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4/26 to 4/28 Series Preview: San Francisco Giants

by

(Presswire)

Well, this is it: the last series preview here on RAB. How about finishing up this blog’s final days with a sweep in the City by the Bay?

Their Story So Far

It’s been a sluggish start for San Francisco. They’re 11-14, even with the Rockies for last place in the NL West. The Giants can’t hit a lick – they own a putrid 64 wRC+, second worst in baseball. However, their pitching has kept them in ballgames. Thanks to the majors’ fifth-lowest team ERA, their run differential is only -8.

San Francisco just completed a quick two-game sweep against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Yesterday was a travel day for the team, so they’re going to be rested for the upcoming series against the Yanks.

Injury Report

Only one player is on the Giants’ injured list: Johnny Cueto. Must be nice, huh? Not nice for Cueto, of course, who’s expected to miss all of this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Anyway, San Francisco is literally the polar opposite of the Yankees’ injury situation.

Player Spotlight: Buster Posey

Frankly, there’s not much to write home about for the Giants this season. There are aging remnants of its former championship clubs who are certainly fan favorites out in San Francisco, but when it comes to up and coming talent, there’s not much to be excited about. So, let’s check in with future Hall of Famer Buster Posey, even though he’s far from the player he once was.

The Giants’ catcher took his first significant step into his decline phase last season when he recorded a 106 wRC+ and 2.4 fWAR in 105 games. That’s still very good for a catcher! It’s just not what we’ve grown accustomed to for Posey. That WAR total was half his 2017 mark, and well below his customary 6 or 7 wins he had recorded annually since 2013.

This season, Posey is off to a poor start. In 82 plate appearances, the 32 year-old owns an 81 wRC+ and a strikeout rate (17.1 percent) well above his career mark (12 percent). His power is virtually gone (one home run) but he is still reaching base via walk (9.8 percent). He still adds value defensively behind the dish.

On the bright side, he’s warming up a bit. As of ten days ago, Posey had a .192/.263/.269 batting line (46 wRC+). His 116 wRC+ since that date isn’t jaw-dropping, but it’s certainly much more in line with what we’d expect from him. It’d be nice to see him remain a strong player during the decline phase of his career, albeit not this weekend.

Potential Lineup

There are a handful of moving parts in San Francisco’s batting order as a result of handedness, so they haven’t had a consistent lineup thus far. Since the Yankees are tossing two lefties to begin the weekend, below is something along the lines of what we can expect during this series. That means lefty-swingers like Joe Panik (48 wRC+) and Gerardo Parra (51 wRC+) might not be in the lineup tonight or tomorrow, but we could see them off the bench. They’ll join Pablo Sandoval (167 wRC+) and Erik Kratz (45 wRC+) on the pine.

  1. Steven Duggar, RF (.230/.269/.370, 68 wRC+)
  2. Tyler Austin, 1B/LF (.286/.375/.286, 90 wRC+)
  3. Buster Posey C (.230/.305/.365, 81 wRC+)
  4. Brandon Belt 1B/LF (.222/.330/.494, 118 wRC+)
  5. Evan Longoria 3B (.222/.255/.400, 71 wRC+)
  6. Brandon Crawford SS (.202/.280/.226, 40 wRC+)
  7. Yangervis Solarte 2B (.205/.255/.295, 42 wRC+)
  8. Kevin Pillar CF (.232/.257/.449, 77 wRC+)
  9. Pitcher Spot

Belt has been their only respectable hitter all season. Yikes. That isn’t to say Posey isn’t a threat, but just a bit of exasperation at how bad this offense has been. Of course, noted Yankee-killer Longoria will probably have a big weekend. At least he won’t get to face Sabathia.

Pitching Matchups

Friday (10:15 PM ET): LHP James Paxton (vs. Giants) vs. LHP Madison Bumgarner (vs. Yankees)

Potential trade deadline target Madison Bumgarner is still good, but he’s not longer the same guy he was earlier this decade. He’s striking out hitters less often than his prime and has become more susceptible to the long ball. Through five starts this year, he has a respectable 3.66 ERA and 3.93 FIP, but has allowed 5 homers in 32 innings.

Once upon a time, Bumgarner could hit 95 or 96 when necessary. That isn’t the case anymore. Those were the days when his four-seamer was still his primary option. Now he leans on a cutter and sinker much more.

You’ll notice that his quality of contact metrics are ugly. This is a pretty new development for him. He’s generally kept his exit velocities under 88 MPH since Statcast began tracking such numbers, but that has ballooned to 90 MPH this season. His hard hit percentage is up to 42.7 percent as well, almost 8 percent higher than last season. It’s early so take it for what it’s worth, but that’s definitely a troublesome trend.

Bumgarner has a reputation for being a good hitter despite a lifetime 48 wRC+ (81 wRC+ since 2014, though). Nonetheless, 18 homers as a pitcher in 614 plate appearances certainly ain’t bad. Given the state of the Giants offense, Bumgarner seems like a pretty big boost on the days he pitches.

Saturday (4:05 PM ET) LHP J.A. Happ (vs. Giants) vs. Derek Holland (vs. Yankees)

Last season was something of a renaissance for Holland. After a few years of struggling to find his early decade form that he had with Texas, Holland bounced back to record a 3.57 ERA and 3.87 FIP in 171.1 innings for San Francisco in 2018. He’s yet to rekindle that magic this season. In 27 innings thus far, he’s given up six homers. Somehow, he’s managed to keep his ERA to 4.33 in spite of the gopher balls, though his 5.04 FIP tells another story.

Perhaps what’s kept Holland’s ERA down is that high strikeout rate — 30.6 percent — which well exceeds his career norms. This, despite a heater that comes in around 91 miles per hour. The days of him throwing in the mid-to-high 90s are long gone, yet he’s still managed to punch hitters out at a high frequency.

Holland’s two weaknesses are his control and batted ball profile. He’s walked a hair under 12 percent of opponents this year and does not generate much weak contact. His groundball rate is a career worst 33 percent and hitters are barreling the ball 21 percent of the time, which is not a recipe for success.

Sunday (4:05 PM ET) RHP Domingo German (vs. Giants) vs. RHP Dereck Rodriguez (vs. Yankees)

Pudge’s son has pitched well early in his career despite a lack of overpowering repertoire. Since debuting last year, Rodriguez has posted a 2.95 ERA in nearly 150 innings, though that nearly beats his FIP by a full run (3.79). He basically throws the kitchen sink: four-seamer, changeup, curveball, cutter, and sinker in order to induce a bunch of weak contact.

His hard hit percentage and exit velocity aren’t anything overwhelmingly impressive. Yet, he draws a bunch of grounders (45.8 percent) and very few barreled balls (2.4 percent). Rodriguez is around the zone a whole bunch too. He doesn’t walk many batters and works around the edges pretty often.

There’s nothing in Rodriguez’s game that’s terribly exciting, but he does seem to be a perfect fit for his team. Strikeouts are always great, but they’re not overly valuable in a pitcher’s park like San Francisco. Further, weak contact will play anywhere.

Bullpen Status

The Giants own baseball’s lowest bullpen ERA and FIP this year, and it’s not particularly close. Bet you didn’t expect that. Former Yankee Mark Melancon is not their closer, even though he was originally signed to be. It’s Will Smith’s job, and he’s a perfect six-for-six in save opportunities so far. The lefty has a sparking 1.04 ERA and 29 percent strikeout rate.

Melancon hasn’t allowed a run yet in ten appearances, but he’s not the dominant reliever he once was with Pittsburgh. If he keeps this up, he’ll certainly earn his way back into high leverage innings, but right now the most important outs have been recorded by Tony Watson and Reyes Moronta (before getting the ball to Smith). Moronta is a fireballer who is striking everyone out this season (40.9 percent) whereas Watson has been a ground-ball heavy southpaw out of the pen. The Giants will also run out former Rangers closer Sam Dyson along with Nick Vincent, Trevor Gott, and Travis Bergen. Their relief corps should be fresh since Thursday was an off day.

Keys for the Series

Get an early lead

The Giants bullpen wasn’t necessarily expected to be this good, but there’s no denying their success thus far. They have some name-brand relievers who are fresh from off-days yesterday and Monday, so avoiding any come from behind situations would be nice.

Kick the Giants offense while it’s down

All three Yankees starters this series have pitched better of late, and given the upcoming opponent, there’s no reason for that not to continue. This is exactly the type of team (and ballpark) that should result in strong starting performances from Paxton, Happ, and German.

Health

I’m just going to copy what Steven wrote in the Angels series preview: Can we go one series without another major injury? Is that too much to ask?

4/22 to 4/25 Series Preview: Los Angeles Angels

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Trout. (Getty Images)

Let’s hope the west coast is the best coast for the Yankees’ purposes as they begin a nine-game trip in Anaheim.

Their Story So Far

The Angels sit in the cellar of the American League West with a 9-13 record and -11 run differential. Their offense has been sluggish with a slightly below-average wRC+ despite having the literal best player in baseball, Mike Trout. Their pitching staff has been middling to below-average as well, though they’ve outperformed their peripherals.

As a staff, they allow 1.81 homers per nine, fourth-worst in baseball. Their bullpen has actually settled in with the fourth-best ERA in the AL, but their rotation has been a mess due to just about everyone calling the injured list their home, putting together a collective 6.13 ERA.

Injury Report

The Angels have similar injury issues to the Yankees but on the pitching side. Justin Upton (turf toe) is out until June while pitchers Andrew Heaney (elbow), JC Ramirez (Tommy John), Keynan Middleton (Tommy John), Nick Tropeano (shoulder strain) and Tyler Skaggs (ankle sprain) are all out with only Skaggs potentially returning this month.

Their biggest name on the IL is, of course, Shohei Ohtani, both a hitter and a pitcher. He should be back early next month as a hitter only while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Player Spotlight: Mike Trout

If you don’t want to marvel about Mike Trout, skip two paragraphs down. Trout doesn’t have the best wRC+ in baseball, but his 221 mark is right near the top. He tops the American League in fWAR and bWAR, has an unreal .333/.524/.719 batting line and walks more than he strikes out.

In fact, Trout walks in nearly a fourth of his plate appearances, 24.4 percent to be exact. He’s cut down on his stolen base attempts this season — though he is 1-for-1 in steals — while remaining a force in center field. There isn’t a player right now that hits as well as he does, and it’s a credit to the New Jersey product that he maintains his excellence in the field.

Milestone Watch

Albert Pujols is the active leader in home runs, RBI and GIDP, among other categories, and he may move up the all-time RBI list this series. According to Baseball Reference, he is seventh with 1,993 RBI. Lou Gehrig had 1,995 in his career while Barry Bonds is in fifth place with 1,996. The Yankees obviously would like to delay his passing of the Iron Horse or all-time home run champ, but be on the lookout for Pujols this week.

Potential Lineup

The Yankees are starting two lefties this series, so here’s the lineup for LHPs. Kole Calhoun leads off against righties while backup catcher Kevan Smith (126 wRC+) started at DH against LHP Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday. LHB Brian Goodwin (180 wRC+) also gets time in LF against RHPs, as does 2B Tommy La Stella (148 wRC+).

  1. David Fletcher, 2B (.299/.347/.403, 104 wRC+)
  2. Mike Trout, CF (.333/.524/.719, 221 wRC+)
  3. Andrelton Simmons, SS (.273/.281/.398, 81 wRC+)
  4. Albert Pujols, DH (.238/.351/.429, 114 wRC+)
  5. Justin Bour, 1B (.203/.319/.305, 79 wRC+)
  6. Jonathan Lucroy, C (.297/.328/.328, 82 wRC+)
  7. Kole Calhoun, RF (.184/.271/.395, 80 wRC+)
  8. Peter Bourjos, LF (.103/.122/.128, -40 wRC+)
  9. Zack Cozart, 3B (.102/.141/.119, -33 wRC+)
Cahill. (Getty Images)

Pitching Matchups

Monday (10:07 PM ET): LHP J.A. Happ (vs. Angels) vs. RHP Matt Harvey (vs. Yankees)

Harvey got a fresh start with the team of his choosing this offseason, but his troubles on the mound followed him across the country. Through four starts, the former ace has allowed 21 runs (20 earned) in 18 2/3 innings. His WHIP is a hair under 2.00 and he’s surrendered four home runs. he hasn’t made it through five innings since his first start.

The former future Yankee averages 94 mph on his fastball, down about two mph from its 2015 peak. His slider, which he throws 30 percent of the time, sits in the mid-to-high 80s with a changeup and curveball mixed in.

If you’re looking for a silver lining for Harvey, his FIP is 5.99, a good 3.65 runs lower than his ERA. Furthermore, he’s had to face the Athletics, Rangers and Brewers thus far, each sporting a much better offense than the one he’ll see tonight.

Harvey. (Baseball Savant)

Tuesday (10:07 PM ET): RHP Domingo German (vs. Angels) vs. RHP Chris Stratton (vs. Yankees)

Stratton hasn’t had a much better go of it than Harvey in his new digs after a few seasons with the Giants. The right-hander has allowed 14 runs over 18 innings in four starts while walking more (13) than he’s struck out (11). Unlike Harvey, his WHIP is exactly 2.00.

Though Stratton had some walk issues in the past, they weren’t this extreme. Either his control is gone or there’s a semi-return to form coming. When the ball has been put in play, he’s been able to avoid hard contact this season, even if that wasn’t the case last year.

The 28-year-old has cut back on his low-90s fastball usage, relying more on his slider and curveball with the Angels. He also uses a changeup, though his high-spin fastball is his calling card.

Stratton. (Baseball Savant)

Wednesday (10:07 PM ET): LHP CC Sabathia (vs. Angels) vs. RHP Felix Pena (vs. Yankees)

Pena has been the Angels’ best healthy starter, sporting a 4.15 ERA through four starts, though he’s also only accumulated 17 1/3 innings. His control has been more suspect than last year, leading baseball with three HBPs while his walk rate has climbed by 2.4 percent in a small sample.

He’s actually outperformed his peripherals. He allows plenty of hard contact and has an FIP of 6.21 thanks to more than two homers per nine and just 14 strikeouts this season.

Pena attacks with a low-90s fastball half the time and then uses his low-80s curve another 40 percent of the time, using his changeup the rest of the way.

Pena. (Baseball Savant)

Thursday (9:07 PM ET) RHP Masahiro Tanaka (vs. Angels) vs. RHP Trevor Cahill (vs. Yankees)

Cahill finally did it last season: He beat the Yankees. After six disastrous outings previously, he allowed just three runs over five innings to top the Bombers last Labor Day. That lowered his ERA against the Bombers to … 10.09. Yikes.

However, much of his history with the Yankees came against players long gone or off the roster. Luke Voit homered in one of two ABs against him last year while Brett Gardner has reached seven times.

Maybe this Yankee lineup can shake him out of an early-season malaise. Cahill has allowed a league-high eight home runs while otherwise looking like the successful starter from a year ago. Primarily a groundball pitcher, he’s allowed more flyballs than grounders this year. The right-hander has gone to his offspeed stuff more often than ever, using his fastball just 40 percent of the time.

Cahill. (Baseball Savant)

Bullpen Status

Anaheim carries eight relievers with former Indians reliever Cody Allen taking closing duties. Like in Cleveland, he’s been shaky with walks but remains the closer for now. That role could change after he allowed a homer to his only batter Sunday.

The Angels have only righties in their pen. Cam Bedrosian, Hansel Robles, Luis Garcia and Ty Buttrey work in middle relief with Buttrey and Garcia combining to allow just one run in 18 2/3 innings. Noe Ramirez had been going well until allowing four runs in 1 2/3 innings yesterday.

Luke Bard (yes, Daniel’s brother) and Taylor Cole are lower leverage relievers for the club

Keys for the series

Starting off strong

With a full lineup worth of hitters on the injured list, the Yankees are reliant on their starting pitching. Luckily, based on the last week, that is starting to round into shape. They need to stay strong in Angel Stadium and deal with …

Trout

This is obvious, but you can’t let Trout beat you. Add to his league-leading walk total if you must, but don’t let him beat you. Force Simmons, Pujols and Bour to knock you out. This is so much easier said than done.

Health

Can we go one series without another major injury? Is that too much to ask?

4/18 to 4/21 Series Preview: Kansas City Royals

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We are all Whitnesses. (Getty Images)

After two games with the Red Sox, the Yankees close out their homestand with four games against the last-place Royals.

Their Story So Far

Kansas City is just four years removed from winning the World Series, but you wouldn’t know it looking at the roster. On the 25-man roster, only Alex Gordon remains. The Royals’ record, 6-12 coming into Thursday’s action, reflects the overhaul as the team goes into another rebuild.

Their offense has been right near league average with a 99 wRC+ while leading baseball with 20 stolen bases. Their pitching staff is more of a problem. The Royals’ 5.34 collective ERA is tied for 24th in all of baseball while the bullpen has a 6.37 ERA, third-worst in MLB.

Injury Report

Catcher Salvador Perez is out for the season with Tommy John surgery while pitchers Trevor Oaks and Jesse Hahn are on the 60-day IL with hip and elbow issues, respectively.

On the 10-day IL, starter Danny Duffy is working his way back from left shoulder tightness and is making a rehab start this weekend. Reliever Brian Flynn is out with left elbow soreness.

Players Spotlight: Alex Gordon and Whit Merrifield

If you’ve heard one thing about the Royals this season, it was likely about Merrifield surpassing 30 games with his hitting streak dating back to last season. However, there’s more to Whit than just hitting. He’s able to play all over the field. He hits for average, not too much power, and steals a lot of bases. He led the American League in steals each of the past two seasons. He’s everything you want in a leadoff hitter.

Meanwhile, Gordon has had a late-career resurgence starting with the last two months of 2018. He still struggles against same-sided pitchers, but he’s hitting .339 with a 1.008 OPS to begin the season, hitting three homers after just 22 over the last two seasons. In his final year under contract, Gordon would be valuable even if his bat was falling flat; Gordon is a wizard in the field, having won six Gold Gloves in left field, including the last two years.

Potential Lineup

  1. Whit Merrifield, 2B (.320/.350/.493, 123 wRC+)
  2. Adalberto Mondesi, SS (.254/.289/.507, 106 wRC+)
  3. Alex Gordon, LF (.339/.427/.581, 172 wRC+)
  4. Hunter Dozier, 3B (.298/.388/.596, 160 wRC+)
  5. Ryan O’Hearn, 1B (.163/.339/.306, 83 wRC+)
  6. Jorge Soler, RF (.221/.284/.471, 99 wRC+)
  7. Lucas Duda, DH (.200/.359/.433, 111 wRC+)
  8. Martin Maldonado, C (.174/.269/.239, 43 wRC+)
  9. Billy Hamilton, CF (.213/.283/.213, 39 wRC+)

The team has some positional flexibility with Dozier and Duda able to man first base and Merrifield able to play middle infield or all around the outfield. Chris Owings is a utility player while backup catcher Cam Gallagher and pinch runner/outfielder Terrance Gore man the bench.

Junis. (Getty Images)

Pitching Matchups

Thursday (6:35 PM ET): RHP Domingo German vs. RHP Homer Bailey

Bailey seems like he’s been around forever, but he’s just 32 years old, having spent much of the last four seasons on the disabled list. From 2015-18, he started just 46 games for the Reds, going 9-27 with a 6.25 ERA in 231 2/3 innings.

The veteran righty has been able to avoid the IL this season, but the results haven’t changed. He brings a 5.29 ERA into this series with three home runs in 17 innings. His strikeout rate has been surprisingly prolific, fanning 21 in those 17 frames after just 75 strikeouts over 106 1/3 innings last season.

He still works with a 93 mph heater while going offspeed about half the time with his mid-80s splitter his key secondary offering. He’ll also mix in a slow curve and a hard slider.

Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner are 4-for-7 with a walk against Bailey. German has only faced Maldonado, who he struck out in 2017.

Bailey (Baseball Savant)

Friday (7:05 PM ET): LHP CC Sabathia (vs. Royals) vs. RHP Jakob Junis (vs. Yankees)

This matchup comes in with an unfortunate narrative already baked in: Junis is the pitcher who hit Aaron Judge in the wrist last summer and caused him to miss more than a month of games. The HBP didn’t appear intentional, yet Junis got death threats for injuring the Yankee slugger.

On the mound, he’s been a bit unlucky this season. The right-hander has pitched to a 3.55 FIP but has a 6.14 ERA. His strikeout rate has improved in each of his three MLB seasons — he’s at 24.5 percent through four starts — while his walk rate has hovered around six percent.

Junis faced the Yankees twice last season, beating them in Kansas City before getting pounded for seven runs in the Bronx. The big blow in the New York start was a grand slam by Didi Gregorius. Get well soon, Didi!

Junis. (Baseball Savant)

Saturday (1:05 PM ET): Masahiro Tanaka (vs. Royals) vs. Heath Fillmyer (vs. Yankees)

Fillmyer has been thrust into the Royals’ rotation with Duffy on the mend and will be making his third start of the season Saturday. He struggled against the upstart Mariners in his first appearance before settling down with an OK start (three runs, one walk, two Ks in five innings) against the White Sox.

The young right-hander works off a low-90s fastball and sinker with 20 percent sliders, 13 percent curves and 14 percent changeups. Statcast doesn’t rate him well as he’s allowed a bottom third percentile exit velocity (93.6 mph) in his eight innings and has a low strikeout and hard hit rate. Let’s see a larger sample before making definitive judgment.

Fillmyer is a local product. He is from Roebling, N.J. and attended Mercer County Community College, not too far from the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate Trenton Thunder.

Fillmyer (Baseball Savant)

Sunday (1:05 PM ET) James Paxton (vs. Royals) vs. Jorge Lopez (Never faced Yankee batters)

Lopez is a product of the Royals’ rebuild, coming over in the Mike Moustakas trade in July. The 26-year-old starter actually debuted in the Majors for Milwaukee in 2015 but didn’t get an extended opportunity to start until after the traded.

Like seemingly everyone in baseball, he’s struck out more batters this season while being prone to the long ball. Extremely prone. He’s allowed six homers in 23 innings. The White Sox produced five of the those homers across his two starts against the Southsiders. Still, he produced a career-high 10 strikeouts in his last outing in Chicago.

Lopez has a fastball averaging 93 mph (down one mph from last season) and turns to that and his sinker about half of the time, filling in the gaps mostly with his low-80s curveball.

Lopez. (Baseball Savant)

Bullpen Status

Though there are many, if you want to pinpoint one weakness on the roster, it’s the bullpen. Kansas City leads baseball in losses where the team held the lead, though the Yankees aren’t far behind. Their starters outside Brad Keller, who the Yankees miss, have been middling to bad and the bullpen hasn’t been much better.

Kansas City’s eight-man bullpen has a clear division with four veterans and four youngsters. Right-handers Wily Peralta and Brad Boxberger are relievers with late-inning bona fides while Ian Kennedy has transitioned from the rotation to the bullpen. Left-hander Jake Diekman can work as a matchup lefty or get RHBs out. Of those pitchers, Kennedy has had the best start to the season while Peralta and Boxberger have ERAs above 7.00.

On the young side, right-handers Glenn Sparkman and Jake Newberry have had poor starts in limited innings while second-year righty Scott Barlow has been a pleasant surprise with a 2.57 ERA over seven innings. Lefty Richard Lovelady debuted earlier this April and has a 16.20 ERA in 1 2/3 innings.

Keys for the weekend

Take Three of Four (or More)

The Royals have the second-worst record in the American League (Boston is worse) and they’ve played like it. The Yankees need to keep winning series, home or away, against inferior competition if they want to make up their early deficit to Tampa Bay.

Speeding Tickets

Kansas City can run. Merrifield led baseball in stolen bases last season while Hamilton has 264 stolen bases over the last five seasons. Off the bench, Gore has been known for his pinch-running prowess. With pitchers like Adam Ottavino not known for holding runners, KC could feast this weekend.

4/16 to 4/17 Series Preview: Boston Red Sox

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Always Betts on Mookie. (Getty Images) 

Which is a worse sign: Playing poorly with your same team as last year or playing poorly with a similar team that is riddled with injuries? Welcome to Yankees-Red Sox 2019.

Their Story Thus Far

After winning 108 games and the World Series a year ago, the Red Sox slump into Yankee Stadium with a 6-11 record. They have the worst run differential in the AL at -32 runs and have given up 6.24 runs per game. Their bullpen has actually been middle of the pack while their starting pitching has let them down with a 7.17 ERA, the worst in baseball. Only David Price (3.79) has an ERA under 7.98 within their regular rotation.

Meanwhile, Boston’s lineup has been disappointing. J.D. Martinez is, more ore less, duplicating his results of a year ago while Xander Bogaerts and Mitch Moreland are both off to hot starts. However, Mookie Betts hasn’t been his All-Star/MVP self (more on that below) while Jackie Bradley Jr. hasn’t hit a lick. In total, the offense that set the world on fire in 2018 in 23rd in the league with an 83 wRC+.

Player Spotlight: Mookie Betts

Through 17 games, Betts hasn’t quite hit like himself. For Boston, that’s OK; it’s only mid-April. The question, however, is whether Betts will return to his 2016/2018 MVP-esque level or will be the 2015/2017 All-Star deserving version of himself.

The 26-year-old outfielder has six extra-base hits and has a .222 average a year after winning the batting title. Part of that is simply BABIP luck: He has a .229 BABIP after a .368 mark a year ago.

Yet, there are some underlying questions. His walk rate is right in between his 2017 and ’18 marks, though it’s still impressive at 12.2 percent. His strikeouts, meanwhile, have continued to rise as a mildly alarming trend. His average exit velocity is down from 92.2 in 2018 to 90.0 mph this season.

Perhaps Betts is just a hot week from re-establishing himself. With plenty of struggling players surrounding him, Boston could use the boost. Five of his eight hits have gone for extra bases in 36 ABs against Wednesday starter J.A. Happ.

Injury Report

Andrew Benintendi (foot contusion) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (flu) were both held out of the Patriots’ Day game and are day-to-day. Brock Holt (scratched cornea) should begin a rehab assignment this week while reliever Brian Johnson is on the 10-day IL with elbow inflammation.

Potential Lineup

  1. Andrew Benintendi, LF (.293/.364/.448, 117 wRC+)
  2. Mookie Betts, RF (.222/.324/.413, 94 wRC+)
  3. Steve Pearce, 1B (.125/.176/.125, -23 wRC+)
  4. J.D. Martinez, DH (.344/.417/.563, 159 wRC+)
  5. Xander Bogaerts, SS (.304/.403/.500, 143 wRC+)
  6. Rafael Devers, 3B (.254/.343/.305, 81 wRC+)
  7. Dustin Pedroia, 2B (.105/.150/.105, -39 wRC+)
  8. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF (.149/.196/.170, -7 wRC+)
  9. Christian Vazquez, C (.195/.233/.415, 58 wRC+)

Though the Yankees are starting two lefties, I doubt Pearce starts over Moreland (151 wRC+) in both games. Bradley’s illness could open the door for Pearce or Martinez to play the outfield and Moreland to man first.

Oh my god! We’re having a fire … Sale. (Getty Images) (They can’t fire me for puns, right?)

Pitching Matchups

Tuesday (6:35 PM ET) James Paxton (vs. Red Sox) vs. Chris Sale (vs. Yankees)

Sale’s dreadful beginning to 2019 has been one of the biggest stories not just for the Red Sox, but for baseball. The lanky lefty received a $145 million extension this offseason and the Red Sox treated him carefully this spring, cutting down on his workload after he ended 2018 later than ever (the Fall Classic will do that) and with shoulder issues.

Boston lined him up to start in this series. The Sox did the same thing a year ago and it was intimidating. Now, with Sale owning a 9.00 ERA, a 7.31 FIP and an alarming drop in swinging strikes, it could be an opportunity for the Bombers.

His velocity on his four-seamer is down 3.4 mph from 2018 to just 91.3 mph in three starts. Now, his velo was down to start 2018, but not nearly this much and hitters have made him pay. He got his first swinging strike on a fastball in his third start and has a 6.5 percent K-BB rate after posting a 31.9 percent mark from 2017-18 to lead baseball by a healthy margin.

It isn’t just the velocity; His command has also been suspect. Rachael McDaniel detailed it well for Fangraphs, but he hasn’t had good location on his slider, leaving it up in the zone. Can he regain his fastball, slider and his season? The Yankees, or what’s left of them, will be a tough test.

Sale (Baseball Savant)

Wednesday (6:35 PM ET) J.A. Happ (vs. Red Sox) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (vs. Yankees)

Just like Sale, Eovaldi had the Yankees’ number a year ago and beat them in the postseason. I don’t need to remind you about ALDS Game 3, right? Good.

Well, Eovaldi has arguably been worse than Sale this season. He’s allowed six home runs in 15 innings, going just five innings in each of his three starts. He has 10 strikeouts and 10 walks, an 8.40 ERA and a 9.22 FIP.

The velocity on his four-seamer and cutter (high and low 90s, respectively) are about the same as last season with his splitter and slider down a couple of mph and curveball up half a mph. Still, batters have beat up on his signature cutter, owning a .941 slugging percentage against his second-most-used pitch.

Again, he was especially good against the Yanks last season, so the matchup favors him, but Eovaldi has had a rough 2019 thus far.

Eovaldi (Baseball Savant)

Bullpen Status

As you likely know, Alex Cora doesn’t have an established closer, instead mining for matchups without Craig Kimbrel under contract. Here’s my best guess as to how the bullpen hierarchy works:

Highest leverage: Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes

Medium to high leverage: Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree and Tyler Thornburg, in descending order of average leverage index this season

Medium to low leverage: Colten Brewer and Erasmo Ramirez.

Long man/spot starter: Hector Velazquez

Velazquez started and went three innings in Patriots’ Day game Monday, so he’s likely unavailable for series. Brewer and Ramirez, the latter just called up, are newer names and have had mixed results for Boston thus far. (Ramirez has previously served as a starter and can provided length out of the bullpen.) Brasier and Barnes, meanwhile, have been strong, as has Brandon Workman who has yet to give up a run.

Brewer, Workman, Hembree and Thornburg each threw one inning Monday and should be available to relieve Sale on Tuesday if the need arises.

Keys to watch

Sale’s slider

Watching on TV, Sale’s velocity will be a constant topic of conversation. I’d guess it’ll still be hovering in the low 90s. But the focus, at least to me, should be on his slider command. If he can get his back-foot slider going to righties, the left-hander can still be effective at lower velocity. If he can’t locate it, the Yankees should tee off.

Calling on quality

Can the Yankees get a quality start? They’ve gotten three this season and neither Happ nor Paxton have completed six innings.

Quality starts as a stat are clunky, but the lack of QSs underline an issue for New York: They’re getting very little length out of their starters, 4.84 innings per start, to be exact. With Dellin Betances out and Chad Green struggling to perform, the team can’t afford to overload its bullpen, no matter its preseason hype. Six innings from either Paxton or Happ would be an upgrade.

4/12 to 4/14 Series Preview: Chicago White Sox

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The hottest hitter in baseball, Tim Anderson. (Getty Images)

Sweeps, sweeps are no fun unless you brought one for everyone. Luckily, both the Yankees and White Sox were swept to start the week, so something has to give.

Their Story So Far

At 3-8, the White Sox have the second-worst record in the American League, only ahead of the Royals. They come into Friday’s action having lost five straight to the Mariners and Rays. In 11 games, the Southsiders have allowed 77 runs, an alarming seven per game.

What makes the White Sox interesting? Shortstop Tim Anderson is hitting .514 through 38 plate appearances. Eloy Jimenez is the second-most-hyped rookie in the AL and Yoan Moncada still has some high upside. Jose Abreu may be the best first-base upgrade available on the trade market this summer. If you’re looking for pitching potential, look to their IL or the Minor Leagues.

Injury Report

Top pitching prospect Michael Kopech is recovering from Tommy John surgery after his elbow blew out in his first month in The Show last season. He’s done for the year.

Meanwhile, RHP Ian Hamilton (right shoulder inflammation) and journeyman outfielder Jon Jay (right hip strain) are on 10-day injured list.

Pitching Matchups

The Yankees haven’t announced starters for Friday and Sunday, so I tried to fill in the blanks.

Friday (7:05 PM ET): J.A. Happ (vs. White Sox) vs. Lucas Giolito (vs. Yankees)

Since the start of 2018, here is where Lucas Giolito ranks among qualified starters

  • 2nd worst in fWAR (0.2)
  • Worst ERA (6.10)
  • 2nd worst FIP (5.44)
  • 2nd worst xFIP (5.32, behind only teammate Reynaldo Lopez)
  • 2nd worst walk rate (11.6%)
  • Worst K-BB rate (5.1%)

Giolito has been positively dreadful since a promising Chicago debut in 2017. He’s still just 24 years old, but the numbers are staggering. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has the height of a Yankees reliever but nowhere near the results. His strikeouts have increased in the small sample of 2019, but he’s still walking more than four per nine.

He sits around 93 mph with his fastball he throws more than half the time while using a changeup, curve and slider nearly equally among offspeed offerings. The four-seamer has a significant rise in spin rate (2094 rpm in 2018 vs. 2197 rpm in 2019), though that may be a tracking error with him eschewing his lower-spin sinker.

Giolito (Baseball Savant)

Saturday (1:05 PM ET): CC Sabathia (vs. White Sox) vs. Ivan Nova (vs. Yankees)

Welcome back my friend to the show that never ends. Since Nova was traded from New York in 2016, he’s had one appearance against the Yanks, beating them in Pittsburgh the following April. This will be his triumphant return to the Bronx.

Nova is now a veteran innings eater after turning 32 in January. He had one great start (7 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K) vs. the Indians and one awful one against the world-beating Mariners. I don’t know if you can really judge him based off those results, though his velocity is down about one mph across the board, his fastball sitting at 91.7 mph.

He hasn’t changed his approach too much from his time in New York, still throwing fastballs and sinkers about two-thirds of the time. However, he’s lessened his curveball usage this year and re-introduced his slider, which he hasn’t used since 2012-13. He also uses his mid-80s changeup more often than ever at 11.5 percent.

Nova (Baseball Savant)

Sunday (1:05 PM ET) Domingo German (vs. White Sox) vs. Carlos Rodon (vs. Yankees)

If the White Sox have an above-average starter, it’s Rodon. The former No. 3 overall pick is now an arbitration-eligible veteran of 26 years old in his fifth year in the bigs.

In the past, he’s been a four-pitch starter: Four-seamer, slider, changeup and sinker. This season, he’s reduced it to two, throwing the four-seamer and slider for nearly 94 percent of his pitches. It’s led to a dramatic increase in his strikeout rate with 24 in 16 innings, though his walks are still around four per nine. This change in his arsenal could be the fix that unlocks his potential, or it could be a red herring of early season results.

Through three starts, he has a 3.38 ERA and has struck out at least six batters in each outing. However, he walked five in the last game against Tampa after just one in each of his first two starts. Last Aug. 27, Rodon held the Yankees to two hits (and four walks) over seven innings to earn a victory in the Bronx. Now New York can get some revenge.

Rodon (Baseball Savant)

Potential Lineup

  1. Leury Garcia, RF (.325/.357/.375, 106 wRC+)
  2. Tim Anderson, SS (.514/.526/.730, 255 wRC+)
  3. Jose Abreu, DH (.196/.245/.435, 81 wRC+)
  4. Yonder Alonso, 1B (.121/.326/.212, 69 wRC+)
  5. Wellington Castillo, C (.095/.367/.095, 69 wRC+)
  6. Yoan Moncada, 3B (.319/.360/.617, 166 wRC+)
  7. Eloy Jimenez, LF (.279/.326/.302, 79 wRC+)
  8. Jose Rondon, 2B (.250/.318/.500, 123 wRC+)
  9. Adam Engel, CF (.133/.133/.400, 31 wRC+)

This is a lineup more designed for a left-handed starter. With a righty on the mound, you can guarantee Alonso will be in the lineup while Castillo moves down, Moncada moves up and LH slugger Daniel Palka (0-for-25 this year) often joins the starting nine. Also on the bench is catcher James McCann (101 wRC+) and INF Yolmer Sanchez (-35 wRC+).

Bullpen Status

The White Sox have a veteran duo at the end of their bullpen with Alex Colome closing and Kelvin Herrera setting up. Beyond those two righties, famed Hamilton rival right-hander Ryan Burr, 33-year-old righty Nate Jones and left-hander Jace Fry sit in middle relief.

In long relief, the White Sox right now have rookie Jose Ruiz and veteran Manny Banuelos, who, shameless plug, I wrote about earlier this week after a stellar outing. After optioning former Yankees prospect Caleb Frare on Thursday, they’ll likely call up a fresh bullpen arm for the series.

If we see a lot of Colome and Herrera, it’s a bad sign for the Yankees. That gives you even more reason to root for Banuelos to make his Yankee Stadium debut.

Matchups to watch

Yankees against beatable starters
After facing three strong starters in Houston, the Yankees get a gift with the White Sox in town. They don’t get their two worst starters thus far, Reynaldo Lopez and Ervin Santana, but the top three aren’t a ton better. The middle of the bullpen is ripe for the picking, but the Bombers have to get there first.

Adam Engel vs. the wall
Please. Stop. Robbing. Yankee. Homers.

(MLB)

4/8 to 4/10 Series Preview: Houston Astros

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Verlander (Getty Images)

You’ve tried the rest, now try the best. The Yankees travel to Houston to face arguably the best team in baseball for an early-season showdown.

Their Story So Far

At 5-5, the Astros are off to an uneven start mirroring the Yankees. They dropped three of four in Tampa Bay and two of three to the Rangers before sweeping the Athletics.

On the position player side, Houston has a 114 wRC+ as a team, good for ninth in baseball after finishing right near the top a year ago. The Astros’ pitchers have been as advertised with a 2.49 ERA and MLB-best 23.7 percent K-BB rate before allowing eight runs in a thriller Sunday.

While their rotation has undergone significant upheaval, the team remains largely the same, albeit with the additions of OF Michael Brantley and SP Wade Miley.

Injury Report

The Astros are remarkably healthy. Lance McCullers (Tommy John) and Joe Smith (Achilles) went under the knife this offseason, and they’re the only injured players on the 40-man roster.

Pitching Matchups

Sometimes, you get lucky and you face a team’s worst starters: The Yankees had no such luck. The Astros are bringing their top pitchers into this series.

Monday (7:10 PM ET): Masahiro Tanaka (vs. Astros) vs. Justin Verlander (vs. Yankees)

Locked up for another two years before the season, the 36-year-old Verlander faces the Bombers in his third start of the season. He worked around a solo homer on Opening Day for a win but allowed 10 baserunners in four-plus innings of work in Texas.

The former Cy Young award winner averaged 94.5 mph on his fastball, down from 95.1 a year ago, and turned to his changeup more often in these early starts. However, he’s still a fastball-slider pitcher with the slow curve and only occasional change. The spin rates on his pitches remain close to last season’s pitches.

The Yankees can’t seem to get in good hacks against Verlander, who shut them down to the tune of one run, 19 strikeouts and no walks in 14 2/3 innings in two starts last May. Aaron Judge is 0-for-13 against the right-hander with seven strikeouts while Greg Bird and Brett Gardner each have a homer off him.

Verlander (Baseball Savant)

Tuesday (8:10 PM ET): Jonathan Loaisiga (yet to face ‘Stros) vs. Gerrit Cole (vs. Yankees)

While the Yankees are plenty familiar with Verlander, Cole is a different animal. The former New York first-round pick hasn’t faced the Yankees since 2014 and has a limited history against everyone but D.J. LeMahieu.

Cole is coming off a career year in Houston and has continued despite taking tough luck losses in his first two starts. His 19:3 K:BB ratio tells a different story as the right-hander can rack up strikeouts as much as any pitcher. He primarily works off an upper-90s fastball with a high-80s slider, reflecting Verlander with an occasional curve and changeup.

The spin rate on Cole’s four-seamer has been significantly higher this season (2542 rpm in 2019 vs. 2379 rpm in 2018) and he’s had a higher swing-and-miss rate in the small sample. Meanwhile, he’s yet to give up an extra-base hit on his slider after allowing just 12 a year ago.

Cole (Baseball Savant)

Wednesday (7:40 PM ET) James Paxton (vs. Astros) vs. Collin McHugh (vs. Yankees)

Not only did McHugh start a podcast this winter, but he also moved back into the Astros’ rotation. He was All-Star worthy — although not elected — in a one-year stint in Houston’s bullpen, sporting a 1.99 ERA and striking out 94 batters in 72 1/3 innings. He became a relief ace for the Astros, who needed him fully stretched out after letting Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton leave.

The 31-year-old Georgia native has put together two strong starts to begin the season with 13 strikeouts, four walks and six hits in 11 innings. His fastball velocity has gone back down to right around 90 mph (averaged 92.1 in the bullpen) and he’s responded by utilizing his slider nearly as much as his four-seamer and cutter combined.

His slider and curveball generally work as McHugh’s out-pitches, which has led to his career-low usage of his fastball. He also works in a changeup but primarily goes with the slider, curve, four-seamer and cutter.

McHugh (Baseball Savant)

McHugh is also just a good dude who grows peppers in his garden back home. That isn’t relevant to his pitching, but he is a good follow on social media.

Bregman and Brantley (Getty)

Potential Lineup

Safe to say, this is going to be a step up from the Orioles’ lineup.

  1. George Springer, CF (.300/.356/.550, 159 wRC+ in 45 PAs)
  2. Jose Altuve, 2B (.282/.349/.410, 124 wRC+ in 43 PAs)
  3. Alex Bregman, 3B (.343/.415/.486, 165 wRC+ in 41 PAs)
  4. Michael Brantley, LF (.250/.308/.455, 110 wRC+ in 39 PAs)
  5. Carlos Correa, SS (.259/.310/.481, 127 wRC+ in 29 PAs)
  6. Yuli Gurriel, 1B (.303/.361/.455, 138 wRC+ in 36 PAs)
  7. Josh Reddick, RF (.296/.367/.296, 102 wRC+ in 30 PAs)
  8. Robinson Chirinos, C (.190/.320/429, 119 wRC+ in 26 PAs)
  9. Tony Kemp, DH (.211/.318/.368, 105 wRC+ in 22 PAs)

On the bench, they have RHH Tyler White (94 wRC+), who plays first and DHs along with INF Aledmys Diaz (67 wRC+), OF Jake Marisnick (157 wRC+) and C Max Stassi (-76 wRC+).

Bullpen Status

Houston used closer Roberto Osuna and setup man Hector Rondon for an inning each Sunday while getting two innings from Josh James. James is likely unavailable Monday now having pitched consecutive days.

Osuna’s main setup man is usually the recently-extended Ryan Pressly while Will Harris and Chris Devenski work in middle relief. Framber Valdez and James can give Houston some length after working as starters up until this season.

Matchups to watch

Right-handed aces vs. Yankees’ righty-heavy lineup
The Yankees’ righty-laden nine was felled by the likes of Nathan Eovaldi and Rick Porcello last October and with Houston the overwhelming favorite to win the AL West, the Bombers likely have to go through the trio facing them this weekend. Can they finally catch up to Verlander? It remains to be seen, while their matchup with Cole will be a newer test.

Loaisiga against Houston’s gauntlet
Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton have each proven they can handle this Houston lineup. In fact, Paxton went 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA against a similar lineup a year ago. Loaisiga, however, has never had a start against an offense this potent. He surely won’t be facing them for that long, but whether he can even go two turns through is a question mark.

4/4 to 4/7 Series Preview: Baltimore Orioles

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Trey Mancini and Cedric Mullins. (Getty Images)

The Bronx turned into a house of horrors, so maybe Oriole Park at Camden Yards will treat the Yankees better. The Bombers enter Yankee Stadium south for a Thursday opener before Saturday night and Sunday matinee starts against the high-flying Birds.

Their Story So Far

Predicted to be easily the worst team in baseball this season, the Orioles have scrambled their way to four wins in six games. They put together a four-game winning streak starting with their second game in the Bronx and carrying through until Wednesday afternoon in Toronto. Now, the lackluster O’s carry a share of the AL East division lead into their home opener, trying to take another series from the Yankees.

Injury Report

Alex Cobb is back for the home opener, so that leaves just Mark Trumbo (knee, 60-day IL) and Austin Wynns (oblique, 10-day IL) as the only fallen Birds.

Pitching Matchups

Changing it up with the previews and going to the starters first. The Orioles haven’t announced starters for Saturday and Sunday yet, though Dylan Bundy will assuredly start and Andrew Cashner or David Hess should take the other game.

Cobb (Getty Images)

Thursday (3:05 PM ET): James Paxton (vs. Orioles) vs. Alex Cobb (vs. Yankees)

A late spring groin injury scratched Cobb from Opening Day honors, but the right-hander is back in time to face the Bombers at Camden Yards. His 2018 was disastrous in large part due to a late start. The former Rays starter missed almost all of Spring Training waiting in free agency and didn’t sign until March 21. He pitched to a 13.11 ERA in three April starts, setting the tone for an awful first half in which he went 2-12 with a 6.41 ERA.

Cobb, however, rebounded in a big way in the second half, looking like the changeup-heavy pitcher he was before. Before a blister issue limited him to two innings and four pitches in his final two starts, respectively, he pitched six innings and allowed two or fewer runs in six of seven outings, including two representative outings against the Yankees.

The 31-year-old relies upon his sinker and split-fingered changeup, mixing in a fair number of curves as well. Thanks to the changeup, he has historically had reverse splits and 2018 was no exception, something a healthy Yankees lineup could punish. His groin injury and this being his first start of the year, he’ll likely be limited in his pitch count.

Saturday (7:05 PM ET): J.A. Happ (vs. Orioles) vs. TBD

I’d expect Dylan Bundy to get the call in this start after Nate Karns as an opener started Wednesday. Bundy labored through 11 outs in his first start of the year, an Orioles win thanks to southpaw John Means’ strong relief. The right-hander, however, struggled with control by issuing five walks. He loaded the bases twice, getting out of it once while Means allowed his inherited runners to score in the other case. Still, Bundy fanned seven Yankees, including two punchouts of Aaron Judge.

Bundy is highly susceptible to the long ball, particularly with his home games at OPACY. Still, his normal strikeout and walk rates are passable and make him the most promising starter in the O’s rotation. Bundy, 26, had a 17.3 K-BB% last season and, outside of opening week this year, generally avoids free passes.

Miguel Andujar and Giancarlo Stanton accounted for three of the seven baserunners against Bundy on Sunday, so he’ll be facing a very different lineup this time around.

Sunday (1:05 PM ET) Domingo German (vs. Orioles) vs. TBD

You probably remember Cashner’s start on short rest from Opening Day, so I’ll give you the lowdown on David Hess, who allowed no hits over 6 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays in his first start. Of course, the Orioles bullpen couldn’t finish the no-hitter, blowing it two batters later.

Hess has faced the Yankees twice before, allowing home runs to Aaron Hicks and Luke Voit in an otherwise fine five-inning start last season. The other outing came on Opening Day, when he had two scoreless innings of relief.

The 25-year-old righty is generally allergic to groundballs, allowing a fair number of balls in the air. His pitches has jumped two mph from 2018 to 2019 in a small sample and he generally works with a 94-mph four-seamer and a low-80s slider. Here’s what the slider can look like:

Potential Lineup

The Yankees are trotting out two left-handed starters this series, so let’s project a lineup designed to face southpaws (Note: I’d post their statlines and wRC+, but we’re six games in):

  1. Jonathan Villar, 2B
  2. Dwight Smith Jr., LF
  3. Trey Mancini, RF
  4. Renato Nunez, DH
  5. Rio Ruiz, 3B
  6. Joey Rickard, CF
  7. Chris Davis, 1B
  8. Jesus Sucre, C
  9. Richie Martin, SS

Davis will likely sit against either Paxton or Happ with Rule 5 pick Drew Jackson shifting into the outfield and Mancini to first base. Sucre has gotten almost all the playing time behind the plate while center fielder Cedric Mullins, a lefty, should start on Sunday at least.

As Mike pointed out, this team has one player you’d expect to be above-average at the plate (Mancini). The veteran Villar could be a positive contributor and the rest are young, Rule 5 picks (Martin is the other) or downright bad.

Bullpen Status

New manager Brandon Hyde has been flexible in deploying his relievers at any point in the game, so he’ll likely have his best pitcher, Mychal Givens, in during the highest-leverage spot, or whenever Judge is due up. He hasn’t pitched since throwing 49 pitches (!) Sunday, so he should be fresh if that didn’t injure him.

With Wednesday’s opener game, Jimmy Yacabonis and former Yankee farmhand Matt Wotherspoon each tossed two innings while Richard Bleier got five outs on 14 pitches. That leaves Miguel Castro, Paul Fry and Means ready to go for the opener and, with Friday’s off-day, the rest of the bullpen should be fresh for the weekend.

Basically every pitcher gave the Yankees trouble last weekend, though Givens is certainly the pitcher with the best track record.

Questions for the Weekend

Can the Yankees finally catch a break?

This one is simple, but can the Yankees do what they’re supposed to do, win a series against a bad team and not lose another player in the process? And can someone other than Judge, LeMahieu and Ottavino step up?

Who looks like a keeper on the Orioles?

Fun idea to muse upon: Which of these O’s will be on the next good Baltimore team? Maybe Mancini and then who knows? I’m a sucker for a Rule 5 pick, so I want to see more and more of Martin and Jackson to see if one of them could be anything. They didn’t impress in the first series.