We decided to take Mother's Day off yesterday to have to time to spend with the moms. But we are back today with Single-A to MLB, as the Complex Leagues are off on Sundays.

Major League Baseball

Covered by Will Thompson

‼️Griffin Canning, RHP NYM (MLB)

6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR allowed

There’s no better example of how good the Mets pitching development has become than Griffin Canning, who led all of baseball in earned runs allowed among qualified starters with the Angels last season. Simply, the answer for Canning has been to throw less fastballs, more sliders, and changing his curveball to a knuckle curve. The results have been terrific so far and the righty shut down a powerful Cubs lineup to clinch the series win for the Mets. Remember when the Mets rotation was supposed to be a big weakness coming into the season after injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas? It’s been one of the best in baseball.  

Rafael Devers, DH BOS (MLB)

2-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB

What was inevitable looking at his early season data is now fully here. Rafael Devers is on an absolute tear right now. Over his last 15 games, Devers is hitting .424/.507/.763 with five home runs, including a go-ahead 440 foot blast to dead center in this one. Wherever you stand on the Devers first base situation, the outside noise certainly hasn’t impacted his performance on the field. 

Wilyer Abreu, RF BOS (MLB)

3-for-4, HR, R, RBI

The Wilyer Abreu breakout train has long left the station and he’s turning himself into an elite player. The defense in right field and hard contact has always been there, but Abreu is making significantly more contact this season. His in-zone contact rate is up 10% from 2024 to 89%, an insane jump to make in just one year. Chaim Bloom’s Red Sox tenure was far from perfect, but the Christian Vazquez deadline deal of 2022 with the Astros has been an absolute heist for Boston.  

‼️ Lucas Giolito, RHP BOS (MLB)

6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 5 K

What a bounceback start from Giolito after getting lit up by the Rangers at Fenway earlier in the week. Thankfully, Giolito got back to throwing his slider in this outing after throwing just two of them his entire start against Texas, just relying on the fastball and changeup. And guess what? The slider was great, getting five whiffs in nine swings overall. Not sure what that pitch usage mess was in his last start, but hopefully that gameplan gets burned and never used again because this version of Giolito looks quite promising. 

‼️ Nathan Eovaldi, RHP TEX (MLB)

7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Tarik Skubal has gotten all the headlines in 2025 and he’s the early favorite to win AL Cy Young. But I think Nathan Eovaldi deserves to be in this conversation as well. Eovaldi doesn’t have the velocity he used to, but has totally remade himself and might be peaking at 35 years old. He’s throwing way fewer fastballs and more curveballs and the curveball has been unhittable so far. A lot has changed with Eovaldi but something that hasn’t? The fact he doesn’t walk anybody. He’s only walked five in 55.2 IP. He’ll give up some hard contact because he’s in the zone so often, but I love Eovaldi. It’s time he starts getting mentioned in the Cy Young conversation as well. 

‼️ Ronel Blanco, RHP HOU (MLB)

8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Sticking with the theme of pitchers who pitch backwards now, that’s exactly what Ronel Blanco did in his start against the Reds yesterday, dominating for eight shutout innings and 11 strikeouts. The righty generated 16 whiffs in the outing, and used his fastball just 29% of the time. An outing like this was badly needed for the Astros after the bullpen needed to get 26 outs on Saturday after the Lance McCullers disaster start so not only did it help them get the win yesterday, but also gave Houston’s bullpen a much-needed reset. 

Chase Petty, RHP CIN (MLB)

3.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, HR allowed