Category: MLB

The American League All-Stars dominated the National League yet again on Tuesday, July 14, winning 4-0 and earning their 11th victory of the last 13 Midsummer Classics.

With that out of the way, attention turns to the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3. With less than a month away, the time has come for teams to decide whether they will buyers or sellers.

Some teams have obviously already fallen into one of those categories. The Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels are too far out of contention to be buying at this point, but each of those teams have great players that contenders would love to have for the remainder of the season.

Superstars such as Byron Buxton, back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and All-Star closer Mason Miller have all emerged as likely trade candidates. And of each them would instantly elevate any team they joined.

Here are our rankings of the top 10 MLB trade deadline targets:

Power ranking the ten best MLB trade deadline targets

Honorable mentions: 2B Luis Arraez, 3B Matt Chapman, RHP Casey Mize, SS CJ Abrams, RHP Sonny Gray, 1B Willson Contreras, LHP Josh Hader, RHP Jose Soriano, RHP Michael Wacha, LHP Robbie Ray, RHP Freddy Peralta

10. UTIL Casey Schmitt, Giants

Schmitt has burst onto the scene in 2026, offering solid offense and capable defense at a variety of positions. In just 2026 alone, the 27-year-old has played in the outfield and at every position on the infield. Couple that versatility in the field with 19 home runs and an OPS over .800 and that's a very solid player that any team would love to have.

Schmitt will enter his first year of arbitration in 2027, meaning he could be under team control for the next three years, albeit at likely increasing cost.

2026 stats: .280/.308/.497, 19 HR, 50 RBI, 1.6 bWAR, 126 OPS+

9. LHP Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox

Even at 38 years old, Aroldis Chapman is showing that he can still be an incredibly valuable arm. Chapman is in the midst of his second consecutive All-Star season and has recorded a 2.20 ERA with 19 saves through the first half.

While Chapman's price tag is hefty, this is an arm that could be worth it for the postseason. Not only has Chapman won two World Series in his career, but he's boasted an outstanding 2.30 ERA in the playoffs since 2016.

2026 stats: 2.20 ERA, 19 saves, 2.40 FIP, 11.3 K/9

8. LHP Reid Detmers, Angels

Detmers' 4.38 ERA is not indicative of what he brings to the table. He is a great strikeout pitcher with a remarkable offspeed arsenal. His 3.35 FIP and 3.38 xERA point that he has been rather unlucky this year.

The biggest issue with a potential Detmers trade is the likely cost. Reports indicate that the Angels will be looking for a package similar to what the Tigers would get for Tarik Skubal, the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner. That price could drive several teams away.

That said, Detmers still has two years of arbitration left, meaning he could be a top of the rotation arm that costs a fraction of what Skubal does.

2026 stats: 3-6, 4.39 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 10.2 K/9

7. OF Jung Hoo Lee, Giants

A classic top-of-the-lineup bat, Lee offers remarkable contact skills, serviceable outfield defense, and low but enough pop to the gaps to be worth his price tag of $21 million/year over the next three seasons. He's currently experiencing his best season in the bigs and is entering his prime at 27 years old.

His high batting average and low strikeout rate make for a combination that any team could use to produce runs, and moving him out of Oracle Park could see his offensive numbers improve.

2026 stats: .302/.333/.429, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 116 OPS+

6. RHP Joe Ryan, Twins

An underrated arm in the big leagues for years now, Ryan is on a rather team-friendly contract with potentially another year under team control. The draw is obvious. Only six qualified pitchers have a better strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 2.85 ERA is far and away the best of his career, and he's still just 30 years old.

Ryan is a front-line starter on a team known for having enormous fire sales at the deadline. Ryan isn't just a likely candidate to be traded, he's a candidate that will draw numerous suitors and a hefty haul.

2026 stats: 6-5, 2.85 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 10.4 K/9

5. SS Jeremy Peña, Astros

Although Peña can be inconsistent when it comes to pitch selection, his plus defense and solid power/speed combo makes him an enticing option for any team struggling to find offensive production at shortstop. That said, there is a chance that the Astros hold onto Peña.

The Astros are still holding onto hope that they can contend for a World Series title despite lacking the roster to do so. Their farm system is also atrocious, meaning a trade of this magnitude could do their future good. Will they actually pull the trigger though? That's yet to be seen.

2026 stats: .287/.347/.426, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 116 OPS+

4. C Ryan Jeffers, Twins

Any time a team can find value behind the plate, it provides them with a massive advantage over their opponent. The New York Yankees are the first team that comes to mind when considering who could be interested in grabbing Jeffers' services. After all, their catchers have combined for -1.1 Wins Above Average, per Baseball Reference, good for 27th in MLB.

Jeffers' .538 slugging from behind home plate would give the Yankees' offense a massive boost almost immediately. Well, it would give any offense a huge boost immediately.

2026 stats: .292/.404/.538, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 160 OPS+

3. OF Byron Buxton, Twins

When healthy, Byron Buxton is one of the best center fielders in baseball, providing an immaculate power-speed combo and incredible defense at one of the sport's toughest positions. The three-time All-Star may be 32 years old and carry a history of injury problems, but he has played in atleast 100 games in two straight years and is on pace to do so again in 2026.

At just over $15 million a year and with team control through the 2028 season, Buxton would be an absolute steal if he can remain healthy through the rest of his contract.

2026 stats: .271/.328/.575, 25 HR, 45 RBI, 146 OPS+

2. RHP Mason Miller, Padres

It's hard to determine a definitive best player at any position, but Mason Miller might be as close to a unanimous selection as anyone. Undeniably one of the premier closers in baseball, Miller boasts electric stuff. His Baseball Savant page is littered with deep red. He's in the upper echelon of pitchers in every single countable stat with a fastball averaging more than 101 mph.

Of course, the question is whether or not the Padres are going to be willing to sell Miller. The Padres have said that they are unlikely to ship their All-Star closer elsewhere, but they have admitted to being open to the idea. That alone will be enough to get a myriad of calls as the deadline approaches.

2026 stats: 0.91 ERA, 25 saves, 0.53 FIP, 16.3 K/9

1. LHP Tarik Skubal, Tigers

What needs to be said about someone who has won back-to-back Cy Young Awards? While Skubal will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, he's done more than enough to prove how valuable he could be to a franchise looking to make a final push into the postseason. He's a pitcher that gives your team an indescribable advantage every time he steps onto the field.

While 2026 has seen Skubal deal with some injuries, he still boasts a remarkable 3.09 ERA and 3.06 FIP. He's also boasting the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career.

2026 stats: 5-5, 3.09 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 10.6 K/9

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: MLB trade deadline: Ranking the best trade targets for contenders

How y’all doing? I, personally, am ready for this break to be over.

The All-Star Game and related festivities came to a close last night – Sam’s got a recap on how our Braves represented us in the Midsummer Classic. Was it weirder than normal, or was it just me?

Anyways. The Braves will return to Truist Park to face the Rangers starting Friday. In the meantime, the floor is yours in the comments for any and all topics. Argentina’s inevitability, produce-parasite avoidance tips, or anything else on your mind? Go right on ahead.

On July 28, 2024, the Dodgers beat Houston 6-2, improving their record to 63-44. Miguel Vargas didn’t play in that game and would never play for the Dodgers again. The next day, the Dodgers traded him to the White Sox, who lost in Kansas City, dropping to 27-82. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series, and the White Sox set a modern record for wretchedness. 

Vargas hadn’t played much with the Dodgers, appearing in only 30 games with a 0.2 WAR. But still, he was on a great team, one that was the center of the baseball world. He got to play with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. He was part of a franchise that was as competent and well-run as it was profligate, and there was arguably no better place to be. 

And then, the next day: the White Sox. The opposite of the Dodgers in practically every way, a team that was in a major city but still seemed somehow cowtown and one-horse and go-nowhere. A joke. His performance reflected and amplified how bad things were: he went on to slash .104/.217/.170, posting a -1.0 WAR and a remarkable OPS+ of 13. Michael Kopech, on the other side of that trade, pitched in the World Series. 

Somehow, the trade seemed to make the worst team in the modern history of baseball even worse. The enduring image of the season was Vargas sitting in the dugout, looking miserable and shell-shocked.

But, I thought at the time…why wouldn’t he be? He was a human being who went from what was probably the best professional situation he could be in to what was almost certainly the worst. It wasn’t just the record and the futility. The White Sox had just slammed their contention window shut with nothing to show for it except a laundry list of failed can’t-miss prospects, all of whom graduated to part-time elsewhere or out of baseball completely. Of course, he was shocked and staggered; of course, he had to wonder if this would destroy his career. Of course, it impacted how he performed. Wouldn’t you wonder the same things? Wouldn’t you be worse at your job? 

That, to me, is what makes Vargas’s mammoth homer in the All-Star Game one of the absolute highlights of the season. The ASG doesn’t matter, and the game itself was made even more absurd by MLB’s insistence that what baseball fans want is less baseball. Still, the fact that Miguel Vargas was there, that he came to play, and that he was grinning from ear to ear when trotting to first, is a perfect symbol of this improbable season. 

His 3.2 WAR puts him just outside the top 10. He’s got 21 dingers. An OPS+ of 135. And he’s clearly having fun playing baseball, something that seemed impossible just two years ago. Hell, even with a few green shoots last year, it still felt like spring would never arrive, and we’d be in a soggy gray March for years to come, looking for a sun that wouldn’t break through. 

Somehow, prospects are clicking. Routine plays are (mostly) being made, and so are plus defensive plays. Scraps from Tampa are All-Stars. High-risk, high-reward signings are all-stars. The ballpark is crowded and loud. An injured veteran is in the dugout every day, waving a magic wand and having the time of his life. I’m focused more on the field than the front office. I can go days of my life without even thinking about Jerry Reinsdorf. 

This is where I’ll clear my throat and say “this isn’t a great team and there are still too many bone-headed plays and Will Venable might be a bit too addicted to lefty-righty matchups and the pitching is still dangerously thin and we’re really only a few games over .500 and everything could crash and be in vain and all human yearning, as the man says, is vanity, vanity, vanity.”

But screw that. We’ve had a first half that no one could have predicted. We’re having fun again. Miguel Vargas is having fun at the All-Star game. The Sox once again matter, and belong. It seemed impossible just over two years ago, when Vargas’s professional life was pushed into a volcano. More than anyone else, he is the symbol of this wild rebirth. More than anyone else, he deserves it. 

No, of course not. Stupid of me to ask, really. I’m sorry. I’m trying to delete it. Oh no, wait. This post is an assessment of the latest SB Nation Reacts poll, so buckle in, voters, you’re about to see some results.

With no Giants-specific poll this week, respondents were asked about four different awards races.

An absolutely incredible bounce-back season for Alvarez, who was limited to just 48 games and 199 plate appearances last season. He still managed .273/.367/.430 with 6 homers in that brief period, but this season, he’s slashing .318/.426/.633 with 31 homers and 70 RBI in 96 games & 420 plate appearances. He’s on pace to shatter his previous career-high in home runs (37 set back in 2022) and the 29-year old is certainly hitting good enough to sell the idea of a designated hitter who’s not named Shohei Ohtani winning MVP.

Still, at just 22, Junior Caminero’s .279/.372/.555 with 28 homers and 59 RBI in 411 PA seems like a pretty serious threat to Alvarez. His defense at third base is less than stellar (-1 Outs Above Average, -8 Fielding Run Value — that’s the 5th-worst in the sport of any position) and should be counted against him for the purposes of a Most Valuable Player discussion. Still, the hitting is undeniable.

But the real answer here, with all due respect to Nick Kurtz — who I’m not going to discuss but is having a great follow-up season to his rookie campaign — who is but a first baseman, is Bobby Witt Jr., who has more rWAR than anyone on this list and who plays a premium position (shortstop). He’s the third-best defender in the sport in terms of fielding run value (+13), behind Pete Crow-Armstrong (+17), and JJ Wetherholt (+15) — an important aside: as I mentioned the other day, Luis Arraez is just 8 spots behind him at +8.

With all due respect to the indispensable, beautiful, and perfect Baseball Reference, I think FanGraphs’ wins above replacement is a more notable measure if only because more front offices have hired FanGraphs writers than Baseball Reference contributors. Given that, Bobby Witt Jr.‘s 4.8 fWAR is second-best in the sport behind Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 6.0 fWAR. Yordan Alvarez checks in at #4 overall (2nd in AL) with 4.4 fWAR… so, you know, I think this is the real race (Caminero is 15th overall at 3.2 fWAR — 7th in the AL).

Now, Ohtani is rightfully #1 because his combined hitting and pitching fWAR is 6.3, just ahead of Crow-Armstrong. Meanwhile, Soto leads Schwarber in fWAR, 2.9 to 2.5. The reason for the gap, I suspect, is simply that Schwarber has more homers (32) than Soto (21). But, Soto has played more games in the field than Schwarber (49 to 4) and has been better than Schwarber there. Schwarber has a -10.9 Defensive Runs Above Average despite logging just 27 innings in the field! Soto is also hitting 15 points better by wRC+ (163 to 149).

So, the respondents have it wrong in both races, and perhaps even more so here in the National League down ballot race. Not only have they miscalculated Soto vs. Schwarber, they’ve ignored two more deserving players, if we’re just looking at fWAR. Buckle up, Giants fans.

Here is the top 5 in fWAR in the National League right now:

5. JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis — 3.5 fWAR
4. Luis Arraez, San Francisco — 3.7
3. Otto Lopez, Miami — 4.3
2. James Wood, Washington — 4.6
1. Pete Crow-Armstrong — 6.0

I think it should go without saying that defense ought to be a component of a “Most Valuable” vote, and if voters were to downplay that part of the equation, then the hitting would have to be spectacular.

James Wood is the best hitter in the National League with a 166 wRC+. Then it’s Soto, followed by Ohtani, Crow-Armstrong, and Schwarber… Otto Lopez is 10th (137 wRC+) and coming in 19th in the NL is Luis Arraez (127). That’s how valuable Luis Arraez has been: his defense has made him more valuable than his hitting.

So, if there is one Giant who could compete for a postseason award, it’s Luis Arraez. And he’s not just “the rest of the field.” He compares quite favorably to the top 10 in the running and maybe even the top 5. Not referenced in this poll, but a point that could be significant in a possible MVP candidacy: he will probably win the NL batting title if he’s not traded outside the league (or traded at all).

Also worth noting: Since May 1st, Rafael Devers has been an even more valuable hitter than Arraez. His 154 wRC+ is 9th in the NL. He’d have to have a truly transformative 60+ games to close out this season to even get into the conversation, but he’s worth point out insofar as he has certainly outhit this idiot’s assessment and looks like he will end the season comfortably within his career averages and exactly where we all expected him to be before the season began.

david attenborough: [mumbling] skip. i dont like this animal. skip it.

— paddle (@ipaddlearound) June 25, 2023

(Though, if you haven’t looked into it yet, check out Cam Schlittler’s brief career. A 7th round draft pick out of Northeastern University who has shot up to being the Yankees’ co-ace.)

This is also a solid, close to obvious list with just a couple of exceptions. The top 4 in fWAR is Misiorowski (4.4), Sanchez (4.0), Jesus Luzardo (3.3), and Paul Skenes (3.2). Yamamoto and Sale are actually tied in fWAR (2.7) and trail Cincinnati’s Chase Burns (2.9) and Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft (2.8).

The only Giants within spitting difference of the top10 are Landen Roupp (2.1) and Logan Webb (1.9).

With Misiorowski facing some forearm fatigue, it’s possible that this final stretch of games sees him fall from the top spot, but it seems unlikely that any Giant will crack the top 5 and reassert themselves in this race. That’d be a shame because Logan Webb received Cy Young votes the past four seasons. It’s tough to bet against Logan Webb, but this season has certainly been more down than up.

Not referenced by this polling are the separate Rookie of the Year races. It’s plausible that Bryce Eldridge cracks the top 5, but as of MLB.com’s latest polling (June 8th), he was facing an uphill battle to go higher than that given St. Louis’s JJ Wetherholt, Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart, Nolan McLean of the Mets and Pittsburgh’s Konnor Griffin.

But what do you think? Do Luis Arraez, Bryce Eldridge, and Logan Webb have a shot at being in the running for any of these awards down the stretch?

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how many does a bobblehead get?

Andy Pages and Kiké Hernández are getting their iconic World Series moment immortalized with their own Dodger Stadium giveaway on Sept. 6, the team announced on social media Wednesday.

The bobblehead commemorates "the catch" with a recreation of Pages reaching over Hernández, glove outstretched in air to pluck the ball as the two Los Angeles Dodgers outfielders collided.

With the bases loaded for the Toronto Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the World Series at Rogers Centre, Ernie Clement hit a curveball from Yoshinobu Yamamoto deep into the power alley between left and center field.

The bobblehead you’ve all been waiting for. Get “The Catch” bobblehead on 9/6!

🎟️: https://t.co/36IUWLyXz9pic.twitter.com/95Ui5lOzdx

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 15, 2026

Hernández gave chase to the ball as it sailed over his head near the warning track but before he could turn around to make a play, Pages -- who was right behind Hernández -- ran into him.

Despite the collision, Pages was somehow able to reach up, pluck the ball out of the air and hold onto it while he ran into the wall for the third out as Hernández crumpled to the ground and lay there for a few extra seconds.

Top Plays of 2025: No. 12

Andy Pages makes an UNBELIEVABLE catch in left-center field to send World Series Game 7 to extra innings! pic.twitter.com/jQDwBEHVFU

— MLB (@MLB) November 30, 2025

Hernández later admitted that he thought the play had been botched and that the Blue Jays had walked it off until Pages bent down to check on his teammate and let him know they were going to extra innings. The rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

Will Smith went on to hit the winning home run in the top of the 11th. Yamamoto closed out Toronto in the home half of the inning and the Dodgers became back-to-back World Series champions.

Because of the significance of the catch and the popularity of Hernández among Dodger fans, plan to get to Chavez Ravine early if you want a shot at this giveaway.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers immortalize 'the catch' with this gorgeous bobblehead

Winning six Gold Glove awards gives Mookie Betts more than enough credibility to design and market his own leather. And that’s exactly what he is doing with LGND, a line of baseball gloves that he says are “built around versatility, craftsmanship and player-first innovation.”

Betts, of course, is the Dodgers shortstop whose Gold Gloves all came playing right field. He is one of the few players in MLB history to be named an All-Star as an infielder and outfielder. He’s been part of four World Series championship teams and named to eight All-Star squads.

“Every detail matters when you’re on the field, and your glove is one of the most important tools you have,” Betts said in a statement. “I started this with the intention to build something that reflected the way I play the game, which is with passion, preparation and attention to detail.”

Two glove collections named MOOK and MVRK designed for players at every stage of development are available at LGNDsports.com. They are not inexpensive, selling for $250 to $330.

The MOOK Series gloves are inspired by Betts’ experience playing infield and outfield, featuring his personal game-worn colorways, his signature stamp in the palm and a “50 Tri-Star” logo embroidered on the thumb.

Read more:Bryce Harper's beef with FanDuel could end up in court, legal experts say

The MVRK Series gloves feature a versatile design and distinct styling for those who play multiple positions.

Both models are constructed with premium Japanese kip leather and engineered to offer a lighter feel and fast break-in period. The LGND website features an interactive platform that allows players to design a glove that reflects their individual preferences.

“LGND is about giving young players a glove they can trust from the first time they put it on,” Betts said. “Whether you’re chasing a championship, working toward a college scholarship or just falling in love with baseball, I want these gloves to help young players perform at their best.”

Read more:Bonds, Thome, Sabathia, Salmon, Pettitte: 2026 MLB draft picks boast familiar surnames

Betts, 33, founded the company alongside lifelong friends Cameron Lewis, Brandon McPhail and Andrew Montgomery. The quartet competed together in high school in the Nashville area.

The Dodgers acquired Betts in a trade ahead of the 2020 season and have won three World Series title with him in the lineup, including the last two years. He spent the first six years of his career with the Boston Red Sox, winning the American League Most Valuable Player award after leading Boston to a World Series title in 2018.

After playing outfield almost exclusively for the first nine years of his career, Betts saw substantial time in the infield in 2023 and 2024 before becoming the Dodgers’ everyday shortstop last season. He led NL shortstops in total fielding runs above average in 2025 while making only seven errors in 148 games. This season he has made only three errors.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

When you think of Guidey’s from the bayous outside of New Orleans, the mind automatically shifts to Louisiana Lightning, but there is no blood relation between the two. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Gavin Guidry attended Alfred M. Barbe High School. If that sounds familiar, it should- another Mets-related Gavin was also born in Lake Charles, attended Barbe High School, and was drafted by the Mets not too long ago.

A three-year letterwinner who lost the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Barbe baseball team won consecutive district championships in 2019, 2021 and 2022, and the state and national championship in 2021, and Guidry was a major reason why. Coach Cecchini let his star player pitch and hit, and his efforts culminated in winning the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year (Louisiana) in his senior year. At the plate, he hit .422 with 5 home runs and on the mound, he posted a 0.16 ERA in 45.0 innings with 83 strikeouts.

Guidry generated a ton of scouting buzz and by the time the 2022 MLB Draft rolled around, he was in high demand. Considered the best high school player in the state and one of the top prep players in the 2022 draft class, he was forced to choose between accepting one of the many offers made to him by professional teams or honoring his commitment to Louisiana State University. The two-way high school star elected to attend college, with the ability to be drafted as a sophomore thanks to his age.

In 2023, head coach Josh Jordan used Guidry as a two-way player, having him pitch out of the bullpen in 23 games and trying him out at second base and shortstop in an additional 12. The freshman quickly emerged as a weapon out of the bullpen, posting a 3.77 ERA in 28.2 innings, allowing 23 hits, walking 12, and striking out 42 while notching 3 saves; at the plate, he hit a much less impressive .143/.333/.143, going 1-7 and drawing a walk.

The right-hander did not experience a sophomore slump in 2024, posting similar numbers to his strong freshman season. Appearing in 22 games, Guidry posted a 2.59 ERA in 24.1 innings, allowing 14 hits, walking 18, and striking out 36 while locking down 3 saves. Unlike the 2023 season, coach Jordan did not give the right-hander much time at the plate, utilizing him as a hitter in just a single game. Guidry made it count, though: in his two at-bats on the year, he smacked a double. Draft eligible, the right-hander did not have his name called in the 2024 MLB Draft.

At some point after he threw his final pitch of the 2024 season and 2025, Guidry’s back began hurting him. There was no one specific event where he hurt it, but the pain became so intense that basic functions like laying down to go to sleep left him in excruciating pain. The 2025 season began without Guidry, and every time he started feeling better and began working out to get himself in baseball shape, he would later find himself in even more pain than before. Eventually, he was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his L4-L5 lumbar spine and underwent surgery, formally ending his season. Adding insult to injury, LSU won their second NCAA national championship in three years with the right-hander having to sit on the sidelines. Eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft, the right-hander once again went undrafted.

Guidry returned from his surgery in 2026, his redshirt junior season, fully recovered. The 22-year-old appeared in 20 games and posted a 6.39 ERA in 43.2 innings, allowing 38 hits, walking 20, and striking out 59, saving 1 game for the Tigers. Following the conclusion of the season, he left LSU for the cape, playing for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League to attempt to further round into form. Retaining his draft eligibility, Guidry has expressed interest in returning to the Tigers to attempt to win another championship.

The 6’2”, 185-pound right-hander throws from a high-three-quarter arm slot with a medium arm action through the back. He drops and drives off the mound with good extension and has clean, simple, deliberate mechanics. Though a reliever, the right-hander has a large pitching repertoire, utilizing a four-seam fastball, cutter, slider, and curveball.

Guidry’s fastball was noticeably not where it was before his back surgery, sitting in the low-90s rather than in the low-to-mid-90s. While the velocity was on the lower side of the spectrum for a right-handed pitcher, he made up for it by getting well above-average induced vertical break on the pitch, up to 20 inches, thanks to its spin and his high release point.

His slider is his go-to strikeout pitch, a mid-80s offering with above-average spin rates, giving it tight, gyroscopic break. It tunnels well out of his hand with his fastball thanks to his high release point and its sudden downward bite has consistently flummoxed hitters, though he hung plenty of the course of 2026 that batters had no issues with. Because of the success of the pitch, for good and for bad, Guidry can sometimes get slider-heavy and throw the pitch just as much, if not more, than his fastball.

Both his cutter and curveball are more change-of-pace offerings than much else. His slider sits in the high-80s and has a bit of horizontal hop, but is primarily used as a transition pitch between his fastball and slider, to set up the latter. His curveball is used similarly, with the mid-to-high-70s pitch mainly used as a sequence-buster to set up his next pitch.

The right-hander was still shaking the rust off in 2026 and nowhere was that more apparent than with his home run problems. After having allowed 6 homers in 53 innings in 2023 and 2024, Guidry allowed 10 in 43.2 innings this past spring. He is not allowing more fly balls as compared to prior seasons- he actually had a 44.5% flyball rate this spring as compared to a cumulative 49.4% in his freshman and sophomore seasons- but he was giving up home runs left and right, his HR/FB% almost doubling from 10.5% in 2023 and 2024 to 20.4% this past season. Hitters did not otherwise hit him particularly better- opposing batters hit .229/.318/.434 against him with a .280 BABIP as compared to .209/.298/.355 with a .297 BABIP in his freshman season and .165/.317/.247 with a .255 BABIP in his sophomore season, making the home run spike an outlier that will likely end with the expected and then return of his prior fastball velocity.

Rob Manfred has made his position on the Giants’ Pride Night controversy unmistakably clear: San Francisco failed to properly communicate with its players.

“End of story,” the MLB commissioner told reporters Tuesday at the Baseball Writers’ Association of America gathering.

Four Giants pitchers protested the team’s Pride-themed caps during its June 12 celebration. Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses beside the rainbow-colored logo, while Sam Hentges chose to wear the club’s standard cap.

MLB initially warned the three players who added messages to their hats because league rules prohibit players from writing on uniforms or equipment. That response drew criticism from Republican lawmakers and eventually prompted a Department of Justice inquiry into possible religious discrimination.

Manfred, however, has continued to place responsibility on the Giants.

The Giants and the Dodgers are the only clubs permitted to use Pride-themed logos on the field. That allowance came with the understanding that players would not be required to wear them and that each organization would clearly explain the opt-out process.

“The understanding with the two clubs that were grandfathered, in terms of using logos on the field, was that they would take responsibility to communicate with their players that they had the option to wear their own uniforms if they were uncomfortable with whatever logo it happened to be,” Manfred said. “That didn’t happen. End of story.”

---

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There is some ambiguity over how widespread the communication failure was. Hentges said after the game that he knew players could decline the Pride cap, suggesting at least part of the roster understood the policy.

Roupp, Brubaker and Walker later told the San Francisco Chronicle they were not pressured to wear the hats and had planned their demonstration in advance. Manager Tony Vitello also indicated he knew some form of protest was possible.

Manfred previously told Sen. Josh Hawley that the players would not be fined or disciplined. He described MLB’s response as a routine warning issued before the league learned the Giants’ messaging had been “inadequate and not clear.”

The Giants have not publicly answered Manfred’s criticism beyond prepared Pride Night statements and have declined interview requests on the issue.

That silence has left the commissioner’s version as the league’s final word.

For Manfred, the controversy was not created by religious expression or uniform policy.

It began with the Giants failing to adequately explain the rules — end of story. Right?

The Chicago Cubs are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. The Chicago White Sox, charter members of the American League in 1901, are in their 126th season.

That’s a lot of baseball and a lot of history. And in the World Series era of Major League Baseball the two Chicago teams have played in October in the same year in just three of the 121 seasons we’ve had postseason baseball. Those years are 1903 to 2025, with these exceptions: 1904 (no World Series because manager John McGraw of the Giants was being pigheaded and refused to play the AL champion A’s) and 1994, when the postseason was cancelled due to a players’ strike.

In addition to having been in the postseason together just three times, the Cubs were often awful when the Sox were in the postseason and vice versa. Consider this article a slice of Chicago baseball history.

I’ve made two tables to show that to you. First, here are the 22 Cubs postseason years:

Year	Cubs record/finish	White Sox record/finish
1906	116-36, NL pennant	93-58, WS champions
1907	107-45, WS champions	87-64, third place
1908	99-55, WS champions	88-64, third place
1910	104-50, NL pennant	68-85, sixth place
1918	84-45, NL pennant	57-67, sixth place
1929	98-54, NL pennant	59-93, seventh place
1932	90-64, NL pennant	49-102, seventh place
1935	100-54, NL pennant	53-99, eighth place
1938	89-63, NL pennant	65-83, sixth place
1945	98-56, NL pennant	71-78, sixth place
1984	96-65, NL East title	74-88, fifth place
1989	93-69, NL East title	69-92, seventh place
1998	90-73, NL Wild Card	80-82, second place
2003	88-74, NL Central title	86-76, second place
2007	85-77, NL Central title	72-90, fourth place
2008	97-64, NL Central title	89-74, AL Central title
2015	97-65, NL Wild Card Game winner	76-86, fourth place
2016	103-58, WS champions	78-84, fourth place
2017	92-70, NL Central title	67-95, fourth place
2018	95-68, NL Wild Card Game loser	62-100, fourth place
2020	34-26, NL Central title	35-25, AL Wild Card series loser
2025	92-70, NL Wild Card Series winner	60-102, fifth place

While the Cubs were good in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, the Sox were pretty bad for almost that entire era. Here’s the chart for the 11 White Sox postseason years:

Year	White Sox record/finish	Cubs record/finish
1906	93-58, WS champions	116-36, NL pennant
1917	100-54, WS champions	74-80, fifth place
1919	88-52, AL pennant	75-65, third place
1959	94-60, AL pennant	74-80, fifth place
1983	99-63, AL pennant	71-91, fifth place
1993	94-68, AL West title	84-78, fourth place
2000	95-67, AL Central title	65-97, sixth place
2005	99-63, WS champions	79-83, fourth place
2008	89-74, AL Central title	97-64, NL Central title
2020	35-25, AL Wild Card series loser	34-26, NL Central title
2021	93-69, AL Central title	71-91, fourth place

Apart from the three matching postseason years, the Cubs were also generally pretty bad when the Sox played in October, most recently in 2021 when the Sox appeared to have a team that could make the playoffs in multiple years and the Cubs had their big selloff. That postseason run for the Sox obviously didn’t happen and they have been terrible since then… until this year.

And that brings us back to 2026, where we come out of the All-Star break with both Chicago MLB teams in postseason position. The Cubs are currently in the first NL Wild Card spot, with a real chance of winning the NL Central, and the Sox are in a virtual tie with the Guardians for the AL Central lead, both teams at four games over .500. In fact, only five of the 15 AL teams are over .500 at this time — besides those two, the Rays and Yankees are battling for the AL East, and the Rangers, currently two games over .500, lead the AL West.

Of the three seasons where both Chicago teams made the postseason, one of them (2020) was the shortened pandemic season and should be taken with some grains of salt. Both teams were bounced out of that year’s 16-team postseason in the first round, the Cubs swept by the Marlins and the Sox losing a Wild Card series 2-1 to the A’s.

In 2008, the Cubs appeared possibly headed to the World Series with the best record in the NL (97-64) and breakage of their WS drought on its 100th anniversary. But they were rudely dispatched by the 84-78 Dodgers, swept in a division series. Meanwhile, the Sox had to win three straight games against three different teams just to get in — the final regular-season game vs. Cleveland, then a rainout makeup game against Detroit, then a divisional tiebreaker with Minnesota. After that they got bounced in the division series by the eventual AL champion Rays.

The other one, of course, was 120 years ago, when the Cubs won a still-MLB record 116 games and were expected to demolish the 93-win White Sox. But the “Hitless Wonders” White Sox, who had the best pitching staff in the American League, outscored the Cubs 22-18 in winning the World Series four games to two.

One other year in which there was hope in Chicago that both teams would make the postseason was 1977, when the Cubs got off to a 47-22 start, only to collapse and finish at .500. The Sox, who roared into first place at midseason on the strength of a 22-6 July, also faded and finished 92-70. Both teams were in first place as late as Aug. 6. This year? “As always, we await developments.”

As we return to the present day, it does seem as if 2026 will be the fourth time both Chicago MLB teams will be in the postseason and first in 18 years. They could, conceivably, both go into the October tournament as division champions with first-round byes. Who knows? 118 years after their only World Series meeting, could the Cubs and Sox play in October this year? Now that would likely grab a lot of nationwide attention.

With the help of Tyler Hardman’s bat, the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders rode some momentum into the All-Star break.

The RailRiders took four of six games in a series at Sahlen Field in New York against the Buffalo Bisons, top affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Hardman led the way, batting .500 (12-for-24) in the six games with one double, four home runs, eight runs and nine RBIs.

Those numbers earned him International League Player of the Week honors for July 6-12.

In the series opener July 7th, Hardman went 4-for-6 with a double, two home runs, four runs, and four RBIs as the RailRiders romped to an 18-3 victory. He hit a two-run shot in the top of the second inning and a solo blast leading off the top of the sixth. It is his second two-homer game with the RailRiders — the other came June 25th at Indianapolis — and third of the season. The other came May 2nd with Double-A Somerset.

One night later, Hardman capped a four-run first inning with a three-run home run off future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, who was making a MLB rehab start with Buffalo, and the RailRiders won, 5-1.

Picking up right where he left off‼️💣

Tyler Hardman homers off Max Scherzer! #RepBXpic.twitter.com/EszpYb6g66

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 8, 2026

Hardman had three hits, including another home run leading off the sixth inning, and two RBIs on July 10th in a 9-1 RailRiders win. In a doubleheader July 11th he went a combined 3-for-5 although the RailRiders wound up losing both games of the twin bill, 5-2 and 3-1. Hardman contributed a hit in the series finale which the RailRiders won in 10 innings, 8-7.

It took Hardman quite some time to get to Triple-A and he is making the most of it. In 44 games with the RailRiders, he is batting .276 (43-for-156) with nine doubles, nine home runs, 23 runs, and 26 RBIs.

Including 42 games at Somerset, Hardman is batting a combined .288 (88-for-306) with 17 doubles, and 22 home runs. He leads all Yankees minor leaguers in games played (86) and RBIs (66). His 88 hits rank second behind Kaeden Kent’s 97 with High-A Hudson Valley and his 22 home runs are second behind teammate Garrett Martin. Both Kent and Martin are currently on the seven-day injured list at Hudson Valley and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, respectively. Martin has 24 home runs, with his last three coming as a RailRider.

This is the fourth time this season that a RailRider has won the MiLB weekly award. Yanquiel Fernández was named Player of the Week for the period of May 18-24. Brendan Beck was twice chosen Pitcher of the Week: May 11-17 and June 1-8. Beck also was named IL Pitcher of the Month for June.

By winning four of the six games in Buffalo, the RailRiders took the season series from the Bisons, 10-5. They also improved to 11-6 in the second half (48-43) and are in second place in the International League standings, 2.5 games behind the Durham Bulls — right in the thick of the playoff race.

Coming out of the All-Star break, the RailRiders will be home at PNC Field in northeastern Pennsylvania for nine consecutive games. First, they host the Worcester Red Sox on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then, they entertain the Syracuse Mets in a six-game series next week. Against the WooSox this season, the RailRiders are 4-7, while they are 7-11 against the Mets.

There’s just something inherently magical about a kid who can sling a football on Friday nights and launch a 97-mph fastball or turn a smooth double play on the diamond in the spring. That’s exactly what Will Stein, Nick Mingione, and the rest of Big Blue Nation envisioned when Matt Ponatoski committed to the Kentucky Wildcats.

And now, that dream has reportedly become a reality.

According to KSR’s Drew Franklin, Ponatoski has enrolled at UK ahead of the start of football training camp. That means the highly decorated recruit is set to stick with the Wildcats after being drafted in the 18th round of the 2026 MLB Draft by his hometown Cincinnati Reds.

Ponatoski is an absolute stud. A phenomenal talent out of Archbishop Moeller in Ohio, he signed to play both baseball and football at Kentucky. On the gridiron, he’s a highly touted 4-star quarterback who set school records and earned Ohio Mr. Football honors.

On the diamond, he’s a Gatorade Player of the Year with pro-level tools and a winner’s mentality. The talent is undeniable, and he has the skills to excel in either sport. But as the 2026 MLB Draft approached, the looming question hanging over Lexington was: Will he ever actually step on campus?

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with how the MLB Draft rules work, it’s completely different. When a high school player who has signed with a college program gets drafted, they face a massive choice. They have a narrow negotiating window to either sign a professional contract with the MLB franchise that drafted them or honor their college commitment.

The deadline to sign is July 27 at 5 PM ET. If they don’t sign on the dotted line by that exact deadline, the team loses its rights, and the player is headed to college for three years or until they turn 21 at a 4-year school (unless they opt to attend a junior college the school year after the draft, which makes them draft-eligible again the following year).

Ponatoski told Over Slot Baseball that being a professional baseball player was “my dream since I was a little kid.”

Heading into the draft, MLB.com ranked Ponatoski as the 206th-best player in the class (funnily enough, former Cat Tyler Bell comes in at number 10 on those same rankings, the exact same spot he was selected in the first round by the Colorado Rockies). While he isn’t a first-rounder, Ponatoski has serious pro-level stuff, and scouts clearly love his upside.

That’s why Ponatoski was selected by No. 542 overall in the 18th round of the draft. But thankfully, it appears he’s going to attend college and give the Cats some much-needed depth at quarterback on the gridiron while also giving the Bat Cats a boost in the bullpen.

Philadelphia sports fans made headlines once again this week.

And this time, you should feel nothing but pride.

The story of All Star Week at Citizens Bank Park was not Jordan Walker’s incredible come-from-behind victory over the hometown slugging hero, Kyle Schwarber. It was not the American League’s 4-0 victory over the National League in Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic.

It was not Cristopher Sanchez’ rough inning of work, Jesus Luzardo’s pristine 4th, Jhoan Duran’s 9th inning cameo, nor anything Schwarber, Bryce Harper or Brandon Marsh did in the All Star Game.

No, you were the story.

You ruled All Star week in Philadelphia.

Whereas most All Star games are attended by a wide variety of fan bases, both marquee events this week felt intensely Philly. This was a mostly rabid hometown fanbase looking to will all players wearing red and white pinstripes to ridiculous success while at the same time booing the lifeblood from every other player in existence, save for Philly-natives Mike Trout and Kevin McGonigle.

As a result, Philadelphia fans turned a meaningless exhibition into a sporting spectacle that crackled with electricity. It gave a staid and, sometimes boring event, a playoff-type atmosphere.

We should have known it would be like that once Harper and Schwarber announced they would participate in the Derby in front of their home crowd. We should have known the fans in attendance would use all of their powers to try to rattle opposing participants and will their stars to victory.

Why doesn’t every fanbase do this?

The booing in this case was, of course, all in the spirit of competition and good fun. And to the credit of Wilson Contreras, Jordan Walker, and every other participant, they all understood the fans’ assignment. They realized what was happening and, instead of making a stink and shrinking from the moment, used it to motivate them to perform well.

"The boos were crazy, especially in the opening ceremony. It was so cool. I always like the saying, 'they don't boo nobodies.'"

Ben Rice talks about being booed in Philadelphia: pic.twitter.com/XzYDHa1dWl

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) July 14, 2026

Cardinals HR Derby Champ Jordan Walker gives credit to Philly fans: “I’ve never heard people cheer harder for Schwarber and Harper.” pic.twitter.com/OimL6l8BPD

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 14, 2026

Listen to the admiration in Walker’s voice. Every player would want to play in front of a fanbase like ours. Even players who exist in the so-called “Baseball Heaven” of St. Louis.

Coincidentally, these are the things the national media won’t post about when talking about Philly fans pic.twitter.com/zQgxPF6US3

— The Red Stripes Supporter Group (@TheRedStripesSG) July 14, 2026

And to be clear, no entity was safe.

Mr. and Mrs. Met booed by Phillies fans

😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/SHBp6YYmmi

— Blake (@BlakeIFox) July 14, 2026

Young people who dropped fly balls in the outfield during the Derby heard it, not that the “victims” cared.

Meet Reed Weiner, the 17-year-old who was booed at the HR Derby last night.

He's from Lower Merion and just graduated from Harriton High School.

He loved the boos.

“I think it’s an honor, to be honest. When I go to Phillies games, I’ll boo everyone.”https://t.co/d8qJitxUygpic.twitter.com/ZFnikqUBhy

— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) July 15, 2026

These types of events are supposed to be entertaining. And while the All Star Game itself was a bit of a dud, with Phils hitters going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and the entire NL lineup mustering just three hits and 15 strikeouts, the atmosphere coming into the game felt rich.

It was fun watching the fans boo every Met, Yankee, Dodger, Astro, Diamondback and Brave participant in the starting lineups. There is no safe quarter in Philly.

Phillies fans, I salute you. You made MLB's Home Run Derby and All Star Game feel like one of the most electric sporting events of 2026.

From my latest Hittin' Season, powered by @WHYY!https://t.co/cdWSeRS6oVpic.twitter.com/FDz0p1ECXX

— John Stolnis (@JohnStolnis) July 15, 2026

If only every one of these types of events could have this much watchability. And it wasn’t the stars on the field who made all of this interesting.

It was you.

Athletics reportedly calling up hard-hitting infield prospect Tommy White originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s Tommy Tanks time, Athletics fans.

The A’s are calling up their No. 7-ranked prospect, third baseman Tommy White, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Wednesday evening. White, a former LSU standout and 2024 MLB Draft second-round pick, is set to make his big-league debut Friday against the Washington Nationals at Sutter Health Park, per Passan.

The A's are calling up third baseman Tommy White, sources tell ESPN. White, a star at LSU and second-round pick in 2024, is hitting .303/.353/.465 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs this season. The 23-year-old is expected to make his debut Friday against Washington.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 16, 2026

As Passan noted, White, 23, has raked between two levels in the minors this season. Since his promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas on April 27, White is slashing .303/.345/.489 with an .834 OPS.

White’s call-up comes as the A’s deal with a slew of injuries to their starting lineup, including third baseman Zack Gelof, who landed on the 10-day injured list last week with a right knee laceration after sliding into the fence against the Detroit Tigers.

While the move to bring White up isn’t official yet, the A’s did make a slew of other roster moves Wednesday. Right-hander Aaron Civale was designated for assignment, and third baseman Donovan Walton was activated, amongst other transactions.

They also selected the contract of No. 27 prospect prospect and right-handed pitcher Yunior Tur.

A's roster moves:
– DFA Aaron Civale
– Activate Donovan Walton
– Select the contract of Yunior Tur
– Mason Barnett optioned
– Brian Serven optioned
– Brady Basso recalled
– Joey Meneses optioned

Looks like one more addition will be coming with four leaving and three arriving.

— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) July 16, 2026

As the fourth-place A’s fight to regain footing in the AL West, White will attempt to help them get back on track after the MLB All-Star break.

At the start of the season, the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system was officially implemented into MLB games. This uses a full automated system based on Statcast data to challenge certain calls made by umpires. Now that we’re at the All-Star break, we have more than half a season of data to analyze about how teams are using their challenges. Let’s take a look at how the Brewers have been utilizing it.

MLB Overview

Between offense and defense, the distribution of challenges has been mostly even across MLB. There have been a total of 6,040 challenges using the ABS system so far this season. Here is the breakdown of those challenges.

• 2,810 challenges have been initiated by the batter. 1,345 (48%) of those were overturned.
• 3,230 challenges have been initiated by the defense (catcher or pitcher). 1,872 (58%) of those were overturned.

While this has been the average across MLB, variations within teams can be drastic. The Brewers have one of the more skewed use of challenges in their team. They have challenged 215 pitches across their 96 games. Here is their breakdown.

• Of 66 challenges that have been initiated by the batter, 28 were overturned (42% success rate). That is the fewest number of challenges of any team in MLB. Their success rate ranks 23rd.
• Of 149 challenges that have been initiated by the defense, 80 were overturned (54% success rate). That is the second-highest number of challenges of any team in MLB. Their success rate ranks 21st.

On a team level, the Brewers have not had the most success with challenges. They have chosen to let their catchers do the bulk of challenging, with 68.8% of their challenges made by the catcher. In fact, when it comes to the batters, one player is responsible for a significant number of batter challenges. Let’s talk about that first.

Batter Stats

First, let’s take a look at the Brewers’ challenges as a team. Here is an overview of their stats.

• They have averaged 2.2 additional overturns versus the expected outcome for an average team. However, they have lost 1.9 run value versus the expected value.
• They have had five strikeouts overturned due to challenges, last in the league. The Orioles lead this stat with 20 strikeouts overturned.
• They have gained three additional walks from challenges, tied for second to last in the league. The Twins lead this stat with 15 additional walks.
• Twice this season, a challenge has resulted in a strikeout on a full count being changed into a walk.
• Their challenge rate on “challengeable” pitches is 2.7%. That is also last in the league, with the Rockies leading at 6.6%. A challengeable pitch for a batter is a called strike when the batting team has challenges remaining. (Exceptions are when a position player pitches, which is not challengeable, and if the ABS system malfunctions.)
• Of their 66 challenges, 47 are considered “reasonable.” That 71% rate ranks seventh in MLB. Baseball Savant has a breakdown on what is considered reasonable. On a basic level, it’s either a call that is incorrect, a call that is correct but close enough and valuable enough to challenge, or a call that any player would reasonably challenge.
• On the opposite side, they have had 355 reasonable opportunities to challenge. They have only challenged 13% of those, also last in MLB. The Astros challenge the most on reasonable opportunities, at 28%.

Now that we’ve taken a look at the overall stats for the team, let’s take a more detailed look at the individual batters.

Gary Sánchez

• Despite being a part-time player, Sánchez has challenged the second-most pitches of any batter in MLB with 26 challenges. The leader in challenges is Sal Stewart of the Reds with 38. He also accounts for 39.4% of the challenges by batters for the Brewers.
• Of those 26 challenges, he has won 10 and lost 16. That’s a success rate of 38%, compared to the MLB average of 48%.
• He has a challenge rate of 17.2%, with an expected challenge rate of 4.8%. To clarify that a little further, what that means is when a pitch is challengeable, he will challenge 17.2% of the time. That is a little more than one out of every six pitches that is a called strike, while he would be expected to challenge around one out of every 20 called strikes.
• Of his 26 challenges, only 13 (50%) have been considered reasonable. He has had 30 reasonable opportunities and challenged 43% of those.

Rest of Team

• No other Brewers’ batter has challenged more than seven pitches. That batter is Sal Frelick, who has won two and lost five of his challenges.
• Two batters have six challenges: Jake Bauers (three wins, three losses) and Garrett Mitchell (two wins, four losses).
• Despite some struggles as a catcher, William Contreras has had success with his challenges as a batter. He’s challenged five pitches and won four of those.
• For the rest of the team, no other batter has more than three challenges.

Catcher Stats

Let’s take a look at the catcher stats now. They have accounted for significantly more challenges on the team, and appear to be the focus for challenge usage.

Note: One pitcher challenge for the Brewers is included in these numbers, as they are for the fielding team as a whole and not just the catchers. That will be discussed a little more later.

• They have averaged 9.9 fewer overturns versus the expected outcome for an average team. That is 24th in MLB. However, they have gained 3.0 run value versus the expected value, which is fourth in MLB.
• They have added an additional 19 strikeouts from challenges, tied for eighth most in MLB. They have also eliminated six walks, tied for 12th.
• There have been five instances where a full-count walk was flipped into a strikeout, which contributes to a significant part of their gained run value. A flipped call in this instance can easily by worth over a half run of value.
• Of their 149 challenges, 68% of them are considered reasonable.
• They have had 323 reasonable pitches to challenge, and have challenged 32% of those.

Let’s take a look at each of the catchers and what their rates look like.

William Contreras

• As the primary catcher, Contreras has most of the challenges for the Brewers on defense. He has initiated 111 challenges so far this season, challenging 3.4% of challengeable pitches.
• Not only is that the most on the Brewers, it’s the most in MLB. The second most challenges by a catcher is from Tyler Stephenson of the Reds, who has 85 challenges.
• Of Contreras’ 111 challenges, he has won 58 and lost 53. That is a success rate of 52%, which is well below the league average of 59%. Compared to catchers with at least 10 challenges, his success rate is 60th out of 75.
• He also has one of the lowest value ratings on those challenges. Compared to expected overturns, he has 9.2 less than an average catcher seeing the same pitches. He has also lost 3.8 runs versus the expected rate for a catcher.
• Of his 111 challenges, 74 have been considered reasonable, which is a 67% rate. He has also had 246 reasonable opportunities and challenged 30% of those.

Gary Sánchez

• Sánchez has had his own set of opportunities, with 35 challenges so far this season. He’s much more reasonable with his challenges as a catcher, also challenging 3.4% of challengeable pitches.
• His success rate has been better, with 20 won and 15 lost. That is a success rate of 57%, still below MLB average but much closer to it.
• Overall, this season, he has 0.6 less overturns than the expected rate for a catcher seeing the same pitches. He also has 1.0 runs lost versus the expected rate for a catcher.
• Of his 35 challenges, 26 have been considered reasonable, which is a 74% rate. He has also had 70 reasonable opportunities and challenged 27% of those.

Jeferson Quero

• Not to be forgotten, Quero has had a few chances as well in his very limited time, He has two challenges so far this season and won both. One of those resulted in changing a call to a strikeout.
• Both of his challenges were considered reasonable. He has had seven reasonable opportunities and challenged two.

Pitcher Challenges

When it comes to challenges by a pitcher, these are rare. Not only is it rare for the Brewers, but it’s also rare for the league as a whole. Across the entire season so for, there have been a total of 6,040 ABS challenges. Only 109 of those have been initiated by a pitcher. So far, that has been the correct call. Of those 109 challenges, only 40 of them were overturned — a 37% success rate.

The pitcher who has initiated the most challenges is former Brewer Freddy Peralta, who has challenged six pitches and has a 50% success rate. The Brewers have a grand total of one ABS challenge initiated by a pitcher. That was done by Abner Uribe, and he lost that challenge.

Triple-A Stats

Baseball Savant also has tracked the stats of ABS challenges for Triple-A teams this season. The overall data is pretty similar there, but Nashville has seen more activity than the Brewers. Here’s a quick look at their numbers.

• Batters have initiated 105 challenges. Of those, 45 were overturned (43% success rate). That is tied for the fifth-most challenges in Triple-A. Their success rate ranks 21st.
• Catchers have initiated 128 challenges. Of those, 73 were overturned (57% success rate). That is the tied for the fourth most challenges of any team in Triple-A. Their success rate is 14th.
• Challenges are better distributed among the Triple-A batters. Luke Adams has challenged the most pitches with 15 (eight won, seven lost). Jett Williams is second with 14 challenges (five won, nine lost).
• It’s also an even divide between Jeferson Quero and Ramón Rodríguez for their challenges. Quero has challenged 50 pitches (31 won, 19 lost). Rodriguez has challenged 57 (35 won, 22 lost). Both have significantly more overturns then expected (15.0 for Quero, 13.3 for Rodriguez) but have a small net run loss despite that.
• No pitchers have challenged for Nashville.

Conclusion

The Brewers have not made the best use of the ABS challenge system so far this season. Their philosophy has been focused on using challenges to get better results for their pitchers. So far, there have been growing pains with the system. They are taking their opportunities to challenge, but it hasn’t paid off the best. It’s still the first season with the system in full usage, though. Given more time, they may figure out better timing on challenges and better ways to utilize it, which will further help the team as a whole.

Note: All stats pulled from the Baseball Savant section of MLB.com.