SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: JJ Wetherholt #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after scoring a run on an error by Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres during the fifth inning at Petco Park on May 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. Four runs scored on the play. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cardinals have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, suffering losing seasons in two of those years. After losing 84 games last year, they traded away veterans Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and Sonny Gray. They now have the second-youngest lineup and fourth-youngest pitching staff, and have gotten off to a great start, winning 11 of their last 16.
Kansas City Royals (19-25) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (25-18) at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
By most offensive metrics, the Cardinals are nearly identical to the Royals, hitting .240/.321/.390 as a team, yet they have scored half a run more per game. JJ Wetherholt is a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, although he is hitting just .213/.327/.277 this month. Not only has he starred offensively, he is among the top players defensively, by Outs Above Average.
After years of disappointment, former first round pick Jordan Walker has turned a corner as is seventh in baseball with a 166 wRC+. Shortstop Masyn Winn is hitting .343/.400/.457 against lefties. Lefty Victor Scott II is hitting just .125 in 85 plate appearances against righties.
Michael Wacha starts the opener for the Royals. He has never lost to the team that made him a first round pick in 2012, going 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA in five career starts against the Cardinals. The Cardinals signed Dustin May last winter, and after two rough starts to begin the year, he has a 2.55 ERA over his last six starts. Opponents are hitting .302 against his 97 mph fastball, but he has a 31.4 percent whiff rate on his sweeper.
Noah Cameron has given up 20 runs in 25 innings over his last five starts. Kyle Leahy made 61 relief appearances for the Cardinals last year, with a 3.07 ERA. he tossed five shutout innings, allowing just two hits, but four walks against the Padres in his last start.
Andre Pallante had a 5.31 ERA last year in 31 starts, the fourth-highest among qualified starters. He relies a lot on a sinker/slider/curve combo that helps him net a 55.7 percent groundball rate. Vinnie Pasquantino is just 1-for-11 against him in their career matchups.
The Cardinals’ bullpen has a 4.70 ERA, fifth-worst in baseball. Riley O’Brien made a career-high 31 appearances last year at age 30, and now leads the National League with 13 saves, although he has three blown saves. He throws a hard sinking fastball that generates a 61 percent groundball rate. Kansas City native Ryne Stanek joins the Cardinals bullpen with a 98 mph fastball. JoJo Romero has a reverse split, with leftie shitting .233/.303/.433 against him.
The Cardinals have a young, hungry team with a lot to prove, and Busch Stadium is always a difficult place to play. The Cards have been surprisingly mediocre at home – they’ve split their first 20 games there – but the Royals have been a dreadful road team. The Royals will need to show they can win away from Kauffman Stadium and stop the bleeding after a dreadful sweep in Chicago.
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — OG Anunoby fully practiced with the New York Knicks on Friday for the first time since injuring his hamstring, moving them closer to having their starting lineup intact for the Eastern Conference finals.
The starting forward missed the final two games of the Knicks' second-round sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers after straining his right hamstring late in Game 2. He took part in some of practice when the Knicks returned on Wednesday, but sat out the portions when they went full speed.
But coach Mike Brown said Anunoby did everything with the team on Friday.
The Knicks would host Game 1 of the East finals on Sunday if Cleveland beats Detroit in Game 6 on Friday night. If that series goes the distance, Anunoby wouldn't have to be ready until Tuesday.
Anunoby is averaging 21.4 points per game in the postseason while shooting 61.9% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range.
May 6, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2), San Diego Padres left fielder Jackson Merrill (middle), and San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. (right) celebrate the San Diego Padres victory over the San Francisco Giantsat Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images
We’ve entered into a bizarro world where a series against the Astros can be viewed as a “get right” series for the Mariners. Back in April, the four-game sweep of Houston pushed Seattle to a game under .500 and 1.5 games back in the AL West. This latest series win in Houston pushed Seattle to a game under .500 and one game back in the AL West. The M’s will have to find a way to keep this momentum going without Cal Raleigh in the lineup which makes their margin for error much thinner than it already was.
Somehow, the Padres have been keeping the Dodgers honest in the NL West. Sure, Los Angeles has struggled a bit, especially recently, but San Diego has also been one of the luckiest teams in baseball this year. The Friars have outperformed their Pythagorean record and BaseRuns record by four games, the second largest gap in baseball behind the Rays. It hasn’t been all luck — the team’s bullpen is elite, helping them close out close games — but the lineup has been the clutchiest in baseball by a pretty wide margin.
After sweeping the Mariners in San Diego back in April, the Padres are in the driver’s seat to win the 2026 edition of the Vedder Cup. Should the Mariners manage to sweep the Padres this weekend, tying the season series, the first tiebreaker to determine the Cup winner is run differential — San Diego won that previous series by a combined seven runs. The second tiebreaker is EV (short for Exit Velocity and Eddie Vedder) – the team with the highest exit velocity recorded on a hit will win the Vedder Cup. Dominic Canzone’s 114.1 mph double currently holds the lead should that second tiebreaker come into play.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Jackson Merrill
CF
L
176
25.0%
8.5%
0.127
80
Fernando Tatis Jr.
2B
R
180
25.0%
10.0%
0.045
78
Manny Machado
3B
R
172
22.1%
12.2%
0.150
81
Miguel Andujar
DH
R
118
19.5%
2.5%
0.193
126
Xander Bogaerts
SS
R
169
16.6%
10.1%
0.158
117
Gavin Sheets
1B
L
128
20.3%
7.0%
0.229
112
Nick Castellanos
RF
R
90
28.9%
4.4%
0.129
55
Ramón Laureano
LF
R
159
31.4%
10.1%
0.164
94
Freddy Fermin
C
R
86
19.8%
9.3%
0.054
50
The Padres lineup was supposed to run through their quartet of stars: Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackson Merrill. Thus far, only Bogaerts has been above league average; he’s currently running a 117 wRC+, his highest mark since 2023, his first season in San Diego. The biggest mystery is what happened to Tatis’s power; he hasn’t hit a home run yet this season despite maintaining excellent contact quality on his batted balls. Maybe he’s taken his new role as a part-time second baseman too seriously, turning himself into a light-hitting middle infielder.
Randy Vásquez has spent the last few seasons as a reliable, innings-eating back-end starter for the Padres. Between 2023 and ‘24, he had the lowest strikeout rate among all qualified starters, though his ERA was a decent 4.27. All of a sudden, he’s throwing two ticks harder this year and he’s more than doubled his strikeout rate. The extra oomph on his pitches is obviously great, but it’s particularly helpful for Vásquez because of his seven-pitch repertoire. Discerning which of those seven pitches is heading towards the plate is a lot easier when you only have to worry about a 93 mph fastball rather than 95 mph heat. With the threat of a true, bat-missing heater in his back pocket, his entire arsenal becomes more effective because he has so many looks he can present to the batter.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Lucas Giolito (2025)
145
19.7%
9.1%
9.3%
37.8%
3.41
4.17
Logan Gilbert
50
25.5%
4.9%
14.3%
37.7%
3.78
3.90
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
44.7%
52.1%
93.3
82
73
109
0.387
Changeup
18.3%
26.9%
81.7
107
86
138
0.299
Curveball
1.2%
5.8%
78.6
106
Slider
35.8%
15.1%
86.0
96
97
111
0.310
With injuries ravaging their starting rotation, the Padres signed Lucas Giolito a few weeks ago with the hope that he’d be able to ramp up pretty quickly to provide some relief for the pitching staff. After four minor league starts, he’s ready to go and San Diego will be activating him for his season debut on Saturday. Giolito was a solid mid-rotation starter for Boston last year in a return to form after a few miserable years marred by injury and ineffectiveness. It wasn’t too long ago that he was the ace of the White Sox rotation, though that ceiling is probably past him. His best pitches are a tight slider and a straight changeup. Both of those secondary offerings play off his fastball to earn their deception which means the deterioration of his heater has some outsized knock-on effects on the rest of his repertoire.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
George Kirby
57
20.3%
6.2%
8.2%
57.0%
2.84
3.26
Walker Buehler
36.1
19.6%
7.6%
9.1%
46.9%
5.20
3.64
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
22.7%
17.3%
93.9
90
33
127
0.340
Sinker
24.3%
8.7%
93.8
94
Cutter
16.3%
33.7%
89.9
92
60
86
0.379
Changeup
1.2%
17.6%
88.9
82
Curveball
12.7%
20.0%
77.3
108
113
61
0.389
Slider
22.7%
2.7%
86.7
99
Sweeper
16.3%
2.1%
82.7
99
From a previous series preview:
I can only assume that Walker Buehler’s 2019 and ‘21 seasons are doing a lot of heavy lifting for his reputation as he’s bounced between three different teams over the last two seasons. He put up 5.1 and 5.6 fWAR in those two campaigns but underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022. He hasn’t been the same since and he was legitimately one of the worst pitchers in baseball last year. His four-seam fastball was one of the best in baseball at his peak but it’s lost a ton of its carry and just isn’t an effective pitch anymore. He’s tried to adjust by deepening his repertoire and mixing in all of his secondary pitches a lot more often. It didn’t work in Boston last year, but the Padres desperately needed starting pitchers this spring, so they’re giving Buehler another shot to see if he can figure things out.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Athletics
22-21
0.512
—
-5
W-L-L-W-L
Mariners
22-23
0.489
1.0
+16
L-W-W-L-W
Rangers
21-22
0.488
1.0
+0
W-W-L-W-W
Astros
17-28
0.378
6.0
-48
L-L-L-W-L
Angels
16-28
0.364
6.5
-32
L-W-L-L-L
It’s “regional” rivalry weekend across baseball which means the two Texas teams are playing each other and the A’s are rekindling their Bay Area rivalry with San Francisco in Sacramento.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 24: Atlanta mascot Blooper waves a flag after an Atlanta Braves win following the conclusion of the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves on April 24th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Red Sox have returned to the Dead Ball era.
“Sell the team” chants have taken over NESN.
Alex Cora was fired at 10-17. Chad Tracy is at 8-8. Craig Breslow is probably fielding calls about Aroldis Chapman, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Garrett Whitlock…guys who can help winning clubs right now. And Boston travels to face the only team with 30 wins. Baseball being what it is, they could sweep, of course. But this is going to be a tough series. The pitching matchups might favor Atlanta despite the Red Sox having good pitchers too. Chris Sale won’t be pitching so at least one of their aces misses the weekend series.
Connelly Early takes the ball Friday night against Spencer Strider. Early is coming off an excellent outing against Tampa Bay, 7.0 scoreless innings in their lone win in three games against the AL East leader. Strider began the year on the IL and, after being knocked around in Colorado for 3.1 inning,s shut down the Dodgers for 6.0. Maybe he’ll be rusty again. Kinda of an even-odd thing. One hit, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts even during an Ohtani slump is nothing to sneeze at.
Payton Tolle, aka Mass Pike, has made three starts on at least five days rest and one start on four days rest. Those three have included two gems and one kinda OK start. In the one on four days he wasn’t as sharp and issued four walks. Hopefully the Braves are a good matchup for him. They are actually the 23rd ranked offense in walks but 24th in strikeouts. So maybe this will be a defense-heavy workload. Durbin to the rescue? Bryce Elder is a righty who strikes people out but not at the elite level. He has 53 Ks in 54.2 innings but struck out 8 and 9 batters, respectively, in his last two starts. He does have 20 walks over that time which is…fine. He only averages 87 pitches per outing so if they work a few deep counts (I know, I know) maybe they can hold him under the 6.0 inning mark. He has reverse splits and this year righties are hitting .268/.297/.310 with lefties at an insane .130/.246/.236. Basically every lefty becomes Caleb Durbin. Not great for Tracy’s matchups.
Brayan Bello just pitched on Tuesday. He could be the TBD after an opener again. That’s four days rest. Jake Bennett can’t be recalled yet. The opener is working out for him. Whatever is causing him issues at the start of the game just doesn’t seem to be there. With 6.1 and 7.0 innings and 1 run allowed each time the Red Sox should keep the arrangement going as long as they can. Grant Holmes is the weak link of the series. Not that it matters when a guy with an ERA of nearly seven can shut down the lineup and given Wednesday. He’s a righty with essentially even splits. He’s given up an OPS of .680 to same-sided hitters and .678 to lefties. He hasn’t made it into the fifth in three of his last five starts.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has been on the IL. With any luck they’ll miss him.
Drake Baldwin is having a tremendous season with 11 homers and 37 runs scored (leading the league) while slashing .295/.378/.520.
Matt Olsen has 14 homers and 15 doubles.
Old friend Dom Smith is hitting .358/.386/.543 in limited playing time.
Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michale Harris II…basically the entire lineup is dangerous. Must be nice.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, May 15: Connelly Early (3.16 ERA / 4.35 FIP) vs. Spencer Strider (2.89 ERA / 3.75 FIP)
Saturday, May 16: Payton Tolle (2.78 ERA / 2.80 FIP) vs. Bryce Elder (1.81 ERA / 3.09 FIP)
Sunday, May 17: TBD (— ERA / — FIP) vs. Grant Holmes (4.35 ERA / 5.19 FIP)
When/Where to Watch
Friday, May 15: 7:15 PM ET on NESN
Saturday, May 16: 7:15 PM ET on NESN
Sunday, May 17: 1:35 PM ET on NESN
In the meantime, imagine Craig Breslow slowly turning into a Batman villain…
The Knicks got a big boost ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals as OG Anunoby was a full participant in Friday's practice, head coach Mike Brown said.
“He practiced today in full,” Brown said, adding, “Everything we did today, he did.”
The forward, who made his return to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury he sustained in New York’s Game 2 win over the Philadelphia 76ers last Wednesday.
Asked if he saw that as an encouraging development, the head coach said that “anytime anybody is able to do anything like that, it’s always encouraging.”
With the Detroit - Cleveland series playing Game 6 on Friday night, the earliest the Eastern Conference Finals could begin is Sunday. Brown didn’t go as far as to say that Anunoby would be able to return after missing the final two games of the sweep of the Sixers.
“At the end of the day, I’m a wait and let the medical group tell me each day what he can do,” he said. "We'll see if they tell me something different tomorrow. But it's definitely encouraging to see somebody be able to go out there and practice a full practice like OG did."
SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley reported last week that Anunoby's hamstring strain was minor and truly a day-to-day thing, adding that the general feeling about it was "optimism" inside the locker room.
Begley also noted at the time that it was possible Anunoby could suit up for Game 3 or Game 4 against Philadelphia. However, once the Knicks took a 3-0 series lead, it made little sense to have Anunoby play in Game 4.
If the Pistons win on Friday to extend the series with the Cavaliers, the ECF would not begin until Tuesday.
With three of the final four teams locked in for the 2026 Conference Finals, the NHL has released tentative schedules for the upcoming round.
The Hurricanes are currently awaiting the winner between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, but they know that they'll either start on Tuesday or Thursday depending on if that series ends in six games or seven.
The Canadiens currently lead the series 3-2 and if they win again on Saturday, here's how the Eastern Conference Final will play out: Game 1: Tuesday, May 19 (Lenovo Center) Game 2: Thursday, May 21 (Lenovo Center) Game 3: Saturday, May 23 (Bell Centre) Game 4: Monday, May 25 (Bell Centre) Game 5: Wednesday, May 27(Lenovo Center) Game 6: Friday, May 29 (Bell Centre) Game 7: Sunday, May 31 (Lenovo Center)
However, if Buffalo forces a Game 7, then this is how the schedule will go, regardless of which team advances:
Game 1: Thursday, May 21 (Lenovo Center) Game 2: Saturday, May 23 (Lenovo Center) Game 3: Monday, May 25 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 4: Wednesday, May 27 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 5: Friday, May 29 (Lenovo Center) Game 6: Sunday, May 31 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 7: Tuesday, June 2 (Lenovo Center)
No start times gave been decided yet and the broadcast will be exclusively carried by TNT (truTV, HBO MAX) in the U.S. and on Sportsnet, CBC and TVAS in Canada.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 04: Jim Crane of the Houston Astros attends the game between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center on April 04, 2025 in Houston, Texas. 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 Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Much of the Astros issues tie back to Crane’s decisions (or lack thereof). Is he willing to step up and fix them, or is he willing to eat his words?
“I made a statement the other day that as long as I’m here the window’s open. So I’ve got to live up to that.” Those are the words of Astros owner Jim Crane, as said to PaperCity Magazine’s Chris Baldwin back in February 2024.
Crane takes his belief that the “window is always open” very seriously. He is competitive, he wants to win. He’s also a very intelligent, very shrewd businessman, and he isn’t blind to what is going on with his franchise right now.
After dropping 3 of 4 at home to the Seattle Mariners, the Astros find themselves in a very tenuous position. They are now 11 games under .500 as we approach Memorial Day. Memorial Day is the unofficial quarter marker of the season, and the time when records start to matter. Being 10 games under .500 at Memorial Day is Red Alert.
There has been no end in sight for the litany of injuries this team continues to suffer from. With 14 players currently on the IL, the Astros’ depth has been seriously tested yet again, and with suboptimal results. For a team that entered the season without SPs Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, and Brandon Walter, it then lost Cy Young finalist Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and for a time Tatsuya Imai (more on him shortly).
The depth the team built in the offseason with starting pitching has been ripped through. Ryan Weiss, brought over from the KBO after several successful seasons there, has flopped. Jason Alexander, who pitched well for the team last season after they grabbed him off waivers, has also flopped. Colton Gordon, who pitched 86 sometimes good/sometimes not so good innings for Houston last season, has flopped as well.
Nate Pearson, signed in the offseason recovering from surgery with the idea he could get an opportunity to start, has already been converted to a reliever in the minors while rehabbing. Kai-Wei Teng, who succeeded as a reliever for Houston thus far, is being tried as a starter and the results have not been as strong. Cody Bolton has spot started and worked as a multi-inning reliever with middling results (4.76 ERA), and those middling results are among the most positive the team has received from is depth so far.
Crane did not want to risk exceeding the tax line in the offseason, so GM Dana Brown was forced to work in the margins. So far, those decisions have mostly failed.
The biggest moves the team made in the offseason were the trade for SP Mike Burrows and the signing of free agent Tatsuya Imai.
Burrows is a young pitcher who only had one season of MLB experience and showed some promise. He was tremendous all spring. As soon as the regular season began, he suddenly became homer prone with an inability to finish off batters. Burrows currently has allowed the most hits in the league (60 in 50.1 IP) and his HR/9 rate has increased from 1.2 last season to 1.8 this season. He has allowed 10 HR in 50.1 IP this season after allowing 13 in 96 IP last season. His walk rate from last season is about the same, but his K/9 rate is down almost a full strikeout from last year (9.1 in 2025 to 8.2 this season).
Tatsuya Imai was the top pitcher coming from Japan this season and one of the top pitchers on the free agent market. A surprisingly soft market for Japanese players allowed the Astros to swoop in and get him at a significant discount. Imai has tremendous stuff, and was a highly accomplished pitcher in Japan.
Imai dominated all spring, but like Burrows, once the regular season started, something went haywire.
Imai looked strong in the first 2 innings of his first start of the season, then experienced Steve Blass syndrome (can’t find the strike zone) in the 3rd inning against the Angels, walking a pair of guys while giving up 3 hits and had to be lifted. He was strong in his second start, and threw 5.2 scoreless with 9K. In his third start, he recorded only one out and walked 4 of the 7 batters he faced. He went on the IL with ‘arm fatigue’ afterwards.
Imai struggled to find the strike zone while rehabbing in the minors, but was called up anyway despite clearly not being ready because the Astros are desperate for starters. Imai was put in a bad spot, and predictably failed as he allowed 6 ER in 4 innings, with 5 hits, 3 walks and 2 home runs allowed. Despite having an arsenal with 5 pitches, he chose to only throw 2 of them, his fastball and his slider. The slider is what often did him in.
Perhaps the Astros could have made other decisions with their pitching, but the budget didn’t allow it. Despite Framber Valdez’ need for a personal therapist at times, he is still a top pitcher and workhorse who has pitched among the most innings in baseball the last 4 seasons. Considering the contract he eventually settled for, it seemed like a player the Astros could have re-signed if they wanted to. Maybe he had worn out his welcome in Houston, but for a team that for the past 2 seasons has been decimated by pitching injuries, he was going to be a difficult person to replace. Clearly, they have been unable to fill that void as well.
In the bullpen, Josh Hader had a setback after being shut down in August last season, and still has not returned. Of course, the team acted as if his return to start the season was a guarantee all offseason, and then his timeline suddenly started getting pushed back further and further. Hader is now expected to return approximately May 24. When it comes to a closer you have a $95M investment in, it is wise to be careful with his rehab. It also would have been wise to make better contingency plans.
Bryan Abreu, expected to fill his role as closer while Hader rehabbed, had a sudden loss of velocity and command, and started the year terribly. He was eventually removed from the closer role and put in lesser leverage situations to regain his form and confidence. While his velocity is still not where it should be from a total velocity or consistency standpoint, he has been improved in his performances of late. That said, he still doesn’t look like the Abreu who has been among the most dominant relievers in baseball the last 4 seasons.
Bennett Sousa, who assumed the mantle of the 8th inning setup man last season when Hader went down before he also went down with elbow inflammation, missed the start of the season rehabbing from an oblique strain and is now back on the IL after 5 appearances with elbow inflammation.
Steven Okert and Bryan King, both coming off career seasons, have not been as effective as last season. Their bullpen has been the worst in MLB this season.
Crane is well aware that the Golden Era of Astros baseball was rooted in pitching and run prevention. The Astros have the worst pitching in all of baseball right now, they lack the ability to fix it from within, and they have not shown that they can stay afloat until they get some of their horses like Brown and Javier back from injury.
The time for this team to act is now, before the hole they dig is too big to escape. Even in a weak division, they are burning runway in a hurry. At least one Wild Card team is likely to have a better record than the AL West division winner, possibly more. While the standings say the Astros aren’t so far back they can’t make it up, being the team that surrenders the most walks and most runs is certainly says the road will be too difficult to hoe.
Jim Crane now finds himself at a crossroads. He has chosen to have lame ducks at both manager and GM. While there is no indication that Joe Espada has lost the clubhouse or that players are tuning him out, there is also no way of knowing if Dana Brown truly has the authority to make the moves necessary to try to get this team turned around.
With an important amateur draft coming up for Houston in which they have 8 picks in the first 6 rounds, including picks 17 and 28 overall, the Astros have a chance to add some quality talent to their rebuilding farm system. Right now, 5 of Houston’s top 8 prospects are in A ball or lower. Their only two Top 100 prospects are both at Fayetteville, and both very young (Kevin Alvarez is 18, Xavier Neyens is 19).
A ‘rebuild from within’ for this team is essentially 3 seasons away at a minimum, and since Crane has stated he isn’t about a rebuild, it certainly seems something is going to be done. The question is what and in what direction?
Would Crane bite the bullet on this season, trade off veterans with 1-2 years left on expensive deals (Walker, Hader) and players the team is unlikely to be willing to re-sign to expensive, long-term deals (Pena) to shed payroll, get prospects, and re-tool in the offseason with a different group and make another run immediately?
Would the window that is always open simply be repaired? Would it be under construction for multiple seasons?
That one year vs multiple years situation is the key to the Astros doing the absolutely unthinkable, and that is trading Yordan Alvarez.
Trading the super-elite star player rarely works in baseball, because the prospects you get back – even if they pan out – very rarely pan out to be the same quality of player who is a total game changer. Boston tried this with both Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers and they are in last place in the AL East with a team that cannot hit. The Nationals did this with Juan Soto and despite 3 of the prospects they received panning out, are still under .500 and traded one of those players away already (Mackenzie Gore).
The Astros made a smart play in trading Kyle Tucker, who they knew they couldn’t re-sign. They got back a solid player in Isaac Paredes who has become a fan favorite. Hayden Wesneski has spent most of his time on IL. Cam Smith was the big prospect who they got in return, but they have pushed him too fast because they didn’t have another option for RF and his development has stalled.
In a smarter timeline, Cam Smith would have played last season at Triple A and then been promoted at some point this season. We aren’t in that timeline.
Crane is a very proud man. He does not take losing well, and he doesn’t take it lightly. However it isn’t a stretch to say that his decisions of payroll restriction on a team that has printed money for a decade and leaving his GM out to dry again (see Click, James) have led to what is mostly an untenable situation with his baseball team.
He can empower Dana Brown to make the moves that need to be made to improve the team (which could mean parting with a player like Walker, Paredes or Pena), though it’s usually hard to trade this early. He could give Brown the green light to cut some dead weight and bring up a player like Alimber Santa who is pitching very well in the pen for Sugar Land but isn’t on the 40-man roster yet.
He could give Dana Brown the direction to demote players who are badly underperforming, like Cam Smith, and give other players (Zach Cole, Zach Dezenzo, Shay Whitcomb; Joey Loperfido when he returns from IL) a regular opportunity while letting Cam rediscover his swing in the minors. This seems to me like a simple, logical decision, but may be one Crane has to force.
Crane is not afraid to assert himself, nor is he afraid to insert himself into the day-to-day operations of the team (see Verlander, Justin; Greinke, Zack; Abreu, Jose; Montero, Rafael) for better or worse. Crane is not afraid of “the bucks stops here”, and it is something that made him the best sports franchise owner in the history of this city.
Yet here the Astros are, 45 games into a 162 game season but already 11 games under .500 and with a pitching staff both decimated by injuries and in disaster mode, needing answers and direction. There seems to be only one person who can give it to them.
He is also the person who writes the checks.
If Crane wants to stand on his word of “the window is always open”, he is going to be the one who needs to roll his sleeves up and make it work. He has done it before.
It’s decision time. Which way will Crane go? We probably find out very soon.
The New York Metschase rate is nearly 32%, well above the league average. That should play directly into Schlittler's strengths as he enters this game with one of the highest chase-inducing rates in the league.
On the other side is Clay Holmes, facing the Yankees since the first time after leaving them this past offseason.
While it's not exactly quantifiable, the Yankees' familiarity with him matters. From a more tangible perspective, his groundball-dependent profile should struggle against a lineup that leads the MLB in barrel rate at 11.7%.
I am fairly close to market here, but lean towards under 7 with a projection of 6.8 runs.
A short-handed Mets lineup is going to really struggle to generate offense against Schlittler for most of the same reasons listed above. Schlittler doesn't give free passes, so you have to get contact against him.
I'm simply unsure how the Mets get much. While I think the top-heavy portion of the Yankees gets after Holmes (especially the second time around), his heavy groundball-inducing profile will have plenty of success against the bottom of the lineup.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 17-16, +0.16 units
Over/Under bets: 22-12, +12.59 units
Yankees vs Mets odds
Moneyline: Yankees -150 | Mets +135
Run line: Yankees -1.5 (+118) | Mets +1.5 (-145)
Over/Under: Over 7 (-110) | Under 7 (-110)
Yankees vs Mets trend
The New York Yankees have covered the Run Line in 16 of their last 25 games (+9.80 Units / 37% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Mets.
How to watch Yankees vs Mets and game info
Location
CitiField, Flushing, NY
Date
Friday, May 15, 2026
First pitch
7:10 p.m. ET
TV
AppleTV
Yankees starting pitcher
Cam Schlittler (5-1, 1.35 ERA)
Brewers starting pitcher
Clay Holmes (4-3, 1.86 ERA)
Yankees vs Mets latest injuries
Yankees vs Mets weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Caitlin Clark has put her own twist on the NBA’s iconic “three to the dome” celebration.
The Indiana Fever star sank a trey in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 87-78 win over the Sparks and smacked her forehead five times as she ran back down the court.
Carmelo Anthony popularized the “three to the dome” celebration — tapping his temple are hitting a shot — during his Knicks days, and it’s since become a staple, often duplicated and personalized, throughout basketball since.
Clark’s move may have signaled more of her frustration than it did any good vibes, though — the 3-pointer was her first make on seven attempts as she continues to find her game after following a season derailed by injuries.
The Sparks didn’t exactly take it easy on Clark, either.
Cameron Brink set the Los Angels crowd off with a massive first-quarter block against Clark, and things further boiled over at the end of the half when she complained about an offensive foul, earning a technical foul from referee Jason Alabanza.
Clark finished the victory with a game-high 24 points and nine assists, leading Indiana to its first win of the season, and perhaps more importantly, is getting her legs back under her.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks. NBAE via Getty Images
“I feel good, I took a couple of hard fouls there at the end, I feel good overall,” she told reporters. “I felt fast tonight. I played 31 minutes — I haven’t played 30-plus minutes in a really long time. Last year, at least half the games, I was on a some sort if minutes restriction not really crossing into 30. Really happy with the way my body responded after the first game going into tonight. … overall, I feel good.”
Through two games, Clark is averaging 22 points, 4.5 rebounds and eight assists on 45.7% shooting — making just 18.8% of her 3-pointers thus far.
She’ll have a chance to build on those numbers — and maybe work on her 3-point celebration a bit more — with the Fever set to host the Washington Mystics on Friday night.
Mar. 20, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Washington Wizards center Jason Collins against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Wizards defeated the Suns 88-79. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Earlier this week, former NBA player Jason Collins died at the age of 47 after a battle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. He played 13 years in the NBA, including part of the 2012-13 season for the Washington Wizards where he played six games.
While he was with the Wizards, Collins announced that he was openly gay and was the first NBA player to do so. He then played one more season with the Brooklyn Nets. As an NBA player, Collins’ most noteworthy seasons were with the Nets earlier in his career when they made two NBA Finals appearances.
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — gives their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: The Suns need to get bigger at power forward. Rasheer Fleming is the only real choice currently on the roster to accomplish that.
Would you prefer him to be penciled in as the Suns’ starting PF for 2026-27 or should the Suns look for a veteran (either through a trade or free agency) to take on that role for now?
Diamondhacks: The Suns don’t need a bigger power forward. We need defensive rebounds, which is fairly straightforward, and better team shot quality, which is fraught and complicated. Personally, I’d consider acquiring Josh Giddey, who might be uniquely qualified to improve on both deficiencies. Of course, you would have to give him the ball, and there’s only one, so I don’t expect it will ever happen.
Absent acquisitions, I’d pencil in whoever’s our most productive all-around “4”, regardless of salary, history, or potential. That’s how a healthy meritocracy, which elevates the entire team, should work. Right now, O’Neale is better than Fleming in: free throw percentage, three-point shooting, defensive rebounding, outlet passing, (clears throat), screen setting, ballhandling, half-court decision making, and court awareness. Rasheer’s probably better at most everything else, presumably working diligently on the other stuff. He doesn’t need to be better than Royce at everything, of course, but that’s how I would frame the evaluation between now and opening day.
Ashton: Anytime this question is asked, I am left wondering with what money? The Suns have roughly $9 million to commit when it is all said and done, and when a team is that close to staying under the luxury tax through cap gymnastics, my brain turns into a pretzel. So, the writers can unravel it for me.
Summertime is the time to float outlandish trade ideas on the board and I enjoy the takes. I always have. Or Rod can just correct me on what aspects of player retention the Suns are looking at, and then round down or up since pennies aren’t accepted anymore.
I did a quick scroll through available UFAs that might be affordable for the Suns. Not RFAs or team/player options, just using that $9 million in mind and leaving the trades to those who know better than I.
Of course, you keep Fleming, but asking him to man the PF starting role is a big one. And the question was asked about who could be available with size in the power forward free agent market? Okay, I omitted size and went with potential talent.
I like the following:
Jeremy Sochan
Marvin Bagley
Mouhamed Gueye
Dean Wade (the name sounds cool – I know nothing about him)
Nicolas Batum
But if we are all talking weird trade ideas. The Suns should trade for Bronny James. That would put two of his sons in the Great State of Arizona and LeBron likes to puff about having more family time. Well, coming off the bench and enjoying the heat with Scottsdale golf courses, he might do it at a vet min. This will never happen, of course, he likes LA.
OldAz: I know that this question is really asking about bringing in another STARTING power forward, but when I read the question, I couldn’t help but think of the Old El Paso taco shell commercial (and meme) where the little girl quizzically asks, “Why not both,” to which everyone reacts as if she just cured cancer. That is the only correct answer here.
The Suns should pencil Fleming in as the starter, AND go get the best PF they can get using the assets they have and are willing to use. If that player is on the level of Julius Randle or the version of Brandon Ingram that the Suns faced in the playoffs a few years ago, then no one will complain when Fleming has to come off the bench and compete for minutes. OTOH, when that player is similar to Bobby Portis, 2021 Jae Crowder (ie, a bigger Royce O’Neale), then Fleming has a competent backup, and Ott has no excuse for any more 4 guard lineups that leave their center hanging out to dry.
Rod: I would go ahead and pencil Fleming in as the starting PF for next season while searching for a quality backup. If, however, during that search, they turn up a very good deal for someone who could in fact be the starter they need, they should jump on that. It all depends on what the Suns would have to give up to get another PF to add to the roster. If the price is too high to get anyone who could potentially start, then go after the best quality backup they can afford and roll with Fleming as the starter.
Q2: Across the board, Ryan Dunn’s stats changed little between his first and second seasons. Do you still have faith that he can significantly improve in year three?
Diamondhacks: A Dunn breakout resembling starter quality seems more likely in year four or five. But I’m willing to wait, because outside of our centers, Ryan’s the best two-way rebounder on the team, and to the extent we’re leaning into the likes of Booker, Green, and Brooks hoisting sixty shots a game, there’s going to be a heck of a lot of rebounds.
Ashton: Remember last season when the board was abuzz with Brooks and Dunn? Yeah, that did not quite work out, and I really only like a few country songs. Certainly not this generation of country songs. So, in that vein, Dunn is Done. Those calling for trading him are correct.
In an offensive scheme, you have to show growth. Dunn (and a few others) were unable to do it. A trade to another team may?
For that matter, what is the offensive scheme? Just let Booker and Green hoist shots? This is a bit of a dig on Coach Ott’s system, but I really could not describe it to you.
OldAz: So you’re telling me the stats from his rookie season, where everyone was so high on him and happy, and his sophomore season, where fans have howled about wanting to trade him, were basically the same? It’s amazing how much expectations can change.
In his rookie season, Dunn was one of the only players who looked like they cared at all on the defensive end. Last year, he struggled at times with the new system, but I don’t remember ever questioning his effort. I still believe he can improve on both ends and that his jumper doesn’t look that bad. He just needs time and some consistent effort put into letting him develop, and I think he will be just fine. Whether he gets that opportunity with the Suns, however, is a totally different question.
Rod: After this last season, my hope in Dunn significantly improving has dimmed quite a bit. I still think he can improve in certain areas and that he’ll at least be a solid backup/rotation player, but I’m not really expecting much more than that. I’m not sure at all what goes through his head on the court, but at times I think he’s his own worst enemy. In some games, he’s looked almost timid on offense, and in others, he seemed to throw caution to the wind and play reckless at times. And the only reason I can see for his sub-standard FT shooting is something mental, perhaps a lack of confidence. He seems to have all the tools to get the job done, but just hasn’t managed to put it all together and become more than he currently is yet.
Q3: Some fans have expressed the opinion that the Suns should go ahead and sign Koby Brea to a standard NBA contract this summer instead of another two-way contract if he’s brought back. What’s your opinion on whether Brea should be re-signed and how?
Diamondhacks: In college, Brea’s Treyahs (this rhymes, not a real word, and not a typo 😊 ) speak to Koby’s repeatable stroke and elite concentration. As does his 90% FT standard. But does he have any game, at all, beyond that? When professionals guard? Sub 32% in G-League? His stroke seems sufficiently intriguing to keep on a two-way, but I don’t understand his overall game well enough, if he has one, to commit to a full.
Ashton: Nope. Suns fans were correct in identifying Collin Gillespie as an early riser, and Koby was also identified by many during Summer League as another.
But it comes back to the financials, and this is not something that Suns do. That razor-thin margin between repeater tax, heck, even $10 million more into the first apron is brutal or $20 million more into the second apron.
If they can keep Koby on a two-way, then that is the path to take. CBA and economic realities are what they are.
OldAz: Why would they do this when they don’t have to, and certainly not do it earlier than they need to? Brea has yet to show consistently that he can contribute at the NBA level or even stay on the back end of the roster. I would wait until he proves he belongs and maintain flexibility as long as I can if I was in the Suns front office.
Rod: There’s been a lot of talk about Brea’s three-point shooting. If you take out his 6 of 9 performance in the final game of the season against OKC’s bench players, he made a very modest 33.3% of his three-point attempts this season. He only did slightly better in the G League at 34.9% against lesser competition. At this point, I think the jury’s still out on him as to whether he’ll become more than just another guy with a lot of potential. I’d be fine with bringing him back on another two-way contract, but right now I don’t think the Suns should use one of their standard contract roster spots on him.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“When I talk about the identity, one of the things that’s really important is … when our fans leave the arena, here’s what I want them saying: Man, that team plays hard!” – Brian Gregory
We asked Suns fans to describe this season their own words… here's what they said 🤩💜 pic.twitter.com/cWPMEzwt3t
On May 16, 1976, the Suns defeated the defending NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors, 94-86 in game seven of the Western Conference Finals to earn their first conference championship and their first trip to the NBA Finals to face the Boston Celtics.
On May 16, 2000, the Suns were defeated 87-65 by the LA Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals and eliminated from the playoffs 4-1. The 65 points scored by the Suns is the franchise record for the lowest point total ever in any game, playoff, or regular season. Only one Suns player — reserve player Todd Day — scored in double figures (barely with 10 points). The team made only 28.8% of their shots from the field. None of the starters made more than 27.3% of their field goal attempts and were a combined 11-of-52 from the field.
On May 22, 2006, the Suns defeated the LA Clippers 127-107 in the 7th game of the WC Semi-Finals to take the series 4-3. The Suns played only seven players that night, with two starters playing over 40 minutes (Shawn Marion, 45 mins, Tim Thomas, 42 mins) and the rest of the starters playing between 35 and 39 minutes each. The two bench players utilized that night (Leandro Barbosa and James Jones) played a combined 40 minutes. All seven scored in double figures with Marion leading the Suns with 30 points. The leading scorer for the Clippers was Elton Brand (36 points), who played all but 5 seconds of the game.
Important Future Dates
Mid-June (date TBD) – Teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents (following the Finals) June 23 – NBA Draft First Round, 8 ET (ABC/ESPN) June 24 – NBA Draft Second Round, 8 ET (ESPN) June 30 – Teams can begin negotiations with all free agents July 6 – Moratorium ends, official free agent contract signings can begin July 9-19 – NBA 2K Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas
UNITED STATES - MAY 19: Joyous New York Mets mob third baseman David Wright (3rd left) after Wright hit an RBI walkoff single off New York Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth, with two out, to score catcher Paul Lo Duca and give the Mets a 7-6 victory over the Yankees at Shea Stadium. The Mets won the first game of the Subway Series, but the rival teams will battle it out twice more over the weekend. (Photo by Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) | NY Daily News via Getty Images
Since the arrival of interleague play in 1997, there have been nearly a regular season’s worth of regular season games played between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. These 152 games have included some of the many feats and oddities you’d expect from a season’s worth of play, from three-homer games to wacky walk-offs to proper routs. They’ve also seen certain players distinguish themselves from the pack, whether for specific in-game accomplishments or cumulative totals.
As another edition of the Subway Series is set to begin—this time featuring a whole new cast of Mets ready to make their mark on the crosstown rivalry—it seems a fitting moment to check in on the state of the series’ record book, from all-time leaders to single-game leaders to Statcast superlatives. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather a sampling of some of the standout highlights. So let’s hop on board, stand clear of the closing doors, and take a brief ride through 29 seasons of Subway Series baseball…
Most Hits, GAME Brett Gardner (5) – June 26, 2009
Rookie Brett Gardner gave Citi Field a rude introduction to the Subway Series. The 25-year-old hit leadoff, going 5-for-6 with three singles, a double, and a late homer off Elmer Dessens in the veteran right-hander’s second game as a Met. Pesky as ever, all three of Gardner’s singles came on softly-hit flairs which found grass just beyond the infield, while his homer barely cleared the fence in the right-field corner. The Mets’ only offense in the 9-1 loss came courtesy of Gary Sheffield’s 508th (and penultimate) career home run.
Most Home Runs, GAME Francisco Lindor (3) – September 12, 2021
The only three-homer game in Subway Series history belongs to Francisco Lindor, who accomplished the feat in the midst of a relatively underwhelming first season in Flushing. Lindor carried a .222 average and .696 OPS into the night, but all that seemed to disappear as he hit a trio of clutch homers (two of them putting the Mets in the lead) during an emotional subway series on the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Lindor got his first curtain call, his first of many iconic Mets moments, and his only career three-homer game to date.
Most RBI, GAME Carlos Delgado (9) – June 27, 2008
Forget Subway Series records — Carlos Delgado’s nine-RBI effort in the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium tied a Mets franchise record. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he tallied all his RBI in just four innings. In the top of the fifth, he laced a two-run single. In the sixth, he crushed a grand slam to the back of the bleachers in right-center field. In the eighth, he punctuated the performance with a three-run homer off future Met LaTroy Hawkins.
Most Strikeouts, GAME Jacob deGrom (12) – August 13, 2018 / Dillon Gee (12) – May 30, 2013
Both of these 12-strikeout performances came on the road at Yankee Stadium, and contrary to what you might guess, Gee’s outing was actually far more dominant than deGrom’s. The 2018 Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs (two of them earned) on five hits and two walks in 6.2 innings of work, while Gee went 7.1 innings and allowed just one run on a solo shot from Robinson Canó.
Gee has another entry on the Subway Series leaderboard, as his start on July 2, 2011 is tied with Tylor Megill’s on September 10, 2021 for most whiffs (18) by a Met, but Masahiro Tanaka has them both beat with 22 on May 14, 2014. The day after that Tanaka masterpiece, the Yankees were set to face Gee’s spot in the Mets’ rotation, but the right-hander went down with a lat strain. The Yankees instead faced a 26-year-old making his MLB debut named…Jacob deGrom. In classic deGrom fashion, he ended up on the short end of a 1-0 pitchers’ duel. It was the first 1-0 finale in Subway Series history, and the only one to date.
Most Hits, CAREER 1. Derek Jeter (131) 2. Alex Rodriguez (65) 3. David Wright (62) 4. Robinson Canó (61) 5. Brett Gardner/José Reyes (53)
Jeter laps the field here. Literally. His 131 Subway Series hits are more than double any other player’s total, accumulated over 88 games played (which also rank first). A-Rod, Wright, and Canó are neck-and-neck in the battle for second place, with 7 of Canó’s 61 hits coming in a Mets uniform. But just as predictable as Jeter’s ranking atop this leaderboard was Wright’s ranking atop the Mets’ side. The 12th of his 62 hits, a soaring single to straightaway center off Mariano Rivera, represented one of the most memorable walk-offs in franchise history,
Most Home Runs, CAREER 1. Aaron Judge (14) 2. Derek Jeter/Alex Rodriguez (13) 3. Jorge Posada (12) 4. Pete Alonso/Robinson Canó/Curtis Granderson/Mark Teixeira (11)
Judge’s solo homer off Justin Hagenman on July 3 last season moved him into a tie with Jeter and A-Rod, and his two-run homer off Brandon Waddell two days later made him the Subway Series’ new home run king. Alonso was climbing up the leaderboard at a breakneck pace, clubbing 11 homers in 32 games against the Bombers. This likely would have been a two-man race for years to come if Alonso had returned to the Mets, but instead he has taken his Yankee-killing talents to Baltimore, picking up right where he left off with a pair of homers in his first series back in the Bronx earlier this month. That leaves Judge to continue adding to his total relatively unthreatened. Canó and Granderson, meanwhile, sneak into the leaderboard with help from stints on both side of the rivalry.
Most Stolen Bases, CAREER 1. Derek Jeter (19) 2. José Reyes (14) 3. Roger Cedeño/Alfonso Soriano (9) 5. David Wright (8)
This is a Roger Cedeño stat. Jeter, Reyes, and Wright all had over 200 Subway Series plate appearances to climb their way onto this leaderboard. Soriano had 99. Cedeño had 71. In 17 Subway Series games, Cedeño slashed .323/.371/.492. Five of his nine stolen bases came during 1999 (a season in which he swiped 66 bags for the Mets) and one of those five was a steal of home. The other four came in his second stint in New York from ’02-’03. Still, the accumulators win out, with Jeter and Reyes unsurprisingly leading the pack.
Most Saves, CAREER 1. Mariano Rivera (20) 2. Armando Benítez/Edwin Díaz/Billy Wagner (5) 5. Aroldis Chapman/Francisco Rodríguez (4)
Behind Rivera, who accounts for over 25% of saves recorded for either side in Subway Series history, a trio of Mets closers are tied for second place despite varying degrees of effectiveness. Wagner pitched to a 4.66 ERA in 9.2 IP, Benítez maintained a respectable 3.00 ERA in 15 IP, and Díaz was absolutely dominant, posting an 0.96 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 9.1 IP. A pair of fireballers in Chapman and Rodríguez are tied at fifth. The players with the most likely chance to enter the leaderboard this season are ex-Yankees Luke Weaver and Devin Williams, each of whom picked up a Subway Series save against the Mets last season.
Longest-projected Home Run (Statcast era/since 2015) 1. Aaron Judge (457 ft) – August 16, 2017 2. Aaron Judge (453 ft) – August 23, 2022 / Gary Sánchez (453 ft) – August 30, 2020 4. Giancarlo Stanton (443 ft) – September 12, 2021 / Juan Soto (443 ft) – July 24, 2024 6. Francisco Lindor (436 ft) – September 12, 2021
Judge’s mammoth 457-foot blast off Robert Gsellman on August 16, 2017 landed in the third deck in left field, and landed him a share of the tenth spot on the list of longest homers hit at Citi Field (his teammate Stanton has the No. 2 entry on that list). Lindor’s second homer in his three-homer game sits at sixth as the highest Mets entry on this leaderboard, one of two dingers included from that game along with Stanton’s game-tying shot a half inning later. Judge and Sánchez split second place, each with a homer well up the left-center-field bleachers at Yankee Stadium (though for Sánchez’s homer, a go-ahead grand slam off Drew Smith in August 2020, the bleachers were eerily empty). Soto, meanwhile, ranks with a moonshot to Monument Park off future teammate Sean Manaea.
Fastest Pitch (Pitch-tracking era/since 2008) 1. Aroldis Chapman (102.7 mph) – August 15, 2017 2. Aroldis Chapman (101.9 mph) – June 9, 2018 3. Aroldis Chapman (101.6 mph) – June 9, 2018 4. Aroldis Chapman (101.5 mph) – June 9, 2018 5. Aroldis Chapman (101.3 mph) – June 9, 2018 6. Bobby Parnell (101.1 mph) – July 1, 2011
The five fastest pitches all belong to Chapman, with four of those coming in one inning to a trio of 2018 Mets including José Reyes, José Bautista, and Devin Mesoraco. But the single fastest pitch he threw in a Subway Series game resulted in a game-ending grounder off the bat of Juan Lagares ten months earlier. The sixth-fastest (and top ranked by a Met) belongs to Bobby Parnell, who recorded what’s listed as a 101.1 mph fastball to strike out Nick Swisher and end the top of the eighth inning in a Mets loss.
June 14, 2009 was not Johan Santana’s day. The left-hander entered the start with a 2.39 ERA and exited with a 3.29 ERA after allowing nine runs in three innings of work. The Yankees didn’t stop there, racking up four more runs off Brian Stokes and getting another pair off Jon Switzer, marking the third-to-last outing of the latter’s career. Jeter went 4-for-4, while Hideki Matsui and Robinson Canó both went deep. Somehow, it was not the Mets’ most deflating loss of the series, as two days earlier an infamous pop-up popped in and out of the glove of Luis Castillo. But the Mets have more Subway Series wins by a 10+ margin, with 12-2 victories in 2000 and 2024. Each featured a trio of homers — the first from Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo, and Derek Bell, and the second from Francisco Alvarez, Tyrone Taylor, and Harrison Bader. The first game also came in an Al Leiter/Roger Clemens pitchers’ duel which turned out one-sided.
Longest/Shortest Games Longest: Yankees 4, Mets 2 (f/10) (4 hours, 36 minutes) – June 14, 2002 Shortest: Yankees 4, Mets 2 (f/7) (2 hours, 14 minutes) – July 4, 2021
There’s a cruel irony in the fact that the longest and shortest games in Subway Series history — two polar opposite games in some respects — ended up with the exact same result. The ’02 marathon’s length was no doubt aided by Mets starter Steve Trachsel, often referred to as “The Human Rain Delay” for his slow pitching pace. The Mets led 2-0 at Shea Stadium by virtue of a walk and passed ball in the third inning, but the Yankees clawed back with an RBI single from Bernie Williams in the eighth and another by Derek Jeter in the ninth to tie it. A homer from then-Yankee Robin Ventura in the top of the tenth was the deciding factor. The ’21 sprint was aided by the short-lived seven-inning-doubleheader rule, allowing the low-offense contest (the two teams combined for seven total hits in seven innings) to conclude abruptly when the seventh-inning stretch would normally occur.
If there’s one area of the Subway Series where the Mets have properly outdone the Yankees, it’s walk-offs. The Mets have twice as many walk-off victories as the Bronx Bombers, with the total reaching double digits as of Brandon Nimmo’s double off Nick Ramirez in June 2023.
But I close the journey through Subway Series records with this stat not only for its uplifting Mets slant, but also because there is one related feat still up for grabs: no player has racked up multiple Subway Series walk-offs.
This season, there’s a prime candidate in Amed Rosario, who oddly enough already has a walk-off at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees during a chaotic covid scheduling snafu. Has anyone ever had a walk-off hit for and against the same team in the same stadium? Some cities’ teams shared ballparks back in the early 20th century, but those teams were divided by league in a time before interleague play. It would come at the cost of a Mets win, but if Rosario pulled it off, he could earn himself a distinction in baseball history as well as Subway Series history.
I always like to start previews with my favorite prospect. That’s often someone the Phillies have no chance at, but not this year. A reclassicification of draft eligibility made this year’s mystery box my favorite, most intriguing option. Grindlinger is a left handed Outfielder and Pitcher and is a potential 1st/2nd rounder in both roles. He also has a perfect name for Philly, who would certainly love someone to grind it out in either role for a decade or more. The catch is Grindlinger will be one of the youngest players to be drafted in league history as he’s currently 17 years old as of April 16th. He’s already 6’3” and 185lbs and at barely 17 there’s a chance a little more growth may be coming. He’s committed to University of Tennessee for College. He reclassified to the 2026 draft in mid-February, so I don’t get the sense he plans on sticking to that commitment barring a drop in draft stock
The draft stock is tough to gauge, as Baseball America mocked him to the Phillies in their first mock draft and didn’t have him at all in their second and in their third mock, they have him going 20th. He was the #3 prep prospect in the 2027 class, so it’s reasonable he’d still be a first rounder here. Teams also seem to be flip-flopping a bit on what role he’s better in. At first it was solidly pitching, but consensus seems to have moved to hitting. I’ll write up both here.
I’ll start with Pitching, since that seems to have taken a bit of a backseat in his profile, I’ll give more of a Cliff Notes version. This is still a very viable path for him in the pros though. As a Pitcher, he already has an Above-Average Fastball that sits mid-90’s and he can get up to 96 to go along with a low 80’s Slider and Changeup. Both could end up Above-Average or better. Grindlinger throws from a 3/4 slot and the 4-seamer shows good carry and arm side tail. He has a good track record of throwing all 3 for strikes, though like all Prep Pitchers all 3 pitches need some work on consistency and command. The ceiling is probably #2 Starter.
As a hitter the hype train has really gotten rolling for Grindlinger. To be honest, I get it for the potential, but there are also some warning signs that I think will limit how high he can go in the draft. Everything is projection at this point. While that’s true for all prep players, it’s especially so here. He’s well beyond his years at the plate showing patience and elite contact rates in and out of the zone. He simply doesn’t swing at things he can’t put in play. This sounds great, but he’s also facing fellow prep arms with a mixed bag of secondaries. Part of the concern stems from his bat speed being below average, the other part comes from him having a flat bat path and a likely trade off trading contact for power in pro ball. He already manages average power, but he’s likely destined for Right Field as a pro where his 55 grade speed and plus arm can best play up, and teams want to get above-average or better power out of that position ideally. There’s a little Bryson Stott to that hitting profile, though here you’d also be projecting additional muscle adding to his bat speed some and to his power overall.
Every draft pick is a risk and projection, but what I like about Grindlinger is you can see 2 development paths to value as a top of the rotation lefty Starter and as probably more of a 5-6 hole hitter with solid defensive potential. Plenty of guys have failed at both those roles, but having that backup plan, especially if he lasts all the way into the comp picks is plenty valuable.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 28: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals is congratulated after hitting a home run during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rayni Shiring/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Nolan Gorman has been a long term project in the Cardinals franchise with some obvious upside. The obvious upside, of course, is the fact that when he makes good contact you could build a statue of his pose and the homerun. If you put a Gorman bomb up against a sunset, you might actually watch the Gorman bomb. Fans that have watched for any amount of time know that those statue-esque shots have not been coming often enough in the last few years.
The calendar has ticked by into mid-May and Gorman is running an 89 wRC+. He’s been more valuable than one might think because of a pleasant development on defense. There are games, and I can’t believe I’m going to say this, that he looks like he may be hanging out with the ghost of Nolan Arenado at third base to guide him. He’s currently in the 84th percentile in defensive value for all big leaguers. And, while defensive stats can notoriously flutter during a season, the eye test tells you he’s clearly on a different plane this season.
The purpose of this article is not to suggest that Nolan Gorman is a disaster. He’s not. He’s accumulated 0.4 fWAR thus far. While that’s not what anyone hoped for his value coming into the season, he’d end up at a passable 1.6 fWAR for the season at this pace. That’s playable, if disappointing. The bigger question comes if he remains Nolan Gorman, defensive specialist at the end of the year. The offensive rebuild clearly has four building blocks of varying degrees in Walker, Herrera, Wetherholt, and Burleson. Winn has been fairly good as well and his defense at short is going to keep him around for a while at a minimum.
Can you run a below average offensive third baseman long term if your goal is to compete for titles? The answer obviously comes with a multiplicity of variables around Gorman, but it’s not a strong case. So, what’s Gorman been doing this year to be stuck at his 89 wRC+? It’s a tale as old as time (well, as old as Gorman’s career anyway).
In short, Gorman is whiffing too much, but not providing enough power to offset his swing and miss game. He’s striking out 28.8% of the time, which is actually down a hair so far from his career high of 33.8% of the time last season. Can you be successful striking out at this rate? Well, let me introduce you to a gentleman named Jordan Walker who is striking out 28.4% of the time this season. So, the obvious answer is yes you can be successful, but you have to capitalize on your power at a healthy rate.
This is the perplexing part of Gorman’s game. The foundation for power is there. Statcast has him in the 94th percentile for Launch Angle Sweet Spot. Essentially, he’s launching the ball at an angle that should be doing damage. This stat tends not to be very predictive, but Statcast has tracked him at the very top of baseball in this metric his entire career. In other words, his swing shape produces the right angle of contact for big damage.
So if the K% isn’t great but also doesn’t prohibit him from being valuable offensively and his swing shape is producing the right kind of contact, where’s the hangup? He’s pulling the ball more than ever, hitting line drives and flyballs at career norms, so many of the normal sources aren’t much different than his career averages. What is different is how he’s currently handling changeups. The league has an obvious attack pattern and is exploiting it to the max.
Nolan Gorman is facing changeups over 20% of the time. That’s double his career averages, and has a ghastly -5.2 run value on them according to Fangraphs. For all his Launch Angle Sweet Spot brilliance, Gorman is only squaring up pitches in the 15th percentile and producing slightly below league average exit velos. The Cardinals have vastly limited his at bats against lefties this year, but righties are getting ahead of him and finishing him off with changeups that he’s just not handling well.
The Faustian bargain with players like Gorman is that their whiffs will be offset by prodigious damage on pitches they do handle (see Jordan Walker again). At this moment, Gorman is not holding up his end of that bargain and pitchers have found a weakness that they are currently maxing out in their pursuit of securing outs from Nolan Gorman.
Because whiffs will always be his chokepoint on offense, Gorman is already operating with a ceiling on his capability. This is not new. To put a fine point on the end of this article though, how much longer will the Cardinals stick with him at these production rates? He’s accrued over 2000 PA at the MLB level and is 1% below league average at a 99 wRC+. This is, once again, not a crisis point, and there’s no one at his position that is beating down the door to St. Louis (can Blaze Jordan be credible over there??). So, they’re unlikely to make a move in the immediate future.
But, Gorman has done nothing to disabuse the notion that he’s not a core piece going forward. He has time to adjust this season, but I think it’s fair to ask at this point if he’s capable of adjusting to the level that the Cardinals need him to adjust. Hitting is extremely difficult, but if Nolan Gorman is going to stick around, he needs to start handling changeups better.
So, let’s hear it. What do the Cardinals do if Gorman continues producing offensively at this rate for the rest of the year? Thanks for reading!
COVERS INTEL: Despite the names in the lineup, the 
