MC can stand for Midsummer Classic. It can also stand for Motor City, where the Phillies will wrap up the first half of their season.
Onto the links.
Phillies news
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Bryce Harper appeared in a video FanDuel sent to a bettor struggling with gambling addiction. ($)
Harper is in the hometown Home Run Derby.
Don Mattingly likes the idea of sticking around.
MLB news
Jeff Passan proposes some trades for the top teams.
The Guardians have won one series since Jose Ramirez got hurt and they’ve split one. Otherwise, they’ve become adept at salvaging series and that’s what they did yesterday winning 5-2 against the resurgent Twins.
Getting a hit once every three at-bats – Great. Getting on base once every three plate appearances – Very good. Getting a win once every three games? Bad. Very bad.
I wrote a recap of the game here. Chase DeLauter has a wRC+ of around 175 since he returned from the IL. May that continue unabated.
I wrote up a “What You Need to Know for the MLB Draft” Here. MLB’s All-Star festivities begin tonight with the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic, which you can read about more here.
Zack Meisel of the Athletic offered a Guardians’ mailbag which are always insightful.
AROUND MLB:
White Sox lost, Tigers won, and Royals lost.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Postponed at Buffalo Bisons
Double-A Somerset Patriots: L, 11-5 vs. Reading Fightin Phils — fell behind 10-0, scored late to make it respectable
LF Jackson Castillo 1-3, 2 BB, K
CF Jace Avina 1-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 K — 17th of the season!
RF DJ Gladney 1-5, 2 K, throwing error
3B Coby Morales 1-4, RBI, K, SF
2B Connor McGinnis 1-5, 2B, 3 K
DH Miguel Palma 1-4, HR, RBI, K
1B Josh Moylan 1-3, BB, K
C Manuel Palencia 2-4, 2 K
SS Owen Cobb 2-4
Chase Hampton 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 1 K (loss) — the going is rough for the erstwhile top prospect
Harrison Cohen 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Chase Chaney 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Hayden Merda 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Trent Sellers 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Luis Velasquez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Kevin Verde 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: W, 9-2 vs. Rome Emperors
3B Roderick Arias 2-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, K — 21-year-old has been red hot the last month; could he finally be figuring it out?
SS Core Jackson 2-3, 2B, 2 BB
DH Eric Genther 1-4, 2 K
1B Kyle West 1-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
CF Wilson Rodriguez 2-4, RBI, BB, K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-5, 2B, RBI, 2 K, fielding error
C Josue Gonzalez 1-3, 2 BB, K, SB
RF Camden Troyer 2-5, 2B, 2 K
LF Robbie Burnett 0-3, BB, 2 K
Allen Facundo 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 8 K
Tanner Bauman 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (win)
Aaron Nixon 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Brady Kirtner 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Jack Sokol 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Low-A Tampa Tarpons: L, 6-1 vs Clearwater Threshers
SS Jackson Lovich 1-4, 2B, 2 K
2B Hans Montero 0-4
DH Luis Puello 0-4, 2 K
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB
CF Brando Mayea 1-3, RBI, K
RF Willy Montero 0-3, K
1B David McCann 0-3, fielding error
C Engelth Urena 0-3, 3 K
LF Isael Arias 1-3, K, 2 SB
Wyatt Parliament 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K (loss)
Jose Martinez 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Jose M. Rodriguez 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Jordarlin Mendoza 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 3-0 at FCL Tigers — dreadful offensive day, just one hit and 14 strikeouts
3B Richard Matic 0-4, 2 K
CF Wilberson De Pena 0-4, 2 K
DH Queni Pineda 0-4, 2 K
2B Leni Done 0-3, throwing error
LF Jose Castro 0-2, 2 K, HBP throwing error
RF Francisco Vilorio 1-3, 2 K — fifth-inning single kept the Yanks from getting no-hit
SS Dexters Peralta 0-3, 2 K, throwing error
C Justin Capellan 0-3, K
1B Diego Flores 0-2, BB, K
Jerson Alejandro 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Manuel Cruz 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K (loss)
Stanly Alcantara 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 1 K
Dominican Summer League Yankees:Suspended bottom third at DSL Rockies
CF Isaias Castillo 2-2, 2B
SS Stiven Marinez 0-0, BB
RF Yostin Pena 2-2, 2B, 3 RBI
DH Juan Torres 2-2, 2 RBI, SB
1B Juan Martinez 0-2, K
C Cesar Loepz 0-1, BB
LF Kendry Diaz 0-2
3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-2, CS
2B Emmanuel Orozco 0-2, K
Jhosneyker Colina 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Dariel Chalas 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 0 K
Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 19-3 vs. DSL Twins — casual 12 hits, 13 walks
3B Dariel Santana 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, 2 SB
SS Mani Cedeno 1-4, 2 RBI, 2 BB
2B Carlos Bello 0-5, RBI, BB, 3 K, SB
C Alessandro Rodriguez 1-3, BB, SB
PH-C Stalen Ramirez 2-2, RBI
DH Kenneth Melendez 0-1, 4 BB, K
PH-DH Jesus Guerrero 0-1, GIDP
RF David Carrera 2-5, 2B, 2 K
1B Poly Ojeda 0-2, 3 RBI, BB, SF, SB
CF Alfiery Matos 2-4, RBI, 2 K, SB
LF Sebastian Pinto 2-3, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB, SB
Cesar Acosta 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (win)
Higor Requena 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Jhon Castro 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 0 K
Josue Silvestre 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Free of charge for the discerning reader.
Happy birthday to Andre Dawson, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1936 – At Forbes Field, Chuck Klein hits four home runs in one game, including the tie-breaker in the 10th, helping the Phillies defeat the Pirates, 9-6. The Indianapolis, Indiana native barely misses hitting an additional homer in the 2nd when right fielder Paul Waner catches his drive against the wall. At 36, Klein is the oldest player ever to accomplish the feat, and the first National Leaguer in the 20th century to do so, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
Cubs Birthdays:Sergio Alcántara, John Rudolph, Bobby Lowe, Andre Dawson* HOF.
Today in history:
*pictured.
Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers have powered their way through the longest stretch of the season, as they’re just three games away from completing 18 games in 17 days. Not only that, but they’ve also played great baseball during the stretch, building their NL Central lead as we near the All-Star break. Speaking of the All-Star break, the Brewers have just one All-Star despite holding the second-best record in baseball — Jacob Misiorowski has been replaced on the roster as he’s slated to start on Sunday, so it’s just catcher William Contreras headed to Philadelphia as of now. The Home Run Derby is scheduled for Monday night, with the All-Star Game to follow on Tuesday.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.
You know the drill.
This is now an open thread:
Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel’s philosophy when it came to his baseball-obsessed sons was straightforward: the major-league players they grew up around were their coaches.
One of now 17-year-old Trey’s first baseball memories took place at Tempe Diablo Stadium with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, when Dino was on the Angels’ coaching staff.
Pointing to targets hung up in the batting cages, the pair of future Hall of Famers set up a competition between Trey and his older brother Brady: whoever hit the most bullseyes would get a signed bat.
“Me and Brady were going at it,” Trey said with a smile. “I don’t even know who won.”
The prize wasn’t the most important part. The love for the game, competitive drive, and even bat control stuck with him.
“He kind of took the ‘dad’ out of it and just watched us have fun,” Trey said. “I’m extremely grateful for that because a lot of dads are hard on their kids.
“As we got older, if me and Brady needed some help, or he saw something, he’s obviously going to chime in, given what he does. But for the most part, he’s always let the players coach us, and it’s been great. Paid off for sure.”
Read more:Dodgers scheduled to visit White House in late July to celebrate 2025 World Series win
It paid off so well that Dino and his wife Shannon are hosting their second draft party in as many years Saturday.
They’re expecting about 100 friends and family members to descend on their Rancho Cucamonga home, just as they did last year to watch the Brewers select Brady with the No. 32 overall pick.
Now his younger brother’s up.
“It’s Trey’s day,” Dino said, reminiscing on his youngest son’s Little League days, his home run derby victory in Williamsport, Pa., his growth through travel ball and high school. “It’s not about anybody else.”
Said Trey: “I’m excited, and I’m ready, and I feel prepared.”
Trey, a Texas A&M commit, is expected to be selected in an early round. Some scouts have predicted he could go higher than his brother. But plenty of factors dictate draft order, with the bonus pool system also affecting team strategy.
It’s especially difficult to gauge where draft prospects coming out of high school may be picked. Teams have less information on them, and have to project further into the future on evaluations, compared to their college counterparts.
“I’ve been talking to so many people in baseball leading up to this draft,” said agent Joel Wolfe of THE TEAM, who is representing Trey. “And many front office people have mentioned to me the same phrase, which was, ‘Our guys were light on Brady last year,’ meaning they missed, he should have been drafted higher. And I think that could really help Trey this year.”
Brady’s draft process gave Trey and Dino a preview for this year, setting expectations for meetings, tryouts, and the day itself.
It was a new vantage point for Dino, who’s worn many hats in baseball. He played six seasons in the minors before launching a coaching career that’s taken him through the gamut of pro baseball levels, and even out of the country.
“It was very eye-opening,” Dino said. “I’ve always been in player development, coaching, on the field, and now I got a chance to see how the draft works.”
The family even held an identical gathering for Brady’s draft day. After he got the call saying the Brewers were going to select him, with his brother and father standing by, the trio put on poker faces for Shannon and their guests to preserve the surprise.
“Both of those boys are unique to other players in the draft because they grew up around the game,” Wolfe said, drawing comparisons to the Holliday and Lombard brothers. “Having been in the bubble with the Dodgers during the World Series, and being around all of the players and all of the coaches, and being around that life ... there’s just something about them — their comfort level, and also all of the both tangible and intangible things that they learn, especially defensively.”
Read more:Mookie Betts' eighth-inning single gives Dodgers series win over the Rockies
Many of the lessons Trey gleaned from the stars at dad’s work — first with the Angels and then, the last eight years, the Dodgers — came from observing. And he integrated those details into his infield mechanics, batting cage routine and appreciation for preparation.
When Dino did chime in with advice, it was often about controlling the strike zone, being a complete hitter rather than just a slugger, and valuing fundamentals.
“Their reputation, their character, who they are off the field, who they are on the field, that’s the part I really like the most,” Ebel said of his sons. “How they respect people in the game, on and off the field. They’re always about making somebody feel comfortable, make them feel like somebody important.”
Dino watched his son’s draft stock steadily rise, as Trey got a full season of shortstop under his belt at Corona High School, and added strength, with an emphasis on explosiveness, working out with MW Athletix’s Keith Coury (recommended to Dino by Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, a product of Santiago High School in Corona.)
“He went from a good player seven, eight, nine months ago, a year ago,” Dino said, “to really an exceptional, top prospect for me.”
Now, all the Ebel family can do is wait and answer the phone Saturday.
Read more:Dodgers coach Dino Ebel's eldest son learned lessons from the pros
Graduating seniors are often asked to envision their futures. What’s next? Where do you see yourself in five years?
For Trey, the vision is clear.
“Playing in the big leagues,” Trey said. “No matter what team ... I see myself being a great teammate, being a great person, and the ultimate goal is to win a World Series.”
It would be even sweeter to play alongside his brother. But playing against him would be fun, too. And Trey pictures his dad still in the third base coach’s box for the Dodgers.
Dino chuckled at that.
“I’d like to watch them, but now they’re telling me that they would want me on the field, playing against me,” he said. “And I’m like, you know, anytime you’re with your dad, we’re out to beat you.”
Judging by Brady and Trey’s competitive streak from a young age the feeling would be mutual.
“We’ll see when that time comes where I’m at,” Dino said. “I would love to be at third base and see the Ebel brothers in the big leagues. That would be pretty cool.”
Read more:Shohei Ohtani hits milestone homer, Justin Wrobleski makes All-Star case in Dodgers' loss
So far, his son’s baseball careers have played out as he envisioned nearly a decade ago, when they fell in love with the game.
“It’s really a dream,” he said.
Dino saved all the signed bats and batting gloves that Brady and Trey won off Pujols and Trout, storing them in a room full of baseball memorabilia. He’ll pass them on when his sons start collections in their own homes.
Watching his boys hit targets in the Tempe Diablo batting cages is one of Dino’s favorite baseball memories.
“I just sat back and enjoyed it as a dad,” Dino said.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Detroit Tigers appear to be charging headfirst into the All-Star break after securing a 4-1 win over the Athletics on Thursday night to secure the sweep and make it six victories in seven tries so far in July. Jake Rogers hit another homer and Eduardo Valencia cranked one as well in his first MLB plate appearance, while Framber Valdez gave his team seven strong frames of one-run ball to lead the Olde English D in its triumph.
Opening up the final series before the Midsummer Classic against the Philadelphia Phillies is right-hander Jack Flaherty, who has turned a corner since the start of June and has become an asset for the Tigers’ rotation. The 30-year-old has posted a tidy 2.50 ERA and an impressive 1.73 FIP over his last five starts stretching across 18 frames; the only problem is that he still cannot seem to crack that six-inning barrier.
Opposite him will be fellow righty Aaron Nola, who is in the midst of his second-straight season of struggles — though he has seen some modest improvements over his 2025 campaign. The 33-year-old has posted a 6.11 ERA and 5.30 FIP over seven games stretching across 35 1/3 innings since the start of June.
However, Nola tossed a quality start last time out against the Kansas City Royals, surrendering three runs on seven hits on zero walks while striking out seven over seven frames but ultimately was saddled with the loss in a 5-2 final at Kaufman Stadium. It was the first time in five games that he did not give up the long ball, having served up a pair in each of the four games prior.
Here is a look at how Flaherty and Nola match up on paper heading into the weekend series.
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:The Good Phight
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 94: RHP Jack Flaherty (2-8, 4.60 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (3-6, 5.87 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flaherty | 17 | 76.1 | 26.5 | 10.7 | 30.8 | 3.76 | 1.5 |
| Nola | 18 | 92.0 | 23.2 | 7.2 | 39.7 | 4.74 | 0.8 |
FLAHERTY
NOLA
Major League Baseball is at the halfway point in its season, and the Pittsburgh Pirates offense has been one of the best in baseball in the first half of the year.
It’s nothing short of amazing how the Pirates were able to turn around their offensive woes from just a season ago. In 2025 Pittsburgh ranked last in runs scored, home runs, RBIs and OPS. They also ranked near the bottom in nearly every other statistical category.
2026 however has seen the script flip almost entirely for the revamped lineup. With new faces contributing like Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe this offense is sitting near the top in most statistical categories. The Pirates currently rank third in runs scored with 492 near the halfway point in the season. They also rank second in RBIs with 472, sitting just behind Los Angeles Dodgers. The team’s recent series victory against the Nats might be more impressive than many realize, considering that Washington is at the top of several offensive categories.
The bats of Pittsburgh have been much improved this season, with nearly everyone in the lineup being able to contribute on any given night. Nick Gonzales has elevated himself to a different level this season, and was receiving serious All-Star considerations. Bryan Reynolds has been another top performer for the Buccos, maintaining a consistent output all season long. With these players and several others on the team the Pirates have climbed to the top of the rankings in total hits with 857 on the year, 19 more than the second ranked Dodgers.
Since Don Kelly took over as manager for the Pirates, he’s made active base running a big part of the team’s identity. As a result Pittsburgh ranks fifth in baseball for total steals with 88. When your team has players as fast as Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz in the lineup you have to be willing to nab some extra bags. Luckily for the Pirates they don’t get caught stealing often either, as they’re in a four way tie for getting caught stealing, with it only happening 16 times so far this year.
As far as the averages are concerned Pittsburgh is also elite in that category. As a team the Pirates rank second in team batting average, on base percentage and OPS while also ranking fifth in slugging percentage. The team has also been more patient at the plate this season as they rank sixth in most bases on balls. Pittsburgh is also tied for seventh-most homers scored with 120. The lowest mark (or the highest) is the team’s amount of strikeouts, as they sit at the top with the most in baseball currently with 860. The high amount of strikeouts is about the only thing that has stayed consistent with last year’s squad.
This is by far the best looking lineup the Pirates have had in years, and the team has a 47-47 record and is within reach of a wild card berth. If the team’s offense can stay consistent through the second half of the season it’s very possible that we could be celebrating the first Bucctober in a decade.
Back in November of 2025, I broke down the Fangraphs (FG) current rankings of the Cardinals farm system. It has been almost 8 months since and we are about to enter a time when systems are re-shuffled a fair bit. The draft will occur in a couple of weeks, adding new players to the pipeline. Players continue to graduate to MLB, thinning the prospect list and the in-bound draftees will further thin out the bottom ends of the system to make room. All this will influence how each system looks. Each year it is almost like a makeover.
First off, I want to draw your attention to a recent article by VEB alum Ben Clemons that describes an update to prospect valuation. In the FG methodology, prospect valuations help drive their ranking of each system. The article describes the method in more detail. I haven’t had time to digest all the permutations, but my first blush is that the update moves FG further away from other publications preference to weight their system rankings based valuation of the few top-end prospects a system has. Not my favorite approach, but perhaps more predictive? Will have to study this more, to see if my first-blush assessment is even on target. If true, systems with greater quantities of lower-end prospects will see greater rise in evaluations this go around.
Back in November, FG had the Cardinals system ranked#1 in all of baseball (other pubs were not quite that optimistic). FG saw fit to rank and evaluate 49 Cardinal prospects (they include anyone with a Future Value (FV) of 35+ or better in their evals. FG had the overall projected valuation of the 49 players at $283m, almost double their assessment from the year prior for the Cardinals.
First and foremost, a number of players will have graduated off the prospect list as they have accumulated MLB service time. This phenomenon affects all systems, but likely affects the Cardinals the most, with them being one of the youngest teams in baseball, they likely have more graduations than average.
In the interim eight months, injuries and performance, both positive and negative, will influence individual player evaluations, which is turn affects the overall system valuation. Without getting too deep into it, I’d hazard a guess that Tink Hence’s injury history and performance have tarnished his earlier premium prospect status and tanked his valuation. Will look more closely as we move along.
The surface level look shows that the updated methodology has altered the dollar valuations enough that they aren’t readily comparable to prior rankings. For instance, the Cardinals system is now valued at $485m but has fallen to 10th overall in MLB. Interestingly, they now have 52 players in the valuation, an increase of 3 players since November. They got added between the November system ranking and the February player updates. I can’t figure out all 3, but I believe Carlos Carrion and Juan Rujano were two of them. The third? I dunno. It’s a moving target, so I’m not going to sweat it.
For comparison, Pittsburgh is now #1 ranked valuation at $671m. Wow! Before anyone runs screaming from the room, understanding that a valuation system that heavily weights the top end prospects introduces significant risk to the analysis. For example, $340m of the valuation is wrapped up in 3 players with FVs of 70 and 60 (Griffin, Chandler, Hernandez). Miss on any one (or more) of those players, and the overall system will appear to significantly under-perform.
I’m expecting mid-season updates from FG to start leaking out soon, likely before the amateur draft. When they do update, here is what we may see for our home team.
When they update, we should see the following players off the list:
So, there will be some significant deductions (value wise) but most of the attrition comes from the lower half of the 49 ranked players. Depending on when FG does their cut, some of these guys may still pass their test for prospects.
So, six guys will come off the list of 49. Who will get added? Back in December, 2025, I formulated a list of existing system prospects who might rise and be added to the list of FG prospects with the next update. I had fourteen names of guys to watch for:
Cho, Findlay, Van Dyke seem near certainties to get added as they have advanced and had outstanding seasons. Ortiz may based on last year’s results, but being injured the first half of this year will limit his exposure to evaluators.
Dutkanych IV, Young, Graham and Holiday probably have too much lost time to injury for evaluators to get a feel, but a couple of these guys may end up on the list.
The rest are iffy based on performance or injury, or sometimes both.
There are at least two notable names from the DSL that should break into the updated list:
One name not on many lists likely to appear on the next prospect list: Jacob Odle.
In the end, it appears that Cardinals will still have a top 10 ranked system, even with all the graduations this year. I’m going to hazard an estimate that the update that comes out will have around 55 ranked prospects, so expect some minor growth in # of prospects and commensurate minor growth in valuation.
Additionally, top-100 draft picks tend to end up in the upper half of individual system rankings. They also tend to get rosy FV grades which will enhance their initial valuation. The Cardinals will have 6 of these picks in the 2026 draft, so expect the number of ranked prospects to rise above 60 by the end of the draft, and perhaps one or two more if the trade deadline works out as expected.
As valuations tend to more heavily weight the 50 FV and up players (especially those above 60 FV), we will have to wait and see how evaluators and scouts see the Cardinals higher end prospects before we know much about the new system valuation. The list of players that could fall in this elite group would seem to come from this pool:
Not a bad group. Two years ago, this list would probably have been almost empty, so lots of improvement.
Some might ask about Jesus Baez. I suspect that evaluators won’t be heavily influenced by his recent surge, but are likely noticing it. He currently carries a 40+ FV and evaluators don’t come off those easily. I don’t see him breaking the 50 FV barrier at least this go around. With a strong second half, perhaps by the off-season update.
There are so many avenues to create a healthy organization and an eventually viable Major League Baseball team, almost all of it unfolding far away from the bright lights of the draft’s first round.
Yet you can tell a lot about a franchise based on how it chooses to spend its very first pick during MLB’s annual selection meeting.
Certainly, not all top picks are created equal. Some aren’t even first-rounders, thanks to compensation owed for free agents, too much money spent in violation of luxury tax ceilings or even sign-stealing punishments.
With that in mind, USA TODAY Sports set out to grade the last 10 years of each team’s top picks, taking into account their average draft position and the total WAR (as tabulated by Baseball-Reference) produced by big leaguers in this past decade. In the event a top pick did not sign, the first signee was graded.
Come Saturday, July 11, the first round will create a fresh crop to assess over time. But here’s who did it the best with their first picks from 2016 through 2025:
Average draft position for first pick: 14.7
Major leaguers produced: 8
Total WAR accumulated: 30.7
Notable: One of four clubs to produce eight big leaguers, the Mariners should make it 10 out of 10, as every top pick from 2016 to 2023 made it. Along the way they put together a rotation with collegiate right-handers Logan Gilbert (14th overall, 2018), George Kirby (20th, 2019) and Emerson Hancock (sixth, 2020). And then they snagged a middle infield from the 21st and 22nd spots in the draft, snagging high schoolers Cole Young and Colt Emerson in consecutive years. Lucking into the No. 3 pick and Kade Anderson a year ago was simply unfair.
Average draft position: 8.6
Major leaguers produced: 7
Total WAR: 24.3
Notable: They had six top 10 picks in this stretch and didn’t really screw them up. Hey, this thing is harder than it looks. Along the way they got a three-time All-Star outfielder (Riley Greene), an All-Star starting pitcher (Casey Mize), a slugging first baseman (Spencer Torkelson) and the game’s No. 4 outfield prospect (Max Clark). Lest we forget, All-Star Kevin McGonigle doesn’t even count in these computations, taken after Clark in 2023.
Average draft position: 14.9
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 37
Notable: MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams and Jackson Merrill became All-Stars – and one of them even did it with the Padres. Yep, AJ Preller’s high-wire act is something to observe, with big bets on high-ceiling but volatile high schoolers (nine of 10 top picks in this period were spent on preps) before trading many of them to keep the big league club potent. Save for Merrill, every top pick from 2016 to 2022 – Cal Quantrill, Gore, Ryan Weathers, Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Dylan Lesko – were traded. Now, Preller must pray prep lefties Kash Mayfield and Kruz Schoolcraft – his last two first-rounders – pop soon, for himself or someone else.
Average draft position: 18
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 27.3
Notable: It’s not easy keeping mid-market success up when you start winning and the draft picks come later and later. Yet from 2018 to 2021, the Brewers found second baseman Brice Turang and outfielders Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick between picks Nos. 15-21 – and they’re still leading the NL Central. This stretch began with a pair of misspent top 10 picks (Corey Ray, Keston Hiura) but the Brewers have found their sweet spot with college bats, with slugging corner infielder Andrew Fischer, No. 20 overall a year ago, knocking on the door.
Average draft position: 25.2
Major leaguers produced: 7
Total WAR: 16.8
Notable: What a streak: Every top pick taken from 2016-2022 touched the majors, either in New York or elsewhere. Their consistent success means the highest pick this past decade was No. 17 in 2017 – spent on Clarke Schmidt. Six of their 10 picks have landed between 25 and 39, yet they reeled in Anthony Volpe (No. 30, 2019) and Austin Wells (No. 28) in consecutive years. Scouting still matters, even for the 1%-ers.
Average draft position: 27
Major leaguers produced: 7
Total WAR: 30.6
Notable: Just call this the Nico Hoerner Show: The contact-hitting savant produced a whopping 23.1 of that WAR after he was picked 24th overall out of Stanford in 2018. The Cubs definitely have a type: Nine of their 10 draftees were collegians. After a bit of a slump they hit on high picks from 2022 to 2024 in Cade Horton (2.3 WAR), Matt Shaw (3.7) and Cam Smith (3.1), who was used to reel in Kyle Tucker.
Average draft position: 22.2
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 24.7
Notable: Quite a mishmash here, as one would expect given that this decade of draftees spanned five regimes of baseball operations. And while the Mets were wise enough to draft Pete Crow-Armstrong, they didn’t have the foresight to keep him. No matter: PCA’s 13.8 WAR goes on the board here. Lest we forget, David Peterson (20th overall, 2017) produced 5.5 WAR and Brett Baty (2.4) has value. Yet the future gift may be Carson Benge, who will be a 3-win player in his rookie year, one year after getting plucked 19th out of Oklahoma State.
Average draft position: 15.1
Major leaguers produced: 7
Total WAR: 17.3
Notable: They’re gonna go 10 for 10 on big leaguers as the first seven have already debuted and Aidan Miller, Dante Nori and Gage Wood will get there. Bryson Stott (10.1 WAR) and Alec Bohm (4.5) account for the bulk of the big league damage and heck, it’s a little easier filling the team with superstars when you snag a pair of infield stalwarts in the first round. The more pressing question is how high the ceilings are for center fielder Justin Crawford – he’s having a nice if neutral rookie season – and right-hander Andrew Painter, back in the minors after struggling mightily with command.
Average draft position: 11.7
Major leaguers produced: 8
Total WAR: 27.2
Notable: Hagen Smith is close and 2025 prep shortstop Billy Carlson should get here and make these White Sox another perfect club the past decade. Garrett Crochet (No. 11 in 2020) is of course the gift that keeps giving, with three regulars in the lineup after they dealt him to Boston, and shortstop Colson Montgomery and first baseman Jacob Gonzalez are also contributing big to this year’s surprises. But they blew a No. 4 pick on infielder Nick Madrigal and No. 3 overall on first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who eventually figured it out – in Milwaukee.
Average draft position: 18.6
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 25.5
Notable: Kind of another one-man show here, as Corbin Carroll consumes 18.9 of that WAR, Jake McCarthy another 5.2. After that? Not much else. How half-full you view this glass depends on how much hope you retain that prep draftees Jordan Lawlar (No. 6 overall, 2021) and Druw Jones (No. 2, 2022) can make themselves viable.
Average draft position: 12.6
Major leaguers produced: 7
Total WAR: 23.8
Notable: They picked 1-2-5-1 in four consecutive years, and history will determine if Adley Rutschman, Heston Kjerstad, Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday constitute an appropriate haul for such good fortune. The old regime rolled the dice on prep pitchers DL Hall and Grayson Rodriguez, while the Mike Elias contingent’s legacy may hinge on whether collegiate bats Enrique Bradfield, Vance Honeycutt and Ike Irish return any value between picks 17-22.
Average draft position: 15.8
Major leaguers produced: 4
Total WAR: 37.6
Notable: The Royals produced more WAR with their top picks the past decade than anybody. So why no A grade? Well, 70% of that is tied up in the great Bobby Witt Jr., and kudos to KC for not messing him up. Yet the Royals have had four top 10 picks that have not made the major leagues. The jury’s still out on catcher Blake Mitchell (No. 8, 2023), but outfielder Gavin Cross (No. 9, 2022) is running out of time, while pitchers Asa Lacy (No. 4, 2020) and Frank Mozzicato (No. 7, 2021) failed to launch. Current Red Brady Singer and sophomore slugger Jac Caglianone are all that’s left to show for a decade of prime picks.
Average draft position: 33.3
Major leaguers produced: 4
Total WAR: 8.8
Notable: Yep, the average Dodgers top pick the past decade has fallen outside the top 30. That’s life in the big city, eh? Their WAR haul here does not reflect the 23.8 Will Smith racked up as the 32nd overall pick in 2016, but hey, rules are rules. Dalton Rushing was their top pick at No. 40 overall in 2022, meaning they’ve drafted two catchers from Louisville that will outperform many, if not most first-round picks. Not that they’re perfect: Jeren Kendall (No. 23 overall, 2017) and Kody Hoese (No. 25, 2019) were Vanderbilt and Tulane products who flopped in their system.
Average draft position: 14.4
Major leaguers produced: 8
Total WAR: 22.4
Notable: Lefty Cole Ragans started this run as the 30th overall pick in 2016 and he was used to fetch World Series closer Aroldis Chapman before starring for Kansas City. Nice start. But the Rangers burned a ton of capital on a pair of Vandy right-handers – Jack Leiter (No. 2, 2021) and Kumar Rocker (No. 3, 2022) – and the jury is very much out, if not coming back soon. Of the eight big leaguers, five have negative WAR, while the new generation is rescued by Wyatt Langford, who’s delivered big time on his No. 4 overall selection in 2023.
Average draft position: 20.5
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 16.2
Notable: Turns out the best player they produced – catcher Shea Langeliers – accrued almost all his 10.2 WAR with the Athletics. Still, they had enough hits to piece together a perennial winner and 2021 World Series champion, as 2016 No. 3 overall pick Ian Anderson accrued just 3.1 WAR but pitched in some huge playoff games. Best future hope is long lefty Cam Caminiti, a high school sign in high Class A at 19.
Average draft position: 24.4
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 12.5
Notable: Their penchant for being Consistently Pretty Good has reduced the Guardians to picking 23rd or higher six of the past 10 years. And until the lottery balls bounced their way and they snagged Travis Bazzana No. 1 overall in 2024, their highest pick was 14. Smiling through it all, the Guardians grabbed Gavin Williams at No. 23 and Chase DeLauter at 16 in consecutive years, and Bazzana is an All-Star just weeks after debuting. Yeah, they still know what they’re doing.
Average draft position: 8.1
Major leaguers produced: 7
Total WAR: 37.1
Notable: Second to Kansas City on the WAR list here, so why the C? Well, they’ve had seven top 10 picks the past decade, and produced just two All-Star selections – one each for right-handers Hunter Greene and Chase Burns, each taken No. 2 overall. Another No. 2, 2016 pick Nick Senzel, produced minus-3.1 WAR, the biggest negative among all top picks the past decade. Somehow, the Jonathan Indias and Nick Lodolos haven’t added up to a contender in Cincy.
Average draft position: 18.9
Major leaguers produced: 5
Total WAR: 35.8
Notable: Two-thirds of the production came from their top pick in 2016, Bryan Reynolds, who they picked 59th overall and traded to rent Andrew McCutchen. So, good for the Pirates, we guess. Eight top picks were spent on collegians, yet the two high schoolers – outfielder Heliot Ramos and slugger Bryce Eldridge – are their only everyday players. That’s what happens when a No. 2 overall pick is burned on Joey Bart, who like Reynolds flourished in Pittsburgh, and a No. 10 on Hunter Bishop, who touched AAA but never found the power he flashed at Arizona State.
Average draft position: 9
Major leaguers produced: 8
Total WAR: 22.9
Notable: They have had six consecutive top nine picks, the first three producing a part-time shortstop (Nick Gonzales), a backup catcher (Henry Davis, who went 1/1 in 2021) and a struggling AAA infielder (Termarr Johnson). Now, the good news: Paul Skenes, Konnor Griffin and Seth Hernandez, the latter now striking out 13.4 batters per nine innings in high A, one year after he was plucked out of high school. Too bad they didn’t hold onto Shane Baz or unlock Quinn Priester.
Average draft position: 14.1
Major leaguers produced: 7
Total WAR: 19
Notable: Kyler Murray, we hardly knew ye. Things got a little brighter after 2018’s ninth overall pick decided NFL riches were the surer thing, beginning with plucking Tyler Soderstrom with the 26th overall pick in 2020. And then Nick Kurtz was popped fourth overall in 2024, and Yolo County didn’t know what hit it in 2025. Indeed, those two comprise almost all the value from the last decade, and perhaps things would’ve gone better in Oakland had Murray, AJ Puk and Austin Beck been bypassed for other picks at nine, six and six, respectively.
Average draft position: 19.1
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 11
Notable: Yet another franchise that underwent significant regime changes this past decade, but that’s not much excuse for just two top pick players – Tanner Houck and Triston Casas – producing more than 1 win above replacement. They did burn Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery to snag Garrett Crochet, but the meh tone was set with prep lefty Jay Groome failing to catch on after he was picked 12th overall in 2016.
Average draft position: 24.9
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 13.1
Notable: They’ve drafted late and played it safe over the years, selecting almost entirely uninspiring collegians with seven of their 10 top picks. Turns out rolling the dice on prep guys was wise: Nolan Gorman (19th overall in 2018, 3.4 WAR) and Jordan Walker (No. 21 in 2020, first-time All-Star in 2025) were their only bright spots the first five years. The latter group has been saved by right-hander Michael McGreevy (No. 18 in 2021) and JJ Wetherholt, who in 2024 became their first top 10 pick since 1998. He’s now the best defensive second baseman in the game.
Average draft position: 15.2
Major leaguers produced: 5
Total WAR: 15.2
Notable: A tough break when your 1/1 – Royce Lewis, 2017 – has suffered through almost nonstop injuries, though he’s still got runway as a major leaguer. Keoni Cavaco, a prep shortstop chosen 13th in 2019, never made it out of A ball while their top pick a year later, former North Carolina first baseman Aaron Sabato, has finally made it to Class AAA. There are high hopes for their past three No. 1 picks – prep outfielder Walker Jenkins and college shortstops Kaelen Culpepper and Marek Houston.
Average draft position: 11.1
Major leaguers produced: 9
Total WAR: 23.2
Notable: You get what you pay for: Draft a nonstop stream of close-to-the-majors collegiate players and watch none of them become All-Stars. That’s pretty much how it’s gone down in Anaheim, where shortstop Zach Neto has produced 12.2 WAR and lefty Reid Detmers has finally found his stride. As for Will Wilson, Sam Bachman, Nolan Schanuel and Christian Moore, all chosen between picks eight and 15? They’ve all made it to Anaheim, but seem helpless to prevent a third consecutive last-place finish.
Average draft position: 16.1
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: 9.8
Notable: They basically have one All-Star season from Alek Manoah and two amazing months from Trey Yesavage to show for a decade of top picks. Tough back-to-back selections in 2017 and ’18, as collegiate shortstop Logan Warmoth (No. 22) reached AAA but was gone by 2023, while Jordan Groshans played 17 games for the Marlins in 2022.
Average draft position: 18.7
Major leaguers produced: 5
Total WAR: 2.7
Notable: Yeah, seems weird to see the Eternally Smart Rays at the back of the class here. But they’ve perhaps swung too big with their top picks, going the high school route seven of 10 times, with only outfielder Josh Lowe producing positive WAR. It didn’t help when two-way player and 2017 No. 4 overall Brendan McKay ran into shoulder issues; Tampa Bay would pick between 16 and 29 the next seven years.
Average draft position: 9.5
Major leaguers produced: 5
Total WAR: 19.2
Notable: Trevor Rogers and JJ Bleday largely popped elsewhere and drafting high schoolers six times in nine years didn’t return many dividends. They did right in 2020, grabbing Max Meyer with the third overall pick, and now he’s an All-Star rotation stalwart. The new regime’s pivotal guy is Aiva Arquette, the 6-foot-5 shortstop from Oregon State taken seventh overall last year. Will he return more value than a slew of highly regarded prep shortstops and proven college arms that went behind him?
Average draft position: 35.6
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: Minus-2.3
Notable: They were really good on the field (two World Series titles) and really bad off it (a grim sign-stealing scheme) and both conspired to push Astros picks later in the draft, as they were stripped of first- and second-round picks in 2020 and ’21 after their nefarious scheme was discovered. That still doesn’t excuse some awful top picks, beginning with four players who produced negative WAR in their big league careers: Right-handers Forrest Whitley and JB Bukauskas, outfielder Seth Beer and catcher Korey Lee. They had to wait until Nos. 72 and 87 to pick in 2020 and ’21, but given the freedom of choice again, opted for college outfielder Drew Gilbert at No. 28 in ’22. Oy. At least ’23 No. 1 Brice Matthews is contributing to the big league roster, and last year’s No. 1, Xavier Neyens, is far toolsier than many of their previous top picks.
Average draft position: 14.8
Major leaguers produced: 6
Total WAR: Minus-1.3
Notable: Yet another good team, bad decisions scenario: The Nationals picked between No. 17 and No. 28 from 2016 to 2020, but that didn’t mean they had to choose bad players. Alas, all that’s left from that bunch is Cade Cavalli (No. 22 in 2020), and he’s perhaps established himself as a rotation mainstay. It probably got worse as the Nats got bad, the nadir coming when they selected prep outfielder Elijah Green fifth overall in 2022. Now 22, Green has 141 strikeouts in 313 plate appearances (45% K rate) at high Class A this season. A new regime and last year's 1/1, shortstop Eli Willits, should produce better outcomes.
Average draft position: 14
Major leaguers produced: 7
Total WAR: Minus-1.6
Notable: Can’t really blame this on Coors Field. The Rockies took a hitter four out of five years at one point, and they all went belly up, from Ryan Vilade (No. 48, 2017) to Michael Toglia (No. 23, 2019) to Zac Veen (No. 9, 2020) and Benny Montgomery (No. 8, 2021). Veen is still knocking on the door, but these past 10 years got off to a tough start when they spent the No. 4 overall pick on prep right-hander Riley Pint in 2016; he quit baseball, came back and then said, “I’m good” after five big league games. There’s some hope for the new generation though good health must return for Chase Dollander and 2025 No. 4 overall Ethan Holliday, and slugger Charlie Condon needs to cut down his strikeouts at AAA.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB draft grades for what teams did with top picks over last 10 years: Top squad surprises
The Road to the Show is set to begin shortly for the next wave of future MLB prospects.
The 2026 MLB Draft kicks off Day 2 of MLB All-Star Week festivities in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, with the first round of the draft set to start at 1 p.m. ET.
The draft, similar to last year's in Atlanta, will take place across two days. The first four rounds of selection will take place on Saturday, while rounds four through 20 will take place on Sunday. Interestingly, Saturday's selections will be made while several of the penultimate first-half games before the All-Star break are being played across the country.
Watch select picks of the 2026 MLB Draft on Fubo (free trial)
The Chicago White Sox own the No. 1 overall pick. The AL Central franchise, which is off to a surprising 47-44 record in Year 2 (WILL NEED UPDATE AFTER TODAY'S 2:10 PM GAME) of the Will Venable era on the South Side, has a plethora of options to go with the pick, including UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey and Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson.
Several teams have received a 10-pick penalty for their first pick of the draft for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax. Those teams include the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. In fact, the Blue Jays and Dodgers won't be selecting in the first round, as their first picks will be in the second round.
Here's everything to know about the 2026 MLB Draft, including start times and how to watch information:
The 2026 MLB Draft is scheduled to take place across both Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Saturday will consist of rounds 1-4 of the draft, with Sunday consisting of rounds 5 through 20.
Day 1 is set to begin at 1 p.m. ET and run through 7:45 p.m. ET. Day 2 is set to resume at 11:30 a.m. ET and is expected to go until 7:30 p.m. ET.
Watch first 10 picks of 2026 MLB Draft on Peacock
NBC will broadcast the first 10 picks of the 2026 MLB Draft before TV coverage shifts over to MLB Network for picks 11-40 of Day 1 of the draft. The streaming option for the first 10 picks is Peacock, NBC's subscription streaming service. You can stream MLB Network's coverage of Day 1 of the draft either on Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or MLB.com.
MLB.com will be the spot to watch most of the draft, including picks 41-135 on Saturday. The entirety of Day 2 of the draft will be on MLB.com.
Here's the first-round order of the top 15 picks for the 2026 MLB Draft:
Click here to view the 2026 MLB Draft order.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to watch 2026 MLB Draft: Time, TV channel, live streaming options
First they sang for Harry Kane. Then they sang for Michael Harris II.
The Atlanta Braves center-fielder is not someone many Major League Baseball fans would consider a household name. A local kid made good, he has established himself as an above-average, everyday outfielder and at age 25 is enjoying a career-best season, but his face doesn’t dominate billboards and ads in the way of Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge.
To a pack of football fans, though, he is a superstar.
Last week, England supporters, in Atlanta for the World Cup and fresh off their team’s dramatic last-32 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo, were offered discounted tickets to the Braves’ home game against the St Louis Cardinals. They filled a pocket of the center-field bleachers, hung their flags and brought the sounds of Wembley to Truist Park.
As the player situated closest to the England fans, Harris caught their attention. His performance in a 5-1 win – one hit, one RBI, four putouts – didn’t quite match the heroics of Kane earlier in the day, but the supporters in red and white sang in spirited verve anyway, from “Walking in a Harris wonderland!” to “Baseball’s coming home – with Michael Harris!”
This World Cup has been full of stories of international visitors marveling at the small towns, the delis, the high schools, the Walmarts, the ranch dressing and the culture of America. They’re also giving a nice boost to its national pastime.
More than 5 million fans attended home games of the 14 teams in 12 World Cup host cities (including Toronto in Canada) from 11 June to 5 July. The average attendance across those markets (35,326)was higher than in the same stretch of three of the past four seasons.
The influx of World Cup visitors may not be the only responsible factor for attendance boosts in certain markets, but the crossover in the calendar has made for a compelling collision of sports cultures: the slow-paced, quiet of midsummer baseball with the raucous, frenzied energy of international soccer.
“We export the game. We play games in other parts of the world. And now the world is coming to us,” said Adam Zimmerman, the senior vice-president of marketing and content for the Braves who oversaw their England promotion. “And what is a more American experience than going to a baseball game?”
The Boston Red Sox were the first out of the gate. With Scotland in town for their World Cup group-stage matches, the Red Sox hosted a Scottish Heritage Celebration Night on 14 June against the Texas Rangers, drawing more than 5,000 members of the Tartan Army among a crowd of 32,006 at Fenway Park.
Never mind that many of them didn’t know much about baseball. “How many innings is it?” one fan asked a local TV reporter. “Oh, you’re having a laugh!” he said upon hearing the answer of nine. (What did excite that fan was the concession offerings: “We’ve been here four days and I’ve not had a hot dog yet. I’m gagging for it.”)
The Tartan Army led a bagpipers’ march down the historic Lansdowne Street that borders the 114-year-old ballpark. The stands were filled with supporters in Scotland tops, kilts and red socks, chanting “We’ve got McGinn, Super John McGinn”. They sang Flower of Scotland after the Star-Spangled Banner, and roared when the team organist played Loch Lomond and I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).
Such was the Red Sox’s amazement at the scenes – which came amid a slump for one of baseball’s most historic franchises – that the team president wrote a letter thanking Scotland for “genuinely one of the most moving things we have witnessed at Fenway Park in a long time”.
“My bucket list is to be at a European game one day with my kids, and that was probably as close to it as you can get as far as the atmosphere,” said Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, whose own team started playing No Scotland, No Party in their clubhouse after two wins with the Tartan Army in attendance. “That was pretty special.”
The Miami Marlins, hosting Scotland fans eight days later, saw their biggest crowd for a Monday game in nine years. An estimated 8,000 supporters helped give a team that has historically sat at the bottom of MLB’s attendance table one of their best home atmospheres this season, with a crowd of 20,008.
In the heart of Texas, the Rangers hosted Australia fans at their Globe Life Field, which sits across a parking lot from World Cup host Dallas Stadium. One Socceroos fan – perhaps a cricketer back home – earned himself headlines last Thursday for his barehanded catch of a foul ball.
Norway fans took their trademark row celebration to the first game of a New York Mets midweek doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. One supporter, surely captivated in part by the 18ft (5.5m) Home Run Apple in center field, told MLB.com that Citi Field was the most beautiful sports venue he’d ever visited.
“I’ve never been to a baseball game before, and I think this is part of the American experience, to be at a baseball game,” that fan, a visitor from outside Oslo named Daniel, said. “So this is the United States for me.”
(If the Norwegian support has been a boon for their team, who are in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history, it didn’t help the fortunes of the last-place Mets: they lost both games of that doubleheader amid a seven-game losing streak.)
The Braves started planning for how to make the most of World Cup opportunities in Atlanta months in advance, but their 1 July England night came together quickly once the knockout draw was released. Team staff worked with the British consulate and the Football Supporters’ Association to arrange discounted game tickets and free bus services from downtown, where many fans spent the afternoon watching the win at Atlanta Stadium. A special allowance was made for just one night to let fans bring flags inside the ballpark, where the brick walls were dotted with emblems of Leeds and London, Birmingham and Brentford. The team hired a cover band called Broasis – yes, they played Wonderwall – decorated a red double-decker bus and made “England is Braves Country” T-shirts that “flew like hotcakes”, Zimmerman said.
No moment had as wide a reach as the one that happened completely spontaneously: the fans’ interaction with Harris. After the game, they tossed hats and jerseys to be signed and called for him to make a speech, serenading him with chants of “There’s only one Michael Harris!” (There are, in fact, at least three: his father and his son share the same name.)
The wholesomeness of the moments has left players charmed and front offices inspired to find ways to carry on that energy at baseball games long after the soccer fans return to their home terraces.
“For our players to experience fandom from a different country and a different perspective was remarkable,” Zimmerman said. “And then the trick for us is, OK, you don’t want to take that and overly engineer it and then take out what was beautiful about it, which was the spontaneity. I think my biggest takeaway was to provide the ingredients and see what people make.”
It’s not just the visiting fans showing baseball the love this summer. The ceremonial first pitch is a staple of baseball games, where a well-known face – sometimes a pop star, sometimes a politician, sometimes a local celebrity – takes the mound to toss the first throw. Several of soccer’s biggest names have done the honors in the last month, from England manager Thomas Tuchel with a looping fastball in Kansas City to Barcelona star Aitana Bonmatí with a wind-up and strike in San Diego.
Before the United States’ last-16 game in Seattle, head coach Mauricio Pochettino threw out the first pitch at T-Mobile Park. The Mariners have had their share of World Cup visitors: their highest home crowds this season coincided with the weekend of the USA v Australia group-stage game, and their game honoring the USMNT on 3 July drew their fifth-largest attendance this year at 45,391.
Pochettino put in his practice at a training session earlier in the day with goalkeeper Matt Turner, a former high school baseball player, and performed admirably.
And baseball is showing the love back. Players and coaches alike have used their off-days – rarities in the 162-game regular season – to cross the World Cup off their bucket lists. Stars Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Salvador Perez appeared at games in their local markets.
Of anyone, Harris may best epitomize this sporting love affair. After his interaction with the fans, he posted a video from his vantage point captioned “England Lit!” In an interview with Men in Blazers, he correctly predicted a 3-2 win for the Three Lions over Mexico in the last 16. He showed up to the ballpark the next day in an England jersey, saying he watched the game “biting his nails at the end”.
Should England beat Norway on Saturday and return to Atlanta next week for a semi-final, there could be an even sweeter reunion.
“England,” Harris posted last week, “I’m forever with you!”
Well, you have to start somewhere. A split with the Rays in St. Petersburg won’t turn the Yankees’ season around on its own, but it’s a step in the right direction after three weeks of putrid baseball. Yesterday, New York’s offense finally showed up, putting in a cathartic 12-run effort against Tampa Bay, led by Ben Rice’s two home runs. It’s just one game, but if the lineup starts to produce again, it could be remembered as a turning point for this summer.
It’ll be a packed day on the site ahead of a matchup in D.C. In the morning, Matt will preview the three games with the Nationals, and recap Thursday’s American League action. Later, Dan Kelly will continue our MLB Draft coverage with an analysis of the Yankees’ possible strategy, and Maximo will continue our Trade Deadline preview with a look at the Royals as a possible trade partner. Also, Sam remembers reliever Buddy Groom for the Yankees Birthday series, and Madison delivers the answers to this week’s mailbag.
New York Yankees at Washington Nationals
Time: 6:45 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, Nationals.TV
Venue: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1. Was yesterday a definitive sign that the Yankee offense has re-awakened?
2. After hearing Brian Cashman discuss Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton’s injuries yesterday, when do you expect each slugger to return?
The Atlanta Braves announced a roster move that reinstated OF Eli White from the paternity list and designated fellow outfielder José Azócar for assignment. The move came ahead of Thursday’s series finale in Pittsburgh.
White returns to the active roster after missing the last series while on paternity leave. During his absence, Azócar filled the open roster spot and appeared in two games, where he recorded one hit and scored a run.
White gives Atlanta another versatile option as the Braves travel to St. Louis for a weekend series against the Cardinals.
The Braves took the series and defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-5.
AJ Smith-Shawver is nearing a return to Atlanta and will rehab with the Gwinnett Stripers this weekend.
Lucas Braun had a 12-strikeout game, setting a Columbus Clingstones record. More in the minor league recap.
Trade rumors are ramping up, and Sonny Gray has been connected to Atlanta.
The New York Mets will place infielder Mark Vientos on the injured list with a hand fracture after he was hit by a pitch. No timeline has been provided for his return, but he will likely miss several weeks.
The Miami Marlins have placed OF Owen Caissie on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain. The club also placed left-hander John King on the 15-day injured list with a left lateral ankle sprain.
Minnesota Twins left-hander Anthony Banda underwent lat surgery and is done for the season.
Carlos Carrasco has returned to the Braves on a minor league deal.
Matt Olson has tied Dale Murphy for the longest consecutive games streak.
ESPN | Associated Press: Speaking to reporters yesterday, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman informed the press that Aaron Judge, out since June 5th with a stress fracture in his rib cage, will undergo more imaging during the All-Star Break. Unfortunately, while the imaging will give the team a better idea on when Judge can start ramping back up, the team knows that the images will not be clean, and that he won’t return to the field until he is fully healed.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: As it turns out, Giancarlo Stanton’s setback from a right calf strain last month was not a setback at all, but rather, another right calf strain — just in a different part of his calf. He has finally been cleared to begin running, although there is currently no timetable for his return. At this point, he’s not expected back until August at the minimum.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: (subscription required) It wasn’t all injury updates, though. Cashman also discussed the current state of the roster, noting, of course, that the team’s catching has been a major black hole in the lineup. Of more interest to Yankees fans, though, might be his report that George Lombard Jr., who is expected to return to action around the All-Star Break after missing some time with sprained fingers, may make his Major League debut later this season: his defense was described as plug-and-play, and his offense as catching up to the level.
The Athletic | Tyler Kepner: This is not, strictly speaking, Yankees news, although it does come with some interesting tidbits from Yankees starter Gerrit Cole. As you probably know by now, Justin Verlander announced this week his intent to retire after the season, prompting some to wonder whether we have seen the last 300-win pitcher (Verlander’s 266 is currently the closest, followed by Max Scherzer’s 222 and Gerrit Cole’s 156). Injuries robbed Verlander, who, as Cole rightly points out, is one of the last pitchers who pitched extensively in both the pre-analytics and post-analytics worlds, and is the last pitcher to throw 250 innings in a season (a feat he accomplished in 2011).
