SP: Christian Scott – RHP
SP: Jake Irvin – RHP
First pitch: 1:40 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
San Diego Padres (66-58) at Cleveland Guardians (60-64), August 16, 2026, 10:40 a.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Progressive Field – Cleveland, Ohio
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
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The Pittsburgh Pirates are finishing a three-game set as they take on the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park.
Paul Skenes is getting the ball for the Pirates in this matchup. Skenes has lost three of his last four starts, including his last appearance against the Miami Marlins on August 11. He pitched only five innings, giving up five hits and one earned run in a 2-0 loss on the road.
Skenes dealt with a span of nearly two months, from May 17 to July 1, before rattling off three straight victories in the middle of July. He has dropped his last four games, and the Pirates have needed him to get back on track. Perhaps this is the game to do it.
The Red Sox are going with Patrick Sandoval, who is making his seventh start of the season. In his last appearance on August 11 against the Toronto Blue Jays, Sandoval had his longest outing of the year, with six innings, giving up eight hits and two runs in a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Center. It was Sandoval’s first loss of the year, and he’s using this start as a chance to get that sour taste out of his mouth.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Patrick Sandoval (1-1, 3.30 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.88 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
The Dodgers and their weary bullpen are 10 days into a stretch of 13 game days in a row, with the only thing standing between them and a rest day are the Colorado Rockies at the pitching slaughterhouse known as Coors Field in Denver.
Blake Snell was terrific last Tuesday in his return from three months on the injured list with 10 strikeouts in six strong innings against the Kansas City Royals. He’ll take the ball on Monday night in Colorado.
Tomoyuki Sugano starts for the Rockies, in his second year in MLB after last season with the Baltimore Orioles. Shohei Ohtani has five hits in eight at-bats against Sugano with three home runs and a double.
The Phillies will go for a sweep over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Sunday.
Andrew Painter gets the start for the Phillies. The rookie is just 2-8 with a 6.27 ERA but has looked much better since returning from the minors.
The Twins will go with Dean Kremer. The veteran trade pickup was bad with the Orioles, but is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts with the Twins.
Game time is 2:10 Eastern and will be televised locally on NBCSP.
On Sunday, the Detroit Tigers promoted left-handed hitting outfielder Brett Callahan from Triple-A to the major league club. To open a spot on the active roster as well as on the 40-man roster, outfielder Trei Cruz has been designated for assignment.
The 24-year-old Callahan has been a really nice success story even to get to this point. He was the Tigers 13th rounder out of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia back in the 2023 draft. He signed for $197,500 and made his pro debut for Low-A Lakeland late in the 2023 season. Callahan was banged up quite a bit in 2024 and again in 2025, but once he finally got beyond the injury bug, he made rapid progress in the second half of the 2025 season at High-A West Michigan.
Callahan had no helium coming out of a small college as a late round selection, but we identified the natural loft in his swing and pull-hitter tendencies early on, along with solid plate discipline and a good all-around toolkit, and ranked him 36th in the system heading into 2025. After a strong second half last year in West Michigan, he made a little noise in major league camp back in the spring, hitting a pair of pretty majestic home runs. We ranked him 26th in the farm system back in January, and Callahan then proceeded to tear through the Eastern League with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. He hit .268/.374/.504 with 12 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a 133 wRC+ in 265 plate appearances there, with a strikeout rate of 20.8 percent against a walk rate of 12.8 percent. As a result he’s been one of the biggest risers on national prospect lists this year.
Callahan was promoted to Triple-A Toledo along with John Peck in late June. He is an aggressive swinger who, like Hao-Yu Lee, rarely gets cheated at the plate. Callahan will take his walks, but he will still chase out of the zone too much, posting a 34.6 O-swing rate in Toledo. His strikeout rate has spiked up to 25.8 percent with the Mud Hens, and while that wasn’t a surprise, the chase rate will have to improve for Callahan to hang and ultimately thrive in the major leagues. Improving his approach at the Triple-A level was the final key to reaching the Show but he hasn’t had enough time there to work on it yet. Even so, he manages to do damage on mistake pitches even when he’s not running hot, and the Tigers might catch a bit of fire with him in a short first look at the major leagues.
Typically playing right field, but good in either corner, Callahan has enough speed and experience to handle center field, but his plus arm plays more effectively from the corners. He’s capable of stealing some bases as well. Overall it’s a pretty well-rounded profile, but he’ll likely struggle to adapt to the type of sequencing major league hitters can deal out to an aggressive young hitter. There’s still a ceiling here in which Callahan hits like Kerry Carpenter while playing better defense, but he’ll have to adapt to better pitching and put together a more disciplined approach at the plate to get enough pitches he can drive for damage.
This is the first season where Callahan has cleared 300 plate appearances, and those injuries stunted his progress for a while in pro ball. Despite his age, he really hasn’t had a long stretch of uninterrupted reps until this season, and since he’s been healthy he’s moved quickly through the system. We like him, but this is coming really quickly after his promotion to Triple-A Toledo, and he is going to have some struggles adapting to the major league level. That may be somewhat balanced out by the fact that he has a pretty well rounded game and will do some things to help his team win in the field and on the basepaths as well. Either way, the Tigers need some temporary corner outfield help, and Callahan has more to offer at this point than Cruz.
As for Trei Cruz, injuries in his mid-20’s, including Tommy John surgery in 2024, interrupted his development in some crucial years. He bounced back with a really good 2025 campaign that got him added to the 40-man, but wasn’t able to show much in his major league debut. He has really struggled at the Triple-A level after dealing with another injury early in the season. Now 28 years old, there just wasn’t a big breakout coming, but Cruz did become the third generation of his family to reach the major leagues and may eventually find his way to some work as a utilityman somewhere.
It can take years for players to firmly establish themselves in St. Louis Cardinals lore, given their 145-year history.
Joshua Báez did so in one game.
By hitting three home runs in his first three major league at-bats, Báez, 21, provided an unprecedented and unforgettable debut. Though fervent Cardinals fans and prospect hounds certainly anticipated Báez's arrival from Class AAA Memphis, he nonetheless was the club's No. 3 prospect and ranked a consensus top 50 prospect in all the game.
Just where did Báez come from and how did he announce his arrival so definitively? Let's explore:
Wrigley Field was filled with a significant Báez cheering section - an international cadre of supporters - for his Saturday, Aug. 16 debut. Báez was born in Boston, yet his family moved to the Dominican Republic when he was just months old. They eventually returned to the Boston area.
Báez eventually filled out his frame - he's listed at a linebacker-esque 6-3, 220 pounds - and put his raw power and overall athleticism on display as an amateur. Perfect Game ranked him the No. 1 prospect in Massachusetts, the No. 2 outfielder in the USA and No. 7 overall in 2021
He was also a two-way star, topping out at 96 mph on the mound. But it was clear hitting was his future, and he secured a college commitment to Vanderbilt.
But Báez never made it to Nashville. The Cardinals chose him with the 54th overall pick in the draft, right behind Cincinnati Reds All-Star pitcher Andrew Abbott and eight picks before the San Diego Padres chose eventual two-time All-Star slugger James Wood.
He was signed to a $2.25 million bonus, more than sufficient to buy him out of his Vanderbilt commitment.
His first full pro season in 2022 was limited to 32 games, though Báez, then 19, managed to hit four homers and post an .870 OPS in that small sample. He repeated low A in 2023 and finally graduated to high Class A Peoria (Ill.) in 2024, but struck out 114 times in 86 games across the two levels.
Then came the breakout.
Báez needed just 38 games to leave A ball behind in 2025, earning a promotion to Class AA for the final 79 games of the year. And he made the leap deftly, posting his first 20-homer season with a combined .884 OPS. That earned him a ticket to Class AAA to begin his season - and Báez's story picked up steam.
If Báez was surely on the scouting community's radar by now - he was ranked 54th overall by Baseball America, 87th by MLB Pipeline entering this season - his narrative became far widely known thanks to one night in June. Báez's father, passed away on June 16, 2023.
Two months ago, on the third anniversary of his father's death, Báez showed his flair for the dramatic: He hit a career-best four home runs for Class AAA Memphis, a night that brought his mother to tears.
"Today was just really emotional," Báez said, per MILB.com. "I was just trying to push through, and it's just insane I was able to hit four home runs in one night."
Báez's splash debut couldn't have been better synced to the Cardinals' re-tooling program - and their surprise run into contention that's come with it. While the Cardinals have faded from serious wild-card contention, they remain geared toward near-term contention. Their trade deadline deal sending Lars Nootbaar to Arizona opened up at-bats in the outfield, and now left field should belong to Báez.
With Jordan Walker's breakout season finally arriving, the Cardinals potentially have a daunting look in the corner outfield spots in coming years.
Not to get too far ahead of ourselves. Báez will eventually swing and miss at a pitch. His OPS won't be 3.500 forever. Yet the baseball world surely knows his name now. And all signs point to him staying very front of mind in coming years.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Joshua Báez? Cardinals rookie's three-homer debut years in the making
LOS ANGELES — Reggie Smith got his moment in the sun on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, as he was inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball ahead of the Dodgers game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Smith was surrounded by many of his former teammates from his six seasons with the Dodgers, which included pennants in 1977, 1978, and 1981, and a championship in that final trip to the Fall Classic.
“Those are pretty good ball clubs right there,” Smith said in a group interview before the ceremony. “It’s teammates like that that help to push you and inspire you do good things as we did for one another.”
Catcher Steve Yeager was in attendance, and said in a video, “Reggie Smith is a complete winner in any way, shape, or form.”
“There’s nothing he couldn’t do on a baseball field,” said Dusty Baker, who was inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball in 2024. “He had a shotgun arm, he had power, he was a great baserunner, a tremendous defensive player. And above all, probably one of the smartest baseball players that I’ve never been around.”
Eric Karros, who was rising through the Dodgers’ system when Smith was the organization’s minor league coordinator called Smith, “Probably outside of my father, and Tommy [Lasorda], probably the most impactful person for me in my career.”
The 81-year-old Smith was also surrounded by family, and was particularly happy that his 93-year-old brother and 95-year-old sister were in attendance as well.
Before the ceremony recounted his friendship with Dave Roberts, which goes back nearly three decades and includes annual trips to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It began when Smith was the hitting coach for Team USA in the Pan American Games in 1999, and Roberts was a player.
“We connected then and maintained that connection,” Smith said Saturday. “Dave is a good friend, and he’s like a son to me, but he’s also one of our group, we call ourselves The Outlaws.”
Among the highlights of the ceremony was speaker Rick Monday citing examples of Smith being someone the players listened to, and joked that Smith didn’t like being told he hit better left-handed than right-handed.
(Editor’s note: In Smith’s career, the switch-hitter hit .287/.369/.503 batting left-handed, and .288/.359/.455 right-handed. Monday was correct.)
In Smith’s first two full seasons with the Dodgers (1977-78), he finished fourth in National League MVP voting in both years.
“I don’t feel I was overlooked. I had a job to do,” Smith explained Saturday. “It was about trying to bring a world championship to Los Angeles, and played with a great bunch of guys.”
Among that great bunch of guys on hand for Saturday’s ceremony were Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Baker, and Manny Mota, all Legends of Dodger Baseball. Also there were fellow former teammates Yeager, Bill Russell, Ken Landreaux, Jerry Reuss, Charlie Hough, Derrel Thomas, Lee Lacy, Jerry Rotster.
Before the ceremony, Smith stumped for Davey Lopes — who passed away in April — and Russell to also be inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball, so that all four members of the Dodgers famed infield that played together for eight and a half seasons would be together permanently at Dodger Stadium. Smith also ended his speech on the field calling for Lopes and Russell’s induction as well.
If one name raised eyebrows with some fans when the class of 2026 to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was announced, it was Doc Rivers.
His critics focus on his (at times spectacular) failures, but his overall resume earned the call to the Hall. Rivers is fifth all-time in wins by a coach, ahead of Hall of Famers like Phil Jackson, George Karl and Larry Brown. He has a championship ring as a coach, with the 2008 Boston Celtics. Rivers was an NBA head coach for 27 consecutive seasons, starting in Orlando, then moving to Boston, the LA Clippers, Philadelphia and Milwaukee. He has a career regular-season record of 1,191-861 (58%) and has coached in 226 playoff games. That all came after Rivers played more than 10 seasons in the NBA, and he was an All-Star in 1988.
Congrats to Class of 2026 @Hoophall inductee, Doc Rivers! pic.twitter.com/rhyv3duiDN
— NBA (@NBA) August 16, 2026
To be fair, Rivers has had some spectacular playoff flameouts — his teams have blown 3-1 series leads three times — and had some rough exits from a couple of his stops. The voters for the Hall of Fame looked past that, and it was not a discussion for Rivers when he took to the podium Saturday night.
Rivers spoke from the podium in his trademark raspy voice, but said that was what 27 years of NBA coaching will do.
“My voice is already raspy... I want you guys to know a couple quick things. This isn’t my real voice. Coaching stole it from me... I swear I used to have a high voice and use to be able to really sing, can't do that anymore."
— NBA (@NBA) August 16, 2026
Doc Rivers speaks on his 'raspy' voice during his… pic.twitter.com/YSaVgrLMIb
Rivers did talk about winning a championship in 2008 in Boston.
Doc Rivers reflects on coaching Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce and the @celtics’ 2008 NBA championship during his @Hoophall enshrinement speech! pic.twitter.com/vY44KOq9vk
— NBA (@NBA) August 16, 2026
He also talked about coaching his son Austin in Los Angeles.
"If you can be a coach, and coach your players hard, and they know it comes from a loving place, you can be really successful in this business."
— NBA (@NBA) August 16, 2026
Doc Rivers on what he learned from coaching his son, Austin, in the NBA!
Watch the Class of 2026 Enshrinement Ceremony on NBA TV and… pic.twitter.com/93KkrHx99m
NEWS & NOTES
Blue Jackets Ranked Among NHL's Worst Teams By THNCan the Blue Jackets surprise their doubters in 2026-27?The Columbus Blue Jackets have officially been ranked as one of the NHL's worst teams right now, as Proteau gave them the No. 27 spot.
"Columbus needed a big 2026 off-season, and they didn’t get it. That’s why the Blue Jackets are in 27th place in TheHockeyNews.com’s off-season ranking," Proteau wrote.
Zach Werenski Comes In High On NHL Networks 'Top 20 Defensemen Right Now' RankingsThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets">Columbus Blue Jackets'</a> Zach Werenski is really good and has been for years. Sadly, it took years for the rest of the league to take notice, though. In the last two seasons, Werenski has shown that he is arguably the top defenseman, as shown by the Norris Trophy he earned last season.
NHL Network recently released its "Top 20 Defensemen Right Now" list, and to no one's surprise, Zach Werenski is very high on the list.
Werenski comes in at #3 on the list, with only Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes ahead of him.
Blue Jackets Should Consider This UFA Forward For A PTOThis free agent forward would be an interesting player for the Blue Jackets to take a gamble on with a PTO. One player who could make sense for the Blue Jackets to take a chance on with a PTO is forward Michael Bunting.
Blue Jackets Defenseman Dante Fabbro Tabbed As Grand Marshal For 2026 Columbus Italian FestivalColumbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro is of Italian-Canadian descent and has been chosen to be the Grand Marshal of the 2026 Columbus Italian Festival Parade.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro is of Italian-Canadian descent and has been chosen to be the Grand Marshal of the 2026 Columbus Italian Festival Parade.
The parade will be on October 11th at 1 PM. The parade begins at Goodale Park in Victorian Village and will end at the festival grounds in Italian Village.
On This Date: The 5 Overtime ThrillerOn August 11th, 2020, I had been home for almost five months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. My desk setup was in the corner of my little apartment, and next to that was my Television. I was able to turn my chair easily to see the TV, so watching the CBJ game against the Tampa Bay Lightning would be easy. Little did I know, I would spend my lunch break and dinner sitting in that same chair, watching the same game, for six hours.<u></u><u></u>
Happy Birthday To Johnny GaudreauThis is a short and sweet Johnny Gaudreau Appreciation piece on what would be his 33rd birthday.
Happy Birthday to Johnny Gaudreau!
Zach Werenski Addresses The Media In Columbus“Ideally, I’m here for the long term.”“I think my statement is exactly how I feel. I want to win. I want to win here in Columbus, and that’s all I’m focused on.”
Why Valeri Nichushkin Could Be A Big Addition For Blue JacketsThis trade could benefit the Blue Jackets a lot. 
2 Blue Jackets On The Hot Seat This SeasonThese Blue Jackets are entering the season on the hot seat.
OPENING NIGHT COUNTDOWNS
53 Days Until Opening Night: The History Of Jersey #53There are 53 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena, and today we look at the jersey history of #53. There have only been three players who have worn that number for the Jackets.
Josh Anderson - "The Andy Man" wore #53 when he first started playing games in Columbus. Anderson played a total of 267 games for the Blue Jackets, spread over six seasons. He scored 65 goals and totaled 115 points during his time with Columbus.
The 2018-19 season saw Anderson set career highs in goals, assists, and points. Unfortunately for him, he was never able to replicate that in Columbus. The following year, he tore his shoulder in December and had to have season-ending surgery, which wasn't decided until March.
52 Days Until Opening Night: The History of Jersey #52The Columbus Blue Jackets have 52 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #52. Almost every player on this list has a bad reputation of some sort.
Craig Rivet - 2011 - Originally drafted by Montreal in 1992, where he played the first 12 years of his career, he came to the Jackets at the end of his career in 2004. Rivet, who was the captain of the Buffalo Sabres at the time, was waived by Buffalo on February 23, 2011. On February 26, 2011, Rivet was claimed on re-entry waivers by the Jackets, where he played in 14 games and totaled 1 point. After announcing his retirement in October of 2011, he signed with the ECHL's Elmira Jackals. It was later discovered that he signed the contract to obtain his United States permanent residency.
51 Days Until Opening Night: The History Of Jersey #51The Columbus Blue Jackets have 51 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #51. There weren't many who used the number, but at least one had a pretty good career.
Andy Murray - 2007-11 - Murray was drafted in the 8th round of the 2001 NHL draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets as a Center.
After playing four years at Bemidji State University, Murray turned pro and played for the Syracuse Crunch for two seasons before making his NHL Debut during the 2007-08 season. In his rookie year, he played in 39 games and totaled 10 points.
He played three more seasons in Columbus and played in 181 games. He scored 23 goals and totaled 36 points during his time with the CBJ.
50 Days Until Opening Night: The History Of Jersey #50The Columbus Blue Jackets have 50 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #50.
Joakim Lindström - 2006 - Lindström was drafted by Columbus in the 2nd round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Lindström made his North American debut in the last game of the 04-05 season for the Syracuse Crunch, the CBJ's AHL team. In the 05-06 season, he would make his Blue Jackets debut and play in three games. In 2008, after playing just 37 games, Lindström was traded to the Anaheim Ducks.
49 Days Until Opening Night: The History Of Jersey #49The Columbus Blue Jackets have 49 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #49. There weren`t many who used the number, but at least one had a pretty good career.
Dan Fritsche - 2004-08 - The Ohio-born native was picked in the 2003 NHL Draft in the 2nd round.
Fritsche turned pro and became a full-time NHLer in 2005. He played 206 games for the CBJ over four years. He scored 29 goals and totaled 63 points.
48 Days Until Opening Night: The History Of Jersey #48The Columbus Blue Jackets have 48 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #48.
Marc Methot - 2006-12 - Methot was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the 6th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Methot played six years and 275 games for the CBJ, totaling 51 points on the Columbus blue line. He was the definition of a defensive defenseman.
On July 1, 2012, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators for future CBJ Captain Nick Foligno. After the trade to Ottawa, he would play another 349 NHL games.
47 Days Until Opening Night: The History Of Jersey #47The Columbus Blue Jackets have 47 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #47.
Aaron Johnson - 2003-07/2011-12 - Johnson was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the power play. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."
46 Days Until Opening Night: The History Of Jersey #46The Columbus Blue Jackets have 46 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #46.
Tim Jackman - 2003-04 - Jackman was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the 2nd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Jackman made his debut in December of 2003 after spending the previous year and the start of the 2003 season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.
The Atlanta Braves have selected left-handed reliever Ray Kerr to the the big league roster and designated fellow lefty Danny Young for assignment.
For Kerr, this would be his first big league action since 2024 when he underwent “Tommy John” surgery on his pitching elbow. Kerr has been making steady progress in Atlanta’s minor league system as the 31-year-old, who will turn 32 next month, has been working for another opportunity with the major league club.
Kerr has pitched in nine games across four levels this season. Although he’s tossed only 11.2 innings he has struck out 16 batters. He made 10 appearances for the Braves in 2024 – including two starts, oddly enough, prior to falling to injury.
As for Young, this was not a surprising outcome given the lack of success he had in his returns engagement with Atlanta this season. He previously pitched for the Braves in 2022 and 2023. Young, 32, saw action in 16 games this season but has ghastly 8.03 ERA after allowing runs in each of his last four outings including a two-run appearance and two three-run stints, including last night.
Kerr will essentially replace Young as the last lefty in the bullpen. His spot on the roster could be short given AJ Smith-Shawver’s expected recall in the next few days.
An injury in college turned out to be a good break for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders righty relief pitcher Chris Kean.
The 24-year-old from Harlingen, Texas, was a catcher at the University of Louisiana-Monroe in 2023 when he suffered a broken foot that sidelined him for the first six weeks of the Warhawks season. It was during that time when one of his coaches suggested he become a full-time pitcher.
“He sat me down and said, ‘Look at some of these numbers you’ve got on the mound. They’re pretty good. You should really give this a chance,’” Kean said.
In high school and at Ranger College, a Texas JuCo where Kean played before Louisiana-Monroe, he did some pitching. In fact, a coach at Ranger also had suggested Kean switch to pitching.
“I was kind of on board and then I had a couple rough outings and I was like, No, I want to catch. I want to play every day. I want to hit,” Kean said. “So I guess there was a little (resistance) earlier in my amateur career. But I just want to play baseball every day. I just want to go out and play the sport as long as possible and be a big kid for as long as possible.”
So this time, Kean took the suggestion seriously. It seems to have worked out for him.
He was promoted from Double-A Somerset to the Triple-A RailRiders on July 7. He is a combined 2-2 with six holds, two saves and a 4.34 earned-run average in 37 games this season. He has struck out 57 in 47.2 innings and walked only nine.
When Kean switched to pitching at Louisiana-Monroe, he appeared in four games in 2023 and was 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA and seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Then, he suffered an arm injury that cost him the final five weeks of the season. He underwent Tommy John surgery.
Those two injuries caused his draft stock to diminish. But the Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent in July 2023.
“I just had TJ and the Yankees really took a chance on me and gave me an opportunity. I’m very thankful,” Kean said.
“It was a dream come true. It gives me chills just thinking about it. It makes every moment a little more special. Sometimes you can get overlooked and maybe not on the top prospect list, whatever it may be. You just keep your head down, keep on grinding and try to do your best every day.”
Healthy for the 2024 campaign, he appeared in 25 games with the Florida Complex League Yankees and Low-A Tampa Tarpons and was a combined 2-1 with one hold, three saves, a 1.08 ERA, and 44 strikeouts in 33.1 innings. He spent all of 2025 with High-A Hudson Valley and made 33 relief appearances, going 6-2 with five holds, a 3.48 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 41.1 innings.
This season, Kean made 26 appearances out of the bullpen for Somerset and was 1-2 with five holds, two saves, a 3.34 ERA, and 43 strikeouts in 35 innings before being promoted.
There were a lot of adjustments Kean had to make in becoming a pitcher. Being a catcher helped a little bit.
“As a catcher, you’re in the mind of the pitcher a little bit,” he said. “You get on the same page as him and work together.”
Perhaps the biggest change was not playing every day, yet having to be ready when the bullpen phone rings and your number is called.
“As a relief pitcher, I just want to be valuable,” Kean said. “Do the things you need to do to prepare yourself to be there every day and the rest is just modalities that might make you one percent better, but it’s not an absolute needed thing. You never know when you’re going to go in, you never know the situation you’re going into. It’s just making sure you’re prepared on a moment’s notice. Be a minuteman.”
Also, there is the waiting if you have a poor outing.
“As a hitter, you go 0-for-4, you get four ABs the next day. As a pitcher, you might not pitch for three days,” Kean said. “You learn to be patient and learn the hill you’re willing to die on. I want to get beat by my strengths, my pitches and try to limit as many free passes as possible. If I’m doing that, I can live with the outcome.”
Going from Double-A to Triple-A has brought adjustments as well. There is the use of the ABS System and a different ball. The one in Double-A has higher seams, while the Triple-A ball is manufactured to MLB standards with lower seams.
“It’s baseball at the end of the day,” Kean said. “No matter the circumstances, you have to go out there and compete. Try your best no matter what and it is what it is.”
Upon joining the RailRiders, Kean did not allow a run in his first four games. He gave up 10 runs in his next five appearances, but has not yielded a run in his last two outings.
“I’m very blessed to be here,” Kean said. “I’m just trying to take in every moment and learn from each guy. There’s a lot of experience in the clubhouse. I just want to learn from every experience and every opportunity I get.”
Kean wasn’t the only one in his family who made a change. Although he hails from Texas, his father Jeff is originally from Boston and a big Boston sports fan — Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, Patriots (à la Cam Schlittler).
When his son signed with the Yankees, however, Jeff Kean had to switch allegiances.
“I still have family who are Red Sox fans,” Chris Kean said. “They try to give me a hard time. They still put on the (Red Sox) jersey.
“He was very happy, very proud. He made a joke: The Yankees took my son, too. Now obviously he’s a Yankee. He’s all in. I got him all the gear, he wears all the gear. He’s bought in now. I’m glad to change him.”
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Let's end the weekend with some NUKES!
Here are my favorite MLB home run props and predictions for today's schedule, featuring Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, and Munetaka Murakami.
I'll explain why Ohtani is an appealing pick against the Brewers in Los Angeles with my MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 16.
| Player to hit a HR | Odds |
|---|---|
 Kyle Schwarber | +307 |
 Munetaka Murakami | +388 |
 Shohei Ohtani | +262 |
| 💲Today's HR parlay | +3279 |
Just an outstanding price for one of baseball's most feared hitters.
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber finds himself in a great spot against Minnesota Twins starter Dean Kremer, who has been struggling against left-handed hitters as of late. The last 60 lefties he has faced own a .335 xBA, .595 xSLG, and .363 xwOBA, all while generating a 65.9% elevation rate.
Schwarber has been turning it on over his last 10 games, owning a .658 SLG and .369 ISO while producing a 54.2% hard-hit rate and 25% barrel rate.
The Phillies' big fella owns the second-highest matchup rating on the day over at Batters-Box's current-season dataset, where he also covers more than 80% of Kremer's pitch mix.
If you can get this price above +300, back Schwarber to go deep.
The South Side slugger finds himself in a spot that is too hard to pass up, as he draws Detroit Tigers right-hander Drew Anderson.
Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami enters Sunday with an elite rating on Batters-Box, where he covers nearly 100% of Anderson's pitch mix. On top of that, through 50 elite ratings this season, the big fella leaves the yard 32% of the time.
Anderson has struggled against left-handed hitters in his most recent outings, allowing the last 30 he has faced to generate a 13.6% barrel rate and 18.2% elevation rate. During that stretch, those lefties own a .376 xBA, .548 xSLG, and .438 xwOBA.
Murakami, over his last 10 games, sports a .343 ISO, along with a 25% HR/FB, 57.1% hard-hit, and 19.1% barrel rate.
At +388, we are getting a ton of value backing the White Sox All-Star. Take this down to +350.
The second-highest rated hitter on Batters-Box’s default ratings today happens to be Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who records a home run nearly 30% of the time he is rated elite. That is a sample of nearly 340 games dating back over the last three seasons.
Ohtani has posted a .575 SLG, .325 ISO, 62.9% elevation rate, and 14.8% barrel rate over his last 10 games. He draws Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson, who has been struggling against left-handed hitters in his recent outings.
Over the last 60 left-handed hitters he has faced, they own a .308 xBA, .670 xSLG, and .439 xwOBA. Henderson is also allowing a 48.6% hard-hit rate, 11.4% barrel rate, and just a 31.4% ground-ball rate to lefties during that stretch.
With Ohtani covering 100% of Henderson’s pitch mix and generating this much hard contact, a long ball is on the horizon. Take this down to +250.
| Kyle Schwarber | Trade Now +3279 |
| Munetaka Murakami | |
| Shohei Ohtani |
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It’s a been a fun weekend of Orioles baseball. Back-to-back wins over the AL-leading Rays, paired with some helpful outcomes elsewhere in the league, have inched the O’s to within half a game of the final wild card spot in the American League. Another victory today could push them into sole possession of that place.
Here are the other games worth watching today:
Thanks to an extra early start for the O’s today, you should be able to take in most of those other matchups in the afternoon if you so choose. That is the beauty of the “NBC Sunday Leadoff” game. It’s something I’m a fan of, though it does interrupt the typical flow of a baseball Sunday.
Craig Albernaz is deploying yet another different lineup in this one. Jackson Holliday will lead off for the first time this season. His bat has gone a bit cold (.533 OPS in August) recently after a dominant July (.921), but he has still been taking good at bats. Pete Alonso will play, but only DHs the day after suffering cramps in his calf on Saturday night. Gunnar Henderson is up to third in the order after collecting five hits and reaching base six times in the first two games of this series.
Trevor Rogers will hope to bounce back from a tough start in Minnesota, where he gave up two runs on four hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over just four innings last week. Going deep in this one, a day game after an extra innings night game, would be a big boost.
Orioles lineup
LHP Trevor Rogers (7-8, 4.21 ERA)
Rays lineup
RHP Freddy Peralta (5-9, 5.33 ERA)
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Seeking a spark in the lineup after managing just three runs and nine hits in the first two games of their home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Atlanta Braves are switching a few things up in the batting order for Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. ET series finale.
Most notably, the Braves moved Mike Yastrzemski up to fifth in the batting order — as high as he’s been since mid-April — against right-hander Arizona starter Michael Soroka (8-3, 2.92 ERA). Additionally, Dominic Smith will DH and hit seventh and Jim Jarvis (hitting ninth) is back at shortstop after Mauricio Dubón held down the spot on Saturday night.
This will be Soroka’s third career start against the Braves — two of which have come this season. No one has faced him more than eight times (Smith) and no one has more than two hits against him. Dubón and Michael Harris II are each 2-for-3 against Soroka, and Drake Baldwin has the only Braves homer and two of their three RBIs against him.
Overall, current Braves are 10-for-37 (.270) against Soroka with six strikeouts and four walks.
The Diamondbacks also shuffled a few things, with Gabriel Moreno hitting third but getting a DH day with James McCann (eighth) behind the dish. Max Kepler makes his second straight start in left field due to another right-handed opposing starter in Bryce Elder, and Jorge Barrosa will make his first start of the series, hitting ninth and playing center field.
Elder (8-7, 4.03 ERA) has a good track record against the current Diamondbacks roster. Nolan Arenado (3-for-14, .214) is the only Arizona hitter with more than two hits against him.
Overall, the active Diamondbacks are 12-for-60 (.200) against Elder with two doubles, a triple, six RBIs, 14 strikeouts and five walks.