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In an apt metaphor for just how upside-down this season has been for the New York Mets, the team with MLB's highest payroll is hoping a minor-league prospect will help turn things around.

The Mets are set to promote outfielder A.J. Ewing to the roster after just 12 games at the Class AAA level, according to multiple media reports.

The 21-year-old Ewing, a fourth-round draft pick in 2024, is the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline.

He began the 2026 season at Class AA Binghampton (New York), where he hit .349/.481/.571 over 18 games. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse in late April. Now, he's set to join fellow rookie Carson Benge in the Mets outfield for Tuesday's game against the Detroit Tigers.

Josh Phelps turns 48 today.

Phelps was once considered one of the Blue Jays’ catchers of the future—except, as it turned out, he wasn’t a catcher for long. Before the 2002 season, Josh was ranked #36 on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects.

He tore up the minors. In 2001, he hit .292/.406/.562 with 31 home runs over 136 games for Double-A Tennessee. In 2002, he put up a .292/.380/.658 line with 24 homers in just 70 games at Triple-A Syracuse. We thought he could be a middle-of-the-order slugger, joining another former “catcher of the future,” Carlos Delgado.

After brief MLB cameos in 2000 (one at-bat) and 2001 (12 hitless at-bats), the Jays called him up in June 2002. He hit his first home run in his 14th game and finished that year with 15 homers and a .309/.352/.562 line in 83 games, mostly as a DH. On August 29th, he hit two home runs off Roger Clemens—a personal highlight, as it’s always nice to see the Jays beat Clemens. The next day, he drove in four runs against the Yankees, though Pete Walker’s rough outing cost us the win.

In 2003, Josh posted a .268/.358/.470 line with 20 home runs in 119 games, but injuries began to take their toll.

By 2004, he was hitting .237/.296/.417 with 12 homers in 79 games when, on August 4th, we traded him to Cleveland for Eric Crozier. It was a like-for-like swap—Crozier was also a power-hitting DH/first baseman—but it didn’t pan out for the Jays. Crozier played just 14 games for Toronto (his entire MLB career), hitting .152/.282/.39

Phelps, meanwhile, finished 2004 strong for Cleveland, batting .303/.338/.579 in 24 games. After the season, he signed with Tampa Bay. From there, he bounced around: Tigers, Orioles, Yankees, Pirates, Cardinals, Giants, Rockies, and back to Cleveland. When you’re a former top prospect, teams keep giving you chances, but he saw little major league action with most of those clubs.

His final MLB stint came in 2008, getting 36 at-bats with the Cardinals. For his career, he played 465 games, hitting .273/.343/.472 with 64 home runs.

Why didn’t he become the player we hoped for? In 2005, Baseball Prospectus wrote:

He had more power than your local utility but had no clue what to do with it, swinging indiscriminately at pitches, relay throws from the outfield, and low-hanging clouds. As his time in Toronto continued, Phelps crossed the line dividing productive aggression and diminishing returns, so this positionless player was sent south for nothing more than Eric Crozier. Working with Eddie Murray, he cut his strikeouts just slightly, but that sample is so tiny as to be nearly meaningless. Signed by Tampa, Phelps will meet Lou Piniella at the same age that the somewhat similar Jay Buhner did. Buhner blossomed at that point; Phelps will need to follow instructions a lot better than he did with the Jays to have a chance to do the same.

Baseball Prospectus was mean in those days.

Not having a true position hurt, and his career 25.6% strikeout rate—worsening over time—didn’t help either. If he’d been able to stick at catcher, things might have been different, but as a DH, you have to hit or lose your job. There’s no time for slow development at that spot.

Still, happy birthday, Josh. Hope it’s a good one.

Felipe Lopez turns 46 today.

The Blue Jays took Felipe in the first round of the 1998 draft, sixth overall. CC Sabathia, taken 20th, was the best of that round. Lopez didn’t set the minors on fire, but the Jays called him up in August 2001. In 49 games, he hit .260/.304/.418.

He started 2002 with the Jays but returned to the minors in mid-June, finishing his Toronto stint with a .227/.287/.387 line in 134 games.

After the season, he was dealt in a complicated four-team trade, ending up with the Reds. The Jays received Jason Arnold from the A’s—who never reached the majors.

Lopez, for his part, played 11 MLB seasons, hitting .264/.333/.391 with 90 home runs in 1,185 games.

Happy birthday, Felipe. Hope it’s a good one.

Jonathan Davis turns 34 today.

Davis played 122 games for the Jays over four seasons, hitting .180/.285/.263 with four home runs and 11 steals. He was about as good as a .180-hitting outfielder can be, which, admittedly, isn’t saying much.

The Yankees claimed him off waivers in August 2021; he played 12 games for them. In 2022, he appeared in 37 games with the Brewers; last year, he played 34 with the Marlins.

It looks like he retired after the 2024 season.

Happy birthday, Jonathan.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw is quietly putting together a very respectable 2026 campaign, and I expect his bat to stay hot tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Read on to see why with my Blue Jays vs. Rays predictions and MLB Picks on Tuesday, May 12. 

Rays vs Blue Jays predictions

Rays vs Blue Jays best bet: Myles Straw Over 0.5 hits (-145)

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw has been surprisingly consistent this season.

He’s up to a .303 batting average and has recorded at least one hit in seven of his last 10 games. 

Additionally, he’s one of a few Blue Jays batters with success against Tampa Bay Rays starter Shane McClanahan. Straw is 3-for-7 with a double and two RBI against the Rays southpaw throughout his career. 

McClanahan handled the Jays' lineup with ease last week at the Trop; however, Straw was one of just two batters to get a hit off of him that night, and I’m expecting a similar story today. 

COVERS INTEL: Straw owns a 109 WRC+ against LHP this season.

Rays vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Kazuma Okamoto is riding a 10-game hitting streak, which includes a double off McClanahan. He’s gone Over his 1.5 total in six of those, but is averaging three bases per game in this stretch with a 1.178 OPS. 

I’m going to continue fading Junior Caminero’s bat tonight. His hits line is set at 1.5, and he’s gone Under this number in 14 of his last 15 games. He's also 0-for-3 lifetime against Patrick Corbin. 

Rays vs Blue Jays SGP

• Myles Straw Over 0.5 hits
• Kazuma Okamoto Over 1.5 total bases
• Junior Caminero Under 1.5 hits

Rays vs Blue Jays home run pick: George Springer (+450)

I’m making this a half-unit wager.

McClanahan doesn’t let the ball leave the yard too often, surrendering just one home run in seven starts this season. 

However, there is one batter in the lineup who has taken McClanahan deep — three times to be more precise. 

George Springer. 

It’s been a tough year for the Jays outfielder, but he’s starting to come around with three hits in his last three games. 

Last season, Springer owned a .746 xSLG against the four-seamer, which is McClanahan’s most-used pitch. I’m banking on Springer laying into one tonight

Rays vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Rays -1.5 (+140) | Blue Jays +1.5 (-100)
• Run line: Rays -125 | Blue Jays +105
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)

Rays vs Blue Jays trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the Team Total Under in 22 of their last 35 games (+7.35 Units / 18% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Rays vs Blue Jays and game info

Rays vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Rays vs Blue Jays weather

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The New York Mets (15-25) return home to welcome the Detroit Tigers (19-22) for a three-game series, beginning tonight. The nightmare that has been the 2026 season got a brief respite when the Mets took two series in a row from the Angels and Rockies, but the mirage faded when the Diamondbacks took two of three over the weekend, where the Mets’ bats continued their shy, bashful nature.

If there is a positive for the club, it is that their starting pitching has, more or less, straightened itself out. Clay Holmes and Nolan McLean have been excellent, Freddy Peralta has been exactly as advertised, Christian Scott is looking good, and David Peterson, for some reason, operates better after an opener. With the bullpen being more or less cromulent, the pitching side of their game is looking fine.

But the offense. Woof.

Juan Soto will be fine, but he’s been making poor contact on pitches that the ‘old’ Soto would’ve spit on or taken the other way. Instead, he’s popping up bad pitches left and right. Bo Bichette still looks totally lost at the plate, collecting just seven extra base hits in 175 plate appearances. I don’t believed that he’s washed, but he’s not playing anything like the clutch Bo of old.

If we’re looking for any sort of offensive bright spots, they’re all with qualifiers. Carson Benge is starting to look like a big league player at the plate, but it’s taken awhile. Marcus Semien has flashed moments of looking better than his 2025 stat line would indicated, but those have been fleeting. Mark Vientos has had a few games that flash his 2024 power, but they’ve been followed up with games that flash his 2025 struggles. MJ Melendez has done well in limited playing time, but how long can that last?

The injuries are clearly an issue; this is undoubtedly a better team with Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr. on the roster rather than Austin Slater, Vidal Brujan, and Andy Ibáñez. But the limited offense can’t just be blamed on who isn’t there; there needs to be some fingers pointed at who is there.

If nothing else, this season is an opportunity to really stress test their young players. This looks to be the end of the line for both Vientos and Brett Baty as everyday contributors, and the Mets are doing all in their power to see just what sort of a hitter Francisco Alvarez really is over a full season. Benge is getting his shot and, as of tonight, so is A.J. Ewing. McLean and Scott are going to pitch a lot of innings, and they may be joined by Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger before season’s end. Tobias Myers is going to get to pitch in just about every type of role out there, and Austin Warren will be given every shot to prove himself a useful reliever.

None of this really does much for the win column right now, and none of it really gives any hope for the series with the Tigers, especially when two of the three games are full of “TBD” starters (although Fangraphs lists those Mets starters as Scott and McLean and the Tigers as throwing Framber Valdez and Keider Montero). If the Mets can wake up their bats, they’re still in a position where the season isn’t totally lost just yet; plenty of teams have been ten games under .500 in mid-May and made a playoff push, but I truly can’t remember a team this offensively inept top to bottom most games.

If there’s a glimmer of hope for this series, it is that the Tigers are losers of six of their last ten and are also sporting a losing record, though they’re not nearly as in the hole as the Mets are. They’re similarly injured, but their injuries are more on the starting pitching side, with Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, and old friend Justin Verlander all on the shelf with a variety of issues. Skubal is the biggest loss, obviously, but the team is struggling to find effective starting performances across the board.

The recently suspended Valdez has been just alright, ditto 2024 trade deadline darling Jack Flaherty. Their biggest surprise has been Montero, in his third season starting for the Tigers, really putting it together thus far. An ERA just over three and a 3.63 K/BB ratio have been a godsend for Detroit, and has stabilized at least one spot in the rotation.

Offensively, rookie Kevin McGonigle has been the story. An American League Rookie of the Year hopeful, McGonigle is hitting .293/.395/.435 in his first 39 games as a big leaguer. Riley Green and Dillon Dingler have also been good for the Tigers thus far, but injuries haven’t avoided the lineup either. Old friend Javier Báez, Gleyber Torres, and Kerry Carpenter are all missing time right now as well.

In some ways, these two teams are both dealing with similar issues, but while the Tigers’ offense is only 23rd best in baseball, the Mets’ is dead last by fWAR. To put that into some context, the Mets, as a team, are work 0.5 fWAR right now. The Tigers are worth 3.5 fWAR.

Tuesday, May 12: Freddy Peralta vs Jack Flaherty, 7:10pm EDT on SNY

Peralta (2026): 43.1IP, 43 K, 18 BB, 4 HR, 3.12 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 79 ERA-

Many folks were hoping that Peralta would take another step forward in 2026 after a very good 2025 campaign, but thus far, Freddy is being Freddy. That’s not a bad thing, but it is a limited thing. Peralta typically throws 5 innings of competitive ball, and that’s what we’re getting thus far. He’s not looking like an ace; in fact, he’s looking more like the Mets’ third starter behind Holmes and McLean, but that’s fine. It’s just not a 7-8 year extension fine, that’s all.

Flaherty (2026): 34.0 IP, 42 K, 26 BB, 5 HR, 5.56 ERA, 5.29 FIP, 133 ERA-

Flaherty is having a rough go of it as of late, not seeing the sixth inning since April 15 and only getting out of the fourth once since then. Even the games he’s looked reasonably good, like when he gave up no earned runs against the Red Sox, he walked six batters and only got ten outs in the game. He’s also been tagged with five unearned runs in his last four starts, which suggests some bad luck, but not enough to account for his performance.

Wednesday, May 13: TBD (likely Christian Scott) vs TBD (likely Framber Valdez), 7:10pm EDT on SNY

Scott (2026): 11.0 IP, 15 K, 7 BB, 1 HR, 3.27 ERA, 4.03 FIP, 83 ERA-

The Mets are being very cautious with Scott coming off of Tommy John Surgery, pulling him early in two of his three starts. Aside from his very bad first start, Scott has looked very good. He walked five in his first start, and has only walked two in the subsequent games. He’s struck out 14 in those two starts as well.

Valdez (2026): 43.1 IP, 35 K, 15 BB, 5 HR, 4.57 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 110 ERA-

A potential Mets’ target this offseason, Valdez is coming off a five-game suspension for throwing at Trevor Story last week in Boston. This is the latest in what could generously be described as colorful incidents involving Valdez, and it is clear that the Mets did not need this added layer of distraction on their team this season. Additionally, Valdez just hasn’t been pitching like a guy whose contract is potentially worth $110 million.

Thursday, May 14: TBD (likely Nolan McLean) vs TBD (likely Keider Montero), 1:10pm EDT on SNY

McLean (2026): 45.1 IP, 57 K, 12 BB, 3 HR, 2.78 ERA, 2.39 FIP, 71 ERA-

Owner of the rare ‘FIP lower than ERA’ stat line, McLean is looking like every bit the prospect that the Mets hoped he would. In his last start, he allowed just one run on three hits, striking out six and walking just one. In four of his eight starts, he’s given up just one earned run, and hasn’t had a truly ‘great’ start yet this year. It’s coming.

Montero (2026): 39.2 IP, 29 K, 8 BB, 3 HR, 3.18 ERA, 3.24 FIP, 76 ERA-

The cornerstone of their current rotation, Montero isn’t strikingt out a ton of batters, but he’s been limiting runs and getting results. In his last two starts, he’s allowed just one earned run, gone six plus innings, and walked just three batters. This should be a very fun matinee matchup.

Game Recaps

Michael Soroka continues Diamondbacks’ dominant pitching in win over Rangers by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]

The Diamondbacks have won three straight games having scored eight total runs. They are back to .500 at 20-20.

Arizona has allowed 10 runs over its last seven games. The last time the D-backs had a seven-game stretch with that few runs allowed was back in 2011. Before then? 2001.

Soroka’s gem, Sewald’s save give D-backs a little World Series payback by Steve Gilbert [DBacks.com]

Here’s what you need to know about the game:

Michael Soroka was really good

Soroka allowed just three hits over 6 1/3 innings in the combined shutout on Monday and over his last two starts he’s given up just one run in 12 2/3 innings.

“We want to bang the baseball around and score a lot of runs,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “But when you’re in [a close situation] and the pitchers step up the way they did, it was a fantastic effort. It started with Soroka. He did a really nice job — low pitch count, temptation to leave him in the game, and I felt like the bullpen was ready for those matchups, and it worked out really well for us.”

Diamondbacks News

“I belong at the highest level”: The elite mindset of the D-backs Ryan Waldschmidt [Arizona Sports]

Diamondbacks add another Perdomo to their minor league system by Nick Piecoro [AZ Central]

Ten years ago, Geraldo Perdomo signed with the Diamondbacks for $70,000 as a 16-year-old amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He was not a big prospect, but he showed enough promise to move steadily through the system and ultimately reach the majors.

Perdomo is hoping another family member can follow a similar path.

Last week, the Diamondbacks signed 17-year-old outfielder Nicola Perdomo for a bonus of $47,500. He has a good approach, raw power and a strong arm. He is Geraldo’s younger brother, and he likely will begin his professional career this year in the Dominican Summer League.

D-backs Closer Paul Sewald Says He Didn’t Hit Corey Seager On Purpose by Alex D’Agostino [SI]

“It was a total accident,” Sewald said earnestly. “Hopefully his foot’s okay. … it’s one of those things.”

Sewald did, also acknowledge the moment, the context, and the environment of the matchup. 

“It’s fine in the regular season, postseason, not so great, obviously, especially here,” he said with a bit of a laugh. “The biggest thing was that I got the first two guys to try to make it a little bit easier.”

Around the League

1st Rookie of the Year poll shows clear favorites, but plenty of competition by Jason Foster [MLB]

Others receiving votes: Foster Griffin (one first-place vote), Nationals; Carson Benge, Mets; Owen Caissie, Marlins; Bubba Chandler, Pirates; Joe Mack, Marlins; Jose Fernandez, D-backs; Nathan Church, Cardinals; TJ Rumfield, Rockies {Ed. Note: emphasis mine}

Five way-too-early 2026-27 free agency questions by Kiley McDaniel [ESPN]

How will the potential work stoppage affect free agency?

Though we don’t know for sure, we can use the last collective bargaining agreement negotiations and subsequent lockout as a guide. Teams looking to devote big money to making upgrades generally want to do so before the current CBA expires Dec. 1, both to avoid waiting for key additions and as a pre-negotiation signal of healthy spending on players. (The Texas Rangers splurging on Corey Seager and Marcus Semien for a combined $500 million just hours before the Dec. 1, 2021, deadline was notable from that pre-lockout period.)

The assumption is that a lockout will happen again. That naturally leads to two questions: Which teams are eager enough to spend to sign big-ticket players before Dec. 1? And which players are important enough to get the offers they’d want to sign before the CBA expires? Before his injury, Skubal was the top free agent, but now his market might be muddier, which could lead to his camp opting to wait a bit. There might not be another slam dunk nine-figure player, with Freddy Peralta and Jazz Chisholm Jr. having the strongest cases at the moment among the other pending free agents.

Giants Trade Patrick Bailey to Guardians as Buster Posey Shakes Things Up Again by Jay Jaffe [FanGraphs]

This is the second season in a row that president of baseball operations Buster Posey has shaken up San Francisco’s roster with an early-season trade; last year, it was the mid-June acquisition of slugger Rafael Devers in a blockbuster with Boston. You don’t have to squint too hard to accept that both trades were aimed at upgrading moribund offenses, but when the Giants dealt for Devers, they were 11 games above .500 (41-30), one game behind the Dodgers in the NL West. They felt they’d landed the offensive cornerstone that had eluded them after unsuccessful pursuits of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, a player who could help them return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. This time around, they entered the day of the trade 15-23, last in the division, and the move appears far more tilted toward the future, as Wilkinson has just gotten his feet wet in Double-A and the draft pick won’t make an immediate impact.

If this trade had occurred just prior to the deadline (August 3 this year), it might have been characterized as a white flag, part of a larger selloff. To these eyes, it’s a shakeup that at worst smacks of panic and at best places a lot of faith that Posey — a likely Hall of Fame catcher who has yet to show similar prowess as an executive — has found a diamond or two in the rough with his two recent catching acquisitions: Jesus Rodriguez, who came from the Yankees in last year’s Camilo Doval trade, and Daniel Susac, who was flipped by the Twins in December after being plucked from the A’s as a Rule 5 pick. Both are 24 years old and have fewer than 10 games of major league experience, with Susac, who turns 25 on May 14, currently on a rehab assignment after being sidelined by neuritis in his right elbow. Eric Haase, a 33-year-old backstop who hit his way out of a starting job in Detroit in 2023, started in Saturday’s 13-3 drubbing by the Pirates — San Francisco’s ninth loss in 11 games — while Rodriguez started Sunday’s 7-6 win, which lifted the team’s record to 16-24, still third worst in the NL.

Rangers Notes: Eovaldi, Latz, and Smith by Anthony Franco [MLB Trade Rumors]

he Rangers are sending Nathan Eovaldi for imaging after the veteran starter reported left side tightness, manager Skip Schumaker told reporters (including Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). Texas scratched Eovaldi from his scheduled start tonight in Arizona. Jakob Junis got the first couple innings of an impromptu bullpen game.

Schumaker’s bullpen should be well rested. The Rangers are coming off consecutive shutouts of what had been a hot Cubs lineup. They used three relievers after Jack Leiter on Saturday, but only Gavin Collyer tossed more than 13 pitches. Jacob Latz was their only reliever yesterday, tossing 20 pitches over two scoreless innings behind a masterful start from Jacob deGrom (seven scoreless with 10 strikeouts).

Morning A’s fans!

The moment has finally arrived. If reporting is to be believed, the Athletics are set to promote top outfield prospect Henry Bolte to the major leagues for the very first time:

It’s a well-deserved promotion for the Athletics’ 2nd-round pick from the 2022 Draft. The 22-year-old has steadily climbed the minor league ladder after forgoing college to begin his pro career right out of high school. A toolsey outfielder with an interesting speed/power combination, Bolte (pronounced Bolt-AY) ranks as the organization’s #5 ranked prospect but took his game to another level this year. In 37 games playing for the Aviators Bolte has slashed an incredible .348/.418/.658 with 12 home runs and 17 stolen bases. He’s been especially hot at the plate recently as he’s gotten his in each of his past 12 at bats. There’s not much left for him to prove in the minors and now he’ll get his first taste of the big leagues.

How he fits into the lineup will be interesting to see. The most obvious path to playing time is in center field, where Opening Day starter Denzel Clarke is injured. Zack Gelof has been getting some playing time there in recent days and has held is own. He’s cut his strikeout rate while upping his walk percentage. It seems the club is planning on shifting him back to the infield now though with third base likely going to Gelof on a more regular basis until Max Muncy is ready to return from his hand fracture. That means there’s certainly an opportunity for Bolte in center field, where he’s played the majority of his games this year. He’ll provide a different aspect to the offense as well thanks to his great speed on the base paths. First baseman Nick Kurtz currently leads the team with five swipes so it shouldn’t be long before Bolte is leading the team in that category.

Bolte, a right-handed hitter, could also find himself in a corner outfield spot from time to time. Incumbents Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler are both left-handed hitters so Mark Kotsay could certainly platoon Bolte with one or the other on any given day. Neither player has gotten out to a great start, with Butler especially struggling in the batter’s box right now. It could be the perfect time to get those two some days off and see if that can jumpstart their seasons. Both are tied to long-term contracts too so the team is invested in seeing the long-term success for these two players the team considers building blocks.

We’ll also be waiting for word on a corresponding roster move with the fear being that shortstop Jacob Wilson may land on the IL due to his shoulder injury. That wouldn’t be the most ideal outcome as the team doesn’t have much in the way of depth behind Wilson. If the runner up in last year’s AL ROTY voting does end up missing time the most obvious guy to handle the position would be Darell Hernaiz as he’s already on the actice roster. If the team wanted to be extra bold they could get aggressive with top prospect Leo De Vries, but he’s yet to play in Triple-A so that would definitely be classified as an aggressive promotion. Fingers crossed the A’s don’t have to make that decision.

The A’s are back home tonight to start their homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals. It’ll be Jeffrey Springs on the bump for the Green & Gold while the Cards plan to send righty Andrew Pallante to the mound. First pitch is at 6:40 PDT. Should be a good one! Enjoy your week guys.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s promoting Henry Bolte
• A’s demolish Phillies behind big bats and Ginn’s arm, 12-1!
• Kurtz had pets named after Phillies stars
• May Roster Shuffle Could Help The A’s — But They’d Have To Want It
• A’s roster moves: Langeliers reinstated, Wynns DFA’d
• Cubs Acquire Tyler Ferguson
• Phillies Claim Grant Holman
• A’s Blow Late Lead, Fall To Phillies 6-3
• A’s drop one to Phillies 9-1
• A’s trade for Jonah Heim to fortify catching depth
• Langeliers HRs twice on wife’s b-day, then welcomes 1st child; taking time off
• Civale and Soderstrom lead Athletics to a Sunday Victory
• He once struck out Giancarlo Stanton. Now he engineers cars for Ford
• A Walk In The Park Is Nice…To A Point
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In May
• A Moment To Appreciate The Awesomeness That Is Carlos Cortes
• Kurtz ‘starting to get back to himself’ — and that’s a scary prospect
• What the Athletics’ Hot Start Means for Their 2026 Trade Deadline Strategy
• When he Reached the New World, Cortes Burned Opposing Pitchers

MLB News and Interest:

• Mets promote top outfield prospect Ewing
• Dodgers activate Mookie Betts
• 1st Rookie of the Year poll of ’26 shows clear favorites, but plenty of competition
• Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi scratched due to left side tightness
• Blue Jays’ Addison Barger returns to IL with elbow inflammation
• Astros Notes: Imai, Pearson, Peña, Meyers
• Braves activate Ha-Seong Kim, put Eli White on concussion list
• The Giants’ Long-Term Contracts Are Becoming A Big Problem
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Not great, fingers crossed it’s nothing major:

ICYMI:

He’ll be getting plenty of MVP votes after the year he’s had:

Morii moving up the minor league ladder:

Just when the Yankees looked like they were beginning to really roll with six consecutive series wins and 15 victories in a span of 17 games, they’ve hit a very annoying wall. They were swept in Milwaukee and the losing streak is now at four in a row after the bullpen blew its third consecutive game — right in tandem with the offense squandering several opportunities to add insurance runs that never crossed home plate. Joy!

It was far from a full slate on Monday, but here’s what was going on from the notable American League teams in action.

Tampa Bay Rays (27-13) 8, Toronto Blue Jays (18-23) 5

The Rays Train (steamboat?) kept on humming north of the border. Kevin Gausman reached a personal milestone as the sixth active pitcher with at least 2,000 career strikeouts, but that was cold comfort to him on Monday night. He only fanned four other Rays, and Tampa Bay knocked him around for seven runs on ten hits, as he needed 100 pitches just to get through 4.2 innings.

The Rays jumped on Gausman early and often. It was 1-0 after three batters due to two singles and a sacrifice fly. Richie Palacios made it 3-0 when he plated Junior Caminero and Jake Fraley on a two-out crack through the right side. An RBI triple by Taylor Walls (yikes) in the second added a fourth run, and though Walls was retired on a fielder’s choice at home, Chandler Simpson reached first on that play. He stole second and scored on a Jonathan Aranda single.

Toronto fought back against tough customer Drew Rasmussen, who coughed up a three-run bomb to Andrés Giménez. The light-hitting infielder came up big again in the seventh to record his first career multi-homer game and give him all five Jays RBIs on the night.

Both shots came with his team behind by five runs, however, as the Rays had kept building on their lead after the first Giménez homer. Aranda had the most impressive insurance delivery on a 415-foot clout off Gausman in the fifth. Rays relievers Hunter Bigge and Bryan Baker recorded the final five outs, nailing down another win. They’re two games up on the Yankees in the AL East.

Other Games

Seattle Mariners (20-22) 3, Houston Astros (16-26) 1: The Baseball Bar-B-Cast recently described the 2026 Mariners as “stuck in neutral,” and that seems apt for a club that should be leading this AL West with ease and is instead hovering just below .500, two games behind a merely adequate A’s team (in first place at 21-19). Cal Raleigh’s now hitless in his last 36 at-bats, but the M’s at least took the right step forward at the start of a four-game set in Houston. George Kirby grinded through five innings with just one run allowed, the bullpen was nearly pristine, and the bottom of the Seattle lineup delivered multiple RBI on knocks by Dominic Canzone and Cole Young. Julio Rodríguez hit a majestic solo shot, and Andrés Muñoz struck out Seattle nemesis Yordan Alvarez as the tying run at the plate to end it.

Cleveland Guardians (22-21) 7, Los Angeles Angels (16-26) 2: Folks, is it good when it’s the year 2026 and Alek Manoah is your best pitcher on a particular night? That’s the fate that befell the Angels in Cleveland, as the Guardians beat up on Brent Suter, José Fermín, and Kirby Yates for a combined seven runs in the second and third. With Joey Cantillo firing six shutout frames to keep the Halos at bay, it was a breezy win for the Guardos. The big hits came on two-run singles by Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneemann, and then a rookie Travis Bazzana plating a pair on a double against Yates.

Today we unveil our 13th installment of the Legends Series, featuring pitcher Wade Miller.  Prior to tearing his rotator cuff, Wade was one of the brightest pitchers in the major leagues.    

Q:  There was that three-year stretch with the Astros in which you won 45 games, fueled at one point by a 12-game winning streak, but the number could’ve been higher.  Were you actually hurt in 2003 and just kept playing?  

A:  I wasn’t 100% but I don’t want to make excuses or anything.  I wasn’t hurt enough to not be out there pitching.   

Q:  You look back at all of those starts and your overall durability in that span, 91 starts over three years, that durability and taking the ball every fifth day.  That has to still mean something all these years later?

A:  That was one of the most important things, was to be out there.    Honestly, that’s why I was there.  When I was hurt, it hurt me not to be out there with the guys, that was the worst thing.  When healthy to take the ball every five days, that was a privilege.  

Q:  The backend of your Astros career, Roger Clemens came to town.  I think it’s an injustice that he has to wait until 2031 to reappear on the ballot.  What are your thoughts on Roger and the career he had?

A:  I don’t think he was doing anything in the early part of his career.  He was just amazing.  I don’t think there should be an asterisk or anything.  I think one day he will get into the Hall of Fame.  He was one of the very best that I ever played with and for him not to be in there, it’s a shame, it really is.    

Q:  Toughest hitter you ever faced?

A:  By far Barry Bonds, by a landslide (laughs) You couldn’t throw stuff over the plate to that guy.  I would always throw hard inside stuff to him and I did strike him out in my career, but he hit some balls off of me that are still going.

One time, I threw him a really good change up and he hit it off the end of his bat and I thought it would be a fly out to center field, but it wound up going ten rows into the seats.   

Q:  Favorite Jimi Williams story?

A:  Jimi was great!  One day, I’m in the dugout with Roy Oswalt and we’re flicking pumpkin seeds.  I couldn’t really flick seeds to save my life, but Roy is flicking these things and hitting the first base chalk over and over.    

Dave Mlicki is on the mound and is in a tough spot in the 6th inning with runners on base in a tight game.  He’s in a tough spot and he’s getting his pitch selection from the catcher and Roy flips one and it travels and lands literally right next to Dave’s foot on the mound.   

Mlicki sees it and steps up off the rubber.  Everyone in the dugout sees this, I’m like oh my god and Jimi looks over at me because Roy says, “Wade what did you do?”    (laughs)    

 I was caught in the crossfire between Roy and Jimi.  After the game, Jimi didn’t say anything to me about it but it was incredible because that seed easily traveled over 50 yards and it almost got my ass in trouble.

This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”

Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (17-21, 7.5 games back)

The Storm Chasers split their series against the Indianapolis Indians, including playing two doubleheaders. Mitch Spence had a really good start in Thursday’s contest, he went 6.2 innings, allowing 1 hit, 2 runs, 2 walks and striking out 4 batters. Spence has started in all four of his appearances in Omaha.

With Cole Ragans out, and Stephen Kolek already filling in for him, Spence would probably be the answer if you wanted Noah Cameron to go down and work on some mechanical things, during his sophomore slump for a fifth starter.

Aaron Sanchez looked good in his start, throwing 6 innings of 1 hit ball, striking out 8 batters. Bailey Falter, who’s still on rehab assignment threw 3.1 more scoreless innings, striking out 7 batters as well.

At the dish, nobody had a good series for the Storm Chasers, Josh Rojas hit a pair of homers but was 3-for-15 overall at the plate. Drew Waters was 7-for-17, the only Storm Chaser with more than 5 hits during the series. Waters hit his 6th homer on the season.

The Storm Chasers are back home this week, as they take on the Toledo Mud Hens. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (18-14, 1.5 games back)

The Naturals won 3 of their 5 games against Frisco this last week. Sunday’s contest was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Felix Arronde had another good start this week, he went 6 innings, allowing 6 hits and 1 unearned run, while striking out 5. The 23-year-old right hander has had back-to-back good starts. Dennis Colleran, who had some Spring Training hype, but struggled out of the gates, posted a solid week, throwing 4 innings, allowing 1 run and striking out 5.

At the plate, Jorge Alfaro had a nice week, he went 4-for-11 at the plate, blasting 3 homers. Alfaro is a 32-year-old catcher and not a prospect, but he is important to helping mentor younger pitchers and catchers. Carson Roccaforte was just 4-for-25 at the plate this week, but he hit 3 more homers this week as well. Sam Kulasingam, a 24-year-old switch hitting third baseman was 7-for-19, with a double. Kulasingam, is a 13th round pick by the Royals in 2024 out of Air Force. He is hitting .313 this season, his first chance at being in Double-A as well.

The Naturals return home to take on the Arkansas Travelers; the series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Quad Cities River Bandits (16-14, 2.5 games back)

The River Bandits lost 4 of 6 to Cedar Rapids this past week. David Shields had another good start, going 5.2 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 run, while striking out 8. Shields lowered his season ERA to 2.70. 21-year-old right hander, Justin Lamkin went 5 innings, allowing 2 hits and no runs, while striking out 6. Lamkin, who was taken 71st overall last season by the Royals, out of Texas A&M, has been unreal this season. He has 6 starts, with a 1.27 ERA over 28.1 innings, while striking out 38.

At the plate, Ramon Ramirez, went 10-for-24, smacking 3 homers. The 20-year-old catcher is hitting .305 on the season, with 6 homers and 29 runs batted in. Tyriq Kemp was 4-for-20, which cools off the 23-year-old shortstop, who’s hitting .286 on the season. Kemp was a 6th round pick last summer by the Royals, taken out of Baylor.

The River Bandits hit the road to take on the Lansing Lugnuts. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Columbia Fireflies (15-18, 5 games back)

The Fireflies dropped 4 of 6 to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Blake Wolters went 5.2 innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 run, while striking out 9 batters. Wolters was then promoted to Quad Cities, so congratulations to Blake Wolters, who has dominated in Columbia this season!

Hiro Wyatt went 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, no runs, while striking out 6. Wyatt’s season ERA sits at 2.16 over 25 innings. Kendry Chourio went 4 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 runs, while striking out 3 batters. Jordan Woods was the highlight of the week however, going 6 perfect innings, striking out 14 batters! Woods has a 1.73 ERA over 26 innings. Columbia has a pitching factory.

At the plate, Josh Hammond went just 5-for-23 on the week. Yandel Ricardo was 8-for-26, the 19-year-old shortstop is hitting .243 on the season. Ricardo hails from Cuba. Sean Gamble was just 3-for-21, as he continues to struggle, he is hitting just .111 on the season.

The Fireflies return home to take on the Hickory Crawdads, the series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Good morning! A satisfying 3-1 win last night featured the Mariners’ eighth straight victory over the Houston Astros dating back to last season. A season-high seven strikeouts for starter George Kirby was supported by a few strong bullpen outings, and a solo home run from Julio Rodriguez highlighted the Mariners’ scoring.

Bryan Woo gets the start tonight against Astros RHP Tatsuya Imai at 5:10 PM.

In Mariners news…

• The Mariners have placed Jose A. Ferrer on the paternity list and recalled RHP Domingo Gonzalez in a corresponding move.
• A six-man rotation will be tested out this week as Bryce Miller returns from injury and will be slotted in behind Luis Castillo.
• Julio Rodriguez (briefly) scored some new footwear in a challenge with a fan during batting practice yesterday.

Around the league…

• The New York Mets are planning to call up No. 2 prospect A.J. Ewing in hopes of an offensive spark amid their recent struggles.
• Texas Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start yesterday due to left side tightness and is considered day-to-day.
• The San Francisco Giants are faced with some difficult decisions as many of their players signed to long-term contracts are struggling at the plate this season.
• Toronto Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman has become the sixth active pitcher to record 2,000 strikeouts.
• Atlanta Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim has been activated from the injured list and will make his season debut today against the Chicago Cubs.
• New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero will undergo an MRI for a sore finger on his right hand after injuring it while diving back in to first base.
• San Francisco Giants veteran outfielder Harrison Bader is returning to the team’s starting lineup after missing 23 games with a left hamstring injury.

We are just past one-quarter of the way through the 2026 season.

And the Cubs are off to one of the best 41-game starts in franchise history. Since 1945 — an arbitrary cut-off, granted — only two other Cubs teams have gone 27-14 to start the season. Those were the 1969 and 1977 Cubs and, well, you know how those seasons ended.

From 1945 through this year, though, 56 other teams in that span have begun with a 27-14 record, including the 2026 Cubs. Here’s the complete list.

As you can see on that list, starting the season with a .659 winning percentage is somewhat predictive of success for that year. Of the 57 previous teams to do this, 26 made the postseason, 14 won league pennants and six were World Series champions. Thirty-four of the teams won at least 90 games and 10 won 100 or more.

Let’s look at the six World Series champions who went 27-14 to start the season, in chronological order.

1951 Yankees

The Yankees dominated MLB from 1947-64, winning 15 AL pennants and 10 World Series in that 18-year span. The 1951 club’s WS title was the third of five in a row. They went 98-56 and won the AL pennant by five games over Cleveland. They were second in their league in runs and runs allowed.

1960 Pirates

The team that won the World Series on Bill Mazeroski’s famous homer was a bit lucky during that Series — they lost three blowouts and won four close games and were outscored 55-27.

After their 27-14 start they were in first place by 1.5 games and kept winning. From Aug. 1 through the end of the season they went 38-20, eventually winning the NL pennant by seven games, with 95 wins.

1989 Athletics

This was the second of three straight AL pennants and World Series titles won by the A’s, though they had to wait through a 10-day earthquake delay before sweeping the Giants in the WS.

The race for the AL West title was close until September, when they won 11 of their last 14 to win the division by seven games, with 99 overall wins. Then they won the ALCS by four games over the Blue Jays and took the WS.

2015 Royals

The defending AL champions won their second straight league title, taking over first place in the AL Central for good in early June, eventually winning the division by 12 games with a 95-67 record. They won the last six games of the regular season, won a close division series (3-2) over the Astros, beat the Blue Jays 4-2 in the ALCS and won the World Series four games to one over the Mets.

2024 Dodgers

This Dodgers team went wire-to-wire in first place. At the time they were 27-14 they led the division by 6.5 games and eventually won it by five games, finishing 98-64.

They took the Padres three games to two in a division series, beat the Mets 4-2 in the NLCS and won the World Series over the Yankees four games to one.

2025 Dodgers

The supposed juggernaut Dodgers team from last year won the fewest games — 93 — of any of these six teams, taking the NL West by three games. Thus they were forced into a wild-card series against the Reds, which they won two games to none. They lost one game in a division series win over the Phillies, swept the Brewers in the NLCS, then won an extremely close World Series over the Blue Jays four games to three.

These six teams averaged 98 wins. Of all the 58 teams that started the season 27-14 since 1945, just two finished with losing records — the 2009 Blue Jays (75-87) and 1995 Phillies (69-75 in a strike-shortened 144-game season). Two others (1966 Indians, 1977 Cubs) finished exactly at .500.

While you can’t necessarily predict the result of a full season based on a 25 percent sample size, it would seem that the Cubs have a very good chance of at least a 90-win season, possibly a 100-win season, and that they are very likely to make the postseason. In addition to good baseball, the six teams that started 27-14 and won the World Series all had a little bit of luck involved.

Mostly, I just did this exercise for fun as we await the Cubs beginning their series in Atlanta. Where do you think the Cubs will finish 2026?

Before the season Paul Toboni was very active on the waiver wire. With the Nats having plenty of roster spots up for grabs, the front office decided to take chances on players. We wrote about the Nats heavy use of the waiver wire this winter. Now that we are about a month and a half into the season, I wanted to look at how these waiver claims have been doing.

Between January and March, there were a bunch of roster churn at the back of the 40 man roster. It seemed like the Nats were claiming a new player every day. Sometimes they would DFA guys just days after claiming them. However, I can count 8 guys on the 40-man roster who were part of this waiver/small trade frenzy. 

Andre Granillo, Richard Lovelady, Paxton Schultz, Gus Varland, Ken Waldichuk, Curtis Mead, Jorbit Vivas and Joey Wiemer have provided mixed returns, but a few of these guys have been valuable pieces for the Nats. Before the season, I actually picked out 3 players that would hit. My picks were Granillo, Schultz and Varland. I would say I am 2 for 3 on those picks.

In my opinion, the hits have been Lovelady, Schultz, Varland, Mead and Wiemer. All five of those guys have provided real value to this roster. I want to break down these five and talk about their futures on the roster. Also, I want to explore some of the guys who have not performed so far and examine why they have missed.

The first player I want to discuss is Curtis Mead because I think he could be the best long term piece. Technically Mead was not a true waiver claim, but he came to the Nats through the waiver process. Mead was DFA’d by the White Sox in late March, but the Nats decided to swing a trade to make sure they got him. They traded 2025 6th rounder Boston Smith to Chicago to cut the line and get Mead.

A big reason why they wanted Mead is because the organization was familiar with the player. While Mead was in the lower minors in the Rays organization, he was managed by Blake Butera. Whenever he has been asked about Mead, Butera always speaks about the Aussie in glowing terms.

Mead was a fun reclamation project for the Nats. At one point, he was a top 50 prospect in baseball, known for his pure hitting ability. However, he struggled to translate his ability to hit in the minors into big league production. Eventually, the Rays gave up on him and so did the White Sox.

However, Mead has been really hitting this season. In 31 games, Mead has a .780 OPS and a 121 wRC+. This is despite running into some very bad batted ball luck, as you can see with his .227 BABIP. Mead is showing a lot more power this year and almost has as many walks as strikeouts. 

Mead has not been great defensively at first base, but he is fairly new to the position. He is decent with his scoops, but there are times where he needs to sharpen up his instincts at the position. Mead can play a little bit at second and third base which adds value as well. I think the Nats found a really quality hitter in Curtis Mead, which is why he is the biggest hit so far.

There have also been a trio of waiver wire relievers who have done well for the Nats. Before his blowup against the Marlins, Gus Varland’s ERA was sitting at 3.07 and he was the Nats closer. I still like Varland’s stuff and mentality, which is why I have written a lot about him this season. In my opinion, that Marlins game was just a bad day at the office for him.

Paxton Schultz has not been in as many high leverage situations as Varland, but he has done well in the innings he has pitched. He has a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings this season. Schultz does a great job pounding the zone, walking just 3.4% of hitters this season. For the season, Schultz only has 2 walks. 

He also does a good job putting hitters away when he gets to two strikes. While Schultz does not have elite velocity, his fastball has been a great put away pitch. Of Schultz’s 13 strikeouts, 11 have come on the heater despite the fact he only throws his fastball 30.4% of the time. He lulls batters to sleep with his cutter and changeup, then he can blow his 93-95 MPH heater by hitters.

Richard Lovelady is the other reliever who has been a big hit for the Nats. They have actually claimed him twice. The first time was in the winter, but at the end of Spring Training, he was DFA’d again and picked up by his old club the Mets. After pitching in 6 games with the Mets, Lovelady was DFA’d again. The Nats came calling again, and acquired him for cash.

Since November of 2024, Lovelady has been DFA’d 8 times. However, it seems like he has found a home in DC. In his 9 outings with the Nats, Lovelady has a 0.93 ERA. He has issued a lot of walks, but some of those have been intentional. However, when he is in the zone, Lovelady is tough to hit due to his funky mechanics and nasty sweeper. He is also an electric mound presence, who gets fired up after getting big outs.

He has been a really fun find for the Nats and has been a big part of stabilizing the bullpen. There will be nights where the walks will come back to bite him, but Lovelady looks like a quality reliever. He also seems like a fun guy to have around in the clubhouse.

The last claim I would call a win is Joey Wiemer. His insane March where he went 8/13 is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, but he did single-handedly win the Nats a couple games. Predictably, Wiemer has cooled off. However, if he can even be a .685 OPS bat like he was in April, that is a nice fourth outfielder.

Wiemer is a tremendous athlete, but he does not make a ton of contact. I am not sure how long he will be around with all the outfielders in AAA. However, that insane stretch where he quite literally could not get out makes him a win in my books.

As you would expect with waiver claims, it has not been all good. The biggest loss has been the Andre Granillo pickup, a move I actually liked at the time. Like the Mead deal, it was technically not a waiver claim, but it is connected. The Nats acquired Granillo from the Cardinals in a move that sent George Soriano to St. Louis.

Soriano was a waiver claim by the Nats, but they DFA’d him again. However, the Cardinals wanted to cut the line and gave the Nats Granillo, who was coming off a nice 2025 season. On paper, it looked like a win. Granillo was dominant in the minors last year and held his own in the MLB. Meanwhile, Soriano posted an ERA over 8 in 2025.

However, Soriano had the better stuff and the deeper arsenal. The early returns on this move have been bad. Granillo has posted an ERA over 9 in both the big leagues and the minors. His slider, which he relies on heavily, just has not been fooling anyone this season. On the other hand, Soriano has a 3.18 ERA in 18 outings with the Cardinals. Sometimes, you need to just bet on the stuff. Soriano averages 97 MPH and has five pitches, while Granillo is a two pitch guy with an average fastball and a slower slider.

Another move that was not really a part of the waiver process but I will include is the Jorbit Vivas deal. While Vivas was not on the wire, the out of options infielder was likely to be DFA’d by the Yankees. The Nats liked Vivas’ approach and decided to trade prospect Sean Paul Linan for him. That move seemed weird at the time, and has not really worked out.

Vivas was red hot to start the season, but his bat has gone cold. His wRC+ is down to 81 right now. He does have 0.2 fWAR due to his solid glove, but his lack of athletic tools really limits him. Meanwhile, Linan has a 3.47 ERA and over 12 strikeouts per 9 in High-A. This always felt like an unnecessary move by the Nats, but if Vivas’ bat can heat up again, he can be a solid utility infielder. 

As we have discussed, the waiver wire has provided mixed results for the Nats. That should not come as any surprise. After all, there is a reason that these guys are on waivers. Sometimes you can find gems, but you are not going to bat 1.000.

Between some of the relievers and Mead, I think there has been more good than bad on the wire. I am interested to see how active Paul Toboni is throughout the season when it comes to waiver claims. He picked up Zak Kent the other day, and I wonder if more claims are coming. This will be something for fans to follow as we continue through this 2026 season.