KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 22: Tony Vitello #23 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after being ejected during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on July 22, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The “phantom push” ruling in Wednesday’s loss to the Kansas City Royals derailed the team’s momentum and led to a five-run rally and an eventual San Francisco Giants loss. While it’s true that the umpires should have reviewed the call, and likely that said review would not have ruled the oversliding Vinnie Pasquantino out, what stood out was the performance of manager Tony Vitello, who ended up drawing his third ejection of the season in the 5-4 loss.
It was an unusual ejection. Vitello’s ire was correctly aimed at second base umpire Mike Estabrook, but he was thrown out of the game by third base umpire Lance Barrett. Dave Flemming said Barrett “talks to players like they’re his children,” and perhaps that’s especially true for the handsome and youthful Tony V.
Tony Vitello got ejected after arguing one of the worst calls you'll see all year pic.twitter.com/nnsFzJI5Sa
But Vitello didn’t get his money’s worth. He wasn’t especially vehement in his arguments, getting rung while he was heading to the dugout. No dirt was kicked, no equipment was thrown, no umpire’s parentage was called into question. Instead, Vitello simply got bounced, Landen Roupp got out of rhythm, and the Giants lost a fifth straight game.
You can make a strong case that as the manager of a 42-60 team, only two games better than the worst team in baseball, Vitello isn’t getting ejected enough. It’s been a season full of weird calls and strange decisions. Rafael Devers was the only person on the field to notice he hit a home run in Seattle on Saturday. The team vacillates wildly between under-managing and over-managing. Vitello failed to challenge a play in April where TJ Friedl dropped a Luis Arraez liner, though I would not call it a “freaking disgrace.”
This is a freaking disgrace and needs to be called out!
After reading Rule 5.09(a)(1), I do not believe TJ Friedl caught this ball. If a player drops the ball upon falling, it is not a catch.
What's worse, he would have known he dropped it, yet chose not to make that clear… pic.twitter.com/IuM3lRWLGX
Vitello needs to be angrier about how bad his team is playing. It really doesn’t matter to the outcome of a game if the manager gets thrown out. Hell, it might improve these Giants. But what a managerial ejection often does is snap a team out of complacency. He’s got three ejections so far, which is far down the list of rookie managers in history.
The most ejections ever recorded by a first-year manager is a tie between Roger Bresnahan in 1909 and Johnny Evers in 1913, both of whom got kicked out 10 times in just 154 games. Evers’ legendary double-play partner, the high-strung Joe Tinker, got tossed out of seven games in 1913 in his own first season as a skipper. Completing the triumvirate, Frank Chance got ejected only 15 times in 11 seasons as a manager, maxing out at three in 1914.
Many of the top rookie ejection seasons happened before World War I, when many managers doubled as players, increasing the opportunities for conflicts. The game was also significantly more contentious. For example. when Bresnahan argued with home plate umpire Bill Klem at the end of a 1911, Klem punched him out. Does that count as an ejection? Sadly the record books don’t say.
The modern leader is 2022 National League champion David Bell, who got kicked out of eight games in 2019, which is pretty impressive given the more genteel nature of today’s game. Eight is the Giants’ franchise record for a rookie manager, achieved by Bill Rigney in 1956. John McGraw is easily the Giants’ all-time ejection king, racking up 121 ejections and hitting 11 in a season twice.
Other notably argumentative rookie manager include Burleigh Grimes, who was kicked out of nine games in 1937. Cal Ripken, Sr. was ejected eight times in his first season with the Baltimore Orioles in 1987, a year where his son Cal Ripken, Jr. only sat for eight innings. In 1978, George Bamberger led the Milwaukee Brewers to 93 wins, their first winning season in history, but didn’t make it to the end of seven of those contests.
Whitey Herzog got tossed six times in 1973, even though he got fired after 138 games. It didn’t stop him from going on to a Hall of Fame career. In modern times, Rick Renteria was ejected six times in 2014 and Larry Rothschild inaugurated the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays in 1998 with six ejections.
Bobby Cox is the all-time Ejection King of baseball, and he showed that potential early by being sent to the showers four times in 1978. He got thrown out of six games in 1980 but didn’t start putting up double-digit ejection numbers until the late 90’s with the Atlanta Braves, maxing out with 11 at age 60 in 2001. In a 30-year career, Cox never went a single season without getting tossed and had just one season with only one: The strike-shortened 1994 season. Fittingly, he finished with 162 ejections, a whole season’s worth.
Vitello was hired thanks to the focus he showed at Tennessee when it came to process and preparation. That’s why we’re attacking a video of Cox’s ejections during his prime, so Vitello can study the game tape to bone up on the fundamentals of umpire arguing, which include:
Violating personal space
Profanity
Hand gestures
Bench jockeying
Giving ‘em the business
There are 60 games to go in the season and we are confident that Tony V. can get kicked out of at least three of them. Other teams may push the Giants around, but he shouldn’t let those dastardly umpires do it, too.
Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger (47) warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
I remember, when I was young and playing sports, the parents, who we called coaches, said ‘give 110%’. Well, you can’t/shouldn’t do it all the time. You go all out, you are likely to injury something,
Addison Barger is going to have season ending elbow surgery. He’ll either have Tommy John or an internal brace surgery. Either way, he’s likely to be out until the start of the 2027 season. If it is Tommy John, he’ll likely miss the first part of the season.
Apparently, his elbow had been bothering him for a while, then he threw that 101.2 mph throw to get Jorge Soler at the plate on May 9th.
DENVER, CO - JULY 22: Luis Garcia Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals celebrates his two run home run with Nasim Nunez #26 in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is the biggest series the Nationals have had in many years. They square off with a direct Wild Card competitor in the Diamondbacks. This is going to be a major test for the Nats, but also a monster opportunity. These next 10 days will tell us so much about the direction of this team.
With a lefty on the mound for the Snakes, the Nats have a righty heavy lineup. However, Luis Garcia Jr. will remain at first base, but hit 8th. Daylen Lile gets the day off as James Wood, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews make up the outfield. Harry Ford will get the start behind the dish. Carson Palmquist will be the opener for Zack Littell tonight.
The D-Backs are red hot right now and riding high. Their top two of Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll are very dangerous. Gabriel Moreno is also having a great year behind the plate. Nolan Arenado has had a late career resurgence as well. We will also see veteran Max Kepler for the first time. Eduardo Rodriguez is having a great season, and will be on the mound tonight.
Get ready for some massive games at Nationals Park! This is such a monster series for this group. They have not been good at home, but this would be a great time to change that. This series could springboard the Nats towards a big playoff push. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 16: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox and George Springer #4 of the Toronto Blue Jays stand on first in the first inning at Fenway Park on June 16, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The last time the Sox faced the Jays, the standings and this team looked WAY different. Can that help the Red Sox revive a win streak or will they start to regress at the hands of Toronto?
Jun 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images
It’s been a bit of a janky week for Yankee baseball, with a pair of rain-induced doubleheaders and a scheduled offday in the past six. We return to what is hopefully normal programming today, with the Bombers coming into Philadelphia for a three-game set against the second-place Phillies.
It’s Cam Bump Day, as the ace Cam Schlittler looks to pull himself over the 4.0 fWAR mark if he can really strut on the Phils tonight. I’ve remarked a number of times this year how Cam will variate between “real good” and “meh” starts this year, with a handful of dominant performances and only one real stinker in the mix. His last outing was certainly in the “meh” column, as the Dodgers were able to chase him before the end of the fifth last Sunday.
I need to do the math on this, but it feels like because Cam throws so many pitches in the zone, he’s most vulnerable against teams that make contact and offer at pitches in-zone. The Phillies boast the sixth-highest strikeout rate in baseball and the 10th-highest Z-Swing percentage, along with the 16th-best Z-Contact rate. To me that sounds like this should be a good matchup for Schlittler’s game plan, but Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are still who they are.
Jesús Luzardo, who is still just 28 despite me feeling like I’ve heard his name for 15 years, goes for Philly. After a five-win season of his own last year, he’s returned that pace and then some in 2026, making the All-Star team with a 3.43 ERA and 2.90 FIP, led by a sparkling ability to keep the ball in the park. The Yankees have managed to induce some immediate regression in other homer-suppressing pitchers this year, if they can manage that tonight they’ll set themselves up well for a win.
Do note this game is on AppleTV+. I wish it were not.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 23: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres hits a two-run home run in the eighth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Thursday, July 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cole Carter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
San Diego Padres (50-53) at Miami Marlins (52-51), July 24, 2026, 4:10 p.m. PST
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets before the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
A.J. Ewing – LF
Juan Soto – DH
Bo Bichette – 3B
Francisco Lindor – SS
Carson Benge – RF
Luis Robert – CF
Jared Young – 1B
Marcus Semien – 2B
Francisco Alvarez – C
Sean Manaea – LHP
Dodgers lineup
Shohei Ohtani – DH
Andy Pages – CF
Tommy Edman – 3B
Freddie Freeman – 1B
Mookie Betts – SS
Miguel Rojas – 2B
Kyle Tucker – RF
Teoscar Hernández – LF
Dalton Rushing – C
Roki Sasaki – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10pm EDT TV: WPIX Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
DETROIT, MI - JULY 23: Kansas City Royals Vinnie Pasquantino (9) at bat during game between Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers on July 23, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Even after last night’s disappointing loss, the Royals have still won five of seven coming out of the All-Star Break. That’s not nearly enough to get them back into contention, but at least potential trade pieces like Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Matt Strahm have performed well.
One player who sadly hasn’t rebounded is tonight’s bulk reliever, Noah Cameron. Beck Way will open the game for him as the Royals continue to push the righty into more important relief work while they scramble to see if they have anyone who can be counted on even half the time in their bullpen.
I tried looking into Noah’s body of work earlier this week to see if I could find a glaring flaw with him that led from his terrific May into the awful June and July, and I really didn’t see much of use. His sinker is awful, and I don’t understand why he throws it, but he’s not throwing it more than usual. His average arm angle has ticked back up after dropping nearly 10 degrees from last season at the start of this year. The curveball lost about 100 RPMs from the good stretch to this bad stretch, which is probably a big part of the problem. If it were up to me, I’d have him ditch his sinker and four-seam fastball, lead with the cutter, throw a lot of sliders and changeups, and try to figure out what happened to his curveball. But those are probably far too simple and far too significant changes to make, especially in the middle of the season. So we’re just going to have to hope Brian Sweeney has a better idea than me.
The Tigers are going to pitch Tarik Skubal instead, in what might be his final start in Detroit as a Tiger. Or it might not. The Tigers have been winning a lot lately and might decide to go ahead and see if they can finish off the miraculous comeback. Your guess is as good as mine. What is clear is that Skubal is still one of the best pitchers we’ve ever seen. So good luck to the offense.
Lineups
The offense, in need of luck in the best of times, will still be without starters Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia. But Jac Caglianone will also miss a third straight game after injuring his shoulder in Tuesday’s contest. Salvador Perez, the third-worst qualified hitter in all of MLB, will bat third for the Royals today as he continues his hunt for career home run 318. I guess getting him some extra at-bats before his body completely falls apart to chase that record makes sense. Somewhere. Speaking of Salvy’s body falling apart, this will be his first start at catcher in almost a month. He’s been hurting but still played first or DH for almost that entire time. He did slash .250/.325/.485/.810 over that span.
WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES - AUGUST 14: A general view of the US Capitol as daily life continues in Washington D.C., United States on August 14, 2023. (Photo by Celal Günes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
NATIONALS
Ketel Marte – 2B
James Wood – LF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Curtis Mead – 3B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Andres Chaparro – DH
Gabriel Moreno – C
CJ Abrams – SS
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Dylan Crews – RF
Max Kepler – LF
Jacob Young – CF
Tyler Locklear – 1B
Harry Ford – C
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Luis Garcia – 1B
Tim Tawa – CF
Nasim Nunez – 2B
E. Rodriguez – LHP
Zack Littell – RHP
After a successful layover in St. Louis, the D-backs head on for another series against a team who might kinda sorta have playoff aspirations. Though it depends who you ask. According to Jack’s chart, the Nationals either have a 6.1% chance of making the post-season… Or a 30.1% chance. Quite a radical difference in perception there. I suspect a difference in methodology, and perhaps also the degree to which past performance is weighted compared to future projections. As discussed in the preview thread, Fangraphs really does not like their chances going forward, projected the third-worst run differential and record in the majors for Washington the rest of the way.
Hopefully, the D-backs can deliver a couple more of the expected losses this weekend. Smallish sample, but they have been the best team in the National League since July 1st, with an 11-6 record over that time. The 99 runs scored over that time trails only the Braves in the majors, while the 72 runs allowed is also well above-average. Also of note: the Diamondbacks have just one loss by more than three runs over their last twenty games. This is in sharp contrast to earlier in the season, where it seemed they would get blown out almost every series. Even when they lose, the games are typically competitive. That’s a good sign, I feel.
Made it back from the Titanic exhibition. Certainly learned a lot, though disappointed there was no Nekkid Kate Winslet exhibit. 🙂 They did have a nice recreation of the staircase, and on entrance you were given a “boarding pass” representing one of the passengers, and their background. At the end, you learned whether or not they survived. Everyone in our group did not. The most impressive bit was a room where you sat in a lifeboat, and the LED walls around depicted the ship sinking, while the radio messages from the Titanic were played. Let’s just say, we won’t be going on a cruise in the near future. All told, recommended.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 17: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in action against the New York Mets during Game Four of the National League Championship Series at Citi Field on October 17, 2024 in New York City. The Dodgers defeated the Mets 10-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers were supposed to have two games on Fox during this road trip, but last Saturday in The Bronx rain got in the way and postponed the middle game against the Yankees. So we’ll have to settle on a single Fox game on the road trip, on Saturday against the Mets at Citi Field.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers, coming off his first complete game of the season last Sunday against the Yankees. Mets rookie Nolan McLean has been excellent so far this season with a 3.34 ERA in 20 starts, including only two earned runs allowed over his last four starts combined.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 24: Rhett Lowder #25 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on June 24, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All signs do not point to the Cincinnati Reds being huge sellers at the trade deadline in the next week and a half. Nick Krall confirmed as much to The Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer this week, suggesting that in lieu of rebuilding they are going to ‘retool’ with an eye on still being competitive (for them) in the 2027 season.
Cincinnati Reds president Nick Krall talked with the Enquirer this week about his job security and the Reds' wide-open mind at the MLB trade deadline. https://t.co/FGSQ4VnnRK
What does seem increasingly clear, though, is that the Reds – barring a miracle win streak this week – will likely shed their veterans on the roster who are set to reach free agency at season’s end. Some of those will be easier to find takers than others what with salary obligations, performance, and positional demand, but one guy who seems almost certain to be dealt is righty Brady Singer.
Every team needs a workhorse starter with upside, and Singer has pitched well enough over the last two months that his durability and trend-line will have suitors galore. The Reds won’t land a superstar prospect for him, but there will be enough interest that not dealing him would be a complete non-starter, so it sure seems like one of the key cogs in the team’s rotation will be elsewhere down the stretch.
That brings us to Rhett Lowder, who’ll get the start on the road in St. Louis on Friday night as the Reds open their series against the Cardinals. He has pitched to just a 5.75 ERA and 1.64 WHIP for Cincinnati so far in 2026, sliding down to the bullpen when the rotation was fully stocked for a trio of appearances and fresh off being shelled for 8 ER in 2.1 IP in the hellscape that is Coors Field in the July heat his last time getting a start.
With just 72.0 IP with the Reds this season (and 5.0 IP with AAA Louisville), Lowder’s got plenty of innings he can log between now and the season’s end if he can manage to throw the ball over the plate and be more pitch efficient. And the obvious portion of the entire piece is that once Singer leaves, there are going to be a lot of innings down the stretch for pitchers specifically like him to begin to soak up.
Hunter Greene will be an every fifth day guy until season’s end, his March elbow surgery meaning he’s not going to slam into any innings limit this year. Andrew Abbott will presumably be tasked with going every fifth day for the rest of the season, too, his track record showing that’s not going to be much of a problem. Beyond those two, though, there is a whole lot up in the air for the Cincinnati rotation as ace Chase Burns will inevitably be throttled at some point after having already logged 107.2 IP this year. Nick Lodolo, you’ll recall, is on the IL for the second time with blister problems, and given that he’s reportedly working on a whole new grip for his breaking ball he’s a wild card in terms of how much – and how deep when he does – he’ll be able to work as a starter.
It all leaves a pretty open door for Lowder, Cincinnati’s 1st round pick from back in 2023. Not only will the Reds be giving him a pretty long leash due to the simple need for someone, anyone to pitch 6 innings every fifth day, but they’ll be eyeing just what Lowder can do as a big league starter as they retool their roster for 2027. Can he be a rotation cog? Just how much will they need to invest this winter to replace Singer, or will Lowder take the job and run with it?
In theory, Burns/Greene/Abbott/Lodolo/Lowder looks like a pretty stout rotation for next season. Lowder, though, is clearly the biggest question mark of the bunch, and how well he seizes the opportunity in a post-Singer world will dictate a ton of the direction the front office takes in addressing their roster on a shoestring budget this winter.
Lowder gets his first post-Coors chance to show he’s up for it tonight in Busch Stadium with the Reds season (and full deadline plans) in the balance.
Here’s how the Reds will line up to begin tonight’s game in St. Louis, with first pitch set for 8:15 PM ET:
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 18: Jared Jones #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch during the first inning in game one of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are back at home for a weekend series at PNC Park when they take on the NL Central rival Chicago Cubs.
Jared Jones is on the bump for the Bucks for the first time since July 18, when he pitched five innings in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on the road. He gave up three hits and one run in his first win since June 4, snapping a six-game drought where he didn’t pick up a victory.
The Cubs are countering with Matthew Boyd, who is making his 11th start of the season for Chicago. Boyd was injured for most of the day in June, but he returned to the lineup on June 25. He pitched 4.2 innings, giving up four hits against the New York Mets. Since then, he has made four starts and has picked up the victory in each of those contests, improving his record to 6-1. As a team, the Cubs are 8-2 when Boyd pitches, making this a difficult matchup for Pittsburgh.
The game plan for the Pirates tonight should be to attack Boyd early in the game, putting him on the ropes and forcing Chicago to get to their bullpen early in the first game of this series.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Matthew Boyd (6-1, 4.15 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (2-1, 4.05 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
With the Mets currently 17 games under .500 and 17.5 games back of first place in the NL East, there has been plenty of buzz around who the team will move by the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline.
New York has already informed teams they are open for business, SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes reported on July 16, and likely to deal players on expiring contracts. Janes noted everyone except Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, Nolan McLean and Juan Soto is said to be available, even including star shortstop Francisco Lindor as those potentially on the block.
While it does not mean that Lindor will be among those traded by Aug. 3 at 6:00 p.m., it does mean the Mets and president of baseball operations David Stearns are open to listening to offers. When asked about ruling out the possibility of trading the five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger on Friday ahead of their series opener against the Dodgers, Stearns didn't give a straight answer.
"I'm not going to rule out or in any specific player on anything. I don't think that's wise for me to do," Stearns said. "What I will say is, we've got a group of young players and we've got some potential Hall-of-Famers, future Hall-of-Famers, that we view as our core. We expect them to be our core."
Stearns went on to say the team is being "open-minded" ahead of the trade deadline while expecting to "compete in 2027, adding they aren't "going to close any paths" at this time on who may or may not be dealt in next 10 days.
He was then asked if he considers Lindor part of the "core" he referred to going forward, and loosely included him, but did not make it clear if he's unavailable in trade talks.
"I think what I said was we have a group of young players who we are really excited about, we have some couple guys who are likely headed to Cooperstown one day, and we would consider that grouping of players our core," Stearns said. "I'm not going to get into specifics of who exactly is a name or who exactly we are or not going to trading right now."
After missing 57 games and returning from the injured list on June 26, Lindor owns an .808 OPS with four home runs and 11 RBI over 21 games. He's recently found some rhythm and is trending toward putting up his usual strong numbers by the end of the season (as noted in more depth here).
Meanwhile, Lindor also spoke with Janes on July 19 prior to the team's game against the Philadelphia Phillies and let it be known he is not bothered by the hypothetical trade buzz since it's all coming from outside of the clubhouse.
Since Stearns did not rule anything out Friday, fans can only wait and see what will happen over the next week-plus with Lindor and other Mets who could potentially be playing elsewhere for the remainder of the 2026 season.
"I'm not going to rule out or in any specific player on anything. I don't think that's wise for me to do. What I will say is, we've got a group of young players and we've got some potential Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers, that we view as our core. We expect them to be our… pic.twitter.com/O6s4shL7ZB
Jul 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Yankees come to town for a three game series starting on Friday night. The Phillies will go with lefthander Jesus Luzardo for the opener.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Luis Hernández #8 of the San Francisco Giants bats during the fifth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
On Thursday, for the last time in 2026, all seven of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action. Here’s everything that happened!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
There’s huge — albeit expected — news today. On Glen Kuiper’s podcast, farm director Kyle Haines revealed that teenage phenom shortstops Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) and Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) are headed to Low-A San Jose now that the ACL season is over. The moves aren’t official yet, so it’s not clear when those two will join the team, but very, very, very exciting.
AAA Sacramento (54-42)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Oklahoma City Comets (Dodgers) 4-2 [box score]
It’s not often that you see a team win in the Pacific Coast League without an extra-base hit. But that’s exactly what the River Cats did, which can only mean one thing: great pitching.
Despite the strong pitching performance, it was a so-so day for the starter, LHP Matt Wilkinson. Tugboat did a lot well … primarily the fact that he only gave up 3 baserunners all day, while pitching 4 innings. All 3 of those baserunners were hits (he had 0 walks against 4 strikeouts), and 1 of those hits cleared the yard, with Wilkinson giving up 2 runs on the day.
On paper, that seems like a decent enough day, despite what it does to an ERA. A strikeout per inning, no walks, and fewer hits than innings is all a good sign. Despite the few baserunners, though, Wilkinson did need 66 pitches to get through the 4 innings, an average of 16.5 per inning. Questions remain as to how Wilkinson’s stuff will translate to the Majors … his stuff is funky and has given him 10.1 strikeouts per 9 innings at the level, but it’s hard to project that to the Majors when his average fastball velocity is a tick under 90 mph. You just don’t see a lot of that operating at the highest level of baseball, unless you’re strictly watching Tyler Rogers.
We may get an answer soon enough. Tugboat’s overall numbers (4.03 ERA, 4.94 FIP) aren’t great, but the Giants rotation is about to have some holes that need filling. If they think he’s ready — or even if they anticipate protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason — his time could be coming.
A great relief showing from RHPs Braxton Roxby and Carson Seymour, with the former throwing 3 shutout innings with 3 hits, 0 walks, and 2 strikeouts (albeit with 2 errors), while the latter tossed 2 scoreless frames with a hit, no walks, and 3 strikeouts. Seymour’s been looking a little bit better lately, and the move to high-leverage relief seems to be suiting him. It’s still not an overwhelming approach (he has just 8.2 strikeouts per 9 innings), but a 3.79 ERA ought to get him some looks in the bullpen again this year, even if he has a 4.66 FIP.
The best offensive days belonged to a trio of hitters who have been performing well lately: designated hitter Scott Bandura, left fielder Turner Hill, and first baseman Dayson Croes, as all 3 reached base 3 times: Bandura hit 1-3 with 2 walks to bring his OPS to .810 and his wRC+ to 115; Hill went 1-2 with 2 walks and an outfield assist, pushing his OPS to .895 and his wRC+ to 137; and Croes hit 2-3 with a walk (though he was caught stealing), and now has a .718 OPS and a 90 wRC+.
A nice day for Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) who made his AAA center field debut, while hitting 1-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Nice to see him in the center of the grass. As for the other AAA newcomers, third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 1-5 with a strikeout, and catcher Adrián Sugastey went 1-3 with a sacrifice bunt, a strikeout, and an error.
AA Richmond (55-36)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 3-1 Box score
Not a good overall game for the Squirrels, but it featured a superstar performance, as RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL) showed off just how much potential he has with an utterly sensational start. Marte went 7 innings deep in this game (you don’t see that often in the Minors … or heck, the Majors!), and didn’t give up a single run. He allowed just 4 hits in those 7 innings, walked 2, and struck out 6. It was far and away his best start since getting promoted to Richmond in early June.
The soon-to-turn 23-year old might be considered a tier below the bigger name pitchers in the system (Carson Whisenhunt, Blade Tidwell, Jackson Flora, Carson Bolemon, Kaden Waechter, Keyner Martinez, Jacob Bresnahan, Argenis Cayama, and Luis De La Torre), but he’s a damn good pitcher, and someone who clearly still has MLB starter potential. He’s done exactly what you want a player to do when they move up a level … he’s gotten better. The overall numbers (4.36 ERA, 4.05 FIP) aren’t necessarily an improvement (he had a 3.74 ERA and a 4.09 FIP in High-A), but that’s largely due to a flurry of home runs he’s allowed, which is both something that can be corrected, and something that’s subject to variance.
But, since getting promoted, he’s bumped his strikeouts from 8.5 per 9 innings to 10.0, while lowering his walks per 9 from 4.0 to 2.7. It’s not even a small sample size thing, either, as he’s pitched the exact same amount of innings (43.1) at both levels this year. He has to be thrilled, and the Giants have to be thrilled.
The next step for Marte, who came over in the Mike Yastrzemski trade, is to just be less hittable. He’s getting those strikeouts and limiting those walks in large part because he’s living in the zone more, and the result is that, despite the same amount of innings thrown, he’s allowed twice as many home runs in AA as in High-A, with 13 more hits total.
RHP Christian Alvarado again showed off the heat, striking out 4 batters in 1.2 innings, though he gave up a hit, a walk, and a run. Since the Giants signed the 31-year old, who hadn’t pitched in the Minors since 2019, he’s struck out a stunning 18 batters in 8.2 innings, against just 2 walks and 6 hits.
A bad day on offense, with just 5 total hits and 1 walk drawn. Still, a pair of players had nice games: center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) and third baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL). Cohen hit 2-4 with a double and a strikeout, raising his OPS to .681 and his wRC+ to 80 through his first 6 AA games. Velasquez hit 2-3, as he continues his tear: over the last 21 games, he’s now 29-64 with 1 home run, 6 doubles, 12 walks, and just 8 strikeouts, which has brought the 22-year old switch-hitter’s OPS up to .823, and his wRC+ to 126. With Harber, Croes, Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), and Osleivis Basabe, it seems there’s not room for Velasquez in AAA … otherwise he would almost surely be there. He’s earned it.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 23, 2026
Tough days for the non-Cohen AA newcomers, as shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) and designated hitter Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) both went 0-4 (the latter with 2 strikeouts), while catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) hit 0-3 with a strikeout.
And then this happened:
Fireworks show went haywire at the Richmond Flying Squirrels game, Double-A affiliate of the Giants pic.twitter.com/qRloUnFmDs
Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 10-2 Box score
Well, this was a bad game for the Emeralds. No one had a worse day than the starter, as RHP Hunter Dryden had an absolute ERA-buster of a performance, giving up 10 hits (including 3 home runs) in just 3.1 innings, while also walking 2 and allowing 9 runs to score. Yikes. Shake it off, Hunter!
After a strong start to the year, Dryden, a 17th-round pick in 2024, has really hit a wall. In his first 7 games of the season, he gave up just 8 earned runs in 26.1 innings. But since then, in 11 outings, the 24-year old has ceded 36 earned runs in 44 innings, bringing him up to a 5.63 ERA and a 5.82 FIP. Hopefully he can right the ship and end the year on a strong note. He certainly needs to get the home runs in check … he’s allowed 13 in 70.1 innings this year.
RHP Brayan Palencia had a nice relief outing, though, giving up just 1 hit in 2.2 scoreless innings, though he didn’t have any strikeouts. Palencia has given up just 3 hits and 1 run in 7 innings this month, but on the year he’s really struggled with strikeouts, as the 23-year old has just 22 of them in 30.1 innings … with 18 walks. That’s led to a 5.93 ERA and a 6.90 FIP, and you have to think his spot on the domestic reserve is a little warm, as this is his 6th season of pro ball. He’s also given up 6 home runs in those 30.1 innings, which isn’t helping his case.
Not much at all on offense, though first baseman Zander Darby once again left the yard, hitting 1-4 with a solo blast, but also striking out twice. Darby, a 23-year old lefty taken in the 12th round in 2024, has shown off quite a bit of power this season. He’s got 10 home runs and a .173 isolated slugging, but he’s also striking out 33.2% of the time which is a fairly damning number … there’s a lot of juice in the bat, but Northwest League pitchers have really stymied him. He had just an 18.4% strikeout rate in Low-A San Jose last year, in a 244-plate appearance sample size … but after getting promoted to Eugene at the end of last season, he struck out 42.0% of the time … and now this. In all, it’s still a .775 OPS and a 106 wRC+, but a lot to work on.
Speaking of things to work on, designated hitter Jhonny Level is going through one of the only slumps of his young, exciting career, as he hit 0-4 with a strikeout. Level is 0-12 over his last 3 games, though this was his only strikeout in that time span. He’s 4-24 since his last extra-base hit, and if you’re at all worried, well … don’t be. The 19-year old switch-hitter is 3.5 years younger than his peers in the Northwest League, is holding his own (.740 OPS, 96 wRC+), and is striking out just 16.4% of the time. It’s all very exciting, with or without the slumps.
As for the newcomers, second baseman Isaiah Barkett hit 2-4 with a strikeout, and right fielder Jose Astudillo went 0-4.
Low-A San Jose (54-39)
San Jose Giants lost to the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers) 7-5 Box score
This was not a good or interesting game for the Baby Giants. Their offense had only 3 hits all day (though they drew 10 walks!) and their pitchers gave up 15 hits. There’s really no need to dwell on this one. Designated hitter Jeremiah Jenkins played well, hitting 1-3 with a double, 2 walks, and a strikeout, which brought him up to an .885 OPS and a 117 wRC+. The 23-year old, who was taken in the 14th round in 2014, has shown tremendous power this season (his .258 isolated slugging ranks 6th out of 90 Cal League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this year), but the lefty is striking out 30.5% of the time, which is a fairly damning number at such a low level of the Minors.
Shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) only hit 1-5 with a strikeout, but did have a triple as his extra-base hit parade continues. Last year’s 4th-round pick now has an extra-base knock in 7 straight games, and 15 total in his last 13 games. It’s been an exceptional month for the righty, as he’s hit .386/.456/.786, which has erased his slow start and brought him up to a .814 OPS and a 100 wRC+ on the year. Still, it’s a touch damning that he missed the waves of promotions, but maybe that will change with fellow shortstops Josuar González and Luis Hernández coming to town.
Lorenzo Meola rips a 3B, the first hit of the night for the Giants, his SIXTEENTH extra base hit of the month! Coming into tonight's game, Meola was sporting a 1.278 OPS. pic.twitter.com/jpdTS8H26C
All of the pitchers got rocked, but RHP Alix Hernandez did strike out 6 batters in 2.2 innings, while RHP Evan Gray struck out 5 in 2.2 frames. Hernandez, who allowed 7 baserunners and 3 runs, is up to 11.9 strikeouts per 9 innings … but with a 4.21 ERA and a 5.41 FIP. Gray, who gave up 6 baserunners and 1 run, has 10.7 strikeouts per 9 … but a 5.34 ERA and a 5.25 FIP.
Arizona Complex League (34-26)
ACL Giants lost to the ACL D-backs 5-1 (7 innings) [box score]
And with that, the ACL season comes to an end. It’s a bummer for people who were enjoying watching/following rookie ball … but tremendously exciting for those who wanted it to end so the top names could get promoted.
There really wasn’t much of note at all in this game. The ACL Giants only had 3 hits on the day, but their departing stars each collected one, as second baseman Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) and shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) both went 1-3, the latter with the team’s lone RBI.
On the pitching front, Low-A RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) continued his rehab with 2 innings, though they didn’t go well, as he allowed 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 2 runs, without any strikeouts. Cayama is still searching for his sharpness as he rehabs … hopefully he’ll be back in San Jose now that the ACL season is over.
RHP Melvin Pineda ended the Complex League season on a high note, striking out 1 batter in a perfect inning. The strikeout wasn’t surprising, as he ended the ACL season with a staggering 54 of them in 26.2 innings … the lack of a walk was, however, surprising, as he finished with 22 of them.
Now that the ACL season is over, we wait to see what prospects will be joining González and Hernández on the journey to A-ball. I’m particularly curious about outfielder Rayner Arias (No. 38 CPL) … he had another disappointing season, finishing below the Mendoza line and posting a .702 OPS and a 78 wRC+. But Arias, who had the other hit in this game, started to figure things out as the season went on: after posting a dismal .285 OPS in May, he had a .782 OPS in June, and a 1.178 OPS in July. In his final 7 games of the season, he hit 6-19 with 3 home runs, 3 walks, and 3 hit by pitches.
Dominican Summer League Black (22-14)
DSL Giants Black beat DSL Arizona Black 4-2 (7 innings) [box score]
A pair of players who had really nice hitting games, as designated hitter Dennys Riera went 1-3 with a go-ahead 2-run home run, while first baseman Alessandro Duran hit 2-2 with 2 doubles and a hit by pitch. Riera, a 21-year old who was a notable signing in 2022 but had never really been able to put things together, is having a career year, with a .903 OPS, a 123 wRC+, and just a 15.1% strikeout rate. Will that get him the call to the states after 5 years in the DSL? Duran, who was also signed in 2022, is hitting a touch below league average, and it wouldn’t be surprising if this is his final year in the system.
A nice start for 20-year old RHP Simon Colmenares, who gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run in 4.1 innings, with 4 strikeouts. This is essentially his debut season (he pitched 3 innings last year), and it hasn’t gone too well, with a 6.17 ERA and a 5.60 FIP.
Dominican Summer League Orange (21-16)
DSL Giants Orange lost to the DSL Mets Orange 9-2 (7 innings) [box score]
Very bad pitching in this game, so we’ll just focus on 3 hitters: 19-year old right fielder Brandon Vasquez hit 2-3 with a triple and a walk, bringing him up to an .804 OPS and a 107 wRC+, far and away the best stats in his 3-year career; 18-year old third baseman Yeison Oviedo went 1-2 with a walk, a hit by pitch, and a stolen base, bringing him up to an .871 OPS and a 128 wRC+, with 7 stolen bases, dramatic improvements in his 2nd season; and 19-year old left fielder Ricardo Crespo hit 2-3 with a stolen base, boosting his OPS to .880 and his wRC+ to 151, the result of a laughable 32.5% walk rate in his 3rd season.
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Oklahoma City (SP: Cesar Perdomo) Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Hartford (SP: Charlie McDaniel) Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Everett (SP: Jacob Bresnahan) San Jose: 7:00 p.m. PT vs. Ontario (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
