Jun 10, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning with teammates at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
The Phillies have an off day today before traveling for a rather big series in Milwaukee this weekend. The Brewers sit atop the NL Central and are one of only five teams to have eclipsed the 40-win mark. If that wasn’t enough of a test, the Phillies will get to face Jacob Misiorowski right out of the gate on Friday.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 8-5 (10) vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs
SS George Lombard Jr. 2-5, 2 2B— feels like he might be starting to figure it out in Triple-A RF Jasson Domínguez 1-4, K, SB LF Kenedy Corona 1-1, RBI, SB LF Yanquiel Fernández 0-5, 3 k 3B Oswaldo Cabrera 3-4, 2B, BB 1B Seth Brown 1-4, BB, K DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 2-5, HR, 3 RBI 2B Jonathan Ornelas 1-5, 2 K CF Duke Ellis 1-5, HR, RBI, K C Miguel Palma 0-2, BB, K PH Tyler Hardman 0-1, K C Abrahan Gutierrez 0-1
Angel Chivilli 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K — starting a rehab assignment Yerry De Los Santos 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Danny Watson 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Rafael Montero 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold) Zach Messinger 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K (hold) Dylan Coleman 1.1 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR (blown save, loss) — yikes, blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth, and gave up three in the tenth Bradley Hanner 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 0 K
🎙️George Lombard leads off with a Double (15th on the season)
Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 3-0 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies
DH Jackson Castillo 2-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K — managed three homers in four at-bats including Tuesday RF Garrett Martin 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB 1B Nick Torres 1-3, BB, SB CF DJ Gladney 0-3, BB, K 3B Coby Morales 0-3, K C Manuel Palencia 1-3 2B Connor McGinnis 1-3 SS Owen Cobb 0-3, 2 K LF Cole Gabrielson 1-3, K, SB
Cade Smith 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K (win) — best start of the year for the right-hander Kelly Austin 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold) Ben Grable 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (save)
Cade Smith (@Yankees No. 16 Prospect) matched a career-high 7⃣ innings in a LIGHTS OUT start!
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:W, 11-3 vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws
3B Kaeden Kent 0-5 SS Core Jackson 0-2, 2 BB, K C Eric Genther 0-4, 3 K 1B Kyle West 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB, K, SB — 2025 13th-rounder has had a rough year but that’ll do RF Wilson Rodriguez 3-3, 4 SB PH Santiago Gomez 1-1 RF Luis Durango 0-0 DH Roderick Arias 1-3, RBI, K, SF 2B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-5, 2 RBI LF Josh Moylan 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, K CF Camden Troyer 1-3, 2B, BB
Luis Serna 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K (win) Tanner Bauman 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K Aaron Nixon 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K Thomas Balboni Jr. 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) June 11, 2026
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:Game suspended at Bradenton Marauders
3B Jackson Lovich 0-1, BB SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-2, K LF Logan Maxwell 0-2, K C Luis Puello 1-2 CF Willy Montero 0-0, 2 BB DH Engelth Urena 0-2, K RF JoJo Jackson 0-1, BB 1B David McCann 0-0, BB 2B Luis Escudero 0-1, K
Thatcher Hurd 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K — unfortunate suspension for the former third-rounder, who was in the midst of one of his stronger starts
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 18: Manager Craig Albernaz #55 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts in the dugout during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on May 18, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
The Orioles snapped their losing streak last night. Yay! An excellent Brandon Young start was backed up by a comfortable amount of offense, and even when Grant Wolfram stumbled later, there wasn’t enough going on to turn things against the O’s. Check out Stacey’s recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.
In wrapping up the win on MASN, Kevin Brown said that this is the seventh straight Young start where the Orioles have won the game. That one floored me. Not that I doubted my honorary cousin, but I looked it up and sure enough, the O’s have won every Young start going back to May 6. Young himself has been the winning pitcher in three of these games. He’s pitched at least decently in all but one of these seven outings and pretty good in three of them. His 3.04 ERA leads the team’s starters and so does his 1.24 WHIP.
If so much wasn’t going wrong with the Orioles up to this point, Young’s development would be one of the biggest stories. This is the exact kind of thing that has not happened in Mike Elias’s tenure as GM of the Orioles. They have not developed a pitcher they signed as an amateur into a capable major league starting pitcher. They haven’t been doing too well with pitchers they traded for, either, other than Kyle Bradish putting together a brilliant 2023 campaign. Not to take anything away from Young, but it still is just ten starts for him this year. He’s got to keep it going for this to keep being interesting. Still, this is ten more good starts than I thought we’d ever get out of him.
The Orioles have a chance to pull off a split of this four-game series if they can put together a good game against the Mariners tonight. It’s a 7:05 start time and will only be televised on ESPN, so tough luck to the cord-cutters out there. That includes me. Kyle Bradish and Bryan Woo are the scheduled starting pitchers. We need to see a better version of Bradish than was there in his last start.
Before last night’s win turned in an excellent direction, the MASN broadcast spent a little time discussing the situation with Samuel Basallo not having played as a starter for a few days in a row. This is all the more notable because it coincides with Adley Rutschman dealing with some kind of hamstring issue. As the team has placed neither player on the injured list, the Orioles are without their two main catchers and seemingly short on the bench as well, though Basallo has at least been available off the bench.
Manager Craig Albernaz made some remarks that seemed to be critical of Basallo for not being willing to play through some discomfort, apparently stemming from a bony growth in Basallo’s wrist that he has dealt with before. Basallo was asked about the situation by reporters and while he did not directly beef with the manager, he refuted the substance of what Albernaz said.
Kevin Brown asked Jim Palmer for his thoughts on the back and forth during Wednesday’s game, prompting this response from the Hall of Famer:
He’s the manager. He said it’s about accountability. He’s the one responsible for wins and losses. All I know, and I said this Monday night, if you don’t play Adley Rutschman, if you don’t play Samuel Basallo … if I’m one of the Mariners pitchers, I’m elated. I’m joyful. I would send them flowers. If he’s able to play late in the ballgame, I’m surprised he’s not in there, that’s all. I don’t think this is the time, when you’ve lost four in a row, to teach a lesson. I don’t care how young you are. But that’s just my opinion.
I went through every story I could find in the local media outlets about this yesterday and there’s nothing directly attributed to Albernaz about either accountability or teaching a lesson or whatever. Here’s one from Orioles.com; those phrases aren’t in there. Steve Melewski, who also took away Albernaz saying there’s “no disconnect” as his headline about the situation, also doesn’t use those words. You can read between the lines and wonder if something is there.
Apparently, the radio broadcast, which I wasn’t listening to, made comments implying they thought that Basallo not playing was some kind of disciplinary measure and they agreed with it. That’s what was indicated by Camden Chat commenters who were listening. I might have written that off if not for Palmer also addressing the situation in a way that suggested there’s more going on than has been publicly said. The Hall of Famer had a different take as far as whether it is a good idea if Basallo is not playing for manager’s choice reasons. I’m going with Palmer on this one.
For me, this is the first real blemish against Albernaz as the manager. I’ve cut him more slack than a number of people over tactical decisions that didn’t work out because, honestly, the guy is dealing with a lot of bad situations that have no good solutions other than “players magically start playing better.” It’s not that they don’t frustrate me, it’s just that he can’t make Pete Alonso or Gunnar Henderson get the big walkoff hit with the bases loaded.
This kind of stuff, though, this is what Albernaz was supposed to be good at, handling situations with players and not having his young star catcher have to defend himself in the media against stuff the manager said to the media. Whatever is going on, I think Albernaz has failed for it to reach this point. Based on what has trickled out publicly, I think he’s bungling it, but I will concede I have no idea what has transpired behind closed doors.
We can only hope all of this amounts to little more than a bump in the road when the season is all said and done. For now, it doesn’t feel good. Hopefully Basallo gets back in there promptly and shows the manager why not playing him for any reason other than “he’s physically unable to play nine innings at a high level” is a bad idea.
In their 69th game last year, the Orioles beat the Angels, 6-5, improving their season record to 29-40. Home runs hit by Cedric Mullins and Gary Sánchez put the Orioles on top and they held on the rest of the way. This year’s Orioles are currently three wins better than last year’s guys, an uncomfortably small number of games. They have lost ground since their recent hot streak.
One current Oriole has a birthday today. Happy 27th to Blaze Alexander, who has been looking a whole lot better lately than he did at the start of the season. He is also our only Orioles birthday today. Before he came along, there were no June 10 O’s birthdays.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: composer Richard Strauss (1864), Nobel Prize-winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata (1899), legendary football coach Vince Lombardi (1913), and actor Hugh Laurie (1959).
On this day in history…
In 1429, during the Hundred Years War, the French launched an attack on the English, beginning the two-day Battle of Jargeau. The decisive French victory, following the lifting of the siege of Orléans, paved the way for France recapturing much of the territory that England possessed at the start of that phase of the war. One notable aspect of Jargeau is it was the first battle where Joan of Arc went on the offensive.
In 1776, the Continental Congress appointed five of its members – John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman – with the task of drafting a document laying out the reasons demanding American independence from Great Britain. From this committee, Jefferson himself ultimately drafted the now-quite-famous Declaration.
In 1940, Axis powers began a siege of the Mediterranean island of Malta with attacks by the Italian Air Force. Over the next nearly two and a half years, Italian and German forces tried to bomb or blockade the island, never succeeding in getting its defenders to surrender.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on June 11. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!
FORT MYERS, FL- MARCH 01: Kaelen Culpepper #76 of the Minnesota Twins bats during a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves on March 1, 2026 at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Kaelen Culpepper hype train is full speed ahead right now. The Twins have lost 10 of their last 14 while getting very little production out of the shortstop position, both offensively and defensively. Meanwhile, Culpepper just keeps getting better and better this season. He’s batting .357 with a 1.062 OPS so far in June with 4 walks and just 1 strikeout in 33 plate appearances.
Kaelen Culpepper absolutely launches his 13th homer of the season!
Since being drafted with the 21st overall pick out of Kansas State in 2024, Kaelen Culpepper has quickly climbed through the minor leagues. In 113 games between High-A and Double-A last year, he posted a 138 wRC+ with 20 homers and 25 stolen bases. In his first taste of Triple-A this season, he is on pace for career highs in home runs, RBIs, walks, and stolen bases while posting a continuously improving 123 wRC+. Poor swing decisions and a tendency to chase leave some level of concern, but he has a sweet swing that produces impressive contact skills mixed with a power tool that has pushed into average territory.
The bat possesses plenty of talent, but Culpepper can also be an asset on the bases and in the field. He stole 25 bags last season in 29 attempts and has picked up 14 more steals already this season while being caught twice. Defensively, he may not have elite, gold glove-level tools but is a good athlete with a good arm and has developed into a reliable defender. This season, Minnesota ranks 30th in defensive runs saved and 29th in outs above average at the shortstop position. While the Twins ultimately hope for 2025 first round pick Marek Houston to become the long-term shortstop, Culpepper should be a significant improvement for the time being.
The Twins’ 3rd ranked prospect is ready for the show, and it is no secret that they could really use him right now. With the losses piling up, the fanbase needs something to get excited about and the team needs a jolt of energy from a talented young prospect. The summer is in full swing, and all signs are pointing to a Kaelen Culpepper debut in just a matter of days.
Jun 10, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) celebrates his career 3500th strike out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Good morning and happy Thursday everybody. Ders is still out of town so you get a double-dose of Nick links this week. The Mariners got trounced 7-2 by the Orioles yesterday but have a chance to bounce back in the series finale with Bryan Woo on the mound at 4:05 PST on ESPN.
I know it is maybe a little main-charactery of me to say this, but I really feel like every time I put together the links there’s always more injuries to report on than normal. Spoiler alert but there’s SIX (6) links today about various players either getting hurt or getting placed on IL yesterday. Do I actually believe that my reporting on the news and notes is leading to more injuries in the league? I’m not confident enough to answer that question right now. Anybody else tangentially convinced they’re cursed in a hyper specific way?
In Mariners news…
The Mariners greeted us all with a litany of roster moves yesterday, with the headline being reliever Matt Brash is going back to the IL with a lat strain. Miles Mastrobuoni is returning to the M’s and taking Ryan Bliss’ spot, while Domingo González is coming up to fill in for Brash.
Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Mariners to go to the All-Star game this year in Philadelphia! It’s your civic duty to vote. Don’t make me come over to your house to make you vote. I’ll do it. I know where you live. I’ll march right in. Won’t even knock. You might not like it, but if that’s what it takes to get you to vote then so be it.
Around the league…
Max Scherzer was activated by the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday morning to make his first start since April and got his 3,500th career strikeout against the first batter he saw. Scherzer is the eleventh man in MLB history to reach 3,500 strikeouts, and is now just twelve away from tying Walter Johnson at 10th all-time.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media after their game last night that they will be placing All-Star catcher Will Smith on the IL. Smith hasn’t played in a game since last Friday while he’s been suffering from neck stiffness.
Former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is going to the IL with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. Acuña left Tuesday’s game early after coming up lame trying to beat out a ground ball.
The Philadelphia Phillies announced that outfielder Johan Rojas, who was only just beginning to work out for his return from PED suspension, will now miss the full 2026 season with a UCL strain in his right elbow.
Los Angeles Angels backup catcher Sebastián Rivero exited the game on Tuesday in significant pain after fouling off a ball. The team put him on the IL yesterday with a broken hamate bone and announced he will be out for about a month.
In a game where the Giants stormed back from an eight run deficit to ultimately win on a Bryce Eldrige walk-off grand slam, this diving play by the ball dude down the right field line is the play of the day.
The Detroit Tigers have been on fire this month, but on Wednesday night they cooled off a bit, taking their second loss of June against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park, 6-4. Framber Valdez struggled, surrendering a pair of home runs, while the offense just did not have enough juice to keep up.
However, Kevin McGonigle had a great performance in the field to go with his three-walk, two-run effort at the plate — the kid did everything he could with the glove and the bat.
With a third-straight series win still in reach, right-hander Keider Montero will get the start on Thursday afternoon looking to continue his solid efforts on the mound. The 25-year-old’s last outing was lackluster, however, giving up four runs on six hits (one home run) and a walk over five frames in a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Montero has not seen Minnesota since 2024, when he faced the American League Central rival twice, with vastly differing results. One was a 6-plus inning quality start that resulted in his first win of that season; the other was a five-inning effort that saw him contribute six runs to a 9-6 loss.
Fellow righty Zebby Matthews will toe the rubber for the Twins in his sixth start of the season after opening the campaign in Triple-A. The 26-year-old has been solid since his mid-May call-up, including his most recent outing against the Kansas City Royals, in which he gave up two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out a pair over seven innings to earn the win.
He faced the Tigers twice last year, allowing three runs on 10 hits (one home run) and five walks while striking out 12 over nine innings of work, earning a win along the way.
Here is a look at how the two starters match up in Thursday’s afternoon matinee.
Detroit Tigers (28-40) vs. Minnesota Twins (31-38)
Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 69: RHP Keider Montero (2-4, 3.95 ERA) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (2-3, 4.15 ERA)
The high school season has wrapped up, almost every college team has packed and punched out and portaled, and now Major League Baseball’s draft evaluation period quiets just a bit – even as some of the most important work remains.
As the men’s College World Series arrives, pitting the final eight teams against each other (and this year’s group is, relatively speaking, not bursting with potential high-round draftees) the next phase has begun. MLB’s draft combine begins June 22 in Phoenix, where skills will be measured but perhaps more important interviews and personal evaluations will occur, a key time for clubs and players alike to determine how well they match up.
And while it won’t really affect the first round, the MLB draft league is up and running, giving prospects of all ages a Statcast-able platform to buoy their stock or at least get on the 2027 radar.
With that, USA TODAY Sports takes another stab at projecting the first 30 picks when the draft commences July 11 from Philadelphia:
We’re rolling with consistency here. While much has and can and will change over the next five weeks, Cholowsky still represents the best fusion of current value and impact. While Cholowsky’s season ended as quietly as his team’s – two singles in 12 at-bats in the No. 1 Bruins’ stunning regional elimination - he still did nothing to betray the notion he’s not the best option atop this draft.
2. Tampa Bay Rays: SS Grady Emerson, Fort Worth Christian HS
Now the consensus national high school player of the year, Emerson’s also the lone prep player named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist; he batted .532 during his regular season with seven homers and 31 stolen bases.
Easily the nation’s leader with a 1.06 ERA (No. 2 was 1.98), Flora ran through the tape in his junior season, winning his last seven starts and posting a 30-4 strikeout-walk ratio in his final three. Lots of positional temptations but Flora represents a slam dunk foundational piece.
We’ll see how far north Lackey’s arrow points. It’s just gotten harder to see him slip this low, where Buster Posey can sell a building block catcher for an organization that needs one. Lackey finished his season with 20 homers and a 1.291 OPS in 61 games.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Jacob Lombard, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) HS
Still a chance he goes higher, and hard to conceive this isn’t his floor. Lombard’s speed-power profile nearly matches Emerson’s and his 6-3 frame and athleticism is perfect to play shortstop a long time in the big leagues.
Produced a .358/.473/.657 slash with 16 home runs, not an effusive platform year but one that will keep him near the top of the round, where the Orioles never met an SEC/ACC outfielder they didn’t like.
8. Athletics: SS Justin Lebron, Alabama
With Burress gone the A’s go with the more dynamic skill set while brushing off Lebron’s suboptimal platform season, especially in SEC play. Yet the 6-2 shortstop should benefit from the advanced college players who have already beat a quick path to Yolo County.
9. Atlanta Braves: LHP Gio Rojas, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS
A perfect match between an organization that excels at nudging prep pitchers toward the majors and a 6-4 lefty who pairs a fastball that touches 98 mph with a devastating sweeper.
The Rockies’ semi-successful Coors pitching project will get a readymade Patient One to mold from the start of a professional career. Flukey’s 6-6 frame and bat-missing ability (11.6 strikeouts per nine in three seasons) give them a lot to work with.
After revamping their offensive apparatus, the Nationals do themselves a favor and draft a guy already gifted with excellent swing decisions. Curiel struck out 43 times and drew 34 walks in 58 games and had a .452 OBP across two seasons in Baton Rouge.
He has a lot to clean up, and the Angels usually like their rush-to-the-big-leagues guys close to finished products when they draft them. But Peterson’s big stuff will be too much to ignore for a regime that will already ponder how soon the 6-5 prospect can get to Anaheim.
13. St. Louis Cardinals: INF Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M
Not really sure what his future position will be but the Cardinals know what to do with another plug-and-play guy who can keep the line moving and perhaps grow into more power. If not, no biggie.
Three years into Peter Bendix’s tenure should give us a better idea this innovative club’s draft approach. In this scenario, a potentially elite bat from the college ranks falls to them.
The Diamondbacks haven’t used their top pick on a catcher since 2012 (where art thou, Stryker Trahan?) but Helfrick is too good a value to pass on here after his 18-homer, .979-OPS final season in Fayetteville.
16. Texas Rangers: OF AJ Gracia, Virginia
A steady left-handed collegiate bat with excellent bat-to-ball skills, Gracia could move quickly toward Arlington.
We’re now at the point where every pick can go in so many different directions, but the Astros opt for the former Houston Cougar with power to all fields; Reese smacked 24 home runs in his final year in Starkville.
18. Cincinnati Reds: SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky
A switch-hitting sophomore-eligible shortstop who may require shoulder surgery, Bell may eventually develop an elite offensive profile but for now is a steady player with excellent plate discipline, drawing 30 walks to just 36 strikeouts in earning first-team All-SEC honors.
An excellent senior season and the lure of a lefty topping 100 mph with the athleticism that comes with being an elite basketball player, Bumila will puncture the top 20. While the Guardians prefer college arms, they did OK in 2024 with prep lefty Braylon Doughty, now in high Class A.
20. Boston Red Sox: LHP Hunter Dietz, Arkansas
At 6-6, 235 pounds, Dietz can stand eye-to-eye with Garrett Crochet and also touches 98 mph with his fastball. Still in need of polish but struck out more batters than anyone in the SEC, punching out 13.76 per nine innings.
21. San Diego Padres: LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS
He doesn’t turn 18 until April 2027 and Grindlinger’s drafting team has the luxury of workshopping him as a pitcher or hitter. Here’s guessing the mound wins out, especially as Grindlinger’s frame fills out.
22. Detroit Tigers: RHP Cade Townsend, Mississippi
The Tigers generally prefer higher-ceiling prep players but go for a little more certainty with Townsend, a draft-eligible sophomore with a powerful profile in his repertoire.
23. Chicago Cubs: SS Eric Becker, Virginia
A steady choice, Becker is a technically sound player with gap-to-gap power who should move methodically through a minor league system.
24. Seattle Mariners: OF Trevor Condon, Etowah (Ga.) HS
Condon brings high energy and elite speed, along with the profile to stick in center field. A long-term investment for a club with the luxury to wait.
25. Milwaukee Brewers: OF Aiden Robbins, Texas
Now slashing .342/.435/.720 for the Omaha-bound Longhorns, Robbins boosted his homers from six to 24 in transferring from Seton Hall to Austin.
26. Atlanta Braves: RHP Jensen Hirschkorn, Kingsburg (Calif.) HS
A 6-7 frame that already produces a mid-90s fastball, Hirschkorn is another pitcher with basketball athleticism and tons of projectability. Two picks in the top 26 should help Atlanta keep Hirschkorn away from LSU.
27. New York Mets: OF Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
Quite a skill set, as Sorrell produced 23 homers, 11 steals and a 1.177 OPS – all in a center fielder’s package - in his final year in College Station.
28. Houston Astros: OF Zion Rose, Louisville
A career 1.023 OPS at Louisville, Rose stole 24 bases in 27 attempts and had a .491 OBP in his final season. Strong 205-pound frame could produce more power than he’s shown.
29. San Francisco Giants: Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia
We’re just going to assign Buster Posey catchers with Georgia connections until he’s had his fill. Jackson transferred from Wofford to become a Bulldogs legend, ripping 31 homers to key their CWS run.
30. Kansas City Royals: RHP Logan Reddemann, UCLA
They’re buying low on Reddemann after arm issues slowed a platform year that seemed to push him closer to the top 10. Reddemann hasn’t pitched since April 17 but posted a 0.97 WHIP and 12.7 strikeouts per nine before he was idled.
Justin Verlander was shelled for four home runs, and the Hens couldn’t put much together at the plate against Twins’ starter Mick Abel and the Saints’ bullpen on Wednesday.
Well, Justin Verlander appears healthy, so I don’t know how much longer the Tigers can keep him on the injured list. He also looks incapable of starting successfully in the major leagues right now. Enjoy that dilemma, Scott Harris.
The right-hander allowed four solo shots in 5.2 innings of work, and there were several other very sharply hit balls in play in this outing. What there was not, was much swing and miss. Verlander threw 86 pitches, recording six whiffs, four of them on the fourseam fastball, which averaging 92.9 mph with below average extension. The riding action is still good, and he topped out at 95.5 mph, but we would’ve liked to see him sitting more comfortably around 94 mph. He worked on his slider for much of the outing but it wasn’t very sharp.
Aaron Sabato and Kyler Fedko recorded the first two homers in the second and third innings, respectively. Verlander settled in for a couple of innings, but in the sixth, Matt Wallner crushed a slider and Gabriel Gonzalez a fastball back-to-back to finish Verlander’s outing on a pretty sour note.
Ben Malgeri hit a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth for the Hens only run.
Ben Malgeri rips a solo homer over the wall to get Toledo on the board. That’s his 8th home run of the year, and it raises his slash line against left-handed pitching to .375/.478/.750 pic.twitter.com/zXBM1b08eA
Things got even rougher for the future Hall of Fame set when Kenley Jansen took over the in the seventh. He quickly gave up three runs on a walk and two hits, striking out one, and Yoniel Curet had to take over with two outs. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up three more runs of his own, and Konnor Pilkington gave up two more before this came to an end.
Cruz: 3-4, 2B, 3B
Malgeri: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Verlander (L, 1-1): 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Jansen: 0.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, B, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start time on Thursday with the series tied at a game apiece.
Tigers have acquired RHP Jacob Waguespack from the Brewers in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.
Waguespack currently has a 1.66 ERA and 13.7 K/9 in Triple-A.
The 32-year-old has a 5.11 ERA in 105.2 career MLB innings, most recently with 2024 Rays
Carlos Peña was hit hard in this one, but the SeaWolves fought back and then seized control in the middle innings to win on Wednesday.
Justice Bigbie cracked a solo shot in the bottom of the second to open the scoring, but Peña was knocked around for four runs in the third, and another in the fourth.
So it was 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth when the SeaWolves started turning this game around. Thayron Liranzo led off with a walk and was wild pitched to second. Bigbie singled home Liranzo, and Chris Meyers singled as well. After a pair of strikeouts, E.J. Exposito finally cashed in the runners with a double to left, and it was 5-4 Akron.
Unfortunately, Peña wild pitched a run home in the fifth, and so the task was again more difficult down 6-4.
Brett Callahan kicked started the final push with a solo shot to right field for his 11th home run of the year in the bottom of the fifth. That was Callahan’s fourth homer in five games, and the well rounded outfielder is starting to make a serious push toward Toledo.
Brett Callahan hit this ball a long way for his team-leading 11th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/4acaico1fJ
In the sixth, Meyers led off with a single and stole second base. He eventually scored on throwing error, while Exposito walked and Seth Stephenson singled. Stephenson stole second base, and a swinging bunt toward third from John Peck scored Exposito as Peck beat out the throw to first. Stephenson never stopped running and tore around third base and home under a tag at the plate for an 8-6 lead.
Dariel Fregio and Tyler Owens were each excellent in relief, throwing a pair of scoreless innings apiece.
Callahan: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, K (.913 OPS on the year)
Bigbie: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Stephenson: 3-5, R, 2B, SB
Peña: 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the SeaWolves up 2-0 in the series.
West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Lake County Captains 4 (box)
Ben Jacobs was a little wild in this one, which made for another relatively short outing, but he allowed just one run while his teammates went off at the plate.
Jacobs struck out the side in the bottom of the first, and in the top of the second, Clayton Campbell singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch. Luke Shliger flew out, but Cristian Santana drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Juan Hernandez singled in Campbell, and Caleb Shpur singled in Santana for a 2-0 lead.
Jackson Strong, Garrett Pennington, and Bryce Rainer all walked in the third, but Pennington was thrown out in a double steal attempt with Strong taking third, and they couldn’t push across a run.
Jacobs walked the first two hitters in the fourth, and wild pitched a runner to third. A single scored the run before Jacobs dug in for a strikeout, pop up, and a ground out to escape the inning.
So it was 2-1 Whitecaps, and it was quickly 3-1 when Woody Hadeen and Strong doubled back-to-back to start the fifth. In the seventh, Shpur singled, and Strong walked before Pennington mashed a three-run shot to left center field for a 6-1 lead.
Logan Berrier gave up a run to the Captains in the seventh to make it 6-2. he gave up a two-run shot in the eighth as well.
However, Strong launched a two-run shot to right in the top of the ninth to make it 8-4 and put this one away. After a solid but unspectacular first two months, Strong is suddenly scorching hot. The strikeout rate is still way too high, but he’s homered four times in five games and may be turning the corner a bit.
Strong: 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 BB, K, SB
Campbell: 2-5, R, K
Pennington; 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB, 2 K
Jacobs: 4.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The series is tied heading into a 7:00 p.m. ET start on Thursday.
Cash Kuiper put together a solid start and the bats were hot as the Flying Tigers built an early lead and then poured it on to take a 2-0 lead in the series on Wednesday.
Kuiper wasn’t getting a ton of whiffs, but he spun five innings of one run ball.
The offense took over in the top of the second as Carson Rucker walked with two outs. Singles from Nick Dumesnil and Jack Goodman followed for a 1-0 lead. Anibal Salas doubled in both runs, and then scored on a Jordan Yost double for a 4-0 lead.
Jordan Yost with a nice inside-out RBI double to left that put Lakeland up 4-0. pic.twitter.com/sgjTQktBWi
In the fifth, Jesus Pinto, Beau Ankeney, and Edian Espinal all singled with one-out. That scored one run, and Rucker drew a two out walk to load the bases. Dumesnil was hit by a pitch to make it 6-1, but that was all they’d get.
However, in the top of the sixth, Salas was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning, and Yost then went deep to right field with a 102.3 mph shot for his first home run of the season. 8-1 Lakeland.
Congratulations to Jordan Yost, who launches a 2-run blast to right for his first professional home run. Left his bat at 101.2 MPH and went 384 feet. pic.twitter.com/PitNF3nhbI
Later in the inning, Espinal doubled and scored on a Jude Warwick single. Yost was walked with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to make it 10-1.
Win Scott, Andrew Pogue, and Eliseo Mota were all solid in relief, allowing just two baserunners over the final four innings.
Yost: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K
Espinal: 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, 2 BB
Salas: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, K
Kuiper (W, 1-2): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday as the Flying Tigers look to run their winning streak to four.
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 09: New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) makes the call to the bullpen during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians on June 9, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s less a question of “if” than “when” as it pertains to whether the Yankees will add to their bullpen this year. Though the consternation over the club’s relief unit has been overblown (the bullpen does have the third-best ERA and best expected ERA in the American League right now), it’s clear the Yankees plan to make some sort of alterations to a group that contains a few question marks.
As of now, there’s probably only two guys out there that fans would pencil in with relative confidence as late-inning guys, in David Bednar and Fernando Cruz. That pair, barring injury, will almost certainly factor into the Yankees’ high-leverage plans throughout the year. After that, it’s anyone’s guess how the hierarchy will shake out.
Outside of Cruz and Bednar, which Yankees reliever are you most optimistic about? As shaky as the group has felt at times, there are some decent choices to pick from. Maybe the most obvious choice is Camilo Doval, whose 100-mph cutters and sinkers force one to wonder how it’s even possible that he’s not a dominant reliever. Doval has looked better lately after a terrible first couple of weeks of the season, but he’s still got an unimpressive 5.47 ERA and 3.99 FIP for the year.
Perhaps you’ve bought into Brent Headrick, who actually leads the Yankee bullpen in fWAR and narrowly trails Cruz in rWAR. Though he won’t run a 2.03 ERA all year, Headrick has done an admirable job missing bats and limiting homers, sitting 94-95 mph from the left side. There’s also Paul Blackburn, whose quietly been excellent at managing contact this year, and has seen his fastball velo tick up toward 95 mph, the hardest of his career.
There’s of course Tim Hill, the early-season hero who’s numbers have taken a hit after a few bad outings lately, but still has the look of a good contact-manager. There could ostensibly be some Jake Bird believers out there, with the right-hander posting totally cogent fielding-independent numbers. One could even cape for the flame-throwing Yovanny Cruz, who impressed in a cup of coffee with the Yankees, but whose control problems (he walks 4.5 per nine in the minors) have likely kept the team from committing to him.
Look up and down the bullpen, and the Yankees really have managed to coax fine production from most of their relievers this year, but there just aren’t many that inspire iron-clad confidence. If you had to choose one, which of the Yankees’ relievers that aren’t fully in the Circle of Trust now would you bet on to ascend there by season’s end?
It’ll be a relatively light day, as we all catch a breather while the Yankees travel back from Cleveland. In the morning, John wonders whether Paul Blackburn can take the Luke Weaver route to a high-leverage relief role, and Andrew recaps Wednesday’s American League action. Later, Matt’s entry in our Yankee Birthday series highlights Dan Topping, and Andres analyzes the dismal production the Yankees have gotten from their catchers at the plate the last few weeks.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): Many worried how the Yankees offense would suffer in the absence of Aaron Judge as he recovers from a broken rib, and while they will always be a better team with him in the lineup, they have to feel encouraged about the sweep they just completed over the Guardians scoring 18 runs across the three games. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt in particular stepped up in Cleveland and the hope is that they can continue to lead the team into the summer.
Also contained within this series takeaway was a nugget that Ryan Weathers was seen warming up in the bullpen in the fourth inning on Wednesday and was “in play” as a reliever according to Aaron Boone despite being scheduled to start against the Blue Jays on Friday. It offers an insight into the Yankees’ rotation plans as Max Fried makes progress in his elbow injury rehab, Weathers perhaps now the first name on the chopping block for a move to the bullpen.
Yahoo! Sports | Jordan Shusterman: Gerrit Cole labored through his Tuesday night start against the Guardians, though it is interesting to note that he threw his first 100 mph fastball in an MLB game since September 28, 2022. Cole offered some insights into the possible cause of the bump in velocity, noting the hot, humid weather and a very elevated heartbeat up to what he felt was around 185 BPM. He did admit that he was completely gassed by the 29-pitch third inning where the Guardians scored two runs, but also felt encouraged that he was able to complete four innings and limit the damage to two.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: As Anthony Volpe neared his season debut from offseason shoulder surgery, Aaron Boone promised the media and fans that José Caballero had played well enough that he would not lose the starting job at short should Volpe hit better than him upon returning. Well, it turns out that is exactly what happened, Volpe riding a ten-game hot streak to start his campaign to effectively steal the starting shortstop job from Caballero. Volpe has gone cold since then with a 78 wRC+ in 20 total games yet continues to receive the lion’s share of starts at short despite several notable fielding blunders and non-competitive at bats. To be fair, Caballero has gotten starts in the outfield with Judge injured, but that is also taking playing time away from guys like Spencer Jones and Max Schuemann, both of whom have been more productive hitters than Volpe in limited playing time.
New York Post | Ryan Dunleavy: Jasson Domínguez is nearing his return from a shoulder injury and has been learning a new position in his Triple-A rehab assignment. Domínguez manned right field in his two outings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre despite playing just one game there in the minors and none in the majors. The idea is that it will give him the opportunity for more reps between right and DH with Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined. Once Domínguez has completed his rehab assignment, Spencer Jones is the most likely to be optioned to make room on the major league roster, though Boone did not guarantee an immediate call-up and committed to playing it day-by-day based on the performances of Domínguez and Jones.
NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: In addition to overlapping on the report of Domínguez’s position change, Miller provides an update on Carlos Lagrange’s progress transitioning to a bullpen role. Lagrange tossed four scoreless innings of one-hit ball while striking out seven in his first relief appearance as the bulk guy to follow and opener before giving up a run on three hits and a walk in 2.2 innings his next time out. He had five days of rest in between those relief appearances and the plan now is to reduce the time between outings. The Yankees still believe his long-term future is as a quality big league starter, but the hope this year is that he can reinforce the struggling big league bullpen with his triple-digit heater.
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 21: Juan Sanchez #13 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nathan Ray Seebeck/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Jays’ International Free Agent pipeline has been a bit down in recent years. Vladimir Guerrero jr. and Alejandro Kirk are homegrown stars who signed at 16, but they’re it on the roster right now. There isn’t a ton of immediate promise on the farm, either. Recent top dollar signings, including like Manuel Beltre, Luis Meza, and Enmanuel Bonilla have crashed out in the low minors. On our top 40, the highest rated homegrown IFA was Fernando Perez at #8, and he’s slammed into a wall at AA this season and is now on the non-injury development list trying to rebuild his arsenal. He’s joined by Victor Arias, another prospect struggling a bit in New Hampshire, Silvano Hechavarria, who signed at 20 out of Cuba and so effectively represents a different class of prospect, and Juan Caricote, this year’s big signing who’s just getting his feet wet in the Dominican Summer League.
Juan Sanchez, our #12 pre-season prospect, represents one of the few bright spots. He was actually the third largest bonus the Jays handed out last year, behind Cristopher Polanco (not looking great) and Seojun Moon (just 5 appearances at the complex so far, but early reports are intriguing). Sanchez got off to a hot start to his pro career, posting a .341/.439/.565 line that was the 11th best in the DSL, with most of the guys ahead of him being older players repeating the level.
The Jays rewarded his precocious debut with a jump over the complex and straight to A ball to begin the 2026 season. Sanchez is one of just 11 qualified hitters 18 or younger in full season ball. The early returns weren’t promising. Through his first 20 games, Sanchez was hitting just .118, with a 30% strikeout rate and just two extra base hits. Since then, though, he’s found his footing, trimming his strikeout rate to 25% and posting 13 XBH, including a triple and three homers, for a .313/.367/.554 line.
The cornerstone of Sanchez’ game is power. He’s listed at 6’3” and 180lbs, and while he already looks substantial his shoulders are broad and he has plenty of room to pack on good weight. He’ll probably be huge as a full grown man. Baseball America notes in their scouting report that he hit a ball over 115mph last season. That would be a monster number for a 17 year old, and he hasn’t gotten close to that this season, but his hard hit rate is a respectable 37%, and 45% since things started to click for him this time last month. His swing also naturally produces his hardest contact in the 8-32 degree range of launch angles that accounts for almost all extra base hits and home runs. This is the profile of a potential 30 home run hitter if he can refine his hit tool enough to allow all that power to play in games.
Admittedly, there’s work to do on that front. Sanchez has been aggressive this year, swinging at right around 50% of the pitches he sees. He’s chased exactly a third of the time against a 66.1% in-zone swing rate. That’s not terrible plate discipline, but it’s not great either. He’s also got a fair bit of swing and miss in his game. His in-zone contact rate is 75.1%. That’s a huge drop from the 89% he posted in the DSL, but he’s trending in the right direction by raising it to 78.3% over the past month. That’ll be a key thing to watch going forward. League average zone contact is around 85%. It’s fine if Sanchez comes in a bit below that if it’s the result of a swing that allows him to use his power, but not many productive hitters land below 75%, and ideally he’d get into the 80s. Contact outside the zone is less important, but his 39% rate there is also low.
The good news is that I think experience and pitch selection are a bit part of the issue. He has great bat speed and doesn’t have trouble catching up to high heat, with a contact rate of 80% on fastballs 94 and above in the zone. The big issue seems to be on breaking balls, which he whiffs on in the zone and chases below it far too often. That’s hardly a surprise for a teenager who’s suddenly facing a steady diet of college drafted pitchers whose arsenals and approach are far beyond anything he’s seen before. Over time, he’ll hopefully learn to lay off and adjust to pro quality breakers, and indeed his improvement over the last month shows that he’s already taking steps in that direction.
Sanchez has mostly played third base so far this season, moving off shortstop in deference to Jojo Parker. That’s probably his long term home anyway, as he’s already a fringy runner who’s almost certainly going to slow down as he bulks up. His actions are just OK, but he has a strong arm that can make all the throws for the position and I think he can stick on the dirt. He projects as a 5-6 hitting slugger whose big power production more than makes up for lower averages. There’s a lot of ground to cover between here and there, but his holding his own and showing he can adjust after big jumps in competition this season cements him as a major prospect and a bright spot in the international talent pipeline.
For the first time since 1996, Major League Baseball’s Midsummer Classic returns to Philadelphia.
The 96th All-Star Game arrives just in time to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday.
And with the turnaround of the Phillies under former six-time All-Star and now interim skipper Don Mattingly, there is more juice surrounding the weekend and who will participate in the game.
Mattingly, who has led the Phils to a 28-12 record, was asked by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to join his coaching staff alongside Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. Roberts took down Mattingly’s Blue Jays, where he served as bench coach, in last year’s Fall Classic.
But what about personnel?
Who will don the red pinstripes on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park?
It starts with the group fans cannot vote on.
Pitchers.
Two names stand as locks, pending health, a little more than a month out.
Cristopher Sánchez has registered the second-lowest ERA in baseball at 1.54 while leading the sport in starts (14), innings pitched (93 1/3) and bWAR (5.0). The Phillies’ lefty ace also authored a 50 2/3-inning scoreless streak, the fifth-longest in the modern era and longest by a left-handed starter.
It would make a lot of sense if Sánchez started the game for the National League, but that will ultimately be Roberts’ decision.
If Sánchez gets the ball, he would become the 14th pitcher to start an All-Star Game in his home park. He would be the first since Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium in 2022 and the first Phillie since Robin Roberts at Shibe Park in 1952.
Sánchez has also helped the Phillies hand the ball to closer Jhoan Duran in low-scoring save situations. So far, Duran has provided the return on the investment.
He has converted 17 saves in 18 opportunities. That save total is tied for the second most in the National League, behind San Diego’s Mason Miller with 18.
Duran has posted a 1.99 ERA and a 38.6 percent strikeout rate, third best among relievers with at least 20 appearances and second best in the National League.
A lot would have to go wrong for Duran to not have a strong case to make his first All-Star team. He could become the first Phillies closer since Jonathan Papelbon in 2015 to make it.
Zack Wheeler also has a real chance.
In nine starts since returning from thoracic outlet decompression surgery, Wheeler has posted a 2.22 ERA, fifth among NL starters with at least nine starts. His 0.85 WHIP is the third best in baseball under the same criteria.
His consistency and the respect he has across the league give him a convincing case.
There are stipulations involved.
Every team needs a representative. Some players will opt out. That opens opportunities.
Last year, Roberts carried seven starting pitchers on the National League team. One was Kershaw as the “Legend Pick,” so really six.
Sánchez, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Cincinnati’s Chase Burns, Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes feel like the other shoe-ins. If you include Wheeler, that is six.
If the National League takes seven again without a “Legend Pick,” one of Los Angeles’ Justin Wrobleski or Yoshinobu Yamamoto could also make the game. Another Dodger, Shohei Ohtani, will take up a roster spot, but if he does not plan to pitch, that should not restrict the National League from taking another starter.
That would be an interesting and devastating group for American League hitters.
Speaking of arms, one more Phillies arm, a dark horse, could pitch himself into the All-Star Game with a dominant stretch before the break.
Setup man Brad Keller currently sports a 3.38 ERA. He has been solid with 13 holds, tied for the third most in the NL. But his durability gives him a chance if names start to drop out.
Keller is one of 15 National League relievers to appear in 30 or more games. He is one of 10 with an ERA below 3.50 and one of four right-handers in that group.
It sounds like a stretch, but as the game inches closer, Keller could find his way next to his bullpen mate in the Midsummer Classic.
The Phillies have sent two relievers to an All-Star Game once in franchise history. That came in 2024 in Texas, when Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman made the team as part of a franchise-record eight total All-Stars.
Offensively, it is pretty clear what the Phillies have to offer.
That is where the fans come in.
Kyle Schwarber, the league leader in homers with 24, should be in play to start the game at designated hitter, but Ohtani stands in his way.
The Phils’ slugger has posted a .933 OPS, third best in the NL and just seven points behind Ohtani. The Dodger has a dozen fewer home runs, but his average (.299) is exactly 60 points higher and his on-base percentage is ahead by nearly the same margin.
Regardless, Schwarber, the 2025 All-Star Game MVP, is a lock to make the game.
It would also be a surprise not to see him participate in the Derby.
Bryce Harper has more competition for a spot, but should be able to hold on if he can fend off another Dodgers veteran.
The Phillies’ first baseman has posted an .893 OPS with a .517 slugging percentage, 15 homers and 28 total extra-base hits.
While his defense has been underwhelming from a metrics standpoint, he has been the second-best first baseman in the NL behind Matt Olson, who has 19 homers, 50 RBI and a .902 OPS.
Harper has played every game of the Phillies’ season. Freddie Freeman, as Harper said recently, is also having a solid year. Freeman is hitting .283 with 10 homers and an .848 OPS.
If both play to the back of their baseball cards until the break, Harper should draw a strong vote total and logically be named as the backup first baseman to Olson as things stand.
Then there is the one that would mean a lot to the Philadelphia faithful and presents a lot of competition.
Brandon Marsh.
The 28-year-old, in the middle of a breakout campaign, is batting .326, fourth best in the majors.
Like the starting pitchers, seven NL outfielders made the team last year.
Washington’s James Wood, Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, St. Louis’ Jordan Walker, New York’s Juan Soto, Atlanta’s Michael Harris and Los Angeles’ Andy Pages feel like six names that could occupy outfield spots.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. also felt like he could be in play, but he has landed on the injured list for the second time in a month.
Marsh could go toe-to-toe with San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee, who is batting .338, the best mark among all outfielders in baseball.
Marsh has the edge in extra-base hits, RBI and OPS over Lee, who has put the ball in play more often this year.
Defensively, they are similar.
At the end of the day, though, this comes down to a popularity contest. Lee, who was born in Japan and played professionally in Korea, has a large following and plenty of Giants fans behind him.
Marsh has Philadelphia.
It would be the first All-Star team for either player, and that could come down to the wire.
Be sure to keep an eye on NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com for more All-Star content.
The Dominican Summer League (DSL) season got underway on June 2. The season is 72 games long and ends in August. The Padres have two DSL teams, Padres Gold and Padres Brown, with the Gold team defending its championship from last season.
With the addition of the ACL Padres and the two DSL teams, the Padres now have seven minor league teams playing games. The prospect lists have been updated for the end of May/beginning of June. Catcher Ethan Salas has improved his status as a prospect, moving up from No. 27 to No. 11 on the Baseball America prospect list. MLB.com lists Salas as the No. 49 prospect in baseball.
LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, who started the year in the MLB top 100 prospects, has slipped off the list. His slow start with Lake Elsinore has undermined his early value. His velocity was down to start the year but his last couple starts have shown improvement and his future value could be improved.
Besides those two players, no one else in the Padres system will receive any national attention until they prove they deserve consideration. San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has stated on multiple occasions that the Padres prospects are valued by other teams more than they are by national evaluators.
The coming trade deadline, on Aug. 3, is when Padres fans will find out if Preller believes his team is a playoff team by the way he handles business at the deadline. Multiple players have helped Preller out by distinguishing themselves early in the season. The real test comes when the teams begin to play each other for the second time around and if adjustments come to maintain success.
El Paso Chihuahuas (51-79 record, last in the PCL East)
With the promotion of Samad Taylor and Jase Bowen, the Chihuahuas lost two of their most productive players. They went 2-4 in their series versus the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Outfielder Nick Solak has stepped into the leading role for El Paso. In the six-game series he had 13 hits with two doubles and two home runs. Solak, 31, has had major league experience and is hitting .344/.421/.536. Oufielder Nick Schnell leads the team with 10 home runs and Solak has 39 RBI.
RHP Germán Márquez has begun his rehab assignment and has pitched 6.1 innings over two starts with no runs allowed and only two hits. He has walked one and has five strikeouts. Evan Fitterer remains the most effective starter for El Paso with 11 games started and a 3.80 ERA in 45 innings pitched. JP Sears continues to lead the team in strikeouts despite being hit hard and often. He has a 7.62 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched.
Catcher Blake Hunt has been off the IL for a week and back with El Paso. He had five hits, including a double and a home run, in the four games he has played.
San Antonio Missions (25-32 record, last in Texas League South)
The Missions went 5-1 in their series with the Wichita Wind Surge and resurgent OF Braedon Karpathios was part of the reason. Karpathios, a 2022 undrafted free agent sign, had a difficult start to the season but has surged over the past week. In their six-game series he was 9-for-19 with nine walks. Since May 1, he has a .920 OPS.
Catcher Ethan Salas, who has been consistently hot since the season began, had a little cooling off stretch despite celebrating his 20th birthday on June 1. He only had three hits and no extra base hits with three walks. He stole his 12th base, a new high for him in his career.
Infielder Carson Tucker leads the team with a .299 average and Karpathios has the best OBP at .373. Salas has a slug of .462 and the most RBI with 31. First baseman Romeo Sanabria also had a good series with two doubles and two home runs to keep him close to Salas in production.
The Missions bullpen is their strength in pitching. Both Francis Peña and Andrew Moore shined for the bullpen. Peña has a 1.93 ERA in 23.1 innings and Moore has a 2.29 ERA in 19.2 innings.
LHP Jagger Haynes had his best start, pitching 5,2 innings with two runs allowed. RHP Miguel Mendez has been brought back slowly after his early season neck strain and pitched five innings in his last start with no runs allowed. He gave up two hits and struck out four. His fastball was clocked at 96-97 mph and his location is improving (report per Ben Davey of MadFriars.com).
Fort Wayne TinCaps (24-33, 5th Medwest League East)
The TinCaps faced the Lake County Captains for their six-game series and went 1-5 for the week. The starters struggled with command during the series. LHP Kash Mayfield had his worst outing of the year. His five innings were pitched under poor conditions for the pitchers. A strong wind blowing out aided the three home runs he allowed with the seven hits and two walks. Mayfield has only allowed two previous home runs in his other starts.
RHP Carson Montgomery worked five innings while struggling with his command. He allowed three runs on two hits and walked five. He was able to strike out six hitters and has a 2.40 ERA overall. Reliever Clay Edmondson had his first rough outing, allowing three hits, three runs and two walks in 0.2 innings. His ERA is now 1.59.
RHP Tucker Musgrove is building off his breakout season of last year. His fastball tops at 99 mph and his sweeper at 98 mph. In his last 10.1 innings pitched he has a 1.69 ERA and 47% strikeout rate. (report per Clark Fahrenthold of MadFriars.com).
Outfielder Jake Cunningham continues to lead the TinCaps offense. He is hitting .295/.383/.628 with 10 doubles, 14 home runs and 32 RBI. Four of those homers came in the past week but he also leads the team in strikeouts with 56 and his swing-and-miss will need to improve. Outfielder Alex McCoy is in another slump and is seeing mostly breaking balls in his at-bats. The league has adjusted to his success against the fastball and he isn’t seeing many of those. He will need to adjust back in order to maintain his early success.
Lake Elsinore Storm (33-24 record, 1st in Cal League South)
The Storm went 3-3 in their six-game series against the Fresno Grizzlies. They maintained their top spot in the Cal League and have the best record as well.
LHP Kruz Schoolcraft got his first win as a pro player, pitching five innings with one run and three hits. He got three strikeouts and allowed no walks. RHP Jesus Castro has also been pitching well and threw five innings with three hits, two walks and five strikeouts while shutting out the opponents. The 18-year-old has a 3.05 ERA and has bypassed Winyer Chourio as the most effective Storm starter. Chourio still leads with 60 strikeouts to 22 walks.
Reliever Nick Falter has a 2.25 ERA over 40 innings and has one save. He has 39 strikeouts to 13 walks.
Catcher Ty Harvey, out for the next month or so after being hit by a swing and breaking his hand, still leads the Storm with a .340 average. Infielder Luke Cantwell, back after his three-week injury stint, has a leading .477 OBP. Infielder Kerrington Cross leads in slug and OPS (.570/.1.037) with eight home runs and 30 RBI. He played first base while Cantwell was injured but is also a third baseman.
Outfielder Ryan Wideman had a great week against Fresno, with two doubles and a home run. He added another stolen base to his total of 37 but was caught three times (he has 12 caught stealing for the year). Infielder Jose Verdugo, 18, also had a good week with two doubles and a home run. Not known for his power, Verdugo hit safely in every game of the series and is hitting .287.
ACL Padres (13-13 record, 3rd in ACL West)
With just 26 games played, there have been some noticeable standouts for the rookie league already. Infielder/DH Santiago Vargas, a switch hitter, was signed in January of 2025 but didn’t play in the DSL last season. He has begun his pro career with a bang and has a .315/.367/.556 batting line with three doubles, two triples, two homers and 15 RBI in 16 games.
3B Dawson Willis, an undrafted free agent from Louisiana, is hitting .317/.404/.634 with five doubles, a triple, two homers and six RBI in 11 games. Outfielder Moises Valdez, 20, is hitting .405/.435/.524 with five doubles and five RBI in 12 games.
Lefty reliever Zack Qin is off the IL but remains in Arizona. He has a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings. Padres signed reliever Daison Acosta before the season and then designated him for assignment during the spring. He went on the IL almost immediately after camp started and has now begun his rehab with the ACL team. Ty Adcock finished his rehab and is with El Paso.
RHP Lang-Hong Su has three starts and 10 innings pitched with a 0.90 ERA. Reliever Bernard Jose has a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings with 25 strikeouts to two walks.
DSL Padres
The DSL Brown Padres have played six games and have a 1-5 record. RHP Yoel Duarte is a top international prospect that signed with the Padres and is playing for Brown. The 17-year-old from Venezuela has not pitched yet. With six games played, second baseman Osmy Osorio leads the team with a .304 average and 1.012 OPS.
RHP Yolansy Perez has a 2.25 ERA in four innings pitched with three strikeouts and no walks.
The DSL Padres Gold (3-2, 4th DSL Northwest) have several of the top rated international players signed by the Padres. Shortstop Joniel Harnandez, SS/3B Timothy Mogen, catcher Jhonneiker Leon, LHP Diego Serna, and RHP Jordan Perez all begin with the Gold.
Hernandez is hitting .350 with a .931 OPS in five games. Mogen, playing third base, is hitting .167 in five games. Leon has a .067 average in four games. Serna has not pitched yet and Perez has a 27.00 ERA in one inning pitched, allowing three runs.
In this week's Closer Report, Josh Hader is looking excellent in his first week back from injury. Andrés Muñoz continues to struggle with run prevention despite strong underlying skills. And David Bednar appears to be coming around amid his best stretch of the season. All that and more as we break down the last week in saves around baseball.
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Mason Miller - San Diego Padres Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox Raisel Iglesias- Atlanta Braves
Miller made four appearances this week, but only one came in a save situation. After giving up one run to the Mets on Friday, he bounced back with a scoreless inning on Saturday for his 18th save, then made two more clean outings in back-to-back games against the Reds.
It was a rare quiet week on the mound for Smith, who made one appearance against the Yankees, recording five outs in a non-save situation. Still, he continues to lead baseball with 21 saves to go with a 2.67 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts over 30 1/3 innings.
Duran worked two saves against the White Sox and Blue Jays, then had a rare bad day on the mound, giving up two runs against Toronto on Tuesday to blow a save chance. Duran recovered on Wednesday, keeping the Blue Jays scoreless to convert his 17th save.
Chapman has apparently been dealing with a minor hamstring issue over the last week, but was able to tough it out for a save against the Yankees on Friday. The 38-year-old left-hander is up to 13 saves with a 0.46 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts over 19 2/3 innings. The expectation is that the veteran closer will be pitching for a new team by the trade deadline.
Iglesias converted back-to-back saves against the Pirates on Friday and Saturday, bringing his total to 13. He then surrendered a run against the White Sox on Tuesday to take a loss. It was just his third run allowed all season, giving him a 1.21 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts over 22 1/3 innings.
▶ Tier 2
Bryan Baker - Tampa Bay Rays Louis Varland - Toronto Blue Jays Josh Hader - Houston Astros Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners Daniel Palencia - Chicago Cubs Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers Gregory Soto - Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Sewald - Arizona Diamondbacks David Bednar - New York Yankees
Baker started this week's series against the Red Sox with back-to-back saves on Monday and Tuesday. He continues to dominate the ninth inning for the Rays, converting 18 of 21 save chances with a 1.98 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings. The same can be said for Varland, who's actually having one of the best seasons among all relievers, posting a 0.50 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts over 35 2/3 innings. He added three saves and a win this week. Both Baker and Varland probably belong among the top tier at this point. Track record and more role security separate the relievers above.
Hader has now made four appearances since coming off the injured list. He's allowed just one baserunner on a walk while striking out seven of the 13 batters he's faced. The 32-year-old looks to be back to form. It's early for him, but if he has a few more impressive outings, he'll continue to rise up the ranks.
Muñoz is making it increasingly difficult to keep him this high in the rankings. Despite the strong underlying skills that really do align with his career norms, he just hasn't been able to prevent runs. He surrendered two runs against the Tigers on Sunday to blow a save and take a loss. Muñoz did recover on Monday with a save against the Orioles. The 27-year-old right-hander has posted a 5.18 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts over 24 1/3 innings. Given his strikeout-to-walk ratio is among the best he's posted in his career, I'll keep holding out hope he corrects what is making him suddenly so hittable.
This is where things get tough. What does Palencia have to do to get a save chance? His last save came on May 14. He's been stuck at three saves since. He made three appearances this week and holds a 2.87 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts over 15 2/3 innings.
Scott has been in the middle of a rough stretch, giving up five runs over his last five outings. He took a loss against the Diamondbacks last Thursday, then pitched in two non-save situations. Meanwhile, Soto gave up two runs before holding on for his ninth save on Wednesday against the Dodgers.
And in Arizona, Sewald fell in line for a win with a scoreless inning against the Dodgers last Thursday. A.J. Puk is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno and could be back with the Diamondbacks in the next week or so. Still, I'd expect Sewald to continue working as the team's closer.
Bednar had one of his better weeks on the mound, making three scoreless appearances that included five outs against the Guardians on Monday to fall in line for a win. That makes six straight scoreless outings for his best stretch of the season. The 31-year-old right-hander holds a 3.90 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 27 2/3 innings.
▶ Tier 3
Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals Jacob Latz - Texas Rangers Devin Williams - New York Mets Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers Grant Taylor/Seranthony Domínguez - Chicago White Sox Pete Fairbanks - Miami Marlins
O'Brien got back on track this week with a pair of scoreless outings, picking up two saves against the Reds. He's up to 17 with a 3.68 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts over 29 1/3 innings.
In Texas, Latz made two appearances this week, completing a two-inning save against the Guardians on Friday before locking down a save in extra innings against the Royals on Wednesday. The save was his tenth of the season with an excellent 1.80 ERA over 30 innings.
Williams appeared in one game, giving up one run in a non-save situation against the Padres on Sunday. So far, it's been essentially a repeat of last season's struggles, as he's recorded a 5.57 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 21 innings.
After giving up two runs to blow a save chance against the Rockies on Friday, Megill was unavailable to pitch on Monday against the A's due to oblique tightness. It was encouraging then to see him make an appearance on Wednesday, striking out two in a scoreless frame in a non-save situation against the A's.
Things look to have shifted again with the White Sox. All three of Domíguez's outings this week came before the ninth inning. Meanwhile, Taylor pitched the ninth in both of his appearances, picking up a save and a win. The last time Taylor earned a save, Domíguez stepped back in for the next few save chances. Should Taylor settle into the ninth this time around, he can quickly rise up the rankings for the rest of the season.
Fairbanks gave up two runs against the Rays on Saturday, but was still credited with a hold before Tyler Zuber stepped in to record the save. He then bounced back with a scoreless outing against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday to fall in line for a win.
▶ Tier 4
Alex Lange - Kansas City Royals Rico Garcia - Baltimore Orioles Kaleb Killian/Keaton Winn - San Francisco Giants Clayton Beeter/Gus Varland - Washington Nationals Kyle Finnegan/Will Vest - Detroit Tigers
Things get incredibly messy from here on. Lange has taken over closing duties in Kansas City following Lucas Erceg's struggles. He rattled off four consecutive saves, then took the loss on Wednesday in extra innings against the Rangers. Lange's walk problems persist, making him a volatile and risky option for those looking for saves.
Garcia surrendered runs in back-to-back outings this week, taking a loss on Tuesday against the Mariners. Ryan Helsley progressed to facing live hitters this week as he works his way back from right elbow inflammation. The next step will be a rehab assignment before he's activated from the injured list.
The Giants continue to have trouble finding consistency in the late innings. Winn has given up six runs over his last five outings. Kilian picked up a save on Thursday, his fourth of the season, then made two more scoreless appearances in non-save situations. Don't expect any reliable save sources here. The same can be said about the Nationals. Varland recorded his fifth save, then surrendered three runs without recording an out against the Giants on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Beeter earned a win against the Giants on Monday.
No saves for the Tigers this week, but Vest did pick up a win with a scoreless inning against the Mariners on Sunday. Kenley Jansen is on his way back from a groin injury after starting a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday. He may just need an outing or two before he's activated and should step back into the closer role.
▶ Tier 5
Antonio Senzatela - Colorado Rockies Tony Santillan/Brock Burke- Cincinnati Reds Kirby Yates - Los Angeles Angels Yoendrys Gómez/Eric Orze - Minnesota Twins Elvis Alvarado/Hogan Harris - Athletics
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros rounds the bases on a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 10, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second time in three nights, it would require extra innings. This time however, the Astros wouldn’t be as fortunate as they were 48 hours earlier in the series opener, dropping the finale to the Angels by a score of 3-2. Former Astro Jose Siri would deliver the final blow with an RBI single which brought home Nick Madrigal, who served as the automatic runner with the winning score. Bryan Abreu would take the loss in relief, allowing a pair of hits on only seven pitches.
The only good news of the night was that the Astros hit two home runs. The bad news, those HRs represented their only two hits before Alvarez and Walker reached base in the 9th.
With each passing inning, there was a sense that the season is slowly slipping away. 70 games now completed with a mark of 31-39. The Astros are again 8 games under the .500 mark, and questions continue to linger. Is this the Astros new reality? Are they destined to hover towards the bottom of their division? They sit in fourth place in the A.L West, having dropped three of their last four.
Peter Lambert delivered yet another quality start, striking out 6, but would exit in the 7th with an apparent finger injury that began to swell up on a comebacker.
Mike Trout, playing DH on this night, started the scoring with a solo shot to straight away center field in the first inning. It was one of only two mistakes that Peter Lambert would make, also allowing Logan O’Hoppe in the 5th to go yard with a blast to left. The Angels this season have now hit a combined 12 home runs off of Astros pitching in their 7 meetings. With the victory, LA has now won 4 of those 7 contests.
The Astros wouldn’t register a hit until Shay Whitcomb led off the 6th inning with a solo shot. The offense has been in hibernation in recent games, and on this night was dominated by Reid Detmers who struck out five of his first seven. Detmers would finish the night with 9 K’s. Whitcomb would be the lone baserunner that Detmers would allow.
Upon exiting, Cam Smith would take Chase Silseth deep for his 7th home run of the season to tie things up at 2.
In the 9th, Yordan Alvarez appeared to break a tie at home plate after an errant throw occurred off a Christian Walker double, but the call was quickly overturned.
As the contest unfolded, encouraging news came from Sugar Land where ace Hunter Brown went 5 innings, tossing 78 pitches with 7 strikeouts in what is expected to be his final rehab start. Brown’s fastball would register 98 MPH.
All signs now point toward Brown returning next week to face the Tigers on the next Astros homestand. Before that happens, Houston will next play three in Kansas City after an off-day Thursday.
