MLB.com | Casey Drottar: Though the Yankees suffered a second straight walk-off loss and a series sweep on Sunday, at least one Yankee enjoyed a nice moment. After going hitless with four strikeouts in his first two games, Spencer Jones got his first major league hit in the second inning against Logan Henderson, a 106.4 mph single up the middle that scored José Caballero. Fittingly for Mother’s Day, his mom (along with the rest of his family) was there to cheer him on. Hard to top that in terms of presents,
I imagine. Congratulations, Spencer, and I hope the hits keep coming for you.
MLB.com | Casey Drottar: Another Yankee who achieved an important milestone on Sunday was Carlos Rodón, who made his first start of 2026 after missing the first month of the season while recovering from offseason surgery to remove a bone spur from his left elbow. While his overall line was forgettable – 3 earned runs, 5 strikeouts and 5 walks over 4.1 innings – Drottar points to one undeniably positive sign; Rodón averaged 95.7 mph on his heater during the start, 1.6 mph faster than his 2025 average. If nothing else, this suggests that his elbow is indeed in better shape. If he can improve his control, Rodón might be able to recapture his excellent 2025 form, or maybe even surpass it.
FanGraphs | David Laurila: If you’re a fan of the splitter, you’ll enjoy this interview with Spencer Medick, currently the pitching coach for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RoughRiders, on the various shapes and properties that splitters can have. According to Medick, by generating less spin on their splitters, pitchers can make the pitch “dance” in a way akin to knuckleballs from the batter’s viewpoint. The erstwhile Driveline coach cites Fernando Cruz as an example of a low-spin splitter, while naming Yovanny Cruz and Brendan Beck as current Triple-A hurlers that have the pitch in their arsenal (though their spin rates vary).
The Athletic | Amy Cuddy: ($) Baseball players are a superstitious bunch, and there’s no shortage of stories of weird rituals that escape the confines of the clubhouse – like, for example, Jason Giambi’s lucky gold thong. Here, Cuddy, a social psychologist, sheds some light on why baseball’s characteristics make the sport uniquely conducive to ritualistic behavior, and argues based on neuroscience that rituals may actually help hitters perform.
