KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 10: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After his inside the park homer and a blistering offensive week overall, Bobby Witt Jr was named the AL Player of the Week.
Witt collected 11 hits during the week, which included a four-hit performance against the Guardians on Thursday. It was one of three multi-hit games last week for Witt, who raised his batting average more than 20 points last week to .302, and raised his OPS by 82 points to .847. Witt is now at 2.8 bWAR for the season, tied for the MLB lead among position players.
Tod Palmer writes about Bridget Howard’s journey as the first female full-time broadcaster for Royals TV.
She remembers watching as female broadcasters broke into the sports world and made a mark — Erin Andrews, Jenny Dell, Taylor McGregor, et al. — and that fueled her desire to do the same.
“Those were women that I looked up to, and I saw them in roles like this and was like, ‘Hey, I can do this, too,’” Bridget said.
Now, she’s one of those inspirational women whom little girls with big dreams watch during Royals games.
A high school player feels most likely for the Royals. They have been all over Rojas this spring, and he’s pitched excellently. He has terrific arm speed, a big fastball and a chance for a wipeout breaking ball. If Lombard isn’t taken by now, he probably doesn’t last much longer than this, and it’s also hard to rule out Booth and his top-of-the-scale speed.
Eno Sarris wonders why left-handers aren’t throwing splitters as much despite the pitch being more popular than ever.
One of the first things that always comes up with splitters is the impact the pitch has on a pitcher’s health. Does the split-finger grip lead to injury?
“The reason that I don’t throw the splitter anymore is I did blow out my elbow when I was throwing it,” said San Francisco Giants left-handed starter Robbie Ray. “I don’t think there’s any correlation between the two, but it just happened. I was throwing it a lot in spring training, I was working on it, and never had any issue. I think my elbow was just ready to go.”
Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs covers the Giants trade of Patrick Bailey to the Guardians.
Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start last night due to left side tightness.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: Wehiwa Aloy, the Baltimore Orioles 2025 3rd pick in the draft, looks on during batting practice prior a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 9, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Orioles try to decide which direction they’re going to take their 2026 season, every week we turn our attention to the youngsters who could eventually boost the team, whether in the short term or the long term. It’s time for our recap of the last six days of minor league baseball, with a particular focus on Camden Chat’s top 20 Orioles prospects.
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week: 2-4 vs. Gwinnett Stripers (Braves)
Coming week: at Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
Season record: 15-24, tied for last place (10.0 GB) in International League East
We’re at a point where the pitchers are far more interesting than the hitters at Norfolk, something that hasn’t been said for the past few years. That’s partly because the Tides have very few interesting hitters currently active, and partly because some O’s pitching prospects are doing interesting things. Right-hander Nestor German (#11 prospect) had an especially eye-opening week, making two outstanding starts and allowing just one earned run in 11 innings. The 11th-round pick from 2023 racked up an impressive 16 strikeouts and just one walk.
Levi Wells (#16) also did well(s), holding Charlotte to one run in a 4.2-inning performance, with four Ks and no walks. At the rate the Orioles are losing starting pitchers to injury, don’t be surprised if German and/or Wells get a major league call-up before the All-Star break.
José Barrero and Creed Willems carried the Tides’ offense this week, mashing three home runs apiece. The rest of the team combined for two. Willems is now rocking a .265/.370/.496 slash line with eight homers this season. I’ve been skeptical of Willems as a real prospect since the O’s drafted him, perhaps because of his, let’s say, non-ballplayerish physique. But the kid can hit. Too bad he’s a catcher/first baseman, two positions at which the Orioles don’t currently have a need. Can he play third base? (The answer is no, he cannot play third base.)
The O’s could also use a capable outfielder or two, but Enrique Bradfield Jr. has been sidelined since April 21 with left hand discomfort, and Reed Trimble, who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, is still rehabbing in the lower minors. Norfolk’s only real outfielder at the moment is Jud Fabian, whose .225 average and .784 OPS don’t exactly cry out as a solution to the Orioles’ problems.
Season record: 14-18, fifth place (11.0 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
Chesapeake’s offensive numbers were boosted by a 19-4 win on Wednesday, a game in which they bashed five home runs and collected 15 hits. They didn’t top five runs in any of their other games. Catcher Ethan Anderson was their hitting star, collecting a team-high seven hits and three homers for the week. Part of a problematic 2024 draft class in which the Orioles’ top three picks (Vance Honeycutt, Griff O’Ferrall, and Anderson) all had lousy pro debuts, Anderson is the one who’s taken a step forward this year. He’s hitting .289/.407/.456 in 25 games for the Baysox and is trying to put himself back on the prospect map. No such luck for Griff O’Ferrall, who is batting .156 with a .606 OPS.
Two 21-year-old hitting prospects, Aron Estrada (#13) and Thomas Sosa (#18), are scuffling at Double-A. Estrada is slashing .231/.274/.346 and Sosa .219/.274/.381. Each had just four hits this week. Neither is ready to join Samuel Basallo on the Orioles’ list of successful international signings, at least not yet.
Two familiar Orioles, Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad, began rehab assignments with Chesapeake this week. This is Kjerstad’s first field action since suffering a right hamstring strain in spring training. He’s 1-for-6 so far. Holliday, meanwhile, is taking his third crack at rehab after his first one was cut short on April 12 and his next one halted after three games. He went 0-for-6 with four walks this week and, notably, played third base for just the third time in his professional career. I’m not sure Holliday has the arm for third, but the O’s clearly are desperate for a non-Coby Mayo alternative at the hot corner.
Chesapeake’s rotation had a fine week, ERA-wise, with their six hurlers combining for a 2.42 mark. But lefty Sebastian Gongora was the only one to work six innings, delivering a quality, one-run, seven-strikeout performance. Evan Yates held Altoona to one run and one hit in 5.1 frames, while the other four didn’t make it through five. Righty Juaron Watts-Brown (#15) gave up just one run and two hits in 4.1 innings, but walked four.
Last week: 5-1 vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)
Coming week: at Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees)
Season record: 19-13, second place (1.5 GB) in South Atlantic League North
I don’t want to jinx anything, but do the Orioles have a minor league team that’s actually good? Their High-A affiliate, in their first year back in Frederick, is six games over .500 and just completed a dominant series in which they scored 56 runs in six games, including three straight 11-run performances from Wednesday to Friday. They hit 18 home runs!
Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy (#6) went absolutely bonkers. He blasted five dingers, leading all South Atlantic League hitters for the week, and went 11-for-22 with nine RBIs. The 2025 competitive balance draft pick, selected #31 overall, is hitting .306 with a .985 OPS and 10 homers in 27 games. He’s been outstanding so far. It should be mentioned that he’s struck out in 29% of his PAs, with 35 Ks and 10 walks, which he’ll probably need to address as he moves up the organizational ladder. At High-A, though, it’s not stopping him from having success.
First round pick Ike Irish (#4) hit pretty well himself, even if he was upstaged by Aloy. Irish had two homers and a double and scored seven runs. Two other Keys had three-homer weeks: shortstop Elis Cuevas and the rehabbing outfielder Reed Trimble. I think Trimble’s about ready to return to Triple-A.
It’s always a good week when Joseph Dzierwa (#14) makes two starts, and he did not disappoint. In 8.2 innings, he allowed only one run and racked up 15 strikeouts, walking just two. His first start, in which he threw five scoreless, hitless innings, was particularly dominant. He had to leave his second start after 3.2 innings following a freak play in which a bad-hop overthrow cut him above the eye. Ouch. The injury doesn’t figure to keep him sidelined, fortunately.
Among other Keys pitchers, let’s give some praise to starter Yeiber Cartaya, who tossed five shutout innings with one hit and six strikeouts. The 23-year-old righty is doing excellent things so far this year, posting a 0.68 ERA (two earned runs in 26.2 innings) with a 0.79 WHIP, a .110 batting average against, and 12.15 K/9. Cartaya has put up middling to bad numbers every year of his pro career until now, so maybe something has clicked for him. The Athletic’s Keith Law, for one, was impressed by what he saw from Cartaya this week.
Coming week: vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros)
Season record: 13-20, tied for last place (10.0 GB) in Carolina League North
The only top-20 Orioles prospect on the Shorebirds roster, Esteban Mejia (#8), continued to struggle with his control. In his lone start this week, he walked six batters, though he at least limited the damage to one run. That came three starts after an eight-walk performance on April 17. Mejia has issued 22 walks in 18.2 innings this year. It’s not what you want.
The award for Strangest Pitching Line goes to righty Brayan Orrantia, who worked 5.1 innings and gave up 10 runs — but only three were earned. Two Delmarva errors cost him a couple of runs in his first outing of the week, and another two miscues led to five more unearned runs in his second start. He certainly didn’t pitch well, but he didn’t get much help from his teammates, either. The only quality start from a Shorebird this week was righty Christian Rodriguez (six innings, one run).
The team’s best hitter of the week was outfielder Braylon Whitaker, a 19th-round pick in 2024, who reached base 14 times on six hits and eight walks. Whitaker is batting .305 this season and has more walks (19) than strikeouts (16), albeit with no power. Shortstop DJ Layton has been off to a good start in 2026 but was 5-for-20 with nine strikeouts this week.
In the glorious return of the Player of the Week poll last week, Ike Irish was the winner with 63% of the vote. This week there were so many standout performances that five guys who hit three home runs each — Creed Willems, Jose Barrero, Ethan Anderson, Elis Cuevas, and Reed Trimble — didn’t even make the cut, nor did Joseph Dzierwa. Instead it’s a two-man race. Who gets your vote?
Today, a lot of varied topics and varied fervor are here in Cub Tracks: From the latest injury news and fears, to rumors of needed trades, to comparing the 2026 and the 2016 Cubs (WAY to early for that, but a fun exercise) to Glenallen Hill checking out the apartment building across the street the HARD way.
The injury replacements are getting injured themselves. The trade deadline is many moons away, but 1) the Cubs can’t wait until August 3 (which sounds a lot farther away than July 31 was), and 2) the Athletic lists TEN possible targets (again, a fun exercise, but, wow). With just a scan of the 2016/26 comparison, there may be a point on offense, but I didn’t even look at the pitching comparisons. I did look at the verdict and agreed straight down the line.
And Glenallen, that swing still scares me. I’m sure it’s the shortest swing for a 500-foot homerun ever. So enjoy the fun and not so fun.
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Was Edward Cabrera’s Last Start Canary in Coalmine or Rock Bottom? “Two of those hits left the yard, which has now been the case for Cabrera in three of his last four starts. That’s what happens when your stuff isn’t as sharp. The curveball has lost just over four inches of horizontal movement and nearly four of vertical drop from last season.”
Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Ten starters Cubs could target before trade deadline, from Logan Webb to Joe Ryan. “To be clear, Chicago Cubs officials do not expect to execute any major trades at this point in the baseball calendar ….. But it is the front office’s job to constantly brainstorm ideas, gather information and anticipate where those markets are moving.”
Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Potential Cubs Targets, Teams to Watch, Challenge Trades, More. “Add it all up and, yeah, they’ll very likely be adding a starting pitcher via trade this season. But while that won’t likely happen anytime soon, the rumors and breakdowns are already out in full force. Let’s break these rumors down and get an understanding of who might be on their radar.”
Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): For Ian Happ, the Cubs’ historically great start is a long time coming, ‘The little details and big moments have led to this pivotal point in Happ’s career. Right now, he’s a driving force behind one of baseball’s best teams, which is off to a historically great start for a franchise marking its 150th anniversary.“
Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Hoby Milner’s journey to Chicago part of ‘a great fairytale’ for his father, Brian, a former Cubs scout. “A 48-year-long fairytale brought Brian Milner to Tropicana Field in early April. Milner watched his son Hoby toss a scoreless relief appearance for the Chicago Cubs during a win against the Rays in a full-circle moment for the family. Brian spent 12 seasons (1996-2007) as a Cubs scout and now gets to see Hoby representing the team.”
Tommy Erbe (OnTapSportsNet): OTD 26 Years Ago, Glenallen Hill Hit A Ball To The Wrigley Field Rooftops. “Hill hit the ball over the bleachers in left field, over Waveland Avenue, and onto the bleacher seats across the street from Wrigley Field. The building sits 460 feet from home plate, but you’d need some extra mustard to get it to the top.”
26 years ago today, the wind was gusting out to LF at 30mph💨 and Glenallen Hill homered ~500ft onto the rooftop of 1032 W. Waveland pic.twitter.com/QGHIVl0JK4
Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune{$}): Chicago Cubs — whose streak ends at 10 — feel no urgency to add a starter despite social media madness. “The (Peralta) report was retracted, but that didn’t stop the internet, which never sleeps. It was picked up by aggregating websites focusing on Cubs news. Views of the original tweet and the retraction reached almost 600,000 as of Saturday night. The tweet worked, even if it was wrong, the story of our times.”
Food For Thought:
Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, Actor, Author, and Songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles. His storytelling is sometimes painful, deep, and real, an earthy contrast to modern-day commercial music, meant to create thought, underlined by gentle tones from his guitar or banjo fingerpicking. A self-taught “Renaissance Man”, he first heard the banjo at a summer camp run by John Seeger, the brother of the American Folk Musician, Pete Seeger, and soon after, asked his father for one.
When asked about his experience as a performer, Guy has replied, “There is no tale so tall that I cannot tell it, nor song so sweet that I cannot sing it.”
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds hits his record-setting 756th career home run in the fifth inning against Washington Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik in San Francisco, Ca. (Photo by Richard Clement /Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
Good morning, baseball fans!
Today, we are in wrapping up a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I have been away, and I wanted to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.
It’s only fitting that for the twelfth day of Mays-mas, we go back a little farther than we have been to include Willie Mays’ godson breaking the all-time home run record on August 7th, 2007. That’s right, baby, it’s time for some Barry Bonds dingers! Well, one very specific dinger, to be exact.
Unfortunately, they don’t have the full game available but I was able to find the full at-bat. So grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!
What time do the Giants play today?
The San Francisco Giants continue this four-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight at 7:10 p.m. PT.
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 06: Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on April 6, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is the fifth installment in Purple Row’s series on the Colorado Rockies Cultural Education & Development Program. So far, I have written about what the program does, its curriculum, and its origins. Yesterday, Renee Dechert wrote a profile on one of the English teachers, and this week we’ll continue exploring how the Rockies help non-English-speaking players develop their language skills.
As we’ve discussed over the last few weeks, the Colorado Rockies have been at the forefront of English education around Major League Baseball. It all started because Josh Rosenthal had a vision after returning from the Peace Corps, and he and Angel Amparo have turned that vision into a reality that set the standard for all 30 clubs.
The Rockies currently have five players from Latin America on their active roster, and three of them graduated from the Cultural Education & Development Program – Antonio Senzatela, Juan Mejia and Ezequiel Tovar. Here’s how they described their experiences.
Antonio Senzatela
Senzatela was one of the original students in the program, having been signed out of Valencia, Venezuela, in 2011. He was assigned to the DSL Rockies the following year and came stateside in 2013. Since he was around in the early goings, he had a lot more experience with Rosenthal than Amparo.
“It was really good,” Senzatela said of his experience. “Josh was an amazing person. He’s a different personality. He liked to teach us how to be a good person and how to engage in American culture when we’re just kids. And it was really fun and really nice to have him.”
And the lessons he learned have stuck with him throughout his career.
“In our country, we don’t have a lot of things. It’s different,” he said. “Here you have to be more quiet and more careful with things you say and stuff like that. He taught us that and a couple of English words, especially more on the baseball-wise because at least we have to know baseball terms. And it’s really nice, and it was perfect for me.”
Ezequiel Tovar and Juan Mejia
Tovar and Mejia were both signed in 2017 – Tovar out of Maracay, Venezuela, and Mejia out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Both came stateside in 2019, but Tovar made his MLB debut in 2022 while Mejia made his debut in 2025.
“I think it was a big help. They taught me so much,” Mejia said of his experience. “I think through that program and through the help of Angel, I think it not only shaped myself as a whole but it also shaped my personality. It changed my personality over here, so it helped me from that first year that I got in the United States. I felt better going into it because I had so much help, and it helped me in various ways.”
Tovar explained more about how the early classes were structured.
“There’s two of them over there that head the program, and obviously they taught me a lot,” he said. “That program meant a lot for learning English. First it was through Duolingo and some of the classes over there, and they had a bunch of applications that they gave to us to help us learn English. But yeah, I started all the way over there in the Dominican my first year with all that.”
He also remembers there were a lot of “quizzes and tests” but also Amparo and Julio Medina got more creative with teaching their players how to understand and begin internalizing English.
“They’d send you movies, songs and things like that to help you remember English and kind of get used to it,” Tovar said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that I remember.”
Mejia remembered a project where the players all had to create an advertisement for a product, and while he couldn’t remember the specific product he was trying to sell, he “vividly remember(s) doing those videos.”
“I can’t specifically recall that because I was in Spokane,” he said. “I knew a little more English, so I think that was helpful, but it was still hard for me because I was a little nervous, and I kind of wanted to get it done with so I kind of rushed it a little bit. It was still hard on me, doing those videos, and I can’t recall specifically that.”
However, he didn’t think it was harder than opening or closing a baseball game – it’s just a different kind of challenge.
“I think it was that you’re focusing on talking, and obviously it makes you nervous because you’re not fully adapted to the language,” he explained. “But over here, I’m confident in my talent when I’m pitching. I think everyone can see that talent that I have, and thanks to God, so I enjoy being out there with the guys.”
Tovar offered some advice for players who are still in the program and who are still getting used to English as well as life in the United States.
“My advice for them is that I’m still learning English myself and getting used to it,” he said. “But over here, we speak English. It’s a huge part of the culture and a huge part of what you do, so you’ve got to go hard and focus on what you’re doing.
“But I think all the guys are doing it,” he continued. “Ever since you leave from the Dominican and come to Arizona, you’re still doing the programs, even if it’s on Zoom or anything like that. The program is something that obviously helps a lot of us out, and I think it’s a program that means a lot for a lot of us. It’s something that follows you, even as you keep rising in the programs.”
Closing Thoughts
Over the past few weeks, we’ve highlighted a lot of details about this program. This concludes the first part of our series, but it is not the end! We will go on a short hiatus, but we will bring this back in June with more teacher interviews as well as interviews from players currently in the program.
The ACL Rockies continued their hot start to the young season, where they have only lost one game so far. Things got a little hairy in the first inning, as the Baby Snakes put up a three-spot where the third run was scored on a wild pitch by Eliezer Pena. However, the Baby Rockies got things going in the fourth with a triple by Kamuel Villar followed by an RBI single by Yeiker Reyes. A wild pitch tied things up in the fifth, and a three-run double by Reyes doubled the Baby Rockies score. Sebastian Blanco doubled in the fifth to end the scoring at 7-3.
In total, ACL Rockies pitching held the ACL Dbacks to just four hits while striking out eight and walking four. The ACL Rockies offense, on the other hand, had 13 hits, six walks and just three strikeouts.
The Rockies are better this year, but there’s always room for improvement. Thomas Harding identifies “better right-handed hitting” as the need for the Rockies, as players such as Ezequiel Tovar, Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle and Hunter Goodman have all struggled out of the gate in various ways.
Forget Grimace. Forget Dinger. Elmo entered the booth during the Rockies-Phillies game on Saturday as part of the Phillies’ Strike Out the Stigma’ initiative to support mental health awareness. During his interview, Elmo gave his opinion many things including the Rockies, especially since he’s beefing with a friend with a similar name (Rocco).
Here’s the full video, if you missed it (or want to relive it!):
Antonio Senzatela and Chase Dollander have been the focus of the Rockies this season, and for good reason. Both have had excellent starts, and both have made some major adjustments at the suggestions of the new coaching staff. Shawn Trewartha details the changes that both have made, and how they’ve been working in real time.
Brewers third base prospect Andrew Fischer signs an autograph during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.
Jett Williams (No. 3): 6-for-21, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K
Luis Lara (No. 11): 6-for-21, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K
Garrett Stallings: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Coleman Crow (No. 26): 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Carlos Rodriguez: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 6 BB, 5 K
Robert Gasser (No. 16): 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Now that we’re more than a month into the minor league season, stats are starting to stabilize a bit. Nashville’s offenses has been led by Eddys Leonard, who leads the Sounds with a 1.028 OPS and .345 batting average over 116 at-bats. Luis Lara isn’t far behind him, with a .317/.417/.511 line in 139 at-bats. Other important contributors for the Sounds have included catchers Ramon Rodriguez (.319 batting average, .806 OPS) and Jeferson Quero (.257/.344/.425).
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 10, 2026
The Sounds have a few top organizational prospects who have struggled to start the season. Cooper Pratt is barely hitting over .200 (.205). He’s hitting .207 over the last month and .205 over the last two weeks, although his numbers are weighed down by a 3-for-24 performance this week. Jett Williams (.243/.360/.354) also had a rough start, although he’s started to turn things around over the last month (.812 OPS).
Brock Wilken (No. 21) has also bounced back recently, but his season long slash line (.179/.316/.317 with just two home runs) is still far from encouraging. He’s struck out 43 times in 123 at-bats, which means he’s striking out in over a third of his at-bats. Luke Adams (No. 12)has been out with a shoulder contusion for almost a month, but he had a .732 OPS in 39 at-bats before going on the IL. Tyler Black, who’s up in Milwaukee right now, has gone 11-for-39 with the Sounds this season.
The Sounds have a lot of pitching depth, but a couple of their starters haven’t had great starts. Tate Kuehner (5.50 ERA) and Coleman Crow (4.70) have had a few rough outings that have ballooned their season-long stats, although both pitchers are still striking out one batter per inning. Carlos Rodriguez (7.91) has been hit even harder over 19.1 innings. Logan Henderson (1.02) has been by far the Sounds’ best starting pitcher, but he’s now in the major league rotation.
With Henderson in Milwaukee, lefty Robert Gasser (4.08) would probably be the next pitcher to get the call to the majors should the Brewers need reinforcements. Gasser’s only allowed one home run all year and has 25 strikeouts to seven walks in 17.2 innings pitched.
Jacob Waguespack (11 appearances, 2.25 ERA, 12.94 K/9) has pitched extremely well out of the bullpen, as has Will Childers, who hasn’t allowed an earned run in nine relief appearances. Neither has Brian Fitzpatrick, who’s now pitching out of the bullpen in Milwaukee.
Jeferson Quero teaches the kids about what happens to an 88 MPH fastball that leaves the bat at 107.7 MPH with a 36 degree launch angle. pic.twitter.com/SGAb4pGajw
1B/DH Blake Burke, who was just named the Brewers Minor League Player of the Month, has turned into a formidable power hitter with the Shuckers. He’s hit 22 homers for the Shuckers since his promotion from High-A in August 2025. Eight of those home runs came in the month of April, along with 8 doubles, a triple, 20 RBI, 17 runs scored, and — perhaps most impressively — 9 stolen bases.
The Brewers don’t usually rush their prospects, so don’t expect to see Burke in the major leagues this year — especially given the wealth of 1B/DH options currently on the 26-man roster. Still, he should be in Triple-A pretty soon if he keeps hitting like this. He’s looking like a legitimate power hitter, a trait that should translate to the majors someday.
Jesus Made’s season-long stats still look solid (.275.360/.427), but his numbers have taken a nosedive over the last month. He’s now hitting .242 with a .698 OPS over the last month. Over the last two weeks, his numbers are down even further (.233 batting average, .578 OPS).
I’ve consistently said not to worry about Made, but at this point he’s been performing below his (admittedly sky-high) expectations for about a month. I still wouldn’t worry too much, for a couple reasons.
One, Made is still a good two years younger than the average Double-A player. Going from High-A to Double-A is often considered the hardest jump in the minor leagues, and pitchers have adjusted to how they pitch him. He was so absurdly good to start the season (and last year) that anything short of eye-popping stats start to feel like a let-down, but he’s also not striking out that often (16 Ks in his last 95 at-bats) and has still looked like himself at the plate. Development isn’t linear. If Made keeps hitting like this for another month, then it’s worth a deeper dive into his mechanics and approach.
I generally try to avoid speculation, but it’s at least worth noting that Made’s recent downturn has overlapped with the hospitalization of Luis Peña, who collapsed in the dugout during a High-A game. I’ll get into Peña’s situation more in the High-A section below, but the short version is this: Brewers GM Matt Arnold said Peña was okay following the incident, yet he hasn’t appeared in a game in nearly three weeks. The organization announced more than a week ago that Peña was scheduled to see a neurologist, but there hasn’t been any public update from either the Brewers or Peña’s camp since then.
Hitting is as much mental as it is physical, and the Peña situation was undeniably scary. Made and Peña have known each other since they were twelve years old and are reportedly very close. If Peña is still dealing with something serious, it wouldn’t be surprising if that’s affecting Made as well.
JESÚS MADE IS THE MAN WE NEED! His 3rd home run of the year extends the lead back to 2!
Less-heralded prospects Dylan O’Rae, Mike Boeve, and Damon Keith have all continued to play well with the Shuckers. O’Rae is hitting .299 with an .809 OPS, while Keith is hitting .338 with a 1.093 OPS in eighty at-bats. Boeve’s season-long numbers are less impressive, but over the last two weeks he has an OPS of .762.
Tyson Hardin and Brett Wichrowski, both top-30 Brewers prospects, haven’t been effective this season. Hardin had a breakout season in 2025, but he’s already allowed almost as many earned runs (25) as he did all of last season (28) and has an ERA approaching eight. At least he’s still striking guys out, with 43 Ks in less than 30 innings. Wichrowski has nearly identical stats, except that he’s striking out less batters and has allowed twice as many home runs as Hardin.
Manuel Rodriguez (5.40 ERA), Bishop Letson (6.75), and Jaron DeBerry (7.25) have also been struggling. Letson’s at least had a couple solid outings lately, giving up three hits and two runs in four innings in his last appearance. Ryan Birchard has been limiting opponents’ production, but he’s also walked 26 batters in 20 innings.
Next week’s opponent: @ Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)
Eric Bitonti (No. 25): 8-for-23, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 10 K
Travis Smith: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Braylon Owens: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Bryan Rivera: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Andrew Fischer turned in another impressive week, recording three home runs and six total extra-base hits in just 23 at-bats. Josh Adamczewski (No. 10) and Marco Dinges (No. 9) also both bounced back this week with six hits each. Adamczewski hit two home runs, while Dinges hit one. Adamczewski’s OPS is still over 1.000 on the season, while Dinges’ is “only” .908.
Josiah Ragsdale has also kept hitting. Over the last month, he owns an .883 OPS across 78 at-bats, trailing only Andrew Fischer among Timber Rattlers hitters.
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 8, 2026
Eric Bitonti has quietly been great over the last month, with a .257/.382/.473 line over 74 at-bats. Bitonti still strikes out way too much (30 Ks in those 74 at-bats), but this stretch has still brought his strikeout rate down. He won’t be promoted until he refines his approach, but he’s been showing that the hit tool is still very much there.
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 10, 2026
Luis Peña, the Brewers’ No. 2 prospect, is the best prospect on the Timber Rattlers. As I mentioned above, Peña still hasn’t played since the medical emergency on April 22nd, and the organization hasn’t given any updates on him since they announced he was scheduled to see a neurologist last Monday. Simply put, that’s not great.
Like I also said above, I hate to speculate, but it seems logical to conclude that there may be more going on here than initially meets the eye. Peña was diagnosed with heatstroke, but has now missed almost three weeks. Furthermore, the Brewers haven’t placed him on the injured list. If he had been cleared to play, the Brewers would have obviously announced that, even if they were giving him some time to recover before throwing him back in the lineup. I’m not going to guess what’s going on, but it’s clearly something. Hopefully he’s alright and will be back in the lineup soon.
Wisconsin has four pitchers who threw more than 20 innings this month — Travis Smith, Ethan Dorchies, Braylon Owens, and Wande Torres. Other than Smith (3.42), the others had ERAs between 4.50 and 6.95.
Next week’s opponent: vs. South Bend Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
Player of the Month: Jarrette Bonet (this week: 7.2 IP, 10 H, 9 ER, 6 BB, 7 K)
Jarrett Bonet, named the Brewers’ Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April, went 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA over 23.1 innings pitched. He racked up 26 strikeouts while posting an opponent batting average of just .222 (18-for-81). Bonet was signed as a free agent after last year’s draft and is quickly surpassing expectations with the Warbirds.
Although the season-long hitting stats look pretty bad so far, the bats have continued to heat up as Wilson inches closer to .500. Infielder Luis Lameda is slashing .318/,439/.379 this season. Handelfry Encarnacion, who won Carolina League Player of the Week last week, has shown some serious power over the last month with five homers and ten extra-base hits. Over that same stretch, Pedro Ibarguen is hitting .327 with a .929 OPS and Brady Ebel (No. 14) has a .388 OBP. Ebel is still hitting south of .200 on the season, but he’s clearly improving at the plate.
Wilson doesn’t really have a workhorse starter outside of Bonet (31 IP). After Bonet, Enderson Mercado ranks second on the staff in innings pitched, though he’s struggled to a 6.58 ERA. Tyler Renz (3.38 ERA in 26 2/3 innings), Miqueas Mercedes (3.04 ERA in 23 2/3 innings), and Garrett Hodges (2.00 ERA in 18 innings) have all quietly put together strong seasons.
Next week’s opponent: vs. Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians)
Player of the Week
Andrew Fischer, who hit three home runs in a week for the second time in the last month. It’s easy to forget Fischer, who’s slashing .274/.365/.623 with a .988 OPS and nine home runs in his first full professional season, was playing in the College World Series less than a year ago. At this rate, it would be surprising if he isn’t viewed as a top-50 prospect in baseball by the end of the year.
Andrew Fischer went 4/6 with 2 HR and a triple today.
Andrew Fischer had an incredible day Sunday (4 for 6, 2 HR’s + Triple) that propelled him to the Midwest Player of the Week award 🎖️
Fischer’s power number ranks among all full-season minor leaguers: 🔥 .988 OPS (95th Percentile) 🔥 .623 SLG (97th Percentile) 🔥 .349 ISO (98th… https://t.co/AzZyiB2kZx
— Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) May 11, 2026
Play of the Week
I couldn’t find a defensive play that impressed me as much as this filthy strikeout from Craig Yoho:
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks works out before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Giannis Antetokounmpo has an ultimatum from Milwaukee Bucks ownership: either sign a contract extension this summer, or get traded. The long-rumored divorce between the two sides might finally come to fruition as the NBA prepares to enter the offseason, and the Bucks are making it known they’re ready to hear offers.
The Bucks are “open for business ”on Antetokounmpo trade offers, and the team is reportedly seeking “young blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of draft picks,” according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania’s report comes on the brink of the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, historically a place where early trade conversations happen as the entire league is gathered in Chicago. Antetokounmpo essentially asked out of Milwaukee ahead of the trade deadline, but a deal never materialized, and the trade landscape feels different this time.
The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder were reportedly not interested in a Giannis trade at the deadline. Does that change for Houston after a first-round exit? Will San Antonio or OKC also change their mind on a potential trade if they fall short of a championship? The Boston Celtics are another team to watch in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes now after a first-round exit in the 2026 NBA Playoffs when they were supposed to be the favorites in the East.
Here are six potential Antetokounmpo trade packages that make sense, plus two darkhorse surprise teams at the end.
Miami Heat’s best Giannis trade offer
Bucks receive: Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, No. 13 overall pick in 2026 NBA Draft, 2030 first-rounder, 2032 first-rounder
Heat receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince
It will be tricky to make the salaries match, but there’s a framework in place for the potential Giannis trade to the Heat this summer. Miami has three first-round picks available to trade, including No. 13 overall this year, where we have Karim Lopez projected in our mock draft. Kel’el Ware had a solid second season even if he falls short of the “blue chip” prospect Milwaukee covets. If Mikal Bridges and Rudy Gobert were traded for five first-round picks, why is Giannis only fetching three? Well, it’s a different trade landscape these days, and Antetokounmpo’s constant late season injury issues feel like a real problem at age-31. The Heat are also chasing stars, and at this point it feels like they’ve maximized their current group. An all-in trade for Giannis makes sense for Miami, and it might be the best package Milwaukee can get.
Cavs’ best Giannis trade offer
Bucks receive: Evan Mobley, Sam Merrill, 2030 and 2032 first-round picks
Heat receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
This trade is not currently legal because the Cavs are in the second apron, and thus cannot aggregate salaries to match Giannis’ massive deal. It’s possible Cleveland can get under the apron for this deal during the summer, and subbing in Jaylon Tyson for Merrill would make it even more appealing if they can square the salaries. Mobley is potentially the best young player on the market for Milwaukee. The big man turns 25 years old next month, and feels like he stagnated a bit offensively this season. He remains an incredible defender as a mobile 7-footer, and Milwaukee could probably flip him for a ton of assets if they wanted a longer view of their upcoming rebuild. Those Cleveland picks could be pretty valuable too with an older core in place should the Cavs do this deal.
Celtics’ best Giannis trade offer with Hawks to form 3-team deal
Bucks receive: No. 8 pick in 2026 NBA Draft, Celtics’ first-round picks in 2027 and 2032, Zaccharie Risacher, Hugo Gonzalez, Corey Kispert
Celtics receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Hawks receive: Jaylen Brown
This is admittedly a rough draft what a three-team trade would look like between the Celtics, Hawks, and Bucks. The general framework would have Jaylen Brown landing in his hometown of Atlanta, Giannis going to the Celtics, and the Bucks getting Atlanta’s No. 8 overall pick and more future first-rounders. The salaries do work out in this deal according to the trade machine, so something like this could make sense. Risacher was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but he already lost his spot in the Hawks’ playoff rotation, so this doesn’t feel like too much to give up for Atlanta to get Brown. The Celtics upgrade from Brown to Antetokounmpo and push for a championship next year. The Bucks land a second top-10 pick in this trade, and Gonzalez would be a nice get after a surprisingly strong rookie year.
Wolves receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis
The Wolves were reportedly interested in Giannis at the trade deadline, and they could have interest again this summer should they fall short in the playoffs. This package features neither a blue chip young player or a bundle of picks, but it would give the Bucks a lot of flippable assets. McDaniels will be 26 years old next season and is one of the best wing defenders in the league. Gobert is still a defensive stud, and he’s on a more affordable deal now. DiVincenzo is out for the year sadly with an Achilles tear. Milwaukee could flip McDaniels and Gobert for 1-2 more future first-round picks each if they take this deal, and that Minnesota 2032 first-round could be spicy down the line.
Blazers’ best Giannis offer
Bucks receive: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Yang Hansen, 2028 and 2030 Bucks swaps returned, 2032 Blazers first-round pick
TrailBlazers receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
New Blazers owner Tom Dundan said the team has a big trade offer available at the trade deadline that the team chose to not pull the trigger on, but that things might be different under his watch. Was he talking about Giannis? The Blazers have always felt like a natural trade partner for Giannis because they own two future Milwaukee pick swaps. This deal has Portland unloading bad money in Jerami Grant, and cashing in Scoot Henderson and Yang Hansen, while returning the swap rights to Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo. Henderson is starting to come on lately even if he hasn’t yet lived up to his draft hype, and he’s exactly the type of player who could intrigue Milwaukee. This is probably too much to give up for Portland, but it could potentially win a bidding war.
Knicks’ best Giannis trade offer
Bucks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, 2032 first-round pick
The Knicks seem very likely to go to the Finals, but I won’t put a trade like this past them if they get smoked by the Thunder or Spurs once they get there. I do think it’s too much to give up for New York given Giannis’ injury history. Milwaukee wouldn’t get a pick surplus or any good young players from this haul, but it could immediately turn around and trade Anunoby and KAT for value.
Two surprise teams who could trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Orlando Magic: How about a Paolo Banchero for Giannis package as a starting point? I don’t think that’s going to solve Orlando’s shooting and injury woes, but it would be an instant talent upgrade for a team that’s already all-in on the present.
Charlotte Hornets: The Hornets could offer a huge package of picks, and they certainly need more physicality inside. Charlotte already had the best net-rating in the NBA after Jan. 1. Would they really empty the clip to trade every available pick for Giannis? Miles Bridges, Tre Mann, and Josh Green would match salaries.
James, 41, has spoken about retirement and not knowing what his would entail at the end of each of the last few seasons.
After an NBA-record 23 seasons, Lakers star LeBron James is still undecided about his future. Getty Images
That was once again the case on Monday after wrapping up an unprecedented 23rd year in the NBA.
“Obviously, we’re still fresh from losing – I don’t know what the future holds for me as it stands right now,” James said. ”I got a lot of time. I’ll sit back, like I said last year after we lost to Minnesota, I [will] go back and recalibrate with my family, talk with them and spend some time with them. And then when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do.”
For the first time in James’ career, he doesn’t have a guaranteed deal or option in his contract following this season, which is unchartered territory as he enters unrestricted free agency.
“None of us knows what the future holds,” James said. “Nobody has any idea what the future holds, and I don’t either. I’ll take time to recalibrate, look over the season and see what’s best for my future. I get to that point, everyone will know.”
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 60 regular season games, with the Lakers going 53-29 and clinching the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference standings.
“I left everything I could on the floor,” James said. “I control what I can control and I can leave the floor saying ‘S–t, even though I hate losing obviously, but I was locked in on what we needed to do. Made sure that, I tried to make sure, our guys were locked in on what we needed to do throughout the postseason, throughout 10 games. And obviously we fell a little short obviously, but I don’t, I’m not looking at, my year as a disappointment, that’s for damn sure.”
James stepped into a third option role behind star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves post All-Star break, with the Lakers having their most successful stretch from late February-late March, when they won 16 of 18 games.
After the Lakers were swept 4-0 by the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, James said he’ll take some time before deciding what’s next. AP
With Doncic sidelined for the entire playoffs because of a left hamstring strain he suffered on April 2 and Reaves sidelined for the first four games of the playoffs because of an oblique injury, James stepped back into a primary option role.
He led the Lakers to a first round playoff series victory over the Rockets in six games.
“I was put into some positions I never played in my career,” James said. “Actually in my life. I’ve never been a third option in my life. So to be able to thrive in that role for that period of time and then have to step back into the role that I’ve been accustomed with over my career, over my life, playing a sport and being able to thrive under that, and then just my teammates allowing me to lead them under extreme circumstances, that was pretty cool for me at this stage in my career.”
James opened up on the factors that he’ll consider.
After an up-and-down season that began with injury, James proved that he can still play at an elite level when needed. NBAE via Getty Images
“For me, it’s about the process,” James said. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena 5 ½ hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play. Showing up to practices, 11 [a.m.] practice, I’m there at 8 [a.m.] preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in. So I think for me, I’ve always been in love with the process. And the aftermath of, ‘OK, we won that game or we won a championship.’ I’ve always enjoyed the process and not the outcome, so I think that would be a big factor.”
James added: “And then also, I’ll have a conversation with my 12-year-old daughter, that’s a big factor. And my 19-year-old son [Bryce] is entering his second year at Arizona. And my wife as well. They’re a huge factor in any decision I’ve made, so they’ll be a big part of it as well.”
James wrapped up his eighth season with the Lakers – the longest stretch of consecutive seasons with a single franchise in his career.
“There’s a lot,” James responded on the special accomplishments of his Lakers tenure. “I mean, obviously winning a championship [in] 2020, stands at the top. I mean, that was the reason why I came here: To restore that level of play and restore this franchise back to what it was known for – winning championships and playing at a high level. To be out there with that group, go out there and win a championship and us competing at a championship level was something I kind of envisioned and was able to accomplish that. So that woud stand at the top for sure.”
It's a full 15-game slate across the Majors today, which means no shortage of value in my MLB player props. I'll highlight Paul Skenes, Elly De La Cruz, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Paul Skenes is carving opponents early on, posting a 2.36 ERA while striking out 46 hitters in 42 innings of work. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace has cashed the Over in Ks just once in his last three starts, but he did finish with seven punchouts in the other two outings, and tonight's matchup heavily plays in Skenes' favor.
He'll face the lowly Colorado Rockies, one of the worst teams in the big leagues. Colorado strikes out more than any other team, with an average of 9.78 per game. They're also averaging over 12 Ks per contest across their last three, and Skenes' electric stuff will be too much for them.
He also has 26 punchouts in 21 1/3 home innings.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Rockies.TV
Elly De La Cruz Over 1.5 hits (+185)
Elly De La Cruz is tearing the cover off the baseball. He's batting .308 in May and .367 over the last week. The Cincinnati Reds star has three consecutive multi-hit games, and he finished with three hits in Sunday's victory over the Astros. De La Cruz had seven hits in that three-game series.
Tonight's matchup will be one he's looking forward to as well. The Washington Nationals send veteran Miles Mikolas to the mound, who sports an ERA over seven. He's getting absolutely torched every time he takes the hill, and De La Cruz is hitting .333 against him, going 5-for-15 lifetime.
De La Cruz is also batting a mile better at home with a .346 average, compared to a .232 mark on the road.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Reds.TV, Nationals.TV
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Over 6.5 strikeouts (+114)
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been led by the dominance of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is having a nice campaign. He's gone 3-2 with a 3.09 ERA, striking out 40 in 43 2/3 frames. Yamamoto has hit the Over in Ks in three of his last four appearances, and he sat down eight via the strikeout in his most recent start against the Astros.
Yamamoto will face the San Francisco Giants this evening, and he already struck out seven against them earlier this season. He's held them to a .181 average as a lineup as well. The Giants do a respectable job of putting the ball in play, but they strike out a lot more on the road, averaging 8.33 Ks.
Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SportsNet LA, NBC Sports Bay Area
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 22-41, +0.25 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.
Remember last year, when your pal J.R. Fickle tipped you off to future Yankees ace Cam Schlittler — with the caveat that he had no real cards… but would soon? And then he basically was awesome before his first card came out, leveling the playing field for all those non-Mail Day readers?
Let’s try this again.
Bowman Draft isn’t the most attractive set for investing in cards — being described casually as “Bowman paper” doesn’t exactly ooze cardboard sexiness. But there is a pitcher in the Dodgers system who has his first card in the upcoming set and NOBODY is on him, despite the double-banger of having fantastic stats and — potentially — the most compelling story of the season.
Patrick Copen is a 6’6”, 220 lb, 22 year-old starter for the Tulsa Drillers, LA’s Double-A affiliate. He currently has a 3.31 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts in 33 ⅔ innings. He was the Texas League Pitcher of the Month in April. He is an elite strikeout machine — last year he struck out 152 batters in 117 ⅔ IP.
And he was permanently blinded in one eye two seasons ago.
In 2024, Copen was hit in the face by a line drive. He lost vision in his right eye from the injury. A year later he was back on the mound. He hasn’t missed a step as far as his stats go, although he told MLB Network he had trouble checking runners on second base. Fabian Ardaya wrote a fantastic story about him last year for The Athletic. There’s storyline gold here. And the fact that his prices in breaks or singles on eBay are still low mean that people haven’t caught on yet. He’s not a top prospect, but maybe he should be. Still, we use that to our advantage as collectors apparently haven’t done their homework.
There are, as always, a couple caveats. Keith Law projects Copen as a reliever. And he’s in the Dodgers system, which is already blocking things with possibly seven starters for a six-man rotation. But hey — anyone can be traded at any given time! And Keith Law has probably been wrong before. We haven’t checked but…
Copen’s card should be one you want. He’s put up near-elite minor league numbers, he’s a member of a prestigious organization, and he has a backstory that would make your Alysa Liu cards wilt in its presence.
I would like to take a moment to shout out the Jose Rijo 1994 Stadium Club card.
I stumbled upon it during one of my white rabbit pursuits and man. What a great card.
Also we forget that Rijo basically lost five seasons at the end of his prime because of two Tommy John surgeries and other arm issues. He was borderline studly before that and has one of the more tragic runs of bad luck in junk wax history. But the twist is that he came back after those five seasons and had a couple more years of decent relief outings.
For those of you following my months-long PSA/GameStop saga — it has come to an end. Predictably, it did not go well.
To bring everyone up to date: Three months ago I dropped off two cards — a Lauren Betts autographed rookie and a Trey Lance autographed rookie (yes, back in February the gamble was Lance would sign on as a starter somewhere) — at GameStop just to see how that process would go. Last week I got an email that they were ready. I was expecting an 8, hoping for a 9, and would love to have gotten a 10.
Both cards graded out as 6s.
I’m going to crack them open and send them to TAG. Or CSG — they were an awesome experience for me. Or SGC — they were also an awesome experience. I’m not a grading noob; I know these cards were in good enough shape to send in. I just picked the wrong company.
Also, GameStop still smells weird. And it doesn’t open until noon, so I had to kill time at Wal-Mart, TJ Maxx (don’t get me started on the state of men’s low-cut socks), and Target for two hours, foolishly assuming they opened at 10am like a normal store.
If you read this newsletter regularly, you know I have little good to say about PSA. So this mini-rant shouldn’t be a surprise. But I have now gone through even their most obscure grading process and it was, predictably, an annoying waste of money.
After winning the weekend series in Los Angeles versus the Dodgers in one attempt to prove they are the National League’s best team, the Braves get a chance to further validate that claim against the Cubs to start the week. The Cubs have been the hottest team in baseball, and will likely prove to be another big challenge for the Braves.
Fortunately for Atlanta, more reinforcements are on the way. Ha-Seong Kim is back in the majors and is ready to make his season debut. Eli white was put on the 7-day concussion IL as a result, so Mauricio Dubon will have plenty of opportunity to play until some of the Braves outfield depth returns.
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) passes the ball before it goes out of bounds during a NCAA Tournament game against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Purdue fell to Arizona 79-64. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The NBA Draft lottery just happened which means we are one step closer to the actual NBA Draft. There are events going on all around the NBA to prepare the next crop of stars. Guys like Braden Smith are getting weighed and measured, how tall is he anyway? TKR is playing in the G-League Combine and doing a great job, enough to even move up a level in the combine hierarchy. Fletcher Loyer even showed up some of his skills at that same event. So what does this mean for the three Purdue seniors? We chat about that on this episode of the Boiler Alert podcast.
Then, we look at Daniel Jacobsen and I ask Ryan about Jacobsen’s impact for next season and if he’s the biggest question mark of all the returning players. DJ did some great things this season but I think many of us came away disappointed with his play, but was that on our expectations or his play? We discuss on the latest episode.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 01: The Philly Phanatic prior to the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on April 1, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Despite their best efforts — and the effort was there on Sunday by Payton Tolle and others — the Red Sox lost another series. This time to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox briefly rose to 4th place in the AL East before the Sox dropped the series, the Orioles won, and Boston returned to its seemingly permanent last place home. That series was supposed to be four games, but rain forced Saturday’s matinee — and a possible split — to July. Boston remains just 2.0 games out of a Wild Card and about a game out of third place in the division. If they can just string a few wins together the entire feeling surrounding the season can flip. The dark clouds can be vanquished.
Chris Cotillo said the Red Sox may hope to get Willson Contreras back for the start of the series against the Phillies. Losing their first baseman would bring shades of 2025. And Contreras has been one of the few players to contribute on both sides of the ball so far this season. Roman Anthony might return at the end of the week when eligible. Ranger Suarez dodged a bullet with his own health issue. There are positives. The team just needs…wins.
While the Red Sox found Chadball after the firing of Alex Cora and a 7-6 record, the Phillies have benefitted even more from their shakeup: they’re 10-3 under Don Mattingly. This pushes the Phillies all the way to 19-22 (.463) vs. the Red Sox 17-23 record (.425) The Mets, the remaining big market flop, thankfully sit at 15-25 with their manager intact.
But if the Sox can sweep Detroit, can they handle Philly? They’ll miss ace Christopher Sáchez, thankfully. Bryce Harper, Kyle “from Waltham” Schwarber, and Brandon Marsh are leading the offense, while Trea Turner and some of the younger players struggle.
Zack Wheeler returned from thoracic outlet syndrome to pitch like he always has. A lucky break for the Phils to regain a second ace. His strikeouts are down a tick, his walks up a bit, but he’s made three starts on the season and allowed just 6 runs in 18 innings. He’ll face, likely, Brayan Bello and an opener. Bello was excellent against the Tigers tossing 7 innings while allowed just a single run in a 10-3 Boston win. He struck out 7 and walked 1. That’ll play against any lineup.
Top prospect Andrew Painter is now “struggling rookie Andrew Painter” and hopefully stays like that for one more start. A righthander and still just 23, Painter was rocked by the A’s last time out for 8 runs in 3.2 innings. Two starts earlier he gave up 5 runs n 5.2 against Atlanta. He’s struck out 30 in 32.2 innings while walking 12. Six homers haven’t helped either. Sonny Gray looked solid against the Tigers after a couple weeks on the IL. He didn’t’ allow a run in 5.0 innings and the bullpen was able to carry the victory across. Hopefully he’s able to add a sixth inning and give the ‘pen a little breathing room.
Jesús Luzardo has had some rough outings. He’s given up at least 5 runs in 4 of his 8 starts. In the other four he’s allowed 4 runs combined. Last time out against Colorado was a 6-run, 3.0 inning affair. But he handled the Giants, who like the Sox have struggled offensively, for 7.0 shutout innings at the end of April. We’ll see what the Sox lefties can do to him. Ranger Suárez, who left his last start on 5/3 with some hamstring trouble, avoids the IL to make a start with just a little extra rest. He’s been basically everything the Red Sox could have hoped. The WBC delayed his preparation a tad but then after his first two starts it’s just the blip with the Yankees who were, frankly, crushing everything. If he’s healthy and rolls out another 7-8 inning gem against his old team it’s possible the Sox win this series, though obviously he’d rather take the mound with visions of brooms.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, May 12: Zack Wheeler (3.12 ERA / 2.83 FIP) vs. TBD (— ERA / — FIP)
Wednesday, May 13: Andrew Painter (6.89 ERA / 4.86 FIP), vs. Sonny Gray (3.54 ERA / 4.29 FIP)
Thursday, May 14: Jesús Luzardo (5.98 ERA / 2.95 FIP) vs. Ranger Suárez (2.77 ERA / 3.24FIP)
Spending time with his family. Talking to his 12-year-old daughter; his 19-year-old son; and his wife. Reflecting on this past season and deciding what’s in his best interest. And ...
What he didn’t cite explicitly is how his role changed this past season, during which he averaged 20.9 points, the fewest since he averaged the same in his rookie season.
"I'm not looking at my year as a disappointment, that's for damn sure," James, 41, told reporters after the Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 115-110, Monday, May 11 and got swept in the Western Conference semifinal playoff series. "Especially, I was put into some positions that I've never played in my career before, actually in my life.
"I've never been a third option in my life."
This season, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves emerged as the NBA’s highest-scoring backcourt, and in March, Lakers coach JJ Redick officially asked James to accept the role of the team’s third scoring option.
"So to be able to thrive in that role (as the team’s third option) for that period of time and then have to step back into the role that I've been accustomed with over my career, over my life ... that was pretty cool for me at this stage of my career," he said.
But would it be cool to go back to being the third option next season, which would be his 24th in the NBA?
It could be a complex assessment.
When asked about the love for the game, James said, "I don't think it ever goes away."
More imporantly, James said, is maintaining his love for "the process." That entails arriving for games 5 1/2 hours early to start getting ready. And arriving three hours before practice.
"...giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play," he said.
James played a co-leading role Monday night, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Reaves had a team-high 27 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.
James took 18 shots. Reaves took 16 shots. Luka remained sidelined.
The highlight of James' eight-year tenure with the Lakers, he said, was leading the Lakers to the NBA title in 2020. He mentioned competing for championships again Monday.
“I think that's a motivating factor, it's always been since I've – probably the first time I touched the postseason in ‘06 – was like, how can I compete for a championship?" he said.
Does accepting the role of third option give James and the Lakers third best chance to win an NBA title?
Is it something he thinks is in his best interest?
Would he still love showing up 5 1/2 hours before games and three hours before practices?
The process of figuring it out all out has officially begun.
The message, initially written in Slovenian and later translated into English, emphasized that being a father to his two daughters is his top priority. Doncic explained that over the past eight months, it has been challenging to spend time with them as he works toward a joint custody agreement with his ex-fiancée, Anamaria Goltes. The couple shares a three-year-old daughter, Gabriela, and a five-month-old daughter, Olivia.
“I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life. As I continue working toward joint custody of my daughters, I have been forced to make a difficult decision between traveling and playing for the Slovenian national team and being with my daughters this summer,” Doncic wrote in the post. “Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months.”
Luka Dončić shares on his Instagram story that he will not play for the Slovenian national team this summer: pic.twitter.com/nLyNnzpY6J
Paul Skenes
Elly De La Cruz
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
