Alex Bregman's departure not only opened up a hole which the front office thought it had solved in 2025, but it deepened the mystery of what we have in Marcelo Mayer. Mayer will continue to be an unknown quantity until he spends more time in the majors and proves he can stay on the field for a full season. Not only is he young and untested, but he can play second and third base as well as shortstop.
Some of that can surely be attributed to age, as teams are often hesitant about how strikeout-heavy sluggers like Suarez will age as they enter their mid-thirties. A tough stretch run in Seattle where Suarez hit just .189/.255/.428 across 53 games following a midseason trade might also raise some eyebrows. Even so, the upside Suarez demonstrated last year is tremendous and could be a game changer for a lineup in need of a boost.
Cal Raleigh sparked the rally with a leadoff homer in the eighth as the Mariners took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. A win in Game 6 at Toronto on Sunday would send Seattle to the World Series for the first time. Raleigh just cleared the left field fence on a pitch from left-hander Brendon Little (0-1) to tie the score at 2-2. It was the fourth homer of the playoffs for Raleigh after he hit a major-league-leading 60 during the regular season.
The Yankees selected Dax Kilby with their first pick in the MLB Draft, signaling a potential shift in their player development strategy. Scouting director Damon Oppenheimer provided insights into the team’s selections and their evaluation process, indicating a focus on diverse talents.