Category: Baseball

Bill Caudill celebrates his 70th birthday today.

For those unfamiliar, Caudill was the Blue Jays’ answer to B.J. Ryan back in the 1980s. He broke into the majors with the Cubs, then found his stride as one of baseball’s elite closers in Seattle, before moving to Oakland, where he racked up 36 saves in a season.

After the 1984 season, the Jays traded Dave Collins and Alfredo Griffin for Caudill. Collins spent one not-great season with the A’s. Griffin spent three seasons in Oakland. Surprisingly, the A’s used him as a leadoff hitter. Considering he had a .307 OBP with him, it was a curious choice.

After a decent first season with the Jays (2.99 ERA and 14 saves), the Jays wanted to lock up Caudill for the future.

Caudill became agent Scott Boras’s first client, landing a five-year, $7 million contract. Fortunately for the Jays, only the first three years were guaranteed at $4.5 million, with vesting options for the remaining two. At the time, that was a significant sum. As we know, long-term contracts for closers rarely work out in the team’s favor.

The following season was a disappointment. Caudill ended with a 6.19 ERA and just two saves. He and manager Jimy Williams clashed, as Caudill believed he deserved the closer role, while Williams preferred the powerful arm of Tom Henke. With rookie Mark Eichhorn frequently pitching multiple innings in 89 games, there were few high-leverage spots left for Caudill.

During the off-season, the Jays released him.

He signed with the A’s but struggled with ongoing shoulder issues and soon left baseball. After retiring, he went on to work with Boras.

Caudill finished his career with 106 saves, a 3.68 ERA over 445 games, and 24 starts.

Happy birthday, Bill.

It is also outfielder Joe Cannon’s 73rd birthday.

Cannon played two seasons with the Jays (1979 and 1980) after arriving in a trade from the Astros, along with Mark Lemongello and Pete Hernandez, in exchange for Alan Ashby.

The trade ultimately didn’t work out for the Jays:

• Lemongello pitched in 18 games during 1979, recording a 1-9 record and a 6.29 ERA.

There’s an unusual note on Lemongello’s Wikipedia page:

In 1982, a few years after leaving baseball, Lemongello and his former Wichita teammate, Manuel Seoane, were arrested for kidnapping and robbing Lemongello’s cousins—Mike Lemongello, a former professional bowler, and Peter Lemongello. Lemongello received seven years’ probation after pleading no contest to the charges.

• Hernandez appeared in 11 games across the 1979 and 1982 seasons.

Cannon played in 131 games over his two seasons with the Jays, serving as a fourth outfielder, designated hitter, and pinch-hitter. He posted a .177/.186/.208 batting line.

Ashby went on to play 11 seasons with the Astros, proving to be a solid catcher both defensively and offensively. The Jays had three promising young catchers—Rick Cerone, Ernie Whitt, and Ashby—but Pat Gillick arguably should have secured a better return for Ashby. Not all of Pat’s trades were winners.

Happy birthday, Joe.

It is also Ty France’s 32nd birthday.

Ty is a glove-first first baseman. I’m not a fan of a glove-first first baseman. But he’s having a decent year with the bat for the Padres this year.

He’s had eight seasons in the majors, 910 games, a .263/.334/.406 with 92 home runs.

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The National League All-Stars are favored tonight at Citizens Bank Park in Philly, but I like the visiting American League All-Stars at the better price.

This is, obviously, not a normal starter handicap because both teams will cycle through elite arms, but Dylan Cease gives the AL a strong opening counter to Cristopher Sanchez, and that's enough for me to take back the value. 

Here are my American League vs. National League predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Who will win the All-Star Game today: American League moneyline

Odds: +127 at Polymarket

I’m taking the American League All-Stars and would play them down to +110.

Calling any All-Star Game a massive edge is a stretch, but +127 is too long in a short-burst pitching format. My analysis could simply be: "Both teams are very good, so why such a large gap?" but I also think there may be an early edge for the AL.

Dylan Cease opens with a 36% whiff rate and AL-best 148 strikeouts, while the American League can still layer Drew Rasmussen’s steady command and Joe Ryan's overall reliability behind him.

The National League has bigger names, but Cristopher Sanchez enters with a 9.58 ERA across two July starts, giving the AL at least a chance to strike in the first inning. That ultimately may be all it takes in an environment where runs should be hard to come by.

COVERS INTEL: Christopher Sanchez is dominant overall, but his sinker has allowed a .371 xwOBA and 56.0% hard-hit rate, giving the AL one early pitch to attack.

All-Star Game Over/Under pick: Under 7.5

Odds: +113 at Polymarket

I’m taking the Under because this game’s structure naturally works against the offense. The Under has cashed in 14 of the last 19 All-Star Games for a reason: hitters get one or two plate appearances, rarely see the same pitcher twice, and face arms throwing max effort in short stints.

That does not mean the Over cannot win. It means even if the AL gets the better early swing, sustained rallies are tougher to build in this format. I expect scattered damage, not a full slugfest. Both teams have incredible pitching depth behind the starters, with names like Paul Skenes, Jhoan Duran, Mason Miller, and Cade Smith available.

All-Star Game odds

• Moneyline: AL +120 | NL -142
• Run line: AL +1.5 (-172) | NL -1.5 (+142)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

All-Star Game trend

Three of the previous four Midsummer Classics have been decided by just one or two runs.

How to watch All-Star Game and info

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If you told me at the beginning of the season that the Nationals would be 48-49 at the All-Star break, I would have been thrilled. Don’t get it twisted, this has been a successful first half given the expectations. There have been so many standout performers in the lineup and even in the rotation. However, it could have been so much better with a real bullpen.

This Nationals bullpen has just been the ultimate vibe killer this season. On the broadcast yesterday, Kevin Frandsen was talking about how the fans needed to get up and support their team in the 8th. This is nothing against Frandsen, but I think the reason Nats fans did not do that is because they knew what was coming. All their fears were right, as the bullpen blew yet another game.

Right now the MLB record for blown saves in a season is 37. However, I do not think that record will last for long. The Nats are already at 27 blown saves, and we are only at the All-Star Break. I have seen a lot of bad bullpen’s over the years, but I’ve never seen one blow games in the 9th inning quite like this bunch.

The Nats have scored the most runs in all of baseball, and they are below .500. That is just a mind blowing indictment on this pitching staff. Really, it is mostly just an indictment on the bullpen. The rotation has not been elite by any means, but it has been solid, especially the past couple months. 

Foster Griffin and Cade Cavalli have been a good 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Even Zack Littell has a 3.52 ERA since May 1st and Miles Mikolas has a 4.43, which isn’t great, but is not terrible for a 5 starter. At this moment in time, the bullpen is truly the only reason they are not a playoff team.

There are just so many individual games you can look back on and say what if they got that one. If the Nats won that Giants game and even three of the six games they blew against the Phillies and Yankees, the conversation would be so different right now. There are about 10-12 truly awful meltdowns, and even if you could get six of those back, this team would be squarely in the wild card hunt.

Whether it is the deadline or the offseason, it is obvious that Paul Toboni needs to throw resources at the bullpen. Those resources can be money or prospect capital, but this unit needs to be addressed in a real way for 2027. Toboni tried to build a bullpen without using many resources. The idea was that you could build a decent bullpen on the cheap and there are always undervalued talents to find.

Well, Toboni has shown that he is not able to find those hidden gems. He cannot moneyball a bullpen the way the Rays have been able to. With that in mind, he needs to self-evaluate and realize that the bullpen is a spot where he needs to make big moves.

The Nats have blown 27 saves now, and the average is around 13 or 14. Imagine if they had only blown 13 saves. Yes, not every blown save results in a loss, but their record would be so much different. It is truly wild how much of a buzzkill the bullpen has been to what could have been a truly magical season.

You cannot say that this season has been a disappointment or a failure at all. It has been a big success. However, it could have been one of the most magical seasons in Nats history. It is still a good season, just with a massive vibe killer mixed in.

It is like the bullpen’s job is to tell us that we really shouldn’t get that excited. You can never get too happy watching this team until the game is over because truly no game is out of reach. I really think that this bullpen is so bad it gives other teams extra confidence that makes things even worse. No team ever rolls over against the Nats because they know there is always a chance to win the game against this punch. You can be down 8-1 in the 8th inning and still win.

I know that they love playing the matchups, but there has to be a real closer next year. The 9th inning is different, and this season has shown that. Whether it is going out and signing Adrian Morejon or making a big trade, something has to be done to address this.

Insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results. This is only year one of this regime, so they are not insane by any means. There is not a whole lot they can do to fix this bullpen right now. However, they are going to have to prove to fans that they are willing to try something different next season. The priority for this deadline and offseason should be pitching, pitching and more pitching, especially relief pitching.

Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez haven’t been good this year. Neither have the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners were favorites in the American League on Opening Day, according to FanGraphs. They enter the All-Star break a game under .500. What happened? Well, the Mariners, as a team, have played worse than they were expected to play. Here’s a timeline of the projected and actual WAR, with 2026 prorated through the end of the season:

Where have they played worse? I broke the roster into four components: Cal and Julio (the stars), the rest of the position player group, the rotation, and the pen. For each group, I added up 2025 WAR, 2026 projected WAR, and 2026 actual WAR (prorated).

We can see most of the underperformance comes from Cal and Julio. They posted 15 WAR last year and were projected by Steamer for 12 WAR this year. They’re on pace for 4 WAR.

Obviously nobody expected Cal to repeat his semi-historic 2025 season. Steamer certainly didn’t. But not only has Cal been worse, he’s not even been good. In fact, he’s not even been average — he’s been really quite bad.

Why? As we recently learned, Cal began the year hurt. Manny Acta said Cal didn’t get enough reps with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, tried to make up for it afterwards, over exerted, and strained his oblique. Cal tried to ‘tough guy’ his way through the first part of the season, before landing on the injured list after a long 0-for. He’s either still hurt or hasn’t found his timing, because he’s not been great since joining the team again in mid-June. He posted a 62 wRC+ before the injury; he has an 88 wRC+ since.

It’s not fair to lump Julio in the same tier of disappointment as Cal, though I wouldn’t call his season a success, either. Julio got off to his best start ever at the plate, but he slumped in the outfield. He turned it around defensively in June, but then his bat slumped. He started to get hot at the plate at the end of the month, finally putting everything together, but Nolan Schanuel drilled him in the back of the head while running the bases. Julio is on the injured list with a concussion.

This missing production is a big deal. Cal and Julio entered the year as the top batter duo in the majors, each projected in the top five. I found the two best projected batters by Steamer for each team, and compared to actual WAR (prorated). No team has gotten less relative to expectations from their top two hitters than the Mariners.

The teams just below on the list — the Blue Jays, Padres, Mets, and Phillies — have fared much worse on offense overall. The Mariners have an even 100 wRC+ because the rest of their lineup, collectively, has been fine. They’ve been about as good as they were last year, when Cal and Julio led them to a second place finish by wRC+ (and a ninth place finish by WAR).

There’s been a few good performances, from Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone, and Cole Young. There’s been a few bad performances, from Josh Naylor, Victor Robles, and Leo Rivas. J.P. Crawford has been hot and cold and can’t play defense. They’ve largely assembled themselves into something close to 2025. This isn’t Dodgers-level depth, of course, but it’s a reasonably competitive group, so long as they don’t have to go it alone.

The issue was this part of the roster was meant to take a step forward this year. The addition of Brendan Donovan is what pushed the Mariners into the “AL favorites” tier of the projections this spring. He simply hasn’t been on the field. Rob Refsnyder was meant to help with the roster’s general lopsidedness. He is now the worst player ever acquired by Jerry Dipoto by WAR. Both players are on the IL.

Still, it’s pretty clear what’s changed from last year to this year.

There’s been plenty said about what’s gone wrong in the first half of the season, and what needs to change in the second. Sometimes the truth is simple.

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The best Monday on the sports calendar is finally here! The Home Run Derby brings out the kid in all of us, and hopefully it will bring out the beast in Jordan Walker tonight.

My Home Run Derby predictions have extracted the best value possible in the Home Run Derby odds, including some intriguing props.

Let's dive into my top MLB picks for July 13.

Best MLB Home Run Derby predictions

Pick	Odds
Jordan Walker to win	+733
Willson Contreras to win	+1900
Jac Caglianone to reach the final round	+285
⚾ Longest Home Run: 500+ feet	+122

Our top MLB Home Run Derby picks for Monday, July 13

Jordan Walker to win

+733 at Polymarket

I kind of have a type when it comes to the Home Run Derby. DO NOT SHAME ME! I like the big boys.

I want guys who have raw, natural power, and Jordan Walker has all of that and more. The younger stars are always a draw for me because I want to see them leave their mark and make a bigger name for themselves.

The St. Louis Cardinals' 6-foot-6, 250-pound outfielder, who is sitting on a career-high 22 homers and counting, is easily one of my favorite looks in this event. 

Willson Contreras to win

+1900 at Polymarket

I always sprinkle on a long shot winner that has a ton of upside, which Willson Contreras definitely has.

Typically, the long shot is a smaller guy, your Jazz Chisholm or Mookie Betts types. Guys who can absolutely crush home runs, but honestly probably aren't built for the Home Run Derby.

Personally, I think Ben Rice should be dead-last on the odds board, but unfortunately, I don't make the odds.

I was a little too eager to jump on Contreras and missed out on a great number. Near 20-to-1 odds is insane. I ended up grabbing 13-to-1 thinking I was being slick.

Contreras has all the raw power in the world to make a deep run, and is on pace to reach his career-high in dingers with 20 already at the unofficial halfway point of the season. So why take the chalk when there is a big body with legitimate power sitting at the bottom of the odds board?

Our best 2026 MLB Home Run Derby props

Jac Caglianone to reach the final round

+285 at Polymarket

I am already on Jac Caglianone to have the furthest hit home run in this event. All this guy does is generate hard-hit balls, and he is an absolute monster.

A part of me is concerned with some of these younger guys participating in this event. Will Walker or Caglianone be too eager to try and kill the ball instead of staying relaxed and taking their normal hacks?

However, there is no way I'm taking Kyle Schwarber, Junior Caminero, or Bryce Harper just because they have been here before. I think there is a ton of value in the Kansas City Royals' future star, as long as he stays calm and relaxed, and lets his natural power take over.

Longest home run: 500+ feet 

+122 at Polymarket

Who doesn't want to see a 500-foot nuke missile? Losers, that's who.

Last season in Atlanta, we watched Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz launch a 513-foot home run. Back in 2017 in Miami, Aaron Judge matched that mark with a 513-footer of his own.

If you take out the 2021 Derby in Colorado, it's a much rarer feat. But with temperatures expected to be in the mid 80s tonight in Philadelphia, the conditions are there. This year's field is loaded with guys who generate ridiculous power and have the ability to send one 500+ feet, even without seeing 100 mph fastballs.

This is supposed to be fun. Enjoy it, root for moonshots, and let yourself feel like you're 10 years old again.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Congratulations to Yolfran Castillo, who has been named the #5 prospect in the 2026 LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings, receiving less than half of the vote.

Our list so far:

1 — Sebastian Walcott

2 — Caden Scarborough

3 — Malcolm Moore

4 — A.J. Russell

5 — Yolfran Castillo

Moving on…

Because there has been a history of vote-spamming shenanigans in the rankings, I used Google Forms for the last several of community rankings, and it worked out well, so we will use it again. You will need to include your LSB user name when you vote. If you don’t have an LSB user name, you need to use some sort of identifier. While this won’t eliminate the possibility of vote spamming, it will make it harder.

So who is the #6 prospect in the Rangers system right now?

Cast your vote below…

The Home Run Derby is tonight, featuring Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. My guess is that neither makes it to the second round on the evening. Had I a thought on who would win, give me Junior Caminero, who I believe is the most underrated hitter in the game today.

Three up

Zack Wheeler – What more can you say? Thirteen innings over two starts, striking out 24, walking only two? That’s Ace level quality from Wheeler. Considering that he had a surgery this year many believed he wouldn’t be able to fully recover from and it’s remarkable what the Phillies have on their hands. Teams would kill to have two pitchers as good and consistent at Cristopher Sanchez and Wheeler. The Phillies should consider not wasting it.

J.T. Realmuto – The Phillies are pretty desperate for any kind of offense outside of what Harper, Schwarber and Brandon Marsh have provided this year. That means, when players are successful, even for a week, it becomes noteworthy. It’s particularly noteworthy with Realmuto since he has been so bad at the plate this year. His having a home run and six RBI on the week helps boost an offense that seemed to sag a bit in the middle of the road trip.

Derek Hill – Another incredible catch, a game in which he was basically the lone source of offense and just general good vibes, Hill has been on a heater lately. This week, his .368/.400/.579 line in 20 plate appearances shows that he can serve a useful purpose for this version of the 2026 Phillies. One wonders what his playing time looks like if/when the team acquires another outfield bat to supplement what they have, but he has certainly earned more playing time.

Three down

Left handed relief – Tanner Banks, Jose Alvarado and Tim Mayza? They all stunk this week, one of them (Banks) getting sent out as a result. The team truly needs to make some kind of upgrade if they want to make noise this postseason.

Brandon Marsh – I believe that Marsh needs to take this whole week off since he looks like he’s running out of steam a bit. Unfortunately for him, he’s the starter for the National League in the All-Star Game and will be playing baseball, or doing baseball related things, all week. Might be time, especially with Derek Hill and Justin Crawford playing well, for Don Mattingly to schedule a few more regular rest days for Marsh as the season wears on until he gets his second wind.

Alec Bohm – Speaking of needing some time off. Bohm’s week (.111/.226/.148 in 31 PA) shows he desperately needs to get away from the game for a bit. He has hit the ball hard quite often, but he just looks like a guy who needs a break.

The MLB Draft is in the books, the first half is officially over, and the Kansas City Royals made a selection at sixth overall that has generated strong opinions on both sides. Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco do not hold back in this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, breaking down the Zion Rose pick, the organizational philosophy behind it, and whether the front office outsmarted itself on draft night.

The Zion Rose selection is examined from every angle: his tools, his evaluations from analysts like Keith Law, his character and work ethic as revealed in interviews, and the broader question of whether the Royals reached for upside when other options were available. The under-slot strategy and the additional picks it enabled, including Rabe and Slightom, each get their own evaluation, with Jacob and Jeremy debating whether the overall package of selections justifies the approach or represents the kind of organizational overthinking that has become a pattern.

Front office accountability is a thread that runs throughout. Payroll decisions, team-building philosophy, and comparisons to how organizations like the Mets, Rays, and Brewers allocate resources add useful context to the conversation about what small and mid-market teams can realistically accomplish when the decision-making is sharp.

The hosts also close the book on the first half of the season, taking stock of where things went wrong and what, if anything, can be salvaged in the months ahead. The trade deadline looms, and the case for moving established arms like Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha continues to build as the losses have piled up. Relief pitcher Matt Strahm’s performance and injury status also factor into the bullpen evaluation after yet another blow-up appearance.

The episode wraps with All-Star week predictions, including Home Run Derby picks and the Zack Wheeler ego, before closing with MLB The Show updates and a recommendation for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

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– Podcast: @RoyalRundownPod

With their 7th round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft the Atlanta Braves have selected Wisconsin prep catcher Jack Brenner. Brenner is a sleeper catcher with a promising bat for the position and a chance to develop further as a cold weather prep.

Bio

Name: Jack Brenner

Position: Catcher

Hometown: Fond du Lac, WI (Fond du Lac HS)

School: Oklahoma

Height: 6’0

Weight: 180

Bats/Throws: R/R

Rankings

Baseball America: 209

Perfect Game: 169

Pipeline: NR

ESPN: 158

Overslot: 144

My Own: 222

Consensus: 199

Hit 55

Brenner is most known for his feel for contact. He’s the type of player who will take plenty of walks and not swing and miss often. It’s definitely an advanced approach for a player this young. Brenner was in the 98th percentile of contact rate last summer on the showcase circuit over 53 plate appearances where he slashed .439/.516/.707.

Power 45

Brenner will need to both grow into a little bit more power, and potentially make some adjustments with his approach in order to incorporate more power in his game. He has a chance to grow into average raw power, but it would likely play down without some changes to the contact oriented approach.

Speed 50

The speed is presently above average, though figures to slow down a bit as he fills out – especially if he sticks behind the plate. Still this is a very athletic player for a catcher.

Glove 50

He’s still a work in progress as a catcher, but that is in part due to the fact he hasn’t played a ton of catcher yet. He’s played all over, including a significant amount of time at shortstop. The feel for his receiving and blocking skills are a positive starting point for him, but it will take refinement to be a solid big league catcher. If catcher doesn’t work out he’s got a chance to be a versatile utility player with the athleticism and arm to handle a number of different positions.

Arm 55

It’s a strong arm that has produced sub-2.0 second pop times and would also be more than enough for other positions.

Overall Thoughts

This is a strong pick. Brenner has excellent contact ability, room to add some power, athleticism, and a real chance to stick at catcher. He is likely years away, especially if his future is behind the dish, but he will have the ceiling of being a big league starter. It’s tough to say where he would start his pro career, as he has the advanced bat to handle Augusta – but there is a chance he gets sent to the FCL in order to continue refining the defense as well.

Welcome to another week A’s fans!

The first half is officially in the books. The Athletics’ season began well enough as the club was in first place as late as May. Unfortunately a rough June and July has seemingly sunk the A’s playoff hopes as the club’s nine-game losing streak has dropped them to 41-55, good for fourth place and eight games back in the AL West. They’re a closer 6 1/2 games out in the Wild Card hunt but with seven teams ahead of them. With the third-worst record in the American League its seeming that the squad will be sellers this deadline.

On the bright side of things the A’s added lots of talent this weekend through the MLB Draft. The club added a high-ceiling outfielder and a couple interesting college arms to a farm system that needs all the talent they can get. There’s plenty more intriguing players that have joined the system and it’s likely that one of those late-round picks ends up being the best player in the class. That randomness is just how the game works sometimes.

Anyway, there’s no baseball games today but there is some evening entertainment for us tonight. The Home Run Derby is set and the field is wide open. There’s no clear-cut favorite this year but it’s going to be a star-studded lineup for us fans to watch. In Philadelphia it’d be fun to see one of the two Phillies in Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber take the crown and win it in front of the home town team. Who do you all got taking it tonight?

The Derby begins at 5 p.m. Pacific time. Have a great day everyone.

A’s Coverage:

• Injuries Providing Cover For Some Inconvenient Truths
• Langeliers savoring 1st All-Star start; injured Kurtz to enjoy homecoming
• A’s Drop 9th Straight, Lose To White Sox 9-1
• Athletics Select Outfielder Drew Burress With 8th Overall Pick
• Athletics Select Left-hander Mason Edwards With 47th Overall Pick
• Athletics Select Gabe Gaeckle With 73rd Overall Pick
• A’s Select Jacob Dudan With 83rd Pick, Roman Martin With 111th Pick
• A’s Offensive Woes Continue in 1-0 Loss to White Sox
• A’s Fall Again, Fall To Tigers 4-1
• Kurtz the 3rd sidelined as stomach bug moves through A’s clubhouse
• A’s Struggles Continue in 6-1 Loss to Tigers
• Fan Survival: When Each Game Becomes Its Own Season
• Trade Deadline Outlook: Athletics ($)
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In July
• Julyeball Scout Report As Hopes, Like The Sun, Sink Slowly In The West
• Thoughts And Well Wishes For A’s Prospect Ryan Lasko
• The Athletics and the Cost of a Bad Extension

MLB News and Interest:

• Padres’ De Vries, Rays’ Flewelling star in MLB Futures Game
• Philadelphia’s Sanchez, Toronto’s Cease to start All-Star Game
• Marlins select Japanese, Stanford slugger Sasaki in eighth round
• 9 straight wins, all on the road?! Red Sox pull off team feat not seen since ’77
• Jacob deGrom Won’t Make Next Start, Could Need IL Stint
• Most intriguing picks from Day 2 of ‘26 MLB Draft
• Orioles’ Blaze Alexander Suffers Fractured Hand On HBP
• Nationals Outright Robert Hassell III
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Newest Athletic:

The full draft class:

Agreed:

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (45-47) won 3-1 (BOX SCORE)

Blanco started for Sugar Land and tossed 4.1 scoreless innings. Sugar Land got on the board in the third inning on a Biggio RBI double. The pen was solid allowing just one unearned run as the Isotopes tied it in the 7th. In the bottom of the 9th, Sugar Land walked it off on a Meyers 2 run home run as they won 3-1.

Note: Ferreras is hitting.366 in Triple-A.

• Cavan Biggio, 1B: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 1-for-3, BB
• Joey Loperfido, RF: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Jake Meyers, DH: 1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Garret Guillemette, C: 1-for-3, R

• Ronel Blanco, RHP: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Cody Bolton, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Brandon McPherson, RHP: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (WIN)

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (40-47) lost 11-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on an Encarnacion steal of home. Hertzler got the start and went 2 innings allowing 3 runs. Gillis pitched in relief but had his first rough outing in a while allowing 7 tuns over 5 innings. The offense got one in the third on a Sisneros groundout and another in the 5th on an Austin sac fly but that was it as the Hooks fell 11-3.

Note: Encarnacion has 40 SB this season.

• Yamal Encarnacion, RF: 2-for-4, 3 R, 2B, BB, 3 SB
• Will Bush, C: 2-for-4, BB, SB
• Trevor Austin, 3B: 0-for-4, RBI
• Cameron Sisneros, 1B: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, SB
• Joseph Sullivan, LF: 1-for-3, BB, SB
• Marcus Brown, SS: 1-for-4, 3B

• Cole Hertzler, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Brett Gillis, RHP: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (30-56) lost 10-4 (BOX SCORE)

Howard started for Asheville but struggled allowing 4 runs over 3.2 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the bottom of the inning on a Powell sac fly and a run on a passed ball. The pen struggled for Asheville allowing another 6 runs as they found themselves down 10-2. The offense got 2 runs back in on Daudet and Batista RBI singles but that was it as they fell 10-4.

Note: Nigh is hitting .316 in High-A.

• Caden Powell, CF: 1-for-4, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-4, R, BB
• Cesar Hernandez, RF: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Zach Daudet, SS: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB
• Freuddy Batista, C: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-4, R
• Brandon Nigh, 3B: 1-for-2, 2 BB

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Michael Cuevas, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Bryce Collins, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (42-42) lost 18-1 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning on a Cauro RBI single. Things went downhill fast after that. The pitching staff had a rough game allowing 18 runs over 8 innings. The offense was quiet the rest of the way collecting just six hits as they fell 18-1.

Note: This was Newman’s first game in Fayetteville since June 3rd.

• Josh Wakefield, DH: 1-for-4, R, 2B
• Waner Luciano, 3B: 1-for-3, BB
• Carlos Cauro, 1B: 1-for-4, RBI
• DJ Newman, RF: 2-for-3

• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Aubrey Smith, RHP: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
• Brandon Cassedy, RHP: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Ryan Mathiesen, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: OFF

CC: OFF

AV: OFF

FV: OFF

Perspective Check: Four teams have more wins than the Cubs, two teams have as many wins as the Cubs. The Cubs enter the All-Star break in the top Wild Card spot. They are now only one loss behind the Braves and five behind the Brewers. They are on pace for 91 wins. A quirk about me, I loathe the All-Star break being the end of the “first half.” Approximately 60 percent of this year’s games have been played. Regardless, the Cubs enter the break playing well and in good position.

Secondary perspective check. As the pendulum swings back and forth, I try to keep us from getting either too high or too low. So we could also note that the Cubs were 27-12 on May 8. They’ve played 57 games since that time. They’ve won 27 more games over that time. But they lost 30. That’s a very long, very mediocre stretch. This cuts both ways. This is that point I’ve made all along. This is what your eyes tell you. This team runs hot and cold. For very long stretches.

This team has a fairly special group of position players and a pretty rough pitching staff. This team is built to reach the playoffs and to be in a decent position, on paper, when they get there. I do not think that their pitching staff will be able to keep up with the damage that will be done to that staff by a talented offensive team. Most of the playoff teams will be talented offensively. It definitely behooves this front office to add real talent at the trade deadline. That’s always a reluctance and prices are high.

I will say, on the one hand, that the silver lining is that it is hard to imagine a healthy pitcher that doesn’t make this staff better. You don’t have to show at the premium store to improve your chances this season. But, are you trying to make sure you get in? Are you trying to win a series or two? Or do you want a parade in November? It’s hard to imagine an intersection of the prospect caliber the Cubs are leading to deal and the kind of haul that would need to be made to have a chance of hoisting a trophy or two.

All of that is probably still a couple of weeks into the future. For now, there was a nice road trip and a solidly B+ first 96 games of baseball. This team definitely shot itself in the foot several times in the first half and was ravaged by injuries. I would hope that this front office spends serious time in the offseason and assesses the causes of this many injuries. I’ve seen some point out that there are an awful lot of injured pitchers for this team that have a track record of being injured. Were those arms properly nurtured? Or were they ridden too hard? Are there things the training staff needs to do better? Does the front office need to de-emphasize the acquisition of these types of players or at least the quantity of these types of players.

Sunday afternoon the Cubs jumped on top early, saw their lead get away, but then bounced back and won a relatively easy one. I like seeing the team weather the adversity. The team accounted for itself well Saturday and Sunday after a couple of rough losses and a slow start Saturday. It looked like the offense was heading back into a funk but they bounced hard. The 2025 Cubs had so much resiliency. We see another one of those indications that something like that is not necessarily a “skill.” They didn’t lose that resiliency in the offseason. Also, it’s easier said than done, but if you want to avoid long losing streaks, hire the best starting rotation in baseball. It’s amazing when you get a decent start every night, how losing streaks don’t really take root. I remember that about the 2003 Cubs. They never really slumped, because they had so much pitching.

Terrific sign of the weekend was Alex Bregman being in the middle of so much of the scoring and hitting a couple of long balls. I thought he hit a few balls on the trip that were really well hit that came up just short of getting out too. So he’s on it pretty good right now. That’s probably the primary reason that I hate to see the break right now. The pitching felt better late in the first half, but I’m sure they can use a reset too. It looks like Jameson Taillon will be an option again shortly, too. Hopefully the time away and time working at the minor league level helps clear some of what has been troubling him too. He did not look major league worthy when last we saw him.

Three Positives:

• Alex Bregman had a three-hit, four RBI day. He scored twice. He had a double and a homer.
• Michael Busch had a couple of doubles early in this one and helped get the scoring going. He drove in one and scored one.
• Kevin Alcántara had a two-run single that felt quite large at the time it occurred. The Cubs had runners on second and third with no outs and bases loaded with one out and then a Dansby Swanson strikeout threatened to have the Cubs come away empty handed, trailing 4-2.
• Obligatory Pete Crow-Armstrong watch: One hit, two walks, and RBI and two runs scored in five plate appearances.

Game 96, July 12: Cubs 8, Reds 4 (54-42)

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

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Alex Bregman (.294). 3-5, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R
• Hero: Kevin Alcántara (.185). 1-2, 2 RBI
• Sidekick: Michael Busch (.175). 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.121). 0-4
• Goat: Pedro Ramírez (-.071). 0-1, BB
• Kid: Carson Kelly (-.065). 0-4, BB, R, DP

WPA Play of the Game: Alex Bregman’s three-run homer in the seventh off of former Cub prospect Pierce Johnson. (.207)

Reds Play of the Game: Eugenio Suárez millionth career home run against the Cubs or something like that. Gave the Reds a two-run lead. (.191)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 95 Winner: Alex Bregman received 51 of 62 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

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

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +24
• Carson Kelly +16.5
• Michael Busch +15
• Ben Brown +13.5
• Trent Thornton +12.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Dansby Swanson -11
• Seiya Suzuki -11.5
• Nico Hoerner -12
• Caleb Thielbar -14

Up Next: The All-Star break. Baseball restarts Friday at home against the Twins (48-49). Fangraphs is projecting Shōta Imanaga getting the first game and Matthew Boyd the second. Boyd technically could pitch Friday, but Saturday would be the more typical five days of rest. Fangraphs has the Cubs projected as favorites in five of the six games at home to start post-Break play (Twins and Tigers coming in). It gets tougher after that, so gonna want to start things off hot.

Enjoy the break.

Things have not always been pretty for the Yankees of late, but they will go into the All-Star break on a good note. Capping it off on Sunday, the Yankees had a trio of comeback wins over the weekend during their series in DC against the Nationals. There’s still plenty of things they need to do better and have go their way over the rest of the season, but they at least came away with a couple of wins to end the first half.

As that was going on, there were plenty of other games happening around the league, with some also having an impact on the Yankees’ place in the standings. Let’s take a look at how some other AL notables ended their first halves.

Seattle Mariners (48-49) 8, Tampa Bay Rays (58-38) 2

The Yankees managed to gain one full game back before the All-Star break, as three RBI games from J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena allowed the Mariners to down the Rays.

Seattle broke things open fairly early into the game. In the second inning, Victor Robles drove home one run on a sacrifice fly before Crawford scored another two with an RBI double. However, they put up an even bigger frame shortly after that. In the fourth, Weston Wilson and Arozarena both went deep, with the latter being a three-run shot.

One big negative for Seattle came when starting pitcher Emerson Hancock was forced to leave the game after 1.2 innings, having gotten hit on the hand by a comebacker. (X-rays later came back negative.) However, the M’s bullpen backed him up very well. Tampa Bay did get two runs back in the eighth thanks to a Jonathan Aranda homer, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Seattle’s bullpen allowed just four hits over the final 7.1 innings to finish things off.

Other Games

• Texas Rangers (49-47) 6, Houston Astros (47-51) 5: Having blown a lead and needing to rally in the eighth, the Rangers then walked it off in the ninth on a Brandon Nimmo single. Texas held leads of 3-0 and 4-1, only for the Astros to chip away and then take a lead on a Cam Smith homer in the top of the eighth. However, Kyle Highashioka hit one to tie the game in the bottom of the inning, allowing Texas to walk away with the win in the following frame.

• Chicago White Sox (50-45) 9, Athletics (41-55) 1: The White Sox’s remarkable rise will see them go into the All-Star break tied atop the AL Central after crushing the A’s. Despite going down 1-0 in the top of the first, the White Sox struck with six in the bottom half of the frame, with Braden Montgomery hitting a three-run home run. It wasn’t much of a contest after that, as Noah Schultz and Chicago’s bullpen didn’t allow a run the rest of the after the first inning.

• Cleveland Guardians (51-46) 5, Miami Marlins (52-45) 2: The White Sox weren’t able to take first all for themselves, though, as the Guardians kept pace on Sunday. Cleveland never trailed in the game as they scored two runs in the top of the first after RBI hits from Brayan Rocchio and Kyle Manzardo. Joey Cantillo was pretty good on the mound for the Guardians, striking out nine while allowing one run in five innings. The Marlins cut into Cleveland’s lead at points, but the Guardians answered back to keep Miami at arm’s length.