinosaur at Dodger Stadium these days than a Shohei Ohtani homer.
Regardless of what happens in the regular season, the Dodgers will be the team to beat in October.
Just as they were last year. And the year before that.
Following Friday’s 3-1 victory over Atlanta, the Dodgers proved they’re still the team to beat in October. AP
You never want to make too much of a regular-season game, particularly one that’s six weeks into a 162-game schedule, but their 3-1 victory over the Braves was more than a win.
The triumph was a reminder of why the Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions.
Brighten the lights, raise the stakes, improve the quality of pitching, and the Dodgers will show they have a little something no other team has.
“I don’t know what it is about this team,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “When a big series comes up, we always find a way to lock in and play our game.”
And this was as big a series that could be played at this stage of the season.
The Braves came into Los Angeles tied with the Yankees and Cubs for the best record in baseball.
Their scheduled starters for the series resembled a postseason rotation, with reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale on Friday, Spencer Strider on Saturday and Bryce Elder on Sunday. Strider and Elder are former All-Stars.
What unfolded in the series opener was reminiscent of many of the games the Dodgers have played in recent postseasons.
“Tonight was a typical October game in the sense of, you’re going to see really good pitching, on the margins you gotta be able to take advantage of mistakes,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You gotta prevent runs and use the arms in the ‘pen that you got. And we prevented runs tonight and got enough hits. So, yeah, similar to an October game.”
Including the result.
Freddie Freeman’s solo home run was the nail in the coffin during Los Angeles’ 3-1 victory over the Braves. AP
The Dodgers predictably didn’t have many chances against the left-handed Sale, who came into the game with a 6-1 record and 2.14 ERA. But when opportunities presented themselves, the Dodgers capitalized. And when the Braves made mistakes, the Dodgers pounced.
In the second inning, Kyle Tucker pulled a slider beneath the strike zone into the right field corner for a double that drove in Teoscar Hernandez from first base.
The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 until the fifth inning when Rojas reached base and advanced to second on a throwing error by shortstop Jim Jarvis. Rojas scored on a single to right by Ohtani.
An inning later, the Dodgers extended their lead to 3-1 when Freddie Freeman punished Sale for one of his few mistakes, a down-the-middle fastball that he sent over the wall in left-center field.
“The damage all came from our left-handed hitters today,” Rojas said.
Roberts relied on his relievers the way he often does in the postseason. With two outs in the fifth inning and runners on the corners, Roberts removed starter Emmet Sheehan and called on fireman Alex Vesia, who forced Matt Olson to fly out to left field.
“There’s still a lot of time between now and October,” Roberts said. “But I think you can see the energy, sort of how I managed the game tonight. I wanted to win.”
Roberts didn’t mess around, and his bullpen wound up covering the final 4 ⅓ innings.
You never want to make much of a regular-season game in early May, but the Dodgers’ win was proof that this team rises to the occasion when needed. AP
Kyle Hurt pitched the sixth inning, Will Klein the seventh, Brock Stewart the eighth and Tanner Scott the ninth.
“You get a chance to beat Chris Sale,” Roberts said, “you gotta try to do everything you can.”
When reflecting on the relievers’ roles in the victory, Freeman mentioned how the bullpen was also forced to cover the final eight innings of a win in Houston on Wednesday after starter Tyler Glasnow was forced out of the game with back spasms. Glasnow was placed on the injured list Friday.
“You’re playing against the team with the best record,” Freeman said. “They’ve been playing really good baseball. We obviously put together a really quality, quality game.”
The kind of quality game that delivers results in October.
The Dodgers still know how to win a game like that, no matter how much they have looked like a diminished version of themselves over the last six weeks.
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Fading the Angels’ strikeout prone lineup worked last night, and I’m going to do it again with another "K" collector in Trey Yesavage on the mound for Toronto.
Read on to see why with my Angels vs. Blue Jays predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, May 9.
Angels vs Blue Jays predictions
Angels vs Blue Jays best bet: Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts (-105)
Trey Yesavage has incredible swing-and-miss stuff, which should match up well today against a swing-happy Los Angeles Angels squad, making the Over on his 5.5 strikeout total extremely tantalizing.
L.A. struck out 11 times in Game 1 of the series, which suggests the Toronto Blue Jays have a pretty good idea of how to attack these Angels batters, who rank dead-last in strikeout-rate.
That’s a juicy combination to pair with a pitcher like Yesavage, who throws a fastball/splitter combo with great deception. It led to immense success last postseason, and we saw it at work in his last start where he racked up six strikeouts in just four innings.
I also expect his pitch count to be higher than his two previous starts, which should allow him to go deeper into the ball game and have more opportunities to hit the Over on his strikeouts.
The sooner we accept Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as one of the best singles hitters in the game, the sooner we can start profiting from it.
He ranks fourth in singles hit this season and is 3-for-6 lifetime against Jack Kochanowicz, with all three hits being for one base.
For the final leg of the SGP, I’m taking Daulton Varsho to go Over 0.5 hits. He’s 4-for-5 against Jack Kochanowicz in his career and has recorded at least one hit in six of his last eight games.
Angels vs Blue Jays SGP
Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 singles
Daulton Varsho Over 0.5 hits
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Angels vs Blue Jays home run pick: Daulton Varsho (+550)
I’m only betting a half unit on this one, as Kochanowicz is a ground-ball pitcher who doesn’t give up much hard contact, surrendering just two home runs all season long.
However, I’ll hitch my wagon to the player who’s had the most success against him throughout his career and that’d be Varsho, who owns a 1.600 OPS against him.
Additionally, Varsho owns a .400 average and a .600 SLG against the sinker, which is Kochanowicz’ most utilized pitch.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 16-21, -1.25 units
SGPs: 7-30, -1.70 units
HR picks: 8-29, +9.15 units
Angels vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Los Angeles +150 | Toronto -180
Run line: Los Angeles +1.5 | Toronto -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Angels vs Blue Jays trend
The Blue Jays have hit the run line in five of their last six games at home (+5.55 Units / 79% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Angels vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Saturday, May 9, 2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet, FDSN West
Angels starting pitcher
Jack Kochanowicz (2-1, 3.05 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Trey Yesavage (1-1, 0.96 ERA)
Angels vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Angels 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.
Shea Langeliers has been a power force this season for the Athletics. He's already cracked 11 home runs, which ranks seventh in the Major Leagues. The slugger has gone deep in two of his last three games as well, including a two-homer game last weekend. Tonight's matchup heavily plays in his favor against Baltimore Orioles righty Shane Baz.
Langeliers is 4-for-10 lifetime against Baz with one bomb. Baz owns a 4.99 ERA, and three of the four homers he's allowed this year have been against right-handed hitters. With three long balls across the last week, Langeliers could very well make Baz pay for a mistake in the zone.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, NBCS-CA
Home run pick: Gunnar Henderson (+390)
We'll shift to the Orioles now, with Gunnar Henderson in a good position to slug his 10th homer of the campaign as the A's send Aaron Civale to the bump. Henderson hasn't left the yard in May yet, but he's 3-for-7 lifetime against Civale with a bomb, who has also surrendered three of his four home runs to left-handed batters.
Civale's troubles with the long ball have been on the road as well, giving up three away from Sacramento. Henderson has five homers at home, and he's swinging the bat better overall at Camden Yards. Civale is prone to mistakes at times, and Henderson's confidence should be high with him on the mound.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, NBCS-CA
Home run pick: Liam Hicks (+730)
Liam Hicks has been one of the best stories in the big leagues early on. He leads the MLB in RBI with 34, and the backstop is on the verge of double-digits in homers, smacking nine. Hicks has gone deep twice in his last four contests, with five home runs at home. The Miami Marlins host the Washington Nationals.
Zack Littell takes the hill for the Nats, and he's been horrendous. The right-hander sports an ERA over seven, and he's allowed an astounding 13 bombs in only seven appearances. Littell has given up six long balls in his previous three outings alone. Hicks is 1-for-3 lifetime versus Littell, and he's left the ballpark eight times against right-handed hurlers.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marlins.TV, Nationals.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 6-30, 1.08 units
Today’s HR parlay
Shea Langeliers
Bet Now +15230
Gunnar Henderson
Liam Hicks
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.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Sung-Mun Song #24 of the San Diego Padres walks to the dugout after striking out during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park on May 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fernando Tatis Jr. is a two-time Platinum Glove Award-winning right fielder, which is why his error on Friday night was inexplicable. Tatis Jr. misplayed a groundball off the bat of JJ Weatherholt with the bases loaded and it resulted in a Little League grand slam that put the St. Louis Cardinals ahead of the San Diego Padres, 4-0. It was evident Tatis Jr. was trying to field the ball in an effort to make a throw toward the infield in order to limit the number of runs scored on the play. Instead, the ball rolled under his glove and continued to roll until it reached the base of the right field wall. It was not something any fan of the Padres expected to see, and it may be the first sign that his struggles at the plate are affecting his play in the field. San Diego never threatened to get back in the game and lost the second game of the series to St. Louis, 6-0.
As bad as the error was by Tatis Jr. the team performance at the plate was worse. The Padres were held to one hit over nine innings of baseball. A lineup that included Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets and Tatis Jr. in the top five batters was held to a single hit, which came off the bat of Merrill in the bottom of the fourth inning. That was the only inning San Diego threatened to score. After the leadoff single, Bogaerts and Machado hit back-to-back groundouts. Sheets and Tatis Jr. walked to load the bases, but Miguel Andujar grounded out to end the inning and the St. Louis pitching shutdown the Padres for the remainder of the game.
Griffin Canning was on the receiving end of the Tatis Jr. error and was charged with six runs over 4.1 innings pitched. He allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out five. Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Ron Marinaccio combined to work the final 4.2 innings and allowed just four hits and no walks, while keeping the Cardinals off the board.
San Diego only drew the two walks in the bottom of the fourth inning but struck out a combined 10 times while being held to one hit. The Padres will try to put the embarrassing loss behind them today in the third game of the series against the Cardinals at Petco Park at 4:15 p.m.
Padres News:
The Padres are just like any other team in MLB and have started to incur injuries to position players. Jake Cronenworth (concussion) and Luis Campusano (fractured toe) were both placed on the injured list this week, which created opportunities for Sung-Mun Song and Rodolfo Duran.
San Diego pitching prospect Humberto Cruz pleaded guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants within the United States and will have his work visa revoked for up to 10 years.
The Chicago Cubs may never lose again – not really. But they did win their 10th game in a row with a 7-1 win over the Texas Rangers.
Munetaka Murakami hit a home run in the first game of the series between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners. He has homered in the first game of each series Chicago has played this season. However Seattle won the game, 12-8.
Dylan Cease is adjusting quite well with the Toronto Blue Jays and recorded 10 strikeouts in seven innings to lead his new team to a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Kochanowicz hasn't allowed a run in the first inning in three straight starts, and he's only given up five earned runs during that span. He faced the Toronto Blue Jays on April 21, and gave up just one earned run. That didn't come until the sixth inning.
As for Yesavage, he's only allowed one earned run across two starts since returning from injury, compiling an impressive 0.96 ERA.
The Los Angeles Angels have scored in the first just once in their last four contests, and the Jays also have just one run in the first across their previous four games, too. The series opener ended 2-0 for the Jays, with both runs coming in the third.
Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, ABTV
Cardinals at Padres: NRFI (-111)
The San Diego Padres have been underwhelming offensively this season, and it's often taken them a while to even score any runs.
They've scored just three times in the first in 27 games against right-handed starters, and Dustin May takes the bump for the St. Louis Cardinals here. While he has gotten in some trouble in the first as of late, the Padres have scored in the first just once in their last four contests.
The Cardinals also haven't scored in the opening frame in five straight games, and Randy Vasquez has only allowed runs in the first once this season in seven starts. He typically comes out and finds a rhythm early, and Vasquez owns a 3.20 ERA overall.
They're in the middle of a three-game winning streak, and Cleveland put up a four-spot in the first on Friday. They also scored three runs in the finale against the Royals on Thursday evening.
The Guards face Minnesota Twins righty Joe Ryan here, and he has a 4.64 ERA on the road compared to 2.60 at home.
Minny isn't scoring in the first inning very much lately. I truly like this pick for the Cleveland angle, as this entire lineup is swinging the bats extremely well.
While Ryan is typically solid, the Guardians could very well jump on him early and put some runs on the board. The likes of Jose Ramirez, Bryan Rocchio, and Steven Kwan have had success against him.
Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Twins.TV, CLEGuardians.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
NRFI/YRFI picks: 3-6, -1.07 units
What is a NRFI bet?
NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.
A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.
NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.
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.
Veteran NBA referee Tony Brothers had to be held back from confronting Timberwolves coach Chris Finch in a shocking scene Friday night during Minnesota’s home 115-108 Game 3 loss to the Spurs.
Finch then called out the veteran official for his actions.
“Pretty unprofessional, huh?” Finch said after the game.
The tense moment happened with a little more than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Finch attempted to call a timeout with his team trailing 102-100.
Finch believed Brothers delayed in granting the timeout with 5:09 left and voiced his displeasure, walking toward the referee and giving him his thoughts.
Brothers did not back down before being intercepted by a Minnesota player.
“I wanted the timeout. I had called it three seconds earlier and I wanted the timeout. I said, ‘I want my three seconds back,'” said Finch, whose team fell in a 2-1 series hole. “He clearly heard me. He looked my way, ignored me, went on with the play and then almost cost us a turnover.”
During the timeout, Brothers stood near the Minnesota huddle, and Finch said something to him that resulted in Brothers attempting to walk his way.
Chris Finch (mid-right, holding blue paper) says something to referee Tony Brothers. @BleacherReport/X
One Minnesota staffer and players prevented Brothers from getting face-to-face with Finch — and stopped a potential combustible situation.
“He lost it,” Finch said. “Then, I went to ask him where the ball was going to be taken in, and he screamed at me for that. Completely unprofessional behavior by him.”
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards indicated that Brothers’ actions did not surprise him.
Brothers screams back and is restrained by others. @BleacherReport/X
“We didn’t really hear what was going on. It’s competition at the highest level, man” Edwards said. “We wanna win, Finchy wanna win. And Tony Brothers is Tony Brothers. We all love him, so it’s all good.”
This is the second notable interaction between a player and referee in as many days, with the Lakers’ Austin Reaves accusing John Goble of yelling in his face Thursday, which left him feeling “disrespected.”
The 76ers’ Joel Embiid also alleged that the referees had some bias in Game 3, with the Knicks attempting 32 free throws to Philadelphia’s 16.
“I guess it’s good when New York wins,” Embiid said.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 05: Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons dunks against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 05, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons are up 2-0 on the Cleveland Cavaliers due to their relentless intensity on both ends. The Cavs aren’t just folding; Detroit is putting them in positions to fail.
Any headline about this series should lead with what Detroit is doing right instead of what Cleveland is failing at. Detroit can force mainstream media to lead with them if they take a commanding 3-0 lead Saturday afternoon.
The Cavs have been a different team in Cleveland in the postseason, but the Pistons are road warriors. Their 24-point comeback in Orlando gave them even more belief that they can barge into anyone’s home and kick their feet up.
GAME VITALS
Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
When: 3:00 PM EST
Watch: Peacock/NBC
Odds: Pistons (+3.5)
Analysis
The Cavs have tanked on the road in these playoffs. They’ve averaged 100 points in five road losses. At home, they explode with 120 points and have yet to lose at the Rocket Arena.
Detroit can change that if they ratchet up the pressure on Cleveland’s guards. James Harden may be dealing with something, but his play has not been up to par.
It’s not going down like this because he is a playoff choker. Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson are legit defenders who take matchups personally. Harden’s theatrics got Ausar in foul trouble, but the results of that were Ron Holland minutes. That’s not an easier task for Harden. There are dawgs everywhere in Detroit.
Some speak on the Cavs and Harden’s turnovers like it’s easy to just stop flipping the ball vs this Pistons defense. Detroit has made teams and players with tight ball security morph into revolving turnover doors all season. That’s what they do.
Cade is showing what superstars do. Cade’s 20-point streak to start his playoff career should remind everyone that Detroit has one of the future faces of our game.
In crunch time, Cade Cunningham makes plays!
Yet another example occurred last night 🔥
He became the 4th player in NBA history to score 20+ points in each of his first 15 career postseason games!
He has clearly outplayed Cavs star Donovan Mitchell. Cade comes alive in the clutch, while Mitchell has not yet. Mitchell is due for one of those playoff explosions. It seems like he was flowing after hitting that bank shot, but Detroit bottled him up in the fourth quarter.
Evan Mobley has been in a straitjacket. He’s been invisible for stretches over the first two games. The Pistons bigs are handling their business winning the physicality battle. That was an advantage coming into this series, and it must be doubled down on to go up 3-0. Good Mobley usually means good Cavs. It’s paramount that Detroit continues to slow down arguably the Cavs most important player.
Jalen Duren’s stats aren’t head-turning, but his approach has been better this series. If nothing else, he is drawing 4.5 fouls per game vs Cleveland compared to 2.7 against Orlando (PivotFade). Duren has been more aggressive and can get even better.
As the saying goes, role players play better at home. So expect Jaylon Tyson, Dennis Schröder, Max Strus, and Dean Wade to look a bit better. Their best shooter, Sam Merrill, remains questionable with a hamstring injury.
Their role players should step up at home, but Detroit’s need to replicate what they’ve done. Duncan Robinson is on a heater. Maybe he doesn’t average five 3s in Cleveland, but he’s forcing the Cavs to guard him.
Daniss Jenkins and Tobias Harris are as well. Their off-the-dribble juice has given Cleveland trouble. Cleveland choosing to ignore these players like Orlando did is detrimental because they are rolling now.
Detroit can go up 3-0 and shift the conversation. This series has not been about Cleveland’s downfall. And this series is certainly not about Cade having help and Mitchell having none.
If Mobley, Harden, Jarrett Allen, and the Cavs’ role players aren’t stepping up, it’s because those dawgs in Detroit continue to shut their water off. That is how that should be framed. This defense has made great players uncomfortable all year.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 9: Justin Champagnie #9 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Chicago Bulls on April 9, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards’ second most productive player last season was someone they acquired with a 10-day contract in Febuary of 2024. A couple weeks later, they signed him to a two-way deal. A calendar year later, they signed him to a four-year $10 million contract with a team option on the final season.
I’m talking about Justin Champagnie, of course. And Champagnie — despite haphazard minutes and an apparently eternal case of bedhead — has already outperformed the contract. Don’t be shocked if the Wizards decline that option so they can give him a better deal after next season. Well, depending on a big “if.”
When the Wizards start trying to win, Justin Champagnie could end up with a bigger role. | NBAE via Getty Images
If the Wizards hold an open competition for roles and minutes, I suspect Justin Champagnie would emerge as one of the team’s starting forwards. “Suspect” is doing some work because the Wizards have kept him in a reserve role while they gave developmental minutes to their draft picks.
Only thing: on a per minute basis, Champagnie has outperformed all of them, except Alex Sarr.
I kinda get the coaching staff’s reticence at elevating him. His game is more “four” than “three” though his size (6-6, 205) is more “three” than “four.” He’s somehow effective, efficient, and productive…and shot just 31.9% from three this season — exactly the same percentage as Bilal Coulibaly.
Basketball-Reference’s position estimator doesn’t know what to do with him. B-R guesstimate’s he spent 77% of his minutes at small forward or shooting guard. Drill into the lineup data and you’ll quickly see he played close to zero minutes at either.
Eliding the issue that traditional position designations are meaningless in the modern NBA, Champagnie’s real position is “forward.” He rebounds, defends up in size reasonably well, is a willing and effective screen-setter, and he has some of the requisite perimeter skills basically everyone except behemoths and freaks need. And the behemoths and freaks often need some perimeter skills too.
Last season, the Wizards entered the season with Champagnie firmly planted on the bench. He didn’t surpass six minutes until the sixth game of the season. After a couple strong games in limited minutes, he returned to single digit playing time for three more games. The on-court time got more steady after that, but he went over 30 minutes just five times all season.
This season, Champagnie set new per possession career bests in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He set a new low in turnovers (just 1.5 per 100 possessions) and a new high in offensive rating (nearly 10 points per possessions better than average).
And while I’ve previously cited research to explain away the lack of plus/minus impact from his younger teammates, the Wizards have been better each of the past two seasons with Champagnie on the floor — +3.5 per 100 possessions last season, and +4.8 the year before.
This is not to say the Wizards have been good with him out there. They’ve been -9.0 or worse both seasons. It’s more accurate to say they’ve been less awful when he plays.
Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think Champagnie is a viable starting forward on a good team. He’d be a valuable rotation guy on a good team — a seventh or eighth man who will make a bunch of right plays, avoid mistakes, and rise to the intensity of truly competitive basketball.
And I think there’s a better than 50/50 chance that he’ll take minutes from more celebrated teammates in a fair competition.
Below is Champagnie’s performance ekg for this season. The graph suggests a greater level of consistency than the game-to-game data shows. The 5-game, 10-game, 20-game, and full season rolling PPA scores were relatively consistent, but his score in my consistency index was 84 — about the same as Sarr’s. That’s much more consistent than Coulibaly’s or Kyshawn George’s. I suspect the consistency of his production would improve with a more consistent diet of minutes.
If there’s one thing on Champagnie’s page in the spreadsheet to worry about, it’s a relative lack of high-end games. This season, he had just six games with a PPA over 200, and 17 over 150.
If I had to add one more thing, it’d be that his overall PPA score (105) this season was just around average.
Okay, there’s one final thing: this was his age 24 season, right at the end of the age grouping when players typically make their biggest leaps forward. From 25 forward, improvement tends to be more incremental before beginning to decline in their late 20s and early 30s. And then there’s often a cliff (at least traditionally) at ages 32-33.
That’s jumping ahead quite a bit — the point here is that he’s at an age where “what you see is what you get” is more likely than not. That’s not bad. Words I’d use to describe what he’s done the past couple years are ones like decent and competent. I’m hopeful guys like George and Coulibaly are able to relegate him to the bench.
But my guess is when they’re battling for postseason seeding or they’re in the playoffs, Champagnie will be out there in high-leverage situations and one or more of his more ballyhooed teammates will be watching from the sidelines.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 10: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on April 10, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Brandon Todd/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In our last installment, we took a look at the start of the season. The Mavericks lost their starting center, fired their GM and gave Cooper Flagg plenty of burn as a point guard. As December rolled in, Flagg was already showing exponential improvement and Anthony Davis returned to the lineup after missing 15 out of 16 November games.
December Record: 6-7 (12-22 overall)
The Mavericks opened the month with back-to-back wins, the first of which came against the Denver Nuggets. Dallas won four of their first five games in December, and five of their first seven. Suddenly, fans started picking up vibes that the Mavs may be finding their way and could ultimately make a push for the PlayIn Tournament or better. The wins weren’t due to a soft schedule either, as Dallas got the best of the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons during this stretch. Then they lost five of their final six games of the month, with the sole victory ironically coming against Denver for a second time in three weeks. The stumble robbed the Mavs of momentum as they entered the new year ten games under .500.
Flagg’s first 40-point game
In an overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on December 15, Flagg scored a point per minute played. He poured in 42 points on 13-for-27 shooting from the floor and 15-for-20 from the free throw line. It may seem like the feat deserves an asterisk for being an OT game, but Flagg actually hit the 40-point mark in regulation. He was still a week shy of turning 19 years old at the time, making this effort even more amazing. Flagg’s game was developing at a rapid pace right before our eyes, with this gem being the highlight to that point.
The emergence of Ryan Nembhard
Nembhard went from a player who did not play a single minute in 13 of the Mavericks’ first 21 games, to a starter in all 13 December contests. During the stretch, he averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He double-doubled on points and assists on three occasions and scored in double figures six times. Although his season overall was up-and-down, he proved a capable floor general when needed and helped bring a semblance of balance to a lineup that was often anything but.
Anthony Davis’ back-to-back 30-point games
Davis gave himself an early Christmas present with two of the best games he played in a Mavericks’ uniform. In a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on December 22, he dropped in 35 points, then followed it up the next night in the aforementioned win over Denver with 31 more. Combined across the two games, Davis scored 66 points on 60% shooting from the floor, to go along with 26 rebounds, six assists, four steals and a blocked shot. Davis was as dominant as he had ever been in his short time with the Mavs. Across those same two games, Flagg scored a combined 49 points of his own, matching Davis’ 30-plus point outing with 33 against Denver. It was a brief glimpse of how effectively Davis and Flagg could play together against a good team, however it wasn’t meant to last, as we’ll see next time when we take a look at January.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
All year, the Cubs have gone by a “next man up” mantra. Thus, when Matthew Boyd went down with a knee injury this week, Ben Brown was tabbed to make the start in his place. It was Brown’s first start of the year, and his past results as a starter have been uneven.
Like just about everything else that’s happened with the Cubs this year, Brown did his “next man up” job exceptionally well. Expected to go no more than three innings, Brown instead no-hit the Rangers for four innings. Michael Busch added a bases-clearing double and Seiya Suzuki homered in a 7-1 win over the Rangers, the team’s 10th win in a row. That, combined with losses by the Braves and Yankees, leaves the Chicago Cubs waking up this morning with the best record in baseball. Also, the 2026 Cubs are in rare territory:
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, these Cubs are the fifth team in MLB history with multiple distinct winning streaks of at least 10 games before their 40th decision of a season. The 1955 Dodgers, 1941 Cardinals, 1889 St. Louis Browns and 1880 Chicago White Stockings (Cubs) also achieved the feat.
And per Elias, the Cubs are also just the sixth team with a gap of three or fewer games between a pair of winning streaks of at least 10 games. That rare feat was also pulled off by the 1906 Cubs (one game, twice), 1897 Orioles (one), 1880 White Stockings (two), 1978 Pirates (two), and 1955 Dodgers (three).
Further:
The @Cubs are the first team in MLB history to have 2 separate 10+ game winning streaks and a 15+ game home winning streak all before the end of May. pic.twitter.com/AJstxlVQFG
We are all witnessing history… and of the best possible kind.
Now, let’s look at how this one unfolded.
With one out in the top of the first, Michael Conforto bounced a ball into the seats at Globe Life Field for an automatic double. One out later, Ian Happ singled him in [VIDEO].
Suzuki’s fourth-inning home run extended the Cubs’ streak to seven games with at least one homer, a season high. Going into Friday, 11 other teams had had a streak of at least seven games this season. The Yankees had homered in 14 straight games; the Mariners, in 12; and no other team in more than eight.
There were 89 streaks of at least seven games last year, including ones of seven and eight by the Cubs. Twenty-nine streaks were at least 10 games, with a high of 18 by the Giants. The Dodgers had two streaks of 14; the Royals, one.
Brown was just outstanding in his four innings of work. He threw an efficient 46 pitches (31 strikes) and allowed just one baserunner, a second-inning walk to Joc Pederson. He struck out three [VIDEO].
I’ve been critical of the effort to make Brown a starter in the past. But this year, he’s developed additional pitches and has been much more effective in a multi-inning relief role. With a slot in the rotation currently available with the injury to Boyd, perhaps Brown can fill that place. An excellent job done in this one by Brown, whose season ERA dropped to 1.82.
More on Brown’s evening from John:
Brown is just the third Cub to start a game and exit after four no-hit innings — but the second in as many years.
On Opening Day of last season, against the Dodgers at Tokyo, Shota Imanaga was lifted after walking four and striking two.
Matt Clement walked one and struck out three at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers on May 5, 2002.
That was the first such start since Monk Dubiel walked none and struck out one at home vs. the Reds on May 29, 1949. Under the hazy scoring rules back then, Dubiel was awarded the win, since the Cubs were ahead, 1-0, when he departed. They won, 10-2, as Emil Kush finished up, working five innings and allowing two runs on six hits and three walks, with two strikeouts.
Ryan Rolison relieved Brown in the fifth and walked the first two batters he faced. One out later, an RBI single by Justin Foscue made the score 3-1. At that point Javier Assad relieved Rolison. Assad’s second pitch was a wild pitch, advancing the runners, but he retired the next two Rangers to end the inning.
In the sixth, Busch drew a one-out walk and stole second. The Rangers have a reputation as an easy team to run on, so the Cubs took advantage. That was just the sixth steal of Busch’s 372-game MLB career to date.
The Cubs blew the game open in the seventh. Nico Hoerner reached on an error, Conforto walked and Alex Bregman singled, loading the bases with nobody out. The next two Cubs hit into force plays at the plate, but Busch cleared the bases with this double to make it 7-1 [VIDEO].
As mentioned in the clip, Busch saw 37 pitches in this game (the Rangers threw 187 pitches overall). That’s more than seven pitches per plate appearance, a sign of a really good, patient hitter. After a very slow start, Busch is batting .300/.413/.489 (27-for-90) over his last 24 games with three home runs and 21 RBI.
So. The two 10-game winning streaks, sandwiched around a three-game losing streak, obviously make the Cubs 20-3 over that span. That’s three games better than anyone else in MLB over that time (Yankees and Rays, 17-6), and I’ve noted the other things the Cubs have done with the streaks this year, matching things that haven’t been done in decades or in some cases, in over a century. You are witnessing amazing history, something to remember forever.
The Cubs will go for 11 straight wins Saturday evening against the Rangers. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs and Jack Leiter goes for Texas. Game time is 6:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 08: The Baltimore Orioles mascot celebrates after a victory against the Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 08, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You wouldn’t know it by the final score, but this was a one-run game until the last inning, the seventh, when the Stripers erupted for seven runs to turn it into a blowout. Reliever Gerald Ogando got torched for five runs in just two-thirds of an inning, and infielder Willy Vasquez had to take the mound for the final out, though he gave up two runs of his own. Before that, the Wells brothers (not actually brothers) were Norfolk’s pitchers. Starter Levi Wells worked 4.2 decent innings and gave up one run, and Tyler Wells followed with 1.1 frames. Poor Tyler was saddled with the loss despite being the only Tides pitcher not to give up any earned runs. He allowed an unearned run on an error by third baseman José Barrero, which broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth.
Just like the Orioles, the Tides managed just four hits in this game. A Barrero solo homer in the fifth accounted for their only run and only extra-base hit. Norfolk didn’t have a single at-bat with runners in scoring position. Not going to win many games that way.
The normally seven-inning doubleheader game had to go to an extra frame before Norfolk walked it off in the bottom of the eighth. Sam Huff’s RBI single plated the free runner, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, to salvage the split of the twin bill. The Tides offense put up a better showing in the nightcap with nine hits, eight of them singles. Center fielder Jud Fabian was 1-for-3 with a walk from the leadoff spot and also threw out a runner at home.
At any given moment I can never remember whether Albert Suárez is in the minors or in the Orioles’ bullpen, but apparently the answer is the former, because he started this game for Norfolk. He gave up two runs in four innings. Andrew Magno, Ryan Long, and Enoli Paredes followed with four innings of scoreless relief. Long was particularly impressive, working 2.1 frames with no damage.
The Baysox delivered a solid performance both at the plate and on the mound, but the latter was a little better. Four Chesapeake pitchers combined to hold Altoona to just one run, starting with Christian Heberholz (four innings, one run), then two scoreless frames apiece from Daniel Lloyd and Jeisson Cabrera. Left-hander Micah Ashman saved the best for last by striking out the side in a perfect ninth inning. The 23-year-old from last year’s Charlie Morton trade has a 2.00 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 18 innings this year.
The Baysox offense produced nine hits and five walks, and might’ve run up the score a little more if they hadn’t gone 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 1o on base. Even still, they got the job done. Frederick Bencosme went 3-for-4 with two doubles, Thomas Sosa homered, Adam Retzbach drove in two, and a rehabbing Jackson Holliday walked three times. That helped make up for a rare off night for Chesapeake’s two best hitters, Ethan Anderson and Anderson De Los Santos, who were a combined 0-for-9 with six strikeouts.
High-A: Frederick Keys, 11, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 10 — 11 inn.
The Keys are the most exciting O’s affiliate right now, and boy, they did not disappoint with this barnburner of a game. After blowing a late three-run lead to send the game to extras, the Keys rallied back from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 10th and then another two-run deficit in the bottom of the 11th, pulling off a walkoff victory on back-to-back homers by Maikol Hernández and Elis Cuevas. Frederick is now 18-12.
It was certainly a well-balanced offensive attack. Ten different Keys batters had at least one hit. Nine of them scored a run, and seven of them drove in a run. Let’s start at the top of the lineup, where leadoff man Ike Irish had a hit, a walk, and an RBI. A rehabbing Reed Trimble mashed a homer. Vance Honeycutt hit a two-run double. The #7 and #8 hitters, Colin Yeaman and Leandro Arias, each had two RBIs. Wehiwa Aloy did not start but came in off the bench and struck out in both at-bats.
The offense needed to be good, because it was not a banner day for the Frederick pitching staff — specifically, the bullpen. Starter Yeiber Cartaya did great, throwing five shutout innings with one hit and six strikeouts, but a bunch of relievers struggled. Brandon Downer lived up to his name by giving up three runs, and Jacob Cravey coughed up four runs in the 10th and 11th but was bailed out by the Keys’ bats.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 3, Salem RidgeYaks (Red Sox) 2
This was another well-pitched victory for an Orioles affiliate on this night. Right-hander Christian Rodriguez, a 2024 tenth-round draft pick making just his second professional start, delivered a quality outing with six innings of one-run ball. He gave up eight hits, but struck out five without walking anyone.
The Shorebirds did all their scoring in the top of the second. Junior Aybar drove in the first two runs with a double and Braylon Whitaker followed with an RBI single. Three of the Shorebirds’ five hits came in that inning. They were otherwise quiet at the plate, but not on the basepaths, where they stole six bases without being caught. Whitaker and Aybar had two steals apiece.
May 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Colorado Rockies in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Probably not the question to be asking after two consecutive losses, but it’s fair. The Phillies are 17-21, yet still maintain decent enough playoff odds by FanGraphs and Baseball Reference. They have played better baseball of late, which has at least made them more watchable.
So, how are we feeling about their playoff chances? The division crown is probably over, though miracles can happen. The third wild card is probably the one they need to be shooting for, so how do you feel about that? Are they still a favorite to make it in your eyes?
Few things are more fun than an unheralded draft pick forcing his way into the Cardinals’ plans. Any draft pick has the odds stacked against them, but players picked outside the top few rounds have a vanishingly small chance of putting together a major league career. This week I found myself pondering whether or not Jalin Flores, a relatively obscure prospect in Peoria, was in the early stages of breaking out and setting a trajectory for Busch Stadium. There isn’t too much to say about Flores in particular, although I will say a few words in a minute, but this inspired me to take a quick walk down memory lane.
The Cardinals organization has a rich history of identifying talent later in the draft. Albert Pujols, of course, is the best example of this over the last three decades. While the Cardinals haven’t identified another inner-circle Hall of Famer in the late-rounds of the draft this century (duh), they have been adept at identifying future contributors, and a few core pieces even much later in the draft. Let’s take a look at the best Cardinals picks in the 10th round and later this century.
2000 to 2004
The early 2000s drafts were not as bad as I remember, but were mostly carried by high-round draft picks Yadier Molina and Dan Haren. The draft at this time had 50 rounds and the Cardinals drafted and signed a total of 12 players in the 10th round or later that eventually made it to the majors. Of those 12 players, three provided positive career fWAR.
Tyler Johnson is not included in the above table as his career fWAR was negative, but he was taken in the 34th round of the 2000 draft. While he only threw 77 big league innings, he etched himself in Cardinals lore by holding opponents to 1 run across 7.1 innings during the 2006 playoffs. Johnson ran a 12/2 K/BB ratio and teamed up with Randy Flores to provide an improbable pair of lockdown lefties at the back of the Cardinals’ pen.
Another player not listed above is Terry Evans. Evans was drafted in the 47th round in 2001 out of Middle Georgia State University. He bumped around the lower minors for a couple of years without doing anything too noteworthy. In 2006, he was having a bit of a breakout season in Double-A as he had popped seven home runs in his first 21 games. At the time I was just getting into avid prospect watching, so I was quite frustrated when the Cardinals traded Evans to Anaheim for a seemingly washed up pitcher with a 6.29 ERA. During the regular season, Dave Duncan did not have much luck resurrecting his career, but come playoff time, Jeff Weaver pulled out a sensational run to help the Cardinals to the title.
Anthony Reyeswas drafted in the 15th round of the 2003 draft. He was actually considered a better prospect than Adam Wainwright when they both debuted in 2005. Reyes had a disappointing rookie season in 2006, putting up a 5.06 ERA across 17 starts. He is remembered for his epic eight-inning performance in game 1 of the World Series when he allowed two runs on only four hits while outdueling Tigers rookie phenom Justin Verlander. What I had forgotten was that this was only Reyes’ second start of the postseason. After a brutal seven-game NLCS with the Mets, the Cardinals were out of pitching and had to choose between Reyes and Jason Marquis to get the start. While Marquis had a horrible season and did not pitch in the playoffs, it was still a gutsy call for Tony La Russa and the staff to go with the rookie pitcher.
The most significant career of the early 2000s group came from another future playoff hero, Jason Motte. Motte was drafted as a catcher in the 19th round of the 2003 draft, but unable to hit at a satisfactory level, he was converted to a pitcher in 2006. The rest is history as Motte blitzed through the minors on his way to a 2008 debut in St. Louis. Motte will forever be remembered for recording the final out of the 2011 World Series and running a 2.08 ERA across 21.2 playoff innings from 2009 to 2012.
2005 to 2011
Jeff Luhnow was hired as Vice President of player development in 2003 and moved to the player procurement side in 2005. After a horrible draft in 2004 that yielded no significant major leaguers, the late 2000s were critical in establishing the deep pipeline of talent that allowed the Cardinals to contend in the post-Pujols era. While there were big wins like Colby Rasmus, Shelby Miller, and Lance Lynn at the top of the draft, the Cardinals started finding real impact across the board. The positive fWAR players in this era were:
The fun started in 2005 when the Cardinals selected Jaime Garcia in the 22nd round of the draft. Garcia would pitch ten seasons in the majors while accruing 14.5 career fWAR. While Garcia battled injuries for much of his career, he was a critical piece of the Cardinals’ rotation, when healthy. The Cardinals struck again in 2006 selecting Las Vegas prep outfielder Tommy Pham in the 16th round. Pham spent parts of nine seasons toiling in the minor leagues before debuting in 2014. He has posted over 18 career fWAR including a 5.8 fWAR season with the Cardinals in 2017.
In 2007, the Cardinals had seven late-round picks that made major league debuts, but the most prominent was Tony Cruz who somehow hung around for four years while posting -2.5 in cumulative fWAR. 2008 was more fruitful as the Cardinals found Kevin Siegrist in the 41st round. Siegrist had a short but productive career posting a 3.04 ERA across 276 games. His best season came in 2015 when he pitched in 81 games as the Cardinals’ primary lefty reliever and posted 1.3 fWAR.
It turned out that 2009 was the year the Cardinals hit the jackpot three times with late-round picks selecting Matt Carpenter (31.5 fWAR) in the 13th round, Trevor Rosenthal (7.8 fWAR) in the 21st round, and Matt Adams (3.6 fWAR) in the 23rd round.
To cap off the run, in 2011, the Cardinals took Seth Maness in the 11th round. Maness provided a couple of excellent seasons as Mike Matheny’s designated groundball specialist, but was only able to hang on for parts of five seasons when his already low velocity started to slip.
2012 to 2015
After the epic haul in 2009, the Cardinals had much more limited success in the later rounds. The period after Luhnow left the organization and before Randy Flores came onboard yielded only two positive fWAR players in the later rounds of the draft.
The big win in this period of time was selecting Luke Voit in the 22nd round. While Voit hit 90 of his 95 career home runs for other teams, he did bring back Giovani Gallegos in a trade with the Yankees. While the Cardinals had some excellent picks at the tops of the 2014 and 2015 drafts, not a single player even made a major league debut that was drafted after the 10th round.
2016 to present
The Randy Flores era has come with plenty of great draft picks but the late-round gems have still been relatively sparse with only five positive fWAR players since 2016. After the abbreviated five-round 2020 draft, the 2021 draft was shortened from 40 rounds down to 20.
In 2018, the Cardinals selected Kyle Leahy in the 17th round and signed him with a tiny $75K bonus. Leahy has not accumulated much fWAR yet, but his development has been a huge win for the organization as he has provided multiple years of good relief work and could start racking up value much more quickly if he can stick in the rotation. Nathan Church might have the best chance of shooting up the fWAR leaderboards. Drafted as a polished, contact-oriented hitter, he has improved his bat speed and power output enough that he has played himself into a starting role, at least for now.
Looking ahead, who could join the list?
With Church carrying the torch for the 2022 draft, there are some very interesting prospects coming up behind him from the last three draft years.
Jacob Odle is probably the best bet to make a push from the 2023 draft. Odle was drafted as a strong-armed junior college pick and is still just 22 years old. Odle missed all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He got his feet wet with 51.2 innings last year, but walked over six batters per nine. Back in Low-A to start the season, Odle has cut his walk rate from 17.9% to 12.2% and is striking out 28.9% of batters faced. While his numbers are solid, it is Odle’s stuff that has him on the prospect radar. His average four-seam velocity has increased from 94.2 to 97.2 MPH (topping out at 99.4 MPH). Odle has a solid pitch mix as he is throwing his four-seam, sinker, cutter and curveball all over 20% of the time while sprinkling in a changeup and slider here and there.
Deniel Ortiz was drafted in the 16th round of the 2024 draft and has already progressed to Double-A as a 21-year-old. Unfortunately, he injured his wrist in his first game this year and has not seen additional action. Ortiz was ranked 21st in the Cardinals system by Baseball America coming into the year and will be looking to build on a sensational first season when he does return to the field.
Jalin Flores, an 11th-rounder in 2025, is the only position player from the Cardinals class to be pushed to the High-A level. Flores has responded well by cutting his strikeout rate from 32.4% in Low-A to 20.6% this year. He has popped 3 home runs and is running an ISO just under .200 through his first 107 plate appearances. Flores is interesting because of his pedigree. He was a top-100 draft prospect coming out of high school. After a terrible freshman year at Texas, he rebounded as a draft-eligible sophomore putting up an OPS over 1.000 and bashing 18 home runs. After the strong season, he was again considered a top-100 draft prospect and again preferred the college route. A disappointing junior year allowed him to fall to the eleventh round where the Cardinals drafted him and gave him a slightly above slot $175K bonus. Flores is graded as a good defender and is still getting reps at shortstop as well as third base.
So is Jalin Flores actually breaking out? It’s way too early to say. But 107 plate appearances of improved contact, plus the defensive versatility and the draft pedigree, are enough to keep watching. And if the Cardinals’ track record tells us anything, it’s that the guys worth watching aren’t always the ones you’d expect.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 21: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves slides into home plate and scores in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You tell me.
Michael Harris ll with the swim move on a bang-bang play at the plate against Will Smith and, though it was close, he’s out.
COVERS INTEL: Cabrera ranks in the 37th percentile in expected batting average allowed.
Shea Langeliers
Gunnar Henderson
Liam Hicks
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