NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 15: Jalen Brunson accepts the Best Championship Performance award onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on July 15, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P) | Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P
Even before winning last season’s NBA title, the New York Knicks long ago established themselves as one of the Association’s flagship franchises. Knickerbockers have been All-Stars going back to 1951, when Vince Boryla, Harry Gallatin and Dick McGuire were all selected. 15 different Knicks have been named to All-NBA teams, beginning way back in 1947-48 with Carl Braun making Second Team. No Knicks made it the season before, the Year One of American professional men’s hoops. In that first season, a Bones McKinney made BAA First Team, and is in rare company as a two-time All-NBAer who shot below 30% from the field for his career.
There’ve been Olympians, starting with Jerry Lucas in 1960 and including Bill Bradley, Charles Smith, Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony. Stephon Marbury was there when the Dream Team suffered the worse loss in U.S. men’s hoops history against a certain magical island from the Caribbean.
New York has won 60-plus games twice and lost 60-plus twice (interestingly, in 80 seasons they’ve only finished .500 once), made the playoffs 47 times, been coached by a Dick, a Red and a Herb, and run by a Gordon, a Glenn and Steve Mills. Twice. They’ve played 6,269 games. They went 24 years without a title, then three, then 53. Knicks fans have seen it all. Except one thing: the best player alive wearing blue and orange.
Willis Reed is the only Knick ever to win regular-season MVP. I’ve always argued Ewing was better than people think, even compared to contemporaries of his held in higher esteem. I wrote a very wordy slider piece for FanSided early in my career ranking the ‘92 Dream Teamers and had the audacity to rank Ewing fourth, behind the three you can guess and David Robinson. Reader, Ewing was better than the Admiral. But that’s another argument for another day.
The Knicks winning the title this year cast a lot of my prior facts and feelings in new light. The ‘90s Knicks, for example, are already mutating a bit in terms of their meaning to me, because for most of my life they represented an apex. But now that I’ve seen the mountaintop, the surrounding landscape hits different.
The best player on Earth today is Jalen Brunson. Full stop. Don’t believe me? Let’s go for a ride among the other leading candidates and see how and why JB is the GOAT.
STEPH CURRY
Not gonna lie: being the only NBA player ever with your own exhibit in the Hall of Famewhile you’re still active is a pretty sick flex. Steph isn’t merely a first-ballot HOFer; his ballots should arrive in the mail with his name already circled. And for most of the time his career has overlapped with Brunson’s, Curry’s been ahead of him and virtually everyone else.
But I’m writing this in 2026, not 2020. Golden State hasn’t won 50 games since Kemba Walker was a Knick. That’s not Curry’s fault, but he’s missed 85 games in that span. They’ve won as many playoff series since (2) as years they’ve missed the playoffs. He’s nearly a decade older than Brunson, yet in all that time only won two championships as his team’s best player. Brunson’s already halfway there, nipping on his heels with one.
LEBRON JAMES
LeBron is fortysomething; on any title contender he would be — at best — their third-best player, maybe fourth. Brunson, still twentysomething, is the most valuable player on the defending champions, something James hasn’t been since 2020. Plus James has grown more and more annoying as a public figure over time, while Brunson is easier to love than puppies. Also, James is built like a Sherman tank while Brunson is closer to a fire hydrant. Clearly the Knick star is doing far more with less. And we aren’t constantly bombarded with who-gives-a-**** updates from Brunson’s agent. Advantage JB.
CADE CUNNINGHAM
Call back when he gets a legit second banana and beats a two-way team in the playoffs.
LUKA DONČIĆ
I love Luka. A few years ago, he was the one player in the league I’d have moved heaven and earth and whatever else it took to bring him to the Knicks. But he hasn’t played for a team that’s won a playoff round since he was still a Dallas Maverick. And he was traded for garbage. So he’s clearly got some work to do. Also, I bet you he misses having Brunson alongside him. You think at any point last year Brunson thought “Wish Luka were here?” Fat chance.
NIKOLA JOKIĆ
Back in 2020, Jokić averaged 9.7 rebounds per game. Had he added another three tenths, he’d currently be on nine consecutive seasons averaging a double-double; last year was his second straight averaging a triple-double. Russell Westbrook did the latter three years in a row and four outta five, but doing so while shooting below 45% from the field and 30% from deep dings a little of that luster. By contrast, 2020 is the last time Jokić shot below 57% from the field, while his 36% career mark from deep is more accurate than any single season of Westbrook’s.
It isn’t Jokić‘s fault that he plays for such cheapskate owners in Denver. It also isn’t his fault that he’s about a foot taller than Brunson. If he were a foot shorter, you think he’d be nearly as good? HA! Now, take Brunson’s postgame and footwork and added 11 inches to his height, and whaddya got? An even GOATier GOAT.
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER
SGA couldn’t handle the same Spurs team Brunson put in a blender during the Finals. And for all the deserved heat Wembanyama took for his “ethical basketball” tripe before assaulting multiple playoff opponents, the truth is the biggest difference between the Thunder and the Knicks (besides Jalen Williams being injured and OG Anunoby not) is that Gilgeous-Alexander used his skills to try and draw fouls, while Brunson used his to try and make shots.
Or maybe the biggest difference was SGA shooting 29% from deep while Brunson canned 39%. I dunno. All I know is the Thunder are always at the top of power rankings, they have the deepest roster in human history and 39,737 draft picks this decade, and even with homecourt advantage they couldn’t beat the same team the Knicks beat without it. So how good could SGA be, really?
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 06: Bradley Beal #0 of the LA Clippers reacts to a three-point shot during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on November 06, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the offseason’s dry period, where the lasting impressions of Summer League hoops have come and gone, left in the rearview by LeBron’s final “decision” and a rumor mill that at this stage in the summer, feels more like bored gossip than true reporting.
But we recently did get a Celtics-related nugget from reporter Jake Fischer, who took to a Bleacher Report live stream to talk about potential happenings around the league, including that of 33-year-old free agent Bradley Beal.
“I was told today that Bradley Beal’s decision is not exactly being held up by LeBron, but is being impacted by it,” Fischer said. “I do think there’s some Miami interest there, and I would not rule out Boston for Beal because of the connection with Jayson Tatum.”
Okay so, obviously that’s still just a speculative guess based around Beal’s long-standing relationship with Jayson Tatum. Probably not something to put all that much stock in, but we’re already here, so let’s talk about it.
Around this time last offseason, it was rumors of Ben Simmons interest that got us talking in the dead heat of the summer, even if they ultimately came from an unreliable/fraudulent Twitter source in which nothing came out of it.
In a nutshell, this is the same conversation. A former All-Star with the baggage of being glued to one of the worst contracts in the league and consistently marred by injuries is now available for the low, low price of a bag of chips and a ham sandwich (also known as the veteran minimum).
The logic is the same as the Simmons discourse last year. You take all that baggage into account, but at the end of the day, a vet minimum contract makes those concerns significantly less grave. Player perception is important, and Beal, like Simmons, has terrible perception among the fan community, further dug in by an immediate season-ending injury 6 games into the 2025-26 season.
What’s also worth mentioning is that, as it currently stands, singing Beal would put Boston back over the dreaded tax line they’ve worked so hard to avoid. However, another move can be made to get back under the tax, so that’s not as dire as it sounds.
Never know how much pull Tatum could have for his long-time friend, but Bradley Beal's 1yr vet minimum is $2.4M, which even at its discounted rate would push C's over the tax line. Is he a slam dunk to play on this roster? Major crunch at wing spots already. Don't see him coming.
But what do you get from Beal in his current state? A left hip fracture took him out six games into his season with the Clippers, and he played 53 contests in each of the prior two seasons, but he hasn’t played 60 or more since 2020-21.
Last year doesn’t give us much to work with in terms of on-court contributions, so let’s move to the previous season, where the Suns got Beal for 53 regular season games and four in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite sharing his high shot volume with two other All-Stars, he was exactly what we’ve come to expect over his 14-year career.
It was the lowest shot volume of his NBA career outside of his rookie season, but he was efficient in those opportunities (50/39/80 splits). He was also a fine playmaker (3.7 assists to 2 turnovers) and a negative defender (his -1.0 Defensive Box Plus-Minus is right on par with his -0.9 DBPM career average).
He’s still an impressively skillful shot creator that can work well on and off the ball, but what he offers outside of that is mostly a bare cupboard. And I say this as someone who has had to watch a lot of Beal basketball over the years, both because the Wizards are my local market team and because I interned for a media company that had me run Beal’s website for a year (they made me refer to him as “Brad” or “BB” a lot in those posts, I never got used to that).
The biggest thing I’m considering is what Beal would look like on the floor next to someone like Tatum, a star that can completely dictate the game and draws significant defensive attention into his orbit.
Beal has always been a strong off-ball shooter. He’s good on pindowns and flare screens as an off-the-catch threat, and he wraps around handoffs with the intent to attack, showing consistent touch on pull-ups in the mid-range.
In his final season in Phoenix, he maintained positive scoring efficiency across the three levels of the halfcourt. He was a 74% rim finisher (85th percentile according to Basketball Index), a 46% shooter on mid-range pullups (77th percentile), and a 39% shooter on threes (37% above the break, 41% on catch-and-shoots, and 41% from the corners). Even as his stock as a star has plummeted, Beal is still, at the end of the day, a more than capable bucket-getter.
I feel confident that Beal would be a plus offensive presence, but I’m also confident that you’d actively have to hide him defensively. No available name on the market is perfect at this point, but if you can’t hold up on the defensive end when there are other wings and backcourt options on the roster that have proven to be capable on that side of the floor, do we think Joe Mazzulla would trust that the good on offense outweighs the bad on defense?
Whether you fall on the side of “why not, sure” or “God no,” I think what we can all agree on is there are no handcuffs in this scenario. Beal on a veteran minimum is possibly the easiest thing to move off of. A signing today does not mean a roster spot past the trade deadline. If you’re bringing Beal onboard to provide a bench scoring boost and it doesn’t work out, chances are you won’t have to deal with it for too much longer. And if it does work out? That’s a professional scorer on a good short-term contract.
We shouldn’t pretend that Bradley Beal in 2026 moves the needle significantly in either direction, but the Celtics could use more scoring punch off the bench and they could afford to add another cheap backcourt option.
If I’m being honest, it feels unlikely that this move will happen, especially if it ends up as a decision between Boston or Miami.
Miami provides a more guaranteed opportunity for high volume and is kind of desperate for proven scorers to round out its roster. Boston is not in a desperate place. Signing Beal would be a small-scale luxury move with low risk/high reward potential.
In Boston, he wouldn’t be brought in under the expectation of being a 20-point scorer. He’s more likely to be asked to be a 20-minute player (he played exactly 20.2 minutes per game in his brief Clippers stint).
I enjoy narratives of character redemption or shifting perceptions. Beal would have that opportunity to change the tune around the back-half of his career with a good season in Boston, and I can support that.
DENVER, CO - JULY 21: Cole Carrigg #16 of the Colorado Rockies steals second base in the second inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The series is up for grabs in Denver after Hunter Goodman’s home run broke the Nats hearts. This is a massive game for the Nats, who need to stay in the mix as the trade deadline looms. Staying above .500 and winning a series is pivotal for this team’s playoff chances.
Curtis Mead will be taken out of the lineup today, with Jorbit Vivas taking his place at third. Dylan Crews will also take Jacob Young’s spot in center field. Those are the only two changes that Blake Butera is making ahead of this must win game. Cade Cavalli will be on the mound, looking to build on a good first start out of the break.
welcome to the lineup club it's where we post the lineup and you read it
With a righty on the mound, the Rockies are making some lineup tweaks. We will see Eduard Julien and Brett Sullivan for the first time. Mickey Moniak will also be moved up to the 2 spot. The versatile Willi Castro will play short, replacing the struggling Tovar. Rookie Gabriel Hughes will be making the start for the Rockies.
These next four games will reveal a lot about what direction the Nats will go. They play the Rockies today and then start a massive three game series against the D-Backs, who are also in the middle of the wild card hunt. There will be a lot more clarity after that stretch. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
Gage Jump gets the start today in the rubber match with the Arizona Diamondbacks. | Getty Images
The A’s will make a second stab at a series win this afternoon at Chase Field in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks. After taking the first game of the series 5-2 and then dropping last night’s matchup 6-5 in ten innings, the A’s will go for the win before heading to Minnesota to finish the road trip against the Twins.
Starting today for the Kelly-Green and Gold will be Gage Jump. Jump, the 23-year-old lefty is currently 3-5 with a 3.78 ERA over ten starts in 2026. He’ll go up against 37-year-old righty Merrill Kelly for the D-backs. Kelly is 8-7 with a 5.20 ERA over t17 starts this season. He’s struck out sixty-two opponents in 98.2 innings.
Kelly will match up with this lineup for Mark Kotsay’s A’s today:
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - MARCH 11: Josuar Gonzalez #2 of the San Francisco Giants looks on during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Just five games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Tuesday, as AA Richmond had their game postponed due to weather, while the Dominican Summer League squads faced off against each other. We’ll throw in Monday’s rookie ball games into this recap as well, especially since those seasons are wrapping up.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
A few moves. Most notably and excitingly, there was a rise up the catcher ranks, as Adrián Sugastey was promoted from AA Richmond to AAA Sacramento, while Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) was promoted from High-A Eugene to Richmond. It’s very exciting for both players, as Sugastey had spent a very long time in Richmond before getting this call, while Villarroel has had a blissful debut season in the Giants organization following a trade right before spring training. Tying up that domino effect is Daniel Rogers, who was promoted from Low-A San Jose to Eugene. Meanwhile, San Jose outfielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) was activated off the Injured List.
Infielder Zane Zielinski was sent down from Richmond to Eugene, while first baseman Robert Hipwell was demoted from Eugene to San Jose. Richmond RHP Dylan Hecht was released.
Down in the DSL, the Giants had three players selected to the All-Star Game: RHP Omar Calcurian, and infielders Keiberg Camacaro and Albert Jimenez. Manager Ian MacDonald was also selected to the team.
AAA Sacramento (52-42)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Oklahoma City Comets (Dodgers) 7-3 Box score
All the attention in Sacramento right now is on a pair of newcomers, outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL). But it was a different newcomer who stole the spotlight on Tuesday, as the star of the game was catcher Adrián Sugastey, who was making his AAA debut.
It’s been a long journey to the highest rung on the Minor League ladder for Sugastey. It’s been over 7 years since the Giants first signed the righty out of Panama, and he’d spent 3 years in AA trying to earn a promotion to Sacramento. At times, he was one of the top catching prospects in the organization, though that label has dissipated a bit over the years.
Sugastey finally got the call to AAA this week. And while it was largely logistical — San Francisco currently has 3 rookie catchers on their roster, and DFA’d both Eric Haase and Logan Porter, leaving only Zach Morgan and utility player Thomas Gavello to serve as AAA backstops — it’s also deserved. Sugastey has made some gains in AA this year, with a .275 batting average that towers over the last 2 years (.231 and .210). That led to a .715 OPS and a 91 wRC+, and while those aren’t stellar numbers for a 23-year old in AA, it’s worth remembering that Sugastey is a tremendous catcher whose calling card is his defense and leadership. You only need to be able to fake it to have a career as a backup when you can throw out runners the way Sugastey does.
He didn’t throw out any runners in his AAA debut (though he didn’t allow any stolen bases either), but he did catch a fantastic pitching performance, holding a potent Comets offense to 3 runs, all of which came in one rough inning (the 8th) off of one struggling pitcher (LHP Nick Zwack).
And in the batter’s box? Sugastey made his Sacramento introduction by hitting 2-4 with a solo home run. He’s not a big power guy, but that had to feel good! Welcome to AAA!
Also homering was designated hitter Will Brennan, who had an otherwise poor day, hitting 1-5 with 2 strikeouts. Brennan has been on quite a tear since getting designated for assignment, hitting 29-97 with 2 home runs and 9 doubles during that time. Still and all, hard to see him getting another chance in the Majors for the Giants, given how many outfielders they have.
Speaking of which, right fielder Turner Hill and center fielder Scott Bandura both had lovely games in which they hit 2-4 and stole a base. Hill’s game was particularly delightful, as both of his hits went for extra-bases: a triple and a double. The 27-year old lefty has been utterly unfazed by AAA, posting an .890 OPS and a 135 wRC+, while striking out just 8.4% of the time, and swiping 20 bags in 23 attempts. Say what you will about the Giants season, but they’ve had some tremendous developmental successes with relatively unheralded outfield prospects this year!
Hill and Bandura (who now has a .780 OPS, a 108 wRC+, and 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts) are names to watch through the trade deadline … not because they’re likely to be traded, but because they’re possibly next up should the Giants decide to trade some of the many outfielders on the 40-man roster.
As for the aforementioned newcomers, Harber hit 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout, while Davidson had a tough day, going 0-5 with 2 Ks. Oddly, Davidson was in left field again … he’s played the corners in all 4 of his AAA games, despite coming up through the Minors strictly as a center fielder (and earning some pretty good reviews there). San Francisco’s current weakness is in center, so it doesn’t really make sense to think he’s getting prepped for a debut, but maybe this is to make sure he’s comfortable at all 3 outfield positions, so that Tony Vitello can deploy him wherever should that call come? Who knows.
Speaking of things I don’t fully understand, we had a pitcher switcheroo! RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL), who entered the year as one of the organization’s top relief prospects, and LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) who entered as one of the top starting prospects, pitched in reverse roles this year. Harris got the start, and while it wasn’t an earnest starting pitching performance, he was given enough of a workload to make you wonder if the Giants are actually moving him in that direction … in all, Harris threw 37 pitches en route to 3 stellar scoreless innings, giving up just 1 baserunner (a single) while striking out 4. Fantastic!
Despite a brutal start to the year, Harris has brought his ERA down to 3.78 (albeit with a 4.89 FIP), as he’s been quite good lately. The 4.6 walks per 9 innings are still quite high, but the 10.5 strikeouts are a delight to look at.
As for Whitman, it was another relief outing following a surprising, unexplained move to the bullpen 2 weeks ago. He struck out 2 batters in 1.1 scoreless innings, though he did allow 3 singles along the way. I would still assume that the Giants view his future as a starter, given the year he had, but … given the year they’ve had, I won’t pretend to have any idea what the Giants are ever doing.
Nice outings for a pair of veterans, as LHP Reiver Sanmartin gave up just 1 hit and 0 runs in 2.2 innings, with a strikeout, while RHP Michael Fulmer tossed a perfect frame with 2 Ks. Sanmartin has a 3.97 ERA and a 4.45 FIP, while Fulmer is rocking a 3.29 ERA and a 3.26 FIP.
High-A Eugene (55-36)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 13-8 Box score
Baseball is definitely a funny sport. Eugene had an offensive explosion, getting 15 hits on the day, with everyone in the lineup getting a hit except, naturally, the best hitting prospect on the team by a mile, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who went 0-5 with a walk. So it goes. Funny sport.
There were a lot of great days, and that was highlighted by a continued hot streak from third baseman Walker Martin, who hit 1-2 with a solo home run, 3 walks, and 1 strikeout.
On the whole, it’s been a very disappointing year for Walker, the team’s 2nd-round pick in 2022, as he has just a .734 OPS, a 93 wRC+, a 33.1% strikeout rate, and 20 errors (his defense looks a little better than that mark would suggest, but not great). But he’s been a bit better lately, and in his last 4 games is hitting 6-12 with 2 homers, a double, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Here’s hoping he can end the year on a very high note.
And on the note of players who are on heaters, great days for both designated hitter Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) and right fielder Jakob Christian (No. 40 CPL). Gutierrez, a lefty, went 2-4 with a double, 2 walks, and a stolen base, bringing him up to an .827 OPS and a 124 wRC+ on the year, with 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts. The soon-to-turn 22-year old’s season has really flown under the radar following his breakout last year, in part because his outstanding contact has come down a little (though his strikeout rate remains under 20%). He’s slowly building the average back up, though (it’s at .268 now) and, excitedly, that’s not coming at the expense of his new-found power or his walks (he’s raised his walk rate year-over-year from 12.6% to 14.6%, while his isolated slugging mark of .180 towers over last year’s Low-A mark of .101). Gutierrez is on quite a hot streak, as he’s hit safely in 11 of the last 12 games, and has gone 17-42 in that span, with 6 doubles, 12 walks, and just 9 strikeouts.
As for Christian, a righty, he went 2-4 with a triple, a walk, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout. The soon-to-turn 24-year old, who was taken in the 5th round of the 2024 draft, is having a bit of a funny season, in line with past ones: he’s drawing a ton of walks (12.5% rate), and showing off absurd power (.239 isolated slugging), which is leading to a very nice line (.865 OPS, 129 wRC+). But he’s also currently repping a 32.9% strikeout rate and … well … yeah. That’s pretty ugly for an A-ball hitter who is older than his peers at the level. Still, a lot of tools are in that shed, and Christian is hitting a blistering .298/.389/.660 so far in July.
A pair of recently-promoted players shined, as second baseman Isaiah Barkett hit 3-6 with a 2-run home run and a strikeout, while left fielder Jose Astudillo went 2-3 with a walk and 2 stolen bases. There weren’t high expectations for either player coming into the year — Barkett was a 10th-round pick in last year’s draft, while Astudillo was a soft-contact outfielder coming off a good, if not emphatic stateside debut. But the 22-year olds have absolutely run with the year, as both have displayed brilliant contact ability, more power than expected, and outstanding speed and defense. They very much earned their promotions, and each has made the most of it so far.
Rounding out the dinger party was first baseman Zander Darby, who hit 2-5 with a 2-run home run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Like Christian, Darby, a 12th-round pick in 2024, has shown off some good power but with far too many strikeouts … the overall numbers aren’t quite as compelling for the lefty, though, as he has a .767 OPS and a 104 wRC+ on the year.
That was a lot of words about the hitters, which works out to everyone’s benefit because no one wants to hear about the pitchers in this game. RHPs Cade Vernon and Cole Hillier were not sharp at all, while RHP Liam Simon’s walk woes continued after a very brief hiatus. The best outing belonged to LHP Esmerlin Vinicio, who struck out 3 batters in 3 innings with 0 walks, but did give up 4 hits and a run. Vinicio, a 23-year old, has a 3.11 ERA and a 3.69 FIP on the season.
Low-A San Jose (54-37)
San Jose Giants lost to the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers) 6-2 Box score
A very uninteristing game. We can breeze through this one quite quickly. The offense only provided 5 hits on the day. The best day belonged to first baseman Robert Hipwell, who was perhaps angry about being sent down to Low-A, and took his aggression out on the baseball, as he went 2-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
There’s no fun way to say this, but things aren’t looking good for the Santa Clara alum, and you have to wonder if his time with the organization is nearing an end. He had some good hype when the Giants drafted him in the 6th round in 2024, and paid him accordingly, and he played well after being drafted, posting a .762 OPS and a 109 wRC+ with San Jose. He began his first full season back in San Jose, and, unfortunately, ended up spending the entire year there. The overall numbers were good (.824 OPS, 126 wRC+), but they came with a concerning strikeout rate (31.2%).
Still, the move for 2026 was obvious: give the lefty a challenge in High-A and see what happens. What happened was, unfortunately, an even more damning strikeout rate (40.9%) that led to an average well below the Mendoza Line (.161), and a very poor overall line (.619 OPS, 79 wRC+). Add in the fact that he’s pretty much exclusively a first baseman these days, after being a third baseman out of college, and it’s hard to see a path forward barring some extreme developmental steps.
Shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) continued his hot streak, going 1-4 with a double. He’s up to a stunning 14 extra-base hits in July, with a .417/.493/.833 slash line. A stunning month! And just like that, his full season debut features an .817 OPS and a 101 wRC+ … not great numbers for last year’s 4th-round pick, but far better than they were early in the year, and they’re accompanied by awesome defense.
RHP Trey Seeley had a nice showing while getting the start, as he struck out 5 batters in 4 innings with 0 walks, while giving up just 2 hits and 1 run. It’s been a tough debut season for last year’s 14th-round pick, as he has just an 8.17 ERA and a 7.90 FIP, but this was not only one of his better outings, but his longest outing too (he hadn’t even pitched 3 innings before this start). Seeley really lives in the strike zone, for better and for worse: he has 12.1 strikeouts and just 3.6 walks per 9 innings … but in 25.1 frames has allowed 29 hits and 9 home runs.
Arizona Complex League (34-25)
Monday: ACL Giants lost to the ACL Rockies 12-7 (6 innings) [box score] Tuesday: ACL Giants beat the ACL Cubs 6-0 (7 innings) [box score]
The ACL season is in its final week, and soon we’ll find out if top prospects Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) and Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) will be headed to Low-A to test their mettle against better pitchers. I think the answer both should be, and will be “yes,” but just in case, that pair put together another audition these last few days.
It was a particularly notable performance for González, as he had been “slumping” (by his standards) lately … so this was a welcome sight, as he hit 2-7 with a home run, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Quite a performance! González, who is widely considered a top-25 prospect now, is sitting on a .975 OPS and a 140 wRC+ in his stateside debut. The 18-year old switch-hitter is doing it all: he’s hitting for average (.344), he’s drawing walks (16.8%), he’s limiting strikeouts (21.0%), he’s showing off power (.177 ISO), and he’s stealing bases (8 in 10 attempts over 29 games). And that’s without mentioning his elite shortstop defense, though he played second base in both of these games.
It was Hernández who handled shortstop, and he hit 3-7 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Hernández’s numbers are, understandably, a touch below González’s, as he has a .921 OPS and a 117 wRC+. But if you’re not impressed by a 17-year old shortstop in their debut season, after skipping the DSL, putting up a .297 average with just a 16.7% strikeout rate, then I don’t know what to tell you!!!
Anyway, as much as I’m loving watching Meola put it all together and show off the web in San Jose, I sure hope this duo is headed up there to steal some reps soon.
A great performance from catcher Yohendry Sanchez, who hit 2-3 with 2 doubles and a walk on Monday, but didn’t play on Tuesday. Sanchez, who was a big signing in 2024 but was mediocre in 2 years in the DSL, is hitting way better in the ACL this year than in the DSL a year ago … it’s a season that’s flown under the radar due to Hernández and González, but Sanchez has an .880 OPS and a 134 wRC+ with just a 9.2% strikeout rate in 20 games on the complex, and the 19-year old plays some damn good defense behind the dish, too. Very exciting stuff!
The pitching on Monday was awful, particularly for RHP Luke Mensik, the team’s 17th-round pick a year ago … he only recorded 2 outs, while allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and 2 hit batters, committing 2 errors, and ceding 7 runs. Shake it off, Luke.
It was much better on Tuesday, with RHPs Kendry Castro and Marlon Franco absolutely dealing. Castro, a 19-year old who recently received the very rare international in-season promotion, pitched 2.2 no-hit innings with 2 walks and 1 strikeout in his 2nd appearance in the ACL following 5 games in the DSL this year. Franco, a 23-year old, pitched 3.1 no-hit innings with just 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. Dominance! Hopefully there’s more of that in the tank, because this is Franco’s 6th professional season and he has just a 7.15 ERA and a 4.92 FIP on the year.
A pair of rehab appearances: on the mound, AA RHP Ben Peterson kicked off a rehab assignment by striking out 1 in a perfect inning; in the box, Low-A first baseman Hayden Jatczak began a rehab stint by hitting 1-2.
Dominican Summer League Black (21-14)
Monday: DSL Giants Black beat DSL Arizona Red 8-7 [box score] Tuesday: DSL Giants Black beat DSL Giants Orange 7-2 (7 innings) [box score]
These games were all about the offense for the DSL Giants Black team. And really, they were all about a trio of hitters, who were the stars in both games: shortstop Keiberg Camacaro, center fielder Djean Macares, and left fielder Franco Willias.
Camacaro had the most explosive pair of games, hitting 3-7 with home runs in each contest, while also drawing a walk, getting hit by a pitch, stealing 2 bases, and striking out once. What a performance! The 19-year old is already in his 4th DSL season, but things are finally clicking: his .321 average is nearly .100 points better than his career high, while his .229 isolated slugging is nearly triple what it was last year. He’s cut his strikeout rate year-over-year by nearly 10 percentage points, and he’s stolen 19 bases … after just 22 total in his 3 prior seasons. The result is a 1.011 OPS, a 148 wRC+, and perhaps a plane ticket to Arizona when February rolls around.
Macares went 3-5 with 2 doubles, 3 walks, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and an outfield assist. A little bit of everything! The 18-year old has made huge strides in his 2nd year, with large statistical improvements in quite literally every category. He was a decent-sized signing last year, so when you add that to his up-the-middle position and, most importantly, his performance (.800 OPS, 117 wRC+, 17 stolen bases), it seems all but guaranteed that he’ll make a stateside debut in 2027.
As for Willias, he didn’t supply the extra-base thunder that Camacaro and Macares did, but he went 3-7 with a walk, a hit by pitch, and 4 stolen bases. The 21-year old was solid in his 1st 2 DSL campaigns, but this year has really taken off, with a .996 OPS, a 144 wRC+, and 21 stolen bases.
One pitcher to highlight: RHP Brayan Cabello, who continued his brilliant run suppression, giving up just 1 hit, 0 walks, and 0 runs in 2.2 innings, with 3 strikeouts. Cabello has only allowed 12 hits in 26.1 innings, which has given him a 1.37 ERA (albeit with a 4.03 FIP, as he’s not striking out too many batters). That said, he’s a 22-year old in his 5th DSL season.
Dominican Summer League Orange (21-15)
Monday: DSL Giants Orange beat DSL Arizona Black 9-4 (7 innings) [box score] Tuesday: DSL Giants Orange lost to DSL Giants Black 7-2 (7 innings) [box score]
It was mostly the pitching that stood out for the Giants Orange team, especially on Monday when there were a pair of good performances from RHPs Jose Trevizo and Jhon Leon. Trevizo struck out 5 batters in 4 innings, while giving up 2 hits, 1 walk, and 3 unearned runs. The 18-year old, who is in his 2nd season, has a delightful 30 strikeouts against 8 walks this season, en route to a 3.58 ERA and a 3.61 FIP. Leon, a 22-year old pitching in his 3rd season, allowed 2 hits and an unearned run in 2 innings, while striking out 3 batters. He has 26 strikeouts in just 17.2 innings, which is great, but has also walked 14 batters. He has a 5.60 ERA and a 4.09 FIP on the year.
Not too much to talk about with the hitters. Shortstop/third baseman Yeison Oviedo hit quite nicely, going 3-6 with a double, 2 walks, and a stolen base, bringing him up to an .861 OPS and a 125 wRC+, with just a 13.1% strikeout rate. Huge strides for the 18-year old, who really struggled in his debut season a year ago.
Designated hitter Jesus Hernandez played sparingly, but hit 1-2 with a triple, a walk, and a strikeout. The Giants have brought along the debuting catcher, who is just 17, very slowly this year.
Home run tracker
13 — Walker Martin — [High-A] 9 — Zander Darby — [High-A] 6 — Isaiah Barkett — [1 in High-A; 5 in Low-A] 5 — Keiberg Camacaro x2 — [DSL] 4 — Adrián Sugastey — [1 in AAA; 2 in AA; 1 in ACL] 3 — Will Brennan — [AAA] 2 — Josuar González — [ACL]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 12:05 p.m. PT vs. Oklahoma City (SP: TBD) Richmond: 2:35 p.m. PT doubleheader vs. Hartford (SPs: Greg Farone and Trystan Vrieling) Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Everett (SP: Luis De La Torre) San Jose: 1:00 p.m. PT vs. Ontario (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors shoots a free throw during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2025-26 Emirates Cup on November 14, 2025 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
One thing is clear: no player has left a greater imprint on modern basketball than Stephen Curry.
The Golden State Warriors superstar revolutionized the NBA with his unprecedented three-point shooting, becoming the league’s all-time leader in three-pointers made while leading the Warriors to four NBA championships and earning two MVP awards.
While Curry continues to add to his resume through 17 NBA seasons, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is already honoring his impact with a historic first. On Tuesday, the Hall announced “Stephen Curry: Beyond the Arc,” a new exhibit that marks the first time in its 75-year history that an active NBA player has received a dedicated immersive experience.
He inspired a generation to dream bigger and shoot farther. Now, for the first time in its nearly 75-year history, the Hall of Fame will feature a dedicated experience honoring an active NBA player.
According to the Hall of Fame, the exhibit follows Curry’s journey from an undersized prospect to one of the greatest players in NBA history, celebrating not only his accomplishments on the court but also the impact he’s had on the game and beyond. For Curry, the recognition is a humbling honor, and he’s grateful to the Hall of Fame for telling his story while he’s still playing.
“Being part of the Basketball Hall of Fame in this way is hard to put into words,” said Stephen Curry. “When I think about my journey, I think about the people who believed in me, the work that happened when nobody was watching and the moments that shaped me on and off the court. To have that story told while I’m still playing is something I don’t take lightly. My hope is that fans walk through this experience and feel the joy, the purpose and the gratitude that basketball has given me, and maybe see a little bit of their own journey in it too.”
It’s a fitting tribute for a player who forever changed the way basketball is played. And with Curry still going strong at 38 years old, there’s every reason to believe his story is far from over.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Wednesday, July 22nd:
“We are thrilled to partner with Stephen and the Thirty Ink team to bring this unprecedented exhibit to life,” said John Doleva, President & CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Stephen has not only redefined how the game of basketball is played, but he has also set a blueprint for what it means to be an exemplary role model. We appreciate his personal involvement in helping bring his story forward to ‘The Vault’ while he is still actively building his legacy. This is truly a historic moment for us and for basketball fans worldwide.”
“I keep hearing that my hips are stiff, so I got to figure out how to loosen up my hips,” Lendeborg said after the Warriors’ championship win. “A lot of what I’ve been hearing too is like a point-of-attack defender. … So I want to try to work on those two things, just the little things to fix that up.”
The one question Lendeborg has asked Steph Curry about is how he got his stamina up to becoming the most conditioned player in NBA history. Lendeborg has acknowledged he needs to get his conditioning to a better point after taking time off his feet from playing through two different leg injuries in Michigan’s national title run.
The Miami Heat posted a link to a scheduled live stream titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” followed by the date July 27 to its YouTube channel in what a team spokesperson said was a mistake.
The spokesperson told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday that the club’s social media department was preparing for the possibility of James’ signing and mistakenly posted the link to the team’s YouTube page. The post was later deleted.
Lendeborg beat out a talented field of Summer Leaguers that included No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson, both of whom made the All-Summer League first team. Boozer averaged 18.5 points, eight rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals, while finishing second in points and third in rebounds. He’d likely have been Summer League MVP had the Grizzlies managed to close out the Warriors, but the Dubs’ Yaxel-driven rally — he scored seven straight points to take the lead — relegated the Duke forward to the lesser honor. Boozer was quite good, but the elite defense from Lendeborg and his team’s success seemed to be the tiebreaker.
Follow@unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 17: Gabriel Hughes #43 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field on July 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s been plenty of offense during this homestand at Coors Field, sometimes from one team, sometimes from both teams. Now, the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals face off in the rubber match with a series victory on the line.
Gabriel Hughes (0-1, 3.14 ERA) will make his third start for the Rockies and second of the homestand. Hughes has looked good in his 14.1 innings of work, especially as a starting pitcher. After a quality start on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hughes looked just as good against the Cincinnati Reds last Friday. In that start, he allowed just two runs on five hits with six strikeouts against two walks in 5.1 innings of work. The cut fastball has proven to be a bread-and-butter pitch for Hughes, but the secondary offspeed pitches have proven a bit more difficult to master. Still, Hughes has worked quickly and effectively through his first two starts, and if he can continue to take a step forward in efficiency, he is lining up to be a reliable big league starter.
The Nationals will send out one of their best starters in Cade Cavalli (6-4, 3.78 ERA). Cavalli has been effective throughout the season, particularly since May 10. Since then, he has a 3.60 ERA in 70 innings over 13 games while registering 79 strikeouts against 15 walks. His last start came on the road against the Athletics, in which he allowed two runs on four hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. This will be the first time Cavalli has faced the Rockies, but his ability to get strikeouts and not give up big hits will be a challenge for the Colorado offense.
The club said the 23-year-old is resting comfortably.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay visited Kuroda-Grauer in the hospital and told MLB.com's Martín Gallegos, who covers the A's, that the rookie is in "great spirits."
"He was joking. His personality is amazing," Kotsay said. "I think he might be the only player in history to (rupture) a testicle, stay in the game, get a hit and play another half inning of defense."
Kuroda-Grauer made his A's debut on June 29 against the Los Angeles Dodgers after he was called up from the Las Vegas Aviators, the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate. He registered three hits in his debut and continued to be a consistent hitter with the A's, tallying eight multi-hit games in 16 games.
Watch Joshua Kuroda-Grauer injury
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has undergone surgery for a ruptured testicle after this moment last night. Somehow he still singled right after.
Welcome to the steals report! I will be here every Wednesday to go over important stolen base trends so you can find more speed for your fantasy teams.
Stealing a base is as much about the opposing pitcher and catcher as it is the actual base runner themself. So, being able to spot which teams and pitchers specifically are being run on most frequently will help you to figure out who can swipe some bags over the next week.
Before we get to this week’s important trends, here is the stolen base leaderboard on the season so far.
Boston’s stunning turnaround puts them right in the middle of a wide-open playoff race in the American League.
D.J. Short
,
Full Season Stolen Base Leaders
Player
SB
CS
Nasim Nuñez
37
4
Bobby Witt Jr.
30
5
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
26
5
Fernando Tatis Jr.
25
10
Pete Crow-Armstrong
25
6
José Ramírez
24
2
Chandler Simpson
24
11
José Caballero
23
8
Oneil Cruz
21
4
Josh Naylor
20
2
Konnor Griffin
20
1
Esteury Ruiz
20
3
Jackson Merrill
20
2
Nasim Nuñez is running away with the stolen base crown. He remains in the Nationals’ lineup on a near everyday basis and has a shot to reach 50 steals this season. Kudos to anyone who drafted him late in their deep leagues.
We’re all very excited that José Ramírez is due back soon and could even skip a rehab assignment altogether.
Keep an eye on Esteury Ruiz. He’s managed 20 steals with just 125 plate appearances this season and has been playing a bit more since Owen Caissie went on the injured list. He’s worth a roster spot in deeper rotisserie leagues if you’re looking to climb in steals and are willing to sacrifice other categories a bit.
Last 14 Days Stolen Base Leaders
Player
SB
CS
Josh Naylor
5
1
Derek Hill
4
0
Dansby Swanson
4
0
Fernando Tatis Jr.
4
1
Nasim Nuñez
4
0
Jackson Chourio
4
0
Carson Benge
4
0
Jake McCarthy
3
0
Jordan Walker
3
0
Kahlil Watson
3
0
Chandler Simpson
3
0
Three More Tied
3
-
Josh Naylor is finding value with stolen bases despite having a rough season at the plate.
In 14 games since moving out of the lead-off spot, Carson Benge has five of his 16 stolen bases and hasn’t been caught. He’s still hitting well and getting on base a ton while making a home for himself in the five-hole for the Mets.
Stolen Base Disappointments
Player
SB
CS
Jakob Marsee
19
10
Brice Turang
15
3
Zach Neto
13
9
A.J. Ewing
11
6
Austin Martin
10
6
Daylen Lile
9
5
Andy Pages
8
6
Gunnar Henderson
8
4
Garrett Mitchell
7
5
Anthony Volpe
7
4
Juan Soto
7
3
Maikel Garcia
5
3
Francisco Lindor
2
2
Jose Altuve
2
2
Willy Adames
2
2
Ozzie Albies
1
3
Mookie Betts
1
2
Brice Turang’s disappearing stolen bases seem to be an unfortunate consequence of his breakout as a hitter.
Whether it be the calf issue that knocked him out for most of April, losing his first base coach, or the Mets generally poor play, Juan Soto will not get close to his 38 stolen bases from last season. Honestly, he probably never will again. That was fun though.
Fantasy Baseball Stolen Base Targets
In a 10-game stretch from the last time this column came out, the Marlins allowed 21 stolen bases. In 10 games.
No other team gave up more than 11 over the same stretch and this is a sad break from how strong the Marlins have been against the run game over the last few months. They’re also trapped in an eight-game losing streak entering play Wednesday as this issue has arisen.
Last season, the Marlins were one of the worst teams of all-time in this area and Agustín Ramírez’s deficiencies behind the plate were a big reason why. They pulled the plug on him in early May, installed defensive-stud Joe Mack at catcher, and had allowed some of the fewest steals league-wide since then (before this last stretch).
At first, I assumed most of these bases were stolen on Mack’s off days. Liam Hicks still mixes in at catcher and was almost as bad as Ramírez back there last season. Brian Navarreto does as well, but he's a plus defender.
Regardless, 12 of these steals came in the seven games which Mack started and he only caught one runner. All season before then, he allowed 25 stolen bases and caught and caught 17 runners.
Part of this uptick are who the Marlins played against: the Brewers and Guardians. They are tied for the fourth-most stolen bases among all teams and are very aggressive.
It was also pitching related. Four stolen bases came against Mack and Eury Pérez on the Saturday before the break. Pérez is the worst pitcher in the run game according to Statcast and has struggled with such his entire career. Yet, he was paired with Hicks in his next start and only let up one steal, but that was mostly because he didn’t let many on base in general.
Last Saturday, the Brewers stole seven bases with Mack behind the plate, five of which came in the six innings their bullpen pitched. Relievers are often worse at holding runners on that starters, but it’s difficult to project those opportunities for our purposes.
Nevertheless, the Marlins are once again a team we should peak at again to stream stolen bases. At least on days when Pérez pitches – like this Saturday against the Padres. They also face the Phillies next week, so check out Derek Hill, Justin Crawford, or Sung-Mun Song for cheap speed.
An Unfortunate Streak
Iván Herrera has become a quality hitter. His .793 OPS since the start of last season is 10th-best among all catcher eligible players with at least 600 plate appearances. He also hasn’t thrown out a base stealer since 2024.
With that steal of second base by Brice Turang, Iván Herrera has now allowed 50 consecutive stolen base attempts. Last caught Juan Soto, the Yankee, on September 1, 2024.
That’s almost impossible to rationalize and a big reason why Herrera only catches one or two days per week for the Cardinals. That was enough to pick up catcher eligibility though for both this season and next, which makes us fantasy managers grateful.
Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: a Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @BobbyBuckets313. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @bobbybuckets313.bksy.social.
Join us live on Thursday afternoon for the show where we wrap up Summer League and discuss what’s next in Detroit’s offseason. Where do Jalen Duren contract talks stand? Is Detroit showing interest in DeMar DeRozan? What does the depth chart look like right now?
Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.
The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.
The MLB trade deadline is now under two weeks away. While everybody is focused on the big names who could be moved, like Tarik Skubal or Mason Miller, it can often be most beneficial to think about the players who remain and still wind up benefiting from the trade. In this article, I'm going to look at players who could see their fantasy value improve actionably at the deadline, whether they are the ones traded away or the ones who find themselves filling a vacated role.
For this article, I'm only going to focus on trades that seem likely. So I know that Shea Langeliers and Hunter Goodman are being floated in trade rumors, but I don't think either one of them is going to be moved, so we're not going to discuss which catchers could step into starting roles in two offensive-friendly environments. I will admit that left us with a list that doesn't include a lot of "league winners," but that's also the nature of the expanded playoff format. There are a lot of teams that still find themselves in contention, so we may not see as many impact hitters be traded away, which means there might be fewer openings in lineups.
With that preamble out of the way, let's get to the names.
Players Who Should Gain the Most Value at the Trade Deadline
Cole Carrigg - OF, Rockies: Carrigg has hit well in his rookie season, slashing .287/.367/.519 in 34 games with four home runs, 27 runs scored, and 23 RBI. He has slightly below-average barrel rates and hard-hit rates, so he's not tearing the cover off of the ball, but he has good bat speed and is making better-than-league-average zone contact, which is a nice profile in Coors Field. Yet, despite being a switch hitter, Carrigg seems to be splitting playing time with Tyler Freeman. A trade of one or both of Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak would open up an everyday role for Carrigg, who wouldn't be a MUST ADD, but would be a nice depth outfield piece in a great home park.
Victor Bericoto - OF, Giants: Bericoto is currently on the injured list with a strained oblique, but by the time the trade deadline rolls around, he will have already missed a month, which means he could be returning shortly thereafter. The rookie has slashed .293/.305/.552 in 59 plate appearances with four home runs, nine RBI, and one steal. He has a 46.5% hard-hit rate and also posted a 50.4% hard-hit rate in Triple-A while posting elite bat speed numbers, so the power production could be very real. He does have some swing and miss in his game because he is an aggressive hitter, but he also has league-average zone contact rates in the minors and a 91.5% rate in his limited MLB sample, so he might make enough contact to make the power work. The Giants are currently shopping Jung Hoo Lee, which could open up a regular outfield spot for Bericoto when he's back from injury.
Lane Thomas - OF, Royals: Thomas has emerged as an everyday player for the Royals and, over the last 40 games, is hitting .257/.333/.493 with seven home runs, 19 runs scored, and 20 RBI. That comes with a 9.7% barrel rate and 50.5% hard-hit rate, the latter of which would be a career high. Thomas' exit velocities are the highest they've been since 2021, and he's making more consistent contact than he ever has. We've seen Thomas be a solid source of power and steals before, and he's doing this now in a pitcher-friendly park. If Thomas were to get traded to a contender or simply a team in a better offensive environment, he could be an impactful bat in deeper fantasy leagues down the stretch.
Matthew Lugo - OF, Royals: The flip side to that is that trading away Thomas could open up playing time for Matthew Lugo, who was acquired from the Angels this season. The 25-year-old is slashing .268/.363/.471 in 81 Triple-A games this season with 11 home runs, 56 RBI, and 14 steals. He would be more of a deeper league add, but he has a 9% barrel rate in Triple-A for the Royals and flashed 73.4 mph bat speed last year in a brief MLB run with the Angels.
Yohendrick Pinango - OF, Blue Jays: Pinango has been up a few times and has been serviceable, hitting .267/.313/.413 in 160 plate appearances with five home runs and 20 RBI. His 7.1% barrel rate and 45.1% hard-hit rate, plus his 75.7 mph bat speed, suggest that there could be more in the tank here. With the Blue Jays looking like sellers at the deadline, Pinango could get regular playing time through the end of the season.
Alan Roden - OF, Twins: Roden is another player we've seen in a small sample size, but he hit .285/.424/.540 in 38 games at Triple-A this year with nine home runs and three steals. In a part-time role since June 1st, Roden has a 50% hard-hit rate and an 11.1% barrel rate that has put his xBA of .267 way above his actual .190 batting average. Roden was an intriguing prospect for the Blue Jays last year, and it might be worth seeing what he can do in a full-time role.
Matt Shaw - INF, Cubs: Much like with Bericoto, Shaw is currently on the injured list with a sprained hand, but could return shortly after the trade deadline. The Cubs remain in the thick of the playoff hunt and could be looking for non-starters to trade away to acquire pieces to help them win this year. Shaw was already the focus of some rumors in the offseason, and now Pedro Ramirez has emerged as a utility infielder, which might make Shaw more disposable. The 24-year-old has slashed just .231/.302/.400 in his 584 MLB plate appearances, but he was a former top prospect who some team could want to give regular playing time to.
Ronny Mauricio - INF, Mets: It seems like the Mets could trade everybody at the deadline, well, almost everybody, which means many infield jobs could be open. If either of Bo Bichette or Marcus Semien are dealt, there might be an infield spot open. Mauricio is hitting .286/.336/.520 in 25 games at Triple-A with seven home runs, 21 RBI, and seven steals. Injuries have impacted his season, but he probably deserves a longer look to see if he can be part of the Mets' future. If the Mets trade away outfielders, they will just use Juan Soto, Carson Benge, and AJ Ewing out there every day, so nobody will really gain playing time and fantasy value from that.
Andres Chaparro or Abimelec Ortiz - 1B, Nationals: The Nationals are apparently engaging in trade talks for Luis Garcia Jr. despite being in playoff contention, and that makes some sense. Garcia Jr. has one year of team control left through arbitration and may make around $7-8 million next year. He's having a breakout offensive season but doesn't really have a defensive home. The Nationals could capitalize on his hot stretch and trade him now for pieces that could still help their contention window with James Wood and CJ Abrams (this team could really use some pitching). If they do, either Chaparro or Ortiz (currently at Triple-A) could slide in as the regular first baseman for the Nationals. Chaparro has a 58% hard-hit rate and 19.4% barrel rate in a small sample size playing mainly against lefties, but it might be interesting to see what he could do in a larger role.
Hao-Yu Lee - INF, Tigers: It's unclear if the Tigers want to be sellers or not. They probably should since it's highly unlikely they can bring Tarik Skubal back on a free agent deal. If the Tigers did start to sell, they could look to move Gleyber Torres, who will also be a free agent at the end of the season. In his playing time this season, Lee has hit .256/.287/.384 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 172 plate appearances. He's another guy that would be a deeper league play, but he went 12/16 in 2024 in the minors and 14/22 last season, so there is some modest power and speed upside here. He doesn't swing and miss often and had a 51.2% hard-hit rate at Triple-A this season.
Reid Detmers - SP, Angels: Detmers is having a decent season, so his value increase here would simply be in leaving the Angels. I have never been a big fan of the Angels' pitching development, and I think Detmers is a talented pitcher who could take another step if he got to a team that could improve his breaking ball consistency or comes up with a better strategy to hide his fairly average four-seam fastball.
Casey Mize - SP, Tigers: Mize is one of the few pending free agents for the Tigers, so he could be on the move. I'm not sure he'd actually have more value than he currently has because he's pitching well, but he might get some more wins or land in an organization that can help him add even more value or consistency to his slider.
Jeffrey Springs - SP, Athletics: The A's are certainly not contending, and Springs has a $15 million club option for 2027 that they may not be inclined to pick up. The left-hander has not been good this season, but he was an impactful starter over four injury-plagued seasons with the Rays from 2021-24. Some team could take a chance on him as a back-of-the-rotation starter, and Springs has provided fantasy value outside of Sacramento before.
Michael Petersen - RP, Marlins: To be frank, the Marlins may simply cut Pete Fairbanks because he has been so bad, but there is a chance they see if a contender wants to add him to their late-inning mix. That would free up the closer job for a decent team. This season, Petersen leads the Marlins in Win Probability Added and has pitched in the second-highest leverage innings of any reliever. I believe he would get the first crack at the closer's role.
Luke Weaver - RP, Mets: Weaver is one of the few relievers who could get traded INTO a closer's role. The 32-year-old has been great for the Mets with a 2.03 ERA and 28% strikeout rate in 40 innings. He is signed for $11 million next year, which is not a total burden for a team to take on. Weaver could very likely be traded into a setup role on another team, but he also seems like a low-cost addition for a team on the periphery of playoff contention like the White Sox or Pirates to gamble on in the hopes of stabilizing their bullpen (provided the White Sox prefer to keep Grant Taylor in that "fireman" role).
Other Starting Pitchers Who May Earn Rotation Spots
Sawyer Gipson-Long - Tigers: If the Tigers trade Skubal and/or Mize, it would open up a spot in the rotation. I think Jackson Jobe will claim one of those eventually, but likely not until late August. Gipson-Long has battled injuries this season and hasn't been great, but he flashed some intriguing ability in 2023 before injuries, so perhaps we could get back to that level.
Carson Whisenhunt - Giants: I'm not a major believer in Whisenhunt, but he would likely get a shot in the rotation after the deadline (and might now anyway with the Trevor McDonald injury). The left-hander is pitching to a 4.15 ERA in 82.1 innings at Triple-A, but that's an improvement for him, and he has shown some minor league strikeout upside before. He would be more of a deeper league streamer, but he may get a shot.
Kade Anderson - Mariners: We all want Kade Anderson to get a look in the Mariners' rotation, but it will be hard. Even if Seattle trades Luis Castillo, as rumored, Anderson would just be their sixth starter. Still, there are some innings concerns with Emerson Hancock, and health concerns with Bryce Miller, so it's not out of the question that Anderson would get a shot. He'd be the biggest starting pitcher add currently on waivers.
George Klassen - Angels: I just said above that I don't trust the Angels' pitching development, and that stands. However, I did like Klassen as a pitcher when he was back in the Phillies' system. There remains a chance that he could become an impactful starter if he can harness his command. If the Angels trade one or both of Detmers or Jose Soriano, then Klassen may get a long look in the rotation to end the season.
Prospects Who Should Get Called Up
Joshua Baez - OF, Cardinals: We've long been waiting for Baez to be called up. He's hit 29 home runs and stolen 15 bases in 86 games at Triple-A, and while his .244/.318/.561 slash line doesn't look great, he has been much better over the summer. The Cardinals are contending, so it's unclear if they will trade away a veteran like Lars Nootbaar, but they should make space for Baez regardless.
Walker Jenkins - OF, Twins: The oft-injured Jenkins is one of the top prospects in baseball and is hitting .277/.385/.453 in 43 games at Triple-A with four home runs and nine steals. He has elite plate discipline and posted a 15.4% barrel rate at Triple-A last year in a 23-game sample. If the Twins were to ship away a few pieces at the deadline, he could find himself getting his first taste of MLB playing time.
Charlie Condon - 1B/OF, Rockies: We mentioned above with Carrigg that the Rockies could be active at the deadline. They do seem to like TJ Rumfield at first base, and understandably so, so the DH or corner outfield spot would need to be cleared for Condon, who is their top prospect. The 6'5" Condon is hitting .289/.408/.568 in 83 games at Triple-A this season with 20 home runs and six steals. He would be just behind Baez in terms of most impactful minor league hitter called up to finish the season.
Parks Harber - 3B and Bo Davidson - OF, Giants: See above about Victor Bericoto benefiting from the Giants' trade deadline. If Bericoto is not healthy enough to return, it could be Davidson getting a shot, even though he was just recently promoted to Triple-A. Similarly, the Giants could be trading away Matt Chapman at the deadline, which would open up the third base job, and Harber, who was also recently promoted to Triple-A, could get a crack at it.
Hector Rodriguez - OF, Reds: The Reds are not contending and could move several pieces at the deadline. If they were to trade away JJ Bleday and/or Spencer Steer, that might open up some outfield at-bats for Rodriguez, who is hitting .277/.355/.537 in 94 games at Triple-A with 24 home runs, 61 RBI, and six steals. He has a 10% barrel rate and a league-average zone contact rate, which could make him an intriguing hitter in Great American Ballpark.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JULY 17: Logan Henderson #43 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Friday, July 17, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Yesterday’s shutout loss to the Mets marked the Brewers’ first defeat since before the All-Star break. While they weren’t able to extend their winning streak to five games, they still have a chance to win the series with a victory in today’s rubber match.
On the mound for Milwaukee is right-hander Logan Henderson. Henderson has made just seven starts this season after missing more than a month with a back issue, but he’s been excellent when healthy. The right-hander has made two starts since returning from the injured list, holding opposing teams to three hits over at least five innings in each outing, though he’s also allowed four total runs. For the season, Henderson owns a 2.97 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP.
Pitching for New York is 27-year-old Christian Scott. Scott debuted in 2024 and posted a 4.56 ERA in nine starts before blowing out his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned this year and has been one of the few bright spots for a struggling Mets club, putting up a 2.87 ERA, 10.86 K/9, and 1.22 WHIP through 13 starts.
There aren’t many surprises in today’s lineup against the right-handed Scott. Veteran star Christian Yelich, whose .330 OBP is currently the lowest mark of his career, leads off once again. He’s followed by Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Garrett Mitchell, who has hit better at home and against right-handed pitching this season, bats fifth. Andrew Vaughn starts at first base and hits sixth, while Jake Bauers is in right field batting seventh. Rounding out the lineup are shortstop Cooper Pratt and third baseman Joey Ortiz.
Today’s rubber match will be broadcast on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
The Cubs have played 101 games and have scored 519 runs.
Just what does this have to do with MLB’s Trade Deadline, which comes up in just 12 days?
Let’s look at some numbers from this season and then I’ll explain further.
That run total of 519 ranks fourth in MLB, behind the Dodgers (526) and perhaps a bit surprisingly, the Pirates (538) and Nationals (559).
You did not have “The Nationals will lead MLB in runs in late July” on your 2026 MLB Bingo card, I’m pretty sure.
The 519 runs are probably a larger total than you might have expected from this Cubs team at this juncture of the season, too. The Cubs scored 793 runs in 2025, 4.895 per game. That’s up this year; the current Cubs average per game is at 5.14.
If they were to keep up that pace, they’d score 832 runs, and if they do that, it would be the fifth 800+ run season for the Cubs since 2016 — after doing it just once between 1971 and 2015 (855 in 2008, which is the most for any Cubs team since 1930).
The 519 runs is also nine more than the division rival Brewers have scored, which is a very good thing. The main reason, then, that the Cubs find themselves six games out of first place entering today’s action is pitching.
The Brewers pitching staff has allowed 378 runs, third-fewest in MLB, close behind the Dodgers and Red Sox (both at 373). The Cubs staff ranks 14th in that category with 450 runs allowed. That makes Milwaukee’s expected W/L record based on runs scored and allowed 64-37, one game better than their actual record. The Cubs’ expected W/L record based on runs scored and allowed is exactly what their actual record is at 57-44. The Cubs are also second-worst in most homers allowed (155; the A’s lead with 158). The Brewers rank tied for third-fewest homers allowed: 100.
So it’s clear — the Cubs do have a chance to overtake the Brewers for the division title if they can get the pitching staff improved. That will require one or more of the following to happen in the 61 games remaining:
Bettr performance by the guys already on the team
Returns to action from injured pitchers and quality performance from them
“I think you have to go into the deadline thinking about it analytically,” Hoyer said last Friday. “Thinking about OK, getting a bye is effectively winning a series and weakening your opponent in the next series. That’s a really big deal. So if the odds say that you can do that, then that’s a different equation than if not. I think you have to be aware of those things.”
Which tells us… not much, really. And so, as always, we await developments.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 05: Atlanta Braves pitcher Martín Pérez (33) delivers a pitch during the MLB game between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves on July 05, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The universe is cold and unfeeling, but also apparently has a bit of a twisted sense of humor. How’s that for a paradox? This is my way of saying that once again, I have game coverage for a Martin Perez start… something I’ve enjoyed less than most things the Braves have devised to put on our screens over the last eight years or so.
If you haven’t heard me talk about Perez Pachinko yet but are somehow reading this sentence, I apologize, but here it goes again: Perez starts tend to have a soporific effect on me because they just feel like ubiquitous winds on which game results blow hither and yon — regardless of anything that really happens. Why is this the case?
Perez doesn’t have good stuff. His pitches all rate from woefully bad to below average in stuff models, both this year and throughout his career. The only exception, and only by one model, is a slider that he no longer throws. This largely comports with my own estimation, where only his sinker is even notable, and it’s notable in the “yeah it sinks and runs a bit more than an average” sinker sense and nothing else.
Perez doesn’t have good command. The stuff models evaluate location, and yeah, his location is somewhat above-average, but in terms of repeating mechanics and getting the ball where he wants it… well, actually! I’m not sure he generally wants it in any specific place. That’s kind of the issue. His changeup at least appears to have a purpose (low, armside edge), but the cutter? It’s just fire and forget and hope you don’t get punished.
Perez has no discernible times through the order split (probably because of the two bullets above), so there’s no usage stuff to watch for.
Basically, a Perez start is one where you hope that your offense rolls a die with a higher value than the die that the opposing offense rolls against Perez. Fun! But also not fun.
Anyway, the Braves were without Perez for a while, as he hit the shelf after being beaned by a comebacker on the forearm on July 5. The situation looked worse than it ended up being, as it looks like he avoided anything beyond a few weeks of layoff, and will now be coming back to a rotation spot.
On the season, Perez has 0.6 fWAR and a 83/106/100 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-) in 81 1/3 innings. That aggregate line in some ways obscures a bunch of microclimates — but in the spirit of Perez Pachinko, I’m not sure any of those microclimates really matter. He was terrible in his first three starts of the year (7/6 K/BB ratio in 16 innings), but then really picked it up over his next six outings (28/7 K/BB ratio in around 20 innings), which included a few shorter relief stints. Then he struggled for a couple of starts, was good for a couple of starts, and had a really tough time in his last three outings (6/9 K/BB ratio in 13 1/3). One of those poor recent starts came against the Padres, with a 4/4 K/BB ratio in four frames.
Maybe the layoff will be useful and he’ll be refreshed, but I wouldn’t bank on anything like that. It’s just gonna be Perez Pachinko, godspeed, Braves offense.
Speaking of that offense — after a weird and ineffectual game yesterday against a still-struggling Walker Buehler, they’ll now take aim at Michael King for the second time a month. King has had trade rumors swirl around his name and being as a fairly productive starter on a team whose season isn’t playing out particularly well. He has player options for the following seasons, which makes him not-quite-a-bargain, but he’s been decent (1.7 fWAR in 113 1/3, 82/97/106) and the potential for monetary downside could make him relatively cheap, prospect-wise, to acquire.
King dominated the Braves back in San Diego, with a 5/0 K/BB ratio in seven innings, one of his best starts of the year. He hasn’t pitched all that well since — 83/91/126, but he’s kept the homers at bay and the runs haven’t accumulated either. In some ways, the fact that he’s struggled for a few weeks seems especially irrelevant, if you recall that King had an absolutely horrendous 158/153/132 line in the five starts before facing the Braves… then dominated them, and then has gone back to being okay-ish. So, yeah. The Braves will need to hit better, and hope Perez Pachinko works out in their favor. It’s a tall order against a team they haven’t taken a series from in Atlanta since 2018, but what are you gonna do?
D.J. Short
