ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 27: Photo of Truist Park on Opening Day before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In case you’re missing seeing the Atlanta Braves in baseball action during the current All-Star break, not only do you have the rest of the second half to look forward to (and hopefully the Postseason as well), you now have the 2027 season to (hopefully, as well) look forward to as MLB has released the 2027 regular season schedule for all 30 clubs.
Assuming none of these games get wiped out and the season actually starts on time, the Braves are currently scheduled to spend opening day in sunny Southern California as they’ll be taking on the Dodgers on Thursday, March 25, 2027. There will be an off day on Friday and then they’ll finish up the three-game series over the following weekend.
After getting done with three games in Milwaukee, the Braves will finally return home and play their home opener on Friday, April 2 against the Houston Astros. I’d say that weather-wise, April should be fine for the Braves as they don’t have to travel to any of the cities that are usually susceptible to cold weather during April, with the only real risk being a trip to Washington to face the Nationals starting on April 13. Other than that, Milwaukee is likely going to be indoors-exclusive and they’ll be traveling to Miami, Tampa Bay and St. Louis during April so fortunately, the Braves likely won’t have to worry about dodging any snow flurries in another town.
Naturally, I always skim through the schedule and try to find the West Coast trips and I can already tell that they’ll probably be challenging based on both duration in one instance and timing in another instance. From June 7 through June 16, the Braves will travel to Colorado, Sacramento and then Phoenix to face the Rockies, A’s and Diamondbacks on a three-city trip out West. The next West Coast swing will be the final road trip of the season from September 14 through September 19, which is when the Braves will have to find a way to survive a trip to the nightmare factory known as Petco Park and Oracle Park as they’ll be visiting the Padres and Giants.
Outside of that, it’s just your typical baseball schedule. Everybody’s going to play everybody at least once, the Braves will play every National League club at least twice and they’ll get very familiar with their NL East rivals over the course of the season. Ending the season with a six-game homestand against the Nationals and Marlins should certainly be fascinating as well if those teams continue to get better.
So, looking at the schedule, which matchups are you already looking forward to? Are there any that you’re already dreading? Are you just hoping that we’ll be seeing baseball at any point next year considering what awaits the baseball world in the offseason? Let us know what you think!
Once again, Major League Baseball has scheduled the Cubs to play multiple games in the Frigid Confines of Wrigley Field — six home games before the end of March.
While there was one crazy warm day (77 at game time) during that span, the other five games had an average game-time temp of 46, which is… too cold for baseball, in my view.
Then the Cubs travel to California for their next six games. I’ll never understand the reasoning behind this, especially two years in a row.
Other than that, this is a pretty good schedule, with only one long road trip. That will be in June to Colorado, San Diego and San Francisco, and in San Diego the Cubs will face the Padres in a scheduled split doubleheader. The longest homestand will be in September, 10 games against the Reds, Orioles and Mets.
Let’s just hope these games are played as scheduled.
Here’s the complete Cubs 2027 regular season schedule. Home games in boldface. Game times will be added here when they’re available.
March 25, 27-28: vs. Guardians March 29-30-31: vs. Cardinals April 2-3-4: at Angels April 5-6-7: at Athletics April 9-10-11: vs. Rangers April 13-14-15: vs. Phillies April 16-17-18: at Dodgers April 20-21-22: at Diamondbacks April 23-24-25: vs. Pirates April 26-27-28: vs. Brewers April 30-May 1-2: at Yankees May 3-4-5-6: at Pirates May 7-8-9: vs. Mariners May 11-12-13: vs. Marlins May 14-15-16: at Astros May 17-18-19-20: at Brewers May 21-22-23: vs. Nationals May 25-26-27: vs. Royals May 28-29-30: at Cardinals May 31, June 1-2: at Marlins June 3-4-5-6: vs. Dodgers June 7-8-9: at Reds June 11-12-13: vs. Rockies June 14-15-16: vs. Reds June 18-19-20: at Rockies June 21-22: at Padres (June 22: split doubleheader) June 24-25-26-27: at Giants June 28-29-30: vs. Padres July 1-2-3-4: vs. Cardinals July 6-7-8: at Braves July 9-10-11: at Tigers July 12-15: All-Star break, ASG at Wrigley Field July 13 July 16-17-18: vs. White Sox July 19-20-21: vs. Pirates July 23-24-25: at Twins July 26-27-28: at Nationals July 30-31-Aug.1: vs. Red Sox Aug. 2-3-4: vs. Giants Aug. 6-7-8: at White Sox Aug. 9-10-11: at Cardinals Aug. 13-14-15: vs. Rays Aug. 16-17-18: vs. Diamondbacks Aug. 20-21-22: at Blue Jays Aug. 23-24-25: at Pirates Aug. 27-28-29: vs. Braves Aug. 30-31, Sept. 1: vs. Brewers Sept. 3-4-5: at Reds Sept. 6-7-8: at Brewers Sept. 9-10-11-12: vs. Reds Sept. 14-15-16: vs. Orioles Sept. 17-18-19: vs. Mets Sept. 21-22-23: at Phillies Sept. 24-25-26: at Mets
If you’d prefer a calendar-style schedule, here you go! Home games are in blue. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 30: Kansas City Royals players and Minnesota Twins players line up for the national anthem prior to the opening day game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on March 30, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals will begin the 2027 season earlier than they ever have before — provided there isn’t a work stoppage.
MLB revealed the 2027 schedules today, with the Royals opening at home on March 25 against the Minnesota Twins. This is the earliest in the calendar year the Royals have ever played a regular season game, with the 2026 season beginning on March 26. The Royals open the season with the Twins and White Sox coming to the K before going on the road to St. Louis to play the Cardinals, followed by a quick West Coast trip to play the Angels. The Royals open the season at home for the tenth time in 13 years, and it is the seventh time they have opened up against the Twins.
Among the National League teams that will visit Kansas City this year are the Pirates (April 9-11), Reds (May 3-5), Nationals (May 18-20), Braves (May 21-23), Mets (June 7-9), Cardinals (July 16-18), Rockies (August 3-5), and Dodgers (September 3-5). The All-Star Game will be held on July 13 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Game times and promotions will be announced at a later date.
Looming over the schedule is the prospect of a work stoppage. The Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at the conclusion of the 2026 season, and owners and players have already had contentious negotiations. Owners are reportedly resolute on imposing a salary cap, a non-starter for the union.
Baseball continues to use its balanced schedule where each team plays every other team in baseball. The Royals will play:
52 games vs. American League Central teams (13 games across 4 series vs. all 4 opponents)
62 league games vs. American League East and West teams (6-7 games vs. each opponent)
48 Interleague games (6 games vs. St. Louis and 3 games vs. all other NL teams)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 10: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros celebrates with teammate Christian Walker #8 after hitting a solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field on July 10, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Opening Day set for March 25 vs. rival Texas Rangers
The Houston Astros will open the 2027 regular season on Thursday, March 25 with an Opening Day matchup against their American League West and in-state rival Texas Rangers in the annual Silver Boot Series. The 2027 season will be the 66th for the Astros franchise, which played its first season in 1962 as the Colt .45s before changing the name to the Astros in 1965.
March 25 marks the earliest traditional Opening Day in Major League history, excluding special season-openers and international openers. Previously, the earliest traditional Opening Day for MLB had been earlier this season on March 26.
This will be the third time in franchise history that the Astros will open the season against the Rangers and the second time at home. The Astros are 2-0 against the Rangers on Opening Day, defeating their in-state rival 4-1 in Arlington in 2018 and 8-2 in Houston in 2013.
The opening homestand will be a six-game stand, featuring a three-game series vs. the Rangers (March 25-27) and a three-game series vs. the Boston Red Sox (March 29-31). The Astros first road trip of the season is a six-gamer, which will take the club to Atlanta (April 2-4) and Boston (April 5-7).
The 2027 season is the fifth year with the schedule format of playing every other Major League club in a single season. The Astros will host 22 different teams at Daikin Park in 2027, which includes eight National League clubs and all 14 other American League clubs.
VS. THE AMERICAN LEAGUE
As in recent years, once again, the Astros will play their AL West opponents (Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Rangers) 13 times in 2027. Additionally, they will once again play one home and one road series vs. all of the other AL clubs.
INTERLEAGUE PLAY
The Astros will host eight different NL clubs at Daikin Park in 2027. They are: Nationals, Cubs, Reds, Giants, Padres, Rockies, Mets, Phillies. On the flip side, next season’s schedule will feature visits to eight different NL cities: Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Astros 2027 home schedule features exciting weekend series against the Cleveland Guardians (April 9-11), New York Yankees (April 23-25), Washington Nationals (May 7-9), Chicago Cubs (May 14-16), Seattle Mariners (June 25-27), San Francisco Giants (July 9-11), San Diego Padres (July 30-Aug.1) and Philadelphia Phillies (Sept. 17 -19), among others.
The Astros will also host weekday games against the Boston Red Sox (April 29-31), Toronto Blue Jays (April 13-15), Tampa Bay Rays (May 17-19), Seattle Mariners (May 31-June 3), Chicago White Sox (June 14-16), Detroit Tigers (Sept. July 26-29), New York Mets (Aug. 17-19) and Texas Rangers (Aug. 31-Sept. 2), among others.
HOLIDAY GAMES
The Astros will host holiday matchups next season on Mother’s Day (May 9 vs. WSH), Father’s Day (June 20 vs. KC) and Memorial Day (May 31 vs. SEA). The team will play on the road on the Fourth of July (July 4 at NYY) and on Labor Day (Sept. 6 at STL).
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 5: Brad Keller #40 of the Philadelphia Phillies during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park on June 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 8-6. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When we didn’t see Brad Keller pitch in tight spots this past weekend, there were some questions raised. He had returned from the rehab assignment he was on, yet didn’t pitch at all. Why?
Now we know.
Phillies reliever Brad Keller has a torn UCL and is expected to miss the rest of the season. If he undergoes surgery on his right elbow, it would keep him out a significant portion, if not all, of 2027 as well. Keller signed a two-year, $22 million deal over the winter.
This is a tough blow for a Phillies team that already had a questionable bullpen as it stood. Losing Keller, even if he wasn’t the dominant force he was in 2025, is still significant as it shifts pitchers into roles they aren’t quite suited for.
It also makes the need to trade for multiple relievers, not just one, all that more magnified.
We’ll have more as this news continues to show its layers.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: Robert Hassell III #57 of the Washington Nationals looks on during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on September 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So it turns out Robert Hassell III will not be staying in the Nationals organization after all. Earlier this month, Hassell was DFA’d, but he cleared waivers and remained in the Nats system. However, he got shipped off to the Pirates for either cash or a player to be named later this afternoon.
The Nationals have traded outfielder Robert Hassell III to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) July 16, 2026
The truth of the matter is that there was not a ton of room for Hassell in the organization, even in AAA. He had been passed by the likes of Andrew Pinckney and Christian Franklin, not to mention the young outfielders in the big leagues. After showing signs of life last season, he came crashing down to earth in AAA this year, with an OPS below .600.
Hassell was famously part of the Juan Soto trade package, and was even seen as one of the highest floor pieces at the time. He was a top 10 pick in the 2020 draft, before raking in the lower minors with the Padres. However, he never really got going in the Nats system, struggling with injuries and inconsistencies. Honestly, the hit tool was not as good as advertised either.
The highly touted Hassell really struggled in 2023 and 2024, where he was working through lingering hamate issues. His hit tool which was seen as a massive strength became average, which was a huge blow to his profile. We walked through this more when we talked about Hassell after he got DFA’d.
The Nats DFA’d Robert Hassell. He has a lot of pedigree but it just never really happened for him in the Nats organization https://t.co/ZkVktAQsMo
He is an example of how risky prospects can be. Even the so-called safe prospects can really bottom out as we see here. Hopefully Hassell can reinvigorate his career in Pittsburgh though. He was a guy that Nats fans were really rooting for.
Around this time last year, it really felt like Hassell was starting to figure things out. He hit over .300 last year in AAA, and made his MLB debut in 2025. His results in MLB were mixed at best, but he did have some fun moments. Hassell had a monster game against the Mariners that made fans dream again.
— optimistic nats fan (@optimistic5518) May 29, 2025
However, it was just not meant to be for Hassell in the Nats organization. From day one, he just seemed to lose all the momentum he had when he was in the Padres system. There are a number of things you could attribute that to from injuries to shaky player development or a loss of confidence. At the end of the day, things just did not work out for him here.
When you are dealing with young players, you cannot hit on all of them. That Soto trade is a good example of the range of outcomes. While Hassell was a miss, James Wood and CJ Abrams became stars which makes up for it.
Overall, it is a shame that things did not work out for Hassell, but the writing has been on the wall for a little while now. Hopefully he can take advantage of his opportunity in Pittsburgh. Moving on was the best course of action for all parties here.
Pitcher Chase Burns has agreed to a $105 million, seven-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds that covers 2027-33, two people familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Thursday.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Burns has a $785,000 salary while in the major leagues this year and $198,173 in the unlikely event he is sent to the minors.
Burns’ deal would run through the 2033 season and under the current labor contract covers three seasons of arbitration eligibility and the first two years after he would have been eligible for free agency. It does not include options or deferrals.
The 23-year old right-hander was selected to the All-Star Game this season for the first time, but did not participate after he tweaked his right groin during a July 8 game against Philadelphia when trying to field the throw home on a wild pitch during the second inning.
Burns is 11-1 in 18 starts this season, including 15 starts where he has allowed two runs or fewer. His wins are tied for second most in the majors and his 2.54 ERA is the sixth lowest. His 118 strikeouts are seventh in the National League.
His fastball has an average velocity of 97.8 mph along with an above-average slider, Burns is generating a 31.7% whiff rate on swings, seventh in the majors.
Burns is the third pitcher in club history with at least 11 wins and 118 strikeouts before the All-Star break, joining Edinson Volquez (2008) and Jim Maloney (1963).
The contract extension also continues the trend of teams signing their young stars early. The Reds’ longtime NL Central rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, signed rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt to a $112.5 million, eight-year contract last week.
Burns was the second overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2024 amateur draft. He went 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA in 13 starts in the Reds’ farm system before being called up to the majors last June. He was 0-3 with a 4.57 ERA in 13 games, including eight starts, in his rookie season.
It is the largest guaranteed contract in the majors given to a pitcher with less than four years of service time and exceeds the previous high by 40% for someone with one year or more.
Burns is also the first pitcher to sign a contract worth at least $100 million prior to at least five years of service time to exclude club options.
The deal ties Homer Bailey’s for the largest guarantee given to a Reds’ pitcher and the third largest for any player in franchise history, only eclipsed by Joey Votto and Ken Griffey Jr.
Burns’ first start after the All-Star break is scheduled for Tuesday at Seattle. After making the postseason last year, Cincinnati is in last place in the NL Central with a 43-52 mark and eight games out of a wild-card spot.
As the Mets start their second half of the season on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, they'll have veteran Marcus Semien back on the active roster.
The club announced that Semien has been activated off of the IL, with infielder Zack Short being designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Semien was placed on the 10-day IL on June 25 with a right hip flexor, an injury he had been playing through before it became too much to endure. Semien committed a pair of errors in the Mets' loss to the Cubs on June 24, signaling that something wasn't right.
It's been a disappointing first season in Queens for the veteran, who is slashing just .214/.271/.341 with nine home runs and 29 RBI in 80 games. He's also committed six errors, which was more than he had in all of 2025 (two errors in 127 games).
Short, another veteran, appeared in just six games for the Mets, hitting .071 in 16 plate appearances.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Luis Arraez #1 of the San Francisco Giants poses for a photo during the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Mastercard at Independence Mall on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Maybe the San Francisco Giants aren’t contenders this season, but according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, a few members of this year’s roster could end up on playoff teams after the trade deadline.
Luis Arraez, Robbie Ray, and Jung Hoo Lee were all listed as the “Best Match” for various MLB contenders and aspiring contenders, though none of them reached the vaunted level of “Dream Match.” Look, the 2026 Giants will take what that can get.
This is not trade scuttlebutt or a prediction, but an exercise in matching teams with something to play for this fall with teams who might or should be available. The most obvious player is Arraez, who is on a one-year, $12M contract and is hitting .330, second in baseball, with surprisingly good defense at second base.
Passan thinks he’s a fit for the Tampa Bay Rays, a not-infrequent trade partner of the Giants who have Richie Palacios (.237/.333/.338, 0.4 WAR) and an unimpressive group of options at second base.
[Arraez] rarely strikes out, right in line with the Rays’ MLB-best 18.9% K rate. He’s got a .327 batting average, second in baseball. He gets on 36% of the time, perfect to slot in atop the lineup and offer Díaz, Aranda and Caminero more RBI opportunities. Best of all, Arráez has gone from liability at second base to above average, capable of filling a true spot of need for the Rays.
Arraez may be one of the team’s most (few?) watchable players, but they’d be only trading 66 games of Arraez. If they want him back, he’s a free agent after the season. The Giants tend to panic in these situations and work out an extension, like the expensive six-year, $150M deal Matt Chapman signed near the end of the 2024 season. As usual, the Rays have a very good farm system to make a deal.
Passan believes that the Philadelphia Phillies need outfield help and endorses Lee to fill that need, though he repeatedly qualifies that Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins would be preferable.
Lee’s low-strikeout, high-average approach is perhaps the best Philadelphia can do so long as Buxton isn’t going anywhere.
The argument for Lee is that the Phillies’ struggling outfield, even with the resurgent Brandon Marsh, isn’t good enough, especially with Adolis Garcia out for the season. Lee may have three years and $63M left on his deal after this season, but there aren’t a lot of free agent outfielders providing alternative options. Is that also an argument for the Giants to hold onto Lee? Yes.
Passan’s final “Best Match” is Robbie Ray with the St. Louis Cardinals, who are 50-45 and one game back of the final wild-card spot in the National League. It’s far from a full-throated endorsement of a Ray deal for the Cards.
As good as Ray has been lately, the Cardinals might instead opt for a less costly option who can gobble innings and help save the pen.
That’s it. The only place Ray is even mentioned is in the context of how there’s probably better options for the Cardinals. The veteran lefty has been quite good since May, going 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA, but he’s making $25M this season, which might scare teams away. Though if they trade him at the deadline, the new team will owe him only around $8M as the pro-rated portion of his salary.
That’s the Giants approaching the deadline. No Dream Matches, but two tempting veterans on the last year of their contracts who could be Best Matches. Plus Jung Hoo Lee, who is not Byron Buxton.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Members of the American League team stand for the national anthem prior to the 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
MLB All-Star Weekend is a mess. You know it, and I know it. The only people who seem to be unaware are those employed by MLB itself. It’s a mish-mash of activities all happening at the same time, just so we can have nothing happening on Wednesday and almost nothing happening on Thursday. MLB clearly wants All-Star Week to be something of a showstopping event where we make everyone stop and appreciate this great sport simultaneously. But the way they’ve structured it makes it feel like a crowded convention hall where you inexplicably can’t do everything you want to, no matter how hard you try. That simply doesn’t have to be the case.
And I’m here to tell you how.
Get the draft out of here
The MLB Rule 4 Amateur Draft occurred over the weekend. This was happening at the same time as various regular-season games, some home run derby announcements, and The Futures Game. MLB has stated in the past that they want their amateur draft to have a similar weight to other professional North American sports such as the NFL, NBA, and NHL. But none of those leagues have their drafts during the regular season for a very good reason: it splits focus.
MLB has a problem, though: its draft is unlike the ones used by the NBA and NFL in that players who are drafted by MLB teams are not precluded from refusing to sign a deal and returning to college. This is not something that is controlled by MLB, but rather by the NCAA. And in this case, it increases the bargaining power of young baseball players, and so I am disinclined to see it change. Given that, MLB is best served by holding its draft as close to the end of the College baseball season as reasonable. College baseball ends with the College World Series in late June.
So, my proposal here is to give MLB teams the first Saturday after the College World Series the day off and hold the draft that day. You don’t have to have teams take the time off for the draft if you don’t want to. It’s so unappealing as a television prospect that NBC covered only the first ten picks and then moved to a celebrity golf tournament. MLB itself kicked out media members well before the draft was over, and you could hear them disassembling the set while the final rounds were still occurring. It’s obvious that the MLB draft is never going to have real mass appeal outside of the hardcore fans, but if you really want to try, a special day immediately following the hype of the College World Series and not interfering with the trade deadline is the way to do it.
If fitting the entire draft into one day seems unrealistic, then perhaps it could hold the first few rounds on Friday morning or Thursday night, while requiring all teams to play Thursday day games that day. The additional time in between draft periods would give people even more time to work themselves into a lather before seeing how the draft unfolds.
MLB used to have its draft around this time, but moved it later to try to strengthen the lineup of All-Star Week festivities. Weirdly, they didn’t make room for it – they just dropped it on things that were already happening. And it’s had the knock-on effect of making the trade deadline more difficult to navigate as teams focus all of their resources on evaluating the draft instead of potential trades. Moving it up a few weeks would give that period more room to breathe as well.
This, by the way, is the same logic that led to Thanksgiving being scheduled the way that it is. President Lincoln had declared it the last Thursday of the month, but Franklin Roosevelt moved it to the fourth Thursday of the month to increase the distance between Thanksgiving and Christmas so as to expand the shopping season. (There was some other political wrangling in there, which you can read here, but that’s the gist).
Give the Futures Game space to breathe
This year, the Futures Game was played on Sunday afternoon at the same time as regular-season MLB games and the second half of the Draft. While, for many, the draft is uninteresting because the players being selected are often years away from contributing to MLB rosters, the players who show up in the Futures Game are almost always far closer to being ready to join their big league clubs. Fans could be interested in it. I know I would be if it wasn’t happening at the same time as everything else. To that end, they have two options. Require all MLB games to be played on Sunday afternoon before the All-Star Break, followed by holding the Futures Game that night, or move the Futures Game to Wednesday evening – the only day during the entire summer without a single baseball event taking place.
I can see arguments for either of them, I think I’d lean more toward Wednesday. At least in the short term I think it would draw better ratings from the baseball lifers who always spend all day Wednesday complaining that there aren’t any games. Plus, you go from the hype of the current stars to the future ones. You could even have highly drafted prospects give interviews during the game to make fans who don’t pay attention to the draft more aware of them.
If it were me, I think I’d make it a free broadcast on MLB.TV and do profiles of players (even, or maybe especially, ones who didn’t quite make the cut of the game itself) instead of commercials between innings. MLB might be giving up some ad money that way, but they would be doing wonders for building fan sentiment. I think it would be more profitable in the long term.
Organize the Home Run Derby
I’m not going to use this space to criticize the Netflix broadcast, even though it had a lot to criticize. MLB doesn’t have full control over the broadcast. I don’t remember how bad it has been in previous years, but the announcements of participants leading up to the Derby itself were incredibly weird and disjointed. Junior Caminero was the only known participant for a week. There was no discernible rhyme or reason to either the order or the method of the announcements. Some guys literally just dropped the news on their personal Instagram stories.
That’s no way to build hype for an event! MLB needs to figure out its entire field, and they need to do it earlier. Then they need to work with the players on a strategy for announcing it. Which would ideally include a sizzle reel on MLB social media accounts in addition to whatever other outlets they or the players want to use. MLB should also ensure that each team’s next broadcast includes mention of the upcoming Derby and the announced participants so everyone can keep track, even if no one from their team is participating. You shouldn’t have to use social media to know who is going to participate.
The rules also need to stop shifting all the time. In a lot of ways, I really liked the format this year. Not having a timer allows viewers to better enjoy each home run (though it would help if the broadcast showed them all…). But whatever format they pick, they need to stick with it for more than a year or two at a time. You can’t build legacy, history, or hype when there’s no real way to compare events between years.
There are always complaints about guys getting snubbed and the derby itself taking too long, but I have a solution for both. Let’s have a qualifying round early in the afternoon. MLB can maybe have 10 guys trying to get into the actual derby, but only 6 make it through. Then the derby itself would only have to feature those 6, which would cut at least 30 minutes off the run time. I think the Qualifiers would give guys a chance to acclimate themselves to the event so perhaps we’d be able to go without the one or two absolute duds we seem to get every year.
They should also ensure that the team hosting the All-Star Game had at least one participant in the qualifiers because, honestly, the Phillies faithful having a rooting interest gave the event a bit more energy, and I’d like to see that continue. If MLB wanted to give that player a bye through the qualifiers, that would probably be OK. I think I’d be fine either way.
Finally, MLB should figure out how to incentivize the biggest stars to participate again. It’s kind of wild that we hold this event dedicated to the smashing of dingers, and most, if not all, of the best dinger smashers decide they’d rather not participate every year. It’s not the end of the world; it’s entirely possible we don’t get a cool story like Jordan Walker’s come-from-behind walk-off victory if Yordan Alvarez is participating, but it does seem like it would be in the best interest of the sport.
Anyway, I think if MLB made most or all of those changes, the All-Star Break would be vastly improved. I’d also probably go back to having a special All-Star Announcement show held when no games were being played, but it also wouldn’t be the end of the world if guys were just announced on their team broadcasts as long as we had a ticker running underneath with all the other selectees. Again, the key here is not forcing people to find out via social media.
Do you think these changes would enhance your experience? Would you make these, or would you do something different?
In recent weeks, the bullpen has become the Phillies’ biggest concern, a question mark that needs to be addressed if the team is going to get where it wants to go over the final 2½ months of the regular season and beyond.
The issue became more acute Thursday when the team returned from the All-Star break and placed reliever Brad Keller on the injured list with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Keller will seek further evaluation but manager Don Mattingly said, “We expect him to be out for the year.”
If Keller needs surgery — which is usually the case with UCL tears — his recovery could extend deep into next season.
Keller, who turns 31 later this month, signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Phils in the offseason. The team envisioned him as the right-handed bridge to All-Star closer Jhoan Duran with Jose Alvarado serving as the left-handed bridge. Alvarado (6.82 ERA) has struggled this season and now Keller, who pitched to a 4.02 ERA in 32 games, is out.
All this could make it imperative that Phillies baseball boss Dave Dombrowski add a quality late-game reliever before the August 3 trade deadline. Shopping for bullpen help has been an annual mid-summer errand for Dombrowski. Last year, he acquired Duran at the deadline.
While Duran has been stellar as the closer, the rest of the bullpen has been iffy — especially recently.
Since June 1, the Phillies’ bullpen ranks 25th in the majors with a 5.21 ERA. In July, it ranks 29th with an 8.05 ERA and it has walked 5.45 batters per nine, second-most in the majors over that span.
Keller first went on the IL with an elbow/forearm soreness in mid-June. He returned to pitch once last week in Cincinnati before feeling more soreness. An MRI Monday revealed the tear.
“It sucks,” the pitcher said. “It felt good in the rehab process. It felt good in Cincinnati, but the next day, I woke up and it was really sore and didn’t progress from there.
“With the position we’re in, I want to be there for the second half and fight with the boys. It’s tough to swallow.”
The Phillies entered play Thursday trailing first-place Atlanta by two games in the NL East. They were in control of the second NL wild-card spot.
When Keller first went down, Mattingly used right-hander Orion Kerkering more in late-game leverage situations. Over the last couple of weeks, Jonathan Bowlan has gotten more looks in late-game pressure situations. He has responded well.
On the last trip before the All-Star break, Bowlan pitched five times and had three holds over 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He struck out six in those five appearances and stranded four of the five runners he inherited. Bowlan features a fastball that can reach 100 mph, a slider and a changeup. The Phillies acquired the 29-year-old right-hander from Kansas City for Matt Strahm last winter. If he’s ready to put it together after bouncing between the majors and the minors the last three seasons, the Phillies will take it.
“His stuff works,” Mattingly said. “It’s a matter of making pitches and if you’re making pitches you’ll get outs.”
Predictably, Mattingly showed faith in his current group of relievers when asked if he believed the team needed outside bullpen help.
“I’m pretty comfortable the way this club is,” he said. “We’re always going to try to get better. Everybody is going to try to get better at the deadline if they can. But if you said this is our club the rest of the way and whoever is in the minor leagues is going to help us as we go forward, then we’re good enough to win.”
As far as potential help in the minors, Gage Wood and Alex McFarlane, both right-handers, are at Double A. Both throw hard and have breaking stuff, but strikes have been an issue. The Phillies will certainly monitor the progress of both while they rely on Kerkering, Bowlan and Alvarado to get the ball to Duran and Seth Johnson, Chase Shugart, Max Lazar and Tim Mayza to bridge the middle innings.
“We’ve seen Kerk be good,” Mattingly said. “During Keller’s absence, Bowlan stepped up. We need Alvy to be Alvy. And we’ll need the guys below to get big outs in the middle of the game. That’s kind of where we’ve struggled. Not so much at the end, but trying to get to those guys.”
The 2026 ESPY Awards provided the latest evidence of that, with the Dodgers two-way player winning two trophies, as determined by fan votes, at Wednesday night’s ceremony in New York.
But as surprising at it may be — especially to those of us in the Los Angeles area who have witnessed the Japanese baseball phenomenon during his nine years with our local MLB teams — not everyone on the planet is familiar with the four-time MVP and two-time World Series champion.
The ESPYs provided evidence of that as well. Boxers Mike Tyson and Jake Paul joined musician DJ Khaled to present the award for best single-game performance. Ohtani — nominated for his historic Game 4 of the 2025 National League championship series against the Milwaukee Brewers — was the winner, as announced by Tyson.
Paul told the crowd that Ohtani was unable to attend the event, but “he sends his gratitude and appreciation to ESPN and everyone who voted for him.”
Afterward, a hot mic picked up Tyson seeming to ask Paul a rather unexpected question:
“Shohei’s a guy?”
The question seemed to be genuine, and Paul gave a casual response to his friend and former boxing opponent. “Yeah, he’s a guy,” Paul appeared to say as the trio started leaving the stage.
The Times reached out to a Tyson representative for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
No shade toward Iron Mike for apparently not knowing much about Ohtani. Tyson is a legend in his sport and has a number of other ventures and interests that occupy his time. While he did throw out a ceremonial first pitch before a Brewers-Pittsburgh Pirates game in 2014, Tyson just might not be all that into baseball.
Also, the name Shohei isn’t at all common in the U.S., even amid Ohtani’s massive popularity. According to Parenting Patch, only nine American babies were given that name in each of the last two years. All of them were boys, but the odds are good that Tyson doesn’t know any of them.
If Tyson hasn’t been following Ohtani’s career, though, he’s missing out. Take the aforementioned Game 4 of last year’s NLCS as an example. Ohtani hit three home runs and pitched six-plus scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over the Brewers that completed an NLCS sweep and sent the Dodgers to the World Series for the second straight year.
“That was probably the greatest postseason performance of all time,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game.
Ohtani was much more low-key in his postgame assessment.
“This time around, it was my turn to be able to perform,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton. “I think just looking back over the course of the entire postseason, I haven’t performed to the expectation.”
With his performance that night, Ohtani beat out fellow nominees Tyce Armstrong of Baylor baseball (three grand slams in a game), Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat (83 points in a game) and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame basketball (16 steals in a game) for the award.
That epic game certainly contributed to Ohtani’s other ESPY of the night. He was named best MLB player over fellow nominees Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners and Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Turns out mid-market teams do have money to spend ahead of upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
Emerging ace Chase Burns and the Reds agreed to a seven-year, $105 million extension that is tied for the largest in team history, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.
It’s the largest guarantee to a pitcher with less than four years of service time, per The Athletic, and does not contain any options or deferrals.
Chase Burns watching the Home Run Derby on Monday. Getty Images
Burns, 23, has blossomed into the front-end starter the Reds envisioned he would be when Cincinnati drafted him with the No. 2 pick in 2024 MLB Draft.
The righty is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA across 18 starts, striking out 118 batters in 102 ⅔ innings to earn his first All-Star berth this season.
He is tied for the fifth-lowest ERA in the sport and is on track to receive Cy Young votes.
For Cincinnati, this deal now ensures they have an ace under contract through 2033 and buys out his initial years when he would be a free agent in exchange for paying him more now.
These types of deals have become more popular in recent years, with the players taking the higher pay earlier in their career and banking on the ability to cash in again as a free agent even with the delay.
Chase Burns is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Pitching deals can be trickier due to the injury risk that comes with the position, but the Reds are in a position where they have to take such relative gambles.
Great American Ball Park is hitter friendly and the Reds rarely win bidding wars for free agents, making it hard to secure top-level pitchers.
It’s interesting that this notable deal comes from a team that is not a heavy spender ahead of what is expected to be a contentious CBA negotiation that could result in a lockout.
Those calling for a salary cap can point to deals like this to show that the owners do indeed have the money to spend, they just often chose not to allocate it to the players.
Despite Burns’ brilliance, the Reds (43-52) enter the second half in last place in the NL Central and eight games out of a playoff spot.
As the second half of the 2026 MLB season begins, the Mets are in sell mode as they look to retool before attempting to bolster their roster this offseason in an attempt to quickly return to contention in 2027.
Who are the players most likely to move between now and the Aug. 3 deadline? And who should the Mets be careful about parting with?
Here are the players likely to be available, broken down one-by-one...
Freddy Peralta
Should Mets trade him? Yes Will Mets trade him? Yes
A pending free agent, Peralta could be the most established and highest-upside starting pitcher available at the deadline if the Tigers don't deal Tarik Skubal. Peralta's poor season to this point shouldn't be a hindrance when it comes to the Mets getting something of serious value back.
Brooks Raley
Should Mets trade him? Yes Will Mets trade him? Yes
A free agent at the end of the season, Raley has a 2.04 ERA and 1.13 WHIP this year and has been one of the most reliable relievers in baseball since 2022 -- with a 2.45 ERA (2.99 FIP) and 1.05 WHIP in 176.1 innings. He should net the Mets a nice package, especially in what is expected to be a sellers market.
A.J. Minter
Should Mets trade him? Yes Will Mets trade him? Yes
Like Peralta and Raley, Minter is set for free agency after the season. Unlike Raley, though, there is a big question about Minter due to the reduced velocity on his four-seam fastball since he returned from last season's lat surgery. But Minter has been excellent in limited action this season, posting a 1.42 ERA and 0.84 WHIP while walking just one batter in 19.0 innings.
New York Mets pitcher Luke Weaver (30) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Luke Weaver
Should Mets trade him? Only for a haul Will Mets trade him? 50/50
Weaver is under contract for the 2027 season, when he'll count for $11 million toward the luxury tax payroll. So the Mets should set a high price and only budge if it's met. Though Weaver has been phenomenal this season, relievers are volatile. It would be tough to part with Weaver, but if the price is right, the Mets should sell high.
Clay Holmes
Should Mets trade him? No Will Mets trade him? It's complicated
There is mutual interest in an extension that would keep Holmes with the Mets beyond this season. And when you consider Holmes' leadership, his ability to thrive in New York, and the Mets' need in the rotation, it makes all the sense in the world for them to get an extension with Holmes done. If they can't for some reason, it will be a no-brainer to trade him, with Holmes all but certain to decline the $12 million player option he holds for 2027.
Luis Robert Jr.
Should Mets trade him? Yes Will Mets trade him? It's complicated
Robert is on a rehab assignment as he works toward a return from a back injury that has kept him out since April 26. And he's owed roughly $10 million for the remainder of the year. But with the Mets set to decline his player option for next season and nowhere to play him upon his return, they should make every effort to deal him.
New York Mets designated hitter Francisco Alvarez (4) hits a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Francisco Alvarez
Should Mets trade him? No Will Mets trade him? Unlikely
Alvarez is under contract through 2029, makes relatively little, is just 24 years old, possesses huge power, and has been an above average hitting catcher during his five-year career. If a team blows the Mets away with an offer, they should accept it. If not, there's no reason to seriously consider trading Alvarez.
Luis Torrens
Should Mets trade him? No Will Mets trade him? Unlikely
The Mets just extended Torrens through 2028, and he's one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. So dangling him right now makes little sense.
Francisco Lindor
Should Mets trade him? No Will Mets trade him? No
A relatively rough first 40 games for Lindor, whose season was interrupted for two months because of a calf injury, has apparently led to people forgetting that he was an MVP-level player for the Mets from 2022 to 2025. Beyond that, the Mets would be selling incredibly low if they dealt Lindor now. Depending on the return, they could also be creating a massive hole in their lineup ahead of an offseason where the free agent crop isn't very enticing. It is not impossible to see the Mets eventually dealing Lindor, but now is not the time to do it.
