After Aaron Judge went onto the IL, it was anyone’s guess how the Yankees would respond on the field without their captain. So far, the group has rallied, sweeping the Cleveland Guardians on the road and taking two of three against the Blue Jays with some late inning dramatics. Obviously, the team would prefer to have a healthy Judge in the middle of that lineup, but it’s encouraging that an offense that has looked very thin at times without him producing up until he went on the shelf has managed to score five or more runs in five of their last seven games and won six of them.
Now without Trent Grisham for a bit as well, it’s all on the young Yankees to fill the gaps in the outfield. Jasson Domínguez is back and starting alongside Spencer Jones with Cody Bellinger the lone mainstay from the Opening Day outfield, and that core with Ben Rice and Jazz Chisholm Jr. will look to keep doing damage. Will the team’s long-debated outfield prospects bloom after finally getting a chance to start uncontested? Will the team’s bottom of the lineup pull through during this stretch? Can the team even manage to earn some separation from the Rays? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of June 18th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
Think you’ve seen all the postgame Knicks celebrations?
Think again.
A series of exclusive photos obtained by The Post highlight the Knicks celebrating their NBA championship — the franchise’s first in 53 years — at Flyfish Club, the exclusive private members’ club co-founded by Gary Vaynerchuk, David Rodolitz, Chef Josh Capon and Chef Conor Hanlon, located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
A majority of the team made an appearance at the club, including Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, Mohamed Diawara, Kevin McCullar Jr., Trey Jemison III, Dillon Jones, Ariel Hukporti and Jordan Clarkson.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns celebrate their NBA title at Flyfish Club. Justin KauperMiles McBride (r.) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. at Flyfish Club in celebration of the Knicks first NBA title since 1973.The Justin KauperKnicks celebrated their NBA Championship at Flyfish Club on Sunday evening. Justin KauperOG Anunoby, Kevin McCullar Jr, Mohamed Diawara, Miles Deuce McBride, Trey Jemison III, Mikal Bridges, Tyler Kolek pose for a picture at the Knicks’ party at Flyfish Club on Sunday night. Justin Kauper
The homecoming party brought players together with their families, close friends and loved ones for a special night that featured a performance from A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and a champagne toast led by Brunson and his fellow teammates.
Other special guests included Yankees two-time All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Vaynerchuk, who is also a New York Times best-selling author.
A Boogie performs at the Knicks championship party at Flyfish Club on Sunday night. Justin KauperJosh Hart and Gary Vaynerchuk having a glass of wine at the Knicks’ championship party on Sunday night at Flyfish Club. Justin KauperA Boogie raps as part of the Knicks’ championship party. Olav Stubberud
Entrepreneur and Karl-Anthony Towns’ fiancée, Jordyn Woods, also made an appearance at the party.
Woods has been a big part of the Knicks’ incredible playoff run towards their title. The founder of the fashion line “Woods”, she was carrying around her own orange bag that proved to be a good luck charm for the team.
She brought the bag to each game throughout the Knicks’ 13-0 playoff run until the team lost Game 3 of the Finals to the Spurs, yet Woods was not allowed to bring it into the Garden for that game due to rules surrounding President Donald Trump’s attendance.
At the end of the run, Woods’ bag went undefeated.
Brunson’s wife, Ali, was also seen at the exclusive club to celebrate.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordyn Woods smile while at Flyfish Club for the Knicks’ championship party. Justin KauperJordyn Woods, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns seen laughing at Flyfish Club. Olav StubberudJalen Brunson and Ali Marks Brunson pose for a picture at Flyfish Club. Olav StubberudJosh Hart pours a drink at the Knicks’ title party at Flyfish Club on Sunday. Olav Stubberud
She was seen in the immediate aftermath of the championship win, joining in on a big group hug with her husband, Brunson’s parents, Rick and Sandra, and sister Erica.
Once he met his assistant coach and dad for a hug, the emotions started to pour out of Brunson.
“Honestly, it was like a lifetime, honestly, that’s what it felt like. I knew I had to because I knew that face would look crazy on TV,” Brunson said on “Good Morning America” Monday. “I think the best part about it is that these guys have my back night in and night out. Made that moment 10 times more special.”
The partying won’t end on Sunday night.
The Knicks have their championship parade through the Canyon of Heroes set for Thursday, which begins at Battery Park and ends at City Hall.
Jun 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (5) celebrates his solo home run while wearing a welders hood in the dugout against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
In another edition of polls conducted by Bucs Dugout the results are in as fans were asked to vote on who they think the Pittsburgh Pirates’ team MVP would be through the early part of the season. The player that gathered the most votes was the Bucco’s slugging second-baseman, Brandon Lowe, as 67% of those who participated in the poll chose “Bam Bam” as the team’s MVP. The margins were not close as second place vote getter, Braxton Ashcraft, was only chosen by 10% of the fans that voted.
It is undeniable that Lowe has been on a tear in his first season with Pittsburgh. He was already big news when the Pirates traded for him this past offseason, but now that he’s blasting baseballs left, right and center, it may go down as one of the best trades in Pirates’ history. On the season Lowe is slashing .240/.325/.512 with 17 home runs, 46 RBIs and an .837 OPS. The 31-year-old second-baseman is currently tied for the 12th most home runs in baseball.
Ashcraft gathered the second most MVP votes from fans at Bucs Dugout, but there was a large margin between himself and the leader Lowe. Still though Ashcraft has emerged as maybe the best pitcher for the Pirates in 2026. The 26-year-old righty has a 5-3 record with 90 strikeouts and a respectable 3.30 ERA. Ashcraft now looking fully healthy has been very efficient in his outings this season, and could be a potential All-Star for the National League.
Newcomer Ryan O’Hearn and second year Pirate Spencer Horwitz both made up 6% of the fan votes as they have been great sources of offensive consistency for the club. Horwitz has settled into the best option at first base for the Pirates, as his .281 average and nine homers have been bright spots for the team. Even with some injury struggles, O’Hearn too has been one of the best hitters for Pittsburgh as well with his 10 homers, .275 average and veteran leadership all helping this be one of the best teams the Pirates have fielded in a decade.
Brandon Lowe showing off his hops to pick a ball out of the air
Rounding out the list was Paul Skenes who got 5% of all votes for team MVP while Oneil Cruz got 4%. Skenes is undeniably one of the best pitchers in baseball but he is admittedly having a bit of an off year. With that being said an off year for Skenes is still great for the most part. Oneil Cruz has really seemed to turn a corner this season at the plate as he’s already knocked in 14 homers this year. On the base pads Cruz has been very active once again as he’s stolen 21 bags so far. His move to the injured list and defensive shortcomings will hold him back from truly shining as the team’s MVP.
FanDuel Sports Network has their list compiled of the most likely players to lead the league in homers by the end of the regular season. Brandon Lowe currently has the 21st best odds as a +17500 underdog to finish the year with the most home runs in baseball. Lowe also currently sits as a +30000 underdog to win National League MVP.
It’s almost a tradition in the NHL that when a team wins the Stanley Cup, other general managers take notes and try to emulate the latest champions’ recipe. That’s how the Tampa Bay Lightning decided to adapt a more robust style of play after being eliminated twice by the much tougher Florida Panthers two years in a row, for instance. Don’t expect the Montreal Canadiens to do that, though. When Kent Hughes was appointed as the Habs’ GM back in January 2022, he was quite clear: he had a plan, and he was going to stick to it.
The good news, however, is that the Canadiens won’t have to imitate the Canes; there are already many similarities between the two teams. Perhaps the most obvious one is that both teams are led by relatively young coaches who have been in their players’ shoes and were once hard-working, highly successful players. It allows them to be closer to their players and to call them out when the effort level isn’t there. They may not do it publicly, but they are comfortable enough to speak to their players and “tell them their truth,” as Martin St-Louis would say. Although Rod Brind’Amour did it very publicly after the first game of the Eastern Conference against the Habs, calling Jacob Slavin’s game the worst he had ever seen him play.
The second similarity between the two clubs is their sound financial structure. No team has ever won a Stanley Cup with a player earning over $10 million per season. The Panthers won twice with Sergei Bobrovsky, who had a $10M cap hit, but that’s as far as it went. Winning teams have enough money to go around. Their stars don’t break the bank with no regard to how the organization will be able to surround them with the right pieces to win. The Canes’ top earners are Sebastian Aho ($9.75 M) and Nikolaj Ehlers ($8.5 M). The two highest-paid players on the Vegas Golden Knights? Jack Eichel ($13.5 M) and Mitch Marner ($12 M).
In Montreal, Hughes has been very savvy in contract negotiations. He made a big splash with the Noah Dobson trade last season and managed to keep the former New York Islanders’ blueliner’s cap hit at $9.5 M, before managing to sign Lane Hutson to a very team-friendly $8.85 M per season. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky are all signed long-term with cap hits lower than $8 M per season. Mike Matheson ($6 M) and Kaiden Guhle ($5.55 M) also have very reasonable contracts, and as veteran contracts start to expire (Josh Anderson) or be moved (Brendan Gallagher), Hughes will have money to work with to add key pieces to his roster because he has talked his players into leaving money on the table for the greater good.
It will be interesting to see whether Hughes can sell the idea to Ivan Demidov this summer. It sure sounded like the Russian winger was receptive on dressing-room clear-out day when he said he had spoken to Hutson and they both agreed it was important to sign long-term, because Montreal is building a team with the potential to win multiple Cups in the years to come.
The third similarity between the Habs and the Canes is in the way they play. The coaches do not tolerate any passengers, and both want their players to fully commit to playing both sides of the puck. As soon as they lose the puck, the switch in their head goes from attack to defense in a matter of seconds, and they apply an intense forecheck. Of course, Carolina showed that it had mastered that style of play much better than the young Canadiens have, but it takes time, and that’s perfectly normal.
Finally, both teams succeeded in the playoffs because they showed real team effort. Neither first line stole the show; Aho and Andrei Svechnikov had 12 and 11 points, respectively, in 19 games. Suzuki and Caufield had 16 and 13 in the same number of games. In the playoffs, you need all 20 guys pulling together in the same direction; it doesn’t matter whose name is on the scoresheet. What matters are the names that get engraved on the Cup at the end of the playoffs, and on there, there’s no mention of the points they got or the salary they took home; it’s about one single team: a team’s triumph.
The New York Knicks winning their first NBA title since 1973 in five games was bad for sportsbooks.
Key Takeaways
The Knicks turned into a liability for BetMGM as the Finals went along.
Bettors kept backing New York in both futures markets and live betting in games.
Jalen Brunson took home Finals MVP, a small relief for operators.
The good news for operators was that they avoided bettors unloading on the Knicks in a Game 6 or 7. Still, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks captured a massive betting audience, picking up steam throughout their playoff run, attracting betting action in both futures markets and individual games.
The Knicks took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a dramatic Game 4 win and then closed out the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 on the road in Game 5, rewarding bettors.
“Before the NBA Finals began, the sportsbook was cheering for the Knicks because the Spurs were the biggest remaining liability on the futures market,” BetMGM trader Anthony Parenti said. “However, by the time New York took a 2-0 series lead, our liability had flipped. Knicks winning the title ended up making a lot of our customers very happy."
From beginning to end
At the beginning of the playoffs, BetMGM had taken more money on the Spurs (+450) to win the NBA title than Oklahoma City, the favorite in 2025-2026.
New York was at +2,200 to win the NBA championship at BetMGM during the first round of the playoffs.
The Knicks even began the best-of-seven series as +170 underdogs, with the Spurs at -210. After New York took a 2-0 lead, the odds shifted to Knicks -140, and by the time they were up 3-1, the Knickerbockers (-550) had 77% of the bets and 53% of the handle.
Massive wagering
A Knicks team that struggled to compete at times over the last two decades became a major driver of betting activity. DraftKings reported last week that Game 4 was the most-bet NBA contest in the operator’s history. BetMGM experienced an average 28.6% year-over-year increase in money wagered on each Finals game.
Had the series lasted longer, it might’ve done more damage to sportsbooks, but it would’ve produced incredible handles, especially in a Game 7, because of the hysteria surrounding the Knicks.
“The Knicks and the public are locked in on each other,” DraftKings Sportsbook director Johnny Avello told Covers last week.
New York also did a number on sportsbooks through live betting, as the darling trailed by double digits in every game, allowing bettors to pound even better underdog odds. The Knicks were down 29 before the incredible rally in Game 4, and they came back from 16 in the first half in Game 5.
Other Finals betting notes
The Knicks won Game 5 as 5.5-point underdogs. They were getting 67% of the spread bets and 77% of the handle. More than 50% of the moneyline handle was also backing New York at +165 to win outright and close out the series.
A BetMGM bettor cashed a $20,000 ticket at +2,200 on the Knicks, returning a $440,000 payout.
Brunson took home an NBA title and series MVP on Saturday night. He was a -110 favorite by the end of New York’s run to win the individual award at BetMGM, getting 22% of the tickets and 60% of the market’s handle.
However, teammate OG Anunoby was a bigger liability at BetMGM, with his odds getting as high as +50,000 to start the playoffs and shortening to +200 by Game 5.
With the first overall pick of the 2026 NHL draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have no choice but to take the best player available, which is also the method that GM John Chayka will be using going into the draft.
With left winger Gavin McKenna sitting at the top of several rankings and mock drafts, and not far behind him is left winger Ivar Stenberg, chances are the Maple Leafs are taking a forward with the first pick of the draft.
However, with their 60th pick, coming in the second round, there is an opportunity to still select a great defenseman. That's something the organization lacked for many years.
Liske, 18, is coming off his second full season in the WHL for the Everett Silvertips. He's become an important D-man for the Silvertips, often paired with projected 2027 first overall pick Landon DuPont on the back end.
The right-handed shot blueliner played 52 regular-season games for Everett, scoring seven goals and 24 points. Liske also registered a respectable plus-36 in the campaign, finishing sixth on the Silvertips in that category.
His production and performance in the regular season were fairly standard, but instrumental for the Silvertips to finish atop the standings. However, Liske was a different animal when it came to the WHL post-season.
The Beausejour, Man., native was a star for Everett in the playoffs, recording four goals and 17 points in 18 games en route to a WHL championship. Liske finished fifth in team scoring for the post-season, but another impressive stat is that the D-man completed the playoff campaign with the greatest plus-minus rating in the league at a plus-25.
While he wasn't exactly the superstar of the Silvertips, he was still a key contributor in an important role alongside DuPont. His role on Everett is similar to a Brent Seabrook next to a Duncan Keith - he's not the flashiest, but as a two-way defenseman, he gets the job done in pretty much all situations.
Liske didn't generate a point in five games at the Memorial Cup, earning a plus-three at the tournament. But he showed a sign of growth and promise in Everett's WHL playoff campaign.
Before this past year, Liske had his rookie season with the Silvertips, putting up two goals and 11 points in 66 appearances. That was followed by a one-point playoff campaign across 13 post-season contests.
Before that, in 2023-24, he played for Northern Alberta Xtreme at the U-18 level in the CSSHL. He scored 11 goals and 32 points in 27 outings. Following that campaign, he joined the Silvertips, who drafted him 10th overall in the 2023 draft, and played six games split evenly between regular season and playoffs. He didn't score in that post-season, but put up a goal and an assist in his three appearances of the regular season.
NHL Central Scouting has listed Liske 44th among North American skaters and the 12th-best defenseman of that same ranking. Central Scouting recorded the youngster at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds.
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The New York Knicks’ 16-3 run to the NBA Championship was impressive.
Just not impressive enough to sway the NBA Championship odds at prediction markets like Kalshi to believe anyone other than the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder can win the 2027 title.
Those two Western Conference powers have a combined 55% shot to claim the NBA title next season (Thunder 28%, Spurs 27%), which means solid returns for the other 28 teams.
The entire NBA offseason is in front of us, with trades, free agency, and the NBA Draft on deck. Before the summer circus starts, here are my three favorite NBA picks to make right now.
🏆2026-27 NBA Championship predictions
Team
Odds
Miami Heat
3%
+3233
Indiana Pacers
4%
+2400
Houston Rockets
3%
+3233
Odds courtesy of Kalshi as of 3:15 p.m. ET on 6-15.
📈2026-27 NBA Championship odds
Miami Heat (3¢ at Kalshi)
The Heat are at the center of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, with the Bucks star preferring to land in South Beach. An investment now gets you out ahead of the market moves.
Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jacquez Jr., and draft picks are the reported return for the Bucks, but recent rumblings say they’re asking for more. That could draw a third team into the mix to help satisfy Milwaukee’s needs.
Adding Giannis alongside Bam Adebayo gives Miami the most potent frontcourt tandem in the NBA. The Heat will likely retain Andrew Wiggins and have promising young guards in Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson, along with mastermind coach Erik Spoelstra.
A trade for Antetokounmpo could also entice free agents to sign with Miami — if the sun, fun, and no income tax weren’t enough.
As the Knicks showed, the path through the East is far easier, and the Miami Heat odds will spike if and when the Giannis deal gets done.
Indiana Pacers (4¢ at Kalshi)
It would only be fitting that the Indiana Pacers take their place as the Knicks’ biggest rivals in the Eastern Conference.
Let’s not forget, Indiana was a Tyrese Halliburton Achilles tear away from knocking off OKC in the 2025 NBA Finals. The Pacers didn’t rush their star back in 2026, playing out what was a throw-away season.
Indiana swapped the would-be No. 5 pick for center Ivica Zubac, who gives the Pacers the interior toughness needed to compete against the likes of San Antonio and OKC.
The rest of the roster is pretty much intact, returning the depth that was the Pacers’ calling card in 2025. A free agent signing at forward (like veteran Khris Middleton) would bolster the frontcourt and have the Pacers back in the title hunt in 2026.
The Houston Rockets’ early playoff exit and combined 4-10 record against the West’s Top 4 teams have soured most, plunging Houston to seventh in the projected conference pecking order.
This slide seems severe considering the Rockets finished sixth in net rating last year, behind five of the Top 6 favorites to win the 2027 NBA title.
This roster is sound and should return veteran pieces that were injured last year. Kevin Durant is still an All-NBA talent and has quality players around him, with Tari Eason (RFA), Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Reed Shepard all stepping up.
Houston also has a lot of future draft capital to flex, should it want to chase a big-name trade between now and the 2027 deadline. If the Rockets hold their own among the best in the West come February, GM Rafael Stone might make a move to bring in a second superstar.
I see a lot of wiggle room in the Western Conference, at least below the Spurs and Thunder. The Lakers may not have LeBron James back, Denver’s window is closing, the L.A. Clippers are caught in the Kawhi drama, and Minnesota could look very different — good or bad.
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.
Logan Stankoven was 7 years old and Jackson Blake on the verge of his seventh birthday when Taylor Hall was the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NHL draft.
Fast-forward more than a decade and a half later, and the “Kids and the Hall” line was a huge reason the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup.
“Great all playoffs, all year,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Their game really hasn’t changed for months.”
Offsetting power-play struggles through the first three rounds and sagging production from the top line of Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov for much of the playoffs, Hall, Stankoven and Blake combined for 29 of the Hurricanes’ 66 goals during their title run.
That included the two scored on Carter Hart in Game 6 against Vegas to close out the final.
“Those two just work so hard,” Blake said. “They make it a whole lot easier on me to play out there, for sure. They were unbelievable all playoffs long, and it was so fun and to cap it off with this is very special.”
Hall had what will go down as the Game 6 winner, completing at 18 seasons the longest stretch between getting picked first and winning the Cup. The 34-year-old winger who was NHL MVP in 2017-18 while playing for New Jersey thrived as a role player with Carolina, his seventh team in the league.
“You never know what kind of turn your life’s going to take,” said Hall, who joined Carolina from Chicago as part of a three-team trade in January 2025 and signed an extension a few months later. “I got fortunate coming here. A special group to do it with. They allowed me, personally, just to come in and have success and that says a lot.”
In that same deal, the Hurricanes got big winger Mikko Rantanen from Colorado. He lasted just 13 games with them before getting flipped to Dallas.
The centerpiece of that return was Stankoven, who was most of the way through his first season with the Stars.
“I didn’t see it coming,” Stankoven said. “It was tough at first just to kind of swallow it and realize that I was getting shipped out.”
Stankoven became the center Carolina needed and led the team in playoff goals with 11. Blake assisted on Hall’s goal and scored the second one in Game 6, showing up big as the youngest player to lift the Cup this time.
“I have no words right now,” the 22-year-old Blake said. “I’m out of breath. But this is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in my life. It’s unbelievable. And to do it with these guys, my family here and everyone here supporting us, it’s unbelievable.”
It all worked because Stankoven was able to fill the void in the middle that had prevented the Hurricanes from getting over the hump.
Hall became the muscle. Blake was the distributor. Stankoven turned out to be the finisher, while also creating the offense at even strength.
“It’s what you dream of as a kid is to obviously, one, win a Stanley Cup, but you want to be a difference-maker in the NHL,” the 23-year-old Stankoven said. “I know that I’m not a finished product. I still have work to put in, and I’m still a young guy. I just want to keep working at my game and just being a sponge.”
While the Stars are more than happy to have Rantanen in his prime, Stankoven made the best of the move 15 months ago. Last summer, he signed a $48 million contract through 2034 and already looks to be worth every penny.
“Everything kind of happens for a reason,” Stankoven said. “Dallas got their player, and I just want to become the best version of myself here in Carolina.”
Aug 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) pumps his fist as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Following a couple of series away from home against the Pirates and White Sox, the Dodgers return home to face yet another team with a record above their initial expectations—a Rays team battling neck and neck with the Yankees for the AL East lead. Right at the center of this phenomenal campaign of the Rays lies the stabilizing work of veteran right-hander Nick Martínez alongside Drew Rasmussen at the top of the rotation. While Martinez’s terrific numbers in 2026 come as a surprise given his recent track record, specifically for Dodger fans, it is no new thing to see him perform well.
When Martinez takes the mound for the 41-27 Rays against the Dodgers, he’ll put on the line the finest numbers of his career against any big league club. Martínez has a 2.50 ERA in 36 innings against the Dodgers across three starts and another 10 appearances out of the bullpen. Mookie Betts, for instance, the Dodgers’ player with the most at-bats against Martínez, has a near .200 average in 29 at-bats against him.
As a team, the Dodgers didn’t get out of Chicago with a lot of positives, but one of them was seeing Betts’ bat coming alive, with the shortstop piling on five hits in the last two games, including a homer. Betts now carries this spark into a tough challenge facing a pitcher he has routinely struggled against.
Once a week these days, it seems, Jose Caballero annoys an opponent so much a baseball game stops because of it. Last week, it was Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey. This week, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider and young pitcher Spencer Miles.
Sometimes, the games stop for a few seconds as pitchers grapple with his unique approach to the limits of the pitch clock. Sunday, the game stopped for nine minutes as Caballero argued with home plate umpire Steven Jaschinski after Jaschinski stopped play with nine seconds left on the pitch clock to scold Caballero when, by rule, the Yankees’ sparkplug need not be set until eight.
“There’s a lot of major league players in this league,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters in Toronto after the game, frustrated with the delay that ensued as Caballero argued his innocence.
“There seems to be one guy that has an issue with it. It sucks that a pitcher like Spencer Miles has to sit out there for as long as he did. Seems like it could have been handled a lot quicker and a lot more efficiently than it was. But, again, that’s not why we lost, but it’s Major League Baseball, everyone knows the rules.”
Funnily enough, that one guy with an issue might know the rules better than anyone. And he does not shy away from his willingness to use them to his advantage.
The plan, familiar to many by now, is this: Caballero must be set and looking at the pitcher with eight seconds left on the pitch clock to avoid a violation. So as the pitcher readies himself with 15 or 12 or even 10 seconds left, Caballero will step in to the batter’s box, tap his bat, and look set. But he will not look up until the clock hits eight seconds, forcing the pitcher to wait until he does.
“My thing is, I don’t want the pitcher to take control of the at-bat,” Caballero said, while kneeling gleefully, arms hanging over the back of his chair in the Yankees clubhouse.
“So if I am ready right when the clock starts, he has 17, 18 seconds to work with it, and I don’t want to be stuck in there thinking about oh, what’s he gonna throw? He might be shaking his head seven times and then I’m in there just thinking and I get tired of having my bat ready. I don’t want that.”
Caballero was in the Tampa Bay Rays organization when the pitch clock was tested in the minor leagues, so he says he has been honing this strategy since 2019. The clock didn’t hit the big leagues until 2023, so he thinks he has an advantage over veterans who did not grow up playing with it. He says the idea to delay as long as possible was his, and he is not surprised more players do not try it.
“It’s not always an advantage to do it. Sometimes there is more bad than good that you can get out of it – that’s why I’m always involved in all of these bad things,” Caballero said with a smile, referencing his early June disagreement with the Guardians over his approach.
Jun 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“[Those disagreements] do bother me because it’s the rules. You’re supposed to call the rule,” he said. “Why do I have to stop my at-bat to let you know about the rule you’re supposed to be knowing? If I’m running, and you as a pitcher balk, why would I have to tell the umpire to call it? You know he’s making a mistake. Call the mistake. Simple as that.”
Caballero said every time the game stops because of his late set-up, the argument is “something different.”
Last week against the Guardians, for example, he said umpires told him he looked up once before looking down again, which Caballero disputed, and that Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey said he was waiting to look up until the last minute on purpose. Sunday, John Schneider said he took issue with how long Caballero argued with umpires about the situation.
In both cases – as in every case – Cabellero said he does not understand why anyone is still surprised by his strategy.
“The rules are the rules, and I have my time to do so, and I always do it. It doesn’t matter what inning, it doesn’t matter what count. It’s not like I’m trying to mess you up. You already know,” Caballero said. “I’m pretty sure every team has a meeting before facing us about it. You already know! All you have to do is wait until seven seconds and come set. It’s that simple. If you want to make it a scene, I’m going to look like the bad guy, but the rule is the same for everyone.”
Caballero, 29, probably draws more angst in part because his reputation as someone who tries to distract opponents precedes him. His manager, Aaron Boone, once referred to Caballero’s on-field agitating as “Woody Woodpecker stuff.”
“The instigator,” Boone said.
The Yankees have not had many instigators in Boone’s tenure – or perhaps, more accurately, in Aaron Judge’s reign. Judge towers over a notoriously buttoned-up clubhouse, one known for a business-like approach punctuated only by Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s fearless candor in recent years. When asked about how his willingness to push opponents’ buttons plays with his teammates in a clubhouse full of rule-followers, Caballero interrupted.
“I’m following the rules! It’s just a different way to follow the rules,” he said, smiling and twisting his chair side to side like an energetic kid who could not wait for class to end.
“It’s not that I want to get in trouble But for me, it’s a battle. If I can make you think about something else, I’m winning the battle right there,” he said. “I’m trying to get on base, no matter how, so if that bothers you, I couldn’t be more happy.”
Jun 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates with right fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37, left) and two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17, right) after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The first unveiling of the first round of fan voting for the All-Star Game showcases the popularity of the Dodgers, as two-time defending champions. Four Dodgers have the most votes at their position, and three others are in line to advance to the second round of voting.
Shohei Ohtani leads all MLB players with 1,165,133 votes thus far, while Freddie Freeman leads all National League first basemen, Max Muncy leads at third base, and Andy Pages leads all NL outfielders.
NL designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani 1,165,133
Kyle Schwarber 820,009
Dominic Smith 371,508
Ohtani has been voted by fans to start at designated hitter in each of the last five seasons, including in both 2024 and 2025 with the Dodgers.
NL first basemen
Freddie Freeman 870,606
Matt Olson 802,848
Bryce Harper 651,792
Freeman has played in the last seven All-Star Games with five starts, including in 2023 and 2025 for Los Angeles. After a slow start this season, Freeman has been hot the last four weeks and is now hitting .275/.365/.473 with a 133 wRC+.
NL third basemen
Max Muncy 941,218
Alec Bohm 386,425
Nolan Alrenado 363,091
Austin Riley 353,394
Muncy leads all National League third basemen in home runs (16), runs scored (46), on-base percentage (.371), slugging percentage (.532), OPS (.903), wRC+ (151), Outs Above Average (+5), and FanGraphs WAR (2.9)
Pages is tied with Walker for most RBI (56) among NL outfielders and is fifth among NL outfielders with 2.4 fWAR (2.4), hitting .273/.319/.498 with 124 wRC+ with 13 Defensive Runs Saved.
In addition to Teoscar Hernández, who is expected to miss a month with a hamstring strain, both Will Smith and Mookie Betts are in line to at least advance to the second round of voting despite slow starts to their seasons.
NL catcher
Drake Baldwin 972,813
Will Smith 682,883
J.T. Realmuto 446,915
Smith has been an All-Star in each of the last three seasons, starting in 2025. This year he’s hitting 249/.338/.382 with six home runs and a 105 wRC+. He’s currently on the injured list with neck inflammation.
NL shortstop
CJ Abrams 579,796
Mookie Betts 567,566
Elly De La Cruz 473,485
Trea Turner 414,652
Betts hasn’t hit much at all this season, and missed five weeks with an oblique strain. He’s also one of the games biggest stars and a surefire future Hall of Famer who’s an eight-time All-Star, so it’s not all that surprising that he’s among the top at the position in fan voting.
The first round of fan voting runs through 9 a.m. PT on Thursday, June 25, with the top two at each position plus the top six outfielders advancing to the second phase of voting. The player with the most first-round votes in each league automatically is named a starter at their position, without needing the second phase of voting. Ohtani was the top NL vote-getter last year, for instance.
Phoenix Suns all-time leading scorer Devin Booker is one of the greatest Suns players, if not the greatest player, in the history of the organization. That statement is factually true and cannot be argued against with any real weight.
In his 11 seasons with the franchise, Booker has taken the Suns as close to the pinnacle of the sport as they have been after going up 2-0 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals. He is an Olympic gold medalist, a first-team All-NBA selection in 2021-22, has five All-Star appearances, and has a career average of 24.6 points per game.
All incredible accomplishments for someone who has given everything he has to the Valley. But looking forward to the future is not as bright as we hoped it would be after his historic playoff runs in 2021 and 2023.
The question that has been asked the last two seasons: Is Devin Booker washed? Declining? Whatever descriptive term you want, and how extreme you take it, there is no arguing that he has not had the same explosive scoring seasons over the last two seasons as he had in the 2021 to 2024 seasons. Over those three seasons, Booker averaged 27.2 points per game, and in the 2024 to 2026 seasons, he has averaged 25.9 points per game.
Now let’s pause for a second. Those are still remarkably great numbers, and Booker is absolutely one of the best players in the game today. But he has not played to the level of an All-NBA, top 10 player in basketball over the last two seasons, as we Suns fans (biased as we may be) thought he was at for the first half of this decade.
It’s not just his scoring that has gone down; his field goal percentage has declined from 49% in the 2023 and 2024 seasons to an average of 45.9% in the 2025 and 2026 seasons. His three-point shooting has dropped from well above 35% to 33% over the last two seasons. Even his percentage of points scored in the midrange has dropped to just 17%, which is his lowest season since 2019-20.
Statistically, Booker has regressed, and unfortunately, the eye test over the last two seasons tells us the same thing. He looks a little slower and does not appear to have the same ability to separate from defenders as he did during his peak seasons with the Suns.
Booker’s role has also changed from those seasons, too. In the last three seasons, Booker has been the primary ball-handler and distributor on offense. Before that, he had Chris Paul to share the load with him, but in the last two or three seasons, it has been Booker in full control of the ship.
So can Booker get back to his first-team All-NBA, fourth-place MVP-voting season self again?
The short answer is yes, and it comes down to two things: get Booker in position to be the savant scorer he is, not the full-time table setter, and Booker has to become a better three-point shooter.
The first thing the Suns have to do is find, or develop, another ball-dominant creator who can help Booker shoulder the offensive load so Booker does not have to run every ball screen and face double teams every possession. Booker is consistently seeing defenses designed to take him away, and let anyone else on the Suns go crazy.
Think back to last season. Booker faced double teams and heavy gap defenses designed to shut off his ability to score. Meanwhile, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green usually could isolate in their spots without facing the same tilted defense.
The one-on-one midpost isolations that Brooks got last season used to be Booker’s when the Suns had another threat like Chris Paul or Kevin Durant (before things went south). Maybe Jalen Green can eventually develop into that kind of player where Booker doesn’t need to orchestrate every possession, but that seems lofty. And if it does happen, it will take more than one season for Green to get there. As far as Dillon Brooks’ development goes, what we got last year is what we’re going to get going forward: a black hole that thinks score, score, score when he has the ball.
So if the Suns are willing to trade up in the draft or wheel and deal this offseason, finding a big wing that can rebound and shoot the ball is obviously a priority, but finding someone who can make Booker better has to be No. 2 on the list. Booker made everyone else around him better this season, the part we forget about when talking about his decreasing numbers and worse end-of-game execution. Hopefully, the Suns can find players this offseason who can help Booker be better and not just benefit from his greatness.
Organizationally, the Suns can try to surround Booker with players who can help him get free. But the other part of this conundrum is that Booker also needs to get better as well. The thing that Booker can directly control is how well he shoots from the three-point line. It is no coincidence that his best three-point shooting seasons were also his best scoring seasons as a professional. He shot a career high at over 38% from 3 the year he finished fourth in MVP voting. Is that a coincidence? I would argue it’s not.
The ability to shoot threes, especially off the dribble, creates a different dynamic that Booker has been unable to tap into the last two seasons, only shooting 33% from long range. Becoming an above-average three-point shooter will help Booker slow the ferocity of Father Time because it will make it harder for defenses to stop his ability to get to the basket and get to his patented midrange jumper if they are less willing to give up a three-point shot. Even if it’s less often than it was in the 2021-22 season, the Suns have to utilize Booker off the ball more and get him more open three-point shots to accentuate his shooting ability. Whether that is Oso Ighodaro, Collin Gillespie, or someone else in charge of running the offense, Booker has to get easier looks than he got this season, and getting him off the ball will do just that.
Combining a consistent three-point shot with Booker’s savant scoring package in the midrange, on top of his improved free-throw drawing tendencies this past season, Booker can get back to being in the conversation of a Top 10 player in basketball again. That is a conversation he hasn’t sniffed in two seasons, and it’s also not the only thing he can do to get back to it, but it looks like it could be his simplest way back unless he becomes far more explosive magically this offseason. Outside of a ginormous franchise-altering trade that brings in another superstar to Phoenix, the most crucial thing for the Suns to improve in the next couple of seasons to truly get back into deep playoff contention is for Booker to get back to his apex.
Building around the Devin Booker we’ve seen the last two seasons is futile if he is not actually good enough to take us back up the mountain anymore.
This week, we were joined by ScoopswithDannyMac.com reporter Andy Carroll and AAA Memphis Play-By-Play man Alex Coil to talk about all things Memphis and Springfield! Many names were discussed this week, including Josh Baez, Leo Bernal, Jimmy Crooks, Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cintje, Chase Davis, Rainiel Rodriguez, and MORE!
During the survey, several of you indicated you really enjoy the episodes centered around the minor leagues, and we will certainly continue to center content around that! Next week is our Father’s Day special, when I will be joined by AA RHP Ryan Murphy, who we had on back in January, and his father, to talk about the role of a father in both amateur and pro sports!
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Transcript:
Alex Coil (00:00) When he’s out there throwing and being a jock and just dominating you, like he he he gets into a flow, he works quickly, and all of his stuff works. It it it it f fires in there, it feels like it’s ⁓ a turbo mode out of his hand and and he dominates people and that’s what he’s shown over his last three or four starts.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (00:26) Welcome to the Viva El Birdos podcast. As always, I am your host, Jake Wood, and I am joined this week by fellow writer Gabe Simonds Today, ⁓ we are talking all things minor leagues with writer for scoops with dannymac.com, Andy Carroll, and triple A Memphis play-by-playman Alex Coil
So tonight I wanted to go ahead and start off with Alex. ⁓ the life of a triple A manager can be a cruel one because once a guy is, you know, ready and producing, he’s whisked up to the big leagues. So with both Jimmy Crooks and Blaze Jordan now in the show, is manager Ben Johnson’s star outfield Josh Baez the next in line?
You’re muted, Alex.
Alex Coil (01:09) Yeah, it helps to to know technology. But ⁓ ha hot start, stay hot. But it like look, he he’s definitely the one that
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (01:11) Great start. We’re we’re off and rolling.
Ha ha ha ha.
Alex Coil (01:18) that i is i is showing the highest ceiling at the moment, that’s for sure. I I think ⁓ you know, one thing that I’ve I’ve mentioned with a with a number of guys, especially Jimmy Crooks, ⁓ you’d like to see a little bit more consistency out of Joshua Baez, some of the that swing and miss can can come and go and and play a big factor, a lot of multi strikeout games. It’s always gonna be there for him. It’s always gonna be there for for most power guys. But ⁓ man, when he when he gets a hold of one, it’s fun to watch, that’s for sure.
Gabe (01:46) Alex, I’m Alex, I I gotta wonder, because a lot of people have been wondering about Blaze Jordan’s defense at third base, in your opinion, what does that what can we expect ⁓ longer term? He’s looked decent so far, but it’s been two games.
Andy Carroll (01:46) Yeah.
Alex Coil (02:01) Yeah, well obviously small sample size up at the big league level. I I can say a couple of things. Number one, like he takes a ton of pride in in defensive progression, a lot more than than people may ⁓ even think about. Like the amount of he works defensively, i you know, not as much as anybody does at the plate, but but he he puts in a lot of work there, takes pride in it. and look
Before his last start at third base at Triple A, he didn’t have an error all season at at the third base bag. He had more starts there by almost double digits at at third than he did at first this year and again had had no errors. The only two errors that he had in that last start were a hundred and five mile an hour line drive that he got a glove on, and then one where he threw it just slightly high for Leo Bernal and hit off of of Leo’s glove. And so both errors were charged to him.
⁓ obviously it’s a big step up to play third base at the Major League level. It’s a premium defensive position, especially with the barometer lately in the last five, seven years in the Cardinals organization of who was playing third base there. ⁓ are those shoes going to be filled? No. But Blaze Jordan is gonna put in the work to be a serviceable third baseman. I don’t think he’s going to be a hole there. ⁓ and I think, you know, part of
You saw a a two, three week span where Blaze didn’t play a lot of third base. Part of it may have been, okay, they wanted to see him more at first base and and so th there were some headlines out there, they’re moving him off third base. They don’t see him playable. But when you look at that, it was almost exact moment that Jimmy Crooks got called up to the big leagues. That means and of course Jimmy and Leo Bernal were starting the season ⁓ splitting catching reps and Leo would get some time at first base, which was a newer position for him.
At least playing consistently. So when Jimmy goes up to the big league level, especially before Pozo comes down and is able to report, Leo has to take over everyday catching duties, which creates a hole at first base, and Blaze had to had to play a lot of those innings. So I think that it was a little bit of both there, but he certainly put a lot of work, got the trust of of the front office and and everybody that in the developmental ranks that that obviously gave the approval to go play third base at the big league level.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (04:21) Wanted to throw it over to our friend Andy. Andy, good evening to you. When you look at Springfield, you know, the rotation arms what really get your attention between Liam Doyle and Jurrangelo Cintje You know, how are those guys performing and progressing at Springfield? And do you think maybe our good friend Alex could be in line to see them in the near distant future? Not too distant future, I should say.
Andy Carroll (04:42) Yeah, well real quick before I that first thanks for having me, Jake. And you know, if we do need a pinch third baseman, there was a guy named Jordan Walker who played a whole bunch of third base down here. So we can just, you know, move him right back over to where they were developing him as the third baseman of the future.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (04:52) No, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no. Don’t even start that. No, no, we don’t endorse that here. No, no, no. Anyway, about Liam Doyle and Jurrangelo Cintje
Andy Carroll (04:59) No, we do not.
Yeah, so you know, Li Liam is a guy that ⁓ you know, obviously arrived in Springfield late last year, ⁓ got a got a quick look in the fall, and then, you know, came in this season, you know, highly touted, number one prospect in the organization. ⁓ and you’re seeing flashes of obviously, you know, what you A A, he’s an ultra competitor. and as a personality, you know, it’s it’s been fun to get to know him ’cause he just does come out like
He just came out of a Boston area bar fight, you know, as as a as a guy when he comes out to talk to you. So he’s he’s a he’s the type of person on the mound that I think ⁓ you know, the Cardinals are attracted to that personality. And they, you know, speaking to Patrick Anderson about him, they’re like, we really want to embrace who he is, how he pitches. and so, you know, part of his player plan and the way that they’re working with him is to, you know, obviously help him develop a lot of those secondary pitches and then find out how he can be effective in the zone. Those are the two areas where he’s spending a lot of time.
And I spoke to him, you know, sp for the longest interview I had with him was early in the season. And he was really, you know, he was making an impression that ⁓ a lot of the pitches that he was throwing were with a purpose. So he’s like, I threw my sweeper a ton last night, right? And if he were in the SEC trying to get an out, you know, at Tennessee, you know, he’s probably going back to his fastball. But he’s trying to do what the organization is helping him develop those secondary pitches. He likes his curveball, his sweeper he’s not comfortable with yet.
But even as fastball, he hasn’t been able to command the way that you really, you know, need to at this level to succeed consistently. So he had a great month of May. He was holding batters to under a 200 batting average. ⁓ you know, but continuing to he’s his I think he’s about 19 pitches per inning, which is a little higher than what you’d like to see. He’s not very efficient. So, you know, the with with with better command, that efficiency will come. His stuff will play. So I think the Cardinals, you know, I don’t think you’ll
If you do see him in Memphis this year, it would be late in the season and after he really continues to p starts to starts to put together more consistent outings in Springfield. Cintje is a lot of fun to watch, man. Like that guy, Jurrangelo is is he’s he’s a interesting personality, speaks a bunch of different languages. I mean, just a very smart guy. Like he’s as you get to know him when you do see him, Alex, like he’s he he’s a very interesting person to talk to and to get to know. But also a guy who can pitch with both arms and has at Springfield this year.
I know going into the season, you know, there was the sense that they were gonna make him throw right-handed only, exclusively. ⁓ and and he’s he’s pitched picked his spots to use his you know, to to switch that glove and and go left-handed. But he did about a week or two ago strike out the same guy in a game once right-handed and then once left-handed. So you don’t see that very often. It’s been a lot of fun to watch him pitch. And I do think, you know, it’s it wouldn’t surprise me if he were called up before Liam Doyle. I think they’re they’re working on Liam. I mean, Liam’s the higher
you know, ceiling prospect, but I think you’ll see Jurrangelo probably get to Memphis first.
Gabe (07:52) So, Alex, the the Cardinals fan base is clamoring for bullpen reinforcements from Memphis, and I’m curious, do you think Luis Gastelum Max Rajcic maybe Brycen Mautz well probably not Brycen Mautz ’cause they want to keep him starting, but do you think there are people in the Memphis bullpen right now that they would feel comfortable promoting, say, in a week?
Alex Coil (08:11) Max Rajcic definitely had the the start of the season that would make that case next up. ⁓
i but you know, he’s gone through a little bit of a slump over those last two weeks. Of course he was named Cardinals Minor League pitcher of the month for for May, led the team in E R A and even qualified as a as a reliever to do so, just ’cause he he he used got used so much and and went multiple innings and was able to nail down five saves so far. On Luis’s side, I mean that guy’s change up is is unbelievable. ⁓ you know he’s
I I forget off the top of my head the the exact name of the reliever for the the Mariners ⁓ on the back end. but he trains with him in the off season and ⁓ like his ability to adapt and learn the pitch from from ⁓ guys at the major league level have made him that much more effective. It’s one of the best change ups a at the triple A level that we’ve seen in in a while since I’ve been here in Memphis and ⁓ you know, needs to to get a little bit more on the fastball, not necessarily more velocity or or anything, but sometimes
it’s a little fat and ⁓ g gets hit hard at times. but look, he he’s pretty dang gross when he is able to get to that change up and and works off of it quite a bit.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (09:25) You know, since Jimmy Crooks was elevated to Saint Louis Alex, I’ll keep it going with you. You know, it seems like Leo Bernal has really taken his game to the next level since that promotion. You know, which of the top prospect backstops have you been more impressed by this season, you know, from your unique seat? Is it is it Jimmy Crooks or have you been more impressed with Leo Bernal ⁓ behind the plate this year?
Alex Coil (09:46) I would have to say Jimmy, ⁓ just because ⁓ having ⁓ a baseline of me seeing him for a full season last year, ⁓ and knowing ⁓ okay, that was a good year. It was it was a very solid year, ultimately got him his major league call up. ⁓ but knowing what he needed to get better at.
⁓ and how he did that. Controlling the strike zone at the plate, ⁓ handling the the pitching staff behind the plate, right? ⁓ Memphis started the season thirteen and with him catching games. ⁓ and only lost a handful of games before he got called up ⁓ with him as the catcher. And so gaining trust ⁓ of the pitching staff and and being able to guide through guide guys through games, not only ⁓ to to get through through their high stuff, but when they’re struggling a little bit, he’s
The guy that is is a fantastic motivator behind the plate, knows what makes each guy tick, and and so he’s obviously done enough here at this level to to get the chance to to play ⁓ at least twice every time through the rotation at the up at the big leagues. On the Leo side, ⁓ his his highs are really good. Yeah, they’re they’re they’re fantastic. ⁓ but but you still want to see a little bit more consistency defensively. ⁓ obviously coming off of ⁓ a Rawlings
Gold glove ⁓ as as a minor league or a catcher, you’re expecting him to be unflappable and never make a single mistake and and throw at every single runner. There have been some some inconsistencies in and ⁓ in in his glove so far this year. I don’t know how much of that is, you know, he’s he’s learning or at least playing first base more than he ever has in his career, and and and how much of that is taking the mind off of the development ⁓ behind the plate.
I think it’s very good thing that that you’re as a catcher especially, you are developing a secondary position to play, especially if you want your bat to be in the lineup. ⁓ we saw that in the development of a lot of catchers’ career. the one that really sticks out to me is Buster Posey and and added a couple of more years to his career simply because he was able to develop into the first base ability toward the end. So I think that will help his staying power once he is able to get up there. But I think
Andy Carroll (11:56) Mm.
Alex Coil (11:59) ⁓ he still has has some boxes to check here at Triple A and and and I think he will do so in some time though.
Gabe (12:07) Sticking to backstops, Andy, ⁓ the Springfield has two really good backstops right now. One everybody knows Raniel Rodriguez, but also Ryan Campos is having a surprisingly good offensive season. ⁓ have you gotten to see much of Rodriguez yet? ⁓ or Campos and what are your thoughts on them?
Andy Carroll (12:23) Yeah. So Rainiel got here. He’s played twenty three games at double A. ⁓ got called up when the team went on the road, so we had to wait for about a week to see him. But ⁓ you know, obviously his reputation precedes him as a nineteen year old getting to the double A level. ⁓ you know, you’re starting to see more of that, but it’s still pretty darn rare for a guy that age to get here. ⁓ and I think the the first thing that jumped out about the to me, you know, watching him play is it’s such a quiet load, real quick hands and just a natural hitter. And when I, you know, got to talk to him for the first time, he
He said, you know, I’m really spending a lot of time working defensively. He goes, hitting, I I know, I know how to hit. Which, you know, maybe is a little bit of teenage arrogance there. But ⁓ like I think that there’s he just has so much confidence in his ability, ⁓ even at this age, getting to this level that that his hands and his bat will play. And, you know, it it was an adjustment that you would expect. And I think that it’s gonna be ongoing. He’s he’s gonna be at this level probably for a little while. ⁓ but you know, he hit two home runs the other night, both pullside, you know.
shots over over the bullpen into the off the manual scoreboard and then one just to the left of it. And so you you can see just the raw, you know, talent that he has, but he’s also a fairly polished hitter for his age. And that’s really what stood out to the Cardinals when he came to the complex two years ago and had a tryout. It was just like this guy just hits, you know, like we’re we’re signing him today. So it was the complex down the Dominic Dominican that that that hosted the tryout for him. So yeah, he’s he’s very impressive. The Cardinals have mostly been, you know
having him catch, but he has ⁓ he’s also started a handful of games at first base. He’s been in the designated hitter spot. And so you know, Campos again also, yeah, offensively he’s had a great season. He handles the pitching staff really well. the Cardinals, you know, and maybe this is a question I’ll kind of turn back to to you guys, Gabe and Jake. Like when you look at the Cardinals depth at the catcher position, and you know, maybe this is an old baseball philosophy now, but there’s still still a lot of truth in that you want to build your team through the from through the middle out. So, you know, that’s catcher, short, second, center field, right?
And if you look at the Cardinals, they’ve got, you know, between Herrera, Crooks, and Pages those guys are all 27 and under. You know, they’re in their pre arb years. You’ve got, you know, Bernal, and then you’ve got Rodriguez. And it’s like, I I do think it’s going to be interesting to see whether I doubt it’s a deadline thing this year, but into the offseason, into next year’s deadline, how does the industry look at the Cardinals’ depth in that position? Who are the guys that they’re calling Heimblum and asking about? If you if the Cardinals start to look to add a piece here and there.
Is there a name that, you know, would make sense in a package? Because I do think that there’s they’re gonna have to find clarity in in that spot, but it’s a great position to have depth
Gabe (14:52) I don’t think we know more than you do on that one. We’re we’re just as curious how the Cardinals are gonna handle the catchers ⁓ going forward because it’s it’s there’s a lot of them.
Andy Carroll (15:00) It’s something to keep our eye on. I just think it’s it’s something it’s not it’s a position that’s desirable. It’s not, you know, it’s not common to have depth at that position. And I think, you know, that’s I would be I I’m interested to see how the over the next eighteen, twenty-four, thirty-six months the organization figures out how they’re gonna, you know, where they see that position going in the long term and how they’re gonna, you know, maybe use those assets wisely.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (15:22) Yeah, I agree. I think
If I’m looking down the road, I still look at like, you know, where the organization is, you know, from like a third base position standpoint. And maybe perhaps the Cardinals look to where they have a little bit of surplus potentially behind the plate. Maybe they look for another young third baseman somewhere ⁓ to fit into the organization some because there’s really no long-term future third baseman in the organization currently, it feels like. Now I know that Jesus Baez is he’s still at high A, but that might be the closest thing to like a future at
third
base, but there’s nobody like Andy, what you’re getting to watch on a regular basis, or Alex what you’re getting to watch on a regular basis, from my standpoint that the Cardinals have longed unless you want to count I I don’t even know, because Nolan Gorman just made it to Memphis, and so that’s a whole other conversation in of itself. But if the Cardinals were looking to try to find a different way to use, you know, their their exa like this kind of falls into
You know, w you draft the best player available and then later on you figure out that problem. And so like the Cardinals have all of these great catchers. Now it’s getting to that point where eventually they’re gonna need to figure out that problem and find a way to y use that piece for another piece they may need in the future. That’s kinda how I look at it.
Alex Coil (16:38) I think one of the best examples of y Andy brought up the point of of building your team through the middle. ⁓ Cardinals are the catching example right now of of the young core. But what the White Sox have done ⁓ and they have shortstop playing almost every single position, right? Well the exactly but but but in terms of the youth in and how young the White Sox are. ⁓ Myrath playing second ba second base, Antonacci who’s been a shortstop his entire life
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (16:54) Padres too. Yep.
Yeah, for sure.
Alex Coil (17:07) moving out to left field and that brings up a path for him to play up there. It’s a lot easier when you build through the middle, as Andy was saying, it’s easier to to be versatile, right? Because a center fielder can play any outfield position. A shortstop can play pretty much any position on the field, right? A catcher is easily transferred over to first base and depending on the arm, possibly can can pick it over a third as well. And so if you can find those guys in in the the
Obviously you just traded a a Brendan Donovan, but guys that can play multiple positions and and it just opens up so many other options for And I think that’s where you’re seeing the game go, especially with young talent. The White Sox are gonna take another shortstop one one overall this year too.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (17:50) Great point. It it really is a great point, Alex, like you said. And I think that the Padres are the ones who you and I think that the White Sox are taking it that direction as well. But I think the Padres really started it. You look at Merrill and Tatis and Machado and you know Bogarts and Cronenworth and look all of those guys came up as shortstops until they couldn’t anymore. ⁓ and so I think that that really is like
When we talk to ⁓ Joe Doyle, who, you know, is very good ⁓ in terms of like the amateur side of things and he talked about like his conversations with the Cardinals and the way they’re looking at things and based off of, you know, how they were looking at it last year, it’s y they want shortstop, they want the hot the best, most athletic guys on the field that are transferable to other positions and that and as they move down that quote unquote defensive spectrum, you know, their defensive abilities are gonna start to play up and it’ll it’ll just bring a more athletic ⁓
side of of of style of play to their all-around game. Andy, I wanted to throw it back over to you really quick. You know, from a guy that was ⁓ that’s fresh to double A to a guy that’s been there for a while. Let’s talk about Chase Davis. He’s he’s been stuck at AA seemingly forever. You know, do you think he’s done enough in the first half of the season for a promotion? Cause I know Alex is gonna get the cupboard is gonna get really bare for him to watch here before too long if you know Chaim Bloom keeps promoting at the rate that he is.
Do you think that he’s he’s ready for that next challenge at Triple A, or is there another level to his game that you’re still kind of waiting for him to get to before you think he he earns that call?
Andy Carroll (19:23) Yeah, so I think the answer is yes. I think there’s another level to his game, and I think that the Cardinals, you know, may he may even just need that change of scenery. ⁓ you know, I I I don’t I don’t know necessarily that that would unlock, you know, something that’s missing, but you know the I you know, kind of if you’ve you’ve got a large enough sample size at double A, and I think at this point we do, we we sort of see what we have. We have y you can see the player that you know, left handed power, ⁓ you know, plus defensively, plus arm, and he’s shown all of those things. You know, you you can see
Just all of the raw talent and ability. And I mean, the guy is is also pretty he’s pretty built. So you know, every time I talk to him though, like, you know, a lot of times you’ll talk to these guys. I I know when I I got to speak with Jordan Walker all the time, he would sit there and to talk hitting with you for 30 minutes. You know, here’s all the things I’m working on, here’s mechanically, all the stuff. Chase Davis has got a million dollar smile and he’s got the he’s he’s mastered the Bull Durham art of saying, you know, I’m here to help the ball club. So
I’ve not I haven’t gotten, you know, I I know from tea speaking to other people within the organization what they’re trying to work with him, you know, on on it’s more consistent contact. It’s he he draws a lot of walks, so he’s it’s not that he has bad pi plate discipline, but I think selecting the right pitches to swing at and you know and how to be aggressive in counts and and and those things are or what they’re working on, taking the ball the opposite way, you know, which he has shown signs of being able to do. You know, defensively he’s every bit ready for triple A and and probably higher than that.
⁓ but but the bat just has not consistently shown. It it’s shown flashes, he’s had games, he’s gone on spurts, ⁓ and then you’ll kinda look up and it’s like, well, you know, you’re right back to to to where you were after another week or two. He’s also been on the DL, so I think he last played May twenty ninth. So he the what the I’ve asked around, I didn’t get much information. Somebody did and they say it’s t hi hamstring tightness. That’s now about two weeks and the the Cardinals down here are very ⁓ they guard those injuries pretty closely when you ask about it. So
⁓ I you I don’t know when his expected timetable has come back. They don’t seem to think it’s serious, but at the same time it’s now been it was a seven day DL and it’s been longer than that. So I you know, it’ll be interesting. I think when he comes off the DL, probably likely to stay here, but I do think he’ll get to Memphis this year. Whether or not he’s his play has warranted it from like, we’ve he’s gotta be promoted, you know, we’ve gotta move him up. I think it might just as well be we kinda know what he’s done at double A. Let’s get him to triple A. Let’s get him a new scenery. you know, kind of see if that shakes things loose because he’s very talented.
but being able to consistently put it together has been a struggle.
Gabe (21:47) Another player that has kind of been at the same place for a while, but it’s been because of control is Quinn Matthews. But the last few starts it looks like he maybe has figured it out a little bit. He hasn’t walked many guys. Do you think first off, what do you think has been causing his control issues and what can he do to like remedy that before he gets a promotion? ‘Cause I think the only reason he hasn’t been promoted is St. Luis is ’cause they haven’t had to add him to the forty man. I think if he was on the forty man, he might have gotten the Brycen Mods treatment already.
Alex Coil (22:15) I I totally agree with that last point. as far as what was causing the control issues, there were a lot of variables that the Cardinals were ⁓ interested in and trying to figure out last season. That’s why you spent some time on the injured list ⁓ in in the I guess middle third of the season. ⁓
There was some some thought, maybe the the adjustment from double A to triple A, not only is there a level but also a a completely different baseball that you’re throwing. This year the philosophy has been okay, maybe we use that too much of as a as a crutch and and didn’t actually try try to treat the plan. ⁓ but I I the main thing that I have noticed and and completely honest, this is
It it’s just intent ⁓ and and confidence on the mound. When Quinn Matthews gets into a flow and has the ⁓ I know I’m better than you and I’m going to show you that I’m better than you, as opposed to, ⁓ my gosh, th things aren’t going right, I need to f why am I so bad? ‘Cause he is such a smart guy.
Stanford wanted to be investment banker, all that kind of stuff. Sometimes he he he starts to think a little bit too much. When he’s out there throwing and being a jock and just dominating you, like he he he gets into a flow, he works quickly, and all of his stuff works. It it it it f fires in there, it feels like it’s ⁓ a turbo mode out of his hand and and he dominates people and that’s what he’s shown over his last three or four starts.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (23:44) Yeah, ⁓ you took my last question, Gabe. Gosh dang it. ⁓ let’s let’s let’s think about it from this perspective. I wanna end with you guys on on this note. ⁓ I want you to look d each look down a level and then pluck one player from the level below that you’re excited to see over the last three to four months of the season. So ⁓ Alex, I’ll let you go ahead and start real quick.
Gabe (23:48) Yeah.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (24:10) And somebody from Andy’s neck of the woods that you’re excited to hopefully pluck and see ⁓ firsthand at the end of this season, then Andy, you from from High A.
Alex Coil (24:22) I am a pitching guy first and will always be a pitching guy first, especially in this ballpark, especially with some of the offense that we have seen. We’ve seen enough home runs, we’ve seen all of the ⁓ all of the good stuff offensively, consistent pitching and dominant pitching and especially as I was just mentioning with Quinn, the tenacity and you know, I don’t wanna s but the the I know I’m better than you and I’m going to go out and and k and and
And dominate you and impose my will on you, Liam Doyle. He brings all of that. some people affectionately called him a a a tweaker at Tennessee, which is just awesome. Like that that’s the type the type of college baseball pitcher that I want to take, ⁓ especially with with how much stuff he has. I wanna see that version on the mound. I wanna see that the bulldog there. And if the Redbirds can finish one game better than the Rochester Red Wings this week.
Wanna see him pitching in the International League Championship Series here at AutoZ?
Andy Carroll (25:24) Yeah, so I’ll I’ll I’ll definitely answer the question, but just to kind of piggyback on your answer there, Alex, one of the things that’s been a lot of fun too, just in the early days of Raniel being up here with the double A club is to see Liam throwing to him, which has only happened ⁓ once or twice, I think. But I did ask Patrick Anderson about that. I said, you know, you’ve you’ve been around a bunch of different organizations. How often have you had a number one prospect in an organization be a pitcher or a catcher, and then the one right behind him, you know, form a battery at the same level? And he talked about ⁓ Salvador Perez and his time with the Royals and some of the pitching staff.
They had come up because you’re yeah, you’re right, it’s very rare. and so it’s kind of neat to see them start to, especially as you know, Liam’s really figuring out, you know, what’s gonna help make him ⁓ an effective you know pitcher at the big league level and working through some of those secondary pitches, to be able to do that with a catcher that may end up being that long-term piece. You know, I mean again as the Cardinals kind of figure out the puzzle pieces there at the catcher position, but it just wouldn’t be surprised if what’s kind of starting to form down here between those two lasts, you know, for a long time.
for it’s Tanner Franklin. I’ll I’ll stick with the pitching mode. I you know, and I guess the Tennessee the Tennessee pitchers. But yeah, you know, I mean it’s been interesting to see Peoria, which for forever that league has been such a hitter’s paradise that or I’m sorry, a pitcher’s paradise that now all of sudden it’s it’s been it’s been tough on pitchers in that league this year, which is is, you know, reverse of what we’ve seen for so many years. So to hit for the way he’s pitched down there, ⁓ you know, I I think it’s Springfield definitely one of the things that
I’m going off a little out of left field here, but that I I found interesting talking as we did with, you know, the organization higher ups a couple weeks ago, Jake, is hearing some of the chatter that in the draft they might be pr prioritizing hitting, which just kind of the first time I heard it, I thought, no, like we we need more pitching in the organization. I mean, that’s really what’s missing. If you look at, you know, the Cardinals even now at the big league level, like their offense is clicking and humming and you can see how that’s gonna play, you know, in the future and and and the likelihood that that’s gonna continue with those guys.
And you’re wanting to add, you know, as many pieces to that rotation as you can get. And then I started to look down through like, well, I listened to Larry Larry Day today on KMOX talking about there’s Cooper, you know, rehabbing. Tink’s getting back into it. you know, Brandon Clark from who came over in the sunny tr grade trade is is getting close. And then at the double A level, we’ve got so many left handers and Mason Molina, Liam Doyle, Braden Davis. you talk about change ups, we’ve got two of them here with Molina and Davis that just are ought are outstanding and awesome.
⁓ you know, and I just as I started to think, I was like, wow, you we would have a lot more pitching in the organization than I I guess I thought of. So, you know, Tanner’s another one of those guys, get him up to Springfield. it’ll be you know, a another piece to see him then having to pitch again in another league where it typically is really hard on pitchers. The Texas league is brutal. So it’s really where you start to see a pitcher, you know, kind of have to really face ad adversity for the first time in the professional career a lot. It’s it’s when you get to double A, that’s when you can show
you know, c if you can have success in the Texas League and those parks against those hitters that you’re for real and I’m looking forward to him getting here.
Alex Coil (28:16) If I could, I wanna add two more names to the the pitching idea too. That the like who knows where they’re gonna factor into plans coming back. But Tekoah Roby and Sem Robberse as well, right? ⁓ so th there are there and you mentioned how many left handers, so it feels like the entire Memphis rotation right now is all left handed as well. So it’s it’s never bad to have enough south paws though.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (28:20) Please.
Andy Carroll (28:27) Yeah.
And Ixan Henderson also, you know, is a guy who’s on on the way back. I mean, they’re just yeah, I mean, like I I think I think I start at just as I started to kind of walk through to my brain, I’m like, you’re right. Like maybe and I think the with the pitching development, the way that they’ve started to kind of turn a corner on on how they develop pitchers in-house, maybe they are feeling a little bit confident about a lot of the art you know, that they don’t need they don’t need they don’t need to hit on every single name there, but I mean they can they can hit on enough of them that they that they can prioritize looking for that third baseman of the future or drafting that
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (28:40) I think that’s another good one.
Alex Coil (28:43) Yeah, that’s another
one. Yeah.
Andy Carroll (29:07) you know, maybe two or three guys at the shortstop position and then determining how they’re gonna outlay those guys, you know, into the organizational plans.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (29:14) Well, you guys are throwing out names. I want to have some fun and throw out some names. How about Pete Hansen? You know, Yhoiker Fajardo you know, what about ⁓ who is the other name that just popped into my head? Chenwei Lin? Like there there are so many names that are that are floating through the Cardinals, you know, pipeline right now that that can bring some real excitement. But because I want to play I also want Gabe to play this game. I want you to pluck a name from Alex’s team at Triple A and tell me who you want to see at the major league level.
Gabe (29:23) Yeah. Take a bottle.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (29:42) in the near future because, you know, we we kinda hinted at it that the bullpen has been ⁓ you know, d bad though this recent stretch, and so is is there a name out there that you’re kind of angling for to to see in St. Louis in the near future?
Gabe (30:00) ⁓ well bullpin is such a boring answer. ⁓ I kind of want to answer. Yeah.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (30:03) I it could be a starter that you bump a starter
to the bullpen. You could do either or.
Gabe (30:08) I wanna see Quinn Matthews, honestly. I’m ready for Quinn Matthews there to start. ⁓ I’m I’ve been waiting for that the walks to come down and I’m I’m ⁓ holding on tightly when ⁓ he he doesn’t walk batters in his start. I’m like, okay, let’s get him to St. Louis It’s it’s just because Memphis it’s hard to not walk guys for some reason. That’s what that’s what I’m looking for is ⁓ Quinn Matthews. Luis Gastelum probably on the reliever side if in an immediate sense, because I know he’s been pitching out of his mind for the last month. I think he’s got like one walk in his last seventeen innings, and that was
the main I mean he wasn’t really striking people out at the beginning of the year. But yeah, something clicked and something because he’s been unbelievable the last month.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (30:45) Yeah, I think I’m right there with you. I think it’s it’s gotta be Quinn that I’m just a like an antsy to get up to the big leagues and see what that looks like. I think we’ve watched Kyle Leahy and ⁓ you know, Matthew Liberatore unfortunately. Like they’re these guys like Libby’s strikeout rate has gone up lately, but it’s still the the quality of contact against him is not getting any better, unfortunately. He’s still getting hit around. There’s these big snowball innings that’s getting away from him. And so I wonder if maybe those guys might just ultimately
you know, long term are earmarked for the bullpen. I would like to see, you know, like like we mentioned, Quinn Matthews get back to ⁓ get get his first deserved call up, maybe get Hunter Dobbins back you know, as soon as possible, get those two guys installed and kick Leahy and and Liberatore back to the bullpen. And that would be another way that you can kind of boost the bullpen as well and kind of strengthen that group because they seem to have start is starting to leak some oil. ⁓ so I I think maybe getting a couple guys whose stuff play up out of the bullpen might help that group as well as as Hunter
Chaim Bloom has, you know, shown now. I I I I’m I’m so like enthralled with what he’s going to do because I think over the last like two to three weeks he’s made moves that I did not anticipate him like like that took some stones to send down Victor Scott the second. It took some stones to send down Nolan Gorman. You know, I I did not think that he was going to do that. I and I’m so I I I said this to people before the season started, like
Take away every expectation you’ve had or come to know from the John Mozeliak era of building a roster because it’s gonna be different. And I fell right into the same trap that these guys are young, they’re gonna get runway, we’re gonna, you know, let them, you know, struggle, and they let them struggle for
⁓ you know, a a third of the season and then said, sorry boys, you’re not getting it done, and away they went and and new fresh pieces who are producing came up. So it’s it’s been really refreshing. I’ve seen a lot of people online, especially, ⁓ who are really excited about the aggressiveness that the Cardinals are showing right now. And Derek Goold just before we hopped on, I saw had had put out a piece. I didn’t have a chance to read it yet, but you know, the tagline said something about the Cardinal like Chaim Bloom is looking to be as aggressive with the
the the pitching as he has been recently with the hitting and so I would look for there to be some some potential movement coming up and down ⁓ in the near future. ⁓ I do want to go ahead and say, you know, once again you can hear ⁓ Alex on the call nightly for the Triple A Memphis Redbirds and you can read all of Andy’s fine work at scoopswithdannymac.com. Fellas, it was an absolute pleasure. thank you so much for for jumping on as always and you know we’ll look forward to catching up with you boys down the road.
Andy Carroll (33:28) Yeah, let’s do it again. Thanks, Jake.
Alex Coil (33:30) Thanks for having me.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (33:31) Absolutely. Gabe, thanks for
Being here as always, really appreciate your your inclusion in this, and I love to not be able to have to do this alone. We’ll we miss Scott a little bit, just a little bit, but he’ll be back with us, you know, in a couple weeks, whenever we have a very special VIP guest sl slated to join us. Can’t give away those details just yet. but next week, ⁓ y I do want to let you guys know that we will be doing our annual Father’s Day episode with double-A pitcher Ryan Murphy and his dad will be joining us.
so make sure you are on the lookout for that. Thank you so much for joining us for this episode of the Viva El Birdos Podcast. Don’t forget to rate and review and hit that subscribe button so you’re notified every Monday morning when a new episode is released. We will talk to you all next week when once again we’re joined by Double A Pitcher Ryan Murphy and his father. Join the show for a special Father’s Day episode. Have a great week and let’s go cards.
Getting picked 24th overall in the draft isn’t necessarily a ticket to being one of the greats; of players who were drafted 24th and signed, the most valuable by bWAR is Rondell White. He was taken 24th in 1990 and posted a respectable 28.2 bWAR. Alex Fernandez was taken in 1988 but didn’t sign; he’d go on to post 28.5 bWAR, which is the most by anyone picked 24th regardless of signing. Nico Hoerner will likely pass both White and Fernandez before too much longer.
Sandwiched between Fernandez and White was Alan Zinter, picked 24th in 1989 and the 149th player in Diamondbacks’ history. It was actually the second time he’d been drafted; the Padres had selected him out of high school in 1986. Zinter signed with the Mets but wouldn’t reach the major leagues until over a decade later and on his seventh organization, not counting time in Japan. He had solid power and drew his share of walks, but spent his time as a AAA player as his defense at catcher never came around (he threw out just 15% of base stealers) and so he played mostly first base. Across 18 seasons of minor league ball, Zinter slashed .258/.355/.461 with 250 home runs. Between the minor leagues, Japan, and independent baseball he had over 7000 plate appearances. He got 84 plate appearances in the big leagues.
His longest run in the big leagues came with the Astros in 2002. He debuted on June 18 and was up and down most of the remainder of the season, but made just one start. He pinch hit in 33 of his 39 games. He signed back with the Astros for 2003 but spent the entire season in the minor leagues, and then signed with the Diamondbacks that offseason. It was actually his second stint with the organization; he’d been dealt from the Cubs to the Diamondbacks in 2000 and tore up Tucson in the 11 games he spent there.
He made his Diamondbacks debut on June 8, taking over for Shea Hillenbrand and playing the ninth inning at first base. He got his first plate appearances the next day when Carlos Baerga was injured running the bases; Zinter took over and finished the day as DH (the game was in Baltimore). He walked in both of those plate appearances and picked up his first hit with the club the next day, in his first start.
Then it was back to National League parks and pinch hitting appearances. Zinter’s first hit came on June 10; he was sent back to Tucson before he got another hit, and his second hit as a Diamondback didn’t come until September 3. But with expanded rosters still a thing, he at least got to stick around this time.
On September 28, with the season winding down and the Diamondbacks a dismal 48-109, the Brewers came to town. Brandon Webb got the start and committed an error in the first inning that led to a run, but he also struck out to end the bottom of the first inning, meaning that he had a 4-1 lead. Considering the 2004 Diamondbacks averaged 3.8 runs per game, such run support must have astounded him. He allowed three more runs, but the Diamondbacks led 5-4 in the ninth inning before everything went insane.
Geoff Jenkins hit a home run to put the Brewers up 7-5. Then came the changes, thanks to the expanded rosters. Chad Tracy pinch hit to lead off the ninth and drew a walk. Baerga pinch hit and got a single. Josh Kroeger ran for Baerga, and Danny Bautista would later single in Kroeger as the tying run before he was stranded at third as the potential winning run.
For some reason, Bautista had to be pulled at the start of the 11th inning. Perhaps he’d picked up a slight injury on a fly ball in the 10th. It wasn’t surprising that it was his final game with the Diamondbacks, but no one thought it would be his final major league game, as he would retire after an ankle injury in spring training. Al Pedrique moved Chad Tracy (who had never played the outfield before) to left field, which meant that Hillenbrand had to move to third base, and Zinter came in to play first base. The Brewers made it 8-7 on a Lyle Overbay single. Josh Kroeger and Andy Green made quick outs in the bottom of the 11th before Alex Cintron pushed a single through second base, bringing Zinter up.
The Brewers still had a 90% chance of winning the game. So far in franchise history, the biggest hit by win probability added was a Tony Womack home run off of Dave Veres in 2000, at 70%. So up stepped the most improbable figure, the former prospect hanging on, the 36 year old rookie. He took ball one. He fouled off a pitch. He took ball two. He took strike two. He fouled off a pitch. He took ball three. He fouled off yet another pitch. And on the eighth pitch of the at bat (and fourth with two strikes) he lofted a fly ball into the (primarily empty) right field seats of Bank One Ballpark, collecting what is still the third-highest win probability added figure of a hit in franchise history. (Two Ryan Roberts home runs have narrowly surpassed it.)
His major league career after that point consisted of three plate appearances in which he walked, singled, and struck out. He spent 2005 in Tucson and 2006 with Round Rock (then Houston’s AAA team) and another year in independent ball before getting into coaching. And he possibly had a bigger effect on the Diamondbacks in that role, for he was hitting coach at Visalia in 2010 and Mobile in 2011, where one Paul Edward Goldschmidt was playing. He’s still coaching, currently at the Royals’ complex.
The changes (both to the minor league system as a whole and September rosters in particular) that Major League Baseball has imposed may have improved the quality of individual September games. The downside is that they ensure there will never be another Alan Zinter. With limited roster spots in the minor leagues, teams aren’t going to hang on to a player like him, particularly not into his mid-30s. And even if they did, he’s not going to have a roster spot on the big league team in September. So unless we have a pitcher come up in a similar situation, Alan Zinter will likely continue to hold the most improbable hit in franchise history.
It may be hard to believe but we are less than a month away from MLB’s All-Star Game, which will be hosted at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14. Voting is underway for the National League and American League squads so now is a great time to check in on a few Cubs hitters who have made a strong case that they should be part of the festivities in Philadelphia. I’ll do a similar look at Cubs pitchers later this week.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
The most obvious candidate to represent the Cubs in Philadelphia is their star centerfielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong. While he’s not quite on the 30/30 pace he was setting early last season, picked up the pace since some early season struggles and is currently slashing .267/.343/.463 with 12 home runs, 16 stolen bases and a wRC+ of 126. He’s also setting the standard for elite defense in the National League, his 13 outs above average are tied with rookie shortstop JJ Wetherholt for the NL league. That defense has him leading the National League in fWAR as of this writing with 3.5 WAR, just a smidge above the Nationals’ James Wood. PCA represented the Cubs in last year’s game, which led to this adorable moment where he told his young fans to be themselves:
He’s also the top vote getter for the Cubs so far according to MLB with 265,408 total votes (next up in raw vote totals is right fielder Seiya Suzuki with 239,224 votes). However, he’ll need a push to make the team as a starter. That vote tally is good for just 14th overall in the balloting.
Michael Busch
After a slow start to the season the Cubs’ first baseman has been carrying the offense for more than a month. Recency bias certainly matters for these types of contests and Busch has been slashing .301/.436/.517 with a wRC+ of 169 and six home runs in 181 plate appearances since the calendar flipped to May. He’s got an 11.6 percent barrel rate on the season despite the slow start and a 14.4 percent barrel rate with a monster 51.9 percent hard hit rate since May. If Busch can stay hot he could make a case to the coaches that he should be the guy to back up whoever wins the fan vote race for a starter that currently looks like a two-man contest between the Dodgers Freddie Freeman and the Braves Matt Olsen.
Ian Happ
Ian Happ is in the final year of his contract with the Cubs and leading the team with 16 home runs midway through June. That’s good for a tie for seventh overall in the National League in bombs. While the .224/.337/.478 slashline doesn’t jump off the page, the 126 wRC+ indicates he’s been 26 percent better than league average at creating runs. He’s barreling the ball at a 15 percent clip, which is the highest barrel rate of his career. He’s also hitting the ball hard, with a 46.3 percent hard hit rate according to Statcast. Are there question marks about whether Happ should be in the All Star Game this season? Yes, and Happ isn’t currently in the top 20 outfield vote getters for the NL so far according to MLB. But he’s been the face of this franchise since 2021 and it’d be a joy to see him back in the Midsummer Classic representing the Cubs one more time.
Miami Heat
Indiana Pacers
Houston Rockets
