The Detroit Tigers have been on fire this month, but on Wednesday night they cooled off a bit, taking their second loss of June against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park, 6-4. Framber Valdez struggled, surrendering a pair of home runs, while the offense just did not have enough juice to keep up.
However, Kevin McGonigle had a great performance in the field to go with his three-walk, two-run effort at the plate — the kid did everything he could with the glove and the bat.
With a third-straight series win still in reach, right-hander Keider Montero will get the start on Thursday afternoon looking to continue his solid efforts on the mound. The 25-year-old’s last outing was lackluster, however, giving up four runs on six hits (one home run) and a walk over five frames in a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Montero has not seen Minnesota since 2024, when he faced the American League Central rival twice, with vastly differing results. One was a 6-plus inning quality start that resulted in his first win of that season; the other was a five-inning effort that saw him contribute six runs to a 9-6 loss.
Fellow righty Zebby Matthews will toe the rubber for the Twins in his sixth start of the season after opening the campaign in Triple-A. The 26-year-old has been solid since his mid-May call-up, including his most recent outing against the Kansas City Royals, in which he gave up two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out a pair over seven innings to earn the win.
He faced the Tigers twice last year, allowing three runs on 10 hits (one home run) and five walks while striking out 12 over nine innings of work, earning a win along the way.
Here is a look at how the two starters match up in Thursday’s afternoon matinee.
Detroit Tigers (28-40) vs. Minnesota Twins (31-38)
Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 69: RHP Keider Montero (2-4, 3.95 ERA) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (2-3, 4.15 ERA)
The high school season has wrapped up, almost every college team has packed and punched out and portaled, and now Major League Baseball’s draft evaluation period quiets just a bit – even as some of the most important work remains.
As the men’s College World Series arrives, pitting the final eight teams against each other (and this year’s group is, relatively speaking, not bursting with potential high-round draftees) the next phase has begun. MLB’s draft combine begins June 22 in Phoenix, where skills will be measured but perhaps more important interviews and personal evaluations will occur, a key time for clubs and players alike to determine how well they match up.
And while it won’t really affect the first round, the MLB draft league is up and running, giving prospects of all ages a Statcast-able platform to buoy their stock or at least get on the 2027 radar.
With that, USA TODAY Sports takes another stab at projecting the first 30 picks when the draft commences July 11 from Philadelphia:
We’re rolling with consistency here. While much has and can and will change over the next five weeks, Cholowsky still represents the best fusion of current value and impact. While Cholowsky’s season ended as quietly as his team’s – two singles in 12 at-bats in the No. 1 Bruins’ stunning regional elimination - he still did nothing to betray the notion he’s not the best option atop this draft.
2. Tampa Bay Rays: SS Grady Emerson, Fort Worth Christian HS
Now the consensus national high school player of the year, Emerson’s also the lone prep player named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist; he batted .532 during his regular season with seven homers and 31 stolen bases.
Easily the nation’s leader with a 1.06 ERA (No. 2 was 1.98), Flora ran through the tape in his junior season, winning his last seven starts and posting a 30-4 strikeout-walk ratio in his final three. Lots of positional temptations but Flora represents a slam dunk foundational piece.
We’ll see how far north Lackey’s arrow points. It’s just gotten harder to see him slip this low, where Buster Posey can sell a building block catcher for an organization that needs one. Lackey finished his season with 20 homers and a 1.291 OPS in 61 games.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Jacob Lombard, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) HS
Still a chance he goes higher, and hard to conceive this isn’t his floor. Lombard’s speed-power profile nearly matches Emerson’s and his 6-3 frame and athleticism is perfect to play shortstop a long time in the big leagues.
Produced a .358/.473/.657 slash with 16 home runs, not an effusive platform year but one that will keep him near the top of the round, where the Orioles never met an SEC/ACC outfielder they didn’t like.
8. Athletics: SS Justin Lebron, Alabama
With Burress gone the A’s go with the more dynamic skill set while brushing off Lebron’s suboptimal platform season, especially in SEC play. Yet the 6-2 shortstop should benefit from the advanced college players who have already beat a quick path to Yolo County.
9. Atlanta Braves: LHP Gio Rojas, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS
A perfect match between an organization that excels at nudging prep pitchers toward the majors and a 6-4 lefty who pairs a fastball that touches 98 mph with a devastating sweeper.
The Rockies’ semi-successful Coors pitching project will get a readymade Patient One to mold from the start of a professional career. Flukey’s 6-6 frame and bat-missing ability (11.6 strikeouts per nine in three seasons) give them a lot to work with.
After revamping their offensive apparatus, the Nationals do themselves a favor and draft a guy already gifted with excellent swing decisions. Curiel struck out 43 times and drew 34 walks in 58 games and had a .452 OBP across two seasons in Baton Rouge.
He has a lot to clean up, and the Angels usually like their rush-to-the-big-leagues guys close to finished products when they draft them. But Peterson’s big stuff will be too much to ignore for a regime that will already ponder how soon the 6-5 prospect can get to Anaheim.
13. St. Louis Cardinals: INF Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M
Not really sure what his future position will be but the Cardinals know what to do with another plug-and-play guy who can keep the line moving and perhaps grow into more power. If not, no biggie.
Three years into Peter Bendix’s tenure should give us a better idea this innovative club’s draft approach. In this scenario, a potentially elite bat from the college ranks falls to them.
The Diamondbacks haven’t used their top pick on a catcher since 2012 (where art thou, Stryker Trahan?) but Helfrick is too good a value to pass on here after his 18-homer, .979-OPS final season in Fayetteville.
16. Texas Rangers: OF AJ Gracia, Virginia
A steady left-handed collegiate bat with excellent bat-to-ball skills, Gracia could move quickly toward Arlington.
We’re now at the point where every pick can go in so many different directions, but the Astros opt for the former Houston Cougar with power to all fields; Reese smacked 24 home runs in his final year in Starkville.
18. Cincinnati Reds: SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky
A switch-hitting sophomore-eligible shortstop who may require shoulder surgery, Bell may eventually develop an elite offensive profile but for now is a steady player with excellent plate discipline, drawing 30 walks to just 36 strikeouts in earning first-team All-SEC honors.
An excellent senior season and the lure of a lefty topping 100 mph with the athleticism that comes with being an elite basketball player, Bumila will puncture the top 20. While the Guardians prefer college arms, they did OK in 2024 with prep lefty Braylon Doughty, now in high Class A.
20. Boston Red Sox: LHP Hunter Dietz, Arkansas
At 6-6, 235 pounds, Dietz can stand eye-to-eye with Garrett Crochet and also touches 98 mph with his fastball. Still in need of polish but struck out more batters than anyone in the SEC, punching out 13.76 per nine innings.
21. San Diego Padres: LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS
He doesn’t turn 18 until April 2027 and Grindlinger’s drafting team has the luxury of workshopping him as a pitcher or hitter. Here’s guessing the mound wins out, especially as Grindlinger’s frame fills out.
22. Detroit Tigers: RHP Cade Townsend, Mississippi
The Tigers generally prefer higher-ceiling prep players but go for a little more certainty with Townsend, a draft-eligible sophomore with a powerful profile in his repertoire.
23. Chicago Cubs: SS Eric Becker, Virginia
A steady choice, Becker is a technically sound player with gap-to-gap power who should move methodically through a minor league system.
24. Seattle Mariners: OF Trevor Condon, Etowah (Ga.) HS
Condon brings high energy and elite speed, along with the profile to stick in center field. A long-term investment for a club with the luxury to wait.
25. Milwaukee Brewers: OF Aiden Robbins, Texas
Now slashing .342/.435/.720 for the Omaha-bound Longhorns, Robbins boosted his homers from six to 24 in transferring from Seton Hall to Austin.
26. Atlanta Braves: RHP Jensen Hirschkorn, Kingsburg (Calif.) HS
A 6-7 frame that already produces a mid-90s fastball, Hirschkorn is another pitcher with basketball athleticism and tons of projectability. Two picks in the top 26 should help Atlanta keep Hirschkorn away from LSU.
27. New York Mets: OF Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
Quite a skill set, as Sorrell produced 23 homers, 11 steals and a 1.177 OPS – all in a center fielder’s package - in his final year in College Station.
28. Houston Astros: OF Zion Rose, Louisville
A career 1.023 OPS at Louisville, Rose stole 24 bases in 27 attempts and had a .491 OBP in his final season. Strong 205-pound frame could produce more power than he’s shown.
29. San Francisco Giants: Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia
We’re just going to assign Buster Posey catchers with Georgia connections until he’s had his fill. Jackson transferred from Wofford to become a Bulldogs legend, ripping 31 homers to key their CWS run.
30. Kansas City Royals: RHP Logan Reddemann, UCLA
They’re buying low on Reddemann after arm issues slowed a platform year that seemed to push him closer to the top 10. Reddemann hasn’t pitched since April 17 but posted a 0.97 WHIP and 12.7 strikeouts per nine before he was idled.
Justin Verlander was shelled for four home runs, and the Hens couldn’t put much together at the plate against Twins’ starter Mick Abel and the Saints’ bullpen on Wednesday.
Well, Justin Verlander appears healthy, so I don’t know how much longer the Tigers can keep him on the injured list. He also looks incapable of starting successfully in the major leagues right now. Enjoy that dilemma, Scott Harris.
The right-hander allowed four solo shots in 5.2 innings of work, and there were several other very sharply hit balls in play in this outing. What there was not, was much swing and miss. Verlander threw 86 pitches, recording six whiffs, four of them on the fourseam fastball, which averaging 92.9 mph with below average extension. The riding action is still good, and he topped out at 95.5 mph, but we would’ve liked to see him sitting more comfortably around 94 mph. He worked on his slider for much of the outing but it wasn’t very sharp.
Aaron Sabato and Kyler Fedko recorded the first two homers in the second and third innings, respectively. Verlander settled in for a couple of innings, but in the sixth, Matt Wallner crushed a slider and Gabriel Gonzalez a fastball back-to-back to finish Verlander’s outing on a pretty sour note.
Ben Malgeri hit a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth for the Hens only run.
Ben Malgeri rips a solo homer over the wall to get Toledo on the board. That’s his 8th home run of the year, and it raises his slash line against left-handed pitching to .375/.478/.750 pic.twitter.com/zXBM1b08eA
Things got even rougher for the future Hall of Fame set when Kenley Jansen took over the in the seventh. He quickly gave up three runs on a walk and two hits, striking out one, and Yoniel Curet had to take over with two outs. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up three more runs of his own, and Konnor Pilkington gave up two more before this came to an end.
Cruz: 3-4, 2B, 3B
Malgeri: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Verlander (L, 1-1): 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Jansen: 0.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, B, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start time on Thursday with the series tied at a game apiece.
Tigers have acquired RHP Jacob Waguespack from the Brewers in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.
Waguespack currently has a 1.66 ERA and 13.7 K/9 in Triple-A.
The 32-year-old has a 5.11 ERA in 105.2 career MLB innings, most recently with 2024 Rays
Carlos Peña was hit hard in this one, but the SeaWolves fought back and then seized control in the middle innings to win on Wednesday.
Justice Bigbie cracked a solo shot in the bottom of the second to open the scoring, but Peña was knocked around for four runs in the third, and another in the fourth.
So it was 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth when the SeaWolves started turning this game around. Thayron Liranzo led off with a walk and was wild pitched to second. Bigbie singled home Liranzo, and Chris Meyers singled as well. After a pair of strikeouts, E.J. Exposito finally cashed in the runners with a double to left, and it was 5-4 Akron.
Unfortunately, Peña wild pitched a run home in the fifth, and so the task was again more difficult down 6-4.
Brett Callahan kicked started the final push with a solo shot to right field for his 11th home run of the year in the bottom of the fifth. That was Callahan’s fourth homer in five games, and the well rounded outfielder is starting to make a serious push toward Toledo.
Brett Callahan hit this ball a long way for his team-leading 11th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/4acaico1fJ
In the sixth, Meyers led off with a single and stole second base. He eventually scored on throwing error, while Exposito walked and Seth Stephenson singled. Stephenson stole second base, and a swinging bunt toward third from John Peck scored Exposito as Peck beat out the throw to first. Stephenson never stopped running and tore around third base and home under a tag at the plate for an 8-6 lead.
Dariel Fregio and Tyler Owens were each excellent in relief, throwing a pair of scoreless innings apiece.
Callahan: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, K (.913 OPS on the year)
Bigbie: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Stephenson: 3-5, R, 2B, SB
Peña: 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the SeaWolves up 2-0 in the series.
West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Lake County Captains 4 (box)
Ben Jacobs was a little wild in this one, which made for another relatively short outing, but he allowed just one run while his teammates went off at the plate.
Jacobs struck out the side in the bottom of the first, and in the top of the second, Clayton Campbell singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch. Luke Shliger flew out, but Cristian Santana drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Juan Hernandez singled in Campbell, and Caleb Shpur singled in Santana for a 2-0 lead.
Jackson Strong, Garrett Pennington, and Bryce Rainer all walked in the third, but Pennington was thrown out in a double steal attempt with Strong taking third, and they couldn’t push across a run.
Jacobs walked the first two hitters in the fourth, and wild pitched a runner to third. A single scored the run before Jacobs dug in for a strikeout, pop up, and a ground out to escape the inning.
So it was 2-1 Whitecaps, and it was quickly 3-1 when Woody Hadeen and Strong doubled back-to-back to start the fifth. In the seventh, Shpur singled, and Strong walked before Pennington mashed a three-run shot to left center field for a 6-1 lead.
Logan Berrier gave up a run to the Captains in the seventh to make it 6-2. he gave up a two-run shot in the eighth as well.
However, Strong launched a two-run shot to right in the top of the ninth to make it 8-4 and put this one away. After a solid but unspectacular first two months, Strong is suddenly scorching hot. The strikeout rate is still way too high, but he’s homered four times in five games and may be turning the corner a bit.
Strong: 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 BB, K, SB
Campbell: 2-5, R, K
Pennington; 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB, 2 K
Jacobs: 4.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The series is tied heading into a 7:00 p.m. ET start on Thursday.
Cash Kuiper put together a solid start and the bats were hot as the Flying Tigers built an early lead and then poured it on to take a 2-0 lead in the series on Wednesday.
Kuiper wasn’t getting a ton of whiffs, but he spun five innings of one run ball.
The offense took over in the top of the second as Carson Rucker walked with two outs. Singles from Nick Dumesnil and Jack Goodman followed for a 1-0 lead. Anibal Salas doubled in both runs, and then scored on a Jordan Yost double for a 4-0 lead.
Jordan Yost with a nice inside-out RBI double to left that put Lakeland up 4-0. pic.twitter.com/sgjTQktBWi
In the fifth, Jesus Pinto, Beau Ankeney, and Edian Espinal all singled with one-out. That scored one run, and Rucker drew a two out walk to load the bases. Dumesnil was hit by a pitch to make it 6-1, but that was all they’d get.
However, in the top of the sixth, Salas was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning, and Yost then went deep to right field with a 102.3 mph shot for his first home run of the season. 8-1 Lakeland.
Congratulations to Jordan Yost, who launches a 2-run blast to right for his first professional home run. Left his bat at 101.2 MPH and went 384 feet. pic.twitter.com/PitNF3nhbI
Later in the inning, Espinal doubled and scored on a Jude Warwick single. Yost was walked with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to make it 10-1.
Win Scott, Andrew Pogue, and Eliseo Mota were all solid in relief, allowing just two baserunners over the final four innings.
Yost: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K
Espinal: 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, 2 BB
Salas: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, K
Kuiper (W, 1-2): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday as the Flying Tigers look to run their winning streak to four.
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 09: New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) makes the call to the bullpen during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians on June 9, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s less a question of “if” than “when” as it pertains to whether the Yankees will add to their bullpen this year. Though the consternation over the club’s relief unit has been overblown (the bullpen does have the third-best ERA and best expected ERA in the American League right now), it’s clear the Yankees plan to make some sort of alterations to a group that contains a few question marks.
As of now, there’s probably only two guys out there that fans would pencil in with relative confidence as late-inning guys, in David Bednar and Fernando Cruz. That pair, barring injury, will almost certainly factor into the Yankees’ high-leverage plans throughout the year. After that, it’s anyone’s guess how the hierarchy will shake out.
Outside of Cruz and Bednar, which Yankees reliever are you most optimistic about? As shaky as the group has felt at times, there are some decent choices to pick from. Maybe the most obvious choice is Camilo Doval, whose 100-mph cutters and sinkers force one to wonder how it’s even possible that he’s not a dominant reliever. Doval has looked better lately after a terrible first couple of weeks of the season, but he’s still got an unimpressive 5.47 ERA and 3.99 FIP for the year.
Perhaps you’ve bought into Brent Headrick, who actually leads the Yankee bullpen in fWAR and narrowly trails Cruz in rWAR. Though he won’t run a 2.03 ERA all year, Headrick has done an admirable job missing bats and limiting homers, sitting 94-95 mph from the left side. There’s also Paul Blackburn, whose quietly been excellent at managing contact this year, and has seen his fastball velo tick up toward 95 mph, the hardest of his career.
There’s of course Tim Hill, the early-season hero who’s numbers have taken a hit after a few bad outings lately, but still has the look of a good contact-manager. There could ostensibly be some Jake Bird believers out there, with the right-hander posting totally cogent fielding-independent numbers. One could even cape for the flame-throwing Yovanny Cruz, who impressed in a cup of coffee with the Yankees, but whose control problems (he walks 4.5 per nine in the minors) have likely kept the team from committing to him.
Look up and down the bullpen, and the Yankees really have managed to coax fine production from most of their relievers this year, but there just aren’t many that inspire iron-clad confidence. If you had to choose one, which of the Yankees’ relievers that aren’t fully in the Circle of Trust now would you bet on to ascend there by season’s end?
It’ll be a relatively light day, as we all catch a breather while the Yankees travel back from Cleveland. In the morning, John wonders whether Paul Blackburn can take the Luke Weaver route to a high-leverage relief role, and Andrew recaps Wednesday’s American League action. Later, Matt’s entry in our Yankee Birthday series highlights Dan Topping, and Andres analyzes the dismal production the Yankees have gotten from their catchers at the plate the last few weeks.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): Many worried how the Yankees offense would suffer in the absence of Aaron Judge as he recovers from a broken rib, and while they will always be a better team with him in the lineup, they have to feel encouraged about the sweep they just completed over the Guardians scoring 18 runs across the three games. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt in particular stepped up in Cleveland and the hope is that they can continue to lead the team into the summer.
Also contained within this series takeaway was a nugget that Ryan Weathers was seen warming up in the bullpen in the fourth inning on Wednesday and was “in play” as a reliever according to Aaron Boone despite being scheduled to start against the Blue Jays on Friday. It offers an insight into the Yankees’ rotation plans as Max Fried makes progress in his elbow injury rehab, Weathers perhaps now the first name on the chopping block for a move to the bullpen.
Yahoo! Sports | Jordan Shusterman: Gerrit Cole labored through his Tuesday night start against the Guardians, though it is interesting to note that he threw his first 100 mph fastball in an MLB game since September 28, 2022. Cole offered some insights into the possible cause of the bump in velocity, noting the hot, humid weather and a very elevated heartbeat up to what he felt was around 185 BPM. He did admit that he was completely gassed by the 29-pitch third inning where the Guardians scored two runs, but also felt encouraged that he was able to complete four innings and limit the damage to two.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: As Anthony Volpe neared his season debut from offseason shoulder surgery, Aaron Boone promised the media and fans that José Caballero had played well enough that he would not lose the starting job at short should Volpe hit better than him upon returning. Well, it turns out that is exactly what happened, Volpe riding a ten-game hot streak to start his campaign to effectively steal the starting shortstop job from Caballero. Volpe has gone cold since then with a 78 wRC+ in 20 total games yet continues to receive the lion’s share of starts at short despite several notable fielding blunders and non-competitive at bats. To be fair, Caballero has gotten starts in the outfield with Judge injured, but that is also taking playing time away from guys like Spencer Jones and Max Schuemann, both of whom have been more productive hitters than Volpe in limited playing time.
New York Post | Ryan Dunleavy: Jasson Domínguez is nearing his return from a shoulder injury and has been learning a new position in his Triple-A rehab assignment. Domínguez manned right field in his two outings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre despite playing just one game there in the minors and none in the majors. The idea is that it will give him the opportunity for more reps between right and DH with Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined. Once Domínguez has completed his rehab assignment, Spencer Jones is the most likely to be optioned to make room on the major league roster, though Boone did not guarantee an immediate call-up and committed to playing it day-by-day based on the performances of Domínguez and Jones.
NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: In addition to overlapping on the report of Domínguez’s position change, Miller provides an update on Carlos Lagrange’s progress transitioning to a bullpen role. Lagrange tossed four scoreless innings of one-hit ball while striking out seven in his first relief appearance as the bulk guy to follow and opener before giving up a run on three hits and a walk in 2.2 innings his next time out. He had five days of rest in between those relief appearances and the plan now is to reduce the time between outings. The Yankees still believe his long-term future is as a quality big league starter, but the hope this year is that he can reinforce the struggling big league bullpen with his triple-digit heater.
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 21: Juan Sanchez #13 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nathan Ray Seebeck/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Jays’ International Free Agent pipeline has been a bit down in recent years. Vladimir Guerrero jr. and Alejandro Kirk are homegrown stars who signed at 16, but they’re it on the roster right now. There isn’t a ton of immediate promise on the farm, either. Recent top dollar signings, including like Manuel Beltre, Luis Meza, and Enmanuel Bonilla have crashed out in the low minors. On our top 40, the highest rated homegrown IFA was Fernando Perez at #8, and he’s slammed into a wall at AA this season and is now on the non-injury development list trying to rebuild his arsenal. He’s joined by Victor Arias, another prospect struggling a bit in New Hampshire, Silvano Hechavarria, who signed at 20 out of Cuba and so effectively represents a different class of prospect, and Juan Caricote, this year’s big signing who’s just getting his feet wet in the Dominican Summer League.
Juan Sanchez, our #12 pre-season prospect, represents one of the few bright spots. He was actually the third largest bonus the Jays handed out last year, behind Cristopher Polanco (not looking great) and Seojun Moon (just 5 appearances at the complex so far, but early reports are intriguing). Sanchez got off to a hot start to his pro career, posting a .341/.439/.565 line that was the 11th best in the DSL, with most of the guys ahead of him being older players repeating the level.
The Jays rewarded his precocious debut with a jump over the complex and straight to A ball to begin the 2026 season. Sanchez is one of just 11 qualified hitters 18 or younger in full season ball. The early returns weren’t promising. Through his first 20 games, Sanchez was hitting just .118, with a 30% strikeout rate and just two extra base hits. Since then, though, he’s found his footing, trimming his strikeout rate to 25% and posting 13 XBH, including a triple and three homers, for a .313/.367/.554 line.
The cornerstone of Sanchez’ game is power. He’s listed at 6’3” and 180lbs, and while he already looks substantial his shoulders are broad and he has plenty of room to pack on good weight. He’ll probably be huge as a full grown man. Baseball America notes in their scouting report that he hit a ball over 115mph last season. That would be a monster number for a 17 year old, and he hasn’t gotten close to that this season, but his hard hit rate is a respectable 37%, and 45% since things started to click for him this time last month. His swing also naturally produces his hardest contact in the 8-32 degree range of launch angles that accounts for almost all extra base hits and home runs. This is the profile of a potential 30 home run hitter if he can refine his hit tool enough to allow all that power to play in games.
Admittedly, there’s work to do on that front. Sanchez has been aggressive this year, swinging at right around 50% of the pitches he sees. He’s chased exactly a third of the time against a 66.1% in-zone swing rate. That’s not terrible plate discipline, but it’s not great either. He’s also got a fair bit of swing and miss in his game. His in-zone contact rate is 75.1%. That’s a huge drop from the 89% he posted in the DSL, but he’s trending in the right direction by raising it to 78.3% over the past month. That’ll be a key thing to watch going forward. League average zone contact is around 85%. It’s fine if Sanchez comes in a bit below that if it’s the result of a swing that allows him to use his power, but not many productive hitters land below 75%, and ideally he’d get into the 80s. Contact outside the zone is less important, but his 39% rate there is also low.
The good news is that I think experience and pitch selection are a bit part of the issue. He has great bat speed and doesn’t have trouble catching up to high heat, with a contact rate of 80% on fastballs 94 and above in the zone. The big issue seems to be on breaking balls, which he whiffs on in the zone and chases below it far too often. That’s hardly a surprise for a teenager who’s suddenly facing a steady diet of college drafted pitchers whose arsenals and approach are far beyond anything he’s seen before. Over time, he’ll hopefully learn to lay off and adjust to pro quality breakers, and indeed his improvement over the last month shows that he’s already taking steps in that direction.
Sanchez has mostly played third base so far this season, moving off shortstop in deference to Jojo Parker. That’s probably his long term home anyway, as he’s already a fringy runner who’s almost certainly going to slow down as he bulks up. His actions are just OK, but he has a strong arm that can make all the throws for the position and I think he can stick on the dirt. He projects as a 5-6 hitting slugger whose big power production more than makes up for lower averages. There’s a lot of ground to cover between here and there, but his holding his own and showing he can adjust after big jumps in competition this season cements him as a major prospect and a bright spot in the international talent pipeline.
For the first time since 1996, Major League Baseball’s Midsummer Classic returns to Philadelphia.
The 96th All-Star Game arrives just in time to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday.
And with the turnaround of the Phillies under former six-time All-Star and now interim skipper Don Mattingly, there is more juice surrounding the weekend and who will participate in the game.
Mattingly, who has led the Phils to a 28-12 record, was asked by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to join his coaching staff alongside Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. Roberts took down Mattingly’s Blue Jays, where he served as bench coach, in last year’s Fall Classic.
But what about personnel?
Who will don the red pinstripes on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park?
It starts with the group fans cannot vote on.
Pitchers.
Two names stand as locks, pending health, a little more than a month out.
Cristopher Sánchez has registered the second-lowest ERA in baseball at 1.54 while leading the sport in starts (14), innings pitched (93 1/3) and bWAR (5.0). The Phillies’ lefty ace also authored a 50 2/3-inning scoreless streak, the fifth-longest in the modern era and longest by a left-handed starter.
It would make a lot of sense if Sánchez started the game for the National League, but that will ultimately be Roberts’ decision.
If Sánchez gets the ball, he would become the 14th pitcher to start an All-Star Game in his home park. He would be the first since Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium in 2022 and the first Phillie since Robin Roberts at Shibe Park in 1952.
Sánchez has also helped the Phillies hand the ball to closer Jhoan Duran in low-scoring save situations. So far, Duran has provided the return on the investment.
He has converted 17 saves in 18 opportunities. That save total is tied for the second most in the National League, behind San Diego’s Mason Miller with 18.
Duran has posted a 1.99 ERA and a 38.6 percent strikeout rate, third best among relievers with at least 20 appearances and second best in the National League.
A lot would have to go wrong for Duran to not have a strong case to make his first All-Star team. He could become the first Phillies closer since Jonathan Papelbon in 2015 to make it.
Zack Wheeler also has a real chance.
In nine starts since returning from thoracic outlet decompression surgery, Wheeler has posted a 2.22 ERA, fifth among NL starters with at least nine starts. His 0.85 WHIP is the third best in baseball under the same criteria.
His consistency and the respect he has across the league give him a convincing case.
There are stipulations involved.
Every team needs a representative. Some players will opt out. That opens opportunities.
Last year, Roberts carried seven starting pitchers on the National League team. One was Kershaw as the “Legend Pick,” so really six.
Sánchez, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Cincinnati’s Chase Burns, Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes feel like the other shoe-ins. If you include Wheeler, that is six.
If the National League takes seven again without a “Legend Pick,” one of Los Angeles’ Justin Wrobleski or Yoshinobu Yamamoto could also make the game. Another Dodger, Shohei Ohtani, will take up a roster spot, but if he does not plan to pitch, that should not restrict the National League from taking another starter.
That would be an interesting and devastating group for American League hitters.
Speaking of arms, one more Phillies arm, a dark horse, could pitch himself into the All-Star Game with a dominant stretch before the break.
Setup man Brad Keller currently sports a 3.38 ERA. He has been solid with 13 holds, tied for the third most in the NL. But his durability gives him a chance if names start to drop out.
Keller is one of 15 National League relievers to appear in 30 or more games. He is one of 10 with an ERA below 3.50 and one of four right-handers in that group.
It sounds like a stretch, but as the game inches closer, Keller could find his way next to his bullpen mate in the Midsummer Classic.
The Phillies have sent two relievers to an All-Star Game once in franchise history. That came in 2024 in Texas, when Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman made the team as part of a franchise-record eight total All-Stars.
Offensively, it is pretty clear what the Phillies have to offer.
That is where the fans come in.
Kyle Schwarber, the league leader in homers with 24, should be in play to start the game at designated hitter, but Ohtani stands in his way.
The Phils’ slugger has posted a .933 OPS, third best in the NL and just seven points behind Ohtani. The Dodger has a dozen fewer home runs, but his average (.299) is exactly 60 points higher and his on-base percentage is ahead by nearly the same margin.
Regardless, Schwarber, the 2025 All-Star Game MVP, is a lock to make the game.
It would also be a surprise not to see him participate in the Derby.
Bryce Harper has more competition for a spot, but should be able to hold on if he can fend off another Dodgers veteran.
The Phillies’ first baseman has posted an .893 OPS with a .517 slugging percentage, 15 homers and 28 total extra-base hits.
While his defense has been underwhelming from a metrics standpoint, he has been the second-best first baseman in the NL behind Matt Olson, who has 19 homers, 50 RBI and a .902 OPS.
Harper has played every game of the Phillies’ season. Freddie Freeman, as Harper said recently, is also having a solid year. Freeman is hitting .283 with 10 homers and an .848 OPS.
If both play to the back of their baseball cards until the break, Harper should draw a strong vote total and logically be named as the backup first baseman to Olson as things stand.
Then there is the one that would mean a lot to the Philadelphia faithful and presents a lot of competition.
Brandon Marsh.
The 28-year-old, in the middle of a breakout campaign, is batting .326, fourth best in the majors.
Like the starting pitchers, seven NL outfielders made the team last year.
Washington’s James Wood, Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, St. Louis’ Jordan Walker, New York’s Juan Soto, Atlanta’s Michael Harris and Los Angeles’ Andy Pages feel like six names that could occupy outfield spots.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. also felt like he could be in play, but he has landed on the injured list for the second time in a month.
Marsh could go toe-to-toe with San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee, who is batting .338, the best mark among all outfielders in baseball.
Marsh has the edge in extra-base hits, RBI and OPS over Lee, who has put the ball in play more often this year.
Defensively, they are similar.
At the end of the day, though, this comes down to a popularity contest. Lee, who was born in Japan and played professionally in Korea, has a large following and plenty of Giants fans behind him.
Marsh has Philadelphia.
It would be the first All-Star team for either player, and that could come down to the wire.
Be sure to keep an eye on NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com for more All-Star content.
The Dominican Summer League (DSL) season got underway on June 2. The season is 72 games long and ends in August. The Padres have two DSL teams, Padres Gold and Padres Brown, with the Gold team defending its championship from last season.
With the addition of the ACL Padres and the two DSL teams, the Padres now have seven minor league teams playing games. The prospect lists have been updated for the end of May/beginning of June. Catcher Ethan Salas has improved his status as a prospect, moving up from No. 27 to No. 11 on the Baseball America prospect list. MLB.com lists Salas as the No. 49 prospect in baseball.
LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, who started the year in the MLB top 100 prospects, has slipped off the list. His slow start with Lake Elsinore has undermined his early value. His velocity was down to start the year but his last couple starts have shown improvement and his future value could be improved.
Besides those two players, no one else in the Padres system will receive any national attention until they prove they deserve consideration. San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has stated on multiple occasions that the Padres prospects are valued by other teams more than they are by national evaluators.
The coming trade deadline, on Aug. 3, is when Padres fans will find out if Preller believes his team is a playoff team by the way he handles business at the deadline. Multiple players have helped Preller out by distinguishing themselves early in the season. The real test comes when the teams begin to play each other for the second time around and if adjustments come to maintain success.
El Paso Chihuahuas (51-79 record, last in the PCL East)
With the promotion of Samad Taylor and Jase Bowen, the Chihuahuas lost two of their most productive players. They went 2-4 in their series versus the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Outfielder Nick Solak has stepped into the leading role for El Paso. In the six-game series he had 13 hits with two doubles and two home runs. Solak, 31, has had major league experience and is hitting .344/.421/.536. Oufielder Nick Schnell leads the team with 10 home runs and Solak has 39 RBI.
RHP Germán Márquez has begun his rehab assignment and has pitched 6.1 innings over two starts with no runs allowed and only two hits. He has walked one and has five strikeouts. Evan Fitterer remains the most effective starter for El Paso with 11 games started and a 3.80 ERA in 45 innings pitched. JP Sears continues to lead the team in strikeouts despite being hit hard and often. He has a 7.62 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched.
Catcher Blake Hunt has been off the IL for a week and back with El Paso. He had five hits, including a double and a home run, in the four games he has played.
San Antonio Missions (25-32 record, last in Texas League South)
The Missions went 5-1 in their series with the Wichita Wind Surge and resurgent OF Braedon Karpathios was part of the reason. Karpathios, a 2022 undrafted free agent sign, had a difficult start to the season but has surged over the past week. In their six-game series he was 9-for-19 with nine walks. Since May 1, he has a .920 OPS.
Catcher Ethan Salas, who has been consistently hot since the season began, had a little cooling off stretch despite celebrating his 20th birthday on June 1. He only had three hits and no extra base hits with three walks. He stole his 12th base, a new high for him in his career.
Infielder Carson Tucker leads the team with a .299 average and Karpathios has the best OBP at .373. Salas has a slug of .462 and the most RBI with 31. First baseman Romeo Sanabria also had a good series with two doubles and two home runs to keep him close to Salas in production.
The Missions bullpen is their strength in pitching. Both Francis Peña and Andrew Moore shined for the bullpen. Peña has a 1.93 ERA in 23.1 innings and Moore has a 2.29 ERA in 19.2 innings.
LHP Jagger Haynes had his best start, pitching 5,2 innings with two runs allowed. RHP Miguel Mendez has been brought back slowly after his early season neck strain and pitched five innings in his last start with no runs allowed. He gave up two hits and struck out four. His fastball was clocked at 96-97 mph and his location is improving (report per Ben Davey of MadFriars.com).
Fort Wayne TinCaps (24-33, 5th Medwest League East)
The TinCaps faced the Lake County Captains for their six-game series and went 1-5 for the week. The starters struggled with command during the series. LHP Kash Mayfield had his worst outing of the year. His five innings were pitched under poor conditions for the pitchers. A strong wind blowing out aided the three home runs he allowed with the seven hits and two walks. Mayfield has only allowed two previous home runs in his other starts.
RHP Carson Montgomery worked five innings while struggling with his command. He allowed three runs on two hits and walked five. He was able to strike out six hitters and has a 2.40 ERA overall. Reliever Clay Edmondson had his first rough outing, allowing three hits, three runs and two walks in 0.2 innings. His ERA is now 1.59.
RHP Tucker Musgrove is building off his breakout season of last year. His fastball tops at 99 mph and his sweeper at 98 mph. In his last 10.1 innings pitched he has a 1.69 ERA and 47% strikeout rate. (report per Clark Fahrenthold of MadFriars.com).
Outfielder Jake Cunningham continues to lead the TinCaps offense. He is hitting .295/.383/.628 with 10 doubles, 14 home runs and 32 RBI. Four of those homers came in the past week but he also leads the team in strikeouts with 56 and his swing-and-miss will need to improve. Outfielder Alex McCoy is in another slump and is seeing mostly breaking balls in his at-bats. The league has adjusted to his success against the fastball and he isn’t seeing many of those. He will need to adjust back in order to maintain his early success.
Lake Elsinore Storm (33-24 record, 1st in Cal League South)
The Storm went 3-3 in their six-game series against the Fresno Grizzlies. They maintained their top spot in the Cal League and have the best record as well.
LHP Kruz Schoolcraft got his first win as a pro player, pitching five innings with one run and three hits. He got three strikeouts and allowed no walks. RHP Jesus Castro has also been pitching well and threw five innings with three hits, two walks and five strikeouts while shutting out the opponents. The 18-year-old has a 3.05 ERA and has bypassed Winyer Chourio as the most effective Storm starter. Chourio still leads with 60 strikeouts to 22 walks.
Reliever Nick Falter has a 2.25 ERA over 40 innings and has one save. He has 39 strikeouts to 13 walks.
Catcher Ty Harvey, out for the next month or so after being hit by a swing and breaking his hand, still leads the Storm with a .340 average. Infielder Luke Cantwell, back after his three-week injury stint, has a leading .477 OBP. Infielder Kerrington Cross leads in slug and OPS (.570/.1.037) with eight home runs and 30 RBI. He played first base while Cantwell was injured but is also a third baseman.
Outfielder Ryan Wideman had a great week against Fresno, with two doubles and a home run. He added another stolen base to his total of 37 but was caught three times (he has 12 caught stealing for the year). Infielder Jose Verdugo, 18, also had a good week with two doubles and a home run. Not known for his power, Verdugo hit safely in every game of the series and is hitting .287.
ACL Padres (13-13 record, 3rd in ACL West)
With just 26 games played, there have been some noticeable standouts for the rookie league already. Infielder/DH Santiago Vargas, a switch hitter, was signed in January of 2025 but didn’t play in the DSL last season. He has begun his pro career with a bang and has a .315/.367/.556 batting line with three doubles, two triples, two homers and 15 RBI in 16 games.
3B Dawson Willis, an undrafted free agent from Louisiana, is hitting .317/.404/.634 with five doubles, a triple, two homers and six RBI in 11 games. Outfielder Moises Valdez, 20, is hitting .405/.435/.524 with five doubles and five RBI in 12 games.
Lefty reliever Zack Qin is off the IL but remains in Arizona. He has a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings. Padres signed reliever Daison Acosta before the season and then designated him for assignment during the spring. He went on the IL almost immediately after camp started and has now begun his rehab with the ACL team. Ty Adcock finished his rehab and is with El Paso.
RHP Lang-Hong Su has three starts and 10 innings pitched with a 0.90 ERA. Reliever Bernard Jose has a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings with 25 strikeouts to two walks.
DSL Padres
The DSL Brown Padres have played six games and have a 1-5 record. RHP Yoel Duarte is a top international prospect that signed with the Padres and is playing for Brown. The 17-year-old from Venezuela has not pitched yet. With six games played, second baseman Osmy Osorio leads the team with a .304 average and 1.012 OPS.
RHP Yolansy Perez has a 2.25 ERA in four innings pitched with three strikeouts and no walks.
The DSL Padres Gold (3-2, 4th DSL Northwest) have several of the top rated international players signed by the Padres. Shortstop Joniel Harnandez, SS/3B Timothy Mogen, catcher Jhonneiker Leon, LHP Diego Serna, and RHP Jordan Perez all begin with the Gold.
Hernandez is hitting .350 with a .931 OPS in five games. Mogen, playing third base, is hitting .167 in five games. Leon has a .067 average in four games. Serna has not pitched yet and Perez has a 27.00 ERA in one inning pitched, allowing three runs.
In this week's Closer Report, Josh Hader is looking excellent in his first week back from injury. Andrés Muñoz continues to struggle with run prevention despite strong underlying skills. And David Bednar appears to be coming around amid his best stretch of the season. All that and more as we break down the last week in saves around baseball.
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Mason Miller - San Diego Padres Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox Raisel Iglesias- Atlanta Braves
Miller made four appearances this week, but only one came in a save situation. After giving up one run to the Mets on Friday, he bounced back with a scoreless inning on Saturday for his 18th save, then made two more clean outings in back-to-back games against the Reds.
It was a rare quiet week on the mound for Smith, who made one appearance against the Yankees, recording five outs in a non-save situation. Still, he continues to lead baseball with 21 saves to go with a 2.67 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts over 30 1/3 innings.
Duran worked two saves against the White Sox and Blue Jays, then had a rare bad day on the mound, giving up two runs against Toronto on Tuesday to blow a save chance. Duran recovered on Wednesday, keeping the Blue Jays scoreless to convert his 17th save.
Chapman has apparently been dealing with a minor hamstring issue over the last week, but was able to tough it out for a save against the Yankees on Friday. The 38-year-old left-hander is up to 13 saves with a 0.46 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts over 19 2/3 innings. The expectation is that the veteran closer will be pitching for a new team by the trade deadline.
Iglesias converted back-to-back saves against the Pirates on Friday and Saturday, bringing his total to 13. He then surrendered a run against the White Sox on Tuesday to take a loss. It was just his third run allowed all season, giving him a 1.21 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts over 22 1/3 innings.
▶ Tier 2
Bryan Baker - Tampa Bay Rays Louis Varland - Toronto Blue Jays Josh Hader - Houston Astros Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners Daniel Palencia - Chicago Cubs Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers Gregory Soto - Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Sewald - Arizona Diamondbacks David Bednar - New York Yankees
Baker started this week's series against the Red Sox with back-to-back saves on Monday and Tuesday. He continues to dominate the ninth inning for the Rays, converting 18 of 21 save chances with a 1.98 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings. The same can be said for Varland, who's actually having one of the best seasons among all relievers, posting a 0.50 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts over 35 2/3 innings. He added three saves and a win this week. Both Baker and Varland probably belong among the top tier at this point. Track record and more role security separate the relievers above.
Hader has now made four appearances since coming off the injured list. He's allowed just one baserunner on a walk while striking out seven of the 13 batters he's faced. The 32-year-old looks to be back to form. It's early for him, but if he has a few more impressive outings, he'll continue to rise up the ranks.
Muñoz is making it increasingly difficult to keep him this high in the rankings. Despite the strong underlying skills that really do align with his career norms, he just hasn't been able to prevent runs. He surrendered two runs against the Tigers on Sunday to blow a save and take a loss. Muñoz did recover on Monday with a save against the Orioles. The 27-year-old right-hander has posted a 5.18 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts over 24 1/3 innings. Given his strikeout-to-walk ratio is among the best he's posted in his career, I'll keep holding out hope he corrects what is making him suddenly so hittable.
This is where things get tough. What does Palencia have to do to get a save chance? His last save came on May 14. He's been stuck at three saves since. He made three appearances this week and holds a 2.87 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts over 15 2/3 innings.
Scott has been in the middle of a rough stretch, giving up five runs over his last five outings. He took a loss against the Diamondbacks last Thursday, then pitched in two non-save situations. Meanwhile, Soto gave up two runs before holding on for his ninth save on Wednesday against the Dodgers.
And in Arizona, Sewald fell in line for a win with a scoreless inning against the Dodgers last Thursday. A.J. Puk is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno and could be back with the Diamondbacks in the next week or so. Still, I'd expect Sewald to continue working as the team's closer.
Bednar had one of his better weeks on the mound, making three scoreless appearances that included five outs against the Guardians on Monday to fall in line for a win. That makes six straight scoreless outings for his best stretch of the season. The 31-year-old right-hander holds a 3.90 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 27 2/3 innings.
▶ Tier 3
Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals Jacob Latz - Texas Rangers Devin Williams - New York Mets Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers Grant Taylor/Seranthony Domínguez - Chicago White Sox Pete Fairbanks - Miami Marlins
O'Brien got back on track this week with a pair of scoreless outings, picking up two saves against the Reds. He's up to 17 with a 3.68 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts over 29 1/3 innings.
In Texas, Latz made two appearances this week, completing a two-inning save against the Guardians on Friday before locking down a save in extra innings against the Royals on Wednesday. The save was his tenth of the season with an excellent 1.80 ERA over 30 innings.
Williams appeared in one game, giving up one run in a non-save situation against the Padres on Sunday. So far, it's been essentially a repeat of last season's struggles, as he's recorded a 5.57 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 21 innings.
After giving up two runs to blow a save chance against the Rockies on Friday, Megill was unavailable to pitch on Monday against the A's due to oblique tightness. It was encouraging then to see him make an appearance on Wednesday, striking out two in a scoreless frame in a non-save situation against the A's.
Things look to have shifted again with the White Sox. All three of Domíguez's outings this week came before the ninth inning. Meanwhile, Taylor pitched the ninth in both of his appearances, picking up a save and a win. The last time Taylor earned a save, Domíguez stepped back in for the next few save chances. Should Taylor settle into the ninth this time around, he can quickly rise up the rankings for the rest of the season.
Fairbanks gave up two runs against the Rays on Saturday, but was still credited with a hold before Tyler Zuber stepped in to record the save. He then bounced back with a scoreless outing against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday to fall in line for a win.
▶ Tier 4
Alex Lange - Kansas City Royals Rico Garcia - Baltimore Orioles Kaleb Killian/Keaton Winn - San Francisco Giants Clayton Beeter/Gus Varland - Washington Nationals Kyle Finnegan/Will Vest - Detroit Tigers
Things get incredibly messy from here on. Lange has taken over closing duties in Kansas City following Lucas Erceg's struggles. He rattled off four consecutive saves, then took the loss on Wednesday in extra innings against the Rangers. Lange's walk problems persist, making him a volatile and risky option for those looking for saves.
Garcia surrendered runs in back-to-back outings this week, taking a loss on Tuesday against the Mariners. Ryan Helsley progressed to facing live hitters this week as he works his way back from right elbow inflammation. The next step will be a rehab assignment before he's activated from the injured list.
The Giants continue to have trouble finding consistency in the late innings. Winn has given up six runs over his last five outings. Kilian picked up a save on Thursday, his fourth of the season, then made two more scoreless appearances in non-save situations. Don't expect any reliable save sources here. The same can be said about the Nationals. Varland recorded his fifth save, then surrendered three runs without recording an out against the Giants on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Beeter earned a win against the Giants on Monday.
No saves for the Tigers this week, but Vest did pick up a win with a scoreless inning against the Mariners on Sunday. Kenley Jansen is on his way back from a groin injury after starting a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday. He may just need an outing or two before he's activated and should step back into the closer role.
▶ Tier 5
Antonio Senzatela - Colorado Rockies Tony Santillan/Brock Burke- Cincinnati Reds Kirby Yates - Los Angeles Angels Yoendrys Gómez/Eric Orze - Minnesota Twins Elvis Alvarado/Hogan Harris - Athletics
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros rounds the bases on a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 10, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second time in three nights, it would require extra innings. This time however, the Astros wouldn’t be as fortunate as they were 48 hours earlier in the series opener, dropping the finale to the Angels by a score of 3-2. Former Astro Jose Siri would deliver the final blow with an RBI single which brought home Nick Madrigal, who served as the automatic runner with the winning score. Bryan Abreu would take the loss in relief, allowing a pair of hits on only seven pitches.
The only good news of the night was that the Astros hit two home runs. The bad news, those HRs represented their only two hits before Alvarez and Walker reached base in the 9th.
With each passing inning, there was a sense that the season is slowly slipping away. 70 games now completed with a mark of 31-39. The Astros are again 8 games under the .500 mark, and questions continue to linger. Is this the Astros new reality? Are they destined to hover towards the bottom of their division? They sit in fourth place in the A.L West, having dropped three of their last four.
Peter Lambert delivered yet another quality start, striking out 6, but would exit in the 7th with an apparent finger injury that began to swell up on a comebacker.
Mike Trout, playing DH on this night, started the scoring with a solo shot to straight away center field in the first inning. It was one of only two mistakes that Peter Lambert would make, also allowing Logan O’Hoppe in the 5th to go yard with a blast to left. The Angels this season have now hit a combined 12 home runs off of Astros pitching in their 7 meetings. With the victory, LA has now won 4 of those 7 contests.
The Astros wouldn’t register a hit until Shay Whitcomb led off the 6th inning with a solo shot. The offense has been in hibernation in recent games, and on this night was dominated by Reid Detmers who struck out five of his first seven. Detmers would finish the night with 9 K’s. Whitcomb would be the lone baserunner that Detmers would allow.
Upon exiting, Cam Smith would take Chase Silseth deep for his 7th home run of the season to tie things up at 2.
In the 9th, Yordan Alvarez appeared to break a tie at home plate after an errant throw occurred off a Christian Walker double, but the call was quickly overturned.
As the contest unfolded, encouraging news came from Sugar Land where ace Hunter Brown went 5 innings, tossing 78 pitches with 7 strikeouts in what is expected to be his final rehab start. Brown’s fastball would register 98 MPH.
All signs now point toward Brown returning next week to face the Tigers on the next Astros homestand. Before that happens, Houston will next play three in Kansas City after an off-day Thursday.
It was a brutal one for the Clippers in every facet of the game. They were held to just 4 hits and 3 walks, while they allowed 7 hits(including 3 HRs) and 9 walks. CJ Kayfus and Nolan Jones both had a hit and a walk. Austin Peterson limited the damage to just 3 runs but you never want to see a command pitcher walk 5 batters and only have 4 strikeouts.
Luke Hill and Jaison Chourio have injected a ton of life into this offense. Ever since their promotion to AA they have both been raking. Luke Hill went 2-4 with two doubles tonight and is now hitting .370 with an OPS of 1.007 in AA. Jaison Chourio went 1-4 with a 3 run home run over the center field wall. He is now hitting .319 with an OPS of .945 since his promotion to AA. Both of these two have a good chance to jump into the top 10 Guardians prospects with their performances this season.
It was a rough game for the Akron pitching staff. Caden Favors allowed 4 runs in just 3.2 innings pitched, his ERA is up to 6.00 for the season. Jack Jasiak allowed 4 runs in his 2 innings pitched but only one of those runs was earned.
Nolan Schubart appears to be really figuring it out. He went 2-4 tonight with his 13th home run of the season and is now hitting .233 with an OPS of .866. He got off to a rough start this season and has been so much better as of late. Tommy Hawke also went 2-4 with a walk and is now hitting .315 with an OPS of .884.
It was another meh start from Michael Kennedy, who allowed 2 runs in 4 innings pitched with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks. His ERA is up to 5.35 on the season.
Juneiker Caceres might be my favorite prospect in the entire system. Now that Travis Bazzana has graduated, I think he has a real argument to be a top 3 prospect in the system behind Ralphy and Genao. He went 2-4 tonight with a double and is now hitting .317 with a .921 OPS as an 18 year old in Single A. I can’t remember the last time the Guardians ever had an 18 year old in High-A but they’re going to have to promote this kid soon. He is that good. Elite contact skills, good approach, and plenty of raw power. I am beyond excited about him.
Cannon Peebles went 2-4 with two RBIs and a walk. Jose Pirela went 1-5 with an RBI single. Anthony Martinez went 3-4 with a walk, and Tyler Howard went 3-4.
After a great start to the season, Nelson Keljo has been struggling the last couple weeks. He allowed 3 more runs tonight in 4.2 innings pitched, and his ERA is now up to 4.42.
Jun 10, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA; Athletics center fielder Lawrence Butler (4) reacts after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
The Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers faced off in the rubber match of this three game interleague series. Down 3-0 after 6 1/2 innings, it looked like the A’s offense had finally cooled off in the desert heat. Yet, the team burst to life just in time and then its bullpen shut the door on the Brewers, sealing the A’s 4-3 victory in this tightly-contested series finale.
Brewers Assert Early Dominance
The Brewers struck first for a third straight game. Facing A’s starting pitcher Jack Perkins, Christian Yelich drew a leadoff walk and later scored on Andrew Vaughn’s two-out RBI single to right field. Perkins responded by striking out the next batter to strand Vaughn at second base.
The Brewers added another run in the second inning. Catcher Gary Sanchez got the inning started with his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Perkins limited further damage, leaving David Hamilton at third after his one-out double.
Meanwhile, Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat was sharp early, holding the A’s scoreless through the first two innings.
The visitors made it three in the third as center fielder Jackson Chourio crushed the first pitch of the inning 440 feet to dead center for his sixth home run of the season and second in as many games. Both home runs came on mistake pitches from Perkins, who has yet to find his rhythm as a starter. Perkins allowed two walks but no further runs, though he needed over 30 pitches to complete the inning.
A’s Threaten but Don’t Score
A’s center fielder Henry Bolte led off the A’s half of the third with an infield single, speeding down the line to beat the throw to first. He then stole second, putting himself in scoring position with no outs.
Sproat walked second baseman Jeff McNeil before the Brewers middle infield turned a slick double play on a ball off the bat of A’s shortstop Alika Williams. The right-hander promptly struck out Kurtz to end the inning. Through three innings, the A’s hit into two rally-killing double plays. Maybe the inning would have gone differently if Williams had bunted to advance the runners rather than swing away.
Game Rolls Along
Perkins tossed his first scoreless inning of the night in the fourth, which also marked the end of his laborious outing. The A’s starter allowed three runs on five hits and three walks. Offensively, the A’s could not take advantage, continuing to struggle against Sproat, who needed just 58 pitches to complete five scoreless innings.
Athletics right-handed reliever Luis Medina replaced Perkins in the fifth and needed just seven pitches to complete a scoreless inning. He remained in the game the next inning; however, the Brewers opened the sixth with back-to-back singles. Medina escaped the jam unscathed, getting Milwaukee’s shortstop Joey Ortiz to ground into an inning-ending double play.
A’s Score At Last
The A’s finally scored off Sproat in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Williams hit his first MLB home run, a solo shot to left field, cutting the hosts’ deficit to two.
A’s relievers Jose Suarez and Scott Barlow combined for a scoreless top of the seventh. The Brewers stranded two runners on base in their latest attempt to extend the lead.
A’s Complete the Comeback
In the last of the seventh, the visitors turned to reliever Chad Patrick after Sproat allowed one run over six innings on just 68 pitches.
A’s right fielder Carlos Cortes welcomed Patrick to the game by hitting his sixth home run of the year, a 461 feet solo shot to right to cut his team’s deficit to one.
A’s third baseman Zack Gelof followed by lining a double to right, extending his hitting streak to 15 games. Then, right fielder Lawrence Butler came through with his biggest hit in a while. His fourth home run of the season, a 463 feet two-run rocket to center field, put the hosts up 4-3. The A’s hit 15 home runs this series, tying a franchise record for most home runs in a three-game series.
The Brewers turned to left-hander Aaron Ashby after Patrick failed to record an out. With two outs, Williams singled and then Kurtz walked. The runners advanced 90 feet on a passed ball before Soderstrom grounded out to end the inning.
Chaotic Eighth
In the eighth, Milwaukee collected two straight singles with one out. A’s left-hander Hogan Harris escaped trouble by getting pinch-hitter William Contreras to ground into an inning-ending double play, preserving the hosts’ one-run lead.
Facing new Brewers reliever Trevor Megill, A’s catcher Shea Langeliers led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to the left-center field gap. Megill retired the next three batters as the A’s failed to capitalize on a prime chance to add an insurance run.
Elvis is Back
Athletics reliever Elvis Alvarado entered to pitch the ninth. Alvarado was dominant for a second straight night as the Brewers top three hitters were no match for his 100 mph fastball and nasty slider. The hard-throwing reliever struck out two of the three batters he faced, recording his first career save and more importantly securing the series victory for the Athletics against a very good Brewers squad.
The Athletics will have a day off in Las Vegas tomorrow. On Friday, the Colorado Rockies open a three-game series against the A’s at Las Vegas Ballpark. Left-hander Gage Jump will start for the A’s at a ballpark he knows well, having made several starts there during his time in Triple-A. The Rockies have not yet announced their starter for Friday night’s matchup.
Jun 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing (68) and two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) make thier way in from the bullpen to play the Pittsburgh...
PITTSBURGH –– Dalton Rushing was unsuccessful on the one call he tried to challenge in the bottom of the seventh Wednesday night.
Three other times, in what became a three-run inning that triggered a late-game meltdown in the Dodgers’ eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, both he and pitcher Shohei Ohtani missed the chance to use MLB’s new ABS system to turn called balls into what could have been game-changing strikes.
“I hesitated whether to challenge,” Ohtani said in Japanese afterward. “Looking at the results, I think it would have been better to.”
Dalton Rushing and Shohei Ohtani make their way in from the bullpen to play the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Granted, that wasn’t the main reason for the Dodgers’ painful 9-8 defeat at PNC Park –– not on a night the team’s bullpen combined to allow five more runs in the eighth as the Dodgers blew what had been a five-run lead.
Still, the borderline pitches nonetheless became a topic of conversation in the clubhouse postgame, starting with Ohtani’s admission to reporters himself.
“I went up to around here,” he said while raising his hand to his head, mimicking the signal for an ABS challenge. “But I didn’t take the last step.”
Entering the seventh, the Dodgers were in total control. They had built a 6-1 lead on Ryan Ward’s grand slam an inning earlier. Ohtani, meanwhile, was back on the mound trying to complete his latest pitching gem.
Ohtani was the starting pitcher tonight with Dalton Rushing catching behind the plate. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Against leadoff hitter Tyler Callihan, however, the pair’s first missed ABS opportunity set the disaster in motion.
In a 1-0 count, Ohtani threw a low fastball that, according to MLB’s Gameday system, caught the bottom of the zone. With both of their challenges remaining at that point, either Rushing or Ohtani could have opted for an ABS appeal.
Alas, they let the at-bat roll on. And while Ohtani eventually worked the count full, he couldn’t put Callihan away with a fastball or a sweeper, before finally missing with a curveball for what would prove to be a consequential leadoff walk.
Three batters later, the Pirates had two aboard with one out when Rushing did tap his head for an ABS review, trying to change a first-pitch splitter to Spencer Horwitz into a strike on the outer edge.
But the verdict, as was displayed via a video graphic on the stadium scoreboard, was that the pitch was indeed outside –– by a whole two-tenths of an inch.
Shohei Ohtani waits to hand the ball to manager Dave Roberts, after giving up a two-run double to Pittsburgh Pirates’ Brandon Lowe during the seventh inning. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Ohtani would bounce back to strike out Horwitz. But with only one challenge left at that point, the dynamics of the Dodgers’ ABS strategy had shifted.
“You never want to go into the eighth, ninth inning without a challenge from an offensive side, especially in a close game,” Rushing noted.
“That,” manager Dave Roberts added, “might have been something that caused a little bit of a pause [the rest of the inning].”
Indeed, as Brandon Lowe came to the plate next, Rushing declined to challenge two balls that could have been overturned: A first-pitch heater seemed to clip the outer edge of the plate, then another 2-0 four-seamer that appeared to graze the bottom corner.
Ohtani almost tapped his head on the latter pitch, but stopped as Rushing shook his head from the plate.
“Our plan is basically for the catcher to do it, so I don’t do it unless I have a lot of confidence,” Ohtani said.
“But considering the situation,” he added in hindsight, “I think it could have been good to do it.”
Shohei Ohtani pitches during the first inning. Getty Images
Instead, in what was a 3-0 count, Ohtani predictably threw a fastball in the zone that Lowe ambushed for a two-run double down the line.
Just like that, the two-way star’s night on the mound was over.
And suddenly, the door had opened for a stunning Pirates comeback –– which would be completed after Lowe scored on a Max Muncy error later in the seventh, and Callihan and Horwitz both hit home runs in the five-run eighth.
“I haven’t looked back, but I did hear a couple of those pitches to Lowe were strikes,” Roberts said. “They would have obviously flipped the count. You never know.”
Rushing, who spent a long time with his head hanging low at his locker postgame, was also left second-guessing himself, saying that while he thought both pitches in the moment were balls, “maybe one of the two were worth challenging.”
Rushing added that he considers several factors when evaluating ABS opportunities, from the score of the game to the leverage of the inning.
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jake Mangum, left, scores on a double by Brandon Lowe as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing awaits the late relay throw during the seventh inning. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
“Do we need one [challenge to be saved] late in the game? Do we have two? Do we have one to waste?” he said.
But, “obviously seeing what we saw there tonight,” he countered, “it would have been nice to hold it.”
Roberts was careful not to put blame on either player for their ABS decisions. He also specifically praised the strides Rushing has made using the system this year; an area the second-year backstop struggled with early in the season, before improving his ABS challenge rate recently thanks to behind-the-scenes work with the club’s augmented reality Trajekt pitching machine.
“Probably in his opinion, it wasn’t worth the challenge,” Roberts said. “It’s not an exact science.”
Another factor that might have complicated matters: Wednesday was the first time this year Rushing caught one of Ohtani’s outings, getting his fourth-straight start as Will Smith battles a neck injury that will force him to go on the injured list Thursday.
The new battery pairing wasn’t seamless, with Ohtani noting he shook off a few more pitches than usual (something he said was to be expected given the duo’s lack of familiarity).
Nonetheless, with slightly better use of the ABS system in the seventh, the night still could have had a much happier ending.
Instead, as both players dressed and exited the clubhouse, Ohtani passed by Rushing and gave him a pat on the back –– almost as if to say, oh well, lesson learned for both of them.
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 09: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Well just as Drake Baldwin seemed to be nearing his return, the Braves will now be without Ronald Acuna for at least 10 days, with a hamstring strain. The Braves just can’t seem to get all of their stars healthy and playing well together at once, even as they are performing extremely well this season. It does seem like Ronald’s hamstring strain is fairly mild, so hopefully it will be a short absence and we can witness a fully healthy Braves’ offense in July. On the pitching side, the Braves are finally getting a look at veteran James Karinchak, who had an impressive spring and an impressive start to the season in the minors, as well as another look at JR Ritchie. While my preference would be to move Grant Holmes to the bullpen, the Braves may not yet trust Ritchie enough to hand the keys to a rotation spot until Hurston Waldrep or AJ Smith-Shawver can hopefully return successfully from their respective surgeries to quality performance.
The Braves lost the first two games of a series for the first time this season, as they fell 2-1 to the White Sox, with the offense struggling without Baldwin and Acuna.
Jun 10, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio scores against the Athletics during the third inning at Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
It was a solid night for Brandon Sproat in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, but the Brewers were unable to pick up the series win, as the offense faltered after putting up an early lead and Chad Patrick struggled out of the bullpen.
Christian Yelich started the evening off with a walk, and after moving to second on a groundout by Brice Turang, came around to score and give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead on Andrew Vaughn’s RBI single.
Nick Kurtz started things off with a single in the bottom of the first, but he was wiped out on a double play from Tyler Soderstrom, and Sproat was through the first with an unconventional 1-2-3.
Gary Sánchez doubled Milwaukee’s lead in the second, slugging a leadoff homer over the wall in left to make it 2-0. David Hamilton also had a one-out double, but he was ultimately stranded at third.
Sproat picked up a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout in the second, and Jackson Chourio tacked on another run with a leadoff homer in the third, his sixth of the season and fourth this month.
Sproat got into his first real trouble in the third, as he allowed a single, a steal, and a walk to put two runners on with no outs. He was able to get out of it, though, as Alika Williams hit into a 6-4-3 double play on a tough play made by Joey Ortiz, and Sproat followed with a strikeout of Kurtz after a well-timed mound visit by Sánchez.
Things quieted down for both sides from there, as the Brewers got a two-out double from Yelich in the fourth before both teams traded 1-2-3 innings through the end of the fifth.
In the sixth, the Brewers once again threatened against reliever Luis Medina. Sánchez led off with a single, and Sal Frelick followed with another single that maybe should have been caught and probably should have been a double if anybody other than Sánchez was running in front of him.
Neither Sánchez nor Frelick would move from their spots, though, as Hamilton struck out and Ortiz hit into an inning-ending double play.
The homer bug finally bit Sproat in the bottom of the sixth, as Alika Williams hit his first career homer just over the wall in left, cutting the Brewers’ lead to 3-1. Sproat escaped the inning without any more damage, allowing a two-out single but nothing else as he was through six innings on just 68 pitches.
Even with the low pitch count, Sproat was done after six, as Pat Murphy went to Chad Patrick for the seventh. Sproat went six frames, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out three. This was arguably Sproat’s best start of his career, and just the second quality start for him this season (he went 6 2/3 innings with one run allowed against the Blue Jays on April 16).
Unfortunately, Murphy’s move didn’t work out great, as Patrick — who had allowed just one run in his last 21 1/3 innings dating back to early May — allowed a leadoff homer to Carlos Cortes, a double to Zack Gelof, and another homer to Lawrence Butler, flipping the scoreboard to a 4-3 A’s lead before Patrick recorded an out. That marked the end of the night for him, as he threw just eight pitches (four strikes) and gave up three runs on three extra-base hits.
After Aaron Ashby took over and got out of the inning, the Brewers put together another rally in the eighth via a pair of hits by Frelick and Rengifo, who pinch-hit for Hamilton. With one out and the tying run on second and the go-ahead run at first, Murphy used William Contreras as a pinch-hitter for Ortiz, but Contreras hit into a double play to end the rally.
Trevor Megill replaced Ashby in the bottom of the inning, and despite allowing a leadoff double to Shea Langeliers, he was able to keep the deficit at one as the Brewers looked to mount a comeback in the ninth.
The comeback was not to be, though, as Yelich struck out, Chourio grounded out, and Turang struck out.
For the second consecutive night, the Brewers couldn’t do much of anything against the A’s bullpen. While they had plenty of baserunners tonight via 11 hits and three walks, they left nine runners on base and went just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Chourio, Vaughn, Sánchez, and Frelick had two hits each, and Chourio and Sánchez had the big hits via solo homers. Sánchez and Vaughn also added a walk each, while Yelich reached twice via a double and a walk.
The pitching staff looked solid outside of Patrick, as he took his third loss of the season. Ashby and Megill each worked a scoreless inning, while Sproat held his own over six frames, allowing just the one run on a solo homer.
While this was a fun series for those who love seeing the ball fly out of the ballpark, I’m sure Brewers fans and the Brewers themselves are happy for the Crew to return home. They’ll get a much-deserved day off on Thursday before returning to action this weekend against the Phillies. Jacob Misiorowski will start opposite Andrew Painter in that one, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
