Category: Baseball

Worcester Red Sox 8, Rochester Red Wings 7 (BOX)

A game that seemed like a laugher, in favor of the Woo Sox, turned into a wild one at Polar Park on Thursday against the Red Wings (WAS). The craziness started in the top of the third with Nick Sogard starting a triple play on a caught line drive, with the runners going on the pitch.

🚨 A TRIPLE PLAY! 🚨@RedSox infielders Nick Sogard teams up with Tyler McDonough and Mickey Gasper to turn three for the @WooSox: pic.twitter.com/A3r8KxI0Wy

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 9, 2026

This play sparked the Woo Sox to get eight runs over the next two innings. Andrew Knizner knocked in three runs on a double in the third, Sogard knocked in two on a ground rule double, and Mickey Gasper knocked in the eighth run on an RBI single.

After Tyler Uberstine went three innings in relief to get the win, some familiar names for fans of the major league club had a rough go in relief. Tyler Samaniego allowed four hits and two runs, before Alec Gamboa allowed seven baserunners and three runs to finish the 8-7 win.

On Friday, Raymond Burgos (1-4, 6.25) will take the mound for Worcester at 6:45.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 15, Portland Sea Dogs 8 (BOX)

The Sea Dogs and Fisher Cats (TOR) played in a similar slugfest on Thursday, before New Hampshire broke things open with a six-spot in the eighth inning.

Gage Ziehl got the start and didn’t have it, allowing three home runs and eight earned in three innings. The Sea Dogs stayed in the game, cutting the lead to 9-7 after five, thanks to Brooks Brannon’s 13th home run, and Nate Baez’s 9th, a three run shot.

Not to be forgotten while trailing big in the ninth, Franklin Arias dropped his 18th home run of the season.

Franklin Arias to the roof!

The @RedSox top prospect launches his fourth homer in eight games — up to 18 on the year with the Double-A @PortlandSeaDogs: pic.twitter.com/zyQOrvfqzZ

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 10, 2026

Once again…

John Holobetz (4-3, 4.57) will get the ball on Friday at 6:03 (???) ET.

Greenville Drive 5, Greensboro Grasshoppers 4 (BOX)

A couple of big flies powered the Drive to a 5-4 win on Thursday against the Grasshoppers (PIT). Antonio Anderson hit his fifth in the third inning, followed by Justin Gonzales’s 11th moments later.

A Justin Gonzales bat flip is a BEAUTIFUL thing.

The Boston Red Sox prospect crushes on as the announcer wonders if he should be challenged with a pitch because he just had eye drops put in, and that’s his 11th home run of the season in High-A. pic.twitter.com/nnnZy7wbCQ

— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) July 9, 2026

Calvin Bickerstaff got the bulk of the work pitching, throwing 4 1/3 innings to get his fifth win, striking out five and allowing just one run. Steven Brooks got his sixth save.

Marcus Phillips (0-4, 6.75) will toe the rubber for the Drive at 7:00 on Friday.

Columbia Fireflies 10, Salem RidgeYaks 5 (BOX)

RidgeYaks pitchers Jacob Meyers and Brady Tygart were tagged early and often on Thursday, with the Fireflies (KC) opening up a 9-4 lead after five innings. Catcher Adonys Guzman was the star offensively, knocking in a run with a single early and homering in the fifth.

The RidgeYaks will send Christian Foutch (0-5, 6.18) to the hill on Friday at 7:05.

The days of the promising 2024 Royals team that squared off with the Yankees in the postseason are well in the past. Bobby Witt Jr. remains every bit of one of the most exciting players in the game, but the talent around him has not blossomed in the way this team had hoped for, KC now sitting with one of the worst records in the American League. Witt Jr., self-evidently, is untouchable, but even with a team as underwhelming as the Royals, one can find specific pieces whose pursuit is worthwhile for a team looking to improve around the margins.

The Yankees need help at the catching position, and Salvador Perez’s experience makes for a good match—at least until you get a look at the numbers he has put up this season, currently with a .603 OPS, by far and away the worst of his career. Youngster Carter Jensen, who has received the bulk of the playing time behind the dish, is controllable until 2032 and not going anywhere. If the Yankees are going to look to the Royals for improvements, they’ll need to do so beyond the catching position.

One of the reasons why this Royals season hasn’t gone according to plan is Vinnie Pasquantino—on his way back from the IL as we speak—and when he was out there, he was putting up the worst season of his career, with an OPS+ of 88. Any deal for the left-handed bat controllable through the 2028 campaign would be tricky. Surely, the Royals won’t want to sell low after one bad year, but justifying leaving the DH spot for Giancarlo Stanton becomes harder and harder with each injury setback.

There is no doubt that the most reasonable path to improving your roster by dealing with the Royals is on the pitching side of things, even if, as a whole, their staff has been a far bigger disappointment than their lineup. A recent report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has noted reluctance on KC’s part to deal Michael Wacha and/or Seth Lugo, seeking a return likely to be too great for most teams to be willing to pay. While losing either or both of these starters would severely hurt this team’s pitching staff, we’re talking about veterans controllable only through the end of next season. And the Royals are not a team one might describe as being a few tweaks away from contention, particularly not with Cole Ragans’ injury woes that will keep him sidelined until at least the middle of next season.

The AL leader in innings pitched at 114.2 frames, Wacha is having his fifth straight very reliable campaign, fully acquitted to his role a trusty veteran innings-eater. Since the start of 2022, Wacha has an ERA+ of 120 in over 700 innings for three different teams. Asking for a significant return for him is justifiable, but when it comes to Lugo, he has failed to live up to his 2024 numbers, his first season with the Royals. Since the start of last season, Lugo has a 4.32 ERA and 1.350 WHIP, and it’s not as if the $21.5 million he’ll make next year could be seen as a team-friendly deal.

Possessing little to no strikeout stuff in its bullpen outside of Steven Cruz, the Royals don’t entice the buyer on the reliever market. It wasn’t that long ago that Matt Strahm was a dominant reliever, though, and as a pending free agent, he may attract some attention despite a season ERA north of 5.00. Another lefty, Daniel Lynch IV, is the only option when it comes to someone actually performing well this season, boasting a WHIP under 1.00.

One of the few guaranteed sellers at the moment, the Royals could use that to their advantage, but in the end, most teams will only go so far, the Yankees among them.

The Cubs make their first 2026 visit to Great American Ballpark, just as we’re about to hit the All-Star break. They’ll return down the stretch, in mid-September.

For more on the Reds, here’s Wick Terrell, manager of our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter.

The Cincinnati Reds are a mess. Stop me if you’ve heard that before!

Mired in last place in the NL Central once again, the Reds have somehow managed to not just be bad, but to collapse in the most hilarious manner imaginable. For instance, despite 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, 2B Matt McLain, and OF TJ Friedl having been perhaps the single most woeful trio offensively to begin the year, the Reds managed to pile up wins in one-run games and surge as many as nine games over .500 by the end of April. All that came without Hunter Greene, who missed most all of the first half of the season after elbow surgery!

As things got so bleak with Hayes and Friedl, in particular, we saw an IL stint come for their 3B and an outright demotion for Friedl, who at one point recently was one of the better leadoff men in baseball. And the moment those two got demoted, the team simply became incapable of winning anything!

Old heads will point to the fact that the entire back of the bullpen (Emilio Pagan, Tony Santillan, and Graham Ashcraft) as well as Eugenio Suarez and Elly De La Cruz getting hurt at the same time may have helped derail the season. Twitter reply folks would beg to differ, however.

Either way, the Reds are flirting with being double-digit games under .500 after owning the single worst record in the game through May and June, and are heading into the All-Star break destined to be sellers once again. That is, of course, barring a miracle series against the Cubs at home to wrap the season’s first half, in which case they’ll probably try to maintain status quo until the absolute last seeing as they simply have no initiative in either direction ever.

Fun facts

The Cubs and Reds have played 2,433 games since the Reds joined the National League in 1890. In all those years, the Cubs have won exactly 23 more games than the Reds, 1,217 to 1,194, with 22 ties.

The difference was only 19 games before the Cubs swept four games at Wrigley Field on May 4-7.

In their final trip to Cincinnati last season, on Sept. 18-21, the Cubs lost four straight, the first and last both by 1-0. They had won two of three at Great American Ball Park earlier in the year.

The Cubs’ last sweep at Cincinnati was three games June 27-29, 2016. They have played 24 series there since then, including four in which they won the first two games and lost the third.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (5-7 , 4.28 ERA, 1.097 WHIP, 4.67 FIP) vs. Hunter Greene, RHP (0-1, 21.60 ERA, 3.300 WHIP, 6.42 FIP)

Saturday: Javier Assad, RHP (6-1, 4.15 ERA, 1.101 WHIP, 5.11 FIP) vs. Nick Lodolo, LHP (3-2, 4.68 ERA, 1.457 WHIP, 5.04 FIP)

Sunday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (4-1, 4.31 ERA, 1.311 WHIP, 3.27 FIP) vs. Andrew Abbott, LHP (5-5, 3.92 ERA, 1.406 WHIP, 4.91 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Friday: 6:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Saturday: 6:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 12:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

Lots of lefty starters in this series! The Cubs have improved their record vs. LH starters, as it now stands a game over .500 at 12-11, even while their OPS vs. LHB compared to vs. RHB is now about equal.

Cubs pitching has been pretty good lately so I’ll say two of three.

Up next

The All-Star break! Pete Crow-Armstrong will go to Philadelphia as the Cubs’ sole representative for Tuesday’s All-Star Game. The Cubs will resume the 2026 regular season Friday evening at Wrigley Field when they begin a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins.

The 2026 MLB Draft has a different feel to it for many reasons, including the Dodgers having their smallest bonus pool ever and the timing of the festivities themselves.

Rather than starting on Sunday or Monday as has been the norm ever since Major League Baseball moved the draft to align with the All-Star break, this time the draft will start on Saturday. The 20-round affair was shortened from three days to two last year and that schedule remains, which means the 2026 draft will conclude on Sunday, before any of the major league All-Star events have even happened.

Dodgers bonus pool

The Dodgers signing Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker, both free agents who declined qualifying offers, meant the Dodgers forfeited four early draft picks. They lost their second- and fifth-round selections for signing Díaz, then dropped third- and sixth-round picks once Tucker was brought into the fold.

Couple that with the Dodgers blowing well past the third competitive balance tax threshold last season, which dropped their first round pick 10 slots to 40th overall, the Dodgers have the lowest bonus pool of any MLB team this year, and their lowest-ever bonus pool in the 15 years of the recommended slot value system.

Draft bonus pools are derived from the total recommended slot values for every pick through the end of round 10.

Round	Overall pick	Slot value
1	40	$2,504,200
4	132	$575,300
7	223	$260,300
8	253	$218,500
9	283	$201,700
10	313	$191,900
Total		$3,951,500

Every signing bonus from the first 10 rounds count against the bonus pool, plus any signing bonus over $150,000 for any player drafted in the 11th round or later. Teams can spend up to five percent over their draft bonus pool and pay only a 75 percent tax on the overage. Any spending more than five percent over the bonus pool triggers more punitive penalties, including forfeiture of future draft picks. To date, no MLB team under the current slotting system has spent enough to trigger loss of draft picks.

How to watch

The first 135 picks of the draft happens on Saturday, which includes the first four rounds plus all competitive balance rounds, compensation picks, and prospect promotion incentive selections.

Saturday’s television and streaming coverage is fragmented, with NBC and Peacock showing the first 10 picks after a preview show, followed by MLB Network televising picks 11-40, that final selection belonging to the Dodgers.

MLB.com and MLB.tv will stream everything beginning with pick 11 through the end of the 20th round on Sunday. Day 2 is a nonstop ride, with 16 rounds all on one day.

Saturday, July 11 (rounds 1-4)
11 a.m. PT: Picks 1-10 (NBC, Peacock)
11:30 a.m: Picks 11-40 (MLB Network)
Streaming from 11th pick through round 4 on MLB.com and MLB.tv

Saturday, July 12 (rounds 5-20)
8:30 a.m. PT: MLB.com, MLB.tv

The Dodgers have two selections on Saturday (first round, 40th overall; and fourth round, 132nd overall), and 14 on Sunday.

Round	Selection
1	40
4	132
7	223
8	253
9	283
10	313
11	343
12	373
13	403
14	433
15	463
16	493
17	523
18	553
19	583
20	613

The Mets and Red Sox are supposed to play at Citi Field on Friday night at 7:15, but there's a small problem -- the Sox remain in Chicago.

Since beating the White Sox on Wednesday, the Red Sox have dealt with "multiple plane issues," per Tim Healey of the Boston Globe.

Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive, as of roughly 2 p.m. on Friday, the Red Sox were currently set to land at La Guardia Airport in Queens at 4:10 p.m. However, as of 2:40 p.m., the flight had not yet left the gate at Chicago Midway International Airport. 

La Guardia is only a few minutes from Citi Field, which should make for a relatively smooth trip for the Red Sox when/if they land in New York.

Regardless, in any scenario, they won't arrive to the ballpark until after 5 p.m., giving them very little time to prepare for the game if it begins as scheduled. 

At least I didn’t have to write “Braves tumble” into St. Louis, though the status of their tumbling remains a distinct possibility. The Braves righted the ship, or at least gave the appearance of righting the ship, a bit in Pittsburgh earlier this week, winning a series for the first time since June 19-21. After starting the season 18-2-1 in terms of series performance, the Braves are just 2-6-1 since (with possibly flipping one of those losses to a tie thanks to a rainout). One of those six recent series losses came against the Cardinals in Atlanta, and the Braves will get a chance to return the favor in St. Louis this weekend, before everyone heads off into the All-Star Break.

The Cardinals did not have a particularly fun time after departing Atlanta. They did take a series from their archrivals, the Cubs… but then lost four of five to the Brewers, putting a sizable dent in their playoff odds (from about 40 percent to about 30 percent). Before the Brewers had their way, the Cardinals held onto the NL’s last playoff spot with a one-game lead over the Marlins; now, they’re three games in what’s become a bit less of a logjam: the three NL Wild Card teams are separated by half a game, with the Braves three games ahead of them… but the Cardinals are part of a second tier of pseudo-contenders a bit further back.

Overall, the Cardinals are 14th in position player fWAR and 21st in pitching fWAR, which doesn’t suggest particularly useful production. However, they have two more wins than suggested by their run differential, and are three wins over what’s indicated by their BaseRuns, so that more or less explains that.

The Braves will have their one “steady” rotation member on the hill for this one, which is good news. But, Chris Sale will need to bounce back a bit, as his most recent outing was one of his worst in a Braves uniform. Sale lasted just five innings against the Mets, allowing two homers and posting a 3/2 K/BB ratio in a blowout win. The performance didn’t really matter in the context of the game, but in a vacuum, it wasn’t great. Sale’s FIP was his second-worst of the season, and his xFIP- for the start was 123 — only the second time this year he’s gone above 100, the only time this season he’s gone above 105, and his fourth-worst mark in any start as a Brave. Sale generally tends to get back to dominance after a poor outing, so there’s no reason to expect anything different here.

Sale has somehow managed to avoid the Cardinals as a Brave thus far, and, in fact, has faced them just twice in his career: once in 2015, and once in 2023. He dominated both times.

On the flip side, the Braves will take aim at 29-year-old Kyle Leahy, whom they didn’t see in Atlanta. Leahy spent 2024 and 2025 pitching long-ish relief for St. Louis, but has ascended to the rotation after some pretty good work in 2025 (1.4 fWAR in 88 innings, though a lot of that coming as a result of a low HR/FB). This season, Leahy’s stats are minorly weird: a 93 ERA-, 99 FIP-, and 101 xFIP- are all consistent, but he has this absolutely horrid xERA. Generally, xERA for pitchers doesn’t mean much because it’s so heavily influenced by the batters a pitcher faces, whose exit velocity tends to be more batter-derived than pitcher-influenced and factors into a large part of xERA… but seeing a guy with very generic peripherals and horrendous contact quality is not rare but still kinda weird, especially considering that Leahy didn’t have any contact management issues in 2024-2025.

Overall, Leahy is a true junkballer (legit six-pitch mix) who gets elite extension that makes his mid-90s fastball play up a bit. His pitch shapes don’t look good on paper, but are mitigated somewhat by him offering a harder set of secondaries than batters are generally used to. He has very good command of his four-seamer, sinker, and curve, while the rest of his arsenal is really more of a junkball-y “hope they get bamboozled” sort of thing. So long as the Braves’ lefties can acknowledge that his changeup is generally in the dirt and avoid looking terrible on it, they may be able to get some good hacks in against his four-seamer and curve.

Because of his profile, Leahy is pretty steady and generally throws up the same type of outing, with variance largely around whether fly balls clear the fence. He had a sky-high HR/FB in April (24 percent), but it then fell to around seven percent in May, three percent in June, and is sitting at zero for July so far. As a result, he’s been on a pretty good run for about seven starts FIP-wise, though it’s included a couple of xFIP-based clunkers. If the Braves can actually noodge his HR/FB up, that’ll bode well. If not, it could be another sad BABIP day for the team, at least until they chase him.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, July 10, 8:15 p.m. EDT

Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

TV: None

Streaming: Apple TV (le sigh)

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Two years ago, the Orioles hosted the Royals in the Wild Card round. Baltimore had just finished the regular season 91-71, a drop from their previous 101-61 record in 2023, but still good enough for second place in the daunting American League East and for the top Wild Card spot.

Despite dropping the series in two games to Kansas City, it looked like Baltimore was set up for the future. It wouldn’t have shocked anyone for the Orioles to continue making the playoffs and reaching the ALCS, if not beyond.

Instead, mirroring the Royals’ path, the Orioles bombed in 2025 and don’t look all that much better in 2026. Last year, coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, Baltimore fell to last in the East, finishing 75-87, 19 games back of first place. Manager Brandon Hyde, a mortal enemy of my family, didn’t even last 45 games before being ousted.

It didn’t matter.

This season, the Orioles have improved, albeit minimally. Their winning percentage is up, but they remain in the AL East’s cellar, and the playoffs look as far away as they did in 2021, when the Orioles finished an embarrassing 52-110.

Royals fans can relate.

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Kansas City Royals (38-56) at Baltimore Orioles (43-51) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD

Royals: 4.31 runs scored/game (20th in MLB), 5.11 runs allowed/game (27th in MLB)

Orioles: 4.55 runs scored/game (13th in MLB), 4.89 runs allowed/game (23rd in MLB)

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Pete Alonso, signed away from the Mets in the offseason, leads the Orioles with 2.0 bWAR as he’s slashed .249/.345/.467 with 20 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 56 runs scored. Another offseason acquisition, this time by trade with the Angels, Taylor Ward leads the team in walks with 71, which has boosted his OBP to a career-high .383 as his slugging has dipped to .352, which would be his worst in a full season. Catcher Adley Rutschman, a/k/a The Only Player Drafted Ahead of Bobby Witt Jr., has bounced back from a very down 2025, though his numbers remain across a chasm from what he posted his first two seasons. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, drafted in the second round of that same 2019 Draft, is struggling. Long ago are the days are finishing fourth in MVP voting, let alone winning Rookie of the Year in 2023. All told, the Orioles feature six regulars who are posting a below-average OPS, chief among them Henderson, but also starting third baseman Coby Mayo, starting right fielder Tyler O’Neill, and starting center fielder Leody Taveras.

It looks like the Orioles will start 27-year-old Brandon Young tonight. The second-year righthander leads the team in wins with seven while posting a solid 3.89 FIP over 77-and-1/3 innings pitched. He doesn’t strike out a lot of batters, but doesn’t walk many, either. Righties Kyle Brandish and Shane Baz are the projected starters for games two and three of the series. Brandish leads the team in strikeouts but also allows 1.1 home runs per nine innings, worst among Oriole starters with at least 10 starts. Baz sports the team’s best FIP at 3.79, but his strikeouts are down while his walks are up. Not a good combination.

The team’s closer, Ryan Helsley, is out, and so 36-year-old Andrew Kittredge picked up the save in yesterday’s 3-2 win over the Cubs. Reliever Tyler Wells picked up the win yesterday despite allowing the go-ahead run to score. He leads Baltimore relievers in innings pitched while Rico Garcia leads them in appearances with 42. Garcia has a WHIP well under one and strikes out over a batter per inning. Righty Yenier Cano leads all relievers with a 2.65 FIP.

I have no idea what to think of this series. As I stated in the opening paragraphs, two years ago it looked like the Royals and Orioles would be facing each other often once the calendar flipped to October. Clearly, things have changed for both teams, and for the worse.

Case in point: this mid-July series, the last before the All-Star break, has zero consequences for either club. What a shame.

Luinder Avila takes the ball for the Royals tonight. First pitch: 6:05 PM local time.

As the Atlanta Braves have worked to return their farm system to its prior glory in recent years, the 2025 draft class could prove to be one of the most important steps in that rebuilding process.

In a departure from its typical draft strategy of loading up on pitchers with their top picks, the Braves instead selected a trio of shortstops, led by high school standout Tate Southisene with the 22nd overall pick.

At just 18 years old, Southisene was one of the youngest players in the Carolina League upon making his debut for the Low-A Augusta GreenJackets in late August. Though he batted just .215 and produced a mere .539 OPS in 66 plate appearances last season, Southisene returned as a much more polished player in 2026.

Southisene scorched his way to a .297/.429/.500 slash line with eight home runs, 30 RBIs, 46 runs scored, and 36 stolen bases in just 51 games for Augusta before earning a June promotion to High-A Rome.

Hailing from a family that includes four brothers either playing pro ball or with aspirations of doing so, baseball is in the blood for Southisene. I caught up with Tate to discuss his first full season in the professional ranks, his hot start, the adjustments he’s made, and the future.

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Grant McAuley: What has the last year been like in your life, because it was about this time a year ago that you were preparing for the draft and deciding your route to professional baseball?

Tate Southisene: Yeah, for sure. The past year has definitely been cool. It’s a different experience just being out on my own, playing professional baseball and just kind of getting my feet wet, but I’ve been enjoying every part of it.

GM: Tell me a little about your experience in the Braves organization thus far. Obviously, there’s the draft process: They select you, you sign, and then you head out somewhere to begin your career. What were those first few steps like, and how long did it take you to look around and realize that you’re a professional baseball player?

TS: The Braves have been great. [As an] organization, I appreciate them just giving me a chance out of high school. Those first couple of months of pro ball, getting down to Florida and getting my feet wet, I was able to enjoy that and then also the process. They made it very easy just being able to get out of there and play my game.

GM: Talking to guys over the years, whether it was Spencer Strider, or Michael Harris II, or Austin Riley, the one thing all talked about is that the Braves do such a great job of preparing you for every step you take along the way up the ladder, then ultimately to the big-league level. It just makes it easier because you do feel like, to your point, that you belong, You’re familiar with everything. You know what those expectations are and you’re just going out there and doing a good day’s work.

TS: Yes, for sure. I mean the Braves, like I said, they kind of set out the format for me and their expectations, so I was just able to go out there and play.

GM: Well, tell me a little bit about your own expectations. You got a taste of the of the minor league life last year. You went back to Augusta this year and were off to a very good start, then you get a promotion to Rome. What has the 2026 season been like for you?

TS: It’s been good. Being able to be out there in 2025, just for that short, little month of professional baseball, affiliate ball, I thought it was great for me. To be able to almost go out there and struggle a little bit as a high schooler, I was able to experience the failures and different stuff like that. So, in 2026 and this past off-season, I was able to prepare a lot more and know what’s to come and not just step into the 2026, just brand-new, but having an idea, a good idea, of what it’s like.

GM: That was going to be my next question. You got a little bit of that experience. And as you mentioned, many if not most know that baseball is a game of failure and you can learn a lot from those failures and use that to propel yourself into the off-season. What was your focus on as you were getting ready for your first spring training?

TS: Yeah, put on some weight on, good weight that is. Get bigger, stronger and faster and that stuff. But really with the swing, just make my adjustments. I had a lot of things going on (swing-wise) and I had to be able to slow the game down, really. So, I was able to touch on some things and I felt good going into Spring Training.

GM: Something else that you have on your side that not everybody does is that you come from a baseball family. How much were you able to lean on your brother, Ty, as you were getting ready for this year and talk over what is really kind of the family business?

TS: Having my brother, Ty [to lean on], was great. He’s already gone through it before. This is his second full year now, so last year it was his first full year. Being able to kind of go through the offseason with him and just kind of know what to work on as we were working out together, running together, hitting together, fielding together. We were doing everything together to prepare for the season.

GM: For those who watch Spring Training and may see some games on TV or listen to on the radio, the minor league side of things is a little bit different experience than big league camp, but did you get to be around some of that? What were your impressions of that first full spring training?

TS: That was great. Just being able to make my adjustments during Spring Training and being around everybody. There’s a lot going on, too, but kind of do your own thing, work on your own stuff. Everything’s kind of on your own for the first couple of weeks. Then be able to get into a group setting last couple of weeks of spring training, I thought it was really good.

GM: Yeah, that camaraderie starts in spring training and extends into the season. Walk me through Augusta and how much different it was the second time around with some adjustments you were able to make. Obviously, the bat has been speaking for itself this year, but you’ve also been doing a lot of running. How would you describe the Tate Southisene game?

TS: I think, for me, I can do a little bit of everything, very versatile. I can hit, hit for power, can steal, can field, can throw. I feel like I can impact the game in a lot of ways, even if I’m not hitting the best. Let’s say I take a walk, then I could steal a bag, too. So, I can kind of impact the game in different ways.

GM: Has there been a coaching focus to elevate your running game? Obviously, you’ve got the speed, but what you do with it is a different story. Has that been a focus there for you and also for the organization to just see how much you can get out of running?

TS: For sure, it was definitely the organization [that] brought it up. We worked on my running form, my stealing form and picking good counts to run on. Yeah, it’s definitely been a focus of mine to just be able to take advantage of my speed.

GM: Talk to me a little bit about your teammates. One of them in particular, Eric Hartman, who you joined up here in Rome, you guys have created a lot of buzz for this team. You were a first-round pick, and then you’ve got somebody who was the very last pick that the Braves made in the 2024 draft class. That’s a unique partnership if you will. What has it been like getting to know Eric and playing with him a little bit more on an everyday basis?

TS: It’s been great. Going up to Augusta last year, Eric was actually the first person I met there. He was to the left of my locker. He walked in and was the first person I met. So, we’ve had a good relationship ever since then. Playing with him in that one month was great and then [to] be able to go down during weight camp, we were working out together. Now, I get to see him in Rome, so that’s been great. He’s a good guy, a good player, great player, really great player.

GM: Now we’ll get to see where your paths take you both as you continue this year. You already know, those in-season promotions can come along. What was your reaction to finding out that you’d be moving up to another level this year and now being able to play with a Rome team alongside Hartman and all these guys on a very exciting squad?

TS: I was very excited about the promotion. I was kind of a little shocked with a change of scenery, for sure. But I’m glad that I’m one step closer to the end goal and just being able to play my game every single day. It’s the same game.

GM: Let me wrap up with this. As we talked about, you’re from a baseball family, what’s the best advice or best support that you’ve gotten from the family?

TS: Just for me, it’s really just [support] mentally. It’s a very mental game, so just stay with your support system and just stick with it every single day.

GM: It is an everyday game and it’s an everyday grind, but you’ve done some pretty good stuff thus far in 2026. Good luck the rest away and thanks for the time.

TS: Thank you. I appreciate it.

---

In case you missed it, here’s my conversation with rapidly-rising prospect Eric Hartman.

We are just a day a away from learning who the White Sox will make the overall No. 1 pick. But we couldn’t let that happen without tapping the esteemed Reacts voting bloc weigh in. And among the trio of Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey there was a clear favorite … position, that is:

What’s interesting is that although White Sox scouts are said to favor Emerson and the front office prefers Lackey, Cholowsky as the presumptive No. 1 has remained so in the majority of mock drafts. Thus our voting base is going with the favorite, and as the most “known” quantity of the three Cholowsky could very well be the pick.

For the record, Brett’s vote went to Vahn Lackey.

Otherwise, the national survey questions involved a sort of mid-year awards preview. At least one name — Shohei Ohtani — was expected. But there are no White Sox bandied about in the mix (heck, if there was a Rookie of the Year poll Munetaka Murakami might have even slipped out of consideration given his missing the past six weeks), so let’s just flop all the surveys at you in sequence:

At least there’s a former White Sox in the mix, however impossible his chances.

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Did you miss out on this round of questions? No worry, sign up here to participate in our weekly emailed surveys, and have your White Sox voice be heard!

This week’s Reacts is brought to you by FanDuel.

Day One of the MLB Draft is Saturday July 11th (1pm ET; 12pm CT) on NBC, Peacock, and MLB Network, and will be rounds 1 through 4. Day Two (rounds 5-20) is on MLB.com at 11:30am ET; 10:30am CT. Don’t expect to hear any of these names on Day One, but here are the current players I expect to get drafted at some point before round 20 wraps up.

*Note: Coverage of this years draft will be, in a word, weird. Best to just paste in this nonsense here:

Saturday, July 11: Rounds 1-4

• 1:00-2:30 p.m. – Picks 1-10 (NBC and Peacock)

• 2:30-4:30 p.m. – Picks 11-40 (MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB TV, MLB+)

• 4:30-7:45 p.m. – Picks 41-135 (MLB.com, MLB TV, MLB+)

Sunday, July 12: Rounds 5-20

• 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (MLB.com, MLB TV, MLB+)

Anyway… onto the draft preview:

*Note: Like the past two years, there are no current Diamond Dores players either I or any draftnik project to be first rounders. This is a problem, but I would be pretty shocked if Brodie Johnston isn’t a first rounder next year.

Current Players Who May Hear Their Names Called on Day One (Rounds 1-4):

Very likely none, though I could see Holcomb in round 4 as a possibility.

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Current Players Who May Hear Their Names Called on Day Two (Rounds 5-20):

#26 Jr. OF Braden “The Hulk” Holcomb

2026 Stats: .352/.434/.621 with 19 2B, 403B, 14 HR, 54 RBI and 6-8 steals.

Here’s his MLB.com scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Though Holcomb was an all-state tight end at Foundation Academy (Winter Garden, Fla.), he preferred to use his physicality on the diamond. He spurned interest from pro teams out of high school to attend Vanderbilt, and he was the Commodores’ best hitter (.352/.434/.621) this spring. There aren’t many college players who can match his size (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) or history of playing five different positions.

Holcomb’s strength gives him well-above-average raw power, and he can drive the ball out of the park to all fields from the right side of the plate. But he doesn’t maximize his pop because he’s way too aggressive, chasing all types of pitches, struggling to make contact on offerings on and off the plate and not catching up to quality velocity. He has 30-homer ceiling but has slugged just .388 with wood bats in two seasons in the Cape Cod League and might not make enough contact to do damage in the Majors.

Holcomb has sneaky athleticism with average speed, and he’ll flash solid run times and steal bases on occasion. He covers enough ground to get the job done on the outfield corners and played a surprisingly adequate center field when he saw action there this spring. He has the solid arm strength for third base but is a stiff defender there, while first base is a viable option.

Range: Rounds 5-10.

MLB.com Top 250 Ranking: 226.

ESPN Top 250 Ranking: 189.

Prediction: To be honest, a guy with The Hulk’s physical tools and 2026 numbers should be a top 100 prospect chosen in the first three rounds of any draft. In fact, those 2026 numbers scream first round pick, don’t they? I suspect his swing and miss concerns from 2024 and 2025, as well as his defensive position (corner OF or IF, basically) are the reason he’s not ranked as highly, but, frankly, that’s pretty dumb. He’s not some plodding big man with the cement feet of a first baseman/DH. That boy can move, and has a RF arm. Again, I think MLB teams are grossly undervaluing his skillset. That said, I expect Holcomb to still be drafted somewhere around round 5 on Day Two as long as a team matches his signing bonus demands. With NIL money as an option, I’d hazard a guess that if MLB teams don’t offer Holcomb at least 5th round slot value (basically $400k-$550K), Vanderbilt will find a way to keep his power bat in the lineup. In the pre-NIL days, I’d list Holcomb as a 99.999% likely to sign, but now, there is at least a chance he returns.

Chance He Signs With an MLB Team: 90%.

*Note: Braden Holcomb is the only current player ranked in either the MLB top 250 or ESPN top 250, and this has never before happened in the Tim Corbin era. Oof. 2026 truly was a cursed season.

---

#39 Jr. RHP Connor “The Spice” Fennell

2026 Stats: 4-2; 4.96 ERA; 10.76 K/9

Range: Rounds 11-20.

MLB.com Top 250 Ranking: N/A.

ESPN Top 250 Ranking: N/A.

Prediction: Frankly, I’ve expected Connor Fennell to be wearing a Vanderbilt uniform as a senior since he first took the mound in 2025. He’s the classic “college senior starter,” as he can flat out pitch, and is a whale of a competitor, but doesn’t light up the radar guns. If anything, MLB teams have focused even more on velocity in recent years, and poor man’s Aaron Nola types (movement and precision pitchers who struggle to reach 90 mph) aren’t even in most systems any more. I’d bet The Spice is still our Friday Ace in 2027, and spends all offseason trying to get 1-2 more mph out of his arm in the pitching lab to give him a shot at being a senior draftee next year. If things go right, he could have a senior year like Cal State Fullerton’s Thomas Eshelman in 2015 or any number of senior South Cackalacky soft-tossers in 2010 or 2011.

Chance He Signs With an MLB Team: 20%.

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#44 Jr. C/DH Colin “Bar Rescue” Barczi

2026 Stats: .263/.341/.576 with 4 2B, 403B, 11 HR, and 28 RBI.

Range: Rounds 11-UDFA.

MLB.com Top 250 Ranking: N/A.

ESPN Top 250 Ranking: N/A.

Prediction: Barczi demonstrated light tower power, but injuries kept him from catching for most of 2026. Recent reports are that Bar Rescue just underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum. This means he will not be catching in 2027, but he should be able to hit. As such, it’s probably better for him to have an MLB team pay for his rehab, but if they don’t want to, I’m sure he’ll be welcomed back to DH for the Diamond Dores. Don’t expect him to be able to do any more than that, though.

Chance He Signs With an MLB Team: 50%.

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#77 Jr. RHP Alex “The Kranz” Kranzler

2026 Stats: 3-3; 6.18 ERA; 11.13 K/9

Range: Rounds 11-UDFA.

MLB.com Top 250 Ranking: N/A.

ESPN Top 250 Ranking: N/A.

Prediction: The Kranz would probably have preferred to be draft eligible last year, as 2026 was a rough one. Partially because we were short on starting pitching candidates and partially because Corbs tries to give obvious reliever-only pitchers the chance to start in their junior years (see Nick Maldonado et al) so as to, in theory, bump up their draft stock. He’s a reliever and will always be a reliever, despite being able to throw a grab-bag full of different pitches. Luckily for The Kranz, relief pitching is starting to be valued a bit more highly by MLB teams, and further, he has an MLB reliever arm. While he’s not going to be selected Saturday, I’ll stake my claim that whether or not he’s a late round pick on Sunday, he will pitch in a major league bullpen by 2031. If he’s undrafted and/or teams just don’t hit his number, we will gladly welcome him back to the back of our pen in ‘27.

Chance He Signs With an MLB Team: 70%.

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Players With No Eligibility Remaining Who May Hear Their Names Called on Day Two (Rounds 5-20) or Sign as an UDFA:

Mike Mancini and Logan Johnstone.

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*Note: You can listen to The Tennesseean beat writer Aria Gerson’s thoughts on the draft and the transfer portal additions here if you want.

https://t.co/HUINKt9ses

— Aria Gerson (@aria_gerson) July 10, 2026

The MLB draft stage is set in Philadelphia, and the Chicago White Sox are soon on the clock.

Te 2026 MLB Draft gets underway at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 11 with rounds 1 through 4. Then, on the eve of the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby, rounds 5 through 20 will take place, with the first pick of round five starting at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 12.

There remain several questions heading into Saturday's first round, including who the White Sox take with the No. 1 overall pick.Will it be UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, or will it be Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey or will it be Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson? Or could the White Sox, who have kept their cards close to their chest in the process, go with someone else?

MLB mock draft 2026: Will White Sox Roch steady at No. 1 with star shortstop?

The other is: How does the MLB draft work? In short, it's once again a 20-round draft with the pool of prospects including draft-eligible high schoolers and mostly juniors and seniors at the college level. But there is a greater sense of complexity to it than that. It is a slot draft, meaning it sees MLB executives use different strategies to select and sign their picks over the first 10 rounds. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Here's what to know about the MLB draft, why it is a slot draft and the money pool that teams will have at their disposal:

Is the MLB draft a slot draft? What is a slot draft?

Yes, the MLB draft is a slot draft, which means every pick has a specific predetermined slot value associated with it. The slot values for the draft are determined by Major League Baseball and are assigned to every pick through the first 10 rounds of the draft.

But just because a draft pick has a predetermined slot value, it doesn't mean a team has to sign that player to that value. What gives? Well, like free agency, teams negotiate deals with their draft picks and can sign them to a lower value. Teams could also use remaining pool money from a lower signing to overpay a different draft pick, or multiple picks.

One way to look at it is one big game of Monopoly, where teams are strategic and sometimes aggressive with a set pool of money at their disposal, just like how one might be to an entire color block or one of the railroads or even add houses to a property to maximize their value and all-encompassing portfolio.

How much does No. 1 overall pick in 2026 MLB Draft make?

The No. 1 overall pick for the 2026 MLB Draft, which is owned by the Chicago White Sox, has an estimated slot value of $11,350,600 according to MLB Pipeline. That is an increase of $274,700 from what the pick had slotted in value last season when the Washington Nationals took high school shortstop Eli Willits with the top overall pick.

Willits ultimately signed signed for $8.2 million with the Nationals, which was roughly $2.87 million below the total slot value of $11,075,900.

MLB draft bonus pools: How much money do all 30 teams have?

Below is a breakdown of bonus pool money for all 30 MLB teams, according to MLB Pipeline:

• Pittsburgh Pirates: $19,130,700
• Tampa Bay Rays: $19,009,300
• Chicago White Sox: $17,592,100
• San Francisco Giants: $17,350,600
• Minnesota Twins: $16,929,600
• St. Louis Cardinals: $16,612,300
• Kansas City Royals: $15,954,000
• Atlanta Braves: $15,870,800
• Colorado Rockies: $15,557,600
• Athletics: $13,840,300
• Houston Astros: $13,712,700
• Arizona Diamondbacks: $13,603,100
• Baltimore Orioles: $13,114,000
• Washington Nationals: $12,278,300
• Miami Marlins: $11,960,100
• Los Angeles Angels: $11,755,400
• Cincinnati Reds: $10,758,500
• Texas Rangers: $10,219,200
• Chicago Cubs: $9,644,100
• San Diego Padres: $9,479,000
• Cleveland Guardians: $9,303,700
• Detroit Tigers: $9,165,100
• Boston Red Sox: $8,219,200
• Seattle Mariners: $8,218,200
• Milwaukee Brewers: $8,042,900
• Philadelphia Phillies: $7,773,000
• New York Yankees: $7,342,800
• New York Mets: $6,730,900
• Toronto Blue Jays: $5,543,100
• Los Angeles Dodgers: $3,951,900

How to watch 2026 MLB Draft: Time, TV channel, live streaming options

MLB draft first round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the first round according to MLB Pipeline, including the prospect promotion incentive picks:

• 1. White Sox: $11,350,600
• 2. Rays: $10,507,000
• 3. Twins: $9,740,100
• 4. Giants: $8,988,400
• 5. Pirates: $8,336,500
• 6. Royals: $7,746,100
• 7. Orioles: $7,327,200
• 8. Athletics: $6,982,600
• 9. Braves: $6,675,300
• 10. Rockies: $6,393,100
• 11. Nationals: $6,133,500
• 12. Angels: $5,889,300
• 13. Cardinals: $5,661,300
• 14. Marlins: $5,444,900
• 15. Diamondbacks: $5,241,000
• 16. Rangers: $5,051,900
• 17. Astros: $4,868,600
• 18. Reds: $4,695,500
• 19. Guardians: $4,530,500
• 20. Red Sox: $4,373,900
• 21. Padres: $4,224,700
• 22. Tigers: $4,082,700
• 23. Cubs: $3,947,600
• 24. Mariners: $3,818,700
• 25. Brewers: $3,696,000
• 26. Braves: $3,578,800 (prospect promotion incentive pick)
• 27. Mets: $3,466,500 (first-round pick dropped 10 spots from No. 17 for exceeding second surcharge threshold of competitive-balance tax)
• 28. Astros: $3,363,600 (prospect promotion incentive pick)

MLB draft Competitive Balance Round A slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the Competitive Balance Round A, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 29. Giants: $3,270,200 (received from Guardians in Patrick Bailey trade)
• 30. Royals: $3,190,500
• 31. Diamondbacks: $3,118,300
• 32. Cardinals: $3,044,600
• 33. Rays: $2,970,200 (received from Orioles in Shane Baz trade)
• 34. Pirates: $2,897,400
• 35. Yankees: $2,826,700 (first-round pick dropped 10 spots for exceeding second surcharge threshold of competitive-balance tax)
• 36. Phillies: $2,758,800 (first-round pick dropped 10 spots for exceeding second surcharge threshold of competitive-balance tax)
• 37. Rockies: $2,696,700

MLB draft second round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the second round, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 38. Rockies: $2,633,100
• 39. Blue Jays: $2,571,700 (first-round pick dropped 10 spots for exceeding second surcharge threshold of competitive-balance tax)
• 40. Dodgers: $2,504,200 (first-round pick dropped 10 spots for exceeding second surcharge threshold of competitive-balance tax)
• 41. White Sox: $2,446,100
• 42. Nationals: $2,388,800
• 43. Twins: $2,333,200
• 44. Pirates: $2,278,700
• 45. Angels: $2,225,800
• 46. Orioles: $2,181,600
• 47. Athletics: $2,131,300
• 48. Braves: $2,081,900
• 49. Rays: $2,033,400
• 50. Cardinals: $1,982,700
• 51. Pirates: $1,938,100 (awarded for failure to sign 2025 second-rounder Angel Cervantes)
• 52. Marlins: $1,892,500
• 53. Diamondbacks: $1,848,200
• 54. Rangers: $1,805,300
• 55. Giants: $1,763,000
• 56. Royals: $1,721,700
• 57. Astros: $1,677,400
• 58. Reds: $1,637,700
• 59. Guardians: $1,598,900
• 60. Padres: $1,561,000
• 61. Tigers: $1,523,600
• 62. Cubs: $1,487,200
• 63. Yankees: $1,451,700
• 64. Phillies: $1,416,600
• 65. Mariners: $1,382,600
• 66. Brewers: $1,353,100

REQUIRED READING: MLB draft grades for what teams did with top picks over last 10 years: Top squad surprises

MLB draft Competitive Balance Round B slot values

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the Competitive Balance Round B, according to MLB Pipeline, including a free agent compensation pick:

• 67. Red Sox: $1,317,300 (received from Brewers in Caleb Durbin trade)
• 68. Cardinals: $1,285,500 (received from Mariners in Brendan Donovan trade)
• 69. Tigers: $1,254,200
• 70. Reds: $1,223,100
• 71. Marlins: $1,192,600
• 72. Cardinals: $1,174,300 (received from Rays in Brendan Donovan trade)
• 73. Athletics: $1,156,400
• 74. Twins: $1,138,600
• 75. Cubs: $1,120,900 (free agent compensation pick for Kyle Tucker signing with the Dodgers)

MLB draft third round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the third round, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 76. Rockies: $1,103,500
• 77. White Sox: $1,086,600
• 78. Nationals: $1,069,600
• 79. Twins: $1,052,700
• 80. Pirates: $1,035,700
• 81. Angels: $1,018,500
• 82. Orioles: $1,003,800
• 83. Athletics: $988,700
• 84. Braves: $973,700
• 85. Rays: $958,500
• 86. Cardinals: $943,600
• 87. Marlins: $929,700
• 88. Diamondbacks: $915,100
• 89. Rangers: $900,800
• 90. Giants: $887,000
• 91. Royals: $872,900
• 92. Mets: $859,900
• 93. Astros: $846,900
• 94. Reds: $833,800
• 95. Guardians: $823,800
• 96. Red Sox: $815,700
• 97. Padres: $808,100
• 98. Cubs: $800,000
• 99. Yankees: $792,300
• 100. Phillies: $784,400
• 101. Mariners: $778,200
• 102. Brewers: $770,600
• 103. Blue Jays: $762,900

MLB draft fourth round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the fourth round, according to MLB Pipeline, including several free agent compensation picks:

• 104. Rockies: $755,300
• 105. White Sox: $747,700
• 106. Nationals: $740,500
• 107. Twins: $733,100
• 108. Pirates: $725,900
• 109. Angels: $718,700
• 110. Orioles: $711,800
• 111. Athletics: $704,900
• 112. Braves: $697,700
• 113. Rays: $691,000
• 114. Cardinals: $684,300
• 115. Marlins: $677,500
• 116. Diamondbacks: $670,900
• 117. Rangers: $664,500
• 118. Giants: $658,100
• 119. Royals: $651,500
• 120. Mets: $645,100
• 121. Astros: $638,800
• 122. Reds: $632,500
• 123. Guardians: $626,500
• 124. Padres: $620,300
• 125. Tigers: $614,500
• 126. Cubs: $609,200
• 127. Yankees: $603,500
• 128. Phillies: $597,400
• 129. Mariners: $591,700
• 130. Brewers: $585,700
• 131. Blue Jays: $581,100
• 132. Dodgers: $575,300
• 133. Astros: $569,600 (free agent compensation pick for Framber Valdez signing with the Tigers)
• 134. Padres: $563,900 (free agent compensation pick for Dylan Cease signing with Blue Jays)
• 135. Phillies: $558,400 (free agent compensation pick for Ranger Suárez signing with Red Sox)

MLB draft fifth round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the fifth round, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 136. Rockies: $553,100
• 137. White Sox: $547,700
• 138. Nationals: $542,200
• 139. Twins: $536,900
• 140. Pirates: $532,000
• 141. Angels: $526,600
• 142. Orioles: $521,500
• 143. Athletics: $516,300
• 144. Braves: $511,400
• 145. Rays: $506,100
• 146. Cardinals: $501,300
• 147. Marlins: $496,400
• 148. Diamondbacks: $491,700
• 149. Rangers: $486,800
• 150. Giants: $481,800
• 151. Royals: $476,900
• 152. Mets: $472,500
• 153. Astros: $467,700
• 154. Reds: $463,200
• 155. Guardians: $458,500
• 156. Red Sox: $454,100
• 157. Padres: $449,500
• 158. Tigers: $445,200
• 159. Cubs: $441,300
• 160. Yankees: $437,200
• 161. Phillies: $433,200
• 162. Mariners: $429,100
• 163. Brewers: $425,400
• 164. Blue Jays: $421,300

MLB draft sixth round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the sixth round, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 165. Rockies: $417,400
• 166. White Sox: $413,900
• 167. Nationals: $410,300
• 168. Twins: $406,800
• 169. Pirates: $403,500
• 170. Angels: $399,800
• 171. Orioles: $396,300
• 172. Athletics: $393,100
• 173. Braves: $389,900
• 174. Rays: $386,500
• 175. Cardinals: $383,400
• 176. Marlins: $380,200
• 177. Diamondbacks: $377,000
• 178. Rangers: $373,800
• 179. Giants: $370,600
• 180. Royals: $367,600
• 181. Mets: $364,600
• 182. Astros: $361,900
• 183. Reds: $358,900
• 184. Guardians: $355,700
• 185. Red Sox: $352,900
• 186. Padres: $350,100
• 187. Tigers: $347,300
• 188. Cubs: $344,400
• 189. Yankees: $341,800
• 190. Phillies: $338,800
• 191. Mariners: $335,900
• 192. Brewers: $333,200
• 193. Blue Jays: $330,300

MLB draft seventh round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the seventh round, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 194. Rockies: $327,700
• 195. White Sox: $325,100
• 196. Nationals: $322,300
• 197. Twins: $319,600
• 198. Pirates: $317,100
• 199. Angels: $314,300
• 200. Orioles: $311,700
• 201. Athletics: $310,000
• 202. Braves: $307,300
• 203. Rays: $304,800
• 204. Cardinals: $302,300
• 205. Marlins: $299,700
• 206. Diamondbacks: $297,100
• 207. Rangers: $294,800
• 208. Giants: $292,300
• 209. Royals: $289,900
• 210. Mets: $287,800
• 211. Astros: $285,400
• 212. Reds: $283,000
• 213. Guardians: $280,900
• 214. Red Sox: $278,700
• 215. Padres: $276,400
• 216. Tigers: $274,300
• 217. Cubs: $272,000
• 218. Yankees: $270,000
• 219. Phillies: $267,800
• 220. Mariners: $266,100
• 221. Brewers: $264,100
• 222. Blue Jays: $262,300
• 223. Dodgers: $260,300

MLB draft eighth round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the eighth round, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 224. Rockies: $258,400
• 225. White Sox: $256,500
• 226. Nationals: $254,900
• 227. Twins: $253,300
• 228. Pirates: $251,500
• 229. Angels: $249,300
• 230. Orioles: $247,900
• 231. Athletics: $245,800
• 232. Braves: $244,500
• 233. Rays: $242,700
• 234. Cardinals: $241,000
• 235. Marlins: $239,200
• 236. Diamondbacks: $237,800
• 237. Rangers: $236,100
• 238. Giants: $234,700
• 239. Royals: $233,400
• 240. Mets: $232,100
• 241. Astros: $231,000
• 242. Reds: $229,700
• 243. Guardians: $228,600
• 244. Red Sox: $227,200
• 245. Padres: $226,300
• 246. Tigers: $225,300
• 247. Cubs: $224,100
• 248. Yankees: $223,100
• 249. Phillies: $222,200
• 250. Mariners: $220,900
• 251. Brewers: $220,400
• 252. Blue Jays: $219,500
• 253. Dodgers: $218,500

MLB draft ninth round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the ninth round, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 254. Rockies: $217,800
• 255. White Sox: $217,000
• 256. Nationals: $216,100
• 257. Twins: $215,400
• 258. Pirates: $214,800
• 259. Angels: $213,900
• 260. Orioles: $213,300
• 261. Athletics: $212,600
• 262. Braves: $212,000
• 263. Rays: $211,200
• 264. Cardinals: $210,600
• 265. Marlins: $210,200
• 266. Diamondbacks: $209,500
• 267. Rangers: $209,000
• 268. Giants: $208,500
• 269. Royals: $207,900
• 270. Mets: $207,200
• 271. Astros: $206,800
• 272. Reds: $206,300
• 273. Guardians: $205,800
• 274. Red Sox: $205,400
• 275. Padres: $205,000
• 276. Tigers: $204,400
• 277. Cubs: $204,100
• 278. Yankees: $203,500
• 279. Phillies: $202,900
• 280. Mariners: $202,700
• 281. Brewers: $202,500
• 282. Blue Jays: $202,100
• 283. Dodgers: $201,700

MLB draft 10th round slot value

Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the 10th round, according to MLB Pipeline:

• 284. Rockies: $201,500
• 285. White Sox: $200,900
• 286. Nationals: $200,100
• 287. Twins: $199,900
• 288. Pirates: $199,500
• 289. Angels: $199,200
• 290. Orioles: $198,900
• 291. Athletics: $198,600
• 292. Braves: $198,300
• 293. Rays: $197,900
• 294. Cardinals: $197,400
• 295. Marlins: $197,200
• 296. Diamondbacks: $196,500
• 297. Rangers: $196,200
• 298. Giants: $196,000
• 299. Royals: $195,600
• 300. Mets: $195,200
• 301. Astros: $195,000
• 302. Reds: $194,800
• 303. Guardians: $194,500
• 304. Red Sox: $194,000
• 305. Padres: $193,700
• 306. Tigers: $193,600
• 307. Cubs: $193,300
• 308. Yankees: $193,000
• 309. Phillies: $192,500
• 310. Mariners: $192,300
• 311. Brewers: $191,900
• 312. Blue Jays: $191,900
• 313. Dodgers: $191,900

When is 2026 MLB Draft?

The 2026 MLB Draft is scheduled to take place across both Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Saturday will consist of rounds 1-4 of the draft, with Sunday consisting of rounds 5 through 20.

Day 1 is set to begin at 1 p.m. ET and run through 7:45 p.m. ET. Day 2 is set to resume at 11:30 a.m. ET and is expected to go until 7:30 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB draft slot values: Bonus pool money, pick values for every MLB team

The Major League Baseball Amateur draft is rapidly approaching with the Yankees holding the 35th overall selection for their first pick. After swinging widely at the top of the draft for years in the early 2000’s the team has performed better in the scouting, evaluations and development departments over the last seven drafts. As usual the Yankees are picking later than most teams, and in addition they moved down 10 slots due to the penalties for exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax thresholds. This move also leads them to have the third smallest bonus pool at just over $7.3 million, coming in just ahead of the Mets and Dodgers.

Baseball America recently updated their farm system talent rankings, with the Yankees coming in 21st across baseball. The weakness of the system is currently on the position player side, and this is likely where the Yankees will focus. Both MLB.com and Baseball America have seven pitchers ranked among the organization’s top 10 prospects. Especially light on the prospect side is the catching position where neither BA or MLB.com have any catchers among the Yankees top-30 prospects.

Teams will never draft for an immediate need at the Major League level, but they often will focus on a positional group that could use a boost across their system. If the Yankees choose to target catching, they have several very tempting options that, based on recent pre-draft rankings, could be available in their range.

University of Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson is coming off a tremendous season where he was the Golden Spikes award winner as the best player in college baseball. He won the triple crown in the Southeastern conference, hitting .378/.473/.803, with 32 home runs and 26 stolen bases. He was just the third player and first catcher in Division I baseball history to have a 30/25 season.

Jackson is ranked as the 28th-best draft prospect by MLB.com and 37th best by Baseball America. He has been available to the Yankees in a few mock drafts over the past few months and would be an exciting talent to add if he makes it to the Yankees at the 35th pick.

Another strong candidate is Mississippi high school standout Cole Prosek. Prosek is a polished hitter, with present power who finished second nationally with 18 home runs during his high school season. The left-handed hitter makes a lot of contact and projects to bring a solid contact-power mix as he continues to develop. He is listed as either a third baseman or shortstop depending on the scouting report, but the general feeling is that he will not stick as a shortstop in the pros. He recently has started catching and in limited opportunities the scouts believe that he can stick as a catcher.

Another draft strategy is often to follow up on previous successes. In two of the last three drafts, the Yankees have taken high school shortstops, George Lombard Jr. and Dax Kilby, and watched as they quickly showed the traits to become some of the organization’s top prospects. Shortstop is generally a heavily drafted position as the players often can move off of the position and fill defensive needs across the diamond as they integrate into professional baseball.

If the Yankees pursue a prep shortstop they may have their eye on Taj Marchand from James Island, South Carolina. Marchand is projected to have the athletic ability to stick at shortstop while displaying a very good hit tool, with potential for more power. His ability to hit with high exit velocities through the showcase circuit last summer and another strong high school season has Marchand moving up rankings as the draft approaches. Marchand is young for the draft class and will still be 17 on draft day. The 6-foot-2 University of Mississippi commit is ranked as the 37th-best draft prospect by MLB.com and 66th by Baseball America.

The recent history of the Yankees has them leaning more towards hitters in the first round, but in 2024 they went in another direction, drafting pitching early and often. While the team has found success in the later rounds of the draft with players like Cam Schlittler and Will Warren, they could still be looking for an early round arm if the right player is available to them.

One name to keep an eye on is Cade Townsend, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Mississippi. Baseball America flagged Townsend as having a “Cam Schlittler starter pack” back in April based on the metrics of his multiple fastballs with an ability to throw them for strikes. While much shorter than Schlittler, the 6-foot-1 Townsend can hit 97 mph while sitting 95-96 mph through an outing. He has shown a knack for spinning the ball, flashing above average curveballs and sliders, another trait the Yankees have gravitated to in previous drafts.

The Yankees have improved their draft strategy over the last seven editions. Gone are the days of top picks disappearing into the minor leagues, seeming to lose all momentum within a year or two. Since 2019, the Yankees have consistently developed their top picks into MLB-caliber players, or at least solid trade candidates. While there are still steps to be taken in the Yankees player development and acquisition strategy, this weekend we will see the newest Yankees join the mix full of optimism and expectations.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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As we saw in Thursday’s 3-2 Cubs loss to the Orioles, the team desperately needs help in the bullpen as well as in the starting rotation.

Perhaps they will get some help when injured relievers return, but even that is probably not enough. So earlier this week, I asked you to answer this SB Nation Reacts survey question: Which of a provided list of relievers would you like the Cubs to go after? Or perhaps there’s someone else you have in mind.

Here are the survey results:

By a significant margin, you chose a reunion with 2016 World Series champion Aroldis Chapman. Chapman, who is now 38, is having a pretty good year for the Red Sox. He’s pitched in 29 games covering 27.2 innings and has a 2.28 ERA and 1.229 WHIP. His walk rate is up a bit from last year, but he’s kept the ball in the yard — just one home run allowed to 117 batters faced. He has 19 saves in 21 opportunities — the 19 saves is one more than the entire Cubs pitching staff has this year.

Chapman is making $13 million this year. The Cubs could probably afford to take on a bit less than half of that, and not have to give up a top prospect. (There’s a $13 million mutual option that vests if Chapman throws at least 40 innings this year and passes a post-season physical, so that’s a potential concern.)

Incidentally, you see Chapman wearing No. 44 for the Red Sox, after having worn No. 54 or No. 45 his entire career. Lucas Giolito wore No. 54 for Boston last year and Sonny Gray has it this year. No one has No. 54 for the Cubs this year; the last player to wear it was Ryan Brasier (remember him?) last year. So Chapman could wear the same number he wore for the 2016 World Series champions.

One last note about Chapman that I feel I should address. You likely remember the domestic violence allegations made against him more than a decade ago. Chapman did address those when the Cubs acquired him and, at least as far as I know, nothing like that has happened again. Here’s what I wrote about this issue at the time Chapman was acquired by the Cubs in 2016.

On to the rest of the survey results: You didn’t much like the other choices I had, because second place went to “someone else.” There were a number of choices listed in the comments to the survey article, so feel free to add those here as well.

Here are the results of the four national questions asked this week, which had to do with postseason awards.

This will be an interesting vote if Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps playing the way he is now. Obviously Shohei Ohtani will be a favorite to win, but it’s possible PCA gets enough support to sneak in an MVP award.

This vote was a little closer, and might depend on whether Yordan Alvarez can help lead the Astros to a postseason spot. Otherwise I’d give my vote to Junior Caminero.

You’ll note that Ohtani didn’t appear on this ballot. What sort of vote total would he have received if he had been on the ballot?

As long as things continue the way they have been, I’d think Cam Schlittler might be a unanimous choice.

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This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.