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Earlier today, the Mets made a small trade, acquiring right-hander Matt Seelinger from the Tigers for cash considerations. Seelinger, who was pitching for Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate, will likely report to Syracuse.

Seelinger is a Long Island native who pitched for Farmingdale State College from 2014-2017 before being drafted in the 28th round of the 2017 MLB draft. The righty has yet to pitch in the majors, though has put up solid numbers in Triple-A this year. He currently owns a 3.89 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP for the Toledo Mud Hens this year, with 49 strikeouts and 19 walks in 39 1/3 innings pitched. Last season, he started in Double-A for the Tigers’ organization, where he pitched to a 1.89 ERA in 11 games before being promoted to Triple-A for the first time in his career. There, he posted a 3.30 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP, with 55 strikeouts and 22 walks in 46 1/3 innings.

Seelinger reportedly had an upward mobility clause in his contract with Detroit, which meant Detroit had to either promote him or trade him to an interested party. This could mean that he’ll be joining the Mets’ bullpen soon, or at the very least will be added to the 40-man roster. With the club expected to be sellers at the deadline, they could part with several relievers, opening the door for Seelinger to make his major league debut with the club later this year. Time will tell, but at the very least Seelinger will now be pitching closer to home. He previously pitched for the Long Island Ducks in 2024 as part of his journey.

2026 MLB Draft Preview: Andrew Williamson scouting report.

The 2026 is less than a week away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.

Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Georgia high school outfielder Trevor Condon.

Trevor Condon is a 5’11”, 175 lb. lefthanded hitting, righthanded throwing outfielder out of Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia. Condon turned 18 in early January. he is committed to the University of Tennessee.

Condon has a quality hit tool, though most reports mention his unorthodox swing. However, the BP write-up on Condon indicates that he’s reduced the amount of pre-contact motion he has in the box this spring, with his previous timing mechanism giving concerns about how well his swing would translate to the professional level. He gets good reports on his swing decisions and his contact ability. He is seen as having the potential for average power, with impressive bat speed and good strength. However, he hasn’t shown the ability in-game to pull the ball in the air, and his swing doesn’t generate a lot of loft.

Condon is a true centerfielder, someone who will be able to handle the position as a professional, with a good arm. His speed is his best tool, with both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline putting a 70 grade on it. MLB Pipeline says he generates comparisons to Pete Crow-Armstrong and Drew Gilbert, while BA invokes Slade Caldwell and Slater de Brun as recent comps. He is a high energy guy who Pipeline describes as “playing with constant intensity.”

Baseball America has Condon at #16 on their board. MLB Pipeline has Condon at #13 on their board. Kiley McDaniel puts Condon at #12 on his top 150 list. Keith Law has Condon at #46 on his board. Fangraphs has Condon at #23 on their board. Baseball Prospectus has Condon at #13 on their top 30 draft board.

In the June 8 Baseball America mock draft, Carlos Collazo has Condon going to the Redd at #18. The BA staff draft on June 15 has Condon going to the Orioles at #7. The BA mock draft 5.0 of June 29 has Condon going to the Reds at #18. The BA staff draft 4.0 on July 6 has Condon going to the Rangers at #16. Jonathan Mayo’s June 11 mock draft has Condon going to the Tigers at #22. Jim Callis’s June 18 mock draft has Condon going to the Reds at #18. The June 25 Callis/Mayo mock has Condon going to the Guardians at #19. Jonathan Mayo’s July 2 mock draft has Condon going to the Reds at #18.  Law’s June 10 mock draft does not have Condon going in the first round. Law’s July 6 mock has Condon going to the D-Backs at #26. Kiley McDaniel’s June 18 mock draft has Condon going to the Marlins at #14.

Condon hasn’t really been linked to the Rangers, from what I have seen. The most recent BA staff draft has him going to the Rangers at #16, but the staff draft is based on who the individuals making the picks would select — it explicitly states at the beginning that it is not a mock draft.

Condon is a high schooler out of Georgia, and at one time that seemed to be the Rangers’ preferred part of the draft pool to swim in. However, while he’s fast and a quality defender, he’s not exactly one of those “toolshed” guys the Rangers seemed to target back then, being someone who is hit over power, with a ceiling on how much power he’s expected to generate in the future.

The Rangers had been heavily college-focused with their premium picks until last year, when they took high school infielder Gavin Fien with their first round pick. They’ve been mentioned in connection with both college and prep players this year, though Jared Grindlinger seems to be the prep player who gets linked to the Rangers the most as of late. Nonetheless, Condon is projected to go around where the Rangers are picking, and the defense, speed and hit tool give him a relatively high ceiling for a high school player.

Previously:

Liam Peterson

Tyler Bell

Aiden Robbins

Jared Grindlinger

Logan Reddemann

Cooper Harris

Justin Lebron

Cameron Flukey

Derek Curiel

Hunter Dietz

Logan Hughes

Carson Wiggins

Peyton Bonds

Ace Reese

Sawyer Strosnider

Gio Rojas

Chris Rembert

Jack Natili

Andrew Williamson

When you think about the people who helped define the New York Yankees, there is a long list of names worthy of respect. The organization is filled with all-time great players, managers, scouts, and executives whose legends have never faded. A little farther down that list is another name. Never the traditional statistical darling chasing records or historic milestones, but always steady, was Willie Randolph.

Willie Larry Randolph
Born: July 6, 1954 (Holly Hill, SC)
Yankees Tenure: 1976-88 (player); 1994-2004 (coach)

Randolph was born in South Carolina but was only there briefly. While still a baby, his parents moved from rural farm life to Brownsville in Brooklyn. It was there that Randolph came of age and attended Tilden High School in Flatbush. The school also produced NBA star, and fellow Hall of Fame snub, World B. Free, as well as civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton. A slick fielder with a promising bat and good speed, Randolph made a name for himself in New York from an early age.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were impressed enough by Randolph’s skill set that they selected him in the seventh round of the 1972 MLB Draft straight out of high school. After signing, Randolph began his professional career at just 17 years old in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. After getting a chance to cut his teeth, the Pirates moved the young right-hander to second base before the 1973 season and assigned him to Class A Charleston.

Playing in Charleston as one of the youngest players in the league, Randolph led the club in hits, doubles, triples, home runs, walks, and defensive assists. That performance earned him a promotion to Double-A Thetford Mines, where he again spent just one season before proving he was ready for the next level.

Once he reached Triple-A Charleston, Randolph had his true breakout season, slashing .339/.405/.479. That performance earned him a call to the majors at the end of July. In a brief debut, Randolph appeared in 30 games, collected his first 10 hits, and stole his first base. It was a successful introduction to the majors, and little did he know the coming offseason would define the rest of his career.

On December 11, 1975, Randolph was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with Ken Brett and Dock Ellis, to the New York Yankees for Doc Medich. The trade may truly be one of the most one-sided deals in Yankees history. The Pirates got one decent season from Medich, while Ellis had an even better year. The Yankees, meanwhile, found their second baseman for the next 13 seasons.

Randolph became the Yankees’ Opening Day second baseman in 1976, beginning a run of 13 consecutive Opening Day starts at the position. Technically still a rookie, Randolph made an immediate impression by earning an All-Star selection and setting what would remain his career high in stolen bases during his first full season.

The Yankees entered 1977 with high expectations and Reggie Jackson now in the fold. Randolph was moved to the top of the lineup and flourished. He earned his second straight All-Star selection, and the Yankees returned to the World Series to face the Dodgers. Despite struggling overall in the Fall Classic, Randolph played a key role in New York’s Game 1 victory. The Yankees ultimately claimed the series in six games.

The 1978 season was about as close to an adult Disney movie as baseball has ever produced. The Yankees stormed back from a 14½-game deficit to catch the Red Sox, and Randolph quietly did his part with another steady campaign. Unfortunately, a cruel twist of fate struck at the end of the season when an injury forced him to miss both the one-game playoff against Boston and the Yankees’ second straight World Series victory over the Dodgers.

Still just 24 years old, Randolph returned from injury to post another solid season in 1979. Then came the best year of his career in 1980. Randolph led the American League in walks, the only time he led the league in any offensive category, while slashing .294/.427/.407 and setting a career high with seven home runs. The performance earned him his third All-Star selection.

The 1980s proved to be a difficult decade for the Yankees. The franchise lacked stability, and every season without a World Series title only added to the frustration. One steady constant, however, was Randolph. His professionalism and consistency earned him one of the organization’s highest honors when he was named Yankees co-captain, sharing the role with Ron Guidry from 1986 until leaving the club after the 1988 season.

In 13 years as a player with the Yankees, Randolph collected 1,731 hits on a .275 average. He also stole 251 bases for the club and scored 1,027 runs. Randolph also ranks 53rd all-time among all Major League players with a 15.3 dWAR.

When Randolph reached free agency, he became something of a journeyman. He spent a year and change with the Dodgers before being traded north to the Athletics. That short stint in Oakland allowed him to be on the fifth pennant-winning team of his career, as the A’s won their third in a row before suffering an upset at the hands of the Reds in the World Series (Willie hit .304 in his last taste of October). Randolph signed with the Brewers for the 1991 season before finishing his playing career with the Mets in 1992.

It would not take long for Randolph to find his way back home. He rejoined the Yankees organization in the front office in 1993 before becoming Buck Showalter’s third-base coach in 1994, and more often than not, he was the infield coach as well. Randolph held these roles until becoming Joe Torre’s bench coach in 2004. During his Yankees coaching tenure, Randolph added four more World Series rings to the two he had won as a player.

The Mets hired Randolph as their manager before the 2005 season. In true Mets fashion, they enjoyed early success — notably winning the 2006 NL East and coming one Carlos Beltrán swing short of a pennant — before later collapsing down the stretch in 2007. They were one game under .500 in June 2008 when they infamously fired him in the middle of the night at roughly 3 a.m. ET during a West Coast road trip. (Even without Randolph, they collapsed again late in 2008.) Randolph finished his managerial career with a 302-253 record, as he never got another chance.

Over the decade that followed, Randolph coached in various capacities for the Brewers, Orioles, and Team USA. He also worked for several broadcasting companies and, this year, the now 72-year-old joined the YES Network studio show.

Outside of baseball, Randolph leads the Willie Randolph Foundation, which works to increase baseball opportunities for underserved boys and girls throughout the New York metropolitan area. He has also supported the Eluna Network, the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, and fundraising efforts for the Diabetes Research Institute.

In 2015, the Yankees honored Randolph’s excellent career as a player and coach with a plaque in Monument Park.

In a world that often focuses on the negative, it is hard to find much to criticize about Willie Randolph. Perhaps the greatest player in the Hall of Really Good, Randolph was a tremendous defender, a steady presence, and an outstanding representative of what it meant to wear Yankee pinstripes. Fans of other organizations have their own versions, but I’m glad Willie was ours.

Happy birthday, Willie!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

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The Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals begin a four-game set at Busch Stadium tonight, with the two NL Central foes trading at even -110 odds ahead of the series opener.

My top Brewers vs. Cardinals predictions and MLB picks are calling for Milwaukee to secure a high-scoring win tonight.

Who will win Brewers vs Cardinals today: Brewers moneyline (-103)

The Milwaukee Brewers have the highest xwOBA and are averaging 5.1 runs per game over the past 30 days, and they also rank fifth in wOBA against righties for the season. 

So, with St. Louis Cardinals starter Dustin May allowing a healthy 46.3% hard-hit rate, I’m confident in the Brewers putting enough runs on the scoreboard to pull away tonight.

Milwaukee ranking fourth in walk rate and third in on-base percentage against righties will make it all the more difficult for May to navigate the Brew Crew bats, too.

This Brewers moneyline is in play down to -105 for me.

COVERS INTEL: The Brewers rank second in the majors with a 36-23 record against right-handed starting pitchers.

Brewers vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+114)

Pair the highlighted strength of the Milwaukee offense with St. Louis also ranking third in xwOBA over the past 30 days and for the season, and we’ve got a perfect recipe for an Over. The Cards have averaged 5.2 runs per game during the stretch, too.

Brewers lefty Shane Drohan has also allowed an above-average .338 wOBA while pitching to a mediocre 4.09 ERA across 33 innings as a starter this season.

Finally, the Brewers and Cardinals respectively rank 27th and 25th in bullpen xFIP across the past two weeks, so this Over has my attention down to +100.

Brewers vs Cardinals weather

The forecast at Busch Stadium calls for comfortable, clear conditions in the mid-70s with minimal humidity and light 5 mph winds to have a limited impact on playing conditions.

Brewers vs Cardinals odds

• Moneyline: Brewers -110 | Cardinals -110
• Run line: Brewers -1.5 (+150) | Cardinals +1.5 (-175)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-115) | Under 8 (-105)

Brewers vs Cardinals trend

The Brewers have won 33 of their last 50 games for +9.30 units and a 12% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cardinals.

How to watch Brewers vs Cardinals and game info

Brewers vs Cardinals latest injuries

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Monday’s MLB card is loaded with pitchers due to give up a lot of runs, with a handful of offenses stepping into strong matchups across the board.

Before locking in your MLB player props, here are my MLB picks for Monday, July 6. 

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Kevin Gausman	Over 2.5 Earned Runs	+110
Mike Burrows	Under 16.5 Outs	-129
Cristopher Sanchez	Over 6.5 Strikeouts	-125

Kevin Gausman Over 2.5 Earned Runs (+110)

The San Francisco Giants offense has been on a tear over their last six games. Yes, that stretch came in Denver, but they now draw another vulnerable arm back at home. Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman has struggled over his last few outings.

In his last three starts, he owns a 9.00 ERA, 6.04 xERA, and a 2.14 WHIP. Over his last five, he has a 6.58 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.

According to Batters-Box current-season ratings, the Giants have six elite-rated hitters and one strongly rated bat, giving them the second-highest-rated offense on the slate.

I like Rafael Devers in this matchup, but with so many elite bats in play, I prefer to back the full-team approach. If he gets there, he is likely driving runs in as part of the bigger scoring picture.

At +110 for 3+ runs, it is a strong price. If anything, I would only play this down to even money at most.

• Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSBA, Sportsnet

Mike Burrows Under 16.5 Outs (-129)

There are multiple ways to attack Astros right-hander Mike Burrows this evening, including Over earned runs, the Nationals F5 team total Over, and the Under on his outs.

The Washington Nationals enter today with the third-highest-rated offense on Batters-Box’s current season ratings, featuring four elite-rated hitters and two strongly rated bats. In the current matchup ratings, Burrows grades poorly in ISO, hard-contact rate, strikeout rate, and ground-ball rate.

Over their last 12 games, the Nationals offense has been rolling, posting a 132 wRC+, .359 wOBA, .821 OPS, and .225 ISO.

In the season, they are the second-highest-scoring first-five-inning offense, averaging 3.11 runs per game. If they can get to Burrows early and often, his outing could be short.

With the options above, take the best value. 

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NATS, SCHN

Cristopher Sanchez Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-125)

We know the Kansas City Royals are one of the toughest teams in baseball to strike out, but over their last few games their strikeout rate has ticked up, and against southpaws they have not fared well either.

Cristopher Sanchez to record 7+ strikeouts feels very doable. He enters with one of the highest pitcher ratings on the day over at Batters-Box. When graded as elite, he clears 6+ strikeouts 72.73% of the time and 7+ strikeouts 63.64% of the time. He has gone over this number in nine of his last ten elite-rated starts.

The Royals have five batters with strikeout rates of at least 23.3% in their last 30 at-bats against left-handed pitching. As a team over their last 12 games, their strikeout rate is hovering around 25.5%.

I will trust the trends and one of baseball's best pitchers to get it done. Play this up to -130.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ROYL, NBCSP

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Hey hey…its everybody’s favorite time of the year. Its time for the LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings!!!

As we do every year, twice a year — once midseason and once offseason — we are voting on who we think is the top prospect in the Rangers farm system right now. If the voting is close, we have a runoff. We then vote on each successive spot, removing each prospect from consideration as they are voted in.

We are starting with the players who made the offseason top 25 who are still with the organization and who still have rookie eligibility remaining, and additional players will be added as we move forward.

You can see the final results from the offseason voting here.

Because there has been a history of vote-spamming shenanigans in the rankings, I used Google Forms for the last several of community rankings, and it worked out well, so we will use it again. You will need to include your LSB user name when you vote. If you don’t have an LSB user name, you need to use some sort of identifier. While this won’t eliminate the possibility of vote spamming, it will make it harder.

So who is the #1 prospect in the Rangers system right now?

Cast your vote below…

It was a hot one this week in Philadelphia, a heatwave engulfing the city during the series against the Pirates. It showed on Thursday when it looked like the team was barely able to stand, squeaking out a series split with Pittsburgh, but hey. Gotta get through some tough times during a long season like this.

Three up

Trea Turner – Things are finally starting to look up for the shortstop. He’s been the target of much criticism this season, all of it deserved. He was just bad for most of it, in the batter’s box and on the field, but has recently been much better at the plate. Three home runs this week qualifies as a good week for him, even if his allergy to walks continued unabated. He’ll need to continue to produce for the team to continue their good fortune.

Justin Crawford – I’m not much of a Crawford fan at all, but a week in which he hits .400/.400/.450 is one that deserves a point of praise. He’s looked better at the plate with another adjustment to his stance helping him, which makes him more playable every day. It would be nice to see him stealing more often, using the speed that got him to the majors, but it’s probably best to just keep letting him do what is working best.

Cristopher Sanchez – It’s always kind of weird when the Ace of the staff has a not normal few starts. Sanchez was at that point where his past two starts weren’t up to par for what we’ve come to expect. This week, he got back to his usual self, throwing seven shutout innings against the Pirates and just generally looking back to normal. Just in time too as it looks as though it is lining up for him to start the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

Three down

Middle relief – Once again, there are questions about the soft underbelly this team has, which is the sixth, seventh and eighth pitchers in the bullpen. They just aren’t good enough, forcing more innings to be covered by the more reliable arms at the front of the pecking order. Maybe getting Brad Keller back healthy will help reset things, but it’s looking more and more like they will have to get another relief pitcher at the deadline.

Backup catchers – Boy do they stink. Both Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs got a start; neither did anything of consequence. More of the same from them.

All-Star voting – Here’s my beef this year with the voting. How is Bryce Harper the “legends pick” or whatever it was? How was he not chosen outright for his production on the field by either the fans or the players? The guy is already in that pity selection phase by the game? That’s pathetic. Speaking of pathetic, how is Zack Wheeler not among the starting pitchers chosen? He’s been good enough with his pitching, but couple that the story of how he has returned from his injury, that should be an easy All-Star selection.

I wrote this same piece last year and some of these names have already been making noise. Miguel Sime is a part of the Futures Game, Samuel Cozart is a potential first rounder next year after going to college instead of signing, and one of the honorable mentions (Cardell Thibodeaux) recently signed with the Braves after being released. It was also the first look many had at some of this year’s top prospects in Robert Omidi and Elliot Lascelles, who were a part of the Canadian Junior National Team.

In last year’s piece I wrote this about the Braves and how they view the MLB Draft League:

“As a reminder the MLB Draft League started play in 2021. The Braves selected Andrew Hoffmann and Samuel Strickland from there in 2021, Cedric De Grandpre, EJ Exposito, and Keshawn Ogans from there in 2022, Isaiah Drake and Riley Gowens in 2023, and in 2024 selected Jacob Kroeger. In addition Top 30 prospect Hayden Harris is an undrafted free agent who played there, and 2023 pick Sabin Ceballos played there the year prior to being drafted by the Braves. That’s 10 Braves draftees over the four year period the league has existed.”

Since then they have drafted Kade Woods in the 10th round and Nico Wagner in the 16th round. They have also added Cardell Thibodeaux as a minor league free agent. That takes the number up to 13 guys the Braves have added in the MLBDL’s five year history.

Aberdeen – Jui-Chieh Lin, RHP, Taiwan

Unheard of to many before he came over from Taiwan to join the MLB Draft League as a soon to be 24-year-old, Jui-Chieh Lin has the stuff to be a significant pick in the draft. His sinker up to 98.1 MPH got up to 2847 RPM and gets significant inverted vertical and horizontal movement. It’s no surprise that he picks up tons of whiffs with it. He also has a slider that had touched 2775 RPM which also gets plenty of whiffs. This is a player who despite the age has the stuff to move quickly into a big league bullpen role.

Honorable Mention – Owen Clyne, SS, George Mason; Bishop Quarles, OF, Florida JUCO; Chase Williams, OF, Florida State; Jordan Garza, RHP, Texas HS; Lyndon Glidewell, RHP, Miami; Frank Menendez, LHP, Miami; Daniel Nienaber, RHP, Virginia HS

Mahoning Valley – Jarren Purify, 2B, Clemson

While Clemson had a disappointing season this spring, Purify did not. He set new high marks for each part of his triple slash and had his fewest strikeouts in a season. That has only continued to the MLBDL, where he has slashed .316/.459/.579 with three doubles, four homers, 5-9 steals, 15 walks, and 18 strikeouts over his 74 plate appearances. Purify has worked almost all at second base, with a few games at short. He is showing the improved hit tool with a bit more power and fewer strikeouts. Add in that he’s still just 20, and there is something to like about him.

Honorable Mention – Tommy Harrison, OF, Miami(OH); Ryan Nelson, 3B, Mississippi JUCO; Carlos Sanchez, C, LSU Shreveport; Nick Williams, OF, Michigan State; Chris Billingsley, RHP, Mississippi State; David Lally, RHP, Michigan; Colton Semmelmann, LHP, Wisconsin HS; Ethan Stade, LHP, Bowling Green; Tommy Szczepanski, RHP, Michigan State; Hunter Watson, RHP, Oklahoma HS

State College – Dominic Pellegrin, SS, Louisiana HS

Dominic Pellegrin has been the best high school performer this year in the MLBDL. The 19-year-old shortstop has shown off his solid all around game while posting a .375/.569/.525 slash with four doubles, a triple, 11-13 in steals, and 13 walks to 13 strikeouts over 58 plate appearances against pitching a couple of years older than him. His contact and on base ability have really made him stand out here despite being among the younger players in the league. He’s going to get a chance to stick at short defensively, but he has split time here between short and second – showcasing his versatility. The Tulane commit may not have the loudest tools, but he also doesn’t have many holes either. JUCO arm Parker Burgess made this a tight competition for this spot.

Honorable Mention – Tyree Reed, OF, Jackson State; Parker Burgess, RHP, Florida JUCO; Max Hamilton, RHP, Kansas HS; Chase Meyer, RHP, formerly West Virginia; Garrett Shearer, RHP, Northwestern

Trenton – Brett Patten, OF, Florida Atlantic

An outfielder with a nice frame, Patten had a decent first season in D1 this year after coming from JUCO. Then after the season he came to the Draft League and has taken it to another level. So far he is slashing .281/.471/.500 with six doubles, four triples, 18-19 in steals, 18 walks, and 18 strikeouts over his 87 plate appearances. He’s played all three outfield spots and first base, with his most action coming in left – nearly half of his innings are there. He got this spot over ASU star Dominic Longo (1.119 OPS, more walks than strikeouts) because he’s got considerably more playing time and has an on base of nearly .500.

Honorable Mention – Cade Climie, INF, Houston; Dominic Longo, INF/OF, Arizona State; Augie Lopez, C/1B, USC; Joek Rivera, INF, New Mexico JUCO; Teagan Scott, C, Oregon HS; Andrew Berg, RHP, Army; Cole Fehrman, LHP, Saint Joe’s; David Hinojosa, RHP, New York HS; Alex Kranzler, RHP, Vanderbilt; Luc Rising, RHP, Northeastern

West Virginia – Grayson Fitzwater, 1B, VMI

Fitzwater didn’t spend long in the MLBDL, but he made his impact. In three games he hit 5-10 with a double, three home runs, a steal, and three walks to one strikeout. Beyond the stat line he has a 95.1 MPH average exit velocity, 33.3% barrel rate, and hard hit % of 66.7. It’s a tiny sample size, but it still means something because scouts wondered how he would translate against better competition than he faced in the SoCon, where he is a career .305/.432/.636 hitter with 10+ HR and a 1.010+ OPS in each of his last three seasons. He might be a senior, but he’s got enough bat that he isn’t likely looking at true senior sign money. If not for Fitzwater’s loud three game stretch, this spot probably would have gone to JUCO arm Trenton Lape, a former LSU player.

Honorable Mention – Owen Henne, SS, Seton Hill; Kahanu Martinez, 2B, Hawaii HS; Derrick Tarpley, OF, Pitt; Gabe Barrett, RHP, San Francisco; Taz Butler, RHP, Kansas State; Trenton Lape, RHP, Florida JUCO; Collin McKinney, RHP, Arizona

Williamsport – MaddixDalena, 1B, UConn

Through his first 87 plate appearances Dalena is hitting .233/.448/.417 with two doubles, three homers, 4-4 in steals, and 23 walks to 19 strikeouts. Dalena’s batting average might be a bit low, but the lefty has been a standout in terms of hard contact and not swinging and missing often. He has also been splitting his time between first and third base – though his future is likely to be at first. Dalena isn’t likely to be a very high selection, but he is showing something to work with for a 22-year-old prospect with some success at UConn.

Honorable Mention – Kyle Schuppman, 3B, Illinois; Chris Stanfield, OF, LSU; Ben Tryon, 1B, Dallas Baptist; Owen Price, OF, VMI; Chris Guillory, RHP, Georgia HS; David Horn, RHP, Middle Tennessee State; Myles Meyer, RHP, McNeese State; Dallis Moran, RHP, Stetson; Jackson Nash, RHP, Longwood; Enger Paulino, RHP, Saint Bonaventure; Brendan Sweeney, RHP, Mississippi State; Joe Webb, RHP, East Carolina

Team Canada – Elliot Lascelles, SS

It can’t be anyone else, as for the second straight year Lascelles stood out here against older competition. Lascelles slashed .394/.523/.545 with a double, two triples, 10 walks to just three strikeouts, and a perfect 8-8 in steals in 44 plate appearances. For a kid facing college competition, with a league average age of 2.8 years older than him, he didn’t just hold his own. It wasn’t just the slash line, he took at bats like a professional and showed his solid glove at both short and second. You can see from last year’s article that he was one of the honorable mentions from this team as an underclassman as well, speaking to just how mature he is as a young player. It should be noted that he outperformed teammate and fellow potential Top 100 pick Robert Omidi by a considerable amount over their nine game stint, though the top Canadian prospect (LHP Sean Duncan) missed playing due to injury.

Honorable Mention – Sam Ellis, OF, Jalen Jacob, 1B (2027)

Team Mexico – Jose Almeida, INF

Team Mexico struggled in their time up north in the MLBDL, going 0-9 and being outscored 86-33 in that time. Their prospects are also a little different, as they aren’t draft eligible and able to sign as international free agents. Infielder Jose Almeida was the biggest standout as a solid defender with infield versatility that hit .313/.500/.438 with two doubles, one steal, and six walks to four strikeouts over 22 plate appearances. Almeida only turned 17 in the middle of May

The Roman Anthony injury saga has taken another turn, this one due south to Florida. Anthony will visit with yet another doctor in Atlanta this week, then proceed to Fort Myers to continue his rehabilitation. Why the change of scenery? “His focus, a singular focus now, is if you’re in Florida, it’s to get yourself healthy and not have to deal with all the other stuff that goes with it,” Chad Tracy said, clarifying that by “other stuff” he meant “just the day-to-day of being at Fenway.” This is a little bit of a strange move and a strange statement by Tracy, and, if you were inclined to read between the lines, you might think they’re not happy with the way Anthony is handling his rehab in some way. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Will Anthony soon be joined on the IL by another big name? Ranger Suárez left last night’s game with a strained left abductor. The severity of the injury isn’t clear yet, he’ll be evaluated more today. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

Like Roman Anthony, Connelly Early will also be receiving a second opinion on his elbow inflammation. In light of the fact that the first opinion was that the injury wasn’t that major, this isn’t a great sign. (Gabe Lacques, USA Today)

And you probably haven’t been expecting Triston Casas back any time soon, but he too has suffered yet another injury setback. While he had been hitting off a tee and taking soft toss the last few weeks, he’s “had a wrist issue pop up” and will be shutting down his hitting. (Ezra Lombardi, Yahoo)

While there’s nothing good about injuries to key players, it is nice when unexpected names step up and show the org what they can do on the field. Anthony Seigler certainly fits into that category, as he’s quickly earned Chad Tracy’s trust — enough to even start against lefties. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

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The Los Angeles Dodgers aim to extend their 14-game lead in the NL West as they begin a three-game home series against the last-place Colorado Rockies.

L.A. is a massive favorite (-213), but my Rockies vs. Dodgers predictions like the price on the run line better. 

See why I'm expecting runs in bunches as well with my MLB picks for Monday, July 6.

Who will win Rockies vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -1.5 (-108)

Two southpaws take the bump, but only one lineup hits them well. 

The Colorado Rockies have a league-worst 81 wRC+ against LHP, whereas the Los Angeles Dodgers have been effective (108 wRC+). The edge at the plate is massive for the Boys in Blue, especially with the lineup back to full strength. 

Kyle Freeland has surrendered an ugly .310/.343/.575 slash line in a large sample size of 200 plate appearances against L.A.'s lineup. Colorado has dropped eight of his last 13 starts against the run line, so I'd play L.A. -1.5 up to -125.

COVERS INTEL: Kyle Freeland leads with his four-seamer (.321 xBA) and curveball (.299 xBA). The Dodgers hit both offerings well, posting 15.7 runs above replacement against four-seamers (third) and 12.6 against curves (first). 

Rockies vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (-104)

Two starting pitchers with profiles screaming "FADE ME!" and winds of 5-9 mph blowing out to dead center? Sign me up for runs. 

Freeland (91 Stuff+) and Eric Lauer (88 Stuff+) both throw lollipops. Freeland's third-percentile xBA (.294) is a major concern against L.A.'s league-best .266 xBA at the dish, and Lauer allows too much loud contact (ninth-percentile barrel rate) in the air (eighth-percentile groundball rate). 

Colorado has a 4.54 SIERA (23rd) out of the pen in the last 14 days, while L.A. hasn't been much better (18th with a 3.98 SIERA).

Rockies vs Dodgers weather

Sunny skies are expected with light winds. A beautiful night for baseball. 

Rockies vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Rockies +154 | Dodgers -170
• Run line: Rockies +1.5 (+110) | Dodgers -1.5 (-110)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-115) | Under 10.5 (-105)

Rockies vs Dodgers trend

The Dodgers have covered the run line in six consecutive home games against the Rockies. Find more MLB betting trends for Rockies vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Rockies vs Dodgers and game info

Rockies vs Dodgers latest injuries

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You may not have had the opportunity to watch what the Cincinnati Reds were up to all weekend given the holiday, heat, and literal thousands of other things more enjoyable to do than watch this club try to play the sport of baseball. Thankfully, we here at Red Reporter are going to wrap up the weekend’s news for you right now!

Will Benson was designated for assignment

The Reds called time on the Will Benson experiment for good. He joins the likes of Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Rece Hinds as former touted cornerstone pieces of this existential rebuild that have now been cast aside.

Cincinnati’s front office has been trying for years to find a left-handed outfield bat that’s worth a dang, and they continue to be forced to admit their swings and misses. Jake Fraley didn’t pan out. Gavin Lux cost them a fortune to acquire and they dumped him with egg on their face almost immediately. JJ Bleday has shown flashes but just hit .161/.288/.323 across the entire month of June. In Benson, the Reds initially thought they had something when the former 1st round pick excelled in 2023, but he was simply never able to replicate that small-sample excellence.

Hunter Greene returned and got smacked

Cincinnati hoped their resident ace would ride to their rescue immediately after missing the first half of the season following elbow surgery. The exact opposite happened on Saturday against Baltimore.

Hunter Greene was lit up for 8 ER in just 3.1 IP, his short stint forcing the bullpen to cover copious innings in an eventual loss in front of a holiday crowd mostly there just for the fireworks show that followed. Now, the Reds are immediately in the mode where they question just how much they lean on Greene when mired in last place and closer to 10 games under .500 than to a Wild Card spot.

The Reds lost another home series, this time to a dismal Orioles club

The Orioles are essentially the Reds. Flirting with being 10 games under .500, a dozen games back in their division (and, in Baltimore’s case, a half-game out of last place thanks to beating the Reds in GABP), and figuring out which pieces they’ll be better off selling in the next month.

Still, that Orioles club was good enough to come into an opponent’s ball park and take 2 out of 3, which says just about all you need to know about the Reds at the moment.

Sal Stewart and Chase Burns are All Stars

Sal Stewart and Chase Burns were named to the National League’s All Star roster on Sunday, the two certainly deserving of the honors.

The Cincinnati Reds are in last place with less than a month to the trade deadline

It’s about time we all acknowledged the obivious: this team, this franchise has serious problems. More problems than they have solutions. I’m not suggesting that they go full fire-sale right this minute and deal everyone they can for whatever they can get, but it’s time for them to be strategic sellers.

Nick Lodolo just had his best start of the season. Maybe if he strings together 2-3 more, you think about dealing him. He’ll be a free agent after 2028, and do you really think this club can build itself into a contender for next year?

It’s those types of decisions that will be kicked around the front office in the coming weeks. That, and whether or not Terry Francona and his staff are at all the right fit for the roster as it evolves.

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Monday's MLB card is loaded with star power, and a few of baseball's biggest bats find themselves in favorable matchups.

Before locking in your MLB player props, here are my MLB picks I'm targeting to leave their mark tonight.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
James Wood	+250
Michael Harris	+436
💲Today's HR parlay	+5875

Home run pick: James Wood (+250)

I think I am still out of breath from running to bet on this prop.

Washington Nationals star James Wood finds himself in the spot of all spots, as he draws Houston Astros right-hander Mike Burrows. Over his last 30 left-handed hitters faced, Burrows is allowing just a 17.4% ground ball rate. 

Yes, that means hitters are elevating the baseball 82.6% of the time. During that span, they are also generating a 43.5% hard-hit rate and an 8.7% barrel rate, while posting a .589 xSLG and a .355 xwOBA.

Wood may only have a .208 BA over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, but he also owns a .500 SLG, .867 OPS, and .377 wOBA, while producing an 86.7% hard-hit rate and a 13.3% barrel rate.

Yeah, give me the nuke.

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Nationals.TV, Space City Home Network

Home run pick: Michael Harris (+436)

We are backing dad strength in this one, Michael Harris to go yard against New York Mets starter Freddy Peralta.

The Atlanta Braves outfielder has been one of the few bright spots for Atlanta over the last month. The sparkplug is batting .268 with a .464 SLG and .781 OPS, while posting a 53.5% hard-hit rate and a 13.9% barrel rate in his last 60 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.

Harris enters Monday with an elite rating on Batters-Box’s current season metrics, with nearly 90% arsenal coverage against Peralta. The right-hander also owns a poorly rated matchup in ISO, wOBA, and hard contact on Batters-Box.

On the road, Peralta is allowing 69.4% elevation and a 36.1% hard-hit rate to lefties. Those hitters have produced a .571 SLG and .384 wOBA, and over his last 60 faced, he is allowing a 2.84 HR/9 with a .497 xSLG.

The Braves are slowly turning it around, and with Harris leading the way, they can keep building toward the form they showed two months ago.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: BravesVision, SportsNet New York

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Start the week off right with my favorite MLB same-game parlay predictions for Monday's eight-game slate.

My top MLB picks begin with the Mets pulling off a road upset over the favored Braves (-132) and wrap up with the Dodgers pulling away from the Rockies in the nightcap.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
NYM vs ATL	+410
MIL vs STL	+410
COL vs LAD	+315

Mets vs Braves SGP: New York upsets Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves have dropped to 29th in wOBA and 27th in xwOBA through 21 games without star Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring), while the New York Mets comfortably sit 16th and eighth in the two metrics. 

I also expect New York righty Freddy Peralta to pitch well. He’s held opposing hitters to the sixth-lowest barrel percentage among pitchers with at least 75 innings to pave the way for a respectable 3.78 xERA that’s way below his 4.81 ERA. Still, he’s failed to register 6+ strikeouts in seven of his past nine starts with a pedestrian 19.8 strikeout percentage.

The final leg of this SGP turns to Mets star Juan Soto, and with him ranking fourth in the majors in both wOBA and OPS against right-handed pitchers since the beginning of the 2024 campaign, I see value in the SGP down to +375.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: BravesVsn, SNY

Brewers vs Cardinals SGP: Busch isn't light on runs tonight

The Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals rank first and third in xwOBA across the past 30 days while averaging 5.1 and 5.2 runs per game, so I’m anticipating both offenses putting runs on the board tonight.

Brewers lefty Shane Drohan has allowed an above-average .338 wOBA while pitching to a mediocre 4.09 ERA across 33 innings as a starter this season, and Cards righty Dustin May has surrendered a healthy 46.3% hard-hit rate, after all.

I recommend this SGP down to +390.

• Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CARD, BREW

Rockies vs Dodgers SGP: L.A. tees off on Freeland

There’s nothing pretty about Colorado Rockies starter Kyle Freeland’s underlying numbers, with his 18.5 blast-contact percentage and .394 wOBA allowed both sitting among the worst marks in baseball. Additionally, the Los Angeles Dodgers are fifth in wOBA against lefties this season and first in xwOBA across the past 30 days.

I also have confidence in L.A. lefty Eric Lauer. He’s limited opposing bats to a minuscule 25.3 squared-up contact percentage and 9.1 BlastCon% across five starts with the team, and the Rockies have the highest strikeout percentage against southpaws while also ranking below average in wOBA.

Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández rounds out the SGP, and he’s recorded a rock-solid .268 batting average against lefties across the past three years. Hernandez is also ripe for a breakout game after going just 3-for-22 at the plate across six games since returning from a hamstring injury.

This SGP is in play down to +300.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Los Angeles, COLR

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The Detroit Tigers opened July with three wins in four tries while going 5-1 on their road trip after securing a 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Sunday afternoon. Riley Greene paced the offense with a three-hit day, falling just a double short of the cycle, while Casey Mize threw his second straight quality start en route to the victory.

This week, the Motor City Kitties return home for a six-game home stand heading into the All-Star break, starting with a trio against the Athletics beginning on Tuesday night. Left-hander Tarik Skubal will get the start in the opener looking to build upon his best outing since returning from the disabled list.

Last time out in the Bronx, the 29-year-old allowed two runs (one earned) on just one hit — a solo home run — and zero walks while striking out nine New York Yankees plus a hit batter over six innings of work en route to his fourth win of the 2026 campaign in a 9-3 triumph for the Tigers.

Up against Skubal for the Athletics will be right-hander J.T. Ginn, who also had a strong outing last time out after experiencing a rough June. The 27-year-old threw six frames of one-run ball on three hits (one home run) and five walks while striking out four Los Angeles Dodgers to earn his seventh win of the season in a 7-1 final.

Here is a look at how the two match up in Tuesday’s evening opener at Comerica Park.

Detroit Tigers (40-50) vs. Athletics (41-49)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Athletics Nation
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 91: LHP Tarik Skubal (4-4, 3.15 ERA) vs. RHP J.T. Ginn (7-4, 3.04 ERA)

SKUBAL

GINN