We open today’s show talking about Ben Rice and the revelation he’s been for the Yankees. Where does he play when Giancarlo Stanton returns? We also dive into the suddenly loaded bullpen and how roles are starting to take shape. What happens when Cousins, Effross, and Loaisiga are ready to go? It’s a good problem to have. We recap a dominant week for the Yankees: a sweep of the Royals and a strong win to open the Rays series on Thursday night.

From there, we zoom out to the rest of the league. The Mets dropped a series to the Twins and are in a frenzy over Juan Soto’s comments about how pitchers are attacking him differently this year. Their lineup continues to underperform, and something needs to change fast.

The Diamondbacks have now won five straight behind a hot start from Corbin Carroll. Baltimore won their first series of the year, but still hasn’t extended any of their young stars, and their rotation remains a concern. The A’s suddenly have one of the most dangerous lineups in the league, led by home run leader Tyler Soderstrom. Cal Raleigh is also mashing and already has eight homers on the season. The Dodgers swept the Rockies, who simply can’t score runs. The Padres took two of three from the Cubs in a series Chicago easily could’ve won, and San Diego’s home-field advantage continues to stand out. Spencer Strider made his return for Atlanta, but the Braves are still searching for consistency.

All that and much more in today’s episode!