As the 2023 regular season reaches its halfway point, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. College World Series finale tonight:
After a historic Game 2 performance from the Florida Gators saw them trounce the Louisiana State University Tigers 24-4, the College World Series is set to wrap up with a decisive Game 3 tonight. The LSU-Florida showdown will pit several of the expected top picks in this year’s draft against one another. LSU outfielder Dylan Crews and ace Paul Skenes are the consensus favorites for the top spot in this year’s draft, while Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford is also widely expected to be among the first five names off the board. Recent mock drafts from Kiley McDaniel of ESPN and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com have that trio going with the top three overall selections. It’s no guarantee that Skenes will pitch tonight’s game, as he just threw 120 pitches in the prior round of the CWS in a June 22 matchup against Wake Forest, firing eight scoreless frames in an eventual 2-0 victory in the process. LSU will make an announcement on their pitching plans later today, and tonight’s finale will be broadcast on ESPN at 6pm CT.
2. Westburg to debut for Orioles:
Orioles infield prospect Jordan Westburg is reportedly set to make his MLB debut against the Reds at Camden Yards this evening. A former first-round pick and consensus top-75 prospect in the game, Westburg has slashed an impressive .295/.372/.567 in 301 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to accommodate Westburg before tonight’s game, which is set to start at 6:05pm CT.
Tonight’s game will kick off a significant series for both teams. After failing to gain ground on the division-leading Rays during a two-game set last week, a strong series against Cincinnati could present another opportunity to cut into Tampa’s 4.5 game lead in the AL East as the Rays head out west for a tough series against the Diamondbacks. Meanwhile, the Reds are coming off a tough Braves series that snapped their streak of five consecutive series wins. Cincinnati’s hold on the division lead in the NL Central is tenuous, as the Brewers sit just half a game back prior to the start of a series against the Mets tonight.
3. Smith to return to Mets’ bullpen:
Mets reliever Drew Smith is due back from a 10-game foreign substance suspension today. The move should bolster the club’s bullpen significantly, not only thanks to Smith’s 3.16 ERA in 111 innings of work since the start of the 2021 season, but also because the Mets have been forced to play a man down during Smith’s suspension, as teams aren’t allowed to replace players who are suspended for sticky stuff violations on the active roster.
Reinforcements are desperately needed in Queens, particularly after last night’s game saw the Mets blow a 6-3 lead in the eighth inning against the division-rival Phillies, ultimately losing the game 7-6. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) following the loss that high-leverage arms Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley were both unavailable while closer David Robertson was only on the table for a ninth inning that was never played. With Smith set to return, the club should not only have more relief options available going forward, but an additional trustworthy arm for the late innings as they look to rebound from a brutal first half record of 35-42.