CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 19: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers smiles during the game against the Houston Rockets on November 19, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country.
It’s time for another poll. We trust you, Fear the Sword reader, to respond to our survey in the feed.
This week, we want to know how many All-Stars the Cleveland Cavaliers will have next season. To respond, simply make a free account and vote in our feed below.
For bonus points, leave a comment letting us know who on the roster will be an All-Star. (Note: all points, including bonus ones, are imaginary).
The Cavs are one of the more interesting teams in the conference from this perspective. They have four players in their starting lineup who have all been All-Stars. Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, James Harden, and Donovan Mitchell are all capable of making it to the big game.
It isn’t far-fetched to say any of those four could deliver another All-Star caliber season. Mitchell is the most likely. But injuries to anyone would open the door for increased opportunities.
Would it be that surprising if Harden took on more usage and notched another All-Star appearance if Mitchell was hurt in December? Likewise for Allen, who has put up monster numbers in Mobley’s absence in years previous.
Of course, racking up multiple All-Stars on the same team requires regular season success. Two years ago, Mitchell and Mobley made it to All-Star weekend alongside Darius Garland. That was made possible by their 15-0 start to the year.
A lot has changed since then. The Cavs aren’t likely to win 64 games like they did that season. And the rest of the Eastern Conference has improved. I don’t know if Cleveland can garner enough regular-season success to net three (or more) All-Stars again.
Still, there’s a case to be made for multiple All-Stars in Cleveland again. In all honesty, Mitchell and Mobley should both be expected to make the game. From there, I wouldn’t hold anyone else to that standard.
Though even Peyton Watson could be a long-shot option as a 23-year-old wing ripe for a breakout.
Either way, let us know in the feed how many stars the Cavs will have, and who you believe will take the honors.
Fresh off a true smack of the rival Red Sox, the Yankees (78-59) open a three-game series in Anaheim against the Angels (52-85) tonight.
New York closed out a four-game series against Boston yesterday with one of its most dominant performances of the season. Yesterday, the Yankees crushed the Red Sox 16-1, recording their largest margin of victory of the year. Will Warren delivered seven strong innings and Austin Wells powered the offense with two home runs and five RBI. With the win yesterday, New York stayed within 4.5 games of the AL East-leading Rays of Tampa Bay and a whopping nine games up in the Wild Card chase. The Angels have lost seven in a row and own the worst record in the American League. The Phillies swept Mike Trout and co. over the weekend. Since going 13-14 in June, the Halos are 16-34.
Rookie right-hander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz gets the start for the Yankees tonight. It will be his third since mid-May. Last Wednesday against Houston, the righthander allowed three runs over six innings. It was the first time in his career that Rodriguez finished the sixth inning. The Angels will counter with Walbert Urena (8-9, 2.94 ERA). Over his last five starts, the righthander has allowed 10 runs over 23 innings. His most recent outing – last Tuesday vs. Cleveland – was less than good. Urena allowed three runs over 3.2 innings in a loss to Cleveland. Neither starting pitcher has faced their opponent in their respective young careers.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Angels
Date: Monday, August 31, 2026
Time: 9:38PM EST
Site: Angel Stadium
City: Anaheim, CA
Network/Streaming: Apple TV, YES, Angels.TV, KCOP
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The Latest Odds: Yankees vs. Angels – August 31
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Yankees (-119), LA Angels (+111)
Spread: Yankees -1.5 (+134), Angels +1.5 (-162)
Total: 8.0 runs
Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Yankees vs. Angels for August 31
In his last 2 starts, Elmer Rodriguez has struck out 4 and 6 opposing hitters
Walbert Urena has allowed just 2 HRs over the last 2 months (11 starts)
Ben Rice has hit safely in 6 of his last 7 games (10-28)
Jazz Chisholm, Jr. has 10 stolen bases this month
Jose Caballero played all 4 games against the Red Sox and went 6-14 in the series
Mike Trout is hitting .232 (23-99) in August
Trout was 2-12 over the weekend against the Phillies
Zach Neto has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games (18-42)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees vs. Angels
The Angels are 68-69 on the Run Line this season
The Yankees are 67-70 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed an MLB-low 55 times in games involving the Angels this season (55-80-2)
The OVER has cashed 58 times in games involving the Yankees this season (58-75-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Angels for August 31
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Angels and the Yankees:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total.
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RICHMOND, VA - JULY 19: Dakota Jordan #5 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels looks on during the game between the Erie SeaWolves and the Richmond Flying Squirrels at CarMax Park on Sunday, July 19, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matthew Mitrani/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Today is an off day in Minor League Baseball, but certainly not an off day for our coverage! Here’s everything that happened with the San Francisco Giants affiliates on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The most exciting news is that we have a Jackson Flora sighting! Last month’s No. 4 overall pick hasn’t gotten into an official game yet, but made his pro debut in the bridge league, which is the unofficial games played in the Complex League after the official season ends. Thankfully for us, Fangraphs has video of the entire thing!
As for roster news, AA Richmond got an infusion of talent, as outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was activated off the Injured List, while LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) was promoted from High-A Eugene. AAA Sacramento got some depth after having their roster gutted, as Eugene RHP Ryan Slater and LHP Hayden Wynja were sent to Sacramento, as well as Low-A San Jose RHP Samir Chires.
And some hardware to hand out: Eugene swept the weekly awards in the Northwest League, with outfielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) being awarded Player of the Week, while RHP Hunter Dryden was named Pitcher of the Week. Meanwhile, MLB Pipeline named shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) the top MLB prospect in the Arizona Complex League this year!
Finally, Baseball America had some high praise for the system in doling out their best tools awards, which are voted on by the managers of each league.
Great to see the recognition for our guys from managers across the minor leagues. pic.twitter.com/48xAR6srQF
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Reno Aces 6-1 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Reno Aces 12-2 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces 9-7 [box score]
The Giants are beat up, which means a lot of the River Cats are in San Francisco, which means a lot of lower level players are filling in in Sacramento. It makes for a slightly funny roster with some funny box scores. On Saturday, for instance, Low-A San Jose RHP Samir Chires and High-A Eugene RHP Ryan Slater both pitched, and both got roughed up, as one would expect. High-A infielder Zander Darby also played over the weekend, hitting 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and a walk.
And that’s just the lower-Minors fill-ins! There were also a trio of players recently called up from AA probably more for logistical purposes than because of merit. One of those players was first baseman/third baseman Charlie Szykowny, who made his AAA debut on Friday and got into all 3 games, hitting 2-8 with a double and 2 strikeouts.
Szykowny, who was a 9th-round pick in 2023, wasn’t having a great year in AA, where he had a .733 OPS and a 94 wRC+. But, given that he’s already 26, that he has a controlled bat (he struck out 20.5% of the time with Richmond), that he plays all 4 corner positions, and that he’s a well-respected and liked player, it’s easy to see him getting the treatment that Thomas Gavello got last year: come up for logistical purposes, and end up staying put.
The other call-ups happened on the mound, with RHPs Trystan Vrieling and Darien Smith. Vrieling started Sunday’s game and really struggled, giving up 14 baserunners (10 hits, 3 walks, and a hit batter) in just 4 innings, which tagged him for 6 runs. The 25-year old, who was taken in the 3rd round in 2022 by the Yankees, had just a 4.23 ERA and a 5.02 FIP in AA this year, while walking 5.3 batters per 9 innings. So some struggles are to be expected as he tries to adapt to AAA on the fly.
As for Smith, he’s the one player here whose promotion may have been primarily performance based. The 26-year old undrafted free agent, who is in just his 2nd pro season, had a decent year in AA, with a 2.84 ERA, but a 4.51 FIP, while working as a starter. He hit the Injured List in mid-May, though, and began rehabbing in the Complex League in July. Rather than return to Richmond upon his activation, the Giants sent him straight to Sacramento. He took that promotion well, as he threw 2.1 no-hit innings in his Friday debut, while walking 1 batter and striking out none.
Now, onto the rest of the players. It was a pretty uninteresting weekend, honestly. It was fixing to be an ugly offensive performance from Sacramento’s trio of exciting position player prospects, until left fielder/right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) saved the day. Davidson went just 0-8 with 2 strikeouts on Friday and Saturday, but exploded on Sunday with a sensational game, hitting 2-3 with a double, a walk, a sacrifice fly, a strikeout, and, most critically, a go-ahead 3-run home run in the 9th inning.
Davidson has really turned a corner lately, and with Rule 5 protection a certainty for him, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the Giants get him some MLB coffee before the season concludes. He has an .871 OPS and a 125 wRC+ in AAA, with just a 16.4% strikeout rate.
Things were a little less fruitful for center fielder Scott Bandura and third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL). Bandura had some good moments in a quiet weekend, hitting 2-11 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, a strikeout, and an error. Harber had a weekend very much to forget, as he went 1-12 with a walk, 5 strikeouts, and an error. Bandura now has an .880 OPS and a 131 wRC+, while Harber has an .800 OPS and a 111 wRC+.
Decent showings for a pair of players who could factor into the backup infield plans next year, especially since the Giants will likely have to get rid of most, if not all, of Christian Koss, Osleivis Basabe, Shay Whitcomb, and Nate Furman in order to make it through the offseason. Second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) hit 5-11 with a double, a walk, and 2 strikeouts, while shortstop Aeverson Arteaga hit 2-6 with a triple, a double, and 3 strikeouts. Velasquez, a 22-year old switch-hitter, has an .826 OPS and a 123 wRC+ through 21 games since getting promoted. Arteaga, a 23-year old righty, has just a .631 OPS and a 65 wRC+ through 62 games, but also derives the bulk of his value through his glove.
With so many players in San Francisco (and/or injured), the River Cats are shy on starting pitchers, so both Friday and Saturday were uninteresting bullpen games. MLB LHP Matt Gage continued his rehab assignment and got rocked, giving up 4 hits, 1 walk, and 4 runs, while recording just 2 outs. Just great seeing him healthy again, though. RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) continues to struggle since returning to AAA, as he allowed 5 baserunners and 4 runs in 2 innings, with 1 strikeout. The 2021 1st-round pick has given up multiple runs in all 6 of his outings since heading back to Sacramento after spending most of the year in AA.
RHP R.J. Dabovich pitched a scoreless inning with a hit, a walk, and a strikeout. Great seeing him healthy. And RHP Alex Carillo, who has had some struggles since recently joining the organization, had an absolutely dominant weekend: the 29-year old pitched twice, and struck out 7 batters over 3 scoreless innings, giving up 1 walk and 0 hits.
AA Richmond (72-52)
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Portland Sea Dogs 9-3 [box score] Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Portland Sea Dogs 14-3 [box score] Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Portland Sea Dogs 8-7 (10 innings) [box score]
Some very good news on the injury front for the Flying Squirrels this weekend, as Saturday’s game featured center fielder/right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) and right fielder/left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL). Jordan was making his return to the lineup after an absence of just over a month; it looked for a while like his stellar season might be over, but thankfully he’ll get some run here to end the season. As for Diaz, he hurt his knee sliding into a wall on Thursday, and it certainly looked like it could be a serious injury. But Diaz only missed 1 game, and that’s fantastic given how gruesome it looked.
Both players are in the top 4 among Giants prospects in home runs this season, and both players added to that tally. Jordan struck out in his 1st 3 at-bats as he started to recalibrate his swing after 5 weeks on the sidelines … and then unleashed with fury in his 4th at-bat of his return game, launching an absolute bomb for his 1st AA home run.
The 23-year old Jordan, taken in the 4th round of the 2024 draft (with quite an overslot bonus), then went 1-3 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts on Sunday. He has looked quite comfortable through 11 games with Richmond, posting an .814 OPS and a 114 wRC+, while lowering his strikeout rate from what it was in High-A to start the year (though it’s still a not-great 25.5%). I’m looking forward to seeing how he can end the year.
As for Diaz, who was recently promoted, he’s been a little slow to adjust to a new level, but has certainly shown flashes. He hit 2-8 over the weekend, with a hit by pitch, a stolen base and 2 strikeouts, and showed one such flash on Sunday, when he launched a 3-run blast in the 1st inning, pulling him into a tie with Davidson for the organizational lead in dingers.
There’s a lot to work on for the right-hander, as through 11 games he has just a .182 average and a 28.6% strikeout rate, leading to just a .586 OPS and a 44 wRC+. But then again, it’s only 11 games, and he only turned 21 last month! He’s almost 4 years below the league average age in the Eastern League!
Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) had a very nice weekend, which was good to see as he had been scuffling for a while. Last year’s 3rd-round selection hit a delightful 6-14 with a solo home run, a stolen base, a strikeout, and an error. He also had something you’ll only ever see in a Minor League game: a walk-off hit off of a position player!
Cohen will likely never hit for a lot of power, but he can put the occasional charge into one. It’s the small-ball stuff that really impresses with the 22-year old lefty: even though he only has a .734 OPS and a 97 wRC+ through 39 games in AA, he’s rocking a .297 batting average and just a 9.3% strikeout rate, while playing awesome defense. He’s also stolen 15 bases in 19 attempts.
The excitement on the mound occurred on Sunday, when LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) made his AA debut. Bresnahan, who only turned 21 in late June, had a spectacular season in High-A despite getting a slow start due to injury, and then needing a little time to work the rust off. He finished his 1st and last season in the Northwest League with a 2.92 ERA, and while he did have a 4.32 FIP on account of a lot of home runs given up, he struck out 10.8 batters per 9 innings, while only issuing 3.5 walks. And he ended his tenure on an absolute heater.
He showed a lot of that in his AA debut, though, understandably, he also showed that it will be an adjustment. The 2023 13th-round pick, sent to the Giants in the Alex Cobb trade, struck out 8 batters in just 5 innings in his Eastern League debut. Mighty impressive!
Jacob Bresnahan gets his first Double-A strikeout on the second batter he sees! 😤 pic.twitter.com/VSAxtbxcIi
The rest of his performance was a bit less pretty, however. Bresnahan struggled to find the strike zone, throwing just 54 of 92 pitches for strikes, while issuing 5 walks. He gave up 4 hits, which included a home run, and ceded 3 runs. Still and all, that’s a highly encouraging start in my book for one of the best pitching prospects in the system.
LHP Greg Farone made a great start on Saturday, pitching 4 shutout innings with just 4 singles and 2 walks allowed, plus 3 strikeouts. Farone only pitched 4 innings despite throwing only 49 pitches, which is probably just a desire to keep his workload in check. With this start, he moved the bare minimum (a third of an inning) past his innings total in his debut season last year. A 7th-round pick in 2024, the 24-year old Farone has a 5.43 ERA and a 5.67 FIP on the season.
A lot of bullpen struggles, but none from LHP Esmerlin Vinicio, who struck out 4 batters in 2.2 scoreless frames, with just 1 hit allowed. The 23-year old has been quite solid since getting promoted to start the month, as he has a 2.31 ERA and a 3.22 FIP through 5 AA games, with 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. He’s given up too many walks (7), but has only allowed 5 hits.
High-A Eugene (75-50)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox 4-3 (10 innings) [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox 12-9 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox 8-4 [box score]
Certainly some standout performances for the Emeralds. The single best performance of the weekend on the farm arguably came on Saturday from designated hitter Robert Hipwell, who hit a perfect 3-3 with a pair of home runs, while also smacking a double, drawing 2 walks, and knocking in 6 runs. That’s a performance he won’t soon forget!
In the other pair of games, Hipwell hit 1-6 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. It’s been a rough season for the 2024 6th-rounder, who has really struggled in Eugene. Some power and a whole bunch of walks (16.9% rate) have given him a league average line (.736 OPS, 100 wRC+), but his contact issues are severe: he’s repping just a .199 batting average, with a 38.8% strikeout rate and a 16.8% swinging strike rate. That unsightly trio ranks, respectively, 66th, 68th, and 59th out of the 68 Northwest League hitters with at least 200 plate appearances this season.
But Hipwell, who turned 23 in March, has been much better lately. While still residing on the interstate, he hit .269 in July and has hit .264 so far in August, with a .927 OPS. That is, likely, enough improvement to ensure that he stays in the system for at least another season.
Also leaving the yard twice (though spread out over the weekend, rather than in a single game like Hipwell) was third baseman/first baseman Hayden Jatczak, who hit 4-11 with 2 homers, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and an error.
After obliterating Low-A competition to start his debut season, Jatczak — an undrafted free agent who turned 25 earlier this month — took a while to get acclimated to High-A. He’s starting to find his groove now, though, and is up to a .727 OPS and a 97 wRC+ through 30 games. Hopefully he can end the year on a high note.
One other player homered, as catcher Daniel Rogers made a 2-run shot his only hit of the weekend, going 1-10 with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. The home run was a rarity — it was just his 6th of the season — but not as rare as the fact that he was behind the dish for all 3 games. You don’t see catchers catch 3 days in a row much anymore, at any level! A 24-year old undrafted free agent in his 2nd season, the left-handed hitting Rogers has a .658 OPS and a 76 wRC+ with Eugene this year, and has a 35.2% strikeout rate. His numbers were quite good in Low-A, though.
Some good and some bad on the pitching front. It was a sandwich of a performance, with Friday and Sunday’s starters shining and Saturday’s not so much. The star was RHP Hunter Dryden, who put forth one of the best starts of his young career on Sunday, when he went 6 innings and allowed just 2 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run, while striking out 7 batters. What a day!
Dryden, who was a 17th-round pick in 2024, is really ending the season on a high note. In his last 6 games, the D3 Whitworth product has pitched 32.2 innings and allowed just 26 hits, 7 walks, and 6 earned runs, while striking out 28 batters. The recently-turned 24-year old only has a 4.37 ERA and a 5.42 FIP, and home runs continue to haunt him: the big fly he gave up in this outing was his 17th home run in 103 innings. But the 9.6 strikeouts per 9 innings and the strong end to the year should be, in my opinion, enough to get him to AA next season.
On Friday it was RHP Cade Vernon, who had an effective if not overpowering start, as he gave up just 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 unearned run in 5 innings of work, but only registered a single strikeout. Vernon, who was a 10th-round pick in 2024 out of Murray State, had been working in relief until recently, but has started to get stretched out. The results haven’t been strong … prior to this game, since moving into a bulk innings role, Vernon had pitched 19 innings and allowed 30 hits, 10 walks, and 18 earned runs. But hopefully this step in the right direction is the start of something good for the 24-year old, who has a 4.52 ERA and a 5.15 FIP on the year.
Unfortunately, the meat in the starting pitcher sandwich was LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL), and he once again had all sorts of issues. LDLT simply could not find the strike zone in this game, as only 33 of his 72 pitches were strikes, which led to 5 walks and 2 hit batters in just 2.1 innings. The control issues even followed him off the mound, as he committed a throwing error!
Per the usual, when De La Torre did throw strikes, hitters didn’t know what to do with them. He gave up just 2 hits (which resulted in 4 runs), and struck out 5 batters. And that’s the season in a nutshell for the southpaw, who turns 23 this weekend and has a 5.87 ERA and a 5.46 FIP. Among the 70 Northwest League pitchers with at least 40 innings thrown this year, De La Torre is 65th in walks per 9 innings, with 7.5 … but he’s 16th in strikeouts per 9 (11.3) and 10th in batting average against (.202).
Awesome relief outings from RHPs Alix Hernandez and Marty Gair. Hernandez struck out 2 batters in 2 scoreless innings, while allowing a hit and a walk. In 8 games since getting promoted, the 22-year old has a 2.51 ERA and a 5.40 FIP, with 15 strikeouts and 5 walks in 14.1 innings. Gair retired all 3 batters he faced, with 2 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 2.25 and his FIP to 1.97 since joining the organization. The just-turned 23-year old, who came over in the Luis Arráez trade, has 13 strikeouts to 4 walks in 8 innings with Eugene.
Low-A San Jose (75-51)
Friday: San Jose Giants lost to the Visalia Rawhide 9-6 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 11-5 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 5-4 [box score]
Friday saw the Baby Giants lose their 13-game winning streak … but they started a new one on Saturday!
A great pitching performance from one of the organization’s top prospects on Sunday, as RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) was thoroughly dominant, giving up just 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter in 5.2 innings, while striking out 7 batters. Martinez did give up 2 runs in the game, though just 1 was earned, but that’s a strikeout-to-baserunner ratio that we will take 8 days a week!
It’s been a bit of an odd season for Martinez, who turned 22 earlier this month. Really, it’s been similar to De La Torre’s just … better. But the same strengths and weaknesses. Martinez has struggled with walks, issuing 4.6 per 9 innings, and he’s ceded 11 home runs in just 88.2 innings, after only allowing 3 a season ago, in 69.1 frames. But, despite those issues — which have led to a 4.87 ERA and a 4.83 FIP — Martinez has been very hard to hit. There are 92 pitchers in the California League who have thrown at least 40 innings this year, and Martinez is 7th in strikeouts per 9 innings (13.1) and 13th in batting average against (.210). It hasn’t been a smooth and seamless follow up to his breakout 2025, and I’m sure both he and the Giants were hoping he’d be in High-A by now, but at the very least, he’s affirmed his status as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization.
LHP Jordan Gottesman had a nice start as well, as last year’s 6th-round pick tries to end his debut season on a high note. Gottesman pounded the strike zone for 5 innings, allowing just 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, and striking out 4 batters. That lowered his ERA into the 3s for the first time since mid-June, as he’s really been on a roll lately: in his last 54 starts, the Northeastern alum — who turned 24 on Saturday — has pitched 21 innings and allowed just 14 hits, 7 walks, and 3 runs, with 23 strikeouts. Gottesman has a 3.96 ERA and a 4.90 FIP on the season, with 9.8 strikeouts to 3.0 walks per 9 innings … solid enough numbers that will make him fun to follow in Eugene next year.
20-year old LHP Leandro Rodriguez also had a really nice showing, giving up 2 singles, 2 walks, and a hit batter in 5 innings on Saturday, while striking out 4 and allowing just 1 unearned run. Rodriguez hasn’t had quite the breakout campaign that Martinez, De La Torre, and RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) had a year ago, but he’s really flown onto the radar in his 1st stateside season. Rodriguez, who signed out of Venezuela last year, had modest overall numbers in the Complex League this year (4.18 ERA, 4.35 FIP), but had a very nice strikeout-to-walk ratio of 58-to-11 in 47.1 innings. He hasn’t been able to parlay that into Low-A success, but starts like this are reason for a whole lot of optimism.
Not much on the bullpen front, but RHP Ian Korn made his professional debut, which is exciting. Korn, a 23-year old from West Virginia who was taken in the 10th round in July, is the 1st (and only, currently) pitcher from the team’s recent draft class to get into an affiliated game. It didn’t go well, as he gave up 4 hits and 2 runs in 1.2 innings, with 2 strikeouts, but still awesome to see.
The offense wasn’t all that exciting. Shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) saw his numbers fall a little, but only because of how absurd they were to begin with, not because he played poorly. The electric 18-year old switch-hitter went 4-13 with a triple, a double, 2 walks, 3 stolen bases, a strikeout, and an error. Just another weekend for one of the sport’s top prospects!
Josuar Gonzalez comes through with a bases-loaded single, and the Giants add on to the lead! pic.twitter.com/rcvfRPAPnq
It’s still just 26 games, but González has a 1.019 OPS and a 155 wRC+ with San Jose, with 12 stolen bases. He’s hitting for average, hitting for power, drawing walks, limiting strikeouts, swiping bags, and playing sensational defense. The total package!
Center fielder Tanner Mally continued looking right at home in Low-A, as he went 4-10 with a double, 3 walks, 3 stolen bases, and a strikeout. July’s 17th-round pick has been so comfortable in San Jose, where he has a 1.053 OPS and a 173 wRC+ through 20 games, with just a 13.2% strikeout rate, and 8 stolen bases in as many attempts. I think it’s safe to say that he’ll start next year in Eugene.
He’ll be joined by shortstop/second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), who had a fine weekend, hitting 4-9 with a triple, 4 walks, a sacrifice fly, 2 strikeouts, and a caught stealing. It’s been an up-and-down year for last season’s 4th-round selection, and he has an .825 OPS and a 105 wRC+. The defense, however, is as good as advertised.
Shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) continues to be sidelined following a minor injury a short while ago. Outfielder Peyton Bonds, the team’s 3rd-round pick in July, hasn’t played in a few days, so I’m not sure what’s going on there.
Home run tracker
26 — Bo Davidson — [7 in AAA; 19 in AA] 26 — Lisbel Diaz — [2 in AA; 21 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 19 — Dakota Jordan — [1 in AA; 18 in High-A] 12 — Hayden Jatczak x2 — [3 in High-A; 9 in Low-A] 8 — Robert Hipwell x2 — [High-A] 6 — Trevor Cohen — [3 in AA; 3 in High-A] 6 — Daniel Rogers — [2 in High-A; 4 in Low-A]
With MLB rosters expanding to 28 players on Tuesday, the Mets are recalling right-hander Justin Hagenman and outfielder Nick Morabito from Triple-A Syracuse.
Interim manager Andy Green confirmed that Hagenman will start the series finale against the Rays on Thursday, as the club will give Christian Scott an extra day of rest.
If possible, the Mets would like to give Scott, Nolan McLean, and Zac Thornton extra rest whenever they can.
"It’s hard to be completely committed to it every turn of the rotation, but by and large [with] our younger guys, I think we’d prefer to see them on five days of rest instead of four days of rest as we close out September," Green said on Monday.
"In all of their cases they’ve pitched more than they ever have in their careers. … When we can, we’d like to wedge in an extra day."
Hagenman appeared in nine games for the Mets last season, but has not pitched in the majors in 2026. Morabito, meanwhile, had a brief five-game stint with the Mets earlier this year.
This means that for now, Jonah Tong will remain in the minors, though he was initially thought of as a potential September call-up.
Tong pitched in three major league games (all in relief) at the end of May and early June, going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA over 10.0 IP, and has found a groove recently in the minor leagues after an up-and-down season.
Overall, the 23-year-old has gone 5-6 with a 4.54 ERA across 23 starts in Triple-A, tallying 126 strikeouts to 59 walks over 107.0 IP.
New York has been patient with his development in the minors this season and have made him earn his next opportunity in the rotation. Last year, after being rushed to the majors due to injuries, Tong struggled with a 7.71 ERA over five starts.
1920: Chicago White Sox players Eddie Cicotte and Shoeless Joe Jackson testified before a grand jury and admitted involvement in the plot to fix the 1919 World Series, bringing the Black Sox scandal into the open. Eight members of the White Sox were later indicted.
1938: Chicago Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett hit his famed “Homer in the Gloamin’,” a two-out, ninth-inning home run that beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 at Wrigley Field during Chicago’s late-season drive to the National League pennant.
1941: Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams went 6-for-8 in a season-ending doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics and finished at .406, becoming the last Major League Baseball player to hit .400 for a full season.
1951: New York Yankees pitcher Allie Reynolds threw his second no-hitter of the season, an 8-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox that was part of a doubleheader sweep that clinched the pennant for the Yankees.
1951: Los Angeles Rams quarterback Norm Van Brocklin passed for an NFL-record 554 yards in a 54-14 victory over the New York Yanks, a single-game record.
1953: American League owners unanimously approved the St. Louis Browns’ move to Baltimore, where the franchise became the Orioles.
1960: Ted Williams homered in the final plate appearance of his major league career, hitting the 521st home run of his career in Boston’s 5-4 victory over Baltimore at Fenway Park.
1972: Paul Henderson scored with 34 seconds remaining to give Canada a 6-5 victory over the Soviet Union in Moscow in the eighth and deciding game of the Summit Series.
1974: California Angels ace Nolan Ryan threw his third career no-hitter, struck out 15 and defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-0.
1975: Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers combined for the first four-pitcher no-hitter in major league history as the Oakland Athletics beat the California Angels 5-0.
1976: Muhammad Ali retained the WBA, WBC and Ring heavyweight championships with a unanimous 15-round decision over Ken Norton at Yankee Stadium in their third and final meeting.
1978: Houston Astros ace J.R. Richard became the first right-handed pitcher in National League history to record 300 strikeouts in a season, reaching the milestone during a 4-3 victory over Atlanta.
1979: Larry Holmes stopped Earnie Shavers in the 11th round to retain the WBC heavyweight title, strengthening his standing atop boxing’s heavyweight division.
1988: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser threw 10 scoreless innings against San Diego to extend his streak to a major league-record 59 consecutive scoreless innings, surpassing Don Drysdale’s record.
1993: Montreal Expos right-hander Dennis Martínez became just the seventh pitcher to win 100 games in both the American and National leagues.
1995: Montreal Expos pitcher Greg Harris became the first major leaguer in the modern era to pitch with both hands in the same game, working the ninth inning against Cincinnati.
1996: Iowa State running back Troy Davis rushed for a school-record 378 yards against Missouri, one of the highest single-game rushing totals in major college football history.
1997: Europe defeated the United States 14½-13½ at Valderrama in Spain to win the Ryder Cup, the first Ryder Cup held in continental Europe.
2000: Norway defeated the United States 3-2 after extra time in the women’s soccer final at the Sydney Olympics to win the gold medal.
2001: Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez hit his 50th home run of the season, becoming the first shortstop in major league history to reach 50 homers in a season.
2008: Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie won the Berlin Marathon in a world-record 2 hours, 3 minutes, 59 seconds, becoming the first man to run a marathon in under 2:04.
2008: Fernando Alonso won the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, the first night race in Formula One history.
2008: The Boston Red Sox retired Johnny Pesky’s No. 6 during a Fenway Park ceremony honoring one of the franchise’s most beloved players, coaches and broadcasters.
2011: The Tampa Bay Rays completed one of baseball’s most dramatic comebacks, erasing a seven-run deficit and clinching the American League wild card when Evan Longoria hit a 12th-inning walk-off home run against the Yankees.
2011: The St. Louis Cardinals completed a historic September surge and captured the National League wild card with an 8-0 victory over Houston.
2012: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey threw the first of his two career no-hitters, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0.
2019: American Christian Coleman won the 100-meter world championship in Doha in a world-leading 9.76 seconds.
2019: New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso hit his 53rd home run of the season, breaking Aaron Judge’s major league rookie record in a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
2020: The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the COVID-delayed Stanley Cup Final to capture their second Stanley Cup championship.
2022: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run of the season to tie Roger Maris’ American League single-season record.
2025: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 250 career touchdown passes, accomplishing the feat in his 116th game during a 37-20 victory over Baltimore.
2025: Europe defeated the United States 15-13 at Bethpage Black to win the Ryder Cup on American soil for the first time since 2012.
— USA TODAY Network
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 30: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting a two RBI ground-rule double against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at American Family Field on August 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for August 31, 2026 against the Athletics: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Gage Jump for the Athletics.
Texas is back at home for seven games, the first of which is against the Athletics. The Rangers are facing a lefty, and so the righthanded-swinging crew is in there. Notably, Ezequiel Duran is hitting leadoff, the first time in his career he’s started a game in the leadoff spot. He now has been in the starting lineup at each of the nine spots in the batting order.
The lineup:
Duran — CF
Seager — SS
Langford — LF
Nimmo — RF
Burger — 1B
Foscue — 2B
Diaz — DH
Freeman — 3B
Jansen — C
7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -214 favorites.
Sep 28, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol (33) at the podium during Media Day at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
The 2026-27 season is a couple of months away from tip-off, yet striking parallels, sometimes uncanny, to the 2018-19 season are hard not to notice, even to the ‘casual’ eye. For one, LeBron James will be playing for a different team come October after spending the last eight years under the bright lights of LA, marking the end of his longest stint with a franchise. The Raptors, on the other hand, are still awaiting the conclusion of the league’s investigation regarding the trade that would reunite them with the 2019 Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.
As similar as the storylines are from seven years ago, context should be taken into consideration, given the drastic difference in the landscape of the league and the reality of aging. Leonard will be entering his 15th season in the league, joining a Raptors roster that has yet to hit their summit, as players and as a unit.
That is not to say that these parallels are superficial, as there are some similarities worth noting for their relevance and substance. LeBron might have signed for a discounted veteran’s minimum, but the whole free-agency saga was built around his impending decision at that time because he’s still a high-end talent, and any team that gets him will automatically be tagged as championship contenders.
The same goes for the Raptors. Kawhi raises expectations for Toronto, just as his arrival did eight years ago. One thing that flew under the radar for non-Raptors fans, however, was how the roster differed from the start of the season to its climactic conclusion in June that year. The Raptors traded for Memphis Grizzlies’ long-time centre, Marc Gasol, at the deadline.
Insiders’ insights
ESPN’s annual summer forecast allowed NBA insiders to weigh in on hypothetical scenarios and how likely they are to occur in this upcoming season. Such scenarios include teams that are likely to outperform expectations, or do the complete opposite and underachieve. Out of the bunch, the Raptors were listed in just one category — teams that will likely pursue a ‘big’ trade before the trade deadline.
Toronto placed fifth in a five-way tie, having received one vote among the panelists. Needless to say, teams like the Golden State Warriors, who ranked first league-wide, are expected to be major buyers come February, given their missed opportunities to add franchise-altering names like James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who were said to have been pursued by the team to pair with Stephen Curry for one last-ditch effort at opening another contention window.
The Raptors are not expected to be at this level of conversation come February, but a vote indicates that there’s a real possibility they make a subtle yet impactful deal midseason. While Leonard was the driving force and the central piece of the 2019 championship, Gasol allowed them to realize their ceiling.
The last domino to fall for the 2019 Raptors
Gasol, at 34 years old, was still one of the league’s premier passing big men, with a newly developed three-point shot that commanded coverage, stretching defences in the process. Given his age, he was still an elite defender, an effective anchor in the paint and, at the same time, managed occasional switches with quicker perimeter players. Some, however, thought that the Raptors gave too much depth after trading away rotation pieces C.J. Miles and Delon Wright, and settling for an older big man than the one they had in Jonas Valanciunas.
This move would eventually pay dividends for Toronto as Gasol’s passing ability provided another point of concern for opposing defences, as he threaded the needle to open teammates, seemingly operating as a point guard in a big man’s body. His defense, however, was the real game changer during their title run. Golden State’s depleted big-man rotation proved no match for Gasol, as he adjusted comfortably to any matchups he was put on. He also played a crucial role in limiting Curry’s attempts from beyond the arc through blitz coverages. Against the Bucks, Gasol was a key component of the Raptors’ ‘Wall’ that proved effective in deterring Antetokounmpo from taking shots within close range. His most notable contribution, however, came in the grueling seven-game series against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was matched up with arguably the league’s best center at the time, Joel Embiid.
Gasol held Embiid to just 17.6 points a game, coupled with an inefficient 37.1% field goal percentage, as Toronto outlasted Philadelphia in a thrilling Game 7 buzzer-beater by Leonard over Embiid himself.
What could the 2026-27 Raptors learn from this trade?
Barring Kawhi’s second coming, the Raptors are not the same team they were seven years ago. The roster’s youth is a glaring distinction from the 2019 squad, composed mostly of seasoned veterans with playoff experience. Not to mention, the head coaches’ philosophies are opposites of each other: Nick Nurse had a heavy reliance on individual skills, while Darko Rajakovic’s takes a committee approach.
Likewise, team needs vary in both iterations, considering the difference in player utilization and how they mesh with each other. Front-court depth and perimeter shooting emerge as the most concerning gaps for this year’s team. While hybrid centre-forwards like Collin Murray-Boyles emerged as effective small-ball options, it won’t be sustainable long-term given the increasing prevalence of skilled big men. While the Raptors could experiment more on recent acquisitions like Trayce Jackson-Davis and Trey Jamison III, a trade surrounding a center is something to keep an eye on, especially if rebounding deficits and interior mismatches persist.
Rajakovic utilizes his wings as secondary playmakers, switchable defenders, and as floor-spacing and cutting options. With the impending departure of Gradey Dick, the minutes allocation will be distributed between two breakout rotation pieces from last season. Jamison Battle and Ja’Kobe Walter both received their fair share of playing time last year, as Dick and Ochai Agbaji gradually faded out of the picture. With Dick expected to be moved regardless of the trade’s completion, Battle and Walter are expected to fill in those minutes and provide a well-needed boost on three-point shooting and perimeter defence.
The potential acquisition of Kawhi does not mean the team figures out everything from the get-go. Compromises from the roster and coaching staff alike will have to be made as the season progresses and players settle into their roles. Take the 2019 squad for example, where players like Fred VanVleet spoke about uncertainty with fit, particularly Kawhi’s 60-game limit for the entire season, which he deemed insufficient for Leonard and his teammates to develop familiarity with each other’s play.
However, the front office saw enough from that 60-game window that warranted them making a deal for the Grizzlies’ big man, given the team’s needs and his potential fit with the rest of the roster. If the trade for Gasol taught us anything, it’s that a team may take until the midseason to reveal its true identity. Toronto took 55 games into the regular season before eventually trading for their starting big man, as their real gaps began to show. The Raptors don’t necessarily need another Gasol; what it needs is a keen eye from the scouting department and front office to identify team flaws and search for personnel who solve those problems.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 22: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park on August 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Cardinals 12-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in baseball fans across the country.
Looking at the long history of Major League Baseball shows a clear swinging of the pendulum in style of play. Booming offenses gives way to dominant pitching, which in turn brings out an emphasis on home runs. After the heyday of the steroid era, it became common for the home run leader to slug fewer than 50, or even 45, home runs in a season. That has gradually changed to the point where over the last few years the home run champ finishes at or near 60 on the season.
This year, however, has seen a step back. Kyle Schwarber currently leads the league in home runs with only 40, on pace to hit 47 on the year. That would mark the fewest home runs in any season (excluding the shortened 202o season) in a decade. Schwarber isn’t a lock to win the home run race, either. There are five other players who are basically just a really good few games away from being tied for the lead.
Who will win the home run race?
Just as interesting as who will win the race is how many home runs it will take to wear the crown. There are seven players right now who are on pace to hit at least 40 home runs. How many of those players can catch a little bit of fire and surpass 45 on the season?
Looking at the season as a whole, it hasn’t felt like there has been a shortage of long balls. Maybe the distribution of home runs is all that has changed, so more players are hitting a dozen home runs instead of a select few hitting 55.
In the hopes of finding a happy medium, what do you think is the right amount of home runs in a season for the best slugger in baseball? How many homers should the top guy expect to have in a given season?
Be on the lookout for results to these surveys and the rest of the SB Nation Reacts surveys later this week!
The Mets’ addition of Freddy Peralta, and the right-hander’s subsequent performance on the mound, was a microcosm of what didn’t go right for the club this season.
Acquired in a trade with Milwaukee that sent Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers, Peralta came to New York to be the team’s ace, with a chance to sign a multi-year contract extension that would keep him in New York for a long time.
But Peralta struggled to the tune of a 4.99 ERA, and the Mets traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the deadline.
Now, Peralta is set to take the ball against New York on Tuesday night.
“It’s a challenge. Every game for me, I think I take it the same way,” Peralta said on facing the Mets. “I just come in to compete and try to get the win.”
Peralta was an All-Star with the Brewers in 2025, pitching to a 2.70 ERA and finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting. But for whatever reason, things just didn’t click in New York.
“It was the first time that I was struggling like that, but I never give up,” Peralta said. “I was always trying to find a way to feel better, to pitch better. I knew what I could do, and I was feeling good physically too and healthy, but I couldn’t make an adjustment. The good thing is that now I’m different, I feel different and I plan to keep going until my worst year is over.”
Despite his struggles on the mound, the veteran right-hander says that he’ll remember the people that made his time with the Mets special.
"I made good friends there, really good friends,” Peralta said. “People there, they took care of me really well. For me, that’s a little sad.”
Peralta is now on a first-place team, as the Rays look to hold off the Yankees (currently 4.5 games up) in the AL East race. He’s had his struggles as a Ray as well, pitching to a 5.60 ERA, but he’s coming off his best start, going 6.0 shutout innings against Detroit in his last outing.
He’ll look to keep that up on Tuesday, when he faces Sean Manaea and his former team.
Pakistan have replaced head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and pace-bowling chief Umar Gul, and sent seven players home, in a dramatic response to successive Test thrashings by England.
Hey folks we’re back at it, going division by division figuring out just who the Golden State Warriors should be concerned about this season. And after the way things turned out last year when the wounded Dubs didn’t even make the postseason, that answer could easily be anybody. But one of the teams GSW had success against last year comes from the Southwest Division. I’m talking about the Dallas Mavericks, a team that floundered with the injury absence of Kyrie Irving, the rookie lessons of Cooper Flagg, and the inconsistent play of former Warrior Klay Thompson. The Warriors took two out of three from Dallas last season, including a big win on Christmas. Unfortunately one of those battles cost them the knee of Moses Moody.
Dallas spent this offseason trying to convince everybody it finally has its act together, and for about five minutes in the spring, I believed it. They fired Nico Harrison, allegedly the brains behind the PR disaster that was the Luka Doncic trade. They hired Masai Ujiri, the guy who built a championship team in Toronto, to run the whole operation. They brought in Dusty May off an NCAA title at Michigan to replace Bay Area legend Jason Kidd as head coach. On paper that’s the best offseason of competent decision-making this franchise has had in years, and it’s happening around Flagg who just won Rookie of the Year doing things nobody his age should be able to do.
When Cooper Flagg scored 49 points, the MOST ever by a teenager in NBA history last January 😳
The @dallasmavs' ascending star last season joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies since 1973-74 to lead their team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals! pic.twitter.com/V51svoK7ra
Then the actual roster-building started, and I need somebody in Dallas to explain something to me.
We already know what Flagg is. Nobody in the Bay needs a stat sheet to tell them he’s the problem. What Dallas doesn’t have is anybody to take some of that creation load off him, because right now the only reliable ballhandler on the roster is Kyrie Irving, who’s 34 and coming off a torn ACL that’s kept him out since March of last year. Everybody assumed Dallas would use the ninth pick on a guard. They took Morez Johnson Jr., a forward out of Michigan, where Dusty May coached him. I like the player but I don’t understand the team.
And then they waived Klay Thompson, ending a very bland first chapter of the ex-Splash Bro’s post-Dubs career.
Al Harrington doesn’t think Klay Thompson has much left 😬
“I’m a what have you done for me lately kind of guy. With that being said with Klay, watching him the last two years here in Dallas, it seems like he’s fell off a lot. Significantly. I watched him miss a lot of open… pic.twitter.com/HwWPJedjuY
Our friends over at Mavs Money Ball were guardedly optimistic in their roundtable of the Mavericks’ offseason moves, but one quote stood out for me:
The problem is that Dallas chose to work around the margins instead of truly reforming the roster. The Mavericks still have too many overlapping forwards, not enough reliable ball-handling and several veterans who do not clearly fit Flagg’s timeline. Other young teams have been more aggressive in defining their direction, whether by collecting draft assets, clearing veterans or building a cleaner developmental roster. The individual moves mostly make sense, but they do not yet form a coherent plan.
What kinda team is this? Dallas’ answer at backup guard last season was Brandon Williams, who averaged 13 points and 4 assists for them and even dropped 26 off the bench in the Christmas game against Golden State. The Warriors just signed him though!
Cooper Flagg is a ridiculous young talent surrounded by a roster that has hella question marks. That young supertalent scares me. The Mavericks do not.
The Baltimore Orioles have claimed center fielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets, and with that, the 29-year-old’s brief tenure with the Mets has come to an end.
Known as an injury-prone player before the Mets traded for him ahead of the 2026 season, Robert missed a huge chunk of time this year with a lower back issue. He played in 58 games for the Mets, made 218 plate appearances, and hit .223/.303/.399 with 10 home runs, a 96 wRC+, and 0.5 fWAR. He’s earning $20 million this year and has a team option for 2027 at the same salary with a $2 million buyout in the very likely event that the option is declined.
For now, the Mets save some money, and Robert joins Pete Alonso and company in Baltimore as the Orioles attempt to make the playoffs via the third Wild Card spot in the American League. At the moment, they’re 68-69, one game back of the Guardians for that spot, a half-game ahead of the Rangers, and one game ahead of the Rangers. And if the Twins, Mariners, or Tigers were to go on a brief hot streak, they’re not totally out of that playoff picture yet, either.
To replace Robert on the active roster, the Mets have reinstated Mark Vientos from the injured list. The 26-year-old has hit just .211/.256/.388 with 11 home runs, a 76 wRC+, and -1.1 fWAR, which has made him the sixth-worst in baseball among position players this year. He’s made just 254 plate appearances and had been on the injured list since early July with a fractured hand.
And last but not least, the Mets are planning to call up outfielder Nick Morabito when rosters expand tomorrow, per a report from Will Sammon.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Winnipeg Jets have plenty on their plate as they look to get back into the mix as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. From roster battles to a lingering trade saga to a long list of players auditioning for their next contract, here are the three biggest storylines to watch as training camp approaches.
Are Brayden Yager and Elias Salomonsson Ready to Make the Pro Jump This Season?
Some of Winnipeg's hope for a bounce-back season rests on fresh blood joining the roster full-time. Brad Lambert has already established himself as a lineup fixture, with both Elite Prospects and Daily Faceoff projecting the 22-year-old to make the team out of camp. Less certain are the roles awaiting Brayden Yager and Elias Salomonsson.
Salomonsson was a regular presence for the Jets over a stretch of last season, but the additions of Jack St. Ivany and Haydn Fleury, both capable of playing the right side of the defense, muddy his path to a roster spot.
The former second-round pick appeared in 32 games with Winnipeg last season, recording a goal and four assists for five points with a minus-six rating, while also posting nine points in 29 AHL games with Manitoba. His season ended early after a shoulder injury suffered during the Moose's playoff push required surgery.
Yager, also 21, may be a step behind Salomonsson in NHL readiness, but he made a strong case for himself in his first full pro season, picking up 30 points in 68 games with Manitoba and adding four points in seven playoff games. He also got a brief NHL look, appearing in three games with the Jets late in the year. Both players figure to be among the most interesting names to watch once camp opens.
Will Connor Hellebuyck Remain in Winnipeg All Season?
No storyline looms larger over the Jets than the future of Connor Hellebuyck. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner made his intentions known during his end-of-season media availability, saying that after winning Olympic gold with Team USA, all that's left on his mind is a Stanley Cup, whether that happens in Winnipeg or elsewhere.
That stance nearly resulted in a trade to the Buffalo Sabres around the draft, in a deal reportedly involving the fourth overall pick, before talks fell apart. On August 27, Hellebuyck's agent, Ray Petkau, released a statement confirming that Hellebuyck had requested a trade months earlier and that his "position has not changed."
Hellebuyck is coming off a down season by his standards, finishing 2025-26 with a 23-23-11 record, a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage, a steep drop from his back-to-back Vezina campaigns, when he combined for an 84-31-7 record, a 2.19 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
The Jets have already hedged against his potential departure by acquiring goaltender Stuart Skinner in free agency, giving them a capable option in net regardless of how the situation resolves.
Several Impact Players Enter Contract Years
Beyond the Hellebuyck situation, the Jets have a notably long list of players entering contract years who could shape the roster's direction going forward.
Up front, Nino Niederreiter is looking to bounce back from one of the roughest seasons of his career, having posted just 19 points in 61 games last year and at 33, he'll be chasing what could be his final contract.
Center Vladislav Namestnikov faces a similar situation after a down year of his own, managing 14 points in 60 games, and will be looking to return closer to his previous near-40-point form.
Morgan Barron, who posted a career-best 23 points in 65 games despite missing time to injury, could be in line for a bigger role and a corresponding payday if he can build on that progress. And Lambert, entering the final year of his entry-level deal, faces his own prove-it season as he looks to lock down a long-term role.
On the back end, veteran Haydn Fleury enters the final year of his contract as Winnipeg's projected seventh defenseman, while Salomonsson, still on his entry-level deal, will need to show he's ready for full-time NHL minutes to secure his next contract.
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Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, the Braves are rolling, PCA pushes ahead in the NL MVP race, the Guardians are still in the fight, Walker Jenkins is here, Wade Meckler flashes the leather, and much more.
As a reminder, this article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook.
Let’s get into it!
Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, August 31
1) Milwaukee Brewers
Last week: 1
The Brewers own an eight-game lead in the NL Central and they have a chance to put the Cubs away for good with seven games between the two clubs over the next 10 days.
2) Tampa Bay Rays ⬆️
Last week: 3
The Rays swept the Padres over the weekend and moments like his homer from Jonny DeLuca make you wonder if this is a truly charmed season for them.
THE RAYS TIE IT
This baseball was in the outfielder's glove, popped out and went over the wall! pic.twitter.com/LjATQV1apO
In other news, after what has been a decade-plus of drama and uncertainty, the Rays are finally getting a new ballpark in Tampa Bay.
3) Atlanta Braves ⬆️
Last week: 4
Seven straight wins for the Braves, including a throwback performance from Chris Sale against the Dodgers on Thursday where he struck out 11 in a complete game shutout. His son’s reaction to him coming out for the ninth inning was some great TV.
Sale is now sporting a 2.06 ERA with 177 strikeouts across 24 starts. In any other year, he’d be the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award. Unfortunately for him, Jacob Misiorowski exists.
4) Los Angeles Dodgers ⬇️
Last week: 2
Tarik Skubal fired six innings of one-run ball in his return to Detroit on Friday, but perhaps the biggest revelation was that after the trade, he took back the espresso machine he previously brought for the Tigers’ clubhouse. Can we do a blind poll and find out if his ex-teammates miss the espresso machine or Skubal more?
Heliot Ramos is finally on the board. It took 21 games, but Ramos connected for his first homer as a member of the Yankees during Sunday’s blowout win over the Red Sox. Ramos entered Sunday’s action hitting just .119 (7-for-59) with the Bombers, but he’s capable of much better.
6) Philadelphia Phillies ⬆️
Last week: 7
The Phillies extended their win streak to four games on Sunday as Zack Wheeler fired six innings of one-run ball against the Angels. It was a positive step for the veteran right-hander, as he had an unsightly 8.51 ERA with 16 walks and eight homers allowed over his previous six starts.
7) Chicago Cubs ⬇️
Last week: 5
The Cubs have lost seven out of 10, but Pete Crow-Armstrong is doing his part. After slugging three homers on Saturday, he went deep twice on Sunday Night Baseball. He’s now put up 17 homers over his last 35 games as he begins to pull away in the NL MVP race.
There’s a lot to highlight with PCA over the weekend, but we’ll just focus on the fact that Sammy Sosa is an oracle.
While the Red Sox got crushed in Sunday's finale against the Yankees, it was nice to see Roman Anthony hit the ground running in his return from the IL.
The White Sox get the Astros to begin the week, an important series as we look ahead to what the playoff schedule could entail.
10) Arizona Diamondbacks
Last week: 10
Ryan Waldschmidt is sure making his home runs count in his rookie season. He’s now slugged three homers through 249 plate appearances in the majors. Two of them have been walk-offs. The latest came against the Giants last Wednesday.
The D-Backs are set to bring Ketel Marte back into the fold on Monday as they begin a big series against the Phillies in the desert. Recent drama aside, he's one of the best second basemen in the game when he's right.
11) San Diego Padres ⬇️
Last week: 9
We already covered the bad luck (or good luck, depending on your perspective) home run against Mason Miller on Sunday, but either way it resulted in the Padres' fifth loss in their last six games. Michael King has been their ace and they need him at his best as they begin a series against the Reds on Monday.
12) Houston Astros ⬆️
Last week: 13
The Astros enjoyed their time in New York, taking two out of three from both the Yankees and the Mets as they cling to first place in the AL West. It’s still a bit of a gauntlet from here, as they have the White Sox, Diamondbacks, Phillies, and Rays on the schedule through mid-September.
13) Cleveland Guardians ⬆️
Last week: 15
The Guardians won seven in a row before losing two out of three to the red-hot Royals over the weekend. Still, there was a lot to like in Sunday’s blowout victory, most notably José Ramírez’s first home run since June 6. Cleveland will be a lot more dangerous down the stretch if he performs like he’s capable of doing.
After sweeping the Athletics, the Orioles are now one game away from .500 for the first time since late April. Gunnar Henderson clubbed two homers and finished a double shy of the cycle in Sunday’s win, a welcome sign for a player who has been searching for answers at the plate for much of the year. The Orioles claimed Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets on Monday, which is a nice message to send to the fanbase.
15) Toronto Blue Jays ⬆️
Last week: 17
It’s 2026 and I’m highlighting starts from Chris Sale and Max Scherzer. What a world. Scherzer ripped off 10 strikeouts while allowing just one hit over seven scoreless frames on Sunday as the Blue Jays finished off a sweep of the Mariners.
In the vintage showing, Scherzer actually passed Gaylord Perry for ninth place on the all-time strikeouts list. He’s just 19 behind Justin Verlander for eighth all-time. With Verlander iffy to return in September as he wraps up his legendary career, Scherzer has a real chance at passing him.
16) Miami Marlins ⬇️
Last week: 12
Kudos to the Marlins, who find themselves one game above .500 as the calendar prepares to flip to September. That’s real progress for this team. Still, it will be a challenge to close the gap (3.5 games) in the Wild Card race if Xavier Edwards’ thumb sprain turns out to be serious.
17) Texas Rangers ⬇️
Last week: 14
Another rough roadtrip for the Rangers, who lost four out of six against the White Sox and Brewers over the past week. They’ll get a soft landing as they return home to begin the week with a three-game set against the Athletics.
18) St. Louis Cardinals ⬇️
Last week: 16
Baseball is a humbling game indeed. Joshua Báez made headlines and history by homering three times in his MLB debut on August 15, but he has just six hits in 50 at-bats (.120 batting average) with 22 strikeouts in 15 games since.
19) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬆️
Last week: 20
We already highlighted the asterisk homer that Johnny DeLuca hit against Mason Miller on Sunday, but this blast from Oneil Cruz was legit. It was the first homer allowed by Miller all season.
While the Pirates are effectively out of it in the Wild Card race, it was nice to see Paul Skenes look more like himself in his most recent start last Tuesday. It was his first scoreless outing since May 12.
20) Minnesota Twins ⬇️
Last week: 18
With Byron Buxton on the IL and the Twins losing seven out of nine, the playoffs are probably a pipe dream at this point. There’s still reason to watch with rookies Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper set for regular roles down the stretch.
21) Cincinnati Reds ⬆️
Last week: 22
Sal Stewart is looking to squash any debate about the NL Rookie of the Year race. He homered in three straight games over the weekend while becoming the first player in the majors to reach the 100-RBI mark. With JJ Wetherholt on the IL, he’s now looking like the strong favorite for the hardware.
22) Washington Nationals ⬆️
Last week: 24
After giving up six runs in the ninth inning on Sunday, the Nationals have now blown 35 saves this season, by far the most in the majors. The Tigers rank second with 28 of them. Safe to say the Nationals know where they need to improve this offseason.
23) Seattle Mariners ⬇️
Last week: 21
Cal Raleigh is finally swinging the bat well, but is it too late for this Mariners team? Losers of four straight, Seattle is reportedly calling up toolsy prospect outfielder Lazaro Montes in hopes of providing a spark.
24) Detroit Tigers ⬇️
Last week: 23
Riley Greene began a minor league rehab assignment on Saturday and could rejoin the Tigers as soon as Tuesday. Detroit has gone 4-13 with him on the sidelines.
25) Kansas City Royals ⬆️
Last week: 26
This season hasn’t gone as hoped for KC, but they went 16-12 in August while Jac Caglianone enjoyed the best month of his brief MLB career.
26) New York Mets ⬇️
Last week: 25
This has been a rough year for Francisco Lindor defensively, but this catch against the Brewers from last week is as good as it gets.
Francisco Lindor just saved the game for the Mets with one of the best plays we've seen from him in a while. And he was fired up. So was Jefry Yan. pic.twitter.com/xlAPxl21NW
In a week where the Giants suffered their worst ninth-inning comeback in franchise history, president of baseball operations Buster Posey said that Tony Vitello’s job is safe as manager. Everything is fine.
28) Athletics ⬆️
Last week: 29
As we’ve noted in this space, the A’s have been ravaged by injuries, but at least Henry Bolte has emerged as a contributor moving forward. He hit .321 in August and boasts some really impressive tools. In addition to having the top sprint speed in the game, he ranks in the 89th percentile in arm strength and the 95th percentile in bat speed.
29) Los Angeles Angels ⬇️
Last week: 28
Imagine having a ridiculous catch like this one from Wade Meckler only to give up a go-ahead grand slam and lose. It’s all very Angels.
Acquired in the deal that sent Victor Vodnik to the Marlins at the deadline, Connor Norby is hitting .298/.394/.491 through his first 18 games with the Rockies. Things didn’t work out for him in Miami, but Norby was a Top 100 prospect with the Orioles. Perhaps he’s finally finding a home in Colorado?
The Yankees completed their homestand this weekend with about as good of a result as you could ask for. After dropping two of three to Houston and getting just one run scored in the finale of that series, Friday’s 1-0 nailbiter of a win against Boston and subsequent shutout loss to them on the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday brought back concerns of their stagnant offense. However, they ripped through the final two games, scoring nine in the nightcap to split the doubleheader before blasting their way to 16 runs in the finale on Sunday to take the series and the season record against Boston. They now stand four games up on the Red Sox in the standings, but with that tiebreaker in hand they’ve got an extra game of protection should these two teams remain in the top Wild Card slots and face off to start October.
The final month of the season is now in front of them, and they’ve got both a sizeable gap on Boston to uphold while also facing a nearly-identical gap between them and Tampa Bay for first place. Their penultimate series of the season lines them up to deal with that problem head-on, but if the deficit isn’t more than a game or two by then the odds of totally flipping the standings are negligible. Is the offensive eruption they had this weekend a sign of the lineup finally clicking, or will the droughts keep popping up? Was Will Warren’s performance in the finale the best start he’s had in his career, and can he follow it up with more down the stretch? How much are you expecting from Aaron Judge as he gears up to jump straight back into an MLB lineup without rehab games? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of September 3rd will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
