Gage Wood of the Reading Fightin' Phils is present before a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on July 10, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
‘Twas a good night to make sure that their top prospect was on the mound and dominating as the rest of the system didn’t do a whole lot to put wins on the board.
Buffalo 8, Lehigh Valley 0
Yeah, this one had about zero action in it. The IronPigs managed to accumulate only three hits on the day while the Bisons pitching staff shut them down almost completely. Brian Keys hit two home runs for the opposition, both of them off of Brian Keller. Keller only went 4 1/3 innings, giving up five runs in the process. Truly, a blah kind of night.
Reading 5, Portland 2
Another Gage Wood night for Reading, the team’s top prospect showed out once again, throwing five innings in which he allowed a single unearned run. He struck out five and walked two, getting to 86 pitches in the process. Might the leash be getting a little longer in anticipation for something larger in September? At the plate, Bryan Rincon hit his 19th home run of the year to lead off the game for the Fightin’ Phils. Raider Tello went two for four with a double and an RBI to help lead the bats.
Hudson Valley 5, Jersey Shore 1 Hudson Valley 2, Jersey Shore 0
A doubleheader defeat does damage during Friday’s night. The BlueClaws offense simply could not get going at all. In Game 1, they did get two triples on the night from Juan Villavicencio and Brady Day, but only one of those could push themselves across the plate. In Game 2, the team itself only had two hits, seemingly gassed from having to play a game already on the day. A shame, since the pitching was actually pretty good. Ryan Dromboski gave up only two unearned runs (five overall) in the first game while Tanner Gresham gave up only two runs total over four innings in the nightcap.
Dunedin 10, Clearwater 2
Yikes. Sean Youngerman and Manuel Colon allowed all ten runs within six innings of work on the night, putting the game out of reach for the Threshers and their offense on the night. Tyler Spangler, the team’s first round pick this year, got another start for them, this time at DH, and went 0 for 2 with two walks and a run scored. Cade Bogenpohl had a double and struck out twice as well.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 21: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammates after hitting a game winning single to defeat the Los Angeles Angels during the tenth inning at Globe Life Field on August 21, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, LSB.
The Rangers won a wild one last night, 2-1 over the Angels in extra innings.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 19: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks in the dugout in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning friends and welcome to the weekend!
The M’s got off to a great start to Players Weekend with a 6-5 walk-off win over the Cubs thanks to some late-game heroics from Leo Rivas.
Crucially, today is Kade Anderson Day, with first pitch slated for 4:15pm PT. Are you ready?
In Mariners news…
John Trupin and Nathan Grimm at Baseball Prospectus gave a quick primer on Anderson in advance of his debut.
Congratulations Luis!
Around the league…
The Yankees placed infielder Ryan McMahon on the injured list with a sprained left thumb.
The Angels’ firing of Mike Maddux may have worked, with the team’s pitching staff is thriving since his departure. Jeff Fletcher at the Orange County Register has more.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on during the 2026 All-Star Workout Day presented by Gatorade at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What a season it has been for Jordan Walker. Regardless of how he finishes the 2026 campaign, it will go down as an unqualified success. I will admit, every time Walker has gone through a slump I have found myself wondering if the party is over. That is more of a me problem though. As we sit here on August 22nd, Walker has put together one of the best twenty or so offensive seasons in baseball. Like every player, there have been ups and downs to his season. Today, I am going to look at some of those distinct up and down stretches to paint a clearer picture of how we got here.
Walker’s unbelievable April and May propelled him to the All-Star Game and his unforgettable Home Run Derby performance. His longest prolonged slump in June was legitimately concerning as his line looked remarkably similar to the player we had seen struggle the last two years. Walker has rebounded since the calendar flipped to July and has put his breakout season back on the right track.
To kick things off, here are the statistics that propelled Walker to the majors’ 12th-highest WAR through about two months of play.
March 26 to May 23 – 215 PA
wRC+: 165
AVG/OBP/SLG: .302/.372/.594
BB%: 9.3%
K%: 25.6%
ISO: .292
Contact and Plate Discipline
Walker’s contact rate of 71% was up 4.5% year-over-year. To go along with the increased contact, he was also doing a much better job of attacking pitches in the zone, increasing his swing rate from 67% to 73% on strikes. Interestingly, his overall chase rate was actually up slightly from prior year. This really didn’t match the eye test as Walker looked much more in control of his at-bats, particularly when it came to laying off breaking pitches away. Looking a bit deeper at his discipline data showed that he was swinging at almost a third fewer pitches in the waste zone, so when he did expand the zone, it was less often on unhittable pitches.
Damage on Contact
Of course, the big story was Walker finally unlocking the ability to put the ball in the air with consistency.
His Launch-Angle Sweet Spot, measuring the percentage of balls hit at the optimal angles between 8 and 32 degrees, increased from one of the worst marks in baseball (30%) to a closer-to-average 35%. This same improvement was mirrored in Walker’s rate of balls pulled in the air. His 2025 mark of 12% was near the bottom of the league. Through May 23, his rate of 17.2% was essentially league-average.
One of the reasons Walker was having more success lifting the ball was that he had increased his attack angle from 6 degrees to 9 degrees. Attack angle measures the direction the bat is traveling vertically as it impacts the ball. Generally speaking, the higher the attack angle, the more of an uppercut swing the batter has. While attack angle is certainly partially dictated by swing mechanics, there is also an element of timing. All else equal, if a hitter is behind on a pitch and hitting it too deep in the zone, the attack angle will be lower. This is because even the flattest swingers in baseball still have a slight uppercut, so the further out front the ball is hit, the higher the attack angle. This is probably easier to visualize by looking at this Baseball Savant page.
An ideal attack angle is considered to be between 5 and 20 degrees. Walker had increased his percentage of swings in this ideal range from 47.7% in 2025 to 56.3% through May 23. To give a sense of how important getting to these angles can be, Walker has had a .469 wOBA over the last two seasons combined when he makes contact between 5 and 20 degrees. On all non-ideal angles, his wOBA drops to .356.
There are, of course, good hitters with flatter swings, but Walker’s sudden power binge seemed to be directly tied to his loftier swing path.
After the torrid start, Walker had his first extended adversity starting in late May.
May 24 to July 1 – 130 PA
wRC+: 83
AVG/OBP/SLG: .266/.292/.379
BB%: 3.8%
K%: 26.9%
ISO: .113
Even the best hitters go through poor stretches, but this month-and-change stretch for Walker was quite concerning. His surface-level stats would have looked even worse had he not managed a .345 BABIP.
Contact and Plate Discipline
During this stretch, Walker’s chase rate crept up a point to 36%. He was also much more passive with his zone swing rate dropping to 2025 levels at 67%. Despite the slightly degraded swing decision-making, Walker was still holding onto his improved contact rates at 71%.
He was also back to swinging at over 10% of waste pitches. While not a huge sample size, all of these metrics point to a less disciplined approach than his first two months.
Damage on Contact
The real issues were showing up in his batted-ball metrics. His average exit velocity was down from a scorching 94.5 mph to 92.3 mph and his ground-ball rate was back up above his career average at 47%. He was still managing to find the sweet spot at about the same clip, but his ideal attack angle rate fell four points to 51.9%.
One of the culprits (or symptoms) of Walker’s struggles was that he was getting beat more consistently with velocity. His wOBA was down 50 points to .329 against fastballs. Normally, you would chalk this up to random variance over a small sample size, but there were additional concerning aspects in his underlying data. His average attack direction, which measures the horizontal direction the bat is moving at contact, dropped from 6 degrees pull side to 2 degrees pull side. The change was even more pronounced on fastballs as his attack direction was 8 degrees opposite field on heaters. During his hot start to the season, his average contact point was 32.4 inches in front of his center of mass, which was just over two inches more out front than he had averaged in 2025. During his cold stretch, he was letting the ball get deeper at 29.6 inches out front on average. Not surprisingly, his percentage of balls in the air and pull rate dropped about seven percentage points each.
At this point, I can convince myself of a pretty clear picture. Walker was back to chasing too frequently and had lost the improved timing from earlier in the season that was allowing him to drive the ball in the air more frequently. So, what has changed since the calendar flipped to July?
July 2 to August 21 – 195 PA
wRC+: 145
AVG/OBP/SLG: .297/.364/.520
BB%: 8.7%
K%: 20.5%
ISO: .223
Contact and Plate Discipline
During Walker’s recent stretch of excellent play, his discipline metrics have bounced back closer to his early-season numbers. He is back to swinging at 73% of pitches in the zone. His contact rate has continued to inch up to 72%. This combination of slightly better contact and more aggression in the zone can explain some of his improved strikeout rate, but I do not think it supports the near-20% rate that he has been running.
Damage on Contact
This is where I would like to tell you that Walker’s underlying metrics had returned to his early-season numbers and at least give a nice cohesive narrative. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what has happened.
Even with a month-long home run drought included in this time frame, Walker has still popped his ISO back over .200 for this stretch. His average exit velocity has continued to slip, down to 91 mph. This does not appear to be because he is tiring out as his average bat speed has actually gone up from 78.8 mph to 79.7 mph (both in the 100th percentile). Both his average and ideal attack angles have continued to fall to four degrees and 40.6%, respectively.
How is it possible that with these seemingly degrading attack angles and exit velocity numbers, Walker is seeing a power resurgence?
One potential answer I can find is that he seems to be getting to his very best swings more frequently. His Barrel% during this recent stretch is back up to 14.7% after dipping to below 8% during his cold June. He also seems to be getting his A swing off to the pull side more frequently. On his ideal attack angle swings, his attack direction is 8 degrees more to the pull side on average than at any point this season. Overall, he is hitting the ball out front and to the pull side at a similar rate to his early-season numbers, which has helped him run a season-high rate of balls pulled in the air at 22%.
Conclusion
My conclusion after this exercise is perhaps a bit obvious. Walker is still evolving and developing. I do think that the early-season version of Walker, with a few more strikeouts but more loft in his swing, is probably closer to what he and the Cardinals’ development staff would like to see. Still, his recent stretch looking more like Vlad Guerrero Jr. than Aaron Judge has provided plenty of production as well. Both the consistent attack angle version of Walker and the recent pull-side power monster we have seen can produce at star levels. Still just 24 years old, Walker has plenty of development runway ahead. Could he combine the best versions of himself and take yet another step forward? One thing I know for sure is that I won’t bet against this guy again.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 17: Manager Matt Quatraro of the Kansas City Royals (R) stands during the national anthem before a game against the San Diego Padres at Kauffman Stadium on July 17, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals placed Garcia on the 10-day IL ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Tigers after the third baseman strained his left hamstring while running the bases Thursday against the A’s. An MRI revealed a Grade 1-plus strain, so Garcia could be out anywhere from three to six weeks. From a timing standpoint – given that there is just over a month left of the regular season – it could mean Garcia’s season is over, although the Royals don’t want to quite rule that out yet.
“Kind of too early to tell,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We’ll see how he bounces back here in the first few days, first week, and then we’ll have a better idea. If I was handicapping it, probably not super likely. But definitely don’t want to rule it out. We’ll see how his first handful of days to a week go, see how quickly he bounces back.”
City officials are determined to bypass a vote. That isn’t justification to bypass the same requirement the residents already demanded.
This stadium deal appears to be a sweetheart deal. They all are. The economic studies have been clear on that.
The presentation of the agreement could acknowledge that, or at the very least stop stumbling to dispute it, and then include a fuller transparency. Which is this: Kansas City officials have not offered convincing evidence this is money well spent. They’ve instead determined it is money worth spending.
They should articulate that difference. It’s at the root of this entire conversation, yet publicly absent from it. As more than a bonus, it might even be exactly what resonates with the large group of people who have been eager to support the project but are frustrated by the lack of transparency in its presentation.
And while he expects as usual to have candid talks with Quatraro after the season about their thoughts on his staff and where the team can get better, Picollo also said he didn’t expect any “wholesale changes” in that group.
The same can be said for Kansas City’s core of hitters, and his observations make sense.
While the Royals are going to need more starting pitching and Picollo called the bullpen “a major project for us this offseason,” he said, “I think with our position players, there’s less uncertainty.”
Now, even more unusual is how he is doing it. Usually, this type of adjustment should be linked to better plate discipline, a higher contact rate both inside and outside the strike zone, and perhaps fewer strikeouts. What if I told you that Massey has done the exact opposite? It seems crazy, but he has broken all of those standards: his Contact% has fallen from 81.7% to 73.7%, his O-Contact% from 71.9% to 49.1%, he has increased his strikeout rate (K% from 18.4% to 25.6%) and has reduced his swings inside the strike zone by 9.1 percentage points (70.9% vs. 61.8%) compared with last year.
Royals: Lucas Braun, RHP (No. 16) The 24-year-old righty was the main prospect return from the Braves in this month’s deal for Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter, and he’s been solid with two quality starts, each of which were six-inning efforts, in his first pair of outings with Triple-A Omaha. He works with the triforce of fastballs (cutter, sinker, four-seamer) and can generate whiffs off that with an 83-85 mph slider. There are six pitch types in total, none of which have been thrown more than one-quarter of a time, and with Kansas City in roster evaluation mode the rest of the way, it could be worth seeing how Braun’s mix works in The Show.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 21: Matt Festa #52 of the Cleveland Guardians and Patrick Bailey #16 celebrate after the Guardians defeated the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Friday, August 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ray Bahner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today we’re here to take a look at the Guardians’ bullpen options, break down how everyone has looked, and see what future roles might be available to these pitchers out of the Guardians’ bullpen. We’re going to start by taking a look at some general numbers for most of the pitchers who have thrown from the bullpen for the Guards in 2026 and are still with the team. For Logan Allen, Connor Brogdon, and Daniel Espino, the numbers are their minor league and major league stats combined, and for every other pitcher it’s just the 2026 MLB numbers. I chose to include MiLB numbers because those three pitchers did not have a substantial amount of MLB innings to look at.
We’re going to look at four primary stats: Whiff%, K%, BB%, and xwOBA. The stats are color coded in such a way that they move closer to white when they’re near league average, and closer to red/green depending on if they’re better or worse than league average. I’m also putting a column at the end to label the potential bullpen roles each pitcher might be most suited to fill. The categories listed are high leverage (HL), fireman (FM), middle relief (MR), long relief (LR), right-handed specialist (RS), left-handed specialist (LS), and closer (C).
A typical 13 man pitching staff is going to have five starters, leaving eight bullpen spots to work with. There’s not one universal formula for a bullpen build, but ideally you want a mix of high leverage arms, matchup options, middle relief, and at least one pitcher capable of covering a few innings in case of an emergency.
First, I think we want to establish the obvious keepers. Cade Smith, Erik Sabrowski, Daniel Espino, and Franco Aleman – from a long term standpoint – shouldn’t be going anywhere. Cade Smith has proven to be a dominant closer, and Sabrowski has been a very valuable high leverage arm vs. LHP. Espino and Aleman have limited numbers to go off of, but they both have high upside and have shown potential as future high leverage arms as well.
The next tier are guys that look keepable, but maybe should be used in lower leverage roles. This group contains Herrin, Gaddis, Holderman, and Yoho. Herrin has very solid numbers vs. lefties, so I would consider him for very matchup specific moments. The other three are significantly better vs. righties than lefties. I think ideally you’d keep one or two as a righty matchup option for earlier in games, and then aim to keep someone with a bit more balanced splits for the last spot. In our list, Armstrong fits that bill. If my counting is correct, Armstrong technically would be eligible to return from the IL in the last week of the regular season in 2026, but given his age and contract, looking beyond that becomes hazy for considering him. You could look for similar/better options in FA as well to fill that spot for future seasons.
If we’re taking 2 of Gaddis/Holderman/Yoho, that leaves us with 1 more spot to consider. There’s a couple ways to go about this. A safe option is having someone like Allen or Cecconi, who can provide multiple innings in a pinch and possibly even give you a spot start here or there. Another option is going for a more balanced/complete middle relief option or going for another left handed matchup option. This bullpen does not have very many LHPs, and adding another one of those would be a solid way to round it out.
There’s a lot of potential with this bullpen, especially as Aleman and Espino can get more work in. I think if you include them, you have 4 clear keepers and 4 more that have legitimate reasons they can be in an MLB bullpen as long as they’re used appropriately. Some of the others have potential as organizational depth that could be brought up in a pinch. I think for the MLB level, you’d ideally want one more pitcher that can handle lefties, given the splits for Gaddis/Holderman/Yoho are very tilted towards usefulness against righties, but apart from that improvement, there’s a lot of good pieces here for the near future.
Aug 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Martin Perez (33) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Saturday’s second game of the Atlanta Braves’ series at the Milwaukee Brewers doesn’t have the star power of the series opener.
But it does see two pitchers having quite successful seasons in an under-the-radar manner face off.
Atlanta will throw Martín Pérez (8-7, 3.15 ERA) against Milwaukee’s Logan Henderson (7-2, 2.70) in a 2:10 p.m. ET game the Braves could really stand to win after losing six of their last eight games to see their NL East lead reduced to four games.
Pérez is coming off one of his worst starts of the season. He allowed all of his season-high-tying four earned runs in the first inning of Monday’s 4-2 loss at the Minnesota Twins. After that, he salvaged the outing, relatively speaking, by tossing four scoreless innings to give the offense a chance to wake up which it didn’t take.
Regardless of that start, it has still been an incredibly successful August for Pérez, with those four runs standing as the first he allowed in four August starts. He previously had combined for 16 shutout innings on five hits, striking out 11 and walking six, and has a 1.71 ERA this month — his best in a single month this season.
The left-hander doesn’t have the best track record against Milwaukee, though, entering with a 1-3 record and 7.24 ERA in six outings (five starts) against the Brewers. That lone win, however, came earlier this season with Atlanta when he tossed six innings of six-hit, one-run ball and outdueled Jacob Misiorowski in a 3-2 win on June 19.
Henderson has hit the ground running in his first full season with Milwaukee. The right-handed rookie missed six weeks with a low back strain — including the Brewers’ trip to Atlanta — but has always been impressively solid, bolstering a starting rotation which has the third-best ERA in baseball (3.50).
There’s nothing particularly fraudulent about his numbers either, as he has a 2.69 xERA, 3.38 FIP and 3.03 xFIP to go with his sterling ERA.
On probably the biggest stage of his career so far, he delivered probably his best career start last Sunday. He threw a career-high seven innings and gave up one run on three hits with six strikeouts and one walk in a 6-2 rubber-match defeat of the Dodgers.
Henderson is largely a three-pitch mix guy, throwing his fastball which averages 93.0 mph 45.6% of the time, his changeup 32.6% of the time and his cutter 18.5% of the time, occasionally mixing in a slider which he’s used for just 3.4% of his total pitches this season.
The one potential hole in his game is that he’s been susceptible to the long ball of late. Of the 10 homers he’s allowed this season, five of them have come in his three August starts.
Maybe that’s what the Braves’ lineup needs to awaken from its slumber which has once more led to them being locked into in a race to win the NL East.
Oklahoma City's James Tibbs III is introduced before a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
A pair of Dodgers pitchers rehabbed in Oklahoma City, and James Tibbs continued his great week at the plate in Texas.
Player of the day
James Tibbs III had three hits, including a solo home run, and two walks for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Tibbs has been the Comets’ best hitter this season but went through a home run drought of 29 games — he was still productive during the stretch, hitting .307/.427/.406 — from June 28 to August 8. But since then he has six home runs in his last 11 games.
Seth Halvorsen allowed two-out single off the glove of Hyeseong Kim to bring home the free runners in the 10th inning of a Comets loss to the the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).
Alek Thomas, the only other center fielder on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster — if you’re thinking of who might join Los Angeles after Andy Pages’ broken hand — reached base twice with a hit and walk.
Rehabbers
Blake Treinen pitched a perfect sixth inning with two strikeouts. Out for two-plus months with elbow inflammation, Treinen has pitched three times on his rehab assignment, once every three days so far.
Bobby Miller struck out four in his two innings, but also walked a pair and allowed a two-run home run. Miller, also on the 60-day injured list like Treinen but with shoulder soreness, is 17 days into his rehab assignment and has allowed six runs in nine innings in his four games, with 11 strikeouts and four walks.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers had only three hits in a shutout loss to the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Diamondbacks). Josue De Paula had one of the hits, a single.
Christian Zazueta struck out nine in five innings, but it was no way to make a living as he also allowed five runs, including a two-run home run.
High-A Great Lakes
Nico Perez drove in four and Eduardo Quintero plated three in the Loons win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres). Both reached base three times.
Brooks Auger struck out four in three scoreless innings.
Class-A Ontario
Ching-Hsien Ko homered in the Tower Buzzers’ win over the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners). Ko had two hits
Ontario pitched combined for 12 strikeouts in the win.
Double-A: Pitcher Zach Root and catcher Nelson Quiroz landed on the injured list. Tulsa added three players from Arizona to fill a depleted roster — pitchers Josehp Marte, Nick Putnam, and Alex Walsh.
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 21: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers is doused with Powerade by Evan Carter #32 after defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field on Friday, August 21, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Rangers 2, Angels 1
I wrote this in the pre-game lineup post:
“Hopefully the Rangers will break the trend of scoring just one run in regulation in games Detmers and Gore go up against each other.”
This was the third time this season that Reid Detmers and MacKenzie Gore had faced each other.
In each of the first two games, Gore and Detmers each allowed one run in their starts, and the Rangers scored just one run in nine innings.
In one of those games, the Rangers won in extra innings. In the other, the Rangers lost the game on a walk-off with two outs when Justin Foscue made a bad throw.
Somehow, the Rangers managed combine the outcomes of the previous two Detmers/Gore starts into one package by winning in extra innings in a walkoff due to an Angels infielder making a bad throw.
We had good MacKenzie Gore on the mound for this one.
I mean, I guess you could probably guess that, given that the Angels only scored one run, and that one in extra innings.
But Gore was masterful, allowing just four baserunners in six innings, with two singles, a walk and a hit by pitch. Gore struck out seven and got a 21 whiffs on 100 pitches. He was missing bats with a bunch of different pitches, too, generating at least four swings-and-misses with the fastball, the slider, the changeup and the curveball.
Gore has a 2.10 ERA in his last five starts, with 34 Ks against just 8 walks in 30 innings over that stretch, and one would like to think that he’s turned a corner, though given Gore’s history, it is just as likely he’s about to turn another corner that will send him back to where he started.
We got a scoreless Cole Winn outing, which I know excites everyone, and Chase Silseth and Jacob Latz each keeping the Angels off the board for an inning apiece.
For those of you out there who aren’t math whizzes, that totals up to nine shutout innings, and that should have been good enough to keep the game from going into extra innings.
I will take the blame for that, due to my inadvertent monkey paw wish about this not being a game that the Rangers score one run in regulation in. I apparently hexed the Rangers bats in the first nine innings, as they managed to get baserunners on, get some hits even, but still not score.
The Rangers had one hit in the first nine innings with a runner in scoring position. It was a fifth inning one out bunt single by Evan Carter that loaded the bases for Justin Foscue and Corey Seager, neither of whom could drive a runner home.
They even had Ezequiel Duran on third base with one out in the ninth, after a double and a wild pitch, but offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez struck out, and after pinch hitter Joc Pederson was walked intentionally, Evan Carter also struck out.
Carter challenged the third strike call, for what it is worth. It was unsuccessful. To rub salt in the wound, that was right after a successful ABS challenge by the Angels on a pitch that was called a ball initially, and would have made the count 3-1 to Carter, rather than 2-2.
Carter, I will note, was 2 for 4 in the game, with a double to go with his bunt single. He and Corey Seager were the two hitters with exactly two hits apiece, of the 11 Rangers hits.
Tyler Alexander allowed a double in the tenth — just the third Angels hit of the game — that gave the Angels the 1-0 lead that the Rangers had to surmount in the bottom of the inning against Ben Joyce.
Ben Joyce throws really hard. He threw 11 pitches Friday night. The fastest of those pitches was 103.0 mph, which is pretty fast.
A Justin Foscue fly out sent Zombie Runner Evan Carter to third base. Corey Seager struck out, no doubt prompting knowing nods from the “Seager is toast and the Rangers should’ve dumped him when they had the chance” crowd, and Wyatt Langford quickly went down 0-2, challenging the second strike unsuccessfuly and thus burning the Rangers’ final ABS challenge.
Down 0-2, our intrepid squad seemed doomed. Ben Joyce hadn’t allowed a hitter to reach all year after being down 0-2. True, this was just the fourth 0-2 count Joyce had had all season, what with it being just his 7th appearance on the year, but still…
Yet, somehow, Langford managed to get wood on a 102.4 mph Joyce heater, managed to flare it the other way, with the ball finding grass, Carter scampering home, and Langford ending up at second.
I would say it is better to be lucky than good, but you have to be kind of good to make contact on an 0-2 102+ mph fastball.
An intentional walk to Brandon Nimmo brought up Ezequiel Duran, who already had three hits on the day. And then this happened:
Duran smokes a ball that Denver Guzman makes a diving play on to prevent a game winning single, or double, depending on your point of view. In retrospect, he should have put it in his pocket and let Joyce go after Jake Burger with the bases loaded. But no, he tried to get the out at second, threw the ball away (and wouldn’t have gotten Nimmo even if he had made an accurate throw, I don’t think), and that was ballgame.
So something kind of weird…Joyce’s fastball to Duran was 95.8 mph, the slowest pitch he threw by 2.5 mph in the outing. It also had less spin and more downward movement than any of his other fastballs in the game.
Was he trying to take something off the pitch? Did he just not have a good grip? Was it supposed to be a sinker (his sinker averages 95.8 mph) and he just got too much spin on it?
Like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop, the world may never know.
Somehow, the Rangers are back in sole possession of Wild Card 3 right now, a game up on Cleveland and Minnesota, and are just a game back of Houston.
Amazing.
MacKenzie Gore touched 96.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 95.0 mph. Cole Winn’s fastball topped out at 96.9 mph. Chase Sileth hit 97.4 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 96.3 mph. Tyler Alexander hit 92.9 mph with his fastball.
Wyatt Langford had a 108.9 mph GIDP. Elias Diaz had a 106.6 mph single and a 106.2 mph groundout. Ezequiel Duran had a 105.0 mph single, a 102.2 mph single, a 101.9 mph groundout and a 100.9 mph single. Corey Seager had a 102.4 mph fly out. Justin Foscue had a 101.9 mph fly out. Evan Carter had a 101.4 mph double. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.1 mph groundout.
This is a two game winning streak. I think they should make it a three game winning streak on Saturday.
Another full slate in the big leagues means lots of opportunity for long balls in my MLB player props home run analysis.
Included in today's picks are Alejandro Kirk, Jordan Walker, and Pete Alonso.
Find out more in my MLB picks for Saturday, August 22.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Jordan Walker
+442
Alejandro Kirk
+442
Home run pick: Jordan Walker (+442)
St. Louis Cardinals star Jordan Walker is tearing the cover off the baseball right now. He's gone deep in three straight games, and the slugger has four long balls in his last eight contests.
During that span, Walker has a .471 ISO and a mind-boggling 22.2% barrel rate. He's consistently getting lift as well, posting a 55.6% fly ball rate in the last week. Walker will face Andrew Painter tonight, who has a 6.08 FIP in his previous two outings while allowing 1.74 HR/9 and a fly ball rate of 41.4%.
One mistake from Painter could be punished by one of the hottest bats in the big leagues.
I'll play this pick down to +400.
Time: 6:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Cardinals.TV
Home run pick: Alejandro Kirk (+442)
Alejandro Kirk may not be a player who hits a lot of home runs, but he's showcasing his power lately. The Toronto Blue Jays catcher has two bombs in his last six games and a .304 ISO.
Although his fly ball rate isn't huge during the last week, Kirk is consistently squaring up the baseball, posting a 50% hard-hit rate. Ryan Weathers hasn't allowed a lot of home run damage lately, but the New York Yankees' bullpen is vulnerable to the long ball at times, surrendering 1.26 HR/9 across the last month.
Kirk is hot, and one mistake could see him leave the yard again.
Play this pick down to +400.
Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Sportsnet
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 18-88, -4.89 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 21: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres tosses his bat after hitting a two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Petco Park on August 21, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A four-run bottom of the fifth inning by the San Diego Padres gave Randy Vasquez all he needed to complete seven innings in a 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins in the opening game of their three-game series at Petco Park on Friday night.
Vasquez had cruised through the first three innings after being given a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Ty France connected on a mammoth two-out, two-run home run that he knew was gone off the bat. Vasquez seemed to pitch freely and worked quickly with the lead, but found trouble in the top of the fourth inning.
The right-hander allowed a single and hit a batter, but was able to get two outs inning the inning. Kody Clemens was down 0-1 as Vasquez looked to get out of the jam, as he so often does, without allowing a run but Clemens lined a ball over Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field that resulted in a two-run triple to tie the game at 2-2.
The Padres did not immediately respond, but after Vasquez pitched a scoreless fifth inning San Diego erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Austin Hays beat out what was essentially a swinging bunt to start the inning. Jake Cronenworth worked a one-out walk to put two runners on and Tatis delivered a line drive single through the right side of the infield to put the Padres back in front, 3-2. Luis Rengifo followed with a single to left to make the score 4-2 and Manny Machado recorded the third consecutive hit with a single to right which pushed the lead to 5-2. France stepped to the plate with one out and runners on the corners and drove in his third run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right field to give San Diego a 6-2 advantage,
Vasquez who looked to be finished with his outing before the big inning, returned to the mound in the sixth and again in the seventh and retired a string of 10 batters stretching back to the final out of the fourth inning. He finished his night after seven innings having allowed two runs on two hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Bradgley Rodriguez pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Mason Miller came in for the ninth in a non-save situation. He struck out all three batters he faced to secure the opening game of the home stand.
Tatis led the Padres offense with three hits and was followed by Rengifo and Machado who each added two hits. France finished 1-for-1 with the first inning home run and had two walks, three RBI and a run scored.
San Diego will try to make it two in a row when they return to action tonight at 5:40 p.m.
Padres News:
No one outside the Padres organization knows what they will do with top prospect Ethan Salas. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball makes the case for why he should be called up for the postseason run.
Senators Goose Goslin slides safely into home and collides with Yankees catcher Wally Schang in 2nd game of double header (baseball) ca. August 15, 1925. (photo by: HUM Images/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
When a player in today’s Major League Baseball scene comes along and does something extraordinary, he’ll provide a flurry of answers as to what brought him into that position in the first place. When Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs in 2022, the number by itself was otherworldly, but passing Roger Maris’ mark of 61 made it even more special. The players who came before set a standard. And one of the leaders for early switch-hitters and catchers was Wally Schang, the first regular backstop for a Yankees World Series champion.
Walter “Wally” Henry Schang Born: August 22, 1889 (South Wales, NY) Died: March 6, 1965 (St. Louis, MO) Yankees Tenure: 1921-25
Walter Henry Schang was born into a baseball family, gathering passion for the game from his father, who played in the local town league. “Wally” started playing semipro ball in Holland, New York, in high school. Over three seasons, Wally earned a reputation as one of the area’s best semipros. The Buffalo Bisons of the International League were impressed and picked up Schang’s contract near the end of the season. Appearing in 48 games for the Bisons in 1912, Schang batted .333 along with making an excellent defensive impression. In the 1913 season, 13 of the 16 MLB clubs attempted to draft him (per SABR). The Philadelphia Athletics were the fortunate team to land Schang, and from there, he began his professional career.
The one season with the Bisons was the only one that Schang would play in the minor leagues. A’s owner/manager Connie Mack decided he would be best served at the highest level. Schang finished with 207 at-bats and hit .266, ranked first among all major league catchers with three home runs, and his .392 OBP with a .416 put him at an .808 OPS to end the year. He also was one of the league’s best defensive catchers, and all of those facts helped him to finish eighth in MVP voting.
The Athletics played the New York Giants in the 1913 World Series, and Schang hit .357 in four games with a team-leading seven RBIs. With that, the rookie was a champion already at just 23 years old.
October 10, 1913: Philadelphia Athletics catcher Wally Schang takes aim at the right field wall during batting practice prior to Game 4 of the World Series.
Philadelphia won the 1914 American League pennant with a 99-53 record and was again aided by Schang, who developed from an exciting up-and-comer to the best offensive catcher in the game. Wally led all catchers in the Junior Circuit in batting average (.287), extra-base hits (22), home runs (3), slugging percentage (.404), and RBI (45). However, he fell short on the defensive end due to a broken thumb and was tied for the AL lead for catchers in errors, but he still finished 10th in MVP voting that year thanks to his impressive offensive performance. Schang went 2-for-12 during Philly’s surprising World Series sweep at the hands of the “Miracle” Boston Braves.
Despite the Athletics’ rapid decline following the 1914 season, Schang remained an excellent player. In his final three years with the team, his lowest posted OPS+ was 122. In 1916, he posted the second-highest home run total of his career (7). But in 1917, Mack’s gradual firesale of his wonderful team led to Schang’s dismissal. The A’s traded him to the Boston Red Sox, along with right-handed pitcher Joe Bush and center fielder Amos Strunk.
In three seasons with the Red Sox, Schang did exactly what he had done previously with Philadelphia, including a World Series win in his second season, 1918. The backstop went 4-for-11 in five games against the Cubs to secure the title. Two years later, he posted an .862 OPS and four home runs compared to his zero in the two previous years. In 1919, the Red Sox had sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees, and after that 1920 campaign, Schang followed in a trade with three teammates for catcher Muddy Ruel and three other Yankees. Bombers GM Ed Barrow had been Schang’s manager in Boston, and he wanted his old catcher back on board — like many of his former Red Sox standouts.
In 1921, at 31, Schang joined Ruth and helped the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time as a franchise. He also played a career-high 134 games that season. He slashed .316/.428/.453 with a career-high 78 walks, 53 RBIs, and 134 hits (also a career best). In 1922, he played 124 games with a .319/.405/.412 slash line with 52 RBIs, 130 hits, 53 walks, and 36 strikeouts, helping him to finish 13th in MVP voting, the first finish in the top 15 since his top-10 finish eight years earlier in 1914. He hit a disappointing .188 in the Yankees’ 1922 World Series loss, but recovered the next year in the postseason.
Schang made three total World Series with the Yankees, winning the third of his career in 1923 against the crosstown Giants, and he wasn’t just along for the ride. He batted .318 in the postseason with a .711 OPS. And while he didn’t record an RBI, Schang came across to score three runs in that 1923 Fall Classic, a career-high. It was his final career playoff appearance, but the Bombers made it memorable — in their first season at newly-constructed Yankee Stadium to boot.
In 1924 with the Yankees, Schang hit just above the average for a catcher, with an OPS+ of 108. But in 1925, now 35 at this point, with rumors that Schang’s eyesight might be declining, he didn’t do much to quell them, finishing with a .645 OPS in 73 games, and he was traded to the St. Louis Browns in 1926.
In five seasons with St. Louis, he didn’t play over 100 games outside of his first year, but he still performed well in a limited role. He hit .294/.423/.439 through his career before being sent back to Philadelphia to join the World Series-bound (and winning) Athletics, who Mack had successfully rebuilt with the help of Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Mickey Cochrane, and more. However, Schang did not appear for the team in the 1930 Fall Classic and finished his MLB career with the Detroit Tigers at age 41. He slashed an abysmal .184/.311/.211 in 30 games, but he continued to be revered by his teammates.
In retirement, Schang was a coach and minor-league scout/manager, even mentoring teenage prodigy Bob Feller at the outset of his Hall of Fame career in Cleveland. Schang missed the Hall of Fame multiple times, but he is still a player who made an impression on the early days of 20th-century baseball, both as a switch-hitter and as a catcher.
Happy birthday, Wally!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
The Atlanta Braves have scored two runs or fewer in four of their last five games, and now they're tasked with facing Logan Henderson and the Milwaukee Brewers (-170).
My Braves vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks expect Atlanta's offensive struggles to continue, setting the stage for Milwaukee to claim another low-scoring victory on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Who will win Braves vs Brewers today: Brewers moneyline (-175)
The Atlanta Braves are reeling offensively. They sit 28th in on base percentage against right-handed pitching in August, and it’s not going to get any easier for them facing Logan Henderson.
He has been exceptional, pitching to a 2.70 ERA, 2.90 SIERA, and striking out over 31% of opposing batters.
The Milwaukee Brewers are more likely to hold their own at the plate. Regression started to come for Martin Perez last time out, and his season numbers (3.15 ERA, 4.64 SIERA) indicate tougher times are still ahead.
Back the in-form offense against the weaker pitcher. Brewers to -180.
Braves vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-105)
Six different Braves own xwOBAs of .300 or worse against Henderson’s pitch mix over the last 30 games.
There are a lot of black holes in their offense right now, and that is going to make it tough to score more than a couple of runs off Henderson.
Perez is an elite home run suppressor, on pace to give up fewer than one HR/9 for the second consecutive year.
His ability to limit raw power — even when not at his best — should help keep the Brewers to a manageable number.
Take the Under to -112.
Braves vs Brewers home run prediction: Jackson Chourio (+425)
Jackson Chourio has a strong profile against left-handed pitching. He owns a .305 average, .891 OPS, and his batted ball numbers are very good.
Chourio sits in the 82nd percentile in xSLG, as well as the 88th percentile in both hard-hit rate and barrels. He is consistently making powerful contact.
His exit velocity and hard-hit rate are trending up over the last 25 at-bats, and he's taken Perez yard in one of eight career at-bats against him.
I’d play Chourio to +415.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 86-78, -10.20 units
Over/Under bets: 85-73-6, +1.22 units
Braves vs Brewers weather
This game will be played in a dome.
Braves vs Brewers odds
Moneyline: Braves +145 | Brewers -170
Run line: Braves +1.5 (-140) | Brewers -1.5 (+120)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-115) | Under 7.5 (-105)
Braves vs Brewers trend
Milwaukee has hit the moneyline in 35 of their last 50 home games (+11.55 units, 14% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Brewers.
How to watch Braves vs Brewers and game info
Location
American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Date
Saturday, August 22, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
MLB Network
Braves starting pitcher
Bryce Elder (8-7, 3.92 ERA)
Brewers starting pitcher
Logan Henderson (7-2, 2.70 ERA)
Braves vs Brewers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 18: Jo Adell #7 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a home run in the first inning during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Guardians had a great series-opening win against the Rockies.
Jake covered it for us here in a very fun recap. Stephen Vogt talked a lot about Kwan and Bazzana not trying to do too much and taking the ball where it was pitched. I know folks are concerned the team is overemphasizing pull-lift. Vogt never sounds like a guy who believes every pitch should be pulled and lifted, for what it’s worth.
Since I questioned if trading for Patrick Bailey was a mistake, he has been Barry Bonds. So… we should bench Rocchio, guys. He’s terrible.
Around MLB
The White Sox, Orioles, Astros and Rangers won, Tigers, Blue Jays and Twins lost. The Guardians are currently one game behind the Rangers for the third wildcard, and 4.5 behind the White Sox in the division. The Rangers are one game behind the Astros in the West.
It’s Dylan Cease bump day, so you know we have to back Toronto in our Blue Jays vs. Yankees predictions.
The Toronto Blue Jays visit the New York Yankees for Game 2 of their three-game series this afternoon at Yankee Stadium as slight -105 underdogs at BET99. They’ve shrunk their path to the Wild Card to just 1.5 games, and are looking for an eighth straight series win.
Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Saturday, Aug. 22, and win another best bet.
Blue Jays vs Yankees predictions
Blue Jays vs Yankees best bet: Blue Jays moneyline (-105)
Dylan Cease is likely going to win the AL Cy Young odds race for a reason — he’s pretty good at throwing baseballs. He’s especially good at throwing baseballs against the New York Yankees.
Across 126 plate appearances, New York owns just a .306 xwOBA, .232 xBA, and is striking out at a 28% clip.
Look for them to take Game 2 of the series with Cease on the mound.
COVERS INTEL: Who's hotter than Alejandro Kirk right now? He just moved his hitting streak to nine games yesterday, and is 3-for-5 with a .330 xBA against Weathers.
Blue Jays vs Yankees same-game parlay (SGP)
We’re riding Cease to go deep and record nine strikeouts after punching this lineup out at a 28% rate.
Charles McAdoo has also done his job since getting called up, and we’re taking a chance on him after going 2-for-3 in his initial meeting with Weathers. Let’s cash our third SGP this week.
Blue Jays vs Yankees SGP
Charles McAdoo 2+ H/R/RBI
Blue Jays moneyline
Dylan Cease 8+ Ks
Alberta: Sports betting is now live!
Regulated Alberta sports betting has officially launched, allowing sportsbooks to operate under provincial oversight.
You can sign up and join BET99 — one of the best Alberta betting apps — now to get in on the Blue Jays action!
Sign Up Now atimg src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/82/bet99.svg" alt="BET99" width="100" height="28" style="vertical-align: middle;"
Blue Jays vs Yankees home run pick: George Springer (+575)
Let’s ride with the veteran George Springer here, who has two homers under his belt against Weathers in just eight at-bats.
At this price, you have to take a chance on him at one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the bigs.
2026 Transparency Record
Best bets: 5-5, +2.36 units
SGPs:2-8, -0.7 units
HR picks: 0-10, -2.3 units
Blue Jays vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Toronto (-105) | New York (-115)
Run line: Toronto -1.5 (+170) | New York +1.5 (-210)
Over/Under: Over 7 (+100) | Under 7 (-120)
Blue Jays vs Yankees trend
The Blue Jays are 5-0 in Cease's last five starts as a road underdogs. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Yankees.
How to watch Blue Jays vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Saturday, August 22, 2026
First pitch
1:35 p.m. ET
TV
YES, SportsNet
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Dylan Cease (7-5, 2.42 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers (5-7, 3.56 ERA)
Blue Jays vs Yankees latest injuries
Blue Jays vs Yankees weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Jordan Walker
Alejandro Kirk
COVERS INTEL: