Jun 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) steals third base against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
In a battle of tough lefties, Chris Sale and the Braves faced Kyle Harrison and the Brewers for game 2 in Atlanta.
After 1-2-3 frames from each lefty to start the game, Sale worked around some traffic to keep things scoreless in the second. From there things settled in for a pitching duel, as Harrison carried a perfect game into the fifth. Fortunately, righty Ozzie broke the perfect game, no-hitter, and shutout in one swing with a solo homer. Eli White legged out an infield single in the same frame, but was unable to score.
In the sixth, Chris Sale came out for what was presumably his last inning. Ozzie Albies fumbled a double-play ball with one out that would have ended the inning, but Contreras singled on the next AB, loading the bases. A sac fly tied the game and left runners on the corners with two outs. A brutal bloop single gave the Brewers 2-1 lead, as that Albies error became incredibly costly, as he could likely have even salvaged that play with an out at first, but instead went for the double-play despite the fumble, resulting in a 1-0 lead turning into a 2-1 deficit. At this point, Didier Fuentes took over for Sale (who had thrown 101 pitches) and struck out Bauers to mercifully end the inning. Sale ended his day with 5.2 innings of “2-run ball” on 7 strikeouts and 1 walk, another good day for the veteran ace.
Two singles and a fielder’s choice scored an insurance run against Fuentes in the seventh. Still facing Harrison, Ozzie and Mike singled and doubled with one out in the seventh, giving Atlanta a huge chance to tie the game up or more. Austin traded an out for a run with an RBI fielder’s choice of his own, giving Dom Smith the next chance with two outs. Unfortunately, Dom was unable to deliver and the game went into the eighth a 3-2 Brewers ballgame. James Karinchak and Dylan Lee did their job in the eighth and ninth to give Atlanta a chance and Matt Olson represented the tying run with a bloop single in the home ninth. Ozzie Albies was next at bat, batting from the right side again and he pulled on just fair and just into the Chop House for a massive walk-off and redemption of his error, as his early homer, error, and walk-off homer really defined this game.
Join us again tomorrow at 1:35 PM ET, as the Braves go for what would be a very impressive sweep against this quality Brewers club with Bryce Elder on the mound.
Jun 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) hits a three-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Through the first 15 innings of this series, the Chicago Cubs had outscored the Toronto Blue Jays by a margin of 21-2. Which is not what you’d consider ideal as a Jays fan. Things turned a corner in the bottom of seven, though, and an 8-1 stretch gives them the win and the chance to take the series tomorrow.
The lineup could not lay a finger on Colin Rea early. He sat the first dozen Jays batters down in order, and following a Brandon Valenzuela line single to open the fifth looked to be back in control as he retired the next three as well. It was the bottom of the order that rallied to knock him out of the game in the sixth, with Andres Gimenez and Myles Straw opening the frame with back to back singles. Rea got George Springer to fly out, though, and reliever Ryan Rolison induced a double play off the bat of Nathan Lukes to preserve the Cubs’ shutout. The offense would have to wait one more inning to wake up.
Meanwhile, Patrick Corbin started well. He worked around a single in the first with a K and a pop up. It fell apart right away in the second though. Alex Bregman and Ian Happ singled, setting the table for a three run Matt Shaw blast to left field. Corbin Rallied to get the next three batters and then worked around a walk and a single in the third. In the fourth, though, a Dansby Swanson double and back to back walks by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner forced him out of the game.
Lazaro Estrada took the reins. He got out of the fourth, and managed a clean fifth with the help of a double play to erase a Michael Busch walk. In the sixth, though, a walk to Swanson and a Crow-Armstrong homer to right increased Chicago’s margin to five.
That’s where things stood when Vladimir Guerrero jr. stepped to the plate to open the seventh, facing old friend Trent Thornton. He lined a single, and one batter later was followed by a hit by pitch to Kazuma Okamoto. Daulton Varsho brought the runners home with a line drive down the right field line and out, putting the Jays on the board, 5-3. Thornton got Davis Schneider and replacement Caleb Thielbar got Ernie Clement (pinch hitting for Gimenez) to hold it there for now.
They gave the Cubs a chance to rebuild the lead with some mistakes in the bottom of seven. First, Ernie Clement misplayed a Seiya Suzuki soft liner, allowing him to reach. A double play erased that runner, but then Jeff Hofman hit Bregman, advanced him to second with a wild pitch, and walked Happ. He recovered to strike Shaw out looking to keep the Jays within two.
That was all the offence needed. Myles Straw opened the eighth with a walk. Springer singled the tying run aboard. Both managers made moves at that point. John Schneider called Alejandro Kirk to hit for Nathan Lukes, and Craig Counsell swapped Jacob Webb for Thielbar. Schneider won the exchange, as Kirk ripped a single through the gap to score Straw and put the go ahead runner on. Guerrero followed with a soft line single of his own that plated Springer and tied the game. One out later, Okamoto launched one into the left field bleachers, putting the Jays out in front 8-5.
Mason Fluharty gave the Cubs yet another chance, walking Miguel Amaya and giving up back to back line singles to Swanson and Crow-Armstrong to load the bases in the bottom of the eighth with none away. That forced the Jays to ask Louis Varland for a six out save. He was more than up to the task. He traded an out for a run on a Hoerner grounder, punched out Suzuki, and got Busch to fly out softly in foul territory. Straw made an impressive leaping catch for that last out, leaning into the stands to bring the ball back. He got a pop out from Bregman to open the ninth. Happ reached on Varland’s throwing error and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Louis sat Shaw down looking and got a routine grounder from pinch hitter Pedro Ramirez to end the game.
Jays of the Day: Varland (0.36, which jumps him in front of Jacob Misiorowski for the MLB lead with +2.84 on the season), Okamoto (0.32), Vlad (0.20), Straw (0.12), Kirk (0.12)
Less so: Fluharty (-0.27), Corbin (-0.19), Lukes (-0.14), Valenzuela (-0.10)
Same time, same place tomorrow (2:20pm ET, Wrigley Field, Chicago, Il., for those who weren’t paying attention). Dylan Cease (4-3, 2.71) will hope for an easier ride after an effectively wild outing last time in Boston, while the offence takes on Shota Imanaga (4-6, 4.26).
"Syracuse tomorrow," Mendoza said of Lindor. "Yeah, he's going to Syracuse tomorrow -- him and Tyrone Taylor. Same thing with (Ronny) Mauricio. But with Lindor, off today and then he's playing for Syracuse tomorrow."
Mauricio (left thumb fracture) is set to bat leadoff and start at shortstop for Syracuse in Saturday's 6:35 p.m. game against Norfolk. Taylor (right hip flexor strain), who homered and singled in Friday's game, is not in Saturday's lineup but figures to join Lindor.
"Then we'll see where we're at," Mendoza said of Lindor. "We'll see where we're at after Sunday night."
Lindor responded well to Friday's game, Mendoza added.
"Good, good," Mendoza said. "He was good, good day. Yeah, checked in today at Citi Field, feeling fine. So, back at it tomorrow."
Christian Scott's bullpen 'went well'
Scott (right hip impingement) threw a bullpen Saturday at Citizens Bank Park, and "it went well," Mendoza explained.
"Full bullpen," Mendoza said. "High intensity. Yeah, so, just got to wait how he responds the next couple of days and go from there."
What is next for Scott?
"Then he's going to be facing batters, throwing a live BP, multiple ups that will put him in line for the next step," Mendoza said. "But, again, I don't want to get ahead of myself here. But good thing is it was good to watch him today, just throwing his baseballs with no hesitation and he looked normal, he looked fine."
Skipping a rehab assignment is "possible" for Scott, Mendoza added.
"It's possible, it's possible," Mendoza said. "Like I said, if he responds back from this bullpen session, there's a good chance he's going to throw an intense live BP with multiple ups ... and then we'll go from there."
Clay Holmes' 'light throwing'
Right-hander Clay Holmes is doing "light throwing" a month since he went on the injured list with his right fibula fracture, Mendoza explained.
"Just light throwing," Mendoza said. "But not much there. Just got to continue to wait. Another imaging -- I'm not sure when -- before he can start doing more high-intensity stuff. But just light catch."
Jorge Polanco's mixed days
Infielder and designated hitter Jorge Polanco went on the 60-day injured list this past Monday with a right wrist contusion. Is he not close to restarting his rehab assignment, which saw him start stints with Binghamton May 27 and Syracuse June 2?
"I wouldn't say that," Mendoza said. "He's still hitting. He ran the bases today, but he's just one of those where -- going back to three, four weeks ago where there's days where he feels good and then he flares up again and then we have to slow things down. So, it's kind of like the same thing. But he's hitting, he's still running. But, again, good days and then some other days where it's not as good."
In his four-plus seasons with the Phillies, Kyle Schwarber has been a giant on the field and in the community.
He was all that on Saturday.
Several hours before the Phils played the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park, Schwarber met with the family of Timothy J. O’Connor, the Pennsylvania state trooper who was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop in Chester County in March.
Schwarber’s father, Greg, is a former police officer back home in Ohio. Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes, the slugger’s charitable foundation, supports first responders, military personnel and their families.
Moments before the game, as Corporal O’Connor’s picture appeared on the PhanaVision scoreboard, Schwarber caught a ceremonial first pitch from the officer’s brother, Christopher.
And soon after that, Schwarber joined Bryce Harper in leading the Phillies to a 15-3 thrashing of the Mets.
Schwarber belted three home runs – raising his majors-leading total to 28 – and finished the night with six RBIs.
His first two homers came in the Phils’ eight-run third inning. Both were mammoth blasts, traveling 456 and 457 feet, respectively. That’s a total of 913 feet. In one inning.
His third homer was a bullet inside the right-field foul pole in the seventh.
It’s difficult to top a night like that, but Harper gave it a run.
In his first four at-bats of the game, he hit for the 11th cycle in Phillies history. He homered in the first inning, doubled and singled in the third, and tripled in the fifth. He finished with three RBIs.
It was his first cycle as a pro.
And where does the accomplishment rank on his personal highlight reel?
“It’s up there,” Harper said. “Obviously, doing it at the big-league level is really cool. I got close a couple times. Being able to do it and have that moment is really cool.”
Harper recalled his only other cycle. It came when he was at the College of Southern Nevada.
“Super regionals, seven for seven, four homers and a cycle,” he said. “Pretty cool.”
Harper’s big night came after he took extra batting practice on the field before the game. He usually hits in the indoor cages, but a recent slump – 1 for 22 in his previous seven games and just one homer in his previous 15 – led him to freshen things up.
“I was just trying to hit homers,” he said. “I haven’t hit many balls over the fence in a while. I was just trying to hit some balls in the third deck. Sometimes that helps. I was able to do that tonight. I felt good.
“I feel like my at-bats have been good lately. But sometimes it feels like there’s a big ol’ glove out there. The last couple of weeks felt that way.”
Harper used a bigger bat for all his at-bats in the game. Usually he swings a 34-inch, 31 ½-ounce piece of lumber. He switched to his “heavy” bat, a 34-inch, 35-ounce model that he uses in the batting cage. He will use it again in Sunday night’s game.
After a homer, a double and a single in his first three at-bats, Harper was gunning for the triple. He reached third on a daring baserunning play on a ball to the left-center gap.
“(Manager Don Mattingly) and all the coaches came up to me and said if you get a chance just go do it,” he said. “I had their blessing to just go on any ball.”
Schwarber was on first base. When he saw the ball go to the gap, there was no way he was stopping at third. He wanted to clear the way for Harper.
“We were all focused on making sure he got to third,” said Schwarber, who now has four three-homer games and a four-homer game in his career.
This wasn’t the first time two teammates combined for three (or more) homers and a cycle. Lou Gehrig (four homers) and Tony Lazzeri (cycle) pulled off the feat for the Yankees on June 3, 1932.
After completing his cycle, Harper stood on third base and raised his arms in triumph. He received a standing ovation as he walked back to the dugout at the completion of the inning. He removed his batting helmet and saluted the sellout crowd of 43,402 in return.
“The fans are why I came here,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun playing here and sharing these moments with them.”
Fifteen runs – 10 against Mets starter Freddy Peralta in 2 2/3 innings — was more than enough for one of the best pitchers in baseball to work with. Cristopher Sanchez cruised through six innings on five hits and a run. He walked one and struck out five as he bounced back from a loss at Milwaukee in his previous outing. Sanchez is 8-4 with a 1.80 ERA. The Phillies are 11-5 in his 16 starts.
Sanchez has put on a show this season. But Saturday night, he was a side act.
“They stole the show from me tonight,” he said of Harper and Schwarber. “I’ll take it. It was perfect.”
The win improved the Phillies to 41-35. They will look to win the series against the Mets (34-42) behind Zack Wheeler on Sunday night.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo home run, to take a 1-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 16, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shohei Ohtani missed Friday night’s series opener for the birth of his second child, but he’s back in the Dodgers lineup against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night, batting in his usual leadoff spot as the designated hitter.
We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together. Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey.
The Dodgers this time around did not use the paternity list, which allows for teams to replace a player on the roster for between one and three days. Instead, they played one man short on Friday.
The Ohtanis had their first child, a daughter, in April 2025, and then they called up Eddie Rosario to start at designated hitter for the two days Ohtani was away from the team.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 03: Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 03, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – CF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Juan Soto – LF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Eric Wagaman – RF
Francisco Alvarez – DH
Mark Vientos – 1B
Luis Torrens – C
Zack Short – SS
Freddy Peralta – RHP
Phillies lineup
Trea Turner – SS
Kyle Schwarber – DH
Bryce Harper – 1B
Brandon Marsh – LF
Alec Bohm – 3B
Bryson Stott – 2B
J.T. Realmuto – C
Gabriel Rincones – RF
Justin Crawford – CF
Cristopher Sánchez – LHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:15 PM EDT TV: FOX Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of the Colorado Rockies gets set to throw a pitch in the fifth inning during a regular season game against the Athletics at Las Vegas Ballpark on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In a game that got a little too close for comfort in the later innings, the Colorado Rockies escaped with a series-opening 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last night. The second game of the series and the homestand provides the Rockies with another shot at Paul Skenes this season in a top notch pitching matchup against Tomoyuki Sugano.
The Rockies last faced Skenes back on May 12th in a 3-1 loss out at PNC Park. Skenes dominated in that one, working six hitless innings to start the day before ending things after eight innings pitched with 10 strikeouts to just two hits. Michael Lorenzen held his own, but the Rockies offense couldn’t overcome a Skenes masterpiece.
Things have taken a turn for the worse for the Pittsburgh ace since that point in the season. That win against Colorado in May put Skenes at 6-2 on the year with a 1.98 ERA. A month and a half later, he now sits at 6-6, including three straight losses after the Rockies matchup. He’s still finding strikeouts, averaging over seven a game in that span, but he’s also giving up his fair share of hits, averaging nearly six a game during that same stretch, a noticeable jump up from his early season outings.
Skenes’ “struggles”, relatively, highlight his dominance. Even during this winless stretch where his numbers aren’t up to par, he still boasts a 2.85 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP on the year, with the latter good enough for fifth-best in the majors. His 99 strikeouts are top-10, as is his .199 batting average against. Although the Pirates are struggling and the pitching wins aren’t coming, he remains ever dangerous.
Sugano is riding a different wave of fortune into tonight’s matchup, logging wins in his last three starts. Aside from surrendering eight runs in a weird 23-9 win over the Athletics out in Las Vegas, Sugano has looked sharp as of late and has limited runs, giving up three or fewer in five of his last six starts. He enters tonight with a 7-4 record in 14 starts, a 4.54 ERA, and a 1.336 WHIP.
With two strong starters scheduled for this game, and with last night’s affair being decided by one run, the Rox and Bucs could be in for another tight one. Sugano looks to keep things going, while Skenes looks to turn things around. Both have the ability to keep runs off the board early. Like May’s Skenes vs. Lorenzen battle, tonight may come down to whichever offense can string together a slight edge first.
Shohei Ohtani returned to the Dodgers’ lineup Saturday, after the two-way star became a two-time dad.
Ohtani had been away from the team since Friday, taking a paternity leave for the second time in the last two years as his wife, Mamiko, gave birth to the couple’s second child.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife welcomed their second child early Saturday. MLB Photos via Getty Images
Manager Dave Roberts had said he only “found out very recently” that Ohtani was expecting another kid. However, the team had also known entering this weekend that Ohtani wouldn’t be away for long, deciding to not even put him on the official paternity list and call up another player in his brief absence.
The new baby arrives in what was already a busy point in Ohtani’s full-time two-way season. In recent weeks, the four-time MVP has been battling both a knee issue and a blister, though had missed only one game as a hitter and made his most recent pitching start as scheduled last Wednesday.
Ohtani is already on track for a fifth MVP award, thanks to his .296 batting average, 15 home runs and 42 RBIs as a hitter, plus his 7-2 record and 1.47 ERA as a pitcher.
Ohtani was back in the Dodgers’ lineup for Saturday’s game against the Orioles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
Now, as he rejoins the club, the 31-year-old has another sentimental family moment to celebrate, as well.
With Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones now patrolling the outfield in The Bronx, the Yankees’ Triple-A outfielders might need some refreshing on the basics of baseball.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre right fielder Yanquiel Fernandez seemed to forget the score Friday night when he dove for but didn’t catch a fly ball that could have ended the game.
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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre led, 8-7, with Columbus down to its final out in the first game of a doubleheader.
Clippers catcher Bo Naylor lifted the shallow fly ball that bounced in front of Fernandez.
Instead of hustling after the ball, Fernandez jogged and let it roll as the tying run scored from first base and Naylor came all the way around on a walk-off inside-the-park two-run home run.
Second baseman Marco Luciano ran out to the outfield to get the ball and fired back to the plate. Catcher Austin Wells — on a rehab assignment from the Yankees — couldn’t corral the one-hop throw as Naylor slid across the plate.
Fernandez, 23, is not among the Yankees’ top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
He either gave up on the play or thought that the game was tied when the ball was hit and the first run had won the game.
Yanquiel Fernandez walks to get the ball, causing an inside-the-park home run. X @CLBClippers
Fernandez has 15 home runs this season and was named International League Player of the Week for May 18-24, but Jones and then Dominguez were the regular Triple-A right fielders before the injuries to Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham, respectively.
Fernandez made his MLB debut with 52 games for the Rockies last season. He is a former top 100 prospect in MLB.
Columbus celebrating its inside-the-park home run. X @CLBClippers
When Scranton took the field for the nightcap of the doubleheader, Fernandez was back in right field — to the shock of old-school minds who expect punishments for mental mistakes. He hit a two-run homer.
Elmer Rodriguez of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders enters the field before a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
We don’t get an ace-off after all. With the Yankees trying to manage a pitching rotation that’s both played at its highest level and seen its share of injuries, Gerrit Cole will be pushed back a day and make his start with an additional day of rest on Monday in Detroit. The club is trying to avoid three straight turns the the rotation on five days’ rest, especially with a careful eye on Cole’s surgically repaired elbow. Rookie Elmer Rodríguez will be called upon to make his third start of the season in the finale with the Reds tomorrow.
ERC looked every bit the part of a rookie starter during his two previous outings in May, in particular demonstrating a lack of control that needs to be his primary focus in order to be a full timer in the big leagues. A 14.1-percent walk rate is a jump from his already-high 11-percent mark with Triple-A Scranton. Getting the ball in the strike zone will be his task against the Reds.
Boone said Elmer Rodriguez will start Sunday. Desire is to give each of the starters an extra day so the rotation doesn’t go three straight turns on five days rest. Cole will start Monday in Detroit. Jake Bird optioned as the Rodriguez move
The corresponding move for Rodríguez is that the ever-scuffling Jake Bird goes down to Scranton, and frankly that just means that Aaron Boone will no longer be tempted to put him into a game. It’s a win all around as far as I’m concerned.
These kinds of moves are one of the perks of being a first-place team. Everyone in baseball is trying to figure out how to manage the health of their pitching staff, and the Yankees have a chance to inject an extra bit of rest into the group. Losing on Saturday makes things a little more stressful for young ERC, because you want to win series too, but giving a veteran a little extra time isn’t a bad idea in my book.
Jun 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) is tagged out while trying to steal by New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
NEW YORK (AP) — Sal Stewart tied a career high with six RBI and the Cincinnati Reds pulled away for a 10-2 rout of the New York Yankees on Saturday.
The rookie gave the Reds the lead with a two-run double in the third off Will Warren (7-2) and lifted a sacrifice fly during a four-run fifth that followed a fielding error by New York first baseman Ben Rice.
Stewart capped his day with a bases-clearing double in the eighth that expanded Cincinnati’s lead to 9-1.
He also drove in six on April 15 against the San Francisco Giants.
Spencer Steer hit a three-run homer in the fifth as the Reds won for the sixth time in 17 games without Elly De La Cruz, who began a minor league rehab assignment on Friday.
Rookie Edwin Arroyo had four hits and reached base five times as the Reds finished with 15 hits.
Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott (4-5) allowed one run and five hits in five-plus innings.
The Reds scored four unearned runs in the fifth off Warren after Rice could not catch shortstop Anthony Volpe’s throw to first base on Arroyo’s grounder.
After the error and Stewart’s fly ball, Steer hit a 2-1 sinker into the left field seats for a 6-1 lead.
Abbott loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the fifth but got out of the inning by getting a called third strike on Paul Goldschmidtthat was upheld via ABS after the Yankees challenged.
Goldschmidt homered in the first for the Yankees, who fell to 10-6 since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib.
New York went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position in its most lopsided loss of the season.
Warren allowed six runs -- two earned -- and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight.
Up Next
Cincinnati RHP Chase Burns (8-1, 2.01 ERA) faces New York RHP Gerrit Cole (2-1, 2.57) on Sunday.
We are roughly 3 weeks away from the 2026 MLB Draft, where, after being locked out of the top 9 picks of the draft like they were in 2024, the Nationals will be picking 11th overall, with picks 42nd, 78th, and 106th overall coming on the rest of day one as well. It will be the new front office’s first draft for the Nats organization, as great baseball minds from the Red Sox, Pirates, and other ballclubs come together to form the Nationals draft war room.
There haven’t been many rumors about the Nats’ preferences in this draft class, with the only prevalent player rumor being how they have been digging deeper than most clubs on two-way prepster Jared Grindlinger. What has also come out, and perhaps could be deduced from the front office’s draft history, is that there is a good chance the Nats will take a college hitter with their first-round pick if they do not select Grindlinger. It makes sense, as barring an unexpected slide from one of the top 3 prep bats, there aren’t really any prep hitters worthy of going borderline top 10, and grabbing college pitching in the first round has never been a focus of this front office with their former ballclubs.
There is a plethora of college bats in the range of the Nationals’ pick worth considering, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. Let’s analyze 8 of their most likely candidates and find out which one stands out above the rest for the Nationals.
Burress is the least likely of this group to be available at the Nationals’ pick, but if he is, he would be a slam-dunk pick for the Nats. After being one of the best hitters in the country his first 2 years, Burress’ offensive numbers took a slight step back in 2026, but for him that still means a 1.130 OPS in one of the toughest conferences in college baseball. Despite his 5’9 stature, Burress contains easily plus raw power, with a 97th percentile average exit velocity, and he knows how to maximize it, with a 90th percentile barrel rate and 92nd percentile pulled flyball rate.
Burress has some swing and miss to his game, with a 53rd percentile whiff rate in 2026, but he doesn’t chase a lot and takes his walks, with a walk rate 2% higher than his strikeout rate. He has some speed to his game, which allowed him to swipe 10 bags this season, but it benefits him most in centerfield, where he is a solid defender with a plus arm. Burress knows how to hit, and grades out as at least a solid defender in centerfield at the next level, making him a home run pick for the Nationals if they get a chance at him.
Lebron is a very divisive player in this draft class, as while his tools are loud and the reward for fixing his issues is huge, those issues may also prevent him from ever being a plus big leaguer. In back-to-back seasons, Lebron dominated to begin the year, before seeing his numbers plummet in SEC play. His 19th percentile in-zone contact rate is terrifying when considering taking a prospect 11th overall, and his chase rate isn’t elite enough where you can see him working counts enough to minimize it, only 53rd percentile.
While the hit tool is very suspicious, Lebron has just about every other tool you could ask for. His raw power is plus, with a 94th percentile average exit velocity; his speed is elite, with 42 stolen bases in 61 games; and his defense was up and down in 2026, but projects to be above average long term. It’s easy to see how, even if Lebron is only an average big league hitter, he would be one of the most valuable big shortstops in baseball. If you can tolerate the risk of Lebron’s bat preventing him from reaching the bigs, he would be a solid pick for the Nationals.
Plain and simple, Hacopian can hit. In maybe the toughest conference in all of baseball, Hacopian posted a 92nd percentile whiff rate, 88th percentile chase rate, and 84th percentile average exit velocity, the best mix of those 3 numbers in all of college baseball. His surface-level numbers aren’t quite at the level of a few other hittersin the class, but if you are trying to project who will be a plus hitter at the professional level, Hacopian’s performance data is as good as anyone’s, and if he starts pulling the ball in the air a little more (40th percentile in 2026), he could take it to a whole other level.
Defensively, Hacopian bounced around the infield for the Aggies in 2026, but is probably a second or third baseman long-term, where he grades average to below average. He isn’t the speediest guy in the world either, with just 6 steals over 3 college seasons, but if you’re drafting Hacopian, it’s for his bat, and he could potentially find his way into the Nationals’ big league lineup as soon as 2028 if he were their pick.
Curiel had a rough start to his 2026 season, which had me thinking of him more as a Nationals 2nd round option than a first-round one, but he rebounded excellently in SEC play and is certainly in the discussion to go 11th overall. Curiel may have the best bat-to-ball skills in the draft class, with a 95th percentile whiff rate in 2026, and a decent 68th percentile chase rate to go along with it. The in-game power has not quite arrived for Curiel yet, but there is some raw power in there, with an 86th percentile average exit velocity, and he knows how to lift the baseball, with an 87th percentile barrel rate. He will need to work on his 21st percentile pulled flyball rate if he wants to get into more home run power at the next level.
Curiel has a chance to stick in center field professionally, but if he does not, he should be a solid defender in left field. Curiel’s profile is very reminiscent of Daylen Lile, a left-handed outfielder with elite bat-to-ball skills and enough raw power to drive the ball out of the park consistently when he is hot, and he could be a strong pick for the Nationals in the first round.
Few hitters have progressed as much as Helfrick has in his time at Arkansas, and now the power-hitting catcher has a chance to become a top 10 pick in this year’s draft. Helfrick has plus raw power, with a 92nd percentile average exit velocity in 2026, and he knows how to use it, with a 93rd percentile barrel rate and 66th percentile pulled flyball rate this season. The hit tool was the primary concern entering the season, but it looked much improved this season, jumping from 11th percentile in-zone contact rate in 2025 to 52nd percentile in 2026. Helfrick also has great plate discipline, with his 79th percentile chase rate resulting in an excellent 19.1% walk rate.
Defensively, Helfrick is very well regarded behind the dish, with a strong arm and excellent framing ability. He even has some sneaky speed, stealing 8 bags and being caught just once in 2026. As long as the power and defense remain great, Helfrick should end up being at least an average big league catcher, and would be a great pick by the Nats 11th overall.
Strosnider has some of the best raw power in this draft class, but the hit tool could potentially limit how much he gets to it in pro ball. He posted an excellent 93rd percentile average exit velocity in 2026, and he excels at lifting the ball, with an 86th percentile barrel rate, but he’ll need to improve on an 18th percentile pulled flyball rate at the next level. Strosnider’s 35th percentile whiff rate is concerning, but the 26th percentile chase rate may be just as scary (and has me wondering how he was able to draw walks 18.4% of his plate appearances in 2026).
Strosnider has mainly played right field for the Horned Frogs because another draft prospect, Chase Brunson, has manned center field, but he is athletic enough to at least be given a shot out there full-time at the next level. There is some speed to his game as well, swiping over 10 bags in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Strosnider would not be my preference with the Nationals’ first-round pick, as the hit tool has some glaring red flags, but if it’s for a solid discount, I could trust that the Nats front office has a plan for him.
If you were to ask me which non-top 10 prospect in the class I thought was the most likely to be a productive big league hitter, there is a good chance my answer would be AJ Gracia, who lit up the ACC once again in 2026 after following his head coach from Duke to UVA. Gracia’s batted ball profile is remarkably clean, with a 79th percentile whiff rate, 68th percentile chase rate, and 79th percentile average exit velocity. Gracia doesn’t have the highest exit velocity numbers, but he makes as much consistently hard contact as anyone, and he knows how to work the count, with an excellent 18.4% walk rate.
Gracia is likely limited to a corner outfield in pro ball, where he is probably an average defender with a good, not great, arm. The bat is the calling card here, and it is very good, making Gracia one of my favorite options for the Nationals 11th overall.
Bell missed a chunk of the 2026 season with a shoulder injury, but put up dominant numbers despite missing most of the non-conference portion of the season, where many guys can inflate their overall season numbers. Bell is a switch-hitter with excellent raw power, posting a 92nd percentile average exit velocity in 2026. There is some swing and miss to his game, with a 42nd percentile whiff rate, but he makes up for it with an elite eye, with a 98th percentile chase rate this season. Bell has struggled against sliders in his 2 years at Kentucky, and will need to improve against breaking balls as a whole in pro ball.
Defensively, Bell is still improving at Shortstop and projects as a strong defender there long-term. Bell has some speed to his game as well, swiping 10 or more bags in both of his seasons with the Wildcats. Bell is one of my favorite options for the Nationals 11th overall, as he mitigates swing and miss concerns with elite plate discipline and plus raw power from both sides of the plate.
My Rankings
OF Drew Burress Georgia Tech (Tier One)
C Ryder Helfrick Arkansas (Tier Two)
SS Tyler Bell Kentucky (Tier Two)
OF AJ Gracia UVA (Tier Two)
OF Derek Curiel LSU (Tier Three)
2B/3B Chris Hacopian Texas A&M (Tier Three)
SS Justin Lebron Alabama (Tier Three)
OF Sawyer Strosnider TCU (Tier Four)
There is likely even more college hitters than this, such as catcher Daniel Jackson from Georgia, in play for the Nationals in the first round, but most likely, the discussion will come down to 5 or 6 hitters from this group if the preference is a college bat on draft day. Drew Burress would be an A+ pick by the Nats if he is available, which is unlikely, and any of Helfrick, Bell, or Gracia would make me a happy camper on draft day. The tier three names, Curiel, Hacopian, and Lebron, are all interesting options as well, and if they came at a discount, would be a solid choice by the Nats.
The Nationals are picking the farthest back in the draft they have been since 2021, when they selected Brady House with the 11th overall pick, and they have a plethora of interesting options, both on the prep and collegiate side, in front of them. I am excited to see how this Nationals front office approaches their first draft together as a group, and the types of prospects they will be targeting.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees reacts after giving up a 3-run home run to Spencer Steer #7 of the Cincinnati Reds during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium on June 20, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the biggest assets for a starting pitcher is to maintain composure when facing adversity, and that is not a skill that Will Warren has fully developed yet. Perhaps the biggest knock on the young pitcher is the way he lets innings spiral when something goes wrong, particularly when his defense makes an error behind him. Indeed, a misplay between Anthony Volpe and Ben Rice on a routine groundball to open the fifth led to Warren quickly unraveling and allowing four runs in the frame — already the third time in 15 starts that he has allowed at least three runs to score in an inning following an error. You just don’t give your team a chance to win the game when you implode at the first sign of trouble, and indeed the Yankees couldn’t claw back this deficit as they fell to the Reds, 10-2.
You always want to score early for your starting pitcher and Paul Goldschmidt has made something of a habit of doing so in the first inning lately. He stayed through a 2-2 four-seamer on the outer half from Andrew Abbott and lined it to the opposite field over the wall in right for his 12th home run in 50 games this year after managing just 10 all of last season in nearly three times as many.
The last week has been ridden with metal errors for José Caballero and that only continued today. After walking and stealing second, Caballero was picked off to end the second inning. It’s the fifth time he’s been picked off this year, which is second-most in the majors. There’s really no benefit to taking such an aggressive lead off second with two outs as any base hit from Volpe would have scored him anyway, and it’s just another example of Caballero not understanding the situation.
From the jump, Warren looked noticeably sharper than in his previous handful of starts. A lot of his recent stumbles have come from failing to put guys away after getting to two strikes, and early on, he found a workable adjustment from his previous outing. He struck out the side in the first, the first two batters on wicked sinkers that Warren aims at the lefty batter’s box and allows the foot-and-a-half of arm-side movement to carry it back to the edge of the strike zone. He tallied another on the same type of pitch in the second to navigate around a Nathaniel Lowe double. I’d like to see him trust his pair of breaking balls and changeup more in two-strike counts and not have to rely on in-zone fastballs to punch guys out. However, this is certainly a roadmap for success for one turn through the order, and hopefully the second and third times through, guys will be fearful of that called strike sinker which should magnify the chase potential of his off-speed pitches.
Unfortunately, Warren couldn’t maintain this effectiveness into the third. He surrendered a double to Edwin Arroyo and walked Blake Dunn with one out, and his defense let him down a bit, as despite a nice catch from Jasson Domínguez in right, he made the decision to throw to third too quickly, missing a chance to double up Arroyo too far off of second. That would’ve ended the inning; instead, both runners came around to score on a two-out double to the wall in left by Sal Stewart and Cincy was in front, 2-1.
In the fourth, Arroyo reached on a missed-catch error by Rice after Volpe lawn-darted a throw to first on about as routine a grounder as you could ask for, though Rice absolutely should have gloved it.
JJ Bleday followed with a double to right to put runners on second and third with one out for Stewart, who continued to account for all of the Reds’ runs with a sac fly to left to make it 3-1, Cincinnati.
The implosion only accelerated from there. Warren walked Lowe on five pitches before serving up a middle-middle 2-1 sinker to Spencer Steer that the first baseman crushed over the wall in left for a three-run homer and a 6-1 Cincy lead.
It’s amazing how different a pitcher Warren looks with no one on vs. when there is traffic on the basepaths. He loses all precision with the fastball, and it’s just not a good enough pitch stuff-wise to become wild in the zone. It makes me wonder whether the issues stem from Warren pitching out of the stretch rather than the windup, or whether it is more a mental response to having to navigate a stressful situation. He was allowed to go back out for the sixth and got two quick outs, but served up a pair of singles to Arroyo and Dunn, forcing Aaron Boone out of the dugout to call on Tim Hill to face the lefty Bleday. Bleday put a charge into a ball to left, but Caballero made a stunning sprinting catch in the gap to save two runs and cap off Warren’s final line at six runs (two earned) on eight hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
The Yankees gave themselves plenty of chances to get back into the game, but unlike the Reds, they could never find that killer hit with runners on. They loaded the bases in the fifth on consecutive one-out singles from Volpe and Ali Sánchez followed by a two out Amed Rosario walk, but Goldschmidt struck out looking on a 3-2 backdoor sweeper that he unsuccessfully challenged to leave them with no more ABS challenges for the rest of the game. They put another pair on with no outs after Cody Bellinger and Domínguez smacked a pair of singles to open the sixth, but back-to-back popups by Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a Volpe can of corn stranded them in place. That allowed Abbott to complete five-plus innings of one run ball, meaning he has held the Yankees to one run in both his career starts against them.
By the time the eighth inning rolled around it was time to wave the white flag and get a body in there to eat the final two innings. Ryan Yarbrough proved why he is reserved for this role, giving up singles to Matt McClain, Arroyo and Dunn to load the bases for Stewart, whose two-out double into the left-center gap cleared the bases and gave him six RBIs on the day. Pinch-hitter Dane Myers followed with a double of his own to plate Stewart and make it 10-1 Reds.
In the bottom of the eighth, Bellinger and Domínguez again led off an inning with a pair of singles, Jasson’s two base knocks batting right-handed further proof of his improvements to that part of his game. Caballero hit an RBI groundout to plate Bellinger and a throwing error from Arroyo allowed him to advance to second, but Jazz and Volpe couldn’t bring him home.
It was a little surprising to see super utilityman Max Schuemann pitch the ninth rather than let Yarbrough soak up the final frame. However, he pitched a scoreless ninth in his first major league pitching appearance, which is better than Warren or Yarbrough can say today. The offense went down quietly in the ninth to bring an end to a humbling 10-2 loss, the bats going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10.
The Yankees still have a chance to win four out of four series on this long homestand tomorrow afternoon. It was originally supposed to be a marquee matchup in the rubber game with Gerrit Cole taking on Chase Burns, but after today’s game, Aaron Boone announced that Cole and the rest of his starters will get an extra day of rest, with No. 45 moving back to Monday to face Detroit instead. Elmer Rodríguez will come up from Triple-A to face Burns. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 pm ET with the broadcast remaining on YES.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 20: Sal Stewart #27 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, June 20, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart has certainly slumped since his breakout month of April, but that hasn’t stopped him from stepping into big situations and picking up timely hits for the club. Manager Terry Francona has stuck with him in the heart of the order despite his recent slide, and Tito was rewarded in spades by the rook on Saturday afternoon in Yankee Stadium.
Stewart doubled twice and picked up a sac fly, to boot, in the process driving in 6 runs as the Reds raced past the New York Yankees 10-2 to even the series in the Bronx. His first double – of the 2-run variety – flipped the scoreboard after Reds starter Andrew Abbott had yielded a 1st inning solo homer to Paul Goldschmidt, and Sal’s second came with the bases loaded in the Top of the 8th – clearing them to put Cincinnati ahead 10-1 at the time.
For the season, Sal now has 53 ribbies to his name, which leads the Reds and would’ve ranked 7th in all of baseball at the start of today.
Edwin Arroyo chipped in with his first big day as a big leaguer, going 4 for 5 with a double and a pair of runs scored. All of a sudden, he’s got a .308 OBP as a Red that doesn’ tlook too dissimilar to the .309 mark posted by one Matt McLain. Spencer Steer had the big mid-game swing in the Top of the 5th off Will Warren, a 3-run homer that helped assuage the current slide he’s been on in a big way, too.
That was more than enough to back Abbott, who pitched around trouble for 5+ IP of 5 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K ball. He allowed the final two batters he faced to reach, but Tejay Antone (2.0 IP, K) came on to bail him out of that jam before continuing on himself. Chase Petty pitched a scoreless 9th and looked pretty good doing so once again.
This all sets the stage for a pretty blockbuster matchup on Sunday in the series finale, as Cincinnati will send ace Chase Burns to the mound to face 6x All Star and former Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole. Cole has looked good since returning to the mound following a lengthy absence getting over Tommy John surgery, and Burns has looked, well, just about as good as any pitcher to ever wear a Reds uniform all season. First pitch in that one is slated for 1:35 PM ET tomorrow, so get your popcorn pre-ready.
