SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Heliot Ramos #17 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park on July 12, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants are back from their All-Star break tonight, as they head north for some interleague play against the Seattle Mariners.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at a video that the team’s social media team shared recently featuring outfielder Heliot Ramos. While it is essentially an ad for Peet’s Coffee, I know our audience and I know that they enjoy arguing about the finer things in life, like coffee and food. So Ramos being willing to share opinions on either was a brave choice for our community.
It’s a short watch, about six minutes, so grab your coffee, settle in and enjoy!
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin this three-game road series against the Mariners tonight at 7:10 p.m. PT.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 06: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies bats during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Monday, July 6, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tom Wilson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies are a team in the midst of a rebuild. With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row thought it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we ran in March to see where things stand. We’ve asked authors of the spring articles to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the August 3 trade deadline.
What you think about the Rockies third base situation almost entirely depends on what you think of Kyle Karros.
Do you buy into his minor league performance and hot spring? Well, then maybe by next year we’ll all be saying that the Rockies have the position locked down for the foreseeable future.
Do you think the scouting reports and his month of play in the bigs last year are more indicative of the player he’ll be long term? In that case, third base (unless Ryan Ritter happens to break out) is in for a transitional period that may well last a couple full years.
With 93 games under his belt in 2026, has Karros done enough to quell that uncertainty?
Karros’ calling card offensively last season had been his plate discipline. Even when he has struggled to impact the ball, his chase% on pitches outside the zone has maintained around 24%, good for 80th percentile in the league this season. This lack of chase was on full display in March and April when Karros earned a great 16.1 walk percentage.
The discipline is also the reason Karros is able to work deep into counts. The inevitability of another Karros 3-2 count has become a running joke in game threads here at Purple Row. In terms of pitches seen per plate appearance, Karros ranks 24th in all of MLB at 4.08, which is comfortably the highest among Rockies hitters.
Solid defense
In terms of defense, Karros has continued to look like a capable defender at the hot corner. There have been some signs that he is maybe not quite as good with the glove as his limited sample in 2025 indicated — he’s earned fewer defensive runs saved and is committing errors at a higher rate than last season — but his overall defensive value is still calculated by FanGraphs to be among the top ten qualified third baseman in MLB this year.
Poor quality of contact
The league average isolated power this season is .158. Through April, Karros’ ISO was only .065, which was only marginally better than the .051 that he’d managed in 2025 after reaching the majors. Through the start of the 2026 season, this lack of being able to do damage when he made contact had been the persistent downfall of his short big league career.
The lack of quality contact was so severe that it threatened to act as an anchor to Karros’ entire offensive profile. In March and April, his overall wRC+ (a stat that weights total offensive performance with one hundred being league average) was an abysmal 63 despite his great walk percentage.
Changes at the plate have led to impressive results
At the start of the season, his stance was closed off and upright, but is now much more open and tensed. His leg kick timing mechanism has not changed much, but the starting position of the front foot has shifted dramatically further back in the box. This leads to a more crouched stance and a more explosive hip rotation as he unloads his swing.
Corresponding with these mechanical adjustments has been one specific major change in his peripherals: Hard Hit %
Karros adopted his new batting stance in mid-May, roughly when his Hard Hit % was bottoming out. Since then, it has climbed significantly above league average and has, so far, stayed there.
This sudden ability to access more of his power has not just been theoretical but has correlated with an obvious surge in his results at the plate.
March/April: .207/.330/.272 with a 63 wRC+
May: .225/.295/.380 with a 73 wRC+
June: .357/.444/.586 with a 166 wRC+
July: .289/.385/.644 with a 164 wRC+
This version of Karros looks like a genuine force to be reckoned with in a major league lineup. The question is this: Can he sustain it for more than six weeks’ worth of games?
We won’t know until the games are played, but this is a stark increase in production backed up by a noticeable change in his underlying metrics which can be explained by a visible process adjustment. Outside of a larger sample size, this is everything you would want to see to begin to believe a player had made a potentially lasting improvement.
It would be foolhardy to assume that Karros is going to be able to sustain a 160 wRC+ forever, but he never needed to be an all-star-level hitter to become a fixture in this lineup.
His established foundation of good plate discipline and defense meant that he didn’t need to improve his quality of contact that much in order to become a quality major league starter. He has now done that and shown a tantalizing glimpse of what the best-case scenario for him going forward could be.
The organizational depth beyond Karros
As with many positions in this series, the second option at third base has proven to be Willi Castro.
Even if Castro is not dealt at this year’s trade deadline, which is very possible, his time in purple is not expected to extend particularly far into the future, as his current contract expires at the end of 2027.
When Castro departs, the players in the minors that could eventually be looked at to either fill in for Karros (or replace him should he regress) would be:
Ryan Ritter: Having battled injuries, Ritter has only managed to play in 34 games at Triple-A so far this season. In his limited time on the field, he’s hit respectably and produced a 106 wRC+ for the Isotopes.
Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP): The surface level production during his second run at Low-A has looked even better than his initial cup of coffee at the level late last season. His 25.6% strikeout rate remains a cautionary flag considering the level.
Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP): As a 22-year-old in High-A, Hedges’ decent but not great offensive performance this year has not been encouraging. Just like Dalis, his high strikeout rate in the low minors will need to be monitored.
Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP): In 33 games to start the season at Low-A, Holliday was starting to show signs of why he was so highly thought of prior to the 2025 draft. Like Dalis and Hedges, his strikeout rate being in the mid-to-high twenties is concerning, but everything else had been clicking for him before his season ending injury.
Kamuel Villar & Eriel Dihigo: Two recent international amateur signings for the Rockies, both Villar and Dihigo are hitting very well in their first season in the Complex League at ages 18 and 19 respectively. Neither yet has much public scouting hype but are worth keeping an eye on to see how they progress.
Other than Ritter, there aren’t really any third base prospects waiting in the wings in the high minors. It will be a couple of seasons before anyone currently expected to have a real shot at being a starting-caliber third base replacement is ready to hit the majors should Karros’ hot summer turn out to be a mirage.
Closing thoughts
Just like before the season started, the Rockies third base situation comes down to what you think about Karros. The difference now is that he has given much more reason to believe in his offensive upside.
Given his torrid pace post-swing change, Karros has solidified himself as the Rockies starting third baseman through the start of the 2027 season. Even if he were to slump for the rest of this year, the position would still be his to lose going into next spring. Beyond the start of next year, however, nothing is guaranteed. Karros will need to continue to perform to keep his spot but he would need to struggle quite a bit to lose it, given that there are not any in house options banging down the door to take it from him at the moment.
Karros has earned a leash long enough to be, at minimum, a bridge between Ryan McMahon and the next franchise third baseman for the Rockies. It has, however, become a very real possibility that he may be able to simply take up that mantle of franchise third baseman for himself.
Proof that I wasn't the only White Sox media member who made the trip to Philadelphia. Thanks to Connor McKnight for taking a moment between draft coverage. | Ryan McGuffey
There are moments in life when you have to stop and ask yourself, “How in the world did I get here?”
Walking into the Pennsylvania Convention Center last Saturday morning with an official MLB media credential hanging around my neck was one of those moments.
Four years ago, I wasn’t writing about baseball. I wasn’t interviewing players. I certainly wasn’t traveling across the country to cover one of Major League Baseball’s biggest events.
Yet there I was, representing South Side Sox at the 2026 MLB draft.
Sometimes, dreams really do come true.
When the White Sox secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft back in December, my first thought wasn’t about covering the event. I simply wanted to attend.
For the past several years, I’ve helped our South Side Sox staff prepare for the draft. I’ve spent countless hours researching prospects, helping build our draft coverage, and writing about the White Sox farm system as part of our minor league recap team. Getting the chance to see the first overall selection in person felt like something every baseball fan should experience at least once.
After all, the White Sox hadn’t held the first overall pick in nearly 50 years. The last time it happened, I was only five years old. I don’t remember the draft, and honestly, I don’t remember much about baseball at all from that age.
So why not make the trip?
Then another thought crept into my head.
What if I didn’t go as a fan?
What if I went as a member of the media?
It felt almost ridiculous to even consider. Would MLB approve someone like me? Would SB Nation even want to pursue credentials?
Still, if I’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that the only guaranteed “no” is the one you never ask.
So I asked Brett.
He immediately thought it was worth pursuing, and together we submitted a credential request through SB Nation. A few weeks before the draft, I received the email I’d been hoping for.
Approved.
Suddenly, this wasn’t just a vacation. This was an assignment.
Even better, my son Sage was able to come with me. That made the trip even more special.
I was excited, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
SoxFest back in January had been my first experience interviewing players and networking with other members of the media. That event suddenly felt very small compared to this.
This was Major League Baseball. The commissioner would be there. Front-office executives would be there. The newest generation of baseball stars would be there … or so I thought.
Preparation became everything.
Knowing that writing a polished breaking story from scratch wasn’t yet one of my strengths, I decided to do as much work as possible before leaving Illinois. Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey had clearly separated themselves as the leading candidates for the White Sox’s first pick, so I spent the week researching all three.
By the time I boarded the plane, most of each story had already been written. My goal was simple: once the pick was announced, I could quickly add the unique details from the draft and publish a complete story.
It felt like the perfect plan.
Sage and I flew a red-eye to Philadelphia Thursday night, arriving early Friday morning.
I wanted an extra day to familiarize myself with the city, pick up my credentials, find the convention center, and simply get comfortable before everything started.
Mission accomplished.
Sleep, however, was in short supply Friday night. Part excitement. Part anticipation. Part anxiety.
Saturday morning finally arrived, and after making our way to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, I had one small panic trying to figure out exactly where the draft was being held.
Eventually, I found the media section and immediately spotted a familiar face.
Ryan McGuffey, senior vice president of content and co-founder of The REKAP, was sitting in the front row with an empty seat beside him.
I introduced myself, sat down, and my nerves disappeared almost instantly.
Ryan couldn’t have been more welcoming. For a while, it didn’t feel like I was attending one of baseball’s biggest events. It simply felt like two White Sox fans talking baseball.
MLB deserves credit for the presentation. The room looked fantastic. Everywhere you looked, there were draft logos, banners, digital displays, rally towels, and energetic music filling the room. It looked every bit like a major professional sporting event.
But as draft time approached, whispers began circulating throughout the media seating: Not a single player projected to go in the first 40 selections was actually there.
As the draft unfolded, commissioner Rob Manfred simply walked to the podium, announced each selection, a pre-recorded highlight package played, and then everyone moved on to the next pick.
No emotional walk across the stage.
No jersey presentation.
No hat ceremony.
No interviews with the newest members of each organization.
Nothing.
Compared to the NFL, NBA or NHL drafts, it felt surprisingly impersonal.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the players who were absent. Because the White Sox were playing later that afternoon and hosting their Alumni Home Run Derby in Chicago, no members of the front office were available in Philadelphia, either.
In fact, covering the biggest White Sox draft selection in decades were just three of us: Ryan McGuffey, Connor McKnight of CHSN and me.
As someone hoping to challenge myself as a reporter, that was disappointing.
There were no interviews to conduct. No behind-the-scenes conversations. No opportunity to ask questions that readers watching from home couldn’t hear for themselves.
It felt like a missed opportunity — not just for the media, but for the fans who had traveled from around the country expecting something more interactive than what amounted to a televised announcement with free T-shirts and rally towels.
But sometimes the story you expect isn’t the story you get. And maybe that’s OK.
Because when I look back on the weekend, I won’t remember what the draft lacked.
I’ll remember spending three days talking baseball and spending time with one of my favorite people in the world.
I’ll remember sitting in the media section wearing a credential that, just a few years ago, I never imagined I’d have.
I’ll remember realizing how much my life has changed since Brett asked me about writing about baseball in August 2022, with absolutely no journalism background.
That’s the real story.
Not who the White Sox drafted first overall. Not what MLB could have done better.
The real story is that a fan who simply loved baseball took a chance on herself, worked hard, found an incredible community at South Side Sox, and one day found herself covering an official Major League Baseball event.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last four years, it’s this:
Don’t be afraid to ask.
Don’t be afraid to chase opportunities that seem out of reach.
And don’t let anyone tell you your dreams can’t come true.
Sometimes, if you’re willing to put yourself out there, they actually do.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 03: Nelson Cruz delivers the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Whether by conscious choice or roster-building happenstance, one of the stanchions of the Rocco Baldelli Minnesota Twins regime was a veteran leader on the offense.
From 2019-2021, Nelson Cruz was cast in that role and about as effective as could have possibly been hoped for—headlining the ‘19 Bomba Squad and presenting a countenance on and off the field that was easy to aspire to.
From 2022-2025, the clubhouse leadership role was passed to surprising free-agent signing Carlos Correa—producing more controversial results. Because of his postseason success with the Houston Astros, C-4 was certainly looked upon as a veteran presence and acted accordingly. While some eventually warmed to his style, valid criticisms remained of his potential sign-stealing past, the way in which he mentored young players, and his willingness to jump ship back to south Texas at the first sign of strife.
However one feels about Correa’s departure, it left the Twins without an established offensive presence. Pablo Lopez—and now perhaps even two-time All-Star Joe Ryan—have the hurlers covered, but their meetings, schedule, and mentality are completely different from those of the batsmen.
Two logical figures to inherit the clubhouse leader tag would be Byron Buxton (for his talent) or Josh Bell (for his experience). While I’m sure Buck is a wonderful teammate and his talent puts him at A-1 on the roster, his countenance seems more Joe Mauer-esque in the sense of being more quiet and laid-back. Bell’s transience on this roster probably prevents too many proclamations from him as well.
There are of course many different ways to lead—and some guys likely need more leadership than others. Off the top of my head, I’d posit that the likes of Kody Clemens (thanks to a famous MLB Papa) & Brooks Lee (son of a notable college coach) need less hands-on role models than the average major leaguer.
But what about Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, Luke Keaschall, Austin Martin, Tristan Gray, or Ryan Kreidler? I don’t know as much about their “backstories”, but perhaps a “been there, done that” MLB offensive player could model the consistency needed to stick in The Show?
This is to say nothing of the potential value to the “next wave”—Culpepper, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Tait, Houston, etc.—of Twins prospects who have yet to experience the daily grind of MLB.
I know this organization may have “bigger fish to fry” at the moment with some complicated trade deadline scenarios to sort through. But with one wave of prospects seemingly giving way to another, it might be time to at least begin thinking about who can provide the solid leadership to make it all gel together in the bottoms of Target Field innings.
The Mets looked good in a win over the Phillies in their first game back from the All-Star break, a game that was played amid the ominous wildfire haze that worsened as the evening progressed. Francisco Alvarez hit a pair of home runs in the victory.
Chelsea Janes reports that the Mets’ sale ahead of the August 3 trade deadline is very much on, noting that the team will listen to offers on anyone other than Soto, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean.
With Francisco Lindor’s name missing from that list, Jon Heyman reports that it’s a long shot that the Mets would actually trade him.
If you want a good laugh, multiple major league teams were using generative AI to make decisions in the dugout until the league did them a favor and banned it.
There are a lot of “draft recap” articles and I’m sure if your interested, you know how to find them. But for those with a more limited interest, this draft recap from Kiley McDaniel is pretty concise and informative.
Most international players are signed as free agents and don’t go through the Draft, but Canadians, Puerto Ricans and foreign players who go to US universities are subject to the draft. Michael Clair has the ten most interesting of these “foreign” draftees.
The Nationals traded outfielder Robert Hassell III to the Pirates for cash considerations. Hassell was the top prize the Nats got in the Juan Soto deal a few years ago. Although the Nats also got James Wood and CJ Abrams in the deal, so they came out OK.
Davy Andrews looks at how Giants second baseman Luis Arraez has become a better hitter by making less contact. Arraez has also slightly altered his launch angle, which has also been a net positive.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts during his at bat during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Gallen, we’re continuing to evaluate,” Lovullo said. “He is waiting for other opinions from other doctors. So we’ll just keep putting that off until we get everything complete.”
Second opinions are often an inauspicious sign. That very process sometimes indicates a more serious injury can be the case, though it is certainly not a guarantee Gallen is destined for Tommy John surgery or anything similar.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are recalling first baseman Tyler Locklear from Triple-A Reno, according to azcentral’s Nick Piecoro.
Piecoro added that Locklear will be taking the roster spot previously occupied by outfielder Tommy Troy, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a sprained right AC joint.
Locklear had elbow and shoulder surgeries, was forced to miss spring training while he healed and was buried on the proverbial first base depth chart behind Pavin Smith, José Fernandez, Carlos Santana, Vargas and LuJames Groover.
But now, Smith, Fernandez and Groover are in the minors, Santana is no longer on the roster and Vargas has more of a utility role. An injury to outfielder Tommy Troy that landed him on the 10-day injured list on July 15 opened the door for Locklear to be called up from Triple-A Reno, and Locklear was in Phoenix on Thursday.
At the same time, the at-bats have looked rough. After scorching-hot months of April and May, his production tailed a little in June, but he’s fallen into a .100/.250/.150 July. He’s swinging and missing at fastballs down the middle and struggling to make hard contact.
In all likelihood, Carroll will pull himself out of this slump at some point. He’s done so before and come out looking as good as he ever has. But Carroll has graduated beyond the type of player whose impact ends when he walks off the playing field.
The release of a Major League Baseball schedule rarely generates the same excitement as a blockbuster trade or a free-agent signing. Yet for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the 2027 schedule tells a much bigger story than simply who they’ll play and when.
Beginning the season with consecutive road series against National League West rivals, the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, before returning to Chase Field for their home opener against the Miami Marlins, will surely be a tough test for the D-backs. From there, the competition only intensifies. Early meetings with divisional powers, established American League contenders, and National League playoff hopefuls create one of the season’s toughest opening stretches.
It appears the urge to turn all critical thinking over to AI has not escaped Major League Baseball teams. Regular baseball viewers have become accustomed to seeing players and staff huddled around tablets in the dugout. The expectation is that the devices are used for reviewing performance and maybe crunching last-minute stats, but apparently MLB officials have intervened to prevent teams from using the hardware for running generative AI. League officials have taken the unusual step of making a mid-season policy change to crack down on the use of custom apps that would take over “recommendations regarding substitutions, pitch calling, and other in-game decisions traditionally made by players and coaches.”
Phillies reliever Brad Keller is expected to miss the rest of this season — and possibly more — with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Keller was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday and said he will seek a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, a top specialist, before making a determination about surgery.
If the right-hander requires Tommy John surgery, he likely would miss most if not all of the 2027 season as well.
Burns, 23, in his first full season with the Reds, is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 102⅔ innings. Featuring one of the best sliders in baseball and a fastball that averages 97.9 mph, the second hardest of any big league starter, Burns has emerged as a potential future Cy Young Award winner.
The deal, which buys out two of Burns’ free agent years, has no club options and runs through 2033. It is the largest ever for a pitcher who has yet to reach arbitration and the third-biggest contract in Reds history behind extensions given to Joey Votto (10 years, $225 million) and Ken Griffey Jr. (nine years, $116.5 million).
The Phillies are hosting the New York Mets on Thursday night to return from the All-Star Break, but the game had its start time changed quite late in the day in hopes of beating the worst AQI (Air Quality Index).
A scheduled 7:10 p.m. first pitch was moved up to 6:10 p.m. only a bit more than an hour before the new start time.
And as the game has gone on, visibility has gotten worse. The television broadcast has shown declining views of anything visible beyond the outfield fence into the city.
“Man, I don’t know,” said Braves first baseman Matt Olson. “I mean, I’ve seen some of the videos of it and it looks like it probably favors hitters, so sure. I’ll take anything.”
“I think so,” Reds pitcher Chase Burns said. “We’ve seen it a little bit in the minors and it’s just so hard to see with the naked eye. I think in the upcoming years we’ll be able to challenge that.”
Hell—OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO and good morning, my fellow Boston baseball fans! Isn’t it such a beautiful day? The sun is shining and the birds are singing. It’s a lovely Friday here in the hub of the universe; today would be a great day even without the headline news.
That news, of course, is that the Red Sox begin their 2026 season today! I hate to bury the lede here, but happy Opening Day everyone!!!!!! It’s the start of a new season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, the painfully long Spring Training ramp-up session is now complete. After spending months at Fenway South in Fort Myers, you would’ve thought that the entire team had relocated there.
I’m sure you’re already well aware of all of this by now, anyways….
What? Could it be that some of you are not acquainted with the story of this season’s delay?
Well, put up an ice block and lend an ear (or, eye, I suppose).
Just to recap for the casuals who may not have been keeping up with the Sox all winter/spring/half of summer:
A bizarre scheduling hullabaloo in the offseason led to each team playing a 123-game preseason schedule before kicking off on a sprint-style regular season. I understand that the Strait of Hormuz crisis taking off right as pitchers and catchers had reported threw a monkey wrench into everything the league had in place for the 2026 season, but you’ve gotta do what you gotta do. Sometimes, the geopolitical powers that be will go ahead and deal baseball commissioners a bad hand. In turn, Rob Manfred was called upon to make some tough decisions. Thus: July 17 was declared as Opening Day across Major League Baseball. Say what you want about Manfred, but he truly had no choice in the matter. I commend him for even getting a season going in the first place.
The Red Sox had played sub-.500 ball throughout Spring Training (a bit of a misnomer at this point, but I don’t wanna split hairs now that we’re all in a good mood on this blessed day). That never stopped us from dreaming though, right? Sure, there will be questions about the offense leading into the season. The nasty injuries that Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony suffered early on in the spring will certainly not help matters. Brayan Bello struggled in his warm-up appearances; I wonder how he’ll fare now that the games actually count. Can Trevor Story pick up where he left off after a dazzling effort in 2025? Time will tell.
One thing I know for certain is that the American League is going to be mighty competitive this year. We all know what the Yankees can do, but the Blue Jays—fresh off of winning the pennant—will be looking to avenge their World Series heartbreak way back before the whole Strait of Hormuz thing. The Detroit Tigers, too! They’re a good team! My dark horse pick is the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners. They’re tied, actually, as things stand. My feeling is that the Sox are gonna have to pick up, oh I dunno, a full game on both of them by the time this short regular season is over. I’m sure Houston and Baltimore will be right on our heels as well.
Luckily for us, our team will start the year off with a massive 10-game home stand. Nothing like a little home cookin’ to get yourself off on the right foot! The Red Sox’s home field advantage should be excellent in 2026. Who knows how they’ll perform on the road, but I’m sure they’ll make Fenway a fortress in no time. Maybe not as much of a fortress as the fortress they’ve got surrounded around the ol’ S of H right now, but that’s besides the point.
The one thing that I do think is strange for this short season is how quickly the trade deadline follows Opening Day. It’s like, what, two weeks after we play ball for the first time? Let us get our feet wet, jeez louise!
But again, that’s champagne problems. All that matters is that we get to watch real live baseball in Boston that actually counts for something after months and months of meaningless slop. Let me know in the comments below how YOU’RE celebrating the start of the 2026 Red Sox season today. Here’s to us having a season to remember forever!
The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays (56-38) open a post-All-Star break series at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox (46-48) with a day/night doubleheader. Winners of three of their final five games heading into the break, Tampa Bay enters the series atop the division with a three-game lead over the Yankees. The Red Sox are baseball's hottest team, riding a nine-game winning streak and posting a remarkable 14-2 record over their last 16 games.
Tampa Bay’s strength this season has been its consistency and balance. Led by Nick Martinez (8-2, 2.65 ERA) their pitching ranks sixth in the American League with an ERA of 3.80. At the plate, the Rays lead the AL with a .259 batting average. Yandy Diaz leads the American League with a .322 average. Boston’s bats have come alive over the last month after just a miserable start to the season. As surprising as their lack of success at the plate had been, their starting pitching has been even more of a surprise considering who sits on the injured list: Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and most recently, Connelly Early. Their team ERA is 3.59 which is second only to the Yankees in the American League.
Griffin Jax takes the ball for the Rays. He does so with a solid 3.47 ERA and has shown good strikeout ability, averaging a strikeout per inning (71 strikeouts in 70 innings). Jake Bennett will be on the bump for Boston. The rookie has allowed just three home runs this season in 47.2 innings.
Key matchup: Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda against the left-handed Bennett.
Diamond Note: Willson Contreras will serve the final game of his five-game suspension in this afternoon’s game.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Rays vs. Red Sox
Date: Friday, July 17, 2026
Time: 1:35PM EST
Site: Fenway Park
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, NESN, Rays.TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Rays vs. Red Sox
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Tampa Bay Rays (+104), Boston Red Sox (-126),
Spread: Rays +1.5 (-198), Red Sox -1.5 (+162)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Rays vs. Red Sox for July 17
Red Sox: Jake Bennett Season Totals: 47.2 IP, 4-3, 2.64 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 35K, 8 BB
Wilyer Abreu is 3-7 (.429) in his career against Griffin Jax
Jarren Duran is 1-16 over his last 5 games
Masataka Yoshida has hit safely in 7 of his last 8 games (11-26)
Ceddanne Rafaela has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games (13-45)
Junior Caminero is hitting just 8-45 (.178) in July
Cedric Mullins is 2-31 over his last 9 games
Yandy Diaz went 0-2 in the All-Star game but is 10-26 over his last 6 regular season games
Nick Fortes is 3-4 with a pair of doubles in his career against Jake Bennett
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Rays vs. Red Sox
The Rays are 57-37 on the Run Line this season
The Red Sox are 43-51 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 42 times in Tampa’s 94 games this season (42-47-5)
The OVER has cashed 42 times in Boston’s 94 games this season (42-48-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Rays vs. Red Sox
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s first game between the Rays and the Red Sox:
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Let’s see. What to write about? Jordan Walker and the HR Derby? JJ Wetherholt and his extension or MVP run or ROY run or all three? How about noting that the Cardinals as a team are exactly where they were this time in both 2024 and 2025 (although they got here a different way)? What about that 2026 Amateur Draft? So many topics. But they’ve all been pretty well covered, so as usual, we will zig as everyone zags.
This is an article I’ve been contemplating for a few weeks now but am putting the finishing touches on it as the Cardinals drag into the All Star Break. The end of the Cubs series and the beginning of the Brewers’ series dropped like a thud, with the pitching (particularly the bullpen) badly exposed. Instead of mourning an outcome we could all see coming, I choose to shift my gaze away from the present to a longer view. This is a rebuild year, after all, no?
As usual, the premise of my article is based on following a line of curiosity I have and then putting that into words. Last week, I looked at the Cardinals overall MiLB system. Today, I have narrowed down and parsed through the various starters the Cardinals have throughout their minor league system and taken a look from an organizational depth perspective. Why? I have a few of questions I’m curious about.
Assuming the Cardinals sell (at least a little bit), what kind of pitching prospect might they be looking at to add to their system?
Where might they fit such an acquisition in?
How do they handle all the starters already in the pipeline?
Where and when is “reliever risk” realized? Can it be anticipated, or does it just happen organically?
Who is in the pipeline?
The first thing I did was create a table of all the starting pitchers, organization-wide. Without it, it is hard to keep all the pitching prospects in my head at the same time. This is a good thing since it means there are lots of interesting pitchers at all the levels. Since I created a table, you get to read a table.
Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
injured List
MLB
May
McGreevy
Pallante
Leahy
Liberatore
AAA
Dobbins
Mathews
Mautz
Molina
Hansen
Rincon
Fitts, Roby
AA
Doyle
Cijntje
Lin
Hjerpe
Thompson
Davis
A+
Franklin
Fajardo
Aita
Van Dyke
Odle
Sequera
Clarke
A-
Crossland
Martinez
Graham
Holiday
rehab guy
Young
I laid it out by level-by-level (MLB, AAA, etc.) first, and then placed each pitcher in a column (1 through 6) based my perceived sense of each pitcher’s rank within their respective rotation. Nothing scientific, just based on usage patterns. I should note that this is where the rosters stand on July 6. Things will change a bit between now and when the article publishes. I will do my best to keep this current.
Authors note: True to form, even as I’m drafting this article Cardinals are re-shuffling it with Zimm to MLB (and then to limbo), Aita to AA, Cijntje to AAA. I’m leaving the table unchanged, because I’m not sure how these movements map out. Who drops out of the AAA rotation? Who steps into High-A rotation? All this presages some additional moves TBD.
A couple of notes:
I didn’t try to engineer the ordinal ranks too much, especially in the 4-6 positions of the rotations. You might disagree with my placement a bit and you might be right, but I don’t see it as crucial to this mental stroll I will euphemistically call analysis.
The top ranked (1-2) guys at each level is a mix of my perception of them as a prospect (in terms of FV) and my sense of who would be next to be promoted if a need/opportunity arose.
The #6 guys are not regular starters in all cases, but more guys that get pushed into starter roles as weather or promotions complicate things. I think High-A is really the only team on a true 6-man rotation and even that is inconsistent.
I don’t know who Palm Beach has as their #5 starter. There have been so many rehab guys run through PB (currently Robberse) that I just put a placeholder there. Don’t be shocked if Clarke is the next name you see here after Robberse and Ixan Henderson after that.
In general, pitchers would be expected to snake up the development chart. Today’s #1 starter at Low-A could move up and would become tomorrow’s #5 starter at High-A, and so on. In real life, it doesn’t happen in quite this linear fashion (and some people fall away instead of moving up), but I imagine it that way just to have some structure as I look at potential movement in the system. However, one can never tell when an Odle or a Molina will leapfrog the line, until it happens.
Some observations about the depth
In ways, this list appears to have 20-25 guys who could legitimately be viewed as prospects. Meaning that on their current trajectory, MLB is a realistic outcome for most of them. Injuries and performance will undoubtedly complicate this picture, but as of right now, this group might be as deep as back in 2012-2013.
Without quibbling over any one pitcher (is Thompson a legit prospect?), think about it as a group. The Cardinals have excellent depth. As you look at the chart, you realize they don’t really have any gaping holes. In fact, as some of the injured pitchers roll back into action, they are going to displace someone with real talent on this list. Displace doesn’t necessarily mean off the roster, but it will steer some guys to reliever roles (or into trades that re-balance the system).
If they were to sell off Stanek or Nootbaar or May, and seek a pitcher in return, what would they be looking for? Fundamentally, the ask would have to be a pitcher that is better than what is on this list. That is the floor. And it appears that floor has been raised, perhaps quite a bit.
Another depth observation … this list doesn’t even include a few guys that I suspect they’d like to get into starter roles like Dutkanych IV and Findlay. Sometimes, there is just no room at the inn.
Strategically, they really aren’t in rebuild mode anymore. Now it is more about improving on what they have incrementally. It is easier to do this when you have holes in the system where a true prospect represents a significant upgrade. Now, not so easy. For example, if a team offered a High-A or AA pitcher as part of a package for May, who would you willingly displace out of the Springfield or Peoria rotation? Start thinking that through and it might make for some more interesting trades than a straight “sell”.
Let’s talk “reliever opportunity”
You probably notice I didn’t list or rank any MiLB relievers. In my view, there are very few relievers in the system that project to stand on an MLB mound. Gastelum for sure. Hence probably, although his star dims. Maybe Mason Burns before he was injured. That is pretty much it.
It is noticeable the vast gulf of talent (or performance) there is between the starters and the relievers up and down the system. It is enough that it can be tempting to just ignore the relievers. This probably explains why in many circles, people prefer the term “reliever risk” or “failed starter”. In the Cardinals’ case, the abundance of starters is likely to seed their pool of relievers, more from a numbers standpoint that a failure to launch. For some, relief may be a faster path to MLB, which could be good for both player and organization. Given how few MLB rotation spots there are, the bullpen might be their only path to MLB, at least in the Cardinals’ organization. Since these guys are bound to the organization for years, the needs of the MLB staff are important. I’d bet if asked, most of these guys would rather be a reliever on the MLB team than a starter in the minors. Just a guess…
In the modern game, relievers are most valuable if they have lots of whiff in their repertoire, but they do not need a deep pitch mix like a starter does and teams don’t sweat higher walk rates with this style of reliever. Spin is still useful, but no one worries about third time through the order kind of stuff with relievers. A lot are one inning and done, but there is a rising group of MIRP that are basically once through the line-up. 2+ innings (hopefully, a full 3 IP).
Strategically, the Cardinals are probably looking to further the transition from pitch-to-contact (P2C) to spin-and-whiff (SnW) oriented pitchers that are more well suited for these high leverage reliever roles. I don’t think this means abandoning pitch-to-contact, but P2C is more starter oriented and perhaps bulk or MIRP types than high leverage. So, the way I see it…if you are going to get your high leverage relievers out of the starter pool, you need more SnW types in the starter pool. My guess is, we may see this aspect of organizational improvement play out more in the draft than the trade deadline.
With the 2026 draft in the books, we see that the Cardinals indeed focused on guys who might project to high-leverage relievers, looking for live fastballs, spin-and-whiff and not demeriting fringy command. While they seemed to more focus on hitters early, one can wonder where pitchers like Kuhns, Montesa, Randall fit. For fun, study these guys and try and picture inserting them in the table above.
From a deadline and off-season standpoint, it seems possible that other organizations lacking depth in their pipeline might come to view one or more of the Cardinals “reliever risk” guys as potentially having more value to them (as a starter) than they will with the Cardinals (as a reliever). Someone like a Brycen Mautz, who is about to get passed up by 3-4 guys from AA. This may present the Cardinals with opportunities to consolidate or churn in ways they really haven’t had in some time.
Let’s look at timelines
One can never really tell how long it will take an individual pitcher to develop enough to begin a sojourn down MLB lane. One artificial constraint that guides, though, is their spot (or lack thereof) on the 40-man roster, which must be done within 4 years (generally). Do the Cardinals ever pick high school pitchers? They get five years, no?
Mathews and Lin will need to be protected on the 40-man roster this fall, so that effectively starts their clock. Being on the 40-man, either or both could find their way into the 2027 Cardinal bullpen if their command doesn’t improve enough to advance in front of the starters already ahead of them. This outcome would not hurt my feelings a bit.
At AAA, Hansen and Rincon are both Rule V eligible and look the most displaceable. Not necessarily from a talent standpoint (ok, maybe a little), but both require protection to guarantee their spot in the organization. If they aren’t protected, it is arguable that the Cardinals might want to look at acquiring a prospect that does not require 40-man protection and can fit at a lower level, which then would open up 2 slots in the AAA rotation either later this year or next season. Those spots might better be used on guys like Doyle or Lin (or Roby or Fitts or Hjerpe).
So, from a timeline standpoint, those four guys (Mathews, Lin, Rincon, Hansen) will have some transaction in their near future. The rest are either on the 40-man or do not need protection until after the 2027 season, earliest.
Another timeline-oriented decision could be in store for Hjerpe. He counts in the SnW profile. If the Cardinals wish to continue his development as a starter, they will have to burn one of two remaining options next year to do so. Or they could imagine a role for him on the left-side of the bullpen, which will be vacated by Romero and Bruihl this off-season (if not sooner). Decisions. Decisions. Funny how a ticking clock can push a decision towards “reliever opportunity”.
Let’s talk pathways
A couple of years ago, there was frustration among Cardinal fans because established veterans were “blocking” promising young players. Arenado played, while Gorman yo-yo’ed around. Contreras moved to first while Burleson continued to roam the outfield. Fedde started while McGreevy toiled in the Land of Blue Suede Shoes. Etc.
We may see another, similar phenomenon develop with the pitching. Ostensibly, the Cardinals will come to 2027 spring camp with Leahy, Liberatore, Pallante and McGreevy as established starters under contract control. That leaves one spot in the MLB rotation. Behind them will lurk Dobbins, Fitts, Mathews, Mautz and potentially Roby. Depth is good, but if health is good, too, there really won’t be room to move but one of Lin, Doyle and Hjerpe into the AAA rotation, effectively stalling their development. Assuredly, health will equalize some of this, but unlikely enough to eliminate the logjam. Outcomes? Some of these guys may become relievers and some of these guys may get packaged to fill MLB team needs (third base, anyone?) or acquire younger prospects.
Closing
Ok, this is a future look so I’m not closing, I’m just stopping for now. This discussion will recur, particularly as we get a little distance away from the draft.
The need to move players up in a timely fashion, roster rules and the depth in the system may well conspire to make for some interesting deadline and off-season trades. Likely not the traditional rebuild/sell-off model where expiring contracts are dumped for wild card prospects. I am anticipating more strategic trades in the next round. We’ll know more about what that might look like after the draft.
Above I noted how few MiLB relievers have MLB profiles. I believe the MiLB starter pool is really the entirety of the coming MLB pitching pool. In this viewpoint, the depth looks a bit thinner. From this, I begin to suspect the next step in the development of the pitching pipeline is to bring more high-end starters in to push more of the MLB prospects into the reliever pool. Ie. more competition. The floor has been raised, now it is time to raise the ceiling.
In the end, it appears that the Cardinals potentially have a surplus in the pitching area in addition to catching, although it begs the question of can a team really have a surplus of pitching? It is less clear if the surplus starters profile into strong reliever candidates. Can that “surplus” be consolidated into a higher-end starter? or higher-end bullpen help? As other teams lacking depth (but having MLB talent) take stock of their future and recognize their backslide, such as the Astros (Brown), Padres (King), Angels (Soriano, Detmers), Giants (Webb), it seems like some possibilities could materialize somewhere. And the Cardinals just might have the depth these organizations need to improve.
Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; The Phillie Phanatic gives Teddy Roosevelt a ride during the fourth inning during the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Baseball’s back in action for the second half! But not the Phillies, who are off today. So it goes.
The 2027 schedule is out. The Phillies will be opening in Washington, and welcoming the Nationals to Citizens Bank Park for the home opener the following week.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 13: General view of the ballpark from field level as Trey Gibson (43) of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch to Xander Bogaerts (2) of the San Diego Padres during an MLB game on June 13, 2026 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Hello, friends.
Are you ready to start to think about the 2027 Orioles? This isn’t a statement about the team’s postseason chances. Rather, MLB released the regular season schedules for every team for next year, setting Orioles Opening Day for March 25 for a season that will run through September 26. That’s early!
The looming expiration of baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement at the beginning of December does mean there is a certain amount of optimism in thinking that the season will actually begin on that date. The owners are going to lock out the players as soon as the deal expires, which will put a halt to player movement until there is a new deal reached.
There is a lot of doomerism that goes around regarding whether there will even be a 2027 season. I don’t go in for that. I think it will probably look a lot like it did the last time around, five years ago. It will take the soft deadline of spring training starting up and regular season games being imperiled to solve whatever brinksmanship is going on. The last round of negotiations actually saw the league cancel a week’s worth of games before later deciding, no, we’ll still play 162, just the scheduled first week will happen last instead.
That’s going to make for a boring December and January for people who like to follow the flow of a baseball offseason. There will be no player movement during the lockout period. No major league free agent signings, no trades. Orioles fans are used to this already from Mike Elias’s typical offseason behavior, though that joke is a bit more stale after Elias did do some major moves over the last offseason.
The situation will probably feel apocalyptic up until the calendar hits February and they start to get serious with the negotiation. If the owners feel like they have leverage as the situation winds to its conclusion, that will probably result in worse things happening to the game of baseball overall. If the players end up with the upper hand, they may be able to make things a little better for themselves. Once a deal comes together, there will be a frantic week or two before players report for spring training, then everything can go from there.
Or at least that’s my guess. Despite my inherent pessimism, things often go worse than I figure they will. This would hardly be the first time. The 2026 Orioles season so far is another such example. I didn’t have high hopes for these dudes, and they’re still disappointing me. It won’t be the last time either.
The non-mathematical second half starts in Houston at 8:10 tonight. We’ll start to find out if they can rally out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves early on. It’s not as deep of a hole as last year, but it’s still a hole and they’re going to have to keep playing well to get out of it. On Thursday evening, the Orioles announced the rotation coming out of the break. Dean Kremer starts tonight, with Trevor Rogers on Saturday and Kyle Bradish on Sunday.
The Orioles also made the roster move putting Blaze Alexander on the injured list yesterday. The team recalled infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand from Triple-A Norfolk as the corresponding move. The 26-year-old righty batter has played in parts of three MLB seasons before this, compiling a .233/.275/.404 batting line with spotty defensive numbers, mostly at first base. He’ll fit right in. He’s posted a .273/.309/.555 line with the Tides, knocking 17 homers in 61 games. If he hits a lot of homers in a short span for the Orioles, we’ll probably like him. First impressions are worth a lot.
Orioles arms need to keep pitching in for second half run (School of Roch) Kind of as a companion to the above, one thing that will keep Elias from getting fired is if the pitchers that he has assembled deliver better collective results than they did before the break.
Replacement-level killers: Center field, left field (FanGraphs) The Orioles check in for having the second-worst center field situation of any contending team. If Colton Cowser was hitting overall, this would not be so bad. But, he’s not.
How Blaze Alexander adjusted his swing to become one of MLB’s top bats (The Baltimore Sun) Let’s just be plain, Alexander isn’t one of MLB’s top bats under any range of “top” that I’d accept. He did very well from May 1 until his injury, though, and his absence is going to be felt. Hopefully the team can manage to get a couple of its still-struggling guys to find adjustments that will work for them too.
Today in 1991, Sam Horn set a record by becoming the first position player to strike out six times in a row within the same game. This lamentable feat occurred over the course of a 15-inning Orioles loss to the Royals.
There is one lone former Oriole who was born on this day. Happy 32nd to Josh Lester, who appeared in 11 games for the 2023 Orioles.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Declaration of Independence signer, 5th vice president, and enduring congressional district-shaping namesake Elbridge Gerry (1744), actor James Cagney (1899), pianist Vince Guaraldi (1928), longtime German chancellor Angela Merkel (1954), and DJ Darude (1975).
On this day in history…
In 1203, soldiers of the Fourth Crusade, who had been organized to capture Jerusalem, assaulted Constantinople instead, sending the Byzantine emperor of the time, Alexios III Angelos, into exile.
In 1453, the final battle of the Hundred Years War was waged as the English and French clashed in Castillion. The French victory in this battle led to England losing all possessions on the continent except for Calais. It took until October for the war to officially end.
In 1821, Spain transferred control of Florida to the United States.
In 1918, deposed Russian tsar Nicholas II and his immediate family were executed while being held in captivity in Yekaterinburg.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on July 17. Have a safe Friday. Go O’s!
Happy birthday to Don Kessinger, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1941 – In front of more than 60,000 fans at Cleveland, Joe DiMaggio‘s hitting streak is ended at 56 games. Indians P Al Smith and Jim Bagby Jr., plus sensational plays by 3B Ken Keltner, stop the Yankee Clipper, but New York edges the Indians, 6-5, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1900 – At Brooklyn’s Washington Park, the Superbas tie the score against the Giants in the 5th. Then, with two men on base, New York sent in rookie Christy Mathewson, just brought up from Norfolk where he was 20-2. He hits three batters, walks two, and gives up six runs in a 13-7 loss. The New York Times says, “Matty has lots of speed and gives promise of making his way.”
1922 – At Boston, Ty Cobb gets five hits (and a walk) in a game for the fourth time this year, setting an American League mark. Only Willie Keeler had done it before. The Tigers roar, 16-7.
1925 – Tris Speaker is the fifth hitter to get 3,000 hits.
1967 – During a 6-2 defeat, concluding a dismal 2-and-4 road trip for the Pirates, the rarely disappointing Roberto Clemente does what he does so well – break the other team’s heart in their own house and have their fans thank him for it. As Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press reports: “Clemente robbed Joe Torre with a lunging catch of his pop fly in the third inning with two on and the hometown Atlanta fans applauded him en route to the bench. They even applauded him when he went to bat in the fourth inning.”
1970 – Roberto Clemente, just a double shy of the cycle, scores the tying run, drives in the go-ahead run and keeps his team ahead with a crucial ninth-inning outfield assist, leading the Pirates to a 4-3 win over Cincinnati in a preview of the National League Championship Series. Clemente’s 150th career triple leads to the tying run in the sixth and his 400-foot first-pitch bomb over the right-centerfield fence off rookie Wayne Simpson unties it in the eighth. To keep it untied, Clemente puts down his bat and lets his arm do the talking as he guns down Tommy Helms at the plate in the ninth to seal the victory.
1971 – Juan Marichal allows just one hit through eight innings, but the Reds score three in the bottom of the ninth to win, 3-2. Tony Perez hits a two-run single to win it.
1991 – Randy Johnson takes just four innings to rack up ten walks. He fans four, tosses a wild pitch and allows one hit and four runs in his stint, a 6-1 loss to the Brewers.
1908 – In another classic match-up, Three-Finger Brown and Christy Mathewson pair off with Brown winning, 1-0. The Cubs pitcher allows six hits, with Matty giving up seven. The only run comes on a 5th-inning inside-the-park home run by Matty’s nemesis, Joe Tinker, who runs through the arms of third base coach Heinie Zimmerman to score. In the 12 match-ups between the two pitchers, Brown has won eight.
1918 – In the longest errorless game, Cubs beat Phillies 2-1 in 21 innings.
1964 – In Los Angeles, the Cub–Dodger contest becomes the first Pay-TV baseball game as Subscription Television offers the cablecast to subscribers for money. The Dodgers beat Chicago, 3-2, with Don Drysdale collecting 10 strikeouts.
1917 – Royal Proclamation by King George V changes name of British Royal family from German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor.
1937 – Elmer Fudd, originally Egghead, is a Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Tex Avery and Chuck Jones for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series, first debuting as Egghead in “Egghead Rides Again”.
1959 – Paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey discovers the partial skull of a new species of early human ancestor, Zinjanthropus boisei or “Zinj” (now called Paranthropus boisei), which lived in Africa almost 2 million years ago.
1967 – Jimi Hendrix quits as opening act of the Monkees’ tour, after playing 7 of a planned 29 shows.
2018 – Oldest evidence of bread made from wild grains is discovered by archaeologists in a 14,000-year-old dig in the Black Desert, Jordan
