Category: MLB

Tacoma Rainiers

The Rainiers managed a three-three split on the week, pushing with a very solid Salt Lake team that has given many teams fits throughout the season. The Rainiers are understandably thin right now, and despite one of the better bullpen crews in recent years, the big league roster’s lack of health has decimated this Tacoma team’s chances of stringing together wins. Whether they can bounce back or not is yet to be seen, but it seems unlikely much will be changing for at least a few more weeks.

It’s been tough sledding for Ryan Bliss this season, but he had a fantastic series at the dish this week. Collecting 11 hits against Salt Lake hurlers, Bliss managed six extra base hits in the series including his first homer of the month and a triple over the centerfielder’s head. Bliss got a brief call up with the flurry of roster moves that have occurred the past few weeks, but now with an uphill battle for a major league spot, Bliss will need to continue this hot hitting in order to carve out his career with the Mariners. Hopefully his week in Utah is a sign of more to come.

Arkansas Travelers

It was an uncharacteristically poor showing for the Travs this week, dropping five of seven (this included a makeup of a game previously rescheduled for weather) on the series. Frisco is a tough opponent and currently leads the Texas League South, but the Travs absolutely had to have a better showing than they did this week and are now on the outside looking in for a playoff spot. Arkansas will likely have to aim for the second half if they hope to lock down their ticket to the postseason.

Kade Anderson remains the biggest story in minor league baseball. Working another scoreless outing against a very solid lineup, Anderson lowered his ERA down to 1.02 on the year and looks entirely too good for the Double-A level. His 90 punchouts across 61.2 IP are remarkable in their own right, but put next to his season-long walk count of eight (!) takes his dominance into another stratosphere. How they plan to utilize Anderson at the big league level this season is unclear, but it’s becoming more and more obvious they’ll have to give him a shot at some point.

Potential injury note: Michael Arroyo was absent from this weekend’s slate of games, seemingly shut down after Thursday’s contest. Arroyo has missed some time this year with some minor injuries and hopefully can avoid the IL; since his return at the end of May, Arroyo had really started to put things together at the plate and looked much like his old self. There’s been no official move yet, but it’s something to monitor in the coming days.

Everett AquaSox

The Frogs dropped four of six to Hillsborough this week, unable to build on some really solid play across the previous handful of series. Unfortunately for the AquaSox, this one wasn’t much of a contest; Everett stole a pair of tight one-run wins, but the Hops were consistently posting double-digit run totals and really thwarted the Frogs offensively. Tough one this week, but an easy one to flush.

Jonny Farmelo popped yet another homer this week, raising his monthly total up to six and pushing him into double-digits for the year. The young centerfielder is slashing .313/.432/.701 in the month of June and has pushed his season-long K% down to 26.5%, a more than reasonable figure given his excellent walk rate and burgeoning power. Farmelo has one of the loftiest ceilings in this entire system, and if he’s able to hold this kind of output over the next month or so, it seems likely he’ll get a crack at the Texas League before the year ends.

Inland Empire 66ers

The 66ers couldn’t eek out a draw this week and dropped Sunday’s contest to lose the series by a score of four to two. The 66ers have really struggled to get any momentum built this season, and despite some of the bats putting together solid 2026 campaigns up to this point, with little pitching to speak of, it’s been tough for this team to consistently find themselves in the win column.

Estevan Moreno absolutely torched Fresno’s arms this week and has sneakily been one of the better hitters in this Inland Empire lineup. Popping four homers on the week amongst 12 total knocks, Moreno raised his season OPS to .904 on the back of his prodigious power and is proving his draft consensus wrong in the best way possible. Last year’s 20th round pick out of Notre Dame, Moreno has primarily played third base and was formerly a shortstop for the Fighting Irish, though he’s also logged time at first and figures to be more of a true corner-infielder long term. Looking like something of a late-round steal, hopefully Moreno is able to continue his hot hitting and fuel this 66ers lineup toward a successful second half.

Mason Peters’ start was skipped this week, hopefully a scheduled pass through the rotation in order to limit the young starter’s innings in his first go around of professional ball. Additionally, outfielder Korbyn Dickerson didn’t appear in Saturday or Sunday’s contests after missing a pair of games early this week, potentially getting some days off while nursing a minor injury. Both seem to have a very reasonable path to returning shortly, but given the unknown nature of their absence, it’s worth following in the coming days. Both players have been integral to this team thus far and are amongst the best prospects in this entire system.

ACL Mariners

Both Nick Becker and Yorger Bautista had outstanding weeks at the plate for the Baby M’s, building on strong months of June that have marked serious improvements to their games. Becker reached the 20 SB mark and hit his third homer of the year, raising his season OPS to .903 while consistently manning shortstop. Becker is still whiffing too much, but his strikeout rate has been declining in recent weeks, and his gaudy walk rate helps to buoy his numbers to the excellent level he’s currently sitting at. On the month, he holds an OPS of .980 with a K% below 30%. Bautista, who logged 11 hits in five games, owns an OPS of .813 on the month and is showing off a healthy amount of slug. Both prospects possess immense ceiling and figure to be top prospects for the foreseeable future.

DSL Mariners

Gregory Pio and Juan Rijo have garnered the bulk of our coverage for this DSL squad, but this lineup is far from a two-man show. Maikol Rodriguez, Jarvis Gomez, and Fabian Gonzalez all have OPS marks north of 1.000 and are crushing the baseball right now. They join Pio and Rijo as elite offensive producers and are giving this DSL roster the best lineup they’ve had in several years.

The Atlanta Braves minor league system is rapidly improving and this year the fastest-rising position player in all of baseball may be Atlanta’s 20th round pick from 2025, recently-turned 20-year-old Canadian outfield prospect Eric Hartman, who is currently dominating the competition at High-A Rome.

He’s not the only highly-ranked position player in the Braves system to be plying his trade in northwest Georgia. Infielder John Gil, the 20-year-old international signee who made his pro debut in the Braves system in 2023, is also showcasing his skill there.

Not to be outdone, 2025 first round pick Tate Southisene, the 19-year-old shortstop prospect recently joined Rome from Low-A Augusta and outfielder Isaiah Drake – the organization’s fifth round pick in 2023 – is beginning to put his tools together, offensively.

With so much talent on one team, I decided to take a trip to Rome to put eyes on this collection of talent. A caveat here, I am not a prospect evaluator, so below are my observations from one game – Saturday, June 20 – against Hudson Valley. Our prospect team does an excellent job covering the system (the link to the Battery Power prospects section is above) if you want their take on the talent.

Rome lost 3-2 and the team’s offense was largely held in check, mustering only six hits. Rome pitching staff was leaky, but kept the Emperors in the game with the only real damage coming on two Hudson Valley home runs.

Despite Rome’s tepid offensive output, two players stood out for the Emperors, with three others flashing during the game. Again, for the record, let me reiterate that this is based on one game in the season – so just because Owen Carey or others aren’t in this write-up, it is only because of one Saturday night in June.

Eric Hartman

I think any fan going to see a minor league game is hoping to leave with at least one memorable moment. And when there is one player who you hope to say, “I saw him hit a home run when he was still a minor leaguer!” one feels privileged when that works out.

Why Eric Hartman is still in Rome is beyond me. With his home run last night, embedded above, he now has 18 home runs and 26 stolen bases on the season … and that was only through June 20. He added two more stolen bases, yesterday. Beyond his Saturday home run, two other things about his play jumped out last night.

In his next at bat after his home run, he connected with a ball that he drove to the left field side of center field that only made it to the warning track, but was easily 385 feet. The sound off his bat was better than his home run that he pulled over the right field fence. Was it a barrelled ball? Yes, yes it was.

His most impressive at bat, to me, was actually is final one in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rome was trailing by a run and had two outs with no runners on base. Hartman hit a hard grounder to the right side of second base. Hudson Valley was playing the shortstop almost on second base so the fielder only had to take a couple of steps to his left to field-and-throw and Hartman almost beat the throw for an infielder hit. Sitting behind home plate, it was tough to see exactly how close it was, but it was a half-step at most.

That sprint-speed and hustle out of the box was impressive.

It isn’t hyperbole to think he will be a big leaguer by no later than the end of 2027, either in Atlanta or as the key piece for a high-caliber MLB-player return this season. A high-ranking, notable front office member just happened to have a front-row seat to the action last night.

John Gil

Last night, John Gil played second base and was easily the second-most impressive position player performer on the night. He singled and scored ahead of Hartman’s home run, but his two most electric at-bats were both outs.

Without knowing what the actually EV was off the bat, the hardest ball hit by either team last night was likely Gil’s line-out to third. Two feet in either direction and it would have been a double, as he barrelled it. He also drilled a ball for a fly-out, but it was hit on a line to the left fielder and was likely another registered barrel.

The sound off his bat – and I know this is more of an old school way of positioning it – but the sound off his bat was THAT sound. The one you know is squared-up and hard and was the best sound of leather-to-wood in the ballpark by either team.

Gil has added muscle to his frame, and he’s stout. Through the 20th, he’d hit 10 home runs and stole 32 bases, and then added another home run on the 21st. There weren’t any stand-out chances defensively for him, but he might be an option for Atlanta by 2028, somewhere on the infield.

Tate Southisene

Recently promoted shortstop Tate Southisene batted lead-off and collected two walks in four plate appearance. What was obvious in all of his at bat is his patience at the plate. He didn’t chase and other than one out-of-control swing at a high fast ball in his third at bat, he was posed and unwilling to offer at anything outside of the zone.

Unfortunately, that was all there was to glean from him in this game.

Isaiah Drake

Isaiah Drake showed off his speed on the bases and in the field, stealing a base after and awful dropped fly ball by Hudson Valley’s right fielder – it was overcast, there was no wind, and this was a can of corn that he flat-out dropped – and making several nice running catches in right field.

Drake’s most impressive defensive play was running down a ball in the right-center field gap that looked like a double off-the-bat but ended up being an easy catch. He also made a solid running catch coming in on a dying liner his toward the foul line behind first base.

Will Drake make it to the big leagues? Maybe, the speed and defense plays, but he might end up being like former Braves minor leaguer Justin Dean, who finally got his first MLB hit on Friday night after more than a decade of pro ball. If Drake can add to the power he is showing this season, he could carve out a role as a fourth outfielder-type.

Colby Jones

Admittedly, I didn’t know anything about outfielder Colby Jones coming into this game – but like Drake, Gil, Hartman and Southisene – he can fly with more than 20 stolen bases. He got a hit a stole second easily and his movements were quick and fast. He struck out twice – although one was on what appeared to be an awful call by the home plate umpire (although not as bad as the ump ringing up Dixon Williams on a check-swing the at bat prior) who was ready to go home in the bottom of the ninth.

The speed Jones has can’t be ignored, and like Drake, he could be a fringe big league player but at the least, he’s excellent minor league depth with a real tool.

Pitchers

Zach Royce, the team’s seventh round pick last year, was the starter after getting promoted from Augusta. He struggled and looked over matched early on in the game. Also making his Rome debut was Jerrett Whorff, the 27-year-old just signed from the Rangers organization who tossed a clean inning a pick-up a strikeout. He’s an organizational depth piece.

Rome’s most impressive pitcher was David Rodriguez, who pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three batters. He’s 24 and was a 2023 draftee and another organizational arm.

Hudson Valley

Hudson Valley is a Yankees affiliate, and honestly, I didn’t pay as close of attention to the Renegades as the Emperors as this was not a “work” trip.

First baseman Kyle West annihilated a Royce pitcher for a home run in the fourth. Third baseman Core Jackson also homered. Catcher Eric Genter went 5-for-5 at the plate with two doubles about also made two weak throws – both well to the shortstop side of second – while trying to throw out Drake and Jones steal. Starting pitcher Rory Fox pitched well and closer Wilmy Sanchez struck out three in the ninth, allowing only a two-out single to Emperors first baseman Mason Guerra, who did have two hits in the game.

It has been a while since I had been to a minor league game, and it was a reminder as to how enjoyable those games can be. And, lucky me, I got to see Hartman do what he’s done this season. I think it is about time he starts trying to do that in Columbus with the Clingstones and maybe Gil should go with him.

Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is on a tremendous batting run. Since May 14, when facing left-hander Chris Sale in Atlanta, PCA made an adjustment in his batting stance and since then, in 34 games he’s batting .346/.426/.699 (46-for-133) with seven doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 23 RBI, 23 runs scored, 15 walks and eight stolen bases.

The answer might be this simple (Bluesky link):

I noticed this about PCA when I was in San Francisco last week — check out the photo at the top of this post to see just how close he’s standing to the plate. It does, apparently, make a difference. Incidentally, I took that Sunday, June 14 in the first inning, when PCA was facing Logan Webb, who is definitely not a left-hander. So he’s standing there not necessarily exclusively against LHP. Here, though, is a screenshot from the game against the Dodgers April 26 in Los Angeles, showing PCA standing in against left-hander Jack Dreyer. You can see how much farther he’s standing from the plate:

There’s more from PCA in this article by Jordan Bastian, and this quote seems informative:

“It was just to give them less room to go,” Crow-Armstrong said. “The visual of seeing somebody standing right on top of the plate may change things. In turn, it’s helped me know where I need [pitches] to start. It’s helped me lay off stuff inside and cover the outer half of the plate.”

As the article notes, PCA’s walk rate is also up, and this new stance might be helping that. He’s just one walk short of matching his total for all of 2025, and in 22 games batting in the leadoff spot he’s posted a .462 OBP, which is just outstanding.

We are watching Pete Crow-Armstrong become a superstar right in front of us. As I noted earlier this morning, he very well might win a second consecutive NL Player of the Week award, he’s a strong candidate for NL Player of the Month, and he’ll almost certainly make a second straight NL All-Star team.

And if he continues to produce like this, the trade that brought PCA to the Cubs from the Mets for Javier Báez and Trevor Williams might go down as one of the best in franchise history.

One of the consensus best baseball movies to ever hit the silver screen is Field of Dreams. And while the story isn’t solely focused on him, one of the most appealing characters through a key part of it is Archie “Moonlight” Graham, whose entire dream was to take one major league at-bat. I won’t spoil anything about the film in this article, and it’s important to remember that, yes, he’s just a character in a movie (albeit one based on a real person), but there are tons of real ballplayers out there whose dreams look similar to Graham’s. Some achieve it, and some don’t. However, there are stories surrounding players who took the field only a handful of times and eventually returned to the minor leagues, never to grace that dirt again.

Jack Zalusky—like Graham, another fellow with ties to Minnesota—was one of those players, who got to realize a dream, but just for a short while.

John Francis Zalusky
Born: June 22, 1879 (Minneapolis, MN)
Died: August 11, 1935 (Minneapolis, MN)
Yankees Tenure: 1903

Born to Frank and Barbara Zalusky, John, who was called “Jack” all his life, grew up in Twin Cities area. He began playing semi-pro baseball at the age of 20 and bounced around in the early stages of his career simply due to the nature of the sport at the time. A right-handed hitter and thrower, he initially played for the amateur Pabst Brewing Company team in 1898. He received the position on the team because he also worked for Pabst as a packer.

The next year he continued to play in the semi-pro leagues. The team he played for, though, required him to travel a bit to Rock Rapids, Iowa, in 1899. And in 1900, he played for Minneapolis Brewing Company while also playing in a few college games. The University of Minnesota said they needed someone to catch a few games, and Zalusky was up to the task. 

After 1900, Zalusky was able to make his way into the pro baseball season. He was signed by Louisville Colonels, which eventually turned into the Grand Rapids Furniture Makers (how could you not love minor-league team names?). He played 129 games for them through the season and finished with a batting average of .198 on the way to a minor league, Western Association pennant.

In 1902, Zalusky was signed by the Chicago Orphans (the team that would eventually turn into the Cubs) and played in spring training for them. However, not only did the team have three other veteran catchers, but Jack also sustained an injury before the season began, stacking the odds very much against him to make the cut.

So following 36 games with the Tacoma Tigers where he hit just .165, he was released and sent back to his hometown of Minneapolis to play for the Millers in the American Association, an independent league. He played 56 games with them that season and hit .185 with a slugging percentage of .233. However, he was released from his club in Minneapolis and moved on to Sioux Falls, where he was on the roster of a semipro squad in South Dakota.

Zalusky would find his luck buried in the year 1903, though. At the age of 24, he was traded by Tacoma to Spokane in Washington state with the Pacific National League. And in 89 games at Class-A, he was excellent. He hit .296, which, to that point was a career-high, and it drew some attention from other clubs that had an important mark on his tenure playing professional and semipro baseball.

Despite his impeccable batting average, Zalusky was cut from the team, but that gave the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees) of the recently-established American League a chance to pick him up. Player/manager Clark Griffith thought that there might be something there with the 24-year-old from Minnesota. And after signing with the team, Zalusky joined New York for the rest of the big-league season — the first in the great history of the team that would soon be the Yankees.

The rest of the season at that point was only seven games, but he made the most of it. Zalusky made his debut on September 2nd against the Washington Senators, and not only did he debut, but he also caught a complete game, hurled by the spitballing right-handed Hall-of-Fame pitcher Jack Chesbro, who was in his first season with the Yankees following a move from the Pittsburgh Pirates. It is worth mentioning that complete games were far more common in that day-and-age, as Chesbro finished the season with 33 to his name and in the next season tossed 48, but for a kid making his MLB debut, it’s still something to write home about.

In 17 plate appearances, Zalusky tallied five hits (all of which were singles) and two runs scored. He walked once and tallied a singular RBI as well while also striking out five times. He finished those seven games with a slashline of .313/.353/.313. His best single-game performance came when he went 3-for-4 in a 7-6 win against the Detroit Tigers, which ended up being his penultimate game in Major League Baseball. In Zalusky’s final game, he went 1-for-4, but he scored one of the two runs in his career and the only RBI he ever tallied at the highest level. The Highlanders won, 10-4.

Following his short seven-game stint in the major leagues that finished off in exciting fashion, Zalusky was returned to the minors and would stay there to live out the rest of his playing days. He was first with the Altoona Mountaineers in the Tri-State League in 1904 before going back to the American Association and playing 73 games between the St. Paul (before he was let go due to the team signing another catcher) and Indianapolis. Then, in 1906, his contract was purchased by the Denver Grizzlies in the Western League, where he would play out the next four seasons. He played 295 total games there over four seasons, the most coming in his debut year for the club. He played 114 games that season and batted .308, the highest of his minor league career.

In 1907, Zalusky played only 57 games due to blood poisoning from an accident that he sustained, and as a result, he only hit .222 in the games he did play. However, he returned to the field for the Grizzlies the next season and bounced back, playing 112 games and hitting .255. The 1909 season came around, and Zalusky had dealt with another issue — a knee injury — that took him out of comission for most of the season. He played only 12 games and still hit above .250, but he wasn’t the same player, and his time playing baseball would soon come to and end. Not only that, but he and a teammate were suspended from the Grizzles club until they were healthy to play again, but both believed they were on the wrong end of the injuries due to playing in harsh conditions. They wound up in a court of law and sued the team and won, recieving a settlement of $250 each, which is equivalent to just over $9,000 today.

The final year of baseball for Zalusky came in 1910 with La Crosse Outcasts in the Minnesota-Wisconsin League. There are conflicting reports with how many games he played, with Baseball Reference saying he appeared in 87 games and the Society for American Baseball Research saying he played in 110. Regardless, he hit .265, and eventually hung up his spikes in an official manner.

Zalusky reportedly still played baseball through the 1910s (and was even considered for managing jobs) before last being seen in catcher’s gear in 1920. From then on, he worked a security guard for a bank in his hometown of Minneapolis, where he passed away at the age of 56 due to a heart ailment.

A baseball traditionalist in every sense of the word, Zalusky spent most of his time in the minor leagues. But for just a moment, he held the title of a Major League Baseball player, one that not many can say they held at any point in their lives. His career ended where it started, but a single RBI and an impactful showing in his brief time is worth all the work to get there. Happy birthday, Jack!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Logan Gilbert is probably two starts away from recording his 1,000th career strikeout. After adding another eight in yesterday’s win over the Red Sox, he now sits at 984 since he made his debut. Yesterday’s outing, in which he walked just two and allowed only a smattering of good contact, marked the sixth solid start in a row for Gilbert, a streak that might just mark a turning point for the skyscraping Stetson.

Gilbert has been a good pitcher since his very first strikeout, a three-pitch manhandling of Cleveland’s César Hernández on May 13, 2021. But he’s never been satisfied with being good and so has been constantly tinkering and tailoring throughout his five-plus years in the show. The most remarked upon change has probably been that he has drastically cut down on his fastball usage.

In his first MLB season, he threw his fastball 60.8% of the time, 10th most in the league. Historically, it was his best pitch, appearing even faster than its actual velocity thanks to how close his hand is to home plate by the time he releases it. But after refining his slider and developing a nasty splitter, that number plummeted to 41.8% in 2023 and has held steady in the low thirties over the past few seasons. That may be changing again.

Over the past six starts, Gilbert has bumped up his four-seamer use to 45.2%, including a whopping 68% yesterday, his high-water mark in a game since his rookie season. It’s not the best velo he’s ever had, but he’s back up to 96.0 mph on it. The velo spike was particularly dramatic yesterday, when he averaged a season-high 96.8, bested 98 nine times, and even hit 99.9 mph. (In an exceedingly rare joke, Dan Wilson noted, “I’m sure we’ll be hearing about that all week.”)

The increased presence of his heater has corresponded with a bounceback in his effectiveness. Over that six-game stretch, his K%-BB% has spiked to 24.1% from 19.5% in his first ten starts. And he’s picking up whiffs on an elite 16.2% of his pitches. His 18 yesterday were somehow just the third most this month; he had 21 on June 2nd and June 16th.

Where are those extra fastballs coming from? Mostly, they’re replacing his terrible cutter, a pitch that couldn’t elicit either whiffs or weak contact. It’s a pitch he’s tried before, to try to make his arsenal a little more east-west than the strictly north-south profile on his other pitches. But he’d abandoned it halfway through last year for a reason. Hitters were not fooled by it and the in-between velocity and movement just ended up making all his pitches blend together a little too much. Now, after bringing it back to start the year, he’s abandoning it again, down from 11.5% of his pitches through his first ten starts to just 4.5% over his last six. Not only is he throwing more fastballs, he’s using them to replace his worst pitch.

Gilbert’s curveball is also down, but he used it a bunch yesterday with two strikes. And I’m expecting him to continue that trend. As Gilbert said after the game, “[Cal Raleigh] went to curveball a few times with two strikes. I think that was smart, looking back afterwards. Like if guys are kind of in-between bat speed you don’t really want to give them a gift, something at 90 or whatever. So the curveball at 81, if you’re keeping the same hand speed and everything. I think it does a good job fooling them.”

Importantly for a team that’s running with a seven-man bullpen, this stretch has also seen Gilbert work deeper into games. After being one of the game’s true workhorses, leading the league in innings pitched in 2024, he averaged just 5.1 innings per start in 2025. In his first ten starts of this season, he increased that by an additional out per game (no small thing), and now, over this six-game span, he’s averaging more than six innings per game, which is the kind of pace we want to see him on.

To recap all that: Since May 22, Logan Gilbert has averaged an extra half a tick on his fastball, he’s using it more, and pitching deeper into games.

To be sure, not all indicators are pointing in the same direction. Gilbert’s been inducing more foul balls, and not coincidentally, needing about 0.23 more pitches per plate appearance (which doesn’t sound like a lot, but is). That wouldn’t prevent him from pitching deeper into games as long as he wasn’t allowing too much traffic. But the quality of contact he’s allowing, long his greatest weakness, has deteriorated a little too. It’s possible he’s just been a little lucky lately. His BABIP is down and his strand rate is up as well.

I don’t think it’s that simple, though. The logic behind his change in approach is too sound. Throw the fastball more and guys will get fewer looks at the slider, splitter, and curveball. So Gilbert can use those to actually put guys away. All those extra strikeouts will leave runners stranded too. And his BABIP is only down within the margin of error, with “error” being the operative word for the Mariners defense—nobody should be making too much of BABIP changes one way or the other in front of this defense.

Dan also credits Gilbert’s recent success to the fastball: “It’s the velo, but it’s also the combination of that with being in the zone. You’ve got to get the hitter in swing mode, and it makes the splitter and the slider work so much better. That was the key [yesterday], getting ahead of a lot of guys. I think the first nine out of 10 he was ahead in the count with the heater, and when you’re throwing 98 to 100, getting ahead, that’s going to speed the bat up and leave them susceptible to the off-speed stuff.”

Gilbert tried a lot of different ideas to get out of the funk he’d been in for the past year and a half. He tried new pitches, he changed the shape of others. But the one thing he’d had yet to try was reversion. I get why. If you moved away from something and started improving, it can be scary to try to go back to it. But it might be just what the doctor ordered. That very first strikeout of Hernández was set up by a first-pitch fastball on the top rail. Then he went after him with a curveball on the bottom rail. And finally, he threw an ankle-high slider that Hernández swung right over the top of. How poetic would it be to set up his 1,000th strikeout with a fastball too?

Charlotte Knights
Record 4-2 (last week), 42-33 (first half), 42-33 (overall)

Knights Players of the Week
Kyle Teel .500/.529/.750, 16 at-bats (finished rehab assignment, called back to Chicago on June 22)

Andy Weber .391/.440/.652, 23 at-bats
Ryan Galanie .381/.409/.667, 21 at-bats
Dustin Harris .348/.423/.609, 3-for-4 stolen bases, 23 at-bats
Rikuu Nishida .286/.333/.321, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 28 at-bats
William Bergolla Jr. Did not play (7-day IL from shin bruise)

Shane Murphy 8 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Jonathan Cannon 6 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 6 K
Mason Adams 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K
David Sandlin 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Noah Schultz 4 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 8 K

The Knights kept their strong season going with a winning series against the Bisons (35-40) in Buffalo. This was the only winning week for any team within the White Sox organization.

Catcher Kyle Teel, 24, wanted to return to the majors as soon as possible, and his performance proved it. Currently working hard to fully recover from a right knee LCL sprain, went 8-for-16 with a homer, a double, a walk, and four RBIs. Teel’s MLB career got off to a nice start in 2025, as he posted 1.9 fWAR in 78 games. Meanwhile, with Teel out due to injury, the catcher position has been a weak area for the South Siders in 2026. Teel’s return will go a long way in terms of patching up a thin area.

2026 Charlotte Knights Players of the Week
Korey Lee (March 27-April 5)
Oliver Dunn (April 6-12)
Shane Smith (April 13-19)
Jarred Kelenic (April 20-26)
Oliver Dunn (April 27-May 3)
LaMonte Wade Jr.(May 4-10)
Jacob Gonzalez(May 11-17)
LaMonte Wade Jr.(May 18-24)
Jacob Gonzalez(May 25-31)
Braden Montgomery(June 1-7)
Ryan Galanie(June 8-14)
Kyle Teel(June 15-21)

Birmingham Barons
Record 2-4 (last week), 26-43 (first half), 26-43 (overall)

Barons Player of the Week
Grant Magill .500/.545/.800, 10 at-bats

Brenden Dixon .364/.364/.818, 11 at-bats
Caleb Bonemer .316/.480/.316, 19 at-bats
Alec Briley .261/.320/.522, 23 at-bats
Anthony DePino .211/.375/.421, 19 at-bats
Colby Shelton .211/.250/.368, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 19 at-bats

Dylan Cumming 5 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K
Connor McCullough 5 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Lucas Gordon 4 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 6 K
Jake Palisch 4 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 K
Morris Austin 3 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Gabe Davis 3 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 K

Birmingham lost another series, but for the second straight week, at least they made it competitive. The Barons won two of the first three games, but they dropped the last three to the Blue Wahoos (36-33).

Catcher Grant Magill, 25, only played in three games, but he made his playing time count. The talented catcher went 5-for-10 with a homer, a walk, and five RBIs. During Thursday’s game, which was one of the wildest of the season, Magill played a big role in Birmingham’s 16-13 victory., going 3-for-5 with a homer. Magill also drove in four to lead all players and help the Barons recover from allowing 10 runs in an inning. Magill got promoted on from High-A on June 10, and he is already dominating Double-A pitching.

2026 Birmingham Barons Players of the Week
Samuel Zavala (April 6-12)
Braden Montgomery (April 13-19)
Alec Makarewicz (April 20-26)
Wilfred Veras (April 27-May 3)
Jake Palisch(May 4-10)
Wilfred Veras(May 11-17)
Alec Makarewicz(May 18-24)
Drake Logan(May 25-31)
Dylan Cumming(June 1-7)
Anthony DePino(June 8-14)
Grant Magill(June 15-21)

Winston-Salem Dash
Record 3-3 (last week), 39-30 (first half), 39-30 (overall)

Dash Player of the Week
Kyle Lodise .368/.429/.895, 19 at-bats

Boston Smith .214/.421/.857, 14 at-bats
Ely Brown .263/.417/.263, 19 at-bats
Kaleb Freeman .263/.333/.474, 19 at-bats
Alex Ungar .250/.357/.500, 12 at-bats

Riley Eikhoff 7 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 7 K
Grant Umberger 5 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Drew McDaniel 4 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Liam Paddack 4 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Max Banks 4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K

For the third consecutive week, the Dash went .500 to remain nine games better than .500. Winston-Salem is still in second place in the South Atlantic League South.

Shortstop Kyle Lodise, 22, was fantastic across the board for the Dash. Overall, Lodise’s excellent performance was a major factor for Winston-Salem being able to salvage a series split. Lodise went 7-for-19 with three homers, a double, a walk, and a team-leading six RBIs. That monstrous week resulted in a 1.324 OPS that increased Lodise’s season OPS to .775. On top of his bat and defensive value, Lodise is 24-for-30 in stolen bases.

2026 Winston-Salem Dash Players of the Week
Caleb Bonemer (April 6-12)
Colby Shelton (April 13-19)
Colby Shelton (April 20-26)
Caleb Bonemer(April 27-May 3)
Colby Shelton(May 4-10)
Boston Smith(May 11-17)
George Wolkow (May 18-24)
Morris Austin(May 25-31)
Caleb Bonemer(June 1-7)
James Taussig(June 8-14)
Kyle Lodise(June 15-21)

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
Record 3-3 (last week), 35-34 (first half), 35-34 (overall)

Cannon Ballers Player of the Week
Matthew Boughton .519/.567/.741, 3-for-4 stolen bases, 27 at-bats

Efren Teran .313/.522/.313, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 16 at-bats
Jaden Fauske .304/.407/.565, 4-for-4 stolen bases, 23 at-bats
Derek Cerda .231/.333/.385, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 26 at-bats
Adrian Gil .143/.500/.571, 14 at-bats

Truman Pauley 5 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Anthony Patterson 4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Gabriel Rodriguez 4 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K
Gabe Tanner 4 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Caedmon Parker 7 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 6 BB, 8 K

The Cannon Ballers dropped three of the first four games, but they rallied with two dominant victories to even the series against the Woodpeckers (33-35).

Infielder Matthew Boughton, 20, who plays second base, shortstop, and third base, was an enormous problem for Fayetteville pitching. The infielder, who the South Siders selected in the 11th round last year, posted massive numbers. Incredibly, Boughton went 14-for-27 with a homer, three doubles, two walks, three steals in four attempts, and a team-leading seven RBIs. Boughton reached base safely at least twice in every game this week. Boughton got off to a slow start to the season, and he entered this week with a .182/.244/.266 slash line. However, this week boosted his numbers up to .232/.292/.337.

2026 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Players of the Week
Stiven Flores (April 6-12)
Abraham Núñez (April 13-19)
Javier Mogollón(April 20-26)
Arxy Hernández(April 27-May 3)
Javier Mogollón(May 4-10)
Max Banks(May 11-17)
Riley Eikhoff(May 18-24)
James Taussig(May 25-31)
James Taussig(June 1-7)
Derek Cerda(June 8-14)
Matthew Boughton(June 15-21)

ACL White Sox
Record 1-4 (last week), 11-25 (first half), 11-25 (overall)

Complex Sox Player of the Week
Tommy Vail 3 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 7 K (on a rehab assignment)

D’Angelo Tejada .273/.429/.273, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 11 at-bats
Jefrank Silva .250/.357/.250, 12 at-bats
Alan Escobar .250/.333/.500, eight at-bats
Yordani Soto .200/.368/.200, 15 at-bats
Alejandro Cruz .133/.133/.133, 1-for-2 stolen bases, 15 at-bats

Justin Fuson 5 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Reudis Diaz 3 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Wikelman González 3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Orlando Suarez 2 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K

The Complex Sox only picked up one victory in five games this week, dropping to 14 below .500 overall. The offense had serious problems, only managing to score 14 runs (2.8 per game).

Pitcher Tommy Vail, 27, is on a rehab assignment and is expected to join the Barons when ready. Double-A is where Vail spent the majority of his 2025 season, and during those 51 innings, Vail posted a 3.00 ERA and a 4.11 FIP. This week, Vail showed he is about ready to return to normal baseball activity, as he delivered 3 1/3 shutout innings and did not even allow a hit.

2026 Complex Sox Players of the Week
Alexander Albertus(May 4-10)
Eduardo Herrera(May 11-17)
Yordani Soto (May 18-24)
José M. Mendoza(May 25-31)
Yordani Soto(June 1-7)
Landon Hodge(June 8-14)
Tommy Vail(June 15-21)

DSL White Sox
Record 2-3 (last week), 5-10 (first half), 5-10 (overall)

DSL White Sox Player of the Week
Sebastian Romero .333/.400/.611, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 18 at-bats

Carlos Vielma .429/.579/.429, 14 at-bats
Ronald Cardozo .250/.308/.250, 12 at-bats
Samuel Luis .143/.250/.143, 3-for-3 stolen bases, 14 at-bats
Hector Hernández .571/.625/.714, 2-for-2 stolen bases, seven at-bats

Roderic Ramirez 4 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Jhoriel De La Rosa 3 IP, 2 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Alexander De Los Santos 3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K
Ronald Kelly 3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K
David Colmenares 2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 K

The DSL White Sox had another rough week, only winning two of their five games. As a result, they are already five games worse than .500.

Once again, outfielder Sebastian Romero, 17, was on top of his game, and he is off to a great start to the season. This week, Romero went 6-for-18 with two triples, a double, a stolen base in his only attempt, and he comfortably led the team with seven RBIs. That resulted in a 1.011 weekly OPS, and overall, he is slashing .367/.448/.796 (166 wRC+).

2026 DSL White Sox Players of the Week
Carlos Vielma(June 1-7)
Sebastian Romero(June 8-14)
Sebastian Romero(June 15-21)

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

With another busy slate of games across the Majors, I've found more value in my MLB same-game parlay predictions. 

Gerrit Cole will dominate the Detroit Tigers, while Hunter Brown will miss some more bats against the Toronto Blue Jays. I'm also eyeing the St. Louis Cardinals to jump on Merrill Kelly early, while Andre Pallante deals.

Read more in my MLB picks for Monday, June 22. 

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
NYY vs DET	+216
HOU vs TOR	+425
STL vs ARI	+264

Yankees at Tigers SGP: Cole leads Yankees to victory

Gerrit Cole takes the hill for the New York Yankees tonight, and he's been holding his own. The right-hander has a 3.29 xERA over his last two starts, and he's held opponents to a 27.6% hard hit rate during that span. He's also cashed the Under in earned runs allowed in back-to-back outings. 

On the other side, Framber Valdez takes the ball for the Detroit Tigers, and he has been struggling. The lefty has a 4.85 FIP over the last month, and he's given up a 40% hard hit rate across his previous two appearances. Most notably, Valdez's FIP sits at 5.72 at home compared to 3.52 on the road. 

Jose Caballero is one of the Yankees' hitters I expect to jump on Valdez. He has a .388 wOBA across his last six games and has a hit in five of his last six. 

• Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: YES, Detroit Sports Network

See full analysis of this game in our Yankees vs Tigers predictions.

Astros at Blue Jays SGP: Alvarez keeps raking

Yordan Alvarez has been one of the best hitters in the big leagues this season, and he continues to crush. The slugger owns a ridiculous 68.4% hard hit rate and 26.3% barrel rate over the last week. He has three extra-base hits in his last six games, and Alvarez has cashed the Over in total bases in two of his last four. 

Hunter Brown returned from the IL last week and was solid, allowing just one run while striking out seven. While it's not a large sample size, Brown has cashed the Over in Ks in all three outings this season, and he's averaging 13.2 K/9. The Toronto Blue Jays do not strike out a ton, but with a modest total of 5.5, there's value in the Over. 

George Springer is in the midst of a three-game hitting streak, and he sports a .471 wOBA in his last five games and a .368 average. Springer's 38.9% hard hit rate during that span adds fuel to this pick. 

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Space City Home Network, Sportsnet

See full analysis of this game in our Blue Jays vs Astros predictions.

Diamondbacks at Cardinals SGP: Pallante tosses another gem

The St. Louis Cardinals send Andre Pallante to the mound tonight, and he's been brilliant lately. He sports a 2.57 xERA over his last two outings, and the righty has cashed the Under in earned runs allowed in three straight.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, meanwhile, counter with the struggling Merrill Kelly. He owns a 5.31 FIP over his previous two outings, and home runs have been an issue over the last month, giving up 2.20 per nine innings. After scoring 16 runs on Sunday, the Cards should jump on him. 

Expect Alec Burleson to be one of those hitters who thrive. The slugger has cashed the Over in total bases in two straight games, and he owns a .414 xwOBA in his last six contests. 

• Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, DBacks.TV

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (32-42) won 7-6 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land jumped out to an early lead getting a 2 run home run from Alexander in the first inning. They got 2 more runs in the 2nd inning on a Salazar RBI single and Alexander walk. Javier got the rehab start and allowed 3 runs over 4.2 innings. Sugar land picked up a run in the 6th on a Ferreras RBI triple but the Isotopes tied it up in the bottom of the inning. After the Isotopes took the lead in the 7th, Biggio came through with a clutch 2 run home run in the 8th to give Sugar Land the lead. Ullola was great in relief tossing a perfect 1.1 innings as he closed out the 7-6 win.

Note: 9 of Ullola’s last 10 outings have been scoreless.

• Cavan Biggio, LF: 2-for-4, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, 2B: 1-for-4, 3B, RBI, BB
• CJ Alexander, 1B: 1-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
• Zach Cole, CF: 1-for-3, R, 2 BB
• Cesar Salazar, C: 1-for-4, R, RBI

• Cristian Javier, RHP: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Ryan Weiss, RHP: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (31-38) won 5-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks the scoring started in the 2nd inning scoring a run on a Biggers groundout and Schiavone bases loaded walk. They got another run in the 4th on a Brutcher groundout. Gillis got the start and pitched really well tossing 6 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts. The offense added some insurance getting 2 runs in the 7th on bases loaded walks to Encarnacion and Bush. The pen gave up a few runs late but held on the Hooks won 5-3.

Note: Gillis has a 3.88 ERA this season.

• Lucas Spence, RF: 1-for-4, BB, SB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 0-for-2, R, RBI, 3 BB
• Jason Schiavone, C: 0-for-1, R, RBI, 3 BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
• Will Bush, DH: 0-for-3, RBI, BB
• Max Holy, SS: 0-for-3, R, BB
• Jax Biggers, 3B: 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (WIN)
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Jack Dashwood, LHP: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (SAVE)

A+: Asheville Tourists (18-50) lost 7-2 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board in the first inning when Walker, who doubled to lead off the game, scored on a groundout. Howard started for Asheville but struggled allowing 7 runs over 4.1 innings. Rodriguez pitched in relief and was solid tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. The offense got a run in the 9th on a groundout but that was it as Asheville fell 7-2.

Note: Powell is hitting .312 this season.

• Kyle Walker, SS: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• Caden Powell, CF: 1-for-4
• Nehomar Ochoa, 1B: 0-for-4, RBI
• Cesar Hernandez, LF: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Jack Moss, DH: 1-for-4, 2B
• John Garcia, C: 2-for-4, RBI

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 4.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Michael Cuevas, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (33-35) lost 14-6 (BOX SCORE)

Smith started for the Woodpeckers and pitched well allowing 1 run over 5 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Flores RBI single. In the 4th inning, Neyens connected on a 3 run home run to give the Woodpeckers the lead. The offense added another run in the 5th on a Cauro sac fly. After the Cannon Ballers got 2 runs in the 6th, the Woodpeckers responded with one on a Flores RBI double. The Woodpeckers took a 6-3 lead into the 8th inning but Serrano really struggled in relief allowing 10 runs. The offense was unable to respond as the Woodpeckers dropped the series finale 14-6.

Note: Neyens has a .825 OPS this season.

• Xavier Neyens, DH: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Kevin Alvarez, LF: 1-for-3, R, 2B, 2 BB
• Arturo Flores, C: 3-for-5, R, 2 2B, RBI
• Kenni Gomez, RF: 1-for-4, BB
• Carlos Cauro, 1B: 0-for-3, R, RBI
• Brandon Nigh, SS: 0-for-1, R, 2 BB

• Aubrey Smith, RHP: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Jose Serrano, RHP: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 6 BB, 4 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: OFF

CC: OFF

AV: OFF

FV: OFF

1913
Behind Ed Walsh’s shutout, the White Sox beat the St. Louis Browns, 2-0, in the second game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park. It was the team’s 1,000th victory. Outfielder Shano Collins drove in both runs for the Sox in the win.

Walsh’s shutout was actually the second attempt at 1,000 wins for the White Sox. In the doubleheader opener on this day, Jim Scott tossed a complete game, 85 game score (among the 250 or so best scores in White Sox history) with five hits, one walk and a club-record 15 Ks (including six straight) — yet still lost the game, 2-0. Death Valley Jim didn’t help his cause in the ninth, when his throwing error led to St. Louis’ second run. However, the opener loss was all on the Sox offense and its two singles; the unit didn’t get a runner to second base until the eighth inning, and only two got that far all game.

1938
White Sox outfielder Hank Steinbacher became the second player in franchise history to rap out six hits in a game. Steinbacher went 6-for-6 (five singles and a double) with two RBIs and three runs in Chicago’s 16-3 win over the Senators at Comiskey Park. The outburst raised his batting average to .337, and he finished the season at .331.

The other six-hit game for the White Sox had come all the way back in … 1936.

1958
Some 45 years after winning Game No. 1,000 in franchise history, Ed Walsh Day was celebrated at Comiskey Park. The Sox honored their Hall of Fame pitcher, who recorded 195 wins, with a ceremony whose proceeds went to help pay his medical bills. Urban “Red” Faber and Ted Lyons were among those who attended.

Less than a year later, the man who won 40 games in 1908 was dead of cancer. 

1975
In just his fifth game of the season and first-ever start for the White Sox, Jesse Jefferson threw 5 ⅓ no-hit innings against the Minnesota Twins to highlight a 9-2 romp at Comiskey Park. Jefferson’s nightcap masterpiece spurred the anemic, 26-38 White Sox to a doubleheader sweep in front of 23,299.

In the second inning, Twins rookie (and future Minny manager) Tom Kelly lined a grounder through the box that Jefferson instinctively attempted a kick-save on; the righthander recovered the ball and threw Kelly out, but landed hard on his right wrist.

Still, Jefferson powered through nearly four more innings before yielding a single to left field by future Hit Man Eric Soderholm. A double-play ball to third base should have gotten Jefferson out of the inning, but second baseman Bill Stein threw wildly to first and prompted manager Chuck Tanner to yank Jefferson; Cecil Upshaw finished out the game, going 3 ⅓ innings for his first save of the season (and what turned out to be the final save of his nine-year closing career).

1983
Noted team prankster, pitcher Jerry Koosman, somehow “discovered” Gaylord Perry’s false teeth on the mound at Comiskey Park during a game against the Mariners. He offered to return them, but Perry declined. The White Sox won the game, 6-3.

1986
Two days after the firing of Tony La Russa, Jim Fregosi signed on as White Sox manager. The Sox has lost seven of La Russa’s final 10 games as skipper, burying the club in the AL West race.

“The team is 9 1⁄2 games out, that’s nothing,” Fregosi said. “I don’t see any reason we can’t turn things around and compete in our division. This is a young club, there’s talent here. There’s some speed, there’s defense and there’s power. We have to put it all together.”

The White Sox briefly did put it all together under Fregosi, winning 11 of his first 15 games and clawing back to 38-43 and 6 1⁄2 back. However, they would get no closer, finishing 72-90 and in fifth place, 20 games behind. Under Fregosi, the White Sox did improve, however, going 45-51.

1993
On Carlton Fisk Night, the veteran set the major league record for games caught, at 2,226, breaking the old record held by Bob Boone. Teammates surrounded Fisk on the field for pregame ceremonies and presented him with a motorcycle that they chipped in $500 each and bought for him. The cycle was driven to home plate by Bo Jackson. 

Then the Sox went out and beat the Rangers, 3-2, on a game-winning single in the ninth inning by Lance Johnson,with Donn Pall getting the win in relief. Fisk went 0-for-2 in the game, and sent his jersey to the Hall of Fame afterwards.

2010
What would stand as the hottest winning stretch of the 21st century continued with a 9-6 win over Atlanta, moving the White Sox one game better than .500. The game featured a bizarre play that factored in the win: With two outs in the fourth inning and the Sox ahead, 6-3, Alex Ríos tapped a grounder that worked its way inside third baseman Brooks Conrad’s jersey, ending in an infield single. Paul Konerko then singled, and Carlos Quentin homered to make the jersey mishap cost the Braves.

2025
By saving a 4-2 win at Toronto, Grant Taylor became the third White Sox pitcher since 1969 to start the opener of a series and earn the save in the series finale. It was also Taylor’s first MLB save.

Taylor had started the game on June 20, pitching one scoreless, hitless inning as the opener. For his save two days later, Taylor gave up a hit but threw a scoreless frame to improve the White Sox to 25-53.

Francisco Barríos first achieved the feat, in 1976, followed by Dennis Lamp in 1982.

The New York Mets (34-43) welcome the Chicago Cubs (40-37) for a four game series at Citi Field this week. Last week, when playing the Braves and Phillies, there was chatter about how, if the Mets wanted to make any real run the the postseason, they needed to beat the teams ahead of them in the standings. Well, the same goes for the Wild Card standings, of which the Cubs currently own a spot.

The past two weeks of the Mets’ season have been a great sample size of just how frustrating 2026 has been thus far. After taking two of three from one of the best teams in baseball, the Braves, the Mets lost two of three to the last place Cardinals. Then, after winning their first matchup with the Phillies all year, they get routed for the next two games. With every sliver of hope comes the reality of disappointment.

While it was always an uphill battle to face Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler, the Mets didn’t have to make it so easy for the Phillies to absolutely steamroll them in those games. In what has not exactly been a distinguished start to his Mets’ career, Freddy Peralta had easily his worst start as a Met, getting [looks up technical term] his tits lit by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper en route to a 15-3 loss. Ten earned runs in two and two-thirds innings sort of says it all, doesn’t it?

While David Peterson wasn’t quite that awful in his Sunday start, he has lost any and all ability to look overpowering, crafty, or generally effective. In his defense, he did suffer a bit from poor defense behind him, but Peterson’s stuff has looked flat for the entire season.

These two starts going ineffective is terrible news for the Mets for many reasons, but mainly because their options for replacements are extremely limited. Not that Peralta or likely even Peterson won’t be pitching for the club, but their current starting five includes a number of question marks. Sean Manaea has been much better as of late, and probably has earned more confidence than I’m giving him, but the start to his season was both so unusual and so ineffective. Kodai Senga looked bad in his first start back from rehab assignment. Tobias Myers is just back from the IL, but was greeted by a [looks up technical term] dogshit start.

Christian Scott is on his way back, which is a very good thing, but beyond him, everyone else on the farm needs more seasoning. It would be lovely if Jonah Tong looked ready, but a 6.30 ERA in Triple-A says otherwise. Jack Wenninger is looking better in Syracuse, but still isn’t really knocking on the door just yet.

The good news is that, if not in this series, then over the weekend, Francisco Lindor is set to return to the Mets. This will help on both sides of the ball, as well as in the leadership and vibes departments, but right now this team’s issue is their starting pitching.

The Cubs find themselves in third place in the National League Central, three games over .500. Their June started off a disaster, but they’re 6-3 over their last three series, and are the current holders of a Wild Card spot. Former Mets farmhand, dealt for Javier Báez at the 2021 trade deadline, is having an unbelievable season, putting up 4.6 bWAR already. Both he and Ian Happ have 16 home runs on the season. Seiya Suzuki is also have a phenomenal year, with all three aforementioned players putting up OPS+s of 127 or higher.

However, as good as the Cubs’ offense has been, their pitching has been weak. While no one is having a dumpster fire of a season like some Mets starters are, there’s only one starter that really is standing out. Ben Brown has emerged as a potential superstar down the road, putting up a 1.85 ERA across 68 innings pitched thus far. Due to a rainout, Brown might miss the New York series entirely, which would be a fantastic turn of events for the Mets.

Monday, June 22: Kodai Senga vs Shota Imanaga, 7:10pm EDT on SNY

Senga (2026): 24.0 IP, 28 K, 17 BB, 7 HR, 9.00 ERA, 6.81 FIP, 223 ERA-

Oh, for Senga to show what he did in 2023 and the start of 2025 again. Will we ever get that again? I honestly don’t know. We certainly didn’t get it in his first start in almost two months last week, where he gave up four earned runs in four innings against the Reds, including two home runs and four walks.

Imanaga (2026): 86.2 IP, 84 K, 22 BB, 17 HR, 4.26 ERA, 4.58 FIP, 104 ERA-

In this battle of Japanese starting pitchers, Imanaga is clearly having the better season, despite having a truly terrible stretch from mid-May to early June, where he gave up, in a row, eight, seven, five, and six earned runs. However, over his last two starts (ten innings), he gave up just one earned run, while walking three and striking out ten.

Tuesday, June 23: Nolan McLean vs  Edward Cabrera, 7:10pm EDT on SNY

McLean (2026): 83.1 IP, 97 K, 32 BB, 8 HR, 3.67 ERA, 3.50 FIP, 91 ERA-

Against the Reds on Wednesday, McLean looked dominant, striking out nine, walking one and giving up just one run on three hits. This was a nice bounce back performance after slowly rebuilding from a few truly bad starts last month. Of note: McLean hasn’t given up a home run since May 25th, which is the longest streak (4 games) of his career without a dinger.

Cabrera(2026): 67.1 IP, 61 K, 25 BB, 14 HR, 5.21 ERA, 5.16 FIP, 127 ERA-

Cabrera’s ERA has added more than two runs in May and June, and it’s not hard to see why: he’s given up more than two earned runs in all but two starts since April 11. Against the Giants and Rockies over his last three starts (two against Colorado), he’s given up 15 earned runs in 13 and a third innings pitched.

Wednesday, June 24: Sean Manaea vs  Javier Assad, 7:10pm EDT on PIX11

Manaea (2026): 54.1 IP, 56 K, 18 BB, 6 HR, 4.64 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 115 ERA-

What a weird year for Manaea. He’s now made two starts ina row, each one he’s gone at least five with no more than two earned runs with just one walk and 11 strikeouts. This is not exactly Cy Young stuff, but compared to the mop up man who looked almost unplayable in April, this is a huge boon.

Assad(2026): 44.0 IP, 25 K, 9 BB, 6 HR, 3.89 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 95 ERA-

Assad’s ERA took such a drubbing early in the season that it has taken him two months to bring it down to earth. But in May and June, Assad has actually been quite good, with only three earned runs in 25 innings. He appears back in the rotation full time after being in the bullpen for the bulk of the season thus far.

Thursday, June 25: Freddy Peralta vs  TBD, 7:10pm EDT on SNY

Peralta (2026): 85.2 IP, 83 K, 34 BB, 12 HR, 4.83 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 120 ERA-

This has been a rough contract year for Peralta, who had dreams of 8-year deals that get less and less likely with every mediocre to bad start. Even when he’s good, he doesn’t go deep, and when he goes deep, he’s often not good. I still make this trade every time, but this has not gone the way the Mets had hoped.

Not the most enjoyable Sunday for Yankees fans, huh? Elmer Rodríguez made one glaring mistake in his spot start. Unfortunately, that mistake resulted in a three-run home run. On a weekend when the Bronx Bombers couldn’t buy a hit with runners in scoring position, that was enough to sink the Yanks, losing the game and the series to Cincinnati. Next up, a road trip, beginning in Detroit. Monday is Gerrit Cole Bump Day though. And that’s always fun.

Elsewhere, the rival Blue Jays had their contest with the Cubs postponed. At the very least the postponement means they avoided Pete Crow-Armstrong, who’s been unstoppable recently. In his last 19 games, PCA is slashing .450/.494/.938 with 10 home runs. Having him go off on the Jays Sunday would have been nice.

Tampa Bay Rays (43-31) 4, Washington Nationals (40-38) 3

After a CJ Abrams home run in the top of the sixth—his third consecutive day with a bomb at the Trop—Washington held a 3-1 lead over the Rays and were in good shape to take the rubber match of this three-set and move to a season-high four games over .500. Unfortunately, as they seemingly always do when you’re not paying close enough attention, the Rays persisted.

First, Ryan Vilade clubbed a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, moving the Rays within one run. The next inning, Yandy Díaz, leading the Junior Circuit in batting average at .326, singled to put the tying run on and bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of Jonny DeLuca. The man once acquired from the Dodgers in the Tyler Glasnow trade didn’t miss his opportunity. A two-run blast staked the Rays to a 4-3 lead with two innings to go.

For the Nats, Daylen Lile singled in the ninth but was promptly erased trying to steal second base with one out. That was the only runner Washington managed in those final two frames and the Rays held on. The win moves Tampa Bay to within two games of the Yankees — though the Rays have played two fewer games on the season (74 to the Yanks’ 76).

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (41-37) 1, Houston Astros (37-42) 2: It’s late June and the Astros, as putrid as they’ve been for much of the season, are lurking in the dumpster fire that is the American League West. Cleveland might have had a better chance if they’d mustered more than four hits against Kai-Wei Teng, who entered Sunday with a 4.31 ERA. Alas, they didn’t. So Houston turned a 2-1 lead over to its bullpen. Three shutout innings ensued, including a lockdown ninth from closer Josh Hader, recently returned from injury. Offensively, Houston was again led by its best player as Yordan Alvarez uncorked his 25th home run of the season.

Seattle Mariners (40-39) 3, Boston Red Sox (31-44) 1: Speaking of the AL West. Logan Gilbert did yeoman’s work Sunday to ensure the first-place team in the division did not have a below-.500 record. Gilbert tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball, fanning eight before turning the game over to the Seattle bullpen. Meanwhile, Dominic Canzone did his part at the dish. Canzone opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first before driving in the third Seattle run in the sixth with a groundout. Those two runs were enough, as the Red Sox failed to dent the Seattle pen, though they brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth. Unfortunately for Seattle, Canzone left the game in the sixth running out his RBI groundball with what sure looked like a hamstring issue.