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Today’s Headlines
Postponed Openers
A pair of tilts took place on the East Coast early Friday, with the Milwaukee Brewers & New York Mets making their season debuts before Atlanta & the Philadelphia Phillies did the same a short drive south. The Brewers narrowly beat the Mets (more on that in a second), but it was Matt Olson who was the star of the early games on Friday:
3’s all around for Matt Olson’s 30th birthday. 🥳 pic.twitter.com/s9GYDh4qNx
— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2024
Unfortunately, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker’s family wasn’t in attendance, as fuel continues to be added to the fire in that rivalry:
Braves manager Brian Snitker is back here at CBP after he said this is the most hostile crowd in baseball and his wife won’t come back here because of the treatment from the Phillies fans. Brian did say today the fans are passionate and it makes it fun to come here pic.twitter.com/fU3HwYMmDY
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 29, 2024
Bucs trade Brubaker to New York
The Pittsburgh Pirates & New York Yankees swung an early-season trade, with starter J.T. Brubaker headed to the Bronx. Pittsburgh acquires a player-to-be-named-later & international bonus pool money in the deal. The Yankees get some starting depth for later in the year, as Brubaker is targeting a return from Tommy John sometime near the All Star break.
Minor Transactions
There was a little bit of movement elsewhere, as well (in addition to the official signing of Jordan Montgomery in Arizona). The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Drew Pomeranz to a minor league deal. The Chicago Cubs did the same with Curt Casali. The St. Louis Cardinals also outrighted Jared Young, if you’re interested in the movement of AAAA first base types.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Chourio Stars in Queens
The Milwaukee Brewers lost their manager, traded their ace, and somehow got…more interesting? It helps that they start the year with Jackson Chourio in the fold:
A stolen base and now his first Major League hit!@MLBPipeline’s No. 2 overall prospect, Jackson Chourio, is making an impact in his MLB debut. pic.twitter.com/lpVmtS6VGl
— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2024
Chourio walked in his first plate appearance, stole a base, recorded his first hit in the fifth, and was a star in the field. The tools were all out in his debut.
Hoskins & McNeil Feud
Sticking with the same game, Mets second-sacker Jeff McNeil took umbrage with a slide from new Crew first baseman Rhys Hoskins, as Hoskins barreled into him as part of what ended up being a fielder’s choice. The benches and bullpens cleared in the mildest fashion possible, but it did leave us with an early-season meme.
Rhys Hoskins hits McNeil with the waaaaa 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/pA0g8I7OV0
— Ryan Bloomfield (@RyanBHQ) March 29, 2024
Given that it’s the Mets, my unfortunate assumption is that we haven’t seen the last of this one. Given that this was the series opener, though, it’ll be interesting to monitor the matchup for the rest of the weekend to see if anything carries over.
Another Leadoff Homer
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Mookie Betts leadoff home run. That’s probably the 49th time you’ve heard it. Betts took St. Louis Cardinals starter Zack Thompson deep in the Dodgers’ 6-3 win on Friday night. With his 49th leadoff job, Betts trails only George Springer (57) among active players. Springer sits second all-time in that respect, though. Craig Biggio (53) and Alfonso Soriano (54) are in between the two, with Rickey Henderson’s 81 topping the list. One imagines Mookie ends up much higher on this list over the next several months.
Can’t stop Mookie! pic.twitter.com/GFh9iyIjTg
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 30, 2024
Jackson Holliday Remains Ready
Heads were turned when the Baltimore Orioles chose not to include Jackson Holliday as part of their Opening Day roster. Well…
Lights, camera, action! @J_Holliday7 #RisingTide pic.twitter.com/qMgqPnkJkv
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) March 29, 2024
He added another pair of hits for the Norfolk Tides opener. Not that the O’s are looking for offense right now. But the befuddlement over his demotion doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
Lowe’s Slam
Brandon Lowe hit a grand slam tonight. Clocked at 111 MPH off the bat; it went 444 feet. Seems noteworthy:
Brandon Lowe crushes his 4th career grand slam! pic.twitter.com/iyQmiz8r32
— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2024
Injuries
⚾ Atlanta placed catcher Sean Murphy on the 15-day IL with an oblique issue.
⚾ Giants placed reliever Luke Jackson on the 15-day IL with a lower back strain.
Articles You Should Read
Flyover Country: No Sudden Movements – Matthew Trueblood (Baseball Prospectus)
Having an Actual Ace is Pretty Sweet, Isn’t It? – Mike Baumann (FanGraphs)
Using IPA% to Find MLB-ready AAA Prospects – John Foley (Pitcher List)
Fantasy Baseball Coverage