A QUICK THURSDAY
NINE TO KNOW
THE BILLY-BALL NINE TO KNOW
The Guardians' 4-5-6 batters have collectively hit 1 homer this season.
The Orioles’ Taylor Ward has hit nine doubles this season.
Mason Miller has faced 18 batters. He’s allowed one hit and one walk. He has struck out 13 and only thrown 70 pitches this season.
The Sox are 0-8 when they have trailed in a game this season. The Dodgers are 5-3.
I think this run differential is pretty significant this early in the season. The Yankees have allowed just 28 runs thus far, the fewest in the majors. The Astros and Nationals have each allowed 78 runs, the most in the majors. A 50-run differential in under 15 games, wow.
The Rangers, Guardians, and Yankees each lead their division. They are the only AL teams above .500, with the Twins and the Orioles at .500. Meanwhile, in the NL Central, the Cubs are in last place with a 6-6 record, as every other team is over .500. The 4-8 Nationals and the 5-8 Giants are the only NL teams below .500.
Brace yourself: the Rockies have won four straight, that’s the longest winning streak in the majors. They are 6-6 and play the Padres tonight. The Rox were over .500 in 2025, er, never. The last time the Rockies were over .500 was on April 1, 2023, when they were 2-1.
Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera seems to have an excellent eye. Not only does he lead the NL with 12 walks, but he is 4-4 on challenges when he’s at the plate and 2-1 on challenges behind the plate. J.T. Realmuto leads all catchers, going 5-0 on challenges when catching. The Diamondbacks have been circumspect thus far, using the ABS when at the plate. They have the fewest challenges (five), but they have had four of them correct, giving them the best success pct.
The Dodgers batting order is not just good; they are good up and down their lineup. Their 7-8-9 batters are hitting .345; no other team’s back end of the lineup is over .285. The Yankees’ 7-8-9 batters are hitting .144, the worst in baseball. They have 16 hits and 40 strikeouts.
THE NEW CITY CONNECT UNIS ARE OUT
Which do you hate the least?
THE REDS ARE SERVING THIS AT THEIR BALLPARK
Here’s the Double Player Donut Parfait. This is a combination of cinnamon sugar donuts, house-made banana pudding, vanilla wafers, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, whipped cream, and caramel sauce.
Nice!