Worldwide Sports News

1919
White Sox center fielder Happy Felsch tied a 15-year-old record set by Harry Bay for most chances in a nine-inning game: 12. He had 11 putouts and one assist (Jack Graney, doubled off of first base) in the 3-2 loss to Cleveland at Comiskey Park.

That record still stands in the American League, since tied by has not been surpassed. The first to tie was White Sox center fielder Johnny Mostil, on May 22, 1928. In 1977 (ironically the same season another White Sox center fielder, Chet Lemon, set a mark for season chances), Lyman Bostock matched Felsch’s and Mostil’s mark.

In the NL, Earl Clark of the Boston Braves had 13 errorless chances in 1929, which remains the MLB single-game, outfielder-chances record.

1937
The beginning of a 55-year baseball career for Bob Kennedy got underway, as the White Sox signed him two months before his 17th birthday. A native Chicagoan, Kennedy was an infield star at Morgan Park High School. Oddly enough, the night before his signing, Kennedy was working at Comiskey Park — as a popcorn vendor during the Joe Louis-James Braddock heavyweight title fight!

Kennedy would be in Chicago playing while still a teenager, at the end of the 1939 season. He would go on to play three separate stints and 10 seasons total with the White Sox as part of his 16-year career. After retiring after the 1957 season, Kennedy went on to both manage and general manage in the majors, staying active as an executive through the 1992 season.

His son, Terry, also played in the majors.

1956
It was first of the two great fights between Yankees and White Sox players; almost one year later, June 13, 1957, the second one took place.

In this one Bob Grim (uncle to former White Sox director of business development and broadcasting Bob Grim) threw one high and tight to outfielder Dave Philley in the home half of the sixth inning. The ball glanced off of Philley’s shoulder and bounced into his batting helmet, knocking it off. Philley charged the mound, as the benches and bullpens emptied. Both players swung at each other, as the rest of the teams held each other back. 

Order was restored after about 20 minutes. Philley was tossed from the game. Grim was allowed to stay in, but perhaps was shaken; the White Sox tagged him for two runs — RBIs from Sherm Lollar and Luis Aparicio — in Chicago’s 2-0 win.

1957
In front of the 10th-biggest road crowd and thus 10th-biggest regular season crowd ever for a White Sox game, the Pale Hose split a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, in front of 63,787 fans.

The opener was a 9-2 drubbing, as Billy Pierce wore it for the White Sox (seven earned in five innings). But the South Siders got back to just a half-game behind the first-place Yankees with a nightcap triumph, 4-3. Dick Donovan went eight strong but faltered in the ninth, knocked out of the box by a Mickey Mantle three-run blast without recording an out; Paul LePalme came in and put out the fire, weathering the tying run on third and winning on second by striking out ex-Sox Darrell Johnson to earn the save.

1958
The White Sox purchased the contract of pitcher Turk Lown from the Reds. Lown and teammate Gerry Staley, also acquired via the purchase route in 1956, gave the White Sox one of the top bullpens in baseball during the late 1950s/early 1960s. They were especially effective during the 1959 AL pennant season. That year, Lown went 9-2 with a 2.89 ERA and 15 saves. Staley also had 15 saves that year, and the pair led the league in that category. 

Lown’s best pitch was a blazing fastball that was among the best in baseball. The first time he faced both Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams, Lown threw nothing but fastballs and struck them both out on three pitches.

1960
With a two-out, ninth-inning home run that would ultimately prove fruitless in a 5-3 loss at Baltimore, Roy Sievers began a 21-game hit streak that would end in a tie for seventh-longest in White Sox history when it ended on July 19.

The South Siders went 14-7 during Sievers’ tear, as he scorched AL pitching at .405/.516/.772 and struck out just six times in 97 plate appearances! The slugger would finish seventh in MVP voting in 1960.

His hitting streak remains tied for 11th all-time in franchise history.

1963
White Sox catcher J.C. Martin set an American League record and tied a major league one by being involved in three double plays in a 2-0 loss at Cleveland. Martin had two strike-out/throw-out double plays, and was also in the middle of a third base-to-catcher-to-first base twin killing. Martin’s record would later be tied by another Sox catcher, Ed Herrmann.

And in both cases, the Sox would lose the game!

1983
With an 8-6 win over the Twins, the White Sox climbed to a winning record, at 34-33, for the first time all season. Big scoring was bunched into the front of the game, with the score 7-6, White Sox, through four innings. Floyd Bannister allowed FOUR home runs and six earned overall, but came away with the win to improve to 3-8 on the year. The middle of the White Sox order (Harold Baines, Greg Luzinski, Greg Walker) went 7-for-13 with two doubles, a homer, five runs and five RBIs to fuel the win.

The White Sox would fall back to .500 the next day but otherwise begin a historic tear through the final 95 games of the season, going 65-30 to finish with 99 wins and an AL West title.

Last week, we learned that Garrett Crochet had been cleared to throw weighted plyometric balls as he attempts to recover from two injuries: the initial shoulder inflammation that landed him on the IL, and the subsequent lat tightness that has kept him on it for much longer than anyone anticipated. Yesterday he was reevaluated and, while he is said to be improving, he still has not been cleared to start throwing baseballs. It’s starting to look like a lost season for the one-time Cy Young contender. (Brent Maguire, MLB.com)

But who’s excited for some positive Trevor Story injury news!?!? It’s now been a month since Story had surgery to repair a sports hernia and things are looking good. “He’s actually progressing pretty nicely,” Chad Tracy said. “Let’s call it ‘running,’ it’s not full-bore sprinting, but he’s jogging at a pretty good pace. He has actually swung a bat off a tee a little bit. He’s got a ways to go but he’s in a better spot than I’d figure I’d see him at this point.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

And it looks like Romy Gonzalez has dodged an injury scare, too. After having his rehab assignment paused due to hip flexor tightness, he’s been cleared to play again and will be back in action today. (Evan Cormier, NESN)

Trevor Story and Romy Gonzalez aren’t going to be saving the Red Sox season, and they might not be able to save Craig Breslow’s job, either. And if you’re wondering exactly how hot the Red Sox CBO’s seat is right now, here’s one MLB insider who expects Breslow to remain in charge at least through the trade deadline:

Those trade deadline discussions will no doubt involve Sonny Gray, who is a pending free agent and, thus, likely to be a hot commodity. Gray has a no-trade clause in his contract, but he doesn’t sound like he’s going to be unwilling to move. “If someone came to me from the Red Sox and made a decision that that’s the direction that this team was going to go, I would be open for a conversation. Whatever happens from then, only time will tell. But I would be open for a conversation.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Whatever happens at the deadline, one thing is clear: the Red Sox need to find their next big bat. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)

Nick Morabito

Week: 6 G, 21 AB, .333/.462/.810, 7 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 BB, 5 K, 4/4 SB (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 64 G, 234 AB, .256/.364/.415, 60 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 33 BB, 64 K, 22/24 SB, .319 BABIP (Triple-A) / 5 G, 11 AB, .000/.083/.000, 0 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 BB, 9 K, 0/0 SB, .000 BABIP (MLB)                    

Earlier this season, people were discussing Nick Morabito in the same breath as Carson Benge or AJ Ewing, and with good reason: through the first month of the season, he was hitting .268/.371/.463 with four doubles and four home runs in 23 games for the Syracuse Mets, good for a 116 wRC+.

Unfortunately for Morabito, and for everyone else out there, things took a turn for the worst in the month of May, as the outfielder hit .234/.355/.297 until May 19, when the Mets called the 23-year-old up to the majors for roughly a week to balance out the bench. After going hitless in 11 at-bats, drawing a walk, he was optioned back down to Syracuse on May 25th, where he had a strong week, going 6-23 with a pair of extra base hits and three walks, finishing out his May hitting .241/.353/.333 with 3 doubles, a triple, and a home run.

Prior to this past week, Morabito’s June was looking grim. Coming into the week, he was hitting .227/.320/.295, but thanks to his performance against the Tides, he is hitting .256/.364/.415.

As expected, the red flags that presented themselves in his profile last season, such as his elevated strikeout rate, have continued to bite Morabito, but to his credit, he responded by making improvements in other facets of his game. His walk rate has improved, up from a 9.8% in 95 games with High-A Brooklyn and 9.6% with Double-A Binghamton to 11.6% in 63 games with Syracuse. His batted ball data, however slight, has improved, with fewer groundballs and more line drives and flyballs. His hit spray, though slight, is more efficient, with his pull and up-the-middle rates up a bit and his opposite field rate down.

There is no doubt in my mind that Morabito will be called back up to the majors at some point between now and when he decides to call it a career, and with his speed and ability to play centerfield, there is no doubt in my mind that he will carve himself a nice little niche as a bench player. While he does not have particularly loud offensive tools, there are clear avenues for Morabito to improve which might then raise his potential standing even further, from bench player to perhaps more.

Jonathan Santucci

Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (Double-A)

2026 Season: 13 G (13 GS), 62.2 IP, 50 H, 29 R, 26 ER (3.73 ERA), 31 BB, 75 K, .311 BABIP (Double-A)

I wouldn’t exactly call the season that Jonathan Santucci is having so far a breakout, but in a season that has been a fairly big let-down for many of the Mets’ top prospects for various reasons, the southpaw is one of the few whose stock is, at minimum, holding. The left-hander threw a shutout performance for just the second time this season, dropping his ERA .40 points, to 3.73. He relied on his bread-and-butter, his fastball-slider combination, for six of the seven strikeouts he recorded in the ballgame, striking out four batters with his fastball, two batters with his slider, and one batter with his changeup.

Santucci was promoted to Double-A Binghamton last season around this time and made 10 starts with the Rumble Ponies, posting a 2.52 ERA in 50.0 innings, allowing 33 hits, walking 18, and striking out 63. When combined with his performance there this season, the left-hander has a cumulative 3.20 ERA in 112.2 Double-A innings, allowing 83 total hits, walking 49, and striking out 138. Assuming that he does not suddenly take a major step back, it would seem like Santucci is due for a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse sometime in the next few weeks.

When he eventually is promoted, how likely is it that his solid season continues? Looking at Santucci as a whole, two things stick out at me that could be problematic: his limited pitch mix and his poor command of that limited pitch mix.

Santucci throws a fastball, slider, and occasional changeup. In 2025, he added a more traditional curveball to his arsenal and claims that he still throws it, but the pitch is so identical to his slider that it is difficult to tell the two apart. While his fastball is an average-to-above average pitch and his slider a definite above-average pitch, the viability of a two-pitch pitcher outside of the bullpen is suspect. Clouding matters, both pitches play down when the left-hander is having trouble commanding either pitch on any given day.

Control and command has been an issue for Santucci going back to his time at Duke, and while it looked like he made some strides with his control last year, any such gains if they were legitimate seem to have disappeared. The left-hander currently has a 4.5 BB/9 rate, a below-average Zone%, and an extremely sub-optimal 44.4% F-Strike%. The southpaw has only thrown six or more innings three times this season, and in those three games, he has had an average or better strike rate, throwing 56 strikes in 87 pitches (64%), 60 strikes in 92 pitches (65%), and 60 strikes in 92 pitches (76%). In games where he has thrown fewer than six innings, Santucci has averaged a below-average 58% strike rate, with individual games ranging from 63% to 49%.

Slinging the ball from a three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back and a pronounced weight shift to his back leg during his wind-up, the left-hander is unlikely to ever have pinpoint control. While a large preponderance of Santucci’s strikeouts come from getting batters to expand the zone on his fastball or slider, improving his command of both pitches- especially once in the International League, where the league-wide walk percentage is roughly 10% thanks to a strike zone that is defined as slightly smaller as compared to Double-A thanks to the ABS system- will be imperative to his future value as a baseball player.

Players of the Week 2026

Week One/Two (March 27-April 5): Hayden Senger/Cam Tilly

Week Three (April 7-April 12): A.J. Ewing/Christian Scott

Week Four (April 14-April 18): Randy Guzman/Jose Chirinos

Week Five (April 21-April 26): A.J. Ewing/Channing Austin

Week Six (April 30-May 3): A.J. Ewing/Jonah Tong

Week Seven (May 5-May 10): Ryan Clifford/Jonathan Santucci

Week Eight: (May 12-May 17): Jacob Reimer/Zach Thornton

Week Nine: (May 19-May 24): Ryan Clifford/Channing Austin

Week Ten: (May 26-May 31): Ryan Clifford/Jose Chirinos

Week Eleven: (June 2-June 7): Vincent Perozo/Frank Camarillo

Week Twelve: (June 9-June 14): JT Benson/Nick Carreno

2026 MLB Draft Preview: Carson Wiggins scouting report.

The 2026 is about a month away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.

Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at University of Arkansas pitcher Carson Wiggins.

Carson Wiggins is a 6’5″, 215 lb. righthanded pitcher who is a draft-eligible sophomore at the University of Arkansas. He turned 21 earlier this month. Coming out of high school in Roland, Oklahoma, in 2024, he was a top 100 draft prospect, but went undrafted due to signability concerns. His brother, Jaxon Wiggins, is also a pitcher who was drafted by the Cubs out of the University of Arkansas in the second round in 2023, and who was a consensus top 100 prospect coming into the 2026 season.

Wiggins is described as a “flamethrower,” with a fastball that has been clocked as high as 102 mph, and that averaged 98.7 mph in 2025, per MLB Pipeline. His fastball has good rising action and is a legit swing-and-miss pitch. He pairs the fastball with an excellent slider with good movement that also gets whiffs. He has a curveball and changeup, as well, though he apparently rarely used them pitching for the Razorbacks.

Wiggins is big and athletic, and his delivery isn’t high effort. However, his control is an issue, and he has a lot of improvement he needs to make in his command of his pitches.

Wiggins was used as a reliever as a freshman, throwing 14 innings over 14 games. He faced 59 batters and struck out 20 of them, but also walked seven unintentionally and threw six wild pitches. His freshman season was cut short due to an elbow issue that resulted in internal brace surgery, and he didn’t pitch this year. He has reportedly been throwing sides, however, and is healthy and ready to go for the MLB Draft Combine this week.

Baseball America has Wiggins at #123 on their board. MLB Pipeline has Wiggins at #84 on their board. Kiley McDaniel puts Wiggins at #145 on his top 150 list. Keith Law’s rankings have Wiggins at #71 on his board. Fangraphs has Wiggins at #40 on their board. Baseball Prospectus does not have Wiggins on their top 30 draft board.

Given how little he has pitched the past two seasons, there are a lot questions about Wiggins. Some of those should be answered when he throws at the Combine, and if he does well and shows he is 100%, he presumably would move up on draft boards. His brother missed his junior season at Arkansas due to Tommy John surgery and has blossomed as a pro, though an elbow injury this year has put Jaxon on the shelf most of 2026.

Wiggins has TORP potential as a starter, though in order to stick as a starter in the pros he is going to have to improve his command significantly and develop his third and fourth pitches. If a team wants to use him as a reliever, he could move quickly, with his fastball/slider combo making him a potential late inning weapon.

The Rangers have not been scared off by college pitchers coming off of injury, and Wiggins would appear to be ready to resume game action post-draft. Wiggins does have extra leverage as a draft-eligible sophomore who would presumably be eligible for an injury redshirt for 2026, meaning he would potentially have three years of eligibility remaining.

Previously:

Liam Peterson

Tyler Bell

Aiden Robbins

Jared Grindlinger

Logan Reddemann

Cooper Harris

Justin Lebron

Cameron Flukey

Derek Curiel

Hunter Dietz

Logan Hughes

The 2026 MLB Draft Combine kicks off June 23-26 in Phoenix, and there are going to be a massive 335 players involved this year. Some of these players have more at stake in front of the Atlanta Braves and the 29 other teams, and for different reasons. Today I plan to take a look at 11 of the players who could have the most to gain or lose in Phoenix.

Myles Bailey, 1B, Florida State – This spring Bailey was looking like a potential second or third round pick as a sophomore putting up huge power numbers thanks to his true 80-grade raw power. Then an ugly ankle injury happened and surgery followed. His medical reports are going to be a key factor in determining if he is able to get him to receive a bonus offer large enough to turn pro with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Brady Ballinger, 1B, Kansas – Another first baseman to start the list, Ballinger is here for totally different reasons than Bailey. Ballinger came into the spring as a potential dark horse first round pick, despite being a first base only prospect. Then despite Kansas having the best season in school history, Ballinger saw his numbers take a fall across the board. Due to that he has seen himself from from potential first rounder to not even included in the Consensus Top 200 rankings – he unofficially came in 215th there, but everything is unofficial past 200 as counting rankings stopped after 200 on all lists. He will need to impress here in order to help himself – but for a guy who was receiving some Nick Kurtz comps heading into the year, that isn’t out of the question.

Brody Bumila, LHP, Massachusetts HS – Bumila is this year’s version of Jack Bauer, a high school lefty who has already touched 102 MPH with his fastball. However this cold-weather, multi-sport arm has a Tommy John surgery on his resume with an internal brace that caused him to miss time as recently as 2025. The medicals will certainly play a part in how high he gets selected.

Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State – Carlon is a pitcher who could be very much in play in the range where the Braves second first round pick falls. He is also a pitcher who had a velocity dip and “dead arm” just last month. The way he comes out of the combine could determine just how high he ends up being selected.

Jacob Dudan, RHP, NC State – Dudan emerged as the Wolfpack’s best pitching prospect this season, but his season ended early when he needed Tommy John in early-April. He is yet another pitcher that will have his medicals play a part in where he gets picked.

Cam Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina – It’s well known that Flukey was strongly in the mix to be the first pitcher off the board coming into the season. Then an early season rib injury forced him to miss considerable time, and when he got back he never got fully ramped up to a full workload. His medicals could play a part, but teams are also going to want to see him throw here.

Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU – LaPour came in as a potential early round pick, but was injured in his first start and only returned late in the season. We only got to see three more appearances longer than one inning from him the rest of the way, and he did struggle a bit in two of his five total appearances after his return. His medicals as well as him throwing could play a real factor in his stock.

Chase Meyer, RHP, formerly West Virginia – Coming into the year it was actually Meyer seen as WVU’s top prospect this year, ahead of Dawson Montesa and Maxx Yehl. Then after just two relief appearances he was dismissed from the team in due to a locker room incident. He has resurfaced in the MLB Draft League already and his stuff has looked great there, but he will need to answer for his dismissal in team interviews to help determine where he may get selected.

Logan Reddeman, RHP, UCLA – Reddeman experienced a velocity bump this year and was starting to emerge as a candidate to be selected in the Top 10 overall. Then he experienced arm fatigue that ended up shutting him down for the remainder of the season in mid-April. His medicals will be a key factor in where he ends up going, and if he is able to throw at the combine that could also help determine his fate.

Zion Rose, OF, Louisville – Rose has emerged this spring as a potential first round pick as he hit .417/.491/.646 with six homers and more walks than strikeouts. However a pair of injuries also led to him missing 21 games this year, starting his season late and then missing another 10-day stretch in season. He’s got the pedigree and the production, but teams will be eyeing his medicals closely.

Cade Townsend, RHP, Mississippi – Townsend was starting to be linked heavily to the Braves for the 9th pick, but following a missed start due to shoulder inflammation his stuff was never quite as elite. Further complicating things is the fact that after May 16th he only made one more appearance the rest of the way despite the Mississippi run to the College World Series – not pitching at all in the Super Regional or in the CWS itself.

The San Diego Padres brought Gavin Sheets back on a one-year, $4.5 million contract to avoid salary arbitration. It locked him into becoming the lineup’s top designated hitter option. 

Injuries forced Sheets’ role to change

However, injuries to Jake Cronenworth, Ramon Laureano, and Miquel Andujar forced the Padres to revamp their starting lineup. The biggest move was having Sheets play the corner outfield position full-time. 
He may not have great defensive range, but Sheets can put a glove on balls hit in his direction.

He has dominated the plate by shattering expectations, with a .232 average, 12 home runs, and 33 RBI that should easily eclipse last season’s career numbers, which were .252 with 19 HR and 71 RBI in 145 games.

Sheets has become an RBI machine with RISP

The one change we see in 2026 is Sheets’ production with runners in scoring position. The Friar Faithful are witnessing another season where Sheets is exceeding expectations. The 30-year-old is hitting .366 with 4 HR, 22 RBI, and a 1,227 OPS in runners in scoring position.

Unfortunately, the lineup is going to need some assistance in scoring runs. Manny Machado has struggled significantly at the plate, posting a .179 BA, but he has shown signs of busting out of his season-long slumber. 

The rise in his production with runners in scoring position has been aided by the insertion of Sheets in the five spot of the batting order. Machado is hitting .259 with 2 HR and 18 RBI. Sheets continued his torrid pace, hitting .357 with a .762 slugging percentage.

New offensive outlook

The hope is for the top of the order to get on base via walk or a bunt base hit. Then, keep the line moving for the lineup’s big hitters. Each is clutch to knock in runs late in games. 

Combined, Machado and Sheets had 90 ABs in the same inning. They hit .256 with 4 HR and 40 RBI. Sheets is dominating the partnership by capitalizing on each scoring situation. Machado’s production is on the rise, but it may take him a little time to reach his career average of .275 with runners in scoring position.

The Friars need to put themselves in better hitting situations. Hopefully, it leads to more run production.

I haven’t seen any mocks sending Ruiz to the Phillies or any rumors reported on interest from the Phillies, but it’s hard to miss the similarities to picks during the Barber/Mattingly/Dombrowski regime. Ruiz is old for the class (turned 19 in March), is an up the middle defender, has a contact over power approach, but with the swing speed to suggest he could get to some power, and from an area that’s decidedly not a baseball hot bed. That’s basically the exact description of Dante Nori and not far from descriptions of Justin Crawford and Aiden Miller (in Miller’s case his lack of power in High School was injury related). As I’ve said in other previews this year, when picking so low in the First Round (Comp round even, at this point) you have to pick your poison of what flaws you want to gamble on: perceived injury risk (Wood), age relative to peers (Nori, Miller), lack of power (Miller, Crawford, Nori), cold climate (Nori), etc. I’m banking this preview on them looking at Ruiz similarly to their view of Nori.

Ruiz’s overall profile is a 5’10”, 165 lbs, natural Shortstop with smooth actions and plenty of arm, switch hitting bat and line drive gap power from The Stony Brook School in New York. He’s a Vanderbilt commit, so there is some risk he decides not to sign and goes to College where he’d be a draft eligible Sophomore. His profile is actually very reminiscent of Bryan Rincon, who’s having a bit of a breakout season this year. Ruiz was projected pre-season to be closer to a possible top 10 pick, but hasn’t shown any real improvement to in-game power (he shows it in BP, but prospect history is littered with guys who had plenty of BP power and nothing in-game), while other players have. His carrying tool is going to be his glove, which is best in class. He makes all the routine plays and stays under control, but also make acrobatic, highlight-reel quality plays that have earned him plenty of raves. Thanks to his glove he’ll stand a very good chance of at least getting to the MLB level as a glove first bench player. He’s an average runner, who will get some stolen bases, but not really be a weapon in that part of his game. And his arm is a plus weapon allowing him to play multiple positions, if needed down the line.

Switch hitters are double the fun from a draft profile perspective, as you get 2 different swings to analyze, but we’ll start with the basics that apply to both swings. Both swings are mostly line drive oriented and Ruiz rarely swings and misses from either side of the plate. Now for the individual swings his left handed swing shows more pop and better bat speed (that’s good, he’ll use that one more). One notable point is how similar his right and left swings are. For both he sets up with VERY high hands, almost over his head, with some lateral bat wiggle, a small leg kick and short, well-timed stride into his contact zone. I’d love to see if he can bring the hands down some and drop the bat less to shorten his path. That’s a minor quibble and his swing overall looks very smooth and you don’t need tons of power out of him with that glove and plus contact ability. Video below shows a bit of everything in non-game settings.

This video is a very similar vein of workout/showcase video. with a little view from behind the plate in addition.

This pick would feel a lot like the Nori pick as a high floor-lower ceiling gamble. We’re basically a round 2 pick and this is pretty consistent with the profile of the guys you’d be excited about in round 2.

Phillies fans, there’s good news and there’s bad news.

The good news is, you’re killing it in your efforts to elect Brandon Marsh to a starting outfield spot on the National League All Star team.

In voting released by the league Monday, Marsh’s 1.256 million votes are second-most among NL outfielders, trailing only the Dodgers’ Andy Pages, who has compiled 1.518 million votes, and is slightly more than Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna and his 1.216 million votes.

The top-three vote getters will be named NL All Star Game starters, and Marsh is well positioned to do that. He has slightly more than a 200,000 vote edge on the Braves’ Michael Harris II, at 1.059 million votes.

The top six outfielders advance to the second round of voting. At every other position, the the top-two vote getters advance to the second round. Marsh will certainly move onto the next round of the balloting, and has the inside track on landing a starting spot in the outfield.

So, great job, guys! Stuffing the ballot box for Marsh, whose .311 batting average entering play on Tuesday ranks 2nd among NL outfielders (San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee, .327), and is sporting a .344 OBP and an OPS of .899. In celebration, Marsh hit his 10th homer of the season for the Phillies’ lone run in their 4-1 loss to the Nationals in Washington.

Here’s the bad news. Much work remains to get Bryce Harper to the next round of the voting.

Harper currently ranks 3rd among all NL first basemen, with 1.143 million votes. He trails Atlanta’s Matt Olson by a little less than 300,000 votes (1.421 million) and is well behind L.A.’s Freddie Freeman (1.779 million), despite leading all NL first basemen in OPS. His .897 OPS is 20 points better than Olson’s .877.

Elsewhere, a few Phils do appear poised to stay on the ballot for the second round.

At third base, Alec Bohm surprisingly has the second-most votes (804,309) in the NL. He’s well ahead of Atlanta’s Austin Riley (572,816), although there’s no drama as to who will actually start for the All Star team, with the Dodgers’ Max Muncy dominating the field (1.933 million votes).

At second, Bryson Stott is also in position to move onto the second round (801,006) trailing Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies by 171,000 votes (972,537). There is a real chance Stott could jump ahead of Albies, but only if Phillies fans make a concerted effort to make it happen. Stott’s .674 OPS ranks just 11th among qualified NL second baseman, but who cares about a small detail like that?

The last Phillie in position to make the second round is MLB’s home run leader, Kyle Schwarber. He’s second among NL designated hitters with 1.54 million votes. Unfortunately, he trails the very best baseball player the human race has ever seen, Shohei Ohtani, whose 2.31 million votes leads all vote-getters in any category. But have no fear, Schwarber will be there, just not in the starting lineup.

Unfortunately, Trea Turner’s awful start has torpedoed his chances of moving on among shortstops. One could argue he shouldn’t even be fourth on the list, trailing only Elly De La Cruz, Mookie Betts and CJ Abrams. And among catchers, J.T. Realmuto currently sits in 3rd (829,868 votes), trailing the Dodgers’ Will Smith for 2nd by 460,000 votes.

So fans, there is work left to do.

Get Brandon Marsh across the finish line.

Get Bryce Harper into the first base finals.

Get Bryson Stott into the starting lineup.

And hey, while we’re at it, let’s shock the world and make Kyle Schwarber the starting DH in the National League.

It’s part of your civic duty as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday. You love the Constitution, don’t you?

Happy Tuesday A’s fans!

The Athletics’ just wrapped up a disappointing series against the division-rival Angels this past weekend. The A’s split the four-game set, but they let the series finale split through their fingers. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s tough to drop those games against a lesser opponent that has one of the worst records in the sport.

Time to flush it and get ready for the Giants. The A’s are back in their old stomping grounds as we have three games set to get going over the next few days. The Giants, like the Angles, are one of the worst teams in the league and likely sellers next month. The A’s can’t afford to be letting games like this go if they want to stick in the playoff hunt into September.

The Giants haven’t had a great season so far. Led by a rookie manager in Tony Vitello with no professional experience, the Giants’ veteran-led roster has disappointed on and off the field. At 31-46 they’re just one game ahead of the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in the entiresport. It’s not as if they haven’t tried as their $231.9 million payroll sits at 11th in baseball. A huge part of their problems can be attributed to the struggles of their most expensive players, Willy Adames, Rafael Devers, and old friend of the Green & Gold Matt Chapman. The recent controversy regarding the players’ wearing the Pride Hat has also now caused fans even more stress as the focus has turned off the field (including the Vice President’s view on the matter).

It hasn’t been all sadness and rain for the Giants. Star prospect Bryce Eldridge looks like the real deal as he’s finally being given a chance to play at the big league level. Swiss army knife Casey Schmitt is in the midst of a breakout year at the plate with 16 long balls. Second baseman Luis Arraez has rediscovered his defense while being coached under another former friend in Ron Washington. Outfielder Jung-hoo Lee is second in all of baseball with a .320 batting average. And former Athletics’ first round pick Daniel Susac has held his own as one of the main catching options.

Perhaps more disappointing than the offense has been the pitching, which has always been a strength for them pitching in that cavernous ballpark. Staff ace Logan Webb has pitched well, but outside of him their starting rotation has been roughed up. The group’s 4.63 ERA is ahead of only the Rockies and Mets in the National League. Landon Roupp and Robbie Ray haven’t been dominant but have held their own, but offseason pickups Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser have been problems for them on the backend, so much so that Houser is now in the bullpen after inking a two-year, $22 million deal this winter. Not the return on investment they were likely hoping for.

Luckily for the A’s they’ll miss Webb during this series. Tonight’s starting matchup will pit veterans Aaron Civale and Ray. Ray has a lower ERA on the season but Civale was pitching fantastically before some recent struggles made his overall stat line look worse. Then it’ll be the rookie Gage Jump making his first start at Oracle Park, and he’ll be opposed by Mahle. And then the series wraps on Thursday afternoon with a pitching duel between lefty Jeffrey Springs and the right-handed Roupp.

First pitch is at 6:45 tonight. We’re just a game and a half back of the Mariners for the AL West lead. Gotta rack up a couple wins, at least. Have a great day everyone.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Squander Chances, Fall to Pirates in Series Equalizer
• As a ballpark rises in Las Vegas, owner John Fisher is pitching his A’s — and himself
• J.T Ginn and Nick Kurtz Lead A’s to Victory Over the Pirates
• Alvarado’s return so dominant, he’s inviting a lofty comparison
• Why Front Office And Manager Should Be Embarrassed By Today’s Game
• Some Easy Fixes Rocket Science Aren’t
• Athletics’ Devin Taylor Emerges As All-Around Talent
• Status Report: Uncertainty Persists In 5 Places On The Diamond
• Why A’s Williams Deserves Spot Past Jacob Wilson’s Return
• 7 wild facts from a Vegas show for the ages
• A’s $2 Billion Las Vegas Ballpark Shows Progress With First Roof Truss in Place
• A’s interested in Kris Bubic
• Korach reflects on A’s history in Las Vegas, upcoming move
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In June
• Las Vegas is ‘dying for a baseball team.’ Will its locals adopt the A’s?
• The A’s Inability To Play Well At Home Is Embarrassing
• Arnold and Jump are both slinging … anyone else reminded of another A’s duo?
• Three Dark Horse Trade Candidates for Athletics This Summer
• Athletics Early MLB Draft Preview

MLB News and Interest:

• Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker exits win vs. Twins with low back spasms
• Rockies walk off Red Sox … in a way we haven’t seen in 20 years!
• Sonny Gray “Open” To Discussing No-Trade Clause If Red Sox Sell
• Boomer Sooner! Oklahoma wins 1st MCWS title since ’94
• Manfred: Giants’ communication to players over Pride caps ‘not clear’
• Mauricio Dubón Open To Extension Talks With Braves
• Antonacci plays hero in back-and-forth victory to put South Siders atop AL Central
• Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff gets 900th K in return from IL
• Rangers Sign Marco Gonzales To Minor League Deal
• Angels Designate Nick Madrigal For Assignment
• Reds Designate Chris Paddack For Assignment
• 5 takeaways from the latest All-Star voting results
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Anyone on this list off the table for you?

Refering to Jack Perkins:

That’s something most A’s fans would have been able to tell you:

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rays fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

You can’t tell the story of the Houston Astros the last 3 seasons without addressing their historic amount of injuries, especially to the starting pitching.

Each of the past 2 seasons, the Astros depended on pitchers returning from injury, with less than optimal results.

This season is no different, and the team is counting on several starting pitchers to be able to return from injury and be productive members of the staff.

Among those returning starting pitchers, which one do you believe is likely to have the biggest positive impact on the team?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Astros fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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The Atlanta Braves visit the San Diego Padres tonight at Petco Park, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET. 

My Braves vs. Padres predictions are eyeing Griffin Canning to quiet Atlanta's offense and continue his improved form at home. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, June 23.

Who will win Braves vs Padres today: Padres moneyline (+101)

The Atlanta Braves will hand JR Ritchie the baseball tonight, and the rookie has struggled lately. He owns a 6.70 FIP over his last 10 innings while allowing an alarming 46.2% hard-hit rate.

It doesn't get much better on the road, where Ritchie has posted a 5.24 FIP this season.

Griffin Canning hasn't been in peak form lately either, carrying a 5.46 xERA across his last five appearances. However, the right-hander has pitched considerably better at Petco Park, compiling a respectable 3.48 xFIP.

Atlanta's offense is also cold. The Braves were shut out in Monday's series opener and haven't scored more than four runs in a game since last Wednesday.

I'll play this pick up to -120.

COVERS INTEL: The Braves own just a .120 ISO over the last week compared to a .166 mark on the season, suggesting their power production has cooled considerably.

Braves vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-131)

There may be two inconsistent starters on the mound, but neither lineup is swinging the bats particularly well. Atlanta owns a 67 wRC+ over its last six games and is averaging just three runs per contest during that span.

San Diego has been slightly better offensively, but its .313 wOBA doesn't suggest a lineup capable of carrying this total on its own. Both bullpens have also been solid lately. Atlanta's relief corps owns a 3.59 xERA over the last week, while the Padres' pen has posted a stellar 2.51 ERA across the last two weeks.

Between the bullpen form and recent offensive struggles, the Under offers value.

I'll play this pick up to -140. 

Braves vs Padres weather

Conditions at Petco Park should be fairly neutral tonight. Temperatures are expected to be around 70°F with 8.1 mph winds, 73.1% humidity, and virtually no chance of rain. The mild weather and light breeze shouldn't provide much assistance to either pitchers or hitters.

Braves vs Padres odds

• Moneyline: Braves -108 | Padres +104
• Run line: Braves -1.5 (+150) | Padres +1.5 (-170)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+113) | Under 8.5 (-117)

Braves vs Padres trend

The Padres have hit the Under in 16 of their last 22 games at home (+9.50 Units / 40% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Padres.

How to watch Braves vs Padres and game info

Braves vs Padres latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

After the game, Foster Griffin told me, “You are not done until the manager shakes your hand and says you are done”. Last night, that hand shake did not come until one out in the 8th inning. When Blake Butera took the ball from Griffin, the crowd that stuck through a long rain delay erupted in cheers.

It has been that kind of season for Foster Griffin. In his first season back from Japan, the crafty lefty has been an absolute horse for the Nationals. On the season, he has a 3.15 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 91.1 innings. That is borderline ace stuff, or at least high end number 2 starter production for a guy who signed for $5.5 million.

Griffin has had a lot of good outings, but tonight may have been his best. As he put it, there are only 4 or 5 outings across the season where everything is working, and tonight was one of those nights. Griffin was using his entire 7 pitch mix to perfection, and it baffled the Phillies. He tied his career high with 9 strikeouts.

While Griffin’s cutter is always his bread and butter pitch, it was particularly dominant tonight. He got 8 of his 17 whiffs on the cutter, which he threw 29% of the time. Seeing all his pitches work together was truly beautiful. As usual, he had his fastball and breaking stuff, but his changeup and splitter were also on point tonight. That changeup was just perplexing right handed hitters.

Foster Griffin has honestly been a true ace outside of back to back blowup starts in May. When he had those rough outings, there were questions about if the soft tossing lefty had been figured out. However, he has had his best month of the season so far in June. Griffin has allowed exactly one run in each of his four outings this month.

Griffin’s performances have left a real mark on his teammates as well. Luis Garcia Jr. was quick to remark that Griffin is impressive every time he pitches, not just tonight. He also said that you can rely on Griffin to go 6 or 7 innings almost every time out. Garcia is pretty spot on in this assessment, as Griffin has gone at least 6 frames in 8 of his last 12 outings.

Curtis Mead was very impressed by how Griffin kept the Phillies hitters off balance. He said that, “It felt like the swings (from Phillies hitters) were not as good as those guys are capable of”. Seeing what Griffin did to a lineup that thrashed the Mets the last couple days made this even more impressive. Kyle Schwarber has been on one of his home run binges, but Griffin made him look silly.

That has been a trend for Griffin. He just has hitters second guessing themselves with all of the different pitches he can throw. I am not saying he is Max Scherzer obviously, but last night felt like a Scherzer outing, even down to the solo homer he gave up. It has been a while since I have seen a Nats starter in such control of an outing that deep into the game.

One key part of Griffin’s outing is that he did not walk anyone. That has been a trademark for him all season, but especially lately. In his last 7 starts, Griffin has just 5 walks in over 40 innings. Just seeing a Nats pitcher not beat themselves while also having the stuff to beat opposing hitters just gives me so much joy.

The Nats will have an interesting decision to make with Griffin at the deadline. He is only on a one-year deal, so there is a chance he could be moved. However, with how the Nats are playing, moving him is not the lock that it may have been earlier in the season. As Spencer Nusbaum put it, Griffin is one of the faces of Paul Toboni’s trade deadline conundrum. 

It would be wrong for Toboni not to at least explore the market. However, I also think it would be a mistake for Toboni to not check in with Griffin’s representation to see what an extension would look like. With underlying numbers that are more average than elite and stuff that does not jump off the page, Griffin might be more valuable to the Nats than he is on the trading block.

A Griffin trade is still obviously on the table, but an extension for 2 to 3 years should be as well. It all comes down to where the Nats are sitting in a month and what Griffin’s number would be. I doubt teams would pay Griffin the way most 3.15 ERA guys are paid in assets or money. That could make an extension easier, but this could be the best we get from Griffin. Just look at Erick Fedde, who had a great first season back from Asia and regressed after that.

This will be a complicated decision for the Nats front office. However, that is not the main focus right now. Instead, let’s close out by talking about how brilliant the lefty has been for this team. He was a real under the radar pickup, but has been one of the steals of the offseason. It is tough to imagine where the Nats would be without Griffin, but they sure would not be in a Wild Card race.

A 5-3 final score does not feel super lousy if you’re just hearing about it in passing. But if you watched any of the Yankees’ game last night in Detroit, it sure felt lousy.

A brief 1-0 lead was lost due to an ineffective Gerrit Cole, as he gave up an uncharacteristic nine hits and five runs, failing to get through five innings on 89 pitches. The Bombers bats didn’t do much against Framber Valdez, and only a two-run homer by Amed Rosario off Drew Anderson brought this back to a two-run game. Jasson Domínguez struck out with two on and two outs in the eighth, and that was the end of the Yanks’ last real threat. Bummer. The Yanks must get out of the muck today, or they’ll face a potential sweep and five-game skid at the hands of Tarik Skubal tomorrow.

The AL West-leading Mariners were idle on Monday, but here’s some of what else was going on around the Junior Circuit.

Tampa Bay Rays (43-32) 1, Kansas City Royals (33-46) 2

The Yankees’ two-game lead in the AL East remained intact because the Rays had their own lifeless showing in their own ballpark against an underachieving Royals team that didn’t have their best player at their disposal. Not great, Bob(by).

Fortunately for Kansas City, if they have any All-Star this year outside of Bobby Witt Jr., it’s starter Michael Wacha. He got to pitch Monday and handled the Rays pretty easily with seven innings of six-hit, one-run ball, pushing his innings total up to an AL-leading 101 through 16 starts. He only fanned five, but he made the right pitches in the counts he needed them, and this game was over in 2 hours and 13 minutes.

Tampa Bay ace Drew Rasmussen drew the short straw of this pitchers’ duel and lost despite a fair outing of six innings with four hits and two runs allowed. He actually leads the AL in WHIP and BB/9 with a sterling 0.884 and 1.6 respectively. He did walk two yesterday though and the first quickly burned him at the beginning of the second. Lane Thomas doubled in Michael Massey to score the game’s first run in the second, and he moved to third on the play.

Rasmussen buckled down to retire the next three batters in order with two K’s. In the fifth however, KC struck out again, this time with small ball. Nick Loftin got a hit and stole second, and following Rasmussen’s second free pass of the evening, capable catcher Carter Jensen drove Loftin in with a single to center. Rasmussen ended the inning on the next two pitches, but the insurance run was helpful for Wacha, as the Rays plated their only run in the home half of the frame, Yandy Díaz doubling in Richie Palacios with two outs.

Wacha stranded Díaz on a groundout by Jonny DeLuca and retired six of the next seven batters to end his outing with ease. The Rays ran themselves out of a threat in the eighth when a pinch-running Victor Mesa Jr. got thrown out on a stolen base attempt with two outs and masher Junior Caminero at the plate, who generally has runners in scoring position already when he steps up to bat. Oops. Alex Lange tossed a perfect ninth for KC, nailing down the one-run win.

Other Games

Toronto Blue Jays (39-39) 4, Houston Astros (37-43) 2: The Jays got back to .500 for the first time since May 29th. Ace Hunter Brown made his second start off the IL for the Astros, and though he allowed just one run, he was worked through three innings, tossing 85 pitches — one of which left the yard on a Kazuma Okamoto homer. Somewhat amusingly, the rest of the Toronto runs against the Houston bullpen all came on sacrifice flies, the most important coming off the bat of Myles Straw in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie. Those count! Dylan Cease struck out eight in 5.2 innings of two-run ball, though Braydon Fisher got the win with four key outs in middle relief.

Cleveland Guardians (41-38) 5, Chicago White Sox (40-37) 6: This was a spirited back-and-forth on the South Side! It was all Chicago for the first half and change, as Anthony Kay spun six shutout innings and a Randal Grichuk homer helped build a 3-0 lead. But Cleveland came alive with three in the seventh on three singles and two walks off reliever Grant Taylor. Sam Antonacci put the Pale Hose ahead with an RBI knock after the seventh-inning stretch, and manager Will Venable handed the lead to free-agent closer addition Seranthony Domínguez.

It’s been a bumpy road for Seranthony thus far in 2026 unfortunately, and he fell apart in the ninth. He walked Travis Bazzana and uncorked a wild pitch while Bazzana was already stealing, allowing the tying run to move up 90 feet. Patrick Bailey singled him in and Brayan Rocchio followed with an laser double to right. Bailey froze at third and Domínguez did fan Rhys Hoskins for the second out. But Chris Murphy entered and let Kyle Manzardo tie it up on a sacrifice fly that just barely scored Bailey upon replay review.

The more reliable Cade Smith had already thrown a scoreless eighth for Cleveland, and skipper Steven Vogt had no qualms about letting him go for the save in a second inning. Alas, the South Siders had one last rally in ’em. Braden Montgomery worked a one-out walk and Tristan Peters hit a check-swing/excuse-me double down the left field line to put two in scoring position. Pinch-hitter Jacob Gonzalez struck out swinging in his attempt to be the hero, but for the second time in three innings, Antonacci came through. Down to their last strike and in an 0-2 count, Antonacci took ball one, fouled two off, and then singled cleanly to center, scoring both Montgomery and Peters to walk off the Guardians. The two teams are in a virtual tie atop the AL Central.

Watch the full four-ish minute highlight package for this one! It’s a hoot.

As we close in on the 2026 MLB Draft, the focus on who the Atlanta Braves are looking at for the ninth overall pick has come into focus a bit. Names like Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick, Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, and Florida prep lefty Gio Rojas seem to be the names most prominently linked to the club. Massachusetts prep lefty Brody Bumila is also a name that has received some buzz. My goal is to start to break down who these players are and their strengths and weaknesses to prepare you for the newest Braves prospect.

We will continue the series by looking at Florida high school pitcher Gio Rojas, the lone pitcher and prep player being prominently linked to the Braves at #9.

Bio

Name: Gio Rojas

Position: Left-Handed Pitcher

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 195

College Commitment: Miami

High School: Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Coral Springs, FL)

Previously Drafted: N/A

Bats/Throws: R/L

Stats

2024: 4-0, 0.66 ERA, 0.47 WHIP, 41 K, 3 BB, 7 H, 21.1 IP, 5 Games

2025: 13-0, 0.72 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 120 K, 16 BB, 35 H, 68 IP, 14 Games

2026: 11-1, 0.58 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 124 K, 17 BB, 31 H, 72.2 IP, 13 Games

Fastball 60

Rojas has a big fastball up to 98 MPH from the left side, coming in with plenty of life. This is definitely a bat missing pitch that will grade out as a plus offering for him.

Slider 60

As good as his fastball is, the slider is his out pitch and comes in with very high spin rates. It’s just nasty and should be a pitch that will rack up the strikeouts for him as he continues to progress.

Changeup 50

Like many high school pitchers with a powerful arm, Rojas doesn’t use the changeup much in games because it actually gives his competition a better chance at being successful due to him taking something off his premium stuff. He does however have some feel for it and it should be a solid third offering for him – though this does take some projection to get to the average grade.

Command 55

Rojas is a strike thrower who has a chance to get to above average command in the future. He needs to clean up his mechanics a little bit, mostly by being more consistent all the time, but that is a coachable thing for an arm like him. Once that takes place, it’s not hard to see the 55 grade coming into play.

Overall

Rojas is a projectable, athletic young arm who only turns 19 about two weeks ahead of the draft. All of the ingredients are there for him to have top of the rotation potential. That is why he is not only the top ranked prep pitcher in this draft, but may even be the second best arm in this draft, behind only Jackson Flora.

He would almost certainly be an underslot option for the Braves at #9, but at the same time he wouldn’t come extremely cheap either. Even if you took the underslot out of things, he is probably my favorite option among the four most commonly linked players to the Braves – simply because he has the highest ceiling of those options.

Rojas ceiling is a potential ace, but with his stuff and command he also seems like a higher floor option than most prep arms. If the Braves did draft him I would count on him maybe seeing Augusta for a short stint this season, and he might get the chance to earn his way to Augusta in 2027 – similar to Briggs McKenzie from last year. He would potentially be a big league option mid-2029 at the earliest.