Worldwide Sports News

The Mets continue a three-game series against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

• Following a win on Friday night, New York continues to own the Nationals at home, winning 15 of the last 20 games played at Citi Field
• The Mets are 7-3 in their L10 games and 19-21 against the NL East this season
• Sean Manaea is back on the mound for New York and while he's been pitching excellent as of late, the lefty has struggled against Washington in his career with a 5.45 ERA in eight games (six starts)
• After a big home run in the series opener, Francisco Lindor stayed hot at the plate and is slashing .333/.467/.625 in his last seven games
• Carson Benge has reached base safely in 17 straight games and 20 out of his last 21 games and is 2-for-2 against Nationals starter RHP Brad Lord

Today's Lineups

Now that the dust from the Trade Deadline has settled, we should take a look at who the newest additions to the Yankees organization are and their pathways to pinstripes. The Yankees acquired Luis García Jr., Heliot Ramos, Omar Alfonzo, and Luis Cruz via trade, and shortly after the deadline they signed Mitch Garver to a minor-league deal.

Before diving into these guys, I must address the reason why the latest Prince to Derek Jeter’s Kingdom is being excluded. I could gush and go on and on about how awesome George Lombard Jr. has been since his debut, but this piece is more about looking at the new blood to the organization as a whole. So, shoutout aside, let’s dive in and learn a little about the new additions.

García has made a pretty good first impression in pinstripes after starting and spending his entire professional career with the Washington Nationals. Prior to Friday night’s game, García was batting .258 with eight hits as a Yankee and has flashed a smile that can remind us all that they really are still just playing a child’s game. I admit, I have always had a soft spot for defensive first basemen, so his running grab has lived rent-free in my mind since. (The less said about the Friday misplay though, the better.)

The son of a former big-league infielder, the 26-year-old will be back in the Bronx next year as he comes with one additional year of team control. If he has looked right at home, it is because García was born in New York City. He spent most of his childhood and teenage years in the Dominican Republic and is officially living his childhood dream of wearing pinstripes like his idols Jeter and Robinson Canó. We have only gotten to see it once so far, but after each long ball García taps his wrist to signify that it’s his time.

If we are going to talk about first impressions, Ramos has made one that has been less than desired. Hopefully, the transition from the West Coast was mostly to blame and the real Ramos will arrive soon. The outfielder was an All-Star back in 2024 and is the only righty to land a ball into the splash zone of McCovey Cove in San Francisco Bay. Additionally, Ramos has been said to be a great teammate and clubhouse character.

Ramos hails from Humacao, Puerto Rico, and was a first-round pick, 19th overall, by the Giants back in 2017. To say he is from an athletic family would be a slight undersell, as the baby of three boys has one older brother who is the all-time top goalscorer for the Puerto Rico national soccer team (Henry Ramos) and another who played in the MLB and currently plays in the KBO (Héctor Ramos).

Alfonzo is a minor-league catcher who the Yankees have assigned to the Double-A Somerset Patriots. Another clubhouse brat (complimentary), his father, Eliézer Alfonzo, played six seasons in the show as a catcher. His brother, Eliézer Jr., also debuted earlier this year with the Dodgers, sadly right after he and Omar lost their stepmother and sister in the Venezuela earthquakes. The 23-year-old was born in Minneapolis, and has a lefty swing that generates data that can make any stat geek drool. Alfonzo signed with Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent in August 2019 and was with the team until the deal. Despite being born in Minneapolis, Alfonzo was raised in Venezuela.

Cruz is an 18-year-old still in the Dominican Summer League — not to be confused with the other Luis Cruz who played for the Yankees back in 2013 and is now a Spanish-language announcer for the Dodgers. This fella, the modern Luis Cruz, was signed just a year ago in 2025 by the Pirates as an international free agent. Another lefty batter, he roams the outfield and could find a home in any of the spots as he matures. Currently weighing in at 155 pounds and standing 6+ feet tall, lanky is a nice way to describe his current frame.

The Yankees made one other pickup around the deadline, signing Garver to a minor-league deal. Garver is in Scranton with the RailRiders and has an opt-out later this month. The 35-year-old has been around for a bit, most notably having a run with the Twins while current Yankee coach Tanner Swanson was there. Together, the pair made the one-knee-down catching stance the trend. The “Garv Sauce” is no longer the Silver Slugger he was back in 2019 but offers the Yankees a low-risk depth option.

New faces in some new places! Let’s welcome these gentlemen to the organization and hope they deliver now and in the future if their number is lucky enough to be called upon.

One of Paul Toboni’s big goals in his first year as Nationals President of Baseball Operations was to build a player development monster. So far he has aced that assignment. You can see the fruits of this player development machine in the big leagues. However, the real monster is being built at the Minor League level.

Under Mike Rizzo, there were times where the Nats had good farm systems, arguably better than this one. However, there has never been a time where the Nats system had this much depth. The Nats have 24 players with a future value of at least 45, something only one other team can say. They also have 9 players with an FV of at least 50 compared to just four last year.

This year it has felt like a new breakout prospect is emerging on nearly a weekly basis. A lot of these guys were not even able to crack the Nats top 30 list. Players such as Yohandy Morales, Angel Feliz and Maxwell Romero would be on most lists, but they did not make the cut in a stacked Nats system.

The fact that Morales is having his best year as a pro, yet is sliding down the rankings tells you a lot about the depth of the system. He is far from a perfect prospect, but this is still a player with pedigree that is destroying AAA. Maybe you would put Morales on your top 30, but it takes a lot to make the list.

Right now Caleb Lomavita is the Nats 30th ranked prospect. He is an athletic catcher who was a top 40 pick and has a .771 OPS in AA right now. In previous years, that would likely be a top 15 prospect in the system, but now he can barely hang on to a top 30 spot.

One big reason that the system is so loaded is the 2025 draft, which could turn into a legendary class. Between the class itself and trades, 8 of the Nats top 21 prospects are from that draft. This includes the crown jewel of the system Eli Willits.

If there was one thing to nit pick about the Nats system, it would be the lack of pure blue chip guys. However, there is no denying that Willits is a blue chipper. The 18 year old is hitting .272 with a .904 OPS to go with 13 homers and 52 steals in his first full season as a pro. Despite being the number one pick, he has still exceeded expectations.

Everyone knew about the bat to ball skills, speed and defense, but he is also hitting for more power than expected. The fact he already has 13 homers is highly impressive. Willits has the ability to be a true 5 tool superstar and is at least a top 10 prospect in baseball.

Since getting promoted to High-A, the youngster has 46 walks to just 31 strikeouts in 45 games. For such a young player, Willits is freakishly advanced. His goal is to reach the big leagues by the time he is 20 and this season has been a step towards that. There is a chance he could get a look in AA to end the season.

Another member of that 2025 draft that has really impressed me is Miguel Sime Jr., the Nats 4th round pick. When he was drafted out of high school, Sime was seen as a major project. However, in his first pro season, he has overwhelmed hitters in Low-A and High-A. The control needs to be refined, but the stuff already plays in a big way.

Sime sits around 99 MPH and routinely hits triple digits. The biggest step he has taken is with his breaking balls though. He showed up this season with a plus-plus slider that has mowed down hitters. Sime also has a nasty curveball to go with that.

The end result is 118 strikeouts in just 65.1 innings. He does have 58 walks to go with that, but he is still a very young pitcher at just 19. At worst, it seems like the Nats have a nasty reliever here. If the control takes a step forward, the sky is the limit.

A final factor that explains the farm depth is the recently completed 2026 draft. The Nats top 4 picks all feature in the new MLB Pipeline top 30. That group is headlined by first rounder Chris Hacopian. The local product skipped over Low-A and is hitting .286 in his first four games in Wilmington.

Hacopian was seen as arguably the best pure hitter in the draft. In his brief stint in pro ball, we have seen some of those skills. The biggest key for him will be to turn his plus raw power into game production. He has elite exit velocities, but still puts the ball on the ground quite a bit. However, the Nats have shown the ability to help hitters elevate the ball more consistently. Examples of that include James Wood, Seaver King and Keibert Ruiz.

The other three 2026 draftees on the list are Chase Brunson, Luke Williams and Cooper Harris. None have debuted yet, but all have exciting upside. Right now, the Nats farm is the healthiest it has ever been. The big league team may not make the playoffs, but 2026 was a massive step in the right direction. You can see that in the majors, but perhaps more importantly, you can see it on the farm.

Friday was largely a solid day for the Phillies’ affiliates, mostly thanks to prodigious offenses. Three of their teams scored in double digits.

Lehigh Valley 15, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1

It took a few innings for the IronPigs’ offense to get going, but once they did, they didn’t stop. Robert Moore hit a two-run home run as part of a three-run fourth inning, to give the ‘Pigs a lead they would not relinquish. In the sixth, Tommy Pham blew things open with a grand slam, part of his six RBIs on the day. Carter Kieboom would later add a two run home run.

With all that run support, the pitching didn’t have to do much, but they still limited the Railriders to a single run. Brian Keller pitched five innings, striking out three to earn the win.

Chesapeake 5, Reading 2

It was a difficult day for the Fightin’ Phils’ offense, scoring just two runs due to going 2-14 with runners in scoring position, and leaving seven men on base. Pedro Leon and Raylin Heredia each had two of the team’s five hits.

Gage Wood got the start and pitched five innings and gave up three runs, thanks in part to surrendering two home runs.

Clearwater 12, Fort Myers 10

The Threshers won a slugfest on Friday, establishing a 12-4 lead, and then hanging on to win 12-10. Right fielder Caden Bogenpohl was the biggest contributor with four hits and four RBIs thanks in part to his second home run of the season. Reece Moroney and Will Vierling both had three hits to add to the onslaught.

It was not a good day for the Threshers’ pitchers. Yordanis Guerra started and gave up six runs in 4.1 innings. Angel Lirianzo wasn’t much better, allowing three runs in 2.1 innings. The only pitcher to avoid giving up runs was Luis Avila who pitched 1.2 scoreless innings for the save.

Jersey Shore 2, Brooklyn 1

In contrast to Clearwater, Jersey Shore won a low-scoring game. Kodey Shojinaga had the only RBI for the BlueClaws, with the other scoring via error.

Starting pitcher Ryan Dromboski gave up one run (unearned) in four innings, and Kevin Warunek threw 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win.

DSL Phillies 19, DSL Twins 18

The DSL Phillies saw the Clearwater game and said, “hold my beer.” The Phillis started things off with an eleven-run first innings but found themselves trailing 17-12 after four. They scored seven runs across the fifth and sixth innings to surge back for the win.

There was no shortage of offensive stars. Carlos Severino had four RBI, Juan Parra had three hits and scored three runs, and Francisco Renteria had the Phillies only home run, his tenth of the season.

It was an interesting day down on the farm, featuring offensive standouts and solid pitching performances. Let’s dive into it all.

(59-58) Gwinnett Stripers 2, (42-74) Norfolk Tides 6

• Maverick Handley, C: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Carlos Santana, 1B: 3-4
• JR Ritchie, SP: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K

Box Score

Gwinnett came up short on Friday, losing by a 6-2 final to Norfolk, moving to just one game above. 500 on the season.

JR Ritchie got the start and had an ok outing, as he spun four innings of two-run ball and striking out three. However, command issues continue to plague him, as he issued four walks on the night, while 49 out of his 87 pitches were out of the zone. There is still time for him to get three or four more starts this season, and hopefully he will be able to make some serious strides with his control.

In terms of offense, the Stripers matched Norfolk hit-for-hit, but couldn’t string together enough extra base hits to produce more than two runs.

Maverick Handley got the scoring started for Gwinnett in the top of the second for his first triple-A homer to initially give the Stripers a 2-0 lead.

The Tides tied things up in the home half of the third at 2-2, and the Stripers managed to hold Norfolk scoreless from that point forward — until the eighth frame.

Norfolk ended up plating four runs off of Hayden Harris in the inning to take a 6-2 lead on the night, which would hold as the final.

On the other hand, deadline acquisition Tyler Uberstine tossed a pair of scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out two on the night.

(52-55) Columbus Clingstones 6, (45-67) Birmingham Barons 2

• Jordan Groshans, 3B: 3-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
• Eric Hartman, LF: 1-4, R
• Owen Carey, RF: 1-5, 3B, RBI, R
• Ambioris Tavarez, 3B: 1-3, 2B, R
• John Gil, SS: 1-4
• Garrett Baumann, SP: 9 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 8 K

Box Score

While he may have been sent down to double-A to get things right, Baumann put up his best start of the season overall on Friday night.

A complete game, two-run performance from Baumann propelled the Clingstones to a win on Friday night. While he did strike out eight, which is pretty on par for him, the biggest stat was one he didn’t register — walks. Hopefully this serves as a complete turn around for Baumann and he can build off of this and finish the season strong.

It’s the second straight start in which Baumann has performed very well. In his last time out, the righty tossed five scoreless innings, striking out nine, but walked three on the night.

Back to Friday’s action, Columbus got on the board first, as Jordan Groshans launched his 22nd homer of the year in the top of the first, scoring Eric Hartman and make it a 2-0 game.

Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. singled home Owen Carey in the top of the fourth to extend the Columbus lead to 3-0.

Groshans once again came through, this time in the top of the fifth with an RBI-single to extend their lead to 4-1. Groshans later came around to score on a Carey RBI-triple.

The Clingstones tacked on another run in the top of the eighth, as Adam Zebrowski laced a ground-rule double on a liner into left center field, making it a 6-2 game, which held as the final.

(52-56) Rome Emperors 5, (38-72) Asheville Tourists 6

• Alex Lodise, SS: 2-5, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Conor Essenburg, DH: 1-3, R, 2 BB
• Luis Guanipa, LF: 1-5, R
• Cade Kuehler, SP: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K

Box Score

Rome ended up on the short end of this one, losing a narrow one-run game to Asheville.

Cade Kuehler got the start and didn’t bring his best stuff. On the night, the righty gave up four earned runs in five innings whiles striking out six and walking four.

All told, it’s been a rough season for Kuehler, who now carries a 5.83 ERA on the season. He’s walked 55 batters in 95.2 innings, while also giving up 21 homers during that span.

In terms of offense, the Emperors came out to play.

Trailing 1-0, the Emperors plated two runs in the top of the third, as Colin Burgess scampered home on a wild pitch to tie things at 1-1. Alex Lodise then proceeded to single into left field to make it a 2-1 game.

Dallas Macias later tied things up at 3-3 with an RBI-single in the top of the fourth.

Lodise once again came through in the top of the fifth — this time with an absolute rocket of a two-run home run — to give Rome a 5-3 lead.

Unfortunately Asheville retook the lead, tying things up at 5-5 in the home half and scoring once more in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 6-5 advantage for the Tourists.

While the bullpen would hold from that point forward, the offense failed to catch up, leading to the Emperors’ demise.

(58-51) Augusta GreenJackets, (62-49) Charleston RiverDogs (POSTPONED)

Rain got in the way of this one, so Augusta will take on Charleston in a doubleheader on Saturday.

(15-37) DSL Braves 7, (33-18) DSL Brewers Gold 8

• Elisandro Ramirez, LF: 2-3, 2 3B, RBI, 2 R, BB
• Luis Fortunato, DH: 2-5, 3B, RBI
• Durban Arnedo, 3B: 2-4, 2 RBI, R
• Geowin Gomez, SP: 5 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 4 K

Box Score

The DSL Braves put up a good fight and, despite outhitting the DSL Brewers, ultimately came up short.

Geowin Gomez got the start and had a very solid day on the mound. Across five innings of work, Gomez allowed one unearned run on three hits while striking out four in the process.

While it was only his second start of the season, Gomez has somewhat flown under the radar. In 32 innings pitched, the righty carries an ERA of 3.09, while striking out twice as many batters (28) as he has walked (14).

It will be interesting to see if the Braves keep him making starts or keep him in the bullpen moving forward.

Back to Friday’s action, Elisandro Ramirez led the offensive charge with a pair of triples — his second and third of the season, respectively — with an RBI and two runs scored on the day. Meanwhile Luis Fortunato registered a triple of his own and drove in a run, while Durban Arnedo brought two home en route to going 2-4 with a run scored o his own credit on the day.

The DSL season is scheduled to come to a close on Saturday in which the Braves take on the Royals Fortuna squad to cap off the year.

Recaps

[AZ Central] Brandon Pfaadt’s latest gem leads Diamondbacks past Braves – In his latest impressive start — and probably his best yet during his recent stretch — Pfaadt fired seven shutout innings of two-hit ball before handing off to the bullpen. Pfaadt struck out seven and did not walk a batter. The Diamondbacks got a run-scoring groundout from Gabriel Moreno in the first inning and a solo homer from Tim Tawa in the top of the ninth. The run in the first was helped along by a misplay in left field by the Braves’ Mauricio Dubon. The Diamondbacks won despite going 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position. Pfaadt has been on an incredible run since rejoining the rotation in late June. In nine starts, he has a 1.15 ERA in 54 2/3 innings.

Team news

[Dbacks.com] Marte day to day after exiting early due to left knee soreness – In the bottom of the first inning at Truist Park, Marte ranged to his right to attempt to field a Drake Baldwin ground ball and twisted awkwardly in the process. Marte stayed in the game for the remainder of the first inning. “It’s been something that’s been bothering him for a couple of days since the Padres series [Aug. 3-6],” said manager Torey Lovullo. “He’s been trying to gut it out, and he moved to his left and it just got to be a little bit too much for him.”

[Arizona Sports] Will Zac Gallen play a role for the 2026 Diamondbacks again? – Manager Torey Lovullo said Gallen is getting close to facing live hitters, after which point he could jump into a Bridge League game and get closer to building up for a return. “I feel good knowing that he’s hungry and he wants to come back,” Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo. “What I’ve told Zac and Ryne Nelson is just get healthy, we can’t force a timeline until you’re healthy. Both are now healthy, and they are ramping up so where does it lead us with Zac, it’s unknown. He’s just going to continue this build up. … If you get up to three (innings) and 50 (pitches) at a certain point, then we’ll start to really integrate the idea of getting him back into this situation as a starting pitcher.”

[SI] Diamondbacks Give New Injury Update on Jordan Lawlar, Justin Martinez – Lawlar has been rehabbing a hamstring injury with the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles. After a slow start, the center fielder has crushed home runs in back-to-back games. Lawlar did not play in Thursday’s game, but Lovullo said the plan is for him to get into a bit more minor league action before he can make a return to a major league playing field. “Lawlar’s going to play a couple more games in a row and see how he feels. Stay tuned. It’s looking very positive,” Arizona’s manager said. He did, however, say it could be “within the week” to see both Lawlar and Martinez make their return to the MLB roster.

And, elsewhere…

[ESPN] San Francisco Giants to host 2028 MLB All-Star Game – Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday that the 2028 Midsummer Classic will be at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The 2007 game was played in the picturesque waterfront ballpark, featuring now-Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s famous inside-the-park home run that bounced off the tricky wall in right-center field. “With its passionate fanbase, world-class ballpark, and rich baseball history, San Francisco will be an outstanding host for All-Star Week, which culminates in one of Major League Baseball’s best traditions, the Midsummer Classic,” Manfred said in a statement. “We look forward to bringing the excitement of All-Star Week and the celebration of baseball to the Bay Area.”

[MLB.com] How baseball’s unorthodox pitchers found their way – These days, pitching sure feels like it’s defined by velocity, which continues to tick up.But there’s a small group of pitchers who don’t rely on velo at all. They play baseball like it was first designed to be played. In 1845, the New York Knickerbocker Base Ball Club spelled out the first surviving rules of baseball. They noted that “the ball must be pitched, not thrown, for the bat.” That’s right. Everyone threw underhanded, a mandate that required the pitcher to throw with a stiff wrist and elbow. No one does this anymore, unless, well, you squint a bit. Then, you’ll see that some players are still carrying the mantle. While they don’t throw underhanded, they most certainly don’t deliver the ball over the top, either. [Significant section here on Arizona’s Ryan Thompson]

[Reddit] Teams average weight vs speed

Hello friends. I’m not sure I can necessarily call it a “good” morning after the Mariners suffered another heartbreaking loss last night, this time a 10-7 gutpunch extra-innings loss to the Astros.

I’m sure many of you are here to escape such topics though, so let’s get you the rest of the league’s news and analysis.

In Mariners news…

• Brent Stecker at Seattle Sports rounded up the latest news on currently injured Mariners.
• Kathryn Xu at Defector wonders how Cal Raleigh can get back on track after a disastrous season.
• Former Mariner Butch Huskey, who was one of the last players to wear the number 42, has died at the age of 54.

Around the league…

• What was previously rumored is now official — Rob Refsnyder has retired from baseball.
• The Cardinals are promoting top outfield prospect Joshua Báez to make his MLB debut.
• The Phillies have agreed to a minor league deal with old friend Casey Lawrence.
• Meanwhile, the Yankees signed former Mariner Justin Topa to a minor league contract.
• The San Francisco Giants will host the 2028 MLB All-Star Game after the Cubs get their turn in 2027.
• Star Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams is moving to second base. Abrams is the current MLB leader in errors.
• Susan Slusser at the San Francisco Chronicle told the impressive story of Giants right-hander Dylan Smith, who taught himself to pitch and is now a leverage arm for the club.

The Royals are being cautious with Salvador Perez’s right elbow.

So much so that Royals manager Matt Quatraro revealed Perez could’ve played in Friday’s game. However, the team will take a cautious approach to ensure his health.

“He’s got some inflammation in there,” Quatraro said. “It’s a little bit sore from the other day. He feels way better than he did in L.A. the other day. So we’re encouraged by that. But just trying to get it as good as we can before we have him back out there.”

David Lesky looks at the 2027 payroll situation for the Royals.

So I think it’s fair to assume they’ll have at least $57 million available to them to spend this winter. If I had to put odds on how likely it is they’ll have more than that, I’d say maybe 50 percent. Part of that is that they could move someone who makes real money to add to it, and part of it is that maybe they really do bump payroll more than they have in the last couple of seasons. I think whatever the number ends up being, from $57 million on up, it’s enough to potentially do enough even if they only shop in the free agent market….

We’ll get into this in far more detail as the season nears its end and beyond, but they’ll need to be creative. A trade that they don’t want to make might be the answer. Maybe they find a deal for someone like a Will Warren who is all stuff, but the results haven’t quite been there. I don’t know who it is. But I’ll maintain what I said last week after the deadline. They need two starters who, at the very least, are Michael Wacha’s equal. I think they likely need two starters better than him.

Maikel Garcia began his rehab assignment at Northwest Arkansas.

Zion Rose is at it again.

Questions remain unanswered about funding for the potential downtown stadium.

The Giants will host the 2028 All-Star Game.

Is Yordan Alvarez the overwhelming favorite for AL MVP?

Why has Edwin Diaz struggled so much for the Dodgers?

The top prospects that may be called up soon and can keep their PPI status for next year.

A California bill could require the Angels to change their name to “Anaheim”.

Shohei Ohtani could opt out if the Dodgers get new owners, but reportedly he will stay put.

What were the lessons learned from the 1994 work stoppage?

The arguments against player resistance to a salary cap.

How much better would the Tigers be if they had kept Tarik Skubal?

Former Mets outfielder Butch Huskey dies at age 54.

Legendary LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman dies at age 88.

Ranking all 138 college football teams.

Jeff Bezos buys an ownership stake in Liverpool in the Premier League.

Speed cameras are drawing backlash from drivers.

Sharks could help scientists better predict hurricanes.

Count Binface is the British political candidate who wears a trash can on his head and receives a quarter of the vote.

Your song of the day is Boston with Peace of Mind.

If you haven’t heard, the Guardians’ number 1 prospect in the farm system, Ralphy Velasquez, has been tearing the cover off the ball all season in the minor leagues, including hitting 8 home runs so far in August. Today we’ll take a look at how the season has gone so far for Ralphy, and look at some possible reasons why the Guardians haven’t given him the call despite hurting for some offense in 2026.

(Data from TJStats)

We can see Ralphy has been putting up some impressive numbers so far this season. The numbers vs LHP are especially impressive. We can see there are some dips when compared to the numbers vs RHP, but viewed on their own the numbers vs LHP are still impressive. So why haven’t the Guardians, who have been incredibly aggressive with calling up young talent so far in 2026, given Ralphy a run at the Major League level yet? The answer might be the potential of a lockout in 2027 if the MLBPA and owners do not sign a new CBA before the start of next season.

As it stands currently players on the 40 man roster are under the MLB CBA, and players not on the 40 man roster are under the MiLB CBA. If a lockout were to happen no player on the 40 man roster would be able to play even in minor league games, but all the players not on the 40 man roster are able to keep playing Minor League Baseball. Ralphy Velasquez is currently not on the 40 man roster. By keeping him off it, the Guardians are preserving the ability for him to continue his development in 2027 by playing baseball games every day.

The decision may ultimately come down to “is the 2026 playoff run worth risking stalling the development of the next potential big hitter coming up to the big leagues?” If the Guardians call him up now, he’d be added to the 40 man roster, and if there is a lockout that lasts through 2027, he may not be able to play professional baseball and continue his development during that time. The alternative is to leave him in AAA for what remains of 2026. If there is no lockout, he can come to spring training and earn a chance to make the team out of camp in 2027. If there is a lockout, however, he could remain in the minors and continue playing through 2027, potentially giving him a full season of development before getting a chance to join the Guardians in 2028.

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You know Toronto is on a heater when I can't stray from riding with them as part of my Blue Jays vs. Yankees prediction - even on a bullpen day.

The Toronto Blue Jays are now just one game back of the Wild Card and are going for their sixth straight series win today as +150 underdogs against the New York Yankees at BET99.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Saturday, Aug. 15, and cash a same-game parlay, shall we?

Yankees vs Blue Jays predictions

Yankees vs Blue Jays best bet: Blue Jays +1.5 (-120)

For as good as Cam Schlittler has been for the New York Yankees - he and Dylan Cease are in a battle for AL Cy Young odds - the Toronto Blue Jays have owned him during his young career.

The Jays own a .290 xBA against the young right-hander and are striking out at just a 17% clip, which is incredible considering Schlittler owns a 31.4% K rate this year.

On the other side, Brayden Fisher has made quick work of these Yankees, striking New York out 43% of the time over a smaller sample size (21 at-bats). We're rocking with the rested bullpen to keep this one close.

I'd play this one up to -130 at BET99.

COVERS INTEL:Ernie Clement gets the job done in this matchup, and has gone 5-for-12 with a .390 xBA against Schlittler in his career. If Toronto wins, he'll be at the center of it.

Yankees vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

The Under is a perfect 5-0 in the Blue Jays' last five home games against a righty, and 6-1 in their last seven when they're a home underdog. The way both of these offenses are performing as of late, I would expect another low-scoring, close, gritty game.

Elsewhere, I'm giving Clement the benefit of the doubt - he has yet to strike out against Schlittler and owns a .327 xwOBA in this matchup. Let's cash this one.

Yankees vs Blue Jays SGP

• Blue Jays +1.5
• Ernie Clement 2+ H/R/RBI
• Under 7.5

Yankees vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+675)

Kazuma Okamoto is the only guy in this lineup with a homer off Schlittler and has quietly come into his own lately, registering four hits across his last four games. The strikeout numbers are still there, but I'll rock with his 43.8% hard-hit rate to get the job done for us tonight.

Yankees vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: New York (-175) | Toronto (+150)
• Run line: New York -1.5 | Toronto +1.5 (-120)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+100) | Under 7.5 (-100)

Yankees vs Blue Jays trend

Blue Jays are 4-0 in their last four home games vs. a right-handed starter - that bodes well for us today. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Blue Jays.

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I don’t want to be hasty. But I think Clay Holmes might be healthy. I mean it could also be that the Cardinal offense isn’t particularly terrifying. But he handcuffed them all day long. I don’t think I’m engaging in hyperbole to suggest that was one of the best starts this year by a Cub. It’s good too because the Cub offense is potentially in one of those funks that they occasionally have.

For the second straight day, the Cub offense was sluggish. We hat tip when we need to. Matthew Liberatore has now had two strong starts and two rough starts against the Cubs this year. I’m just not sure I’m ready to heap all of the credit on Liberatore after this offense lit him up twice in July and with how hot they’ve been recently. The only one nod I’ll make is that I was listening to the Cub radio broadcast and Ron Coomer noted that he does a lot of thinking through pitch sequencing and that Liberatore had him pretty confused. I guess maybe they went with a different playbook entirely seeing the same team for the fourth time in a year. That doesn’t happen anywhere near as often as it did years ago.

That’s an interesting thing about the modern game. For all of the good in modern pitching, guys have smaller pitch repertoires and they rely more on stuff now than they did in the past. When you don’t usually even finish three times through the order, you often don’t need so many different pitches. And pitchers rely more than effort on max effort fastballs and max spin breaking pitches. In the past there was a lot more playing with sequencing and location and changing speeds. It’s a different game. Often a very effective game. But I’m sure it’s hard when you have to keep facing the same team over and over again. Particularly for a younger pitcher and particularly against a good lineup.

That said, Liberatore was only a hair worse than Holmes. The big difference is that when the Cubs did finally get some runners, Seiya Suzuki hit a ball to the exact right spot at the exact right time. The wind had shifted to be a little bit more right to left and when he lofted one towards the left field line, it pushed just far enough for a three-run homer. It was about as timely as a homer can get.

Holmes eventually gave way to the Cub bullpen and we got to see Ryan Rolison, Ryan Zeferjahn and Jacob Webb in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. The Cubs haven’t had a ton of these hand a ball to the bullpen and protect a lead games. But they handled it. Not without a little breath holding. But they finished what Holmes started and shut the Cardinals out. The Cubs are 10-3 in August. Very much in the fight.

Go Cubs.

Three Positives:

• 6.2 innings of one hit, one walk baseball is just about as positive as it can get. Nice home debut Clay Holmes.
• Seiya Suzuki had the three-run homer and added a double. The Cubs only managed six hits and drew three walks.
• Michael Busch had a single and a walk.

Game 123, August 14: Cubs 3, Cardinals 0 (72-51)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Clay Holmes (.383). 6.2 IP, H, BB, 0 R, 3 K (W 1-1)
• Hero: Seiya Suzuki (.174). 2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, R
• Sidekick: Dansby Swanson (.093). 1-3, R, SB

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Pete Crow-Armstrong (-.132). 0-4
• Goat: Ian Happ (-.074). 0-3
• Kid: Michael Busch (-.042). 1-3, BB

WPA Play of the Game: Seiya Suzuki’s three-run homer with one out in the sixth. (.206)

Cubs Play of the Game: With first and third and no outs, just in front of the Suzuki homer, Matthew Liberatore got Pete Crow-Armstrong to pop out, temporarily conserving the shutout.

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 122 Winner: Aaron Civale received 33 of 66 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 +25
• Alex Bregman +20
• Carson Kelly +14.5
• Shōta Imanaga +14
• Trent Thornton +13.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Nico Hoerner -11
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Dansby Swanson -17
• Caleb Thielbar -19.5

Scoreboard Watching: The Phillies had a largely unheard of Friday off day after winning the Field of Dreams game Thursday. The Phillies started the day as the first non playoff team in the NL. The Diamondbacks beat the Braves 2-0, they remain seven back of the Cubs, the Braves two up. The Padres beat the Guardians 7-5. The Cubs are six up on the Padres. The Dodgers held on to beat the Brewers and the Cubs are back to just three games behind in the division. The Dodgers are also two up on the Cubs.

Up Next: Game two of the weekend three-game set. Matthew Boyd (8-1, 3.50) starts for the Cubs. He’s been unbelievable since getting healthy. He’s 5-0 with a 2.35 over his last seven starts (46 innings). He threw seven scoreless against the Cardinals in St. Louis on July 29. 26-year-old righty Michael McGreevy (4-9, 3.64) starts for the Cardinals. McGreevy is heading in the wrong direction (1-3, 4.91) over his last seven. The Cubs were part of that, scoring seven against him (in 1.2 IP) in St. Louis on July 28. You have to love this matchup.

Get another one.

The San Diego Padres were not perfect in really any facet of their game against the Cleveland Guardians, but they had just enough pitching, just enough offense and made just enough plays to hang on for a 7-5 win to open their three-game series at Progressive Field on Friday.

It did not look good early for the Padres after starter Michael King surrendered two solo home runs and a third run through the first three innings. King would go on to allow four runs, three earned, over his six innings of work. It was not the start the Friar Faithful wanted to see from the ace of their pitching staff. Fortunately for King and the San Diego playoff hopes, the offense came to life and got him off the hook with two runs in the fourth, three runs in the fifth and two runs in the seventh.

The Padres got on the board with a two-run home run off the bat of Xander Bogaerts. There has been a lot of discussion about where the veteran shortstop bats in the San Diego lineup among fans and media members. His contributions to the offense in the first game against Cleveland showed how effective he can be in the bottom third of the order. There is no question Bogaerts extends the lineup and makes it harder on opposing pitchers to get through the lineup unscathed as evidenced by his final line of 1-for-1 with two walks, three RBI and a run scored from the No. 8 position in the order.

Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a screaming line drive home run to tie the game at 3-3, and Luis Campusano continued to contribute to the offense when he followed later in the fifth inning with a two-run double that put the Padres ahead, 5-3. Campusano added another RBI in the top of the seventh when he recorded another double that allowed Ty France to score from second base. It also put Jackson Merrill on third base. He scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Gavin Sheets that put San Diego up, 7-4.

Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller were down for the day, so Jeremiah Estrada and Bradgley Rodriguez were asked to cover the eighth and ninth innings. Estrada allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth, which allowed Cleveland to cut the lead to 7-5, but Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth, despite a leadoff double, to lock down the win and record the first save of his MLB career.

The Padres offense kept pressure on Guardians starter Gavin Williams and the rest of the Cleveland pitching staff throughout the contest with each member of the lineup contributing in some way. Merrill was the only starter not to record a hit but he drew a walk and scored twice on the day.

San Diego has punched its win streak to six games and will look to make it seven when the Padres play the Guardians in the second game of the series today at 4:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• Joe Musgrove took another step in his rehab progression and threw 70 pitches at Triple-A El Paso.

• Kyle Hart did what he needed to so he could become a contributor for the Padres. That included a change in mindset and mechanics.

• Samad Taylor was the spark plug for the San Diego lineup when he arrived, but when he went down with an injury the Padres needed someone else to fill that role, and Luis Rengifo is doing just that.

Baseball News:

• The Chicago White Sox powered past the Detroit Tigers.

• Christian Walker belted a three-run home run to help the Houston Astro’s walk off the Seattle Mariners.

• Brandon Pfaadt stays hot and leads the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 2-0 win over the Atalanta Braves.

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Milwaukee Brewers.

• The Chicago Cubs got a shutout win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Friday night in the Dodgers minor leagues included a rehabbing Tyler Glasnow getting closer to a major league return with eight strikeouts in 3 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Dodgers affiliates dropped three of four games on Friday night.

Player of the day

Aidan Foeller was pressed into pitching duty earlier than expected on Friday, and filled in for an injured Luke Fox with aplomb. Foeller struck out six in five scoreless innings in the best of his four Double-A appearances to date.

Foeller on Friday stranded an inherited runner in the first inning, then left his three hits and two walks on base as well, getting through the fifth inning. Between High-A and Double-A this season, the 11th-round draft pick from 2024 has a 3.09 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 26 walks in 67 innings, with a 19.9-percent strikeout-minus-walk-rate.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Christian Romero got the final out of the fourth inning in relieving Glasnow, but then allowed three runs in the fifth in the Comets’ home loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies).

Oklahoma City managed only five hits in the loss, two of them singles by new catcher Chadwick Tromp.

Ryan Ward his his 94th double for Oklahoma City, breaking the team’s record for the current “Bricktown Era,” since 1998.

Double-A Tulsa

Home runs by Jake Gelof, Nelson Quiroz, and Joe Vetrano paced the Drillers office in a win over the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners).

Luke Fox returned last Saturday after nearly four months on the injured list with three strong innings, but he left his start Friday after allowing a double and single to his two batters faced in the first inning. Just nine pitches in, Fox’s night was done, appearing to re-injure his hamstring, per Barry Lewis of Tulsa World, who was on-site in Tulsa.

Mike Sirota was hit by a pitch and scored in the sixth inning, and was later replaced on defense in center field in the eighth.

High-A Great Lakes

Four runs in the third inning spelled doom for the Loons in a loss to the South Bend Cubs.

Will Gagnon, who struck out 34 percent (and walked 17 percent) of his batters faced in 55 2/3 innings for Class-A Ontario before getting promoted to Great Lakes. The right-hander, drafted by the Dodgers in the 14th round in 2024, struck out seven in his High-A debut in four innings, but also allowed five runs on two hits and three walks. Two of the five runs were earned, aided by catcher’s interference and a throwing error by shortstop Emil Morales in the fateful third frame.

The Eduardos had four of the Loons’ six hits as a team. Quintero and Guerrero each singled twice and walked.

Class-A Ontario

The Tower Buzzers had a four-run inning but lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels), who had two.

Ching-Hsien Ko hit a two-run home run for Ontario, and Kellon Lindsey hit a solo shot among his two hits.

Joel Cruz struck out six in four innings of relief for Ontario, allowing only an unearned run.

Transactions

Class-A: Camden Wimbish, the Dodgers’ 17th-round pick last month out of Campbell, was added to Ontario’s roster, as was catcher Eduardo Rojas and non-drafted free agent pitcher Brady Wembley. Right-hander Josehp Marte was sent back to the Arizona Complex League (whose season has already concluded) after pitching five games for the Tower Buzzers. Same for Angel Cruz, who had a 7.57 ERA, 40 walks, and 42 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings with Ontario.

Friday scores

• Albuquerque 4, Oklahoma City 2
• Tulsa 4, Arkansas 1
• South Bend 6, Great Lakes 2
• Rancho Cucamonga 9, Ontario 6

Saturday schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) vs South Bend (Pierce Coppola)
• 5 p.m.: Tulsa (Christian Zazueta) vs. Arkansas (Ryan Sloan)
• 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) vs. Albuquerque (Jake Brooks)
• 6:30 p.m.: Ontario (Marlon Nieves) at Rancho Cucamonga (Yusei Kikuchi)