Jo Adell's unbelievable outfielder achievement. Plus: Why Hoerner’s mega extension made sense

AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsFans Speak UpTop ProspectsNewsletterJo Adell’s unbelievable outfielder achievement. Plus: Why Hoerner’s mega extension made senseJo Adell produced one of the best outfield defensive nights of all time when he robbed three home runs. Icon Sportswire / Getty Images Share full articleThe Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic’s MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Jo Adell had a redemption night for the ages, “Pocket pancakes” have been replaced by a tortoise and the Rays are going back home (for now). Plus: Ken on Nico Hoerner’s extension. I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup! Prior to this week, if you googled “Jo Adell defense,” there’s a good chance you would have landed on a very Jose Canseco-esque moment when the Angels outfielder turned a routine line drive out into a thoroughly confusing home run. But on Saturday night, Adell had one of the best outfield defensive nights of all time. He robbed not one, not two, but three home runs in a game that was absolutely determined by those defensive plays — a 1-0 win over division-favorite Seattle. There was some questions about the third catch, since Adell went into the stands (check out this amazing photo) — especially since the broadcasters indicated that it must be a home run after the tumble over the wall. But that’s not necessarily the case. As long as the outfielder makes the catch before going into the stands, it’s an out. Ken Rosenthal talked to Angels hitting coach Brady Anderson, who had this to say about Adell’s three home run robberies: “The first two were very good. Really good — time your jump and it feels easy. And considering the score of the game, even better. The last one was a truly great play. One of the best I’ve  seen; a nearly impossible play. He did everything perfectly. He had the wherewithal to get behind the ball slightly which is hard because the ball seemingly moves faster as you approach foul territory at nearly full speed.” Anderson should know. He was around for a catch that — while not technically a “robbery” — was an all-timer. “The best catch I ever saw in person was the catch (Ken) Griffey (Jr.) made in Seattle off Kevin Bass with Randy pitching and the bases loaded. I had a terrific view of it from the dugout, which was field level in Seattle, and saw him tracking it and sort of knew he could catch it but wasn’t sure he’d want to. He did want to and broke his arm. The catch by Jo gave me that same thrill of admiration of another’s play. Singular great plays are rightfully impressive. That game was an accomplishment.” Speaking of defense, over to Ken. CLEVELAND — The contract would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. Even now, just over a week after becoming official, it remains surprising, bordering on staggering. Second baseman Nico Hoerner’s six-year, $141 million extension with the Cubs reflects something of a perfect storm. But in the context of today’s game, with its advanced metrics and adjusted rules that boosted the value of all-around players, it also makes perfect sense. “It’s hard to put into words how deserving he is,” said Hoerner’s double-play partner, Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. Strong words, considering that Hoerner has hit only 36 career home runs, no more than 10 in a season and just seven in each of the past two years. But Hoerner, who turns 29 next month, is a top defender and baserunner, and some with the Cubs believe he still might evolve into more than a slightly above-average hitter. Still, $141 million, or even a reported $137.5 million in net present value when accounting for deferrals? The fourth-largest guarantee for a second baseman, behind only Robinson Canó ($240 million), Marcus Semien ($175 million) and Jose Altuve ($163.5 million)? Here’s why it made sense: Defense. “This is where you have to say data has helped us,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We’re better at agreeing on who the best defenders are. And I think the whole industry agrees how valuable defense is.” Defensive metrics still are not perfect, and probably never will be. But the public numbers generally are revealing, and teams use their own proprietary measures that presumably are even more granular — and necessary. The banning of shifts prior to the 2023 season only enhanced the value of accomplished defenders at up-the-middle positions. The Cubs, dating back to their signing of outfielder Jason Heyward to a $184 million free-agent deal in December 2015, have placed considerable emphasis on defense. Their four biggest current contracts – Swanson at $177 million, third baseman Alex Bregman at $175 million, Hoerner and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong at $115 million – all belong to defenders who are either above-average or elite. Crow-Armstrong led all players last season in Statcast’s Outs Above Average. Hoerner ranked 12th, and from 2021 to 2025 was fourth overall behind Reds third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez and Swanson. He is not defined by his slugging percentage. “I still want to improve. I want to add to my game. I want to be the best version of myself,” Hoerner said at the news conference announcing his extension. “But I’m also proud that my game in a lot of ways hasn’t changed that much since I was in high school and in college. You’re always improving around the edges, but I feel like I’ve stayed pretty true to myself. And I’m really grateful that’s valued in this game.” For the rest, click here. Back to you, Levi. Last year, Brewers manager Pat Murphy was caught pulling a pancake from his hoodie for a mid-game snack, and “pocket pancakes” was born as a great Brewers bit. Harmless, exactly weird enough to be loved by all, and also: pancakes! This year, though, Murphy has decided to not just one-up last year’s theme but raise the stakes exponentially. On Friday, in an interview with sideline reporter Tricia Whitaker, Murphy introduced a “pocket turtle.” One named Bobby Jr., at that. “I was told, under no uncertain terms, no pocket pancakes,” Murphy said in the interview. “I’ve got a special guest that I want you to meet today.” At that point, Murphy pulled out a shelled animal that anyone would reasonably guess was a turtle. But on Saturday, Whitaker had an update. “Guys … there have been significant developments to this story,” Whitaker tweeted. “Apparently I don’t own a turtle. I own a Sulcata tortoise. Which grows to 100 pounds … and lives 70 years. So Pat Murphy didn’t just hand me a reptile … he handed me a long-term commitment and I am now a tortoise mom.” Looking back at the Brewers’ history, there is really only one name that is appropriate for this tortoise. Seventy years? That’s Bob Uecker territory. Alas, it’s hard to travel with a tortoise, as American Airlines has a strict no reptiles policy. So Bobby Jr. will live in the Kauffman Stadium visitor’s clubhouse for the time being, with the plan to find him a good home soon. It feels a little unbelievable to say it, but it’s already been about a year and a half since Tropicana Field was waylaid by Hurricane Milton. Since then, the Rays played a full season at a Yankees-owned field and — oh, right — were sold for $1.7 billion after previous owner Stu Sternberg bought it for $200 million in 2004. (Man, if only owners could get a salary cap, then maybe they could have some financial security!) Anyway, after a three-city trip to open the season, the Rays are set to return to The Trop tonight for their home opener, facing the Cubs. But despite the city of St. Petersburg paying $60 million to help cover the repairs, it does not appear that the Rays will be in the stadium for much longer. The latest plan: to be in their new stadium, “Forever Home,” by 2029. But while the plans seem exciting, it’s not like we’ve never seen renderings for a new Rays ballpark before. Remember the “final hurdle” they cleared in 2024? (To be fair, that was before a hurricane made a mess out of everything). For now, it’s just nice to see the Rays back in their home — forever or otherwise. I have never seen a catch quite like this one from Cody Bellinger: When José Ramirez takes the field tonight, it will be his 1,620th game as a member of the Guardians. That’s more than anyone else in the history of a franchise that has been around since 1901. Want to know what teams, umpires and players are thriving (or struggling) in the ABS era so far? Johnny Flores Jr. has you covered. In Pittsburgh, Konnor Griffin’s debut went, well, about what you might expect for the sport’s top prospect. For Framber Váldez, it seems like his first year in Detroit is a “so far, so good” situation. The Dodgers will be without the services of Mookie Betts for … well, we’ll see. The Marlins have been testing a somewhat-radical strategy: pitch-calling from the dugout. Don’t expect the Yankees to adopt this plan any time soon. The Reds aren’t scoring much. They’re winning anyway. Remember the MLBPA mutiny from a couple years ago? Harry Marino has broken his silence about it. Far be it from me to jump to conclusions, but it doesn’t seem that things are going super great in San Francisco or in Boston so far. And speaking of early overreactions, here’s Jim Bowden with some small-sample observations on the 2026 season so far. Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Jayson Stark’s Weird & Wild column — we don’t have poll results yet, but we’ll keep you posted. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic’s other newsletters. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms