Numerous teams have seen stars hit the injury list mid-way through May — and as a Mets website, you readers don’t need to be reminded of that.

The Tigers have seen players such as Tarik Skubal, Javier Baez, Kerry Carpenter, and Gleyber Torres go down, the Yankees have seen Max Fried, Jasson Dominguez, and José Caballero join Gerrit Cole on the IL, and then of course, we all know the Mets’ injuries.

But that’s just a small sample size. Every team’s injury list is loaded with major league talent. Ronald Acuña Jr. for the Braves. Jordan Westburg for the Orioles. Garrett Crochet for the Red Sox. Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton for the Cubs. Christian Yelich and Jacob Misiorowski for the Brewers. Really, it’s been bad. And if you have some extra time this weekend, click this link to get the entire list.

It’s even left its mark early on the standings and run differential. Only 10 teams have positive run differentials. Four of them are in the NL Central. A lot of teams are fighting to win games with B-level talent, and it seems whoever gets healthy first will be heading toward October.

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

1. Braves

The theme of this week is injuries. And the Braves have been rolling despite some serious names on the shelf.

No Acuña. No Spencer Schwellenbach, Sean Murphy, Hurston Waldrep, and AJ Smith-Shawver either. Yet this team continues to roll through the majors with ease.

They entered Saturday as the only team to reach the 30-win mark, and have the best run differential in the league at +92. Last week also saw the Braves dominate two top-10 teams in the majors in the Dodgers and Cubs. They went 4-2 against their most potent threats for a pennant. The offense has been powered by Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson, but let’s give some flowers to Dominic Smith. It’s mid-May and the former Met is slashing .349/.376/.523 with four homers in 94 plate appearances.

2. Yankees

The Yanks got an injury scare on their road trip last week.

Fried was removed in a start in Baltimore, and it looked initially to be a serious injury to his elbow. Fortunately for the club, Fried’s injury was a bone bruise, and the lefty won’t miss serious time.

It’s a sigh of relief for the Yankees, who are getting Carlos Rodon back for a Saturday start against the Mets and Gerrit Cole back sooner than later.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned road trip has been nightmarish for the Yankees. They went 1-5 against the Brewers and struggling Orioles, but had a bounce-back win against the Mets Friday behind Cam Schlittler.

3. Dodgers

Last week was polarizing for the Dodgers.

First, they suffered a four-game losing streak in two series to the Braves and Giants. Then, they recovered and split the series with San Francisco en route to their current three-game winning streak.

The losing streak was the first real dip for the Dodgers, who enter Saturday 27-18 and are top-three in the majors in both OPS and ERA. Mookie Betts also returned Wednesday and promptly homered, offering the Dodgers some hope that Betts has recovered from his oblique injury.

Also yes, we all saw the Edwin Díaz news. Let’s carry on.

4. Cubs

Chicago was another top team that struggled last week.

They were shut out back-to-back games by the Rangers, featuring one game on the opposite side of a dominant Jacob deGrom start.

Then after dropping a series to the Braves, they salvaged the last game of the series and defeated the White Sox Friday 10-5 to get back in the win column.

This team looks like the dominant force in the NL Central and they’re starting to pull away. The offense continues to roll, and the rotation of Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, and Jameson Taillon has been good enough to win them games. This rotation however is missing an ace.

5. Brewers

Remember when the Red Sox received Kyle Harrison from the Giants for Rafael Devers and we all laughed? We’ll, now he’s a Cy Young candidate for the Brewers.

The lefty is carving batters up, pitching to a 2.09 ERA with an 11.2 K/9 and 2.86 FIP through 38 2/3 innings. His 196 ERA+ is better than his teammate Misiorowski, and is a driving force for a Brewers rotation that fuels wins.

Brice Turang has also taken a step forward for the offense this season, posting a .418 OBP and .922 OPS entering Saturday. He’s been the big bopper in the lineup, which is missing Yelich due to injury. Also Gary Sánchez has a .796 OPS. I find that cool.

6. Rays

What a heater Tampa is on.

The Rays are 11-2 in the month of May, propelling them to first in the AL East behind stellar pitching. Nick Martinez and Shane McClanahan lead the roster in bWAR, and are two main factors in the team’s success.

The offense hasn’t produced much, but Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, and Yandy Díaz have provided just enough to win games. It’s early, but with June approaching, this team could push some chips to acquire a bat for an October push. The AL’s weak and they could easily pitch their way to a World Series.

7. Pirates

You know what’s ironic? The Pirates finally put together a top-10 team OPS (7th) in the league and now their pitching has faltered. Yeah, funny.

The lineup has functioned fluidly to start the season and has led Pittsburgh to a 24-21 record. Brandon Lowe and Oneil Cruz have eclipsed double-digit homers before Memorial Day, Ryan O’Hearn has a .832 OPS, and Nick Gonzales is batting .313 with a 109 OPS+.

It should be more than enough to have the Pirates among the best in the NL. But outside Paul Skenes, the rest of the rotation has been average. Bubba Chandler entered Saturday with a 4.62 ERA before being blown up by the Phillies, Carmen Mlodzinski has posted a 4.40 ERA, and Mitch Keller and Braxton Ashcraft‘s ERAs are in the threes. Those last two are good, but not the extravagant numbers we expected from this crew.

8. Cardinals

We’ve highlighted Jordan Walker in previous rankings. But his coming-out party is official.

It’s mid-May and Walker is still dominating. He’s slashing .309/.382/.606 with 13 homers and an NL-leading 188 OPS+. The former first-round pick has charged an offense full of young talent, and has the Cardinals 26-18 entering Saturday.

This is another team that has the offense to roll, but not the rotation to cruise. Outside Michael McGreevy, the entire rotation has ERAs that start with four, and the bullpen has three arms that have already passed the 20-innings-pitched plateau. They need more arms before it collapses in the second half.

9. Mariners

Don’t think I forgot about our injury theme tonight. I was just waiting till we got to the Mariners to resume.

Seattle has had two brutal blows to their lineup this week. Cal Raleigh hit the IL with an oblique injury, leading to the team missing one of the biggest power threats in the game. Brendan Donovan was also scratched from the lineup before the Saturday game against the Padres.

Still, this team is one of the few with a positive run differential and is crawling back to .500. The lineup has gotten a jolt from Luke Raley, who has clubbed 10 homers and posted a .920 OPS through 40 games.

10. Guardians

Cleveland used last week’s series against the Angels to get right.

They swept the Halos, and used the momentum to get above .500 and enter Saturday with a 24-22 record. The pitching is still the winning factor for the Guards, and Parker Messick and Joey Cantillo have been studs in the rotation heading into May.

The offense has been a slog this season, but given enough to have the Guardians in first place. José Ramírez has underperformed to a .727 OPS, but does lead the league with 18 stolen bases. That’s something, right?

Rest of the Field

11. Padres
12. Reds
13. Athletics
14. Rangers
15. Orioles
16. Twins
17. Blue Jays
18. Phillies
19. White Sox
20. Diamondbacks
21. Nationals
22. Marlins
23. Mets
24. Red Sox
25. Royals
26. Tigers
27. Astros
28. Giants
29. Rockies
30. Angels

Previous Rankings: W6 | W5 | W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Seven Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

We highlighted the NL Central to start off the last power rankings, but the Cubs have been so hot, we have to go right back into the division.

The club has rattled off their second 10-game win streak of the season, and has a comfortable 3.5 game lead in the division. They’ve also won 15 consecutive home games, a record that broke their old streak that dated back to 1931.

Everyone is smashing the ball. Even old friend Michael Conforto in his limited role. The lefty didn’t just mash against the Mets back in April, he holds a .375/.480/.675 slashline and walked off the Reds with a pinch-hit homer last Monday.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

1. Braves

Atlanta’s week coming into Saturday wasn’t phenomenal.

They ran into the Mariners in Seattle and dropped two of three. Then they went to Los Angeles Friday and lost the opening game of the series to the Dodgers. Still, there’s no reason to knock the Braves down from No. 1 on the list.

The club started the week with a three-game sweep of the Rockies, and holds the best run differential in the majors (+77). Plus Matt Olson is flirting with an NL MVP bid heading into May, leading the NL with 15 doubles and 13 homers.

2. Yankees

Winning six of your last eight ain’t too shabby.

That’s what the Yankees did last week, before dropping Friday night’s game in a tough matchup against Jacob Misiorowski. The club keeps on rolling, still behind MVP play from Ben Rice. Entering Saturday, the lefty bat leads the majors in OBP (.442), slugging percentage (.732), OPS (1.174), and OPS+ 221.

They’ve also got an AL Cy Young Candidate in Cam Schlittler. The young flamethrower leads the majors with a 1.52 ERA and 1.74 FIP, and the AL with a 0.866 WHIP. The Yankees need to stop poaching talent from Massachusetts away from the Red Sox.

3. Cubs

Two 10-game winning streaks on May 9? Crazy, I know. But it’s true. The Cubs have achieved such a feat.

The first came against the Phillies and Mets amidst their ghoulish losing streaks in April. But this second streak has come against the Padres, Reds, and Rangers. The Cubs are beating up on talented teams, and they look like the real deal heading toward Memorial Day.

They’re 27-14, have a healthy +54 run differential, and are starting to separate from the other winning teams in the NL Central. Every batter in their lineup has dominated, and all but Alex Bregman (99 OPS+) has an above league-average OPS+. Just how we all drew it up.

Shota Imanaga has done some serious heavy lifting for the Cubbies as well. His 2.28 ERA and 2.82 FIP have carried a rotation that is decimated by injuries, which wasn’t a lock after the lefty struggled down the stretch in 2025.

4. Dodgers

The Dodgers are starting to put together consistent baseball at the right time.

The week started with a series loss on the road to the Cardinals, but the boys in blue bounced back with a series win in Houston and then a Friday night 3-1 victory over the Braves.

Andy Pages is proving his hot start wasn’t a phase, and leads the majors with a 2.6 bWAR. Max Muncy has also been an all-around stud and is slashing .279/.380/.541 with nine homers.

Also, I know the league is always lauding about Shohei Ohtani, but the two-way star is shining brighter than ever right now. The righty has a 0.97 ERA through six starts and has put up an .822 OPS at the plate, putting up a case for a potential fifth MVP award. It’s still May, but if this holds up, Ohtani could challenge Barry Bonds for most MVP awards before the end of his career (7).

5. Cardinals

St. Louis continues to be one of the most surprising teams in baseball this season.

They started the week with an impressive series win against the Dodgers, then followed it with a two-game split against the Brewers, and then two straight wins over the Padres on Thursday and Friday.

Sure, we’ve discussed the emergences of JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, but I’d love to point out how great Michael McGreevy has been. The 2021 first-round pick has pitched to a 2.21 ERA in eight starts and has been the ace of a rotation that features four other arms with ERAs above four. This team is good, but it’s been elevated by McGreevy.

6. Rays

Tampa Bay carried a seven-game win streak into Friday, helping the club reach a 25-12 record.

It ended Friday when the Rays were shut out over seven innings by Connelly Early, but the club has kept pace with the red-hot Yankees entering May.

They’re only half a game behind the Yankees, and continue to manufacture enough runs to help their pitching staff. Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda have slugged 17 combined homers, providing the real thump in a lineup that has combined for just 14 homers.

It’s been enough for the trio of Nick Martinez, Shane McClanahan, and Drew Rasmussen, all who entered Saturday with ERAs below three. Former Oriole Bryan Baker has also been fantastic as the closer this season, and enters Saturday with a 2.45 ERA and nine saves.

7. Brewers

Misiorowski had a historic Friday night against the Yankees.

The righty threw seven fastballs in the first inning against the Yankees that touched 103 miles per hour, all which set the major league record for fastest pitch thrown by a starter. Yeah, you read that right. Misiorowski has the seven fastest pitches thrown by a starter, and he threw them all in the first inning.

Oh, he also threw six scoreless innings and struck out 11 batters. It led to the Brew Crew dominating the Yankees in a 6-0 win Friday, capping off a week that has seen them go 4-2 entering Saturday.

The Brewers are dangerous at 20-16, and hold the second-best run differential (+52) in the NL Central despite being in third. The club doesn’t hit homers, but seven of their starting nine players have OBPs over .300. That will absolutely play.

8. Pirates

Last week was great for Pittsburgh fans.

The club went into Cincinnati and swept the Reds, then traveled to Arizona and took two games from the D-backs.

Usually the club wins behind their pitching, but the offense has been rolling. Especially Konnor Griffin. The rookie of the year candidate is slashing .361/.439/.583 with a homer in last 10 games. Griffin looks like the real deal, and has supplemented this lineup of signed studs with a homegrown star.

9. Padres

A 3-5 record isn’t too impressive for a team trying to chase the Dodgers. But a 22-16 record and even run differential is impressive in a league full of under .500 teams.

The Friars haven’t been scoring much late, and that’s what’s caused this slide. They’ve scored just 24 runs over their last eight games, and ten of those runs came in one game. The Padres have also been shut out twice in that stretch, and scored one and two runs in two of the other five losses.

Everyone is underperforming. It doesn’t help that 33-year-old Xander Bogaerts is leading the lineup in OPS+ (120) and homers (seven).

10. Mariners

A 3-3 stretch and 19-20 record might disuade people from putting the M’s in the top-10. But the club belongs here.

Firstly, they’ve got the only positive run differential (+8) in the AL West. Second, their stars are starting to heat up after frigid starts.

Julio Rodríguez has a .993 OPS and four homers in his last 10 games. Randy Arozarena has a .847 OPS in his last 1o games. Emerson Hancock and George Kirby both have anchored the rotation with Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, and Luis Castillo getting off to poor Aprils.

There’s a lot to be excited about with the Mariners. And they have the talent to be much higher on these lists.

Rest of the Field

11. Guardians
12. Rangers
13. Tigers
14. Reds
15. Blue Jays
16. Royals
17. Marlins
18. Athletics
19. Diamondbacks
20. Orioles
21. Phillies
22. Nationals
23. Twins
24. White Sox
25. Mets
26. Red Sox
27. Astros
28. Giants
29. Rockies
30. Angels

Previous Rankings: W5 | W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Six Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets dropped Game 2 of the series to the Angels, 4-3 in 10 innings. They close out their series with the rubber game on Sunday at 4:07 p.m. ET. It will be the righty Clay Holmes (302, 1.75 ERA, 25 SO) on the mound for New York against right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-0, 3.09 ERA, 24 SO).

Along with dropping the game in the 10th, the Mets’ injury woes continued as Ronny Mauricio exited the game early on Saturday. Carlos Mendoza told reporters later that Mauricio is heading to the IL with a fractured thumb.

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The New York Mets announced that they have come to an agreement with Luis Torrens on a two-year extension for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. And they did so on his birthday. Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, the deal is for $11.5 million through the 2028 season and includes $2 million in incentives, $1 million each in 2027 and 2028 with no options.

Mets prospect and the No. 42 prospect in all of baseball, Jonah Tong, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and retired 16 batters in a row in a great outing for Syracuse. In his outing against Lehigh Valley, he gave up no earned runs (one unearned run) on one hit and two walks while striking out six through six innings of work.

Latest MLB News

Saturday was a special day in the Seattle Mariners organization as they officially retired Randy Johnson’s No. 51, forever etching him into Mariners history.

According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, the San Diego Padres announced the team has been sold to Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones, pending approval of the MLB owners. Gonzalez shared the statement made by Padres chairman John Seidler.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced that 1B/ OF Eloy Jimenez has cleared waivers and elected free agency.

Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was removed from the Braves’ Saturday night game with left hamstring tightness.

The Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez joins elite company in picking up his 300th career stolen base.

According to Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres are planning to activate Griffin Canning, the former Met, to their roster.

Latest on MMO

Satish Ram recaps the Mets’ minor league games from Friday, including dominant performances from A.J. Ewing and Randy Guzman.

Mojo Hill recapped Mauricio’s performance from Friday, including a clutch seventh inning base knock.

Chris Bello recapped Christian Scott’s stellar outing from Friday in which he struck out eight.

Robert Colonna breaks down Luis Torrens’ extension with the Mets.

Chris Bello talks about the 2026 MLB power rankings for week five and who sits atop the standings.

On This Date in Mets History

1988: David Cone pitched his first career shutout.

Born on this Date: Joey Gerber (1997), Walker Lockett (1994), Jack DiLauro (1943), Chris Cannizzaro (1938).

The post Morning Briefing: Ronny Mauricio Fractures Thumb appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

That division through April looks like the real deal. Every single team is above .500 and chock full of talent. The Pirates have finally put together a competent offense behind their rotation, the Reds have finally developed a rotation behind their star-studded infield, the Cubs are mashing with newcomer Alex Bregman, the Brewers are still winning with infield singles, and the Cardinals are … good?

Yeah, the Cardinals are good. Way earlier than anyone anticipated. JJ Wetherholt looks like the steal of the draft at seventh overall, and enters Saturday’s games with a .824 OPS and seven homers through 32 games. Jordan Walker has also finally found his swing. The COVID draft pick was one of the top prospects in baseball, floated around for quite sometime, and in year four has a .308/.373/.583 slashline and 1.9 bWAR. For reference, Walker has never registered a season with positive bWAR.

The NL Central hasn’t been this loaded since 2015.

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

1. Braves

Life is all about ebbs and flows. Well after a couple seasons of ebbing, the Braves are flowing.

They hold the best record in baseball at 23-10. They hold the best run differential at +63. They’re second to the Dodgers in team OPS (.789), second to the Yankees in homers (45), and second to none in runs scored (185).

The team is also clutch. Last week alone they saw dramatic, comeback wins. Matt Olson clubbed a walk-off two-run dinger against the Tigers in the ninth. Then Friday saw Atlanta claw back from an early 6-0 deficit against Colorado, capped off by a Michael Harris II go-ahead homer in the ninth.

Anyways, it’s May now. This is the last time I’ll play into the “Atlanta is back” card. They’re legit and look like the only team in the NL who can usurp the Dodgers.

2. Yankees

The Yankees are back in full force.

They had an eight-game winning streak stopped Wednesday via a 3-0 loss to the Rangers, but let’s not overreact — they’re 10-2 in their last 12 games.

And it’s all because of Ben Rice. No, really. This isn’t the first time we’ve highlighted the Dartmouth product either, because he’s still putting up AL MVP numbers into May. Entering Saturday, Rice is slashing .330/.441/.728 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs. His .728 slug and 220 OPS+ leads the majors. He’s the protection for Aaron Judge.

Then there’s the pitching. It still leads the majors with a 3.01 ERA without Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon, the latter who struck out eight in 5 1/3 Thursday in a rehab outing.

3. Dodgers

A three-game losing streak for the Dodgers? Looks like their reign of dominance is over.

Anways joking aside, it was an okay week for the Dodgers. They dropped a series to the Marlins for the first time since 2018, and left the bases loaded in the ninth Wednesday to drop the series finale 3-2. There’s nothing really new to highlight with the Dodgers.

We could highlight a good and bad for the club. Hyeseong Kim has quietly slashed .302/.375/.411 in 22 games for the club. That’s a positive with Mookie Betts injured. A negative? Kyle Tucker is batting .237 with a .693 OPS.

Imagine if Tucker had signed and performed like that in Queens? Helps when the fans are making TikToks all game.

4. Cubs

Judging the NL Central teams is incredibly hard right now. But the Cubs look like the frontrunner out of the five teams.

Sure, they’re in first right now. But that’s not why. They have the second-best run differential at +36, and have a loaded lineup of proven guys who have won. That’s no knock on the Brewers, but I’ll take a star-studded lineup over the Cleveland Guardians of the National League.

They did lose two of three in LA last weekend following a 10-game win streak, but Chicago has bounced back with three straight wins over the Padres and Diamondbacks. Mostly due to Seiya Suzuki leading the charge. He’s got a .965 OPS and five homers in 19 games. He’s come back from the WBC injury on fire and could earn himself a lot of money in his contract year.

5. Pirates

Pittsburgh had a horrid week. But not bad enough for me to drop them in the power rankings.

The Red Birds came to town and swept Paul Skenes and co. for four games. The pitching allowed 30 runs over the four games, and the offense produced only 18.

Still, there shouldn’t be concern for the offense or the lineup. They currently have six players with OPS+s over 100, including a 131 OPS+ from Bryan Reynolds through April. If that held, it would be the first time since 2018 the Pirates would finish with six above league-average hitters in their lineup. Last season they had just one.

Also can the Pirates get a closer? Dennis Santana was fun for the first couple weeks, but has stumbled as of late. A reliable, big-name reliever would transcend this team. Maybe a guy like David Bednar? Jokes guys, jokes.

6. Cardinals

From 23 to six. Maybe I don’t know ball.

The Cardinals dominated the Pirates last week, going on the road and taking all four games in the series. Wetherholt was the dominating force for the Red Birds, clubbing two homers and one against Skenes. He’s filled in nicely for Brendan Donovan.

Pay attention to St. Louis going forward. They’re a couple years ahead of schedule under Chaim Bloom, and could transform their team with a strong deadline. The young guys are hitting, and Alec Burleson is driving them in.

Also, for fantasy purposes, check to see if Riley O’Brien is on waivers in your league. The 31-year-old closer has a sparkling 1.17 ERA and is 8/8 in save opportunities.

7. Padres

The path is diverging for the Friars.

They sold their club and switched controlling ownership earlier Saturday, which doesn’t mean anything as of now due to the Padres being one of the league’s biggest spenders.

But that has nothing to do with their ranking on this list. Just important Padres news. The club is 19-12. Mason Miller had his scoreless streak snapped but is still perfect in the ninth. The offense, especially Fernando Tatis Jr., has been lackluster. But they still score enough runs to win.

They have the talent to be much higher on this list. And the record to be top-5. But they need Manny Machado (101 OPS+) and Jackson Merrill (67 OPS+) need to be better.

8. Brewers

I might be doing the same with the Brewers as I did with the Blue Jays last season.

I slept on them. Didn’t believe in them. Refused to rank them for awhile. But I’m getting ahead of the curve this season, and will begrudgingly rank them.

In a loaded NL Central, the Brewers are 17-14 and have the best run differential at +43. Their team leads the majors in stolen bases (38), is fifth in OBP in the majors (.338), and they have thumping bats like William Contreras in the middle of the order to drive guys in.

It’s the same formula every year. Get on base, move runners via bunts and stolen bases, and pray a couple guys hit enough homers to drive them in. It’s good enough to get the team on the list and make the playoffs. But I don’t believe it’ll ever be enough to hoist a World Series trophy.

9. Rays

How about another 19-12 team that nobody is paying attention to?

The Rays have hung around the Yankees for first in the AL East. A team that most, if not none, had better than the Orioles, Red Sox, and Blue Jays. They’re winning behind strong pitching (what’s new), and right now Nick Martinez is pitching to a 1.70 ERA through six starts. His career ERA before joining the Rays from the Reds was 4.16.

Along with Martinez is a healthy Shane McClanahan (3.10 ERA) and Drew Rasmussen (2.64 ERA). The rotation is back in full swing, and a lot of their arms could dominate in a playoff setting. We’ll just have to see if Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, and Jonathan Aranda is enough at the plate.

10. Rangers

Texas had a scare last week.

It looked like Brandon Nimmo had gotten injured in a game versus the Yankees, but after being pulled with a hamstring issue, the outfielder eventually jumped back in the lineup.

Losing Nimmo would have been disastrous for the Rangers. Despite registering a .690 OPS over his last 10 games, he leads the Rangers with a 150 OPS+ and is one of the main reasons they jumped out to a hot start.

The Rangers entered Saturday with a 16-16 record. Not great. But they’re second in the division and have a +9 run differential to lead the AL West.

Their pitching is also strong in name. MacKenzie Gore and Nathan Eovaldi have struggled to begin the year, but both have too much raw talent to register ERAs north of four. If they can get one of those guys to take a leap forward, it would help Jacob deGrom at the top with his 2.01 ERA.

Rest of the Field

11. Reds
12. Mariners
13. Diamondbacks
14. Guardians
15. Tigers
16. Blue Jays
17. Marlins
18. Athletics
19. Twins
20. Orioles
21. Phillies
22. Giants
23. White Sox
24. Royals
25. Astros
26. Red Sox
27. Nationals
28. Mets
29. Rockies
30. Angels

Previous Rankings: W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Five Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Japanese slugger was the most sought-after foreign free agent, then statistics came out that he couldn’t hit velocity, and he had to settle for a two-year, $34 million contract with the White Sox. Well, Murakami is proving just about everyone wrong, and currently is tied with Yordan Alvarez for the major league lead in homers with 11. Oh, and he’s batting .273 with seven homers against fastballs.

It’s fun to highlight White Sox players, because they’ve often been at the bottom of these lists. Might as well mention Everson Pereira while we’re on the South Side too. The former Yankee prospect has a .908 OPS with a .357 OBP and three homers in 49 at-bats.

Other news around the league? The Phillies asked the Mets to politely hold their beer. Philadelphia enters Saturday on a 10-game losing streak, dropping to 8-18 on the season while being outscored 69-26 during the stretch. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber have played like MVPs, but the remainder of the lineup has come up short. The Cubs have also been a benefactor of the Mets and Phillies struggles, as eight of the 22 combined losses between the two NL East rivals have come at the hands of the Cubbies.

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

1. Dodgers

Are the Dodgers mortal? It sure looks like it over their last seven games.

In the last seven games, LA has gone 2-7 against the likes of the Giants, Rockies, and Cubs. Only one of the loses came against Chicago, with the meat of the stretch coming against two lesser rivals.

There’s still no reason to drop the Dodgers or panic. The club got an excellent performance Thursday from Tyler Glasnow, who punched out nine Giants over eight scoreless innings. The real culprit for their poor stretch is their lack of offense. The club has scored only eight runs over their last four games. Andy Pages has considerably cooled off during this seven-game blip, slashing just .120/.185/.160.

2. Braves

Atlanta is building its case as a World Series contender for 2026.

Did they have the talent to do it? Yeah, obviously. But injuries and underperformance has kept this club from Dodger-level good since 2023. Fast forward to now, and the Braves have built themselves a comfortable lead in the NL East before May.

They’re 9-1 in their last 10 games, which includes four wins over the floundering Phillies. Matt Olson has been the sparkplug for this offseason, and has seven homers, a .944 OPS, and a major league leading 11 doubles in 27 games. Then of course is the pitching, which continues to limit runs and enters Saturday tied for first in the majors in ERA (3.11). Oh, and here’s your weekly reminder that this is all without Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach.

3. Yankees

There was a reason I didn’t drop the Yankees too far last week. They have the talent, and will be OK.

Well since that decision, the Yanks have rattled off a seven-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of the Red Sox in Boston.

So how have the Yankees dominated this past week. Easy. Pitching and Ben Rice. The lefty slugger from Massachusetts homered in four consecutive games dating back to last week, and has also slugged five homers in last eight games. I’m not joking, if the season ended today, Rice would be the American League MVP. He’s slashing .316/.450/.747 with nine homers and 20 RBIs. Rice is also second in the majors in slugging, OBP, OPS, fourth in homers, and 14th in batting average.

Then there’s the starting rotation. It dominated in Boston. Luis Gil pitched 6 1/3 scoreless Wednesday, Max Fried pitched eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts Thursday, and Cam Schlittler allowed one run over eight innings Saturday. Entering Saturday, the Yankees are tied for the lead in ERA (3.11) in MLB.

4. Cubs

The Cubs might be ranked fourth, but they’re playing like the best team in baseball right now.

Chicago has ripped off a 10-game win streak, catapulting them to the top of the NL Central. Sure, nine of those ten wins have come against the Mets and Phillies, but it’s still a massive accomplishment. They even backed up the performance with a comeback win over the Dodgers Friday night, which saw Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson club later homers to win 6-4.

During this stretch the offense has been torrential. They’re averaging 7.2 runs per game, and producing despite Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch being invisible. The rotation has also held up during this streak. Edward Cabrera and Shota Imanaga continue to shove and have ERAs under three, plus Javier Assad has looked good in his last two outings, allowing just one run in 6 2/3 combined innings.

5. Pirates

Did everyone see that Oneil Cruz homer off the top of the foul pole in Texas? If not, I give you permission to leave this article.

Seriously though, it’s could finally be the Cruz breakout season that fantasy experts have been waiting for. The lefty is slashing .271/.333/.542 with eight homers and five doubles. The slugging number in that slashline is the most important. The power was always going to be there for the 6’7 Cruz, the question was if he could translate it into in-game power. There were glimpses of it in 2024 when Cruz slugged .449, but April has been promising for the potential breakout candidate.

Of course there’s also the pitching. It’s the backbone of this team. It’s shockingly registered the third-lowest ERA (3.32) in the majors, and has led the Pirates to a 15-11 record and +26 run differential. There’s obviously the big names like Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, but a breakout arm in the rotation has been Braxton Ashcraft. The 26-year-old has pitched to a 2.43 ERA in five starts, and is striking out 9.7 batters per nine.

6. Padres

San Diego was one of baseball’s hottest teams last week.

They swept a four-game series on the road against the Rockies, came home to sweep the Mariners to claim Eddie Vedder, then traveled to Anaheim to take a three-game series against the Angels.

Overall, the stretch saw the Padres go 9-1 in 10 games. Then earlier this week they won two of three against the Rockies at home. This run of course is aided by timely hitting and one of the best bullpens the sport has ever seen. Mason Miller is working on a 12 1/3 scoreless streak this season, and a 33 2/3 consecutive scoreless streak dating back to August 6 of last season. Another name everyone should learn is Bradgley Rodriguez. The righty has a 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 innings and wears glasses. The latter makes him cool.

7. Rangers

Texas has been steady this season. They’re 13-13, have a +8 run differential, and are second in a weak AL West.

So why are they so high on this list? Well, the pitching has been elite. Coming into Saturday, they have the eighth-lowest ERA in the majors (3.86), propped up by a vintage Jacob deGrom (2.13 ERA) and young Kumar Rocker (3.48 ERA).

The offense has been middling, and took a hit two days ago when the Rangers placed Wyatt Langford on the 10-day IL with a flexor strain. At least Josh Jung seems to have found his stroke. The third baseman, who was a crucial piece for Texas during their 2023 World Series run, has an .877 OPS through 23 games.

8. Diamondbacks

The Snakes have jumped out to a 14-11 start. And it’s because of their… pitching?

Yeah, the rotation has held up a slow offensive start for the D-backs. Through their first five starts in the rotation, Eduardo Rodríguez has a 2.89 ERA, Michael Soroka has a 2.60 ERA, and Zac Gallen has a 3.51 ERA.

Yet, despite these stellar performances, the Diamondbacks have the 20th-lowest ERA in the majors. And outside Corbin Carroll, Ildemaro Vargas, and Geraldo Perdomo, the entire D-backs lineup is flopping around. In fact most of them have OPS+’s under 100. Still, there’s hope for many D-backs hitters to bounce back and power this team toward a wild-card spot. Especially Ketel Marte, who has a .694 OPS through his first 24 games.

9. Brewers

Brandon Woodruff this. Jacob Misiorowski that. How about Chad Patrick?

The 27-year-old has a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings, and leads a strong rotation in ERA. The aforementioned two starters have also been great. Woodruff has a 3.77 ERA in his comeback year, and Misiorowski leads starters with a 14.2 K/9 and has a 3.04 ERA.

Outside the pitching, the offense has mustered enough runs. Brice Turang has a .900 OPS entering Saturday and Garrett Mitchell has put up a more than respectable .804. Just imagine what the lineup will look like when Christian Yelich returns from the 10-day IL.

10. Twins

Well, the Twins have lost six of their last seven. That’s what I get for slotting them at five last week.

They got swept by the Reds, dropped a series to the Mets, and lost Friday 6-2 to the Rays. So why are they still here?

The lineup is strong, especially when this healthy. We always talk about Royce Lewis and his potential, Byron Buxton as a superstar when on the field, but let’s give some flowers to Ryan Jeffers. The catcher is one of the most underrated catchers in baseball, and has a .889 OPS entering Saturday. He’s had an OPS+ above 100 dating back to 2023, and hit a clutch grand slam Thursday in a loss to the Mets.

The major question mark will be the rotation. Joe Ryan allowed seven earned runs Thrusday to the Mets, but is usually among the best in the AL. Mick Abel is on the IL right now, but when he was pitching, he was striking out 10.2 batters per nine to go with his 3.98 ERA.

Rest of the Field

11. Marlins
12. Tigers
13. Orioles
14. Guardians
15. Reds
16. Mets
17. Rays
18. Phillies
19. Mariners
20. Athletics
21. Angels
22. Astros
23. Cardinals
24. Blue Jays
25. Giants
26. Red Sox
27. Royals
28. Nationals
29. Rockies
30. White Sox

Previous Rankings: W3 | W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Four Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets and Yankees both struggled mightily last week, costing the Bombers a few spots on the top 10 and the Mets to fall off the list. The Amazins’ have dropped nine games in a row after starting 7-4 and fundamentally look like one of the worst teams in baseball. And the Yankees got swept by the Rays, split a series with the Angels, and survived the Royals Friday with a late homer from Ryan McMahon.

It’s been rough for two teams projected to be among the best in their leagues. But they’re not the only “power houses” struggling. The Mariners and Astros are both 8-13 after positive starts, the Phillies are 8-11 and are on a three-game losing streak, and the Tigers are 10-10 despite a positive run differential.

Instead, it’s been teams that were supposed to be bottom feeders dominating early. The Twins through three weeks especially have been undeniably good. So much so I put them on the list. The Angels have also been right there with Minnesota, surging thanks to a renaissance from Mike Trout in the Bronx last week.

All this is the long way of saying the list has gone through another metamorphosis. And will continue to throughout the first month or so of the season. Remember last year when the Braves were regulars in the top-10 till May?

Also, before we get into the list, I want to personally attribute a portion of this article to Garret Anderson. The all-time great passed away at 53 Friday, shocking the baseball world. On the field, Anderson holds the Angels franchise record for games played (2,013), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489), grand slams (8), and RBIs (1,292). Anderson was also a crucial piece for the Halos in 2002, helping the club win its first and only World Series. He passed away from a heart attack and is survived by his wife and three children.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

1. Dodgers

We all knew the Dodgers were going to be insanely good. But it’s April 18, and the club still hasn’t lost to a National League team.

They swept the Mets last week behind dominant performances from Justin Wrobleski and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, then went to Colorado to play a snow game with the Rockies Friday. And yes, they won that game 7-1.

The usual suspects are dominating again, but I want to point out Dalton Rushing. The 25-year-old has scorched the baseball to begin the season, slashing .529/.556/1.353 with four homers in 17 at-bats. Yeah, you read that right. Four homers in 17 at-bats.

2. Braves

Atlanta is back in full force.

The club has started 13-7 in their first 20 games, getting production from their entire roster. Everyone in their lineup outside Michael Harris II has an OPS+ above 100. The pitching rotation features five arms with ERA+’s over 120, including Bryce Elder who leads the NL with a 0.77 ERA. The bullpen has four arms with ERAs in the ones. Oh they also lead baseball with a +53 run differential.

It’s been an incredible start for a team trying to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2025. And they’re still waiting for Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach to come back.

3. Pirates

Is placing the Pirates all the way to three aggressive? Yeah. But they have the firepower to stay.

Everybody knows about the treachorous staff the Pirates throw at the league, but the offense has finally clicked for Pittsburgh. The additions of Brandon Lowe (184 OPS+) and Ryan O’Hearn (149 OPS+) have infused runs into this lineup, Bryan Reynolds has bounced back from a mediocre 2025 with an .810 OPS, and Oneil Cruz is finally blossoming into a superstar with a .313/.382/.588 slashline, six homers, and nine stolen bases.

The offense has been steady. And the pitching staff led by Paul Skenes can carry this team through the ineviatable offense woes they go through later in the season.

4. Yankees

The media has been hyperfixated on the Mets. But the Yankees have been equally as bad.

They dropped a series to the Athletics at home, were swept by the Rays on the road, then returned to the Bronx to split a series with the Angels. All and all, they went 2-7 and endured a five game losing streak.

Still, the club stays this high on the list due to their underlying numbers. They’re 11-9 and are the only team in the AL East with a positive run differential. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler are carrying a despondent offense, which is really being carried by Ben Rice (1.205 OPS) and Aaron Judge (.929 OPS).

5. Twins

Minnesota? The Twins?

Yeah, in case you weren’t paying attention, the Twins are among the best teams in baseball right now. Trevor Larnach and company last weekend swept the Red Sox out of Minneapolis, including a game where they walloped Garrett Crochet for 10 earned runs.

It’s been a fun start for the Twins. And the decision to keep Joe Ryan may lead to a fun summer. The rotation is strong behind Ryan, which features a ressurgent Taj Bradley (1.25 ERA) and righty Mick Abel (3.98 ERA), who was one of the returns for closer Jhoan Duran.

6. Padres

Mason Miller. Korn. What else do you need?

Seriously, have you seen what Miller is doing. The flamethrower hasnt’ allowed a run in 9 1/3 innings, has a 22.2 K/9, and a -1.45 FIP. If the season ended today he would be the NL Cy Young winner.

Miller has spearheaded the best bullpen in baseball. Behind him are David Morgan, Bradgley Rodriguez, and Wandy Peralta, all who have ERAs under two. It’s been a winning formula for San Diego the past two seasons, and with the offense still finding its groove, the ‘pen has been the backbone for this 13-7 San Diego team.

7. Rangers

Jacob deGrom has a 2.21 ERA. Brandon Nimmo has a .313/.396/.538 slashline with four homers. The Mets must be good!

All joking aside, Nimmo and the pitching staff has led the Rangers out of the basement of the AL West. They’re 11-9, have a +17 run differential, and could make a run toward the division if their rotation stays healthy.

The Rangers have the fifth best team ERA in baseball (3.38), 12th best team OPS (.714), and seventh most homers (23). That’ll play.

8. Diamondbacks

Is Corbin Carroll the most underrated player in major league baseball?

I’m serious. With all the Shohei Ohtani hype around baseball, it’s easy to forget about the other superstars in the league. Carroll has quietly put up a .308/.395/.585 slashline with two homers, six doubles, and a major league leading three triples. He might win an MVP one day.

Him and José Fernández (122 OPS+) are carrying a cold D-Backs offense right now, which is getting bailed out Eduardo Rodríguez (1.96 ERA) and Michael Soroka (2.78 ERA).

9. Cubs

Chicago might be the hottest team in baseball right now.

They’ve scored 10 or more runs in three straight games, leading to a series win over the Phillies on the road and a win Friday over the Mets. Despite being in last in the NL Central, they have the best run differential among their rivals and second best expected record.

Nico Hoerner has been the biggest surprise this early season. He spent the offseason trying to improve his power output, which has led to three homers and a .973 OPS in 19 games. Hoerner has only clubbed seven homers the past two seasons. His career high was 10 in 2022.

10. Guardians

Cleveland has been trading wins and losses in the early season. Mostly due to their struggling ‘pen.

Coming into Saturday, the bullpen’s 5.55 ERA is 25th in baseball. It’s blown numerous leads already, including Friday where Shawn Armstrong and Erik Sabrowski blew a six scoreless inning outing from Tanner Bibee.

Fortunately for the Guardians, the offense and starting pitching has done enough to mitigate. José Ramírez is breaking out of a early, short slump and Angel Martínez has a 122 OPS+. Daniel Schneemann has also done a fantastic job, putting up video game numbers early (.313/.353/.563).

Rest of the Field

11. Brewers
12. Phillies
13. Mets
14. Mariners
15. Astros
16. Marlins
17. Orioles
18. Rays
19. Tigers
20. Angels
21. Reds
22. Athletics
23. Giants
24. Blue Jays
25. Red Sox
26. Cardinals
27. Royals
28. Nationals
29. Rockies
30. White Sox

Previous Rankings: W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Three Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

MLB umpire Emil Jimenez. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Long live the robots. The robots are here to stay.

After trial runs in both Triple-A and spring training, the Automated Ball Strike Challenge System [ABS] has made its way to the big leagues in 2026.

Starting on Opening Day 2026, players have been able to turn to ABS to issue a final judgment on close ball/strike calls. ABS is the first system to take away unilateral ball/strike decision-making from the home plate umpire’s discretion. Now, batters, pitchers, and catchers are granted an opportunity to challenge an egregious ball or strike call.

Once a player requests a challenge by tapping his helmet, 12 strategically placed Hawkeye cameras review the pitch’s location, and either overturn the on-the-field call or confirm the initial decision. Teams are granted two “challenges” per game, and retain the challenge if a call is overturned.

Early returns show ABS pretty evenly split on each side. As of publishing on March 31 before gameplay, 55% of challenges have been overturned. (Batter sit at 50% and pitchers and catchers sit at 58%.)

This change, the latest to incorporate cutting-edge technology into on-the-field play, will have major ramifications on the sport’s strategy.

Consider the delta in run value when a ball is called on the first pitch of an at-bat, compared to a strike. According to Baseball Savant, batters who started an at-bat with a 1-0 count were more productive by 9 runs, compared to batters who started with a 0-1 count. Nine runs are estimated to be worth an extra win, underscoring the importance of ensuring the accuracy of every single pitch.

Not every questionable call strike will be worthy of a challenge. Some teams may only use their objections at leveraged moments, such as when the game is on the line in the later innings.

Incorporating ABS into the granularities of calling balls/strikes represents a paradigm shift from the antiquated technologies that previously proliferated MLB.

In the mid-2000s, Pitchf/x emerged as the first regulated system to provide simple insight into pitch metrics, such as velocity and location. In the years since, TrackMan & Hawkeye have become virtually household names by disseminating new levels of pitch data at a rapid pace and furthering our understanding of “what makes a pitcher good.”

The Mets seemed primed to face any early ABS issues. Earlier this spring, Carlos Mendoza relayed the club’s spring training ABS strategy to the NY Post:

Asked how the team would approach the new rule this spring, the manager said, “Be aggressive. Challenge as much as possible. We want to see who’s good and who’s not [at challenging].”

While numbers in the spring should be taken with a grain of salt, and despite the guidance from their skipper, the Mets’ batters challenged only 19 times in the Grapefruit League; six were reversed. Their backstops tapped their heads 27 times, reversing the call 13 times.

Marcus Semein, Kevin Parada, and Christian Pache each led the club with three challenges; Semein and Pache overturned a call apiece while Parada was unsuccessful in his trio of attempts.

A handful of Syracuse Mets, projected to receive time with the big-league club in 2026, used ABS in 2025. Thanks to Baseball Savant’s new functionality, we’re able to identify the Mets players, a step away from the Majors, who were strong in their decisions to challenge ball-strike calls in 2025.

Veteran journeymen Gilberto Celestino & Yonny Hernandez each led the Syracuse Mets with 10 overturned challenges, with Hernandez’s 56% successful challenge rate just eeking out Celeistin’s 50%. Hernandez led the club with +2.7 “Net For” challenges, which gives a player credit for overturns on pitches thrown in similar locations to other players.

Celestino challenged at more opportune times. He had three strikeouts negated by a correct overturn on a strike outside the zone, while once correctly challenging a strike on a three-ball count.

Several Syracuse Mets hitters, who either previously garnered extensive major-league time or are projected to in 2026, familiarized themselves well with the challenge system in their debut season with ABS. Even with the small-sample caveat, Jesse Winker, Mark Vientos, and Jose Siri ranked in the team’s top three in “Challenge Rate vs Expected”, which takes into consideration the challenges a player is expected to win.

The club’s top hitting prospects in Triple-A, namely Jett Williams, Ryan Clifford, and Luisangel Acuna, overturned four calls in six tries.

Overturning calls via ABS isn’t just an option for hitters; pitchers are able to utilize it to reverse egregious ball/strike counts. During his time leading the Mets’ AAA staff, Nolan McLean‘s pitches were challenged 17 times by the Mets, with seven overturned. His seven reversals ranked second among Mets’ pitchers, trailing only former Mets farmhand Brandon Sproat.

A plethora of the Mets’ top pitching prospects, including McLean, got accustomed to ABS in 2025, a relieving note given the Mets tend to yo-yo pitchers between their Triple-A and big league rosters. McLean, Austin Warren, and Jonathan Pintaro, all members of the Mets’ current 40-man roster, each won three challenges in 2025.

Despite the individual success stories, when compared to the league, the Syracuse Mets, as an aggregate, performed poorly at overturning calls. In 2025, Syracuse won only 46 challenges, placing last in the International League. Their -42 expected net overturns ranked second-to-last in the minors, while 36% overturn rate trailed none.

Give Angel Hernandez his flowers. Calling ball/strikes isn’t an easy job to do. The nuances required, combined with 40,000 fans watching the real-time result, make this task a particularly grueling one. ABS provides a fix to baseball’s toughest job by putting the onus on the players to correct any inaccurate calls.

If you’d like to pull ABS data to an Excel file programmatically, via Python, please follow this request.

The post Statcast Breakdown: MiLB ABS Analysis appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mar 11, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Dominican Republic left fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a two-run home run against Venezuela during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Friday’s games

Korea vs. Dominican Republic at loanDepot park in Miami, 6:30 p.m. ET on FS2

Korea is the only team in the quarterfinals that lost twice, and it advanced by winning a three-way tiebreaker with Australia and Chinese Taipei. (Something seemed wrong to me at first about the runs allowed/outs recorded tiebreaker, but after some thought I like it.)

Korea is trying to make it to the semifinals for the first time since 2009, when it lost to Japan in the finals. It is facing a deep Dominican Republic team, looking for its second WBC title (2013, Robinson Canó was MVP).

Juan Soto is 5-for-15 with two home runs, four RBIs, five walks and a stolen base. He is one of five players on the team with two home runs (Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.). The DR outscored its opponents 41-10 while going 4-0 in pool play. Huascar Brazobán has thrown 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless ball. He’s struck out four (including Nicaragua’s Mark Vientos) and walked one.

USA vs. Canada at Daikin Park in Houston, 8 p.m. ET on FOX

Team USA survived a scare, and now Nolan McLean (a shaky outing vs. Italy) might get to pitch again. McLean, before the tournament, was named the starter should the Americans make it to the final. Clay Holmes (three scoreless innings, six strikeouts vs. Great Britain) is returning to the Mets.  Pete Crow-Armstrong and Aaron Judge have hit two homers apiece.

The United States is trying to win its second WBC (2017, Marcus Stroman was MVP) and it will have to go through Canada and Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie (7-for-14, a home run, a 1.458 OPS). Jared Young is 1-for-5 with two strikeouts for Team Canada.

Saturday’s games

Puerto Rico vs. Italy at Daikin Park in Houston, 3 p.m. ET on FS1

Puerto Rico lost in this round in 2023 and in the finals in 2017 and 2013. In 2023, Edwin Díaz suffered a torn patellar tendon while celebrating a win over the Dominican Republic. He is back and has thrown two scoreless innings with five strikeouts and a save. Italy pulled off the upset of the tournament so far with its win over the United States. Vinnie Pasquantino became the first player to hit three homers in a WBC game against Mexico.

Mets prospect Nick Morabito, seeing action as a defensive replacement in the Team Italy outfield, is 0-for-1.

Venezuela vs. Japan at loanDepot park in Miami, 9 p.m. ET on FOX

Shohei Ohtani is 5-for-9 with two homers, a double and four walks for defending champion Japan, and Seiya Suzuki has a couple of homers as well. Japan has won three of the five Classics and advanced to the semifinals every time. This will be its first time playing Venezuela, which had its best showing when it advanced to the semifinals in 2009.

Ronald Acuña Jr. is 4-for-13 with a home run, a double, six walks, a tournament-leading eight runs scored and two stolen bases. Luis Arraez has two home runs and nine RBIs. RHP Carlos Guzman (3.12 ERA in 49 innings combined at Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton in 2025), got into one game, recorded two outs and gave up a hit and a walk.

The winners of Friday’s games will play Sunday in Miami, and the winners of Saturday’s games will play there on Monday. The championship game is Tuesday in Miami at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Predictions

Anything can happen in one baseball game. But I don’t like the vibes from Team USA. I think it survives Canada and loses to the immaculately-vibing DR in the semifinals. I’ll take Italy to keep its magic going, Venezuela in an upset over Japan and DR over Venezuela in the finals. Soto will edge Brazobán for MVP honors.

The post World Baseball Classic: Quarterfinals Preview appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Pre-Game

The experience, however, started off poorly. There is a list of 17 instruments that are allowed at the WBC and it includes bongos, tambourines, trumpets and trombones. There is also a list of banned instruments. Leave your bullhorns, kazoos and vuvuzelas at home.

A cowbell is permitted, and my friend Pat brought two. (I’m at the game with Pat and Mike, friends I made on my first day at SUNY Buffalo, which was the same year Bobby Bonilla debuted with the Mets.) Pat is from Ecuador and was torn about who to root for, so he had a blue cowbell to support the Dominican Republic and a yellow one to shake for Nicaragua. (What a joy it was going to be to sit next to him.)

But security at loanDepot park in Miami told Pat he couldn’t enter with the cowbells even though they were on the approved list. He pointed this out. This is when we learned that there are different types of cowbells. Cowbells that come with a stick are welcome. The ones with a little bell on the inside are not.

We enter, and the crowd of 35,127, in my estimation, is 70-30 for the DR. In introductions, Juan Soto received the second-biggest ovation. The loudest was for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Maybe he’s more popular or maybe he’s got a few more fans because us older folks have warm memories of watching his dad.)

The Games

I love a good first-round upset in March Madness and the DR vs. Nicaragua felt like, well, Duke vs. SUNY Buffalo. The DR has Soto, Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ketel Marte and batting sixth is Junior Caminero, who hit 45 home runs for Tampa Bay last year. Nicaragua has Mark Vientos and manager Dusty Baker.

The crowd is into it from the first pitch. Nicaragua already has a run in the top of the first when cleanup hitter Vientos (I wasn’t kidding, he’s the star) comes to bat with two on and nobody out. The WBC-approved cowbells are clanging. (Pat is jealous.)

Cristopher Sanchez treats Vientos like he’s prime Barry Bonds. He walks him on four pitches that weren’t close to load the bases. The Nicaraguans are loud. But Sanchez strikes out the next three batters to escape the jam, screams and fist pumps coming off the mound. It is the Dominican fans’ turn to use instruments. This is fun.

Vientos’ next at-bat comes an inning later, with two on and one out and Nicaragua ahead 3-2. Sanchez is pulled. Angels fans will always have Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout with the 2023 WBC championship on the line. Mets fans, we will always have Huascar Brazobán vs. Vientos in pool play. (Until it’s McLean vs. Soto in the final?) Brazobán struck out Vientos on four pitches.

The game was tied at 3-3 in the sixth when Caminero hit a two-run homer that sent (most of) loanDepot park into a frenzy. He pounded his chest as he circled the bases, danced at home plate and after the game said the hit was “a dream come true.” DR poured it on, scored six runs in the eighth and in the end this was the most entertaining 12-3 game I’ve ever seen.

We went to Venezuela vs. Israel on Saturday night and again the crowd (22,573) was into it from the start. We kept hearing drums (or some other instrument that must be on the approved list) but couldn’t locate them. I got to see Mets prospect Ben Simon make the start for Israel. If he never makes it to the majors, he can still say he struck out Maikel Garcia. He can also say he walked Ronald Acuña Jr., gave up a double to Luis Arraez and served up a home run to Eugenio Suarez. He recorded one out and gave up four runs.

Israel didn’t get a hit until the fifth inning, never made it a game and Venezuela won 11-3.

Final Thoughts/Suggestions

Part of what makes the WBC fun is seeing a pitcher like Nicaragua’s Stiven Cruz, 24 years old, who never pitched above Double-A, work a 1-2-3 inning where he retired three All-Stars. He got Marte to ground out, struck out Soto and Guerrero bounced to short.

Another great part is that every game is huge. A dozen of the 20 teams will be eliminated in pool play, which means they will only play four times. After that, it’s single elimination the rest of the way. A champion is crowned after playing seven games.

Seed the 20 teams. It would help us casuals know exactly how big of an upset we might be witnessing.

And lastly, be clearer about the cowbell rules!

The post A Weekend at the World Baseball Classic appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Before we get into it, we also want to quickly share that we have some new WBC merch up on our website. Go check it out! 

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

David Melendi

The Dominican Republic. And I learned while doing extensive research for the MMO’s WBC team previews that ex and future Mets have won a few MVPs. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Robinson Cano, and Marcus Stroman have all taken home the hardware. This time it’s Amed Rosario’s turn.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki

The USA will defeat Japan in a rematch of the 2023 finals. Even with Tarik Skubal’s early departure, the Stars and Stripes have plenty of pitching depth in addition to their stacked lineup. I’ll go with Cal Raleigh for the WBC MVP.

Matt Mancuso

It’s difficult not to select the Dominican Republic, a squad that contains the offensive prowess of the 1927 Yankees. Betting against a team whose worst hitter was 30% better than league average last year seems like a fool’s errand. MVP: Juan Soto

Michael Mayer

I have a hard time picking between the US, Japan, the DR, and Venezuela. Those top four teams are really really good. I like the team the US has built quite a bit; it’s balanced well between offense and pitching. I believe they take home the WBC crown, and Bobby Witt Jr. will be the MVP.

Brandyn Pokrass

In a tournament with so much star power, I am going to go with the Dominican Republic. The U.S. would be my other pick, but I see the DR’s lineup having a huge impact game in and game out. As for the MVP, I’ll go with Fernando Tatis Jr.

Christian De Block

2026 will be the year the USA returns to the top. The Dominican Republic and Japan are deep, talented teams that will certainly have something to say. But in the end, USA will get it done, with Aaron Judge taking home the MVP.

Michelle Ioannou

DR isn’t going to be easy to beat, but I’m going to go with Team USA with Paul Skenes as the MVP.

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