Category: MLB

How could any Cubs fan forget one of the most memorable wins of an otherwise forgettable season in 2014 when backup catcher John Baker threw a scoreless 16th inning against the Colorado Rockies before scoring the winning run [VIDEO].

Local fans may recall that Danny Rockett organized a night with the support of John Baker where local bloggers would come together for an evening of Cubs content, raffles and a fundraiser to benefit a local charity. Great news for 2026, John Baker Day is back! This Thursday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m. CT, former Cubs catcher, mental skills coach, and Cubs folk hero John Baker will join fans live for John Baker Day, streaming on YouTube, Facebook, and X.

Since the first John Baker Day a decade ago, the event hosted by Danny Rockett and the Son Ranto Ranter community, has raised thousands of dollars for causes ranging from women’s shelters to youth baseball organizations like Lost Boyz Inc.

This year, Cubs fans have the opportunity to help launch something entirely new: Trap Door Theatre’s world premiere production of The Game, an original baseball backdropped musical farce written by Danny Rockett and scheduled for Summer 2027.

The live show will feature stories from John’s playing career, memories from that legendary July night at Wrigley, updates on his new mental performance company Intentional Performance, Cubs guests, live music, trivia, giveaways, and plenty of surprises throughout the evening.

Cubs fans can join in the fun by:

• Watching the live broadcast on July 30 at 7:00 p.m. CT.
• Bidding in the John Baker Day Auction, with winners announced live during the show.
• Purchasing raffle tickets for chances to win Cubs memorabilia and experiences
• Donating to the tax-deductible John Baker Day – The Game GoFundMe, where every dollar donated will be matched up to $5,000 thanks to a generous matching gift.

Auction Highlights Include:

• 12 weeks of mental performance coaching from John Baker’s Intentional Performance.
• An Anthony Rizzo autographed bat.
• Original Cubs artwork and memorabilia from Danny Rockett’s personal collection, including pieces by beloved Cubs artist Matt Kammerer.
• The chance to sit with Cubs superfan Bleacher Jeff in his legendary Section 504 seats, complete with lunch at the historic site of the Battle of Wrigleyville Dogs.

Raffle Prizes Include:

• An unopened bottle of 2016 World Series Championship Champagne.
• A signed Patrick Wisdom baseball and artwork by Matt Kammerer.
• Gift certificates from Penguin Imprints and In The Clutch Shirts.
• Wrigley Field giveaways.
• Jewelry from Wrigleyville favorite Ballhawk Dave.
• And more prizes still to be announced.

Fans can also purchase a limited-edition John Baker Day Obvious shirt, with proceeds benefiting Trap Door Theatre.

Whether you’ve celebrated every John Baker Day or are just discovering one of the Cubs community’s most beloved traditions, this year’s event promises laughs, stories, incredible memorabilia, and another opportunity for Cubs fans to rally around a great cause. After all, John Baker Day has never really been about one baseball game. It’s about the friendships, generosity, and community that make being a Cubs fan unlike anything else
in sports.

Texas Rangers lineup for July 28, 2026 against the Tampa Bay Rays: starting pitchers are Cal Quantrill for the Rangers and Griffin Jax for the Rays.

The first place Texas Rangers take on the first place Tampa Bay Rays in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida, this afternoon/evening. It is the start of a six game road trip leading us up to the trade deadline, two series against playoff contenders that could significantly impact which direction the Rangers will go.

No pressure.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Langford — LF

Duran — SS

Nimmo — RF

Carter — CF

Burger — 1B

Lopez — 2B

Smith — 3B

Wynns — C

5:40 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +150 underdogs.

Well this is a peculiar first move for trade deadline season. Jake Rogers, the longest tenured Detroit Tigers player, has been designated for assignment. Eduardo Valencia was recalled on Sunday and will be taking over the backup catcher duties. Rogers’ roster spot will go to Javier Báez, who returns from a three-month absence after suffering a high ankle sprain at the end of April.

The 31-year-old Rogers made his major league debut with the Tigers back on July 30, 2019 after coming to the Tigers in the trade that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros in August of 2017. He finally became the Tigers primary catcher in 2021 before tearing his UCL and requiring reconstruction surgery that cost him all of the 2022 season. In 2023 and 2024 Rogers put together good seasons based around his defensive ability, plate discipline, and the occasional burst of home run power. He was worth 4.7 fWAR across those two years, but since that point his offensive contributions collapsed as Dillon Dingler took over the everyday catching role. This season, Rogers’ defense finally showed real signs of cracking as well. He’s hitting .161/.266/.301 for a 60 wRC+ which ranks him 48th out of 59 catchers with 100 plate appearances or more this season.

Despite his struggles, two part-time White Sox catchers, and numerous others, are even worse offensive players than Rogers. 11 catchers with 100 plate appearances or more have a lower wRC+ than he does. It won’t be a surprise if he gets claimed, and the Tigers will probably get a lottery ticket prospect of little value in return. The problem for Rogers going forward is that his defensive numbers have declined this year and he’s finally grading out below average. Whether that’s partly the result of lack of playing time is hard to say, but hopefully he’ll be claimed somewhere. If he clears waivers and is outrighted the Tigers will still be on the hook for the rest of his $3.05M salary for 2026. That’s not much, but every dollar matters with the team over the payroll threshold.

Valencia is far and away a better hitter than Rogers, so that should provide a little support to the offense. On the other hand, Valencia isn’t that good behind the plate, particularly in terms of holding opponents’ running game in check. Still with Rogers defensive numbers in decline, perhaps Valencia won’t do worse. The Tigers will probably just lean into Dingler catching most days down the stretch either way after trying to keep him somewhat rested with plenty of DH days so far this year.

Getting Báez back could be pretty helpful to the Tigers although it’s just funny to look at Báez as a way to trim strikeouts in the lineup by taking over some of the workload from James Outman. It will be interesting to see how he’s deployed. With Kerry Carpenter out with a foot injury, the outfield needs help. It needed help anyway. We’ll see if Báez is back to full speed and can get back to playing a solid enough center field. If he’s back to 100 percent, that also gives the Tigers options, with Báez getting some time at shortstop and around the infield to get another right-handed bat into the lineup. Either way, it’s good to have Javy Báez back, and hopefully further support for the outfield isn’t too far away as Max Clark will be available to be called up without spoiling his 2027 rookie eligibility as long as the Tigers wait until mid-August.

Perhaps Rogers will clear waivers and just end up accepting an assignment back in Triple-A. He’s obviously very well liked in the clubhouse and has had future coach written all over him for a long time. We’ll see if there’s still major league work left for him as a catcher, or whether it’s time to start thinking about moving over to the instructional side. Probably a team will pick him up on the cheap, at least for a little while. Either way, best of luck to the Sheriff.

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

We have an interesting question for you this week. We are asking you to take a Pittsburgh Pirates player from the last 25 years and add them to this year’s roster. The only catch is that our content management system only allows for six answers, so you are beholden to the six players that I selected.

Andrew McCutchen (MVP Version)

• 2013 NL MVP
• Five straight All-Star selections
• Four Silver Sluggers

Jason Bay

• 2004 NL Rookie of the Year.
• Four straight 30-homer caliber seasons in Pittsburgh.
• Middle-of-the-order force.

Brian Giles

• One of the most underrated hitters in baseball.
• Outstanding OBP of .426 and 165 homers during his Pirates years.

Gerrit Cole

• Ace of teams that made the playoffs.
• Didn’t fully become “Gerrit Cole” until Houston, but he was excellent in Pittsburgh with a 3.50 EAR 1.27 WHIP.

Starling Marte

• Elite defender, baserunner, and hitter.
• Two Gold Gloves and one of the best all-around players of the era.

AJ Burnett

• 36-28 record with 3.34 ERA during Pirates year.
• 532 Ks in three seasons in Pittsburgh.

Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results!

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

During the recent Orioles press conference about the Kyle Bradish contract extension, principal owner David Rubenstein said of his president of baseball operations Mike Elias that “we couldn’t be more pleased” regarding the job that he has done.

Taking that at face value, the question has been answered, Elias will remain the boss of the Orioles front office no matter what happens with the remainder of the season. There are plenty of examples across the sports landscape of why not to take those kinds of proclamations at face value. The “dreaded vote of confidence” is its own recognized part of the manager/GM hot seat. Almost nobody ever directly says, “Things need to improve or we’re going to fire this guy.” They just say nice things when asked and fire the person when they want to fire them.

In this week’s survey question, I want to know what you think is going to happen. Is Elias going to be around for next year, or not? Vote in the poll here:

I have thought for a while that if the Orioles do not make the postseason this year, then Elias should be gone at the end of the season. Let someone else figure this thing out, because his answers aren’t getting the Orioles where they need to be.

At this writing, there is about a 25% chance of the Orioles making the postseason. I hope that Rubenstein is more prepared to have some accountability for multiple years of underachieving than his Bradish presser remarks suggest.

What do you think? Make sure to vote above, and let us know in the comments below.

Many expected the Dodgers to be facing the Mariners in the World Series last season, but Seattle couldn’t close the deal against the Blue Jays. Now, a year later, they’re an inferior team, but one still fighting to enter the postseason. The M’s will go with the veteran Luis Castillo for the opening game of this series; potentially good news for a Dodgers offense that scored more than four runs only once in its last five games, making the pitching do the heavy lifting in the road trip’s last stop at Citi Field.

A symbol of stability for this young Mariners staff ever since his acquisition back at the deadline in 2022, Castillo has a 3-9 record this season, which is a direct indicator of career-low numbers almost across the board. Lately, though, Castillo has had problems keeping the ball in the yard, allowing five home runs in his last two outings, the losing pitcher of record in each of his three outings this month. Although that 4.85 ERA this season justifies a lousy record, it is also a byproduct of the Mariners’ complete inability to provide him any run support, scoring just 19 runs in his last eight starts.

Back to the home runs and how they might come into play, the one Dodger to actually leave the yard against the Mets, Kyle Tucker, is also one of the two who has gone deep against Castillo before. The two home runs in Citi Field were encouraging, but even in this recent stretch, Tucker needs to show more to come close to the player the Dodgers thought they were getting. Hitting at home hasn’t been an enjoyable task for Tucker with a .607 OPS at Dodger Stadium.

One player who has definitely enjoyed performing at Dodger Stadium, though, is Justin Wrobleski. The Dodgers’ starter has managed to keep an ERA below 3.00 both at home and on the road, but his .461 OPS allowed in seven starts at home genuinely sounds made up. Monitoring how he does with an increased workload in the second half is a priority for the Dodgers.

Tuesday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Mariners
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
• Start time: 7:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Inspiration.

The Diamondbacks had three weak positions at the All-Star break:  First base, left field, and center field.  The following table shows some highlight metrics in games through 16 July. Data from Baseball Beference and Baseball Savant.

“The sum total of these endeavors is wretched on a historical level. Over almost three hundred plate appearances, Arizona’s first basemen are batting .215/.249/.312 for a .561 OPS at the position. That is currently the lowest figure at 1B by a major league team in over a century.” —  Jim McLennan, 18 June 2026

Let’s look at first base.  More specifically, “What has recently changed?”

This season, who has played at first base?

Before we continue, a promising player in AAA who could have a future at first base is Manuel Pena.  He is 22.6 years old.  Recently, he impressed two writers, in May and July.    This season, in games through 21 July, he worked on improving his batting.  Four home runs in 110 PAs was great, but his 27% whiff rate needs to be nudged lower, and his .830 OPS is not as good as it seems because it’s AAA Reno.

So far, ten players have played first base.  Let’s look at them briefly.

• Mostly catchers:  James McCann & Adrian Del Castillo.
• Cup of Coffee:  Luken Baker, released 15 June after 4 PAs.
• Rookies who returned to AAA:  Lu James Groover (33 PAs) & Jose Fernandez (60 PAs).
• Negative 22 OPS+:  Carlos Santana (26 PAs), released 26 June.
• Positive 20 OPS+:  Pavin Smith (53 PAs), DFA on 9 July, currently back in AAA.
• The Contenders:  Ildemaro Vargas, Tim Tawa, and Tyler Locklear.  Let’s look at them in depth.

The Contenders.

How do the contenders compare in batting?  After Pavin Smith’s DFA, the competition for first base started in earnest.  Statistics from 10 July onward show that the contenders’ batting is very impressive.  The following table shows their extraordinry batting. Data from Baseball Savant.

Although Ildemaro Vargas was best overall batter, noteworthy was Locklear matching his OBP, and Tawa with the better hits per ball in play (hits/BIP). 

How do the contenders compare in Defense?  Let’s look at this season’s Outs Above Average (OAA) at first base, which is based on range and catch probability, and Defensive Runs Saved (DRA) at first base, which compares all defensive actions to average (and is used by Baseball Reference to calculate WAR).

OAA.  Tim Tawa and Ildemaro Vargas, each with 2 OAAs, are better than Tyler Locklear with negative 1 OAA.

DRS.  Ildemaro Vargas with 5 DRS is better than Tim Tawa and Tyler Locklear, who have 1 DRS and 0 DRS.

Looking at OAA and DRS, Ildemaro Vargas is the best defender at first base.

Do splits in performance between left-handed and right-handed pitchers show a possible advantage to platooning?  The following table shows the splits. Data from Baseball Savant.

The table shows a possible batting improvement if Tyler Locklear plays against right-handed starting pitchers and Ildemaro Vargas play against left-handed starting pitchers.  And the benched player is available for pinch hitting in the late innings, depending on an advantageous matchup.

Summary.

After Pavin Smith’s DFA, the competition for first base started in earnest.  Statistics from 10 July onward show that the contenders’ batting was extraordinary.

This season, looking at OAA and DRS, Ildemaro Vargas was the best defender at first base.

The OPS splits show a possible batting improvement if Tyler Locklear plays against right-handed starting pitchers and Ildemaro Vargas play against left-handed starting pitchers.  And the benched player is available for pinch hitting in the late innings, depending on an advantageous matchup.

Due to inclement weather in Citi Field, Tuesday’s matchup against the Atlanta Braves vs the New York Mets is postponed in a doubleheader for Wednesday July 29.

Tonight’s game has been postponed.

It will be made up as a split doubleheader tomorrow, July 29, at 1:10pm & 7:10pm. pic.twitter.com/vMrq1mzmb1

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 28, 2026

As of now, Grant Holmes is set to pitch in the early matchup against Sean Manaea at 1:10 p.m. ET. And Chris Sale, who was set for Tuesday evening matchup is possible for Wednesday’s finale to close out the series. At the moment, however, the pitching matchup for that game is to be determined.

Stay tuned for more updates, as times and matchups are subject to change with the ongoing weather tomorrow as well.

The Yankees got some of the worst news possible when MRI scans revealed that Cody Bellinger had suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in Saturday’s win over the Phillies and will likely miss 4-to-6 weeks. As it happens, it is from that very same game, an inning prior to the injury, that we find our nominee for At-bat of the Week, Jasson Domínguez crushing a solo home run off José Alvarado.

We join Domínguez leading off the seventh on Saturday night in Philadelphia. The Yankees are clinging to a 2-1 lead courtesy of an Austin Wells solo bomb and Bellinger RBI single. However, the Phillies have their flame throwing lefty Alvarado in the game and the dangerous top of their order due up in the bottom half of the frame, so the Yankees would love to tack on another insurance run.

There is no mystery to how Alvarado is going to attack you, the lefty throwing the fastball 97.3 percent of the time. The one wrinkle he introduces is the type of fastball he’s going to throw, using the sinker about two-thirds of the time and the cutter about one-third of the time. He goes with his primary offering to start things off here.

Domínguez takes this 96 mph sinker for a called strike one. You might wonder how he could take a pitch right down the middle. The camera angle doesn’t quite do this pitch justice, but this sinker starts about a half-foot in off the plate before its 16 inches of arm-side run carries it back into the zone. It’s therefore easy to see how a hitter might give up early on a pitch initially aimed toward him.

Alvarardo looks to play off the placement of that last sinker by throwing a cutter down a similar tunnel, hoping to fool Jasson into chasing a pitch that now breaks away from the zone toward him for a whiff or better yet, a soft grounder.

This is just unfair placement of this cutter right on the corner up and in. After seeing the way the previous sinker moved, you can understand why this would be a pretty automatic take from Domínguez assuming this pitch will remain high for ball one. However, Alvarado’s cutter has about a foot more downward break than the sinker, which allows it to drop into the zone at the last instant. Had Domínguez swung, it’s a likely broken bat, and had he used an ABS challenge, he would have lost.

Without a chance to swing the bat, Domínguez finds himself in an 0-2 hole. He knows a fastball is coming, he just has to guess which way the pitch is going to break given how hard it is to distinguish the sinker from the cutter based on reading the seams.

Interestingly, Alvarado breaks out the four-seamer trying to get Domínguez to chase something above the zone. He only throws the pitch two-percent of the time and it’s easy to see why given how poorly executed this one was.

Despite the clear lack of command of the previous pitch, Alvarado doubles up on the four-seamer.

Same pitch, same result. It’s obvious Alvarado has no feel for this pitch given how non-competitively high out of the zone both of them landed.

After two complete misfires, Domínguez can safely eliminate the four-seamer with the count now 2-2. He has to decide whether the next pitch is going to break away from him or toward him, and the smart money is on the pitch that Alvarado throws twice as much as the other. As such, I had a hunch that Domínguez was sitting on the sinker here having filed away useful information on the first one he took for a called strike. He needs to hunt something that starts up and a bit inside and trust that the pitch’s movement will fade it right into the hitting zone.

Domínguez gets the sinker right in his nitro zone and he swings with extreme prejudice, blasting the ball deep to left for a leadoff home run to double the Yankees’ lead.

Here’s the full AB:

Bellinger’s injury applies an even sharper magnifying glass to the Yankees’ Trade Deadline needs. Their desire for an upgrade at catcher has long been known, but now they find themselves in the market for an outfielder who at the very least can crush lefties given the very really possibility that neither Bellinger nor Aaron Judge are able to return for the end of the regular season.

On the whole, Domínguez has been a disappointment at the plate, with a minuscule four-percent walk rate, 82 wRC+, and replacement level value overall. However, barring a major addition to the outfield, Jasson projects to receive a hefty dose of playing time in the next month-plus. To that end, it is fair to highlight the strides he has made batting from the right side after all the hand-wringing about that aspect of his game in his first three big league seasons. Domínguez entered this year with a career 53 wRC+ batting righty — that’s up to a 91 wRC+ this season. The Yankees should obviously shoot for better from a starting outfielder, but with the injuries in the outfield mounting, it is some solace that he is no longer a liability batting from that side.

The Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers combined for 13 runs, 23 hits and three home runs Monday at Comerica Park, but the biggest thrills of the game didn’t come from either team’s roster.

They were provided by a speedy and adventurous black squirrel, who spent the better part of an inning on and around the playing field and at one point led an army of ground crew members on a wild goose — uh, squirrel — chase in right field.

“At one point, I thought he was going to go into the batter’s box, see what was going on,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz told reporters following his team’s 8-5 victory. “He had a great view of the game.”

Read more:Meet Raquinho, the raccoon who stopped MLS game and got Topps trading card for antics

The critter covered a lot of ground inside the stadium as the game was being played. It could be seen behind Orioles third-base coach Buck Britton (who appeared to toss it a sunflower seed), all over the outfield and the warning track, and in shallow left field behind Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo.

“I wanted him, personally, to stay on the field,” Mayo said afterward. “Makes the game more interesting.”

Just taking in some baseball 🐿️ pic.twitter.com/uf9JawTrIS

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 28, 2026

During the top of the seventh inning, the squirrel found his way between the mound and home plate. Umpire Bill Miller took a few steps toward the creature, who then scampered into right field. That’s where it was during the seventh inning stretch, when at least 15 members of the ground crew began their pursuit of the furry fan.

It almost got captured several times but managed to escape the clutches of the crew members or from underneath the towels they were tossing. At one point, it ran into the glove of surprised Orioles right fielder Leody Taveras and ended up being momentarily launched into the air.

Taveras said after the game that he was merely trying to block the rodent’s path with his glove.

Read more:Tarik Skubal blockbuster deal likely isn't part of Dodgers' trade-deadline plans

“I just was trying to stop it,” he said. “When it got into my glove, I don’t want to squeeze it, so I was just trying to bring it up. I wasn’t trying to do that.”

Finally, one of the crew members caught the squirrel under a towel and carried him off the field. A Tigers spokesperson told The Times on Tuesday that the team’s understanding is that the squirrel was in “fine health” after it was removed and released.

The critter gained numerous fans during its brief romp around Comerica, with the crowd booing after its capture and again when Miller called for a round of applause for the ground crew after the ordeal.

Several squirrels have frequented the ballpark during Tigers games over the years. Last season, one ran into the outfield and climbed into the team’s bullpen, where it reportedly hung out with the Detroit relievers for the rest of the game.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Tonight’s game at Citi Field has been postponed. In anticipation of rain in Flushing this evening, the Mets and Braves will now play a split doubleheader tomorrow, July 29.

The first game will start at its previously scheduled time, 1:10 PM ET. Parking lots will open at 10:40 AM ET, and the gates will open at 11:40 AM ET. If you are wondering about the giveaway, the first 5,000 children will receive a Mr. and Mrs. Met Play-Doh set.

Game two will now start at 7:10 PM ET. Gates will not open for game two before 6:10 PM. If you previously paid for a ticket for tonight’s game (July 28), that ticket will be honored for the 7:10 PM game tomorrow night. The first 15,000 fans will still receive the Mr. Met on Deck Plush Doll. Prepaid parking will be honored alongside admission to the game.

If you are not able to attend the rescheduled game, digital vouchers and digital parking vouchers will be issued after game two as explained here.

Christian Scott and Chris Sale were supposed to face off this evening, and presumably will do so tomorrow evening instead. Sean Manaea and Grant Holmes are still listed as probably pitchers for the day game. The Mets will be looking to piggyback off their strong offensive showing on Monday night, and the Braves should have some relief pitching that is well rested in time for the back-to-back outings.

Last Friday in this series, I wrote about José Soriano’s teammate Reid Detmers as a possible Cubs trade target.

Many of you didn’t care for that idea as Detmers is more of a fly-ball pitcher.

So, let’s look at Soriano, who is known as more of a ground-ball type who might really be helped by the elite Cubs infield defense.

Soriano is a few months older than Detmers, but both are in their age-27 season in 2026. Soriano got off to a fantastic start this year, including six shutout innings against the Cubs March 31 at Wrigley Field. He was sailing along with an ERA of 0.84 and a WHIP of 0.938 at the end of April (in seven starts) when he went through a stretch much like the one Shōta Imanaga had. In 11 starts in May and June Soriano posted a 5.34 ERA and 1.605 WHIP and nine home runs allowed in 57.1 innings. (Okay, not quite as bad as Imanaga, but you get the idea.)

He’s returned to better pitching in July, posting a 2.74 ERA and 0.957 WHIP in four starts this month, with no homers in 23 innings.

He throws hard, but also has a good selection of offspeed stuff:

Like Detmers, Soriano comes with two years of team control after 2026. He’s making $2.9 million this year so the Cubs would be absorbing a bit under $1 million of contract if they trade for him, which they can certainly handle.

In the Detmers article I mentioned this:

This article by Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon in The Athletic has a note about someone the Angels might be interested in dealing for from the Cubs system:

The Angels, according to a person briefed on their pursuits, are interested in acquiring a young catcher. Owen Ayers, the Cubs’ No. 10 prospect according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, might qualify. Ayers, 25, started the season in High A and is now at Triple A.

I wrote that I’d do that deal, Ayers for Detmers. I’d do the same thing for Soriano.

Would that be enough to make José Soriano a Cub?

The swing scouts wrote poems about in 2020 has finally shown up in a box score, and it arrived without the wreckage that usually accompanies it.

Zac Veen (PuRP No. 9), in his second full season at Triple-A Albuquerque, is doing damage at a rate he has never approached as a professional. He is slugging .562, up from .468 at the same level a year ago. His isolated power (ISO) has climbed from .179 to .256. He has 49 extra-base hits in 88 games — 27 doubles, six triples, and 16 home runs — after producing just 39 in 90 games in 2025.

ZAC VEEN WILL NOT BE STOPPED! His second home run of the day ties it up!

T6: Isotopes 3, Express 3 pic.twitter.com/dcpJM7sriS

— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) July 6, 2026

Gains that size come with a bill, and it is usually paid in the strikeout column. Veen has struck out in 21.0 percent of his plate appearances this season, against 20.4 percent in 2025. He is missing at the same frequency he did a year ago and doing considerably more with the pitches he catches.

The bill that never came

That distinction matters for a player with Veen’s history. Colorado drafted him ninth overall in 2020 out of Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida, on the strength of a left-handed swing that scouts believed would eventually produce power. It mostly didn’t, and the reasons were a mix of injury and approach: season-ending left-wrist surgery in 2023, a thumb injury that limited him to 65 games in 2024, and stretches where the pursuit of that projected power produced elevated strikeout totals instead. He struck out in 26.3 percent of his plate appearances at Low-A in 2021 and 24.4 percent across two levels in 2022.

A bigger player, not a different hitter

Part of the answer is that he is simply a bigger player than he was a year ago — and that he wasn’t trying to be a different hitter. Asked during spring training whether the added muscle explained his newfound power, Veen said he considered himself a hitter first, focused on driving line drives. He described an offseason getting back to the basics, hitting the ball up the middle, and said that as he got bigger and stronger, the ball simply started jumping more. He was explicit that he did not see himself as a power hitter. Four months of Triple-A slugging suggest that was right about the process and wrong about the label.

The straightforward reading of the rest is that he stopped chasing the power and it arrived anyway. The evidence supports it.

He is not selling out for loft — the strikeout rate would show it — and he is not living on home runs, either. The 27 doubles already match a career high at any level, and the six triples are tied for the most among Isotopes hitters. This is a hitter driving the ball to the gaps at a rate he has never previously sustained.

The walks disappeared June 1

The complication is the calendar, and it deserves more than a footnote.

Veen hit .358/.500/.617 in May, drawing 23 walks in 106 plate appearances. That is the best month of plate discipline in his professional career, and it ended abruptly. Since June 1, he has walked seven times in 173 plate appearances — a rate of 4.0 percent, against a strikeout rate of 20.7 percent. The hitter who controlled the zone in May stopped showing up in June and has not returned.

What’s notable is how long that cost him nothing. In June, he hit .366 and slugged .782 with 13 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs — good enough to take home Pacific Coast League Player of the Month, all while barely taking a pitch.

The PCL Player of the Month award for June goes to Mr. Veen!

He slashed .366/.385/.782 with 13 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 19 RBI. Also led the PCL with 37 hits and all of MiLB with 79 total bases in June.

Congrats, Zac! pic.twitter.com/PEZz0aP9VD

— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) July 6, 2026

Across the full stretch since June 1, he is still hitting .307/.335/.639, with 32 of his 51 hits going for extra bases. A collapsed walk rate and a .650 slugging percentage are not generally supposed to coexist for two months.

They stopped coexisting in July. Veen is hitting .215/.261/.415 this month with 16 strikeouts and just four walks in 69 plate appearances. The approach had been deteriorating since the start of June: what changed this month is that the contact quality finally followed it down. The only thing that hasn’t moved is his strikeout rate.

Whatever Veen lost in June and July, it wasn’t his bat-to-ball. He is putting the ball in play as often as he did when he was slugging .782; he is simply swinging at more of the wrong pitches and getting less out of them.

The case for a second look

Which leaves the Rockies with a genuine question rather than an obvious answer.

Veen is on the 40-man roster and holds 0.015 years of service time from a 12-game debut in 2025 that produced four hits and 14 strikeouts in 37 plate appearances. He turns 25 in December. The full-season profile — more power, same contact, a career-best .944 OPS — is the strongest argument he has ever made for a second look.

The last four weeks are the argument against, and they’re the ones happening now.

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Weekly Pebble Report: July 21st- July 27th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (2-4, 49-53 Overall)

Albuquerque opened its six-game home set against the Round Rock Express (Texas Rangers) with a pair of wins, then watched the rotation come apart. The Isotopes dropped the final four, including both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader, and were outscored 38-9 over that stretch as three different starters allowed at least three earned runs. The back of the bullpen was largely untouched — John Brebbia and Nick Frasso combined for scoreless work across the series — but the early deficits proved too deep.

⬆️ Stock Up: Stevens stays scalding

Chas Stevens was one of the few Isotopes who never cooled off, collecting eight hits in 18 at-bats (.444) with a triple, a stolen base, and three multi-hit games in five appearances. He scored four times and reached base in four of the five games he played, keeping his season average at .332. On a club that managed nine runs across the final four games, Stevens kept putting himself in position to score. The Isotopes are losing ground quickly, now sitting in fourth place and nine games back of the PCL East second-half lead.

Chad Stevens leads off the third with a triple! He then comes in to score on a sac fly to put us on the board.

B3: Express 3, Topes 1 pic.twitter.com/6FvueFABG3

— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) July 22, 2026

⬇️ Stock Down: Amador’s bat goes missing

Adael Amador managed just two hits in 15 at-bats over five games, a .133 stretch that dropped his season average to .259. Both hits went for doubles, so the contact he did make had authority, but they were isolated moments in a series where he otherwise struggled to reach — he drew three walks and drove in a single run. For a player trying to make his case for another look at the big-league level, it was a step in the wrong direction.

Upcoming

The Isotopes head to El Paso for a six-game series against the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres).

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (3-3, 50-45 Overall)

Hartford spent a week in Richmond trading games with the best team in the Eastern League and never strung two together in either direction — the Yard Goats alternated wins and losses across all six, finishing 3-3 against a Flying Squirrels club (San Francisco Giants) that closed the week at 57-37. Mike Antico’s three-run homer and five RBIs carried the doubleheader opener; Jack Mahoney followed with six innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win, and Stu Flesland III took the third victory with 6.2 innings on Saturday. The losses were competitive outside of a 7-0 shutout, in which Hartford managed five hits. Andy Perez was the most complete bat of the trip, homering twice, stealing two bases, and driving in four while playing all six games. Hartford sits at 11-16 in the second half, but has already clinched a postseason spot after winning the first half division title.

⬆️ Stock Up: Prosecky shuts the Squirrels down twice

Michael Prosecky (PuRP No. 25) took the ball first in two of six games and didn’t allow a run in either. He worked 4.2 innings across the pair, scattering three hits and two walks while striking out seven — including five in a 2.2-inning turn in Sunday’s finale. Both outings were short by design, but the results were identical: no damage against a lineup that scored 26 runs in the series. His season ERA dropped to 4.08.

⬇️ Stock Down: Kokoska can’t find a hit

Zach Kokoska went 0-for-13 across four appearances, striking out four times and failing to find barrels. He drew a pair of walks, but the hitless stretch pulled his average down to .258.

Upcoming

The Goats return home for six games against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)

High-A: Spokane Indians (2-4, 46-50 Overall)

Spokane won the opener against the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels), then lost four in a row before salvaging the finale with a 12-run outburst. Two of the losses turned on a single frame: a two-out grand slam off Tyler Hampu in the fifth on Thursday, and a seven-run seventh on Friday in which Justin Loer was charged with all seven (five earned) while recording one out. Tanner Thach homered three times and drove in eight despite hitting .174 for the week, and Bryson Hammer was excellent across two appearances, striking out 13 over nine innings with one earned run. The Indians remain tied for first place in the Northwest League second-half standings.

⬆️ Stock Up:Tommy torches Tri-City

Tommy Hopfe put together another strong week for the Indians. He collected 13 hits in 24 at-bats (.542) with a home run, two doubles, and eight RBIs across five games, opening with a 3-for-5 night and closing with a three-hit, three-RBI performance in the finale. He owns a .973 OPS since June 1 and is making a real case for a promotion.

📈 @TommyHopfe was on another level last week. #GoSpopic.twitter.com/sXZco7uTNC

— Spokane Indians (@spokaneindians) July 27, 2026

⬇️ Stock Down: Loer Can’t Find the Zone

Justin Loer’s second half has gone sideways in a hurry. He was charged with five earned runs while recording just one out in Friday’s seventh inning, walking three and surrendering a home run in an outing that turned a 3-1 game into a route. It was a near-copy of his previous appearance against Everett, when he allowed four runs and walked four while again only getting one out. Across those two outings, he has faced 15 batters, retired only two of them, and watched his ERA continue to climb.

Upcoming

Spokane heads north of the border to face the Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays) in a six-game set.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (5-1, 54-42 Overall)

Fresno dropped the opener to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Los Angeles Angels) and then didn’t lose again, reeling off five consecutive wins to close the home stand. Two of them came in the last at-bat — a three-run ninth to steal the second game and a 10-inning walk-off on Saturday— the Grizzlies bookended the stretch with blowouts, scoring 17 runs on Thursday and 19 on Sunday. Carlos Renzullo hit .423 over all six games, Kyle Fossum added a grand slam in the finale, and the bullpen quietly did its part: Luke Hansel, Yanzel Correa, Dylan Crooks, and Seth Clausen combined for 7.2 scoreless innings. Fresno is now in a three-way tie for first in the California League North.

⬆️ Stock Up:Wilder goes wild

Wilder Dalis (PuRP No. 24) was the best hitter in the entire California League this week. The shortstop went 12-for-23 (.522) with four home runs, three doubles, four stolen bases, and 12 RBIs, playing all six games and homering in three straight to open the series before adding a fourth in Sunday’s rout. His 4-for-5, four-RBI finale capped a stretch that pushed his season average to .300 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs.

Have yourself a week, Wilder Dalis!

The Grizzlies infielder hit .522 against the Quakes with 4 HR and 12 RBI 💥 pic.twitter.com/hLpsB3M8ur

— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) July 27, 2026

⬇️ Stock Down:Vidourek can’t buy a base hit

It’s never fun to put a new addition in the stock down section, but Vidourek made a pretty good case this week. He managed just one hit in 17 at-bats across five games, striking out nine times, including four in an 0-for-6 finale. To his credit, he kept working counts — seven walks in the series meant he still reached regularly — but the contact never came, and his season average slipped to .161.

Upcoming

The Grizzlies hit the road to face the Ontario Water Buzzers (Los Angeles Dodgers) for a six-game series in Ontario.

ACL: ACL Rockies (3-1 in final regular-season week, 40-19 overall; 2-1 in the postseason)

The complex-league Rockies closed the regular season the way they spent all of it — on top. They took three of four in the final week, including a 10-2 win over the Guardians and a combined four-hit shutout of the Athletics, to finish 40-19 and win the ACL East. Then came the postseason: a 13-9 win over the ACL Angels in the one-game semi-final, followed by a 9-8 survival test against the ACL Reds in Game 1 of the ACL World Series. That one nearly slipped away after a ninth-inning grand slam made it a one-run contest. The Rockies fell 6-4 in 11 innings on Monday, setting up a winner-takes-all game three Tuesday night.

⬆️ Stock Up:Arguelles doesn’t cool off

Cristian Arguelles finished the regular season hitting .455 (5-for-11) over three games with a home run, a double, and three stolen bases, finishing at .402 for the year. Then he raised it: 5-for-8 with four RBI across the semi-final and the World Series Opener. Ten hits in 19 at-bats over the week in games of increasing consequence — Arguelles has been the most reliable bat in the ACL this season and hasn’t blinked in the postseason.

⬆️ Stock Up:Wilmes turns it on in the playoffs

Ben Wilmes finished the regular season at .405 after being signed by the organization on June 11, and found another gear once the games started counting double. He went 5-for-8 across the semi-final and the World Series opener with four RBIs, driving in three in the 13-9 win over the Angels and adding a double, a steal, and another run driven in against the Reds. Throughout the full week, he collected 10 hits in 21 at-bats and scored nine runs.

DSL: DSL Colorado (4-1) & DSL Rockies (2-3)

The two Dominican Summer League affiliates went in opposite directions again. DSL Colorado won four of five, opening with an 11-run third inning against the Mets Blue and closing with a 12-3 rout of the Rangers Blue, to move to 27-12 and hold first place in the DSL Southeast. Larry Suero homered twice and drove in five, Jendry Guaraco added a grand slam among his six RBIs, and Williams Ferrufino tripled twice while stealing four bases. DSL Rockies took two of five and sit at 18-20, fifth in the DSL East, though not for lack of drama — trailing 7-0 through seven innings on Saturday, they scored six in the eighth and six in the ninth to win 12-9. Carlos Mota drove in a team-high eight runs for the week, and Victor Castellano earned both Rockies victories.

⬆️ Stock Up: De Paula Keeps the Line Moving

Rosniell De Paula was on base constantly for DSL Colorado, going 7-for-19 (.368) with a triple, a double, and four RBI across all five games. What stands out is what happened after he reached: he scored nine runs, tied for the most on the club, and touched home in every game. He’s up to a .350 batting average on the year.

⬇️ Stock Down: Cancro Goes Cold

Danny Cancro managed two hits in 13 at-bats. The .154 stretch came with no RBIs and four strikeouts over four games. He remains one of the more productive bats in the Rockies’ order, which is what makes this quiet stretch worth watching rather than worrying about.

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A year ago, the Twins were major sellers at the trade deadline, sending 11 players away in trades including Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland. But they kept most of their core young players, and a year later the organizations is hovering near .500, just a few games out of first. However they may decide to be aggressive sellers again, with pitcher Joe Ryan and catcher Ryan Jeffers drawing major trade interest. Whether Minnesota buys or sells this week could depend in part on how it performs against the Royals, making this series important for both clubs as the trade deadline looms.

Kansas City Royals (45-62) vs. Minnesota Twins (53-54) at Target Field, Minneapolis, MN

Royals: 4.21 runs scored/game (23rd in MLB), 5.10 runs allowed/game (27th)

Twins: 4.78 runs scored/game (7th), 5.03 runs allowed/game (26th)

Byron Buxton is ninth among all hitters with 25 home runs, but is just 4-for-23 in his six games since coming off the Injured List from a hip injury. Trevor Larnach is hitting .342/.400/.562 with three home runs in his last 21 games. Ryan Jeffers is hitting .300/.379/.500 at home this year. Austin Martin has a .412 on base percentage against lefties. Josh Bell is hitting .327/.378/.598 with runners in scoring position.

Brooks Lee is hitting just .207/.276/.310 against lefties. Ryan Kreidler is hitting just .169/.197/.271 in 19 games in the month of July. The Twins are fourth-worst in Outs Above Average at -21 with Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee and Luke Keaschall each performing poorly in the infield.

The Royals haven’t yet announced starters for Wednesday or Thursday. Randy Dobnak seems like a good bet to face his former team, and the Royals could go with an opener again on Thursday ahead of Noah Cameron.

Taj Bradley is 4-1 over his last seven starts with a 2.93 ERA. He has the tenth-highest walk rate among qualified starters. He has a 3.14 ERA at home compared to 4.14 on the road.

Joe Ryan was scratched from his last start over the weekend with arm fatigue, after giving up eight runs in his last outing. He has dominated the Royals over his career, going 8-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 13 starts. Vinnie Pasquantino is 6-for-22 (.273) against him with a home run and two doubles.

Bailey Ober lasted just four innings, allowing four runs and had his fastball clocked in the high 80s in his last start. He has a 4.74 ERA in 14 career starts against the Royals. Ober throws his change up 35 percent of the time, with a 23 percent whiff rate, while opponents are hitting .298 against his four-seamer.

The Twins traded away much of their bullpen a year ago, but have assembled a collection of no-namers to post the tenth-best bullpen ERA this year at 3.32. They have just 12 blown saves – only four teams have fewer. Yoendrys Gómez has a 1.78 ERA in 30.1 innings since the Twins purchased him from the Rays in May. Kody Funderburk has a 59.5 percent groundball rate. Right-handed hitters are batting .314/.380/.529 against Taylor Rogers.

This could be a big week for the Twins as they assess their chances of competing in a weak division. They have dropped five of seven to the last place Royals this year, so they can hardly afford another disappointing series.