‘The Yankees are coming to play in Mexico’: How Diablos Rojos got a ‘dream’ series with MLB’s most iconic team
Once again, a major league team will play at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium, the home ballpark of the Diablos Rojos del México, part of Major League Baseball’s efforts to create a more international game. Last April, the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants played at the ballpark in a game that counted. This time, the situation is different. To some, more special.
It’s the New York Yankees, first of all, playing in Mexico for the first time in 56 years, since Mickey Mantle’s final season in pinstripes.
And more importantly — at least to their Mexican opponent — they’re not there for an MLB game.
“We just don’t want to bring big league teams to play one another; the owners wanted to bring teams to play the Diablos Rojos,” said Jorge Del Valle, the club’s head of baseball operations.
The Yankees and Diablos Rojos will meet Sunday and Monday in Mexico City in a pair of exhibition games before the start of the 2024 major league season. It’s a rematch of a two-game series the teams split in March 1968.
How did it come about — and what does it mean? ESPN spoke to officials from both teams to tell the story.
The dream takes shape
Rodrigo Fernández, MLB Mexico director: The whole world wants to see the most popular team, the Yankees, with the most fans. … It’s on the wish list every year: “Hopefully, the Yankees come this year.” And the opportunity to bring them over presented itself.
Othón Díaz, Diablos Rojos president and CEO: Those games between San Francisco and San Diego [in Mexico City last year], which were spectacular, the way the players and fans experienced [it], with fireworks and all, delighted the world and the major leagues. It allowed us to raise our hand and be taken seriously … under the leadership of [Diablos Rojos owners] Alfredo and Santiago Harp. Without them, this wouldn’t be a reality. They were the architects behind all of this. And with some of the cultural aspects, the Harp family had a good friend in Omar Minaya. We made inroads with him acting on the Yankees’ behalf to make all this happen. It’s not just a dream come true, it’s something that will surprise older fans and newcomers.
Omar Minaya, Yankees senior advisor to baseball operations: This all started to sprout in the middle of last season, [Giancarlo] Stanton and [Jose] Treviño were in the middle of that action. Ben Tuliebitz, the Yankees traveling secretary, told me that a few players, specifically Stanton and Treviño, asked him why the Yankees didn’t play outside of the United States, and if it would be possible to play in Mexico. I heard this and thought it was a good idea, so I got to work on it. I called Alfredo Harp Helú and his son Santiago, who are good old friends of mine. I’ve known the Harp family for over 15 years, before we came together in San Diego. When I was with the Mets, we collaborated with them when they built their academy in Oaxaca.
Díaz: Look, I can tell you that the first part of it was Omar Minaya, who’s beloved by the family and the Diablos organization. He was with the New York Mets, at a high level. When he joined the Yankees, it’s one of those times when you need something from a certain place, and it so happens that your friend is there. At least you have that connection from the inside who can talk about what’s done well here and that it’s not a crazy idea to bring them. In that sense, with everything coming together like that, Omar Minaya joining the Yankees was what got this project off the ground.
Jorge Del Valle, Diablos Rojos head of baseball operations: They’ve asked us to beat the Yankees and not much else in the way of responsibility.
The logistics — and the ballpark
Díaz: People who are important to the operation are coming over, so we have to comply with a lot of protocols. One of the more complex issues is that the [Yankees] are an enormous organization. It’s broadcasting people coming over, safety people, protocol people, and meanwhile here it’s only three or four people. Sometimes you don’t even know who you’re speaking to, or who’s asking for what, because you don’t know if it’s protocol or safety. So you’re swamped. You get emails and you have a hard time remembering what you had said. That’s happened. On the staff, folks like [stadium director] Francisco Ramos have done a lot. … The Yankees are requesting the same expectations as if this were a major league game.
Francisco Ramos, Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium director: As far as needs go, the ballpark covers practically everything. There are a few special requests, such as when there’s a concert and a star wants something particularly done with the dressing area. What they’ve requested for the clubhouse is things that we already have, like towels, food. Those are tailored for each event. The ballpark has two clubhouses for 40 players and the coaching staff. Since last season, a space for female staffers on par with the men’s has been offered, which few other stadiums have.
Díaz: There are a lot of things that have made it happen, one of them being this magnificent setting. I think the ballpark is the cornerstone for it all. People come today and have a better experience — and it’s not me saying it but several publications — where they say it’s overtaken soccer. They don’t feel safe at soccer games anymore, and that’s a sport where if you miss one minute or 20 seconds, you miss the goal, and it’s over. Here, one of the great things about it is when we arrived on the scene a lot of people had it in their heads that baseball is boring because of all the down time, but one of the biggest tasks for this to work is to understand the weaknesses and turn them into strengths. There are times when you’re enjoying it better during those lulls because people are dancing or having a good time. The pitching could be interesting, but the dancing or the camera aimed at a fan doing something funny are what make people have an unforgettable experience.
Minaya: The stadium is first-class, possibly the best in all of Latin America, and you’ve had some regular-season games there already. We spoke to Murray Cook, who is the official field and stadium consultant for MLB, and he told us it’s one of the best out there.
Del Valle: There are requirements as far as the turf, which is why renovations were made. It has to do with safety issues and accommodations. They’ve been working with a group since December, checking things off a list. A lot of the work has been done by Francisco Ramos on the stadium front, and Othón Diaz on the Diablos Rojos front. The table is set and ready for them.
Díaz: They will be the first on that new turf, it’s been announced. They’ve had chances to test it out. Nobody can say that the turf at Alfredo Harp doesn’t measure up with any ballpark in the majors.
Ramos: The most difficult issue is what happens off the field with things like transportation, safety, air travel.
Díaz: Like I told you, the Yankees have staff charged with watching over all of this. We accompany them in everything, join them in dealing with authorities. One example is [our] visit to Felipe Ángeles International Airport [about 20 miles north of Mexico City] with people from the Yankees, going over logistics, transportation, everything needed for their visit. We spoke with authorities, who provided all of the facilities for this to work. We accompany them and there have been previous visits, but in reality it’s the team that sets conditions. MLB people come, too. It’s so organized, so well structured.
As you all know they have a sponsor and their own plane they use for travel. They don’t fly steerage class like the rest of us. They have it pretty good. Everything is geared to treat them like the stars they are, they are extraordinary guests. They will be taken care of from the moment they arrive at the airport. They will be received when they get here and given every consideration reserved for celebrities or world leaders, that kind of level. That’s why the support of the federal government is essential, as well as the support of authorities and the Secretariat of National Defense. The great thing about it is when these events take place, Mexicans are extraordinary, with constant teamwork at play. It’s nothing like the myth of the crabs in a bucket pulling each other down. When we’re focused on a goal, it’s really motivating and important for all Mexicans: a team effort, united and with ease.
Why the Yankees, Diablos Rojos and Mexico are a match
Díaz: It comes from the history made 56 years ago, that’s where it all started. If you visit the Diablos Rojos’ museum, there’s an iconic photo in one of the rooms of Diablos players, [Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Famer] Ramón “Diablo” Montoya among them, with Mickey Mantle. The video there talks about that legendary moment when the Diablos beat the Yankees [in the first of two exhibition games], and from there we get this opportunity, boosted with the reality that the Yankees are the baseball team, and they don’t just belong to baseball.
Victor Gonzalez, Yankees relief pitcher: To have the opportunity to go there, to Mexico, and pitch there, I have a lot of family members there who will have the opportunity to see me pitch. So to wear the Yankee pinstripes and be at home and pitch in front of my family, I think it’s going to be incredible for me.
My understanding is there aren’t any tickets available for the games so I think the people are very excited to receive this great team in Mexico City.
Aaron Boone, Yankees manager: I love when we went to London. I love when we went to the Field of Dreams in Iowa. Excited for the Little League series this year. Mexico’s another wrinkle right before the season. Something unique and different, and hopefully something that will be a cool life and baseball experience.
Alex Verdugo, Yankees outfielder: I like that they’re bringing games to different countries. … It’s going to be just get out there, eat some good food. You already know the fans are going to be awesome. So I’m looking forward to that environment and everything that comes with it.
Obviously, you see it on social media here and there, but I think it’s more of like even In person at the game, when they’re there cheering you on. They root for all their players, though. Everybody that’s going for Mexico and that’s trying to help and do something, they’re behind them like 100%.
Díaz: I’ll tell you a story. I had over a thousand WhatsApp messages, on the day of the announcement, and two days later I had more than 2,000. Apologies to my friends, because to this day I haven’t gotten back to all the people who were seeking me out. It’s impossible. One of the many things with the Yankees is that it’s not just baseball people, because people who worked with me at Mexico’s national sports commission would ask about it, people at the university from when I was there as the athletics director, from Club Alemán [an athletic club], some friends from grade school who I didn’t even know were my classmates. The funny thing about all of it is that I didn’t know how they got my number.
This is the cherry on top of the cake. More so than the big league games, which we had last year, and Monterrey had one back in the day [Monterrey has hosted five regular-season series since 1996]. But for a Mexican team to play against one from the majors, and its most iconic to boot, that’s the cherry without a doubt. “Cherry” is what you’re accustomed to saying, but because of the magnitude it’s really more like the apple. It’s incredible, this dream we’re living.
Ramos: We see it from the point of view of, the Diablos are the iconic team from a fan and history standpoint and with the ballpark, so the opponent won’t just be on the field but will also be represented in the stands, since we’ll have a group of people from different parts of the world here to see the most famous team in the world.
Del Valle: Since I came aboard, the owners have been talking about bringing the Yankees to play against the Diablos. … MLB and the Yankees found out how serious the Diablos Rojos were. At the end of the day, this showed the world what Mexican baseball is about.
Díaz: If you go back and check around Dec. 28 [a date comparable in Latin America to April Fools’ Day] back in 2020, on Diablos social media we wrote something like, “The Yankees are coming to play in Mexico,” thinking it was something impossible, so we posted it. Just a few years later, it’s a reality.
Here comes the American League!
The Detroit Tigers have retaken the No. 1 spot and are one of four AL teams in the top 10 in Week 10 alongside the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros — who cracked the top 10 for the first time this season.
The National League is still well-represented at the top of our list, with the usual powerhouses battling Detroit for first place.
Meanwhile, a number of clubs have continued their fall down our rankings this week, including the Boston Red Sox dropping to No. 22 and the Arizona Diamondbacks to No. 19, with each at its lowest ranking of 2025. Will they be able to overcome their struggles and bounce back?
Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 41-22
Previous ranking: 2
After serving up four home runs to the Rangers on May 10 and seeing his ERA rise to 4.61, Jack Flaherty has reeled off a 2.22 ERA over his past four starts. He is looking much more like the pitcher the Tigers had in the first half of 2024 before they traded him to the Dodgers then re-signed him as a free agent over the winter. In three of those four recent games, Flaherty threw his fastball just over 50% of the time, which he hadn’t done in any of his first eight starts. The Tigers also received consecutive scoreless starts from Keider Montero filling in for the injured Reese Olson. This rotation isn’t just Tarik Skubal. — Schoenfield
Record: 37-25
Previous ranking: 3
The Dodgers’ offense has kept L.A. in its familiar first-place perch despite widespread pitching struggles. The attack might be getting even more potent thanks to the sudden resurgence of Max Muncy, perhaps baseball’s hottest hitter. Muncy capped a seven-game stretch in which he hit .409/.500/1.227 with a game-tying homer in Tuesday’s dramatic extra-inning win over the Mets. It was Muncy’s sixth long ball of that stretch, during which he lifted his season OPS from .653 to .781. For the season, Muncy has a .945 OPS at Dodger Stadium, but an anemic .593 mark on the road. — Doolittle
Record: 39-23
Previous ranking: 6
Ronny Mauricio is back in the big leagues. The former top prospect debuted with the Mets in September 2023, but he tore an ACL in winter ball then had a second surgery last summer, ultimately missing the entire 2024 season. After hitting .515 with three home runs in nine games in Triple-A this year, the Mets called him up to replace the injured Mark Vientos on the roster. He went 0-for-4 on Tuesday while playing third base. The switch-hitter could get time at third, second and DH, although the Mets do have Brett Baty, Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña capable of playing the infield, as well. — Schoenfield
Record: 37-23
Previous ranking: 4
Take 2 for Devin Williams. The Yankees righty is back in his closing role after Luke Weaver went down with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. Will Williams be better this time around? The Yankees think so after he had a decent run as a middle man. He hadn’t given up a run in 10 of his previous 11 appearances before returning to the closer job. Just as important, Williams walked only one hitter during that time frame while striking out 15. His first test back at closer came on Tuesday. And while he passed — New York beat Cleveland 3-2 — he did give up a run in the ninth. So, stay tuned. — Rogers
Record: 37-24
Previous ranking: 1
After a hot stretch against the Pirates, Rockies, A’s and Braves that saw the Phillies win 11 of 12 games, Philadelphia got swept at home by the Brewers over the weekend, losing the three games by a combined score of 28-11. Jesus Luzardo allowed 12 hits and 12 runs in a 17-7 loss, seeing his ERA climb from 2.15 to 3.58. He became just the 12th pitcher in MLB history to allow as many as 12 runs while pitching 3⅓ innings or fewer. On the bright side, while Ranger Suarez allowed seven runs in his 2025 debut, he has since had three scoreless starts in five appearances (although he picked up a no-decision in a 5-2 loss to Milwaukee as the bullpen blew a 2-1 lead). — Schoenfield
Record: 38-23
Previous ranking: 5
The Cubs are managing just fine without Shota Imanaga (hamstring) and Justin Steele (elbow), but they probably will look to augment their staff via trade come July. Chicago got a huge outing from second-year player Ben Brown over the weekend when he threw six shutout innings against the Reds, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out nine. It came after the team used lefty Drew Pomeranz as an opener. That trend could continue, as Brown is a two-pitch pitcher who has trouble going through a lineup three times and sometimes gets into first-inning trouble. An opener addresses both issues. — Rogers
Record: 35-25
Previous ranking: 7
As the Padres keep trying to patch up their hole-riddled lineup, Manny Machado continues to put up All-Star numbers in his 14th season. Machado has never hit .300 in a full season (he hit .304 in the shortened 2020 campaign), but he might get there this year as he suddenly has become a line-drive force. He is striking out less than at any time since 2021, yet his average exit velocity is the highest it’s been during that span. Machado is 32, but he shows every sign of graceful aging as he approaches the 2,000-hit milestone for his likely Hall-of-Fame career. — Doolittle
Record: 32-28
Previous ranking: 8
Seattle slipped behind Houston in the AL West since we last convened, but the news out of the Great Northwest is getting brighter. Starter Bryce Miller was activated from the injured list after a three-week stay. Even better, Logan Gilbert was slated for a second rehab start as his recovery from a balky elbow nears completion. If Gilbert is activated soon, the Mariners’ projected five-man rotation — Miller, Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo — will be intact for the first time all season. That Seattle spent so much time in first place despite that fact could portend a happy summer for Mariners fans. — Doolittle
Record: 34-28
Previous ranking: 9
The Giants have slid in the standings and the win-loss column of late, as their robust pitching staff hasn’t been able to carry an increasingly foundering offense. With Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski and Jung Hoo Lee all slowing after good starts, first-year general manager Buster Posey has started to shuffle the roster, most notably designating LaMonte Wade Jr. for assignment. In the minors, top prospect Bryce Eldridge was moved from Double-A to Triple-A, so perhaps he could help later in the season. For all the shuffling, the key remains free-agent splash Willy Adames, who continues to labor with a sub-80 OPS+. — Doolittle
Record: 33-28
Previous ranking: 12
The Astros returned to the top of the AL West for the first time since the initial few days of the campaign. They accomplished this despite an ongoing plague of pitching injuries and the lingering unavailability of star slugger Yordan Alvarez. Perhaps the biggest reason for the Astros’ ability to remain afloat has been shortstop Jeremy Peña‘s emergence into a top-10 overall player in the AL. The 27-year-old has morphed from a high-strikeout, low-walk power threat to a complete package at the dish. Peña has slashed his whiff rate to elite levels, losing no power in the process while continuing to shine on defense. — Doolittle
Record: 33-27
Previous ranking: 10
The Cardinals are holding steady in the NL wild-card race despite an up-and-down week. But the question continues to linger in St. Louis: Can the Cardinals stay in the race long enough to convince the front office not to trade away their pending free agents? Inside the clubhouse, undoubtedly that answer is yes. It might get to the point that outgoing top decision-maker John Mozeliak decides to add. Why not take one more kick at the can? — Rogers
Record: 34-27
Previous ranking: 11
Chris Paddack is turning into one of the pleasant surprises of 2025. After the Twins acquired him from the Padres in 2022, he underwent Tommy John surgery after just five starts, wiping out nearly two full seasons. He had a 4.99 ERA last year in 17 starts, allowing a .283 average. He allowed nine runs in his first start this year, but he has posted a 2.47 ERA since then. He then enjoyed his best outing of the season on Sunday in Seattle, allowing one run in eight innings with 10 strikeouts while throwing 110 pitches (although he came away with a no-decision in a 2-1 loss). — Schoenfield
Record: 34-29
Previous ranking: 20
Finally. The Brewers are showing some life. An eight-game win streak that ended Tuesday night vaulted them into the playoff picture. Their offensive surge has been led by Christian Yelich — who hit .414 with a 1.1313 OPS during the win streak — but he’s not the only one doing damage. Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick also had big weeks, contributing to a sweep in Philadelphia for the team’s signature series win so far this season. — Rogers
Record: 33-27
Previous ranking: 14
Jose Ramirez has been on extended hot streak. He had a 21-game hitting streak in May that included 11 multihit outings. After a hitless game on Friday, he followed with three straight two-hit games, raising his average to .330. Ramirez last hit .300 back in 2017, and his current OPS+ would be the second highest of his career, behind only the shortened 2020 season. He might not approach a 40/40 season like last year, when he fell one home run short, but he could be headed for a third 30/30 campaign. He should be the easy All-Star starter at third base for his fourth start in the Midsummer Classic and seventh selection. — Schoenfield
Record: 30-29
Previous ranking: 16
Junior Caminero is heating up, hitting .400 over a 10-game stretch that ended Tuesday. He hit five home runs and drove in a whopping 17 runs during that span, including a two-homer game against Houston over the weekend. He added another blast in Tuesday’s victory over Texas. He has been all over fastballs lately, hitting .292 on the season against them. His bat has helped push the Rays past .500 and back into the AL playoff race. — Rogers
Record: 27-33
Previous ranking: 15
Ronald Acuña Jr. has been terrific in his return from knee surgery, hitting .341/.413/.610 with three home runs in his first 11 games back. But the Braves also need a lift from Spencer Strider — and he hasn’t delivered it just yet. Strider made one start in April in his return from Tommy John surgery, but a hamstring injury caused him to miss a month. In three starts since coming off the IL, he has allowed 10 runs in 14 innings while walking seven batters and hitting three. He also served up three home runs in a loss to Arizona on Tuesday. It hasn’t helped that the lineup continues to scuffle, scoring just one run in each of two losses to the Red Sox. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-29
Previous ranking: 17
After tearing through Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .322 with 15 home runs in 50 games, Jac Caglianone made his highly anticipated MLB debut on Tuesday, going 0-for-5 in a 10-7 win over St. Louis. He hit sixth and served as the DH (after beginning to see some outfield reps in the minors). Despite the hitless outing, Caglianone showed off his potential, as he had four hard-hit balls of 95-plus mph. Three of those were groundouts, and one was a drive into right-center in his first at-bat that Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II made a fine running catch on. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-29
Previous ranking: 22
Toronto’s offense came to play against the A’s during a four-game sweep last week. The Blue Jays totaled 39 runs, led by Addison Barger, Bo Bichette and George Springer. Each had three home runs during Toronto’s five-game win streak, which ended on Tuesday in a loss to the Phillies. Thanks to the series against the pitching-challenged A’s, Toronto boasted the highest OPS of any team last week. The question is whether it can continue against better opponents. That hasn’t always been the case this season for the Jays; see Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Phillies as evidence. — Rogers
Record: 30-31
Previous ranking: 13
The Diamondbacks appeared to be most likely to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West. That could still happen. But for now, Arizona might challenge L.A. for the title of most disappointing starting rotation, at least among expected contenders. Arizona’s 23rd-ranked rotation ERA is bad enough. Then came this zinger: Ace Corbin Burnes, he of the $210 million contract, is on the IL with an elbow problem, the specific diagnosis of which has initially proved to be elusive. Not great. — Doolittle
Record: 29-33
Previous ranking: 21
The Rangers’ up-and-down start to the season has left them almost precisely mediocre, which isn’t exactly what they were shooting for. It has felt like every positive development that’s happened for Texas since Opening Day has been accompanied by an equivalent gut punch. The pattern continued last week, when Marcus Semien showed signs of catching fire after foundering the first two months as one of baseball’s least productive hitters. Alas, ace Nathan Eovaldi hit the IL with triceps fatigue, weakening a rotation big three (Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle) that has kept Texas in the realm of contention. And so on it goes. — Doolittle
Record: 30-33
Previous ranking: 19
TJ Friedl has given the Reds a needed boost at the plate, collecting 10 multihit games since May 19. The 29-year-old outfielder is having a resurgent season after seeing his OPS drop below .700 last year. This year, he has hit more in line with his 2023 campaign, when he smacked 18 home runs and compiled a .352 on-base percentage. He is showing a little less power than two years ago, but his on-base has shot up over .380, and he is hitting over .360 off fastballs. — Rogers
Record: 30-34
Previous ranking: 18
The Red Sox’s offense looks pedestrian without Alex Bregman, who’s been out with a right quad injury since late last month. The team ranks in the bottom third in run scoring during that time frame. Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story have struggled the most, striking out about six times more than they’ve walked over the past half-month. That’s a recipe for some ugly at-bats. Fortunately, Rafael Devers has picked up the slack, averaging more than an RBI per game during Bregman’s absence. But Boston needs someone else to step up, as Bregman is going to be out for a while. Boston’s record as of late reflects its struggles. — Rogers
Record: 29-32
Previous ranking: 24
The Nationals had a nice road trip, winning two of three in Seattle and in Phoenix as the offense exploded for at least nine runs in four consecutive games. The highlights included a seven-run 10th inning against the Mariners and a 10-run first inning against the Diamondbacks in which the first 11 batters all reached base and five doubles were tallied. During the latter contest, the Nats scored nine runs before an out was recorded, the second most in a first inning since 1961. (The Red Sox scored 10 against the Marlins in 2003.) Luis Garcia had eight hits and six RBIs over the four outings, while the red-hot James Wood homered twice and drove in seven runs. — Schoenfield
Record: 28-33
Previous ranking: 23
The Angels have played the most road games in the majors, which has made their roller-coaster (but encouraging) start that much more impressive. Even better, they’ve played well away from Anaheim, generally remaining on the happy side of .500. The upside of such a road-heavy slate is that, by definition, the rest of their schedule will be MLB’s most home-heavy. For the Angels to take advantage, though, they need to actually start holding down the fort at the Big A, where they’ve gone 10-15. The hitters rank 5th in scoring on the road but 30th at home. That needs to change — Doolittle
Record: 24-36
Previous ranking: 27
Could a weekend sweep of an AL opponent mean the Orioles are back? Not likely, when you consider it was the lowly White Sox who failed to win a game in Baltimore. Even in taking the trio of games, the O’s only scored nine runs; but at least they pitched well, something that has eluded them for most of the season. That carried over to a 5-1 win at Seattle on Tuesday. Charlie Morton also has had a couple of good outings in a row that have led to wins. Perhaps he can right the ship enough to get traded, since it’s still a huge long shot for Baltimore to get back into the playoff race. — Rogers
Record: 23-39
Previous ranking: 28
OK, time for that annual exercise: Who on the Pirates can be unloaded to help other teams come trade season? Veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa comes to mind. Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Adam Frazier and Andrew Heaney too. In other words, just about anyone this side of Paul Skenes can be had. If the Pirates can acquire even one hitting prospect to pair with Oneil Cruz, it would help. Cruz is their top hitter right now, ranking 40th in OPS in MLB. The next Pirate on the list is the 38-year-old McCutchen, at 81st. — Rogers
Record: 23-37
Previous ranking: 26
The Marlins became the first team to lose a series against the Rockies this season — and then the first to be swept by Colorado after dropping the final game in Miami. Monday’s announced home attendance was 5,894, which was a generous assessment of the actual in-game crowd. Pictures of a nearly empty stadium at first pitch filled social media. The game ended with a 6-4 loss. The Marlins had plenty of scoring opportunities but went just 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. — Schoenfield
Record: 23-40
Previous ranking: 25
After showing some early signs of respectability and even a possible fringe run at a wild-card slot, the Athletics collapsed like the construct of a Jenga player who’s had one too many. The culprit has been pitching, particularly in the rotation, an area the A’s had hoped would be solid. Since the A’s topped out at four games over .500 (20-16), the starters have gone 3-24 with an ERA around 7.00, which is, unsurprisingly, the worst mark in the majors over that span. Double-digit outputs by the opposition have become the norm — as in 10 times over the Athletics’ past 25 games. — Doolittle
Record: 19-43
Previous ranking: 29
Down on the farm, there have been mixed reviews of Chicago’s highly regarded top five prospects. Hagen Smith had pitched just 25 innings in seven starts with 20 walks (although 42 strikeouts) in Double-A before going on the IL with elbow soreness. Colson Montgomery is hitting .191 in Triple-A. Noah Schultz has a high WHIP in Double-A (47 hits and 28 walks in 46 IP). Kyle Teel has hit well in Triple-A (.287/.389/.483) but has 54 strikeouts in 49 games. Braden Montgomery did earn a promotion to High-A but is hitting .246 there after hitting .304 in Single-A. Teel is most likely to make his MLB debut this year, although there’s little need to rush him with Edgar Quero and Matt Thaiss sharing catching duties. — Schoenfield
Record: 12-50
Previous ranking: 30
When a team is on pace to shatter the all-time loss record, you don’t generally expect any facet of that team to actually be good. However, the Colorado bullpen — despite having precious few leads to protect — has been positively not entirely terrible. (It’s all relative, of course.) For the Rockies, this could be more than a moral victory during a tortuously lost season. As the trade deadline approaches, Colorado might be able to capitalize on the always-busy derby for in-season bullpen help. Sure to attract calls are Seth Halvorsen and Jake Bird. — Doolittle
Ohio State will host Navy in the 2029 season opener for both teams, the schools announced Wednesday.
The Sept. 1, 2029, game will be the first meeting between the teams since 2014 and the sixth overall in the series. The Buckeyes have won all five previous matchups.
The game was one of three changes Ohio State made to future nonconference schedules that will affect the 2029 and 2030 seasons. To add the Navy game, Ohio State and Nevada agreed to move their previously scheduled game on that date to Sept. 7, 2030.
Ohio State also added a nonconference game against Youngstown State, which will be played at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 15, 2029. The Buckeyes have one nonconference game to fill out their schedule over the next five years: the season opener on Aug. 31, 2030.
In the 2014 matchup, a 34-17 Ohio State win in Baltimore, Navy trailed 20-17 in the fourth quarter before Ezekiel Elliott scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to put the Buckeyes up 10 and Michael Thomas scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from J.T. Barrett that put the game away.
Ohio State would go on to post a 14-1 record and defeat Oregon 42-20 in the Rose Bowl to win the College Football Playoff.
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