If you want to get the good news first, the Dodgers did win Saturday's game vs. the Diamondbacks, 2-1 in extra innings. Aside from that, it's been depressing results for the Boys in Blue.
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Los Angeles has now lost 10 out of the last 13 games. During its recent seven-game skid, it was outscored 46-25. The World Series shine has lost its luster, and the seemingly unstoppable force has hit a very immovable object in the schedule. Or, at the very least, a concerning speed bump en route to the postseason.
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Enter Skubal, who started for the Dodgers on Aug. 4, giving up two earned runs and four hits while striking out six across six innings pitched. The star pitcher may be what Los Angeles needs to stop the bleeding or could very well see his own star power dimmed amid the summer malaise.
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Here is how to watch Tarik Skubal with the latest updates for Dodgers vs Royals on Monday.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 8: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies hits a single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning at Busch Stadium on August 8, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a spectacular week against the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals, Major League Baseball has named Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy as the National League Player of the Week. He is the first Rockie to win NL Player of the Week since Hunter Goodman earned the honor on September 8, 2025, and the first Colorado outfielder to do so since Brenton Doyle won the award on July 8, 2024.
McCarthy, 29, led the NL in batting average (.519), OPS (1.352), hits (14), and total bases (23), while his eight runs scored tied for second. In 28 plate appearances over six games, McCarthy also hit three doubles and two home runs while driving in five runs and stealing three bases. Perhaps the most interesting fact was that he struck out just one time during the week.
On Saturday, August 8, McCarthy had four hits, including his two home runs, marking his fifth career game with at least four hits and third career game with multiple home runs. During that game, he became just the third player since 1920 to have four hits, two homers, three RBI, and two stolen bases in a game, joining Shohei Ohtani in 2024 and Breggo Roth. He also became the eighth player since 1900 to have at least four hits, two home runs and two stolen bases in a game, and the first to do so since Mickey Moniak accomplished the same feat for Colorado last September.
2026 has been a breakout season for the Scranton, Pennsylvania native. Since being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks, McCarthy has settled into a crucial role at the top of the Rockies lineup. He enters the start of the series against his former club on Monday batting .306/.342/.518 with a career-high 13 home runs, including two inside-the-park home runs, as well as career-highs in doubles (25) and RBI (67) with 20 stolen bases. He also has 32 multi-hit games, which are tied with rookie TJ Rumfield for the most on the club.
McCarthy has also settled in nicely as the leadoff hitter, where he has hit .307/.336/.546 with 11 home runs out of the top spot in the lineup. He has also slugged four leadoff home runs for the Rockies this season, with his leadoff home run on Saturday marking the second to come on the first pitch of the game. He is the first Rockie with multiple first-pitch leadoff home runs in a single season and the first Rockie with at least four leadoff shots in his first season with the club.
What’s more important is that McCarthy has not been fazed by home and road splits. At Coors Field, he is hitting .318/.345/.559 with eight home runs, while on the road he is hitting .293/.339/.471 with five home runs. Additionally, on the platoon front, he is hitting .297/.333/.498 against right-handed pitching and .333/.366/.573 against left-handed pitching.
Under team control for two more seasons, McCarthy has found a comfortable home in Colorado with his continued dynamic level of play.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 12: Pitching coach Kyle Snyder #23 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on from the dugout before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 12, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
To begin, their overall offspeed usage is on pace to be the highest in team history during the pitch tracking era since 2008. They’ve also got a franchise low wOBA against those pitches. Here’s how they stack up historically in their top five highest usage seasons:
Year
Usage
wOBA Against
2026
21.8%
.211
2013
21.7%
.274
2012
20.2%
.252
2014
18.8%
.275
2025
17.4%
.245
The Rays aren’t just throwing more offspeed pitches; they’re getting better results from them. Four of the lowest team wOBA-against seasons for offspeed pitches have come in the last five years, while five of the highest-whiff seasons have come during the last seven years. The 2026 Rays are barely ahead of their 2013 club in offspeed usage, but the performance gap is enormous. Their .211 wOBA-allowed is 63 points lower than the previous franchise low among their five highest-usage seasons, and it’s lower than the league average .267 wOBA on offspeed pitches this season.
So what makes a good offspeed pitch? Two traits matter in particular: vertical separation and velocity separation from the fastball. A larger gap in vertical approach angle (VAA) between a pitcher’s fastball and offspeed pitch generally produces more chase, while greater velocity separation can help generate whiffs – including in the strike zone. The Rays have tapped into these two metrics when acquiring and developing offspeed pitches.
Adding vertical movement to a pitcher’s fastball can be difficult, but subtracting vertical movement from an offspeed pitch is comparatively straightforward. Sometimes this is accomplished by “spiking” a grip or utilizing a “kick change” grip. We can see Rays’ pitchers average vertical movement on offspeed pitches drop over time as they have leaned into this metric:
Maybe the most intriguing trend in their usage of offspeed pitches is how often they throw it to same-handed batters.
The 2026 Rays pitching staff is on pace to throw the highest rate of same-side offspeed pitches since 2013 when that Rays pitching staff set the record at 28.6%. This year, they’re sitting at 28.6% as of August 10th. The Angels are the next closest at same-side offspeed usage this season at 20.2%, and the league average is just over 11%.
Even at such a high usage, the Rays are performing among the league leaders in terms of wOBA-against on same-side offspeed pitches, ranking 5th best in the league as a team in right-on-right and left-on-left offspeed wOBA-against. Both marks are over 60 points better than the league average wOBA-against for left-on-left and right-on-right offspeed pitches.
Why this works
There are a few reasons why the Rays are having so much success going against traditional baseball wisdom and throwing offspeed pitches to same-handed batters.
The first is simple: pitch quality matters more than handedness. The Rays have acquired and developed offspeed pitches that have optimal VAA and velocity differences from their fastballs. A pitch that meaningfully disrupts timing doesn’t necessarily need the traditional platoon advantage to be effective.
Same-side breaking balls have historically been effective because their glove-side movement makes them difficult for same-handed hitters to handle. When sweepers exploded in popularity in the late 2010s and early 2020s, they became increasingly common in hitter training, including through pitch-replication systems such as Trajekt. As hitters have accumulated more reps against those shapes, their effectiveness has declined. Even same-handed batters have been able to train against these shapes to the point where they’re significantly less effective than they were just a few years ago.
Same-side offspeed pitches present a different problem. Hitters simply aren’t used to seeing them. Rays pitchers are exploiting a training gap brought on by the last big wave in pitching theory. By being ahead of the curve and throwing more offspeed pitches than any other team (the Rays are also among the bottom of the league in sweeper usage over the last two seasons), they have found a new way to disrupt timing in the batter’s box.
Eventually, hitters will adjust. They’ll see more same-side changeups in the cage, more Trajekt reps will be built around them, and what currently looks unfamiliar will become another standard pitch shape to prepare for. When that happens, the Rays will probably have moved on to something else.
The Mets are placing closer Devin Williamson the IL due to a right shoulder strain, with the move coming five days after Williams was held out of a game against the Cleveland Guardians due to arm fatigue.
At the time, interim manager Andy Green said Williams was "fine," adding that he had "a little bit of arm fatigue" but had recently played catch and felt better.
Williams' next appearance was this past Friday against the Pirates in Pittsburgh, when he allowed two runs in an inning of work while giving up three hits and walking one -- it was just his second outing since July 30.
On Friday, Williams threw 21 pitches (15 fastballs, six changeups), with his four-seamer averaging 94.1 mph and topping out at 95.2. For the season, Williams' four-seamer has averaged 93.9 mph.
Green told reporters on Monday that he doesn't believe this to be a "long-term serious" situation for the closer.
"He’s been dealing with a little bit of shoulder fatigue for a while now. Something that he felt confident he could pitch through, and we appreciate that warrior mentality to step on the mound and continue to compete for us," Green said. "After the last outing, it just made sense to get an MRI and get it checked. We don’t think this is long-term serious for him. We think it’s a short stint, hopefully. A few weeks back to throwing the baseball.
"I know he wants to compete for us before this year’s out and I know he wants to get on the mound and finish strong."
With Williams on the IL and the Mets having recently gutted the back end of their bullpen by trading Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazoban, Brooks Raley, and A.J. Minter, and with Kodai Senga currently transitioning from his bulk relief role to a short-inning, high-leverage one (with the early results being promising),there is no obvious option to replace Williams at the end of games.
Green said on Monday that the Mets won't name a specific closer at the moment, but will play things by ear for the time being.
Williams, in the first season of a three-year deal he signed this past offseason, has had a bit of an up-and-down campaign. However, his results had been relatively good since a shaky start to the season (Williams' ERA entering play on April 26 was 10.29).
In 31.2 innings over 33 appearances since April 26, Williams has a 3.41 ERA (2.93 FIP).
Overall in 2026, Williams has a 4.66 ERA (3.09 FIP) and 1.65 WHIP in 38.2 innings. When it comes to his advanced stats, Williams has been elite in many of the key metrics tracked by Baseball Savant. Despite that, he has been as hittable as ever (career-worst 10.0 hits per nine) and has the worst walk rate of his career (4.9).
To replace Williams on the active roster, right-hander Jonathan Pintaro was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 14: Charles McAdoo #26 of the Toronto Blue Jays takes the field against the New York Yankees in their MLB game at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Jays made a bunch of roster moves:
Lazaro Estrada and Davis Schneider were sent to Buffalo.
Charles McAdoo has been called up.
As has Simeon Woods Richardson.
Rudy Martin Jr. cleared waivers and was assigned to Buffalo.
Willie MacIver was DFAed to make room for Woods Richardson.
McAdoo was named International League Player of the Week. He was 13 for 28 with 4 home runs on the week. I hope he can continue that with the Jays. He’s in, playing third tonight, as tonight’s lineup is Okamoto-less, as he’s got a bruise on his knee from fouling a pitch off his knee.
Woods Richardson has a 4.07 ERA in 6 games for Buffalo. In 24.1 innings, he’s given up 23 hits, 9 walks with 20 strikeouts. Lazaro had pitched in the last three games, so he was going to get tonight off and likely tomorrow. So why give him big leaguer money?
The Jays are saying that Spencer Arrighetti’s foot issue is Morton’s Neuroma, “It is basically a skin buildup around the nerve in your foot, leading it to feel like you have a rock in your shoe.” says prominent doctor John Schneider.
Luis Urias is out ‘a couple of weeks’ with a quad injury.
Former members of the Vancouver Canucks will take the spotlight in this off-season article series. From those skating with new NHL teams heading into the 2026–27 season to those who are now playing for international clubs, these featured players have skated in at least one game at the NHL level as a member of the Canucks.
Today’s segment will take a look at the 12 former Canucks that are set to compete for teams in the NHL’s Atlantic Division during the 2026–27 season.
Vancouver signed Mikheyev in free-agency during the summer of 2022, locking him down for four years — though the forward’s tenure with the Canucks didn’t end up lasting that long. Though he did manage to register 28 and 31 points respectively in 46 games 2022–23 and 78 in 2023–24, ultimately, Mikheyev’s near $5M salary per year resulted in the team trading him to the Chicago Blackhawks in June of 2024.
Mikheyev enjoyed two relatively productive seasons in Chicago after leaving Vancouver, recording his first 20-goal season in three years during the 2024–25 season. He put up a career-high of 36 points in 77 games with the Blackhawks in 2025–26, leading Tampa Bay to sign him to a four-year, $3.85M AAV contract during the 2026 free-agency period.
Once an 82-point player with the Calgary Flames, Lindholm was acquired by the Canucks in the 2023–24 season, adding to their depth down the middle in preparation for a playoff run. A wrist injury resulted in the center only playing in 26 regular-season games for Vancouver, during which he scored six goals and six assists. By the end of the Canucks’ playoff run, Lindholm had 10 points in 13 games.
Lindholm signed a seven-year contract with the Bruins the summer after his time with the Canucks. While he hasn’t quite made it back to that 82-point form he established in 2021–22, he has logged back-to-back 17-goal seasons and come close to 50 points in both. In 2025–26, he logged his second-highest faceoff win-rate in a single season with 56.1%.
Nikita Zadorov, Boston Bruins
A fan-favourite early on in his time with the Canucks, Zadorov made his presence known with thunderous hits and a personality as large as his stature. The defenceman was traded to Vancouver from Calgary for picks in the third-round of the 2026 NHL Draft and in the fifth-round of 2024. Possibly one of the most notable moments of Zadorov’s time with the Canucks was his hefty slap-shot on the blueline to help Vancouver claw back from a 4–1 deficit in Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers.
Joining his former Flames and Canucks teammate Lindholm in Boston during the 2024 free-agency period, Zadorov has posted consecutive 22-point seasons with the Bruins. During the 2026 post-season, he logged one assist while playing with a torn MCL during Boston’s first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.
Gadjovich’s time with the Canucks dates back to 2017, when he was selected with the 55th-overall pick by Vancouver. Though he spent a fair bit of time with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate at the time, the Utica Comets, his time in Vancouver only spanned a single game during the 2020–21 season.
After a couple of seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Gadjovich signed a contract with the Panthers, the team that he won the Stanley Cup with in 2023–24 and 2024–25 and remains with to this day. He sustained a bad neeck injury at the beginning of the 2025–26 season and ultimately missed the remainder of the year, skating in only 10 games and recording three assists.
Sam Lafferty, Florida Panthers
Lafferty, a single-season Canuck, enjoyed a career-year in 2023–24 with Vancouver, scoring 13 goals and 11 assists in 79 games as a depth player. He was sent to the Canucks from the Toronto Maple Leafs in October of 2023 and was traded again less than a year later, this time heading to Chicago.
The 2025–26 season marked the third time in Lafferty’s career that he was acquired by the Blackhawks. He was first acquired by the Blackhawks in 2022, then again from the Canucks in 2024 (though his signing rights expired and he ended up signing a deal with the Sabres shortly after), and once more in 2025. He only ended up skating in 29 games through the past season, scoring a goal and an assist in that span.
Jacob Markström, Florida Panthers
Vancouver’s former starting goaltender, Markström, was part of the Canucks organization from 2013–14 to 2019–20. He has played the most NHL games of his career with Vancouver thus far, logging 229 games and stringing together a record of 99–93–27. In his final season as a Canuck, he was named to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game and came fourth in voting for the Vezina Trophy.
Markström spent four seasons with the Flames and two with the New Jersey Devils before being traded back to the team that drafted him, the Panthers, on June 30 of 2026. While the 2025–26 season was a down-year for the goaltender regarding his numbers (3.07 GAA, .883 SV%), he will still be looked to in order to fill the gap left by former Florida starter Sergei Bobrovsky.
One of six ex-Canucks expected to suit-up for the Maple Leafs next year, Blueger first joined Vancouver via free-agency in July of 2023. In his three seasons as a Canuck, the center played in 185 games, scoring 23 goals and 48 assists in that span. Towards the end of his tenure, after some key veteran departures, the forward started taking up more of a leadership role.
Despite not being traded at the 2026 Trade Deadline, Blueger ended up departing from the Canucks in free-agency, signing a two-year, $2.5M AAV contract with Toronto.
Dakota Joshua, Toronto Maple Leafs
A free-agent signing in 2022, Joshua spent three seasons as a member of the Canucks, hitting a career-high in points with 32 during the 2023–24 season. He signed a four-year, $3.25M AAV contract with Vancouver after that, but was traded to Toronto after one season of his new deal.
The 2025–26 season was Joshua’s first with Toronto. The forward got back to the double-digits mark in goals with 10, adding eight assists to his total in 55 games played. A kidney injury sustained in December of 2025 prevented him from playing a full season, though he did end up returning to Toronto’s lineup after the Olympic break.
Dec 11, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (81) reqcts after scoring against the San Jose Sharks during during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Zack MacEwen, Toronto Maple Leafs
MacEwen’s time with the Canucks began when he started the 2017–18 season with the Utica Comets as a free-agent. He managed to sign a contract with Vancouver from there, making his NHL debut for the Canucks in February of 2019. He was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers in October of 2021, ending his time with Vancouver at a little less than three seasons.
As a depth, fourth-line or 13th-forward, MacEwen has bounced around the NHL a little since leaving Vancouver, playing for the Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, and Devils before signing a two-year deal with Toronto during the 2026 off-season. He played in three games with the Devils during the 2025–26 season.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Toronto Maple Leafs
A centerpiece in one of the most controversial trades in Canucks history, Ekman-Larsson joined Vancouver alongside Conor Garland when both were moved from the Arizona Coyotes in 2021. The defenceman spent two seasons with the Canucks, not quite living up to the expectations of his $8.25M AAV contract (though 12% of this was retained for Vancouver in the trade), before he was bought-out at the end of the 2022–23 season.
The buy-out may have been the best thing for Ekman-Larsson’s career, as the defenceman then signed a one-year deal with the Panthers, winning his first Stanley Cup in 2024. He signed with the Maple Leafs the year after. In 2025–26, he put together eight goals and 31 assists in 78 games as one of Toronto’s most depended-on defencemen.
Chris Tanev, Toronto Maple Leafs
Tanev’s NHL career started with the Canucks back in 2010, when the defenceman signed an entry-level contract with Vancouver in May of that year. He played out the following 10 years with the Canucks, establishing himself as a solid defensive-defenceman and dependable locker room leader. In 2020, he signed a four-year contract with the Flames in free-agency.
After stints with the Flames and Dallas Stars, Tanev signed a six-year, $4.5M AAV contract with the Maple Leafs, which he’ll be half-way through come the end of the 2026–27 season. A groin injury requiring surgery resulted in the defenceman playing in a total of 11 games through the 2025–26 season.
Troy Stecher, Toronto Maple Leafs
Stecher first joined his hometown team’s organization after signing a two-year entry-level contract as an NCAA free-agent in April of 2016. Impressing with his heart and unyielding effort, the defenceman put together a career-high of 24 points in his first season with Vancouver (2016–17). After four seasons with the Canucks, Stecher signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2020 free agency period.
Claimed off waivers by the Maple Leafs from the Oilers in November of 2025, Stecher signed a two-year extension with Toronto during the 2026 off-season. He had three goals and 11 assists in 58 games with Toronto in 2025–26, with this being his highest season point total since his first year with Detroit in 2020–21. Throughout that time, he also played for the Kings, Coyotes, Flames, and Oilers.
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Here are a few decisions the franchise needs to tackle between now and Opening Night:
FILL OUT ROSTER
The Knicks have 13 players under contract. They can carry as many as 21 players in training camp. So they have several roster spots to fill out.
The biggest opening is at center. New York needs to find a third-string center to replace Ariel Hukporti. To that end, the Knicks spoke to multiple teams about trades for big men under contract earlier in the offseason. One of those big men was New Orleans’ Karlo Matkovic, per league sources; nothing came to fruition. New York targeted Moussa Cisse as a restricted free agent, but Dallas matched the offer.
As you’d imagine, the Knicks have also been in touch with free agent centers who would fit the third-center profile. If they liked any of those centers enough to offer them a guaranteed contract, they probably would have done so already. So the most likely route here is to sign a couple of veteran bigs to training camp deals and let them compete for the third center spot. They would be able to add that veteran center and remain under the second apron in team salary.
EXTEND THE VETS?
Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride are all eligible for veteran extensions. My buddy James Edwards III wrote recently in The Athetic that he doesn’t expect the Knicks to offer Towns a max extension. Towns is a forever Knick; his play in New York’s championship season will be celebrated for as long as the franchise exists. But I agree with Edwards on this: I don’t think the Knicks will offer Towns a max in extension talks.
Also, if I had to take a guess, the two sides will reach an agreement. Towns clearly loves New York. Maybe he can make more money with another team next summer (Towns has a $57 million salary this season and his contract has a $61 million player option for 2027-28).
But why would he leave? He won a timeless championship with his hometown team. Unless the Knicks make an insultingly-low offer to Towns, I think they get something done here.
If I’m using the recent Rudy Gobert extension as a baseline, I could see an extension for Towns starting around $45 million. By signing this kind of deal, Towns would obviously lose the opportunity to make more money as a 2027 free agent. But given all of the factors at play (the state of NBA economics, teams’ approach to the second apron, the Knicks’ title), there are reasons for Towns to play it safe and sign an extension.
Towns leaving New York also would hurt the Knicks. If Towns and the team can’t agree on a deal, New York would have to make a significant pivot to find another front-line center. So from the outside looking in, it seems like it makes sense for both sides to figure out a deal.
What about Hart? Similar to Towns, I could see the Knicks asking him to take less on his next contract in an effort to create future roster flexibility. What would Hart want to do? I have no idea. But if I had to guess, he wants to be in New York to see how the rest of the years with this core play out.
McBride’s situation is a bit different due to his contract. McBride is on one of the most team-friendly deals in the NBA. He should be looking for a significant raise on an extension. He’s earned it.
But can the Knicks extend Towns, Hart and McBride while also maintaining some roster flexibility? If they want to stay under the second apron, the answer is probably no. It would be very difficult to build out a roster with all of these new extensions on the books. Don’t forget, the Knicks, presumably, will also be signing Jalen Brunson to a major extension/free agency contract once the time comes. And Brunson has set the precedent for a Knick player taking less on an extension to help build the roster.
Another element of the conversation is owner James Dolan’s decisions on spending. Dolan said on WFAN before free agency that he would not exceed the second apron in team salary next season. Does that apply to the 2027-28 season as well? What about 2028-29? (As an aside: It is unclear if the second apron decision was Dolan’s alone or if it was made in conjunction with Leon Rose and the Knicks front office. If it was Dolan’s alone, that would be a shame because the Knicks’ fan base spends significant money to attend games. It’s worth noting on this that Dolan and Rose have made many important decisions together during Rose’s tenure)
One last note on the extensions: As Jeremy Cohen notes over at KnicksFilmSchool, any extension signed on August 12 or later will likely make that player untradeable at the 2027 deadline.
TWO-WAY SPOTS?
The Knicks have three open two-way spots. Jack Kayil won’t be taking one of them. There are reports that Tyler Nickel is considering going back to college, but, as noted last week, league sources say he is all-in on starting his pro career). If they sign Nickel to a two-way deal, the Knicks will have two other two-way spots to fill. With Trey Jemison III signing in Toronto, you would think the Knicks target a big man for at least one of those two-way spots.
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson fields a ground ball during a game against the Twins on July 25. Wilson set an MLB record by playing 111 errorless games in a row. (Ellen Schmidt / Associated Press)
Two outcomes that scream failure on a baseball diamond are striking out and making an error. Jacob Wilson avoids both.
The third-year Athletics shortstop played his 111th consecutive game without an error Sunday, setting a major league record at his position.
Wilson, 24, also ranks among the top 5% of MLB players most difficult to strike out, making contact in more than 90% of his at-bats during his three-year career. The shortstop was a first-round draft pick out of Grand Canyon University in 2023 and played for Thousand Oaks High.
Failure is even more infrequent when he puts on his glove. Wilson surpassed Mike Bordick’s 2002 mark with the Baltimore Orioles for consecutive games played at shortstop without an error.
No wonder the A’s signed him to a seven-year, $70 million contract before the season.
Wilson, whose last error occurred July 6, 2025, credits his dad with prioritizing defense. Jack Wilson was a shortstop with elite range and a powerful arm during a 12-year MLB career from 2001-12, yet he never played a full season with fewer than 10 errors.
“He’s a very defensive-first guy for me growing up by teaching me defense first before the hitting side of things and making sure you’re always prepared to play defense every day,” Wilson told reporters after the Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Sunday at Fenway Park.
Based on advanced metrics, Jacob doesn’t have the range of his father, but so far he has been more consistent. He made only eight errors in 124 games last season and none in 27 games after being called up from the minors in 2024. That’s a total of eight errors in 216 career games and 1,899 innings at shortstop.
“He definitely has the consistency side of things down pat,” fellow A’s infielder Tommy White told reporters. “The stats don’t lie. He really takes in the second half of the play. Everyone sees the glove, but it’s the accuracy of the arm.”
Putting the bat on the ball is also a Wilson trademark. He was the toughest player to strike out in NCAA Division I, whiffing just 12 times in 438 at-bats as a Grand Canyon sophomore and junior. At Thousand Oaks High, where his dad was head coach, Jacob struck out a mere five times in 343 plate appearances.
Likely out of reach is the MLB record for consecutive games without an error at any position, held by outfielder Robbie Grossman at 440 games, a streak that ended in 2022.
Meanwhile, Wilson plans to focus on staying healthy: He missed a month earlier this season with a dislocated left shoulder after diving for a ball, and missed a few more games when the shoulder flared up again in late June.
Making plays and putting the bat on the ball should continue as long as he’s on the field. Wilson was an American League All-Star last season and finished second in voting for Rookie of the Year to teammate Nick Kurtz after batting .311 and striking out only 39 times in 523 plate appearances.
Before this season, Wilson told Foul Territory that his focus was on improving areas he considered deficient — a quicker first step toward the ball on defense and putting on 10 pounds of muscle to increase his power at the plate.
As for avoiding errors and strikeouts, that should continue to come naturally.
“I know how to stay in my lane, do what I do and help this team win,” he said.
Earlier this off-season, the St. Louis Blues bought out former Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin from the final season of his two-year, $8 million contract.
Now, with the middle of August almost here, Drouin has still not found his next home.
Drouin still being a UFA at this point in the summer comes after he had an ugly 2025-26 season. He posted just four goals and 24 points in 64 games split between the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues. This was a notable decrease in offensive production from the 2013 first-round pick, as he had 11 goals and 37 points in just 43 games with the Colorado Avalanche during the 2024-25 season.
Although Drouin struggled last season, there is still a chance that he could get a one-year contract or a professional tryout (PTO) agreement with an NHL club. This is a player who posted 56 points just back in 2023-24 and has shown at times that he can be a solid offensive contributor.
It will be interesting to see if Drouin can land an NHL contract before the start of the season. A return to the Habs won't happen, but he could be a decent buy-low option for an NHL team that needs more depth offensive production.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 07: Devin Williams #38 of the New York Mets pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 7, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets have placed closer Devin Williams on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder fatigue. To take his place on the roster, the club has recalled right-hander Jonathan Pintaro.
Williams was unavailable for a game against Cleveland earlier in the road trip with what the club called “right arm fatigue”. In his absence, Daniel Duarte stepped in to pick up the save for New York. Williams returned on August 8 to pitch in a non-save situation against Pittsburgh, but allowed two earned runs in an inning of work. He has allowed three earned runs in two innings of work this month.
Overall, the right-hander, who is in the first year of a three-year, $51 million deal, has had a rough go of it for the Mets. He has posted a 4.66 ERA and -0.6 bWAR in 38 2/3 innings, but owns a much more palatable 3.09 FIP. He has struck out 51, walked 21, and posted a 1.66 WHIP for the Mets. He has had solid stretches for the team but has had a couple of big blow-up innings, which have slightly warped his numbers—most notably, he allowed four earned runs in 1/3 of an inning on two separate instances.
The club will likely employ a ‘closer by committee’ approach until Williams returns, since the team traded away their high leverage relievers prior to the deadline. On the bright side, if the team continues to score runs at the rate they have on this road trip, they won’t need to worry about a closer. Pintaro, who takes his place in the bullpen, own a 4.40 ERA in 14 1/3 innings across three stints for the Mets this season.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 05: Sean Murphy #12 of the Atlanta Braves bats in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on August 05, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dominic Smith has had his share of big moments for the 2026 Atlanta Braves, but with Sean Murphy healthy (for now?), there has been a rising clamor of, “Why don’t we let Murphy catch rather than adding Smith’s bat?” There’s a bit of a point there:
Sean Murphy has consistently been an excellent defensive catcher;
Drake Baldwin has been an average-y defensive catcher; and
Dominic Smith is currently wearing a .313 wOBA / .306 xwOBA, with a pedestrian line against right-handed pitching.
So, at least for tonight, the Braves agree with said clamor, as Sean Murphy is catching and hitting ninth, while Drake Baldwin is ensconced at DH. No Dominic Smith in sight, even with the Mets giving a righty (Christian Scott) the start tonight.
Something that’s kind of interesting is that Mike Yastrzemski isn’t starting in lieu of Mauricio Dubon. Aside from the weird game where the Braves started Lane Thomas and Murphy against a righty, Yastrzemski hasn’t missed a start against a righty while on the active roster since April 26. But, he’s giving way to Dubon tonight, at least in the early going. I wonder if he’s got a nagging or stinging ailment of some sort.
Everyone but Murphy has faced Scott in a couple of games so far in Scott’s young career. Michael Harris II and Jim Jarvis have enjoyed their very limited PAs against him so far (wOBA and xwOBA above .500), while Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ronald Acuña Jr. have not (wOBA and xwOBA below .250). The collective line is a .321 wOBA (eh) and a .282 xwOBA (not great), but it’s just 49 PAs.
Here’s the Mets lineup, sans tweet:
Though most of these names are familiar, it is indeed a new lineup for the Mets, who generally haven’t hit Jared Young fifth and Francisco Alvarez ninth in the same array.
It’s funny, you’d think the Mets would be more familiar with Bryce Elder than the Braves with Scott, but not so much — it’s a collective 52 PAs. Only Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty have double-digit PAs against Elder; Lindor has crushed him (.606 wOBA, .496 xwOBA) while Baty has struggled (.279 wOBA, .233 xwOBA). Both Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have really stung Elder in three PAs each. The collective line in those 52 PAs is a .453 wOBA and .398 xwOBA, so there’s definitely a whole suite of improvement available if Elder has his mechanics working tonight.
For the second consecutive year, the NHL Network's ranking of the league's top defensemen has Edmonton Oilers' blueliner Evan Bouchard sitting below where many think he should be ranked.
Coming in at No. 10, it's good to see Bouchard is considered a Top 10 defenseman, but one might think a season in which he scored 21 goals and 74 assists for 95 points in 82 games would earn him a higher ranking.
NHL Network's Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list has a total of: • 21 total All-Star Game appearances • 11 All-Rookie team honors • Seven Norris Trophies • Seven Olympic Gold Medals • Four Calder Trophies • Two Conn Smythe Trophies • Six Stanley Cups
For fans and analysts arguing Bouchard got snubbed, the case for a better position is that he came in fourth in Norris Trophy voting, meaning he should have been ranked higher than names like Miro Hieskanen, Lane Hutson, Matthew Schaefer, Jake Sanderson and Moritz Seider.
The counter-argument, of course, is that all of those defenseman are excellent and that any or all of them deserve to be where they're slotted.
One fan wrote, "This is just so disrespectful to Evan Bouchard...He lead all defensemen last season with 95 points after all. But you know what? Nirvana never won a Grammy and it's still considered one of the greatest bands of all time, so... Bravo,"
Others took the stance that the definition of defenseman needs to be accounted for. If your ranking is based on playing defense, then point producers shouldn't get as much love as those who stop the puck from going in. Bouchard doesn't rank as well if that's the criteria, even if he's better than some give him credit for.
Another key aspect of this list is the "right now" component. The excerpt clearly states that this is not a list that takes into account what a defensen will become or once was. If fans are ranking based on how a player used to play in their prime, they're missing the point of the list. If they're saying Matthew Schaefer should be where he is or higher because he's going to a Norris trophy candidate, they've, again, lost the plot.
One could argue that there were very few better defensemen than Bouchard last season. The top three are probably locks. It's hard to dispute Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Zach Werenski as the best the NHL has to offer. Outside of that, Bouchard should be in the conversation for top five.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 05: Jonah Cox #53 of the San Francisco Giants runs to first base against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 05, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A busy and fun weekend for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. Let’s get into it!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
High-A Eugene shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) has been named the Northwest League Player of the Week! Well deserved.
AAA Sacramento (64-47)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Round Rock Express 7-1 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Round Rock Express 9-2 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Round Rock Express 10-9 [box score]
The offense was the star in these games, and there were plenty of good performances to go around. Let’s start with someone who is once again the hottest hitter on the planet: outfielder Jonah Cox. Despite only playing in 2 of the 3 games, Cox managed to play all 3 grassy positions, but what stood out was his performance in the batter’s box, where he had a mesmerizing weekend, hitting 5-8 with a home run, 2 doubles, a walk, and a strikeout.
Cox was one of the very best hitters in the Eastern League when he was in AA this year prior to his shocking MLB promotion, and he’s been one of the very best hitters in the Pacific Coast League since finally making it to AAA following an injury (his AAA debut came on a rehab assignment, but he has since been optioned). Through 9 games in AAA, Cox is hitting a stunning 20-40 with 5 extra-base hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. There are a few warning signs that the numbers should come down — no one hits .500 forever — and, more importantly, some things to work on despite the massive success. Cox still has some troubles catching up to the high velocity that is the standard in the Majors (he hit 5-24 with 15 strikeouts when not facing position players in his debut MLB stint), and AAA is a great place to work on that. Cox has also been feasting a little on the bad defenses in the Minors … you don’t see many players have a 1.123 OPS and a 224 wRC+ while having some of the worst exit velocities and in-zone contact rates in the league, but that’s exactly what’s happening.
None of this is meant to harsh Cox’s mellow … his season remains one of the best stories in the Giants organization this year, and he’s absolutely killing it in AAA. Keep it up, Jonah, and we’ll see you in San Francisco soon enough!
And of course, we can’t talk about outfielders killing it without talking about center fielder Turner Hill, who also played twice and hit 4-8 with 4 doubles, 1 walk, 1 sacrifice fly, 1 strikeout, and 1 caught stealing.
With that performance, Hill pushed his hitting streak to 24 games, and his numbers during that time are staggering: 44-100 with 14 extra-base hits, 9 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Even in the PCL, those numbers are absolutely outrageous, and they’ve pushed him to a .933 OPS and a 144 wRC+.
24. STRAIGHT. 🔥
Turner Hill ties our franchise record with a hit in his 24th consecutive game! pic.twitter.com/ldhlSaL2Xm
While a soft-contact, high-average speedster is always going to see their numbers drop when they move from PCL defenses to Major League ones (there’s no way the hit in the embedded video above is a double in the Majors), there’s a lot that Hill is doing that suggests this performance could translate well, as Hill isn’t just using his legs to feast on bad defenses. The 27-year old is 95th percentile in in-zone contact rate in AAA, and that should translate whenever we see him at the next level.
Pretty good weekends for the trio of notable recent promotees. Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 4-10 with a home run, a walk, a hit by pitch, a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, a strikeout, and a caught stealing, boosting his OPS to .974 and his wRC+ to 149 through 21 games. Interestingly, after playing a bit in the outfield in AA, Harber is only playing third base these days. That might just be to simplify his life as he adjusts to a new level, but it might also be due to the fact that Casey Schmitt and Matt Chapman are both presumably out for the year.
Parks Harber with one of his most impressive swings of the year. Takes a 98.2 mph FB up and in and sends a missile 426’ out at 105.2 mph! His 5th in Sac, and 17th on the year. #SFGiantspic.twitter.com/pTNJKU3cnj
As for the other pair, right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) had identical lines, hitting 3-11 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. Davidson is starting to look a lot more comfortable in AAA, though his numbers are still poor (.536 OPS, 50 wRC+ through 21 games), while Velasquez has positively hit the ground running (1.032 OPS, 175 wRC+ through 5 games).
Outfielder Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) continued his rehab and hit 0-7 with 3 strikeouts as he searches for his rhythm and timing.
The most notable pitching performance came from Saturday’s starter, RHP Anthony Molina. The 24-year old was the player the Giants received in the Tyler Mahle trade, and the general consensus was that it wasn’t a very good haul for the Giants. Molina has struggled in the Majors and not been particularly good in AAA, either.
Interestingly, the Giants saw all that and not only thought they could make it work, but also thought that Molina should move to the rotation, rather than the bullpen role that he’s been in for years. San Francisco immediately made their plans to develop Molina as a starter public, and after Round 1, I have to say … a point to the Giants, and not to those of us who criticized the trade.
Molina will need some time to get fully stretched out, and only went 3 innings in this one, but he was brilliant in those 3, giving up just 1 hit, 0 walks, and 0 runs, while striking out 4. What a performance! He was a strike-throwing machine, too, with 35 of his 45 pitches being strikes. It’ll be very interesting to watch his development over the rest of the year.
The other starts went to a pair of LHPs who had breakout seasons in the Eastern League but have struggled to adapt to AAA: Matt Wilkinson and Cesar Perdomo. Wilkinson got the Friday start and went 6 innings deep, but gave up 7 hits (including 1 home run and 2 doubles), 1 walk, and 6 runs, while striking out 4. Perdomo went on Sunday and had a similar outing: 5 innings, 5 hits (including 3 doubles), 3 walks, and 3 runs, with 6 strikeouts.
Wilkinson has a 5.12 ERA and a 5.34 FIP through 9 AAA starts, but his 9.8 strikeouts and 3.0 walks per 9 innings look good. The 7 home runs in 38.2 innings? Not so much. Perdomo has a 7.33 ERA and a 6.00 FIP through 6 starts, and his strikeout and walk numbers (8.3 and 4.3 per 9, respectively), are not very encouraging. Most concerning is that he’s just getting hit, as he’s allowed 41 knocks through 27 innings. But an adjustment period is to be expected!
RHP Braxton Roxby continued his recent surge, throwing 2.1 shutout innings with just a hit and a hit batter, lowering his ERA to 3.78, albeit with a 5.10 FIP. RHP Christian Alvarado made his AAA debut on Friday and was brilliant, striking out 2 batters in a perfect inning; his follow-up performance on Sunday didn’t go as well, with 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs in 2 innings.
AA Richmond (63-43)
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Reading Fightin Phils 10-9 [box score] Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Reading Fightin Phils 6-2 [box score] Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Reading Fightin Phils 6-5 [box score]
The weekend started with excitement for the Squirrels, who used a 5-run rally in the 7th inning to tie Friday’s game, before walking it off in the 9th. It ended with disappointment, after they entered the 7th inning on Sunday with a 5-0 lead that they would blow over the final 3 innings of the game.
The walk-off run was knocked in and scored by a pair of fun players who had nice weekends: second baseman/third baseman Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) led off the 9th with a single, and used his nice speed to score from third base on a fielder’s choice hit by contact-maven left fielder Jose Astudillo, who was playing in his 1st AA game.
JOSE ASTUDILLO WALKS IT OFF IN HIS DOUBLE-A DEBUT!!!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 8, 2026
Ahuna hit 5-12 over the weekend, with 2 doubles, a walk, a stolen base, and, critically, no strikeouts. Strikeouts have been the big issue for Ahuna, both in his career and in this year, but he’s made leaps and bounds lately. Just look at his month-by month splits:
April: 27 strikeouts in 77 at-bats May: 32 strikeouts in 71 at-bats June: 37 strikeouts in 74 at-bats July: 12 strikeouts in 58 at-bats August: 4 strikeouts in 27 at-bats
Ahuna has also bounced back from quite a slump, and in his last 12 games is hitting 12-37 with 6 extra-base hits, 10 walks, and 5 strikeouts. With that, his OPS has climbed back to .690 and his wRC+ to 89.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 9, 2026
As for Astudillo, he received a fairly surprising recent promotion after just 15 games in High-A, which was primarily the result of a chain reaction from Tanner Mally joining Low-A San Jose, but also the result of Astudillo hitting .333 in his brief Northwest League stint. It seems that it doesn’t matter where he is, the 22-year old is going to get hits, hits, and more hits. He went 6-13 over the weekend, with both a stolen base and an outfield assist, and didn’t strike out.
Did I mention that those were his 1st 3 games at the level? Not a bad introduction, kid!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 9, 2026
Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) continues to adjust very well to the level, as he hit 4-13 with a home run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. What’s there to say about last year’s 3rd-round pick? He has an .804 OPS and a 114 wRC+ through 21 games with Richmond, has 9 stolen bases in 12 attempts, is striking out just 7.4% of the time, and is playing strong defense in the center of the grass. Just a year ago he was a player drafted way ahead of where the mocks and big boards had him; now he’s one of the best prospects in the system.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 9, 2026
Nice weekends for right fielder Jack Payton and catcher Ty Hanchey. Payton, an 11th-round pick in 2023 who celebrated his 25th birthday on Friday, hit 3-7 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts, and had the hit that moved Ahuna from 1st to 3rd setting up the walk-off. Payton has a .739 OPS and a 102 wRC+ in AA this year. Hanchey, a 26-year old who went undrafted in 2023, went 3-7 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout, raising his OPS to .735 and his wRC+ to 97.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 9, 2026
A very uninteresting weekend on the mound. There wasn’t much at all from a starter’s standpoint, as LHP Charlie McDaniel got rocked on Friday (7 hits and 3 runs in 3.2 innings, with 4 strikeouts), while LHP Tyler Switalski avoided damage on Saturday but wasn’t sharp (6 hits and 4 walks, but just 2 runs in 5 innings, with 5 strikeouts). Both players are struggling to adjust to AA (5.01 ERA, 4.38 FIP for the former, and an 8.31 ERA, 7.22 FIP for the latter). Sunday was a bullpen game.
The bullpen performances weren’t that exciting, either. Friday featured a debut though, and it went well, as LHP Esmerlin Vinicio struck out 3 batters in 2 scoreless innings, while ceding 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter. The 23-year old had a strong season in High-A, and nice to see him get a chance in AA. He certainly has some interesting funk.
Welcome to Richmond, Esmerlin Vinicio 🥊
He strikes out the first batter he sees on three pitches for his first Double-A K! pic.twitter.com/bsWG3vMWx6
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 8, 2026
RHPs Marques Johnson and Ryan Vanderhei were excellent on Saturday, as each pitched 2 shutout frames: Johnson allowed a hit and a walk while striking out 4, lowering his ERA to 5.19 and his FIP to 3.92 through 6 games in AA (he spent most of the year in AAA); Vanderhei gave up just a walk, while striking out 3, lowering his ERA to 3.05 and his FIP to 4.11.
High-A Eugene (65-42)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds beat Spokane 4-2 [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds lost to Spokane 7-6 [box score]
Just 2 games for the Emeralds, as Sunday’s game was postponed due to the poor air quality in the region (the games were in Spokane, where there are some awful wildfires currently). Obviously thinking of everyone in that area and hoping for everyone’s safety.
The weekend was all about the long ball for the Emeralds. They didn’t have a good pair of games from a pitching standpoint, and their offense was extremely home run reliant: they only had 14 hits over the 2 games, but 5 of them cleared the fence.
Having the best performance from that standpoint was, fittingly, the organization’s home run leader, center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL). The just-turned 21-year old from Cuba hit 1-4 with a solo home run in both games, while drawing a walk on Friday and striking out on Saturday. Thanks to the AAA struggles of Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and the injury that Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) is dealing with, that made Diaz the 1st player in the system this year to bop 20 home runs … and then 21 (3 of which came while in Low-A for a brief stint when he couldn’t cross the northern border).
Lisbel Diaz retakes the (active) team lead in HR with 17!
Diaz is also getting to play center field regularly since Jordan’s promotion, which is exciting because he does have a lot of defensive talent (though it’s hard to tell from watching games if he can stick in center … he certainly has the arm and speed to be a strong corner outfielder, though). His OPS on the year is a glistening .824, though a minuscule walk rate (3.3%) means his wRC+ sits at just 109. Still, that counts as a great season in my books for someone who has his defensive abilities, has a low strikeout rate (16.4%), and is roughly 2.5 years younger than his average peer in the Northwest League.
Speaking of players who are very young for the level, 19-year old shortstop phenom Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) also left the yard, with a massive 3-run blast on Saturday. That was Level’s only hit of the weekend, as he didn’t play on Friday and went 1-5 with 2 strikeouts on Saturday … but sometimes you just need 1 swing.
Jhonny Level power stroke, two-run shot, batting average in High-A back to just a tick under .300! pic.twitter.com/czu4QZsNX9
The switch-hitter is on quite a heater right now, as he’s 9-16 with 3 extra-base hits and 6 walks over his last 4 games. It’s kind of staggering how well Level has adjusted to life in High-A, considering how young he is. There are 60 hitters in the Northwest League with at least 200 plate appearances this year, and Level is 4th in batting average (.296), 21st in on-base percentage (.358), 21st in isolated slugging (.194), 14th in OPS (.848), and 12th in wRC+ (123). He’s been flying up prospect rankings and I’m here to say he should be flying up them even further!
Rounding out the dinger party were right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL), who went 2-7 with a solo homer, a walk, and 2 strikeouts, and second baseman Zander Darby, who hit 3-8 with a solo blast and 2 strikeouts. Those were Maldonado’s 1st 2 games in High-A, as the 2025 7th-rounder was just promoted following a decent stint in San Jose. As for Darby, he continues to have a strong season but a big strikeout issue: the 23-year old has an .819 OPS and a 115 wRC+, but a 31.1% strikeout rate.
Ems fans, get used to MASSIVE Cam Maldonado Home Runs!
Not very good stuff on the mound. LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL) continued his struggles with the strike zone, walking 5 batters in as many innings, while giving up 4 hits and 4 runs. It just wasn’t a sharp day for LDLT, who also had 2 wild pitches and 2 balks, threw less than half of his pitches for strikes, and only had 3 strikeouts on the day.
De La Torre is one of the names I’m most fascinated to discuss when we rank prospects again this winter. There are 62 pitchers in the Northwest League who have thrown at least 40 innings this year, and he’s 15th in strikeouts per 9 (11.1), and 6th in batting average against (.193). Dudes just can’t hit him! He’s also 59th out of those 62 in walks per 9 (7.2), which is a terrifying figure for someone who will turn 23 next month. What to make of that?
RHP Nate Nabholz pitched for the 2nd time since getting promoted and it went swimmingly, as he tossed 3 shutout frames with a hit and a strikeout, while throwing 22 of 29 pitches for strikes. It was just the 10th career game for Nabholz, a 25-year old whom the Giants acquired from the Frontier League recently. So far, so good, though he’s not getting many strikeouts.
Low-A San Jose (60-48)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports 9-0 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports 10-4 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants lost to the Stockton Ports 14-7 [box score]
Here’s a pretty wild thing to say. I think shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) might be too good for Low-A. It’s wild to say because González, at 18 years old, is more than 3 years younger than the average Cal League player. And it’s wild to say because González, who dealt with multiple hamstring injuries this year, played just 30 games in the Arizona Complex League.
But it’s certainly not wild to say if you follow the box scores or watch him play. González had another sensational weekend, hitting 6-13 with a triple, 2 doubles, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts.
The sample size is still small, as González has only played 11 games with San Jose, and there may be bumps and bruises incoming (which is half of why you keep a player at a level, despite what he currently looks like). Still, you want to know how impressive the defensively-brilliant switch-hitter has been? All you have to do is drop down the playing time requirements in the league and see where he sits on the leaderboard. Which I’ll now do for you.
There are 143 players who have had at least 50 plate appearances in the Cal League this year. González is 2nd in batting average (.357), 5th in on-base percentage (.462), 20th in isolated slugging (.238), 29th in walk rate (15.4%), 35th in strikeout rate (19.2%), 3rd in OPS (1.057), and 2nd in wRC+ (161). Again: those numbers will probably drop, but they contextualize just how dominant his opening run in the league is.
Stay hot kid! After that RBI double, Josuar Gonzalez now has seven hits and seven RBI in his last four games. pic.twitter.com/J5dZmJIinh
Shortstop/third baseman Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) continues to lag well behind, understandable given that he’s more than a year younger and this is his debut season. Hernández hit just 3-15 with 7 strikeouts and an error, lowering his OPS to .599 and his wRC+ to 47. It’ll come. These things take time.
Right fielder/center fielder Tanner Mally made his professional debut on Friday, as the 17th-rounder from Central Michigan became the 1st player from the team’s 2026 draft class to get into a game. And goodness gracious did he ever fit in! The 21-year old righty collected hits in all 3 games, going 6-12 with a triple, a walk, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts. That’ll play! Welcome to the pros, Tanner … may your future days be as good as the opening act was!
WHAT A CATCH! Tanner Mally most definitely made it to the theater to watch a Brand New Day. pic.twitter.com/I2xfj2KPNF
Second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) continued his tear, hitting 6-14 with a home run, 2 doubles, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts. With that, Meola is now tied for the Minor League lead with 35 doubles this year … brilliant!
Last year’s 4th-round pick has really gained momentum over the summer, as he’s hit 44-134 with 6 home runs, 2 triples, 16 doubles, and 13 walks since the start of July. Great to see him start to put together such good at-bats, after he had really struggled earlier in the year. It’s really been a tale of two seasons for Meola, and the result is, fittingly, a line that’s right down the middle: .803 OPS, 98 wRC+.
Also homering was corner outfielder Broedy Poppell, who went 2-7 with a 3-run home run, 2 walks, and a strikeout. A 13th-rounder a year ago, Poppell has really struggled to find success in A-ball, where he has just a .697 OPS and an 80 wRC+, with a 28.2% strikeout rate. So it was nice seeing him have such a good weekend!
Some really good pitching performances, starting with Friday’s starter, 23-year old LHP Jordan Gottesman. It was a fantastic start for the 2025 6th-rounder, who tossed 5.2 shutout innings with just 4 hits and 1 walk allowed, while striking out 6 batters, and throwing 57 of 88 pitches for strikes.
It’s those hits and strikeouts that really have stood out for the Northeastern product, as he has 9.7 strikeouts against just 2.9 walks per 9 innings this year. Despite that, he has just a 4.34 ERA and a 5.00 FIP, the result of ceding 83 hits and 11 home runs in 87 innings. Sometimes there’s a price to pay for living in the strike zone! But great to see Gottesman have such a good game after getting rocked in his last outing.
Following him was the recently-promoted RHP Samir Chires, who threw 3.1 scoreless innings with just 1 hit allowed, while striking out 2. Chires has been really strong during his short Low-A stint, as he has a 2.81 ERA and a 3.85 FIP, with 14 strikeouts to just 2 walks in 16 innings.
A pair of awesome relief outings on Saturday, after a tough start from promising 20-year old LHP Leandro Rodriguez. First it was RHP Fernando Vasquez, who struck out 5 batters in 2.2 scoreless innings, with 3 hits, 0 walks, and a hit batter. Vasquez really struggled with run prevention early on, giving up 16 earned runs in 12.2 innings across May and April. But since then, he’s allowed just 9 earned runs in 24 innings. After making that adjustment, he’s moved on to a new one: setting straight his strikeout and walk numbers. Through the end of July, Vasquez had 44 strikeouts to 41 walks in 41 innings. But in his pair of August outings? 10 strikeouts to 1 walk in 5.2 innings. Much better!
Then it was a sight for sore eyes: RHP R.J. Dabovich, who kicked off a rehab assignment. A 27-year old taken in the 4th round in 2020, Dabovich has had a brutal time with injuries in his career, and has thrown just 19.1 innings over the last 4 seasons combined. He was shut down after 2 appearances with AA Richmond this year, but finally returned after 4 months on the sidelines. That’s all that matters, but the performance was great too, as he allowed a hit in a shutout inning, while striking out the side.
Unfortunately, the good vibes ended on Sunday when RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) got positively destroyed, giving up 6 hits, 3 walks, 8 runs, and 7 earned runs, while only recording 3 outs. That’s an ERA buster for Martinez, who has a 5.40 ERA and a 5.22 FIP a year after his breakout campaign. There’s so much to love about Martinez, who is incredibly electric and hard to hit. As evidence, there are 109 pitchers who have thrown at least 30 innings in the Cal League this season, and Martinez is 7th in strikeouts per 9 innings (13.2) and 21st in batting average against (.223). He’s just walking too many hitters and giving up too many long balls.
Dominican Summer League Black (31-18)
Friday: DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Nationals 9-2 [box score] Saturday: DSL Giants Black lost to the DSL Mets Blue 5-0 (7 innings) [box score]
Well, some excitement and not the good kind, as the Giants Black squad got no-hit on Saturday. Oops!
Some good performances on Friday though. Second baseman Keiberg Camacaro hit 2-5 while bashing a grand slam, which is always great to see. Camacaro, who also struck out in the game, then went 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout on Saturday. He’s getting accustomed to second base after getting moved off of shortstop by Joniel Hernandez, the thrilling 17-year old that the Giants acquired in the Robbie Ray trade. Camacaro now has a 1.040 OPS and a 147 wRC+ as his sensational 4th pass through the DSL continues. Hernandez, meanwhile, hit just 1-7 with a walk and 2 strikeouts, lowering his OPS to .970 and his wRC+ to 130. Still, a brilliant debut season for the righty, who should be in Minor League camp stateside next spring when he celebrates his 18th birthday.
Center fielder Djean Macares hit 0-5 with 2 strikeouts over the pair of games, but on Friday drew 3 walks and stole a base. He has an .826 OPS, a 123 wRC+, and 22 stolen bases in his 2nd DSL season, and the recently-turned 18-year old should see himself playing in Arizona next year.
RHP Luis Hernandez, a 20-year old in his 3rd season, tossed 5 scoreless innings with just 2 hits allowed, though he walked 3, hit a batter, and only struck out 1. He’s had a tough year, with far more walks than strikeouts. RHP Lender Bracho had 4 strikeouts and 0 walks in 3 scoreless innings, with 2 hits. The 21-year old has a 2.08 ERA but a 5.15 FIP in his 3rd season.
Dominican Summer League Orange (27-22)
Friday: DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Blue Jays Blue 8-4 (7 innings) [box score] Saturday: DSL Giants Orange lost to DSL Arizona Black 6-1 (7 innings) [box score]
Quite a debut we got to witness in these games! Israel Alfonse, a 17-year old from the Dominican Republic, made his professional debut on Friday while playing designated hitter, and went 1-3 with a home run and a strikeout. On Saturday, in his 2nd career game, he played shortstop and went 1-2 with a stolen base, though he also had a strikeout and an error. That’s a great career start!
RHP Kelvin Silva, a 20-year old in his debut season, struck out 2 batters in an inning of work, while only allowing 1 baserunner on a hit by pitch. He has a 3.12 ERA and a 4.11 FIP through 7 career games.
Home run tracker
21 — Lisbel Diaz x2 — [18 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 17 — Parks Harber — [5 in AAA; 12 in AA] 12 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A] 9 — Broedy Poppell — [6 in Low-A; 3 in ACL] 8 — Jonah Cox — [1 in MLB; 1 in AAA; 6 in AA] 6 — Keiberg Camacaro — [DSL] 5 — Aeverson Arteaga — [3 in AAA; 2 in AA] 5 — Trevor Cohen — [2 in AA; 3 in High-A] 1 — Israel Alfonse — [DSL]
Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, the Dodgers continue to scuffle, the NL MVP race heats up, a number of notable prospects arrive to the majors, Paul Skenes is slumping, and Mike Trout celebrates his birthday as only he can.
As a reminder, this article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook.
Let’s get into it!
Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, August 10.
The Brewers have won five out of six games to reclaim the top spot in our rankings. Jacob Misiorowski reached 200 strikeouts over the weekend, the second-fastest ever (Spencer Strider - 2023) to reach that mark in a season. Now the Brewers head on the road, highlighted by a four-game series against the Dodgers later this week. It should be a fun potential playoff preview.
2) Tampa Bay Rays ⬆️
Last week: 4
Winners of six straight, the Rays have the second-best record in baseball and have opened up a 5.5-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. They’ll now try to take advantage of an upcoming stretch against the Athletics, Orioles, and Blue Jays.
Liam Hicks has made fast friends with Rays fans, hitting .283 (5-for-17) with a homer, six RBI, three walks and zero strikeouts through his first five games. He’s been exactly as advertised.
So....last week I questioned how much the Dodgers’ struggles really matter, but it does matter if they end up playing in the Wild Card round. If the playoffs began today, that's exactly what they'd be doing. That didn't stop the Dodgers from winning the World Series last year, but it's a dangerous game.
Among LA's recent issues, Edwín Díaz blew back-to-back save chances over the weekend and the club's catching situation is an ongoing cause for concern. All signs point to them being fine come playoff time, but for a heavy World Series favorite, it all just feels shakier than it should be. They have a chance to change the conversation this week, with Tarik Skubal making his home debut on Monday against the Rockies and Blake Snell making his return from the IL on Tuesday. The aforementioned series against the Brewers awaits later this week.
4) Atlanta Braves ⬇️
Last week: 3
The Braves lost two out of three to the Yankees over the weekend, but still have a stranglehold on the National League East. Matt Olson has five homers this month, bringing his total to 34 for the year. He has a real shot at his second NL home run crown.
5) Chicago Cubs
Last week: 5
Thursday’s duel between Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani was definitely a treat, but what PCA did in Friday’s game was arguably even cooler.
According to FanDuel, Crow-Armstrong is now a slight favorite (-122) over Ohtani (+100) for NL MVP. It’s a fascinating debate, but PCA has a real chance at a 10-WAR season.
6) New York Yankees
Last week: 6
Well, it’s safe to say that George Lombard Jr. looks pretty comfortable in the majors.
While the Yankees lost Sunday’s finale against the Braves, it was nice to see a bounceback performance from Cam Schlittler (7 IP, 1 ER, 11K, 0 BB).
7) Boston Red Sox
Last week: 7
After winning 27 out of 30 games, including an instant classic against the White Sox on Thursday, the Red Sox lost two out of three to the Athletics over the weekend. Of course that happened.
The D-Backs took out of three from the Dodgers over the weekend, highlighted by a comeback win against Edwín Díaz on Friday and Eduardo Rodriguez throwing 115 pitches in Sunday’s victory. Now they’ll welcome Michael Soroka back from the injured list for a series against the Rockies. Soroka was off to a great start this season (3.07 ERA in 15 starts) prior to hitting the IL with a left glute strain in late June.
9) Philadelphia Phillies ⬆️
Last week: 10
Kyle Schwarber went 17 games without a homer before smacking a pair of them in Sunday’s extra-inning win over the Blue Jays. The Phillies went 7-10 during his power outage.
10) Chicago White Sox ⬇️
Last week: 8
In one of the more bizarre scenes in recent memory, White Sox manager Will Venable made the mistake of trying to visit his starting pitcher Noah Schultz in the first inning on Friday. The problem is that pitching coach Zach Bove visited him earlier in the inning, so that automatically triggered Schultz leaving the game.
The White Sox had already used a mound visit in the first inning, so when Will Venable went out to check on Noah Schultz, Schultz had to come out of the game.
Venable called the mistake “inexcusable” after the White Sox dropped the opener, but the White Sox responded by taking the next two games from the Guardians.
11) San Diego Padres
Last week: 11
The Padres took two out of three from the Astros over the weekend as Fernando Tatís Jr. and Jackson Merrill continue to stay hot. Remember when Tatís somehow didn’t have a home run? He’s now slugged six homers over his last 21 games. As for Merrill, he has a 1.089 OPS this month and is hitting .312 over his last 39 games.
The Astros have dropped back-to-back series and hold a slim lead over the Rangers in the AL West. They have a chance to put the Mariners way (potentially for good) later this week.
13) Texas Rangers ⬆️
Last week: 19
The Rangers saw their four-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, but they are sitting pretty with 10 out of their next 13 games coming against the Angels and the Athletics.
Side note: It's nice to see Corey Seager doing Corey Seager things again.
Sandy Alcantara continues to assert himself as perhaps the best pitcher in Marlins history. He passed Ricky Nolasco for the franchise record in innings during Saturday’s start against the Angels. He’s now spun 20 scoreless innings across his last three starts as the Marlins continue to stay relevant in the NL Wild Card race.
15) Detroit Tigers ⬆️
Last week: 22
The team who has made the biggest jump over the past week is the team who traded away both Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Baseball is funny like that. With youngsters Max Clark and Jackson Jobe in tow, the Tigers pulled off a 7-2 West Coast trip. This week will be critical to their chances as they return home to face the Guardians and the White Sox.
16) St. Louis Cardinals ⬆️
Last week: 18
The Cardinals were a seller a week ago, but here they are with five wins in their last seven. It gets tough this week with the Phillies and Cubs, but either way the Cardinals have stuck around a lot longer than anyone would have thought coming into the year.
17) Washington Nationals ⬆️
Last week: 20
No James Wood or Luis García Jr.? No problem. The Nats swept the Reds over the weekend while scoring 20 runs across three games.
18) Minnesota Twins ⬇️
Last week: 16
The Twins have lost six out of their last eight, but it’s been fun to see Kaelen Culpepper up in the majors. Can Walker Jenkins be far behind?
While we’re on the topic of debuts, it’s hard to have a better one than Angel Genao had against the Mets last week. Genao became the first player in franchise history to collect four hits in his MLB debut. He added his first MLB homer on Saturday. The Guardians, though, are headed in the wrong direction here.
20) Baltimore Orioles ⬆️
Last week: 21
Gunnar Henderson’s struggles continue to be nothing short of stunning. It’s somehow gotten worse of late, as he’s hitting .171 since the start of July and he’s 2-for-22 to start the month of August.
21) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬇️
Last week: 14
The Pirates have lost each of Paul Skenes’ last three starts. We used to lament the lack of offense Skenes would get in his starts, but this is mostly on the pitcher. He’s sporting an unsightly 8.16 ERA with 10 walks in 14 1/3 innings over his last three starts.
22) Cincinnati Reds ⬆️
Last week: 23
After being swept by the Nationals over the weekend, thoughts of contention are probably over for the Reds this season, but now there’s concern about next year too now that Hunter Greene is set to undergo surgery for a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
23) Seattle Mariners ⬇️
Last week: 17
Seriously, Mariners? They’ve lost four straight and 13 out of their last 18 games. And it doesn’t get any easier from here, as they’ll now embark on a nine-game roadtrip while making stops in the Bronx, Houston, and Milwaukee. Needless to say, this is a pivotal week for them. I don't want to say they could play themselves out of a playoff spot this week given how mediocre the AL is, but they are really pushing it.
To prevent this section from being a complete downer, here's 52-year-old Ichiro hitting some dingers in the Mariners' alumni Home Run Derby this past weekend. It's not a stretch to say maybe he could help the Mariners right now?
After being rested for some inflammation in his hamstring, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. connected for his first homer since July 11 during Saturday’s game against the Phillies. Even with that, Guerrero’s .359 slugging percentage ranks below the likes of Chandler Simpson and Andrés Gimenez. It's mind-blowing.
25) New York Mets ⬆️
Last week: 26
Break up the Mets…again! The Mets have won five out of six while playing spoiler against the Guardians and the Pirates. The club is looking toward who can help in 2027 and Sean Manaea has made a strong case to be part of that plan. He’s been a bright spot recently with a 2.16 ERA across his last four starts.
26) San Francisco Giants ⬇️
Last week: 25
Kudos to Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow, who announced last week that he’s planning to retire at the end of the 2026 season. With the nature of this job, I’ve spent a lot of time working late at night while listening to him and his longtime partner Duane Kuiper. Their banter and ability to make the game breathe is unparalleled. Congrats on a legendary career.
The Giants honored Mike Krukow with a tribute at Oracle Park after the second inning pic.twitter.com/p5wIS4fmBv
The Royals currently hold a 5.36 ERA from their bullpen this season. Only the Athletics (who have to pitch half of their games in Sacramento) have been worse.
28) Athletics
Last week: 28
An eventful few days for the Athletics, who parted ways with GM and longtime front office member David Forst before the club took two out of three from the hottest team in baseball in the Red Sox. We also saw Jacob Wilson set the MLB record by going 111 games at shortstop without committing an error.
29) Colorado Rockies
Last week: 29
How soon before outfielder Zac Veen gets a chance with the Rockies? While playing with Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, he put together one of the best individual performances you’ll ever see. He went 5-for-5 with three home runs, seven RBI, and 17 total bases.
Oh my word.#Rockies top prospect Zac Veen has left the yard again.
It’s always nice to treat yourself on your birthday. Mike Trout does it in his own way. With Friday’s solo shot against the Marlins, he’s now homered on his birthday six times in his legendary career to tie Mark Reynolds and Alex Rodriguez for the MLB record. Yes, they keep track of such things. Trout is now 35 years old, which in turn makes me question where the last 15 years have gone.
It was held on Thursday at Saldon Arena in Barrie, Ontario, home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts, and hosted by Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall.
Ekblad, who captained the Colts during his time in the OHL before being drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2014, spoke about what the event meant to him.
“It’s amazing, it’s nostalgic,” Ekblad said to CTV News. “Skating on this ice and snapping it around in warm-ups was really cool. I see a lot of familiar faces, fans from back in the day, so nostalgic would be the word I use for it.”
Ekblad was the captain of Team Denim while another former Colt legend, John Tavares, was captain of Team Plaid.
Every year, the Barn Burner raises money to support local charities and community programs throughout the Barrie area, including the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Foundation, the John Tavares Foundation, PIE Education and several others.
“It’s an extremely important cause, I’m really happy to be here,” Ekblad said. “They’re doing great things in the community and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
Photo caption: Mar 16, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman AaronEkblad(5) celebrates a goal with center SamBennett(9) in the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at FLA Live Arena. (Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports)
