Stats - Baseball Wiretap

Pete Crow-Armstrong became the first player in Major League Baseball to hit for the cycle this season Monday, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 comeback victory over the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field.

The 24-year-old center fielder completed the feat in reverse order, opening with a leadoff home run before adding a triple in the third inning, a double in the fifth and a single in the seventh. His first three hits came against Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, with the final knock off reliever Antonio Senzatela.

Crow-Armstrong is the 13th player in Cubs franchise history to hit for the cycle and the youngest to do so since Randy Hundley in 1966. He is only the fourth player in the divisional era to complete the cycle in reverse order.

"I'm proud of myself for the work I've been doing over the last few weeks, over the course of the year, really," Crow-Armstrong said.

Despite the individual milestone, Crow-Armstrong was critical of himself after getting picked off base immediately following his cycle-completing single.

"I did everything I could to help the team, but I also had a real lapse in focus, and that really could have hurt us tonight," said Crow-Armstrong. "I know it's a rare feat. Hard to answer questions like those when the game just ended, and I'm processing a lot."

Crow-Armstrong has been scorching lately, collecting 13 hits across his previous six games, eight of which went for extra bases. His OPS climbed to .845 following Monday's performance.

Chicago rallied from a 4-3 deficit in the ninth inning when Matt Shaw scored the winning run on a bases-loaded walk. It was the Cubs' ninth walk-off win, the most in the majors.

Shohei Ohtani delivered his third scoreless outing in four appearances Wednesday, throwing six two-hit innings with six strikeouts while going 3-for-4 at the plate as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-0. His ERA sits at a major league-best 0.74.

Ohtani reached base five times and raised his batting average to .301. It marked his third straight two-way start of the season.

Catcher Will Smith was unequivocal in his assessment after the game.

"He's the best player that's ever walked this earth," said Smith.

Ohtani struggled with command through much of May, walking four and hitting a batter in his prior start against Colorado, but surrendered only three earned runs over 25 innings that month. Both Ohtani and Smith noted a marked improvement in his command Wednesday.

"Today was definitely a lot better than last time," said Ohtani. "Hard to say if today was really good, just have to look back and review it, but I could tell for sure it was better than last time."

Ohtani also overcame an extended hitting slump. From April 17 to May 12, he batted .230 with a .711 OPS. Following two days out of the lineup and mechanical adjustments to his stance, he has hit .415 with a .506 on-base percentage over his last stretch of games.

"The biggest reason for me getting out of that stretch was more mechanical," said Ohtani. "A lot of the success or failure of an at-bat is impacted by how I see, and that's affected by my posture."

Dave Roberts described Ohtani's competitive approach on the mound as exceptional.

"He's literally trying to throw a shutout every time out there," said Roberts.

Ohtani carries a .941 OPS through 57 games as a hitter and 10 mound appearances, though he noted his elevated walk rate is inflating that figure and identified slugging percentage as his primary area for improvement.

Shohei Ohtani leads all qualified major league pitchers with a 0.60 ERA through five starts, yet the Los Angeles Dodgers dropped a 2-1 decision to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani allowed two runs over six innings while throwing a career-high 104 pitches.

The mark is the fifth-lowest ERA by a Dodger through his first five starts of a season since earned runs became an official National League statistic in 1912. Only Fernando Valenzuela, Don Sutton, and Jesse Petty posted lower figures through five outings.

Ohtani struck out nine batters but tied season highs with five hits allowed and three walks. He also sat out of the lineup for the second time this season, as manager Dave Roberts managed his workload given the additional rest between starts.

"I don't think he felt completely in sync. There were a lot of misfires and bad misses," Roberts said. "But for him to still find a way to navigate six innings and give up two runs, we should win the game."

A wild pickoff attempt by Ohtani in the second inning allowed an unearned run to score. Miami added an earned run in the fifth on a two-out single by Kyle Stowers.

Los Angeles went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base against a Miami staff that threw just 112 pitches.

"I feel great physically. I think it's something to do with my mechanics," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.

Shohei Ohtani's career best 53-game on-base streak came to an end Wednesday as the Los Angeles Dodgers fell 3-0 to the San Francisco Giants. The two-way star went 0-for-4 while delivering six dominant scoreless innings on the mound.

The streak tied Shawn Green for the longest in Dodgers franchise history. Duke Snider holds the all-time club record at 58 games. Ohtani's run dated to last season.

Ohtani was sharp in his start as his ERA dropped to 0.38, the lowest mark among National League starting pitchers. Giants starter Tyler Mahle outdueled him, however, tossing seven innings of three-hit ball for the shutout victory.

Ohtani grounded out twice, struck out on a Mahle fastball and flew out to left field in his final plate appearance.

Despite a .396 on-base percentage ranking among the NL's top 10, Ohtani has expressed dissatisfaction with his offensive production. He carries a .258 batting average, .472 slugging percentage and .854 OPS.

"It's correct to say that I am not in the best position," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "It's not horrible, but it is something I have experienced in the past, April being kind of like this."

Manager Dave Roberts remains measured about the slow offensive start and may rest Ohtani in Thursday's series finale.

"When he stays in the middle of the field, there's no one better," Roberts said.

Major League Baseball's average salary climbed 3.4% to a record $5.34 million on Opening Day, according to an Associated Press study, with the New York Mets topping league payrolls for the fourth consecutive year at $352.2 million.

Mets outfielder Juan Soto remains the sport's highest-paid player for the second straight season at $61.9 million annually, placing him among the highest-compensated athletes across all major North American professional sports. New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger ranks second at $42.5 million, followed by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler and Mets third baseman Bo Bichette, who are tied at $42 million. Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sits fifth at $40.2 million, just ahead of Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge at $40 million.

Across sports, the top of the market is converging. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott carries an average annual value of approximately $60 million in the NFL, while Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry earns $59.6 million in the NBA this season, putting all three leagues within a narrow range at the very top of the pay scale.

The broader salary picture, however, differs considerably by sport. The NBA's average salary for roster players sits just under $14 million during the 2025-26 season, driven by smaller rosters that concentrate league revenue among fewer players. The NFL average was approximately $3.2 million in 2025, reflecting the league's significantly larger rosters. MLB's $5.34 million average falls between the two, though roster sizes in baseball and football are substantially larger than in basketball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers ranked second in MLB payroll at $316.6 million, down slightly from $319.5 million last year. Their figure would rise to $395.2 million without present-value discounting applied to deferred contracts for nine players.

MLB's average salary has grown 28 percent under the current five-year collective bargaining agreement, which expires in December, an average annual increase of 5.6%. Six clubs carried payrolls above $250 million, up from four a year ago, while eight teams fell below $100 million, an increase from five.

The Detroit Tigers posted the largest year-over-year spending increase at $64.2 million, reaching $206.7 million after signing pitcher Framber Valdez and giving a significant raise to ace Tarik Skubal through arbitration. The Minnesota Twins recorded the steepest decline, slashing $46.3 million from its Opening Day payroll to settle at $96.5 million.

The Cleveland Guardians were the MLB's lowest-spending team at $62.3 million, less than one-fifth of the Mets' total outlay.

Shohei Ohtani reached base nine times in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in their 18-inning thriller. Ohtani had four hits over the first seven innings before drawing five consecutive walks with four of them intentional. Ohtani became the first major leaguer in 83 years to reach base nine times in a game.

Ohtani homered in the third inning and the seventh inning with the second one tying the game at 5-5 where it stood until Freddie Freeman's walk off in the 18th. Ohtani also had a ground rule double to lead off the game in the first inning and an RBI double in the fifth inning. 

After Ohtani's home run in the seventh inning, the only time the Jays pitched to him again was in the 17th with a runner on first, but he was walked on four consecutive pitches without a ball near the strike zone.

"What matters the most is we won," Ohtani said through his interpreter. "And what I accomplished today is in the context of this game, and what matters the most is we flip the page and play the next game."

“He’s a great player and took some really good swings today,” Toronto manager John Schneider said.

Ohtani is scheduled to start on the mound for the Dodgers in Game 4.

Six of the 12 playoff teams possess top-10 payrolls as Major League Baseball's postseason begins Tuesday, underscoring the financial disparity that threatens to spark another lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires after next season. Only three bottom-third teams reached October, with the Milwaukee Brewers posting baseball's best record despite ranking 23rd in spending.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred identified revenue disparity as his top concern heading into the season. The current playoff field reflects that imbalance, with teams holding top-10 payrolls winning five of the past six World Series championships.

Owners have signaled intentions to pursue a salary cap system during upcoming CBA negotiations. Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort told the Denver Gazette in March that "the only way to fix baseball is to do a salary cap and a floor."

"This is not about competitive balance," MLBPA chief Tony Clark said at the All-Star Game. "This is institutionalized collusion."

Six of eight teams exceeding the $241 million luxury tax threshold reached the postseason. The Los Angeles Dodgers face an estimated $150.7 million tax bill, more than the entire payrolls of most Central division teams.

The Brewers ($117 million), Cincinnati Reds ($119 million) and Cleveland Guardians ($101 million) represent the only playoff teams from the bottom third in payroll. The Reds secured the final Wild Card spot over the New York Mets, who spent an estimated $336 million average over three seasons.

Nine teams declined to sign any multiyear free agent contracts this offseason, including the Brewers. Six of those nine clubs missed the playoffs entirely. 
 
"You son-of-a-guns did the little things over and over, when no one — no one! — said that the Milwaukee Brewers would be in the running to win the division," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after clinching.

Manfred has telegraphed the likelihood of owners voting to lock out players when the CBA expires. The previous lockout after 2021 lasted 99 days but preserved the regular season schedule.

Aaron Judge reached 50 home runs for the fourth time in his career, matching a MLB record shared with Babe Ruth, Mark McGwuire and Sammy Sosa. Judge is on pace to win his third American League MVP as he leads the major leagues in batting average (.328) and OPS (1.136). 

Judge joins Seattle's Cal Raleigh (59), Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber (56) and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (53) in hitting 50 or more homers.

Judge later added his 51st home run of the season.

Aaron Judge is hitting an astounding .423/.510/.777 in 2025, leading MLB in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and hits through 34 team games. His eighth-inning double on Sunday extended his hitting streak to 14 games while maintaining a 30-game on-base streak.

The Yankees' superstar has recorded a .474 average with 10 extra-base hits during his current hitting streak. Judge is also tied with Teoscar Hernandez for the major league lead in RBIs and paces all players in WAR and advanced metrics like OPS+ and weighted runs created.

"We're watching one of the best ever to play this game," Yankees broadcaster Paul O'Neill said during Judge's latest hot streak.

Historic Context

Judge's current pace puts him in rarified air historically. His .423 average ranks fifth-best through 34 team games since division play began in 1969, trailing only Paul O'Neill (.459), Rod Carew (.449), Luis Arraez (.430), and Barry Bonds (.429) at similar points in their respective seasons.

What separates Judge is his power production while maintaining such a high average. His 270 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) entering Sunday would be the highest figure of all time, surpassing even Barry Bonds' best seasons.

Judge's improvement stems largely from making more contact, as evidenced by his career-low 20.3% strikeout rate. This represents a significant improvement from his 30.7% strikeout rate during his 52-homer rookie season in 2017 and even his 24.3% rate during last year's MVP-caliber campaign.

The 33-year-old has been particularly devastating against pitches under 95 mph, slugging .845 against such offerings. However, he's also hitting .500/.538/.667 against pitches 95+ mph, showing no significant weakness in his approach.

Over his past 162 games dating back to May 2024, Judge has posted an otherworldly .366/.491/.773 slash line with a 1.264 OPS, demonstrating that his current performance represents a continuation of elite production rather than a mere hot streak.

The New York Mets ranked No. 1 in player spending for the third consecutive season in 2024. The Mets had a payroll of $333.3 million ahead of their total of $319.5 million in 2023. Steve Cohen has spent $1.36 billion in payroll and luxury tax since buying the Mets four years ago.

The New York Yankees ($310.9 million), Los Angeles Dodgers ($270.8 million) and Philadelphia Phillies ($249.1 million) joined the Mets at the top of last year’s payroll leaderboard.