Jul 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA;St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Helpfully, Major League Baseball has provided us with a distraction today in the form of the MLB Draft, which starts at 10am PST. It’s not too late to catch up on Max Ellingsen’s coverage so you can have a fully-formed opinion when the M’s are on the clock! Speaking of, is there a name you’ve circled for the Mariners this year?
In the latest episode of the Meet at the Mitt podcast, the crew broke down the top options for the M’s in this year’s draft and who they’re hoping the club will take with their first selection. (Apple link; Spotify link)
Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera, Rays right-hander Nick Martinez, Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, and White Sox first basemen Munetaka Murakami were all named as All-Star Game replacements.
In what was a significant back-and-forth game, Gwinnett walked things off against Memphis to move to just one game under .500 on the season.
Herick Hernandez got the start in what was his first triple-A appearance, and performed quite well in his first outing. Across 5.2 innings of work, Hernandez allowed four runs on four hits while walking three and striking out six in the process.
While he did give up a pair of homers on the day, it is a very promising start for Hernandez seeing as though he kept the walks in check and managed to limit the damage.
However, the Stripers would have to battle back from an early 3-0 deficit as the Redbirds took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
That score would remain until the home half of the third. DaShawn Kiersey Jr. got the scoring started for Gwinnett by lacing a bases-loaded single into center field to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Luke Williams later came around to score on a single off the bat of Jair Camargo to tie things up at 3-3.
The first lead of the game for the Stripers came in the bottom of the fifth as Rowdy Tellez launched his ninth homer of the season over the right center field wall to make it a 4-3 game.
Memphis eventually took the lead by scoring one run each in the sixth and ninth innings.
However, the Stripers’ bats would come to life in their final at-bat.
Brett Wisely laced a one-out single before Brewer Hicklen took a 2-2 breaking ball and pulled it over the left field wall for a walk off, two-run homer to give the Stripers the win.
Simply put, there wasn’t much that went right for Columbus on Friday night.
Ian Mejia got the start and didn’t have his best stuff as he gave up five runs on six hits in 5.1 innings of work. It wasn’t his best outing of the season, but it should have been somewhat manageable.
However, his offens faltered tremendously, as the Clingstones tallied just one run on four hits across the entire nine inning affair.
The lone RBI for Columbus came in the bottom of the fifth as Keshawn Ogans — who went 2-3 on the night — drove home Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. with an RBI-single.
— Columbus Clingstones (@GoClingstones) July 11, 2026
Kilpatrick Jr. and Dalton McIntyre both tallied the only other two hits on the night — both singles — in what was a lackluster offensive performance all-around by Columbus.
(41-41) Rome Emperors 8, (40-43) Hudson Valley Renegades 3
Rome got back to .500 on the season with a win over Hudson Valley on Friday, riding a solid night at the plate from several Emperors en route to the victory.
Typically, games in which Eric Hartman homers, the Emperors are going to be just fine — as was the case on Friday.
Hartman took a hanging breaking ball to launch a two-run homer, his 21st long ball of the season, to give Rome the 2-1 lead in the third inning.
Dixon Williams and Dallas Macias also got in on the offensive fun, each homering in this one as well, while both also drove in a pair of runs.
Tate Southisene and John Gil also had solid days at the plate, both doubling on the night.
Cade Kuehler got the start on the mound and tossed five innings of four-run ball while striking out four. He also scattered four hits and walked three along the way as well.
All told it’s been a rough, rough season for Kuehler. However, he has put up back-to-back starts of at least five innings and three or less runs allowed. It’s a small sample size, sure, but hopefully it’s the beginning of a significant turnaround for Kuehler who showed a good amount of promise at one point early in his professional career.
(48-37) Augusta GreenJackets 7, (47-36) Hickory Crawdads 8
Cooper McMurray, 1B: 2-3, HR, 3B, 4 RBI, 3 R
Luis Guanipa, CF: 1-4, RBI
Alex Lodise, SS: 2-5, 2 RBI
Landon Beidelschies, SP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Augusta unfortunately came up short on Friday, losing by just one run to Hickory.
Landon Beidelschies made his 11th start of the season for Augusta on Friday and tossed 2.2 innings of four run (one earned) ball. The lefty managed to scatter three hits and walked a trio of batters while striking out a pair as well.
All-in-all, Beidelschies has had a rough start to his pro career. In 11 starts (13 appearances) the left has tossed an ERA of 7.66 while striking out 41 in 49.1 innings of work thus far.
Hopefully he can turn it around as a starter. Otherwise, it may be a quick trip to the bullpen for Beidelschies.
Cooper McMurray paced the offense with a homer and triple to his credit, driving in four of Augusta’s seven total runs on Friday, while Alex Lodise went 2-5 with a pair of RBI as well.
— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) July 11, 2026
Trailing 8-5 in the home half of the ninth, the GreenJackets managed to plate two runs to make it a 8-7 game, but Augusta failed to tie things up as they would go on to lose this one by just one run.
Despite outhitting the FCL Rays and holding a lead headed into the ninth inning, the FCL Braves came up short, losing by a 10-7 final in extras.
While Luisberth Valdez technically got the start and only went one inning, Wuilinyer Tovar shouldered most of the pitching load in this one. In 4.1 innings of work, Tovar allowed two runs on five hits, but unfortunately also walked a gaudy six batters across those frames as well.
The Braves plated one run in the third, four in the seventh and two in the eighth to take a 7-6 lead. Manuel Dos Passos had a solid day at the plate to lead the offense, lacing a pair of doubles and scoring a run, while Elias Reyno went 3-3 with a pair of RBI and a walk to his credit as well.
However, the FCL Rays managed to score a run to tie things up in the top of the ninth before crossing the plate three times in the top of the 10th to carry the win as the Braves were held scoreless in the home half.
The DSL squad took an excellent start from Martires Polanco Friday afternoon and parlayed it into a victory — just the eighth of the year for the team.
Across just 4.1 innings of work, Polanco managed to strike out nine batters while holding the opposition to just one run on one hit on the day. He did also walk three batters, but all in all it was a good day for the 19-year-old.
Polanco has been overwhelmingly dominant this year for the DSL squad. Sure, he is older for the level, but across six starts, the righty carries an ERA of 1.54 with 39 strikeouts in just 23.1 innings.
He’s probably in line for a promotion to the FCL squad here soon, or even perhaps Augusta, depending on what happens with rosters after the draft signing deadline.
At the plate, Edelson Cabral launched his second homer of the season — a go-ahead, two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth — to pace the DSL Braves’ offense.
Both Jose Nelo and Yassel Pena also got in on the action with a double apiece, while Nelo also added an RBI to his credit in the win.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 10: Luis Castillo #58 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after giving up a home run to Victor Mesa Jr. #25 of the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field on July 10, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Offense was somewhat surprisingly at a premium last night in DC after the two-hour rain delay, as the Yankees couldn’t do more than hit register two solo shots against the Nationals’ Carson Palmquist/Zack Littell combo across the first seven innings. They weren’t dominating by any stretch; it just felt like the Yanks weren’t landing that key hit. So when Tim Hill coughed up back-to-back homers to Keibert Ruiz and James Wood to put the Nats ahead 3-2, there was a legitimate fear that Ryan Weathers’ work would go to waste.
Thankfully, the Nats’ weak relief pitching finally made a true appearance in the ninth. A few minutes later, the save was blown behind the bats of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells, two dudes who needed some big swings. Final score: 5-3, Yanks. Phew!
Here’s what else was going on in some of the notable American League action yesterday. Note that we’ve shaken up the teams covered again for this final series of the first half, focusing solely on those presently in playoff position. As always, these are subject to change! It’s just who’s getting the shine at the moment.*
*Although I will note that all of the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Tigers, and Orioles won, moving the middle tier of the Wild Card race all up a game. Minnesota is one back of Seattle for the last Wild Card; Houston, Toronto, and surging Boston are 1.5 behind; Detroit is within 2.5 and Baltimore is three back. Oh, and none of these teams are over .500. What a jumbled mess.
Tampa Bay Rays (55-37) 7, Seattle Mariners (47-48) 2
It was a great Friday for Rays starter Nick Martinez, who was chosen as a replacement for Boston’s Ranger Suárez on the All-Star roster and then went out and recorded a win over the Mariners. Named an All-Star for the first time at age-35, Martinez threw 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk, giving up a homer to Cole Young and not much else. It wasn’t as shiny as some of his early regular-season starts, but the W’s all count the same.
Anyway, Martinez easily outpitched his opponent, fading veteran Luis Castillo. The former ace has been the clear weak link in the six-man(-ish) rotation, and it showed again on Friday night. He gave up homers to Richie Palacios, Cedric Mullins, and Victor Mesa Jr. between the fourth and the fifth, and while they were solo shots, they combined with an RBI knock in the third from Chandler Simpson to give Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead.
Following singles by J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena, Martinez departed with the tying run at the plate for Seattle with one out in the sixth. The M’s only got one run out of it though, with Cole Sulser inducing a fielder’s choice grounder from Dominic Canzone and fanning Cal Raleigh to keep it at 4-2. Garrett Cleavinger also did yeoman’s work to keep the M’s from tying it in the seventh, as Josh Naylor never got further from second after his leadoff single. Then in the home half, Junior Caminero dropped the hammer on José A. Ferrer with his 28th long ball of 2026:
It was smooth sailing from then on for the Rays, coasting to a 7-2 win. The only hitch was that it seemed like they would take a five-game AL East lead on the Yankees until New York’s ninth-inning rally off the Nats.
Other Games
Texas Rangers (48-46) 7, Houston Astros (46-50) 3: Yordan Alvarez’s 30th homer of the season and the 200th of his career brought some fireworks in this 2023 ALCS rematch of the two Texas teams, which are both battling with Seattle for the AL West lead. The next inning, Yainier Diaz hit a two-run shot off Chris Martin to tie the game at 3-3. That was unfortunate for Texas, which had built a 3-0 lead against Astros ace Hunter Brown, but they shook off losing that advantage in a hurry. The Rangers lit into Bryan King in the eighth, as Wyatt Langford belted a solo shot to give them a 4-3 lead and Jake Burger soon followed with a three-run smash. (Yes, we got a Burger/King matchup, and the former had it his way.) The Rangers lead the Mariners by 1.5 games in the AL West.
Cleveland Guardians (49-46) 3, Miami Marlins (52-43) 2: The surprising Marlins have MLB’s best record since the beginning of June, but Cleveland southpaw Parker Messick cooled down the Stinky Hot Fish™ by allowing just one hit and one run in six innings of work. The rookies got to Sandy Alcantara, with Chase DeLauter slugging a two-run homer to get the scoring going in the fourth and Travis Bazzana lifting a key sacrifice fly in the following frame. Leo Jiménez and Heriberto Hernández hit solo shots for Miami to cut the lead to one by the eighth, but Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith turned the Marlins away to win it.
Chicago White Sox (48-45) 14, The Athletics (41-53) 1: After getting swept at home by the Red Sox, the Pale Hose took out their frustration on the free-falling A’s, keeping pace with Cleveland. No. 9 hitter Tristan Peters was the story of this one, as he became the seventh player in White Sox history to hit for the cycle, the first since Jose Abreu on September 9, 2017. Remarkably, Peters finished his cycle by recording the two hardest parts—the triple and the homer—in the same inning. Andrew Benintendi also drove in four while notching a pair of doubles and All-Star Miguel Vargas hit his 21st homer of 2026. Sean Burke threw seven innings of four-hit, one-run ball.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 13: New York Mets mascot Mr. Met jokes with fans during the 2025 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Coca-Cola Roxy on Sunday, July 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Major League Baseball has made some changes to the schedule and broadcast of its amateur draft, which begins today at 1:00 PM EDT. And the vast majority of the draft will air on NBC/Peacock, while MLB Network and MLB.com will provide coverage of the picks, as well.
Saturday, July 11: Rounds 1-3, 1 PM EDT, NBC/Peacock
Sunday, July 12: Rounds 4-20, 1 PM EDT, NBC/Peacock
We’ll have an open thread here on Amazin’ Avenue for those of you who are following the draft live and want to discuss it in real time, and as always, we’ll have thorough coverage of all of the Mets’ picks from this afternoon through Steve’s draft profile series that will cover each of the picks. And last but certainly not least, stay tuned for our draft pick signing tracker, which we’ll update as players sign—or decline to sign—with the organization following the draft.
Jul 10, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; The Texas Rangers bench celebrates with first baseman Jake Burger (21) after Burger hits a three run home run against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 22: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Ryan Ward (67) makes contact during a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers on June 22, 2026, at Target Field in Minneapolis MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All four Dodgers affiliates are at home this week. The two in the state of Oklahoma picked up wins on Friday.
Player of the day
Ryan Ward homered in his first game back with Oklahoma City on June 30 after getting optioned, but had no extra-base hits in his first seven games of July. Ward made up for that on Friday with a home run and two doubles.
Ward also singled, tying his season best with four hits.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets had eight extra-base hits in a home romp over the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres). Ward had three of the eight extra-base hits.
Alek Thomas also homered, his third in three games. Jack Suwinski doubled twice and drove in four runs Austin Gauthier and Ryan Fitzgerald also doubled.
Christian Romero struck out five while allowing a run in 5 1/3 innings, with the only run coming on a solo home run.
Ryder Ryan came within one out of a three-inning save, but was pulled with two outs after allowing three runs in the ninth inning. Jerming Rosario entered with a five-run lead but the bases loaded and the tying run on deck. He struck out Bryce Johnson to earn a save of the more standard variety.
Double-A Tulsa
Josue De Paula had three hits, including an RBI double in the Drillers’ four-run rally that gave them the lead for good in a victory over the Springfield Cardinals.
Zyhir Hope hit the game-tying two-run single in that seventh inning and also walked and stole a base.
Kendall George singled twice, walked, stole two bases, and scored a pair of runs. After missing a month with a knee injury and five tune-up games with Class-A Ontario, George in his first four games back with Tulsa has eight hits in 16 at-bats plus three walks and three stolen bases.
Evan Shaw pitched three scoreless, hitless innings in relief with four strikeouts to earn the win.
High-A Great Lakes
Two runs in the eighth inning doomed the Loons in a loss to the Dayton Dragons (Reds). Robby Porco pitched a scoreless seventh but walked a pair with one out in the eighth before getting pulled. Both walks scored on a single off Justin Chambers.
One day after his 20th birthday, Chase Harlan hit his third home run and sixth extra-base hit in 13 games since getting promoted to Great Lakes. Shortstop Emil Morales, who doesn’t turn 20 until September, doubled, singled, and drove in a pair. Morales in four games in this series has 10 hits, including five extra-base hits, and seven RBI.
Brooks Auger allowed a pair of home runs for a second straight start, after giving up no long balls in his first 10 starts, encompassing 37 innings and 153 batters faced. Though he gave up four runs on Friday, Auger also struck out eight, giving him 66 strikeouts and 20 walks in 46 1/3 innings this season, with a 34.2-percent strikeout rate.
Class-A Ontario
Tower Buzzers pitching allowed crooked numbers in four different innings in a blowout loss to the the Inland Empire (Mariners).
The bulk of the scoring came against Marco Estrada, who allowed five runs in his 3 2/3 innings of relief, including a pair of home runs. Drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round out of MIT last July, Estrada struck out five and walked four on Friday. The right-hander has filled up the box score this season, with 50 walks and 66 strikeouts in his 57 2/3 innings, and a 7.96 ERA.
Marlon Nieves was activated off the injured list after missing two months and allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings in his abbreviated start.
Third baseman Easton Shelton hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning, his league-leading 24th home run, nine more than anybody else in the California League. Mairo Martinus also homered for Ontario.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 10: Matt Krook #58 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Nationals Park on July 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nationals addiction to platoon matchups has hurt them a few times this year, but there was no more obvious example than last night. In a 3-2 game in the top of the 9th, Blake Butera went to lefty Matt Krook over sticking with Clayton Beeter. Krook, who now has a career ERA of 16.62 gave up the lead by allowing a home run to the left handed Jazz Chisholm.
Going to a guy with an ERA of 14 over your best reliever just does not make sense. I do not care what hand Matt Krook throws with https://t.co/mbHa5dYitn
I am not really sure what book Blake Butera is going off of right now, but there needs to be some serious reflection after last night. Butera needs to start trusting his best relievers instead of turning to guys based on what hand they throw with. Moving forward, Butera cannot be pulling his best reliever for a guy with an ERA in the double digits in the 9th inning.
After the game, Butera explained his decision by saying he brought in Krook because of the three lefties/switch hitters that were up. He told me that he went with Krook over the more reliable PJ Poulin because he liked how Krook matched up with the switch hitting Jasson Dominguez. Krook ended up allowing a single to Dominguez and a homer to Jazz Chisholm who is worse against left-handed pitching.
I love so much of what Butera and the new regime have done, but they have not covered themselves in glory building or managing this bullpen. Jose A. Ferrer would be a decent lefty to throw out there in the 9th, but he was traded for Harry Ford, who is struggling in AAA. Butera himself has struggled to push the right buttons in an admittedly weak bullpen.
There have been plenty of times where you can’t really blame Butera for this bad bullpen melting down. However, last night was not one of those cases. It felt like we had the Yankees right where we wanted them after Clayton Beeter got a strikeout to end the 8th. Beeter, who has not allowed a run in his last 7 outings, would come out for the 9th, and the fans would be happy.
Butera had other plans though. He wanted to play the matchups instead of sticking with his best arm. It is not like Beeter has a problem against left handed hitters though. Lefties are hitting just .200 against Beeter this season and .198 in his career. Beeter’s downer slider is a platoon neutral weapon that works against lefties and righties.
For what it's worth, left-handed hitters are slashing .200/.373/.222 vs. Clayton Beeter this season and .198/.368/.341 for his career.
However, Butera thought Krook was the right move, and he got burned. Moving forward, I think the Nats need to play to their own strengths instead of fixating on other teams weaknesses. Sure, some of these Yankees hitters struggle against lefties, but with all due respect, most of the lefties they are facing are better than Matt Krook.
Right now, the Nats have 4 low slot, soft-tossing lefties in the bullpen. Three of them pitched yesterday, and while Palmquist and Cosgrove did their jobs, Krook did not. Moving forward, I really want Blake Butera to manage based on his own personnel instead of being such a reactive manager.
Final thought of the night: Your process is only as good as your personnel. And if you don't have the personnel to make your preferred process work, you have to be willing to alter it. I have a hunch the Nationals will.
One thing I thought was revealing was when Blake Butera said after the game that having Krook, or at least one of his lefties closing out the game was pre-planned. It is just another example of this regime’s extreme devotion to platoon matchups. Having 4 lefties in the bullpen was part of the plan for this weekend.
However, I think the Nats should pay more attention to quality over what hand a guy throws with. Honestly, after Brad Lord’s injury, Eddy Yean should have been given the call up to the big leagues. He has an upper 90’s heater and a real mound presence. The Nats went with Tom Cosgrove though. Cosgrove’s profile just feels redundant with Krook, Poulin and Carson Palmquist.
Part of what makes these low slot lefties effective is that they are a unique look. If hitters just keep seeing one low slot lefty after another, they are going to catch on at some point. It felt like that happened when the Yankees faced their third low slot lefty of the night.
This should be a major wake up call for Blake Butera and this front office. For most of these bullpen meltdowns, you can blame it on Butera not having the guys or his guys letting him down. However, last night, Butera had his guy on the mound, but pulled him after one batter for a pitcher with a career ERA over 16 because of what hand he throws the baseball with.
HOOVER, AL - MAY 20: Head coach Tim Corbin of the Vanderbilt Commodores walks off the field during the SEC Baseball Tournament second round game between Vanderbilt Commodores and Florida Gators on May 20, 2026, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.(Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s Draft Day. For most sports, it’s a celebratory day where you’re glad to hear the names of your boys, cheering them on as they jump to the next level. For college baseball fans, it’s a PTSD-laden war of attrition where your mood is dependent on hearing the fewest amount of names of your potential incoming freshman class. Zero names is ideal, of course, but when you ‘croot at Vanderbilt’s level, that’s never (or almost never, it did happen once) a realistic ask.
In short, go ahead and forget the names of OF Eric Booth Jr. (expected to go in the top 10 picks of the 1st round) and SS Aiden Ruiz (a slick-fielding defensive maven likely to get tabbed in the first 50 or so picks). Expect also to lose top pitchers LHP Sean Duncan and RHP Joseph Contreras (though there’s an outside chance one makes it to campus) and at least one of our two top SS commits, SS James Tronstein and SS Luke Williams. Keep it to losing 4 or 5 of them, and none of our remaining members of the #1 ‘crootin’ class in the nation, and we have set ourselves up to return to the postseason, challenge for a #1 seed this year, and challenge for a title in 2-3 years. Get decimated and… well, remember when Krusty drank gasoline and woke up on Bart’s lawn?
Then there’s our boys (you know, the ones who haven’t transferred out like pretty much our entire 2026 bullpen). Honestly, not a lot of Diamond Dores are expected to get drafted, and none (well, maybe Braden Holcomb) should expect to hear their names today (rounds 1-4).
Regardless, join up in the comments to collectively white knuckle the worst weekend of the year for college baseball fans with us at Anchor of Gold. Pour Jobu his rum, Hail Pinman, and scream “OO!” at Vocockyteps. It’s Draft Day.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Petco Park on July 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres brought the winning run to the plate with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. Xander Bogaerts stepped into the batter’s box with Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. on first and second base after the Padres recorded three consecutive two-out hits off Padres closer Louis Varland. Bogaerts worked the count full, but on the final pitch of the at-bat he hit a routine ground ball to third base, which resulted in the final out of the game to give San Diego a 5-3 loss at the hands of Toronto in their series opener at Petco Park on Friday night.
The Padres came into the bottom of the ninth trailing, 5-2. Jake Cronenworth pinch hit and struck out to open the inning and Luis Rengifo hit a deep fly ball into left field for the second out of the inning. Luis Campusano lined a ball back through the middle of the infield and Tatis followed with a line drive single through the right side of the infield. Merrill stepped in and connected on another base hit, which scored Campusano to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Bogaerts represented the winning run and Petco Park was waiting to erupt with a big hit from the San Diego shortstop. Bogaerts started the scoring in the game in the bottom of the first inning when he connected on a two-run home run off starter Shane Bieber to put the Padres up 2-0. Considering the speed of Tatis and Merrill and the fact that they were on the move on a 3-2 pitch, a base hit by Bogaerts might have tied the game, but it would have likely brought San Diego within a run with Manny Machado set to come to the plate. However, that was not how the 3-2 pitch played out. Instead, Bogaerts bounced a ground ball to Toronto third baseman Kazuma Okamoto who threw across the diamond in time to get Bogaerts to end the inning and the game.
Okamoto proved to have the game-winning hit for the Blue Jays in the top of the fifth inning. Padres starter JP Sears allowed two of the first three batters of the inning to reach base on singles and Jhony Brito came in to face Vladamir Guerrero Jr. Brito allowed an RBI-single and Toronto tied the game at 2-2. Brito then faced Okamoto who won a seven-pitch at-bat with a 377-foot three-run home run into the left field bleachers to give the Blue Jays a 5-2 lead.
San Diego will try to stop a two-game losing streak in the second game of the series against Toronto today at 5:40 p.m.
Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers the same night he was scratched from his start on the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
BAD GASTEIN, AUSTRIA - MAY 28: The Schlossalmbahn cable cars transport guests to the attend the opening event of CALL Film Festival at Restaurant Hirsch & Maus on May 28, 2026 in Bad Gastein, Austria. (Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hickory starter Daniel Keaney gave up five runs in five innings, striking out three and walking one.
Pablo Guerrero was 2 for 5 with a double. Yolfran Castillo was 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and a walk. Paulino Santana had a hit and a walk. Daniel Flames doubled and walked twice. Angel Arredondo doubled. Marco Argudin had a hit and a walk.
Round Rock starter Jose Corniell allowed five runs in 1.2 IP, walking three and striking out one. Emiliano Teodo walked one, struck out one and allowed one run in 1.1 IP. Wilian Bormie allowed two runs in an inning of work, walking two. Luis Curvelo threw two shutout innings.
Another busy slate in the Majors means more opportunity for long balls in my MLB player props home run analysis.
I'll include James Wood, Chase DeLauter, and Ben Rice in today's MLB picks for Saturday, July 11.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
James Wood
+350
Chase DeLauter
+549
Ben Rice
+275
💲Today's HR parlay
+8986
Home run pick: James Wood (+350)
Washington Nationals star James Wood is crushing baseballs right now. He owns a .722 ISO over his last six games, going deep four times during that span. Wood's hard-hit rate over the last week also sits at 62.9%, with a barrel rate just under 20%.
The slugger will face New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler tonight. Although the youngster has been dominant overall, he's had trouble with the long ball recently. Schlittler has allowed 3.00 HR/9 across his last two outings.
This Yankees pen has also surrendered 1.63 HR/9 across their last 27 2/3 innings. There's a lot of opportunity for Wood to leave the yard again.
I'll play this pick down to +300.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Nationals.TV
Home run pick: Chase DeLauter (+549)
Cleveland Guardians youngster Chase DeLauter has homered in back-to-back games, and he has three bombs in his last six contests. DeLauter carries a .417 ISO during that span and an astounding 68.4% hard-hit rate. The 24-year-old is consistently squaring up the baseball.
DeLauter will face Miami Marlins starter Eury Pérez this afternoon. The righty has allowed a home run in six of his last eight outings. He's been pitching well, but it's common for him to make a mistake in a start, and an opponent punishes it.
That could be DeLauter this afternoon, considering just how well he's seeing the baseball.
I'll play this pick down to +450.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Guardians.TV, Marlins.TV
Home run pick: Ben Rice (+275)
Ben Rice has emerged as a superstar this season, and he's showing off his power ahead of the HR Derby. The slugger has clubbed five long balls in his last seven games. Over that span, he owns a .556 ISO and 19% barrel rate.
Today's matchup heavily favors Rice. The Yankees will face the struggling Miles Mikolas. He's surrendered 2.77 HR/9 across his previous two appearances, and opponents also have a 40.8% hard-hit rate against him over the last two weeks.
This Nationals bullpen is also giving up 1.86 HR/9 over the last seven days. Whether it's against Mikolas or the relief corps when they enter, Rice has a great chance to put one in the bleachers.
Play this down to +250.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Nationals.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 15-75, -4.99 units
Today’s HR parlay
James Wood
Bet Now +8986
Chase DeLauter
Ben Rice
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Jul 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Anthony Seigler (48) reacts after reaching second base on an error by New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (not pictured) during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Red Sox had a bunch of issues getting to New York for yesterday’s game, but you wouldn’t know it based on the results. Boston scored two unearned runs off Nolan McLean in the first inning to take the lead and the Mets stayed behind all evening, ultimately losing 6-2.
The Mets made a series of roster moves prior to last night’s game, including officially placing Mark Vientos on the injured list and bringing Tobias Myers back to the active roster.
Vientos will be out for 6-8 weeks due to his hand injury; in happier news, Clay Holmes continues to progress in his return.
A.J. Ewing is enjoying a fine stretch, 11-for-26 (.423) with three home runs and a double in his last six games. He's up to a .282 average and .805 OPS through his first 55 career games
Freddy Peralta could really do with a bounce-back start, as he's allowed 21 runs (16 earned) on 28 hits and six walks in his last 17 innings over four outings. But the one encouraging note for Saturday is that he was decent in his lone Citi Field outing in that span: pitching 5.2 innings and allowing three runs (no earned) against Chicago, but some walks loomed large
Today's Lineups
RED SOX
METS
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Tigers prospect Jordan Yost practices during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
As in 2024, the Detroit Tigers were once again faced with a low pick as they selected 24th overall in the 2025 MLB amateur draft. Unlike 2024, they had the competitive balance A round selection, which helped both in terms of picks but also in terms of bonus pool to a degree. They did as expected, spreading their $10,990,000 bonus pool around with a mix of early underslot deals and inexpensive college picks to help them go overslot later on to lock up a deeper pool of talent.
As always though, the draft is largely about your top picks and who gets the biggest signing bonuses, with those two things not always fully aligned. The rest are more of a bulk buy where you’re hoping to draft a lot of players you already have a lead on developing, and eventually produce a good player or two along with pitching and positional depth in the farm system. We’ll see how the top picks turn out in time, but the Tigers did a really nice adjusting their strategy a bit and finding a nice mix of smaller program college picks, JUCO players, along with a couple of big ticket prep arms and some talented but raw high schoolers as value picks late in the draft.
Round 1: No. 24 – SS Jordan Yost, (Sickles HS, FL) $3.25M
I remain a little baffled by the response to the Tigers first round selection, prep shortstop Jordan Yost. In Yost the Tigers got an advanced defensive shortstop in a left-handed teenaged hitter with a good eye and great feel for making contact. Sure, he’s still on the skinny side and doesn’t pack much power yet, but unlike some other older, slender infielders in the Tigers’ system, Yost has enough room on his frame that he can add signficant muscle in the coming years. He already packed on 13 pounds over his first offseason, and is showing 40 grade raw power as a teenager. It’s a good bet that in three years time he’ll approach average raw power. In game that’s probably more like 45 for him, but a plus shortstop who hits 10-15 homers, steals bases, and rarely strikes out is not a big ask here. In fact I’d say it’s pretty likely.
Yost holds a 12.2 strikeout rate in his first look at Single-A Lakeland. His walk rate is 14.5 percent. You don’t see that from a teenaged prospect very often, and it will hold up well against more advanced pitching as he develops more batspeed. His hit tool isn’t going to match McGonigle’s elite level as a prospect but you can expect a plus hitter who is on base a lot, chips in some power and stolen bases, and locks down the shortstop position, potentially bumping Bryce Rainer to third and McGonigle to second base. He needs a few years, but Yost has a good deal of upside, and the floor set by his current tools is already pretty solid.
Competitive Balance Round A: No. 34 – C Michael Oliveto, Hauppauge (NY) $2.45M
This Long Island prep catcher burst on the scene prior to the draft with a huge showing in the World Wood Bat Association Championship. That helped him boost his draft stock significantly despite being a northeast kid who didn’t face the best competition often in high school. The bat quickly became more well regarded, but there were, and are, still concerns about his arm strength as it pertains to the catcher position. On the other hand, Oliveto should develop well in all other respects, and one thing the Tigers do really well is evaluate and develop catchers, so we’ll just have to trust them on the arm strength.
Oliveto has a pretty sweet, left-handed swing and controls the strike zone very well for his age. He should develop above average power, and has the tools to get to it regularly. What he lacks, is top shelf competitive experience. Between that factor and the demands of getting a full on course in professional catching this season in the Complex League, and soon a move to Single-A Lakeland, a slow start with the bat is likely. Once he has his feet under him defensively and is comfortable handling a pro pitching staff, more focus can turn to developing his hit tool.
Oliveto was headed to Yale before the Tigers signed him, and his smarts and work ethic draw extremely high marks, so he’s teachable and motivated, and should get the most out of his natural abilities. I think he’ll hit, but we’ll have to see how he develops behind the plate. That will take plenty of time. Round 2: No. 62 – RHP Malachi Witherspoon (University of Oklahoma) $1.451M
Witherspoon is kind of an all or nothing pick. The stuff is undeniably excellent already. He sits in the mid-to-high 90’s, and has touched 100 but his sinker is more of a bat breaker than a bat misser. He has the breaking stuff and changeup to be a frontline starter, but his command is decidedly a work in progress and his long-armed, low three-quarters delivery suggests quite a bit of relief risk. If he puts it all together, the Tigers are going to look great here. The sinker is a dominant pitch when he’s locating it, and his cutter, slider, and changeup all flash plus, but he has a decided tendency to suddenly lose the plot in the middle of an outing for a few hitters before pulling himself together. There’s certainly a chance he never executes and self-corrects enough to even make it as the high leverage reliever he already has the stuff to become. Round 3: No. 98 – LHP Ben Jacobs (Arizona State University) $722,500
Jacobs has been the quickest riser out of this class, showing a good, riding fourseamer at 93-95 mph with an above average slider and curveball, and a plus changeup that has made him tough on right-handed hitters. He’s had a few bouts of control issues as he and the Tigers develop his delivery and stuff, but he’s handled a quick move to High-A West Michigan pretty well. The 22-year-old has plenty in the stuff department. The big step is commanding the whole package more consistently.
The Tigers kept adding quality college pitchers with this left-hander with big extension to the plate. Leys has a solid slider and a good changeup developing, but he’s still sitting 92 mph with pretty average movement on his fourseamer. He’ll use his sinker as well and it’s been effective. Leys is in Single-A Lakeland, but is still walking a few too many batters to move out from under the Tigers’ close eye in Lakeland. There’s enough projection here to think he’ll eventually throw harder. If he gets to more velo and keeps refining his fastball and slider command he could make it as a starter, but he feels more like a future lefty swingman type. Round 5: No. 159 – RHP Ryan Hall (North Gwinnett HS, GA) $997,500
This is still the Tigers under Scott Harris, and so the draft wouldn’t have been complete without an expensive speculative big-bonus selection of a prep pitcher. Right-hander Ryan Hall was a quarterback and pitching standout both in high school. At six-foot-one he doesn’t have the big, rangy build of the classic power pitcher, but Hall can spin the baseball and has standout athleticism. He’s been up to 95 mph and the Tigers clearly believe there’s a ton of projection here. And, unlike their other prep picks, Hall didn’t miss much time before his pro debut. He’s currently working in the Complex League and is due to move over to the Single-A level in another week or two as the Complex League wraps up. Round 6: No. 189: – LHP Grayson Grinsell (Oregon) $297,500
This lefty has an interesting fastball-changeup combination and is working to develop his slider and changeup, as well as his command, in his first pro season. Grinsell gets over 19 inches of induced vertical break on his fourseamer, but it’s still 90-92 mph for the most part. His changeup is good, and his arm speed and extension help it play up. He needs to keep building velo and sharpening his slider. His control has been a little shaky at the Single-A level, but he racking up plenty of strikeouts so far. Round 7: No. 219 – OF/RHP Cale Wetwiska (Northern Oklahoma) $645,700
Wetwiska got a pretty nice bonus as well as a JUCO selection. The big-armed right-hander has good ride, extension, and cutting action on his 95.5 mph fourseamer and has touched 98 mph with the Single-A Flying Tigers this spring. He’ll mix in plenty of sinkers as well, but the real trick is turning his natural supinator traits into a good cutter-slider combination. He can spin the baseball, but while he’ll flash good editions of both breaking balls they’re still pretty inconsistent. Wetwiska is also a good candidate to learn a splitter, and he’ll need it if he’s going to remain a starting pitcher. The right-hander went down with an injury in early April, but he’s rehabbed and back starting in Single-A now. Round 8: No. 249 – OF Nick Dumesnil (California Baptist) $214,300
The Tigers went back to their well of athletic, inexpensive college players to select Dumesnil, and the 22-year-old looks like a fine selection. He’s walking a lot in Lakeland and keeping the strikeouts under control. He’s also shown some power and speed on the bases to go with the ability to play all three outfield positions. Round 9: No. 279 – LHP Trevor Heishman (St. John Bosco HS, CA) $347,500
This left-handed high schooler has a lot of interesting projection, but he’s yet to pitch this season. Now 19 years old, there isn’t much to add that we didn’t know on draft day. He’s six-foot-four and weighs in at 230 pounds, so he’s already quite a specimen. Heishman was low 90’s in high school but really spins the fastball and breaking stuff well, getting plenty of carry on the fastball. There is enormous upside here but it’s going to take plenty of time to get there. Round 10: No. 309 – C Edian Espinal (Central Florida) $185,300
Espinal has been a fascinating player to watch in Lakeland this spring. He was a JUCO pick who mainly played second base until converting to catcher last year. He’s only five-foot-seven and fairly thickly built, yet he still runs reasonable well. The defense will take plenty of time, but he has the arm strength and the athleticism to succeed. What has really turned heads, however, is his bat. The switch-hitter has really good bat to ball skills and is posting outstanding walk and strikeout rates that are nearly identical. He’s flashed solid raw power as well with six home runs so far and a max exit velocity of 108.1 mph. His average exit velocity is 90.7 mph, pretty exceptional for a JUCO pick dropped into the pro full season environment. Espinal has lived on base with the Flying Tigers, posting a .418 on-base percentage. Right now he’s a bat first catcher but the defense is coming along. Espinal can hit, and if he can develop into a quality major league catcher this is going to be a huge winner of a pick. Round 11: No. 339 – RHP River Hamilton (Sam Barlow HS, OR) $497,500
Hamilton has the raw stuff and frame to be pretty excited about him, but this one will require plenty of patience as well. He was very well regarded on the prep circuit and might have been a late first round pick had he not torn his UCL and required Tommy John last summer. The Tigers took him anyway, betting that they could sign him and that he’ll rehab the injury, come back in great shape, and prove a big winner of a pick that didn’t really require a huge, risky bonus. Round 12: No. 369 – RHP Cash Kuiper (Murray State) $150,000
This 21-year-old was another JUCO pick with big-time extension to the plate and some projection left in his six-foot-four frame. He has a pretty good changeup, but his slider and curveball need work. So far he’s been a little wild in Lakeland, but he came to the club without a ton of experience. Round 13: No. 399 – SS Jack Goodman (Northeastern) $150,000
Goodman has some power and plate discipline already, but he does swing a lot, and whiff a lot. He’s probably a second baseman, and has spent most of his time there in Lakeland. He has touched 109 mph off the bat, so there’s power potential in a right-handed hitting middle infielder, but it will take a major breakout to get him much prospect consideration. Still, he’s another athletic young player with a lot of tools, and it’s a question of how far he can refine his eye and hit tool. Round 14: No. 429: – 1B Beau Ankeney (Loyola Marymount) $150,000
Ankeney is built like a superhero and shows off plus raw power already. He’s been crushing it in Lakeland with 14 home runs in a half season of work in his pro debut, and can get to that pop to all fields. He’s also a free swinger who chases and punches out a lot. It’s probably not going to work out, but Ankeney feels like a guy the Tigers would’ve drafted in the 5-10 round range a decade ago and spent real money on. He’s a fun lottery ticket. Round 15: No. 459 – RHP Charlie Christensen (Central Arkansas) $150,000
Christensen has already torn through Single-A and recently moved to West Michigan. He has a fairly nasty slider-changeup combination from a snappy, low three-quarters arm slot. The whiffs piled up for him when he was commanding the secondary pitches, but his 92 mph sinker is still quite hittable when he’s behind in the count and needs a strike. Still a 36.7 percent strikeout rate in your Single-A pro debut out of a smaller college program is pretty darn good. The six-foot-four right-hander has some velocity projection remaining and boasts nearly seven feet of extension to the plate. Outstanding pick at the price. Round 16: No. 489 – RHP Joe Ruzicka (Belmont) $150,000
Ruzicka was a standout college pitcher in the small Missouri Valley conference. The six-foot-three right-hander has the Tigers requisite good extension, and he also brings good fastball shape and a nice curveball to the table, but doesn’t throw very hard yet, averaging 92.2 mph. He does spin the ball well, getting good ride on the heater with the ability to develop his breaking stuff. Presumably the Tigers think the velo can improve in time. Round 17: No. 519 – RHP Joey Wimpelberg (Central Florida) $197,500
Wimpelberg is another JUCO selection. He just threw his first inning of pro ball the other day, so there isn’t much new to say about him yet. He was a two-way player in high school and broke out with one of the top Florida junior college programs. His high three-quarters slot produces a good fastball in the low to mid-90’s and he can really spin his breaking stuff. He’s quite raw, but there’s a lot to like in the base arm talent alone. Round 18: No. 549 – LHP Ethan Rogers (Lone Jack HS, MO)
Did not sign, attending Wichita State now. Round 19: No. 579 – SS Meridian Leffew (Gastion Christian, NC)$164,500
Leffew signed out of high school after reclassifying from the 2026 to the 2025 draft, wanting to go right to pro ball. The 19-year-old shortstop hasn’t played yet, and is presumably going through a ton of developmental work behind the scenes. He’s fairly large for a shortstop at six-foot-two and a listed 187 pounds already. He’s a pretty good raw athlete with natural loft in his right-handed swing. Any prep shortstop with good athleticism available at this price is a good pick. Round 20: No. 609 – OF Kameron Douglas (Alabama State) $150,000
The 22-year-old Douglas is an interesting two-way player who has been up to 96 mph and has high spin characteristics on his fastball and breaking pitches. He’s got speed and power at the plate and can play all over the outfield, though he profiles best as a right fielder. This is another fairly raw player with a lot of athleticism. We haven’t seen him yet, and I suspect the Tigers mainly view him as a pitcher and are taking their time improving his mechanics right now behind the scenes.
The Tigers showed some positive adjustments in this draft
Personally, I really like the Yost and Oliveto picks quite a bit where they landed them. Neither has the upside of Bryce Rainer, but they’re both strong selections with plenty of upside and high floors. The pivot made in this draft was the ongoing move toward college and JUCO pitchers, while still finding a few arms like Hall and Hamilton in the prep ranks.
Two key names here are certainly Witherspoon and Jacobs. They both have the stuff to make it as quality mid-rotation starters and possibly more, and the Tigers really need some wins on the pitching side. So far Jacobs looks good, while Witherspoon already has great stuff but has to overcome the tendency to lose his rhythm and release spot that he showed in college. He would’ve been a first rounder based on his stuff if this hadn’t been an ongoing concern throughout his college career.
The Tigers also continued to get a lot of raw talent for minimum, or close to it, bonuses, including locking up some inexpensive prep and JUCO talent to work with.
It’s fair to be underwhelmed with the haul here initially, but that’s generally how it goes picking near the bottom of the draft order. I actually really like the Yost-Oliveto combination, and the Tigers got a whole lot of value throughout the rest of the draft. They scout farther and wider than some clubs, and it continues to show up as they add talented players from smaller college programs and the JUCO ranks, while opportunistically adding prep athletes who are highly motivated to start their pro careers despite meager signing bonuses.
We’re only a few months into seeing this class in action, so it’s going to be another year or two until there’s a really good read on how the whole class is coming together. Still, hopefully it gives you some sense of how their strategy has evolved as they slipped down in the draft order, with smaller bonus pools to work with.
James Wood
Chase DeLauter
Ben Rice
