Jacob deGrom’s historic return, and the 10 best storylines that happened in MLB last week
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Wondering what you may have missed last week in the busy world of baseball? Look no further. We’ve got you covered.
This year, we started a new series where we spotlight the 10 best storylines that happened in MLB each week. Here’s a look at last week’s standout stats and thrilling performances.
10. Guessing game
It can get boring for relievers out there in the bullpen, waiting at least a handful of innings for the starting pitcher to do his part before they can get in the game. Try doing that for six months. So Phillies relievers came up with a new way to pass the time. Every home game, they predict the ballpark’s attendance and then write their guesses on a baseball. Whoever comes closest to the real answer — “Price Is Right” style — wins and gets to keep the ball. At the end of the year, they’ll see who has collected the most baseballs and declare a season winner. They’re hoping the recent fun and games will help improve their 26th-ranked bullpen ERA.
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9. Belli’s 200th dinger
Cody Bellinger’s 200th career home run arrived just in time, sparking a rally of sorts for the Yankees in their Sunday series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. Trailing the Rays 5-0 in the seventh inning, Bellinger’s two-run home run put the Yankees on the board before New York pushed three more runs across the plate in the eighth. Though they ultimately fell short, the Yankees will continue to need Bellinger to pick up the offense while Jazz Chisholm (oblique strain) and Anthony Volpe (shoulder pain) are unavailable.
8. Game No. 34 = L
Baseball is full of informative statistics that help us better understand teams and players. This isn’t one of them. For the 16th consecutive year, the Mets lost their 34th game of the season. It’s a weird trend that dates back to May 12, 2010, when there was no way the Amazins could’ve known that their 6-4 loss to the Nationals would start a 16-year streak. In game one of a doubleheader on Sunday, the Mets tried their best to battle back against in St. Louis for Game No. 34, but the loss prevailed. Maybe next year they’ll snap the unfortunate streak.
7. Clemens homers for dad
It’s not often that Red Sox fans cheer when an opposing player hits a home run. But they made an exception for the son of one of the franchise’s greatest pitchers. Roger Clemens’ son, Kody, parked a two-run shot to right field in his first career game at Fenway Park to record his first home run of the 2025 season — all while the Clemens family was in attendance in Boston. It was clear how much the home run meant to Roger, who was all smiles as Red Sox fans ignored Kody’s home run trot and applauded his dad instead. Clemens pitched for the Red Sox for 13 years, going 192-111 with a 3.06 ERA and winning three Cy Young awards and an MVP award during that span.
6. You get a home run … you get a home run
The Kansas City Royals and Orioles combined to hit 11 home runs in Baltimore in their series finale on Sunday, but it was Kansas City that carried the load by hitting seven of them. The Royals entered the game with 18 home runs on the season, which was ranked 30th in the majors. Then, after hitting a franchise-record seven home runs against the O’s, the Royals moved into 29th place — pushing the Toronto Blue Jays into last place. That’s baseball!
5. deGrom’s first W in 737 days
Jacob deGrom went from getting no run support while playing for the Mets to undergoing Tommy John surgery to, finally, making it back on the mound for what he hopes is a full season of work for Texas this year. That long odyssey meant it had been over two years since he last picked up a win. It took him until his sixth start of the season to shut out the Athletics over six innings and finally walk away with a W this past week. He picked up his second win on Sunday against the Mariners, while becoming the fastest pitcher in history to record 1,700 strikeouts (225 games). deGrom’s winning ways have helped him look more like himself; the 36-year-old now has a 2.61 ERA across 38 innings for the Rangers.
4. Polanco’s hot streak
Coming off offseason knee surgery, Jorge Polanco is feeling the best he’s ever felt, and it shows. The Mariners veteran slugger has the highest slugging percentage (.816) in the major leagues — yes, even ahead of second-place Aaron Judge (.792) — among hitters with a minimum of 80 plate appearances. Polanco is only 10 points behind Judge in wRC+ after being named the American League Player of the Week to close out April. The 31-year-old’s red-hot performance at the plate, including swatting nine home runs, is a significant reason the Mariners are in first place in the AL West.
3. No runaway teams
With more than a month of the season behind us, there is no runaway team dominating any of the six divisions. Every current division winner has no more than a three-game lead. Even though many expected the reigning champions to hold an insurmountable lead, the closest race is actually in the NL West, with the Dodgers leading the Padres by just one game. All the divisions remain tight, so it will be fascinating to see which team is first to separate itself from the rest of the pack.
2. Tatis joins 100/100 club
What setback? Nearly 24 hours after Fernando Tatis Jr. left the game because a fastball struck his forearm, the Padres electric superstar returned to the field to put on a remarkable performance. Tatis helped San Diego win its 21st game of the year by stealing a base in the ninth and sprinting home on a wild pitch for the winning run. To top it off, the 26-year-old became just the 27th active player to join the 100/100 club (100 stolen bases/135 home runs). What’s next? MVP?
1. The best catch of the year
Sure, it’s only early May with plenty of baseball left before the season is over. Still, it’s difficult to imagine anyone will make a better catch than Daulton Varsho this year. In his season debut, Varsho tracked a ball off Jarren Duran’s bat to the warning track in center field. While he was running back, he tripped on his own feet. Awkward. Except… Varsho rolled to his side, and while kneeling with his back to home plate, he stuck his glove out and snagged the ball without even looking up. It was pure instinct and simply sensational. Good luck to any position player trying to top that play.
Deesha Thosar is a MLB reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for four years as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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