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Rockets 2025-2026 season in review: Dorian Finney-Smith

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29: Dorian Finney-Smith of Rockets warms up before the NBA playoffs game 5 between Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets at the Crypto.com Arena on April 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images

It wasn’t supposed to be this way, man. Dorian Finney-Smith was supposed to be a difference maker for the Houston Rockets.

An impact player, if you will. The Rockets’ brain trust even tabbed Finney-Smith as Dillon Brooks’ replacement. (And we know how valuable he became and how important he was for this Rockets ball club).

And justifiably so. The Los Angeles Lakers viewed him as a potential missing piece. DFS started on a Dallas Mavericks team that went to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and averaged 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 47.1 percent from the field, 42.6 percent from deep, 61.8 percent effective shooting and 63 percent true shooting during the Mavs’ title chase that year.

Sadly, that feels like forever ago. Frankly, it was forever ago.

Finney-Smith didn’t fare well for the Rockets in his debut season. And that’s being kind.

In fact, a farewell would be a much greater contribution. In all seriousness, Finney-Smith was clearly bothered by an ankle injury that he underwent surgery on last offseason.

His shot looked off (again, that’s being kind) — to the tune of 27 percent from long-range. His mobility was significantly affected, which limited his effectiveness on defense. Finney-Smith even logged DNP-CD’s in the playoffs. 

Again, it wasn’t supposed to be like this, man.

Finney-Smith did have a few highlight blocks here and there.

(Okay, maybe just like two, but again, we’re being kind here).

Finney-Smith looked like one of Rockets’ GM Rafael Stone’s worst pickups since his arrival as Houston’s GM and it was a bit perplexing hearing Houston’s end of season presser by Stone and Rockets coach Ime Udoka, as the two stated that they were caught off guard by the amount of time it took for Finney-Smith to rehab and recover from the surgery.

One would think the front office would have done their due diligence on something of that magnitude. Especially since they gave him a four year deal worth $52.7 million, which consumed Houston’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

The positive, however, is that Finney-Smith just has one more year of guaranteed salary, which is next season, which gives him valuable on the trade market as expiring salary.

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Harrison dominates again as Brewers coast to series win

May 14, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) has a mound visit with catcher Gary Sanchez (99) in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Box Score

Milwaukee jumped all over San Diego starter Griffin Canning early, scoring three runs in each of the first two innings, and Kyle Harrison turned in another gem to deliver a 7-1 victory. After taking two of three from the Padres, the Brewers have now won six of their last seven games.

Canning started the bottom of the first inning with a strikeout of Jackson Chourio, then completely fell apart, walking the next four batters to bring home the Brewers’ first run. With just one out, the Padres had already sent Ron Marinaccio to warm up in the bullpen. Luis Rengifo came to the plate with the bases still loaded, worked the count to 3-2, and grounded a two-run single into right field to give the Brewers an early 3-0 lead.

Canning stayed in the game and managed to retire Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick without allowing another run. He came back out for the second inning and allowed a single to David Hamilton on his second pitch, then threw the ball away on a pick-off attempt. The speedy Hamilton ended up on third, and after Chourio flew out Turang doubled into the gap in left-center to knock him in.

At this point, Marinaccio was ready, but Padres manager Craig Stammen left Canning in to face William Contreras, who hit an infield pop-up, and Gary Sánchez, who smoked another double into the same gap to bring Hamilton home. Andrew Vaughn singled to score Sánchez, and that would be all for Canning.

After Canning exited, each team was only able to manage a single run, so the game ended with a score of Brewers 7, Padres 1. Milwaukee scored again in the fourth on a Vaughn double and Rengifo single, while San Diego got their lone run in the ninth inning.

The Brewers’ pitching staff — led by Harrison — didn’t allow a single earned run all game. Harrison delivered a beauty, allowing just five hits and no walks over five shutout innings while striking out seven. He got into a couple jams, but rebounded each time to escape without allowing a run.

Grade Kyle Harrison's start today vs. Padres | Brew Crew Ball

Milwaukee is now 6-2 when Harrison starts, and he still hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any outing this season. His off-speed stuff looked great, his fastball touched 98 mph, and he now has a 2.09 ERA on the season. For a Brewers team built around young pitching, Harrison has quickly become a dependable presence in the rotation and continues to put up elite numbers.

Also, for all the (justified) talk about the Brewers needing more production out of the left side of the infield, Luis Rengifo has been playing better and better. Rengifo was great this series — he now has seven hits in his last three games and has made a couple nice plays at third base. David Hamilton isn’t ever going to hit twenty home runs, but he’s gotten his on-base percentage up to .327 and leads the league in bunt base hits. When those two guys are contributing, the Brewers’ offense looks even better.

First pitch for tomorrow’s series opener against the Twins is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. Joe Ryan will go for Minnesota, while the Brewers have yet to announce a starter.

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Evan Mobley proves that the Cavs can win now

May 13, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) dunks on Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) in the first half during game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

DETROIT — Trading Darius Garland for James Harden was as much a bet on this current group as it was on Harden. Specifically, it was a gamble on Evan Mobley being good enough to handle postseason pressure right now, not in three or four years.

In Game 5, he showed that he was ready for the challenge.

Mobley dominated the paint in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 5 victory over the Detroit Pistons, but they made him earn it. The new cut he sported near his left eye afterward was proof of that.

Defense has been Mobley’s calling card since he came into the league. That proved accurate again as he continually deterred shots at the rim down the stretch and overtime, while also outplaying opposing All-Star center Jalen Duren to the point that Pistons’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff decided to close with Paul Reed instead.

Offensively, Mobley’s seven points to close the fourth quarter will get the headlines. He hit a clutch triple and two free throws to tie the game in regulation. Both are areas he’s struggled with throughout the regular season.

More than that, his decision-making was what kept the Cavs’ offense afloat on a night Detroit was selling out to stop Donovan Mitchell and Harden.

Bickerstaff has had an up-close look at the best and worst versions of Cleveland’s core group. He knows from first-hand experience how the Cavs’ offense can bog down when you trap the guards and force the bigs to beat you in the short roll. After all, that’s the strategy the New York Knicks used against him back in 2023.

Back then, Mobley wasn’t ready for the moment. He was simultaneously sped up to the point he wasn’t making the right decisions, but also wasn’t moving quickly enough to capitalize on the mismatch blitzing the ball handler brings. This led to an underwhelming playoff debut.

Three playoff runs later has proven to be a different story.

Bickerstaff deployed the same strategy that Tom Thibodeau used against his group three years earlier, but it didn’t work this time.

In Game 5, Mobley continually made the right play whenever he was asked to create in the short roll by reading the defense and correctly getting the ball to where the help defense was coming from.

There was a decisiveness with Mobley’s rolls that made him difficult to guard. He attacked the rim with a purpose, but also kept his eyes up to see what the defense was presenting him. When the backline defender stepped up, he found Jarrett Allen three times for easy baskets around the rim.

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If the help defense came from the corners, Mobley made the pass out to the shooters who were there.

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This evolution is where head coach Kenny Atkinson has seen Mobley make strides this season.

“That’s been a big part of his development piece,” Atkinson said of Mobley’s playmaking. “Getting him to make the right reads, helping him make the right rights. I think he’s getting better at it.”

This season has been a journey for Mobley as a playmaker. The Cavs started the year trying to run the offense through him. That experiment didn’t go well, as he often got stuck dribbling the ball too much below the free-throw line and wasn’t able to adjust when the help defense came.

The coaching staff responded by scaling his usage back after a short experiment. Even though the results didn’t pay off right away, you’re seeing the fruits of going through that struggle now.

“You rewind to the beginning of the year, it was probably more head down scoring and maybe not finding that balance,” Atkinson said. “Some of that was intentional, but I think he’s gotten to a nice equilibrium where he’s aggressive to score, but can read the geography of the court. [He] can read the swarms. We call them swarms. They swarm, and you’ve got to find windows.”

Mobley was continuously finding the windows to the point of picking up a team-high eight assists in the win.

Making the right read also requires you to call your own number when the situation calls for it. When the Pistons’ defenders stayed home and forced Mobley to beat them as a shooter, he confidently took those shots by canning two crucial triples when the “swarms” went away from him.

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Mobley is one of the most difficult players to judge.

On one hand, the flaws in his game — self-creation, dribbling, lack of strength — are obvious and can be frustrating to watch. On the other hand, what makes him elite are the more underappreciated skills that he’s mastered so well, such as defense, finishing well at the rim, and being a good secondary playmaker. Mobley is considerably better than the loudest detractors would lead you to believe, but also not as skilled as you’d like from a number one franchise player — at least not yet. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t win with him if he’s in the right context, as the Cavs are showing right now.

The Cavs have been in a weird spot as a team. They’ve tried to thread the needle between winning now and having the longest runway possible. That’s how you’ve gotten a two-timeline approach between Mobley (24-years-old) and Mitchell (29). Moving a 26-year-old, two-time All-Star for a point guard a decade his senior committed them to one path. This team is trying to win now in a two to three-year window.

For that to happen, Mobley needs to play like an All-NBA caliber player in the postseason. When he has, as was the case in Game 5, the Cavs look like a team that very well could come out of the Eastern Conference.

Reps like the ones Mobley got in Detroit, where he’s consistently making the right play and coming up big in the crunch, is only going to help him when he’s called upon to do so again.

“Just boost his confidence to another level,” Harden said about Mobley’s performance. “He’s versatile, he can protect the rim, he can generate steals, he can do a little bit of everything defensively and offensively. … With an opportunity to present yourself, he’s available. Tonight, he came up big for us.”

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Huge day from JJ Bleday leads Reds in 15-1 rout of Nationals

CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 14: JJ Bleday #22 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after hitting a 2RBI home run in the 7th inning against the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park on May 14, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Cincinnati Reds offense needed a blowout in the worst of ways, and boy, did it ever get one on Thursday in Great American Ball Park.

After having dropped a pair of regrettable games to the rebuilding Washington Nationals to already clinch losing yet another home series, the Reds exploded against Nats starter Foster Griffin – a lefty, at that – in a 15-1 thumping that felt like a lot of pent up aggression being unloaded on the baseballs.

JJ Bleday led the charge with a breakout game that Reds fans won’t soon forget. He slugged a pair of homers, including a huge 3-run one off the lefty Griffin, and later added an RBI single that left him with a 3 for 5 day with 2 dingers, 2 runs scored, and a blistering 6 RBI. Scooping him up off the non-tender heap and watching him develop immediately into an offensive force is the kind of thing that makes you think of one Scooter Gennett, though I do certainly hope a) I’m not getting too far ahead of myself and b) Bleday isn’t going to completely obliviate after just two good years.

Anyway, that was more than enough offense on the day given that ace Chase Burns was on the bump for the Reds. He delivered once again, firing another 6.0 IP of scoreless ball, this time with 7 K against just a pair of scattered hits and pair of walks. He needed 95 pitches to clear that, did so with ease, and turned the ball over to his bullpen with the game in-hand and a tidy 1.87 ERA on the season next to his name.

He’s a bona-fide ace, and he just made the 17th start of his big league career.

The Reds played add-on late after Joey Wiemer was summoned from the outfield to pitch, but that should only slightly diminish the contributions of Dane Myers (3-run dinger off Wiemer), Ke’Bryan Hayes (his second of an actual 2-hit game!), et al. It was a textbook get-right game, one that the Reds can hopefully channel as they take their talents up north to Cleveland for a weekend series against the Guardians.

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Rumblings Around the League Suggest Jets Could Pull Off Blockbuster, Trade Up to 2nd Overall

A potential blockbuster is brewing ahead of this year's NHL Draft, and the Winnipeg Jets may find themselves at the center of it.

According to multiple reports from The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta over the past couple of days, the San Jose Sharks are seriously considering trading the second overall pick they recently acquired. 

The reasoning, per those reports, stems from San Jose's belief that they are already well-stocked at forward, making the selection of another high-end offensive prospect at second overall less of a priority than addressing other areas of need. The pick is widely expected to land on either Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg or, should he slide one spot, consensus top prospect Gavin McKenna.

The news has apparently turned heads around the league and while no deals have materialized, unconfirmed reports suggest several teams have expressed interest in trading up to second overall, with the Jets among those in the mix alongside the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and New York Rangers.

The appeal for Winnipeg is obvious as both Stenberg and McKenna project as game-breaking talents at the NHL level, and either one could conceivably make an immediate impact, potentially slotting into the Jets' opening night lineup from day one. For a team navigating a pivotal stretch of its rebuild and looking to add star power, the opportunity to land a generational prospect is difficult to ignore.

The challenge, of course, is the price as the Jets currently hold the eighth overall pick, and moving up six spots to second overall for a player of this caliber would not come cheap. High picks are rarely moved in the NHL, and any deal with San Jose would almost certainly require a significant package of assets heading back to the Bay Area. What that package looks like, and whether Cheveldayoff is willing to pay it, remains to be seen.

For now it is a situation worth monitoring closely, and one that could dramatically reshape the direction of the Jets franchise depending on how the next few weeks unfold.

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Canucks hire Ryan Johnson as GM, Sedin twins to share president of hockey operations

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks promoted Ryan Johnson to general manager on Thursday and said Daniel and Henrik Sedin will share the role of president of hockey operations.

The Canucks fired Patrik Allvin as general manager on April 17 following a last-place finish and a 25-49-8 record. Jim Rutherford then announced on May 6 that he will step down as president of hockey operations following next month’s draft and become an adviser.

Rutherford said the search for general manager involved more than 15 candidates. The list reportedly included former Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion, Boston Bruins assistant general manager Evan Gold and former Maple Leafs special adviser Shane Doan.

Johnson, a 49-year-old former NHL center from Thunder Bay, Ontario, first joined the Canucks’ front office in 2013 and was named assistant general manager in 2024. He played 13 seasons in the NHL, splitting his time with the Canucks, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks.

He will be joined in the front office by the Sedins, the Swedish twins who Johnson played with in Vancouver before later working alongside them in developing the franchise’s young talent.

The Sedins played 17 seasons together for the Canucks, including the team’s run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, where Vancouver lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Henrik Sedin served as Vancouver’s captain from 2010-18 and still leads the franchise in games played (1,330), assists (830) and points (1,070). He won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2010.

Daniel Sedin is the franchise-leader in goals (393), power-play goals (138) and game-winning goals (86).

The Hall of Fame forwards retired in 2018, then rejoined the Canucks as special advisers to the general manager in June 2021. They moved into player development roles the following spring.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Series Preview #15: Diamondbacks @ Rockies

DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 7: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after his eighth inning grand slam home run against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

“We have to be better than this.”

I don’t know if Torey said this phrase the past week. Probably not.

Difference with previous seasons, in my opinion, is that this team was never bound for play-offs. The starting pitching has become worse over the years, with several big signings not living up to the money they signed for and an ace that never became one and does not seem to bounce back. Apart from the one in shackles.

The last time we had a decent bullpen is almost a decade ago. Ever since it is a patchwork, but an ugly one. Yes, many big money signings do not pan out, but there are also other big money signings that do pan out.

The batting lineup was terrific over the past seasons, and the Diamondbacks did not seize the opportunity to bank on it. With several sluggers gone, there is not much left.

The Diamondbacks cannot do better than this. Lovullo said “we will be fine” after the series against Texas. What is fine? A .500 team? Probably. I had them pegged below .500 at the beginning of the season, so .500 would be fine, I guess. A disappointment none the less. A lost season once again.

Whenever you feel down, at least you always have the Colorado Rockies to cheer yourself up.

No news in Colorado.

Maybe you don’t remember, but the Colorado Rockies made a change in their front office the past off-season. The son of owner Dick Monfort became team president, former Diamondback general manager Josh Byrnes came over from the Dodgers and was made general manager, though he will report to new president of baseball operations Paul Podesta, who came over from the NFL Cleveland Browns with a big thank you from Deshaun Watson.

They didn’t do much, as expected. They let starting pitcher Germán Márquez go, he signed with the Padres. Instead they signed a trio of starting pitchers to a one year contract: Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana and Tomoyuki Sugano. The batting lineup saw Thairo Estrada and Orlando Arcia leave, instead Willi Castro was signed to two-year contract, while the Rockies also traded for our Jake McCarthy, infielder Edouard Julien from the Twins and first baseman TJ Rumfield from the Yankees. On paper, you could say the Rockies became better, though it is hard to believe they could be anything worse than the 43-win team from 2025.

Manager Warren Schaeffer is allowed to continue to let the Rockies do whatever they want to do on the field.

It is easy to laugh about the Rockies, but they are not that far behind the Diamondbacks, at the moment: 3.5 games. Since May 4 the Diamondbacks have a batting line of .184/.281/.290, which is just 1 WRC better than the last placed batters of the San Diego Padres over the same time period. The Rockies are not that much better, by the way, with a .235/.291/.394 batting line.

Since May 1, the Rockies are 3-8, but have been able to get some runs in. At the moment of writing they are wrapping up a series against the Pirates, and scored 6 off Mitch Keller in 5.2 innings, who got the win in his matchup before that against the Diamondbacks, when we couldn’t muster more than 2 runs off him over 6 innings.

So, yeah, you could say that the doctor’s prescription is to take a trip to Denver, get some fresh air and get better, though given the state of the Diamondbacks, you might wonder if the Rockies are able to take advantage and make things look even worse for Arizona.

One to gladly do so will be Jake McCarthy, who obviously is enjoying a fine season so far in Denver. His .288/.356/.500 batting line and 129 OPS+ is one of the best on his team. Especially the past two weeks McCarthy has been on fire with a 217 WRC+. Jake is taking more walks and hitting the ball a lot harder than he did in Arizona. His BABIP is similar to that of two seasons ago, so it isn’t that surprising that McCarthy is enjoying success in Colorado. It is a bounce-back season like he did two years ago. Painful though that it is happening in Colorado, especially with the hindsight of having Alek Thomas designated for assignment recently.

Matchups.

Game #1 Fri 05/15 6:40 PM MST, Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs Kyle Freeland (COL).

  • Merrill Kelly. 5 GS, 26.0 IP, 2 W-3 L, 7.62 ERA, 6.64 FIP, 1.92 WHIP, 20/18 K/BB. $18,000,000.
  • Kyle Freeland. 6 GS, 30.0 IP, 1 W-4 L, 6.00 ERA, 5.47 FIP, 1.47 WHIP, 28/8 K/BB. $16,000,000.

The strike-percentage is still bollocks and BABIP said Merrill Kelly was lucky against what is probably the worst team in the MLB right now. But, we will take those 7 innings and 1 run against to have ourselves think that Kelly will become the mainstay once again. He really needs to improve his command though.

Thankfully, Merrill will go up against Kyle Freeland. Freeland had a great start of the season, but injured his shoulder before a start against the Padres on April 12. He hasn’t been himself since returning from a stint on the injury list and got knocked around against Reds, Braves and Phillies (16 earned runs in 14.1 innings).

Freeland has faced the Diamondbacks 22 times in his career, with a lifetime 5.94 ERA and 4-9 win-loss record, though his stats at Coors Field are better against the Diamondbacks than at Chase Field. Last time he pitched against the Diamondbacks was in 2024, at Coors, and Freeland got a no-decision, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings.

Kelly saw the Rockies twice last season, and got a win in both of his matchups, one at Chase (7 shutout innings) and one at Coors (6 innings of 3 run ball). In total, he has faced the Rockies 17 times, taking 9 wins and 3 losses. With a 4.12 ERA in 9 games, with 5 wins, you could say he performs well in Colorado’s thin air environment.

Game #2 Sat 05/16 7:10 PM MST, Eduardo Rodríguez (ARI) vs Tomoyuki Sugano (COL).

  • Eduardo Rodríguez. 8 GS, 48.0 IP, 4 W-0 L, 2.25 ERA, 4.19 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 33/22 K/BB. $21,000,000.
  • Tomoyuki Sugano. 8 GS, 42.0 IP, 3 W-3 L, 4.07 ERA, 5.61 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 24/12 K/BB. $5,100,000.

Last time I wrote about Eduardo Rodríguez, I was a bit bullish on his recent performances back then. He continued to deliver two gems after that, against the Pirates and Mets. With just 1 earned run over his past two games, 15.1 innings, there isn’t much to criticise, although it is obvious he won’t be able to deliver such a performance game after game unless he becomes Eduardei Rohtani.

Sugano is an unfamiliar face for the Snakes, as he has never faced the Diamondbacks before in his career. That makes sense as this is only the second season for the 36-year old Japanese pitcher in the MLB. Last season he was a back-end starter for the Baltimore Orioles.

Sugano was performing very well until recently, but lost his latest two matchups, giving up 9 runs in 10.1 innings against Phillies and Mets. According to statcast he has the staggering amount of 7 different pitches: 4-seamer, split finger, cutter, sinker, slider, sweeper and curveball. All that off-speed and breaking ball arsenal is to hide a weak fastball collection (his 4-FB averages below 93 mph). Sugano has good command and hardly walks a batter.

Game #3 Sun 05/17 1:10 PM MST, Michael Soroka (ARI) vs Michael Lorenzen (COL).

  • Michael Soroka. 8 GS, 43.1 IP, 5 W-2 L, 3.53 ERA, 3.18 FIP, 1.32 WHIP, 47/12 K/BB. $6,750,000.
  • Michael Lorenzen. 10 G, 9 GS, 44.0 IP, 2 W-5 L, 6.55 ERA, 4.92 FIP, 1.84 WHIP, 31/14 K/BB. $7,750,000.

After the stinker against Milwaukee, Soroka pitched well against Pittsburgh and Texas and you could fairly say that he is de facto our top of the rotation, together with Eduardo Rodriguez. Who would have thought that at the beginning of the season? Soroka has faced the Rockies just once in his career and that was last season. At Coors Field he pitched 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. Despite striking out 9, he had to settle with a loss.

Michael Lorenzen has huge arms and therefore deserves to be on the Expendables. Ever since leaving Cincinatti, he has been mildly successful as a starting pitcher for several teams, last season in Kansas. With the Royals he pitched against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field and delivered 7 painful shutout innings, mowing 7 snakes down and snatching a win.

This season he has struggled, though seems to have been somewhat unlucky, although how unlucky can you really be when the lineup of two of the worst teams (Astros and Mets) scored 14 runs off you in less than 8 innings? Lorenzen has good control, but his command is off this season. He averages 94 mph on his fastball and also handles a changeup (normally his best pitch), sinker, curve, cutter, sweeper and slider.

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Game 43: Phillies vs. Red Sox; Ranger Suarez duels with former club

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 03: Starting pitcher Ranger Suarez #55 of the Boston Red Sox throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park on May 03, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images

TV: NESN

First Pitch: 6:45 p.m. ET

The Red Sox send their main pitching acquisition to the mound in search of a series win (weather permitting) Thursday night. Ranger Suarez faces the Philadelphia Phillies for the first time. He also makes his first start since leaving his last outing with hamstring tightness on May 3 against the Houston Astros. 

Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate Thursday night.

The Phillies counter with Jesus Luzardo. Philadelphia’s current lefty has had a remarkably unlucky start to 2026 with a 5.77 ERA despite just a 2.95 FIP. 

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Twins 9, Marlins 1: Zoned-in Zebby zeros zombie (z)Miami

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 14: Zebby Matthews #52 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at Target Field on May 14, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Another Thursday of Blog Lord game coverage, another coveted reverse jinx. I fixed Kody Clemens a couple weeks ago, and now hopefully the same can be said for Zebby Matthews after he delivered the best start of his career. 

This Miami lineup is sneakily talented, but you wouldn’t know it if you only watched this series opener (Ober 89 pitch Maddux) and closer. Matthews cruised through the seven innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while racking up five strikeouts and nine roundball outs. For a guy with home run issues like Zebby, that last number is particularly encouraging. 

The only real threat the Marlins put together came in the very first inning. Back-to-back singles from Liam Hicks and Otto Lopez put two runners on for the middle of the lineup, but Matthews quickly retired the next two batters to escape the jam. From there, everything was on cruise control. Following the two first inning singles, Zebby retired 19 of 22 batters he faced and not a single one reached second base. All said and done: seven shutout innings on just 83 pitches. That’s how you save the bullpen after last night’s SWR disaster-class. 

On the offensive side, things got off to an inauspicious start for the hometown nine. The first three Twins batters reached base to load ‘em up with no outs, but lefty Braxton Garrett struck out Josh Bell, Victor Caratini, and Luke Keaschall for a good old fashioned Twins NOBLETIGER. 

The first three batters reached AGAIN to start the second, but Austin Martin made sure not to waste it this time. A ground rule double broke the seal and plated the first two Twins run of the afternoon. Bell and Caratini each redeemed themselves in the inning as well, with a Bell double scoring two more and a well-placed groundout allowing Minnesota’s fifth run of the inning to come in. 5-0 Twins after two. 

A James Outman RBI single scored one more for the good guys in the third, but things went very quiet for the bats until the eighth inning after Miami finally scratched one across home. After 13 straight Twins outs, Luke Keaschall hit a one-out single. A two out walk brought up Outman, who again delivered an RBI hit, this time a double that scored Keaschall and Ryan Kreidler. Austin Martin followed with his second hit of the day for good measure to make it 9-1. 

Game, series, match. We’ll see you tomorrow night for the border battle with the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Thanks to the relative mid-ness of the entire American League outside of Tampa and New York, the Twins (at 20-24) sit just 3.5 games out of the division and 1.5 games out of a wild card spot a quarter of the way to the season. The competition is talented and won’t stay down forever, but the bullpen has been significantly better in recent weeks with some young additions and the Twins are right in the thick of things. Better yet, the team should start looking even better over the next few weeks as Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, Cole Sands, and Alan Roden start to work their ways back. Plus, they have 4-5 top 100 prospects on the doorstep that still should contribute at some point this season. 

Don’t count this group out quite yet!

STUDS

  • Zebby Matthews: 7 IP, 0 R, 4 H, BB, 5 K, just 83 pitches
  • Greatest Twin of All Time Ryan Kreidler: 2-3, BB, 2 R
  • Austin Martin: 2-4, R, 2B, BB, R, 3 RBI
  • James Outman???: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI

DUDS

  • No duds Twins win!!!!
  • One small dud for Matt Wallner for getting demoted but the past two times that’s happened he’s come back and been the Twins’ best hitter. Let’s do that a third time.

Comment of the game goes to SooFoo for correctly identifying the Byron Buxton injury cause. 

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Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves preview, Thursday 5/14, 6:15 CT

Thursday notes…

  • STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: If the Cubs lose tonight, they will match their longest losing streak, five games, immediately after any of their 26 winning streaks of at least 10 games since 1901. They lost five straight after winning 10, May 6-17, 1917, and after winning 11, July 25-Aug. 4, 1944. They also lost four in a row after winning 13, May 5-19, 1928. Then they won three, lost, won and lost, for a record of 4-6 starting with the loss that snapped the winning streak. They were 3-7 in the next 10 in 1917 and 2-8 in 1944. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • TRYING TO AVOID THE SWEEP: The Cubs last were swept in three games at Atlanta on Sept. 26-28, 2023. They won the finale in 2024 to avoid a sweep, then lost the first and won twice last year. The Cubs have been swept in 12 three-games series and one four-game series at Atlanta. This is their 189th series there. The Cubs lost the first two games, then won the third, of eight series, and lost the first three, then won the fourth, twice. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • WHERE ARE THE BATS?: The Cubs have made no more than five hits in each of their last four games. Since 1901, they had three streaks of five games, in 1955, 1981 and June 16-20, 2021. They had a six-game streak May 4-12, 1961. The current streak is their 14th of four since 1901 and their fifth since 1955. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Ron Santo’s sixth-inning homer broke a 2-2 tie and the Cubs held on to defeat the Padres 3-2 at Wrigley Field. Milt Pappas threw a complete game and the contest ran just one hour, 55 minutes. It happened 55 years ago today, Friday, May 14, 1971.

Cubs lineup:

Braves lineup:

Ben Brown, RHP vs. Chris Sale, LHP

Ben Brown threw exceptionally well last Friday against the Rangers, throwing four no-hit innings, with 31 strikes in 46 pitches, allowing just one walk.

He’ll likely be allowed to go a bit farther tonight, though I wouldn’t expect more than maybe 65 pitches or so, with Javier Assad still available to back him up.

Brown made two relief appearances against the Braves last year totaling 2.1 innings, with one hit, two walks and two runs allowed, with five strikeouts.

Chris Sale has always been a very good MLB starter — when he’s healthy. That was the case in 2024 when he won the NL Cy Young Award. Last year he made just 20 starts, but still was a 4 bWAR pitcher.

This year, he’s been exceptional in eight starts, with a 2.20 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 49 innings. Last year he started against the Cubs Sept. 10, 2025 in Atlanta and allowed seven hits and three runs in five innings. Carson Kelly homered against him. Alex Bregman is 6-for-24 with two homers against Sale.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Truist Park.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Braves site Battery Power. If you do go there to interact with Braves fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

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Should Winnipeg Bring Back Eric Comrie?

One of the quieter but more meaningful decisions facing Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff this off-season centers on the future of goaltender Eric Comrie, who is set to hit free agency and whose return is far from guaranteed.

The 30-year-old Edmonton native has become a genuine fan favorite since returning for his third stint with the organization that originally drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft. 

After bouncing around the league with stops in Detroit, New Jersey and Buffalo, Comrie found his way back to Winnipeg and has brought a dependable presence and a likeable personality to the backup role. This past season, however, the numbers were difficult to overlook. 

Comrie finished with a 12-11-1 record, a 3.13 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage across 25 games, figures that fall well short of what a contending team ideally wants from its backup behind a Vezina-caliber starter like Connor Hellebuyck.

The Jets are not without internal options like goaltender Thomas Milic made his NHL debut this past season and has shown genuine promise throughout his development, giving the organization reason to believe he could be ready to take on a larger role in the not-too-distant future. 

Domenic DiVincentiis is another name in the pipeline, though his numbers have been inconsistent, and the question of whether he can stabilize his game enough to function as a reliable NHL-level backup remains unanswered for now.

Should Cheveldayoff choose to look outside the organization, the free agent market could offer some intriguing alternatives. Names like Stuart Skinner, Connor Ingram and Vitek Vanecek could all potentially be available and may offer stronger statistical profiles than what Comrie produced this past season.

It will not headline the Jets' off-season, but the decision of who backs up Hellebuyck next year carries real weight for a team that views itself as a legitimate contender. Cheveldayoff will need to weigh loyalty, cost, and capability as he determines whether Comrie remains part of the plan or whether it is time to turn the page.

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Suns Trade Verdict: Could Zion Williamson revive his career in the Valley?

SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 3: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 3, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Is it time for another Suns trade verdict? I think so, as the rumblings of who the Suns should pursue keep on growing. Isn’t that the fun of the offseason? Anyway, this series has been fun to construct, and today’s article will dive into another popular name. One that has taken the Suns’ social media discussion by storm. Zion.

Now this is cool to see, as even though I am one of the last to bring it up, this has been an article stashed in the bin waiting to get done (you can even ask John). After exploring the scenario with Dejounte Murray and reviewing the Pelicans roster, this name stood out as one to monitor. Little did I know that the Suns’ world would act on it faster than I, and personally, it is a fascinating discussion.

An acquisition that would definitely shake up this roster is bringing in Zion Williamson. The power forward could fit right in and be a nice running mate for Devin Booker. As we know, though, there are always questions surrounding Zion, and do those rise too big for Phoenix to make a move? Well, only time will tell, even if he does become available, but it is definitely something to dive into.

How could the Suns get it done?

For the Suns to get this done, it isn’t that hard; there are just a lot of possibilities. If you have been reading these articles, you know the main targets that could be traded in these deals. The easiest option is a one-for-one swap, trading Jalen Green for Zion Williamson.

Another route involving Green, along with Royce O’Neale, includes Royce O’Neale. The key difference here is that the Suns would also shed some money.

The last one includes two players who haven’t been mentioned yet but have come up in this series. Those are Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen. In most renditions, there is a deal of both Allen and O’Neale’s salaries combined, but in this situation, it is not enough. If Allen is added to Green, it is also too much going to New Orleans. Therefore, this is the only combo for these two.

Which would most likely get done?

Well, I think it is safe to rule out the third option in my eyes. Brooks’ value to the Valley is unmatched, so much so that they are already reporting they want to extend the wing this offseason. With him trolling at Lakers games or supporting the Phoenix Mercury, it is clear that both parties want to keep this relationship going. Therefore, this one does not make sense to me.

The other two, though, have a framework that can work. With Green’s shakiness to be a true number one option, New Orleans can allow him to grow. At the same time, it has been clear that Willimason has outgrown the rebuild that was founded around him. Could a change of scenery give him that boost?

That is where I think both teams would be intrigued by either deal. If the Suns could get another player in return, with O’Neale included (Saddiq Bey, anyone), then I’d say pursue that, but I think the Pelicans could be reluctant to do so. Swapping both of them makes the most sense.

Why does it not get done?

This one is a bit of a weird one, as I can truly see it going either way. The Suns have the leverage here, even if the Pelicans have not stated they want to trade Zion. He is past his tenure there, so a change would benefit both parties. Is the question, are the Suns ready for another risk?

Personally, I do not think so. Even though we expect some changes, taking this big swing in a year may not be the right move. Yes, it’s a buy-low option with Zion and could be the best offer they get for Green on this deal. Yet I still think the uncertainty of his career should shut that door.

For starters, Williamson, who has had injuries throughout his career, has been limited by them. He did suit up in 62 of the Pelicans’ games this year, his second-most in his career. This could be a sign that the big is finally getting over those obstacles, or it could be a one-of-a-kind season.

In a team that saw Green out for a majority of the season, this would be nothing new, and plugging a healthy Zion in this year could have helped in a lot of ways. Even with that, the concern that he might do that next year worries me.

You could also bring up his contract; he is owed $87 million over the next two seasons. There are, of course, stipulations to it, weight-wise and injury-wise too. If any of those were to trigger, the Suns could either pay less or get out of the contract more easily if it became non-guaranteed. Compared to Green, who could want an extension, the uncertainty with getting off him at max value could make this a solution. Those concerns outweigh the positive. He has these asterisks because he had past issues that could resurface.

Now the fit at power forward would be nice, and his much-needed size would help out the Suns on the court, but is this to get off Green’s deal? If we proceed, there are better options that don’t involve a larger risk.

For the Pelicans, this deal would make sense, as I illustrated in the Dejounte Murray trade. Their front office is clueless, not only tossing Atlanta the 8th pick in this year’s draft to move up 10 spots and select Derick Queen last year, but also lost the 5th overall pick. Yes, that pick that wound up going to the Clippers was originally the Pelicans before they traded back to Indiana during their finals run.

With that knowledge, they would do anything to change this roster. Does that mean trading their best players who have value, or is it buying young talent? At this rate, no one knows, but I am sure it will be a combination of both, winding into a weird year once again.

Selling off Zion would make sense for the franchise, but do they even do that? It has been stated that for him and Queen to grow as a dynamic duo, they need time. Yet they both play the same position and offer a lot on the court. To me, it seems that a guy like Green would entice them, but at this point, who knows?

Ultimately, I think they take the flyer on Geren, hoping he can translate next to Jeremiah Fears as a new guard duo. This risk would free them from Zion, and if they are desperate enough to do so, could add other pieces. Even if they want to do it, Phoenix sees this risk as too big. With Green not having a healthy season here so far, he can still grow into the piece they want, or, if not, provide them with a better security blanket as an investment.

Let me know your thoughts down below, though. What do you think of this possible deal, and should the Suns be intrigued by it?

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Gamethread 5/14: Phillies at Red Sox

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 08: Members of the Philadelphia Phillies meet on the mound in the sixth inning during Game Three of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Phillies wrap up the series against a former friend. Here are the lineups, let’s discuss.

For the Phillies:

For the Red Sox:

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Fantasy baseball hitter targets: Spencer Steer, Casey Schmitt pop on Process+ leaderboard

While I often use my own custom leaderboards to identify hitters who I think could provide sneaky value, I’m also a firm believer in using Pitcher List’s Process+ stat because it identifies all the things a hitter does under the hood to set themselves up for success. So I wanted to check in on Process+ right now to see if any hitters could be due for a breakout or are making good enough decisions at the plate to warrant being added in more league types.

If you want to learn a little bit more about Process+, then I highly recommend you check out Nate Schwartz’s article, which won an FSWA Award. The stat, created by Kyle Bland at Pitcher List, is essentially a hitter’s version of Stuff+. It’s “a combination of PLV’s Decision Value, Contact, and Power metrics formatted into one holistic number” that represents how good a hitter has been at making swing decisions, making contact on those swings, and making authoritative contact when he does hit the ball. That gives each hitter a Process Value grade as well as a Performance Value grade, which tries to represent how well they’ve done, independent of just the process.

Both the Decision Value and Contact Value portions of Process+ stabilize at 400 pitches seen, while the Power Value stabilizes at 800 pitches, so I downloaded a leaderboard of all hitters who saw at least 400 pitches so far this season, which will allow us to focus on the hitters who are making the best swing decisions. We'll also have some sample of their Power Value, but most hitters have not gotten to 800 pitches seen yet, so we'll have to use other context clues to see which hitters will pair a strong approach with good enough power.

I also included their Hitter Performance grade, which measures the runs added by the hitter (including swing/take decisions), after accounting for pitch quality. This will allow us to see which hitters are currently performing at a level that matches their swing decisions and which hitters will likely see that performance start to tick up in the coming weeks.

⚾️ Baseball is back on NBC: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

Check out this week’s MLB Power Rankings!

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Leaders

Let's start by just looking at the top 20 hitters in Process+ so far this season.

NameDec ValueContact VPower VProcess+Perf
Yordan Alvarez95115141154132
Ben Rice107110138143146
James Wood10883151134120
Bryce Harper110104119133118
Miguel Vargas13498113130114
Ryan Jeffers126118109129128
Max Muncy11087131128118
Brice Turang115106117127125
Shea Langeliers8597128126133
Dillon Dingler95111118126101
Alec Burleson99114112125108
Freddie Freeman109110109125102
Sal Stewart105101118125110
Aaron Judge10183145125120
Munetaka Murakami11670144124119
Matt Olson10193129124131
Mike Trout11696125124119
Drake Baldwin94102122124118
Juan Soto111103111122107
Kazuma Okamoto12086121122110

There are not a ton of surprises here, which is a nice way to see that Process+ is a useful stat. Most of the hitters on this list are high-end draft picks or top young hitters, like Sal Stewart and Ben Rice. You're obviously not picking those guys up, but it's a good baseline to suggest that the other hitters in this tier are doing something extremely right.

It was interesting to see both Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto here. As you might have anticipated, both of them had Contact Value scores that were among the lowest in this group, with Murakami putting up by far the lowest. In fact, a Contact Value of 70 is well below the average score of 100. Yet, James Wood and Aaron Judge have a score of 83, so you can be a valuable hitter with poor Contact Value if you make good swing decisions and have elite power, which both Okamoto and Murakami have. Despite the contact issues, they essentially only swing at good pitches, so even if they miss a few, it's the equivalent of other hitters chasing pitches out of the zone, which neither of them does.

Four hitters on here were likely on waiver wires at the start of the season: Miguel Vargas, Alec Burleson, Ryan Jeffers, and Dillon Dingler. Vargas, Jeffers, and Dinger have appeared in a few articles for me this season, so hopefully you were able to scoop them up at some point. Burleson just continues to produce under-the-radar results. He's not really doing much different than last year, but he is chasing outside of the zone a bit more and pulling the ball far more often. Expect steady production all year for Burleson.

⚾️ Baseball is back on NBC: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Waiver Targets

Now, we'll limit it to hitters who are available in more league types and also have an above-average Process+ grade. In order to make the list more manageable, I had to delete some names, and I chose to get rid of hitters who had really poor Contact Value grades without the elite-level power and decisions that Okamoto and Murakami have. I'm of the mind that hitters who make poor contact will likely be far more volatile and less trustworthy, especially if they are not truly elite with their swing decisions. That removed Luke Raley, Edouard Julien, Mark Vientos, Garrett Mitchell, and Kody Clemens from this list.

NameDec ValueContact VPower VProcess+Perf
Curtis Mead120115100118110
Carlos Cortes110113102117127
Spencer Steer11389111115104
J.P. Crawford1271119611497
Trent Grisham1151169611092
Francisco Alvarez103100107110102
Jake Bauers116101100109110
Casey Schmitt93103105108121
Daniel Schneemann9793113107112
TJ Rumfield10710997107102
Brandon Marsh85103106107120
Matt Vierling921229410289
Trevor Larnach10812288102109
Dylan Beavers1061069410198
Adolis Garcia9510210110195
Troy Johnston82104103100116
Kody Clemens889011210092
Carson Benge113949510090
Evan Carter126103849989
Cam Smith101851069992
Luis Garcia Jr.81115959788

Sadly, right after I made this list, both Francisco Alvarez and Dylan Beavers landed on the injured list, so they're obviously not hitters that you should be picking up. I was also going to remove Jake Bauers from this list after Christian Yelich returned from the injured list, but Yelich's back is acting up again, so I'm going to keep Bauers on here for the time being in case his starting job remains intact.

I also covered both Trent Grisham and Cam Smith in my article on hitters that I would not drop despite slow starts, and I still believe in both. As you can see, Smith just missed the 100 cut-off, and his Performance grade of 89 is the second lowest on this list. I understand if you want to move off from him in shallower formats; I just wanted to include him here because I do think things are going to click for him at some point this season. Even if you drop him, I'd keep watching his performance to see when he begins to heat up.

A few of these hitters also appeared in an article I wrote in mid-April that highlighted standouts in zone-contact, hard-hit rate, and swinging strike rate. It's not surprising to see Carlos Cortes and Curtis Mead here as well. Cortes is rostered in just 18% of Yahoo! leagues despite hitting .354/.411/.573 in 22 games with four home runs. I understand that he's 29 years old and has never done anything at the big league level, but he makes elite contact and good swing decisions and plays in a great home park. More people need to trust him. Sadly, Mead is still not getting a chance to face right-handed pitchers, so I'm not adding him in many places now, but I love what he's doing under the hood, and I would scoop him up immediately if he starts to get more playing time.

We have a few veterans on here who are just producing at levels that are better than their roster rates. I don't think any of Spencer Steer, Adolis Garcia, J.P. Crawford, or Brandon Marsh are showcasing a new level of skill. I just think they are players who we have come to believe are "washed up" or not very valuable, who are producing well enough right now to be rostered in more formats. Crawford's lack of power will hurt him, as will Garcia's swing decisions, but the overall package is good enough to be rostered in more than 40% of leagues, and none of these players are.

Casey Schmitt - 1B/2B/3B, Giants

Schmitt interested me in the offseason, but I didn't think he had a lineup spot. Yet, the Giants sent Bryce Eldridge to the minors, and Schmitt got a chance to play every day and delivered. He's hitting .285/.338/.500 with six home runs and 18 RBI. The numbers under the hood look good too, with a 14.6% barrel rate and 47.6% hard-hit rate. His bat speed is up a little bit, and he's looking to lift the ball more often, which is helpful. Yet, despite lifting more, he has just a 10% swinging strike rate and a 91.6% zone-contact rate. So he's hitting the ball hard, making lots of contact inside the zone and not swinging at too much junk outside of the zone. That's a combination we can certainly get behind. Nothing here feels flukey. In fact, his xSLG is the same as his slugging percentage, and his xBA and xwOBA are basically identical to what he's posting.

Adolis Garcia - OF, Phillies

Garcia's hard-hit rate is up to 53%, and he’s posting a career-high average exit velocity. He’s squaring the ball up more than he ever has and seems to be focused on peppering line drives and not just trying to lift the ball. His swinging strike rate is the lowest it’s ever been, and he’s chasing less than he has since 2020. Oh, and his zone contact rate and contact rate are the highest they’ve ever been. He may not be a 30-home-run bat anymore, but he could easily hit .245-.255 with 25 home runs this season, hitting in the middle of an offense that’s beginning to heat up.

TJ Rumfield (1B) and Troy Johnston (OF) - Colorado Rockies

We've got two Rockies on here, and I'm lumping them together because I'm lazy. Well, also because the narrative is a bit the same. These are left-handed hitters who will play against all righties and some left-handers, but not most. They both hit in the middle third of the batting order and play in one of the most hitter-friendly environments in baseball. As you can see above, they both make a good amount of contact, but Rumfield makes better swing decisions, and Johnston has more power. Rumfield is going to be a better bet for batting average, and he does have six home runs because he looks to pull the ball in a good hitting environment. Johnston has a .460 slugging percentage and a .325 batting average, but he only has two home runs. He rarely gets the ball in the air, just a 30% fly ball rate, so I wouldn't expect tons of big flys, but both of these guys can be usable, especially when they're at home.

Daniel Schneemann - 2B/3B/SS/OF - Guardians

Schneeman has been a bit of a surprise, hitting .272/.357/.447 with four home runs, 18 RBI, and three steals in 37 games. However, he has made quality contact in his 241 MLB games. He has a career 9.2% barrel rate and 40.3% hard-hit rate, which are both above average. His bat speed is up this season, and his line drive rate is up nearly 10%, which could be due to a flatter swing. Schneeman flattened his swing tilt by three degrees this year, which is a relatively sizable change, and also has been getting the ball out in front of the plate more often. That could be helping lead to some of the hard contact increases. He has some swing and miss in his game, and more this year since he's chasing out of the zone more, but the zone contact is solid. The batting average feels like it will come down a bit, but the hard contact feels warranted, and he has some chip-in speed, so maybe Schneeman finishes the season around .250-.260 with eight more home runs and 6-7 more steals. That's not a bad pick-up in a 15-team league.

Carson Benge - OF, Mets

Sometimes prospects just need a little bit of time to figure things out. Carson Benge got off to a slow start to his MLB career, but over his last 25 games, he’s hitting .288/.329/.425 with two home runs, 12 runs scored, 10 RBI, and two steals. If you narrow that to the last 15 games, his slash line becomes better, but he also has a 44% hard-hit rate and is not striking out much. So now we're seeing a hitter who is leading off, making lots of contact, making hard contact, and also stealing bases when he gets on. He doesn't pull or lift the ball much, so the power numbers won't be great, but he could swipe 20 bases while also hitting .270 the rest of the way. That's a profile that needs to be on far more rosters.

Luis Garcia Jr. - 1B/2B, Nationals

Garcia Jr. is coming up for me as a buy on basically every custom leaderboard I do. In some ways, I can see why. The bat speed is up from last year. His hard-hit rate is over 45%. He rarely swings and misses and has a 95% zone contact rate. His average exit velocity is up over two mph to 92.5 mph. All of that is nice. I don't love that he's expanding the zone more than he has before because, as somebody who makes lots of contact, I think that is leading to more average contact than he normally produces. He's also hitting the ball on the ground more often, which is less than ideal. Still, I think this batting average boost is real. I think he's a .270-.280 hitter. He's not going to walk, but he's also not going to strike out much, and he hits in the top third of the order for the Nationals. The main concerns are that the home run upside seems capped around 12-15, and he sits versus left-handed pitching. Still, he's now 1B/2B eligible, and I think that makes him a valuable utility piece in most leagues.