Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Good morning, baseball fans!

First, a note that this was written before yesterday’s “press conference,” so it will not include information about that or responses to that. Stay tuned until tomorrow on that front, because I have a lot to say, but not enough time at the moment.

Earlier this week, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley posted a response that he received from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. Hawley had initially reached out to MLB complaining that it was unfair to force the players to wear Pride hats in the first place, after their initial response to the San Francisco Giants pitchers who defaced theirs in the June 12th Pride Night game.

Manfred clearly didn’t want the full force of the United States Department of Justice to come down on MLB, so his response throws the Giants organization under the bus entirely, and probably unfairly. I’ll pull the most pertinent quote from Alex Simon’s reporting over at SFGate.

“Unfortunately, this year the Giants communication with players was inadequate and not clear. Some players apparently did not understand that they had the option to wear their normal uniform and elected to add messages to their hats bearing the pride logo as a result. The Giants players were allowed to wear the hats with the biblical references for the entire game. After the game had concluded, my office issued a routine oral warning about the uniform policy violation — unfortunately it was issued before we became aware of the Giants’ lapse in communication. The players were never fined or disciplined, nor will they ever be.

This reads as a load of blame-shifting garbage, in my opinion. It has been confirmed that members of the organization (such as manager Tony Vitello) were aware of the players’ plan to deface the hats well before the day of the game. So conversations were clearly had. Other players were well aware of their right to not wear the Pride uniforms at all if they didn’t want to. Because they chose not to.

While communication is clearly an issue within the organization, I don’t think the problem is with the team not letting the players know they weren’t required to wear the uniforms.

Also, and I cannot stress this enough, the players are grown adults with the ability to read their contracts and ask their teammates, coaches or organizational staff for clarification if they’re unsure about something. This reads as further infantilization of the players involved. See, they’re just wittle babies and no one told them they didn’t have to wear the uniforms!

If we decide to be generous and assume that any of this excuse is true, then that’s even more damning for the organization as a whole. Because what do you mean Vitello was aware of the protest and didn’t bother to inform the players involved that they didn’t have to wear them in the first place? Did he not know? And if so, why did he not bother to check?

This feels very much like an attempt by MLB to throw the Giants organization under the bus while also trying to state that the matter is now closed. It is absolutely not, but that is our update for today.

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants continue this three-game series against the Athletics tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.

Good morning.

• The Giants beat the Athletics last night, but other than that, things have been a whole bunch of awful for the team by the Bay. Grant Brisbee writes that the Giants are somehow making losing baseball look even worse (Free The Athletic reg. req.), including the Rafael Devers incident where he refused to leave for a pinch runner.
• Devers apologized to first-year manager Tony Vitello over the incident.
• However, Devers also blamed the media for making a big deal out of it all. (Free The Athletic reg. req.) Giants team president Buster Posey also defended Vitello, and said he still had the respect of the players. Ouch.
• On top of that, facing threatening letters from a US Senator and a threatened Civil Rights investigationfrom the Department of Justice, commissioner Rob Manfred blamed the Giants for not making clear that players were not required to wear Pride Caps. Manfred also reiterated that players are not allowed to write messages of any kind on their uniforms.
• Posey issued a statement about the Pride Night controversy, but then refused to answer any questions about it, despite repeated questions from reporters. (Free The Athletic reg. req.) Andrew Baggarly and Grant Brisbee report.
• Sarah Borus called the Giants “a stinking cesspool of bad vibes and bad baseball.”
• Maria Guardado reports that the Giants are open to trading pretty much any veteran other than Logan Webb.
• As long as we’re on the trade front, Jake Mintz, Jordan Schusterman and Russell Dorsey look at what kind of trade packages could land Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
• Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray said he would consider waiving his no-trade clause. Dayn Perry reports.
• Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said the team has “no plans” to trade center fielder Byron Buxton. Combined with Buxton saying he won’t waive his no-trade deal and it looks like he’s staying in the Twin Cities another year at least.
• Dayn Perry examines the slumping Braves and where they might get help in the trade market.
• Jay Jaffee looks at how bad the Freddy Peralta trade has been for the Mets.
• Jake Rill goes back over the trades the Orioles made this past winter and shows how much the team has benefitted from them.
• If you want to feel better about Cubs bullpen meltdowns, the Phillies were down two to the Nationals with two outs and no one on in the top of the ninth. The Phillies, who had been down to their final strike, then exploded for eight runs and won 14-9.
• Slightly better pitching news for the Nats comes from Spencer Nusbaum, who takes us inside their brand-new pitch design team. (Free The Athletic reg. req.) The article in particular looks at their work with Cade Cavalli.
• Anthony Castrovince has what we’ve learned through half a season already.
• Jeff Passan hands out his own original mid-season awards.
• David Schoenfield looks at the biggest strength of every playoff contender and whether those strengths will continue.
• Jason Foster has a few thoughts on the All-Star balloting.
• Travis Sawchik looks at the owners draft proposals and while he doesn’t like all of it, he does have some thoughts about what a better draft system might look like.
• Dan Szymborski estimates exactly how much money the owners’ draft proposal would cost the players. (Answer: a lot.)
• The Brewers released Luis Rengifo, who was their Opening Day starting third baseman.
• Davy Andrews tries to answer what’s wrong with Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan?
• A’s third baseman Zack Gelof had his 24-game hit streak end when he left the game after Giants third baseman Matt Chapman stepped on his hand with his spikes.
• Yankees manager Aaron Boone is upset that his second baseman, Jazz Chisholm, went out into the field with a lollipop in his mouth.
• Chisholm is also in the news for dealing with an exposed infield dirt camera by kicking dirt on it.
• This is an interesting article. Kiri Oler looks at which situations you should never use an ABS challenge.
• Cody Stavenhagen has the story of Tigers rookie Trei Cruz, who became a third-generation major leaguer after his grandfather José Cruz and father José Cruz Jr. (Free The Athletic reg. req.) The two younger ones all credit grandfather José’s determination and character for their success.
• Finally, let’s move on to the World Cup. Rays outfielder how much he idolizes Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi. Mesa has three Messi tattoos.
• Matt Slater went to Citizens Bank Park to ask Phillies fans about what they think of the World Cup.
• And finally, how do you get a loud, lively crown at a Marlins game? Just fill LoanDepot Park with Scotland’s “Tartan Army” fans. Since the Marlins were playing the Rangers, I’m almost surprised the Scotland fans didn’t come to blows with half of them cheering for the Rangers and the other half cheering for the Marlins, whom they insist on calling “Celtic” for some reason.

Juan Soto left the Mets’ series opener against the Cubs early last night, and the team announced that he was experiencing tightness in his lower left back. After he was removed from the game, SNY showed replays of his at-bats earlier in the evening, during which he appeared to be in discomfort after swinging the bat.

With Francisco Lindor returning as soon as today, any time that Soto might miss with the back issue would be another cruel twist in the team’s already-embarrassing season. The team’s two best players, Lindor and Soto have appeared together in just nine of the team’s 78 games thus far this season. Soto suffered a calf injury that landed him on the injured list from April 4 through April 22, and in the very game that he returned to the field, Lindor suffered an even worse calf injury that’s kept him off the major league field for two months.

The Mets say that Soto is day-to-day with his back tightness. Here’s hoping that’s really the case and that he’s feeling better soon. At 34-44, it’s silly to talk about a potential comeback in the Wild Card race, but the Mets would simply be more enjoyable to watch if their two best players were on the field at the same time.

No one expected JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker to be two of the best players in MLB. I had a hunch Wetherholt would be good, but not THIS good. I don’t think anyone realized the level of defensive range he brought, or the poise at the plate. I sure didn’t, at least.

Jordan Walker is the albatross causing much discussion on the true plans of Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals. He wasn’t supposed to be this for real-good and has been providing a lot of run creation dynamics. I suppose plans might be different if he was a non-factor.

As it stands with the 2026 versions of JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, the Cardinals position players are a top 5 MLB team, with only the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, and Nationals ahead of them. And all but the Nationals (maybe?) spent a ton more than the Cardinals did to reach that total fWAR. The Cardinals are one of 10 teams to have produced at least 10 fWAR on the position side.

Look out now! the Cardinals are in a home run race vs the Cubbies! We are only 3 HR behind and the Cubs have played less games. Fun!

Perhaps, surprisingly, the Cardinals are one of the only team defenses in MLB that show as a net positive on fangraphs. Just outside the top 5, the Cardinals are not a liability on defense. Mostly because the middle infielders and center fielders offset the rest of the team, but it’s a good run prevent defense overall.

Is this positional player advantage some sort of mirage? Perhaps the team’s xwOBA can give us a hint: the Cardinals are the third best team in MLB on baseball savant according to xwOBA! This offense is maybe just starting to click.

That said, this is an offense forward team with good enough defense to make the pitching a little better than it is. The real question is if the pitching can actually improve enough to carry this team forward. Just as the offense seems like it is just beginning to tap into its true potential, the pitching staff shows few signs of encouragement. It almost seems like a miracle that the team is doing this well, considering that the pitching feels like it has been neglected at least to some extent by the organization. And if they deal away Dustin May, it will lose one of the only focal points to the season when it comes to the pitching staff. After him flirting with no hitters this year, he has stolen the spotlight.

***

One thing I’ve noticed about St Louis after moving here is that it loves its heavy metal bands. Hopefully, the fight of the metal can be instilled into the winning ways of this tenacious team. As part of a weekly writing project, I present to you a whole truckload of heavy metal for hardball fans! This focuses on 1991. Enjoy some black coffee with this!

1991 Heavy Metal Edition

• Sepultura – ‘Arise’ death thrash at its finest! This one put Brazil’s Sepultura on the world map, paving the way for the big success of ‘Chaos AD’ and ‘Roots’ as the decade progressed away from old school death metal sounds. On ‘Arise’, you will hear their early sound perfected into a masterpiece level recording. All killer, no filler, and Sepultura at their very best. One of my favorite heavy metal album covers as well…
• Corrosion of Conformity – ‘Blind’ more Headbanger’s Ball action here. Blind was COC’s only album with Karl Agell on vocals (love it or hate it). They were at their heaviest on this album, with massively dark and chunky thrash riffs and a pessimistic view of the future with a political bent. If you want to hear one of the most overlooked and/or underrated thrash metal albums of all time, look no further.
• Prong – ‘Prove You Wrong’ more MTV late night action! This is my favorite Prong album, mainly because that bass tone is absolutely insane. The last Prong album with Troy Gregory on bass, and the perfection of their early days sound out of NYC. Another forgotten classic metal album!
• Morbid Angel – ‘Blessed Are The Sick’ Morbid Angel as their ferocious early selves, one of their best albums and maybe even better than fan favorite from a couple of years prior, ‘Altars of Madness’. Death Metal Hall of Fame type album. My favorite OG Tampa Bay death metal band, with honorable mention to Death.
• Immolation – ‘Dawn of Possession’ NYC’s answer to Tampa Bay death metal, Immolation came storming onto the scene in 1991 with Dawn of Possession, a death metal sound like no other and as extreme as it gets. Another death metal classic! But a little more underground than the first four.
• Melvins – ‘Bullhead’ the Melvins further hone their Gluey Porch Treatments/Ozma sound into fan favorite sludge metal masterpiece Bullhead. On this album you can hear the song “Boris” which ended up being a similar Japanese band that named themselves after a Melvins song! The song “Zodiac” might be my favorite on the album, though.
• Death – ‘Human’ Chuck Schuldiner assembles a supergroup of studio musicians to learn his death metal creative vision and records this masterpiece! One of the first progressive technical death metal albums of all time, but possibly influenced by Atheist and Nocturnus releases a year prior.
• Protector – ‘A Shedding of Skin’ an unexpected find, I don’t think I would ever listen to a band like Protector if I was not purposely trying to find hidden gems, but this is one of the best-produced and overlooked heavy metal albums off all time, a total classic even upon first listen. Finding stuff like this makes it all worth it.
• Carcass – ‘Necroticism, Descanting the Insalubrious’ grindcore originators continue with the goregrind but make it a little more death grind. Lyrics featuring obscure medical terms and social commentary decorate so much fast shredding! Utter musical insanity.
• Atheist – ‘Unquestionable Presence’
• Coroner – ‘Mental Vortex’ Swiss technical thrash metal, laid down with cold timekeeping precision.
• Sadistik Exekution – ‘The Magus’ so fast as to be a blur, these Australian legends produced some of most rough, chaotic and raw extreme metal from anywhere in the world. One of a kind! An acquired taste.
• Massacra – ‘Enjoy The Violence’ more wild heavy metal from 1991! What a find! A bad message/dumb album title, but a fun listen nonetheless. Another hidden gem.
• Idolatry – ‘Devastation’ this is the kind of music I listen to when I do cardio at the gym. And yep, another hidden gem 1991 heavy metal find!
• Convulse – ‘World Without God’ some of the darkest, most brutal underground death metal you’ll find. Crusty tomb sounds. Way ahead of their times, there would be more death metal bands that sound like this years later.
• Bolt Thrower – ‘War Master’ the only heavy metal band to have a tie-in with a board game, Warhammer 40k! Literally the soundtrack to a fantasy miniature based war board game. And the music really does kick ass, this is no gimmick.
• O.L.D. – ‘Low Flux Tube’ perhaps the band MOST ahead of their time! No pun intended. No one else sounded like this back then. The weirdest band on the list, except for perhaps the mighty Melvins. Alt metal weirdness with high-energy fun sounds. Hidden gem!
• Jumpin Jesus – ‘The Art of Crucifying’ more weirdo metal you’ve never heard of, I find both the name of the band and the name of the album utterly ridiculous, but that was 1991 for ya! This is a real freakin’ good heavy metal album that all fans of the genre should hear.
• Morgoth – ‘Cursed’ an album about the Cubs!
• Revenant – ‘Prophecies of a Dying World’ there were PLENTY of warnings about environmental collapse that were unheeded, and yet here we are. Still dying… top tier death metal here.
• Gorefest – ‘Mindloss’ it’s like death metal hatched a giant egg of amazingly heavy bands in 1991! I can’t get enough of these heavy heavy old school death metal riffs…
• Sarcofago – ‘The Laws of Scourge’ the lesser know South American death metal band on the list, but faster and deadlier… probably just as influential as Sepultura, or close.
• Invocator – ‘Excursion Demise’ and the award for album cover that looks most like an old school Magic The Gathering card goes to: Invocator!
• Anacrusis – ‘Manic Impressions’ Anacrusis (as relatively unknown as they were) were one of the biggest heavy metal bands from St Louis in the 90’s! Check ‘em out!
• Skin Chamber – ‘Wound’ industrial metal at its finest! to round out 25 ultra heavy albums from 35 years ago

Tune in the same time tonight for more Cardinals hardball action at 6:45pm in St Louis vs the Diamondbacks! Cardinals stand 6.5 games behind the overachieving Brewers and a game and a half up on the cursed Cubbies, which is good for the first wild card. But, the Cubs are 7-3 over the last 10 games so they are on the upswing again. Watch out, Cardinals. There’s over half a season left to play. Do well.

Nate Eaton, known this spring as The Pride of Great Britain, has brought a spark of interest to the Red Sox lineup. He’s still Nate Eaton, a guy who didn’t stick in Kansas City during some lean years, but sometimes you need a presence. Mickey Gasper is all mustache, no real bat, glove, or arm. Nate Eaton fills that final roster spot (yes, they are both on the roster now) in a more useful way.

In the fall of 2025, as Roman Anthony went down, Nate Eaton came up. He had brief appearances in June, July, and August, but September was his time. Down the stretch Eaton hit an absurd .370/.420/.478 with a home run and 6 steals. He played all three outfield positions and third base. He pinch ran. That’s utility outfielder work.

This is one of the problems with the Red Sox outfield logjam. We’ll ignore that Roman Anthony has been injured for a minute here. The Red Sox went inot the 2026 season with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida as the outfield/DH rotation. To his credit, Alex Cora (and later Chad Tracy) said that the priority would be to keep the Gold Glovers – Rafaela and Abreu – in the outfield and rotation the DH among Anthony, Duran, and Yoshida. Which is a solid plan. But it was missing something: outfield flexibility.

Duran can cover left and center. Masa can cover left (kinda) but might need a defensive replacement at some point. Roman Anthony could cover right field but he’s probably your left fielder or DH. And Rafaela was scheduled for center field and that’s it. No infield for him, and no DH rotation, though maybe as an occasional “half day off.”

Given the talent, if you’re looking to field your best team, Anthony, Rafaela, and Abreu are in there every game. That leaves you with a left/center fielder (Duran) and a left fielder (Masa) as the DH and guy off the bench. This lead to, while Anthony was on the IL and before Nate Eaton was called up, Wilyer Abreu playing every inning of right field. Which is not ideal.

And, in addition to another source of right-handed power, that’s where the roster fell short all season so far. There are more roster spots than ever at 26 and yet it felt like the team was always shorthanded. Which brings us back to Nate Eaton.

In six games – obviously a small sample size – the utility outfielder is hitting .333/.467/.750. More importantly, he was able to pinch hit in two games and pinch run in another. In three games he was the starter relieving Rafaela, then Abreu, then Duran in center, right, and left field, respectively. He’s stolen two bases. Last night he started the game with a leadoff walk.

Should Eaton be the leadoff hitter? He has a career .293 OBP so probably not. Can he fill in there? No one else has claimed it in Anthony’s absence so he can’t really be worse than some of the options that have cycled through if you’re playing matchups. And while it’s old school, having his speed in front of your better hitters is worth something. Being right handed helps too. Last night’s Rockies starter, Sean Sullivan, is a lefty so maybe that was all the thinking behind it. A low OBP leadoff guy is definitely not ideal, even with speed. Mostly we’ll see Eaton off the bench.

But he was a spark in September 2025. He’s flexible defensively. He hits from the side they need. He can run. As it becomes increasingly difficult to find positives while watching these games, he’s providing a high likelihood of something enjoyable to watch. Maybe that Great Britain team was right on their roster choice, even if they couldn’t nail down Aroldis Chapman.

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Doug Jones, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 2021, Four Cubs pitchers combine on the seventh no-hitter of the season, one shy of the all-time record, in a 4-0 win over the Dodgers. Zach Davies pitches the first six innings, then Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel add one inning each to complete the feat , and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1908 – Honus Wagner does it all today, smacking a home run and double, then breaking a 3-3 tie with an eighth-inning single. He ends his scoring with a steal of home as the Pirates win, 5-3, over the Reds.
• 1933 – Arky Vaughan hits for the cycle, as the Pirates beat the Dodgers, 15-3.
• 1947 – The Dodgers win, 4-2, over the Pirates, as Jackie Robinson swipes home for the first of 19 times in his career.
• 1955 – In an 18-7 loss to the Tigers, Senators 18-year-old rookie third baseman Harmon Killebrew hits his first major league home run off Billy Hoeft. “Killer” will finish his 22-year Hall of Fame career with 573 homers.
• 1960 – Willie Mays hits two home runs, singles, steals home, and makes ten putouts to lead the Giants in a 5-3 win at Cincinnati. Mays has three RBI and three runs scored.
• 1983 – Milwaukee’s Don Sutton strikes out Alan Bannister in the eighth inning of a 3-2 win over Cleveland to become the eighth pitcher in major league history with 3,000 career strikeouts.
• 1991 – California’s Dave Winfield goes 5 for 5 and hits for the cycle as the Angels defeat Kansas City, 9-4. In so doing, he becomes the oldest player in history (39) to accomplish the feat. 
• 1993 – Carlton Fisk of the White Sox, plays his 2,226th and final major league game, surpassing Bob Boone‘s record of 2,225 for most games caught. Fisk reluctantly retires with 3,999 total bases, the most ever for a catcher. 
• 1994 – Aided by a nine-run 6th inning, Houston goes on to defeat the Dodgers, 16-4. 1B Jeff Bagwell drives home six of the Astros’ runs as he slugs three homers, including two in the sixth inning. He is the 28th player in major league history to homer twice in the same inning.
• 1997 – At Seattle, the Mariners fall to the Athletics, 4-1, despite a 19-strikeout performance by Randy Johnson. The 19 Ks are the most ever by an American League left-hander. Mark McGwire turns one Johnson fastball into a homer that travels an estimated 538 feet.
• 2000 – The Reds beat the Padres, 11-5, as Barry Larkin goes 5 for 5 with two home runs, four RBIs, and four runs scored.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1894 – The Chicago Colts score five runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead over Baltimore, but the National League leaders respond with three runs in the bottom of the inning to claim an 11-10 win.
• 1905 – Chicago Cubs rookie right-hander Ed Reulbach wins an 18-inning marathon duel with the Cards’ Jack Taylor, 2-1, in St. Louis. First baseman Frank Chance has 27 putouts and two assists for Chicago.
• 1915 – With two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Heinie Zimmerman swipes home to give Chicago a 14-13 win over the visiting Cardinals.
• 2023 –Major League Baseball returns to London for the first time since 2019 as the Cubs defeat the Cardinals, 9-1, at London Olympic Stadium in the London Series.

Cubs Birthdays:Christopher Morel, Doug Jones*, Ken Reitz, Rollie Hemsley, Bill Hanlon, Jack Katoll, Jake Stenzel.

Today in history:

• 1374 – Sudden outbreak of St. John’s Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
• 1853 – US President Franklin Pierce signs the Gadsden Purchase, buying 29,670 square-miles (76,800 square km) from Mexico for $10 million (now southern Arizona and New Mexico).
• 1889 – Butch Cassidy commits his first bank robbery with Warner and two McCarty brothers at the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride; they steal about $21,000, equivalent to about $735,000 today.
• 1963 – First demonstration of a home video recorder at BBC Studios in London.
• 1968 – Joe Frazier stops Mexican challenger Manuel Ramos in 2nd round TKO at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in his first heavyweight boxing title defense.
• 1973 – Marlene Raymond (15), limboes under a flaming bar at 6 1/8″.
• 2013 – Stanley Cup Final, TD Garden, Boston, MA: Chicago Blackhawks defeat Boston Bruins, 3-2 for 4-2 series victory; Blackhawks’ 5th Championship.

*pictured.

Usually, we eschew stories about other sports, but this is a pretty funny Phillies connection to be made. The Trail Blazers hired Micah Nori as their next head coach. Does that name sound familiar?

Every story is local: Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori’s dad is an NBA head coach now. https://t.co/DwrSdAasP6

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) June 23, 2026

Philadelphia truly is the center of the sports universe.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Alan Rangel was actually pretty good Monday night in his audition for the fifth starter’s spot. The team looks committed to him for now ($).
• Good or bad, Bryce Harper’s cycle on Saturday night does not happen unless he uses his trademark aggressive baserunning ($).

MLB news:

• Benny Montgomery was the eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft. He’s retiring from the game having never made it to The Show.
• Even as they say things like this about Byron Buxton, I’ll believe the Twins aren’t trading him when the deadline has passed.
• The CBA negotiations are going to be rough with the draft now a focus of attention. What if that draft were built over, starting from scratch?

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/1-0)

SYRACUSE 9, LEHIGH VALLEY 6 (BOX)

Deadlocked at 0-0 for the first few innings, Syracuse finally broke the ice with a two-run fourth but they wouldn’t hold the lead for long, as the IronPigs plated four runs in the bottom of the inning on a Dylan Moore grand slam. Syracuse scratched back, scoring a run apiece in the fifth and sixth, and despite allowing another Lehigh Valley run in the bottom of the sixth, retook the lead in the seventh, when the rehabbing Francisco Lindor led off the inning getting on base thanks to an error and Tyrone Taylor drove him in with a home run to left center. After a balk in the bottom of the inning tied things up at 6-6, those rehabbers once again had an impact on the game in the top of the eighth. Lindor singled, Taylor doubled, and with runners on second and third, Ronny Mauricio singled to drive both home and give Syracuse the lead, a lead they would finally hold onto.

·  REHAB ALERT SS Francisco Lindor: 2-5, 2 R

·  SS Grae Kessinger: 0-0

·  REHAB ALERT CF Tyrone Taylor: 3-5, 3 R, 2B, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 K

·  CF Cristian Pache: 0-0

·  REHAB ALERT 3B Ronny Mauricio: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, K, SB (7)

·  1B Ryan Clifford: 1-4, RBI, BB, 2 K

·  RF Nick Morabito: 2-4, 2 R, BB, 2 K, 2 SB (23, 24)

·  LF Ji Hwan Bae: 1-2, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB (26)

·  C Kevin Parada: 0-4, BB, 2 K

·  DH Hayden Senger: 0-5, RBI, 2 K

·  2B Vidal Bruján: 0-3, R, 2 BB

·  RHP Jack Wenninger: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

·  RHP Guillo Zuñiga: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP

·  RHP Joey Gerber: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Dan Hammer: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

·  LHP Jefry Yan: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, BLK, W (1-0), BS (1)

·  RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (2)

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets optioned CF Jared Oliva to Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets placed 2B Andy Ibáñez on the 7-day injured list.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/0-1)

ERIE 10, BINGHAMTON 2 (BOX)

Nick Lorusso homered in the top of the first to give the Rumble Ponies an early 1-0 lead, but the SeaWolves reversed things in the fourth with a big six-run inning and controlled the rest of the game from there on in. Jose Ramos hit a solo homer of his own in the sixth, but a lot of good it did, as it was Binghamton’s only additional run. So much for the Rumble Ponies starting the second half on the right hoof.

·  C Chris Suero: 0-4, 4 K

·  CF Jose Ramos: 1-4, R, HR (11), RBI, 3 K

·  3B Nick Lorusso: 1-4, R, HR (12), RBI

·  1B JT Schwartz: 0-3, BB, K

·  DH Vincent Perozo: 0-4, K

·  RF Matt Rudick: 1-4, 2B, K

·  SS Wyatt Young: 1-4, 2B, K

·  2B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-4, K, SB (1)

·  LF Nick Lucky: 1-3

·  RHP Bryce Conley: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, L (1-3)

·  RHP Danis Correa: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Brian Metoyer: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Justin Armbruester: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, BLK

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/1-3)

BROOKLYN 8, JERSEY SHORE 7 / 10 (BOX)

Both teams scored a few runs in the early innings, but Jersey Shore landed what seemed at the time to be the decisive blow, plating five runs in the fifth and surging ahead to a 7-3 lead. To their credit, the Cyclones kept things competitive, scoring three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to bring them within one. A few innings later, in the eighth, the recently reassigned Sam Biller successfully plated that run, tying things at 7-7. In the tenth inning, Hoss Brewer hunkered down and was able to prevent the BlueClaws from scoring. In the bottom of the inning, Daiverson Gutierrez led off the inning and drove the first pitch he saw in the zone for a line drive into left that the fielder played poorly to win the ballgame.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 1-4, 2 R, BB, SB (25), E (4)

·  DH Ronald Hernandez: 1-5, R, 2 K

·  CF-2B Yonatan Henriquez: 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 K, CS (5)

·  RF-CF John Bay: 1-5, 2 R, 2B, RBI

·  C Daiverson Gutierrez: 2-5, R, RBI, 2 K

·  1B Corey Collins: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 E (2, 3)

·  3B Colin Houck: 1-4, RBI, 3 K

·  LF-RF JT Benson: 3-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B, HR (3), RBI

·  2B Jamari Baylor: 0-1, BB

·  PH-LF Sam Biller: 1-2, RBI, K

·  RHP Nicolas Carreno: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HBP

·  RHP Hunter Hodges: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP

·  RHP Robert Stock: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

·  RHP Parker Carlson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Hoss Brewer: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (2-3)

ROSTER ALERT: OF Sam Biller assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones activated SS Jamari Baylor from the 7-day injured list.

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/2-1)

ST. LUCIE 6, FORT MYERS 2 (BOX)

The St. Lucie Mets were on the basepaths all evening, logging 10 hits, drawing 4 walks, and getting on base an additional 4 more times thanks to defensive miscues on the part of the Mighty Mussels. They made the most of those opportunities, stealing eight bases in ten attempts. The team hit only two extra base hits, a Julio Zayas double in the first and a Jeremy Rodriguez double in the fourth, but kept the train going, scoring six runs; with a few more extra base hits, this one could’ve been a true blowout, as St. Lucie only went 3-18 with runners in scoring position and left 9 runners on base.

·  SS Elian Peña: 0-4, R, BB, SB (22)

·  CF Trey Snyder: 2-5, 2 R, K, 3 SB (5, 6, 7)

·  3B Antonio Jimenez: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB (8), 2 CS (3, 4)

·  DH Julio Zayas: 4-5, 2B, 3 RBI

·  LF Branny De Oleo: 0-4, BB, 3 K

·  RF Simon Juan: 1-5, K, SB (4)

·  2B Jeremy Rodriguez: 1-4, R, 2B

·  C Francisco Toledo: 1-4, SB (3)

·  1B Jack Scanlon: 0-3, K, HBP, SB (1), E (2)

·  RHP Emilio Obispo: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Zack Mack: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W (2-0)

·  RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, HBP

·  RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, WP

ROSTER ALERT: 2B Taylor Darden assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.

Rookie: FCL Mets (15-20)

FCL CARDINALS 7, FCL METS 4 (BOX)

·  CF Wyatt Vincent: 0-2, K, E (1)

·  LF Adolfo Miranda: 1-1, RBI, BB

·  LF-CF Bohan Adderley: 2-4, R, 2B, K

·  DH Yovanny Rodriguez: 2-4, 2B, RBI

·  C Josmir Reyes: 0-3, E (4)

·  2B Anthony Frobose: 1-3, R, 2B, 2 K

·  SS Yorber Semprun: 0-3, K

·  RF Heriberto Rincon: 2-3, R, RBI, SB (11)

·  1B Yeider Mindiola: 0-3, 3 K

·  3B Vladi Gomez: 2-3, R, SB (20), E (5)

·  RHP Calvin Ziegler: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, L (0-1)

·  RHP Wilmer Lugo: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, WP

·  RHP Roberto Pena: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HBP

·  RHP Jose Lopez: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

ROSTER ALERT: OF Heriberto Rincon assigned to FCL Mets from St. Lucie Mets.

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Tyrone Taylor

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Bryce Conley

As a Guardians fan you may not be very familiar with Kody Huff, but you are way too familiar with Gabriel Arias. Let’s adjust the familiarity vortex there, real soon.

Gabriel Arias currently has a 54 wRC+ and a 46% strikeout rate. I think it is fair to note that his planned rehab was cut short by the injury to José Ramírez. Still, for his career, Arias has a 74 wRC+ and a 34% strikeout rate. Among ML hitters with 1,000 or more plate appearances since 2022, he ranks last with a swinging strike rate north of 20%. He is just a terrible hitter.

Enter Kody Huff. Acquired from the Rockies for Cal Quantrill, Huff is a right-handed hitter having a breakout season as a 25 year-old in Cleveland. Huff has a 141 wRC+ with a 17/15 K/BB%, with a home OPS of 979 at Columbus and a .875 OPS in road games. He also has a 1.012 OPS against LHP this year. Admittedly, his wOBA of .407 is belied a bit by a .366 xwOBA… but .366 reduced down to, I don’t know, .315 in the bigs would still be a huge improvement over current options, especially if it included production vs. southpaws. Huff has seen his hitting output skyrocket with slightly higher exit velos (+1 mph in average exit velo) and moving about 9% of his prior groundball rate to line drives and 6% to flyballs. Nothing looks particularly unsustainable… he simply seems to have made some hitting growth later in his development, as catchers often do.

“Aha, he’s a catcher,” you say. “How can we fit him on the roster with our catching all-stars Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges??” Leaving aside all sarcasm there (Bailey and Hedges are excellent defenders and both have hit fine with Cleveland this year), Huff has started 20 games at first base and 9 at third base this year.

Huff is fine at third base. He has a good arm and looks smooth picking the ball. He may actually be a pretty good first baseman. And he’s got a solid reputation as a catcher. I think the team should pause Huff’s catching work and tell him, “Kid, you are gonna fill in for José and get some great reps at third base.” Then, DFA Arias (who will get through waivers, and if he doesn’t, who cares?) and add Huff to the roster. If he hits and Jose is back, then keep Huff in the David Fry role.

It’s probably bad that I want to solve our offensive woes with catchers. But in Ingle and Huff, I see professional hitters. And we need more of those in Cleveland, by George. Get Huff the magic dragon up!

The Detroit Tigers’ four-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night in a 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees to even up the three-game home series. Casey Mize cruised through the first five frames before surrendering three runs in the sixth and the offense just did not have enough gas to get over the hump before they ran out of time.

On Wednesday night, left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his third start since returning from the injured list after having an innovative nanoscope procedure performed on his pitching elbow. The 29-year-old has not found his old form just yet, posting a 4.35 ERA and a 5.42 FIP in his last two games stretching over 10 1/3 innings of work, allowing 12 hits (three home runs) and two walks while striking out 12 and hitting a batter.

Up against him will be fellow southpaw Ryan Weathers, who is having his best season since his 2024 campaign with the Miami Marlins. The 26-year-old hit a rough patch recently, putting up an 8.47 ERA and a 7.63 FIP over three starts stretching across 17 frames before bouncing back his last time out, allowing one run on a solo shot over 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight vs. one walk for a no-decision in a 5-1 home loss against the Chicago White Sox.

Here is a look at how the two matchup in the series finale.

Detroit Tigers (34-45) vs. New York Yankees (47-31)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Pinstripe Alley
Media: Detroit SportsNet, Amazon Prime Video, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 80: LHP Tarik Skubal (3-3, 3.02 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Weathers (2-5, 4.13 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Skubal	9	53.2	26.9	3.8	45.7	2.75	1.5
Weathers	14	80.2	27.2	6.7	43.0	4.33	0.9

SKUBAL

WEATHERS

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 7-2 at Indianapolis Indians

3B Oswaldo Cabrera 3-6, 2 RBI, 2 K, fielding error – after a dreadful start to the year, Oswaldo has come alive with a .967 OPS in June
2B Marco Luciano 2-4, BB, K, SB
RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, BB, 2 K, GIDP
CF Garrett Martin 3-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 K, SB – he did it all last night
1B Tyler Hardman 0-5, 3 K
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-2, 3 BB, K, SB
SS Jonathan Ornelas 0-4, 2 K
C Payton Henry 0-4, K
LF Duke Ellis 1-4, RBI, BB, K

Alexander Cornielle 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 K
Zach Messinger 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 0 K
Carson Coleman 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (win)
Yordanny Cruz 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (hold) – good to see a steady outing from Cruz
Bradley Hanner 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Mighty Martin 💪💪💪

443 ft. | 111.6 mph #RepBXpic.twitter.com/XcHZrieWKf

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) June 24, 2026

Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 4-0 at New Hampshire River Cats – Somerset stifled, four hits, all singles

LF Jackson Castillo 2-3, BB, SB
CF Jace Avina 0-4, K
RF DJ Gladney 1-3, BB, K
DH Nick Torres 1-4
3B Coby Morales 0-4, K
C Tomas Frick 0-3
1B Josh Moylan 0-2, BB, K
SS Owen Cobb 0-3, 2 K
2B Connor McGinnis 0-3, K

Cade Smith 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR (loss) – probably the 24-year-old’s best start of the year, tough luck loss
Chris Kean 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Tony Rossi 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Cade Smith (@Yankees No. 16 Prospect) notched his THIRD quality start of the season! 🤩

6.0 IP | 5 H | 1 R | 2 BB | 7 K pic.twitter.com/h6P4pcAVOc

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) June 23, 2026

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 5-4 at Bowling Hot Rods

3B Kaeden Kent 1-5, K
SS Core Jackson 1-4, 2 K, throwing error
DH Eric Genther 0-4, RBI, 2 K
1B Kyle West 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, K
RF Wilson Rodriguez 2-3, BB
2B Roderick Arias 1-4, 2 K, SB
C Josue Gonzalez 0-3, RBI, SF
CF Camden Troyer 0-4, K
LF Luis Durango 2-4, 2B, SB

Bryce Cunningham 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR – 2024 second-rounder has given up three runs over his last three starts
Hansel Rincon 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Brandon Decker 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Aaron Nixon 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold)
Brady Kirtner 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB 0 K (loss, blown save)

Kyle West with the homer of the night 🤩 pic.twitter.com/VUYZAPxfT1

— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) June 24, 2026

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 3-1 at Dunedin Blue Jays

3B Jackson Lovich 0-4, K
CF Brando Mayea 0-4
DH Luis Puello 0-4, K
LF Logan Maxwell 0-1, BB, SB
LF Gabriel Lara 0-2, K
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 2-3, RBI, SF, SB
RF Willy Montero 1-4, 2B, 2 K
1B Hans Montero 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB
C Engelth Urena 0-3, K
2B Luis Escudero 0-2, BB, 2 K

Justin West 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K (win)
Kevin Stevens 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (hold)
Greysen Carter 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K (hold)
Matthew Tippie 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (save)

Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 10-6 (7) vs. FCL Tigers

3B Richard Matic 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, K
CF Wilberson De Pena 1-1, 2B, 3 BB, 2 SB, fielding error – a nice .417 OBP on the year for the 19-year-old
DH Queni Pineda 0-3, BB, 2 K
2B Leni Done 0-3, RBI, BB, K, SB
LF Jose Castro 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, CS
RF Francisco Vilorio 0-3, K
SS Dexters Peralta 0-3, fielding error
C Justin Capellan 1-3, 2B, K, throwing error
1B Christofer Reyes 0-3

Hueston Morrill 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Jerson Alejandro 1 IP, 0 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 1 K
Sunayro Martina 0.2 IP, 3 H, 6 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 0 K (loss) – a 4-1 fourth-inning lead evaporated quickly
Rafael Arias 1.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR
Edinzo Marquez 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Brian Arias 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 11-3 vs. DSL Cardinals

DH Isaias Castillo 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB
SS Stiven Marinez 1-5, 3B, RBI, K, fielding error
CF Yostin Pena 3-4, K, 2 SB
2B Juan Torres 2-3, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB
1B Cesar Lopez 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB
C Juan Martinez 1-3, K, SB
L Manuel Aguilar 1-4, 2B, 3 K
RF Eliezer Adames 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
3B Emmanuel Orozco 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB

Fredy Penuelas 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 4 K
Angel Salazar 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (win) — one of the cleanest DSL lines you’ll see
Luis Ilarraza 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 3 K (hold)
Varis Villarreal 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 12-5 at DSL Tigers 2

SS Mani Cedeno 1-5, 2B, 2 K
2B Carlos Bello 2-4, 2 2B, K, SB
C Alessandro Rodriguez 0-3, RBI, BB, K, SB, two throwing errors, one pickoff error – oops
RF David Carrera 1-4, HR, RBI, K
3B Kevin Beltre 0-4, K
DH Poly Ojeda 0-1, 2 BB
1B Adrian Feliz 0-2, K
1B Jesus Guerrero 1-2, 2B, RBI, K
LF Sebastian Pinto 0-1, BB
LF Eddison Charles 1-2, K, SB
CF Alfiery Matos 0-4, K

Randy Angomas 2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 4 K
Kevin Centeno 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Carlos Hampshire 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 2 K
Lenin Caceres 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

The Milwaukee Brewers continue to boast arguably the top farm system in all of baseball and that’s even with a large number of graduations that have happened through the first two and a half months of the season. Because of those graduations, and a pretty good sample size of play down in the minor leagues, it’s time to make some updates and adjustments to our Brewers Top 50 prospects list from the pre-season.

There are some notable risers and fallers with their performances early this season. The recently extended Luis Lara is certainly one of them with his breakout season. But he’s not the biggest riser on this list.

Biggest risers: 2B/LF Dylan O’Rae (+17 spots), OF Braylon Payne (+16), RHP Jayden Dubanewicz (+14), RHP Jaron DeBerry (+10), OF Luis Lara (+9)

Biggest fallers: 1B/3B Eric Bitonti (-8 spots), RHP Melvin Hernandez (-4), OF Jose Anderson (OUT)

Graduations: RHP Brandon Sproat, RHP Logan Henderson, LHP Robert Gasser, LHP Shane Drohan, RHP Carlos Rodriguez, 1B/LF Tyler Black

1. Jesus Made, SS

2. Luis Pena, SS

3. Cooper Pratt, SS

There are no changes to the top three spots in the Brewers farm system. However, since the pre-season, Jesus Made has vaulted to the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball status and Cooper Pratt signed an eight year contract extension with the Brewers. Pratt was recently called up to make his MLB debut and has taken over the starting shortstop job in Milwaukee, which will likely be his for years to come, that is unless one of the other two names above him take that title.

4. Luis Lara, OF (Up 9)
5. Jett Williams, SS (Down1)
6. Josh Adamczewski, IF/OF (Up 8)

Luis Lara and Josh Adamczewski are the big risers into the Top 10 in this update. Lara has completely crushed Triple-A pitching and earned himself a long-term contract extension from the Brewers. It’ll only be a matter of time before he joins Cooper Pratt in Milwaukee. Jett Williams has struggled a bit offensively this year, leading to Lara surpassing him. Josh Adamczewski also put up big numbers in High-A Wisconsin before earning the mid-season promotion to Double-A Biloxi.
7. Jeferson Quero, C (Up 2)
8. Andrew Fischer, 3B (Up 2)
9. Blake Burke, 1B (Up 3)

Jeferson Quero continues to be blocked by William Contreras and Gary Sanchez, though he was able to make his MLB debut earlier this season. Quero has been solid in Triple-A and is ready when an opportunity presents itself. Andrew Fischer has been the talk of this Brewers system almost with his home run barrage this summer that pushed him up to Double-A. The strikeout rate is still a concern long-term, but in spite of it he’s hitting nearly .300 with an OPS over 1.100. Blake Burke, another former Tennessee Volunter, is also mashing in Biloxi with 15 homers himself, plus even more stolen bases. Keep an eye on Burke.
10. Bishop Letson, RHP (Down 2)
11. Marco Dinges, C —
12. Tyson Hardin, RHP (Up 4)
13. Braylon Payne, OF (Up 16)
14. Coleman Crow, RHP (Up 9)

Bishop Letson really struggled to start the season in Double-A, but has finally started to turn things around, which keeps him in the Top 10. Tyson Hardin has done much better after a promotion to Triple-A and he finds himself pretty close to making it to the big leagues given the amount of injuries the Brewers have had in their rotation. Braylon Payne has been one of the biggest risers in this update as he’s hitting the ball extremely hard in High-A and he’s also dropped his strikeout rate. That K rate will remain important to watch as the 19 year old develops. Coleman Crow has also gotten himself to the bigs and risen up the list. He’s on the IL, which has prevented him from graduating, but he will return and graduate soon.
15. Brady Ebel, SS (Up 2)
16. Luke Adams, 3B/OF (Down 1)
17. JD Thompson, LHP (Up 3)
18. Tate Kuehner, LHP (Up 6)
19. Jayden Dubanewicz, RHP (Up 14)

Luke Adams missed a ton of time early in the season with a wrist injury so the sample size is a bit smaller than the other hitters. Since returning from the IL, Adams has looked great and he could leap back up in the August re-rank. Lefties JD Thompson and Tate Kuehner get a nice boost as their development remains on track. Jayden Dubanewicz is another big riser as his stuff has looked nasty and he’s already pushed his way to High-A Wisconsin. In his first two starts there, he’s struck out 11 and is yet to walk a batter. Dubanewicz could be that next pitching lab success story.
20. Craig Yoho, RHP (Down 2)
21. Brock Wilken, 3B (Down 2)
22. Mike Boeve, 1B/3B (Down 1)
23. Brett Wichrowski, RHP (Up 2)
24. Bryce Meccage, RHP (Up 2)

Brock Wilken has not adjusted well to Triple-A, still hitting below the Mendoza Line with not a lot of home runs to make up for it. It’s not too late for him, but that future infield is looking crowded already and there are a lot of good ones right around him in the upper minors. Mike Boeve has looked a little better a year removed from shoulder surgery, but his numbers still haven’t returned to what they were pre-injury.
25. Ethan Dorchies, RHP (Up 2)
26. Manuel Rodriguez, RHP (Up 2)
27. Josh Knoth RHP, (Up 5)
28. Dylan O’Rae, 2B/OF (Up 17)
29. Jaron DeBerry, RHP (Up 10)

Some of the numbers are unsightly for the young pitchers across the lower levels when it comes to ERA, but that doesn’t mean their stuff has diminished. Numbers are like that all across those levels this year so I’ll take them with a grain of salt and not ding guys like Dorchies or Rodriguez too much. Knoth is returning from TJS and has looked good, ramping the velo up to 97 MPH but generally sitting around 94 with his fastball. Dylan O’Rae is having a great year after missing 2025 with wrist surgery. Jaron DeBerry is also putting himself on the radar in the upper minors with some strong outings this year.
30. Diego Frontado, SS (Up 8)
31. Ricki Moneys, SS (Up 6)
32. Brian Fitzpatrick, LHP (Up 8)
33. Josiah Ragsdale, OF *
34. Frank Cairone, LHP —

Down in the DSL, two of the Brewers big signings this year were Frontado and Moneys and they are living up to the hype, showing off power and bat-to-ball skills, giving them a big boost in this update. Brian Fitzpatrick put himself clearly in the big league bullpen picture before an elbow injury sidelined him. Josiah Ragsdale is the first player to make this list after missing the pre-season top 50. He’s showcased a combo of speed and contact skills with a little bit of pop in High-A. Frank Cairone is back in Arizona after recovering from a January car accident. He’s yet to see game action, but could be in ACL games soon.
35. Braylon Owens, RHP *
36. Tyler Renz, RHP —
37. Alexander Frias, OF *
38. Eric Bitonti, 1B/3B (Down 8)
39. Mark Manfredi, LHP *

Another handful of new faces here. Braylon Owens, a 10th round pick last year, has done really well in High-A and is among the organization’s leaders in ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP. Alexander Frias has finally gotten promoted to Low-A Wilson after tearing up the Arizona Complex League. He looks like he has big-time potential. Eric Bitonti is striking out at a high clip still in High-A and it worries me about his long-term viability. Mark Manfredi is up to 97 MPH on his fastball and his strikeout rate has ticked way up this year. Keep an eye on Manfredi as a bullpen option in Milwaukee in the near future.
40. Griffin Tobias, RHP (Up 4)
41. Handelfry Encarnacion, OF —
42. Pedro Ibarguen, OF (Up 4)
43. Jacob Morrison, RHP (Up 6)
44. Cameron Wagoner, RHP *

Some young players still with good potential with Tobias, Encarnacion, and Ibarguen here. They’re in the lower levels, Ibarguen in particular has had a nice year in Low-A. Jacob Morrison, out of Coastal Carolina last year, is on the IL right now but looked good in his limited action in Low-A. Cameron Wagoner is throwing upper 90s and hitting triple-digits on occasion after missing a long stretch due to injury. He could move up quickly as a bullpen arm.
45. Brailyn Antunez, OF *
46. Melvin Hernandez, RHP (Down 4)
47. Chase Bentley, RHP *
48. Joey Broughton, LHP *
49. MaKale Holden, RHP *
50. Luis Lameda, SS *

Brailyn Antunez was the big international signing last year, but struggled in the DSL. Upon heading to the ACL this year, there’s been some positive reports, and it’s starting to translate into on-field results. Melvin Hernandez has not pitched at all this year due to visa issues, per a source. He’s still a talented arm when he is on the field. This list is rounded out with some of the young, projectable talent the Brewers possess. Chase Bentley had the biggest “Day 3” signing bonus the Brewers gave out last year and has looked good. Broughton is back from TJS finally and has done well upon his promotion to Low-A. MaKale Holden also got a big bonus last year and has showcased some nasty stuff. Luis Lameda is hitting over .300 with more walks than strikeouts for Low-A Wilson.

The city of New York is on a high right now, still celebrating the Knicks’ first championship in 53 years. Though the Knicks will have every chance to return to the NBA Finals next year, observers of the team and the NBA at large knew that this season was a crucial chance for the Knicks, 2026 representing possibly their best opportunity to win a title with their current core.

Now, if you took that last sentence and swapped out the word “Knicks” for “Yankees”, would it still hold true?

Every season of Aaron Judge’s prime that has passed without a World Series championship has been lamented as a missed opportunity, but it’s worth wondering now if this is truly the team’s biggest chance. The way the 2026 American League has developed means that New York has a huge opportunity that they should (must?) convert on.

Take a look at the AL standings. At time of writing, the Yankees have a +111 run differential, tops in the Junior Circuit. The second-best run differential belongs to the Mariners, who are miles back at +18. In third are the Rays at +0. There are two (2!) teams in the American League that have outscored their opponents thus far!

The Yankees have played an entirely different caliber of baseball this year than the rest of the AL. And if we turn our sights to the future, it’s not like we should expect one of the league’s middling clubs to suddenly turn things around and surpass New York down the stretch. The Yankees are easily first in the AL in FanGraphs’ projected rest-of-season WAR, with only the Mariners and Blue Jays in the same ballpark.

There’s obviously a prime opportunity here. But does all this mean that this is the opportunity for the Yankees? On that score, I’m not completely sure. The Yankees have lapped the AL in quality of play mostly with their Captain either on the IL or playing hurt. That they’ve done so suggests that, while Aaron Judge’s reign as the game’s premier hitter could be coming to a close, the team is positioned to continue to contend at a high level even as Judge ages.

There’s enough young or prime-aged talent here performing with Judge injured that the Yankees should feel confident about the future. This year might be their best shot, or, perhaps Judge has a healthier 2027, and the team actually comes back next year with an even better opportunity, with Judge backed by a better supporting cast than he’s had in years. 

What do you think? Is it now or never for New York? Or will they have just as promising opportunities in the future?

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On the site today, you can check out Madison recap of Tuesday night’s American League action, as well as Peter’s At-Bat of the Week, which features Ali Sánchez. Also, Scott analyzes the first half of the season for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, and John writes up Phil Hughes, the once top Yankees pitching prospect who turns 40-years old-today.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers

Time: 6:40 p.m. EST

TV: Amazon Prime Video, Detroit SportsNet

Venue: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

Toledo Mud Hens 4, Worcester Red Sox 1 (box)

The Mud Hens got a great performance out of their bullpen, and the lineup pounded out eight hits, including the first knocks for Brett Callahan and John Peck in their Triple-A debuts, to win on Tuesday.

Jack Little, Brenan Hanifee, Matt Seelinger, and Woo-Suk Go each tossed two innings in this one. Hanifee allowed an unearned run after a Max Anderson error kept the third inning going, but that was it. Tanner Rainey also fired a scoreless inning of work.

Jace Jung singled in the top of the third and later scored on an Anderson single to open the scoring, so it was 1-1 game early on. In the fourth, Gage Workman led off with a walk and moved to third on John Peck’s single. A wild pitch later brought Workman in as the go-ahead, and ultimately the game winning run.

In the sixth, Workman again led off with a walk and advanced on a Callahan single. Singles from Corey Julks and then Jung brought both runners in for a 4-1 lead, and that was all that was required.

Brett Callahan yanks a single to right at 104 MPH for his first Triple-A hit. pic.twitter.com/RglmNkm9qc

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 24, 2026

Workman: 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB, CS

Jung: 2-4, R, RBI

Little: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:45 p.m. ET start in Worcester on Wednesday.

Erie SeaWolves 10, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 2 (box)

Jack Flaherty looked good to go, and the SeaWolves offense cracked four home runs in this one as Thayron Liranzo and Izaac Pacheco continue to do a lot of damage.

Flaherty allowed a pair of solo shots, but otherwise went 5.2 innings allowing just those two runs, and only one other hit. He struck out seven and threw 83 pitches, so he’s seemingly ready to return when eligible.

Liranzo lifted a towering solo shot to right in the fourth inning with two outs to tie the game up 1-1. Chris Meyers followed with a double, and Garrett Pennington showed out in his Double-A debut, mashing a two-run shot the opposite way for a 3-1 lead.

Garrett Pennington crushes a 2-run homer to center in his first Double-A game to give Erie a 3-1 lead. @ZachSurdenik calls it. pic.twitter.com/bzQGn539Az

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 23, 2026

Pacheco followed him with an absolutely monstrous blast to right center field. The third baseman’s 12th shot of the year made it a 4-1 game, but the SeaWolves weren’t done in the inning. Max Burt singled and E.J. Exposito also went yard for a 6-0 lead. All of that with two outs.

Izaac Pacheco demolishes this pitch for a solo homer to right center. It’s his 12th home run of the year, and Erie’s third longball of the inning. pic.twitter.com/7UpVuknG7H

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 23, 2026

Liranzo doubled with two-outs in the fifth as well, scoring on a Meyers double. In the seventh, three walks loaded the bases for the SeaWolves and Pennington cashed in two of them with a line drive single to center field. 9-2 SeaWolves, and they would tack on a run in the eighth when Burt singled, took second on a balk, and then scored on an Exposito single.

Lael Lockhart cruised through the final three innings to put this one away.

Liranzo: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR, BB

Pennington: 2-4, R, 4 RBI, HR, K

Meyers: 2-4, R, RBI, 2 2B, K

Flaherty: 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start at UPMC Park on Wednesday.

Dayton Dragons: 8, West Michigan Whitecaps 5 (box)

The offense had a pretty good night, but they still failed to capitalize on plenty of scoring opportunities in this one. Meanwhile the bullpen crumbled to lose a close game late.

Zack Lee gave the ‘Caps a nice spot start, tossing three shutout innings with five strikeouts to start things off right.

The Whitecaps loaded the bases in the first but couldn’t score. In the second, Samuel Gil led off and Patrick Lee walked with one out. Woody Hadeen grounded into a force of Lee, but Bryce Rainer smoked a drive to center field to plate both runs for a 2-0 lead.

Bryce Rainer smokes a 2-run double into the gap to give West Michigan the lead. pic.twitter.com/wbiFaNoKqz

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 23, 2026

Juanmi Vasquez took over for the ‘Caps in the fourth and was promptly knocked around for four runs. He did get some help from Hadeen and Rainer to escape.

Fun little inning-ending double play from Woody Hadeen and Bryce Rainer. pic.twitter.com/Hl6sMfJuWF

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 24, 2026

So it was 4-2 Dragons in the top of the sixth. Patrick Lee led off with a double and Rainer and Ricardo Hurtado walked to load the bases. Lee scored on a Jackson Strong ground out, and after the Dragons went to the pen, the new reliever balked in Rainer from third. So it was all tied up at 4-4.

Patrick Lee would launch a solo shot in the eighth, completing a heck of a return to action after a rehab stint in the Complex League.

Unfortunately, Eliseo Mota’s High-A debut saw him allow a run in two innings of work. Carlos Lequerica then crumbled for a three-run bottom of the eighth that was the difference in this one.

Lee: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR, BB

Rainer: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB, K

Zack Lee: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps look to even the series at 7:05 p.m. ET in Dayton on Wednesday.

Dayton Dragons 6, Lakeland Flying Tigers 2 (box)

Grayson Grinsell settled in for a good start after allowing two runs in the first, but the bullpen kept leaking and the offense didn’t get much going in this one.

The left-hander scattered five hits without a walk, striking out five. Jorge Guzman allowed three runs in the sixth, and Jan Carabello allowed a run in the seventh.

Meanwhile the offense was doing very little. Carson Rucker stayed hot with three hits, and the team drew five walks, but they were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Finally in the eighth, Edian Espinal singled and took second on a throwing error. The young catcher holds a .936 OPS this year. With one out, Jude Warwick singled him in and then he took second on a passed ball. Jesus Pinto struck out, but another wild pitch got Warwick to third, and a bliner from Rucker scored the run.

That was about it for the offense though.

Rucker: 3-4, RBI

Yost: 1-3, BB, K

Espinal: 1-3, R, 2 BB, K

Grinsell (L, 4-3): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.

FCL Tigers 10, FCL Yankees 6 (box)

Jhonan Coba was knocked around for the first time, giving up six runs over four innings of work. The bullpen, however, was nails and the Tigers blew up the Yankees with a seven run fourth inning and pulled away to win.

Cristian Perez homered and had two hits, while Steven Madero chipped in three of his own. Cris Rodriguez and Santiago Pinto drove in five runs between them.

Pinto: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, K, CS

Rodriguez: 1-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, SB

Perez: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K

Coba: 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K