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Ahead of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline, the Detroit Tigers are calling up one of the MLB's top prospects.

The Tigers announced on Thursday, July 30, that they are selecting the contract of 21-year-old prospect Max Clark. Clark is the team's No. 1-ranked prospect and the No. 13 MLB prospect (per MLB Pipeline).

Clark is expected to make his MLB debut this weekend, which could come as early as Friday, July 31, when the Tigers take on the Oakland Athletics in Sacramento, California. In Triple-A with the Toledo Mud Hens, Clark has posted a .276 batting average with 11 home runs, 20 doubles, 42 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 362 at-bats in 90 games.

He was selected third overall by the Tigers in the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school, in the same class as fellow rookie Kevin McGonigle. Before embarking on his professional career, Clark was a star high school player.

Here's what you need to know about Clark's prep career:

Where did Max Clark go to high school?

Clark was the No. 3 overall pick — one pick ahead of former Florida and current Texas Ranger star Wyatt Langford — in the 2023 draft for a reason. He was named the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year in 2023.

He attended Franklin Community High School in Franklin, Indiana, which is 25 miles South of Indianapolis, where he was named the Indiana Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

As a senior, Clark finished with a .646 batting average with six home runs, 33 RBIs, and 45 runs scored, living up to the preseason draft hype he had garnered. As a junior, he hit .577 with nine home runs, 32 RBIs, 31 walks and 22 stolen bases. He hit .450 with six home runs, thirty RBIs and 31 stolen bases in his sophomore season, also pitching to a 0.84 ERA and 120 strikeouts over fifty innings.

Clark could have had more high school success, but his freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ahead of his senior year, Clark played for Team USA in the 2021 WBSC U-18 World Cup, posting a .294 batting average over eight games to help the U.S. earn a gold medal.

While he was committed to Vanderbilt for college baseball, he ended up signing with the Tigers for $7.7 million on July 17, 2023.

Following the selection of Clark, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris praised Clark's abilities on the baseball field.

"He was the best player on our board at that pick, and we are thrilled that he got to our pick," Harris said. "We think Max is a five-tool player. I think that label gets thrown around way too much in our industry. We think Max has all five."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where did Max Clark go to high school? What to know about Detroit Tigers' top prospect

When Cody Bellinger joined Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list, the Yankees outfield that was so deep former top prospect Jasson Domínguez started the season in Triple-A has become perilously thin. Suddenly, with the Martian who has flashed the bat on both sides of the plate but has yet to put it all together, the strikeout-prone Spencer Jones, and a trio of infielders in José Caballero, Max Schuemann, and Amed Rosario sharing the corner outfield spots, the idea of adding a rental outfielder simply to get through the month of August has become a very real possibility — perhaps even an inevitability.

Over the last few years, the Yankees have acquired a number of former Rockies players, trading for Ryan McMahon and Jake Bird at last year’s deadline, Angel Chivilli over the winter, and Mike Tauchman in 2019, and signing DJ LeMahieu and Adam Ottavino as free agents. While most of the attention has surrounded catcher Hunter Goodman, might Mickey Moniak, who will remain under team control through the end of next season, be the latest former Rockie to head to the Bronx?

2026 Statistics (Thus Far): 71 games, 264 plate appearances, .279/.322/.561, 123 wRC+, 126 OPS+, 17 HR, 12 2B, 3 3B, 1 SB, 1.3 fWAR, 0.7 rWAR

2026 ZiPS Rest-of-Season Statistics: 39 games, 240 plate appearances, .267/.311/.504, 106 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR

Originally drafted first overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2016 MLB Draft, Mickey Moniak’s career has largely played out exactly how you might expect for somebody who was taken at the top of “one of the worst [drafts] in recent memory.” After receiving a $6.1 million signing bonus, he steadily climbed through the Phillies system despite unspectacular performance at the plate, ultimately making his MLB debut as a pinch-runner on September 16, 2020, during the COVID-shortened campaign. He spent the 2021 season bouncing between Triple-A and the bigs, made the roster out of spring training in 2022, then began the season on the injured list after fracturing his hand in the final exhibition game. Later that year, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Noah Syndergaard at the Trade Deadline; he only played 47 games and made 105 plate appearances with the team that drafted him.

Moniak spent the next two seasons with the Halos, putting together a strong campaign in 2023 in which he slashed .280/.307/.495 (115 wRC+) and a replacement-level 2024 in which he slashed .219/.266/.380 (80 wRC+). After beating the Angels during arbitration ahead of the 2025 season, he was released with termination pay despite the fact he was penciled in as the team’s starting center fielder; a few days later, he signed with the Colorado Rockies, with whom he has spent the last season and a half.

Now on his third team, and without the pressure of living up to either the first overall pick or a major trade acquisition, Moniak has finally begun to carve out a real role for himself. Across the last two years, he has a .273 .312 .534 slash line (115 wRC+) with 41 home runs, 32 doubles, and 10 stolen bases. When we dive into Moniak’s splits over that stretch, though, we find some interesting trends:

vs. RHP: 614 plate appearances, .282/.319/.570, 126 wRC+, 38 home runs, 22.8 K%, 4.9 BB%

vs. LHP: 111 plate appearances, .218/.270/.327, 51 wRC+, 3 home runs, 33.3 K%, 5.4 BB%

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been hearing quite a bit that the Yankees have been looking to add a right-handed outfielder, which makes Moniak not exactly an easy fit. The Bellinger injury, however, changes the math. At this moment, the only healthy Yankee hitters with a wRC+ of 100 or better against right-handed pitchers (minimum 100 plate appearances) are Ben Rice (174 wRC+ in 289 plate appearances), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (107 in 268), and Trent Grisham (100 in 254).

The Yankees need offensive help against both righties and lefties, and while I wouldn’t be too surprised to see Domínguez recapture the lefty stroke that saw him slash .274/.348/.420 against right-handed pitchers last season, Jones to build on his strong-ish start against righties (he has a 103 wRC+ in 71 plate appearances), or Wells continue to come around at the plate (he has an .842 OPS since July 9th), well … that’s too many “ifs” to count on. While Moniak isn’t exactly a sure thing, either — he has a .312/.351/.681 slash at Coors Field, compared to a .236/.285/.406 line on the road — there might not be a more sure upgrade available, thanks to Ryan Jeffers likely being off the market.

When I began this post, I fully expected to condemn the idea, writing Moniak off as a Coors Field merchant, and carry on with my day. I still don’t think that he can be the Yankees’ big trade acquisition, either — it remains to be seen just how much of a boost Coors has given him, he doesn’t solve their problems against southpaws, and he doesn’t represent an upgrade at any position when if the team ever gets healthy. But honestly? The Yankees need some reinforcements to get them through August (and, depending on how Bellinger’s and Judge’s rehabs go, potentially longer), and I wouldn’t mind seeing less of Paul Goldschmidt against righties (65 wRC+ in 171 plate appearances). And so, the Trade Deadline can’t end with Moniak, but it can begin with him.

Baltimore is three games under .500 – will they consider abandoning ship on the prospects they collected who are flaming out? Would that make Coby Mayo available?

You can view our larger trade deadline piece here as we discuss a wider pool of options the Guardians may consider. To make my position clear, I expect the Guardians to make smaller moves, like trading Bo Naylor and getting a castoff/undervalued reliever. But, in the interest of exploring potential larger moves, we are doing a series looking at some of those bigger names. So far, we have discussed Spencer Steer, Luis Arraez, Shea Langeliers, Taylor Ward, Heliot Ramos, Jo Adell, Ty France, Tyler Soderstrom, Heriberto Hernandez, Kyle Stowers, Alec Burleson, and Otto Lopez. Although the Guardians’ greatest need is hitting, the market is aflush with starting pitching so it also may make sense for the Guardians to see if they can find a good value there, as we wrote here and looked at specifically with Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers.

Mayo is 24 years old and under team control through 2031, he has only a 93 wRC+ this season but a career 146 wRC+ against LHP as a right-handed hitter. He is not a good outfielder but above average at first. Is there a market for a player who appears to be a short-side of the platoon first baseman/DH? Probably not a strong one, but the dearth of lefty mashers in MLB and Cleveland make it a possibility.

Given Mayo’s age, I imagine he’ll come at a higher price than he should. However, could this be a spot for the Kyle Manzardo swap? Make space for Ralphy and swap an underperforming lefty for an underperforming righty hitter? Something for these teams to consider! Let me know what you think in the comments below

The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is here and this might perhaps be the most unpredictable deadline in recent memory.

The third Wild Card and lack of breakout teams in the American and National Leagues mean that only a couple of teams consider themselves to be out of playoff contention. Entering play on Friday, there are four teams that are within three games of the 3rd American League Wild Card spot while two of those teams, the Mariners and Astros, are within 2.5 games of the division lead in the West.

Meanwhile the National League has three teams that are in command of their respective divisions with the Brewers holding the smallest lead, a 5.5 game advantage over the Chicago Cubs. In the Wild Card chase, there are currently five teams within 3 games of the third Wild Card.

So with the standings being as they are, are just nine teams with the inclination to sell. One of those teams, the Detroit Tigers, holds the biggest trade chip this deadline, two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. However, it remains to be determined whether or not the Tigers will actually deal Skubal as they sit 4.5 games back of the 3rd Wild Card and 6.5 games back of the division lead; the Tigers also are promoted one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Max Clark, to make his big league debut

That leaves roughly two-thirds of the league as buyers and the remaining one-third as sellers, and not all the sellers even have impact players they are willing to trade. Which is why teams like the Mets, Tigers, and Angels will be able to seek inflated returns for their quality players and even rentals like Luis Arraez will figure to fetch a top 100 prospect or two.

Last week, the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox came together on a deal that helped both teams as Washington sent former Rays top prospect Curtis Mead to Boston for southpaw Connelly Early. Mead played one game with Boston before fracturing wrist after being hit by a pitch; Early meanwhile was already on the IL. The Rangers acquired catcher Logan O’Hoppe and pitcher Chase Silseth from the Angels for a low-level minor leaguer. O’Hoppe was in the midst of a disastrous season and was promptly optioned to the minor leagues. Last night, the Twins and Mets came together on a deal that sent AJ Minter to Minnesota. There hasn’t been much action on the trade front but that could change in an instant.

On Friday night, a trio of starters involved in trade rumors are slated to pitch for their respective teams: Freddy Peralta, Casey Mize, and Foster Griffin; the Tigers have already scratched Mize.

For their part, the Rays are in on everyone and have one of the best farm systems in baseball so they could accomplish just about anything if Neander is willing to pay the price. It’s the reverse of most offseasons when the Rays are unable to compete with the payrolls of their inter-division rivals, the Red Sox and Yankees will be unable to compete with the pieces the Rays have in their farm system.

Among the players the Rays have reportedly shown an interest in are Tarik Skubal, Hunter Goodman, Foster Griffin, Adley Rutschman, and Zach Neto.

Of course, opposing teams covet the Rays prospects, starting with Theo Gillen who appears to be an incredible talent and is currently scorching Double-A alongside another top prospect, catcher Caden Bodine. Then you have some lower level guys that are making noise like Nathan Flewelling, Cooper Flemming, and Taitn Gray that other teams would love to have.

We know the Rays would like to add an impact bat and a starting pitcher. We also know they’d like to address their catching situation and middle infield offensive output. This makes them about a match for every top available player. They have the farm system to get any deal done that they want.

Come Monday at 6pm, we’ll learn what price they are willing to pay.

In a season when the Cubs have already used 34 different pitchers (plus Carson Kelly pitched once), they’ve added another pitcher to the mix.

Left-hander Antoine Kelly, acquired from the Dodgers June 6 for cash considerations, has been called up from Triple-A Iowa and added to the 26-man active roster.

Kelly has made 13 appearances for Iowa with a 2.79 ERA, 1.241 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. He’s 26 and a Chicago area native (Maine East High School in Park Ridge).

To make room.on the 26-man rosters, right-hander Gavin Hollowell was placed on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation.

Welcome to the Cubs, Antoine!

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Konnor Griffin to a franchise record contract at the beginning of this season, but it could be another Buccos rookie that ends up stealing the limelight.

Pirates’ rookie Esmerlyn Valdez has emerged as one of the most exciting rookies in baseball, and has been a big contributor for Pittsburgh since his promotion in June. According to FanDuel SportsBook the 22-year-old outfielder currently has the third best odds to win the National League Rookie of the Year, sitting behind just JJ Wetherholt and Sal Stewart with +1000 odds.

Valdez impressed in Spring Training with the Buccos but was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in March. He would receive a call up towards the end of March before being optioned back down less than a week later. Valdez has been unbelievable since his latest call up on June 11 however, and has been a key part of the Pirates’ lineup since then.

Few players on the Buccos have been better sluggers since Valdez joined the team. In 41 games he’s smashed 14 home runs, and has been a very efficient hitter at the plate as well. He’s currently slashing .277/.371/.664 with a 1.035 OPS. At just 22-years-old Valdez has an approach that looks like a seasoned pro. He’s tied for the fourth most homers on the Pirates, but has done it in a fraction of the time as the other top hitters on the squad. Oneil Cruz also has 14 homers, but played in 23 more games than Valdez.

Esmerlyn Valdez hits one 461 FEET!

Look at where this baseball lands 😳 pic.twitter.com/gHJcOznQAb

— MLB (@MLB) June 28, 2026

As a defender, Valdez has seen the most time in right field, and has been lights out in that corner of the outfield. He currently holds the distinction of having a perfect fielding percentage with 55 put outs between right and left field. Having Valdez in right field has also allowed Ryan O’Hearn to play in his natural position more often, with his move back to first base benefitting the whole squad.

The Pirates are better off with Valdez as a key part of the lineup, as the team has gone 22-17 when he’s a part of the game. Few rookie batters have had a hotter streak at the plate this season, and Valdez could emerge as the favorite in the NL ROTY race if he continues to contribute at such a high level.

Similarities between Harrison Bader and Jeff Kent are few. Sure, Bader plays for the San Francisco Giants and Kent used to do so. Otherwise, little of note links the great-fielding, average-hitting Bader to the formerly average-fielding, exceptional-hitting Kent.

Until, that is, the predawn hours Sunday when Bader’s scooter collided with the back of a fire engine. A wheel rolled over his left foot, causing a serious injury that required medical assistance, a witness told SFist. Other witnesses described Bader as bar-hopping throughout the evening, according to Matt Lively of KPIX.

Bader has not fully cooperated with the Giants about the incident, a person briefed on the matter told Andrew Baggerly of the Athletic, who speculated that Bader might be concerned that the team could seek to void the remainder of his contract for taking part in “high-risk activities” that the collective bargaining agreement forbids without the Giants’ written consent.

Cue to Kent, who while Bader was being treated at a Bay Area hospital Sunday was enjoying his induction ceremony into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He was honored for hitting more home runs than any other second baseman in MLB history and driving in more than 100 runs eight times.

Conveniently forgotten was the time Kent broke a bone in his left wrist during spring training in 2002 and lied about how it occurred, saying he fell while washing his truck when eyewitnesses and a 911 call established that he actually fell off a motorcycle while “popping wheelies,” according to then-Giants general manager Brian Sabean.

Read more:Hall of Famers Jeff Kent and Andruw Jones played one forgettable Dodgers season together

Why did he tell a tall tale? Most likely to protect his $6 million contract that prohibited high-risk activities such as motorcycle riding. Admitting the truth would have allowed the Giants to fine him or void his deal.

The Giants left well enough alone because Kent was an essential cog in their lineup, the story died down and he missed only the first four regular-season games. The Giants advanced to the World Series — where they lost to the Angels — and Kent hit a career-high 37 home runs.

Bader, who is in the first year of of a two-year, $20.5 million contract, finds himself in a far more precarious position than Kent. He has played only 30 games all season primarily because of an earlier injury to the same foot and is batting .170.

The Giants might see an opportunity to get out from under the second year of his deal by invoking the “high-risk activities” language from the CBA.

Bader followed through with a previously scheduled foot and ankle specialist in Indianapolis on Monday. According to a team injury report, “the impact of that (collision-related) injury changed the nature of his evaluation.” The team also said he would undergo an MRI exam to “better understand the severity of the injuries sustained from the scooter accident.”

Read more:Logan Webb's social media meltdown is the latest Giants headache in a chaotic season

As of Friday morning, MRI results have not been released and Bader has declined to speak publicly. Manager Tony Vitello said Thursday that Bader is not expected to return this season, and that a return was unlikely before the collision. A week ago, however, Vitello said Bader had a chance to return in September.

Bader, a 32-year-old 10-year veteran, would be hard-pressed to explain the incident as youthful indiscretion the way he might have in 2014 when he was involved in a motorized scooter accident as a University of Florida sophomore. An incident report from the Gainesville Police Department said Bader hit a curb and ran into a truck. He was unresponsive on the ground, smelled of alcohol and was suspended from the baseball team for 19 games.

The latest incident follows several embarrassing episodes this season with the Giants, who through Thursday are 47-62 and 22 games behind the first-place Dodgers in the National League West.

All-Star pitcher Logan Webb deleted his X account three weeks ago after a heated exchange with a KNBR digital producer, slugger Rafael Devers seemingly defied Vitello by waving off a pinch-runner and three outfielders engaged in a provocative hip-thrust celebration.

Perhaps most damaging was the fallout from four Giants pitchers pushing back against the team’s annual Pride Night in June, with three writing Bible verses next to the rainbow-tinted logo on their caps and the fourth declining to wear the colorful cap at all.

MLB said the pitchers were in violation of uniform protocols, triggering a culture skirmish between one of the nation’s most vibrantly diverse and queer cities and politicians who asserted that the actions were an expression of religious freedom.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Nobody gets to fire two managers in two years.

Jeff Passan went on the radio on Tuesday and placed the blame for the Mariners season at the feet of manager Dan Wilson. Passan heavily implied Wilson should be replaced, using logic I’ve seen plenty throughout the season: This roster is far too talented to be playing this poorly.

And, no, it’s not.

Let’s just look at some projections. There are plenty of models out there, and you should consider them all, but I use Steamer because it’s 1) easily accessible through FanGraphs, 2) the most conservative on this iteration of the Mariners, and 3) disturbingly accurate at projecting their full-season fWAR. Here we can see how Steamer compares to the Mariners actual fWAR since 2016.

Now, WAR are not wins (we’ll get there), but projected WAR are still quite good at projecting the actual standings. In fact, at just about any point in the season, if you want to know how well a team will play the rest of the year, you’re about as well off trusting preseason projections as their performance to date. That’s why things like FanGraphs playoff odds can look skeptical of surges and collapses, and why the Mariners still have good odds to make the playoffs.

This makes projections an essential reference for assessing a team, pre-, mid- and post-season. Yes, I appreciate “um actually the forecast clearly states” sounds like the thing I say before getting shoved into a locker. But if you’re demanding someone get fired from a baseball team on the internet, well, I suppose I’ll find you in the locker with me.

We can see a few things from this plot. First, there’s a nice linear relationship between projected WAR and the final standings, but there’s clearly some variance. Lots of things determine how many games a team wins beyond their talent on Opening Day. Teams can play above, at, or below their talent level. They can get good, neutral, or poor luck. They can run up against injuries and schedules and umpires and God. Perhaps coaches matter, too.

We can also see the Mariners tend to get out of their seasons what they put in. In Jerry Dipoto’s tenure, the roster has either met or exceeded expectations every single season. They’ve been exceptionally predictable, a metronome set to 54 beats per minute — the perfect tempo for a dirge.

Let’s look at this another way. I created some buckets for preseason WAR and found the end-of-season outcomes for each. The table below shows the median win total, as well as the high- and low results:

Tier (Range)	n	p10	p25	p50	p75	p90
15–20 (Uncompetitive)	14	27.3%	32.4%	38.0%	41.4%	43.3%
20–29 (Terrible)	49	36.3%	40.7%	43.8%	48.1%	52.6%
29–33 (Bad)	49	39.4%	42.6%	47.5%	53.1%	56.0%
33–38 (Average)	48	44.1%	47.5%	50.3%	55.7%	58.8%
38–42 (Good)	48	47.3%	50.5%	53.7%	55.6%	57.8%
42—48 (Great)	48	48.0%	54.7%	57.1%	60.2%	63.6%
48–59 (Elite)	14	47.5%	50.6%	59.0%	64.1%	65.1%

From 2023 and to 2025, the Mariners began the season with the expectations of a “good” team. These teams typically win about 54% of their games and finish 12th in the majors overall. It’s the minimum threshold to enter a season with playoff expectations, generally as the Wild Card. That’s pretty much exactly what they got in those years.

This year, however, the Mariners took a tepid step forward, dipping a toe into great (on paper). This bucket contains a broad range of projected WAR, and the Mariners 43.5 WAR was at the very bottom end, bearing closer resemblance to “good” than “elite.” Maybe we could call this “very good.” Regardless, it’s fair to say this roster was a bit more than those of the past, and also not quite.

Even still, plenty of teams even at this level wind up with less than great results. If we look back up at the plot above, the 2026 Mariners are still within a typical range of outcomes given the quality of their roster. What’s happening this year isn’t weird or uncommon, even if it is disappointing. 

Now, from this perspective, I could see why some would point the finger at the coaching staff. It’s weird for this team to underperform. I also appreciate why some fans are willing to excoriate specifically Wilson. His predecessor, Scott Servais, was fired for delivering exactly what his rosters deserved, and Wilson was hired in his place with no managerial experience. The choice was seen as the latest evidence that the org is addicted to its memberberries and prioritizes image over substance. And in his time as manager, Wilson hasn’t made himself easy to like. He’s boring in press conferences, unwilling or unable to say… anything. He doesn’t explain his decisions, he doesn’t take accountability or say who should. He’s about as vacant publicly as his Funko Pop, the only difference being the one in the dugout comes with string-activated “ums” and “ahs” and “tough ones.”

But that Wilson is limiting this team doesn’t quite satisfy as a scapegoat. If we’re saying that coaching staffs matter, and perhaps they do, well, just last year Wilson led the Mariners to 90 wins and a deep playoff run. The year before, Wilson took over with roughly six weeks left in the season — having no managerial experience — and went 21-13, or a 100-win pace. Up until this latest slump, Wilson held the best record in team history, and one of the five best records among active managers overall. If the manager matters, and we’re dinging Wilson for this stretch, then we’re also giving him credit as one of the best managers in the majors before it. Maybe Wilson doesn’t do as well in the Cool Xiennial Podcasto Sphere as someone like Tony Vitello, and maybe his face isn’t nearly as red John Schneider’s. But he seems to be a kind, humble guy, sufficient in the minor art of field managing, and liked enough in the locker room for multiple players to say they want to play in Seattle forever. Ignore him or hate him, I don’t think you can blame him.

So who can you blame?

Well, there is a fairly obvious culprit for the Mariners struggles this year. As I wrote a few weeks ago, the Mariners entered 2025 with the best projected duo in the majors in Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez. They are the sole reason this roster has expectations at all. Unfortunately, they’re on pace to post nearly 10 wins less than projected. It doesn’t quite work like this in reality, but it’s worth pointing out those 10 wins are roughly the difference between the Mariners current 78-win pace and the 88-win pace Steamer had them at in the preseason. No, I’m not “blaming” them. Injuries happen. Slumps happen. The season isn’t over. Et cetera. But if you take the two best players away from any team, they probably aren’t going to do as well as they should. It’s not a mystery.

If you insist on blaming anyone, I think it’s most appropriate to point the finger at the front office. Or rather, I think it’s most appropriate to point the finger at their plan. The team has been pretty direct in saying their goal is to win, roughly, 54% of their games over a long period of time. And as I’ve laid out above, they’ve done exactly that, on paper and on the field. 

It’s a fine plan, to be clear. The justification is it allows them to hoard prospects, playing time, and ohhhhh if you insist a bit of cash in the outlook. By not committing to any one season, they spread their risk over a longer competitive window, allowing them to make targeted, timely maneuvers while growing a roster from within. The 2025 Mariners serve as proof of concept for this strategy. The team can absolutely win a World Series this way.

But 2026 is an inverse to that proof of concept. The governor they place on annual talent realistically caps them at 90 wins year over year. That’s a tenuous playoff position on its own, and any underperformance threatens to sink them out of contention. Sure, spreading risk over time helps avoid a scenario where a chock-full basket of eggs shatters into oblivion. And yes, there is no projected WAR threshold that might clear disaster on its own. But the closer you build a roster to a coin flip, the more likely you’ll be disappointed in its face.

That’s why I’m not willing to extend much grace despite the step forward in the projections. Like, hey, good on the Mariners for making legitimate progress on paper. I am one of the few people in the world admin-pilled enough to give them credit for something like theoretical wins. But they’re the ones setting the terms at 30,000 feet, and the view from up there isn’t particularly flattering. The Mariners are pacing for a 40% playoff rate, 20% division rate, and 0% World Series rate — and that’s if we start the clock in year seven of Jerry Dipoto’s tenure.

It’s worth looking at where the Mariners rank since 2022, when they started playing for real:

Year	Hit	Run	Field	Batter	SP	RP	Pitcher
2026	16	25	29	23	7	17	7
2025	3	19	24	9	14	17	18
2024	12	14	17	14	4	26	9
2023	6	20	7	5	5	8	5
2022	8	13	17	8	17	14	17
Total	5	19	19	10	6	17	10

The relative strengths of the Mariners have been starting pitching and (gasp!) hitting. These are without a doubt the most valuable facets of the game, and good on them for their performance in these areas. It’s genuinely impressive that they’ve achieved this mostly through their farm system, and that alone makes them one of the best front offices in the majors.

But their weaknesses have been (and continue to be) the nooks and crannies of the roster. They can’t run the bases. They can’t field. They can’t maintain narrow deficits in the middle innings. Their teams tend to be lopsided and weirdly distributed. These have been consistent issues for years. Batting slumps and bullpen lumps get the headlines when the team struggles, but the Mariners issues historically are the little things — the things that can’t be found in three-team deals, shuffling value at the margins.

And that’s why I find it a bit rich that the team fired assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes last week. Yes, absolutely, the Mariners are losing right now because they’ve struggled to hit. But they finished last year second in the majors by wRC+ (113) with Magallanes in dugout. Every team slumps at the plate. The difference is the great teams have something else going for them, to keep them in games and avoid greatness-tanking skids.

There is a sort of competence in what the Mariners have done. They told us what their goal was, and they’ve achieved it with frustrating levels of precision. My first game was 2003. The two decades of Mariners baseball that followed were not fun. I didn’t take solace in the fact that the powers that be were earnestly trying to win World Series. I would have preferred this a million times over. Ticket sales suggest others do, too. It’s the most successful the Mariners have been in my lifetime. It’s good baseball.

But it’s worth thinking about where we’re at. In August 2024, the Mariners saw fit to fire a manager because they weren’t satisfied with the results of the team. Not quite two years later, there’s been another firing in the dugout and clamoring for more. Maybe it’s time for the good to get going.

Congratulations to Emiliano Teodo, who has been named the #18 prospect in the 2026 LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings, receiving a little under one-quarter of the vote.

Our list so far:

1 — Sebastian Walcott

2 — Caden Scarborough

3 — Malcolm Moore

4 — A.J. Russell

5 — Yolfran Castillo

6 — Rafe Perich

7 — Dylan Dreiling

8 — Josh Owens

9 — Jose Corniell

10 — Dalton Pence

11 — David Davalillo

12 — Yeison Morrobel

13 — Hector Osorio

14 — Cam Cauley

15 — Seong-Jun Kim

16 — Winston Santos

17 — Paulino Santana

18 — Emiliano Teodo

Moving on…

Who is the #19 prospect in the Rangers system right now?

Cast your vote below…

After a long week, we are entering the final day of our top 30 roll out. As always it has been an absolute pleasure for us to put together this list, even though it was one of the hardest ones we’ve done in quite some time. There has been another massive infusion of talent to the organization both in international free agency, and through the 2026 MLB draft. We aim to update the list once again at the end of the season after hopefully getting our eyes on the new draft class. All that being said, we hope you have enjoyed our midseason top 30 and be on the look out for a couple more articles coming out this weekend that build off of the influx of talent that the Braves have had over the past two years.

6. John Gil – SS

How he got to the Braves: 2023 International Free Agent

After putting together a strong 2025 where he hit .252/.348/.366 across 107 games, where he showed a fantastic eye at the plate with a 12.4% walk rate, and just 14.5% strikeout rate, along with 54 stolen bases. He showed really strong decision in his swing decisions as he showed the ability to not just recognize spin, but also not expand his zone outside of the strike zone. He entered 2026 on nuclear watch because of how advanced his approach, at the age of 19, along with his physical maturity and loud tools.

It hasn’t gone quite as John himself was expecting, as he’s hit just .241/.346/.371. John’s BABIP falls below the average mark sitting at .288 despite the double plus speed he possesses which indicates a level of unluckiness. John has shown more power, as he’s hit a career high 11 home runs, while still leading the league in stolen bases. His walk rate as actually increased, now sitting at 13% for the season, and his swing and contact rates have remained relatively consistent to what we’ve seen in the past. He’s also cut his GB% to 39.8% (down from 46% in 2025), while increasing his LD% from 17.5% to 25%. The biggest change in his profile has been he’s been slightly more pull dominant than he was last year, but that also came with a new career high in ISO. While he may not have put up the numbers we hoped for in 2026, his profile remains unchanged.

Gil is a player that has the tools and talent to be a major outlier at his position. Gil possesses the ability to hit for good power while also getting on base at a high clip where he can showcase his double-plus speed. Gil has played a majority of the season as shortstop, but has also played a lot of second base as well. As of right now the added swing-and-miss is an outlier, so as we head into the close of 2026, he will remain one of the highest upside positional prospects the Braves have in their organization.

5. Cam Caminiti – LHP

How he got to the Braves: 2024 1st round pick (#24 overall)

After re-classifying, Cam Caminiti was eligible for the 2024 MLB draft as a 17 year old after. He was surprisingly available for the Braves to select at #24 overall and the Braves didn’t balk at the opportunity – drafting and signing him for $3.5, buying him out of his commitment to LSU. He made a single start for the Augusta GreenJackets before being shut down for the season.

In 2025, his debut was highly anticipated but delayed with his season not beginning until May. The results weren’t great, as he struggled out of the gate – allowing 11 earned runs across just 13.2 innings pitched but it didn’t take long to turn things around as the calendar hit June, and he immediately turned in his best performance with five innings of one hit ball. He would go on to finish the season appearing in 17 games across two levels, the FCL and Low-A Augusta, where he pitched to a combined 3.09 ERA with an 11.57 K/9 and 3.60 BB/9 rate. He did all this while being just a two pitch pitcher as the Braves used the season to work on his fastball command, and to introduce a sweeper. By the end of the season Cam showed the ability to command his fastball, especially at the top of the zone, and was landing his sweeper to both sides of the plate against both LHB, and RHB showing a massive step progression in year 1, and leaving us all wondering how the next season would go.

Fast forward to this year, and at the time of this article dropping, Cam had already put together 17 games and when you look at the number, a 4.11 ERA, 2.16 batting average against, 9.27 K/9, and 4.23 BB/9 you wonder how a prospect of his ability regressed in his second full season as a professional but the numbers show a fraction of how the actual season has gone. After being just a two pitch pitcher last year, Cam Caminiti has leveraged 6-7 pitches this season as the Braves along with Cam figure out the pitch mix that best suites his ability. He has utilized that strong four-seam, and sweeper, but has added a two-seam, cutter, changeup, and added his curveball back into the mix. The Braves have also worked on his mechanics, a lot, this year, out of the stretch as he’s had some issues with maintaining them as the game goes along. So when you factor in all of that, along with the fact that he is the same age as both Briggs McKenzie (2025), and a few months younger than Jensen Hirschkorn (2026) the numbers on the mound make a bit more sense.

Cam’s upside remains unchanged from his original drafting year. He’s shown flashes of true top of the rotation talent as he’s navigated a very physically demanding year. 2027 looks to be a huge year for Cam especially if he’s able to improve his conditioning a bit more where he’s not struggling with his mechanics out of the stretch as the game goes on. He’s shown enormous potential on the mound and looks every bit worth the price tag associated with him from 2024.

4. Briggs McKenzie – LHP

How he got to the Braves: 2025 4th round pick (#127 overall)

Taken in the fourth round of the 2025 thanks to the some of the cost savings from going under-slot in the first three rounds, the Braves saw enough out of Briggs McKenzie in high school to offer him $3M to buy him out of his commitment to LSU. He was one of the highest rated prep pitchers in the draft thanks to his ability to spinning his super high RPM curveball. He pairs that well with a fastball that has shown really strong arm side run, though he had not shown the ability to hold his velocity with his fastball – often sitting closer to the 91 MPH mark in high school. Still, the Braves saw more than enough from him, and his 6’2” frame, to give him the bonus and bet on their player development system to get the most out of him.

The returns to the McKenzie selection were seen extremely early in 2026 as he came out of the gates swinging. Briggs made three appearances in the FCL where he had a 0.79 ERA, but more impressively a minimal 1.59 BB/9 rate, and ridiculous 62% GB%. He was sent to the Augusta GreenJackets where he made a singular start where he was dominant – striking out eight over five innings of work while allowing just one hit. The Braves promoted him to High-A Rome where he made three appearances before finding himself on the IL after his June 25th start and has yet to make another appearance. But what we saw, was a teenager that was able to locate his fastball at the top of the zone with regularly, while also showing a +sweeper, and good changeup. His four-seam was sitting between 93-94 MPH, up from the original 91-92 that we saw from him during games in high school. His sweeper showed fantastic movement with nearly 18” of horizontal break, and 8” of vertical break, while also throwing a good changeup. While the sample has been small, 7 total games, there is a lot to get excited about Briggs who appears to be a player that can move quite quickly through the system. He and Cam Caminiti have formed a formidable high upside duo of left handed pitching found at the top of the Braves system.

It took one Low-A start for the Braves to decide Briggs McKenzie is ready for High-A 👀

The 19-year-old received their largest signing bonus in the 2025 draft.@gvedak
pic.twitter.com/fPnIlOV0J6

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) June 8, 2026

3. Tate Southisene – SS

How he got to the Braves: 2025 1st round pick (#22 overall)

Atlanta got mixed reactions to picking Tate Southisene 22nd overall in 2025, but one year out they seem like geniuses to all but a very select few. Southisene has been about as good as a player can be coming straight out of high school. He was shaky in short professional debut, but hit the ground running in Augusta this spring and posted a 152 wRC+ across 51 games. Southisene then earned himself a call up to Rome in June and continued mashing, with a 121 wRC+ and four home runs in 38 games. Southisene has maintained a walk rate above 15% at both levels and is age-relative perfomance is in the elite tier of prospects, and the Braves saw enough to make a daring call in late July. Southisene got the quick bump to Double-A Columbus, where he could continue to start full time and get tested by pitchers with better command. Unfortunately this is where our hero meets his first real challenge. Southisene got just two plate appearances in Columbus before getting hit on the wrist, and he is now on the injured list for an unknown period of time. Regardless of what happens for the rest of the season this is a successful year for Southisene, but this has opened up the first chance for his development to be delayed. Southisene has overall been an elite performer in 2026. He’s the only player age 20 or under in minor league baseball who has 10+ home runs and 45+ stolen bases, and one of only three of any age in the minor leagues to reach that number. He makes contact at a high rate and doesn’t ever swing out of the strike zone, though that doesn’t necessarily mean his approach is perfect just yet.

There were concerns about Southisene’s swing coming out of high school and many questioned if it would limit his hit tool at the professional level. The Braves had him work to make his load and swing simpler, and after some early season adjustments those changes have seemed to pay dividends. He has shown the ability to be an above average hitter both for on base and for power, and there is even more power in the tank for him. At this stage Southisene still doesn’t pull the ball in the air very often, which is a common trait for young players and especially those who could rely on their speed to get on base in high school. That’s limited some of the impact he has made, yet he is still producing above league-average power numbers. Southisene’s ability to lay off of pitches out of the zone is impressive, though if there is any knock against him it might be that he is a bit too selective. He watches too many good pitches go by and could benefit from attacking fastballs more often with the intent to do damage on the pull side, but too patient is a better problem to have than a guy who cannot recognize spin or the edges of the zone. The biggest question for Southisene is whether he can actually stick at shortstop. He primarily played second base in Augusta beside Alex Lodise, but upon being promoted he has played all but four of his games in the field at shortstop. His foot speed and instincts are good enough to play the position, but his arm is fringe for shortstop and he may have to slide to second base or center field at the next level. Southisene has the bat to still make an impact even if shortstop is not his ultimate defensive home, but there is still plenty of time for him to improve in that regard. Overall the Braves seem to have a gem of an up-the-middle prospect with the ability to impact the game in multiple ways on the offensive end and a game mature enough to get him to Double-A as a teenager.

2. AJ Gracia – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2026 1st round pick (#9 overall)

The Braves added AJ Gracia to their system, leveraging the philosophy of going under-slot in the first two rounds to add more high end prep talent to the organization. But Gracia isn’t your typical “safe” college player, as he also shows massive potential. AJ’s talent was on display in 2025 when he was the most south after transfers after putting together an extremely strong .293/.449/.558 slash line at the University of Duke. The Virginia Cavaliers were able to add him to their roster in 2026 and he took off, showing improvements in nearly every facet of his game and hitting an even more robust .354/.489/.632 across 56 games.

It’s easy to see what the Braves saw in AJ Gracia, even without factoring in the cost savings. As is, he’s a very polished hitter who does not strike out a lot (12.6%), while having a great eye at the plate (20% BB%). AJ has shown the ability to not expand his zone, while also showing an advanced ability to recognize spin and lay off breaking pithes that start in-zone, but fall out of the zone. While he doesn’t possess supreme bat speed, or exit velocities, he’s able to generate lots of back spin with his swing which makes the ball jump off of his bat. Not only was he a safe pick at ninth overall, he also provides significant upside that merits the selection.

AJ projects as a middle of the order bat with a skillset and approach that should allow him to advance quickly through the minor leagues. His existing approach is advanced for a college hitter adjusting to minor league baseball so the expectations are rather significant to begin with. By as early as the end of 2027, it would not be surprising if Gracia is pushing for a spot in the upper minors with the thoughts of a potential 2028 MLB push.

1. Eric Hartman – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2024 20th round pick (#611 overall)

Outside of the Hartman family, even the rosiest of expectations didn’t foresee this sort of rise from Eric Hartman. Hartman was certainly a player to watch coming into 2026 due to a great debut, but he has blown everyone in baseball away with his performance in High-A — a performance made especially shocking due to how little Hartman was known prior to this. Hartman was a 20th round pick, and while his professional debut in 2025 was successful, injuries kept him from reaching his full potential and swing-and-miss issues were problematic for him at times. He was a prospect with helium coming into 2026, but exploded onto the scene in a hurry and has been the best player in the Braves system this season. Hartman has always been a player who had a high pulled fly ball rate and enough power to make him worth fearing, but he added strength this offseason and improved himself from an average power hitter to a plus one seemingly overnight. Hartman has 22 home runs in 90 games with Rome this season, and he’s not just a one-tool power hitter. Hartman has shown the speed to play center field and has stolen 36 bases on the season, becoming the first 20-20 hitter in the system since Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2017. Hartman has already passed Acuna’s home run numbers for that season and is on pace to beat the stolen base numbers by a fair margin as well, though with the increased run environment across minor league baseball and the rule changes to make stealing bases easier that’s not a one-to-one comparison that is fair to make. Still it goes to show just how rare what Hartman has done this season truly is, and he has made himself a consensus top 100 prospect after just a few months.

Hartman has had a brilliant season and it has bumped his grades across the board. He is making more contact in the zone, and when he does make contact the ball jumps off of his bat. He has a knack for finding the barrel to all parts of the field and in all parts of the strike zone, and if you come at him in the strike zone he is going to open up and look to do damage on the pull side. His mindset is primed for the modern baseball game, and when you consider the Braves home park he could also benefit from a short porch in right field. His hit tool isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however, as he is aggressive out of the strike zone and especially tends to go after breaking balls below the zone. This is a problem that has been around for him dating back to last season, though he has improved and for someone who swings as often as he does in the strike zone his chase rates are relatively low. He has to get a better eye for spin and learn to spit on those pitches at his shins, but it’s important to realize how green Hartman still is. Hartman was incredibly raw coming out of the Canadian prep ranks and was expected to take years to develop if he ever did at all. The improvements he has made in such a short time show an immense aptitude for the game of baseball, and there is every reason to believe he will continue to improve both his skill and his understanding of the game. He has improved significantly as a defender, from a fringe center fielder to one who is solidly average, and he’s a high-IQ baserunner who beyond stealing bases can take an extra base with ease on base hits. Hartman’s approach needs a bit of work, but his attack mentality to lift pitches on his pull side is what makes him great and the Braves won’t want him falling too complacent. Hartman is one of the best stories in recent memory, with the biggest breakout I’ve seen from any hitter in this system, and the arrow is still pointing up for him moving into the latter half of the year.

The Connelly Early for Curtis Mead trade between the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals is still pretty wild. Mead now has a left wrist fracture, which probably takes him out of the lineup for at least a month and completely ruins the best argument for this trade for Boston, a better short term push to make the playoffs.

The Washington Nationals are looking like a real problem organizationally. Their farm system now ranks fourth on Baseball America’s recent farm system rankings and there is a massive trend under the Paul Toboni front office for making players better.

If we look at their major league team, several players have taken significant steps. The aforementioned Curtis Mead had bounced around the Rays and White Sox without getting significant major league playing time. With the Nationals in 2026, Mead produced a 133 OPS+ and was traded for Connelly Early, who carries a mid-rotation projection with over five seasons of club control.

James Wood turning into one of the best hitters in the sport isn’t an impressive win given his prospect status but it has happened. CJ Abrams on the other-hand has broken out from being a solid hitter to a potential star with a 153 OPS+.

The real wins, however, look to be from everyone else. Luis Garcia jr is having the best season of his career. They made Keibert Ruiz useful again. On the pitching side, Foster Griffin signed a one-year deal from the NPB and became an all-star. Cade Cavalli took a step forward.

That’s a lot of good things happening under a regime that was hired less than a year ago. The Washington Nationals are looking like a real problem.

Clay Holmes

It’s potentially a really bad fit given the Phillies infield defense but Clay Holmes feels like a really good target for what the Phillies are looking for in a back-end starter that could be useful in October.

Since joining the New York Mets, Holmes has carried a 3.26 ERA in the 218.1 innings he’s pitched for them, mostly as a starter. He is a different pitcher from his days as a high leverage arm for the Yankees, adding a kick-change that has worked very well to left handed hitters. He traded in his slider for a curveball and more cutters to right handed hitters.

He is a classic sinker-ball starter that relies on his defense to make plays behind him as a starter. He limits barrels but has not generated the same swing-and-miss. It is a weird bet but he is a big upgrade over the Brian Keller bullpen games the Phillies are currently running.

The big bet here will come in October if the Phillies make it there. We know what Holmes is like as a reliever; he threw two ticks harder than he does now, which led to less damage and more strikeouts. He did that without the plus changeup as a Yankees reliever either.

While Holmes is coming off injury and there is some risk because he hasn’t pitched in the majors since the middle of May, it still feels like a good bet to make with the cost being viewed as a rental since he will almost certainly opt-out when the season ends.

Logan O’Hoppe

The Angels traded Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers, who then optioned O’Hoppe to AAA.

The results are in on the Brandon Marsh for Logan O’Hoppe swap in 2022. The Phillies fleeced them, getting a strong-side platoon corner outfielder, who has played an ok center field for stretches, for a catcher in O’Hoppe that is not good enough defensively to catch or good enough offensively to play first base.

Since Marsh joined the Phillies, he’s been worth 10.0 bWAR and was recently named an all-star earlier this month. O’Hoppe has just 2.6 bWAR over that same span and has been trending poorly over the last two seasons. There is just not much else to say when discussing the trade. The Phillies pretty obviously got the better end of the deal and Marsh has been their best outfielder since the day he joined.

The Marlins are willing to move players, including their best hitter. Let’s talk about Otto Lopez.

You can view our larger trade deadline piece here as we discuss a wider pool of options the Guardians may consider. To make my position clear, I expect the Guardians to make smaller moves, like trading Bo Naylor and getting a castoff/undervalued reliever. But, in the interest of exploring potential larger moves, we are doing a series looking at some of those bigger names. So far, we have discussed Spencer Steer, Luis Arraez, Shea Langeliers, Taylor Ward, Heliot Ramos, Jo Adell, Ty France, Tyler Soderstrom, Heriberto Hernandez, Kyle Stowers and Alec Burleson. Although the Guardians’ greatest need is hitting, the market is aflush with starting pitching so it also may make sense for the Guardians to see if they can find a good value there, as we wrote here and looked at specifically with Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers.

Lopez is a right-handed hitter who is almost 28 years old and having the best season of his life with a 131 wRC+ as a good shortstop, putting up 4.4 fWAR so far. For his career, he has a 103 wRC+ with a 14.8/6.2 K/BB%. Weirdly for his career, he has a 77 wRC+ against LHP and 113 wRC+ vs RHP. He has figured southpaws out this season to the tune of a 156 wRC+ and I do think that is probably something he can continue to do well (reverse splits are very rare so his early struggles against lefties were probably just small sample size).

Lopez is a good defender at second (15 DRS, 22 OAA) and short (14 DRS, 5 OAA). He has also stolen 47 of 61 bases over the past three seasons, so he is a threat there. He is under team control through 2029.

Lopez is a great trade target. I think he Will offer good defense and above average hitting for the length of his arbitration years. But, the Marlins are only making him available because 1. He is having a late breakout year, and 2. He is almost 29. Both of those are reasons to not want to pay a premium return to acquire Lopez… which is why I remain skeptical he gets moved.

Lopez probably requires the equivalent of two top 100 prospects. Like… are the Guardians wiling to trade Travis Bazzana and Braylon Doughty and potentially toss in Daniel Espino to get Lopez? I would say (rightly) not. And if the Marlins can’t secure that kind of return, I don’t know why they would trade Lopez.

But, hey, if the Marlins can be made to consider a more reasonable return based on Lopez’s career numbers, I am offering Genao and their choice of a dominant minor league arm not named Braylon Doughty. And, hey, another lotto ticket of their choice. Lopez would move Bazzana to DH until Bazzana can learn outfield. It looks like Bazzana can handle DHing, so that would work.

As you can probably tell, I find this deal unlikely. But I love Otto and would love to be wrong. Do us a favor and give us, Lopez, Peter B!

Let me know what you think about Lopez in the comments below

The Cubs will not face old friend Cody Bellinger in this series, as the Yankees outfielder hit the injured list this week with a hamstring strain.

Also, as you likely know, the Yankees are spending an entire week in Chicago, having just split with the White Sox in a four-game series on the South Side. You know, not once since interleague play began have the Cubs ever done this in one of the two-team markets (New York, Los Angeles, and before 2025, the Bay Area). Don’t know why.

For more on the Yankees, here’s Dani Mohr, manager of our SB Nation Yankees site Pinstripe Alley.

There are several crucial takeaways to note after the Yankees wrapped up the series against the White Sox. With another loss in 11 innings on Thursday, the Pinstripes officially have the worst MLB record in extras (1-8).

With the trade deadline looming, there are a lot of discussions on what the Yankees’ current bullpen and offense bring to the table.

Despite Cam Schlittler ending his scoreless-inning streak with his exit in the seventh inning on Wednesday night, the bullpen went out and put up a decent fight. Tim Hill was one of the crucial standouts, recording a clutch strikeout against Munetaka Murakami to force the 11th inning. The Yankees ultimately lacked on defense but attempted to make up for it in a late offensive surge. However, it was all for naught as Edgar Quero recorded the walk-off single in the 12th.

Ryan Weathers picked up the slack on Thursday and threw for seven scoreless innings, which later forced the Yankees into extras once again. After Cruz ended the game with a bases-loaded walk-off walk in the 11th, the bullpen is likely all but exhausted. There are reportedly many potential trade targets circulating the rumor mill that could provide a much-needed boost.

Looking ahead to face the Cubs, it is essential that Will Warren keeps Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ from gaining an early edge. Fried will also need to bounce back after his last outing, in which he allowed five hits and three runs in three innings. Wrapping up the series on Sunday, Cole is tasked with building upon his momentum in the Windy City.

The absence of Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton from this Yankees offense is also deeply felt and appears difficult to overcome. With some inconsistency throughout the lineup during the last series, the focus will need to shift towards establishing dominance early and allowing the bullpen to step into a low-pressure situation.

Fun facts

Since 1876, first year of the National League, the Cubs have played regular-season games against 53 teams.
Their winning percentage against the Yankees is the worst of all: .321 (9-19).

The Cubs also are 0-8 vs. the Yankees in the World Series (1932 and 1938).

The Cubs were .388 (38-60-5) vs. the National League’s Baltimore Orioles in 1892-99. They are .400 (16-24) vs. the Tigers.
…..
The Cubs have won only one previous series vs. the Yankees at Wrigley Field: the first of its kind, in 2003, when they lost, 5-3, then won, 5-2 and 8-7.

They lost two of three in 2011, split a pair in 2014 and dropped all three in 2017.

In their most recent meeting at Wrigley, in 2024, the Cubs were shut out, 3-0 and 2-0, before salvaging the final game, 2-1, making their record 5-9 when hosting the Yankees.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (7-8, 3.72 ERA, 1.099 WHIP, 4.40 FIP) vs. Will Warren, RHP (7-5, 4.41 ERA, 1.412 WHIP, 4.17 FIP)

Saturday: David Peterson, LHP (3-1, 5.06 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, 5.14 FIP in five starts with Cubs; 6-7, 5.80 ERA, 1.521 WHIP, 4.22 FIP in 21 games overall) vs. Max Fried, LHP (4-3, 3.23 ERA, 1.019 WHIP, 2.58 FIP)

Sunday: Colin Rea, RHP (8-7, 4.67 ERA, 1.397 WHIP, 4.87 FIP) vs. Gerrit Cole, RHP (4-5, 3.57 ERA, 1.088 WHIP, 3.73 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Yankees market territories)

Saturday: 6:15 p.m. CT, Fox-TV (regional — coverage map, note that this is basically going to the entire USA except the areas around the teams in the backup game, the Diamondbacks and Guardians). A reminder that if you subscribe to MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings, you can watch this game via those services even if it’s not on the Fox affiliate in your market. Announcers: Adam Amin, A.J. Pierzynski, Adam Wainwright and Ken Rosenthal.

Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network. Of interest to Cubs fans in the UK, this game is being carried live on BBC at 7 p.m. BST. Details here.

Prediction

The Cubs moved Imanaga into this series presumably because the Yankees are more susceptible to left-handed pitching. Hope that’s the right choice.

In any case the Cubs are hot, and so were the Yankees until the last two days, losses in extras to the White Sox. The Cubs actually are one game better than the Yankees as this series begins (62-47 to 61-48). This should be a good matchup of playoff-bound teams, and I’m going to say the Cubs will take two of three.

Up next

The Cubs host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series at Wrigley Field beginning Monday evening.