Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today's edition is brought to you by David Adler.
Today we want to shine a spotlight on Kevin McGonigle, the Tigers' rookie sensation who's quickly emerged as an American League Rookie of the Year favorite.
McGonigle, who started the year as MLB Pipeline's No. 2 overall prospect, is batting .293 and getting on base at a .400 clip through his first 42 big league games. He's walked more times (26) than he's struck out (24), a Juan Soto-like talent.
But what exactly makes McGonigle so good?
It's the "hold-your-ground" approach in the batter's box that lets him perfectly blend his elite bat-to-ball skill with a swing designed for pull power.
We have a deep dive on McGonigle up today. But here's a teaser.
It all starts with his setup in the batter's box. McGonigle digs in with a wide, closed batting stance -- meaning he's angled toward third base -- and he stays closed off throughout his entire swing, from his starting stance to his toe tap at pitch release to his finishing position.
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We talked to McGonigle and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch this week to figure out why he takes that approach. It boils down to two things:
1) It lets McGonigle stay on top of the plate and stand his ground against any pitcher, just like his idol, Chase Utley, used to do.
2) It helps him turn on pitches, even if they're out over the plate, and pull them in the air to right field.
Essentially, McGonigle has a hitting profile in the mold of a Mookie Betts or Alex Bregman. He already has elite contact ability and plate discipline as a 21-year-old, he's great at squaring the ball up on the barrel of the bat, and he uses those skills to rip tons of balls in the air to the pull side, where he can do damage.
"With my approach, being on the plate, I'm trying to get the pitch I want," McGonigle said. "If I'm on the plate, I can pull pitches middle-away -- I can maybe even pull pitches away. That's where I want to be with all my ball flight. I just want to try to get the head out, and I feel like if I'm on time with all different pitches and all different spots in the zone, that means I'll be able to pull it to right, right-center. Maybe even drive it to center field."
McGonigle and the Tigers return home to face the Blue Jays tonight (6:45 p.m. ET, Apple TV).
Read the full story on McGonigle here >>
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GAMES OF THE (RIVALRY) WEEKEND |
This weekend is Rivalry Weekend across MLB, and there are some big series to watch. Here are three of the biggest games to look forward to in those series.
We also have a complete guide to every Rivalry Weekend matchup, and for info on how to watch every game, you can go to MLB.com/Watch.
Today: Yankees at Mets (7:15 p.m. ET, Apple TV)
The Subway Series returns, and tonight's series opener is the game to watch. The pitching matchup pits Cam Schlittler, the Yankees' breakout Cy Young contender, against former Yankee Clay Holmes, who's been terrific for the Mets to start the year (1.86 ERA in eight starts). Plus, who could turn down an Aaron Judge vs. Juan Soto matchup?
Tomorrow: Red Sox at Braves (7:15 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
As the Red Sox continue to try to turn their season around, they give the ball to one of their most exciting young players, bulldog left-hander Payton Tolle. He'll need to bring his 'A' game against the powerhouse Braves, who are the only team in the Majors with 30 wins.
Sunday: Phillies at Pirates (1:35 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
Who would've guessed before the season that the Pirates, not the Phillies, would be the one team entering this series with a winning record? But the upstart Pirates aren't going away. The Phillies, though, are riding high under interim manager Don Mattingly, so this should be a good series. And in the finale, Zack Wheeler squares off against Paul Skenes in a game that has all the makings of a terrific pitchers' duel.
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FROM DFA'D TO 1 OF MLB'S BEST HITTERS |
What if we told you the best offensive performance by a Reds player this season wasn't by superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz or breakout rookie Sal Stewart?
What if we told you the player in Cincinnati who looks like one of the best hitters in baseball right now is … JJ Bleday?
Bleday was designated for assignment by the A's last November. Six months later, he's putting up ridiculous numbers for the Reds. The 28-year-old outfielder is batting .321 with six home runs, 18 RBIs and a 1.209 OPS in his first 16 games with his new team.
Brent Maguire explains the key changes that have sparked Bleday's breakout. There are three big ones:
1) His bat speed is way up
Bleday's average bat speed has increased from 71.7 mph in 2025 to 74.8 mph in 2026. That's the highest on the Reds. Adding more than 3 mph of bat speed makes a huge difference.
2) He's opened up his batting stance
Bleday's batting stance is more than twice as open in 2026 -- that is, his front foot is angled more toward first base -- as it was in 2025. Last season, he was 11 degrees open. This season, he's 27 degrees open. That might be helping him see the ball better.
3) He's cut way down on the K's
Bleday has cut his strikeout rate nearly in half from last season to this season. In 2025, he struck out in 27% of his plate appearances. In 2026, he's only striking out in 15% of his plate appearances. He's making more contact, and way better contact. That's a recipe for success.
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SALE GIVES HIMSELF THE DUNCE CAP |
Chris Sale has been one of the best pitchers in the game for a long time. But even he couldn't avoid the (self-imposed) dunce cap yesterday.
Sale was in the middle of yet another great start against the Cubs when he got a little sidetracked in the fourth inning.
Sale struck out Miguel Amaya to end the inning … only he forgot there were three outs.
When catcher Drake Baldwin tossed the ball down to first baseman Matt Olson, Sale excitedly pointed toward first base to alert Olson that Cubs runner Michael Busch was off the bag (which he was, because the inning was over), and yelled, "Tag him!"
Whoops.
Sale quickly realized his faux pas, and sheepishly used his left index finger to push up the brim of his cap before lightheartedly turning it sideways. The dunce cap for himself.
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A RIVALRY WEEKEND SPECIAL ON MLB.TV |
Division rivalries, city rivalries, state rivalries and Interleague rivalries are on tap this weekend for the second annual Rivalry Weekend presented by Booking.com. Watch select out of market games free on the MLB app.
Through Sunday, you can watch every game for free on MLB.TV (excluding Apple TV games on Friday, and the MLB Sunday Leadoff Game and the Sunday Night Baseball game on Peacock). No credit card is required; all you need is an MLB.com account.
See all the details of Rivalry Weekend on MLB.TV here >>
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