Aroldis Chapman is closing in on the reliever strikeout record
Hoyt Wilhelm pitched in 1,070 games over a 21-year career. All but 52 of those appearances came in relief out of the bullpen. An eight-time All-Star, the right-hander finished his long career with a 2.52 ERA (147 ERA+) over 2254.1 IP with 228 saves. He struck out 1,610 batters in his career, including a record 1,363 in relief.
No reliever in MLB history has recorded more strikeouts. Wilhelm’s record is about to be topped, however, as Aroldis Chapman is rapidly climbing up the career strikeouts by a reliever list. Just 14 relievers in MLB history have recorded 1,000-plus strikeouts in their careers:
Hoyt Wilhelm 1,363
Aroldis Chapman 1,352 **
Rich Gossage 1,340
Kenley Jansen 1,296 **
Craig Kimbrel 1,295 **
Lee Smith 1,225
Billy Wagner 1,196
Rollie Fingers 1,183
David Robertson 1,175
Jesse Orosco 1,169
Lindy McDaniel 1,165
Francisco Rodríguez 1,142
Mariano Rivera 1,135
Trevor Hoffman 1,133
Chapman, Jansen, and Kimbrel (**) are all still active. Chapman sits just nine strikeouts away from tying the record, a feat he might achieve by the week’s end (the Red Sox play 13 games in their next 15 days).
Orioles add Tommy Pham to outfield depth
Entering play on Sunday, Orioles outfielders, as a collective group, have largely underperformed. Aside from left fielder Taylor Ward, who is leading the AL in both doubles (14) and walks (43), the group is struggling at the plate. In fact, Ward (131 OPS+) and center fielder Leody Taveras (110 OPS+) are the only two with an OPS better than the league average.
LF: .293/.427/.413 (.840 OPS, 6th in MLB)
CF: .211/.310/.313 (.622, 20th)
RF: .190/.312/.293 (.605, 24th)
The Orioles thought they were adding a consistent offensive force when they signed Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million deal ahead of the 2025 season. Since arriving in Baltimore, O’Neill is hitting just .191/.299/.350 (86 OPS+) in 288 PA (including 79 this season) and has struggled to remain healthy (missing time last season to shoulder, neck, and wrist injuries).
Meanwhile, Colton Cowser looked like he might develop into a key piece of the Baltimore outfield with his rookie season performance in 2024, finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting (to Luis Gil), but he has done nothing but struggle since, hitting .191/.269/.349 (74 OPS+) in 450 PA (incl. 90 this season).
Dylan Beavers has emerged as the more consistent option over Cowser since debuting last season, with a 100 OPS+ (exactly league average) in 119 PA in 2026 before landing on the IL with an oblique strain.
Heston Kjerstad landed on the IL with a strained hamstring in March. He just started a rehab assignment within the last week. Johnathan Rodríguez (.324/.435/.419 in 92 PA at Triple-A) and Reed Trimble (.257/.341/.800 in 41 PA across three levels, yet to make his MLB debut) are the only other outfielders on the team’s 40-man roster.
The Birds’ outfield prospect that is closest to being MLB-ready, Enrique Bradfield, hit .224/.321/.388 in 57 PA at Triple-A before injuring his hand in late April while crashing into the outfield wall trying to make a catch. He hasn’t played since.
With the group failing to produce and/or struggling to remain healthy, the Orioles needed to bring in some outfield depth, leading the club to sign free agent Tommy Pham to a minor league contract on Saturday. The 38-year-old Pham was with the Mets earlier this season, going 0-for-13 at the plate in nine games.
Pham can trigger an opt-out in the deal if he isn’t called up to Baltimore by June 12.
The Orioles entered Sunday with a 20-26 record, already 10.0 games behind first place in the AL East. For a team that entered 2026 with high expectations, there’s been very little to be optimistic about in Baltimore. For the team to turn things around, they’re going to need to see improved offensive production from the rest of their outfielders.
KBO foreign player update: mid-May
Since I previously checked in on the CPBL’s foreign players, it seems prudent to do the same for the KBO (and, presumably, the NPB, too).
Each of the 10 teams in the KBO is allowed to carry up to three foreign players at a time (usually two pitchers and one position player), as I mentioned in January in the KBO foreign player tracker. This year, teams are carrying a fourth player spot reserved for someone who spent last season playing in either another Asian country or Australia.
Most KBO teams have played 40-41 games heading into play on Sunday, roughly 30% of the regular season (144 games). The Samsung Lions and KT Wiz sit tied atop the league’s standings, with the LG Twins a mere half-game behind.
Samsung Lions (24-16-1)
1B Lewin Díaz: .303/.383/.439, 5 HR, 30 RBI
RHP Ariel Jurado: 58.0 IP, 2.33 ERA, 8 BB, 41 SO
LHP Jack O’Loughlin: 40.0 IP, 3.38 ERA, 17 BB, 40 SO (signed to replace RHP Matt Manning, who tore his UCL preparing for spring training and underwent Tommy John surgery)
KT Wiz (24-16-1)
LF Sam Hilliard: .261/.341/.535, 11 HR, 35 RBI
RHP Caleb Boushley: 45.0 IP, 3.80 ERA, 14 BB, 39 SO
RHP Matt Sauer: 45.2 IP, 4.53 ERA, 18 BB, 38 SO
LG Twins (24-17-0)
1B Austin Dean: .352/.419/.612, 9 HR, 32 RBI
RHP Yonny Chirinos: 24.2 IP, 6.57 ERA, 10 BB, 20 SO
RHP Andrew Tolhurst: 45.2 IP, 3.55 ERA, 15 BB, 36 SO
LHP Lachlan Wells: 39.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 10 BB, 28 SO
SSG Landers (22-18-1)
OF Guillermo Heredia: .278/.316/.407, 5 HR, 37 RBI
LHP Anthony Veneziano: 36.1 IP, 6.44 ERA, 16 BB, 27 SO
RHP Mitch White: 30.2 IP, 4.11 ERA, 15 BB, 29 SO
Hanwha Eagles (20-21-0)
RF Yonathan Perlaza: .331/.429/.529, 7 HR, 26 RBI
RHP Wilkel Hernandez: 37.0 IP, 6.57 ERA, 12 BB, 14 SO
RHP Jack Cushing: 20.2 IP, 6.67 ERA, 6 BB, 26 SO, 4 saves (signed to a six-week contract while White was injured)
RHP Owen White: 2.1 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1 BB, 2 SO
Kia Tigers (20-21-1)
LF Harold Castro: .250/.280/.420, 2 HR, 16 RBI
RHP James Naile: 51.0 IP, 3.71 ERA, 8 BB, 36 SO
RHP Adam Oiler: 50.1 IP, 3.04 ERA, 15 BB, 46 SO
Doosan Bears (19-22-1)
OF Daz Cameron: .307/.378/.536, 6 HR, 21 RBI
LHP Wes Benjamin: 26.1 IP, 4.10 ERA, 8 BB, 26 SO (signed to a six-week contract while Flexen was injured)
RHP Chris Flexen: 5.0 IP, 5.40 ERA, 6 BB, 3 SO
LHP Zach Logue: 48.0 IP, 3.19 ERA, 9 BB, 45 SO
NC Dinos (18-22-1)
1B/DH Matt Davidson: .272/.344/.465, 5 HR, 19 RBI
RHP Curtis Taylor: 38.2 IP, 6.05 ERA, 21 BB, 31 SO
RHP Riley Thompson: 10.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 3 BB, 9 SO
RHP Drew VerHagen: 25.0 IP, 4.68 ERA, 11 BB, 24 SO
Lotte Giants (16-23-1)
OF Victor Reyes: .346/.403/.528, 6 HR, 26 RBI
RHP Jeremy Beasley: 42.1 IP, 3.61 ERA, 12 BB, 52 SO
RHP Elvin Rodriguez: 44.0 IP, 5.11 ERA, 22 BB, 44 SO
Kiwoom Heroes (15-26-1)
1B Trenton Brooks: .221/.292/.265, 0 HR, 16 RBI
RHP Raúl Alcántara: 49.2 IP, 3.26 ERA, 8 BB, 45 SO
RHP Nathan Wiles: 24.0 IP, 4.13 ERA, 2 BB, 17 SO