Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today's edition is brought to you by David Adler.
A baseball game in an abandoned prison yard? It's even cooler than it sounds.
Yesterday, the Joliet Slammers played the Gateway Grizzlies in a one-of-a-kind Frontier League exhibition game at the historic Old Joliet Prison -- the jailhouse the Slammers are named after.
It was called the "Big House Ballgame," and it was played in front of 5,500 fans … including Bill Murray. (He's part of the Slammers' ownership group.)
The Slammers' name and logo is an homage to the notorious prison in Joliet, Ill., which opened in 1858 and regularly hosted baseball games between inmates beginning in 1914. The Big House Ballgame brought baseball back to the prison for the first time since it closed in 2002.
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The Slammers' black-and-yellow uniforms for their game in the slammer were even inspired by those worn by baseball-playing inmates at Old Joliet Prison.
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Playing a baseball game in a prison yard makes for all sorts of weird quirks. Because the playing field was ringed by the Old Joliet jailhouse buildings, for example, we got some unique ballpark dimensions for a professional game: 230 feet to left field, 280 feet to center and right. To hit a home run, you had to clear the whole prison. If you hit it off the side of the building, it was a double.
The whole thing was the brainchild of Slammers part-owner Night Train Veeck. Yes, that is his real name (he's named after Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick "Night Train" Lane), and yes, he is the grandson of Baseball Hall of Fame owner Bill Veeck.
Our own Ben Hill was in the (big) house for the prison yard ballgame, and you'll definitely want to read his dispatch from Old Joliet.
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HE PUT ON GLASSES, NOW HE SLUGS LIKE SOTO |
See ball, hit ball. It's one of baseball's classic mantras. And there's one star slugger who's taking it extremely literally.
It's now been exactly one year since Max Muncy started wearing glasses in baseball games. And over that last year, Muncy has been one of the very best hitters in the Major Leagues.
The Dodgers All-Star first put on the rec specs on April 30, 2025 … and immediately snapped a career-long, 151-plate-appearance homerless drought with a 433-foot blast to dead center at Dodger Stadium.
Muncy hasn't stopped hammering the baseball since. Over the last 365 days, he's been a top-five overall hitter in baseball.
Highest OPS over the last year
Minimum 100 games played
- Aaron Judge (Yankees): 1.096
- Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers): 1.005
- Nick Kurtz (A's): .993
- Max Muncy (Dodgers): .969
- Juan Soto (Mets): .961
The 35-year-old Muncy is the longest-tenured Dodger. He's been with L.A. for nine seasons and has been a steady presence through multiple eras of Dodger baseball.
Muncy was always a pretty darn good hitter in L.A., but who knew glasses were all he needed to rake like Juan Soto?
Mike Petriello goes into even more detail on Muncy's great year in glasses.
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Here are three games to watch this weekend -- one for each day. For info on how to watch every game this season, go to MLB.com/Watch.
Today: Phillies at Marlins (7:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
The Phillies have won three straight games under interim manager Don Mattingly -- including a crazy double-walk-off doubleheader yesterday -- and they've got Zack Wheeler going for his second start of the season after a successful 2026 debut.
Tomorrow: Dodgers at Cardinals (7:15 p.m. ET, FOX)
Is Roki Sasaki's new toy (a much harder splitter) going to help him reach his potential as a starter? We'll find out more on Saturday when he faces a Cardinals team that's on a four-game winning streak entering this series ... and just shelled Paul Skenes.
Sunday: Braves at Rockies (3:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
A Braves team that already has MLB's best record and the NL's best team ERA is now getting Spencer Strider back. Strider's looked good in his rehab outings -- but this won't be the easiest season debut pitching at Coors Field against a much-improved Rockies squad.
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Kyle Schwarber, truly one of the greatest home run hitters of our time, slugged the 350th homer of his career yesterday.
The Phillies star got to that milestone in his 1,321st career game. He's the seventh-fastest hitter to ever reach the 350-homer milestone.
Fewest games to 350 career HR
- Aaron Judge: 1,088
- Mark McGwire: 1,280
- Juan Gonzalez: 1,298
- Alex Rodriguez: 1,301
- Harmon Killebrew: 1,319
- Albert Pujols: 1,320
- Kyle Schwarber: 1,321
Babe Ruth, in case you were wondering how he compares to the Schwarbino, hit his 350th career home run in his 1,329th game. Just a little too slow, Babe.
And of course, Schwarbomb No. 350 was an absolute tank -- 113 mph off the bat and into the second deck at Citizens Bank Park.
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Shohei Ohtani's on-base streak and Mason Miller's scoreless-innings streak are dead. But now we've got two new streaks to keep track of.
Nick Kurtz's walk streak
Currently at: 19 games
MLB record: 22 games (Roy Cullenbine, 1947)
The reigning AL Rookie of the Year has drawn a walk in an incredible 19 consecutive games. Kurtz is tied with Ted Williams for the third-longest streak on record, he's one game away from equaling Barry Bonds' longest career streak, and he's three games away from the MLB record.
Ildemaro Vargas' season-opening hit streak
Currently at: 24 games
Modern Era record (since 1900): 34 games (George Sisler, 1925)
After a first-inning single today, Vargas has gotten a hit in 24 straight games to start the 2026 season, and in 27 straight games dating back to last year. The D-backs infielder broke a tie with Edgar Renteria (23 games for the 2006 Braves) for the longest hitting streak to start a season this century. Vargas' 27-game overall streak is the longest active hitting streak in the Majors -- Mickey Moniak is next at 14 games.
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MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU AT YANKEE STADIUM |
If you’re a fan of Star Wars, you’re probably already ready to celebrate in whatever way you see fit this weekend, as Monday is May the 4th (... be with you). And if you live in the Tri-State Area or thereabouts, we know the perfect place to do that.
In honor of the iconic sci-fi franchise and this auspicious occasion, the Yankees have a Star Wars Weekend extravaganza planned for Saturday through Monday.
Special food and merchandise will be available, including Star Wars-themed specialty soda cups, Mandalorian-inspired desserts (at the concession stand by Section 125), co-branded T-shirts and even a Lightsaber-esque mini-bat at the main team store by Section 119.
The biggest celebration takes place at Saturday’s 1:35 p.m. ET game against the Orioles, when the first 18,000 fans take home a Max Fried Mandalorian bobblehead, and a host of characters and creatures from the Star Wars universe will be roaming stadium concourses to hobnob with fans. But don’t fret if you can’t make it on Saturday: The special concessions and merch will be available on Sunday and Monday as well.
Get the full lowdown from Max Ralph here, and get tickets to all three games right here.
-- Bryan Horowitz
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