Jul 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
A.J. Ewing – LF
Francisco Lindor – SS
Bo Bichette – 3B
Carson Benge – RF
Luis Robert – CF
Jorge Polanco – DH
Marcus Semien – 2B
Brett Baty – 1B
Francisco Alvarez – C
SP: Nolan McLean – RHP
Dodgers lineup
Shohei Ohtani – DH
Andy Pages – CF
Freddie Freeman – 1B
Max Muncy – 3B
Mookie Betts – SS
Tommy Edman – 2B
Kyle Tucker – RF
Teoscar Hernandez – LF
Dalton Rushing – C
SP: Y. Yamamoto – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:15 EDT TV: Fox Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 17: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Texas Rangers arrives at Truist Park prior to the game between the Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, July 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn Skeean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 23: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after a home run during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Truist Park on July 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Join us and discuss tonight’s game below as the Braves go for a series win behind Bryce Elder at 7:05 PM ET in Atlanta on BravesVision and MLBTV!
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 19: Ryan Feltner #18 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field on July 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies secured their biggest post-All-Star break win on Friday with a massive series-opening victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee was 5-1 coming out of the break prior to last night’s loss, compared to the Colorado’s 2-4 record in that span. Their records on the year are essentially inverted, with the NL Central leading Brewers carrying a 64-39 mark to the Rockies’ 42-63.
Yet the resilient Rockies found a way to hang in there, chipping away at the Brewers and controlling the game on the way to a 5-2 win. The Rockies will have two more chances to prove that the first win wasn’t just a Sugano-fueled anomaly and steal a series from one of MLB’s top teams.
For game two, the Rockies will rely on Ryan Feltner. Feltner is 3-4 through 14 starts, carrying a 5.48 ERA and a 1.416 WHIP. His last outing, a 9-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, was his roughest of the year. He only lasted 2.1 innings and gave up eight runs on seven hits including three home runs surrendered. He also struggled to find the zone, walking four in his short outing.
The good news is that Feltner has bounced back from bad outings reliably well this year (knock on wood). After giving up six runs in a loss to the San Diego Padres back in April and another six to the Chicago Cubs in June, he followed each of those starts with four straight outings giving up two or fewer runs. Feltner will try to continue that trend against a tough foe today.
Robert Gasser gets the start for Milwaukee, carrying a 2-4 record, a 4.91 ERA, and a 1.208 WHIP across 10 starts. On the other side of the spectrum, Gasser had arguably his best start of the year in his last appearance. In a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins, Gasser allowed just three hits and a solo homer, dishing out five strikeouts with no walks in 5.0 IP. The Brewers carry one of the league’s best home records this season (34-20) and will look to Gasser to avenge Friday’s loss and get back on track at American Family Field.
COOPERSTOWN — Nearly 27 years later, Mets fans still shudder at the thought of Andruw Jones’ bases-loaded walk-off walk against Kenny Rogers in the 11th inning of the Braves’ series-clinching win in Game 6 of the 1999 NLCS.
“I couldn’t believe he walked me. I try not to walk, ’cause I strike out a lot,” Jones said at his pre-induction news conference Saturday. “So when he walked me, I was shocked.”
The 1999 NLCS sent the Braves to face the Yankees in the World Series, and the Yankees promptly swept Atlanta to claim their second of three consecutive world championships.
The Braves led the Mets 3-0 heading into Game 4, but the Mets clawed back to make the series 3-2, losing by a hair in Game 6.
Andruw Jones of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after taking a walk in the 11th inning against the New York Mets as Mets catcher Todd Pratt walks back to the bench on Oct. 19, 1999 during Game 6 of the National League Championship Series at Turner Field in Atlanta, GA. AFP via Getty Images
“I think if we would’ve lost that game … it could’ve gone the other way,” Jones said. “The Mets and Yankees fans would’ve seen an earlier Subway Series.”
The following season, that scenario came to fruition, as the Mets and Yankees met in the Fall Classic for the very first time in 2000.
The Yankees won the title in five games, marking a three-peat for their 26th ring.
“[The NLCS] was a tough series. It drained us, to be honest with you,” Jones said. “By the time we went to play the Yankees, we got swept. We had no juice left to go play them. … The Yankees had a great team that year.”
Jones joins several legendary Braves in the Hall of Fame on Sunday, finally gaining entrance on his ninth ballot.
The 1996 Braves have eight members in the Hall now that Jones joins Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones and Fred McGriff, as well as manager Bobby Cox and general manager John Schuerholz.
The Atlanta Braves celebrate after a walk by Andruw Jones scored the winning run. AFP via Getty Images
“They always kept saying, ‘Hey, be patient, you’re gonna be there.’ … Being on a ballot for nine years, you kind of watch from afar, but you’re not thinking about it, because life keeps going, you know?” Jones said.
“If I made it, this is a great honor. One of the toughest Halls of Fame to go in … but if it didn’t happen, I would have been the same person. You would have seen me walk on the street and have this joy that I always had.”
Chipper Jones talked about his joy for his longtime teammate at a Hall of Fame signing event Friday.
The Joneses were teammates in Atlanta for 12 years, from 1996-2007.
“It’s been really fun to see him go through the week and the whole process. I think he had to wait a little too long to get here, but hey, you’re here now,” Chipper Jones said. “We took great pride in knowing that if people wanted to come into Atlanta and beat the Braves, they had to get the Jones boys out in the three and four hole. … Hope he’s not the last, but we’ve had a good contingent over the last 10, 15 years.”
COOPERSTOWN — Carlos Beltrán will become just the third player to represent the Mets in the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, joining Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza in the small but mighty group.
Before Beltrán’s six years in Queens, he began his career in Kansas City after being drafted out of high school in the second round of the 1995 draft.
At his pre-induction press conference in Cooperstown on Saturday, he opened up about the reception he got in each city.
Beltrán would get another taste of New York when he went to the Yankees for two years in the twilight of his illustrious career.
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“If you don’t understand the process, sometimes it could be overwhelming. For me, it was,” Beltrán said. “Coming from Kansas City, playing in New York, at the beginning, I didn’t understand why the fans were getting on me, while I played in Kansas City and never got booed. So all of a sudden, I’m in New York, they boo me the whole month.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I just signed here for seven years and these people, they have no patience with me,’ ” Beltrán continued to laughter. “[New York is] a city where the fanbase supports their team, but at the same time, they expect excellence out of the players, and they understand the game … they know how much money you’re making, so they want you to earn every single penny.”
Carlos Beltran with Jose Reyes of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game 4 of the NLCS at Busch Stadium on October 15, 2006 in St. Louis, Missouri. Getty Images
One of the most significant memories from Beltrán’s early career came alongside perhaps the most legendary Royal in 1999, when George Brett got his moment in Cooperstown with his induction alongside Nolan Ryan and Orlando Cepeda.
“[1999] was my first full year in the big leagues. I haven’t been able to show what I’m capable of,” Beltrán said. “I was so excited to come [to Cooperstown] because not only were we supporting George Brett, I was going to be able to meet Orlando Cepeda, who was inducted that year also.
“I have a baseball, and I’m approaching Cepeda for him to sign my baseball, and George said to Cepeda, ‘Cepeda, I’ve introduced you to the next Hall of Famer from Puerto Rico. His name is Carlos Beltrán.’ And I’m going like, what is he doing? I haven’t played a game, and you’re introducing me as a Hall of Famer. I don’t think that’s a good statement, George, and George said, ‘Well Carlos, everything is possible in life. If you play hard and if you continue to play good and you continue to develop yourself, this is an opportunity.’ ”
Hall of Fame Inductee Carlos Beltran answers questions during the media press conference at the Clarke Sports Center in Cooperstown, NY on July 25, 2026. Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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Needless to say, Beltrán did nothing but seize that very opportunity, especially as a five-time All-Star with the Mets.
“I end up getting to the Hall of Fame, but I fail 72 percent of the time,” Beltrán said. “It’s a lot of pain, but at the end of the day, I have to say that New York is a great place … most of the most meaningful relationships I built in the game, I did it wearing the Mets uniform.”
NEW YORK — New York Mets slugger Juan Soto was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of a left calf strain.
Soto walked twice against Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki in Friday’s 4-2 loss before being replaced by Jorge Polanco in the sixth inning with the score tied at 1. He appeared to experience discomfort while running to second base on Bo Bichette’s double-play grounder in the second inning.
Soto is hitting .293 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs in 84 games this season. He missed 15 games from April 3-21 with a right calf strain, and the Mets went 3-12 without him.
Soto sat out Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at Milwaukee but was back in the lineup Friday after the Mets had a day off.
The lone All-Star for the Mets this year, Soto exited the team’s first game after the break in the eighth inning on July 16 at Philadelphia. New York was off the following day, and he returned to the lineup as the designated hitter on Saturday and Sunday against the Phillies. He played left field Monday in Milwaukee and was the DH on Tuesday.
To replace Soto, the Mets called up infielder/outfielder Eric Wagaman from Triple-A Syracuse. Wagaman is hitting .162 with two homers and four RBIs in 21 games this season.
Green was asked about whether Luis Robert Jr. will receive the bulk of the DH at-bats in Soto's absence and the Mets skipper said it will likely go to Polanco, at least in the short term.
"We’re still trying to get him back on the field and into rhythm," Green said. "In the last week, Juan has taken quite a few of the DH at-bats and that’s stunted Polo’s ability to find some rhythm. We’re going to try to get him back into rhythm. He’s a guy we believe a lot in. Hopefully, as time goes on, we’ll get him to first base and then we’ll see where the DH at-bats get divvied up at that point."
Polanco is in Saturday's lineup as the Mets' DH, which will be his position moving forward until, as Green said, he can tolerate his Achilles pain and play first base.
In just 23 games, Polanco is batting .161 with an OPS of .456 to go with his one home run and four RBI. Polanco has only played first base twice this season after suffering chronic left Achilles bursitis and a right wrist contusion, the latter putting him on the IL for nearly three months.
Mets unlucky with injuries in 2026
Soto's latest IL stint is the third in which a Mets player had to miss time due to a calf injury.
Of course, Soto missed about three weeks with a Grade 1 right calf strain earlier in the year and Francisco Lindor missed nearly two months with a calf strain as well.
"It's a frustrating set of circumstances," Green said of the injuries that have plagued the team this year. "It feels unlucky, to a degree."
Green was asked a number of ways about the organization's medical and training staff and how they have handled these calf injuries this season. Green backed the staff and believes they have done their best.
"We look at every injury and my experience with the medical and training staff is that they are reflective," Green explained. "They look at ways to improve in every situation. Baseball has this tendency to have a rash of elbow injuries for one team in a given year, and then a rash of lower-extremity injuries in another year. Then another year you’re looking at shoulder injuries.
"None of these is to excuse our responsibility to limit those as much as humanly possible, but I think if you look across the game, those trends exist. They‘re troubling for those who give their lives to keep people in the field of play. I can promise you our group is incredibly introspective and they want to keep these guys on the field and they’ll look back, just like any year, to see if there’s any adjustments to be better in that space."
Apr 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch against the Athletics during the first inning at Citi Field. / Gregory Fisher - Imagn Images
Latest on Clay Holmes
Fresh off his first rehab start, Holmes is set to throw a bullpen on Sunday and once he's done, they'll figure out the right-hander's next steps.
While Green didn't announce how many pitches he'll throw in the bullpen session, he did hint that he believes Holmes will need at least one more rehab start before rejoining the team.
Holmes tossed 2.1 innings for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, throwing 51 pitches in the process, but it seems the Mets will want to stretch Holmes out further this next time through. If Holmes does throw another rehab, he could potentially start for the Mets just before the trade deadline on Aug. 3, but with the trade rumors surrounding the veteran, he could be pitching for another team.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 15: Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on before a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 15, 2023 in New York City. The Dodgers defeated the Mets 5-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers conclude their nine-game road trip on Sunday, with Emmet Sheehan looking to rebound against the Mets at Citi Field.
Sheehan allowed six runs in a loss to the Phillies on Monday, one more run than he gave up in his previous three outings combined. Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta is coming off a bad start of his own, giving up seven runs in a loss to Milwaukee on Monday.
Among the 117 major league pitchers with at least 80 innings this season, Sheehan ranks 103rd in ERA (5.13) and 43rd in xERA (3.89), while Peralta is 99th in ERA (5.01) and 40th in xERA (3.86). Both have better peripheral numbers than their ERA shows, but it hasn’t yet translated to much success on the mound.
MILESTONE INCOMIMG: A win today will be the Cubs’ 600th at Pittsburgh since the rivalry with the Pirates began in 1887, when “Allegheny City” jumped to the National League after five seasons in the rival American Association. The Cubs have won more games at Pittsburgh than at any other city. Philadelphia is second, with 579. The Cubs have lost more games at Pittsburgh, 714, than anywhere else. St. Louis is second, with 677. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
DEFEATING THE WINNERS: Last night’s game was the Cubs’ first in 13 against an opponent that took a winning record into the game. They had gone 7-5 in the 12 vs. teams at .500 or below. Based on current records, the Cubs’ next 12 games all could be against clubs with more wins than losses. The Cubs are 25-21 against such teams and 33-24 vs. all others. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
DIVISION RIVALS: Last night’s win raised the Cubs’ record against their Central Division rivals above .500, at 14-13. The Pirates are 17-13 within the division; the Brewers, 19-10; and the Cardinals, 15-14. The Reds are 7-22. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs pounded out 19 hits, including a home run and four RBI from Augie Galan, and crushed the Phillies 17-4 in Philadelphia. They led the NL by three games. It happened 90 years ago today, Saturday, July 25, 1936.
Neither team’s lineup was available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the lineups.
Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. Paul Skenes, RHP
Shōta Imanaga continued his good stretch of starts his last time out with seven shutout innings against the Twins last Sunday at Wrigley Field. Over his last seven: 2.31 ERA, 1.179 WHIP, only five home runs in 39 innings.
Imanaga threw six no-hit innings against the Pirates April 10 at Wrigley Field. In fact, the Pirates are the team against whom he’s had his most success: Five starts, 32 innings, 0.28 (!) ERA (one earned run), seven walks, 32 strikeouts. And he will need that because his opponent is…
Paul Skenes, who’s done very well against the Cubs in his career — 2.77 ERA, 53 strikeouts in 39 innings.
This year’s Skenes, though, is not like the last couple of years. After getting off to a great start, Skenes has a 4.55 ERA and 1.347 WHIP over his last 12 starts covering 65.1 innings. He’s still striking out guys — 82 in those 12 starts — but teams are finding ways to score.
One of those starts was May 28 at PNC Park. The Cubs scored three runs (one earned) off him in 5.1 innings, really running up his pitch count (103). That seems to be a way to beat him, so do it again.
Also, his four-seamer velocity is down a bit this year. As you see in the chart below, it’s at 96.9 this year — last year it was at 98.2. That might be enough to make the difference.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 24: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees at bat during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 19: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers reacts during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Colin Hubbard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung has been placed on the 10 day injured list, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled infielder Josh Smith from AAA Round Rock.
Jung left Tuesday’s win against the White Sox due to a calf issue which, after the game, he reported was minor. He missed Wednesday’s game, with the team saying a scan showed a strain, and the hope at the time was that he would be back in the lineup Friday, after Thursday’s off day. Jung did not play Friday, and will now miss at least the next week or so.
Jung has had a history of being dogged by injury issues, but has generally been healthy and productive this season, slashing .294/.361/441.
Smith started the season as the team’s regular second baseman, but got off to a bad start, then went on the injured list with a glute injury. While on the injured list, he was hospitalized with viral meningitis. Since being off the injured list he has bounced up and down between AAA and the majors. He’s slashing .230/.312/.295 in the big leagues on the season.
KANSAS CITY, MO - JULY 22: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates after the Royals defeated the San Francisco Giants at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Sydney Schneider/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
All season, Royals fans have been waiting for Salvador Perez to smash his 318th home run and take over the franchise record from team legend George Brett. On a warm summer day in late July, Salvy did it. There’s something poetic about this one, as there always was going to be with home number 318. But he hit it in the same place where he hit his first career home run, Comerica Park in Detroit. He also did the thing he had done 36 times before, coming up clutch with a game-tying smash. His big play also sparked something in a Royals team that has, for more than a decade, looked to the big Captain for their drive, and led the Royals to do something that seemed impossible. Once upon a time, it was winning a playoff game when he yanked a grounder down the third base line in extras; today it was beating the Tigers in Detroit.
Yeah, the Royals won this one 3-2.
After a game like this, we could reasonably talk about how Michael Wacha did some Matrix-style bullet dodging for seven innings. We could talk about how Daniel “Danny Drips” Lynch IV and Alex Lange-xiety combined for two shutout innings at the end of the game to finish things off. We could talk about Vinnie Pasquantino smoking three singles, or Michael Massey blasting a ball to right-center that would have been out of 28/30 big league parks in service this year but served only as a sacrifice fly to score the game’s first run. We could – and will – talk about Nick Loftin continuing to flex his clutch gene by hitting the game-winning home run in the ninth inning.
But the only thing anyone is going to remember from today is Salvador Perez identifying the hanging slider, putting a good swing on it, and smashing a no-doubter down the left field line to set a record that will stand for years and years, if not decades.
A rare highlight posted by the Royals’ media account that lasts for more than the bare minimum to convey the play. Drink it in. Savor it.
Did you savor it?
OK, good. Let’s talk about the rest of the game.
So as noted above, Michael Wacha wasn’t exactly dominant in this one. He only struck out 3 while walking 2 and allowing 6 hits, including four extra-base knocks, in seven innings. But he ultimately allowed only a pair of runs. He was giving up hard contact all day, but he managed to get the Tigers to hit the ball to centerfield quite a bit, and Lane Thomas kept running them down. It’s the kind of start that makes you glad to have Michael Wacha right now and nervous about having him next year.
Danny Drips picked things up in the eighth inning and got the Tigers 1-2-3. He was asked to get Riley Greene out in the ninth after Loftin had given the team the lead, but allowed a leadoff single instead. Lange-xiety came in and struck out Hao-Yu Lee with a high heater, allowed a single to Zack McKinstry that put the go-ahead run on base, but struck out Matt Vierling after a couple of awkward bunt attempts and then induced a pop-up from pinch-hitting Spencer Torkelson to lock down the win.
Let’s look at Loftin’s smash, real quick.
I was amused in the moment by how much this looked like the dinger Salvy had hit two innings earlier. It’s a fastball instead of a slider, but it’s up and in, and you could tell he was just waiting for that location and ripped it to a very similar spot. I don’t think Loftin is ever going to challenge any of Salvy’s home run records, but it was nice to see him copy the Captain’s homework for a game.
The Royals will attempt to split the series tomorrow afternoon. The Royals currently list TBD as their starting pitcher, though it’s Luinder Avila’s turn. Perhaps they’re considering using an opener for him, as they did for Noah Cameron last night? I just hope it’s not another injury. We’ve had enough of those, thanks. The Tigers will use Framber Valdez (4.57 ERA, 4.35 SIERA). Don’t let the numbers fool you, though. He’s a lefty, so the Royals will have their work cut out for them. The game starts at 12:40 PM Central and will be on Royals.TV.
(Original Caption) Everett Scott New Captain of Yankees. Deacon Everett Scott, brilliant shortstop of the New York Yankees who has been appointed Capt. of the team, following the deposition of Babe Ruth. The bambino was fined $200, and was removed as Yankee Capt. following his altercation at the Polo Grounds with Umpire Hildebrand. Scott has been a tower of strength at the shortstop position since he joined the American League Champions.
They’ve certainly been a frustrating watch at several points this season, but by definition, the Yankees are currently a contender in 2026. They’re neck and neck with the Rays for the lead in both the AL East and the AL in total. Now, you may have your doubts about whether that record will then translate into playoff success, but the fact of the matter is, putting up one of the best records in the league will get you into the playoffs — then you just have to have a couple things break your way, and who knows what happens after that.
The Yankees have also managed to accomplish all that while getting basically no offensive production out of one position in particular: catcher. Austin Wells has had his ups and downs, but he’s completely fallen off a cliff in 2026. None of the backups they’ve tried had fared much better either. As we near the Trade Deadline, the Yankees will likely target catchers for a platoon at the very least, which they wouldn’t have expected going into the year.
That being said, it’s not unheard of for one particular spot on an otherwise good team to yield bad results. In fact, even Yankees World Series-winning teams have carried a black hole in the lineup. To find the worst regular (which I’m counting as someone who qualified for the batting title by today’s standards) hitter to ever play on a Yankees World Series championship team, you can go right back to the first ever one in 1923.
After an eight-year career and three World Series wins with the Red Sox, the Yankees acquired shortstop Everett Scott in December 1921, along with pitchers Sad Sam Jones and Bullet Joe Bush. Scott was primarily known for two things in his career: his glove and his consecutive games played. It was his record of 1307 consecutive games played that was broken by Lou Gehrig and then eventually Cal Ripken Jr. Scott today still holds the third longest streak ever.
While he was considered one of the best shortstops in the game during his career, Scott was never much of a hitter. If you use the OPS+, which gets adjusted for era, Scott’s best career hitting season was 1920. That year, he hit .269/.300/.369, which equated to a 79 OPS+. His defense still led to him grading out as being a perfectly fine player according to WAR.
Scott’s first year with the Yankees saw them come up just short, as they fell in the 1922 World Series to the Giants. The following year, he was again the starting shortstop and a team leader as they made another run at the franchise’s first championship. He just didn’t always lead the team with his bat.
In the 1923 season, Scott hit just .246/.266/.325, which equated to a 54 OPS+. That season has gone down as the worst ever by a regular for a Yankees World Series-winning team. He actually did hit a little better in that year’s World Series victory over the Giants, posting a .636 OPS. Even then though, it was just him going 7-for-22 with all singles.
Scott’s hitting was a bit worse in 1924, and he posted just a .459 OPS in his first 22 games of 1925 leading to the Yankees selling him to the Washington Senators. He played for a couple more teams before hanging it up after 1926. Despite his light bat, he still ended his career with four World Series championships, and was well regarded enough in Boston to be posthumously inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.
If the Yankees do end up winning the World Series, it would be difficult for them to do that while Wells breaks this particular “record.” It’s hard to see them actually pulling it off unless Wells manages to turn it around or they trade for someone who can hit better. That being said, it’s apparently not impossible to win the World Series despite carrying one particular putrid hitter.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 02: A Boston Dynamics quadruped robot named Scout is tested at the Lincoln Memorial on July 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. The robot is part of the Great American State Fair display. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
NATIONALS
Corbin Carroll – RF
James Wood – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Curtis Mead – 3B
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Andres Chaparro – 1B
Ketel Marte – 2B
CJ Abrams – SS
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Dylan Crews – RF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Jacob Young – CF
Tim Tawa – CF
Daylen Lile – LF
James McCann – C
Nasim Nunez – 2B
Ryan Waldschmidt – LF
Keibert Ruiz – C
Mitch Bratt – LHP
Foster Griffin – LHP
Posting this a little later, give Snake Bytes time to breathe. Besides, it’s not as if anyone reads these. 🙂 Bratt Summer continues, and we’ll see if he can perhaps pitch long enough to get a decision – he has yet to reach five innings in any of his three starts so far. But at least he did throw 84 pitches over 4.2 innings last time, so should be more or less fully stretched out. He does need to improve his K:BB ratio, which is only 7:6 so far. But we also need to remember he only turned 23 years old earlier in the month. The last time a player made more than one start for us in his age 22 season or younger, was Archie Bradley in 2015.
I do wonder if it’s time for the five-inning rule to be changed. It came in for the 1950 season, when starting pitching was a very different animal. There were almost a thousand complete games thrown that year (997, to be precise), compared to last season when there were… twenty-nine. And that was in almost twice as many starts, because there were only 16 teams in the majors at that point. So, we’re talking about a 98.5% reduction, and it’s likely more this year, with a mere eleven complete games. In 1950, there were only 570 starts shorter than five innings, about 23%. Last year, there were 1,410, about 29%.
The standard now should really getting an out in the fifth for a decision, rather than completing it. Last year, there were 1,159 of those, which is as close to 23% as we can get. Might not seem much, but that would be 251 more chances given to starters to get a win. I’m sure Randy Vasquez would be in favor, as he had nine starts last year in that 4.1-4.2 inning range. Among D-backs, Brandon Pfaadt had four such games. Though in none of those would the rule change have affected the decision. The two non-decisions Pfaadt got, were both because the bullpen took the L, rather than due to the five-inning minimum. So maybe it wouldn’t make much difference.
