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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

July has nearly all but come and gone, and the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline sits exactly one week away. It’s still a little odd to me personally to see it land on August 3rd, but that’s what the league decided before the beginning of 2026, so that’s just how it is.

Honestly, in a muddled season like 2026 to date, it’s probably for the best to give teams as much time as possible to determine if they think they’re true contenders or pretenders. The league’s respective Wild Card races are flush with mediocrity and even some division leaders are barely above .500. Do not take this for throwing stones in a glass house, however; the Yankees are certainly lacking in certain areas of their team and most desperately need captain Aaron Judge to return to health by September 1st at the absolute earliest.

In the meantime, the Yankees at least have another week to consider the best possible external options to improve their roster. It’s a tricky game, and as always, it takes two to tango. Even if you want your team to get Player X and they put forth the public’s consensus best offer, they’re not a lock to land him. The selling club is well within its rights to decline if their own internal valuations have a different opinion.

The Yankees will look to make a move, but what position should be their greatest priority? This was the topic of last week’s Reacts survey. The results are below.*

*Keep in mind that this poll ran before news broke of rumored catching addition Shea Langeliers’ possible season-ending injury and Cody Bellinger’s hamstring strain.

Yankees fans are fairly at the limit with the current catching plans. Despite a homer over the weekend, Austin Wells has been a colossal disappointment this year. Yankees catchers have combined for a .185/.268/.283 triple slash in 2026, which FanGraphs rates as a 56 wrC+, the third-worst mark in baseball. There desperately needs to be some improvement there, hence the overwhelming 74-percent majority voting for “catcher” in this survey. Colorado’s Hunter Goodman, Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers, and Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson are all possible options who we’ve profiled as possible trade targets.

Of course, it’s not as though fans are solely focused on the men behind the plate. A common response to the Feed poll was that there were numerous areas to improve.

One possible counterpoint was raised by ConorGallogly, who noted that there was reason to be optimistic about some degree of a Wells rebound. Through his first three seasons in the majors (937 plate appearances), he was a 100 wRC+ hitter. Could he really be a true-talent 55 wRC+ now? Some uncertainty about that is understandable. And the Yankees’ left side of the infield has been a weakness with Anthony Volpe, José Caballero, Ryan McMahon, and Amed Rosario all leaving plenty to be desired at shortstop and third base.

The last sentence of the comment, however? That is also true. Wells undoubtedly has “just been so bad.”

Another point raised was that general manager Brian Cashman could try to improve a relative strength and add a starting pitcher. At the very least, it’s hard not to at least consider a package for two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who would be the best name on the market if the disappointing Tigers made him available.

Imagine Skubal with Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, and Max Fried in a playoff rotation? Holy moly. Again, it’s probably a pipe dream, but why not dream big?

Another pitcher who might be out of reach but still fascinating is elite Padres closer Mason Miller, who could be on the market for the second year in a row. David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, Brett Headrick, and even Paul Blackburn have provided some great innings of late relief, but there’s certainly a sentiment that the Yankees could use at least one more reliable reliever to make the middle relief more palatable. And it doesn’t have to be an addition who slots in there; instead, it could be a jewel like Miller, who pushes everyone down the pecking order.

Someone like Miller’s teammate Adrian Morejon might be more likely, though.

We’ll see what the Yankees end up doing. And stay tuned for the next Reacts survey, when we’ll delve into the Yankees’ catching options on the market! I agree that some move there is most likely (and the greatest need).

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These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.

The Braves are having fun. Mostly. Probably. They have a top five-ish record in the league both after the All-Star Break, and in July as a whole. No team has scored more runs in July, even though the Braves are just 15th in xwOBA for the month. They haven’t lost a series since the All-Star Break, including exorcising a very specific demon by beating the Padres in a series at home — something they hadn’t achieved since 2018. Now, fresh off a series win after a trio of close, wacky games in Baltimore, they’re off to New York in search of more Ws.

And, as fate has inevitably contorted itself, I have coverage of another Martin Perez start. To be very clear: this was not my original assignment; I switched from tomorrow to today to help scheduling stuff. No, I did not check who was pitching for the Braves. But I think I already knew. Much like Perez’ style of pitching, we are all just marionettes on the erratically-rattled strings of the universe.

Anyway, Martin Perez! He’s had his ups and his downs. He was in the middle of a rough stretch when he was hit on the forearm by a comebacker, and had to miss some time on the Injured List. He came back last week and had a very strange outing against the Padres: four innings, four walks, three strikeouts, and a 1-0 lead when he departed. (The Braves eventually won, 7-6.) It was his fourth start in a row with very poor peripherals, but the defense and the vagaries of his own pitching style and the universe at large bailed him out from suffering any damage in the runs ledger.

On the season, Perez has a 79 ERA-, 107 FIP-, and 101 xFIP- in 85 2/3 innings, which… yeah. Sometimes not everything is undeservedly bad. Sometimes, things are undeservedly good. Hurrah.

As for the Mets, well, they’re kind of just depressing. At 44-62, they have MLB’s third-worst record. They’re 8-12 in July, and recently announced that nearly everyone on their roster is available in trade, though they haven’t actually started moving guys yet. It’s been a tough season in Queens for many reasons, though a big one is a huge offensive xwOBA underperformance that’s made a decent set of inputs translate into some of the league’s worst outputs. In addition, the Mets’ lack of defensive prowess has made their run prevention more of a problem than it’s needed to be.

On the flip side, 24-year-old Zac Thornton, tonight’s scheduled starter, has been a nice story so far in four starts. He wasn’t pitching all that well in the minors before being called up, and had a rough landing in his MLB debut, but then dominated the Phillies in his second try… though the Mets still lost that game, 2-1. He’s then had a couple of weirder outings — zero runs tallied to him (hi, Martin Perez!), but just a 7/3 K/BB ratio in 13 innings. He hasn’t allowed a homer since his debut, so that’s why his line is 47/71/99 (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-). The Mets could use some undeservedly good stuff, too, after how their season has gone.

As a pitcher, Thornton is definitely an odd duck. He’s a cutter-slider-thing-first lefty who generates good “rise” with his not-thrown-that-hard fastballs. He also throws a sweeper that’s much slower than his cutter thing. His command’s been kind of rough, but it’s an in-the-zone rough, so he’s not walking the world, and the ability to use his four-seamer and sweeper as a change-of-pace has helped him survive.

Ronald Acuña Jr. will apparently be back for this game, so that might be more exciting than everything else put together.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 27, 7:10 p.m. EDT

Location: Citi Field, Flushing, NY

TV/Streaming: BravesVision

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM

Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers

Monday, July 27, 2026, 1:35 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

RHP George Kirby vs. RHP Kumar Rocker

Go Rangers!

On Sunday the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were inducted in Cooperstown, New York. It’s a celebration of a baseball career that made its mark well beyond the impact a player had on an individual team. There are 354 members of the Hall of Fame, including just 281 players. This year’s class of players included Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent.

Kent spent most of his career in the National League, playing for the Mets, Giants, Dodgers and the Houston Astros (back when they were in the Cubs’ division). He had 264 plate appearances against the Cubs, slashing .267/.330/.446 with 10 home runs against Chicago’s NL team. It’s a solid, if unremarkable line. His wRC+ of 101 against the Cubs is almost exactly league average. A worthy adversary, for sure, but not the bod

But yesterday, as Kent was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he invoked Ryne Sandberg, one of the greatest Cubs of all time, as a key influence on him as a second baseman:

"I never had a chance to meet Ryne, but I watched him play every day because I wanted to be like him."

Jeff Kent credits the late Ryne Sandberg for setting the standard for generations of second basemen 💙 pic.twitter.com/E4cZOs6pPw

— MLB (@MLB) July 26, 2026

Kent was choked up as he mentioned the Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman who passed away last year. I was choked up as he noted that Ryne Sandberg not only set the standard for a generation of second basemen, but played with “respect, toughness and a quiet fire.” It made me flash back to Sandberg’s Hall of Fame induction speech, which revolves around the theme of what it means to respect the game.

It was a beautiful day to celebrate the long legacy of baseball, and the newest members of baseball’s most exclusive fraternity. Kent’s remarks were a fitting tribute to the man who set the standard for Cubs fans as well.

The MLB trade deadline is officially under a week away, which means that it’s crunch time for the Nats to prove whether or not they deserve to be invested in. They currently sit 2 games above .500 and 1.0 game back of the last Wild Card spot, making these next few series’ as important as they come. This will also be their first test without Curtis Mead after he was dealt to Boston, and the offense will look for someone else to step up and take his place.

Washington’s opponent is the Toronto Blue Jays, a team that is destined to sell at the deadline and still remains 10 games under .500. They’ve gone 3-7 in their last 10 games and are likely to see some major changes to their roster before August 3rd. With Atlanta next on the schedule, now is the time for the Nats to assert their dominance and prove once again that they’re worthy of adding to at the deadline.

Game One – Monday 6:45 PM EST

TOR: RHP Max Scherzer (1-4, 10.23 ERA)

WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-3, 4.22 ERA)

The future Hall-of-Famer has looked far from that status through 6 games in 2026. Scherzer is closing in on 3,000 innings, and this season could be his last. His arsenal is a far cry from what made him one of the league’s best arms in the 2010s, and teams have jumped all over him this year.

Connelly Early’s addition will force the Nats’ coaching staff and front office to make a few tough decisions on the state of the roster, and Alvarez could be pitching for his spot in the rotation every time he takes the mound. His impressive start has diminished in recent weeks, with his 3 most recent outings resulting in at least 3 earned runs and less than 6.0 innings each.

Game Two – Tuesday 6:45 PM EST

TOR: RHP Shane Bieber (2-1, 4.70 ERA)

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (7-4, 3.58 ERA)

Bieber’s start to the season was delayed by an injury that kept him out until late June, and he’s seen a mixed bag of results since returning to the mound. His best 2 outings have come in back-to-back fashion, however, and he enters Tuesday’s game having given up 1 earned run in his last 13.0 innings pitched.

The Washington righty continues to get better in what has turned into a full-fledged breakout season, with July being far and away his most impressive month yet. He’s thrown 6.0 innings and given up 3 runs or less in 5 of his last 6 starts, and the Nationals will look to heavily on him with their rotation set to be shuffled around in the coming days and weeks.

Game Three – Wednesday 1:05 PM EST

TOR: RHP Trey Yesavage (4-5, 3.92 ERA)

WSH: RHP Zack Littell (7-8, 5.17 ERA)

Yesavage has seen his fair share of struggles recently, with a 2.56 ERA in May followed up with 4.75 and 6.11 marks in June and July, respectively. He’s been tagged for 12 earned runs across just 17.2 innings in July, and the Nats’ offense will look to continue that trend of subpar performances in the series’ finale.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a month for Littell, with 3 stellar outings sandwiching an 8-run blowup appearance on July 18th against the Athletics. He was able to bounce back with 5.0 innings of 1-run ball in his most recent game, and the Nats will hope that he can continue to get back to what was working earlier in the month.

Salvador Perez is the new home run king of Royals baseball! All hail the king!

Salvy smacked the 318th home run of his career over the weekend, passing George Brett for the most home runs ever hit by a Royals player. It is just the latest accolade in the long, storied career that has made Salvy an icon in Kansas City.

Now you can celebrate his accomplishment with your own Salvador Perez: Kansas City All-Time Home Run King t-shirt from our partners at BreakingT!

This officially MLBPA licensed shirt is available as adult or youth t-shirt, or hoodie.

Salvy is rising up the all-time home run list for all MLB catchers, and Cooperstown could be calling his name before it is all said and done.

In the meantime, we still get to watch Salvy bash home runs at the K. From all of us at Royals Review, congrats to Salvy, the home run king of Kansas City!

I left for a month and the Twins slightly improved? The team is now 1.0 game away from the final wild card spot and two more series away from the one-year anniversary of the legendary Twins Trade Deadline firesale. It remains to be seen whether we’ll be saying goodbye to any fan favorites next week or hello to new players that are part of the playoff push, but regardless, it should be an eventful week in baseball.

The Twins split a series against the Guardians and took care of business against the A’s, and now face the Royals and Mariners this week. The team could potentially get back to being an above-.500 team and fight for the playoffs. That being said, the team was in a similar spot last year prior to the fire sale, so I wouldn’t hold your breath.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• We’re starting a new segment called Daily Questions! Provide your opinion on the Twins and debate with the community!
• Game threads and recaps are back! Commiserate with your fellow fans as we experience the season together.
• Jack Purdy sets expectations for Vahn Lackey and how he can contribute to the Twins organization.
• Zach Koenig introduces us to a stat you might not have heard of: plate appearance per pitcher.
• Aidan O’Brien breaks down the most recent season from the FCL Twins.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Aaron Gleeman provides his primer to the trade deadline and routes that the Twins could take in the next week.
• Chris Schad at Zone Coverage looks at how the Twins could approach the trade deadline without “Fire Sale 2.0”.
• LaVelle E. Neal at the Star Tribune explores the dynamics between the Twins’ “triangle of authority” of Joe Pohlad, Jeremy Zoll, and Derek Shelton.
• Matthew Leach at MLB.com gives a look into the funny dynamic in the Twins clubhouse with four teammates sharing the same wedding date this fall.

In the World of Baseball:

• Tampa Bay leads the AL by three games over the Yankees, who have impressively kept pace despite still not having a timetable for Aaron Judge’s return. The White Sox are leading the AL Central by 2.5 games, and the Rangers lead the AL West by 1.5 games. The top three wild card spots are currently occupied by the Yankees, Red Sox, and Guardians.
• The NL pennant race is now down to the Dodgers and the Brewers, who are separated by a half game, while Atlanta has dropped to 4.5 games behind the Dodgers. The Cubs, Phillies, and Diamondbacks round out the wild card slots. YYes
• Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones, and Jeff Kent were enshrined on Sunday as part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
• Jesse Rogers at ESPN looks at the potential movers and shakers at the trade deadline.
• Michael Baumann at Fangraphs evaluates the Red Sox – Washington Nationals trade of Connelly Early for Curtis Mead.

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Happy Monday!

A new week is here, and I'm ready to get it going with a trio of MLB player props in the home run market — highlighted by Willson Contreras.

Here are my favorite MLB picks for July 27.

Best MLB home run props today

Home run pick: Willson Contreras (+291)

Athletics RHP Jack Perkins — the fourth-worst-rated pitcher on Batters-Box's current season dataset this evening — has been getting torched by right-handed hitters over his last few starts. 

Across the last 30 righties he has faced, he owns a 3.00 HR/9, 7.50 ERA, and just a 27.3% ground ball rate. Those hitters have produced a .418 xBA, .676 xSLG, and .391 xwOBA against him. Overall, at home this season, right-handed hitters are generating a 38% hard hit rate and a 74% elevation rate.

Enter Boston Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras. One of the hottest and most consistent bats in the lineup, Contreras has posted a .320 batting average, .520 SLG, and .953 OPS over his last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching, while generating a 46.7% hard hit rate and 13.3% barrel rate.

I love everything about this matchup, especially with the game being played in Sacramento, where temperatures are expected to be in the mid 90s. It sets up as an ideal environment for the ball to carry.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSCA, NESN

Home run pick: Corbin Carroll (+344)

The heart and soul of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Corbin Carroll, enters Monday in a great spot against Pittsburgh Pirates righty Mitch Keller, who owns a poor pitcher rating on Batters-Box along with a poorly rated matchup ISO.

Carroll carries an elite rating on Batters-Box and boasts one of the highest arsenal coverage marks among all elite-rated hitters on the slate, covering 90.4% of Keller's pitch mix.

Despite Carroll's cold stretch over the last few weeks, I think he is beyond due for a big game. Over his last 30 plate appearances against RHP, he has generated a 58% hard hit rate and 21.1% barrel rate.

He also owns a .500 SLG, .767 OPS, and .308 ISO. When you're hitting the ball that hard, the results will come.

Keller has also been getting hit hard by left-handed batters. Over the last 60 lefties he has faced, they have produced a 44.7% hard hit rate, 12.8% barrel rate, and just a 21.3% ground ball rate. They also own a .382 xBA, .631 xSLG, and .419 xwOBA against him.

Hopefully Corbin sends one over the fence, or even better, legs out a little league home run with his speed. Hey, his triple is at 15-to-1 tonight. Shrug emoji.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNP, ARID

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Ever since the All-Star break ended, the Braves have faced off against AL West, NL West and AL East opposition. I hope y’all enjoyed the grand tour because it’s over now and the Braves will be staying in the NL East for the next few weeks. 13 of the next 16 games the Braves will play are going to be against NL East opposition and the other three games will be against AL East opposition in the form of the New York Yankees. Needless to say, there won’t be many late nights around here — unless there are rain delays. Don’t come at me for jinxing it either, it’s summer in the South.

Anyways, the Braves are now set to get well acquainted with their usual divisional foes starting this week. Atlanta’s current road trip will end in New York with a three-game series against the Mets while they’ll be returning home to begin a four-game set on Thursday with the Washington Nationals. We know the usual pratfalls when it comes to dealing with these two particular ballclubs but let’s go over them once more in order to get a better idea of what lies ahead for Atlanta this week.

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July 27-29: New York Mets

Current Record: 44-62 Projected Record (via FanGraphs): 74-88

Well, at least the last time the Braves saw the Mets, they didn’t have too much trouble scoring. The Braves scored 34 runs in four games against New York when they locked horns in Cobb County. That was truly a sight for sore eyes considering how bad the offense had been during the month of June. Still, it was certainly a sign of how things were going for the Braves at that point that they somehow found a way to split that four-game series after the Mets snatched a couple of one-run wins to salvage it.

Juan Soto was a complete and total nightmare for Atlanta to deal with so far this season. In the seven games that they’ve played against the Mets, Soto has racked up five multi-hit games and 12 hits in total, with three of them being homers and 10 RBI to boot. Needless to say, Soto’s absence during this series due to a calf injury will be felt as he’s been one of the main factors keeping New York competitive with Atlanta during this season series so far.

That doesn’t mean that this’ll be smooth sailing for Atlanta’s pitching staff, though. Bo Bichette is still healthy and he’s been just as much a of a nightmare for the Braves to deal with as Soto has been. Bichette has had six multi-hit games against the Braves so far this season with 14 hits in total! He’s also had 10 RBI against the Braves so far as well. New York has scored 36 runs against Atlanta so far and 20 of those RBI have come from two players alone. Good grief. Bichette hasn’t done much since terrorizing the Braves (he hasn’t even homered since June 23) but it would not be shocking if he just suddenly found his plate production again.

So that’s the ballgame, right? Atlanta doesn’t have to deal with Juan Soto and Bo Bichette is the clear danger man here, right? Not exactly. Both Francisco Alvarez and Jared Young have been hot since running into the Braves earlier this month and Alvarez’s performances have apparently resulted in him being “shopped around” by the Mets, so there’s that. Francisco Lindor has been pretty consistent at the plate recently and New York’s been getting some solid contributions from A.J. Ewing lately as well. The Mets can do some damage at the plate on their day, as they’ve proven against the Braves a few times already and they’re coming into this series having tagged the Dodgers for eight runs in a win just yesterday.

The Braves will have to continue to hit the ball well, themselves, if they’re going to actually take care of business against New York for once. Zac Thornton has gotten his big league career off to a fine start so Monday could very well be a challenging situation for Atlanta’s lineup to deal with. With that being said, Atlanta didn’t have too many problems against Tuesday’s starter Christian Scott the last time they saw him and while a lot of Sean Manaea’s poor performance could be contributed to his defense letting him down, Wednesday’s starter certainly hasn’t been imposing, either. The Braves should be able to continue having success against this pitching staff.

This has once again been another closely-fought season series between these two teams and honestly, it wouldn’t be shocking if there was even more drama this time around.

Monday, July 27 at 7:10 p.m ET (BravesVision)
Tuesday, July 28 at 7:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision, Gray TV)
Wednesday, July 29 at 1:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

July 30-August 2: Washington Nationals

Current Record: 54-52 Projected Record: 80-82

Guess who has the top wRC+ in all of baseball since May 25? Yep, these guys. Guess who’s tied for the lead in wRC+ in all of baseball for the entire season so far? Yep, these guys again.

James Wood, Luis García Jr., CJ Abrams, Curtis Mead, Nasim Nuñez and Keibert Ruiz have all been performing at either well above-average or simply above-average levels since the last time the Braves faced them. Washington’s offense has been clicking all season and they haven’t really missed a beat at the plate. No matter who the Braves have pitching against these guys, there’s a very good chance that a slugfest could break out at any given moment against this crew. Plain and simple, they’ve been hitting at an elite level all season and at this point in the season, they are completely legit.

It’s also probably easy to guess why this team is still only two games over .500 and projected to finish under .500 despite having a genuinely elite offense. Their pitching is absolutely terrible — that was the case when the Braves played them earlier on this season and it continues to be the case as we get deeper into the season. The only National League pitching staff with an ERA- higher than Washington’s 113 mark is Colorado — and it’s actually pretty close since the Rockies are carrying an ERA- of 115. The Nationals are also carrying the second-worst FIP- in the National League at 111 (the Cubs are actually last at 113). It hasn’t gotten better for Washington since the last time Atlanta saw them, as the Nats have had a 113 ERA- and a 110 FIP- since May 25. This is just a bad pitching staff.

I think that the best way to sum up the 2026 Washington Nationals is a two-game span during their series a couple of weeks ago on the road in Sacramento. In the series opener, the Nats absolutely demolished the A’s in a 23-4 destruction. The very next day, the Nationals got whacked 15-1.

anti-wheeeeee into an anti-wheeeeee! https://t.co/e40TTye5Stpic.twitter.com/4sAAsM2AuD

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 19, 2026

That is this team in a nutshell — one day, they could take you out behind the woodshed for a beatdown and the next day, they could be the ones getting taken out behind the woodshed for a beatdown, themselves. Maybe things will get better for the Nationals once they get Connelly Early back from injury after acquiring him from the Red Sox but for now, Atlanta’s lineup is going to have to match Washington swing-for-swing and they’ll be fully capable of it if the Nationals’ pitching staff performs as advertised.

Thursday, July 30 at 7:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, July 31 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Saturday, August 1 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Sunday, August 2 at 1:35 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

Back when he was in the midst of his tenure with the Mets, I remember telling some family friends that Carlos Beltrán would end up in the Hall of Fame. That suggestion sounded outlandish to them, and hey, maybe it’s because they were all Yankees fans who hadn’t yet had the pleasure of watching him play on an everyday basis.

Even a neutral fan might not have fully appreciated Beltrán in his prime, though. He spent the first seven years playing for the Royals, after all, and the team had just one winning season during his time there. And after winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1999, Beltrán had his first truly spectacular season at the age of 24 in 2001.

After he was dealt to the Astros in 2004 ahead of his first go at free agency, Beltrán really made a name for himself by having one of the best postseason runs of anyone in the history of the sport. And even though Houston wound up losing Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, everyone who followed baseball was fully aware of how good Beltrán was.

If you hadn’t been watching him every day, you might not have known just how easy he made everything look. Once he signed with the Mets ahead of the 2005 season, though, we got to see it first hand for seven seasons. When it came to watching him patrol center field, sitting in the upper deck behind home plate at Shea Stadium was the best. You could very well appreciate his defense by listening to or watching games from home, but being there in person gave you a better understanding of just how simple he made it look to play Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field while hitting for average, getting on base, hitting for power, and stealing bases.

If Mets ownership hadn’t pushed its relationship with Beltrán to the limit as he dealt with a knee injury that cost him a huge chunk of the 2009 and 2010 seasons, we might’ve gotten to see him thrive in a Mets uniform for even longer. Given the circumstances in the final year of his seven-year contract in 2011, he couldn’t have done any better for the organization. In the 98 games he spent with the team that year, he hit .289/.391/.513, and while he drastically reduced his stolen base attempts following his knee surgery, his 150 wRC+ in that portion of the the season was his best single-season mark as a Met. That made it possible for Sandy Alderson to flip the last two months of his season to the Giants for Zack Wheeler.

Yesterday afternoon in Cooperstown, just two days shy of the fifteenth anniversary of that trade, Beltrán was the third and final inductee to give his speech, and unsurprisingly, he knocked his speech out of the park. Professional athletes aren’t always the best at giving speeches, but Beltrán looked as comfortable as anyone ever has up there on stage. He touched on his family, the history and future of baseball in his home of Puerto Rico, and the most significant parts of his major league career, highlighting the challenges and growth that he experienced in his time with the Mets. If you haven’t watched it yet, you should listen to the entire thing.

“Every organization shapes your career. New York shaped my life. It was here where I achieved my greatest success and some of my greatest challenges. Playing for the Mets made me a better man and a better leader,” said Beltrán.

While Beltrán had been hired as the Mets’ next manager only to lose the role following the fallout from the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal shortly before the COVID pandemic began, he didn’t step away from the sport. He’s currently part of the Mets’ front office, serving as a special assistant to president of baseball operations David Stearns. And with there having been some reporting that the Mets were interested in having him take over as manager after the team fired Carlos Mendoza, it would be pretty great for him to finally get his chance at taking the job—should he be interested in it—heading into the 2027 season.

Listening to his speech yesterday, you know he’d have the attention and respect of his players. Very few Hall of Fame-caliber players take up an interest in managing in the first place. And it’s probably a stretch to say that managing a team, especially the Mets, could be easy. If anyone could make it look like it is, though, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Beltrán pull that off, too.

The 2026 Yankees feel like they have been bouncing from one crisis to the next. On the heels of Cody Bellinger landing on the injured list (though the injury hopefully isn’t too serious), they suddenly find themselves in need of another outfielder, specifically one who can hit left-handed pitching and plug into the middle of the order.

Without Bellinger and Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ outfield looks a bit like a box of misfit toys. Trent Grisham has been steady, but Jasson Domínguez has continued to teeter on the edge of being an average big leaguer. Spencer Jones has also been less than inspiring, with a batting stance that looks like someone in a Hallmark movie pretending to be a professional baseball player. Super utility man Max Schuemann has held his own, but he is naturally an infielder and does not always look comfortable in the outfield.

Oddly enough, the Yankees’ current outfield actually owns better splits against left-handed pitching than right-handed pitching. Entering Sunday night, Grisham carried a .724 OPS against lefties, Domínguez sat at .740, and Jones, albeit in only 12 at-bats, owned a .774 OPS.

That said, if the Yankees decide they would rather deploy a platoon bat than continue leaning on Schuemann, there is one outfielder who just happens to mash left-handed pitching. According to most around the industry, the Angels are willing to listen on Jo Adell.

So far this season, Adell has posted a .924 OPS in 112 at-bats against southpaws. In 2025, he slashed .277/.346/.585 against lefties compared to .227/.281/.463 against right-handers. It is also worth noting that Adell hit 30 home runs off right-handers last season despite the weaker overall splits against righties, proving the power plays regardless of the matchup.

When it comes to fit, Adell is almost the perfect platoon partner. In many ways, he is what the Yankees hoped Amed Rosario would be against left-handed pitching. If the club wants someone to rotate with Jones for the time being, Adell would make an excellent dance partner.

Defensively, Adell has spent most of this season in right field after splitting his time between right and center in 2025. He is not an elite defender, posting minus-4 Outs Above Average and minus-3 Arm Value this season. However, his 66th-percentile arm strength and 69th-percentile sprint speed suggest he has the physical tools to handle right field at Yankee Stadium, even if the other two outfield spots are less than ideal. Adell is not going to challenge for a gold glove, but he is athletic enough and has a big enough arm to make up for some of his other shortcomings in the field.

Adell also comes with one additional season of team control, making him more than just a rental. That can be viewed as either a positive or a negative. On one hand, the Yankees would have another year to figure out where he fits, potentially using him as a fourth outfielder in 2027. On the other, that extra year of control likely increases the acquisition cost.

The biggest question is what the Angels would actually ask for. Adell is still just 27 years old and will be on a modest contract next season, so Los Angeles has no reason to simply give him away. Factor in the lack of true sellers and the fact that right-handed hitters who mash lefties are always in demand, and Adell is likely to draw interest from several contenders. The Yankees have enough upper-level pitching depth to make that phone call worthwhile, but they will almost certainly have competition.

Adding another bat is very much an immediate need. While Adell may not be the cleanest positional fit, especially once Judge returns, the Yankees simply need offense. Losing Bellinger while Judge is already sidelined created about the worst-case scenario imaginable, and Adell is one of the few available bats whose strengths line up with exactly what the Yankees are missing. If the asking price stays reasonable, this feels like the type of move Brian Cashman has been willing to make at the last several deadlines.

The Phillies haven’t played very well since the All-Star break, going 3-6 and losing all three of their series. But that’s nothing compared to the struggles of the Marlins. You might remember the Marlins being red hot in June and early July, going on a 26-8 to put themselves into playoff contention.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Marlins and the Phillies have a tied record so far this season. The two teams are both looking to take that second wild card position tomorrow.

Brace yourself folks, this could get wild when the fish start fightin. https://t.co/s3YoMEm9NLpic.twitter.com/ZChv2JH4be

— Myk (@mauleani) July 9, 2026

But the Marlins ended the first half by getting swept by the Guardians. And they haven’t won a game since, dropping their first nine games of the second half.

Since their losing streak began, they have the lowest on-base percentage in the majors and have the sixth-highest ERA. They haven’t suffered any real blowouts, as most of the losses have been by fewer than three runs. But a loss is a loss, and the Marlins are racking them up.

Marlins went from having the best month in franchise history to having the worst month in franchise history

— Pedro (@plopzki) July 27, 2026

Opposition research: Kyle Stowers

As you might expect with an offense struggling the way the Marlins’ has, there aren’t a lot of hitters performing well. But the worst of them might during this stretch has probably been first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers.

After being traded from the Orioles to the Marlins in 2024, Stowers had what appeared to be a breakout campaign in 2025, with a .368 on-base percentage to go along with 25 home runs. Those numbers were good enough to get him to the All-Star Game.

Kyle Stowers broke out in a HUGE way in 2025 with the @Marlins 💪

The All-Star slugger debuts on the #Top100RightNow at No. 68. pic.twitter.com/eXHqf0JwKj

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 15, 2026

Since then, injuries have been a problem. He suffered an oblique strain in August that wiped out the rest of his season, and then suffered a hamstring injury in Spring Training that caused a delayed start to the season. Perhaps not coincidentally, he did not hit well in the early part of the season.

Like most of the Marlins, he had a very good month of June, with an .897 OPS, but also like most of his teammates, that has changed dramatically. Since the Marlins’ losing streak began, Stowers is batting .146 and his defense – not a strong suit to begin with – has been bad.

He did hit a home run on Sunday, his first since the break. It feels like he’s too good of a player to keep slumping this badly, so perhaps that’s sign of a tunraround.

Remembering a guy who played for the Phillies and Marlins

Not much notice was taken when the Phillies claimed Greg Dobbs off waivers in January 2007. Dobbs was a 27-year-old who had never established himself as a major leaguer and was a longshot to even make the roster. But a strong Spring got him on the team, and he established himself as a good-hitting utility player, splitting time between third base, first base and the outfield. (Although he didn’t play any of those positions especially well.)

In 2008, Dobbs was one of the best bench players in baseball, with an .824 OPS in 240 plate appearances, while setting the franchise record for pinch hits in a season.

😍OTD 2008: Greg Dobbs sets a Phillies record for most pinch hits in a season when he gets his 22nd in the eighth inning as the Phillies beat the Braves at Citizens Bank Park, 6-2. Previous record: Doc Miller, 20, 1913. #philliespic.twitter.com/fLW5XczVFB

— Larry Shenk (@ShenkLarry) September 22, 2025

But the magic wore off after the World Series. His OPS dropped to .679 in 2009, and went 0-4 in the postseason. (I remember my father commenting that he looked scared to death while batting in the World Series.)

By 2010, his offense had declined to the point where he was supplanted by Ross Gload as the Phillies’ main pinch hitter. The Phillies allowed him to leave in free agency, and he signed with the Marlins.

He had a near full-time role with the Marlins in 2011, and while his bat was acceptable, he showed that he absolutely could not play defense well enough to be a starter. For some reason, the Marlins kept bringing him back every season, while his offensive numbers slowly declined, and his defense did not improve. Thanks to his abysmal defensive ratings, he was worth -2.9 wins above replacement over his four seasons with the Fish.

In May 2014, Dobbs had a .603 OPS, and the Marlins had enough. They released him, and he was claimed by the Nationals, for whom he played 21 games.

The Marlins, who decided in September to give Greg Dobbs $1.7 million for 2014, designated him assignment today to make room for Ed Lucas.

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) April 29, 2014

Hating on the Marlins

As they do whenever the franchise shows any sign of life, Marlins fans started feeling themselves a bit when the team was red hot.

This #Marlins team is so good man. This just feels different than some of the other competitive seasons in the past. I have no idea how to act. pic.twitter.com/2FRb1a5iw2

— Tim Sozio (@tim_sozio) July 9, 2026

THEY SAID THE THING pic.twitter.com/sVkiAMYmGX

— Coach Kemp Alderman Lover, PhD (@KempAldermanLvr) July 9, 2026

The chatter is not nearly as positive these days.

I’ve seen some disgraceful things as a lifelong Marlins fan, but I think this is in the running for #1. We were 52-42 on July 9th playing the best baseball since 2009, a legit playoff team and a team with real potential.

Now we are on the worse losing streak in the history of… https://t.co/taJwHy8A1w

— Brendan Taylor ブレンダン・テイラー (@TruSchoolSports) July 26, 2026

While the Marlins were never likely to be huge buyers, it now seems far more likely that they’ll do what the Marlins do best: Trade good players to other teams. The Phillies will face Sandy Alcantara on Tuesday, and it’s possible that will be his final appearance in a Marlins uniform.

But don’t worry, Marlins fans: I’m sure your general manager has a plan to get things turned around.

#retweet#xpost#gabekapler#mlb#trending#viewnow#miami#baseballtodaypic.twitter.com/NpH3EX2ek4

— Gabe Kapler (@gabe_kapler1) July 26, 2026

Additional thought about the series

Are the Phillies playing the Marlins at the right time? I’m always wary of facing a team coming into a series on a long losing streak, as it feels like regression alone could get them a couple of wins.

As for the Phillies, was their eleven-run outburst on Sunday night a sign that the team was emerging from their post-break offensive slump? It’s hard to definitively say so because the Phillies still left a ton of runners on base and the Yankees outdid the Phillies’ poor defense, handing them several runs.

On the bright side, the Phillies will have both Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo going this series. Luzardo has dominated his former team, going 4-1 with a 2.58 ERA in six starts against them. The third game will be started by Aaron Nola, who has a career 3.02 ERA at Miami’s LoanDepot park, and he pitched six shutout innings there earlier in the year.