Category: Baseball

Ahead of Monday's game against the Atlanta Braves, Mets interim manager Andy Green provided an update on the ongoing injury rehab of infielder/designated hitter Jorge Polanco.

With Polanco still recovering from the left Achilles bursitis, which forced him onto the IL on April 18, Green was asked about his switch-hitter's health, replying that "he's improving, moving around well from the reports I've got."

Polanco's bat certainly looks close to ready to return to the big leagues; clobbering his second homer in the last three games with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets on Sunday.

Jorge Polanco hit his second home run of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse pic.twitter.com/MBA1PvQSkc

— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) July 5, 2026

Green told reporters that, as of now, the Mets "don't have a return date yet [for Polanco], but he's progressing."

Regardless, the stand-in skipper revealed that the team's plan is for Polanco to ramp up his workload, with the aim being to see him play back-to-back games.

"The back-to-backs will have to come at some point, whether up here [in MLB with the Mets] or down there [in the minor leagues]," Green said.

Polanco served as the team's DH in 12 of the 14 games he has played this season as a Met, meaning he probably won't be relied upon to play defense in a back-to-back situation.

Whatever the case, Green is clearly eager to have a power bat who can mash from both sides of the plate at his disposal.

"[Polanco] will always be available to pinch hit, which will be valuable," Green concluded.

The Braves have a chance for a 4-game series win behind Reynaldo Lopez against the Mets today. Join us and discuss tonight’s game in the comments below!

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 6, 7:15 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

After a week straight of losing games, the San Diego Padres finally put one back in the win column. With their win on Sunday afternoon, the club staved off the sweep against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That, thankfully, put an end to the Friars’ eight-game losing streak. It has felt like much longer than that, but the club has started to look better. The last three games have felt especially healthy, despite San Diego being 1-2 in that span.

Starter JP Sears pitched four hitless innings against L.A. before giving up a single in the bottom of the fifth. Bench coach Randy Knorr, who replaced Craig Stammen after the latter was ejected in the first inning, decided to pull Sears for unknown reasons. San Diego’s starters have looked better lately. They’ll need to keep that up against the Arizona Diamondbacks heading into their final homestand before the All-Star break.

Taking the mound

Brandon Pfaadt (AZ) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Pfaadt has been a solid back-end starter for Arizona, but he’s struggled lately. This season, the righty owns a 5.40 ERA through just 43 1/3 innings pitched. Pfaadt’s pitched better as of late, but he still owns a 4.50 ERA across his last 14 innings.

San Diego should have no problems tagging the righty for some runs. Jake Croneworth owns a lifetime .409 batting average against him (22 at-bats). Similarly, third baseman Manny Machado has a 1.061 OPS versus Pfaadt. Both will look to continue that success.

After completely turning his season around, Buehler had a setback in his last start. Buehler had given up just one run apiece in every start he made in June. Then came his last outing against the Chicago Cubs. Nine earned runs in just four innings of work. It was, by far, the righty’s roughest outing this season.

The Friars will have to hope that Buehler can rebound quickly and quiet Arizona’s bats. The Diamondbacks haven’t been able to put many runs on the board lately. San Diego will hope to keep that up in the four-game set against them.

Batter up!

The lineup looked healthy against Los Angeles against everyone but Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Aside from that Game 3 shutout, the club put up a combined 15 runs in the series. Sunday’s eventual win came thanks to a Machado three-run shot that proved to be the difference maker.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Gavin Sheets, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Xander Bogaerts, DH
7. Sung-Mun Song, SS
8. Rodolfo Durán, C
9. Samad Taylor, LF

Tatis has also looked healthy, going 3-for-5 in the series finale. The only batter at the top of the lineup that has struggled is Cronenworth, after a hot start at the plate, he has struggled lately. He could be dropped in the order ahead of the series opener against Arizona. That would likely mean Taylor’s return to the number two spot.

Relief corps

The bullpen looked somewhat spotty in the finale but managed to lock things down. If not for Machado’s three-run homer in the seventh, the game would have been much closer thanks to the two runs L.A. got back. That said, Yuki Matsui and Bradgley Rodriguez pitched well through command issues. Adrian Morejon looked good, striking out three across 1 2/3 innings.

And then, the return of the Reaper. Mason Miller locked down his first save since June 23. In doing so, he put his ERA back below 1.00 after raising it on Saturday night. He pitched a perfect inning against the Dodgers and may pitch again tonight, but will likely be on the bench to rest. Kyle Hart, Alek Jacob, Ron Marinaccio and Wandy Peralta will be available for tonight’s opener against the Dbacks.

You dolt. You idiot. You rube. You fool. You know nothing. This guy said it looked bad for the Royals in today’s game thread. Who is that guy? He sucks. *Getting a message in my earpiece* Oh, well, uh. I’m being told that the Royals put together 22 hits in a 15-1 complete drubbing of the Phillies.

Tyler Tolbert went 5-for-5 (the first 5-hit game by a Royal since Hunter Dozier in May 2022). Every starter except Josh Rojas had at least 1 hit. Salvador Perez nearly hit for the cycle (he was a triple short before being removed after a HBP). Tolbert himself was only a triple short of the cycle. The Royals scored in every inning. Every one!

The game did not start all that well. Noah Cameron gave up two doubles (one off the center field fence to Alec Bohm) and a walk in the first inning before getting a second out. After a mound visit, he managed to get the last two outs sandwiched around another walk without giving up another run. Which was good – the bases were loaded. Always nice to see a guy get out of a jam without his best stuff. That was the theme of the day for Cameron; more on that later.

But then it turned heavily into the Royals favor in the bottom of the first. The Royals got that first run back through some small ball – a walk, a forceout that Bobby beat the double play on despite hitting it really hard because he’s a speed demon, and a single put runners on first and second with one out. Jac Caglianone hit another grounder that looked like an easy double play ball to end the inning, but Phillies shortstop Trea Turner made an errant throw to first that allowed a runner to score with only one out added to the tally.

The Royals followed with a singles parade to make a speed dater blush. Nick Loftin did not challenge a clear ball on 3-0, but he popped a single to right field anyway to score Cags on a *very* close play at home. Right fielder Brandon Marsh made a beautiful throw and it still wasn’t good enough. Starling Marte lined another Sánchez offering to left field, this time scoring Loftin on a play that was not close at the plate. Tyler Tolbert chopped a weak grounder to short, and this time Turner actually made the throw. But Tolbert’s fast and beat the throw. Poor Turner haha.

Luke Maile came to the plate with two outs, two runners on, and a 3-1 lead. He blew open the game with an opposite-field dinger that juuuuuuuust barely cleared the fence and the outstretched glove of center fielder Derek Hill. Statcast thinks that would be a homer in 21/30 parks anyway. No matter, the damage was done to make the score 6-1 before the Phillies came to bat again.

The Captain added another run with a homer in the bottom of the second (could have been more, but Lane Thomas had a TOOTBLAN on a Bobby Witt Jr fly ball that would have been a homer in 7/30 parks. Alas, it was a double play at Kauffman). That was homer #11 for Salvador Perez. The Royals kept going in the bottom of the third with a Loftin single and Tolbert double to push the lead to 8-1.

Finally, in the fourth inning, the Phillies gave up on Sánchez’s outing. Lane Thomas blasted a no-doubter homer to the left-center field gap and made it 9-1. Witt followed with a single and Perez a double, and thusly Sánchez was no more. Seth Johnson got the rest of the outs before it got worse that inning, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t get worse for the rest of the game for the Phillies. In the fifth, Tolbert got into even MORE of the action by hitting a home run of his own! His first of the season. He drove it into the left field visitor’s bullpen to make it 10-1.

They kept the singles parade going in the sixth inning with Witt, Loftin, and Marte hitting three singles to score one more, making it 11-1. In the seventh inning, the Royals used their *plate discipline* to take two walks before Perez got hit by a pitch and subbed out. With the bases loaded and one out, Cags plated another run by squeaking a ground ball in between the first and second basemen. Michael Massey scored on a subsequent groundout.

The Phillies called on Garrett Stubbs to throw absolute chimneys in the bottom of the eighth, and it went exactly as well as you would think. The Royals kept the singles parade going and added two more runs to finish off the scoring at 15 runs.

Cameron worked around a couple singles and a walk in the second inning to give up no runs (another bases loaded situation). Again, Cameron worked around two singles in the third but gave up no runs. He just kept working around baserunners and did not have his best stuff. He ended up making it only five innings with five walks. But he also got seven strikeouts and gave up only one run. It was good enough. He gutted out enough innings to give the bullpen a chance to hold a massive lead, which it did without giving up ANY runs! Steven Cruz, Beck Way, and Jose Cuas blanked the Phillies for four innings while the Royals piled on.

The Royals are now 37-54. The Phillies are 50-41. The Royals take this series against the Phillies and travel to New York and Baltimore for a road trip before the All-Star break.

Due to the unusual Saturday-Monday scheduling, you might have forgotten that the Phillies would be wrapping up the series against the Kansas City Royals with an afternoon game today. If so, don’t feel bad. You didn’t miss anything worth seeing (if you’re a Phillies fan, that is. Royals fans probably greatly enjoyed the game). Heck, the Phillies themselves barely showed up as they suffered a 15-1 bludgeoning.

After a listless effort on Sunday, you figured that the Phillies were still in good position to win the series. After all, the Royals are having an awful season, and the Phillies had ace Cristopher Sanchez on the mound. What could possibly go wrong?

As it turns out, just about everything! Sanchez turned in the worst start of his career, there was a critical error in the field, and the offense left a ton of runners on base.

The game actually started off in promising fashion. Trea Turner led off the game with a double (don’t worry, he’d undo any good will shortly), Bryce Harper walked, and Alec Bohm made it 1-0 with a double to center field. But after Brandon Marsh struck out and Edmundo Sosa walked, Bryson Stott grounded out to leave the bases loaded.

Sanchez was clearly off from the start as he walked leadoff hitter Lane Thomas on four pitches. After getting an out and giving up another single, it looked like he would be able to escape the early jam when Caglianone hit a ball to second that looked like a tailor-made double play ball. But after securing the out at second, Turner’s throw went wide of first base. (Please see the below explanation as to why the runs in the inning were earned despite this error.)

Sanchez really could have used that out. Immediately afterwards, he fell behind three straight hitters and gave up singles to all of them. Facing backup catcher Luke Maile seemed like an opportunity to minimize the damage. Instead, Maile maximized the damage with a three-run home run.

The Phillies had a chance to pick up their ace and make it a slugfest in the second. They loaded the bases once again, bringing Bohm to the plate with two outs. This time, he was unable to get a run home. He grounded out to bring the Phillies’ left on base total to six. (They tied the record for most runners left on base through two innings!)

Sanchez did not settle in after that bad first inning. A second inning Salvador Perez home run made it 7-1, an RBI double by Tyler Tolbert made it 8-1 in the third, and a Thomas home run in the fourth made it 9-1.

Manager Don Mattingly tried to get some innings out of Sanchez, but when the next two batters had base hits, he had no choice but to pull the pitcher. Sanchez’s final line: 3.1 IP, 12 hits, 9 runs, 1 K, and three home runs allowed. Good thing the All-Star selections have been made already.

The rest of the game was soaked up by the lesser lights of the Phillies’ bullpen as well as an inning by Garrett Stubbs. That went about as well as you’d expect.

Offensively, the Phillies didn’t really give up. They kept getting runners on base, thanks to ten hits and seven walks. But they weren’t able to get any of those runners home after the first.

The Phillies will next travel to Cincinnati to take on the Reds. I’d say the Phillies have a good chance to end their two-game losing streak with Zack Wheeler scheduled to start on Tuesday, but after watching Cristopher Sanchez get demolished, I don’t think we can safely assume anything.

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to begin a five-game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals this week, beginning with a Monday night showdown at Busch Stadium.

Left-handed rookie Shane Drohan is set to get the ball for the Brewers, with right-handed veteran Dustin May toeing the bump for St. Louis. Drohan, 27, is 3-2 this season with a 3.12 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and 59 strikeouts over 57 2/3 innings in 17 appearances, including seven starts. He’s looked solid in his last three outings against the Guardians and Reds (x2), totaling 15 innings with three runs allowed on 14 hits and seven walks, striking out 15. Drohan has made two relief appearances against the Cards this year, totaling 3 1/3 innings with one run allowed on two hits and a walk while striking out two. This will be his first start against them.

May, 28, had a solid stretch that included a one-hit shutout of the Padres in early June, but he’s struggled in his two most recent outings. While he has a 4.80 ERA and 3.37 FIP with 78 strikeouts over 84 1/3 innings this year, he totaled just 2 2/3 innings against the Royals and Braves, allowing 11 runs on 11 hits and three walks, though St. Louis won both of those games in high-scoring affairs. May has made two career starts against the Brewers, totaling 8 2/3 innings with an 0-1 record, 2.08 ERA, and 12 strikeouts. He went seven no-hit innings against the Brewers back in May, but he ultimately took the loss when he gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and a hit by pitch in the eighth inning before exiting.

Christian Yelich bats leadoff as the DH, followed by Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang. William Contreras bats cleanup, with Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell to follow. Sal Frelick, Cooper Pratt, and David Hamilton round out the order in what is a lefty-heavy lineup.

First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Astros will conclude the first half of their season with a six-game road trip beginning tonight in the nation’s capital with the first of three games against the Nationals.

RHP Mike Burrows (4-8) will open the road trip for Houston opposite RHP Miles Mikolas (2-7) and the Nats.

SPINNING RECORDS: At 45-47, the Astros are two games below .500 for the third time in the last eight days.

A win tonight would move them to just a game below .500, a mark they have not been at since they were 6-7 on April 8.

THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 25-16 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span.

On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Astros are coming off a series victory over the Rays, the team with the best record in the AL, giving them six series victories in their last seven chances.

The Astros have also won four of their last five road series.

WINNING THE CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 9-5 in one-run games and 21-11 in two-run games.

Each of the Astros last nine wins and 14 of their last 15 victories have come by two-or-fewer runs.

GET ‘EM EARLY: The Astros and Nationals lead their respective leagues in 1st-inning runs with the Astros leading the AL with 63, and the Nationals leading the NL with 68.

Overall, the Astros rank sixth in the American League in runs scored (413), while the Nationals check in leading the Majors in runs scored with 485 on the season.

ROAD WARRIORS: On the Astros last road trip, the club went 5-2 with stops in Toronto (2-1) and Detroit (3-1).

The Astros are 15-8 on their last three road trips combined and are 21-14 on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the 2026 season.

ASTROS-NATS: The Astros and Nationals, who share a Spring Training complex, are facing each other for their first regular season matchups since July 28-30, 2025, a three-game series that the Astros won two games to one. 

SUNDAY FUNDAY: The Astros picked up their seventh shutout win of the season yesterday in Houston with a 2-0 win over the visiting Rays.

RHP Peter Lambert (0ER/5.2IP) was great in his start, allowing just three hits and a walk with six strikeouts en route to his seventh win of the season.

The Astros scored their two runs on solo shots by 1B Christian Walker (1×4) and 3B Isaac Paredes (2×4).

20 SPOT: 1B Christian Walker hit his 20th homer of the year yesterday, giving him 20-plus homers in five consecutive seasons, along with six total seasons in his career (2019, 2022-26).

Yesterday’s homer was also the 194th home run of his career.

ASTROS ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have re-instated IF Braden Shewmake from the 10-day IL today.

Official postgame yesterday, IF Raynel Delgado has been optioned to Triple A Sugar Land.

FROM THE TRAINER’S ROOM: The Astros have eight players on the Injured List.

Updates on a few:

RHP Ronel Blanco (rt. elbow surgery) is expected to pitch tomorrow for Triple A Sugar Land…he last start-
ed last Wednesday for Double A Corpus Christi at NW Arkansas (2ER/4.1IP), tossing 60 pitches (45 strikes).

SS Jeremy Pena (lt. calf strain) is taking part in baseball activities and is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Sugar Land this week.

RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (rt. shoulder inflammation) is also expected to pitch tomorrow for Sugar Land. He last started last Wednesday for Sugar Land (1ER/4IP), tossing 60 pitches (41 strikes).

LHP Bennett Sousa (lt. elbow inflammation) began a rehab assignment at Sugar Land last night, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning on 10 pitches with one strikeout.

RHP Kai-Wei Teng (right knee sprain) continues his throwing progression and will throw a bullpen session in the coming days.

LHP Brandon Walter (lt. elbow surgery) continues his throwing progression in West Palm Beach.

RHP Hayden Wesneski (rt. elbow surgery) made a rehab start for Corpus Christi yesterday, tossing 4.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts while tossing 46 pitches (29 strikes).

ALL-STAR ALVAREZ: Major League Baseball announced on Saturday that DH Yordan Alvarez was voted by the fans as the starting designated hitter for the American League All-Star team.

This marks the fourth All-Star selection for Alvarez (2022-24, 2026) and the second time that he has been voted as a starter (also in 2024).

MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid first half to his season, currently leading all of baseball in OPS (1.066), OBP (.429), SLG (.637), and total bases (207).

Additionally, he ranks first in the AL in extra-base hits (45), first in HR (29), first in hits (104), first in runs (62), first in RBI (67), second in batting average (.320), and fourth in walks (59).

THE LONG BALL LIST: DH Yordan Alvarez has hit 199 career home runs, needing just one homer to become the sixth player in franchise history to reach the 200-homer plateau.

HIT PAREDES: 3B Isaac Paredes is batting .295 (31×105) with six home runs, 23 RBI and a .913 OPS in his last 29 games since June 3.

Over that span, he ranks tied for sixth in the AL in RBI.

WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader is 3-0 with nine saves (in nine chances), has a 0.60 ERA (1ER/15IP), 24 strikeouts in 15.0 innings, a .043 (2×47) opponent average, and a 0.60 WHIP in 15 appearances.

Hader has not allowed a hit in eight straight appearances (8IP), which is the longest hitless streak by an Astro in innings and appearances since RHP Héctor Neris had nine straight hitless appearances (9IP) from Aug. 21-Sept. 13, 2023.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 6, 5:45 p.m. CT

Location: Nationals Park, Washington, DC

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

It is a day in July before the start of the 2026 training camp, so we are getting rankings, and for the Cardinals most rankings have not been overly kind.

While they have the sixth best set of offensive weapons in the NFL according to ESPN, they have more questions than answers everywhere else.

ESPN dropped their best roster rankings and the Cardinals were not last… which is a nice change of pace, but they were the third worst (at least tied for that) and it is once again a question of every position group outside of a couple.

From ESPN:

T-29. Arizona Cardinals

Biggest strength: Tight end. This starts and ends with Trey McBride, who has emerged as one of the NFL’s top playmakers at the position…

Biggest weakness: Quarterback. Kyler Murray is gone, leaving Jacoby Brissett as the probable Week 1 starter. The veteran racked up the counting stats in 12 starts last season (3,366 passing yards, 23 TDs), but Arizona throwing a league-high rate (partially due to always being behind) was a primary factor. Brissett finished 24th among 28 qualified quarterbacks in QBR (41.2).

X factor for 2026: WR Michael Wilson. In Weeks 1-10, Wilson managed a meager 0.8 yards per route run, making him one of the least efficient wide receivers in the league. But from Week 11 on — with Marvin Harrison Jr. out for much of that time — Wilson’s production ballooned to 2.6 yards per route run, 12th-best among wide receivers in those weeks. This Cardinals’ season is all about finding out who can be their pillars going forward, and that includes Wilson’s long-term role with the franchise.

Nonstarter to know: Edge rusher BJ Ojulari. Trade rumors are circulating around Josh Sweat, and Baron Browning and Zaven Collins combined for only 3.5 sacks last season…

The Cardinals have Trey McBride, people are hopeful about the wide receivers, and of course the rookie running back is intriguing. After that, there is nothing that is known or exciting to analysts, just a lot of questions.

The team tied with the Cardinals is the Atlanta Falcons, the worst two rosters in the league are the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. Is McBride the only player separating the Cardinals from those bottom two?

Today, Astros manager Joe Espada said that SS Jeremy Pena would begin his rehab assignment tomorrow at Triple-A Sugar Land, as reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com

SPs Lance McCullers Jr. and Ronel Blanco are also scheduled to pitch tomorrow as well.

Pena is a key catalyst for the Astros lineup, and is batting .295 this season with a .356 OBP and .799 OPS. Pena has 6 HR 21 RBI, he has 34 R and 8 SB in 183 AB this season.

Pena has battled a myriad of minor injuries this season, with this being the third one and his second time on the IL this season. He was slowed at the beginning of the year as well due to a fractured finger suffered in Spring Training.

Today, the Houston Astros announced they had reinstated IF Braden Shewmake from IL, and optioned IF Ray Delgado to Triple-A Sugar Land

In limited time this year with the Astros, Shewmake is batting .243 with a .260 OBP and .665 OPS. His positional flexibility has endeared him to the team, as he plays all around the infield including shortstop. In 74 AB, Shewmake has 3 HR and 8 RBI.

He is in the lineup tonight, playing shortstop and batting 8th.

Delgado made his MLB debut with the Astros June 14. In 30 AB he is batting .267 with a .313 OBP and .713 OPS. He offers the same positional flexibility as Shewmake, but did take a bad hop ball awkwardly off his right rand last week, resulting in a dislocated pinky. He did appear in the next game as a pinch hitter.

A hearty congratulations to girl dad Eli White. In another set of moves prior to tonight’s series finale versus the Mets, the Braves placed him on the paternity list. Back with the major league club is outfielder José Azócar.

Azócar is on a variation of the Carrasco minor league contract / selection / DFA / free agency / re-sign cycle. He’s been selected to the major league roster twice prior to today and played nine games with the Braves in May with a .333/.375/.842 on the season. His line with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers is .243/.295/.638 in 58 games played.

Catcher Jair Camargo was optioned to Gwinnett on June 18, but has been DFA’d to make room for Azócar on the 40-man. Welcome to the Kyle Farmer backup catcher era, folks.

With the 2026 MLB Draft less than a week away, we’ll take a look at what the Rays are expected to do with their first round picks. We will update this as new versions of mock drafts are published through the day before the draft.

Baseball America

In BA’s latest mock draft, they’ve got the Rays selecting Grady Emerson with their second overall pick.

Emerson is a 6’3 lefty-hitting prep shortstop and arguably the best pure hitter in the class. It’s a comfortably plus hit tool thanks to a smooth swing, advanced approach, and ability to spray the ball to all fields. Emerson projects to grow into above-average power given his size and athleticism. He also features a strong arm and plus instincts that should allow him to stick at shortstop.

There’s the chance that Roch Cholowsky could go to the Rays too, but it’s more about what the White Sox do with the first pick.

Cholowsky is polished 6’2 college shortstop with an impressive track record to match his above-average tools across the board. He’s an advanced hitter who both controls the strike zone and has solid contact skills. He already has plus power from the right side to pair with his strong hit tool. He’s essentially a lock to stick at shortstop given his arm strength, lateral quickness, and soft hands.

Vahn Lackey has a chance to go here too. Lackey is a 6’2 right-handed hitting catcher with plus power. He’s already a solid defender with a plus arm, and his athleticism suggests even more room for growth that could make him one of the better defensive catchers in the league someday. Lackey’s impact on both sides of the ball would more than justify taking him at the top of the draft.

Things get a little more fuzzy at 33, but BA has high school SS Taj Marchand going to the Rays. They’ve been scouting him all spring and are drawn to his ability to impact the baseball from the right side of the plate. He has quick hands in the batter’s box and in the field. His projectable frame at 6’2 suggests more power could be on the way, and his arm strength is plus right now.

MLB Pipeline

Pipeline has the Rays also taking Emerson in their latest mock draft, and like BA, the Rays could also take Cholowsky if the White Sox pass on him. It’ll likely come down to Emerson vs Lackey, but ultimately they’re expecting it to be Emerson.

Pipeline has the Rays selecting high school 3B/C Cole Prosek with the 33rd pick. He’s a left-handed hitter with advanced feel for the barrel and the potential to grow into solid power in his 6’1 frame. A great athlete with a plus arm, Prosek looks like he could stick behind the plate or the left side of the infield.

ESPN

In his latest mock with ESPN, Kiley McDaniel has the Rays picking Emerson. Lackey could also be taken second overall, but McDaniel doesn’t think it would be at enough of a discount to make it worth the while. Interestingly, he mentions there’s some buzz surrounding college RHP Jackson Flora on a significant pay-cut, but it’s unlikely.

An even longer shot is college SS Tyler Bell – who was selected by the Rays in the Comp B round in 2024 but opted to go to the University of Kentucky. Bell is a switch-hitting, 6’1 shortstop with average or better tools across the board. His athletic testing data suggests there could be more power on the way if he can get the ball in the air more frequently. His approach teeters on passive at times, but his contact ability is solid from both sides of the plate. Bell should continue to play a strong shortstop as he advances through pro-ball.

Flora is the top pitcher in this year’s class. He’s a physical, 6’5 righty with multiple above-average pitches. His fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s and he can reach back for 100 at times. Flora’s advanced feel for spin allows him to throw a pair of solid breaking balls, and he even features a relatively new kick-change that could end up being his best secondary someday. His combination of stuff and command could allow him to move quickly through any system.

McDaniel has the Rays taking high school SS Archer Horn with pick 33. He’s a plus athlete who could stick at the position thanks to a strong arm. Horn also has solid bat speed from the left side, and that bat speed combined with his 6’2 frame suggests above-average power is on the way despite an unrefined hit tool. Stanford commits typically make it to campus, so a team that really wants Horn may have to go over-slot to land him.

The Athletic

Keith Law of the Athletic has the Rays selecting Lackey with the second overall pick. He’s a pretty safe bet to be at least a solid defensive catcher given his tools and track record. His above average power makes him and patience at the plate could make him a solid offensive contributor as well. Interestingly, Law doesn’t mention Emerson among the other possibilities for the Rays. He instead mentions Cholowsky, Flora, and Bell. He doesn’t take a crack at mocking the 33rd overall pick or any of the Comp A round selections.

FanGraphs

Not yet published!

Of note, The Board at FanGraphs lists Virginia CF A.J. Garcia at No. 2 overall as the highest ranked 50 FV prospect (Cholowsky at No. 1 is the only 55 FV prospect). Garcia is a left handed 6’3” power hitter with a well rounded profile that could stick in center. After Garcia the site ranks Flora, Emerson, and then Lackey as the other 50’s.

We will circle back with an updated mock draft round-up later this week.

Going for a series win behind Reynaldo Lopez, the Braves are shuffling their lineup a bit, swapping Michael Harris up to the leadoff spot and Drake Baldwin down to cleanup. Jim Jarvis gets another start at shortstop, facing the righty Peralta.

Meanwhile, AJ Ewing gets the start at leadoff for the Mets and Francisco Lindor takes a day at DH.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 6, 7:15 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

With a 37-53 record that has them just a half-game ahead of the worst record in the National League, the Mets are set to be sellers at the deadline. And Will Sammon of the Athletic and Chelsea Janes of SNY have provided some insight into the organization’s thinking as the August 3 trade deadline approaches.

Sammon writes that teams will be interested in trading for one of the Mets’ catchers, but he sees a move of either Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens as unlikely. He also brings up the question of whether or not the team will trade Luke Weaver, who is under team control through the end of the 2027 season on a $12.5 million salary. And he mentions that the team is expected to trade Brooks Raley and A.J Minter, while noting that it seems very unlikely that Bo Bichette will be dealt given his underwhelming season, massive salary, and no-trade clause.

Janes mentions some of the same names in writing that players on expiring contracts will be available, adding Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Tyrone Taylor to the aforementioned pair of left-handed relievers. She says that the Mets will prioritize getting the best players in return—regardless of how close they are to the big leagues or what position they play. She floats the idea of other relievers like Huascar Brazobán and Devin Williams having appeal on the trade market, and she writes that the Mets aren’t in a rush to start making trades, as front offices are heavily focused on the upcoming amateur draft.