It was an off day for the Atlanta Braves but also a positive one in terms of injury updates on Monday. Drake Baldwin is back, returning from a 4-week absence due to an oblique strain. Spencer Strider will not need surgery, but instead will be shut down for four weeks and then will be on a rehab plan to hopefully return later in the year. It seems wise for the Braves to add him to the list of pitchers they hope to get some value from this season but are not relying on.
Braves News
Austin Wynns was outrighted to AAA in the corresponding move for Baldwin.
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 07: The Toronto Blue Jays mascot waves a flag during the MLB baseball postseason Wild Card game 1 between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays on October 7, 2022, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Red Sox did the near-unthinkable: they won 2 games in a row at home! A whole series! And it was against a team right in the playoff mix and just 1.0 game back for the lead in the AL West. At 35-36 the Rangers just left Boston under .500.
Also under .500 are the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays are sitting at 34-38, which isn’t great. They were down to the final outs of a World Series and are now sitting on the outside looking in, hoping they can turn things around in the remaining 90 games. Boston is 3.0 games back of Toronto and Baltimore. Despite a better run differential and expected winning percentage than those teams, the Red Sox are in last place in the AL East. This is a very important series for the bottom three AL East teams. Unfortunately, the Jays, decimated by injuries, are bringing some good pitchers.
Dylan Cease was their big acquisition last winter and he’s pitched like an ace. An ERA under 3.00, 103 strikeouts in 68 innings. But the Red Sox got to him in April. Over 5.2 innings, Cease allowed 4 runs, all earned. His second highest runs allowed of the year after a 5-run outing against the Yankees in May. He spent a couple weeks on the IL before his last outing: 6.0 innings, 1 run against the Phillies. Hopefully the Sox offense is prepared.
Payton Tolle is coming off maybe his most disappointing start of the season. And it was still a 6-inning outing where he allowed just 4 runs against Tampa Bay. He faced the Jays on April 28 and allowed 3 runs over 4.2 innings. That was his lone start on 4 days rest. He’ll have 6 days this time. In a very small sample size discussion, the two teams he’s faced twice – Atlanta and Tampa – have had more success the second time. Considering the first time was Tolle on shorter rest, there probably isn’t much to read into even that limited data point.
Max Scherzer is probably not long for MLB at this point. He started the season with 6.0 innings against the Rockies and tossed 6.0 against the Diamondbacks on April 18 but around those starts has tossed 10 total innings across 4 starts with a lengthy IL stint that cost him all of May. He hasn’t faced Boston this year. In 2025 he made one start in September against the Sox going 5.0 innings while allowing 4 runs in an eventual 7-1 loss. He’ll face Jake Bennett, who is at the other end of his career: the beginning. In three major league starts he’s gone 5.0 innings twice and 5.1 once. With Brayan Bello in the minors, Bennett has time to prove himself. And even 4 runs is better than some of the Bello starts (not his solid relief outings).
Trey Yesavage burst onto the scene in September 2025 and pitched in the World Series. Expectations were sky high. Injuries kept him out for most of April, but he’s been pretty good until recently. In his season debut he shut down the Sox for 5.1 innings, striking out 3, walking none, and not allowing a run. His most recent two starts haven’t gone well: 11 runs in 10.2 innings against the Orioles and Yankees with 8 of each Ks and BBs. Sonny Gray was excellent against the Texas Rangers, holding the club to a single run in 6.0 innings. He struck out 7, which has become more of a weapon again since his return from the IL. Gray was on the IL during the first series against the Blue Jays so he hasn’t faced them this season.
The Jays have a franchise record of 3889-3894 so a winning season for them could flip them into positive over their history.
Vlad Jr. has just 3 homers on the season.
Ernie Clement leads the league with 20 doubles.
New third baseman Kazuma Okamoto has slugged 15 homers.
George Springer had a bounceback 2025 but is hitting just .208/.303/.354 on the season.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, June 16: Dylan Cease (2.91 ERA / 2.36 FIP) vs. Payton Tolle (2.70 ERA / 2.71 FIP)
Wednesday, June 17: Max Scherzer (10.23 ERA / 8.79 FIP) vs. Jake Bennett (5.28 ERA / 3.89 FIP)
Thursday, June 18: Trey Yesavage (3.78 ERA / 3.59 FIP) vs. Sonny Gray (3.03 ERA / — FIP)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 27, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández (37) gingerly walks back to the dugout after injuring a hamstring running to first base in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
After Miguel Rojas hit the second pinch-hit home run of his career to win Monday night’s game in the seventh inning, here are a few Dodgers news and notes for a Tuesday morning.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame has a series on its website called Card Corner, in which they use a baseball card as a jumping off point to explore a player’s career. The latest such card is a 1970 Topps Bill Russell, and Craig Muder wrote about the career about the first member of the famed Dodgers infield from 1973-81, and who played 18 seasons with the Dodgers, tied for the most in franchise history.
DENVER , CO - JUNE 9: Hunter Goodman (15) of the Colorado Rockies celebrates hitting a home run off of Colin Rea (53) of the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
Last week, the Denver Post’s Troy Renck laid out his trade-deadline philosophy for the Colorado Rockies, writing that the team is “making progress, but (it is) time for Paul DePodesta, Josh Byrnes to flex muscles with trades.” To summarize, here’s how Renck think the Rockies should approach the trade deadline: “Other than catcher Hunter Goodman and (Chase) Dollander, no player should be untouchable.”
For me, that raised a question: How should Hunter Goodman fit into the Rockies rebuild plans? Is he a player to build around, or is he more valuable as a trade chip that could bring back a significant haul?
The initial 2026 numbers indicate that 2025 was not an outlier season for the Rockies catcher; rather, this is who he is.
With the trade deadline in mind, then, it’s worth considering where Goodman is in terms of the numbers, where the demand might be for his services, and what might be the best move for the Rockies.
(All 2026 numbers are current as of Monday morning.)
Offensive numbers
As a quick refresher, Goodman finished 2025 slashing .278/.323/.520 with a 114 wRC+. He also hit 31 homers in 579 plate appearances. Add to that a K% of 26.3% and a BB% of 5.7%. Also notable were his home-road splits. Goodman hit 13 homers at Coors Field compared to 18 homers on the road, so Coors did not have a significant effect on that part of his game. However, when considering his overall numbers, he was roughly the same wherever he played: .307/.356/.526 (116 wRC+) at Coors and .248/.356/.515 (118 wRC+) on the road.
In other words, Goodman’s AVG and OBP were better at Coors while his SLG stayed roughly the same.
To anyone calling him a “Coors creation,” uh, no.
Now consider the numbers so far with the season just under half finished.
In 280 plate appearances, Goodman is slashing .250/.321/.536 (120 wRC+). Add to that the fact that he’s already hit 20 home runs, so he’s well on track to surpass his 2025 total.
As for his BB%, it’s 8.2% while his K% is an unseemly 33.9%, a significant increase over 2025.
In terms of his home-road splits, at Coors, he’s slashing .211/.300/.447 (77 wRC+ — you read that correctly) while on the road, Goodman is .283/.340/.609 (158 wRC+). So he has been significantly better away from Coors Field. As for home runs, he’s hit just seven of his 20 homers in Denver.
At this point, Goodman appears to be settling into another outstanding season.
Offensive numbers compared to other catchers
I was curious as to how his offensive numbers compared to those of his peers.
When compared to all other catchers, Goodman’s 1.7 fWAR ranks second among all MLB catchers. (Ahead of him is Dillon Dingler, 3.2 fWAR.) He leads all NL catchers by this metric, with William Contreras ranking second (1.6 fWAR).
His 20 home runs lead all catchers (Shea Langeliers has 18), as do his five stolen bases. (Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks is next with four.) He also has the highest SLG among catchers with more than 100 plate appearances.
All of that is a long way of saying Goodman’s offensive numbers remain solid and surpass those of most other catchers.
Frankly, he should be the starting catcher for the National League at the All-Star Game next month, and it’s not even close. The fact that Goodman is currently sixth in the NL voting is, frankly, some hot garbage.
Defensive numbers
In 2025, Goodman was not an especially effective defensive catcher. In 841.1 innings behind the plate, he had -3 DRS, an FRV of 1, and a FP of .987. In other words, he was fine, but his bat more than made up for a marginal defensive performance.
Goodman said during the offseason that he had worked hard on the defensive side of his game, and the initial results are promising. In 406.2 innings caught, he has 1 DRS, an FRV of 0, and a .980 FP.
Granted, defensive metrics have their issues, but Goodman appears to have improved. Only Austin Wells has more DRS (3) while Goodman is tied with JT Realmuto and Dingler.
ABS Challenge numbers
That brings us to Goodman’s success with the ABS Challenge system, which Statcast tracks. (For the purposes of this column, I’m leaving out pitch framing.)
Overall, he ranks fourth on Baseball Savant’s leader board (behind Tyler Stephenson, Dingler and Salvador Perez). Goodman has won 35 of the 55 challenges he has issued, which gives him a 64% success rate. Twelve of those challenges have resulted in strikeouts.
MLB is early in its analysis of this particular metric, but the initial results suggest that Goodman is an exceptional challenger. (Is that even the correct term?)
Trade possibilities
So, yes, Hunter Goodman is a serious trade candidate. Goodman’s offensive bona fides are unassailable, his defensive numbers are improving, and his ABS Challenge numbers are at the top of the league — plus he’s not a free agent until 203o.
The next question, then, becomes whether there’s a market for his services.
The Rockies have shied away from trading Goodman in the past, but under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, anything is possible this summer – even moving a player many deem untouchable. An All-Star and Silver Slugger recipient last season, Goodman has continued to hit this year, belting 18 home runs with an .837 OPS in 63 games. Goodman’s defense is slightly below average, but his bat would make him an appealing asset to a lot of contenders and he is under club control for three more seasons.
Which contending teams have been weakest at catcher so far?
There are three obvious choices in terms of catcher rankings by fWAR: New York Yankees (0.1 fWAR), Tampa Bay Rays (0.5 fWAR), and Pittsburgh Pirates (0.7 fWAR). (For those keeping score at home, the Rockies are ranked third in MLB with 2.2 fWAR at the catcher position.)
The Yankees and the Rays have long been trading partners with the Rockies, and as for the Pirates, well, seeing Hunter Goodman on that roster would be a treat.
The closest comparator I could come up with for a Goodman trade was the Miami Marlins sending JT Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019. At the time, Realmuto was 28 and under team control until 2020. In return, the Marlins received catcher Jorge Alfaro, RHP Sixto Sanchez, LHP Will Stewart, and $250,000 in international bonus slot money.
Any trade for Goodman should surpass that.
Conclusions
Questions about whether Hunter Goodman could develop into an elite catcher have been answered with a resounding “yes.”
That voters have overlooked Goodman on their All-Star Game ballots is an insult to a talented young catcher. But for the Rockies (who, in case you’ve forgotten, are carrying three catchers on their roster), the better question is whether Goodman should remain with the team.
I’m a serious Hunter Goodman fan, but the only real answer for a rebuilding organization is that if the Rockies receive the right offer, he should finish on the roster of a contending team (with a deep farm system).
I am certain you will let me know in the comments your stance on this, and I look forward to reading what you have to say.
(The article contained an error about Goodman’s fWAR, which is 1.7 not 2.4, which has been corrected.)
Vote early, vote often
Before writing this, I knew Hunter Goodman was having a really good year, but I truly did not realize how good. Based on the numbers we have right now, he should be the starting catcher at the All-Star Game for the National League, and it’s not even close.
If you’re curious as to what’s on Clint Hurdle’s mind these days, Kyle Odegard’s got you covered. Hurdle praises the Rockies new front office and gives his thoughts on Mickey Moniak and Chase Dollander.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - MARCH 03: Theo Gillen (24) of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on during a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 03, 2026 at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This was the 10th week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Monday, June 15th).
According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), 22-year old Caden Bodine remains the top hitter spot in the Rays system. The backstop was recently added to Baseball America’s top 100 prospect rankings (80) and is up to 4th in the Rays system.
Meanwhile, Aidan Cremarods is back as the top performing pitcher system. The 22-year old Cremarosa is having a solid debut season within the Rays system. The 2025 8th round pick is currently in Single-A and holds a 2.59 ERA | 2.68 FIP with a 31.4 K% & 5.3 BB% over 48.2 IP.
RUMBLINGS
Emilien Pitre has been promoted to Double-A. The 23-year old 2nd round draft from 2024 was having an excellent campaign in his second season in High-A. At the the tine of his promotion, he was hitting .297/.429/.413 with 2 HR, registering a 129 wRC+ over 221 PA.
Trace Phillips signed the second largest deal for an undrafted free agent in history last year, signing a $629,200 deal with the Rays. He was one of the top prospects eligible for the draft last Summer but went unselected. He made his debut las week, pitching a scoreless inning.
Theo Gillen’s great season keeps getting better. Thus far in June, he is hitting .409/.536/.500.
TEAM LEADERS
Must currently be assigned to that team
Baseball America’s top ten prospects are featured below each team they’re currently assigned to.
(minimum of 110 TBF & PA)
Tampa Bay Rays
Top 10 Prospects
None currently on active roster
Durham Bulls
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .258, Blake Sabol OBP: .344, Logan Davidson SLG: .470, Tatem Levins HR: 9, Tatem Levins wRC+: 100, Carson Williams SB: 24, Raynel Delgado (Traded to the Astros on 6/10)
Team Pitching Leaders: ERA: 1.85, Ty Johnson FIP: 3.30, Ty Johnson K%: 29.1% Evan Reifert BB%: 5.2%, Jonathan Heasley WHIP: 0.97, Ty Johnson AVG: .174, Evan Reifert & Ty Johnson WHIFF%: 14.0%, Ty Johnson
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .309, Austin Overn (placed on the IL on 5/27) OBP: .384, Xavier Isaac SLG: .533, Austin Overn (placed on the IL on 5/27) HR: 12, Xavier Isaac wRC+: 141, Austin Overn (Placed on IL on 5/27) SB: 28, Austin Overn (placed on the IL on 5/27)
Team Pitching Leaders: ERA: 1.96, Chris Clark FIP: 2.50, Chris Clark K%: 34.5%, Alexander Alberto BB%: 4.2%, Gary Gill Hill WHIP 0.94, Alexander Alberto AVG: .184, Alexander Alberto WHIFF%: 16.2%, Alexander Alberto
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .335, Theo Gillen OBP: .444, Tony Santa Maria SLG: .577, Connor Hujsak HR: 15, Connor Hujsak wRC+: 161, Theo Gillen SB: 25, Theo Gillen
Team Pitching Leaders: ERA: 1.73, Jacob Kisting FIP: 2.81, Jacob Kisting K%: 40.5%, Jacob Kmatz (Promoted to AA on 6/9) BB%: 5.4%, Jacob Kisting WHIP: 0.91, Jacob Kisting AVG: .185, Jacob Kisting WHIFF%: 21.7% Jacob Kmatz (Promoted to AA on 6/9)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 11: An exterior view of the stadium with Pride colors before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park on June 11, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
As most of you know, multiple members of the San Francisco Giants decided to deface their uniforms on Friday in protest of the team’s Pride Night. I wrote my initial thoughts for Sunday’s BP post, but now it’s time for us to move forward and take action.
I’ve seen accounts from many fans who have decided to not renew their season tickets. And that’s an extremely powerful statement! But that’s not something that’s feasible for everyone, so I wanted to share an additional action item for those in the community who are upset.
This was inspired by a post on Bluesky from ToasterPosey. Fans can reach out to the team’s Chief Diversity Officer Roscoe Mapps via email at RMapps@sfgiants.com to express their disappointment with how the team is handling this issue.
And if you feel comfortable doing so, please share your messages down below in the comments to help folks who might not have the words, but still want to help.
I’m going to be doing some research for additional ways we can take action as well. So keep an eye out for that in the coming days.
What time do the Giants play today?
They do not. They are headed east to begin a series against the Atlanta Braves tomorrow.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 20, 2026: Joseph Dzierwa #67 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the seventh inning of a Spring Breakout game against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium on March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
We are into the middle of June and the Orioles are still playing a confusing season where they seem to be teetering on the edge of making it a lost season where there’s no consolation but what is happening on the farm. They also are managing to avoid falling over the edge, at least so far. That’s a good thing because there hasn’t been much consolation from the farm.
These weekly updates focus on the team’s top prospects, particularly those on Camden Chat’s composite top 20 Orioles prospect list from before the season. They also include other guys who interest me who might develop into prospects over time. I do not tend to spend much time on non-prospect journeymen.
Here’s how things went this week:
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week’s record: 1-5 vs. Memphis (Cardinals)
This week’s opponent: at Syracuse (Mets)
Season record: 26-43, last place (17 GB) in International League East
Veteran major leaguer Tommy Pham opted out of his minor league deal this week. My standard advice is: Don’t freak out about minor league deals until they become major league deals.
Enrique Bradfield is back with Norfolk after about six weeks on the injured list. Did he play well? No, he had four hitless games before getting two hits in his last game of the week. Okay, what about Creed Willems? Just 3-15, all singles, though he did walk five times, so that’s something. Then there’s Heston Kjerstad, not a prospect but still someone we want to see playing well. 7-20, all singles, with no walks for a “OBP lower than both BA and SLG” line that you don’t see every day. Jud Fabian managed just one hit in 12 at-bats.
Two guys who did hit well for Norfolk over the past week are 40-man players who are retreads from other organizations. Christian Encarnacion-Strand had six hits, including a pair of homers, and outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez had a 5-14 week with two doubles. I suspect that I do not want to experience the set of circumstances resulting in these guys getting an extended MLB look by the O’s.
Not much excitement among the pitching prospects either. With Trey Gibson in MLB and Levi Wells on the injured list due to core surgery, the only guy here is Nestor German. He was blitzed for five runs in only 1.2 innings this week. This team has earned its record.
Others of interest
LHP Andrew Magno – Not sure if this 28-year-old lefty is anything but he’s added three more scoreless innings and now has a 0.64 ERA in 24 relief outings
RHP Yaqui Rivera – Notched a three-inning save. He’s walked too many guys across six outings (10 BB in 17 IP) but for now the 0.53 ERA looks pretty good
Season record: 25-37, last place (16 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
It’s all about Joseph Dzierwa until such time as he pitches well enough that the team deems it’s time to get him up to Triple-A. Two outings for Dzierwa this week, totaling ten innings, with ten strikeouts across those innings. That’s not going to dampen the enthusiasm. Batters did hit him a bit, with 11 hits, and between two walks and three hit batters that’s a lot of traffic. Have to like that 2.70 ERA and 1.050 WHIP through five games.
Even better than Dzierwa this week, though, was fellow lefty Luis De León, whose one start this week saw him throw five hitless innings with seven strikeouts. That’ll do! Command problems remain evident with a hit batter and two walks. He’s struggled at this level, with a 6.09 ERA on the year after this outing. It would be nice to see progress from him through the summer.
Some less than optimal batting lines this week from a number of the players I’ve been following here. My guy Aron Estrada was 5-22 at the plate with a double and a homer, but with only one walk, the OBP is rough. Still, he’s OPSing .779 for the season and for an age 21 guy here, that’s interesting. Catcher/first baseman/whatever Ethan Anderson scuffled to the tune of just two hits in 18 tries.
One guy who didn’t struggle is infielder Griff O’Ferrall. He’s not beating the “this guy can’t hit for power” charges with all singles. Still, 7-21 is 7-21, and he stole two bases. O’Ferrall remains under the Mendoza Line for the season, so he needs more good weeks. And maybe he could get some extra-base hits too? That’s what outfielder Douglas Hodo did. Hodo is 25 at this point, old for the level, but if he can play well here he could still earn a promotion and be at least sort of vaguely interesting. Hodo had a pair of homers and two doubles this week and may tempt me to put him on the player of the week poll even though I don’t usually mention non-prospects.
Also of interest
RHP Juaron Watts-Brown – My honorary hyphenated cousin had another rough one, with five runs (four earned) in three innings. 8.78 ERA in eight starts.
Season record: 38-22, second place (0.5 GB) in South Atlantic League North
This has been the most exciting team on the Orioles farm all season long, a trend that continued over this past week thanks to the 2025 draft duo of Ike Irish and Wehiwa Aloy. Although Irish only had five hits in 24 at-bats, all went for extra bases: three doubles and two homers. He also drew three walks. Aloy’s 6-24 included two doubles, a triple, and a homer. Aloy’s season OPS is .835; Irish’s is .801. These guys just keep on doing the thing. It’s fun to see.
On the topic of high Orioles draft picks last year, although he’s no longer in the organization, catcher Caden Bodine has a combined .967 OPS between Low-A and High-A this year. This draft class is like the opposite of the cursed 2024 one.
One of the other standouts for Frederick this year has been the big man, Victor Figueroa, from last year’s Padres swap. His season OPS remains .945, which is great, but this wasn’t a good week overall. Though he did hit two homers, he was just 4-23 at the plate and struck out 13 times.
Keys pitching prospects could not match the excitement, as they generally have not been able to ever since Dzierwa was quickly promoted up from this level. One guy who did do well is Twine Palmer, from last year’s Urías trade with the Astros. In two relief outings that totaled eight innings, Palmer did not allow an earned run and he allowed just eight runners in total. The 21-year-old Palmer has a 3.28 ERA and 1.136 WHIP through 12 games. Something might have clicked here over the offseason.
Also of interest
OF Vance Honeycutt – Five strikeouts in eight at-bats this week. I feel mean to continue this bit and may abandon it.
LHP Boston Bateman – Excellent May has not continued into June; he went just 7.2 innings across two starts and gave up five runs.
Season record: 23-40, last place (21 GB) in Carolina League North
Although it’s not showing up in the win-loss column yet, this roster has gotten a lot more interesting with the recent arrival of 19-year-old infielder Jaiden Lo Re, the Orioles fifth round pick a year ago. Lo Re got promoted out of the Florida Complex League after just 20 games and has been on fire in his first couple of handfuls of Low-A games. In five games for the Shorebirds this week, Lo Re went 7-17 with three doubles, drew six walks, and stole six bases. That’s good.
Other prospects here had a good several games, including fellow 19-year-old infielder DJ Layton, the Orioles sixth round pick from 2024. Layton’s been with Delmarva all year long and keeps hitting well. He added a 5-21 week with a double and a homer, plus four walks and three stolen bases. This could be a dynamic pair of guys. Let’s see whether the Orioles decide they want to try to develop these guys or trade one of them. Not that they’re looking like trade deadline buyers right now.
When this season began, the one real pitching prospect of note on this team was 19-year-old Esteban Mejia. The notable thing about him at this point is that he just keeps walking dudes. Mejia made two starts this week and walked seven guys in 6.2 innings, of a piece with his 11.3 BB/9 for the season. The Mike Elias international effort still waits for its first pitching success story.
Also of interest
OF Braylon Whitaker – 19th rounder from 2024 is still just 20 and he batted 9-23 this past week. .395 OBP for the season, though only slugging .316.
The FCL Orioles team is 15-15. The guy I’m keeping an eye on down here is 18-year-old infielder Wilfri De La Cruz, who arrived from the Cubs when the Orioles traded Andrew Kittredge last year – only to reacquire Kittredge after the season for cash. Not a bad bit of pilfering. In 26 games, De La Cruz is hitting .232/.411/.391. We may need to see him face pitchers who actually throw him strikes to get a better sense of who he is.
Your choice in the minor league player of the week poll for last week was Victor Figueroa, who had about a 60/40 edge over his competition. Margins continue to be slim, so if you have feelings about them, vote in the poll below.
Figueroa joins the following other winners: Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Caden Hunter, Ike Irish, and Wehiwa Aloy. We haven’t had a repeat winner yet. Will that change this week? The choice is yours.
The Royals traded for Toronto Blue Jays reliever Connor Seabold.
Seabold, 30, was designated for assignment on June 10. The Royals will offer him a fresh start and chance to carve out a role in the bullpen.
This season, Seabold owns a 4.26 ERA in 16 relief appearances. He appeared in five games with the Blue Jays after beginning the 2026 campaign with the Detroit Tigers.
“Another guy with some experience to be able to fit in the middle of the game,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Give us some length at times. He’s been pretty much one inning lately, but we’re not going to designate a role for him.”
Anne Rogers writes about Mitch Spence’s spot start amid the injuries to the rotation.
The Royals’ depth is stretched thin with three starters sidelined right now. Despite Lugo’s placement on the 7-day concussion IL due to the line drive that hit him last week, the hope is that he’ll be able to slot back in by this weekend as long as his health stays on track over the next few days. But Cole Ragans (left elbow impingement) and Kris Bubic (left elbow soreness) have both suffered setbacks in their recoveries, extending their time on the IL.
Ragans was awaiting MRI results Monday to see what is going on with the latest soreness that crept in over the weekend, so his timeline has yet to be determined. Bubic pressed pause on his rehab assignment with shoulder discomfort, although an MRI showed that nothing was structurally wrong, so his throwing progression has continued. It’s unclear when he’ll get back on the mound.
Bobby Witt Jr leads AL shortstops in All-Star voting.
SHORTSTOP
1. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals: 890,575 2. Andrés Giménez, Blue Jays: 354,651 3. Kevin McGonigle, Tigers: 266,239 4. Colson Montgomery, White Sox: 176,673 5. Jeremy Peña, Astros: 162,537
One of the best all-around players in MLB, Witt advanced to Phase 2 in each of the past two years but lost out both times, with Gunnar Henderson earning the AL’s starting shortstop spot in 2024 and Jacob Wilson prevailing last season. Witt is still searching for his first All-Star starting nod. McGonigle is the AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner, but he has some ground to make up if he’s going to usurp Giménez as one of the AL shortstop finalists.
David Lesky believes it’s time for all of us to shift our priorities for the rest of the season.
So now the successes shift to evaluation, which nobody likes, and with the injuries they now have, they’ll get that chance. I mentioned in the newsletter about priorities shifting that I’d like to see them get a look at Kameron Misner and maybe get John Rave one more shot. Well, now it’s happening because of the injuries to Kyle Isbel and Vinnie Pasquantino. We’ll see Jac Caglianone at first base a lot and probably hitting in a more prominent spot in the lineup. We’ll see much more of Luinder Avila starting, which has produced a couple of fun starts and one that wasn’t quite so fun. I hope they get Matthew Lugo to the big leagues and ship off Starling Marte soon. I’ve heard there’s a market for Marte, so let’s see that happen, too. We’ve watched a team make the playoffs two years ago and contend in September last year, so we have to re-learn how to watch a bad team, but it’s in our blood. It shouldn’t be too hard to remember.
There is a petition regarding the new Royals stadium ($). It looks like a low-wage worker group is trying to force a vote on the matter.
If at least 2,068 petition signatures are certified, Kansas City voters could see two ballot measures over the next 10 months. The first would ask whether stadium subsidies should require a public vote. If that’s approved, a second ballot question will appear at the next election asking whether the city should contribute public dollars to the proposed Royals stadium.
But timing is everything, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas believes the petition may be too late.
“I think the deal is likely to get done before we even have some of these discussions,” Lucas said, “if we ever get to the point of a public vote.”
Royals top prospect Kendry Chourio was promoted to High-A Quad Cities.
Andrew Banks at Kings of Kauffman talks about Jac Caglianone’s recent hot streak.
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit the first cycle of the 2026 season.
There are good reasons to be down about the Cubs’ 3-3 road trip against a pair of weak opponents, but one needs to look at the positives. PCA and Michael Busch extending their on-base game streaks. PCA finally, consistently, pairing his power and speed. Seiya Suzuki finding his power bat, and has raised his defensive game (hopefully that will continue when he’s 100%). Javier Assad continuing his strong pitching of late.
Yes, a 6-0 trip out west would have been spectacular. But a three-game win streak and increased contributions on offense have the Cubs going in the right direction. At least for now.
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Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs’ bid for SF sweep disrupted by Giants ace Webb. “Stretching a brief hot streak into the weekend — a run of wins that felt more like the baseball displayed early in the season — was important for the Cubs.”
Matt Ostrowski (North Side Baseball): Anatomy of an At-Bat: Revisiting Alex Bregman’s Bizarre Home Run Against the Rockies. “Alex Bregman isn’t known for his ability to handle pitches low in the zone, though he successfully pulled the nine iron out of his bag against the Rockies last week. Is that feat repeatable for the Cubs’ slugger?”
Mighty Mo Rodgers (real name Maurice Rodgers) was born in Indiana in 1942 where his father owned a club that featured blues performers. When Rodgers wasn’t studying classical piano he was checking out the blues artists that played there. Growing up, Rodgers was deeply affected by the mid-’60s soul music from the Memphis-based Stax label. He finally decided to quit college, move to L.A., and give music his full-time attention. There he played gigs and recorded with many blues and R&B legends.“
After growing tired of tedious session work, he continued to write songs and became a house songwriter for Motown and Chappel Publishing. Rodgers also continued to produce sessions for other artists and decided to go back to school where he received a degree in philosophy. In 1999 he released his first solo effort, Blues Is My Wailin’ Wall, on Blue Thumb. The recording contained all original material, mixing his philosophical views with blues/soul musical roots.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox looks on before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 05, 2026 in New York City. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 5-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Tuesday, OTM! While the Red Sox are only five games out of the third Wild Card in the American League, I think we’re all in agreement that this team probably isn’t going anywhere. It’s America’s pastime, though, and you need to find reasons to watch the games. Aside from just killing time on a summer night, individual performances are one reason to watch. Payton Tolle is in the running for Rookie of the Year, while Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu will be in the mix for Gold Gloves once again. Do you care about that stuff when you’re watching? I, for one, make sure to watch Tolle pitch, but don’t really care if he gets award recognition. It’d be cool if he did, because he rocks, but it doesn’t really move me either way. Maybe this isn’t the most relevant question today, but I like using this spot to ask questions I’m curious about, so let me know what you think.
Use this thread to talk about what you want and be good to one another.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 12: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets celebrates with teammates at home plate after hitting a grand slam home run in the second inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, June 12, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Evan Yu/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mets have played exactly .500 baseball in the month of June so far. Juan Soto continues to be the Mets’ most consistent hitter (no surprise there), but Bo Bichette may be finally heating up, as he spends his second straight week in the green. Meanwhile, Mark Vientos’ stock is way down, as he continues to lose more and more of his at-bats to Jared Young. Carson Benge has been excellent of late and this week also saw the return of Francisco Alvarez from a torn meniscus—many weeks ahead of schedule.
Player
Last week
This week
Francisco Alvarez, C
Brett Baty, UTIL
Carson Benge, OF
Bo Bichette, 3B
Vidal Bruján, INF
A.J. Ewing, OF
MJ Melendez, OF
Marcus Semien, 2B
Hayden Senger, C
Juan Soto, OF
Luis Torrens, C
Mark Vientos, 1B/3B
Eric Wagaman, 1B/DH
Jared Young, 1B/DH
Mark Vientos continues to struggle so badly that manager Carlos Mendoza recently said he will have to compete for at-bats. And Mendoza has been true to his word. Vientos has played in just 7 of the Mets’ last 12 games and has just one hit in the month of June. Vientos has struck out in seven of his 16 plate appearances. Jared Young has been taking most of Vientos’ at-bats and has been much more productive, posting a 114 wRC+ this month thus far over 46 plate appearances. Half of his ten hits have gone for extra bases, including three home runs, and his seven RBIs are the second-most on the team.
Though his struggles are not quite as pronounced as Vientos’, Brett Baty is trending down as well, posting a 44 wRC+ in the month of June thus far. Baty has just eight hits in his last 42 plate appearances, only one of which went for extra bases. Baty walked three times, drove in three runs, and scored two runs. MJ Melendez has been seeing a bit more playing time as a result and he has held his own with an uninspiring but respectable 99 wRC+ in 32 plate appearances. He has shown some pop; three of his five hits were for extra bases, including a home run. He also drew four walks, which is somehow the second-most on the team over this 12-game stretch.
Bo Bichette leads the team in both RBIs (12) and hits (16) in the past 12 games. His 159 wRC+ for the month of June also leads the team. Of course, the highlight of this hot stretch for Bichette was his huge night in the series opener against the Braves, in which he went deep twice, including an opposite field grand slam against Spencer Strider that put the Mets ahead—ultimately for good. It may be too little too late for the Mets, but if the team is going to turn things around, Bo Bichette finally heating up would be a major reason why.
Juan Soto staying productive would be another major reason why. Though not quite as raging hot as he was at the end of May, Soto still put up a solid 121 wRC+ over 51 plate appearances. He racked up 11 hits, including two home runs and two doubles. He scored five runs and drove in five runs. And as usual, he led the team in walks with seven. Heading into Monday’s series opener in Cinncinati, Soto was up to third in the National League in OPS and had gone over 30 plate appearances without a strikeout.
Carson Benge has settled in to being quite the productive everyday player for the Mets, as his run of good play has gone on for almost two months now. In June, he holds an excellent 137 wRC+ in 51 plate appearances. The Mets outfield trio all had a good couple of weeks; A.J. Ewing put up a 130 wRC+ in 46 plate appearances. Both Mets rookie outfielders had 13 hits apiece—second only behind Bichette for the team lead. Benge’s nine runs scored lead the team. He also walked three times and drove in five runs. Ewing also walked three times. He drove in three runs, scored six runs, and stole three bases—the only Met to swipe multiple bags over the past two weeks.
Francisco Alvarez made a borderline miraculous return from a torn meniscus many weeks ahead of schedule and got off to a quick start, but has cooled off since. Overall, he had three hits including a home run in his first 14 plate appearances since being activated. Meanwhile, Luis Torrens had six hits—half of which went for extra bases—in 27 plate appearances, good for an 89 wRC+. Torrens scored five runs and drove in two runs. When Alvarez was activated, Hayden Senger, who went hitless in two plate appearances, was sent back down to Triple-A.
Marcus Semien hasn’t been what I would call raging hot, but he has at least lifted himself out of awful territory, hovering close to league average with the bat for the past month or so. In June so far, he has an 85 wRC+ in 48 plate appearances. He actually leads the team with four home runs, which represent half of his total hits over this 12-game span. They also represent all four of his runs batted in and four of his five runs scored. Semien also walked three times and stole a base.
As the last men off the bench, Vidal Brújan and Eric Wagaman have not seen many at-bats. Wagaman reached once via a hit by pitch and struck out in his other two plate appearances. Brújan did not reach base in either of his two plate appearances.
Jun 15, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Nick Gonzales (3) runs to first base during a fielding error against the Athletics during the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates have had an up-and-down season, recently falling under .500 at 36-37, while spending a good chunk of the year so far several games above. But one of the big changes this year was the return of offense to Pittsburgh, and one of the biggest reasons for that is Nick Gonzlaes.
Well, the first group of Major League Baseball All-Star voting has been released, and the 27-year-old Gonzales sits in fifth place for the third baseman voting. The current voting is as follows:
Gonzales is second on the team in batting average, hitting .296 on the season with 2 homers and 31 RBIs. He has an OPS of .711 and a WAR of 1.0. He’s also stolen 4 bases.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez are the leading vote-getters for the National League and American League, though Ohtani leads all players with 1,165,133 votes.If they both still lead when Phase 1 of the voting is complete on Jun 25 at noon, both players will receive automatic starting spots in the All-Star Game. The 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will take place on Tuesda, July 14, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Gonzales is the only Pirates player in the top five of any of the position voting, though cases could be made for Brandon Lowe, Oneil Cruz and Ryan O’Hearn, who are all having good seasons at the plate for the Buccos.
Congrats to Gonzales for his early showing. Though he’s going to have to get some votes in Phase 2 to catch up to the rest of the the third-basemen. Still, the Pirates will likely have a position player in the game, so it very well could be Gonzales.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is the NL's leading vote-getter at designated hitter. Never has this Dodgers dynasty had four players start an All-Star Game, but they're poised to do so, powered by a deep, star-laden roster and a vast fan base clicking digital ballots. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
If fans all around the major leagues are sick and tired of the Dodgers, they have a funny way of showing it.
The Dodgers win too much and spend too much, so offensive to so many outside Los Angeles that the league shutting down next season has somehow become an acceptable outcome if the Dodgers cannot be stripped of their payroll advantage.
So, a pox on all their honors, right?
Apparently not. When Major League Baseball unveiled its initial batch of All-Star voting results Monday, four players from the team that so bothers the rest of America were in position to make the National League starting lineup.
Shohei Ohtani leads at designated hitter, Freddie Freeman at first base, Max Muncy at third base, and Andy Pages in the outfield.
“You look across the league, across baseball, and we have a lot of recognizable names,” Muncy said. “We have really talented players who have been playing really well this year.
“For a lot of us, the game has been speaking for us.”
Maybe not all four hold their leads in voting. Or maybe the Dodgers get more, as they seem to do in everything: Mookie Betts ranks second at shortstop, and Will Smith ranks second at catcher. Never has any team had six players start an All-Star Game.
In all the years Andrew Friedman has assembled super teams here, never have the Dodgers had four players start an All-star Game. That has happened once in franchise history, in 1980: infielders Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes and Bill Russell and outfielder Reggie Smith.
Love the Dodgers, or love to hate them, fans are voting for them.
“We’ve played well the last couple of years,” Freeman said. “We’re playing well again.
“A lot of eyes are on us. A lot of fans know all of us. And we’re playing good baseball.”
Mookie Betts, throwing to first base after forcing out Tampa Bay's Austin Slater at second on Monday, is second in NL voting at shortstop. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
In olden times, voting was conducted largely on paper ballots distributed at the stadium. With digital ballots, you can vote from anywhere, to the delight of a team that has extended its fan base to Japan.
“There’s no question we have a very, very strong fan base, domestically and internationally,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. “There’s no question that’s an advantage.
“But, in every case this year, the players that are up there this year certainly deserve it. It just speaks to the quality of the players we have.”
“Who ever said that?” Kasten said. “I’ve always said the opposite. I think we have been good for baseball, and I think everyone in baseball would agree.”
Said Freeman: “I think that’s just noise. We’re good for baseball. You just saw it in Chicago.”
The Chicago White Sox average 22,000. The Dodgers showed up over the weekend, and the White Sox sold out — all three games, at 38,000 per game.
“To say we’re bad for baseball,” Freeman said, “I think that’s what Doc would say is a lazy statement.”
Doc is Dave Roberts, the Dodgers’ manager. He laughed. He already branded popular critiques of the Dodgers as “lazy” once this season. He didn’t want to say it again.
But, if the Dodgers give people what they want to see, how can they be ruining the game?
“That’s a great point,” Roberts said. “I think people still love talent. They love the way our guys play. And they should be showcased in the midsummer classic.”
This year’s All-Star Game is in Philadelphia, home to the most passionate of fan bases. The Dodgers and Phillies each represent the National League, but can you imagine what the Phillies fans might have to say about four — or more — Dodgers introduced in the, er, home team lineup?
People love to hate the Dodgers. Philly fans love to hate, period.
“It would probably be a lot of fun,” Muncy said. “At the All-Star Game, you’re just there to celebrate the best players in baseball.
“Obviously, there will be boos and cheers for everybody. You’re just there to celebrate the talent, and not necessarily what team they’re playing for.”
If they’re playing for the Dodgers? Philly fans booed Santa Claus. Shohei Ohtani, you have been warned.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 30: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium on May 30, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has been much more aggressive over the last couple of weeks in churning through young players on the roster than was originally expected. Victor Scott II, Nolan Gorman, and Yohel Pozo are currently in AAA Memphis, and Catcher Pedro Pages has been relegated to backup as Chaim Bloom has shown a greater willingness to shake things up as of late. Platoon thumper Nelson Velazquez, Lefty Catcher Jimmy Crooks, and corner infielder Blaze Jordan have overtaken the spots on the roster and have made a notable improvement in offensive output since.
The potential for churn and change could be on the horizon for the pitching staff, as both Kyle Leahy and Matthew Liberatore are not flourishing in their current roles, and the bullpen could benefit from some additional proven firepower to elevate it to the next level. Both Leahy and Liberatore were accomplished relievers before becoming starters over the last 2 seasons.
The thing that made Kyle Leahy so successful last season in his multi-inning reliever role was the shorter bursts allowed his stuff to play up and allow him to leverage the very best performing pitches in his arsenal. Having to throttle some of his stuff down to last longer in the game, which he isn’t particularly doing anyway, takes away from that and is proving to make him a below-average starter. I would argue for two elements. 1. It was a good idea to test their internal hypothesis that Leahy could be a big league starter. The value of his doing so would be a long-term benefit to the organization if it were successful. 2. It’s clear that it’s not the correct role for his capabilities, and he still has the capacity and opportunity to positively impact this roster with a shift back to the bullpen and jettisoning the ever-unlucky or ineffective Chris Roycroft from the 40-man.
The other part to this, and the more unfortunate, appears to be that the first half of last season was the aberration in Liberatore’s production, and the 2nd half of Libby was more of the real thing. Dating back to July 5th of 2025, Matthew Liberatore has pitched 130 IP and posted a 4.85 ERA and a 5.21 FIP. Liberatore has recently seen an uptick in strikeout rate, and perhaps taking that element to the pen would afford the Cardinals an additional weapon from the left side and prevent overexposure for Justin Bruihl, who performs effectively in lower leverage opportunities.
So, who takes their place?
Naturally, Hunter Dobbins would be the first name to step in for Kyle Leahy, and we’ve seen Dobbins have the ability to get into a groove and can provide the Cardinals with more length and the ability to provide production from a starter’s workload.
The other replacement? Cardinals 2024 MiLB Pitcher of the Year Quinn Matthews. It’s been a struggle for Quinn as he has taken a little longer than expected to adjust to the big league baseball in AAA, and he also dealt with a shoulder issue last season that delayed his development. Much like in 2025, Matthews struggled with his command but has seemed to figure something out in his last 2 starts. 2-0 12 IP, 0 ER, 15K’s, 2 BB’s. Remember how I recommended removing Roycroft from the 40-man roster earlier? It would be to add Matthews to it.
Adding both Dobbins and Matthews to the starting rotation would benefit the short and long term. Right in the Chaim Bloom wheelhouse. Moving Leahy and Liberatore to the bullpen while both have 4 years of control remaining benefits both the short and long term of the organization… You know where I’m going with this. The Cardinals have shown a willingness to make aggressive improvements with both the short and long term in mind, and it is yet to be seen if they will follow suit on the pitching side of things. The options are presenting themselves. The roles appear to be clear-cut as to how you maneuver the 40-man, but who would be the odd man out in the bullpen after Roycroft is unclear. I’m sure most of you would make the argument that it would be just removing Bruihl, and I wouldnt give that much push back on that, but I’m not sure how the Cardinals would feel about exposing Bruihl to waivers. I suppose we can chalk that up to the ol’ TBD on that front, but it will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.
(Stats via Baseball Savant, Prospect Savant, and FanGraphs)
The Detroit Tigers took the series opener against the Houston Astros, 9-3, at Daikin Park on Monday night in a game that saw AJ Hinch’s team strike out 18 times but still nearly put up double-digit runs. Only one of those Ks belonged to Colt Keith, who homered in his other three at-bats and racked up six RBIs to power the good guys to the win.
Taking the mound on Tuesday for the Tigers is left-hander Framber Valdez, who will face his former team for the first time ever. The 32-year-old has alternated good and bad starts over his last six outings, with his most recent one being of the latter variety, surrendering four runs on six hits (two home runs) and two walks while striking out two over five frames to take the loss in a 6-4 final against the Minnesota Twins.
For the Astros, right-hander Hunter Brown will return from the injured list, where he has been shelved since the end of March after making just two starts. However, before going down with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain, the 27-year-old had looked sharp, albeit in a small sample size.
Brown last faced Detroit in last year’s American League Wildcard Game, in which he tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball, surrendering a pair of hits (including a solo home run) and two walks while striking out nine in a game that the Tigers ultimately prevailed in, 5-2.
Here is a look at how the two match up on Tuesday night.
Detroit Tigers (30-42) vs. Houston Astros (33-41)
Time (ET): 8:10 p.m. Place: Daikin Park, Houston, Texas SB Nation Site:The Crawfish Boxes Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 74: LHP Framber Valdez (3-5, 4.40 ERA) vs. RHP Hunter Brown (1-0, 0.84 ERA)
