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New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Mets being Dodgers' peers should force David Stearns to alter trade deadline formula
So much has changed for the Mets in the past calendar year. Access the Mets beat like never before Don't miss Mike Puma's text messages from Queens and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now On June 8 of last year, the Mets were 27-36, fourth in the NL East and, even in a forgiving National League in which just five teams were above .500 at that time, Fangraphs gave them just an 11.3 percent chance to make the playoffs. Advertisement From then through their series against the Dodgers, the Mets had played the equivalent of a 162-game season and had gone 101-61, which was five games better than the second-best record — which belonged to the Tigers, another incredible before-and-after picture. Perhaps nothing exemplifies the transformation for the Mets in this time better than how toe-to-toe competitive they were in the recently completed home-and-home with the Dodgers. By this time last year, the Mets also were done with their regular season games against Los Angeles and had gone 2-4, including getting swept three games at Citi Field by a combined 18-5 in late May.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees rookie slammed by podcast for defensive shortcomings
Jasson Dominguez was supposed to be a freak of nature. A $5.1 million signing bonus as a teenager. A body built like a linebacker, speed to match, and a bat scouts drooled over. 'The Martian,' they called him, for his otherworldly talent. But the 'Made the Cut' podcast is calling him something else. Advertisement They're dubbing Dominguez 'officially … the worst defensive outfielder in MLB.' It's a brutal label that hits during what's supposed to be his breakout year. Jasson Dominguez© Dave Nelson-Imagn Images And, let's not forget he's just a 22-year-old learning a new position. But, Dominguez ranks dead last among American League left fielders in defensive runs saved, per Fangraphs, with minus-3. Only three outfielders across MLB have been worse. His Outs Above Average sits at minus-5. The underlying numbers match what fans have seen with the eye test. In a recent game against the Mets, Dominguez misplayed two balls that extended innings and proved costly. One came on a liner from Pete Alonso, where Dominguez took a poor angle. Another fell in for a double. Afterward, veteran Cody Bellinger approached him. Advertisement 'It's gonna be good for the future to have that happen right now,' Bellinger said. The mistakes are amplified because Dominguez struggled in left last season and this spring. And the Yankees are taking the long view with Dominguez, pointing to his progress at the plate. . At the plate, he's mostly held up his end. Dominguez has hit five home runs with a 117 OPS+, meaning he's been 17 percent better than the league-average hitter. His offensive numbers have helped fuel a Yankees lineup that's scoring 5.78 runs per game, just behind the Dodgers for best in baseball. Related: Yankees' Aaron Boone Called Out by Older Brother Before Rangers Series Related: Yankees Captain Aaron Judge Countersued Amid $33,000 Couch Controversy
Newsweek
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Yankees $5.1 Million Rookie 'Officially' Worst Outfielder in MLB: Analyst
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Yankees signed Jasson Dominguez out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019. He was just 16 years old, but expectations were already sky high for the youthful prospect. "You look at tools, athleticism, makeup, performance as an amateur — and the analytical data backed up everything," Yankees international scouting director Donny Rowland told the New York Post. "He checked every box." MLB Pipeline ranked Dominguez as the No. 1 international prospect of 2019. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout prior to the start of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on May 10,... SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout prior to the start of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on May 10, 2025 in Sacramento, California. More Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images So impressed were the Yankees that they handed Dominguez — who would soon be nicknamed "The Martian" due to his "otherworldly" baseball talent — a franchise-record $5.1 million signing bonus. Now, six years later, Dominguez is just 22 years old and in his first full MLB season — with his rookie status intact. As a hitter, he has largely delivered on his promise. With five home runs and a 117 OPS+ (meaning Dominguez has performed 17 percent better than the average hitter), the rookie has been a solid contributor to a Yankees offense that has pushed 5.78 runs per game across the plate, marginally behind the MLB-leading Los Angeles Dodgers at 5.79. More MLB: Yankees $5.1 Million Rookie Outfielder Called 'Maybe Worst Defender of All Time' His defense, however, has been another story. In fact, as a left fielder Dominguez has been disastrous. His defensive runs saved number, according to Fangraphs, ranks worst among all American League left fielders at minus-3, and fourth-worst in the majors. The defensive struggles endured by the Yankees rookie led the "Made the Cut" podcast — a program that takes analytical "deep dives" into various aspects of baseball — to label Dominguez, "Officially ... the worst defensive outfielder in MLB." "He's tied for dead last among all major league outfielders with at least 200 innings played right now in fielding run value at -4," the "Made the Cut" program said. "Outs above average at -5, and success rate added at 8 percent. The thing I didn't mention however is that he's the only outfielder to be tied for dead last in all three." The podcast added that Dominguez currently ranks below other star players who are notoriously weak outfielders, Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernandez. But the rookie possesses sprint speed in the 77th percentile, and due to that factor alone, he may be able to pass Hernandez and Soto later in the season. "Even if he does manage to do so, as soon as by the end of 2025, this won't change the fact that up until now he has been Major League Baseball's worst defensive outfielder," according to "Made the Cut." On the offensive side, Dominiguez finds himself in a mini-slump heading into Monday's action, which just three hits in his last 20 at-bats. More MLB: Yankees Near 'Breaking Point' With Rookie Outfielder After Miscues
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: 5 hitters ready to give your lineup a boost this week
The Braves started this season in a ditch, losing seven straight and 11 of their first 15 games. But things have turned around the last few weeks, and after taking two of three in Boston on the weekend, Atlanta stands a respectable 24-23 on the year. The Fangraphs playoff calculator says this club is just under 70% to make the playoffs. Rookie catcher Drake Baldwin has been a big part of the turnaround. Baldwin, 24, entered the season with some prospect juice. The three main ranking clipboards had him inside their respective top 65s, with a high of 37th (Baseball Prospectus). He's shown a decent average and eye in the minors, with some pop. Atlanta, of course, already has a good catcher in Sean Murphy. And there's been nothing wrong with Murphy's offense this year — eight homers, an OPS+ of 133 (where 100 is average). But Baldwin has beaten Murphy in every slash column this year — .357 average, .400 OBP, .583 slugging. That hashes out to a 170 OPS+. Baldwin has started five of Atlanta's past eight games, with Murphy picking up the other three. It's easy to sit Baldwin against left-handed starters — he's a lefty swinger, Murphy bats right-handed — but this isn't a strict platoon. The Braves are simply leaning into their best hitter so far. Baldwin doesn't have enough at-bats yet to qualify for MLB leaderboards, but all of his Baseball Savant hard-hit sliders are pinned to the right. When the kid connects, you can hear the ball screaming. Baldwin's lineup profile has risen in recent games — he batted fifth most of last week, with one day in the No. 2 slot. I understand why Baldwin was the most added Yahoo catcher over the weekend, though he's still ready to grab in over 80% of leagues. The Braves face a righty starter in eight of their next 11 games; figure on Baldwin to start the majority of those nights. We've had some fantasy fun with Benson before — he was a .275/.365/.498 stick in 2023, with 11 homers and 19 steals over 108 games. That had us excited for the following season, when the bottom dropped out — .187 average, 76 OPS+. But player development is not always linear. Benson didn't make the Reds out of camp but he's been a smash since his recall — five homers in nine games, .367/.424/.933 slash. All of those homers came in the last four games, which quickly jumped Benson's roster percentage. There's still plenty of time to get on board, ride the hot hand. Even if Benson's inevitable regression lands somewhere in his 2023 production range, that's still a useful fantasy player. Everyone knows the Rockies are easily the worst team in baseball, but we still have to keep their offense on speed dial for home games. And Beck has become a key part of that offense, slotting in the top three of the order for three straight weeks. Beck is slashing .287/.348/.653 since his mid-April recall, with eight homers and a couple of steals. That makes him a top 12 offensive player during that span, offering plus value in four different categories. The thin air is your friend this week, with Colorado at home against the Phillies and Yankees. The Rockies don't have an A-to-Z lineup, but good things can happen at the top. I'm surprised it's taken so long for Beck to graduate from this column, but this should be the week that happens. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Vargas often caught my eye in his days with the Dodgers, where he showed excellent plate discipline but didn't do that much when he actually made contact. You respect the approach. Maybe things are starting to turn with the results, because he's coming off a three-homer weekend at Wrigley Field, pushing his slash up to .245/.328/.421 (with an OPS+ of 114). His pitch-recognition metrics are all above board, it's just a matter of doing more damage when he gets his pitch. Given the shallow nature of third base these days, Vargas is worth consideration in medium and deeper pools. Larnach has become an every-day staple for the Twins, and he was especially central to the team's recent 13-game winning streak — Larnach slashed .278/.328/.537 over that span, with 9 runs, 3 homers and 9 RBI. You'll usually find Larnach locked into the second slot in the lineup, though he did bat first this past weekend. He's capable of giving you a neutral average, sneaky pop and decent run-production stats, given his position in the order. He'll steal the occasional base, too. Larnach's production is best against opposing righties, so the week's RHP-only schedule is perfect for him.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Is A Kyle Tucker Extension Becoming A Possibility For The Cubs?
Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, right, is greeted by Kyle Tucker after hitting a two-run home run during ... More the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed) There is no mistaking the difference that Kyle Tucker has made on the Cubs offense. The group that held middle-of-the-pack rankings at the plate in 2024 is sitting at the top of the league this season. They are first in runs scored and second in team batting average and wins above replacement, according to Fangraphs. That performance has helped the Cubs to a 18-12 record going into the final game of April, a win-loss record made even more impressive when it is taken into consideration that they had the toughest strength of schedule in baseball through the first month of the season. Tucker, for his part, has played all 30 games of the season so far and has posted a 1.5 WAR, good for seventh-highest in baseball. He has a .288/.397/.568 slash line, seven home runs, and eight doubles, all while playing sterling defense in the notoriously challenging right field at Wrigley Field. Even before the season started, it was evident that the Cubs should pursue a contract extension with Tucker, who is otherwise on the team for just one year before he hits unrestricted free agency in the offseason. But the question has always been whether or not Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts was going to be willing to pay what it will likely cost to keep Tucker in Chicago. Tucker will almost certainly command top dollar this winter, and the Cubs have mostly sat out making big dollar offers to top tier free agents. And that's despite some of them going into an offseason with the Cubs as their first choice, like Bryce Harper in 2018, who shared recently that he went into that winter expecting to sign in Chicago. 'Going into that offseason, they were the No. 1 team on my list,' Harper told Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. 'Obviously, I'm extremely happy with where I am in Philadelphia. I would never change it for the world. I love the fan base, city, everything. It's a blast. But pre-2019, going into free agency, the Cubs were at the top of my list.' On top of that, team president Jed Hoyer has typically stayed away from engaging in heavy contract negotiations during the season, which would seem to leave no other choice but to wait until after the World Series to start making serious offers to Tucker's camp. This, of course, would essentially mean competing with the rest of the league in open free agency. 'As far as long-term stuff, obviously, we would love to keep Kyle long-term. I mean, who wouldn't want a player like that?' Hoyer said on an appearance on Chicago sports radio station WSCR last week. "I would keep any conversations we are having internal. I think it's hard to negotiate in season. I'm not sure what's going to happen with that." Now, it's important to keep in mind that what a player or team executive says publicly is not usually the full story. Especially as it pertains to contract negotiations, it's in neither party's best interest to lay everything out on the table. That said, what Hoyer said on the radio is in keeping with how the Cubs have generally approached these kinds of things. And if that's the case with Tucker, that is not encouraging news for Cubs fans hoping to see an extension. But, there is at least some reason to believe that it could happen. On the most recent episode of his podcast, insider David Kaplan said that he is getting word that the Cubs might at least be willing to approach Tucker with a top-dollar offer. "I'm hearing that the Cubs have wrapped their brain around—doesn't mean he'll accept it—wrapped their brain around 'whatever it costs, we're paying it' and they want to keep Tucker," Kaplan said. The right approach for the Cubs is to come to Tucker with the highest offer. For as friendly as the confines of Wrigley Field might be, especially during a Chicago summer, that alone probably won't be enough to persuade Tucker to stick around and pass on the chance to get the best possible contract offer during the offseason. It will help, too, if the Cubs keep winning. They have all of the ingredients for a division winner, and the first National League Central title for the Cubs since 2017 would generate even more excitement among a fanbase that typically needs little help getting fired up about their team. At this stage in his career, Kyle Tucker is poised to get the best of both worlds: a hefty contract and the chance to compete for a World Series title. Both things still need time to develop, but movement is trending in the right direction. The Cubs are off to a strong start despite a very tough schedule, and if team ownership is embracing the idea of paying Tucker whatever it takes to keep him around, then the chances that he stays in Chicago beyond 2025 are solid.
