Category: Baseball

After an up-and-down first half by the Minnesota Twins that still has them in the thick of the playoff race, it is nearly time for the All-Star Break and the 2026 MLB Draft! The Twins will have a busy first day in the draft with the third overall pick and five total day one selections. You can read Twinkie Town’s Aidan O’Brien’s breakdown of the top three prospects in this year’s draft.

The 2026 MLB Draft begins today at 12 PM CDT in Philadelphia to kick off All-Star Week. There’s a bit of a different schedule this year, with rounds 1-4 taking place today, including all compensatory and competitive balance rounds. Rounds 5-20 will begin on Sunday at 10:30 AM CDT.

Because MLB likes to make things extra confusing, the broadcast will also be different this year and will have the first round split between two different broadcast partners and the entirety of day one split into three. Picks 1-10 can be seen on NBC and Peacock after which the broadcast will shift to MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, and MLB+ for picks 11-40. The rest of day one (picks 41-135) and all of day two will lose the MLB Network component.

Follow along on this post for the next few days. We’ll track each of the first-round picks and break down all of the Twins picks that they make along the way.

Twins Draft Pick Breakdowns

Round 1, Pick No. 3: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech

After the consensus top two went with the first two picks, the Twins go with Lackey, the consensus third prospect. With Ryan Jeffers likely in his final year with the team, Lackey’s experience, athleticism, and defensive acumen should allow him to rise through the ranks quickly. There’s agreement among scouts that he can stick at catcher, but even in the rare situation where he can’t, his bat alone is still among the best in draft. Also of note: this is the Twins’ first first-round catcher since one first ballot Hall of Famer, Joseph Patrick Mauer. No pressure, Lackey.

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#3 Overall Prospect)

A late bloomer as a Georgia high schooler, Lackey didn’t receive any NCAA Division I offers until his senior year in 2023, and he didn’t draw much attention from scouts because he attended few showcase events. Now he’s the best catching prospect in the 2026 Draft and poised to join Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart and Kevin Parada as first-round backstops out of Georgia Tech. He has dramatically improved each season with the Yellow Jackets, batted .397/.519/.772 as a junior and won’t last longer than the top three or four picks.

Lackey’s right-handed swing can get a little busy, but that doesn’t prevent him from making consistent contact to all fields. He’s extremely patient, rarely misses fastballs and has the plus raw power to provide 25-30 homers on an annual basis. His flat stroke produces too much groundball contact but he’s driving balls harder than ever and in the air a bit more often this spring.

Extremely athletic for a 6-foot-2, 215-pound catcher, Lackey isn’t quick out of the batter’s box but can flash plus run times once he gets going. He’s very agile behind the plate and should become a solid receiver and blocker once he improves his focus and consistency. His strong and accurate arm is another asset, and he looked capable at third base while playing 13 errorless games there in 2025.

FanGraphs Scouting Report (#1 Overall Prospect)

Lackey went from having no Division I offers as an underclassman to likely being a top 10 pick after his sophomore year, and then ascended further as a junior to become arguably the best player in the entire draft. He is a complete player with a bevy of strengths and skills on both sides of the ball, and no significant weakness. Though he was already a good contact hitter as an underclassman, Lackey’s power production took a leap as a junior, as he slashed .397/.519/.772 with 20 homers, doubling his career total and continuing a four-year trend of getting markedly better. At barely 21 years old on draft day, he remains physically projectable and still might have more raw power in the tank at maturity.

Lackey is a patient hitter who is dangerous throughout the majority of the strike zone. He can access power against pitches in the middle third and above, and on both edges of the plate, with enough strength to do oppo damage against fastballs away from him. Lackey has now posted consecutive seasons with a 90% contact rate against fastballs even though he uses a pretty big leg kick, including with two strikes. He’s strong enough to hit for some power even when his footwork is ill-timed, and he might be an even better contact hitter with a more focused two-strike approach than what he’s currently doing. He isn’t a clinical sweet-spot hitter, and his power might play down a bit as he mishits some infield contact that he must then attempt to beat out with his impressive speed (he’ll run sub-4.3 on occasion).

The sum total of Lackey’s parts on offense (above-average contact, plate discipline, and potentially power) is more than enough to clear the bar at catcher, and he also makes an impact on defense. He’s a pretty good pitch framer for his age (and should continue to improve with added strength) and has one hell of an arm, winging accurate throws from all kinds of odd platforms and angles when it’s called for. He’ll frequently pop sub-1.9, a plus-plus arm that is Lackey’s loudest tool. He projects as a top 10 catcher and multi-time All-Star.

Round 2, Pick No. 43: Carson Tinney, C, Texas

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#73 Overall Prospect)

Few players in this Draft can match his combination of raw power and arm strength.

At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds and with a right-handed stroke geared to crush balls in the air to his pull side, Tinney is designed to hit home runs. He generates high-end exit velocities, but there are concerns about his hitting ability and how much of his double-plus raw pop he’ll be able to get to in pro ball. He takes a lot of offspeed pitches for strikes and swings through a lot of offerings of all types in the zone, though he mitigates his excessive strikeouts with a healthy amount of walks.

Tinney can flash well-above-average arm strength, though it plays more as plus and he needs to improve his transfer and the accuracy of his throws. He lacks quickness and agility behind the plate, though he has become a better receiver and framer this spring and perhaps can become average in both regards. His best-case scenario is that he becomes a larger version of Hunter Goodman.

FanGraphs Scouting Report (#58 Overall Prospect)

Tinney is a monstrous 6-foot-3 catcher who had a power-hitting breakout as a sophomore at Notre Dame before entering the transfer portal and heading to Austin. He had a comparable junior year, with a .326/.483/.688 line, 22 homers, and some absurd peak exit velos (116 mph max, 112 EV90), plus-plus on the big league scale. He isn’t a skilled hitter and swings over the top of a lot of softer stuff, with a 73% contact rate and 23.1% strikeout rate as a junior. He’s always been able to throw and leverage his size as a ball-blocker, but Tinney’s receiving and framing improved in 2026, and he now more comfortably projects as a viable defensive catcher. His toolset reads more like that of a bat-first backup catcher, except with much more power than is typical for that role.

Round CB- B, Pick No. 74: Brett Renfrow, RHP, Virginia Tech

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#123 Overall Prospect)

From a size and pure stuff standpoint, Renfrow’s name belongs in the early rounds with some of the top college arms in the class. The 6-foot-3 right-hander can run his fastball up to 97 mph, sitting around 94, and it plays really well at the top of the zone. At times, Renfrow will show distinct upper-80s sliders and cutters, with the former featuring harder break with more depth than the shorter cutter, though they routinely blend together. He can fold in an 80-mph 12-to-6 curve effectively and will flash a solid, average mid-80s changeup, though he doesn’t incorporate the cambio as frequently as his other offerings.

While Renfrow has limited the walks this spring, it has been more control over command. When he’s locked in, like he was in a late April start against North Carolina State, tossing eight shutout innings and fanning nine, he misses bats with all of his repertoire. Often this year, however, he’s missed with his fastball in the zone too much, and it’s gotten hit. That’s made him a bit of an enigma, with his ceiling perhaps being in the second round, where former Hokies right-hander Drue Hackenberg went in 2023 after a comparable inconsistent season.

FanGraphs Scouting Report

Low-maintenance delivery, although he has the inverted-W arm action. Up to 95, sits 92-94 without great shape. Changeup flashes, average strike-stealing curve, don’t see the slider/cutter as a bat-misser. Good strike-thrower, control over command. Needs something to tick up in pro ball, or he’s going to be more of a middle-relief prospect. I’m a little lower on him than the models seem to be.

Round 3, Pick No. 79: Ethan Wachsmann, RHP, HS (CO)

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#87 Overall Prospect)

Coming out of the same Grandview HS program that produced Gausman, Wachsmann is a 6-foot-4 right-hander who can light up the radar gun but is still a bit raw as a complete pitcher. He routinely gets his fastball up to 97 mph and can comfortably sit in the mid-90s. He does have both a curve and a slider, with the former the better of his two breaking balls, occasionally flashing plus. That pitch was improving as the spring wore on, though evaluating his ability to spin the ball is still more projection than anything else. He’ll flash a changeup that could be average in time to round out his arsenal.

Like with a lot of prep throwers over pitchers, Waschmann is control over command, with more of a fringy feel for the strike zone. Teams that are interested will be buying the arm strength and velocity to go along with the projectable and athletic frame. They’ll also have to contend with a commitment to Wake Forest.

FanGraphs Scouting Report(#54 Overall Prospect)

Wachsmann had a growth spurt in the middle of high school and shot up from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-5 in a relatively short span of time. His velocity grew, too, and he was creeping into the mid-90s and paving over Colorado high schoolers as an underclassman before struggling some during the summer against better hitters. He sustained upper-90s velo this spring and had the best mound session at the Combine, where he touched 100 with his final pitch.

Wachsmann is raw. He has a cutter, slider, and changeup right now, and they’re all of variable quality. He threw one breaking ball at 2,900 rpm at the Combine and the next was 2,300. There’s a lot of work to do here but also very exciting raw material, as Wachsmann has prototypical size, premium arm strength, and flashes plus secondary stuff.

Round 4, Pick No. 107: Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#107 Overall Prospect)

At his best, LaPour works at 95-98 mph and reaches 101 with heavy sink on his fastball, though it’s not as dominant as its velocity might indicate because its shape and command are ordinary. His mid-80s slider can be a plus pitch with two-plane depth at its best, though it breaks so much that he struggles to land it for strikes and rarely uses it when behind in the count. His fading upper-80s changeup is a more reliable offering and he also has tinkered with an upper-80s cutter.

Built like a linebacker, LaPour has a physical 6-foot-4 frame and has learned to repeat his simple delivery well enough to develop average control. His biggest proponents see a durable three-pitch starter who might have snuck into the first round with a healthy junior season. Other evaluators think he doesn’t miss enough bats and may be better suited for the bullpen, where his bulldog mentality would fit nicely.

FanGraphs Scouting Report

After missing most of the year, LaPour was healthy right at the very end of TCU’s season. He’s an average athlete with a large frame, more powerful than loose, with a clean enough arm stroke to start. He doesn’t get a ton of extension and isn’t especially deceptive. LaPour sits in the mid-90s and can touch 99, which he often does after giving up a knock. He shows some feel for moving the fastball, and can miss bats up in the zone with it. He doesn’t have great feel for spin, and the length on his curveball was more challenging for hitters than the slider, which is fairly firm in the upper 80s but isn’t especially sharp. He missed a few bats with his changeup, but he slows his body on the pitch in a way that hitters have no trouble picking up. Good arm strength and a four-pitch foundation make LaPour an intriguing prospect, though there are enough questions regarding his secondaries to consider him a likely reliever at the end of the day.

Minnesota Twins Pick Tracker

ROUND/PICK	PLAYER	POSITION	SCHOOL
1/3	Vahn Lackey	C	Georgia Tech
2/43	Carson Tinney	C	Texas
CB/74	Brett Renfrow	RHP	Virginia Tech
3/79	Ethan Wachsmann	RHP	HS (CO)
4/107	Tommy LaPour	RHP	TCU
5/139	Steele Murdock	RHP	UC San Diego
6/168	Ethan Lay	RHP	Sacramento State
7/197	Max Bayles	RHP	Santa Clara
8/227	Thomas Burns	RHP	Texas
9/257	JT Raab	RHP	Georgetown
10/287	Kole Klecker	RHP	Arizona State
11/317	Aidan Teel	OF	Miss. St.
12/347
13/377
14/407
15/437
16/467
17/497
18/527
19/557
20/587

2026 MLB Draft First Round Picks

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	POSITION	SCHOOL	PICK NOTES
1	Chicago White Sox	Roch Cholowski	SS	UCLA
2	Tampa Bay Rays	Grady Emerson	SS	HS (TX)
3	Minnesota Twins	Vahn Lackey	C	Georgia Tech
4	San Francisco Giants	Jackson Flora	RHP	UCSB
5	Pittsburgh Pirates	Derek Curiel	OF	LSU
6	Kansas City Royals	Zion Rose	OF	Louisville
7	Baltimore Orioles	Eric Booth Jr.	OF	HS (MS)
8	Sacramento A’s	Drew Burress	OF	Georgia Tech
9	Atlanta Braves	AJ Gracia	OF	Virginia
10	Colorado Rockies	Tyler Bell	SS	Kentucky
11	Washington Nationals	Chris Hacopian	2B	Texas A&M
12	Los Angeles Angels	Jared Grindlinger	OF	HS (CA)
13	St. Louis Cardinals	Trevor Condon	OF	HS (GA)
14	Miami Marlins	Jacob Lombard	SS	HS (FL)
15	Arizona Diamondbacks	Ryder Helfrick	C	Arkansas
16	Texas Rangers	Gio Rojas	LHP	HS (FL)
17	Houston Astros	Logan Hughes	OF	Texas Tech
18	Cincinnati Reds	Justin Lebron	SS	Alabama
19	Cleveland Guardians	Liam Peterson	RHP	Florida
20	Boston Red Sox	Jake Schaffner	SS	UNC
21	San Diego Padres	Coleman Borthwick	RHP	HS (FL)
22	Detroit Tigers	Cameron Flukey	RHP	Coastal Carolina
23	Chicago Cubs	Cade Townsend	RHP	Mississippi
24	Seattle Mariners	Ace Reese	3B	Miss St.
25	Milwaukee Brewers	Trey Ebel	SS	HS (CA)
26	Atlanta Braves	Carter Beck	OF	Indiana St.	PPI Drake Baldwin
27	New York Mets	Carson Wiggins	RHP	Arkansas	CBT 10-pick penalty
28	Houston Astros	Jack Radel	RHP	Notre Dame	PPI Hunter Brown
29	San Francisco Giants	Carson Boleman	LHP	HS (SC)	Acquired from CLE in Patrick Bailey trade
30	Kansas City Royals	Taylor Rabe	RHP	Mississippi
31	Arizona Diamondbacks	Blake Bryant	RHP	HS (GA)
32	St. Louis Cardinals	Tegan Kuhns	RHP	Tennessee
33	Tampa Bay Rays	Taj Marchand	SS	HS (SC)	Acquired from BAL in Shane Baz trade
34	Chicago White Sox	Landon Thome	SS	HS (IL)	Acquired from PIT in Jacob Gonzalez trade
35	New York Yankees	Hunter Dietz	LHP	Arkansas	CBT 10-pick penalty
36	Philadelphia Phillies	Tyler Spangler	SS	HS (CA)	CBT 10-pick penalty
37	Colorado Rockies	Daniel Jackson	C	Georgia

Note: picks 29-37 are all technically Competitive Balance Round A picks, which you can read about here. NYY and PHI pick in this round because of their pick penalties, not because they got extra picks. As a result of the same rule, LAD’s and TOR’s first selections technically fall in the second round. CB-A picks are considered first round selections since they take place prior to the start of round two and are the only draft picks eligible to be traded.

Good news and bad news.

Good news: It’s officially the All-Star Break.

Bad news: The Brewers pitching staff gave up 14 runs today.

In recent history, the Brewers and the Pirates have played in the final series before the All-Star break, and it has never fared well for the team in blue and yellow. That trend continued in today’s series finale as the Brewers fell to the Pirates 14-5.

As we’ve seen consistently throughout this long road trip, the Brewers’ opponents were typically the ones taking the lead first. That happened at the bottom of the second inning as Ryan O’Hearn drove in the first run of the game on a double to right field. A couple of at-bats later, Jackson Chourio narrowly missed robbing a two-run homer, but instead it went over the wall for Henry Davis’s eighth of the year.

The Brewers offense showed life in the top of the fourth inning as Chourio hit a double to drive in Christian Yelich to cut the Pirates’ lead down to 4-1. Later, Gary Sánchez grounded out and drove in a run as a result to make it 4-2.

That was about it for the Brewers offense in what quickly turned into a nightmare. In the bottom of the fourth inning, everyone in the Pirates lineup reached base before there was an out recorded. At that point, the Brewers found themselves down 11-2. After the Pirates recorded the first out, they scored two more runs to extend their lead to 14-2.

For the Pirates, that was it in terms of offense. For the Brewers, they’d have to wait until the top of the eighth inning to get a two-run home run from Brice Turang and an RBI double from Garrett Mitchell to bring the final score to 14-5.

There’s no doubt that the pitching was the problem this afternoon. Beginning with Jacob Misiorowski’s scratch from the game, and the announcement of moving Brandon Woodruff to the 60-day injured list. As for pitchers who actually appeared in the game, Robert Gasser was knocked around and pulled after three innings as he gave up seven runs on eight hits and allowed two home runs. Jared Koenig took things another step further as he didn’t record an out after allowing five runs on two hits and two walks. Grant Anderson did complete one inning but gave up two runs on three hits in the process.

On the bright side of things, Bryse Wilson made his return to the Brewers by throwing three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four batters. On the offensive side of things, Chourio had the lone multi-hit game on the day, and Turang had the home run with two RBIs. Braden Shewmake struggled in his debut with the Brewers as he went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts before being replaced by Andrew Vaughn.

As for what’s to come next, nothing. At least for most of the week. William Contreras will be the lone Brewers representative in this year’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia, and you can find that game on Tuesday on FOX at 7:00 p.m. The rest of the Brewers will get a much-needed break as they prepare to be back home Friday night as they start a three-game series with the Miami Marlins.

Day 2 of the MLB Draft is a loaded one, as we’ve got 16 picks to get through over the course of the day. Jake guided us through the first six that have come in taking us through the 10th round, and now I’ll be taking over to recap what the Yankees do with their next five selections. It’s been a pitcher-led class for New York thus far, with their first two selections on Day 1 both going towards left-handed starters and three pitchers coming today including Luke Pettitte, son of the five-time World Series winner Andy. Catching has also seen some love as the team has selected two thus far, with Brendan Brock coming in the third round and Bear Harrison getting chosen in the fifth.

Where they go from here will be anyone’s guess, but you can catch updates as the picks are made and then check back here for more commentary as we look into the newest names that’ll be gracing the lower minor leagues before you know it.

Round 11, Pick 338: TBD

Round 12, Pick 368: TBD

Round 13, Pick 398: TBD

Round 14, Pick 428: TBD

Round 15, Pick 458: TBD

The San Francisco Giants conclude this four-game series against the Colorado Rockies this afternoon from Oracle Park.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Trevor McDonald, who enters today’s game with a 5.46 ERA, 3.99 FIP, with 50 strikeouts to 20 walks in 59.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 9-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, in which he allowed eight runs on 11 hits and one walk in two and a third innings.

He’ll be facing off against Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who enters today’s game with a 6.46 ERA, 4.83 FIP, with 72 strikeouts to 35 walks in 92 innings pitched. His last start was in the Rockies’ 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, in which he allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in six innings.

Game #96

Who: San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 1:05 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

Milton, Georgia native Luke McNeillie attended the eponymously named high school in the city, lettering all four years he attended the school and establishing himself as a prospect to follow. Considered one of the better high school pitching prospects in Georgia in 2023, the right-hander had a strong commitment to the University of Florida and went undrafted in the 2023 MLB Draft.

The results did not exactly match the stuff in his freshman season with the Gators. The right-hander 26 appearances in 2024, including two midweek starts, and posted a 7.07 ERA in 35.2 innings, allowing 33 hits, walking 21, and striking out 43. That trend continued in 2025, his sophomore season, where McNeillie posted a 4.82 ERA in 52.1 innings over 28 relief outings and 2 starts, allowing 44 hits, walking 24, and striking out 72.

That summer, the right-hander played for the Harwich Mariners Cape Cod Baseball League. Making four starts, he posted a 5.68 ERA, allowing 8 earned runs in 12.2 innings, giving up 12 hits, walking 8, and striking out 14. Returning to Florida for his junior season, the 21-year-old appeared in 18 games for coach O’Sullivan, making 3 starts. The right-hander posted a 3.97 ERA in 34.0 innings, allowing 40 hits, walking 17, and striking out 48.

McNeillie is 6’3”, 200-pounds and has a slim, athletic build. He throws from three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. His mechanics are simple and present no obvious injury red flags, but he has a problem repeating them, specifically keeping his arm angle up and repeating his release point.

The right-hander’s fastball sits in the mid-to-high-90s, reportedly topping out as high as 99 MPH. The pitch does not have the best shape, generally showing low spin rates for a four-seam fastball. The right-hander has occasionally unintentionally thrown the pitch as a sinker, lowing his slot and giving the pitch more running action, and the pitch would almost certainly be better if converted into sinker, given its natural sink.

He complements the pitch with a mid-80s, high-spin slider that is almost certainly an above-average or better offering. With readings reaching 2,600 RPM, the pitch features sharp gyroscopic break with a bit of horizontal movement and good downward action. McNeillie uses the pitch against left-handers and right-handers alike, but also has a changeup that has been effective at neutralizing the platoon advantage of left-handed batters.

Over the course of his three seasons at Florida, the right-hander has a cumulative 38.2% groundball rate, 21.6% line drive rate, and 40.2% flyball rate. With 16 home runs over 122.0 innings, McNeillie has a perfectly manageable 1.2 HR/9 rate, but against professional hitting, he will likely need to do something to improve on his groundball-to-flyball ratio in order to thrive.

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 39.

• Recalled from Triple-A Reno: SP Mitch Bratt
• Placed on 10-day IL: SP Zac Gallen (right elbow inflammation; retro to July 9)

Bratt makes his return to the D-backs rotation, after a brief outing on June 24. He went three innings and allowed one run, throwing 54 pitches. We probably won’t be getting too much more than that from Mitch this afternoon. He threw 57 pitches his last outing for Reno, tossing four shutout innings, and that’s likely to be the cap on what we should expect today. Still, with this being the last game before the All-Star break, we can empty the bullpen as necessary. If you’re going to have a game with a short starter, this is probably the best possible time to have one!

PhoenixSportsFan is on the guest recap, so stay tuned for that!

Box Score

Brewers top prospects Jesús Made and Luis Peña both represented Milwaukee in this year’s All-Star Futures Game, though neither could help the National League avoid a 6-1 loss in the seven-inning exhibition. While the game remained tied 1-1 through four innings, the American League pulled away late, scoring a run in the fifth and two runs in each of the final two frames.

The National League managed just four hits all afternoon and never generated much offense against a deep American League pitching staff, although Made wasted little time making an impact. Batting third for the National League, he came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the first and looped a single into shallow right field against Mariners prospect Kade Anderson, widely regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. 

FULL AT-BAT: No. 1 pitching prospect vs. No. 1 hitting prospect

Jesús Made won the matchup against Kade Anderson at the @Nike Futures Game! pic.twitter.com/B0XXtK58er

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2026

Made later accounted for the National League’s only run, driving in Pirates prospect Edward Florentino with an RBI groundout in the third inning. In his third and final plate appearance, against Ryan Sloan, the Mariners’ No. 2 prospect, Made flew out to right field. He would finish the afternoon 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Battle between Ryan Sloan and Jesus Made pic.twitter.com/ZhUxG4AlFh

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) July 12, 2026

The performance wasn’t enough to spark the National League offense, but Made still turned in one of the better offensive outings on the team. His first-inning single accounted for one of the National League’s four hits, while his RBI groundout produced the club’s only run of the game.

Peña, meanwhile, made his Futures Game debut after earning a starting nod at third base. The 19-year-old finished 0-for-3 at the plate, flying out to center field twice and left field once, but looked comfortable defensively throughout the afternoon. He handled all five of his chances cleanly without committing an error, highlighted by a terrific running catch in foul territory down the left-field line. Peña covered a ton of ground, ending up nearly halfway to the outfield wall, before making an over-the-shoulder grab to rob Guardians prospect Ralphy Velasquez of a hit.

¡Qué atrapada! Luis Peña demostrando su talento defensivo en el Nike Futures Game.

(MLB x @Nike) pic.twitter.com/Db7RDBZw7f

— MLB Español (@mlbespanol) July 12, 2026

While Peña didn’t record a hit, simply reaching the Futures Game is another milestone for MLB Pipeline’s No. 18 overall prospect. Despite missing significant time this season because of health issues, Peña has continued to show why he’s regarded as one of the game’s top young infielders whenever he’s been on the field.

Neither player delivered a headline-grabbing performance, but that’s not necessarily the point of the Futures Game. Made and Peña earned their invitations by establishing themselves among baseball’s premier prospects, and Sunday’s showcase served as another reminder that both belong on the same field as the sport’s brightest young talent. With Made continuing to strengthen his case as baseball’s consensus top prospect, Peña cementing himself as one of the game’s best young infielders, and a boatload of depth behind them, Brewers fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about the organization’s future.

Toronto Blue Jays (45-50) at San Diego Padres (47-48), July 12, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Last one before the break. pic.twitter.com/lZUxW2TqEy

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 12, 2026

Let's finish the first half with a W! #BlueJays50pic.twitter.com/L61zZAtzSZ

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 12, 2026

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So at last it’s come to this: the final game of the first half for the Colorado Rockies before the All-Star Break. They’ll take on the San Francisco Giants with the goal of salvaging a series tie in the Bay Area.

At this time last year, the Rockies were 22-74. They were well on their way to over 100 losses and mired in what would be a historically bad and miserable season that would kick off a long-awaited rebuild. The Rockies’ lone All-Star was breakout catcher Hunter Goodman.

Now the Rockies enter their final game with a record of 39-58–still bad, but nowhere near the historic levels of last season. They’re scuttling along with multiple other teams in the league with bad records. Still bad, but just “regular” bad. “Competitive” bad. A foundation is being built and the offense has been greatly improved upon. The lone All-Star is Hunter Goodman, but we can confidently say there were some snubs.

Right-handed veteran Michael Lorenzen will be starting for the Rockies and looking to end the first half with another quality start. After struggling immensely for most of the season, Lorenzen has found his footing somewhat. In five of his last six starts he’s gone at least five innings, something he had done in just half of his first 14 starts of the year. During this stretch he’s given up more than two earned runs just once.

Lorenzen pitched a six inning quality start in a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers his last time out. He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out five batters.

On the bump for the Giants is rookie righty Trevor McDonald. McDonald made four appearances across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but this is the first year he has been called upon by the Giants to perform significant work. In 12 starts the 25-year-old has a 5.46 ERA and 50 strikeouts over 59.1 innings of work. In his last start, McDonald gave up eight runs on 11 hits to the Toronto Blue Jays without tallying a strikeout and lasting only 2.1 innings.

McDonald has faced the Rockies just once before, but had great success in that lone outing. He pitched a seven inning quality start while giving up three earned runs and striking out what is still a career high 10 batters.

This season McDonald has done well to avoid barrels and induce groundouts. His primary pitch is a sinker that averages 93.6 MPH, and he backs it up with a slider, a cutter, and a changeup.

First Pitch: 2:05 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)

Giants SB Nation Site:McCovey Chronicles

Lineups:

Last one before the break! pic.twitter.com/vfm9nGgLr1

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 12, 2026

Nickelodeon Day to finish the first half 🧽

⌚️: 1:05 p.m. PT
📍: @OracleParkSF
📺: @NBCSGiants
📻: @KNBR | KSFN#SFGiants | @CocaColapic.twitter.com/DMiCHayifI

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 12, 2026

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The All-Star Futures Game is the newest of the All-Star week events*, as it is celebrating its 27th year** in 2026. Much like the All-Star Game itself, the moments in the games themselves are not nearly as important as the season/career that led to a selection to the team in the first place.

Since its inception, 40 Mets’ farmhands have been selected to play in the Futures Game, both in its original ‘USA vs the World’ format and the current American League/National League matchup. Let’s look at how those selections panned out for the Mets, in terms of the players developing into something special.

The footnotes

Jorge Toca (1999) and Grant Roberts (2000) each played for parts of a few seasons with the Mets, but never went anywhere and didn’t play for another big league club. You may remember backup catchers Kevin Plawecki (2014) and Tomás Nido (2017), both of whom were good, not great, backups for the Mets for a number of seasons. Royce Ring (2003) had some nice years pitching out of the Mets’ bullpen. Mike Vasil got claimed in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft by the Phillies. Jenry Mejia (2009) was done in by PED charges and suspended for life in 2016. Though he was eventually reinstated, his effectiveness was long-since sapped.

The trade chips

Alex Escobar ( 2000 and 2001) played 18 games for the Mets in 2001 before being part of the trade to Cleveland for Roberto Alomar ahead of the 2002 season. Jae Weong Seo (2001) was a decent starter for the Mets as they transitioned out of the Art Howe-era and was part of the trade that brought in Duaner Sánchez. Deolis Guerra (2007), Justin Huber (2002 and 2003) and Kevin Mulvey (2007) were part of the haul of prospects the Twins got for Johan Santana in 2008. Yusimero Petit (2004 and 2005) was part of the trade for Carlos Delgado ahead of the 2006 season. Matt Lindstrom (2006) was part of the Jason Vargas trade (the first, non-embarrassing, time Vargas was a Met)

Jefrey Marte (2011) went to the A’s for Opening Day hero Colin Cowgill, while Anthony Kay (2019) went to the Blue Jays as part of the Marcus Stroman deal. Dilson Herrera made the Futures Game as a Pirate in 2013 before being traded to the Mets along with Vic Black for John Buck and Marlon Byrd. Herrera then made the Futures Game as a Met in 2016 before being dealt to the Reds for two-time Met Jay Bruce. Both Amed Rosario (2016 and 2017) and Andrés Giménez (2018) had decent Mets careers going before being dealt to the Guardians for Francisco Lindor. Brandon Sproat (2024) was part of the swap for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers, but don’t hold that against him.

The next big things that never were

Not all prospects work out, obviously, but some hurt more than others when their prospect status doesn’t accurately reflect their big league tenure for your club. Those names include Fernando Martinez (2007 and 2008), Lastings Milledge (2005), Rafael Montero (2013), Brett Baty (2021) and Mark Vientos (2022). While there still may be time for Baty and Vientos, only Montero thus far really took a step forward elsewhere after being a Futures Game selectee and having a disappointing Mets career.

The stars

Not all of these are necessarily superstars (though some are), but the Mets have had 11players in the 27 years of the Futures Game that could be unequivocally called successes as Mets: Pete Alonso (2018), Michael Conforto (2015), Jeurys Familia (2010), Wilmer Flores (2009 and 2012), Matt Harvey (2011), Brandon Nimmo (2013 and 2015), José Reyes (2022), Dominic Smith (2016), Noah Syndergaard (2013 and 2014), Zack Wheeler (2012) and David Wright (2004). Of all of those, only José Reyes has won the Larry Doby Award, aka the MVP of the Futures game (2002).

The unknowns

It is still too early to say how the careers of Francisco Alvarez (2021 and 2022), Jonah Tong (2025), Carson Benge (2025), and Ryan Clifford (2026) will be in the long run, but Alvarez and Benge are currently on the Mets’ MLB roster and doing well for themselves. Will Tong and Clifford join them in the next year or so? Let’s hope so.

* the draft is newer to All-Star Weekend, but is a much older event

** there was no Futures Game in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season

PHILADELPHIA — Don’t get Jamie Arnold wrong. He'd love to be promoted by the Athletics to Triple-A – if not the big leagues – this season. But Midland, Texas has never looked so beautiful.

Arnold, the A’s top pitching prospect who was drafted in the first round last season, paid particularly close attention to the A’s recent Las Vegas series against the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies at their Triple-A ballpark in Summerlin, Nevada.

And like every other pitcher in the A’s organization, he cringed.

Six games. 102 runs – 55 runs given up by the A’s staff. 32 runs scored in one game. 20 home runs.

No A’s starter lasted longer than 5⅔ innings.

Yep, so pardon the A’s pitching prospects for not jumping up and down with a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas. They'd prefer to go directly to the Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento, the one where they temporarily play their big-league games, and wait to pitch in Vegas for the first time in 2028 when their new ballpark opens on the Vegas Strip.

"I mean, I heard how the PCL is as a whole and how Vegas in general," Arnold told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday before the Futures Game. "But seeing the games there really solidified it for me. The ball flies. I mean, that’s not normal for the big leagues, 19-13, whatever, that was pretty crazy."

You had to be there to believe it with Brewers manager Pat Murphy still calling it the craziest environment he ever experienced in his college, minor league and major league career.

"It’s just a tough environment," A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the six-game series ended in June. "There’s no other way to explain this. As a pitcher, you go out there and you compete. It’s not easy from a confidence standpoint when you’re on the mound and playing in these elements."

Well, the good news is that when the A’s move into their new Las Vegas home, the elevation is nearly 1,000 feet less on the Strip than in Summerlin, and there will be a baseball humidor, just like the ones used at Coors Field in Denver and at Chase Field in Arizona.

And when the A’s do make their move, they’re expected to have a much-improved pitching staff, with Arnold expected to be the centerpiece of a talented, young rotation. Arnold is 4-5 with a 4.15 ERA in his first professional season at Midland, striking out 85 batters with 38 walks in 80⅓ innings. Arnold pitched a scoreless inning in the Futures Game, with one walk and one strikeout.

"Right now, I’m just trying to get ready for the bigs and get hitters out," Arnold said. “Whether it’s in Double-A or Triple-A, it’s all the same thing. Just growing myself, and getting ready for the bigs."

And when Arnold arrives, the A’s could have an anchor in their rotation with hope to be a serious contender to win the AL West for the first time in a full season since 2013.

"That’s one of the most exciting things about the A’s," Arnold says, "knowing what they’re building and all of the pieces they’re adding. We’ve got a lot of young talent."

And even more talent coming with the selection of Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress as their No. 1 pick in Saturday’s MLB draft. Burress is the first player in the school’s history to hit 60 homers, setting school records in RBI (189), runs (232) and total bases (503), joining their young star-studded core led by All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz.

"I faced him in college," Arnold said, "and I was nervous facing him. He’s really good. I played with him on the USA team two years ago, and it’s really awesome to have him. I mean, everyone else jumps quickly to the big leagues right now, and we’ve got a lot of young talent."

Arnold, who watches the A’s games on TV at every opportunity, is so excited about the A’s future that he even went to Las Vegas on his own in January to get his own stadium tour, knowing that one day he’ll be pitching in their new digs and should be a vital cog to their return to the playoffs.

Arnold, who had never been to Philadelphia, might have gotten a glimpse of a future American League West pitching rivalry in the clubhouse, too, meeting Kade Anderson, the Seattle Mariners’ top prospect, for the first time Sunday. They faced one another in their first professional game this season and, for an afternoon, they were teammates.

"It’s pretty awesome to see what he’s doing," Arnold said. "I mean, here we're in the same draft a year ago. And now we’re at the Futures Game together."

And perhaps by the end of the year, or next, pitching against one another in the big leagues.

"We really haven’t talked about that," Anderson said, "but I think that’s kind of an outspoken thing. He’s a really good player. It’s been kind of cool to pick his brain a little bit.

"I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of each other."

Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamie Arnold can't wait for the A's future. Triple-A Vegas is another story.

The second day of the 2026 MLB draft is underway, and this is where the Tigers can get some good value. Remember, Tarik Skubal went in the ninth round, and Kerry Carpenter was a 19th-rounder, so some of these guys have a chance to make big impacts in Detroit.

It’s rare to see players picked in the first 10 rounds not sign, but the second half of the draft is a bit different. Slot values go away, and teams are allowed to offer $150,000 that doesn’t work against the bonus pool. Anything over that number comes out of any underslot-signing savings in the first 10 rounds. Usually, you’ll see a Hail Mary type pick in the final four or five rounds, and those players don’t always end up being signed.

For a refresher, Detroit selected Coastal Carolina right-handed pitcher Cameron Flukey in the first round, Kansas shortstop Tyson LeBlanc in the second round, Florida Gulf Coast two-way Evan Dempsey as a right-handed pitcher in the competitive balance round B and high school shortstop Dominic Pellegrin (Holy Cross HS, LA) in the fourth round. The Tigers did not have a third-round pick due to the signing of Framber Valdez.

Round 5, Pick 158: RHP Declan Dahl, Louisiana Tech

A 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander out of Louisiana Tech, Declan Dahl is an interesting developmental pickup for Detroit.

He spent two seasons with Seminole State (Okla.) at the JUCO level, compiling a 13-6 record, 3.36 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 128.2 innings and 26 appearances (21 starts). Dahl threw four complete games in that time and had a 10.00 K/9 over that time, too.

His JUCO success set him up for a Division I opportunity at LA Tech, and he finished the 2026 season as the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, as well as earning First All-Conference honors. Declan had a 7-4 record and 2.75 ERA over 15 starts and 81.1 innings, with 102 strikeouts and only 23 walks. His 4.40 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranked 53rd overall last season.

Dahl is a flyball pitcher, seeing 47.8% of batted balls go in the air. He maintained a 10.1% home-run-to-flyball rate, which is right where it should be. He has a three-pitch mix: a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out around 95 mph, a 79-83 mph slider and an 80-84 mph changeup.

He has a low release point, which helps the secondary stuff but might be limiting his velocity. The changeup is his best pitch when he can control it, sinking and drawing swing-and-miss. Dahl’s slider gets left over the plate a bit more often than one would like to see, but the arm slot helps all three pitches force batters to chase.

Round 6, Pick 187: SS Maddox Molony Oregon

MLB Pipeline describes the 21-year-old, right-handed hitting shortstop as the best prospect in the Pacific Northwest. An Oregon native, Molony was a freshman All-American with a .969 OPS, and matched those numbers as a sophomore as well, hitting 15 homers and 10 steals. Molony struggled in the Cape Cod League, which helped hin slide a bit.

Molony boasts low in-zone whiff rates and good bat speed, but may have some trouble translating his developing average power in games. His pull heavy approach and underwhelming junior year didn’t help his draft standing, seeing him drop several rounds from his earlier projections.

He’s not particularly fast for a shortstop, but he has a good glove and plenty of arm strength. If the power continues to build he could slide over to the corner.

Round 7, Pick 216: 1B Brady Ballinger, Kansas

Brady Ballinger entered the 2026 season as one of the faces of the Jayhawks’ program, but a down year as a junior hurt his draft stock. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Las Vegas native spent his freshman season with the College of Southern Nevada before transferring to Kansas. He broke out as a Third Team All-American in 2025 with a .353/.495/.670 (1.164 OPS) slash line, 16 home runs and 56 RBI with a .317 ISO and 165 wRC+.

Ballinger moved from first base to left field ahead of the 2026 season and saw his numbers dip to .283 with seven homers and 42 RBIs. Still, his bat is where all the value lies. He has a good eye, walking (101) more times than he struck out (94) over two seasons at Kansas. Ballinger has a high leg kick in his load, with power to all fields.

“He has a high handset and uses an extreme barrel tip above his head and towards the pitcher in his load… firing an uphill swing through the zone,” Baseball America wrote in its scouting report. “That operation has worked for him in the past, but it requires excellent timing and pitch recognition. His contact and batted-ball angles regressed in 2026, but Ballinger still shows a solid understanding of the zone and on-base skills.”

Ballinger didn’t look great in the outfield in pre-draft workouts, but he is more athletic than his frame suggests on paper. Still, Detroit should keep him at first base until he eventually moves to designated hitter.

Round 8, Pick 246: 3B Robert Omidi, St. Martin Secondary School (Ontario, Canada)

A left-handed high school bat with speed and strength, Omidi clocked exit velos in the upper-90s in batting practice at the 2025 PG National Showcase. He has an open stance with higher hands and a bat waggle. There’s good strength in his hands and a strong bat path, which result in good bat speed, barrel feel and leverage, according to PG scouts.

Defensively, Omidi has “fine” lateral movement and throws accurately from short. He was clocked at 83 mph on infield throws, but that number should be up a bit a year later, which could allow him to stick at third. He worked at third at the draft combine.

Signing Omidi may require some overslot money, especially with an SEC commitment under his belt to Kentucky.

Robert Omidi INF | St Martin (ON)
– one of the 2 very interesting Canadian prospects in the class pic.twitter.com/g1ys24pJfT

— JB Sebastiano (@jb_sebastiano) June 24, 2026

Round 9, Pick 276: RHP Kenneth “KJ” Ward, Park University-Gilbert (Arizona)

KJ Ward is a 6-foot-5 right-hander out of the NAIA level who has some top-end velocity. He came back from Tommy John surgery in 2024, throwing in the upper-90s and touching triple digits somewhat regularly in 2026. He’s more likely to sit in the mid-90s, but Detroit should be able to develop his mechanics and get some of that high heat more consistently. Most likely a relief prospect but has closer level potential if the Tigers can get him sorted.

101 For The Strike. The Chart pic.twitter.com/Ta5KqGPMyy

— Kenneth Ward (@kjward007) May 31, 2026

Round 10, Pick 306: RHP Jack Turner, New Mexico State

Jack Turner is a really good development story. He started in Division II ball at Felician University before transferring to Suffolk County Community College to play at the JUCO level for two seasons. There, he ate up innings as a freshman at Suffolk, throwing 55.1 innings over 10 relief appearances. He maintained a 3.09 ERA and struck out 72 batters (11.71 K/9). He transitioned to a starting role in 2024, finishing the year with a 7-3 record over 12 starts (14 appearances) and 81.2 innings. His ERA continued to drop, reaching 2.42 and he was ranked second among all NJCAA DIII pitchers with 119 strikeouts. He also had five complete games and two shutouts while allowing zero home runs, earning him a NJCAA Division III First Team All-American nod and the opportunity to play Division I ball with New Mexico State.

Turner moved into the top spot of the weekend rotation for New Mexico State in 2025 before suffering a season-ending injury, finishing the season with 54.1 innings and 39 strikeouts. His ERA climbed to 5.96, however, and didn’t come back down in his senior year in 2026. Turner split time as a starter and reliever, making half of his 14 appearances out of the bullpen. He logged 58.1 innings and raised his strikeout rate from 15.0% to 21.7%, but his walk rate climbed from 9.2% to 11.7%, too.

Turner showed off good stuff in the MLB Draft League, holding a 4.50 ERA over a combined 18 innings, while striking out 22 and walking 11. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder has a fastball that averages 94-95 mph and gets up to 97 mph with some funk in his low-three quarters delivery. He often pairs a good sweeper with his sinker, and he also uses an 82-85 mph slider with 2700+ rpm and a low-80s changeup with spin in the 1600s. That arm slot produces a lot of horizontal movement on his sinker and sweeper, and as a result, Turner is a ground-ball pitcher who saw just under 60% of batted balls in play against him on the ground. He had a high home-run-to-flyball ratio of 20.5% in 2025, but that dropped dramatically to 7.1% last season. There is a lot to work with metrically but plenty of issues to clean up as well.

In Jack Turner's first start of the summer for the @SCSpikes, the @NMStateBaseball displayed a sinker and sweeper that each had a foot+ of horizontal movement. 📏 🦌 👀

𝐒𝐍𝐊: 92 mph, (T94.8), 2145 rpm, 16.7" HB (T2️⃣0️⃣.4️⃣"), 8.9" IVB
– 23.1% Chase%

𝐒𝐖: 80.8 mph, 2430 rpm,… pic.twitter.com/Pxa62EjVNC

— MLB Draft League Data (@draftleaguedata) June 3, 2026

The 2026 MLB Draft continues on today, with rounds 5 through 20 happening as the league concludes the draft ahead of the All-Star break this year. We’ll keep you up to date with what the Yankees do with all of their mid-to-late round picks, starting with rounds 5 to 10. Also be sure to check out our analysis from Day 1, where the Yankees picked up a pair of left-handed pitchers with their first two picks, and two right-handed JUCO bats with their third and fourth selections.

It’ll be a busy day as always, but we’ll have updates and commentary all afternoon as we learn the identities of the newest Baby Bombers. Follow along with us!

Round 5, Pick 160: Bear Harrison, C, Texas A&M, 6’3” 230 lbs.

To start off Day 2 of their 2026 draft, the Yankees went back to the catcher well, popping Bear Harrison out of Texas A&M. A 21-year-old right-handed hitter, Harrison draws quality reviews for his defense behind the plate, with solid pop times to second, and good framing, something the Yankees have long prioritized from their catchers. Harrison hit well in the SEC as a senior, posting a .297/.495/.626 slash line, though Baseball America notes that his offensive profile is somewhat controversial:

Offensively, Harrison is more polarizing. He’s strong, but has real bat speed questions that make scouts wonder about his hitting upside at the next level, while more analytically-inclined teams might be willing to take a shot on his impressive exit velocity data and patient approach that has led to a solid career 15.6% walk rate.

The Yankees will be happy to take that analytically-inclined view, betting on a mature approach and quality production in college translating to the bigs. Harrison, the younger brother of Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison, will join Brendan Brock as the second backstop taken by the Yankees in this draft.

BEAR💣TO PUT AGS IN LEAD pic.twitter.com/lJPft3IIwS

— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 6, 2026

Round 6, Pick 189: Andrew Gonzalez, 3B, Americas High School (TX), 6’1” 195 lbs.

The Yankees go to the prep realms in Round 6, selecting Andrew Gonzalez out of Americas High School in Texas. Gonzalez, who has committed to Texas Tech and sometimes goes by “Drew,” was not ranked in Baseball America’s top 500, and there isn’t a ton of info on his profile, but we can crib snippets about Gonzalez’s profile from what was said about him on the air on MLB Network. Jim Callis noted that has Gonzalez has real power potential, but that there are questions about whether he can stick at third base, and that first base and outfield are very plausible outcomes for his glove. Gonzalez seems to have a strong arm and pop in his bat, but without a ton of upside on defense or on the base paths.

Round 6️⃣, Pick 1️⃣8️⃣9️⃣

Congrats to Andrew Gonzalez (@Drew_leftyswag3) on being selected No. 189 overall by the New York @Yankees in the 2026 MLB Draft! #DudeAlert@AmericasBlazers (TX) 2026 • @TTU_Baseball signee@FiveToolTexas / #MLBDraftpic.twitter.com/4oFBgVRuwk

— Five Tool Baseball (@FiveTool) July 12, 2026

Round 7, Pick 218: Michael Harpster, RHP, East Tennessee State, 6’0” 185 lbs.

With their seventh pick, the Yankees go with Michael Harpster, an undersized right-handed college arm. The 6-foot Harpster only sits about 92 mph on his fastball according to MLB Pipeline, but has strong traits otherwise, with good ride on that heater allowing it to play up, and a deep repertoire that includes a cutter, sweeper, and changeup. His overall numbers aren’t spectacular, Harpster running a 4.73 ERA in college, and though his senior season was his best ERA wise at 4.00, he also saw his walks shoot up from a 5.6-percent walk rate in 2025 to over 11-percent in 2026. From BA:

Harpster throws from a lower slot with a bit of funk and has tweaked his delivery over the years. In 2026, he threw with a more direct stride to the plate, but he has also a rushed stride and drifts down the mound a bit early in his leg lift.

The Yankees’ pitching development apparatus seems like a good place for Harpster to try and unlock his potential. A righty with good ride but middling velo on his heater sounds like an excellent project for the team’s minor league coaches, as the club can try to refine his pitch mix, alter his mechanics, or any number of other approaches to try to get Harpster to pitch above his college numbers in the pros.

Round 8, Pick 248: Luke Pettitte, Two-way Player, Dallas Baptist, 6’2” 220 lbs.

You’re not seeing things: the Yankees have used their eighth selection in the 2026 MLB Draft on Luke Pettitte, the son of five-time champion Andy Pettitte! The 21-year-old Pettitte may have legacy on his side, but he is a real prospect on his own merit. Interestingly enough, Pettitte is being listed as a two-way player; though primarily a pitching prospect, Tommy John surgery took him off the mound for 2026. No matter, as Pettitte stepped into the batter’s box and became Dallas Baptist’s DH, raking to the tune of a .337/.403/.693 slash line.

As interesting as Pettitte’s two-way ability may be, his most likely path in the pros is on the mound. From BA:

Pettitte throws a 90-93 mph fastball, a high-usage mid-80s slider, a mid-80s changeup, and a mid-70s curveball

Doesn’t sound too dissimilar from his dad, though it’ll be strange to see a right-handed Pettitte toe the rubber. Scouts also praise Pettitte’s command which, again, tracks. In his two years pitching with Dallas Baptist he posted a 6.1% walk rate, and he ran a 33-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the Cape Cod League in 2025.

The New York Yankees take TWP Luke Pettitte out of Dallas Baptist University with their 8th-round selection!!
(Pick 248) *Son of Yankee Legend, Andy Pettitte

Pettitte smacked 16 homers and posted a 1.096 OPS in 42 games last season

The righty has also pitched in parts of his…

— Cai Rogers (@cai_rogers7) July 12, 2026

Round 9, Pick 278: David Leslie, RHP, Pittsburgh, 6’2” 180 lbs.

In the ninth round, the Yankees have taken right-handed pitcher David Leslie out of Pittsburgh. The 23-year-old played three years with Division-III Grove City College before transferring. Leslie was very effective with Grove City, posting a 2.05 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 74.2 innings as a junior in 2025, though he struggled as a senior post-transfer, posting a 6.37 ERA in 65 innings in 2026. For what it’s worth, the MLB Network broadcast noted that Leslie looked very sharp when pitching in front of scouts during ACC play. Before he transferred to Pitt, Baseball America wrote that Leslie’s fastball was in the 92-94 mph range, and that he had a “still-projectable frame that could allow him to pack on more strength and throw harder in the future”. That’s certainly a trick the Yankees have been able to pull off with other pitching prospects in the past.

The New York Yankees select RHP David Leslie out of the University of Pittsburgh with their 9th-round pick!! (Pick 278)

Leslie punched out 75 batters in 65 innings last season

2026 was his 1st season of D1; he played at D3 Grove City College for 3 seasons. Nicknamed "D3…

— Cai Rogers (@cai_rogers7) July 12, 2026

Round 10, Pick 308: Bayram Hot, SS, Louisville, 6’2” 210 lbs.

The Yankees go with a local kid in the 10th round, picking Bayram Hot, who went to high school at Archbishop Malloy in Queens and played two years at Marist College before transferring to Louisville. The 22-year-old is listed as a shortstop but played all over the field in college, and primarily played at second for Louisville, though Jim Callis notes for MLB Network that third base may be his eventual home. Hot was impressive in his senior year, posting a .330/.448/.528 slash line with nine homers and 17 steals in 57 games. We don’t have a ton of info on Hot, but between him and Bear Harrison, we do know the Yankees at least picked up two 80-grade names in this draft.

SEE YA‼️ @bayramhot27 for the lead‼️

T6 | Cards 3, Devils 2

📺 @accnetwork#GoCardspic.twitter.com/rOPIwuFAKR

— Louisville Baseball (@LouisvilleBSB) April 3, 2026