For the first time in nearly three whole months, Will Smith was back in the starting lineup for the start of the Dodgers’ nine-game homestand on Tuesday.

Smith finished the game going 1-5 with a double and two RBI on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, but his impact could only bring so much to the table in what ended up being a 13-8 defeat. The Dodgers are hoping that bringing Smith back into the mix will help invigorate the lineup for the stretch run here in September, and Sonja Chen of MLB.com noted Smith as an “invaluable” part of the starting lineup.

“The experience, the calmness in the box, the managing of the pitching staff — all that stuff is crucial,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Although there were hopes that Shohei Ohtani would pitch over the weekend in Detroit, those chances ultimately fell through as the Dodgers decided to go with Tyler Glasnow for the road trip finale. The Dodgers are still undecided as to when Ohtani will return to the mound, but they do expect to have him back to his two-way duties at some point this season, per Jack Harris of the California Post.

“Obviously, it’s tricky navigating a build-up progression with someone who is also DH’ing by night,” Friedman told the California Post in an interview on Tuesday.

But, the veteran executive added, “he obviously wants to get back out there, helping the team on the mound as well.”

Tuesday turned out to be the roughest outing for Eric Lauer for any home start as a Dodger, as the left-hander allowed seven runs over just three innings, suffering his first loss as a Dodger at home across six starts. Lauer spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA postgame where he discussed how things began to unravel for him, specifically after allowing back-to-back two-out home runs in the second inning.

“I think, overall, my command wasn’t very good— too many misses, too many big misses. I didn’t feel like I really had a good grasp on where the ball was going today, and that obviously hurt. Trying to make in game adjustments, I gotta get better at that, and just making sure I don’t let things compound like that.”

When Hall of Famer Todd Helton retired after 17 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the carousel of replacements at first base has made for a grueling search to fill his position. For 13 years, the Rockies have tried again and again to find a first baseman who could provide stability and production at first base, but again and again they failed to do so. Helton set the bar high for the position, and no player has quite been able to reach it.

Until now, perhaps.

TJ Rumfield has had a phenomenal year for the Rockies as a rookie. We’ve sung his praises plenty here at Purple Row, as he seems to have solved the riddle of first base for the club and has a compelling case to be in the Rookie of the Year conversations more than he already is.

As the season has progressed, it’s become apparent that Helton and Rumfield share similarities in their playstyles. How similar are their rookie seasons? Let’s dive into some of the numbers and see what we can find.

Surface value

A glimpse at the standard counting stats shows that Helton has the upper hand in nearly every category (more on the other stat in a moment).

In 152 games during his true rookie season in 1998 — after appearing in 35 games in 1997 — Helton proved to be a productive middle-of-the-order bat that could hit for power and drive in runs. He slashed .315/.380/.530 and benefited greatly from the fearsome lineup surrounding him, featuring four of the remaining Blake Street Bombers, and the pre-Humidor environment of Coors Field.

Rumfield has proven to be a steady bat in the lineup despite the statistically weaker lineup than that of the 1998 team. He has some power hiding in his bat, but he focuses on making contact and getting on base, as he is slashing .290/.383/.437, which has helped him keep pace with Helton.

According to Baseball-Reference, their value is nearly identical. Helton accumulated 3.2 rWAR in 1998 while Rumfield currently sits at 3.3 rWAR. FanGraphs has quite a bit more disparity between the values, with Helton accumulating 2.9 fWAR and Rumfield 2.1 fWAR. Helton is the overall better player, which is absolutely reasonable and expected after all, but Rumfield is keeping pace in his own way,

While they aren’t exactly replicas of each other, it’s the similarities that are making Rumfield such an effective player this season and could help him raise his level of play in the seasons to come.

On-base machines

Let’s direct our attention to the ability that made Helton so incredible in his career and has been the highlight of Rumfield’s rookie season: getting on base.

In franchise history, the list of rookies with at least 500 plate appearances and a .380 OBP in a season is as follows:

• 2026: TJ Rumfield (.383)
• 1998: Todd Helton (.380)

That’s it; that’s the list.

As we know, on-base percentage is the rate that a player gets on base by either a hit, a walk, or a hit by a pitch. By both accounts, Rumfield and Helton excel in the two main parts of the stat’s distinctions.

Entering the final month of the season, Rumfield has 136 hits, which leads the Rockies. In 1998, Helton tallied 167 hits, which was good for fourth on the team. Now, Helton was a true hitting machine as he tallied 49 multi-hit games during his rookie year, including several four-hit games. Meanwhile, Rumfield has 34 multi-hit games, including one four-hit game. With 23 September games left to play, Rumfield could have a chance to match Helton’s rookie total, which is second in franchise history behind Troy Tulowitzki’s 2007 season total (177). Rumfield has averaged about 26 hits per month this season, but to match Helton, he needs 31, which would be a month-high this season.

As for the walks, that is where Rumfield takes the crown. Helton was always known for impeccable vision at the plate, and that translated into a solid walk rate throughout his career. In 1998, he managed 53 walks for an 8.9% walk rate, the second-lowest rate of his career. Rumfield currently possesses an 11.6% walk rate while surpassing Helton’s walk total with 63. In fact, Rumfield is likely to overtake Dexter Fowler (67) for most walks in a season by a rookie in franchise history before this week is through.

Plate discipline

The plate discipline is what is so strikingly similar between these two players. Both have been excellent at getting hits and drawing walks, but the process leading up to them is what is so interesting.

It became a trademark for Helton to deliver grinding at-bats because it was so difficult to strike him out. During his rookie season, he struck out just 54 times with a 61.3% strike rate. He was a little more eager to swing the bat back then but still averaged 3.78 pitches per plate appearance, which was above league average. Helton would average about 4.1 pitches per plate appearance the rest of his career. He made plenty of contact (88.5%) and attacked pitchers with a 29.2% swing rate on the first pitch, which isn’t a lot but enough to do damage. Such a contact-oriented approach is what made Helton successful and complemented his ability to hit for power. Let’s not forget he had a .530 slugging percentage that season with 25 home runs and 37 doubles.

Rumfield has also proven to be a stickler at the plate with a quality contact bat. Sure, he has 75 strikeouts, but that is the 24th fewest in baseball this season. Much like Helton, he has a 61.5% strike rate and has averaged 3.77 pitchers per plate appearance. That may be lower than league average this season, but that’s because Rumfield is aggressive with his 42.5% swing rate on first pitches and has a solid 80.3% contact rate. There isn’t a specific stat to indicate how many foul balls either player hit beyond the ones that counted for strikes, but it’s safe to say that Rumfield does swing earlier and more often than Helton, but tends to put more bad pitches in play. Still, Rumfield has managed a .437 SLG with 13 home runs and 26 doubles.

Splits

As mentioned before, Helton thrived at Coors Field in 1998. He mashed to the tune of a .354/.417/.585 slash in 77 games with 13 home runs and 61 RBI. That type of production made the split so drastic on the road, despite Helton putting up quality numbers. In 75 road games, he batted .273/.340/.470 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI. He took advantage of his home ballpark, but Coors Field did not create Helton. He struck out more on the road, but that’s simply because opposing pitchers were terrified of throwing to him at Coors Field, so he walked more.

Rumfield, on the other hand, has been consistent regardless of whether he’s at home or away. At Coors Field, he is slashing .290/.375/.459 with eight home runs; while on the road he is batting .290/.391/.416 with five home runs. Nearly every stat for Rumfield is similar, save for RBI, because he’s just had fewer opportunities on the road. Much like Helton, Coors Field is not defining Rumfield, but rather highlighting that he is a great hitter regardless of where he plays.

The same can be said of the platoon splits. Both players are at their best against right-handed pitching with Helton punishing righties for 20 home runs and a .318 AVG. Rumfield is batting over .300 against righties as well with 11 home runs but his numbers do take a dip against lefties despite being solid enough. He only has two home run, but his .266 AVG and .367 OBP are quality enough numbers to keep him in the lineup every day instead of a platoon. Helton saw fewer opportunities against southpaws in his rookie season, but still bashed them for a .304/.394/.482 slash with five home runs in 133 plate appearances.

Either way, the ability to adapt and find consistency at the plate regardless of the varying factors is a valuable trait that so many Rockies have failed to develop over the team’s history.

Defense

Lastly, let’s touch on defense.

Over the course of his career, Helton won three Gold Gloves and was always regarded as one of the best defensive first basemen of his generation, if not baseball history. As a 24-year-old rookie, his score of 9 Total Zone in runs above average indicates that his fielding saved the Rockies roughly nine runs more than a statistically average major league first baseman would have saved over that same playing time of 146 games.

This gave him a 9.76 Range Factor per 9 innings, which was comfortably higher than the league average of 9.46 for first basemen that year. He committed only 7 errors on 1,317 total chances for a .995 fielding percentage.

Rumfield matches up with an 8 TZ, tying him for the MLB lead among first basemen. Rumfield actually accumulated his eight runs in fewer innings than Helton (982.1 vs 1,208.0). Because Rumfield plays in the modern era, his defense is also validated by modern tracking data, showing an outstanding 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 6 Outs Above Average.

The eye test helps us understand that Helton was a quality receiver at first base, but new metrics help us actually put into context how Rumfield is at manning his position and the growth he still needs to make. In his case, the eye test still holds water, and he’s become a sound first baseman for the Rockies this season and deserves to be a contender for a Gold Glove.

Conclusion

The numbers tell a clear story: Rumfield’s disciplined eye, split-neutral bat, and surprisingly stellar glove match up with Helton’s 1998 campaign in ways few thought possible for a rookie.

While Helton remains a franchise icon whose rookie ceiling was elevated by a legendary surrounding cast, Rumfield is carving out a dynamic identity of his own. He is getting on base at a historic clip, anchoring an infield defense in desperate need of stability, and giving Rockies fans their first genuine taste of long-term answer at first base since Number 17 walked away.

Whether Rumfield takes home the Rookie of the Year hardware or a Gold Glove this fall, one thing is certain: the 13-year search is officially over. The Rockies have finally found their guy at first base, and the best may be yet to come.

On the farm

Triple-A: Tacoma Rainiers 6, Albuquerque Isotopes 3

The Albuquerque Isotopes out-hit Tacoma 11-10, but scored just three runs as they lost 6-3. Every Isotope had a hit, with Bryant Betancourt going 3-for-4. Roc Riggio also contributed his third home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning. The Isotopes went 3-for-5 with runners in scoring position, while the Rainers with 3-for-10 with RISP. It was a bullpen day for Albuquerque as Ryan Miller made the start with two innings of work, giving up a run. Blake Adams followed and took the loss after giving up four runs in the fourth inning. Parker Mushinski then gave up a run in 1.1 innings, followed by a trio of relievers who gave up just one hit.

Double-A:Hartford Yard Goats 5, Reading Fightin’ Phils 3

The Hartford Yard Goats collected 11 hits, but it didn’t pay off until they scored three runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for a 5-3 victory. Andy Perez, Jacob Humphrey, and Cole Messina each had two hits to lead the offense. Perez and Messina both doubled in runs in the seventh and Jared Thomas delivered an RBI single to cap the scoring. On the mound, Sam Weatherly fired two scoreless innings to start the game and was followed by four innings from Cade Denton, who allowed three runs. Victor Juarez and Austin Smith closed out the game with three scoreless innings.

High-A:Everett AquaSox 7, Spokane Indians 1

It was a tough night offensively for the Spokane Indians as they scored just one run on six hits in a 7-1 loss. Spokane’s lone run came in the second inning on an RBI double from Clayton Gray to score Robert Calaz. On the mound, Aiden May made the start, allowing four runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings of work. The bullpen fared better, allowing three runs in three hits over 4.1 innings between four arms.

Low-A:San Jose Giants 8, Fresno Grizzlies 6

Tied 4-4 through the first seven innings, the Fresno Grizzlies and San Jose Giants combined for six runs, with the Giants coming out on top 8-6. Fresno took a brief lead in the bottom of the eighth, but San Jose scored three in the top of the ninth. Ashly Andujar had two hits for Fresno, while Juan Martinez also had two hits and drove in four runs. Sandy Ozuna made the start, allowing three runs through four innings of work. Grif Hughes then delivered four strong innings, allowing just two runs on one hit. Yanzel Correa had a rough night, giving up the three runs on two hits in the ninth.

Rockies Reacts Survey: Where will TJ Rumfield finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting?

Affected by Altitude Episode 223: The Final Countdown (of 2026) | Rocky Mountain Rooftop

This week, Evan Lang and I talk about expectations for the final month of the season, the struggles of Tomoyuki Sugano, and the Cole Carrigg finger incident.

Rockies ‘unlikely’ to call up top prospect Charlie Condon in September ($) | The Denver Post

Due to the looming lock out in December, it would appear the Rockies are going to hold off on calling up Charlie Condon to ensure he can continue utilizing the team’s resources in the offseason and also leave a 40-man spot open for other players they need to protect in the offseason.

Get the best of Purple Row on the new SB Nation app! | Purple Row

In case you missed the news, SB Nation has released a new app! You can easily access the Purple Row community to read articles, participate in game discussion threads, and access other communities.

Help Gabriel Barbosa Fight Colon Cancer | GoFundMe

Rolando Fernandez, vice president of international scouting & development for the Rockies, has organized a GoFundMe for former Rockies prospect Gabriel Barbosa. Barbosa was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer and is preparing for the arrival of his first child.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Good morning.

• In a stunning move, Los Angeles Rams owner (among many other teams) Stan Kroenke has agreed to purchase the Los Angeles Angels for a record $4 billion. Rhett Bollinger reports.
• Gabe Lacques writes that with ownership of both the Rams and the Angels, Dodgers owner Mark Walter is no longer the king of LA sports.
• Ryan Phillips believes that Kroenke is the best owner that Angels fans could have hoped for.
• Besides the Rams and Angels, Kroenke owns Arsenal in the Premier League, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and other teams. Here’s is a list of his sporting portfolio.
• Brittany Ghiroli notes that with Kroenke buying the Angels, Mets owner Steve Cohen is no longer the richest owner in MLB. (Free The Athletic reg. req.)
• Josh Peter calls soon-former Angels owner Arte Moreno as the “Worst Owner in Baseball.” Yet, as he notes, he bought the team for $183 million in 2003 and is selling it for $4 billion today, so even the worst owner in the game is making out like a bandit.
• Alden Gonzalez and Buster Olney explain what the sale means for the Angels and MLB.
• Russell Dorsey says brighter days are ahead for the Angels and their fans.
• Ken Rosenthal looks at several issues for Kroenke to deal with the Angels (The Athletic sub. req.) but tells Angels fans that the new boss can’t be as bad as the old one.
• Angels star Mike Trout says he’s eager for the “fresh start” that new ownership will bring. (The Athletic sub. req.) He also said he has four years left on his contract and he intends to remain an Angel.
• J.P. Hoonstra has five questions facing the Angels after the sale.
• It’s ironic that shortly before the Angels sale was announced yesterday, The Athletic writers Melody Gutierrez, Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal released about the Dodgers sale to Mark Walter 14 years ago. (The Athletic sub. req.) Walter’s finances have been under question with his sale of the Lakers, and this article claims that MLB owners had questions and were “unlikely” to have approved Walter as owner with his sketchy financing, but their hands were mostly tied by the bankruptcy court judge.
• Matt Snyder thinks that we should all just stop doomcasting. Both the owners and the players have too much to lose for there to be a long, extended work stoppage.
• Following up on a story from Monday, Red Sox radio announcer Will Flemming apologized for calling Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. “bush league” and arguing that Boston should throw at players and start a fight with Chisholm. Sort of. First he took time to complain about all the “calls and threats” he was getting over what he said. Ian Browne reports.
• Chisholm said that he had no desire to talk to Fleming and that not only did he not know who Fleming was but that “I’m still not going to remember who he is after today.”
• Speaking of apologizes, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte apologized to manager Torey Lovullo for the way he handled his absence last week. Marte was still booed by the home fans at Chase Field.
• Now to games. Brent Maguire explains what is at stake in September.
• Sarah Langs looks at what it means to be in first place on September 1.
• Anthony Castrovince has the ten most iconic records in baseball.
• Ben Clemens is impressed with Mets reliever Nate Lavender, who just made his major league debut on August 4.
• Jay Jaffe looks at how White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters has totally defied (low) expectations in his rookie campaign. Much has been made of how Peters is a former Savannah Banana, although he played for the Bananas when they were still a college wooden bat league team, although they did do a lot of wacky stuff before games and between innings.
• The White Sox also traded for outfielders Tommy Pham and Jake Cave. Both were still eligible to be traded because they were on minor league contracts. Scott Merkin reports.
• Likewise, the Orioles claimed former Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off of waivers. Michael Baumann looks at why Baltimore did this and what they can expect from Robert.
• Bradford Doolittle wants to keep teams with losing records out of the postseason and offers some rules changes to prevent that from happening.
• Despite a terrible season from the Giants, team president Buster Posey announced that first-year manager Tony Vitello will be back next season.
• Guardians right-hander Carlos Hernández has missed all of 2025 after an off-season car accident in his native Venezuela. Hernández now reveals he was texting and driving when the accident happened and wants to serve as an example to others of what not to do.
• I wish it could have happened when the Reds were playing the Cubs, but Cincinnati third baseman Eugenio Suárez will miss two games as he takes his US citizenship test. Good luck, Geno!
• Beloved French “Voice of the Expos” Jacques Doucet has passed away at 86. Our sympathies go out to his friends, family, and all of you who still consider yourselves an Expos fan.
• And finally, if you want to feel old, 27-year-old Darren Baker has signed a minor league deal with the Giants. (Free The Athletic reg. req.) For those of you too young to remember, don’t rub it in. Also, Baker is the son of Dusty Baker who, at age 3, served as the Giants’ team batboy in the 2002 World Series and almost got run over at the plate were it not for a quick-thinking J.T. Snow. Baker is asked about that incident all the time but he always has the same response—he was too young to remember it.

Well…it’s that time of year again! I’ll spare you a long-winded intro with a medium-winded intro instead. The Guardians are coming out of the MLB Draft having lost out on their second round pick, Logan Schmidt, who was a shoo-in for this list’s top 10, but they did a solid job replenishing needed depth around the system.

There are a couple new wrinkles to the list and the rankings that are vital to the process. Firstly, you will see star ratings on every graphic. Working similarly to college football or basketball’s one to five star scale, this will work similarly. How do we get to those star ratings? Great question. Everything else, namely the future value (FV for short) works like the traditional 20-80 baseball scale, from hit tool to power to defense and decisions. Another factor that plays into the star rating a player receives is their 80th percentile FV, or FV80. This is a grade I give a player based on what I believe their skillset can develop into at an 80th percentile level. This is less of “if everything comes together” kind of thinking as it would heavily cater towards heavy tools in flawed profiles, but it works more along the lines of projecting what a player has shown in their development thus far and casting a net to capture what their best likely outcome is.

One last note: if you see red stars, that signifies an extreme profile risk, whether for injuries or extreme tool flaws and/or extreme outcome swings.

We’ll look back briefly at the preseason Top 20 (only on Twitter, sorry) as we expand out to 45, and take a look at players who have graduated as three of my top 10 prospects have since moved onto bigger and much better things at the big league level for the Guardians.

• Chase DeLauter (PRE #1 // 60 FV): DeLauter rakes, who knew! Fully living up to the 60 I threw on him pretty aggressively, DeLauter has been the best hitter for a Guardians offense in desperate need for anything and everything across the power/contact/approach spectrums. He hit a clear wall and then got hurt, but since, he’s been terrific. A clear #1.
• Travis Bazzana (PRE #3 // 55 FV): I’ve been very critical of both Bazzana and the org’s overwhelming desire to play it safe living through his selection as the 1.1 in his class, but it’s critical within the realm of a 60-grade I placed on him. There are some real concerns with his quality of contact, and the bat speed is playing well below what I thought he could get to, but he’s been an above average hitter and positive value player even through his cold spells because he has shown different ways to impact games, and he’s also flashed the power potential when he consistently gets to his pull-side.
• Parker Messick (PRE #7 // 50 FV): I screamed and shouted to anyone that listened that Parker Messick was going to be a good major league pitcher, and here I am, before god and country, admitting that even I underrated Messick. As a rookie, his fastball trails only Jacob Misiorowski’s ultra heater in run value, and he’s even seen an uptick in velo by over a full mph since last season, and his changeup is among the best in the league. An absolute stud who’s going to get a lot of Cy Young votes.

Alright, now let’s get into the NEW and IMPROVED and LONGER list, starting with our brand new number one:

1) 1B RALPHY VELAZQUEZ | 55 FV | 65 FV80 | #23 T100
PRESEASON RANK: 2
21 | L/R | 6’1” / 240 lbs | Huntington Beach HS (Huntington Beach, CA)
ACQUIRED: ‘23 Draft: 1.23
HIGHEST LEVEL: AAA-COLUMBUS

Velazquez is a specimen unlike anything we have seen in this organization in quite some time. I ranked Velazquez second coming into the season despite Bazzana having a proximity edge over him, but that’s just how highly I think of the bat here. Thus far in Triple-A, Velazquez is running a 105.6 EV90, good for 84th percentile. It took Velazquez a minute to figure out Triple-A, and his chase and whiff rates have ballooned over 30% each, but for a 21 year-old who has only shown that he will figure out the level with the more at-bats he gets, I have no doubt that he’ll figure this level out as well.

Velazquez hammers all pitch types, though RHP changeups have been prone to giving him issues. Velazquez’s hot streak last season in Double-A saw him find elite power to all fields. This season, especially lately, he’s been finding optimized pull-side launch while his z-con% still hovers right around 80%. Velazquez has precocious feel for the barrel. His hard hit launch angle sits at 19°, well above the Triple-A average, showing that he’s getting his hardest hit balls lifted and with thump, and this is really where his ceiling comes into play. Ralphy has all-fields home run power, but to best optimize it in Cleveland, he’ll need to find it pull-side, and he is at a high level.

Velazquez has shown some defensive versatility, but in a perfect world, he’s manning first base for the foreseeable future.

2) SS ANGEL GENAO | 55 FV | 60 FV80| #28 T100
PRESEASON RANK: 5
22 | S/R | 5’11” / ~190 lbs | Castillo, Dominican Republic
ACQUIRED: IFA 2021
HIGHEST LEVEL: MLB

A shortstop by trade who has found himself scattered across the infield since his promotion, Genao has proven right away to be more than just a ceiling to hope on but a high floor, immediate helper for a roster in desperate need of his skill set in Cleveland.

A switch hitter, Genao is once again fully healthy and has elevated himself back towards the top of this list, a list he sat at #1 on this time a season ago, after dealing with nagging injuries that depleted his production in 2025, causing him to drop to 5th on the preseason list.

Genao would be a lock for the top of this list if not for a couple of things, only one being in his control. Velazquez has ascended into the premier first base prospect in the sport, now knocking on the door for Cleveland, and Genao, while possessing above average power, has struggled for years now elevating his best exit velocities. Genao’s raw data reads like 50+ power potential. In Triple-A, Genao ran a 104.7 EV90 (76th percentile) and 45.5% hard hit rate (76th pctl), but that equated to a 5.5% barrel rate. This comes down to his pure ability to launch. The Triple-A average hard-hit launch angle (average LA on batted balls hit at 95+ mph) is 12°. Genao’s sits at 6°.

That being said, it’s not overly extreme, and it’s more separated by handedness. Genao lifts the ball better from the right side, running an 11° hard-hit launch angle, but his EV’s and overall hard hit rates aren’t as strong as those from the left side.

Defensively, Genao has already proven to be versatile, naturally gifted with a high baseball IQ and a plus arm. If he can develop into a plus defender, there’s a real outside shot at 5-tool potential here. Long story short, Genao is destined to play in Cleveland for a very long time, and we’re merely in the infancy of it now.

3) OF JUNEIKER CACERES | 55 FV | 60 FV80| #29 T100
PRESEASON RANK: 10
19 | L/L | 5’10” / 168 lbs | Los Taques, Venezuela
ACQUIRED: IFA 2024
HIGHEST LEVEL: A+ LAKE COUNTY
ETA: 2028

Caceres is the best pure hitter in the Guardians’ system at just 19 years old, and if his swing decisions improve as expected, he has 70 hit tool potential, the highest grade I’ve ever given a hit tool within this organization.

There are two key inflection points in 2027 that will make or break Caceres’s potential growth to #1 on this list sometime next season: can he collect himself against breakers (he hits them well and has no issue seeing spin, but he’s far too aggressive and will extend the zone too much) and can he start finding quality exit velocities when hitting fly balls? Caceres is a pure line drive hitter who has seen his own physical development lead to above average underlying metrics for his age (104 EV90 per TJStats), but his power potential is heavily tempered by his inability to find his best EV’s with home run-carrying launch.

So, why does this create an issue? It’s all in projection. Caceres has naturally gifted hands with barrel control that is second to none, the swing is just fairly flat. If anyone in this system could sell out to hunt for more consistent launch, it’s Caceres as his precocious hitting ability likely would not be hurt much, if at all. It’s vital to Caceres, as a 55 FV player, that he does develop 15+ MLB home run power because if his hit tool is the major carrying tool come two seasons from now, he’s more likely to be a 50 FV.

4) RHP BRAYLON DOUGHTY | 50 FV | 60 FV80| #37 T100
PRESEASON RANK: 4
20 | R/R | 6’0” / 203 lbs | Chaparral HS (Temecula, CA)
ACQUIRED: ‘24 Draft: CB-A, Pick 36
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2028

REPERTOIRE
4-Seam: 92-95 T98
Slider: 86-89
Cutter: 88-92
Curveball: 82-85
Changeup: 84-88

I have covered Braylon Doughty extensively both in written form and on any podcast that lets me talk, but this is the most excited I’ve been about a prep arm in this organization since Daniel Espino was rising the ranks. Doughty, while a bit undersized, has all the makings of a mid-rotation staple, but he’s now dealt with arm fatigue in August in each of his first two seasons. Getting stronger and building the capacity for innings will continue to be something he needs to work on and also monitor, but the pure stuff here is terrific.

Doughty is mechanically further along than just about anyone for his age and has done nothing but excel at every level he’s been at. Doughty began the season in Lake County, and right around May, he turned up a level, riding a strong May and June into a Double-A promotion. Doughty’s biggest strength is plus command across his entire six pitch arsenal, a repertoire that’s only deepened since he found more separation between his slider and cutter.

Doughty, outside of his first start (new team, new ball, etc.) has been terrific in Akron despite the aforementioned arm tightness, and even since he’s returned, he’s picked up right where he left off. The low-80’s curveball has double plus potential as its tremendous drop and 3,000+ RPM spin capability combine with tremendous command and big horizontal movement, creating a lot of swing and miss against either handedness.

It’s flat out one of the best curves in the minor leagues. Doughty’s ceiling right now feels a bit gray, but the floor is a big league starter, 4th or 5th in a rotation. The ceiling, if he can reach the 94-95 mph range on his heater consistently, feels like he can comfortably figure into a mid-rotation slot. The fastball shape is strong enough to be an above average pitch as he’s still reaching back for 96-97 early in starts, and though he settles back into 92-94 regularly, there’s a higher likelihood that he develops this into an offering that can be more 93-96.

The cutter and slider have slight separations and their usages based on handedness largely create their effectiveness. I see the slider developing into a beast of its own given Doughty’s spin propensity. The more separation he finds between the offerings, the more I think he settles in with a devastating slider.

Doughty doesn’t use his changeup a ton. The feel for it is easily his weakest and he exclusively uses it against LHH. He opts for a cutter/four-seam mix primarily against lefties, and he’s seen that drive up his swing and miss against them, but a changeup will be a pivotal development as he nears Cleveland.

5) RHP LIAM PETERSON | 50 FV | 60 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/A
21 | R/R | 6’5” / 225 lbs | University of Florida
ACQUIRED: ‘26 Draft: 1.19
HIGHEST LEVEL: N/A
ETA: 2028

REPERTOIRE
4-Seam: 94-96, T99
Slider: 85-89
Curveball: 77-83
Changeup: 85-88

Peterson was Cleveland’s first round pick in this Summer’s draft, and the Guardians are chasing the upside big time here. Peterson has big stuff. He toys with 100 mph, settling down into the mid-90’s on his fastball, and his size and 6.6-foot release height create a steep angle for the heater. There’s a lot of Gavin Williams to Peterson’s mechanics and breaking shape potential, and that alone is enough to buy in.

The fastball has all the desired traits from spin capacity to velocity (20+ iVB, 2500+ RPM), but Peterson’s inability to locate his entire arsenal plagued him all season as a junior at Florida.

The calling card here is the slider. Peterson’s mid-to-upper-80’s slider was a wipeout offering throughout college, generating big time miss rates north of 50% in his draft season.

When he can command it, it’s been unhittable, but he often found himself behind in counts, making him go away from the slider and lean way too much on the fastball, ultimately handcuffing his best two pitches. There’s also a low-90’s cutter that tries to escape from his slider at times, so just know that’s in there.

Peterson flashes a fringe average, upper-80’s changeup that feels like it has real potential to be a future above average offering for him. He’s still able to get high spin on it, and it generates big arm-side run while staying pretty vertical, letting it tunnel with the fastball well.

Florida does not develop pitching all that well (see: firing their pitching coach). That’s why valuing Peterson’s stuff, spin, and mechanical potential is vitally prioritized right now. Cleveland’s pitching dev team gets a lot out of most all of its high-end pitching prospects, and they’re primed to go crazy getting their hands on Peterson.

6) OF AARON WALTON | 45 FV | 55 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/A
22 | 6’4” / 218 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: ‘25 Draft: CB-B, P66| Arizona
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2027
Walton has emerged as the top player thus far in what’s been a strong offensive ‘25 draft class, showcasing improved mechanics in the box as well as above average, pure effort defense in the outfield.

Walton has a unique leg kick that gets him going in the box. It’s about as big as you’ll see and it’s slightly altered from his swing at Arizona and a bit longer, but he does a good job keeping himself on time. My concern is, as he continues to see better pitching, if the moving parts there lead to struggles staying on time and in rhythm, but the newer leg kick has helped him get his lower half engaged in his swing, leading to a big power surge this season. Walton has seen his underlying metrics get a big boost, posting EV90’s north of 105 mph at both Lake County and thus far in Akron.

There’s all-fields power here, but the home run power is going to come pull-side almost exclusively. Some of his better contact thus far in Akron has also come at lower launch points, so seeing him elevate with more consistency will be vital as he continues to climb the rungs here. Walton has real 55-grade future value because his bat has potential to be a power-led above average stick while his defense has real plus potential. Walton shows average speed, gets strong reads, has an above average arm, and above all else, is fearless in centerfield. He can and will stick in CF, and that is vital to this high of a ranking as he creeps ever closer to T100 consideration.

7) SS DEAN CURLEY | 45 FV | 55 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 13
22 | 6’4” / 230 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: ‘25 Draft: 2.64 | Tennessee
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2028

Curley has remained the same profile at the plate, and thus far, he’s finding a lot of success with it.

An overly passive hitter (1st percentile swing rate and zone-swing rate), Curley’s approach is simply something you don’t see in MLB. The average z-swing% in MLB is 64.7%. Curley’s 47.9% mark would be the lowest in MLB among players with 150+ PA. Where this comes into play tends to be against breakers and offspeed. Does Curley’s passivity lend to his sub-20% chase rate, or does he see offspeed well? As in many cases, the truth rests somewhere in the middle, and the high K-rate is something worth noting as a player running ~80% z-contact% shouldn’t be striking out 30% of the time. That being said, Curley’s noted improvements at the plate have very little to do with how much or little he swings, and it’s why, despite his low defensive grade, I have him top-10.

Curley’s swing was very long coming into the season. A lot of his best contact was oppo because of a noticeable hitch in his handset. The positive for Curley is that his hand speed is quality with good bat speed, and he’s cleaned it up a bit, finding much better contact while finding better results against velocity. Curley has upped his air-pull rates

Curley has played a lot of shortstop, but he’s going to have to be a 3B long term. He just struggles mightily in all facets laterally, and his hands are sub-par. Getting him to a corner where he’s only covering a large portion laterally to his left is the clearest projection here.

8) IF WELBYN FRANCISCA | 45 FV | 55 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 18
20 | 5’8” / 148 lbs* | S/R
ACQUIRED: ‘23 IFA | Dominican Republic
HIGHEST LEVEL: A+ LAKE COUNTY
ETA: 2028
Francisca has had a full resurgence back to the status of prospect he was coming out of 2023. Between swing changes and injury, 2024 derailed his path briefly, but 2026 has been full go for Francisca as soon as he returned to the field.

Francisca is up 10 spots from the preseason, and he’s even up five spots from where he was this time last season. He has seen physical maturation (that 148 lbs is certainly wrong) turn into a full understanding of his approach, and it’s turned into a major power surge as Francisca has blasted 16 home runs in Lake County thus far.

There are some swing decision nitpicks with Francisca as he’s still a fairly free swinger, extending the zone quite a bit, but it’s necessary to split this up by handedness, with some help from TJStats.

Francisca has been obliterating right-handed pitchers, especially depositing fastballs with ease. His chase rate is significantly better than his overall mark, and he’s barely whiffing north of 20%. This is where the bread gets baked for Francisca, and the left side will continue to be why I remain high on his outlook despite his RHH woes because outside of Velazquez and Caceres, Welbyn’s bat from the left side is the bat I’m most excited about.

Defensively, Francisca feels like a better fit for 2B than shortstop. He has a strong arm, but it’s been a bit erratic, and his movements look much smoother overall at second. There’s even an outside chance be winds up in the outfield as his plus speed and aforementioned arm make for a possible transition out there.

REPERTOIRE
4-Seam: 93-96 T98 | Slider: 83-86
Cutter: 87-92 | Curveball: 75-78
Changeup: 82-84
HIGHEST LEVEL: AAA-COLUMBUS
ETA: 2027
Campbell’s story is well known, and in his first season pitching in the Guardians’ organization, he’s been everything the dreamt of when drafting him back in 2022. Campbell is a big presence on the mound at 6-foot-5, and, similar to Peterson, works very vertically, getting on top of hitters with his fastball. Campbell’s heater sits ~94, reaching back for 97 and a rare 98 early in outings. It’s a big ride-n-run heater, generating north of 17 inches of vertical break and just shy of a foot of arm-side run. It’s an average pitch that can play up to plus at times. Campbell mixes in a quality, plus changeup off of it, generating nearly 17 inches of arm-side tail while cutting close to 10 mph off his fastball. He will tunnel it very well off the heater against lefties, and any solid contact against it is few and far between.

Where Campbell has thrived is in his ability to adjust. He dominated Lake County in a way we’ve not seen from a pitcher in years, but when he got to Akron, he was struggling to get the same consistent swing-and-miss and chase outside the zone. So, he adjusted. More cutter, less early count sweeper, and he found himself working ahead in the count, and over his final four starts in Akron, he was striking out 30% of batters while generating whiff rates north of 35%. He is still struggling to generate chases, but he pounds the zone with big stuff with a slider whose shape he’s still working on finding.

Campbell will need added to the 40-man this offseason, but Cleveland will have no issue doing that. From ulnar decompression surgery to Tommy John to wrist surgery, Campbell’s comeback story is nothing shy of a miracle. An oblique injury delayed his debut in Columbus by over a month, but he will finish out his season with the Clippers, capping off a tremendous first year of progress. Campbell will factor into the back-end of the rotation competition in ‘27 if all goes well, and at the very least, there’s a quality reliever in here if his arm just can’t handle to year to year work given the injury history.

10) LHP FRANKLIN GOMEZ | 45 FV | 55 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
21 | 6’0” / 220 lbs | L/L
ACQUIRED: Trade w/ NYM, Jan. 2026
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2028

ARSENAL: Fastball/Sinker: 91-94 T96 | Slider: 81-84 | Changeup: 84-87 | Cutter: 85-88
Rounding out the top-10 is Franklin Gomez, a pitcher who I strongly believe will be a capable back-of-rotation arm at the MLB level. Gomez dealt with an elbow injury scare in 2026, but thankfully, it wasn’t anything more than that, and he returned from the IL, going from Lake County to Akron. Similar to Doughty, whether it be new ball, etc, Gomez’s first outing was rough. He rebounded nicely, however, and looked like the same old Franklin Gomez.

Gomez possesses some of the best command in the system across his entire arsenal. He works from a high three-quarters slot, and his fastball has some cut-ride traits, generating above average ride. He also mixes in a sinker that he almost exclusively uses against lefties, and then runs a cutter that he’ll use to either handedness.

The real gems here are Gomez’s secondaries. His sweeper gets a lot of ugly swings and can be used against either handedness, but it’s especially effective against lefties for whiffs, and a lot of them. The changeup is a nasty change-of-pace offering that serves as an equalizing whiff and weak contact pitch. Gomez tunnels well, but it’s the area I want to see him continue to flesh out the most in Akron to end the season.

Gomez thrives on sequencing and command to generate weak contact. His changeup and sweeper are both running high quality wOBA against marks, and those two pitches will help carry him through this system and into a back-end starter role.

11) IF LUKE HILL | 45 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
22 | 5’11” / 193 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: ‘25 Draft: 4:132 | Ole Miss
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2027

Hill already feels like the prototypical bat-first utility piece of the future, or at least that was before the oblique injury. He started the season off on a torrid pace in Lake County, and it was the power surge that shocked everyone, hitting more home runs in the first two months than he ever did in a single season at Ole Miss. Hill has shown sustained power ability, and even though it’s average bat speed, his quick hands, quality barrel control, and top flight swing decisions have made for exit velocities well above what he was showing in college. Hill’s EV90s at both High-A and Double-A are well above average, though because of the aforementioned oblique injury, it’s crept down a bit as of late.

Hill swings and misses a bit more than his profile would indicate, but the trade-off has been more XBH and home run power as well as trading some passivity for more aggression in the zone.

Defensively, Hill is a jack of all trades, master of none. He’s fringe average across the board, and below average at 3B, but the ability to be able to stick him at the three non-1B spots across the infield makes his versatility that much more valuable. He’s an average runner with a good IQ on the base paths. All in all, this is exactly the kind of player Cleveland needed in its system, and most importantly, he’s swinging from the right side.

12) OF JAISON CHOURIO | 45 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 11
21 | 6’0” / 194 lbs | S/R
ACQUIRED: ‘22 IFA | Venezuela
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2028

Chourio has bounced back exactly how he needed to, coming off a 2025 riddled with injuries that affected his swing and everyday game significantly. While I still end up being the low man on Chourio – Baseball America had him in their Top 100 – the reasons largely come down to defense and approach.

At the plate, Chourio remains incredibly passive, but it’s better than it’s been in previous seasons. The groundball rate, while still high, is down overall, something he’s continually worked on. Now, the pull-side propensity has ticked up, but if he can start converting some of his pulled batted balls into line drives and flyballs, his above average raw power could turn into some fringe average to average game power. Chourio is much better from the left side, generating more consistent quality EV’s while lifting the ball, and his swing is tailored better to elevate the ball more.

Where Chourio struggles offensively is from the right side and with his overall passivity in the zone. We will touch on it more later, but he stares at fastballs in the zone quite often, leaving a lot of meat on the bone.

Defensively is where Chourio suffers the most. He’s a poor defender in centerfield who will have to make the move to a corner at some point. Despite plus speed, his reads are rough and routes are even worse. With more work, he can improve, but I don’t envision him ever becoming an average defender, eventually taking him off a premium position entirely.

13) RHP SAVION SIMS | 40 FV | 60 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
21 | 6’8” / 215 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: ‘26 Draft: 7:213 | Edmond, OK
HIGHEST LEVEL: N/A
ETA: 2030

ARSENAL: Fastball: 95-97, T101 | Slider: 85-88 | Changeup: 87-91

Sims was Cleveland’s big prep signing after the debacle that was Logan Schmidt, and the 6-foot-8 right-hander has as much raw clay for the Guardians to mold as you’ll have seen in the system in a very, very long time.

Sims boasts a huge fastball with triple digit ability with a longer arm action. Sims notably raised his arm slot this year, and it’s seen his fastball generate more carry while finding the upper 90’s with more consistency as he continues to fill out his massive frame. The physical projection is as tantalizing as anything else. The velo is already there, the 6’8” frame is as well, but now it’s about building strength up from the 215 pounds and allowing his lower body to work more in tandem with his upper half.

The reliever risk is a vast amount of the projection, as it always is with size, traits, and velocity in this package. That being said, even below average to fringe average command would signal that Sims has a future as a starter, and the Guardians are going to give him a long runway into finding that out because a starter ceiling with this kind of stuff is limitless.

14) OF RYAN CESARINI | 45 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
21 | 5’10” / 211 lbs | L/R
ACQUIRED: ‘24 Draft: 14.415 | Saint Joe’s
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2027

If you’re looking for your Guardians 2026 breakout prospect of the year, look no further than Ryan Cesarini. While I’ve been higher than most on Cesarini, I still didn’t have him within the preseason Top 20 (he was 26), and this should really show you a couple things; one, thanks to surges like Cesarini and Luke Hill and others we’ll get to later on, this has become a deeper system in the middle of the pack, and I think Cesarini is in a prime spot to emerge as a player who can separate from that pack a bit.

Cesarini had been a bat-to-ball, contact-centric swinger since the day he was drafted. He’s always been making solid contact, but this season, Cesarini approached his…approach…in search for more. Cesarini operated with a quick toe turn as a timing mechanism to quickly get his compact swing in motion to cover all fields. Now, Cesarini is looking to create damage, and he’s orchestrated a minor leg kick, allowing him to get more stable weight on his back leg to drive through his hips more efficiently. You’ll see in the 2025 swing in the gif above that Cesarini is a bit squatty and that his hips fly open, a commonality throughout his ‘25 tape. Now, his hips stay through his swing, and he’s in a much more athletic, stable base, allowing him to create the launch he’s been seeking.

Cesarini’s raw power output has backed up his results, with hard hit rates north of 40% in Akron, as well as an EV90 above 106 mph. Cesarini is an adequate defender with average speed, and he will be a corner outfield utility type who hasn’t shown any kind of weakness in splits. This is a huge rise for Cesarini, and I now firmly believe in him finding a way up to Cleveland some time in 2027 at the rate he’s going.

15) OF JACE LaVIOLETTE | 35 FV | 60 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 8
24 | 6’6” / 228 lbs | L/L
ACQUIRED: ‘25 Draft: 1:27 | Texas A&M
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2028

…here we go.

Where to even start with LaViolette? Top flight athlete, adequate to above average in the field, cannon of an arm, above average speed, 70-grade raw power. LaViolette has also found his best power to the pull-side. That’s all to say that LaViolette’s struggles are capable of completely derailing him.

LaViolette has a below average hit tool at a level right now that would disqualify him from ever being a big leaguer. The top of the zone completely owns him as his swing is tailored and grooved to win against low pitches, and his plate coverage is not strong enough for him to win along the outer third with any consistency, and it leads to some suboptimal quality of contact and a ton of strikeouts. Even getting that up to a 35, Gallo-esque hit tool could do him wonders considering the strengths of all his other tools being able to create value.

That’s what makes ranking LaViolette so difficult. He was poised to fall in rankings as he continues to work on changes to his stance and swing. Through changes come adjustments on the fly in the box, and we’re seeing that in real time in Akron as his overall numbers continue to fall. 2027 will be a huge year for LaViolette’s future within the org. If he progresses, there’s something here, but the flip side is just as likely, if not more so.

16) C/cOF COOPER INGLE | 45 FV | 45 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 12
24 | 5’8” / 190 lbs | L/R
ACQUIRED: ‘23 Draft: 4:125 | Clemson
HIGHEST LEVEL: MLB
ETA: 2026

I have been lower on Cooper Ingle than most, and it comes down to two things: I don’t think he can stick behind the plate and an untenable approach at the plate. Ingle is an undersized catcher whose arm isn’t strong enough and defensive prowess lacks behind the dish. This has pushed him into a corner outfield spot both in Triple-A at times and fully at the ML level during his cup of coffee up in Cleveland. It goes without saying that Ingle struggled mightily in the outfield, and all it’s done is raise major questions about his future.

At the plate, Ingle possesses a fairly extreme profile. Prior to his promotion, Ingle displayed extreme passivity against all pitch types, but especially fastballs. MLB’s average swing rate against fastball types (fastballs/sinkers) in the zone is 65.5%. Ingle’s was 53.1%. Prior to his promotion, Ingle’s approach saw him running tremendous whiff rates, chase rates, and overall quality contact, but it simply wasn’t tenable with a minuscule 36% swing rate. The answer to why it wasn’t tenable is simple: MLB pitchers have no reason to fear Ingle and would attack in the zone at a much higher rate with better stuff. Ingle often found himself behind in counts, and he uncharacteristically struck out in 12 of his 21 at-bats in Cleveland.

Things have shifted a bit for Ingle since being demoted. That 53.1% zone-swing rate against fastball types has elevated up to 67.6%, now above the major league average. With more aggression against heaters has come more swing and miss across the board, namely against sliders. I think this is a net positive for Ingle though. He had to come off the extreme approach and be willing to actually put his hit tool to use. Ingle has above average bat to ball skills with quality barrel control that he harnesses in a quick, compact swing that he generates quality lift with. While there are some pretty extreme splits concerns here, if Ingle wants to profile as a major league bat, this was the change he had to make, and it’s a huge deal that he’s doing it now.

17) RHP JACOB ZIBIN | 40 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
20 | 6’4” / 218 lbs | L/R
ACQUIRED: ‘22 Draft: 10:301 | Canada
HIGHEST LEVEL: A+ LAKE COUNTY
ETA: 2028

ARSENAL: Fastball: 93-96 T98 | Slider: 80-83 | Changeup: 81-84 | Cutter: 88-91
Zibin has found it in 2026. Command, mechanical consistency, sequencing, all of it. It’s night and day for Zibin from last season, his first pro season after missing three years due to various arm injuries (Tommy John in ‘23, ulnar nerve transposition surgery in ‘24). Like Justin Campbell in that same draft, the lengthy absence showed signs of rust, but the talent is breaking through in a big way in 2026.

Zibin took a few starts to adjust, but since the start of May, he’s largely been very good, and since his promotion to Lake County, he’s taken off. Zibin finished August with a 0.64 ERA and .132 batting average against. The command has taken leap from below average to fringe average potential, and his arsenal is beginning to flesh out into that of a starter’s.

Zibin’s fastball lives in the mid-90s consistently. It was the pitch he needed to find consistent command with, and he has. Shape-wise, the fastball can be a bit dead zone-y, generating as much run as ride, but he tunnels well off of it, allowing him to generate more swing-and-miss and weak contact than expected.

Zibin’s bread and butter is his changeup. It has plus potential with really sharp late bite. It generated a whiff rate north of 40% in A-ball, and it’s been just as effective thus far in Lake County. Zibin mixes this in against either handedness which is a bit unique in today’s repertoire splits, showing his comfortability and success with the offer. A new cutter has been mixed in, helping Zibin live in the zone a bit more, and it’s mixed well off the fastball as well as Zibin’s sweeper which has served effectively against right-handed bats.

Zibin has upped his strikeout rate by over 12% from last season while dropping his walk rate 2%. This is a real deal starting pitcher prospect now, and though some reliever risk still hangs around as the command is still a work in progress and the preexisting arm issues lurk, Zibin has made himself a name to watch in the org.

18) RHP KHAL STEPHEN | 45 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 6
24 | 5’8” / 190 lbs | L/R
ACQUIRED: Trade w/ TOR, July 2025
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2029

Khal Stephen probably had the most unfortunate 2026 of any Guardians prospect. Stephen’s command had previously been above average while flashing plus on certain pitch types. That all took a huge step back, namely with the fastball which he left center-cut way too often with diminished shape. All in all, Stephen’s time within the Guardians org has been spent struggling, and now he will go under the knife for Tommy John surgery, derailing his 2026 and all of his 2027.

19) RHP DANIEL ESPINO | 45 FV | 55 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 16
25 | 6’0” / 225 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: ‘19 Draft: 1:24 | Panama
HIGHEST LEVEL: MLB
ETA: 2026

ARSENAL: Fastball: 97-100 T101 | Slider: 90-93 | Changeup:
Espino pitching in the major leagues in 2026 is nothing shy of a miraculous success story. Espino flashing 100 multiple times? We’ve never been more back.

Espino drops to 18 now for one reason, and that reason is that I solely see him as a reliever now. The care and overall caution this organization has handled Espino with this season not only makes a ton of sense, but it showed me that they don’t really see him as a starter long-term. While the dream of having Cleveland’s version of deGrom (Espino) and Cole (Gavin) seems dead, Espino’s future with this team is not. Daniel Espino has dominant backend reliever written all over him.

Espino’s fastball is still double plus, somehow, as its velocity, shape and Espino’s ability to optimize it at the top of the zone have culminated in a 52.8% whiff rate against big league bats. The big issue was his inability to find the zone, though a lot of that could come down to how seldom he was used. Espino has not pitched in consecutive days, and they rarely go to him every other either in Columbus or Cleveland. That kind of usage is enough to disrupt some outing to outing adjustments, and while understandable, it has been a bit frustrating.

Espino’s gyro slider is a 92 mph bullet train that stays verty and can serve similarly to a cutter earlier in counts, and his curveball is a pitch he’s been going to more since going back to Columbus, and he’s seeing huge swing-and-miss success with it now.

While Daniel Espino will likely never toe the rubber as a starter in a playoff game for the Guardians, he will absolutely do so as a reliever in big spots for years to come.

20) RHP JOEY OAKIE | 40 FV | 55 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 9
20 | 6’3” / 200 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: ‘26 Draft: 3:84 | Ankeny, IA
HIGHEST LEVEL: N/A
ETA: 2029

ARSENAL: Fastball: 95-97 T100 | Slider: 85-88 | Changeup: 87-91 | Cutter: 89-91
Oakie is among my biggest droppers, and it all comes down to a regression in command and overall mechanical deficiencies that scream reliever future. Oakie was a huge riser for me to end last season after showcasing better command over his final month and turning in the two most dominant starts by a Guardians pitching prospect in 2025. Enter ‘26, however, and the same ugly woes are back, and we’re right back down to 20-grade current command.

Oakie’s fastball command is bad right now. The buggy whip action he gets creates a ton of deception, and the velocity it generates does a lot of work, but he has no idea where it’s going right now. Oakie’s slider is a dominant offering in the mid to upper 80’s that can completely overwhelm hitters when he’s ahead in the count, but he rarely is.

The best move here is to just stash Oakie away for a rainy day next season and see what his mechanics look like. The long whippy action has to end, or we’re looking at another Chase Mobley.

21) OF KAHLIL WATSON | 40 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 17
20 | 5’9” / 178 lbs | L/R
ACQUIRED: Trade w/ MIA, Aug. ‘23
HIGHEST LEVEL: MLB
ETA: 2026

Watson drops a bit here, solely due to the additions of Liam Peterson, Luke Hill, and Savion Sims as well as Jacob Zibin’s breakout. My outlook on Watson has not changed at all since before the season, but Watson has shown one area of improvement that may be what keeps him on a major league roster as a depth piece one day and buy him time to figure out his offensive approach, and that’s his above average, bordering on plus defense across the outfield. Watson is an average defender in center while showcasing some plus defense in the corners in Cleveland, including an above average arm and speed.

What holds Watson back is what’s always been Watson’s kryptonite: he whiffs too much at all pitch types. Watson has run a whiff rate north of 30% in Triple-A. That number is above 30% for fastball, offspeed, and breaking types. It’s so hard to succeed when whiffing that much, and while he hasn’t shown a penchant for chasing much in Triple-A, that discipline went by the wayside during his run in Cleveland as he was running an O-Swing% of 35.6%. Watson simply may need more time at the major league level to work out his kinks, but unfortunately, the line in front of him is pretty long.

22) OF TRE BROUSSARD | 40 FV | 55 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
20 | 6’0” / 190 lbs | L/L
ACQUIRED: ‘26 Draft: 3:95 | Houston
HIGHEST LEVEL: N/A
ETA: 2029

Broussard was Cleveland’s third round pick out of the University of Houston, and he’s a very interesting profile worth keeping an eye on.

Broussard’s handset at the start of his swing is a bit high, above his head, and this creates an unconventional path to the ball. I think the Guardians will try and clean this up a bit, finding something a bit more natural to anchor a more consistent swing path.

Broussard was a pure bat-to-ball contact hitter in his last season at Houston, showcasing sub-20% whiff rates and high-80% range zone-contact ability. Broussard feasted on fastballs in the zone, and when the rare pulled flyball happened, he tended to hit them a long way. There’s more power in Broussard’s profile that his stats don’t tell you. Broussard posted a max-EV of 110.4 mph with strong average EV’s and what would equal out to be right around MLB average bat speed. Some swing and approach changes will be in the works here, and Broussard’s natural bat-to-ball ability should be able to survive a search for a more complete profile.

Defensively, Broussard is incredibly gifted in centerfield, and he will be able to stick there long-term. He has plus ability in center, and his double plus speed not only makes him a threat on the base paths, but it makes his already strong reads in the outfield even more advantageous.

Broussard will not make his affiliated debut until 2027.

23) 1B/OF NOLAN SCHUBART | 35 FV | 55 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
20 | 6’4” / 227 lbs | L/R
ACQUIRED: ‘25 Draft: 3:101 | OK State
HIGHEST LEVEL: AA-AKRON
ETA: 2027

Schubart might just be my favorite player here.

Monstrous, sky-scraping power with surprisingly good swing decisions, Schubart differs from his fellow 2025 extreme hit tool partner in that one simple regard. Swing decisions. Schubart ranks low for a reason. He’s landlocked at the most non-premium defensive position on the field and/or a DH, and his bat profile is beyond extreme. There isn’t a single everyday big leaguer striking out 35+% of the time, and Schubart’s 64% zone-contact rate is 6% lower than the lowest of MLB. This profile rhymes with the extreme power hitting profiles of today’s game, but the overall success rate of someone of this level of extreme is low.

But enough about why it won’t work and more about why it could. Schubart just about whiffs equally at all pitch types, but he’s selective at what he does swing at. Schubart’s swing is so unique. He physically towers over the ball as he swings, getting bend on his upper body that you wouldn’t see anyone else generate. This does create two distinct features to Schubart’s swing: a ton of whiff above the thighs and prodigious power against anything below them. Schubart’s success across the minor leagues this season is driven by his ability to dominate the lower half of the zone with passable plate coverage without being overly aggressive and extending beyond it all the time. When Schubart does chase, it’s almost always down and away as he’s big game hunting, but he’s still poised enough to lay off the vast majority of the time.

I said it the other day, but Schubart is impossible to rank as I’ve never once put stock into a profile like his, and he may be among the most extreme 3TO profile that you’ll find, but I’ll be damned if he isn’t fun.

24) C REINER HERRERA | 45 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
20 | 5’11” / 170 lbs | L/R
ACQUIRED: IFA ‘23 | Venezuela
HIGHEST LEVEL: A-HILL CITY
ETA: 2029

Herrera is a name you need to become acquainted with ASAP. Herrera was a bit older for the Complex League at 20 this season, but he dominated it to the tune of a .324/.487/.721 slash line with 11 home runs in 35 games. He received a promotion out of the CPX to Hill City where his keen eye and power production has continued.

Herrera is a Guardians special of a swinger. He controls the inner half, aims to lift and pull and finds his power that way. Herrera doesn’t expand the zone much, and he’s found success against all pitch types thus far.

What makes Herrera more advanced than others around his age in this system is his approach. Herrera is a two-handed finisher, finding his best power that way, but he’ll adjust his swing in two-strike counts, opting for a flatter bat path and one handed follow through, simplifying his approach to battle to get on base. Beyond that, Herrera has also flashed well above average power outputs for his age, and the Guardians may have something brewing here.

Defensively, Herrera is still a bit stiff behind the plate but has an above average arm. He’s done well controlling the run game thus far at levels where pitchers can’t be bothered holding runners, now he gets a chance to further develop his pitch to pitch mechanics back there. It can be harder to project out from A-ball, but Herrera lands as the highest ranked catcher who I think sticks behind the plate.

25) C KODY HUFF | 40 FV | 45 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
25 | 5’9” / 198 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: Trade w/ COL, Nov. ‘23
HIGHEST LEVEL: AAA-COLUMBUS
ETA: 2027

Huff has been a bit of an enigma this season, emerging onto the radar almost out of nowhere. Arriving in Cleveland’s system via the Cal Quantrill trade, Huff has scratched out a very good second season in Columbus, providing solid play across the diamond, from catcher to third base to first base. That being said, you’ll see by the grades that I think Huff has been playing above his skis in Triple-A, and I’ll explain why.

Since the All-Star Break, Huff has had a hard time finding consistency, namely against right-handed pitching. Even with some home runs against RHP at the end of July, Huff has struggled against them in this span, but he’s crushed left-handed pitching exclusively.

I had a hunch based on Huff’s whiff rates by pitch type and pitcher handedness in the first half that this would be how this enveloped, and thus far, that’s been who he is in the second half. This is why I have a hard time buying into Huff any more than I had already been coming into the season. The defensive versatility likely sees him some time in Cleveland, but outside of him coming up and crushing the ball right away when he does get that chance, I don’t see him as a long-term big league option.

26) RHP WILL HYNES | 40 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
20 | 6’2” / 180 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: ‘25 Draft: CB-B:70 | Canada
HIGHEST LEVEL: A-HILL CITY
ETA: 2030

ARSENAL: Fastball: 91-94 T96 | Slider: 80-84 | Changeup: 82-86
Hynes was the player taken with the comp pick received in the Josh Naylor trade. Hynes, just 19 years old, has a ton of physical projection left on his frame, firing from a three-quarters slot with capable velocity already.

Hynes has three pitches right now as he works on developing consistency in his mechanics and release point. Hynes’s fastball is more run over ride, generating big arm-side tail, working almost more as a 2-seam profile. The slider is his easiest pitch to project as it generates good spin rates with a ton of sweeping movement. The key with the slider will be keeping it from getting so loopy and staying up. When he can get the slider to bite, it’s been a huge swing-and-miss pitch, but right now, there’s a lot of shape inconsistency. His changeup has been used almost exclusively to lefties. It pairs really well with the fastball when he can locate.

Hynes is a ball of clay already being molded. He is younger than Savion Sims, for reference, and has all the chance in the world to develop into something of note here.

27) C DEITEN LACHANCE | 40 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
20 | 6’5” / 231 lbs | R/R
ACQUIRED: ‘26 Draft: 6:184 | Oklahoma
HIGHEST LEVEL: A-HILL CITY
ETA: 2029

Lachance exploded onto the scene after a monster late season tear and eventual CWS run, winning the College World Series with Oklahoma. Lachance’s profile is very simple. He will swing and miss, he is hunting to hit bombs, and behind the plate, he’s more comfortable than he once was, showcasing more consistent footwork blocking balls.

Lachance’s calling card that can keep him behind the dish is his quick pop time and cannon of an arm. As we move into a world where more teams begin to call pitches from the dugout, Lachance’s profile behind the plate will likely emerge as the preferred one: big bat, control the run game, keep balls in front of you.

The hit tool will be the concern. Can he keep from whiffing too much as he climbs the ranks through the system? Time will tell, but the swing is geared for big power, and his personality is geared to win over this fanbase as well.

28) OF ROBERT ARIAS | 40 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
19 | 6’1” / 168 lbs | L/L
ACQUIRED: IFA ‘24 | Dominican Republic
HIGHEST LEVEL: A-HILL CITY
ETA: 2030

Arias was poised for a huge leap up this list (I had him at 13 when I began putting this together in early June), but a fractured ankle on a really unfortunate play ended his season. It’s unknown right now if Arias will miss any time early next season, but my only concern is just how much an injury like a fractured ankle could affect a player whose speed and athleticism are the driving force behind their profile. Wishing Robert all the best, and if he comes back looking the same way he did before the injury, expect a massive leap up this list.

29) 1B ANTHONY MARTINEZ | 40 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: N/R
22 | 6’1” / 250 lbs | L/R
ACQUIRED: ‘25 Draft: 8:252 | UC Irvine
HIGHEST LEVEL: A+ LAKE COUNTY
ETA: 2028

Martinez has had a stellar season thus far, taking a much more patient approach to A-ball after struggling in the short stint he spent there in his draft year. His swing decisions have been quality, his approach is very good, and he’s been aggressive in the zone while doing a lot of damage with quality plate coverage.

Martinez has showcased above average power thus far as well, exhibiting a 105.2 EV90 in Lake County thus far with hard hit rates over 40% at both levels this season, and this makes him a bit of a rare breed 1B bat across minor league baseball. Big power tends to have some give and take with some swing and miss, but not for Martinez. Martinez has supplemented his power with little swing and miss (18.3% whiff%) little zone expansion (22.4% O-Swing%), and elite zone-contact and swing selection rates (91% Z-con% with a 49.% Z-O Swing%). Should Martinez get up to Akron in 2027 and continue this, he’s going to skyrocket up these rankings.

30) SS DAURI FERNANDEZ | 40 FV | 50 FV80
PRESEASON RANK: 15
19 | 5’9” / 155 lbs | S/R
ACQUIRED: IFA ‘24 | Dominican Republic
HIGHEST LEVEL: A+ LAKE COUNTY
ETA: 2030

One of the bigger fallers on this list, Dauri Fernandez is still a player I like quite a bit, but his approach at the plate has to clean up. Fernandez is a slash-n-dash profile whose contact ability and double plus speed make for a terror when he gets on base. Fernandez has really strong bat-to-ball skills, but a K-rate that’s jumped 8% (albeit from the CPX to affiliated ball) lends to some digging into. Fernandez is running a pretty extreme chase rate, and it’s affecting his ability to get on base at the rate he should. Fernandez has a good eye, but leaning on a solid bat to do all the work just isn’t going to work as the pitching gets better.

When Fernandez is on base, he’s a total pest. Fernandez has swiped 54 bags at the time of this release this season, though he’s been caught 16 times. Where his speed and suddenness helps him most is defensively. Fernandez doesn’t have the smoothest of hands, but he can get to balls many others can’t due to good reads across the infield and his quickness. He also possesses an average arm, and I think he can stick at shortstop.

Fernandez simply has to mature at the plate. The larger concern here is his frame may not have a lot of physical development in it of itself, so developing a better approach is paramount to his future success.

31-45

Good morning, baseball fans!

Last week, our fearless leader Brady and I had an entertaining conversation that stemmed from the San Francisco Giants partnering with Kalshi. I thought I’d share a bit of that because it leads into our prompt for today.

It started with Brady ironically using the Giants’ slogan: “It doesn’t get more Giant.” To which I replied, “How much do you think their PR team regrets that one?” Brady mentioned that he always thought “Game Up” was the silliest slogan. I added that “Giants baseball: there’s nothing like it” was pretty bad too, given how often it’s been memed by the fanbase.

This prompted me to suggest honest slogans for the current trajectory of the team’s future:

“Giants Baseball: And that’s a threat.” and “Giants Baseball: And what are you gonna do about it?” were my suggestions.

Brady’s suggestion was: “Giants Baseball: Deal with it.”

So now we’re bringing the conversation to you guys for your suggestions. What do you think the Giants’ slogan should be for 2027 and beyond?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants continue this three-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon at 3:40 p.m. PT.

Good morning Birdland,

Being a .500 team was cool while it lasted! The Orioles dipped right back to a losing record with their 4-2 loss on Tuesday night in Denver. Kyle Bradish labored, only getting through five mediocre innings. Luis De León debuted out of the bullpen and gave up a two-run homer, which proved to be the difference. And the Orioles offense was disappointing against a Rockies starter that entered the game with an ERA approaching seven.

Jackson Holliday had three of the teams seven hits, including his seventh home run of the season, which tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh, but he also made a bad error with the debutant De León on the mound. Tough to complain too much about him when the rest of the offense did so very little.

As a team, the Orioles created just three at-bats with a runner in scoring position. They went 0-for-3 in such situations. The only other run they scored came in the third inning, when Gunnar Henderson hit into a double play that saw the first baseman make the force out at first, and throw to second for the tag out. Pete Alonso smartly stopped and ran back towards first base, which bought just enough time for the run to score.

Despite the reputation of Coors Field as an offensive haven, the Orioles haven’t had much success in the first two games of this series. They have scored just four runs over 18 innings of baseball. The streakiness of this lineup cannot even be healed by the thin Colorado air.

Elsewhere, the Guardians beat the Blue Jays 6-1, the Mariners beat the Red Sox 9-6, the Twins beat the Tigers 15-2, the Rangers beat the Athletics 8-5, and the White Sox beat the Astros 5-1.

All of that leaves the Orioles 1.5 games back of the Guardians for the AL’s final wild card spot.

The Orioles and Rockies will wrap up their three-game series this afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. with Trevor Rogers (9-9, 4.38 ERA) on the mound to face old friend Tomoyuki Sugano (12-8, 5.23 ERA). Then the Birds fly home for a big four-game set with the Red Sox.

Links

Luis Robert Jr. joins the Orioles, a sign the owners ‘believe in this team’ | The Baltimore Banner
It just made too much sense for the Orioles to not try and get Robert for the stretch run. It’s going to be an expensive month, but don’t forget that the team dumped a bunch of salary at the trade deadline, so they have some wiggle room. Robert, a right-handed hitter that can play a decent center field, should see regular playing time against left-handed pitching.

Looking back at flurry of Orioles roster moves | Roch Kubatko
The decision to call up Heston Kjerstad instead of someone like Enrique Bradfield Jr. is an interesting one. Perhaps with Robert also coming in, the Orioles didn’t feel like they needed the speed or the glove of Bradfield. This feels like Kjerstad’s last chance to prove to this organization that he can be productive at the big league level.

Kjerstad became a dad. De León missed 10 calls. Now, both are in MLB with O’s | Orioles.com
August 31 is always going to be an important day for Kjerstad. Not only could it be a turning point in his career, but it’s when he became a dad for the first time. Pretty cool!

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Dusten Knight turns 36 today. Perhaps known best for his celebratory backflips in the minors, Knight made his big league debut with the Orioles in 2021, pitching in seven games that season.
• Jason Hammel is 44 years old. Acquired from the Rockies prior to the 2012 season, the righty emerged as, arguably, the staff ace of the team that brought winning back to baseball. He had a 3.43 ERA over 118 innings in 2012, followed by a less enjoyable campaign in 2013.
• Rex Hudler turns 66. His 13-season MLB career included a 14-game pit stop in Baltimore during the 1986 season. After his playing career came to an end, he became a well-regarded broadcaster for the Angels and now the Royals, plus being the color commentator in several versions of the video game, MLB The Show.
• The late Drungo Hazewood (b. 1959, d. 2013) was born on this day. He played in five games for the Orioles in 1980.
• John Flinn is 72 years old. The pitcher had two short stints in Baltimore. He appeared in 17 games between 1978 and ‘79, and then five more in 1982.
• Nate Snell turns 74. He began his big league career with three seasons pitching out of the Baltimore bullpen, from 1984 through ‘86.
• Dave Criscione is 75. The seven games he played for the 1977 Orioles were the only time he played in the big leagues.
• A posthumous birthday for Marv Throneberry (b. 1933, d. 1994). He spent parts of two seasons with the Orioles from 1961-62.

This day in O’s history

1960 – The Orioles beat the Yankees 5-0 thanks to a strong pitching performance from Milt Pappas. The O’s now trail the Bombers by mere percentage points in the standings, .003 to be exact.

2012 – Mark Reynolds hits two home runs and Randy Wolf gets the win on the mound with 3.1 solid innings of relief as the O’s beat the Yankees 8-3 and move to within two games of the AL East leaders.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/31-26)

BINGHAMTON 7, ROCHESTER 4 (BOX)

Jonathan Santucci was solid, throwing five-innings of two-run ball, both runs coming on a pair of solo homers in the fourth, but Mets had built up a solid lead by that point, scoring six runs in the game’s first three innings. The southpaw ended up getting his first Triple-A win and 40th rounder Brian Metoyer locked down his first Triple-A save. With their win against the division-leading Red Wings, the Syracuse Mets now find themselves 3.5 games back in the standings.

·  CF D’Andre Smith: 1-5, K, 2 SB (6, 7)

·  LF Jose Ramos: 0-4, 2 K

·  SS Ronny Mauricio: 1-4, R, HR (17), RBI, K

·  RF MJ Melendez: 1-4, R, 2B

·  1B Eric Wagaman: 1-4, R, HR (5), RBI, K

·  DH Billy Amick: 1-2, R, HR (5), 2 RBI, BB

·  3B Nick Lorusso: 3-4, 2 R, SB (4), E (2)

·  C Hayden Senger: 3-4, R, 2B, RBI

·  2B Zack Short: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K

·  LHP Jonathan Santucci: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (1-3)

·  RHP Matt Seelinger: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Ben Simon: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, H (3)

·  RHP Brian Metoyer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (1)

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets recalled RHP Dylan Ross from Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets recalled LF Nick Morabito from Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets sent RHP Ryan Lambert on a rehab assignment to Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated 1B Ryan Clifford from the Development List.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/30-28)

BINGHAMTON 4, NEW GAMPSHIRE 3 (BOX)

The Fisher Cats were in control of this ballgame for most of it, but Binghamton took the lead in the bottom of the seventh on held on to win it. The victory, combined with Reading’s loss to Hartford, leaves them 3.5 games behind in the division.

·  DH Mitch Voit: 0-4, 2 K

·  SS Marco Vargas: 2-4, K, SB (24), E (3)

·  2B Jefferson Rojas: 1-4, K

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 0-3, BB, K

·  C Chris Suero: 0-2, R, 2 BB, 2 SB (35, 36), PB (16)

·  LF Eli Serrano III: 0-3, R, BB

·  CF John Bay: 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, SB

·  1B Corey Collins: 1-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K

·  RF JT Benson: 0-2

·  RHP Gary Gill Hill: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

·  RHP Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Carlos Guzman: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (5-1)

·  RHP Brendan Girton: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, H (6)

·  RHP Garrett Stratton: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, E (2), S (6)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/31-30)

GAME ONE

FREDERICK 3, BROOKLYN 2 / 10 (BOX)

This one was a continuation of a game that was suspended way back on July 5th. The game was tied 2-2, with the Cyclones just having tied things up on a Mitch Voit sac fly. When things returned, neither team was able to score within the next two innings, forcing the game into the tenth. Brooklyn wasn’t able to cash in on their ghost runner, but the Keys were in the bottom of the frame.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 1-3, 2 RBI, K

·  LF Trey Snyder: 0-1

·  3B Yonatan Henriquez: 2-4, 2B, BB, K

·  RF JT Benson: 0-4, 2 K

·  2B Antonio Jimenez: 0-0, BB, CS (2)

·  C-1B Ronald Hernandez: 0-5

·  1B Corey Collins: 1-4, 2 K

·  C Chase Meggers: 0-0

·  DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-3, BB, K

·  2B Jamari Baylor: 0-2, R, BB

·  SS Elian Peña: 0-0, BB

·  LF Trace Willhoite: 0-1, 2 BB

·  RF John Spikerman: 0-1

·  CF Sam Biller: 2-3, R, 2B

·  CF Aiden Robbins: 0-1, K

·  RHP Robert Stock: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, E (1)

·  RHP Ryan Dollar: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, WP

·  LHP Daviel Hurtado: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 WP, BLK

·  RHP Hunter Hodges: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, L (0-3)

GAME TWO

FREDERICK 6, BROOKLYN 4 (BOX)

Both teams had a long layover waiting for this one to start on account of the rain, but when it did, the Cyclones got down to business quickly, with Elian Pena hitting a triple, Aiden Robbins driving him in with a single, and Robbins eventually getting driven in himself on a Yonatan Henriquez sac fly. Nick Carreno responded to their efforts by leading off the bottom of the inning walking three consecutive batters to load up the bases, allowing three runners to score and putting the Cyclones in an early hole. The Keys added a few insurance runs, and while the Cyclones were only able to get two of those runs back, solo homers off the bats of Robbins and Antonio Jimenez. With the two losses, the defending South Atlantic League champion Cyclones have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. On the bright side, Aiden Robbins- who I wasn’t much of a fan of on draft day because of concerns with his mechanics- is looking more and more legit.

·  DH Sammy Stafura: 0-4, K

·  SS Elian Peña: 1-3, R, 3B, K

·  CF Aiden Robbins: 2-3, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI

·  LF Trey Snyder: 2-3, SB (10)

·  3B Yonatan Henriquez: 0-2, RBI, K

·  1B Ronald Hernandez: 0-3, 2 K

·  RF John Spikerman: 0-3

·  C Chase Meggers: 1-3, 2 K

·  2B Antonio Jimenez: 1-3, R, HR (4), RBI

·  RHP Nicolas Carreno: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, L (3-3)

·  RHP Parker Carlson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

·  REHAB ALERT RHP Ryan Lambert: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, WP

·  RHP Elwis Mijares: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, BLK

·  RHP Joe Scarborough: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP

ROSTER ALERT: OF Aiden Robbins assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/22-38)

ST. LUCIE 7, JUPITER 6 (BOX)

St. Lucie and Jupiter were evenly matched for the majority of this ballgame, with the Hammerheads coming back down three runs early to tie things up and with the Mets coming back down three runs late to tie things up again. The pivotal run of the game came in the eighth, with the score tied 6-6. Hammerheads reliever Kifraidy Encarnacion melted down, walking Kuhio Aloy, Yovanny Rodriguez, and Jack Toomey to load up the bases. Needing one out to get out of the jam, he walked Branny De Oleo to force in a run, the winning run.

·  2B Bruin Agbayani: 1-4, R, 2B, 3 K

·  2B Dylan Carey: 0-1

·  C Ryan Tayman: 1-3, 2 R, HR (3), 3 RBI, BB, 2 K, 2 E (3, 4)

·  SS Boston Baro: 0-4, K

·  LF Kuhio Aloy: 0-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K

·  DH Yovanny Rodriguez: 1-2, R, 2 BB, SB (2)

·  1B Julio Zayas: 0-4, 3 K

·  3B Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-4, K

·  RF Jack Toomey: 1-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB, K

·  CF Branny De Oleo: 1-2, R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, SB (11)

·  REHAB ALERT RHP Irving Cota: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Roberto Pena: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, WP

·  RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, BS (2)

·  RHP Dillon Stiltner: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Candido Cuevas: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HBP

·  RHP Zack Mack: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, BLK, W (9-2)

·  RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (6)

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones sent RHP Irving Cota on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets activated SS Bruin Agbayani.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Dillon Stiltner assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Roberto Pena assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred LHP Luis Sotillo to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred RHP Jean Brito to the Development List.

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-33)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

ROSTER ALERT: OF Heriberto Rincon assigned to FCL Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jonathan Santucci

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Nicolas Carreno

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Christian Bethancourt, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1965 – The Cubs beat St. Louis, 5-3, at Wrigley Field, as Ernie Banks hits his 400th home run, a three-run shot off Curt Simmons in the third. Simmons teed up the 400th home run of Willie Mays in 1963. Banks will end the season with 28 home runs and 106 RBI. Ron Santo and Billy Williams will also knock in over 100 runs, the only team with three such sluggers, but the Cubs will still finish in eighth place; and 1972 – Milt Pappas of the Cubs hurls a no-hit game in beating the Padres, 8-0. Pappas has a perfect game until pinch-hitter Larry Stahl walks with two outs in the 9th inning. Pappas and C Randy Hundley both say of the pitches to Stahl, “They were so close I don’t know how Stahl could take them, but they were balls.” Pappas later comments on the plate umpire: “he had a chance to become famous as the umpire in the twelfth perfect game in history, but he blew it.” Pappas retires former Cub Garry Jestadt to finish the game, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1889 – In the afternoon game of a Labor Day doubleheader in Boston, Hardy Richardson hits a leadoff homer and P John Clarkson (36-13) makes it stand up for a 1-0 win.
• 1912 – At Boston, Christy Mathewson wins both games for the Giants in a 5-2 and 6-1 sweep of the Braves. In the opener, Matty relieves Rube Marquard in the ninth with the score at 2-2 and tosses three shutout innings. Larry Doyle ends it with a three-run homer in the 12th. Matty coasts to his 19th win in the nitecap after the Giants chase Ed Doheny with five runs in the third.
• 1932 – The Yankees keep their scoring streak alive by scoring in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Senators, 1 – 0. Lou Gehrig triples off Firpo Marberry to score Babe Ruth.
• 1955 – Whitey Ford throws six innings of no-hit ball against Washington before Carlos Paula spoils it in the seventh with Washington’s only hit. The Yanks win, 4-2, as Mantle hits his 36th home run, a three-run shot. Mantle is ten homers ahead of rivals Al Kaline and Ted Williams. 
• 1958 – At Yankee Stadium, New York snaps a scoreless tie with Boston when Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle crash back-to-back sixth-inning homers off Dave Sisler. New York wins, 6-1. Mantle and Berra will hit back-to-back homers 12 times together, and homer in the same game 50 times before they are through.
• 1962 – Stan Musial‘s 3,516th hit jumps him over Tris Speaker and into second place behind Ty Cobb on the all-time list, but the Mets beat the Cards, 4-3. Although The Man will continue on to 3,630 hits, he cannot overtake Cobb and, in time, Pete Rose and Hank Aaron will surpass him.
• 1966 – Phillies ace Jim Bunning continues his whammy over the Mets by shutting them out, 6-0. It’s Bunning’s eighth complete game in as many starts against them, and his fifth shutout.
• 1966 – The Pirates behind Bob Veale take over first place by topping Fergie Jenkins and the Cubs, 7-5, on Roberto Clemente‘s opposite-field upper deck home run. Besides being his 2,000th career hit, Clemente’s homer is his 23rd this season, tying his career high (he’ll end with 29), and gives him 101 RBI for the year, the first time he’s topped 100.
• 1999 – Setting off a very enthusiastic ovation at Camden Yards, Cal Ripken, Jr. becomes the 29th major leaguer to hit 400 career home runs. 
• 2001 – With two outs and two strikes, Red Sox pinch hitter Carl Everett singles in the bottom of the ninth to break up Mike Mussina‘s bid for a perfect game. The Yankee right-hander beats Boston, 1-0, for his fourth career one-hitter.
• 2011 – The Giants begin a key series with the Diamondbacks with a 6-2 victory. Carlos Beltran goes 4 for 4 with a homer.
• 2020 – The family of Hall of Famer Tom Seaver announces that he has passed away on August 31st at 75, after suffering from Lewy body dementia for some time, a condition aggravated by COVID-19. One of the greatest pitchers of all time, he remains the biggest icon in the history of the New York Mets.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1921 – In Cincinnati, the Cubs’ Grover Alexander outpitches his former teammate Eppa Rixey to win, 7-0. Chicago is mired in seventh place.
• 1926 – In the first game of a twinbill between Chicago and St. Louis, Grover Alexander exacts revenge on the Cubs, whipping them, 2-0. Charlie Root is the loser. The Cards take the nightcap, 9-1.
• 1929 – The Cubs beat the Cards twice, 11-7 and 12-10, before 81,000 fans at Wrigley Field. A crowd of 38,000 sees the morning game and 43,000 watch the afternoon game. Rogers Hornsby has two home runs and Hack Wilson has one.
• 1932 – In St. Louis, the Cubs’ win streak reaches 13 as Kiki Cuyler‘s fifth homer in six games leads the way to an 8 – 5 victory. Mark Koenig adds a round-tripper for Chicago.
• 1935 – With the Cubs splitting two with the seventh-place Reds at Wrigley Field, Chicago is just two and a half games back of the Cards. Chicago wins, 3-1, in the opener as Lon Warneke tops Tony Freitas, then lose, 4 – 2, to Gene Schott. Bill Lee takes the loss.
• 1950 – Phil Cavarretta leads off the ninth with a single, the Cubs’ lone hit against the Reds’ Ewell Blackwell. The Whip strikes out ten in winning, 5-1.
• 1955 – Cubs star Ernie Banks sets the record for home runs hit by a shortstop by hitting his 40th dinger in a 12-2 rout of the Cardinals. ‘Mr. Cub’ will extend the record finishing this season with 44 and will hit 48 in 1958.
• 2002 – The Cubs beat the Brewers, 17-4, to salvage a split in their doubleheader after Milwaukee takes the opener by a score of 4-2 on solo homers by Ron Belliard (2), Eric Young and Jose Hernandez. Glendon Rusch wins his eighth straight over the Cubs. Chicago P Kerry Wood ties a major-league record in the second game by fanning four Brewers in the fourth inning. 

Cubs Birthdays:Christian Bethancourt*, Jason Hammel, Gordon Massa, Len Rice, Al Spalding HOF.

Today in history:

• 44 BC – Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son Caesarion co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesar.
• 31 BC – Battle of Actium: Octavian‘s (later Augustus) naval forces defeat those under Mark Antony and Cleopatra off the western coast of Greece; naval battle leading to the end of the Roman Republic.
• 1642 – English Long Parliament issues Ordinance ordering closure of London theatres including the Globe theatre, once part-owned by William Shakespeare.
• 1666 – Great Fire of London begins at 2am in Pudding Lane, 80% of London is destroyed.
• 1864 – US Civil War: Union General William T. Sherman captures and occupies Atlanta, Georgia, ending the Atlanta Campaign in the US Civil War.
• 1901 – Theodore Roosevelt advises “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” in an address to the Minnesota State Fair, entitled “National Duties”.
• 1960 – American sprinter Wilma Rudolph wins the coveted 100m gold medal at the Rome Olympics in 11.0; beats Britain’s Dorothy Hyman by 0.3. It’s the first of three gold medals for Rudolph.
• 1969 – The first automated teller machine in the United States is installed in Rockville Centre, New York.

Today in music history:

• 1972 – Rod Stewart‘s first No. 1 hit single in the UK, “You Wear It Well”.
• 1991 – “Ropin’ the Wind,” the third studio album by Garth Brooks is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1992).
• 2023 – American rock band Aerosmith kicks off “Peace Out: The Farewell Tour” with concert at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

*pictured.

The Detroit Tigers took a spanking at the hands of the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, succumbing to a 10-run rally in the sixth inning en route to a 15-2 defeat. For the second night in a row, the Olde English D was left bruised and battered, having been outscored at Target Field so far, 26-3.

RIP run differential.

Getting the nod for the final game of the series for the Motor City Kitties is right-hander Drew Anderson, who will make his eighth start of the 2026 campaign. The 32-year-old has been perfectly serviceable since returning to the starting role, posting a solid 3.38 ERA but a concerning 5.55 FIP over four games stretching across 18 2/3 innings, allowing 17 hits (four home runs) and 10 walks while striking out 18, taking an L while his team lost three of those four outings.

Anderson has faced Minnesota twice this summer in relief, allowing a run on two hits and three walks while striking out six over 3 2/3 frames of work, picking up a hold in the process.

For the home team, fellow righty Dean Kremer will climb the hill for the American League Central battle. Since being traded to the Twins at the deadline, the 30-year-old has put up a 4.39 ERA and 4.06 FIP — numbers that are much improved over what he did with the Baltimore Orioles (6.50 ERA, 6.22 FIP) earlier this year — allowing 19 hits (three home runs) and 11 walks while striking out 23 and uncorking a wild pitch over his last 26 2/3 innings.

The Tigers absolutely slaughtered Kremer when they saw him with the O’s on July 28 right before the trade, scoring eight runs on eight hits (two home runs) and three walks against four strikeouts over four frames to hand him his fourth loss in a 14-0 blowout.

Take a look below at the matchup between the two hurlers in the series finale on Wednesday night.

Detroit Tigers (63-75) vs. Minnesota Twins (67-72)

Time (ET): 7:40 p.m.
Place: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 139: RHP Drew Anderson (4-5, 3.87 ERA) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (2-5, 5.60 ERA)

ANDERSON

KREMER

If the Padres’ former owners are getting what they got and the Angels are being sold for their valuation, what do you think the Phillies would fetch if John Middleton decided to put them up on the market for sale?

$7 billion?

$8 billion?

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• The Phillies had an August to remember. Here are ten statistics that define how that month went for our boys.
• Zack Wheeler using biomechanics to help him figure out what ailed him? What world are we living in ($)?
• Alex McFarlane is a rookie, but of late, he hasn’t really pitched like one. He’s impressing his teammates ($).

MLB news:

• The Padres sold for $3.9 billion. Now, the Angels have one upped them, selling for $4 billion to the Rams owner.
• The Dodgers are bringing in some help for their scuffling offense, activating both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing.
• Prospects are going to be in the news these days as the season winds down, so here is one from each team that you should know about ($).

After hosting the Pirates series at home, the Cardinals could have been a .500 team or even a winning team; however, the Cardinals lost that series and hover a win or two away from the 70 win plateau. Why am I watching that closely? Why, it’s the number of wins Vegas odds predicted the Cardinals would win. If you are a betting Cardinals fan, rejoice! You are sure to be seeing a payout there. I almost made that bet back in April, but alas, I’m not a betting man.

To start out the season, I was writing warped projections articles showing how it wouldn’t be that hard for the Cardinals to get to around .500 or even surpass that mark. Well they certainly have the ability to go over .500, they just can’t stay over by more than 9 games. They also cannot seem to sink too far below the .500 line, but they still have a month to lose. I think they will be fine, -ish. They surely would have, could have, had a stronger finish if stalwart players like Masyn Winn, JJ Wetherholt, Andre Pallante, and the up and coming Hunter Dobbins all could have stayed healthy. But here we are, entering the final month, under .500 and missing key players.

It sure looks like the Cardinals could end up as many as ten or more games below .500, or the team could simply continue to tread water, struggling with .500. Promotions to players like Winquest, Bernal, and Rincon feel more like auditions for next year at this point. So beyond looking forward to seeing how the young players close out the season and set themselves up for 2027, what else is there to do? I don’t know about you, but I feel like reminiscing about what has happened during the first 5 months of the season. Already feeling nostalgic? I guess!

But first, another look at the Rookie of the Year race, which is voted on by a (hopefully) diverse group of assessors that know what they are doing regarding player evaluations…

• Who do you vote for if you like defense? JJ Wetherholt gets rookie of the year here. Unless somehow the other players make up some WAR really quick, the vote probably goes to JJ regarding overall value too, unless you just scoff at and completely write off the WAR stat, which many have (I haven’t).
• Who do you vote for if you mostly like hitting, but want it coupled with good defense? Carson Benge is probably your guy then. He is possibly the most well-rounded player here, given his steadily increasing OPS, his strong throwing arm, and steady defense in right field.
• Who do you vote for if you want them good ol’ counting stats like HR and RBI? Sal Stewart has somehow racked up over 100 RBI already, despite being stuck on one of the worst offenses in baseball. That alone is very impressive, and the fact that he had no problem getting to 30 HR either… some will see this guy as a shoe in. Well I am very impressed, his defense cannot compare with either Benge or Wetherholt, it is the weakness in his game. Benge also is the far superior baserunner and all around baseball playing athlete, as is Wetherholt.
• Who do you vote for if you think a good pitcher should always supplant a good hitter? Nolan McLean would be a perfect option then, with his bright and shiny ERA and his 3+ WAR total, already making him one of the best pitchers in baseball.

I won’t be able to fault you picking any of those 4 guys to win it right now. I of course would just defer to WAR and my own fandom here and vote JJ, but then again, if he misses ample playing time, he may get passed up or tied in WAR if something outlandish happens over the last month.

2026 Cardinals Position Players by WAR

A Grade Cardinals

2B JJ Wetherholt had the right combination of defense and above average hitting this year to amass 4.4 fWAR in 130 games played. He arrived as such a valuable player by playing outlandish defense while sustaining an on-base percentage of .343 at leadoff, while occasionally wearing some pitchers down. He may not have many games left to add to his 17 HR total, but even 17 was more than we had imagined. Wetherholt gets an A for his rookie season, even if it’s already over. If you’re curious, Baseball Reference rates JJ even higher at 4.6 WAR. If JJ were to play a 150 game season, he would have no problem cracking 5 WAR.

Injury update: the earliest JJ can come back is Sept 9, and I think the Cardinals expect him to be back then.

RF Jordan Walker has so far inverted his -1.3 fWAR from last season into a +3.1 fWAR as it stands today. This is still the biggest surprise of the season. While Wetherholt doubled his projections, Walker threw the script on himself out the window. The new Walker has emerged, and this version won the Home Run Derby. He is still a liability in right field, but possesses a cannon for an arm to help offset that a little. When you’re chasing down 30 home runs and hitting better than most of the league, you get an A. When you better yourself by over 4.5 WAR from last year, you might deserve an A+, even. There is still work to be done, however, mostly on defense, but an A is enough. Good work Jordan Walker. Prediction: 3.5 WAR, 30 HR, 100 RBI, 20 SB.

1B Alec Burleson the story of Burly goes back to 2022-2023, where he was a below average hitter working his way up. Since then, Alec Burleson has taken his own form of hitting and made it better each season. He remains hacktastic and a little prone to lefties, but he has worked on his weakness. One of which was on-base percentage. Burly has bettered himself by upping his OBP every season. While his batting average seems to have maxed out, Burleson has raised his OBP markedly each season:

• 2022 .264 OBP
• 2023 .300 OBP
• 2024 .314 OBP
• 2025 .343 OBP
• 2026 .353 OBP

Walks may be boring, but they open the doors to more runs and even more power. Burleson has already tied his career-high HR total of 21 (2024) while walking a lot more often than that year. Going to have to give out another A. Burly now has 100 RBI, which is easily his career high. What can Burly do to continue his constant improvements? He can lower his strikeouts and keep improving vs left-handed pitching. Of course, if he can play defense even better next year which I believe he will, that’s just another way he can continue to become even more valuable.

B–

SS Masyn Winn daredevil shortstop with the difference maker arm, eliminating baserunners gets a B. The hitting is below average, but enough for a plus defender that is difficult to pin down, value-wise. Wetherholt and Winn turned so many double plays it made my head spin. Winn altered his batting style this year, upping his on base percentage but seeing everything else falter on offense. Prorated to 150 games, Winn is still a 3+ WAR player and a key part of the defense.

Update: Winn could return sooner than later

LF Joshua Baez I would give Baez a B but his wRC+ is still around Masyn Winn territory. He gets the B- for hitting home runs at a pace of about a home run per series, but mostly because he’s only played in 16 games and I don’t really know what to say about him just yet. The power has been enormous so far: .315 ISO! Far too early, but it’s been a fun debut for the youngster. The statcast numbers aren’t really out yet except for his sprint speed, which is 89th percentile, and his average exit velocity is among the best at 93.4!

Update: Baez now has 6 HR! and is above 100 wRC+.

C+

C/DH Ivan Herrera’s season has come down to him breaking a record by getting hit by pitches (not on purpose!) and well, should he even be a catcher. While he might be the team’s best blocker, he isn’t very good at catching overall. On a team crowded with catchers, it begs the question, should a guy who can’t throw runners out even bother catching? The complicating factor, other than Ivan may not be suited to playing any other position: he doesn’t hit well when he is the designated hitter. He turns into a pumpkin. Do you continue to let him catch, or try to trade him in the offseason? That’s the choice, in my opinion.

How do we grade Herrera against his past self? His power numbers are down but his on-base percentage is up. He takes more walks but isn’t striking out more. I think ultimately he is having a weird off year because of all the hit by pitches and never quite finding his rhythm. As a big Herrera fan, I wanted to give him a better grade, but he has just been an above average hitter that sets the tone at the top of the lineup, very similar to JJ at leadoff. The defensive metric numbers are very similar to Jordan Walker’s, so he will probably be dragged down in value by his defense going forward each year. Here’s hoping he can figure out to hit more as a DH or moving to another position that he is better at. He is fine as a backup catcher, but you want to get the bat into the lineup more often.

C

OF Bryan Torres looks to be a good bench player depth piece! If you started his .6 WAR 150 games, he would be about a 1.65 WAR guy. So I don’t see him stealing a starting spot. But I am definitely not disappointed with Torres. Batting league average with a few home runs while playing decent defense. That works.

C Pedro Pages I give Pedro a lot of crap off and on throughout the season, but ultimately in a way he is like the “lite” version of Masyn Winn. Good defense, bad offense. Pedro should hit better next year, but you cannot expect more than an 80 wRC+ from this guy. I like the plus defense. But the hitting can be bad, using this season as an example: 59 wRC+ is Victor Scott II territory. Unfortunately, Pedro cannot match that kind of elite defense. That said, Pages is perfectly fine as a backup catcher.

CF Everson Pereira’ his 109 wRC+, ISO north of .200, and pretty decent defense make me want to think of him as something more, but he just hasn’t played for the Cardinals enough to assign more than the default C grade, especially if he will be more of a bench guy. That said, I really like this random acquisition, and he’s been fun to watch (except when seeing his hand get smashed by a pitch!). Prorate his .5 fWAR to 2+ WAR. Maybe that’s our center fielder next year, or at least half the platoon! Perhaps a C+ is in order.

Update: now that Victor Scott II has been recalled, I would bet the Cardinals let Pereira heal up for a while.

CF Nathan Church has held his own despite a BABIP of .266. His 10 HR total has been nice. But! his .2 fWAR over 118 games is less than encouraging. Maybe a C-? He needs to improve on that defense (as does Pereira to some extent). Perhaps my biggest concern with Church is the batting average and especially the on-base percentage, but maybe next year will be better for the left-handed hitter.

3B Blaze Jordan while there have been some flashes of brilliance so far, the fact that his season has been tragically shortened by injury will force us to wait and see. The resulting left ankle sprain will have him missing several weeks of play. Blaze did not show a ton of power or on-base ability, but his defense was solid at the hot corner. Not a total disappointment, but definitely not much of a reinforcement either. Gorman was just that bad.

D

C Jimmy Crooks was a replacement level catcher with decent defensive abilities in 52 games played. You might be surprised he hit 5 home runs over that span of time, because his .179 BA due to a .232 BABIP and well, just not connecting with the ball most of the time made every plate appearance a difficult watch. 32.2% K rate.

F

Nelson Velazquez, Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese, and Yohel Pozo did not make the cut, all had negative WAR, and ties were severed quickly. And yet, the worst negative fWAR “offenders” Nolan Gorman, Ramon Urias, and Cesar Prieto remain on the team. Granted, Saggese and Scott could theoretically be promoted, I just don’t see it happening. Nolan Gorman is still striking out over 32% of the time on the season. So, prorating his season out, Gorman would be one of the most painful ways to get 20 HR while playing mediocre defense at third base. That is not actually a good player when you aren’t doing much else but hitting home runs at a boring clip. While I don’t think Urias is as bad as his statline, he certainly has not been an asset. Many fans are wondering what the point of him being on the team is, other than being the veteran present. Prieto has been nearly legendarily bad in little playing time.

Some things about this season just do not compute, it’s been a weird year. It’s been fun, but the offense and bullpen are too inconsistent. There are about 3 players that are very good MLB producers, but two of them rely a lot on pulling off amazing defensive plays, with the other one being a first baseman.

What is the main flaw of the offense? They don’t strike out much, but they don’t like taking walks. I’m not sure how much this matters because of what the Brewers are doing, but they’re in the bottom 10 teams in HR total as an offense. With a .281 BABIP as an offense, I can tell you there is a pattern with certain players just not having a good BABIP, appearing unlucky at least to some extent. Wetherholt, Winn, etc.

Ok, so, I was wrong about Victor Scott II on Monday night! He’s back now! Guess that’s the main update for one day of a news gap. I think he will make the pitching staff a little more confident. The hitting can’t be much worse than a Church 80-ish wRC+. The catches will look easier out there... or Scott will be a good late-inning defensive replacement.

1996: The Year In Music

I am back to provide you with not the most popular opinions on music, but also, not the most obscure. Join me as I walk a line between total hipster underground albums you’ll never ever hear, and some albums that you are probably all too aware of! And everything in between, hopefully.

• Meat Beat Manifesto – ‘Subliminal Sandwich’ industrial dub techno psychedelic multi-genre masterpiece, I can never get enough of this 160 minute masterpiece. I could write many words trying to get you to hear this, but I’ll just put it at the top of the list instead. Perfect double album. Or is that quadruple album? It was two 80 minute CDs… sometimes more is better.
• Swirlies – ‘They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days In The Glittering World Of The Salons’ well, I have to admit, I like this album just as much as my #1 there. But, it’s a much different sound, more like shoegaze style. Alt rock, noise pop, psychedelic smart kid music, I don’t know what to call it. Indie rock. It’s one of the best most thrilling listens out there. That’s what I’ll say about it. It’s really fucking good.
• Aphex Twin – ‘Richard D James Album’ the album title is the name of the mastermind behind Aphex Twin, and this was his original breakthrough album, although maybe he became even more well known for his subsequent EPs ‘Come To Daddy’ and ‘Windowlicker’. Nonetheless, as a fan you must always come back to this album, as it distills his future styles with his multi-layered past into a perfect capture of the multi-layered and tiered mid-90s burgeoning electronic music movement. Many didn’t even hear it until a year or two, few after its release… but once you hear it, it’s unforgettable.
• Ministry – ‘Filthpig’ if those two albums are my favorites, then Filthpig deserves a double dipped silver medal since it’s my favorite Ministry album and they’re one of my favorite bands. I am more on the metal/noise rock end of the spectrum of Ministry fans, I suppose. This is an absolutely incredible production. I put it in my album hall of fame, as I did the first two albums from this year. 1996 was a helluva year for music in my book.
• Unwound – ‘Repetition’ post-punk ingenuity meets noise rock together forming a force that blows the roof off the joint. This one’s got the juice. Peak years for the northwest’s Unwound. Cannot recommend enough. Check it out to hear Sarah Lund’s unique drumming, if for no other reason.
• Squarepusher – ‘Feed Me Weird Things’ an amazingly funky futuristic sounding album, especially for 1996, which appears to have been a good year to release breakthrough sounds. This one has grown on me over the years, and I love it more with each listen. Tom Jenkins used to share an old bank building with Aphex Twin. Anyway, Feed Me Weird Things is just an amazing collection of experimental funky jazz fusion drum and bass meets IDM, resulting in new musical forms.
• Dr Octagon – ‘Dr Octagonecologyst’ an incredible listening experience produced by dj Dan The Automator and narrated by bizarre genius Kool Keith.
  

Dr. Octagon, paramedic fetus of the East
With priests, I’m from the Church of the Operating Room
With the strikes of force, scalpels since the Holocaust
I do indeed in greed, explore meet the patients
Back to brooms with the nurse with the voodoo curse
Holding up office lights, standing at huge heights
Back and forth, left wing swing to North
East and South with blood pouring down your mouth
I come prepared with the white suit and stethoscope
Listen to your heartbeat—delete, beep, beep, beep!
Your insurance is high, but my price is cheap
Look at the lamp (Let me show you showmthin’)

And with that, I’m going to leave with my 7 favorite albums of 1996. I will have more ‘96 next week, all my honorable mentions and heavy metal and whatnot. But these are my 7 can’t miss 1996 listening experiences.

It’s another late one in LA tonight, adn the night after. Then the quest continues to Denver and the Rockies later this week. Stay tuned!