As the 2025 regular season continues, here are a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on this weekend:
1. Diamondbacks heating up:
Arizona got out to something of a slow start this year, quickly falling to fourth place in the crowded NL West with a 5-6 record. They’ve caught fire since, however, winning seven of eight games — including each of their past five. Their next test will come in the Friendly Confines, as the team is headed to Chicago for a three-game set against the Cubs that begins at 1:20pm local time this afternoon.
Today’s matchup will see right-hander Corbin Burnes try to right the ship after struggling to a 5.28 ERA in his first three starts with Arizona. Chicago counters with Colin Rea, who began the season in the bullpen but has moved into the rotation following Justin Steele’s injury. Rea struck out five Dodgers across 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first start last week and will continue to stretch out as he shifts back into a starting role. Saturday will see Burnes’ co-ace, Zac Gallen, try to recover from his own uneven start to the season (4.64 ERA) opposite Cubs youngster Ben Brown. Sunday’s series finale will be a battle of mid-rotation veterans as Merrill Kelly takes on Jameson Taillon.
2. Top prospect debut for Twins:
The Twins are reportedly poised to promote top infield prospect Luke Keaschall to the majors prior to today’s game in Atlanta, which begins at 7:15pm local time. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to bring Keaschall into the fold. A consensus top-60 prospect in the sport, the 22-year-old has gotten off to a decent start at Triple-A with a .261/.379/.348 slash line in 14 games. The 2023 second-round pick posted a fantastic .303/.420/.483 slash line last year between the High-A and Double-A levels. Plate discipline and plus contact skills are Keaschall’s calling cards. He’s walked in 13.6% of his professional plate appearances against just a 17.5% strikeout rate.
Keaschall has split most of his time between second base and center field during his time in the minors, though he has experience at first and third base as well. His MLB debut will come amid a rash of injuries for the Twins, who have sluggers Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis on the injured list while shortstop Carlos Correa and utilityman Willi Castro are facing day-to-day maladies. Fellow infielder Jose Miranda was optioned to Triple-A after getting out to a bleak .167/.167/.250 start in his first 36 plate appearances.
3. Brewers change it up at third base:
The Brewers are also set to bring up a promising young talent from their system. Caleb Durbin, acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Devin Williams this offseason, is reportedly headed to the big leagues in place of struggling infielder Oliver Dunn, whom the Brew Crew already formally optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Durbin doesn’t come with the same level of national fanfare that Keaschall brings, but Milwaukee will hope he can make an impact all the same.
A compact speedster standing at 5’7″, Durbin has elite bat-to-ball skills and strong plate discipline but lacks power. He’s hitting .278/.316/.481 on the young season and is fresh off a 2024 campaign that saw him slash .275/.388/.451 with a 13.1% walk rate and tiny 9.9% strikeout rate in 406 plate appearances across three minor league levels (Class-A, Double-A, Triple-A). Brewers third basemen are batting .150/.188/.233 this season, so it’s a low bar to clear for Durbin as he looks to cement his place in the Brewers’ long-term plans.
4. Pitchers’ duel in Texas:
The Dodgers and Rangers are meeting in Arlington for a three-game series this weekend, and Game 1 of the series (scheduled for 7:05pm local time) will feature two of the league’s most talented pitchers. Texas is sending Jacob deGrom to the mound, and the soon-to-be 37-year-old hurler will look to get his season back on track after three uncharacteristic starts where he’s posted a pedestrian 4.30 ERA while striking out just 20.6% of his opponents. There’s no need for a bounceback from Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has begun the season with a dominant 1.23 ERA and a 33.7% strikeout rate in four starts.
Dbacks recent success has coincided with better starting pitching the last 7+ games. Marte will be a welcome addition to the lineup when he returns, but Carroll, Perdomo, Smith and Naylor are off to hot starts and carrying the offense. RP has been very good and Ginkel, Graveman and Jameson have yet to pitch.
Bullpen has been a nice surprise, except some guy named Joe.
Would not surprise me if Joe is either DFA or traded to make room for Ginkel or Graveman. As for Jameson he will be in reserve in case of injury. Miller, Beeks have made there spot solid so far to be on this MLB roster. Been very pleased with the RP, and as far as the starters go hopefully, they stay in the mode they are in right now.
@desertdawg
Mantiply doesn’t need to be DFA’d or traded to make room for Ginkel or Graveman; all three are on the 40-man already, and Joe still has Minor League options. FWIW, Mantiply has been having horrific batted ball luck (he’s generating mostly ground balls and limiting hard contact, but they’re falling in).
Beeks and Miller looking good all things considered, and Jarvis and Nelson still have options as well (I’d prefer that Ryne get optioned when Ginkel is back, because he’s “too efficient” out of the bullpen to keep him stretched out for starts). I think Thompson still has options as well, but I may be mistaken.
Plus, we still have Drey Jameson and Kyle Nelson working their way back (and Kyle was a higher leverage LHP than Mantiply when on the roster).
Martinez, Puk, Miller, Beeks, Thompson, Mantiply, Jarvis, and Nelson has been solid, but our worst performers can still be optioned to opt for CLEARLY higher leverage arms. We’re eating good so far.
Beeks looked really good yesterday.
The Cubs have a pretty good history vs Burnes, so hopefully they can slow down this D-Bags team that has been playing very well. Cubs coming off a 3-3 road trip which isn’t bad considering who they were facing, and so they are also playing fairly well. However, Rae might go 4-5 at most and I’m not confident in their bullpen. This continues a brutal stretch for the Cubs. At least they’re home now.
coop: Yeah, in that little bandbox and the cheaters baskets, the cubs do very well in their home park.
….and when you trolls find out about the button that makes the cheater basket bigger when the Cubs bat you can have more fun at the keyboard.
The Sux ankle biters never run out of rancor or envy.
Cubby: Not trolling. Do you deny that several home runs a year are due to falling into those baskets when otherwise they would be doubles or flyouts? No other team cheats like that.
Avenger….cheating would imply an advantage. I’m gonna guess that the other team might “cheat” the same so it’s not really cheating.
But since your at it, your White Sox home run down the line is oh, only 25 feet fewer than Wrigley…basket or no basket.
So you’re right no other team cheats like the Cubs….the Cubs cheat by oh, four feet…the White Sox cheat by 25.
Are you gonna deny that some of the home runs at the Rate are because of the shorter 25 feet or just gonna accept the other team hits them because the Sox stink?
cubby: First of all the Sox don’t hit homers so any advantage is moot. Second since the cubbies play 81 games in the bandbox, it’s a distinct advantage over teams that visit maybe 708 times a year.
Not a Cubs fan, but the Cubs play 81 games against an opponent. If you are referring to individual hitter stats, you may have a valid point (similar to Coors). But those 81 games are played against opponents with the same advantage (or disadvantage if you are a pitcher). Not that hard to understand.
Bux: Playing 81 games in that park is a distinct advantage over a team that only visits for less than 10 games. Coors is a different situation. You can’t do anything about the atmosphere, but you can demolish those baskets. Also not that hard to understand.
Bux: The advantage goes to the team that plays 81 games in that park. The difference with Coors is, you can’t do anything about the altitude, but you can demolish the baskets and make it fair for both sides.
We need a Jordan lawlar callup soon
Thinking they will call him up in June if all equals out, but if Geno’s bat doesn’t heat up going through May, and now with the throwing errors that are starting to concern me. It would not be at all surprising to see Lawler get a call up if he stays hot with the bat, the key can he stay healthy enough to make it worthwhile.
Nice to see Corbin Carroll having his Bobby Witt type breakout superstar season.
Caleb Durbin has the potential to be a prime Chone Figgins like presence in the lineup. He is an absolute menace on the base paths. Brewers fans are going to enjoy having him.
White Sox “phenom” Edgar Quero, a bat-first catcher, went 0-3 with a K in his debut yesterday. Special.
To put your comment in context: if he goes 2-3 today he’ll be batting .333
Prospectnvstr: “If”
The point is your comment was simply obnoxious drivel. No player is judged by a one game sample in this sport.. Mike Trout didn’t come close to hitting his average his first season; is he garbage?
Suarez has been a disaster and Carroll is striking out at a ridiculous rate. If those two can’t figure it out, they have zero chance at the wildcard
Just to be clear. We’re worried about Carroll striking out less often than Judge did from 2021-2024? Are we serious, joking or seeking reasons to be negative against a player on a different (possibly rival?) team?
@Spencer
It might be in reference to how frequently he’s been K’ing lately. To be clear, I’m not nearly as concerned, because he’s obviously a bit “swing-happy” right now (honestly, who wouldn’t be when they’re swinging like he has been lol)
His chase rate will come down, because that’s the real problem. I don’t mind the in-zone whiffs as long as he’s punishing strikes and not chasing.
IDK. It’s been 19 games. 88 plate appearances. A 23.9% K rate in less than 20 games seems like an arbitrary stat to pick out for anyone. But least of all the best hitter in MLB so far in 2025.
He just struck out again. He’s a good player but if the game is on the line, he’s not the one I want up there to drive anyone in
To each their own bias… He 100% is on my shortlist of players I do want up in that situation. I’m not sure I could name 5 players I’d prefer honestly. Shohei, Judge, Witt. Maybe Perdomo or someone who takes at bats like he does?
His high-contact, low-strikeout style could stabilize third base.