Category: MLB

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to begin a five-game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals this week, beginning with a Monday night showdown at Busch Stadium.

Left-handed rookie Shane Drohan is set to get the ball for the Brewers, with right-handed veteran Dustin May toeing the bump for St. Louis. Drohan, 27, is 3-2 this season with a 3.12 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and 59 strikeouts over 57 2/3 innings in 17 appearances, including seven starts. He’s looked solid in his last three outings against the Guardians and Reds (x2), totaling 15 innings with three runs allowed on 14 hits and seven walks, striking out 15. Drohan has made two relief appearances against the Cards this year, totaling 3 1/3 innings with one run allowed on two hits and a walk while striking out two. This will be his first start against them.

May, 28, had a solid stretch that included a one-hit shutout of the Padres in early June, but he’s struggled in his two most recent outings. While he has a 4.80 ERA and 3.37 FIP with 78 strikeouts over 84 1/3 innings this year, he totaled just 2 2/3 innings against the Royals and Braves, allowing 11 runs on 11 hits and three walks, though St. Louis won both of those games in high-scoring affairs. May has made two career starts against the Brewers, totaling 8 2/3 innings with an 0-1 record, 2.08 ERA, and 12 strikeouts. He went seven no-hit innings against the Brewers back in May, but he ultimately took the loss when he gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and a hit by pitch in the eighth inning before exiting.

Christian Yelich bats leadoff as the DH, followed by Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang. William Contreras bats cleanup, with Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell to follow. Sal Frelick, Cooper Pratt, and David Hamilton round out the order in what is a lefty-heavy lineup.

First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

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The starters have been voted in and the reserves have been selected.

Now, all that’s left is the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.

On Thursday, July 14, 60 of the best players in baseball will descend upon Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park for the annual midseason classic.

If you’d like to cheer on your favorite star from the stands — whether it be Shohei, Soto or Schlittler — last-minute tickets are still available for purchase.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on tickets was $640 including fees on SeatGeek. To be clear, those are Standing Room Only.

100-level seats start at $780 including fees.

Make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).

Notable starters voted in by the fans this year include National League fan favorites Shohei Ohtani (his sixth selection), hometown hero Brandon Marsh (first), Dodgers stalwart Freddie Freeman (tenth), Braves vet Ozzie Albies (fourth) and the aforementioned Juan Soto, who is the sole Mets representative in ’26.

Soto’s making his fifth appearance after being snubbed last July.

Angels legend Mike Trout (12th nod), leading vote-getter Ernie Clement (first), power-hitter Yordan Alvarez (fourth), gifted outfielder Byron Buxton (third) and wiz kid shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (third) are just a few of the big names you’ll see in the first inning for the AL.

Cam Schlittler, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger made the cut for the Yankees.

Aaron Judge was voted in but will not be playing due to a rib injury. This was the three-time AL MVP’s eighth selection.

Starting pitchers haven’t been announced yet but USA Today speculates either Brewers flame-thrower Jacob Misiorowski or dominant Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sánchez will get the call from NL manager Dave Roberts.

Just Baseball claims Schlittler is a worthy choice and “obvious frontrunner” for AL skipper (and Blue Jays manager) John Schneider.

Rounding out the All-Star Game festivities are the annual Home Run Derby (as of now, only slugger Junior Caminero confirmed to swing for the fences), the HBCU Swingman Classic, MLB All-Star Futures Game, All-Star Celebrity Softball Game and MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the 2026 MLB All-Star Game below.

How much are tickets for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game?

A complete breakdown of all the best prices on tickets by section at Citizens Bank Park for the All-Star Game are listed here:

How can I get Home Run Derby 2026 tickets?

More of a fan of salamis and taters? You’re in the right place.

If you want to see the game’s most powerful sluggers send dingers up into the upper echelons of Philly’s upper deck, you can grab tickets for the Monday, July 14 event here.

What are all the events at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia?

All-Star weekend gets underway before the big Tuesday game with Philadelphia’s cheesesteak challenge at the All-Star Village from July 12-13.

On Friday, July 10, the HBCU Swingman Classic featuring baseball student-athletes from Division I programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) will showcase their talent at Citizens Bank Park.

From Saturday, July 11 through Tuesday, July 14, fans will be treated to the MLB All-Star Futures Game (July 12), All-Star Celebrity Softball Game (July 12), MLB Draft (July 11-12; the White Sox have the first pick), Home Run Derby (July 13) and MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show before the first pitch (July 14).

All ticketed events are listed here.

Who is playing in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game?

Who was selected to start this year by the fans?

Our team did the homework and found all the representatives heading to Rocky’s hometown to play ball this coming week.

Here they are — including all of the reserves — courtesy of Major League Baseball.

The starters are listed here:

American League

C: Shea Langeliers ATH (first selection)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR (sixth)*
2B: Ernie Clement TOR (first)
3B: Junior Caminero TB (second)
SS: Bobby Witt Jr. KC (third)
OF: Mike Trout LAA (12th)
OF: Byion Buxton MIN (third)
OF: Aaron Judge NYY (eighth)**
DH: Yordan Alvarez HOU (fourth)

*Nick Kurtz will be starting in Vladdy’s place.
**No replacement for Judge has been named yet.

National League

Elected starters
C: Drake Baldwin ATL (first selection)
1B: Freddie Freeman LAD (10th)
2B: Ozzie Albies ATL (fourth)
3B: Max Muncy LAD (third)
SS: CJ Abrams WSH (second)
OF: Brandon Marsh PHI (first)
OF: Juan Soto NYM (fifth)
OF: Andy Pages LAD (first)
DH: Shohei Ohtani LAD (sixth)

How can I watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game on TV?

Fans who aren’t making the pilgrimage to the City of Brotherly Love this July can always watch from the comfort of their own home, at a sports bar or the place of their choosing.

We recommend you flip to FOX where the game will be broadcast. For Spanish-language commentary, skip over to FOX Deportes.

In a surprise wrinkle, the Home Run Derby is streaming on Netflix for the first time ever this summer.

For more ASG content, you can find supplementary All-Star Game coverage on MLB Network, including post-game highlights, analysis and the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet Show.

If you prefer listening to the crack of the bat over the airwaves, ESPN Radio is hosting live audio-only game coverage, available gratis on ESPN.com.

Sirius XM will also have the game on satellite radio as will the MLB app.

Huge 2026 concerts

Need live music in your life, too?

Us too, pal. Us too.

To quench your thirst for concerts, here are just five huge tours that you’ll absolutely want to catch these next few months.

• Wu-Tang Clan

• Chris Stapleton

• RUSH

• AC/DC

• Robert Plant

Who else is on the road? Take a look at this list of all the biggest stars on tour in 2026 to find the show just for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Astros will conclude the first half of their season with a six-game road trip beginning tonight in the nation’s capital with the first of three games against the Nationals.

RHP Mike Burrows (4-8) will open the road trip for Houston opposite RHP Miles Mikolas (2-7) and the Nats.

SPINNING RECORDS: At 45-47, the Astros are two games below .500 for the third time in the last eight days.

A win tonight would move them to just a game below .500, a mark they have not been at since they were 6-7 on April 8.

THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 25-16 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span.

On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Astros are coming off a series victory over the Rays, the team with the best record in the AL, giving them six series victories in their last seven chances.

The Astros have also won four of their last five road series.

WINNING THE CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 9-5 in one-run games and 21-11 in two-run games.

Each of the Astros last nine wins and 14 of their last 15 victories have come by two-or-fewer runs.

GET ‘EM EARLY: The Astros and Nationals lead their respective leagues in 1st-inning runs with the Astros leading the AL with 63, and the Nationals leading the NL with 68.

Overall, the Astros rank sixth in the American League in runs scored (413), while the Nationals check in leading the Majors in runs scored with 485 on the season.

ROAD WARRIORS: On the Astros last road trip, the club went 5-2 with stops in Toronto (2-1) and Detroit (3-1).

The Astros are 15-8 on their last three road trips combined and are 21-14 on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the 2026 season.

ASTROS-NATS: The Astros and Nationals, who share a Spring Training complex, are facing each other for their first regular season matchups since July 28-30, 2025, a three-game series that the Astros won two games to one. 

SUNDAY FUNDAY: The Astros picked up their seventh shutout win of the season yesterday in Houston with a 2-0 win over the visiting Rays.

RHP Peter Lambert (0ER/5.2IP) was great in his start, allowing just three hits and a walk with six strikeouts en route to his seventh win of the season.

The Astros scored their two runs on solo shots by 1B Christian Walker (1×4) and 3B Isaac Paredes (2×4).

20 SPOT: 1B Christian Walker hit his 20th homer of the year yesterday, giving him 20-plus homers in five consecutive seasons, along with six total seasons in his career (2019, 2022-26).

Yesterday’s homer was also the 194th home run of his career.

ASTROS ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have re-instated IF Braden Shewmake from the 10-day IL today.

Official postgame yesterday, IF Raynel Delgado has been optioned to Triple A Sugar Land.

FROM THE TRAINER’S ROOM: The Astros have eight players on the Injured List.

Updates on a few:

RHP Ronel Blanco (rt. elbow surgery) is expected to pitch tomorrow for Triple A Sugar Land…he last start-
ed last Wednesday for Double A Corpus Christi at NW Arkansas (2ER/4.1IP), tossing 60 pitches (45 strikes).

SS Jeremy Pena (lt. calf strain) is taking part in baseball activities and is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Sugar Land this week.

RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (rt. shoulder inflammation) is also expected to pitch tomorrow for Sugar Land. He last started last Wednesday for Sugar Land (1ER/4IP), tossing 60 pitches (41 strikes).

LHP Bennett Sousa (lt. elbow inflammation) began a rehab assignment at Sugar Land last night, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning on 10 pitches with one strikeout.

RHP Kai-Wei Teng (right knee sprain) continues his throwing progression and will throw a bullpen session in the coming days.

LHP Brandon Walter (lt. elbow surgery) continues his throwing progression in West Palm Beach.

RHP Hayden Wesneski (rt. elbow surgery) made a rehab start for Corpus Christi yesterday, tossing 4.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts while tossing 46 pitches (29 strikes).

ALL-STAR ALVAREZ: Major League Baseball announced on Saturday that DH Yordan Alvarez was voted by the fans as the starting designated hitter for the American League All-Star team.

This marks the fourth All-Star selection for Alvarez (2022-24, 2026) and the second time that he has been voted as a starter (also in 2024).

MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid first half to his season, currently leading all of baseball in OPS (1.066), OBP (.429), SLG (.637), and total bases (207).

Additionally, he ranks first in the AL in extra-base hits (45), first in HR (29), first in hits (104), first in runs (62), first in RBI (67), second in batting average (.320), and fourth in walks (59).

THE LONG BALL LIST: DH Yordan Alvarez has hit 199 career home runs, needing just one homer to become the sixth player in franchise history to reach the 200-homer plateau.

HIT PAREDES: 3B Isaac Paredes is batting .295 (31×105) with six home runs, 23 RBI and a .913 OPS in his last 29 games since June 3.

Over that span, he ranks tied for sixth in the AL in RBI.

WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader is 3-0 with nine saves (in nine chances), has a 0.60 ERA (1ER/15IP), 24 strikeouts in 15.0 innings, a .043 (2×47) opponent average, and a 0.60 WHIP in 15 appearances.

Hader has not allowed a hit in eight straight appearances (8IP), which is the longest hitless streak by an Astro in innings and appearances since RHP Héctor Neris had nine straight hitless appearances (9IP) from Aug. 21-Sept. 13, 2023.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 6, 5:45 p.m. CT

Location: Nationals Park, Washington, DC

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

It is a day in July before the start of the 2026 training camp, so we are getting rankings, and for the Cardinals most rankings have not been overly kind.

While they have the sixth best set of offensive weapons in the NFL according to ESPN, they have more questions than answers everywhere else.

ESPN dropped their best roster rankings and the Cardinals were not last… which is a nice change of pace, but they were the third worst (at least tied for that) and it is once again a question of every position group outside of a couple.

From ESPN:

T-29. Arizona Cardinals

Biggest strength: Tight end. This starts and ends with Trey McBride, who has emerged as one of the NFL’s top playmakers at the position…

Biggest weakness: Quarterback. Kyler Murray is gone, leaving Jacoby Brissett as the probable Week 1 starter. The veteran racked up the counting stats in 12 starts last season (3,366 passing yards, 23 TDs), but Arizona throwing a league-high rate (partially due to always being behind) was a primary factor. Brissett finished 24th among 28 qualified quarterbacks in QBR (41.2).

X factor for 2026: WR Michael Wilson. In Weeks 1-10, Wilson managed a meager 0.8 yards per route run, making him one of the least efficient wide receivers in the league. But from Week 11 on — with Marvin Harrison Jr. out for much of that time — Wilson’s production ballooned to 2.6 yards per route run, 12th-best among wide receivers in those weeks. This Cardinals’ season is all about finding out who can be their pillars going forward, and that includes Wilson’s long-term role with the franchise.

Nonstarter to know: Edge rusher BJ Ojulari. Trade rumors are circulating around Josh Sweat, and Baron Browning and Zaven Collins combined for only 3.5 sacks last season…

The Cardinals have Trey McBride, people are hopeful about the wide receivers, and of course the rookie running back is intriguing. After that, there is nothing that is known or exciting to analysts, just a lot of questions.

The team tied with the Cardinals is the Atlanta Falcons, the worst two rosters in the league are the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. Is McBride the only player separating the Cardinals from those bottom two?

Today, Astros manager Joe Espada said that SS Jeremy Pena would begin his rehab assignment tomorrow at Triple-A Sugar Land, as reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com

SPs Lance McCullers Jr. and Ronel Blanco are also scheduled to pitch tomorrow as well.

Pena is a key catalyst for the Astros lineup, and is batting .295 this season with a .356 OBP and .799 OPS. Pena has 6 HR 21 RBI, he has 34 R and 8 SB in 183 AB this season.

Pena has battled a myriad of minor injuries this season, with this being the third one and his second time on the IL this season. He was slowed at the beginning of the year as well due to a fractured finger suffered in Spring Training.

Today, the Houston Astros announced they had reinstated IF Braden Shewmake from IL, and optioned IF Ray Delgado to Triple-A Sugar Land

In limited time this year with the Astros, Shewmake is batting .243 with a .260 OBP and .665 OPS. His positional flexibility has endeared him to the team, as he plays all around the infield including shortstop. In 74 AB, Shewmake has 3 HR and 8 RBI.

He is in the lineup tonight, playing shortstop and batting 8th.

Delgado made his MLB debut with the Astros June 14. In 30 AB he is batting .267 with a .313 OBP and .713 OPS. He offers the same positional flexibility as Shewmake, but did take a bad hop ball awkwardly off his right rand last week, resulting in a dislocated pinky. He did appear in the next game as a pinch hitter.

A hearty congratulations to girl dad Eli White. In another set of moves prior to tonight’s series finale versus the Mets, the Braves placed him on the paternity list. Back with the major league club is outfielder José Azócar.

Azócar is on a variation of the Carrasco minor league contract / selection / DFA / free agency / re-sign cycle. He’s been selected to the major league roster twice prior to today and played nine games with the Braves in May with a .333/.375/.842 on the season. His line with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers is .243/.295/.638 in 58 games played.

Catcher Jair Camargo was optioned to Gwinnett on June 18, but has been DFA’d to make room for Azócar on the 40-man. Welcome to the Kyle Farmer backup catcher era, folks.

With the 2026 MLB Draft less than a week away, we’ll take a look at what the Rays are expected to do with their first round picks. We will update this as new versions of mock drafts are published through the day before the draft.

Baseball America

In BA’s latest mock draft, they’ve got the Rays selecting Grady Emerson with their second overall pick.

Emerson is a 6’3 lefty-hitting prep shortstop and arguably the best pure hitter in the class. It’s a comfortably plus hit tool thanks to a smooth swing, advanced approach, and ability to spray the ball to all fields. Emerson projects to grow into above-average power given his size and athleticism. He also features a strong arm and plus instincts that should allow him to stick at shortstop.

There’s the chance that Roch Cholowsky could go to the Rays too, but it’s more about what the White Sox do with the first pick.

Cholowsky is polished 6’2 college shortstop with an impressive track record to match his above-average tools across the board. He’s an advanced hitter who both controls the strike zone and has solid contact skills. He already has plus power from the right side to pair with his strong hit tool. He’s essentially a lock to stick at shortstop given his arm strength, lateral quickness, and soft hands.

Vahn Lackey has a chance to go here too. Lackey is a 6’2 right-handed hitting catcher with plus power. He’s already a solid defender with a plus arm, and his athleticism suggests even more room for growth that could make him one of the better defensive catchers in the league someday. Lackey’s impact on both sides of the ball would more than justify taking him at the top of the draft.

Things get a little more fuzzy at 33, but BA has high school SS Taj Marchand going to the Rays. They’ve been scouting him all spring and are drawn to his ability to impact the baseball from the right side of the plate. He has quick hands in the batter’s box and in the field. His projectable frame at 6’2 suggests more power could be on the way, and his arm strength is plus right now.

MLB Pipeline

Pipeline has the Rays also taking Emerson in their latest mock draft, and like BA, the Rays could also take Cholowsky if the White Sox pass on him. It’ll likely come down to Emerson vs Lackey, but ultimately they’re expecting it to be Emerson.

Pipeline has the Rays selecting high school 3B/C Cole Prosek with the 33rd pick. He’s a left-handed hitter with advanced feel for the barrel and the potential to grow into solid power in his 6’1 frame. A great athlete with a plus arm, Prosek looks like he could stick behind the plate or the left side of the infield.

ESPN

In his latest mock with ESPN, Kiley McDaniel has the Rays picking Emerson. Lackey could also be taken second overall, but McDaniel doesn’t think it would be at enough of a discount to make it worth the while. Interestingly, he mentions there’s some buzz surrounding college RHP Jackson Flora on a significant pay-cut, but it’s unlikely.

An even longer shot is college SS Tyler Bell – who was selected by the Rays in the Comp B round in 2024 but opted to go to the University of Kentucky. Bell is a switch-hitting, 6’1 shortstop with average or better tools across the board. His athletic testing data suggests there could be more power on the way if he can get the ball in the air more frequently. His approach teeters on passive at times, but his contact ability is solid from both sides of the plate. Bell should continue to play a strong shortstop as he advances through pro-ball.

Flora is the top pitcher in this year’s class. He’s a physical, 6’5 righty with multiple above-average pitches. His fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s and he can reach back for 100 at times. Flora’s advanced feel for spin allows him to throw a pair of solid breaking balls, and he even features a relatively new kick-change that could end up being his best secondary someday. His combination of stuff and command could allow him to move quickly through any system.

McDaniel has the Rays taking high school SS Archer Horn with pick 33. He’s a plus athlete who could stick at the position thanks to a strong arm. Horn also has solid bat speed from the left side, and that bat speed combined with his 6’2 frame suggests above-average power is on the way despite an unrefined hit tool. Stanford commits typically make it to campus, so a team that really wants Horn may have to go over-slot to land him.

The Athletic

Keith Law of the Athletic has the Rays selecting Lackey with the second overall pick. He’s a pretty safe bet to be at least a solid defensive catcher given his tools and track record. His above average power makes him and patience at the plate could make him a solid offensive contributor as well. Interestingly, Law doesn’t mention Emerson among the other possibilities for the Rays. He instead mentions Cholowsky, Flora, and Bell. He doesn’t take a crack at mocking the 33rd overall pick or any of the Comp A round selections.

FanGraphs

Not yet published!

Of note, The Board at FanGraphs lists Virginia CF A.J. Garcia at No. 2 overall as the highest ranked 50 FV prospect (Cholowsky at No. 1 is the only 55 FV prospect). Garcia is a left handed 6’3” power hitter with a well rounded profile that could stick in center. After Garcia the site ranks Flora, Emerson, and then Lackey as the other 50’s.

We will circle back with an updated mock draft round-up later this week.

Going for a series win behind Reynaldo Lopez, the Braves are shuffling their lineup a bit, swapping Michael Harris up to the leadoff spot and Drake Baldwin down to cleanup. Jim Jarvis gets another start at shortstop, facing the righty Peralta.

Meanwhile, AJ Ewing gets the start at leadoff for the Mets and Francisco Lindor takes a day at DH.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 6, 7:15 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

With a 37-53 record that has them just a half-game ahead of the worst record in the National League, the Mets are set to be sellers at the deadline. And Will Sammon of the Athletic and Chelsea Janes of SNY have provided some insight into the organization’s thinking as the August 3 trade deadline approaches.

Sammon writes that teams will be interested in trading for one of the Mets’ catchers, but he sees a move of either Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens as unlikely. He also brings up the question of whether or not the team will trade Luke Weaver, who is under team control through the end of the 2027 season on a $12.5 million salary. And he mentions that the team is expected to trade Brooks Raley and A.J Minter, while noting that it seems very unlikely that Bo Bichette will be dealt given his underwhelming season, massive salary, and no-trade clause.

Janes mentions some of the same names in writing that players on expiring contracts will be available, adding Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Tyrone Taylor to the aforementioned pair of left-handed relievers. She says that the Mets will prioritize getting the best players in return—regardless of how close they are to the big leagues or what position they play. She floats the idea of other relievers like Huascar Brazobán and Devin Williams having appeal on the trade market, and she writes that the Mets aren’t in a rush to start making trades, as front offices are heavily focused on the upcoming amateur draft.

If you feel a breeze, don’t doubt yourself, it’s MLB Draft week once again. Since 2021, the MLB Draft has taken place over the All-Star Break, in an effort to combine the enhance the prestige of the event and turn the week into a baseball bonanza. It’s a move that has been lamented by scouts and front office folks, who note that the experience creates a cartoonishly packed weekend of work, however the fan experience may be more pleasantly what MLB is hoping for. This year, there are some small tweaks to make note of, and here at Lookout Landing we’ll have draft coverage rolling out all week in the leadup to Saturday and Sunday.

The majority of MLB’s All-Star Week this year will be broadcast by NBC, as well as simultaneously livestreamed by their Peacock service/app. However, the first broadcast event is the Historically Black College/University Swingman Classic Game on Friday, July 10th at 4 PM PT/7 PM ET on MLB Network and MLB.com.

When/Where is the MLB Draft, & how do we watch it?

The 2026 MLB Draft will occur Saturday, July 11th and Sunday, July 12th, in Philadelphia, PA as part of the All-Star Week festivities. Coverage will begin on NBC and Peacock at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET on Saturday, with rounds 1-3 being completed on day one. On Sunday, NBC/Peacock will pick things back up at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET again for rounds 4-20. Both days will also have live coverage on MLB Network and MLB.com

The Saturday outset is a tweak from years past, perhaps a slight genuflection to the requests of the clubs, moving the draft’s outset to a day slightly less packed with festivities. The MLB Futures Game will occur on Sunday, starting at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET, also to be broadcast on NBC. While it is a seven inning game, it may overlap with draft coverage, which seems likely to be pushed to MLB Network and MLB.com but is not entirely clear based on MLB’s website.

When do the Seattle Mariners pick?

The Seattle Mariners have the 24th pick in the draft, second-to-last in the “1st round” ahead of only the Milwaukee Brewers due to their reaching of the ALCS a season ago. The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Yankees all had their first picks dropped 10 spots as a “fine” of sorts for exceeding the second payroll tax threshold (also known as the “Competitive Balance Tax”).

Their second round selection is the 65th overall pick, and their third pick (the final to be made on Saturday) will be the 101st selection. Seattle also had a pick given to them due to their eligibility for receiving “Competitive Balance Picks” in Round B, just after the second round, however they dealt that 68th overall selection to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of the Brendan Donovan trade this winter.

After picking 129th in the fourth round, Seattle picks every 30 selections afterwards for the remaining rounds as scheduled, save for rounds five and six wherein the Dodgers forfeited their picks as compensation for signing players who’d declined a qualifying offer.

What’s Seattle’s bonus pool situation?

Pretty small. Seattle has only $8,218,200 they are allowed to spend on signing bonuses for their draftees this year, 24th-most in MLB. The Pirates and Rays both are allowed to utilize over $19 million, by contrast. A season ago, Seattle selected LHP Kade Anderson 3rd overall and inked him to a $8.8 million bonus by himself. That was possible, of course, because after missing the playoffs in 2024, Seattle famously sprung up the lottery ladder to the third overall pick despite being projected for 15th, in the fairly new lottery system MLB has employed as part of their anti-tanking efforts. This, plus ineligibility to pick in the top-10 in consecutive years (or more than two consecutive years, depending on the market size of the club) have seemed to be savvy and successful disincentives towards active non-competitiveness instituted by MLB. You’ll see some less-favorable sentiments about draft-related proposals by MLB later on here, so it is important to note that they seem to have absolutely gotten this right.

Bonus pools are determined by draft slots in the first 10 rounds, and Seattle can save any funds unused initially to splash on players throughout the entire draft, so long as they sign those initial players. Seattle has nailed a number of major picks in recent years, and should be able to snag some impressive talents, but the realistic outcome is a less immediately eye-popping set of selections than some recent years.

Who is eligible to be drafted?

Anyone residing in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territories who has never signed a previous MLB/MiLB contract and is either

• A high school graduate, OR
• Attending a junior/community college, OR
• Attending a four-year college/university which they have attended for at least three years/have reached their 21st birthday, whichever occurs first

The draft does not include players born and raised anywhere else in the world, wherein players are eligible to sign anytime after their 16th birthday to a contract with any big league club from each team’s capped bonus pool (players like Julio Rodríguez, Shohei Ohtani, or Yordan Alvarez), or as a true free agent once they are 25 years of age (almost exclusively established stars in countries with robust internal summer baseball leagues like Japan, Cuba, and South Korea, e.g. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jose Abreu, or Jung Hoo Lee).

There have also been recent changes to the draft’s rounds, with more dreamed of by MLB’s ownership groups. If you do not care for a bit of analysis on those suggestions, feel free to skim to the next headline.

Since MLB owners halved the number of rounds in the draft in recent competitive bargaining agreements, the draft has dropped from three days to two, and to 20 rounds from 40 since 2019 (and from 50 to 40 in 2011). The draft is once again a wish list item to warp for owners, who recently fantasized publicly with a dream of dropping to just 12 rounds, excluding high schoolers entirely (the players with the most leverage to negotiate their signing bonuses) and necessitating a higher age of eligibility for drafting to 20 years of age. While this could open up a batch of additional college players to eligibility, the intent is overwhelmingly a labor cost reduction. Players who debut earlier reach free agency earlier, and therefore can negotiate with more than just the team that claimed their right to work for the coming decade on draft day. From a pure on-field perspective, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodríguez would have seen their careers quite differently, while Colt Emerson and Ryan Sloan would still be on campus. Part of baseball’s distinct joy is in its many avenues to plausibility, and it would be nice not to see those curtailed.

What’s coming next on LL?

Plenty! Check out some of our draft profiles if you’ve not already, and keep an eye out each day for a roundup of coverage around the scouting world, our own mock draft of the first 50 or so picks, some deep dives from Max, Kate, and myself, live draft coverage this weekend, and more!

There’s no denying that we’ll know a lot more about the St. Louis Cardinals by the time this week is complete. 5 games over the next 4 days will be played at Busch Stadium against the NL Central division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals have momentum, but on paper the next 4 days look difficult for St. Louis.

Let’s start with the pitching matchups which feature some questions for how St. Louis will lineup the rotation:

Monday, July 6 – Dustin May – 5-6, 4.80 ERA, 78 SO vs Shane Drohan – 3-2, 3.12 ERA, 59 SO

Tuesday, July 7 (day game) – Cardinals starter unannounced vs Jacob Misiorowski – 9-4, 1.47 ERA, 156 SO

Tuesday, July 7 (night game) Starters unannounced for both teams

Wednesday, July 8 – Cardinals starter unannounced vs Kyle Harrison – 8-1, 2.82 ERA, 99 SO

Thursday, July 9 – Starters unannounced for both teams

Monday night’s starter Shane Drohan is 1-1 in his last 7 games. His 3 most recent starts have been no decisions. In his last start, Shane threw 5 2/3 innings on July 1 against the Reds giving up 2 runs on 6 hits with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk. What can I saw about Tuesday’s starter Jacob Misiorowski that you don’t already know? He’s 5-2 in his last 7 games including that infamous 105.5 mph record-breaking fastball. His most recent 3 games are interesting, though, as he’s lost 2 of them, but those were instances of lack of run support. Jacob’s last start on July 2 against the Reds was a loss, but he struck out 10 and only gave up 1 earned run. Wednesday’s starter, Kyle Harrison, is having a great season as he’s 8-1 with just a 2.82 ERA. The Milwaukee Brewers currently lead the league in team ERA.

The Brewers are not without big injury issues as Brandon Woodruff exited the team’s loss on the 4th of July in the 4th inning and was reportedly headed to the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. The Brewers injured list is full of pitchers.

Entering Monday night’s game, the Milwaukee Brewers lead the St. Louis Cardinals by 7 games. They have won 6 of their last 10 while the Cardinals are 5-5 over the same period. The Brewers team leaders are as follows:

Batting Average – William Contreras – .295

Home Runs – Jake Bauers – 15

RBI’s – Jake Bauers – 52

OPB – Jake Bauers – .365

Hits – William Contreras – 95

How successful or not the St. Louis Cardinals are during the upcoming homestand vs the Brewers and Braves prior to the All-Star break will likely play a large role in whether they are buyers, sellers or a mixture of both at the trade deadline. Successful management of the pitching staff will be crucial over this 5-game/4-day series. A strong start Monday night by Dustin May will be key.

The good news is that we face a sub .500 team.

Ah, like I said in my previous preview, which was #27, for every Series there is good news and there is bad news.

The good news is that Brazil has lost. Ouch, just like last time, let me try this again: the good news is that no longer is the Padres a team with a record over .500. You all know what that means: the Diamondbacks have a terrible record against teams that are above .500, so with the Padres no longer being there, we have a terrific opportunity to go over Mount .500 again.

The bad news is that our best pitcher, Eduardo Rodriguez, will not take the mound in this series, so it will all be a gamble.

This series is 4 games. That is a lot of games. Sweeping is probably out of the question, but taking 3 should be possible, right?

Let’s take a look.

We have seen the San Diego Padres in just one series so far this season, and that was a 2-game series on April 25 and April 26. The Padres were tied as league leaders when they visited Chase Field at that moment, with a solid 17-8 record. The Diamondbacks were also in la la land, standing at 14-11, though the series loss against Chicago White Sox might have been a bit sour.

The first game was a 6-4 loss, Arizona could not hold a 4-0 lead after 2 innings: Pfaadt loaded the bases and Taylor Clarke emptied them, in a way a pitcher should not. The second game was pretty much the other way around, with the Padres taking a 6-0 lead after the top 5, a weak performance from Ryne Nelson, only to go down 12-7, with the Snakes scoring 10 runs in the 7th and 8th inning, amongst them a Tim Tawa grand-slam.

That was then, and this is now.

What is now?

Now is a Diamondbacks’ record that has not changed that much, going from 15-13 to 44-45. Now is also the total collapse of the San Diego Padres. After that first win against the Diamondbacks the Padres were 10 games above .500 and took the sole lead of the NL West. After that they pretty much gave good competition against the Dodgers, sitting closely behind them for almost the entire month of May, going 11 games over .500 at a certain moment, until the Phillies came to San Diego on May 25 and swept the Padres, the beginning of a slow downfall.

Ever since that series, the Padres have gone 13-24.

Over that span, the Padres still have a better offence than the Diamondbacks. Ha, you would not have suspected that, right? Truth is that, despite not being an All Star, Fernando Tatis Jr. still has been able to provide a 144 WRC+ in that time period, despite the lack of power and pop. Except for Xander Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill, the Padres’ batting lineup has still been able to provide a run here and there, though sporadically, but all above or close to 100 WRC+.

Their starting and relief pitching has been bad, except for their star closer (and their top relievers are solid too), but more or less similar to the Diamondbacks’ pitching. As a matter of fact, xERA is slightly better than Arizona’s, though the ERA is not. Most likely, the Padres are not as good as they were the first two months of the season and are probably not as bad as they have been ever since. Their current record might be a good reflection of who they are this season, so this series will probably balance out or the luckier team might win.

The Padres receive the Diamondbacks with an injured list full of pitchers, a la Diamondbacks: Joe Musgrove (setback), Yu Darvish (out for the year), Nick Pivetta, Lucas Giolito, Randy Vasquez, David Morgan and Jason Adam (the latter being of the better relievers) all have no timetable for return.

The past two years, the Padres have had the Diamondbacks’ number. Arizona still maintains an all-time lead over San Diego, though it is shrinking: 248-234.

Matchups.

Game #1 Mon 07/06 6:40 PM MST, Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) vs Walker Buehler (SDP).

• Brandon Pfaadt. 14 G, 4 GS, 43.1 IP, 1 W-1 L, 5.40 ERA, 5.44 FIP, 1.41 WHIP, 33/18 K/BB. $3,400,000.
• Walker Buehler. 17 GS, 82.0 IP, 5 W-4 L, 4.61 ERA, 3.89 FIP, 1.38 WHIP, 76/30 K/BB. $1,500,000.

Brandon Pfaadt might still piss his bed when he thinks about the last time when he faced the Padres. It was in long relief, loading the bases and seeing Taylor Clarke relieve and gift him with 4 runs. But that Pfaadt no longer exists. We now have a renewed and rejuvenated Brandon Pfaadt, who knows how to strike the batters out, but, above all, keeps the hard hits limited. Unlike his fellow veterans Gallen and Kelly, Pfaadt now knows how to keep the balls in the park, something he had no idea about until going back to Reno. There, in the desert, he learned in 10 innings all that there is to know about baseball and how to become an ace in the major leagues. Pfaadt will lead the Diamondbacks to a victory and himself to everlasting success!

One who was on that road of success as well, was Walker Buehler. He was a menace in Los Angeles, an All Star and Cy Young contender, until he had to undergo Tommy John and ever since, he has never been the same again. In 2025 he was bad in Boston, but better in relief in Philadelphia. San Diego offered him a one-year contract. If Buehler continues to pitch like he does, he is a good candidate to get a Mike Soroka-like contract next season and the next ones, getting one year deals that flirt with 8 digit figures.

Game #2 Tue 07/07 6:40 PM MST, Zac Gallen (ARI) vs TBD.

• Zac Gallen. 18 GS, 92.0 IP, 3 W-8 L, 6.36 ERA, 5.34 FIP, 1.57 WHIP, 56/28 K/BB. $16,199,618.
• TBD.

The Padres don’t have a starter for this game yet, because this is the spot of Randy Vasquez, who hit the injured list recently and is without a timetable of return. Good chance the Padres call up Jhony Brito, who pitched briefly in the majors in 2023 and 2024 but was injured in the 2025 season. He recently returned and has pitched to an excellent 0.96 ERA in the PCL in 4 starts in June (18.2 innings). If he ends up starting this game, he will probably be on a short lease.

In my last series preview I said that it was hardly possible to get any worse than Gallen has pitched so far, but I was wrong, because his ERA keeps on rising. Last time Gallen held an opponent scoreless or limited to less than 2 runs was on April 25, against these Padres, when he had a brief appearance of 3 innings because of an injury. Maybe the Padres will inspire him again to a scoreless performance.

Game #3 Wed 07/08 7:10 PM MST, Jose Cabrera (ARI) vs Michael King (SDP).

• Jose Cabrera. 3 GS, 79.2 IP, 3 W-6 L, 6.10 ERA, 4.97 FIP, 1.63 WHIP, 52/25 K/BB. $412,929.
• Michael King. 15 GS, 89.0 IP, 6 W-2 L, 2.73 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 1.16 WHIP, 55/17 K/BB. $9,000,000.

After an encouraging debut, Jose Cabrera is experiencing the major leagues, with a tough performance against the Rays and an even tougher one against the Brewers. Maybe the Padres’ lineup will offer Cabrera a breeze, but more likely he will continue to learn the hard way in the major leagues. If he is hit hard, good chance it will be his final performance in the major leagues because he won’t be necessary for the final series before the All Star break, and after that, who knows.

Michael King has been the sole starting pitching star on this Padres’ squad, in what will most likely be his final year in San Diego, before skipping the player options and testing the free agency market, looking to sign a new contract before a lock-out becomes inevitable. King has faced the Diamondbacks four times in his career, all as a Padre, and has never lost.

Game #4 Thu 07/09 6:40 PM MST, Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs Griffin Canning (SDP).

• Merrill Kelly. 15 GS, 86.2 IP, 6 W-8 L, 5.71 ERA, 6.02 FIP, 1.56 WHIP, 53/35 K/BB. $18,000,000.
• Griffin Canning. 12 G, 9 GS, 51.0 IP, 1 W-6 L, 6.71 ERA, 5.07 FIP, 1.61 WHIP, 50/30 K/BB. $1,000,000.

Good chance that the final game of this series will become an absolute spectacle of a slugfest, with Merrill Kelly, the homer-prone pitcher, facing Griffin Canning, who is having a nightmare of a season. Merrill was once again hittable, but the Brewers couldn’t hurt Kelly too much, and despite one homerun, only gave up 2 runs. That is what we call a quality outing.

Canning did his starting and has also been used after an opener this season. In either case, it has not really worked for him. Canning is in the rotation because all others are injured, otherwise, he would have probably seen himself working in either long relief / mop-up or bumped off the roster. Canning was one of those prospects the Angels tried to rocket into the major leagues, but after an encouraging start, he never could cement himself as a major league starter, though he had an okay bounceback last year for the New York Mets. He faced the Diamondbacks last year with the Mets, getting a win, allowing only 1 run in 5 innings. It looks like the league has adjusted to this groundball pitcher once more, because the changeup he so successfully deployed last season, is now getting hit hard by the batters.

No, the trade deadline hasn’t arrived, nor are the Detroit Tigers getting an early start as a seller. Still, given the way this season has gone, it’s a bit amusing to think of the Tigers as having surplus relief help that is in demand by other clubs around the league. The Tigers dealt two Triple-A relievers, RHP Woo-Suk Go and RHP Matt Seelinger to the Twins and the Mets over the past two days, receiving cash considerations in return.

The key factor involved in the trades were the escalator clauses in both right-hander’s minor league deals with the Tigers. Both had the right to opt-out if not added to the 40-man roster shortly, and that wasn’t going to happen. So in a sense these are just procedural moves, the type that come up for the Tigers every year as president of baseball operations stockpiles minor league relievers via claims and minor league signings to try and fill out a pretty weak farm system in terms of upper level pitching prospects.

The 27-year-old Go, who has closing experience in his native South Korea pitching in the KBO, compiled a 2.60 ERA with a 2.43 FIP for the Toledo Mud Hens this season across 27.2 innings of work. His walk rates were a touch on the high side, but a 29.1 percent strikeout rate and no home runs allowed at the Triple-A level made him an interesting candidate who seemed like he might get a shot at some point. He developed a pretty good splitter over the past year, but still works with a pretty modest 92-94 mph fastball.

Seelinger’s numbers were more modest, and this was the 31-year-old right-hander’s third season in the Tigers’ farm system. His strikeout rates have been good, and he has both good extension and a solid mix of breaking and offspeed stuff, fulfilling much of what the Tigers like to look for, but his fastball shape has always been a problem, and the walks and power against him never really got under control for too long.

So ultimately, this is more about the state of the Twins and Mets at this point than anything to do with the Tigers. Both pitchers were bound to move on shortly anyway, with no real path to the major leagues for Seelinger, and only a slim one for Go. Flipping them for cash before that happened is just a standard decision.

As for the Tigers’ bullpen, finding the right arms to close out high leverage situations remains a challenge, but overall they were much better over the past five weeks. Since June 1, the Tigers bullpen ranks seventh best by ERA, and 11th by FIP, putting them comfortable into above average territory. Will Vest’s injury issues and struggles have presented a pretty big problem for them, but with Vest out again with an arm injury, they’ve gotten more aggressive with possible solutions.

The addition, at least temporarily, of Keider Montero should remain a big boost to that group, helping to close out games and pushing some lesser arms back into setup and middle relief territory, where they belong. Kenley Jansen will keep getting selected save opportunities for a while, but ideally Drew Anderson would clean up his tendency to make one big mistake and start contributing more in tight spots. We’ll see if that happens to play out. It’s also not impossible that the Tigers might decide to use Jackson Jobe out of the pen once his rehab is complete in August, but we’ll just have to see how that plays out. Otherwise, this is still a group that is deep enough in solid arms, but still lacks a real ace in the pen to shut the door on opponents. The probability that the Tigers will trade some starting pitching over the next month and need Montero right back into the rotation says the pen is going to remain their key problem.

The Tigers bullpen has gotten in much better shape, but it’s still far from a top unit. If Go and Seelinger couldn’t crack this group, the Tigers aren’t going to miss them.