Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided some updates prior to Friday’s series opener in Kansas City…
Good news on Marte
Starling Marte underwent an MRI on his knee Friday, which still showed some inflammation, but overall was “very encouraging.”
The team is planning on limiting his running for the time being, but they will start the process as soon as this weekend, which is certainly good news.
They are still hopeful Marte will be available coming out of the All-Star break.
The 36-year-old was placed on the injured list earlier this week after tweaking his right knee during his at-bat in the ninth inning of last weekend's Subway Series finale.
Marte had been swinging a hot bat prior to that, picking up three more hits to raise his average to an impressive .324 since the beginning of June.
Getting him back in the mix right away would certainly be a huge boost, especially with Jesse Winker hitting the IL as well.
Winker’s prognosis
Speaking of Winker, Mendy revealed that he’s dealing with lower back inflammation.
He'll be on medicine for the next four-to-seven days, and then the team will see how he’s feeling before deciding on next steps -- potential options include receiving an injection, depending on how he responds.
Though there’s been some speculation that Winker’s back injury is connected to the oblique strain he was just returning from, the skipper said trainers told him the two had nothing to do with each other.
May 4, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (3) at bat against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. / Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
“That was my first question too,” Mendoza said. “This is something that just came up now, nothing related -- hopefully the medicine works here over the next four-to-seven days, and then we’ll see where we’re at from there.”
Winker was hitless in three at-bats before landing back on the IL.
With him and Marte sidelined, the team will continue to mix and match at DH this weekend.
The left-handed hitting Jared Young was recalled from Triple-A, but it is Mark Vientos who will receive the first opportunity against veteran right-hander Michael Wacha in Friday's series opener.
Paul Blackburn on the mend
The right-hander threw a successful bullpen session on Friday in Kansas City.
He is expected to throw another one on Sunday, and if all goes well there, he’ll head down to Port St. Lucie during the break to face hitters.
Blackburn officially landed on the IL last week due to a right shoulder impingement.
With Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga back healthy and in the rotation mix, he could potentially be looking at a bullpen role when he does eventually return.
Prior to his injury, Blackburn had been struggling mightily -- pitching to a 7.71 ERA in six appearances.
Ceddanne Rafaela provided the heroics for the Boston Red Sox on Friday night at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox trailed the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 with one out and a runner on first base in the bottom of the ninth inning when Rafaela stepped to the plate against Pete Fairbanks. With a 1-2 count, Rafaela blasted one over the Green Monster to give Boston the 5-4 walk-off victory:
Rafaela has been one of the best players in baseball for the last month. In addition to playing elite defense in center field, the 24-year-old has slashed .314/.337/.674 with seven homers and 21 RBI over his last 25 games. His 3.5 fWAR on the season ranks fifth among position players in the American League.
The Red Sox trailed 4-1 after an early injury to starter Hunter Dobbins and a sloppy third inning in which they allowed three unearned runs. Marcelo Mayer (RBI double) and Abraham Toro (RBI groundout) narrowed the deficit in the fourth before Rafaela finished the job with his two-run blast. Roman Anthony pinch-hit in the ninth inning and drew a walk to set up Rafaela’s dramatic moment.
With ace Garrett Crochet on the mound, the Red Sox (51-45) will take an eight-game win streak into Saturday’s game against the Rays. They’re currently 4.5 games back in the American League East standings and in possession of the second Wild Card spot.
SAN FRANCISCO — This weekend’s series between the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers features some of the best pitchers in the National League, but on the first night Friday at Oracle Park, the longtime rivals engaged in the type of shootout that normally is found elsewhere in the division.
A five-run fifth from the Giants immediately was countered by a four-run frame from the first-place Dodgers, who got within one in the seventh after trailing by six at one point. The Giants kept it there, winning 8-7 and handing the Dodgers their seventh consecutive loss, a skid that seemed inconceivable a couple weeks ago as they threatened to run away with the division.
Camilo Doval faced the top of the Dodgers lineup and retired Shohei Ohtani before a Mookie Betts single. Pinch-runner Esteury Ruiz stole second and Freddie Freeman drew a walk, but Doval got catcher Will Smith to bounce into a game-ending double play.
The Giants scored first on a Willy Adames solo blast, but Ohtani put one into the cove to give the Dodgers the lead in the third. Jung Hoo Lee countered with a go-ahead triple, and Adames matched him in the fifth as the Giants jumped out to an 8-2 lead.
It usually would be all downhill from there for Logan Webb, but he got knocked out in the sixth by a lineup he dominated at Dodger Stadium in June.
Not What He Expected
Webb was sharp early, striking out the side in the second and carrying a big lead into the late innings. The only damage through five was a two-run homer by Ohtani, but the Dodgers hit the staff ace hard in the sixth inning and knocked him out after just one out.
Webb started the frame by drilling Betts and then gave up two doubles and a two-run homer to former Giant Michael Conforto. All three base hits were at least 104 mph, and on the other end, Webb’s velocity dropped a couple of ticks. His final pitch was a 91 mph sinker that Conforto hit out to dead center.
The six earned runs were a season-high for Webb, who had allowed just 10 earned in nine previous starts at Oracle Park this season. He finished the first half with a 2.94 ERA in 20 starts. Webb will head into the MLB All-Star break leading the NL in innings and he’s ranked second in strikeouts.
Jung Hoo Three
It’s been a rough couple months for Lee, but he was all over the field Friday night. That was both positive and negative.
With two on and no outs in the fourth, Lee smoked a line drive to Triples Alley that was just out of the reach of Teoscar Hernandez. Rafael Devers and Matt Chapman raced home as Lee cruised into third with his eighth triple, which ranks second in the National League.
Casey Schmitt followed with a fly ball to left and Conforto made a perfect throw, getting Lee at the plate. The Giants challenged it and it appeared they might have had a case, but after a lengthy review, it was confirmed by the umpires in New York that Lee was out.
Lee later added a pair of singles and notched his second three-hit game in his last eight, but he also made an error in center and had a couple of other slight misplays.
The All-Star
Rodriguez threw just 14 pitches while recording the final two outs of the sixth, so Giants manager Bob Melvin sent him back out to face the top of the Dodgers lineup in the seventh.
After a groundout from Ohtani, Betts hit a double that was bobbled by Lee, allowing him to reach third. He scored on Smith’s two-out single up the middle. The earned run was just the fourth allowed by Rodriguez, who has a 0.89 ERA.
The outing was a preview of how the Giants hope to use Rodriguez in big games down the stretch and possibly into October. They have been careful with his arm thus far and he rarely goes back-to-back days, but they know they can stretch him out at some point.
SAN DIEGO – Rob Thomson is all about his players getting their individual accolades. He said last week that he wants all his players to be All-Stars. And he meant it.
But you have to get a feeling with the amount of weight his starting pitching has carried this season for the club that maybe, just maybe, not having some deserving pitchers on the All-Star team is OK with him.
Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez deserve to be going to the Midsummer Classic, but they were not chosen. So they’ll get some much-needed rest and relaxation during the break. Zack Wheeler was rightfully selected for the game, but it was announced Friday that Wheeler has decided not to participate in the festivities in Atlanta, instead opting to take a few days off and ready himself for the rest of the season.
Wheeler, who will start Saturday against the San Diego Padres, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA. In his 116 innings pitched he has struck out 148 and an incredible 0.84 WHIP. MLB announced that Padres pitcher Adrian Morejon will take Wheeler’s place.
“He came to me the other day and he basically said that he wanted to make sure his body was in good shape coming out of the break and carry on through the rest of the year,” Thomson said. “He wants to do what’s right by the club. After tomorrow’s start he’ll have more innings than last year at the break. He’s being smart. That’s what Zack is and we have a lot of guys like that, to tell you the truth. I’m really happy for him. It was his decision and I think he’s being smart about it.”
Wheeler could very easily have been replaced on the National League roster by one of his teammates, but MLB decided to go another way. Perhaps due to the fact that he’s pitching on Sunday may have been a big strike against Sanchez going. “I am (surprised),” said Thomson. “But it’s one of those things where (pitching) on Sunday you can’t. Both him and Ranger, for me, are certainly deserving to be All-Stars. In my mind they’re All-Stars. (Sanchez) wasn’t voted in so I think it’s easy for them to switch out and get somebody who they know is going to be able to give them an inning or two.”
It’s not just about the actual pitching that could take a toll on any of the Phillies starters at the All-Star game. Thomson knows it’s more than that. “I’ve been through it a couple of times and it’s tiring. It really is. I’m happy that he’s decided to make the best decision for him. Which probably ends up being the best decision for us.”
He’s baaaaack
When asked about Bryce Harper and where he may be offensively after his three doubles and home run against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, Thomson had to suppress a smile, and maybe even an all-out laugh.
“His timing looked really good the other day,” the manager said. “Over time since he’s come back from the injured list, that the timing, the swing, bat-speed have all improved every game. And even before the game the other day he was putting good swings without seeing much production but he was putting good swings on the ball. Looks good right now.”
For the season, the Phillies entered Friday 40-25 with Harper in the lineup, just 14-14 without him. In those 40 wins, Harper is hitting .309 with 23 extra base hits (15 doubles, eight home runs) and 30 RBI. In the 25 losses, those numbers are .181, three extra base hits (two doubles, one homer) and five RBI.
Monday during batting practice in San Francisco, Harper had a couple un-Harper-like swings, it appeared. He took a second and then blasted four screaming shots over the wall in right field, one of which ended up in McCovey’s Cove. It seemed like a moment. Maybe it was.
Good Abel
Mick Abel took the mound for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Thursday and came away with good reviews from manager Rob Thomson after his six inning, one hit, one walk and four strikeout performance in which he didn’t allow a run.
“Really good. Touched 98, 72 percent 3-2 pitch strikes. Just filled up the strike zone. Was confident, poised, landed his breaking ball. I’m really happy for him, really proud of him. That’s what I’m most proud of. He got back to who he is, kept it really simple and attacked the zone.”
Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet pulled himself out of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game to keep his arm fresh for the second half of the season.
Crochet earned his second straight All-Star nod amid a Cy Young-caliber campaign, but at an MLB-leading 120.1 innings pitched this season, the left-hander is already 25.2 innings away from matching his career-high. The 26-year-old left-hander understandably doesn’t want to add to that hefty workload during an exhibition.
“For me, it’s just looking at my past four years,” Crochet said, per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “In 2022, I threw zero innings. In ‘23, I threw 13. Last year, I threw 146 and this year I’m on pace for 200. From my standpoint, it makes no sense to make that 201 to throw in a game that doesn’t determine my team’s fate throughout the season.
“Especially because we’re looking at the postseason. If I threw 20 innings in the postseason, I’m almost 100 innings over last year which was over 100 innings above the year prior. It just didn’t make sense to me.”
The Red Sox’ schedule also didn’t help Crochet’s cause. Crochet is set to start Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, so he’d head into the All-Star Game on only three days rest.
Crochet pitched a scoreless fourth inning while representing the Chicago White Sox at the 2024 All-Star Game. This time, he’ll watch from the dugout alongside teammates Alex Bregman, who also won’t play as he returned from a quad injury on Friday.
“It’s a huge honor to be there,“ Crochet added. ”I threw last year with it being my first one. If I were to go next year, I would probably throw. But just with the way my continued growth is, and my workload ceiling, I’d rather not add to it.”
With Crochet and Bregman sitting out, veteran closer Aroldis Chapman will be Boston’s lone representative in Atlanta. Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize will replace Crochet on the American League roster.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 15.
Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker is heading back to the IL just a few days after returning from an extended absence.
Winker, who exited Thursday's game against the Orioles after just one at-bat due to back tightness, was placed on the 10-day IL due to back inflammation, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Jared Young was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to take Winker's spot on the roster.
To make room on the roster, Justin Hagenman was optioned to Syracuse and Rico Garcia was designated for assignment.
With Winker on the IL, the Mets will essentially be without a regular DH until after the All-Star break, which begins for them after Sunday's game in Kansas City.
Starling Marte landed on the IL on Tuesday, retroactive to July 7. The expectation is that he'll be able to return right after the break, with the Mets beginning the second half against the Reds on July 18 at Citi Field.
On the at-bat before he came out, Winker popped out to end the first inning. He was pinch-hit for in the fourth inning by Mark Vientos.
The 31-year-old was playing in just his second game since May 4 after returning from the injured list on Tuesday after working his way back from an oblique injury.
Winker was hitting .239 with a .739 OPS (112 OPS+) prior to his oblique injury, totaling just one home run and 10 RBI.
The lefty hit .286 with two home runs, a double, seven RBI, and five walks over five games in the minor leagues during his rehab assignment.
Ha-Seong Kim (SS Rays): Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues
Originally hoping for a mid-May return from shoulder surgery, Kim finally made it back on July 4, which was more than five weeks after he initially started a Triple-A rehab assignment. That assignment, which was paused in mid-June because of a minor hamstring problem, saw him hit .208/.352/.250 in 91 plate appearances, causing a great deal of doubt over whether Kim was going to be his usual self in his first weeks and months back from surgery. Four games later, those concerns have already been alleviated.
In 21 games at Triple-A Durham, Kim managed just three extra-base hits, a 23% hard-hit rate, an average exit velocity of 83.9 mph and a high of 105.1 mph. In four major league games, he’s already topped 105.1 on four occasions, peaking at 107.0 mph. His homer Thursday off Walker Buehler checked in at 106.4 mph. Six of his 10 balls in play have been hit hard. The shoulder isn’t holding him back.
Kim isn’t going to be a major offensive force, but he might do a little better in the friendlier hitting environment in Tampa than he did in Petco, and he should steal quite a few bases. He was 6-for-6 in that regard on his rehab assignment, and he’s already tried two in his first four games back, though he was thrown out once. He should wind up with about 15 steals and solid numbers elsewhere, making him worth rostering in even the shallowest of leagues.
Joe Boyle (SP Rays): Rostered in 24% of Yahoo leagues
Boyle, recalled to pitch behind Drew Rasmussen last Sunday, doesn’t yet have a spot in Tampa Bay’s rotation, but it’s only a matter of time. His two major league appearances this season have seen him allow a total of two hits in 10 innings, and he’s yet to give up earned run. In Triple-A, he had a 1.84 ERA and a 96/31 K/BB in 73 innings. He’s still not exactly a strike thrower, but the walks aren’t so costly when they’re paired with stuff like this.
The Rays got Boyle from the A’s over the winter as the primary return in the Jeffrey Springs trade and introduced him to a splitter as a replacement for a poor changeup. He’s quickly taken to it, and he’s been throwing it 91-94 mph to go along with his 96-100 mph heater. His slider remains his No. 2 pitch, and it’s awfully tough to hit, but he often fails to locate it well. He’s more around the strike zone with the splitter, and now hitters can’t be sure they’re going to get the fastball when he’s behind in the count.
It’d be nice if there was a stricter plan for Boyle. Not only do the Rays have a full rotation at the moment, but they could also get Shane McClanahan back at the end of the month. Still, Drew Rasmussen has an innings limit, and Taj Bradley is sporting a 4.60 ERA. Something will give. The Rays might even trade a starter in the hopes of getting help elsewhere. Boyle needs to be very much a part of the team’s plan for the second half, and he has too much upside to leave in free agent pools.
Brice Matthews (SS Astros): Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues
Matthews won’t get to take part in the Futures Game this weekend, but it’s because he’ll be in the majors instead; the Astros gave their 2023 first-round pick and probable No. 1 position player prospect his first callup Friday after he hit .283/.400/.476 in 325 plate appearances for Triple-A Sugar Land.
What’s unclear is whether Matthews is up to stay. Although he’s listed at shortstop above, he’s been used mostly at second in Triple-A, and all of his MLB playing time should come at second. The Astros hope to get Jeremy Peña back right after the break. They also have Chas McCormick rehabbing and a couple of other injured players perhaps returning before the end of the month. Still, second base is mostly unclaimed in Houston. Jose Altuve has been playing there a lot more since Peña went down, but his defensive numbers remain rough, which is why the Astros wanted him in left field in the first place. Mauricio Dubón has been very good of late, but he’s still probably best utilized as a utilityman. If Matthews starts off well, the Astros will be tempted to keep him up.
That’s not to say Matthews is necessarily ready. The Triple-A line is very good, but he’s still striking out 30 percent of the time. That number could climb to over 35 percent in the majors, which would make it very difficult for him to hit for average. Still, he’s shown improved power this year, he’s always taken plenty of walks and, with 25 steals in 31 attempts this year, he’s an asset on the basepaths when he reaches. That speed gives him ample fantasy potential. Most likely, it won’t be realized until 2026, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
- The Red Sox have given Romy González a much-deserved chance against right-handers the last two days, and he deserves a long look, particularly given that Abraham Toro is the current alternative at first base. He could offer some mixed-league value as a regular, especially since he’d likely do more running. All four of his steals this season have come versus righties. Even though he’s been on base more often against lefties in his career, he has a far easier time stealing against righties, having gone 15-for-17 against them and 7-for-11 against lefties in essentially one full season of playing time (606 plate appearances).
- The Diamondbacks had to put another closer on the IL after Shelby Miller was diagnosed with a strained forearm. That probably makes Kevin Ginkel worth a try in deeper leagues, even with his 8.57 ERA. Ginkel got roughed up in his first two appearances back from the minors last month, but he’s allowed two runs over nine innings since. With his velocity down about one mph, he’ll probably continue to get hit a little harder than usual, but, you know, saves.
According to rankings released Friday based on sales of Nike jerseys from the Fanatics network, fans have purchased Ohtani's No. 17 Dodgers jersey more than that of any other player during the first half of the 2025 season.
It's not Ohtani's first time at the top of the jersey sales rankings. The two-way superstar from Japan was No. 1 for the 2023 regular season, his last with the Angels, and the 2024 regular season, his first with the Dodgers. His jersey was also the top seller during the most recent offseason, after he was named the 2024 National League MVP and won his first World Series championship.
According to MLB, Ohtani’s jerseys have sold more than any other player in the U.S., Japan and worldwide since 2023.
New York Yankees superstar and reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge is No. 2 on the 2025 list, followed by Freeman at No. 3 and Betts at No. 4. Freeman and Betts also joined Ohtani in the top four in sales during the offseason, with Freeman at No. 2 and Betts at No. 4.
For the 2024 regular season, Betts ranked at No. 4, while Freeman came in at No. 18. Freeman has been riding a wave of popularity since the World Series, during which he hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 and eventually was named the series MVP.
New York Mets star Francisco Lindor has the No. 5 jersey of 2025 so far, followed by Mets teammate Juan Soto, Rafael Devers of the San Francisco Giants, Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros, Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres and Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, in his 18th MLB season, has the No. 20 bestselling jersey.
The 2025 MLB Draft is just around the corner, starting at 6 p.m. EST on Sunday as a kickoff to All-Star week in Atlanta. The Mets are in a different spot with less flexibility than they have had in years past.
Unlike the NFL Draft or the NBA Draft, the MLB Draft is not as simple as taking the best talent available when you are on the clock. It is ultimately a combination of talent and signability, as bonus pool implications come into play.
Each selection inside the top 10 rounds of the draft is assigned a slot value, and those slot values combine for a team’s overall draft bonus pool. The slot values are not hard-slotted; a team can divvy up their pool however they see fit. A team may also exceed its total pool by up to five percent, and the penalty will only be financial. This is something the Mets have done, almost to the dollar, over the last few years.
A recent example where the Mets have utilized bonus pool flexibility is just last year when they went under slot with first-round pick Carson Benge and third-round pick Nate Dohm, among others, which led to them being able to pay high school shortstop Trey Snyder $1,322,500 in the fifth round ($476,200 over his pick’s slot value) to sign him away from a commitment to Tennessee.
The Mets' first pick this year is not until No. 38 overall, as their first selection dropped 10 spots due to exceeding the luxury tax threshold by $40 million or more last season. The Yankees and Dodgers also have the same penalty and will pick No. 39 and No. 40, respectively.
The Mets will not pick again until No. 102 due to signing Juan Soto, who was a free agent who received a qualifying offer. The Mets had to give up their second-and fifth-highest selections, as well as $1 million from their 2026 international bonus pool due to the Soto signing.
While the Mets are obviously making those trades every day, it does quite literally limit their flexibility in the 2025 draft. The Mets have the second-lowest bonus pool in the sport at $5,465,900, which is ahead of only the Yankees.
In evaluating the class and talking to scouts, the near consensus I have received is that the class is a little deeper than it is littered with star talent at the top.
The No. 1 pick is likely to come down to Oklahoma high school infielder Ethan Holliday, the son of former big leaguer Matt Holliday and brother of Orioles infielder Jackson, and LSU left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson.
Without access to talent like that, as MLB.com’s Jim Callis told us on this week’s episode of The Mets Pod, the Mets may need to play it purer on a talent that should go around No. 38 rather than being able to be opportunistic on someone who falls -- which usually would be a high school player with a high asking price to sign.
For example, I don’t think the Mets will be able to essentially "buy" someone like high school left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft down to No. 38. There will definitely be some over slot here and under slot there throughout their class, but they may not be positioned to make that big financial swing that they have done in past drafts.
That doesn’t mean the Mets won’t be able to have a successful draft.
The scouting department, spearheaded by vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross and scouting director Drew Toussaint, is well-regarded in the industry. They are coming off a 2024 class that has produced some strong first pro season results from prospects like Benge, left-hander Jonathan Santucci, Dohm, outfielder Eli Serrano III, Snyder, and right-handers Will Watson and Ryan Lambert.
The Mets have cast a very wide net on prospects they are interested in, both at the collegiate and high school level, which makes it tough to project. I have heard them mostly connected to hitters, which would check out on both Mets history as well as Gross’ history from his previous time with the Astros.
The last Mets first-round pick who was a pitcher was David Peterson in 2017. I think they’d love if Oregon high school outfielder Slater de Brun were available, but that seems unlikely. Here are a few names to at least keep an eye on:
- Florida high school second baseman/outfielder Sean Gamble
- Nevada high school shortstop/outfielder Tate Southisene
- Wake Forest outfielder Ethan Conrad
- Oregon outfielder Mason Neville
- Arizona State outfielder Brandon Compton
- Texas outfielder Max Belyeu
Regardless of where a team picks, there is always talent to be had throughout the MLB Draft, as evidenced by the Mets producing top 100 prospects in players like Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean, and Jonah Tong, who were all selected outside of the first round.
Starting this Sunday, the Mets will get the chance to add 19 more prospects to their player development system.
Jackson Holliday, right, of the Baltimore Orioles talks with father Matt Holliday, second from left, and brother Ethan Holliday before a 2024 game between the Orioles and the Boston Red Sox. (Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Before Jerry Hairston Jr. became a voice of the Dodgers, that buoyant broadcaster on Spectrum Sports Net LA putting a blue-tinged spin on pregame and postgame analysis, he was a Major League ballplayer for 16 seasons.
The name Hairston is synonymous with baseball, Jerry and his brother Scott the third generation of men whose livings were made on the diamond.
Their father, Jerry Hairston, played 14 big league seasons through the 1970s and '80s. Their uncle John was a ballplayer. And their grandfather, Sam Hairston, was a career .300 hitter in the Negro American League in the 1940s.
The lineage between the lines benefited Hairston Jr., who leaned on his dad for advice whenever he struggled at the plate.
"If things aren't going the right way or if I feel passive or uneasy at the plate, I definitely give him a call," Hairston Jr. said in 2011, shortly before joining the Dodgers for the last two years of his playing career.
Following a father's footsteps into a family business is a tried and true path. And it's become increasingly frequent in baseball. Nearly every fan knows that Ken Griffey Jr.'s father was a cog in the Big Red Machine, that the son of San Francisco Giants star Bobby Bonds is the all-time home run king, that Prince Fielder's dad, Cecil, was an equally prolific slugger.
But the MLB draft — which will be held Sunday and Monday in Atlanta as part of the All-Star Game weekend — will feature a plethora of familiar names. Will any of them blossom as quickly as Bobby Witt Jr., the Kansas City Royals superstar whose father pitched for six MLB teams in 16 seasons?
The No. 1 prospect in this year's draft as ranked by MLB Pipeline is Ethan Holliday, an infielder from Stillwater High in Oklahoma. The name should sound familiar because Ethan's brother, Jackson, was the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles and already has secured the starting job at second base.
Oh, and their father, Matt Holliday, was a seven-time All-Star who batted .299 with 316 home runs over a decorated 15-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies.
"My dad’s never put pressure on me, Jackson’s never put pressure on me, nor my mom," Ethan Holliday told Nice Kicks. "Nobody’s ever put pressure on me to play the game. I just fell in love with it and I love playing. I love training. And like the pressure and expectations — those things have kind of always been there since I was really little with my dad playing in St. Louis and playing youth baseball there."
The fathers of other highly regarded prospects in this year's draft may not be as much of a household name as Holliday. The No. 5 prospect is Eli Willits, a shortstop from Fort Cobb-Broxton High in Oklahoma whose father, Reggie Willits, was an Angels outfielder from 2006 to 2011.
Two uncles of Quentin Young, the No. 37 prospect from Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, were first-round picks who grew up in Camarillo: Dmitri and Delmon Young. Cade Obermueller, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa, is the No. 53 prospect. His dad, Wes Obermueller, was a second-round pick out of Iowa in 1999 and pitched in five MLB seasons.
Dodgers coach Dino Ebel made it to triple A as a player and is regarded as one of baseball's best third base coaches. His oldest son, Brady, a shortstop from Corona High, is the No. 64 prospect and should be available to the Dodgers, who have the Nos. 40 and 41 overall picks, the latter from the Gavin Lux trade to the Cincinnati Reds. Brady will play for College World Series champion Louisiana State if he isn't drafted high enough for his liking.
A player who rivals the Hairstons for MLB family ties is Cam Leiter, a right-handed pitcher from Florida State and the No. 114 prospect. His uncles Mark and Al Leiter combined to pitch in more than 750 MLB games and his cousins Jack and Mark Leiter Jr. are current MLB pitchers. Cam's dad, Kurt Leiter, advanced to double A with the Orioles.
Jayden Stroman, the son of 11-year MLB veteran pitcher Marcus Stroman, has taken a different path from his dad, emerging as the No. 130 prospect as an outfielder after playing at three different high schools.
Draft-eligible players not ranked among the top 200 whose fathers were MLB stars include Kaeden Kent, Brady Counsell, Max McGwire, Manny Ramirez Jr. and Carsten Sabathia.
Kent is a left-handed-hitting infielder from Texas A&M whose dad Jeff Kent was a power-hitting second baseman with the Dodgers and Giants for 17 years. Counsell's dad, Craig, played 16 years and is now manager of the Chicago Cubs. McGwire's dad, Mark, hit 573 home runs and Ramirez's dad hit 555. Sabathia's dad, CC, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a couple weeks.
That's a lot of familiar names, but hardly an anomaly. Last year nearly 40 draft picks had a close relative with an MLB pedigree.
The first three rounds of the 2025 draft will be broadcast live Sunday, with a pregame show at 3 p.m. PDT on MLB Network and ESPN. Rounds four through 20 will be streamed Monday on MLB.com beginning at 8:30 a.m.
It is one pitcher in and one pitcher out for the Yankees on the American League roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.
The league announced left-hander Carlos Rodon will replace lefty Max Fried for the game in Atlanta.
Rodon earned his spot on the squad with a 3.30 ERA and 1.030 WHIP (seventh-best in AL) in 111.2 innings (eighth-best) over 19 starts. He has 127 strikeouts (fourth-best) to 40 walks on the year, his third in New York. The lefty's 10.24 strikeouts per nine innings rank fifth-best in the Junior Circuit.
Fried's replacement is due to his pitching schedule for the Yanks and not an injury. He is scheduled to start Saturday and, therefore, wouldn't be available for the Midsummer Classic on two days' rest.
So far this year, the first-year Yank has pitched to a stellar 2.27 ERA (third-best in AL) and 0.958 WHIP (sixth-best) in 119 innings (second-best) over 19 starts with 111 strikeouts (ninth-best) to just 24 walks (4.63 ratio is fifth-best). This was Fried's third All-Star nod.
By that same token, Rodon pitching in the game might not be a slam dunk as he is slated to start Friday night as the Yankees open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs in The Bronx.
This is Rodon's third trip to the All-Star Game, after he was selected in 2022 as a member of the San Francisco Giants and in 2021 with the Chicago White Sox.
Senga will be returning from the IL to make Friday's start against the Royals in Kansas City.
Garcia tossed 2.2 perfect innings against the Orioles during Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader.
In his only other appearance for the Mets this season, he fired 2.0 scoreless innings against the Yankees on July 6, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Garcia, 31, has a 6.47 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in parts of five big league seasons with the Mets, Nationals, Athletics, Orioles, Giants, and Rockies.
Its Friday, July 11 and the Braves (40-52) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (50-44).
Grant Holmes is slated to take the mound for Atlanta against Matthew Liberatore for St. Louis.
The Cards welcome the Braves after taking two of three against the Nationals. The visiting Braves lost two of three in Sacramento to the Athletics earlier this week.
Atlanta is laboring in fourth place in the National League East, 13.5 games behind the Phillies. St. Louis is in the hunt in the National League Central sitting just 5.5 games behind the Cubs.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two for this series opener.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Braves at Cardinals
Date: Friday, July 11, 2025
Time: 8:15PM EST
Site: Busch Stadium
City: St. Louis, MO
Network/Streaming: FDSNSO, FDSNMW
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Odds for the Braves at the Cardinals
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Braves (-103), Cardinals (-116)
Spread: Cardinals 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Cardinals
Pitching matchup for July 11, 2025: Grant Holmes vs. Matthew Liberatore
Braves: Grant Holmes (4-8, 3.44 ERA) Last outing: 7/6 vs. Baltimore - 6IP, 2ER, 4H, 3BB, 5Ks
Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore (6-6, 3.70 ERA) Last outing: 7/5 at Cubs - 5IP, 2ER, 4H, 4BB, 4Ks
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Braves at Cardinals
The Braves are 1-4 in their last 5 games
The Under is 40-25-3 in Braves' games against National League teams this season
Nolan Arenado is 2-13 (.154) in his last 4 games
Austin Riley has hits in 5 of his last 6 games (8-26)
Ronald Acuna Jr. is 5-29 (.172) in July
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Braves and the Cardinals
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Braves and the Cardinals:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the St. Louis Cardinals on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Atlanta Braves at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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But with Sproat and McLean in the minors, the Orioles' task in Game 2 on Thursday was to excel against a cavalry of low-leverage Mets relievers who will all likely be back in the minors or DFA'd in the coming days and weeks.
If Game 2 on Thursday was a one-off, it would've elicited a giant shrug. But it was the third time in their last six games that the Mets employed the bullpen game strategy. In addition to making it harder to win, it's taxing to the relief corps and can create a negative domino effect.
It's also difficult for the offense to have to constantly play from behind.
It didn't cost the Mets last Friday against the Yankees, but it cost them a chance at a series sweep last Sunday, when Zach Pop (who has since been DFA'd) and Waddell put the Mets in an early 5-0 hole they couldn't crawl out of.
That's two losses in the last week that were essentially punts by New York.
Jul 10, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; New York Mets pitcher Brandon Waddell (82) delivers during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer - Imagn Images
In addition to the three bullpen games in the last week, the Mets have also recently chosen to rely on Blade Tidwell for starts/bulk innings (mainly because he's on the 40-man roster), and kept Paul Blackburn in the rotation before his injury despite poor results (a 7.71 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, and failure to provide length).
New York lost Blackburn's last four starts -- on June 13, 18, 23, and 28.
Now, it's important to note that it took a barrage of injuries to put the Mets in this spot. That included recent ones to Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill, an injury to Kodai Senga a month ago, and the season-long absence of Sean Manaea.
They were also put behind the eight ball when a rainout last week forced Clay Holmes out of the Yankees series.
But in each recent instance, the Mets could've turned to McLean or Sproat. Why didn't they?
"My preference is to not bring up a top prospect for a spot start," president of baseball operationsDavid Stearnssaid on July 3 before the Yankees series. "I also understand this is a unique circumstance and I can’t take anything off the table right now, but my preference would be to figure out a way to do it without doing that."
Stearns added:
"The clear downside to giving someone the ball and having them not have a good outing, a short start, whatever it is, is you put your major league team in a hole. So step one is we’d like to avoid that outcome. For the individual player’s development, you never know.
"I’m certain there are pitching prospects and prospects in general who will handle that just fine, and there are others who it probably impacts a little bit more, and trying to figure out which is which can be difficult. It’s also perfectly possible that you call someone up, they give you five good innings, and then go back down and continue their development. I’m certainly aware of all of these outcomes, and we’re sorting through it."
Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean participates in the Spring Breakout game against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. / Jim Rassol - Imagn Images
Stearns' position is at least understandable, and there are also other factors at play.
Perhaps the Mets are making sure their top pitching prospects -- all of whom could be involved in trade discussions in the coming weeks -- don't come up and get hit around, which could negatively impact their value.
It should also be noted that McLean and Sproat aren't yet on the 40-man roster. And their service time clocks haven't started yet.
But when it comes to the 40-man roster, the Mets have about a half-dozen fungible spots. So creating one or two really shouldn't be a concern.
And regarding the service time situation, that would be a more valid excuse if this wasn't a year with World Series expectations.
But this is a year where the Mets have World Series expectations, and the tactics they've deployed with their pitching staff over the last month or so have cost them games -- making their task more difficult.
But there will be situations in the second half of the season when they need a sixth starter to give people extra rest, or when they need a starter because of a doubleheader, or when something else unexpected pops up. A long-term injury could create a long-term need.
When those situations arise, they need to employ a different strategy than the one that cost them a bunch of games in the first half.
