ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 30: Victor Mederos #58 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates in the 10th inning against the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park on August 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I have strong feelings about this that will be its own separate post at some point, probably this week. But, what do you think? We’re five-sixths-ish of the way done with the season on a calendar month basis, and the Braves are very good in terms of record… but the way they’ve gotten there has been somewhere between bizarre and absurd. It’s like getting the right answer on an algebra test by doing everything kinda wrong, in some ways… but not in others.
Would you describe this team as particularly weird? And if so, why?
Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez (4) celebrates after getting on base Aug. 13, 2026 at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Since acquiring Luis Arraez in a deadline day trade with the Giants, the Phillies have played really well. There was a patch of lethargy of course, but for the most part, Arraez has seemingly been exactly what they needed in the lineup.
Even the defense has been good!
While the season is still in progress, we have to at least ask the question as the calendar begins to flip to September: should the Phillies re-sign Arraez once the season ends? There are different machinations that would have to happen and the length of the deal would be a key aspect of it all, but the team does look like a better version when he is in the lineup.
Aug 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; o2 participates in a postgame interview following his team's 8-5 victory over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With their 8-5 win over the Athletics on Sunday afternoon, the Orioles improved to just one game under .500 for the first time since April 30. The four months in between have included a tumble down the standings, a roster sell-off, and now a renaissance on the field. It remains to be seen whether the Orioles can come all the way back, earn themselves a winning record, and eventually a spot in the playoffs. But regardless, their recent form has at least given us a glimpse of what they were supposed to be all summer long.
Back at the end of June, the Orioles were 39-48, fives games back of the final wild card spot in the American League. They needed to leapfrog five teams in order to get back into a playoff position.
Since then, the team is 29-21, outscoring opponents by 20 runs in total, and closing the gap in the wild card race to just one game. Nine of the 25 games left on their schedule will come against the Guardians and Blue Jays, the two teams closest to them in the standings, placing the Orioles firmly in control of their own fate. That alone is a surprising accomplishment given where they once sat in the junior circuit hierarchy.
Just about every aspect of this Orioles team has turned around in the last two months, starting with the lineup.
The team’s 104 wRC+ in that time is sixth in MLB, which has been helped by the 68 home runs (sixth in MLB) they have hit. Pete Alonso has been one of the sport’s best hitters, leading the team with a 168 wRC+ and 13 home runs. Coby Mayo may have turned the corner, boasting a 147 wRC+ with nine home runs. And Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been a lifesaver with his 122 wRC+ and seven homers. Slight improvements from Gunnar Henderson (103 wRC+) and Colton Cowser (101 wRC+) have also helped, as has Craig Albernaz’s openness to switching up his lineup with more regularity in recent weeks. The offense is more dynamic, less predictable, and generally more productive.
Looking at August alone, some of the individual performances have been even more impressive. Alonso (193 wRC+), Cowser (148 wRC+), Mayo (143 wRC+), and Henderson (140 wRC+) have been on fire, as has Dylan Beavers (128 wRC+). But the overall offense has been slightly worse (101 wRC+) due to dips in form from Encarnacion-Strand and Jackson Holliday, among others.
The 2026 Orioles were built with an expectation that the offense would carry the load most days. That has not come to fruition, not even with their improved recent play. But, if Alonso and Henderson continue to play up to their expected level, Mayo, Cowser, and Encarnacion-Strand can be quality depth, and the likes of Holliday, Beavers, Samuel Basallo, and Blaze Alexander can rediscover some of their earlier form, then this is going to be a lineup that is tough to beat the next four weeks.
Meanwhile, the pitching staff is also rounding into form, both in the rotation and the bullpen.
Since the start of July, Orioles starting pitchers are 12th in MLB in fWAR (4.3), 18th in ERA (4.18), 13th in FIP (3.97), and ninth in xFIP (3.84). Those numbers are not incredible, but they are competent. That’s exactly what a wild card hopeful needs down the stretch.
More crucially, if the Orioles are going to be a playoff team, is that they have three or four starting arms that you feel comfortable turning to for at least five innings a pop. That seems to be the case right now. Shane Baz (2.60 FIP since July 1), Trevor Rogers (3.36 FIP), and Kyle Bradish (3.92 FIP) each have Cy Young upside that they have flashed on occasion. Not to be forgotten, Brandon Young (3.72 ERA since July 1) consistently turns in solid outings, and is tied for the team lead in wins.
There are certainly better rotations out there, including some of the teams that the Orioles will be battling for a playoff spot down the stretch. But this team’s depth in the starting staff is enviable and puts them in position to be a tough out should they get to the playoffs.
What could act as a multiplier for the rotation is their support staff in the bullpen. Somehow, the Orioles have built out one of the hottest relief groups in baseball. Since the start of July, they rank in the top four of MLB in ERA (3.10), xERA (3.13), and FIP (3.50). The key to their success has been keeping the ball in the park. Their 0.59 home run per nine inning rate is the best in MLB since July 1.
It’s an unconventional group. With both Ryan Helsley and Félix Bautista on the mend, as well as the trading away of Tyler Wells in the beginning of August, the Orioles lack an obvious closer. Andrew Kittredge has stepped into the role most often, but Cam Sanders, Rico Garcia, Yennier Cano, Grant Wolfram, and Alex Hoppe each have at least one save in recent weeks.
A club that can throw so many different arms at you in late innings can be a tough one to match up against. Opposing teams can’t be sure of which reliever they will get in a given scenario. Albernaz has committed to riding the hot hand and finding favorable matchups. Lately that has meant an outsized role for someone like Hoppe or the recently-recalled Anthony Nunez, but nothing is written in stone.
The potential returns of Helsley and Bautista add another wrinkle. Should they be deemed ready, it won’t necessarily feel right for the Orioles to anoint either one as the unquestioned ninth inning arm. But being able to turn to two proven, veteran closers late in games isn’t something that many other bullpens have the option of doing.
The Orioles still have a lot of work to do. They have dug themselves quite a hole, and there is no guarantee that they will successfully dig all the way out it. But their turnaround is not confined to this recent 7-2 stretch that has seen them win series against the Rays, Cardinals, and now Athletics. It goes back two months, seen them survive a disappointing trade deadline, and come out on the other side with a little more swagger and the chance to right all of the wrongs they have dealt with throughout the regular season. You can’t ask for much more from a season that, at one point, seemed like it was headed off a cliff. Instead, these Orioles will be playing meaningful baseball deep into September at least.
Jun 10, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Sommers (51) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Very little has gone right for Detroit’s bullpen this year. The three veteran closing options have all underwhelmed, or in Will Vest’s suffered injuries, and many of the optionable depth arms they’ve relied on in the past have struggled, too. Amidst those struggles, one surprising candidate has emerged as perhaps AJ Hinch’s most reliable option: Drew Sommers.
Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for a DFA’d Mason Englert two winters ago, the pre-season book on Sommers was fairly common: big lefty with a good fastball, a quality slider, and poor command. His low arm angle and huge extension helped the fastball get past minor leaguers, but mediocre strike throwing and inconsistent secondaries seemed to limit him to a likely low leverage role. That’s certainly how his brief 3-inning debut in 2025 looked, and he was pretty buried on the 2026 depth chart to begin the year.
The 2026 season looked to be a bit more of the same early on, as the big lefty really struggled with his command. He was called up on May 28th due to Kenley Jansen’s groin injury and showed off both his contact-suppression skills and bouts of wildness. From the time he debuted through the end of June, his 34.3% K rate was the highest on the team, but his 11.4% walk rate was behind only Jansen’s 11.5%. He wasn’t perfect, but he was good enough to hang onto while other lefties like Brant Hurter were injured and the bullpen as a whole started to crumble.
Since July 1, though, Sommers has been a different beast. Over his last two months of games, Sommers has pushed that strikeout rate from good to elite at 38.0%, 5th best in the league among relievers with 20 innings or more. At the same time, his walk rate has dropped down toward average at 9.9%. He’s also allowing fewer home runs and running a groundball rate almost 50% higher than he was in May and June, two of the best things you can do to prevent a big inning.
How’s he doing this, you might ask? He’s throwing harder, basically.
I don’t mean to oversimplify things, but really, that’s the biggest thing I can see in terms of tangible changes to his stuff. His velocity has trended up all year from about average for a lefty reliever at 94 to up above 95, touching 97, which he just was not doing in May and June. Of course, with velocity comes confidence, and vice versa.
Certainly it’s not just the added velocity alone, but the ability to miss more bats in the zone and get away with a few more mistakes has been good for his heart rate on the mound. His zone percentage was 50 percent with a first pitch strike rate of 54.3percent from the beginning of the season to June 30. Since that point, he’s thrown 48.5 percent of pitches in the zone, but the Tigers have gotten him to attack the zone early in counts, with a whopping 69.8 percent first pitch strike rate.
When a young pitcher starts trusting their stuff, good things happen. Sommers’ velocity boost has made him more fearless in attacking the zone and getting ahead of hitters. Once he’s ahead, it’s easier to get hitters to expand the zone to chase heaters off the plate or his sweeping slider. Young pitchers are always trying to repeat their mechanics consistently, but that focus on trying to repeat your delivery is often counterproductive. Finding a way to relax and just attack the zone more is the path to better strike throwing, and often to unlocking a little more velocity as well. Sommers knows he can trust his heater at the major league level now, and with that added velocity he’s been able to pound the zone with sinkers and fourseamers early in counts with a lot less fear of failure. As they say, the most important pitch in baseball is strike one.
As a lefty who is still fairly inexperienced, Sommers doesn’t really profile as a future closer type at the moment. He certainly may handle some save chances, and with the season basically over from a competitive standpoint, it would probably be a good idea to put him in that spot a couple of times if possible to acclimate him. Even so, his profile probably works best as a lefty fireman, coming in to get groundballs and whiffs in tight spots. However they deploy him, it’s been a few years since the Tigers found an exciting high leverage relief option. Drew Sommers looks like that guy right now, and for a team that badly needs an overhauled and fortified bullpen, his emergence could be a big piece of the puzzle for 2027 and beyond.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 29: Snoopy throws out the first pitch before the game between the New York Mets and the Houston Astros at Citi Field on August 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Continuing their first place gauntlet, the Mets more or less did what was expected of them against Houston.
If you have a curiosity deep down in your soul as to what Singles Night at Citi Field was like, Laura Albanese has the answers to every question you need and those you don’t.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 25: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels makes a diving catch on a ball off the bat of Petey Halpin of the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 25, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a hard-fought and ultimately successful four-game series with the Red Sox, winning three of four and securing the tiebreaker between the two teams, the Yankees head west to take on the dreadful Angels. Perhaps the most dysfunctional organization in baseball, which is saying something, Arte Moreno already cleaned house earlier this year firing longtime GM Perry Minasian, but the problem may be Moreno himself. On pace to lose 101 games, the Angels have wasted one of the likely last strong years of Mike Trout’s career, as well as a season where a number of pitchers proved themselves valuable.
All of this is to say, this isn’t a trap series exactly, but it’s almost a trap series. After the endorphins of a good series against Boston wear off, the Angels are still a major league team, and anyone can beat anyone two out of three times. This is a series the Yankees should win, almost have to win to keep up the pressure on the Rays, but we’ve seen how those kind of circumstances can go awry in the past.
With Ryan Weathers on the IL, ERC will get at least two more chances to show off within the MLB rotation, his fourth stint with the team this year. His last outing was the longest of his young big league career, throwing six innings against the hated Astros, allowing a trio of runs and striking out a batter per inning. He looks to be beginning to find a handle on his pitch mix — the stuff has popped since his debut, but he’s shown a struggle with his control that seems to be improving. This is a pretty ideal setup for a young pitcher, as the Angels boast the third-worst offense in baseball.
The Angels are a fascinating group because a man named Mitch Farris is expected to get the ball on Monday night. Farris has not started a game for the Angels this year, used in a variety of bullpen roles, and will be called on to give an abbreviated beginning. The left-hander features a slowwwwwww changeup that’s probably his best offering, but his fastball gets clobbered and the Yankees are in a bit of a lefty-slugging mood lately.
Tuesday — Gerrit Cole vs. Walbert Ureña (9:38pm Eastern)
In a season with so many incredible pitching stories, Gerrit Cole’s may be the second-most impressive after only Cam Schlittler. The veteran has hardly missed a beat in coming off of Tommy John surgery, already eclipsing his innings total from the 2024 season, throwing the ball harder than that year as well. His 3.19 ERA is backstopped well by a 3.37 FIP, and even if he’s slightly overperforming his HR-allowed baseline, what you’ve seen from Cole this year should mostly be believed.
Walbert Ureña has looked like a real pitcher in his rookie season, throwing 118 innings of 2.94 ERA that might just net him some downballot Rookie of the Year votes if anyone is paying attention to Orange County. He doesn’t strike many out, and he walks a few too many, but in a ballpark that surrenders a lot of home runs he keeps it in the yard.
Wednesday — Cam Schlittler vs. Grayson Rodriguez (9:38pm Eastern)
It’s #CamBumpDay and with Cam tied with Dylan Cease at 5.1 fWAR, a big performance against a bad team could give him a slight edge in a dynamite AL Cy Young race. The added benefit for Cam is the game coming on the road, where eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a bit of a home/road split for the young righty:
On paper, everything is set up for the youngster to pull just a bit ahead of Cease, but execution is still everything in this game.
Rodriguez, the white-hot hope of the rebuilding Baltimore Orioles’ rotation, has flatlined in his first season with LA. Worth just half a win, a 6.04 ERA actually belies a FIP that’s stronger, but Grayson finds himself with poor results with an organization not known for improving performance, whistling past the proverbial baseball graveyard.
The Mets (61-76) open a three-game series on the road in Tampa Bay against the AL East-leading Rays (82-54) at 6:40 p.m. on SNY.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Robert Stock makes his sixth start, looking to rebound from a tough outing against the Brewers on Aug. 26 (seven earned runs in 4.0 IP)
Carson Benge has posted an impressive August, hitting .320 with five HRs, three doubles, a triple, and 13 RBI over 97 at-bats
A.J. Ewing recorded his 22nd steal of the season Sunday (most among rookies), moving him into a tie with Lee Mazzilli for the second-most steals by a rookie in franchise history. He now only trails Mookie Wilson's 24 steals from the 1981 season
Francisco Lindor moved past Dave Kingman for sixth-most HRs in franchise history (155 HRs) with a leadoff blast Sunday, his second leadoff homer of the season and the 33rd of his career
Today's Lineups
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What channel is SNY?
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The calendar is just about ready to flip to September, which means the stretch run in Major League Baseball has arrived.
Except for the American League West, the division races all seem to have strong favorites. But the real intrigue surrounds the three wild-card spots in each league. It will be hard to knock off the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL, but seven teams still have at least a puncher's chance to round out the field.
Over in the National League, the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies appear comfortably ahead of their pursuers. But the final spot seems to change hands on an almost-daily basis.
Here's a look at the latest in the MLB playoff race:
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 13: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred speaks during the 2026 All-Star Legacy Veterans Multi-Service Center renovation at Veterans Multi-Service Center on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires on 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 1, and the owners will almost certainly lock out the players the moment the CBA expires, just as they did in December 2021 before eventually coming to an agreement in March 2022.
This time around, a salary cap and competitive balance have been the driving forces behind the owners’ talking points, in both the foreground and background of their known offers to the players. That was the case on Thursday, when MLB owners proposed the idea of a quiet period for signings, limiting free agent movement to only a few weeks in December. From Ronald Blum of Associated Press:
MLB proposed extending the quiet period until noon Eastern on the Monday of the winter meetings, usually held in early December. Management said the additional time would be needed for revenue and salary cap figures to be finalized ahead of the business season.
MLB would allow negotiations during the quiet period but would not permit any contracts to be finalized.
Free agents could sign through 5 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 21 and then wouldn’t be allowed to until noon Eastern on the first Monday in February, just ahead of spring training.
Another aspect of the league’s proposal included a tweaking of the injured list, instead of the current 10-day stint for position players and 15 days for pitchers. From Evan Drellich at The Athletic:
The current 10-day minimum stay for position players would be replaced with a one-week designation, and the 15-day pitcher injury list would become a two-week designation.
But that doesn’t mean “seven days” and “14 days,” respectively. Instead, teams would have to count Mondays.
Position players would have to stay on the IL for at least one full Monday-to-Monday span, with pitchers spanning two of those stretches.
For example: If a position player goes on the IL on Wednesday, he still has to stay on the IL for the entirety of the following week, Monday-to-Monday.
The 60-day injury list would change to 12 weeks and would still free up a 40-man roster spot.
While active rosters would still be capped at 26 players, teams could carry 14 pitchers, up one from the current allowance.
That every MLB proposal thus far has been contingent on the players accepting a salary cap and floor shows that the negotiations won’t get serious until after the owners lock out the player in December, writes Marc Normandin of Baseball Prospectus:
Would it be wonderful if there was less sitting around and more player transactions during the offseason, with the bulk of them happening sooner than later? Absolutely—making players wait until the spring to sign isn’t great for whatever excitement the league is trying to generate, or the players who still don’t know where they are going to spend their next season when February, and sometimes even March, hits. This doesn’t actually solve that, though, especially since it just removes the awkward middle part where teams and players are in a staredown and fast-forwards to the end. It’s kind of like how MLB doesn’t bargain quite as seriously as it should before the CBA expires, but then once the lockout hits it rushes everything to a forced conclusion. Hey, I’m paraphrasing Rob Manfred’s own justifications for a lockout here, don’t shoot the messenger.
My position on the general shape of this CBA negotiation remains unchanged: Only one Big Four sports league has imposed a salary cap on its union in the 21st Century. The NHL got its salary cap, and severe salary rollbacks, but not until it broke the union. And that took canceling an entire season, which damaged the sport in ways from which it still has not recovered 20 years later.
It’s going to take at least one lost season to break the MLBPA, maybe more, and I have no idea whether the owners have the stomach for that intense a fight. I’m not sure the owners themselves know at this point; that’s the kind of thing we won’t be able to get a read on until next February or March at the earliest. Until then, we can treat any proposal that’s contingent on a cap-and-floor system as DOA.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 01: John Schreiber #46 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch during the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 01, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Kansas City Royals won 6-3. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Good road trip,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino told reporters in Cleveland. “Feel good about it. Obviously, not happy with the game. It’s not good enough today, but just got to take the off day tomorrow and get ready to get back at Miami on Tuesday.”
While none of Rojas, Gose or Kimbrel were on the Royals’ roster in April, they helped pave the way to a winning August.
“In February and March we talked about how we needed depth; you just don’t know why or when or where those guys are going to come from,” Quatraro said. “[Those players coming up] is a credit to our player development and the players themselves for putting themselves in a spot to come up.”
Rojas’ electric day at the plate marked his second career four-RBI day, with the first coming on May 20, 2022, when he was a member of the Diamondbacks.
“Clearly he wasn’t trying to check-swing one down the line, but we’ll take it,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “You need some luck every now and then.”
Schreiber is running a 45.4% ground-ball rate, one of the highest of his career, though his strikeout (18%) and walk (11%) numbers have gone in the wrong direction. Fielding-independent metrics such as xFIP (4.52), SIERA (4.56), xERA (4.56) and FIP (4.87) are all similarly low on Schreiber, who has benefited from a .254 batting average on balls in play. Those red flags help explain why the Royals did not find a taker for Schreiber ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline. Perhaps that will change now that an acquiring team would not have to trade any compensation for him. If it does, Schreiber would join a new club by Sept. 1, which would make him eligible to participate in the playoffs.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 29: Luis Lara #18 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning at American Family Field on August 29, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to week 23 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!
1. Milwaukee Brewers (85-52); 4-2 this week; 100.0% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)
The Brewers started this week taking two of three from the Mets in New York before returning to Milwaukee for a quick three-game homestand against the Rangers over the weekend, with another 2-1 series for their ninth consecutive series win at home.
Jackson Chourio led the offense with three homers as part of a seven-hit week, driving in seven and adding a stolen base. William Contreras, Gary Sánchez, and Brice Turang also homered, while Christian Yelich added seven hits, including three doubles.
Shane Drohan, Kyle Harrison, and Logan Henderson all turned in solid one-run outings, with Henderson leading the way with seven innings and seven strikeouts. Robert Gasser did more than enough in long relief after Dustin May exited one pitch into Wednesday’s game, going 5 1/3 frames with one run allowed and six strikeouts. Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, Antonio Senzatela, and Bryse Wilson combined for 11 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out 13 (Trevor Megill also added 2 1/3 innings, allowing only the Manfred runner to score in a walk-off loss to the Mets).
Milwaukee now begins a big stretch against NL Central teams, as their next 16 games come against the Cubs, Reds, and Pirates. It begins with four games against the Cubs at Wrigley before three games against the Reds in Cincinnati.
2. Chicago Cubs (77-60); 2-4 this week; 97.9% chance to make postseason
The Cubs had a bit of a down week overall, as they dropped two of three to the D-backs in Arizona before returning home to drop two of three to the Reds.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, who appears to be the leader for NL MVP at this point in the season, went off for nine hits this week, including five homers and a double, driving home eight runs. Carson Kelly added a pair of homers, while Seiya Suzuki had nine hits, including four doubles and a homer as part of a five-RBI week.
Kevin Gausman earned both wins out of the rotation, allowing five runs across 12 frames with 13 strikeouts. Matthew Boyd went six innings with one run allowed and five strikeouts, while Clay Holmes worked seven scoreless frames with five strikeouts. Colin Rea, Ryan Rolison, and Caleb Thielbar combined for 4 2/3 scoreless bullpen innings, striking out five.
Chicago now plays host to the Brewers for four games before a three-game weekend set against the Marlins in Miami.
3. St. Louis Cardinals (68-70); 2-4 this week; 1.1% chance to make postseason
The Cardinals dropped two of three at home against both the Orioles and Pirates this week, pushing them further out of the NL Wild Card picture.
Joshua Báez, Nathan Church, Jimmy Crooks, Nolan Gorman, Blaze Jordan, and Ramón Urías all homered for St. Louis, while Iván Herrera and Jordan Walker tied for the team lead with six hits apiece. Bryan Torres led the offense, going 5-for-6 in limited opportunities.
Quinn Mathews picked up his first MLB win, going 5 2/3 innings with one run allowed and seven strikeouts. Gordon Graceffo made two appearances (one start), totaling five innings with no runs allowed and seven strikeouts. Ryne Stanek and Cade Winquest led the bullpen, totaling 4 1/3 innings with no runs allowed and six strikeouts.
St. Louis now hits the road on the West Coast, as they’ll visit the Dodgers, Rockies, and Giants for three games apiece over the next week and a half.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates (67-71); 4-2 this week; 1.5% chance to make postseason
The Pirates had a surprisingly solid week, as they managed to take two of three from both the Padres and Cardinals on their road trip this week.
Esmerlyn Valdez led the offense with a pair of homers, while Jared Triolo had eight hits, including a homer. Brandon Lowe, Rafael Flores, and Oneil Cruz all homered, too, while Bryan Reynolds added seven hits.
Braxton Ashcraft made a pair of starts, totaling 11 frames with three runs allowed and five strikeouts. Bubba Chandler went 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned), Lake Bachar went 3 2/3 innings allowing one run, and Paul Skenes worked six scoreless innings, striking out four. Noah Murdock, Evan Sisk, Mason Montgomery (two saves), and Gregory Soto totaled 10 1/3 scoreless innings for the bullpen, striking out 11.
Pittsburgh now plays host to a pair of West Coast squads in the Giants and Angels this week.
5. Cincinnati Reds (65-72); 3-3 this week; 0.0% chance to make postseason
The Reds continue to struggle, though they did turn in a .500 week, losing two of three to the Giants in San Francisco before winning two of three against the Cubs at Wrigley.
Sal Stewart led the Cincinnati offense with a four-homer week, totaling eight hits with seven RBIs and six runs scored. Héctor Rodríguez added three homers in a seven-hit week, and Tyler Stephenson had eight hits, slugging a pair of homers and a pair of doubles. Elly De La Cruz led the squad with 11 hits, including three doubles.
The Reds didn’t have much to write home about when it came to the pitching staff, but Emilio Pagán led the way with four relief appearances, allowing one run and striking out three over four innings to pick up three saves. Brock Burke and Pierce Johnson combined for three scoreless innings, striking out four.
Cincinnati now hosts the Padres for three games before an off day Thursday. They’ll then host the Brewers over the weekend.
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Leonardo Bernal (13) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It is technically August 31st, but the Cardinals are off today, which means that when the Cardinals next take the field tomorrow, they are allowed to carry two extra players. They can only carry a maximum of 14 pitchers, so the two new players will be a position player and a pitcher. Last night, it was announced that the two players would be catcher Leonardo Bernal and pitcher Hancel Rincon.
I will be honest guys. I am grateful for this news. I am very out of whack with the Cardinals right now. On August 19th, I watched the Cardinals lose to the Reds. I didn’t catch the game after that because it was a day game and I was at work. And then my vacation got in the way. I was scrambling to pack and clean my house on Friday, and I had to attempt to go to bed early, because I had to be at the airport at 3 that Saturday morning. Then I missed the no-good, terrible week of baseball while in Mexico. This past Saturday was a travel day, so I missed that as well. I did finally watch baseball yesterday.
Nonetheless, I appreciate the absolute layup the Cardinals are throwing me to help me get back into the swing of things. So let’s talk about Bernal and Rincon and why they’re being called up.
Bernal was signed out of Panama in January of 2021 for $680,000, following in fellow Panamanian Ivan Herrera’s footsteps. He was sent to the Dominican Summer League that summer, where he struggled with the bat. It was more or less entirely due to a low BABIP – he walked a good amount, didn’t strike out, had good power – but a .224 BABIP is hard to overcome. But the Cardinals clearly saw something, because when he advanced to the United States, they skipped him right to full season ball.
Well, sort of. They were a little more responsible than that. He did next play in Low A, skipping the rookie leagues in America entirely. But his 2022 season didn’t actually start until June. So he got the harder competition, but he ended up playing in just one more game from his DSL season. He rewarded their aggressiveness with a 120 wRC+.
But his bat at this point wasn’t his selling point: it was his glove. Savant pointed out that his glove looked advanced defensively even before signing and that the Cardinals pushed Bernal primarily because of their appreciation for his work ethic on defense. His arm was also a selling point. In all, Baseball Savant graded Bernal at a 55 for fielding and a 55 for arm.
Again, the Cardinals scouting is fairly good at their job and they saw something in Bernal’s 120 wRC+ that didn’t quite pass the sniff test, so the 19-year-old repeated Low A. And his bat got worse, kind of. His xwOBA actually improved significantly from .301 to .329, but his wRC+ dropped to 114 and his power completely disappeared. But the reason he was a comparable hitter was his 15.2 BB%, which more than doubled his walk rate from the previous year. 2023 ended up giving Bernal a stronger approach and it seems like he didn’t really hit the ball any weaker if his x stats is anything to go by despite less power.
But I imagine the Cardinals were nonetheless excited when Bernal showed power again in 2024. He did sacrifice some strikeouts, with a still professional high K% of 22.8%. But he also had his highest BABIP of .333, so he was doing something right. He got a sampling of games in Springfield to end his season, which offensively didn’t go great, but he wasn’t that overmatched.
In a full season at Springfield, I would say his bat was kind of disappointing because it seemed like he had a breakout in High A. But he was barely above average, again due to a low BABIP. Where he shined was defensively, catching 39% of runners who tried to steal. He’s also considered a good receiver, being able to steal strikes. Prospect Savant upped their scouting grades to 60 arm and 60 fielding for this season. Now, we got pretty lucky here. The Cardinal Nation, who rank a lot of prospects, randomly made Bernal’s page free to access. I don’t believe it was made free with this news, but I could be wrong. So I will lean heavily on Kyle Reis for the scouting part of this.
Reis says Bernal is an average MLB blocker who works from the one knee position. So don’t be totally shocked if you are disappointed when balls get past him, that stance does not seem to do catchers any favors. But teams surely know the numbers on this, and I’m guessing to the extent that it hurts a catcher’s blocking, it’s probably not as much as you think and it’s worth whatever benefits it brings. Kyle calls him a “thicc boi” which some might mistake for unathleticism, so ignore those assumptions you have! He finishes his defensive report by calling him a good game caller and above average framer.
As far as his offense is concerned, he’s a true switch hitter. Against right-handed pitchers and as a lefty, Bernal batted .282/.364/.482 for an .846 OPS. Against left-handed pitchers and as a righty, Bernal batted .267/.362/.422 for a .784 OPS. I will warn you about small sample sizes however and point out that in 2025, Bernal had a .848 OPS against left-handed pitchers and a .668 OPS against right-handed pitchers. They were virtually equal in 2024.
As of now, and obviously things can change, we have a very well-rounded catcher coming up to the major leagues. He doesn’t have much swing-and-miss, he has power potential, and he knows how to take a walk. He’s also considered an excellent defender.
I don’t know if worry is the right word, but I already know what him failing as a hitter looks like: he’ll be a low BABIP guy. He’s not fast and he had a .274 BABIP all year in Springfield, one of the best places to hit in baseball. I don’t expect him to strike out, I expect him to walk, and he really doesn’t have a terribly high bar to reach for his power to play at Busch Stadium. See JJ Wetherholt. But it’s hard to overcome a low BABIP. See: JJ Wetherholt.
Rincon has been around a bit longer and is a bit older. He signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January of 2019. In April that season, he turned 17, and he debuted in the DSL as a starting pitcher. The most notable thing about him was that the Cardinals saw fit to have him pitch 47 innings – sometimes the truest test of which prospects to pay attention to is who the Cardinals throw in games a lot – because his performance was… fine. Below average K rate, normal BB rate, groundball rate under 40%. Nothing prospect worthy.
The Cardinals agreed, because two years and a pandemic later, he was still at the DSL in 2021. This time, his stats were great, but he was also 19 playing against a lot of hitters younger than him. In 2022, he started in the complex league, had a fantastic K/BB ratio, and the Cardinals promoted him for 8 starts in Low A. He held his own there, then spent all of 2023 in Low A. He was okay, not really that interesting in a prospect way cause he had a low strikeout rate.
He spent all of 2024 in High A. Still not that interesting as a prospect cause he’s still not missing bats. Things improved in 2025 when he suddenly gained the ability to miss bats. Weirder still, his BB rate didn’t balloon and in fact his groundball rate got a lot better too. But things got extremely weird when he was promoted to AA and suddenly dominated the competition. Unfortunately, his season ended prematurely to injury.
Want to know an advantage of being an International free agent? Rincon moved through the system at somewhat of a glacial place, he in fact missed an entire year to COVID, and he still found himself in AAA at the age of 24 entering this season. He spent three seasons in the DSL and 2+ seasons in High A. He did advance quickly at opportune times to be fair – he barely spent any time in the complex league and he really didn’t spend that much time in AA either. But yeah you can’t have this minor league career drafted out of college, that’s for sure.
In a weaker system, I kind of wonder if the Cardinals continue try developing him as a starter. But they settled for a multi-inning reliever instead. Part of that reasoning is he has a weak fastball. I know we’re tired of pitchers with weak fastballs in the rotation. So I’m sure there will not be grumbling about his move to the bullpen. A changeup grip change suddenly made his changeup a bat-missing pitch to pair with his bat-missing slider. Pair that with good command and you can see how his profile works in the bullpen.
Why them?
In Bernal’s case, one reason is he’s pretty clearly – from the information we know – the best position player in Memphis. I don’t think that’s a controversial statement. The only other player on the 40 man is Victor Scott and aside from Scott having a 78 wRC+ in Memphis, he’s also kind of the exact same player as Nathan Church. Church, who isn’t even hitting well, is outhitting Scott’s numbers in Memphis. And his offense, at least so far, doesn’t play at all in the corners. It doesn’t really even play in center, but hypothetically it could. An 80 wRC+ will never play in the corners.
Colton Ledbetter is an option, but his stats aren’t really promotion worthy and he’s not on the 40 man either. And I suspect Everson Pereira is coming back soon, which honestly is another reason no Scott. Outside of that, they have Ramon Mendoza, who is fun, but is essentially another Bryan Torres/Ramon Urias/Jose Fermin/Cesar Prieto/how is this half our team now? No seriously, one of these guys on the team is fun, your entire bench and a starter or two not so much. Good luck to Mendoza, I hope you make it one day.
As far as Rincon, well the choices were him or Cooper Hjerpe. And the Cardinals seem to be acting like Hjerpe is no choice at all for some reason. But Rincon is a good choice. On a team with 3.5 healthy starters, they can use every single relief pitcher who is at least in theory capable of throwing in 3 inning bunches. I think that describes Rincon. The only other pitchers it describes are their legitimate starting pitching prospects not on the 40 who also don’t need to be added to the 40 man either: Jurrangelo Cjintje, Brandt Thompson, Mason Molina.
They could have gone the path of least resistance with Matt Svanson, but clearly he’s not a reliable bet for 3 innings. They could have gone Pete Hansen who is basically Rincon who hasn’t been moved to the pen, but I think they moved Rincon to the pen because they think his stuff will play up in shorter stints and they’re less convinced that is true for Hansen. And that’s pretty much it. The other relief options (Austin Love, Skylar Hales) haven’t been any good.
Oliver Marmol has probably his most difficult task yet: figuring out how to get playing time to four different catchers. I legitimately cannot imagine that Ivan Herrera will still play catcher going forward or this move makes no sense. It’s much easier to imagine the playing time if Herrera is just planted at DH. I don’t really know when Pedro Pages will ever play, because now you can start Bernal against lefties. So good luck to him and his few opportunities.
And the bullpen, he at least has some serious flexibility. Until Andre Pallante returns, he’s got a glorified bullpen game two out of every five starts. And yes, I’m counting Kyle Leahy as a bullpen game, if he’s only throwing 3 innings, it’s a bullpen game. But he has Brycen Mautz, Rincon, and you can even push Gordon Graceffo for 3 innings. Cade Winquest is another multi-inning threat with the amount of pitches in his arsenal. And on the right day, most of the bullpen not named Riley O’Brien and Ryne Stanek are capable of throwing more than one inning. So he’s going to have to earn his paycheck with the current set-up of the roster, so that will be interesting to follow.
Until then though, we get to see a legitimate, top 10 prospect in the system maybe to help them better make a decision on who to trade in the offseason and we get to see how much of a relief threat Rincon can be, which should also make planning the future easier. Failures from either doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t a part of the future, but the way they fail can tell the Cardinals a lot and of course if they don’t fail, they can put them in their plans. And hey if they succeed in a way they don’t trust, good trade bait! Lots of good reasons these two are the pick, all we have to do is see how they perform.
MONTGOMERY, AL - MAY 14: Xavier Isaac #11 of the Montgomery Biscuits smiles walking to the dugout before the game between the Biloxi Shuckers and the Montgomery Biscuits at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Photo by Natalie Buchanan/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
This was the 21st week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Sunday, August 30th).
According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), prospect Theo Gillen tops the system and might just find himself in the running for Minor League Player of the Year. Gillen ranks 5th among all minor leaguers while Caden Bodine ranks 6th.
Meanwhile, Aidan Cremarosa remains the top hurler in the system despite spending several weeks on the Injured List. Thus far in his first professional season, Cremarosa has a 2.89 ERA | 2.98 FIP with a 30.4 K% & 5.4 BB% over 71.2 IP in Single-A. FanGraphs has ranked the 22-year old as the 30th top prospect in the Rays system.
RUMBLINGS
Jhon Diaz, the team’s largest signing from the 2019 international class, had a solid week. The 23-year old launched three homeruns over three consecutive games in High-A.
Austin Slater was released.
Jared Oliva, a 30-year outfielder, signed a minor league deal with the Rays. He appeared in seven games earlier this season for the Giants and was most recently with the Mets before being designated for assignment on July 9th.
Xavier Isaac and Caden Bodine made good impressions for their respective first weeks in Triple-A. Isaac launched a 400+ foot homerun to the opposite field while Caden Bodine had a multi-HR day, going deep from each side of the plate.
TEAM LEADERS
Must currently be assigned to that team
Baseball America’s top ten prospects are featured below each team they’re currently assigned to.
(minimum of 220 TBF & PA)
Tampa Bay Rays
Top 10 Prospects
None currently on active roster
Durham Bulls
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .252, Blake Sabol OBP: .335, Tatem Levins SLG: .401, Blake Sabol HR: 12, Logan Davidson wRC+: 88, Blake Sabol SB: 35, Homer Bush Jr
Team Pitching Leaders: ERA: 2.58, Evan Reifert FIP: 3.33, Ty Johnson K%: 34.9% Ty Johnson BB%: 3.9%, Mason Englert WHIP: 0.95, Ty Johnson AVG: .167, Ty Johnson WHIFF%: 16.3%, Ty Johnson
Team Pitching Leaders: ERA: 4.43, Chris Clark FIP: 4.75, Chris Clark K%: 25.2%, Jackson Baumeister BB%: 3.5%, Santiago Suarez WHIP 1.21, Chris Clark AVG: .225, Jackson Baumeister WHIFF%: 14.1%, Jackson Baumeister
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .287, Tony Santa Maria OBP: .418, Ryan McCoy SLG: .544, Ryan McCoy HR: 21, Nathan Flewelling wRC+: 147, Ryan McCoy SB: 52, Tony Santa Maria
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 18: A general view of Citi Field during the second inning between the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres on August 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning baseball fans!
It’s a new week of San Francisco Giants baseball, and it’s gonna be a busy one on the road.
First up, the Giants will head to Atlanta to make-up the June 18th game against the Braves this afternoon.
After that, they’ll head north to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game series. Then they’ll begin a three-game series against the New York Mets.
Personally, I’m most interested in the Braves game. Because it’s only one game and they can only inflict one game’s worth of damage.
Which series are you most interested in this week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants play the make-up game against the Braves this afternoon at 3:05 p.m. PT.
It’s always news when the Red Sox play the Yankees, and the Red Sox are a little salty right now as the Bronx Bombers took 3 of 4. Jake Mintz has four takeaways from the series.
Red Sox radio broadcaster Will Fleming called for Red Sox pitcher Jovani Morán to hit Austin Wells and start a fight with Jazz Chisholm Jr. (The Athletic sub. req.) after Chisholm stole second and third while the Yankees were up six runs.
