These are the biggest news and notes from around MLB:
Schwarber is Raking
Kyle Schwarber has always been a good player, but he has truly been taking things to the next level as of late. His strikeout rate is substantially down, 28% to 20%, while he continues to walk about 15% of the time. The power is always going to be there, but it’s notable that Schwarber is hitting .268 so far this season.
That batting average comes with a .265 BABIP and a .282 xBAwhich bodes well for it sustaining this season. Let’s be real though, it’s the power we are after, and Schwarber continues to deliver there. Through 38 games, he has 14 home runs along with 32 RBI and 30 runs scored. As a nice bonus, after stealing five bases last year, Schwarber is already up to four this year. Quite simply, a .315 ISO is insane to go along with a 57.1% hard hit rate and 14.3% barrel rate.
A Bright Spot in Colorado
Especially after Bud Black was just fired, it’s very difficult to find one. However, we shouldn’t shortchange Hunter Goodman. We have to give credit to the Rockies for sticking with Goodman and providing him with regular playing time behind the plate. However, of even more importance, the catcher is producing.
On Sunday, that was on full display as he finished just a single short of the cycle. After five RBI, Goodman is up to 24 on the season in 39 games. Considering how bad the Rockies truly are this season; that’s not an insignificant accomplishment. Goodman also has six home runs and 22 runs scored while batting .294.
While Goodman does have a 48.2% hard hit rate, he also has an xBA of .217, so we can’t bank on everything we are seeing. However, that doesn’t mean Goodman can’t develop into a top-15 catcher, but we should also note that he’s just 132 games into his big league career.
It’s a small sample size, but four of Goodman’s home runs have come on the road and his RBI totals are essentially even; 11 compared to 13 at home. He’s only hitting slightly better at home, .297 compared to .290, which is better than we can say for a lot of Rockies’ players.
Contreras is Finding His Groove
With catching now out of the equation, Willson Contreras has truly settled into first base for the St. Louis Cardinals. After a slow start to the season, Contreras has settled in by hitting .361 to this point in May. That compares well to his .222 mark from April and he’s already matched the three home runs he hit in the first month of the season. With 11 RBI, he’s up to 24 in total as the Cardinals in general have found their groove.
While Contreras’ average launch angle is down to just degrees, he still is making strong contact with a 11.8% barrel rate. He may not be a true slugging first baseman, but Contreras can be a solid RBI and middle of the order threat.
Welcome to the Big Leagues
When Jordan Lawlar got the call to head back to the big leagues on Monday, it wasn’t his major league debut. However, after struggling in 2023, the top prospect spent all of last year in the minor leagues. Health did play a role as he had just 23 games in total, but Lawlar didn’t do himself any favors by hitting .129 in 14 games in the year prior.
Lawlar is simply oozing potential, and there really wasn’t anything more he could have done in Triple-A. Through 37 games, the infielder was hitting .336 with six home runs, 31 RBI, 38 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. It’s going to be exciting to watch Lawlar in Arizona’s lineup moving forward.
Rice is Making it Tough
The success of Trent Grisham and the upside of Jasson Dominguez is only adding to the equation, but Ben Rice is forcing the New York Yankees’ hand. Quite simply, Rice needs to be in the lineup on a daily basis for New York. Paul Goldschmidt is having an equally strong year, so unless the Yankees decide to get Rice acclimated at third base (as of now that’s not on the table), someone is going to have to sit each night.
Rice is hitting .260 with impressive power, nine home runs, and run production with 20 RBI. He has a .309 ISO. The quality of contact for Rice has been insane with a 20.2% barrel rate and 57.3% hard hit rate. That should point to continued success for Rice.
Freeman Isn’t Going Anywhere
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers does a great job of taking the pressure off any individual player. It’s clear that Freddie Freeman is dealing with some residual issues in his ankle while also dealing with being another year older, but the first baseman still has a lot left to offer.
On Sunday, Freeman went 4-4 with a home run and three more RBI as he continues to be a key offensive piece for the Dodgers. He already has one Injured List stint under his belt, but you would never know it as Freeman’s hitting .376 in 30 games. While his .327 xBA puts a little cold water on that mark, no one would be surprised if Freeman took home the batting title.
What stands out more to me is Freeman’s .734 SLG. That mark is simply outlandish and we can say the same for his .641 xSLG. With a 14.1% barrel rate, Freeman is hitting the ball better than ever and that’s also evidenced by his .358 ISO. Should anyone really be surprised then by nine home runs and 30 RBI? Just book the trip to the All-Star game once again.
Blanco Deals Again
After emerging out of nowhere last year, Ronel Blanco continues to be a strong rotation piece. On Sunday, he saved the Houston Astros’ bullpen by throwing eight innings of shutout ball. Blanco kept the Cincinnati Reds off balance all day by allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out 11.
Last year, Blanco impressed with a 2.80 ERA, so his 4.04 ERA to this point does represent a significant regression. However, his 2.84 xERA tells a different story. Once again, Blanco is striking out a batter per inning, although we do have to keep an eye on the walks, 3.61 per innings.
The bigger problem is always going to be his low ground ball rate. This year it comes in at 33.9% but with just a 29.2% hard hit rate, the poor quality of contact does help Blanco find success.
Relief is Coming for Seattle
Injuries, especially pitching injuries, are an unfortunate fact of life. For the Seattle Mariners, they have been hit especially hard this season with both George Kirby and Logan Gilbert currently sidelined.
The good news though, is that Kirby is on his way back in the very near future. In the case of Kirby, shoulder inflammation sidelined him from Spring Training, so he’s yet to make his 2025 season debut. He likely has one more rehab start at Triple-A left before he makes his way to Seattle. After finishing last year with a 3.93 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 191 innings, his presence is needed.
Don’t Forget About Woodruff, But Be Patient
The tone of this quickly changed over the weekend. Going back a few years, Brandon Woodruff was one of the better pitchers in the game. A shoulder injury then kept him sidelined all of last season, but Woodruff was primed to make his return in the near future. Instead, he developed right ankle tendinitis and we now need to press pause.
After six rehab starts, Woodruff did appear to be ready, and the good news is that this appears to be just a temporary setback.
Canning is Having a Resurgence
After another successful start on Sunday, Griffin Canning is now up to five straight starts in which he allowed either zero or one earned runs. The New York Mets signed Canning to a one year, $4.25 million contract in the offseason, and he’s quickly making that look like one of the biggest bargains. What’s clear, is that Canning’s next contract will be larger if he keeps up this level of success.
Through eight starts, Canning is truly taking advantage of all the Mets’ infrastructure has to offer. He has a 5-1 record while striking out a batter per inning and pitching to a 2.36 ERA. We do have to allow for Canning to get closer to his 3.49 FIP, but even at that mark, will there be any complaints?
Canning has a career low six percent opposing barrel rate against him which has played a large part in his success.