Happy Friday, everyone. The Cubs are back home tonight and looking to keep the good times rolling, and with the struggling Mets coming to town, they might just get their wish. In the meantime, we’ll take a look at what’s happening around baseball. The top stories of the continuing trend of teams extending their breakout rookies, as the Tigers sign Kevin McGonigle to a monster eight-year extension worth $150 million. His (also rich) teammate, Tarik Skubal, teased McGonigle in a press conference, asking
if the rookie would be treating the boys to dinner in Boston.
We also look at the thrilling resurgence of Mike Trout, who had an unreal series against the Yankees, and is reminding everyone of the Mike Trout of old, something I think all baseball fans can enjoy. And one Mariners reporter is getting a lot of heat online for trying to use AI to help her craft her questions.
There’s also an updated starting pitcher ranking to look at, while the Rockies are just trying to keep drones out of their airspace.
So let’s just jump right into it, shall we?
- Dan Szymborski assesses how Ben Rice is dominating against the American League.
- Michael Baumann thinks it’s time for a victory lap over the Brandon Lowe trade.
- Sarah Langs looks at the showmanship put on by Mike Trout and Aaron Judge in the recent Angels/Yankees series.
- Ken Rosenthal likewise waxes poetic about the welcome reminder of Mike Trout’s greatness. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- A Mariners reporter came under fire for using AI to generate post-game interview questions, but she took the flak in stride. (It’s worth noting that said reporter has been doing this since 1997, so while some might not love AI (me), she has certainly proved herself as a capable reporter for almost two decades.) Story by Kristen Wong.
- Drone sightings around Coors Field have authorities issuing serious warnings. (AP)
- A moment that lives in infamy.
- Kiri Oler looks at the pitching arsenal of Seth Lugo.
- Is Taj Bradley an ace? Ben Clemens thinks so.
- A no-hitter lost in the ninth. Tim Stebbins looks at the heartbreaking conclusion of yesterday’s Guardians/Orioles game.
- Eno Sarris has an updated starting pitcher ranking now that we’ve seen several weeks of starts. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Nick Selbe rounds up the most surprising performers in the NL so far this season.
- Stephen J. Nesbitt looks at the insane process major leaguers face when it comes to filing their taxes. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Holy crackers…
- Jay Jaffe breaks down the monster extension of Tigers’ rookie Kevin McGonigle.
- Bryan Hoch reports that Aaron Boone has had his first ejection of the season over a balk.
- Mark Sheldon and Maria Guardado look at the bench-clearing brawl in Thursday’s Giants/Reds game.
- Ken Rosenthal thinks the A’s are going to keep things interesting in the AL West. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- The Dodgers set an MLB spending record in 2025, spending over half a billion dollars in payroll and luxury tax. (AP)
- Cody Stavenhagen explains how the ABS is shrinking the strike zone, leading to an increase in walks. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Getting the real hard-hitting answers here.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.
