WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 23: Cade Cavalli #24 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on April 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For much of his professional career, Cade Cavalli was somewhat of a myth to Nationals fans. A 2020 1st round pick with loads of upside, blazing his way through the minor leagues with electrifying stuff. He got a taste of the bigs in 2022, but an elbow injury during 2023 Spring Training kept him out of the spotlight and the field for the following 2+ seasons.
He fought his way back to Washington at the back end of 2025, posting decent statistics, but looking far from the prospect he once was. Many labeled him as a potential breakout candidate in 2026, but he struggled with putting hitters away in his first few outings.
However, at long last, Nats fans’ once-promised frontline starter may be knocking on the door.
Definite conclusions can’t be fully drawn from a 2-game sample, but Cavalli seems to have unlocked something. In appearances against the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, the righty threw a combined 11.0 innings, allowed just 4 total runs, and struck out 10 hitters in back-to-back starts, something that has only been done by 4 other arms in Nationals’ history.
Back-to-back 10-strikeout games in Nats history: Max Scherzer (20 instances) Stephen Strasburg (6 instances) Patrick Corbin Gio Gonzalez Cade Cavalli
The stuff is ticking up, and Cavalli has simply looked in complete control of the game for much of the time. His strikeout rate has climbed from 18% in 2025 to to 27% in 2026, his HardHit% has dropped from 41% to 36%, and his Expected Batting Average Against has been lowered from .259 to .246.
Digging even deeper, his 3.82 ERA, which already registers as a decent mark, may also be discrediting just how effective Cavalli has become. To say that he’s gotten unlucky so far would be an understatement. His FIP is all the way down to a 2.82, an entire run below his ERA, and his BABIP has climbed to over .400, a clear sign that positive regression is on the horizon.
Most of the issues that plagued the beginning of his 2026 campaign stemmed from not being able to miss bats and put away hitters. In the same fashion as just about every other one of his metrics, that has changed for the better, including during his latest start against the Mets, where he generated 18 whiffs, finishing 2nd among MLB starting pitchers in that regard on April 29th.
His 5-pitch mix has found a blend of timing, movement, and command that has given opposing lineups major struggles recently. If the underlying data doesn’t do it for you, just turn on his next start, because he certainly passes the eye test. Putting it bluntly, Cavalli looks like the future of the Nationals’ rotation.
With CJ Abrams and James Wood playing like the true backbone of their offense for the foreseeable future, it’s about time that the pitching staff produced a star of their own. For all intents and purposes, Nats fans, Cade Cavalli is your guy, and it’s time to embrace him.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 30: Karl-Anthony Towns #32, Miles McBride #2 and Jose Alvarado #5 of the New York Knicks reacts to the score during the third quarter of a game against the Atlanta Hawks in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at State Farm Arena on April 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Most Knicks fans are younger than 65, meaning most have never seen this team win a championship. If you’re 40 or under, you missed Patrick Ewing. Any fan not yet old enough to vote wasn’t following Linsanity. But any Knick fan of any age who tuned in to last night’s rare bird of a Game 6 in Atlanta left with a brilliant feather in their cap: they witnessed the greatest single-game performance in franchise history — maybe league history.
An in-game graphic said the Knicks/Hawks game was one of 73,041 NBA games ever, regular-season and postseason. Winning in the most dominating fashion ever means accomplishing something that hasn’t happened 99.9999863091% of the time.
There were 14 unanswered points after the Hawks led 11-9, their last lead of the series and the season. That branched into a 17-2 burst by the visitors, who followed that up with with a 20-4 run. Zoom out a little and you’ll see all those separate rivulets of rampage merge into one long river flow, a.k.a. the Knicks outscoring the Hawks 67-14 over 16 first-half minutes.
The first thing Seth told me when I started writing recaps was not to drown them in numbers. Readers don’t go to the recap for stats; the box score’s got that covered. Numbers rarely, if ever, tell the story as truthfully and as colorfully as words.
Comrades: any one of a thousand numbers will tell you the story of last night. A few of the higher-quality gemstones:
Their 47-point halftime lead was the largest in playoff history.
Same with their 53-point lead after the third quarter.
Their biggest lead was 61, a playoff record in the play-by-play era (1996-97).
Their 140 points is a new franchise high.
OG Anunoby scored 26 in the first half. Atlanta didn’t score that many until the game was more than 20 minutes in.
With his second triple-double this week, Karl-Anthony Towns joined Walt Frazier as the only Knicks with multiple triple-doubles in the same postseason.
KAT was so in the groove playmaking that he didn’t score his first field goal until the Knicks were up 60. Not gonna research this, but I’m pretty sure that’s the first time in league history a team went up 60 before one of their future Hall of Famers had made a single basket.
The Hawks averaged 14.2 turnovers a game this season, a solid number (10th in the league). They committed 14 in the first half. If you ever wondered how you and your friends would look playing an NBA team, re-watch the first quarter last night. The Hawks didn’t just struggle to score. It was a moral victory when they even got a shot off, with most of their efforts tightly contested and involving way too much east-to-west action. Usually when one team bosses another, I imagine a varsity team schooling the JV squad. This was more like watching the Knicks play the JV.
Two players in the entire league averaged two steals a game this season: Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson. By halftime, five Knicks already had multiple steals: OG with four, and KAT, Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and Jose Alvarado each with two.
Pacôme Djenon Dadiet score more points in eight minutes than two Atlanta starters (Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu) did all night.
15 Knicks scored. None played more than 29 minutes.
I could go on, but there are decency laws.
I stopped cheering about halfway through the second quarter. Joy morphed into awe, and I mean awe in its original, terrified meaning — not scared, but aware that you are in the presence of something you didn’t think was real, or you never expected to encounter. Imagine a friend, a good friend, not a best friend but someone you always enjoyed, knocked on your door today after being dead 10 years. You’d pro’ly feel a kind of elation. But it’d def be stir-fried up with some WTFs.
That’s how I felt last night. I don’t think I thought an NBA team could ever be up 60-19. Or up by 50-plus in the first half. And the effort never flagged. The Knicks were still flying around hustling up 60.
The one and only snag in the evening, or two, really, center on center Mitchell Robinson. He left for the locker room in the first half after landing awkwardly and hurting his ankle. Then he got elbowed in the chest by Daniels, who was wrapped up with Robinson and tried to throw him off, which is like me resenting that oak tree in front of me and trying to shove it out of my way. Mitch handled things well, I thought. Okongwu grabbed him from behind, which Richard Jefferson saw as a noble act of de-escalation; if you wanna turn the temperature down on the room, grab your man. Don’t be grabbing the other team.
Daniels — or maybe Jalen Johnson — must’ve said something, because after the initial shoves and whistles and swarming bodies came and went, Robinson felt the spirit move within him and the spirit was moving him back in the direction of his enemies. Given the league’s newfound (and grudgingly embraced) relaxed attitude in not suspending players for leaving the bench during altercations, one would hope with no punches thrown, both players ejected and no further shenanigans that Mitch will be available (and healthy) come Round 2.
Put a pin in these Hawks. They don’t figure to be going away anytime soon. They probably hit their ceiling this year, and they have reason to expect to keep moving on up next. They own the better of New Orleans and Milwaukee’s lottery pick. Their only rotation player not under contract or a team option next year is CJ McCollum, who Atlanta can likely bring back for closer to $20 million annually than the $30 million he made this year. Jonathan Kuminga, Mouhamed Gueye and Zaccharie Risacher all have team options. Jalen Johnson played all night like his team was down one. There’s something there.
As for what’s next for New York, we blessedly do not know. Won’t know till Saturday night, because somewhere out there some animal saw its shadow, and thus this spring there’s spring in Joel Embiid’s step. The heavily favored Celtics will face the Sixers in Game 7 instead of resting like our ‘bockers. It’s their bad luck to have encountered a foe more rarely seen in this world than the black mamba or the giant squid: a healthy 76ers. Can’t see Philly pulling it off. Then again, I didn’t think they could win Game 5 or 6.
Who would you rather play? What stood out to you last night? Did it change your expectations for the Knicks Quoth DavidLeebound22: “We witnessed Halley’s Comet.” When the solar eclipse hit a few years ago, it was the afternoon where I live. I will never forget the sound of alllllll of nature going silent when the sun disappeared, or the feeling it gave me. I felt the same last night. I may never live to see the Knicks win a ‘chip. But I’ve seen them play the game at the highest level possible, at the highest level possible. Last night was Mozart. It was Monk. It was indescribable.
Although the New York Yankees couldn’t sweep the Houston Astros on the road, they remain one of the hottest teams in baseball.
With the Baltimore Orioles entering tonight's matchup facing plenty of pitching questions, we don’t expect that to change. Read all about it in my Orioles vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks for Friday, May 1.
Who will win Orioles vs Yankees today: Yankees moneyline (-175)
This is a tough spot for the Baltimore Orioles, sending Triple-A call-up Cade Povich to face one of the hottest lineups in baseball with a depleted bullpen behind him.
The New York Yankees present Povich with the same problem they’ve posed to so many starters this season: a chase-reliant arm facing the team with the lowest chase rate in baseball.
That will force Povich to rely on competitive pitches like the heater, and that introduces a whole host of issues as New York enters this game ranking first in both barrel rate and hard-hit rate against the fastball over the last month.
I’ve projected the Yankees at -200, so while we are laying some juice, it’s worth it considering the Baltimore pitching situation.
COVERS INTEL: Cade Povich's chase percentage grades in the 89th percentile, but the Yankees swing out of the zone just 25% of the time.
Orioles vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-115)
Will Warren continues to overachieve, sporting an expected ERA that’s a full run higher than his actual one, with his expected FIP telling the same story.
While I expect the Yankees to prevail, Warren will run into issues with his bottom-30th percentile hard-hit rate, and the Orioles should do their part to help plate a couple of runs in the Bronx tonight.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 11-9, +1.62 units
Over/Under bets: 12-9, +2.72 units
Orioles vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Orioles +150 | Yankees -175
Run line: Orioles +1.5 (-155) | Yankees -1.5 (+125)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)
Orioles vs Yankees trend
New York has cashed the moneyline in 34 of its last 50 games (+7.90 Units / 9% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Yankees.
How to watch Orioles vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Friday, May 1, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
MASN, YES
Orioles starting pitcher
Cade Povich (1-0, 2.19 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Will Warren (3-0, 2.59 ERA)
Orioles vs Yankees latest injuries
Orioles vs Yankees weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Who will win Royals vs Mariners today: Mariners moneyline (-147)
The Seattle Mariners just took two out of three from the Minnesota Twins, winning back-to-back games to close out the series. While Bryan Woo is coming off a difficult start where he allowed seven earned runs, the righty has been dominant at home.
Across two outings in Seattle, Woo sports a 2.77 ERA, holding opponents to a .178 average. He owns a 3.86 ERA overall, and he’s coming up against a Kansas City Royals team that has been underwhelming offensively, averaging just 4.1 runs per game.
On the other side, Cole Ragans allowed seven earned runs in his last road start, and the lefty owns a 5.00 ERA overall. His road ERA balloons to 8.40, despite being dominant at home with an ERA under one. He’s held the M’s to a .194 average, but it’s a very small sample size.
COVERS INTEL: Cole Ragans has a 6.06 FIP so far, the worst of his big league career.
Royals vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Over 7 runs (-110)
While both of these teams rank 20th or worse in runs scored, Seattle, in particular, is producing more lately, scoring 12 runs across this two-game winning streak. Two of the last three meetings have also cashed the Over, and the M’s score more at home, averaging 4.67 runs.
The matchup clearly plays in their favor, too. Ragans has struggled immensely to find any consistency on the road, and Seattle is in a rhythm. Although Woo is wonderful at home, he has been a bit shaky lately, so I could see KC tagging him for a couple of runs as well.
Also, the Royals’ bullpen owns an atrocious 5.33 ERA. Seattle will win, and they will do the majority of the scoring.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets:9-9, -4.45 units
Over/Under bets:10-8, 0.48 units
Royals vs Mariners odds
Moneyline: Kansas City +124 | Seattle -137
Run line: Kansas City +1.5 (-167) | Seattle -1.5 (+140)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+114) | Under 7.5 (-137)
Royals vs Mariners trend
The Seattle Mariners have hit the Moneyline in 34 of their last 50 games at home (+11.90 Units / 14% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Mariners.
How to watch Royals vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Friday, May 1, 2026
First pitch
9:45 p.m. ET
TV
Apple TV
Royals starting pitcher
Cole Ragans (1-4, 5.00 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcher
Bryan Woo (1-2, 3.86 ERA)
Royals vs Mariners latest injuries
Royals vs Mariners weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
It's a busy Friday in Major League Baseball with 15 games on tap, and a litany of MLB player props to choose from.
We'll kick things off in the Mile High city, where Ozzie Albies looks to stay red-hot against a pitcher he's lit up regularly.
Read below for the rest of my favorite MLB picks for Friday, May 1.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Ozzie Albies
3+ total bases
+140
Jacob Misiorowksi
7+ strikeouts
-136
Andy Pages
1+ doubles
+250
Ozzie Albies 3+ total bases (+140)
Ozzie Albies has been tearing it up for the MLB-best Braves, with hits in 12 straight games, including picking up at least three total bases in five of his last seven games.
He has absolutely owned Rockies starter Jose Quintana, going 9-for-19. That's a .474 average, and a slugging percentage of 1.053, as he's homered off him three times, adding two doubles and four RBI.
There's not a better situation for him to keep raking.
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: BravesVision, Rockies.TV
Jacob Misiorowksi 7+ strikeouts (-136)
You can chase some better juice, like +128 odds for 8+ strikeouts, but Jacob Misiorowski is facing the Nationals for the first time in his career, and that's always a factor to consider.
This still feels like a decent number and odds, considering the Brewers' righty has recorded at least seven strikeouts in five of his six starts on the season.
Washington isn't exactly looking for great pitches. As a team, they're tied for 19th in team strikeouts per game at 8.72.
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Brewers.TV, Nationals.TV
Andy Pages 1+ doubles (+250)
Andy Pages continues to hit well after a forgettable postseason run, 12th in the majors with a .321 average, as the Dodgers open a set with St. Louis on Friday.
He has hits in five of his last six games, including three games with at least a double. Pages has picked up at least a hit in two straight vs. the Cards, including a two-double game.
It's a nice time to take a flier on a double, especially with those nice +250 odds.
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNLA, Cardinals.TV
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 5-12, -1.37 units
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.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 30: Vinnie Pasquantino #9 of the Kansas City Royals bats against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on April 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
April offered an early snapshot of who the Royals are – for better and worse. Mostly worse. The Royals ended the month tied for the fourth-worst record in baseball. While they’re not an expensive flaming dumpster fire like the Mets, Phillies, or Red Sox, the start is a huge disappointment for a team that had designs on making a run to the post-season.
How did the Royals get here? Here are the numbers that defined their April.
73
That was the Royals wRC+ with runners in scoring position (RISP), dead last in baseball. Overall, they hit .221/.316/.306 and had a 43.9 percent flyball rate, second-highest out of any team with RISP. Just 12.8 percent of Royals baserunners end up scoring, the sixth-lowest total in baseball. The bulk of the issues have come from the middle of the lineup, with expected run producers Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino among the worst in baseball in clutch situations. Both players had over 100 RBI last year, but Salvy is hitting just .135 with RISP this year, while Vinnie is hitting just .097.
This isn’t a new problem either, the Royals struggled to hit with runners on in the first half of last year. They improved significantly in the second half, but another slow start has fans wondering if the team needs to change their approach or even make a change in the hitting coach department.
13
Royals baserunners have made 13 Outs on the Bases so far this season, fourth-most in baseball. They’ve also been picked off six times, one shy of the league lead. Their success rate on steals is just 70 percent, the sixth-worst in baseball. Overall they’re in the middle of the league in Baserunning Runs, so I won’t go as far as to say they’re a terrible baserunning club. They have some speed, and they like to be aggressive, and when a team is struggling, you can understand trying to make something happen with your legs.
But for a team that struggles to score runs, they can ill-afford to give up baserunners. You can excuse some aggressiveness, but some of the gaffes seem to be the result of poor focus or preparation.
2.6
The Royals moved in the fences at the K this year to make it a more neutral park, and the team has responded by being a solid offensive team at home. They’re hitting .275/.364/.445 in the friendly confines of the K, for a 121 wRC+ that ranks as the fifth-best in baseball, and scoring a healthy 5.4 runs per game.
Road games have been an entirely different matter. The Royals are averaging just 2.6 runs-per-game on road trips, by far the worst in baseball. Salvy is hitting .161 on road trips. Isaac Collins must really miss Kansas City BBQ – he’s 1-for-32 on the road with a 41 percent strikeout rate.
It’s not like the Royals aren’t hitting home runs on the road. Instead, their poor hitting is due to hitting just .202 on the road, the worst in baseball. Maybe John Sherman is coddling them?
5.33
The Royals were the only team in baseball last year that did not lose a game they led going into the ninth inning. That streak ended in the second game of this year when closer Carlos Estévez coughed six runs in the ninth in a loss to the Braves. He was immediately shelved to investigate his velocity drop, and the bullpen has struggled ever since. The once-dominant Lucas Erceg has been inconsistent, and the back of the bullpen has been a bit of a mess. Adding injury to insult, the pitching depth has begun to be deplted with Stephen Kolek and Bailey Falter joining Estévez on the Injured List and Ryan Bergert out for the rest of the season following Tommy John surgery.
Daniel Lynch IV has been a bright spot, and Nick Mears and Matt Strahm have looked good at times, so there is hope the bullpen can find its footing. But the team is 1-5 in one-run games so far, and the offense does not leave the bullpen much room for error.
3.5
Despite stumbling to a poor start, the Royals end the month just 3.5 games back of first place in a mediocre division. No team in the AL Central has a winning record. After a series in Seattle this weekend, the Royals will have a stretch of ten consecutive games against divisional foes, and a hot stretch could get them right back in the mix. Baseball is a marathon and there is still plenty of season left to be played. The Royals have been a very flawed team, but they still have one of the best players in baseball and some talented players that can turn things around. But they’ll need their May numbers to bloom far more than their April showers.
No team ever wants to be in the same sentence with the 1962 Mets, especially one with a top-two payroll that entered the season as one of the top-five favorites to win the World Series.
In fact, the Mets are off to an even worse start than their 1962 counterparts, a team that was in its first year of existence.
It has taken a confluence of unfortunate events for them to arrive at this point.
There have been crippling injuries (first to Juan Soto, then to Francisco Lindor), underperformance from nearly every key player on the roster, less than ideal weather for most of the games they've played, and an absurd schedule that has resulted in New York having flown to the West Coast three times already.
But good teams overcome obstacles. And the Mets, to this point, are a bad team.
As they went through a 12-game losing streak before eventually snapping it at home -- only to go on to have a 3-6 homestand against the Twins, Rockies, and Nationals -- most of the noise surrounded manager Carlos Mendoza.
Mendoza, who also presided over the slow collapse that resulted in the 2025 Mets going from the best team in baseball in June to out of the playoffs, is in the last guaranteed year of his contract. When it comes to his future, there are two big things to ponder.
First, it's reasonable to wonder whether Mendoza is putting the Mets in the best position to succeed. Specifically, their constant mental and physical mistakes are alarming, and something (fairly or not) to lay at the feet of the manager. As is the comfort Mark Vientos had running through a stop sign before getting nailed at the plate, and then being defiant about it afterwards.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) watches from the dugout during the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
Second is whether or not a manager change at this juncture would impact anything for the Mets, with most of the players simply not performing. It has worked so far for the Red Sox and Phillies (whether their recent successes are a coincidence, a byproduct, or a bit of both).
A third, smaller thing to consider is what the point of a baseball manager is at all if they aren't going to get blame or credit. To put it in simper terms: if the Mets think Mendoza is helping them, he should stay. If they think he's hindering them, he should not.
But to go any further on the topic of Mendoza would be to ignore the main reason the Mets are in this position. And on Friday afternoon, president of baseball operations David Stearns rendered any discussion about the manager's immediate future moot, noting the team did not intend to move on from him.
Mendoza is managing a roster that was given to him by Stearns and the front office, following an offseason where the core of the team was gutted and replaced.
But this isn't about breaking up the core (which was understandable given how the 2025 season ended) or how those players are faring with their new teams (Pete Alonso has an 87 OPS+, Edwin Diaz is hurt, Brandon Nimmo started hot and is regressing but still has an OPS above .800, and Jeff McNeil has been about average).
In any event, this is about the players Stearns chose to replace that core with, not the fact that he dismantled it.
In fairness, there were many people (myself included) who got on board with what Stearns did after the shock of his initial teardown wore off. Late in the offseason, Stearns pounced while reshaping the Mets into a team most thought would be a serious World Series contender.
But while the ceiling was unmistakably high, the floor was dangerously low.
Apr 5, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Jorge Polanco (11) stands in the on deck during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. / D. Ross Cameron - Imagn Images
That things have gone wrong to this degree is shocking, but it was possible to see a lot of it coming.
When you add injury-prone players such as Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco, the likeliest outcome is that those players will deal with injuries.
Turning to Polanco at first base has not worked (because of injuries, not defense), and has resulted in lots of playing time there for Mark Vientos, whose regular presence in the lineup is hard to justify (as was noted here in December) given how he performed in 2025.
The offensive struggles of Bo Bichette shouldn't be a ding on Stearns. But, as is the case with every other big player who was brought in this offseason, Bichette had no experience playing in the New York market (or, like Devin Williams, recent trouble in it). The ability to perform in New York is valuable, and not every player has it.
Of all the moves, the most polarizing one was trading Nimmo for Marcus Semien. And while Semien wasn't Nimmo's replacement (that's actually Carson Benge), it's understandable that Semien and Nimmo continue to be linked.
I reject the notion that the Mets "salary-dumped" Nimmo. Instead, I viewed it then and now as a decision to get out of what Stearns felt would be the final years of a contract that is expected to age poorly. And while Nimmo's offense is still above average, his defense is well below average and regressing at a rapid rate.
Again, this is about who the Mets brought in, not who they shipped out. And in the case of Semien, they added a player whose offense was already regressing mainly because they felt his defense would be worth the tradeoff. So far, it hasn't been.
Another big issue is the amount of bounce backs the Mets were relying on, especially in the starting rotation.
New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Now, a month and change into the season, Senga pitched his way out of the rotation before landing on the IL, Manaea has been relegated to low-leverage relief innings, and David Peterson (one of the other aforementioned question marks) is also out of the rotation.
The struggles of some of the Mets' rotation members also led the Mets to carry three and sometimes four long relievers for a decent stretch of games, something that hamstrung the bullpen.
The worst-case scenario playing out for pretty much every big acquisition the Mets made this past offseason and every bounce back candidate they had is mind boggling. But it's a failure Stearns is going to have to own if things don't turn around.
What makes the 2026 season to this point so demoralizing for the fan base is the fact that the thrill of the 2024 run to the NLCS paved the way for a 2025 at Citi Field where the vibes were off the charts, even as the team slowly collapsed. The ballpark was packed, the chanting was spontaneous, and the decibel level of the crowd was high.
Part of that had to do with a connection the fans had to certain players who are now on other teams, but most of it had to do with winning. Winning cures all. It could even cure the 2026 Mets. But if that winning never comes, Stearns' 2025-26 offseason will be a cautionary tale.
Apr 28, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) watches as Boston Bruins center Marat Khusnutdinov (92) and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) go after the puck during the third period in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Timothy T. Ludwig/Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Closeout time has arrived in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the pressure to avoid a Game 7 squarely is on Montreal, Buffalo and Vegas.
A tantalizing tripleheader of Game 6 action begins with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s visit to the Canadiens and the Sabres’ trip to Boston, followed by the Golden Knights visiting the Utah Mammoth in the nightcap.
While the Knights have had a wealth of postseason success — more than their share, most of their opponents would say — during their first nine seasons in the NHL, the Mammoth will look to stay alive for their first playoff series victory since moving to Salt Lake City last season.
Meanwhile, a series-clinching win would be nothing less than monumental for the Canadiens and the Sabres, whose hockey-hungry markets would love to see the second round again.
No fan base in the league has been hungrier for longer than Buffalo, which went 14 years without seeing a playoff game before these Sabres won their first Atlantic Division title this spring.
They’ve got an even bigger step to take now, however — learning to close out a playoff series. The Sabres barely failed in their first chance, losing Game 5 at home in overtime to the resilient Bruins.
Then again, Buffalo’s lineup didn’t have a lot of experience, with just 10 players having previously appeared in an outing with a chance to eliminate an opponent.
“We trusted the process to get to this point,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “You’ve got to continue to trust it. It’s a team (that for) a whole year has won together and lost together, but embrace this moment -- and somebody for us is going to be a big time player. I can’t tell you who that is, but somebody will.”
Buffalo’s power play continues to sputter: Rasmus Dahlin’s goal in Game 5 was the Sabres’ first with the man advantage in 18 opportunities this series. Buffalo enters Game 6 having converted one of 20 power-play chances against Boston after going 0-for-22 to close the regular season.
The Sabres’ last playoff series victory was in the second round in 2007 against the New York Rangers.
Vegas Golden Knights at Utah Mammoth
When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday, 10 p.m. EDT (ESPN).
Series: Golden Knights lead 3-2.
The Golden Knights are one victory away from advancing because of … special teams?
Vegas’ power play has remained a confounding problem for coach John Tortorella, who has tinkered with the first and second units to find some kind of answer for one of the NHL’s best groups in the regular season.
But special teams carried Vegas in a 5-4 double-overtime victory over the Mammoth. The first of Pavel Dorofeyev’s three goals came with the man advantage, and he forced OT with a six-on-five goal with 52.7 seconds left in regulation before Brett Howden’s short-handed winner.
The Golden Knights also killed all five of Utah’s power plays. The Mammoth have converted just one of 14 power plays this series.
“It really came up big for us tonight,” Tortorella said of the penalty kill. “It’s a skilled team, a very dangerous power play, really big in OT as far as the kill. It’s steadied itself. Utah gets a lot of momentum off their power play whether they score or not. I think we’ve done a better job as the series has gone on.”
The Golden Knights still need to find their own way on the power play. Dorofeyev’s first goal ended a drought of 13 power plays without scoring, and they are just 3 of 18 for the series.
Which makes it even remarkable Vegas is ahead. According to OptaSTATS, 29 teams have trailed in the third period of each of the first five games of a series, including the Golden Knights in this one. The other 28 teams trailed after five games or had been eliminated.
Not Vegas.
But it also gives the Mammoth plenty of hope as they try to stave off elimination. They have been right there, losing back-to-back games in overtime, or the Mammoth would already be preparing to face Anaheim or Edmonton in the second round.
“We’re a confident group and we believe in one another and our team,” Mammoth captain Clayton Keller said. “These are the most fun games to be a part of. Down 3-2, we get to go home and play in front of our fans. I’m fired up for that.”
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN).
Series: Sabres lead 3-2.
David Pastrnak’s breakaway goal 9:14 into overtime sealed a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres to keep the Bruins’ season alive.
They’re now back in TD Garden to try to do it again, but it hasn’t exactly been a haven in this series: The Bruins were outscored 9-2 in their home losses in Games 3 and 4.
It’s why coach Marco Sturm said the dramatic Game 5 victory doesn’t make them feel like they’ve cracked the code against Buffalo, even after some schematic changes that went Boston’s way.
The Bruins were 29-11-1 at home during the regular season.
“(Being home) should elevate your game,” Sturm said. “We’re against the wall, so home or away I see it more like we have to bring our A-game. Otherwise we go home, so we’re going to approach it that way. It’s a one-game mission again.”
Buffalo will be down one of its key contributors in this series as it looks to clinch its first playoff series victory since eliminating the New York Rangers in six games of a 2007 second-round series.
Rookie forward Noah Ostlund went down with a lower-body injury.
Sabres coach Ruff didn’t reveal what the injury was, but said, “it doesn’t look good.” Ostlund had just returned to the lineup from an upper-body injury in Game 3, in which he had a goal and assist.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN2).
Series: Canadiens lead 3-2.
This series has been an absolute thriller, with five consecutive one-goal victories, three overtimes and a host of late-game heroics by both clubs. Montreal is one win away from its first playoff advancement in five years, and the Bell Centre appropriately will be frenzied.
The Habs got immediate help in Game 5 from Brendan Gallagher, who scored a goal in his first appearance of the series following four scratches. The veteran’s grit and toughness around the net exemplified the way coach Martin St. Louis wants his players to approach the playoff-tested Lightning.
Tampa Bay is one loss away from its fourth consecutive first-round playoff exit, but coach Jon Cooper’s club can build on its gritty Game 4 victory in Montreal when it faces down the hostile crowd once again.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his two run home run with Max Muncy #13, to take a 7-4 lead over the Texas Rangers, during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are now in May, and we already looked at pitching highlights of April, so let’s shift the focus to the offense.
Andy Pages got off to a scorching start, won National League player of the week, and during the month hit .321/.366/.518 with a 145 wRC+. He leads the team in hits (36) and RBI (25) while manning center field.
Max Muncy leads the team with nine home runs, while hitting .287/.374/.594 with a 166 wRC+.
A down month for Shohei Ohtani at the plate still saw him hit .273/.406/.491 with six home runs, four stolen bases, and a 144 wRC+.
Dalton Rushing is second on the team with seven home runs despite only 52 plate appearances to date, while hitting .348/.423/.848 with a 244 wRC+.
Today’s question is who was your Dodgers position player of March/April?
The Orlando Magic will be without forward Franz Wagner for Game 6 against the Detroit Pistons with a right calf strain.
The Magic lead the Eastern Conference first-round best-of-seven series three games to two. Orlando has not advanced past the first round in the playoffs since 2010.
Wagner was injured during the third quarter of Orlando's 94-88 win in Game 4. He scored 19 points before leaving the game and has not played since.
Detroit, the top seed in the East, staved off elimination for at least one more game with a 116-109 victory in Game 5 behind Cade Cunningham's 45 points, a Pistons single-game playoff record.
Franz Wagner injury
Wagner will miss his second consecutive playoff game because of the tight calf strain. Should Orlando lose Game 6, it is unclear whether Wagner will be able to play in a Game 7 in Detroit.
Wagner, who was seen in a walking boot earlier in the week, has averaged 16.7 points during the series first four games.
After
enjoying a day off on Thursday, the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay
Lightning will be back on the ice tonight, and the Habs will have the
opportunity to advance to the second round with a win. Since moving to the Bell
Centre in 1996, the Sainte-Flanelle has eliminated its rivals only four times
in front of a capacity-filled building. A 3-0 win against the Pittsburgh
Penguins in 1998, a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins in 2002, a 5-0 win
against those same Bruins in 2008, and a 4-3 win against the Lightning in 2014,
a sweep. Then, twice in front of a
limited number of fans during its magical run to the Cup final in 2021, a 3-2
win against the Winnipeg Jets to finish the sweep and another 3-2 win, this
time against the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime on St-Jean-Baptiste day in
Game 6.
Can the
Canadiens do it once more on Friday night? Time will tell. Historically, the
Bolts have an 11-10 record in Game 6 of a series for a .524 winning percentage.
When the game is played at home, they are 6-6, and when it’s on the road, they
are 5-4. However, when they trail 3-2 in the series, they are 4-6 for a .400
winning percentage. When the series started at home, and Game 6 was played on
the road, they have a 2-1 record (.667 winning percentage).
Meanwhile,
the Canadiens have a 36-27 record in Game 6 of a series for a .571 winning
percentage. When that game is played on the road, they are 17-18, but at home
they are 19-9 for a .679 winning percentage. When they have a 3-2 series lead,
they have a 27-3 record for a stunning .900 winning percentage, and when the
series started on the road and Game 6 is played at home, they are 7-1 (.875 win
percentage).
If for many
of the young Habs this will be a first game in which they can eliminate their
rival, for a couple of veterans with the Lightning, facing elimination is just
another day at the office. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, a former Canadiens
first-round pick from the 2007 draft who was traded to acquire Scott Gomez,
will be playing his 31st game facing elimination; his team has come out on top
20 times. As for forward Corey Perry, he’s faced that situation 35 times, and
his team has won 19 of those games.
All eyes
will be on Martin St-Louis once more tonight to see if he makes any lineup
changes or lines adjustments. Will Brendan Gallagher play a second game in a row?
He has certainly proven that he can still make an impact on proceedings, even
with limited ice time. Will Josh Anderson still be with Nick Suzuki and Cole
Caufield? Will the Lady Bing finalist finally break through at even strength? Or
will the Canadiens’ depth scoring finish the job it started so well? Can the
Canadiens manage to keep Hagel off the scoresheet for a second game in a row?
It would certainly be a step in the right direction…
The Canadiens
will hold a morning skate at the Bell Centre at 10:30 AM, but by now we know
that St-Louis is unlikely to reveal much ahead of puck drop. The game is set
for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on CBC, TVAS, SN, ESPN2, and The Spot. Francis Charron and Jon McIsaac are set to officiate, while Jesse Marquis and Andrew Smith will be the linemen. If you're attending the game, be sure to be in your seat for the pump-up video, it yet another strong offering by the Canadiens. It will also be interesting to see who will carry the torch tonight. Cournoyer did it for Game 1, Savard did it for Game 3, who's next? Larry Robinson? Patrick Roy?
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 21: Pitcher Brandon Claussen #77 of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait during the Yankees' spring training Media Day on February 21, 2003 at Legends Field in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Brian Cashman was ready for a change. A 36-year-old Robin Ventura was showing signs of wear, slashing just .251/.344/.392. On a star-studded Yankees roster, his spot at third base seemed the most plausible position to upgrade. It just so happened that the Reds were in the midst of a fire sale and were looking to move a third baseman of their own, one six years younger and in the middle of a career year.
In separate moves, the Yankees GM spun Ventura off to the Dodgers and swung a deal with Cincinnati to replace him with one Aaron Boone. Cashman could never imagine how integral Boone would be to his team’s fortunes over the next two-plus decades. What he did know was that, to acquire him, he’d need to part with his most promising pitching prospect.
Brandon Allen Falker Claussen Born: May 1, 1979 (Rapid City, SD) Yankees Tenure: 2003
Brandon Claussen did not begin his journey in pro ball with much fanfare. The third player ever selected out of Howard College in Big Spring, Texas, he was taken by the Yankees in the now-defunct 34th round of the 1998 MLB Draft. As is the case for any unheralded prospect who makes it to the show, Claussen took a slow and steady path up the food chain. After proving himself at Rookie Ball, Low A, Single-A, and High-A, the left-hander broke out at Double-A in 2001, going 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 21 starts. Baseball America took notice, ranking Claussen as 37th-best prospect in baseball before the 2002 season.
Claussen made 15 starts at Triple-A that year and appeared to be on the doorstep of the Bronx. That’s when his ascent was stunted by the dreaded Tommy John surgery, ending his ‘02 campaign. “This isn’t career-threatening,” said Mark Newman, the Yankees’ senior vice president for baseball operations, encouragingly of the team’s top pitching prospect. “They do it with great effectiveness now. He’s a strong, hard-working kid, so he’s got as good a chance as anybody.”
The injury may actually have kept Claussen in pinstripes. He was a hot name in July trade talks, especially with the Blue Jays, who reportedly wanted him as the centerpiece of a deal for outfielder Raúl Mondesi. Toronto settled on a less highly-regarded lefty, Scott Wiggins, instead; they were mostly just happy to unload the surly Mondesi’s contract.
Newman’s optimistic angle on Claussen was proven right, as he returned to game action in late April. He bounced back admirably in 2003, making 11 starts at Triple-A to the tune of a 2.75 ERA. “He is quick to return from [Tommy John], but he feels he is very healthy,” Gordon Blakeley, the Yankees’ senior vice president for baseball operations, said. ”His stuff is back where it was before the injury.”
In the midst of this run of excellence, Claussen was called up for a spot start during a rare multi-stadium doubleheader against the Mets in order to keep the rest of the Yankees’ staff on regular rest. It was to be his only start for the team that drafted him. Claussen performed well, pitching around eight hits while allowing two runs (one earned) in 6.1 innings. Playing on the road at Shea Stadium, he even added a base hit and an RBI to cap off a stellar debut. “I was just going to go out and play my game,” he said after the win. “That’s what got me here.” The southpaw impressed his Hall of Fame manager as well. “His poise was unbelievable,” said Joe Torre. “He was very impressive.”
Despite a crowded starting rotation, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect appeared to have a bright future in pinstripes. But there was another major development during that doubleheader against the Mets that would end up cutting his Yankees tenure short. Torre benched Ventura for both games, noting that “his bat’s a little slow now.” After Claussen’s scheduled second start was rained out, he was optioned down to Triple-A as the deadline hot stove began to reach a smolder. The Yankees were looking to augment their bullpen and everyone from the Rangers (who were shopping Ugueth Urbina) to the Mets (Armando Benítez) to the Pirates (Scott Sauerbeck) and the Reds (Scott Williamson) were reportedly interested in Claussen as the centerpiece of their return.
Cashman held strong in his desire to retain the talented southpaw but relented once Boone was on the table. On July 31st, the GM shipped Claussen and fellow lefty Charlie Manning off to Cincinnati for the third baseman. “Brandon Claussen, in our opinion, is the real deal,” Cashman said after the move was finalized. “In terms of getting top talent, you have to rob Peter to pay Paul.” As had happened so many times before, the New York press suspected that the Boss had put his thumb on the scale to force his front office to sacrifice the future for the present. “The deal seems more like a hurried decision to appease George Steinbrenner, the principal owner, than a move that instantly addresses a primary weakness or provides an incredible player,” wrote Jack Curry for The New York Times.
Boone’s impact on the Yankees — first as a hero in the 2003 ALCS, then as the man whose offseason ACL injury opened the door for New York to acquire Alex Rodriguez, and finally as the team’s skipper for eight years and counting — is well-documented. For his part, Claussen finished the ‘03 season with Triple-A Louisville and would spend the next three seasons shuttling between there and Cincinnati.
In 57 starts over those years, he never fulfilled the potential that had enthralled much of the league, going 15-27 with a 5.12 ERA while walking 120 and striking out just 223 in 309.2 innings. In June of 2006, the 27-year-old was placed on the DL with a rotator cuff tear which would require surgery and end his days in a Reds uniform. The Nationals signed him to a one-year deal for the ‘07 season. After seven minor-league starts, he hung up his spikes for good, joining his father-in-law’s family tire business.
As of 2023, he was still in that line of work, running his own wheel repair shop in Lubbock, Texas. Rustin Dodd of The Athleticwrote a fantastic piece on Claussen that year in which he revealed his perspective on his reputation as a “bust.”
I think there’s so much emphasis on looking at the occupation to make you happy,” he said. “But what I’ve learned is a job is a job. If it’s a baseball, if it’s changing tires, it is what it is. It’s who you do it for and who you do it with.”
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Denzel Clarke #1 of the Athletics runs the bases against the Chicago White Sox in the bottom of the seventh inning of a major league baseball game at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics are out to a better-than-expected start as they sit atop the division with a 17-14 record and a one-and-a-half game lead over the Seattle Mariners. It’s only the first month of the season but April went about as good as you could hope for the A’s as they have the third-best record in baseball so far. They had a rough schedule that saw them on the road lots during the first month but on the bright side that just means more home games the rest of the way. That’ll be helpful down the line when the A’s are tired and don’t want to hit the road.
The calendar has now turned to May though and things will only get harder from here. The target is now on our backs and teams in the division know they can’t arrive to Sacramento and expect to automatically get two or three wins. This group of A’s has a lot more heart and is much more scrappy than the versions we saw over the past two years. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things to consider or watch moving forward. Things like…
1. How long is Jacob Lopez’s leash?
Lopez entered camp this year seemingly with nothing to prove but health after a solid rookie season that saw him post a 4.07 ERA across 21 games (17 starts). He helped to solidify the middle of an Athletics rotation that needed arms and really saved the starting staff with his out-of-nowhere season. Considered a throw-in in the trade that also brought Jeffrey Springs to the A’s, Lopez looked like a steal, and an under control one at that.
But so far this year things have not gone according to plan. Lopez’s spot in the starting rotation was not as secure as fans thought entering spring, with only the veterans Severino, Springs and Civale assured of starting roles to begin the year. Fellow starter Luis Morales was ahead of Lopez on the depth chart but he only made two starts for the big league squad before the team had seen enough and demoted him to Triple-A, replacing him in the rotation with J.T. Ginn, who has been a steady presence at the backend of the rotation since joining.
Severino’s contract makes it certain that he has a long leash. Springs has been the team’s best pitcher in the first month, and Civale is looking like a steal of a bargain for what he’s doing right now. Ginn is holding his own as well, and that means all signs point towards Lopez being the odd man out when the A’s want to get a look at a different young arm.
Lopez hasn’t done a whole lot to inspire confidence that he’s about to turn a corner. The 28-year-old has a rough 5.84 ERA this season and more walks (21) than strikeouts (18). He ended last year on the IL with a flexor strain in his pitching elbow, a worrying injury that made him a slight question mark all offseason long. It’s possible he’s not as healed as he thinks and is making bad adjustments to compensate, and with Mason Barnett looking good in Las Vegas Lopez’s time in the rotation could be short. He’s scheduled to get the ball on Saturday against Cleveland and he desperately needs a quality outing to ensure his spot in the starting staff.
2. What’s the plan when Denzel Clarke is healthy?
The gifted center fielder can certainly play his position as well as anyone in the game and a Gold Glove feels like a given if he gets enough playing time. It feels like the young outfielder is taking away hits and robbing home runs on a nightly basis, and that’s only barely hyperbole. He’s one of the best to play the position for the Athletics in a long, long time.
But the 26-year-old is hitting just .170 with a 24/4 K/BB ratio during the first month of the 2026 season. Those are even worse stats than last year when he was 26% worse than league average. This year? The 25-year-old is 84%(!) worse than league average. That’s… not good. At all. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise either though as Clarke struggles both during Spring Training and during Team Canada’s time in the World Baseball Classic.
While A’s fans had high hopes that Clarke could at least be serviceable in the batting order, he’s instead become a black hole, an automatic out that has cost the team plenty of times already. Clarke had shown promise in the upper minors and the A’s were ready to push the envelope with him just to get his glove to the big leagues faster. He was never going to be a speedster or a power threat, but the way he looks in the batter’s box makes one think he should not only be in the minors, but perhaps even back in Double-A.
Clarke needs to completely readjust his approach at the plate, but that’s hard to do in the middle of the season. This injury that he suffered shouldn’t prevent him from getting back out onto the field for too much longer, but it might behoove the A’s to let Clarke find himself with his bat down in Triple-A until he figures things out. That’s not what the Athletics were planning for when they essentially handed him the center field job to begin the year, but that’s where we are now. Will he be reinstated and immediately retake his spot in center upon his return?
3. Will the A’s have a closer?
Right-handed Joel Kuhnel has gotten the bulk of save opportunities since his promotion on April 7th. He’s 4-for-4 in that regard while allowing only three earned runs in that time, and his 2.70 ERA is looking mighty nice in the early going.
This has been an out-of-nowhere development for the bullpen. Kuhnel was brought aboard this offseason on a minor league deal after spending the past six seasons bouncing around the league. Before this season he hadn’t had much in the way of chances in the big leagues other than a 53 appearance season way back in 2022, when he posted a 6.36 ERA for the Reds. There wasn’t much thought then at the time other than “nice depth”, but Kuhnel is making the most of his opportunity right now.
But Kuhnel ran into some problems in the second game of the Royals series, allowing a run and giving the Royals a chance to have a late-game comeback. Thankfully Mark Kotsay came out to get his right-hander before things got more out of hand, giving Mark Leiter Jr. the chance to nail down his third save of the season. So what’s going to happen over the next month? Is Kuhnel our guy until he inevitably blows a save, and then it’s back up for grabs from that point on? Is his time as the closer already over? The A’s had another save opportunity yesterday and Kotsay went with Jack Perkins to finish off KC.
The hope is that the journeyman righty can continue to solidify the backend of the A’s bullpen. It worked out for the A’s at times last year but having a closer-by-committee isn’t a long-term way to use the relief unit. Everyone having their set roles and knowing when or where they might be used is beneficial to all those arms that are asked to come into games and lock down the win. It’s a highly stressful job, being a reliever in the big leagues, and asking guys to be ready at a moment’s notice for the entirety of a baseball game is just another added stress. Maybe Kotsay can press all the right buttons for six whole months (and hopefully playoffs), but there’s a reason a team like the Padres shelled out big time to acquire Mason Miller last year. Here’s to hoping we can lock someone into the closer’s role sooner rather than later.
NEW YORK — Luke Weaver thinks losing is weighing on the Mets and New York is being suffocated by its poor play.
Weaver gave up a go-ahead, two-run homer to CJ Abrams in the eighth inning that lifted the Washington Nationals to a 5-4 win and dealt the Mets their 17th defeat in 20 games.
“At the end of the day, this pursuit of perfection is just an ultimate pressurized failure mindset,” Weaver said softly during a lengthy postgame introspection. “Everybody wants to be the hero because we care and we want to win really, really bad, and I just don’t think success lives in that realm. It just truly doesn’t and I think the freedom of which we play day to day is just kind of being suffocated a little bit.”
New York is a major league-worst 10-21. The team’s .323 winning percentage through April is its fourth-lowest behind bad starts in 1962 (3-13), 1964 (2-10) and 1981 (4-10).
After overcoming a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead on MJ Melendez’s three-run homer in the third and Mark Vientos’ RBI double in the sixth, the Mets lost a game in which they were ahead for the 10th time this year.
Luis García Jr. singled on the first pitch of the eighth from Weaver, and Daylen Lile beat a relay throw to avoid a double play. Abrams drove a hanging changeup 403 feet to right-center.
“I want to do my job. It’s that simple. There’s moments that feel really close, and then there’s just one — mistakes that magnify our situation,” Weaver said. “And, so, of course I sit there and feel the weight of the world, and feel like I let the team down. But at the end of the day, I do feel like I’m in a good spot. It’s just, we sit there and we just tell you guys, ‘It’ll come. This is the game. This is the law of averages’ and all these things, but at the end of the day those words just don’t hold the same weight when you continue to go (lose) day after day.”
Much was expected from the Mets, whose offseason makeover saw Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz depart, and Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien and Devin Williams arrive. Thus far, it’s fizzled.
New York started the season with the major leagues’ highest payroll at $358.4 million. A big league-best 45-23 at the start of play on June 13 last year, the Mets are 48-76 since.
They are 27th among the 30 teams with a .227 batting average, 29th with 106 runs and 30th with a .631 OPS.
“Typically we don’t see an entire kind of collective group at the same time not playing their best brand of baseball,” Weaver said.
New York’s lone position players batting above .240 are $765 million slugger Juan Soto, whose 15-game absence because of a right calf injury coincided with a 12-game losing streak, and Melendez, who opened the season in the minors but has batted third behind Soto the last two games.
One-third of the Mets’ opening-day lineup is on the injured list. Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (lumbar spine disk herniation) joined shortstop Francisco Lindor (left calf) and first baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco (left Achilles, right wrist) are on the shelf.
Weaver and Williams, imported from the crosstown New York Yankees by president of baseball operations David Stearns to rebuild the back of the bullpen, have combined for a 6.86 ERA and three blown saves.
Mets starters are averaging barely five innings per outing. Members of the rotation other than Clay Holmes and rookie Nolan McLean have a 6.04 ERA.
“It just feels like there’s a little bit of a culture that’s just kind of adapted to it unintentionally,” Weaver said. “It’s just how winning and losing goes. When you win, you feel like you’re on top of the world. When you’re losing, everybody wants to talk about the failures and the outcomes. And the magnification just becomes immense.
“Sleep is lost. The mind wanders and you just kind of get into a fixation that you don’t really need to be in.”
The Mets are 8 1/2 games out of the NL’s final playoff spot and 11 1/2 games back of the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves. Only two teams — the 1914 Boston Braves and the 1981 Kansas City Royals — have made the playoffs after starting 10-21 or worse — and the Royals did so by winning the AL West second half crown in the split strike season.
“It’s hard for all of us,” embattled manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re in this together. It’s not easy. But we’ve got to keep going. There’s no other choices here. We have a responsibility and we have to turn this thing around.”
Perhaps by going all the way back to their first days as baseball players.
“It’s simplifying the process and maybe doing less,” Weaver said. “Maybe it’s less reps. Maybe it’s more about just enjoying why you do this for a living and trying to just find your inner kid and the joy of why you play the game and not trying to do it for other people.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers begin a six-game road trip as they visit the St. Louis Cardinals tonight.
There’s some added intrigue to this series as LA has dropped two straight, while the Cardinals have won four in a row.
My Dodgers vs. Cardinals predictions and MLB picks expect the defending champs to land the first blow on Friday, May 1.
Who will win Dodgers vs Cardinals today: Dodgers moneyline (-167)
We’re getting a discounted price on the best team in the league because they’re on the road, have dropped two straight, and are facing a club riding a four-game win streak.
L.A. comes in fully rested after an off day, while St. Louis played Thursday and has a taxed bullpen, with six relievers throwing 29+ pitches over the last three days.
COVERS INTEL: Matthew Liberatore opened the season with a noticeable uptick in velocity, but that trend is now heading the wrong way. He averaged 93.4 mph on his four-seamer in his last start, down nearly a full tick from his season average of 94.3 mph.
Dodgers vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-102)
Liberatore has long struggled to keep batters from reaching base (1.39 WHIP), and LA’s star-studded lineup should capitalize.
His pitching counterpart, Emmet Sheehan, is dealing with decreased velocity. He’s averaging 94.6 mph on his heater after sitting at 95.4 in each of his first two seasons in the league.
The young hurler has an underwhelming 91 Stuff+, and the Cardinals are good enough against RHP (104 wRC+) to push across a few runs on Friday.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 9-6, +3.08 units
Over/Under bets: 11-5, +5.87 units
Dodgers vs Cardinals odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -167 | Cardinals +154
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+100) | Cardinals +1.5 (-120)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-102) | Under 8.5 (-118)
Dodgers vs Cardinals trend
Los Angeles is 5-1 SU against left-handed starters this season. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Cardinals.
How to watch Dodgers vs Cardinals and game info
Location
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Date
Friday, May 1, 2026
First pitch
8:15 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet LA, Cardinals.TV
Dodgers starting pitcher
Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 4.79 ERA)
Cardinals starting pitcher
Matthew Liberatore (0-1, 4.75 ERA)
Dodgers vs Cardinals latest injuries
Dodgers vs Cardinals weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
COVERS INTEL: Cade Povich's chase percentage grades in the 89th percentile, but the Yankees swing out of the zone just 25% of the time.
Ozzie Albies
Jacob Misiorowksi
Andy Pages
