SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 14: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with Cole Carrigg #16 and Mickey Moniak #22 after defeating the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Friday, August 14, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
There are just 35 games remaining in the 2026 season, if you can believe that! The Colorado Rockies are sitting at 50-77 after an unfortunate sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They need 13 more wins to avoid 100 losses for the fourth straight year, and the overwhelming majority of Rockies fans believe they will do it.
Do you still think they’ll do it? Let us know in the comments!
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 20: Orioles left fielder Dylan Beavers (12) crashes into the left field padded wall but can't make a catch in foul territory during the New York Yankees versus Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball (MLB) game on August 20, 2026 at Orioles Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Orioles were swept away tonight, ruining every bit of goodwill and excitement they had built up with their series against the Rays last weekend. Tonight’s game, a 6-1 loss to the Yankees, had a little bit of everything bad. The offense could not solve Gerrit Cole. One big error cost the team a couple runs. And Kyle Bradish struggled for his second straight start. It was not an uplifting game, to say the least.
Let’s start with Bradish. He faced just three batters in the first inning, but there was foreshadowing for the rest of his game. He walked leadoff batter Trent Grisham on six pitches. To make matters worse, Carlos Narváez challenged ball four and lost. On the first batter of the game. Bradish then went 3-2 to Ben Rice, but Rice bailed him out by swinging at ball four and popping out. Heliot Ramos grounded into the first of three Yankees double plays to end the inning.
The third inning was the worst one for Bradish, with an assist to Gunnar Henderson. Back-to-back singles put runners on the corners with no outs. José Caballero hit a groundball to Jackson Holliday, who fired to Henderson to start the double play, but Henderson missed the catch. No outs were recorded and a run scored. The next batter did hit into a double play, but Bradish couldn’t close out the inning. Three batters and three hits later, the Orioles were down 3-0.
Bradish allowed two more baserunners in the fifth inning but was once again saved by a double play ball. He ended the fifth inning with 89 pitches. After his struggles, I thought that might be the end of his night. Unfortunately for him, he went back out for the sixth. He faced four batters and retired two of them. The other two hit home runs. Whoops! He was pulled after the second one. His final pitching line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Henderson’s error led to the unearned runs, but Bradish did allow three more hits in the inning after that play. Not great.
The way that the Orioles’ offense played, Bradish could have been a lot better and it wouldn’t have mattered. They looked like they might have something cooking in the first inning with Pete Alonso singled and Gunnar Henderson walked, but they were stranded.
In fact, starting with Samuel Basallo’s strikeout that followed the Henderson walk, Cole retired 11 Orioles in a row. It was not fun. That took him through the end of the fourth inning. Dylan Beavers came up first in the fifth inning and ended the hit drought in style. He took a 97 mph fastball up and into the flag court. It got the Orioles on the board, at the time cutting the lead to 3-1. Cole retired the next three.
The seventh inning was Cole’s last and he ended his outing almost exactly like he started it. After a Holliday strikeout, Alonso and Henderson reached base. Basallo struck out again, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand flew out to end the inning.
Grant Wolfram replaced Bradish and looked good. He retired all four batters he faced on 17 pitches and struck out two. But Albert Suárez wasn’t quite as good. He allowed a run on three hits in the eighth, but pitched a perfect ninth.
Soft-tossing Ryan Yarbrough replaced Cole after six innings, and the Orioles could do nothing with him. They went nine-up, nine-down against him to close out the game. Yarbrough picked up the rare three-inning save for his efforts.
Orioles lose, 6-1. It’s their fourth loss in a row. Tomorrow they being a three-game series with the Rays. They have proven they can beat the Rays this year, so I’d like to sign up for a couple or three wins.
After a 20-minute delay at Camden Yards due to rain, the Yankees beat the Orioles, 6-1, the final score, completing the road series sweep.
The Yankees improve to 41-28 on the road this season, the best road record of any AL ballclub.
Here are the takeaways...
-Gerrit Cole and Kyle Bradish squared off as the evening's pitching matchup, and Cole was undoubtedly the better pitcher on the night. Bradish lasted 5.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits. In contrast, Cole pitched six full innings, allowed just one earned run on four hits, and struck out eight Orioles batters across 93 pitches.
-In the top of the third inning, back-to-back singles by Spencer Jones and Austin Wells put runners on the corners for the Yankees with nobody out. Jose Caballero hit a hard grounder to Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday, but Holliday's on-target throw to second base ahead of Wells was dropped by Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson. Later in the inning, Ben Rice laced a two-out opposite-field line drive to left field to score Wells from third. Heliot Ramos stepped up next and clobbered a hanging sinker the other way for a stand-up double, which scored Rice all the way from first. Bradish finally got out of the inning with the Yankees leading 3-0.
-Dylan Beavers was the Oriole who finally got to Cole, taking him over the right-field fence for a solo shot in the fifth inning.
-In the top of the sixth, the Yankeesresponded by padding the lead to 5-1 with two solo homers of their own, both hit by lefties. Luis Garcia Jr. got things going with a moonshot to the pull-side, before Jones knocked Bradish out of the game with a 398-foot monster mash into the left-center field bleachers.
-Jazz Chisholm Jr. may still be battling through a slump, but his one hit tonight was a big one. In the eighth inning, Jazz roped a line drive into the right-field corner, a triple which scored Garcia from first base. Garcia and Jones each notched their third hit of the game in the inning as the Yanks further extended their lead to 6-1.
-Ryan Yarbrough pitched three perfect innings after relieving Cole, striking out three and facing the minimum nine batters. His performance is noteworthy, as the Yanks' bullpen budget had been stretched quite thin headed into tonight's game. On Thursday, Yarbrough ensured that every other member of the New York bullpen enters the weekend series against the Blue Jays with at least one full day of rest.
Game MVP: Gerrit Cole
Of the 23 batters he faced, Cole threw first-pitch strikes to 22 of them. He has been pounding the zone with his fastball as of late and is still able to touch 97 miles per hour.
The Los Angeles Dodgers boast several veterans on the roster, but Santiago Espinal became an unexpected addition after cracking the Opening Day roster.
The infielder played a key depth role for the Dodgers early in the 2026 season with a number of position players sidelined. Espinal was designated for assignment (for the second time) in June in order to make space for Tommy Edman, who missed the first 2.5 months of the season as he recovered from offseason ankle surgery.
Santiago Espinal cracked the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster after a hot performance during spring training. Wally Skalij for CA Post
Espinal elected free agency and made a brief stint with the Texas Rangers’ minor league affiliate before the organization released him at the end of July.
On Thursday, the 31-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was assigned to Triple-A Reno.
Since Espinal’s tenure with the Dodgers ended earlier this summer, the infielder hasn’t made a major league appearance. He played in 36 games for LA, hitting .268 with one home run, seven RBIs and a OPS of .651 across 60 plate appearances for the Dodgers.
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“(He has fit in) seamlessly,” manager Dave Roberts said at camp. “It’d be hard to imagine him not being on the team.”
Santiago Espinal played a key depth role for the Dodgers early in 2026. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Espinal’s versatility played well with the Dodgers, especially with utility man Kiké Hernandez sidelined to start the season. The veteran is also proven talent as he was an All-Star with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022.
Now, Espinal will look to get back to full form with the Diamondbacks, who could still call the infielder up in late season move.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jacob deGrom reached 2,000 career strikeouts in the second-fewest games and innings pitched in major league history when the Texas Rangers right-hander fanned the first two batters against the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.
DeGrom struck out Daylen Lile and Abimelec Ortiz, both chasing strike three on sliders below the zone. He received a standing ovation and acknowledged the applause by tapping his cap over his heart.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner made his 272nd career start and went into the game having pitched 1,660 1/3 innings since his big league debut with the New York Mets in 2014.
Hall of Famer Randy Johnson got his 2,000th strikeout in his 262nd appearance for the fewest games, ahead of Clayton Kershaw’s 277. Chris Sale holds the record for fewest innings at 1,626.
At 38, deGrom is the ninth active player and 95th in history to reach the milestone. He is the fourth this season, following Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray and Aaron Nola.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 21: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring off a three-run home run hit by William Contreras in the second inning during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Sunday, June 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn Skeean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are set to host the Atlanta Braves for a pair of (oddly timed) games this weekend before taking them on in MLB’s Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Sunday night. The Brewers are in possession of the best record in baseball, will be looking for their 80th win of the season this weekend. On the other side, the Braves sit atop the NL East with the third-best record in the National League, behind only Milwaukee and the Dodgers.
After Cooper Pratt returned this week, the lone position player left on Milwaukee’s IL is outfielder Sal Frelick, who could be back this weekend. On the pitching side, the Brewers are without relievers Abner Uribe (late August), JoJo Romero (late August), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Joel Kuhnel (late August), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). Starters Quinn Priester and Brandon Woodruff are also out for the year.
Atlanta is without pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach (September at earliest), Robert Suarez (TBD), Spencer Strider (TBD), Hurston Waldrep (TBD), Reynaldo López (late August), Joe Jiménez (September), and Joey Wentz (out for season). They currently have no position players on the IL.
Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, and Joey Ortiz have led the Brewer offense over the last few weeks. Bauers leads the team with 22 homers, while Ortiz is now hitting .252/.317/.381 for the season after an absolutely dismal first two months. Mitchell is hitting .261/.356/.421, and Turang is hitting .262/.356/.439 with 16 homers. Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn have also been consistent pieces offensively, with William Contreras, Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, David Hamilton, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, and Jonathan Ornelas all in the mix. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .253/.337/.397 (.734 OPS ranks seventh), with 642 runs (fourth), 119 homers (last), and 129 steals (third).
Matt Olson and Wisconsin native Drake Baldwin lead the Atlanta offense, as Olson has slugged 36 homers and 31 doubles, and Baldwin has 21 homers as he’s hitting .272/.354/.449. Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Mauricio Dubón, Dominic Smith, Lane Thomas, and Mike Yastrzemski are among the other regulars on offense. Ha-Seong Kim, Jim Jarvis, and Sean Murphy round things out. As a team, the Braves are hitting .246/.310/.413 (.723 OPS ranks 14th), with 608 runs (seventh), 167 homers (tied for fourth), and 62 steals (25th).
Aaron Ashby leads the Milwaukee bullpen with 59 appearances (71 innings) this year, with Trevor Megill closing things out, as he has a 2.39 ERA and 23 saves. With Uribe injured, Chad Patrick and DL Hall have also worked as high-leverage arms, with Antonio Senzatela, Bryse Wilson, and Grant Anderson rounding things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.46 team ERA (second), including a 3.53 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.37 bullpen ERA (third). They’ve struck out 1,245 batters (second) over 1,144 1/3 innings.
Dylan Lee has anchored the Braves bullpen with a team-high 60 appearances, pitching to a strong 2.02 ERA over 58 frames. Raisel Iglesias has a 3.09 ERA and leads the squad with 26 saves, while Didier Fuentes (2.60 ERA over 55 1/3 IP), Dylan Dodd (2.27 ERA over 39 2/3 IP), and former Brewer favorite Brent Suter (2.25 ERA over 8 IP since being acquired at the deadline) also figure prominently. Ray Kerr (0.00 ERA over 2 1/3 IP) and Victor Mederos (3.68 ERA over 22 IP) round things out. As a staff, the Braves have a 3.64 team ERA (fifth), including a 3.75 starter ERA (seventh) and a 3.49 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 1,092 batters (11th) over 1,137 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, August 21 @ 3:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (12-5, 1.75 ERA, 2.14 FIP) vs. LHP Chris Sale (12-8, 2.16 ERA, 2.30 FIP)
Miz will go head-to-head with yet another ace in Friday’s series opener, as he gets the start opposite Chris Sale. The big right-hander is 12-5 this season and remains atop the majors in ERA (1.75), FIP (2.14), strikeouts (210), and WHIP (0.748). He turned in six solid frames to pick up the win over the Dodgers in his last outing, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Misiorowski took a loss against the Braves back in June, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk, striking out seven across six innings.
Sale, 37, is in his 16th MLB season and third with the Braves, and he’s still just as dominant as ever. After winning the NL Cy Young with Atlanta in 2024, he’s been arguably even better this year, with a 2.16 ERA, 2.30 FIP, and 160 strikeouts across 129 innings. He took a tough loss in his last outing against the D-backs, allowing just one run on five hits and no walks while striking out nine as Atlanta lost 2-0. Sale has made six career starts against Milwaukee, with a 2-0 record, 1.62 ERA, and 52 strikeouts over 39 innings. That includes 5 2/3 innings back in June, when he allowed a pair of unearned runs and struck out seven.
Henderson continues to impress as a major leaguer. His ERA is down to 2.70 to go along with a 3.39 FIP and 75 strikeouts across 63 1/3 innings, and he was fantastic in his last outing against the Dodgers. He went a career-high seven frames on a career-high 93 pitches, allowing one run on three hits and a walk, striking out six. This marks Henderson’s first career start against Atlanta.
Pérez, 35, is another long-time lefty veteran, as he’s in his 15th season with his seventh team. He’s made 24 appearances (20 starts) for Atlanta this year, with an 8-7 record, 3.15 ERA, 4.15 FIP, and 83 strikeouts over 111 1/3 innings. Pérez got roughed up a bit against the Twins in his last outing, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out three over five frames. Pérez has made six career appearances (five starts) against Milwaukee, with a 1-3 record, 7.24 ERA, and 21 strikeouts over 32 1/3 innings, though that lone victory came this year, as he went six frames with one run allowed and five strikeouts.
Sunday, August 23 @ 6:10 p.m. (MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, PA): LHP Shane Drohan (6-4, 3.86 ERA, 3.36 FIP) vs. RHP Tyler Mahle (4-10, 4.53 ERA, 4.13 FIP)
Drohan will get the start for the Brewers in Sunday’s showcase, and it’s been a solid year for the left-hander. Across 25 appearances (14 starts), Drohan is 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA, 3.36 FIP, and 99 strikeouts over 100 1/3 innings. He went 5 1/3 innings in his last start against the Dodgers, allowing three runs and striking out five in a no-decision. His last appearance, though, came from the bullpen, as he tossed two scoreless innings with one strikeout in Milwaukee’s 22-0 blowout win over the Mariners on Tuesday night. This marks Drohan’s first career appearance against Atlanta.
Mahle, 31, was acquired by the Braves at the trade deadline in a deal with the Giants. Another veteran, Mahle is in his 10th season with his fifth team. While he had a 5.13 ERA and 4.36 FIP with the Giants across 18 starts, he’s been great with Atlanta, pitching to a 1.45 ERA, 2.93 FIP, and 19 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings in three starts this month. A familiar opponent for Milwaukee, Mahle has made 10 career starts against the Brewers, with a 2-3 record, 4.73 ERA, and 66 strikeouts across 51 1/3 innings. He dominated the Crew in his second-to-last start with the Giants in late July, though, pitching six scoreless innings with three strikeouts as he allowed just three hits and two walks to earn the win.
How to Watch & Listen
Friday, August 14: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, August 15: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, August 16 (MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, PA): Nationally televised on ESPN/ESPN App; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
This will be a fun series between two of baseball’s best teams, capped off with a showdown in Williamsport on Sunday. Give me the Crew to win two of three.
Admit it, Mets fans. You have at least considered the possibility, unlikely as it may seem, as the Mets have ripped off 11 wins in 15 games after a trade deadline sell-off.
They have won four of their last five series and have injected a bit of life into what had been a miserable season.
It will take an enormous run to even be in contention in mid-September. The Mets still trail the Padres by 10 games for the third and final NL wild-card spot, and six other teams are ahead of them.
To reach 83 wins, the number of victories the final wild-card team secured a year ago, the Mets would need to go 25-9. That’s a .735 winning percentage, an extraordinarily tall order.
Let’s take a look at the schedule the rest of the way.
The Mets have the seventh-most difficult remaining strength of schedule, their opponents owning a combined .520 winning percentage.
It includes 12 games against division leaders (White Sox and Rays on the road, Brewers and Astros at home).
There is also the Subway Series against the Yankees in The Bronx, and four more with the contending Phillies at Citi Field. Of the 34 games left, 18 are on the road, where the Mets are seven games under .500.
The good news: The Mets have performed better of late against quality teams.
Since the All-Star break, they have taken series from the Phillies, Padres and NL East-leading Braves.
There are soft spots coming up at Citi Field against the last-place Giants (Sept. 4-6) and under-.500 Orioles and Pete Alonso (Sept. 14-16).
To reach 84 wins, the number of victories the final wild-card team secured a year ago, the Mets would need to go 26-8. Steve Kaye/NY Post Design
Plus, the Mets close the year out against two teams, the Rangers and Nationals, who are under .500 as well.
Since interim manager Andy Green took over June 26, replacing Carlos Mendoza, the Mets have played better baseball.
They are 24-23 in that span, as young players like Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Carson Benge, Nate Lavender and A.J. Ewing have emerged and journeyman types like Daniel Duarte, Jared Young and Jefry Yan have produced.
“Guys are playing good baseball,” Green said recently. “In almost all the games, we’ve found ourselves down at some point [and] the mentality has flipped from ‘Here we go again’ to ‘Here we go again, this is what we do.’ I think there’s a big distinction between those two things and your expectations. I think your play follows that.”
The bottom line is the Mets have to keep winning, and really can’t afford many slipups. They need this 11-4 stretch to be a sign of the final six weeks to come.
The odds are incredibly slim. Their chances of reaching the postseason are 0.1 percent, according to FanGraphs. Hey, it’s better than zero, right?
“I feel like we’re playing loose,’’ Scott said. “There’s an influx of energy with a lot of new guys. We’re having fun and not putting too much pressure on ourselves. And winning is more fun.”
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Kodai Senga celebrates with catcher Luis Torrens after picking up a save in the Mets’ win over the Nationals. Robert Sabo for New York Post
There are 94 pitchers in major league history with 2,000 strikeouts. Jacob deGrom got there faster than 93 of them.
The Texas Rangers right-hander needed eight pitches Thursday night to reach the moment. He struck out Abimelec Ortiz on a slider Thursday night for No. 2,000, two batters into a game against the Washington Nationals. He reached 2,000 Ks in 1,661 career innings. Only Chris Sale, at 1,626 innings in 2019, needed fewer.
DeGrom passed Yu Darvish (1,697⅓ innings), Pedro Martinez, who got there in 1,711⅓ innings, and Randy Johnson, who needed 1,733⅓, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. If you measure it by games, it is nearly as lopsided. Thursday was deGrom's 272nd big league appearance, all of them starts. Johnson needed 262 games to hit 2,000 strikeouts. Nobody else has done it in fewer than 277.
Sale was 30 at the time he reached 2,000 strikeouts and Clayton Kershaw was 29. DeGrom just turned 38 in June.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner in 2018-19 had a late start. DeGrom was a shortstop the first two years of college and drafted after converting to pitching in 2010. He was a ninth-round pick who blew out his elbow six starts into his professional career. He had Tommy John in 2010 and missed all of 2011. He didn't make it to the majors until a month before his 26th birthday.
He has also been saddled with injuries in MLB. He made 31 or more starts in each season from 2017 through 2019 and pitched to a 2.53 ERA across 622⅓ innings. He made 32 starts in 2018 alone. Then came the injuries, and the Tommy John surgery in June 2023, 13 years after the first one. He made just 35 starts total from 2021-24.
When he was healthy, his strikeout rate was among the tops in the game. His strikeout percentage is 30.5 for his career.
This season has been deGrom's messiest of any "healthy stretch." He entered Thursday night's game at 8-8 with a 3.95 ERA and a 98 ERA+. Both are career worsts. The fastball still averages better than 97 mph.
He's had a left hip and glute issue nagging him since the All-Star break, and it is why manager Skip Schumaker pulled him after five innings and 88 pitches against Baltimore on Aug. 8, a night deGrom still struck out nine and gave up one run. Five days later he left his start in Anaheim after just two innings with what the Rangers labeled triceps fatigue. He had an MRI that came back clean and he threw two bullpens to gear up for this night.
DeGrom gave a vintage performance Thursday night. He gave up one hit and held the Nationals scoreless over six innings. He struck out 10, the 64th game of his career he has recorded double-digit strikeouts. The Rangers won 2-0.
Howie Rose does introductions before the game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins during Opening Day on Friday, April 7, 2023, at Citi Field in Queens, NY. (Robert Sabo)
Legendary Mets broadcaster Howie Rose will retire at the end of the club’s home schedule this season.
The team will celebrate Rose with a special retirement ceremony before the last game of the season at Citi Field against the Phillies on Sunday, Sept. 20.
The Mets will recognize Rose’s career and his impact on the organization.
Howie Rose does introductions before the game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins during Opening Day on April 7, 2023, at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Rose has been part of Mets baseball for close to four decades.
The first 15,000 fans will receive a “Put it in the books” notebook and scorecard.
Fans hold up a sign for Howie Rose before a game between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26, 2026, at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The phrase was his signature sign-off after a Mets victory.
“For generations of Mets fans, Howie Rose has been more than a broadcaster, he has been the soundtrack of summer and the voice behind some of the most memorable moments in our history,” owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “His love for baseball and this organization has come through in every call, creating a connection with Mets fans that few broadcasters ever achieve. Howie’s impact extends far beyond the booth.
“He is part of the fabric of this franchise, and we are proud to celebrate an extraordinary career while thanking him for everything he has meant to the Mets. We wish Howie and his family nothing but the best in this next chapter.”
Rose, 72, grew up a Mets fan in Queens and started calling games for the team in 1987.
He has been their lead play-by-play voice on the radio since 2006.
Kade Anderson of the Seattle Mariners pitches for the American League Team during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Mariners are calling up one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
Seattle is promoting left-hander Kade Anderson to make his major league debut Saturday against the Cubs at T-Mobile Park, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Thursday.
Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, has dominated the minor leagues during his first professional season.
Kade Anderson of the Arkansas Travelers pitches during the game between the Wichita Wind Surge and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Friday, April 10, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
The 22-year-old southpaw owns a 1.06 ERA across 93⅓ innings in 18 starts for Double-A Arkansas.
He’s punched out 135 batters while issuing just 13 walks and allowing 47 hits, holding a 10-1 record with a 0.64 WHIP.
Anderson currently stands as the game’s top pitching prospect, along with being the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
Baseball America and FanGraphs both also have Anderson as the top arm on their prospect lists.
The Mariners had recently begun openly discussing the possibility of Anderson joining their rotation for the final stretch.
“We’re not going to put Kade in the bullpen,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said earlier this month. “He’s the best starting pitcher in the minor leagues.”
Kade Anderson of the Seattle Mariners pitches for the American League Team during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
Anderson emerged as one of college baseball’s biggest stars during his final season at LSU when he struck out 180 batters in 119 innings before helping the Tigers win the College World Series and earning Most Outstanding Player honors.
His debut will come on the national stage, with Saturday’s game scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET on Fox.
The Mariners, who are 60-68 heading into the weekend series against the Cubs, are hoping Anderson can provide a boost with their playoff hopes currently on life support.
Although Seattle is just three games back of the third and final American League wild-card spot, five teams standing between them and the final playoff berth.
Kade Anderson, the left-hander making a mockery of Class AA hitters all season, will be called up to start their Saturday, Aug. 22 game in Seattle against the Chicago Cubs, ESPN first reported.
Anderson, 22, was the third overall pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU, and in his first full professional season has proven almost untouchable. He’s struck out 135 in 93⅓ innings while compiling a 10-1 record and 1.06 ERA in 18 starts.
He will be joining one of the deepest and best rotations in baseball, though one that’s collectively not reached expectations this season. That goes for the team as well: With All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh going from a 60-homer campaign to batting .156 with just 13 homers, the Mariners are 60-68 one year after reaching Game 7 of the ALCS.
Yet they’re still just 4.5 games out of first place in the West and 3 games out of an AL wild card spot. But time is slipping away: They absorbed a 22-0 beatdown at Milwaukee on Tuesday and lost two of three games there.
Anderson can probably help.
“I’m really focused on myself, being patient through this process. I feel like my time will come when it comes,” Anderson told USA TODAY Sports last month at the Futures Game in Philadelphia. “I don’t want to play this game for this season.
An outfielder's brutal gaffe with two outs in the ninth costs the Reds the game.
The Reds were handed one of their most brutal losses of the season on Thursday.
With Cincinnati holding a 5-4 lead over the Cardinals with two outs in the ninth inning, St. Louis shortstop J.J. Wetherholt lofted a ball to left-center field, which appeared to be an easy out for center fielder Dane Myers to track down.
But as Myers drifted toward the ball while calling off left fielder TJ Friedl, the ball deflected off his glove and rolled back to the warning track, allowing the Cardinals to score two runs and regain the lead.
After throwing the misplayed ball back into the infield, Myers appeared dumbfounded while crouching in the outfield.
The Cardinals’ offense then exploded with another four runs in top half of the ninth before the Reds responded by putting four across in the bottom half.
Myers owned up to the blunder while speaking to reporters. PNC
Cincinnati’s comeback attempts were ultimately foiled after Matt McLain hit a hard line drive to St. Louis outfielder Jordan Walker with the bases loaded to end the game, with the Cardinals sealing the 10-9 victory.
Myers owned up to the blunder while speaking to reporters, saying that he and Friedl had talked about plays in the gap beforehand.
“Shaded over a good bit. We had talked before the play. Anything in that gap with how we were shaded was supposed to be mine,” Myers said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “So, I know the sun may have been tough.
Myers appeared dumbfounded while crouching in the outfield after throwing the ball back into the infield. PNC
“Pretty loud for the last out of a game. I called him off and just didn’t make the play.”
Reds skipper Terry Francona likened Myers’ game-altering error to a simple baseball mistake.
“TJ looked like he was fighting the sun and I was kind of glad that Myers called him off,” Francona said. “Just didn’t look it into his glove. Just glanced off.”
Thursday’s loss gives the Reds a 61-67 record, and they sit seven games out of the final National League wild-card spot with just over a month left in the regular season.
New York Yankees Aaron Judge watch the Yankees in the dugout when the New York Yankees played the Seattle Mariners Thursday, August 13, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.
BALTIMORE — Although the Yankees were due to play a key game at Camden Yards on Thursday night, the most important swings of the day may have come in The Bronx, where Aaron Judge started hitting off a tee.
“It went well,’’ the manager said before the Yankees topped the Orioles 6-1. “It will be good to see him [Friday] when we get home.”
Initially restricted to limited activity, Judge had moved on to playing catch and, more recently, swinging in a pool.
But if there’s any real chance of Judge getting healthy and performing up to his normal standards before the end of the season, the Yankees will have to keep an eye on the calendar.
Aaron Judge watches from the dugout during the Yankees’ loss to the Mariners on Aug. 13, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post
He’s already been sidelined for nearly three months and will need time to get back into playing shape when he’s completely healthy.
Another injured outfielder, Cody Bellinger, played his first minor league rehab game Thursday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after being out with a hamstring strain since suffering the injury July 25. He served as the DH and went 1-for-3.
Bellinger will likely need more than one rehab game before his return, but the Yankees haven’t ruled out a potential return this weekend at the Stadium against Toronto.
Without Bellinger, the Yankees have been forced to play Spencer Jones and Heliot Ramos more than they would like.
Boone said Giancarlo Stanton has continued his running program as he works to get back from the calf injuries that have kept him from playing since April.
Ryan McMahon didn’t play Thursday after suffering an injury to his left thumb while sliding into second base during Wednesday’s win.
The third baseman said he expected to get another scan of the injury Friday in The Bronx, but as of Thursday, no IL stint was deemed necessary, and initial X-rays showed nothing was broken.
José Caballero started at third base in McMahon’s place.
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Since the Yankees were unable to pick up a catcher at the trade deadline, Mitch Garver likely is their best option if they decide to replace Ali Sánchez as Austin Wells’ backup.
Garver, released by the Mariners earlier this month, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees, and Boone said the veteran right-handed hitter has made “good strides” after working with the organization’s catching group in Tampa, Fla.
He’s been with SWB for a week, but Boone said “nothing’s imminent” in terms of Garver potentially being called up to The Bronx.
Right-hander Ben Hess, the Yankees’ fourth-best pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was placed on the 60-day IL.
Hess, 23, was the first-round pick in 2024 and was limited to 56 ²/₃ innings at Double-A this season.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - JUNE 25: Kade Anderson, 2025 College World Series Champs LSU Baseball Star, works celebratory "Shift" at Raising Cane's Baton Rouge on June 25, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Images for Raising Cane's) | Getty Images for Raising Cane's
The Seattle Mariners are calling up left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson to make his first big league start on Saturday, August 22nd against the Chicago Cubs. The long awaited debut comes following a road trip where Seattle struggled to contain three potent offenses, scuppering their chances of upsetting a few of the best teams in baseball and making up ground in the American League West.
Anderson has not been merely lights out so much as vantablack with Double-A Arkansas in the Texas League. Anderson is all but universally viewed as the top pitching prospect in baseball due to stellar stuff, plus command, and a dominant résumé from his time on campus at LSU up through this summer with the Travelers. Some evaluators have even placed him as the best prospect in all of baseball, full stop.
His 1.06/1.78/2.67 ERA/FIP/DRA are mildly aided by a very friendly home field for pitchers in Dickey-Stephens Park, but what has aided them more is Anderson being an absolute monster. He has dominated every lineup he has faced, from veteran-filled rosters 4 to 6 years his senior to highly regarded prospect groups, including a star-studded Tulsa Drillers team that features several of the top prospects in baseball as the AA affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers. What’s been particularly standout is his consistency – Anderson has allowed more than two runs just once on the year in 18 starts (a five-run outings in mid-May). He’s allowed more than one run just two other times, with two runs in starts against Double-A Amarillo (San Diego’s affiliate) and at the launching pad of Springfield (the Cardinals affiliate). In his 93.1 innings, he’s had 135 strikeouts against just 13 walks and a single hit by pitch.
Anderson utilizes a deep bag of tricks, all of which he commands excellently. His fastball doesn’t explode on the radar gun, but there is some aspect of deception in Anderson’s lanky delivery that lets it get on opposing hitters far quicker than one would expect. He complements those heaters with a nasty mid 80s slider that is his best out pitch, breaking tightly and befuddling hitters of either handedness. Anderson also utilizes a beautiful big curveball which frequently buckles knees and freezes hitters, alongside a firm change up that completes a gorgeous compass rose of movement profiles.
Watching Anderson, it’s been reasonable to say he is one of Seattle’s five best starting pitchers, even in a rotation that for much of the year has been a strength. It’s been defensible to continue letting the existing starters have their run considering each has big league success they can point to, but the timing of Anderson‘s promotion cannot be decoupled from the passing of the recent service time deadline. With under 45 days to go in the service time calendar, Anderson will maintain rookie eligibility in 2027, keeping him eligible for the prospect promotion incentives rewards without risking an additional year of closer proximity to free agency.
President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto recently stated there was no intention to have Anderson come up and work in relief. Mariners fans should know by now not to take any public comments from Dipoto as gospel, but the level at which Anderson has performed is meritorious of a rotation look. Seattle has been cautious with him in terms of innings, rarely letting Anderson face opponents more than twice through the order, which is a point worth monitoring when considering his numbers. But even in outings frequently kept around five frames for that reason, Anderson has been hilariously efficient and effective.
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 19: Andrés Chaparro #87 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with CJ Abrams #5 in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last night the Nats got carried by their ace Cade Cavalli. They also got enough offense thanks to a monster night from Andres Chaparro. The Nats will look to claim a series win with their second best starter on the mound. After some recent road struggles, a series win would be a nice way to get back on track.
CJ Abrams is out of the lineup in this rubber match with an ankle injury. Nasim Nunez will be playing shortstop while Jose Tena plays second base. Brady House will be at third base for Jorbit Vivas and Dylan Crews is back in the lineup in center field. Andres Chaparro and Abi Ortiz are both in the lineup again. Andrew Pinckney will also get a somewhat rare start. Andrew Alvarez has been excellent lately and will look to keep that up.
With a lefty on the mound, we will see a lot of the faces we saw in game one. Jake Burger, Justin Foscue, Danny Jansen and Cody Freeman all return to the lineup. Most of these guys are short-side platoon bats. The Nats will see an old friend on the mound tonight. Jacob DeGrom dominated them with the Mets for many years, but now he is in Texas and still throws heat.
A series win would be very uplifting for a Nats team that has struggled lately. With Alvarez on the mound, they have one of their hottest arms. Hopefully they can get enough done offensively. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
