Category: MLB

The plan entering the season may have been to trade CJ Abrams at this deadline. However, I just don’t think that is a move you can do at this point. Abrams has become too important for this ballclub to ship off. The Nats need to keep Abrams, at least through this season and make a major push towards an extension.

Abrams has been a nice player over the last three seasons prior to this year. He has taken things to another level in 2026. With the help of the Nats new hitting coaches, Abrams has become the best offensive shortstop in all of baseball. He is on pace for 42 home runs, 127 RBI and 26 steals. That is historic production from the shortstop position.

This is not something you can trade unless you get a package that rivals the Soto haul. Unless I see a Kade Anderson, Ryan Sloan or Seth Hernandez type of arm headlining a package, I am honestly not that interested. Sure, Abrams is getting closer to free agency, but the Nats are also getting closer to winning.

When the Nats traded Juan Soto with 2.5 years of control, it was clear that this team was years away from relevancy. Right now, the Nats are on the cusp of being a relevant force in the National League. Heck, they have a chance to make the playoffs this year, being a game out of the third Wild Card spot. An Abrams trade would just kill all of the momentum from this season.

Right now, I am seeing Anthony Volpe and George Lombard Jr. packages. I am sorry, that just does not get the job done for me. Despite all the hate he gets, I actually think there is a decent player in there with Volpe. He seems like a prime change of scenery candidate. Lombard is a very good prospect, who should be a quality starting shortstop for a long time. However, neither of those guys have the superstar upside Toboni should be looking for.

If the Nats don’t get a package headlined by a top 10 prospect in baseball, it is not worth considering. I know the Yankees are interested, but Abrams has played his way out of their price range in my opinion. He is already a 4 win player with a wRC+ over 150. That is rarified air, and the type of player you need to build around.

An extension for Abrams will not be easy, but it is not impossible either. Without the Scott Boras factor, the window is open. It will take a lot of money, and I doubt ownership will be comfortable with it. However, at a certain point, ownership needs to get out of their comfort zone and prove their commitment. Nats fans need to see one of their star players actually stick around in DC for the long haul.

Right now, the Nats have a great thing going. Abrams and Wood are probably the best duo in all of baseball at the moment. They have grown up together and now they are just hitting their stride. Breaking up this duo right as they enter their prime will take an insane offer.

Given Abrams’ proximity to free agency and the Nats pitching woes, he should not be truly untouchable. However, the bar should be at a place where most teams simply won’t go. If a team does meet the bar, you can trade him, but it has to be for a godfather offer.

Getting “fair value” for Abrams is not good enough for Nats fans. We have to be getting 125 cents on the dollar here. Nats fans are getting tired of rebuilding. Making another move for 3 to 5 years from now would be a tough pill to swallow. It feels like the window is finally starting to open up.

That window should include CJ Abrams. Whether it is the deadline or the offseason, the Nats need to be aggressive in the pitching market, both in trades and free agency. Picking up Connelly Early is a good start, but the Nats still need a couple more starters and a rebuilt bullpen heading into 2027.

The Nats have a truly special offense that can carry this team for years to come. Wood and Abrams are the pillars of the attack, and they need to stick together. The Nationals finally have an identity after years in the wilderness. Paul Toboni would have a lot of explaining to do if he broke up that identity after just a few months. 

Unless someone truly overpays you like the Padres did for Soto, Abrams needs to stay. If the Nats were 15 games under .500 or if Abrams was just having a good year, things would be different. However, the window is opening for the Nationals and CJ Abrams is too dang good to trade.

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David Peterson's results have improved with the Chicago Cubs, but his underlying numbers remain poor.

I don't think the Chicago Cubs deserve to be -120 favorites with Peterson on the mound, and my Cubs vs. Cardinals predictions and MLB picks on Monday, July 27, reflect that.

Who will win Cubs vs Cardinals today: St. Louis Cardinals (+100)

David Peterson owns a 5.57 ERA, 5.60 SIERA, and 12.6 K% over the last 30 days. He is in horrendous form.

The St. Louis Cardinals have not hit lefties consistently of late, but I’m not sure it matters. They faced Peterson twice recently and combined for 16 runs while knocking him out before completing four innings on both occasions.

Matthew Liberatore has started pitching a little better, conceding three runs or fewer in three of his past four starts — including against the Chicago Cubs.

Back the Cardinals to -110.

COVERS INTEL:Peterson sits at the 19th percentile in K%, playing into the hands of a Cardinals lineup with the second-lowest K% vs. lefties.

Cubs vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (-110)

Opponents are hammering Peterson to the tune of a 44.1% hard-hit rate over the last month, which is the second-highest output among today’s starting pitchers.

Peterson is having a miserable time striking batters out, and the Cardinals excel in avoiding punchouts, making a perfect storm for plenty of good contact.

Liberatore’s 30.2% line-drive rate the past 30 days is alarmingly bad, and doesn’t bode well for his chances of slowing down a Cubs offense sitting in the Top 10 vs. lefties during that stretch.

Bet the Over to -120.

Cubs vs Cardinals weather

Temperatures are expected to approach 100 with slight winds blowing out.

Cubs vs Cardinals odds

• Moneyline: Cubs -120 | Cardinals +100
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+130) | Cardinals +1.5 (-150)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-110) | Under 9.5 (-110)

Cubs vs Cardinals trend

Chicago has hit the Game Total Over in 18 of the last 30 games (+4.85 units, 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Cardinals.

How to watch Cubs vs Cardinals and game info

Cubs vs Cardinals latest injuries

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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 27!

MLB moneyline picks for July 27

Matchup	Pick
Mariners vs Rangers	+122
Orioles vs Tigers	+108
Diamondbacks vs Pirates	+111
Phillies vs Marlins	+170
Blue Jays vs Nationals	-115
Guardians vs Reds	-153
Braves vs Mets	+106
Yankees vs White Sox	-135
Cubs vs Cardinals	+106
Astros vs Angels	-106
Red Sox vs Athletics	+160
Brewers vs Giants	-125

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 7-27.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for July 27

Mariners vs Rangers: Rangers (+125)

Rangers win probability: 44%

I get to back an offense with a 135 wRC+, .365 wOBA, and .837 OPS over its last six games against one with a 93 wRC+, .108 ISO, and .674 OPS, all at plus money? Yeah, give me the Rangers in this spot.

The Mariners have posted a wRC+ below 100 for more than a month now, while the Rangers have been on an absolute tear offensively.

Kumar Rocker has shown flashes throughout the season, and he'll do enough to keep Seattle's lineup in check. With the way Texas is swinging the bats right now, plus money is too good to pass up.

Orioles vs Tigers: Orioles (-111)

Orioles win probability: 52%

Keider Montero has been solid for the Tigers over his last few outings, but so has Kyle Bradish. I think this one comes down to which offense I trust more, and that's Baltimore's.

Over their last 12 games, the Orioles own a 113 wRC+, .334 wOBA, and .745 OPS, while continuing to swing the bats at a much more consistent level.

As for the Tigers, they've been one of baseball's most inconsistent offenses all season. I want no part of trying to time when that lineup is going to break out, especially against a pitcher like Bradish. Give me the better offense in what I expect to be a tightly contested game.

Diamondbacks vs Pirates: Diamondbacks (+111)

Diamondbacks win probability: 48%

It's a battle of mid-tier starters as Merrill Kelly and Mitch Keller square off this evening. Similar to the rest of the teams I'm backing today, I want the hotter offense, and that's Arizona. The Diamondbacks have completely flipped the switch over the last few weeks, swinging the bats with confidence.

Meanwhile, the Pirates have gone ice cold over their last six games, posting a 68 wRC+, .262 wOBA, and .092 ISO.

I'll gladly take the plus money underdog in a matchup where I trust the hotter lineup to make the difference.

Phillies vs Marlins: Marlins (+170)

Marlins win probability: 37%

The Phillies are coming off an 11-run outburst against the Yankees last night, and I have a rule to fade teams immediately after massive offensive performances. Sure, the Marlins haven't been the sexiest team to back since June, but I have no interest in laying money with a team that just scored nearly two touchdowns worth of runs.

I'll take my chances fading the offensive regression in this spot.

Blue Jays vs Nationals: Nationals (-115)

Nationals win probability: 54%

The old man is on the mound against one of the hottest lineups in baseball, and I want the Nationals in this spot.

Not only have the Blue Jays' bats gone ice cold, but they're also sending Max Scherzer to the mound to stop the bleeding. That hasn't gone well this season. Scherzer owns a 10.23 ERA, 5.58 xERA, and 1.73 WHIP, and he hasn't looked like the pitcher he once was.

Andrew Alvarez hasn't exactly been lights out for Washington either, but the Nationals offense has been swinging it well, while Toronto's lineup has looked lifeless. I'll gladly back the hotter offense at plus money in this matchup.

Guardians vs Reds: Reds (-156)

Reds win probability: 61%

Not a fan of laying this much juice with a team like the Reds, but when Slade Cecconi is on the mound, it's tough not to fade him.

The Guardians right-hander owns a 7.43 ERA and 2.02 WHIP over his last three starts, while allowing a 55% hard-hit rate and 12% barrel rate. That's a recipe for disaster, especially in a hitter-friendly park like Great American Ball Park.

On the other side, Chase Burns has done an excellent job protecting his home field this season, posting a 2.32 ERA and 1.15 WHIP at Great American Ball Park. I don't love the price, but this is a matchup where I'll happily side with Cincinnati.

Braves vs Mets: Mets (+104)

Mets win probability: 49%

With Martin Perez posting a 5.40 ERA, 6.46 xERA, and 1.57 WHIP over his last three outings, I was already leaning toward the Mets. Then I looked at how sustainable Zac Thornton has been, and it only strengthened my confidence in backing New York at home tonight.

Neither offense has been setting the world on fire lately, but the Mets have been generating much more hard contact while also drawing significantly more walks. I think those extra baserunners, combined with the pitching edge, make the Mets the right side in Queens tonight.

Yankees vs White Sox: Yankees (-135)

Yankees win probability: 57%

The White Sox exploded for 12 runs on Sunday afternoon against the Astros to avoid the series sweep. Now they welcome the New York Yankees to town.

Chicago will send Noah Schultz to the mound, and he has been hit hard all season. Over his last three starts, Schultz owns a 6.59 ERA, 6.89 xERA, and 1.83 WHIP.

Neither offense has been lighting it up, especially if you take away Chicago's 12-run outburst. Max Fried should give the Yankees a significant edge on the mound, and I also like fading the White Sox after such a massive offensive performance. That's enough for me to lean with New York in this spot.

Cubs vs Cardinals: Cardinals (+106)

Cardinals win probability: 48%

David Peterson is not a pitcher I'm willing to back as a favorite, especially while posting a 6.46 ERA, 6.29 xERA, and 1.44 WHIP over his last three outings. This isn't me saying Matthew Liberatore is some elite arm, because he isn't, but I do think he's the better pitcher in this matchup.

The Cubs offense has been humming over the last month, but I'm not willing to trust Peterson to keep any lineup in check for five innings right now. At this price, I'll gladly take my chances fading him. 

Astros vs Angels: Astros (-106)

Astros win probability: 52%

I am aware that Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai has been a bit rocky, but he's still a strikeout machine, and we all know the Angels love to swing and miss.

On top of that, Houston's offense has started to heat up over the last few weeks. After getting embarrassed by the White Sox, who hung two touchdowns on them Sunday, I expect the Astros to bounce back in a big way.

I like Houston to respond with a much better performance tonight.

Red Sox vs Athletics: Athletics (+160)

Athletics win probability: 38%

Price-wise and straight up, I want the Athletics. Sure, the Red Sox have been one of the best stories in baseball over the last month, but they simply have not been scoring runs consistently. If the Athletics can jump on left-hander Payton Tolle early, they have a great chance to come away with the win.

On top of that, I have no interest in laying -163 with an offense that owns an 80 wRC+, .291 wOBA, and .138 ISO over its last week. At this price, I'll gladly take the value with the A's.

Brewers vs Giants: Brewers (-125)

Brewers win probability: 56%

Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat hasn't been particularly sharp over his last three outings, posting a 5.60 xERA and 1.71 WHIP. On the other side, Tyler Mahle has been solid enough, but nothing that really moves the needle.

Tonight in the Bay, I want to back the far better offense, and that's Milwaukee. The Brewers have been seeing the ball much better lately, while the Giants have posted a wRC+ below 100 with a strikeout rate north of 26% over their last six games.

Getting the Brewers at -125 feels like a steal in my book.

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Baseball is a cruel business. Tsung-Che Cheng will always be remembered as one of the spark plugs of the Sox’ historic 15-game win streak. Cheng appeared in 9 of the 15 wins and started 8 of them, putting up an OBP of .407 during the stretch and stabilizing the middle infield defense. But with the arrival of Curtis Mead, the Red Sox needed a roster spot and it was Cheng who was sent to Worcester… on his birthday. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

The demotion of Cheng is a reminder that every time a team adds someone new and exciting, there’s always going to be someone else who is disappointed about the old players who are sent packing. Those mixed emotions were prevalent throughout the clubhouse with respect to the departure of Connelly Early. “There’s a lot of guys in there that are very close with Connelly, and he’s been a huge part of this,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. “I think at the same time, it sends a message like, ‘Hey, we’re trying to do some things to fill some gaps, with the run scoring and things like that, and we added a power bat.” (Matty Wasserman, Boston Globe)

Craig Breslow himself also described the trade as “incredibly uncomfortable,” but felt he had to do it anyway. “A lot of front offices are looking at very similar information, so trying to find an opportunity to win a trade is not nearly as easy as it maybe it would have been at another point,” Breslow said. “Instead, in this position, I’ve tried to shift to our goal not (being) to win the trade. Our goal is to make our major league team better. Sometimes, the most straightforward way to do that is a need-for-need-type trade.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

And by all accounts, the Sox aren’t done with the trade market. So who could be heading out the door next? Here’s a breakdown of the minor leaguers who are most in demand. “The Sox were willing to discuss Arias last year in deals for Twin hurler Joe Ryan or Arizona slugger Ketel Marte. His value has gone up since those conversations, but if the Sox want one of the potential jewels of the trade market such as Angels shortstop Zach Neto, Arias would be a necessary price.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

The fact that Arias is just about untouchable is a big reason why the Red Sox don’t land all that high on this ranking of teams most likely to land Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. (The Athletic)

And with the return of Ranger Suárez, the Red Sox rotation may not need much of an upgrade. (Scott McLaughlin, WEEI)

Hunter Goodman is also being viewed as a potential big game price, with the Sox, Yankees, and Rays amongst other teams all being mentioned as looking for a catcher. (Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon, The Athletic)

The San Diego Padres entered the top of the eighth inning trailing the Miami Marlins, 3-1. By the time the inning was over they held a 5-3 lead thanks to home runs from two of their big bats. Manny Machado, the Miami native, stepped the plate with no outs and Jake Cronenworth on first base after a leadoff single to open the frame. Machado battled Marlins reliever Lake Bachar for six pitches, but he won the at-bat and tied the game when he connected on a fastball at the top of the strike zone. The ball left Machado’s bat at 106 mph, and it landed just beyond the wall in center field to tie the game, 3-3.

Ty France grounded out for the first out in the top of the eighth inning. Jackson Merrill followed and connected on a pitch that was up and out over the plate. Merrill hit the ball out to right field to give the Padres their first lead of the game at 4-3. San Diego tacked on another run thanks to a Luis Rengifo one-out double. He advanced to third on a groundout which gave Luis Campusano a chance to add the lead. The Padres catcher came through with a single to left field that allowed Rengifo to score to give the Padres a 5-3 lead en route to the win and the sweep of the Marlins.

Adrian Morejon came on for the eighth inning and while it was not as sharp as the Friar Faithful have come to expect from the left-hander it did result in a scoreless inning. Mason Miller came in the for the bottom of the ninth inning and locked down the win while earning his 27th save of the season.

Walker Buehler started the game and delivered a solid start for San Diego. The veteran right-hander worked into the sixth inning and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. It was the kind of start the Padres needed after back-to-back bullpen games. Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, Morejon and Miller combined to work the remaining 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.

Cronenworth was the table setter for San Diego. He finished his day at the plate 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Machado was the benefactor of Cronenworth’s solid offensive day. Machado finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI. France, Merrill and Rengifo all finished with two hits in the game, with Merrill providing the go-ahead run on his solo home run in the eighth.

San Diego has an off day today before hosting the Colorado Rockies for two games and the San Francisco Giants for four games heading into the trade deadline. The Padres have played themselves back to .500 and how they perform in the upcoming homestand will determine the deadline approach for the front office.

Padres News:

• Rosman Verdugo helped the Fort Wayne TinCaps get a win.

• San Diego’s recent approach to starting pitching was born out of necessity, but it’s not the first time MLB has seen this approach.

Baseball News:

• Jacob Misiorowski opened the game with seven strikeouts to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a win.

• Munetaka Murakami had a huge game and led the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros.

• The Boston Red Sox traded Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for Curtis Mead.

• CJ Abrams powered the Nationals past the Arizona Diamondbacks.

• The Pittsburgh Pirates got a one-run win over the Chicago Cubs.

• The New York Mets took down the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The thing about the 2026 Orioles is that they can always manage to fool you for a little while into believing that they might be able to turn things around. The best version of this team really is good enough. Mike Elias wasn’t wrong to assess that. The problem, as was unfortunately demonstrated in increasingly ridiculous ways over the last week, is that they aren’t the best version often enough, and when they’re bad, they’re embarrassingly bad.

There is a tragic element to it all, tragic in the Greek sense that is fresher on many people’s minds since Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey is proving to be a popular sensation. It’s got me thinking about how frequently the gods of Greek myth were known to punish mortals for their hubris, and wondering just how much Elias’s roster-building philosophy embodies that hubris.

This takes on a variety of forms, which I get into in this episode, but the real hubris seems to be thinking that a team where nearly every hitter is one of his precious high draft picks is going to be able to be good enough to be a winner, even though they have now spent the past three seasons demonstrating to us that this is not the case.

Listen to this week’s episode here:

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This is my weekly podcast about whatever is going on lately with the Orioles. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure to subscribe. You can get the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you prefer to access your podcasts.

How are you feeling about the way things are going with the Orioles right now? Answers could make it into the mailbag section of a future episode of the podcast.

As the week flips over into Monday, I will take care of some housekeeping where hopefully all interested eyes will see it. I’m flying out for a trip Tuesday evening. I won’t return home until Saturday, Aug. 8. It’s a safe bet that I will write up the Saturday 8/8 game on Sunday 8/9. I believe I’ll write up 7/27 on 7/28 and the following game. But I make no promises. After that, Al will do the heavy lifting on the Heroes and the Goats. I do not know how much Wi-Fi access nor how much time I will have on this trip. I may be largely MIA. Y’all be good to Al while I’m gone. I suspect I’ll chime in with at least occasional thoughts on an important stretch of baseball on and off of the field.

On to the Sunday game. Working for Al is super easy. He has never told me to write about this or not write about that. Very occasionally I go off the rails and he reels me back in. But other than that, I don’t have to do anything special here. I could literally just post the numbers from the game and get a daily byline. But, I like to use this as Tom’s therapy space. That’s why you see things like perspective check. I too want to keep from getting carried away in either direction. I too want to be able to enjoy the yearly roller coaster ride without losing my sanity.

That’s a long way of saying that though I’ve chosen the voice of this space to be the high level view of that roller coaster ride, it isn’t always easy. Along with taking that high level view, I try very hard to keep this space very positive. If you were a professional athlete, you could expect over time to read some of the most vile awful comments about you somewhere over the course of your career. From everything I know to be true, nearly 100 percent of the people who have ever worn Cubbie Blue try hard, work hard and very badly want to succeed.

No one player ever costs his team a game, unless there are some scenarios I’m not thinking of, where you forfeit a game because of the actions of one player. Once a team takes the field, a number of players have roles, some small and some large that contribute to winning and losing. I’ve always thought it garbage to pin it all on one guy. Even to the extent that one performance was so bad, there were almost always opportunities for teammates to overcome the adversity and win. Certainly, there are coaches and front office people involved with putting that player in that situation to fail. Teams win and lose together or they fall part.

That’s all a very, very long way of saying Jameson Taillon had a very bad start on Sunday. It’s one in a long string of bad to awful starts. We try to deal in reality here. In that reality, we’re pretty sure this team is likely to be a playoff team. Once they get there, they have a decent chance of winning one series and a small chance of winning two. Losing every fifth day or having to dig out of a massive hole to win is going to diminish all of those chances. You hate to see it, but this team needs to move on. I’m not even sure you could send him to the bullpen and get value there. I don’t wish ill on anyone. I really hope the Cubs cut bait on him, he regroups and has 3-5 good years for someone else. It happens. There are guys that end up being a better fit with your team than others and guys that end up being a worse fit. In being fair, he did provide a fair bit of value to this team over the life of the contract that brought him to Chicago.

The positive out of the game? The team never stopped fighting and took the game all the way down to the wire. This game certainly was nowhere near as close as a one run loss. The team has scored 57 runs in nine games since the All-Star break. That’s a blistering pace and it is kind of incredible that they have only won five of the nine games. They’ve scored 16 in the four losses and 41 in the five wins. That speaks to some of the struggles the pitching has had. 16 runs in four losses isn’t bad at all. 41 runs in the five wins shows that this team is clobbering the opposition when things go well.

Hopefully the bats stay hot in St. Louis and the pitching settles down a little. Let’s hit that perspective check. Four teams with more wins than the Cubs. One with as many wins as the Cubs. A 2.5 game lead on the first Wild Card spot in the NL. On a pace for 91 wins. 2-1 to start this 17-game stretch.

Three Positives and Pete:

• Michael Busch had a single a double, a walk and a run scored to wrap up a very good weekend.
• Michael Conforto had a double and drew a walk and scored twice.
• Pedro Ramirez had a pair of singles, drove in a run and scored a run.
• Pete was relatively quiet, with a triple and an RBI.

Game 105, July 26: Pirates 8, Cubs 7 (59-46)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Dansby Swanson (.123). 2-4, RBI, R
• Hero: Nico Hoerner (.051). 2-4, RBI, R
• Sidekick: Aaron Civale (.018). 2 IP, 7 BF, H, 3 K

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Jameson Taillon (-.376). 4 IP, 19 BF, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 ER, 3 K (L 2-6)
• Goat: Carson Kelly (-.108). 0-4, RBI
• Kid: Ian Happ (-.078). 1-5, DP

WPA Play of the Game: Shawn Ross’ two out, two-run homer in the second gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead. (.183)

Cubs Play of the Game: Dansby Swanson batted with runners on first and second and two outs in the second. He singled and ultimately he and the runner from first ended up on second and third. (.118)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 104 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong 42-37 over Shōta Imanaga.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +22
• Carson Kelly/Ben Brown +13.5
• Shōta Imanaga +12
• Trent Thornton +11.5
• Dansby Swanson/Phil Maton -10
• Nico Hoerner -11
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Caleb Thielbar -14

Up Next: The trip moves to St. Louis. The Cardinals are 53-52 and have themselves played 10 straight games coming out of the break (3-7) and don’t have a day off until Aug. 6. So their stretch is 19 in a row and it isn’t going well. These stretches handcuff the team. You can’t attack a game with your bullpen the same way and you have to be careful to keep the team fresh as the dog days of summer drag on.

David Peterson (5-7, 5.97) gets the opener for the Cubs. He picked up a win in his last start, throwing 6.2 innings and allowing no runs. Hopefully David is getting things back on track and heading in the right direction. The Cardinals hadn’t announced a starter at the time I wrote this, but this should be Matthew Liberatore’s spot. Liberatore is 5-7 with a 5.18 over 20 starts. The former 16th overall pick of the Rays in 2018 allowed five runs in 5.1 innings against the Angels in LA last week. The Cubs beat him on July 5, scoring three runs in five innings against him.

The Cardinals are reeling a bit. Hopefully the Cubs can pounce and get at least two and maybe three.

Ozzie Albies is having a fun season. I’m not sure it’s unequivocally a good season, but it’s been fun. His wRC+ is back in triple digits (now sitting at an even 100) while falling short of that mark in 2024 and 2025. His ISO is higher than both 2024 and 2025, and he’s already hit 17 dingers after finishing with 16 last year. His defense has been a positive for the first time since 2022, muffling the alarm bells going off about his aging with regard to that particular skillset.

And, of course, there’s the ever-present “Wizard of Ozzie” thing — though Albies generally outhit his xwOBA in every year from his debut through 2023 — he’s never done so by quite as much for this long. Seriously, he’s got a .320 wOBA and a .285 xwOBA as of me looking this morning. Only Pete Crow-Armstrong has a bigger outperformance with as many or more PAs; Albies is in the top 20 if you set the cutoff to 200-plus PAs this season.

But, there was yesterday’s game. Albies went 0-for-6 with a terrible defensive misplay that essentially turned what could have been a regulation win into a wacky, drawn-out extra innings affair that nonetheless gave the Braves a “W.” But, Albies didn’t even help in the extra innings portion, as he popped out with the bases loaded and one out after the Braves had taken a lead in the 11th. His xwOBA in the game was a sad .106. He had one meh liner that turned into a double play because of where it was hit, and four worst-in-class bits of contact to go with his strikeout.

Even without the error, it was his worst WPA game of the season. He had a few worse offensive WPA games, including his worst game ever in that regard in a one-run loss to the Padres in 2023, but when you combine the terrible stuff at the plate with that really bad error, it was a rough one.

Do you think, personally, this was has nadir as far as how he feels about his own contributions? If so, that’s kind of comforting, because the Braves won and everyone survived. Or, do you think there’s another game that felt worse from his perspective?

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland writes about what we’ve learned about the Texas Rangers playing in a historically unexceptional division in 2026.

Jeff Wilson writes that the American League West slap fight continued yesterday with Texas missing a chance to sink the Mariners.

McFarland writes that the growing need for high leverage bullpen help reared its ugly head in a late loss to Seattle.

Kennedi Landry notes that Corey Seager look live batting practice on Sunday as he works his way back from a lingering back ailment.

McFarland writes that a rehab stint could be the next step for Seager as the Rangers hope to get their superstar back for the stretch run.

Someone at The Athletic predicts that the bold move that the Rangers will make at the deadline will be acquiring Luke Weaver. I’d take Levi Weaver back on the beat, personally.

McFarland writes that Rangers prospect John Taylor is one step away from the big leagues after choosing professional baseball over YouTube success.

And, Eric Nadel penned an essay about how the landscape for sports, recreation, and live music have changed in the in DFW.

Have a nice day!

The wild ride that is Logan Schmidt’s draft process took another turn today, as the high school graduate announced on Instagram that he will not sign his professional deal with the Cleveland Guardians.

It was just two weeks ago that Schmidt was drafted #59 overall by the Guardians in the 2nd round of the MLB Draft. Slot value for that pick was $1,598,900, far less than his reported asking price. In the pre-draft process, his number was said to be $5 million.

That high of a signing bonus would have had him lined up in the top-20 of the draft, but he was no longer expected to go that high. He was, at one time, but the LHP dropped on teams’ boards after the MLB Combine due to his interviews. He changed agents going in to the combine, as well, which was odd timing considering the draft was just weeks away.

Leading in to the draft, questions about his signability began to arise, leading scouts to believe that he could end up making it to LSU. Nonetheless, his name was called on day 1 at #59 overall, prompting everyone to believe that his next step was settled and he’d be signing professionally.

Not so fast. Jason Armstrong of Inside LSU Baseball reported today that Schmidt and the Guardians never did come to an agreement before they drafted him.

For those that don’t know, the MLB draft process is far different from the other professional drafts. In the NFL and NBA drafts, organizations select a player and his rights. Pro ball is their only option at that point. Players selected in the MLB draft can opt for collegiate ball, even if drafted by an MLB organization, as long as they have eligibility remaining. So, teams and draft prospects will typically have a deal in place before the name is officially turned in to avoid situations like this.

As Jason reported, Schmidt was seeking a signing bonus equal to other high school LHPs in the class ($3-4 million). After Cleveland signed their second to last drafted prospect on Friday, they were left with only around $1.7 million in their bonus pool, clearly far less than he was negotiating for.

That gap is what has led us to this point.

What next, then? Once the deadline for teams to sign their draftees passes on Monday, July 27th at 5 pm ET, college is Schmidt’s only traditional option. He could choose to uphold his commitment to LSU or he could choose to go the junior college route.

If he chose JUCO, he could re-enter the draft next year after just one season in college and try to get his worth in 2027. He would likely show out against lesser competition, but would the maturity questions be answered? How much could be prove in a year at a small school where the players help with field upkeep? Or would it simply be a re-do in hopes that one of the other 29 teams give him the number he was looking for this year?

As for LSU, the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Jay Johnson has won two titles in his first five years at the helm for the Tigers and has had players get drafted at #1, #2, #3, #5, and #6 overall in just those five years. Kade Anderson is a former LHP who was highly ranked coming out of high school, spent two years in Baton Rouge, got drafted #3 overall, and is now the #1 prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization and blowing through the minor league system. He will be in the big leagues sooner than later.

While it’s easy to sit back from the outside and acknowledge how appealing the LSU option is, what needs to be considered is Schmidt’s age. At only 17 years old, he would not again be eligible for the MLB draft for another three years. As I was told last night, kids from California don’t necessarily grow up dreaming to play at Alex Box. That’s not to say that he would not like to, but if a kid finishes high school and is dead-set on getting drafted to begin his professional career, a three year extension could feel like an eternity, despite the perks that come with it.

The talks of how Jay Johnson will manage his roster for the 2027 season have been prominent, but make no mistake, he would find a spot for Schmidt if he needs to.

With the MLB being out of the picture, the next deadline would be the start of school next month. An answer could come tomorrow or it could be in a few weeks, but either way, Logan Schmidt is going to college.

Sam Huff was the final out of both Orioles losses over the weekend. How little did the Braves fear Huff’s bat? On Sunday, they intentionally walked the bases loaded, putting the winning run into scoring position, so that they could face Huff instead of Jackson Holliday. Huff is batting just .121 as a big leaguer this season and is 0-for-10 since being re-added to the Orioles roster on July 19th. It was probably a very easy decision for Braves manager Walt Weiss.

This is not Huff’s fault. He is an organizational depth catcher that has been thrust into a larger role due to the Orioles needs at the moment. If there had been any other hitter on the bench, Craig Albernaz would have subbed them in. Heck, if this had been a game under NL rules from a decade ago and the Orioles had a pitcher with any sort of positive hitting record they may have been the better option.

While the Orioles probably didn’t expect much from Huff and his current catching partner Chadwick Tromp, they likely hoped for a bit more than they are getting at the moment.

Huff owns a career .686 OPS in the big leagues after all, had a .598 OPS with the Giants last year, and has compiled a .608 OPS in Triple-A this year. None of that is good, but it’s passable. With the Orioles this year he is slashing .121/.147/.182 (.329 OPS). His expected numbers are even worse (0.94 xBA, .180 xSLG, .134 xwOBA).

Tromp is a career .215/.222/.355 major league hitter and had some decent moments for the Orioles just last season. This season, he’s 3-for-17 in Baltimore with six strikeouts and zero walks. And just like Huff, his expected numbers are horrible. He has a .178 xwOBA, .181 xBA, and .230 xSLG.

O’s first baseman Pete Alonso spoke to the media after the loss on Sunday. The current catching situation was brought up, and Alonso gave a pretty long response, according to MLB.com’s Jake Rill. Here is a snippet:

“They’re doing a phenomenal job. Those guys understand the role. They’re true high-quality professionals, and they’ve done a phenomenal job with the pitching staff, the game-calling, defensively back there. It’s been top tier. So they’ve been phenomenal for us in their role. They’ve been doing everything and more.”

It is wise of Alonso to focus on the defensive aspect of the current catching duo. At least that part of their game looks major league caliber, and you can lean on the fact that the starting pitchers have been quite good recently. That isn’t necessarily due to Huff and Tromp, but they haven’t done much to negatively impact the games on defense either.

Dealing with your top two catchers on the IL at the same time is a tough situation. If at least one of Adley Rutschman or Samuel Basallo were available, the team would simply shift to a more traditional setup with a primary backstop that starts five or six times a week while the backup appears as little as possible. They don’t have that luxury.

Over on MLB.com, Rill provided a rundown of some of the things that the Orioles could do to address their catching situation in the short-term. The options provided there are as follows:

• Yohel Pozo, a 29-year-old the O’s claimed from the Cardinals last week. He has seen big league action in three different seasons, including 2026. Officially, the organization has Pozo in Double-A, though he is actually their current taxi squad backstop.
• Creed Willems, one of the team’s top catching prospects. He is hitting .256/.353/.420 with 13 home runs in Triple-A this year. There are big questions defensively, however, and the Orioles have given him a lot of time at first base as well.
• Trade for a catcher. Tyler Stephenson is named as a possible fit. He’s been worth 1.3 bWAR for the Reds this season, has a .712 OPS with eight home runs, and will be a free agent after this season.

Trading for a catcher seems extremely unlikely, unless it is a waiver claim situation. When healthy, the Orioles have the best duo of backstops in the sport. Neither would seem to have a season-ending injury, and both are under control for 2027.

If the Orioles think Willems’ bat is ready, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to give him a chance. The caveat is that it would be irresponsible to make him the primary defensive catcher. He is a player that could fit in the three-catcher setup that the team occasionally rolls out. So he could plug and play where needed. Given the number of off days the team has and will have recently, maybe they could go down a bullpen arm for a week to try it out.

Pozo is the boring but likely next man up. He has shown nothing offensively to suggest he will be “good,” but putting the ball in play at all might be an upgrade from what the Orioles are getting out of the catcher position right now.

The only other creative option I would throw out there would be a promotion of Ethan Anderson from Double-A. His defense is not highly regarded, but it is probably a tier above Willems. He’s also only at Double-A and not Rule 5 eligible until 2027. But he has a 127 OPS+ with Chesapeake this season and trending upward. He gets good marks for his makeup, so perhaps the maturity is there to come up and do a nice job.

The issue with this whole conversation is that it probably needed to happen a week ago, or a month ago, or prior to the season altogether. The damage has been done. The drop off from Rutschman/Basallo to Huff/Tromp has negatively impacted the Orioles, and they don’t have any obvious, better solution to the problem.

Rutschman threw the ball over the weekend, though he is still not catching, which is significant since it is his non-throwing left wrist that has caused the problems. Even so, it seems like he is inching his way back. Any sort of roster move now would seem to be incredibly short term. That could still win the Orioles a game, so it’s worth doing to gain any sort of advantage. But it won’t make up for what they have already lost out on.

To be clear, the Orioles are not perpetually behind in the wild card standings this season because their third and fourth string catchers aren’t good enough. There’s a laundry list of causes well above that. But it is an illustration of the team sticking with a player or a strategy that clearly isn’t working out for longer than they should. A more proactive club probably would have made a move to address their organizational catching depth weeks ago. Instead, the Orioles have had to pay for their patience.

Mariners 6, Rangers 4

• A four game sweep is not in the cards.
• This was, really, a game that the Rangers were fortunate to be up in for as long as they were.
• Jacob deGrom was fine, overall. He was also somewhat fortunate. The Mariners were making good contact off of him throughout, and he had just four strikeouts in the game.
• The Rangers, meanwhile, were not exactly beating up on Mariners starter Logan Gilbert.
• Joc Pederson’s hustle double, followed by Wyatt Langford’s single and a Ezequiel Duran sac fly, got the Rangers on the board in the first.
• The two runs they scored off of Gilbert in the fourth, giving Texas a 3-1 lead, were of the good fortune variety.
• Brandon Nimmo reached on an infield single that caromed off of Gilbert, and which Gilbert made a poor throw to first to try to get him. A Jake Burger walk and an Evan Carter single were followed by a Nicky Lopez grounder that I thought was going to potentially be a double play, but which was generously scored a single when an attempted throw to second went high.
• I’ve now listed five of the six hits the Rangers had on the day. The sixth was an Ezequiel Duran home run in the eighth to make the game closer.
• You aren’t going to win a whole ton of games when you have just six hits.
• Still, it looked like the Rangers might steal this one. When deGrom allowed two singles to start the sixth, and was pulled for Robby Ahlstrom, the first batter Ahlstrom faced, Josh Naylor, smoked a line drive right at Lopez at second base. A run scoring hit was instead an out, Ahlstrom retired the next two batters, and you thought, the Rangers are going to pull this one out.
• But no. The bullpen couldn’t get it done. A pair of hits off of Tyler Alexander resulted in Skip Schumaker going to get Cole Winn with two on and one out in the seventh.
• I thought Jakob Junis would get the nod in that situation, but I suppose he was being saved for the eighth inning.
• As it turned out, Junis wasn’t used at all, as Winn, after getting Julio Rodriguez to pop out, gave up a two run, two out blast to Dominic Canzone.
• It was momentum shifting.
• Randy Arozarena added another homer to pad the lead, which was unfortunate. Ezequiel Duran homered to bring them back within one, only to see that run given back by Peyton Gray in the top of the ninth.
• The bullpen is a problem.
• But you probably already knew that.
• Jacob deGrom hit 99.2 mph with his fastball, averaging 97.3 mph. Robby Ahlstrom touched 97.2 mph with his fastball. Tyler Alexander’s fastball topped out at 93.1 mph. Cole Winn reached 95.1 mph with his fastball. Ben Peoples maxed out at 97.1 mph with his fastball. Peyton Gray’s fastball reached 93.4 mph.
• Joc Pederson had a 106.9 mph double. Ezequiel Duran had a 106.3 mph home run.
• The rare Monday day game for the finale. Let’s win the series, okay?

The Mets open a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on Monday night at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

• Bo Bichette is hitting .320/.353/.471 (.824 OPS) with five homers, nine doubles, one triple, 24 runs scored, and 24 RBI in 44 games since June 3
• Zac Thornton has a 0.47 ERA in 19.0 innings over his last three starts
• Luke Weaver has allowed one earned run since April 30 

Today's Lineups

Welcome to week 18 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!

1. Milwaukee Brewers (66-39); 4-2 this week; 99.8% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)

The Brewers continue to set the pace in the division, as they went 4-2 with a pair of series wins against the Mets and Rockies to wrap up a 7-2 homestand.

Cooper Pratt set the pace offensively, as the rookie led the team with nine hits, including the first two homers of his career to go with a double and a pair of steals. He also drove in a team-high six runs. Andrew Vaughn added two homers of his own, while Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, and Christian Yelich each had one. Rookie Luis Lara also had a big weekend, picking up four hits, including three doubles, and driving in five.

Jacob Misiorowski continues to dominate opposing lineups, as he picked up an incredible 18 strikeouts in just nine innings of work this week, allowing two runs (one earned). Robert Gasser went six frames with two runs allowed, striking out four in a win, while Logan Henderson went five frames and struck out nine with two runs allowed in his outing. Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, and Craig Yoho totaled 7 1/3 scoreless innings for the bullpen, striking out nine.

Milwaukee now heads out west, as they’ll visit the Giants and Angels for a pair of three-game series through the weekend.

2. Chicago Cubs (59-46); 3-3 this week; 87.4% chance to make postseason

The Cubs went 3-3 this week, dropping two of three against the Tigers before taking two of three against the Pirates.

Seiya Suzuki led the Cubs with three homers but had just one hit outside of that, batting .160 for the week, while Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to build an MVP case as he led the team with nine hits, including seven extra-base hits (three doubles, two triples, and two homers), slashing .391/.517/.957. Michael Busch added eight hits, including a homer, and Ian Happ and Michael Conforto also homered.

Shota Imanaga and David Peterson both turned in scoreless starts, as Imanaga went six frames with four strikeouts and Peterson went 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Matthew Boyd went seven innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts, and Javier Assad and Gavin Hollowell each earned a save this week. Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts for the bullpen.

Chicago now heads to St. Louis for a four-game set with the rival Cardinals before returning home to host the Yankees over the weekend.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (54-52); 2-4 this week; 41.5% chance to make postseason

The Pirates had a rough week, dropping both of their series against the Yankees and Cubs for a 2-4 stretch.

Esmerlyn Valdez picked up two homers this week, while Nick Gonzales led the squad with nine hits, including a homer. Ryan O’Hearn added six hits, including a homer, and Jake Mangum also picked up six hits.

Bubba Chandler and Mitch Keller turned in the best starts of the week for Pittsburgh. Chandler went 6 1/3 innings with no runs and five strikeouts, while Keller went five scoreless frames with six strikeouts. Jared Jones added six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. Wilber Dotel, Dennis Santana (who was DFA’d this week), and Gregory Soto totaled seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts out of the bullpen.

Pittsburgh will stay home to host the D-backs for three games before heading to Cincinnati to take on the Reds for four games over the weekend.

4. St. Louis Cardinals (53-52); 2-5 this week; 19.0% chance to make postseason

The Cardinals had a busy week without much success. They dropped two of three against the lowly Angels in Los Angeles before hosting the D-backs for a makeup game on Thursday, losing 10-6. They then lost two of three to the Reds over the weekend.

Iván Herrera and JJ Wetherholt had the only homers of the week for St. Louis, while Alec Burleson raked his way to 12 hits, including three doubles. Jordan Walker added six hits, and Bryan Torres had three hits in just seven at-bats, driving in three.

Andre Pallante and Hunter Dobbins each picked up a win in their starts this week, with Pallante going seven scoreless with eight strikeouts and Dobbins spanning six scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Dustin May added a quality start with one run allowed over six innings, and Scott Blewett and Ryne Stanek totaled five scoreless innings with five strikeouts for the bullpen.

St. Louis now hosts their rival Cubs for four games before a visit to the Blue Jays for three games over the weekend.

5. Cincinnati Reds (49-55); 4-2 this week; 2.1% chance to make postseason

The Reds went 4-2 this week, as they’re now 6-3 out of the break after taking two of three against both the Mariners and Cardinals.

Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez both slugged a pair of homers this week, while JJ Bleday, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Sal Stewart, and Nathaniel Lowe added one each. Lowe also led the team with six hits as the only player to bat over .300 this week.

Chase Burns had another strong start, totaling five innings with no runs allowed and six strikeouts. Andrew Abbott made a pair of starts, spanning 12 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) and a team-high 10 strikeouts, while Emilio Pagán led the bullpen with three scoreless innings to pick up a trio of saves.

The Reds head back home to host the Guardians and Pirates over the next week.

What a difference a year makes. The White Sox weren’t quite historically bad in 2025, but they still lost 102 games and were very much in the wilderness. Now they’re a game and a half clear of anyone in the division, and while they’re not necessarily projected to stay in that slot, first place is first place and someone in the annual AL Central Rock Fight needs to knock them off that perch.

The team has a couple real stars, after multiple seasons of trading away the only players that were halfway interesting. There are five hitters in the lineup that boast plus production, led by Miguel Vargas at third base, and a rotation that bounces between solid and quite good. You can see the pieces being set into place for what would be a genuinely good baseball team, and the Yankees can’t afford to assume this version of the Sox will just roll over and die.

The Yankees will be without Cody Bellinger, who was put on the IL with a bad hamstring on Sunday. With another All Star-caliber player unavailable, the pitching needs to once again carry the load — fortunately, the team has the three guys you want going to start the series, a good preview of a potential playoff deployment, and the fourth guy is coming off a damn good outing in his own right.

Monday — Max Fried vs. Noah Schultz (7:40pm Eastern)

Fried roared back into the rotation against the Pirates last week, throwing five innings with a 7:1 K:BB ratio while still on a limited pitch count. He lowered his season ERA to below 3.00 and certainly assuaged early concerns that he would need to be handled with kid gloves returning from his bone bruise. Now he’ll be brought to bear against a White Sox side that’s relatively mediocre against southpaws, managing just a 98 wRC+ so far this season.

Schultz was a first-round pick by the Sox, 12th overall back in 2022, but hasn’t really found his footing in his first taste of MLB action. He throws a four-seam/sinker combo that is mediocre, but the real problem has been a complete lack of anything resembling secondary stuff. One of the worst sweepers in baseball is paired with one of the worst changeups, and for a Yankee team that is dead set on having a lefty-specialist lineup, the goal has to be to hunt heaters and spit on any other offering.

Tuesday — Gerrit Cole vs. Anthony Kay (7:40pm Eastern)

Dadbod Cole is probably past the AL Cy Young frontrunner days, but has been solid enough outside of two rocky starts following Tommy John surgery. His last outing against Pittsburgh was a great test for what you see as valuable in pitching — he gave up two home runs but just two other hits, and struck out 11 against no walks in seven innings. He has the lowest walk rate of his career across the 11 starts he’s made this season, but that’s been paired with the second-highest home run rate he’s ever posted. He fills up the zone but has yet to figure out how to manage contact quality, and the White Sox can elevate the ball.

Anthony Kay, formerly of the Blue Jays, hasn’t had the best 2026. I tend to consider K-BB rate as the best singular stat to examine pitchers with, and Kay has just a 9 point separation between those two numbers. Cam Schlittler might just win the Cy Young award so it may be unfair to compare him to Kay, but HIS K-BB rate is over 25 percent. Good pitchers, you’re looking at somewhere between 15-20 percent. Kay doesn’t strike many men out, and walks his share, so the trick to success against him is going to be avoiding the chase. Make him bring the ball into the zone and there are hits to be found.

Wednesday — Cam Schlittler vs. Davis Martin (7:40pm Eastern)

We have an ace-off in game three. Writing about Schlittler is getting to be a bit superfluous, like Aaron Judge in the peak of an MVP campaign, there are only so many ways to say he’s standing above every other pitcher in the Junior Circuit. We’re fresh off his dominant Friday night performance against the Phillies, striking out a dozen across 7.1 shutout innings, hand-delivering the Yankees a 1-0 win. He is the most exciting player to watch on this Yankee roster, and we’ve begun to expect to win on every fifth day.

For his part, Davis Martin will give as good as he gets. Already worth 3.1 fWAR on the season, he’d be someone that gets Cy Young murmurings if not for the year Cam’s having. He was absolutely thumped in mid-June against the Yankees though, surrendering nine earned runs on a trio of home runs and not making it out of the fourth inning, He’ll be out for redemption on Wednesday night, and righties in the Yankee lineup will need to be particularly careful when facing one of baseball’s best changeups.

Thursday — Ryan Weathers vs. Sean Burke(2:10pm Eastern)

You can’t exactly copy and paste what I said above about Schlittler here. Weathers isn’t nearly as good and won’t get Cy Young consideration, but he is also coming off a stellar start against the Phillies. For me, the thing to watch about Weathers the rest of the year is fastball usage. His four-seam is honestly pretty pathetic, and I’ve been wondering all year when he’ll move his secondary pitches into his primary offerings, “pitching backwards” as the saying goes. He did that well on Saturday, and I think if he continues to do so he’ll move on the favorable side of average.

Burke, 26, is the second piece of a good 1-2 tandem with Martin, posting 2.5 fWAR so far in 2026. The opposite of Weathers in many ways, his four-seam is his bread and butter pitch while the changeup is an offering he’s best left leaving on the table. He was stellar in his one start against the Yankees this year, throwing 7.1 innings and allowing a single run, striking out eight with one walk. If he’s gonna do that again this go around, it’s a good thing the Yankees face him last.