But even with that knowledge, when I took to charting the discrepancies between what the Rockies’ bats were able to do within the cozy confines of Coors contrasted against what those very same bats did when taking their show on the road, it still left me stunned. And while nearly every big leaguer in every season hits way, way better at Coors than they do elsewhere, there’s one notable exception that caught me completely off guard.
Uncover that and enjoy the latest Scattered.
But even with that knowledge, when I took to charting the discrepancies between what the Rockies’ bats were able to do within the cozy confines of Coors contrasted against what those very same bats did when taking their show on the road, it still left me stunned. And while nearly every big leaguer in every season hits way, way better at Coors than they do elsewhere, there’s one notable exception that caught me completely off guard.
Uncover that and enjoy the latest Scattered.
Throughout the more than three decades that Coors Field — home of the Colorado Rockies — has been a part of the MLB universe, it’s consistently bestowed upon baseball fans offensive fireworks the likes of which have never been seen, much to the delight of those who love seeing a deluge of scoring and chagrin of those who yearn for old-school pitching duels. White it’s a well-known fact that the thin air of Denver and its massive outfield have conspired to turn the ballgames played at Coors into a real life video game.
But even with that knowledge, when I took to charting the discrepancies between what the Rockies’ bats were able to do within the cozy confines of Coors contrasted against what those very same bats did when taking their show on the road, it still left me stunned. And while nearly every big leaguer in every season hits way, way better at Coors than they do elsewhere, there’s one notable exception that caught me completely off guard.
Uncover that and enjoy the latest Scattered.
Throughout the more than three decades that Coors Field -- home of the Colorado Rockies…
Bunting in Major League Baseball is the ultimate tool of confirmation bias, stretching from the most anti-analytics “he’s got a great swing” truthers to those who watch baseball on a spreadsheet — all of them can love the bunt.
Traditionalists will enjoy the old-school approach of bunting as a way to advance runners into scoring position. Some who hate the pitcher-dominant game will delight in the refusal to indulge the swing-and-miss world by just not swinging. Others, who love analytics and Moneyball, will point out that bunting in 2026 could be the ultimate edge in a world that has embraced strikeout-embracing power hitting. There’s something for everyone with the bunt.
But is that something actually there? With the 2026 MLB Bunting Revolution very much taking place, we must investigate if the success of the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays is actually due to a statistically significant increase in bunts, or if the Buntassiance is actually a Bunt Mirage. In short: I’m team Bunt Mirage.
First, some rudimentary statistics about bunting in our postmodern society: bunting has increased overall this year, though it would be incorrect to say teams are bunting more across the board. Plenty of MLB teams have actually been bunting less than in 2025, including some powerhouses like the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and the sport’s hottest team: the Philadelphia Phillies. All three essentially never bunt. Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres, who were the MLB’s top bunting team last year at .30 sacrifice bunts per game, have cut that down by two-thirds amid their bid to win the National League West over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is, however, true that the Tampa Bay Rays are bunting more than any team since pitchers stopped hitting in 2021 and the most period since the 2017 Colorado Rockies.
As of this writing, the Rays are 32-15, and hold a three game lead over the bunt-avoidant Yankees in the American League East. This has led to some discussions about if high-contact teams that skimp on power might be the next thing, and it has been heralded with much rejoicing by the bunt community. But I am supremely skeptical.
First and foremost, we are talking about 17 bunts here. Tampa Bay is fourth in the MLB in hits with 416, so right off the bat (pun moderately intended) we are hit with a sample size problem: any suggestion that bunts are correlated with wins relies on a problematically low number of events relative to other data we could be using. Saying “bunting” is why the Tampa Bay Rays are winning is like saying you and your neighbor’s lawn signs specifically swung the local school committee race. Like … maybe, but there were probably more powerful forces at work.
Using data that is sufficiently large, the Rays simply do not have the underlying analytics of the best team in the American League. Offensively, they have the largest positive difference between expected and actual average, slugging, and contact quality. Their pitching has enjoyed similar aberrations, with the best of those expected versus actual metrics from opposing hitters save for slugging, in which they are second-best.
That’s a mouthful, but all any of that really means is that the Rays have been hitting far better and their opponents have been hitting far worse than the data suggests they should be. In short, they’ve been lucky with whatever cosmic, intergalactic soup controls how baseballs fly on any given day. None of those metrics are influenced significantly by their 17 sacrifice bunts, which do not actually count against the hitters on base percentage for some completely unknown reason.
As for bunting itself, I’m not breaking new ground here when I tell you that bunting is almost-always bad for your baseball team. Using fancy-schmancy, albeit a tad-outmoded run-expectancy metrics, we find that all but the most specific sacrifice bunts reduce your chances of scoring runs. When Brad Pitt said “no bunting whatsoever” in Moneyball, that’s what he was talking about.
Using slightly more in-moded win probability metrics and this wonderful thing call the Game Strategy explorer on BaseballSavant.com, we discover that there are sacrifice bunts that increase your win probability, but only hyper specific ones: if there is a runner on second with zero outs and the game is tied in the bottom of the 8th, top of the 9th, bottom of the ninth or bottom of the 10th inning, a sacrifice bunt increases your probability of winning. That is it. It is literally never good when you are winning, it is literally never good if you are losing, it is literally never good anytime before the 8th inning or with more than zero outs, heck it is literally never good when the game is tied in the top of 10th inning. And all of that still implies that the bunt is successful, which is by no means a guarantee. Are you starting to see where I’m coming from?
Most notably, the beloved “bunt with a man on first with no outs” is never a good idea under any circumstances, but I think it’s better to unpack this one intuitively rather than just tell you it’s bad. Why would a manager bunt with a man on first? Because it puts a runner in scoring position roughly 65 percent of the time (the success rate of your average sac bunt attempt). Seems good right? Sure, but that also implies there is a radically better chance of getting an RBI hit in the next at bat rather than the current one, often why you see nine-hole hitters bunt to bring up the top of the order.
And perhaps there is, under extremely specific circumstances, an opportunity to raise your chances of an RBI hit by five to eight percent by bringing up a hitter with a better batting average. But it does not raise your chances of scoring a run, just that of an RBI hit in the next at-bat. And that is not, under any circumstances, worth an entire out. Bunting with a man on first with no outs is an effort by managers to control a game that often feels like a progression of random events. But no data or intuitive explanation supports that strategy.
Much has been written about the specific situations when bunting is good (tied, man on second, no outs, late innings), but just because those situations exist does not mean bunting is broadly a good strategy. In the big picture, laying down these ultra-specific bunts is too rare an occurrence to suggest they are the reasons for wins and losses. It’s just too small a data set and too specific an ask.
I concede that the Rays are constructed basically to ignore power hitting in favor of making contact to keep runners moving, but I do not concede that has anything to do with bunting now being a good idea. The argument for bunting put forth by Rays Manager Kevin Cash that “hitting is (bad word) hard” does not mean bunting has somehow gotten easier — sac bunt success rates has improved since pitchers stopped hitting, but only marginally.
There are specific instances when bunting is good, but I do not believe those instances are common enough nor statistically significant to suggest that bunting is somehow the great edge in Major League Baseball and everyone needs to follow the Rays to bunting Valhalla. It can be surprising and even effective if it results in a bunt-hit, but the skill set required to do that is so rare and esoteric that it is never worthwhile to invest in. I’d rather my hitters just swing the bat, which is cooler, more exciting and, wonderfully, just analytically better.
Bunting in Major League Baseball is the ultimate tool of confirmation bias, stretching from the most anti-analytics “he’s got a great swing” truthers to those who watch baseball on a spreadsheet — all of them can love the bunt.
Traditionalists will enjoy the old-school approach of bunting as a way to advance runners into scoring position. Some who hate the pitcher-dominant game will delight in the refusal to indulge the swing-and-miss world by just not swinging. Others, who love analytics and Moneyball, will point out that bunting in 2026 could be the ultimate edge in a world that has embraced strikeout-embracing power hitting. There’s something for everyone with the bunt.
But is that something actually there? With the 2026 MLB Bunting Revolution very much taking place, we must investigate if the success of the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays is actually due to a statistically significant increase in bunts, or if the Buntassiance is actually a Bunt Mirage. In short: I’m team Bunt Mirage.
First, some rudimentary statistics about bunting in our postmodern society: bunting has increased overall this year, though it would be incorrect to say teams are bunting more across the board. Plenty of MLB teams have actually been bunting less than in 2025, including some powerhouses like the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and the sport’s hottest team: the Philadelphia Phillies. All three essentially never bunt. Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres, who were the MLB’s top bunting team last year at .30 sacrifice bunts per game, have cut that down by two-thirds amid their bid to win the National League West over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is, however, true that the Tampa Bay Rays are bunting more than any team since pitchers stopped hitting in 2021 and the most period since the 2017 Colorado Rockies.
As of this writing, the Rays are 32-15, and hold a three game lead over the bunt-avoidant Yankees in the American League East. This has led to some discussions about if high-contact teams that skimp on power might be the next thing, and it has been heralded with much rejoicing by the bunt community. But I am supremely skeptical.
First and foremost, we are talking about 17 bunts here. Tampa Bay is fourth in the MLB in hits with 416, so right off the bat (pun moderately intended) we are hit with a sample size problem: any suggestion that bunts are correlated with wins relies on a problematically low number of events relative to other data we could be using. Saying “bunting” is why the Tampa Bay Rays are winning is like saying you and your neighbor’s lawn signs specifically swung the local school committee race. Like … maybe, but there were probably more powerful forces at work.
Using data that is sufficiently large, the Rays simply do not have the underlying analytics of the best team in the American League. Offensively, they have the largest positive difference between expected and actual average, slugging, and contact quality. Their pitching has enjoyed similar aberrations, with the best of those expected versus actual metrics from opposing hitters save for slugging, in which they are second-best.
That’s a mouthful, but all any of that really means is that the Rays have been hitting far better and their opponents have been hitting far worse than the data suggests they should be. In short, they’ve been lucky with whatever cosmic, intergalactic soup controls how baseballs fly on any given day. None of those metrics are influenced significantly by their 17 sacrifice bunts, which do not actually count against the hitters on base percentage for some completely unknown reason.
As for bunting itself, I’m not breaking new ground here when I tell you that bunting is almost-always bad for your baseball team. Using fancy-schmancy, albeit a tad-outmoded run-expectancy metrics, we find that all but the most specific sacrifice bunts reduce your chances of scoring runs. When Brad Pitt said “no bunting whatsoever” in Moneyball, that’s what he was talking about.
Using slightly more in-moded win probability metrics and this wonderful thing call the Game Strategy explorer on BaseballSavant.com, we discover that there are sacrifice bunts that increase your win probability, but only hyper specific ones: if there is a runner on second with zero outs and the game is tied in the bottom of the 8th, top of the 9th, bottom of the ninth or bottom of the 10th inning, a sacrifice bunt increases your probability of winning. That is it. It is literally never good when you are winning, it is literally never good if you are losing, it is literally never good anytime before the 8th inning or with more than zero outs, heck it is literally never good when the game is tied in the top of 10th inning. And all of that still implies that the bunt is successful, which is by no means a guarantee. Are you starting to see where I’m coming from?
Most notably, the beloved “bunt with a man on first with no outs” is never a good idea under any circumstances, but I think it’s better to unpack this one intuitively rather than just tell you it’s bad. Why would a manager bunt with a man on first? Because it puts a runner in scoring position roughly 65 percent of the time (the success rate of your average sac bunt attempt). Seems good right? Sure, but that also implies there is a radically better chance of getting an RBI hit in the next at bat rather than the current one, often why you see nine-hole hitters bunt to bring up the top of the order.
And perhaps there is, under extremely specific circumstances, an opportunity to raise your chances of an RBI hit by five to eight percent by bringing up a hitter with a better batting average. But it does not raise your chances of scoring a run, just that of an RBI hit in the next at-bat. And that is not, under any circumstances, worth an entire out. Bunting with a man on first with no outs is an effort by managers to control a game that often feels like a progression of random events. But no data or intuitive explanation supports that strategy.
Much has been written about the specific situations when bunting is good (tied, man on second, no outs, late innings), but just because those situations exist does not mean bunting is broadly a good strategy. In the big picture, laying down these ultra-specific bunts is too rare an occurrence to suggest they are the reasons for wins and losses. It’s just too small a data set and too specific an ask.
I concede that the Rays are constructed basically to ignore power hitting in favor of making contact to keep runners moving, but I do not concede that has anything to do with bunting now being a good idea. The argument for bunting put forth by Rays Manager Kevin Cash that “hitting is (bad word) hard” does not mean bunting has somehow gotten easier — sac bunt success rates has improved since pitchers stopped hitting, but only marginally.
There are specific instances when bunting is good, but I do not believe those instances are common enough nor statistically significant to suggest that bunting is somehow the great edge in Major League Baseball and everyone needs to follow the Rays to bunting Valhalla. It can be surprising and even effective if it results in a bunt-hit, but the skill set required to do that is so rare and esoteric that it is never worthwhile to invest in. I’d rather my hitters just swing the bat, which is cooler, more exciting and, wonderfully, just analytically better.
Bunting in Major League Baseball is the ultimate tool of confirmation bias, stretching from the…
Selection Monday is just one week away, but until the field of 64 teams is announced, there is just one small matter of business.
The conference tournaments.
While the Patriot League begins play on Monday, the bulk of the conference tournaments kick off on Tuesday, including the ACC Tournament. The ACC is expected to get a host of teams into the field of 64, with some of the latest projections focusing on nine teams, but there are some teams that need a deep run this week in Charlotte to improve their chances of getting into the tournament. According to some of the latest projections three teams in particular — Clemson, Pittsburgh, and NC State — begin the week on the bubble.
Here is a look at how the ACC baseball tournament works, the bracket, and more.
All 16 teams that play baseball in the ACC qualify for the ACC conference tournament. Syracuse and SMU do not currently field baseball teams.
The top four teams in the standings — Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, and Boston College — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4 and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Miami, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Virginia — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.
The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.
All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s ACC Championship Game.
Here are the seedings for the 2026 ACC baseball tournament, along with conference records:
1. Georgia Tech (25-5)
2. North Carolina (22-8)
3. Florida State (19-11)
4. Boston College (18-14)
5. Miami (16-14)
6. Wake Forest (16-14)
7. Virginia Tech (15-15)
8. Virginia (14-16)
9. NC State (14-16)
10. Notre Dame (13-17)
11. Louisville (13-17)
12. Stanford (13-17)
13. California (12-18)
14. Pittsburgh (11-19)
15. Clemson (10-20)
16. Duke (10-20)
Here is the bracket for this year’s ACC baseball tournament, courtesy of the ACC:
We start at the top of the standings with Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off the greatest regular season in school history. Georgia Tech polished off its second consecutive regular-season title this weekend, sweeping Boston College on the road to clinch the regular-season conference championship. And they closed out the regular season with another run-rule victory, defeating Boston College by a final score of 15-2 in just seven innings. It was the sixth sweep of an ACC series this season, and in those three wins over the Eagles, Georgia Tech won by a combined score of 38-3, the most lopsided sweep over a Top 25 opponent in school history.
The Yellow Jackets can absolutely mash, and enter the conference tournament leading all of baseball in several offensive categories including batting average (.358), hits (674), on-base percentage (.469), scoring (10.7 runs per game), and slugging percentage (.630).
However, the Yellow Jackets are the No. 3 team in the country according to the latest Top 25 from D1 Baseball, as North Carolina clocks in at No. 2. While Georgia Tech finished the year with a 45-9 regular-season record North Carolina came in at 43-10-1. When these two teams met in Chapel Hill back in mid-April, North Carolina took two games of the three-game series.
Here is the schedule, and scores, for the ACC baseball tournament.
All games are in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.
First Round: Tuesday, May 19
Game 1: No. 16 Duke 21, No. 9 NC State 12 (NC State eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Stanford 11, No. 13 California 4 (California eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10 Notre Dame 5, No. 15 Clemson 4 (Clemson eliminated)
Game 4: No. 14 Pittsburgh 16, No. 11 Louisville 8 (Louisville eliminated)
Second Round: Wednesday, May 20
Game 5: No. 16 Duke vs. No. 8 Virginia, 9:00 a.m., Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Stanford vs. No. 5 Miami, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 8: No. 14 Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Wake Forest, 9:00 p.m., Eastern
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia Tech, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Boston College, 7:00 p.m., Eastern
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Florida State, 7:00 p.m., Eastern
Semifinals: Saturday, May 23
Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Championship: Sunday, May 24
Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 12:00 p.m., Eastern
Selection Monday is just one week away, but until the field of 64 teams is announced, there is just one small matter of business.
The conference tournaments.
While the Patriot League begins play on Monday, the bulk of the conference tournaments kick off on Tuesday, including the ACC Tournament. The ACC is expected to get a host of teams into the field of 64, with some of the latest projections focusing on nine teams, but there are some teams that need a deep run this week in Charlotte to improve their chances of getting into the tournament. According to some of the latest projections three teams in particular — Clemson, Pittsburgh, and NC State — begin the week on the bubble.
Here is a look at how the ACC baseball tournament works, the bracket, and more.
All 16 teams that play baseball in the ACC qualify for the ACC conference tournament. Syracuse and SMU do not currently field baseball teams.
The top four teams in the standings — Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, and Boston College — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4 and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Miami, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Virginia — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.
The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.
All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s ACC Championship Game.
Here are the seedings for the 2026 ACC baseball tournament, along with conference records:
1. Georgia Tech (25-5)
2. North Carolina (22-8)
3. Florida State (19-11)
4. Boston College (18-14)
5. Miami (16-14)
6. Wake Forest (16-14)
7. Virginia Tech (15-15)
8. Virginia (14-16)
9. NC State (14-16)
10. Notre Dame (13-17)
11. Louisville (13-17)
12. Stanford (13-17)
13. California (12-18)
14. Pittsburgh (11-19)
15. Clemson (10-20)
16. Duke (10-20)
Here is the bracket for this year’s ACC baseball tournament, courtesy of the ACC:
We start at the top of the standings with Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off the greatest regular season in school history. Georgia Tech polished off its second consecutive regular-season title this weekend, sweeping Boston College on the road to clinch the regular-season conference championship. And they closed out the regular season with another run-rule victory, defeating Boston College by a final score of 15-2 in just seven innings. It was the sixth sweep of an ACC series this season, and in those three wins over the Eagles, Georgia Tech won by a combined score of 38-3, the most lopsided sweep over a Top 25 opponent in school history.
The Yellow Jackets can absolutely mash, and enter the conference tournament leading all of baseball in several offensive categories including batting average (.358), hits (674), on-base percentage (.469), scoring (10.7 runs per game), and slugging percentage (.630).
However, the Yellow Jackets are the No. 3 team in the country according to the latest Top 25 from D1 Baseball, as North Carolina clocks in at No. 2. While Georgia Tech finished the year with a 45-9 regular-season record North Carolina came in at 43-10-1. When these two teams met in Chapel Hill back in mid-April, North Carolina took two games of the three-game series.
Here is the schedule, and scores, for the ACC baseball tournament.
All games are in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.
First Round: Tuesday, May 19
Game 1: No. 16 Duke 21, No. 9 NC State 12 (NC State eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Stanford 11, No. 13 California 4 (California eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10 Notre Dame 5, No. 15 Clemson 4 (Clemson eliminated)
Game 4: No. 14 Pittsburgh 16, No. 11 Louisville 8 (Louisville eliminated)
Second Round: Wednesday, May 20
Game 5: No. 16 Duke vs. No. 8 Virginia, 9:00 a.m., Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Stanford vs. No. 5 Miami, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 8: No. 14 Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Wake Forest, 9:00 p.m., Eastern
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia Tech, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Boston College, 7:00 p.m., Eastern
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Florida State, 7:00 p.m., Eastern
Semifinals: Saturday, May 23
Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Championship: Sunday, May 24
Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 12:00 p.m., Eastern
Selection Monday is just one week away, but until the field of 64 teams is announced, there is just one small matter of business.
The conference tournaments.
While the Patriot League begins play on Monday, the bulk of the conference tournaments kick off on Tuesday, including the ACC Tournament. The ACC is expected to get a host of teams into the field of 64, with some of the latest projections focusing on nine teams, but there are some teams that need a deep run this week in Charlotte to improve their chances of getting into the tournament. According to some of the latest projections three teams in particular — Clemson, Pittsburgh, and NC State — begin the week on the bubble.
Here is a look at how the ACC baseball tournament works, the bracket, and more.
All 16 teams that play baseball in the ACC qualify for the ACC conference tournament. Syracuse and SMU do not currently field baseball teams.
The top four teams in the standings — Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, and Boston College — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4 and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Miami, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Virginia — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.
The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.
All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s ACC Championship Game.
Here are the seedings for the 2026 ACC baseball tournament, along with conference records:
1. Georgia Tech (25-5)
2. North Carolina (22-8)
3. Florida State (19-11)
4. Boston College (18-14)
5. Miami (16-14)
6. Wake Forest (16-14)
7. Virginia Tech (15-15)
8. Virginia (14-16)
9. NC State (14-16)
10. Notre Dame (13-17)
11. Louisville (13-17)
12. Stanford (13-17)
13. California (12-18)
14. Pittsburgh (11-19)
15. Clemson (10-20)
16. Duke (10-20)
Here is the bracket for this year’s ACC baseball tournament, courtesy of the ACC:
We start at the top of the standings with Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off the greatest regular season in school history. Georgia Tech polished off its second consecutive regular-season title this weekend, sweeping Boston College on the road to clinch the regular-season conference championship. And they closed out the regular season with another run-rule victory, defeating Boston College by a final score of 15-2 in just seven innings. It was the sixth sweep of an ACC series this season, and in those three wins over the Eagles, Georgia Tech won by a combined score of 38-3, the most lopsided sweep over a Top 25 opponent in school history.
The Yellow Jackets can absolutely mash, and enter the conference tournament leading all of baseball in several offensive categories including batting average (.358), hits (674), on-base percentage (.469), scoring (10.7 runs per game), and slugging percentage (.630).
However, the Yellow Jackets are the No. 3 team in the country according to the latest Top 25 from D1 Baseball, as North Carolina clocks in at No. 2. While Georgia Tech finished the year with a 45-9 regular-season record North Carolina came in at 43-10-1. When these two teams met in Chapel Hill back in mid-April, North Carolina took two games of the three-game series.
Here is the schedule, and scores, for the ACC baseball tournament.
All games are in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.
First Round: Tuesday, May 19
Game 1: No. 16 Duke 21, No. 9 NC State 12 (NC State eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Stanford 11, No. 13 California 4 (California eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10 Notre Dame 5, No. 15 Clemson 4 (Clemson eliminated)
Game 4: No. 14 Pittsburgh 16, No. 11 Louisville 8 (Louisville eliminated)
Second Round: Wednesday, May 20
Game 5: No. 16 Duke vs. No. 8 Virginia, 9:00 a.m., Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Stanford vs. No. 5 Miami, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 8: No. 14 Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Wake Forest, 9:00 p.m., Eastern
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia Tech, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Boston College, 7:00 p.m., Eastern
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Florida State, 7:00 p.m., Eastern
Semifinals: Saturday, May 23
Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Championship: Sunday, May 24
Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 12:00 p.m., Eastern
Selection Monday is just one week away, but until the field of 64 teams is…
On Tuesday in Omaha, the Big Ten baseball tournament gets underway.
While the Big Ten is projected to see four teams get into the field of 64, the conference might have the top-overall seed in the UCLA Bruins. UCLA finished the year with a 48-6 record overall, and is the first team in the history of the rankings at D1Baseball.com to go wire-to-wire in the No. 1 spot.
But with Oregon, Nebraska, and USC also expected to earn spots in the field of 64 — and Michigan and Purdue fighting for their tournament lives this week — there are several reasons to keep an eye on this tournament.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Big Ten baseball tournament.
Unlike the ACC baseball tournament, which flipped to a single-eliminaton format for the 2025 season, the Big Ten tournament consists of both a double-elimination portion, and a single-elimination portion.
At the outset, only 12 teams qualified for the Big Ten baseball tournament. Minnesota, Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, and Northwestern will be watching along with the rest of us.
Teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 — Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Rutgers, Washington, and Michigan State — will play a double-elimination tournament with those eight teams split into two brackets of four teams each. Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa, and Illinois are in one while Michigan, Rutgers, Ohio State, and Washington are in the other.
This double-elimination portion will determine the four “qualifiers” for the single-elimination portion. That is when the top four seeds (UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon, and USC) join the fun, for the single elimination portion.
Here is how the teams are seeded, along with their regular season and Big Ten records:
1. UCLA (48-6, 28-2 Big Ten)
2. Nebraska (41-14, 23-7 Big Ten)
3. Oregon (38-15, 20-10 Big Ten)
4. USC (42-14, 20-10 Big Ten)
5. Purdue (35-18, 18-12 Big Ten)
6. Ohio State (29-23, 18-12 Big Ten)
7. Michigan (32-22, 17-13 Big Ten)
8. Iowa (32-21, 15-15 Big Ten)
9. Illinois (28-25, 14-16 Big Ten)
10. Rutgers (26-28, 13-17 Big Ten)
11. Washington (23-31, 12-18 Big Ten)
12. Michigan State (22-31, 11-19 Big Ten)
Here is the bracket for the Big Ten tournament, courtesy of the conference:
As noted above, this tournament features both a double-elimination stage, as well as a single-elimination stage. Teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 participate in the double-elimination stage, leading to the four qualifiers who advance to the single-elimination stage.
We start with the Bruins.
UCLA rolled through its schedule, losing just two games in the Big Ten and six overall. The Bruins won all 14 of their weekend series this season, and the team’s 48 wins set a new program record. Not only did the Bruins win every regular-season series this year, but they were the only program in the nation to take at least two of three games over each weekend series.
Leading the Bruins is shortstop Roch Cholowsky, widely considered the top prospect in this year’s MLB Draft. After slashing .353/.480/.710 during the 2025 season, Cholowsky posted a slash line of .330/.465/.684, while belting 21 home runs. But a big key for UCLA’s season has been the development of Will Gasparino into a true two-way threat. Gasparino was considered one of the best defensive outfielders in the nation, but the transfer from Texas had his best season at the dish for UCLA, slashing .305/.405/.645, all career-high numbers. Add in ace Logan Reddemann and top-flight starter Wylan Moss on the bump, and you have a team built to be the top seed in the nation.
Oregon and Nebraska are both teams that could be hosting regionals come Selection Monday. The Cornhuskers finished second in the Big Ten, and while they did not face the Bruins during the regular season, they finished the year on a seven-game winning streak. In addition, this Nebraska team ended the year with 41 wins, including 23 in the Big Ten, the most conference wins in school history. And this senior-heavy team has enjoyed success before, as the Cornhuskers won the last two Big Ten tournaments.
And they’ll be playing close to home.
As for Oregon, the Ducks are one of just two teams from the Big Ten to beat UCLA this year, the other being Washington just a few days ago. And Oregon is coming off a dramatic win against USC in extra innings, using a squeeze bunt from catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus in the bottom of the 14th to knock off USC 6-5:
Mabeus was also named a semifinalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award on Monday, the first Oregon catcher to be named a semifinalist for the award. He finished the regular season with a slash line of .313/.411/.556, and threw out 10 of the 23 attempted base stealers he saw this year.
Here is the schedule for the 2026 Big Ten baseball Tournament. All games are in Omaha, and the lower-seeded team will be the visiting team in each game.
Game 1: No. 12 Michigan State 8, No. 5 Purdue 4
Game 2: No. 8 Iowa 10, No. 9 Illinois 6
Game 3: No. 7 Michigan 4, No. 10 Rutgers 0
Game 4: No. 11 Washington 8, No. 6 Ohio State 6
Game 5: No. 5 Purdue vs. No. 9 Illinois, 10:00 a.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated)
Game 6: No. 10 Rutgers vs. No. 6 Ohio State, 2:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated)
Game 7: No. 12 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Iowa, 6:00 p.m Eastern (Winner is Qualifier 1)
Game 8: No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 11 Washington, 10:00 p.m. Eastern (Winner is Qualifier 2)
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Loser, 3:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated, Winner is Qualifier 3)
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated, Winner is Qualifier 4)
Friday, May 22 – Single-elimination Bracket
Game 11: No. 4 USC vs. Game 7 Winner/Qualifier 1, 10:00 a.m. Eastern
Game 12: No. 1 UCLA vs. Game 9 Winner/Qualifier 3, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 13: No. 2 Nebraska vs. Game 10 Winner/Qualifier 4, 6:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 14: No. 3 Oregon vs. Game 8 Winner/Qualifier 2, 10:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 15: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 16: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 7:00 p.m. Eastern
Sunday, May 24 – Championship
Game 17: Game 15 Winner vs. Game 16 Winner, 3:00 p.m. Eastern
On Tuesday in Omaha, the Big Ten baseball tournament gets underway.
While the Big Ten is projected to see four teams get into the field of 64, the conference might have the top-overall seed in the UCLA Bruins. UCLA finished the year with a 48-6 record overall, and is the first team in the history of the rankings at D1Baseball.com to go wire-to-wire in the No. 1 spot.
But with Oregon, Nebraska, and USC also expected to earn spots in the field of 64 — and Michigan and Purdue fighting for their tournament lives this week — there are several reasons to keep an eye on this tournament.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Big Ten baseball tournament.
Unlike the ACC baseball tournament, which flipped to a single-eliminaton format for the 2025 season, the Big Ten tournament consists of both a double-elimination portion, and a single-elimination portion.
At the outset, only 12 teams qualified for the Big Ten baseball tournament. Minnesota, Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, and Northwestern will be watching along with the rest of us.
Teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 — Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Rutgers, Washington, and Michigan State — will play a double-elimination tournament with those eight teams split into two brackets of four teams each. Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa, and Illinois are in one while Michigan, Rutgers, Ohio State, and Washington are in the other.
This double-elimination portion will determine the four “qualifiers” for the single-elimination portion. That is when the top four seeds (UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon, and USC) join the fun, for the single elimination portion.
Here is how the teams are seeded, along with their regular season and Big Ten records:
1. UCLA (48-6, 28-2 Big Ten)
2. Nebraska (41-14, 23-7 Big Ten)
3. Oregon (38-15, 20-10 Big Ten)
4. USC (42-14, 20-10 Big Ten)
5. Purdue (35-18, 18-12 Big Ten)
6. Ohio State (29-23, 18-12 Big Ten)
7. Michigan (32-22, 17-13 Big Ten)
8. Iowa (32-21, 15-15 Big Ten)
9. Illinois (28-25, 14-16 Big Ten)
10. Rutgers (26-28, 13-17 Big Ten)
11. Washington (23-31, 12-18 Big Ten)
12. Michigan State (22-31, 11-19 Big Ten)
Here is the bracket for the Big Ten tournament, courtesy of the conference:
As noted above, this tournament features both a double-elimination stage, as well as a single-elimination stage. Teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 participate in the double-elimination stage, leading to the four qualifiers who advance to the single-elimination stage.
We start with the Bruins.
UCLA rolled through its schedule, losing just two games in the Big Ten and six overall. The Bruins won all 14 of their weekend series this season, and the team’s 48 wins set a new program record. Not only did the Bruins win every regular-season series this year, but they were the only program in the nation to take at least two of three games over each weekend series.
Leading the Bruins is shortstop Roch Cholowsky, widely considered the top prospect in this year’s MLB Draft. After slashing .353/.480/.710 during the 2025 season, Cholowsky posted a slash line of .330/.465/.684, while belting 21 home runs. But a big key for UCLA’s season has been the development of Will Gasparino into a true two-way threat. Gasparino was considered one of the best defensive outfielders in the nation, but the transfer from Texas had his best season at the dish for UCLA, slashing .305/.405/.645, all career-high numbers. Add in ace Logan Reddemann and top-flight starter Wylan Moss on the bump, and you have a team built to be the top seed in the nation.
Oregon and Nebraska are both teams that could be hosting regionals come Selection Monday. The Cornhuskers finished second in the Big Ten, and while they did not face the Bruins during the regular season, they finished the year on a seven-game winning streak. In addition, this Nebraska team ended the year with 41 wins, including 23 in the Big Ten, the most conference wins in school history. And this senior-heavy team has enjoyed success before, as the Cornhuskers won the last two Big Ten tournaments.
And they’ll be playing close to home.
As for Oregon, the Ducks are one of just two teams from the Big Ten to beat UCLA this year, the other being Washington just a few days ago. And Oregon is coming off a dramatic win against USC in extra innings, using a squeeze bunt from catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus in the bottom of the 14th to knock off USC 6-5:
Mabeus was also named a semifinalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award on Monday, the first Oregon catcher to be named a semifinalist for the award. He finished the regular season with a slash line of .313/.411/.556, and threw out 10 of the 23 attempted base stealers he saw this year.
Here is the schedule for the 2026 Big Ten baseball Tournament. All games are in Omaha, and the lower-seeded team will be the visiting team in each game.
Game 1: No. 12 Michigan State 8, No. 5 Purdue 4
Game 2: No. 8 Iowa 10, No. 9 Illinois 6
Game 3: No. 7 Michigan 4, No. 10 Rutgers 0
Game 4: No. 11 Washington 8, No. 6 Ohio State 6
Game 5: No. 5 Purdue vs. No. 9 Illinois, 10:00 a.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated)
Game 6: No. 10 Rutgers vs. No. 6 Ohio State, 2:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated)
Game 7: No. 12 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Iowa, 6:00 p.m Eastern (Winner is Qualifier 1)
Game 8: No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 11 Washington, 10:00 p.m. Eastern (Winner is Qualifier 2)
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Loser, 3:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated, Winner is Qualifier 3)
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated, Winner is Qualifier 4)
Friday, May 22 – Single-elimination Bracket
Game 11: No. 4 USC vs. Game 7 Winner/Qualifier 1, 10:00 a.m. Eastern
Game 12: No. 1 UCLA vs. Game 9 Winner/Qualifier 3, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 13: No. 2 Nebraska vs. Game 10 Winner/Qualifier 4, 6:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 14: No. 3 Oregon vs. Game 8 Winner/Qualifier 2, 10:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 15: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 16: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 7:00 p.m. Eastern
Sunday, May 24 – Championship
Game 17: Game 15 Winner vs. Game 16 Winner, 3:00 p.m. Eastern
On Tuesday in Omaha, the Big Ten baseball tournament gets underway.
While the Big Ten is projected to see four teams get into the field of 64, the conference might have the top-overall seed in the UCLA Bruins. UCLA finished the year with a 48-6 record overall, and is the first team in the history of the rankings at D1Baseball.com to go wire-to-wire in the No. 1 spot.
But with Oregon, Nebraska, and USC also expected to earn spots in the field of 64 — and Michigan and Purdue fighting for their tournament lives this week — there are several reasons to keep an eye on this tournament.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Big Ten baseball tournament.
Unlike the ACC baseball tournament, which flipped to a single-eliminaton format for the 2025 season, the Big Ten tournament consists of both a double-elimination portion, and a single-elimination portion.
At the outset, only 12 teams qualified for the Big Ten baseball tournament. Minnesota, Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, and Northwestern will be watching along with the rest of us.
Teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 — Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Rutgers, Washington, and Michigan State — will play a double-elimination tournament with those eight teams split into two brackets of four teams each. Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa, and Illinois are in one while Michigan, Rutgers, Ohio State, and Washington are in the other.
This double-elimination portion will determine the four “qualifiers” for the single-elimination portion. That is when the top four seeds (UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon, and USC) join the fun, for the single elimination portion.
Here is how the teams are seeded, along with their regular season and Big Ten records:
1. UCLA (48-6, 28-2 Big Ten)
2. Nebraska (41-14, 23-7 Big Ten)
3. Oregon (38-15, 20-10 Big Ten)
4. USC (42-14, 20-10 Big Ten)
5. Purdue (35-18, 18-12 Big Ten)
6. Ohio State (29-23, 18-12 Big Ten)
7. Michigan (32-22, 17-13 Big Ten)
8. Iowa (32-21, 15-15 Big Ten)
9. Illinois (28-25, 14-16 Big Ten)
10. Rutgers (26-28, 13-17 Big Ten)
11. Washington (23-31, 12-18 Big Ten)
12. Michigan State (22-31, 11-19 Big Ten)
Here is the bracket for the Big Ten tournament, courtesy of the conference:
As noted above, this tournament features both a double-elimination stage, as well as a single-elimination stage. Teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 participate in the double-elimination stage, leading to the four qualifiers who advance to the single-elimination stage.
We start with the Bruins.
UCLA rolled through its schedule, losing just two games in the Big Ten and six overall. The Bruins won all 14 of their weekend series this season, and the team’s 48 wins set a new program record. Not only did the Bruins win every regular-season series this year, but they were the only program in the nation to take at least two of three games over each weekend series.
Leading the Bruins is shortstop Roch Cholowsky, widely considered the top prospect in this year’s MLB Draft. After slashing .353/.480/.710 during the 2025 season, Cholowsky posted a slash line of .330/.465/.684, while belting 21 home runs. But a big key for UCLA’s season has been the development of Will Gasparino into a true two-way threat. Gasparino was considered one of the best defensive outfielders in the nation, but the transfer from Texas had his best season at the dish for UCLA, slashing .305/.405/.645, all career-high numbers. Add in ace Logan Reddemann and top-flight starter Wylan Moss on the bump, and you have a team built to be the top seed in the nation.
Oregon and Nebraska are both teams that could be hosting regionals come Selection Monday. The Cornhuskers finished second in the Big Ten, and while they did not face the Bruins during the regular season, they finished the year on a seven-game winning streak. In addition, this Nebraska team ended the year with 41 wins, including 23 in the Big Ten, the most conference wins in school history. And this senior-heavy team has enjoyed success before, as the Cornhuskers won the last two Big Ten tournaments.
And they’ll be playing close to home.
As for Oregon, the Ducks are one of just two teams from the Big Ten to beat UCLA this year, the other being Washington just a few days ago. And Oregon is coming off a dramatic win against USC in extra innings, using a squeeze bunt from catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus in the bottom of the 14th to knock off USC 6-5:
Mabeus was also named a semifinalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award on Monday, the first Oregon catcher to be named a semifinalist for the award. He finished the regular season with a slash line of .313/.411/.556, and threw out 10 of the 23 attempted base stealers he saw this year.
Here is the schedule for the 2026 Big Ten baseball Tournament. All games are in Omaha, and the lower-seeded team will be the visiting team in each game.
Game 1: No. 12 Michigan State 8, No. 5 Purdue 4
Game 2: No. 8 Iowa 10, No. 9 Illinois 6
Game 3: No. 7 Michigan 4, No. 10 Rutgers 0
Game 4: No. 11 Washington 8, No. 6 Ohio State 6
Game 5: No. 5 Purdue vs. No. 9 Illinois, 10:00 a.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated)
Game 6: No. 10 Rutgers vs. No. 6 Ohio State, 2:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated)
Game 7: No. 12 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Iowa, 6:00 p.m Eastern (Winner is Qualifier 1)
Game 8: No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 11 Washington, 10:00 p.m. Eastern (Winner is Qualifier 2)
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Loser, 3:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated, Winner is Qualifier 3)
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Loser eliminated, Winner is Qualifier 4)
Friday, May 22 – Single-elimination Bracket
Game 11: No. 4 USC vs. Game 7 Winner/Qualifier 1, 10:00 a.m. Eastern
Game 12: No. 1 UCLA vs. Game 9 Winner/Qualifier 3, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 13: No. 2 Nebraska vs. Game 10 Winner/Qualifier 4, 6:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 14: No. 3 Oregon vs. Game 8 Winner/Qualifier 2, 10:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 15: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 16: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 7:00 p.m. Eastern
Sunday, May 24 – Championship
Game 17: Game 15 Winner vs. Game 16 Winner, 3:00 p.m. Eastern
On Tuesday in Omaha, the Big Ten baseball tournament gets underway.While the Big Ten is…
The SEC baseball tournament gets underway later today in Hoover, Alabama.
And you might want to pay attention.
As is often the case, the SEC baseball tournament sports a very deep field. According to the latest projections, 12 teams from the conference are expected to earn spots in the field of 64 come Selection Monday, but teams that are on the outside looking in — like Vanderbilt — could help themselves with a deep run down in Hoover.
But at the top of the conference, teams like Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Alabama are looking to lock down spots as regional hosts in the field of 64.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 SEC baseball tournament.
The SEC baseball championship is a 16-team, single-elimination tournament. All 16 teams are entered.
The top four teams in the conference — Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4, and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.
The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.
All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s SEC Championship Game.
Here are the seeds for the SEC baseball tournament, along with conference record:
1. Georgia (24-6)
2. Texas (19-10)
3. Texas A&M (18-11)
4. Alabama (18-12)
5. Florida (18-12)
6. Auburn (17-13)
7. Arkansas (17-13)
8. Mississippi State (16-14)
9. Ole Miss (15-15)
10. Tennessee (15-15)
11. Oklahoma (14-16)
12. Vanderbilt (14-16)
13. Kentucky (13-17)
14. LSU (9-21)
15. South Carolina (7-23)
16. Missouri (6-24)
Here is the SEC baseball tournament bracket, courtesy of the conference:
As is often the case, the SEC has one of the deepest conferences in all of college baseball.
According to the latest projections for the field of 64, the conference is expected to see 12 teams in the overall field come Selection Monday. Five SEC teams — Georgia, Texas, Auburn, Alabama, and Texas A&M — are expected to be top eight seeds in the field. In addition Mississippi State and Florida are projected to be regional hosts.
Georgia is the top seed in the tournament, and with good reason. The Bulldogs posted a 23-7 record in SEC play, and finished 43-12 overall. Georgia also can lean on the SEC Player of the Year in catcher Daniel Jackson, who secured the conference Triple Crown with a .394 batting average, 27 home runs, and 77 runs batted in. Jackson was one of four Bulldogs to earn All-SEC honors, along with third baseman Tre Phelps, outfielder Rylan Lugo, and shortstop Kolby Branch, who was an All-SEC Second-Team selection.
Jackson is also the first catcher in Division 1 history to post a 25/25 season, as he added 25 stolen bases along with his 27 home runs.
Texas comes into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, and the Longhorns are a balanced squad with some of the top arms in the conference. But Texas also has some youth, as outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after slashing .360/.479/.559 while swiping 20 bases. The Longhorns also have freshman closer Sam Cozart, who posted an ERA of 1.59 along with a WHIP of 0.640, securing eight saves over the season.
Then there is ace Dylan Volantis. The lefty was a First-Team All-SEC selection for the second consecutive season, after finishing the year with an 8-1 record and an ERA of 2.05. He posted a WHIP of 0.991 and notched 105 strikeouts, third-most in the SEC.
But again, this is a very deep conference. Any of the top seeds in the SEC tournament, including Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State, could make a deep run this week in Hoover.
Here is the schedule, and scores, for the 2026 SEC baseball tournament.
All games are in Hoover, Alabama. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.
First round: Tuesday, May 19
Game 1: No. 16 Missouri 10, No. 9 Ole Miss 8 (Ole Miss eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Vanderbilt 8, No. 13 Kentucky 5 (Kentucky eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10. Tennessee 11, No. 15 South Carolina 6 (South Carolina eliminated)
Game 4: No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 LSU, 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Second Round: Wednesday, May 20
Game 5: No. 16 Missouri vs. No. 8 Mississippi State, 10:30 a.m. Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Vanderbilt vs. No. 5 Florida, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Arkansas, 5:30 p.m. Eastern
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. No. 6 Auburn, 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia, 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Alabama, 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 Texas, 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Texas A&M, 8:00 p.m. Easter
Semifinals: Saturday, May 23
Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Championship: Sunday, May 24
Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner
The SEC baseball tournament gets underway later today in Hoover, Alabama.
And you might want to pay attention.
As is often the case, the SEC baseball tournament sports a very deep field. According to the latest projections, 12 teams from the conference are expected to earn spots in the field of 64 come Selection Monday, but teams that are on the outside looking in — like Vanderbilt — could help themselves with a deep run down in Hoover.
But at the top of the conference, teams like Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Alabama are looking to lock down spots as regional hosts in the field of 64.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 SEC baseball tournament.
The SEC baseball championship is a 16-team, single-elimination tournament. All 16 teams are entered.
The top four teams in the conference — Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4, and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.
The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.
All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s SEC Championship Game.
Here are the seeds for the SEC baseball tournament, along with conference record:
1. Georgia (24-6)
2. Texas (19-10)
3. Texas A&M (18-11)
4. Alabama (18-12)
5. Florida (18-12)
6. Auburn (17-13)
7. Arkansas (17-13)
8. Mississippi State (16-14)
9. Ole Miss (15-15)
10. Tennessee (15-15)
11. Oklahoma (14-16)
12. Vanderbilt (14-16)
13. Kentucky (13-17)
14. LSU (9-21)
15. South Carolina (7-23)
16. Missouri (6-24)
Here is the SEC baseball tournament bracket, courtesy of the conference:
As is often the case, the SEC has one of the deepest conferences in all of college baseball.
According to the latest projections for the field of 64, the conference is expected to see 12 teams in the overall field come Selection Monday. Five SEC teams — Georgia, Texas, Auburn, Alabama, and Texas A&M — are expected to be top eight seeds in the field. In addition Mississippi State and Florida are projected to be regional hosts.
Georgia is the top seed in the tournament, and with good reason. The Bulldogs posted a 23-7 record in SEC play, and finished 43-12 overall. Georgia also can lean on the SEC Player of the Year in catcher Daniel Jackson, who secured the conference Triple Crown with a .394 batting average, 27 home runs, and 77 runs batted in. Jackson was one of four Bulldogs to earn All-SEC honors, along with third baseman Tre Phelps, outfielder Rylan Lugo, and shortstop Kolby Branch, who was an All-SEC Second-Team selection.
Jackson is also the first catcher in Division 1 history to post a 25/25 season, as he added 25 stolen bases along with his 27 home runs.
Texas comes into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, and the Longhorns are a balanced squad with some of the top arms in the conference. But Texas also has some youth, as outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after slashing .360/.479/.559 while swiping 20 bases. The Longhorns also have freshman closer Sam Cozart, who posted an ERA of 1.59 along with a WHIP of 0.640, securing eight saves over the season.
Then there is ace Dylan Volantis. The lefty was a First-Team All-SEC selection for the second consecutive season, after finishing the year with an 8-1 record and an ERA of 2.05. He posted a WHIP of 0.991 and notched 105 strikeouts, third-most in the SEC.
But again, this is a very deep conference. Any of the top seeds in the SEC tournament, including Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State, could make a deep run this week in Hoover.
Here is the schedule, and scores, for the 2026 SEC baseball tournament.
All games are in Hoover, Alabama. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.
First round: Tuesday, May 19
Game 1: No. 16 Missouri 10, No. 9 Ole Miss 8 (Ole Miss eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Vanderbilt 8, No. 13 Kentucky 5 (Kentucky eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10. Tennessee 11, No. 15 South Carolina 6 (South Carolina eliminated)
Game 4: No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 LSU, 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Second Round: Wednesday, May 20
Game 5: No. 16 Missouri vs. No. 8 Mississippi State, 10:30 a.m. Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Vanderbilt vs. No. 5 Florida, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Arkansas, 5:30 p.m. Eastern
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. No. 6 Auburn, 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia, 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Alabama, 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 Texas, 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Texas A&M, 8:00 p.m. Easter
Semifinals: Saturday, May 23
Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Championship: Sunday, May 24
Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner
The SEC baseball tournament gets underway later today in Hoover, Alabama.
And you might want to pay attention.
As is often the case, the SEC baseball tournament sports a very deep field. According to the latest projections, 12 teams from the conference are expected to earn spots in the field of 64 come Selection Monday, but teams that are on the outside looking in — like Vanderbilt — could help themselves with a deep run down in Hoover.
But at the top of the conference, teams like Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Alabama are looking to lock down spots as regional hosts in the field of 64.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 SEC baseball tournament.
The SEC baseball championship is a 16-team, single-elimination tournament. All 16 teams are entered.
The top four teams in the conference — Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4, and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.
The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.
All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s SEC Championship Game.
Here are the seeds for the SEC baseball tournament, along with conference record:
1. Georgia (24-6)
2. Texas (19-10)
3. Texas A&M (18-11)
4. Alabama (18-12)
5. Florida (18-12)
6. Auburn (17-13)
7. Arkansas (17-13)
8. Mississippi State (16-14)
9. Ole Miss (15-15)
10. Tennessee (15-15)
11. Oklahoma (14-16)
12. Vanderbilt (14-16)
13. Kentucky (13-17)
14. LSU (9-21)
15. South Carolina (7-23)
16. Missouri (6-24)
Here is the SEC baseball tournament bracket, courtesy of the conference:
As is often the case, the SEC has one of the deepest conferences in all of college baseball.
According to the latest projections for the field of 64, the conference is expected to see 12 teams in the overall field come Selection Monday. Five SEC teams — Georgia, Texas, Auburn, Alabama, and Texas A&M — are expected to be top eight seeds in the field. In addition Mississippi State and Florida are projected to be regional hosts.
Georgia is the top seed in the tournament, and with good reason. The Bulldogs posted a 23-7 record in SEC play, and finished 43-12 overall. Georgia also can lean on the SEC Player of the Year in catcher Daniel Jackson, who secured the conference Triple Crown with a .394 batting average, 27 home runs, and 77 runs batted in. Jackson was one of four Bulldogs to earn All-SEC honors, along with third baseman Tre Phelps, outfielder Rylan Lugo, and shortstop Kolby Branch, who was an All-SEC Second-Team selection.
Jackson is also the first catcher in Division 1 history to post a 25/25 season, as he added 25 stolen bases along with his 27 home runs.
Texas comes into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, and the Longhorns are a balanced squad with some of the top arms in the conference. But Texas also has some youth, as outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after slashing .360/.479/.559 while swiping 20 bases. The Longhorns also have freshman closer Sam Cozart, who posted an ERA of 1.59 along with a WHIP of 0.640, securing eight saves over the season.
Then there is ace Dylan Volantis. The lefty was a First-Team All-SEC selection for the second consecutive season, after finishing the year with an 8-1 record and an ERA of 2.05. He posted a WHIP of 0.991 and notched 105 strikeouts, third-most in the SEC.
But again, this is a very deep conference. Any of the top seeds in the SEC tournament, including Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State, could make a deep run this week in Hoover.
Here is the schedule, and scores, for the 2026 SEC baseball tournament.
All games are in Hoover, Alabama. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.
First round: Tuesday, May 19
Game 1: No. 16 Missouri 10, No. 9 Ole Miss 8 (Ole Miss eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Vanderbilt 8, No. 13 Kentucky 5 (Kentucky eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10. Tennessee 11, No. 15 South Carolina 6 (South Carolina eliminated)
Game 4: No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 LSU, 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Second Round: Wednesday, May 20
Game 5: No. 16 Missouri vs. No. 8 Mississippi State, 10:30 a.m. Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Vanderbilt vs. No. 5 Florida, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Arkansas, 5:30 p.m. Eastern
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. No. 6 Auburn, 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia, 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Alabama, 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 Texas, 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Texas A&M, 8:00 p.m. Easter
Semifinals: Saturday, May 23
Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Championship: Sunday, May 24
Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner
The SEC baseball tournament gets underway later today in Hoover, Alabama.And you might want to…
In episode three of this series, I began a two-part exploration of the encounter between Toronto’s George Bell and Boston’s Bruce Kison on June 23rd, 1985. Having visited Kison side of things, we will now consider the life and times of George Bell.
In the late 1970s scouts all around major league baseball began descending upon the Dominican Republic, which had suddenly been identified as highly lucrative territory. The DR was home to countless talented young ball players and those ball players due to the country’s dire economic conditions were highly exploitable.
With the unemployment rate around 40% teams realized they could sign players for a lot less than American prospects asked for. And if those Dominican players did happen to get signed by a major league team, they were sent to the states socially isolated by the language barrier and dependent upon agents who were often crooked and looking to swindle ‘em all over again.
A cruel irony recalled by George Bell, one of those young Dominican players, was that while navigating this labyrinth of shameless exploitation, he was the one looked at with suspicion. American players found any reason they could to dislike him. His English wasn’t polished enough, he was too this, not enough that, didn’t play the game the right way.
In 1982, while playing for minor league Syracuse, Bell stepped in against Lynn McGlothen, an 11 year Major League vet pitching in AAA ball in the hopes of one last call up. In a game years earlier while pitching for the Cardinals, McGlothen beamed one New York Mets batter then brushed back another three innings later, then hit that batter too. The intent was so transparently clear that the Mets Dave Kingman charged the mound straight from the dugout.
McGlothen did not hesitate to throw at a batter if he had the inclination and he seemed to resent George Bell for the same superficial reasons everybody else did. Bell was a hotdogger. It was decided. McGlothen drilled him in the face, fracturing his cheek and jawbones. While his teammates stormed the field to exact revenge, Bell arrived on the ground certain that his career in baseball, his one chance at a better life was over.
“He’s dead,” Bell thought of McGlothen, not because Bell would kill him or because his teammates would, but because fate would one day catch up with him.
Two years later, McGlothen lost his life in a fire. His friend was also killed with everyone else escaping the home. Bell who’d fully recovered and made his way to the majors, addressed the tragedy sometime after seemingly unprompted. He expressed his sympathies for the friends and loved ones of those who died then said in McGlothen’s fate, “People like that decide it. They have a bad heart. No way they can stay alive.”
You might find those words to be callous, even cruel. I mean I do. Then again, I doubt either of us have persevered through the circumstances Bell did only for somebody to break his face and potentially ruin his life just for playing baseball with a little bit too much swagger.
Baseball was George Bell’s one and only chance at a better life, the sort of life we’d wish for anybody, and he was fiercely, sometimes even violently protective of that chance.
In episode three of this series, I began a two-part exploration of the encounter between Toronto’s George Bell and Boston’s Bruce Kison on June 23rd, 1985. Having visited Kison side of things, we will now consider the life and times of George Bell.
In the late 1970s scouts all around major league baseball began descending upon the Dominican Republic, which had suddenly been identified as highly lucrative territory. The DR was home to countless talented young ball players and those ball players due to the country’s dire economic conditions were highly exploitable.
With the unemployment rate around 40% teams realized they could sign players for a lot less than American prospects asked for. And if those Dominican players did happen to get signed by a major league team, they were sent to the states socially isolated by the language barrier and dependent upon agents who were often crooked and looking to swindle ‘em all over again.
A cruel irony recalled by George Bell, one of those young Dominican players, was that while navigating this labyrinth of shameless exploitation, he was the one looked at with suspicion. American players found any reason they could to dislike him. His English wasn’t polished enough, he was too this, not enough that, didn’t play the game the right way.
In 1982, while playing for minor league Syracuse, Bell stepped in against Lynn McGlothen, an 11 year Major League vet pitching in AAA ball in the hopes of one last call up. In a game years earlier while pitching for the Cardinals, McGlothen beamed one New York Mets batter then brushed back another three innings later, then hit that batter too. The intent was so transparently clear that the Mets Dave Kingman charged the mound straight from the dugout.
McGlothen did not hesitate to throw at a batter if he had the inclination and he seemed to resent George Bell for the same superficial reasons everybody else did. Bell was a hotdogger. It was decided. McGlothen drilled him in the face, fracturing his cheek and jawbones. While his teammates stormed the field to exact revenge, Bell arrived on the ground certain that his career in baseball, his one chance at a better life was over.
“He’s dead,” Bell thought of McGlothen, not because Bell would kill him or because his teammates would, but because fate would one day catch up with him.
Two years later, McGlothen lost his life in a fire. His friend was also killed with everyone else escaping the home. Bell who’d fully recovered and made his way to the majors, addressed the tragedy sometime after seemingly unprompted. He expressed his sympathies for the friends and loved ones of those who died then said in McGlothen’s fate, “People like that decide it. They have a bad heart. No way they can stay alive.”
You might find those words to be callous, even cruel. I mean I do. Then again, I doubt either of us have persevered through the circumstances Bell did only for somebody to break his face and potentially ruin his life just for playing baseball with a little bit too much swagger.
Baseball was George Bell’s one and only chance at a better life, the sort of life we’d wish for anybody, and he was fiercely, sometimes even violently protective of that chance.
In episode three of this series, I began a two-part exploration of the encounter between…
The lengthy MLB season provides a sample size that’s meant to favor averages over abnormalities. Hot- and cold-streaks blend together as weeks become months. But the weight of those games can also fall victim to entropy as months become years. The long summers are tests of endurance and commitment as much as talent. The San Diego Padres finished just three games behind the Dodgers in the 2025 division race, and the Toronto Blue Jays pushed them to seven games and extra innings last November.
The thin line between dynasty and disappointment will be carved out over the next 120 games. FanDuel has odds on the NL West Division winner, which is an opportunity to prognosticate on the predictive ability of the first 40 games, and which performances will propel their team to a division title.
The Dodgers (-900) are heavy favorites to remain atop the division, with a deep roster that’s built to weather a long season. But their offense is still struggling midway through May. Shohei Ohtani is enduring his first cold streak, going hitless between starting pitching assignments for the first time in his career. Andy Pages (9 HRs, 35 RBI) and Max Muncy (11 HRs, .917 OPS) have been pacing an offense that’s welcoming back Mookie Betts this week. They’ve been able to afford patience with their bats because Ohtani, Justin Wrobleski, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are anchoring an elite starting rotation.
The Padres (+800) have caught the Dodgers in the standings despite a slow start from their offense, ranking 25th in wRC+. Michael King (2.76 ERA) and Randy Vasquez (3.05 ERA) have held together a starting rotation that suffered key injuries early, including to projected Opening Day starter Nick Pivetti. Xander Bogaerts has kept the offense afloat while Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill are working back to their expected averages.
The Diamondbacks (+3000) have had a slow start, but the betting lines still see potential in their young talent that made a run to the World Series in 2023. Corbin Carroll is building back up to his all-world production after a broken hand, and they recently promoted top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt. It’s not any of the young guys but 34-year-old Ildemaro Vargas who’s been leading the offense thus far, posting a .331 average with 7 HRs and 28 RBI.
The Giants (+5000) have a top-10 payroll and a brand new manager getting his first taste of the MLB. Rafael Devers has been a disappointment, but Luis Arraez has been a bright spot, along with Landen Roupp and Logan Webb on the mound.
The Rockies (+30000) are just 9 games back from first place now, but the lines expect that number to grow closer toward last season’s line, when they finished 50 games back.
The lengthy MLB season provides a sample size that’s meant to favor averages over abnormalities. Hot- and cold-streaks blend together as weeks become months. But the weight of those games can also fall victim to entropy as months become years. The long summers are tests of endurance and commitment as much as talent. The San Diego Padres finished just three games behind the Dodgers in the 2025 division race, and the Toronto Blue Jays pushed them to seven games and extra innings last November.
The thin line between dynasty and disappointment will be carved out over the next 120 games. FanDuel has odds on the NL West Division winner, which is an opportunity to prognosticate on the predictive ability of the first 40 games, and which performances will propel their team to a division title.
The Dodgers (-900) are heavy favorites to remain atop the division, with a deep roster that’s built to weather a long season. But their offense is still struggling midway through May. Shohei Ohtani is enduring his first cold streak, going hitless between starting pitching assignments for the first time in his career. Andy Pages (9 HRs, 35 RBI) and Max Muncy (11 HRs, .917 OPS) have been pacing an offense that’s welcoming back Mookie Betts this week. They’ve been able to afford patience with their bats because Ohtani, Justin Wrobleski, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are anchoring an elite starting rotation.
The Padres (+800) have caught the Dodgers in the standings despite a slow start from their offense, ranking 25th in wRC+. Michael King (2.76 ERA) and Randy Vasquez (3.05 ERA) have held together a starting rotation that suffered key injuries early, including to projected Opening Day starter Nick Pivetti. Xander Bogaerts has kept the offense afloat while Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill are working back to their expected averages.
The Diamondbacks (+3000) have had a slow start, but the betting lines still see potential in their young talent that made a run to the World Series in 2023. Corbin Carroll is building back up to his all-world production after a broken hand, and they recently promoted top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt. It’s not any of the young guys but 34-year-old Ildemaro Vargas who’s been leading the offense thus far, posting a .331 average with 7 HRs and 28 RBI.
The Giants (+5000) have a top-10 payroll and a brand new manager getting his first taste of the MLB. Rafael Devers has been a disappointment, but Luis Arraez has been a bright spot, along with Landen Roupp and Logan Webb on the mound.
The Rockies (+30000) are just 9 games back from first place now, but the lines expect that number to grow closer toward last season’s line, when they finished 50 games back.
The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t win the NL West Division was 2021, the year after winning the World Series. The Dodgers have now won the last two World Series, and they’ve backfilled their roster churn by upgrading to star players through free agency and their own stellar farm system.
The lengthy MLB season provides a sample size that’s meant to favor averages over abnormalities. Hot- and cold-streaks blend together as weeks become months. But the weight of those games can also fall victim to entropy as months become years. The long summers are tests of endurance and commitment as much as talent. The San Diego Padres finished just three games behind the Dodgers in the 2025 division race, and the Toronto Blue Jays pushed them to seven games and extra innings last November.
The thin line between dynasty and disappointment will be carved out over the next 120 games. FanDuel has odds on the NL West Division winner, which is an opportunity to prognosticate on the predictive ability of the first 40 games, and which performances will propel their team to a division title.
The Dodgers (-900) are heavy favorites to remain atop the division, with a deep roster that’s built to weather a long season. But their offense is still struggling midway through May. Shohei Ohtani is enduring his first cold streak, going hitless between starting pitching assignments for the first time in his career. Andy Pages (9 HRs, 35 RBI) and Max Muncy (11 HRs, .917 OPS) have been pacing an offense that’s welcoming back Mookie Betts this week. They’ve been able to afford patience with their bats because Ohtani, Justin Wrobleski, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are anchoring an elite starting rotation.
The Padres (+800) have caught the Dodgers in the standings despite a slow start from their offense, ranking 25th in wRC+. Michael King (2.76 ERA) and Randy Vasquez (3.05 ERA) have held together a starting rotation that suffered key injuries early, including to projected Opening Day starter Nick Pivetti. Xander Bogaerts has kept the offense afloat while Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill are working back to their expected averages.
The Diamondbacks (+3000) have had a slow start, but the betting lines still see potential in their young talent that made a run to the World Series in 2023. Corbin Carroll is building back up to his all-world production after a broken hand, and they recently promoted top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt. It’s not any of the young guys but 34-year-old Ildemaro Vargas who’s been leading the offense thus far, posting a .331 average with 7 HRs and 28 RBI.
The Giants (+5000) have a top-10 payroll and a brand new manager getting his first taste of the MLB. Rafael Devers has been a disappointment, but Luis Arraez has been a bright spot, along with Landen Roupp and Logan Webb on the mound.
The Rockies (+30000) are just 9 games back from first place now, but the lines expect that number to grow closer toward last season’s line, when they finished 50 games back.
The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t win the NL West Division was 2021,…
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 14: Shotaro Morii #18 of the Athletics bats during the eighth…
In the second episode of my new series “The History of Charging the Mound,” we examine a 2001 bout between Mike Sweeney and Jeff Weaver. As you’ll see, this is among the most unexpected and bizarre mound-chargings on record. Strap in for passive-aggressiveness, a sensational takedown, some solid ground-and-pound combat, a disgraceful cheap shot, and eventual crying.
If you need to catch up, here’s Episode 1 of this series. And if you’d like to keep exploring, here you can find a spreadsheet in which I’ve logged all 266 mound-charging incidents I’ve found over the last 75 years. As always, if you’re interested in more and don’t want to wait, we’ve got everything that’s been published within the series available here, and we’re going to keep adding to it on a monthly basis.
I hope you enjoy, and whether you’re one of our Patrons or just enjoying things as they make it over to YouTube – you’ll have a new mound charging story to enjoy next week. Or, next week if you’re reading that this week. This week is the one with April 27th, 2026 in it. I hope that’s helpful.
In the second episode of my new series “The History of Charging the Mound,” we examine a 2001 bout between Mike Sweeney and Jeff Weaver. As you’ll see, this is among the most unexpected and bizarre mound-chargings on record. Strap in for passive-aggressiveness, a sensational takedown, some solid ground-and-pound combat, a disgraceful cheap shot, and eventual crying.
If you need to catch up, here’s Episode 1 of this series. And if you’d like to keep exploring, here you can find a spreadsheet in which I’ve logged all 266 mound-charging incidents I’ve found over the last 75 years. As always, if you’re interested in more and don’t want to wait, we’ve got everything that’s been published within the series available here, and we’re going to keep adding to it on a monthly basis.
I hope you enjoy, and whether you’re one of our Patrons or just enjoying things as they make it over to YouTube – you’ll have a new mound charging story to enjoy next week. Or, next week if you’re reading that this week. This week is the one with April 27th, 2026 in it. I hope that’s helpful.
Hey everybody! It’s Jon again.
In the second episode of my new series “The History of Charging the Mound,” we examine a 2001 bout between Mike Sweeney and Jeff Weaver. As you’ll see, this is among the most unexpected and bizarre mound-chargings on record. Strap in for passive-aggressiveness, a sensational takedown, some solid ground-and-pound combat, a disgraceful cheap shot, and eventual crying.
If you need to catch up, here’s Episode 1 of this series. And if you’d like to keep exploring, here you can find a spreadsheet in which I’ve logged all 266 mound-charging incidents I’ve found over the last 75 years. As always, if you’re interested in more and don’t want to wait, we’ve got everything that’s been published within the series available here, and we’re going to keep adding to it on a monthly basis.
I hope you enjoy, and whether you’re one of our Patrons or just enjoying things as they make it over to YouTube – you’ll have a new mound charging story to enjoy next week. Or, next week if you’re reading that this week. This week is the one with April 27th, 2026 in it. I hope that’s helpful.
Hey everybody! It’s Jon again.In the second episode of my new series “The History of…
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 22: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros celebrates with teammates…