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Lehmann and Prest in the middle; Topley, leaping up and down at the top of his mark, to finish his over. And the sun is out.
Just realised I’ve been watching the covers on day two on the stream. No wonder it all looked so familiar. Play is actually about to start at The Oval!
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Former Oklahoma and Chicago Bulls star Stacey King died Sunday, apparently after what is being termed a “serious fall” at his home. Just 59, he seems far too young to die of a fall, but you never know what is going on in a person’s life, let alone his health problems.
We mention King because on Monday, we saw this very funny clip featuring the former Bull (he won three rings in the 1990s).
We decided to post it because it’s a funny story featuring former Duke star Danny Ferry.
According to King, Ferry came into a game between the Cleveland and Chicago, and his sole purpose, supposedly, was to take a shot at Bulls star Michael Jordan. Jordan got ready to fight, but the Cavaliers took Ferry out after that, and the Bulls had to wait for their revenge.
They got it the next time they played. We’ll leave the rest of it for King to tell, but it was pretty entertaining. We can see why Bulls fans loved the man. It’s a pretty entertaining story.
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As is our Tuesday tradition here at Camden Chat, it’s time for our recap of the last six days of minor league baseball, with a particular focus on Camden Chat’s top 20 Orioles prospects.
Creed Willems has been a bit of an overlooked prospect as he’s moved up the minor league ladder, but he’s trying to make sure we don’t forget him. We certainly won’t forget his hair. He’s been crushing the ball in his first season at Triple-A, batting .283/.370/.511, and this week he added his 12th and 13th home runs to his tally. His AVG, OBP, and SLG are all the highest of his professional career. The O’s aren’t in urgent need of a first baseman or catcher, Creed’s two primary positions, so they can afford to let him cook at Triple-A for a while longer. But his breakout year means the Orioles may well add him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft (which they declined to do last year, but he went unselected).
Beyond Willems, the Norfolk lineup is a mishmash of former prospects and veteran journeymen. Former Reds prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand continues to hit, bashing three homers this week. He has a .949 OPS for the Tides this year and could be the next man up if the O’s have an infield injury. Heston Kjerstad was 7-for-27 with seven strikeouts and no walks. With a .669 OPS, he’s not exactly beating down the door for a big league promotion, even if Tyler O’Neill is beating down the door to be released.
On the mound, Trey Gibson (#5 prospect) was the only Tides pitcher to record a quality start — 6.1 innings, two runs, prior to returning to the majors yesterday — while Nestor German (#11) and Trace Bright delivered identical 5.2-inning, three-run outings. The weirdest pitching line was that of Yaqui Rivera, who allowed seven hits and four walks in five innings, but somehow no earned runs (though he did give up four unearned ones). Lefty reliever Andrew Magno continued to shine with two scoreless outings, lowering his ERA to 0.72 in 22 games. Could the 28-year-old, who spent seven years in the Tigers’ organization without a call-up, finally make his MLB debut this season?
Just like with the Tides, the best hitter on the Baysox is a catcher. In this case it’s Ethan Anderson, the Orioles’ second-round pick in 2024, who’s rocking an .866 OPS and 11 home runs in 47 games after hitting three more dingers this week. Anderson had all but fallen off the Birds’ prospect lists after a forgettable 2025 in which he OPS’d .677 and hit just four homers in 90 games, but he’s taken a big step forward this year.
Infielders Aron Estrada (#13 prospect) and Frederick Bencosme each had a seven-hit, two-homer week. Estrada has turned his season around in a big way after posting a paltry .176 AVG and .490 OPS through his first 18 games; he’s now up to .277 and .791, not far off from his career averages. And he’s doing it while being nearly three years young for the Double-A level. Not too shabby.
But enough about that; how did Joseph Dzierwa (#14) do? I’m pleased to report that the Orioles’ fastest-rising pitching prospect delivered another quality start, holding Akron to one run in 6.2 strong innings. I may be tempting fate by saying this, but Dzierwa has really never had a bad outing in his professional career. He hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in any of his 11 starts. Across High-A and Double-A, he’s sporting a 2.51 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 11.46 K/9. The lefty strikes out a ton of batters, doesn’t walk many, and doesn’t give up homers. Just stay healthy, buddy, and the sky’s the limit.
The offense was alive for Frederick this week, as it’s been for most of the year. The Keys tallied double-digit runs in half of their games this series, including blowout wins of 16-3 and 10-3 and a barnburner of a 14-13 defeat. It was enough for the Keys to reclaim first place in the division after briefly falling into second a week ago.
Slugging first baseman Victor Figueroa crushed four homers and leads all O’s minor leaguers with 15 roundtrippers this year. The 22-year-old was part of the five-player package the Orioles received from San Diego in the Ryan O’Hearn/Ramón Laureano trade last year, and while he’s more of a lottery ticket than a real prospect, that power is undeniable. Time to move him up to Double-A and see what happens.
Enrique Bradfield Jr. (#7 prospect) has heated up as he rehabs a left hand injury. He was a spark plug atop the lineup, reaching base 12 times, scoring 10 runs, and stealing five bases. He should be ready to return to Norfolk shortly. Another rehabbing outfielder, Douglas Hodo III, hit three homers as he prepares to head back to Double-A. And hey, it was even a good week for the much-maligned Vance Honeycutt. The struggling former first rounder hit two dingers and struck out only three times in 18 at-bats.
Surprisingly missing from the offensive surge were Ike Irish (#4) and Wehiwa Aloy (#6), each of whom had just four hits in the series. Aloy is in a 4-for-32 rut if you include his three games before that. Even still, both guys had seven RBIs, tied for the most on the team this week besides Figueroa’s 10.
As for the pitchers, righty Yeiber Cartaya continued to cruise through 2026 with a five-inning, one-earned-run effort that featured seven strikeouts and no walks. The 23-year-old Venezuelan has a 1.42 ERA in 44.1 innings. Elsewhere, Twine Palmer worked five scoreless innings of bulk relief. But 6-foot-8 lefty Boston Bateman, who’d been on a nice roll in May, opened June with a tough outing, giving up three runs and walking four in three innings.
Break up the Shorebirds! They’re riding a five-game winning streak and just bagged their first series win since the end of April. It didn’t get them out of last place, but, you know. Baby steps.
Pitching led the way for the Shorebirds, who held Augusta to three or fewer runs in all but one game. It was a true team effort, with 17 different Delmarva pitchers taking the mound this week, 12 of whom gave up no earned runs. The Shorebirds got a boost from newcomer Stephen Still, a 24-year-old lefty signed by the Orioles after two years in independent ball. I’d like to learn more about him, but my Google search keeps defaulting to Stephen Stills from Crosby, Stills and Nash. Anyway, this Stephen Still debuted with 5.1 scoreless innings and nine strikeouts. Nice!
Another pitcher I’m not familiar with, Andrew Herbert, dazzled with nine scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts. It would’ve been especially awesome if it all happened in one game, but it was two long relief appearances. It’s still impressive! The 25-year-old righty is another recent addition from the independent league, signed the same day as Still on May 21.
No Shorebirds batter had more than five hits this week, but four of Edwin Amparo’s went for extra bases, including two homers. And 2025 fifth-round pick Jaiden Lo Re also homered in his first week at Delmarva. He’s a natural fit at this level, because “Lo Re” rhymes with “Low-A.” When he gets moved up to the next rung, he’ll have to change his name to Jaiden Hi Re. It’s the rules.
**
Creed Willems was the runaway winner in last week’s player of the week poll, earning 67% of the vote. He joins previous winners Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Caden Hunter, Ike Irish, and Wehiwa Aloy. There have been no repeat winners, and there still won’t, because there are two new candidates on the ballot this week. Who gets your vote?
Good morning, baseball fans!
We are one week into Phase 1 of the 2026 All Star Game voting. There have not been any voting updates, but I felt it was worth a reminder to get those votes in while you can!
Last week, I recommended that we prioritize voting for just two San Francisco Giants players: Luis Arraez and Casey Schmitt.
And while that’s still the case, I’m going to also request we throw some votes Jung Hoo Lee’s way, after the tear he’s been on lately.
But that’s up to you! Regardless of who you vote for, you should make sure to get your votes in here.
The Giants continue this three-game series against the Washington Nationals tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT
Today’s Reflections
When I said I wish there was a way for the Cubs to get healthy enough to force Jameson Taillon from the rotation, this wasn’t what I meant nor the order I wished it came in.
But let’s talk about the performance put in by Javier Assad!!! I know an unexpected, lengthy, nearly-perfect relief appearance happens a 2-3 times each year, but that was one stellar performance, that ended up getting wasted by the offense! AGAIN! But let’s look at the positive side of this. Omitting his two disastrous outings in April, in 25.2 IP, Assad has allowed 7 hits, 4 walks and 2 earned runs for a 0.71 ERA and a 0.44 WHIP with 19 K. Hopefully, when he gets the ball put in his hand every fifth day (I’m assuming), he will continue with this mindset and performance level. It would have been great to see if Taillon could have continued the solid work he put in against the A’s last week. Maybe he will be the replacement and Assad can keep this run going on the way to a healthy rotation. And here’s a little tidbit I came across:
This weekend was “Pile on Alex Bregman” time. There were several repetitive articles (almost as many as during PCA’s chatting-to-the-fans weekend), so I plucked one for your reading (dis)pleasure.
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Trade Talk Today:
Assorted Bits:
Recap on the Loss Sunday:
Recap on the Win Saturday:
Food For Thought:
The Buddaheads (also known as BB Chung King & The Screaming Buddaheads) were a Los Angeles-based blues-rock band founded in 1989 by Japanese-American guitarist and producer Alan Mirikitani, who performed under the stage name B.B. Chung King. The band earned widespread acclaim for their high-energy electric blues, extensive touring, and control over their own independent music releases before disbanding in July 2015 following the sudden death of Mirikitani from a heart attack.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
NEW YORK — Before anyone even asked him a question, Mike Brown constructed the narrative.
His Knicks had just lost Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals here at Madison Square Garden by four points. And with that, New York ceded some leverage back to the San Antonio Spurs in the series.
Brown opened his press conference with a statement, like he always does following games. This time, however, and in a rather uncharacteristic fashion, he bemoaned the game’s officiating.
The Spurs shot 10 more free throws than San Antonio in Monday night’s 115-111 New York loss, but Brown took exception with consistency in the second half.
"First of all, I want to make sure I get something clear: coach Mitch Johnson and the Spurs, they won the game tonight," Brown started. "They came and took the game. But I will say this: I never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another team’s eight. I don’t complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free throw attempts.
"San Antonio is a great team. They are a great team, okay. It’s going to lower our odds big time, big time, if we play Game 4 and in the second half, they get 24 free throw attempts to our eight. Maybe we were fouling. Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too."
To further make his point, Brown stipulated that because the Spurs shot 24 free throws in the second half, it was worse than the box score indicated.
"Now, we didn’t play good," Brown acknowledged. "San Antonio played great. We could have played better. There was a lot of things that we didn’t do that we did in Game 1 and Game 2.
"But to go 24 free throw attempts in the second half, that’s 48 for the game, if you think about the way they called that second half, compared to eight. All the shots we took, we got fouled four times, roughly, for eight free throw attempts."
The reality is that San Antonio took 32 free throws and converted 25 of those. The Knicks, by comparison, made 18-of-22.
But doubling up the second half attempts is a convenient manipulation – one that disregards the fact that New York attempted 14 free throws in the first half, compared to San Antonio’s eight.
And by going down this path, Brown, in essence, created an environment in which he made excuses for New York’s poor play. He even acknowledged as much.
"It’s going to be that, because I said it," Brown said. "The story is going to be that."
Yet, New York lost the battle in points off turnovers by a margin of 21-7. It settled for far too many 3s in the fourth quarter. And the Knicks did not match San Antonio’s aggression for most of the game.
Now, all that said, this is a calculated move by Brown.
He knows Game 4 is massive. If the Knicks win, they move to 3-1 and take complete control of the series, needing just one victory out of three remaining games to claim their first title in 53 seasons. If they lose, however, the series heads back to San Antonio tied at two games apiece.
By getting this out there – and Brown may have to pay the price in the form of a fine – he’s exerting direct pressure on the officiating crew for Game 4 to put their thumb on the scale somewhat. Essentially, Brown is putting out the narrative that his team has been wronged.
The implication being that some corrective measure is owed to the Knicks. Whether it pays off remains to be seen, but, with a title on the line, it’s certainly worth a shot.
Now, were some of the calls enforced against New York in the second half soft? Certainly. But if you look closely, most came after New York lazily grabbed at players after they had put themselves in compromising positions.
Did the Spurs get away with some calls? Potentially. But that doesn’t account for why New York shot just 7-of-27 in the fourth quarter, including a brutal 2-of-14 from 3-point range, many of those decent looks.
"That ain’t cost us the game," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said when asked about officiating. "We turned the ball over. We didn’t execute. We didn’t do what got us 13 straight wins; that’s how you lose a game."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Brown questions free-throw disparity in Knicks' loss to Spurs
Blah blah blah transaction news.
Carlos Narvaez appeared in 112 games at catcher last season, tallying 15 home runs and playing solid defense, though he’s struggled at the dish this season and has taken a back seat to Gasper since Chad Tracy took over. He’s 27 years old and still pre-arbitration, meaning he’s under team control for the foreseeable future. Connor Wong had a miserable 2025 at the plate but has bounced back this year, although the power still hasn’t returned. He’s 30, but still has a few years of team control left. Mickey Gasper is the surprise addition to the group. He’s been the best of the group offensively, but also is the wrong side of 30 and has only just made the major leagues.
So, what should they do for the rest of this season? Do they let Narvaez work through his slump at the plate because he’s the most likely of the group to be the catcher of the future? Do they continue to run Gasper out to try to give a boost to the struggling offense? Do they let Connor Wong continue to handle the staff, because pitchers seem to like him? Do they trade for Ethan Salas? I don’t know. You tell me.
Talk about whatever you want and be good to one another.
1947
In a game at Comiskey Park against the Yankees, a fan held up the contest for nearly an hour while he argued a call with one of the umpires. That’s right … a fan!
The Sox would eventually win the game, 9-8, in 10 innings, scoring seven unanswered runs to pull it off. Jake Jones’ single scored Floyd “the Blotter” Baker to win it.
1974
In at 10-6 loss at Comiskey Park, Ron Santo hit two home runs, including an inside-the-park homer to left field, as part of a 3-for-4 day. His nine total bases were by far the most the future Hall-of-Famer had in a single game during his disappointing single season on the South Side.
Why does this fact merit inclusion among the top moments in White Sox history? Well …
1981
… EXACTLY seven years later, the White Sox recorded their next inside-the-park home run, and it was even a weirder play than sluggish runner Santo circling the bases for a homer.
After Chet Lemon reached on an error to start the White Sox half of the fourth, already up, 1-0, vs. the Blue Jays, Wayne Nordhagen drove a fly ball down the right-field line. It looked foul, so Nordhagen stood in the box and watched — until the ball landed fair. Future White Sox left fielder George Bell, then a rookie known as Jorge and playing in just his 30th MLB game, re-injured his right ankle against the short, right-field foul wall chasing after the fly (the game started an hour late due to rain, so the slick grass/warning track contributed to the re-injury).
With Bell crumpled on the ground, the ball rolled to the wall and left center fielder Barry Bonnell to sprint over to make the play. That gave Nordhagen enough of a start to circle the bases, to his surprise:
I didn’t know what was happening. My helmet fell down over my eyes after I swung, and I didn’t even know where the ball went. I couldn’t believe it when Winks [White Sox third-base coach Bobby Winkles] was down there waving [me home].
The homer put the White Sox up by the eventual final, 3-0. Richard Dotson threw a five-hit shutout — his fourthalready in a breakout campaign. It would also be Dotson’s last start until August, as three days from now the players’ strike would hollow out the middle of the 1981 season.
1987
White Sox outfielder (and future GM) Ken Williams hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, breaking up a no-hit bid by the A’s Curt Young.
It would be the only hit on the day for the Sox, who lost, 8-3.
2010
The White Sox stood at an awful 24-33 and 9 1/2 games out of first place heading into play, but a 15-3 drubbing of the Tigers started a 15-1 streak (through June 26) and 25-5 sprint to the All-Star break (July 11) that turned the season around. (For good measure, the White Sox won the first game out of the break, making it 26 of 31.)
In this game, the White Sox were shut out in five of their eight frames, but seven-spots in both the fourth and eighth innings dealt the death blows for Detroit. Every White Sox batter recorded at least one hit — even pinch-hitter Brent Lillibridge, who clubbed a three-run homer in the eighth. Omar Vizquel led the way among hitters, with three hits. Freddy García was the beneficiary of the onslaught, going seven innings to improve to 6-3 on the season.
By the All-Star break, the White Sox streak had landed them atop the AL Central by a half-game, at 49-38.
2021
The injury bug again impacted the White Sox, as second baseman Nick Madrigal, hitting better than .300 at the time and playing a solid second base, tore his right hamstring trying to run out a ground ball in the seventh inning of a game against the Blue Jays in Chicago. Madrigal became the third Sox starter to suffer a major injury and miss significant time, the others being outfielders Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert Jr.
The Sox were leading 2-1 at the time, but after Madrigal’s season-ending injury melted down and lost, 6-2. The second baseman remained on the field for several minutes before being helped off, not putting any weight on his right leg. Surgery was performed the next week, and his season was over. On top of that, his White Sox career ended in July, with Madrigal being traded to the Cubs as part of the Craig Kimbrel deal at the deadline.
2022
It was a decision that left the baseball world shaking its head.
White Sox manager Tony La Russa, already under the microscope by fans and the media for his seemingly strange baseball decisions, made one that will be talked about for years. With the Sox losing, 7-5, to the Dodgers at Guaranteed Rate Field, he ordered an intentional walk to Trea Turner in the sixth inning. The count on Turner at the time was 1-2, leaving everyone from fans at the game to White Sox TV broadcasters stunned and wondering what the rationale for the move was.
The decision then blew up in La Russa’s face when five pitches later Max Muncy blasted a three-run home run to left-center field. Upon reaching home plate Muncy then looked towards the White Sox dugout and let loose with an expletive-filled comment. The runs would prove important as the Sox lost, 11-9.
Happy Tuesday, Camden Chatters!
Things have not gone well for the Orioles over the last few days. After an impressive run where they won 10 of their last 14 games, the team has now lost three in a row. And they’ve done so in excruciating fashion. On Saturday, Kyle Bradish was very bad. On Sunday, they blew a four-run lead. And last night, they bumbled around on the bases and did not take advantage of their chances and had some straight-up botches. If you want to read more about that one, you can check out Paul Folkemer’s recap.
I admit it. I’m down on the Orioles again. It’s only been three losses, but it feels like more proof that the Orioles are just a very uneven team.
Last night, when the Orioles were trying to rally, they had runners on first and third with one out. The score was 6-3. Pinch-hitter Samuel Basallo hit a fly ball and posed like it was going to land 400 feet away. Instead, Julio Rodríguez caught the ball in front of the warning track. Jackson Holliday tagged from third to score, and for some reason, Blaze Alexander tried to tag at first. Rodríguez had no chance at Holliday, but he nailed Alexander at second for the third out. And because he was tagged out before Holliday touched home plate, the run did not count. That’s not ok!
That wasn’t the only bad play last night. Pete Alonso left about a billion men on base. The Orioles, for some reason, continue to bring in Anthony Nunez in a high-leverage situation. The catcher was a guy named Sam Huff, who played while both Adley Rutschman and Basallo sat on the bench.
Of course, one bad stretch doesn’t make a bad season. But the Orioles have yet to climb out of the hole they dug themselves into to start the year, so getting out is going to be tougher and tougher. I propose they start to turn it around tomorrow with a win.
Links
What exactly does Tyler O’Neill do here? It’s time for the Orioles to move on. – The Baltimore Banner
Kyle Goon advocates for cutting Tyler O’Neill loose with over a year left on his contract. It does seem like O’Neill has no future with the team, but it’s not like there are any players breaking down the door to take his place.
More Orioles injury updates – MASN Sports
Chris Bassitt is on the IL but Dean Kremer could return soon. Cade Povich is resuming baseball activities. Samuel Basallo has a bony growth on his wrist, which is a weird injury. But he did bat yesterday so it’s not impeding him too much.
1 trade chip for every team ahead of 2026 Deadline – MLB.com
Jake Rill is out here trying to trade Creed Willems
Former Oriole Trey Mancini completes his comeback in start for Angels, his first MLB game since 2023 – The Baltimore Banner
Now here is a feel-good story! Mancini batted seventh and played first base for the Angels last night. Funnily enough, Grayson Rodriguez was the starting pitcher.
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have just one Orioles birthday buddy, John Andreoli (36). Andreoli played in 23 games with the Orioles in 2018. It’s not a great birthday buddy, to be honest.
On this day in 1960, the Orioles signed pitcher Tom Phoebus to a minor league contract. Phoebus appeared in 199 minor league games before making his debut in 1960. He pitched for the Orioles through 1970. In 1968, he threw a no-hitter
In 1984, Mike Flanagan pitched a complete game shutout as the Orioles defeated the Tigers, 4-0. It was Flanagan’s second complete game against the Tigers in a week. Six days earlier, he allowed one run in nine innings in a 2-1 win.
In 2016, both Keegan Akin and Pete Alonso were drafted in the second round of the amateur draft with 10 picks between them. Who do you think was drafted first?
In 2019, the Orioles sent international bonus slot money to the Phillies for pitcher Thomas Eshelman. Eshelman appeared in 31 games, about half starts, with the Orioles from 2019 to 2021 with a 5.77 ERA.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Offday
Double-A Somerset Patriots: Offday
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: Offday
Low-A Tampa Tarpons: Offday
Florida Complex League Yankees: L, 10-9 (11) at FCL Phillies
3B Richard Matic 0-5, RBI, BB, 2 K
CF Wilberson De Pena 1-6, 2 K
C Queni Pineda 1-4, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
2B Leni Done 3-6, 2B, 2 SB
DH Jose Castro 2-4, RBI, 2 BB, K, 2 SB, CS
RF Francsco Vilorio 0-3, 2 K
LF-1B Christofer Reys 1-2
SS Dexters Peralta 3-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, CS, fielding error
1B Justin Capellan 0-4, BB, K
LF-RF Estivenzon Montero 0-2, RBI, BB, K
Stanly Alcantara 3.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 ER), 6 BB, 1 K
Marco Manzano 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Austin Breedlove 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Rafael Arias 1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K, HBP, throwing error (hold) — started the ninth inning with a 9-7 lead, and went walk, walk, throwing error, HBP before getting pulled
Jorge Luna 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 4 (!) HBP (loss, blown save) — stranded the bases loaded in ninth and tenth, but couldn’t quite hold in the 11th
Dominican Summer League Yankees: L, 5-4 (7) vs. DSL Tigers 2
CF Isaias Castillo 2-2, HR, RBI, BB
2B Stiven Marinez 1-3, RBI, K
RF Yostin Pena 2-3, HR, RBI
SS Juan Torres 0-3
DH Cesar Lopez 0-1, BB, HBP
3B Abrahan Pichardo 0-3, 2 K, fielding error
C Juan Martinez 0-2, BB
1B Jose Peralta 0-2, 2 K, CS, throwing error
LF Kendry Diaz 0-3, fielding error
Hector Moreno 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 1 K
Fredy Penuelas 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 7 K
Luis Rodriguez 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K (loss, blown save)
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 13-0 (7) at DSL Marlins
3B Dariel Santana 0-2, BB, K
SS Mani Cedeno 0-2, BB, K, throwing error
2B Carlos Bello 0-3, 2 K
RF David Carrera 0-1, 2 BB, K
C Alessandro Rodriguez 0-1, BB, fielding error
PH-1B John Rosillo 0-1
DH Germayhoni Beltre 0-3, K
LF Richard Meran 0-3
1B-C Stalen Ramirez 0-2, 2 K, HBP
CF Alfiery Matos 0-2, K — yes, that’s a no-hitter. At least they drew some walks
Randy Agomas 1.2 IP, 0 H, 6 R (4 ER), 5 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP (loss) — a truly DSL statline. Poor guy has a 30.86 ERA
Kevin Centeno 2.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 3 K
Ronald Tejada 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Oscar Vasquez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
The Detroit Tigers open up the second half of their current six-game homestand on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins. With five wins in six tries so far this month coming against the leaders of the American League East and West divisions, AJ Hinch’s squad now has a chance to make up some ground in the AL Central this week.
The Motor City Kitties currently share space in the division cellar with the Kansas City Royals, while the Twinkies are 2.5 games ahead of them in the standings. The Cleveland Guardians currently lead the pack, with the Chicago White Sox trailing not too far behind them.
The series opener will see right-hander Troy Melton take the mound, coming off an impressive eight-inning performance against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Pete, where he allowed just two runs on four hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out five en route to his second win of the 2026 campaign.
The 25-year-old has faced Minnesota just once before in his young major league career in relief last year on Aug. 5 at Comerica Park. Melton threw a pair of hitless, scoreless frames, allowing a pair of walks and striking out one in what turned out to be a 6-3 loss for the Tigers that day.
Up against him is fellow righty Taj Bradley, who has regressed slightly after missing some time in May due to right pectoral inflammation. Since his return to the rotation, the 25-year-old has made three starts, putting up an ugly 5.93 ERA but far more respectable 3.40 FIP over 13 2/3 innings of work, allowing 15 hits and nine walks while striking out 18 batters.
Bradley last faced Detroit earlier this season on April 7 at Comerica Park, earning a quality start on 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball, allowing six hits and no walks while striking out 10 — also hitting a pair of batters — en route to his second win of the year with a 4-2 final score.
Here is how the two match up on Tuesday night.
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 67: RHP Troy Melton (2-0, 1.74 ERA) vs. RHP Taj Bradley (5-2, 3.56 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melton | 3 | 20.2 | 11.4 | 7.6 | 42.2 | 3.73 | 0.4 |
| Bradley | 11 | 60.2 | 26.8 | 10.0 | 35.2 | 3.47 | 1.2 |
MELTON
BRADLEY
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup! I’m filling in for Adam this week.
As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.
Opponent this week: @ Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins)
Record this week: 3-3
Standout performances:
Luke Adams (No. 11): 4-for-17, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 3 SB, 8 K, 3 BB
Cooper Pratt (No. 4): 6-for-23, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 3 SB, 4 K, 3 BB
Ethan Murray: 4-for-6, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 SB, 5 BB
Garrett Stallings: 5 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K
Thomas Pannone: 5 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Reiss Knehr: 4 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Jacob Waguespack: 3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K
Luis Lara was noticeably absent from the Sounds’ lineup this week, as he hasn’t appeared in a game since Tuesday, when he went 0-for-4 with a walk in the series opener. No word on if he’s injured, but something to keep an eye on ahead of their next series.
In positive injury news, Luke Adams returned to the lineup after missing more than a month, and he slugged three homers, swiped three bags, and drew three walks for a .235/.381/.765 line across five games.
Most of Nashville’s other regulars — Brock Wilken, Eddys Leonard, Akil Baddoo, Tyler Black, Jeferson Quero, and Jett Williams — had rough weeks, but Cooper Pratt had six hits and three steals across 23 at-bats. Shortstop Ethan Murray also went 4-for-6 with five walks and two steals for a .667/.818/.833 line over three games.
On the mound, Garrett Stallings and Thomas Pannone both had scoreless starts, as Stallings went five innings with five strikeouts and Pannone went 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. Reiss Knehr went 4 1/3 scoreless innings across three relief appearances, striking out five, while Jacob Waguespack made a pair of appearances spanning three innings, also striking out five.
Next week’s opponent: vs. Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays)
Opponent this week: vs. Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)
Record this week: 3-3
Standout performances:
Dylan O’Rae: 3-for-13, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 3 K, 2 BB
Matthew Wood: 5-for-12, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K, 6 BB
Jaron DeBerry: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Bishop Letson (No. 8): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Manuel Rodriguez: 6 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
It was a fairly disappointing week for the Biloxi offense, as no players had more than five hits on the week, and top prospect Jesús Made went just 4-for-18 with no extra-base hits. Made was also 0-for-2 on steal attempts.
Matthew Wood led the offense with five hits, slugging a pair of homers and driving in three while drawing six walks to just one strikeout. Blake Burke and Dylan O’Rae both homered, and O’Rae was one of three players with multiple steals on the week, joining Mark Coley and Eduardo Garcia.
While the offense didn’t have a great week, some of Biloxi’s starting pitchers looked fantastic. Bishop Letson had the best start of the week, going six scoreless with a team-high eight strikeouts, allowing just three hits and a walk. Jaron DeBerry had his second consecutive great outing, going six scoreless with five strikeouts and just three hits and two walks allowed. Manuel Rodriguez went 6 2/3 innings with one run allowed, and Tanner Gillis went six innings with two runs allowed and seven strikeouts.
Next week’s opponent: @ Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)
Opponent this week: @ Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins)
Record this week: 3-2
Standout performances:
Andrew Fischer (No. 6): 7-for-18, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 1 SB, 6 BB, 7 K
Josh Adamczewski (No. 10): 7-for-16, 2 HR, 2 2B, 9 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB, 2 BB, 4 K
Eric Bitonti (No. 23): 3-for-11, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Josiah Ragsdale: 5-for-8, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB, 3 BB, 2 K
Ethan Dorchies: 5 1/3 IP, 0 ER (1 R), 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Braylon Owens: 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Andrew Fischer, who was named the Brewers’ Minor League Player of the Month for May, continued his raking ways this week. After batting .281/.439/.674 with three doubles, a triple, 10 homers, 20 RBIs, 25 runs, and 21 walks in 24 games in May, he hit .389/.542/.889 with three homers, seven RBIs, seven runs, and six walks in five games this week. Oh, and he broke the Timber Rattler single-season home run record (17) in just 48 games. Not bad for the 22-year-old prospect.
Fellow top prospects Josh Adamczewski and Eric Bitonti also homered twice each, as did Luis Castillo. Braylon Payne added a homer, and Luis Peña, who returned to the lineup last week, went 2-for-8 with three steals and four runs scored this week.
Ethan Dorchies turned in the best start of the week, going 5 1/3 innings with one unearned run allowed on four hits and three walks, striking out five. Braylon Owens, who was named the Brewers’ Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May after striking out 35 to just nine walks over 25 innings, went five innings in his outing this week, allowing one run and striking out a pair.
Next week’s opponent: vs. Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Opponent this week: vs. Salem RidgeYaks (Minnesota Twins)
Record this week: 5-1
Standout performances:
Brady Ebel (No. 13): 5-for-24, 3 RBI, 5 R, 1 SB, 11 K, 7 BB
José Anderson: 5-for-19, 3 HR, 1 2B, 10 RBI, 4 R, 8 K, 3 BB
Pedro Ibarguen: 6-for-19, 1 HR, 1 2B, 7 RBI, 5 R, 7 K, 3 BB
Luis Lameda: 5-for-13, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 7 R, 1 SB, 3 K, 4 BB
Jayden Dubanewicz (No. 25): 6 1/3 IP, 2 ER (5 R), 5 H, 3 BB, 8 K
Carlos Carra: 6 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Joshua Quezada: 4 2/3 IP, 0 ER (1 R), 1 H, 0 BB, 6 K
After a rough start to the season, the Warbirds have found a rhythm, as they now sit in second place in the Carolina League North at 31-26. They won five of six against the Salem RidgeYaks, outscoring them 48-39 in the series.
José Anderson led the offense with three homers and 10 RBIs this week, slashing .263/.333/.789 across 19 at-bats, including a walk-off grand slam. Kevin Garcia and Pedro Ibarguen both homered, too, as Ibarguen led the Warbirds with six hits this week. No. 13 prospect Brady Ebel went 5-for-24 but added a whopping seven walks for a .387 on-base percentage. Filippo Di Turi also walked off Saturday’s game in a 4-3 victory.
Jayden Dubanewicz went 6 1/3 total innings over two appearances, striking out a team-high eight, though he allowed five runs, just two of which were earned (2.84 ERA). Carlos Carra went 6 1/3 innings with one run allowed and six strikeouts, while Joshua Quezada allowed one unearned run and struck out six over 4 2/3 innings. Andrew Healy went 2 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in his start, and Peyton Niksch went 3 1/3 scoreless frames in relief, striking out four.
Next week’s opponent: @ Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians)
Player of the Week
It has to be Luke Adams, who came back in a big way to launch three homers, including this go-ahead homer in the ninth inning on Sunday night:
Honorable mention to José Anderson, who had three homers for Low-A Wilson, including a walk-off grand slam.
Play of the Week
Great throw to end the game on Sunday afternoon by Greg Jones:
The St. Louis Cardinals are set to be one of the big players at this year’s Amateur Draft. The Cardinals own 6 of the top 86 picks, including 13, 32, 50, 68, 72, and 86 overall. They also have amassed a war chest of 16,612,300, which is the 6th largest behind PIT (19.1 M), TBR (19.0 M), CWS (17.5 M), SFG (17.3 M), and MIN (16.9 M). The added caveat that those are the top 5 teams in the draft, which may help the Cardinals a bit, should they try to float a player down the board a bit if they can negotiate an overslot deal for a player they really want that is directly ahead of them in the order.
We visited with Joe Doyle of Overslotbaseball.com, who is one of the top independent amateur scouting content creators, on the Viva El Birdos Podcast, and he shared with us the Cardinals’ new “prototype” St. Louis is looking for. These are Big-bodied pitchers with big fastballs and athletic shortstops/up-the-middle type players whose athleticism would play up as they move down the defensive spectrum. Think of how San Diego has built their roster. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth. These players came up capable of playing average or above SS, moved off the position, and are capable of letting their natural athleticism play up at their defensive position.
Pitchers like Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin, Ty Van Dyke, Ethan Young, Payton Graham all come to mind, and then offensively, Ryan Mitchell and Jalin Flores. This year’s class is not thought to be as strong as seasons past, though the 2027 draft is thought to be one of the deepest in years, and should rival the ‘23 class. Make no mistake, there is still plenty of talent to be had in this year’s crop.
I wanted to highlight some of the more intriguing names that I’ve keyed in on that might tickle the Cardinals’ fancy.
Pitchers (Pick 13):
RHPCameron Flukey – Coastal Carolina
6’6 210 lbs
FB – 60 CRV- 55 SL – 55 CH – 50 CTRL – 55 FV – 55
Flukey entered the 2026 season as one of the top arms in the class, given his combination of big stuff and ability to overpower hitters. He suffered a Rib stress fracture after his first start of the season, but was able to make it back by the end of April to maintain his stock. Between himself, Liam Peterson, and Jackson Flora, only Flora was able to truly separate himself this season and will likely be a top 5 pick and thus be out of the Cardinals’ range. Flukey should have a high floor as a starter in a 2-3 type mold in a big league rotation if he avoids the injury bug moving forward.
RHP Liam Peterson – Florida
6’5 225 lbs
FB – 60 CRV – 55 SL – 55 CH – 50 CTRL – 45 FV – 55
The aforementioned Peterson was another one of the top college pitchers entering this season, and while he demonstrates the same type of electric stuff that Flukey does, his command is noticeably worse than Flukey’s. Peterson still runs a fastball up into the high 90’s and has 2 distinct and effective breaking pitches and an improving changeup. There’s still real mid-rotation upside with Peterson, with some reliever fallback in his profile.
LHP Hunter Dietz – Arkansas
6’6 235 lbs
FB – 60 CRV – 60 SL – 60 CUT – 60 CH – 45 CTRL – 50 FV – 55
Dietz is my personal favorite for the Cardinals at 13 as things stand if the team decides to go the pitching route. We know how much the Cardinals love their lefties and being able to feature 4 plus pitches immediately and a 5th with a chance to be average fits the mold of today’s modern starter, and the upside is immense. Probably the best Arkansas lefty to be draft eligible since Hagen Smith. Dietz would be capable of challenging Liam Doyle, Brandon Clarke, and Quinn Matthews as the best lefty in the system immediately.
Position Players (Pick 13):
SS Justin Lebron – Alabama
6’2 180 lbs
Hit – 45 Power – 60 Run – 60 Arm – 60 Field – 60 FV – 55
Justin Lebron came into the season as a near-consensus top 5 selection lock, but due to some hit tool struggles this season in SEC play, Lebron has taken a little bit of a tumble in terms of his draft stock. Outside of the hit tool, he is plus across the board, and the idea of an infield in 2 years featuring Winn, Wetherholt, and Lebron could look like the 2010’s Astros (minus the trash cans) of Bregman, Correa, and Altuve. The Cardinals’ hitting development staff has proven its ability to get the most out of raw, tooled-up athletes with hit tool concerns, see: Baez, Joshua, and Peete, Tai.
CF Derek Curiel – LSU
6’2 192 lbs
Hit – 60 Power – 45 Run – 55 Arm – 45 Field – 55 FV – 55
We love a good player comp, right? Scouts say that Curiel reminds them of a young Christian Yelich. Take that for what it’s worth. A wiry CF with an advanced hit tool and capable of playing a strong CF early in his career, before he’s likely pushed to LF later when his speed and athleticism diminish. Certainly would seem to have the floor of an everyday CF with the chance for more if he can add some strength and grow into above-average power.
CF Trevor Condon – Etowah HS (Georgia)
5’11 178 lbs
Hit – 60 Power – 45 Run – 70 Arm – 55 Field – 60 FV – 55
Again, we try not to get too ahead of ourselves when we hear comps, but one name that’s mentioned synonymously from an offensive standpoint with Condon is Kevin McGonigle. The contact, barrel control, and strike zone control are the primary calling cards, along with his ability to burn on the bases and play an excellent defensive CF. This is a dark-horse candidate, but one that certain corners of the industry believe is possible. If you’re able to get any kind of power out of this kid, he’s likely a perennial All-Star if he combines that with health.
I could do this for every round, but for the sake of time, I will just highlight a few additional players who I find interesting, and I think would fit the Cardinals’ “type.”
SS Tyler Spangler – De La Salle (California)
6’3 195 lbs
Hit – 55 Power – 55 Run – 50 Arm – 55 Field – 55 FV – 50
Likely a 3rd basemen at the next level, he also gives some scouts Corey Seager vibes in the box from the left side. The ability to be average to above across the board and at such an imposing frame with a sweet lefty swing would inspire optimism in Cardinals fans for years to come.
SS James Clark – St. John Bosco (California)
6’1 195 lbs
Hit – 55 Power – 45 Run – 60 Arm – 50 Field – 50 FV – 50
Reminiscence of Ryan Mitchell abounds with this player. The ability to hit and control the strike zone at an advanced level, with the ability to play anywhere on the diamond long term. Fits the mold of the new regime’s ideology.
SS Dee Kennedy – Kansas State
5’11 190 lbs
Hit – 55 power – 50 Run – 55 Arm – 55 Field – 50 FV – 50
Probably an above-average 3B at the next level, Kennedy has all the athleticism and pop to add to a Cardinals pipeline in search of more high upside talent on the dirt.
RHP Jack Radel – Notre Dame
6’5 250 lbs
FB – 55 CRV – 50 SL – 55 CUT – 55 CH – 50 CTRL – 55 FV – 50
Mid-rotation arms are never a bad thing when drafting talent to continue infusing your pipeline, and Radel fits the bill. His release point and pitchability are what give him the ability to separate himself from others in a similar range. Expect to hear his name called in the top 50.
RHP Ben Blair – Liberty
6’3 205 lbs
FB – 55 SL – 50 CUT – 55 CH – 50 CTRL – 60 FV – 50
Your classic high-floor mid-rotation starter that the Cardinals made their money on drafting in the 2010’s, Ben Blair has every tool in the toolbox to be a quality mid-rotation starter at the highest level if all goes to plan.
RHP Carson Wiggins – Arkansas
6’5 215 lbs
FB – 80 SL – 70 CTRL – 45 FV -45
Before Wiggins blew out his elbow last season, he looked like a near lock to go in the first round last year. Now he’s likely not pitching at all this year, and still is likely to hear his name called in to the top 100 thanks to his impressive overpowering stuff.
RHP Taylor Rabe – Ole Miss
6’5 200 lbs
FB – 70 SL – 55 CUT – 60 CH – 40 CTRL – 60 FV – 45
Rabe is shooting up draft boards after his performance in the playoffs thus far and should remind Cardinals fans a bit of Tanner Franklin if he were to have been a starter his final season at Tennessee. One of my personal favorites to keep an eye on.
The draft is always an exciting annual milestone in the season, and this year should be no different. While the Cardinals might not be poised to grab a generational talent in this year’s crop, there are still a lot of players with intriguing upside to continue building the farm system back up to its former glory. We will continue to try to be one of your main sources for draft coverage. Joe Doyle will join us one more time, pre-draft, on draft week to give us the latest intel and buzz as the event grows near. We have also been kicking around the idea of a livestream for the draft and posting the link in the article so that we can all consume and react to night one of the picks as they happen in real time, and I have a few very intelligent guests in mind to rotate in as the night goes on. Would you like for us to do that, or is that something you’d be interested in? Let me know in the comments and I will plan accordingly if the result is overwhelmingly positive.
-Thanks for reading
The Guardians lost 7-5 to the Yankees in 10th inning, and life is awful.
Death, taxes and Tim Hill shutting down the Guardians.
Hunter Gaddis had not given up a run in 9.1 innings.
Let’s go Slade Cecconi and Parker Messick. And let’s go get another reliever.
AROUND MLB:
Every other Central team was idle
The Yankees opened their rematch against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday, playing the AL Central leaders for the fourth time in seven days and evening the head-to-head record by winning in overtime. Cody Bellinger was the MVP of the night, knocking in an early run and then getting two across in extra innings when he singled to left field. That ended up being the difference as the Guardians couldn’t answer in the bottom of the 10th, giving the Yankees a crucial win to start off the series.
Focusing back up on Bellinger, the Yankee outfielder has been invaluable in his second season in pinstripes. He’s collected 2.4 fWAR already, hitting for a 138 wRC+ with nine homers and 41 RBI in 63 games played, on pace to match his 2025 production and prove himself very much worth the contract that the Yankees handed him in free agency this offseason. That contract was the product of much debate back then, but he’s been inarguably one of the key members of the lineup even before Aaron Judge went down with injury. Now he’s the second-best batter in the offense behind the upstart Ben Rice as they look to provide enough for the rotation to stack up some wins in the captain’s absence.
Many people, including myself and several others on staff here, were pushing hard for the Yankees to sign Kyle Tucker in the offseason as a perceived upgrade to Bellinger. That wasn’t a slight to Bellinger’s play here and now so much as it was a concern then about the length of the deal he wanted, and the youth that Tucker had on his side with the history of more consistent production seemingly making him the most valuable pickup available. Well, fast-forward a little more than a third of the way into the season and that narrative has not held up at all — Bellinger’s the one performing as consistently good as he was last season while Tucker has struggled in the first year of his four-year, $240 million mega-deal, hitting just a touch over average with a 104 wRC+ and 0.7 fWAR in 62 games played.
The Dodgers are not hurting for talent or production, so they will likely be fine waiting out Tucker’s struggles in the hopes that he finds his form for the postseason, but if the Yankees were trying to maneuver around those numbers they’d be looking a lot rougher heading into the summer. New York didn’t wind up in the final conversations for Tucker’s services to be fair, but they nearly did lose Bellinger while waiting out his demands and playing around the possibility of wooing Tucker, and had that happened they would have been in dire straights either way. The rest of their options for a free agent pickup weren’t looking enticing, the trade market would’ve been a minefield to negotiate around, and their prospects in Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones while contributing now out of necessity weren’t ready for the majors at the start of the year, when one of them would’ve needed to be in the fold.
Where would the Yankees be without Cody Bellinger right now? It’s a very real possibility that it could’ve happened, and the picture doesn’t look pretty — surely a couple steps back of Tampa still chasing for first place, and with an offense that suddenly looks incredibly lean holding back a rotation that’s championship caliber. Thankfully they don’t have to consider that problem in our reality, but what would you have done if the offseason had panned out a little less in their favor? Would there have been a way to salvage their chances this year still?
It’s a quiet day on the site while we wait for the Yankees to get back to it against the Guardians. John checks in on the AL All-Star races for each position’s starters, while Matt covers the Rivalry Roundup amidst a quieter day in the Junior Circuit. Sam gives Bill Virdon some love on his 95th birthday, and Michael goes over the minor league action from the past week on the farm.
New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians
Time: 6:40 p.m. EST
Video: Amazon Prime Video, Guardians.tv, TBS
Venue: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
