Category: MLB

There were only three games played by MLB teams over the past week because of the All-Star break.

I’m not going to let that stop me from doing a “weekly” update. So, here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over those three games.

Three up

Welcome back, Nico Hoerner’s bat

The break seems to have done Nico some good, whether it was rest, or working on things, or both. Hoerner went 8-for-13 (.615) over the three games against the Twins with one extra-base hit (Sunday’s triple) and five RBI.

Here’s the triple [VIDEO].

There was some discussion in Sunday’s recap comment section about whether that should have been scored a single and a two-base error. The thing is, Twins center fielder Luke Keaschall never touched the ball, simply waving at it as it went by. Having actually been an official scorer at some minor league games, I concur with the scoring decision that gave Nico the triple.

In any case, nice to see Nico’s bat back. That will be a huge help to the offense.

Shōta Imanaga threw some shutdown innings

Imanaga threw seven scoreless innings against the Twins Sunday, allowing just six hits and striking out four.

Since an awful five-start stretch in May and June in which he allowed 13 (!) home runs in 28.1 innings, he’s been pretty much lights-out: Seven starts, 2.31 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.243 WHIP, only five home runs in 39 innings. He’s now got his season ERA under 4.00 at 3.91. If he keeps this up, he’ll be starting postseason games, something Craig Counsell wouldn’t do with him in Game 5 against the Brewers last year.

Here’s more on Imanaga’s outing Sunday [VIDEO].

Matthew Boyd has also thrown well recently

Boyd continued his good stretch of starts following his knee injury with a solid outing Saturday against the Twins: Six innings, three hits, one run (a solo homer) and four strikeouts.

Since returning from the knee injury: Five starts, 2.57 ERA, 1.143 WHIP. His season ERA in 10 starts is now down to 4.15, and overall since his rough Opening Day start it’s at 3.35. Like Imanaga, he’s putting together a good run of starts which could serve the team well in October.

H/T to Seiya Suzuki, who went 4-f0r-9 against the Twins with two doubles, four RBI and four runs scored, and to Alex Bregman for his two-run homer that began the festivities on Sunday.

Three down

Pete Crow-Armstrong had a rough weekend at the plate

PCA was 1-for-12 with six strikeouts against the Twins, and at times appeared to be reverting to some bad habits that we thought might be gone.

Every hitter goes through slumps and bad times, and in fact, this goes back to the Cincinnati series before the break. Over the six games in the Reds and Twins series, PCA is 2-for-22 with 11 strikeouts.

Hopefully he can turn this around beginning tonight. It hasn’t affected his defense, though [VIDEO].

Dansby Swanson has cooled off

After a hot streak in late June and early July, Swanson went just 1-for-9 against the Twins, though the one hit was a triple and he also stole a base.

Hopefully, he picks things up against the Tigers.

Ian Happ is also on a cold streak

Happ also went just 1-for-9 against Minnesota, though he did walk three times and scored twice.

And he, too, made a nice defensive play [VIDEO].

Last week, our Rangers Reacts survey asked folks to grade the team’s 2026 draft. This turned out to be one of the rare instances where most everyone was pretty pleased.

Over 90% of respondents gave the draft either an A or a B, with the B’s narrowly edging out the A’s. Most of the rest gave the draft a C, with 1% apiece going with D or F.

As for the national questions, over half of respondents feel that the draft should go back to being held in June.

MLB had a June draft for decades, with the result being that players were being picked while the college season was still going on. The July draft allows for a draft combine to take place once the college season is over, as well as giving the opportunity for less-heralded players to play in the MLB Draft League or other early summer leagues, and potentially improve their draft status.

The other question has to do with the Futures Game, which MLB seems to be giving short shrift.

Having the Futures Game take place on the Sunday before the All Star Break, when major league games are taking place, doesn’t seem to be the best way to promote the game. But what do I know…

This has been brought to you by FanDuel.

Worcester: L, 4-5 (BOX SCORE)

One rainy day removed from the WooSox’s one-run loss to the RailRiders (Yankees AAA) on Friday night, they fell to a walk-off home run at the end of a pretty effective bullpen day when they allowed just five hits, three of those being home runs. The WooSox even being in a position to close out the game was unthinkable because they had almost no offense to speak of until the eighth inning; that frame was when they had three of their seven hits, three of their four runs and turned a 4-1 deficit into a tie game, but ultimately couldn’t get the series finale to extras.

Portland: W, 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

Gage Ziehl is making better and better starts as the season goes on, save for that horrific outing ten days ago when he allowed eight runs, and he’s one to watch as a potential piece to be dealt at the deadline if this team is truly going to buy (and I’m finally in the camp that says they should.) Sunday was another example of him generating those swings and misses; he had eight strikeouts in his five scoreless innings and he allowed just three base runners. He did not have a ton of run support in Sunday’s win against the Patriots (Yankees AA) but, with Somerset being shut out until the ninth inning, all the Sea Dogs needed were two runs, which they got with RBI knocks from Matt Frazier and a white-hot Jack Winnay.

Ziehl, who I’ll never stop reminding people the Red Sox acquired in part of the “please get Jordan Hicks off this team” deal, is an interesting piece. He’s never been a particularly highly regarded prospect, but he’s sat down 84 batters on strikes in 72 innings of work, and his five-pitch repertoire is also intriguing.

*And, yes, I’m aware that the picture of him above is from when the 23-year-old and former Miami Hurricane was in high school, but it’s an incredibly posed shot.

Greenville: L, 6-17 (BOX SCORE)

To say Frederick (Orioles High-A) dominated Salem pitching would be an understatement. When guys start coming to the plate a seventh time in a nine-inning game, you know something has gone catastrophically wrong. When four batters in a row in a lineup have at least three hits, you’re in blowout territory. The Drive allowed twenty-five hits and six home runs (half of those coming off the glove of Griffin Kilander) in a game that couldn’t have even been close. Catcher Luke Heyman got his fourth home run of July, but even that cut the deficit to 6-5 after the Drive took Matt Duffy for five runs in the top of the fifth, and the hole didn’t get any more level.

Salem: W, 4-2 (BOX SCORE)

The RidgeYaks had this rainy one against Delmarva (Orioles A) wrapped up with a three-run shot in the first inning by catcher Kleyvar Salazar, they just weren’t aware of it yet. They’d get a very respectable five innings out of Leighton Finley and twelve lock-down outs from Trennor O’Donnell. On top of Salazar also stealing a base later in the afternoon, the usual suspects showed their speed in the win; Andrews Opata stole his 39th base of the season and Skylar King swiped his 27th.

Born John Peter but better known by his nickname, Red Kleinow was with the organization before the Yankees officially adopted their famous moniker. A late bloomer behind the plate, Kleinow never quite blossomed into a star, but he carved out a respectable career as one of the better defensive catchers of his era.

John Peter “Red” Kleinow
Born: July 20, 1877 (Milwaukee, WI)
Died: October 9, 1929 (New York, NY)
Yankees Tenure: 1904-10 

Born in America’s Dairyland in 1877, Kleinow traveled south to attend St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, becoming the first Hilltopper to reach the major leagues. After playing for St. Edward’s, Kleinow spent the 1902 and 1903 campaigns with the Toledo Mud Hens, developing a reputation as a strong defensive catcher, and—after hitting .320 in 1903—drew the attention of both the New York Highlanders and the Cincinnati Reds.

There are conflicting reports regarding which club first secured Kleinow’s rights and exactly how the dispute unfolded between the two clubs in these early days of the American League. After some debate, the Highlanders were ultimately awarded his contract, making Kleinow a member of the club prior to the 1904 season, just the second season in the club’s history. 

The former Hilltopper would play for the Highlanders at Hilltop Park, making his MLB debut on May 3, 1904. He spent his rookie season backing up veteran Deacon McGuire, slashing .206/.259/.282 while appearing in 68 games. It would prove to be one of the best seasons of Kleinow’s tenure in New York, as the Highlanders narrowly lost the pennant to the Boston Americans on the season’s final day. Kleinow was also behind the plate for Jack Chesbro’s infamous wild pitch that helped seal the pennant for Boston. The pitcher’s wife later said that she thought it should have been a passed ball on Red, but regardless, it was a painful way for a fun season to end.

Kleinow improved in 1905, appearing in 88 games while slashing .221/.284/.281. His 1906 season was statistically very similar, and the Highlanders once again finished second in the pennant race.

The 1907 campaign proved to be Kleinow’s best. He raised his batting average to .264 while collecting 71 hits and scoring 30 runs. However, that success was short-lived. Red followed his best season with arguably his worst, watching his batting average fall nearly 100 points during his age-30 campaign. The Highlanders also struggled in 1908, losing 103 games.

After such a difficult season, both Kleinow and the Highlanders needed a change in fortune. The club debuted the now-famous interlocking NY in 1909 and improved to a 74-78 record, though it still finished fifth in the pennant race. Kleinow also rebounded, lifting his batting average back above the .200 mark.

Kleinow opened the 1910 season with New York before being sold to Boston after just six games. He remained there for the rest of the season and appeared in a handful of games in 1911 before being released. Following his release, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and finished the season by appearing in a handful of games for them as well.

In 1912, Kleinow signed with the Baltimore Orioles but appeared in fewer than 10 games before being released in early June. He then spent several more seasons in the minor leagues and Independent baseball before finally hanging up his cleats.

After his playing career ended, Kleinow worked as both a scout and a coach. Even by Deadball Era standards, he was never much of an offensive player, but he built a reputation as one of the better defensive catchers of his day. In his seven years in New York, Kleinow produced 5.1 WAR and was also one of the players who was featured in the 1909 T206 tobacco card set made famous by Honus Wagner.

Happy birthday, Red!

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

Several Dodgers did reconnaissance at Citizens Bank Park last week, in preparation for this week’s series against the Phillies. But it was also for good reason, with three Dodgers starting the All-Star Game and Justin Wrobleski on the mound.

Once regular season play resumed on Friday, the Dodgers acquitted themselves well in a low-scoring weekend against the Yankees. The series was bookended by 2-1 contests, each team winning one. The Dodgers won the middle game, postponed by rain on Saturday and played Sunday morning instead. Even that game was low-scoring, aside from the Dodgers pulling away with a five-run eighth inning.

The result was two wins in three games, and the Dodgers finishing the week at 63-37, the best record in Major League Baseball 100 games into the season.

Batter of the week

Tommy Edman has been quite productive since returning from the injured list over a month ago. He was instrumental in The Bronx, with two hits and two RBI in Sunday’s first game, then a game-tying pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of the nightcap.

Honorable mention goes to Max Muncy, who played in his third All-Star Game and started at third base in Philadelphia, then homered off Gerrit Cole on Friday night at Yankee Stadium to give the Dodgers the win in the series opener.

Pitcher of the week

Two-time All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto rebounded from his first truly bad start of the season by going the distance on only 102 pitches on Sunday afternoon against the Yankees. He struck out seven, walked none, and hurled the Dodgers only complete game this season to date.

Yamamoto pitched the Dodgers’ first complete game at Yankee Stadium since Burt Hooton in Game 2 of the 1977 World Series (hat tip to Jay Jaffe for that nugget).

Week 17 results

2-1 record
11 runs scored (3.67 per game)
5 runs allowed (1.67 per game)
.809 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

63-37 record
517 runs scored (5.17 per game)
362 runs allowed (3.62 per game)
.658 pythagorean win percentage (66-34)

Miscellany

Happy birthday: Left-hander Justin Wrobleski made his first All-Star team, and got to pitch two innings for the National League on his 26th birthday, Tuesday in Philadelphia. Wrobleski allowed a solo home run to old friend Miguel Vargas but also struck out five. That matched a Dodgers record in an All-Star Game, along with Don Drysdale in 1959 and Fernando Valenzuela in 1986. Those two previous five-strikeout affairs came in three-inning stints.

Wrobleski is just the second Dodger to play in an All-Star Game on his birthday. Closer Jeff Shaw made his Dodgers debut in the midsummer classic in 1998 on the day he turned 32 years old.

First things first: Two weeks after his major league debut, catcher Eliezer Alfonzo singled to center field off Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough in the third inning on Sunday night at Yankee Stadium for his first major league hit at 26 years, 299 days old.

Backstop on top: Speaking of catchers, Will Smith hasn’t played since June 5, and he’s expected to be out until at least mid-August as he still deals with neck inflammation. Smith led the Dodgers in catching starts and innings behind the plate every season from 2020-25, and was leading the team this year too until the weekend in New York. Dalton Rushing now tops the team with 46 catching starts and 398 1/3 innings, with Smith at 44 starts and 393 innings.

Transactions

Friday: Utility man Kiké Hernández started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, 52 days after suffering an oblique strain. He’s expected back at some point during the Dodgers homestand that begins on July 28.

Friday: Pitcher Charlie Barnes, who was designated for assignment on July 11, cleared waivers, was sent outright to Triple-A but declared free agency. But he’s back with Oklahoma City on a minor league deal.

Sunday: Pitcher Kyle Hurt was called up as the 27th player for the second game of the doubleheader in New York.

Game results

• Friday: Dodgers 2, Yankees 1
• Sunday: Dodgers 8, Yankees 2
• Sunday: Yankees 2, Dodgers 1

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | no reviews for Weeks 14-15 | Week 16

Up next

The road trip continues, running the Juan Samuel gauntlet first in Philadelphia then back to New York to play the last-place, dumpster-fire Mets.

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Kyle Leahy will be looking to continue his recent dominance when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Los Angeles Angels tonight as slight +101 underdogs. 

My Cardinals vs. Angels predictions are eyeing a low-scoring affair, but Leahy's recent success will lead the visitors to victory. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Monday, July 20. 

Who will win Cardinals vs Angels today: Cardinals (+101)

Kyle Leahy has been dealing lately for the St. Louis Cardinals. He owns a 2.69 FIP over his last four appearances, and the right-hander hasn't allowed a single home run during that span. He's also up against a Los Angeles Angels lineup with just a 34.1% hard-hit rate over the last two weeks.

As for Jose Soriano, he's been more vulnerable lately. The righty has a 4.74 xERA over his last 19.1 innings of work, and he's given up five earned runs in his previous two starts.

Neither offense is thriving, but Leahy’s run-prevention profile gives St. Louis the cleaner path here.

I'll play this pick up to -120.

COVERS INTEL: The Cardinals have a 106 wRC+ on the road this season, compared to a 90 mark at home. 

Cardinals vs Angels Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 runs (-131)

Neither offense is exactly clicking right now. St. Louis has been better on the road overall, but the Cardinals own just a 69 wRC+ over their last 11 games. The Angels haven’t been much better, sitting at 98 wRC+ during that span.

The clearest pathway to the Under is the lack of power. St. Louis has a .126 ISO over the last two weeks, while Los Angeles sits at just .104.

The Cardinals bullpen is a concern with a 4.75 FIP lately, but Leahy typically covers 5-6 innings, limiting exposure. The Angels relief corps has been steadier, posting a 3.26 xERA over its last 33 innings.

This profiles as a lower-scoring matchup.

Polymarket also has the Under 8.5 at +122, which I would take instead of the 9.5.

Cardinals vs Angels weather

Conditions look excellent in Anaheim tonight, with clear skies and temperatures falling from the low 80s into the low 70s as the game progresses. Winds will stay light around 4 to 6 mph, while rain chances sit near 2% all night. Weather should have minimal impact on the matchup.

Cardinals vs Angels odds

• Moneyline: St. Louis +104 | Los Angeles -108
• Run line: St. Louis -1.5 (+170) | Los Angeles +1.5 (-178)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-127) | Under 8.5 (+122)

Cardinals vs Angels trend

The St. Louis Cardinals have hit the Moneyline in 25 of their last 45 away games (+8.65 Units / 19% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Angels.

How to watch Cardinals vs Angels and game info

Cardinals vs Angels latest injuries

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.

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Happy Monday, everyone!

A new week brings a ton of opportunities, and tonight's MLB moneyline predictions are no exception. 

Let's dive into the full slate with my MLB picks on Monday, July 20!

MLB moneyline picks for July 20

Matchup	Pick
Twins vs Guardians	-113
Dodgers vs Phillies	+125
Pirates vs Yankees	+106
Rays vs Blue Jays	-150
Orioles vs Red Sox	-138
Padres vs Braves	+130
Mets vs Brewers	-199
Giants vs Royals	-111
White Sox vs Rangers	-160
Tigers vs Cubs	+106
Marlins vs Astros	-117
Nationals vs Rockies	-117
Athletics vs Diamondbacks	+144
Reds vs Mariners	+138
Cardinals vs Angels	+104

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of July 20.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for July 20

Twins vs Guardians: Twins (-113)

Twins win probability: 53%

We’re getting a ton of value with the Minnesota Twins in this matchup.

The Cleveland Guardians offense has been ice cold, and now they will send Tanner Bibee to the mound, who has posted a 4.58 ERA over his last three starts. This feels like a perfect spot to fade Cleveland and back Minnesota.

On the other side, the Twins hand the ball to Joe Ryan, who has been absolutely NAILS all season long. Their offense has been swinging it well too, posting a 110 wRC+, .327 wOBA, and .744 OPS over their last 12 games.

Give me the Twins.

Dodgers vs Phillies: Dodgers (+125)

Dodgers win probability: 44%

As lazy as this may sound, when's the next time you're going to get the Los Angeles Dodgers at +125? Seriously.

Emmet Sheehan has looked sharp over his last three outings, posting a 2.87 xERA and 0.95 WHIP. Meanwhile, Cristopher Sanchez has hit a bit of a rough patch in his last few starts.

Getting the Dodgers at plus money is a price I'm willing to take. Give me Los Angeles at +125.

Pirates vs Yankees: Pirates (+106)

Pirates win probability: 48%

The way the New York Yankees have played over the last month, I can't bring myself to back them today, tomorrow, or the next day. Until they prove they've turned things around, they'll remain an auto fade for me. And trust me, it pains me to say that because this is my team.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates offense has been on a tear over the last week, posting a 145 wRC+, .374 wOBA, .223 ISO, and an .860 OPS. At +106, give me the Buccos.

Rays vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (-150)

Blue Jays win probability: 60%

Sure, the Toronto Blue Jays offense has been pretty cold over the last month, but the Tampa Bay Rays haven't been much better over the last few weeks. With Dylan Cease on the mound, I think he puts Toronto in a position where the offense only needs to do the bare minimum to come away with a win.

Orioles vs Red Sox: Red Sox (-138)

Red Sox win probability: 58%

I want to see them make it 14 straight.

I'm also a huge fan of lefty Payton Tolle, who's been outstanding for the Boston Red Sox this season. Baltimore Orioles starter Shane Baz has pitched well lately, but there's still one concern. He's allowing 46% hard contact, and that's a number that can catch up to you in a hurry.

I'll keep riding the hottest team in baseball. Give me the Red Sox to come out on top once again.

Padres vs Braves: Padres (+130)

Padres win probability: 44%

The San Diego Padres shouldn't be +130 underdogs when the Atlanta Braves have been just as bad over the last few weeks. On top of that, neither starter has inspired much confidence lately. JP Sears owns a 5.79 ERA over his last three starts, while Bryce Elder has been even worse with a 10.29 ERA.

I'll gladly take the plus money here. Give me the Padres as the underdog.

Mets vs Brewers: Brewers (-199)

Brewers win probability: 66%

Until we see Jacob Misiorowski take a step back, I don't know how you can bet against the Milwaukee Brewers. I don't care if it's Freddy Peralta's return to Milwaukee. He's posted a 5.58 ERA on the road, while the New York Mets have managed just a 90 wRC+ over their last six games.

Give me the Brewers on the run line at plus money for a better overall price tag.

Giants vs Royals: Royals (-111)

Royals win probability: 52%

Sure, both offenses have cooled off over their last few games, but there's one thing you can usually count on: the Kansas City Royals playing their best baseball at Kauffman Stadium. That's also where Michael Wacha has done his best work, posting a 3.21 ERA and 1.07 WHIP at home.

On the other side, Tyler Mahle has struggled mightily on the road with an 8.45 ERA. I'd much rather trust the team that consistently plays better at home.

White Sox vs Rangers: Rangers (-160)

Rangers win probability: 62%

I'm taking Jacob deGrom over Erick Fedde 10 times out of 10, especially with how well the Texas Rangers have been swinging the bats lately. This feels like a great spot for Texas to stay hot offensively while their ace takes care of business on the mound.

Tigers vs Cubs: Tigers (+106)

Tigers win probability: 48%

I'm never a fan of backing the Detroit Tigers because of their inconsistencies, but after putting up 10 runs the day before, it's tough to expect them to replicate that type of offensive explosion in back-to-back games.

Plus, when you throw out Jameson Taillon, who owns a 7.77 ERA, 6.92 xERA, and 1.64 WHIP over his last five starts, I don't have much confidence in him keeping things under control for the Chicago Cubs.

Marlins vs Astros: Astros (-117)

Astros win probability: 54%

The Miami Marlins have posted a 65 wRC+, .261 wOBA, .578 OPS, and .117 ISO over their last six games, and that makes it tough for me to back them in this spot.

Have the Houston Astros been playing great baseball lately? Not really. But they are back at home, and they still have Yordan Alvarez, who feels due to make an impact at any moment.

I'll side with Houston here.

Nationals vs Rockies: Nationals (-117)

Nationals win probability: 54%

Only having to pay 17 cents of juice for one of the most explosive offenses in baseball, in Coors Field? Yeah, I want the Washington Nationals.

The Colorado Rockies have gone cold since the break, while the Nationals have been scorching hot all month long. Give me Washington to keep the momentum rolling.

Athletics vs Diamondbacks: Athletics (+144)

Athletics win probability: 41%

Neither team has been particularly impressive over the last month or so, but I think getting the Athletics at +144 as an underdog provides great value.

This is an offense that feels primed to break out at any moment, and the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching staff has been atrocious all season long. I'll gladly take the plus money and back the dog here.

Reds vs Mariners: Reds (+138)

Reds win probability: 42%

The Seattle Mariners have been an ice cube offensively for over a month, while the Cincinnati Reds have been absolutely scorching hot.

If George Kirby's strikeout rate hadn't dipped so much over his last few outings, I may have leaned toward Seattle. But when you're not missing bats, it's tough to slow down a Reds lineup that's been putting pressure on opposing pitchers.

Give me Cincinnati here.

Cardinals vs Angels: Cardinals (+104)

Cardinals win probability: 49%

Yup, another dog.

Kyle Leahy has been lights out over his last five starts, posting a 1.42 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Meanwhile, Jose Soriano has been one of the biggest disappointments since April, struggling badly over his last five starts with a 6.38 ERA and 12.50 WHIP.

Both offenses have been cold, but in my opinion, the St. Louis Cardinals have the much better offensive unit. At this price, give me the dog.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.

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Fourteen Years Ago Today

The Blue Jays and the Astrosmade a ten-player trade:

• We got J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, and David Carpenter.

• The Astros got Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Joe Musgrove, Carlos Perez, David Rollins, Asher Wojciechowski and Kevin Comer.

Happ played for us for 2.5 seasons. He was hurt quite a bit, including one injury when a line drive hit him in the head, and he ended up on the DL with a leg injury. In 2.5 seasons, he had a 19-20 record and a 4.35 ERA in 58 games, 50 starts. We traded him to theMariners for Michael Saunders. He wasn’t good for Seattle, then went to the Pirates, where he became an excellent pitcher. He went 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA in 21 games. After the season, we signed him as a free agent, and he was great for 2.5 seasons before being traded to the Yankees. He won 20 games in 2016. As a Yankee, he was 21-10 with a 4.13 ERA in 51 games. In 2021, he split time between the Twins and the Cardinals, and that ended his career. In total, he was 133-100, with 59 of those wins with the Jays, and a 4.13 ERA in 354 games, 328 starts.

Lyon finished 2012 with the Jays and had a 2.88 ERA in 30 relief appearances. He signed with the Mets after the season. 2013 was his last season in the majors. We took him mainly to even out the money.

Carpenter threw 2.2 innings for the Jays. He then had a couple of good seasons with the Braves. After that, he threw a handful of innings for the Yankees, Nationals, and Rangers in 2019 after three seasons out of the MLB. He pitched in 222 games with a 3.69 ERA over 6 seasons.

On the other side:

Cordero was a 37-year-old reliever at the time of the trade. He wasn’t good for us that season and was much worse for the Astros in 6 games. So that was the end for him.

Francisco played 27 games for us, hitting .240/.296/.380 in 54 P.A. He hit about the same for the Astros after the trade. Then he had a few at-bats with theRaysand Yankees over the next two seasons.

Musgrove pitched two seasons with the Astros, in 2016 and 2017, and was 11-12 with a 4.52 ERA in 49 games (25 starts). Then he was part of the trade that brought Gerrit Cole to Houston. He had three seasons with the Pirates. For the last three years, he’s been a Padre. In his career, he is 59-56 with a 3.74 ERA in 185 games, 159 starts. He’s become an excellent starter.

Carlos Perez never played with the Astros. He was traded to the Angels for Hank Conger after the 2014 season. He’s since played for the Braves, Rangers and A’s, hitting .232/.393/.384 for them this year.

The Mariners took David Rollins in the Rule 5 draft before the 2015 season. He pitched in 2015 and 2016, posting a 7.60 ERA over 34.1 innings.

Wojciechowski pitched 16 innings for the Astros in 2015, 62 innings for the Reds in 2017, 119.1 innings for the Orioles over the next two seasons, and 4 innings for the Yankees in 2021.

Overall, if you consider that Happ likely wouldn’t have signed with the Blue Jays before the 2016 season if he hadn’t been with the Jays before, we can call the trade a win.

Beyond that, we could have used the pitchers we traded off as depth when we had injury problems over those years, but we got the best player in the trade (though Musgrove would be nice to have now).

I remember not being thrilled with getting Happ; Alex Anthopoulos liked him, and he was right in the long run. It took a while, but Happ became an excellent starter, which is why the trade works as a win. Alex saw something in him.

When the Mets traded for Freddy Peralta before the 2026 season, they sold the move to fans as a solution for the pitching collapse that had plagued them last year. The team would finally have an ace to bring it all together. With Peralta’s ERA at 4.66, FIP at 4.39, and WHIP at 1.44, that hasn’t been the case.

When Peralta first arrived at spring training, players weren’t the only Mets newcomers. Having overhauled their coaching staff, the Mets also had a new pitching coach in Justin Willard, and he had a very clear goal in mind for the entire pitching staff: throw the first pitch in the strike zone. His style was also very different from what Peralta had worked with in Brewers pitching coach Chris Hook. Where Hook has been described by his pitchers as more hands off, only stepping in once he thought it was needed, Willard has been described—in the same article as above—as “very direct” and almost militaristic in his programs. Both coaches describe a mentality of strong communication to relate to their pitchers, but with different outcomes in mind. Hook’s goal is to help the pitcher get to their individual goal, whereas Willard is trying to understand the pitcher’s mindset and hear their concerns, but his stated goal for them does not seem to change as a result of these conversations.

To emphasize, neither style is wrong, but they are different, and making a shift to a new organizational mentality and goal-setting methodology can require quite a bit of adjustment. Peralta spent his entire career before this season with one organization and its pitching coach’s philosophy. Stepping into a new system, under a new coach, with a pre-defined goal is a big change for a player to absorb mid-career. In addition, some of the mechanical differences that have been discussed all season started on Opening Day. His arm angle lowered meaningfully, his release point changed, and his pitch mix shifted, although he continues to rely on his fastball most of the time. His first-pitch strike rate in 2026 has dropped from 2025.

While the Mets organization has cited mechanical flaws for Peralta’s troubles, Peralta himself has stated in interviews that he feels physically fine and that his stuff is also fine. Looking at the Statcast information for each start in 2025 and 2026 tells its own story. While his arm angle has been drifting slightly downwards since late June 2025, it had dropped from averaging 36.67 degrees in his last start of 2025 to 33.14 degrees by Opening Day of this year. As a result, his average release height had also dropped from his last game of 2025, at 5.34 feet, to 5.23 feet on Opening Day 2026. Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs noted on June 23 that it could have actually helped Peralta’s fastball deceive hitters more, even as he struggled with his breaking pitches.

Peralta’s pitch mix might be the reason for his overall velocity decrease, but his pitch combinations are not doing him any favors. While he has incorporated more changeups, reduced his slider usage, and slightly increased the number of sweepers, he still throws his fastball the majority of the time (around 53%). His tunneling has not been as good as it was in 2025. The fastball-slider combination continues to work well for him, but the curveball, slider, and sweeper are increasingly ending up in similar locations, in the lower-middle part of the zone, more visible earlier out of his hand. They do not fool hitters like they once did. Despite all the changes, he has not made as many first-pitch strikes as he did in 2025. In 2025, his first-pitch strike rate was 63.3%. In 2026 so far, it is 59.7%. League-wide across pitchers, the average is 61.2%. 

After an incredibly rough start on June 20, Peralta started making some changes that are definitively his own. He started putting his hands over his head before throwing, a position he stated that he found more comfortable. He started calling some of his own pitches, incorporating more sweepers and sliders, according to Will Sammon at the Athletic. Beyond these changes, his average arm angle has started to increase again, from 31.57 degrees on June 20, to 34.61 degrees on July 1, to 37.55 degrees on July 11. His release height is moving with it. His fastball velocity is back up, from an average around 93.8 prior to his start on June 25, to about 95.1 MPH since June 25, higher even than in 2025. 

The results have been mixed so far, although some of it may be bad luck combined with some inept Mets defense. His command has not bounced back and actually has gotten worse. He has demonstrated visible frustration in games lately. While he still struggles to go deep into games, it’s really no different than last year, still averaging around 5.1 innings per start. However, he is mechanically starting to look more like Freddy Peralta of previous years, at least by the numbers. The Mets are pleased by what they see. It does call into question whether his stuff needed that much alteration to begin with, given such little return.

As the trade deadline approaches, it seems almost guaranteed that Peralta will be traded, barring a better outcome from a qualifying offer. That makes sense, as it seems like this has not been a good fit, whatever the underlying reason. Perhaps he will benefit more from an approach like the Brewers had, or from simply pursuing a different goal than the one Willard set for him. With that in mind, a more useful question for his next club might be not what’s wrong with Freddy Peralta, but rather, how can they help him succeed.

Congratulations to Dalton Pence, who has been named the #10 prospect in the 2026 LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings, receiving a little under a quarter of the vote.

Our list so far:

1 — Sebastian Walcott

2 — Caden Scarborough

3 — Malcolm Moore

4 — A.J. Russell

5 — Yolfran Castillo

6 — Rafe Perich

7 — Dylan Dreiling

8 — Josh Owens

9 — Jose Corniell

10 — Dalton Pence

Moving on…

Because there has been a history of vote-spamming shenanigans in the rankings, I used Google Forms for the last several of community rankings, and it worked out well, so we will use it again. You will need to include your LSB user name when you vote. If you don’t have an LSB user name, you need to use some sort of identifier. While this won’t eliminate the possibility of vote spamming, it will make it harder.

So who is the #11 prospect in the Rangers system right now?

Cast your vote below…