CHICAGO, IL - JULY 30: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Thursday, July 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Lawrence Brown/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With neither team scoring through nine innings on Thursday afternoon, the White Sox lineup had a little more juice in extra innings to outlast the Yankees in a 2-1 walk-off win. The decisive plate appearance was a bases-loaded free pass from Tristan Peters against a clearly gassed Fernando Cruz. In a game in which neither team hit well, it was fitting that the winning run would score without a bat being swung.
Wasted opportunities in the first are not something a team normally dwells on for too long, but in this matchup, both clubs had reasons to lament not opening the scoring right from the get-go. Sean Burke saw the first two hitters reach safely with a catcher’s interference and a walk, only for the Yankees offense to go 0-for-3 with a runner in scoring position. In Ryan Weathers’ turn, the left-hander had a dose of luck as Colson Montgomery swung at a middle-middle 3-0 fastball but couldn’t square it, rolling over to second with runners at second and third.
The lament stems from a lack of scoring on both sides that lasted until the ninth inning. Assessing the big picture, one cannot praise Weathers enough for the job he did today. Despite needing 27 pitches to complete that tumultuous first, Weathers recalibrated to complete seven scoreless innings efficiently. Perhaps not as overpowering as Burke with four strikeouts to Burke’s eventual 10, Weathers succeeded by relentlessly keeping the ball on the ground, recording over half of his 21 outs on the ground. The value of this lengthy outing for a tired bullpen in the middle of 13 games on 13 days is immense and could very well mean an extra win or two when all is said and done.
On the other side, having created his own mess in the first, Burke went on to dominate the Yankees with an outing even more impressive than his win at Yankee Stadium—at one point, the right-hander had a stretch of nine strikeouts in 11 at-bats.
Still, the Yankees manufactured run-scoring chances, only to squander them, one in particular in excruciating fashion.
The only Yankee batter to record a hit and not be struck out by Burke, Spencer Jones got that two-out single in the fourth and put himself in scoring position by stealing a bag—Jazz Chisholm Jr. didn’t get a pitch to drive him in, but earned the walk for two on and two out ahead of Anthony Volpe. Probably seeking a fastball, Volpe looked through two breaking balls in the zone for the punchout on just three pitches, a letdown at-bat if there ever was one. Then in the sixth, Jasson Domínguez hit what was by all accounts a leadoff triple but was tagged out sliding through the bag in pretty inconsequential fashion—the frustrating thing is that the way Domínguez slid, he didn’t have a prayer at keeping contact with the bag.
A traditional silver lining of so many strikeouts induced by Burke is that an elevated pitch count led the White Sox to pull the plug after six innings on 91 pitches. While more aggressive in his managerial style, Aaron Boone left Weathers to return for the seventh inning despite being over 90 pitches as well, seeing his trust rewarded with a 1-2-3 inning. Boone even came out for a talk with two outs and a pitch count over 100 but backed his starter to end the frame.
For the Yankees offense, while Burke left the game, their propensity to waste opportunities remained intact; the seventh inning ended with Chisholm picked off at first, and in the eighth, Domínguez and Paul Goldschmidt stranded a pair after Trent Grisham and Ben Rice reached base safely. It seems Weathers was the only one who got the memo about the bullpen needing rest. You can’t win if you don’t score, and extras are inevitable if no one does.
The tenth inning nearly carried on the theme of previous ones, with Ali Sánchez originally grounding into a double play on a failed bunt following a leadoff walk. However, the Yankees challenged the call, and he was safe at first. Grisham then broke through with an RBI single for the game’s first run. New York aimed for more than one with their best hitter up, but Rice and Domínguez lifted uneventful fly outs.
You know what they say about one run just holding serve hitting first in extras. Angel Chivilli did his best, but not only couldn’t he strand that runner at second in the 10th, but he left the game with two on and just one out.
Luckily for him and the Yankees, Fernando Cruz put out the fire by inducing a double play, begging the question of why he wasn’t out there to start the inning if he had any chance of pitching in this game—certainly it would’ve been the preferred choice over pushing Chivilli for a second inning. Then again, as the game goes, you accept more and more compromises.
On a concerning note, it looked like Chisholm felt something on a groundout in the ninth. He stayed in there until an intentional walk in the 11th that led to Boone pinch-running for him with José Caballero, who stole second. Unfortunately, Volpe stranded two base runners with the Yankees putting up a zero in the frame, setting the stage for a walk-off loss.
Munetaka Murakami got the intentional walk to open the 11th, Cruz punched out Miguel Vargas, and then Sam Antonacci loaded the bases with just one out with an infield single smothered by Rice. Cruz wasn’t about to go down without a fight, though, bouncing back in a 3-0 count to strike out Montgomery with the bases loaded. Against Tristan Peters, he also went down 3-0 in the count, and you can’t play with fire like that for so long without getting burned. Peters exercised the patience that Montgomery didn’t have, earning the walk to win the game.
It’s an extremely rare sequence of back-to-back matinees away from home against different teams in the same city, as the Yankees head north in the streets of Chicago ready to face the Cubs on Friday at 2:20pm at Wrigley Field. The pitching matchup of Will Warren against Shota Imanaga presents its challenges for New York, which will bring in an exhausted pitching staff and a lineup that currently looks dead on arrival. Any Trade Deadline or minor-league reinforcements can’t come soon enough.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 24: Rhett Lowder #25 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on June 24, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The nature of the current MLB playoff beast is set to play out this weekend in Cincinnati as the Reds play host to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Between the vast parity underneath the top 3 or 4 teams in the sport and Rob Manfred’s Superexpanded Megaplayoff format, the above-.500 Pirates roll into town likely buyers ahead of next week’s trade deadline and sit just 2.0 games back of a Wild Card spot in the standings.
They come to Cincinnati 55-54 for a 4-game series. By series end, they could sit a game worse in the loss column than the Reds themselves, who could, in theory, surge to 54-57 by the end of Sunday opposite a 55-58 Pirates club.
That would obviously require a sweep at home by the Reds, but that’s how close the margins are right now. The Reds, as things stand today, look to be clear sellers, but they could just as easily flip those standings on their respective heads with a monster performance at home against their rowdy NL Central rivals.
To get to that dream scenario, the Reds are going to need a lot more from Rhett Lowder than they’ve gotten of late. Last week’s outing against the St. Louis Cardinals (2.0 ER in 5.0 IP) was certainly a step in the right direction after he was shelled in his previous start on the road in Denver, and something of that ilk would likely suffice tonight provided that the meager Cincinnati offense can get off the mat and, y’know, actually do something more than they did in their last series against Cleveland.
Matt McLain is back. Edwin Arroyo is out. The Reds are up against an opener in a bullpen game – a righty at that – so they’re rolling out what can only be described as their best* lineup to get things started.
First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET. Here’s how the Reds will line up to start:
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 30: Bryan Torres #39 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits an RBI single against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning at Busch Stadium on July 30, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thursday’s afternoon game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs can be described with two words: missed opportunities. Runners in scoring position not realized would be a problem for both the Cardianls and Cubs. Andre Pallante kept the Cubs relatively quiet, but would he get enough offensive support for a win? So many questions.
The St. Louis Cardinals were the first to score Thursday in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn drew one-out walks. That brought up Bryan Torres who singled to left scoring Nootbaar and giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead. That run would unfortunately be all St. Louis could manage in the bottom of the 2nd as Blaze Jordan and Nathan Church left runners in scoring position.
The Chicago Cubs tied the game in the top of the 4th inning when Alex Bregman slammed a one-out double. He would score when Lars Nootbaar forgot there was only one out when Ian Happ flew out to right allowing Bregman to score. File this under mistakes the St. Louis Cardinals cannot afford to make, but stuff happens and that tied the game at 1-1.
Both the Cardinals and Cubs would have opportunities to score in the middle innings, but no results until the top of the 7th inning when Dansby Swanson drew a one-out walk. That would end Andre Pallante’s day. By the way, if you didn’t see Masyn Winn’s play in the top of the 7th inning on a ball to deep short, it might be his best play of the year so far.
George Soriano would enter the game and be greeted by Swanson stealing second base. After Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out (a moment all of Cardinals Nation enjoys), Suzuki walked followed by a two-out single by Michael Busch scoring Swanson and giving the Cubs a brief 2-1 lead. Very brief.
JJ Wetherholt made sure the Cubs lead did not last long as he turned on a 77 mph sweeper in the bottom of the 7th inning tying the game at 2-2. We’re glad you’re gonna be a Cardinal for many years to come, JJ.
Ryne Stanek and Riley O’Brien were able to keep the Cubs from taking the lead in the top of the 8th and 9th innings. Could St. Louis walk it off like they did late Wednesday night? Blaze Jordan was first up in the bottom of the 9th, but he grounded out to second for the first out. Next up, José Fermín ripped a ball down the third base line which Bregman was unable to handle giving the Cardinals the winning run at first base. The reason the game was tied, JJ Wetherholt, was next facing Cubs reliever Webb. He grounded into a fielder’s choice as Hoerner forced Fermín at second. With two outs, it was Jordan Walker’s turn. He BARELY missed an 84-mph slider flying out to deep left field sending the Cardinals and Cubs to extra innings again.
In a bit of Deja vu, it was Luis Gastelum taking the mound for the Cardinals in the top of the 10th inning giving up 2 runs. Suzuki was the Cubs free runner at second base. To start the inning, Michael Busch grounded out to first which advanced Suzuki to third with just one out. Alex Bregman then lined a double down the right field line scoring Suzuki giving Chicago a 3-2 10th inning lead. Gastelum then had to deal with the fact that St. Louis Cardinals arch-nemesis Ian Happ was up and he promptly doubled scoring Bregman upping the Cubs advantage to 4-2. That’s all they would get, but is that all they would need?
Jordan Walker was the Cardinals free runner in the bottom of the 10th inning as Alec Burleson was the first St. Louis chance to strike back. He worked the count full against Webb before lining out to PCA in center who acted like the play was much harder than it actually was for the first out. Manager Oli Marmol sent Jimmy Crooks up as a pinch-hitter for Pedro Pagés which prompted the Cubs to remove Webb and bring in Aaron Civale. All Crooks could manage was a weak flyball to PCA which meant the Cardinals fate was up to Lars Nootbaar. He managed to work the count full before he struck out to end the game. Hard to deal with the reality of the Cubs taking 3 out of 4 from the Cardinals at Busch, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
The St. Louis Cardinals will get out their passports and visit Canada to take on the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. The Cardinals will send Kyle Leahy to the mound while the Blue Jays will start All-Star Dylan Cease. First pitch is scheduled for 6:07pm central time and the game TV broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 30: Kody Clemens #2 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates his walk-off, grand slam as he rounds the bases against the Kansas City Royals in the ninth inning at Target Field on July 30, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Royals 4-3. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For eight and two thirds innings AND two strikes of this nine inning game, the Twins looked lifeless, dead, and outclassed by a much inferior Royals squad. To the point that I had a recap completely written and ready to post as soon as the score went final. But Kody Clemens had other plans.
Unfortunately, we need to start with the first 99.9% of this game.
Mere hours after being shut out by ex-Twin and bad pitcher Randy Dobnak, they somehow did even worse against Noah Cameron today. Cameron came into this game with a 4.93 ERA, fifth worst among pitchers with at least 100 innings this season. So naturally he no-hit the Twins through six, went eight scoreless overall and simply breezed through the lineup all afternoon. Also of note: Cameron is a lefty, so this outcome was preordained by whatever left-handed witch the Pohlad family insulted a decade ago.
Minnesota’s offense made some serious strides from June 1 through the All-Star break, but have been completely lifeless since then. They’ve only scored more than five runs twice, and those came in games where the Guardians and Athletics committed three and four errors, respectively. If you eliminate those slop-fests, the Twins are averaging two runs per game since the All-Star Break. Two!!
In that same stretch, they are also 29th in home runs, 28th in SLG, 25th in batting average, 24th in OBP, 28th in xwOBA, 27th in wRC+, and 30th in barrel rate. They’re making soft contact over and over again, which does make sense when you look at regulars like Brooks Lee, Luke Keaschall, Ryan Kreidler, and Austin Martin. The difference is now hits aren’t falling like they used to.
Which makes it even more baffling that the Twins opted to bring up yet another non-factor bat when Buxton went on the IL. They could have turned to Walker Jenkins, the consensus Top 5 prospect who has hit well at AAA all season. Kaelen Culpepper and Emmanuel Rodriguez are still working themselves back from injuries, but starting them every other day could bring some juice to a lineup that desperately needs it. Instead, Derek Shelton has run out two different lineups this week that involve journeyman minor league catcher Alex Jackson starting at first base.
But we’ll complain about that next week. Kody Clemens wasn’t happy about my negativity and did something about it.
Despite the offensive ineptitude on display all day, the Twins rallied with two outs in the ninth inning. Lucas Erceg was the Royals’ closer to begin the season, but his lack of commend lost him the role before April ended. That wildness was on very much on display today.
Erceg hit Ryan Jeffers, gave up a soft two-strike single to Royce Lewis, and walked Josh Bell after getting ahead of him 0-2. Lefty Matt Strahm then came in to finish the game against Kody Clemens and also got up 0-2 on the Twins’ left-handed hitter. And then on the third pitch of the AB, Clemens made sure the rest of that game didn’t matter. Take it away, Cory Provus.
How about one more angle for good measure?
After all that, the Twins secured another series victory, are back at .500, and Kody Clemens goes home a hero of epic proportions. In fact, he did something only 33 other players in MLB history have done: hit an ultimate grand slam.
On to Seattle!
STUDS
Somehow, some way, Kody Clemens: WALK OFF GRAND SLAM
DUDS
If this was any other game, literally every other hitter
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 30: Ryan Kreidler #5 and Royce Lewis #23 douse Kody Clemens #2 of the Minnesota Twins with water after the game against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field on July 30, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Royals 4-3. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite a gem spun by Noah Cameron, the Royals lost today, 4-3. The Minnesota Twins won on a walk-off Grand Slam by Kody Clemens off Matt Strahm. It is the ninth time this season that the Royals have lost via walk-off, and the second time the bullpen has allowed a walk-off Grand Slam.
Before the bottom of the ninth, the game had been mostly free of drama, thanks in large part to Cameron, making his first start since July 19 when the Royals fell to the Padres, 19-2.
Hey, that begs the question, which is worse? Losing a game like that day, when the Royals never had a chance, or losing a game like today, when the Royals had the Twins down to their last strike three different times? Asking for a friend, obvs.
Back to Cameron. He’s had quite the road trip. His last outing against Detroit, he entered in the second inning and never gave up the ball. While the Royals—get ready for this—lost that day, Cameron grooved to the tune of two hits, three walks, eight strikeouts, and zero runs across seven innings pitched.
Today, he topped that performance. It certainly helped getting ahead of the count so often—in fact, Cameron threw first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 22 batters he faced. When he finally left the game, he had tossed a career-high eight innings while allowing just one hit (a measly single in the seventh) while walking two and striking out seven.
Combine his last two outings, both on the road against divisional foes: 15 innings pitched, three hits, five walks, 15 strikeouts, zero runs.
The Royals lost both games.
Jac Caglianone started the scoring when he hit one to Mars. Actually, it hit the American flag blowing in right field. Caglianone’s 17th home run of the season, which also scored John Rave, traveled 438 feet while being hit 113.7 MPH.
The Royals padded their lead two innings later in the fifth when Carter Jensen scored on a heads-up play. With two outs and Jensen on first, Rave doubled for the second time. Clemens, the right fielder, tried to nab Rave at second, but the ball scooted away. Jensen, whose forward momentum hadn’t ceased, raced home ahead of an off-line throw. 3-0, Royals.
Really, that was it. Or: it should’ve been it. Cameron cruised while limiting baserunners. The Royals added some runners, but none crossed home. The way Cameron looked on the mound, it didn’t seem to matter.
And it didn’t matter until Cameron left the mound.
Enter: The Kansas City Royals Bullpen. 2026 motto: No Lead is Safe.
Lucas Erceg came in first and retired the first two batters he faced on a strikeout and soft liner. Ho-hum. Then he hit Ryan Jeffers before getting two strikes on Royce Lewis. Lewis, naturally, singled. Josh Bell followed. Again, Erceg had him down to the last strike. Then he threw four straight balls to walk him. Bases loaded.
Matt Quatraro graced us with his presence then when he walked to the mound to pull Erceg for…wait a minute, that can’t be right…Matt Strahm???
Raise your hand if you knew the Royals were toast at that point. I don’t care who Minnesota had coming up, things were not going to end well for the Royals. Since Kansas City is so far out of it as this ugly downward spiral continues, the whole situation humored me more than anything.
Strahm got Clemens down 0-2 before all but laying it up on a tee.
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 23: David Price #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals in game six of the 2015 MLB American League Championship Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 23, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Since the Jays aren’t going to make any trade news until I walk into the theater, let’s look back.
On this day 11 years ago:
The Blue Jays traded Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt to the Tigers in exchange for David Price.
At the time of the trade, the Jays were 52-51, tied for second place and six games behind the Yankees.
The Jays went 41-18 the rest of the way, finished first in the AL East, and, well, you know the rest.
Price went 9-1 in 11 starts for the Jays (it’s remarkable he received 10 decisions in 11 starts), posting a 2.30 ERA. However, he struggled in the playoffs.
He was also a great presence in the clubhouse—cheering on the team when he wasn’t pitching, enjoying Rogers Centre popcorn, and clearly savoring the moment. Alex Anthopoulos praised his ‘clubhouse presence,’ calling him the best teammate he had seen.
In the off-season, Price signed with the Red Sox. While it was disappointing to see him go, given his $217 million, seven-year contract, it was likely bestthe Jays didn’t match it. He had four inconsistent seasons in Boston, clashed with the media (primarily Dennis Eckersley, which I consider a plus), and dealt with injuries. Over those four seasons, he went 46-24 with a 3.84 ERA.
In February 2020, Price was traded to the Dodgers alongside Mookie Betts. He sat out the 2020 season, but in 2021 he pitched in 39 games (starting 11) with a 4.03 ERA. This year, he has made 26 relief appearances with a 3.08 ERA, and he’s mentioned considering retirement after the season.
What about the players the Jays traded away?
Boyd turned out to be the best player the Tigers received in the trade. After joining Detroit, he pitched eight seasons for them, going 42-65 with a 4.92 ERA in 162 games. He’s also pitched for the Mariners, Guardians and now, the Cubs. He’s 6-1, 3.41 in 12 starts with the Cubs this year.
Norris pitched parts of 8 seasons with the Tigers. He had an 20-33 record and a 4.52 ERA in 153 games, 79 starts. Since then he’s pitched for the Brewers, Cubs, Tigers and Guardians and retired after the 2023 season
Labourt appeared in six games for the Tigers in 2017—that comprised his entire MLB career.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Trevor Cohen #12 of the San Francisco Giants runs to third base on a single hit by Lisbel Diaz during the sixth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Five games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Wednesday. The rookie ball teams didn’t play (the DSL squads had the day off while the ACL season is over), but AA Richmond played a doubleheader due to having their game on Tuesday postponed. Let’s dive into it!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
AAA Sacramento (57-44)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 5-4 Box score
Some exciting news in Sacramento, as center fielder Jonah Cox began a rehab assignment. Funnily enough, since the Giants called up Cox straight from AA Richmond, Wednesday’s rehab game was Cox’s first time playing in AAA. It didn’t go particularly well, as he went 0-3 and struck out twice, but hey … it was his first game in a month!
The Giants seem to be enjoying giving Grant McCray some run, and they’re no longer chasing wins, so my guess is that Cox will get optioned to Sacramento when he’s done rehabbing, which is good. That’s the level he should have been at all along, in my opinion.
Speaking of outfielders who play great defense and steal a lot of bases, left fielder/center fielder Turner Hill had another great game, because that’s all he does these days. The 27-year old lefty went a perfect 3-3 with a walk and 2 runs batted in, which pushed his hitting streak to 15 games. During those 15 games, the former undrafted free agent has hit a scintillating 28-61 with 2 home runs, 2 triples, 3 doubles, 6 walks, and just 4 strikeouts, which has brought him up to an absurd 1.112 OPS for the month, and a .912 OPS and 141 wRC+ on the year.
Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) had another nice game, hitting 2-4 and stealing a base. Furman’s been a little more middle-of-the-road than notably good lately … since June 18 he’s hit 30-120 with just 8 extra-base hits, 15 walks, and 17 strikeouts, while maintaining a batting line just above league average (.773 OPS, 107 wRC+). But with Casey Schmitt out for the year with a torn meniscus, and Luis Arráez almost guaranteed to be wearing a different team’s jersey this time next week, Furman has to be eyeing a Major League debut (personally I’d give Jesús Rodríguez [No. 16 CPL] those reps).
Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) continues to look comfortable in AAA, as he hit 2-5 with a pair of hard-hit singles. Harber has hit safely in 10 out of his 11 games since getting promoted, and is 19-50 with 4 extra-base hits, 3 walks, and 13 strikeouts (.926 OPS, 146 wRC+). It’s been a less smooth transition for designated hitter Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL), who went 0-4 with a strikeout in this game. The lefty has really been scuffling since his promotion, going 11-48 with 1 extra-base hit, 3 walks, and 15 strikeouts (.538 OPS, 48 wRC+). Adjustment periods are to be expected, though, especially for someone who doesn’t have a long history of facing pitchers who can really spin the baseball.
On the mound, RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL) made what is likely to be his last start in AAA for a while. With LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) taking the turn of injured RHP Trevor McDonald (No. 12 CPL) in the MLB rotation, Tidwell is likely to be the name who replaces LHP Robbie Ray when he’s invariably traded in the coming days. It’s fair to wonder how well that will go for Tidwell, who has really had an up-and-down season. Wednesday was more of the same, as he did make it through 5.2 innings, but threw just 56 of 96 pitches for strikes, while allowing 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 hit batters, and 4 runs, and only striking out 3. Tidwell, a 2022 2nd-round pick who came over in the Tyler Rogers trade, has so many tools, but it’s hard to envision things going smoothly for him in an MLB rotation right now. That said, he’s been pretty solid lately: in his last 6 starts, he’s thrown 31.2 innings and allowed 27 hits, 12 walks, and 11 earned runs, with 32 strikeouts. On the year, he has a 4.38 ERA and a 4.88 FIP.
LHP Reiver Sanmartin and RHP Ryan Walker, who are both on the 40-man roster, had scoreless relief appearances but got into some trouble (Sanmartin gave up 3 hits in 1.1 innings, with 1 strikeout, while Walker ceded 2 hits in 1 inning, with 2 strikeouts). RHP Michael Fulmer continued his recent dominance, with 1 walk and 1 strikeout in a no-hit inning, which lowered his ERA to 3.05 and his FIP to 3.35. The veteran, who is not on the 40-man roster, has only allowed runs in 2 of his last 18 outings, which is a wild statistic in the PCL. In his last 6 games, the 33-year old has pitched 8.1 innings and allowed just 2 hits, 2 walks, and 0 runs, with 5 strikeouts.
AA Richmond (58-38)
Game 1: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 7-4 (7 innings) Game 2: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Somerset Patriots 6-2 (7 innings) Game 1 box score Game 2 box score
A fun little doubleheader for Richmond, though made less interesting by the fact that outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was placed on the Injured List before the start of the games, so we didn’t get to see him continue to adapt to a new level.
We did, however, get to see center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) continue his adjustment. Cohen had a delightful day patrolling the grass and wreaking havoc on the dirt … across the 2 games, he hit 4-8 with a double, 0 strikeouts, and 5 stolen bases, though he was caught stealing once, bringing him up to a .697 OPS and an 87 wRC+.
The ultra impressive thing was that 4 of those 5 stolen bases occurred in the 2nd game, when the Squirrels set a franchise record with 11 swiped bags, which is made all the more impressive since they weren’t caught stealing and it was a 7-inning game. You love to see that!
Also getting in on that action was second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL), who hit 3-6 and stole 3 bases (he has 21 stolen bases in 25 attempts this year while, across 2 levels, Cohen has 31 stolen bases in 40 attempts. Love to see those swiped bags!).
Diegooooo!
The hottest hitter in the Eastern League in July picks up an RBI on his 27th hit this month to make it 3-0 Squirrels! pic.twitter.com/yMegcYZEZf
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 29, 2026
It’s emphatically time for Velasquez to be in AAA, as the 22-year old switch-hitter has made dramatic gains in his 3rd pass through the level. He’s also been on an absolute heater lately: over his last 21 games, Velasquez is 30-69 with 6 extra-base hits, 11 walks, and just 9 strikeouts, which has raised his OPS to .814 and his wRC+ to 124. When the trickle down effect of Arráez being traded takes place, hopefully it means Velasquez gets to head to the highest level of the Minors.
But the best performance belonged to an infielder who has been having a tough year: third baseman/shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL). Ahuna has been struggling quite a bit lately, but showed off in this pair of games, hitting 2-4 with a home run, a double, 3 walks, and a stolen base. What a day!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 29, 2026
Ahuna isn’t getting to play his natural shortstop position (where he’s a wizard) all that often anymore, given the promotion of Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL), but really what the Giants need to see is if he can develop his bat. The glove will always play, though he’s starting to get comfortable at other infield positions now. He has a .671 OPS and an 84 wRC+ on the year, though his 33.2% strikeout rate remains the biggest concern.
Speaking of Kilen, he went 2-7 with a double, a sacrifice fly, and a strikeout. He’s 13-39 with 7 extra-base hits, 4 walks, and just 4 strikeouts since making his way to Richmond (.908 OPS, 131 wRC+) … he’s really, really rounding into form with this promotion.
Ahuna didn’t have the only home run, as left fielder/right fielder Jean Carlos Sio went 1-5 with a solo home run, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Sio, who only turned 22 in April, is still adapting to the level, as evidenced by his .218 average and .256 on-base percentage, which lead to a .746 OPS and an 89 wRC+). But he already has 11 home runs in just 42 AA games, which is mighty impressive for a young player who plays all over both the outfield and infield.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 29, 2026
LHP Greg Farone had a sensational pitching performance in the second game of the doubleheader, tossing 6 strong innings with 5 hits, 0 walks, and 2 runs allowed, while striking out 4. The 2024 7th-round pick was quite a strike thrower in this game, with 52 of his 81 pitches going for strikes. July has been far and away Farone’s best month this year, and he’s been excellent in 3 of his 4 starts, albeit with 1 blow-up game … just look at the month-by-month splits:
April: 6.75 ERA, 24 strikeouts to 11 walks May: 6.33 ERA, 18 strikeouts to 10 walks June: 7.29 ERA, 16 strikeouts to 15 walks July: 3.98 ERA, 19 strikeouts to 4 walks
That improvement is great to see, though there’s still a lot for Farone, who has a 6.08 ERA and a 5.85 FIP, to work on. He’s allowed more than a hit per inning, and exactly 4.5 walks per 9 this year. Perhaps most concerning is that he’s ceded 16 home runs in just 80 innings.
RHP Trystan Vrieling didn’t have such a good start, giving up 6 hits, 2 walks, and 3 runs in 4.2 innings, with 3 strikeouts. RHP Marques Johnson, who has struggled since getting demoted from AAA, got blasted for 5 hits and 4 runs in 1.1 innings, but RHP Mitch White had a strong showing, striking out 2 batters in a perfect inning. It’s been a tough year for White, who, at age 26 is playing his 1st year of affiliated ball. But he’s been much better lately, so hopefully that continues.
A few really nice performances in this game. The tone was set on the mound, where RHP Hunter Dryden had perhaps his best performance of the year. The D3 17th-round pick in 2024, who has a lot of intrigue, tossed 5 shutout innings in this game while striking out 7 Dust Devils, and allowing just 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter.
Dryden, who threw 52 of 86 pitches for strikes, had a much-needed stellar outing, after ceding 12 baserunners and 9 runs in his last outing. Way to bounce back! It hasn’t been the smoothest season for the 24-year old, who has a 5.26 ERA and a 5.56 FIP, but in this game he addressed his 2 biggest issues this year: walks and long balls. He’s allowed 5.1 walks and 1.6 home runs per 9 innings this year, so great to see him make improvements on that front.
Following Dryden was RHP Alix Hernandez, who made his High-A debut in exhilarating fashion, striking out 4 batters in 3 scoreless innings, while allowing just 2 hits and 0 walks, and throwing 25 of 32 pitches for strikes. Hernandez, who just turned 22, struggled to keep runs off the board with Low-A San Jose this year, but had excellent strikeout numbers (11.9 per 9) and decent walk suppression (3.5 per 9). Sometimes pitchers do a little better against higher level talent, and hopefully this game is a sign of that being the case for Hernandez!
There were a few nice hitting performances, but one that stood out above the rest: left fielder Jose Ramos had a fantastic game, hitting 2-2 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, and a stolen base, with the lone hiccup being an error. Ramos, a 23-year old righty, has spent time in the ACL, Low-A, and High-A this year, and has also missed time with an injury. He’s been excellent during his multiple short stints with Eugene, posting an .873 OPS and a 145 wRC+ in 7 games. It’s hard to know how much to read into that given his awful numbers in 13 games in Low-A (.592 OPS, 52 wRC+), but still!
Designated hitter Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) and right fielder Jose Astudillo both hit 2-3 with a walk. Since July 3, the soon-to-turn 22-year old Gutierrez is 24-57 with 7 extra-base hits, 6 walks, and 13 strikeouts, bringing his season numbers to an .846 OPS and a 128 wRC+. He continues to be one of the most under-the-radar prospects in the organization, and after seeing his superhuman contact skills take a big hit to start the year, he’s climbed his way back to a .279 average. As for Astudillo, a 22-year old in the midst of a breakout season, he’s fitting in splendidly in Eugene, posting a .359 average through his first 10 games (and striking out just 6.7% of the time), en route to an .842 OPS and a 134 wRC+.
Low-A San Jose (56-42)
San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 3-2 Box score
Well, baseball is a game of highs and lows, that’s for sure. And that’s doubly true for prospects, who are learning and adapting and adjusting on the fly. Just ask third baseman Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) … a day after blasting one of the longest Low-A home runs you’ll ever see, Hernández, playing in just his 4th game at the level, went 0-5 with 5 strikeouts. I don’t think it’s wild to predict that he’ll never do that again, at any level!
A slightly better, if not dynamic day for his running mate, shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL), who hit 1-4 with a hit by pitch and a strikeout. Right now, good numbers are just cherries on the sundae for that pair. Just seeing them at this level is so exciting.
Second baseman Dario Reynoso had a nice day, hitting 1-3 with a double and a walk, though he struck out twice. Reynoso had been playing third base all year, but the arrival of 2 blue-chip shortstop prospects means he’s going to play some second base (the setup is that Hernández plays third when González is at short, and González plays second when Hernández is at short). Reynoso has cooled down following a red-hot clip, but is still having a very nice year, with a .900 OPS and a 127 wRC+ … though the 31.8% strikeout rate remains very concerning for the 21-year old.
Catcher Fernando Gonzalez hit 1-2 with 2 walks and a strikeout. Gonzalez, the team’s 20th-round pick in 2024, has shown some impressive contact skills in his 2nd season, as he has a .286 average with San Jose, and just a 7.5% strikeout rate. That said, he has barely any power (he has 5 total extra-base hits in 107 plate appearances), and is 24 years old. But as Drew Cavanaugh has taught us, you never know when an unheralded catcher will pop!
Excitement on the mound, as RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) made his return after a 2-month injury absence (which featured 4 rehab appearances). There was a fair amount of rust, which is to be expected, as Cayama only pitched 3 innings while allowing 5 hits (including a home run), 1 walk, and 2 runs, with 2 strikeouts. Mostly it’s just great seeing him back on an A-Ball mound, and hopefully he can end his year on a high note … there’s so much talent in his 19-year old arm, as evidenced by 47 strikeouts against 9 walks in 39 Low-A innings this year (despite that, he has just a 4.62 ERA and a 4.55 FIP).
RHP Samir Chires continues to look excellent since getting promoted, as the 22-year old pitched 2 shutout innings with 1 hit and 3 strikeouts. Chires, who threw 21 of 31 pitches for strikes, has a 0.84 ERA and a 3.60 FIP since his promotion, with a glistening 11 strikeouts to 0 walks in 10.2 innings. He’s really started to get his command in control after struggling mightily with walks earlier in his career.
Home run tracker
16 — Jean Carlos Sio — [11 in AA; 4 in High-A; 1 in ACL] 6 — Maui Ahuna — [AA]
Thursday schedule
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Tacoma (SP: TBD) Richmond: 3:35 p.m. PT at Somerset (SP: Yunior Marte) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Tri-City (SP: Jacob Bresnahan) San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT at Rancho Cucamonga (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
The Atlanta Braves will be facing the Washington Nationals this evening and it will be a clash between two teams that are in the top three in runs scored for the month of July.
A lot has gone wrong with star players for the Braves this year, and the month of June as atrocious, but overall the Braves’ offense has been one of the best in MLB, even factoring in injuries and underperformance from players like Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski.
The Braves’ lineup is now as healthy as it has been all season. Of course some players are on the IL, but there was never a time this season where everyone was healthy. The biggest question recently before the lineup drops is now typically if Drake Baldwin will be the DH, and who will play LF. This late in the season, and before the trade deadline, lineups get pretty predictable.
That is not the case today. Austin Riley is getting a much needed night off with Mauricio Dubón playing 3B.
The Braves lineup will be facing Jake Irvin who handled them with ease in May. In that game Irvin limited the Braves to one hit and zero runs over 5.0 innings of work. That being said there are a couple of players who have had success against him in the past. Michael Harris has twenty-two at-bats against Irvin and has maintained a .318 average, and Matt Olson has a .812 OPS in nineteen at-bats. It is interesting to see Albies hitting so high in the lineup since he has been in a bit of a slump since the All-Star break with a wRC+ forty-two percent below average against righties and has also struggled to an OPS of .435 against Irvin in fifteen career at-bats.
To likely the surprise of many, the National are easily MLB’s best offense this season. They have continued that throughout July as well, having scored the most runs yet again. Grant Holmes was able to pitch well against them in May when he held them to two earned runs while striking out ten in five innings of work.
The Nationals are not holding back any punches as all of their stars are in the lineup tonight.
No one on the Nationals has more than seven at-bats against Holmes, but a few have had success in their limited sample size. James Wood has a HR and an OPS of 1.500 in four ABs, Jorbit Vivas has a HR and 1.850 OPS in four ABs, and Dylan Crews has a HR and 1.833 OPS in three ABs.
Holmes has his work cut out for him today. Hopefully he can get more run support than the offense provided those that pitched in New York recently.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds the bases on a solo home run during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on July 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Perhaps no starting pitcher on the Mariners’ staff better represents the drop-off from last season than Bryan Woo, the starter the Dodgers will be facing in this series finale. Despite similar underlying numbers, including a lower FIP than he had a year ago, Woo hasn’t delivered as the ace he established himself as, posting back-to-back seasons with an ERA under 3.00 in 2024 and 2025.
Against Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock in the first two games of this series, getting people on hasn’t been a problem—the issue has been driving them in, at least as efficiently as the Dodgers would like. With just one walk, the Dodgers stopped at four runs on 11 hits in last night’s win; the difference is that, unlike Justin Wrobleski, who gave up homers like they were candy, Eric Lauer was able to shut down Seattle for a low-scoring win. High among the list of problems for Woo in 2026 has been his inability to strand base runners, with a LOB% cratering from an 80.4% mark a year ago to 63.1% this season.
Seeking consistency, Roki Sasaki returns to Dodger Stadium having been absolutely phenomenal on a road trip through New York, allowing a single earned run in 12.2 innings against the Mets and Yankees. That run came on a long ball, exactly what’s plagued Sasaki in his worst moments of the season and the driving force behind Seattle’s win on Tuesday.
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Ricky Tiedemann #33 of the Toronto Blue Jays poses for a portrait during photo day at the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex on February 20, 2026 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today and tomorrow, in advance of the trade deadline, I want to do a quick (relatively, it’s me writing) review of the state of the farm. It’s been an eventful year to date, with significant graduations, a trade addition already and more to come, and the draft, plus significant movement among the extisting members of the farm. Today, a look at pre-season top 40 prospects who are still eligible (though some have left the organization). Tomorrow, I’ll look at graduates, additions, and prospects not previously on the 40 or our honorable mentions who’ve made themselves known.
Stock Up:
Nolan Perry (Matt’s Pref List) is the biggest riser in the system this season. Freshly back from Tommy John surgery, he’s absolutely carved through three levels so far this season, posting a total of 85 strikeouts (just under 40% of batters he’s faced) against only 19 walks and a 2.41 ERA in 56 innings. He’s a top 5 prospect in the system now, and if he finishes strong you could make a top 100 case.
Daniel Guerra (Matt’s Pref List) looked great through early June, punching out 73 batters in 54.0 innings with the Vancouver Canadians and posting a 3.17 ERA. He missed a month with an elbow issue, but has K’d 9 against 4 base runners in two rehab appearances.
Eric Snow (Tom’s Pref List) is a capable middle infield defender who makes loads of contact but fell to the sixth round because of a near-total lack of power. This year, he’s managed four home runs and 21 total extra base hits in 306 PA while earning two promotions, to Vancouver and then New Hampshire. He now shows just enough impact to profile as a utility infielder.
Charles McAdoo (Just Missed) got his first crack at AAA this season, and then a cup of coffee in Toronto. He looked over-matched at the latter stop, but his Buffalo performance actually suggests improvement, with some contact gains and the plus raw that his his carrying tool.
Franklin Rojas (#38) made the transition from the Dominican to the US complex for his age 19 season. He’s flashing doubles power, average contact, and a solid approach and still looks like he’ll stick at catcher.
Carson Messina (#37) is back from the elbow inflammation that kept him out almost all of last season. He’s battled his command but is missing loads of bats and regularly touching 96, suggesting that the stuff that got him a $550k bonus is intact.
Javen Coleman (#34) moved up to AA to start the season and continued to overpower with his mid-90s fastball, slider and splitter, posting a 35% strikeout rate while walking fewer than 6%. That just earned him a promotion to Buffalo, and he’s likely in the mix as soon as the Jays need a lefty reliever and have 40-man room.
Sam Shaw (#31) was diagnosed with a blood clot in his shoulder at the end of last season that was apparently so serious his career was in doubt. He’s made a full recovery, though, and is building on last year’s A breakout with an even better campaign at A+. His power production won’t stay atthis level, but he’s clearly hitting it hard enough, making a decent amount of contact, and has an excellent eye.
Sean Keys (#17) has had a rough welcome to the major leagues, but he’s only there because he obliterated AA and AAA to begin the year and forced his way up. And even in MLB his contact and power metrics are promising. I’m sold that he’s some kind of MLB bat, even if it takes a while for him to find his footing.
Blaine Bullard (#15) has exceeded expectations for his power production in his pro debut, with 8 homers and 26 total extra base hits in 75 games, while swiping 31 of 35 bases and looking good manning centre field. He’s got a little work to do on his approach and contact, but a 19 year old posting above average results in A ball is always a pleasant surprise.
Johnny King (#10) continues his ascent. His strikeouts have dropped form an absurd 40% last year to a merely excellent 31% as he’s moved up to Vancouver, but he’s also trimmed his (still too high) walk rate, and hitters aren’t having any luck barreling him up. He’s made his way on to Baseball America’s top 100.
Jojo Parker (#3) took a little while to get his bearings in A ball, but since June 1 he’s slashing .258/.397/.508 with almost as many walks as strikeouts. [NOTE: these stats are a few days old and don’t even account for his 2-homer Tuesday night]. In the Futures Game, he turned on a 101mph fastball to pull a laser to the wall. All of which is to say the bat looks to be as advertised, with discipline, contact, and power that could all be plus.
Arjun Nimmals (#2) conquered A+ in his second attempt early in the season, then held his own in his first month at AA. He went down with a hamstring issue, and has been getting loads of extra rest since coming back, but he’s also got four home runs and two doubles with just a 21% K rate and a 13% walk rate since his return. There’s work to do on his pitch recognition, especially against high minors quality sliders, but everything else looks excellent.
Stock Down:
Jackson Hornung (Matt’s Pref List) has seen his power evaporate in his second go at AA.
Carson Pierce (Matt’s Pref List) has had a rough go in his return from a season missed with injury. He’s walked more batters than he’s struck out over 23.1 innings and missed a couple of months from late May to last week.
Cade Doughty (Matt’s Pref List) has continued to struggle offensively in his third crack at AA, striking out too much for a hitter whose college power hasn’t translated.
Irv Carter (Tom’s Pref List) struggled mightily with his command early in his first attempt at AA, and has been down since May with an injury.
Enmanuel Bonilla (Tom’s Pref List) continues to show neither the hit tool nor the power that were the supposed justification for his $3.5m signing bonus. He’s really shown nothing as a pro to support expectations.
Brandon Barriera (#40) struggled badly in seven appearances before going down with yet another injury. He’s pitching again, but at this point he’s off the prospect radar.
Gilberto Batista (#35) has hit a bit of a wall in A+, with his strikeout rate dropping and his walks ballooning.
Grant Rogers (#33) got by through AA with a deep repertoire and command, making up for the lack of even average stuff. It’s caught up to him in Buffalo, though, as advanced hitters are hitting everything he throws and hitting it hard.
Yondrei Rojas’s (#32) jump in strikeouts from last season in Vancouver hasn’t translated at all to New Hampshire. He’s also back to walking too many batters.
Edward Duran (#29) has been trying out a new aggressive approach in A+ and it hasn’t worked, crashing his OBP without cutting strikeouts. He can still catch really well, but will need to find an offensive approach for it to matter.
Cutter Coffey (#24) hasn’t been able to carry the pop that powered his 2024 and 2025 up to AA in 2026, and his strikeout rate has jumped to 33%.
Austin Cates (#22) hasn’t carried over his excellent form from 2025, seeing his walk rate jump and his strikeout rate dip. That’s gotten worse after a jump up to AA.
Adrian Pinto (#21) shouldn’t be in this section if yo look at his slash line. He got promoted to AA and has walked as much as he’s struck out while hitting for some power. But he’s been on the IL for six weeks now and is looking at his fifth straight year of failing to record 200 PAs. If I thought he’d ever play 100 games in a season he’d be in the top 10.
Landen Maroudis (#19) still has a live arm, but he’s in his second consecutive season of posting ugly results, and it’s starting to look like his command might just not be good enough to make it all work.
Fernando Perez (#8) had a disastrous first four games of the year, walking 16 in just a dozen innings. That’s concerning for anyone, but especially a pitcher whose profile rests on top notch command rescuing middling stuff. He was placed on the non-injury development list in early May and hasn’t been heard from since.
Long Term Injury, Wait and See:
Jared Spencer (Just Missed) is still recovering from surgery before he was drafted last season, as expected.
Chay Yeager (#39) got Tommy John before the season.
Micah Bucknam (#28) was placed on the full-season IL April 2nd. Details are sketchy, but he won’t make his pro debut until 2027.
T.J. Brock (#25) just made his first appearance since 2024 Tommy John surgery at the complex a couple of weeks ago.
Jake Bloss (#6) got hit pretty hard in his return to AAA and has since been sent back to the 7-day IL. The good news is that he brought a couple of extra MPH with him from the rehab gym. His fastball now sits almost 96, with corresponding increases in the sharpness of his off speed stuff.
Ricky Tiedemann (#5) was already having a slow time working back from Tommy John, and then neck soreness has wiped out his June. He’s made it as far back as A ball, still sitting 97 with nasty secondaries and 7 Ks against 15 batters faced, so the stuff that made him the best left handed pitching prospect in baseball four years ago is still there, but we’ll need to see sustained health before we believe.
Steady-ish:
Elaineiker Coronado (Tom’s Pref List) is a fast, slick fielding shortstop who makes load of contact. Repeating the DSL, he’s now showing the barest hints of power. We’ll need to see him not get the bat knocked out of his hands in the States before we trust that he’s strong enough for his other tools to play.
Jackson Wentworth (Tom’s Pref List) hasn’t managed great results in AA this year (18.4% K rate, 9.5% walk rate, 4.83 ERA), but that still basically looks like a future 7th starter.
Michael Mesa (Tom’s Pref List) got a significant bonus in last year’s international free agent class. In his DSL debut, he’s been a mild disappointment, putting the ball on the ground too much to get to his power while posting just ok strikeout and walk numbers.
Jace Bohrofen (Just Missed) looks like a stock-up candidate, with his .931 OPS but it’s still hard to see how a 62% AA contact rate won’t get him eaten alive against better competition.
Alex Amalfi (Just Missed) has developed a home run problem after very effectively suppressing the long ball the past three years. He’s still missing plenty of bats, and has trimmed his walk rate a bit, but he’ll need to get that back under control to reach his ceiling as a swing man/depth starter.
Juan Caricote (#26) is in his first pro season in the DSL. He’s been over-aggressive but he’s flashing the power that was his offensive carrying tool and throwing out his share of runners from behind the plate.
Tim Piasentin (#23) struggled with swing and miss in his complex debut before going down a little over a month ago with an injury. He’s just 19, though, and was always considered a project, so no flashing lights yet.
Jake Cook (#18) has just about held his own in A ball. That’s normally a significant knock for a 22 year old college draftee, but Cook is in just his second year after converting pack to a position player from the mound. He’s unusually raw and the athleticism that got him drafted is showing in the field and on the bases, so I’m inclined to give him a little longer to figure something out.
Silvano Hechavarria (#16) has had an ugly season, ERA-wise, after his start was delayed by an injury. He’s looked to be finding his footing a bit recently, so I’m going to hope that he has a strong second half.
Victor Arias (#14) has struggled a bit since his promotion to AA late last season. This year, he’s improved his contact somewhat and is hitting for power, but at the cost of walks, and his overall line is about average.
Juan Sanchez (#12) has been a bit over-matched in A ball, with more strikeouts and fewer walks than you’d like. He’s shown power, though, and some signs of progress. For one of only a couple dozen 18 year olds in full season ball that’s enough to hold your shares.
Gage Stanifer (#11) looks about like he did last season: He’s striking out 30% of the batters he’s facing but walking too many. He looks on track to be a likely leverage reliever with an outside chance that command refinement allows him to be a high-K five and dive starter.
RJ Schreck (#9) looks just like he did last year. He walks a lot, doesn’t swing and miss much, and while his raw power is modest he gets to enough in games. He might not have the wheels for CF or the pop for left as an everyday guy, but he does enough well that I think he’s at least a luxury OBP-first fourth outfielder.
Josh Kasevich (#4) is stuck at AAA, blocked by healthy seasons from Andres Gimenez, Ernie Clement and Kazuma Okamoto. He looks to be past his own injury troubles from last season, though, and he’s doing his usual thing: making loads of contact, surprisingly hard, but too low and too often oppo for it to produce power. MLB is the only test left for him to pass at this point.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JULY 20: Alec Burleson #41 of the St. Louis Cardinals at bat during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 20, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You know the old baseball adage… when you think you have enough left-handed hitters, go get some more.
That’s about pitching? Huh. That’s weird. Well, anywho, the Guardians’ love left-handed hitters so what makes us think they’ll only target right-handed hitters at this deadline? Instead, as the St. Louis Cardinals enter today 2.5 games out of the third wildcard spot, they may try to pry another left-handed hitter off the Redbirds in the form of one Alec Burleson.
You can view our larger trade deadline piece here as we discuss a wider pool of options the Guardians may consider. To make my position clear, I expect the Guardians to make smaller moves, like trading Bo Naylor and getting a castoff/undervalued reliever. But, in the interest of exploring potential larger moves, we are doing a series looking at some of those bigger names. So far, we have discussed Spencer Steer, Luis Arraez, Shea Langeliers, Taylor Ward, Heliot Ramos, Jo Adell, Ty France, Tyler Soderstrom, Heriberto Hernandez and Kyle Stowers. Although the Guardians’ greatest need is hitting, the market is aflush with starting pitching so it also may make sense for the Guardians to see if they can find a good value there, as we wrote here and looked at specifically with Jose Soriano.
Back to Burleson: He is a 27 year-old first baseman/outfielder/DH under team control through 2028. He has a career 110 wRC+ but over the past two seasons, he is at 124 wRC+, with a 15/7.4 K/BB%, and a .287/.343/.460 slashline. It is only fair to note that this number includes a 145 wRC+ against RHP and only a 65 wRC+ against LHP. Burleson is primarily a strong-side platoon hitter… but he is a particularly excellent one. He is not a good defender at first base or left field but can stand in either spot and not embarrass himself; I’d prefer to see him made a full-time DH at which spot he has a 145 wRC+ over the past two seasons. The absence of the usual “DH penalty” there should be attractive to the Guardians, and he can happily fill in at first or left field on the occasional Jose or DeLauter DH days, as needed (or those DH days can be scheduled against LHP when possible while Burleson gets a day off). Burleson’s career home run total would look almost exactly the same at Progressive Field (actually +1) as it does at Busch Stadium, according to Baseball Savant, so that’s another point in his favor.
I would hope the Guardians would still target one of the Jo Adell/Taylor Ward/Heriberto Hernandez/Ty France Mount Rushmore of available Lefty Mashers if they acquired Burleson, but I would think the Cardinals could be made to see reason for the return here, given the uncertainty surrounding the existence of a 2027 season. I wouldn’t trade Ralphy Velazquez, Juneiker Caceres and PROBABLY not Angel Genao for Burleson, but everyone else can be part of the discussion. Additionlly, if the Cardinals think they can fix Kyle Manzardo, I’d be willing to entertain that conversation along with a very good prospect.
Against right-handed pitching, the following lineup (should Manzardo be retained) looks pretty formidable:
Kwan LF
Jose 3B
DeLauter RF
Burleson DH
Bazzana 2B
Manzardo 1B
Angel Martinez CF
Bailey C
Rocchio SS
Let me know your thoughts about getting another lefty-hitter in Alec Burleson in the comments below!
GREENVILLE, SC - JULY 26: Greenville Drive outfielder Justin Gonzales (34) hits the ball in [lay during a High A Minor League baseball game between the Hub City Spartanburgers and the Greenville Drive on July 26, 2026 at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After dropping game one in Norfolk (Orioles AAA) following a six-game win-streak, the WooSox are back on top on Wednesday. They enjoyed not only another solid five-inning start from Blake Wehunt, who is impressing with a small sample size in Triple-A thus far, but also twin sixth inning home runs from their infielders, Bret Harris and Vinny Capra (the latter was the DH last night.) Those two long balls broke a 2-2 tie and put Worcester up for good, as the bullpen perfectly navigated the waters following Wehunt’s exit. Braiden Ward also was notably a speed demon on the basepaths, increasing his season total to a eyebrow-raising 46 stolen bases. The other two batters with multiple hits, you ask? Mikey Romero and Kristian Campbell.
The Sea Dogs tried to subject Harrisburg (Nationals AA) to some small ball, as all but two of their eleven hits were singles, and they had 4 hits with runners in scoring position. They had 4 batters with 2 knocks. Still, Erik Rivera had a ninth inning melt down in a save situation and took the decision loss after a 6-4 lead turned into a 9-6 loss.
Offense was not at a premium on Wednesday night in Asheville. (Astros High-A) This game featured a lot of offense as Greenville got to the Tourists early and often. After four innings, the score was 12-1. A white-hot Justin Gonzales left the yard in the first inning with this 15th homer of the year. Maximus Martin, who made some waves with his contact tool in 2025, is back after a lengthy injury, and he hit a home run of his own in third. The Drive were able to coast to a win and Kyson Witherspoon had a lot of pressure taken off of him and was able to relax into one of his most effective starts as a pro, pitching into the sixth and allowing just the lone run.
Correction to yesterday’s article: the double header from Tuesday’s rain-out starts tonight at 5:05.
The RidgeYaks got two early home runs of their own in an abbreviated contest in Kannapolis (White Sox A) following Tuesday’s rainout. I guess in a seven-inning game homering in the third and calling it “early” is relative, but it came before Salem had still another effective inning in which they hung three more on the Cannonballers. As you might imagine, having a sizable lead like that gave the pitchers a bit longer of a leash than they might normally be offered, and Blake Foutch and Cole Tolbert were able to pitch a bit more lax (and longer into the game) than usual; they each allowed 2 hits en route to a decisive win in the afternoon game.
The nightcap featured about 25% of the total offense despite having an extra inning, and, by my math, only sported 11% of the runs. The only run of the game came via a sac fly in the bottom of the fourth, and it’s fitting that it wasn’t via a bonafide hit, as both teams combined for just five hits and three walks. Despite pitching well and super efficiently, Jason Gilman, who pitched all six innings for Salem, was handed the decision loss. There was suspense, but the game was still extremely brisk due to no one getting on base: these seven innings lasted just an hour and twenty minutes.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 15: Matt McLain #9 and Edwin Arroyo #2 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrate after beating the New York Mets 12-0 at Great American Ball Park on June 15, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
No series for the Cincinnati Reds now, or for the rest of the season, will be considered ‘vital.’ That’s what happens when you find yourself 7 games under .500 and heading towards next week’s trade deadline as a pretty clear seller. The Reds are a minimum of an 8 or 9 game win streak away from anything being considered even close to vital, in that regard, despite the Pittsburgh Pirates rolling into town this weekend in what’s sure to be a testy series regardless.
Pittsburgh is hungry right now. They are in ‘vital’ territory, a game over .500 at this juncture of a season for the first time in a long time and with a core that surely demands more additions for a playoff push. That’s what the Reds will get to deal with in Great American Ball Park beginning on Thursday evening, and they’ll do so with Rhett Lowder on the mound desperately hoping to turn around his season.
Lowder will have some new help, too. Or, rather, some old help making a return and shaking things up a bit.
Prior to Thursday’s series opener, the Reds activated Matt McLain from the injured list, optioning the struggling Edwin Arroyo back to AAA to make way. They also swapped pitchers as Chase Petty was optioned and Zach McCambley was recalled for the first time in a month.
Arroyo showed flashes during his first stint as a big leaguer, but the power never arrived and several notable defensive miscues this week got the spotlight despite the rest of the roster playing just about as poorly as he did at the very same time. Still, it’s a perfectly fine time for him to head to AAA and reset with the knowledge that he’ll almost certainly be back up at the big league level within a month or so (if not earlier).
It remains to be seen whether McLain is actually an upgrade, or not. He’s hitting just .190/.293/.328 on the season in 309 PA, and he went just 3 for his last 37 across 15 games before landing on the IL in the first place. Hell, at this point he may well be playing for a 2027 roster spot altogether seeing as he’s already earning $2.3 million as a super two arbitration guy and will get a raise on that this winter after turning 27 years old next week.
We’ll find out if any of it matters tonight in GABP, with Lowder chucking out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET.
After struggling for two seasons to field enough outfield depth to survive injuries and defections, the Texas Longhorns have made the position a focus in recruiting from the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, efforts bolstered on Tuesday with the commitment of former Campbell Fighting Camels standout Carlos Lugo.
PORTAL News:@TexasBaseball has landed rising Soph OF Carlos Lugo from Campbell
Lugo, a first-team all-conference selection provides the Horns additional depth and provides Texas with more young talent for the future
The 5’9, 185-pounder is ranked as the No. 232 portal prospect by 64Analytics and has four seasons of eligibility remaining.
Out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cavalry Christian Academy, Lugo played first base and pitched in addition to playing in the outfield. A true left-hander pitching and hitting, Lugo has a fastball that reached into the low 90s in high school. During an impressive senior season, Lugo slashed .494/.614/.882 with 12 doubles, seven home runs, and 17 stolen bases.
In one season at Campbell, Lugo earned first-team All-CAA recognition thanks to an impressive debut that saw him make 54 starts in the outfield among 56 games played, posting a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings over eight appearances, striking out 12 while holding opponents to a .194 batting average. As a hitter, Lugo was even better, slashing .370/.457/.534 with 13 doubles, six home runs, 34 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. With 26 walks and only 16 strikeouts, Lugo is a contact hitter who flashed some power and struck out in only 8.5 percent of his at bats, presenting a unique hitting profile for his size and contact ability.
In recording three outfield assists in 2026, Lugo also showed off the arm strength that makes his fastball a credible pitch at the college level.
Next season, Lugo projects as a depth piece for the Longhorns who provides a valuable left-handed bat and insurance in case of injuries as head coach Jim Schlossnagle tries to avoid future scenarios similar to light-hitting utility player Jayden Duplantier slashing .255/.372/.362 in 94 at bats in 2026.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 05: Pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 of the Cincinnati Reds throws during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Great American Ball Park on July 05, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have a handful of significant pieces who have been out injured in various forms and fashions, and on Thursday afternoon manager Terry Francona gave updates on a trio of players who’ve featured so far in 2026.
Some of the news was rather good. Nick Lodolo, who’s been plagued by blisters on his throwing hand – potentially due to the grip used on his slider – will face hitters in live batting practice on Friday. That was relayed to the beats prior to Thursday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Similar good news was reported in the form of Brandon Williamson’s rehab start, which will begin on Saturday with AA Chattanooga. Williamson was shut down after just 6 games in late April after being sidelined all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery, his 2026 problems coming from his shoulder. Getting him back to help fill some innings at season’s end would be paramount given that Chase Burns is heading towards an innings limit and Brady Singer is likely to be traded by the August 3rd deadline, and now he seems on track to help do just that.
Nick Lodolo will throw live to batters Friday and will test out the new breaking ball grip
The news wasn’t all good, however. Blake Dunn, who’s been out for a month after revealing pain in his throwing elbow, will go ahead and have surgery. As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed, they won’t know exactly how deep the surgery will have to go until they get in there, but that at least leaves on the table the potential for Tommy John surgery which, at this point of the year, would mean he’d be out for the bulk of 2027, too.
That all follows up the unfortunate news about Jose Franco from Tuesday’s doubleheader against Cleveland. Called up as the 27th man to provide length in the bullpen game, Franco exited with elbow discomfort. Given that he was the 27th man and not technically on the roster, any time spent on the injured list will be qualified at the AAA level instead of at the big league level, so he would be paid only as a AAA player while out instead of a big leaguer. If the injury were serious enough to require surgery and a lengthy rehab, that’s the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a guy who a) hasn’t banked a ton as a big leaguer yet and b) didn’t get a huge signing bonus up front when he turned pro.
Fortunately, it looks as if that won’t be too long of a stint. As Charlie Goldsmith reported yesterday, it’s a flexor mass problem that will sideline him, but ‘his elbow structurally looked good.’
Terry Francona said Jose Franco has a flexor mass injury and will not throw for a minimum of two weeks. His elbow structurally looked good.
