We have a pretty interesting pitching matchup today, as Owen Murphy gets his first major league start for Atlanta and major offseason trade acquisition MacKenzie Gore will start for the Rangers.
Murphy was the Braves’ 2022 first round pick, ahead of JR Ritchie, but injury timelines and development curves meant that Ritchie beat him to The Show. Ritchie is more of a prototypical pitcher, but Murphy has some intriguing traits that led him to be that first round pick. His low/mid 90s fastball has exceptional induced vertical break, coming out of the arm of a shorter pitcher in Murphy, allowing it to play up as a swing-and-miss pitch. He throws a four-seamer, curveball, slider, changeup mix, with the slider being the least used pitch so far in his two major league appearances out of the bullpen. While he’ll almost certainly have to be less fastball-reliant than he has been out of the bullpen, his results have been solid, with 4.0 scoreless innings, 4 strikeouts, and no walks in the majors. His stats in the minors haven’t been especially impressive this year, but he has the prospect pedigree and traits to hope that he can be a solid major league pitcher, which would go a long way to bolstering Atlanta’s struggling rotation as we exit the All-Star break.
While Gore has a 4.63 ERA on the season, his xERA, xFIP, and FIP all indicate that he is more or less the same quality pitcher that he was when the Rangers traded for him, all sitting in the mid/high 3s. The Rangers’ lefty pitches primarily off of his four-seamer and curveball, which he throws a couple ticks above league average in terms of velocity and with great extension, despite average movement. He mixes in four other pitches (changeup, slider, cutter, and sinker) for the rest of his pitch usage. His changeup and slider have been quite effective in a smaller sample, and his fastball has been good as far as fastballs go. This will be a challenging matchup for Atlanta, but perhaps Drake Baldwin has found his form again and can get back to absolutely crushing lefties with his reverse splits.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies waves to the crowd prior to the 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The other day, I asked the question of you believed to be the Phillies’ “first half” MVP, giving you several options or letting you choose someone on your own. The results:
Saying that Sanchez is the MVP would be a worthy decision. He’s been outstanding this season, even with a few blips here and there. His stabilization of the starting rotation should be duly noted, keeping that unit intact until they had Zack Wheeler join them to go on the run they have been on.
However, each of the other candidates has a case to be made as well. Brandon Marsh’s season has provided a third musketeer to Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber and provided the team with a threat in the lineup that would make sure consistent production is being had outside of that top two. Harper and Schwarber’s contributions make their own cases; they not only can make a case for their team MVP, they can make a case for a National League MVP. Jhoan Duran being able to make sure the ninth inning of any game he appears in is locked down is an assurance that the team has badly needed with a bullpen that is currently limping quite a bit.
You could even make the case that Wheeler himself is the MVP as the team’s fortunes seem to have turned around the minute he made his return to the team and started putting up Cy Young worthy numbers.
Yet saying that Cristopher Sanchez is the team MVP for the “first half” is something no one really could get too mad about. He’s been great.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies throws to second base during the seventh inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies are a team in the midst of a rebuild. With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row thought it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we ran in March to see where things stand. We’ve asked authors of the spring articles to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the August 3 trade deadline.
The 26-year-old catcher followed up a breakout campaign in 2025 — when he hit 31 homers, drove in 91 RBIs, hit 28 doubles and batted .278/.323/.520 — by bringing power to the plate again so far in 2026. In doing so, along with his keen eye behind the plate that creates successful ABS challenges, Goodman, the Rockies fourth-round pick from the 2021 Draft, has arguably made catcher the strongest position for the Rockies.
In the first half, the Rockies are tops in MLB stats for all catchers in terms of homers (25), slugging percentage (.527) and OPS (.846), in addition to being second in batting average (.262) and runs scored (97). And that doesn’t include when Goodman is slotted in as DH. With all the injuries and unknowns this season, at least the catcher production has remained accurate from the pre-season catcher outlook.
Goodman, the anchor
Coming out of the All-Star break, Goodman already had 27 homers — just four shy of his total from 2025. His homers lead the team, as do his 59 runs scored and .528 slugging percentage. He’s second in RBI with 51 and OPS at .862.
However, with great power, often comes an increased strikeout rate and lower batting average. His strikeout rate in 2025 was 26.3%, but it’s increased to 32.2% this season. He’s dropped his batting average .024 points, but his on-base percentage is one point higher than last season at .324. A big part of that is an increased walk rate from 5.7% last season to 8.5% now.
Goodman, 26, has also proven to be a reliable bat, able to serve as DH when his knees need a break on the field. He played 90 games (62 starts at catcher, 23 at DH, and a few late-game subs) before going to Philadelphia, which was five more than before the Midsummer Classic last year.
Three of Goodman’s homers came in one game, an 8-5 win over the Twins on June 27 at Coors Field.
In addition, Goodman has become one of the best in MLB at tapping his helmet to challenge a strike called a ball or ball called a strike. Among MLB catchers, he is fourth-best with 53 correct calls as he gets it right 67.1% of the time.
Sometimes the challenges make a big difference, like this ball turned into a strikeout of San Francisco’s Victor Bericoto by Juan Mejia on July 4.
Goodman’s eye accounts for why the Rockies are tied for the sixth-best rate at 64% and tied for second with 86 correct challenges.
The backups
The Rockies drafted Braxton Fulford two rounds after Goodman in 2021. He seemed to have the backup role locked in until the Rockies signed journeyman catcher Brett Sullivan, 32, in December. Sullivan made a splash in spring training and has continued to play very well in the first half.
When Goodman is not behind the plate, Sullivan has made 30 starts, while Fulford has only made six. Sullivan has been better, hitting .221/.265/.385 with four homers, eight doubles, 15 RBIs and 23 strikeouts in 122 at-bats. Two of those homers came in one game against the Cubs on June 11.
In addition, Sullivan has added the extra benefit of being the position player pitcher for the Rockies, filling in when the Rockies are down and don’t want to waste bullpen arms.
Fulford, 27, has struggled offensively, hitting .193/.273/.324 with one homer, four doubles, seven RBI and 27 strikeouts in 57 at-bats. Despite being on the Opening Day roster, Fulford was sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 1 before being called back on May 18. The Rockies have stuck with a three-catcher roster since.
On the farm front, 22-year-old Bryant Betancourt has been making waves. The catcher, who the Rockies signed out of Venezuela in 2021, climbed from Double-A Hartford to the Isotopes on June 30 after he hit .269/.337/.513 with 14 HRs and 44 RBIs in 65 games. He’s still adjusting to Triple-A, having hit one homer and one double with three RBIs in 9 games while hitting .125/.200/.250.
The Draft
The Rockies selected two catchers early in the MLB Draft, fueling speculation that Colorado could trade Goodman. However, Double-A catcher Cole Messina (No. 26 PuRP), who is currently playing for Double-A Hartford, would be much more likely to see MLB time before any of the new draftees.
With the supplemental pick at No. 37, the Rockies took Daniel Jackson, a junior out of the University of Georgia. In the third round, Colorado selected Jack Natili, a junior out of the University of Cincinnati. For good measure, they also picked up undrafted catcher Talmadge LeCroy out of the University of South Carolina.
The things to remember are the importance of versatility and the possibility of change.
Goodman was drafted as a catcher, but Colorado tried him out at first base and outfield to play up his athleticism and to best fit the team’s needs. He went back to catcher when he came to MLB, which has clearly been the right call.
Cole Carrigg was also drafted as a catcher with the No. 65 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. After playing every position on the field in college and most in the minors, Carrigg has shown that with his rifle arm, he can play nicely in the outfield, while also being able to fill in at shortstop. Truly, anything can happen.
While the future is always unknown and we could all be surprised by a big move before the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3, it seems like the Rockies are set at catcher.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 7: Ben Lively #39 of the Cleveland Guardians participates in a team workout prior to a Spring Training game against the San Diego Padres at Goodyear Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the smoke issues yesterday, the Guardians will play two games today. Gavin Williams will face off against the Pirates’ Jared Jones at 1:10 and Logan Allen is up as the 27th man to face TBD at 7:10.
There are thunderstorms around all day, so that’s something to be aware of, also.
We got some injury updates yesterday:
-Angel Martinez began his rehab assignment in Columbus
-Jose Ramirez is progressing well and may not need a rehab assignment.
-Ben Lively has been facing live batters and may go on his rehab assignment soon.
-CJ Kayfus broke his ankle and tore a ligament right before the break and is out for the rest of the season.
The Boston Red Sox enter Saturday on an 11-game win streak – their longest since 2016 – and will look to keep it rolling against the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at Fenway park.
The Red Sox come in as the favorites (-113) against the Rays (+108), and I’m taking the hosts to keep their streak alive in my Rays vs. Red Sox predictions due to their dominance vs. left-handed pitching.
Find my free MLB picks for Saturday, July 18 below.
Who will win Rays vs Red Sox today: Red Sox moneyline (-116)
The Boston Red Sox have outscored the Tampa Bay Rays 15-3 through the first two meetings of this four-game set, and I’m taking the hosts to win a third straight this afternoon.
Boston is batting .262 and slugging .432 against southpaws, putting the Red Sox within the top four among all MLB teams in both categories.
Rays starter Ian Seymour is trending in the wrong direction with a 5.52 ERA over his last three outings, and his changeup-heavy arsenal will leave him vulnerable against a Red Sox squad that’s been feasting on off-speed pitches.
Play Boston up to -120.
COVERS INTEL:The Red Sox have a 37.1 hard hit percentage against changeups from left-handed pitchers – the fifth-best mark in the majors.
Rays vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-107)
The Red Sox and Rays are two of the stingiest teams in the MLB, ranking fourth (3.55) and ninth (3.88) in team ERA, respectively. Boston’s bullpen owns the third-best ERA in baseball (3.13), so this projects as another quiet game for Tampa Bay at the plate.
Tampa Bay has cashed the Under in four of Seymour’s last five outings, while Boston starter Patrick Sandoval allowed just one run in his only appearance of the season.
I’m playing the Under to -115.
Chris Faria's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 5-3, +1.18 units
Over/Under bets: 2-6, -3.9 units
Rays vs Red Sox weather
Rays vs Red Sox odds
Moneyline: Tampa Bay (+108) | Boston (-113)
Run line: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+163) | Boston +1.5 (-170)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-100) | Under 9.5 (-104)
Rays vs Red Sox trend
Boston is 10-2 in its last 12 home games against Tampa Bay. Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Red Sox.
How to watch Rays vs Red Sox and game info
Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Date
Saturday, July 18, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
Rays.TV, NESN
Rays starting pitcher
Ian Seymour (6-2, 4.59 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcher
Patrick Sandoval (0-0, 2.08 ERA)
Rays vs Red Sox latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PORTLAND, ME - JULY 02: Brooks Brannon #11 of the Portland Sea Dogs rounds the bases during the game between the Altoona Curve and the Portland Sea Dogs at Delta Dental Park on Thursday, July 2, 2026 in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Bryce Mosmen/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Allan Castro continues his hot streak after the break with three knocks in Scranton (Yankees AAA). The WooSox had a pretty awesome day at the plate all things considered. Nate Eaton hit a home run off a rehabbing Max Fried, the eighth inning featured homers from Mikey Romero and Bret Harris, and the team as a whole had thirteen hits on the night. That was not enough to overcome a rough pitching night from Raymond Burgos, who’s for sure this year’s Jose De Leon – a pitcher with some Major League experience who just takes the brunt of some starts. Either way, the two home runs (and five runs) he allowed in four innings were the albatross around the neck that ended up costing the WooSox Friday.
Dalton Rogers also had a pretty rough start against Somerset (Yankees AA), lasting just three innings and allowing seven runs, but the Sea Dogs did not have the same night offensively as the WooSox did and scored in just one inning (the sixth), after the game was already 7-0, so this game was never even close. Brooks Brannon did hit a home run in that sixth inning, his fourth in six games, and Ronald Rosario had a double and ended up subsequently scoring on an error. But outside of that, the team had just two other hits on the night and struck out fifteen times. Brannon has looked awesome for a while, though, and his OPS hovers closer back to that 1.000 mark he was eclipsing for much of the spring.
It looked like a lost cause after Joe Vogatsky went probably two more outs longer than he should have and ended up blowing a save. Devin Futrell also went just a bit too long despite striking out eight Keys (Orioles High-A) on the night. The Drive should not have won this game, but they did thanks to some early offense; they scored five runs in first three innings including Mason White’s fourth home run in the month of July and capped the night off with an Enddy Azocar walk-off double.
In a game where 25 total runs were scored and seven total errors were committed, it’s usually the team that allows the most destructive innings that loses. This was the case in Salem, as the Shorebirds (Orioles A) had an 8-run fifth inning, getting to Jay Allmer for seven runs (four earned.) The RidgeYaks were far from stagnant at the plate, though; Avinson Pinto had two doubles, catcher Franklin Primera went 4-for-4 and Louis Andujar had 4 RBI’s including a home run in the 9th to make it a sweat for Delmarva. But Salem had also let some runs go in the 9th, which ended up being the difference here.
George Springer is locked in, and a weak four-seamer from Davis Martin is the pitch to attack.
The Toronto Blue Jays try to bounce back from a 12-4 drubbing on Friday as they host the Chicago White Sox in a virtual pick-em, with Shane Bieber on the mound against Davis Martin.
Toronto’s bats will look to attack Martin’s fastball, and George Springer headlines my card after a hot week.
Read on for my White Sox vs. Blue Jays predictions and MLB picks for this Saturday, July 18 matchup.
White Sox vs Blue Jays predictions
White Sox vs Blue Jays best bet: George Springer Over 1.5 total bases (+145)
Big George is chugging along.
George Springer ran into one on Friday, cashing our home run prop, but since I don’t believe lightning strikes twice, I’ll play his total bases prop on Saturday against Davis Martin and the Chicago White Sox.
Martin carved up the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this year, tossing six shutout innings, but he isn’t unbreakable.
Martin’s four-seam fastball grades out at a -3 run value, per Baseball Savant, and Springer owns a +3 run value against the same pitch, slugging .484.
For the same-game parlay, I’m chasing +300 and betting on offense. Friday’s game sailed over the total, and with Shane Bieber and his 7.64 ERA still searching for his old form, I like over 8 total runs again.
I’ll add the Blue Jays moneyline as a live home play in a near-pick’em, and cap it with Kazuma Okamoto Over 0.5 hits, since Toronto’s best bat should have no trouble reaching base against Martin’s shaky four-seamer.
White Sox vs Blue Jays SGP
Blue Jays moneyline
Over 8.5
Kazuma Okamoto Over 0.5 hits
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White Sox vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+370)
Kazuma Okamoto is the King of Sting in this Blue Jays lineup with 22 home runs, and he happens to mash four-seam fastballs to a .588 slugging mark with a +12 run value, right in line with Martin’s biggest weakness.
I also love the value here. Okamoto goes on torrid homer stretches, and the books shorten his line during those runs, so a +370 price feels generous.
I’ll play this until +325 and keep it to a quarter unit.
2026 Transparency Record
Best bets: 7-4, +2.63 units
SGPs: 2-10, -0.81 units
HR picks: 3-9, +0.75 units
White Sox vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: White Sox -110 | Blue Jays -110
Run line: White Sox -1.5 (+150) | Blue Jays +1.5 (-175)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (+100)
White Sox vs Blue Jays trend
The total has gone Over in six of the Toronto Blue Jays’ last seven games, supporting the over in Saturday’s same-game parlay. Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch White Sox vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Date
Saturday, 7-18-2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
Chicago Sports Network, Sportsnet
White Sox starting pitcher
Davis Martin (9-4, 3.41 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Shane Bieber (0-1, 7.64 ERA)
White Sox vs Blue Jays latest injuries
White Sox vs Blue Jays weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Heriberto Hernandez is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now. He owns a .571 ISO across his last nine games, homering four times during that span. Hernandez is also averaging a 20.4-degree launch angle and 30% barrel rate in the last two weeks.
He'll face Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Shane Drohan today, who is only allowing 0.99 HR/9 over the last month. However, Hernandez has showcased power against southpaws, posting a .338 ISO.
Milwaukee’s bullpen has also limited home runs lately, but its 43.3% hard-hit rate across the last 40 innings provides some vulnerability.
I'll play this pick down to +300.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Brewers.TV, Marlins.TV
Home run pick: James Wood (+243)
James Wood enters the second half in impressive power form, clubbing six home runs across his last nine games. The slugger has a mind-boggling .633 ISO during that span, and 59.1% hard-hit rate.
Tonight's matchup happens to be a favorable one. He'll face Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn, who has allowed 1.75 HR/9 over his last five appearances. The A's bullpen has struggled with long ball lately as well, giving up 2.55 HR/9 in the last two weeks.
Sutter Health Park in Sacramento happens to also be hitter-friendly, although Wood's raw power doesn't exactly need help.
I'll play this pick down to +200.
Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC Sports California, Nationals.TV
Home run pick: Yordan Alvarez (+296)
Yordan Alvarez continues to punish opposing pitchers. He carries a .400 ISO over his last nine contests into tonight's matchup against Trevor Rogers, homering four times during that span. He's consistently squaring up the baseball as well, posting a 51.7% hard-hit rate over the last month.
I won't sit here and say this is going to be an easy matchup. Rogers isn't allowing many bombs lately, and the Baltimore Orioles bullpen has limited power as of late. However, it's hard to overlook Alvarez's success against left-handers, carrying a .286 average and .265 ISO.
I'll play this pick down to +250.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SCHN, MASN
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 16-78, -3.49 units
Today’s HR parlay
Heriberto Hernandez
Bet Now +6528
James Wood
Yordan Alvarez
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Jul 17, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (11) reacts after giving up a hit against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Good morning, LSB.
The Rangers got destroyed by the Braves in their first game back from the ASB.
And finally, MLB is cracking down on teams using AI to make in-game decisions such as “You’re so right — a fastball down the middle is likely to take Yordan Alvarez by surprise.”
The 2026 NBA Summer League is a wrap for the Knicks after a 110-88 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. New York went 1-4 during the exhibition games. But the five games offered a chance to see how some of the Knicks’ recent draft picks would fare in larger roles.
From the rookie showings of Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil to Mohamed Diawara’s failure to launch, let’s focus on four takeaways from the five-game stint in Las Vegas.
Rookie review
On draft night, the Knicks made a series of deals to move out of the first round. In the second round, the club might’ve found two players with potential in Nickel and Kayil.
Selected 47th overall, Nickel has the clearest path to an NBA role. He is a lights-out shooter with a lightning-quick release. Nickel made 19-of-46 threes (41.3 percent) during Summer League. At the NBA level, the three-ball will be how he contributes, and he showed that in Summer League as 46 of Nickel’s 56 (82 percent) field goal attempts were three-pointers. He’ll have to work on his handle as well as attacking closeouts. Nickel was better than advertised on defense. He competes and was mostly in the right spots.
Picked 39th overall, Kayil showed flashes of being a reliable combo guard. He can run a pick-and-roll and create pull-up jumpers or stepbacks, and he looked comfortable as a passer. A 19-point, three-steal, four-assist game against the Detroit Pistons was a good showing from the 6-foot-3 guard. Still, he has some work to do. Kayil shot only 34.2 percent from the field in four games.
As Ian Begley recently noted, if the Knicks sign a third center, they wouldn’t have enough financial wiggle room to offer Nickel or Kayil a standard NBA contract. With MilesMcBride, Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet all on the roster next year, having Kayil stay overseas would make the most sense. Nickel could be in line for a two-way contract.
Small sample size
A rotation player for parts of his rookie season, Diawara seemed poised to have a strong Summer League. But those hopes quickly faded as the 2025 second-round pick struggled. Diawara was just 1-for-14 (seven percent from the field), scoring seven points in 49 minutes, before missing the last three contests with a finger injury.
Diawara didn’t hit enough shots from deep (1-for-10 from three) to keep the defense honest, and he wasn’t able to find clean lanes for drives to the rim.
Mar 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) reacts after making a three point basket during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Despite the shooting struggles, there were some positives. Diawara did a good job on the boards, collecting 5.5 rebounds per game. He also flashed good vision with some nifty passes, though it didn’t lead to many makes from his teammates.
It’s an extremely small sample size in a very different role for the 6-foot-9 forward. And it’s fair to say the lack of a true point guard on the floor was a factor in the results.
Third-year pressure
One of the rare third-year players participating in Summer League, Pacome Dadiet had an uneven showing. In four games, the 2024 first-round draft pick averaged 15.3 points, but shot just 36.4 percent from the field and 16.0 percent from behind the three-point line.
Though he struggled to put the ball in the basket at an efficient rate, Dadiet showed some signs of growth. He was much better off the ball, cutting to the rim for a few finishes near the basket. Also, Dadiet’s defensive activity was adequate.
Dadiet is still just 20 years old, but the NBA is a quick-moving league with windows of opportunity closing faster than a New York minute. The Knicks already have three wings in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart as starters. Diawara passed Dadiet on the depth chart last year. The Knicks will decide whether to pick up the fourth-year team option on Dadiet’s contract in the fall.
No solutions at center
With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond as the only centers on the roster, the Knicks are still in search of help at the position. Summer League hasn’t provided a clear solution to the Knicks’ center depth problem. Seven-footer Liam Robbins started for New York’s summer squad and provided middling results. He was a large presence in the middle and a deterrent at the rim, blocking 2.0 shots per game. Robbins also finished well around the rim.
But he has flaws. Robbins is slow-footed, which led to a lot of fouls. At 27 years old, the former Vanderbilt center has flirted with the three-pointer but hasn’t been accurate. He shot 20 percent on long-distance attempts during Summer League and hit just 30 percent of his attempts last season in 32 G League games with the Rip City Remix.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 17: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Willson Contreras #40 after hitting a two-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of game two of the doubleheader at Fenway Park on July 17, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fresh off of the All-Star break, the Yankees had a disappointing start to the second half of the season. New York’s offense was quiet, while a clutch homer from Max Muncy sealed the deal for the Dodgers later in the game. Despite the unfortunate return in Yankeeland, there was plenty of baseball going on elsewhere, so let’s take a look at the goings on coming out of the break.
Boston Red Sox (47-48) 10, Tampa Bay Rays (56-39) 0 (Game 1)
With a doubleheader on tap between the Rays and Red Sox, Boston was looking to stay hot on Friday, and that they did. Sox starter Jake Bennett had the good stuff on the mound, while the bats put up double-digit runs on Tampa Bay’s pitchers.
The Red Sox kicked off scoring in the second inning when a sacrifice fly followed by Carlos Narváez’s RBI single had them up 2-0. Later on, a Masataka Yoshida solo homer off Griffin Jax had them up by three, but Boston’s six-run sixth inning was where they really separated themselves. In that inning, Jarren Duran tallied his second and third RBIs of the afternoon, while three other Sox notched ones of their own.
All the while, Bennett was dealing on the mound, as the lefty worked six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. His effort was the driving force in keeping the Rays out of the run column in game one.
Narváez’s capped off his big day with a solo shot in the seventh, which put Boston up by the final of 10-0. It was their 10th consecutive win, with more to come on the day.
Boston Red Sox (48-48) 5, Tampa Bay Rays (56-40) 3(Game 2)
In the nightcap of the doubleheader, though the process was a bit different, the results were not. The action started early in this one, with Jonny DeLuca’s single scoring a pair, before homers from Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras flipped things in favor of Boston in the bottom half of the first.
Junior Caminero smacked his 29th home run of the season in the top of the third, which knotted things back up, as both Eduardo Rivera and Mason Englert had forgettable days on the mound. In the bottom half of that inning, Wilyer Abreu stayed hot and belted his second homer of the game, one that gave his crew a lead they would hold onto the rest of the day.
The second win of the day was the 11th straight for the smoking-hot Red Sox, as they are charging back into contention at the expense of the Rays to kick off the second half. It’s Boston’s longest winning streak since 2016. So while the Yankees did gain a half-game on Tampa Bay despite their own loss to the Dodgers, it’s at least an uneasy feeling with Boston now in a virtual tie with Minnesota (who beat the Cubs 5-2) for the last Wild Card spot.
Other Games
Chicago White Sox (51-45) 12, Toronto Blue Jays (45-52) 5: It was a good day for sock teams, as those of the Chicagoan variety also put up double-digit runs on Friday. A five-run second inning, fueled in part by Sam Antonacci’s two-run homer had them in business early, while three runs in the fifth and four in the seventh just about sealed the deal. It was too much to keep up with for the Jays, as the White Sox were able to maintain their slim lead in the Central for at least another day. (The Guardians’ game against the Pirates was postponed due to the wildfire smoke conditions in Cleveland.)
Atlanta Braves (55-40) 15, Texas Rangers (47-45) 1: Keeping with the theme of the day, the Braves also put a hurtin’ on the Rangers by putting up 15 runs at home. Atlanta plated multiple runs in five different innings, forcing an early and unfortunate exit for Cal Quantrill, though his pals out of the bullpen didn’t fair any better. The Rangers tallied just one run on five hits, while the Braves managed 19, three of which left the park. Most amusingly, an actual pitcher got a hit in garbage time, with Atlanta reliever Victor Mederos singling off old friend Kyle Higashioka.
San Francisco Giants (41-55) 7, Seattle Mariners (48-49) 0: In the late slate of games, the Giants took an easy win from the Mariners in a west coast matchup. Landon Roupp was excellent on the mound for San Francisco, as he tossed seven shutout innings, with Willy Adames’ grand slam being the big blow on the offensive side. With both the Mariners and Rangers losing (as did the Astros, for good measure), Texas retains their 1.5-game lead in the West despite sitting just one game over .500.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 31: Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals looks on against the Texas Rangersat Globe Life Field on May 31, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
David Lesky has a Royals trade primer that includes the possibility they trade Michael Wacha.
The Royals have said that they will listen, but the offer would have to be astronomical. First of all, that’s probably the correct mindset to have this far from the deadline, at least on what they’d accept. But I hate the idea that they aren’t doing some of the shopping as well. I mentioned above that this would be a good time to jump the market. It’s risky, but if they wait, teams could get more desperate too. But either way, they should at least be actively reaching out and telling teams what they want for Wacha.
I’m fine if they don’t trade him because a deal just didn’t materialize. All the reasons he’s attractive in a trade are reasons the Royals would want to keep him. His salary goes down to $14 million next year, and then he has an affordable $14 million team option in 2028. Now, he’s 35 years old and age doesn’t typically help a pitcher once they get to the mid-30s. But he’s having another pretty solid season, though he’s struggled lately. He’s steady and gives you innings. Teams would be lining up to get Wacha.
#Royals expect Stephen Kolek to make a rehab start tomorrow to get him ready to return to the club. He's been away with his family since his last start. A rehab outing gets his arm back in shape without being super limited like he would if he jumped right back into the rotation.
Potential trade chips: Veteran starters, relievers, Lane Thomas
The Royals have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this year, and they really have no choice but to sell. The most likely Royals to be traded are All-Star right-hander Michael Wacha and veteran right-hander Seth Lugo….
This is an important trade deadline for Kansas City, and they need to take advantage of the sellers’ market.
Gomez signed with Kansas City this past January and immediately translated his strong amateur track record to pro ball. He’s been one of the league’s most electric players in the first half of the season and has a good chance to rank No. 1 in the league after the year concludes. His plus-plus speed and plus arm strength give him a strong chance to stick in center field, and he’s been one of the league’s standouts in the batter’s box as well. Gomez has already posted exit velocities better than 110 mph, and he rarely misses or chases. Through 27 games, the 17-year-old is hitting .330/.459/.602 with nine doubles, five home runs and 10 stolen bases. He’s also racked up more walks (18) than strikeouts (13).
Let’s see, how does this go? Welcome back to the remainder of the season. The post-All-Star break portion of the season. Or in common vernacular, the second half. Roughly two weeks before peak trading season. This is almost always an interesting time in the life of a large market team (even if they occasionally behave as a more financially restrained team).
Let’s get back into the groove, shall we? I’ve been liking to start with the perspective check. I do so, probably as much for me as any of you. This team tends to look very bad when it’s bad and very good when it’s good and have little in-between. Four teams have more wins than the Cubs. Two teams have as many wins as the Cubs. The Cubs are on pace to win 90 games. As it stands today, the Cubs would be the top Wild Card team by virtue of a tie breaker with the Phillies, earned by winning the season series.
This was one of those games that wasn’t in either category. The team looked okay. You can’t except the worst inning of the whole game. However, except for one weird inning, the Cubs won the other eight innings 2-1. You certainly can’t assume sequencing holds. Afterall, the single biggest question mark for this team is its bullpen. Could it have otherwise held a 2-1 lead over the final three innings? I mean, they couldn’t hold a 4-2 deficit over the final three innings when that would have been helpful.
That one inning exploded when Michael Busch tried to make a nice play at second. The advancing runner appeared to screed Dansby Swanson a little bit. I wondered at the time if the play wasn’t close to interference. Maybe you look at it closer if your starting shortstop isn’t writhing on the ground in pain from the ball flukishly bouncing off of his glove and hitting him in the face.
Three of the five hits Colin Rea allowed on the evening occurred during that inning and after that play and four of the five hits against him occurred in that inning. Ironically, Busch and Swanson had hooked up on a very similar play two innings earlier. That’s a huge play if Busch makes it, not only getting the first out but also keeping the double play in order. I didn’t look for interviews after the game, but I’ll assume Dansby said he should have fielded that throw. As wild throws go, it wasn’t really. The baserunner just ended up in the line of the throw and ended up screening Swanson. Just unfortunate. You can’t assume the rest of the Cub sequencing but assume that Rea wouldn’t have allowed a single and a homer otherwise. It’s just too much cherry picking. It was just an unfortunate inning.
The offense managed six hits and four walks. Two runs feels pretty reasonable for that level of production. There was just on extra base hit, a double. The Cubs stole a base. The steal led to the first run. The double led to the second run. It’s almost as if those things increase your odds of scoring. We talked about it before the break. This team has most of its wins in games that is scores five or more runs. They simply don’t win many low scoring affairs like this one.
Three Positives:
Nico Hoerner singled twice.
Seiya Suzuki had a double, drew a walk and scored a run.
Gavin Hollowell struck out the only two batters he faced.
Obligatory Pete Crow-Armstrong: A walk, a stolen base and a run scored in four plate appearances.
Game 97, July 17: Twins 5, Cubs 2 (54-43)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Seiya Suzuki (.078). 1-3, 2B, BB, R
Hero: Michael Busch (.061). 1-4, RBI
Sidekick: Gavin Hollowell (.055). 0.2 IP, 2 BF, 2 K
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Colin Rea (-.202). 6 IP, 24 BF, 5 H, BB, 4 R (3 ER), 6 K (L 7-6)
Goat: Dansby Swanson (-.137). 0-3, DP
Kid: Carson Kelly (-.120). 0-4
WPA Play of the Game: Ryan Jeffers’ three-run homer with no outs in the third, turned a tie game into a three run lead. (.200)
Reds Play of the Game: Michael Busch’s RBI single with no outs in the first gave the Cubs the game’s first run. (.118)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 96 Winner: Alex Bregman received 82 of 86 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Pete Crow-Armstrong +24
Michael Busch +17
Carson Kelly +15.5
Ben Brown +13.5
Trent Thornton/Alex Bregman +12.5
Edward Cabrera -9.5
Phil Maton -10
Nico Hoerner -12
Dansby Swanson -13
Caleb Thielbar -14
Take a picture. This is the first time in a very long time that Seiya Suzuki has not been bottom five.
Up Next: Game two of the three game series Saturday. Matthew Boyd (5-1, 4.50) gets the start for the Cubs. They could technically have gotten cute and had him start Friday on four days of rest. But teams generally will get a guy five days when they can. If I were saying this same thing 40 years ago, those words would be three and four respectively. I do sometimes get amazed at how much baseball has changed in my lifetime.
25-year-old Taj Bradley (9-3, 3.59) starts for the Twins. If this is your introduction to the Twins, they have a pretty good pitching staff. Bradley was a fifth round pick of the Rays back in 2018. He was drafted out of one of my favorite ever places, Stone Mountain, Georgia. I was a professional wrestling fan in the 80’s and remember it from that. Taj won his last three starts before the break and four of his last five. In those five starts, he threw 31 innings, allowing just eight runs.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 30: The Baltimore Orioles mascot performs before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 30, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 4, Nashville (Brewers) 2
This one started out with Cade Povich doing Cade Povich things, namely giving up home runs. Fortunately, although he gave up two of them, each was a solo shot, so on the whole, his outing was fine: Two runs on four hits and two walks over five innings. I think we can call that “keeping your team in the game,” and Norfolk’s hitters came through later on to get Povich off the hook. They scored two in the seventh to take the lead and then one in the ninth for a little insurance.
Folks, I really, really want to be able to share good news about Enrique Bradfield in these recaps. There’s just nothing going on there. He was 0-3 and drew a walk, picking up an RBI groundout for his trouble. A .660 OPS in Triple-A just isn’t going to cut it, no matter how fast he is. Another player I try to will to good results is Heston Kjerstad. 0-4. The Tides won this one while getting just four hits. That’s good for the players who are on that team! They haven’t had many wins this year so I hope they enjoyed it.
Everyone’s favorite Tides reliever, Andrew Magno, pitched a scoreless eighth with one hit allowed, lowering his season ERA to 1.01 in 35.2 innings.
My honorary hyphenated cousin Juaron Watts-Brown got the start for Chesapeake here, turning in a solid outing. He pitched five innings on 69 pitches, allowing a run on three hits and a walk, with five strikeouts. When he left the game, the Baysox held a 2-1 lead. They gave up three runs in the seventh inning and three more in the ninth to lose it. I don’t like piling on non-prospects who aren’t up to snuff. Check out the box score if you want to know who specifically did it.
The Baysox spread eight hits across their starting lineup. My guy Aron Estrada took an 0-4 out of the leadoff spot.
This one puts a downer on anything else there might be to say about the other games. Pitching prospect Boston Bateman, the jewel of last year’s trade with the Padres, exited this game after just 1.2 innings with what the Orioles called left triceps tightness. Sometimes that’s one of the precursors to the bad thing. Sometimes it’s not. Nothing to do there but wait and see and hope for the best. He was struggling a bit even before the injury; he ended up allowing two runs on a hit and two walks, though he did have four strikeouts.
The Keys led this one going into the bottom of the ninth but got only one out before giving up two runs to get walked off.
Frederick had 12 hits in the game, with five different players picking up multi-hit games. That included rehabbing Triple-A guy Creed Willems, who drove in three of the seven runs with one swing in the first inning. Last year’s first rounder, Ike Irish, also homered, his 13th of the season.
25 combined runs, 22 combined hits, 13 combined walks, seven combined errors. That’s a certified donnybrook of the kind you can sometimes get in the lowest full-season level of the minors.
When all was said and done, the Shorebirds came out on top of this thing, riding an eight-run fifth inning to a big lead that they never surrendered, try though they might with three spots allowed in the seventh and ninth innings. Crucially, guys you’d like to see be part of an offensive explosion were part of the offensive explosion, starting with infielder Jaiden Lo Re, the recent sensation, who had two hits and three runs scored as well as three runs batted in. Lo Re is up to a .954 OPS since joining the Shorebirds. Last year’s fifth round pick is making a good impression in his first full pro season.
Outfielder Jordan Sanchez also drove in three runs with a pair of hits, in his case including his sixth homer of the season. Sanchez had a walk as well. Fellow outfield prospect Stiven Martinez had two hits in addition to a pair of walks and he stole his eighth base. Infielder DJ Layton stole two bases, giving him 28 steals on the season.
It was a rough first night back after the All-Star break for the Phillies’ affiliates. The Clearwater Threshers were the only team to come away with a win, and even that required extra innings.
Omaha 2, Lehigh Valley 1
The IronPigs’ bats looked like they were still on a break, mustering just one run on two hits. However, one of those hits was a solo home run by Dylan Moore.
On the bright side, it was a solid night for the IronPigs’ pitching staff with starting pitcher Brian Keller giving up a lone run while striking out six in six innings. Tucker Davidson covered two innings in relief and suffered the loss by giving up a home run in the seventh inning.
Altoona 6, Reading 2
The Fightin’ Phils’ offense wasn’t much better as they scored only two runs in their loss to the Altoona Curve. The lone offensive highlight came in the fourth inning when outfielder Raider Tello had an RBI single to tie the game at two runs apiece.
— Reading Fightin Phils (@ReadingFightins) July 18, 2026
Starting pitcher Luke Russo gave up three runs in his 5.1 innings of work and then Jack Dallas gave up two more in 1.2 inning of relief.
Wilmington 5, Jersey Shore 4
A bad first and ninth innings doomed the BlueClaws in their loss to the Blue Rocks on Friday. Starting pitcher Sam Highfill allowed three hits and a walk in the opening frame to put the ‘Claws in a 0-3 hole. But the relief pitching stabilized things, allowing the ‘Claws to come back. Brandon Lewis and Carter Mathison homered before second baseman Daunte Stewart’s RBI single in the ninth put them up 4-3.
Unfortunately, reliever Titan Kennedy-Hayes gave up two runs in the ninth as the Blue Rocks walked it off.
Clearwater 16, Dunedin 11
The Threshers had a big offensive night, including a six run tenth inning to surge past the Blue Jays in an extra-inning slugfest. The biggest offensive star of the game was Juan Villavicencio who hit two home runs. Matthew Ferrara had four hits and four RBI, and Nolan Beltran added three hits, including a two-run game tying single in the ninth.
It wasn’t a great night for the Threshers’ pitching staff as every pitcher who appeared in the game allowed at least one run. Marty Gair earned the win by allowing just one run over the final two innings.
FCL Blue Jays 9, FCL Phillies 2
FCL Blue Jays 4, FCL Phillies 1
A doubly bad night for the Phillies’ FCL affiliate. First, they lost the resumption of a suspended game and then recorded just a single hit in the second game. At least the hit was a two-run home run by catcher Cesar Mujica.
DSL Twins 10, DSL Phillies 7
The DSL Phillies got off to a 5-0 lead, thanks in part to a first inning home run by first baseman Nelson Prieto. But the pitching staff was unable to hold it. Releiver Filippo Sabatini gave up five runs (three earned) in three innings, and Justin Burgos gave up three runs without recording a single out.
COVERS INTEL: 
Heriberto Hernandez
James Wood
Yordan Alvarez
