MLB News
Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Jared Young – 1B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Brett Baty – 3B
MJ Melendez – DH
Francisco Alvarez – C
SP: Sean Manaea – LHP
Trea Turner – SS
Kyle Schwarber – DH
Bryce Harper – 1B
Alec Bohm – 3B
Brandon Marsh – RF
Edmundo Sosa – LF
Bryson Stott – 2B
J.T. Realmuto – C
Derek Hill – CF
SP: Aaron Nola – RHP
First pitch: 6:40 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The Milwaukee Brewers are back on the road, as they’ll head to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series against the NL East’s top team. Milwaukee, fresh off a pair of series wins against the Phillies and Guardians, sits in first place in the NL Central, while the Braves, with a nearly identical record to the Crew, sit ahead of the Phillies in the East.
Milwaukee’s injuries include Brandon Woodruff (expected to return next week), Coleman Crow (July), DL Hall (late July), Logan Henderson (early July), Jared Koenig (could return in the next week), Rob Zastryzny (late June/early July), Brian Fitzpatrick (likely out for the season), Carlos Rodriguez (TBD), and season-ending injuries to pitchers Quinn Priester and Angel Zerpa. Outfielder Brandon Lockridge is also nearing a rehab assignment, meaning we could see him in late June/early July.
Atlanta is currently without pitchers Spencer Strider (TBD), Joe Jiménez (out for season), AJ Smith-Shawver (out until at least late 2026), Spencer Schwellenbach (late 2026), Danny Young (post-All-Star break), and Joey Wentz (out for season). Infielder Kyle Farmer is out with a forearm strain, catcher Sean Murphy is out until late July with a fractured finger, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. is eligible to return this weekend (though it’s unclear if he’ll be ready at the 10-day mark), and outfielder Michael Harris II is listed as day to day with back tightness.
Jake Bauers leads Milwaukee’s offense with 13 homers, though Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio aren’t far behind at 11 and 10, respectively. Chourio has been the best hitter on the team since returning from injury, hitting over .300 over his 38 games. Gary Sánchez and William Contreras have also provided some pop behind the plate, and Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich, Sal Frelick, Andrew Vaughn, Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, and rookie Cooper Pratt round out the squad. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .254/.340/.395 (.735 OPS ranks eighth), with 67 homers (26th), 383 runs (third), and 72 steals (third).
Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin are raking for the Braves, as Olson is hitting .276/.346/.552 with a team-high 20 homers and 19 doubles, and Baldwin, a Wisconsin native who missed the last few weeks, has 14 homers and is slashing .298/.381/.540 after winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2025. Harris has also had a resurgence, while Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley also provide some pop. Ha-Seong Kim, Mauricio Dubón, Mike Yastrzemski, and Dominic Smith round out the starters, with former Brewer Rowdy Tellez, Eli White, Jorge Mateo, and Sandy León serving as depth. As a team, the Braves are hitting .254/.320/.423 (.743 OPS ranks sixth), with 97 homers (sixth), 366 runs (sixth), and 39 steals (tied for 22nd).
Aaron Ashby leads Milwaukee’s bullpen with 33 appearances, pitching to a 2.80 ERA, perfect 10-0 record, and 61 strikeouts over 45 innings. Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Chad Patrick round out the Brewers’ “A” bullpen, while Craig Yoho, Joel Kuhnel, and Drew Rom are the “B” bullpen, with Grant Anderson fitting somewhere in the middle. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.43 team ERA (fourth), including a 3.39 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.48 bullpen ERA (ninth). They’ve struck out 708 batters (first) over 645 1/3 innings.
Dylan Lee leads Atlanta’s bullpen with 33 appearances, pitching to a stellar 1.14 ERA with 40 strikeouts over 31 2/3 innings. Just about all of their bullpen has been great, in face, as closer Raisel Iglesias (1.16 ERA) is perfect across 14 save chances, Robert Suarez (0.59 ERA) has allowed just two runs over 30 2/3 innings, and Didier Fuentes (2.25 ERA over 28 IP), Reynaldo López (3.76 ERA over 40 2/3 IP), Dylan Dodd (2.08 ERA over 17 1/3 IP), James Karinchak (0.00 ERA over 3 IP), and Carlos Carrasco (3.46 ERA over 13 IP) have also been solid. As a staff, the Braves have a 3.39 team ERA (third), including a 3.73 starter ERA (fifth) and a 2.91 bullpen ERA (first). They’ve struck out 630 batters (12th) over 649 2/3 innings.
Friday, June 19 @ 6:15 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (8-2, 1.34 ERA, 1.68 FIP) vs. LHP Martín Pérez (5-3, 2.90 ERA, 3.82 FIP)
Misiorowski continues to dominate all opponents, as he’s among league leaders in just about every major category to this point. He leads the league in ERA (1.34), FIP (1.68), WHIP (1.68), and strikeouts (131) across 87 innings over 14 starts this season. He’s coming off the best start of his career, as he threw a 95-pitch complete game shutout with just one hit allowed and 15 strikeouts, also facing the minimum thanks to a double play. This marks Miz’s first career start against the Braves.
Pérez, 35, is in his 15th MLB season and with his seventh team, as he’s had a resurgence with the Braves this year. An All-Star for the first and only time in 2022 with Texas, Pérez has been about as good as he was that season, pitching to a 2.90 ERA, 3.82 FIP, and 51 strikeouts over 62 innings this season. He’s earned the win in each of his last three outings, allowing six runs over 15 1/3 innings (3.52 ERA) on 11 hits and six walks while striking out 11. Pérez has made five career appearances (four starts) against Milwaukee, with an 0-3 record, 8.54 ERA, and 16 strikeouts over 26 1/3 innings.
Saturday, June 20 @ 3:10 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.47 ERA, 3.05 FIP) vs. LHP Chris Sale (8-5, 2.30 ERA, 2.82 FIP)
If Harrison pitched for just about any other team, he’d be considered the ace of the staff. Thanks to Miz, however, he’s a measly No. 2, even with an 8-1 record, 2.47 ERA, and 3.05 FIP this year. He’s struck out 80 batters over 65 2/3 innings spanning 13 starts, and he also has solid peripherals. He’s coming off a nice bounce-back outing against the Phillies, outpitching Philadelphia ace Cristopher Sánchez as he went six scoreless innings with three hits, a hit batter, and no walks allowed, striking out three on 80 pitches. Harrison’s only appearance against Atlanta came while he was with the Giants in 2024, as he went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits and two walks, striking out six in a no-decision.
Sale, 37, is another lefty veteran for Atlanta, as he’s in his 16th MLB season with his third team. The NL Cy Young winner in 2024, Sale has a 2.30 ERA, 2.82 FIP, and 92 strikeouts over 78 1/3 innings this season. He’s coming off back-to-back losses, though, as he allowed five runs over 11 1/3 innings (3.97 ERA) on 16 hits and three walks, striking out 12 against the Blue Jays and White Sox. Sale is a perfect 2-0 over five career appearances against Milwaukee, with a 1.89 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 33 1/3 innings.
Sunday, June 21 @ 12:35 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (0-3, 4.88 ERA, 6.10 FIP) vs. RHP Bryce Elder (5-4, 3.15 ERA, 3.75 FIP)
Gasser, who had a great start to his career in 2024, hasn’t quite found the same magic in 2026, though he is coming off his best start of the year. While he has an 0-3 record, 4.88 ERA, 6.10 FIP, and 24 strikeouts over 24 innings this year, he looked much better than those numbers indicate against the Guardians on Tuesday night, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless frames with two hits and two walks allowed, striking out five on 92 pitches as he took the no-decision in a 2-1 victory. This marks Gasser’s first career start against the Braves.
Elder, 27, is in his fifth MLB season, all with the Braves. After earning an All-Star selection in 2023, he struggled in 2024 and 2025, but he’s bounced back nicely thus far in 2026. Across 15 starts, Elder has a 3.15 ERA, 3.75 FIP, and 73 strikeouts over 88 2/3 innings. He got roughed up against the Mets in his last appearance, allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks with just two strikeouts over four-plus innings in an 8-1 loss. Elder has made four career starts against Milwaukee, with a 2-1 record, 4.30 ERA, and 18 strikeouts over 23 innings.
Friday, June 19: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, June 20: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, June 21: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
This will be a fun series featuring a few high-profile pitching matchups, two solid offenses, and two division-leading squads. I’ll give the Braves home-field advantage as they take two of three.
Last night the Cubs were able to take a series from the Colorado Rockies after winning 8-6 at Wrigley Field. However, the devil was really in the details of this particular victory. The Cubs were up 8-2 when the game was turned over to the bullpen, who surrendered a total of four runs in the final two frames to make what had looked like a comfortable victory look a lot closer by the end.
Unfortunately, it looks like the Cubs are going to have to win quite a few more games by putting a lot of crooked numbers on the board. They have been absolutely devastated by pitching injuries to this point in 2026. Despite heroic performances moving from the bullpen (or the minors) into the rotation from Ben Brown, Colin Rea and Javier Assad, the hits just keep coming for the starting rotation and the pen. Just look at this:
This isn’t new territory for the 2026 Chicago Cubs. Honestly, the theme of 2026 might as well be pitchers on the injured list on the North Side of Chicago. The problem is that the elite run creation the team put up in March and April really fell off a cliff as the calendar turned to May and unfortunately it doesn’t look like it’s recovered so far in June:
June looks a little bit better than May on the W/L front, but the run differential tells a different story. It still looks like the offensive juggernaut that existed during the early part of the season has completely collapsed. Not only are the Cubs scoring fewer runs per game, their pitching is giving up more runs than they gave up early in the season.
I’d love last night’s 8-spot against the Rockies to be a signal that the Cubs offense has turned a corner. With closer Daniel Palencia joining pretty much all of what was supposed to be the preseason A-bullpen on the injured list, it’s hard to see a path for this Cubs team to put many W’s on the board unless they score more. It doesn’t seem particularly realistic to expect a rotation of number four and five starters, followed by a bullpen of guys who were supposed to be used in cleanup duty and middle relief to win games without substantially more offense than the Cubs have seen in the last month and half.
Barring a trade, the pitching ranks in Chicago look pretty thin. Fortunately, Matthew Boyd is heading out on a rehab assignment this weekend. Maybe he will be back to help the club within a week or so. They sure could use all the run-prevention help they can get.
The Brewers were unable to complete a sweep of the Guardians on Thursday afternoon, as Cleveland stayed in the game all day before pulling ahead and ultimately winning 4-2 behind three solo homers.
Shane Drohan worked around a one-out walk in the first, while Parker Messick set the Brewers down in order in the bottom of the frame.
Cleveland had some traffic in the second, as Kyle Manzardo was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a single by Gabriel Arias, but Drohan settled in to record a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to escape the mini-jam.
The Brewers mounted their own threat in the bottom of the second, as Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers reached on a walk and single, respectively. Gary Sánchez then brought in the first run of the afternoon on a single just out of reach of second baseman Travis Bazzana, giving Milwaukee a 1-0 lead and putting runners at the corners with no outs.
Blake Perkins followed with a groundout to third, as Arias went home with it to get Bauers trying to score. Cooper Pratt then struck out on a pitch over his head, and Joey Ortiz nearly extended the lead with a hard liner, but right fielder Kahlil Watson — in his MLB debut — made a nice diving catch to keep the score at 1-0.
After Bazzana grounded out to begin the third, Drohan got into a nine-pitch battle with David Fry, who ultimately slugged a homer over the wall in left-center, just out of reach of Perkins, tying things up at 1-1.
Drohan’s third-inning troubles continued, as he gave up a single and walk with one out, but he was able to keep the game tied with a pair of groundouts.
Christian Yelich hit a ground-rule double to begin the third but would be stranded on the basepaths as Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and Jake Bauers all struck out.
After Drohan bounced back for a 1-2-3 fourth, the Brewers regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Sánchez drew a walk, Perkins doubled, and Pratt hit a sac fly to make it 2-1 Brewers.
Drohan worked another scoreless fifth, and that marked the end of his day. It was a solid albeit inefficient day for the rookie lefty, as he went five innings with one run allowed on three hits and three walks, striking out three on 91 pitches.
Joel Kuhnel took over for the Brewers in the sixth and gave up a game-tying solo homer to Manzardo on a 1-1 cutter he left over the plate.
Messick kept the tie intact in the bottom of the sixth, and Cleveland pulled into their first lead of the game — and the series — in the seventh, as Grant Anderson gave up a one-out solo shot to Bazzana, making it 3-2 Guardians. Anderson continued to struggle from there, giving up a pair of walks before inducing a pop-out.
Anderson was then pulled for lefty Drew Rom, who promptly walked Manzardo to load the bases with two outs for Arias. Arias didn’t need to do anything, though, as Rom buried his first pitch in the dirt, a wild pitch that allowed all runners to advance and extending the lead to 4-2 before Arias ultimately struck out.
Against lefty reliever Tim Herrin in the seventh, Pratt drew a leadoff walk but was wiped out by a quick 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Ortiz. Yelich then walked, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt went to Colin Holderman to face Chourio. After falling behind 0-2 against Holderman, Chourio worked it back to a 2-2 count before reaching on a hit by pitch that (luckily) went off his padding. Turang then followed with a walk of his own, and Vaughn got into a full count but grounded out to short to end the inning, as Brayan Rocchio and Rhys Hoskins both flashed the leather to end the frame.
Rom worked around a single, a balk, a wild pitch, and a walk in the eighth, keeping the deficit at two with Hunter Gaddis entering to pitch.
Gaddis, who gave up the go-ahead homer in Tuesday night’s game, walked Bauers to start things off, but Sánchez and the pinch-hitting Garrett Mitchell — who hit that homer on Tuesday — struck out. Pratt fell behind 0-2 but worked it to 2-2 before lining a single to right, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. Vogt didn’t mess around, bringing closer Cade Smith in for Gaddis as he’d have to face the pinch-hitting William Contreras.
Contreras walked on four pitches, meaning Smith would have to face the lefty Yelich with the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first. Yelich couldn’t make anything of the opportunity, though, as he struck out on four pitches.
Craig Yoho got the ninth inning for Milwaukee, and he gave up a leadoff double to Rocchio but stranded him at third behind a pair of strikeouts and a flyout.
Still facing a 4-2 deficit after a pair of squandered bases-loaded opportunities, the top of Milwaukee’s order would have to mount a rally against the hard-throwing Smith. It wasn’t to be, though, Vaughn was the only player to reach via a four-pitch walk, with Chourio grounding out, Turang striking out, and Bauers flying out.
It was a disappointing loss, as the Brewers had plenty of scoring chances — as a team, Milwaukee went just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 12 on base, not ideal for a team that relies so heavily on small ball. They had five hits and nine walks on the afternoon, but they also struck out 13 times.
Sánchez and Pratt both had an RBI in this one, and Vaughn led the team by reaching base three times, all via walk. Yelich, Bauers, Sánchez, and Pratt all had a hit and walk each.
Beyond Drohan, who left in line for the win, Kuhnel took a blown save and Anderson took the loss with two runs allowed in the seventh. Rom and Yoho worked around traffic in the final few innings, allowing no runs and striking out five over 2 1/3 frames, though Rom did allow the inherited runner to cross via his wild pitch.
After a solid 4-2 homestand, the Brewers are headed back on the road as they’ll take on the NL East-leading Braves in Atlanta beginning Friday night. Jacob Misiorowski is on the hill for Friday’s series opener, with veteran lefty Martín Pérez set to start for Atlanta. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m.
Baseball owners proposed banning high school players from signing with major league teams, raising the age for international amateurs and slashing the money spent on signing bonuses in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday.
The amateur draft for players residing in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico would be cut from 20 rounds to 12 beginning in 2027 under the proposal Major League Baseball made during a bargaining session with the players’ association. An identical 12-round draft would be started for international prospects, a proposal the union has rejected in the past.
Starting in 2028, a prospect for the amateur draft would have to be at least 20 years old by the Sept. 1 of his signing year and two years removed from the graduating year of his high school class — a restriction that also would eliminate players who completed their first year of junior college.
The amateur draft started in 1965, high schoolers have been eligible along with college players who are in or have just finished their junior years.
Raising signing ages would likely lead to players being older when they become eligible for free agency, which currently requires six years of major league service.
MLB cited increased revenue in college baseball as reasoning. In addition, MLB said 75% of high schoolers signed from 2012-19 did not reach the major leagues.
“Expanded scholarships, NIL opportunities, revenue sharing and significant investments in facilities and player development have made college baseball an increasingly important pathway that is producing major league-ready talent at an accelerated rate,” MLB said in a statement. “By creating a draft system centered around college-aged players and making most college players eligible one year earlier, more players will benefit from both a college education and an elite development environment while reaching professional baseball — and ultimately the major leagues — more quickly.”
MLB said it will not seek to reduce the 120 minor league teams in the top four levels when it negotiates new professional development licenses in 2030 to replace expiring 10-year deals.
For international amateurs, the age to sign would be raised to 18 on the Sept. 1 of their signing year, up from 17.
Each separate draft would have $200 million in signing pools in 2027. There would be hard caps for each draft.
Teams would be able to trade draft picks but a club couldn’t trade its first-round pick in consecutive drafts. A team couldn’t acquire more than three additional selections among the first three rounds.
Spending on signing bonuses for players eligible for the 2025 amateur draft totaled about $402 million and signing bonus pools for 2026 increased by 2.5%.
Each team would have the same amount to spend under the proposal rather than the current system which gives higher pools to teams with poorer records in the previous year. Pittsburgh is at just over $19 million this year and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at slightly under $4 million. Teams currently can go over their pools and often do as much as 5%.
Teams have spent about $193 million on signing bonus for international amateurs in 2026. The current signing period runs from Jan. 15 to Dec. 15 each year, but the initial international draft would be no earlier than September 2027 and no later than March 2028.
MLB proposed eliminating competitive balance round picks that began in 2023 and cutting the draft lottery that started in 2023 from the top six picks to four.
Bargaining began May 13 and the sides exchanged initial proposals two weeks later as management proposed a salary cap for the first time since 1994, which resulted in a 7 1/2-month strike and the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years.
The Mets announced that shortstopFrancisco Lindorand outfielder Tyrone Taylor will begin rehab assignments on Friday with Double-A Binghamton.
According to manager Carlos Mendoza, the plan is for Lindor to play five or six innings on Friday, and then have an off day on Saturday. Lindor will play in at least two rehab games, per Mendoza, and the club will then decide the next steps.
"This is a guy who knows himself better than anybody, and he's going to let us know if he needs more at-bats or physically how he's feeling, and we'll go from there," Mendoza said.
Lindor has been out of action since April 22 due to a calf strain, but the shortstop recently appeared in simulated games, a clear indication that a rehab stint was imminent. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns also said recently that he expected Lindor back in big league action by the end of June.
Once Lindor returns, Bo Bichette will swing back to third base, and Brett Baty will move back into more of a utility role.
In 24 games this season, Lindor is hitting .226 with two home runs, five RBI, and 14 runs scored.
As for Taylor, the veteran was placed on the IL on May 26 with a right hip flexor. The 32-year-old is hitting just .186 this season, but he provides outstanding outfield defense and would give the Mets another right-handed bat off the bench.
Major League Baseball is seeking to radically overhaul the amateur draft that would eliminate players from being immediately drafted out of high school, requiring them to be at least 20 years old, in their latest proposal to the players union Thursday that the union blasted.
"MLB made another set of proposals that are flat-out bad for baseball, ones that would cripple the next generation of players and damage the future of our game," Bruce Meyer, interim executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said in a statement.
MLB’s proposal, which would begin in 2028, would require players to be at least 20 years old by Sept. 1 of their draft year, and at least two years after their high school graduation. MLB is also seeking to reduce the draft from 20 rounds to 12 rounds with a $200 million draft pool – a reduction from $358.7 million – while also implementing a 12-round international draft.
The proposal was called "the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard in my life," by one veteran agent, with one MLB scouting director saying, "let’s just kill the game!"
MLB’s proposal would eliminate more than $1 billion in player compensation from the international and domestic system over the next five years, with a $400 million reduction in 2026-2027, Meyer said. He also believes it would "destroy fundamental player rights and remove talent from our sport by barring high school and junior college players (anyone under age 20) from the domestic draft." And delaying international signings until September 2027 would be "denying young international players the ability to start their professional careers."
"MLB has sent a edict to all teams development and scouting departments," powerful agent Scott Boras said. "They are not worthy of developing young players."
Boras continued: "They are berating franchises, they are berating players, and berating the game for even suggesting this."
The proposal would incentivize players to attend college, MLB says, allowing them to develop in college while still being paid with NIL funds. Players wouldn’t necessarily need to be an active college player but could be drafted after playing in independent baseball or an MLB Draft League. In return, MLB would lower the qualification for college players to be drafted after their sophomore season instead of their junior year.
MLB lauds the success of collegiate programs, saying it has become "become increasingly central to developing future Major Leaguers" with 75% of MLB players having played in college.
Yet, several MLB scouts told USA TODAY Sports that they vehemently disagree, and that the new draft eligibility would be a detriment to the development of players.
"College baseball is not set up for development," one scouting director said. "It’s to win games. So many freshmen don’t even get to play."
Said Boras: "Any good college coach plays their seniors and juniors so this group going to college would not be playing. These older players will be taking up their playing time. That’s why we have professional choices. You’re playing 60 games in college. Playing professionally, you learn how to play 140 games. You learn how to psychologically survive the game."
While Boras and others insist the new proposal is designed strictly to save money and assure that players won’t be able to hit free agency early to capitalize on their skills, MLB says that the college ranks will prepare players quicker to make the transition to MLB.
"Over the last several years, college baseball has undergone a remarkable transformation," MLB said in a statement. "Expanded scholarships, NIL opportunities, revenue sharing, and significant investments in facilities and player development have made college baseball an increasingly important pathway that is producing major league-ready talent at an accelerated rate. Today's top programs provide players with resources, competition, and national exposure that were unimaginable a decade ago.
"Our proposal is designed to build on that momentum to benefit the game at the college, minor league and major league levels. By creating a draft system centered around college-aged players and making most college players eligible one year earlier, more players will benefit from both a college education and an elite development environment while reaching professional baseball – and ultimately the major leagues – more quickly. We believe these changes will strengthen college baseball and deepen fans' connection to the next generation of major league stars."
MLB said that if their proposal is implemented, 86% of the top-40 college selections in the 2025 draft would have been eligible a year earlier under the new eligibility rules.
The new draft would also enable teams to trade first-round picks for the first time since the draft was implemented in 1965, but not in consecutive years. No club would be allowed to accrue more than three extra picks within the first three rounds of a draft. It also would require at least 10 players to attend the MLB Draft, and would receive a $50,000 draft bonus. There wasn’t a single first-round pick last year that attended the draft.
The proposal would not reduce the number of minor-league teams, which currently is at 120, MLB said, through at least 2030. MLB also is lowering the draft lottery selections from six to four, with no team eligible to receive a lottery selection for three consecutive years.
MLB also wants to implement a 12-round international draft. The international draft, which was proposed in the 2021 CBA in return for eliminating qualifying offers for free agents, would be 12 rounds and restricted to players who are at least 18 years old, with a signing-bonus pool of $200 million for 360 international players.
International players who aren’t drafted would be limited to a maximum $10,000 signing bonus while receiving a $30,000 bonus once they complete a full minor-league season.
Yet, as several MLB executives point out, the proposal means that kids born in the United States would actually be penalized, having to wait two years longer than international players to sign MLB contracts.
"It is long past time to reform the international amateur system in ways that would address longstanding challenges and benefit future players," MLB said in a statement. "The enhanced transparency of the International Draft that we are proposing is a common-sense step forward that best addresses the root causes of corruption in the current system.
"Our vision for the new international system reduces the pressure on young athletes by giving them the chance to grow and develop, keeps kids in school longer while they pursue a career in baseball, and creates more playing opportunities for the older players who are left behind in today’s system."
The draft would help diminish the corruption in foreign countries, MLB says, with teams reaching deals with kids who are 10 years or older, which has resulted in falsifying birth certificates with performance-enhancing drugs becoming more rampant. MLB also would implement an international scouting and medical combine for the top 300 international prospects.
The union believes MLB wants an international draft strictly as a cost-saving measure for clubs, just like the reasoning for a reduced domestic draft that would delay kids from entering the draft. The later they enter the draft, the later they hit free agency. The later they hit free agency, the older they’ll be. And the older they’ll be, the less money they’ll be paid.
Juan Soto signed with the Washington Nationals at 16, reached the big leagues at 19, and is the game’s highest-paid player with a $765 million contract. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays at 16, signed a 14-year, $500 million contract when he was 26. Bryce Harper was drafted first in the county when he was 17, reached free agency at 26 years old, and signed for $330 million with the Phillies.
"Almost all of our top-level players in this game," Boras said, "teams invested in when they were young. That’s what this is all about. It’s about money. It’s not about the betterment of the game. They want them to be older in the game so they can create ceilings."
If the draft is reduced once again, with age restrictions and a hard slot, Boras predicts it will drive young athletes to other sports.
"Barring American boys of choices and representation will certainly redirect the best youth athletes to other sports," Boras said. "Franchises built their futures on the (Bobby) Witts, (Gunnar) Hendersons and (Elly) De La Cruzes, and in past drafts the (Bryce) Harpers, (Ken) Griffeys, A-Rods, and now they deny those players and teams the right of choice.
"NBA, NHL and international soccer is so happy about this decision as they offer youth choices for great athletes."
Follow Bob Nightengale on X at @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB proposes draft overhaul: No high school players, age 20 minimum
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Earlier this week, I posted this SB Nation Reacts survey asking you which of the Cubs’ three injured starters, Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele or Jameson Taillon, would help the Cubs the most on his return. Also included was a “none of these” option.
Here are the results:
Of the three, Boyd is likely closest to returning, though he did have a setback after his second rehab start June 6 for Triple-A Iowa. He is now scheduled to make another rehab start on Saturday, and presumably if that goes well, he could return next week during the road trip.
Boyd had a very good 2025, though was not throwing well so far this year. The knee injury that put him on the injured list for the second time this year wasn’t baseball-related, as you know, and hopefully he’ll be back to 100 percent soon. The Cubs could use a healthy Boyd.
Thirty-four percent of respondents to the survey said “none.” While that’s possible, I will remain more hopeful. And, of course, there’s the possibility of the Cubs acquiring some starting pitching help by trade before the Aug. 3 deadline.
Here are the results of the two national questions asked in the survey.
This result surprises me in that more than 40 percent of people who voted would blame players for a lockout. Let’s make it clear — a lockout is from ownership, period. Players can only go on strike, and since the CBA expires in December, that doesn’t give players any leverage to do that.
It is nearly 100 percent certain that owners will lock out players Dec. 1 when the CBA expires. What happens after that is … well, who knows. The Athletic polled players about a lockout and here are the results; they also polled fans and this article summarizes the results of that survey.
There should be no surprise at the results of this question. The Dodgers have been assumed to be at the top of the pile for most of this season. While they are riding two straight World Series titles, it should be remembered that the Blue Jays were one bad baserunning choice and one unbelievable catch from winning last year. It can be that random.
The Cubs, as you can see, did make it to the final list — but so did the surprising White Sox. Personally, I think that while the White Sox are clearly a vastly improved team over the 101-loss club of a year ago, they are going to fade and finish near .500. Of course, the way the American League is these days (only five teams over .500), that might be good enough for a postseason spot — or maybe even the AL Central title.
This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.
On Tuesday night, with the Yankees down early against a surprising White Sox squad, Spencer Jones turned on an inside cutter and hit a laser of a home run into the second deck in right field. The blast, his second of the season and first career homer in the Bronx, was a definite boost for the rookie slugger.
Now in his second stint with the big club this season, Jones is looking more the part of a solid player. One of the organization’s top prospects headed into this season, he looked a bit overmatched following his first call-up. Since being recalled earlier in June, however, the big left-hander has made some nice strides.
Following his solid game against Chicago, he entered play on Wednesday with a .239/.340/.391 slash line, good for a 109 wRC+. Nothing jumps off the page, but that’s solid production for anyone, especially coming from a guy’s first 53 Major League plate appearances. But as the season progresses, the question of what constitutes a successful debut for Jones becomes more important, and an answer perhaps more clear.
The light tower power has always been Jones’ calling card, and will continue to be as he adjusts to the big leagues. FanGraphs gave him 70-grade raw power on his 2026 prospects report, and the numbers certainly back it up. In 2025, Jones played 116 games across the minors and belted 35 homers while slugging an impressive .571. Having turned 25 just last month, Jones’ excellent 2025 in the minor leagues was part of a consistently improving career in pro ball, and his call up this season was only a matter of time.
But, to answer that important question, we can’t just shift his minor league stats in what would be an unrealistic and likely over-optimistic view of his current state. Instead, his solid, but not necessarily eye-popping start to 2026 in the majors is a much more realistic look at what to expect.
His power will always be there, and he’s already done his job in proving that as he hits the ball exceptionally hard and with top shelf bat speed. Homers like the one we saw on Tuesday only prove what was already known about Jones, but the things that come with big time power, on top of the other skills the 25-year-old possesses, will be what keeps him afloat.
After a difficult stretch to begin his time in the majors, things have leveled out for Jones, and he’s beginning to rely on his keen eye at the plate more, which can serve him well as he continues to develop. To this point he’s managing an excellent 13.2 percent walk rate, which is higher than any rate he posted in a minor league season. It’s certainly a big part of his 109 wRC+, but will have to be while he finds his footing. Even if the strikeout rate remains troublingly close to 40 percent, and the holes in the swing stick around, being able to run into homers and walk more than ten percent of the time will be enough for the rookie.
Aaron Judge is out until later in the summer, Trent Grisham is on the shelf, and Giancarlo Stanton has suffered another setback, so a viable Jones in the lineup makes a world of difference for the Yankees. Even though his eventual return to the minors is perhaps more likely than not, there is certainly a gap to be filled. If Jones can continue to bash some homers, draw his walks, and keep up the good work with the glove while lineup stalwarts are on the shelf, it feels safe to call that a success.
His role may evolve, whether it shrinks or he hits enough to force himself into a spot, but at the moment Jones’ role is to fill the void while the injury bug bites. While his profile is one that can see some real lows along with the highs, the good stuff is of high enough quality that he can certainly get by, exactly as we’re seeing in this first cup of coffee. He’ll almost surely be a full-time player at some point in the near future, but for now, he doesn’t have to do much more to play his part.
Major League Baseball proposed a sweeping overhaul of its draft eligibility system on Thursday, June 18, including the elimination of high school draftee eligibility as a part of the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with the MLBPA.
Under the proposal, players would become draft-eligible following their sophomore year of college. Currently, players who enroll in college cannot enter the draft until after their junior season or upon turning 21, whichever comes first.
"Over the last several years, college baseball has undergone a remarkable transformation," MLB said in a statement. "Expanded scholarships, NIL opportunities, revenue sharing and significant investments in facilities and player development have made college baseball an increasingly important pathway that is producing major league-ready talent at an accelerated rate."
MLB today proposed an overhauled domestic amateur-entry system that removes high school players from the draft, makes college players eligible after sophomore year, shortens the draft from 20 to 12 rounds, and cuts bonus pool from current $358.7M to $200M, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 18, 2026
The number of high school players selected in the draft has already declined in recent years as college baseball has become more attractive. In 2021, there were 115 high schoolers drafted. By 2025, that number had fallen to 96.
This announcement comes just one month before the 2026 MLB Draft, which will see a number of elite high school players drafted. Of the 334 players invited to the MLB Draft Combine next week, 140 players are in high school.
If approved, the proposal would allow for more high-level talent to enter the college baseball landscape, giving players additional time to develop before entering the professional ranks. At the same time, it would allow college players to enter the draft a year earlier than under current rules, potentially leading to younger rosters across the league.
“Our proposal is designed to build on that momentum to benefit the game at the college, Minor League and Major League levels. By creating a Draft system centered around college-aged players and making most college players eligible one year earlier, more players will benefit from both a college education and an elite development environment while reaching professional baseball – and ultimately the Major Leagues – more quickly."
The proposal also featured several other significant changes, including reducing the draft from its current 20 rounds to 12, establishing an international amateur draft and cutting the draft bonus pool from $358.7 million to $200 million.
Under MLB’s proposed international draft, players residing outside the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada would enter a separate 12-round selection process. The draft would be restricted to players who are at least 18 years old, as opposed to 16 under the current system.
The proposal represents the opening stages of negotiations between MLB and MLBPA. The current CBA isn't set to expire until Dec. 1.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB draft proposal to MLBPA could end the drafting of high school players
The Mariners and Orioles will face off Wednesday to settle both this three-game set and their season series.
Bryan Woo gets the ball for the M’s, and he is likely thrilled to be back home and making a start in the friendly confines of T-Mobile Park. This season, Woo’s home/away splits have differed drastically, with better performance in almost every major statistical category at home. He features a 2.07 FIP in Seattle, in contrast to 4.28 everywhere else. We’ll see how that factors in against an Orioles lineup that pieced him up for seven runs in his last start in Baltimore only a week ago.
The O’s will start righty Shane Baz, who the Mariners did not face in their four-game set last week.
Josh Naylor is back in the lineup after missing a couple of games with a wrist issue; he’ll be closely monitored to see how he responds. Mitch Garver will do the catching, while Cal Raleigh gets a DH day in his third game back from the injured list.
Julio Rodríguez is being given a rest day after leaving last night’s game with a hamstring spasm, though he could be available off the bench. He was active during pregame today.
Luke Raley has been dealing with back tightness, but it’s the flu that’s now keeping him away from the team; he is expected to be back at the ballpark tomorrow. In addition, Cooper Criswell received a PRP injection today and will be down 2-3 weeks before he can begin building back up for a return to the roster.
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. PDT
TV:Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith, Angie Mentink and sideline reporter Ryan Rowland-Smith
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Shannon Drayer
The Orioles’ first two games on the West Coast this season have brought mixed results. Game one in Seattle was a stinker for the offense, which generated just one hit and no runs after the first inning in a lamentable 3-1 loss. But the Birds rebounded last night with a well-played 5-3 win that featured a couple of dingers and a Kyle Bradish masterpiece to even the series.
A win tonight to take the rubber game would be a boon for the Orioles, especially as they head into a three-game series tomorrow against the two-time defending champion Dodgers. And it’s not an unreasonable request. The O’s get a rematch against the Mariners’ Bryan Woo, whom they clobbered at Camden Yards last week. The Orioles saddled Woo with a career-worst seven runs, doing most of their damage in a six-run third inning that featured homers by Colton Cowser and Pete Alonso. I’m not expecting lightning to strike twice, but maybe the Birds can at least scratch a couple of runs against Woo, even if they don’t torch him again.
The O’s are using the same lineup against Woo as they did last time, except subbing in the scalding hot Blaze Alexander instead of Coby Mayo at third. I approve. On the mound for the Orioles is Shane Baz, who sweated through a laborious five-inning effort against the Padres in Baltimore last Friday. Perhaps Baz will find the more temperate environs of T-Mobile Park to be more up his alley. He won’t have to deal with M’s star center fielder Julio Rodríguez, who left last night’s game with hamstring spasms and is out of the lineup today.
Orioles lineup:
LF Taylor Ward
SS Gunnar Henderson
DH Adley Rutschman
1B Pete Alonso
C Samuel Basallo
RF Leody Taveras
CF Colton Cowser
3B Blaze Alexander
2B Jackson Holliday
RHP Shane Baz
Mariners lineup:
3B J.P. Crawford
DH Cal Raleigh
1B Josh Naylor
RF Dominic Canzone
2B Cole Young
SS Colt Emerson
C Mitch Garver
CF Victor Robles
LF Miles Mastrobuoni
RHP Bryan Woo
I have been struggling to articulate my feelings about what took place at the San Francisco Giants’ Pride Night all week. There’s a lot to say, and a lot of things have already been said. But every time I’ve tried to sit down to write this post, the words have stubbornly refused to come until now.
I used to think that people were reasonable and decent, on the whole. Or at least were capable of being so. I used to think that if I worded my point exactly right, and in a respectful, compelling and logical manner, that I could maybe help to combat some of the hatred and bigotry in this world.
Because surely, it must be based in ignorance, right? And if they knew better, people would want to be better. Surely if they understood the harm that they were causing, they would care and change.
It’s a punch to the gut to realize that actually, a lot of people do understand and they just choose to be hateful and cruel anyway.
And I guess that’s kind of what I’m struggling with at the moment. It leaves me feeling like there isn’t a point to my craft. That nothing I have to say matters when a lot of people would rather shove their thumbs in their ears and pretend like there isn’t a problem. It’s demoralizing.
But I’d be just as much of a coward as those people if I let that silence me, so I will not.
What I want to say is that the players who chose to write bible verses on their Pride Night hats last week knew exactly what they were doing. MLB players are not required to wear the Pride uniforms. Participation is optional.
Which means that Landen Roupp and his band of bigoted buffoons intentionally opted IN to wearing the hats when they absolutely did not have to. And they did so with the full intention of being antagonistic towards a marginalized community in a declaration of bigotry to signal to like-minded people.
It was not subtle.
Ryan Walker said that his intention was to spread his religious beliefs and get more people to read the bible. Why exactly did these players feel like Pride Night was the appropriate time to proselytize? I mean, I know the answer to that. But I’d like to hear them say it with their full chests.
Because it’s not about Christianity or believing in God. The Giants have faith-focused events at Oracle Park every season. They are not excluded. If the players wanted to preach the good word as they understand it, that would be a perfectly appropriate time to do so.
But it wasn’t about that, of course. Faith is often used as a blank check for (poorly) coded-bigotry without consequences. It’s the same way that people like to use the concept of “freedom of speech” to insist that they get to say whatever they want and no one is allowed to do anything about it.
Which is, of course, not how that works.
Freedom of speech doesn’t protect you from personal or professional consequences of being a jerk. Sure, the government can’t arrest you for it, but if people no longer want to associate with you, support you, or maybe even employ you, well…those are consequences of choices.
Choices like having the option to not participate in Pride Night, but choosing to do so anyway just to let people know that you are homophobic. And choices like being someone within the organization that has the power to do something about it and choosing not to. Sure, you’re free to make those choices, but you don’t get a pass from the consequences of them.
So with those things in mind, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that bigotry and cruelty were the point.
And given the fact that the organization has not adequately addressed the situation or made any actual attempt to make amends for the harm that their players caused, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that anyone inside of the organization with the power to do anything about it quietly agrees with them.
The Giants could prove me wrong immediately by holding the players accountable, hosting educational events for players, making donations to local LGBTQIA+ charities, and declaring their unwavering support for all members of the Giants community.
But they have not thus far.
Which implies that the organization is rotting from the top. And I think it’s time to clean house.
Earlier today, I made a little trade deadline preview where I discussed some of the bigger names and set the stage for August 3rd. Now, I want to talk about 3 under the radar targets. As we know, the Nats bullpen has been a weakness for this team, but relievers tend to be available at the deadline. Sam Bachman, Jaden Hill and Caleb Kilian are the names I will discuss today.
The thing that ties all three of these guys together is that they are flamethrowing righties. Kilian has the slowest fastball at 96.7 MPH, while Bachman averages 98.6 MPH. The Nats need an infusion of stuff at the back end of their bullpen, and any of these guys would bring that.
The first guy I want to talk about is Sam Bachman of the Angels. Bachman was a top 10 pick in the 2021 draft, but he did not have the control or pitch arsenal to stick as a starter. However, he throws absolute fuel and has a wipeout slider. That slider generates whiffs at a 41.8% clip despite Bachman using the pitch over half the time. It is a borderline 80 grade pitch.
To go with that, Bachman has the 99 MPH sinker to go with that. The sinker helps him generate ground balls at a 50% clip this year. Having a GB% over 50 and a K% over 25 is a very enticing combination. Bachman’s one big flaw though is his strike-throwing. His 12.5% walk rate is not good, plain and simple. That is a big reason why his FIP is over 4. Bachman’s ERA of 3.31 and xERA of 3.21 paint a prettier picture though.
At just 26 years old, and with plenty of pedigree, there could be more meat on the bone for Bachman. We saw the Blue Jays pick up a hard throwing righty in Louis Varland and transform him from a good reliever to one of the best in the sport. Paul Toboni could try the same thing with Bachman, who is under team control through the 2030 season.
Another high velocity arm Paul Toboni could target is Jaden Hill of the Colorado Rockies. He averages over 97 on his fastball and has a whiff rate in the 88th percentile. Right now his surface level stats are not great, with a 4.97 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. However, you have to consider that he pitches half of his games at Coors Field.
Hill also had a 2.61 ERA and 1.35 WHIP entering June before a few bad outings. Even if June has been rough for him, the Nats should still be calling about Hill. He posted a 3.38 ERA in 28 outings last year, and has been good for most of this season. Hill also has not even hit arbitration yet, but the Rockies are deep in a rebuild and could cash in like the Nats did with Jose A. Ferrer.
Hill has a fastball that averages 97, but his slider and changeup are arguably his two best pitches. The slider is used the most and has a 38.2% whiff rate and .172 average against. Meanwhile, the changeup has a bonkers 46.8% whiff rate. Even the 4-seam fastball gets a lot of whiff, at 29.6%.
Like Bachman, control has been an issue for Hill. His 14.2% walk rate is a serious issue, but last year that number was around 9%, giving me more optimism. If that walk rate is fixed and he takes a leap from getting out of Coors, the 26 year old has a lot to love if you are the Nats.
He is also an LSU product, which the Nats have a few of. Hill could be a hidden gem in DC. Teammates Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen have a similar profile, but I think Hill is the best of the 3.
Lastly, if the Giants are open for business, one player I would take a look at is 29 year old reliever Caleb Kilian. The right hander had some buzz a few years ago, but had some years in the baseball wilderness. Now he is back and has nasty stuff and a ton of team control.
Like all these guys, Kilian throws gas, with a fastball that averages 96.7 MPH. He uses it 50% of the time, and the pitch which has ride and cut sets the tone for his arsenal. Batters are hitting just .157 against the offering. In April, Kilian dominated against the Nats in that crazy extra inning loss.
Along with the heater, Kilian has a knuckle curve and a slider that both have a whiff rate over 40%. Kilian is the biggest strikeout artist of the three guys we will talk about, with a 28.6% K rate. However, even in a pitcher friendly environment, Kilian was quite homer prone, allowing 1.39 HR/9. His walk rate of 11.3% is high, but not horrible for a reliever.
Given his age and shorter track record, Kilian probably will cost the least of these three. He is more of a one-dimensional strikeout artist compared to the other two, but he can punch guys out. In the bullpen, getting whiffs is king. Kilian can do that in a big way.
All three of these guys would slide into the back of the Nationals bullpen and be upgrades. That Louis Varland trade I talked about earlier could be a good comparison point, especially for the first two names. The Jays gave up talented lefty Kendry Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden. A comparable package for the Nats would be Alex Clemmey, Christian Franklin and maybe one other piece because I think Rojas is a bit better than Clemmey.
Trading for pitchers with team control is something I think Paul Toboni should be aggressively pursuing. In the majors and in the minors, the Nats are lopsided towards hitting. That creates an opportunity to make moves for pitching, either at the deadline or in the offseason.
As many anticipated, Thursday’s game between the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves has been postponed. A storm has been tearing through the southeast, and it put all three games of the series in jeopardy: Tuesday’s game began during rainstorms, and was postponed in the second inning, though it was finished on Wednesday as part of a doubleheader when the rain calmed down. But the weather picked up again on Thursday, so severely that the game was scrapped nearly five hours before it was scheduled to begin.
The Giants (who won the first two games of the series) caught a bad break with the rescheduling process. Rather than schedule a doubleheader for when the Braves visit the Bay Area in a week, MLB opted to maintain the home/road setup, as they always try to do (so that all teams can have the revenue of 81 home games). As such, the game has been rescheduled for Monday, August 31 in Atlanta, at 3:05 p.m. PT. That was originally a travel day for the Giants, after finishing a string of 13 games in as many days. Now, with the rescheduled contest (which comes after a home game on Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and before a Tuesday night game on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates), the Giants will play on 23 consecutive days, from August 18 through September 9. That will be quite a test, though thankfully rosters will expand on September 1.
San Francisco is not using the unscheduled off day to adjust their rotation, and will instead just push everyone back. Their weekend series against the Miami Marlins will now feature Landen Roupp on Friday, Logan Webb on Saturday, and Trevor McDonald on Sunday.