Because the 2024 common season continues, listed here are three issues we’ll be keeping track of across the baseball world headed into the weekend:
1. London Collection 2024:
Final 12 months, MLB made its long-awaited return to London after first visiting with a set between the Crimson Sox and Yankees in 2019. The Yankees swept the two-game set that 12 months, whereas final season the Cubs and Cardinals break up their very own two-game set. This weekend, a 3rd pair of groups is about to face off in London Stadium: the Phillies and the Mets. Philadelphia has loved an extremely scorching begin to the 2024 marketing campaign due to implausible beginning pitching performances, not solely from aces Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola but additionally due to breakout performances from Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez. That elite pitching efficiency along side significantly sturdy offensive manufacturing from Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm and (previous to his damage) Trea Turner has led Philadelphia to a 44-19 document and a commanding lead within the NL East.
Issues haven’t gone fairly as properly for the Mets this 12 months. Luis Severino and Sean Manaea have posted high quality leads to the rotation whereas Pete Alonso, J.D. Martinez and younger Mark Vientos have delivered sturdy performances to the anchor the lineup. Nevertheless, vital struggles of key gamers like Edwin Diaz, Jeff McNeil and Jose Quintana have left followers in Queens with little to have a good time as their membership has already fallen 16.5 video games again of the NL East lead with a 27-35 document. The 2-game set is about to start at 6:10pm London time (1:10pm ET) on Saturday as Suarez (1.70 ERA) takes on Manaea (3.63 ERA), adopted by a sport at 3:10pm London time (10:10am ET) on Sunday the place Quintana (5.17 ERA) takes on Taijuan Walker (5.73 ERA).
2. Soto to endure testing:
Yaankees celebrity Juan Soto departed yesterday’s win over the Twins following a rain delay as a result of what the group termed left forearm discomfort. As relayed by SNY on X (Video Hyperlinks), supervisor Aaron Boone advised reporters after the sport that Soto’s been coping with soreness in his forearm for the previous week or so and that the membership determined to “play it protected” quite than ramp him again up after the rain delay. Whereas that description sounds pretty innocuous, Boone additionally added a extra ominous observe that Soto would endure imaging on the arm right now.
Acquired from the Padres in a blockbuster deal over the offseason, Soto has been every thing the Yankees might’ve hoped for because the season started. In 64 video games, the 25-year-old phenom has slashed .318/.424/.603 (190 wRC+) whereas main the majors in on-base share, main the AL in batting common, and clubbing 17 residence runs. He’s even delivered stable protection in proper discipline, with +1 Outs Above Common and +1 Defensive Runs Saved. Dropping Soto for any period of time would ramp up strain in a division the place the Yankees maintain a 4.5-game lead over the second-place Orioles. If Soto is out, the Yankees might give Trent Grisham further time in heart and transfer Aaron Decide to proper discipline.
3. Collection Preview: Dodgers @ Yankees
The 45-19 Yankees have MLB’s greatest profitable share, however the Dodgers are actually fearsome in their very own proper with a 39-25 document and a commanding eight-game lead within the NL West. New York’s success has been largely predicated on the elite efficiency of their beginning rotation, which leads the AL with a 2.82 ERA, together with huge performances from Soto, Decide and shortstop Anthony Volpe.
The Dodgers, in the meantime, have loved elite offensive manufacturing from the highest 4 spots of their lineup, occupied by Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith. Their rotation has been merely good quite than elite, rating eighth within the majors with a collective 3.50 ERA regardless of sturdy particular person performances from offseason acquisitions Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The set between the 2 titans is about to start at 7:05pm native time this night when Yamamoto (3.32 ERA) takes the mound reverse Cody Poteet, who has allowed three runs in 11 innings (2.45 ERA) in two spot begins this 12 months. On Saturday, younger righty Gavin Stone (2.90 ERA) will tackle lefty Nestor Cortes (3.46 ERA). The sequence wraps up Sunday with Glasnow (2.93 ERA) on the mound reverse breakout righty Luis Gil (1.82 ERA).
