Atlanta, GA
Atlanta’s Best Arm Snubbed by MLB’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
The Atlanta Braves have had some things not go their way this season.
Top starting pitcher Spencer Strider, who left the home opener complaining of elbow pain that resulted in season-ending elbow surgery, was expected to be the anchor of a rotation that was seen as potentially one of the best in baseball.
Instead, it’s free agent signee Reynaldo López, 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA, that has put up some of the best performances of any starter in all of baseball. He‘s allowed just two earned runs in his first 25 innings (four starts) on the 2024 season, including a thirteen-inning scoreless streak that spanned two full games.
Despite López’s dominance, however, MLB.com’s Starting Pitcher Power Rankings, updated this morning after voting from the staff of MLB.com, don’t have him represented in the top nineteen.
And that feels like an oversight.
It’s actually the third iteration of the rankings for this season – Spencer Strider was at the top of the list prior to Opening Day, but has been removed for obvious reasons – yet López continues to not be recognized for his dominance.
The top ten is full of a lot of names you’d expect – Zach Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies (#1), Tyler Glasnow of the Los Angeles Dodgers (#2), and Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles (#4) – but one name that got my attention is Boston Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, who is new to the list for this edition.
Coming in the list at #7, MLB.com notes that he’s currently leading the majors with a 0.66 ERA. Having made five starts covering 27.1 innings, Crawford’s allowed only three runs (two earned) while striking out thirty and not yet allowing a homer. MLB.com notes that he’s not allowed more than one run in any of his five starts, including holding the Orioles and Cleveland Guardians scoreless.
Know who is second in all of baseball in ERA behind Crawford? Reynaldo López, who has also put up two scoreless outings among his four starts and hasn’t allowed more than one run in any outing this season.
And yet, no recognition.
López didn’t even make the “others receiving votes”, which has nine names who all were mentioned by the thirteen MLB.com voters while they were compiling the rankings.
Would you really rather have Paul Blackburn of the Oakland A’s, who has allowed seven runs in five starts, over Reynaldo López right now? What about Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi, who also has seven runs allowed in 27.2 innings and a loss on his ledger? Seattle’s Bryce Miller has eight runs allowed (seven earned) and eleven walks with five homers already on the season, but he’s getting votes instead of López.
Make it make sense.
Atlanta, GA
Midtown Atlanta sewer work to close part of 10th Street
ATLANTA – Drivers in Midtown Atlanta should prepare for traffic changes this week as a new roadwork project begins along 10th Street.
What we know:
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said part of 10th Street will close starting Wednesday for sewer repairs.
The construction will impact the eastbound lane between Charles Allen Drive and Monroe Drive.
Officials said the repair project is expected to continue for about four weeks.
Crews will work overnight on weekdays from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. Construction activity will continue around the clock on weekends until the project is complete.
What you can do:
Motorists traveling through Midtown are encouraged to plan ahead and expect delays in the area during the closure.
Atlanta, GA
Three Biggest Questions Facing the Atlanta Hawks Following the NBA Draft Lottery Results
The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, and while the results did not go the way that the Atlanta Hawks had hoped, landing at No. 8 overall, but they are still getting a top-eight pick in a deep draft when they are coming off a season in which they won 46 games and made the playoffs. Atlanta had hoped that having the most favorable selection from the Pelicans and Bucks would turn into a top-four pick, but they are going to get a chance to add to their young core with a high-level talent.
Now that the NBA Draft Lottery is over, what are some questions facing the Hawks?
1. Who could they take with the pick?
We will get into other scenarios later, but for this exercise, let’s just assume that the Hawks are going to stick at No. 8 and make a selection.
While the top four picks are likely going to be (in some order) AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson, the rest of the draft does not seem to be as certain.
There is a popular sentiment that the quarter of guards consisting of Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr are going to be picks 5-8, but that is not as much of a certainity as the top four.
The Clippers are picking 5th, but they just made a big trade for Darius Garland. Brooklyn just took four guards in last year’s draft, and the Kings are always a wild card, though of these teams, they have the biggest need at guard and don’t seem likely to veer from that.
In the NBA, needs is usually ignored in the draft and the best player available is taken most of the time, but it will be interesting to see which players the Clippers, Nets, and Kings decide on.
If those teams do take three of those guards, the Hawks would have their choice of whoever is left over from that group or players such as Michigan center Aday Mara, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, or Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
2. Could the Hawks move up or down in the draft?
While I think as of right now that the most likely scenario is that the Hawks stay put at No. 8, they do have some interesting options to potentially move up or down depending on how things fall.
As I mentioned earlier, the Clippers just traded for Darius Garland and if the Hawks wanted to get ahead of the Kings and Nets to land the guard of their choice, they could try and put together an attractive package to try and make a trade with Los Angeles.
The Nets seem less likely to move down, but after taking four guards in last year’s draft, could they move down and try to target another position?
What about a trade down? If the Hawks had been at No. 7 or in the top four, I would say a trade down is unlikely, but at No. 8, there could be an opportunity there for Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh. Would Oklahoma City be interested in moving No. 12 and No. 17 for No. 8? That would give the Hawks three first round picks and if they like a player that could be in that range, that would be a possibility, though all of this is just hypothetical at the moment.
3. Do the Hawks attempt to move the No. 8 pick for an established star?
Saleh has been adamnat that the team is not one player away and that the Hawks wanted to add through the draft, but even in a draft as deep as this one, the odds of getting a star player at No. 8 are long.
It is tough to really gauge the trade market for this offseason right now, but the No. 8 pick is an attractive asset. Could the Hawks try to trade for Celtics star Jaylen Brown? Again, it is tough to know who else could be available this summer and I would bet against the Hawks moving this pick for a veteran player, but never say never in the NBA.
Follow
Atlanta, GA
Braves News: Remembering Bobby Cox, strides from Spencer Strider, more
On a sad day overall for Braves Country, due to the passing of the legendary Bobby Cox, Spencer Strider gave Atlanta fans something to be happy and hopeful about with a stellar outing, shutting down the Dodgers potent offense for 6.0 innings with 8 strikeouts and 15 whiffs. He looked as good as he has in a long time. His fastball averaged 96.4 MPH, with 17 inches of induced vertical break and he had four pitches working nicely together. Even if Strider doesn’t quite return to his Jacob deGrom levels of dominance, having him as a true #1 or #2 quality starter would make a huge difference for this Braves team to pair with Chris Sale. Bryce Elder has been great this season, but shouldn’t be the second best starter in the rotation of a World Series contender. If Strider can keep something like Saturday night’s version of himself moving forward, that’s a huge development for him and this team.
-
South Dakota1 minute agoBlack Hills Bottlenecks: Road work update for the week of May 11
-
Tennessee7 minutes agoNew Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet
-
Texas13 minutes agoTexas sues Netflix, alleges platform spied on kids and collected data
-
Utah19 minutes agoTeens airlifted to Utah County hospitals after rollover of at least 50 yards | Gephardt Daily
-
Vermont25 minutes agoCommentary | Afonso-Rojas: Who pays when businesses ignore risks?
-
Virginia31 minutes agoVirginia Supreme Court voids voter-approved redistricting referendum
-
Washington37 minutes ago
19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed
-
Wisconsin43 minutes agoSuspected human bones found in northern Wisconsin