Mar 3, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) delivers a pitch against Nicaragua during the fourth inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
According to Jon Heyman, the Mets will call up Craig Kimbrel before today’s game against the Athletics. Kimbrel, a 16-year veteran who was an All-Star with the Braves, Phillies, Cubs, and Red Sox, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in January. Kimbrel is currently fifth all time with 440 career saves, just ahead of former Mets Francisco Rodriguez (437), John Franco (424), and Billy Wagner (422).
In six spring training appearances with the Mets, Kimbrel struck out five, walked five, and put up a 4.50 ERA. Kimbrel made one appearance with Single-A St. Lucie this past week, throwing a scoreless, hitless, walkless, strikeout-less inning.
While Kimbrel has a storied career as one of the greatest relievers of the 21st century, no one is expecing that Kimbrel to be who the Mets get. But with both Richard Lovelady and Luis Garcia struggling mightily as of late, it is not surprising that the Mets would begin the fabled bullpen churn.
Over the course his career, Kimbrel has logged a 2.58 ERA in 821.2 innings, with 1,282 strikeouts and a 1.020 WHIP. He has 440 saves, which is the fifth most all-time, and a career 159 ERA+ that’s well above average for a reliever. He’s accumulated 22.7 bWAR in his career, on par with other top closers of his era like Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman.
A lot of that accumulation and excellence came earlier in his career, however, and Kimbrel has turned into a solid relief option instead of a feared closer. His first nine seasons in the major leagues produced some really tremendous work. He had a 1.80 ERA in 470.1 innings with 772 strikeouts, 291 saves, a 0.910 WHIP, and a 222 ERA+. In those nine seasons, he was worth 17.7 bWAR, won Rookie of the Year in 2011 with the Braves, made nine All-Star teams, finished top ten in Cy Young Award voting five times, and even received MVP votes from 2011 to 2013.
Since 2019, when he signed with the Cubs, he has put up a 3.83 ERA in 289 innings and earned just 107 of his career saves, less than a quarter of career total. He has just 414 strikeouts in that time with a 1.204 WHIP and a 110 ERA+, far below his usual dominance. He accumulated just 2.9 of his career WAR during that time as well.
Last year, he was somewhat effective in a limited role. In 12.0 innings with two different teams—the lion’s share being with the Astros—he had a 2.25 ERA with 17 strikeouts and a 1.417 WHIP. He didn’t get any saves, but he had a 197 ERA+ and accumulated 0.4 bWAR in such limited time. He might not have been a star closer, but in an admittedly extremely small sample, he was a good late inning relief option for the Astros down the stretch.
Jan 21, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) and forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) react during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Just yesterday, the Hawks clinched their 50th playoffs appearance in franchise history after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team will have one final regular season game Sunday against the Heat, but then they will turn their focus to either a series against the New York Knicks or the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Both teams pose their problems for opposing frontcourt between Mitchell Robinson’s bulk, elite rebounding and rim protection, Jarrett Allen’s rim running and touch around the rim, and Evan Mobley’s all-around defensive game.
Incumbent backup center Jock Landale may or may not be ready from an ankle injury by the time the playoffs roll around this upcoming weekend, so I posed the question to the readers of this blog: who should the Hawks go with behind Onyeka Okongwu?
Well, the masses have chosen the wiry defender from Senegal as their choice:
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 16: Eric Hartman #64 of the Atlanta Braves singles in the seventh inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Sunday, March 16, 2025 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hartman continued his strong offensive start to the season for the Emperors despite the loss.
It took some late inning magic and a bit of luck, but Gwinnett managed to get the win by walking off Nashville on Friday to move up to three games over .500 on the season.
Eliser Hernandez got the start on the mound for the Stripers and while he wasn’t exactly dominant, it was enough to keep Gwinnett in the game long enough for them to battle back-and-forth.
Across 5.2 innings of work, Hernandez managed to work around scattering six hits and issuing three walks on the night while holding Nashville to just two earned runs on his part.
One pitching performance to highlight on the night was Rolddy Munoz who tossed a scoreless outing in his 1.1 innings, while striking out three in the process. Through five appearances this season, Munoz has tossed 7.2 innings while striking out seven, while opponents are batting just .120 against him thus far.
It’s a smaller sample size, but encouraging nonetheless from the 25-year-old as he looks to try and break through into the big league bullpen.
At the dish, Gwinnett got several key contributions en route to the win.
Aaron Schunk continued his hot start to the season as he launched his third homer of the season on Friday — a two-run shot to extend the Gwinnett lead to 4-0 in the third — while raising his OPS on the season to .936 as well.
Tied at 5-5 headed into the bottom of the ninth, Ben Gamel reached on an error before coming around to score eventually on a wild pitch, walking things off for Gwinnett.
In other offensive performances, Jose Azocar laced a double on the night while Jim Jarvis also notched a base hit and scored a run as well in the Stripers’ win.
Columbus improved to 3-4 on the young season as the Clingstones rode a solid starting pitching performance and a handful of key offensive contributions in the process.
On the mound, Garrett Baumann managed to work around three earned runs and six hits to produce six innings of work while striking out five and walking two. While it wasn’t his best, it’s a right sight better than Baumann’s first start of the year in which he gave up nine runs (seven earned) in just 3.1 innings of work.
Hopefully it’s just earlt season jitters or something of that nature for Baumann, who is expected to take a significant leap this season.
At the plate, Cal Conley had a bit of a rare night in the sense that he laced not one, but two triples on the night while driving in one of Columbus’ six runs on the night.
A triple from Conley brings Kilpatrick Jr. home! 🤩
In addition to Conley, Ambioris Tavarez continued his solid start to the season at the plate on Friday as well.
Going 2-3 with a run scored and a walk to his credit, Tavarez improved his OPS to 1.071 on the season. While we’ve emphasized that it’s extremely early in the season and a smaller sample size, it’s incredibly encouraging to see Tavarez make significant strides at the plate and show a much more mature approach thus far.
(3-4) Rome Emperors 4, (5-2) Bowling Green Hot Rods 6
Rome fell short against Bowling Green on Friday, losing by a 6-4 final despite a handful of key offensive performances from Emperor batters.
Cam Caminiti got the start for Rome and while he didn’t have his best stuff — as he scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs across six innings while striking out six — he managed to keep Rome relatively in the game for the most part.
Caminiti’s biggest issue so far in this early season is that he has been hit around quite a bit. In 9.2 innings, the southpaw has given up nine hits, including a homer, while opponents are batting .250 against him so far. The good news is that he has only issued two walks on the year, so hopefully he’s able to limit the damage in terms of hits and homers and he’ll be able to build off that moving forward.
Offensively, Rome got key performances from the usual suspects as John Gil launched his second homer of the year and Eric Hartman put up a marquee night as he laced a double and a homer to raise his OPS to a team-high 1.037 on the season to this point.
Augusta got one game closer to .500 on the season on Friday as the GreenJackets rode a solid pitching performance from Ethan Bagwell to a win.
Across seven innings of work, Bagwell did scatter seven hits, but managed to limit the damage to just three earned runs on the night while striking out five and walking not one batter. Through two starts, Bagwell has shown excellent command as he has walked just one batter in 13 innings pitched, while striking out 11 and allowing just the three runs.
It will be interesting to see how Atlanta handles Bagwell and his progression, as he will most likely be ready for a promotion to Rome by the end of May if not sooner.
At the plate, Augusta got a surprise performance out of catcher Tanner Smith, who homered and drove in a pair of runs on the night while Connor Essenburg continues to impress as the 2025 draftee tripled and drove home a run in the process for Augusta on Friday.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 10: JP Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates the two-run home run hit by Randy Arozarena #56 during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees dropped their series opener against the Rays on Friday, officially creating their first losing streak of the season with their third straight loss. It’s been a reversal of fate in the last week or so, as the team’s bats have gone from doing enough to support their stellar pitching staff to barely managing to get multiple hits in a night. That has enabled their rivals to gain back ground after the Yanks jumped ahead of the pack, and the same was true last night.
Toronto Blue Jays (6-7) 10, Minnesota Twins (7-7) 4
Patrick Corbin’s Blue Jays debut didn’t get off to a great start, as the Twins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first thanks to Ryan Jeffers launching a three-run shot. However, that was as good as it got for Minnesota — they got four hits in the other eight innings, and only one of them helped out with a Brooks Lee solo shot in the fourth getting them their only other run.
On the other side, Toronto was dormant for the first three innings but exploded in the fourth. Three of the first four batters to step to the plate hit doubles, plating two of them, and then Andrés Giménez singled to make it 4-3 Twins. Brandon Valenzuela tipped the scales with a two-run shot — his first career homer — to give the Blue Jays the lead for good and capped off the five-run frame, and from there Toronto scored at least a run in every other inning that they batted in.
St. Louis Cardinals (8-5) 3, Boston Red Sox (4-9) 2
The Red Sox acquired Dustin May at the deadline last year from the Dodgers in a trade that has infamously gone south fast, as the main get for LA in James Tibbs III has been on a tear in the minors since, and then May pitched to the tune of a 5.40 ERA in all of six appearances for the Sox. May became a free agent and signed with St. Louis over the offseason, and just to rub salt in the wound turned around and held them down in his first time facing off with them since the move. He pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) with four hits and no walks against four strikeouts. All of the damage came in the fourth inning, when Trevor Story grounded into an RBI and later managed to steal home on a double steal.
The Cardinals scored the first run of the game back in the second inning, getting a leadoff double from Ramón Urías and eventually a sacrifice fly to bring him home. The fifth inning was when they managed to take the lead back after Connelly Early exited with one out, Zack Kelly entering in relief and immediately causing a jam. He gave up a single to Jordan Walker and walked Urías, surrendered another single to Thomas Saggese that tied the game at two, fired off a wild pitch and then allowed a sac fly to fall behind 3-2. The inning mercifully ended on a Pedro Pagés fly out, but Boston mustered just one hit the rest of the way and failed to score them.
Tatsuya Imai has had a very Jekyll and Hyde beginning to his MLB career, debuting with a clunker of a game against the Angels before rebounding with 5.2 shutout innings against the A’s. The pendulum swung back to terrible, and the results were extreme — he failed to escape the first inning, letting the first five batters reach on three walks, a single, and a hit-by-pitch. A groundout exchanged a third run in the inning for the second out of the frame, but another walk forced Joe Espada’s hand and he relieved his starter after recording just two outs. Imai’s ERA is a gaudy 7.27 now, something that surely would’ve gone over well in New York had the Yankees landed him.
Surprisingly, the Astros managed to get him off the hook for the loss immediately despite the short start. Houston scored three runs of their own in the second, loading the bases with no outs before Emerson Hancock battled back to get two consecutive outs. However, he needed three, and Christian Vázquez doubled instead to clear the bases.
So, with the score knotted at three again the Mariners needed another jolt from an offense that has been fairly dormant thus far, especially the top of their order. Randy Arozarena is one of the few bats that has been turning it on, and he broke out with a two-run shot in the fifth inning to take the lead back for good.
The seventh inning put the nail in Houston’s coffin, as they put up a four-spot to triple their lead. Dominic Canzone smashed a double to the wall in right field to get the scoring started, a wild pitch brought home a second, J.P. Crawford got a much-needed hit to score the third run and raise his batting average to .150 on the year, and Cal Raleigh capped off the rally with a groundout to plate the fourth run. Yordan Alvarez did launch a three-run missile to cut the deficit in half in the eighth, setting up a tense ninth inning when Andrés Muñoz walked two batters to bring the tying run to the plate. Jeremy Peña couldn’t convert, however, grounding out as Muñoz picked up his first save of the year.
Other Games
Detroit Tigers (5-9) 2, Miami Marlins (8-6) 0: The Tigers have hardly been inspirational to start the year, but they got a much-needed gem from Keider Montero to lead the way in a shutout. He pitched six innings, allowing just two hits and striking out seven while his offense converted three-straight singles into a run in the second and Javier Báez managed to pull a ball placed near the bottom of the other batter’s box out to left field for a solo shot in the fifth. He may strike out a ton on that very same pitch, but at least he proved he can do damage to that pitch if he ever makes contact.
Atlanta Braves (9-5) 11, Cleveland Guardians (8-6) 5: For a time, Cleveland looked to be in good position to win this game. They managed to chase Bryce Elder from the game in the fifth inning after working a pair of walks and punching an RBI single to take a 2-1 lead, but it all came crashing down in a disastrous sixth inning. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a homer, Matt Olson followed up with a two-run shot two batters later, Dominic Smith punched a run in on a single, and then Michael Harris Jr. fulfilled the rule of thirds with another home run to bring six total runs in across the inning. The floodgates opened from there, Atlanta scoring two runs in the seventh and eighth innings each, while Cleveland mustered up three in the eighth but could do no more than that.
Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Enrique Bradfield Jr. singlehandedly delivered the Tides a comeback win, driving in all four Norfolk runs — two in the seventh and two in the eighth — to fry the Jumbo Shrimp. For much of the game, the Norfolk lineup was absolutely dominated by Jacksonville starter Robby Snelling, the Marlins’ #2 prospect, who racked up 12 strikeouts in his five scoreless innings. But they rallied against the bullpen. In the seventh, Bradfield socked a game-tying, two-run homer, a 376-foot shot to right. It was Bradfield’s first of the year and just the eighth of his professional career, an impressive bit of power for a guy not known for his pop.
An inning later, Bradfield came up again with the bases loaded in a tie game, and lined a sharp single to center to plate two runners. What a day at the plate for Enrique, who can fast-track his arrival to the majors if he’s able to show this kind of offense on a more consistent basis. No other Tides hitter had a particularly notable day, and Jackson Holliday wasn’t in the lineup.
Starter Nestor German held the Jumbo Shrimp to one run in 4.2 innings in his third start of the year, and four relievers combined to allow just one (unearned) run. Chayce McDermott and Andrew Magno each worked a scoreless frame with two strikeouts. A rehabbing Kyle Stowers was 0-for-3 against his former team.
The Baysox busted out the bats with their first double-digit run total of the season. Nearly everyone in the lineup contributed. Seven of the nine batters had a hit, seven of nine had an RBI, and seven of nine scored a run. First baseman Ethan Anderson went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, Carter Young hit a three-run homer, and Aron Estrada swatted a solo shot. The Baysox also went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position. You’re going to win a lot of games that way.
The ample run support boosted starting pitcher Luis De León, who gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits in five innings. It was a solid if unremarkable effort from the Orioles’ top pitching prospect. Three Chesapeake relievers allowed a run apiece but each also struck out three.
High-A: Frederick Keys 3, Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox) 2
Joseph Dzierwa is good, y’all. The 2025 second-round pick delivered an excellent seven-inning start, giving up six hits, striking out three, and walking nobody. He has a 1.38 ERA in his first two pro starts after a standout showing in spring training. The Keys assured Dzierwa wouldn’t be left with a no-decision by scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth on a Braylin Tavera RBI double.
Cleanup man Victor Figueroa powered a two-run homer to account for Frederick’s other runs. Wehiwa Aloy went 2-for-4 while Nate George took an 0-for-4 from the leadoff spot, though he did have an outfield assist. Ike Irish did not play. In the bullpen, Hans Crouse and Ryan Cabarcas each worked a scoreless inning to preserve the one-run victory.
Low-A: Augusta GreenJackets (Braves) 7, Delmarva Shorebirds 3
A Delmarva loss prevented the Orioles affiliates from pulling off a clean sweep on this night. It was a tie game entering the seventh before Augusta plated two runs in the sixth and another pair in the eighth. Shorebirds starter Brayan Orrantia gave up three runs in 3.1 innings, and reliever Dalton Neuschwander was tagged with the loss in his professional debut, allowing two runs. Neuschwander was the Orioles’ 10th-round pick last year.
The Shorebirds’ runs were driven in by Jordan Sanchez, on an RBI double, and DJ Layton, on a bunt single. Designated hitter Junior Aybar led the team with two hits, including a double.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 10: The bat on the Ichiro Suzuki statue is broken during the unveiling of the Ichiro Suzuki statue before the game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning folks! I hope you’re all having a pleasant Saturday.
The Mariners partied on Friday night, taking down the Astros in an offense-happy affair 9-6.
Believe it or not, Cole Young remains the Mariners’ top position player so far by fWAR. Do you believe in his performance so far? On the one hand, he’s looked very mature as a 22-year old and is playing stellar defense. On the other, he’s got jut a .294 xwOBA.
In Mariners news…
In case you missed it, the Ichiro statue unveiling went wrong when the statue’s bat broke during the big reveal.
Major League Baseball introduced a new all-access YouTube series called “Chasing 162” which will follow Julio Rodríguez and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in their chase to stay healthy all season long.
Aaron Goldsmith talked about how Randy Arozarena being in a contract year could make things difficult for the Mariners when they call up Colt Emerson.
Apr 10, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic (50) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images
“I think being able to locate those in zone and get chase on them when you get ahead in counts (was key),” Bubic said.
“I think to be able to do both of those successfully was huge tonight. “I’m not a guy that’s pumping upper 90s or something like that. But that enabled me to get through those middle innings and get some quick outs there.”
Case in point: Bubic struck out White Sox leadoff hitter Chase Meidroth three times Friday night. The first came on a sweeper – that Perez correctly challenged as a strike – and the next two on sliders.
“The spin can play to both righties and lefties,” Bubic said. “… Just pairing both of those spin to righties with the sweeper early, being able to steal strikes with that, and then finishing with a fastball up or a gyro slider down below. The pairing was really good there, and the mix was really good.”
All I can do at this moment is remind you that we aren’t even 10 percent of the way into the season. Andy Pages has a .438 on base percentage. Aaron Judge has a .488 slugging percentage. These things are going to change a great deal between now and the end of the season. The Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox each have just four wins. They are better than this.
The Royals are supposed to be better than what we’ve seen this week.
The angst is understandable. Scars run deep and we’ve seen plenty to scare a normal person completely off baseball. Some of the action we’ve seen this year—again, especially this week—has been dull and uninspired. Yet the season is young. The story is still being written. That’s why I’m here; that’s why I chronicle this team. I want to see how it ends.
Just two balls even left the infield against Chourio, both coming as flyouts in the second. Despite throwing a first-pitch strike to just six batters, the Royals’ No. 3 prospect finished with a 64.4 percent strike rate (38 of 59). Righty Jhon Reyes and lefty Jordan Woods combined to finish off the shutout, allowing a lone single as a blemish on their marks.
It marks Chourio’s second career start in which he retired every batter he faced, coincidentally having done so against Myrtle Beach on Aug. 14, 2025. Only four members of the Pelicans’ lineup were the same this go-round, with a whole new batch finding out the hard way what Carolina League batters have learned in short order: Chourio’s stuff is legit.
Chourio’s delivery is simple and repeatable, his lean frame athletic and increasingly strong. He commands the strike zone with a poise and confidence that belies his youth. That command, combined with his velocity and movement, gives him a profile that could project as a frontline starter if he continues on this trajectory. Advanced metrics show that Chourio’s season pitching percentiles include below-average wOBA (40th percentile), strikeout rate (55th percentile), whiff rate (31st percentile), CSW percent (40th percentile), swing percent (26th percentile), and SwStr percent (42nd percentile) per FanGraphs. However, he posted a strong ground-ball rate in the 80th percentile and an excellent walk rate in the 74th percentile, at just 7.1 percent, highlighting his ability to control the strike zone and keep hitters on the ground.
Rickard Rakell has piled up the points of late, sitting tied for 14th in scoring over the last 18 games.
My Capitals vs. Penguins predictions see Rakell having another productive outing against a Washington team struggling to limit chances.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Saturday, April 11.
Capitals vs Penguins prediction
Capitals vs Penguins best bet: Rickard Rakell Over 0.5 points (-155)
Rickard Rakell has points in 16 of his last 18 games, averaging a healthy 1.3 points per game. Rakell has three times as many multi-point performances (six) as scoreless efforts (two) along the way, highlighting his incredible consistency.
While the Washington Capitals still have a lot to play for, you wouldn’t know it looking through their defensive metrics.
They rank 29th in high-danger chance share at 5-on-5 over the last 10 games, and have conceded six power play goals over the last seven.
They are vulnerable, and Rakell should take advantage.
Capitals vs Penguins same-game parlay
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been extremely productive since returning from injury, recording assists in nine of 11 games while piling up 13 total.
Both misses came against the Lightning (third in goals allowed) and the Senators (third in shots allowed), a pair of exceptional defensive teams. The Capitals are not nearly as stout.
On the other side, Rasmus Sandin is a strong candidate to block a couple of shots. He is routinely logging 20+ minutes in Washington’s push for the playoffs, and has blocked at least two shots in seven of his last nine.
Capitals vs Penguins SGP
Rickard Rakell Over 0.5 points
Sidney Crosby Over 0.5 assists
Rasmus Sandin Over 1.5 blocked shots
Capitals vs Penguins odds
Moneyline: Washington +105 | Pittsburgh -125
Puck line: Washington +1.5 (-225) | Pittsburgh -1.5 (+185)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-105) | Under 6.5 (-115)
Capitals vs Penguins trend
Rickard Rakell has hit the score sheet in eight of his last nine home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Penguins.
How to watch Capitals vs Penguins
Location
PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Date
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Puck drop
3:00 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Capitals vs Penguins latest injuries
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.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 10: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals hits an RBI double in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ladies and gentleman, James Wood is all the way back. After a rough second half and a concerning first couple series, the big fella is back to absolutely destroying baseball. I have to say, I’ve got to eat some crow on this. I said the Nats had a James Wood problem, and it turns out the other 29 teams are the ones with a James Wood problem.
Anyone saying the James Wood problem isn't real is lying to themselves
In my defense, I was not the only one concerned. After a rough finish to last season, which saw him strike out nearly 40% of the time in the second half, there was reason to be concerned. However, at the end of the day, raw talent usually wins out. Everyone knew the talent level of Wood, it was just frustrating to see him not put it together after his amazing first half.
So what has gotten Wood back on track? The biggest thing I have seen is that Wood is hunting mistakes. For a while, Wood was simply too passive at the plate. He was letting too many meatballs just whiz by him into the strikezone. Right now though, you cannot sneak a heater by this guy.
Wood has clearly been in the lab with Matt Borgschulte working on his approach at the plate. During Blake Butera’s press conferences when Wood was struggling, he kept mentioning how Wood told him his swing was feeling great. That felt odd to me at the time, but now it makes sense. Wood did not have a swing problem, he had an approach problem.
He and Borgschulte have figured out the right balance between patience and aggression. Right now, Wood is just hunting fastballs and spitting on the breaking stuff. He is also hammering balls to center and left center, which is what Wood does when he is at his best.
The Nats have had a lot of great hitters over the years, but I am not sure any of them have quite the same amount of raw horsepower that Wood does. Last night, he hit two balls over 115 MPH. In the first inning, he hit an absolute laser on a line that almost carried out of the deepest part of American Family Field.
This kind of power is why he was a part of the Home Run Derby last year. Ironically, that event seemed to mess with his swing, so I don’t think he will be going back anytime soon. Wood being slightly hot and cold makes sense given his size and age. He is a massive dude who has plenty of moving parts to his swing.
That makes it frustrating when he is not on his game. However, when all those parts are moving well, it is like watching a beautiful symphony of destruction. Right now, his mishits are going about 100 MPH off the bat.
Seeing Wood when he is locked in makes his struggles even more frustrating. He is such a talented player, who has bat to ball skills when he is on his game. Wood has just three strikeouts compared to four walks in his last five games. This is not a Joey Gallo type that just misses at an insane clip. He works deep counts and can be passive when he is off, which can lead to strikeouts.
There is some pure hitting ability here though. His quality of contact and line drive approach means his average will never get that low either. Even after his disastrous second half, Wood still had a respectable .256 average. When he is right, Wood is not just a one dimensional slugger.
This heater is insane to watch. The big fella has four straight multi-hit games. He is also the only player with multiple batted balls over 116 mph so far this season. His 24.3% barrel rate and 59.5% hard hit rate are absolutely bonkers.
James Wood has 4 hits tonight.
⚾️ 9 for his last 17 at plate ⚾️ AVG up to .268 ⚾️ OPS is up to .930 ⚾️ Now has 11 RBI in just 13 games ⚾️ Only player in MLB with two balls hit 116 MPH
After his strikeout heavy start to the season, Wood has managed to get his strikeout rate below 30%. That 30% mark feels like a magic number for him. With how big he is, there will always be strikeouts and that is fine. However, he can still be an elite hitter with a k% in the high 20’s. Once it gets to 30%, things start to get dicey for him. Right now, he is not even in the top 10 for number of strikeouts.
It is great to see that number get under control because we all know what Wood does when he makes contact with the ball. I would argue that Wood has the best opposite field power in baseball. He makes ballparks look small and hits balls out at crazy low trajectories.
For a lot of players, they need to tap into their pull side to hit for power. However, that is not the case for Wood. He is at his best when he is thinking about going the other way. Wood is such a physical freak that he can hit balls out to left field like a right handed pull hitter. His air pull percentage is 2.7%, and do you know what, that is fine by me.
When you have outlier power like Wood does, just do what makes you comfortable. For Wood to take the next step and become a 50 home run guy like Aaron Judge, he may need to pull it more, but he is 23, there is plenty of time for that.
For now, it is great to see Wood exhibiting a confident approach at the plate. At the end of last year and the beginning of this year, he was constantly on the defensive. Now, he is taking the initiative and putting pitchers on the back foot. When James Wood is doing that, he is one of the best hitters in baseball.
Controversial penalty sparks 2-0 Ipswich win at Norwich
Bottom-side Wednesday draw 0-0 at leaders Coventry
Ipswich gave their hopes of automatic promotion a massive boost by recording a hard-fought 2-0 win over Norwich at Carrow Road, while Coventry must wait for another day after being held 0-0 at home by Sheffield Wednesday.
Ipswich moved into the top two, with at least a game in hand on their nearest rivals, as first-half goals from Jaden Philogene, with a harsh penalty, and George Hirst completed a long overdue double over their East Anglian rivals.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 19: Aaron Holiday #0 of the Houston Rockets shoots against Craig Porter Jr. #9 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Rocket Arena on November 19, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Rockets defeated the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers 114-104 on Thursday night at Toyota Center in Houston. However, after a near collapse in the fourth quarter, Houston needed offensive production, and they found it from none other than guard Aaron Holiday. In his 14 minutes of action, Aaron Holiday was 3-of-5 and scored seven vital points, but what’s most important is his role during the fourth quarter.
Houston was leading 96-73 going into the fourth. Other Rockets fans and I were feeling alright, but just like during the Sun’s game Tuesday, the tables quickly turned. It looked like the game was going to get out of control as the momentum was shifting fast, and Houston was unable to rely on its young players during this stretch, so they turned to the veterans. In the last quarter of the game, the Sixers scored 29 points while the Rockets made only 5 of 20 shots. However, the shots that were made were timely. The Rockets’ ability to make timely shots was crucial. Ime Udoka called a timeout right away after Philly trimmed the margin to 101-94 with almost four minutes remaining in the game. The Rockets would score two consecutive corner threes: one from Kevin Durant after Aaron Holiday drove to the basket, and another from Aaron Holiday after Kevin Durant assisted. This means that during both key possessions, Aaron Holiday found a way to get involved.
Holiday’s production wasn’t only against Philadelphia as he saw an increased run in games versus Utah, Golden State, and Phoenix, scoring six points versus both Utah and Golden State, and 12 points versus Phoenix. Aaron Holiday is the quintessential backup guard who perfectly embodies the next man up mentality. The Rockets are going to need some production from him heading ito this year’s NBA Playoffs.
The Rockets will end their season Sunday night at home versus the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:00. As always, be sure to check back here at The DreamShake for pre- and postgame content.
The Dallas Mavericks (25-56) took on the San Antonio Spurs (62-19) Friday night in their penultimate game of the 2025-2026 season, which ended in a 139-120 loss. Dallas rolled in with a lengthy injury list that included the usual suspects this year, along with P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson.
The game started off closer than expected under the circumstances, but the Spurs pulled ahead by 11 points by the end of the first frame. Victor Wembanyama was expected to play around 20 minutes in order to meet qualifications for league honors, and clearly wanted to make the most of his time. He was red hot throughout the night (which ended with him playing 26 minutes) and was a big reason the Spurs jumped out to an early lead.
In the second quarter, the Mavs flipped the script and dropped in 39 points to cut the deficit to three points at the half. Cooper Flagg had a massive game of his own, nearly matching Wembanyama. The Mavs carried their momentum into the third quarter, taking the lead on multiple occasions before the wheels came off. The Spurs scored on nine-straight possessions and almost instantly put the Mavs in a hole they were unable to climb out of.
The fourth quarter basically amount to garbage time, but it was nice to see the Mavs come close to holding steady (getting outscored in the quarter 31-27) despite AJ Johnson, Tyler Smitth and John Poulakidas leading the charge in the late going. When all was said and done, the Mavs had a solid offensive performance but had no answer for Wembanyama and ultimately got blasted heading into their final game of the season.
The Mavs won the turnover battle
The Mavs won the turnover battle
Dallas has had some awful game in terms of turnovers, occasionally with one or more players tallying five or more each. Tonight was an entirely different story. Both teams took care of the ball, but the Mavs had only seven turnovers against a very good team. Oddly, Dwight Powell accounted for three of them, which itself is an anomaly. In the end, it wasn’t enough to save the Mavs from a lopsided loss, but seeing them take care of the ball against a team that could have made them look silly was a decent consolation prize.
Cooper Flagg’s Rookie of the Year push
Over the past few games, Flagg is clearly being featured even moreso than usual in a final effort to win Rookie of the Year honors. After an 11-point outing last game against the Phoenix Suns, Flagg was back to his old self, pouring in 33 points on 52% shooting on 25 shots; nearly double the next closest Mav (Ryan Nembhard with 13 attempts). Throughout it all, Flagg continues to play within himself and the team’s gameplan. Nothing he did on Friday night felt forced and he even dished out five assists. It’s insane to me to think Flagg has a chance at missing out on ROY, and if nothing else, this burst over the past week will at least make for an eternal argument in the annals of NBA history if he doesn’t win the award.
Max Christie finding his shot
Mette Robertson recently covered a podcast that Cooper Flagg partook in. With him was Max Christie, who spoke about what he is learning from Klay Thompson. Particularly, Christie commented on getting his shot off quicker, a sentiment he reiterated in his postgame interview. Christie was 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, and 5-for-12 overall in Friday’s game. His shot looked good and was noticeably quicker. He even got one off from the corner with Wembanyama closing out on it, hitting nothing but net. That Christie is willing to learn and has one of the greatest shooters to learn from, is a positive sign going forward. The Mavs are at the bottom of the league in everything three-point related, and will need Christie to help reverse that trend next year and beyond.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 10: Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas #5 celebrates in the dugout during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 10th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Diamondbacks Mount Four-Run Comeback to Take Game One in Philly Michael Soroka had his first clunker of the year, but he still managed to limit the damage after a four-run first inning to keep the team in the game. Then, the Diamondbacks went to work on Philadelphia’s bullpen.
Diamondbacks Five-Run Fifth Powers Comeback Victory Michael Soroka gave up four runs in the first inning while battling control issues. Then, Gabriel Moreno was lifted in the third inning for a mysterious injury. Fans of the team would be forgiven if they decided to tune out and go watch something else. But then, the Diamondbacks shut down Philadelphia for eight innings and threw up a big inning of their own in the fifth.
What the Mets Series Win Says About the Snakes Eduardo Rodriguez and Jose Fernandez are making lots of noise and the Snakes are finding ways to win even with an ice-cold Marte and without Corbin Carroll.
Top-Five Up-the-Middle Defenses in MLB With honourable mentions, the list extends to seven teams and yet, somehow Arizona still doesn’t make the cut. Seems a bit suspect to me.
The Ottawa Senators visit the New York Islanders this afternoon in a crucial battle for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jake Sanderson has been a huge addition to the Sens lineup since returning from injury, and I’ll be looking for the blueliner to contribute offensively again in my Senators vs. Islanders predictions and NHL picks for Saturday, April 11.
Senators vs Islanders prediction
Senators vs Islanders best bet: Jake Sanderson Over 0.5 points (-135)
Jake Sanderson returned to the Ottawa Senators lineup last weekend after missing 13 games with a shoulder injury, and the defenseman has made an immediate impact.
Sanderson has logged five points in his past three games, finding the score sheet each time while recording two points in his last two outings.
The blueliner has given Ottawa an offensive boost, as the Sens enter Saturday on a three-game win streak with at least five goals in each victory.
Ottawa’s offense will come through again in a crucial matchup against the New York Islanders, and Sanderson will factor on at least one goal.
Senators vs Islanders same-game parlay
Brady Tkachuk leads the Senators in scoring this month with eight points in five games, finding the score sheet in three straight and seven of his last nine contests.
Ottawa has won four of its last five games, while New York has just one win in its last five outings.
Senators vs Islanders SGP
Jake Sanderson Over 0.5 points
Brady Tkachuk Over 0.5 points
Senators moneyline
Senators vs Islanders odds
Moneyline: Senators -137 | Islanders +114
Puck Line: Senators -1.5 | Islanders +1.5
Over/Under: Over 6 | Under 6
Senators vs Islanders trend
The Senators have covered the Puck Line in 15 of their last 25 away games (+9.35 Units / 27% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Islanders.
How to watch Senators vs Islanders
Location
UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
Date
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Puck drop
1:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN5
Senators vs Islanders latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Head coach Brian Keefe of the Washington Wizards talks with Bub Carrington #7 against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at Chase Center on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, the Washington Wizards lost to the Miami Heat, giving them a nine game losing streak. They are 17-64 with one more game left to go. The Indiana Pacers have 19 wins, so that makes them officially … the worst team in the 2025-26 NBA season.
The Wizards will officially finish the 2025-26 season with the NBA’s worst record. pic.twitter.com/nqJi1XPsKX
With the acquisitions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis before the trade deadline, it appears that Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger and General Manager Will Dawkins are ready to turn the page on another sub-20 win season. Hopefully this past season is the last time when we are quietly wondering whether losing is actually winning, if you know what I mean.
