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After a quiet day 2 of the MLB Draft for LSU, Grant Fontenot heard his name called at #299 overall in the 10th round.

Fontenot had multiple stints as a Tiger, starting his career in Baton Rouge before heading to JUCO, spending a year at Texas, then his final two seasons with LSU.

He became a reliable bullpen arm in 2026 with his high-velocity fastball. He pitched 32.1 innings with a 4.18 ERA, while striking out 42 and walking just 16.

Fontenot is the fourth Tiger to have been selected, following Derek Curiel, Jake Brown, and Deven Sheerin.

The remarkable journey of Texas Longhorns left-hander Luke Harrison will continue in professional baseball after he was selected in the eigth round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday by the St. Louis Cardinals with the No. 234 pick overall.

The slot value for the 234th pick is $241,000.

The 6’2, 220-pounder signed with former head coach David Pierce out of Friendswood in the 2021 class as a modestly-ranked recruit — Harrison was the No. 14 left-handed pitcher in the state and the No. 175 overall prospect, according to Perfect Game.

Despite a fastball that sat in the 80s, Harrison’s competitive demeanor on the mound made him a key reliever for Texas as a freshman in 2022 as he led the team with 32 appearances, posting a 3.06 ERA and two saves, including a four-out save against LSU and a two-inning appearance against Texas A&M in the College World Series. In his first eight outings for the Horns, Harrison didn’t give up a run, finishing the season with 32 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.

Then adversity struck — Harrison underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm and missed the 2023 season. When he returned the following year, he struggled with 9.28 ERA over 10.2 innings in 13 appearances, putting his career at a crossroads as Jim Schlossnagle and his staff arrived in Austin to take over the program.

Under pitching coach Max Weiner, Harrison became a breakout star for the Longhorns in 2025, unexpectedly pushing his way into the rotation thanks to a fastball with improved velocity and several new pitches developed by Weiner, including a cutter and a curveball. In a team-high 15 starts, Harrison posted a 5-1 mark with 3.06 ERA with 72 strikeouts over a team-high 70.2 innings. Against Georgia, Harrison set his season high with nine strikeouts.

As a redshirt senior, Harrison continued to pitch effectively for the Horns in 19 appearances, including 16 starts, notching a 6-4 record with a 4.10 ERA and one save as his strikeout record ticked up again with 100 in 83.1 innings while holding opponents to a .225 average. Returning to the College World Series, Harrison gave Texas a chance in an elimination game against Georgia by striking out a career-high 11 batters while allowing one run in 5.1 innings.

Now over 23 years old, Harrison’s age works against him as a prospect, but his track record in the SEC and his deep arsenal of pitches earned a selection in the top half of the draft and will give him a chance to be successful in professional baseball.

It’s not just a feel-good story — it’s also one that demonstrates Weiner’s superlative ability to develop pitchers.

Happy Sunday.

Dylan Cease will be the starter for the AL in the All-Star game, John Schneider has decided. The nice part about being All-Star manager is that you can give your own players a little treat (not that Cease doesn’t deserve the starter role). Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay are the other Blue Jays to start an All-Star game. That’s pretty good company to be in.

Cristopher Sanchez starts for the NL.

Nolan Perry had a good inning in the future’s game. Jo Jo Parker was 1 for 2 with a double and a fly out. The AL won 6-1. Parker had a run and an RBI.

Today’s lineups. Last game of the first half. It would be nice to go into the break with a win. No Springer today. I’m glad to see Clase getting a chance to a bit. He’s doing a great job (small sample size), hitting .308/.400/.769 in just 15 PA.

Sean Keys is also getting into the game. I’d like to see more of him. His small sample number aren’t as good, but it is early yet. .207/.207/.345 in 29 PA. I’d feel better if he would take a walk, but it is early days. He had 39 walks in 286 at bats in the minors, so the eye is there. It will come.

I meant to talk about it earlier, but the start of July marked 18 years writing on the site for me. It really doesn’t seem that long, other than days when I look at a blank screen and see it as a reflection of my mind.

I’ve told the story often, but I just offered to help out while Hugo was going to be away for a couple of months. I really didn’t know what I had signed up for.

My first day, in the game thread, we were overrun by Mariners’ fans. I didn’t know how the site worked at that point (barely knew how to put up the post). There was some things posted that should have been instantly deleted, and I didn’t know how (I remember someone post clips of a plane flying into a building, something we didn’t need).

We got to the end of the game and the nice fellow who managed the baseball sites emailed me, saying ‘We do a recap after games’. I said that I’d been on the site for 6 months and hadn’t seen a recap. He said ‘We do a recap after games’. So I wrote a recap.

A day or two later, he emailed me, ‘You should do a morning post.’ Again I hadn’t see one on the site before, but I started doing morning posts.

He waited a week or so before emailing ‘An afternoon post is a good idea.’ I’m pretty sure I used some language not allowed on the site, suggesting that I was doing three posts a day, and had said everything I wanted to about the Jays.

Considering our daily page views were into the double digits at that time, I thought four posts a day was a little excessive. But the numbers did raise, and added more writers and life got a little easier. I’m more willing to give myself a day off, here and there, than I used to be.

Anyway, 18 years and I’m still here.

The San Francisco Giants kicked off the two-day 2026 MLB draft with an exciting Saturday, picking up five names who could be key players for years to come. They used their highest pick since 2018 on Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora, before adding a pair of prep pitchers — Carson Bolemon and Kaden Waechter — with the No. 29 and 55 picks. In the third round they made a splash with outfielder Peyton Bonds, Barry’s nephew, and rounded out the day with Hofstra pitcher Carlos Martinez in the fourth round.

Sunday doesn’t have as big of names, but what it lacks in quality it certainly makes up for in quantity, with 16 picks ahead for the Giants. Here’s a roundup of what they did in rounds 5-10, when they stayed pitcher focused; stay tuned for rounds 11-20 later in the day!

With their first pick of the day, in the fifth round (No. 150 overall), the Giants went for another player with a baseball bloodline: North Carolina State second baseman Luke Nixon. The son of Trot, a 12-year MLB veteran who had a very memorable decade-long stint with the Boston Red Sox, Luke is a contact-over-power left-handed hitter. He’s fairly small, listed at 5’10 and 162 pounds despite quickly approaching his 22nd birthday. Despite that slight frame, and despite the lack of power on the scouting report, he did hit nine home runs in 56 games last year in the ACC.

Nixon’s junior season was very strong, as he hit .367/.452/.595, good for a 1.048 OPS and a 129 wRC+ with a 14.0% strikeout rate, which earned him a ranking at No. 234 on Baseball America’s big board, as well as second team All-ACC honors. He’s a smooth fielder at second base and makes good swing decisions, and the Giants surely like his contact skills. Definitely a very Giantsy pick! That said, he seems likely to be an underslot selection, with the slot value for the No. 150 pick sitting just shy of $500,000.

In the sixth round, with the No. 179 pick, the Giants went back to the pitching well, taking McNeese State right-hander Eric Nachtsheim. Like many pitchers taken in this area of the draft, Nachtsheim has some brilliant stuff, but is a bit too hittable. Despite not playing in a great conference (he was first team All-ACCAC), Nachtsheim had a 3.60 ERA and a 4.13 FIP this season, the result of allowing 72 hits and 13 home runs in 85 innings. But living in the strike zone had its benefits, as he had a blissful 125 strikeouts in those 85 innings, with only 21 walks all year.

The big question for Nachtsheim is if he can develop any secondaries. To this point, he has an excellent fastball, which is mid-high 90s with strong movement and deception, and excellent command. That fastball earned him a ranking of No. 174 on Baseball America’s big board, and No. 213 on MLB Pipeline’s. But right now, it’s considered his only plus pitch, and possibly even his only playable pitch in the pros. If he can develop a decent secondary pitch, Nachtsheim profiles as a pitcher who could move fairly quickly as a relief option.

San Francisco stayed on the pitching train in the seventh inning, using the No. 208 pick on Jacksonville State southpaw Beau Bryans. The 22-year old has interesting mechanics, with a low arm slot and pitches that come in from a very wide angle, which led to him being used as a situational reliever earlier in his career. His fastball has touched 98, and arguably his best pitch is a big sweeping slider.

One of the intriguing things about Bryans is that he really hasn’t had much of an opportunity to prove himself. He was a junior college player in his first two seasons, and threw just 9 innings over 13 appearances as a junior at Alabama. He transferred to Jacksonville State for his senior year, where the results were mixed: he had a 3.66 ERA and a 5.16 FIP, with 78 strikeouts but 43 walks in 66.1 innings. That lack of track record, and the fact that he’s a senior, should make him an underslot candidate (his slot value is just south of $300,000). But it also points to some untapped potential that the Giants will hope to uncover.

The funky mechanics for Bryans, who was No. 200 on Baseball America’s big board, explain the control issues. But they can be a big advantage if he learns how to harness his pitches.

With their eighth-round pick, No. 238 overall, the Giants went with another pitcher, right-hander Cody Brasch from Louisiana-Lafayette. While the Giants have been known in recent years for drafting pitchers that are more funky and toolsy than overpowering, Brasch is the opposite. He’s a pure power pitcher, with a mid-90s fastball that touches 99, and a strong, power slider. He doesn’t have a ton of movement or finesse, so the Giants will have to work with him on that, as the see-ball, throw-ball-hard approach led to nine home runs allowed in just 74.2 innings last year, in a not great conference.

But there’s presumably some upside for the Giants to develop with Brasch, whose 2026 stands as his only season of collegiate baseball after missing his sophomore and junior years with injury, and spending his freshman year in junior college. Brasch worked as both a starter and reliever last year, and had a 2.77 ERA and a 4.60 FIP, with 82 strikeouts and 21 walks in his 74.2 innings. He was ranked as the No. 305 prospect in the draft on Baseball America’s big board.

In the ninth round, the Giants used the 268th selection on their third position player of the draft, Vanderbilt second baseman Mike Mancini. The left-handed hitter has more than just a marketable name with one of the Giants sponsors: he’s also a very talented and versatile player. A Little League World Series winner as a kid, Mancini hit .305/.433/.595 this year, with a 1.028 OPS and a 126 wRC+.

For better or for worse, Mancini has an aggressive approach at the plate, which led to a concerning 20.5% strikeout rate in his senior year … though he’s not averse to taking pitches, as evidenced by the 16.9% walk rate. He hits the ball very hard (he had 15 home runs in 53 games), though the Giants will need to help him elevate the ball a little bit, as he hits it into the dirt with regularity.

Mancini, who could be an underslot signing since he was a senior and unranked on the major draft big boards, has good speed as well. He stole 20 bases last year and was caught just once, and can play the outfield in addition to the infield. Despite not being a highly-touted prospect, the Giants have to feel good about a player who put up huge numbers in the SEC (and someone that Tony Vitello has coached against). And on that note, Mancini was a second team All-SEC selection this year, behind only Texas A&M’s Chris Hacopian, who was the No. 11 overall pick this year.

The Giants rounded out the first half of the draft by using the No. 298 selection on West Virginia right-handed pitcher Ian Korn. As is not uncommon at this stage in the draft, Korn is a high makeup guy. The recently-turned 23-year old, who is a grad senior, doesn’t have stats or pitches that jump off the page, but has earned excellent marks for his competitiveness, work ethic, and attitude.

2026 was his only year in the Big 12, after four seasons at Seton Hall. He pitched in a hybrid role, making 24 appearances with just three starts, but throwing 79.2 innings. Korn racked up a 3.39 ERA and a 4.11 FIP, and while he only struck out 70 batters, he also only walked 13. His fastball sits low-mid 90s and touches 96, and he has a four-pitch arsenal with a curveball, cutter, and slider as well. While his potential in the Major Leagues is likely as a reliever, he’s the type of pitcher that the Giants usually start developing as starters early in their careers.

And that’s rounds 5-10! Stay tuned for the a recap of rounds 11-20 at the end of the draft.

Welcome to Day 2 of the MLB draft, which happens to coincide with the Rays retirement of the No. 3 jersey. Will the organization find its next retired number today?

Below are the players, their school, and the round/pick for the selection with writeups from MLB Pipeline and Baseball America.

RHP Owen Kramkowski (4YR JR, Arizona) – 5/145

Tampa Bay started day 2 the same way they ended day 1, with a bit of a surprise, adding a prospect not high on the MLB Pipeline board, this time picking up a star of the University of Arizona’s rotation, who has added velocity this year.

With his tall, thin frame and glimpses of an easy fastball, Kramkowski has drawn some comps to T.J. Nichols, a former Arizona hurler and current Rays prospect. The 6-foot-3 right-hander relies mostly on his sinking fastball-slider combination. It’s a bowling ball heater that was up to 98 mph this fall, but was back around the 92-93 range he threw it in as a starter in 2025, and it does elicit very high ground-ball rates. He backs it up with an upper-70s slider that has decent three-quarter traditional tilt to it. He started going to his average mid-80s cutter more frequently this spring. Kramkowski threw a ton of strikes last year, walking only 1.8 per nine. He repeated that in 2026, but it’s control over command, and at times, he can get too much of the plate and get hit.

[MLB Pipeline – 245]

His rail-thin frame gives him some durability questions with scouts, but he has real stuff and a quick arm. Kramkowski throws from a lower slot and has both a four- and two-seam fastball variants, with the sinker perhaps being his better option moving forward. Both fastballs are thrown in the 92-93 mph range and touch 95-96. His go-to swing-and-miss pitch is an upper-70s sweeping slider that has around a foot of gloveside break and generated a 40% miss rate in 2026. It’s a potential righty-killer with above-average potential, but scouts have wondered about the lack of a changeup to attack lefties. Kramkowski does have an 88-92 mph cutter that he throws more frequently to lefthanded hitters, but it hasn’t kept them in check. He pounds the strike zone—potentially too much—and owns a career 5.0% walk rate.

[Baseball America – 204]

LHP Kyle Johnson (4YR JR, Virginia) – 6/174

A two-way star transfer from Duke, Johnson is expected to pitch as a professional.

Despite a less-than-pretty statline, scouts are still bullish on Johnson as an athletic left-hander who has yet to focus on pitching full-time. He has as many as five pitches to work with, starting with a fastball that averaged a touch over 93 mph but topped out at 97-98 mph this spring, and it some ride to it when he’s at the top of the zone. His slider, thrown up to 83-84 mph, can be a 1-to-7, hammer-like breaker with a ton of swing and miss. He has a distinct upper-70s curve and can also throw a harder, 86-88 mph cutter. He used his low-80s changeup more than any other secondary pitch, throwing it downhill with armside sink and run, a cambio he’ll throw to hitters on both sides of the plate. Johnson has never been a consistent strike-thrower, carrying a career 4.6 BB/9 (5.1 per nine in 2026) rate into NCAA Regional play this year. But there are some raw ingredients to work with, and there were teams who felt he was worthy of top five round consideration, with perhaps another gear to reach when he puts the bat down for good.

[MLB Pipeline – 150]

He’s an easy mover on the mound with a strong and muscular 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame. Johnson sits around 93-94 with his fastball and touches 97, and while he’s a fringy strike-thrower overall he tends to do a nice job establishing the fastball in the zone for strikes. He has lots of confidence in a mid-80s changeup that is more of a weak-contact offering than a true swing-and-miss pitch, but he’ll keep hitters off-balance with it, throw it in any count and to both lefties and righties. Johnson gets most of his whiffs with a slurvy breaking ball in the 78-83 mph range that varies in shape. He’ll also mix in an occasional mid-to-upper-80s cutter.

[Baseball America – 141]

RHP AJ Rice (HS SR, GA) – 7/203

An interesting pick in that the Rays might need to allocate funds to lock in a signature from a clear draft day one talent, he’s another two-way player expected to focus on pitching professionally.

Rice would be a lock to go in the top two or three rounds if not for his lack of physicality and his commitment to Auburn, but his combination of a deep arsenal and polish gives him plenty of believers among evaluators. He’s built along the lines of Tim Hudson and his style is reminiscent of the four-time All-Star. He drove in both runs in the Georgia 3-A championship game to lead Pickens HS to its first-ever state title. Rice’s best pitch is a tight mid-80s slider with high spin rates, but it’s just one of four weapons at his disposal. His fastball sits in the low 90s, touches 95 and misses bats with its carry and armside run. His feel to spin extends to a low-80s curveball that he lands in the zone, and he also shows advanced aptitude for a fading mid-80s changeup. Rice has an up-tempo delivery but the athleticism to repeat it well and throw strikes with all four of his offerings. He generates his stuff with a quick arm and has a track record of performing against top competition. Though he’s undersized at 5-foot-11, he has the potential to become a mid-rotation starter.

[MLB Pipeline – 125]

… impressive arm speed and tremendous ability to spin the baseball. He gets his fastball into the mid 90s and has touched 96 mph in the 2026 spring, but mostly sits in the low 90s. His best pitch is a mid-80s slider with huge spin rates above 3,000 rpm at times and lots of sweeping action. It’s a potential out pitch. Scouts have also been impressed by his ability to spin a distinct curveball, and he’s also made progress with a mid-80s changeup that will give him a piece to attack lefthanded hitters.

[Baseball America – 271]

RHP Griffin Long (HS SR, GA) – 8/233

Some scouts believe Long is the best sleeper pitching prospect in Georgia’s prep class. He has added velocity this spring to go with a projectable 6-foot-2 frame and feel for a three-pitch arsenal. He could go as high as the late third round if that would be enough to sign him away from Kennesaw State. After sitting at 90 mph and peaking at 93 with his fastball last summer, Long now operates at 92 and touches 95, though his heater could use more life. His slider has gained some power as well, parking around 80 mph and displaying promising spin even if it lacks consistency. His best present pitch is a fading low-80s changeup that’s more advanced than most high school cambios. Long’s athleticism, clean operation and loose arm bode well for his future control and command. He has the potential for three solid or better offerings with strike-throwing to match once he gets stronger and adds more polish. One of the younger mound prospects in the Draft, he didn’t turn 18 until May.

[MLB Pipeline – 233]

e has a projectable 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame that he’s starting to fill out, which has helped jump his fastball from touching 93 mph in 2025 to now reaching 95 mph. He’s a solid strike-thrower for his age with feel for multiple secondary pitches that miss bats, including a sharp curveball in the upper 70s and a lively changeup in the mid 80s he has the confidence to throw against both lefties and righties.

[Baseball America – 269]

OF Tai Jones (HS SR, MS) – 9/263

A former student of Rays first base coach Corey Dickerson, who was coaching Jackson Academy in Mississippi before getting the call back to the big leagues.

Jones was not ranked at MLB Pipeline or Baseball America.

Tai Jones is a 2026 OF/RHP with a 6-3 205 lb. frame from Brandon, MS who attends Jackson Academy. Long and lean athletic build with some present strength and room for plenty more. 6.71 runner in the sixty. Primary outfielder on defense, fields the ball out front, long and loose arm action, has more arm strength there with more momentum into his throws and a higher arm slot, big game range with a spectacular game catch in right field. Right handed hitter, hits from a straight stance with a simple and repeatable trigger, loose and quick hands with some barrel whip, gets extended well through contact, lots of 95+ EV contact in the games, lots of power potential with repetitions and maturity. Very good student. Verbal commitment to McLennan CC.

[Perfect Game – 2025 National Showcase]

RHP Tate McKee (4YR JR, Georgia Tech) – 10/293

The Rays end their top ten picks with the ace of a very good college team, and is surprisingly unranked by Pipeline despite being near top 150 for BA.

The top starter on a Georgia Tech team that ranked No. 2 in the nation for much of the season, McKee backs up a fastball that sits at 92-94 mph and touches 96 with a hard slider in the mid-80s. He’s the only NCAA Division I hurler to start every series opener for his team through the past two seasons. He logged a 4.15 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 78 innings this spring.

[MLB Pipeline – NR]

McKee is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound righthander who pitched his way into a starting role as a freshman with Georgia Tech in 2024, and has been a consistent and reliable starter for three years. From 2024-2026, McKee posted a 5.14 ERA in 205 innings with a 26.4% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate while attacking hitters with a deep mix of pitches. He throws both a four-seam and two-seam fastball in the 92-94 mph range and touches 96. Beyond those fastballs, McKee has an assortment of secondaries including a mid-80s slider with sweeping action and above-average potential, a mid-to-upper-80s changeup with solid armside fade, an upper-80s cutter and a low-to-mid-80s curveball. The slider is McKee’s best pitch and has been his most consistent swing-and-miss offering. He drives a solid number of ground balls—with a 47.6% groundball rate—and is praised for his pitchability despite a career walk rate that’s more fringe-average. While McKee might lack a plus offering to get excited about, he has a solid backend starter package with durability and a lengthy track record as a performer.

[Baseball America – 169]

The Braves had a whirlwhind day one of the 2026 MLB draft, taking five players overall who all are due to slot in the top 20 of the system immediately upon signing. Yet even going with likely over slot pitchers in the second through fourth rounds there is still a feeling they have the wiggle room to fit a bit of talent into day two of the draft. Today will run through rounds 5 through 20 of the draft, so be sure to stick around Battery Power for a rundown of the players drafted today and who we think will make the biggest impact.

Atlanta Braves Day 2 Picks

5th Round (144th): LHP Wil Libbert, Ole Miss — Libbert had a rough junior season, but has above average velocity and a four-pitch repertoire. He’s a bit more of a project than the typical college arm, but has a high ceiling than most 5th round college guys as well.

6th Round (173rd): RHP Tyson Grulkowski, Muskego HS (WI) — A big-bodied high schooler with plus feel for spin, Grulkowski is a projectable high school arm that proves the Braves are still spending money on day two. More from Matt Powers: https://www.batterypower.com/atlanta-braves-prospects/135650/braves-select-tyson-grulkowski-in-6th-round-of-2026-mlb-draft

7th Round (202nd): C Jack Brenner, Fond du Lac HS (WI) — Into the Wisconsin prep ranks again, the Braves grabbed an athletic catcher. The Braves have had good luck developing catchers in recent years.

8th Round (232nd): C Jacob Jarrell, Clemson — The senior signs are going to fill up the rest of the first ten rounds now. Jarrell has swing and miss issues but finished his senior season with 18 home runs and has real raw power. He is expected to stick behind the plate at the professional level.

9th Round (262nd): OF Parker Brosius, Georgia Tech — Parker Brosius had a breakout senior season for Georgia Tech with 13 home runs and a 1.363 OPS.

10th Round (292nd): 1B Ben Zeigler-Namoa, Hawaii — Zeigler-Namoa had a big season in the Cape Cod in 2024 and was an MLB Draft League all star in 2025

11th Round (322nd):

12th Round (352nd):

13th Round (382nd):

14th Round (412th):

15th Round (442nd):

16th Round (472nd):

17th Round (502nd):

18th Round (532nd):

19th Round (562nd):

20th Round (592nd):

With the 227th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins selected Texas Longhorns flame-throwing reliever Thomas Burns.

With an electric fastball and an intimidating mound presence, Burns is one of the hardest throwers in the draft class — his fastball routinely lives in the upper-90s and if that isn’t enough, he has three off speed pitches — cutter, changeup, and curveball — that he can rely on.

His fastball arrives from an ultra high arm slot that generates backspin and carry. At times this past season, it had the highest fastball whiff rate in all of college baseball. It plays faster than velocity suggests because of that slot and sets up his cutter.

Coming in around the mid-80s, Burns rarely throws the cutter for a strike, instead opting to induce swing and misses out of the zone.

While his stuff is electric, Burns has battled some control issues over the last two seasons, which may pose a problem at the next level. This past season, he struck out 43 in 22.1 innings but walked 16 batters and hit three others.

In his two seasons as a Longhorn, Burns walked or hit 17.6 percent of the batters he faced. Granted, he struck out 38.4 percent of those batters, but the free passes are a concern.

An underrated attribute for Burns is his mound presence. At 6’3, 240 pounds, Burns is a husky pitcher with a commanding demeanor. His arm slot and bull mentality make his stuff even more dangerous than metrics and stats would suggest.

As he transitions to the big leagues, Burns should continue to generate high rates of strikeouts. His fastball should have no issues against big league hitters and his arsenal of off speed will serve him well. If he can tame some of these pitches, Burns has the potential to develop into a reliable arm out of a major league bullpen.

TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (47-50) and Texas Rangers (48-47) will play their final game of the first half today in the rubber game of their big three-game series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.

Both teams named today’s starters postgame last night with the Astros tabbing RHP Cristian Javier (0-1, 10.22 ERA) for the start opposite LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-8, 4.72 ERA), who’ll be working on three-days rest for the Rangers.

ABOUT JAVIER: RHP Cristian Javier, who missed nearly three months of the season with a right shoulder strain, is returning to the rotation today after making his last two appearances out of the pen. He broke camp in the rotation and made just three starts to open the season before being sidelined.

The veteran Javier, who was limited to eight starts in 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, is 35-23 in his career with a 3.81 ERA.

THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros are 6-3 vs. the Rangers thus far in the 2026 Silver Boot Series and can win the season series today with a win. Since the start of the 2017 season, the Astros have won or split nine straight season series against the Rangers, going 99-54 vs. the Rangers in that span.

THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 27-19 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

Winning Percentage since May 21, AL

1. Astros 27-19 (.587)

T2. Tigers 24-21 (.533)

T2. White Sox 24-21 (.533)

ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros are 17-11 on their last four road trips combined and are 23-17 on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season. The Astros have won four of their last six road series dating back to May 22.

WINNING THE CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 9-6 in one-run games and 21-11 in two-run games. Nine of the Astros last 11 wins and 14 of their last 17 victories have come by two-or-fewer runs.

Last night’s 9-3 win was the Astros first win by four-plus runs since June 19 vs. CLE, in a 9-3 win.

TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have traded IF Braden Shewmake to the Brewers in exchange for cash considerations. Shewmake was designated for assignment by the Astros on Friday.

ASTROS AYA ALL-STARS: The Astros Youth Academy has its baseball and softball teams playing in tournaments in Philadelphia this weekend, with the boys participating in the Commissioner’s Cup and the girls participating in the Jennie Finch Classic. These events are a part of MLB’s baseball and softball development events taking place as part of this year’s All-Star Week activities.

ALL-STAR ALVAREZ: DH Yordan Alvarez has been voted by the fans as the starting DH for the AL All-Star team. This marks the fourth All-Star selection for Alvarez (2022-24, 2026) and the second time that he has been voted as a starter (also in 2024).

MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez is a strong MVP candidate, currently leading all of baseball in OPS (1.055), OBP (.422), SLG (.633), and total bases (219). Additionally, he ranks first in the AL in HR (31), first in RBI (70), first in XBH (48), tied for first in hits (109), second in batting average (.315), second in runs (65), and fourth in walks (61).

WHAT A HALF!: DH Yordan Alvarez has hit 31 homers this season, which are the most in a first half in franchise history, topping OF Lance Berkman, who hit 29 homers in the first half of the 2002 season. Alvarez is on pace to hit 51 homers on the season, which would represent a new franchise record, topping the 47 homers hit by 1B Jeff Bagwell in 2000.

SECOND HOME: DH Yordan Alvarez is hitting .455 (10×22) with seven homers, 11 RBI and five walks in six games at Globe Life Field this season. In just 36 career games at Globe Life Field, Alvarez ranks tied for 11th all-time at the stadium in homers (19), just ahead of the Rangers DH Joc Pederson (16 HR in 96g) and 1B Jake Burger (12 HR in 97g).

ON THE MEND: RHP Hayden Wesneski (right elbow surgery) made a rehab start at Triple A last night vs. Albuquerque, tossing 4.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks on 61 pitches.

LHP Bennett Sousa (left elbow inflammation) also pitched at Triple A last night, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning on eight pitches.

TODAY’S FUTURES GAME: The Astros top two prospects, OF Kevin Alvarez and IF Xavier Neyens, will represent the club in the All-Star Futures Game, which will be played today in Philadelphia. Both prospects, which play for Class A Fayetteville, are considered top 100 prospects per MiLB.com, with Alvarez ranking 69th and Neyens 87th overall.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2016 – 2B Jose Altuve and RHP Will Harris represent the Astros in the All-Star Game, as the AL downs the NL by a score of 4-2 at Petco Park in San Diego. For Altuve, it marked his second All-Star start and fourth overall appearance. Harris, who was making his All-Star debut, pitched out of a huge jam in the 8th inning, striking out the Cardinals PH Aledmys Díaz with the bases loaded to preserve the 4-2 lead.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, July 12, 1:35 p.m. CT

Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX

TV: SCHN

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Hello, and welcome to the 2026 White SoxMLB draft tracker!

Below, you’ll find every pick the White Sox make, with links to our individual stories on site for the five picks in the first four rounds.

Right off the bat, the White Sox dispelled any notion that they would zag instead of zig, picking the longtime and near-universal No. 1 prospect in a top-heavy class, Roch Cholowsky.

While last year was a “shortstop” draft, 2026 went hard for hitters, particularly outfielders (eight of the first 20 picks, and every pick from No. 5-9). Just three pitchers went in the Top 20, and just one arm (Jackson Flora, Giants, No. 4) before pick 18.

All of the first nine position player prospects this year (through pick No. 14) are shortstops. Getting deeper into the round, 12 of 21 picks were shortstops, still almost exclusively among position players.

On Day 2, the White Sox finally got their “first overall pick” vibe that shoulda/woulda been theirs in any other past draft, and at No. 106 did not quite take the top remaining talent on the board.

Note, all picks with breakout stories on site are linked below. Picks on Sunday (Rounds 5-20) who fall outside of MLB’s Top 250 without a truly distinguishing trait won’t have individual stories published on site, but merely will show up here on our tracker.

2026 MLB draft
Day 1: Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4)
Noon-12:30 p.m. CT Preview show (NBC/Peacock)
12:30-1:30 p.m. CT Lottery picks 1-10 (NBC/Peacock)
1:30-3:30 p.m. CT Picks 11-40 (MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
3:30-6:45 p.m. CT Picks 41-135 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)

Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20)
10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. CT Rounds 5-20 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)

White Sox picks
First Round (No. 1) Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
Cholowsky was the consensus No. 1 pick pretty much since the end of last year’s draft, with an MLB-ready bat and glove. We could see him in Chicago as soon as September.

Competitive Balance Round A (via Pirates) (No. 34) Landon Thome, 2B/3B, Nazareth Academy (Ill.)
The White Sox telegraphed this pick with last night’s trade, as Thome was falling right around this slot in predraft rankings and the club did not want to gamble on him falling to their second-round pick (No. 41). Thome is likely to shift off of his prep spot, shortstop, as his hitting and speed are more advanced than his glove. Thome will quickly join Nazareth teammate Jaden Fauske, taken by the Sox in the second round a year ago, in Low-A Kannapolis.

Second Round (No. 41) Cole Prosek, 2B, Magnolia Heights (Miss.) H.S.
Prosek was ranked as the No. 27 talent in the draft, meaning that the White Sox snagged a first-round talent about a dozen picks lower than they should have. He and Thome both might take a bit of an over-slot offer to sign, but the White Sox have oodles of bonus money to wave their way. Prosek is another bat-first talent who can hold his own defensively, and the 18-year-old (turns 19 in three days) packs a wrinkle into his game — he just started playing catcher this past season.

Third Round (No. 77) Joey Volchko, RHSP, University of Georgia
The White Sox opt for an arm four picks in, grabbing this electric righty from Georgia. He’s a definite project, however, with some concerning contradictions: his mid-90s fastball (that can run up to 101 mph) has little movement and thereby is hittable, while his breaking stuff (splitter/change and curve) cannot be thrown for strikes. His upside remains a No. 2 or 3 starter, and the downside … not getting out of A-ball.

Fourth Round (No. 105) Eric Segura, RHP, Oregon State University
Segura is the first pick of the draft where the White Sox moved on a player ranked lower on the MLB draft board, as this righty was ranked just 196th by MLB Pipeline. Beyond this possibly being a cost-cutting pick to push some extra money at other selections, Segura seems to always outkick his coverage. He bulled his way into the Beavers rotation as a freshman hurler, and after a year in the pen ran with a rotation opportunity once more, improving his control and putting up a 2.22 ERA that was one of the 10 best in Division I.

Fifth Round (No. 137) Cal Scolari, RHP, University of Oregon
Scolari has significant injury history — TJS wiped out his high school senior and college freshman seasons — but brings a powerful fastball (running up to 98 mph) to the system. His background screams reliever, but his solid mechanics and pitch mix put Scolari in the running for rotation work when the time comes for his pro debut.

Sixth Round (No. 166) Alex Weingartner, OF, St. Augustine Prep (N.J.) H.S.
Weingartner was a pitcher/shortstop as a prep, but the White Sox are drafting him to man the outfield, with an arm for right and the speed for center. He’s so fast, he broke a 60-yard dash record at a showcase this past offseason. There are questions regarding his ability to catch up to higher velocity in the pros, so the White Sox will be working on shortening Weingartner’s swing.

Seventh Round (No. 195) Clay Burdette, RF, Xavier University
Burdette has the raw tools of a first-day drafted player, but falls to Day 2 (and ranked just No. 248 by MLB) due to his swing-and-miss and selectivity issues. Evaluators see Burdette’s 50 Ks in 51 games in a baseball-soft conference like the Big East as a red flag. But otherwise, Burdette’s skills are off the charts, with 60 speed and some of the best exit velocities in all of Division I.

Eighth Round (No. 225) Jayson Jones, 3B, Wichita State University
It took eight rounds for the White Sox to pick a player outside of MLB’s Top 250, and that reason is easily explainable: transience, and contact issues. Jones has played at three schools in four college years, never fully realizing his preposterous raw power. He’s a value pick with amazing upside given his strong arm and raw power. Jim Callis on the MLB draft broadcast recalled Jones winning a high school home run derby at Coors Field and tabbed his raw power (hyperbolically?) as “at least 70 grade.”

Ninth Round (No. 255) Luke Craytor, RHRP, Virginia Tech
After a mediocre career running to its very end in his 2026 senior season, Craytor came through in the clutch, seeing high-leverage time for the Hokies and jumping from like UDFA to a ninth round pick. He went 4-0 with two saves and a solid 3.16 ERA as a senior. His fastball can run up to 98 mph, although that velocity ticked down as he got deeper into his 25 2/3-inning season. But analysts love Craytor’s spin on both his slider and cutter, so he seems an ideal candidate for perfecting in the pitching lab.


10th Round (No. 285)

The pool the White Sox will have to sign their first 10 picks is $20,489,500.

11th Round (No. 315)
12th Round (No. 345)
13th Round (No. 375)
14th Round (No. 405)
15th Round (No. 435)
16th Round (No. 465)
17th Round (No. 495)
18th Round (No. 525)
19th Round (No. 555)
20th Round (No. 585)

For all of the surprises we’ve gotten out of a wonderful first half of play from the 2026 White Sox, it feels perhaps a little fitting that they’ll head into the break by addressing (or at least attempting to address) one of the premier uncertainties that will have a heavy hand and determining whether we get October baseball on the South Side this year: What, exactly, can we plan on getting out of Noah Schultz the rest of the way?

The 22-year-old makes his third start today after a month-long injury layoff, and unfortunately, the backsliding and lack of consistency that were becoming worrisome prior to his IL stint are still major concerns. He’s got a 6.00 ERA through 10 starts, with fewer than a strikeout per inning and over five walks per nine. His start on Tuesday against Boston, in which he battled through five innings but couldn’t keep anyone off the bases and ultimately put the Sox in a multi-run hole, was pretty emblematic of what we’ve seen out of him at the big-league level thus far.

There’s clearly little to nothing for him left to prove in the minor leagues, so all we can see is where the adjustments will fall.

The biggest thing I’m looking at today? Schultz’s fastball usage. His sinker is his most frequently-used pitch at a touch more than 25%, and unfortunately it’s gotten hammered. His four-seam fastball draws three times as many whiffs and has held hitters to expected stats significantly more muted than what they’re doing against his sinker.

More important than the whiffs is the fact that he can’t actually keep his sinker on the ground. Over 60% of the batted balls against Schultz on the whole so far have been in the air, which is a really bad way to go about things in a place like Rate Field. The average launch angle on contact against Schultz’s sinker is 15°, just a couple degrees below his four-seamer. That’s one of the 20 highest rates in the major leagues.

So I must ask: If it doesn’t get whiffs, and doesn’t keep the ball on the ground, then what’s the point of throwing it? Perhaps today, we’ll find out.

Here’s the Athletics lineup that this hypothesis may or may not be tested against:

Meanwhile, despite another power outage yesterday, with a sweep and first place at the break on the line, Will Venable is putting out a full-strength Sox lineup against burgeoning Athletics starter J.T. Ginn.

It’s almost surreal, looking at a Sox lineup and thinking that it wouldn’t actually necessarily be that much better if you stuck Roch Cholowsky in there right now this second!

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT at Rate Field in Armour Square. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio), like always!

The St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up their 3-game series against the Atlanta Braves Sunday before the All-Star Game break. Dustin May gets the ball for the Cardinals while the Braves will send Danny Young to the mound followed shortly thereafter by JR Ritchie. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm at Busch Stadium Sunday afternoon and the game TV broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.

1. JJ Wetherholt (L) 2B
2. Iván Herrera (R) DH
3. Jordan Walker (R) RF
4. Alec Burleson (L) 1B
5. Lars Nootbaar (L) LF
6. Masyn Winn (R) SS
7. Nathan Church (L) CF
8. José Fermín (R) 3B
9. Jimmy Crooks (L) C

Can the Braves end this matchup on a high note and avoid a sweep before going into the All-Star break?

We’re set to find out in just a few hours. Tune in at 2:15 p.m. EDT for the first pitch at Busch Stadium.

Lineup

Preview-NOTE: Ritchie is scratched and replaced by Danny Young

Houston Astros @ Texas Rangers

Sunday, July 12, 2026, 1:35 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

RHP Cristian Javier vs. LHP MacKenzie Gore

Go Rangers!

The San Diego Padres haven’t had a win like this in quite some time. It’s been a while since the Friars have won in such thrilling fashion. The last time that happened was when San Diego came back against the Atlanta Braves after being down 5-0. The Padres got off to an early lead, scoring two in the first, before starter Walker Buehler struggled in the second inning. He surrendered four runs to the Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the frame.

The Friars immediately tied it in the bottom of the frame. They then hit the go-ahead run in the third to make it 6-4. The club knocked in one more run in the fourth to lengthen their lead before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tied it on a three-run shot against Bradgley Rodriguez. The Padres got their go-ahead run on a solo homer from Ty France. That one run was all they would need as Mason Miller blanked the Jays to slam the door shut.

Taking the mound

Kevin Gausman (TOR) v. Germán Márquez (SD)

Despite sporting a below-average 4.32 ERA, Gausman has looked good this season for the Jays. That higher mark has been due to some recent struggles. In his last seven starts, the righty’s surrendered 27 runs toward a 6.51 ERA. In his last three, Gausman has surrendered 11 runs.

The Padres have historically hit quite well versus Gausman. Chief among them is Fernando Tatis Jr., who has two homers and a career .400 batting average. Additionally, France and Manny Machado both have batting averages over .300 against the Toronto right-hander.

Márquez dominated the Arizona Diamondbacks in his first start since coming off the IL. The veteran right-hander pitched five shutout innings, walking just three batters. Since returning from his IL stint, the righty has given up just two runs across eight innings pitched.

Only one of Toronto’s batters (Daulton Varsho) has more than 10 career at-bats against Márquez. The Jays haven’t had much success against the veteran apart from George Springer (.444 batting average in nine at-bats). Márquez has had his knuckle curve working lately. He’ll look to keep that up against the Jays this afternoon.

Batter up!

The offense looked fantastic last night, showing real fight throughout the whole game. The club scored in each of the first four innings and had some great at-bats against Toronto. The club walked a ridiculous eleven times, showing plate discipline they haven’t had most of the year. They’ll need to keep that consistent in order to win the rubber match today.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Xander Bogaerts, SS
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Gavin Sheets, LF
6. Ty France, 1B
7. Miguel Andujar, DH
8. Luis Campusano, C
9. Sung-Mun Song, 2B

Merrill has had a very productive turnaround lately, hitting .321 in his last seven games and .288 over the last 15. He went 2-for-3 with two walks in last night’s game against Toronto. Hopefully, the center fielder will be able to continue that production after the All-Star break.

Relief corps

Despite Buehler going just 2 innings, the San Diego bullpen was saved by the unlikeliest of heroes. Matt Waldron made his return from the IL yesterday and pitched three shutout innings. He dominated, striking out three and stranding two hits. Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller filled out the final four innings for San Diego, though Matsui struggled.

With the All-Star break beginning after the conclusion of today’s game, the bullpen will get some rest no matter how many arms the Friars need to turn to. Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio and Wandy Peralta will be the readily available options for San Diego.