Category: MLB

1931
With the Red Sox crushing the White Sox in the bottom of the sixth inning at Fenway Park, 13-4, Boston right fielder Earl Webb lined into a triple play: White Sox third baseman Billy Sullivan made the snag and caught Rabbit Warstler off of third base for the second out, then tripled Jack Rothrock off of first base with a throw across the diamond to Pale Hose first-sacker Lu Blue.

Despite that highlight, the White Sox lost this game early, as starter Pat Caraway was tagged with 11 earned runs on 13 hits without getting through the fifth inning. The lefthander had to wear it for a terrible (31-57) White Sox team. Caraway himself would end up having one of the worst falls from stardom in White Sox history, as he took an unbelievable 4.4 WAR rookie season in 1930 and ended up at -2.2 WAR and an MLB-leading 24 losses in 1931.

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1951
Although he was just two years into pro ball and already 29 years old, the White Sox took notice of the outstanding season Jim Rivera was having for the Seattle Rainers of the Pacific Coast League (he would win the PCL batting title and MVP, slashing .352/.420/.553 with 20 homers and 33 steals) and signed him.

He would not debut with the White Sox until 1952, but would play in 10 seasons on the South Side, and more than 1,000 games, totaling 6.0 WAR.

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1968
Manager Al Lopez had an emergency appendectomy, and would miss 36 games. Les Moss took over while Lopez was sidelined.

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1986
GM Ken Harrelson sent Bobby Bonilla back to the Pirates for pitcher José DeLeón, in an oft-criticized deal that rarely presents the entire picture.

Bonilla was selected from Pittsburgh by the Sox in the major league draft in December 1985, and was likely a player the Pirates desperately wanted back. He showed flashes of brilliance in his half season on the South Side, but just 0.5 WAR in his half-season on the South Side. He would go on to have four brilliant seasons with the Pirates, putting up 17.9 WAR before cashing in on a famous/infamous free-agent contract with the New York Mets that pays him to this day.

DeLeón, for his part, was a productive starter on the South Side, putting up 3.7 WAR over a season and a third before GM Larry Himes flipped him to the St. Louis Cardinals in a brilliant deal netting center fielder Lance Johnson and pitcher Ricky Horton.

Johnson was a gem for the White Sox, netting the club 21.3 WAR over six-plus seasons roaming center field. Without the Bonilla trade, there is no One Dog.

Ironically, both players — Bonilla and Johnson — ended their careers with 30.2 WAR.

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2007
All-time great White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce was honored with a statue at Sox Park, becoming the sixth White Sox legend so honored. Beyond being a wonderful person and lifetime ambassador (both unofficially, and officially) for the team, he was an amazing pitcher, as good as anyone in baseball in the 1950s.

Pierce ranks first all-time in White Sox strikeouts (1,796), third in shutouts (35), fourth in wins (186) and innings (2,931), third in starts (391) and fifth in games pitched (456), tied for fifth in complete games (183), sixth in pitching WAR (49.2) and second among southpaws, 10th in adjusted ERA+ (123), 20th in hits per nine innings (8.116), tied for 25th in FIP (3.42) and 27th in ERA (3.19).

Pierce received embarrassingly scant support when up for the Hall of Fame in the early 1970s, but there is hope that a Veterans Committee will right that wrong in the coming years.

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2009
It had only happened 17 times before, and on this date, Mark Buehrle became the 18th pitcher to throw a perfect game, when he shut down Tampa, 5-0. 

It was only the second no-hitter thrown at the new Sox Park — both thrown by Buehrle.

The lefthander was helped in the top of the ninth inning when Dewayne Wise made the catch of his career, leaping above the wall in left-center to snare a ball hit by Gabe Kapler. On the way down Wise started to lose the ball, then snatched it out of the air with his other hand as he tumbled to the ground. Wise had been inserted for the ninth as a defensive replacement, so this play — among the best in White Sox and baseball history — was his first action in the game.

Buehrle completed the perfect game in two hours and three minutes — the exact same amount of time as his no-hitter in 2007. He became only the fourth pitcher to ever throw a perfect game and a no-hitter (April 18, 2007), joining Cy Young, Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson. He also joined Charlie Robertson as White Sox who have pitched a perfect game. 

Afterward, Buehrle got a call from President Barack Obama, a huge White Sox fan.

Fourteen years later, South Side Sox writers Brett Ballantini and Malachi Hayes talked over their experiences at the perfect game on a podcast on our site.

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2016
It was certainly a strange and bizarre situation for the Sox. Chris Sale, arguably the best pitcher in the American League and one of the best in baseball, went on a pregame rampage and was scratched from his scheduled start against the Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field. Sale was upset that he had to wear a 1976 throwback jersey as part of a promotion for the game. 

Sale thought it was uncomfortable. With the heat index more than 100°, wearing a dark blue/black jersey probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, either. Sale decided to take matters into his own hands: During batting practice, he destroyed most of the game jerseys the team was supposed to wear by slashing them with a knife. He also said publicly the White Sox were more concerned with public relations and uniforms than winning games.

The White Sox, flirting at .500 at the time and just 3 1⁄2games out of second place in the AL Central, was forced to start Matt Albers, who went two innings, giving up one run. The bullpen game ended in a 4-3 triumph: Adam Eaton, down to his last strike on a full count, lined a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth to score Avisaíl García, who led off the inning with a single and stolen base.

Sale was suspended for five games for the incident, and was traded to Boston for a package headlined by Michael Kopech and Yoán Moncada after the season.

Late game thread because I forgot I was filling in for our beloved sandwiches. Apologies, everyone! Split the series Twins, split!

Lineups

Twins	Opponent
SP: Taj Bradley	SP: Gavin Williams
1. Brooks Lee, 3B	1. Steven Kwan, LF
2. Byron Buxton, CF	2. Jose Ramirez, 3B
3. Ryan Jeffers, C	3. Chase DeLauter, RF
4. Josh Bell, DH	4. Brayan Rocchio, SS
5. Kody Clemens, 2B	5. Travis Bazzana, 2B
6. Royce Lewis, 1B	6. Rhys Hoskins, DH
7. Austin Martin, LF	7. Kyle Manzardo, 1B
8. Luke Keaschall, RF	8. Patrick Bailey, C
9. Ryan Kreidler, SS	9. Petey Halpin, CF

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to wrap up their nine-game homestand coming out of the All-Star break this weekend, as they’ll host the Colorado Rockies for three games beginning Friday night.

The Brewers sit at 64-38 on the year, the second-best record in the league behind only the Dodgers, as they’ve built a seven-game lead over the Cubs and the rest of the pack in the NL Central. The Rockies, at 41-63, once again sit at the bottom of the NL West. They’ve lost four consecutive series against the Giants (x2), Dodgers, and Reds dating back to early July.

Milwaukee’s injured list includes pitchers DL Hall (late July/early August return), Kyle Harrison (early August), Joel Kuhnel (early August), Rob Zastryzny (late July), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). The position player injuries include outfielders Brandon Lockridge (late July/early August) and Sal Frelick (TBD), as well as infielder David Hamilton (expected to return this weekend).

Colorado is currently without pitchers Blas Castaño (TBD), Jeff Criswell (August), Jaden Hill (TBD), former Brewer Jose Quintana (August), McCade Brown (TBD), RJ Petit (out for season), Chase Dollander (out for season), and Pierson Ohl (out for season). Outfielder Brenton Doyle has been out since mid-May with oblique and groin injuries, but he’s close to a rehab assignment, while former Cub Kris Bryant may be nearing retirement as he hasn’t played in any games this year with chronic back issues.

Jake Bauers sets the pace for the Crew’s offense with 18 homers and 15 doubles this year, though he’s going through a bit of a cold stretch currently. Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Ortiz(!!) are the other key contributors in recent weeks, with Andrew Vaughn, Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, Braden Shewmake, and Blake Perkins also in the mix. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .252/.336/.397 (.733 OPS ranks 10th), with 94 homers (last), 514 runs (fifth), and 100 steals (sixth).

Backstop Hunter Goodman and outfielder Mickey Moniak have been the best offensive players for Colorado, as Goodman leads the team with 31 homers and Moniak has added 16 homers and 11 doubles in just 67 games. Rookie TJ Rumfield is hitting .297/.381/.476 with 13 homers, and Jake McCarthy is batting over .300. Willi Castro, Kyle Karros, Braxton Fulford, Troy Johnston, Tyler Freeman, Cole Carrigg, Ezequiel Tovar, Edouard Julien, and Brett Sullivan round things out. As a team, the Rockies are hitting .255/.325/.420 (.745 OPS ranks fifth), with 118 homers (17th), 495 runs (tied for seventh), and 70 steals (tied for 14th).

Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill anchor Milwaukee’s bullpen, as they’ve combined for 22 saves. Uribe has a 2.38 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings, and Megill has a 3.00 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 39 innings, a major feat when you consider where he was two weeks into the season. Chad Patrick, Aaron Ashby, and Grant Anderson are also key parts of this Brewer bullpen, with Criag Yoho, Lance McCullers Jr., and Bryse Wilson rounding things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.44 team ERA (second), including a 3.36 starter ERA (first) and a 3.53 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 997 batters (second) over 913 2/3 innings.

Brennan Bernardino is one of the few bright spots for this Rockies bullpen, as he has a 2.74 ERA over 42 2/3 innings this year. Juan Mejia and Victor Vodnik are tied for the team lead with four saves each, though both have ERAs in the 5.00s. Former starter-turned-reliever Antonio Senzatela has been solid with 3.60 ERA, as has long-reliever/starter Gabriel Hughes (2.79 ERA over 19 1/3 IP) and former closer Jordan Romano (1.59 ERA over 5 2/3 IP) in limited appearances. The two other bulk relievers have struggled — Jimmy Herget has a 5.60 ERA over 27 1/3 IP, and Zach Agnos sports a 6.42 ERA over 61 2/3 IP. As a staff, the Rockies have a 5.50 team ERA (last), including a 6.00 starter ERA (last) and a 4.95 bullpen ERA (26th). They’ve struck out 735 batters (29th) over 914 1/3 innings.

Also of note: The Brewers are hosting an Alumni Legends Game after Friday’s game, which is why it has the odd 3:10 p.m. start time. The Legends Game will feature approximately 30 players for a three-inning exhibition set to begin 15 minutes after the conclusion of the Brewers-Rockies game. Players confirmed to be playing include Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, Ben Sheets, Geoff Jenkins, and many more. To view the full list, click here.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, July 24 @ 3:10 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (5-3, 3.20 ERA, 3.08 FIP) vs. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4, 4.76 ERA, 5.39 FIP)

Drohan, 27, has quickly become a solid option in Milwaukee’s rotation, as he’s gone at least six innings in each of his last three outings. The left-hander has totaled 76 innings this year with a 3.20 ERA, 3.08 FIP, and 76 strikeouts. He went six frames against the Marlins in his last outing, picking up the win as he allowed three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out nine batters. Drohan picked up a win in his start against the Rockies in early June, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out four over 6 1/3 innings.

Sugano, 36, is in his second MLB season after starting 30 games for the Orioles last season. He’s had similar numbers in year No. 2 with the Rockies, with a 4.76 ERA, 5.39 FIP, and 51 strikeouts over 90 2/3 innings. He bounced back from a rough seven-run outing against the Twins to pitch 6 1/3 innings with three runs allowed in a win over the Reds in his last appearance, giving up six hits and no walks while striking out three. Sugano’s lone appearance against Milwaukee came as an Oriole last year, when he went six innings with two runs allowed on five hits and a walk, striking out three in a no-decision.

Saturday, July 25 @ 6:10 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (2-4, 4.91 ERA, 5.13 FIP) vs. RHP Ryan Feltner (3-4, 5.48 ERA, 5.68 FIP)

Gasser, 27, has had his ups and downs in his third MLB season, though he’s made more appearances this year (10) than in 2024 and 2025 combined (seven). Over his 10 starts, he’s 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA, 5.13 FIP, and 48 strikeouts across 51 1/3 innings. The lefty went five innings in a no-decision against the Marlins on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out five. This marks Gasser’s first career appearance against Colorado.

Feltner, 29, is in his sixth MLB season, and he’s been serviceable albeit not good for his entire career. He’s made 14 starts this year, with a 3-4 record, 5.48 ERA, 5.68 FIP, and 50 strikeouts over 65 2/3 innings. The right-hander has been hit hard against the Giants and Reds in his last two outings, totaling just 6 2/3 innings with 12 runs allowed on 13 hit and eight walks while striking out six. Feltner has made six career starts against the Brewers, and he’s been mostly successful with a 2.67 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 33 2/3 innings. That includes a solid six-inning showing back in June, when he allowed one run on one hit, two walks, and a hit batter while striking out four.

Sunday, July 26 @ 1:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (10-4, 1.57 ERA, 2.05 FIP) vs. LHP Kyle Freeland (2-9, 7.28 ERA, 4.90 FIP)

Misiorowski, 24, continues to mow down hitters even as the Brewers have tried to ease back his workload out of the All-Star break. He leads the majors in plenty of major categories, including ERA (1.57), FIP (2.05), WHIP (0.774), and strikeouts (173) across 115 innings. He went four innings against the Mets on Monday evening, allowing one unearned run on four hits and a walk, striking out six. Miz looked great against Colorado when he faced them back on June 6, allowing one unearned run on four hits and three walks, striking out eight over seven frames.

Freeland, 33, is in his 10th big-league season, all with the Rockies, and he’s been mostly bad since finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting back in 2018. This year has been his worst, though, as he’s totaled -0.8 bWAR with a 2-9 record, 7.28 ERA, 4.90 FIP, and 83 strikeouts over 94 innings. He leads the league with 76 earned runs, including at least four runs allowed in four of his last five outings. He went six innings against the Nationals his last time out, allowing four runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, striking out four. Freeland has made 11 career starts against Milwaukee, with a 3.55 ERA and 53 strikeouts over 63 1/3 innings. He went five frames against the Crew in June, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, July 24: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, July 25: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, July 26: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

These are a pair of teams with very different trajectories since meeting in the 2018 playoffs. The Brewers have the advantage in virtually every facet, and I expect that to play out on the field; give me the Crew to sweep.

Catching up on some roster news from this week, catcher Will Smith was moved to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday, which opened up a 40-man roster spot for Charlie Barnes. That’s right, Smith and Barnes are linked yet again.

Smith moving to the 60-day injured list means he can’t technically return until August 7, but that doesn’t materially affect the timeline for his return from neck inflammation. Manager Dave Roberts said last weekend that Smith will be out until at least mid-August at the earliest, with no definitive timeline on when he might return this season. Which brings in the valid question of whether the Dodgers try to acquire a catcher by the August 3 trade deadline to pair with Dalton Rushing should Smith not be able to return this season.

The last game Smith played for the Dodgers was June 5, with the three-time All-Star hitting .249/.338/.382 with eight home runs in 52 games and a 102 wRC+ this season. Rushing last weekend passed Smith in defensive innings and games started behind the plate this season, potentially paving the way for a Dodgers catcher besides Smith to lead in those categories for the first time since 2019.

Barnes was active for the last two games against the Phillies but did not pitch, replacing Landon Knack as the bulk arm in the bullpen after Knack pitched two innings on Monday in Philadelphia.

Barnes was claimed by the Dodgers off waivers from the Cubs on May 9, and the 30-year-old left-hander has pitched in three games for the Dodgers in his two previous stints in the majors this season. After a pair of scoreless innings in relief in May, Barnes soaked up seven innings in relief, giving up seven runs in a loss to the A’s on July 1 that was mostly about resetting the bullpen during a stretch of 13 game days in a row.

The Dodgers designated Barnes for assignment on July 11 to make room for activating Knack off the 60-day injured list. After clearing waivers and getting sent outright to the minors, Barnes opted for free agency, then re-signed on a minor league deal with the Dodgers on July 17.

In seven starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, Barnes has a 5.65 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 12 walks in 28 2/3 innings. He hasn’t pitched in a game since that July 1 game in West Sacramento.

Last week, I wondered how many wins the Giants would need to pick up in this second part of the season to wind up with a somewhat respectable record. You know, a record that True Believers “legs” to stand on when proselytizing about their favorite team. But what if the team loses 100+ games?

Some good responses in that comments thread of last week’s post, and the bigger issue is that this miserable team has lost a lot of public trust along with all the goodwill of Buster Posey taking over Baseball Operations. But there are still the prospect huggers out there who see the Jackson Flora draft and other exciting developments in the farm as reason to focus on the positives and ignore the negatives, even if those negatives are some of the most damning in the franchise’s history: losing triple digits for the second time ever and going five years without a winning season for the first time ever.

I guess no fandom is a monolith and I can’t convince people who’ve already ignored the bad baseball of the past decade (sorry, 2021 team!) that they should have serious doubts about the quality of the franchise. So, let’s just sequalize my week-old post, given the ugly sweep in Kansas City. Just how likely are 100+ losses now?

Through 102 games, the franchise’s sole 100-loss team (1985) was 40-62. Zack & Buster’s 2026 Giants are 42-60. With 60 games left, the Giants will need to go 21-39 to avoid 100 losses. The 1985 team went 22-38 over their final 60. So, yes, these Giants would have to play worse than the worst team in Giants history to match or exceed.

Obviously, they can do it.

The trade deadline seems likely to accelerate the losing. The bullpen and defense blowing games is annoying enough, but the coaching and decision trees managing the roster today will still be in place managing the post-deadline roster, and if you thought the bullpen, defense, and coaching is bad now, it’ll only get worse when the starting pitching doesn’t even give them a chance and the lineup features even less experience and Gold Glove-caliber defense.

Previously, I’d predicted 30 more wins, which would’ve gotten them to 71-91. After a 1-5 start to the second part of the season, they’d need to go 29-31 the rest of the way. I mean, who cares about my prediction, but the notion that they could go 29-31 is absurd. 21-39 even feels like a stretch, but let’s run through this with the taste of this 1-5 road trip fresh in our mouths:

vs. Angels (3 games) — a truly horrendous team, but the Giants are just 3-6 against them the past 3 seasons; and, this series will be before the trade deadline, meaning that the few good players on that roster likely to be traded will be showcased against the Giants. Prediction: 2-1 (although, the Giants just got owned by the Royals)
vs. the Brewers (3 games) — They’re really, really good. Prediction: 1-2 (I have to believe the Giants can scratch out a win at home)
at San Diego (4 games) — the final series before the trade deadline and despite the Padres’ struggles (they’re 2-4 out of the break and were owned by the Royals, too!) it’s likely that they won’t be sellers. They, like the Giants, are just drawing too well. They have a new ownership group coming in, too. They’re just 3 games back of a Wild Card spot as I write this. The Padres have lost just 1 season series to the Giants this decade (2021, natch). Prediction: split?
at Texas (3 games) — The Giants are bad on the road and haven’t won 4 in a row all season. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Detroit (3 games) — The Tigers handled the Giants pretty easily last year in a sweep in Detroit and while it’s true that the 2026 version has struggled a lot, it’s still the case that they’re much, much, much (much?) better than the Giants. Their lineup features three All-Stars: Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle, and Riley Greene, and an enviable rotation with Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Casey Mize, and even Jack Flaherty, Keider Montero, and now Troy Melton. They are 21-31 on the road this season, though. Hmm… Prediction: 1-2
vs. Houston (3 games) — A tricky team. Are they buyers or sellers? Are they a “fake” .500 team? Well, I’ll just let this decide: they’re 13-17 in interleague this season while having a -45 run differential overall. Still, they’re 11th in MLB in runs scored (4th in AL) and Giants pitching won’t get any better this year. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Colorado (3 games) — Gosh, I hope this isn’t a tough series. Prediction: 3-0 (is this where the first 4-game winning streak happens???)
at Cleveland (3 games) — Patrick Bailey revenge series? Who cares, the Guardians have great pitching and they are good for a second-half run. Prediction: 0-3
at Boston (3 games) — Their long win streak will be over by this point (probably), but even in their comedown, they’ll probably still be able to get up to bash the Giants to death (metaphorically) if for no other reason than to stick it to Rafael Devers for some reason — could easily see him having a great series but with Giants pitching unable to capitalize. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Cincinnati (3 games) — This team seems to be out of it. Prediction: 2-1
vs. Arizona (4 games) — The Giants are 1-8 against the Diamondbacks this season. I would expect this series to put the team out of its misery. Prediction: 1-3
at Atlanta (1 game) — I cannot fathom the Giants sweep. Prediction: 0-1
at Pittsburgh (3 games) — Will the Pirates fade down the stretch? That’s the big question. On the other hand, they’re second in MLB in runs scored (543 to Washington’s 567), so, I think they will get a big kick out of kicking the Giants’ collective ass. Prediction: 1-2
at Mets (3 games) — This team will probably remake itself at the deadline and I wonder if they will be one of those teams that improve after retooling on the fly. Anyway, unless the Mets reacquire Jeff McNeil or Pete Alonso, I’m a bit more confident about the Giants facing the Mets. Then again, it’s a road series, and the Mets will still have Juan Soto. Prediction 1-2
vs. St. Louis (3 games) — This series will be the final leg of a 3-city, 9-game road trip for the Cardinals where the first two series are at Dodger Stadium followed by Coors Field. So, I’ll be a little bullish. Prediction: 2-1
vs. San Diego (3 games) — Let’s just keep the good vibes going. Prediction: 2-1
at St. Louis (3 games) — Of course, the Cardinals will get their revenge. Prediction: 1-2
at Dodgers (3 games) — The Giants have played the Dodgers hard, but ending the season against them has, time and again, been disastrous. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Minnesota (3 games) — Will the Twins’ surprising season continue? They’ll have just come off a 4-game series against the Angels in Anaheim, but prior to that, they’ll have run a pretty remarkable gauntlet: 6 against the White Sox, 6 against the Tigers, 3 against the Guardians, and 3 against the Yankees. That 18-game stretch might be enough to short circuit their season and set them on a course to merely play out the string against the Giants. That’s the thinking I have to have in order to make this prediction: 2-1.
vs. Dodgers (3 games) — Since 2017, here is the Giants’ record versus the Dodgers in September: 11-27. For the sake of the rivalry, lets say Prediction: 1-2.

So… 26 wins? 68-94? And this is maybe still optimistic?

I just want to make it clear that I understand “It’s Baseball!” and anything can happen. Something could turn around this entire team and set them on a run that doesn’t look so bad. But we’ve been saying this for years and years. They haven’t given any reasonable person any inkling that “positive regression” or a long win streak is in the immediate future. This is a team in the midst of either an accidental reboot or a lost season that can’t really be explained or fixed. Sort of like 2021’s Wario — but this is the best case scenario going forward.

Maybe the team does need us to write them off to spark a turnaround… that would only get them into the 70-win range. That’s the thing. This is a bad Giants team with a ceiling of “not as bad as they looked for most of the season.” Like, if they wind up with, say, 74 wins, in a couple of years somebody would write, “an 88-loss season that felt like 128.” I don’t know what this era of Giants Baseball will wind up being known as, but it’ll be known for resetting franchise expectations.

Sure, they’ll end the year with the most wins in Baseball history still (around 11,670), but since 1972 (the season they traded Willie Mays), they’re pretty close to .500 (4,356-4,265), and 49% of the seasons (27 of 55) have been non-winning ones (the two .500 seasons are in this count). There have been just 49 non-winning seasons out of 144 in Giants history (34%) and 55% of them have come in the last 54 years. So, statistically, this is the franchise’s Losing Era. And despite the 3 championships, a 107-win season, the spectacle of Barry Bonds, and the beautiful ballpark, that is what it feels like.

Here’s the Twins lineup

Finale in Cleveland

📺 https://t.co/usGFyQCbUxpic.twitter.com/HVMt8zyLjY

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 23, 2026

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Guardians 7/23

S. Kwan LF
J. Ramírez 3B
C. DeLauter RF
B. Rocchio SS
T. Bazzana 2B
R. Hoskins DH
K. Manzardo 1B
P. Bailey C
P. Halpin CF

G. Williams SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) July 23, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!

All things being equal, the team and the fanbase would most like to see the Phillies add an impact bat at the Trade Deadline.

But as always, supply and demand remain the greatest obstacle to landing an impact bat. There aren’t that many, if any, offensive stars available and the ones that are would likely require more than what the Phillies have in their war chest of prospects to offer.

With 11 days left until the Trade Deadline, I see seven clear sellers: the Mets, Giants, Rockies, Blue Jays, A’s, Royals and Angels. There are several other players not on these teams who are hitting the rumor mill, too.

Among those seven teams, here are the players who would qualify as “impact” bats, with my best guess that they could possibly be traded to the Phils in parantheses. There are other bats that will be available. Some will provide moderate upgrades and some will provide little-to-no improvement. But these are the big boys.

Heliot Ramos – Giants (65%)

The Giants have perhaps the two most intriguing and realistic players at this year’s deadline. The first of them is right-handed hitting corner outfielder Helio Ramos, who has hit nine homers with an OPS of .759 in 64 games this season. He was an All Star two years ago for the Giants when he slugged 22 homers in 121 games, and started 157 games for San Francisco last year with a .728 OPS and 21 dingers.

Ramos would help with one of the team’s biggest deficiencies — hitting left-handed pitching. This year he has a .315/.351/.556 slash line against southpaws, and for his career has posted an .857 OPS against them.

I think this is the guy they want.

Luis Arraez – Giants (40%)

Arraez is not a middle-of-the-order power bat, but he would help with one other area of extreme weakness — getting on base.

Entering their weekend series against the Yankees, the Phils’ .303 OBP is second-worst in Major League Baseball. They simply don’t get on base enough to be consistent. Arraez has a career .363 OBP and so far this season has been getting on base at a .359 clip. He’s also hitting .320, has an .805 OPS and has been worth 2.9 WAR at second base.

Adding Arraez would require the Phillies to trade one of their infielders away, most likely Bryson Stott or Alec Bohm, or move Trea Turner to the outfield. I think most Phils fans would be willing to go there.

Mike Trout – Angels (5%)

Trout is still owed a ton of money ($37 million a season through 2030), he’s an oft-injued 34-year-old, has a full no-trade clause and seems totally disinterested in leaving Los Angeles. The only way this happens is if he tells the Angels he wants to get dealt, and there are no indications he’s ready to do that.

But should that change, the Phillies should absolutely inquire what it would take to land him. His .234 batting average isn’t great, but his .388 OBP is elite, and he’s slugged 18 home runs in 84 games this year. On paper, it would make a lot of sense.

Byron Buxton – Twins (4%)

He’d be a perfect fit. Full stop. He’s got speed, power, and is a fantastic defender. He would cost a million prospects, and they would all be worth it. He’s been healthy for two years now, so the concern of him getting injured again has lessened a bit.

The problem is that he tells everyone in no uncertain terms that he is not leaving Minnesota. So the only reason I include him here is because people have been known to change their minds. So, he joins Mr. Trout in the happy-to-lose crew until they decide they’re tired of losing.

Francisco Lindor – Mets (3%)

Reports indicate that if Lindor is going to be dealt, it won’t be until the off-season. But New York should consider it now, given teams are always a little more desperate at the Trade Deadline and clubs competing for a World Series title would get an extra two months of the star shortstop.

Lindor has not had a great season, but neither has anyone else in New York. His 0.8 WAR pales in comparison to his WAR totals since joining the Mets, but he also missed about 50 games with an injury. Is that six-win player still in there? The Phillies should at least be calling to see. If he is available, Trea Turner would have to move someplace else, but whatever happens would be worth it.

Bo Bichette – Mets (1%)

It’s really hard to envision a scenario in which the Phillies trade prospect capital and take on whatever is left of Bichette’s insane $42 million contract.

Maybe they’d do it if Bichette was having a good season, but highly doubtful for a guy with a 0.3 WAR and .677 OPS this year. But, he is a potential impact bat, so he’s included here.

Hunter Goodman – Rockies (0%)

There are some solid left-handed hitters on Colorado (first baseman TJ Rumfield and outfielders Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy), but the National League’s best right-handed power hitter is catcher Hunter Goodman. He currently leads all NL hitters in slugging percentage (.563) and has smashed 31 home runs in just 397 PAs.

No doubt teams will be calling the Rockies about him, and it’s doubtful Colorado will deal the 26-year-old. However, one never can count out that franchise doing something stupid. I doubt the Phillies have the prospects to land him, and you’d have to figure out what to do with J.T. Realmuto, but there’s no doubt Goodman would be the most impactful bat out there. It’s just not going to happen.

Shea Langeliers – Athletics (0%)

Just like Goodman, it’s hard to envision the A’s trading away their best hitter. But this is the A’s, we’re talking about.

Langeliers started for the American League in last week’s All Star Game and is crushing the ball to the tune of an .830 OPS, a 122 OPS+ and 23 HRs. Oakland outfielders Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler have both shown promise in the past, but are not “impact” bats right now, and both hit left-handed.

It’s unlikely the Phils could meet the prospect price for Langeliers and there is, again, the issue of what to do with Realmuto. Make him baseball’s most expensive back-up?

Being a Yankees fan is in my blood. My late father Bill was a diehard Yankees; his favorite player was Mickey Mantle. There was no way his first-born and only son was not going to be a Yankees fan. 

He took me to my first game 55 years ago, the anniversary of which just passed last Saturday.

It was July 18, 1971, a Bat Daydoubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on a Sunday afternoon. I remember being thrilled because the bat I got was a Bobby Murcer model – my favorite player at the time. My dad taught me how to keep score, something I still do to this day whenever I go to a game. Still have all the scorecards, too. 

The Yankees swept both games of the twin bill. In the opener, they rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth off knuckleballer Wilbur Wood to win, 3-2. Murcer had a two-run single to tie the game and Ron Swoboda’s RBI single won it. Then in the nightcap, Mike Kekich threw a one-hitter in a 6-1 victory. The lone hit Kekich allowed was a solo fifth-inning home run to Mike Andrews. Roy White backed Kekich with a two-run home run, a double and a steal of home. 

I’ve been hooked on the Yankees ever since. 

Reaching 55 years from my first Yankees game got me thinking about all the ballgames I’ve attended over the years, all the moments and players I’ve been fortunate to witness.  

I have seen the Yankees play at the original Yankee Stadium, the remodeled version, and the current one. I saw them play home games at Shea Stadium in 1974 and 1975. I have seen them on the road at the SkyDome in Toronto; Camden Yards in Baltimore; old RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.; and what was once U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. 

In all, I have been to 117 Yankees games and my record is 69-48. That includes one Opening Day (2011) and four other home openers (1985, 1997, 1998, 1999). 

Ten of the victories came in walk-off fashion, including:

• Graig Nettles hitting a home run in the bottom of the ninth off Mickey Lolich to give the Yankees a 2-1 win over the Detroit Tigers and complete a doubleheader sweep on June 24, 1973.
• Don Baylor going deep in the bottom of the ninth to beat the White Sox, 5-4, and win the home opener April 16, 1985.
• Paul O’Neill and David Justice clubbing solo home runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the Boston Red Sox, 4-3, on April 22, 2001. (O’Neill threw his bat in frustration, not realizing that the ball sailed out.)
• Alex Rodriguez hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to defeat the Atlanta Braves, 4-3, on June 28, 2006.
• Starlin Castro homering in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Colorado Rockies, 9-8, on June 22, 2016.

Then there was Kerry Dineen. He only played in 16 games in his MLB career and had 12 hits and a pair of RBIs. On May 21, 1976, hours after being called up from Triple-A Syracuse, he delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 12th inning to beat the Red Sox, 6-5. This came one day after the famous brawl between the teams when Lou Piniella barreled into catcher Carlton Fisk and Boston pitcher Bill Lee injured his shoulder during the fracas. 

Some games were memorable because of what the opposition did. 

Twice, I almost saw opposing pitchers no-hit the Yankees. On September 12, 1981, Bob Ojeda of the Red Sox didn’t allow a hit through eight innings and faced only one batter over the minimum. But Rick Cerone and Dave Winfield led off the ninth with consecutive pinch-hit doubles to break up the bid. Boston still won, 2-1.

Then September 28, 2006, Daniel Cabrera of the Baltimore Orioles came within two outs of a no-hitter, only to have Robinson Canó single to ruin it. On his next pitch, Cabrera got a game-ending double play to complete a 7-1 win. 

There was the much-anticipated nationally televised pitching showdown between Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens on Sunday night, May 28, 2000. It lived up to the hype and ended with Trot Nixon hitting a two-run home run in the top of the ninth off Clemens for a 2-0 Boston win. 

Most of the memorable moments, though, were done by the Yankees. 

I saw them crush the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of a doubleheader, 19-2, to clinch the American League East Division title on September 25, 1996. I also saw Don Mattingly have his No. 23 retired prior to the game against the Montreal Expos on August 31, 1997.

I was there to see A-Rod hit his 600th career home run August 4, 2010 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Also saw him get career hit Nos. 2,998 and 2,999 against the Miami Marlins on June 18, 2015, and saw Ichiro Suzuki get his 4,000th career hit between Japan and MLB on August 21, 2013 against the Blue Jays.

On August 25, 2011, Robinson Canó, Russell Martin, and Curtis Granderson hit grand slams in a 22-9 win over the Oakland A’s – the first time a major league team hit three grand slams in the same game. What made being there more special was the fact my daughters were with me for their first game. I have been able to pass on my love for the Yankees to them, the way my dad did with me.

More recently, we were at Ben Rice’s three-home run game against the Red Sox on July 6, 2024 – coincidentally my dad’s birthday.

It has been a lot of fun going to games these past 55 years and cheering for the Yankees. Getting to cover and write about the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders now has only enhanced that fandom.

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There are only 10 teams in action today, but there are still some hurlers worth putting our money on, with multiple MLB player props showing value.

Shane Bieber might get hit around, but he will have a great leash. Brandon Pfaadt doesn't miss bats and is an Under candidate, and Ian Seymour has plenty of outs for his walk prop.

These are my favorite MLB strikeout props for Thursday, July 23.

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Strikeout prop: Shane Bieber Over 4.5 strikeouts (+125)

I have a lot of exposure to the Tampa offense today, but Shane Bieber getting extended might be the sneaky angle. His projected pitch count around 90 is already showing some value on the Over punchouts.

Bieber has been getting hit hard, but the recent strikeout numbers are encouraging with 10 Ks over his last 10+ innings.

He can still be a strikeout-per-inning pitcher when the stuff is there, and he has already reached 97 pitches in one of his five starts this season. A six-inning leash is very realistic. He still owns a 27% CSW rate over some rocky outings. 

The Rays are heading home, creating a getaway-game angle that should help Bieber. He is also much tougher on left-handed hitters, and Toronto's only available lefty out of the bullpen is Brendon Little and his 17.61 ERA.

The Blue Jays also used six relievers last night, which only increases the chance Bieber gets every opportunity to work deep.

Do I think Bieber can get hit? Yes. Do I think he has enough leash to reach six innings and strike out five at plus money? Also yes.

If the stuff is there, this could cash comfortably. If he gets hit, the volume still gives him a chance. I'm playing this to +100.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rays.TV, Sportsnet

Strikeout prop: Brandon Pfaadt Under 3.5 strikeouts (-111)

Brandon Pfaadt is the definition of a pitch-to-contact starter. He is averaging just half a strikeout per inning this season and rarely gets to those deep two-strike counts needed to pile up Ks.

Nick Martinez leads MLB in pitches per plate appearance among qualified starters at 3.5, but Pfaadt isn't far behind at 3.6. He is not one of the league leaders in making hitters work, and that doesn't translate into strikeouts.

His K/9 ranks in the Bottom 25 among MLB starters, and his Bottom 15th percentile whiff rate is nothing to chase.

The innings can be misleading because Pfaadt gets deep by letting hitters put the ball in play early, not by overpowering them. The projections show value on his Under 3.5 strikeouts, but they are based on a 91-pitch workload that feels aggressive.

Pfaadt has thrown 87, 77, and 72 pitches over his last three starts and hasn't recorded more than 16 outs in any of them. I'm playing the Under 3.5 Ks down to -120.

• Time: 5:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, DBACKS.TV

Walks allowed prop: Ian Seymour Over 1.5 walks allowed (+115)

Ian Seymour has not gotten deep over his last two starts, throwing 61 and 78 pitches, but he has hit this Over in both of those games.

His control away from the Trop is also favorable, as his BB/9 on the road sits at 4.8 vs. 2.6 at home. That's 11 walks in 18 road innings.

Toronto might not be the best BB% team in baseball, but this offense is more than struggling and has to see pitches today vs. a struggling pitcher with control issues. 

THE BAT is projecting 85 pitches and 1.74 walks, making the break-even price around -115/-120.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rays.TV, Sportsnet

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Let's dive into my favorite MLB player props and MLB picks to attack on Thursday, July 23.

Best MLB player props today

Shane Bieber Over 2.5 Earned Runs (-116)

The Tampa Bay Rays offense is one of the highest rated on this five game slate, as they draw Toronto Blue Jays right hander Shane Bieber, one of the lowest rated pitchers on Batters-Box.

Over his last five starts, Bieber owns a 5.70 ERA, 7.35 xERA, and 1.73 WHIP. During that stretch, opposing hitters have generated a 53% hard hit rate and nearly a 12% barrel rate against him.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has been seeing the ball extremely well over the last week, posting a 144 wRC+, .373 wOBA, and .850 OPS. With the way Bieber has been pitching lately, this feels like a great spot to fade him this afternoon.

I would play this prop down to -120 if I had to.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RAYS, Sportsnet

Junior Caminero Over 1.5 Total Bases (-110)

Rays superstar Junior Caminero enters Thursday with one of the highest matchup ratings on Batters-Box, while covering 71% of Bieber’s pitch mix.

On top of that, he has strong trends when elite on the road, surpassing this prop 60% of the time when elite, while also leaving the yard 30% of the time across 20 elite road games.

This season, through 33 elite rated games, Caminero has gone over this prop 54.55% of the time while leaving the yard 24.24% of the time.

The Rays slugger has been on an absolute tear over his last 30 at-bats against right handed pitching, posting a .375 BA, 1.042 OPS, .457 wOBA, while generating a 52.6% hard hit rate and 10.5% barrel rate.

As for Bieber, right handed hitters have been crushing him this season, producing a 55% hard hit rate, 12.5% barrel rate, and 60% elevation rate. On top of that, they own a .402 xBA, .732 xSLG, and .470 xwOBA against him.

Caminero is one of my favorite looks on the board today, and I would pay this down to -120.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RAYS, Sportsnet

Brandon Pfaadt Under 3.5 Strikeouts (-111)

Everyone’s favorite pitcher during the 2023 MLB playoffs, Arizona Diamondbacks right hander Brandon Pfaadt, is who we are fading this evening by taking the under on his strikeout prop.

Sure, the young right hander has pitched well over his last few starts, but he still owns just a 15% strikeout rate across his last 5 outings.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals have been fantastic at making contact at home, sporting a 77.5% contact rate. Over their last 6 games, that number sits at 76.7%.

With a sub 20% strikeout rate at home this season, I expect the Cardinals to minimize the whiffs and put plenty of balls in play against the Diamondbacks right hander.

Play this down to -115 at the most.

• Time: 5:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CARD, ARID

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Should Sox pursue Zach Neto? Assessing rumored trade target originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Could the Boston Red Sox land their shortstop of the future at this year’s MLB trade deadline?

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto has been linked to Boston as a potential trade target, and the discourse is growing louder with the Aug. 3 deadline looming. The Red Sox could use an upgrade to their middle infield, and the 25-year-old Neto fits what they’re looking for as a premier right-handed bat.

Boston reportedly tried to trade for Neto in the offseason, but L.A.’s price was too high. Now, with the Angels cruising toward another last-place season, it sounds like they’re open for business (via ESPN):

“(John) Mozeliak, brought in as a consultant and interim general manager about a month ago, is very open to trading controllable players if the right offers materialize, according to people who have spoken with him in recent days. …

“Mozeliak could be tempted to take advantage of what is expected to be a major sellers’ market, especially with the knowledge that the Angels are not a year away — or two, or potentially even three — from legitimate contention.”

Is Neto the kind of player the Red Sox should be pursuing ahead of the deadline? We assessed the potential move below:

Slugging shortstop

We advocated for a Neto trade back in May because of the power he’d bring to one of the league’s worst lineups. The 2022 first-round draft pick tallied 23 homers in 2024, 26 in 2025, and has 19 so far this year. He posted a WAR over 5.0 in each of the last two seasons.

UNBELIEVABLE ENDING

ZACH NETO HITS A WALK-OFF HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/f59JSth4VG

— MLB (@MLB) May 19, 2026

So, what’s the catch?

Neto has struck out an American League-leading 141 times this season for a K rate of 31.5 percent. Then there’s the defense at shortstop, where he ranks near the bottom of the league in Outs Above Average (-8).

Where does he fit?

Neto has exclusively played shortstop throughout his four-year big-league career, so it’s safe to assume that’s where he’d play in Boston. That would raise obvious questions about Red Sox veteran shortstop Trevor Story, who’s expected to return from injury later this season and is under contract through 2027.

While Neto would be an upgrade over Boston’s current shortstop options, top prospect Franklin Arias could reach the MLB club as soon as next season. Would Arias shift over to second base? And if so, would it be wise to force another top infield prospect to change positions upon reaching the majors given what the club just went through with Marcelo Mayer?

Contract situation

Neto and the Angels avoided arbitration with a $4.15 million deal for 2026. He’s under team control through 2029.

What would he cost?

The price has probably come down since the offseason, but as a talented 25-year-old shortstop under contract for the next three years, Neto will still cost a pretty penny.

The Angels are likely years away from fielding a competitive ballclub, so they’re expected to want a package of top prospects in return. Since Arias is almost certainly off the table, Boston could offer a package headlined by one of their top pitching prospects — Anthony Eyanson or Kyson Witherspoon.

Verdict

A decent Plan B or C.

If the Red Sox are going to give up the farm for a big bat, we’d prefer one of the power-hitting catchers we’ve already covered — Hunter Goodman (Rockies) or Shea Langeliers (Athletics). If they’re off the table, or Neto would cost significantly less, we’d make the move for the Angels shortstop.

While Neto would undoubtedly help the Red Sox this season, it’s understandable to feel uneasy about his long-term future with the club. His alarming strikeout rate and poor defense are legitimate red flags. That said, beggars can’t be choosers, and Neto would instantly become the best hitter in Boston’s lineup alongside Willson Contreras.

The Royals recently added their newest draft picks to the organization, so it seems like a good time to look back and how their past draft classes have fared. Five years later, how are their 2021 draftees performing?

Unlike drafts in the NFL and NBA, the MLB Draft isn’t simply a matter of taking the best player available. Every pick in the first ten rounds comes with an assigned slot value, and each club has a capped bonus pool to sign its entire draft class. Teams can pay draft picks the full slot value, or they can allocate the funds in uneven ways with some draft picks getting less than slot value and others getting much more.

This strategy is called drafting a player “underslot.” By selecting a player willing to sign for below the slot value of your first-round pick, a team can free up bonus pool money to spend later in the draft. That extra money can be used to entice hard-to-sign prospects, usually high school players who can use college as leverage if they don’t receive an acceptable offer, to sign for well above the slot value of where they are selected. The strategy can be especially effective in draft classes without a clear-cut top prospect but with considerable depth, allowing teams to spread their resources across multiple high-upside players rather than concentrating them in a single pick. It is similar to the strategy of “trading down” in other drafts, but since MLB does not allow teams to swap picks, they instead use the underslot strategy.

That was the strategy the Royals employed in 2021 when they had the seventh overall pick. There was no consensus top pick that year, with Louisville catcher Henry Davis, Vanderbilt pitchers Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, high school pitcher Jackson Jobe, and prep infielders Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawlar, Khalil Watson, and Brady House among the top names. With no clear dichotomy between tiers, it seemed the Royals were in a good position to land a talented player at pick #7.

“The beauty of the opportunity we’re in is that there are going to be several options in front of us,” scouting director Lonnie Goldberg said.

Leading up to the draft there was a lot of buzz linking the Royals to Rocker, who had wowed scouts pitching for the Commodores in the College World Series. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel wrote Rocker-to-the-Royals was “looking like one of the more likely picks in the mock.”

However he had some fluctuations in velocity that spring and his advisor Scott Boras refused to submit Rocker to pre-draft MRI testing. Rocker fell to the Mets at #10, and failed to sign after the Mets did not make an offer after his physical. Rocker would be selected by the Rangers third overall the next year and is currently in their starting rotation.

The Royals were also connected to many of the prep infielders, with Jim Callis at MLB Pipeline writing that the team was “believed to prefer a hitter.” They were said to be interested in Lawlar and Watson, but the buzz was about House, a prep infielder from Georgia, who Keith Law of The Athletic characterized as having “sort of been the Royals’ guy.” There was also some buzz the Royals could take infielder Will Taylor, a speedy high school outfielder from South Carolina whom most observers ranked outside the top ten.

The draft got off to a surprising start with the Pirates bypassing Mayer to take Davis, the Louisville catcher. The Rangers snagged Leiter, and the Tigers took a gamble on Jobe. The Red Sox pounced on Mayer, and the Orioles went with an underslot selection by taking Sam Houston State outfielder Colton Cowser. Arizona took Lawlar, leaving the Royals with several options they were connected to, including Rocker, House, and Watson.

The Royals zagged and took Connecticut high school pitcher Frank Mozzicato, who Baseball America ranked as the #42 prospect in the draft. David Schoenfield at ESPN wrote that the selection “certainly qualifies as the most surprising pick so far.” Mozzicato had pitched in the Northeast, generally not a hotbed of baseball talent, and had avoided national tournaments. His fastball sat in the upper 80s, but scouts were wowed by a plus curve that helped him throw four no-hitters. Ben Badler at Baseball America wrote that while it was “surprising to see him go this high,” he loved Mozzicato’s upside and that the lefty had a “ton of projection arrows pointing the right way.”

The Royals selected him because he would take an underslot deal, allowing them flexibility later in the draft. Mozzicato would sign for $3.55 million, well under the $5.43 million slot value.

“We felt that going into this particular Draft,” general manager Dayton Moore said, “if it fell the way it did up top, with the first six picks in front of us [and] with the fact that it’s only 20 rounds and the value that a lot of players put on themselves economically, that it may be a wise strategy to not only look at taking the best upside player or pitcher available, but also be able to maximize what we could do later on with the other 19 selections. That’s part of what we have to consider going forward.”

The Royals went to work using that financial flexibility to take a pair of local kids in the next two rounds. In the second round, they selected pitcher Ben Kudrna out of Blue Valley Southwest in Overland Park, Kansas, ranked #47 by Baseball America. In round three they chose #82-ranked prospect catcher Carter Jensen out of Park Hill High School in Kansas City. Kudrna signed for $3 million, well over his $1.73 slot value, while Jensen signed for $1.1 million, more than his $793,000 slot value. The Royals also went overslot the next round with prep pitcher Shane Panzini, giving him nearly $1 million. They even went overslot on some later picks, like college pitcher Eric Cerantola and college catcher Luca Tresh.

The gambit was criticized as an “exercise in hubris”, as argued by Matthew LaMar on our site.

It is dangerous to think you’re smarter than the consensus. Beyond that, it is dangerous to draft high school pitchers, especially if your organization has a long and putrid track record of doing so successfully. For the Royals to double down on that is frustrating.

Mozzicato never really added the velocity scouts hoped for, and while his curve fooled hitters at lower levels, he struggled with his control at Double-A. Rocker’s medicals and bonus demands perhaps caused the Royals to pass, and while he did need Tommy John surgery, he now seems to be developing into a solid starter. House and Watson both reached the majors, although neither has developed into much of an offensive force. It’s difficult to argue either would have transformed the Royals, but they would have provided considerably more value than Mozzicato has to date.

The Mozzicato deal did allow them to grab Carter Jensen, who has 14 home runs, fifth among all rookies, and has been an above-average bat. Kudrna had a promising career until he hit Triple-A, and he underwent elbow surgery this year that will keep him out for a while.

The Royals also did well with another local kid later in the draft, with Noah Cameron in round seven. The St. Joseph native was an underrated prospect out of the University of Central Arkansas, but he rose through the ranks and had an impressive rookie season in 2025 in the Royals starting rotation.

Much of the rest of the draft class is already out of baseball. Peyton Wilson is a utility infielder at the Triple-A level who was recently passed over in favor of older vets, so there may not be a future for him with the Royals. Tyson Guerrero was on the cusp of a potential call-up until he started experiencing injury issues. Tresh has been a solid bat at the Triple-A level and could be a backup catcher someday.

The 2021 draft illustrates both the promise and the peril of the underslot strategy. The Royals turned one unconventional first-round pick into the financial flexibility to sign several talented high school prospects, and that approach helped land Carter Jensen, who has emerged as one of the best players from the class. But the strategy also hinges on identifying the right player with that first pick.

It is fine to reach for a player the rest of the market is overlooking, but you have to be right. Mozzicato does not seem likely to be a worthwhile pick and is a miss for evaluators that overlooked his slight frame and lack of competition. Fortunately, the Royals did find a few gems in their backyard to make this a decent draft class, but a small market team cannot afford to miss the mark on top-ten picks.

Worcester, Game 1: W, 3-2 (F/7) (BOX SCORE)

The doubleheader against Jacksonville (Marlins AAA) could not have been a more night and day tale of two games. This game made the most of some Vinny Capra and Kristian Campbell RBI knocks in the fourth and Blake Wehunt overcame giving up a first inning home run to have a solid, if short, start. He’s impressed thus far in Worcester, and I’d imagine we could see him in some mop-up capacity in Fenway going down the stretch. As a whole, the six hits Wehunt allowed were the only ones Jacksonsville got and the WooSox slammed the door.

Worcester, Game 2: W, 13-12 (F/7) (BOX SCORE)

Just seven innings, and the two teams combined for twenty five hits, sixteen walks, twenty three at-bats with runners in scoring position, and three home runs, again showcasing a Kristian Campbell RBI opportunity in the fourth to pull the team ahead. Jacksonville was absolutely trying to preserve its pen as they let their starter wear it through almost four innings, and Campbell’s home run would end his outing. The WooSox used five pitchers and just grinned and beared it through the power of their offense. Let me be clear: the headline is a tad deceiving. Without Campbell’s home run, the actual heroic moment Mickey Gasper had in the bottom of the seventh would have had no chance to happen. Campbell did score on that bases-clearing walk-off knock Gasper had by sticking out a gutsy walk, but when the team scores 13, you have to hand it to everyone on the offense.

Portland: L, 1-2 (BOX SCORE)

Hayden Mullins was a victim of circumstance; he struck out eight through five scoreless innings, allowing just two base runners, but did not get a decision due to the team going hitless with runners in scoring position. Matt Frazier and Brooks Brannon each took the Rumble Ponies (Mets AA) for doubles; neither scored, and those were the only extra-base hits to speak of.

Greenville: W, 13-6 (BOX SCORE)

Greenville’s blistering start saved what could have been a bullpen meltdown by Joe Vogatsky, and Calvin Bickerstaff shoved for thirteen scoreless outs to give the Drive enough of a chance to pull further ahead, a lead that Spartanburg (Astros High-A) could not recover from. But Justin Gonzales and Yoelin Cespedes pulled the Drive wayyy ahead early with some of what would end up being three hits a piece, including Cespedes’ 17th home run of 2026 and Gonzalez’s 13th. The Drive would be up 10-0 after 3 and even the Spartanburgers putting 6 runs on the board in the next two frames was the closest they got to making it interesting.

Salem: W, 9-3 (BOX SCORE)

See, if you give Kleyvar Salazar the chance to come up to the plate, he’ll hit a home run. The catcher was at the plate when Tuesday’s game was called due to rain during a rally for the ages, and all he did was go 3-for-4 with 4 RBI’s on Wednesday; he was a key factor in this win against Greensboro (Braves A) in which the team also enjoyed a two-home-run eighth-inning to put the game comfortably enough out of reach.